South Africa: Workers Day an opportunity to reflect on gains, challenges

This story has been published on: 2023-04-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

The Department of Basic Education has reminded parents, guardians and school communities in general that Friday, 28 April 2023, is a Special School Holiday. In a statement on Wednesday, the department said that leaners are not expected to be in school on the day. It is notable that Thursday 27 April 2023 is a Public Holiday. The Depar... See more
PLA Navy evacuates nearly 700 from Sudan

08:27, April 28, 2023 By ZHAO LEI ( Chinadaily.com.cn

An evacuee waves a Chinese flag while passing through the security check area at Port Sudan on Wednesday. Two Chinese naval vessels, which evacuated 678 people from conflict-hit Sudan, arrived at Jeddah Islamic Port in Saudi Arabia on Thursday morning and then began sailing back to Sudan to evacuate a second group of people. [Photo by Wu Kangci / For China Daily]

The People's Liberation Army Navy helped evacuate on Thursday nearly 700 Chinese and foreign nationals from conflict-torn Sudan.

In a news release published in the afternoon, the PLA Navy said that 668 Chinese citizens and 10 foreign nationals have been relocated to Jeddah, a coastal city in Saudi Arabia, by two Chinese warships  CNS Nanning, a Type 052D guided-missile destroyer, and CNS Weishan Lake, a Type 903 resupply vessel.

According to the release, the two vessels with more than 490 sailors and special operations commandos onboard are part of the Navy's 43rd escort flotilla in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia.

Following orders from the Navy, the Nanning and the Weishan Lake sailed toward Port Sudan, the principal seaport of the African nation, and arrived there on Wednesday morning.

Navy personnel established a security zone in the port, with separate areas for assembly, registration, security check and boarding. Armed commandos stood on alert on the site.

A Navy video clip showed sailors of the Weishan Lake putting up banners on the portside, and one of these read: "Our ships are moving territories of China, and you will be home safe and sound as soon as you board them."

Footage also showed that the guns onboard the Weishan Lake were loaded with real munitions.

On Wednesday afternoon, buses transporting the evacuees reached the port. Many of the civilians were excited at the sight of the Chinese vessels and troops, and waved the Chinese national flag, while some cried, according to the PLA Navy.

In the video, a Navy officer is heard telling the evacuees that wherever they are, "the motherland will always protect you".

He continued: "The Navy will always safeguard our overseas compatriots' safety and interests. Please be assured that as we are here, you are safe now." The evacuees responded by saying, "Long live the motherland!"

On Thursday morning, the Nanning and the Weishan Lake arrived in Jeddah with the first group of civilians and after all of them safely disembarked from the vessels, the ships began sailing back to Port Sudan to evacuate a second group, the Navy said.

This is the third time the PLA Navy has carried out an overseas evacuation mission in recent years, the news release said, noting that the previous two operations took place in Libya in 2011 and Yemen in 2015.

At a news briefing on Thursday afternoon, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that more than 1,300 Chinese nationals had left the conflict zones within Sudan, and the ministry is closely monitoring the situation of Chinese citizens remaining in that country and would spare no effort to help them as and when needed.

Mao said that nationals from five foreign countries boarded the two Chinese naval ships by Wednesday night, while some other countries had also sought China's assistance. China will do whatever it can to help them, she added.

Wang Xu contributed to this story.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
[]B(201872):2023 20230428 20:18:37 

:

: B :2023 China Merchants Port Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the Company) and all the members of the Companys Board of Directors hereby guarantee that the contents of this Report are factual, accurate and complete and free of any misrepresentations, misleading statements or material omissions.







Important Notes:

1. The Board of Directors (or the Board), the Supervisory Committee as well as the directors, supervisors and

senior management of the Company hereby guarantee the factuality, accuracy and completeness of the contents of

this Report, and shall be jointly and severally liable for any misrepresentations, misleading statements or material

omissions therein.

2. Wang Xiufeng, the Companys legal representative, Tu Xiaoping, the Companys Chief Financial Officer and

Huang Shengchao, the person-in-charge of the accounting organ hereby guarantee that the financial statements

carried in this Report are factual, accurate and complete.

3. Indicate by tick mark whether the financial statements herein have been audited by an independent auditor.

Yes  No

4. Securities Times, China Securities Journal, Shanghai Securities News, Ta Kung Pao (HK) and http://www.cninfo.com.cn have been designated by the Company for information disclosure. And all information

about the Company shall be subject to whats disclosed on the aforesaid media. This Report has been prepared in both Chinese and English. Should there be any discrepancies or misunderstandings between the two versions, the Chinese version shall prevail. I Key Financial Information

(I) Key Accounting Data and Financial Indicators

Indicate by tick mark whether there is any retrospectively restated datum in the table below.  Yes  No

Reason: Changes to Accounting Policies

On 30 November 2022, the Ministry of Finance issued the Interpretation No. 16 for the Accounting Standards for

Business Enterprises, according to which "the accounting treatments for deferred income tax relating to assets and

liabilities arising from a single transaction that is not subject to the initial recognition exemption" is effective from

1 January 2023. In accordance with the aforesaid regulations, the Company has implemented the Interpretation No.

16 with effect from 1 January 2023.



Q1 2023 Q1 2022 YoY change (%) Original Restated Operating revenue (RMB) 3,693,584,257.97 4,020,203,113.25 4,020,203,113.25 -8.12% Net profit attributable to the listed companys shareholders (RMB) 850,039,606.18 859,493,121.60 859,730,734.43 -1.13% Net profit attributable to the listed companys shareholders before exceptional gains and losses (RMB) 724,465,592.72 838,801,864.90 839,039,477.73 -13.66% Net cash generated from/used in operating activities (RMB) 699,050,929.84 999,264,265.35 999,264,265.35 -30.04% Basic earnings per share (RMB/share) 0.34 0.45 0.45 -24.44% Diluted earnings per share (RMB/share) 0.34 0.45 0.45 -24.44% Weighted average return on equity (%) 1.55% 2.13% 2.12% -0.57% 31 March 2023 31 December 2022 Change (%) Original Restated Total assets (RMB) 198,600,787,660.07 197,525,530,887.76 197,604,313,794.79 0.50% Equity attributable to the listed companys shareholders (RMB) 55,269,089,877.11 54,267,143,304.02 54,298,170,520.73 1.79% The total share capital at the end of the last trading session before the disclosure of this Report:



Total share capital at the end of the last trading session before the disclosure of this Report (share) 2,499,074,661 Fully diluted earnings per share based on the latest total share capital above:

Fully diluted earnings per share based on the latest total share capital above (RMB/share) 0.3401 (II) Exceptional Gains and Losses

Unit: RMB



Item Q1 2023 Note Gain or loss on disposal of non-current assets (inclusive of impairment allowance write-offs) -1,364,122.56 - Government subsidies charged to current profit or loss (exclusive of government subsidies continually given in the Companys ordinary course of business at fixed quotas or amounts as per the governments policies and standards) 22,757,046.38 - Capital occupation charges on non-financial enterprises that are charged to current profit or loss 54,840,916.11 - Gain or loss on fair-value changes in held-for-trading financial assets and liabilities & income from disposal of held-for-trading financial assets and liabilities and available-for-sale financial assets (exclusive of the effective portion of hedges that arise in the Companys ordinary course of business) 109,115,343.13 - Reversed portions of impairment allowances for receivables which are tested individually for impairment 8,150,646.77 - Non-operating income and expense other than the above -3,575,218.52 - Less: Income tax effects 37,706,922.19 - Non-controlling interests effects (net of tax) 26,643,675.66 - Total 125,574,013.46 Other items that meet the definition of exceptional gain/loss:  Applicable  Not applicable

No such cases.

Explanation of why the Company reclassifies as recurrent an exceptional gain/loss item listed in the Explanatory

Announcement No. 1 on Information Disclosure for Companies Offering Their Securities to the PublicExceptional Gain/Loss Items:

 Applicable  Not applicable

No such cases.

(III) Changes in Key Financial Statement Line Items and Their Explanation Unit: RMB



Balance sheet items 31 March 2023 31 December 2022 Change (%) Explanation of changes Held-for-trading financial assets 4,459,125,415.79 2,998,781,599.63 48.70% Mainly due to increased structured deposits Notes receivable 246,712,652.99 36,395,000.00 577.88% Mainly due to increased bank acceptance notes Accounts receivable 1,685,727,787.00 1,276,149,689.44 32.09% Mainly due to impacts of the payment collection periods Receivables financing - 163,766,913.10 -100.00% Mainly due to impacts of discounted bank acceptance notes and payment collection upon maturity Income statement items Q1 2023 Q1 2022 Change (%) Explanation of changes Gains from changes in fair value 109,115,343.13 -28,601,507.19 481.50% Mainly due to increased gains from changes in the fair value of held-for-trading financial assets Cash flow statement items Q1 2023 Q1 2022 Change (%) Explanation of changes Cash receipts from disposals and recovery of investments 4,687,000,000.00 16,908,644,162.50 -72.28% Mainly due to decreased principals of structured deposits that were received Cash payments to acquire investments 6,142,654,969.50 16,688,874,317.28 -63.19% Mainly due to decreased principals of structured deposits that were purchased Cash receipts from borrowings 3,525,239,878.65 9,466,988,902.00 -62.76% Mainly due to decreased super-short-term commercial papers that were issued Cash repayments of borrowings 3,402,675,379.90 6,229,427,431.03 -45.38% Mainly due to decreased repayments of super-short-term commercial papers and bank loans II Shareholder Information

(I) Numbers of Ordinary Shareholders and Preferred Shareholders with Resumed Voting Rights as well as Holdings of Top 10 Shareholders

Unit: share



Number of ordinary shareholders 29,398 (18,191 A-shareholders, 11,207 B-shareholders) Number of preferred shareholders with resumed voting rights (if any) 0 Top 10 shareholders Name of shareholder Nature of sharehold Shareh olding Total shares held Restricted shares held Shares in pledge, marked or frozen

er percent age Status Shares CHINA MERCHANTS PORT INVESTMENT DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LIMITED Foreign legal person 45.96% 1,148,648,648 0 - 0 ZHEJIANG PROVINCIAL SEAPORT INVESTMENT & OPERATION GROUP CO., LTD. State-own ed legal person 23.08% 576,709,537 576,709,537 - 0 CHINA MERCHANTS GANGTONG DEVELOPMENT (SHENZHEN) CO., LTD. State-own ed legal person 14.84% 370,878,000 0 - 0 SHENZHEN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT FUND-SHENZHEN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT FUND PARTNERSHIP (LIMITED PARTNERSHIP) Funds, wealth managem ent products 2.59% 64,850,182 0 - 0 CHINA-AFRICA DEVELOPMENT FUND State-own ed legal person 2.57% 64,102,564 0 - 0 BROADFORD GLOBAL LIMITED State-own ed legal person 2.21% 55,314,208 0 - Unknown CHINA CITIC BANK CORPORATION LIMITED-BOCOM SCHRODERS NEW VITALITY DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION MIXED SECURITIES INVESTMENT FUND Funds, wealth managem ent products 0.26% 6,430,236 0 - Unknown HONG KONG SECURITIES CLEARING COMPANY LTD. Foreign legal person 0.12% 3,096,947 0 - Unknown ZHU HUI Domestic natural person 0.12% 2,880,003 0 - Unknown CHINA MERCHANTS SECURITIES (HK) CO., LTD. Foreign legal person 0.11% 2,648,138 0 - Unknown Top 10 unrestricted shareholders Name of shareholder Unrestricted shares held Shares by type

Type Shares CHINA MERCHANTS PORT INVESTMENT DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LIMITED 1,148,648,648 RMB ordinary share 1,148,648,648 CHINA MERCHANTS GANGTONG DEVELOPMENT (SHENZHEN) CO., LTD. 370,878,000 RMB ordinary share 370,878,000 SHENZHEN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT FUND-SHENZHEN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT FUND PARTNERSHIP (LIMITED PARTNERSHIP) 64,850,182 RMB ordinary share 64,850,182 CHINA-AFRICA DEVELOPMENT FUND 64,102,564 RMB ordinary share 64,102,564 BROADFORD GLOBAL LIMITED 55,314,208 Domestically listed foreign share 55,314,208 CHINA CITIC BANK CORPORATION LIMITED-BOCOM SCHRODERS NEW VITALITY DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION MIXED SECURITIES INVESTMENT FUND 6,430,236 RMB ordinary share 6,430,236 HONG KONG SECURITIES CLEARING COMPANY LTD. 3,096,947 RMB ordinary share 3,096,947 ZHU HUI 2,880,003 RMB ordinary share 2,880,003 CHINA MERCHANTS SECURITIES (HK) CO., LTD. 2,648,138 Domestically listed foreign share 2,648,138 MAI SHUQING 1,874,947 RMB ordinary share 1,874,947 Related or acting-in-concert parties among the shareholders above Broadford Global Limited is the controlling shareholder of China Merchants Port Investment Development Company Limited and China Merchants Gangtong Development (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. The Company does not know whether the other unrestricted shareholders are related parties or not. Top 10 shareholders engaged in securities margin trading (if any) N/A (II) Number of Preferred Shareholders and Shareholdings of Top 10 of Them  Applicable  Not applicable

III Other Significant Events

 Applicable  Not applicable



Item 31 March 2023 1 January 2023 Current assets: Cash and bank balances 12,303,314,799.46 13,615,928,739.40 Settlement reserve Interbank loans granted Held-for-trading financial assets 4,459,125,415.79 2,998,781,599.63 Derivative financial assets Notes receivable 246,712,652.99 36,395,000.00 Accounts receivable 1,685,727,787.00 1,276,149,689.44 Receivables financing 163,766,913.10 Prepayments 70,427,025.03 63,627,425.42 Premiums receivable Reinsurance receivables Receivable reinsurance contract reserve Other receivables 1,170,056,768.49 948,842,094.30 Including: Interest receivable Dividend receivable 609,209,224.04 416,040,485.62 Financial assets purchased under resale agreements Inventories 242,994,121.36 225,122,821.48 Contract assets Assets held for sale Non-current assets due within one year 850,911,074.16 902,225,293.93 Other current assets 193,385,491.31 185,903,140.53 Total current assets 21,222,655,135.59 20,416,742,717.23 Non-current assets: Loans and advances to customers Investments in debt obligations Investments in other debt obligations Long-term receivables 5,617,429,169.49 5,661,327,499.07 Long-term equity investments 93,142,161,218.98 92,364,293,919.05 Investments in other equity instruments 171,945,275.02 171,945,275.02 Other non-current financial assets 1,825,784,236.41 1,745,740,896.41 Investment properties 5,078,723,082.96 5,123,690,119.56 Fixed assets 31,672,908,906.91 32,033,326,083.50 Construction in progress 2,464,228,985.85 2,413,844,407.64 Productive living assets Oil and gas assets Right-of-use assets 9,173,095,661.96 9,342,642,222.33 Intangible assets 19,183,419,167.08 19,277,065,115.61 Development expenditure 13,120,478.53 17,412,196.16 Goodwill 6,448,739,235.22 6,411,426,891.09 Long-term prepaid expenses 968,960,172.05 986,356,904.90 Deferred tax assets 433,911,215.96 451,710,168.43 Other non-current assets 1,183,705,718.06 1,186,789,378.79 Total non-current assets 177,378,132,524.48 177,187,571,077.56 Total assets 198,600,787,660.07 197,604,313,794.79 Current liabilities: Short-term borrowings 6,457,871,100.32 7,164,338,366.18 Borrowings from the central bank Interbank loans obtained Held-for-trading financial liabilities Derivative financial liabilities Notes payable Accounts payable 659,724,322.27 811,149,397.66 Receipts in advance 13,518,159.74 9,886,531.59 Contract liabilities 133,240,712.79 141,899,551.03 Financial assets sold under repurchase agreements Customer deposits and interbank deposits Payables for acting trading of securities Payables for underwriting of securities Employee benefits payable 590,230,462.57 936,834,718.13 Taxes payable 957,160,598.91 917,933,169.09 Other payables 1,875,936,638.82 1,755,885,258.26 Including: Interest payable Dividends payable 275,643,677.79 92,374,921.29 Handling charges and commissions payable Reinsurance payables Liabilities directly associated with assets held for sale Non-current liabilities due within one year 11,363,621,116.77 11,641,223,688.95 Other current liabilities 3,153,298,331.94 3,161,147,525.96 Total current liabilities 25,204,601,444.13 26,540,298,206.85 Non-current liabilities: Insurance contract reserve Long-term borrowings 13,331,788,460.38 12,390,099,177.85 Bonds payable 18,948,133,988.72 19,088,293,099.02 Including: Preferred shares Perpetual bonds Lease liabilities 900,685,688.08 948,350,914.04 Long-term payables 3,605,970,588.10 3,551,315,590.31 Long-term employee benefits payable 630,909,242.99 639,095,931.43 Provisions 40,845,351.20 35,365,156.43 Deferred income 1,028,327,499.02 1,031,273,189.74 Deferred tax liabilities 4,933,657,960.25 4,855,047,609.59 Other non-current liabilities 178,359,757.34 186,383,117.00 Total non-current liabilities 43,598,678,536.08 42,725,223,785.41 Total liabilities 68,803,279,980.21 69,265,521,992.26 Shareholders' equity: Share capital 2,499,074,661.00 2,499,074,661.00 Other equity instruments Including: Preferred shares Perpetual bonds Capital reserve 34,846,694,340.27 34,751,640,835.25 Less: Treasury stock Other comprehensive income -673,519,217.07 -689,026,445.74 Special reserve 36,677,276.48 26,358,259.97 Surplus reserves 1,001,917,449.15 1,001,917,449.15 General reserve Unappropriated profit 17,558,245,367.28 16,708,205,761.10 Total shareholders' equity attributable to shareholders of the parent 55,269,089,877.11 54,298,170,520.73 Minority interests 74,528,417,802.75 74,040,621,281.80 Total shareholders' equity 129,797,507,679.86 128,338,791,802.53 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity 198,600,787,660.07 197,604,313,794.79 Legal Representative: Wang Xiufeng

Chief Financial Officer: Tu Xiaoping

Head of Accounting Department: Huang Shengchao



Item Q1 2023 Q1 2022 1. Operating income 3,693,584,257.97 4,020,203,113.25 Including: Operating income 3,693,584,257.97 4,020,203,113.25 Interest income Premium income Handling charge and commission income 2. Costs and expenses 3,256,430,499.35 3,257,382,937.14 Including: Operating costs 2,166,281,506.75 2,257,298,794.24 Interest expense Handling charge and commission expense Surrenders Net claims paid Net amount provided as policy reserve Expenditure on policy dividends Reinsurance premium expense Taxes and surcharges 67,797,717.75 70,163,530.02 Selling expense Administrative expenses 390,562,146.01 392,572,623.71 Research and development expenses 69,022,878.81 52,342,387.05 Finance expenses 562,766,250.03 485,005,602.12 Including: Interest expense 556,633,136.12 557,552,810.49 Interest income 118,478,939.42 95,418,037.96 Add: Other income 30,192,445.16 37,313,921.78 Investment income (Loss is marked with "-") 1,510,612,568.31 1,700,408,075.14 Including: Income from investments in associates and joint ventures 1,496,344,186.35 1,632,844,747.42 Income from the derecognition of financial assets at amortized cost (Loss is marked with "-") Foreign exchange gain (Loss is marked with "-") Net gain on exposure hedges (Loss is marked with "-") Gains from changes in fair value (Loss is marked 109,115,343.13 -28,601,507.19 with "-" ) Gains from impairment of credit (Loss is marked with "-" ) 8,422,477.29 -592,423.11 Gains from impairment of assets (Loss is marked with "-" ) Gains on disposal of assets (Loss is marked with "-" ) -180,393.80 -212,878.09 3. Operating profit (Loss is marked with "-") 2,095,316,198.71 2,471,135,364.64 Add: Non-operating income 10,147,277.67 5,208,084.73 Less: Non-operating expenses 14,882,144.37 3,571,426.77 4. Gross profit (Loss is marked with "-") 2,090,581,332.01 2,472,772,022.60 Less: Income tax expenses 286,862,164.52 303,858,270.29 5. Net profit (Loss is marked with "-") 1,803,719,167.49 2,168,913,752.31 5.1 Categorization by continuity of operation 5.1.1 Net profit from continuing operation (Loss is marked with "-") 1,803,719,167.49 2,168,913,752.31 5.1.2 Net profit from discontinued operation (Loss is marked with "-") 5.2 Categorization by attribution of ownership 5.2.1 Net profit attributable to owners of the parent 850,039,606.18 859,730,734.43 5.2.2 Profit or loss attributable to minority shareholders 953,679,561.31 1,309,183,017.88 6. Other comprehensive income, net of tax -37,702,507.44 667,635,517.56 Other comprehensive income attributable to owners of the parent, net of tax 15,507,228.67 412,712,444.14 6.1 Other comprehensive income that will not be reclassified to profit or loss 277,536.18 -101,330.09 6.1.1 Changes from remeasurement of the defined benefit plan 6.1.2 Other comprehensive income that cannot be reclassified to profit or loss under the equity method 277,536.18 6.1.3 Fair value changes of investments in other equity instruments -101,330.09 6.1.4 Changes in the fair value of the companys credit risks 6.1.5 Other 6.2 Other comprehensive income that will be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss 15,229,692.49 412,813,774.23 6.2.1 Other comprehensive income that can be reclassified to profit or loss under the equity method 6,647,720.36 6,527,928.11 6.2.2 Changes in the fair value of investments in other debt obligations 6.2.3 Other comprehensive income arising from the reclassification of financial assets 6.2.4 Allowance for credit impairments in investments in other debt obligations 6.2.5 Reserve for cash flow hedges 6.2.6 Translation differences of financial statements denominated in foreign currencies 8,581,972.13 406,285,846.12 6.2.7 Other Other comprehensive income attributable to minority interests, net of tax -53,209,736.11 254,923,073.42 7. Total comprehensive income attributable to 1,766,016,660.05 2,836,549,269.87 Shareholders of the parent 865,546,834.85 1,272,443,178.57 Minority shareholders 900,469,825.20 1,564,106,091.30 8. Earnings per share 8.1 Basic earnings per share 0.34 0.45 8.2 Diluted earnings per share 0.34 0.45 Item Q1 2023 Q1 2022 1. Cash flows from operating activities: Cash receipts from sales of goods and rendering of services 3,194,833,274.62 3,599,371,273.07 Net increase in customer deposits and interbank deposits Net increase in borrowings from the central bank Net increase in loans from other financial institutions Premiums received on original insurance contracts Net proceeds from reinsurance Net increase in deposits and investments of policy holders Interest, handling charges and commissions received Net increase in interbank loans obtained Net increase in proceeds from repurchase transactions Net proceeds from acting trading of securities Receipts of tax refunds 929,828.08 1,001,300.35 Other cash receipts relating to operating activities 220,128,477.02 244,231,744.88 Sub-total of cash inflows 3,415,891,579.72 3,844,604,318.30 Cash payments for goods purchased and services received 1,032,226,057.61 1,122,144,087.79 Net increase in loans and advances to customers Net increase in deposits in the central bank and in interbank loans granted Payments for claims on original insurance contracts Net increase in interbank loans granted Interest, handling charges and commissions paid Policy dividends paid Cash payments to and on behalf of employees 1,218,416,516.71 1,130,909,192.25 Payments of various types of taxes 261,077,771.59 391,860,341.00 Other cash payments relating to operating activities 205,120,303.97 200,426,431.91 Sub-total of cash outflows 2,716,840,649.88 2,845,340,052.95 Net Cash Flows from Operating Activities 699,050,929.84 999,264,265.35 2. Cash flows from investing activities: Cash receipts from disposals and recovery of investments 4,687,000,000.00 16,908,644,162.50 Cash receipts from investments income 291,354,548.85 90,541,536.09 Net cash receipts from disposal of fixed assets, intangible assets and other long-term assets 831,486.80 56,999.00 Net cash receipts from disposal of subsidiaries and other operating units Other cash receipts relating to investing activities 86,434,571.88 92,386,492.18 Sub-total of cash inflows 5,065,620,607.53 17,091,629,189.77 Cash payments to acquire or construct fixed assets, intangible assets and other long-term assets 309,707,402.32 542,182,983.32 Cash payments to acquire investments 6,142,654,969.50 16,688,874,317.28 Net increase in pledged loans granted Net cash payments for acquisitions of subsidiaries and other business units Other cash payments relating to investing activities 479,015.65 9,373,443.62 Sub-total of cash outflows 6,452,841,387.47 17,240,430,744.22 Net cash flows from investing activities -1,387,220,779.94 -148,801,554.45 3. Cash flows from financing activities: Cash receipts from capital contributions Including: Cash receipts from capital contributions from Minority shareholder of subsidiary Cash receipts from borrowings 3,525,239,878.65 9,466,988,902.00 Other cash receipts relating to financing activities 87,673.99 Sub-total of cash inflows 3,525,327,552.64 9,466,988,902.00 Cash repayments of borrowings 3,402,675,379.90 6,229,427,431.03 Cash payments for distribution of dividends or profits or settlement of interest expenses 560,837,707.69 484,875,519.45 Including: Payments for distribution of dividends or profits to Minority shareholder of subsidiary 37,092,850.00 2,881,000.00 Other cash payments relating to financing activities 159,647,710.20 57,936,905.74 Sub-total of cash outflows 4,123,160,797.79 6,772,239,856.22 Net cash flows from financing activities -597,833,245.15 2,694,749,045.78 4. Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents -15,139,218.75 -25,315,406.26 5. Net increase in cash and cash equivalents -1,301,142,314.00 3,519,896,350.42 Add: Opening balance of Cash and Cash Equivalents 13,567,309,471.62 12,727,355,238.36 6. Closing balance of cash and cash equivalents 12,266,167,157.62 16,247,251,588.78  China Merchants Port Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the Company) and all the members of the Companys Board of Directors hereby guarantee that the contents of this Report are factual, accurate and complete and free of any misrepresentations, misleading statements or material omissions.Important Notes:1. The Board of Directors (or the Board), the Supervisory Committee as well as the directors, supervisors andsenior management of the Company hereby guarantee the factuality, accuracy and completeness of the contents ofthis Report, and shall be jointly and severally liable for any misrepresentations, misleading statements or materialomissions therein.2. Wang Xiufeng, the Companys legal representative, Tu Xiaoping, the Companys Chief Financial Officer andHuang Shengchao, the person-in-charge of the accounting organ hereby guarantee that the financial statementscarried in this Report are factual, accurate and complete.3. Indicate by tick mark whether the financial statements herein have been audited by an independent auditor.Yes  No4. Securities Times, China Securities Journal, Shanghai Securities News, Ta Kung Pao (HK) and http://www.cninfo.com.cn have been designated by the Company for information disclosure. And all informationabout the Company shall be subject to whats disclosed on the aforesaid media. This Report has been prepared in both Chinese and English. Should there be any discrepancies or misunderstandings between the two versions, the Chinese version shall prevail. I Key Financial Information(I) Key Accounting Data and Financial IndicatorsIndicate by tick mark whether there is any retrospectively restated datum in the table below.  Yes  NoReason: Changes to Accounting PoliciesOn 30 November 2022, the Ministry of Finance issued the Interpretation No. 16 for the Accounting Standards forBusiness Enterprises, according to which "the accounting treatments for deferred income tax relating to assets andliabilities arising from a single transaction that is not subject to the initial recognition exemption" is effective from1 January 2023. In accordance with the aforesaid regulations, the Company has implemented the Interpretation No.16 with effect from 1 January 2023.The total share capital at the end of the last trading session before the disclosure of this Report:Fully diluted earnings per share based on the latest total share capital above:(II) Exceptional Gains and LossesUnit: RMBOther items that meet the definition of exceptional gain/loss:  Applicable  Not applicableNo such cases.Explanation of why the Company reclassifies as recurrent an exceptional gain/loss item listed in the ExplanatoryAnnouncement No. 1 on Information Disclosure for Companies Offering Their Securities to the PublicExceptional Gain/Loss Items: Applicable  Not applicableNo such cases.(III) Changes in Key Financial Statement Line Items and Their Explanation Unit: RMBII Shareholder Information(I) Numbers of Ordinary Shareholders and Preferred Shareholders with Resumed Voting Rights as well as Holdings of Top 10 ShareholdersUnit: share(II) Number of Preferred Shareholders and Shareholdings of Top 10 of Them  Applicable  Not applicableIII Other Significant Events Applicable  Not applicableLegal Representative: Wang XiufengChief Financial Officer: Tu XiaopingHead of Accounting Department: Huang Shengchao
Omaha Public Schools Superintendent Cheryl Logan will move to a higher-education position following her resignation from Nebraskas largest school district.

The University of Pennsylvania announced Thursday that Logan will be executive director of the new McGraw Center for Educational Leadership in its Graduate School of Education.

The center, which was announced last fall, is part of a gift from the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Family Foundation and will focus on fostering education leaders, according to a press release.

Logan announced her resignation from OPS in September after five years in the superintendent role. She said in previous interviews that shes homesick and wants to be closer to her family, who reside on the East Coast.

She will start in the position in July following her last day at OPS, which is June 30.

Top Journal Star photos for April 2023
Hundreds of people crammed into an event space at the east Lincoln Veterans Administration Campus on Thursday afternoon to celebrate, in the words of Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, a monumental day for the community.

Thursday marked the opening of the new Aging Partners location at the Victory Park development at 600 S. 70th St. The move comes after the old Aging Partners location in downtown Lincoln, which also included a senior fitness center, closed permanently in April.

Aging Partners director Randall Jones said their goal is to open the new Aging Partners location to the public on May 3.

According to Gaylor Baird and the other state, local and federal representatives that spoke at Thursdays event, the new facility was a long time coming.

Its a day that so many people have worked toward for the past 13 years, Gaylor Baird said.

Increased accessibility for seniors is a primary feature of the Victory Park location, which will include expanded parking and a first-floor entrance to the building. The new Aging Partners facility also features a health clinic staffed by the University of Nebraska Medical Center, a spacious classroom, an exercise room, access to nutritious meals and a large outdoor space.

The new site will also serve Lincolns veteran community. Office space for Lancaster Countys Veterans Service Office is included inside the Aging Partners site, and Gaylor Baird said relocation of the Aging Partners facility is part of the $100 million redevelopment of the Veterans Administration Hospital Grounds.

This new and comprehensive site offers our older community members and veterans space and services in one central location to lead their best lives, Gaylor Baird said.

Providing services for Lancaster County Veterans was a crucial part of the formation of the new Aging Partners facility, according to Lancaster County Commissioner Roma Amundson. The proximity of the center to other veteran services makes the location much more convenient for veterans that Lancaster County is proud to serve, Amundson said.

The community of veterans and seniors in Lancaster County is growing, according to Jones, who has been the director of Aging Partners since 2016. Their previous facility did not match that growth, which is why Thursday was such a special day for Jones.

Its always been a vision that makes sense to move Lincoln towards a more age-friendly community, and thats exactly what this facility does, Jones said.

Thursdays event was a culmination of years of hard work for dozens of members in the Lincoln community, and each individual that spoke gave special thanks to at least one community member who helped make the new Aging Partners location a reality.

We heard how hard this was, we heard how challenging this was, Gaylor Baird said. We do hard things in Lincoln and Lancaster County, and its because of the people in this room.

The Victory Park Senior Center will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays, with lunch served at 11:30 a.m. The Schmieding Center for Active Living will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Aging Partners offices will be open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Photos: Take a look inside Lincoln's new senior center location
There's nowhere else Tosca Lee would rather be on Saturday than inside a bookstore  well, two of them, actually.

The 10th annual Independent Bookstore Day couldn't have come at a better time for Lee, the Lincoln-raised author whose newest novel  a World War II historical fiction about the Bataan Death March that she wrote with Marcus Brotherton  will have its national release on May 2.

Lee will sign "The Long March Home: A World War II Novel of the Pacific," first in Seward at Chapters Books & Gifts from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. before coming to Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St. in Lincoln, from 4-6 p.m.

"It's really exciting to be in an independent bookstore on Independent Bookstore Day, which I don't always get to do," said Lee, who lives in Fremont. "And it's extra special to be able to launch a book on Independent Bookstore Day."

She said signing the book for friends and family members in her hometown "is going to be exciting. I haven't had a book out for four years  it's been awhile  I don't know if I remember how to do all this stuff."

"The Long March Home" tells the story of three teenagers from Mobile, Alabama  lifelong friends who are closer to brothers  who joined the Army before America entered World War II.

Stationed in the Philippines, they are enjoying their glimpse at a new and exotic place  the antithesis of Alabama  until that quickly unravels with the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, which ultimately puts them on the front line of the Pacific theater.

Just days later, the Philippines is invaded by the Japanese and they are taken prisoner and forced on a 60-mile walk  without food or water  to a POW camp. Thousands died and no one was unscathed.

The story is gripping and made more harrowing as we revisit their past, the lives they lived, the family members and loved ones they left behind in Alabama.

The final manuscript was 12 years in the making, a collaboration between two best-selling authors, who communicated often but didn't meet face to face for the first time until last October.

It didn't take Brotherton long to realize he had chosen the perfect co-author for this project.

Brotherton said Lee's writing style is similar to his, which made the challenge of combining their prose almost seamless.

"She writes very poetically, sort of in layers and is a smart writer," said Brotherton, who lives in Bellingham, Washington. "So coming into the process, I went, 'Yeah, if she can write like her other books for this one, that's exactly what I want.'"

"The Long March Home" has earned early two-star reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist.

While Independent Bookstore Day has been around for a decade, this is the first time local bookstores have joined forces to host the Seward & Lincoln Bookstore Crawl.

Celebrated annually on the last Saturday in April, Independent Bookstore Day was established in 2013. More than 900 bookstores nationwide will take part in it Saturday.

The crawl started on April 16 and will run through Saturday across six independent bookstores in the Lincoln and Seward areas  A Novel Idea, Badgers Bookshop, Elleinad Books, Francie & Finch, Indigo Bridge and Chapters Books & Gifts.

Participants can pick up a bookstore crawl postcard from any of the six locations and then collect a stamp from each bookstore. No purchase is necessary to collect the stamps.

When complete, postcards may be submitted for a grand prize drawing and participants will also receive special discounts at each participating store.

Besides Lee, other local authors  including Faith Colburn, Gretchen Garrison, Tasha Hackett, Heidi Hermanson, Lisa Knopp, Mark Miller, Cat Singh and Debra White  will visit the bookstores throughout the day for book signings and meet-and-greets.

Brotherton said there is no such Independent Bookstore Day events he will attend in Washington state, but recognized the role they play in helping authors.

"We're tremendously thankful for the work they do," he said. "One of the challenges in America these days is that bookstores have shuttered in mass over the past decade."

Barnes & Noble is still in business, along with a few regional bookstore chains, but the number of places selling books has dwindled significantly over the years, he said.

"We could not do it without independent bookstores, so we are enormously grateful," Brotherton said.

50 classics from (almost) everyone's high school reading list 50 classics from (almost) everyone's high school reading list #50. Their Eyes Were Watching God #49. Mythology #48. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou's Autobiography, #1) #47. Oedipus Rex (The Theban Plays, #1) #46. Moby-Dick or, the Whale #45. The Pearl #44. The Importance of Being Earnest #43. The Red Badge of Courage #42. The Taming of the Shrew #41. Slaughterhouse-Five #40. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer #39. Crime and Punishment #38. A Separate Peace #37. Death of a Salesman #36. The Little Prince #35. The Old Man and the Sea #34. The Canterbury Tales #33. Othello #32. Flowers for Algernon #31. Beowulf #30. A Tale of Two Cities #29. Wuthering Heights #28. The Hobbit (The Lord of the Rings, #0) #27. A Midsummer Night's Dream #26. The Grapes of Wrath #25. Great Expectations #24. Frankenstein: The 1818 Text #23. Julius Caesar #22. The Outsiders #21. Brave New World #20. Night (The Night Trilogy, #1) #19. The Crucible #18. The Giver (The Giver, #1) #17. Jane Eyre #16. Fahrenheit 451 #15. Pride and Prejudice #14. The Odyssey #13. The Diary of a Young Girl #12. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn #11. 1984 #10. The Scarlet Letter #9. Hamlet #8. The Catcher in the Rye #7. Of Mice and Men #6. Macbeth #5. Animal Farm #4. Lord of the Flies #3. The Great Gatsby #2. Romeo and Juliet #1. To Kill a Mockingbird
The countrys first biometric smart gun started as a Boulder, Colorado, teenagers high school science fair project.

Ten years later, Kai Kloepfer will bring his smart gun to market in what could be the first weapon to break a decades-old political and manufacturing log jam that has kept smart guns from mass production.

Kloepfers Broomfield-based company, Biofire, recently announced the sale of guns that use both fingerprint and facial recognition to make sure only authorized users can fire the weapon.

His goal is to reduce accidental deaths and suicides and to keep children from accessing their parents weapons. The gun will allow people to have a weapon at hand but want to make sure children, visitors or criminals cant use it.

The gun is primarily marketed for use as a weapon for home defense, Kloepfer said. Gun owners must balance keeping a weapon easily accessible in case of emergency but also secure enough that others cant access it.

Home defense is an area that even for firearm experts remains a frictional area, he said.

The 2012 Aurora theater shooting sparked Kloepfers interest in guns. The mass shooting an hour from his Boulder County home was the first time the then-sophomore seriously thought about gun violence.

As he researched, he learned that the toll of accidental shootings and gun suicides far outpaced deaths in mass shootings.

Over the next 10 years, Kloepfer developed more than 150 versions of the prototype, raised funds, recruited staff and learned how to run a business. He enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology but stepped away to pursue Biofire full-time.

Its been a wild journey, said Kloepfer, now 26.

How the gun works

The challenge with smart guns, Kloepfer said, is creating a locking system that unlocks for an authorized user instantly, every time, and in any environment.

Fingerprint readers are relatively established technology, he said. Most smartphones have the ability to read a fingerprint, but fingerprint technology can be unreliable if a persons hands are wet or dirty.

Thats why Kloepfer used both a fingerprint scanner on the grip and a facial recognition system built into the back of the handgun  either can unlock the weapon. Dirty fingers dont impact the effectiveness of facial recognition and conditions that might affect facial recognition, like lighting, dont affect fingerprints.

The gun comes with a small tablet computer that is used to register new users and a charging dock for the its battery. The system is not connected to the internet and the data is encrypted.

Biofire has started accepting orders for the gun, which starts at $1,499. Guns will start to ship out to purchasers at the end of 2023, Kloepfer said.

While the aim is to minimize deaths, adding more guns to the hundreds of millions already in circulation carries its own risk  especially if people who wouldnt purchase a standard gun decide to buy a smart gun. The presence of a gun increases the risk of deaths by suicide and accidental shootings, said Adam Skaggs, vice president of Giffords Law Center, citing numerous research studies.

While the technology might keep that persons child from shooting themselves, it wouldnt stop the authorized user.

Its kind of a brave new world, Skaggs said. In theory, there will be benefits and, in theory, there will be risks by putting these guns on the market. Its hard to say.

Pushback on smart guns

Researchers, entrepreneurs and the gun industry have pondered the creation of a smart gun for decades.

Other companies produced guns that can be activated by a device worn by an authorized user, like a ring. But those technologies have not proved perfect.

A German company, Armatix, created a gun that unlocked when in proximity to a linked watch. But the gun lost viability after it was discovered it could also be unlocked with $15 worth of magnets.

Some gun stores that opted to sell the Armatix product faced death threats and boycotts from people who oppose smart guns.

Some of the backlash against smart guns can be traced to a since-changed 2002 New Jersey law that required all gun shops in the state to only sell smart guns once such guns became available.

The mandate violated the Second Amendment, opponents said. In 2019, New Jersey lawmakers amended the law to require that licensed firearm retail dealers make smart guns available once they are included on a state roster of approved personalized handguns.

But the opposition to smart guns goes back even further.

Gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson in 1999 promised to invest in developing a smart gun as part of an agreement with the U.S. government following the shooting at Columbine High School. But the company backed away from that work after the National Rifle Association organized a boycott that nearly destroyed the company, forced the ouster of its CEO, and prompted the sale of the company.

There have been very strong headwinds against bringing smart gun technology to market in a robust way, Skaggs said. It could be that this is the first one to break the log jam and get out there.

The US surpasses 160 mass shootings in 2023. Here's every event mapped The US surpasses 100 mass shootings in 2023here's every event mapped Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space
A day after a bill that would ban abortions in Nebraska after about six weeks fell one vote short of shutting off debate, Speaker John Arch said the measure wont come back before lawmakers again this session.

The bill (LB626) from Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston, which would prohibit doctors from performing an abortion if cardiac activity was detected in an embryo, failed to get the 33 votes needed to invoke cloture on Thursday.

Omaha Sen. Merv Riepe, who co-sponsored the bill, voted it out of committee, and supported it during first-round debate while saying he harbored concerns about the backlash it would create if passed, did not vote for cloture in a dramatic moment on the legislative floor.

Another Omaha lawmaker, Sen. Justin Wayne, who previously voted against bill during the first round of consideration, did not vote on Thursday, dooming LB626 in the 90-day session of the 108th Legislature.

It also prompted questions from every corner of the Capitol and the state about what comes next in the session's remaining 20 days.

On Friday, Arch said he would to follow the plan for handling procedural motions he outlined for his 48 colleagues in the officially nonpartisan Legislature in a Feb. 10 memo.

I intend to continue, in general, the practice of our recent speakers to not reschedule any bill that fails to advance from general file or select file, the memo states. Additionally, if a motion to invoke cloture fails, I will consider the bill finished for the year.

In a phone interview, Arch said it was his intention to adhere to those words: Thats what I said, so thats what I need to stick to.

Others disappointed by the outcome of Thursdays cloture vote on LB626  Gov. Jim Pillen, the Nebraska GOP and conservative activists  proposed a different procedural path to keep the bill alive.

Shortly after the vote, Pillen called on Riepe to make a motion to reconsider his vote, referring to a procedural option available to any member with the prevailing side or not voting for a bill, in order for the Republican senator to stand by the commitments to life he has made in the past.

Republicans also voiced their disappointment in Riepe online after adjournment on Thursday.

The NEGOP strongly encourages Senator Riepe to file a Motion to Reconsider, the party wrote in a news release published on its Facebook page.

A reconsideration motion, under the rules adopted by the Legislature earlier this year, must be made on the same day the original question was decided or on the next legislative day.

That could happen on Tuesday  at least theoretically, according to supporters of LB626 disappointed in the outcome  after lawmakers return to Lincoln from a four-day break.

But that would likely be up to Riepe, an 80-year-old Republican who bucked his party and attempted to amend the bill to a policy he said was more palatable to Nebraskans.

The amendment, which would have banned abortions after 12 weeks, and added fetal anomalies to other exceptions like rape, incest, and medical emergencies, never came up for a vote despite Riepe's efforts to force one.

While its unlikely Riepe will reverse course, observers and parliamentarians said taking up a motion to reconsider a cloture vote also would break with the Legislatures rules, tradition and generally accepted procedures followed by lawmaking bodies.

Nathan Leach of Kearney, who has researched the evolution of the rules used by Nebraskas unique unicameral system of government since it was implemented in 1937, said past efforts to bring reconsideration motions after cloture votes have been ruled out of order.

The motion to invoke cloture cannot be reconsidered because the motion can otherwise be properly renewed, Leach wrote in a white paper shared on social media Friday morning.

Three parliamentary authorities, including Masons Manual of Legislative Proceedings, which is often referenced by the Nebraska Legislature, state moving to reconsider a cloture vote was improper.

Former Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, who used procedural motions to slow progress in the Legislature during his more than four decades in the body, moved to reconsider a cloture vote on a bill before senators in 1993, but was ruled out of order by then-Speaker Dennis Baack.

More recently, former Sen. Tyson Larson of ONeill also introduced a motion to reconsider a cloture, Leach found in his research. It was printed in the journal, but never scheduled, which Leach said indicates the precedent was followed.

Arch said it was his understanding that the reconsideration motion would remain out of order, based on the last three decades of precedent.

Before the cloture motion was adopted into the rules of the Legislature in 1992, a motion to suspend the rules was used to shut off filibusters. That proved to be procedurally complicated and time-consuming, however.

A cloture motion, Leach wrote, served as a super-priority motion. The motion itself could not be debated, amended and was not subject to points of order or motions to overrule the chair.

It seems clear on initial analysis that lawmakers intended cloture to be the end of a bill, unless the speaker places the bill back onto the agenda  not by way of a member moving to reconsider, Leach wrote. This would run counter to parliamentary law, the practice of the Legislature, and the original intent of the motion to invoke cloture.

So, for now, LB626 remains stuck on the second round of consideration for the remainder of the year.

While Albrecht made the measure her personal priority this year, the failed cloture vote on Thursday removed its status as a priority bill.

Albrecht or another senator likely could re-prioritize the bill in the 60-day session next January, priming the debate over abortion once more.

Photos: The scene after Nebraska's six-week abortion ban fails to advance
A rural Dakota City teen was killed Thursday in a single-vehicle rollover crash in Dakota County.

A statement from the Dakota County Sheriff's Office said deputies were dispatched to a rollover crash in the 500 block of Nebraska 35 at 3:42 p.m.

A 17-year-old girl, who hadn't been identified as of Friday, was the sole occupant of the vehicle.

The Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol, investigated the scene and found that debris on the highway caused the crash.

These are the highways in Nebraska with the most fatalities. These are the highways in Nebraska with the most fatalities.
Legislature out of

touch

With days dwindling in the 2023 legislative session, very little has been accomplished, and many of us are underwhelmed and unconcerned. It is no secret that most of what lawmakers are proposing are hand-me-down measures from Republican parties of other states and sponsored by our copycat state senators: Tripe such as outlawing drag shows, dictating bathroom use by transgender students, criminalizing education about Americas history of racial injustice and censoring library books, to name a few.

The bills that concern me are those not favored by most Nebraskans that will be rammed through by Republicans regardless of the will of the people, including an abortion ban that 58% oppose but that will be forced upon us regardless.

A concealed carry law without required permits and training, patterned after similar laws in other states, will be passed knowing that crime will go up dramatically, also knowing that other states with weakened permitting systems have experienced an 11% in handgun homicides and 13% to 15% increase in violent crimes.

Tax credits will likely pass for individuals who contribute to a scholarship fund that enables qualified students to attend a private or parochial school. Church schools would like nothing more than to see their flagging membership numbers bolstered by tax money.

All in all, many of us are just fed up with the unending hopelessness of our state government  losing on every issue, every time, even when we share the majority opinion.

Deserving thanks are Sens. Machaela Cavanaugh and Megan Hunt, who, in their efforts to be sources of integrity and good will, have shown kindness, courage and resolve in fighting the forces of hate, discrimination and injustice.

Ron Holscher, Ogallala

Hypocrites on parental

rights

Legislative Bill 574 is called the Let them grow Act. A more appropriate name might be the Im a Better Parent Than Megan Hunt Act.

Senator Hunt came forward and told the Legislature about her son. Instead of using her wisdom as someone who has experience dealing with transgender care, 33 of our senators acted like those childless people giving parenting advice to parents. They have decided they know better than Senator Hunt what is best for her son.

They claim parents know how to best educate their children but do not believe they know how to get their children the best medical care with the help of physicians. Either you believe in parental rights or you do not.

Eloise O. Herr, Lincoln
BURLINGTON  Five years after taxpayers paid $5 million to build it, the Burlington Community Aquatic Center is facing financial challenges and is raising its rates for the first time.

A report to the Burlington City Council shows that the public swimming pools operating expenses have jumped 50% and that its profits have fallen from more than $50,000 a year to less than $5,000.

The report also indicates that the organization operating the aquatic center, Burlington Community Pool Corp., lost nearly $100,000 last year on investments in the stock market and elsewhere.

For the first time since the facility opened, users will pay increased rates when the new pool season arrives this summer.

The cost of a seasonal family membership is increasing from $175 to $185 for Burlington residents and from $225 to $240 for non-resident families. Group party rates also are going up, although details were not immediately available.

Burlington Community Pool Corp. officials said the rate increases are a response to rising costs and dwindling profits from the recreational attraction that helps thousands of people in Racine County stay cool during the summer.

Chip Bahr, treasurer of the nonprofit corporations board, said that despite revenues surpassing $500,000 last year, the operation cleared a barely-break-even amount of $4,536.

We dont want to make a large amount of money, Bahr said. But we want to be profitable.

The aquatic center at 394 Amanda St. opened in 2018 after city taxpayers agreed to borrow $5.4 million to build the facility.

The city replaced a small swimming pool with a water park that includes two pools, three slides, a climbing wall and other amenities.

Taxpayers are paying about $380,000 a year to repay the money borrowed for the construction project.

Led by longtime director Jeanne Otter, the facility employs about 80 people during the summer, many of them area high school students.

Its capacity is about 750 people in the water, plus many more on patio furniture and decks. The center is available for private parties, and frequently hosts special events like outdoor movie nights.

In recent years, attendance has approached 40,000 visitors a summer.

Marcy Essman, another member of the operating groups board, said the pool is a popular community resource, and she is certain that people will understand the need for increased rates.

Essman said the aquatic centers operating costs have risen significantly.

Noting that rates remained unchanged for the first five years, she said that the increase is very minimal.

I dont think people are going to care, Essman said.

The pool corporation is a private nonprofit that includes representatives from the Burlington Rotary Club, Lions Club and other service organizations.

Using private donations and operating funds, the group has created a savings account of about $1 million in the Burlington Community Fund Ltd. for future pool maintenance and improvements.

According to the financial report submitted last month to the City Council, individual business donations for the pool have dropped from $248,444 to $14,095 during the past four years.

As a result, the corporations contributions to its Community Fund account dwindled to zero last year.

Bahr said the groups other financial issues made it impossible to continue saving for future capital needs.

Were breaking even, he said of the aquatic center. We didnt have excess money to contribute.

Bob Grandi, a former Burlington alderman who has served on the pool corporations board for many years, said an earlier study showed that the aquatic center would need $700,000 in maintenance and updates long term.

With the money saved in the Community Fund, Grandi said, the operation is in a strong position for the future.

The pool has been an amazing success for the Burlington area, he said, not only financially, but also providing employment and joy to so many people.

The corporations recent report showed operating expenses last year totaled $547,196, up from $329,580 just three years earlier.

Last years expenses included $245,372 for salaries and lesser outlays for utilities, concession supplies, pool chemicals, insurance, repairs and taxes.

With revenue totaling $551,732, the operation recorded a profit of $4,536. The report elsewhere cited net ordinary income of $3,845.

Losses on investments were reported as totaling $97,681 last year.

Bahr attributed those losses to a lackluster performance of stocks and other market investments approved by the corporations board. He said he could not forecast whether such losses are likely to continue.

The investments, Bahr said, did not come from the money saved in the Community Fund.

When asked why the aquatic center is raising user fees when it has $1 million in savings, Bahr said the savings is designated strictly for maintenance and improvements of the facility.

None of that money can be used to offset routine operating costs, he said.

We havent raised fees for five years, he said. What do you expect?

13 Wisconsin high school pools with the most character Introduction While the events in high school swimming are the same for both boys and girls, the pools themselves don't fit a universal mold. Whether six lanes or eight, or measured in yards or meters, pools across Wisconsin come in varying shapes and sizes with distinctive characteristics. We dived in to find some of the one-of-a-kind facilities where boys and girls get to make a splash state-wide. A special thanks to Phil McDade, a former blogger for the Wisconsin Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association, who helped with some of the research. Beaver Dam Wayland The home of the Beaver Dam/Wayland Academy co-op program is one of the state's oldest, constructed in 1934 and dedicated to Sol Wolfe. The A-frame facility is studded with rectangular, block glass windows that overlook the boarding school's campus. It's a six-lane, 25-yard pool, and the foot markings adorn the walls of the cramped quarters that used to be home to the school's water ballet team. Fiberglass seating remains on the sides of the pool for spectators. Cudahy The home of the Packers was built in 1964, according to Cudahy athletic director Nicholas Conrad. There have been some renovations over the years, most notably the scorers tower, and it has hosted various Woodland Conference meets and multi-school relay events. The most special feature is the spectator seating. The pool butts up to the school's gym, so the north wall to the six-lane, 25-yard pool opens to allow spectators to watch comfortably from the gym. "While this is more comfortable for spectators not dealing with hot and humid conditions, it does cause problems for our wood basketball floor," Conrad said. Germantown The Warhawks' new nest, which opened in 2018, is one of the Milwaukee suburbs' newest and nicest facilities. The eight-lane, 25-yard pool includes a pair of diving boards and was built as part of the district's most recent referendum project, according to athletic director Sara Unertl. The facility features sound dampeners along the ceiling and walls to help create a Mondrain style motif. Janesville Craig Janesville Craig's facility, which was part of the current building's original construction in 1955, features an intense old-school vibe. Like Beaver Dam Wayland, foot markings are painted along the pool's walls, while the floor is a cobblestone-like pattern. The six-lane, 25-yard pool features a three-foot gap between the top of the water to the top of the starting wall in the deep end. Madison West The home of the Regents was added to the school's original building in 1961, 31 years after its founding in 1930. The six-lane, 25-yard pool is located on the lower level and tucked away in the inner workings of the city's second-oldest high school. Memorable for its cramped quarters, ridged ceiling and checkerboard tile wall, the facility has hosted a number of memorable dual meets and some of the area's fastest swimmers. The current pool is set to be filled with the opening of the new eight-lane Ragatz Family Pool in the fall. McFarland The Spartans opened one of the Madison area's newest pools in 2019 as it bid adieu to the original facility built in 1978. The old facility began requiring constant attention, which led to the new pool, Stu Schaefer, the director of community services and programming for McFarland Recreation Aquatics and Play. The new facility boasts two diving boards and can be set up as an eight-lane, 25-yard or 10-lane, 25-meter pool. It also includes a bulkhead that separating a walk-in area and can be used for water aerobics and cooling down. Milwaukee Riverside The Milwaukee Riverside pool, home of the Tigers, hosted the Milwaukee City Conference meet for a number of years. Not initially part of the original building construction in 1915, the pool was added in a building next to the main building in 1978. The six-lane, 25-yard pool features a cobblestone floor, dropdown ceiling and is a call back to pools of yesteryear similar to Janesville Craig. Portage The Warriors' facility, one of the few meter pools in the area, has been in use since 1974. Added 35 years after the school's initial construction in 1939, the six-lane, 25-meter pool was built as the United States was considering converting to the metric system. The pool features two diving boards and a vaulted ceiling with exposed wood beams, but it hasn't been able to host postseason events due to its meter configuration and cramped quarters. The home of the pool, Rusch Elementary, closed at the end of the 2021-22 school year due to disrepair, and the pool likely will shut its doors at the end of the 2023-24 school year, according athletic director Ed Carlson. Sauk Prairie The new Eagles nest opened in the fall of 2021, replacing the original pool that was part of the school's construction in 1962. The eight-lane, 25-yard pool with two diving boards has been a major upgrade to its predecessor. Balcony seating overlooks the pool and the attached community section, which features a play area and a smaller, shallower three-lane pool primarily used for water aerobics. The new building hosted a WIAA Division 2 girls swim sectional in the fall and is set to host the upcoming Division 2 boys swim sectional Feb. 11. Shorewood The home to 21 WIAA state championship teams is a six-lane, 25-yard pool that is one of the state's fastest due to its rare depth across the length of the pool. The pool also allows for warmups, thanks to its bulkhead that separates the competition portion. The facilities also features large windows behind the starting blocks, allowing swimmers, coaches and spectators to overlook the Greyhounds' football field. Tomahawk The Hatchets' six-lane, 25-yard pool is retro at its finest. The Tomahawk facility includes a brick floor and windows painted in the Hatchets' blue and yellow colors. Verona The new home of the Wildcats opened alongside the district's new high school in the fall of 2020. The eight-lane, 25-yard competition pool is one of two built at the new building and features an attached diving well. Plenty of spectators can view some of the area's top swimmers with a capacity of 800 thanks to its wrap-around balcony. The pool replaced one of the former six-lane, 25-meter pool at Badger Ridge Middle School. Waukesha South The current home of the WIAA state girls and boys swimming and diving championships is highly regarded as the state's fastest pool. The eight-lane, 25-yard pool that opened in 2005 has hosted "many championship level events," according to Blackshirts coach Blaine Carlson, including the Wisconsin Swimming's state championships and USA Swimming Speedo Champions Series meets. The pool is flanked by dual spectator stands and had new scoreboards installed this winter. The pool has hosted the WIAA state championships since fall 2020 after the UW Natatorium as torn down.
These are images of people charged with a crime in Racine County. Booking photos are provided by Racine County law enforcement officials. A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty and convicted.
RACINE  A Chicago man is facing felony charges after allegedly leading police on a high-speed chase on Interstate 41 and through a cornfield.

Omare W. Crowder, 39, of Chicago, Ill., was charged with felony counts of attempting to flee or elude an officer, second-degree recklessly endangering safety and possession of THC.

According to a criminal complaint, at 1:09 a.m. Wednesday a deputy saw a Buick traveling at 98 mph in a 70 mph zone on I-41/Highway 91.

The deputy attempted to stop the car, and it initially decreased speed before reportedly increasing to 109 mph. As the vehicle approached the Elm Road exit in Milwaukee County, the vehicles lights went out, according to the complaint.

The deputy then saw what appeared to be headlights and tail lights in a cornfield about 100 yards east of the exit. The Buick reportedly drove through the cornfield before pulling into a Kwik Trip at 9535 13th St.

The driver, identified as Crowder, was taken into custody.

The car was missing both bumpers, one of which was found on 13th Avenue south of Elm Street.

During a search of the vehicle, a digital scale and an open bottle of liquor were reportedly found.

At the Racine County Jail, a corrections officer reportedly found 3.5 grams of marijuana in Crowders underwear.

Crowder was given a $5,000 cash bond in Racine County Circuit Court on Thursday. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 4 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, online court records show.

Mugshots: Racine County criminal complaints, April 27, 2023 Today's mugshots: April 27 These are images of people charged with a crime in Racine County. Booking photos are provided by Racine County law enforcement officials. A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty and convicted. Armando Rosas-Morales Armando Rosas-Morales, 1300 block of Blake Avenue, Racine, misdemeanor battery (domestic abuse assessments), disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments). Omare W. Crowder Omare W. Crowder, Chicago, Illinois, attempting to flee or elude an officer, second degree recklessly endangering safety, possession of THC. Brandon A. Brown Brandon A. Brown, 800 block of Park Avenue, Racine, misdemeanor battery (domestic abuse assessments), strangulation and suffocation (domestic abuse assessments), felony bail jumping, disorderly conduct (domestic abuse assessments).
Mana: The Mexican pop band and one of the best-selling Latin music artists ever is coming to Chicago  the Mexico Lindo Y Querido tour is at the United Center this weekend. April 28-29 at the United Center, 1901 W. Madison St.; 800-745-3000 and www.ticketmaster.com

The Big Reveal Live Show!: Sasha Velour hosts evenings of drag and storytelling, this weekend only in Chicago, in celebration of her new book The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag. The New York-based Velour was the winner of the ninth season of RuPauls Drag Race and last toured through Illinois with her show Smoke & Mirrors. April 29-30 at the Broadway Playhouse, 175 E. Chestnut St.; tickets from $66 at 800-775-2000 and www.broadwayinchicago.com

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Poetry Fest: This free event features poetry readings, workshops and exhibitors. A Haiku Fest starts off the morning, with youth poets reading their original works. Avery r. young, who was named the citys first Poet Laureate, will give the events keynote address. If you want to show off your own work, an open mic session will close out the festivities. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. April 29 at the Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S. State St.; free, more information at chipublib.bibliocommons.com/events

Logan Square Volunteer Fair: Bad weather led to this event, originally slated for April 16, to be rescheduled. Learn about local nonprofits and community organizations that are looking for volunteers in Logan Square and surrounding neighborhoods. Participating organizations are involved in a variety of areas, including homelessness, animal rescue, the environment and literacy. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 30 at Pilot Project Brewing, 2140 N. Milwaukee Ave.; free, more information at eventbrite.com

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One of a Kind Spring Show: If you love art and handmade goods, this event is for you. The show will feature about 300 artists, makers and designers from across North America selling accessories, paintings, ceramics, home goods, photography, fashion, jewelry, sculpture, furniture, pet products and more. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 28-29 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 30 on the 7th floor of The Mart, 222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza; tickets are $15 for all three days, more information at oneofakindshowchicago.com

The Other Art Fair: More than 100 artists from around the world will showcase their work at this event, which will also feature immersive installations, performances and DJs. There will also be a bar and an outdoor lounge with food and drinks, including Soul & Smoke and Fat Miilk. 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. April 28, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 29 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 30 at Artifact Events, 4325 N. Ravenswood Ave.; tickets are $20 at theotherartfair.com

Mozart Immersive: The Soul of A Genius at Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago on March 14, 2023. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

A return for Van Gogh: Now at Lighthouse Immersive, your ticket to the new Mozart Immersive: The Soul of A Genius will also gain you admission to Immersive Van Gogh, which recently concluded a two-year engagement but is back by popular demand. Mozart Immersive begins with the composer as a boy and is set to strains of his Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute and other greatest-hits selections. The two shows will be running in rotation from May 1. At Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago, 108 W. Germania Pl.; tickets from $27 at mozartimmersive.com

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show: In the hands of a Chicago Childrens Theatre cast, Eric Carles timeless picture book comes to life with the help of 75 puppets. The show also features three other Carle stories for young audiences, including Brown Bear, Brown Bear, 10 Little Rubber Ducks and The Very Busy Spider. Through June 4 at Chicago Childrens Theatre at the Station, 100 S. Racine Ave.; chicagochildrenstheatre.org
MOUNT PLEASANT  Madison Marry joined the culinary class midway through the school year because she wanted to participate in an upcoming food truck event.

That came to fruition Wednesday evening, and she said being in the course was one of the best experiences of her high school career.

I snuck in halfway through the year, but Im so glad I chose to do it, Marry said. I was so excited to do the food truck. I was like, I need to do it before I graduate, so its really exciting to be able to do this.

Marry was on one of 10 teams composed of Case High School seniors who showcased their culinary skills during a Food Truck Adventure event Wednesday at Case, 7345 Washington Ave.

Students worked for months leading up to the event, which was their capstone project.

They honed the menus by taste-testing potential options, receiving input from teachers who also taste-tested and determining how much spice and seasoning to include.

The seniors said it was an ongoing process to get team members to agree on what the food should taste like.

When youre working with a group, you have to get everybodys voice in there to decide on a common ground, said student Lilith Reading.

Reading was on the Federal Crime Rolls food truck that served Philly cheesesteak sandwiches with provolone and kimchi wrapped in a yeast roll.

Bryonna Billips also was on the Federal Crime Rolls team, and their motto was Were dangerously delicious because thats how we roll.

Billips enjoys seeing the joy on peoples faces as they eat meals that she helped prepare.

So does Reading, who also appreciates the chance to be creative when making food.

Marry, too, enjoys the artistic side of cooking and presenting food.

I love showing creativity with my food, because I love art, Marry said. Its art and cooking. It just goes together so well.

Marry was part of the Stacked food truck team that served Cuban sandwiches made with green chili shredded pork, Canadian bacon, sliced pickle, muenster and pepper jack cheeses.

The class behind the food truck event is taught by Erica Buskirk, Case culinary pathway instructor.

Reading said Buskirks course has made her more comfortable with cooking and trying new food.

Students often ask one another if they have anything new to sample.

Its just become a thing: You got food on you? Billips said.

We love sharing food, Marry said.

In addition to technical aspects, seniors said the class has helped them learn more about themselves.

Ive grown more as a person, said student Jay Torres.

Torres was part of the Birria El Rey food truck team that served ramen with birria broth, short rib, cilantro, onion, avocado and quesadilla cheese. It also offered a vegan option.

Despite some challenges along the way, students said the most rewarding part of the process was working with classmates and forming friendships.

Each others company is our motivation, Reading said.

Buskirk, who also is the chef at Twisted Cuisine restaurant in Kenosha, stresses the importance of collaboration.

In the real world, its all about team, Buskirk said. Thats what I try to show within the class, is, The person next to you is going to work just as hard as you if they see you working hard.

Buskirk, who some students affectionately call Chefy, always has bittersweet emotions this time of year because it will soon be graduation for seniors, many of whom she has taught for three years.

I see them grow from tiny little humans to tiny little adults, Buskirk said. Theyre growing, theyre learning, theyre striving for excellence, and to let them flourish and I back off a little bit, its kind of like being a momma  Theyve been my backbone this whole year. Getting them to this point  its been a challenge, its been an adventure.

Students expressed great appreciation for Buskirk.

I truly do love having Chefy and all of the things shes done for us, Billips said. Even though weve been mad at each other, weve always come to the conclusion that were not really mad at each other, were just mad at the situation. I love her so much.

Torres said the culinary class has become more of a safe space for me to just hang out.

Marry shared a similar sentiment.

Im definitely going to miss (Buskirk), Marry said. Shes like a cooking mom  Shes definitely my favorite teacher, probably, Ive ever had, and the opportunities she gave me  I was so glad to have them.

Those opportunities for Marry and her classmates culminated Wednesday with a flavorful event.

Close Jay Torres, a Case High School senior, prepares a bowl of consome Wednesday at Case's Food Truck Adventure. Torres was part of the Birria El Rey food truck team, and she said the culinary class has helped her grow as a person. Graham DeBaker eats ribs from one of the booths at Case High School's Food Truck Festival Wednesday Kameron Lee enjoys a teriyaki chicken lettuce wrap Wednesday at Case High School's Food Truck Festival. Madison Marry, a Case High School senior, hands a customer a Cubano sandwich Wednesday at Case's Food Truck Adventure. Marry was on one of 10 teams composed of Case seniors who showcased their culinary skills during the event. Blake Venegas scarfs down ribs Wednesday at Case High School's Food Truck Adventure. About 40 Case seniors showcased their culinary skills during the event. From left: Case High School students Mayfreici Martinez Jimenez, Estrella Perez and culinary pathway instructor Erica Buskirk participate in Case's Food Truck Adventure on Wednesday. Buskirk always has bittersweet emotions this time of year because it will soon be graduation for seniors, many of whom she has taught for three years. Analia DeBaker enjoys some ribs at Case High School's Food Truck Festival on Wednesday. Lilith Reading, left and Bryonna Billips, two seniors at Case High School, hold up Philly cheesesteak stuffed buns Wednesday at Case's Food Truck Adventure. Reading and Billips were on the Federal Crime Rolls team, and their motto was Were dangerously delicious because thats how we roll. Eight photos from Case High School's Food Truck Festival 10 teams composed of Case High School seniors showcased their culinary skills during a food truck festival Wednesday at Case, 7345 Washington Ave. Jay Torres, a Case High School senior, prepares a bowl of consome Wednesday at Case's Food Truck Adventure. Torres was part of the Birria El Rey food truck team, and she said the culinary class has helped her grow as a person. Graham DeBaker eats ribs from one of the booths at Case High School's Food Truck Festival Wednesday Kameron Lee enjoys a teriyaki chicken lettuce wrap Wednesday at Case High School's Food Truck Festival. Madison Marry, a Case High School senior, hands a customer a Cubano sandwich Wednesday at Case's Food Truck Adventure. Marry was on one of 10 teams composed of Case seniors who showcased their culinary skills during the event. Blake Venegas scarfs down ribs Wednesday at Case High School's Food Truck Adventure. About 40 Case seniors showcased their culinary skills during the event. From left: Case High School students Mayfreici Martinez Jimenez, Estrella Perez and culinary pathway instructor Erica Buskirk participate in Case's Food Truck Adventure on Wednesday. Buskirk always has bittersweet emotions this time of year because it will soon be graduation for seniors, many of whom she has taught for three years. Analia DeBaker enjoys some ribs at Case High School's Food Truck Festival on Wednesday. Lilith Reading, left and Bryonna Billips, two seniors at Case High School, hold up Philly cheesesteak stuffed buns Wednesday at Case's Food Truck Adventure. Reading and Billips were on the Federal Crime Rolls team, and their motto was Were dangerously delicious because thats how we roll.
SOMERS  Gov. Tony Evers visited with students and staff of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside during a tour of the campus Thursday afternoon ahead of Chancellor Debbie Fords exit.

Parkside staff and faculty ushered Evers through campus as he entered classrooms and chatted with surprised students. Many students stopped Evers and took selfies with the Democratic governor who was re-elected in 2022.

One of the first things he did Thursday was stop at a booth run by students and write them a note reading Congratulations! Class of 2023.

Its good to be here at Parkside, Evers said said after visiting classes with students studying applied health sciences, social psychology, work-based learning and statics. They just do a great job and Ive always been impressed with them. They are the go-to place in southeast Wisconsin.

Evers was accompanied by Ford, who after 14 years of leadership at university will be leaving to assume the role of chancellor of Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, Ind.

Evers presented Ford with a certificate of commendation in honor of her efforts at the public university that enrolls some 4,000 students annually.

The chancellors done a great job, Evers said. Ill miss her. She was somebody who made this school what it is today.

Ford said she was truly honored.

I am grateful to Gov. Evers for taking the time to meet with our students today. I am truly honored and humbled to receive this recognition, Ford said in a statement. It has been my absolute pleasure to serve and be a part of the UW-Parkside community and it will forever hold a special place in my heart. Although I am leaving, I will never stop being an avid supporter and advocate for UW-Parkside and the success of our students. Once a Ranger, always a Ranger.

While touring classrooms Evers reminded students they should focus on their mental health.

Mental health is such a significant issue for our young people, and it didnt just come with the pandemic, Evers said. I just think life has become more and more complex for them. Whatever they can do at the end of the school year to take care of themselves, thats a step in the right direction.

Evers said the university can make young people superstars despite the states support for the public university system not where we want it to be.

He highlighted a recent report in conducted by the nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum that found the University of Wisconsin System ranked 43rd nationally for per-pupil funding in 2021.

People have to understand how important (education) is and we need to do more, Evers added.

Evers was also joined by state Reps. Tip McGuire, D-Kenosha, and Tod Ohnstad, D-Kenosha.

Parkside is such an important part of our Kenosha community, and its great to have the governor down here and recognizing the contribution that Parkside makes to Kenosha, McGuire said. I think Parkside is well respected in Kenosha.

Ohnstad said the tour was bittersweet because Ford is leaving by the end of the school year. Ohnstad said shes been one of the most impactful leaders in the area.

Shes done such a great job and Gov. Evers is certainly no stranger to Kenosha, Ohnstad said. Parkside is always a special place to come visit.

Ohnstad said the university has been transformed inside and out by Ford.

Senior Dylan Oberbroeckling didnt expect to meet the governor.

We just looked up and here he is walking through, Oberbroeckling said. That was awesome.
1. Yes. Of course. Local governmental entities have the most direct impact on our lives.

2. Yes. Its always important to weigh in on local issues; otherwise we cant complain.

3. No. Im not that familiar with the issues or the candidates this year. Ill sit it out.

4. No. My vote doesnt seem to matter much, so Im not going to make the effort.

5. Unsure. I havent decided whether to take part this time around.

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ARAPAHOE  Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested a Washington man following a fatal crash in Furnas County that killed two people and critically injured three others.

Kyiaz Ulanov, 28, of Lynnwood, Washington, was arrested on suspicion of motor vehicle homicide after the crash.

At approximately 12:15 p.m. Thursday, a Hyundai Santa Fe was traveling northbound on Highway 283. At that time, a Dodge Ram 3500 pulling an empty car trailer was traveling westbound on Highway 89, which has a stop sign at the Highway 283 intersection. The pickup ran the stop sign and struck the passenger side of the Hyundai.

One occupant of the Hyundai, an adult female, was pronounced deceased on scene. Four additional occupants of the Hyundai were transported to hospitals in critical condition. One of those patients, a female child, was flown by helicopter to CHI Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney and later died.

The driver of the Hyundai and another female child were transported to Cambridge Memorial Hospital. The driver, Ulanov, was flown to Bryan Health West Campus in Lincoln. A male child was transported to Norton County Hospital in Norton, Kansas and has since been flown to a hospital in Wichita. All three remain in critical condition. Names are being withheld at this time pending notification of family.

The two occupants of the Dodge were transported to Norton County Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Once released from the hospital, Ulanov was arrested and taken to Phelps County Jail.

The Nebraska State Patrol is conducting a full crash reconstruction investigation.
ARAPAHOE  The Nebraska State Patrol has released the names of those involved in a multi-fatality crash that occurred Thursday in Furnas County.

At approximately 12:15 p.m. Thursday, a Hyundai Santa Fe was traveling northbound on Highway 283. At that time, a Dodge Ram 3500 pulling an empty car trailer was traveling westbound on Highway 89, which has a stop sign at the Highway 283 intersection. The pickup ran the stop sign and struck the passenger side of the Hyundai.

One passenger of the Hyundai, identified as Miriam Mejia Barrientos, 46, of Holdrege, was pronounced dead on scene. Four additional occupants of the Hyundai were transported to hospitals in critical condition. One of those patients, identified as Sloan Luna Portillo, 13, of Holdrege, was flown by Tri City LifeNet to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, where she was pronounced deceased.

The driver of the Hyundai, Olvin Luna, 43, of Holdrege, and an 11-year-old girl were transported to Cambridge Memorial Hospital. Luna was then flown to Bryan Health West Campus in Lincoln. An 11-year-old boy was transported to Norton County Hospital in Norton, Kansas, and was then flown to a hospital in Wichita. Olvin Luna is the father of Sloan Luna Portillo. Miriam Mejia Barrientos is the mother of the two 11-year-old children.

The two occupants of the Dodge were transported to Norton County Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Once released from the hospital, the driver of the Dodge, identified as Kyiaz Ulanov, 28, of Lynnwood, Washington, was lodged in Phelps County Jail for two counts of motor vehicle homicide and willful reckless driving.

The Nebraska State Patrol was assisted on the scene by the Furnas County Sheriffs Office, Beaver City Fire and Tri City LifeNet. The investigation is ongoing.
Saturday is Independent Bookstore Day, which is a great reminder that its ALWAYS a good day to celebrate books.

Considering we had folks at a Community Library Board of Trustees meeting Monday evening advocating the banning of books (scary stuff), we need this celebration more than ever.

Blue House Books, our Downtown bookstore at 5915 Sixth Ave. A, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, with in-store specials and giveaways on what the stores staffers call our favorite day of the year. Also, every customer enrolled in the stores loyalty program will be entered into a raffle that day.

Heres a new wrinkle for the celebration  which includes locally brewed beer, if youre so inclined. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Blue House Books is hosting area authors at Public Craft Brewing, 628 58th St.

The spacious Downtown brewery allows us to host more people in a comfortable environment, said Blue House Books owner Samantha Jacquest.

The authors will talk all things bookish in panel discussions.

We love making this event as big as possible, Jacquest said Thursday while assisting customers at her store. Public Craft is a great location, because people can come all day or just to see certain authors. All the authors in the panels are new to the store  I havent even met any of them in person yet.

Writers taking part in the event include:

Nghi Vo: Author of the novels Siren Queen and The Chosen and the Beautiful. Born in Illinois, she now lives on the shores of Lake Michigan and believes in the ritual of lipstick, the power of stories, and the right to change your mind.

Rita Woods: The Detroit native lives in suburban Chicago and serves as a trustee on her local library board. She loves magic, books, history, coffee and traveling  not necessarily in that order. She is the author of the award-winning novel Remembrance. Her latest novel, The Last Dreamwalker, was published in September 2022.

James Klise: The Chicago residents novels for teens include the Edgar Award-winning The Art of Secrets. His next book, Ill Take Everything You Have, a queer coming-of-age crime novel set in 1934 Chicago, was published by Algonquin Young Readers in February. When hes not busy writing, Klise oversees a very busy high school library.

Jamie Pacton: The Young Adult and Middle Grade author, who grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee and now lives in Wisconsin, teaches English at the college level. Shes had a lot of weird jobs while pursuing her dream of being an author, including pen salesperson, lab assistant and art museum guard. Her YA contemporary books include Furious, Lucky Girl and The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly.

Daniel Kraus: The New York Times bestselling author has a new book, Whalefall, coming in August. He works with filmmakers and co-authored Trollhunters, which was adapted into an Emmy-winning Netflix series.

Annelise Ryan: The pseudonym for Beth Amos, author of the new Monster Hunter mystery series, the first of which, A Death in Door County, was released in September 2022. The second book in the series, Death in the Dark Woods, is scheduled for release this fall. A retired nurse, she enjoys playing competitive Scrabble.

Indie Bookstore Day is a day to celebrate what makes your local bookstore special, Jacquest said. We know people can get books at other places, but we offer the extra stuff, including our many events and book clubs.

Also coming Saturday, Jacquest teased a big announcement well be making about something new and exciting. Its staying under wraps until that morning.

More information on the authors and their work is available on the Blue House Bookstore website, blue-house-books.com.

Kenosha Book Festival

Right on the heels of Independent Bookstore Day, Studio Moonfall is hosting its Kenosha Book Festival on Sunday.

More accurately, this is Chapter One of six Book Festival events planned throughout the year.

The theme? Books! Books! Books!

To kick off the festival, Studio Moonfall, 5031 Seventh Ave., is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday for an unforgettable day of literary celebration.

The free event includes authors from a diverse range of genres and used books on sale for $1.

Organizers are also promising exciting giveaways and contests throughout the day.

Authors taking part Sunday include: Donovan Scherer, Jessie Rose, T.R. Nickel, Sean Sorce, Kaitlyn Bolyard (who will be signing and selling her first novel, Mr. Wilsons Wives), Ana Michelle, Al Lytle & Toi Blasier, Debra Oas, Michelle Murray, Danielle Lieber, Natasa Zoubouridis, Mynk Baylor, Aliyah Jackson, Anthony Wedgeworth and M.P. McDonald.

As for food, local chef Joel Bolyard is making his debut with his food truck, Thats A Wrap.

He has a fun concept: He makes wraps, which are named for movies.

His Who Fed Roger Robert? wrap features carrots (and lots of other good stuff), while Thats All Folks features pulled pork.

You can find the food truck in the parking lot across from Studio Moonfall on Sunday. For more about the new business, search Thats a Wrap on Facebook.

For the latest updates on all this stuff, go to KenoshaBookFestival.com and check Studio Moonfalls social media for sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes action.
Ricky Martin will be the guest of honor at a fundraiser for the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture in Chicago, the museum announced late Thursday.

Martin, he of Livin la Vida Loca, will attend the 10th Raices Gala and receive the National Ceiba Award. The award celebrates the heritage and contributions of the Puerto Rican community in the United States; past winners include Lin-Manuel Miranda and Rita Moreno.

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The Raices Gala is the largest fundraising event of the year for the museum, located at 3015 W. Division St. in Humboldt Park. Along with his acting and music career, Martin is the founder of a foundation in his name that supports the LGBTQ+ community. His aforementioned single, from his self-titled 1999 album, is regarded as the launch of the Latin explosion in popular music in the United States.

The 2023 gala will be Sept. 14; tickets and more information to come at nmprac.org
The corporate shell of a former industrial chemical maker filed for bankruptcy after a South Carolina jury ordered it to pay more than $29 million to a woman who said tainted talc in cosmetic products caused her cancer.

Whittaker, Clark & Daniels Inc., which is affiliated with Berkshire Hathaway, said in a petition filed in New Jersey that it owes creditors more than $1 billion, much of it to law firms that specialize in suing companies on behalf of consumers. The bankruptcy petition allows it to halt lawsuits while it tries to work out a payment plan.

The entity and its three affiliates have had no operations since they sold their assets in 2004 to the North American arm of German chemical distributor Brenntag. The companies remained in existence in order to hold and invest money dedicated to paying talc and related claims, according to court papers filed Thursday.

In 2007, an affiliate of Berkshire Hathaway acquired the shell companies. Berkshire, one of the biggest, most profitable companies in the world, was never involved in the talc operations of Whittaker and its affiliates, Berkshire said in a statement.

Whittaker and its affiliates face more than 1,000 pending talc cases and are spending about $1 million a month on the lawsuits, according to court records. The goal of the bankruptcy case is to resolve all current and future claims in one court instead of fighting the lawsuits around the country, the company said in a filing.

If Whittaker is forced to keep fighting the suits, it will face substantial defense and litigation costs, depleting resources and delaying or limiting recoveries to any legitimate claimants for years to come, the company said.

The bankruptcy is the latest involving talc, a substance used for decades in consumer products ranging from eyeshadow to baby powder. Tens of thousands of people have sued companies that either supplied talc or used it in their products. The lawsuits typically claim the talc was contaminated with a toxic substance.

The South Carolina lawsuit, decided in March, also named Avon, Estee Lauder Cos., Johnson & Johnson and several other consumer-products companies as defendants, although only Whittaker has been found liable in the case so far. The other companies have denied wrongdoing.

Avon, Estee Lauder and J&J did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

Whittaker won a similar lawsuit filed in New York after an appeals court threw out a $2.9 million award. In that case, the company was accused of supplying contaminated talc to the maker of Desert Flower powder.

The suits claim the talc that Whittaker supplied contained asbestos, a toxic substance that damages lungs and causes a fatal form of cancer.

Outsize jury awards in tainted talc cases have sent several suppliers and miners into bankruptcy in recent years. J&J created a unit to manage its talc liabilities and put it into bankruptcy a second time in early April. The bankrupt unit, LTL Management, is seeking court approval of an $8.9 billion agreement that would end all of J&Js current and future talc liabilities.
English Lutheran Church will host a community blood drive with Versiti on Friday, May 12, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the English Lutheran Church fellowship hall, 741 North East Avenue, Viroqua.

For more information or to make an appointment to donate, call 877-232-4376 or sign up online at versiti.org/wi.

Versiti is the sole blood supplier for the local area, including Vernon Memorial Hospital. Help your friends, neighbors, and community members who may need the life-saving gift of blood by becoming a donor with Versiti. Donors in May will also receive a coupon for up to 4 free outdoor water park passes to Mt. Olympus in Wisconsin Dells, while supplies last.

Blood is a perishable product that can only come from volunteer blood donors. With someone in the U.S. needing blood every two seconds, blood products must be constantly replenished, according to Versiti. Donors with all blood types are needed.

Anyone 17 or older who is in good health and meets eligibility requirements is encouraged to donate blood. Parental consent is required for 16-year-olds to donate. Appointments are preferred to ensure a quick and convenient donation, but walk-in donors are also welcome. The entire process takes about an hour. Donors should bring a photo ID that includes their birth date.
Crews continue to work on a 24-hour schedule to clean up the BNSF Railway train that derailed Thursday along the Mississippi River south of De Soto.

Two of the trains three locomotives and 10 train cars  each carrying two containers of cargo  derailed at about 12:15 p.m. between De Soto and Ferryville. Two containers floated south down the Mississippi, but were secured and removed by crews.

Both locomotives and many of the cars have already been removed from the BNSF-owned railroad as of Friday afternoon. Officials at the scene Friday said crews still have a long way to go before Highway 35 can reopen to traffic and freight can begin moving along the rail line.

Jim Hackett, director of emergency management services for Crawford County, said there is not a timeline for when the cleanup will be completed.

Four crew members were taken to an area hospital for medical evaluations after the Thursday derailment. They have since been released, with the most major injury being a broken collarbone.

The cause of the derailment is still unknown. Hackett said BNSF personnel are on-site conducting their investigation as the cleanup maintenance occurs.

At this time, there is no danger to public safety or the environment, Hackett said. Diesel fuel that leached from one of the derailed locomotives was contained with absorbent boom.

Gov. Tony Evers flew into the site Friday to receive briefings from officials on the ground.

Representatives from the offices of U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson and U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden also were on site for the briefing with Evers. They were shown the damages and given a situational briefing about what occurred as well as the plan moving forward.

Local (responders) have done an outstanding job. This is how its supposed to go, Evers said in a press conference. Accidents are going to happen, but its premature to talk about solutions.

Evers said high water from the Mississippi River and flooding could have caused or contributed to the accident, but that it is still under investigation by BNSF and the federal government.

Hackett said all materials inside the derailed containers have been recovered or contained. The derailed cars were carrying lithium-ion batteries, oxygen canisters and paint.

State Sen. Brad Pfaff, D-Onalaska, also arrived at the incident site. Pfaff commended the emergency management teams and local fire departments for their quick response, and the coordinated approach from state and federal resources.

Officials from Wisconsins Office of Emergency Management, Department of Natural Resources and Department of Transportation all are onsite to provide assistance.

We need to make sure that we continue to recognize that rail safety is important, Pfaff said. We also need to recognize the fact that theres communities and people that live along these rail lines. We need to make sure that we continue to have adequate inspection, oversight and coordination between the federal and the state or local communities.

Residents of De Soto said it was the loudest shriek they ever heard when the freight train derailed shortly after noon Thursday. Two of the freight containers carrying paint floated south down the river. Crews were able to secure the rogue cars to the bank.

I live in the area and I told my wife a week ago, I said, Because of all the high water, I said, You watch, were gonna have a train derailment, and we sure did, said Tim Lange of Ferryville.

Nearly 30 state, local and public agencies responded to the incident. Hackett said the community response  many volunteer firefighters  was quick and amazing.

BNSF is working to build access ways of rock and sand from Highway 35 to the railroad that runs parallel to the highway. Due to the waterway in between the railroad and the highway, a platform must be constructed so crews can access and remove the cars.

Private truck drivers contracting with BNSF have been hauling sand and rock from a quarry in Genoa to the accident location.

The Federal Railroad Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates safety across the nations railroads, said it was sending a team to the site to gather information and help local emergency workers.

This is not the first time a BNSF train has derailed near Ferryville. In 2016, two locomotives and six rail cars derailed due to extensive flooding after a rain event at a site about 5 miles south of Thursdays derailment. An estimated 1,170 gallons of diesel poured into the river from a ruptured tank in the 2016 incident.

Crews work to clean up site following train derailment near De Soto BNSF derailment aerial view BNSF derail crane clean up BNSF derail clean up BNSF train derailment aerial view BNSF Railway train derailment BNSF Railway train derailment BNSF Railway derailment in De Soto
Corey White always loved dogs. His family hopes his legacy will be a canine that's a valued member of the Onalaska Police Department.

White's family donated $15,000 to jump-start the fundraising for a second K-9 unit in Onalaska.

In January, Corey died from an undiagnosed heart ailment at the age of 42. His family said he was an avid player of video games and the $15,000 came from the sale of his video game collection.

The family also recalled Corey's affinity for dogs. The family owned a pit bull that Corey adored, and he enjoyed meeting the K-9 that's already on duty in Onalaska.

"He was always impressed by the ability that the police dog had," said Corey's sister, Courtney. "We thought this would be a way to honor his legacy."

Onalaska Police Chief Charles Ashbeck is also impressed by the work of K-9s. The department's lone K-9, a 7-year-old German shepherd named Muri, works the first shift with patrol officer Rich Elias. Ashbeck said adding a second K-9 would make a police dog available during the second and third shifts.

Ashbeck said K-9s are valuable for drug searches, tracking missing children and vulnerable adults, and subduing criminal suspects.

Drugs are a particular concern, Ashbeck said. He said K-9s have a unique ability to locate hidden drugs.

"An officer cant detect the smell of heroin or methamphetamines, but a K-9 can," Ashbeck said. "With a second K-9, we're going to really able to attack this problem in our community."

Ashbeck said the K-9's human partner is a critical part of the training process. He said every K-9 is sent to the prospective partner's home halfway through its six-week training to ensure the dog is compatible with the officer and his or her family. The K-9 remains in the officer's home after it retires.

"The officer has to be very passionate about it," Ashbeck said. "This is one of the biggest commitments they can make in their career. If it's not a good fit for the family, it's not going to be a successful program."

The total cost of launching a new K-9 is $110,000. Ashbeck said the biggest expenses are a specialized squad car and equipment. He said multiple fundraisers are being planned, including a brat/hot dog sale May 12 and the sale of merchandise. Donations can be made through the Onalaska Enhancement Foundation at givebutter.com/LcdXDv.

Ashbeck said the donation from the White family equals the dog's purchase and training costs.

"We already have the cost of the dog and training covered," Ashbeck said. "What a wonderful thing to do  to bring a second dog to make our community safer."
Residents of De Soto said it was the "loudest shriek they ever heard" when a BNSF Railway freight train derailed shortly after noon Thursday between De Soto and Ferryville in Crawford County.

Four BNSF railroad crew members were transported to a nearby hospital for medical examinations after the southbound freight train derailed in southwestern Wisconsin, sending some rail cars into the Mississippi River.

The cause of the derailment is still unknown. Two locomotives and an unknown number of cars derailed on the eastern side of the river, a BNSF spokesperson said in a statement.

Crawford County Emergency Management Director Jim Hackett said the derailment poses no immediate threat to public safety.

Hackett said the derailed train cars contained paint, oxygen and lithium batteries.

"At this time, we're not concerned about any hazard to the public, the batteries have not gone into the water," he said.

A Vernon County hazmat team is on site in the event of a hazardous waste situation. If lithium is exposed to water, a rupture or explosion can occur.

Two of the freight train's three locomotives derailed and a diesel fuel leak from one of the locomotives has been "fairly contained" to the river bay, said Brandon Larson, director of Vernon County Emergency Management and Hazmat.

Larson's team has deployed absorbent booms to soak up the spillage.

Two cars holding painted floated south down the river. Hackett said boat crews were able to secure the rogue cars to the bank.

Nearly 30 state, local and public agencies responded to the incident. Hackett said the community response  many volunteer firefighters  was "quick" and "amazing."

First responders are expected to work through the night at the site. Officials said they do not know how long the clean up process will take.

BNSF is working to build "access ways" of rock and sand from Highway 35 to the railroad that runs parallel to the highway. Due to the waterway in between the railroad and the highway, a platform must be constructed so crews can access and remove the cars.

Private truck drivers contracting with BNSF have been hauling sand and rock from a quarry in Genoa to the accident location.

The cause of the derailment is under investigation, said BNSF spokesperson Lena Kent said. She did not immediately respond to a follow-up email inquiring about whether whether the derailment had caused any environmental contamination.

The Federal Railroad Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates safety across the nation's railroads, said it was sending a team to the site to gather information and help local emergency workers.

I live in the area and I told my wife a week ago, I said, Because of all the high water, I said you watch, were gonna have a train derailment, and we sure did, said Tim Lange of Ferryville.

Gov. Tony Evers tweeted that he was briefed on the derailment and is getting regular updates from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the Department of Natural Resources and state emergency management officials. His spokesperson, Britt Cudaback, said in a short telephone interview that it wasnt clear if any environmental contamination has happened.

I have been briefed on the derailment of several railroad cars on the Mississippi River near De Soto, and am receiving regular updates on this situation from the @WisconsinDOT, @WDNR, @ReadyWisconsin, and other responding agencies.  Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) April 27, 2023

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Katie Grant did not immediately respond to an email asking if the derailment has resulted in any environmental contamination.

U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who sits on the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said in a statement he was working with BNSF, the Federal Emergency Management Association, Wisconsin Emergency Management, the state and national Departments of Transportation and Crawford County officials to find out what occurred.

My staff is traveling to the site, and Congressman Troy Nehls, who Chairs the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Rail, has also made staff available to assist our team," Van Orden said. "We will continue to monitor the situation and determine next steps.

Eileen Brown, who works at the Great River Roadhouse in De Soto, near where the derailment occurred, said, We have flooding right now and its causing business to be a little slow so Im kind of worried about whats going on down there.

This is not the first time a BNSF train has derailed near Ferryville. In 2016, two locomotives and six rail cars derailed due to extensive flooding after a rain event at a site about 5 miles south of Thursday's derailment. An estimated 1,170 gallons of diesel poured into the river from a ruptured tank in the 2016 incident.

The derailment comes almost three months after a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Officials there decided to release and burn toxic vinyl chloride from five tanker cars to prevent a catastrophic explosion.

Hundreds of people had to evacuate in Raymond, Minnesota, last month after a BNSF train hauling ethanol and corn syrup derailed and caught fire.

On Thursday, federal regulators warned railroads that the long trains they favor can cause all kinds of problems and contribute to derailments, so they want the railroads to ensure their training and operating procedures account for that.

The Federal Railroad Administration stopped short of recommending in its latest safety advisory issued Thursday that railroads limit the size of their trains, which can routinely stretch more than 2 miles long. However, they did suggest a number of precautions including making sure engineers know how to handle them and that locomotives don't lose communication with devices at the end of trains that can help trigger the brakes in an emergency.

Currently, there aren't any restrictions on train length but members of Congress and state lawmakers in at least six states have proposed establishing limits particularly in the wake the Ohio derailment.

The Associated Press and Wisconsin State Journal reporter Anna Hansen contributed to this report.

Photos: A look at the aftermath of the Ohio train derailment
Each week, the Neighborhood Free Health Clinic in Stoughton sees 15 to 20 patients with little or no insurance, treating them for high blood pressure, diabetes, anxiety, depression and other medical concerns.

Tina DeGroot, a clinical nurse specialist who heads up the clinic, is worried about what will happen when the medical director, Dr. Joyce Brehm, who is in her 70s, retires. Under Wisconsin law, advanced practice nurses like DeGroot must work under collaborative agreements with doctors. DeGroot said she has had a hard time finding other doctors willing to volunteer at the clinic.

If (Brehm) leaves, we cannot operate the free clinic, DeGroot said. If this law was not in place, we could continue to do our work.

The Wisconsin Medical Society and other doctor groups oppose the measure. But the medical society supports a version in Democratic Gov. Tony Evers proposed budget that includes a few restrictions. They include requiring advanced practice nurses to work with doctors two more years before becoming independent and making advanced practice nurses who operate pain clinics apart from hospitals collaborate with pain medicine doctors.

If were going to go down this path, we want to make sure we do it with our eyes wide open and wisely, said Mark Grapentine, chief policy and advocacy officer for the medical society. Patients are paying a lot of money for their health care, and they deserve to get high-quality care for that money.

Evers last year vetoed a bill that didnt include the restrictions, saying he opposed allowing advanced nurse practices functionally equivalent to those of physicians or potentially omitting physicians from a patients care altogether. Peter Kallio, chair of the state Board of Nursing, resigned in protest, telling Evers that you and your administration know very little about the day-to-day work of advanced practices (sic) nurses in Wisconsin.

A public hearing on the new bill before the Senate Health Committee has been tentatively scheduled and canceled at least twice in recent weeks, and its not clear when a hearing might occur. Authors include Sen. Patrick Testin, R-Stevens Point; Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara, R-Appleton, an advanced practice nurse; and Rep. Gae Magnafici, R-Dresser, a nurse. Sen. Kelda Roys of Madison is the sole Democratic author. Among 38 bill co-sponsors, Roys and Sen. Lena Taylor of Milwaukee are the only Democrats.

This bill will increase access to underserved communities throughout the state and help address Wisconsins shameful racial disparities, Roys said in a statement.

8,000 in state

About 8,000 of Wisconsins 94,000 registered nurses have advanced degrees, working as nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists or certified nurse midwives, according to the nurses association.

Currently, many of them can be certified as advanced practice nurse prescribers of medications. The bill would replace that designation with a new license for advanced practice registered nurses, or APRNs. Once such nurses work 3,840 clinical hours under the supervision of a doctor, or roughly two years, they could practice independently.

Gina Bryan, a psychiatric advanced practice nurse who treats patients with addiction and mental illness at Monona-based Tellurian, said the bill would improve addiction treatment by increasing the number of providers, especially in rural areas, able to prescribe addiction medications such as Suboxone.

Currently, Bryan is reluctant to start some addiction patients on Suboxone because she knows theyll be returning to parts of the state with no Suboxone providers. You wouldnt start somebody on an opioid product that they cant get once they leave, she said.

As a clinical professor at the UW-Madison School of Nursing, Bryan said she also sees many parts of the state struggle to attract psychiatric advanced practice nurse graduates, who go instead to Minnesota or Iowa, where they can work independently. Why would our students stay here and practice? she said.

Bunmi Kumapayi, a UW Health nurse practitioner who has treated urologic conditions for more than 20 years, said the doctor she collaborates with allows her to work largely independently. But for many newer advanced practice nurses around the state, that is not the case, she said.

Kumapayi does physical assessments, diagnoses diseases, prescribes medications, orders and interprets diagnostic tests and educates patients before and after surgeries, to try to minimize complications.

Those are things that our surgeons dont have time to do, she said. The things that I am able to do, I want other upcoming APRNs to be able to do.

Cautionary notes

During a hearing in 2021 on the previous bill, Dr. Barb Meinecke, an anesthesiologist at Childrens Wisconsin hospital near Milwaukee, said a nurse practitioner failed to note that a 6-month-old child scheduled for an elective circumcision had lung surgery seven weeks earlier. The lung had not healed enough to tolerate another surgery, Meinecke said.

In another case, during surgery, a patient developed a rare, severe reaction to anesthesia, known as malignant hyperthermia. In response, a nurse anesthetist increased the amount of an anesthesia drug, when the drug should have been stopped, Meinecke said.

I cannot stress this enough: Without physician supervision and intervention, this otherwise healthy, 28-year-old patient would have died, she said.

Evers budget bill would require two years of nursing work in a clinical setting, in addition to two years of advanced practice nursing work with a doctor, to qualify for independent practice. The bill before the Legislature would still require advanced practice nurses who run pain clinics outside of hospitals to collaborate with a doctor. The version in Evers budget says the doctor must specialize in pain management.

More bumps

Another clause in Evers version, which Grapentine said is also necessary to gain medical society support, protects specialty titles for doctors, such as anesthesiologist. In the Legislature, a separate bill would do the same.

Two years ago, the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists changed its name to the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology and encouraged members to refer to themselves as nurse anesthesiologists. Grapentine said that is misleading.

Jenna Palzkill, president of the Wisconsin Association of Nurse Anesthetists, said many younger providers believe nurse anesthesiologist better reflects the extent of their training. Were not trying to say that were doctors, she said. The goal is to say were an expert and have received additional training in the field of anesthesia.

Palzkills group is opposed to requiring advanced practice nurses at pain clinics to collaborate with pain specialists instead of any doctor. In rural areas, its hard to find pain specialist doctors, she said.

DeGroot, who works as a cardiology nurse specialist at Stoughton Hospital in addition to her role at the free clinic, said that with or without the current law she would consult doctors for help when needed. Requiring a collaborative agreement with a doctor is an unnecessary hurdle that prevents advance practice nurses from expanding access to care, she said.

If Im in over my head, Im going to call my colleagues at the ER, or Im going to call the cardiologist, she said. We are peers; we are partners.
A federal judge has thrown out a Title IX discrimination lawsuit stemming from repeated sexual harassment by a former University of Wisconsin System chancellors husband.

In a decision filed March 27, U.S. District Court Judge J.P. Stadtmueller dismissed the lawsuit after determining that the plaintiff and her counsel withheld or deleted information such as medical records and text messages.

Former UW-Whitewater student and Whitewater City Council member Stephanie Goettl-Vander Pas sued the System in October 2021 over alleged Title IX violations, alleging university employees violated federal discrimination laws by failing to protect her and others from sexual harassment and assault from then-Chancellor Beverly Koppers husband, Alan Pete Hill.

The question of whether System employees did violate Title IX laws wont be answered, though, as Stadtmueller dismissed the lawsuit and prohibited it from being refiled. Goettl-Vander Pass attorney, Lisle Blackborn, petitioned for the decision to be reconsidered.

Stadtmueller wrote in his dismissal that he thought Blackborn had been deceptive to System lawyers seeking evidence by failing to preserve documents or using nuance as justification for withholding documents. Blackborn was ordered to pay for the Systems litigation costs.

The Court is sympathetic to the gross discrepancy between culpability  Vander Pass counsel is indeed to blame for the majority of these violations  but Vander Pass and her counsels evasion together has caused the Board and the Court to expend extensive time, energy, and resources, the judge wrote. Our judicial system is built on candor and, most importantly, on justice. There is no room for obfuscation.

The System declined to comment on the lawsuit, spokesperson Mark Pitsch said.

No reports filed

Goettl-Vander Pass lawsuit stems from sexual harassment and assault that Hill allegedly directed at her in October 2015, shortly after Kopper became chancellor. Goettl-Vander Pas, who knew Hill from her work as a city elected official, said in her lawsuit that he had slid his hand under her skirt while at an off-campus coffee shop.

That incident caused Goettl-Vander Pas both physical and emotional injuries, her complaint said.

Goettl-Vander Pass complaint includes stories from 10 other anonymous women who were subjected to unwelcomed kisses and hugs, groping and inappropriate comments from Hill. The lawsuit outlines multiple situations where System employees observed or were told about Hills behavior, but no reports were filed.

Goettl-Vander Pas first came forward with Hills actions in September 2018, suggesting in a Facebook post that Kopper was partly responsible because she must have known and understood her husbands character.

A System investigation in 2019 confirmed Hill had sexually harassed at least seven female UW-Whitewater students or employees, which Hill has denied. System officials had banned Hill from campus and revoked his ceremonial title in June 2018, six months before Kopper announced her resignation.

Incomplete evidence

System lawyers sought medical records and private journals, social media correspondence, text messages and job applications from Goettl-Vander Pas as part of the discovery aspect of the proceedings. But what Blackborn produced as evidence was incomplete, even after numerous conferences, Stadtmueller wrote.

Where Blackborn especially failed in counseling her client, Stadtmueller wrote, was in advising Goettl-Vander Pas to turn off her work phones 30-day message deletion feature from the time she retained an attorney.

Goettl-Vander Pas also deleted Facebook comments related to her allegations in late 2018, something Blackborn argued was prior to when Goettl-Vander Pas was expected to retain information. Stadtmueller disagreed, concluding she was liable to keep documents as early as August 2018 when she first indicated interest in filing a complaint.

Other records, including Goettl-Vander Pass medical records and journaling, were either incomplete or were withheld through a claim of nuance, the judge said. During the deposition, Goettl-Vander Pas tried to differentiate between her styles of journaling, some that referenced the lawsuit and others about a chronic health condition.

As a result, Stadtmueller determined, Goettl-Vander Pas committed perjury by stating her journaling started in 2017 when evidence suggested it started years prior. Had System lawyers taken the testimony as fact, Stadtmueller said they would have lost relevant evidence.

Stadtmueller faulted Blackborn for letting Goettl-Vander Pas self-collect evidence, as clients may fail to disclose all information or omit documents given to their counsel.

Failure to reasonably investigate discovery responses destroys all semblance of candor and eviscerates any faith in Vander Pass counsel as an officer of the Court, Stadtmueller wrote. It also prejudices the defense, who, with each supplement or change to prior responses  which may be minimal in pieces, but all together is impactful  are forced to scramble to amend their theory of the case.
Tucker Carlson, host of "Tucker Carlson Tonight," poses for photos in a Fox News Channel studio on March 2, 2017, in New York. (Richard Drew/AP)

NEW YORK  Hundreds of thousands of Fox News viewers are reacting to Tucker Carlsons firing by abandoning the network in his old time slot  at least temporarily.

Fox drew 1.33 million viewers for substitute host Brian Kilmeade in the 8 p.m. Eastern hour on Wednesday night, putting the network second to MSNBCs Chris Hayes in a competition Carlson used to dominate, the Nielsen company said.

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Thats down 56% from the 3.05 million viewers Carlson reached last Wednesday, Nielsen said. For all of 2022, Carlson averaged 3.03 million viewers, second only to Foxs The Five as the most popular program on cable television.

Carlson offered his own alternative to Kilmeade on Wednesday, posting a two-minute monologue on Twitter at 8 p.m. By Thursday afternoon, that video had been viewed 62.7 million times, according to Twitter.

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Kilmeade had 1.7 million viewers on Tuesday and 2.59 million on Monday, when he told people who hadnt already heard the news that Carlson would no longer be there.

Carlson had 2.65 million viewers on Friday for what he didnt know at the time would be his last show on Fox. He was fired on Monday with no explanation given publicly, although there are no shortage of theories  including a former employees lawsuit that cited a toxic work atmosphere at his show, offensive statements by Carlson that came out as part of the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit against Fox and his embrace of political conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The ratings slump echoes what happened at Fox following the 2020 election, when many viewers angered by the networks crucial election night declaration that Joe Biden had won Arizona following then-President Donald Trumps advice to seek alternatives. That caused tremendous angst behind the scenes at Fox, which was illustrated in documents released as part of the Dominion case.

Asked for comment, Fox responded with a statement noting that Fox has been cable news most-watched network for 21 years with its team trusted more by viewers than any other news source.

In the wake of Carlsons firing, viewing at the conservative network Newsmax has shot up for Eric Bolling, who hosts a show in the same 8 p.m. Eastern slot.

For example, Bolling had 510,000 viewers Wednesday night, compared to 168,000 on Wednesday a week ago, Nielsen said. On Tuesday, Bolling had 562,000 viewers, up from 122,000 the same day a week earlier.

The challenge for Newsmax will be making it last. Fox surged again following Bidens inauguration as president, and Newsmax couldnt keep up the momentum.
A rare visitor was spotted in Mount Horeb late Thursday but it's unlikely it was headed for the Grumpy Troll Brewpub, Sjolinds Chocolate House or the Sunn Cafe, but maybe the Kwik Trip.

A black bear was spotted around 10 p.m. in the 300 block of North Eighth Street, which is just north of the roundabout near Union Cemetery.

The bear, likely a yearling, was spotted on a Ring camera and then headed off into the direction of Stewart Lake County Park, according to Mount Horeb Police, which posted a photo of the bear on its Facebook page.

"We spoke with a (Wisconsin) DNR game warden who advised this is not uncommon given the time of year," the post said. "Black bears are generally skittish and non-aggressive in nature. However, please remain vigilant when outdoors. If you encounter a bear, do not run, stay calm and do not approach the bear."

Wisconsin is home to a robust and expanding black bear population, most of which is located in the northern third of the state. In 1989 there were about 9,000 bears statewide but that number has ballooned to more than 24,000, according to the latest data from the state Department of Natural Resources.

In Dane County, bear are considered transient in nature while bear sightings for counties north and west of Dane County are considered rare. But in Juneau, Adams and Monroe counties, bear are considered common, according to a distribution map on the DNR's website.
Winona police found no threats and classes have resumed following a disturbance and lockdown Friday morning at on the Minnesota State College Southeast campus in Winona.

A little after 9 a.m., police were called about a disturbance between a male and a female with the caller saying they thought they heard someone say help and someone else say something with the word shoot.

Police cleared the building, looked at surveillance footage, and spoke with several people. Police said they did not locate any threats and determined the scene to be safe.

As a precaution, police notified the Winona Middle School of the situation. Being less than a mile away, the school entered into a soft lockdown in which teachers locked their doors and continued instruction.

All schools have resumed normal classes.

This morning, a lockdown was issued for the Winona Campus only because of a potential security threat, Minnesota State College Southeast said in a statement Friday. Law enforcement along with Winona State University Security came to campus and checked the building. An all-clear was issued shortly thereafter.

The college said law enforcement is investigating issue.
Gov. Greg Gianforte delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Montana Senate and House of Representatives on Jan. 25, 2023, in the Montana State Capitol, in Helena, Mont. (Thom Bridge/AP)

As debates over transgender issues embroil Montanas Legislature, the governor has faced lobbying from someone close to him: his son, who identifies as nonbinary and has pleaded with his father to reject what he called immoral, unjust bills backed by Republicans.

In an interview with The Montana Free Press published Wednesday, David Gianforte, who uses he and they pronouns, said he had sat down with his father, Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, last month with a prepared statement in hand to read aloud.

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David Gianforte, 32, told the Free Press, a nonprofit news outlet, that he had written down why he believed bills that were gaining traction in the state Senate and House would be harmful to the LGBTQ community, to which he belongs.

On March 27, he began his meeting with Greg Gianforte and his top health adviser with a familial introduction, according to the Free Press: Hey Dad. Thanks for setting aside time to meet with me.

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There are a lot of important issues passing through the Legislature right now, David Gianforte told his father. For my own sake Ive chosen to focus primarily on transgender rights, as that would significantly directly affect a number of my friends.

He argued that the bills  which would restrict transition care, define sex as binary and ban minors from attending drag shows  were a violation of human rights.

Its unclear what effect the meeting had on the governor.

I would like to better understand your thoughts and concerns, Greg Gianforte wrote his son in an email that was signed, Love, Dad, and obtained by the Free Press.

David Gianforte declined to comment Thursday. A spokesperson for Greg Gianforte said in a statement that the governor loves his family and values their thoughts, ideas, and perspectives, and that his office would not discuss private family conversations.

The father-son meeting, first reported Wednesday by the Free Press, provided a remarkable snapshot of a family whose fractured views of the transgender bills reflected those playing out across the state. It also underscored how personal such debates have been, even in the Gianforte family, whose patriarch appeared poised to back his Republican colleagues and sign the bills into law.

Montana is one of many states across the nation where lawmakers are considering a raft of new bills on transgender issues. These include measures that would limit transition care, define sex in binary terms and forbid public school students from changing their pronouns without parental permission.

Montanas legislation has exploded into the national consciousness during an escalating standoff between Republican lawmakers and a transgender representative over her remarks in opposition to the bill banning transition care for minors.

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On Wednesday, the states House of Representatives blocked the lawmaker, Zooey Zephyr, from the House floor for the remainder of the legislative session. She then spent much of Thursday sitting outside the main chamber of the state House, exiled from the floor debate, but checking the proceedings on her laptop.

This year, 11 states have passed laws prohibiting transition care for young people. Previously, just three state legislatures had enacted full or partial bans. The barrage of state legislation is part of a long-term campaign by conservative organizations to use transgender issues as a way to motivate voters and raise money.

The efforts have thrust the roughly 1.3 million U.S. adults and 300,000 adolescents who identify as transgender into the center of one of the nations most pitched political battles.

Conservative legislators across the country have characterized transition care as harmful and experimental, arguing that adolescents should not be allowed to begin medically transitioning before they become adults. But major medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, support this care and say that banning it poses serious mental health risks to young people.

David Gianforte said in the Free Press interview that his father had been thoughtful in their meeting, and that the governor had listed reasons for supporting the bills. His father, he said, is concerned about his career and is aware that being able to stay in the position of governor is dependent on him staying in favor of the Republican Party.

Still, David Gianforte appeared to be let down by his fathers actions, especially after Greg Gianforte wrote a letter on April 17 to lawmakers explaining amendments to the bills.

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The governor wrote that he had met with transgender people and understood that their struggles are real, and my heart goes out to them. But the governor also noted that gender-affirming care was a misleading term and compared it to Orwellian Newspeak.

David Gianforte said that he found his fathers letter bizarre, the Free Press reported.

He talks about compassion toward children, the youth of Montana, while simultaneously taking away health care from the youth in Montana, he said. Its basically a contradiction in my mind.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
This article appears in the April 28, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

[Print version of this article]

Discussion: Is a Fundamental Global Change Possible?

Watch the entire conference here.

Dennis Speed (moderator): Were going to briefly go to a short Q&A period in consideration of the far-flung nature of our conference, and the difference in time zones. Were going to bring up on our screen Helga Zepp-LaRouche, founder of the Schiller Institute; Dr. Connie Rahakundini Bakrie of Indonesia; and Professor Wen Yi.

Helga Zepp-LaRouche: Im very happy that we can give, with the Schiller Institute platform, our worldwide listeners the opportunity to hear from representatives from the Global South and China directly, because that is an opportunity which normally people dont have. They never get speakers from these countries, and therefore the ordinary person cannot form a judgment of the historical transformation taking place right now.

I think what Dr. Bakrie developed is actually a very good ideahow such a new security architecture could evolveand I thank you very much for that. I think what Professor Wen Yi described is actually very useful, because somehow the idea in the West about China is, people have no idea. They dont know its history, they have no idea about its 5,000 years of culture, and therefore it is very easy for the media to portray China as this more aggressive, recently awakened giant economy trying to take over the world. But I think what you presented is actually an appreciation of why, for example, the African countries and many other countries in the Global South really appreciate Chinas help to overcome under-development. So, thats my initial thought.

Dr. Connie Rahakundini Bakrie: First I would like to thank Madame Helga for inviting me to make my point. There are very interesting things that Id like to be precise about for this meeting. Like Madame Helga said, we are a misunderstood lot by the West. For example, the Chinese position, and of course the Russian position as well. And in Indonesia, as one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement. I think this is the right time, actually, for the world to see how the new concept of the Non-Aligned Movement can balance the Global South and Global North positions.

Of course, I have always believed that economic, and military or defense are very connected, so either one, whether we emphasize the economic and finance and currency issues, or  the security or defense issuemy emphasis this morning was about the military operations other than war (MOOTW). In either case, I think we can just step into something big that the Schiller Institute wanted to achieve. I think that is my point. Thank you.

The Importance of Development Stages

Speed: Professor Wen, theres a question for you related to your presentation. Im going to try to summarize; its a little long. The questioner asks you to compare the idea of industrialization in Africa, where I believe 50% of the population is still an agricultural populationyou referenced this idea of transitionwhether or not the policies now being implemented by China in some of its engagements with the African nations take this into consideration? Whats been the experience and interaction with nations in Africa, and how do you see that developing in the future?

Prof. Wen Yi: Thanks very much for this question. I think different nations start their development at different positions, not just in terms of geography and natural resources, but also in terms of development stages. For example, I would like to compare, I would actually offer advice to countries in Africa, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, those proto-development countries, and also countries in the Middle East or the previous East European socialist countries: Because you are at a very different stage in terms of industrialization, so therefore the policies being offered would be different, but the economic logic is the same.

Your goal of course is to become fully industrialized, to have the capacity to mass produce everything from final commodities to the means of production and all the intermediate goods including infrastructure. But, since Africa is starting at such a low level, just like China started around the early 20th Century, and with the majority of the population living the rural area, for them to start the process of industrialization, you must not follow the Washington Consensus of so-called financial liberalization. Thats poison, because you dont even have any economic foundation to run finance.

You should start with proto-industries, just like the Chinese style township-village industries. They are very primitivethe average number of employees is about four or fivebut they generate profit.

For countries like those in Africa, starting humble is very important. Do not be too ambitious. If you first of all welcome an automobile, or an airplane company to set up an assembly line, that would be a mistake. Because your economic foundations are not able to support that.

The most important natural resource in your countries, is not minerals, its labor. You have an abundance of labor which needs to be brought into manufacturing. But the first stage of manufacturing is humble, it is very low level, but thats fine. Thats going to create the market for the next stage. Do not underestimate the importance of that process.

Thats precisely what happened in the 1980s with China. Right after the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China, during Maos time, China was so ambitious. They said, We have been falling behind the West for 200 years after the Opium War. We should rush into industrialization, build lots of heavy industries. Of course, some types of heavy industries are necessary for national defense, but the majority of industries cannot be heavy industry. [Initially] you are not able to support it.

You can only support heavy industry with a big market which demands manufacturing, demands machinery. Heavy industries produce steel, produce machines. Whos going to demand that? On the international market you are not competitive; you have to rely on the global market. But a global market demand for machinery comes from light industry, yet you do not even have a light industry.

So, you have to start with light industry, but in order to support light industry, you have to show all the farmers, peasants, the uneducated into manufacturing. So therefore you have to move one step earlier, into proto-industries.

Look at British and U.S. history. In their early stages, they went through all those processes, and eventually the demand for transportation became so huge and the profitability was good enough, they rushed to [build] highways.

If China had started to build high-speed trains in the 1980s, China would have gone bankrupt, because the economy was not there to support it, even if the technology was free. So therefore, the market foundation is important, and the market can only be created sequentially, stage by stage. You cannot try to bypass many stages; just like learning mathematics. Let me give you one more example.

Human beings, different civilizations, have all contributed to the knowledge of mathematics, from algebra, from arithmetic, all the way to calculus. Today, even high school kids can learn calculus; but still a young baby, even if hes as smart as Newton, you cannot help him to jump into calculus right away. He still has to go through the thousands of years of evolutionary process of the human race by learning mathematics by counting their fingers. With their fingers they learn the number system, and eventually learn addition, subtraction, then multiplication, and eventually move into calculus.

Later-coming countries, African countries today, if you want to industrialize, you have to repeat the essential steps which have been gone through by the British and the Japanese and the Chinese. You cannot just skip essential processes; if you do that, you run into trouble. Thats essentially the message.

Indonesias Role in the BRICS/BRI Process

Speed: Thank you, professor. I now have a question both for Dr. Bakrie and for Helga. Dr. Bakrie, the questioner asks:

You are from Indonesia, a country we know was important for the Bandung Movement of Non-Aligned Nations in 1955, and played an important role as a whole in the development of what now emerges in the world as this new possible paradigm. Could you say something about the experience of your nation in its struggle to allow for such a paradigm to come into fruition today? What is the relationship of Indonesia to the process of the BRICS and the Belt and Road Initiative?

Bakrie: For Indonesia and for the BRICS, actually they are a bit late, mainly due to the Non-Aligned Movement which we think too much of sometimes.

As part of a support group of academicians who can influence people, I believe that Indonesia should join BRICS soon. I talk a lot with Helga, I talk a lot with Non-Aligned Movement academicians: we really emphasize how to bring balance to the world, wherever it is. Some people make a joke about the Non-Aligned position, but as I described before, as long as the struggle for equality among nations is happening, in the moment, we still need the Bandung Spirit, the concept of the Non-Aligned Movement of President Sukarno, who spoke of the United Nations to lead the world anew. This is actually going to be announced as a UNESCO marvel of the world in June.

I think people really trust Indonesia with that position. The G20 meetings, for example, are actually very good examples of how we pushed in order to act beyond economic meetings for the G20, more to the political: If you remember, that time that the NATO countries and the United States pushed us to invite [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky into the meetingssomething like that.

Again, I believe Indonesia should strengthen the position of the Non-Aligned Movementand I call it the new Non-Aligned Movement position. We have to be close to the BRICS dreams, to join in the BRICS steps. And most importantly, like Professor Wen said from the Chinese, I think there is a lot of Western misunderstanding about our region. The last thing that you asked about was Taiwan. I meant to start discussing Taiwan. I think its going to create an imbalance in this region. I just described the new Russia, the BRICS, the new Non-Aligned Movement and making Donald Trump President of the United States again are very related to each other. Because the biggest fall of the United States, is that the United States sometimes takes outward-looking positions on policy too much, instead of going to inward-looking positions.

So I think this is very interconnecting with imbalance, and I hope we can stop this. I believe the Non-Aligned Movement has to balance every aspect that now makes the world imbalanced.

Western Leaders Should Re-Think Their Axioms

Speed: Thank you. Helga, heres a question from Zambia:

Please give your judgment as to whether or not African countries who choose to line up in the direction of the new currency option led by China and Russia, can expect to have less backlash in comparison to past decades from the Western powers? [Vice President] Kamala Harris, [Secretary of State Antony] Blinken and others have a different agenda for Africa, and the new paradigm doesnt appear to be it.

Zepp-LaRouche: I was actually saying this in my initial remarks. Western politicians should really stop running around to the countries and continents of the Global South, telling them that they should not deal with Russia, they should not deal with China. You know, its sort of futile, because in the recent polls, 54 African nations refused to join the geopolitical game in condemning Russia for the so-called unprovoked war. I think the African nations have a much better judgment, because they know what the colonialist powers did to them in the past; they know who stood by them in their struggle for independence; and they also know who is giving them actual means, like nuclear energy, like other means of energy, and you know.

The West has a real problem. The leaders of the West, are trying to maintain an order which is not maintainable; its not sustainable. Its gone, already! The effort right now to try to use the old measures of the carrot and the stick and coercion, will not work.

And I think the bestand I know Im making myself very unpopular in saying what Im saying, but I cant help it! Looking at the situation, I think the people in the West, in general, have to reflect on why we are at this moment of crisis, and they have to rethink their axioms, their assumptions about the world. Have they made an effort to develop the formerly colonialized nations? No! You cant blame China for going to Africa and building things! The West had centuries of time to do it, at least the last 70 years, and they didnt do it! So, rather than complaining about China, why did you not go and build bridges, railways, ports, waterways, agriculture, industry in Africa?

Just very briefly, my husband proposed a very concrete plan in 1975we had a plan for Africa. And who followed it up? No! The countries who were trying to promote it got destabilizedand now, the same policies! China has made an incredible transformation from the 1970s. I visited China in 1971 for the first time, and I saw how underdeveloped China was; But when you go now to China, its the most developed. They have the most incredible fast train systems that come on time, unlike in Germany, where theyre always late.

So, because China has made this incredible economic miracle, now the effort by Africa, and Latin America, and other Asian countries to fulfill the dream of the Bandung Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement, is becoming a realistic chance, because they have enough economic power, which they did not have at that time.

So, I would say, dont fear anything: Just move ahead, because this is a historic chance, as it only happens once in a thousand years. I truly believe we are in an epochal change, and that chance must not be lost!

Regulation of Markets Promotes the General Welfare

Speed: We have one final question and then were going to go back to the panel. This is for you Prof. Wen, from America:

At a recent economic forum in Moscow, the Minister for Integration and Macroeconomics of the Eurasian Economic Commission, Sergey Glazyev, discussed the success of the Chinese economic miracle as relying on the regulation of markets to boost entrepreneurship and set strategic priorities for the entire nation. According to Glazyev, Chinas focus on the general welfare, instead of super-profits, is what contributed to its massive growth over recent years.

This principle was what once defined the United States in its founding, when Alexander Hamilton was Treasury Secretary under President George Washington. Hamilton created the First National Bank to direct credit into infrastructure and other projects that would define the nations growth, as China has done presently. Though we have drifted away from that principle, do you think it can be revived in practice today, in the trans-Atlantic economies? And, do you see a resemblance in the policies of Hamilton with the current practice of the Chinese government?

Prof. Wen: If I understood the question correctly, yes. Infrastructure, as I mentioned, is one of the most important pillars to support the market, and without the market, you cannot hope to have industrialization, you cannot have mass production. So, infrastructure is very important. Infrastructure has many different levels, so, depending on the type of the market, the proto-industrialization process, the infrastructure was more primitive, and the cost was much lower; and once you moved to the next stage, the infrastructure requirement is higher. And the next stage, and so on.

Actually, I think Hamilton is one of the very important, not just politicians, but also a very important economist. He understood the laws of economic issues very well. Unfortunately, todays new classical economic theory reflects nothing about the Hamiltonian idea of how to develop the U.S. economy or how to develop other economies in general.

So therefore, yes, China succeeds. One part of that is that the Chinese government has always focused on the grass roots. The grass roots is the most important component in the society. If you cannot mobilize the grass roots, you cannot make a leveragethe nation cannot get rich at all! You just have a few handfuls of people getting rich. Thats not the way to go.

The failure of market reform in European countries was precisely that the government, the state, collapsed, the government drew back. When the oligarchy came to power, they just enriched a handful of people, and the majority of people became worse off, compared to even the social planning era.

The Chinese government did the opposite. They wanted to enrich and empower the grass roots. Thats why in the entire 1980s and 1990s, the population who got the greatest benefit were the farmers, the peasants. You need them to push the economy upward. So therefore, generating a small profit for the majority of the people, is more important than generating a huge profit just for a small group of people.

Speed: Professor Wen Yi, Dr. Bakrie, and Helga Zepp-LaRouche, thank you very much for this discussion. Were now going to resume our panel.
This transcript appears in the April 28, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

[Print version of this transcript]

Dr. Alexander Bobrov New Security Architecture in the Mirror of

Russias Foreign Policy Concept 2023

This is the edited transcript of the presentation of Dr. Alexander Bobrov to Panel 1, The Growing Danger of World War III Underlines the Necessity for a New Security Architecture, of the Schiller Institutes April 15-16 Conference, Without the Development of All Nations, There Can Be No Lasting Peace for the Planet. Dr. Bobrov is the Acting Dean of the School of Government and International Affairs, MGIMO University (Moscow State Institute of International Relations) in Russia. Watch the entire conference here.

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Schiller Institute Dr. Alexander Bobrov

Thank you so much for having me. I would like to present my topic and at the same time avoid reiterating the ideas that were expressed by the brilliant previous speakers concerning not only the actual state of relations between the West and Russia, but also everything that has to do with the emergence of the multipolar world that we are witnessing at the moment, which is not just someones idea, but an objective tendency that a group of countriesespecially the West, the United States of America, the European Unionare trying to ignore.

I decided to choose this topic for the very sole reason that about two weeks ago, we had the inauguration of the new Russian Foreign Policy Concept, which is a strategic document that expresses the main ideas of the Russian leadership of the role that our country plays in international relations. And also, you might use this document as a certain mirror of the Kremlins playbook in general. This is not the first time that Russias leadership publishes this type of document. We have had previous reiterations back in 2016, in 2008, and in the very beginning of the 21st century. But this is the very first strategic document that gives an answer to a whole set of questions.

The first one would be: What is Russias idea of the modern world? Because we do know that our President, Vladimir Putin, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, have been promoting the idea of a multipolar world since the early 2000s. But this is the very first time when this idea has taken shape not only as a basic idea, but now in the specificities of this document. We are trying to show that this multipolar world must consist not only of single countries or civilizationscountries such as the United States of America, Russia, China, or Indiabut also in regions that could be represented by a set of multilateral agreements and organizations. Obviously, Latin America is not represented by one country, but by a group of countries. The same applies to Africa. There is no widespread understanding of the leader of this region, but at the same time, as a group, African countries have every right to voice their opinion as well.

The Role Today of Russian Diplomacy

This strategic document is also a very good expression of Russian diplomacy. For myself, as a person who lectures on diplomacy, I do see that we are now witnessing a crisis of diplomacy and of diplomatic principles in general. We have different examples of unilateral actions made by the United States of America or their European allies, especially when circumventing the decisions of the United Nations Security Council, as we saw that in Yugoslavia, in Iraq, in Libya, with the operation, leading from behind, the toppling of the Qaddafi regime. I do believe that the security [aspect] of this foreign policy concept is also very important in understanding the logic of Moscow concerning the future of different bilateral and multi-lateral relations.

For instance, we do see in the chapter that has to do with the regional priorities of the Russian foreign policy, that at the moment Russia prioritizes relations with CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] countries, with China and India, with African and Middle Eastern countries, over our bilateral ties with Europe and the United States of America. This is happening for the first time in our post-Soviet history. For decades, even for centuries, Russian foreign policy had been quite Eurocentric.

We used to form our mindset in, I would say depending on tendencies and on events unfolding in the Euro-Atlantic region. And now, we are trying to redirect our attention to new centers of gravity in Asia, in the Middle East, in Africa, in Latin America, and the Global South in general. This is also very important in the emergence of this new multipolar world in general.

I look forward to our questions and answers format that will come right afterwards. So, without any further ado, I would like to give the floor to the next speaker. Thank you so much for having me today.
This transcript appears in the April 28, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

[Print version of this transcript]

Scott Ritter

Nuclear Weapons, Democracy and the Deep State

This is the edited transcript of the presentation by Scott Ritter to Panel 1, The Growing Danger of World War III Underlines the Necessity for a New Security Architecture, of the Schiller Institutes April 15-16 Conference, Without the Development of All Nations, There Can Be No Lasting Peace for the Planet. Mr. Ritter is a former UN weapons inspector in Iraq.

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Schiller Institute Scott Ritter

Hello. Thank you very much for inviting me. It might seem like an odd combinationNuclear Weapons, Democracy, and the Deep State. I cut my teeth on arms control back in 1987-88 when Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty [INF], instituting the beginning of an arms control regime that not just limited the growth of nuclear weapons, but actually eliminated entire categories of nuclear weapons. At that time, arms control was a byproduct ostensibly of government.

Most Americans werent aware of the different institutions, the different agencies, the different departments and the personnel within, who all participated in this inter-agency effort to make this treaty a reality. But if thats your notionand it was my notion at the time and I was an active participant in ityou were wrong. Because one needs to reflect on what happened in June of 1982 in the lead-up to this successful implementation of arms control. In 1982, arms control negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union were in effect frozen. They just simply werent talking to one another. And the world was watching as both the United States and the Soviet Union began to deploy categories of nuclear weapons that threatened European peace and security, and by extension global peace and security.

But an amazing thing happened on June 22, 1982. A million Americans rallied in New York Citys Central Park, and sent a clear signal to the U.S. government that we, the people of the United States of America, were not happy with this current state of affairs; that we were demanding nuclear disarmament; we were demanding arms control. And a president who was as conservative as Ronald Reagan, who was vehemently anti-Soviet, who repeatedly referred to the Soviet Union as the Evil Empire,this President was liberated politically to give consideration to the necessity of arms control. This led to a resumption of discussions, a resumption of dialogue, and as I indicated, the signing and implementation of the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, and later the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty [START].

Now, were in a situation today where arms control is all but dead. Like 1982, we have a situation where the United State and Russia simply arent talking to one another; there are no negotiations. And the last remaining vestiges of arms control, the new START treaty, is set to expire in February 2026. If a new arms control treaty isnt implemented to replace this, this means that both the United States and Russia will be engaged in a very dangerous nuclear arms race without any mechanism of control. How are we going to get out of this? Most Americans believe that we have to wait for the U.S. government to come to its senses; for the U.S. government to do the right thing. But the U.S. government isnt the same government that existed back in the 1980s.

Back in the 1980s, we had something that was called the inter-agency processthat is, a process where the different departments and agencies of the U.S. government would coordinate with one another about policy issues related to national security. But they did so under the direction of the President of the United States through his National Security Advisor and the National Security Council. Thats how the American people were able to impact this process, by sending a signal to the President that we need a change; we demand a change. The President heard, and the President ordered the inter-agency process to begin creating the conditions in which successful arms control could take place.

The Preemptive Nuclear Strike Doctrine

Today, we have a PresidentJoe Bidenwho ran on a campaign platform promoting the concept of sole purpose doctrinethat is, that Americas nuclear arsenal, the sole purpose of this would be to deter other nations who possess nuclear weapons from ever attacking the United States. And if this deterrence failed, then to be able to deliver an extraordinarily punishing blow. The very awesome, horrible nature of this punishing blow was hopefully such that nobody would seek to attack the United States with nuclear weapons. We used to have thisit was called Mutually Assured Destruction.

But we dont have this anymore. The United States now has a policy promulgated on the notion that the United States can conduct preemptive nuclear strikes made [on the basis of] non-nuclear causation. That is, in short, anytime the United States feels the need to use nuclear weapons, we can use nuclear weapons from a doctrinal standpoint. This is an extraordinarily dangerous situation. And Joe Biden rightfully recognized it as such. To be honest, so had Barack Obama before him, who inherited this preemptive nuclear posture from George W. Bush. But Barack Obama for eight years was unable to get the nuclear establishmentthe inter-agency processto come up with an adequate way of shifting from preemption to sole purpose. Joe Biden said he, as the Commander-in-Chief, would do this.

Last December, I participated in a reunion of sorts of negotiators and implementers and weapons inspectors associated with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty experience. We had a guest at this reunion, a senior member of the Biden administration responsible for arms control. And the question was asked of this person, How can the Commander-in-Chief, the most powerful executive, the man responsible for this, how could he not implement this policy? He said he wanted to do it. Why hasnt this been done?

We were told that the inter-agency wasnt ready. Thats an amazing statement, because it wasnt the inter-agency process, meaning a process where departments coordinate with one another. He spoke of the inter-agency as an entity, as a being. Who among us as American citizens have voted for this inter-agency? Who selected this inter-agency? How did this inter-agency come into being, and why is this inter-agency allowed to block the direction ordered by a person who was elected by the American people?

The Danger Is the Deep State

This is the danger; this is the Deep State. The inter-agency as it currently exists is the living manifestation of what people call the Deep State. An unelected body of bureaucrats and experts and technocrats who exist for the sole purpose of creating a mechanism linked to national security designed to sustain political power. And they are more powerful than the President of the United States.

So, now we have to return to the issue of democracy. How do we, the people, come out of this? Because if we simply sit back and wait for the government to do the right thing, we have seen that a President that is elected through the processes of democracy, who campaigned saying he wanted to go to sole purpose, away from preemption, was unable to do soblocked by this unelected blob called the inter-agency. Since we dont vote for the inter-agency, how can we change the inter-agency?

The answer is that we have to make it clear that we will not accept the inter-agency. Now how do we do this? I just remind people to go back in time and reflect on what happened in June of 1982 when a million Americans took to the street and made it clear that they would not tolerate anything less than a concerted effort to move towards nuclear disarmament and arms control. Were going to need to do it again, and the 2024 election is, I believe, going to go down in history as one of the most critical elections not only in American history, but world history. Because should we fail to put a leader in place who not only believes in arms control, but is willing to obviate the control mechanisms of the Deep State, then Im afraid that in five years we may not be able to have this kind of dialoguethis kind of seminar. Why? Because most of us wont be here. Why? Because there will be a nuclear conflict.

On the Edge of a Nuclear Abyss

We are on the edge of a nuclear abyss of our own making. Nuclear weapons are deployed. They are backed by doctrines that speak of nuclear preemption. The Russians are so frustrated and worried about the American policy that there is talk within the Russian establishment of modifying their own doctrine to incorporate preemption. We see it in the North Koreans speaking of a preemptive nuclear strike. Why? Everybody is concerned about the United States of America. Everybody is concerned about the American nuclear enterprise and the irresponsible actions and words of the American political leaders and the unelected Deep State. And if we sit back and do nothing, then we are headed down a path of disaster.

You know, the American group of nuclear scientiststhe Bulletin of the Atomic Scientiststhey do something called the nuclear clock. And they recently set the clock to 90 seconds. I think thats just misleading. That implies that we have time. We dont have any time. The real state of the nuclear clock is a half-second from midnight; less than that. All it takes is one click and its all over. And we are positioned to have that click at any moment. One mistake, one miscalculation, one error of judgment and nuclear weapons will be launched. Once theyre launched, there is no such thing as a limited nuclear strike. It will be total nuclear conflict, and we will all die. Thats the reality of the situation we, the American people, and everybody in the world faces today.

So, in short, if you dont make nuclear disarmament and arms control your number one policy, youre wrong. Everything else is important, Im not denying that. But nothing else matters if the world doesnt exist. And the only thing out there right now capable of destroying the world tomorrow is nuclear weapons in the hands of the United States. So, we should all be pushing for the empowering of the American people so that we can once again give voice to this concept of democracy and bring our elected officials to heel, and in doing so bring an end to this unelected Deep State known as the inter-agency. Thank you very much.
This transcript appears in the April 28, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

[Print version of this transcript]

Michael von der Schulenburg

The Absolute Importance of the UN Charter

This is the edited transcript of the presentation of Michael von der Schulenburg to Panel 1, The Growing Danger of World War III Underlines the Necessity for a New Security Architecture, of the Schiller Institutes April 15-16 Conference, Without the Development of All Nations, There Can Be No Lasting Peace for the Planet. Mr. Schulenburg is a former UN/OSCE diplomat. Watch the entire conference here.

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UN/Rick Bajornas Michael von der Schulenburg

The war in Ukraine and our obligation to seek peace: The war in Ukraine is now entering its second year without any attempt being made to find a peaceful solution. Instead of initiating peace talks, the warring parties have become further entangled in a dangerous spiral of military escalation by deploying ever more powerful weapon systems. As if still stuck in the belligerent thinking of the first half of the 20th century, they hope that large-scale military offensives and a military victory could bring them the sought-for peace. In the process, this will only further destroy Ukraine.

But an even more dangerous consequence, is that the prestige of the worlds two largest nuclear powers hangs on the outcome of such military offensives. This increases the risk of a direct confrontation between the nuclear powersU.S.A. and Russiathe two countries that possess about 90% of all nuclear weapons in the world.

The Preamble of the UN Charter states that: We the peoples of the United Nations are determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind. Unfortunately, this appeal of the UN Charter seems forgotten today. Especially, the original founding members, and hence supposed protectors, of the UN Charterthe U.S., UK, France and now also Russiahave repeatedly eroded its principles for their own political aims or, indeed, ignored it altogether.

As permanent members of the UN Security Council with a veto power, they were in a position to do this. In the Ukraine war, these four veto powers have now become direct adversaries, making a mockery of the UN Charter meant to prevent such wars. They thus bear primary responsibility for this war and its consequences vis-a-vis humanity.

The seriousness of the escalating conflict over the expansion of NATO to Russias borders, which has now led to war, has been evident to all parties since at least 1994. Russia has warned time and again that admitting Ukraine and Georgia to NATO would violate its elementary security interests and cross a red line. This would be a classic conflict that shouldand probably couldhave been resolved diplomatically in accordance with the UN Charter. But this did not happen, neither to prevent a war nor to achieve a peaceful outcome to the war once it had begun. This, too, is a breach of the UN Charter.

A Gross Violation of Sovereignty

Ignoring Russias concerns, Ukraines accession to NATO was systematically pursued. This occurred alongside repeated provocations. The West did not even shy away from supporting the violent overthrow of a legitimately elected[attested by] OSCEUkrainian President in 2014 in order to install a government favorable to NATO accession. According to Victoria Nuland, now U.S. Under Secretary of State, the U.S. had funded this overthrow to the tune of $5 billion. In reality, this may have been a much higher amount. Also, this is a gross violation of the sovereignty of a UN member and thus a breach of the UN Charter.

After the recent statements by Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande about the Minsk I and Minsk II agreements, the question arises whether these were negotiated in good faith, or served only the purpose of gaining the time necessary for the military buildup of Ukraine. Since these agreements became legally binding through the decision of the UN Security Council, this would be a shocking travesty of international law.

Even after the war broke out, NATOespecially the U.S.A. and UKtorpedoed all peace efforts. Already in the first week of March 2022, the then Prime Minister of Israel, Naftali Bennett, tried to mediate a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. According to a recent interview, Russia and Ukraine showed great interest in ending the war quickly and a ceasefire was, in Bennetts words, within reach. But it did not come about, because, as Bennett explained, they, the U.S. and UK, blocked a ceasefire, and I thought they were wrong.

The decision to continue the war has now led to a widespread destruction of Ukraine, immeasurable suffering of the people there, and the loss of large parts of Ukrainian territory. Today, Ukraines negotiating position would be much worse than it was in March 2022. This may explain Zelenskys current stance of betting everything on a total victory over Russia.

But even if this were at all possible, such a victory would come at enormous human costs and could entail the complete destruction of Ukraine. President Zelensky and most of his comrades-in-arms must have realized by now that they should not have listened to their new friends from the West in March and April. By rejecting a negotiated solution back in March 2022, Ukrainians are now paying with their blood for a war that pursues the strategic interest of NATO. It may not be the last time that Ukrainians could feel betrayed.

The war in Ukraine has brought the world closer to a nuclear catastrophe than any other conflict since the end of the Cold Warperhaps even since the end of World War II. This should have made us all painfully aware of how important, indeed irreplaceable, the UN Charter is, still today, for regulating peaceful relations among its member states. To maintain world peace, the only way left to mankind is through a voluntary agreement between states to resolve their conflicts peacefully.
This article appears in the April 28, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

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Lt. General Manfred Gratz (ret.) and Maj. General Sebald Daum (ret.)

The Duty and the Right To Oppose War

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Schiller Institute Maj. General Sebald Daum View full size

Schiller Institute Lt. General Manfred Gratz

The following is a joint statement by Lt. General Manfred Gratz (ret.) and Maj. General Sebald Daum (ret.), which was read as part of the proceedings of the Schiller Institutes April 15-16 Conference, Without the Development of All Nations, There Can Be No Lasting Peace for the Planet during Panel 1, The Growing Danger of World War III Underlines the Necessity for a New Security Architecture. Both generals served as officers of the National Peoples Army of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany).

Their statement was introduced by moderator Dennis Speed.

Dennis Speed: We now have greetings from retired military from Germany, Lt. Gen. Manfred Gratz (ret.), and Maj. Gen. Sebald Daum (ret.). We want to make sure people understand something about these two gentlemen. They were responsible for a dramatic and emotional letter that galvanized many a couple of months ago, saying: Many peoples hair has stood on their heads as the fact remains that German tanks are now beginning to move again toward Russia.

They spoke about their childhood memories of the period of the Second World War; they talked about the fact that Germany seemed to be heading down the exact same path again. They paraphrased the poet Heinrich Heine saying, If I think of Germany at night, I shall lose sleep. They called on the citizens of Germany to resist the idea of fighting Russia again, and sending German troops and soldiers and equipment to fight Russia again, because of the obvious specter that that has raised. That is resonating not only in Germany, but in the military in France, and other people throughout Europe. Its shaken the foundations of those nations, and we deeply appreciate the message that we are now going to give to you at this point in our conference.

The statement of generals Gratz and Daum follows.

Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear friends of peace, and participants of the conference. We, Lt. Gen. Manfred Gratz (ret.), and Maj. Gen. Sebald Daum (ret.) of the former National Peoples Army of the German Democratic Republic, welcome the participants of the conference of the Schiller Institute and wish the conference a good course. With this greeting address, we would like to convey our agreement with the concern of the conference. With our protests against the increased supply of heavy war equipment to Ukraine by the Federal Republic of Germany and other NATO states, which we made public at the end of January 2023, we have drawn attention to our deep concern about the great danger of the extension of war to Europe and the world. The more the NATO countries supply weapons to Ukraine, the greater the danger of the expansion of the war. The deaths in Ukraine will be prolonged.

In doing so, we have also expressed our indignation at the increasingly obvious intention to destroy Russia, and also to drag the Peoples Republic of China into a war. We see the causes for this extremely dangerous development first and foremost in the policy of America and its willing partners to dominate the world, to dictate at their own discretion to other countries and states what policy they have to carry out for their populations. International law plays a role only if it serves American interests; security interests only apply to them; and promises only as long as they are to the advantage of the states with the rules-based order.

We must oppose such rules more resolutely, because security interests of any state, especially those of the Russian Federation and China, are legitimate demands of these people according to international law.

We would also like to remind againRussia does not have its troops on the borders of the U.S. and Europe. China is not arming military bases on the beaches of the United States. But the U.S. and NATO are standing with their military power on the borders of Russia, arming Taiwan against China, and thus endangering the security of Russia and China. In addition, more and more sanctions are igniting an economic and financial war against Russia and China. All of this is accompanied by hate and war propaganda, reminiscent of unfortunate times in German politics. There is always only one culprit and that is the Russian people, and especially their president. This is how a people are prepared for war.

The peoples and nations of the world, especially in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and also in Europe, understand more and more that the policy for a unipolar world of the U.S. is directed against peace in the world, and entails the dangers of war. Thus, more and more peoples and nations are realizing that the multipolar policy of China and Russia will lead to greater security, mutual benefit, and peace. Respect for the sovereign qualities of all nations, renunciation of the threat and use of force are the principles we demand to return to.

Therefore, we also believe that responsible military leaders who are well aware of the horrors of war, who recognize the danger of such policies, have not only the duty, but also the right to oppose such war policies and to demand an end the arms race. You cannot create peace with more and more weapons. Therefore, we call on all peace-loving people to join our protest against war and for a just peace. In the great danger in which our peoples currently find themselves, we no longer have time to argue about political party differences and different socio-political orientations. Instead, we must focus on what unites us: peace in the world, and especially peace with Russia. Because only with Russia will there be peace in Europe.

Both of us have experienced the horrors of war as children, and it is therefore our concern that the future of our children and grandchildren be secured in peace. The preservation of human life on our planet requires that peoples and nations do not fall victim to a policy of Western rules-based order, but turn to a peaceful, multipolar policy. Therefore, we raise our voices even more clearly to stop the wars spiral. Let us protest against the support of NATO countries to prolong the war in Ukraine, and against all wars. Let us demand an end to this course of war by a NATO war pact that has outlived its usefulness. Let us support, by our voices and deeds, the peaceful solution of all contentious issues in a multipolar world.
A woman barged into a classroom and discharged chemical spray at several people during an altercation Friday afternoon at Chicago Bulls College Prep high school on the citys West Side.

The woman, who is either a parent or guardian of one of the students, was arrested following the dispute that took place about 12:10 p.m. at the school, 2040 W. Adams St., said Chicago police.

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At least six ambulances were sent to the school, 2040 W. Adams St. the fire department said.

EMP PLANONE CHICAGO BULLS COLLEGE PREP. FIGHT WITH DISCHARGE OF MACE TYPE SPRAY. 2040 Adams  Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) April 28, 2023

Two adult staff members were taken in good condition to a hospital, while four others at the scene declined medical help, fire officials said.

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Students at the school were released for the day and charges were pending against the woman, police said.
This transcript appears in the April 28, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

[Print version of this transcript]

Wolfgang Effenberger

The Foundations of International Law

This is the edited transcript of the presentation of Wolfgang Effenberger to Panel 1, The Growing Danger of World War III Underlines the Necessity for a New Security Architecture, of the Schiller Institutes April 15-16 Conference, Without the Development of All Nations, There Can Be No Lasting Peace for the Planet.Mr. Effenberger is an author and retired officer of the German Bundeswehr. Watch the entire conference here.

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CC/Evelyn Strauch Wolfgang Effenberger

Thank you very much for the invitation to the Schiller Institute event, Stop the Nuclear War Danger Now! Thanks to all who are participating in this conference.

Dear movers for peace, in a few days it will be the 77th anniversary of the historic meeting of American and Soviet soldiers in Torgau. The photograph of the Handshake of Torgau on the destroyed bridge over the Elbe river went around the world. At that time, it stood as a sign of the imminent end of the war and the hope for a peaceful future. And, as a student at the time, it had a powerful effect on me.

Today, that image is symbolically associated with the end of the Second World War and the liberation from National Socialist tyranny. It unites remembrance and commemoration with the admonition to preserve peace. Unfortunately, the hope associated with this photograph 78 years ago was only a mirage. Because while both American and Russian soldiers here in Torgau were enthusiastic about the dawning peace, British general staff officers were already working on the Operation Unthinkable war plan commissioned by Winston Churchill to force back the then Soviet Union and restore an independent Poland. The attack, with more than 100 divisions, including Wehrmacht units that had not been designated as prisoners of war, was about to start on July 1, 1945less than ten weeks after the handshake.

This attack did not happen, because, just in the nick of time, Stalin delivered an ultimatum, demanding the arrest of the German successor government under [Admiral Karl] Donitz that had been established right next to the British headquarters in Flensburg-Murwik, and demanding the transfer of the German soldiers into captivity. This indeed happened on May 23, 1945.

In early September 1945, U.S. President Harry S Truman tasked General Eisenhower with Operation Totality. With 20 to 30 atomic bombs, 20 Soviet industrial cities were to be destroyed in one fell swoop. Such plans were being constantly refined. On May 15, 1947, Truman announced his doctrine for containing the further expansion of the Soviet Union.

This was followed by the Marshall Plan on June 6, 1947. Its goal was to strengthen Western Europe against the Eastern Bloc and to open markets for the American economy, which was still overheated by the war. By accepting the aid, the countries had to cede their financial sovereignty to Washingtonthe beginning of the economic colonization of Europe which, by the way, did not cost much at all. Between 1948 and 1952 only about $15 billion were transferred.

The Real Purpose of NATO

On July 26, 1947, the National Security Act was passed for military penetration of the world, one of the most important laws in U.S. postwar history. It remains the basis of worldwide American military power to this day. Its purpose was to make Europe fit for war against the Soviet Union. On April 4, 1949, NATO was officially founded as a defensive alliance against the Soviet Union. NATOs first Secretary General and chief planner of Unthinkable, Lord Ismay, flippantly stated that NATOs real mission was to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down. The alliance treaty stated that economic reconstruction and economic stability were important elements of securityhence the Marshall Plan.

Then, beginning in 1991, Eastern European countries joined NATO, expecting financial and economic aid. And [in 2014] when Ukraines elected head of state, Yanukovych, did not accept military-political cooperation with the EU (and thus NATO), he was unceremoniously ousted.

On April 4, 2023, 74 years to the day after NATOs founding and in the midst of the conflict that Yanukovych had foreseen, Finland was admitted to NATO with great pomp. On the same day, the U.S. military magazine Stars and Stripes had the headline, NATO Doubles its Land Border with Russia as Finland Joins the U.S.-Led Alliance. NATOs eastern flank was strengthened when Finland became its 31st member, increasing its military clout in the Arctic region, where the allies say they are now better able to deter further Russian aggression. The accession of Finland, which has one of the largest artillery arsenals in Europe and a conscript ground force that can muster up to a million reservists in a crisis, ends decades of military non-alignment for the Nordic nation.

On December 19, 1949, the U.S. adopted the Dropshot war plan to attack the Soviet Union in 1957 in order to keep the new superpower, with its aggressive agenda and world power ambitions, at bay.

For comparison, approximately one million U.S. soldiers died in World War II, while the Soviet Union suffered well over 20 million war dead. The United States was spared destruction. Factory chimneys continued to smoke, and unimaginable profits were reaped. Large parts of the Soviet Union, on the other hand, had been destroyed by the war and their industry permanently damaged.

The basic premise of Dropshot literally states that on or about January 1, 1957, war was forced upon the United States by an act of aggression by the Soviet Union and/or its satellites. As a result, 300 atomic bombs and 29,000 high-explosive bombs were to be dropped on 200 targets in 100 cities, destroying 85% percent of the Soviet Unions industrial capacity in a single stroke. The timing was undoubtedly coordinated with the originally planned completion date of the remilitarization of West Germany. However, when the beeping Sputnik made its orbit around the Earth in 1957, the war plans had to be revised.

A New Strategy to Destroy the Soviet Bloc

National Security Decision Directive 54 (NSDD-54) of September 2, 1982, created an instrument with which the Soviet bloc could be subversively undermined. State after state was induced to break away from the Soviet Union with the promise of American support. In addition to destructive operations, undermining the military capabilities of the Warsaw Pact, economic incentives were provided, most notably the prospect of loans and cultural-scientific exchanges. The long-term strategy papers TRADOC 525-5 of 1994 and 525-3-1 of 2014, titled Win in a Complex World 2020-2040, serve as further developments and supplements.

Russia and China were deliberately built up as threatening enemies in order to establish the U.S. as a protective military power through NATO and through various Asian defense alliances. As early as 1945, U.S. philosopher James Burnham foresaw the United States being called on to make a bid for maximum world power in confrontation with the other superpowers.

In early August 2017, publisher and former Deputy Treasury Secretary under U.S. President Ronald Reagan, Paul Craig Roberts, expressed dismay at the looming threat of war:

For two decades, the Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama regimes have thrown sticks, stones, and nasty words at the Russian bear. The U.S. has broken and withdrawn from security agreement after security agreement and has compounded the threat that Russia sees by conducting war games on Russias borders, staging a coup in Ukraine, a province of Russia for centuries, and by a continuous stream of false accusations against Russia.

In response to this irresponsible, thoughtless, recklessand ignored by the mediapolicy toward Russia, Russian military planners have concluded that Washington is preparing a surprise nuclear attack on Russia. This is the most alarming event of my lifetime, Roberts said. Now that Washingtons criminal madmen have convinced Russia that it is involved in Washingtons war plans, Russia has no choice but to prepare for a first strike. Given the current situation in eastern Ukraine, it looks as if Russia has not prepared in time, while Western-backed Ukraine has.

What Angela Merkel has declared in a Die Zeit interview on Dec. 7, 2022 has now also been confirmed by Francois Hollande, the President of France between 2012 and 2017: The Minsk agreement was just a sham to buy Ukraine more time to prepare for war with Russia. Meanwhile, the Kremlin sees the Minsk agreements as a sham. Speaking to Rossiya-1 anchor Pavel Zarubin on April 9, 2023, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that this only aggravated the situation and brought the military operation closer: Yes, the Minsk agreement was a shell game. We were deceived, and that escalated the situation.

A Community Born in the Spirit of Peace

What will happen next? Probably, we will see more provocations and attacks blamed on Russia. How can such a hypocritical imperial policy be stopped? The UN is apparently unable to do so. Thus the worldthe League of Nations in 1919 and the UN in 1945 were born out of war situationsmust finally find its way to a community born in the spirit of peace, and capable of sanctioning any anti-peace policy.

U.S. Congressional recommendations on Nov. 15, 2022, quoted from the Oct. 12 fact sheet on the new 2022 National Security Strategy:

The United States is a global power with global interests; we are stronger in each region because we are engaged also in all the other regions. If one region is in chaos or dominated by a hostile power, it adversely affects our interests in the other regions.

The Congressional paper goes on to say:

U.S. policymakers are pursuing the goal  to prevent the emergence of regional hegemons in Eurasia. U.S. military operations in World War I and World War II, as well as numerous U.S. military operations and day-to-day operations since World War II  appear to have contributed in no small part to supporting this objective.

For over a century, the primary goal has been to increase the wealth of a group of tycoons in the City of London and on Wall Street. A look at current financial flows confirms this. For example, the financial elites in the U.S. and the UK seem to have little interest in settling the Ukraine conflict. Today, the same circles would like to lead us into a Third World War. It would be extremely tragic if Thomas Manns appeal to European listeners in 1953 were to go unheard. In American exile, Mann had recognized the tendency of the U.S. to treat Europe as an economic colony, a military base, a glacis in the future nuclear crusade against Russia, as a piece of the Earth that may be antiquarian and worth traveling to, but whose complete ruin will be the devils care when the struggle for world domination is on.

According to U.S. international law expert and former UN official Alfred de Zayas, who served as the UN Human Rights Councils independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and just international order from May 2012 to April 2018, there needs to be a strong message from the civilian population and/or the BRICS countries, otherwise the war will last indefinitely or end in Armageddon.

The globe must no longer be the playground of an irresponsible financial oligarchy that prepares the ground for ruthless exploitation. Let us throw the sinister narrative of good here, evil there into the dustbin of history!

Let us outlaw war! And above all: Let us dare to be more human! Thank you.
This transcript appears in the April 28, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

[Print version of this transcript]

Lt. Colonel Ralph Bosshard (ret.)

The Ukraine War Is an Indicator and Accelerator of the Wests Decline

This is the edited transcript of the presentation of Lt. Colonel Ralph Bosshard to Panel 1, The Growing Danger of World War III Underlines the Necessity for a New Security Architecture, of the Schiller Institutes April 15-16 Conference, Without the Development of All Nations, There Can Be No Lasting Peace for the Planet. Lt. Colonel Bosshard is a retired officer of the Swiss Armed Forces and a consultant in military-strategic affairs. Watch the entire conference here.

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Schiller Institute Lt. Colonel Ralph Bosshard (ret.)

Many thanks for having me in your conference today.

The ongoing war in Ukraine is probably an indicator, and at the same time an accelerator, of the decline of the West. The political importance of Western Europe is shrinking. We can see this in the fact that the Global South is rebelling and can afford not to vote according to the wishes of the West, for instance, in the UN General Assembly. We can see the declining economic importance of the West from the fact that in nine years of steadily tightening sanctions, the West has not succeeded in forcing Russia to change its behavior, particularly with regards to Ukraine.

Today, the sanctions are only part of an effort to harm Russia. They no longer serve a positive objective. The West is also showing itself to be disunited, and the Biden Administration is hardly succeeding in uniting its allies and friends by stoking fear of Russia.

The disunity is not only evident in Europe, but also in the Far East, in the form of the disagreements between France and the AUKUS countries. Macrons visit to China also revealed fundamental differences within the Western bloc. Macrons thesis on the strategic independence of Europe possibly received so much attention because it was one of the few areas where there was unity between Macron and Xi Jinping. The Chinese leaders words about a multipolar world were probably a soothing balm on Macrons wounds.

Various European countries are pursuing their own geopolitical ambitions. Poland, for instance, wants to implement its Intermarium conception of the 1920s, and perhaps even recreate the medieval Grand Duchy of Lithuania. France wants to continue playing the role of the Grande Nation in the world, while Italy dreams of its enlarged Mediterranean [empire] which, by the way, is stretching from the Gulf of Guinea to the Sea of Azov and the Indian Ocean; and other European countries pursue nationalist policies. And they all want to make use of the resources of the whole of Europe for their own purposes.

This is also true for Ukraine, where nationalists are trying to use the resources of NATO to give free rein to their hatred of Russia, and to reconquer territories whose inhabitants never wanted to be Ukrainian. Every day, the West is putting weapons into the hands of all those who are ready to fight Russia. This has nothing to do with Ukraines security any longer. Rather, the country is being devastated even further every day.

But with its arms deliveries, NATO is trying to polish up its image of a loser, which has been attached to it particularly after the Kabul disaster in August 2021. NATO is no longer a tool to guarantee the security of its member states, but a safe haven from which these countries can pursue their geopolitical ambitions.

The Failure of Unilateralism

These are all unfavorable conditions for the desired creation of a supra-regional security organization that punishes so-called rogue states with unilateral actions worldwide without waiting for corresponding mandates from the UN Security Council, which may never come. With its unilateral actions in Iraq, the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, the West has itself damaged important organizations and mechanisms for conflict prevention and conflict resolution.

All Western states contributed to this. I myself witnessed the misuse of the so-called Vienna Document for security and confidence-building measures by the U.S.A., but also by Germany, when [I was] working for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, based in Vienna. And in their messianic sense of mission, the NATO countries are now exerting pressure on neutral countries and weakening even the last potential bridge-builders in Europe. It almost looks as if the West wanted World War III at any cost.

The years of the Cold War were characterized by direct confrontation between the blocs in one of the most densely populated regions of the world, which is Central Europe, and by the permanent threat of nuclear war. The fall of the Berlin Wall put an end to this uncomfortable state of affairs.

Today, direct confrontation takes place on a much longer border, from the North Cape to the Black Sea, and we are even playing with the option of the use of nuclear weapons, and thus basically with fire. Unlike the West, the Soviet Union, and today Russia, believed and continues to believe that a nuclear war cannot be confined to one world region but must inevitably become global. I hope that no one will be stupid enough and try to find out whether this is true.

In the West, There Are No Brains

Meanwhile, the military importance of the West is shrinking as well. The fact that Ukraine could not achieve decisive success despite massive military aid from the West, and that various African countries prefer to hire the private military company Wagner Group rather than allow Western troops into their countries, tells volumes. The worlds oceans and airspace are no longer under the unrestricted control of the U.S.A., which is no longer the undisputed leader in weapons technology.

After the end of the Cold War, total military dominance of the West prevailed. This belief manifested itself in the air war doctrine of Colonel John Warden with his five ringsyou may know about it, in the conception of the Ship-to-Objective-Maneuver of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, in the Prompt Global Strike program, and others.

We are so convinced of our good guy status that we are incapable to understand that other countries might consider us as a threat. A Russian joke says    , which means power is available, so there is no need for brains. This is exactly how the West is behaving today. The Wests armed forces need to be adapted to the Wests declining political and economic importance. Otherwise they will only become the helpless expression of a highly militarized foreign policy that replaces strength of argument with weapons effectiveness.

Of course, the politicians of the West know about itI hope they know about itbut resist the recognition that the power of their countries is shrinking. They all say to themselves not on my watch, and try to postpone the point in time when the next military disaster occurs. And they are all prepared to use military force to prevent that. If the West does not come to its senses, it will become a danger spot in the world itself. The Wests self-righteousness is becoming a problem.

This is all a brief summary of the reasons why I think that a new system of global security is required. We can elaborate on individual elements of this or on the basic features of such a system a wee bit more in detail later in the discussion.

So, thanks a lot, and hope to be hearing from you.
This article appears in the April 28, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

[Print version of this article]

Adolfo Perez Esquivel

We, the Peoples of the World, Want Peace!

The following is a statement by Adolfo Perez Esquivel which was read as part of the proceedings for the Schiller Institutes April 15-16 Conference, Without the Development of All Nations, There Can Be No Lasting Peace for the Planet during Panel 1, The Growing Danger of World War III Underlines the Necessity for a New Security Architecture. Mr. Esquivel is a civil rights activist and a Nobel Peace Prize winner (1980) from Argentina. The statement was read by Juan Carrero of Spain. Watch the entire conference here.

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Asemblea National/Romina Icaza Adolfo Perez Esquivel

Good afternoon. My name is Juan Carrero, President of the small SOlivar Foundation, based in Mallorca, Spain.

Today I have been granted a double honor.

The first is that of communicating a message from Adolfo Perez Esquivel, our dear companion and teacher for half a century now, in the nonviolence movement, who also, as international president of SERPAJ, the Peace and Justice Service, has accompanied the peoples on the paths of justice and peace.

The value of his efforts in Latin America was justly recognized in 1980 with the Nobel Peace Prize. Those were different times in the Nobel Institute and the Norwegian parliament. Since then, his generosity has only grown. There is no global cause towards which he has been indifferent. Among many other international commitments, he has always energetically supported us in our efforts for peace, justice, truth and reconciliation in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the scene of the greatest massacres since World War II.

To support our efforts, for several years he even proposed me for a Nobel Peace Prize, thus becoming, with his support, the Spanish candidate with the most support ever: from the unanimous support of Spains parliament to the support of thousands of institutions, personalities and organizations.

Together with Lanza del Vasto, the European direct disciple of Mahatma Gandhi, Adolfo has been for my wife Susana and me the link which has indissolubly bound us for all time to Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King. For us, they are both a living presence which always moves us deeply and acts in our lives in a surprising and effective way.

The second honor to which I referred, is that of communicating Adolfos message to such an important event as todays Schiller Institute conference. Here, then, is the message of Adolfo for, and in support of this conference, a message which he wanted to transmit to all of you through me.

Greetings from Adolfo Perez Esquivel

I send an embrace, Juan, of peace and goodness, so needed by the world in these times of uncertaintya world that must make every possible effort to avoid another war, this time a nuclear one.

What I can contribute to this Schiller Institute conference is my call for the United Nations to courageously stand up and summon the peoples of the world to resist in order to put an end to war, thus ceasing to be a puppet of the great powers.

The world is at the brink of insanity because of rulers who put their own political, economic and strategic interests of domination before life.

We are at an inflection point, of dramatic and decisive changes in the world, with a high cost in lives, hunger, diseases and destruction of Mother Earth.

Many are the appeals to build peace: from the voice of Pope Francis to those of personalities and governments, as well as the clamor of the people. We join our voices daily to those demanding peace.

We must reach a political, but fundamentally a humanitarian solution in order to put an end to the multiple wars unleashed in the world. People remain silent about many of them, such as those, among others, which are occurring in Israel and Palestine, Armenia, and in various African countries.

As for the war in Ukraine, so dangerous for all humanity, there are several proposals for how to reach a constructive dialogue and put an end to it.

But unfortunately, the warlords do not want to hear anything, and they continue increasing their shipments of arms and money to Ukraine, feeding the conflict.

It is a war provoked by great powers such as the United States, by NATO, and by strategic and political interests who wish to ensure their world hegemony.

The world is changing, and if we wish to survive and save our planet Earth, our common house, we need a new social pact of coexistence between the people and Mother Earth.

To achieve that, it is necessary to reestablish the equilibrium that no longer exists today, subjecting humanity to social violence.

Level-headedness, relations between peoples, and spirituality have all been lost. We are facing the banishment of GodHis exile.

A Rebellion of Consciences Against War

The United Nations is an echoless chamber run by the United States. And the Organization of American States is a colonial organization. Europe has lost its voice, and has become a colonial enclave of the United States.

In order to demand a negotiated solution to the wars, it is necessary and urgent that religions, churches, temples, mosques, synagogues and monasteries call for days of prayer and action. Trade unions and social organizations should propose actions.

UNESCO, educators, scientists and communication professionals must be present in the rebellion of consciences against war and in the demand for peace.

We must all join our voices and actions to those of others on the same path, before it is too late.

We must recall the past to enlighten the present. Hiroshima and Nagasaki are not the past. Humanity is still pained by the horrors of the concentration camps, the Holocaust, the massacres.

The powers threaten to use nuclear weapons. What can we do: Shout to those who do not want to hear? Shout where telephones and all communications are cut? They only listen to themselves.

But we cannot lose hope that a different world is possible if we join efforts and wills to achieve peace. Not peace as a mere absence of wars and conflicts, but as the fruit of justice in fraternal relations between individuals and nations.

In order to stop war, the rebellion of the peoples is necessary. The governments involved in war have other objectives and criteria for strengthening their power of domination. As far as their personal interests are concerned, human beings dont count.

We must call for a world day of rebellion and demand an end to warsthat weapons be transformed into ploughshares, as the prophet Isaiah proclaimed thousands of years ago.

The United Nations must rebel against the prevailing totalitarianism and convene a General Assembly of the peoples who want peace. It must put an end to the wars and the hypocrisy of the rulers. They must adopt their own preamble: We the Peoples of the World want Peace.

Let us save the life of the planet, our common home. We cannot continue to be spectators. We must undertake a rebellion of values and spirit to transform this reality that overwhelms all humanity.

Juan, you have all my solidarity and support in this common challenge to achieve peace together with so many brothers and sisters in the world. I wish all the participants in the conference much strength and hope. I join my voice to that of all humanity.

Adolfo Perez EsquivelBuenos Aires, April 11, 2023.
Chinas Recipe for Peace in Ukraine Requires Enormous Political Wisdom, Patience, and Perseverance

April 27, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)Chinas semi-official Global Times provided a fascinating insight into President Xi Jinpings phone call diplomacy yesterday with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Xis unique capability to unravel the confrontation between the West and Russia. Regarding the Ukraine crisis, Xi reiterated Chinas consistent position and proposition, stating that China will send the Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs to Ukraine and other countries to have in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. They noted that Zelenskyy welcomed China to play an important role in restoring peace and resolving the Ukraine crisis through diplomatic means. He also noted on social media platform that the talk was long and meaningful, which will strongly promote the development of bilateral relations.

Global Times kept harping on Chinas determined, long-lasting dealing from the standpoint of principle, over time demonstrating strong stability and continuity, which has increasingly clear and loud echoes in the world.... Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Chinas efforts to promote a political resolution of the Ukraine crisis have never stopped. Global Times specifically cites Xis Chinas Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis. Then, of note, it stresses: China maintains good communication with all parties, including Russia and Ukraine, as well as European powers including France, Germany, and Italy. There are even communications with the U.S. side, and other emerging powers such as Brazil, which are committed to promoting peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Then Global Times gets to the heart of the matter:

Different from the dual approach advocated by some in the U.S. and the West, China provides a different path full of Eastern wisdom. It sees the Ukraine crisis as a complex and difficult-to-untangle web.... It is possible to slowly untangle the knots one by one, and ultimately achieve a comprehensive escape from the crisis. Gradually decomposing complex contradictions, patiently and steadily reaching the core of the problem requires enormous political wisdom, patience, and perseverance....

But, as time goes by, many countries, including Russia and Ukraine, as well as others in Europe, have gradually recognized or partially accepted Chinas proposed solution. There is also an increasing number of voices within the U.S. that are saying, The world should listen to Chinas voice....

Now, both Russia and Ukraine have welcomed Chinas efforts to promote peace and talks, and European powers such as France and Germany, as well as EU leaders, also expect that China will play a greater role in promoting peace and talks. After the call between the leaders of China and Ukraine, the White House also expressed its welcome to the call and said it is good thing.... China is able to communicate directly with all parties involved, seek consensus, and receive positive responses, precisely because China has always adhered to an objective and fair position and demonstrated its role and responsibility as a major power. This role and influence cannot be replaced in todays world.... The willingness to negotiate among all parties is rising, and more rational voices are emerging in various European countries. In a sense, the window of opportunity for promoting a political solution to the Ukraine crisis has emerged. Now it is important to seize the opportunity and accumulate energy to jointly open the door of peace for the international community. Compared to simply adding fuel to the fire, the Chinese side believes that there is no simple solution to complex problems, and dialogue and negotiation are the only feasible way out. Seeking long-term peace and stability for Europe through dialogue is the fundamental way out. What is even more encouraging is that this position is gaining more support, and the forces urging peace and talks are constantly growing.

Global Times concludes:
EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR FRIDAY APRIL 28, 2023

The Xi-Zelenskyy Phone Call: Is Humanity Good?

April 27, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)Chinas authoritative Global Times featured a discussion of the method of President Xi Jinpings seemingly mysterious diplomacy. It shocked all the clever analysts, think tanks, and talking heads in the West when the Saudis and Iranians just last month buried the hatchet. Immediately, supposedly intractable hotspots such as Yemenwhere many more have died than in the Ukraine conflictbegin to become not so intractable. Again, the Saudis and the Syrians are talking with each other, even though the Saudis for a decade had financed a civil war in Syriaalso where many more have died than in the Ukraine conflict. But can Xi perform a semi-miracle with the intractable President Zelenskyy in Ukraine?

Global Times explains that the history behind the conflict is complex, with many knots, but that they can be identified and dealt with. It requires enormous political wisdom, patience, and perseverance. On one level, such an approach seems so naivethat there is enough to go around for Russia and the Western countries that they dont have to beat each other down; that theres no need to make up excuses to change everybody elses political system. What about that bizarre thinking by which countries have to be drained of their raw materials and their populations labor, even their longevity, to buy a bit more time for an international Ponzi scheme? Does Xi really think that leaders of countries can navigate the bumpy road together and get out from underneath such an intractable financial bubble?

At core, Xis method coheres with the controversial tenth point of Helga Zepp-LaRouches Ten Principles of a New International Security and Development Architecture, that man is fundamentally good and capable to infinitely perfect the creativity of his mind and the beauty of his soul ... and that all evil is the result of a lack of development, and therefore can be overcome.

But, yesterday, President Joe Biden arranged for U.S. nuclear-armed submarines to make regular stops at South Koreas ports, as part of a showdown with North Korea. Its called expanded deterrence. (Does anyone remember that it didnt take much for North Korea to halt their nuclear weapons program, both with Bill Clinton and Donald Trump? Evidently, treat them as your enemy and youll have an enemy.) Yet, Atlantic Council head Fred Kempe just egged Biden on, that he has been flinching on confronting Putinand Kempe and his establishment friends will destroy Bidens presidential legacy unless he goes with the nuclear chicken game with Russia.

Biden would do well to watch the two-minute video clip from the April 25 remarks by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev: It ends with: [A]ll this talk that the Russians will never do it, or that the Russians are always threatening us with nuclear weapons, is worthless. Western analytics, military commands and political leadership must just evaluate our rules and intentions. The commander-in-chief, the President, spoke about this. Ill say this ... as a former President, I know ... you must be prepared, that in a certain situation, your hand will not tremble to use it, as cruel and monstrous as that may sound.

If man is fundamentally good, what has brought the world to this point? If evil is the result of a lack of development, theres probably a lot of underdevelopment around, that shouldnt be there. So, take a look at the decrepit transportation systems of the U.S., the water systems not built, the only city built in the last hundred years, Las Vegas, which is dedicated to gambling, the worlds deserts that have not been irrigated and made green, the known diseases of malaria, cholera, etc., that still murder millions. It was really obvious, all along.

Xi is convinced, with relentless optimism, that the knots of this world can be unraveled. While thats understandable if your society has spent the last thirty-plus years pulling 800 million people out of serious poverty, still, Americans used to think that way.

So, have respect for the depth of the problems, but have more respect for the beauty and talent of mankind to master those problems.
Imagine you are feeling sick, and you need to go to the doctor. Your throat might hurt or you might have a high temperature. What do you say? How do you describe how you are feeling?

In Todays Everyday Grammar, we will learn how to describe sickness and how to talk about our symptoms.

Feel

When you go to the doctor, it is important to describe what you are feeling. The doctor or nurse might ask you: How do you feel?

You can answer with the verb to feel plus an adjective to describe the feeling.

I feel good, healthy, amazing.

He feels bad, awful, terrible.

Nancy felt sick. They feel ill.

I feel weak and dizzy.

We can use not with the adjective well to also say that we do not feel good.

I do not feel well today.

While well is most commonly used to describe health, good is also used informally.

A: Are you feeling under the weather today?

B: No, Im good.

Symptoms

When we go to the doctors office, the doctor will ask about our symptoms.

We can describe our symptoms by talking about the affected body part plus the verb be and an adjective.

My eyes are red and itchy.

Jannies throat is sore.

His finger is swollen.

We can also name the affected body part and combine it with verbs like hurt and ache.

To ache means to have dull pain for a long time.

My body aches.

My back hurts.

Subject + to have

Another way to express symptoms is to use a personal pronoun like I as the subject and have with the illness or symptom.

I have a stomachache.

Her daughter has an ear infection.

She had had a sore throat all weekend.

You have a fever.

Note that to have a stomachache can have several meanings. The first could be that you are experiencing a dull pain in your stomach. The second is that you feel nauseous. The third meaning is that you could have painful gas.

Descriptive verbs

We can also use a descriptive verb to say the action that has occurred on or to a part of the body. Verbs like hurt, cut, scraped and injured are used with personal pronouns as subjects and the affected part of the body as the direct object.

Direct objects receive the action from the verb.

Subject + specific verb (cut, hurt, scrape) + body part.

I cut my finger.

Ashley bruised her knee.

We can add more information to the sentence in the form of adverbs and conjunctions.

I cut my finger yesterday while making dinner.

Larissa hurt her back when moving boxes last weekend.

Final thoughts

In todays Everyday Grammar, we learned some common ways to express how we are feeling and our symptoms to a health care professional. We learned about sentence structures with the verbs feel, have and descriptive verbs like cut and hurt.

We also talked about linking parts of the body to symptoms we are feeling using the verb be.

Now it is your turn. Here is some homework to practice. Write a few sentences based on todays story. Write one sentence with the verb feel. Write about part of your body and a symptom it has. Make a sentence using either the verb to have or a descriptive verb and a body part.

Are there any other expressions you know for talking about your symptoms and how you are feeling?

Write to us in the comments. Or send your homework to learningenglish@voanews.com.

Im Faith Pirlo.

Faith Pirlo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English.

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Words in the Story

symptoms  n. a change in the body or mind that shows the presence of a disease

nurse n. a person trained in health care who usually works at a hospital or doctors office.

awful  adj. extremely bad or unpleasant

dizzy  adj. having a whirling sensation in the head with a tendency to fall; mentally confused

informally  adv. in a way that is not suited for serious or official speech and writing

dull  adj. not exciting or interesting

fever  n. a sickness that causes a high body temperature

nauseous  n. feeling sick in the stomach or as though you were about to expel what is in your stomach

scrape  v. to damage (the surface of something) or hurt (a part of your body) by rubbing something rough or sharp against it or by making it rub against something rough or sharp

bruise  n. an injury from force that discolors the skin and causes pain

conjunction  n. (grammar) a word that joins together sentences, clauses, phrases, or words

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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol spoke to the American Congress Thursday on the final day of his state visit to the United States.

The visit marks 70 years of the U.S.-South Korean alliance. Yoon is the seventh South Korean president to address Congress.

Yoon spoke about the historical relationship the two countries shared. He spoke about the Korean War in which the U.S. did not look the other way, but supported the people of South Korea. Yoon noted that 37,000 American soldiers lost their lives in that war.

The South Korean president also spoke about the Mutual Defense Treaty between the two nations and praised their continuing alliance.

Once a recipient of aid, Korea is the only nation in modern history to become a donor. This itself demonstrates the success of our Alliance, Yoon said.

Yoon noted that, since the U.S. Congress approved a free trade agreement with Korea in 2011, bilateral trade has increase 68 percent. During that time, U.S. investment in South Korea has doubled, and South Korean investment in the U.S. has tripled.

The alliance, Yoon argued, had supplied peace and prosperity to the two sides. Now, Yoon said: Together with the U.S., Korea will play the role as a compass for freedom for citizens around the world.

He compared those good qualities with a government that has followed, in his words, the wrong path. He said North Korea, with its nuclear and missile programs, threatened peace in Korea and beyond. Yoon urged speeding up cooperation between his country, the U.S. and Japan to face the North Korean nuclear threat. And he promised to firmly answer the Norths provocations while remaining open to denuclearizing talks.

Yoon closed by praising U.S.-Korea cooperation in high technology and economic trade.

A state visit

On Wednesday, Yoon met with President Joe Biden to discuss several issues. These include the military threats of North Korea, how the two nations can cooperate economically, and ways to deal with an increasingly powerful China. Other issues were also discussed.

Ahead of those talks, the two sides released the Washington Declaration. It is an agreement in which South Korea promised not to develop its own nuclear weapons program. In return, South Korea will have a greater decision-making voice in U.S. contingency planning in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack. The U.S. also promised a more muscular presence in the area.

A state dinner at the White House on Wednesday evening brought media stars, businesspeople and politicians to Washington to celebrate.

The event was the second state dinner during the Biden administration. The first was for French President Emmanuel Macron.

On Tuesday, Biden, Yoon and their wives visited the Korean War Memorial on the National Mall in Washington.

Im Mario Ritter, Jr.

Mario Ritter, Jr. adapted this story for VOA Learning English from VOANEWS and other sources.

Editor's Correction: an earlier version of this story said Mario Ritter, Jr. wrote this story. The correction above has been made.

____________________________________________________

Words in This Story

recipient n. a person or group that receives something

bilateral adj. involving two sides

prosperity n. a state of success marked by having good things

compass n. something that guides good decision making; a device used for navigation that points toward the Earths magnetic poles

contingency n. something that might happen, such as an emergency

muscular adj. strong or powerful

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The United States is on a record pace for mass killings in 2023.

A mass killing usually involves firearms and is defined as an attack in which four or more people are killed not including the attacker or attackers.

This years violence has ended 88 lives in 17 attacks over more than 100 days. Only 2009 was marked by as many tragedies of this kind in the same period of time.

Here are some of the attacks that took place:

Is anywhere safe?

Children at a Nashville grade school were gunned down on a school day by a former student. Farmworkers in Northern California were sprayed with bullets by a fellow worker because of a dispute. A man killed dancers celebrating the Lunar New Year at a dance place outside Los Angeles.

On April 15, four partygoers were killed and 32 injured in Dadeville, Alabama. Three young men were charged with opening fire at a birthday celebration in the town for a 16-year-old girl. Days later, a man shot and killed four people, including his parents, in Bowdoin, Maine. Then he opened fire on vehicles traveling on a busy highway. He had just been released from prison.

Nobody should be shocked, said Fred Guttenberg.

In 2018, his 14-year-old daughter, Jaime, was one of 17 people killed at a school in Parkland, Florida. I visit my daughter in a cemetery. Outrage doesnt begin to describe how I feel.

The Parkland victims are among the 2,842 people who have died in mass killings in the U.S. since 2006. That number comes from records kept by The Associated Press (AP) and the USA Today newspaper, in partnership with Northeastern University in Boston.

Tragic records set

An examination of the data from those organizations shows that mass killings happen, on average, once every 6.53 days. They represent a small part of the deadly violence that takes place yearly in the U.S.

The U.S. recorded 30 or fewer mass killings in more than half of the years of the database.

The pace of mass shootings so far this year does not mean the U.S will have the most attacks this year. In 2009, the violence slowed, and the year finished with 32 mass killings and 172 deaths. Those numbers are just above the averages of 31.1 mass killings and 162 victims a year as suggested by the AP and USA Today data.

Tragic records have been set within the last 10 years. The data shows a high of 45 mass killings in 2019 and 230 people killed in such tragedies in 2017. That year, 60 people died when a gunman opened fire over an outdoor country music celebration in Las Vegas, Nevada. That incident remains the deadliest mass shooting in modern America.

Heres the reality: If somebody is determined to commit mass violence, theyre going to, said Jaclyn Schildkraut. She heads the Rockefeller Institute of Governments Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium. She said it is important to put up barriers to mass violence.

'We dont have to live this way'

Some states have tried to place more controls on guns with state laws. On April 13, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a new law ordering criminal background investigations for the purchase of firearms including rifles and shotguns. In the past, such investigations were required only of handgun buyers.

This week, the governor of Washington state signed a law banning many kinds of semi-automatic rifles.

Other states are experiencing a new round of pressure. In conservative Tennessee, protesters gathered at the state Capitol building to demand more gun laws after six people were killed at a religious elementary school last month.

Last year, President Joe Biden signed a federal gun violence law. It expands background investigations into the youngest gun buyers and red flag laws. Red flag laws enable police to ask courts for an order to take guns from people who show signs they could turn violent.

Sometimes mass killings happen in groups  like in January, when deadly events in California took place just two days apart. Then, months pass without mass violence.

We shouldn't necessarily expect that this  one mass killing every less than seven days  will continue, said Northeastern University criminologist James Alan Fox, who oversees the database. Hopefully it won't.

Experts and activists denounce the sale of guns in the U.S. in recent years. Record sales were reported during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

John Feinblatt leads the nonprofit group Everytown for Gun Safety. Feinblatt said, We have to know that this isnt the way to live. He added: We dont have to live this way. And we cannot live in a country with an agenda of guns everywhere...

The National Rifle Association, which supports the rights of gun owners, did not answer the APs request for comment.

Jaime Guttenberg would be 19 years old now. Her father, Fred, now is a gun control activist. He wants some kind of action.

Guttenberg said, Its all in the numbers. The numbers dont lie. But we need to do something immediately to fix it.

Im Mario Ritter Jr. And I'm Caty Weaver.

Stefanie Dazio and Larry Fenn reported this story for the Associated Press. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English.

____________________________________________________

Words in This Story

pace n. rate of movement

spray v. to project spray or something resembling spray on or into

cemetery n. a burial ground for the dead

outrage n. anger and resentment resulting from injury or insult

rifle n. a long gun

semi-automatic adj. describing a gun that must have the trigger pulled for each shot fired but that loads automatically

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A federal jury deliberated for a third day Thursday without reaching a verdict in the ComEd Four trial alleging a group of executives and lobbyists conspired to bribe then-House Speaker Michael Madigan to win his influence over the utilitys legislative agenda in Springfield.

So far, the panel of seven women and five men has deliberated for about 15 hours over three days. They will take Friday off, as has been the schedule throughout the seven-week trial, and resume discussions Monday morning.

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The only communication from the jury Thursday came in the form of three notes asking for transcripts of the recorded phone calls and meetings at the center of the case. The jurors also sent a note asking how much Juan Ochoa was paid while on the ComEd board.

Ochoa testified it was about $80,000, but U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber responded that they should rely on their collective memories.

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Charged are Michael McClain, 75, a longtime ComEd contract lobbyist and one of Madigans closest confidants; former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, 64, a lawyer and onetime rising star in Chicagos corporate world; Jay Doherty, 69, a lobbyist and ex-president of the City Club of Chicago; and John Hooker, 74, who over a 44-year career worked his way from the utilitys mailroom to become its point man in Springfield.

The indictment alleged the four conspired to funnel $1.3 million in payments to ghost subcontractors, largely through Dohertys company, who were actually Madigans cronies.

[ComEd Four bribery trial: What you need to know]

The utility also hired a clout-heavy law firm run by political operative Victor Reyes, distributed numerous college internships within Madigans 13th Ward fiefdom, and blatantly backed former Ochoa, the friend of a Madigan ally, for an $80,000-a-year seat on the utilitys board of directors, the indictment alleged.

In return, prosecutors say, Madigan used his influence over the General Assembly to help ComEd score a series of huge legislative victories that not only rescued the company from financial instability but led to record-breaking, billion-dollar profits.

Among them was the 2011 smart grid bill that set a built-in formula for the rates ComEd could charge customers, avoiding battles with the Illinois Commerce Commission, according to the charges. ComEd also leaned on Madigans office to help pass the Future Energy Jobs Act in 2016, which kept the formula rate in place and also rescued two nuclear plants run by an affiliated company, Exelon Generation.

The indictment charges a total of nine counts, including a main bribery conspiracy count lodged against each of the four defendants. Other charges include circumventing internal business controls and the falsification of business records to allegedly hide the payments ComEd was making.

[ComEd Four trial: Evidence seen and heard by the jury]

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Defense attorneys have argued over and over that the government is seeking to criminalize legal lobbying and job recommendations that are at the center of the states legitimate political system.

They ripped the governments star witness, former ComEd executive Fidel Marquez, as a liar and opportunist who was so terrified when FBI agents confronted him in January 2019 that he flipped without even consulting a lawyer and agreed to secretly record his friends.

We are here because the government scared Fidel Marquez to death, attorney Jacqueline Jacobson, who represents Hooker, said in her closing argument.

Marquez eventually pleaded guilty to bribery conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.

In rebuttal, lead prosecutor Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu, told the jury that the efforts to woo Madigan were like a corruption toll similar to something motorists must pay to continue on their trip on the state tollway.

And Madigan was the gatekeeper, Bhachu said.

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It was a corruption toll to make sure that Mr. Madigan was not an obstacle to their legislative agenda, Bhachu said. And they paid that toll every month, from 2011 to 2019, when they were caught.

The ComEd Four case marks the most significant public corruption trial since former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was convicted 12 years ago.

It has struck at the heart of Illinois politics itself, holding up a mirror not only to Madigans vaunted political operation but also the entire system of relationships between lobbyists, legislators and government-regulated utilities that rely on the General Assembly for its profits.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

rlong@chicagotribune.com

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mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
Chinese President Xi Jinping says he will send a representative to Ukraine to discuss a possible political settlement in Russias war with Ukraine.

Xi recently told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a phone call that a former Chinese ambassador to Russia would visit Ukraine and other countries to hold talks. China did not say whether the representative planned to visit Moscow.

The phone call between Xi and Zelenskyy had been expected after China said it wanted to serve as a negotiator in the war.

Why does this matter?

China is the only big government that has friendly relations with Russia. China also has economic leverage because it is the biggest buyer of Russian oil and gas. The United States and its allies have mostly stopped buying oil and gas from Russia.

China sees Russia as a diplomatic partner in opposing American influence in international relations. Chinese officials have avoided criticism of Russias invasion of Ukraine. China has also used its position as one of five permanent U.N. Security Council members to limit diplomatic attacks on Russia.

Zelenskyy has said he welcomes a Chinese offer to mediate a possible settlement in the war.

Why is China doing this?

Xis government has sought to become more involved in world diplomacy. The move is seen as part of a campaign by China to return the country to what the ruling Communist Party sees as its rightful position as an international political and economic leader.

Such attempts differ from the past, when China mostly avoided involvement in other countries conflicts and international relations. Instead, it centered on its own economic development.

One recent example came in March, when Saudi Arabia and Iran announced an agreement after negotiations led by China. Saudi Arabia and Iran said they would reopen embassies in each others capitals following a seven-year break.

And last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang told Israeli and Palestinian officials that his country is ready to help negotiate peace talks.

Negotiating an agreement between Ukraine and Russia would also increase Chinas presence in Eastern Europe, where China has tried to build ties with other governments. Those efforts have led to criticism by some European officials that China is trying to gain leverage over the European Union.

Kimberly Marten is a political science professor at Columbia Universitys Barnard College in New York City. She told The Associated Press she does not know if China will succeed in peace efforts for the war in Ukraine.

I have a hard time believing that China can act as peacemaker, Marten said. She added that Beijing has been too close to Russia.

What are Chinas current relations with Russia?

Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a joint statement ahead of the February 2022 invasion that said their governments had a no limits friendship.

China has tried to appear neutral but has supported Russia in defending the invasion of Ukraine. Xi received a warm welcome from Putin during a visit to Moscow in March. The Chinese defense minister visited Russia this month.

China has increased purchases of Russian oil and gas for its energy-hungry economy.

Marten of Barnard College said she sees the direct China-Ukraine contact as a way in which China is taking at least a step away from Russia.

What are Chinas relations with Ukraine?

In 2021, Ukraine announced plans for Chinese companies to build infrastructure linked to trade.

An official Ukrainian statement issued after Xis call with Zelenskyy noted that before Russias invasion, China was Ukraines number one trading partner. The statement said the talk between the two leaders will give a powerful impetus to the return, preservation and development of the relationship.

Chinas foreign minister promised earlier this month that Beijing would not provide arms to either side. This promise helps Ukraine, which has received tanks, rockets and other military equipment from U.S. and European governments.

Chinas ambassador to France recently set off intense criticism in Europe by suggesting that former Soviet republics -- a group that includes Ukraine -- might not be sovereign nations. The statement supported comments by Putin about Ukrainian sovereignty.

But China then communicated to former Soviet states that it respected their sovereignty and said the ambassador's comments were a personal opinion, not official policy.

Im Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English.

________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

leverage  n. the power to influence people in order to get what you want

mediate v. to work with opposing sides in an effort to end a dispute or reach an agreement

infrastructure  n. the basic equipment and structures (such as roads and bridges) needed for a country or area to operate

impetus  n. something that makes an activity of process happen or continue with more speed and energy

preserve  v. to keep something the same or prevent it from being damaged or destroyed

sovereign  adj. completely independent

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A billionaire businessman from California has become the first paying passenger to go to outer space.

Dennis Tito, aged 60, set off from Kazakhstan at 1338 local time (0838 GMT) for an eight-day holiday aboard the International Space Station.

For Mr Tito, a former Nasa employee, it is the fulfilment of a dream he has held for 40 years. He paid $20m (14m) for his trip of a lifetime, but he has faced a number of setbacks.

First, Nasa rejected his proposal, on the grounds that he is not a trained astronaut.

So he turned to Russia. The space authorities in Moscow agreed to take him  but his ticket became null and void after his original destination, the Mir Space Station, was decommissioned and fell back to Earth earlier this year.

He was then offered a place on board a scheduled flight with a Soyuz supply mission to the International Space Station.

The change of plans provoked a bitter row between the United States and Russia. After months of wrangling, the American space agency only agreed to allowing Mr Tito on board the Space Station on the condition that he agree not to sue if injured, to pay for anything he breaks, and to sleep only in Russian sections of the station.

Even then, it looked as though the flight might not go ahead, after last-minute computer glitches forced the Endeavour space shuttle to delay its return to Earth from the ISS and Nasa requested that the Soyuz trip be put off.

Moscow refused to delay the mission, and after a tense stand-off Nasa finally relented.

Now, though, Mr Tito can put all that behind him, as he heads out of the Earths atmosphere and towards the destination that at times has seemed so near  yet so very far away.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

The quarrels between Nasa and Moscow continued throughout Dennis Titos week in space. At one point, Nasa demanded compensation from Russia for lost research time.

On his return to Earth, Mr Tito described his journey as a major crossing point in my life. He split up with his girlfriend, Dawn, shortly after his return, and found his business had suffered in his absence.

He has spent much of his time since promoting the idea of ordinary people going into space, although he says he wouldnt go back and do it again himself.

Only two other people have paid to go into space  South African computer millionaire Mark Shuttleworth in 2002, and US businessman and scientist Greg Olsen in October 2005.
On his last stop before returning to Macau, Chief Executive (CE) Ho Iat Seng met the Deputy Secretary-General for Economic and Global Issues for the European External Action Service (EEAS) of the European Union (EU), Helena Konig in Brussels, Belgium.

The meeting addressed various topics including the strengthening of trade relations between Macau and the EU and post-pandemic economic recovery.

As in other meetings of the 10-day tour, the CE briefed Konig on the current situation and development direction of Macau, particularly noting the pandemics effects and the perspective of post-pandemic recovery.

The CE extended an invitation to all present to visit Macau to experience the citys latest developments.

Ho noted the EU, as Macaus second-largest trading partner, has a strategic role in Macau.

Ho said the region is keen to welcome EU member state entrepreneurs seeking more business opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, and the Guangdong-Macau Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.

Konig said the meeting was very productive and noted the advancements and opportunities currently offered in Macau and the region.

The meeting was also attended by several officials representing the EU, such as Political Assistant of the EEAS Deputy Secretary-General for Economic and Global Issues, Suvi Roponen; and Head of EEASs Division for China, Dominic Porter.
China has released a plan to permit foreign higher education institutions and those from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan to independently set up and run universities and higher vocational schools in the Hainan Free Trade Zone (FTZ), as cited in a report by China Daily.

Previously, universities outside the Chinese mainland needed to cooperate with a local partner to run schools on the mainland, according to the paper.

Reputable overseas universities specializing in the fields of science, engineering, agriculture and medicine can open campuses in Hainan, according to the plan released by the Ministry of Education and the provincial government of Hainan.

The universities are encouraged to introduce advanced courses and teaching materials and admit foreign students, and they can also enroll students from the mainland through the national enrollment policy, according to the plan.

Allowing foreign universities to independently operate in the Hainan FTZ shows the determination and confidence of China to accelerate high-quality education opening-up, which will be more in-depth, proactive and flexible, Lin Jinhui, director of the center of research on Chinese-foreign cooperation in running schools at Xiamen University, was quoted as saying.

The favorable policies in Hainan are expected to attract more foreign universities to open campuses in China and Chinese students can have more options to enjoy high-quality education without going overseas, he said. MDT/Xinhua
Chinese leader Xi Jinpings plan to send an envoy to Ukraine allows his government to deflect criticism of its support for Moscow and pursue a bigger role as a diplomatic force, but Xi faces daunting obstacles if he is serious about trying to help end the 14-month-old war.

The biggest: Neither Ukraine nor Russia is ready to stop fighting.

Xis announcement in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prompted optimism Beijing might use its warm relations with Russias Vladimir Putin to push for peace. That was followed by skeptical questions about whether Beijing is more focused on ending an invasion it refuses to criticize, or serving its own interests.

Chinas starting point is a peace proposal issued in February that called for a ceasefire, negotiations and an end to sanctions against Russia. It offered few details, but repeated Russian accusations that Western governments were to blame for the invasion.

China has good reasons to want to see the war ended. It jolted the Chinese economy by pushing up oil, wheat and other commodity prices. Beijing warned Wednesday about the dangers of nuclear war, after Russia announced earlier it would move atomic weapons into neighboring Belarus.

Chinas self-interest happens to align with ending the war, said John Delury, an international relations specialist at Yonsei University in Seoul.

Beijing has no interest in seeing Russia humiliated, nor is it in Chinas interest for Russia to be triumphant, Delury said. The best option is a cease-fire and, with it, economic opportunities to participate in Ukraines post-war reconstruction.

The statement gave no indication how China might recommend addressing the questions the two countries are fighting over, including Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula seized by Moscow from Ukraine in 2014.

PLAYING PEACEMAKER HELPS BEIJING IN EUROPE

By playing peacemaker, Beijing might also be looking to separate European allies from the United States, which Xi accuses of trying to block Chinas economic and political rise.

Beijing is trying to repair relations with Europe after an uproar over a Chinese ambassadors comment that former Soviet republics might not be sovereign countries. That group includes Ukraine, and European Union members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron have visited Beijing and appealed for help with Ukraine, highlighting the challenges faced by Washington in holding together allies to oppose Chinas assertive policies abroad.

Trying to drive a wedge between the U.S. and European partners is an important goal, said Alexander Gabuev of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. For that, China needs to pretend that its an active force for peace.

Xis call with Zelenskyy might sustain European hopes that China can be persuaded to wield its influence to help end the war but is unlikely to change the Western assessment of Beijings stance as one of pro-Russian neutrality, said Eurasia Group analysts in a report.

XI SHOWS HE DOESNiT ALWAYS SUPPORT PUTIN

The announcement gives Beijing a chance to show it doesnt alway agree with Moscow, though the differences might be too subtle for Western critics. They complain China helps Putin resist Western sanctions by purchasing Russian oil and gas and provides political support.

Xis government sees the Kremlin as a partner in opposing U.S. domination of global affairs. China has used its status as one of five permanent U.N. Security Council members to block efforts to censure Russia.

Xi and Putin said in a joint statement before the February 2022 invasion their governments had a no limits friendship. Their navies held joint exercises with Iran in March.

Despite that, the Chinese government says they have a non-alliance relationship. Beijing has promised not to supply armaments to either side in the Ukraine war.

China has never taken one side, said Da Wei, an international relations specialist at Tsinghua University in Beijing and director of its Center for Strategic and Security Studies.

Which Western leader has maintained communication with leaders of both parties directly involved in the crisis? said Da. I think this call is an indication of Chinas fair and impartial objective in promoting peace talks.

A Chinese statement yesterday [Macau time] also cited mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity as a foundation of relations with Ukraine.

While Russia is trying to move borders by annexing portions of Ukraine, Beijing is intensely sensitive about respecting territorial sovereignty. It says borders must be respected and no country has a right to meddle in anothers affairs.

BEIJINGiS EFFORT TO RAISE GLOBAL PROFILE

Positioning itself as a mediator also helps Beijing as it pursues a bigger role in managing global affairs as part of efforts to restore China to what the Communist Party sees as its rightful place as a political, economic and cultural leader.

Beijing should actively participate in the reform and construction of the global governance system and promote global security initiatives, Xi said in March. A proposal for a Global Security Initiative issued in February said China is ready to conduct bilateral and multilateral security cooperation with all countries.

Also in March, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced the end of a 7-year diplomatic split following Chinese-organized talks. This year, Xis government has also offered to mediate Israeli-Palestinian talks, set up a new Middle East security structure, and help African countries resolve disputes.

If Beijing can organize peace talks, that backs up Xi Jinpings ambitions to being a global power, said Delury.

Chinas diplomatic ambition is a reversal from decades of staying out of other countries disputes and most international affairs to focus on economic development.

Its peacemaking initiatives are also at odds with confrontational Chinese behavior toward its neighbors in territorial disputes and threats to attack Taiwan, the self-ruled island democracy claimed by Beijing as part of its territory.

DIM HOPES FOR PEACE TALKS

Zelenskyys government said in a statement his conversation with Xi might lead toward possible interaction with the aim of establishing a just and sustainable peace for Ukraine. Zelenskyy said March 29 he had invited Xi to visit, but neither government has indicated whether that might happen.

Despite that, political analysts see little chance for progress. Ukraine is believed to be preparing a new offensive to recapture Russian-occupied territory.

A resolution is maybe years, even decades, away, because the Russian and Ukrainian positions are still miles apart, said Gabuev.

Shi Yinhong, an international relations specialist at Renmin University in Beijing, noted Russias Foreign Ministry has said peace talks are almost impossible, while Zelenskyy stressed to Xi the importance of recovering all captured territory.

Neither side in the war materially echoed Chinas initiative, which fell far short of what they were striving for, said Shi. JOE McDONALD, BEIJING, MDT/AP
The Land and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) should be more balanced and not opt for a single and restrictive purpose when considering uses of land plots, said members of the Urban Planning Committee (CPU) yesterday.

Alvaro Rodrigues, supported by Vong Kock Kei, among other committee members, noted the DSSCU should allow land owners and developers more options when deciding land purposes for private land plots under the urban conditions plan (PCU).

The DSSCU has proposed only commercial purposes (C1 and C2) for a land plot at Rua Formosa, 16-16A, in central Macau. It has not considered other options, such as residential, for which is what the current building has been used since at least 1966, according to Rodrigues.

The four-story Edificio Campo building is currently dedicated to housing, including the ground floor.

The DSSCUs decision under a PCU to change the buildings purpose to commercial use surprised several CPU members with Rodrigues saying that even the building registry shows the building is residential use only.

Another member noted that a PCU issued for the same plot a few years ago referred to its non-industrial purpose, a former designation indicating land plots can be used for all purposes except industrial units.

The DSSCU rejected several members proposal that an H2 (residential) purpose be added as an option.

The committees vice president defended the C1 and C2 designation saying this area is considered a commercial area and that is why we defined it as commercial purpose, noting that while other purposes are not excluded, the designation demands that at least 50% of the area should be dedicated to commercial spaces.

Independently of the purpose, the DSSCU has attributed to the plot a maximum construction height of 20.5 meters, a fraction of the height authorized around two years ago to the land plot immediately next door at Rua Formosa 12-14, which the PCU capped at a maximum height of 75 meters and with the number of stories ranging between 20 and 24.

Although some members expressed dissatisfaction, including the architect and President of the Board of Directors of the Architects Association of Macau, Christine Choi, the PCU was approved with the DSSCUs initial proposed conditions.

Praise for Coloane land plots changed purpose

Committee member Kou Ngon Seng praised the government for withdrawing its plan to use a Coloane land plot to store hazardous materials and repurposing it for the construction of a recycled water plant.

The land plot became the center of an uproar when a few years ago, the Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak, announced the governments intention to use it as a storage facility for hazardous materials and products.

Residents protested the idea citing safety concerns.

The government has now proposed the construction of a recycled water plant occupying 2,930 square meters instead.

The building has a maximum proposed height of 20.5 meters and 30% of the area is to have planted vegetation or be filled with green potted plants.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who led her country through a devastating mass shooting, will be temporarily joining Harvard University later this year, Kennedy School Dean Douglas Elmendorf said this week.

Ardern, a global icon of the left and an inspiration to women around the world, has been appointed to dual fellowships at the Harvard Kennedy School. She will serve as the 2023 Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow and a Hauser Leader in the schools Center for Public Leadership beginning this fall.

Jacinda Ardern showed the world strong and empathetic political leadership, Elmendorf said in statement, adding that Ardern will bring important insights for our students and will generate vital conversations about the public policy choices facing leaders at all levels.

Ardern, who was just 37 when she became prime minister in 2017, shocked New Zealanders when she announced in January she was stepping down from the role after more than 5 years because she no longer had enough in the tank to do it justice. She was facing mounting political pressures at home, including for her handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which was initially widely lauded but later criticized by those opposed to mandates and rules.

She said she sees the Harvard opportunity as a chance not only to share her experience with others, but also to learn.

As leaders, theres often very little time for reflection, but reflection is critical if we are to properly support the next generation of leaders, she said.

Arderns time at the Cambridge, Massachusetts, university will also include a stint as the first tech governance leadership fellow at the schools Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society.

The center has been an important partner as New Zealand worked to confront violent extremism online after a white supremacist gunman killed 51 people at two mosques in the city of Christchurch in 2019, Ardern said. The gunman livestreamed the slaughter for 17 minutes on Facebook before the video was taken down.

Two months after the shooting, Ardern launched the Christchurch Call with French President Emmanuel Macron. The initiatives goal is to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online.

More than 50 countries joined the initiative, including the United States, Britain, Germany and South Korea, as well as technology companies like Facebook parent company Meta, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, YouTube, Zoom and Twitter.

The Center has been an incredibly important partner as weve developed the Christchurch Call to action on addressing violent extremism online, Ardern said, adding that the fellowship will be a chance not only to work collaboratively with the centers research community, but also to work on the challenges around the growth of generative AI tools.

Jonathan Zittrain, co-founder of the Berkman Klein Center, said its rare for a head of state to be able to immerse deeply in a complex and fast-moving digital policy issue.

Jacinda Arderns hard-won expertise  including her ability to bring diverse people and institutions together  will be invaluable as we all search for workable solutions to some of the deepest online problems, he said in a statement.

Ardern said she planned to return to New Zealand after the fellowships. STEVE LeBLANC, CAMBRIDGE, MDT/AP
* Open line for peace? Zelenskyy upbeat after talk with Xi

* Green Villas at Coronel Mesquita | Revamp approved with fewer restrictions than expected

* Taste of Edesia

* Education: China plans to allow foreign universities from Macau and Hong Kong SARs to independently operate in Hainan

* European Tour: CE meets EUs officials in Brussels on extending trade relations

* Face-off: Philippines confronts China over sea claims

* The Conversation

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Friday, April 28, 2023  edition no. 4235
After China brokered a reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran last month, it raised hopes that it would act as a mediator to help bring an end to the hostilities in Ukraine.

China is neither the instigator nor a party to the conflict, and it has kept its communication channels with both Moscow and Kyiv open. Having consistently called for talks to end the conflict, it has established its credentials as a peace broker. Thus the telephone talk between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday has attracted great attention.

The warm response Zelensky gave to Xis proposal to send the Chinese governments special representative for Eurasian affairs to Ukraine and other countries to have in-depth communication with all parties to pursue a political resolution to the crisis, demonstrates the Ukrainian sides full recognition of the important role that China can play in promoting peace talks. After speaking with Xi, who elaborated on the principles and solution China has outlined and proposed in its document on securing a political settlement to the crisis, the Ukrainian leader tweeted that it had been a long and meaningful phone call.

A settlement to the crisis cannot come soon enough. Not only has the conflict disrupted global food and energy supply chains producing shock waves around the world, but as the hostilities have intensified, talk has been flying around raising the prospect of nuclear weapons being used. As Xi said, there will be no winners in such a nightmare scenario. All parties involved should remain calm and exercise restraint, truly focus on the future and the destiny of themselves and all humanity, and jointly manage the crisis. He noted that rational thinking and the voices of parties concerned are increasing now, and the opportunity should be seized to accumulate favorable conditions for a political resolution to the crisis.

The talk between the two leaders will prove to be of substantial meaning if it can produce pragmatic progress to secure a cease-fire as the prelude to negotiations to reach an agreement on a lasting resolution to the crisis. The conflict was able to erupt because of the tensions that had built up on the European continent due to the absence of a lasting and practical peace mechanism. Tensions that Washington was able to exploit via NATO.

And for more than a year, the United States-led extreme sanctions on Russia and ever-increasing provision of military assistance and weapons to Ukraine have only served to prolong the crisis and escalate the tensions as it seeks to permanently weaken Russia, control Europe and isolate China.

The talk between Xi and Zelensky appears to have been fruitful in providing new inspiration and motivation for concerted efforts to create the necessary conditions for peace talks. Thats what true mediating efforts should entail. It is dialogue, not weapons and sanctions, that will end the conflict and restore peace and stability in Europe.

Wednesdays telephone call shows that China is neither watching the fire from afar nor pouring oil on the flames. Instead, it is trying to leverage its relations with both Kyiv and Moscow to help resolve the crisis and restore peace through diplomatic means.

Editorial, China Daily


The Parisian Macaos Brasserie will celebrate the 14th edition of its French GourMay Food & Wine Festival, the only major festival in Hong Kong and Macau dedicated to French gastronomy.

The events theme will be Bubble Up, highlighting Frances famed sparkling wines, such as Cremant dAlsace and Pol Roger Brut Reserve Champagne, making gastronomic philosophies accessible to everyone, as cited in a statement issued by the group.

French Executive Chef Daniel Brolese has designed a special four-course French GourMay menu that will include many specialties from France, such as foie gras, Bouillabaisse-style fish soup, Toulouse sausage, and Rum baba.

The four-course menu is only available for dinner from April 28 to May 31, 2023 (except May 13 and 14), and is priced at MOP 648 per person.
Great historical changes are often conceived of as being brought about by the genius and tenacity of great men, or occasionally women, but Jonathan Kennedy argues in his book Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues, that germs are largely responsible for everything from the decline of the Neanderthals to the current poverty of sub-Saharan Africa.

His quick history of the world from the Paleolithic to the present day offers a different lens to view many of the big events of the past. Some of Kennedys conclusions are mere speculation, like his idea that deadly plagues in the Roman empire led to the swift rise of Christianity. In the midst of so much death, he argues, the new religion offered a more enticing view of the afterlife than paganism.

Most of his observations are bolstered by more historical research and are more convincing. In showing how pathogens helped the Spanish conquer Central and South America, Kennedy explains that European diseases including smallpox and measles killed or incapacitated most of the native population, which had no immunity to the previously unknown germs. One outbreak in 1545 alone is estimated to have killed up to 80% of the Indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica.

The death and destruction also accelerated their religious conversion as many of the remaining Indigenous peoples, along with the Spanish, saw it as proof that the Christian God was superior, Kennedy argues.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Kennedy explains how resistance to infectious disease  especially the malaria and yellow fever prevalent in parts of sub-Saharan Africa  boosted the slave trade. Disease-resistant Africans were less likely to die on the new world plantations than Europeans, and much of the native population had already been wiped out. The subsequent association of Africans with slavery contributed to the ideology of white supremacy.

The presence of malaria and yellow fever also prevented Europeans from colonizing the African interior, but only for a time. That changed when quinine was discovered to help prevent death from malaria.

Poverty, including in wealthy countries like the United States, is a sort of modern plague, killing millions each year with both infectious disease and non-communicable diseases like diabetes, Kennedy argues in the final chapter. These poverty-associated health problems, in turn, have been associated with higher death rates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kennedy ends with a passionate plea for public health expenditures to eliminate disease. Relying on examples of successful public health campaigns throughout the book, he argues that such an investment will both improve human lives and bolster economies. TRAVIS LOLLER, MDT/AP
Coming-of-age comedies about young protagonists with esoteric dreams are not exactly a rarity. What is less common, though, are films as spirited and charming as Nida Manzoors Polite Society, a roundhouse kick of a movie about two British-Pakistani sisters that marries Jane Austen with kung-fu flare.

Polite Society, the feature film debut of writer-director Manzoor, creator of the British sitcom We Are Lady Parts, is a fun and increasingly preposterous comedy. But its propelled by an infectious and genuine punk-rock energy. Make no mistake about it, the sisters of Polite Society are here to take down Pakistani tradition, the patriarchy and anything else you got.

Manzoors film, which opens in U.S. theaters today, first debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, where a lot of quirky coming-of-age comedies tend to emerge. And while there isnt much inherently groundbreaking in Polite Society, Manzoors zippy script and direction, plus terrific performances from newcomer Priya Kansara and Ritu Arya, give a familiar teen-comedy form some spry new moves.

Ria Khan (Kansara) and Lena (Arya) are London sisters with ambitions that dont jive with their mostly sweet and not-all-that-demanding parents (Shobu Kapoor, Jeff Mirza). Ria dreams of being a stuntwoman. Lena is a budding artist. But having recently dropped out of art school, Lenas self-confidence is flagging. Rias, however, is sky high  sometimes comically so. When she faces off with a library monitor (Shona Babayemi) at school, the scene turns into an amplified fight scene with all the aplomb of a Sergio Leone showdown. But as Lena flies through the air for the knockout kick, she falls short by a foot or two.

Like most comedies, Polite Society is best in its first half. Manzoor juxtaposes Ria and Lenas brazen individualism against the expectations theyre saddled with growing up.

Lena is set up with Salim (Akshay Khanna) by her mother and Salims wealthy, strong-arming mother (Nimra Bucha, terrifically diabolical) with the idea of an arranged marriage. Horrifying as this prospect is to Ria, even worse is that Lena actually falls for him. With her best friends (Seraphina Beh and Ella Bruccoleri), Ria endeavors to spy on Salim to find some dirt on him. Undercover at his gym, Ria communicates through a walkie-talkie: The eagle is on the treadmill.

Polite Society does spiral as it goes along, taking on a too-out-there science-fiction plot. But throughout, the joy of the film is how Manzoor celebrates Ria and Lenas nonconformist spunk while playfully mocking their grandiose efforts to bend the world with their will.

Often, the editing (by Robbie Morrison) is just as funny. The timing couldnt be more perfect between Lena pronouncing that she and her sister wouldnt be caught dead at a hoity-toity soiree and the cut to them at the ball.

Manzoors film unfolds in chapters, each announced with elaborate yellow titles. The joke is how much Ria and Lena arent your typical kung-fu heroes, how much their teen dramas dont equate to thrilling martial-arts clashes. But why Polite Society is so winning is because they really are engaged in a battle of life and death. Refusing who youre supposed to be isnt always polite business. Sometimes, it takes a karate chop. JAKE COYLE, MDT/AP Film Writer

Polite Society, a Focus Features release is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for strong language, violence, sexual material, and some partial nudity. Running time: 103 minutes. 
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping had a long and meaningful phone call yesterday [Macau time], their first known contact since Russia invaded Ukraine over a year ago, and Beijing appointed an envoy to pursue a political settlement.

The hour-long call came two months after Beijing, which has long been aligned with Russia, said it wanted to act as a mediator and a month after Xi visited Moscow. The call also coincided with indications that Ukraine is readying its forces for a spring counteroffensive.

Zelenskyy was upbeat about the conversation, which offered him the chance to insert his views into what had been a bilateral dialogue between Moscow and Beijing. Russian President Vladimir Putin is eager to keep Xi close as a counterweight to the United States, which has sided with Ukraine.

I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraines ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations, Zelenskyy said on Facebook.

An official readout on his website called the conversation productive and said it leads the way toward possible interaction with the aim of establishing a just and sustainable peace for Ukraine.

Zelenskyy emphasized the need to regain all Ukrainian lands and stated, There can be no peace at the expense of territorial compromises.

In an indirect reference to U.S. reports that China had considered supplying weapons to Russia for its war, Zelenskyys office said he asked countries to refrain from doing so because any support  even partial  is converted by Russia into the continuation of its aggression, into its further rejection of peace. China has said it wont supply weapons to either side in the conflict.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Beijings core stance is to facilitate talks for peace, announcing that an envoy  a former ambassador to Russia  would visit Ukraine to seek a political settlement.

The ministrys statement struck a positive tone, giving a nod to Kyivs insistence that its territory cannot be broken up by Russias annexations and making clear that Beijing values its longstanding ties with Ukraine.

Mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is the political foundation of China-Ukraine relations, the statement said. Chinas readiness to develop relations with Ukraine is consistent and clear-cut. No matter how the international situation evolves, China will work with Ukraine to advance mutually beneficial cooperation.

Analysts expressed skepticism about the prospects for peace.

The call balances Chinas dialogue with Russia by showing it is recognizing Ukraines leadership and indicating Ukraine is an important entity, said political science professor Kimberly Marten of Barnard College at Columbia University in New York.

But, she added in an interview with The Associated Press, unless undisclosed details reveal otherwise, its a non-starter. Its pro-Russian. I would not guess that this holds a lot of significance for ending the war.

She noted the Chinese statement didnt call for Russia to leave occupied areas or brand Russia as an aggressor, and refers to the situation as a crisis, rather than a war.

Elizabeth Wishnick, of the U.S.-based think tank CNA and Columbia Universitys Weatherhead East Asian Institute, noted in an email to AP that the Chinese statement about the call contains no mention of a Russian troop withdrawal, which, to my mind, makes this a less than serious initiative and unlikely to contribute in any major way to ending the war, which will likely be decided on the battlefield.

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova commended Chinas approach, praising Beijings readiness to strive to establish a (peace) negotiations process, while slamming Kyivs rejection of any sound initiatives aimed at a settlement.

The White House described it as a positive development, allowing Xi to hear Ukraines view of the illegal, unprovoked invasion.

We think thats a good thing, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

Talks between the two leaders had been anticipated for weeks, after China produced a 12-point proposal to end the fighting, although it did not contain details.

Russia and Ukraine are far apart in their terms for peace. The Kremlin wants Kyiv to acknowledge Russias annexation of the Crimean Peninsula and the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia, which most nations have denounced as illegal. Ukraine has rejected the demands and ruled out any talks with Russia until its troops pull back from all occupied territories.

Zelenskyy said in an interview with the AP last month that he hadnt spoken with Xi since the war began and invited him to visit Ukraine.

China has announced it was keen to act as mediator in the war that has reenergized NATO. Xis position reinforces Chinas claim that its neutral in the war, despite blocking U.N. efforts to condemn the Kremlins invasion.

While Zelenskyy has moved his country closer to NATO and persuaded alliance members to send Ukraine sophisticated weapons to help defeat Russia, Beijing has echoed the Kremlin line in accusing the West of provoking the conflict and fanning the flames by arming Kyiv.

When China called in February for a cease-fire and peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, Zelenskyy cautiously welcomed Beijings involvement but said success would depend on actions, not words.

Putin warmly welcomed Xi to the Kremlin, in what was seen as a powerful message to Western leaders that their efforts to isolate Moscow over the fighting in Ukraine have fallen short.

Also, Zelenskyy used the 37th anniversary of the worlds worst nuclear disaster at Chernobyl to repeat his warnings about the threat of a new atomic catastrophe during his countrys war with Russia.

Zelenskyy drew a parallel between the Chernobyl accident on April 26, 1986, to Moscows brief seizure of that plant and its radiation-contaminated exclusion zone following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Last year, the occupier not only seized the (Chernobyl) nuclear power plant, but also endangered the entire world again, Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post in English.

In other developments:

Ukrainian and Russian officials announced the latest prisoner exchange, saying 44 Ukrainian and 40 Russian POWs were released this week. The head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, said on Telegram that the Ukrainians included soldiers, sailors, border and national guards, and two civilians.

The head of the southeastern Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, Yurii Malashko, said Russia struck 19 civilian areas with 53 artillery attacks, six rocket attacks, seven drone attacks and one airstrike overnight.

At least two civilians were killed and 13 others were wounded in Ukraine since Tuesday, the presidential office said.

An Italian journalist in Ukraine, Corrado Zunino, was injured and his interpreter Bogdan Bitik killed in the southern city of Kherson. Zunino, a correspondent for La Repubblica daily, told the newspaper he suspected Russian snipers hit him after passing through Ukrainian-manned checkpoints.

DAVID RISING & JOE MCDONALD, KYIV, MDT/AP
I want to thank U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, sincerely for her recent and continued eff ort to support Wisconsin citizen Cassandra Dixon. Dixon was assaulted by an Israeli settler while visiting with Palestinians in the West Bank. The alleged perpetrator was arrested, but Baldwin's continued support for this piece of justice is needed to keep the issue from getting buried by the authorities there.

This incident and its aftermath are so representative of Israel's long history of taking land from Palestinians at will. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's promises to the current coalition government to take more land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean are counter to the position taken by the U.S. government. Subsequent actions displacing Palestinians are counter to every human right imaginable.

These actions and further actions directly threatening the rights of women, LGTBQ communities and Palestinians who are citizens of Israel must be opposed.

Bullies must be told "no" by the entire world who cares about human rights, starting with the the U.S.

Baldwin should continue the good work she has started and publicly oppose these illegal and inhumane actions.

Dave Minden, Madison
FOND DU LAC, Wis. (AP)  A vehicle crashed into a central Wisconsin cellphone store Thursday, injuring five people, including one critically, authorities said.

The vehicle crashed at about 12:30 p.m. into a Verizon store in Fond du Lac, the city's police and fire departments reported.

The vehicle, which was driven by a 20-year-old man, traveled about 100 yards off-road through parts of a terrace and parking lot before jumping a curb and slamming into the store's showroom.

A 29-year-old woman was airlifted to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. The vehicle's driver, a 49-year-old woman and two other men, ages 30 and 23, were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.

The driver was arrested on suspicion of operating while impaired causing great bodily harm.
A 37-year-old Monona man who stabbed his wife to death late Saturday night was already in Mexico with the couples 6-year-old daughter by the time the womans body was found inside her West Side Madison business Monday afternoon, a criminal complaint says.

Jose Duenas-Quinonez might have been angry about an affair he believed Micaela Juarez Ocolt, 43, was having, according to the complaint filed Thursday. Her body was found inside Spark Nutrition, 1330 S. Midvale Blvd., by her 24-year-old son, who had grown concerned after not seeing her Sunday and Monday.

The complaint says that just before 2 a.m. Sunday, Duenas-Quinonezs white Jeep Cherokee was seen on Illinois State Police surveillance video traveling south on Interstate 90 near Rockford, and that a little more than four hours later he and the girl, Avril Duenas-Juarez, boarded a Spirit Airlines flight to Cancun, Mexico, where it arrived at 9:41 a.m.

A warrant for Duenas-Quinonez was issued Thursday and Madison police said they are working with the FBI on the case.

Dane Countys chief medical examiner reported that three of the four wounds to Juarez Ocolt were to her neck, including the one believed to have killed her, and that she didnt have any defensive wounds to her hands.

According to the complaint:

Surveillance video from the Dorn Hardware store next to Spark Nutrition shows Juarez Ocolt left Spark just before 9 p.m. Saturday as a bridal shower there was ending, and drove to Janesville to pick up the man she was reportedly dating and whose initials are OJMS. The two then drove back to Spark Nutrition.

Over the next two hours, there were confrontations between Duenas-Quinonez and Juarez Ocolt outside the store. OJMS reported to police that at one point, Duenas-Quinonez confronted him and Juarez Ocolt as the two sat in Juarez Ocolts Kia SUV.

Surveillance video later showed Duenas-Quinonez leaving Spark at 11:18 p.m. Saturday and locking the door behind him, then leaving in the Kia SUV believed to be owned by Juarez Ocolt. Soon after, OJMS could be seen approaching the door to the store and he later told police he had been waiting for Juarez Ocolt to get off work. Its not clear from the complaint where he was or what he was doing at the time of Juarez Ocolts death.

The Kia SUV was later found in the parking lot of the Woodmans grocery on the Southwest Side, where Duenas-Quinonez was seen being picked up by someone in a red SUV around midnight and then dropped back off at Spark Nutrition, where he retrieved his Jeep.

Duenas-Quinonez and Avril were later seen in surveillance video at Chicagos OHare Airport, where his white Jeep also was located.

On Monday, after police had been called to Spark Nutrition, Juarez Ocolts son immediately identified Duenas-Quinonez as his mothers likely killer and said his 6-year-old half-sister, Avril, also had gone missing. He said they all lived together along with another sister and a brother in Monona.

The adult son also told police his mother had told him Duenas-Quinonez had been acting increasingly jealous and controlling, and another person police interviewed told them the defendant had said somethings going to happen, in reference to Juarez Ocolt.

Photos: Arrests and protests at State Capitol in support of Rep. Zooey Zephyr
A man from far northern Wisconsin has been charged for his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks on the U.S. Capitol.

Jonathan Bonney, 38, of Hayward, was arrested after a complaint was filed in the District of Columbia charging him with four misdemeanor offenses. He appeared Thursday in U.S. District Court in Madison and was released pending his next appearance, which is scheduled for May 4 in Washington, D.C., via Zoom.

Bonney, according to his LinkedIn profile, owns Red Carpet Cleaners in Hayward and spent seven years in the U.S. Army, where he was a recruiter, linguist and command language program manager. But at the time of the insurrection, Bonney was living in Grand Junction, Colorado, according to the Justice Department.

According to a criminal complaint, the FBI on Jan. 20, 2021, received an online tip from a passenger on an American Airlines flight from Washington, D.C., to Charlotte, North Carolina, who heard Bonney, who was in seat 10A of the aircraft, mention that he had participated in the Capitol riot and had entered congressional offices.

A day after the tip was received, two FBI agents visited Bonney at his home and positively identified him as the man who was seen in closed-circuit video footage at the Capitol and was believed to have been in the building for about 12 minutes, according to the complaint.

One of the images captured on video shows a man on the east side of the Capitol building looking through a glass pane on a locked door, motioning for rioters inside to open it, according to the complaint, which included photos of a person agents identified as Bonney.

Bonney is charged with entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building, disorderly conduct on the Capitol grounds and parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol building.
Shelia Stubbs should not lead the Dane County Department of Human Services, a group of county supervisors recommended Thursday, dealing a remarkable blow to Stubbs' bid that has been mired in accusations of racism, misinformation and transparency concerns.

In a nearly five-hour hearing, supervisors questioned Stubbs on conflicting statements she made about whether she'd resign from the state Assembly if confirmed, language used by her supporters and her claims that her nomination is being handled differently because of her race.

Members of Stubbs' church, who packed into the hearing at the City-County Building Thursday in "Confirm Shelia Stubbs" t-shirts, swung from glowing testimonies about her resume and commitment to helping the vulnerable to sharply worded attacks on the supervisors set to vote on her nomination. Stubbs' mother, Linda Hoskins, called Board Chair Patrick Miles, 34th District, a "racist," "rat" and "weasel."

By meeting's end, the committee unanimously recommended that the full board reject Stubbs' nomination to lead the county's largest department. A vote from the board's Personnel and Finance Committee and the full board are set in the coming weeks.

On Friday afternoon, County Executive Joe Parisi jumped to Stubb's defense, accusing County Board members of taking "unprecedented" steps to block his nominee, likening the process to the Republican-controlled state Legislature's blocking of Gov. Tony Evers' cabinet secretaries for years.

Members of the Dane County Board last night went on record saying an African American woman with a masters degree in management and bachelors degrees in criminal justice and political science, 16 years in county elected office, who has lived experience volunteering in community centers and working for decades to fight poverty and racism while advocating for those less fortunate is not qualified to lead the county's work in serving vulnerable populations," Parisi said in a statement.

"The actions of certain members of this board toward Rep. Stubbs reflect poorly on the institution we all took an oath to uphold," he said.

In her own testimony, Stubbs largely stuck to the merits of her credentials, experience and achievements. At times, she dodged pointed questions, blamed a legislative intern for confusion over whether she'd leave the state Assembly if confirmed and called Sup. Yogesh Chawla, 6th District, an "extremist."

"I have fought all my life, my entire life in this community for fairness and justice," Stubbs said.

In her remarks, Stubbs laid out the challenges faced by the department she hopes to lead, mainly the end of pandemic-era federal funds, keeping people out of the criminal justice system and strengthening equity in its services.

"I think you will see that a change will happen in a sense that I will make sure we're more inclusive. I will make sure it's more fair. I will make sure that everyone has an opportunity," Stubbs said.

But for supervisors, what ultimately sank Stubbs' nomination was her characterization of the process and a lack of transparency over how Parisi chose her to lead the department.

On April 16, two days after Parisi announced her nomination, Stubbs and another speaker told her congregation that supervisors, specifically Miles, were plotting to stop it. That opposition was racially motivated, she said.

But a resolution to name her Human Services director wasn't introduced until April 20.

"This is a difficult conversation about a person I like and respect," said Miles, who served alongside Stubbs' in her 16 years on the board.

"All too often when we've had some disagreement on some policy issue or budget matter, oftentimes the discussion turned to something other than the merit of the issue at hand," Miles said. "That's what's happened here with what was presented to her supporters."

The anger from some of Stubbs' supporters turned to threats via phone and email, said Sup. April Kigeya, 15th District. Asked by Kigeya what she thought of that, Stubbs replied: "People say what they want to say because this is a democracy, but this is not what Rep. Stubbs believes in."

Other supervisors inquired what Stubbs felt was being done differently in her nomination process compared to others.

Stubbs stated that she felt over-examined and over-scrutinized.

"I feel like I'm being put under a different status," Stubbs said.

Throughout the hearing, Stubbs had questions posed to her about turnover in her state Assembly office, her votes on giving county money to her church and how she would prevent retaliation in Human Services workplaces. Questions like that, Stubbs contended, don't typically get posed to county nominees.

But Sup. Heidi Wegleitner, 2nd District, contrasted the selection process that chose Stubbs to that faced by the two previous Human Services directors. Shawn Tessman, who resigned last year citing disrespect from the board, was already a Human Services official and was chosen after a national recruiting effort.

Former longtime director Lynn Green faced a public town hall with the other finalists.

This time, the open director position was posted for three weeks, Wegleitner said. No national recruitment or public outreach happened. The current interim director, Astra Iheukumere, a Black woman who previously served as deputy director of Human Services, interviewed for the position and was passed over for Stubbs.

"That's what's different about this process," Wegleitner said. "It was short. It was quick, and it wasn't the sort of thorough vetting that we'd seen previously."

Parisi insisted the board leadership's actions in response to his nomination were unprecedented.

The role of the County Board in reviewing nominees to lead county departments is straightforward," he said. "Board members are to evaluate whether an individual nominated by the county executive is qualified for the job at hand. Rep. Stubbs' resume speaks for itself and the actions of Board leadership since the moment I made this recommendation have been unprecedented to any previous department nomination that I and other county executives have offered."

With Stubbs' pledge on Wednesday that she would resign from her state Assembly seat if confirmed, the prospect of her keeping both jobs was settled before the committee hearing.

But Sup. Cecely Castillo, 7th District, asked Stubbs about her conflicting statements about whether she'd resign.

On April 16, she told her church she would refuse to leave the state Assembly if confirmed as the Human Services director. And on Wednesday, Stubbs sent a constituent email saying she planned to keep both jobs.

Stubbs said an intern accidentally sent that email. "I am so sorry that my intern made a mistake," Stubbs said. "I am the representative, and it is my responsibility to clear it."

Parisi said board members had known "for days" of Stubbs' true intentions after she met with many of them.

"The frame of the questions last night made it clear the content of those conversations were not relayed publicly nor accurately," Parisi said. "Untruths through omission are not a reflection of the good faith required for democracy to function."

State Journal reporter Dean Mosiman contributed to this report.
Residents of De Soto said it was the "loudest shriek they ever heard" when a BNSF Railway freight train derailed shortly after noon Thursday between De Soto and Ferryville in Crawford County.

Four BNSF railroad crew members were transported to a nearby hospital for medical examinations after the southbound freight train derailed in southwestern Wisconsin, sending some rail cars into the Mississippi River.

The cause of the derailment is still unknown. Two locomotives and an unknown number of cars derailed on the eastern side of the river, a BNSF spokesperson said in a statement.

Crawford County Emergency Management Director Jim Hackett said the derailment poses no immediate threat to public safety.

Hackett said the derailed train cars contained paint, oxygen and lithium batteries.

"At this time, we're not concerned about any hazard to the public, the batteries have not gone into the water," he said.

A Vernon County hazmat team is on site in the event of a hazardous waste situation. If lithium is exposed to water, a rupture or explosion can occur.

Two of the freight train's three locomotives derailed and a diesel fuel leak from one of the locomotives has been "fairly contained" to the river bay, said Brandon Larson, director of Vernon County Emergency Management and Hazmat.

Larson's team has deployed absorbent booms to soak up the spillage.

Two cars holding painted floated south down the river. Hackett said boat crews were able to secure the rouge cars to the bank.

Nearly 30 state, local and public agencies responded to the incident. Hackett said the community response  many volunteer firefighters  was "quick" and "amazing."

First responders are expected to work through the night at the site. Officials said they do not know how long the clean up process will take.

BNSF is working to build "access ways" of rock and sand from Highway 35 to the railroad that runs parallel to the highway. Due to the waterway in between the railroad and the highway, a platform must be constructed so crews can access and remove the cars.

Private truck drivers contracting with BNSF have been hauling sand and rock from a quarry in Genoa to the accident location.

The cause of the derailment is under investigation, said BNSF spokesperson Lena Kent said. She did not immediately respond to a follow-up email inquiring about whether whether the derailment had caused any environmental contamination.

The Federal Railroad Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates safety across the nation's railroads, said it was sending a team to the site to gather information and help local emergency workers.

I live in the area and I told my wife a week ago, I said, Because of all the high water, I said you watch, were gonna have a train derailment, and we sure did, said Tim Lange of Ferryville.

Gov. Tony Evers tweeted that he was briefed on the derailment and is getting regular updates from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the Department of Natural Resources and state emergency management officials. His spokesperson, Britt Cudaback, said in a short telephone interview that it wasnt clear if any environmental contamination has happened.

I have been briefed on the derailment of several railroad cars on the Mississippi River near De Soto, and am receiving regular updates on this situation from the @WisconsinDOT, @WDNR, @ReadyWisconsin, and other responding agencies.  Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) April 27, 2023

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Katie Grant did not immediately respond to an email asking if the derailment has resulted in any environmental contamination.

U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who sits on the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said in a statement he was working with BNSF, the Federal Emergency Management Association, Wisconsin Emergency Management, the state and national Departments of Transportation and Crawford County officials to find out what occurred.

My staff is traveling to the site, and Congressman Troy Nehls, who Chairs the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Rail, has also made staff available to assist our team," Van Orden said. "We will continue to monitor the situation and determine next steps.

Eileen Brown, who works at the Great River Roadhouse in De Soto, near where the derailment occurred, said, We have flooding right now and its causing business to be a little slow so Im kind of worried about whats going on down there.

This is not the first time a BNSF train has derailed near Ferryville. In 2016, two locomotives and six rail cars derailed due to extensive flooding after a rain event at a site about 5 miles south of Thursday's derailment. An estimated 1,170 gallons of diesel poured into the river from a ruptured tank in the 2016 incident.

The derailment comes almost three months after a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Officials there decided to release and burn toxic vinyl chloride from five tanker cars to prevent a catastrophic explosion.

Hundreds of people had to evacuate in Raymond, Minnesota, last month after a BNSF train hauling ethanol and corn syrup derailed and caught fire.

On Thursday, federal regulators warned railroads that the long trains they favor can cause all kinds of problems and contribute to derailments, so they want the railroads to ensure their training and operating procedures account for that.

The Federal Railroad Administration stopped short of recommending in its latest safety advisory issued Thursday that railroads limit the size of their trains, which can routinely stretch more than 2 miles long. However, they did suggest a number of precautions including making sure engineers know how to handle them and that locomotives don't lose communication with devices at the end of trains that can help trigger the brakes in an emergency.

Currently, there aren't any restrictions on train length but members of Congress and state lawmakers in at least six states have proposed establishing limits particularly in the wake the Ohio derailment.

The Associated Press and Wisconsin State Journal reporter Anna Hansen contributed to this report.
Proudly displayed on Wisconsins state flag is an arm and hammer, representing one of our historical, hallmark industries: manufacturing.

Manufacturing contributed more than $71.5 billion to Wisconsins GDP in 2022, making it the states top industry. More than 9,000 manufacturers support more than 485,000 jobs around the state  meaning 1 in 6 people work in the industry.

The Manufacturing and Agriculture Tax Credit has helped these two iconic Wisconsin industries remain strong. But Gov. Tony Evers wants to limit the value of the credit and raise taxes on manufacturers by more than $650 million in his proposed budget, despite the state having a projected $7.1 billion surplus.

The tax credit was signed into law in 2011 as an incentive to locate manufacturing operations and produce goods here, rather than elsewhere across the country. To be clear, the credit is not a handout. It must be earned.

The amount of the credit is based on the value of goods produced in our borders  more manufacturing means a higher credit. Its a win-win for both manufacturers and the well-payed workers they employ.

Thanks in part to the tax credit, manufacturing workers earn almost 40% more than others in Wisconsin. The average compensation for manufacturing is almost $80,000 a year  far more than the state average of $58,075. Clearly, manufacturing wages support a strong middle class and the state by generating income, property and sales taxes for all levels of government.

The tax credit also helps Wisconsin manufacturing remain competitive across the country. Our states business climate has been slipping in recent years. According to the Tax Foundation, Wisconsin has dropped to 27th on its State Business Tax Climate Index.

Wisconsins high corporate and individual income tax rates make companies less likely to invest and stay here. This is particularly true as 43 states have adopted some type of tax relief in 2021 and 2022.

Thankfully, the tax credit has been responsible for many manufacturers reinvesting in their employees and expanding their operations here because it erases Wisconsins image as a high-tax state.

I-K-I Manufacturing, a world-class aerosol contract manufacturer supporting about 175 employees and their families, has invested $20 million over the past five years on automation. As Wisconsin faces a worker shortage, companies are turning to investment in equipment to make up for unfilled positions.

The Manufacturing and Agriculture Tax Credit helps companies afford these expensive machines and reinvest in employees by paying higher wages and increasing training for employees on the factory floor.

Across the state, companies such as I-K-I Manufacturing also are investing in hiring new employees and expanding here in Wisconsin. In De Pere, Belmark invested hundreds of millions of dollars in buildings and equipment, and it hired hundreds of more employees since the inception of the tax credit.

Large and small manufacturers alike are benefiting. All-Color Powder Coating near Madison, which employees about 65 people, used the savings from the credit to invest $1.5 million into a new production line and added 10 additional employees. These are just a few examples.

Despite the success of the tax credit over the past decade, Gov. Evers has proposed limiting this pro-growth tool, placing a $650 million tax increase on Wisconsin manufacturers. At a time when America recognizes the importance of re-shoring manufacturing to the United States, Wisconsins manufacturing industry has a huge opportunity for growth.

Limiting or eliminating the the tax credit would have a profound impact on Wisconsins top industry and threaten countless high-paying careers. Despite having a projected $7.1 billion surplus in state coffers, Gov. Evers wants to extract money from the manufacturing sector to spend 22% more on growing government.

Even with this massive tax hike, somehow Gov. Evers budget would turn a $7.1 billion surplus into a $2.8 billion deficit by the end of the next budget cycle, according to Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville. Wisconsin should be focused on growing the manufacturing sector and supporting workers and their families, not stifling our economy and digging us into a vast budget hole.

While Gov. Evers is wrestling with how to make products from Wisconsin more expensive, our states manufacturing sector is focused on investing in its workers and producing goods that are second to none.

The Manufacturing and Agriculture Tax Credit helps keep Wisconsin competitive with other lower- and no-tax states, and it has resulted in higher wages and more investment in the industry.

Lets be proud of the arm and hammer on Wisconsins flag and support our manufacturing sector. As the Joint Committee on Finance holds public budget hearings this month, join me in telling Gov. Evers and legislators that we should retain the full value of the Manufacturing and Agriculture Tax Credit.
American innovation and its resulting economic growth dont have to be concentrated on the coasts. Policymakers increasingly want communities nationwide to benefit from cutting-edge research and development.

Theres good reason for this move toward place-based innovation policies, as Madison has shown. Well-meaning venture capitalists sometimes pluck the most promising inventions from academic or nonprofit research institutions before jetting back to powerhouses such as Silicon Valley or Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Thats starting to change. Consider how much Congress has invested in place-based economic growth over the last few years. Together, three of the 117th Congress and President Joe Bidens most significant achievements  the American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act  invest nearly $80 billion in place-based policies.

Effectively implementing these laws will require looking at communities and institutions already taking a place-based approach.

Madison is a shining example of how smart policies can advance national interests while ensuring a more equitable distribution of economic growth. The author of a Brookings Institution report said, We need 10 more Madisons.

UW-Madison is now churning out cutting-edge inventions in areas such as artificial intelligence, environmental engineering and biotech  all crucial fields for American innovation and competition in the 21st century.

My organization, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, patents and helps commercialize inventions developed at UW-Madison. Our model fosters economic growth, good jobs and sustainable development for our city and state.

Quote Twisting the Bayh-Dole Act would devastate UW-Madison and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundations successful model while jeopardizing public-private patent licensing nationwide.

Our place-based approach is made possible by a little-known law passed in 1980. That law, known as the Bayh-Dole Act, jumpstarted the commercialization of federally funded research in college towns everywhere.

Lets start from the beginning.

By the 1960s, the federal government was financing a great deal of university research. Unfortunately, Washington also held full ownership of patents from that research. But those patented inventions werent going anywhere. By the end of the decade, federal bureaucrats had licensed less than 5% of 28,000 patented discoveries for development into real-world products.

This unfriendly environment impeded startups hoping to draw on patented university research. Eventually, leaders from UW-Madison, Purdue and other institutions negotiated a solution with the National Institutes of Health, which was later formalized into the Bayh-Dole Act.

Under the Bayh-Dole model, universities and other nonprofit research labs retain intellectual property rights to technologies they develop with the help of taxpayer funds.

This change had an enormous effect, allowing universities to license their intellectual property to private firms hoping to transform early stage discoveries into usable products. The law has been incredibly successful, contributing more than $1 trillion to the U.S. economy and helping support more than 15,000 startups.

The countless success stories include UW-Madison professors Thomas Mackie and Paul Reckwerdt, who invented an advanced cancer treatment system. After the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation patented the technology, entrepreneurs brought the product to patients through the Madison-based firm TomoTherapy.

Another example involves Epicentre Biotechnologies, which licensed UW-Madison technology to craft enzymes and reagents for drug development.

Both companies opened facilities in Madison, invigorating the local economy with jobs and development. Even after larger firms acquired both companies, they maintained significant operations in Wisconsin.

Many more communities can follow Madisons lead, thanks to the Bayh-Dole Act and a flood of place-based investment at the federal level. But these well-meaning policies could fall flat if the government caves to partisans hoping to undermine the Bayh-Dole Act.

An obscure provision in the Bayh-Dole Act allows the government to forcibly re-license patents for federally funded inventions that arent available to consumers. But a cadre of lawmakers wants the government to use this power to impose de facto price caps on widely available medicines.

Thankfully, the Biden administration rejected the most recent petition to abuse the governments authority. But a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Commerce appears to leave the door open to future intrusions.

Twisting the Bayh-Dole Act would devastate UW-Madison and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundations successful model while jeopardizing public-private patent licensing nationwide. Misusing the governments authority would signal to potential private sector partners that patent rights for many inventions arent reliable. Investment in the commercialization of federally funded research would drop dramatically.

Place-based innovation is a worthy policy goal and one President Biden is right to promote. Protecting the Bayh-Dole framework will help keep Americas innovation ecosystem healthy.
As Idahoans, we value our children, as should our elected leaders. Youll be hard-pressed to find a politician who admits otherwise, but actions are more telling than words.

Three decades of disinvestment by Republican lawmakers have led to unsafe school facilities and diminished opportunities in the worst-funded schools in our nation. Idahos kids deserve better.

A recent investigation by the Idaho Statesman and ProPublica shines a light on the dire straits of our schools. At Valley View Elementary in Boundary County, freezing classrooms, collapsing roofs, hazardous playgrounds and insufficient bathrooms are just some of the conditions students endure.

And the risks of rundown infrastructure are high: Faulty electrical equipment caused last weeks fire gutting an entire wing of a Pocatello high school. Thankfully, no one was hurt, this time. Research shows $1.3 billion in unmet facility needs across Idaho  a legacy of neglect by the Republican supermajority.

With state funding falling short, school leaders are forced to ask their communities to fill the gap through supplemental levies and bonds. Rather than helping schools meet their severe needs, Republican legislators keep throwing up roadblocks.

By capping the homeowners exemption and causing an ever-growing property tax shift onto residents and away from commercial interests, the Legislature made it harder for struggling Idahoans to add school funding to their inflated tax bills, even when they see a strong need.

With a two-thirds threshold required to pass bonds  higher than almost every other state  questions about community investment are being controlled by a minority of voters. This year, Republican lawmakers eliminated the March election date districts rely on for their elections, meaning they now have fewer opportunities to simply ask their voters to consider bonds and levies.

The growing reliance on locally-passed funding measures has created a patchwork of haves and have-nots. Well-off districts with a strong tax base are able to provide better facilities, more career technical education, and special classes, while districts with fewer resources have fewer offerings. And failed levies can spell crisis.

In a few weeks, Coeur dAlene voters will decide the fate of a two-year, $25 million supplemental levy. If it doesnt pass, the district will have to declare a fiscal emergency. Over a quarter of district employees will be laid off, two elementary schools will close and extracurricular activities, including school sports, will cease.

By failing to adequately fund our schools and making it harder for communities to fill the gap, Republican lawmakers are in dereliction of their school funding duty enshrined in the Idaho State Constitution.

Idaho Democrats are steadfast in our commitment to preparing the next generation. Our children are our future. With the proper investment, that future will be bright.
The Department of Transportation on Friday broke ground for the construction of two underground subway stations at Quezon Ave. Station and East Ave. Station in Quezon City.

The subway will not only provide comfort and convenience, but also generate jobs. It will definitely be comfortable, affordable, safe, sustainable and accessible, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said.

The whole subway will connect with different railway networks such as LRT 1, MRT 3, MRT 7 and the Grand Common station. It will also connect with LRT 2 at Anonas Station, he said.

Bautista said he expects the Metro Manila Subway Project to be operational by 2028.

The 33-kilometer subway, dubbed as the project of the century, stretches from Valenzuela in the north to NAIA Terminal 3 and FTI in the south.

Once completed, it is expected to reduce travel time between Quezon City and NAIA from one hour and 30 minutes to just 35 minutes. It will also serve around 370,000 passengers a day in its first year of full operations, with capacity to serve up to 1 million passengers a day in later years.

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The MMSP is physically interconnected and interoperable with the North-South Commuter Railway Systems south segment, enabling a passenger to board a subway train, for example, in North Ave. Station of MMSP and get off at the Calamba Station of NSCR.

The DOTr earlier signed two contract packages worth more than P52.2 billion for NSCR system.

The two contract packages of the NSC were awarded to winning bidders Acciona-DMCI joint venture and Leighton-First Balfour JV, which are both part of the South Commuter Railway Project.

Once completed, the NSCR will offer safe, affordable, convenient and accessible transport to Filipinos, while accelerating our countrys economic rebound, Bautista said in his speech.

The first package of the SCRP consists of the construction of a 7.9-km. elevated railway from Blumentritt to San Andres Bukid in Manila with three stations in Espana, Sta. Mesa and Paco that comprise a segment of the project that stretches up to Calamba.

The second package includes the construction of another 6.1-km. railway to run alongside a portion of the South Luzon Expressway.

Under the second package, a 4.7-km underground railway and 1.4-km ground level railway with station at the Food Terminal Inc. will be constructed as part of its segments.

Co-financed by the Asian Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency, the 147-km NSCR is designed to reduce travel time from Clark Airport to Calamba in Laguna to two hours from 4 to 4.5 hours. With a total of 35 stations, the NSCR can service 800,000 passengers daily. The project is also estimated to generate around 110,000 direct and indirect jobs during its construction.

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Air Asia Philippines said it will resume flights to and from Shanghai in July as part of its program to strengthen its international presence in two of its major hubsManila and Cebu.

AirAsia Philippines communications and public affairs country head Steve Dailisan said the Manila-Shanghai flight, which is set to open on July 1, is the last piece in their China network following the reactivation of the Manila-Shenzhen flight last month.

Meanwhile, the two new flights out of the Mactan-Cebu International AirportShenzhen which commences on June 2 and Narita on July 1are expected to revitalize the travel experience of the Cebuanos and other travelers from Central Visayas as they no longer have to transit to Manila to reach these exciting destinations.

The reopening of international routes is part of Air Asia Philippines recovery plan. We believe that the Filipinos hunger for travel is now strongly backed by opening more international destinations as shown in our forward bookings until the rest of second quarter. As the Worlds Best Low-Cost Airline that pioneered affordable air travel, we will continue to give our guests the best value for their money, said Dailisan.

Air Asia is offering a one peso one-way base fare to Tokyo, Shenzhen, Seoul, Kaoshiung, Kuala Lumpur, and other international destinations for flights from April 3 to Oct. 31 that are booked until April 30, 2023.

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Meanwhile, Dailisan reminded their guests to allot four hours for international travel to allow the smooth facilitation of check-in procedures and other travel requirements.

Those traveling light who are carrying hand-carry luggage are likewise advised to check in via airasia Super App or through the self-check-in kiosks at the airport, he said.

Guests are also advised to accomplish the eTRAVEL form 72 hours before departure and arrival via etravel.gov.ph. Likewise, guests encouraged to take advantage of the online payment for travel tax via tieza.gov.ph.

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Cairo  Egypts antiquities ministry insisted on Thursday that Cleopatra had white skin and Hellenistic characteristics in an ongoing row over a Netflix drama-documentary depicting the famed beauty of antiquity as black.

Queen Cleopatra, produced by Jada Pinkett Smith and starring Adele James, is due for release on the streaming platform on May 10.

As Egypts last pharaoh, Cleopatra fights to protect her throne, family, and legacy in this docudrama featuring reenactments and expert interviews, the Netflix site says in promoting its upcoming production.

But even before its release, Queen Cleopatra has already caused a storm of controversy in the North African nation.

An online petition accusing the production of rewriting history has already garnered more than 40,000 signatures.

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And in a country where calls for Netflix to be banned for content deemed offensive to Egypt or its family values, MP Saboura al-Sayyed has again urged parliament to ban the platform.

On Thursday, the antiquities ministry weighed into the dispute, publishing a lengthy statement that included statements from experts it said all agree: Cleopatra had white skin and Hellenistic characteristics. AFP

Bas reliefs and statues of Queen Cleopatra are the best proof, the statement said, embellishing its text with illustrations showing Cleopatra with European traits.

For Mostafa Waziri, head of the Supreme Antiquities Council, depicting the famous queen as black is nothing less than a falsification of Egyptian history.

He insists there is nothing racist in this view, which is motivated by defending the history of Queen

Cleopatra, an important part of the history of Egypt in antiquity.

Commentators in Egypt often decry campaigns among mostly African-American groups claiming the origins of Egyptian civilization.

Cleopatra belonged to the Macedonian Lagides dynasty descended from Ptolemy, one of Alexander the

Greats generals, who founded the Ptolemaic dynasty on the banks of the Nile.

While legend hails the queen born in around 69 BC as a great beauty, her appearance and the color of her skin are largely open to interpretation.

A BBC documentary in 2009 claimed that Cleopatra had African blood, an assertion that passed without incident.

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Taipei  A long-range Chinese combat drone capable of carrying a large weapons payload has circled Taiwan, the islands defense ministry said Friday.

Democratic Taiwan lives under constant threat of an attack by Beijing, which views the island as part of its territory.

Taiwans defense ministry said it detected 38 Chinese aircraft, including a TB-001 drone nicknamed the twin-tailed scorpion, around the island between 6:00 am (1000 GMT) Thursday and 6:00 am Friday.

The drones circling flight path saw it cross the median line  an unofficial boundary dividing the Taiwan

Strait  to the islands south before flying around its east coast and returning to China, a map released by the ministry showed.

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Local media said it was the first time Taiwans defense ministry had reported a Chinese military aircraft circling the island from one end of the median line to the other.

The ministry added that 19 of the aircraft had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or entered Taiwans southwest, southeast, and northeast (air defense identification zone), the highest number of incursions since China ended three days of war games earlier this month.

The TB-001 is one of the largest drones in Chinas military arsenal and boasts a flight range of 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles).

China previously deployed the drone during the military drills that ended on April 10 and involved simulating targeted strikes and a blockade of Taiwan.

The war games were a response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wens visit to the United States, where she met Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.

On the last day of the drills, Beijing sent 54 aircraft into the islands southwestern and southeastern air defense identification zone (ADIZ), the highest number recorded in a single day since October 2021.

The zone is not the same as Taiwans territorial airspace and includes a far greater area that overlaps with part of Chinas own ADIZ and even some of the mainland.

On Wednesday, Taiwans military said it would practice intercepting warships and combat a Chinese blockade of the island during annual war drills in July.

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THE incidence of COVID-19 in the Philippines remains manageable despite the reported slight increase in positivity rate, according to an infectious disease expert. Solante explained that the country is still in stable condition.

The fact that we have no signs that hospitals will be filled. And if you look at the data, even though the cases are increasing, the deaths are not increasing. The severe COVID-19 cases are not increasing, and the number of people going to the hospitals is not increasing either, Dr. Rontgene Solante said during a public briefing.

These are good signs. That means even if there is an increase in cases our bodies can handle it, unlike when the Delta was the variant of concern. In short, in general, our cases are manageable and it has not been causing disruptions in our life, he added.

Data released by OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David showed that thePhilippines positivity rate  or the percentage of people who werefound positive for COVID among the total number of individualstested  went up from 11.7 percent as of April 25, to 12.9 percent last April 26.

Solante also that the increase in COVID cases may be possible due to the recent detection of the first case of Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16, also called Arcturus.

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Based on the WHOs classification, this XBB.1.16 has a growth advantage. This means that it spreads faster because of the mutations in the spike protein. It means more infections, and second, even in populations that have been vaccinated, it can still bind to our tissues. So that means we can still get an infection, Solante said.

That is the reason why in some countries that have XBB.1.16, cases were seen to increase slightly. However, the important thing here is, I think, in those countries with increased cases, there were no signs that this virus or a variant of interest caused severe COVID. So most of the cases are mild, the physician explained.

According to Solante, the symptoms of Arcturus are similar to other COVID variants, although some patients in other countries had sore eyes.

The Department of Health earlier announced the detection of the first case of Arcturusa variant under monitoring by the WHO and European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in Region 6.

Solante encouraged the public to continue wearing face masks to prevent the spread of the viral disease.

He surmised that the decline in COVID deaths globally may be due to the increase in vaccination rates and the presence of antiviral agents.

The fact that the Omicron variant only infects the upper respiratory tract and causes less severe infections, that is a major factor why the COVID virus is weakening. Second, I think our vaccination rate is also increasing. There is still ample protection, there are still antibodies, and that antibody and protection prevent severe infections, he said.

There are also interventions like the presence of antiviral agents that, more or less, people can get access. So that when they will have symptoms they will not be able to proceed to the severe infections. So these are all the three important aspects why we were able or the significant number of deaths is low for the past months and the hospitalization rate was also low, he added.

The WHO said nearly there were 5.3 million new infections and more than 48,000 deaths reported from January 23 to February 19, representing a decline of 89 percent and 62 percent, respectively, compared to the figures over the past 28 days.

Meanwhile, more than 757 million confirmed cases and over 6.8 million deaths have been reported globally as of February 19.

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The Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday more than half of the 700 registered Filipinos in war-torn Sudan have been evacuated by the Philippine government during the 72-hour ceasefire there and are now in Egypt.

In a statement, the DFA said as of Friday noon (Manila time), 496Filipinos were able to get out of the capital city, Khartoum, where the heavy fighting between the Sudanese military and paramilitary forces took place.

A total 414 Filipino evacuees traveled the Sudanese border to Egypt through the evacuation buses rented by the Philippine embassy.

Philippine Ambassador to Egypt Ezzedin Tago welcomed 340 Filipinos from Khartoum at the Argeen border this morning after they were cleared by Egyptian authorities for entry, the DFA said.

There have been delays in the processing at the Egyptian border due to the influx of evacuees, it added.

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The evacuees travel time from Khartoum to Argeen, Egypttheir initial stopwas about 24 to 36 hours, including processing time at the border.

They would then travel for five more hours to the Egyptian city of Aswan before boarding a plane bound for the capital city, Cairo.

Filipino evacuees would either seek temporary shelter in Cairo, where the embassy is located, or fly back to the Philippines.

The Philippine government struggled to evacuate Filipinos in Khartoum due to scarcity in evacuation buses and whooping rental prices that have reached P1.5 million each.

Meanwhile, 58 Filipinos recently left Khartoum and proceeded to Port Sudan, where they would ride a ship bound for Saudi.

The remaining 24 Filipino evacuees who managed to leave Sudan were now either in Athens, Greece after flying through a Greek military aircraft or in Jeddah, Saudi after riding a Saudi military ship.

DFA teams in Athens, Jeddah, and at the Egypt-Sudan border have been assisting Filipinos from Khartoum and are making arrangements for their repatriation via the next available flights, DFA said.

Coordination with the governments of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Greece on the safe passage of Filipino evacuees is continuing through the respective Philippine Embassies, it added.

Fighting erupted in Khartoum on April 15 due to power struggle between Sudans military ruler, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and paramilitary leader, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

A total 340 Filipinos have arrived in Egypt after being evacuated by the Philippine government from strife-torn Sudan.

According to DFA, 227 overseas Filipinos set foot on Egyptian soil early Friday (Manila time) after crossing the border in Argeen.

In related developments:

* The DFA said some Filipinos who fled from the deadly fighting in Sudan experienced delays in their entry to neighboring Egypt due to their missing travel documents.

Some 400 Filipinos evacuated from Sudans capital Khartoum, but not all have entered Egypt, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega said.

He said: Around 350 Filipinos aboard seven buses have reached the border of Egypt yesterday. The problem is the processing of their papers. Egypt has no entry visa, so their papers are processed there.

Egypt says it might take two or three days because they are also bombarded with the entry of so many evacuees.

A proof of identity is needed to enter Egypt, where the Philippines has an embassy, he said.

But some Filipinos fled from Khartoum with expired passports or fake documents. A DFA team is helping them secure the necessary documents, the official said.

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A US-South Korean agreement on strengthening deterrence against Pyongyang will discourage Seoul from seeking nuclear weapons, but also highlights the near absence of viable ways to remove the threat of North Koreas arsenal.

For years, the United States and the international community have unsuccessfully pushed for North Korea to give up its weapons, which pose a long-running danger that has encouraged many in the South to believe Seoul needs its own nuclear arms.

Seeking to head off such a move, Washington agreed on Wednesday to deeper cooperation with Seoul on nuclear issues and the regular deployment of strategic assets to South Korea.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, on a state visit to the United States, in turn reaffirmed his countrys commitment to non-proliferation.

As a result of the joint agreement, South Korea is going to be more involved in conversations about the nuclear part of deterrence, not just conventional deterrence, said Naoko Aoki, associate political scientist at the RAND Corporation.

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This is a reflection of the increased concerns and tensions resulting from North Koreas nuclear and missile development, Aoki said, noting that the geopolitical environment and North Koreas ongoing military modernization plan, among other issues, make it unlikely that North Korea will come to the negotiating table soon.

North Korea has defied years of punishing sanctions to continue work on its banned nuclear and missiles programs, and has shown no signs that it is willing to consider giving up weapons it views as insurance against regime change.

Pyongyang conducted a record-breaking string of sanctions-defying launches this year, including test-firing the countrys first solid-fuel ballistic missile  a key technical breakthrough for North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns military.

 Run out of nuclear goodies 

Surveys show that a majority of South Koreans believe the country should develop its own nuclear weapons  an option Yoon had previously hinted Seoul could pursue.

The new agreement is first and foremost about assuring South Korea and proving to Seoul that the US nuclear umbrella is credible, said Kelsey Hartigan, deputy director of the Project on Nuclear Issues at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, referring to the US commitment to defend its conventionally armed ally.

The prospects for a breakthrough on denuclearization have always been slim, she said. The question is not whether North Korea is going to give up its nuclear weapons, its whether South Korea is going to develop its own in response.

The United States long-held goal has been the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, and that is unlikely to change.

I dont see the United States formally walking away from its broader policy position on denuclearization anytime soon, Hartigan said.

Frank Aum, senior expert on Northeast Asia at the US Institute of Peace, warned of a possible North Korean response to the new agreement.

If were showing power right now, then its very likely that North Koreas going to come back and respond with its own demonstration of power. It could be a satellite launch or a seventh nuclear test, Aum said.

Then South Korea will want to respond again to show that its responding and at some point were going to run out of nuclear goodies to give to South Korea.

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UP IE graduating students experience e-commerce landscape to hone tech problem-solving skills

Across Southeast Asia, the demand for skilled tech talent continues to rise. According to a recent study, the increasing demand for tech talent has been fueled by startups, and even traditional sectors like banking, and retail, as more companies look to digitize their businesses. With more companies looking to onboard tech professionals, Shopee remains committed to supporting this growing demand by partnering with the University of the Philippines (UP) Industrial Engineering (IE) Department to upskill local tech talent.

The partnership consisted of an e-commerce elective and a capstone project for graduating industrial engineering students. As part of the elective, Shopee leaders educated students on the current e-commerce landscape and the roles of each business function in the industry for a semester, through classes on the foundations of e-commerce, logistics, and more. Meanwhile, the capstone project challenged students to improve real-life logistics processes through case studies based on actual business scenarios, with the goal of increasing overall productivity and efficiency.

Karen Perez, Head of HR  Center of Excellence at Shopee Philippines, shared At Shopee, we work towards positively impacting our community by upskilling local talent so that they can benefit from the digital economy. Through this academic partnership with UP IE, we aim to hone their skills and equip them with the knowledge to succeed in e-commerce and continue driving the local digital economy forward.

Raymond Freth Lagria, Assistant Professor and Department Chair at UP IE, shared We are glad to be partnering with Shopee, as we look to provide our students with valuable exposure to the growing e-commerce industry. Through the capstone project and e-commerce elective, our students were able to learn about the supply chain in e-commerce and experience improving processes within it. These learning experiences have helped in equipping them with the necessary skills to succeed in the current global environment.

Erickson Llaguno, Assistant Professor at UP IE, also shared This partnership with Shopee was incredibly enlightening because our students were able to deepen their understanding of the e-commerce space, and which aspects of it could be further improved through industrial engineering. The e-commerce elective and capstone project enabled our students to take the industrial engineering concepts that they learned in the classroom and apply them in real life.

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This academic partnership with UP is just one of the many initiatives that Shopee has rolled out to upskill young local talent. The Shopee Apprentice Program is a flagship internship designed to accelerate and develop talents through high-impact projects. Meanwhile, Shopee also has a year-round internship program open to undergraduate students, which exposes students with a high interest in tech careers to the daily operations of the business.

To know more about Shopee careers and Life at Shopee, you may follow Shopee Careers on Facebook and Instagram.

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Nissan Philippines Inc. recently signed a partnership agreement with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) that will allow the Foundation to use Nissans full electric vehicle (EV), the LEAF, for its disaster response and recovery activities.

Nissan partnered with PDRF as part of their Blue Switch initiative to build an ecosystem using EV technologies in addressing social concerns such as disaster response, climate change, responsible travel, and energy management.

Ceremonial signing of Nissan Philippines and PDRF at the PDRF Emergency Operations Center (from left) executive director Veronica Gabaldon (PDRF), chief resilience officer Guillermo Luz (PDRF), president Juan Manuel Hoyos (Nissan Philippines), president Rene Meily (PDRF), and general manager for communications Dax Avenido (Nissan Philippines)

Nissan is proud to be part of the roster of private companies which partnered with PDRF. We are very excited to see how the Nissan LEAF can assist PDRF in providing innovative and sustainable solutions to minimize the impacts and recover from disasters. This partnership is the next step in our strategy towards a more sustainable and resilient future for the country, said Nissan president Juan Hoyos.

Based on the agreement, Nissan will lend LEAF EVs to PDRF to be used as emergency response vehicles.

Nissan LEAF demonstration at PDRF Emergency Operations Center

The Nissan LEAF has vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology which allows bi-directional charging and use the EVs battery to transfer power to other sources. Its reliable power source can supply electricity to affected communities and emergency responses during disasters.

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The partnership will also enable the 2 organizations to explore efficient and sustainable ways to respond to disasters and mitigate the impact of climate change. The partnership is aligned with PDRFs commitment to more green and sustainable approaches to disaster response.

PDRF is grateful to Nissan for this innovative partnership. Their LEAF electric vehicle will be an important asset when we confront challenges going forward, said PDRF president Rene Meily.

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ANNIVERSARY

Progressive Prayer Temple with Bishop Milton Johnson Sr., pastor, 64 Cameron Road, Martinsville, will hold their 31st church anniversary on Sunday, April 30 at 3 p.m. with guest speaker Elder Christopher Hairston, pastor of Triumph Way of the Cross Church, Vinton.

GUEST PREACHER

Joe Collins will preach for the 6 p.m. Wednesday service at Whites Chapel Baptist Church, 6237 Horsepasture Price, Ridgeway.

FELLOWSHIP SERVICE

Love and Hope Ministry, 1844 Virginia Ave. (Holiday Shopping Center) will have a fellowship service at 3 p.m. Sunday with guests Bibleway Greater Assurance Church with Bishop Randy Martin.

DAY OF PRAYER

A National Day of Prayer Session will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, hosted by Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, where the Rev. Dr. Eric F. Hairston Sr. is the pastor. Participants from the community will offer up prayers in specific areas. The theme is Pray Fervently in Righteousness and Avail Much, from James 5:16B. This session also will be broadcast over a conference call: Dial 1-301-715-8592#ID89229487248, Code446325.

WOMENS DAY

Gethsemane Holiness Church, 2380 Blackberrry Road, will hold Womens Day on May 7. The 10:30 a.m. speaker will be Minister Jane Warren, and the 2 p.m. service speaker will be Minister Dorothy Eccles, accompanied by the Church of New Beginnings.

BIBLE STUDY

Traditional Christian Church, 2630 Virginia Ave., Collinsville has begun holding a weekly non-denominational Bible study each Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring their Bibles.

Pocahontas Bassett Baptist Church, 120 Old Bassett Heights Road, Bassett, hosts Community Bible Study, a gathering of Christians of various denominations for Bible study, every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to noon in the fellowship hall.

MUSIC

Pocahontas Bassett Baptist Church holds Pickers and Fiddlers on the second Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to noon. Breakfast-type refreshments are served, and both the program and refreshments are free. Come to listen or bring your harmonica or stringed instrument and join in.

CLOTHES

Christ Church Community Clothes Closet is open on the fourth Saturday of each month.

MEALS

Smith Memorial United Methodist Church, corner of John Redd Boulevard and Daniels Creek Road, Collinsville, serves take-out community meals each month every other Wednesday from 5-6 p.m. Call 647-8150 before 3:30 on Wednesday to reserve meals. Next meals will be May 3, 17 & 31.

Pocahontas Bassett Baptist Church, 120 Old Bassett Heights Road, Bassett, holds its monthly community meals at 6 p.m. each third Thursday of the month, in the fellowship hall.

Starling Avenue Baptist Church, 932 Starling Ave., Martinsville, serves meals in the fellowship hall the last Tuesday of each month from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. The next meal is May 30.

Christ Episcopal Church, 311 E. Church St., Martinsville, will serve a free community meal the last Wednesday of each month from 5-6 p.m. in the Undercroft with a sit-down community meal (and takeout will be available only at the end of the meal if there are any leftovers). There are limited parking spaces behind the church for people with mobility issues. Masks are required for unvaccinated adults. Hand sanitizer is available for use.

Publication of church events is free in the Bulletin. Announcements received by the newspaper by 3 p.m. Wednesday will qualify for publication the following Friday. Pictures are welcomed. Send information to accent@martinsville bulletin.com or Martinsville Bulletin, P.O. Box 3711, Martinsville, Va., 24115.
TODAYS WORD is wangle. Example: He wangled his way into first class even though he had bought a low-priced ticket at the last minute.

THURSDAYS WORD was coquetry. It means a flirtatious act or attitude. Example: She enjoys school dances as an opportunity for coquetry and showing off her favorite outfits.

Childrens Day

The last day of April each year is an important holiday in Mexico: El Dia del Nino, or, Childrens Day (literally, The Day of the Child). It is a national celebration of children and childhood. In Mexico it has been a holiday since April 30, 1925. That date celebrated the first anniversary of when President Alvaro Obregon signed the now defunct League of Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child. However, some cities in Mexico, such as Tantoyuca in Veracruz, had been honoring children with a holiday going years before that.

Thirty years later, in 1954, the United Nations recommended that every country set aside a day to celebrate children.

Now, the local area will have its own commemoration of El Dia del Nino. A celebration honoring the holiday is planned for 2 p.m. Sunday at Jaycee Park at 475 Parkwood Court in Collinsville. Efigenia Cuenca wrote in the announcement that the event will feature hot dogs, hamburgers, pinatas, gifts and childrens games. The event is sponsored by Cuenca and Conexion Latina.

Todays chuckle

Work vs. Prison:

In prison, you spend most of your time in a 8- by 10-foot cell; at work, you spend most of your time in a 6- by 8-foot cubicle.

In prison, you get time off for good behavior. At work, you get rewarded for good behavior with more work.

In prison, a guard locks and unlocks all the doors for you. At work, you must carry around keys or a security card and do it yourself.

In prison, you get your own toilet; at work, you have to share a toilet.

In prison, they allow your family and friends to come visit; at work, you cant even talk to them on the phone.

In prison, all expenses are paid by taxpayers. At work, you have to pay all the expenses to get here, and then they deduct taxes from your paycheck to help pay for the upkeep of the prisoners.

In prison, you get to watch TV and play games. At work, you get fired if you get caught doing that too often.

In prison, you spend most of your time looking through bars from the inside, waiting to get out. At work, you spend most of your time wanting to get out to go into bars.

THURSDAYS TRIVIA ANSWER: The most valuable Little Golden Book, at $498.98, is Once Upon a Wintertime by Tom Oreb, initially released in 1953 and now rare. Its value has been placed at $498.98.

TODAYS TRIVIA QUESTION: The French Little Golden Book Pain dEpice: Contes de Nourrice was sold at auction in June for $2.84.99. It is the French counterpart of which English Little Golden Book?
On Tuesday, the Marion City Council will recognize the Citizen of the Month for May and consider revised rules for the use of the Marion Community Buildings main level.

City council will hold its first regular meeting for May at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Marion Community Building.

First, the council members will recognize the Citizen of the Month for May.

They will also consider the consent agenda. This consists of routine and non-controversial items that can be adopted with one motion of council.

The consent agenda includes approval of: the April 18 regular city council meeting minutes, the April 24 city council pre-budget workshop/planning session minutes and budget ordinance amendments.

After that, council members will recognize a city employee. They will hear a presentation of the city strategic plan.

The public comment period will follow. This is the time when the public can speak to the council about any issue or item not on the agenda.

Council members will vote on the capital improvement plan and hear an update about the Marion Fire Department. They will consider approving a grant application for a North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant application.

Council members will then consider adopting the revised community building main level rules and regulations.

City Manager Bob Boyette will give his report to council.
No highway noise here! The beauty of nature abounds as you travel to this lovely one acre lot above the the quiet, Cattail Creek community. Take in the long-range winter views (year-round views possible with selective trimming) while listening to the sounds of the natural waterfall at the property's edge. Enjoy the quiet life in the mountains, yet live only 20 minutes to downtown BurnsvilleLandUndisturbed and wooded, one acre lot in quiet mountainside community. Small waterfall above the property boundary adds to the serene mountain getaway feel. Region & ClimateBurnsville, NC is a gem of a mountain town in western North Carolina featuring fresh air, outdoor activities, and a quaint downtown experience. Burnsville is also home to Mt. Mitchell-the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. Fishing opportunities abound amongst the South Toe, North Toe, and Cane rivers that run through Yancey county. LocationThis peaceful one acre lot is located 20 minutes from downtown Burnsville, one hour to Asheville, and 50 minutes to ski resorts.

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The resumption of the gas project of TotalEnergies in Mozambique is premature at this stage, because of disagreements on the costs related to the restart, said Thursday the boss of TotalEnergies Patrick Pouyanne.

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi had assured on Wednesday that conditions were in place to allow TotalEnergies to resume its huge natural gas project in the country, suspended since 2021 following a major jihadist attack a few kilometers away.

I think today its still premature, because our team on the project is working with the contractors with a view to being able to relaunch the project, but provided that the costs are under control, thats fundamental for us, Pouyanne said, asked by financial analysts on a conference call.

I said recently that we need contractors to be reasonable. Some of them are not, so we will re-bid for some packages, because there is no way for us to accept undue costs, the TotalEnergies CEO also said, on the occasion of the release of the companys financial results for the first quarter of 2023. He nevertheless considered that we were at the last stage before a restart.

The poor but resource-rich, Muslim-majority province of Cabo Delgado in the northeast, which borders Tanzania, has been plagued by violence from armed groups since late 2017. Nearly 4,700 people have already been killed, including more than 2,000 civilians. One million have been forced from their homes.

At the end of March 2021, a coordinated attack on the coastal town of Palma forced the French group to suspend a 16.5 billion euro natural gas development project until further notice. Facilities still under construction on the Afungi peninsula have been evacuated.

TotalEnergies has been cautious for several months about the possibility of restarting its operations in Mozambique. Its CEO visited the country in February and met with the Mozambican president. Last month, the French giants Italian subcontractor, Saipem, announced that it was preparing to resume work, saying that it had been informed that safety had improved.
China holds summit to boost digital development

Xinhua) 08:30, April 28, 2023

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, delivers a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 27, 2023. The 6th Digital China Summit opened here on Thursday. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

FUZHOU, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The 6th Digital China Summit opened on Thursday in the city of Fuzhou in east China's Fujian Province.

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony.

Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Leung Chun-ying also attended the event.

The two-day summit focuses on showcasing the latest achievements of the Digital China initiative, and on sharing experience in digital development.

Participants have the opportunity to witness remarkable progress in areas such as digital infrastructure, the digital economy and digital society at an exhibition dedicated to digital development.

A digital product expo, a digital innovation competition and a series of forums are also set be held during the event.

The summit is co-sponsored by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, and the People's Government of Fujian Province.

Participants listen to a speech during the opening ceremony of the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 27, 2023. The 6th Digital China Summit opened on Thursday in the city of Fuzhou. The two-day summit focuses on showcasing the latest achievements of the Digital China initiative, and on sharing experience in digital development. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)

UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua delivers a video address at the opening ceremony of the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 27, 2023. The 6th Digital China Summit opened on Thursday in the city of Fuzhou. The two-day summit focuses on showcasing the latest achievements of the Digital China initiative, and on sharing experience in digital development. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)

Guests attend the opening ceremony of the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 27, 2023. The 6th Digital China Summit opened on Thursday in the city of Fuzhou. The two-day summit focuses on showcasing the latest achievements of the Digital China initiative, and on sharing experience in digital development. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)

This photo taken on April 27, 2023 shows the opening ceremony of the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province. The 6th Digital China Summit opened on Thursday in the city of Fuzhou. The two-day summit focuses on showcasing the latest achievements of the Digital China initiative, and on sharing experience in digital development. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
After nearly 20 years of living thousands of miles from their families in West Africa, hundreds of war veterans could now claim their French army pension and are allowed to return to live in their native Senegal.

Its a victory, one of the decorated veterans told the journalists as he prepared to fly back last week with eight other former soldiers aged 85 to 96. Were going home to live with our grandchildren. Hundreds of thousands of African soldiers fought for their colonial master France in the two world wars and against independence movements in Indochina and Algeria. In WWI, France deployed approximately 450,000 indigenous troops from what is today Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and Somalia.

Im going to live and eat well. Ill walk around the village. Its paradise over there, one of the Senegalese veterans said with a grin.

Before the French government in January lifted a six-month residency condition for their military pension, the surviving veterans among the so-called Senegalese Infantrymen had to live in France for half the year or lose their pension. The condition was dropped in January, saying they could return home for good and continue receiving their monthly allowance of 950 euros and, on top of that, their flight home to Senegal and moving expenses will also be paid for by the government.

But for most, it is too late because only a few dozen of the former riflemen are still alive and some of them are too frail to return home. The decision coincides with the release of a movie titled Tirailleurs that is a tribute to the young men of Senegal and other French colonies, highlighting the untold sacrifices they made on Frances battlefields during World War I.
A leader of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmeds party, including the party chief in the recently troubled Amhara region, was assassinated on Thursday, Abiy himself announced in a statement.

Mr. Abiy blamed violent extremists for the assassination of Girma Yeshitila, who was also one of the 45 members of the executive committee of the all-powerful Prosperity Party (PP) that governs Ethiopia.

Those who cannot defeat ideas with ideas have taken the life of our brother Girma Yeshitila () It is the height of extremism to try to convince those with different ideas with weapons, Mr. Abiy wrote. The Prime Minister referred to a shameful and brutal act committed on a local child by violent extremists. Mr. Girma was regularly targeted on social networks by Amhara nationalists who called him a traitor for his closeness to Mr. Abiy.

According to the Amhara regional government, irregular forces attacked vehicles carrying Mr. Girma, his bodyguards and family members in the afternoon as he headed to Debre Birhan, an important town in the region, about 100 km northeast of Addis Ababa. According to our information, five people, including Gima Yeshitila, lost their lives, the regional authorities said in a statement, without giving any further details about the irregular forces.

The region is mainly populated by the Amhara, the second largest people in Ethiopia, a federal country divided by the Constitution into regional states based on ethno-linguistic boundaries. In April, Amhara was the scene of several days of armed unrest triggered by the federal governments desire to dismantle the regions special forces, illegal paramilitary units set up by the Amhara authorities, as by those in several other regions of Ethiopia over the past 15 years.
Guinea-Bissau needs US$3.5 million to enable the legislative elections of June 4 and is waiting for the international community to mobilize this amount, sources linked to the electoral process said.

Sources in the Guinean government admitted the existence of this deficit, but recalled the countrys effort that allowed it to support, so far, 70% of all estimated funding for the elections.

On Monday, the government, represented by Deputy Prime Minister Soares Sambu, the National Elections Commission (CNE) and international partners discussed, in a steering committee of the electoral process, the issue of the budget deficit and asked the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to contact the international community in order to mobilize and make available the 3.5 million dollars (about 3.18 million euros).

Sources from the electoral process indicated that the UNDP was alerted to the difficulty in mobilizing that amount in a short period of time, but promised to contact Guinea-Bissaus international partners in order to find a mechanism that may make the elections viable.

The same sources said that one of the mechanisms under analysis was to ask Portugal to provide 3.5 million dollars as part of the five million euros that Lisbon announced as budget support to Guinea-Bissau in the next three years.

A source from the international community admitted that the Guinean government has no objection to this mechanism as long as it is approved by Portugal.

As soon as the partners disburse the promised support for the Guinean legislative elections, UNDP would replace the US$3.5 million advanced by Portugal, explained the same source.

The UNDP argument is that technically it is impossible to mobilize the 3.5 million dollars considering the date of the elections, June 4, and the previous acts that must be funded.

A source from the Guinean government noted that the electoral schedule is not yet in question, stressing that the electoral registers were delivered on Thursday by the Technical Office for Support to the Electoral Process (GTAPE) to the National Electoral Commission (CNE) and that Portugal will soon send some materials for polling day.

As usual in democratic elections in Guinea-Bissau, Portugal will provide ballot papers, indelible ink bottles, and summary forms, among other materials. The same source said that, on the other hand, the UNDP has already ordered the ballot boxes and voting booths in Denmark, and that those materials should arrive in Bissau soon.
The Prime ministers of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde reaffirmed Thursday the will to strengthen bilateral cooperation in several areas, with emphasis on agriculture, where Bissau will offer Praia land to practice this activity.

The will was expressed by the two heads of government in speeches during the opening ceremony of the second International Development Partners Conference, which is taking place on the island of Boa Vista.

Because of the historical ties that unite the peoples of Guinea and Cape Verde, the identity of challenges shared over the years by the two brotherly countries, the need to strengthen South-South cooperation, either at the ECOWAS [Economic Community of West African States], or at the CPLP [Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries], Guinea-Bissau recognizes the need to strengthen cooperation, said Nuno Nabian.

The Guinean prime minister, who is participating in the event at the invitation of his Cape Verdean counterpart, considered that in areas such as tourism, agriculture, digital economy, shipping, energy transition and air transport, Guinea-Bissau will have much to gain in this relationship of sharing experiences.

Regarding the project in the agricultural sector, Ulisses Correia e Silva reaffirmed the interest and commitment of his country to be a major reference in South-South cooperation, and said that the idea is for Cape Verde to take advantage of what Guinea has and what his country does not have, which is fertile land, rainfall and water.

We are developing something very interesting, with the participation of the ADB [African Development Bank], regarding the production of cereals, and make it so that, from this production, we can have the economy of the two countries working, said the Cape Verdean Prime minister, who is expectant to realize this great project.

Regarding cooperation in other areas, the Cape Verdean Prime minister promised to make it happen and be as fortified as possible. Last week, the Secretary of State for Communities of Guinea-Bissau, Salome Allouche, expressed in Praia the willingness of his country to offer land to Cape Verde to practice agriculture.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Non-Hispanic Black youth between the ages of 5 and 18 years old are more likely to undergo pharmacologic restraint during mental health crises than children of other races and ethnicities. The findings will be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2023 Meeting, held April 27-May 1 in Washington, D.C.

The study examined records of 61,503 children admitted to 41 non-psychiatric U.S. children's hospitals between 2018 and 2022 due to mental health conditions such as autism, anxiety, psychotic disorders, self-injury or suicide, and trauma. Approximately 11.9% received pharmacologic restraint, a deliberate form of medication administered when there are acute safety concerns to staff and/or patient. The records were obtained from the Children's Hospital Association's Pediatric Health Information System database.

Among the 7,309 children who experienced pharmacologic restraint over the study period, 14.8% of children were Non-Hispanic Black, compared to 12.3% Hispanic, 11.6% Asian, 11.1% Non-Hispanic White, and 9.5% of other races and ethnicities.

Findings also showed that despite female hospitalizations (68.3%) outweighing those of males (31.7%), when evaluating for racial and ethnic differences in pharmacologic restraint by sex, Non-Hispanic Black male youth were more likely to undergo restraint. No differences were found among female sex and race/ethnicity.

"The study results reveal stark disparities in our hospitals' care systems and point to evidence of interpersonal and structural racism in de-escalation of mental health crises," said Ryan M. Wolf, M.D., pediatric hospital medicine fellow at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt and presenting author. "As America's youth mental health crisis continues to grow, this data has drastic implications for evaluating pharmacologic restraint use during mental health crises."

Researchers advocate that future studies should emphasize solutions to provide more equitable, preventive care for child and adolescent mental health patients that prioritizes their safety and minimizes disparities in health care facilities.
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Graphical abstract. Credit: Cell Reports (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112322

An Australian research team led by QIMR Berghofer has succeeded in introducing a vascular system into tiny living and beating model human heart muscles, an achievement which it's hoped will accelerate progress toward the ultimate goal of repairing damage from heart disease.

The findings, published in the journal Cell Reports, have also for the first time revealed the central role the vascular system plays in causing inflammation-driven injury of the heart muscle, which is important for several diseases that can cause heart injury including COVID-19.

The new vascularized tiny heart muscles, or organoids, more closely mimic the human heart and will allow much more accurate testing of new drugs to treat disease and inflammation, and take scientists a step closer to the holy grail of repairing heart tissue.

Lead researcher Professor James Hudson, who heads QIMR Berghofer's Cardiac Bioengineering Research Group, said vascularizing the tiny hearts is a game changer for their work.

"We only know a fraction about the biology underpinning the heart so we're constantly trying to improve our cardiac organoids to simulate the heart's complex cellular interactions and tissue composition.

"Each organoid is only about the size of a chia seed, measuring just 1.5 millimeters across, but inside are 50,000 cells representing the different cell types that make up the heart," Professor Hudson said.

Organoids are grown from human pluripotent stem cells which can be generated using "reprogramming" of skin or blood cells. Until now, the model hearts included a range of cell types including the cells that hold the tissue together and the cells that make them beat, but researchers had not been able to add the critical vascular cells. Credit: QIMR Berghofer

"Incorporating the vascular cells for the first time in our mini heart muscles is very significant because we found they had a key role in the biology of the tissues. Vascular cells made the organoids function better and beat strongly. This has really opened up our ability to better understand the heart and accurately model disease," Professor Hudson said.

The team is focused on finding therapeutics to repair different types of heart damage. One of those is inflammation, which is the body's reaction to insults such as metabolic disease or COVID-19, causing the heart to stiffen so it fails to fully relax and fill with enough blood.

"When we simulated inflammation in our mini heart muscles, we found the vascular cells played a central role. We only saw the stiffening in the tissues that had the vascular cells. The cells sensed what was happening and changed their behavior, and we identified that the cells release a factor called endothelin that mediates the stiffening. We can now target this mechanism to see if we can control it with new therapeutics," Professor Hudson said.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Australia claiming the lives of around 18,000 people each year. It is a major burden on the health system costing around $12 billion annually. The trend is predicted to worsen due to an aging population and lifestyle factors.

"Heart disease is devastating for the patient and their loved ones. And it is a huge burden on the economy. Finding new treatments is crucial to addressing this.

"For one type of heart failure that we work on, preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), there is only one therapeutic available, so we urgently need to identify new drugs to improve patient outcomes and reduce the burden of heart disease.

"That's where our new system of producing vascularised cardiac organoids will really give us an advantage because we'll be able to progress the search for new treatments much more quickly," Professor Hudson said.

Publication of the research will assist researchers around the world to replicate the vascularised organoids and boost the global effort to tackle heart disease. The method also has broader implications that could help researchers in other fields creating organoids such as kidneys and brains.

More information: Holly K. Voges et al, Vascular cells improve functionality of human cardiac organoids, Cell Reports (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112322 Journal information: Cell Reports

Provided by QIMR Berghofer
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Older breast cancer survivors often have other medical issues and a shorter life expectancy than younger breast cancer survivors. What's more, their cancers are often slow-growing, and surveillance may lead to over-treatment of cancers that won't kill them, researchers say.

Despite these downsides, older breast cancer survivors are still undergoing mammograms even though their risk of developing a second breast cancer is low, a new study found.

"It may be OK to forgo mammograms as there is a low risk of another breast cancer diagnosis in women with limited life expectancy or with hormone-sensitive tumors," said study author Dr. Elizabeth Berger, an assistant professor of surgery at Yale University School of Medicine. Certain hormone-sensitive breast cancers are considered less aggressive.

For the study, the researchers analyzed data on nearly 44,500 women from two registries spanning 2003 to 2007. Women were 67 or older when diagnosed with their first breast cancer, and most had early-stage and highly treatable breast cancers. Thirty percent of women in the study were over 80.

All women were followed starting a year after their diagnosis until they developed a second breast cancer, died or the study ended in 2017. Researchers estimated their life expectancy based on their age and whether they had other medical problems.

Of these women, 55% had at least one other medical condition, while 16% had three or more other medical problems unrelated to breast cancer. Co-occurring medical issues take a toll on life expectancy.

The risk of developing a second breast cancer differed based on a woman's life expectancy, the study found. Women with a life expectancy of less than five years had a 3.7% risk of developing a second breast cancer. By contrast, women expected to live for 10 years or longer had a risk of 7.6% of their breast cancer returning.

Older women with multiple medical problems and a shorter life expectancy were still undergoing mammograms. Specifically, 51% of women with a life expectancy of less than one year received at least one mammogram within 12 months of their death.

Surveillance mammograms bring little benefit for these women, Berger noted. The study "should bring to attention the high surveillance rates of women even with minimal life expectancy," she said.

Still, there is no one-size-fits-all recommendation as some older breast cancer survivors may still need surveillance and screening.

"Younger women with more aggressive subtypes of breast cancers have higher risks of another breast cancer diagnosis and should consider ongoing surveillance mammography," Berger said. "This should be a shared decision between provider and patient, and [other disease] risks should be taken into consideration."

Anyone who finds a lump in their breast should talk to their doctor about next steps, she said.

The findings were to be presented Thursday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, in Boston. Research presented at medical conferences should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Other breast cancer experts said many factors play a role in breast cancer screening decisions for survivors.

"Screening decisions should be made with an awareness of a patient's overall health, life expectancy and their ability to tolerate treatment, rather than via a specific age cutoff," said Dr. Samantha Heller, a professor of radiology and section head of breast imaging at the New York University School of Medicine in New York City.

"The population in this study are women who have a prior history of breast cancer; this means that they have a higher-than-average risk of developing a later breast cancer and may particularly benefit from continued screening surveillance," Heller said.

More studies on breast cancer screening and outcomes in this group of women are needed before making any blanket recommendations, she said.

Other variables that may contribute to risk include family history, certain genetic mutations and breast density, Heller said.

"These factors also play into determining screening outcomes and may help to determine optimal and personalized screening approaches for older women," she said. "Patient choice and willingness to undergo treatment is always important and should always be considered as well."

Having this conversation can also be trying, said Dr. Sarah Blair, a surgical oncologist at the University of California, San Diego Health.

"It is difficult to withhold care even though the benefit may be small," she said. "This paper gives physicians data to consider and start to have these conversations."

More information: The American Cancer Society has more on screening after a breast cancer diagnosis.

Copyright  2023 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Dr. Google is always in, but for Spanish speakers searching for health information online, the advice Google gives isn't always helpful. Sometimes, it's downright terrifying.

Research by Rutgers public health and information science experts found that during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Google search autocompleteswhat the technology company calls "predictions"returned different results in Spanish than in English. In many cases, the suggested Spanish search terms were more fear- and stress-inducing than the English equivalent.

For instance, the researchers found that typing "coronavirus is" into Google yielded search predictions including "it contagious," "man made," and "airborne," while in Spanish, "coronavirus es" prompted "mortal," "falso" (fake) and "peligroso" (dangerous).

"The health consequences of this data are profound," said Pamela Valera, an assistant professor in the Department of Urban-Global Public Health at the Rutgers School of Public Health and lead author of the study published in the Journal of Community Psychology.

"This is one of the first studies to explore the differences in autocompletes and search quality across these two languages," added Vivek K. Singh, an associate professor at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information and a study co-author.

Every day, billions of internet searches are powered by Google, and autocomplete predictions help deliver results faster by suggesting queries. Language, location, trending interest and past searches influence what is displayed, according to the company.

But predictive algorithms carry inherent bias, which can impact public health outcomes and behaviors, the researchers said. One example from the study: Researchers found English autocompletes for the term "hand sanitizer" returned mostly positive predictions, but in Spanish, the predictions were negative, potentially influencing the use of disinfectants among Spanish speakers.

To explore language differences in Google search autocompletes during the first wave of the pandemic, Valera, Singh and their colleagues conducted three focus groups with 29 participants.

The first meeting was in English with nonSpanish speakers; the second with Spanish speakers only; and the third with bilingual and bicultural participants. Virtual meetings lasted between 90 and 120 minutes.

Several themes emerged from the conversations. First, autocompletes evoked fear and stress among Spanish speakers and skepticism and hesitation toward autocomplete searches themselves, Valera said.

The researchers also found that autocompletes promote search preselection, potentially leading people toward biased information. Finally, the study found that English autocompletes for COVID-19-related terms far outnumbered those in Spanishthree-to-one in some cases.

This study was part of a larger research project that focused on understanding algorithm bias on Google. Phase I of the study cataloged Google search autocompletes for COVID-19 topics between March 2020 and September 2020; that paper is awaiting publication. The current study reflects the qualitative results from Phase II.

With Google being such an important tool for obtaining health-related information, the researchers said technology companies should do more to ensure that search suggestions are consistent across languages.

"Arguably, more web content exists in English, but there are opportunities for Google to use the wealth of knowledge that exists in all languages to create products and autocomplete suggestions that are more comprehensive and more equitable across languages," said Singh. "This would be good for the quality of their results and for anyone who Googles health-related information."

More information: Pamela Valera et al, Understanding search autocompletes from the perspectives of English and Spanish speakers during the early months of the COVID19 pandemic, Journal of Community Psychology (2023). DOI: 10.1002/jcop.23013
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Credit: SYMBYX

A new Parkinson's disease clinical trial with patients wearing laser light helmets has shown "promising results," as the therapy helped "improve motor function" for those facing the progressive neurological condition.

In the study out of Australia, the new infrared light therapy helmet on patients living with Parkinson's helped improve facial expression, upper limb coordination and movement, lower limb coordination and movement, walking gait, and tremor.

"This is the first time that there's really some evidence with Parkinson's disease patients that this therapy does work," Geoff Herkes, the Australian doctor who presented the research findings for the treatment at the American Academy of Neurology conference in Boston, told the Herald.

"We're still a long way off from a cure, but this is a step toward helping improve motor function," Herkes added. "These are some promising results."

The research trial looked at the effectiveness of the infrared light therapy helmetcalled the SYMBYX Neuro from the Australian medtech company SYMBYXon patients living with Parkinson's.

Trial participants were split into two groups of 20 each, with one group receiving active treatment and the other group receiving a placebo infrared helmet therapy. All placebo patients later received active treatment.

The group with the active treatment improved 24% to 58% over baseline across all five areas tested (facial expression, upper limb, lower limb, gait, and tremor), unlike the placebo group which only showed a statistically valid improvement in lower limb coordination and movement.

Infrared light therapy is invisible to the naked eye, and is painless to receive.

"Patients saw improvements in walking and in other daily activities that we take for granted," said Herkes, the head of research at Sydney Adventist Hospital, which conducted the trial.

"There is clearly a placebo effect from using light therapy on some patients, but not on all," he said.

The progressive neurological condition is caused by a lack of dopamine, a chemical used by the brain to help initiate and control body movement. Parkinson's symptoms include muscle rigidity, tremor, difficulty walking, as well as depression, anxiety, compromised swallowing, and loss of sense of smell.

In addition to the 12 million people diagnosed worldwidewhich excludes numbers from India and Chinait is estimated that three to four times more people have undiagnosed early signs and symptoms. Parkinson's is now the world's fastest-growing neurodegenerative disorder.

Light therapy works in several ways to reduce Parkinson's symptoms, including by targeting cell mitochondria, where chemical energy is produced. Low energy or fatigue is a common symptom of Parkinson's.

The light therapy also targets the gut where neuro-transmitters, in short supply in Parkinson's patients, are manufactured.

2023 MediaNews Group, Inc.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Credit: Joao Ferrao/Unsplash

A James Cook University researcher says there is no evidence climate change is associated with increased suicide rates, and health administrators who believe there is may be prioritizing a carbon net zero policy over patient health. The paper is published in the journal Australasian Psychiatry.

JCU's Andrew Amos is Chair of the Queensland Section of Rural Psychiatry, RANZ College of Psychiatrists.

His research looked at the design of scientific articles supporting an association between climate change and increased rates of suicide.

He said the articles had been used in policy documents to advocate for radical changes to health care systems in pursuit of decarbonization.

"The Royal Australasian College of Physicians has recommended all Australian governments and health care systems commit to delivering net zero healthcare by 2040. The Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) says medical colleges should champion climate change action, including decarbonizing colleges, hospitals, and health systems.

"The MJA notes this conflicts with the common sense position of many health stakeholders," said Dr. Amos.

He said the strongest claims linking climate change and negative mental health outcomes have been made for suicide.

"The research cited to suggest an association between climate change and increased suicide does no such thing. None of the articles collected in the review has a design capable of investigating whether there is an association between temperature increases caused by climate change and rates of suicide," said Dr. Amos.

He said the study does not attempt to establish that there is no relationship between climate change and mental health outcomes, only that the cited evidence does not establish a relationship.

"Policy recommendations for radical changes in health care services have been based on misrepresented evidence. This analysis lends weight to the common sense view that the priority of health and mental health systems should be high quality health care, not climate change action."

More information: Andrew James Amos, Thinking clearly about climate change and mental health, Australasian Psychiatry (2023). DOI: 10.1177/10398562231172398 Journal information: Medical Journal of Australia
After deliberating for nearly two hours on Friday, a conference committee accepted the majority of an amendment brought for a bill that would codify parts of the federal Indian Child Welfare Act into state law.

Known as ICWA, the Indian Child Welfare Act determines how Native children are put in foster or adoptive homes, prioritizing family and tribal placements. The federal law was enacted in 1978 in response to decades of state child welfare and private adoption agencies separating Native children from their families.

House Bill 317, which has received strong public support in its committee hearings, comes as the federal ICWA is under threat. The federal Supreme Court in July will issue a ruling on a case that challenges ICWAs constitutionality.

The bill passed out of the House and Senate but with different amendments, so it was heard in the conference committee as a form of reconciliation. The amendments approved by the committee will then move to the floor where they can be concurred.

Committee action

The committee on Friday was tasked with reviewing an amendment proposed by Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, who also sponsored the original bill. While the committee approved most sections in the amendment, there were three main areas of contention.

First, the amendment contains a section about the determination of Indian status, instructing courts to treat the child as an Indian child, unless and until it is determined on the record that the child does not meet the definition of an Indian child.

Opponents of this section argued it would delay processes and leave children in limbo, but supporters argued the opposite, saying treating a child as if they are Native actually saves time and streamlines processes. On the contrary, supporters said if a child is treated as non-Native and later found to be Native, the process of undoing that work could delay placements.

This section also included language saying that tribes must verify a childs membership status. Windy Boy argued that as sovereign nations, tribes determine their own membership and said it is not the business of the state to do so.

The committee ultimately voted to remove this section of Windy Boys amendment from the bill, and after the vote, Windy Boy, half-jokingly said, See you in court, alluding to his comments on tribal sovereignty.

Second, Windy Boys amendment also removed a section calling for contingent voidness. That section stated that only if the federal court strikes ICWA down in its entirety would the Montana ICWA become law for two years.

Windy Boy and others argued that the U.S. Supreme Court is not challenging ICWA in its entirety, so it would therefore be unlikely for the court to strike down the law in its fullness. The committee voted to remove the contingent void section from the bill, without much further discussion.

Finally, Windy Boys amendment also got rid of a termination date that would sunset the legislation in June 2025. Supporters of the amendment said the bill is meant to keep Native children safe, arguing it should not terminate in two years.

Others said that the termination date makes sense because the Legislature will likely need to revisit the law after the Supreme Court issues a ruling.

Sen. Jason Small, R-Busby, said he feared the termination date could put some cases into limbo, if the legislation terminated as cases were ongoing. He said he would prefer if the bill required a revisitation in 2025, not a termination.

The committee ultimately voted to keep the 2025 termination date in the bill.
Looking for a spacious and remodeled home with a separate 1 bedroom 1 bath apartment? Look no further than this stunning 2 bedroom home with 2 bonus rooms and a fully furnished apartment at the rear of the property. Zoned C2-4 there are plenty of opportunities from primary residence to short term rental or even using the property for business use. As you step inside the main home, you'll be greeted by an inviting living room featuring ample natural light, new paint, light fixtures and flooring throughout. The renovated kitchen is perfect for a chef, boasting stainless steel appliances, space for entertaining at the new peninsula, and plenty of storage. This home also features 4 updated rooms, with the main suite complete with a  bath and bonus rooms that could easily be used as a bright office or add in egress windows to create 4 true bedrooms. The updated bathrooms are sure to impress with modern fixtures and finishes, the largest of which has a brand-new soaking tub. The separate apartment at the rear of the property offers an additional 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom. With its own private entrance and the privacy of separate alley access its perfect for guests, a separate work space or even as a rental unit to help offset your mortgage. Located in the Franklin to the Fort neighborhood in Missoula, you'll love the convenience of being close to local shops, restaurants, and outdoor recreation. Don't miss out on the opportunity to make this stunning home yours - schedule a showing today! It is the responsibility of the buyers and their agents to verify all info regarding this property. Info is provided by outside sources and deemed reliable but it is not guaranteed by listing agent or listing office. Call Melissa Huus; 406-531-0015 or your real estate professional.

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A man is facing four felony charges stemming from accusations that he solicited a 12-year-old girl for sex in Missoula.

Darnell E. Montague, 29, is charged with two counts of sexual abuse of children involving a person under the age of 16, one count of sexual intercourse without consent and one count of child prostitution. Montague is currently in the Missoula jail pending a $300,000 bond.

If convicted of all charges, Montague faces a possible maximum sentence of 220 years in the Montana State Prison. Montague hasnt entered a plea to the charges yet.

On April 12, staff at a Missoula middle school alerted police to a student who was possibly solicited for sexual favors in exchange for money and gifts by a 29-year-old man, according to Missoula County charging documents.

A school administrator was shown a picture from the 12-year-old students Snapchat account of an adult man by the name of Sugar Daddy. Students reported to the administrator that the minor planned to run away to Idaho with the man sometime in May.

Police learned through a witness that on April 10, its suspected she gave the man sexual favors in exchange for money, according to the affidavit.

Officers searched the survivors phone. They found a contact listed as Sugardaddy, with a username of d.Montague1993, according to the affidavit. Police found information about a local man named Darnell Montague with a birth year of 1993.

A detective reviewed the minors phone and found messages between her and dj.montague1993. According to court documents, one message from the suspect made a sexual request; the minor responded by asking how much she would be paid.

The detective learned the girl deleted other messages off her phone when law enforcement got involved.

Snapchat gave the detective identifying information for Darnell Montague. He found out Montague has a pending case in Tarrant County, Texas, for allegedly having sex with a minor he met via Snapchat, according to the affidavit. Its suspected that he impregnated the minor.

The detective spoke with law enforcement in Texas, who said Montague left the South to avoid detection.

In an interview with the detective, Montague reportedly confirmed his username of dj.montague1993 on Snapchat. He admitted to conversing with the Missoula 12-year-old, but said he thought she was 18, according to the affidavit. He also denied having sexual interactions with her or paying the minor for sex, and said he would be surprised to know she was only 12 years old.

Missoula Deputy County Attorney Andrea Haney is prosecuting the case.
Officials provided an update on Thursday on two separate missing persons cases out of Missoula, saying that while leads have dried up, investigators are still looking for information on the individuals.

Nefataree Bartell, 26, was last seen on the early afternoon of Feb. 21 in the Gold Creek and Highway 200 area. According to Missoula Police spokesperson Whitney Bennett, searches temporarily paused due to weather but resumed this week in the Gold Creek and Highway 200 areas.

A press release from the Missoula sheriffs office said their search and rescue team is now able to access to the Gold Creek area, which previously had limited access because of snowpack and weather conditions. Aerial searches have been done in the meantime, according to the press release.

As weather has warmed up, Missoula County Search and Rescue begun a foot and canine search. Roughly 206 miles and 309 search hours have been logged.

While the case is still active, detectives leads have run dry and they dont have any new information to investigate, Bennett said.

According to her family and friends, Bartell was pregnant with her third child when she went missing.

Bartell is a Black woman with brown eyes and black hair, according to the Montana Department of Justice Missing Persons Database. She is 5 feet, 1 inch tall and weighs about 110 pounds.

Search and rescue has also decided to scale back efforts in finding Joseph Thompson, 18, who went missing on April 11. He was last seen four to five miles up Southside Road.

Thompson is 6 feet tall and weighs 140 pounds. He has blue eyes and blonde hair.

Detectives followed information on the events leading up to and after Thompsons disappearance. According to the press release, detectives believe no criminal activity is suspected in his disappearance.

According to the press release, the countys search and rescue team, the sheriffs office and Seeley-Swan Search and Rescue have extensively searched both Southside Road and Deep Creek.

Hikers, K-9s, ATVs and UTVs and drones have been employed to look for the 18-year-old.

This includes checking cliff edges and areas below them and traversing the nearby Clark Fork River, the press release stated. About 310 miles and 371 search hours have gone into Thompsons case.

Because of limited evidence to direct search efforts, the sheriffs office and search and rescue decided to reduce resources in finding Thompson.

New evidence would narrow the area of focus and prompt additional search efforts, the release reads.

Anyone with information on either Bartell or Thompson is asked to call 911 immediately.
SATURDAY

Anniversary

Honoring God Ministries, at 2492 NC 126, Morganton, will hold its one year anniversary celebration Saturday starting at 4 p.m. The celebration will feature performances by 4 Ever Faithful, The Mighty Sounds of Power and The Atmosphere Shifters.

SUNDAY

Worship service

Chambers Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, at 4089 Chambers Chapel Circle, Morganton, will hold a worship service from 11 a.m. to noon. Visitors will be expected to wear masks and practice social distancing.

Drive-in service

Willow Tree AME Church, at 2500 Willow Tree Church Ave., Morganton, will hold a drive-in worship service at 11 a.m. Visitors are asked to wear masks and remain in their cars. For information, call the Rev. Anthony Radcliff at 828-437-9070 or pastorwillowtree@gmail.com.

Guest Preacher

Honoring God Ministries, at 2492 NC 126, Morganton, will host guest preacher the Rev. Carrington R. Carter Sr., of Ft. Washington, Maryland, at 9 a.m.

THURSDAY, MAY 4

National Day of Prayer service

The Burke County National Day of Prayer service will take place at noon on the front lawn of First Baptist Church of Morganton at 502 W. Union St. in Morganton. Various religious, business and government leaders will offer prayers for the nation and local community. The service is free to attend and open to all.

SATURDAY, MAY 6

Hamburger and hot dog sale

Nebo First Baptist Church, at the intersection of U.S. 70 and Harmony Grove Road in Nebo, will hold a hamburger, hot dog and bake sale starting at 11 a.m. It is a dine-in or take-out event, and funds raised will benefit medical expenses.

SATURDAY, MAY 20

Womens conference

Hildebran First Baptist Church, 8831 Old N.C. 10, Hildebran, invites the ladies in our community to join us for a We Speak Jesus Womens Conference from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will be a day of worship and fellowship as our speaker Robin Parish challenges us to speak Jesus to others and into our own lives. This is a free event that includes brunch. Go to www.fbchildebran.com to register, which ends May 1. For more information, call 828-397-3641.

MISCELLANEOUS

Messy Church

Salem United Methodist Church at 1200 Salem Road in Morganton offers Messy Church at 5:45 p.m. every first Monday of the month. Messy Church is an alternative to a traditional church service featuring interactive activities, opportunities for questions and conversation and a free family meal. People of all ages and religious backgrounds are encouraged to come see what Messy Church is all about.

Trail of Faith to open for season

The Waldensian Trail of Faith, at 401 Church St. NW in Valdese, will open for the 2023 season March 1. The 11-acre outdoor museum tells the history of the Waldensians back to the time of the Apostles. The property contains 15 buildings and monuments recreated in full scale from the Alps of Italy that portray each phase of their journey. The trail offers a 1.5-hour tour. Guided tours need to be scheduled 2-3 days in advance. Self-guided audio tours are available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Cost for tours is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for students. For more information, contact the trail office at 828-874-1893 or trailofffaith1893@gmail.com, or visit waldensiantrailoffaith.org.

Church offers teleconference services

Israel Chapel AME Church offers morning worship services via teleconference at 8:30 a.m. the second and fourth Sundays of the month. To access the services, contact 978-990-5000 and use access code 188479. The church also offers in-person worship the first and third Sundays of the month at 11 a.m. at 2317 Israel Chapel Road in Connelly Springs.

Family History Library

open to the public

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 901 Bethel Road, Morganton, will open its Family History Library to the public from 6:30-7:45 p.m. every second and fourth Wednesday of the month. For information, email Joshua Carswell at enolajosh@yahoo.com.

Bimonthly worship services

Gaston Chapel AME Church at 102 Bouchelle St., Morganton, will hold worship services on the first and third Sundays of the month at 11 a.m. Services also will be streamed on Facebook Live.

Church medical clinic

Compassionate Hearts Healthcare Clinic serves patients Mondays from 1-4 p.m. and Tuesdays from 6-9 p.m. To be eligible for the free medical services, one must be at least 18 years old, must not receive Medicaid or Medicare, not have insurance and meet federal guidelines of living below 200% of the poverty level. The clinic is at 7449 Oak Ridge Church Road, Connelly Springs. For information on how to qualify for assistance or for volunteer opportunities, call 828-522-1112.

Grief support group

GriefShare is a faith-based course offering support to those who have lost a loved one. Walker Road Baptist Church is hosting GriefShare on Sundays at 6 p.m. at 100 Walker Road in Morganton. The program will run through Dec. 18. For information, contact John Riley at 828-514-3173 or jriam@charter.net.

Word of God prayer line

The Rev. Benjamin Douglas Cuthbertson, a local pastor, has created the Word of God prayer line. Call 716-427-1082 and enter the code 812359# to hear him preach and offer a Bible lesson at the following times:

Friday: noon

Saturday: noon and 7 p.m.

Sunday: noon

Monday: noon and 7 p.m.

Tuesday: noon

Wednesday: noon and 7 p.m.

Thursday: noon

Cuthbertson also invites the public to listen to his Word of God program from 9:15-9:30 a.m. Saturdays on WCIS-AM 760.

Emotional Support

The North Carolina Baptist Aging Ministry provides a Hope Line for older adults who feel isolated or lonely. Seniors can call 866-578-4673 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday to hear a friendly voice.

Sabbath-Day services

Sabbath-Day worship services St. Lukes Church of Opportunity at 126 Brookside Lane, Morganton, include Sabbath-Day school at 10 a.m. and worship at 11 a.m. every Saturday. For information, call the church at 828-433-9192.

Options fundraiser

Local author Patricia Looper is donating a portion of sales from her novel The Virgin and the Kings to Options Inc., a domestic violence shelter in Morganton. The Bible-based book explores the life of Abishag, who was chosen to be King Davids concubine in his old age. The story includes incidences of abuse in the protagonists life and how she dealt with them. To purchase the book, email the author at patricia.looper40@gmail.com; include book wanted in the subject line.

Church holds monthly food pantry

Abernethy Memorial United Methodist Church at 960 Malcolm Blvd., Connelly Springs, holds its Wrights Food Pantry from 9 a.m. to noon the fourth Saturday of each month. People must live within the districts of Drexel and Valdese elementary, Heritage Middle or Draughn High schools and either participate in the states Food and Nutrition Services Program or fall under a gross income threshold requirement to receive food. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the church is distributing food in a drive-thru setup. People who come for food should clean out the truck or cargo area of their cars so church members can load the food into the cars. Those who are signed up to receive food should bring their cards. The church also offers ongoing financial management classes. For information, contact the church at 828-879-8894 or amumcrc@abernethymemorialumc.org.

The Giving Heart Thrift Shop

The Morganton Seventh-Day Adventist Churchs The Giving Heart Thrift Store is open at 402 E. Main St., Glen Alpine. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The shop sells new and gently used clothes, furniture and small home goods. Proceeds support the churchs Silver Creek Adventist School, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Bible study

Jamie Torres Ministries holds the Real Faith, Real Talk Bible study at 7 p.m. Friday at the Catawba River Baptist Association building on U.S. 70. For information, visit facebook.com/jaimetorresministries.

Church day care

Day care services are available at the following churches:

Morganton First Church of God is enrolling school age children for its four-star before- and after-school program. Student pick up is available at Drexel, Mull and Valdese elementary and Heritage Middle schools.

First Baptist Preschool After-School has full-time openings available for its after school and summer camp programs. For information, contact 828-433-1018 or fbcfivestar@gmail.com.

The Wee School at North Morganton United Methodist Church has openings available for its 2-, 3- and 4-year-old classes. For information, call Sharon Swinson at 828-437-3418 or 828-448-5718.

STANDING EVENTS

Tuesdays

Christian Business Mens Connection of Burke County meets on Tuesdays and is a network opportunity for men in the area. For information, visit cbmc.com or call 828-413-5819.

The Twice Blessed Clothing Closet is open from 2-4 p.m. at Valdese First Baptist Church. Enter by the doors at the back parking area. For information, call 828-874-2266.

Wednesdays

The Fellowship Seekers Christian Ministry meets at 6 p.m. Wednesdays at A.J.s steakhouse.

Hildebran United Methodist Church, 110 S. Center St., Hildebran, is enrolling students for free GED, adult basic education, and English as second language classes held from 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays. A free meal and childcare are provided. For information or to enroll, call the Rev. Tony Bowman at 828-502-9627.

Thursdays

A nonsectarian Buddhist group meets at 6:30 p.m. For information, call 828-443-1161.
Thank you

On behalf of the Friends of the Burke County Public Library, we would like to express our appreciation to the volunteers, book donors, library staff and patrons for their support of our April book sale. We were so glad to be able to welcome everyone to the April sale once again. Proceeds from the book sale provide funding for library programs and services throughout the county, such as the Summer Reading Program, Ancestry.com and library movie licenses.

Special recognition for assistance with the sale is due to the Young Offenders Forest Conservation Program AKA BRIDGE, City of Morganton Public Works and Parks and Recreation Departments, and the History Museum of Burke County for facilities, transportation and labor; to Northwest ACE Hardware, Banana Box Grocery, Penny Patch Produce, and Food Lion for donations; and to the many volunteers without whom the sale would not be possible.

We hope to see you at the next book sale!

Kim Luddington and JoMarie Coburn

Book sale co-chairs, Friends of the Burke County Public Library

Think for yourself

If you dont think for yourself, someone else will think for you. Cue the Pastor and followers who showed up at the recent school board meeting demanding that their list of books be banned from being taught in our schools. The book banners show up out of the woodwork every so often with their fear and ignorance based claims.

These included something like Burke County students dont learn to read or write  they only learn about being gay or lesbian or something to that effect, in our schools. It is a throw-away line from conservative talk radio and is certainly not based on any discussions with any Burke County teachers, administrators or students. It is insulting to our young people and to our teachers.

So being angry and fearful that our young people are only being educated in sin, leads to demands that they who know THE TRUTH, decide what books our children can and can not read. And if our schools dont go along with their decisions for us on what is acceptable to have in our library, they will sue.

We had similar claims and even a takeover of our school board a number of years ago that resulted in banned books, fear of what was being taught, firing the Superintendent, and almost cost Burke County our accreditation.

There are ways all parents can know what is being taught, what books are being referenced, and how to ensure their concerns about what is being taught/read can be addressed.

You have every right to ensure books you dont want your child to read is respected. It is not by having people come in and tell us what books they have decided must be banned.

John S. Flood Jr.

Morganton

Carlson firing

We are supposed to think that Fox management fired Carlson because he said something disrespectful about Sydney Powell, one of the main election attorneys for Trump? Or that he was fired because he said something disrespectful about Fox News owners? I doubt Elmer Fudd would believe such nonsense.

Tucker Carlson was the only voice in mainstream corporate media who was speaking out against the war in Ukraine. Nobody else at Fox was. Nobody was critiquing Joe Bidens war on CNN or MSNBC. Rachel Maddow has been demanding war against Russia for years. Carlson was splitting the Republican Party on this issue  and he was attracting Democrats with his anti-war message and making them think about Joe Biden and the Democratic Party.

The final strike against Carlson was bringing Robert Kennedy Jr. on his show and giving him a platform to speak out against the war, against the CIA, the State Department and The Justice Department. Unless he is treated as a non-person by all corporate media, Kennedy will win the Democratic nomination and the presidency. Bobby Kennedy Jr. terrifies the Deep State. They demanded Fox News fire Carlson so they can bury Kennedy.

The Deep State has proven they can handle Trump. He is no problem for them. But Kennedy is a man on another level than Trump, a man who is far more dangerous to the Deep State.

Gordon Ipock

Morganton
When police are really, really familiar with a suspect, it cant be good for the latter.

In this case, according to prosecutors, officers knew the habits, voice and looks of 22-year-old Bailey Michael Parker of Butte, and these characteristics landed him in jail with two felony and two misdemeanor charges. He pleaded not guilty to them Thursday.

The drama started around 1:50 a.m. on March 15 when two officers walked into the Magic Diamond Casino on Harrison Avenue for a routine business check. An employee motioned for a word and told them a man had just gone into the womens restroom when they walked in.

A woman told police the man was Michael Parker, and one officer believed it could be Bailey Parker because he had a history of hiding in female bathrooms in casinos when police entered the building, prosecutors said in charging documents.

The officer also knew Parker had two felony warrants for his arrest so he and his partner went to the female restroom and knocked on the door.

They got a response from what sounded like a male disguising his voice to sound like a female, prosecutors said. The voice stated, Im almost done.

A third officer arrived and they continued knocking on the door, saying it was the police, but the door was locked. They called the person Bailey and a male voice returned saying his name was Austin Freeman and he was using the toilet and would come out.

An officer believed the voice sounded like Bailey Parker, and police could hear the sink running, toilet flushing multiple times, and what sounded like Parker snorting something.

Officers got a set of keys from the employee but none would open the door, then heard what sounded like the man messing with ceiling tiles. The door finally opened but nobody was there.

Police believed Parker was hiding in the suspended ceiling so an officer began pushing the tiles.

At that time, Parkers foot broke through one of the tiles, prosecutors said. Parker damaged multiple tiles and a light when his foot broke through.

Now police could see it was Parker but he moved to a corner of the ceiling space, pulled out a pipe and a lighter and began smoking whatever was in the pipe. To avoid a fire, officers pulled Parker down, causing further damage, before arresting him.

On Thursday, Parker pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of criminal mischief and two misdemeanors  obstructing a peace officer and resisting arrest. He could be sentenced to up to 21 years in prison if convicted of all charges.

District Judge Kurt Krueger accepted the not guilty pleas, and Parker was returned to jail with bail set at $45,000.
Cybersecurity and Network Management program recognized

By Shawn Touney | Apr 28, 2023

Murray State Universitys statewide Program of Distinction in Cybersecurity and Network Management (CNM) placed fourth nationally through a community outreach competition by the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD).

MURRAY, Ky.  Murray State Universitys statewide Program of Distinction in Cybersecurity and Network Management (CNM) placed fourth nationally through a community outreach competition by the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD).

Among the approximately 400 CAE-CD institutions, Murray State was the only Kentucky school in the top 10. Its submission included nearly 80 outreach events held throughout the year, reaching more than 14,000 individuals.

A recent event that took place on April 20 was the annual Security Matters conference. The largest technology security conference in the region, the free event offers small business and security personnel the opportunity to hear from industry individuals about a variety of issues and topics.

Other events include the following:

The annual IT Matters conference held in Paducah, Kentucky

Tech Mania, a high school IT competition that includes IT and cybersecurity competitions

TEN @ 10, a weekly online video series highlighting various cybersecurity topics

A monthly column on cyber-related topics in the Four Rivers Business Journal

A regular segment on WKMS, Cyber Bytes, which discusses various cybersecurity topics



Receiving this great news is quite an accomplishment for our program, said Dr. Michael Ramage, director of Murray States Cyber Education and Research Center. The competition's goal was to encourage and promote cybersecurity awareness and online safety practices, calling for outreach activities to engage faculty members and students in experiential learning activities, local, regional and national cyber exercises and competitions, outreach to community colleges and high schools, computer check-up days, and engagement opportunities with business and industry to provide pathways for graduates into successful careers. Many people deserve credit for this. Id like to particularly thank Dr. Randall Joyce, our CAE-CD point of contact on campus and the coordinator of our CNM program.

In 1997, Kentucky House Bill 1 created Programs of Distinction through the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education at public postsecondary institutions, including Murray State Universitys cybersecurity program. Murray State offers a bachelors degree in Cybersecurity and Network Management, along with an accelerated masters degree (available online) in Cybersecurity Management that can be completed in 12-18 months.

Murray State has a Cyber Education and Research Center that provides education, research, development and outreach support for the Universitys cyber-related programs.



In 2019, Murray State was designated a Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security.

The program is recognized as a Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (NSA CA-CD), certified through the Quality Assurance Commons with the Essential Employability Qualities Certification, and has won multiple national awards over the years through ITERA including Program of the Year.

Graduates join a global network of alumni who are employed at Google, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services, among others.

Additional information is available at murraystate.edu/cyber.
IOWA CITY  Several years into an academic career, University of Iowa research engineer Chris Jones realized his research and journal articles weren't going to lead to improvements in Iowa's water quality.

He decided to start writing about why many of Iowa's lakes aren't safe for swimming and about rivers and streams whisking soil and harmful levels of nutrients downstream.

"For me to rationalize being a public employee, if I couldn't get them better water quality, I could at least give them the truth about it," Jones said in an interview with The Gazette. "The environmental problems we have here are not unique to Iowa. What is unique to Iowa, I think, is the death grip the industry and the culture of agriculture has on the discourse about these problems."

Jones, whose wry, often-provocative essays have appeared on a UI blog since 2015, now has written a book called "Swine Republic: Struggles with the Truth about Agriculture and Water Quality." The book, which includes 69 essays  including several new to readers  goes on sale May 19 through Ice Cube Press.

Early work for ag sector

Jones retires from the UI on May 16 after eight years. He was paid $126,631 last fiscal year, state records show.

Before coming to the university, Jones, 62, worked as a laboratory supervisor at Des Moines Water Works from 2003 to 2011 and then as an environmental scientist for the Iowa Soybean Association from 2011 to 2015.

His work at the UI includes studying how nitrate and phosphorus wash from farm fields into waterways. Over the years, he's overseen water sensors installed on Iowa's streams and rivers to measure nitrate loads and concentration.

Sensor data feed directly into the Iowa Water Quality Information System, which has an interactive map online.

Nitrates in drinking water have been linked to cancer, rashes, hair loss, birth defects and other health problems, including infant methemoglobinemia, or blue baby syndrome. High levels of nitrate and phosphorus spur growth of toxic algae, which has been an ongoing problem at some Iowa beaches.

"This is a quality-of-life issue for people," Jones said. "We see people who vacation in Minnesota or Colorado. We could have those types of experiences here in Iowa if we were able to clean up our act."

Essays tackle public land, farm incentives, manure

In his essay called "No Country For Old Men," included in "Swine Republic," Jones talks about hitting the road in a 35-year-old camper during the COVID-19 pandemic. He compared Iowa's 3 percent of public land with that of Arkansas.

"Somehow this state (Arkansas), with 30% less GDP, 10% fewer people and 15% less area, is able to afford 10 times more public land than Iowa," Jones writes.

" ... If you've been to an Iowa park any time during the pandemic, you've seen the situation here in Iowa is disgraceful. All summer long, campgrounds, boat launches, the picnic areas and trails were busier than ever. Getting a weekend campsite was nearly impossible at times."

Iowa agricultural groups, including the Farm Bureau, have lobbied for legislation to make it harder for Iowans to donate their land for public use and conservation.

In "They Break It, You Buy It," Jones explains how taxpayers have paid billions of dollars for incentives to encourage farmers to adopt conservation practices to reduce harmful runoff when a few basic regulations  such as no application of fertilizer in the fall  would do the trick.

Jones and four other scientists published a paper in 2019 that showed farmers in two Western Iowa watersheds applied fertilizer at more than double the recommended rate, causing higher nitrate levels in streams there.

"The calculus on this is very simple: while the farmer absorbs the consequences of too little nitrogen, the public must absorb the consequences of too much, with these latter consequences being degraded water," Jones writes in the book.

Jones's most-read essay, "Iowa's Real Population," which got more than 7,000 page views after it was first published March 14, 2019, takes the amount of manure from Iowa farm animals and converts it into what would be produced by a human population. A map shows Iowa watersheds with enough manure to match the human populations of New York City, Paris and Los Angeles.

'Caustic or sardonic'

The essays often use analogies to help non-scientists understand the scale of water quality challenges. Jones often mixes in puns, jokes and cultural references like "Fifty Shades of Brown," the title of an essay about Iowa's animal population compared with other states.

"I do try to inject humor into almost all of them," Jones said. The humor provides a bit of a buffer against opponents, he said. And there are a fair number of opponents  or at least people who disagree with some of his opinions.

In 2021, Iowa Rep. Chad Ingels, R-Randalia, wrote to UI officials, including the then-director of IIHR, to complain about an opinion piece Jones wrote for Civil Eats saying low-income and minority Iowans are disproportionately affected by poor water quality.

Ingels disagreed with the implication that farmers are racist for not doing more to improve water quality, he told The Gazette in 2021.

Even some people who agree with Jones don't always like his tone. But Jones doesn't apologize.

"When I hear people say I'm too caustic or sardonic, I always know they haven't read Aldo ..." Jones writes in the introduction to the book. He's referring to Aldo Leopold, a Burlington native world-renowned for his work as a conservationist, educator and writer. The Leopold Center of Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University is named after the man who died 1948.

"At times I am almost ashamed to admit that this book exists largely because so many can't bring themselves to say that grass is green, and the sky is blue. At least not in public, anyway," Jones writes.

"Swine Republic" likely won't be Jones's last book. He'd like to write about the Driftless area, a topographical region in southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa and the extreme northwest corner of Illinois.
Friends sitting around a table, talking and laughing. A touch on the arm, as one of them leans over to make a confiding comment. A round of hugs before walking out the door.

For years, Carole Leskin, 78, enjoyed this close camaraderie with five women in Moorestown, New Jersey, a group that took classes together, gathered for lunch several times a week, celebrated holidays with one another, and socialized frequently at their local synagogue.

Leskin was different from the other women  unmarried, living alone, several years younger  but they welcomed her warmly, and she basked in the feeling of belonging. Although she met people easily, Leskin had always been something of a loner and her intense involvement with this group was something new.

Then, just before the covid-19 pandemic struck, it was over. Within two years, Marlene died of cancer. Lena had a fatal heart attack. Elaine succumbed to injuries after a car accident. Margie died of sepsis after an infection. Ruth passed away after an illness.

Leskin was on her own again, without anyone to commiserate or share her worries with as pandemic restrictions went into effect and waves of fear swept through her community. The loss, the isolation; it was horrible, she told me.

What can older adults who have lost their closest friends and family members do as they contemplate the future without them? If, as research has found, good relationships are essential to health and well-being in later life, what happens when connections forged over the years end?

It would be foolish to suggest these relationships can easily be replaced: They cant. Theres no substitute for people whove known you a long time, who understand you deeply, whove been there for you reliably in times of need, and who give you a sense of being anchored in the world.

Still, opportunities to create bonds with other people exist, and its never too late to develop meaningful relationships, said Robert Waldinger, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development.

That study, now in its 85th year, has shown that people with strong connections to family, friends, and their communities are happier, physically healthier, and live longer than people who are less well connected, according to The Good Life: Lessons From the Worlds Longest Scientific Study of Happiness, a new book describing its findings, co-written by Waldinger and Marc Schulz, the Harvard studys associate director.

Waldingers message of hope involves recognizing that relationships arent only about emotional closeness, though thats important. Theyre also a source of social support, practical help, valuable information, and ongoing engagement with the world around us. And all these benefits remain possible, even when cherished family and friends pass on.

Say youve joined a gym and you enjoy the back-and-forth chatter among people youve met there. That can be nourishing and stimulating, Waldinger said. Or, say, a woman from your neighborhood has volunteered to give you rides to the doctor. Maybe you dont know each other well or confide in each other, but that person is providing practical help you really need, he said.

Even casual contacts  the person you chat with in the coffee shop or a cashier you see regularly at the local supermarket  can give us a significant hit of well-being, Waldinger said. Sometimes, the friend of a friend is the person who points you to an important resource in your community you wouldnt otherwise know about.

After losing her group of friends, Leskin suffered several health setbacks  a mild stroke, heart failure, and, recently, a nonmalignant brain tumor  that left her unable to leave the house most of the time. About 4.2 million people 70 and older are similarly homebound  a figure that has risen dramatically in recent years, according to a study released in December 2021.

Determined to escape what she called solitary confinement, Leskin devoted time to writing a blog about aging and reaching out to readers who got in touch with her. She joined a virtual travel site, Heygo, and began taking tours around the world. On that site, she found a community of people with common interests, including five (two in Australia, one in Ecuador, one in Amsterdam, and one in New York City) whove become treasured friends.

Between [Facebook] Messenger and email, we write like old-fashioned pen pals, talking about the places weve visited, she told me. It has been lifesaving.

Still, Leskin cant call on these long-distance virtual friends to come over if she needs help, to share a meal, or to provide the warmth of a physical presence. I miss that terribly, she said.

Research confirms that virtual connections yield mixed results. On one hand, older adults who routinely connect with other people via cellphones and computers are less likely to be socially isolated than those who dont, several studies suggest. Shifting activities for older adults such as exercise classes, social hours, and writing groups online has helped many people remain engaged while staying safe during the pandemic, noted Kasley Killam, executive director of Social Health Labs, an organization focused on reducing loneliness and fostering social connections.

But when face-to-face contact with other people diminishes significantly  or disappears altogether, as was true for millions of older adults in the past three years  seniors are more likely to be lonely and depressed, other studies have found.

If youre in the same physical location as a friend or family member, you dont have to be talking all the time: You can just sit together and feel comfortable. These low-pressure social interactions can mean a lot to older adults and that cant be replicated in a virtual environment, said Ashwin Kotwal, an assistant professor of medicine in the division of geriatrics at the University of California-San Francisco who has studied the effects of engaging with people virtually.

Meanwhile, millions of seniors  disproportionately those who are low-income, represent racial and ethnic minorities, or are older than 80  cant afford computers or broadband access or arent comfortable using anything but the phone to reach out to others.

Liz Blunt, 76, of Arlington, Texas, is among them. She hasnt recovered from her husbands death in September 2021 from non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a blood cancer. Several years earlier, Blunts closest friend, Janet, died suddenly on a cruise to Southeast Asia, and two other close friends, Vicky and Susan, moved to other parts of the country.

I have no one, said Blunt, who doesnt have a cellphone and admitted to being technologically unsavvy.

When we first spoke in mid-March, Blunt had seen only one person she knows fairly well in the past 4 months. Because she has several serious health issues, she has been extremely cautious about catching covid and hardly goes out. Im not sure where to turn to make friends, she said. Im not going to go somewhere and take my mask off.

But Blunt hadnt given up altogether. In 2016, shed started a local group for elder orphans (people without spouses or children to depend on). Though it sputtered out during the pandemic, Blunt thought she might reconnect with some of those people, and she sent out an email inviting them to lunch.

On March 25, eight women met outside at a restaurant and talked for 2 hours. They want to get together again, Blunt told me when I called again, with a note of eagerness in her voice. Looking in the mirror, I can see the relief in my face. There are people who care about me and are concerned about me. Were all in the same situation of being alone at this stage of life  and we can help each other.

Were eager to hear from readers about questions youd like answered, problems youve been having with your care, and advice you need in dealing with the health care system. Visit kffhealthnews.org/columnists to submit your requests or tips.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

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Katie Beall was diagnosed with breast cancer on March 1, 2022. Two days later, doctors told her the chemotherapy she needed would make her infertile. The next day, she started looking into how she could freeze her eggs, which would give her the option of becoming a mother in the future.

Twenty-three days after her cancer diagnosis, the 36-year-old Helena resident said, she had put $7,579 on three credit cards to pay for her out-of-pocket fertility preservation costs.

Her insurance didnt cover it. In Montana, fertility preservation for newly diagnosed cancer patients whose pending treatment could cause infertility isnt required to be covered by insurance.

On March 15, 2023, Beall finished her chemotherapy and began to lobby Montanas legislature to change that.

Beall has taken the helm in advocating for a bill that would require insurance to cover the initial costs of fertility preservation for people diagnosed with cancer. That includes requiring coverage of appointments with a reproductive endocrinologist and the retrieval of sperm, eggs, or embryos, but not their storage or procedures like in vitro fertilization.

Amid a chaotic end to Montanas legislative session, the bill, which has already been approved by the state Senate, is close to passing its final hurdle. The legislature is scheduled to end its 90-day session on May 5, which means the bill has just a few days before the House of Representatives will need to give it final approval before it heads to the governors desk.

The bill has bipartisan support, but Beall is worried about how lawmakers will respond to what she says is an inaccurate estimate of what it will cost. Beall said the bills fiscal note prepared by state agencies contains a handful of errors. For example, Beall said, it assumes mens and womens fertility preservation costs the same. But the cost for sperm banking is around $700, while women can pay between $7,000 and $11,000, according to an estimate by Billings Clinic. The fiscal note also includes the cost of eight years of storage, which is not included in the bill, and budgets for 2.1 female fertility cycles.

According to Stacy Shomento, one of two reproductive endocrinologists in Montana, who practices at Billings Clinic, there has not been a cancer patient in their program who has undergone two rounds of fertility medication before starting cancer treatment since 2011.

Estimates from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana place a $75,000-a-year price on the bill for the insurance company. Spokesperson John Doran said the company didnt include costs for men in its estimation since they were negligible, and estimated that seven to 10 of their female members would use the coverage annually.

The bill would cost BCBS members about 12 cents extra a month, Doran said. Montanas Department of Public Health and Human Services estimated a similar increase for Medicaid members.

The state health department estimated that a total of between 18 and 39 men and women each year would participate if the bill passes.

Insurance covers fertility preservation in 13 states.

When Beall started researching legislation, she called Democratic state Sen. Pat Flowers to ask if he thought a bill could succeed this session, and he said: Lets do it.

Flowers wife was diagnosed with breast cancer when their two children were young. At an emotional hearing on April 14, Flowers said they were considering a third child but fertility preservation wasnt much of a discussion, and, if it had been, it wouldnt have been a financial option for a young family living paycheck to paycheck.

I know we could not have afforded to spend $7,500 to make that happen, Flowers said.

Cancer takes a lot from you, Beall said. But what fertility preservation offered was a sense of hope that she still had control over her future.

Beall and her boyfriend want to have kids. She was able to finance the out-of-pocket expenses for fertility preservation but acknowledged that not all young cancer patients can afford to do so, especially within such a short time frame.

Once a patient is diagnosed, oncologists want to start chemotherapy right away, and fertility preservation must happen as quickly as possible. Missing one payment can leave a patients timeline screwed up, Beall said, and theres generally no payment plan.

If you cant finance this out-of-pocket, its too late for you, and youll have to go into whatever your next treatment is, Beall said. Youre going to know youre going to be infertile and there was an option but you just couldnt finance it, so your idea of a biological family is done.

It was at one of the bills legislative hearings that Beall, for the first time, met another woman who had gone through the same thing she had.

Carley VonHeeder was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma when she was 24. VonHeeder, now 25, said she was so dissociated through the process of starting cancer treatment and fertility preservation that she wasnt processing it.

Meeting Beall was the first time she felt someone could appreciate all shed gone through, VonHeeder said, and it made her feel more empowered each time she returned to the Capitol to testify.

It filled a hole I didnt even know I had, VonHeeder said.

Aimee Grmoljez, a lobbyist for Billings Clinic, said in a hearing on the bill that fertility preservation is within the standard of care  doctors are required to tell patients about the option  yet its not covered by insurance.

Grmoljez said she couldnt think of another procedure that falls along the same lines.

Shomento, Bealls reproductive endocrinologist, said patients can see a specialist in Bozeman  where Shomento is  or in Billings, where the states only other specialist practices.

Shomento said most of her job is helping patients with general infertility, something she said about 1 in 6 or 8 couples deal with.

Its not going to affect an everyday person very much, Shomento said. But its going to affect the cancer person in a huge way.

Becky Franks, CEO of Cancer Support Community Montana, said people generally think of cancer as an old persons disease.

Franks said that 20 or 30 years ago the focus of cancer treatment was how to keep the patient alive. Now, Franks said, that has shifted to getting the patient to truly live, and not just keep breathing.

Blake Underriner was diagnosed with cancer at 14, which is also when he learned the treatment would make him infertile. His mom took him to an appointment to bank his sperm while he came to grips with starting chemotherapy.

Underriner, who lives in Billings, said he preserved the decision to have kids later in life when he preserved his sperm. Underriner married his wife in 2020 and now, at age 37, he has an 8-month-old daughter, Kennedy.

Shes just so fun, Underriner said. Shes turning over in her crib when its naptime instead of taking a nap. Shes almost crawling. Shes just a bundle of joy.

Keely Larson is the KFF Health News fellow for the UM Legislative News Service, a partnership of the University of Montana School of Journalism, the Montana Newspaper Association, and KFF Health News. Larson is a graduate student in environmental and natural resources journalism at the University of Montana.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

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Letters to the Editor is a periodic feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection. We edit for length and clarity and require full names.

Patients as Educators

I read, with interest, your article about the difficulties that adults with Down syndrome face in the medical world (People With Down Syndrome Are Living Longer, but the Health System Still Treats Many as Kids, April 17). I might add that this kind of thing is a problem for adults with developmental disabilities in general. As an autistic adult, I can definitely relate.

I have actually found myself sometimes having to educate doctors about my condition. It is as though they do not expect to see developmental disabilities among their patients. While I am able to advocate for myself, I am very concerned about those who cannot. Another important point that your article makes is the need for medical professionals to address developmentally disabled adults directly. They should also speak to them as fellow adults and not as children. While we may have a developmental disability, we are also well aware of the fact that we are adults.

Lastly, your article mentions the difficulty of getting help for people over age 30. This is a problem not only for those with Down syndrome but for people with developmental disabilities in general. I am 58 and was diagnosed with autism at age 37. While I have benefited greatly from the help I have received, I have also found it very frustrating to be turned away from potential avenues of self-betterment just because of when I was born. It is never too late!

Thank you very much for this timely article about adults with developmental disabilities.

 Elizabeth Avery, Weymouth, Massachusetts

Our health system isn't prepared to care for adults with developmental disabilities  People with Down Syndrome Are Living Longer, but the Health System Still Treats Many as Kids https://t.co/vjHxtM6JrK via @kffhealthnews  Ellen Andrews (@cthealthnotes) April 17, 2023

 Ellen Andrews, Hamden, Connecticut

I wanted to take a minute and thank you for the article that was also published on CNN about people who have Down syndrome who are living longer without the medical community keeping up. My aunt has Downs and will be 71 this June!

She has endured so many ups and downs from the medical community since she was born in the 1950s to where we are now. Hearing stories of the past, there are times I just cant believe shes still alive. My parents and other aunt help care for her in a rural area in Wisconsin and its been extremely difficult for everyone as she has gotten older. I sent this article on and they felt heard, for the first time.

I appreciate you for bringing attention to this not only as a niece who loves her aunt, but also as a special education teacher!

 Jennifer Pearce, Excelsior, Minnesota

Reminder for everyone to check the names on your medical bills, this happens a lot. I just had my son's ER facility bill come in with my name as the patient. Easy dispute for us, wiped clean after a single letter. https://t.co/Sr2rdI6MFQ  pj (@pjsantoro) March 31, 2023

 PJ Santoro, Los Angeles

When Is an Insurer Not an Insurer?

I write to address what may be an inaccuracy in your March 29 Bill of the Month report, ERs Error Lands a 4-Year-Old in Collections (For Care He Didnt Receive), which perhaps is not too material to your coverage (although it could be if the dispute persisted). But I think its important for KFF Health News to represent it correctly since your newsroom and KFF are highly regarded sources of information around health care payment.

You repeatedly referred to UnitedHealthcare as the patients insurer. To be an insurer, an entity must assume the financial risk of a claim, and given that HCA Healthcare is the employer, that is highly likely. Most probably HCA is self-funded, directly assuming all financial risk for its employee benefit plan. UnitedHealthcare is likely just a provider of administrative services to the employer and its covered employees, in what is often referred to as an ASO arrangement, meaning administrative services only.

Why does this matter? Many reasons, but first, UHC and similar organizations like people to think of them as the insurer because it enhances brand strength in expanding their very profitable role as an intermediary in health care transactions. In the C suite, however, health plan executives and investors are happy to avoid the financial uncertainty of health care utilization, instead enjoying the predictability of administrative earnings, including through the delivery of Rx benefits. UHC is essentially a very large ASO, as is Cigna, CVS, Elevance (formerly Anthem), and many of the larger Blue Cross and Blue Shield entities. These companies get to access the clients finances to fund health care in advancing their market-share business objectives.

Second, the other two key parties in most three-way medical transactions, patients and providers, are very often ignorant of this, which muddies the issues that arise in disputed claims, and broader health care policy. Self-funded benefits are not analogous to insurance in many important respects, and the use of the word insurance interchangeably has led to confusion and unintended policy consequences. KFF Health News is well positioned to correct this key misunderstanding. Your work on patient billing dilemmas is a great place to address this. In the article about Sara McLin (if I have correctly surmised that UHC is the administrator and not the insurer), UHC could simply be identified as the administrator. Most readers and NPR listeners would grasp that subtle but important difference.

KFF provides an excellent, clear picture of commercial employment-based health care benefit financing in the annual Employer Health Benefits Survey. As noted in this years report, 65% of employees are participants in self-funded plans. This number continues to increase.

My dive into this somewhat esoteric nomenclature topic might be viewed as a bit obsessive. In my 35-plus-year career in health care payment, however, I have repeatedly seen how this misunderstanding has fueled conflict at the patient/provider level and resulted in misguided public policy. I hope you and your readers find these comments of some use.

 Marc Marion, Oklahoma City

We might have all dealt with something like this. Frustrating as both a doc and patient. More ironic since family employed by HCA. https://t.co/xqrQjqBoUY  Philip Chen (@DrPhil_ENT) April 8, 2023

 Philip Chen, San Antonio

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

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COLUMBUS JUNCTION  The second reading of an ordinance amendment that will raise sewer rates in Columbus Junction was passed Wednesday by the City Council, which then also waived the third and final reading.

The council had previously approved the first reading of the amendment at its April 12 meeting. Under the amendment, the new rates will continue to be based on the amount of water used.

Under the new rates the minimum monthly fee for the first 2,000 gallons of water or fewer will be increased to $20. The next 48,000 or fewer per month will be billed at $6.80 per 1,000 gallons. Any usage over 50,000 gallons will cost $1.25 per 1,000 gallons.

The decision to raise the city sewer rates will also boost the monthly payments paid by the cities of Columbus City and Fredonia, which are connected to the Columbus Junction system.

In an update he provided after the meeting, Mayor Mark Huston said those figures still needed to be worked out. Huston said the new rates would go into effect July 1.

City officials had previously reported rates needed to increase to help fund a nearly $1.5 million sewer treatment system upgrade required by the state of Iowa.

Although the city obtained a $300,000 Community Development Block Grant and earmarked $270,000 of its America Rescue Plan (ARP) allocation to the project, the shortfall needed to be covered by a State Revolving Fund loan.

According to Huston, Columbus Junction would need to raise an additional $5,865 each month to cover the annual loan payment. He also calculated the annual cost to the other two cities.

Columbus Citys increased payment will be $1,167 per month and Fredonias additional cost will be $993 per month, but Huston said the price per gallon cost for those communities still needed to be determined.

While Columbus City and Fredonia officials will need to determine how to collect the additional cost from its residents, Columbus Junctions 809 metered properties will see higher monthly sewer bills based on the amount of water used.

Huston also reported the county treasurers office had contacted the city to learn if officials had any interest in obtaining the tax certificate for 414 Main St. Huston said the council agreed to seek acquisition of the property, which is owned by Dean Jensen, Letts (dba Jns Properties).

Huston said he would plan to meet with the Board of Supervisors and seek a waiver of the current back taxes.

In final action, Huston said representatives of Kluesner Construction, Farley, met with the council to discuss street repair and paving needs. A company proposal is expected to be presented at the councils next meeting for possible action,

The council also received an update on the Louisa Regional Solid Waste Agency from Jeff Vonnahme, city representative to the agency.
Domingo and Maria Morales boast 40 years of experience with traditional Mexican baked goods and are now offering them to the people of Muscatine.

After opening on April 2, their bakery, Panaderia El Chuy, at 1500 Park Ave., Suite 2, regularly sees plenty of customers leaving with their arms full of freshly baked goods. The couple offers breads, cookies, cakes and other pastries. Their favorite, and possibly the best seller of the business, is the empanadas and conchas. They started making baked goods in their home and treated their friends with them. While living in Minnesota, they opened their first store. The couple has also run stores in West Liberty and Columbus Junction.

Much of our life we have been making bread, so we decided to open a bakery, Maria Morales said.

The business is named after their late son Jesus, nicknamed Chuy.

As they closed the bakery in Columbus Junction, a friend told them of an open store front in Muscatine. They chose to open in Muscatine.

The bakery is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.

As the bakery grows, the couple hopes to pursue new opportunities. Maria Morales said the reason they were in Muscatine was to serve the community bread.

We hope to succeed with this one and slowly see if we can expand to other areas, she said.
Kirsten Neuschafer has become the first woman to win the Golden Globe Race.

Neuschafer and 15 other competitors, who were all men, set off from Les Sables-d'Olonne, France on Sept. 4, 2022, with the aim of making it around the world via the five Great Capes before returning to the coastal town in the west of France.

Entrants race solo, non-stop, and in boats that are reminiscent of the 'Golden Age' of solo sailing  the yachts have to be designed before 1988 and are without electronic instruments or autopilots.

The race is based on the 1968-69 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race which saw Sir Robin Knox-Johnston become the first person to circumnavigate the globe, sailing solo on his boat Suhaili without stopping.

By the time the South African Neuschafer crossed the line Thursday, only two other sailors were on course to complete the race without stopping.

After finishing with an official time of 233 days, 20 hours, 43 minutes and 47 seconds, Neuschafer said her boat  Minnehaha  had been her "companion," throughout the adventure.

"I talked to her a lot. I even got angry with her, but I love her very much," the victor explained per Sail-World. "It's a fast, elegant boat, on which I worked a lot for a year. I had the will to win as soon as I registered for the race and I did all my preparations accordingly."

Neuschafer also touched on the issue of gender given she was the only woman in the race, adding: "I wanted to win, not as a woman. I didn't want to be in a separate category but to compete on equal terms with all the skippers."

The mayor of Les Sables-d'Olonne Yannick Moreau praised the magnitude of the 40-year-old Neuschafer's achievement.

"The only woman at the start of the longest sporting event in the world came out on top and became a legend. It is truly a historic moment that we have just experienced inLes Sables-d'Olonne," said Moreau.

"By her sporting feat, her courage, her heroism ... Kirsten became a model and a world reference. In Les Sables d'Olonne, we are happy and proud to see her legend born."

Not only did Neuschafer win, but during the race the South African diverted from her path to rescue fellow competitor Tapio Lehtinen.

Lehtinen's boat sank, and the Finnish skipper was stranded for over 24 hours in the southern Indian Ocean. The eventual winner was the first to reach Lehtinen and rescue her fellow competitor.

"We drank a rum together and then we sent him on his merry way .. No congratulations needed for the rescue, everyone would do the same for another sailor, thank you guys for coordinating it," Neuschafer told the race website.

Milestones in women's history from the year you were born Milestones in women's history from the year you were born 1919: National Women's Party sparks 'Watchfires of Freedom' 1920: The 19th Amendment becomes law 1921: Edith Wharton wins the Pulitzer Prize 1922: First woman serves in the Senate 1923: Equal Rights Amendment is first proposed 1924: First woman diplomat gets to work 1925: Nellie Tayloe Ross becomes the first woman governor in the U.S. 1926: Gertrude Ederle swims the English Channel 1927: Women petition to become 'persons' in Canada 1928: Britain's Equal Franchise Act becomes law 1929: Nigeria's Women's War wins rights 1930: Frances Marion writes Oscar-winning 'The Big House' 1931: Jackie Mitchell strikes out two of baseball's best 1932: Amelia Earhart's first solo flight across the Atlantic 1933: First female Cabinet member is appointed 1934: First woman serves on board of directors of a major corporation 1935: National Council of Negro Women is founded 1936: Wallis Simpson is Time's first female Person of the Year 1937: First woman climbs the Adirondack High Peaks 1938: First woman wins the Nobel Prize in Literature 1939: Kitty O'Brien Joyner is NASA's first woman engineer 1940: First African American woman wins an Oscar 1941: Wonder Woman debuts 1942: First woman is awarded Purple Heart medal 1943: Women's Army Corps is created 1944: French women win the right to vote 1945: Ireland's laundry workers go on strike 1946: UN establishes the Commission on the Status of Women 1947: First woman wins a Nobel Prize in medicine 1948: UN Declaration of Human Rights debuts 1949: 'The Second Sex' is published 1950: First girl plays Little League baseball 1951: Rosalind Franklin makes crucial DNA discoveries 1952: Grace Hopper revolutionizes computers 1953: First woman breaks the sound barrier 1954: UN Convention on the Political Rights of Women goes into force 1955: Rosa Parks sparks Montgomery Bus Boycott 1956: Women march on Pretoria 1957: First television show built around a female protagonist airs 1958: First woman wins multiple Grammys 1959: Tibetan Women's Uprising commences 1960: Sri Lanka elects world's first female prime minister 1961: India bans dowries 1962: Katherine Johnson helps send a man to space 1963: Betty Friedan publishes 'The Feminine Mystique' 1964: First woman of color elected to Congress 1965: Dolores Huerta directs a five-year strike 1966: National Organization for Women is founded 1967: First woman runs the Boston Marathon 1968: Miss America ignites 'bra burning' protests 1969: Nation's first 'no fault' divorce law passes 1970: First woman plays American football 1971: Reed v. Reed is decided 1972: Title IX goes into effect 1973: Roe v. Wade is decided 1974: Women earn the right to open their own credit cards 1975: Icelandic women go on strike 1976: First class of women enters West Point 1977: First woman wins an EGOT 1978: Pregnancy Discrimination Act passes 1979: UN adopts the Women's Bill of Rights 1980: First democratically elected female president takes office 1981: First woman is appointed to the Supreme Court 1982: First African American principal ballerina leads a U.S. company 1983: Sally Ride becomes first American woman in space 1984: First woman is selected VP candidate for a major political party 1985: Guerilla Girls forms 1986: Oprah becomes first woman to own and produce her own talk show 1987: First woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 1988: Switzerland establishes Federal Office of Gender Equality 1989: First woman receives IBM fellowship 1990: First female president of the Americas is elected 1991: Anita Hill testifies before the Senate 1992: Junko Tabei finishes climbing the Seven Summits 1993: Family Medical Leave Act becomes law 1994: Violence Against Women Act passes 1995: Fourth World Conference on Women commences 1996: United States v. Virginia is decided 1997: First female secretary of state joins Cabinet 1998: Senegalese mothers end female circumcision in their villages 1999: Google's first female engineer gets to work 2000: Million Mom March commences 2001: Take Back the Night Foundation forms 2002: U.K.'s Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) Act passes 2003: Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace ends a civil war 2004: March for Women's Lives takes place 2005: Kuwait's Blue Revolution secures women's suffrage 2006: Iran's One Million Signatures campaign ends polygamous marriage 2007: First woman Speaker of the House takes the gavel 2008: Rwanda becomes first country with majority-female legislature 2009: Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is signed into law 2010: First woman wins Oscar for Best Director 2011: Saudi Arabian women protest driving ban 2012: UN passes resolution to ban FGC 2013: Pentagon announces end to ban on women in combat 2014: Malala Yousafzai wins the Nobel Peace Prize 2015: Emma Sulkowicz carries her mattress across campus 2016: Hillary Clinton becomes first female presidential candidate for a major party 2017: #MeToo movement takes off 2018: Record-breaking number of women are elected to Congress 2019: First all-woman spacewalk 2020: First woman elected US vice president 2021: Most gender-balanced Olympics in history 2022: Ketanji Brown Jackson becomes first African American woman to serve on US Supreme Court
JERUSALEM  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday shrugged off Disney's lawsuit against him as politically motivated, and said it was time for the iconic company to stop enjoying favorable treatment in his state.

Disney sued DeSantis on Wednesday over the Republican's appointment of a board of supervisors in its self-governed theme park district, alleging the governor waged a "targeted campaign of government retaliation" after the company opposed what critics call the "Don't Say Gay" law.

The legal filing is the latest salvo in a more than year-old feud between Disney and DeSantis that has engulfed the governor in criticism as he is expected to launch a 2024 presidential bid.

"They're upset because they're having to live by the same rules as everybody else. They don't want to pay the same taxes as everybody else and they want to be able to control things without proper oversight," DeSantis said during a visit to Israel. "The days of putting one company on a pedestal with no accountability are over in the state of Florida."

DeSantis was speaking on the third leg of an international trip meant to burnish his foreign policy credentials ahead of a potential campaign for the Republican presidential nomination as a key rival to former President Donald Trump. His multi-country trip in Japan and then traveled to South Korea. After Israel, he heads to Britain.

DeSantis has dived headlong into the fray with Disney, a major driver of tourism and a font for employment in Florida, as business leaders and White House rivals bashed his stance as a rejection of the small-government tenets of conservatism.

The fight began last year after Disney, in the face of significant pressure, publicly opposed the state law that bans classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades.

DeSantis then took over Disney World's self-governing district and appointed a new board of supervisors to oversee municipal services in the sprawling theme parks. Before the new board came in, the company pushed though an 11th-hour agreement that stripped the new supervisors of much of their authority.

The Disney lawsuit asks a federal judge to void the governor's takeover of the theme park district, as well as the DeSantis oversight board's actions, on the grounds that they violate the company's free speech rights.

In a speech at Jerusalem's Museum of Tolerance, DeSantis also spelled out his Middle East policy, speaking of the importance of the U.S.-Israel alliance. He repeated his opposition to the deal aimed to rein in Iran's nuclear program, saying it empowered that country's rulers rather than held them back. Trump withdrew the U.S. from the agreement.

In a critique of President Joe Biden, who voiced concerns last month about a contentious Israeli government plan to overhaul the country's judiciary, DeSantis said the U.S. shouldn't interfere in the way that Israel chooses to be governed.

Photos: Israelis protest proposed judicial changes
WASHINGTON  The number of reported sexual assaults across the military inched up by about 1% last year, as a sharp decline in Army numbers offset large increases in the other three services, according to a new Pentagon report.

The small overall uptick is significantly less than the 13% jump the Defense Department saw in 2021, but it's overshadowed by the fact the Air Force, the Navy and the Marine Corps all had more reports last year than the previous year.

Because the Army is much larger than the other three services, its 9% drop in reported sexual assaults last year drove the overall military increase down. That large decrease comes a year after Army leaders saw a nearly 26% jump in reports involving soldiers  the largest increase for that service since 2013

The Air Force saw the largest increase in reported assaults during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, at 13%, while the Navy had a 9% jump and the Marine Corps went up by about 4%.

Overall, there were more than 8,942 reports of sexual assaults involving service members during the 2022 fiscal year, a slight increase over the 8,866 the year before, according to Thursday's report.

The Pentagon and the military services have come under increasing criticism and pressure from members of Congress to reduce sexual assaults and harassment in the military. The services long struggled to come up with programs to prevent sexual assaults and to encourage reporting, including a number of new initiatives over the past year.

Defense officials argued that an increase in reported assaults is a positive trend because so many people are reluctant to report them, both in the military and society as a whole. Greater reporting, they say, shows there is more confidence in the reporting system, greater comfort with the support for victims, and a growing number of offenders who are being held accountable.

Nate Galbreath, acting director of the Pentagon's sexual assault prevention and response office, said the department is using a budget infusion of $479 million this year to hire as many as 2,400 personnel for a new "prevention workforce." He said about 350 were hired and they will be placed in military installations around the world to help commanders address risk factors that lead to sexual assault.

"This is the first time in the 15 years that I've been working this issue for the Department of Defense that I have a fully funded and fully staffed way forward," he told The Associated Press. "I think this is the thing that's going to allow us to really address this. Everybody needs to hold us accountable. They need to watch this space, and we will make good on our promise to address this."

It's unclear whether the latest increase in reports represents a growing problem or whether those who say they were assaulted were just more willing to come forward.

While the military has made inroads in making it easier and safer for service members to come forward, it has had far less success reducing the assaults, which increased nearly every year since 2006. Army leaders acknowledged issues such as sexual assaults, suicides and other problems impact recruiting. All of the services have been struggling to meet recruiting goals.

Asked about the latest report, Heather Hagan, an Army spokeswoman, said Thursday that "while encouraging, we know the Army has much more work to do to prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment."

Army officials were alarmed as they saw the growing numbers last year and began trying to implement new programs; by late fall they said some changes were starting to work.

They said one change involved a training program that soldiers get when they report to their first duty station. It is rolled out right away, and it has soldiers acting out dangerous situations and emphasizes training on how to respond.

The Army officials also said they were beefing up evaluation programs that grade unit leaders.

Galbreath said the rate of sexual assault in the military is about the same as that of the civilian population. However, he acknowledged that "everyone expects more from the military  that when they send their son or daughter off to serve their nation, we have an environment that allows dignity and respect, and everyone has a chance to serve without fear of having to experience a sexual assault."

Galbreath noted that in December the military will begin using independent attorneys to review and prosecute sexual assault cases, rather than unit commanders. That change was forced by Congress members who believed some commanders were biased or opting not to prosecute or punish their troops, making victims reluctant to come forward.

According to the Pentagon report, the number of Air Force sexual assault reports increased from 1,701 in 2021 to 1,928 last year, while the Navy went from 1,883 to 2,052, the Marine Corps went from 1,201 to 1,244 and the Army decreased from 4,081 to 3,718.

The Pentagon releases a report every year on the number of sexual assaults reported by or about troops. Because sexual assault is an underreported crime, the department also does a confidential survey every two years to get a clearer picture. The most recent survey was released last year, so it won't come out again until next year.

States with the most active-duty military members Intro #51. West Virginia #50. Vermont #49. Maine #48. Iowa #47. Minnesota #46. Wisconsin #45. Oregon #44. Michigan #43. Indiana #42. New Hampshire #41. Massachusetts #40. Pennsylvania #39. Tennessee #38. Wyoming #37. Rhode Island #36. Montana #35. South Dakota #34. Idaho #33. Delaware #32. Arkansas #31. Utah #30. Nebraska #29. Connecticut #28. New Jersey #27. Ohio #26. North Dakota #25. Alabama #24. District of Columbia #23. Mississippi #22. Nevada #21. New Mexico #20. Louisiana #19. Missouri #18. Alaska #17. Arizona #16. New York #15. Oklahoma #14. Illinois #13. Kansas #12. Maryland #11. Kentucky #10. South Carolina #9. Colorado #8. Hawaii #7. Washington #6. Florida #5. Georgia #4. North Carolina #3. Texas #2. Virginia #1. California
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  Tens of thousands of people gathered in New Mexico on Friday for what organizers bill as the largest powwow in North America.
DES MOINES  Differences over a hard line on when to send U.S. troops to Ukraine and over ethanol policy were among the few contrasts to emerge during a televised debate Saturday night between the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate in Iowa.

Mike Franken, a retired three-star admiral in the U.S. Navy from Sioux City, was the only candidate to establish a scenario under which he would send U.S. troops to Ukraine to assist in the countrys defense against Russias military invasion, which is in its third month.

There are issues associated with being the worlds broad-shouldered democracy. And I do believe though if (Russian President) Vladimir Putin uses a nuclear weapon against Ukraine, like-minded countries like the United States and others should put American souls along with other nations to help pick up the pieces internal to Ukraine, Franken said. Thats a red line. We must step forward, we cannot let the use of weapons of mass destruction against a large population and a democracy ever be used and go without retort.

Abby Finkenauer, a former congresswoman and state legislator from Cedar Rapids, and Glenn Hurst, a physician from Minden, both said the United States should support economic sanctions on Russia and provide assistance like weapons and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, but should not devote U.S. troops.

I support making sure that we are doing everything we can short of sending in U.S. troops to support Ukraine, whether that is additional spending that were sending over, in terms of weapons, in terms of making sure they have what they need, Finkenauer said.

Said Hurst, We should be sending humanitarian efforts to all of the refugees that are pouring into Poland and countries surrounding the Ukraine. We should be opening up the borders here in Iowa to bring more refugees to our community.

Finkenauer, Franken and Hurst are vying for the Democratic Partys nomination in Iowas 2022 U.S. Senate campaign.

The incumbent is Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, who is running for an eighth six-year term. He also faces a primary challenge, from Sioux City lawyer and state legislator Jim Carlin.

Grassley is widely expected to survive the primary challenge, and the three Democrats clearly agree, as all took turns criticizing Iowas longtime U.S. senator.

Iowas primary election is June 7. Early voting begins May 18.

The second and only other scheduled TV debate for the Senate Democratic primary will be on Iowa PBS and its statewide affiliates. That debate will be broadcast live at 7 p.m. on May 19.

The candidates also had varied viewpoints on ethanol policy. The renewable fuels industry supports roughly 37,000 jobs in Iowa and accounts for nearly $4 billion of the states GDP, according to the Iowa Corn Growers Association.

Finkenauer said she supports President Joe Bidens use of an emergency rule to lift the federal ban on the higher E15 blend of ethanol being sold during the summer driving months. She also said the federal government must ensure oil companies are complying with federal ethanol blending regulations.

This is the time when we should be using what Iowa does best, and we should be making sure that we are supporting that industry, Finkenauer said. But (also) make sure that these big oil companies arent just skirting the rules.

Franken said he also supports the year-round sale of E15, but said that should be considered a temporary solution. He said the government should be looking for alternative uses for ethanol, such as in airplane or ship fuel, or for power generation.

Weve got the latitude and the topsoil and the initiative and the intelligence in this state to reconstruct the energy grid, Franken said. And ethanol will be on the helpful side.

Hurst said the government should move away from financing ethanol production because more new vehicles will be powered by electricity. He said the government should encourage Iowa farmers to produce another crop, and as an example cited hemp and its oils and fibers.

Vehicles are going to be (electric-powered), and we can as a state either try to squeeze every little last drop out of ethanol as we can, or we can take a progressive idea of introducing a third crop into our duopoly of corn and soy and make it a profitable center, a profitable market for Iowa farmers, Hurst said.

In a statement, Republican Party of Iowa Chair Jeff Kaufmann said the Democratic candidates in Iowas U.S. Senate campaign hold extreme positions that are out-of-step with Iowans.

Iowans know these candidates dont have the spine to stand up to Joe Biden and their national party, Kaufmann said in the statement. As inflation continues to skyrocket, the crisis at the border gets worse, and the future of our country looks more and more bleak, these Democrats only solution is to continue down the path toward socialism.

The hourlong debate was hosted and broadcast live by four Iowa TV stations: KCCI-TV in Des Moines, KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids, KTIV-TV in Sioux City and KWQC-TV in Davenport.

Comments: (515) 355-1300, erin.murphy@thegazette.com
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP)  The U.S. Army has grounded aviation units for training after 12 soldiers died within the last month in helicopter crashes in Alaska and Kentucky, the military branch announced Friday.

The suspension of air operations was effective immediately, with units grounded until they complete the training, said Lt. Col. Terence Kelley, an Army spokesperson. For active-duty units, the training is to take place between May 1 and 5. Army National Guard and Reserve units will have until May 31 to complete the training.

The move grounds all Army aviators, except those participating in critical missions, until they complete the required training, the Army said in a statement.

On Thursday, two Army helicopters collided near Healy, Alaska, killing three soldiers and injuring a fourth. The aircraft from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright, near Fairbanks, were returning from training at the time of the crash, according to the Army. The unit is part of the 11th Airborne Division, which is nicknamed the Arctic Angels.

Military investigators were making their way to Alaska's interior, with a team from Fort Novosel, Alabama, expected to arrive at the crash site by Saturday, said John Pennell, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Alaska. Little new information about the crash was released Friday.

The Army on Thursday said two of the soldiers died at the site and the third on the way to a hospital in Fairbanks. The injured fourth soldier was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition Friday, Pennell said. The names of those who were killed were not immediately released.

The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel, Army Chief of Staff James McConville said of the decision to ground flight units for training.

The crash is the second accident involving military helicopters in Alaska this year.

In February, two soldiers were injured when an Apache helicopter rolled after taking off from Talkeetna. The aircraft was one of four traveling to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage from Fort Wainwright.

In March, nine soldiers were killed when two U.S. Army Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed during a routine nighttime training exercise about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

The Army said that while Thursday's crash and the one in Kentucky remain under investigation, there is no indication of any pattern between the two mishaps.

Healy is home to about 1,000 people roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Denali National Park and Preserve, or about 250 miles (400 kilometers) north of Anchorage.

Located on the Parks Highway, the community is a popular place for people to spend the night while visiting Denali Park, which is home to the continents tallest mountain.
Popular city lawyer Danstan Omari has made good on his threat to sue Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichungwah for alleging that he is well-known in Nairobis infamous red-light district, Koinange Street.

About two weeks ago, Omari, through his lawyer Brian Mabeya, served Ichungwah with a demand letter giving him seven days to retract a tweet he sent out in February and apologise lest he faces the law.

The apology never came and as of Thursday, April 27, Kimani Ichungwahs tweet was still up.

Phew! At least am known in Kikuyu by my people unlike the fake media based liar only known along Koinange street! https://t.co/SfhIJ2LHbY  Kimani Ichungwah (@KIMANIICHUNGWAH) February 1, 2023



Omari has now petitioned the court to compel Ichungwah to pay him Sh11 million for damaging his reputation.

In court papers, the lawyers lawyer claims that Ichungwahs tweet was defamatory by way of innuendo, knowing fully well that the insinuation the MP made against his client was untrue.

He published the said offensive and defamatory tweet out of malevolence and spite and without justifiable cause thereby discrediting the good way and the reputation of the plaintiff, court papers read in part.

Advocate Mabeya adds that the tweet has had the effect of potentially ruining Omaris life by planting seeds of doubt and hate in the hearts and minds of people since he is a married man.

In his affidavit, Omari laments that Kimani Ichungwah falsely and maliciously associated him with Koinange Street so as to paint him as an immoral person who keeps the company of sex workers.

He claims the National Assembly Majority Leader had also subjected him to psychological anguish, embarrassment and suffering by infringing on his right to dignity thereby occasioning him loss and damage.

In addition to the Sh11 million compensation, Omari also wants the court to refrain Ichungwah from publishing or causing to be published further defamatory words against him.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has announced plans to set up rehab centres in all counties in the fight against alcoholism and drugs and substance abuse.

Gachagua noted that the situation is bad and if not checked, the country stares at a risk of having an entire generation wiped out.

He was speaking Thursday in a meeting that brought together officials from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution, National Government Administration officers, Kenya Revenue Authority, the Anti-Counterfeit Authority, Kenya Bureau of Standards, and the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse.

Gachagua called for enhanced collaboration among all stakeholders led by the security sector and criminal justice to end alcohol and substance abuse menace in Central Kenya and the country.

The DP said the government has also planned a consultation with counties to deliberate on laws that need to be formulated to fight illicit brew.

We are in talks with county assemblies and they have assured us of their support. We want laws in place by June 30 this year to deal with the menace in the regions, he said.

Gachagua said he held two meetings with the leadership from the central region, seeking a solution to the menace which if successful, would be replicated in all other counties.

We are talking with governors. We want them to identify addicts with the help of community health workers and give them NHIF cover, he said.

It costs between Sh50,000 to Sh120,000 to get rehabilitation services for a minimum of three months. Its a very expensive affair, he added.

Gachagua further urged members of the county assemblies to continue complementing the national government, by formulating laws and policies that will guide the country on how to deal with those found to be aiding the spread of alcohol abuse through production or consumption.

..We have asked for stringent fines and prison terms for people found to manufacture, peddle and consume illicit alcohol, he stated.

The DP reiterated that the government is committed to winning the war by hook or crook.

This war must be won. It will be won through a concerted effort by men and women in this room. Agreeing that we have a problem and a responsibility to save a generation.

Gachagua said after Mt Kenya, the war against alcoholism and substance abuse will head to the South and North Rift, Mombasa, and then Western.

The fight started in Mt Kenya but not because Im from there. It is because statistics show prevalence is very high there, he explained.

There are no people you can employ in Central. Women and young girls are the people working in construction sites, he added.
Motorists in Nairobi will soon be able to enjoy free parking on weekends if Governor Johnson Sakajas proposal is anything to go by.

During the presentation of Finance Bill 2023 by all his County Chief Officers on April 27, 2023, Sakaja said that scrapping weekend parking charges will encourage businesses to open over the weekends.

Sakaja also expects the move to provide residents with an opportunity to support local businesses.

When the Finance Bill 2023 is approved by the County Assembly, I propose a waiver of weekend parking fees in Nairobi, said Sakaja.

The initiative aims to encourage businesses to operate on weekends and provide an opportunity for Nairobi residents to support local businesses.

The governor added: We recognize the current economic challenges, but we must work towards the growth of our city. As Nairobi residents, we take pride in our city, and this move will attract more visitors to the CBD on weekends, further boosting the economy.

Sakaja said his administration will ensure that there is security provision round the clock.

Other leading cities in the world are very vibrant during the weekends. Nairobi should adopt the same vibrancy. As this will ensure growth.
The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) has sounded a warning to online content creators using social media platforms to host explicit live streams.

KFCB acting CEO Christopher Wambua expressed concern that some social media apps like TikTok have been turned into digital brothels where adult content is served in blatant breach of the law.

Wambua also said the board was concerned by the leaking of intimate pictures on social media.

We have noted that some apps are being transformed into digital brothels from midnight onwards. Equally worrying is the non-consensual dissemination of intimate images or videos of individuals in violation of privacy laws. As a society, we need to step back for a moment and reflect on the following: Are we losing the values that define us as a people?  he posed.

The KFCB boss also spoke out against sharing graphic content online, citing the incident where a woman was filmed stabbing her child multiple times in Kitengela.

Put differently, have we lost our African philosophy of Ubuntuism loosely defined as I am because you are? As a society, are we beginning to revel in and celebrate seeing others go down? Are we harnessing the true value of social media in general and film in particular? Have we, as a people, normalised violence and misogyny to the point of being insensitive to these vices? he asked.

Mr Wambua stressed the importance of child online safety, especially at a time when schools are closed for holidays.

Social media users need to reflect on child online safety before sharing video/film content on digital platforms. If in doubt, they should make reference to the film classification guidelines which KFCB uses to assign age-appropriate ratings.

We also urge registered audio-visual content platforms and operators across the country to ensure they adhere to the provisions of cap 222 and other laws, including creating content that does not compromise our culture, moral values and national aspirations, the Ag CEO said.

The films board warned that the distribution of obscene films is outlawed and those streaming explicit sexual content on social media risk arrest and prosecution.

Wambua said the Board will continue to monitor different platforms as it collects evidence that will be forwarded to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations(DCI).
Following the arrests of controversial preachers, Paul Mackenzie and Ezekiel Odero, popular city preacher James Nganga has dared the government to arrest him.

Pastor Nganga welcomed the proposed regulation of churches in Kenya saying the government should go after rogue clerics.

I did not go to school but my phone receives money. The government should come for you and they will come, let them come for you and me included. Come and arrest us it is too much now, he said.

The Neno Evangelism founding pastor slammed preachers who prey on their followers for money. He also spoke out against Mackenzies starvation practice saying his church can never force people to fast.

We dont practice that in our church, you can come with biscuits and eat, is it a must to eat? Even if I tell you not to eat, do you have the faith to withstand that?

In Jerusalem(his mega-church on a 50-acre piece of land in Kajiado), you eat tea and two toasts in the morning and evening and if you are sick there is a kiosk you can eat. Eat because it is your stomach and you are praising your own God, not mine, Nganga said.

The televangelist, who is out of the country, said that when he returns to Kenya, he expects to find police at the airport waiting to arrest him.

Also Read  Pastor Nganga is Selling His Sh800m Naivasha Hotel To Set Up Church in U.S
Postmortem and DNA tests on the 98 bodies recovered from Shakahola forest in Kilifi, Malindi county begins today, Friday, April 27.

This after the Kenya Red Cross Society, in partnership with the ICRC Nairobi Regional Delegation, dispatched a mobile morgue to Malindi Sub-County Hospital for the preservation of Shakahola massacre bodies.

Speaking after receiving the refrigerated container on Wednesday, Kilifi County executive committee member for Health, Peter Mwarogo said the bodies would be transferred to the container to begin autopsy and DNA tests to establish the identities of the victims and their cause of death.

The makeshift morgue is able to preserve up to 300 bodies and comes as a welcome relief to the overwhelmed Malindi mortuary which has a capacity of 30.

The CEC Member for Health was accompanied by his Disaster counterpart Felkin Kaingu, together with the Kenya Red Cross Regional Coordinator Hasan Musa, Kilifi County Principal Officer for Monitoring and Evaluation Rev. Tom Dawa.

On his part, Musa said so far they have recorded 322 people who are missing. He said they plan to increase more volunteers and personnel to help in the process and psychosocial support.
Christine Nambengera Masika, a suspect accused of stealing her grandson and trying to sell him was arraigned before a Makadara court this week.

According to court details, Masika, jointly with others not before the court, was trying to sell the male infant at Sh400,000 on April 9 at Afro Sayari Club along the Eastern Bypass in Nairobi.

The court heard that on April 3, a woman identified as Donilla Nafula delivered a baby boy at Navakholo Hospital.

Reports show that Nafula, who is the suspects daughter, is a Form Three student.

Five days after Nafula delivered, Masika is said to have traveled from Nairobi to Kakamega and convinced the family that she would take of the infant in the capital city.

Upon her return to Nairobi, police said Masika struck a deal with a woman to sell the baby for Sh400,000.

But unbeknown to her, someone privy to the deal alerted the police. Undercover detectives then posed as potential customers and negotiated the price to Sh300,000 and set a location to buy the baby.

The cops from Kasarani Police Station nabbed the woman on Sunday, April 9.

Appearing before Makadara Principal Magistrate Agnes Mwangi, the 39-year-old suspect denied child trafficking charges.

The court ordered that the matter be heard on May 9.
A Napa dog owner was given until Friday to surrender as many as 20 Goldendoodle dogs that she has allegedly been keeping illegally at her property.

On Tuesday, Napa County Superior Court Judge Diane Price ordered Melinda Stewart to bring her 20 dogs to the Napa County Animal Shelter by 3 p.m. Friday.

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In addition, during those proceedings, Stewart is not allowed to have contact with her neighbors about the dogs or possess or breed any canines.

Napa County Animal Control is also authorized to inspect Stewarts property and seize any dogs found after Friday. Stewart lives in the 4000 section of Dry Creek Road.

Goldendoodles on the loose in Napa Valley An off-leash pack of fluffy Goldendoodles has been roaming around Dry Creek Road in Napa. The DA's office has charged the owner with 19 criminal complaints.

For more than two years, residents around Dry Creek Road in west Napa have reported that a pack of Goldendoodles has been roaming the winding country roads and neighboring properties.

Earlier this year, the Napa County District Attorneys Office charged Stewart with 19 criminal complaints. Those misdemeanor counts included dogs at large and public nuisance from periods including September 2022 to this March.

The district attorney's office has since updated that complaint to 32 counts of dogs at large, public nuisance and assault on a peace officer.

On Tuesday, Napa County Deputy District Attorney Shashawnya Worley said that Animal Control had been to Stewart over 100 times due to stray dogs.

A trial set for June 12 could include testimony from neighbors, sheriffs deputies and sergeants, and animal shelter workers.

Photos: 'Wild' Goldendoodles roam Napa country roads Goldendoodles of Napa Goldendoodles of Napa Goldendoodles of Napa Goldendoodles of Napa Goldendoodles of Napa Goldendoodles of Napa Goldendoodles of Napa Goldendoodle Goldendoodle Goldendoodles of Napa Goldendoodles of Napa Goldendoodles of Napa
LEMOORE, Calif.  Ron Caetano is packed and ready to go. His family photos and valuables are in the trailer and he's put food in carry totes. He moved the rabbits and chickens and their automatic feeders to higher ground.

He and his family and dogs could get out in less than an hour, they figure, should more heavy rain or hot weather melt so much mountain snow that gushing water overwhelms the rivers and channel that surround their tight-knit, rural Central California community and give it its name, the Island District.

"The water is coming this way," said Caetano, who started a Facebook group to help organize his neighbors. "I am preparing for the worst and praying for the best and that's all we can do."

After more than a dozen atmospheric rivers dumped epic rain and snowfall on California, a reservoir that stores water upstream is expected to receive three times its capacity in coming months. Caetano and his neighbors in the tree-lined Island District, about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, could soon be marooned by rising rivers or flooded out.

Water managers are concerned that the spring snowmelt in the Sierra Nevada will be so massive that the north fork of the Kings River won't be able to contain it and carry it toward the Pacific Ocean. Much of the water also is being channeled into the river's south fork, which winds through the area near the small city of Lemoore to fill a vast basin.

More than a century ago, that basin was an enormous body of freshwater known as Tulare Lake, the largest west of the Mississippi River. It would grow in winter as snowmelt streamed down from the mountains. Over time, settlers dammed and diverted waterways to irrigate crops, and the lake went dry. Now, Tulare Lake reappears only during the rainiest years, like this one, covering what is now a vast swath of farmland with water.

Today, paved roads vanish beneath the lake's lapping waves and utility poles and trees jut out above the water, vestiges of land-living put on hold. Fields that typically grow wheat, tomatoes, and other crops lie underneath.

David Merritt, general manager for the Kings River Conservation District, said the Pine Flat Reservoir about 50 miles upstream can hold up to 1 million acre feet of water, but is expected to receive more than 3 million acre feet this spring from the melting snow. Officials have been forced to increase the flow of water out of the reservoir to make space for more, Merritt said.

"Once we're at capacity, now you're putting a lot of stress on those conveyance channels," he said. "It's a very fast moving stream and it's very deep right now."

Island District residents revived a decades-old network of neighbors for the first time since 1983 to assist one another in a crisis. The last time the Island Property Protection Association activated, there was no such thing as text messages or even emails to quickly spread the word, said Tony Oliveira, a former county supervisor and the network's administrator.

In a week, more than 200 people volunteered to help neighbors through the network, and the group's website received more than 4,000 hits.

California's parched cities and desperate growers, who have been grappling with intense drought for the past several years, welcomed the winter rains. The state long tended toward wet and dry periods, but scientists at University of California, San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography said they expect climate change will lead to drier dry years and wetter wet years.

If temperatures remain cool, snow will melt slowly, with water gradually flowing from the mountains. A hot spell could send massive amounts of water churning through rivers that could potentially overflow, officials said. A beaver or a squirrel that tears a hole in a levee also could bring trouble.

Rising temperatures have many residents on edge. Park officials announced plans to temporarily close part of Yosemite National Park starting Friday due to the threat of flooding. Reservations for campgrounds and lodging in eastern Yosemite Valley will automatically be canceled and refunded.

Michael Anderson, California's state climatologist, said water inflows into some reservoirs are expected to double though he doesn't expect the warming trend to cause immediate flooding in residential areas.

In the coming weeks and months, that could change. Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the reemerged lake Tuesday and said the worst is likely yet to come as more water reaches the basin.

"Where we're standing likely will be underwater in a matter of weeks, if not months," he said. "That's very sobering."

It isn't the first time Kings County, home to 150,000 people in the fertile San Joaquin Valley, has faced these challenges.

Many longtime residents recall when Tulare Lake reappeared 40 years ago. Officials believe crops will remain under water much longer this time due to the massive snowpack, said Dusty Ference, executive director of the Kings County Farm Bureau. To date, more than 60,000 acres of farmland have flooded, he said.

Near the lake, the city of Corcoran, which is home to 22,000 people including 8,000 state prisoners, began emergency construction to raise a levee that protects the community. The water behind the levee is already at 178 feet, just 10 feet below the top. Officials want to raise the levee another 3.5 feet, city officials said.

"If that water rises above that amount, we will have water coming into our city and we will be in a critical situation," city manager Greg Gatzka said.

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I definitely appreciate the work of the EU monitoring mission in Armenia. Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, Edward Asryan, told this to reporters in Jermuk city.

"We resolve at a proper level all the issues, problems that have arisen. First of all, we undertake the provision of their military security, both when working in the area and during transportation, and we collaborate also on the other tasks set before us. Based on the results of our work in the three-month period, I can also say, regarding the monitoring mission, that they are fulfilling the task set before them," said the chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces.

To the remark that it became known that the EU monitoring mission was passing information on its patrols to Azerbaijan, and asked whether this not a concern for Armenia, Asryan responded: "The implementation of such work is beyond the functions of the [Armenian] Armed Forces, and I do not have this information."
Iran condemns the incitement of war and unilateral sanctions, and prefers dialogue on the situation in Ukraine. Mohsen Naziri Asl, Permanent Representative of Iran at the UN and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, said this in an interview with RIA Novosti.

"The principle position of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has become a victim of war, threats and unilateral sanctions imposed by the US and the West, is to respect the UN Charter and international law, including the non-use of force or the threat of force, territorial integrity, and sovereign equality. Iran condemns war and unilateral sanctions, prefers dialogue and diplomacy in resolving disputes between states," said the Iranian diplomat.

Also, he noted that Iran "condemns the hegemonic mentality and one-sided approach of the United States and some other Western countries during the Cold War, which are expressed in national politics and regional alliances" such as NATO, "which has become the source of many crises in the world, including one of the main causes of the crisis in Ukraine."
Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, Edward Asryan, showed at the very positions to visiting French foreign minister Catherine Colonna in Jermuk city how far the Azerbaijanis have penetrated into the sovereign territory of Armenia as a result of their military operations on September 13-14 of last year.

"I will show in the immediate area what danger the adversary's presence in the territory of Armenia poses for the city of Jermuk. The total surface penetrated area is 60.06 square kilometers, with a front of about 11 kilometers, a depth of about 8 kilometers. According to our assessment, the armed forces of Azerbaijan were aiming to attack the city of Jermuk and inflict serious economic blows on Armenia.

"Moreover, after the end of the 44-day military actions [in 2020], their steps had begun since May 12, 2021. At that time, the actions resembled the fulfillment of tasks with the use of soft power, whereas on September 13-14, 2022, they were military aggression against Armenia," said, in particular, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces.

He added that Armenia suffered both human and territorial losses as a result of these military actions.

"Currently, the adversary is located in the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia in an area of about 139 square kilometers," Asryan added.

Also, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces showed the French FM where the Azerbaijani positions were before the military aggression of last September and where they are now.
Catherine Colonna, the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, says the obstruction by Azerbaijan of movement along the Lachin corridor is unacceptable and is fraught with serious dangers of economic and humanitarian crisis for the population of Nagorno Karabakh.

In an interview with Armenpress, Colonna stressed that this conduct by Azerbaijan also obstructs the peace talks with Armenia, to which Prime Minister Pashinyan is decisively committed to, and it poses a serious threat to regional stability, which is already deeply impacted by the current geopolitical context.

As per the French PM, a few weeks ago the International Court of Justice delivered a ruling, demanding Azerbaijan to take all means within its authority to ensure movement along the Lachin corridor.

The ruling is binding for everyone, and it must be respected. In this regard, the decision by Azerbaijan to install a checkpoint at the entrance of the new road in Lachin corridor is deeply concerning, as noted by the European Union and the United States, Colonna added.

The French FM stressed that her country wants all disputes to be resolved exclusively through negotiations.

This is the foundation of Frances commitment, next with the EU. And I am visiting Azerbaijan and Armenia this week to make this call to responsibility, resumption of talks, and respect for the law to be heard, Colonna added.

We want negotiations to beginwith support of the international communitybetween the representatives of Nagorno Karabakh and the Azerbaijani authorities around the content of the populations rights and guarantees. This implies that favorable conditions must be created for the negotiations, namely around the issue of restoring free movement along the Lachin corridor.

France will support any solution that would allow to guarantee that the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh can continue to live there safely, by preserving its history, heritage, and culture. It is their inalienable right, the French FM noted.
Presidents of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Petr Pavel and Zuzana Caputova, visited Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Friday, the blesk.cz portal reported.

The heads of the two states will hold talks with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and will meet with the heads of his government.

This joint visit was planned immediately after Pavel was elected president in January.

Due to security reasons, the date of this trip was not announced in advance.

The Czech Republic and Slovakia provide comprehensive assistance to Ukraine. During the visit, their presidents plan to show support to Kyiv again.

The news portal denikn.cz, for its part, recalled that the incumbent Czech president is visiting Ukraine for the first time since October 2013, when his predecessor, Milos Zeman, had visited that country. Pavel and Caputova, as reported by the portal, came to Kyiv by train. Also, they will visit some regions near the Ukrainian capital. The heads of these states plan to meet with representatives of the Crimean Tatars, too, the portal noted.
The establishment of a defense mission in the French embassy in Armenia shall enable us to deepen bilateral cooperation in this key area as well. Catherine Colonna, the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, stated this in an interview with Armenpress.

She noted that France is decisively supporting the efforts by Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyans government aimed at strengthening democracy and the rule of law in Armenia and developing the economy.

The courageous choice of democracy by Armenia must receive support, to which we are committed to together with other members of the international community and the European Union.

In December 2021 we signed an ambitious roadmap for economic cooperation, and recently the Ambitions: France-Armenia Forum was held in Paris, and we opened an office of the French Development Agency (AFD) in Yerevan. The AFD is engaged in productive dialogue with the authorities of Armenia to implement new projects, particularly in the fields of water and sustainable energy.

Last year the volumes of our bilateral trade grew significantly, and we try to continue this trend, including by supporting French companies who want to invest in Armenia, like Veolia, Pernod Ricard, Carrefour, and Amundi-Acba.

Regarding defense, the establishment of a defense mission in the French Embassy in Armenia shall enable us to deepen bilateral cooperation in this key area as well, the French FM said.
Regarding the regional situation and Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, the only goal of France and the European Union is to having the climate of peace and trust restored. Catherine Colonna, the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, told this to reporters in Jermuk, Armenia.

She noted that only a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan will enable to truly resolve all other issues arising from this situation.

Colonna noted that it was important for her to visit Jermuk town in order to show support to the EU monitoring mission which is doing important work in the area, and to see the situation with her own eyes.

"Naturally, we learn about the situation on the basis of documents; but seeing on location with our own eyes is also very important. And with this visit, we once again reaffirm our support and assistance to the friendly Armenian people. You understand everything better when you see it with your own eyes. Seeing the [Azerbaijani] advancement on these new positions, we understand the situation better and once again underscore this mission," the French FM said.

Colonna noted that France condemns all unilateral steps, as well as Azerbaijans non-fulfillment of the decision of the International Court of Justice. According to her, this is the legal reality, and non-fulfillment undermines the already existing climate of distrust.
Catherine Colonna, the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, announced the possibility of a new meeting between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Chisinau.

At Fridays joint press conference in Yerevan with Armenian foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Colonna, reacting to the remark that calls do not affect Azerbaijan, emphasized that unilateral steps cannot be useful and cannot contribute to the peace process.

According to her, the international community and the International Criminal Court agree with this principled position. French FM announced that there is a negotiation process, in which Armenia boldly got engaged, and the process should be expanded and developed.

"We haven't talked about newbilateral, trilateral or multilateralmeetings yet. Based on what was achieved in Prague, it is important to find new points of agreement in new meetings. The [Armenian foreign] minister will say better about that. Maybe at the planned meeting in Chisinau for the summit of the European Political Community, we will be able, we hope, to hold a high-level dialogue, as on October 6 in Prague. The process is ongoing," the French FM noted.

According to her, at this phase the international community can talk about principles and rights, but also act and accompany, contribute to the process.

The summit of the European Political Community is slated for June 1 in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova.
At 12:15pm on Friday, the Askeran regional department of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Police received a report from Sevak Petrosyan, prefect of Nakhichevanik village, that a person was shot at from Azerbaijani combat positions while carrying out agricultural work in the aforesaid village, Artsakh Police inform Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The police inspector who was dispatched to the scene of this incident found out that at around 11:05am, when Askeran city resident Artur Ramazyan was carrying out agricultural work in the pomegranate field in Nakhichevanik village with a tractor, shots were fired at the tractor from the adjacent Azerbaijani combat positions.

As a result, this civilian stopped his agricultural work.

The report on this incident has been forwarded to the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Artsakh.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on amendments to the CSTO charter, according to which members of organizations cooperate, including in the sphere of biological security.

The corresponding document was published on the official portal of legal information.

"The fourth protocol stipulates that the member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) cooperate in the area of biological security, among other things. In addition, it establishes the possibility of early termination of the CSTO Secretary General by decision of the CSTO Collective Security Council," says an explanatory note to the document.

The law provides for the ratification of the fourth protocol on amendments to the charter of the CSTO of October 7, 2002, signed on August 26, 2022.
Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, the U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, has been named to Time magazines 100 Most Influential People of 2023.

An Emory faculty member for three decades, Lipstadt is on a leave of absence from her role as Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies in the Tam Institute for Jewish Studies and the Department of Religion.

Beyond the classroom, Lipstadt may be best known for making history in her own right when she was sued for libel by David Irving, a Holocaust denier from Britain, in the wake of her groundbreaking 1993 book Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory. The case, which was filed in England, ended with a verdict in April 2000 in favor of Lipstadt, proving her accusations against Irving were true.

When Lipstadt had to take up temporary residence in England during the trial, it was with Emorys support and reassurance that the courtroom will be your classroom. She documented the trial in her book History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier (2006), and her landmark stand for historic truth inspired the 2017 motion picture Denial, which was filmed in part on Emorys campus and starred Academy Award-winning actor Rachel Weisz as Lipstadt.

President Joe Biden nominated Lipstadt to serve in the ambassador role. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in March 2022 and sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris on May 24.

For the Time 100 list, Lipstadt is among 13 honorees in the Titans section, which also includes Beyonce, Lionel Messi, Elon Musk and Angela Bassett, among others.

Each listing includes a short essay about the honoree written by an expert in their field. Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, writes about Lipstadt, describing how she is tirelessly working to protect Jewish communities, and to build a world where all are safe and protected.

A distinguished scholar, Deborah has courageously taken on antisemitism on campus, in the courts, and in the halls of power, Greenblatt writes. Now she is battling the oldest hatred at a moment when anti-Jewish hate has surged to record levels in the U.S. and around the world.

Deborah has aptly noted that antisemitism might start with the Jews, but it never ends with the Jews, he continues. And so her work  fearlessly calling on the international community to ensure that Jews everywhere can live safely and practice their faith freely  is critical not only for Jewish people, but also for ensuring a society free of bigotry and intolerance for all people.
Charged with using their cameras to tell the stories of extraordinary individuals, student filmmakers in the M.F.A. Documentary program have crafted short narrative films that explore a spectrum of inspiring personalitiesa Ukrainian ballet dancer, a reformed felon in Coconut Grove, and entrepreneurial sisters who share their love for dance.

The films were generated as part of the coursework for students in the first cohort of the new documentary program in the University of Miami School of Communication, and they are all entries in the Canes Film Festival that kicks off this weekend.

Sanjeev Chatterjee, professor in the School of Communication, explained that the idea for the Human Book project takes a page from the Human Library Organisation, an international nonprofit headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. The learning platform uses the arts to create a safe space for dialogue, challenge stereotypes, and to unjudge someone.

Our Human Book project is loosely based on that idea. It allows for students to find a subject who they always wanted to meet or talk with, but never had the chance, and to try and make a portrait of them on video, explained Chatterjee, a filmmaker himself who has focused on global documentary work.

The project launched with the arrival of the first cohort of six students in the M.F.A. Documentary program last fall and Chatterjee plans to continue it. The interdisciplinary program combines cinematic arts with journalism.

Oana Martisca Whaples, originally from Romania, has focused her Dancing for Ukraine film on Yuliia Moskalenko, a Ukrainian ballerina who escaped from Kyiv during the Russian invasion and has found a new home with Miami City Ballet.

Moskalenko, formerly a principal in Ukraines preeminent ballet company, the National Opera of Ukraine, was granted a visa to the United States. Once with the Miami City Ballet, however, she suffered a serious injury during performanceputting her career in jeopardy.

Whaples film focuses on the ballerinas journey of both physical and emotional recovery.

The film focuses on Yuliias love for dance and determination to get back on stage, but also gives a glimpse into resilience from war, the artistic power of expression, and the healing part of art, she explained.

Whaples had been living in New York and developing a creative career as a painter, a writer, and photojournalist. She moved to Peru where, while exploring rain forest wildlife in the Amazon jungle, she became increasingly motivated to express what she was experiencing through film.

I was painting and taking pictures but began to feel that film had something that I could not find in other mediums, she explained. She learned of the University program and connected via Zoom with Jim Virga, the programs advisor. Very encouraged, she applied for and was granted a scholarship to attend.

Once on campus and in the program, she talked to a friend who happened to know a close friend of Moskalenkos. She reached out to the ballerina, and the two arranged to meet over dinner.

They agreed to collaborate and their meetings continuedat the ballet companys studios, the Lennar Foundation Medical Center for therapy sessions, and at the beachas the films storyline unfolded.

My film explores the concept of homeland, what we make it to be, and especially about resilience, Whaples said. Resilience in relation to her injuryYuliia does not allow herself to think about it or to cry because of the pain she feels for the war in her country. She feels that she does not have the right to show her weakness, she added. Im so impressed by her strength and finding how this relates to art and its ability to empower us.

In addition to the Canes Film Festival, Whaples film will be screened by FilmGate on July 26 at Silverspot Cinema in downtown Miami.

Zanolee Grants film, "One Shot," focuses on Gator Overtown, a man whose appearance caught her eye in Coconut Grove and whom she later discovered, through a series of meetings, had spent time in prison for attempted murder but has grown to become a contributing and revered member of the community.

Gator is representative of the possibility of redemption, and my film tries to capture the idea that good people can do bad things yet redeem themselves for the community good, Grant said.

Learning his story changed my ideas about looking at a person and coming to validate them and how they can become a member of society, she noted.

Grant, with roots in Honduras, grew up in central Florida. She volunteered often in her church group, got involved in civic groups, and became a union organizer and helped to register voters through Organize for America.

After she earned her B.A., she went back to Honduras for several months just to gather my thoughts and figure out what I wanted to do and became intrigued by the history and plight of the people in Honduras Bay Islands, considered a Caribbean Crown Jewel.

She returned to school to study film and photography at Florida International University and, as part of her graduate studies, researched and wrote a 40-page thesis on the Bay Islands history and heritage but was frustrated that her lengthy written documentary would have little resonance or impact.

Id had a real and growing interest in film for 10 years, understanding that its accessible to all people and would be a strong medium to get my message out, she said. She registered and was accepted into the M.F.A. Documentary program.

Andy Bohen Chen, who was born in Beijing and grew up most of his life in New York, earned an undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University with a major in anthropology and a minor in film studies and cultural and heritage preservation. His senior thesis focused on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and preserving their history in North Carolina.

I always had a big interest in film, especially documentary, because its so closely related to anthropological work, Chen said. One of his professors emailed him information about the Universitys M.F.A. Documentary program and he pursued the application.

His film for Human Book and the film festival is called Dancing Dreams and focuses on two sisters, one of whom is a junior at the University, who have successfully opened a dance studio with two locations in Homestead. The sisters, ages 21 and 23, are sharing not only their passion for dance, but also teaching important life lessons and helping the young dancers become better human beings.

Most people dont understand the hard work and the dedication that it takes to do what theyre doing at such a young age, Chen said.

Crafting the film has drawn him closer to his interest in anthropology as it relates to film, drawing across a longer line of time, and hes incorporating a significant amount of archival footage.

The films message has to do with identity, which is a tricky question and something to struggle with, and about how much we can learn from people who may seem so different from us, Chen said.

Initially intent on capturing the dancing aspect for the film, Chen said that capturing the quiet moments of the sisters friendship and sisterhood has been an especially pleasant surprise and reflect a deeper meaning in the documentary.

He, too, plans to continue to expand the current version of the film and to enter it in other film competitions.

The Canes Film Festival will screen 100 films over three nights at the Cosford Cinema. View the 2023 screening schedule.
Google Cloud and Polygon Labs have announced a multi-year strategic alliance to accelerate the adoption of core Polygon protocols, making it easier for developers to build, launch, and grow their Web3 products and decentralized applications. Google Cloud will support all Polygon protocols, including Polygon PoS, Polygon Supernets, and Polygon zkEVM, with Google Cloud infrastructure and developer tools.

To help developers overcome the time-intensive processes and costly overheads associated with provisioning, maintaining, and operating their own dedicated blockchain nodes, Google Cloud will bring Blockchain Node Engine, its fully managed node hosting service, to the Polygon ecosystem. "Google Cloud supporting all of the Polygon protocols is a step in the right direction to help onboard more people into Web3," said Ryan Wyatt, President, Polygon Labs, during the Consensus 2023; event.

To provide founders in the Polygon ecosystem with more resources to scale their innovative Web3 products and decentralised applications, eligible early-stage startups backed by Polygon Ventures can now receive newly announced Web3-specific benefits through the Google for Startups Cloud Programme. This includes up to $200,000 in credits for their Google Cloud and Firebase usage for up to two years, early access to Google Cloud's Web3 products and roadmap, invitation to a gated Discord channel with Google Cloud's Web3 product and engineering teams, free access to hands-on learning labs focused on Web3 and the latest Google Cloud technology.

"Alongside Searce as our implementation partner, we look forward to deepening our collaboration with Polygon Labs to deliver the enterprise-ready Web3 infrastructure and developer-friendly tools that businesses need to offer fast, frictionless, and secure access to dApps for consumers," said Mitesh Agarwal, Managing Director, Customer Engineering and Web3 Go-to-Market, Asia Pacific, Google Cloud.
Dental hygiene program students (from left) Kailee Rogers, Jacqueline Morrow and Djeneba Bocoum are practicing dental laser techniques on various food items including hot dogs, chicken wings, carrots and tomatoes. This simulates the different textures and thicknesses of tissues within the mouth and tests the intensity of the laser. (Photo by Russell Bailey)

SIU dental hygiene students receive special laser training

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill.  What do hot dogs, chicken wings, carrots and tomatoes have to do with great dental care? These edible morsels serve as tools used by a group of Southern Illinois University Carbondale dental hygiene students to earn a special laser certification.

The students, who will graduate in May, can test the intensity of the lasers and use them on different textures and thicknesses to simulate what they will encounter working on tissues in the mouths of their future patients. The lasers are useful in treating oral ulcers and other ailments by killing the bacteria around the teeth to help promote healing.

Having this laser certification means that I can provide more individualized care to my patients and treat them with the most current and advanced technology available. I can decrease disease by catapulting the healing process, said Kailee Rogers, a senior dental hygiene major from Galatia who wants to practice locally after she graduates and obtains her public health dental hygienist certification.

This is the first time SIUs dental hygiene students have had the opportunity to participate in the optional laser training for a special certification, said Jennifer Sherry, dental hygiene associate professor in the

To me, the most interesting part of this training was learning all the diverse ways a laser can be used for dental care, said Rogers, who would like to implement a varnish and sealant dental program in her hometown in the future. Not only are they used to treat active disease, but they can also treat canker sores. TMJ pain? There is a laser for that, too! It is such a versatile tool for dentists and hygienists. I feel it is a huge benefit to the patient.

Alysia Aponte, a senior dental hygiene student from Montgomery, Illinois, said she was fascinated to discover the many benefits the laser offers.

Those who provided the training for us at SIU were amazing and highly informative, Rogers added. I had a wonderful learning experience and cant wait to share what I know with my future patients and coworkers.

Sherry expressed appreciation to Heartland Dental and its staff for sponsoring and providing the laser training.

Improving employability

The training, which 15 senior hygiene students and four faculty members participated in, will prove beneficial to students whether they work in private practice or in public health, according to Sherry. And thanks to generous donations from alumni, students were able to obtain the training and certification at a nominal cost, she noted.

Aponte is grateful for the opportunity to earn the laser certification, believing it will be especially helpful when she seeks employment, hopefully as a traveling dental hygienist.

This certification will allow me to be more versatile in my field and will position me above other applicants, Aponte said. I plan on traveling and working in many offices, and they will appreciate that I have this training.

Additional certification provided

The new laser training isnt the only additional credential available for Salukis. SIU dental hygiene students also earn the Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC) certificate.

The university offers the states only baccalaureate dental hygiene program, which is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, but SIU students are one of just two groups in the state to complete the nine-month online community dental health coordinator (CDHC) certification.

The certification, developed by the American Dental Association, will benefit graduates who work in federally qualified health centers, community health centers or with underserved populations, according to Sherry. The additional training enables students to better understand the issues community health providers encounter with their patients and how to more effectively communicate with these clients and assess their needs.

Its critical for people in Southern Illinois and across the country to have access to dental care, and this certificate positions our graduates to provide these services to clients who might not otherwise receive them, Sherry said.

SIUs dental hygiene students have a very high job placement rate, according to Sherry, and they will be graduating with their bachelors degrees in dental hygiene during the 1 p.m. commencement ceremony on May 13.

Find additional details

To learn more about SIUs dental hygiene program, visit the website. SIU also offers an online Bachelor of Science dental hygiene degree completion option giving working dental hygiene professionals who have an associate degree the option to earn their bachelors degree online. Find out more online.
Godrej Consumer Products Limited has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the fast-moving consumer business of Raymond Consumer Care Limited, a leading player in the deodorants and sexual wellness categories in India. Raymond Consumer Care Limited has two key brands - Park Avenue and Kamasutra. The indicative time period for completion of the acquisition is expected to be May 10, 2023. The cost of acquisition is Rs 2,825 crore. Raymond FMCG business is being sold to Godrej Consumer Products along with the trademarks of Park Avenue, KS, KamaSutra and Premium, through a slump sale, Godrej Consumer Products informed stock exchanges on Thursday. "This acquisition allows us to complement our business portfolio and growth strategy with under-penetrated categories that offer a long runway of growth," said Sudhir Sitapati, Managing Director and CEO, of GCPL. "These categories have the potential to deliver double-digit multi-decade growth given the low per capita consumption in India compared to similar emerging markets." According to Atul Singh, Group Vice Chairman, Raymond Group, "We have divested our FMCG business with trademarks of Park Avenue, Kamasutra for FMCG categories to Godrej Consumer Products. We take pride in building strong homegrown brands that are amongst the leaders in their categories. Having brought these brands at the forefront of consumer recall, we believe that Godrej Consumer Products will provide the requisite impetus to further drive the growth of these brands." (ANI)
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 28 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Embassy Office Parks REIT (NSE: EMBASSY / BSE: 542602) (Embassy REIT'), India's first listed REIT and the largest office REIT in Asia by area, today announced the appointment of Aravind Maiya as Chief Executive Officer of Embassy REIT with effect from July 1, 2023. Vikaash Khdloya has expressed his intent to pursue other interests and will step down as CEO effective June 30, 2023, post which he will assume the role of Senior Advisor to the REIT until the end of this year. Aravind played a pivotal role in the growth of Embassy REIT since its listing as the Chief Financial Officer. With over 22 years of experience, Aravind rejoins the REIT from Tata Realty, where he was the CFO. Vikaash and Aravind will work closely together to ensure a smooth transition. Aravind Maiya, CEO Designate, Embassy REIT, said,"I am delighted to rejoin Embassy REIT to lead its next phase of growth. We have ambitious aspirations, and I'm excited about the potential that lies ahead. I look forward to working again with the wonderful team at the REIT to create long-term value for all our stakeholders." Jitu Virwani, Chairman & Managing Director, Embassy Group, said,"I welcome Aravind back and am very pleased for him to take over as CEO of Embassy REIT. Aravind was a core member of the REIT's management team and was instrumental in driving its success since listing. We're very grateful to Vikaash for his stewardship of Embassy REIT over the last few years, particularly during the two years of the pandemic. We wish him continued success in his future endeavours." Tuhin Parikh, Head of Real Estate India, Blackstone, said,"Vikaash has played a key role in the growth of this portfolio since 2011, and we thank him for his contribution to the success of Embassy REIT. As demonstrated in the recently announced full year results, Embassy REIT's business is in excellent shape and the REIT delivered a strong business performance with record leasing of 5.1 msf. Under Aravind's leadership, we look forward to taking Embassy REIT to greater heights." Vikaash Khdloya, CEO, Embassy REIT, said,"After an incredible 12 year journey, I believe the time is right for me to pursue other interests and passions. It's been a privilege to lead Embassy REIT, and I am extremely proud of the team and the results we've achieved over the last four years since our listing. Embassy REIT is very well placed today to deliver on the growth cycle accelerated over the last few years and I wish Aravind all the very best." Disclaimer This press release is prepared for general information purposes only. The information contained herein is based on management information and estimates. It is only current as of its date, has not been independently verified and may be subject to change without notice. Embassy Office Parks Management Services Private Limited ("the Manager") in its capacity as the Manager of Embassy REIT, and Embassy REIT make no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to, and do not accept any responsibility or liability with respect to, the fairness and completeness of the content hereof. Each recipient will be solely responsible for its own investigation, assessment and analysis of the market and the market position of Embassy REIT. Embassy REIT does not provide any guarantee or assurance with respect to any distribution or the trading price of its units. This press release contains forward-looking statements based on the currently held beliefs, opinions and assumptions of the Manager. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, financial condition, performance, or achievements of Embassy REIT or industry results, to differ materially from the results, financial condition, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Given these risks, recipients of this press release are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Manager disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or developments or the impact of events which cannot currently be ascertained, such as COVID-19. In addition to statements which are forward looking by reason of context, the words 'may', 'will', 'should', 'expects', 'plans', 'intends', 'anticipates', 'believes', 'estimates', 'predicts', 'potential' or 'continue' and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. This press release also contains certain financial measures which are not measures determined based on GAAP, Ind-AS or any other internationally accepted accounting principles, and the recipient should not consider such items as an alternative to the historical financial results or other indicators of Embassy REIT's cash flow based on Ind-AS or IFRS. These non-GAAP financial measures, as defined by the Manager, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures as presented by other REITs due to differences in the way non-GAAP financial measures are calculated. Even though the non-GAAP financial measures are used by management to assess Embassy REIT's financial position, financial results and liquidity and these types of measures are commonly used by investors, they have important limitations as analytical tools, and the recipient should not consider them in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of Embassy REIT's financial position or results of operations as reported under Ind-AS or IFRS. Certain figures in this press release have been subject to rounding off adjustments. Actual legal entity name of occupiers may differ. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)
Pune (Maharashtra) [India], April 28 (ANI/SRV): Symbiosis Institute of Technology (SIT Pune), Pune, is a premier engineering institute under Symbiosis International (Deemed University). With a strong focus on experiential learning and industry collaborations, SIT Pune has consistently maintained an excellent placement record, with students securing lucrative job offers from top companies in India and abroad. SIT Pune has a long record of witnessing a phenomenal response from recruiters across IT, Manufacturing and Financial sectors. Students received offers from companies such as Indeed, Microsoft, TIAA, Google, Credit Suisse, Bajaj Finserv, Emerson, Persistent, Whirlpool, Workday, Wolter Kluwer, Japanese leading financial firm, Cummins, Philips, Oracle, Future First, Searce, Trilogy Innovation, MIQ digital, Netcracker, HP, Veritas, Aligned Automation, GE, IBM, Deloitte, Tetrapak, Rakuten (Japan), Crowdwork (Japan), and many more. The highest package offered to SIT Pune students was Rs. 42 LPA, while the average package stood at Rs. 9.3 LPA. The Institute's exceptional placement record holds testimony to its commitment to providing students with a world-class engineering education that meets industry requirements. "We are delighted to see our students secure placements with some of the top companies worldwide. At SIT Pune, we strive to provide our students with theoretical knowledge with hands-on industry experience with an experiential learning pedagogy and project-based learning. Our strong industry collaborations, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and experienced faculty members ensure that our students are industry-ready and equipped with the necessary skills to succeed", said Dr Ketan Kotecha. SIT Pune provides a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs in various disciplines, including the Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) and Master of Technology (M.Tech) programs. The B.Tech program is available in Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Civil Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Robotics and Automation. The M.Tech program is available in Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Embedded Systems, Automotive Technology, and Robotics and Automation. SIT Pune's focus on innovation and research has led to the development of several cutting-edge projects. Students are encouraged to participate in research activities and projects to gain practical experience and hone their skills. The Institute's state-of-the-art facilities and resources, including research centres, laboratories, and libraries, provide students with a conducive learning environment and access to the latest technologies and tools. Symbiosis Institute of Technology (SIT Pune), Pune, is a leading engineering institute under Symbiosis International (Deemed University). The Institute offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs in various disciplines, and registrations for B.Tech and M.Tech programs are closing soon. SIT Pune invites aspiring engineering candidates to join the Institute and benefit from its exceptional placement record, industry collaborations, and experiential learning pedagogy. For more information, please visit https://www.sitpune.edu.in/. This story has been provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV)
New Delhi [India], April 28 (ANI/ATK): At the end of the 'Azamgarh' controversy, can only very big directors explore the brand value of Pankaj Tripathi? In the film 'Azamgarh', Pankaj Tripathi played the role of a Maulvi who inspires youths to become terrorists by alluring them. How Aamir, a resident of Azamgarh, joins a terrorist organization after topping 12th and takes part in terrorist activities, this film. When there was a controversy regarding the hoardings of the film 'Azamgarh', Pankaj Tripathi, who played the role of Maulvi in the film, had said that his role in the film was very small and he had only three minutes of scenes in the film. And, this claim of Pankaj Tripathi turned out to be completely wrong after watching it in the preview show of the film on Thursday. Because not only the story of the film "Azamgarh" revolves around his character, but about 23 minutes of scenes somehow can not be called a cameo. In the film 'Azamgarh', Pankaj Tripathi played the role of a Maulvi who inspires youths to become terrorists by alluring them. How Aamir, a resident of Azamgarh, joins a terrorist organization after topping 12th and takes part in terrorist activities, this film. As far as the performance of the actors in the film is concerned, Pankaj Tripathi was seen acting in his usual style. Although his role in the film is small as compared to his other films, the writer-director of the film, Kamlesh Mishra, has presented him as the main character.At the end of the 'Azamgarh' controversy, can only very big directors explore the brand value of Pankaj Tripathi? In the film 'Azamgarh', Pankaj Tripathi played the role of a Maulvi who inspires youths to become terrorists by alluring them. How Aamir, a resident of Azamgarh, joins a terrorist organization after topping 12th and takes part in terrorist activities, this film. When there was a controversy regarding the hoardings of the film 'Azamgarh', Pankaj Tripathi, who played the role of Maulvi in the film, had said that his role in the film was very small and he had only three minutes of scenes in the film. And, this claim of Pankaj Tripathi turned out to be completely wrong after watching it in the preview show of the film on Thursday. Because not only the story of the film "Azamgarh" revolves around his character, but about 23 minutes of scenes somehow can not be called a cameo. As far as the performance of the actors in the film is concerned, Pankaj Tripathi was seen acting in his usual style. Although his role in the film is small as compared to his other films, the writer-director of the film, Kamlesh Mishra, has presented him as the main character. It must have been no less than a challenge for editor Biren Jyoti Monty to convert a 60-minute film into a 90-minute feature film. But there is also a truth that if we talk about the end of this film, then it is worth seeing the real name of the terrorist bosses challenging them and the effective communication and poignancy of the main character. But there is also a truth that if we talk about the end of this film, then it is worth seeing the real names of the terrorist bosses challenging them and the effective communication and poignancy of the main character. Pankaj Tripathi's role adds color to the new-old project after giving two flop films back to back. Did producers Chiranjeevi Bhatt and Anju Bhatt invest their money on this film and trust documentary director Kamlesh Mishra to make a feature film under the illusion of Pankaj Tripathi's brand value? This story has been provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/ATK)
New Delhi [India], April 28 (ANI/SRV): GD Goenka University, an internationally acclaimed premier institution of higher education in India with a legacy of over 28 years, has announced the launch of 15 new Under-Graduate programs. These programs will follow an interdisciplinary and futuristic curriculum aligned with the National Education Policy 2020 framework and a competency-based skill and quality assurance framework. SoES has also partnered with major tech giants such as Apple, IBM, Sterlite Technologies, BOSCH, L&T, and Microsoft to enhance collaborative efforts on training, education, and upskilling for youth and corporate sectors. Sharing his thoughts on the newly-launched programmes, Prof. Dr Manish Prateek, Dean School of Engineering & Sciences shared, "SoES holds the belief that a strong foundation in science and engineering principles, followed by their practical application, is the foundation for a prosperous professional career. We have incorporated this methodology to enhance the education of our students and the academic community through continuous learning. Our curriculum is frequently revised to keep up with the latest trends and advancements, and we work closely with industry specialists to ensure our students are proficient in the latest technologies and techniques utilized in the industry." Prof. Dr Manish Prateek further added, "Our curriculum follows the New Education Policy (NEP) and the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) through a Co-Design, Co-Delivered and Co-Certified model, which offers dual specialization programs. With the "T" Structure dual specialization, students can acquire extensive knowledge of a specific domain, providing them with the skills required to succeed in the industry, pursue advanced studies, or become entrepreneurs. At SoES, students have the exceptional chance to acquire a top-notch education with an emphasis on practical training and exposure to the industry. Our programs equip students with the necessary skills for prosperous careers in their chosen fields, while our robust industry collaborations ensure that our students are highly sought after in the job market." The GD Goenka School of Engineering and Science has established strong partnerships with several leading corporates, including IBM, Apple, Sterlite Technologies Limited, BOSCH, L&T, and Microsoft. These partnerships have enabled the school to develop new-age industry-oriented undergraduate programs that are tailored to the needs of the industry. The programs have been designed in collaboration with industry experts, ensuring that students receive hands-on training and exposure to the latest technologies. This approach provides students with the skills and knowledge required to excel in their respective fields and gives them a competitive advantage in the job market. Moreover, these programs are reasonably priced, making them accessible to a broad range of students who are looking for quality education in engineering and science. With these partnerships, the GD Goenka School of Engineering and Science is committed to providing a world-class education that prepares students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. The following programs are available at SoES in collaboration with top industry giants: - B. Tech CSE (AI&ML), B. Tech CSE (Data Science), B. Tech CSE (Cyber Security) in association with IBM (Fee Rs. 2.5 Lakh per Year) - B. Tech. Computer Science Engineering (Mobile Application Development) in association with Apple (Fee Rs. 2.5 Lakh per Year) - B. Tech CSE (Hardware & Networking), B. Tech CSE (Software Engineering) in association with Sterlite Technologies (Fee Rs. 2.5 Lakh per Year) - B. Tech. Electronics and Communication (Internet of Things), B. Tech. Electronics and Communication (Biomedical Engineering) in association with BOSCH (Fee Rs. 2.0 Lakh per Year) - B. Tech in Civil Engineering (Smart Infrastructures), B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering (Power Engineering) in association with L&T (Fee Rs. 2.0 Lakh per Year) - BCA (Data Analytics), BCA (Machine Learning) in association with Microsoft (Fee Rs. 1.50 Lakh per Year - B. Tech. Aerospace Engineering (Fee Rs. 2.5 Lakh per Year) The programs offered by GD Goenka School of Engineering and Sciences in collaboration with industry partners offer several benefits to students, such as: 1. Relevant and updated curriculum: The industry partners collaborate with the institution to recommend and suggest new programs or subjects based on market research. They also assist in selecting subjects to be incorporated in all eight semesters of the undergraduate program, forming syllabi for each subject based upon credit hours, and developing project-based lab exercises for labs. This ensures that students are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills required by the industry. 2. Exposure to industry practices: The industry partners share their content development with faculty members and students, recommend lab tools, conduct webinars or seminars by subject matter experts, and provide mentoring to students and faculty members. This exposure to industry practices and experts helps students stay updated with the latest trends and best practices in their respective fields. 3. Internship opportunities: The industry partners also provide summer internships for the students, giving them hands-on experience and practical training in the industry. This helps students gain practical exposure and apply their theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios. 4. Professional badges: After the completion of the degree, the industry partners provide professional badges of appropriate skill sets for the students. This helps students showcase their skills to potential employers, making them more employable and competitive in the job market. GD Goenka School of Engineering and Sciences strives to achieve global recognition as a leading science and technical institution emphasising interdisciplinary education, research, and innovation. We aim to produce socially responsible and self-motivated future leaders with a broader understanding of the underlying global issues in their fields of endeavour. The state-of-the-art facilities, including modern labs and equipment, provide students with hands-on training in cutting-edge technologies. Furthermore, our highly qualified and experienced faculty members bring their industry expertise into the classroom, ensuring a comprehensive education for our students. Kickstart your with GD Goenka School of Engineering and Science, Apply Now - https://www.gdgoenkauniversity.com/ This story has been provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV)
New Delhi [India], April 28 (ANI/SRV): RenTrip, a leading motorbike, car and bicycle rental and travel company in India, has announced its impressive year-on-year growth figures for the fiscal year 2022-23. The company has defied the Covid crisis and achieved a whopping 70 - 100% growth rate in revenue compared to the previous year. The company's current annual sales stand at a solid Rs. 3.6 crore and it attracts over 2 lakh users to its website every month. The company has also successfully launched its mobile apps, which have already been installed over 5K times within just a couple of months. Furthermore, RenTrip has expanded its services to more than 65 cities across India, launching self-drive car rentals in 10+ cities, and offering guided motorcycle tours, adventure events and holidays. RenTrip is also proud to be the market leader in bike rentals, with the highest internet traffic to its website and user base. RenTrip started its operations in bike rentals initially and gained popularity among travellers who wanted to explore India on two wheels. In 2019, the company launched guided motorcycle tours, which received an immense response from adventure enthusiasts. Since then, RenTrip has diversified its portfolio to include car rentals, bicycle rentals, and adventure and holiday packages. The company is also looking to roll out new features in self-drive vehicle rentals, namely "One Way Intercity Rentals", Camps and More Adventure-Packed Packages. The leading rental brand has a unique revenue generation model where it earns commissions from its dealers. The company started with a small initial investment of just 1.5 lakhs and managed to grow on its own resources without any financial assistance from banks or investors. That's what sets RenTrip apart - its ability to progress quickly with what it has. RenTrip's key differentiators are its extensive bike/car rental locations across India, making it convenient for customers to rent bikes from almost any part of the country. RenTrip has hundreds of local dealers on its online platform, allowing it to offer a wide range of self-drive cars & bikes, including different types of motorcycles, scooters, and bicycles. In addition to its extensive network and variety of bikes, RenTrip also offers competitive pricing and flexible rental options, including hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly rentals. RenTrip also provides insurance coverage for its bike rental, ensuring customers have peace of mind while riding. Agam Raghav, CEO and Co-Founder of RenTrip, said, "We are delighted to share our growth story with our customers, partners and stakeholders. We have come a long way since we started our journey in 2015 with just a few bikes. Today, we have a fleet of thousands of vehicles across India and a loyal customer base who trust us for their rental needs. We are grateful for their support and feedback, which have helped us improve our services and offerings. We are also thankful to our dealers who have been our backbone and have enabled us to provide quality vehicles at affordable prices. We are confident that we will continue to grow and serve our customers better in the future." RenTrip was born out of the vision and passion of a brother and sister duo, Agam Raghav and Shailza Singh Bhadauriya, who wanted to share the joy of riding motorcycles in the scenic landscapes of North East India. Agam, an avid biker, realized the need for a pan-India platform to rent bikes easily and conveniently while travelling to different destinations. He teamed up with his brother-in-law Satyarth Singh, an Indian Air Force veteran, to create a plan for their startup in 2015. The following year, they launched RenTrip officially from their registered office in Fatehpur, UP, but chose Guwahati as their operational base to cater to the North East region. The company grew steadily and welcomed two new directors, Shubham Singh and Shivkant Chauhan, who joined RenTrip after a memorable trip to Leh Ladakh with Agam in 2022. Today, RenTrip is a leading bike rental platform in India that provides customers with a variety of bikes and rental options across more than 65 cities. To know more, visit - https://www.rentrip.in and https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=in.rentrip.dealer&pli=1 This story has been provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV)
Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 28 (ANI/PNN): Cotton Council International (CCI) launched two seminars in India, in Coimbatore on April 24 and in Ludhiana on April 26, themed "Achieve Peak Performance with U.S. Cotton." The events underscored the sustainability and superiority of U.S. cotton in the global cotton scenario and textile supply chain. Since India is one of the largest consumers of cotton in the world, the seminar aimed to strengthen the position of U.S. cotton fiber within the Indian textile industry. "U.S. cotton is leading the way in terms of sustainable production practices--something that global brands now demand from their suppliers," CCI Director of South Asia William Bettendorf said. "We are committed to raising the bar for responsible, sustainable farming methods." The event featured insightful sessions on COTTON USA, U.S. cotton, and the latest trends and growth patterns in the global cotton industry. It will featured sessions with updates on the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, COTTON USA SOLUTIONS, Supima, and Indian cotton and what's next in the Indian cotton spinning industry. It also featured panel discussions on how COTTON USA SOLUTIONS could help Indian textile mills increase productivity with using U.S. cotton. "The domestic textile industry is one of the largest industries in the country and has witnessed phenomenal growth in the last two decades in terms of installed spindles and yarn production, so this is a great opportunity for U.S. cotton," said Peush Narang, CCI Country Representative-India and Sri Lanka. "Also, the response to the Trust Protocol-- the first program to provide both access to full supply chain transparency and science-based field-level, verified data-- has been very encouraging in India. More than 85 mills and manufacturers in India have already signed up as Trust Protocol members." CCI Head of Technical Services Joerg Bauersachs added, "As a value-added service exclusively offered to Trust Protocol members and COTTON USA licensees, CCI's complementary COTTON USA SOLUTIONS program features five offerings to prove U.S. cotton's superiority and expand the use of U.S. cotton. Our services and focus on adding value to U.S. cotton fiber, yarns and fabrics and help mills drive higher productivity with U.S. cotton." To cap off the seminars, Supima President & CEO Marc Lewkowitz attended and shared key updates on the SUPIMA AQRE licensing program."The new robust licensing platform will further enhance the credibility and value of the SUPIMA brand," Lewkowitz said. "This revolutionary platform will be a standard-setting industry benchmark for combining digital traceability and transparency with physical authentication, providing an unrivalled level of confidence in both the content and provenance of Supima cotton products." Cotton Council International (CCI), the export promotion arm of the National Cotton Council of America (NCC), is a non-profit trade association that promotes U.S. cotton fiber and manufactured cotton products around the globe with our COTTON USA trademark. CCI has 60 years of experience promoting U.S. cotton fiber and products to trade and consumers. CCI works with spinning mills, fabric and garment manufacturers, brands, retailers, textile associations, governments and the USDA to facilitate the use of U.S. cotton. Its reach extends to more than 50 countries through 20 offices around the world. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 28 (ANI/NewsVoir): Aman Group, the world's preeminent lifestyle and hospitality brand, announces two forthcoming destinations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in partnership with Diriyah Company - Aman Wadi Safar and Janu Diriyah. Aman Wadi Safar, located in the exceptional desert landscape near the city of Riyadh, will be home to a 78-key Aman hotel, a collection of up to 34 Aman Branded Residences, and expansive amenities including a vast Aman Spa and an array of dining experiences. Following the successful opening of Aman New York, Denniston Architects has been appointed to bring Jean-Michel Gathy's extensive experience combining Aman's renowned design language with the local culture, heritage, and landscape of a destination to the project. Aman Wadi Safar will draw inspiration from its pristine natural environment, as well as traditional Najdi design elements, to embrace the values of a community lifestyle, creating a resort setting which weaves amongst the wadis and plateaus of the site, reinforcing the connection between the property and its otherworldly desert location. Aman Wadi Safar is expected to open in 2026. Additionally, Aman Group announces Janu Diriyah, an additional property in the strong pipeline for Aman's sister-brand Janu, which means 'Soul' in Sanskrit. Announced in 2020, Janu has been created with a different pace and energy to Aman, designed to encourage connectedness and shared experiences. Janu Diriyah, expected to open in 2026, will be located within close proximity to the Unesco Heritage Site of At-Turaif close to the historic city of Riyadh. Comprising 120 hotel rooms and a spa, as part of the Janu Wellness offering, the property will include a multitude of dining and experiences and will create memorable moments which build lasting connection amongst its like-minded community of guests. Speaking about the two new projects, Vlad Doronin, Chairman and CEO of Aman Group, said, "This announcement marks a continuation of Aman Group's commitment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Aman Wadi Safar and Janu Diriyah Gate build upon Aman Group's existing pipeline of properties in Saudi Arabia and reinforce my strategic vision to offer our clients the opportunity to experience the breadth of this fascinating, and previously undiscovered country with journeys that encompass city experiences, remote desert landscapes and Unesco Heritage Sites." Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO, Diriyah Company, commented, "We are very proud to launch Diriyah's partnership with Aman, delivering two outstanding projects in Wadi Safar and Diriyah. Diriyah, the City of Earth, will be the world's largest cultural and heritage destination and these projects will enhance our luxury offerings to guests who come to explore our identity. Aman Group have developed these projects by harnessing our unique setting at the heart of 300 years of Saudi history, while embracing our shared future as a city and a community. We are delighted to celebrate the beginning of our journey together." Aman Group has already announced three properties in the pipeline within AlUla, Saudi Arabia, two of which will be Aman destinations, as well as Janu AlUla. Additionally, Aman Group has announced Project Sama, the brand's first luxury motor yacht being developed in partnership with Cruise Saudi, which will offer on-the-water voyages in the Red Sea, as well as in the Mediterranean. For more information, please visit Website, Images. Aman was founded in 1988 with the vision of building a collection of intimate retreats with the unassuming, warm hospitality of a gracious private home. The first, Amanpuri (place of peace) in Phuket, Thailand, introduced the concept and, since then, Aman has grown to encompass 34 exquisitely serene hotels and resorts in 20 destinations across the world, including the recently opened Aman New York (2022). A further ten projects are under construction. In such spectacular settings, Aman has honed its offering with its transformative influence on mind, body and spirit through harmoniously designed environments transporting guests out of their everyday lives. Twelve properties also offer private branded Residences: sanctuaries that go beyond commonplace notions of luxury allowing a select few to make the Aman way of life a permanent reality. In recent years, Aman has grown to offer its coveted lifestyle beyond the parameters of its havens. In 2018, the introduction of Aman Skincare continued the brand's holistic influence, offering beautiful, scented formulas using powerful all-natural ingredients and inspired by Aman Spas. The introduction of Sva - a range of supplements designed to help maintain optimum health - and Aman Fine Fragrance in 2020 continued this journey, bringing Aman into the comfort of home. This sentiment was echoed in 2021, with the arrival of a new retail collection, The Essentials by Aman, comprising timeless ready-to-wear pieces that answer the needs of every Aman guest. With innovation a cornerstone of the brand's philosophy, in 2020, Aman welcomed a new hotel brand, Janu - meaning 'soul' in Sanskrit. Janu offers a unique take on hospitality where genuine human interaction, playful expression and social wellness are at the core of the experience. Janu aims to bring balance to the head and heart and rekindle the soul. Forthcoming Janu hotels that have been announced are Tokyo (2023), Diriyah and AlUla in Saudi Arabia. This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 28 (ANI/NewsVoir): JBCN International School, Borivali, recently hosted the IC3 Regional Forum, promoting the best practices in career and college counseling, country-level systems of higher education, and opportunities for the learners. Organized by the IC3 Movement, the Mumbai edition of the Regional Forum was part of a multi-event series held annually around the world as a global effort to establish career and college counseling in every school. The full-day event consisted of learning sessions on various topics such as counseling best practices, new courses, and degrees in newer Indian universities, integrating counseling into the academic curriculum and calendar, and how one can make the most out of university interactions. Sanjay Tolia, Partner, PwC (India), was the keynote speaker. "Teaching and counseling is a "privilege". Let's unleash the full potential in a student to transform society and make the world a better place for this and the next generation," he opined. Ganesh Kohli, Founder, IC3 Movement, led a critical session around Transforming Schools through Counseling. Eminent personalities in the education sector, including counselors, teachers, and principals, participated in the various sessions. A university fair featuring 70 plus renowned national and international universities from across Canada, UK, Australia, USA, India, Hong Kong, Spain, Italy, etc. was also organized on the sidelines of the main forum. This provided a platform for learners and parents to interact with the admission counselors of visiting universities to understand the avenues and new-age career choices that exist. Kunal Dalal, Managing Director, JBCN International School, quotes, "We are aligned with the vision of the IC3 Movement, and we strongly believe that career counseling plays a pivotal role in ensuring that learners are future ready and well on their path to becoming changemakers. We have a robust career counseling ecosystem for learners. The team guides them on selecting the right university, courses, and streams, keeping their interests in mind and assists them with their university applications, writing essays, and addressing any queries that they may have. We hope that our participation in this global movement becomes a guiding force for our learners, helping them make informed career decisions." Debika Chatterji, Director Principal, JBCN International School, Borivali, stated, "We take great pride in hosting the IC3 Regional Forum at our campus. The event was a transformative experience for our learners and parents, filled with enriching opportunities for learning, interaction, and guidance. We hope this event benefited our learners and parents, helping them make the right decisions for developing their careers." The International Career & College Counseling (IC3) Movement aims to empower every school to run a robust, fully functional career counseling department to help learners make the right education and career-related decisions. In addition, the movement aims to sensitize educators to the need for a dedicated counseling department and elevate the profession, so more people take career counseling and develop the human resources and research needed to deliver this in schools effectively. Speaking about its mission, Ganesh Kohli, Founder of IC3 Movement said, "Young people around the world are leaving schools like airplanes without a navigation system, and they crash into a world of frustration, anger, and sadness as adults. While we are doing a great job teaching academic subjects in schools, we need to help young students find meaning and purpose in their lives through career and college counseling. This will ensure we have engaged professionals and happy adults. Systemic "career and college counseling in every school," which is our mission at IC3, is helping bring purpose and peace. We are glad that through IC3's volunteer-led effort, we are able to provide training and resources for hundreds of schools in India and around the globe." JBCN Education is a progressive group of schools that have been a pioneer in the field of education for over three decades. With a strong base of over 5000 learners and 700 plus globally trained teachers, JBCN International School provides unparalleled education through its 'Educreative' learning experiences, which serve as a cornerstone for lifelong learning. JBCN Education has a network of four International Schools across Borivali, Parel, Oshiwara and Chembur in Mumbai that offer a range of curricula viz. the IB's (PYP & DP), CAIE (CP, IGCSE, A levels) & ICSE. Founded by Pinky Dalal, JBCN International School is powered by a dynamic team driven by a strong vision, and it incorporates cutting-edge educational practices embraced globally. Its Managing Directors, Kunal Dalal and Hemali Dalal, have synergised their expertise and experience in school management, finance, banking, and marketing towards creating a premier group of educational institutions. These institutions aim to create a future legacy of learners who are the changemakers of tomorrow. Links: Website | Linkedin The International Career and College Counseling (IC3) Movement seeks to enable high schools to help their students make best-fit higher education and career decisions, and aims to empower every school to run a robust, fully functioning, career and college counseling department. The IC3 Movement, at its core, is dedicated to helping young people across the globe find career paths through education that will lead to fulfilled, happy and productive lives. IC3 has set out to fix a broken system in which accessible and sustainable school-based career and college guidance is either inadequate or altogether absent. This mission is driven by an amazingly dedicated and passionate family of 1000+ IC3 Leaders and IC3 Advocates from across the globe. This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], April 28 (ANI/SRV): In an effort to bring seamless health technology to rural India, Medyseva, a health tech startup with national presence with its chain of telemedicine centres is foraying into medical and hospital supplies with its new vertical 'Medyserve'. Medyseva thus seeks to become the ultimate healthcare partner with deeper penetration in rural India, predominantly tier-2 & 3 cities by offering access to high quality healthcare services with ease and at affordable prices. Medyseva is currently operating 65+ Medyseva Kendra's in 9 states empanelling 350+ doctors who have presided over 8000 consultations. Dr Vishesh Kasliwal, Founder & CEO, Medyseva shares, "We have been establishing partnerships with local health care providers and government organizations to improve health care access in rural areas. Medyseva is also working with local government authorities to develop policies and regulations that will ensure quality health care services reach the rural areas. With innovative technology, partnerships with government organizations, doctors & health experts Medyseva is poised to revolutionize health care in rural India". Its flagship e-clinic center 'Medyseva Kendra' bridges the gap between the urban doctors and rural patients by providing state-of-the-art technology, which covers the entire spectrum of services from having virtual consultations to surgeries, from booking diagnostic tests to digitizing medical records. The healthtech start-up focusing on telemedicine in rural India offers Consultation and services like Pathology, Radiology, Hospitalization, Ambulance and Home Care Services. Telemedicine has enabled healthcare workers to provide remote consultations, diagnoses and treatments to patients in remote areas. It has enabled rural patients to access specialists and medical advice without having to travel long distances to an urban centre. Telemedicine has also allowed healthcare workers to remotely monitor the health of patients in remote areas and provide timely interventions thus promoting preventing healthcare strategies which include educating the rural population on healthy food choices, providing vaccines and screening tests, and offering early detection and treatment of diseases. Medyseva is an Indore (Madhya Pradesh) based healthcare startup focusing on Telemedicine in Rural India. It seeks to become the ultimate healthcare partner of all Citizens such that they can get access to high quality healthcare services with ease and at affordable prices. It bridges the gap between the urban doctors and rural patients through Medyseva Kendras having state-of-the-art technology, which cover the entire spectrum of services that are needed to keep one healthy - from having virtual consultations to getting surgeries, from booking diagnostic tests to digitizing medical records For more information: https://medyseva.com/ This story has been provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV)
After arriving home after the Court's verdict, the 'Hero' actor greeted the media persons, expressed his happiness, and thanked the paparazzi outside his Mumbai residence.

Although Sooraj refused to make any comment on the Court's verdict. His housing staff later distributed sweets to the paps.

"Due to paucity of evidence, this court can't hold you (Sooraj Pancholi) guilty, hence acquitted," Special CBI court judge Judge AS Sayyed said while pronouncing the verdict.

Taking to Instagram after the Court's verdict, Sooraj reacted to his acquittal and wrote, "The Truth Always Wins! #GodIsGreat."

Jiah Khan was found dead in her suburban home on June 3, 2013.

Based on a letter seized on June 10, which was purportedly written by the 25-year-old actor, Mumbai Police booked Suraj Pancholi under section 306 (abetment to suicide) and arrested him.

Sooraj, son of actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, was allegedly in a relationship with Jiah.Jiah's mother Rabia Khan alleged that her daughter was murdered.

In October 2013, Rabia moved to the Bombay High Court seeking a CBI probe in the case while alleging that her daughter had been murdered.

On the order of the Bombay High Court, the CBI took over the probe from the Maharashtra Police in July 2014.

Rabia claimed that her daughter was in an abusive relationship with Sooraj Pancholi. Sooraj and Jiah started dating in September 2012. (ANI)
Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet realized love and romance in a futuristic universe is not so easy! It needs to be cultivated and discovered in a new way! The Euphoria star told in a recent interview while filming Dune: Part Two with Chalamet, "It was funny trying to figure out in this futuristic space talk, like, how do they flirt?" reported Hollywood Reporter, a US-based media company. She said it was difficult at first trying to navigate the relationship between a space warrior and the young duke of a planet. Zendaya added that it was actually "funny because all of us were stumped. I think it's just as foreign to us as it probably is to the characters." "I was like, Does Chani get awkward?" the Spider-Man: Homecoming actress said. "Does that happen to her? Does she know what that feels like?" according to Hollywood Reporter. But when shooting romantic scenes specifically in remote desert locations in Abu Dhabi and Jordan, Zendaya said it was like "a ticking timer" trying to capture the shots within one hour each day when sunset was at its peak, known in the industry as the golden hour. "You kind of feel like, OK, we got here, but we have maybe an hour to get this. So we revisited a bit every day, and over a few days, that gives us a few hours," she explained. "Every time we revisited it, we kind of got to sleep on it and think about it, and come up with a new set of ideas." Director Denis Villeneuve gave the two stars credit for making it work and finding their version of romance in the Legendary sequel. "I think something we can all relate to is just love," Zendaya added. "These characters literally live on another planet, right? They're aliens. It was interesting finding these tender moments in such turmoil and chaos." The second film continues the adaptation of Frank Herbert's acclaimed best-seller Dune. It follows Paul Atreides's (Chalamet) mythic journey as he unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen to get revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. (ANI)
A third year BAMS student of the reputed Podar Ayurvedic College in Worli died after falling from a tree near his hostel, officials said here on Thursday. The accident in which Dayanand Kale, 22, hailing from Dharashiv, succumbed, took place late on Wednesday night when he had climbed a tree to pluck some mangoes and slipped down, sustaining serious head injuries, said an official. Owing to the absence of a casualty ward or an ICU in the hospital, the student was rushed to the Sir J.J. Hospital in south Mumbai but died before admission. Following the incident, the Shiv Sena's (UBT) Yuva Sena carried out a noisy agitation on the college campus demanding the opening of a casualty department and an ICU which was sanctioned in 2015. "All the equipment for this was received but is lying in a godown of another government hospital owing to the callousness of the concerned authorities," said Abhijit Patil and Sanket Sawant, Yuva Sena (UBT) Worli unit leaders. The Sena (UBT) has been pursuing the matter with the state government with a series of communications, but the matter remained unresolved, said Patil, even as senior legislators Sunil Shinde and Kapil Patil rushed to meet the agitating students and striking doctors. After the unfortunate tragedy, Worli MLA Aditya Thackeray will raise the issue with the state government for providing the facilities at the Podar Ayurvedic Hospital, which comes under the AYUSH Ministry, and also for the Kamgar Hospital nearby. A delegation of the Sena (UBT) leaders called on the hospital authorities who assured that they would also be pursuing the matter with the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on priority. In protest against the death of Kale, all the doctors of the Poddar Ayurvedic College resorted to a strike which hit patient care. However, they relented after assurance from the authorities and called it off this evening, said Patil. --IANS qn/uk/ ( 329 Words) 2023-04-27-20:10:03 (IANS)
A Delhi court on Thursday sent Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal's daughter Sukanya Mondal -- arrested on Wednesday, to three-day Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody in connection with the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam case in West Bengal. The ED had arrested Sukanya, a primary school teacher in West Bengal's Birbhum district, on Wednesday after quizzing her. Presented before the bench of Special Judge of Rouse Avenue Court Raghubeer Singh on Thursday, Special Public Prosecutor Nitesh Rana sought Sukanya's custody saying she was required to be confronted with evidence and the co-accused, including her father. Her custody was also required to trace the proceeds of crime, establish the money trail and the modus operandi, ED said. The judge then sent her to ED custody till April 30. On Wednesday, the High Court posted for June 1 Sukanya's father's plea challenging a trial court's order denying him bail in the same case. Mondal had moved the High Court challenging an order dated January 24 denying him bail. Earlier, Rana had said that Anubrata's bail application was without any merit. The ED had arrested Mondal based on an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation in Kolkata against Satish Kumar, the then Commandant of Border Security Force. On December 21, 2022, Mondal moved the High Court challenging issuance of the production warrant by the Rouse Avenue courts in ED's case. On December 19, Rouse Avenue court permitted the ED to bring him to Delhi. While Mondal was named in the fourth chargesheet filed by the CBI on October 7 at the Asansol court, Mondal's former bodyguard Sehgal Hossain was arrested on June 10. According to CBI's third chargesheet filed on August 8, he was one of the kingpins. Hossain is currently lodged in Delhi's Tihar jail. The CBI suspects that profits from cattle smuggling were used to buy 24 of the 168 land and property deeds executed in or after 2014. CBI officials claim to have detected Mondal's suspected link to these property deeds. The remaining 144 registration papers bear the names of his relatives, aides and their kin. Mondal's daughter Sukanya, who is suspected to be among the beneficiaries, was summoned by the ED in November 2022, to its Delhi office. She is the director of two companies, Neer Developer Pvt Ltd and ANM Agrochem Foods Pvt Ltd, CBI's probe revealed. The companies have their offices at the same address where Bholebam Rice Mill, which is also owned by her, is located in Birbhum's Bolpur town. --IANS spr/pgh ( 431 Words) 2023-04-27-20:14:01 (IANS)
Lalu Prasad's family members have made adequate arrangements for his accommodation at the residence of his wife Rabri Devi.

The former Bihar Chief Minister, following a successful kidney transplant in Singapore after his daughter Rohini Acharya donated one of her kidneys to her father, is currently recuperating at his eldest daughter and RJD Rajya Sabha member Misa Bharti's official residence in Delhi.

He is under direct observation of the doctors, who had allowed him to travel after improvement in his health.

Sources said that Lalu Prasad expressed his desire to visit Patna after improvement in his health condition. He will meet a select group of people during his stay at Rabri Devi's residence.

Tej Pratap Yadav, the elder son of Lalu Prasad, said: "Tej-Tejashwi have stopped the BJP in Bihar, and now Lalu Ji is coming here. He had stopped BJP's 'Rath' earlier, now he will throw the saffron party out of the country."

--IANS ajk/arm

( 186 Words)

2023-04-27-20:28:01 (IANS)
A court here on Thursday allowed alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, lodged in the Mandoli jail here for fraud and a Rs 200 crore money laundering case, to purchase a cake from the prison bakery for his wife's birthday. Chandrashekhar's wife Leena Paulose, who is also the same jail on the same charges, is to get the cake on Friday, according to the court's order given to the jail Superintendent. Noting that Chandrashekhar's prayer appeared to be "more on human emotion than any legal aspect", Special Judge Shailender Malik said: "Be that as it may, the UTP (undertrial prisoner) needs to be given the confidence to be emotionally connected and attached with his family members/relatives. "Therefore, I find no bar, more specifically when the concerned UTP Sukesh Chandrashekhar is seeking to purchase cake/pastry from the bakery of Mandoli jail itself out of his prisoner funds and it is not that some article is being taken out of jail to be given to any of the UTP." Special Public Prosecutor Akhand Pratap Singh opposed the plea arguing that Chandrashekhar should have approached the jail authorities first for permission and only brought it up in court if they had refused to allow it. Chandrashekhar, who was present via video conference, said that he had made the request to the jail administration but it had not been granted, and he had thus brought it before the court. --IANS spr/vd ( 254 Words) 2023-04-27-22:44:04 (IANS)
A woman lost her life while her son and daughter were left injured after her husband attacked them with an axe in the Neb Sarai area in South Delhi on Thursday, the police said. The deceased has been identified as Suman. According to the police, a PCR call was received at 6:24 a.m., informing that the caller's mother had been attacked with an axe by her husband. "A police team rushed to the spot and found a woman lying in a pool of blood with multiple injuries on her neck. She was declared brought after the police took her to the hospital. The deceased's 30-year-old daughter had injury marks on her neck, while her 28-year-old had injury marks on his neck and forehead," said Chandan Chowdhary, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South). Both of them identified their father, Vijay Veer (55), as the attacker. "The accused was also found on the spot with a wound on his left wrist, which he had caused himself," the DCP said. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the deceased, Suman, had married Vijay in 1992, and the couple had two children, a daughter born in 1993 and a son born in 1995. "After their marriage, they lived in Neb Sarai at Vijay Veer's relative's house. However, Vijay was allegedly abusive towards his wife, taunting and torturing her for not receiving enough from her parents during their marriage," the DCP said. Additionally, he had extra-marital affairs and neglected his family, leading to conflicts with his wife and children, who supported their mother. "In 2017, an argument over Vijay's habits led to him firing on his family to eliminate them, resulting in his son sustaining gunshot injuries. A case was registered against Vijay, but the family later settled the matter and the proceedings were quashed," the officer said. After the incident, Vijay continued to harass and neglect his family. "On the day of the incident, he attacked his wife while she was sleeping, with the intention of eliminating his entire family," the DCP said. After killing his wife, Vijay attacked his children with the axe, but they managed to snatch the weapon from him and barricaded themselves in their room before calling the police. "Vijay has been arrested, and a case has been registered against him under Sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC," Chowdhary said. --IANS ssh/arm ( 410 Words) 2023-04-27-22:50:02 (IANS)
The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice on a plea filed by St Stephen's College contesting a Delhi University (DU) notification regarding admission of undergraduate and graduate students under the minority quota, purely based on the results of the Common University Entrance Test for academic year 2023. A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad sought responses of DU and the University Grants Commission and scheduled a hearing for May 24. The plea has been filed in opposition to a recent decision by the DU that stated admission to 50 per cent of the Christian quota seats would only be based on CUET scores, with no interviews and the addition of 15 per cent marks for interviews being allowed in the academic session of 2023. The plea makes reference to a High Court ruling from September 12, 2022, which stated that while St Stephens College is still allowed to conduct interviews in addition to the CUET for the admission of students from minority communities, it is not allowed to create a policy that compels non-minority communities to do the same. "Therefore, the right of the petitioner college to conduct interviews and accord to them 15 per cent weightage for the purposes of admitting students does not extend to non-minority students, and solely pertains to its minority students," the court had said. In light of this context, the plea makes the case that the right to select students for admission is the core of the right to establish and administer the educational institution which cannot be interfered with or taken away. The plea challenges the decision of DU's Executive Council dated December 8, 2022 and notification issued on December 30, 2022, as being ultra vires and unconstitutional. A declaration is also sought that the decision of DU insisting on 100 per cent weightage for CUET score for admission to minority quota is against Article 30 of the Constitution. --IANS spr/vd ( 340 Words) 2023-04-27-22:50:03 (IANS)
The Delhi government, which is looking forward to takeover the Modern International School here in Dwarka, on Thursday criticised the Lt. Governor, accusing him of not clearing the necessary files, thereby causing a delay to the government's takeover plans. The Delhi government decided to takeover the school in December last year, after expressing dissatisfaction with some issues related to the overall functioning of the institute. The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government said that the school was not providing free uniforms and stationary, and was also denying admission to EWS students. The government said that teachers had been wrongly dismissed while fake and dummy registration were done in Class 11. The Delhi government took the decision to takeover the school for failing to comply with the Right to Education Act 2009, Delhi School Education Act and Rules 1973. Chief Minister Kejriwal and then deputy CM Manish Sisodia had earlier said that Education does not come under the purview of the L-G, saying he/she can either give a nod to a proposal or send it to the President. The Delhi government said "it is quite unfortunate that the file that was sent to the Lt. Governor in January this year is still pending with him, and he is causing a roadblock in the process of takeover". Education Minister Atishi again submitted another proposal after the L-G's observation and a request was made to allow the takeover of the school. Expressing disappointment, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal again sent a proposal to the L-G regarding the "unnecessary delay". The Chief Minister has once again requested L-G V.K. Saxena to give his final opinion on whether he wants to refer the matter to the President. --IANS gcb/pgh ( 296 Words) 2023-04-27-23:14:01 (IANS)
Addressing the gathering, Meghalaya Governor Phagu Chauhan praised Swami Vivekananda as a warrior saint who changed the destiny of India, inspiring the nation to rise against its enemies and embrace its unique identity.

The Governor also lauded Swami Vivekananda's teachings on man-making and character building, which have produced countless selfless leaders.

He urged the youth to take up the mantle of leadership and excellence, to be willing to sacrifice their comforts, privileges, and preferences to help those who are less fortunate.

Chauhan also commended the Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Cultural Centre on Quinton Road for its efforts in training about 2,100 students in computer and language skills and expressed hope that the Mission would continue to make a positive impact on the society.

--IANS sc/arm

( 161 Words)

2023-04-27-23:16:02 (IANS)
Vipul Goyal, a social worker suffering from muscular dystrophy, a "largely ignored" ailment, was among the 100 special guests invited at the National Conclave: Mann Ki Baat@100, an event to celebrate 100 episodes of Prime Minister Narendra's Modi's Mann Ki Baat. A native of Solan in Himachal Pradesh, Goyal attended the one-day conclave on April 26, Wednesday, which was also graced by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. PM Modi spoke glowingly of Goyal's social work, braving his physical disability, during the 95th episode of Mann Ki Baat, which aired on Akash Vani in November last year. In his monthly radio address, PM Modi spoke at length about Goyal's role in the formation of the 'Indian Association Of Muscular Dystrophy', an organisation that holds awareness camps for patients suffering from this ailment across the country. During his 95th episode of Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi said, "What is most encouraging is that this organisation is managed by people suffering from this disease. Take for instance, social worker Urmila Baldi-ji, president of the Indian Association Of Muscular Dystrophy, and Sanjana Goyal-ji, as well as others who are also attached to this organisation in key roles. Vipul Goyal-ji, who played an important role in the formation of this organisation, is playing a vital role in taking this institution forward. Efforts are also underway to develop Manav Mandir as a hospital and research centre. Once ready, patients suffering from this ailment will be able to access and receive better treatment." "I heartily appreciate all the efforts being made in this direction and also wish for the recovery of those suffering from Muscular Dystrophy," PM Modi had said in his address. Earlier, while holding a rally in Himachal Pradesh, PM Modi was seen deboarding his vehicle and meeting children and people on wheelchairs, suffering from Muscular Dystrophy, who were out to welcome him. (ANI)
Amid the grave law and order situation at Kaliachak in the North Dinajpur district of West Bengal in the wake of the alleged rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl, the BJP on Thursday alleged that one of its workers in the area was shot dead by the state police. Accusing the Bengal police of murder, BJP MP Debashree Chowdhury said her party and its workers cannot be silenced by "shootings and arrests". "The ruling party (Trinamool Congress) is mistaken if they think they could silence us by shooting at our cadres or making random arrests. The whole country is with us," Chowdhury said. She alleged that the state police personnel shot dead the BJP worker, identified as Mritunjay Burman, on Wednesday late night when they came to arrest the party's panchayat samiti member in Kaliaganj, Bishnu Barman. "The police shot dead Mritunjay Burman in Radhikapur late on Wednesday night. They came to arrest Kaliaganj Panchayat Samiti member Bishnu Barman and failing to find him, they killed his nephew Mrityunjoy Burman, who is also an active member of the BJP," the BJP MP from North Bengal said, adding, "Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is planning to wipe out BJP from West Bengal." Asserting that the BJP had no hand in the Kaliaganj police station attack, she added, "We also have video footage of miscreants attacking the police station. We will also investigate the incident at our end." Also tweeting on the alleged killing, the BJP's IT cell in-change Amit Malviya claimed that a "trigger-happy" West Bengal police shot dead Mrityunjay Burman. "A trigger-happy West Bengal police shot dead 33-year old Rajbonshi youth named Mrityunjay Burman (son of Rabindranath Burman) in Chadga village under Radhikapur Gram Panchayat in Kaliaganj," Malviya tweeted. "Yesterday afternoon, after Mamata Banerjee declared war on the people of Uttar Dinajpur, who have been demanding CBI inquiry in the rape and murder of a minor girl, West Bengal police, as if on cue, barged into the house of BJP Panchayat Samiti Member Vishnu Burman at 2.30am. Unable to find him, out of frustration, and desperately wanting to please their political master, killed Mrityunjay in cold blood," Malviya added. He further claimed that there was a rule of undemocratic bloodbath in Bengal under Mamata Banerjee. "The undemocratic bloodbath that started under Mamata Banerjee's watch on 2nd May 2021, after Assembly results were declared, continues till date...," the BJP leader tweeted. Earlier, on the Kaliaganj incident and the attack on the police station that followed, the Bengal CM hit out at the BJP, accusing it of carrying out "violence" and "hooliganism". Mamata added that she had directed the police to act against those behind the violence at Kaliachak. The Bengal CM said, "Such hooliganism -- a police force being attacked and public property damaged -- is unacceptable. I have asked the police to investigate the matter and bring the culprits to book. The incident involving the minor girl will be investigated and so will the violence that followed." "Even when the (minor girl's) body was taken, stones were pelted. I will direct the olice to arrest the accused (behind the violence) and attach their properties or else such hooliganism won't stop," she added. "BJP brought people from Bihar, who beat up the women police personnel brutally. I am not saying that the Kaliaganj incident was planned. It's an unfortunate incident and we are with the family. But what happened later was planned," she said. (ANI)
Former Maharashtra Minister and Uddhav Thackeray's son Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday said he will meet the protestors against the Barsu Refinery project in Ratnagiri, to stand in solidarity with them. The residents of Barsu village in Ratnagiri have been protesting against the setting up of the refinery. The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader urged the state government to hold talks with the residents of Barsu amid the protest over the refinery project in the village. "The government should hold a proper dialogue with the residents of Barsu and no work should be done without proper consultations. We will meet the protesters and extend our solidarity with them," Thackeray said. Earlier, on Thursday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said he had a discussion with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and assured him that the Barsu refinery project will be carried out only after taking all stakeholders, including local residents, into confidence. Speaking to reporters, Shinde said, "I had a telephonic conversation with Sharad Pawar yesterday about the Barsu Refinery project. Pawar-ji said that the state Industries Minister should take all officials and people concerned into confidence. I told him that the project won't be implemented by force and no injustice shall be done to the people." "Nagpur Mumbai Samrudhi Highway had also been opposed by the people initially but we are seeing the fruits of the project there. A final decision with regard to the refinery project will be made after taking the farmers into confidence," he added. Earlier, on Tuesday, Shinde had slammed Uddhav Thackeray and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for opposing the refinery project. Speaking to reporters at Mahabaleshwar in his native Satara district, CM Shinde backed the Barsu green refinery project and questioned the MVA's sudden opposition to it. Citing a letter written by his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to set up the refinery in the region in the interest of development, the CM said new employment avenues would open up for locals as the project would bring investments worth thousands of crores. Shinde said, "It was then CM (Uddhav Thackeray), who gave the green signal to the project after the Nanar project was cancelled. He even wrote to PM Modi seeking implementation of the Barsu Refinery project." "After all this, it is difficult to understand why the Barsu is being opposed now. It's a matter of research," he said. The CM added that the Samruddhi Mahamarg project was continued despite the Opposition's resistance initially. "It has since become a game-changer for the state," he said. Slamming the Opposition over its double standards in running down projects meant at benefitting the state, the CM said, "This is opposition just for the sake of it. The soil testing for the project is being done currently with the consent of 60-70 per cent of locals." Shinde assured that the project would start only after assessing the soil testing report, as it will determine if the land is suitable for a project of this nature. He added, "Not a brick will be laid without the consent of locals". (ANI)
Lashing out at Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for his 'Ab Ki Baar Kisan Sarkar' slogan, BJP MP Arvind Dharmapuri on Thursday said the Bharat Rashtriya Samithi chief shouldn't be raising such slogans at a time when the state's farmers are in "dire straits". "Due to unseasonal rains in Telangana, thousands and lakhs of acres of crops have been damaged. The state government hasn't relief for the affected farmers as yet. KCR announced Rs 10,000 for each farmer as relief but the amount hasn't been released as yet. This is not the first time he has done this. In 2022, lakhs of acres of farmland were damaged because of excessive rainfall but not even a penny was announced as compensation," the BJP MP said. "Today, he [KCR] is saying 'Ab ki baar Kisan Sarkar', when the farmers of Telangana are in dire straits," he said. He claimed that despite prior alerts issued by the Met department, the state government did not plan for unseasonal rain and neither announced measures to safeguard the interests of farmers in the event of crop damage. "KCR is busy extending his party's footprint in Maharashtra," he said. Earlier this week, addressing a gathering in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, KCR raised the slogan 'Ab Ki Baar Kisan Sarkar' (Government for farmers to be elected next time). He also asked farmers to vote for a government that will ensure their welfare and also pitched the "Telangana model" of governance in Maharashtra. "Farmers should lead the movement for change, for realising the all-round development of a nation which is lagging behind," he had said earlier. (ANI)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the former's "joke" on suicides while addressing a media conclave, labelling it "insensitive". Taking to Twitter, the former Wayanad MP said, "The Prime Minister cracked a joke on suicides. How can anyone be so insensitive about suicides? Government statistics show that in 2021, more than 1.64 lakh Indians died by suicide. Every day, 450 people are die by suicide in our country and this is a 'joke' for the Prime Minister." Speaking at a conclave of media network on Wednesday, PM Modi shared a joke about how a professor, reading the suicide note left by his daughter, realised how she got her spellings wrong despite his efforts to get her to spell correctly. He cracked the "joke" after noting how the editor-in-chief of the media network had improved his Hindi speaking skills. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi also hit out at PM Modi over his "joke". Taking to Twitter, she posted, "Depression and suicide, especially among the youth IS NOT a laughing matter. According to NCRB data, 164033 Indians committed suicide in 2021. Of which a huge percentage were below the age of 30. This is a tragedy, not a joke. The Prime Minister and those laughing heartily at his joke ought to educate themselves better and create awareness rather than ridicule mental health issues in this insensitive, morbid manner." (ANI)
Nation to beef up efforts on digital technologies

08:40, April 28, 2023 By Fan Feifei ( Chinadaily.com.cn

A person dressed as an astronaut experiences a virtual projection booth on Wednesday at the 6th Digital China Summit and Exhibition in Fuzhou, Fujian province. The five-day event opened the same day. Wang Wangwang / China News Service

China will beef up efforts to leverage cutting-edge digital technologies to accelerate its industrial upgrade and promote deeper integration of the digital and real economies, officials and experts said on Thursday.

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said greater efforts should be made to promote the construction of digital infrastructure, enhance capacities for independent innovation and achieve breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields.

Li, who is also head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 6th Digital China Summit, which kicked off on Thursday in Fuzhou, Fujian province.

Data elements are playing an increasingly prominent role in advancing the building of a digital China, he said, while underscoring the significance of improving data management systems and fully unleashing the value of data resources.

Zhuang Rongwen, director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, stressed the need to facilitate the circulation of data resources, accelerate steps to establish digital governance systems and standards, as well as make innovations to the data management mechanism.

Zhuang called for heightened efforts to apply digital technologies to bolster the transformation and upgrade of traditional industries. Great importance also needs to be attached to data security management and personal information protection.

China will intensify efforts to enhance the resilience and security of industrial and supply chains, nurture emerging industries and build digital industrial clusters with global competitiveness, said Xu Xiaolan, vice-minister of industry and information technology.

"Emerging sectors, such as data centers, cloud computing and the internet of things, saw their revenues rise more than 32 percent year-on-year last year, and the value of the country's core artificial intelligence industries has exceeded 500 billion yuan ($72.3 billion)," Xu said.

Statistics from the ministry show that the country had built more than 2.64 million 5G base stations by the end of March, with the number of 5G mobile phone users reaching 620 million across the nation.

China's digital economy reached 50.2 trillion yuan in 2022, ranking second in the world and accounting for 41.5 percent of the country's GDP, according to a report released by the CAC on Thursday.

China will take solid steps to build digital infrastructure and data resource systems and bolster deeper integration of digital technologies with the economy, politics, culture, society and ecology, said a guideline released recently by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, China's Cabinet.

Notable progress will be made in the construction of a digital China by 2025, the plan said.

The National People's Congress, China's top legislature, has approved a plan to reform the institutions of the State Council, including establishing a national data bureau, which will coordinate the integration, sharing, development and application of data resources.

The sharing, circulation, trading and application of data, which is regarded as a new type of production factor, are key to promoting the country's digital development, said Chen Zuoning, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Zhang Yong, chairman and CEO of Chinese tech heavyweight Alibaba Group, said, "The in-depth integration of a new round of artificial intelligence with the real economy will bring fundamental changes to various industries."

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
After the signing of the historic tripartite pac between the Centre, Assam government and insurgent group Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA)/Dimasa People's Supreme Council (DPSC), the district administration imposed section 144 of the CrPC in the Dima Hasao district. Earlier in the day, in a significant milestone towards making the Northeast insurgency-free by 2024, a tripartite Memorandum of Settlement was signed between the Union government, Assam government and representatives of Dimasa National Liberation Army/Dimasa Peoples' Supreme Council (DNLA/DPSC) in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. As part of this agreement, over 168 cadres of DNLA joined the mainstream by laying down their arms. The pact proposes to end the insurgency in the Dima Hasao district of Assam. Further, as part of the agreement, Dimasa Welfare Council will be set up by the Government of Assam to protect, preserve and promote a social, cultural, and linguistic identity to meet political, economic and educational aspirations and will ensure speedy and focused development of the Dimasa people residing outside the jurisdiction of the Autonomous Council. Along with this, the agreement also provides for the appointment of a Commission under Paragraph 14 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution to examine the demand for inclusion of additional villages contiguous to the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) with the Council. The agreement also provides for necessary measures to be taken by the Centre and the Assam government to rehabilitate the surrendered armed cadres of DNLA. To this effect, a Special Development package of Rs 500 crore each, will also be provided by the two governments over a period of five years, for the all-round development of NCHAC as well as Dimasa people residing in other parts of the State. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and senior officers from Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Assam government were present on the occasion. Soon after the pact was signed, Amit Shah said, "This agreement marks another significant milestone towards making the Northeast insurgency-free by 2024 and fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a peaceful and prosperous Northeast." He said this agreement will put a complete end to insurgency in the Northeast state, as there would be no armed groups left in Assam. Shah added, "PM Modi has put forward the vision of a terror-free, violence-free and developed Northeast before the country and the Ministry of Home Affairs is making forward strides in this direction." "Under the agreement, the representatives of DNLA have agreed to abjure violence, surrender all arms and ammunition, disband their armed organisation, vacate all camps occupied by DNLA cadres and join the peaceful democratic process as established by the law," he said. (ANI)
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin arrived in the national capital on Friday morning. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu MK Stalin is scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu. Earlier on April 27, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met the delegation of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) led by party's general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and party leaders at his residence in the national capital. The meeting was held in the presence of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda. The AIADMK delegation was led by former Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami. Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party chief K Annamalai was also present at the meeting. Taking to Twitter K Annamalai said, "Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, @AIADMKOfficial General Secretary Mr. @EPSTamilNadu and leaders of AIADMK, our @BJP4India National President Mr. @JPNadda and Union Home Minister Mr. @AmitShah met in Delhi today." Annamalai had recently released an audio tape purportedly of state Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan accusing Chief Minister MK Stalin's family of "corruption". In an audio clip released by Annamalai, PTR was heard saying, "I have been a long-time proponent of one man one post from the day I entered politics. I said what I like about BJP, who looks after the party and who looks after the people separate those.. right. Here every (Beep)## decision has to be made by MLA and minister who looks after the party and people. Oh, it is easier to do money management .. it is not a system... Where they take the bulk of the spoils... The party which is CM's son and son-in-law... Ask them to make the financing ... So I decided after watching this for 8 months ... This is not a sustainable model..... The great luxury for me if I put my papers in... In the short term, I get out before the shit starts blowing up on their face. I have the kind of cleanliness of my conscience that I did have to I gave up the fight too early... I don't have to say... I'm longer in the post it's not my job... Somebody did it." Earlier on April 23, a delegation of Tamil Nadu BJP leaders met Governor RN Ravi Avargal. (ANI)
Former JD(U) leader Ajay Alok joined Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday, and said that he would be privileged if he gets a chance to contribute even 1 per cent to the Modi mission. Ajay Alok joined BJP in the presence of Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in Delhi. Addressing the event, Ajay said, "I'll be privileged if I get the chance to contribute even 1 per cent to the Modi mission." Ajay also said that today is a special day and BJP is more like a family to him rather than just a political party. "Today's day is special. I've joined a family today whose head is Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The nation is influenced by his thoughts and policies," said Ajay Alok. Ajay Alok was suspended from the primary membership of the JD(U) in June last year due to anti-party activities. Besides Ajay Alok, JD(U) also suspended state general secretaries Anil Kumar and Vipin Kumar Yadav from primary membership. "Party's state general secretaries Anil Kumar and Vipin Yadav and spokesperson Ajay Alok are relieved of their posts and suspended from the party's primary membership. Party leader Jitendra Neeraj is also being suspended from the party's primary membership. This decision has been taken to strengthen the party and maintain discipline," Bihar JD (U) chief Umesh Singh Kushwaha told reporters. "For the last few months, there were complaints about running programmes against the interests of the party and misleading the workers. Some office-bearers were asked to refrain from such actions, but despite this, anti-party activities continued," the statement said. Following his expulsion, Ajay Alok thanked the party for relieving him and gave his best wishes to the party. "Badi der kar di meherbaan aate aate. I am thankful to the party for relieving me. It was a long association with the party and was a good experience. All my best wishes with you," he had said. (ANI)
The accused tourist guide has been identified as Mohamad Akhter Katari, a resident of Bandi Bala Chandoosa, and he was arrested by the Baramulla police.

According to officials, Gulmarg Police received a written complaint from Gulmarg Gondola Project's Manager wherein he stated that a ticket checker caught 11 tourists with a fake gondola ticket.

"On the basis of which an enquiry was conducted. On enquiry, the tourists stated that a tourist guide sold them those tickets", the police said.

The police further said, "To this effect, FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in Police Station Gulmarg and an investigation is underway."

"During the course of the investigation, the statement of the tourists was recorded and after strenuous efforts, a tourist guide namely Mohamad Akhter Katari S/O Gh Nabi Katari R/O Bandi Bala Chandoosa was taken into custody and investigation was set into motion", the police said.

According to the police, it was revealed during the investigation that the main objective of these fraudsters is to pre-book Gondola tickets and then sell them to gullible tourists at exorbitant rates.

The police also requested the tourists to be watchful of such fraudsters. (ANI)
"Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu MK Stalin today met President of India Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi and extended the invitation to inaugurate the Multi-Super Speciality Hospital at Guindy, Chennai," the release stated.

"President Murmu has given consent to inaugurate the hospital in Guindy, Chennai and to participate in the Centenary Celebration to be held at YMCA Ground, Nandanam on June 5, 2023," the release reads.

Earlier, on the occasion of the 97th birth anniversary of Muthamizh Arignar Kalaignar on June 3, 2021, Tamil Nadu CM had announced, "A Multi-Super Specialty the hospital will be set up at the premises of the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research at Guindy"

The Construction of the new 1000 bedded hospital was commenced in the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research Complex, Guindy at a cost of Rs.230 Crores, in an area of about 51,429 square meters with ground floor and six upper floors, the release reads. (ANI)
Addressing an election rally in the poll-bound state, Nadda said, "80 communal riots occurred during the Congress government. Today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has imposed a ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI)."

Notably, the Centre had banned PFI in September last year and some members of the Social Democratic Party of India were arrested from Old Bhopal (Shahjehanabad) on suspiction of being in touch with the PFI.

Asking people to vote for BJP in the coming elections for better results, Nadda said, "If you take the right decisions at the right time, then you get the right results."

Earlier, in the day, JP Nadda designated a four-member team to look into the incidents of violence in Odisha during this year's Hanuman Jayanti celebrations.

This fact-finding team will be led by BJP's Rajya Sabha MP, Brij Lal who's been the former DGP of Uttar Pradesh.

Alongside Brij Lal, three other MPs including Samir Oraon and Aditya Sahu, both Rajya Sabha MPs from Jharkhand and Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato, MP from West Bengal's Purulia, will be a part of the team.

This delegation will conduct ground visits, interact with the locals and assess the possible reason which led to the violence and then submit a detailed report to the party's National president.

Sambalpur had witnessed clashes between two communities on April 12 during a bike rally organised as part of Hanuman Jayanti celebrations. Several police personnel were injured and one tribal was killed during these clashes. (ANI)
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Friday condemned the statement issued by the Bar Council of India (BCI) against the marriage equality hearing in the Supreme Court. According to a statement, the SCBA Executive Committee said it feels highly inappropriate for the BCI to issue a Press Statement dated April 23, 2023, opposing a hearing of the matter before the Supreme Court. "It is the duty of the Court to hear the petition and decide whether the matter should be adjudicated by the Court or left to the wisdom of Parliament. This resolution should not be construed in any manner that we are supporting or opposing the petitioner in the matter pending before the Supreme Court," SCBA said. On April 23, the BCI passed a resolution opposing the grant of legal recognition to same-sex marriage in the country. BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra said the resolution has been passed by the Bar after holding a meeting with representatives of all State Bar Councils. As per documented history, BCI said ever since the inception of human civilization and culture, marriage has been typically accepted and categorized as a union of biological man and woman for the twin purpose of procreation and recreation. In such background, it would be catastrophic to overhaul something as fundamental as the conception of marriage by any Law Court, howsoever well-intentioned it may be. Issues pertaining to social and religious connotations should typically be dealt with by Courts through the doctrine of deference, the Bar Council said. The Council said the vast majority believes that any decision of the Apex Court in the petitioners' favour on this issue will be treated to be against the culture and socio-religious structure of the country. The Constitution Bench comprising the Chief Justice, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Justice Ravindra Bhat, Justice Hima Kohli and Justice PS Narasimha is dealing with a batch of petitions pertaining to 'marriage equality rights for the LGBTQI+ community'. The Constitution Bench started hearing the petitions on April 18. Various petitions are being dealt with by Supreme Court seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriage. The Centre has opposed the petitions. One of the petitions earlier raised the absence of a legal framework which allowed members of the LGBTQ+ community to marry any person of their choice. According to the petition, the couple sought to enforce the fundamental rights of LGBTQ+ individuals to marry any person of their choice and said that "The exercise of which ought to be insulated from the disdain of legislative and popular majorities". The petitioners, further, asserted their fundamental right to marry each other and prayed for appropriate directions from this Court allowing and enabling them to do so. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party leader BS Yediyurappa on Friday condemned Mallikarjun Kharge's "poisonous snake" remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded apology from the Congress President. This comes after, Kharge while addressing an election rally in Karnataka's Kalaburagi on Thursday, said, "PM Modi is like a 'poisonous snake', you might think it's poison or not. If you lick it, you're dead." However, Kharge later clarified that what he wanted to say is BJP's ideology is as dangerous as a snake and didn't mean to make a personal attack against PM Modi. Talking to ANI, Yediyurappa said, "I never expected the Congress President to make such a statement. He should apologise for it. People will not forget this." Amid the high-decibel campaign for the ensuing Karnataka Assembly elections, Kharge's remark drew a sharp reaction from the BJP, which slammed the "slanderous" statement saying it reflected the "mentality" of the principal Opposition party in the state. Clarifying his remark, Kharge on Thursday tweeted, "BJP's ideology is divisive, hostile and full of hatred and prejudice towards the poor and Dalits. I discussed the politics of hatred and malice. My statement was neither for PM Modi personally nor for any other person." "But for the ideology he represents. Our fight with PM Modi is not a personal fight. It is an ideological battle. My intention was not to hurt anyone's feelings and if knowingly or unknowingly someone's feelings were hurt, then it was never my intention," Kharge added. "Nor has it been the conduct of my long political life. I have always followed the norms and traditions of political correctness towards friends and opponents and will do so till the last breath of my life. I don't make fun of individuals and their problems like people in high positions," the Congress national president said in another tweet. "I have also seen and suffered the pain and suffering of the poor and downtrodden. For five decades, I have always been opposed to the divisive ideology of the BJP and RSS and their leaders. My political fight was, is and always will be against his politics," Kharge added. However, his clarification did not wash with the saffron camp as Union Minister for State for Home, Nityanand Rai, hit back at the Congress national president saying that the grand old party is a habitual offender when it comes to defaming PM Modi and the Other Backward Classes (OBC). Further lashing out at the Congress, the Union MoS said, "Now that the poisonous politics of the Congress have been rejected by the people, their leaders are growing desperate and losing their temper. The people of the country, and especially in Karnataka, will not tolerate the use of such language against PM Modi and will give them a befitting reply in the Assembly election." BJP leader and Union minister Shobha Karandlaje also demanded Kharge's apology. Union Minister for Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan, also launched a scathing attack on the Congress president, saying he used such words against PM Modi to "appease his political masters". Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Kharge's statement reflects the mindset of the Congress. Speaking to ANI, Sitharaman said, "It shows the mentality of the Congress. I condemn it. While Rahul Gandhi took out the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' to spread love, as he called it, his party president is using such words against our PM. Mallikarjun Kharge should tender an apology." Union Minister Pralhad Joshi also condemned Kharge's remark, saying the people would teach the grand old party a lesson. Speaking to ANI, the Union Minister said, "It is highly condemnable. People will teach them a lesson. I demand an unconditional apology from Kharge." The polls for the 224-seat Karnataka Assembly are scheduled to take place on May 10 and the counting of votes will be done on May 13. (ANI)
All the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States on Friday supported the concept of cooperation among them to decarbonize transport, and promote digital transformation and innovative technologies to achieve greater efficiency and sustainability. It was decided in the 10th Meeting of Transport Ministers of the Member States of SCO chaired by the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari here in the national capital. Chaired by India this year, SCO currently comprises eight Member States which are India, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. In today's meeting, a statement from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said, "All the member states supported the Concept of cooperation of the SCO Member States to decarbonize transport, promote digital transformation and innovative technologies to achieve greater efficiency and sustainability". A Special Working Group has been established to promote collaboration among member states of the SCO in transportation. This group will facilitate meetings to share knowledge and best practices related to reducing carbon emissions in transportation, promoting digital transformation, and implementing innovative technologies for more sustainable and efficient transport. Speaking on the occasion Gadkari said, "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India recently celebrated its 75th year of independence under the theme of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and entered the Amrit Kaal which translates into Golden Era". "Under the Amrit Kaal, 'Green Growth' is identified as a key area for reducing the carbon intensity of the economy, including promotion of green mobility," he added. Gadkari said, "To bring a paradigm shift by adopting green and clean fuels, developing technologies that improve the efficiency and reliability of the transport systems and bringing sustainability in the development of the road construction sector, the SCO Member States must collaborate for research and development and to bring innovations in the road transport to develop effective solutions to contemporary challenges in this sector." The Union Minister said that we feel that an approach which is based on collaboration and cooperation between the SCO member countries will enable the promotion of sustainable transport development, lower carbon emissions to enhance the quality of life and improve the efficiency of transport systems within the SCO regions. This is also reflected in India's commitment to achieve the target of net zero emissions by 2070 under the fivefold strategy called "Panchamrita" which was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021. Gadkari said, "As SCO Transport Ministers we can send a collective message affirming our determination to address the challenges of the transport sector and bring solutions that shall help us build an ecosystem for collaboration and cooperation as a part of fulfilling our commitment to the SCO." India is the current chair of SCO, which is an intergovernmental organization founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001. (ANI)
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday lashed out at Bharatiya Janata Party over the remarks of a Karnataka BJP MLA calling Congress MP Sonia Gandhi a 'Vishkanya' and demanded reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. "A Karnataka BJP MLA has called Sonia Gandhi a 'Vishkanya'. People want to know what PM Modi and Amit Shah have to say on this issue, " said Bhupesh Baghel while talking to the media. This comes after Karnataka BJP MLA Basanagouda Yatnal while attacking Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge over his 'poisonous snake' remark on PM Modi and called UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi 'Vishkanya'. CM Baghel highlighted Kharge's clarification on his statement of calling PM a 'poisonous snake' saying that it wasn't meant for PM Modi but directed at BJP's "ideology", and said that it was his "greatness" that he clarified his statement. He further asked about the BJP's opinion on Sonia Gandhi being called a 'Vishkanya'. Baghel also alleged that BJP always targets Sonia Gandhi and has said "unrestrained things about her several times". "Every time they (BJP) target Sonia Gandhi, unrestrained things have been said about her several times. Calling her a 'Vishkanya', is condemnable. The nation wants to know what PM and Amit Shah have to say on this issue", said Baghel. Bhupesh Baghel also reacted to Union Minister Smriti Irani's remarks on Kharge's statement and said that she does not see anything other than the Gandhi family. Smriti Irani said, "Kharge reflects the vile politics of the Congress particularly of the Gandhi family". "Mallikarjun Kharge's statement is a reflection of what the Gandhi family feels about PM...He gave clarification that he was attacking BJP's ideology. BJP's ideology is nation first. So is he saying he was not attacking PM Modi, rather he was attacking India," she added. Reacting to Irani's statement, Baghel said, "Smriti Irani does not see anything other than the Gandhi family. The second thing is Kharge has given clarification on his remark so I think the matter should end now." (ANI)
Officials said that the deceased boy was identified as Saurabh (12), a resident of Bilaspur Camp, Molarband Village, New Delhi.

He was a class 8th student of MCD School, Tajpur Pahari, New Delhi.

On Thursday, Badarpur police received a PCR call. The caller said that near Badarpur Molarband Khan Government School, Khatushyam Park a five to six-year-old student of being beaten to death by two boys near Khatushyam Park at Tajpur Road village.

Following the information, a team of police reached the spot. SHO alongwith staff and other senior officers also visited the spot and found the body of a 12-year-old boy lying in a drainage in the school uniform.

A school bag with textbooks and other study materials was found lying near the body and the body was lying with its head facing down in the drain.

Police also recovered 4-5 blood-stained stones and a blood-stained towel from the spot.

The South East district crime team inspected the crime scene, and SOC (Scene of Crime) was properly photographed. Exhibits have also been taken into possession, officials said.

On inspection of the dead body, multiple head injuries, apparently caused by a blunt object have been noticed. The presence of nearby blood-stained stones would have been used in the commission of the crime, said police.

The body was sent to AIIMS Mortuary for post-mortem examination.

A case of murder has been registered. Police are investigating the matter and efforts are afoot to identify the assailants behind this crime, officials said. (ANI)
President Droupadi Murmu accepted the invitation of Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu MK Stalin to inaugurate the government multi-super speciality hospital built at an estimated cost of Rs 230 crore at Guindy in Tamil Nadu's Chennai district, said a statement here on Friday. According to the statement, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu MK Stalin today met President of India Droupati Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi and extended the invitation to inaugurate the Multi-Super Speciality Hospital at Guindy, Chennai. President of India has consented to inaugurate the hospital in Guindy, Chennai and to participate in the Centenary Celebrations at YMCA Ground, Nandanam on June 5, 2023." The construction of the new 1000-bed hospital commenced in the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research Complex, Guindy was done at a cost of Rs.230 Crores, in an area of about 51,429 square meters with ground floor and six upper floors, the statement said. The statement added, "Now, with the completion of the construction of this state-of-the-art hospital and the commencement of the celebration of Muthamizh Arignar Kalaignar, CM invited the President of India to participate in the above events." On the occasion of the 97th birth anniversary of Muthamizh Arignar Kalaignar on June 3, 2021, CM Stalin announced, "A multi-super speciality hospital will be set up at the premises of King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research at Guindy". (ANI)
Questioning the decision of the Bihar government to release the murder convict and former MP Anand Mohan Singh from Jail, All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz Chairman and Former JD(U) Rajya Sabha MP Ali Anwar on Friday said that the decision gives "wrong message" to "Dalits and backward Muslims". This comes after Gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan Singh walked free from Bihar's Saharsa jail early Thursday morning, a move which was mandated following the amendment of the prison rules by the Bihar government allowing the release of 27 convicts including him. Speaking to ANI, Ali Anwar said, "The decision has been taken by the Bihar government to release Anand Mohan from Jail gives the wrong message, especially among the Dalits and Backward Classes and Muslims". "I want to tell the Bihar government that if you have released Anand Mohan, then you should do a review for such prisoners who are in jail for small crimes, and because of no money are not able to present their case in the court through lawyers. Because of this, many people are facing imprisonment, and these people are poor, Dalits, backwards and Pasmanda Muslims," he added. Ali Anwar further urged the state government to review the jail rules for other backward and poor prisoners as well. "When these Dons, especially people like Anand Mohan go to jail then many people serve them in better way, and whenever they have to come out, they easily get parol. But what about the poor and Dalit prisoners? That's why I am demanding the to review the jail rules for them also," he said. The All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz Chairman Ali Anwar also lashed out at the AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for mocking Bihar Chief Minister to release Anand Mohan from Jail and "Owaisi himself is dancing to the tunes of BJP. He is the 'Don' of the old Hyderabad city. From, where does he get the moral right to talk like this." Owaisi recently said that "Nitish Kumar is roaming all over the country in the name of opposition unity and calling himself the prime ministerial candidate. You will tell Dalit community in 2024 that you let go of the person who killed a Dalit officer." Gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan Singh, who was serving a life sentence, was released from Saharsa jail on Thursday morning after being behind bars for 15 years. Singh was convicted for his role in the 1994 murder of the then Gopalganj collector G Krishnaiah during the funeral procession of Muzaffarpur gangster Chotan Shukla. Recently Bihar Government amended the rules of the Jail manual, an official notification stated that 27 prisoners who have served 14 years or 20 years in jail have been ordered to be released. G Krishnaiah, a 1985-batch IAS officer who hailed from Mahbubnagar in present-day Telangana. Anand Mohan was sentenced to death by a trial court in 2007. A year later, the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Patna High Court. Mohan then challenged the verdict in Supreme Court but no relief has been granted yet and he has remained in Saharsa jail since 2007. His wife Lovely Anand has also been a Lok Sabha MP, while their son Chetan Anand is an RJD MLA from Bihar's Sheohar. (ANI)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy interacted with the district collectors and superintendents of police virtually from his camp office at Tadepalli on Friday and directed them to give more focus on Jagananna Chebudam, an upgraded version of Spandana, which would be launched on May 9 throughout the state. The Chief Minister said that he would launch the ambitious Jagananna Chebudam which is an upgraded and one step ahead of the public grievance redressal Spandana program in the state. "The name of the program itself speaks volumes of the scheme. The entire government machinery is behind the scheme to give qualitative service delivery. Addressing the individual and household grievances should be the priority of the concerned officials in the most efficient way," said the Chief Minister, as per a press statement. He also reviewed the works of the housing department including TIDCO, Jagananna Bhu Hakku, and Nadu-Nedu projects in schools, and instructed the district collectors to emphasize the projects with qualitative work. Regarding the Projecting Monitoring Units at the CMO level, secretaries, district, and Mandal level, the Chief Minister said, "The monitoring units have been appointed to assist the departments, and only then, a desired outcome would come. All the grievances raised through the redressal helpline must be taken on priority by concerned officials and must be dealt with in time bound manner." Reddy also noted the redressal helpline 1092 has additional features like inputs on government schemes or sharing a message directly to CM Jagan. "IVRS and SMS-based communication will be directly sent to the people with regular updates, feedback and understand how the scheme is being implemented," said Chief Minister. Before the launch of the program, the helpline number should be widely publicized with the help of village volunteers, sachivalayams, and other modes must be completed, said the Chief Minister. He further said that the program will be implemented through key mechanisms like Project Monitoring Units and Special Officers (Senior IAS officers) will be visiting the districts twice a month to monitor and regular checks. "If a closed redressal is opened again, it should be the most priority for the officials to rectify it," said the officials. The Chief Minister has also allocated 3 crores to each collector to work on the redressal mechanisms and instructed the Chief Secretary to delegate more powers to the District Collectors to rectify individual grievances. Reviewing the works of housing schemes under process, the Chief Minister said, "There is no shortfall in funding for the housing schemes. We have spent over Rs 10,200 crores in the year 2022-23 and we will spend Rs 15,810 crores in this financial year. As of now, there are no arrears or pending bills anywhere. The construction of houses strengthens the economy and housing for all the poor should be actively promoted. Officers of some districts should pay special attention to colonies where more than 1000 houses are being constructed." "More than Rs.3,534 crore loans have already been sanctioned to 10.03 lakh beneficiaries and Collectors should talk to banks and advance the lending program. Further, every Saturday shall be considered as Housing Day and officials engaged in the housing program must visit the layouts. It will help the officials to identify if there are any problems with the quality of the construction. The officials should make all arrangements for the distribution of house titles to 48,000 poor people in NTR and Guntur districts in the second week of May," said Chief Minister Jagan. Speaking on the ambitious Bhu Hakku program, Chief Minister Jagan said, "No comprehensive survey has been conducted anywhere in the country. We are doing this in the state after 100 years and it will be an example to the rest of the country. Distribution of land title documents, laying of boundary stones, entry of final details in land records in villages, availability of sub-registrar services in village secretariats is the important objectives of this program." The program undertaken in 2000 villages in the first phase is reaching its final stage and the Chief Minister instructed the officials to complete it as soon as possible. "Collectors should focus on the distribution of land rights documents to farmers. Further, the second phase of the survey will begin from May 25," said the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister told the district collectors and other officials that there were sufficient funds available for the scheme, "Over Rs.734.21 crores in the accounts of parents' committees. Another Rs.1400 crore is also available for further expenditure so in there is no shortage of funds today," said the Chief Minister Jagan. He directed the officials to fix the IFP panels before the school reopens on June 12 and use this summer opportunity to complete the work in the schools. "In the first phase, a full-scale audit should be carried out on the following schools and any issues should be corrected immediately. Officials should take special care to ensure the quality of work and focus on the distribution of sand, cement, steel, etc. without shortages," he said. The Chief Minister also noted that about 5.18 lakh tabs have been given to 8th-class students and teachers together and periodic reviews should be done by the village digital assistant by visiting the school once a month. "For any repairs or assistance, it can be done at the secretariat or through the help of headmasters/mistress in the school," said CM Jagan. "There should be a school digital day once a month and the digital assistant will go to schools and provide training on the use and awareness of the use of tabs given by the government," he added. On the reopening day (June 12), school kits should be readily available without delay. "About 43.01 lakh people will get Jagananna Vidya Kanuka kits. I should not receive complaints from any school or any student about the not availability of kits. Earlier, books were never given on time and they were given in September or October. Collectors should own programs for children in schools and also by appointing night watchmen in schools," said the Chief Minister. Regarding the prevention of drugs, Police officials should display the SEB toll-free number in all colleges with huge hoardings. Intelligence should come to officials from the ground (colleges) and conduct counselling for children so that they do not get affected by it. Drug peddlers should be dealt with strict punishments. Over 15 thousand women police working in the village should be vigil, said Chief Minister Jagan. (ANI)
Ministry of Ayush on Friday launched a special edition of the official research publication of the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Journal of Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (JRAS) focused on the 'Impact of Mann ki Baat on Ayush Sector.' Minister of Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal today launched the special edition of journal in the presence of Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, of Ayush and senior officials of the Ministry. In his address, Sonowal said, "Prime Minister's 'Mann ki Baat' conversations have been instrumental in giving a positive trust to Ayush. With its innovative and unique interactive style of presentation, the radio program has carved out a niche for itself and has become popular among communities. The content of this special edition of the journal has taken inspiration from various thoughts of our PM on Ayush sector." Ayush has been mentioned in about 37 episodes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio program, 'Mann Ki Baat,' an official release said. The Prime Minister had urged citizens to adopt a healthy lifestyle, practice yoga, and adopt evidence-based Ayurveda and imbibe Ayurveda way of life into their lifestyle. As a result of the Prime Minister's efforts to promote the Ayush sector, there has been an increase in awareness about the benefits of traditional Indian systems of medicine, not only in India but also globally, it said. The journal highlights the impact of 'Mann ki Baat' on the Ayush sector, The content of the special edition of journal is inspired by various conversations of the prime minister on Ayush systems during the last 9 years. It highlights the impact of "Mann ki Baat" on Ayush sector and how Ayush is becoming a fundamental pillar of the country's national health policy and health interventions. A total of 24 articles by renowned experts are included in seven potential areas i.e., Policy & Public Health, Science & Evidence, Health Education & Awareness, Yoga & Swasthavritta (Lifestyle, Exercise, Food, Nutrition), War against Corona, Industry & Academia Collaboration and Globalization & International Cooperation. (ANI)
The Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson, Swati Maliwal, issued a notice to Delhi Police over a viral video of a young man who is purportedly seen masturbating in Delhi Metro. The video is being widely circulated on social media wherein the man is indulging in the obscene act while sitting on a seat in Delhi Metro. It can be seen in the video that his actions are making everyone around him extremely uncomfortable. The Commission has sent a notice to Delhi Police DCP, Delhi Metro seeking an action taken report. The Commission has asked Delhi Police to provide a copy of the FIR along with details of an arrest made in the case. DCW Chief Swati Maliwal stated, "A man can be seen in a viral video shamelessly masturbating in Delhi Metro. It is absolutely disgusting and sickening. The accused must be arrested and strict action should be taken in the matter". "More and more such cases are coming to light in the Delhi Metro and exemplary action needs to be taken against such persons so that women's safety is ensured in the Metro," she added. After the video went viral Delhi Metro Rail Corporation(DMRC) issued a statement asking the passengers to behave responsibly while travelling in the metro and adding that the passengers "should immediately report the matter to DMRC helpline giving details of corridor, station, time etc". (ANI)
Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar on Friday sought an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for BJP leader BR Patil Yatnal statement calling former Congress president Sonia Gandhi "vishkanya" (venomous maiden). Shivakumar urged BJP president JP Nadda, "If you have respect for women and motherhood, the expel him (BR Patil). I demand an apology from the Honourable PM of the country & Chief Minister of this State & and not from that rogue (BR Patil Yatnal). I request Nadda ji to expel him if you have respect for women and motherhood." "Even Abdul Kalam requested Sonia Gandhi to become prime minister, he wrote a letter and invited Sonia Gandhi to form a government but she refused to be the PM and made great and honest Manmohan Singh, the PM for 10 years. She is the greatest lady even though she was not born in India, "he added. Recalling his days when he was lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail and Sonia Gandhi came to visit him. Shivakumar said, "She is like mother to me." When asked about actors like Sudeep and Darshan campaigning for BJP Shivakumar claimed, "They are actors who are campaigning for BJP. They have not joined the party. I don't think that this will give a big boost to BJP." BR Patil Yatnal's "vishkanya" remarks come after Congress president Mallikaarjun Kharje while addressing a campaign rally in Karnataka, linked Modi to a 'poisonous snake'. However, as a row erupted, he later sought to clarify that his remarks were not aimed at the prime minister but at the ruling BJP. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda on Friday hit out against the Congress party and alleged that during the tenure of Siddaramaiah, the party had sent only 17 names of farmers for 'PM Kisan Samman Nidhi'. Addressing a public meeting, Nadda said, "During Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah's government in the state, we had sought names of farmers for Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi. And, Kumaraswamy sent the names of only 17 farmers. This was their 'brilliant' performance. These Kumaraswamy, Siddaramaiah have no intention of serving people, they just blabber". He further accused the previous Congress government of "stalling" the development projects and welfare schemes in the state. The BJP president said that today 4 crore people are receiving free ration in the state under PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana and nine lakh people have been provided with houses under the PM Awas Yojana. "This election is for the future of Karnataka. On the one hand, you have a party which promotes corruption and blocks development. On the other hand, you have BJP which promotes development. If you want double-engine government, then you have to send Bangarappa to the state assembly," Nadda further said. He further hit out at the Congress party over the scrapping of 4 per cent reservation of the Muslim community in the state. "For social welfare, we increased the reservation of SC by 2 per cent, ST by 4 per cent, for Lingayat community by 2 per cent and for Vokkaliga community by 2 per cent. On the other hand, Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar say that they will take away these reservations and give them on a communal basis, which is against the Constitution. I want to ask Congress, whose reservation they want to take back. They only work for dividing people in the name of politics," Nadda added. JP Nadda also said that voting for BJP works with the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas' under the leadership of PM Modi, and aims to empower every section of the society. "Voting for JD(S) means voting for Congress, and voting for Congress means voting for PFI. These parties lend support to the anti-social forces. Only BJP can ensure the safety, security and prosperity of Karnataka. So people should vote judiciously," the BJP president added. On 29th March, the election commission of India announced the schedule for the Karnataka elections. The polls for the 224-seat assembly are slated to take place on 10 May and the counting will take place on 13th May. (ANI)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday criticised the previous state governments for indulging in caste politics, which resulted in the state's downfall, failing the public, said a statement by Chief Minister's Office. Addressing a public meeting organized in Gorakhpur, the Chief Minister said that earlier extortion was collected from traders, whereas today street vendors are given the benefit of PM SVANidhi Yojana, added statement. "Earlier, the people of the particular party used to spread terror by waving pistols in their hands, whereas today the government is giving tablets in the hands of the youth. Two crore youth will be equipped with tablets and smartphones," he added. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the money given by the government for the double engine should be used without discrimination, for this, a board with a full majority of BJP will have to be formed in all the bodies. Stating that the government under PM Modi's leadership safeguarded the public in times of crisis be it Covid-19 or the situation in Sudan, Yogi said, "Only a sensitive government stands with the public in times of crisis. Under the leadership of PM Modi, India rescued its citizens from there. 31 citizens of Gorakhpur-Basti division have also been safely sent to their homes yesterday." The Chief Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's prestige has increased globally. He said that by making PM Modi's vision a mission, the Uttar Pradesh government is benefiting every citizen through development and public welfare programs without any discrimination. Further, he said that in Gorakhpur city itself, 33,000 poor people have been given houses under the PM Awas Yojana. The Chief Minister informed that 2.61 crore individual toilets have been built in Uttar Pradesh. About 1.75 crore people have been given free cooking gas connections under the Ujjwala scheme. The government is also going to give free cylinders on Holi and Diwali. The Chief Minister said that Gorakhpur has the potential to become a world-class city. There should be a good drainage system, underground cabling, taps in every house, and LED street lights in every street, there should be no terror of the Shohads, and no piles of garbage should be seen. The Municipal Corporation will be the medium for making the city look beautiful, safe and smart. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took the names of all the candidates in the public meeting and appealed to the people present to make the BJP candidates win, saying that a good board should be formed for development to take place without discrimination. While addressing the conference of doctors at Gorakhpur, the CM said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gorakhpur has also created a new identity in the rapidly growing Uttar Pradesh on the journey of change and progress. "Efficient leadership is needed to nurture development in Gorakhpur. We have to present Gorakhpur on the global map. It has to be made a world-class city," said the CM. He said that for 30 years I have had close relations and interactions with the doctors here. Positive cooperation of doctors has been received for the development and strengthening of the health infrastructure of Gorakhpur. Recalling the days of his struggle against encephalitis, the Chief Minister said that doctors stood by him all the time in the fight against encephalitis, and made the state free of the havoc. (ANI)
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai on Friday, lashed out at the Congress party and accused it of using the people just for "vote bank", and ignoring them after that. Bommai's remarks came after KPCC president DK Shivakumar's recent statement that Lingayats and Vokkaligas are not "beggars" to accept the reservation accorded by the BJP-led State government. Addressing the roadshow in Sedam, CM Bommai said, "The Congress Party has the habit of keeping Dalits inside the well, using them as vote banks and dropping them in the same place after getting their votes". He also attacked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over his "poisonous snake" remark on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge has spoken very badly about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has compared him with a poisonous snake. But he has forgotten that the very same snake is wrapped around the neck of Lord Shiva," Bommai further said. The Chief Minister alleged that the Congress party is making such remarks because of "frustration" as it is "scared" of losing yet another election. "BJP will come to power in the state if party candidate Rajkumar Patil wins the election from Sedam. BJP has been in power in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. It will come back to power in Karnataka as well. Because of this, the Congress party has become scared. This forced them to talk against Modi out of frustration. He further said that BJP will make Karnataka the number one state in the country. "The Congress Party is giving all kinds of guarantees including free bus travel for women which the BJP government has already announced in the budget. Ours is a double-engine government and we are committed to improving the Kalyana Karnataka region. We will come back to power and make Karnataka the number one state," Bommai further said. On 29th March, the election commission of India announced the schedule for the Karnataka elections. The polls for the 224-seat assembly are slated to take place on 10 May and the counting will take place on 13th May. (ANI)
A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and also comprising Justice PS Narasimha said that this is not a case for a transfer before the bench.

The top court also remarked that they are observing that politics is brought into court in some form or another in the garb of cases.

The court said that don't think that they are not understanding. The court also told the petitioner that they have remedies available in the case.

The court also remarked that in this case all of this was heard and argued.

The lawyer appearing for Aman Kumar Singh and his wife withdrew the plea after the court was not convinced by the petitioner's argument. (ANI)
The Delhi High Court on Friday granted permission to terminate the 25-week pregnancy carried by a gang rape victim. The minor victim had approached the court through her parents seeking permission to terminate the pregnancy. She was gang raped in Nepal in October last year. Justice Prathiba M Singh after considering the report given by the Medical Board of LNJP Hospital allowed the petition. The High Court directed the LNJP Hospital to carry out the pregnancy termination procedure as soon as possible. The report said that they can carry out the procedure. However, there is some risk in carrying out the procedure. The risk factor was mentioned to the victim and her mother who was present through video conferencing during the hearing. The doctor also said that the child may be born alive. In that case, the victim will have to stay in the hospital to look after the child. The counsel for the petitioner thereafter sought the liberty to move an appropriate application in that case. The high court granted the liberty. The Medical Board constituted on Wednesday filed a medical report of a minor. The Bench had directed to constitute a medical board and to examine the victim. A report was also sought. Pursuant to the order a report was filed. The minor is a victim of gang rape in Nepal in October last year. The parents of the girl live and work in Delhi. The petition was moved by the parents of the minor Victim through advocate Anuj Kapoor. They sought permission for the termination of pregnancy under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act. The petitioner's counsel submitted that the minor is a victim of a brutal gang rape in Nepal in October 2022. She was with her male sibling in Nepal and the parents were in Delhi. When the girl came to Delhi to meet her parents she realised that she is pregnant. Thereafter she consulted the doctor, the counsel submitted. After the medical examination, it was found that she is pregnant and approach the doctor for termination of pregnancy. (ANI)
The deceased's body was found wrapped in bedsheets in a box of a double bed.

According to the police, they received a PCR call at Maidan Garhi Police Station at 11:21 AM in which a neighbour of the deceased said that stench was coming out from the flat and there was no response from inside the flat.

The flat was locked from the inside. The police personnel summoned the owner of the flat and a key maker was also brought in, with whose help the police opened the door. The deceased was identified as Obinoze Alexander, said the police.

The flat owner said he rented the apartment to her in December 2021. The investigation is going on in this matter, the police added. (ANI)
An open gym, which was supposed to be inaugurated by Chief Minister N Biren Singh in Churachandpur on Friday, was torched by some miscreants last night. Tension flared up in the Churachandpur district of Manipur. Following the incident, additional state forces have been deployed to maintain law and order in the area. No further violence has been reported since last night. "The recent steps taken up by N Biren Singh Government in Manipur to protect the Reserve Forest and Protected Forest in the state have faced major resistance from a section of tribal communities," top sources told ANI. It may be noted that a large gathering was waiting for the arrival of the CM today. The widespread poppy plantations are considered to have grown exponentially due to the huge influx of illegal migrants from Myanmar, the sources further told ANI. The narrative of the miscreants that the Govt is encroaching on their ancestral land and that their rights are being violated is being circulated falsely, say sources in the govt. "Such allegations are continually being levelled by external forces, particularly the poppy planters and illegal immigrants scheming to thwart the chief minister's actions to protect the state. They have become a threat to the CM's development plans," the sources said. To counter these anti-national elements, steps have been taken up to identify the illegal immigrants in the state. A sub-committee has been formed to carry out identification drives of illegal migrants in the various districts. A Manipur Population Commission has been constituted to gather data and ground reports. Meanwhile, the state government is also setting up temporary shelters for the Myanmarese nationals who entered the state to escape the ongoing crisis in the state. (ANI)
In an important step forward for the rejuvenation of the Yamuna through seamless inter-state coordination, Delhi LG VK Saxena on Thursday chaired a meeting of top officers from Haryana and Delhi, said a press release on Friday. The Capital's recent endeavours which had unprecedentedly augmented bio-mining and disposal of Municipal Solid Waste, were also discussed in the meeting. The meeting was attended by the Chief Secretary, Haryana, Commissioner (ULB), Haryana, Municipal Commissioner (Gurugram), Municipal Commissioner (Faridabad) and Engineers-in-Chief of Irrigation & PHED, Haryana, along with Chief Secretary, Delhi, Principal Secretary (I&FC), Principal Secretary (Environment), MCD Commissioner and CEO (DJB) amongst others. Coming in the wake of several rounds of conversation and communication between the LG and the Haryana Chief Minister, and at the behest of the NGT, this meeting dwelt upon various aspects of pollution into the river Yamuna being caused by sources originating in Haryana as well as Delhi, wherein concerted efforts were required on part of both the States. Any action taken by only Delhi was insufficient for controlling pollution in the Yamuna since continued pollution from sources in Haryana made the exercise futile. In this regard, it was pointed out that in the Najafgarh Drain, which accounted for about 70 per cent of pollution into the Yamuna, 40 per cent of discharge (mostly untreated) came from the L1, L2 and L3 drains flowing out of Gurugram in Haryana. Similarly, the Mangeshpur and Bhupania Drains coming from Haryana and carrying huge amounts of industrial effluent, fell into the Najafgarh Drain at Kakrola regulator and the DD6 Drain from the Kundli Industrial Area in Haryana fell into the supplementary drain. Apart from these, the DD2 and DD8 Drains from Panipat and Kundli in Haryana emptied directly into Yamuna right before the river entered Delhi. It was pointed out that unless the water being discharged into the Najafgarh Drain and the Yamuna from these 08 Drains was not trapped and treated before its outfall, efforts being undertaken by Delhi in cleaning the Najafgarh Drain and the Yamuna will not prove to be sufficient. The officials from Haryana informed of the efforts being undertaken in this regard and assured the Lt. Governor that the same will be augmented enhanced and completed within a timeframe corresponding to that of Delhi. It was also decided that henceforth officials concerned from Haryana will also attend the meetings of the High-Level Committee on Yamuna chaired by the LG and carry on instructions and directions passed in such discussions. The visiting officials also went through a presentation made by the MCD with regard to Municipal Solid Waste and appreciated the learnings thereof. It was decided that ways and means of constructive collaboration regarding the cleaning of drains and the Yamuna will be evolved between the officials and agencies and coordinated efforts will be made to achieve the related goals set by the High-Level Committee in this regard. Officials will undertake a joint visit to Najafgarh Drain and ensure that the STPs and CETPs are run at their full capacity. The LG described the cleaning of the Yamuna as an important National Mission and instructed the officials to proactively cooperate with each other and the various concessionaires to achieve the goal of rejuvenating the Yamuna and flattening the garbage mounds in a time-bound manner. He thanked the Haryana Chief Minister for his proactive support in this exercise. (ANI)
Tamil Nadu government on Friday filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court opposing YouTuber Manish Kashyap's plea seeking clubbing of FIRs registered against him. The Tamil Nadu government submitted in the apex court that the contention of the accused that there was a complete abuse of the process of law by registering multiple FIRs is not sustainable. "The due process of law was followed by the respondent police in all the FIRs registered in the State of Tamil Nadu. The registration of multiple FIRS was not done with any political intention nor to suppress the constitutional rights of the petitioner / accused, but with the intention to stop the spread of misinformation and to ensure that the person guilty of such offences do not escape from the clutches of law," the affidavit said. Tamil Nadu government also said that freedom of speech and expression is not absolute but should be exercised with caution and responsibility. By disturbing public order and national integrity, the petitioner cannot seek shelter under the umbrella of constitutional rights, the state government said. Tamil Nadu government said the misinformation and rumours would have definitely triggered violence and riots in the state of Tamil Nadu and could have damaged life and property apart from threatening the national integrity beyond repair. Considering that around 10 lakh migrant labourers from all over the country are employed across the state, substantial damage would have been caused to the economy of the country. It is submitted that considering the damages that have been done across both the states, cases were registered against Manish Kashyap, the Tamil Nadu government said. The state government, in an affidavit filed through advocate Joseph Aristotle, submitted that all six cases registered in Tamil Nadu are under investigation and is being done in a fair and unbiased manner and in accordance with law. "Considering that the FIRs have been registered against different offences, the clubbing of FIR will not do any justice for the amount of panic and tension the petitioner/accused has created across the States of Tamil Nadu and Bihar. Investigation in all these cases is proceeding in good speed and the cases will be charge sheeted at the earliest," the Tamil Nadu government said in the affidavit. The government submitted that the entire police personnel of Tamil Nadu under the guidance of the Director General of Police, worked relentlessly to counter the rumours, misinformation and false propaganda that was circulated in social media. The court is hearing YouTuber Manish Kashyap's plea challenging the detention order under the National Security Act (NSA) and clubbing of FIRs against him. Kashyap was represented by lawyers Aditya Singh Deshwal, Abhijeet and Ridam Arora. Kashyap's counsel apprised the court earlier that National Security Act has been imposed against his client. Manish Kashyap, a Bihar-based journalist said that many false FIRs were registered against him in Bihar and Tamil Nadu at the behest of the present ruling government. Kashyap sought interim bail and clubbing of all cases in one place. He said that cases against him were filed because he raised the issue of violence against the Bihar-based migrant labourers in Tamil Nadu on social media. The YouTuber, who was caught for allegedly circulating false and misleading information about purported attacks on migrant labourers working in Tamil Nadu was arrested from Bettiah in Bihar on March 18. According to the Bihar Police, Kashyap surrendered at Jagdishpur police station in Bettiah while the Bihar Police and Economic Offence Unit (EOU) were in the process of attaching his house. Kashyap was wanted by Bihar Police and Tamil Nadu Police in a fake news matter of labourers issue in the southern state, according to an official statement issued by the EOU of Bihar Police had said. Last month, a team from Bihar led by IAS officer Balamurugan visited Tamil Nadu to take stock of the matter. The team visited Tiruppur and met the district administration and police officials to know about the actions taken so far in the case. Officials of the Bihar government also interacted with Bihar-based migrant workers in Chennai. On March 9, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin attacked Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing it of spreading rumours about the attack on migrant labourers. The Chief Minister further said that there are no such incidents in Tamil Nadu and the delegates from Bihar who visited the state returned with full satisfaction. Stalin had also spoken to his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar and reassured him about the safety of migrant workers. The alleged assault on migrant labourers from Bihar in Tamil Nadu had stirred massive political unrest in both states. Lok Janshakti Party chief Chirag Paswan had attacked the Bihar Chief Minister on the issue. (ANI)
Claiming that the entire state underwent a massive transformation with development projects benefitting the youth, women, farmers, and poor, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath further said that "BJP symbolises security, good governance, the welfare of citizens and prosperity of India". He was addressing a public gathering in Lakhimpur Kheri on Friday. "Today, the public has faith in BJP and its workers as under its rule, security, good governance, welfare of citizens and prosperity are guaranteed," The Chief Minister said. "With the installation of the triple engine with the double engine, all the necessary public amenities will reach every village, street, farmer, and youth. This will help in finishing the corrupt, mafia and criminals in the state," He said while appealing to the people to vote for BJP in the upcoming urban body election scheduled for May 4, 11. Flaying the SP, BSP and the Congress, the Chief Minister said that the previous governments failed to ensure the region's prosperity as per its potential and stalled development. "The farmers in Lakhimpur possess the power of feeding the state and the country. The sweetness of the sugar mills here reaches the country and the world. We have prepared a comprehensive action plan to further the development of Lakhimpur," he said. "Along with facilities like four lanes, and technical education, Lakhimpur will soon have its own medical college and the government will also develop its airstrip into an airport. Lakhimpur will serve as the hub of ecotourism which will open new avenues for the region's development," Yogi asserted. Maintaining that the state is working to develop places of religious significance as envisioned by PM Modi, Yogi said, "Development of religious places will lead to the opening of restaurants and hotels which will provide employment to many and even the farmers will get a good price for their produce in the place itself." He said that while, tourism will attract the country and the world, on the other hand, when the construction of the corridor of Gola Gokaran Nath Dham, known as Chhoti Kashi, is completed, then the late Arvind Giri ji will also be paid a grand tribute. Furthermore, Yogi said that under the leadership of PM Modi, the BJP's double-engine government has given houses to lakhs of poor people in Lakhimpur, constructed toilets and raised their standard of living. He said that every poor family is getting a cooking gas connection and cylinders free of cost on festivals like Holi, and Deepawali under the Ujjwala Yojana, adding, "Government programs for the poor are being implemented without discrimination. On the other hand, highways, and expressways are being built. Additionally, airports, are coming up and heritage is being respected." Slamming the opposition, Yogi further said that only the BJP during the Covid crisis, reached out to the public and ensured their well-being. "We also provided a free ration facility. Whether it is welfare schemes for the poor or infrastructure, we have taken care of everything," he added. (ANI)
In a decision aimed at improving the safety and health facilities of employees, the Delhi government on Friday approved additional payments for the employees working overtime. The decision was approved by the labour department of the Delhi Government during a meeting chaired by Minister Raaj Kumar Anand. "The decision focuses on employees working overtime, who will now receive additional payments. Working more than 8 hours a day or more than 48 hours a week is considered overtime, and if an employee works overtime, they can receive up to double the hourly rate based on minimum wages," the Delhi government stated. It added, "Employees cannot work for more than 12 hours a day or 60 hours a week. Furthermore, no employee can work overtime for 7 consecutive days. Additionally, it is mandatory for employers to provide some holidays to their employees every year". Delhi Minister Raj Kumar Anand said, "These measures are proof that the Kejriwal Government is working day and night to improve the safety and health facilities of lakhs of employees working in Delhi." During the meeting, the Labour Minister directed that it will now be mandatory to give joining and experience letters to the employees working in any field. Employers have to ensure that the records of all the employees employed by them should be recorded, along with this all the employees must get salary slips. Furthermore, wherever migrant workers are employed, the employers will have to pay them a travelling allowance once in a year. For this, the employers have to fix some amount for the employee. The travelling allowance should be such that any expatriate employee can meet the cost of travelling to and from their home by bus or rail, the release stated. In order to ensure the safety of employees working in factories dealing with hazardous chemicals and materials in Delhi, it has been mandated that they undergo medical examinations every year. The factory operator will be responsible for ensuring that employees undergo blood, urine, X-rays and other tests proposed by the medical inspector. The Inspectors of the Labour Department will also conduct regular inspections of the factory to ensure compliance and instruct the employers to take necessary steps for employee safety. Non-compliance will result in concrete steps taken by the Labour Department against the employer. As per the release, employers are required to immediately inform the Labour Department in case of an accident at their workplace within 12 hours of the incident. They can use various modes of communication like telephone, message or e-mail to reach out to the Inspector or Chief Inspector of the Labour Department. "In case of the death of an employee, the employer has to inform the Labour Department, District Magistrate or the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, police station in charge, as well as the concerned department of the state if the worker is a migrant," the government added. (ANI)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has traced multiple cash deposits at frequent intervals in amounts slightly less than Rs 50,000 in the different bank accounts held by Sukanya Mondal, the daughter of Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal, who is presently in ED custody for her alleged involvement in the cattle-smuggling scam in West Bengal. Sources said the investigating officers believe that the transactions in amounts ranging from Rs 45,000 to Rs 49,500 were made deliberately to avoid mentioning the Permanent Account Number (PAN) in the deposit slips. As per banking rules, mention of the PAN in the deposit slips is mandatory in case of cash deposits of Rs 50,000 and above. Sukanya Mondal is in ED custody after she was arrested by the central agency on April 26 in connection with the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam. Sources said that the ED is currently questioning her on the details of such multiple cash deposits. However, she has denied knowledge about such deposits, the sources said. The sources also said that the persons employed at the residence of Mondal, such as the cook or the driver, were used for depositing cash in amounts slightly less than Rs 50,000 into Sukanya Mondal's accounts. As per the sources, Sukanya Mondal is sticking to her "denial of knowledge" strategy with regard to the sources of funds found in the companies where she is the director, or the rice mills where she is a partner, or the huge property in Birbhum district in her name. The two companies with Sukanya Mondal as the director are Neer Developer Pvt Ltd and ANM Agrochem Foods Pvt Ltd, which have their offices in the same address as Bholebam Rice Mill in Birbhum's Bolpur town, which is also owned by her. As per the records accumulated by both the ED and the CBI, which is conducting a parallel probe into the cattle-smuggling scam, there is also a personal bank fixed deposit of Rs 16 crore in her name. --IANS src/arm ( 346 Words) 2023-04-28-19:24:04 (IANS)
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), a constituent in the BJP-led ruling alliance of Assam, on Friday held party workers meeting in Guwahati. AGP president and Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora urged the cadre to work with renewed vigour to further strengthen the party base at the grassroots "for a secure future for Assam". "As the Lok Sabha polls are nearing, I called upon the office bearers and Karyakartas to take up organizational work systematically and reach out to the people to ensure AGP's representation in the lower house of parliament," Atul Bora said after the meeting. Senior party leaders were also present at the meeting. He said that the Party has not yet decided how many seats it should seek in the alliance with BJP and other parties for the next Loksabha election. In the 2019 Loksabha election, AGP contested three Loksabha seats from Assam as part of the alliance led by BJP but could not win a single seat. Currently, AGP has one Rajya Sabha Member. (ANI)
Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, the BJP legislator from the Vijayapura constituency, questioned Kharge, "if PM Modi is a poisonous snake, then Sonia Gandhi must be visha kanye"?

"Being the president of a national party, Kharge does not know how to respect the Prime Minister," Yatnal said at a rally.

Reacting to this, Karnataka unit Congress president D.K. Shivakumar said "no one knows what will happen to Yatnal for using such a low-level language."

"The Congress would not tolerate Yatnal's remark. BJP leaders must tender apology for this. PM Modi and Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai should also apologise, and sack Yatnal from the party," Shivakumar said.

The Congress leader said it is a bad habit of the BJP leaders to issue statements against the Nehru-Gandhi family.

"Our strength will be known on May 13," he said.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Shobha Karandlaje, and Karnataka Minister for Higher Education C.N. Ashwath Narayan have stated that they do not agree with Yatnal's statements, and "those were made at an individual level".

--IANS mka/pgh

( 228 Words)

2023-04-28-20:04:06 (IANS)
Sharma, along with company employees, were on the way to a village in Ghosi area and as they reached Bharthu village under Ghosi police station, around 20 persons chased his convoy and pelted stones on them.

The window panes of 4 vehicles broke down in the attack but luckily, Sharma escaped unhurt.

In a statement to police, Sharma said: "We were on the way to a village to participate in an event organised by my company under CSR scheme, when around 20 persons pelted stones on my convoy. 6 persons, who were inside the vehicles, were injured."

Following the incident, a large number of police force reached the village. They are making efforts to identify the accused. The reason for stone pelting is not ascertained yet.

King Mahendra, who hailed from Jehanabad, was a Rajya Sabha MP of the JD-U as well as the founder of Aristo Pharma. After his demise, his younger brother Umesh Sharma is looking after the company.

--IANS ajk/vd

( 218 Words)

2023-04-28-20:24:04 (IANS)
The ED had earlier attached and seized properties having a value of Rs 1117.71 crores. The total attachments in this case till now are worth Rs 1171.71 crores.

The attached properties consist of insurance policies in the name of Gautam Kundu and his wife, and buildings, plots of land located in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, which were found to have been acquired by the companies of Rose Valley Group from the funds collected from investors.

The ED initiated the investigation under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, against the companies of Rose Valley Group and its chairman along with other persons on the basis of a FIR.

During the course of investigation it was learnt that Rose Valley Group collected funds from the public by floating fake and fictitious schemes and defaulted on the repayments.

Kundu, the promoter/owner/chairman of the Rose Valley Group of Companies, was arrested by the ED in March 2015 and is presently in judicial custody.

The ED has filed two prosecution complaints in the case. One Arun Mukherjee was convicted and awarded a seven-year jail term along with a fine of Rs 2,50,000 in the matter.

Further investigation in the matter is on.

--IANS atk/bg

( 253 Words)

2023-04-28-20:58:03 (IANS)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday met his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu in the national capital on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meet. The Ministry of Defence said that during the meeting, both the ministers discussed various matters related to regional peace and security. Singh and Shoigu held wide-ranging discussions on several issues of bilateral cooperation, including defence and industrial partnerships. The two ministers also discussed the participation of Russia's defence industry in the 'Make in India' initiative, and ways to further accelerate it. It has been learnt that both expressed satisfaction "at the continued trust and mutual respect between India and Russia, particularly in the defence sector, and reiterated their commitment towards strengthening mutual partnership". Meanwhile, during the meeting, Shoigu slammed the US and groupings like Quad while showing inclination towards China. India is part of Quad, which also comprising Australia, Japan and the US. The Russian Defence Minister said that "a front is being set up to stop China". He said that tensions around the 'so-called' Taiwan issue have been deliberately raised. Shoigu said "the supporters of Washington are pursuing their strategic agenda of provoking other countries for a military confrontation with other countries, especially Russia and China". At the conclusion of the SCO meeting, SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming also met Rajnath Singh. Various activities undertaken by India under its chairmanship were discussed. The Defence Minister told the Secretary-General that India is committed to contribute constructively to the implementation of the SCO's mandate. Rajnath Singh also held bilateral talks with the Defence Ministers of Uzbekistan, Belarus and Kazakhstan on the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers' meeting. He held bilateral meetings with the Minister of Defence of Uzbekistan, Lt Gen Bakhodir Kurbanov; Defence Minister of Belarus, Lt Gen Victor Khrenin; and Minister of Defence of Kyrgyzstan, Lt Gen Bekbolotov B. Asankalievich. In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said: "The entire gamut of defence cooperation with the three countries was reviewed during the meetings, with a focus on identifying beneficial avenues for furthering bilateral ties. Issues of mutual interest were also discussed." --IANS gcb/pgh/arm ( 369 Words) 2023-04-28-22:22:03 (IANS)
A total of 135 passengers were onboard the Indian Air Force aircraft, IAF C-130J that reached Jeddah from Port Sudan.

"Delighted to receive 7th batch of stranded Indians at Jeddah from Port Sudan, 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J aircraft," MoS Muraleedharan tweeted.

Informing of the evacuation of the stranded Indian nationals from Port Sudan, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted on Thursday and said that the Indians have left for Jeddah on a flight.

"7th batch of stranded Indians departs from Port Sudan. 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight leave for Jeddah under #OperationKaveri," Bagchi tweeted.

Continuing with the rapid mobilisation of Naval & Air assets for quick & safe evacuation of Indian nationals from Sudan, INS Teg on Anti Piracy patrol was diverted to Port Sudan, to help with the evacuation process. INS Teg is the fourth Talwar-class frigate constructed for the Indian Navy.

Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence.

Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

To ensure no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. (ANI)
Anti-state propaganda works on many levels. Since independence, India has faced an unending dilemma of creative propaganda by neighbouring Pakistan. The propaganda mostly revolved around terrorism, separatism, and Muslim human rights in India, the International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS) reported. Unfortunately, the very diversity that is celebrated in India is exploited by a religious monotheist Pakistan that alleges a threat to India's minorities. The latest project that has proved to be a nuisance is revamped Khalistan's demands. On March 24, this year, Amrit Pal Singh, the self-proclaimed Khalistan leader, was arrested after getting cornered by the Punjab police. Over a hundred followers of this man have already been arrested since 18th March, IFFRAS reported. Developments in the previous month would be nothing less than a shock for the makers of the Khalistani project hailing from Pakistan, Canada and the United Kingdom. What was supposed to be a massive rebellion turned out to be a damp squib. There were no massive rallies, no outpouring of public support, and even rural areas remained immune to Khalistani outcry. To understand why Khalistani protests were witnessed across Western countries but remained absent in India's Punjab, we must understand the history of Sikhs in Canada and their evolution in an alien land. The Komagata Maru incident in 1914 can be used as a reference to the beginning of Sikh immigration to Canada, IFFRAS reported. As of 2021, Canadian Sikhs make up about 2.1 per cent of the population and are concentrated significantly in provinces like Vancouver, Toronto, etc. A small but powerful section of these Sikhs supports the Khalistan project that was conveniently propped up by the Inter-Services Intelligence or ISI around the 1970s. The word Khalistan was only coined in the 1940s and remained buried till 13th October 1971, when Jagjit Singh Chohan published an ad for an independent Sikh state in the New York Times. Before this event, Chohan was in contact with the Pakistani diplomatic mission and in 1971, he visited Pakistan where he met military dictator Yahya Khan, IFFRAS reported. This Khalistan issue was propped in the West around the same time when East Pakistan had rebelled against Islamabad. For the greater part of that decade, ISI sewed a sinister separatist plot with multiple groups based in India's Punjab and Pak-friendly Western countries. In May 1980, Chohan announced the formation of Khalistan in London and remained in contact with Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale who instigated Sikhs in Punjab. Chohan also facilitated the assassination of former Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi by the LTTE, IFFRAS reported. The rise of ethnic-Sikh gangs in Canada beginning in the 1970s brought certain Sikh families wealth and fame. The involvement of multiple ethnic Punjabi gangs in Canada with illegal narcotic drug makers and crimes including murders have been recorded. The rise of influence of this gun culture also had a direct impact on their respective villages in Punjab which received indirect benefits. The much-recent rap gun culture prevalent in Punjab is a result of this influence, IFFRAS reported. The handiwork of ISI in promoting the Khalistani agenda among certain powerful elements in Canada is evident as it adopted a similar tactic. Ranjeet Singh Neeta, based in Pakistan heads the banned Khalistan Zindabad Force. In 2009, KZF took responsibility for killing the religious leader of Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Vienna. Originally from Jammu, ISI has cultivated him for peddling drugs across the border in both Kashmir and Punjab. Apart from this, he also engineers the namesake solidarity between Kashmiri Terror organizations and Khalistani extremists, IFFRAS reported. Similarly, the banned international terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International organized a wave of rallies in Canada and Europe during the 1980s and committed a series of murders during the Punjab insurgency years. Talwinder Singh Parmar, founder and leader of Babbar Khalsa was also the leader of the Air India flight bombing over Canada in 1985. The group was tacitly supported by ISI which lent arms to its members. Even today, dozen-odd groups have been kept alive by ISI who peddle drugs, conduct assassinations, and instigate Sikhs through propaganda. Another level of propaganda that ISI continues to peddle is the Muslim-Sikh Brotherhood. These brotherhood meetings can be found in places like Canada, the USA, the UK and certain places in Europe. A host of little-known figures in these countries make up the bulk of the Khalistanis and Muslim brotherhood activities, IFFRAS reported. But these activities contradict themselves. The bombing of the Gurudwara in Kabul, the attack on the holy Nankana Sahib by Muslims in Pakistan and atrocities against the dwindling Sikh minority in the Sunni state of Pakistan are self-explanatory. The Muslim Brotherhood propped by the Pakistani state conveniently blames India for certain issues in the state of Punjab. But, as the Amrit Pal Singh episode reveals, there is little support for separatism among the people of Punjab. Apart from some foreign/Pakistani-run social media channels and little-known Khalistani groups in the West; there is little ground support for anything called "Khalistan." With Western intelligence cracking down on the Pakistan-run threat, the ground is slipping for Khalistan. (ANI)
While Muslim nations around the world were practising Zakat (charity to the needy) and multiplying their acts of kindness, Pakistan has vowed to make it impossible to allow its citizens to breathe. Especially the ones that stand up against the oppression of the ruling institutions, The International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS) reported. Gilgit-Baltistan is standing on turbulent grounds facing neglect from Pakistan, while CPEC (China) is creating in-roads snatching people's livelihood starting at the bottom of the pyramid. Over the last few months, a social uprising demanding unity with India has further sparked issues with the government. The civil society of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) is carrying out demonstrations every day to seek economic and political rights for the local people who are deprived of their basic human rights. The protesters are seeking ordinary demands like employment, electricity, wheat, education, basically a life above destitution which Pakistan has been unable to deliver since the region was illegally captured by them in October 1947. Now the government is trying to add a political angle to the issue because the residents have moved to criticize state policies regarding CPEC and Chinese workers, IFFRAS reported. A fresh set of protests started in December 2022 after government bodies started crushing the movement using extreme force. This was met with equal rebellion on the part of people who are exhausted with Pakistan's laid-back attitude when it comes to them. Today they claim that Pakistan separated them from the freedom they enjoyed in Jammu & Kashmir to lock them up forever in a prison. The illegal occupation was not heroic, but just a political move to enjoy control of some of the world's finest mineral and water resources. It was an act purely out of need, not sentiment for the Kashmiris. The land-grabbing issue in the region is not news. But since last year, the Pakistan government is hell-bent on changing up the demography of the region, only this time outright publicly. Procuring land in GB is hard due to the obligations emerging from the UN Security Council Resolution on Kashmir and some guarantees given to GB people by the state of Pakistan. Under the guise of developmental works, Pakistan slowly made its way into the region and invited China for a permanent stay, IFFRAS reported. According to law, the land can only be used for the construction of military infrastructure. But the government has been using local politicians and goons for the procurement of land for the National Highway Authority and for the re-designing of the Karakorum highway. Pakistan's business giants have also taken over the tourism sector which served as the main source of income for locals. Businesses buy land in the name of locals and construct huge hotels and infrastructure that cannot be matched with the humble offerings of the GB residents. These outsmarting tactics of the government and businessmen are not going well with people. There is a rumour that the government intends to construct residential accommodations for ex-servicemen from mainland Pakistan. This has further fueled the sentiments of the locals who have accused Pakistan of diluting the demographics of GB by attempting incursion in their areas, IFFRAS reported. Another huge woe is that of electricity. GB is the largest producer of electricity but its hydropower plants deliver to everyone in the nation besides them. The locals have alleged the government of stealing their assets and resources. This winter the federal government cut the power supply of GB for almost 20 hours a day. In peak winters GB was relying on burning scrap to keep their houses warm. Later the government even increased the prices of electricity. Chinese workers shroud all the major projects and even receive cuts while the locals, the actual land owners live in misery. People from Punjab and other provinces make quick debuts performing sub-standard work, earning interim dividends, and then running off home leaving GB's population floating on incomplete projects, health hazards such as open mines, and so on. In other words, Pakistan won't let GB function on its own, nor will it develop the region, unless it's for their personal gain. Pakistan has crossed all limits and tested the patience of the GB natives for more than seven decades. Their oppression has been tolerated for far too long, the report noted. (ANI)
In its flagship annual report State of Human Rights in 2022, released earlier this week, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concern over the political and economic turmoil of last year, both of which have had a serious impact on the human rights situation. Both the incumbent and previous governments failed to respect the supremacy of Parliament, while tussles among the legislature, executive and judiciary undermined institutional credibility, the report noted. The report stated further that political victimisation continued throughout the year, with colonial-era sedition laws being weaponised to stifle dissent. Dozens of journalists and opposition politicians were arrested, with ensuing claims of custodial torture--ironically in the same year that the Parliament passed a bill criminalising the use of torture, HRCP said in its report. The agitation that followed the successful vote of no-confidence against former prime minister Imran Khan saw law enforcement personnel clash with protesters in various parts of the country, with the right to freedom of assembly being violated but also abused. The year saw an alarming resurgence in terror attacks, the highest in five years, with 533 lives lost, the HRCP report said, adding that despite citizens' warnings that such developments were imminent, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the state continued to fumble in addressing militancy. HRCP also noted an uptick in enforced disappearances, particularly in Balochistan, with 2,210 reported cases remaining unresolved even as a bill criminalising the act was passed by the National Assembly. The report also noted that as climate change-induced floods ravaged much of the country, relief and rehabilitation for over 33 million affected persons fell woefully short. This lacklustre response has underscored the need for empowered, well-resourced local governments in every province and territory, the HRCP said in its report. Escalating threats to freedom of religion or belief remained a grave concern, it said, adding that while the number of police reports on blasphemy charges fell, the incidence of mob lynching appears to have risen. The Ahmadiyya community came under particular threat, with several places of worship and over 90 graves desecrated, primarily in Punjab, the HRCP report stated further, adding that the violence against women continued unabated, with at least 4,226 instances of rape and gang rape compounded by an abysmally low conviction rate for perpetrators. Additionally, the scale of violence and discrimination against trans persons, the theme of this edition of the report, was compounded by the conservative backlash against the hard-won Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018. In a year that began to see the country's economic situation unravel, the report notes that the rights of workers and peasants were sorely neglected. Although the minimum wage was increased, the state has yet to acknowledge that this falls below the threshold of a living wage, the report stated. Additionally, while around 1,200 bonded labourers were freed in Sindh, the district vigilance committees constituted in 2022 remained largely dysfunctional, the HRCP noted, adding that the death toll in the country's mines also remained very high, at 90 workers. HRCP demanded immediate action by the state on these issues if it is to move towards a pro-people approach to politics, law and governance. (ANI)
Trilateral Mechanism the Quad on Sudan released a joint statement on Sudan welcoming the announcement by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to extend the current ceasefire for an additional 72 hours. Trilateral Mechanism, which includes the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the United Nations, and the Quad including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States, have released a joint statement in which they have welcomed the announcement of 72-hour ceasefire and called for its full implementation. "Members of the Trilateral Mechanism and the Quad welcome the announcement by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to extend the current ceasefire for an additional 72 hours and call for its full implementation," the joint statement released by the US Department of State read. "We also welcome their readiness to engage in dialogue toward establishing a more durable cessation of hostilities and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access. This initial phase of diplomacy to establish a process to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities and humanitarian arrangements will contribute to action on the development of a de-escalation plan as outlined in the April 20 African Union communique, which was endorsed by the League of Arab States, the European Union, the Troika, and other bilateral partners," the statement read further. The Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region. In the final hours of the repeatedly broken three-day truce, due to end at midnight (22:00 GMT) on Thursday, the army said it would extend the ceasefire "for an additional 72 hours" following mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United States, Al Jazeera wrote. The RSF also said it approved the extended truce, adding that the proposal came from two diplomatic groupings that include the US, Saudi Arabia, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. The previous ceasefire has not stopped the fighting but created enough of a space for hundreds of common people to flee to safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate hundreds of their citizens by land and sea. However, taking advantage of the ceasefire, India has so far evacuated eight batches of stranded Indians who are being brought to India via Jeddah. Together, the army and the RSF toppled a civilian government in an October 2021 coup but are now locked in a power struggle that has derailed an internationally-backed transition to democracy and is threatening to destabilise a fragile region. The army claims it controls most of Sudan's regions and is defeating a large RSF deployment in Khartoum, where some residential areas have turned into war zones. (ANI)
Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan received the eighth batch of 121 Indians at the Jeddah airport evacuated from the conflict-hit Sudan. This batch also included the family members of the Indian Embassy officials, MoS wrote on Twitter. "A daring rescue! 8th batch of 121 Indians arrived at Jeddah by IAF C 130 J from Wadi Seidna, Sudan. This evacuation was more complex as the location is in vicinity of Khartoum. Family members of our Embassy Officials were also part of this group. Warm welcome. #OperationKaveri," Muraleedharan tweeted. Calling it a daring and complex rescue, Muraleedharan informed that evacuees of this batch were located in the vicinity of the Sudanese Capital Khartoum, from where the violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces erupted. Earlier, on Thursday, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan received rescued Indians from Port Sudan at Jeddah under 'Operation Kaveri'. A total of 135 passengers were onboard the IAF C-130J aircraft that landed in Jeddah from Port Sudan."Delighted to receive 7th batch of stranded Indians at Jeddah from Port Sudan, 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J aircraft," MoS Muraleedharan tweeted. Informing of the evacuation of the stranded Indian nationals from Port Sudan, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted on Thursday saying the Indians left for Jeddah on a flight. "7th batch of stranded Indians departs from Port Sudan. 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight leave for Jeddah under #OperationKaveri," Bagchi tweeted. Continuing with the rapid mobilisation of naval and air assets for a quick and safe evacuation of Indian nationals from Sudan, INS Teg on Anti Piracy patrol was diverted to Port Sudan, to help with the evacuation process. INS Teg is the fourth Talwar-class frigate constructed for the Indian Navy. Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence. Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. (ANI)
"I call on the association and its members to visit our country and extend similar assistance in time of need," the minister said on a visit to Australia.

"coming so far away from our land and, yet, preserving the values and culture shows the commendable work of the 'Association of Haryana in Australia'," he added .

Vij was addressing a get-to-gather organized at the residence of Sewa Singh, president of the Association of Haryana in Australia, in Sydney.

The state Home minister said the 'Association of Haryana in Australia' was doing excellent work to preserve the Indian values and culture.

The president of The Association of Haryana in Australia, Sewa Singh, said, "Our association is working closely with the Foreign Cooperation Department of the Haryana government to promote the Haryanavi culture in Australia. (ANI)
IAF C-130J flight on Friday evacuated the 10th batch of 135 Indian passengers from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region. "#OperationKaveri progresses further. 10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah," tweeted the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi. This comes after the army said it would extend the ceasefire "for an additional 72 hours" following mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United States in the final hours of the repeatedly broken three-day truce, due to end at midnight (22:00 GMT) on Thursday. The RSF also said it approved the extended truce, adding that the proposal came from two diplomatic groupings that include the US, Saudi Arabia, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. On Thursday, warplanes patrolled over the capital's northern suburbs as fighters on the ground exchanged artillery and heavy machine-gun fire. The previous ceasefire has not stopped the fighting but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese, as well as, foreign nationals to leave to safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate hundreds of their citizens by land and sea. Earlier, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan received the eighth batch of 121 Indians at the Jeddah airport evacuated from the conflict-hit Sudan. This batch also included the family members of the Indian Embassy officials, MoS wrote on Twitter. "A daring rescue! 8th batch of 121 Indians arrived at Jeddah by IAF C 130 J from Wadi Seidna, Sudan. This evacuation was more complex as the location is in vicinity of Khartoum. Family members of our Embassy Officials were also part of this group. Warm welcome. #OperationKaveri," Muraleedharan tweeted. Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence. Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. (ANI)
In his opening address, he laid stress on the cultural and civilizational ties between the SCO nations.

"We have cultural and civilizational links. For ages, we have had people-to-people connect and have exchanges in the field of commodities, and ideas--due to which we have grown in economic and cultural terms. With changing times, we will work to strengthen those linkages. SCO has evolved into a strong regional organisation," he said.

SCO Defence Ministers also posed for a photograph together in Delhi.

Chinese Defence Minister General Li Shangfu and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu also addressed the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in Delhi.

Meanwhile, in the latest development, Pakistan is attending the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in virtual mode. Earlier, it had decided to skip the conclave.

Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu, Tajikistan's Colonel General Sherali Mirzo, Iran's Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiyani and Kazakhstan's Colonel General Ruslan Zhaksylykov arrived in the national capital on Thursday, a day before the SCO Defence Ministers' meeting.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and his counterparts from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are also attending the meeting.

Officials involved in preparations for the meeting said the deliberations' main focus will be regional security situations, including the developments in Afghanistan. They said enhancing coordination among the SCO member countries to effectively combat terrorism and extremism will be another priority.

India as the Chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2023 will host the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting on 28 April 2023 in New Delhi.

SCO is an intergovernmental organization established in 2001. The SCO membership includes Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan besides India.

Apart from the member states, two observer countries Belarus and Iran will also be participating in the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting.

India and Pakistan became permanent members in 2017. (ANI)
The parties discussed developing regional challenges, with a focus on Iran's malign activities in the Middle East region. This includes Iranian aggression in the maritime arena and the delivery of weapons to terror organizations and proxies in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and the wider region.

During the discussion, Minister Gallant expressed the concerns of the State of Israel in regard to Iran's progress in its nuclear program and aims to achieve nuclear military capabilities.

Minister Gallant and General Kurilla expressed their shared commitment to deepen the unique cooperation and intelligence-sharing between their respective militaries and defense establishments. In addition, they stressed the importance of widening military cooperation with regional partners under CENTCOM leadership.

Minister Gallant concluded by expressing his deep appreciation for the commitment of the United States to the security of the State of Israel, and for General Kurilla's personal contribution to the strong ties between the countries.

The meeting was attended by the IDF Chief of the General Staff, Head of the IDF's Strategic Directorate, Israel's Defense Attache to the US, and the Director of the Policy and POL-MIL Bureau in the Ministry of Defense. (ANI/TPS)
Another flight carrying 392 passengers evacuated from battle-torn Sudan landed today in Delhi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said. Taking to his Twitter handle, the EAM wrote, "#OperationKaveri update. Another C-17 flight carrying 392 passengers reaches New Delhi." The Indian Air Force C17 Globemaster took off from Jeddah airport earlier today(local time) under MoS Muraleedharan, who saw them off at Jeddah. "Glad to see happy and energetic faces of 392 of our nationals returning to Delhi from Jeddah on IAF C17 Globemaster after evacuation from Sudan. Saw them off at the aircraft. They will be with their beloved ones in India soon," the MoS tweeted. Meanwhile, another batch of 362 Indian evacuees from Sudan took a flight for Bengaluru from Jeddah on Friday (today), in the presence of Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan under ongoing Operation Kaveri. "Bon voyage! Delighted to see off 362 Indians evacuated from Sudan on a flight bound for Bengaluru from Jeddah. Good number of these are from Hakki Pikki tribe," tweeted Muraleedharan. Updating about the same, Jaishankar tweeted today, "India welcomes back 362 Indians as another #OperationKaveri flight touches down in Bengaluru." Earlier, the tenth batch of 326 Indian evacuees from Sudan reached Jeddah by INS Tarkash. IAF C-130J flight evacuated the 10th batch of 135 Indian passengers from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region. "#OperationKaveri progresses further. 10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah," tweeted the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi. This comes after the army said it would extend the ceasefire "for an additional 72 hours" following mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United States in the final hours of the repeatedly broken three-day truce, due to end at midnight (22:00 GMT) on Thursday. The RSF also said it approved the extended truce, adding that the proposal came from two diplomatic groupings: the US, Saudi Arabia, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. On Thursday, warplanes patrolled over the capital's northern suburbs as fighters on the ground exchanged artillery and heavy machine-gun fire. The previous ceasefire has not stopped the fighting but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese, as well as, foreign nationals to leave for safer areas. (ANI)
Under 'Operation Kaveri', another Indian Air Force C-130J flight took off from conflict-torn Sudan with 135 passengers onboard for Jeddah on Friday. "Another IAF C-130J flight takes off from Port Sudan with 135 passengers onboard. This is the 11th batch of stranded Indians heading to Jeddah," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. Earlier in the morning, the IAF C-130J flight on Friday(today) evacuated the 10th batch of 135 Indian passengers from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region. "#OperationKaveri progresses further. 10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah," tweeted the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, informing about the evacuation. This comes after the army said it would extend the ceasefire "for an additional 72 hours" following mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United States in the final hours of the repeatedly broken three-day truce, due to end at midnight (22:00 GMT) on Thursday. The RSF also said it approved the extended truce, adding that the proposal came from two diplomatic groupings that include the US, Saudi Arabia, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. On Thursday, warplanes patrolled over the capital's northern suburbs as fighters on the ground exchanged artillery and heavy machine-gun fire. The previous ceasefire has not stopped the fighting but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese, as well as, foreign nationals to leave for safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate hundreds of their citizens by land and sea. Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence. Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. (ANI)
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday held a bilateral meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Lieutenant General Viktor Gennadievich Khrenin, on the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers' meeting in Delhi. "Had fruitful discussions with the Defence Minister of Belarus, Lieutenant General Khernin Victor Gennadievich in New Delhi," the Union Defence Minister tweeted on Friday. Rajnath Singh earlier on Friday, held a bilateral with his Russian counterpart General Sergei K Shoigu. The two Ministers spoke on a variety of topics related to bilateral defence cooperation, including industrial cooperation and military-to-military ties. They also discussed the Russian defence industry's participation in the 'Make in India' initiative and ways to provide further impetus to it, the Ministry of Defence said in an official statement. Earlier today, Singh while addressing SCO Defence Ministers' meeting in New Delhi said that India believes in maintaining peace and security based on UN Charter provisions and exhorted for concerted efforts to ensure win-win cooperation for great gain. Furthermore, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also touched upon the two defence-related activities launched by India, as the SCO chair, to increase interoperability among member states. These are: a workshop on 'Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)' and a seminar on 'defence think tanks of SCO countries'. Both events witnessed enthusiastic participation from all SCO countries. He also voiced India's commitment towards defence capacity building of SCO member states through training and co-manufacturing & co-development of items. He stated that as security challenges are not limited to any one country, India is moving forward with a collaborative approach in the field of defence partnership, keeping in mind the shared interests. Defence Ministers of China (General Li Shangfu); Russia (General Sergei Shoigu); Iran (Brig Gen Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani); Belarus (Lt Gen Khrenin VG); Kazakhstan (Col Gen Ruslan Zhaxylykov); Uzbekistan (Lt Gen Bakhodir Kurbanov); Kyrgyzstan (Lt Gen Bekbolotov Baktybek Asankalievich) and Tajikistan (Col Gen Sherali Mirzo) attended the meeting. The Ministers discussed issues of common concern including issues of regional and international security under the charter of SCO during the meeting. Singh has called upon the SCO member states to collectively work towards eliminating terrorism in all its forms and fix accountability on those who aid or fund such activities. The theme of India's Chairmanship of SCO in 2023 is 'Secure-SCO'. India attaches special importance to SCO in promoting multilateral, political, security, economic and people-to-people interactions in the region. Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization established in 2001. The SCO members include Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan besides India. Apart from the member states, two observer countries Belarus and Iran will also be participating in the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting. (ANI)
There are very minimal licence requirements for India and the United States treats the country "as though our NATO partner under our export controls," a senior Biden Administration official said on Friday and noted that the requirement of licence for US exports to India has drastically come down over the past 25 years. Thea D Rozman Kendler, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration, said at a media interaction here on Friday that India, as a major defence partner, does receive benefits under the US system that other countries do not receive. She said there is a licence exception available for some trade items from the United States that Indian companies and US exporters do not seem to be using very much. Kendler said strategic trade dialogue and shared commitment to export controls pave the way for hi-tech cooperation between the two countries. "Very minimal licence requirements for India. We treat India as though our NATO partner under our export controls and we understand that there are items that could move more efficiently and smoothly from the United States to India," she said. "The one thing that we have talked about quite a bit is that there is a licence exception available for some trade from the United States to India that Indian companies and US exporters don't seem to be using very much. So we want to make sure that Indian companies and US exporters are educated on this exception so that trade can move more smoothly without the holdups of licence applications," she said. "Our partnership is long and progress has been steady. If you compare 25 years ago, in 1998, one-quarter of US exports to India required an export licence from the US government. Now 25 years later, only 0.5 per cent of US exports to India require a licence. We are here today because India has established strategic trade laws, effectively implementing regulations. Robust strategic trade controls enable us to share technology that we can't share with others," she added. She said it "is such a consequential time for India-US relations". Kendler, who is in India to build on the momentum of US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo's visit to India last month, said the two countries share a common security outlook which makes cooperation much easier. During her five-day visit, Kendler met Indian government officials and industry representatives to discuss dual-use export controls issues. She also engaged in final planning for the US-India Strategic Trade Dialogue (USISTD), the first meeting of which is slated to be held in Washington next month. Kendler said USISTD provides a building block for the initiative on critical and emerging technologies (iCET). "And through the iCET, our national security advisors agreed on the need to foster open, accessible and secure trade. And not just secure trade, but secure tech ecosystem based on mutual trust and confidence... Export controls provide that foundation or building block to protect global peace and security, not unduly interfering with commercial commerce. India's accomplishments in the realm of strategic trade controls and high-tech trade help undergird our shared security objectives," she said. "The partnership between the United States and India continues to grow and I think we are in a new stage in our relationship where we see tremendous opportunity in closer relationship and hope that through our new dialogue we can explore ways of enhancing hi-tech commerce," she added. The US official said the purpose of having industry meetings was to learn about the technical system that India is fostering and the challenges that Indian companies face with respect to strategic trade. "We talked about out mechanisms under the US strategic trade control systems, under our export control systems available to Indian industry that are designed to facilitate faster and more efficient trade. " Answering a query concerning the discovery of Lithium in Jammu and Kashmir, Kendler said the US wants to work with its partners across the board on technology and materials that are used for high technology. "I don't have anything specific to say on Lithium but it is certainly the case that we would want to cooperate with India across the board when it comes not just to technology itself, but materials used for technologies. We are excited with cooperation with the government of India across the board. There are areas where we can cooperate on innovating new technologies," she said. During Gina Raimondo's visit to India last month, India and US signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a Semiconductor Sub-Committee under the Commercial Dialogue between the two countries. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Secretary Raimondo launched "strategic trade dialogue" to address export controls, explore ways of enhancing high technology commerce, and facilitate technology transfer between the two countries. In a joint statement, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Secretary Raimondo had welcomed the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), which elevates and expands the strategic technology partnership between the governments, businesses, and academic institutions of our two countries. They noted the importance of coordinating with the standing mechanism established by the two governments under iCET, which aims to address regulatory barriers and other issues that impede smooth economic and commercial ties. Both sides recognized the need for increased bilateral strategic and high technology trade and collaboration given the shared priority of building resilient and trusted global supply chains and the mutual interest in taking forward the outcomes of iCET. The two leaders had announced the launch of a new Working Group on Talent, Innovation and Inclusive Growth under the Commercial Dialogue that would also support efforts under iCET, particularly in identifying specific regulatory hurdles to cooperation and fostering greater connectivity between our innovation ecosystem. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in May 2022 to elevate and expand our strategic technology partnership and defence industrial cooperation between the governments, businesses, and academic institutions of two countries. NSA Ajit Doval and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan led the inaugural meeting of the iCET in Washington in January this year. (ANI)
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Friday said the US and its enablers are "provoking" other countries into a military confrontation with Russia and China. "Washington and its enablers are pursuing their strategic agenda of provoking other countries into military confrontation with undesirable states, most notably Russia and China," the Russian Defence Minister said in his address at the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting here. "The conflict in Ukraine is a clear demonstration of this criminal policy. Its real aim is to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, threaten China, and maintain its monopoly position in the world," Shoigu said during his address. He added: "Given Kyiv's refusal to implement the Minsk agreements and the real threat to the residents of Donbas, we decided to launch the special military operation." The Russia-Ukraine war started on February 24. The war has since taken numerous lives and continues to escalate between the two nations. The Russian Minister blamed the West for its "advance preparation for a confrontation with the Russian Federation. Large-scale sanctions were immediately imposed on Russia, arms were supplied to Ukraine, intelligence was transmitted, and military advisers and mercenaries were sent to the combat zone." The West imposed a slew of sanctions against Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, including price caps on its crude and oil products and EU embargoes. According to the Russian Defence Minister, the military capabilities and capacities of almost all the NATO countries were involved. Shoigu said: "We have repeatedly stressed that arms deliveries to Kyiv only prolong the conflict, cause more casualties and destruction of infrastructure, and finally boomerang back, affecting the stability of Europe and the world as a whole." According to him, the transferred weapons end up on the black market and go further into the hands of terrorist organisations, which poses additional risks, especially given the allegations of depleted uranium ammunition to be supplied to the AFU. Shoigu said Russia has been left with no option but to eliminate the threats emanating from Ukraine militarily. "Our objectives are clear, and they will be achieved within the special military operation," he said while adding that "the West has launched a global informational campaign to compromise the Russian leadership and it's policies." "With a disregard to the harm to its economic and political interests, the West demonstrates intransigence and readiness to continue the universal pressure. In the end, all such attempts eventually fail," he said. The Russian minister then expressed his gratitude to the SCO member states for their principled position and support. "The SCO independent policies concerning regional and global security challenges could set as an example for international community," he said. The Russian Defence Minister earlier on Friday met with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The two held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting in Delhi. The two Ministers spoke on a variety of topics related to bilateral defence cooperation, including industrial cooperation and military-to-military ties. They also discussed the Russian defence industry's participation in the 'Make in India' initiative and ways to provide further impetus to it, the Ministry of Defence said in an official statement. The SCO Defence Ministers Defence Ministers' meeting in New Delhi was attended by the Defence Ministers of China (General Li Shangfu); Russia (General Sergei Shoigu); Iran (Brig Gen Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani); Belarus (Lt Gen Khrenin VG); Kazakhstan (Col Gen Ruslan Zhaxylykov); Uzbekistan (Lt Gen Bakhodir Kurbanov); Kyrgyzstan (Lt Gen Bekbolotov Baktybek Asankalievich) and Tajikistan (Col Gen Sherali Mirzo). The Ministers discussed issues of common concern including issues of regional and international security under the charter of SCO. (ANI)
The acting President made the decision in accordance with Article 93 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal 2072 on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers.

Yadav on Friday evening, sent a letter to House Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire stating that sessions of both the upper and lower house will be prorogued past midnight on Friday.

As per the Constitution of Nepal, the President, on the recommendation of the government, summons and prorogues the sessions of the federal parliament. Acting President Yadav ended the session as President Ramchandra Paudel is currently undergoing treatment in India.

The current session of the House of Representatives that began on January 25 was the first session after last year's polls.

The ongoing session has been prorogued as the government is running short of time to begin the budget session. The government has to manage the presentation of the government's policies and programs, pre-budget discussions, and budget tabling by May 29. As per the constitution, the annual budget must be tabled in the Parliament on Jeth 15 [May 29 this year].

An official at the Parliament Secretariat said the budget session must commence latest by May 8 to complete the preparatory works before the fiscal budget for 2023-24 is presented. Rule 145 of the House regulations says pre-budget discussions must be completed 15 days ahead of the budget presentation. (ANI)
In a recent episode, there were numerous attacks that were reportedly terror-related reported from various locations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but there was no official word from the military or security services regarding the occurrences or the number of casualties, reported Dawn. On Thursday night, Lakki Marwat city was shaken by a large explosion, multiple blasts, and a lot of shooting, according to government sources. According to sources, the explosion happened close to the Government Postgraduate College, which has military barracks and security officers stationed there. Residents reported that after the initial explosion, there were many further booms and loud shootings, which partially destroyed the homes in the populated area. After the initial explosion shook the neighbourhood, people emerged from their homes, but subsequent explosions and gunfire drove them back inside. Sources cited early reports to claim that militants had attacked a military base late at night. According to Dawn, they claimed, "It was a bomb and gun attack," adding that the military fired back, sparking an hour-long gunfight. To prepare for any potential emergency, the district headquarters hospital's administration assigned doctors and paramedics on duty. Although doctors and paramedics were put on alert, a hospital employee reported that no victims had yet been brought to the facility. The exchange of fire ended when no casualties were detected, according to Muhammad Ashfaq Khan, the district police officer for Lakki Marwat, who informed Dawn. Notably, three terrorists who had targeted a retired colonel in his guestroom were killed on April 24 in a confrontation with anti-terrorist and law enforcement personnel in the Paharakhel Thall village of Lakki Marwat. This attack followed that incident. (ANI)
Arunachal Pradesh despite its status as a bona fide state within the Indian Union, has been subject to attempts by external entities to assert control over its territory and cultural identity. China in a recent move, has once again stirred up the hornet's nest by renaming 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh, much to India's chagrin. But this is not just about renaming places. It is about China's ongoing propaganda campaign to establish its illegitimate claim over the region fuelled by its expansionist and revisionist agenda. Renaming places is not a new phenomenon and it has been done by all the colonizers in the past as well as present. For example, after China invaded Tibet in 1950-51, Shigatse became Xigaste, Sakya was Sa'gya, Metok, and north of Arunachal's Upper Siang district, Mutao or Medog. China in 2017, declared the 'standardised names' for six places in Arunachal Pradesh as well. This strategy of announcing names without having any locus standi flows from its psychological warfare approach against India in tune with China's broader expansionist and irredentist designs in the whole region. China's illegitimate claims over Arunachal Pradesh have been thoroughly debunked by both historical and anthropological evidence. It has more to do with the recent geopolitical realities and China's perception of itself in the changing global order. The country is becoming a revisionist power, making irrational claims based on its historical understanding of China being the Middle Kingdom. For example, the proclamation by Chinese President Xi Jinping of the "China Dream" eyeing to capture the historically "lost territories" corroborates such a revisionist outlook. India, on the other hand, has always maintained that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of its territory, and any attempt to change this status quo will be dealt with firmly in accordance with international rules and regulations. (ANI)
The Indian Air Force (IAF) in a daring operation carried out by the C-130J aircraft on the night of April 27, 28, 2023, rescued 121 personnel from a small airstrip at Wadi Seidna, which is about 40 km North of Khartoum, Sudan. The passengers included medical cases, including a pregnant lady, besides those who had no means to reach Port Sudan, the IAF said in a statement. The convoy was led by the Indian Defence Attache who was in continuous touch with IAF authorities all along, till they reached the airstrip at Wadi Seidna The airstrip in question had a degraded surface, with no navigational approach, aids or fuel, and most critical or landing lights (that are required to guide an aircraft landing at night). The aircrew on approaching the airstrip, used their Electro-Optical/Infra Red sensors to ensure that the runway was free from any obstructions and no inimical forces were in the vicinity. Having made sure of the same, the aircrew carried out a tactical approach on Night Vision Goggles, on a practically dark night. Upon landing, the aircraft engines were kept running while eight IAF Garud Commandos secured the passengers and their luggage into the aircraft. As with the landing, the take-off from the unlit runway was also carried out using NVGs. This approximately two-and-a-half-hour operation between Wadi Sayyidna and Jeddah will go down in the annals of IAF history for its sheer audacity and flawless execution - akin to that carried out in Kabul. Meanwhile, under 'Operation Kaveri' on Friday, another Indian Air Force C-130J flight took off from conflict-torn Sudan with 135 passengers onboard for Jeddah. "Another IAF C-130J flight takes off from Port Sudan with 135 passengers onboard. This is the 11th batch of stranded Indians heading to Jeddah," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. Earlier in the morning, the IAF C-130J flight on Friday (today) evacuated the 10th batch of 135 Indian passengers from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region. "#OperationKaveri progresses further. 10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah," tweeted the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, informing about the evacuation. This comes after the army said it would extend the ceasefire "for an additional 72 hours" following mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United States in the final hours of the repeatedly broken three-day truce, due to end at midnight (22:00 GMT) on Thursday. The RSF also said it approved the extended truce, adding that the proposal came from two diplomatic groupings that include the US, Saudi Arabia, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence. Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. (ANI)
Controlled drugs heroin (left) and knives (right) seized in CNB operation conducted on 26 April 2023 (Photos: Central Narcotics Bureau)

SINGAPORE - Ten Singaporeans were arrested for suspected drug offences in two operations conducted by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on Wednesday and Thursday (26 and 27 April).

In a media release on Friday, CNB announced that an estimated value of $239,300 worth of drugs were seized.

A total of 3,172 grams of heroin, 81 grams of "Ice", 30 grams of ketamine and four Erimin-5 tablets were confiscated. According to CNB, the amount of drugs seized can feed the addiction of about 1,550 abusers for a week.

Jalan Bukit Merah operation

Three men, aged between 45 and 57, were arrested by CNB officers on Wednesday afternoon for suspected drug offences in the vicinity of Jalan Bukit Merah.

About 477g of heroin amounting to $36,550 were seized, including various drug paraphernalia.

One of the three men, who is 45 years of age, was later escorted to a residential unit in the vicinity where about 74g of heroin and 26g of "Ice" were further confiscated.

CNB officers followed up the operation on Thursday by arresting another three men and a woman, aged between 43 and 60.

Tampines Street 22 operation

In another operation conducted on Wednesday, CNB officers raided a residential unit along Tampines Street 22.

They entered the unit through forced entry as the occupants refused to open the door even after lawful orders.

Before entry, one of the occupants, a 35-year-old man, was spotted scaling down the units kitchen window into another residential unit directly below. The man was subsequently arrested.

Two other men, aged 40 and 41, were also arrested within the unit for suspected drug trafficking offences.

About 32g of "Ice", 30g of ketamine, four Erimin-5 tablets and various drug paraphernalia were seized.

A further search was later carried out at the dry-riser located outside the unit where about 2,621g of heroin were recovered.

The three men were then escorted to their vehicles, where an additional 23g of "Ice", 58 packets of contraband cigarettes, three knives and drug paraphernalia seized.

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The recent two operations involving large seizures of controlled drugs, dangerous weapons and cash are timely reminders that we must never let our guard down in our fight against drugs," said William Tan, CNB's senior assistant director of intelligence operations.

A mandatory death penalty will be imposed on those found guilty of trafficking more than 15g of pure heroin. Drug activities of all arrested suspects are being investigated.

Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube.
An airman inspects and cleans a rack on an A-10 Thunderbolt at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan on December 2, 2011. US Air Force/Senior Airman Corey Hook

A-10 Warthog attack planes are getting a new mission in the Middle East and more bombs.

The aircraft are getting a software update to give it more firepower, Defense One reported.

Air Force leadership has been trying for years to retire its aging fleet of Warthogs.

The US Air Force is giving some of its A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft a new mission and arming them with a lot more bombs, even as the service leadership tries to retire the aging planes.

A squadron of A-10s  decades-old aircraft commonly known as Warthogs  is getting a software update that will allow the planes to nearly triple their bomb loadout, according to a new report from Defense One. The squadron has been sent to the Middle East, where it will help bring additional combat airpower to US forces in the region.

It's not immediately clear how many A-10s are being sent to the Middle East, as squadrons can vary in size.

Their new mission comes after a recent spike in tensions between US armed forces and Iran-backed militias in Syria. An exchange of fire in late March left several US troops injured, killed an American contractor, and left local militia fighters dead.

Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the commander of US Air Forces Central Command, told Defense One in an interview this week that the modifications the attack aircraft are receiving will allow the Warthogs to carry up to 16 GBU-39B Small Diameter Bombs. These guided air-to-surface munitions, which can hit fixed and stationary targets, weigh 250 pounds and have a range of over 46 miles, according to an Air Force fact sheet.

"They're really here as a message to both assure our partners  but also as  a true capability that can work against some of the threats that we face with respect to Iran," Grynkewich told Defense One. "It's a really good additive capability for the region," he said. "What we have now allows us to maintain a reasonable, sustainable and sufficient posture."

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An A-10 Thunderbolt II after refueling from a KC-135 tanker over Afghanistan on February 26, 2011. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. William Greer

The A-10 is a powerful ground-attack aircraft that is equipped with a GAU-8 Avenger 30-mm rotary cannon capable of firing 3,900 rounds per minute. The twin-engine plane  which costs just under $10 million  has been in service since the late 1970s, and has combat experience in various conflicts across the Middle East. Built to carry out close-air-support missions, the Warthog can conduct attacks against ground units like armored vehicles and tanks.

The ground-attack plane is sometimes referred to as a flying cannon and is famous for the loud sound the gun makes when fired.

And though it still has its uses, Air Force leadership has tried for years to retire the A-10, but its efforts were repeatedly blocked by Congress. In late 2022, lawmakers eventually caved and allowed the service to retire 21 Warthogs  cutting the fleet down to 260 aircraft.

And that number could plummet even further. A Department of the Air Force Posture Statement detailing its 2024 fiscal year budget proposal requests that Congress allows for the retirement of 42 additional A-10s since, arguing this plane "does not deter or survive against our pacing challenge, and we need to move forward."

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall delivered testimony to lawmakers on Thursday and outlined why the service would like to divest from some of its programs. The A-10, Kendall said, is "over 40 years old. It was, in its time, a great aircraft  it served us well. I was an advocate for that program for a long time, but it doesn't scare China."

Military predictions tend to assess that in a war with a major power like China, American forces would likely lack the ability to carry out the same kind of combat air operations that the US military has been able to conduct during conflicts in the Middle East.

Read the original article on Business Insider
One night in September 2022, John Cable was suctioning water and oily sludge from an Orla, Texas, sump pit. When the 54-year-old husband and father of one finished skimming the toxic pit, he handed the hose over to his helper. Suddenly, Cable fell lifelessly onto his back and never got up again.

Investigators later learned he suffered fatal exposure to dangerous hydrogen sulfide fumes. Had Cable been trained as required in his nine months with the company, he might have realized the personal safety monitor he wore that day  that would have prevented his death  wasnt working.

A federal workplace safety investigation later found Cables employer ignored OSHA requirements and failed to make sure to put worker protections in place. Needless deaths like his happen far too frequently in Texas and across the nation.

In 2021, 5,190 workers died on the job in the U.S. Each day, 14 people suffer work-related deaths. With 185 workplace deaths, Texas ranked second in the nation in 2021, the last year for which full year statistics are available.

These numbers remind us of the dangers many workers face. Behind these numbers, there are people who mourn each loss. For them, these statistics are loved ones: parents, children, siblings, relatives, friends, or co-workers.

For those left behind the day their loved one was lost becomes a sad remembrance. Graduations, birthdays, anniversaries and other special times are forever tainted.

Diego Alvarado is the OSHA El Paso area office director.

To pay tribute to those whose jobs claimed their lives, April 28 is Workers Memorial Day. An opportunity for us to pause and join those families, friends, and co-workers to recall those who suffered work-related injuries and illnesses.

The remembrance also recognizes the grief that their survivors face in the days, months, and years after.

Workers Memorial Day also reminds us that more must be done to prevent workplace deaths and injuries. For those of us at the U.S. Department of Labor and, specifically, its Occupational Safety and Health Administration, this annual commemoration reinforces our commitment to developing and enforcing standards and initiatives to safeguard workers and guide employers as they work to provide safe workplaces.

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More: El Paso's Helen of Troy getting first female CEO as Julien Mininberg sets retirement date

Remember, we all have a role to play in making sure our nations workplaces do not endanger our safety and health. If you see people exposed to workplace dangers, dont ignore your concerns. Alert the employer or contact your local OSHA office or law enforcement agency.

Demand that the stores you frequent, the companies that get your business, and those you hire dont endanger the people they employ. If they wont, take your business to those who respect their workers rights to a safe and healthy workplace, and who dont put profit ahead of the lives of the people who help them earn it.

On Workers Memorial Day 2023, lets remember those who didnt return home after work and commit ourselves to making sure that no one is forced to trade their life for a paycheck.

Diego Alvarado is the OSHA El Paso area office director. The office investigates all worker fatalities and complaints under OSHAs jurisdiction in the area.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Workers Memorial Day 2023: 185 Texas workers died on the job in 2022
Once upon a time, at the peak of pandemic-era competitive real estate of no open houses and limited 15-minute showings, Juliana Sullam and Brian Moore set out to purchase their first home. After relocating from New York City to Los Angeles, the design-minded couple was ready to put down roots. There was no casual dating when it came to the search process, Juliana recalls. We had to commit with very little time, but there was a strong gut feeling when we put our bid in. As luck would have it, that quick decision led them to becoming homeowners of this one of a kind property in the historic West Adams neighborhood. Built in 1927, the space had been carefully renovated to protect its character and was perfectly suited to the duos eclectic tastes.

Seth Caplan

Brian describes the exterior as being akin to a five-year-olds interpretation of a castle. Rounded turrets and a sloped stone roof place the architecture within the French Gothic Revival style to an exaggerated degree. Its kind of like LA in a nutshell, he says. There are all these houses inspired by different things from all over the world, and LAs culture is such an amalgamation of ideas from everywhere else. But it was the homes 16-foot ceilings and tastefully minimalist interior finishes that really drew in the couple. The previous owners had taken steps to restore original details and make thoughtful updates, handing over a turnkey space. Its an old house that needs care, Juliana says. But for the most part, our motto has just been Dont f*** this up.

Seth Caplan

Seth Caplan

Without the burden of major renovations, the couple was free to dive right into the fun part of designing any new homedecor and art. The visual language of the interiors centers around organic shapes in neutral hues punctuated by bright pops of color and unexpected details. I have a child-like obsession with bold, blocky primary colors, like in Eric Carles picture books, Brian says. We have a shared sense of humor with an affinity for weird, funny art thats not too precious, Juliana adds. That taste is perhaps epitomized by the oversized red ampersand sculpture situated in the corner of the dining room which has followed the couple throughout several Brooklyn apartments before making the cross-country trek to California. Now that were not living in a tiny apartment, the thing that keeps coming up for both of us is an ongoing commitment to not cluttering or overcrowding the space, she says. Especially when 20% of our communication is just sending each other links to cool light fixtures or chairs, she laughs.

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Seth Caplan

Seth Caplan

Familial touches, unique travel discoveries, and pieces imbued with emotional history all add quiet depth and rich texture to the home. Julianas brother-in-law, Benner Boswell, built a custom daybed for the sun room and drove it down from San Francisco. [Benner] making the daybed for us was one of the kindest, most loving gestures Ive ever experienced, she says. Meanwhile, vintage art from extended family overseas fills the fireplace mantle with warm memories, in addition to colorful vases found in an offbeat ceramics studio on an Italian trip. The number of times weve purchased a cheap duffle bag on a vacation because weve gotten overly enthusiastic with [design souvenirs] is embarrassingly high, Juliana says with a laugh. In another magical moment, after following design studio Estudio Persona for years, the duo was able to acquire their dream coffee tableotherwise out of reachas it was slightly flawed and heavily discounted. Now, its the perfect centerpiece for the living room.

Seth Caplan

Seth Caplan

Weve been married for four years, and weve been together for 13, Brian says. Weve had four different places together, but this is the first weve owned. I feel lucky that weve naturally merged our styles over time. As the couple prepares to welcome their first child this summer, theyll do so in a home that exemplifies their shared interests and fitting love language for the creatively informed.

Seth Caplan

Seth Caplan

Seth Caplan

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

More Great Stories From Clever
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  Two local journalists have been killed in Haiti over the past couple of weeks as rampant gang violence has gripped the capital of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement Thursday that radio reporter Dumesky Kersaint was fatally shot in mid-April, while journalist Ricot Jean was found dead on Tuesday.

The security crisis in the country is putting journalists at a constant risk of extreme violence. It is the authorities responsibility to make sure reporters can do their jobs without fear of violence, said Carlos Martinez de la Serna, CPJs program director.

The National Association of Haitian Media also condemned the killings, adding that the climate of tolerated and fueled violence led to Kersaints death. He was an online journalist for Radio Tele INUREP, according to local media reports.

Meanwhile, Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste reported that Jean was kidnapped on Monday and his body discovered the following day. Jean worked for Radio-Tele Evolution Inter, it said.

At least nine journalists were killed in Haiti last year, the deadliest year for Haitian journalism in recent history, according to UNESCO.

Overall, at least 21 journalists were killed from 2000 to 2022 in Haiti, the organization said.
A 2-year-old was killed in an accidental shooting after finding his mothers gun, Georgia police and news outlets report.

It happened at about 8:30 p.m. on April 26 at an apartment in LaGrange, the citys police department said in a news release. Officers arrived to find a toddler shot in the face.

Authorities identified him as Ayden King. He was rushed to Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center but died.

Its believed the toddler got ahold of a gun and shot himself, according to police.

I cant even put into words what I would feel, much less what (Aydens family members) feel, Lt. Mark Cavender told WANF.

Police said two adults were home at the time of the accident, according to The LaGrange Daily News.

The children were apparently having dinner, Chief Garrett Fiveash told the newspaper. The child wandered away from the table, went to a back bedroom and retrieved the weapon from a purse and the weapon went off.

Investigators said Aydens mother carries a gun for her own protection and had set down her belongings after getting home from work, WANF reported. Thats when her son found it.

Authorities did not say if charges are expected.

The case will be handed to the district attorneys office once police have finished their investigation.

LaGrange is about 70 miles southwest of Atlanta.

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Two U.S. Army helicopters crashed in central Alaska on Thursday while returning from a training flight, killing three soldiers and injuring another, officials said.

A spokesperson for the Army said the two AH-64 Apache helicopters were from Fort Wainwright, near Fairbanks. John Pennell, a spokesperson for the military, said two people were aboard each aircraft before the crashes occurred near the town of Healy, Alaska, The Associated Press reported.

Two soldiers were declared dead at the scene and a third died on the way to the hospital, officials said. A fourth soldier was being treated in Fairbanks for injuries sustained in the crash.

The Army said it would not release their names until next of kin were notified.

This is an incredible loss for these soldiers families, their fellow soldiers and for the division, Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, the commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, said in a statement. Our hearts and prayers go out to their families, friends and loved ones and we are making the full resources of the Army available to support them.

The incident remains under investigation.

"This is an incredible loss for these soldiers' families, their fellow soldiers, and for the division. Our hearts and prayers go out to their families, friends and loved ones, and we are making the full resources of the Army available to support them." -MG Brian Eifler pic.twitter.com/IEw6jzus4R  Eleventh Airborne (@11thAirborneDiv) April 28, 2023

Two AH-64 Apache helicopters from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, at Fort Wainwright crashed today near Healy, Alaska, returning from a training flight.  Eleventh Airborne (@11thAirborneDiv) April 28, 2023

Its the third serious Army crash in recent months.

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On March 29, two Army helicopters collided along the Kentucky-Tennessee border during a training mission, killing nine soldiers. And on Feb. 5, two soldiers were injured near Talkeetna, Alaska, after an Apache helicopter rolled shortly after taking off.

Related...
Update 7:45 p.m.: The parade has been canceled because of lightning and the storm front that has not yet passed. The floats will still drive the route with no throws or music, officials said.

Update 4 p.m. Saturday: A tornado watch has been issued until 10 p.m. The parade is still set to roll but the start time is delayed 45 minutes to 7:45 p.m. as storms with lightning are forecast to move through the area.

A line of strong thunderstorms could put a damper on another De Soto parade this weekend, which would mean a rain-out for a second year in a row.

But Hernando De Soto Historical Society Parade Committee officials said Friday they do expect the 83rd annual parade to roll.

National Weather Service meteorologist Christianne Pearce told the Bradenton Herald that a line of strong, possibly severe, thunderstorms will move through the area at some point Saturday afternoon or evening.

As of Friday evening, it was expected to start raining at 4 p.m. with light to moderate rains around the parade start time of 7 p.m. and getting lighter after that.

The parade is scheduled to roll at 7 p.m. and the weather looks to be dry for the rest of the evening, parade chairmen Tom Murphy and Mike Ivko said in an email.

We will have shelter available for people at staging late in the afternoon. We strongly encourage participants to drop their floats and related parade entries to Manatee High School before 1 p.m. to avoid the afternoon showers.

However, the storm system could speed up or slow down, Pearce said.

There also is a possibility of severe weather, with the region under a slight risk, the second of five threat levels. That means strong winds and hail are possible.

The parade was canceled in 2022 with no reschedule date, and that would be the case again this year, parade officials said.

Unfortunately, because the permitting process takes months and requires approval from the Florida Department of Transportation, we cannot reschedule the parade.

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Updates will be posted on the Hernando De Soto Historical Societys Facebook page.

If the parade rolls, it will also be livestreamed for the first time on the Facebook page, the groups YouTube page and https://mor-tv.com.

Forecast

Saturday: A 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11 a.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Heat index values as high as 98. Breezy, with a south wind 7-17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Saturday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 a.m. Low around 71. Windy, with a south wind 15-25 mph, with gusts as high as 37 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Sunday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly before 2 p.m. High near 81. Windy, with a west wind 24-28 mph, with gusts as high as 41 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Breezy, with a west wind 11-17 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 82. West northwest wind 9-13 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.

Monday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 67. West wind 6-9 mph.
The medical examiner who performed an autopsy on Boston Police Officer John OKeefe ruled the manner of his death could not be determined, according to OKeefes death certificate obtained by 25 Investigates.

Manner of death can be classified five different ways on a death certificate, including accident and homicide.

OKeefes body was discovered during a snowstorm outside the Canton home of another Boston police officer named Brian Albert on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. An autopsy lists the cause of death as blunt impact injuries of the head and hypothermia. The death certificate was last updated in April 2022.

Medical examiners work independently of law enforcement but have access to police reports and other evidence when determining the cause and manner of death. They can also consult with investigators before issuing a ruling.

Prosecutors have charged OKeefes girlfriend, Karen Read, with second-degree murder. They say she hit him with her Lexus SUV and left him to die outside in the snow after a night of drinking.

Karen Read, 41, of Mansfield, Mass., is charged with manslaughter in the Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, death of Boston police Officer John OKeefe. O'Keefe, 46, was off duty at the time of his death.

High bail for girlfriend charged with manslaughter in death of off-duty Boston police officer

High bail for girlfriend charged with manslaughter in death of off-duty Boston police officer

High bail for girlfriend charged with manslaughter in death of off-duty Boston police officer

High bail for girlfriend charged with manslaughter in death of off-duty Boston police officer

High bail for girlfriend charged with manslaughter in death of off-duty Boston police officer

Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe

Karen Read is arraigned in Stoughton District court accused of manslaughter in death of off-duty Boston Police officer John O'Keefe

Reads attorneys have pushed back in multiple court filings and have pointed the finger at people inside Brian Alberts home where a party had been taking place. They say autopsy photos and other evidence shows OKeefe was beaten severely, with injuries to both sides of his face and the back of his head.

25 Investigates: Prosecutors to disprove woman who says shes wrongly charged in death of Boston cop

They also allege wounds seen on OKeefes arms are consistent with dog bites. In one filing they allege, four months after OKeefes death, Brian Albert went to great lengths to dispose of critical evidence by making sure Chloe, his family dog of seven years, simply disappeared.

Albert and his relatives told investigators that OKeefe never came inside the party, and they never saw him. Some of the party attendees are witnesses for the prosecution.

Reads defense team has called the partygoers narrative illogical and questioned the independence of law enforcements investigation into OKeefes death.

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According to a defense, filing submitted two weeks ago, a relative of the homeowner searched and deleted ho[w] long to die in cold hours before OKeefes body was allegedly discovered and removed several texts from her phone before it was turned over to the police.

Defense requests several pieces of evidence connected to death of Boston officer, John OKeefe

Reads lawyers are also demanding several pieces of evidence connected to OKeefes death from the Norfolk County District Attorneys Office including OKeefes clothing, tail light pieces from Reads SUV, autopsy samples, and Canton Library surveillance videos.

According to a defense filing, the evidence has been at the State Police Crime Lab for more than a year and the prosecution has been withholding it.

David Traub, the spokesperson for the Norfolk District Attorneys office, has said prosecutors are ethically constrained from speaking outside of court but in a statement, he questioned the defense claims.

The Norfolk District Attorneys Office has asked the defense repeatedly during the pendency of this matter to provide any actually exculpatory evidence to support their claims, the statement said.

Prosecutors are expected to file a formal response in court on May 3.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
"This is an incredible loss for these soldiers' families, their fellow soldiers, and for the division," Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler said in a statement shared online

Eve Baker/Fort Wainwright Public Affairs Office/AP

A military training flight in Alaska ended in tragedy on Thursday when two U.S. Army helicopters collided into one another, leaving three soldiers dead and a fourth fighting for their life.

It's the second time in just under a month an incident like this has occurred. On March 29, nine people died after two U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopters crashed during a routine training mission in Kentucky. Weeks before that, in February, a Blackhawk from the Tennessee National Guard crashed after takeoff in Alabama, leaving two dead.

The choppers on Thursday  from the Army's 11th Airborne Division, the 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, at Fort Wainwright  went down near Healy, Alaska, a remote area more than 200 miles north of Anchorage.

Each AH-64 Apache chopper had two soldiers on board. Two of the four were pronounced dead on the scene, military officials said, while a third died en route to Fairbanks Memorial hospital.

A fourth soldier remains in the hospital where they are being treated for injuries sustained in the crash.

Related:9 People Are Dead After 2 U.S. Army Blackhawk Helicopters Crash in Kentucky

"This is an incredible loss for these soldiers' families, their fellow soldiers, and for the division," Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler said in a statement shared online. "Our hearts and prayers go out to their families, friends and loved ones, and we are making the full resources of the Army available to support them."

Families of the deceased and injured have been notified, officials added, though names are being held for 24 hours until next of kin notifications are complete.

"The Fort Wainwright community is one of the tightest military communities I've seen in my 32 years of service," Eifler, the division's commanding general, added. "I have no doubt they will pull together during this exceptional time of need and provide comfort to our families of our fallen."

Story continues

Related:2 National Guardsmen Dead in Black Hawk Helicopter Crash on Ala. Highway: 'Destroyed Beyond Recognition'

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

A team from the Army Combat Readiness Center, Fort Novotel, Alabama will be investigating the incident, officials said. More information will be released as it becomes available.

There have been nearly 300 National Guard helicopter crashes during noncombat flights between 2012 and 2021, federal government investigators said last month, while recommending the National Guard reassess its safety protocols.

In 2022, whiteout conditions caused a Black Hawk helicopter pilot to crash into another helicopter near a ski resort in Utah. No one was injured in the incident.

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Read the original article on People.
A 32-story tower with apartments, eateries and shopping to be built by 2025 in North Miami Beach has been approved by the city commission.

The application by BH Group to develop on a narrow strip of property at at 2261 NE 164th Street was unanimously approved by commissioners on Thursday.

The site sits on nearly 2 acres and will include 400 residential units, 1,825 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor, and 587 parking spaces, according to the planning and zoning application submitted by the developer.

The project is expected to have significant economic impact on the city, bringing more than 2,100 jobs, according to a presentation given by the developer. The city is expected to get $2.8 million in building, recreation and police impact fees. The county is expected to receive $2.4 million in building and impact fees.

Matthew Amster, an attorney representing the developer, said a warehouse sits on the property now in an area with blight, vagrancy and nefarious activities.

Bringing a development like this will certainly bring an end to that, he said. What were doing here is building a framework that the city envisions for a mixed-use district.

The development will also include designated open spaces, which will connect pedestrians from NE 164th Street to the Royal Glades canal. Bicycle parking spaces, and green trails will also be included.

BH Group purchased the property in August for $10.7 million from previous owners Prive Group, developers based in North Miami Beach, according to Miami-Dade County property records. An estimated cost of the entire project was not discussed at Thursdays meeting.

Vacancy concerns

Commissioners also voted 4-1 to garnish the wages of the three commissioners who missed the January and February meetings, resulting in the lack of a quorum to conduct city business. The move came after a resident who had sought commission approval for a property-related item requested a refund of the $6,000 fee paid to the city a year ago because of the delayed action caused by the meetings that lacked a quorum.

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McKenzie Fleurimond, one of the commissioners who had missed those meetings, voted no on garnishing wages. Commissioners Daniela Jean and Michael Joseph, who also had missed the January and February meetings, did not attend Thursdays meeting. The three commissioners will have $2,000 garnished from their checks.

The applicant, who is the wife of interim city manager Mark Antonio, filed the application nearly a year ago, which was before Antonio came under consideration for his current position. Mark Antonio did not attend the hearing due to conflict of interest.

The decision to garnish the wages came amid a lawsuit filed by Commissioner Jay Chernoff claiming Fleurimond and Joseph automatically vacated their seats when they decided not to attend commission meetings for 120 days, violating the city charter.

Commissioners are expected to hold a hearing May 15 to vote on whether the two men vacated their seats, City Attorney John Herin said at a court hearing on the matter.

Fleurimond and Joseph responded to the Chernoff lawsuit by asking the courts to decide if theyve violated the charter and vacated their seats, rather than it being decided by the commission. An evidentiary hearing is scheduled May 9.
Some businesses grow little by little over their lifetime, but at Benny Hudson Seafood Market on Hilton Head Island, the growth that is about to happen is more like an explosion of fireworks.

The market has operated out of a pair of shipping containers on the banks of Skull Creek since the early 1980s, but soon it will move into a different building being renovated on the front of the familys property.

The 900-square-foot seafood market will expand to nearly 5,000 square feet all at once after the move into the building that used to house one of the first furniture stores on the island.

Were in the works now and working on the interior and, hopefully, we should be in there by sometime this summer, said Tonya Hudson, a fourth-generation islander who runs the family business that her father started on the north end of the island all those decades ago.

Tonyas father, the legendary Benny Hudson who gave the business his name, started out dealing only with wholesale seafood customers.

Existing buildings at the entrance to Benny Hudson Seafood, as seen in the background, are being converted to its new retail location off Squire Pope Road on Hilton Head Island.

We had 16 shrimp trawlers at that time, Tonya Hudson explained, ... and we actually sold wholesale to large companies in the Gulf area. They would bring semi trucks, and we would load thousands of pounds weekly.

Pretty soon, though, residents and visitors on Hilton Head began stopping by to ask if they could buy a pound or two. From that, the retail business was born.

Benny Hudson bought two shipping containers from the Port Authority in Savannah, his daughter said. He tied them together with a roof and outfitted the inside of one with a custom ice-packed display counter for seafood. The other became an office for the business.

And while the number of customers grew, the size of the markets storefront didnt.

Customers place their orders on Friday, March 24, 2023, with employee Colleen Wooby at Benny Hudson Seafood on Hilton Head Island.

Generations of seafood lovers have climbed the ramp to enter the door on one end of the structure, make their selections, pay and then exit through a second door on the other end. The aisle inside is one-way only.

Behind the counter, employees Colleen Wooby, Jonathan Bryant and Janice Heuck navigate the tiny space with the ease that comes from years of working together to serve customers willing to line up outside to wait their turn to shop.

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Tonya Hudson said its a bit of a ballet when everyone is busy. She hasnt been able to hire extra workers because of the lack of space behind the counter.

Its all we can do with three people on the weekends, she said. We kind of know how to dance around each other.

Janice Heuck, left, watches as fellow employee Colleen Wooby weighs out locally caught shrimp for a customer on Friday, March 24, 2023 at Benny Hudson Seafood on Hilton Head Island.

Offerings on a recent day included local oysters and a variety of oysters from Virginia, large scallops, and locally caught fish such as snapper and trout.

We have, at any one time, 8-10 different varieties of fish in the building, and that changes based on time and tide and that sort of thing, Tonya Hudson said.

Family ties

The name Hudson is synonymous with seafood on Hilton Head.

Just a mile down Squire Pope Road from Benny Hudson Seafood Market is Hudsons Seafood House on the Docks. The restaurant  it was smaller at the time  was owned by Benny Hudson before it was sold to Brian and Gloria Carmines in 1975.

Enough people are confused about the names of the two businesses that the seafood market installed a sign outside directing lost diners to the restaurant about a mile farther along Squire Pope Road.

Along with Hudson, though, theres another name that figures prominently in Hilton Head hospitality: Reilley.

The Reilley family is the name behind Coastal Restaurants and Bars, commonly known as the CRAB Group of restaurants. The group includes two locations of The Crazy Crab, Reilleys Grill and Bar, Aunt Chiladas Easy Street Cafe, Carolina Crab Company, locations of Fishcamp on Hilton Head and in Port Royal, Old Oyster Factory and the recently reopened Boardroom among its businesses.

Construction of a new restaurant owned by Coastal Restaurants and Bars group is seen on Friday, March 24, 2023. The new restaurant, named Bennys Coastal Kitchen, will have tremendous views of Skull Creek from its location off Squire Pope Road on Hilton Head Island. At lower left is the existing Benny Hudson Seafood Market.

And then theres the restaurant thats under construction.

Towering steel beams outline a multi-story structure in the works next to the current Benny Hudson Seafood Market.

Bennys Coastal Kitchen, which will fill the space in the spring of 2024, is the result of a partnership between the venerable Reilley and Hudson families.

Both families history on the island made the partnership a natural one, said CRAB Group CEO Brendan Reilley.

The generations theyve been there, it just made sense to do a nice partnership together, he said.

This artists rendering shows what Bennys Coastal Kitchen will look like, with views of Skull Creek from the first floor and from a rooftop area.

Explained Tonya Hudson: We had this land, and over the years weve had so many people approach us to do this or do that on the property. We were always just very hesitant, not really sure what we wanted to do or what we didnt want to do.

When the Reilleys approached Tonya Hudson and her mother, Barbara, it seemed like the right time for a deal.

I think Barbara sold my parents their original bedroom set, Reilley said with a chuckle.

The CRAB Group is leasing just over four acres of the property for the restaurant from the Hudson family. The Reilleys are in charge of the construction and the running of the restaurant. The Hudsons will keep the seafood market on the land, in the new location, but also maintain access to the dock.

I think it was a great fit for the Reilley family and the Hudson family to kind of pull our two family heritages together, Tonya Hudson said.

Bennys Coastal Kitchen, with a seafood-focused menu, will feature a large patio off the first floor and rooftop bar with a view thats guaranteed to be a draw. Renderings of Bennys Coastal Kitchen show a wall of windows across the back of the restaurant overlooking Skull Creek and the working dock.

Reilley was able to go up the elevator shaft to take some photos from what will one day be the restaurants rooftop bar.

The sunset view is pretty amazing up there, he said.

Said Tonya Hudson: Its funny as long as weve had this property, thats the only view weve never seen, and theres going to be nothing like it.

While the two families businesses seem to mesh well together, getting to construction didnt happen overnight. Background work, planning and approvals have taken years.

You couldnt find two nicer people than Barbara and Tonya, Reilley said. Easy, easy to work with. I mean, theres a lot of moving parts to put this partnership together, and if we werent dealing with Barbara and Tonya ...

This was a big move for us, but were super comfortable with the fit of their family and our family together, Tonya Hudson said.

Changes to come

Tonya Hudson said the site where the current market sits will become parking for the restaurant.

Shes heard from customers worried that the changes will mean a loss for a place they love, but shes quick to reassure them.

An artists rendering shows the renovated building that will replace the existing Benny Hudson Seafood retail space along Squire Pope Road on Hilton Head Island.

We can carry so much more product, she said. There will be tanks for live crabs and lobsters and more prepared foods such as she crab soup or deviled crab.

Ive noticed in the past couple of years that a lot of people that have moved here like a lot of to-go items, Tonya Hudson said. A lot of people move to the island, and theyre not familiar with seafood, so theyre almost scared to prepare it at their home.

Oysters Rockefeller, for example, is not a dish many would think to prepare at home. If the oysters on the half shell topped with the other ingredients were available to just pop into the oven, more might consider it.

That way we kind of start you out with baby steps, Tonya Hudson said.

Tonya Hudson, owner of Benny Hudson Seafood Market, reminisces about her father, the namesake of the business, on Friday, March 24, 2023, while talking about a future move that will be five times the size of the existing 900-square-foot seafood market.

What isnt likely to change is Benny Hudson Seafood being a stop not only for locals but also for tourists headed to their rentals on the south end of the island.

When the visitors come on the island, the first thing they do is stop at Benny Hudsons, and then they check in and then they go to the beach. Thats just the way the route goes.

Then, the route off the island brings them once again down Squire Pope Road, this time with coolers of ice.

On any given Saturday, weve got shrimp and fish going to Ohio, New Jersey. Atlanta is very popular, too, Tonya Hudson said, because once they have our product and they realize what real fresh seafood is supposed to taste like, they want to take it home.
Texas voters have only a few more days to vote early in the May 6 election.

Tuesday, May 2 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. is the last day for early voting, before the municipal elections Saturday, May 6, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Heres what you need to know.

1. Know what to bring

Make sure youre registered to vote through the Secretary of States website.

You should bring one of these seven forms of ID to the polling location:

Texas drivers license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)

Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS

Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS

Texas Handgun License issued by DPS

United States Military Identification Card containing your photograph

United States Citizenship Certificate containing your photograph

United States Passport (book or card)

2. Catch a free ride

Several North Texas transportation agencies are offering Election Day and early voting rides. Heres how to get a free ride in Dallas-Fort Worth for early voting or Election Day.

Tarrant County

Are you a Tarrant County voter? Youre eligible for a free Trinity Metro ride to a voting location for early voting or on Election Day. The countys Election Transportation Program, a partnership between the Tarrant County Commissioners Court and Tarrant County transportation services, has been offered to voters since November 2019.

Tarrant County voters will be able to ride to the polls at no charge on Trinity Metros bus routes, ZIPZONE on-demand rideshare services or ACCESS paratransit. To ride, show your voter registration card or ID and ride for free during early voting through May 2 and on Election Day, May 6.

To use Trinity Metro ZIPZONE, download the ZIPZONE app and book your ride. ZIPZONE rides will be free for customers who schedule a ride to or from a voting center within the ZIPZONE boundaries.

To ask about ZIPZONE, bus or ACCESS rides to your polling place, call Trinity Metro at 817-215-8600. For ACCESS, call the provider at least 48 hours ahead of the trip to schedule your free ride to any of the voting locations.

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Other North Texas counties

Need a ride to vote on Election Day? DART is providing free transportation to polling locations on Election Day, Saturday, May 6.

Ride at no charge on all DART buses, trains, the Dallas Streetcar, GoLink, Paratransit Services and the TRE between EBJ Union Station and CentrePort/DFW Airport Station.

A valid voter registration card is required to ride for free. GoLink riders can use promo code VOTE23 at checkout for a complimentary Adult Local Day Pass in the GoPass app on May 6. Learn more at dart.org/vote.

Riders who need customized trip planning can map out their ride with the Plan tool in the free GoPass app, or use the Trip Planner on DART.org. DART Customer Service can also assist at 214-979-1111. If you plan your trip directly in Google Maps, enter the voting location as your destination and choose the Transit option (train icon) to get travel directions using DART.

3. Find a voting location

Voting locations are open 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on the day of the local elections. If you are in line by 7 p.m., you will be allowed to vote. Check your county elections website for specific times.

4. Find a route

If you live in Tarrant County, this is what bus route you should take for each early voting location.

5. What to know about early voting and Election Day

Early voting runs through Tuesday, May 2, and Election Day is Saturday, May 6, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There are 49 early voting locations in Tarrant County. Hours are April 28 8 a.m.  5 p.m., April 29 7 a.m.  7 p.m., April 30 10 a.m.  4 p.m., and May 1 to 2 7 a.m.  7 p.m. As of Friday morning, a total of 24,892 early votes have been cast so far in Tarrant County, the most being on Thursday and the least on Wednesday.

For more information, call the Tarrant County Elections Administration at 8178318683. Click here for a list of Election Day polling locations. To see your sample ballot, fill your information into the Tarrant County Voter Lookup. View the wait times at each early voting location in Tarrant County, and Election Day location wait times.

To track the status of your mail-in ballot, use the Secretary of States Ballot by Mail Tracker app, available through txballot.org. Enter your voter information into the fields provided, including your name, the last four digits of your social security, your drivers license number and your address. Another way to track your ballot in Tarrant County is through the Voter Lookup. Once you plug in your information, itll tell you whether your ballot has been received and approved.
Michael Horowitz, Department of Justice Inspector General, testifies during the House Judiciary Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee hearing on FISA

Members of the House Judiciary Committee kicked off what could be months of fiery debates over one of the USs most controversial warrantless surveillance programs this week. In the hearing Thursday titled, FIX FISA, lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle voiced concerns over the scale of US citizen data routinely collected under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Civil liberties groups are pressuring lawmakers to let the controversial program die when it comes up for a reauthorization vote at the end of the year.

Experts witnesses testifying at the hearing were unable to provide lawmakers with concrete figures or even rough estimates on the total amount of US user data incidentally sucked up during foreign surveillance operations. The witnessesand most lawmakers presentuniformly agreed that the controversial program lacked sufficient oversight and transparency. The Representatives were less united, however on whether or not the program could be improved through reforms or needed to be abandoned altogether.

Read more

The warrantless collection of the data should give Americans pause, New York Representative Jerry Nadler said during the hearing. Section 702 has been a threat to civil liberties for years.

Here are six of the key takeaways from the hearing.

Rep. Jim Jordan suggests cutting FBI off from FISA altogether

Photo: Chip Somodevilla (Getty Images)

Most of the lawmakers speaking during the hearing Thursday agreed Section 702 likely required reforms but few seemed willing to abandon the practice altogether. Few that is, besides Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan. During his exchange with the panel of experts, Jordan expressed outrage over the lack of transparent data available illustrating the amount and types of US citizen data made available to intelligence agencies via Section 702. He then questioned whether the FBI, who he holds in low regard, should have access to that type of data in the first place.

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How about if we just get the FBI out of that business altogether?Jordan said to a long pause.

Jordan went on to say he believed deciding whether or not to reauthorize Section 702 later this year is probably the most important thing were going to do this congress.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee hints at wielding foreign surveillance program against alleged Pentagon leaker

Photo: Jemal Countess (Getty Images)

Texas Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, though acknowledging some privacy advocates concerns regarding Section 702, appeared far more reluctant to advocate for reforms than her colleagues on the committee. Jackson Lee cited, without details, multiple cases of thwarted terrorist attacks attributed to intelligence gleaned from Section 702 actions. Jackson Lee, who was once a fierce opponent of the war in Iraq, cited Bush-era terrorist rhetoric as justification for maintaining the foreign surveillance program.

In an odd exchange, Jackson Lee implied 702 could potentially be used to collect intelligence against alleged Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira. The Texas representative said she was aware of some foreign contacts who Teixeira may have communicated with. She then asked how 702 could be engaged in that situation.



It wouldnt be willy-nilly, Jackson Lee said. The witnesses did not directly answer that hypothetical.



The FBIs director refuses to say how much data it collects on US citizens

Photo: Chip Somodevilla (Getty Images)

Anyone looking to discover new revelations of data collected under Section 702 were left sorely disappointed. In fact, possibly the biggest overarching takeaway from the hearing was just how little lawmakers, or the public, know about the type or scale of data colled under the FISA program. US Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board Chair Sharon Bradford Franklin told lawmakers they dont actually know the scope of this [data] collection, and said that the FBI specifically refused to provide concrete figures, or even an estimate, on the amount of communications iti collects on US citizens. The FBI, according to Franklin, said that process would be infeasible.

Experts say incidental US data collection is a feature, not a bug of foreign surveillance

Sharon Bradford Franklin, U.S. Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board Chair, testifies during the House Judiciary Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee hearing on FISA

Though some of lawmakers on the Hosue committee appeared surprised or even outraged over the prospect of US citizen data being sucked up during foreign surveillance operations, the experts clarified that the seeming loophole is actually a core foundation of Section 702. Incidental collection, Franklin told lawmakers is a recognized feature of the program.

The fact that somebody is talking to a foreign target overseas, Franklin said, Is known and recognized and not necessarily a problem. It can be useful, she said, for authorities to identify potential threats in the US gleaned from the information.

Franklin said the real threat to civil liberties in the case comes not necessarily from the collection of the data, but from the ease with which intelligence agencies like the FBI can search for American names in the database of communications.

Republicans accuse FBI of being obsessed with politics, lol

Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray prepares to testify before the House Homeland Security Committee

While both Republicans and Democrats on the judiciary committee shared concerns over potential FISA misuses, members of the GOP were far more critical of the FBI as an institution. Multiple lawmakers used the hearing as a platform to sound off on what they viewed as an overly politicized organization with a seemingly personal vendetta against former President Donald Trump. Wisconsin Republican Rep. Thomas Tiffany took those accusations.

Is the FBIs obsession with politics undermining crime-fighting in America, Tiffany asked. He then said he was skeptical any reforms proposed by Congress would actually see the light of day.

Can we trust them [the FB]I to reform? he asked.



Reps. Nadler and Cicilline propose requiring search warrants for accessing data on US citizens



Photo: Kevin Dietsch (Getty Images)

Experts speaking during the hearing appeared to leave lawmakers with more questions than answers but a few common reform proposals managed to squeeze their way. Multiple lawmakers, including New York Rep Jerry Nadler and Rhode Island Rep David Cicilline both expressed interest in proposing new reforms requiring the FBI or other intelligence agencies to obtain a search warrant before they could retrieve US citizens communication data stored in Section 702 databases.



Texas Republican Rep Troy Nehls, who previously served as a sheriff, expressed similar concerns. He said it was more difficult for police at a local level to obtain communications than it was for federal agents trying to gather data using Section 702.



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Rodney and Mary Leah Miller couldn't conceive naturally.

After six rounds of failed IVF, they learned about embryo donation through friends.

They now have twins through embryo donation and wish they had known about it sooner.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Rodney and Mary Leah Miller of Birmingham, Alabama, about their infertility journey. It's been edited for length and clarity.

When we couldn't get pregnant on our own, we turned to IVF, but after six rounds, it was clear that our genetic material doesn't create viable embryos. With each successive cycle, our physician was able to retrieve eggs and create embryos, but before the embryos reached five days old, they stopped growing.



We even traveled to the best of the best in New York City, rented an apartment there for a month, and that doctor tried implanting the three-day-old embryos, thinking maybe they would continue to grow, but that was also unsuccessful.

Several doctors suggested an egg donor, but we didn't want to do that. And we thought about traditional adoption, but we wanted to experience pregnancy, so we put that idea on hold.

Then in May 2020, friends of ours told us about their friends who had just had a baby through embryo adoption. During our seven years of trying to have children, this is something we'd never heard of. Both of us immediately knew that this was what we were supposed to do.

The cost was similar to traditional IVF

Legally speaking, what we did isn't considered adoption, but as attorneys, we feel like the law has not caught up to the science. The normal contract for transferring ownership of embryos is not much different than buying a car!

But the agency we went through, Snowflakes, adds a lot of steps that resemble a traditional adoption. We had to complete a home study, go through background checks, and have medical examinations. We like to say we just adopted our children nine months earlier than most people do.

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The cost of embryo adoption was about the same as traditional IVF. While we paid a lot for medical intervention during the IVF process, most of the expenses of embryo adoption involved the necessary legal paperwork.

Once we were approved by Snowflakes, we filled out a profile that shared information about our lives and included our photos. Then the agency shared our profile with some of the people who donated embryos. The donors get to decide whether or not they are comfortable with potential parents. Everyone's privacy was taken very seriously.

Part of our file included our preferences regarding any potential relationship with the donors. We put in our profile that we intended to be open and transparent with our children's journey. We consulted our friends, who are traditional adoptive parents, and they told us this was the best option. We wanted to make sure that if our kids wanted to meet their biological relatives, they would have that choice.

We love our twins so much

A lot of the people donating embryos are doing so because their circumstances have changed. The first couple we matched with had children through IVF, but because of medical complications, they couldn't have another pregnancy. They transferred their remaining four embryos to us, but, sadly, while one of those resulted in pregnancy, we miscarried early.

As sad as that made us, we were also comforted by the knowledge that we could, in fact, get pregnant, so we once again requested to be matched, and the next family transferred five embryos to us.

The next step was very much like IVF. Success requires the woman's cycle to be at the right time. It's sort of like tricking your body into welcoming implantation. We were thrilled that both embryos were implanted, and we were having twins.

Pregnancy was an exciting time. I was even thankful that I threw up because my doctor said that was a good sign. There were no real cravings, and my doctor was pleasantly surprised at how easy pregnancy was for me, particularly because of my advanced age.

The Miller family. Courtesy of the Miller family

We couldn't love these children any more if they were biologically ours. Days go by without a single thought about their being adopted, honestly. These are our children.

When our babies were born, our names went on their birth certificates. There was no other paperwork needed. No going before a judge, none of that. They were fully our children from their first breath.

The only thing I would change is that I wish we had known about embryo adoption sooner. It was the most amazing experience.

Read the original article on Insider
Yousaf - Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Scotland is in a state of suspended animation as it waits with bated breath for a conclusion to the Affair of the Missing Six Hundred Thousand - always assuming that there will ever be one.

Nobody cares or is even aware of what Nicola Sturgeons successor Humza Yousaf is doing or saying. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a speech in Glasgow on Friday which passed most people by. Even on their way to Hampden for the Scottish Cup semi-finals this weekend, this is likely to be that secondary topic of conversation for the fans.

It is an incredible tale involving, as it does, a police investigation that would be significant in a larger country but is nothing short of massive in a country as small as Scotland.

Sturgeons husband has been arrested and freed without charge, as has her partys treasurer. She has, she says, neither been arrested nor interviewed by the police. However, a mobile home, worth over 110,000, has been removed by police from the home of her mother-in-law. Her house outside Glasgow has been searched and, according to reports, a fridge freezer was taken away.

Other reports have suggested that police have been trying to trace so-called burner, or unregistered, mobile phones as well as computer SIM cards and memory sticks. The issue of these phones was raised at Holyroods Question Time this week when Tory leader Douglas Ross accused Yousaf of not knowing if his ministers used such devices.

A more complex political and possibly criminal concoction is hard to imagine. Everyone knows that it concerns 660,000 donated by SNP members to fund a new independence referendum. They also know that there hasnt been such a vote and that theres a mystery about whats happened to that vast sum because it isnt where it should be - in the partys bank account. Indeed nobody seems to know where its gone. Or if they do, theyre not saying.

Official Scotland is silent

No less a person than the former first ministers husband, Peter Murrell, who was arrested and then freed after questioning, without charge, pending further inquiries. He had been taken into custody a month after Sturgeon resigned as first minister and party leader.

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But then Colin Beattie, the SNP party treasurer, was arrested and then freed, again without charge and again pending further inquiries. Both Murrell and Beattie had been signatories of the SNPs annual accounts, the professional auditors of which resigned six months ago without anyone really understanding why. Very few people even knew theyd gone, not least Yousaf.

The third signatory was Nicola Sturgeon. Of those who signed the accounts, she has neither been interviewed, questioned and nor arrested. How do we know this when everything else in Official Scotland is silent on just about everything to do with the investigation?

The answer is simple. Nicola Sturgeon said as much when she talked of the trauma her party had been going through at an impromptu press conference convened in a corridor of the Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood the other day.

That she has not even been questioned is said to be astonishing by senior Scottish lawyers but neither the police nor the Crown Office, Scotlands prosecuting authority, have any comment to make on this or any other aspect of the case.

Amid a plethora of media speculation about this affair, however, two hard facts have emerged. One is the seizure by the police of a luxury motorhome which had been parked at the Fife home of Peter Murrells elderly mother. The only explanation from SNP insiders for this extraordinary purchase is that it had been bought as a mobile headquarters for possible use by Sturgeon during the 2021 Holyrood elections.

Everyone has a favourite theory

But in the event, it wasnt used, nor was it sold and nor did Yousaf know of its existence until after hed become First Minister. There was confusion, too, as to whether other senior officials knew of this huge vehicle with a huge price tag. Initially, the treasurer - Mr Beattie - said he knew nothing about the motorhome. But, 24 hours later, he changed his mind and said he had known about it after all.

Another possible insight into who knew what about the partys finances, was a 2021 video showing Sturgeon saying that they were absolutely fine in response to members of the SNPs ruling national executive committee raising questions about the accounts. This was a month after a previous treasurer had resigned, complaining that he had been denied access to relevant information, and after the police had begun their probe.

And it was about this time that Murrell made a loan to the party, which employed him as its chief executive, of 107,620 - a loan that had not been declared to the Electoral Commission, although it has now - which was said to have helped the SNP with its cash flow.

Official Scotland, in the sense of Police Scotland, the Crown Office and, indeed the Scottish Government, which is a coalition between the SNP and Scottish Greens, is maintaining a strict silence on this issue, while rumours abound and everyone has a favourite theory.

But the reality is that normal public life has shuddered to a halt north of the border and will remain so until this case is settled. Only the police know when that will be.
A woman shot an African gray parrot dead during a domestic argument, according to Florida court records.

The couple was arguing inside a home in Largo when the woman shot the bird with a 0.38 Glock pistol just after 5 p.m. on April 24, according to an arrest affidavit from the Pinellas County court. The man, who is 66, and the woman, who is 61, were intoxicated, according to the report.

After the woman shot the bird, the couple walked outside and started pushing each other, the affidavit says. The woman also sprayed the man with water from a spray bottle, according to the affidavit.

The man and woman were each charged with domestic battery, according to court records.

A condition of the womans release says she should have no contact with animals, according to court records.

Both were released on their own recognizance, according to Pinellas County jail records.

Largo is about 25 miles west of Tampa.

African gray parrots are popular pets and are known for being engaging and intelligent, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. They are also able to echo human speech.

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The air defence forces shot down 11 cruise missiles and 2 drones in Kyiv Oblast during the Russian attack last night.

Source: Serhii Popko, Head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote: "According to preliminary data, 11 cruise missiles were destroyed in Kyiv's airspace. In addition to the missiles, 2 UAVs were shot down (the type of drones is being clarified)."

Details: Popko also reported that a local power line was cut off and the road surface was damaged as a result of falling debris in the capital's Obolonskyi district.

"Casualties among civilians or destruction of residential or infrastructure facilities have not been recorded. The information is being checked and clarified," added the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration.

Background:

A young woman and a 3-year-old child were killed during the night Russian night attack on the city of Dnipro.

A Russian missile hit a residential building in Uman, Cherkasy Oblast; 5 people were wounded and taken to the hospital.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
An HH-60W Jolly Green II connected with a HC-130J

The U.S. Air Forces fleet of Sikorsky HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopters will not be particularly helpful in the Chinese area of operations, one of the services top procurement officers has asserted. With planned HH-60W procurement already trimmed back, the Air Force is instead looking at several nontraditional options that would be able to recover downed aircrew from deep within contested environments, such as those that would be expected in any kind of major military confrontation with China.

This is a glaring and complex issue that The War Zone has been highlighting for years now, but this official admission, paired with recent procurement choices by the USAF, makes it clear that it is now becoming an undeniable truth within the DoD.

The latest details about the HH-60W and future plans for CSAR came to light yesterday, during a hearing on Air Force modernization by the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services' Subcommittee on Air-Land. The key question on the status of the HH-60W and future CSAR plans was raised by Richard Blumenthal, a Democratic Senator from Connecticut. This is the same state in which the Jolly Green II is built by Sikorsky. That historic firm is now part of the Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Sikorsky was awarded a contract to build a new CSAR helicopter fleet to replace the aging HH-60G Pave Hawk in 2014. The award was initially for 113 Jolly Green IIs, but changing Air Force requirements, competing priorities, and budget constraints reduced that to 108 and then to even smaller sizes. At the time of writing, the Air Force only has 65 of these helicopters on order. As of September last year, 23 of the 65 purchased Jolly Green IIs had been delivered to the Air Force, as part of a program expected to be worth $4.1 billion in total.

Blumenthal stated that he was very concerned about the Combat Rescue Helicopter, the program that is providing the Air Force with the HH-60W, which conducted its first operational deployment earlier this year, to an undisclosed location in East Africa.

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A U.S. pararescueman prepares to move a simulated casualty to an HH-60W combat rescue helicopter during a casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) exercise at an undisclosed Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa area of responsibility, December 8, 2022. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jayson Burns

Blumenthals particular concern related to the Air Forces plan to terminate the program, a reference to plans to shelve the purchase of 10 HH-60Ws in the 2024 Fiscal Year  effectively reversing a decision from the previous years budget, which you can read about here.

Even with those extra 10 helicopters, Blumenthal remarked, the Air Force will ultimately only have 75 out of the 108 [HH-60Ws] that are thought to be necessary.

Andrew Hunter, the assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, refuted the claim that production of the HH-60W was being terminated and confirmed that the service still has resources for 20 aircraft not yet on contract. He added that the Air Force was currently working through getting those 20 [helicopters] that have been appropriated on contract with Sikorsky, with a decision on that possible in the next few days.

Once that happens, Hunter confirmed, the Air Force will be headed toward a total fleet of 85 HH-60Ws.

This is still significantly below the original plans to buy 113 HH-60Ws to replace the services increasingly rickety HH-60G Pave Hawks, which have been worn down after two decades of supporting the Global War On Terror.

An HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter carrying combat search and rescue Airmen approaches a landing zone during an exercise at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Aug. 21. 2010. U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Christopher Boitz

Nevertheless, the Air Force seems to think that the reduced fleet will be enough for the time being, before new CSAR capabilities are added. Effectively, the Jolly Green II was developed and procured for a kind of lower-intensity warfare, or now a dated higher threat environment, that is fast becoming less relevant for the Pentagon as a whole, forcing a rethink of the entire CSAR mission. Its worth noting, too, that the process of getting the HH-60W in the first place was notably protracted, leading to the helicopter prompting an immediate requirement for a series of major upgrades as a byproduct.

This [HH-60W] fleet is for something very specific, it was purchased for Iraq and Afghanistan, explained Lt. Gen. Richard Moore, Jr., the Air Forces Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs. It is not particularly helpful in the Chinese AOR [area of operations].

Lt. Gen. Moore added that there was a big distinction between CSAR  the mission flown by the HH-60W, which involves plucking endangered isolated personnel to safety in highly contested environments  and the broader mission spectrum of personnel recovery. The Pentagon defines the latter mission set as the sum of military, diplomatic, and civil efforts to prepare for and execute the recovery and reintegration of isolated personnel.

There are literally thousands of platforms in the Department of Defense that can do personnel recovery, Lt. Gen. Moore added.

An HH-60W Jolly Green II lands at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Wesley Farnsworth

With a continuing commitment to what officials termed the moral imperative of the CSAR mission, and of not leaving anybody behind, the Air Force is now having to address new challenges, specifically those introduced by the prospect of a confrontation or even full-scale conflict involving China in the Asia Pacific theater.

After all, there is a huge difference between a CSAR posture in an environment like Afghanistan, with established bases nearby and a strictly limited anti-aircraft threat. In comparison, a campaign in the Pacific would very likely see the Air Force  CSAR assets included  operating from distributed locations very far away from each other, under constant threat of attack both in the air and on the ground, and with an overarching requirement to penetrate deep inside denied territory. Clearly, while the HH-60W could still offer some useful support capabilities in the Pacific, a relatively short-legged standard helicopter is very limited in this kind of context.

The USAF's migration to a combat aircraft inventory dominated by low-observable (stealthy) aircraft that are built to fly into heavily contested areas, fighting their way in and out if necessary, has also changed the CSAR equation. How can an HH-60W be expected to survive, even with low-flying tactics and electronic warfare and self-protection capabilities, in an area where a top-of-the-line, far faster, stealth combat aircraft could not?

For an aircraft like the B-21 Raider stealth bomber or the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) manned platform, which feature greater combat ranges than current stealthy tactical jets and can survive very deep inside enemy territory for long periods of time, the very idea of CSAR becomes even more bewildering.

Stealthy F-35s are increasingly dominating the USAF's inventory, with B-21 and NGAD combat jets on the way too, making CSAR all that more challenging. USAF

Regardless, integrated air defense systems, which are becoming far more intertwined, complex, and capable, have made the prospects of a standard helicopter making it through such a mission much less probable, and the problem is only getting worse. Combining many assets to enable the survival of the CSAR helicopter force, assuming it could even reach a downed crew operating over such vast distances, is also very risky in such a deadly environment. It can turn a bad event into an outright major disaster.

Recalling the infamous BAT 21 rescue effort during the Vietnam War, Lt. Gen. James C. Slife, the Air Forces deputy chief of staff for Operations, also stated at the hearing yesterday that, No matter how dedicated you are, if youre not in a platform thats survivable to the threat environment, you end up losing more people trying to recover somebody than the person you lost, to begin with.

The bigger question then is just what kind of platform, as well as tactics and strategies, could supplement the HH-60W for contested CSAR in the future.

An HH-60W, assigned to the 41st Rescue Squadron, from Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, departs the flight deck of the Lewis B. Puller class expeditionary sea base USS Hershel Woody Williams (ESB-4), in the Indian Ocean, December 31, 2022. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Conner D. Blake/Released

Were actively looking at nontraditional ways in order to fulfill that moral imperative of leaving nobody behind, Lt. Gen. Slife confirmed, without providing more details of what kind of platforms were being considered.

Lt. Gen. Slife did, however, state that both crewed and uncrewed CSAR solutions were on the table, among several options.

What seems clear is that the next generation of Air Force CSAR platforms will not look much like the familiar HH-60G and HH-60W.

Lt. Gen. Slife continued: I think the one thing we can say is that helicopters  and I have 3,000 hours as a helicopter pilot  that fly at 115 knots refueled by C-130s with pararescue men that ride a hoist up and down is probably not the answer in our most stressing scenarios.

An MC-130J Commando II conducts helicopter air-to-air refueling with an Army MH-60 Black Hawk, both supporting Special Operations Command Pacific, during Talisman Sabre 21 above Queensland, Australia, in 2021. U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Joshua Thompson

This is not the first time in recent weeks that the issue of trimming back HH-60W orders in light of the increasingly hazardous nature of the CSAR mission has come up.

At a Pentagon briefing in March ahead of the Fiscal Year 2024 budget rollout, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall added more details on the earlier decision to truncate purchases of the new rescue helicopters.

There are a lot of other assets around that, if somebody goes down at sea, for example, we could use to pick them up, Kendall said. Were going to do it [the CSAR mission] with existing assets, either our own or provided by other military departments.

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall. U.S. Air Force photo by Andy Morataya

The scenarios that were most worried about are not the same as they once were, Kendall continued. When we were doing counterinsurgencies, and we were losing pilots in those kinds of situations, the needs were different. The acts of aggression like were seeing in Europe, or we might see [in] the Pacific  put us in a very different scenario.

But Kendall also said there was nothing else new in the services latest budget proposal regarding other concepts for CSAR.

Clearly, however, these discussions are already going on, albeit apparently still at a very early stage. Otherwise, there could be capabilities, even in a very small capacity, in the classified realm, but that would not provide the mass needed to impact CSAR on a broad level in a major conflict, where multiple aircrews will likely be shot down over a broad area.

Its hard to know what kind of platform options might be being considered, but it seems likely they extend far beyond traditional helicopters and even tiltrotors, the latter of which offer greater speed and range, but which will increasingly fall short of the requirements for operating in the most contested airspace. Still, in CSAR, speed is key. For every minute a crew is on the ground, their chances of survival plummet. There are also survivability advantages with that speed. The V-22 Osprey has shone in the aircrew recovery mission operationally and the Air Force already has an aircraft fully kitted out for penetrating into hostile airspace in the CV-22 variant. This prompts questions about why these advantages were not considered when recapitalizing the Pave Hawk fleet. Cost clearly was an issue, but saving money just to result in a far less applicable available mission set doesn't make much sense.

A CV-22 seen during a rescue exercise. (USAF)

The USAF could look to additional CV-22s and piggyback on the Army's Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft program that now will be leveraging a variant of the tilt-rotor V-280 Valor. This seems outright logical if not inevitable at this point, but these aircraft would still have trouble penetrating deep into enemy airspace, but at least they have the range and enhanced speed to have a better shot at getting there at all.

Bell's V-280 in flight. (Bell)

We have examined in great depth decades of work to produce exotic aircraft capable of penetrating deep into enemy airspace for special operations and aircrew retrieval applications. This shadowy history, which you can read all about in this two-part series here and here, remains a question mark in the CSAR equation  both then and now.

But we do know that stealthy transport aircraft have gone from obscure niche concepts to center stage in the USAF's collective consciousness in recent years as current transport aircraft are also vulnerable, even far from a core enemy target area, to modern air defenses.

The possibility of aircraft that combine jet speeds, some low-observable features, and vertical takeoff and landing capabilities is also being more widely considered. Still, this is many years away  likely decades  from becoming a reality.

Bell's ambitious High-Speed VTOL concept that combined jet speeds with tiltrotor technology could be part of the answer, but it's still far off. (Bell)

There is also the glaring question of stealth helicopters, examples of which were used successfully in the raid to kill or capture Bin Laden. If this technology exists, why has it not been applied to the critical CSAR mission? Even basing stealthy helicopters forward aboard more survivable ships could help with some of the range and survivability concerns.

There have been previous proposals involving autonomous air taxi type recovery systems, which could be included among the uncrewed CSAR options the Air Force is now looking at.

Connected to this is the Air Forces ongoing Agility Prime program, working with commercial industry to explore the concept of flying cars and what it would take to get designs like this rapidly into the air. In Air Force parlance, these flying cars are normally known as eVTOLs, or electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles.

Meanwhile, back in 2019, the Air Force Research Laboratory issued a call for proposals for a potential air taxi system that could be airdropped from a cargo plane or helicopter to downed aircrew, and that would then fly them to safety, carrying up to four at a time. A small, ultra-quiet autonomous air vehicle with short or vertical take-off and landing capabilities could be one way of getting imperiled personnel out of combat zones discretely, although the issue of safely delivering the air taxi to them in the first place remains.

There are also major questions about whether these kinds of vehicles would be able to operate over the kinds of ranges likely in an Asia Pacific scenario, even if this means just getting to a safer area for a traditional platform to retrieve the crew. Just how survivable they could be in the first place in such a hostile environment is another major question that needs to be answered. Regardless, they could be a useful capability, even if just for a limited set of circumstances.

A computer-generated concept showing the Bell Nexus, a commercial air taxi rotorcraft the company has said will initially be manned, but will eventually be capable of autonomous operation. The Air Force has, in the past, said that these sorts of developments in the urban air mobility sector could help support its work on an autonomous rescue aircraft. Bell

These kinds of concepts often have Cold War precedents, including the U.S. Marines Corps efforts to develop small single-person helicopters and even ultra-light fixed-wing aircraft that could be inflated like a balloon. None of these proved to be practical, but the technological advances that have been made since then could make such propositions more practical today. There is even a possibility that even more novel concepts, such as jetpacks or rocket belts could be due for a comeback in this specific context, but they have, at present, very limited range.

The Cold War-era XROE-1 Rotorcycle, an ultra-light, compact, easily portable, and foldable one-person helicopter:

Other similarly exotic concepts for CSAR have been explored in the past, including the Rapid Aerial Extraction System (RAES), proposed by U.S. defense contractor Modern Technology Solutions, Inc. (MTSI).

Screen captures MTSI released from a video taken from its demonstration of a Rapid Aerial Extraction System prototype, involving a dummy, in February 2019. MTSI

Simply put, RAES involves dropping a line to a downed pilot before yanking them off the ground and towing them to safety. This is not an altogether new idea, with similar systems having emerged during the Cold War. As we discussed in the past, a new take on the concept could offer significant advantages in reliability and safety, as well as being something that could be fairly easily installed on a wide range of aircraft.

In one computer-generated video presentation, MTSI showed the RAES installed in a pod-mounted form on an Air Force A-10 attack jet. In a contested warfare scenario, other options could potentially involve RAES being integrated on a stealthier crewed or even uncrewed aircraft.

When it comes to the vast Pacific, where 'tanker bridges' that span thousands of miles will be needed to get tactical jets and other combat aircraft into any position to impact a conflict, something with great range beyond anything with vertical landing capability may be needed for SAR/CSAR. This is where flying boats and seaplanes may come in.

U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is still working on putting its MC-130 Commando IIs on floats. These aircraft are designed to penetrate at low levels into enemy airspace and could survive on the outer edges of contested areas. They could land on water in some conditions and provide air-dropped gear to downed crews where they can not land. Operating from forward bases basically anywhere  no runway needed  also helps speed reaction time.

Far less optimized for contested operations, Japan's US-2 flying boat, is also a potential solution that is available 'off the shelf' but totally lacks the MC-130's deep and pricey sensor, communications, and survivability upgrades. Still, it is better suited than a notional MC-130 on floats for rescue operations across a broad maritime area with a better ability to land at sea in rougher conditions.

US-2 during a training exercise. (USAF)

Then there are the various possibilities for extracting aircrew from hostile environments using altogether less orthodox tactics. In the past, for example, the Air Force has even encouraged the idea of stealing enemy aircraft as a means to escape, while the possibility of using networks of partisans or sympathizers in denied areas might also come back into vogue if the prospects of physically racing to the rescue simply become too problematic.

All in all, there appears to finally be a realization as to the real challenges the CSAR mission represents in this new era of aerial combat within the USAF. At least they are now openly discussing what will come after todays traditional CSAR platforms that are unlikely to be able to perform all of their missions in future large-scale conflicts. And once again, the challenge to meeting this moral imperative is further driven by the fact that, in these kinds of scenarios, stealthy aircraft are likely to be flying much deeper into denied areas that are far riskier than any experienced in the past.

This, in a nutshell, is the paradox of fielding such aircraft in the first place: If stealth aircraft are designed especially to fly into denied areas, theres always going to be the risk that they come down in those same areas, leaving aircrew requiring rescue from some of the most hazardous environments imaginable.

This is a hugely important but very 'unsexy' topic to tackle, but it's a byproduct of a much larger USAF strategy that needs to be addressed, and soon.

Hopefully, that will happen and it will be interesting to see what kinds of CSAR concepts ultimately emerge from what is becoming an increasingly demanding set of requirements.

Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com
Air Force silent on whether Patriots were operational in latest Russian attack

Yuriy Ihnat, spokesperson for the Air Force Command, said on Ukrainian national television, said that the Air Force never discloses the type of weaponry that is in operation, or the direction of its aim.

Ihnat said divulging such information would allow Russia to draw conclusions about the location of certain weapons.

However, he added that Patriot systems can effectively target the Kh-101 and Kh-555 cruise missiles that Russia launched against Ukraine.

They can be brought down with various types of weaponry, including mobile firing groups. Today, two targets were destroyed precisely by the Ground Forces air defense systems, Ihnat said.

Read also: Ukrainian military showcases Patriot air defense system on combat duty

On the night of April 28, Russia launched another massive attack on Ukrainian cities, resulting in the shooting down of 11 missiles and 2 UAVs in the Kyiv Oblast.

Ukrainian defenders managed to shoot down 21 out of 23 Russian missiles, according to the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi.

However, one missile struck an apartment block in Uman, a city in Cherkasy Oblast to the south of the capital Kyiv, with the death toll from that attack already standing at 17 as rescue work continues.

In the southeast of the country, in the city of Dnipro, a young mother and her three-year-old were killed in another Russian missile strike.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
By Khalid Abdelaziz

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Strikes by air, tanks and artillery rocked Sudan's capital, Khartoum, and the adjacent city of Bahri on Friday, witnesses said, mocking a 72-hour truce extension announced by the army and a rival paramilitary force.

Hundreds have been killed and tens of thousands have fled for their lives in a power struggle between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that erupted on April 15 and disabled an internationally backed transition toward democratic elections.

The fighting has also reawakened a two-decade-old conflict in the western Darfur region where scores have died this week.

In the Khartoum area, heavy gunfire and detonations rattled residential neighbourhoods. Plumes of smoke rose above Bahri.

"We hear the sounds of planes and explosions. We don't know when this hell will end," said Bahri resident Mahasin al-Awad, 65. "We're in a constant state of fear."

The army has been deploying jets or drones on RSF forces in neighbourhoods across the capital. Many residents are pinned down by urban warfare with scant food, fuel, water and power.

At least 512 people have been killed and close to 4,200 wounded, according to the United Nations, which believes the real toll is much higher. The Sudan Doctors Union said at least 387 civilians had been killed.

The RSF accused the army of violating an internationally brokered ceasefire with air strikes on its bases in Omdurman, Khartoum's sister city at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers, and Mount Awliya.

The army blamed the RSF for violations.

The ceasefire is supposed to last until Sunday at midnight.

The violence has sent tens of thousands of refugees across Sudan's borders and threatens to compound instability across a volatile swathe of Africa between the Sahel and the Red Sea.

"From the war planes to the tanks and rockets, we had no other option than to leave," said Sudanese man Motaz Ahmed, who arrived in Egypt's capital Cairo after a five-day trip. "We left behind our homes, our work, our belongings, our vehicles, everything, so we can take our children and parents to safety."

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Foreign governments airlifted diplomats and citizens to safety over the past week. Britain said its evacuations would end on Saturday as demand for spots on planes had declined.

The U.S. said several hundred Americans had departed Sudan by land, sea or air. A convoy of buses carrying 300 Americans left Khartoum late on Friday on a 525-mile trip to the Red Sea in the first U.S.-organized evacuation effort for citizens, the New York Times reported.

DARFUR DEATHS

In Darfur, at least 96 people had died since Monday in inter-communal violence rekindled by the army-RSF conflict, U.N. human rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said.

Releases and escapes from at least eight jails, including five in Khartoum and two in Darfur, were compounding chaos, she added.

In El Geneina, capital of West Darfur, a major hospital supported by medical charity MSF was looted over the past two days, the group said.

"Many people are trapped in the midst of this deadly violence. They fear risking their safety and lives trying to reach the rare health facilities that are still functional and open," said Sylvain Perron, MSF's deputy operations manager for Sudan.

The United Nations said its offices in Khartoum, El Geneina and Nyala were also ransacked. "This is unacceptable - and prohibited under international humanitarian law. Attacks on humanitarian assets must stop," U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths posted on Twitter.

Relief agencies have been largely unable to distribute food to the needy in Africa's third-largest country, where a third of its 46 million people were already reliant on donations.

Among Sudan's neighbours, Egypt said it had taken in 16,000 people, while 20,000 had entered Chad and the U.N. refugee agency said over 14,000 had crossed into South Sudan, which won independence from Khartoum in 2011 after decades of civil war.

Some had walked from Khartoum to South Sudan's border, a distance of over 400 km (250 miles), a spokesperson for the U.N. refugee agency said. One of Africa's largest cities, Khartoum had long been untouched by Sudan's string of civil wars.

Despite global appeals for talks, army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan told U.S.-based Arabic language broadcaster Al Hurra it was unacceptable to sit down with RSF head Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo whom he called "the leader of the rebellion".

Dagalo, better known as Hemdeti, told the BBC that the RSF would not hold talks until fighting ends. Saying the armed forces were "relentlessly" bombing his fighters, he blamed Burhan for the violence.

"Cease hostilities. After that we can have negotiations," Dagalo said.

(Reporting by Khaled Abdelaziz, Eltayeb Siddig in Khartoum, Aidan Lewis, Alaa Swilam and Sherif Fahmy in Cairo, Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber and Emma Farge in Geneva, Denis Elamu in Juba, Ayenat Mersie in Nairobi; writing by Mark Heinrich, Andrew Cawthorne and Cynthia Osterman; editing by William Maclean and Diane Craft)
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, who authored the courts majority opinion in the case that overturned Roe v. Wade last year, said he has a pretty good idea of the identity of the person who leaked the draft ruling.

Alito said in an interview with two Wall Street Journal opinion writers that the leak of the courts draft decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization last May, more than a month before the opinion was officially announced, created an atmosphere of suspicion and distrust.

Chief Justice John Roberts directed the courts marshal to launch an investigation to try to identify the person responsible for leaking the information to Politico, but the high court said in January it was unable to find the source.

The Supreme Court overturned Roe in a 5-4 ruling in the Dobbs case last June. Roberts voted to uphold a 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi that was being reviewed, but he joined the courts liberals in opposing the overturning of the precedent.

Alito said in the interview the marshal did a good job with the resources available, but the evidence was not sufficient to name a suspect.

I personally have a pretty good idea who is responsible, but thats different from the level of proof that is needed to name somebody, Alito said.

He said he believes the motive for the leak was to prevent the early draft of Dobbs from becoming the courts ultimate ruling. The vast majority of the final ruling was similar to the text of the leaked draft.

And thats how it was used for those six weeks by people on the outside  as part of the campaign to try to intimidate the court, Alito said.

The courts ruling in Dobbs, which struck down the federal right to abortion, was followed by more than a dozen states taking action to severely restrict or ban access to the procedure.

Regardless of the identity of the leaker and their motive, the leak effectively froze the votes in the case in the final weeks before the decision was released, according to reporting in the book, Nine Black Robes. It prevented the opportunity for compromise in the weeks before the ruling was out, according to the book.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Amazon soared past its own and Wall Streets expectations in the first quarter. The e-commerce giant saw net sales increase 9 percent to $127.4 billion on net income totaling $3.2 billion in the first quarter, or 31 cents per diluted share.

Amazons stock shot up as much as 10 percent immediately after the earnings report released Thursday, but fell by 6 p.m. in the wake of news that the profit-generating Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing business expects slowing growth in the second quarter.

More from Sourcing Journal

For the second quarter, Amazon forecasts net sales of $127 billion to $133 billion, for growth of 5 percent to 10 percent over the year-ago quarter. Operating income is projected at $2 billion to $5.5 billion, compared with $3.3 billion in 2022s second quarter.

In a Nutshell: Amazon is on track to have its fastest Prime delivery speeds ever in 2023, CEO Andy Jassy said during the companys earnings call. Nearly 26 million customers ordered items for same-day delivery in the quarter, 50 percent more versus last year.

Jassy addressed the reshuffling in the companys fulfillment network, which doubled in size during the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a result, we spent the last several months not onlyredesigning dozens of processes to drive better productivity, but also re-architecting our placement approach and larger fulfillment center footprint to move from a national fulfillment network in the U.S. to a regional one, Jassy said. It means weve created each interconnected region in geographic areas with each of these regions having broad relevant selection to operate in a largely self-sufficient way, while still being able to ship nationally when necessary.

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Jassy said Amazon just recently completed this rollout, but didnt offer further details.

Were quite bullish on the early results. Not surprisingly, shorter travel distances means lower cost-to-serve and customers getting their orders faster, he said.

Cost cuts appear to be helping productivity. Shipping costs increased 2 percent year-over-year to $19.9 billion, which represents a massive shift from its accelerated spending in the category throughout the pandemic.

Yet despite the low increase in shipping costs, Amazon shipped out 8 percent more units than the year-ago quarter.

For context, shipping costs in last years first quarter rose 14 percent, and rose 57 percent in the 2021 period. In the 2020 first quarter, which was the last pre-pandemic period for Amazon, these costs shot up 49 percent.

Fulfillment costs grew 21 percent to $603 million in the first quarter.

In the quarter, Amazon cut 76,000 full- and part-time jobs, leaving the company with 1.46 million employees. On a year-over-year basis, Amazon has cut 10 percent of its workforce. The numbers reflect recent layoffs, 18,000 of which occurred from November 2022 into early 2023, as well as warehouse attrition that typically occurs following the peak holiday shopping period.

Jassy, who succeeded founder Jeff Bezos in July 2021, has been aggressively slashing costs in areas such as the companys unprofitable brick-and-mortar stores, with the Big Tech firm closing some of its Amazon Go convenience stores and Amazon Fresh supermarkets. It has also slowed new warehouse expansion and paused construction of its second headquarters in Virginia, dubbed HQ2.

Operating cash flow increased 38 percent to $54.3 billion for the trailing 12 months, compared with $39.3 billion for the trailing 12 months ended March 31, 2022.

Net Sales: Net sales increased 9 percent to $127.4 billion in the first quarter, compared with $116.4 billion in first quarter of 2022. Excluding the $2.4 billion unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales increased 11 percent compared with first quarter 2022.

Year over year, North America segment sales jumped 11 percent to $76.9 billion from $69.2 billion, and international segment sales increased 1 percent to $29.1 billion from $28.8 billion. When excluding changes in foreign exchange rates, international sales rose 9 percent.

AWS segment sales increased 16 percent year-over-year to $21.4 billion, up from the $18.4 billion generated in last years quarter.

Chief financial officer Brian Olsavsky noted in the call that Amazon expects April revenue growth rates to be 5 percentage points lower than the first quarter results as clients look at their cloud spending.

Of Amazons major segments, advertising is still showing the most growth, with revenue rising 21 percent to $9.5 billion, up from $7.9 billion in the year-ago period.

Net Earnings: Net income was $3.2 billion in the first quarter, or 31 cents per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $3.8 billion, or a loss of 38 cents per diluted share, in the 2022 period.

First-quarter net income includes a pre-tax valuation loss of $0.5 billion included in non-operating expense from the common stock investment in Rivian Automotive, compared to a pre-tax valuation loss of $7.6 billion from the investment in first quarter 2022.

Operating income increased to $4.8 billion in the first quarter, compared with $3.7 billion in year-ago quarter. That includes approximately$500 million in charges related to estimated severance costs.

AWS is still the Amazon unit pulling the most weight when it comes to generating profitability. Operating income in the cloud computing segment was $5.1 billion, compared with operating income of $6.5 billion in first quarter 2022.

The North America segment brought in operating income of $898 million, compared with an operating loss of $1.6 billion a year ago. The international segment incurred an operating loss of $1.2 billion, compared with operating loss of $1.3 billion in the 2022 quarter.

CEOs Take: While weve taken several actions to streamline our costs, weve been able to do so while still pursuing the key strategic long-term investments that we believe can meaningfully make customers lives better, and potentially change what Amazon is, said Jassy in the call. These are investments both in our larger businesses, as well as in areas like international expansion in our stores business, large retail market segments in which were still nascent like grocery and B2Band allowing consumers to use Prime off of Amazon in our Buy with Prime ProgramIts hard to predict that all these will be successful. One or two working would change our business over the long term.

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Amazon signaled its commitment to AI investment amid a surge of interest in the technology.

Amazon plans to build "the world's best personal assistant," CEO Andy Jassy told analysts Thursday.

The company is spending less on fulfillment and transportation, its CFO said.

Amazon is doubling down on investing in artificial intelligence as it spends less on warehouses and other parts of its logistics infrastructure that grew sharply in the wake of the pandemic.

"On our core fulfillment and in transportation areas, we actually are spending less year-over-year, and those estimates are going down," said Brian Olsavsky, Amazon's chief financial officer, in a call with analysts on Thursday. "And we are adding more dollars for large language models and generative AI."

"So we're creating some space in our fulfillment and transportation number that's being repurposed over to AWS," he said, referring to Amazon Web Services, which provides AI and machine learning services to unicorn customers including Stability AI and Hugging Face.

The company spent some $58.3 billion in capital expenditures last year, according to Amazon's 2022 annual report, which noted that the amount showed the company's emphasis on developing its "technology infrastructure."

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy echoed the company's commitment to AI, saying the e-commerce giant would be among the few companies to prioritize developing large language models, the technology behind generative AI tools like chatbots.

"If you look at the really significant leading large language models, they take many years to build, and many billions of dollars to build," he told analysts Thursday. "And there will be a small number of companies that want to invest that time and money, and we'll be one of them at Amazon."

Jassy added that he believed that generative AI tools that assist coders would be some of the most "compelling," and that Amazon also aspired to develop the "world's best personal assistant."

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Referencing Amazon's voice assistant device Alexa, he said, "we've had a large language model underneath it, but we're building one that's much larger and much more generalized and capable."

"I think that's going to really rapidly accelerate our vision of becoming the world's best personal assistant," he added.

Amazon's stock jumped more than 10% in after-hours trade, but surrendered those gains by the end of the company's conference call, when Jassy said companies are being "cautious in their spending in this uncertain time" on cloud services. Still, the stock is up more than 25% so far this year.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Retiring as director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland is accomplishment enough for most people.

For Lura J. Powell, leaving the prestigious post in 2003 was just a starting point. In the 20 years since she turned in her badge, she has earned a reputation as a dedicated volunteer focused on science, technology, education, literacy and combating human trafficking.

For her exhaustive efforts to improve the Tri-Cities and the lives of its residents, Powell was named the 2023 Tri-Citian of the Year on Thursday at a banquet at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick.

The award is given by the Tri-Cities Rotary and Kiwanis clubs in honor of service to the community.

Lura Powell

By tradition, Powells identity was kept secret until it was announced by the 2022 honoree, Mark Brault. Powell is the 51st Tri-Citian of the Year and only the third woman to receive it on her own and not as part of a couple or group.

Powell was hailed as an ambassador keen to advance the interests of the local community and the state of Washington. Sylvester Neal, past president of Kiwanis International, was the keynote speaker. Chuck DeGooyer was emcee.

Director of PNNL

Powell, who lives in Richland with her husband Art King, served as director of PNNL and senior vice president of Battelle from 2000-03. Battelle operates the lab for the U.S. Department of Energy.

In retirement, she was appointed to three state committees, including the Washington State University Board of Regents, the Washington State Redistricting Committee that redrew congressional district boundaries in 2011 and the Washington State Life Science Discovery Fund Authority.

The latter enabled cutting-edge technology for Washington residents and brought funding to PNNL.

Her passion for combating human trafficking is one of her defining interests, according to the nomination submitted by Jane Foreman of Richland and Pat Tuohy of Kennewick.

Powell, they said, helped organize local Soroptimist clubs into the Tri-Cities Soroptimists Against Trafficking. She was instrumental in forming the Tri-Cities Coalition Against Trafficking, which convened local agencies to coordinate services.

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Training first responders

She secured a $5,000 grant that paid to train 230 first responders, medical personnel and college students to recognize human trafficking and how to serve its victims.

A separate $5,000 grant brought a national trainer to the community for a three-day training session for 200 area residents. Some 430 people have been trained through her efforts.

On a related note, the 23-year Tri-Cities resident regularly hosts events to benefit Domestic Violence Services in both Benton and Franklin counties.

She is a true philanthropist and graciously hosts various fundraising events in her home, the nominators wrote. As a member of Soroptimist International of Pasco-Kennewick, she implemented community corporate partnerships to enable the club to deepen ties to Tri-City businesses.

Powells civic resume includes serving on the boards of Kadlec Medical Center Foundation, United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties, Tri-City Development Council, Three Rivers Community Round Table, Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center, Avista Corporation and Washington State Technology Alliance Board.

She has supported countless nonprofits, including the Tri-Cities Cancer Center, Delta High School and the Childrens Reading Foundation.

WSU regent

Sandra Haynes, chancellor for WSU Tri-Cities, called Powell a stellar regent who is informed, thoughtful and highly engaged in the entire WSU system. She lent her voice to the efforts that led to the creation of the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine in Spokane..

Simply put, she has helped make my time here a joy with her willingness to share her wisdom (which is considerable), Haynes wrote in the nomination.

Fran Forgette, 2001 Tri-Citian of the Year, preceded Powell on the WSU board. The retired Kennewick attorney said hes long admired her work ethic, engagement and effectiveness.

If there is a job to be done for the betterment of the Tri-Cities as a whole, Lura is always there with good ideas and a willing hand, he said.

Nancy Kerr, president of the National Childrens Reading Foundation, said Powell was undaunted by the details when she helped update the foundations business, including legal documents, financial procedures and personnel practices in 2007. Powell didnt lose interest when the job was finished.

Lura continued to ask how CRF is doing and support our mission. She genuinely cares, Kerr wrote.

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US-MEDIA-POLITICS-FOX-COURT

Headlines scroll at the Twenty-First Century Fox Inc headquarters in the Manhattan borough in New York on April 19, 2023. - Fox News averted a potentially humiliating defamation trial after a last-minute settlement on April 18, Credit - TIMOTHY A. CLARY- AFP

This weeks bombshell news that Tucker Carlson had been abruptly fired by Fox News has prompted me to conduct a thought experiment, one that imagines a kind of secular rapture event: If Fox News suddenly disappeared along with its most prominent host, what would America be like?

First, its important to understand just how big a footprint Carlson and Fox News have had in the television news market. According to the New York Times, Carlsons show averaged 3.25 million viewers in the first quarter of this year, making it not only the largest draw on Fox News but one of the most-watched shows in all of cable news.

Recent public opinion surveys that ask about trust in TV news outlets confirm the strong presence of Fox News. According to PRRIs 2022 American Values Survey, among the two-thirds of Americans who report consuming TV news, 17% say they most trust Fox News to give them accurate information about current events and politicsa number that is slightly larger than the proportion who most trust local TV news (15%), CNN (12%) or public television (12%). Only the combined broadcast news outlets (ABC, CBS, NBC) outpace Fox News as Americas most trusted TV news source. [Note: Here and below, all data come from the PRRIs 2022 American Values Survey, a national representative survey of over 2,523 Americans conducted September 1-11, 2022. Full results and methodology are available here.]

The real power of Fox News, however, is in its disproportionate partisan reach. Among the two thirds of Republicans who consume television news, four in ten say they most trust Fox Newsmore than local TV news, broadcast news, CNN, public television, and MSNBC combined. Notably, there is no equivalent dominating presence among Democrats who consume television news; only 12% of Democrats, for example, say they most trust MSNBC.

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For the purposes of our thought experiment, lets imagine an alternative reality in which the Republicans who most trust Fox News and the ultra-conservative outlets spawned by its model disappear and are replaced by Republicans who most trust any other television news source (local TV news, broadcast news, CNN, public television, MSNBC, or some other outlet).

What would happen?

1. Republicans would dump Trump

In the arena of politics, the changes would be profound. On all things related to Donald Trump, the differences between Fox News Republicans (FR) and mainstream news Republicans (MR) are more than 30 percentage points. FR are twice as likely as MR to say the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump (74% vs. 37%), and they are nearly 40 percentage points more likely to say that the January 6th congressional hearings were politically motivated and a waste of time (92% vs. 54%). FR are also nearly 40 percentage points more likely than MR to hold a favorable view of Donald Trump (92% vs. 54%). Most notably, while nearly two thirds (64%) of FR say Trump should be the Republican nominee for president in 2024, only 28% of MR agree.

In other words, if the GOPs Fox News constituents suddenly vanished, the party would reject the Big Lie that the election was stolen from Trump and would strongly oppose Trump being the 2024 Republican presidential nominee. There is also evidence that MR would back more moderate candidates across the board. A majority (51%) of MR, compared to only 23% of FR, say they would vote for a candidate from a new political party that is in between the Republicans and the Democrats.

2. The GOP would abandon efforts to restrict voter access and attempts at minority rule.

Mainstream News Republicans (MR) are significantly more dedicated than Fox News Republicans (FR) to the basic democratic principles of voter access and proportional representation.

Nearly six in ten (58%) MR, compared to only 27% of FR, believe the U.S. Congress should pass a voting rights law to guarantee every citizen access to the ballot; by contrast, 72% of FR believe we should leave voting rights up to the states.

Similarly, nearly two thirds (63%) of MR, compared to only one third (34%) of FR, believe that presidential elections should be decided by the popular vote rather than the electoral college. FR overwhelmingly back the electoral college system, which allows for the possibility that a shrinking group of white Christian voters can capture the presidency, even while losing the popular election by millions of votes.

3. The country would be far less divided by the culture war battles over abortion, LGBTQ rights, and public schools.

With the disappearance of Fox News Republicans (FR), the most divisive culture war issues would cease to function as political wedge issues.

Nearly seven in ten Fox News Republicans (FR) celebrated the US Supreme Courts recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. But this perspective is shared by less than half (44%) of Mainstream News Republicans (MR).

More than six in ten FR also favor both laws allowing small business owners to refuse to serve gay and lesbian people (66%) and laws preventing parents from allowing their child to receive medical care for a gender transition (61%). Less than half of MR agree with either of these views (44% and 47% respectively).

Most notably, there is a 41-point divide between the attitudes of FR and MR on the role of teachers and librarians in our public schools.

Two thirds of FR (67%) believe that Public school teachers and librarians are indoctrinating our kids with inappropriate curriculum and books that wrongly portray America as a racist country. MR, meanwhile, look like the rest of Americans on this issue, with only one quarter (26%) holding such conspiratorial views. Instead, 72% of MR affirm that public school teachers and librarians provide our kids with appropriate curriculum and books that teach the good and bad of American history.

4. No major political party in America would sanction the racist use of Great Replacement Theory rhetoric and the demonization of immigrants

Carlson infamously backed white supremacist conspiracy theories on his show, including so-called Great Replacement theory. According to analysis by the New York Times, Carlson referred to the idea that liberal elites are backing immigration to reshape the demographics of the electorate in their favor over 400 times on his show since 2016. Heres a typical example from the opening monologue of Carlsons show: In order to win and maintain power, Democrats want to change the population of the country.

This racist and dangerous message clearly resonates with Fox News Republicans (FR). More than six in ten (61%) FR, compared to less than half (47%) of MR, believe that immigrants are invading our country and replacing our cultural and ethnic background. This sentiment animated the violent protesters in Charlottesville (who chanted Jews will not replace us!) and it was cited by perpetrators of mass shootings such as those who targeted Hispanic shoppers in an El Paso Walmart and Black shoppers in a Buffalo grocery store.

Additionally, FR hold harsh views about immigrants that are far out of step with Americans overall and with MR. Strong majorities of FR believe immigrants increase crime in local communities (75%) and that those living in the U.S. illegally should be identified and deported (58%); less than half of MR disagree.

5. American democracy would be far less threatened by the violent politics of white Christian resentment and Christian nationalism

One of the most striking findings about Fox News Republicans (FR) are their perceptions of who is facing discrimination in the US today. Most FR reject the idea that Black people, Hispanic people, Asian people, Muslim people, women, gay and lesbian people, or transgender people face a lot of discrimination in the US today. In fact, the only two groups a majority of FR believe face a lot of discrimination in America today are Christians (55%) and white people (59%). This upside down, funhouse mirror version of realityone that fuels a politics of resentment rooted in a vision of an embattled ethnoreligious minorityis not shared by most Mainstream News Republicans (MR).

These dangerous views are rooted in the fundamental premise of white Christian nationalismone that accompanied the first European contact with Indigenous Peoples here: that European Christians had a divine mandate to occupy the land and subjugate its non-Christian inhabitants. Nearly six in ten (58%) FR believe believe that God intended America to be a new promised land where European Christians could create a society that could be an example to the rest of the world, a view shared by only 39% of MR and 31% of Americans.

This FR belief in America as a divinely ordained white Christian nationa conviction that has blessed so much brutality in our historyis strongly linked to denial of structural racism, anti-immigrant sentiment, antisemitism, patriarchal views of gender roles, and belief in conspiracy theories such as Qanon. It is also fueling a kind of desperate, apocalyptic worldview that is more likely to support political violence. One third (33%) of FR, compared to 20% of MR, believe that because things have gotten so far off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence to save the country.

Most fundamentally, an America without Fox News would be more trusting and less fearful. The New York Times review of years of Carlsons shows summarized his basic appeal this way: Night after night, the host of the most-watched show in prime-time cable news uses a simple narrative to instill fear in his viewers: They want to control and then destroy you. Fomenting such divisions is a fundamentally anti-democratic and unpatriotic act that undermines our ability to realize our national motto, E Pluribus Unumfrom many, one.

An America without Fox News would still have intense and even angry disagreements. But we would have a fighting chance to recover some basic civic virtues: a common faith that an electoral defeat is an opportunity to reorganize for the next election rather than a necessarily illegitimate outcome; a firm belief that legislative disagreements involve political opponents, not mortal enemies; and an unwavering conviction that us and we, rather than they versus you, are the principled pronouns of democracy.
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP)  Pope Francis on Friday blasted the adolescent belligerence that brought war back to Europe and said the continent must recover its founding spirit of peaceful unity to confront Russias war in Ukraine.

Francis outlined his vision for the future of Europe as he began a three-day visit to Hungary. In a carefully calibrated speech, he demanded that the European Union approve safe and legal ways for migrants to enter and for the Hungarian government not to hold Europe hostage to populist demands.

Francis didnt mince words when he addressed President Katalin Novak and Hungarys populist prime minister, Viktor Orban, whose lukewarm support for Ukraine has rankled other EU countries. The pontiff recalled the lofty ideals behind the bloc's founding and lamented that rising nationalism and adolescent belligerence had replaced them.

We seem to be witnessing the sorry sunset of that choral dream of peace, as the solists of war now take over, Francis said. At this historical juncture, Europe is crucial.  It is called to take up its proper role, which is to unite those far apart, to welcome those other peoples and refuse to consider anyone an eternal enemy.

Hungarian officials said the pope's visit, his second to Budapest in as many years, was designed primarily to let him minister to the countrys Catholic community. But with the war in neighboring Ukraine and Orban butting heads with other EU nations over rule of law issues and LGBTQ+ rights, Francis words and deeds in the heart of Europe carried strong political undertones.

He has repeatedly called for a peaceful resolution to the war and expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian people, although his trip to Hungary brought Francis the nearest he's gotten to the front line of the fighting.

The pope plans to meet Saturday with some of the 35,000 Ukrainian refugees who remain in Hungary. Nearly 2.5 million refugees entered the country early on in Russias invasion of Ukraine.

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Orban has called for a cease-fire. But the nationalist prime minister has refused to supply Kyiv with weapons and threatened to veto EU sanctions against Moscow while maintaining Hungarys strong dependence on Russian energy. His government also said it would not arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the subject of an international arrest warrant on war crimes charges, if he came to Hungary.

While sharing his hopes for Europe, Francis appeared to call out the country's growing isolation.

I think of a Europe that is not hostage to its parts, neither falling prey to self-referential forms of populism nor resorting to a fluid, if not vapid, supra-nationalism that loses sight of the life of its peoples, the pope said.

Novak, for her part, praised Francis as a man of peace and asked him to confer with Kyiv and Moscow, to Washington, Brussels, Budapest and to anyone without whom there can be no peace. Here, in Budapest, we ask you to act personally for a just peace as soon as possible!

Francis has expressed appreciation for Hungarys recent welcome of Ukrainian refugees, but his views on the moral imperative to welcome all people fleeing conflict, poverty and climate change contrast with Orbans hard line on migration. In 2015-2016, Hungary built a razor wire fence on the border with Serbia to stop people from entering  .

Francis said time was up for Europes excuses and delay in responding to the hundreds of thousands of migrants who risk their lives trying to reach the continent each year. He called for the EU to agree on secure and legal corridors that would provide a safer route.

Europe must come up with shared mechanisms to confront an epochal challenge that cannot be faced by pushing back, but must be welcomed to prepare a future that, unless it is shared, will not exist, the pope said.

The 86-year-old pontiff, who walks with difficulty because of bad knee ligaments, is testing his frail health with his latest trip. He spent four days in the hospital last month with bronchitis. Hungarian officials had hoped Francis would travel around the country, but the Vatican opted to keep him in Budapest, where he spent seven hours in 2021 to close out a church congress.

The visit comes as the European Union's legislature continues to put pressure on Hungary to counter what EU lawmakers consider a deterioration in the rule of law and democratic principles, including media freedom and LGBTQ+ rights.

The four biggest groups in the European Parliament have called on the bloc's executive commission to withhold pandemic recovery funds for Hungary until liberal democracy principles are met.

Francis didnt wade in directly to the dispute, but he quoted the Hungarian Constitution and the founder of the Hungarian state, St. Stephen, in calling for the country to remain open toward others, another apparent reference to Orbans nativist rhetoric.

On LGBTQ+ rights, the pope and the Hungarian government's policies were not totally at odds. Catholic doctrine forbids gay marriage, though Francis has backed legal protections for people in same-sex unions.

He also has long ministered to gay and transgender Catholics while condemning gender ideology as an alleged form of the West's ideological colonization of the developing world.

Hungary outlaws same-sex marriage, and the government has prohibited same-sex couples from adopting children. The government has also outlawed the depiction of homosexuality or divergent gender identities to minors in media content.

Francis repeated his condemnation of gender ideology Friday along with what he described as the so-called right to abortion. He praised Hungary for promoting family values.

How much better it would be to build a Europe centered on the human person and on its peoples, with effective polices for natality and the family  policies that are pursued attentively in this country, he said.

Francis' arrival was met with a quiet welcome, with small groups of people cheering his motorcade as it entered the city center. Zoltan Gozner, a religious education teacher from Esztergom, north of Budapest, took his class to a place on the motorcade's route so students could see it.

Hungary is still a Christian country, and we are a guardian of this faith, he said. ___

Bela Szandelszky contributed.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

___

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
By Fabian Cambero

SANTIAGO (Reuters) -While Chile's plan to take control of its lithium industry has caused global shockwaves, state-led production of the metal used to make electric vehicle batteries is seen by analysts as likely years away given technical and political challenges.

President Gabriel Boric last week said he would move to gradually nationalize the country's lithium industry, which holds the world's largest reserves of the metal, in a bid to boost Chile's economy.

The plan relies on negotiations with lithium producers, public-private partnerships with technology companies, tense negotiations with political rivals, and the creation of a national lithium company, all of which could take years to accomplish, analysts said.

Chile's divided Congress, for example, has already stonewalled much of Boric's progressive agenda, and the government would need support from opposition parties.

"We need projects to be developed as soon as possible if we want Chile to benefit from this (lithium) boom," said Daniela Desormeaux, director of Chile's Center for Copper Studies (Cesco), adding that creating the national lithium company is "the most complicated" element of the plan since it requires legislative support.

Economy Minister Nicolas Grau told Reuters earlier in the week that the government wanted to start negotiations with current producers by mid-year and have an agreement before the end of Boric's term in 2026.

Full cooperation from existing lithium producers Albemarle Corp and SQM is unlikely, with Albemarle already signaling it will keep its contract unchanged until it expires 2043.

"The contract itself is not going to change," Albemarle's Chile Manager Ignacio Mehech told reporters after a meeting with Corfo, Chile's state development office that it currently holds its lithium contract with.

"State participation, according to what Corfo told us, will be discussed later when the contract is about to expire and therefore from now until 2043 our counterpart will continue to be Corfo."

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SQM on Wednesday signaled that it was ready to start talks with the government soon.

Furthermore, new requirements for unproven extraction techniques and long environmental regulatory review times could "act as a brake on the development of lithium projects at a time when the lithium 'moment' is widely seen as right now," said Nicholas Watson, from consultancy Teneo.

"Even if the entity is authorized, it will take time to establish it as a fully resourced and viable outfit that can partner effectively with private firms," said Watson, referring to a state lithium company.

CODELCO'S ROLE

Chile's state-run Codelco, the largest copper producer in the world, plays a key role in Boric's lithium plan although it has no experience in producing the white metal.

Despite some concerns that lithium production could distract Codelco from its core copper focus, Grau said the government has "faith in Codelco's abilities." He did not rule out Codelco being the operator in future public-private partnerships.

Getting a cohesive plan together soon matters could become more political as the country faces presidential elections in two years.

"If negotiations drag out, the 2025 electoral cycle will begin to play a larger role as some candidates could offer a different vision for the country's lithium," according to a report from the Eurasia consultancy.

WAIT AND SEE

Chile was the world's largest lithium producer until Australia overtook it in 2017. A JPMorgan report noted that Argentina's burgeoning lithium industry, which has tended to embrace private producers, could overtake Chile in 2028.

"For now, it remains uncertain whether Chile will be able to organize its lithium industry towards considerable growth in terms of production and industry value," said Johann Tan, a commodities analyst at Fitch Solutions.

Despite Chile's leading role in global lithium production, "the effort to assert state control over strategic projects" could enhance the role of Australia and Argentina "which have demonstrated greater regulatory certainty and fewer risks of resource nationalism," the Eurasia report read.

The report noted that Argentina currently has more lithium projects in the pipeline than any other country in the world.

SQM and Albemarle, the only two companies that currently extract lithium in Chile, both held preliminary meetings with the country's state development office this week to discuss the government's plan.

SQM said it would need an additional $2 billion to meet its environmental sustainability goals, which it said also align with the government's lithium strategy. Albemarle has said it needs new water sources to expand in Chile's Atacama salt flat, noting a desalination project was awaiting permits and construction.

The government is seeking a controlling stake in all public-private partnerships in the Atacama salt flat, but when asked if private companies will be in charge of decision making or if the state will have the final say, the economy minister said it would depend on negotiations.

"In the Atacama salt flat, the answers to those questions will be answered little by little as negotiations progress," Grau said.

Outside the Atacama, the government said it would take a controlling stake in "strategic" salt flats, but has yet to define that also.

When asked which salt flats are strategic, Grau said "there still isn't enough information, but of course that will exist when private companies participate."

Several companies have already begun exploration in Chile's Maricunga salt flat south of the Atacama. Grau added that "it's reasonable to leave space" for how the specifics of each public-private partnership will work depending on the value of each project.

"Maybe Albemarle or SQM can negotiate a shareholders agreement that could work," said Juan Carlos Guajardo, head of Plusmining consulting in Santiago, but added he finds it hard to imagine that smaller companies would want to provide capital for projects on which the state makes the final decisions.

(Reporting by Fabian Andres Cambero and Ashitha Shivaprasad; Editing by Alexander Villegas, Ernest Scheyder and Marguerita Choy)
Using worms as bait, a Missouri angler hoped to catch a catfish while fishing from the Gasconade River.

Chandler Lee Tudor actually ended up catching something much more rare, according to an April 28 Facebook post from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

He hooked a lake sturgeon fish while fishing at the Riddle Bridge Access in Pulaski County, officials said. The fish measured 4 feet long.

Lake sturgeon are large, prehistoric fish that occur in the Missouri and Mississippi river systems, officials said. They can grow to lengths of 8 feet and weigh up to 300 pounds!

The sturgeon species evolved during the Jurassic era and survived where the dinosaurs didnt, according to the state wildlife department. The species is described as a living link to the past.

The rare species is endangered in Missouri, officials said, and anglers must return them to the water if they catch one. Tudor released his fish after taking a quick photo, according to the post.

These fish have thrived for 150 million years and have been brought to the brink of extinction in just the last century, officials said. Overharvesting has led to their endangered status.

Pulaski County is in south-central Missouri.

Incredibly rare prehistoric fish shocks angler as he reels it in from Kansas River

Man spent 47 minutes reeling in rare fish  then released it, Missouri officials say

100-year-old sturgeon one of the largest ever caught in the US, Michigan officials say
The 2023 Met Gala is fast approaching and perhaps no one is more ready for the annual fashion event than Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour.

This year, the biggest night in fashion will once again take place on the first Monday in May at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The theme of the 2023 Met Gala, titled Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, will honour the legacy of the legendary German designer and Wintours longtime friend.

Since 1995, Anna Wintour has carefully presided over the Met Gala and its exclusive guest list. With her signature black sunglasses and perfectly coiffed bob, the British journalist has been a mainstay at the Met Gala, and in the fashion world, for decades.

It comes as no surprise that the Vogue editor-in-chief is one of the most prominent figures in fashion, considering she comes from a journalism background and has been working in fashion since she was 15 years old.

Her father was a famous newspaper editor

Anna Wintour was born on 3 November 1949 to British journalist Charles Wintour and American Eleanor Trego Baker, whose father was a Harvard Law School professor. Her father, Charles, worked as editor-in-chief of the London Evening Standard. One of her four siblings, Patrick, is also a journalist and the diplomatic editor of The Guardian.

Wintour studied at the North London Collegiate School, where she rebelled against the schools dress code by taking up the hemlines of her skirts. In the 2009 documentary The September Issue, Wintour said that growing up in London in the 1960s framed her view on fashion and made her fall in love with it at a young age.

She got her start in fashion at 15 years old

When she was 15, her father helped her land her first job in fashion at the London boutique, Biba  the same year that she began to wear her hair in whats now her iconic bob with bangs, according to biographer Jerry Oppenheimer. She left school to begin a teenage training program at Harrods, before becoming an editorial assistant at Harpers Bazaar UK and Harpers & Queen. In 1975, she relocated to New York City where she worked as junior fashion editor at Harpers Bazaar.

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Wintours big break at Vogue came in 1983 when she landed the role as creative director of the American magazine. In 1985, Wintour replaced Beatrix Miller as editor-in-chief of British Vogue, but leapt back to New York City in 1988 to take over as Vogue editor-in-chief.

Her annual clothing budget is reportedly as high as $200,000

The fashion icon is rumoured to be given an exuberant clothing allowance of $200,000 (about 120,000) from Vogues publisher, Conde Nast. The shocking figure was revealed in New York Times T Magazine by an undisclosed source. In addition to her annual allowance, the British editor is reportedly gifted many high-fashion clothes and pieces from designers.

Despite having a rumoured clothing budget, Wintours net worth is estimated to be $50m, and her yearly salary is reportedly between $2m and $4m.

She has two children

In 1984, Wintour married child psychiatrist David Shaffer. The former couple were together for 15 years before they divorced in 1999. Together, they have two children. Her son, Charlie Shaffer, is a doctor and assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Weill Cornell. Her daughter, Bee Carrozzini (nee Shaffer), worked as a producer at Late Night With Seth Meyers from 2014 to 2017.

She wears her dark Chanel sunglasses so no one can tell if shes bored

While Wintour is known for her signature sunglasses, the dark shades actually serve a purpose. In a 2009 interview with 60 Minutes, the Vogue editor revealed that she often dons her large sunglasses because they allow her to keep her reactions to fashion shows private.

Well, theyre seriously useful. I mean, I can sit in a show, and if Im bored out of my mind, nobody will notice. And if Im enjoying it, nobody will notice, Wintour said. So, I think at this point theyve become, you know, really armour.

The 2023 Met Gala will take place on Monday 1 May at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The theme of this years Met Gala, titled Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, will examine the life of the late designer.

The dress code for the annual fundraising event, which raises money for the museums Costume Institute, requires guests to wear clothing in honour of Karl  namely looks inspired by his work as creative director at Chanel or Fendi. The Costume Institutes accompanying exhibition will bring around 150 creations from the iconic German designer together to explore [his] stylistic language.

Along with Vogues editor-in-chief, there will be four co-chairs of the event: Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel, Penelope Cruz, and Roger Federer. Fans can tune in to the Met Gala 2023 red carpet livestream on Monday 1 May at 6.30pm ET on the Vogue website or its social media platforms.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has detained another Ukrainian who became an accomplice of the Russians during the occupation of Kharkiv Oblast: a businessman who sold grain to the invaders.

Source: SSU

Details: The offender was a 40-year-old private entrepreneur from the Kupiansk district who was engaged in the cultivation and wholesale of agricultural crops.

After part of the oblast was captured by the Russians, he supported them and voluntarily began to cooperate with the local occupation administration.

It was established that in August last year, he received a so-called "trade patent to trade in grain" from the aggressor state. Furthermore, the collaborator undertook to pay Russian taxes.

According to the investigation, in the course of a month he illegally exported more than 1,000 tonnes of Ukrainian wheat worth US$135,000 to Russia. He sold agricultural products to Russian monopolists there and received payment in roubles.

When Kharkiv Oblast was liberated, the offender tried to "lie low" and avoid justice. However, SSU officers established his whereabouts and detained him.

Based on the evidence gathered, the offender was served with a notice of suspicion under Art. 111-1.4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (collaboration).

He has now been remanded in custody.

The investigation is ongoing to find out all the circumstances of the crime.

The operation was conducted by the SSUs Office in Kharkiv Oblast, jointly with National Police investigators and under the procedural supervision of the Kupiansk District Prosecutor's Office.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Eileen Conley wanted to downsize, so she hired Keyo Tiny House to build her a tiny home on a lot she bought in Sherrills Ford.

Conley said she paid Keyo in full.

Action 9: Man says used car ad made him suspicious, others report similar case

I gave him $227,000, she said.

However, Conley said she didnt get the price or the deadline in the contract.

Keyo texted her the home would be ready by November 2022 at the latest, according to Conley.

She said the company stopped work in November 2022, and the project was far from being completed.

I was appalled, Conley said. Theres no other word for it.

Conley said she sold the house she was living in assuming that she would have moved into the tiny home by then.

I had a little Come to Jesus with him and said, Youve got to get this house done. I am literally homeless, and I need a place to live, she said.

Conley said the ordeal is emotional.

You get really upset, and then you get angry, she said.

Conley thought about suing Keyo but said she was using that money, which was for retirement, to pay other contractors to finish the project.

I want to shut him down, Conley said. I dont want this to happen to anybody else. I would love to have my money back, but I just know in my gut, Im not going to get it back. So now I want to shut him down.

Action 9 tried to reach Keyo for three weeks but did not get a single response.

Five other customers sued Keyo before the pandemic claiming they paid the developer but didnt get houses or refunds.

One of their lawyers said some of the plaintiffs won and others settled.

A few months later, the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors reprimanded Keyos owner saying he signed a contract he shouldnt have because he had an expired license.

Action 9 followed up with the board and found Keyo had a valid license when it was working on Conleys project up until March.

However, the board said the developer didnt file an annual report with the North Carolina Secretary of State, which was what it should have done.

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So the agency dissolved the company and because of that, the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors deactivated its license.

In other words, Keyo isnt authorized to do business in the state until it resolves the administrative issues.

Anytime you hire a builder:

Make sure you get the price and deadline in writing.

Try not to pay the full amount up front.

Research the company

VIDEO: Action 9 finds out why renters at Charlotte apartments get notices about money being due
Community members listen to speakers during a rally at Antioch police headquarters on April 18. (Jane Tyska / Associated Press)

After recent revelations of racist text messages involving more than a dozen of its officers, the Antioch Police Department is now the subject of a lawsuit alleging race-based brutality.

Plaintiffs Juan Laspada and Rebecca Rodriguez accuse a group of unnamed officers of excessive use of force and racial profiling in a lawsuit filed last week against the city of Antioch and the officers, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit alleges that on Feb. 25, 2022, Laspada and his fiancee, Rodriguez, were awaiting an Uber vehicle outside a friend's residence when police confronted them.

Without informing Laspada that he was being detained or arrested, the complaint alleges, officers "threw him to ground, placed him in a prone position on his stomach, and began to punch the plaintiff several times in his face, body and ear area and issuing knee strikes to the plaintiffs body."

A video of the encounter posted on Twitter shows a scuffle on the sidewalk, with an officer pushing Rodriguez to the ground and then punching Laspada, who is being restrained on the ground.

Officers then allegedly searched Laspada's bag before handcuffing the couple. Laspada was then transported to a hospital, while Rordiguez was taken to the police station. Both were ultimately released without any charges filed against them.

The complaint alleges that the couple, "who are both Latinx, were racially profiled, leading to their unlawful detention and arrest."

The suit claims that their 4th Amendment rights  those prohibiting unreasonable searches and seizures  were infringed upon, as well as 14th Amendment rights protecting against racial discrimination.

In support of the discrimination claim, the lawsuit details the racist texting scandal that has recently engulfed the city police department, which is the subject of an investigation by the Contra Costa County district attorneys office and the FBI. A report released earlier this month details 14 officers communications that include 12 messages likening Black people to gorillas as well as dozens of instances of the N-word.

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Mayor Lamar Thorpe, who is Black, was also the target of racist threats in the texts, which were first reported by the Mercury News and then Contra Costa News. Antiochs population is about 24% Black, according to 2020 census data.

It is unclear whether the officers involved in the brutality case, still unnamed, were also implicated in the investigation into the racist messages.

Those texts caused an uproar in Antioch, leading to a raucous City Council meeting in which Thorpe engaged in a heated exchange with a commenter whom he accused of using "dog whistle" racist language.

At a subsequent meeting, the City Council voted unanimously to audit the Police Departments Internal Affairs Unit, its hiring and promotional practices, and the existing culture inside the department.

An unknown number of cases that relied on testimony by the officers involved in the texting scandal may also be up for review and possible dismissal or re-sentencing.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.  A federal appeals court sided with Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday when it overturned a lower courts decision on a controversial voting law.

That law, approved by the states Republican-controlled Legislature in 2021, placed restrictions on the use of drop boxes and set new requirements for voter registration groups, among other things. A federal judge in March 2022 ruled that the law was discriminatory against minorities and placed unconstitutional burdens on voters.

In an extraordinary move, the judge in the 2022 decision, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker, ordered the state to get court approval for a decade before it enacts changes in three areas of election law.

But on Thursday, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals determined that Walkers 288-page order was based on legal errors and clearly erroneous findings of fact. The appeals court sent the case back to the lower court for review.

It also reversed the requirement that Florida needs prior clearance to change parts of voting law. It affirmed Walkers ruling that a restriction on soliciting voters within 150 feet of a ballot drop box was unconstitutionally vague.

Jeremy Redfern, deputy press secretary to DeSantis, hailed the ruling as a great win for Floridas voters. Jasmine Burney-Clark, founder of Equal Ground, which was a plaintiff in the case, said she was disappointed and maintained that the election law diminished the power of Black voters.

The case began in 2021, when the Florida Legislature approved voting restrictions that placed new limits on the use of absentee ballot drop boxes, blocked solicitation of voters within 150 of those drop-off points and placed restrictions on collecting and delivering voter registration applications. At the time, Democrats and civil rights organizations criticized the legislation and subsequent law, saying it disenfranchised Black voters and lead to voter suppression.

The Legislature approved the measure in the wake of the 2020 election, when former President Donald Trump was publicly railing against  without evidence  election results.

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After the law was challenged in federal court, Walker, who was appointed to the bench by former President Barack Obama, framed the law as another in a long line of changes that were aimed at Democrats and placed illegal burden on minorities.

At some point, when the Florida Legislature passes law after law disproportionately burdening Black voters, this court can no longer accept that the effect is incidental, Walker wrote, adding, Florida has a horrendous history of racial discrimination in voting.

The 11th Circuit, however, said Walker erred from the start in establishing a pattern of discrimination in Floridas voting laws.

We have rejected the argument that a racist past is evidence of current intent, the appeals court said in citing another of its rulings in a 2021 Alabama voting case.

Justice Jill Pryor of the appeals court dissented from the opinion, stating that the district court in its thorough and well-reasoned order had committed no reversible error.

There was no immediate response from the House and Senates Republican leaders. But the Republican National Committee called the ruling a landmark victory for election integrity and Florida voters and a major blow to Democrats election integrity misinformation campaign.

Blake Summerlin, statewide communications manager for the League of Women Voters of Florida, said while the group was disappointed by the reversal of the district courts well-reasoned, factually supported opinion, our fight is not over.
MUNCIE, Ind.  The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld a Muncie woman's conviction stemming from a fatal drug overdose.

In a Friday ruling, the three-judge panel affirmed Vera Renee Morgan's October 2022 conviction for dealing in a controlled substance resulting in death.

Testimony at her trial indicated Morgan and co-defendant Michael Tyler Schoeff in September 2020 went to Dayton, Ohio, to purchase heroin, and that Morgan a few weeks later sold the drug to a 32-year-old local woman, who then died after an overdose.

Morgan, now 34, was later sentenced to 40 years in prison by Delaware Circuit Court 4 Judge John Feick.

More: Muncie woman sentenced to 40 years for role in fatal overdose

In her appeal, Morgan contended jurors should not have been shown text messages concerning her drug-related activities, including her interactions with the overdose victim.

In Friday's ruling, Judge Paul Mathias wrote the appeals court agree with the prosecution "that the text exchanges here were relevant to show Morgan's plan of dealing heroin (to the victim)."

Morgan is now incarcerated at the Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis, and has a projected release date in September 2051, according to a state Department of Correction website.

On Wednesday, a Circuit Court 4 jury found Schoeff, 37, guilty of a related count of aiding, inducing or causing dealing in a controlled substance resulting in death,

Schoeff  also determined by the jury to be a habitual offender  is scheduled to be sentenced by Feick on May 17.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Muncie woman's conviction in fatal overdose upheld by appeals court
[Source]

A heartwarming video of an armless Chinese man taking care of his wife and newborn baby using only his feet has gone viral on social media platforms across mainland China.

The unidentified man from Hubei province was captured on video affectionately kissing his baby before heading to the kitchen to prepare a meal for his wife.

In the video, the man, whose disability remains undisclosed, showcases his dexterous culinary skills by cleaning a fish, adding seasoning and cutting vegetables with a knife held between his toes.

He then proceeds to cook the fish by gripping the handles of a frying pan with his toes before gathering bowls of rice and the cooked fish in a basket to transport to a table in their bedroom, where he expertly sets the table for his wife.

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The mans unwavering dedication to his family left social media users deeply moved. Originally uploaded to Weibo on March 30 by the People's Daily, the video has garnered over 102 million views.

Many expressed their admiration for the man's efforts to take care of his wife, who had recently given birth to their child.

More from NextShark: Chinese man sobs after stepdaughter finally calls him dad in viral video

"Great, doing better than many able-bodied dads," wrote one person, while another commented, "Amazing having such an outstanding father, their baby must be very lucky."



Netizens were astonished by the mans dexterous ability to cook with his feet and praised his determination to overcome his disability.

"Its so tough... all his efforts come from hope and confidence in the future!" one commenter wrote.

More from NextShark: Singaporean student shares her $26,000 jaw surgery journey in viral TikTok video

Those who work hard in life deserve to have a happy family and a beautiful future! another commented.

Another added, Every person who strives in life is a hero."

More from NextShark: I used to steal from here: Dwayne Johnson rights his wrongs at Hawaii 7-Eleven
Atlanta police have arrested a 17-year-old in connection to the fatal shooting of Rasheeda Williams, AKA Koko Da Doll, the trans star of Sundances hit documentary Kokomo City.

On Thursday (27 April), police announced the teenager had been brought into custody after reportedly turning himself in. Hes currently being detained at Fulton County Jail.

Atlanta police homicide detectives were able to establish probable cause and secure arrest warrants for murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, the Atlanta Police Department said in a statement published by The Hollywood Reporter.

The 17-year-old is currently facing charges following an investigation into the murder of Williams, who police found unresponsive with a gunshot wound on Tuesday (18 April).

She was not alert, conscious or breathing and pronounced deceased on scene by AFR [Atlanta Fire Rescue Department], police released in an earlier statement. Williams was 35.

Police had not identified Williams by name, but in an Instagram post shared shortly after her death, Kokomo City director D Smith said: Rasheeda, aka Koko Da Doll, was the latest victim of violence against Black transgender women.

Williams was one of the trans women to appear in the forthcoming documentary, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January.

The documentary features four Black trans sex workers living in Atlanta and New York City, and shows the persistent threat of violence they face each day.

Elaborating on why the film was made, Smith wrote on Instagram: I created Kokomo City because I wanted to show the fun, humanised, natural side of Black trans women.

I wanted to create images that didnt show the trauma or the statistics of murder of Transgender lives. I wanted to create something fresh and inspiring. I did that. We did that! But here we are again.

Kokomo City is set to be released in the UK on 4 August with a US release planned for later this year.
[Source]

A study released Thursday by Netflix and the University of Southern California (USC) reported that 41.5% of series and 12.3% of films on the streaming platform in 2021 had an Asian lead or co-lead.

Of the 15 Asian communities represented in Netflix content, the largest percentages seen were Indian, Korean, Chinese and Filipino.

Netflix first partnered with the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative in 2021 to release a report on diversity and inclusion every two years. In the latest Inclusion in Netflix Original U.S. Scripted Series and Films report, 546 fictional films and series from 2018-2021 were analyzed for the findings.

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The report also evaluated gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+ characters and disabilities. Production personnel, such as directors, screenwriters and producers, were also measured for gender and race/ethnicity.

By far the largest growth across all four years was seen in terms of gender equality, with over half (55%) of all films or shows featuring female leads or co-leads. There was also a significant increase in female show creators, from 26.9% in 2018 to 38.1% in 2021.

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Although 47.5% of content in the study featured leads or co-leads from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and Middle Eastern/North African characters were among the most underrepresented groups on screen and behind the scenes.

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Stanislaus area proponents of legislation for stronger criminal penalties against fentanyl dealers said they received mixed results from a state Assembly committee Thursday.

The Public Safety Committee passed a bill by Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria, whose district includes Merced County, calling for a felony enhancement for possessing fentanyl and a loaded firearm. Other Democrats on the panel, however, said it needed study and amendments to address concerns of lawmakers who dont think incarceration is the solution to the fentanyl crisis.

Merced County District Attorney Nicole Silveira testified in favor of Sorias Assembly Bill 675, which would add fentanyl to the list of addictive drugs in state law that can trigger the firearm enhancement.

The committee also passed Assembly Bill 701, a late addition for Thursdays hearing. It would upgrade fentanyl to a Schedule I controlled substance, a designation that specifies tougher penalties for trafficking.

Assemblyman Juan Alanis, R-Modesto, the committees vice chairman, said he is pleased the two bills were passed out of the committee. I am disappointed, however, that we could not find common ground on what I consider are very common-sense bills that could further combat the plague of fentanyl raging across our state, Alanis said in a news release after the hearing.

While we were unable to find agreement on every bill we heard, I am hopeful that the chair and I will be successful in building consensus around sound policy that will do more to lower the fentanyl deaths we are seeing statewide, Alanis added.

GOP lawmakers, who are a small minority in the Legislature, recently threatened to force a floor vote on fentanyl legislation after key committees shelved the proposals to increase criminal penalties against fentanyl dealers. The Republicans were backed by protesters who have lost loved ones to fentanyl poisoning.

A bill written by State Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, who represents the Modesto area, was passed Wednesday by the Senate public safety committee. It also has a felony enhancement for possessing fentanyl and a loaded firearm with a court sentence of up to four years in prison.

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Assembly committee members said they took exception to claims the Legislature is doing nothing about fentanyl, a drug thats 50 times more potent than heroin and killed more than 5,700 state residents in 2021. More than 20 bills moving in the Legislature would address the crisis mostly through education, substance use treatment and availability of Narcan to reverse overdoses.

Assembly Public Safety Committee Chairman Reggie Jones-Sawyer, D-Los Angeles, said legislation to address fentanyl requires more time and study to prevent unintended consequences and come up with effective measures.

Its why he wanted to wait to hear from top experts on the fentanyl crisis at a select committee meeting planned in May, he said.

Jones-Sawyer said the criminal justice campaigns against crack cocaine in the 1980s were an overreaction and decimated black communities. People here can tell you how devastating it was and how devastating it still is today in our community, he said.

Social justice groups and advocates against mass incarceration lined up to oppose the seven bills at the committee hearing Thursday, which were written by Republicans or moderate Democrats.

Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, D-Irvine, agreed for the committee to hold her bill, AB 955, pending further study. The bill includes criminal penalties for selling pills laced with fentanyl on social media to young people who think theyre buying Xanax or oxycodone.

Assemblymember Liz Ortega, D-San Leandro, a committee member, said the state should explore ways to hold the giant social media companies accountable for illegal fentanyl sales on their platforms.

Petrie-Norris said she recognized the concerns about drug enforcement laws that have derailed the lives of people who dabbled in drug use. She divulged that 22 years ago, her teenage brother was arrested and charged with a felony after growing two marijuana plants, initiating a long period of bouncing in and out of jail and prison.

People testifying in opposition to some bills said further criminalization of drug use may discourage people from calling for emergency responders to save a user who has overdosed.

Critics of Sorias gun enhancement bill said the law has been flawed since former Gov. George Deukmejian signed it decades ago. An opponent said prosecutors can seek the additional time in prison for a lawful gun owner caught with a small amount of an illegal drug.

Law enforcement groups say that legislation is needed to close loopholes in criminal law that allow fentanyl dealers to avoid serious prosecution. They add that more recent changes in criminal law shorten the time served for most anyone sent to prison.

Committee votes rejected a Republican bill, AB 367, and another bill written by Assemblyman Jim Patterson, R-Fresno, to increase penalties for possession of at least 28.3 grams of illegal fentanyl, which can equate to a large number of deadly pills. Patterson said under current law, drug dealers with 2,000 fentanyl pills cant be charged with a felony.

Other bills to create a state fentanyl task force and threat assessment center were approved by the committee.
A 5-year-old girl may need a prosthetic eye after a stray bullet hit her in the eye.

On Wednesday, Athens-Clarke police responded around 5 p.m. to a shooting at a shopping center on North Avenue. Police said a man started shooting and the bullets hit a 14-year-old girl in the arm and a 5-year-old in the face.

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Brittaine Wright says her daughter Nevaeh Brown is the 5-year-old who got caught in the crossfire. She said one of the bullets hit her daughter in the eye.

Channel 2s Tom Regan talked to Nevaehs mother, Brittanie Wright said she had just dropped her daughter off for dance practice. When she parked the car, she heard the gunshots and ran to the door.

I was beating on the door, trying to get them to open, but everyone was in the back, Wright said. As soon as she opened the door, she said Nevaeh had been hit in the eye.

Doctors now say her eye is too damaged to be saved.

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Wright said her daughters shooting was completely senseless.

Youre out there arguing over something that could have been resolved, Wright said.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the Wright family with Nevaehs medical bills. So far, it has raised nearly $13,000.

Keep my baby in your prayers please as I say once again anything will help thank you all during this tragic time.

Police arrested and charged 38-year-old Rasheed Scott of Atlanta for the shooting. Its unclear what led up to Scott allegedly firing at the shopping center.

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Athens-Clarke police said an Atlanta man has been arrested in connection with a gun battle in a shopping center parking lot that wounded a child and a teenager.

Police said Rasheed Scott, 38, of Atlanta was arrested Thursday with the assistance of the Gwinnett County Police Department and the FBIs Safe Streets Task Force. He is charged with aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during a crime.

The shooting occurred at about 5 p.m. Wednesday in the shopping center on the 400 block of North Avenue. Wounded in the shooting was a 5-year-old girl and a 14-year-old, both from Athens.

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When police arrived, an officer reported he spoke to a witness who said he heard three shots and saw two cars leaving the scene. The officer also saw a woman carrying a girl in her arms. The child had blood on her face and holding a wad of papers over her left eye, which appeared a grievous injury, according to the report.

The witness, a Comer man who is training to be a medic, assisted police in tending to the child. While this was occurring, police said the teenager approached with a bullet wound to her arm, police said.

The wound was bleeding excessively, police said.

The Comer man said he was parked near the Piggly Wiggly supermarket when he heard the shots and saw three Dodge Chargers leaving immediately afterwards, according to the report.

Police also spoke to a woman who said her parked car was hit by a bullet during the gun violence.

Police officers reviewed surveillance camera footage and were able to gather evidence on the shooters, according to the report.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Johnson at 762-400-7060, or via email at paul.johnson@accgov.com.sked to contact Detective Johnson at 762-400-7060, or via email at paul.johnson@accgov.com.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Police arrest a suspect in a shooting that wounded 2 girls in Athens.
An Atlanta teenager surrendered to police Wednesday in connection with the killing of a transgender woman known as Koko Da Doll.

Jemarcus Jernigen, 17, turned himself to the Atlanta Police Department after warrants were issued for his arrest for murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, authorities said.

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Koko Da Doll, whose real name is Rasheeda Williams, was killed in Atlanta. Jamarcus Jernigen, 17, has been arrested and charged with the killing, police said.

Koko Da Doll, whose real name is Rasheeda Williams, was killed April at a shopping plaza near Martin Luther King Drive SW and Hamilton E. Holmes Drive, FOX 5 Atlanta said.

Williams was found just before 10:45 p.m. April 18 with a gunshot wound and pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators have not disclosed a motive for the killing.

Williams recently starred in the documentary "Kokomo City," which tells the story of four Black trans sex workers and the dichotomy between the Black community and the trans women, the news outlet reported.

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Atlanta police are investigating several recent crimes involving transgendered women.

It is not believed Williams was targeted because she was transgender.
A person holds a placard at a

A person holds a placard at a "Walkout 2 Learn" rally to protest Florida education policies outside Orlando City Hall on April 21.

For at least a year now, Republican lawmakers across the country have targeted public libraries over their inclusion of queer and transgender authors and works that address any subject matter related to sexuality and racism.

One of the most recent examples of this includes the Missouri House of Representatives, controlled by Republicans, approving a budget that would eliminate $4.5 million in state funding for public libraries. The move, led by Missouri Rep. Cody Smith, who serves as House Budget Committee chair, reportedly came in response to the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri filing a lawsuit on behalf of the Missouri Association of School Librarians and the Missouri Library Association that challenges a 2022 state law banning educators from providing sexually explicit material to students.

The problem with the recently enacted state law, a violation of which can result in up to a $2,000 fine or a year in jail, is that conservatives tend to inherently brand any material chronicling queerness or challenging the gender binary to be indecent.

That has resulted in nearly 300 books being removed from school libraries, according to EducationWeek.

Fortunately, lawmakers in Missouris state Senate say they plan to restore the $4.5 million library funding back into the budget proposal that was stripped out of the House version of the budget, but attacks on libraries elsewhere continue.

According to a database from EveryLibrary, more than 100 bills in state legislatures in at least 31 states with similar intentions of the Missouri House bill have been introduced this year. They seek to regulate the kinds of books and materials that are accessible to patrons. If all else fails, lawmakers try to cut the library budgets altogether.

Such was the case after a federal judge ordered the return of banned books to public library shelves in Llano County  prompting state officials in the rural Texas county to consider shutting down library services entirely.

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The books in question included Isabel Wilkersons Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, Dawn McMillans I Need a New Butt! series, and another book for teens that correctly labeled the Ku Klux Klan as a terrorist group.

After a number of local residents showed up at the hearing last Thursday in protest, the choice was made to keep the libraries open. Sadly, the sensible choice is not always a guarantee.

Last year, voters in Michigans Jamestown Township rejected two separate tax proposals to fund its Patmos Library. The library received seven formal complaints to remove books containing LGBTQ and sexual content that were accessible in the young adult section. The requests were denied in October, and now, without funding intervention, the library is expected to close in 2024.

In addition to threatening the budgets of local libraries, conservative Christian groups and other conservative activists in states like Louisiana are working on taking over the boards of public libraries in order to have their way.

Others have turned to violence, issuing bomb threats to to libraries like the one located at the Hilton Central District Schools in New York.

In a statement defending librarians and libraries from the surge of threats, the president of the American Library Association condemned the vocal minority stoking the flames of controversy around books.

Every day professional librarians sit down with parents to thoughtfully determine what reading material is best suited for their childrens needs, ALA President Lessa Kananiopua Pelayo-Lozada said.

Now, many library workers face threats to their employment, their personal safety, and in some cases, threats of prosecution for providing books to youth that they and their parents want to read. Our nation cannot afford to lose the library workers who lift up their communities and safeguard our First Amendment freedom to read.

Much as I rightly fault Republicans for their targeting of libraries, there are some Democrats threatening libraries  albeit for different reasons.

New York Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat in name anyway, introduced a budget proposal calling for tens of millions of dollars in cuts to the New York Public Library System earlier this year. The cuts, which would cause programs to be cut and library hours to be dramatically slashed, would impact the 200 locations across the city. Unsurprisingly, Adams can find all the money in the world for the NYPD but not for an institution providing critical services to millions of citizens.

Thankfully, this week the New York City Councils progressive caucus will challenge those proposed cuts, but a Democratic mayor should know better than to threaten libraries with austerity, much less in this climate.

For several reasons, I dont understand the celebration of Adams by some Democrats. Do not rally behind a person no better than Republicans on such an important institution like a public library. Do not look to him for guidance on anything  just ignore him and let him continue to hit the party circuit.

As a Black and gay author who writes about racism and sexuality, I deeply understand how important it is that my work and the works of those like me are not censored. This targeting of marginalized authors and subject matter is inherently bigoted, and yes, fascist, in its aim and methodologies in pursuit of it.

Even so, much as the attack on libraries nationwide is about censorship and discrimination, it is just as much as a class issue  and that is not being stressed enough at this moment.

Libraries empower people to think critically and to dream, but beyond their educational value, they also provide a litany of social services they cannot be understanded.

The role of the public library has expanded over time, often filling the gaps left by other government agencies.

They are places to find community fridges and assistance with food stamps for adults and youth alike.

They are havens for people that have nowhere to go  providing the unhoused and those suffering from substance abuse with critical on-site outreach and assistance.

Many locations provide access to accessible housing, medical care, sometimes even showers, haircuts and sewing machines to help stitch clothing.

They also provide much-needed access to the internet, child care, literacy assistance, small business and entrepreneurship courses, and passport services to community members.

For years, libraries have been a place people turn to for information to help them solve problems, and in America, it is increasingly harder to find shared spaces that dont require money or a specific social status for access.

Librarians, most of whom are already grossly underpaid and plagued by underfunded libraries, have played the role of social worker, first responder, therapist and, in select cases, security guard for community residents. We neednt further complicate their lives by toying with their budgets out of malice toward specific groups of people. Nor is it OK to eliminate their jobs out of stinginess and loyalty to already overinflated police budgets.

Libraries and librarians are a bedrock of communities and the coordinated effort against them from the right deserves greater, wider, and more organized scrutiny before its too late.
Mark Paoletta, right, walks with Virginia "Ginni Thomas," wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Paoletta recently argued that the justice was free to leave out lavish trips in financial disclosure forms. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Earlier this month, ProPublica reported on Justice Clarence Thomas's undisclosed luxury trips.

Attorney Mark Paoletta published an article in the National Review bashing the ProPublica story.

He argued that recent rule changes by the Judicial Conference of the United States vindicate Thomas.

An attorney who is featured in a now-popular painting of Clarence Thomas vacationing at a GOP megadonor's exclusive resort argued that the justice was not legally obligated to disclose any of these trips.

Mark Paoletta, a partner at Schaeer Jaffe and close friend of Thomas, wrote in the right-leaning National Review article published Thursday arguing that Thomas had "acted properly and consistent with the rules" of financial disclosures for Supreme Court Justices. The column was in response to an investigative story from ProPublica which revealed how Thomas had, for years, accepted stays at a luxury resort in upstate New York and chartered flights in private jets  all at the expense of his longtime friend and Republican donor, Harlan Crow.

"This latest effort by the Left has nothing to do with 'ethics.' It has everything to do with trying to destroy the Supreme Court now that there is a working majority of justices moving the Court firmly in an originalist direction," Paoletta wrote, calling the ProPublica story a "hit piece."

Paoletta discloses in the article that he was Thomas's lawyer during the justice's confirmation in 1991, co-edited a book with him, and "remain close friends."

But the attorney is also featured in a painting that was commissioned by Crow and depicts Thomas vacationing at the luxury resort that is central to the renewed scrutiny of Thomas' financial disclosure forms.

The painting features Thomas smoking a cigar at Camp Topridge, where the artwork also hangs, next to Crow on the far right, according to ProPublica. There are also lawyers Peter Rutledge, Leonard Leo, and, sitting above and in the center of everyone, Paoletta.

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Sharif Tarabay, the artist of the painting, told ProPublica that the piece depicts a moment at Topridge from about five years ago. The publication reported that Thomas vacationed at the remote resort almost every summer for more than two decades.

Paoletta did not respond to a request for comment.

Legal experts said Thomas may have violated a law that dictates how judicial officers and employers must report gifts in their financial disclosure forms. Steve Vladeck, a University of Texas School of Law professor, told Insider that the recent string of allegations against Thomas, including a Bloomberg report that revealed that the justice did not recuse himself from an appeals case involving the Crow family business, points to the larger issue of the lack of proper mechanisms to enforce laws that are supposed to hold courts accountable.

In his defense, Paoletta claimed however that recent rule changes regardings gifts that were adopted in March by the Judicial Conference of the United States vindicate Thomas.

Prior to the changes, rules around travel that are considered "personal hospitality" were not explicitly defined, The New York Times reported. The financial disclosure committee of the Judicial Conference added more stipulations last month to include what kinds of gifts need to be disclosed, including travel by private jet and stays at resorts or hotels.

Paoletta's argument appears to hinge on the idea that the lack of clarity around gift disclosures means Thomas "correctly interpreted the rule."

As one of two of his "pieces of evidence," Paoletta cited an exchange between Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and the Senate Judiciary Committee witness, Kedric Payne, who is the general counsel for the Campaign Legal Center.

Payne said that a justice could "try to" rely on an exemption to disclose personal hospitality gifts because the rules around it are not made clear by the courts.

"Senator Whitehouse and Kedric Payne do not like the way this rule was implemented. But that is immaterial to the conclusion that Justice Thomas had no obligation to disclose these innocuous trips," Paoletta wrote. "The simple fact is that this was permissible."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Frank Auerbachs Self Portrait VII, acrylic on board (left), and Self Portrait 2022-2023, graphite on paper (Courtesy Frankie Rossi Art Projects)

There is something miraculous about an exhibition of self-portraits by Frank Auerbach, modestly displayed in two rooms in a side street in Mayfair. Not only is the artist in his early nineties, but he narrowly escaped being killed during the Holocaust: these portraits of the artist as an old man might so easily have never been.

If Auerbach had not been evacuated, aged seven, on a small boat from Germany to England in 1939, he would have been gassed by Hitler, as happened to his parents who stayed behind, and this week there would not be one of the most astonishing exhibitions of self-portraits ever seen in London.

Almost 92, he has seemingly done the impossible: to create portraits in and about old age which are as hot-wired as a live grenade. On display are 20 heads, but each is dramatically different in tone, colour, expression and drama. They range from frenetic, aggressive, pensive, quizzical to anxious. Do not assume vanity or self-regard just because they involve the artist looking at himself. He takes no prisoners, catching every part of his own annoyance or exasperation as well as contemplation.

Auerbach is one of Britains most celebrated painters, with works in every major national gallery. He has been a significant member of the post-war artists, including Bacon, Moore and Freud, whose creative originality made the UK a major pulse for art.

He has also, over the decades, invented a language of art that is recognisably his own, stretching beyond any comfort zone, startling himself and, in turn, the viewer. A special structural formality in his portraits exists alongside free-flowing marks arising from intense observation. It draws me to think of late Rembrandt crossed with Giacomettis delineation and language. A must-see exhibition of nine paintings and 11 drawings, its small, intense and, as it is in a commercial gallery, completely free.

The pictures result from a hard, uncompromising quest by Auerbach to take stock of human decline and decay  his own  but with fresh inventive urgency. The physical likeness is secondary to the exploration of space and form in his face  dips, angles, arches, lines and holes, which create an essence and presence of this Holocaust survivor, recluse, polymath, one-time actor, friend of Bacon and Freud, child refugee and above all, fearless portrayer of the human condition.

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His paint marks  large and small, forceful smears, like black holes opening up  are torn across, which has been compared to opening up a face to surgery rather than brush marks of someone seeking to find a likeness. The intensity of the process is vivid and the marks can obscure and almost disguise the likeness, while exposing an uncanny sense of the interior of the human head and mind.

When one is young, one is excited by drama, when ones old, truth is exciting, he reveals in the catalogue. His truth is these edgy, sharp, visceral and moving portraits of himself, which sold out in the first hour of the opening last week.

Frank Auerbach in his studio last November last year (Geordie Greig)

Auerbach is todays Grand Old Master of British Art, famously spending 365 days a year in the studio searching through paint for hard truths to depict the human form with a contradictory mix of violent intensity in execution, nuanced sensitivity and raw honesty.

To declare an interest, the photograph shown in the catalogue and published here I took of him last year in his studio, almost 40 years after we first met when I interviewed him for a university newspaper. We stayed in touch.

During the pandemic, for the first time in 70 years, Auerbach stopped having sitters: hence using himself. He stayed alone in his brown cave of a studio in Camden, North London, a monk-like paint-flecked cell which he inherited from the painter Leon Kossoff, who had been taught by Walter Sickert and had a nearby studio in Mornington Crescent. The historical link feeds an understanding of him in a long line of British artists.

Starved of sitters (and he only has a rota of five sitters over the past three decades), he turned to self-portraits. In essence, this is the ultimate portrait of the artist as an old man. He had spent most of his life avoiding his own face (two drawings in the 1950s and an oil painting in 1965, and then one in 2021), but necessity and old age altered his aversion. I didnt find actual formal components of my head all that interesting when I was younger, smoother and less frazzled. Now that Ive got bags under my eyes, things are sagging and so on, theres more material to work with, he writes.

Frank Auerbach, Twenty Self-Portraits (courtesy of Frankie Rossi Art Projects) (AC Cooper)

Old age is not always a time for late great works. Titians late style inspired Rembrandt, Rubens and Velazquez. And its easy to understand why their powerful expressiveness brought images and ideas such as expressionism and impressionism into art centuries before the words existed to describe them. Titians palette with abstract or even impressionist brushwork became extraordinarily expressive and made his works look unfinished.

He was mocked as an old man who made patchy pictures  pittura a macchia. Auerbach soars with his new pictures, which are as far from vanity or self-absorption as is possible. They too are late greats.

Frank Auerbach, Twenty Self-Portraits, presented by Frankie Rossi Art Projects in affiliation with Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert is on view until 14 July 2023
(Bloomberg) -- Australia expects net migration to surge to a record 400,000 people in the fiscal year ending June, almost doubling from forecast and adding pressure on the already overburdened housing market.

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The estimates were discussed at a meeting of Australias federal, state and territory leaders in Brisbane on Friday, according to a government spokesman. The talks form part of a larger conversation on how to reform Australias immigration system as well as easing the strain on shelter as home rents surge and the housing crunch worsens.

The latest data follow Thursdays announcement by the Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil that Australia will revamp an immigration system thats broken, overly complicated and open to exploitation. The government in October had forecast net migration to increase by 235,000 people in the financial year ending in June.

The figure is expected to stay elevated in the coming financial year, with more than 315,000 people expected to arrive by June 2024.

The migration boom is aggravating a housing crunch in a nation that faces a shortfall of more than 100,000 homes over the next five years, pushing rents to rise the most in more than a decade in the first quarter.

Out of the 400,000 net new arrivals in Australia, international students make up 50%, indicating a bright outlook for Australias lucrative tertiary education sector.

The Australian government said on Friday it would join with states and territories to consider new regulations to assist renters for an announcement in the second half of 2023.

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The Australian man who fell overboard while on a Royal Caribbean cruise has been identified, according to Australian news outlets.

The man has been identified as 35-year-old Warwick Tollemache.

Mr Tollemache, from Brisbane, fell from the 15th deck while aboard the Quantum of the Seas cruise ship on 26 April. Search and rescue efforts went underway immediately in collaboration with the US Coast Guard to find Mr Tollemache.

But by Friday, the search was called off.

Our family is heartbroken at the loss of our beloved Warwick, Mr Tollemaches family said in a statement, as reported by 9 News Queensland.

They added, He was a kind, beautiful, and gentle soul who was adored by everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed.

According to 9 News Queensland, officials involved in the search consulted with Mr Tollemaches family before calling off the search.

The tragic incident occurred approximately 500 nautical miles south of Kailua Kona, Big Island, Hawaii on Wednesday evening.

The ship, which departed from Brisbane on 12 April was expected to arrive in Honolulu, Hawaii today, 28 April.

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Officials carry out extensive field research

08:45, April 28, 2023 By ZHANG YI ( China Daily

Government officials and legislators carry out research at a job market in Qujing, Yunnan province, a home for the elderly in Nantong, Jiangsu province, and a neighborhood committee in Shanghai. JIANG WENYAO/XU CONGJUN/LIU YING/XINHUA

Work will help nation make good start to new modernization drive, experts say

Chinese officials at different levels, including top leaders and ministers, have been engaged in extensive research and studies of various fields this year, which experts said will help the nation secure a good start to its new modernization drive.

The officials' research tours included visits to shops, business areas and factories. They talked with domestic and foreign entrepreneurs to understand their difficulties, checked sewage discharge levels in rivers, and visited campuses, nursing homes and communities for the elderly to hear people's concerns.

The fact-finding drive, launched by the Communist Party of China leadership last month, requires officials to get out of their offices to better understand situations on the ground, and to find solutions to pressing problems.

Experts said that carrying out research and studies in a down-to-earth manner  a long-cherished work method for the century-old CPC  will help the Party identify and solve problems hampering high-quality development in the new era.

President Xi Jinping conducted a four-day inspection trip to Guangdong province, long considered a pace setter for the country's reform and opening-up, from April 10 to 13.

On this trip, Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, set a new goal for the province  to be a trailblazer for the Chinese path to modernization.

Xi's itinerary in the cities of Zhanjiang, Maoming and Guangzhou, the provincial capital, included visits to a port, a company manufacturing new energy vehicles, and a village where lychees are grown, among other destinations.

For the focus of his research, he chose the western part of Guangdong, which is less developed than the Pearl River Delta, which is home to numerous manufacturers and high-tech companies.

"Chinese modernization is aimed at promoting common prosperity and addressing unbalanced development among regions," he said, calling for adherence to the mass line and for people's problems to be solved.

Xu Ping, a professor at the CPC Central Committee's Party School, said that in embarking on a new journey of building modernization and realizing high-quality development, China faces many new challenges, risks and various long-standing problems.

By advancing the Party-wide campaign of in-depth research and studies in a solid and practical manner, officials can carry out further research in light of new situations to better understand a changing China and a changing world, thus benefiting the nation's development, Xu said.

Over the past 100 years, Chinese Communists have formulated a basic ideological line of seeking truth from facts, Xu added.

Carrying out fact-driven research and studies is a cherished tradition for the Party, helping it achieve "successive victories in different circumstances", he said.

History shows that by adhering to the ideological line and adopting the work method, the causes of the Party and nation proceed smoothly; otherwise, it is easy to encounter problems, Xu added.

Every generation of Chinese leaders has attached great importance to investigation and research, which was promoted by late Chairman Mao Zedong, the founding father of New China.

An expert and master of this method, Mao once said: "No investigation, no right to speak. Those who do leadership work must rely on their own personal investigation and research to solve problems. Today, we need to investigate, and in the future, our sons and grandsons will also need to conduct investigations in order to continually gain new knowledge and understanding of new things."

Mao conducted or organized numerous in-depth investigations during China's arduous revolutionary and construction period. He left behind a wealth of classic reports that he wrote himself, ranging from 2,000 words to tens of thousands.

One well-known piece is "Report from Xunwu", which comprises about 80,000 words, his longest such work. The report was based on a survey Mao carried out in 1930 of the people, economy, society and history of rural Xunwu county, Jiangxi province.

As a leader of the Red Army, Mao asked its publicity team, "Did you do an investigation in Xunwu?" The team replied, "Yes, we did." Mao then asked, "Tell me, which type of business is the most popular in Xunwu?" Several replies said, "Probably the tofu business!"

Mao next asked, "Which families in Xunwu make the best tofu?" This stumped everyone. He then provided the answers and the team later came up with the same result after carrying out an investigation.

Through his investigations, Mao gained a clear understanding of local production output and the prices of various products, as well as the number and proportion of personnel in different industries. The investigation of rural China laid the foundation for his thought on choosing a revolutionary road of encircling the cities from the rural areas, and his idea of seeking truth from facts.

"This kind of in-depth and practical style is worth learning," Xi said while referring to Mao's investigation in Xunwu at the opening ceremony for the CPC Central Committee Party School in November 2011, when he served as the school's president.

Xi said that when officials conduct investigations and research, they should go into the fields and factories, discuss problems with the masses, listen to them, sense their emotions and suffering, sum up their experiences, and draw on their wisdom.

"The social practice of the masses is the source of obtaining a correct understanding, and also the fundamental place to test and deepen our understanding," he said.

When Xi was Party chief of Ningde prefecture, Fujian province, he traveled to nine counties in his first three months in office. Later, he went to Xiadang township, becoming the first prefecture Party chief to visit the area, which is located deep in the mountains.

Xi once said a county Party chief should visit all the villages in the county, a city Party chief should visit all the townships, and a provincial Party chief should go to all the counties and cities.

Xu said, "No matter what position Xi has held, his first task is to carry out investigations and basically go everywhere within his jurisdiction."

Thorough research and studies prompted Xi to come up with numerous policies that suit China's situation, he said. For example, Xi put forward the concept of "targeted poverty alleviation" while visiting the then-impoverished village of Shibadong during an inspection of Hunan province in 2013.

Government officials and legislators carry out research at a job market in Qujing, Yunnan province, a home for the elderly in Nantong, Jiangsu province, and a neighborhood committee in Shanghai. JIANG WENYAO/XU CONGJUN/LIU YING/XINHUA

New focus

Zhang Lianqi, a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said the world is undergoing profound changes unseen for a century, with rising uncertainties.

China's reform, development and stability face many deep-seated problems that cannot be avoided. The risks, challenges and difficulties are more severe and complex than ever, he said.

"As a result, it is vital that we grasp the nature and law of things through investigation and research, and find ways and paths to solve problems," he added.

Zhang said the work plan released by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee in March, days after the conclusion of this year's two sessions, has strong relevance for research and study work, as it lists 12 aspects for main research.

The plan states that in-depth research and studies should be closely integrated with the central work of the Party and the requirements for decision-making. They should also help sound decisions to be made and improve the Party's ability to govern and lead.

The plan covers key areas such as promoting self-reliance in science and technology, attracting and using foreign investment, ensuring food security, and defusing major financial risks.

Research should also target major problems that occur when reform and opening-up is deepened on all fronts, when advancing law-based governance, and when dealing with challenges in the ideological domain, the plan states.

It should aim to address problems of the greatest and most direct concern to people, such as employment, education, medical services and housing, as well as environmental protection, the plan adds.

It requires officials at county level and above to lead a research subject, list detailed solutions to problems that are found, do follow-up work, and revisit some areas to look at new problems.

Last month, Premier Li Qiang said at a meeting with reporters during the two sessions: "When you sit in the office, you see lots of problems. But when you reach out to the people, you see all kinds of solutions. After all, the brightest minds are among the people."

He said the government will encourage officials at all levels to engage more with local communities to learn what the people need. It will also seek their opinions on the administration's work.

Zhang, who is also vice-president of the China Taxation Society, has been busy recently making investigative trips nationwide, focusing on the real economy and digital industrialization.

As a veteran national political adviser, he spends half his time every year on front-line research organized by the CPPCC, government departments, or initiated by himself. He attends discussions and drafts proposals and suggestions.

Zhang's trips have taken him to developed regions such as the Yangtze River Delta, which has already started to explore common prosperity, and also to less-developed central and western regions that face difficulties in industrial transformation.

"My credo is: Without research, there are no proposals or suggestions," he said, adding that the principle of "problem-oriented" should be adopted, and both good and bad findings need to be reported.

Each year to help government decision-making, Zhang submits five proposals to the CPPCC National Committee based on his research. Many of his proposals have led to national policies being formulated.

Government officials and legislators carry out research at a job market in Qujing, Yunnan province, a home for the elderly in Nantong, Jiangsu province, and a neighborhood committee in Shanghai. JIANG WENYAO/XU CONGJUN/LIU YING/XINHUA

Practical style

Experts said caution should be adopted against formalism that is likely to occur during the nationwide campaign, and efforts should be made to ensure the work is carried out practically.

Xu said problems of formalism have been found in the past. For example, officials were taken to see sites carefully arranged in advance, and some investigative trips became "tourism", placing a huge burden at grassroots level, and even leading to corruption.

He praised last month's work plan, which requires officials to adopt the "four no's and two direct's" in research. This means not sending notifications, not giving prior notice, not merely listening to reports, and not requiring receptions, but going directly to the grassroots and conducting research on-site.

When Xi worked in Zhengding, Hebei province, he conducted research without prior notification, and went directly to villages, factories and households.

In September 2013, while taking part in a meeting of criticism and self-criticism of the standing committee of the Hebei provincial Party committee, Xi criticized the use of investigation and research as a showpiece.

He said that for some officials, investigation and research seemed to have another function  to let others know they were doing such work, that they were in touch with the masses, and that the original purpose of investigation and research became secondary or even unnecessary.

"If there were no journalists or cameras in sight, they would consider whether to take part in an activity, and even whether it had any meaning," he added.

Xu said officials should view themselves as pupils to listen to people's needs, and learn from those who have the wisdom to solve their own problems, adding that many of the solutions are practical and can be promoted nationwide.

He added that investigation work is a long and hard process, as Mao once said: "Investigation may be likened to the long months of pregnancy, and solving a problem to the date of birth. To investigate a problem is, indeed, to solve it."

Xu added, "The standard for evaluating research is also simple  to see whether it solves the problem, whether the people are satisfied, or if it pushes forward the cause of the Party and the nation."

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas. Royal Caribbean

The Coast Guard is searching for a man believed to have gone overboard a cruise ship this week.

The Quantum of the Seas stayed on the scene for two hours searching before having to refuel.

Insider previously reported that man overboard incidents are relatively rare.

The US Coast Guard is still searching for an Australian passenger believed to have gone overboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship hundreds of miles from Hawaii on Tuesday night.

In a Wednesday statement, the Coast Guard said crews were looking for the man about 500 miles south of Kailua Kona, Big Island. Officials first received a call from the Quantum of the Seas cruise ship about a man overboard at 11:03 p.m. on Tuesday.

As of Thursday afternoon, he had been missing for more than 36 hours.

The cruise ship stayed on the scene to look for the man for about two hours, deploying six life rings during the search, before it had to resume its journey to refuel, according to the Coast Guard statement.

The search for the overboard man resumed Wednesday morning as a Coast Guard helicopter conducted a six-hour aerial search in the area, but failed to locate the missing man.

Officials continued their search on Thursday.

Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment but confirmed in a statement to Nine News that a passenger on board the Quantum of the Seas was missing.

The ship departed from Brisbane, Australia, on April 12 and is scheduled to dock at its final port stop in Honolulu on Friday.

Another passenger on board the ship told Nine News that she was in bed when she heard an alert call over the cruise ship's PA system. Other cruise goers described a "somber" mood on board as the ship sailed on, according to the outlet.

As Insider reported last year, overboard incidents remain a rarity on cruise ships, and the statistical chances of ending up in the water are slim  they just tend to make headline-grabbing news when they do occur.

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"The vast majority of cases are either reckless behavior or some form of intentional act, Brian Salerno, the senior vice president for Maritime policy at Cruise Lines International Association, also known as CLIA, told The New York Times last year. "People don't just inadvertently fall over the side of a ship."

It is still unclear how the man fell overboard this week.

In 2019, the most recent year of pre-COVID data, 25 people went overboard according to a 2020 CLIA report, including both passengers and crew members. Compared to the more than 13.7 million passengers who boarded a cruise in the US alone that same year, the likelihood of going overboard clocks in at less than 0.000001%.

Read the original article on Business Insider
BBC chairman Richard Sharp on Friday announced his resignation after an inquiry found he had breached rules for failing to declare his involvement in arranging a loan for then prime minister Boris Johnson.

Controversy surrounding the appointment of Sharp to one of Britain's most high-profile roles had heaped pressure on Johnson's successor Rishi Sunak.

A week ago, Sunak lost his deputy prime minister, Dominic Raab, who was forced out after another inquiry found him guilty of bullying civil servants.

Sharp was formerly Sunak's boss at investment bank Goldman Sachs and is a wealthy past donor to the ruling Conservatives.

The chairman of the British Broadcasting Corporation is appointed by the UK monarch on the advice of the government.

Sharp's appointment by Johnson was criticised at the time for cronyism by a government that was said to be keen to rein in perceived critical reporting by the BBC.

Sharp "failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest" to a committee of MPs who were vetting his appointment by Johnson in early 2021, the inquiry by a senior lawyer found.

"There is a risk of a perception that Mr Sharp was recommended for appointment because he assisted... the former prime minister in a private financial matter," lawyer Adam Heppinstall found.

In February, the same committee of MPs accused Sharp of "significant errors of judgement" for not disclosing his involvement in the loan.

While he was being considered for the BBC job, Sharp in late 2020 put Johnson in contact with a distant cousin of the prime minister who extended him a credit facility of 800,000 ($1 million).

Sharp has denied he got the job as a quid pro quo for helping out the cash-strapped Johnson, but announced his resignation hard on the heels of Heppinstall presenting his report to Sunak's government.

He acknowledged breaching conflict-of-interest rules for top UK officials, but said it was "inadvertent and not material" to his appointment to the BBC.

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"Nevertheless, I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC," he said in a statement, confirming he would step down at the end of June to give time for a new chair to be found.

"I feel that this matter may well be a distraction from the Corporation's good work were I to remain in post until the end of my term."

jit/phz/ach
By Sarah Young

LONDON (Reuters) -BBC Chairman Richard Sharp resigned on Friday after an independent report found he breached rules by not disclosing a potential conflict of interest in his role in securing a $1 million loan for the then-prime minister, Boris Johnson.

His exit amid a cronyism row comes at a time of heightened political scrutiny of the publicly-funded British broadcaster's impartiality. A row with high profile presenter Gary Lineker over tweets criticising government policy dominated national headlines last month.

Sharp, a former Goldman Sachs banker and donor to the governing Conservative Party, was made chairman in 2021.

But he has been under pressure since February when a committee of lawmakers said he had made "significant errors of judgement" in failing to declare his involvement in the loan.

Sharp agreed to stay on until the end of June while the government searches for a replacement.

While the government appoints the chairman of the BBC, the broadcaster's independence from government is what helps make it a central presence in British cultural life. It is funded by a licence fee paid by TV-watching households.

The opposition Labour Party's culture spokeswoman Lucy Powell said the Conservative government's "sleaze and cronyism" had damaged the BBC's reputation and "a truly independent and robust process" was needed to appoint Sharp's successor.

Asked by reporters whether that replacement should be a non-political appointment, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who worked with Sharp at Goldman Sachs, said: "There's an established appointments process for all these things and it will be right that we turn to that when the time is right."

Questions about the BBC's neutrality are just one of the challenges it faces, along with trying to stay relevant to younger audiences who no longer watch live television, while also fighting threats to its funding from some lawmakers.

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PUBLIC APPOINTMENTS INVESTIGATION

The investigation, initiated by the public appointments watchdog, examined the way in which Sharp was selected by the government to chair the corporation.

Specifically, it looked at whether Sharp fully disclosed details of his role in facilitating an 800,000 pound ($1 million) loan for Johnson before he was named chairman.

The report found that, while he had breached the government's code for public appointments, that breach did not necessarily invalidate his appointment. Sharp said he believed the breach had been "inadvertent and not material".

But he also said staying until the end of his four-year term would be a distraction from the broadcaster's "good work".

"I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC," Sharp said in a statement. "I have therefore, this morning, resigned as the BBC chair."

The report mentions that Johnson's Downing Street office recommended Sharp as "a strong candidate" for the role, which attracted 23 applications.

Sharp has maintained he was not involved in making the loan or in arranging a guarantee or any financing, and that he did no more than seek to introduce Canadian businessman Sam Blyth to a government official in late 2020.

Andrew Heppinstall, who carried out the inquiry, said he was "happy to record" that he had seen no evidence of Sharp having any role in Johnson's private financial affairs aside from the attempted introduction.

($1 = 0.8026 pounds)

(Reporting by Sarah Young, Farouq Suleiman and Kylie MacLellan, writing by Sarah Young; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
The West Virginia state fire marshal's office is investigating Berkeley County's third fatal fire of the year, and fourth fire fatality after a woman was found dead at a Wednesday morning fire south of Martinsburg.

"It's horrible," said Chief Martin Roberts of the Berkeley County Fire Department.

Neither the Winchester Avenue home in Wednesday's fire nor a mobile home at Gantts Mobile Home Community in an April 7 fatal fire had working smoke detectors, Roberts said.

Early notification of a fire is "the key for survival" with how fast things burn these days, Roberts said.

Roberts said every fire department in Berkeley County, including the Martinsburg Fire Department, can provide two working smoke detectors per home for free.

The house fire Wednesday in the 3100 block of Winchester Avenue was dispatched shortly after 1 a.m. with information that two people were trapped, according to Roberts and Berkeley County Emergency Services.

Roberts said three county career firefighters stationed at Baker Heights Volunteer Fire Department were the first to arrive at the single-family home. Firefighters from the 167th Airlift Wing of the West Virginia Air National Guard arrived shortly behind them.

While one county firefighter was running the water pumps, two of the county career firefighters tried to enter the home and probably four Guard firefighters also tried to enter while the house was still ablaze, he said.

"The public needs to understand that took great sacrifice to try to rescue those people," Roberts said.

Firefighter's gear catches fire while breaching home

The first county firefighter who tried to enter the front door, after the fire had already blown out a front bay window, forced the front door in and, with his momentum, fell on the door, Roberts said.

Damage to a Berkeley County Fire Department firefighter's turnout gear is shown from when he entered a Winchester Avenue house fire on April 26 in attempt to save two occupants reportedly trapped inside. One of the residents died.

That firefighter's turnout gear caught fire and another firefighter helped extinguish the flames on his uniform, Roberts said.

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The firefighter whose turnout gear had burned went to the back of the house and found a man had escaped the house and was on the back porch, Roberts said. The second career firefighter stretched a fire hose through the front door to extinguish the fire.

The male, a resident of the home, was taken to Berkeley Medical Center for treatment for smoke inhalation and airway burns, according to Roberts and the West Virginia Fire Marshal's Office.

The second county career firefighter sustained a steam burn to his right hand and was checked out by EMS personnel at the fire scene for a superficial burn, Roberts said. That firefighter returned to work by Friday.

It took firefighters 3 to 5 minutes to knock down the fire, Roberts said.

Knocked down means the main fire is out and firefighters are searching for hot spots.

The second occupant of the home, a woman who had called 911, was found deceased near the front door, Roberts said.

A dog also died in the fire.

The fire marshal's office said Friday the name of the deceased woman is not yet available. The cause of blaze is undetermined, the office said.

About 20 firefighters from the county fire department, the Guard, the Martinsburg Fire Department, the Veterans Affairs Fire Department, Baker Heights Volunteer Fire Department and the South Berkeley Volunteer Fire Co. responded to the fire.

Roberts estimated the fire caused $75,000 to $100,000 in damage to the home.

Firefighter sustained significant damage to turnout gear

The Berkeley County Professional Firefighters Local 5045 posted pictures of the damage to the first firefighter's turnout gear on the union Facebook page. Those images show the outer part of the turnout coat and the hooded top worn under the coat with severe damage and material eaten away by the heat and/or fire.

Damage to a Berkeley County Fire Department firefighter's turnout gear is shown from when he entered a Winchester Avenue house fire on April 26 in attempt to save two occupants reportedly trapped inside. One of the residents died.

Roberts said that kind of turnout gear damage happens occasionally.

"When you're faced with between 900 to 1,000 degrees' heat, things are going to fail," Roberts said.

The firefighter's self-contained breaking apparatus face mask also glazed over from the high temperatures, he said.

Earlier fatal Berkeley County fires

The fire at the Gannts Mobile Home Community Park north of Martinsburg was reported around 12:45 a.m. on April 7, Roberts said.

An adult son was able to escape the home, but his father didn't, the fire chief said.

Two people, an adult female and a juvenile male, died in a Jan. 23 fire at a 90 Cottage Road apartment building northeast of Martinsburg. They were identified as Christina Speaks, 40, and Jaxon Martin, 9, according to the fire marshal's office.

The fire was ruled accidental, the office said.

State fire marshal investigators, assisted by the Loudoun County, Va., Fire Marshal's Office, determined that fire started in the master bedroom.

Roberts said there were working smoke detectors at that home.

Smoke detectors are vital in surviving a fire

The Berkeley County Fire Department, in light of recent fatal fires where there were no working smoke detectors, issued a release this week emphasizing the importance of early detection.

Early detection of smoke and fire is a matter of life and death, the release states.

The department also emphasized the importance of having a family evacuation plan in the event of a fire emergency at home.

"The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requires smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside all sleeping areas, and on every level of the home, including the basement," the release states.

Alarms should be tested monthly.

All occupants of the home should know what the alarm sounds like.

If an alarm "chirps," replace the battery immediately.

Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old, or sooner if they are not responding properly when tested.

If residents need help getting or installing a smoke detector or have questions and/or concerns about updated smoke alarm requirements, they can contact their local fire department.

Berkeley County Fire Department, 304-263-1345

Martinsburg Fire Department, 304-264-2111

South Berkeley Volunteer Fire Department, 304-229-5377

Hedgesville Volunteer Fire Department, 304-754-3662

Bedington Volunteer Fire Department, 304-274-2381

Back Creek Valley Volunteer Fire Department, 304-229-8992

Baker Heights Volunteer Fire Department, 304-263-7755

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Berkeley County, W.Va., has fourth fire fatality of 2023
best airlines

Summertime vacation season is coming up fast. So its no surprise travelers are boosting their inquiries to find the best flight accommodations for when it is time to get outside. And theres a lot to consider when deciding who to book your travel with.

To help travelers figure out where theyll get the most bang for their buck, WalletHub has released its latest study analyzing the best airlines of 2023. The study compiles data comparing nine of the largest airlines in the country. Elements studied included cancellation rates, amenities, flyer satisfaction, in-flight comfort, and additional features travelers consider when booking flights.

While no airline is created equal, some offer amenities that make them stand out from the pack. Heres a little insight into what the best airlines have to offer this year according to the WalletHub study.

Photo credit: Pixabay

Most Reliable

Delta Airlines is considered the most reliable airline for American travelers. The airline had the lowest cancellation rate on flights ensuring travelers get where they need to go on time. They also had the lowest rate of lost and mishandled luggage. Travelers also reported fewer delays and denied boardings than other airlines.

Most Comfortable

When it comes to comfort, JetBlue is the head honcho. The airline ranks as the most comfortable airline of 2023. Travelers love the airlines abundance of free amenities including Wifi and in-flight snacks and beverages. Many travelers also told WalletHub they appreciate the extra legroom on JetBlue planes and provide the best in-flight experience.

Most Affordable

When it comes to flying on a budget, Spirit Airlines is number one for passengers. The airline has one-way flights as low as $22 and prides itself on offering low fares. Keep in mind, Spirit ticket prices dont include the cost of baggage, and some seat charges, and additional fees apply.

Most Pet Friendly

If youre flying with your furry family members, there are a few options available for pet travel. Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, and SkyWest are all tied for the top pet-friendly airlines. Neither airline reported any negative incidents regarding flying furry passengers.

Safest Airline

Safety is always first and Envoy Airlines is the safest airline of 2023. The airline had the least number of fatal and overall injuries in aviation accidents between 2017 and 2022. Spirit Airlines was a close second as the safest airline.
HOUSTON  A bicyclist found himself stranded overnight in a remote area near the Texas coast after getting stuck in the mud.

The U.S. Coast Guard said they rescued the 65-year-old man Tuesday near Port Bolivar.

USCG Sector Houston watchstanders received a report from the Galveston County Sheriffs Office just after 4:15 a.m. that the man was stuck in the mud east of the Galveston north jetty on Bolivar Peninsula, and they were unable to reach him.

The man said he was riding his bike toward the Bolivar Ferry around sunset Monday when his bike became stuck. When he began to walk, he too became stuck in the mud.

HOLY COW! MASSIVE HAIL STORM BRINGS 'UDDER' CHAOS TO TEXAS BACKYARD

A Coast Guard Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew was launched to assist while deputies remained on the scene to help guide the helicopter crew.

The man was later hoisted up into the helicopter and transferred by paramedics to Scholes International Airport in Galveston in reportedly stable condition.
(Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats plan to use Republican proposals to slash Social Security and Medicare as a key wedge issue in the 2024 election campaign, showcasing the partisan divide in Washington over crucial programs that are facing long-term financial collapse.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The president is already warning that the benefits millions of Americans rely on from the twin programs are at risk as House Republicans refuse to back a straightforward increase in the federal debt limit. Biden will keep talking about protecting the programs even after the debt-ceiling issue is sorted, a White House official said on condition of anonymity.

The thinking: The message can win over seniors, working-class voters, independents and suburban women by casting Democrats as the party determined to protect federal programs that are hugely popular. Some 70% of Americans are against cuts to the entitlements, including 64% of GOP voters, a YouGov/Economist poll shows.

The prominence of the issue was already apparent in Bidens first campaign ad, released after his formal announcement on Tuesday that hes seeking reelection. The spot features a pledge to ensure that seniors can live with dignity.

Social Security and Medicare is the number one winning argument against Republicans in polling, said Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners and one of Bidens pollsters on the 2020 presidential campaign.

While some Republicans insist Biden is falsely hyping the risk  there were GOP cries of liar when he made the argument in his State of the Union address  the partys proposals continue to include restricting federal benefits.

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From Donald Trump all the way down, 2024 Republicans have a long history of supporting and threatening cuts to Social Security and Medicare, said Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee. While President Joe Biden has put forward a real plan to secure Medicare for another generation, MAGA Republicans are doubling down on calls to cut these critical programs.

Partisan Deadlock

The broader issue is that Social Security, which pays retirement and disability benefits, and Medicare, which offers health insurance for pensioners, are facing insolvency in coming years and theres little hope of a bipartisan fix. The payroll taxes that fund them are already insufficient to pay benefits, forcing drawdowns of their so-called trust funds. By 2030, Medicare wont be able to make good on all benefits, while Social Security hits that mark in 2033, the Congressional Budget Office estimates.

But both parties see fiscal issues as key to painting their opponents as irresponsible. Republicans have cast their push to reduce government spending in return for raising the debt limit as a sensible move to arrest a federal debt burden heading for unprecedented levels.

Its been an intractable partisan stalemate for decades, with no major Social Security reform having been enacted now for 40 years. Efforts to find some consensus approach during the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations foundered.

Most people get the idea that people are living longer, and there are fewer workers per retiree and both programs are projected to run out of money, said Whit Ayres, a longtime Republican pollster. Sticking your head in the sand about that reality facing us is not the hallmark of leadership.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy this week mustered fellow Republicans to pass a House bill that included a measure tying benefits from Medicaid  which provides health coverage to lower-income households  and food assistance to strict working-hour requirements. Thats in part aimed at increasing workforce participation, which they argue would expand the funding base for Social Security and Medicare. But Democrats uniformly oppose the overall bill.

Read More: Debt Limit Pressure Builds on Biden After House Passes Plan

Ayres, founder and president of North Star Opinion Research, said the planned Democratic messaging will scare some seniors.

Biden last year took full advantage of the opening provided when Florida Senator Rick Scott  head of the GOPs campaign for his chamber  proposed sunsetting government programs every five years. On the midterm election campaign trail, Biden repeatedly invoked that plan as a threat to Social Security and Medicare.

Scott was criticized by fellow Republicans, and later claimed his plan was never intended to be applied to programs for seniors. He revised it to specifically note exemptions for Medicare and Social Security.

Read More: McConnell Dings Scott as Biden Tars GOP on Social Security

But the GOP keeps offering grist for the mill. The Republican Study Committee, whose members consist of about three-quarters of House Republicans, is preparing a proposal that would include new restrictions on Social Security and Medicare benefits  despite previous promises to leave cuts off the table.

That group has supported raising the eligibility age for both programs to make up for longer life expectancies. It also wants wealthier Americans to pay higher Medicare premiums and receive smaller Social Security checks.

Republicans are even attacking each other for moves they argue undermine the programs.

Former President Trump, now running for his partys nomination in 2024, has been bashing his chief rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, for votes DeSantis cast as a House lawmaker. In Iowa recently, Trump called DeSantis a disciple of former Speaker Paul Ryan, whose budget proposals sought to cut both programs. DeSantis also made non-binding votes as a lawmaker in 2015 to raise the retirement age and tweak Medicare.

Speech Mainstay

But Trumps own administration made budget proposals that included cuts to the Social Security Disability Insurance program.

Democrats also are preparing to highlight the votes of other 2024 GOP hopefuls, including former Vice President Mike Pence, Senator Tim Scott and Governor Kristi Noems support of Ryans budget in 2011. That budget plan, which never passed into law, wanted to turn Medicare into a voucher program.

Mentions of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid  which offers health care for lower-income households  are now mainstays in Bidens speeches.

I guarantee you I will protect Social Security and Medicare without any changes, Biden said during a March speech in Philadelphia as the White House unveiled his budget proposal. My budget will not cut benefits and it will definitely wont sunset programs like some of my MAGA Republican friends wanted to do.

(updates headline)

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The White House announced Friday that President Biden will commute the sentences of 31 nonviolent drug offenders, alongside the launch of a new administration strategy aimed to improve rehabilitation in jails and prisons.

The 31 Americans serving sentences for nonviolent drug offenses are all on home confinement, a White House official said, adding they have demonstrated rehabilitation and have made contributions to their community.

The White House will release the names of those receiving commuted sentences later Friday.

In addition to the commutations, the administration is marking Second Chance Month in April by rolling out a plan seeking to support those exiting the criminal justice system with options for health care, employment, education, housing and other services.

The effort  the Alternatives, Rehabilitation, and Reentry Strategic Plan  will strengthen public safety by reducing unnecessary criminal justice system interactions so police officers can focus on fighting crime; supporting rehabilitation during incarceration; and facilitating successful reentry, according to the White House.

White House domestic policy adviser Susan Rice, who Biden announced this week would soon step down from her role, told reporters far too many Americans getting out of jail or with a criminal history record face deep barriers to getting a job.

When a crime occurs, a sentence should both reflect the seriousness of the crime and provide a chance of meeting at rehabilitation and successful reentry, she said.

The plan will involve 100 actions from more than 20 agencies.

As part of the push, the Education Department will work to allow about 760,000 people to become eligible for Pell Grants through prison education programs and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will allow Medicaid coverage for select services for some incarcerated people in the period shortly before their expected release.

The plan overall will work to expand access to health care, affordable housing, education opportunity, food benefits, job opportunities and banking to promote public safety. And the White House said it will work to reduce barriers to voting for eligible people with public safety and supporting justice-involved persons in mind.

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The Safer American Plan, released in August, was aimed at combating gun crime and violence, and the White House said this effort builds on that.

Biden has worked to show he is focused on combatting crime and supporting police while Republicans have consistently blamed him for rising crime in cities across the country.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden has commuted the sentences of 31 people convicted of nonviolent drug crimes who were serving time in home confinement, the White House announced Friday.

Many would have gotten a lower sentence if they were charged today with the same offense because of changes in the laws. A commuted sentence means they'll spend less time in home confinement.

The commutations came as the White House announced a set of policy actions across 20 different agencies meant to improve the criminal justice system, which disproportionately affects Black and other non-white communities. The president announced his reelection campaign this week, and must keep Black voters in his coalition if he wants to win in 2024.

The plan is an effort to expand health care access, affordable housing and education, and make it easier for those who have been mixed up in the system to get jobs, higher education and vote. The effort includes a plan to make more grants available for people who need funding for education, and small business loans.

Those whose sentences were commuted included men and women convicted of drug possession in Iowa, Indiana, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Hawaii and Texas, and they will all finish serving time June 30. If any are in prison, they will finish out their terms in home confinement, and won't have to pay the rest of their fines which range from $5,000 to $20,000.

Roughly 600,000 U.S. residents leave prison each year, and another 9 million cycle in and out of jail. As many as one in three Americans has a criminal record. That stigma can make it hard to get a job, go back to school or start a business.

Far too many of them face steep barriers to getting a job or a home, obtaining health care, or finding the capital to start a business," said outgoing domestic policy adviser Susan Rice, the first person to hold both national security and domestic policy adviser positions in the White House. She is leaving her post after two years and her last day is May 26.

By investing in crime prevention and a fairer criminal justice system, we can tackle the root causes of crime, improve individual and community outcomes, and ease the burden on police, she said.

The Democratic president has commuted the sentences of 75 other people so far. He also pardoned thousands who were convicted of simple possession" of marijuana under federal law, and others who have long since served out their sentences.
(Bloomberg) -- Democrats are concerned that President Joe Biden hasnt raised enough money from donors in the initial days since his Tuesday reelection announcement, potentially underscoring the perception that his run isnt exciting voters.

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The sluggish fundraising comes from a lack of outreach to major donors who can boost the early total by making big contributions to the Democratic Party, according to sources close to the campaign.

Despite the slow start, Biden will have no trouble raising money, said the people, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. But those close to Biden are worried they wont have a big number to announce after the president formally launched his bid Tuesday morning, one person said.

The campaign had planned to release fundraising totals after 48 hours, but may wait to generate more donations, the person said. Biden isnt required to disclose fundraising totals until July, but campaigns often voluntarily share numbers shortly after announcing their launch to illustrate excitement.

A Biden campaign spokesman didnt provide comment.

The money itself is less of a concern for Biden, who is easily on track to be renominated without a costly primary. But fundraising totals are a proxy for enthusiasm.

Even a large number of Democrats preferred he not run again because of his age, polls show. Biden is the oldest person elected US president and would be 86 at the end of a second term.

One reason for the slow fundraising pace is that there has been a lack of coordination with major donors to write checks the day of his announcement, the people said. Campaigns frequently work with major donors on the timing of contributions to get the maximum attention on the large fundraising haul. Many big donors didnt receive requests to give money on the first day, one person said.

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Since Bidens announcement, the campaign has sent text messages to supporters from the president, First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff seeking donations, as well as an email from former President Barack Obama.

On Thursday evening, the president, first lady, Harris and Emhoff, held a virtual campaign strategy call with supporters.

Incumbents have a fundraising edge since they also raise money for their party, and can accept much bigger checks than challengers. Donors can write $889,600 checks to the Biden Victory Fund, which raises money for the presidents campaign, the Democratic National Committee and 47 state parties.

Former President Donald Trump took advantage of that, raising $24.8 million for his campaign and the Republican National Committee in less than 24 hours after he officially launched his campaign for reelection in June 2019. Biden raised $6.3 million in the 24 hours after he announced his candidacy that year.

Trump had a much more modest haul after he announced his third run for the White House on Nov. 15. He didnt release a total, but he raised less than $3.4 million through WinRed, an online Republican fundraising platform, over his first two days as a candidate, an analysis of filings with the Federal Election Commission show.

On the Republican side, many major donors have decided to withhold contributions until its apparent if a clear challenger to Trump will emerge.

--With assistance from Justin Sink.

(Updates with campaign strategy call in 10th paragraph)

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WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden thanked some of his top donors Friday night as he launches a reelection campaign that is expected to need to raise well over $1 billion to secure his second term.

Its because of you, Im standing here," Biden said in the ballroom of a Washington hotel. "And its because of you, were going to win this time around.

The weekend summit is not a fundraiser and it was not clear how many of the attendees had yet cut checks to Bidens campaign. Rather, it is billed as a strategy session for about 150 high-dollar donors and fundraisers who will tap their networks to help fund Bidens campaign over the next 18 months.

Also in attendance were some of the Democratic Party's most high-profile governors  Gavin Newsom of California, Wes Moore of Maryland and Phil Murphy of New Jersey  and other lawmakers who are close with the president.

Were still in a battle for the soul of this country," Biden said, echoing his campaign message from 2020, when he defeated President Donald Trump. A rematch is possible next year, with Trump leading in the polls for the Republican presidential nomination.

In addition to a Friday evening dinner, top Biden advisers and his campaign co-chairs will brief attendees Saturday on the campaign's strategy ahead of the 2024 race to fund winning campaigns from the top of the ticket on down," the campaign said.

Now that hes thrown his hat back into the ring, the dam has burst and people are super excited and on board, said Jeffrey Katzenberg, a co-chair of Bidens campaign. Were at the beginning of the beginning. Its a marathon, not a sprint. And we are in an enviable position in that were singularly focused on running and winning in November 2024 and all of our efforts and resources are really focused on that.

The weekend summit marks the first official in-person political event for Biden since declaring his candidacy Tuesday. The campaign is slowly beginning to take shape out of spare office space at the Democratic National Committee before it moves to Wilmington, Delaware, the president's hometown, said a person familiar with the matter who spoke anonymously in order to discuss internal dynamics. And campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez has not started yet because she is still transitioning out of her job as White House director of intergovernmental affairs.

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On Thursday night Biden held a virtual call with grassroots supporters from the White House residence, and his campaign has blasted out dozens of fundraising emails to supporters, whose smaller checks, the campaign says, are just as important as big donors. In the 2022 midterm cycle, grassroots donors made up more than 60% of the DNC's fundraising.

One of the hallmarks of Joe Biden is that hes always enjoyed grassroots support and it has always been an essential ingredient (of his campaigns)," said Katzenberg. "To focus too much attention on the high end and the bundlers would be a mistake.

In his remarks Friday night, Biden touched on the themes that are undergirding his campaign. He touted legislation to fight climate change and limit the cost of prescription drugs, and he warned about the dangers of MAGA Republicans.

We need you," Biden told his donors. "Our democracy needs you. Because its about our freedoms.

A person familiar with the event who was unauthorized to speak about it publicly said invitees all bundled at least $1 million for Bidens 2020 campaign. Invitations for the event went out only late last week, so some donors meeting that description were not expected to make it because of scheduling conflicts.

Some donors have groused about inconsistent outreach from Biden's White House, and the weekend summit was an effort to smooth over tensions as the reelect gets underway.

Biden's campaign has not reported how much it has raised since he formally declared his candidacy Tuesday morning, but Katzenberg said he is absolutely confident the campaign will be able to top the nearly $1.1 billion raised for Biden's 2020 effort.

___

AP writer Brian Slodysko contributed.
(Bloomberg) -- A House vote to reinstate solar tariffs as high as 254% on panel imports from Southeast Asia fell short of the super-majority needed to overcome a veto threat from the White House.

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The 221-202 vote on the measure, which would undo a two-year moratorium on the duties put in place by President Joe Biden, indicates developers are likely safe from duties that they said would paralyze their industry. Twelve Democrats joined the vote to reinstate tariffs.

The failure to approach the 290 votes needed to override a veto is a strong confirmation of our view that the Presidents declaration will not be overturned, Height Securities LLC said in a note to clients Friday. The narrow margin is likely to discourage Senate Democrats from endorsing the effort and the Senate may even be able to avoid a vote.

The Biden administration is racing to boost domestically made cleantech supplies, while also contending with the nations reliance on imported panels. Biden suspended new duties on the affected solar panels through June 2024 to give the industry more time to ramp up domestic solar manufacturing.

A spokesman for Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott, who has authored the Senate version of the legislation, vowed Friday it would get a vote. The bill gained some momentum earlier this week after West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin signed onto the bill.

The development comes amid increasing anti-China sentiment on Capitol Hill and gives the GOP, and others, a chance to paint Democrats as soft on China.

We applaud both Democrats and Republicans in the House for supporting the Solar CRA and American manufacturers, its disappointing to see so many House Democrats turn a blind eye to Chinas illegal, predatory trade abuses, said Nick Iacovella, a senior vice president for the Coalition for a Prosperous America, a domestic manufacturing advocacy group that supports the effort.

Story continues

A successful effort by Republicans would re-instate duties placed on solar imports from four Asian nations  Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam  that supply roughly 80% of US panels after the Commerce Department found some Chinese solar manufacturers were evading decade-old import duties. It would also subject the US solar industry to retroactive tariffs estimated to be more than $1 billion.

(updates throughout)

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The Biden administration is leaning into a politically potent issue  fentanyl trafficking from Mexico  to convince lawmakers to reauthorize a controversial George W. Bush-era surveillance program.

In public and in private, administration officials are stressing the need to track Mexican cartels and their Chinese suppliers in their push for Congress to reup the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Acts Section 702 before it expires at the end of the year.

That statute  which allows intelligence agencies to read emails and other electronic communications of foreigners abroad  is facing bipartisan opposition from lawmakers who argue it has become a backdoor for the FBI to surveil Americans who are on the other end of those conversations.

Left-leaning privacy advocates and GOP stalwarts incensed by the FBIs handling of the investigation of Donald Trump are arguing the statute cant be renewed without major changes that limit the surveillance of Americans. The cross-the-aisle consensus makes it highly unlikely Section 702 will be reauthorized as is, so the administration is making the strongest case it can to keep Congress from drastically curtailing its effectiveness.



The hope is that those lawmakers can be convinced that the upside is worth the risk by invoking a drug crisis that has sparked outrage among politicians across the country. Fentanyl and other opioids killed more than 70,000 Americans in 2021 alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While the administration is citing a range of national security threats the electronic surveillance could help counter  from terrorism to cyberattacks  it believes the rise in illegal fentanyl shipments represents one of the strongest arguments to persuade lawmakers 702 should be kept on the books, two U.S. senior intelligence officials said.

Multiple intelligence agencies have used the statute against fentanyl traffickers and to take actions across the global network of suppliers, the first official said.

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In a Senate hearing in March, CIA Director Bill Burns stressed how useful the authority has been in targeting cartels in Mexico.

702 has been crucial in illuminating that network for us and, therefore, enabling us, for example, just in the last few months, to work with Mexican partners to take some very successful actions against the Sinaloa Cartel, Burns said. He added that it had enabled significant action against fentanyl production and processing equipment in Mexico and the U.S.



One Democratic lawmaker said administration officials have also made the fentanyl case in recent weeks in classified briefings for senators and House members when explaining why they should vote to extend the use of the surveillance tool.

The senior intelligence officials and the lawmaker were granted anonymity to speak more freely about private national security conversations, some of which are classified. The National Security Council did not respond to a request to comment.

The fentanyl argument could help sell the program on the Hill, say lawmakers who support reauthorizing 702, so long as privacy protections are added.

When you think about China and Mexico, the ability to use 702  could be extremely effective, said Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), who has called for new civil liberties safeguards in the statute after the government improperly plugged his name into the surveillance database. It can play an important role going after the cartels and drug traffickers that are, you know, harming our citizens.

But while the administrations pitch dovetails with one of Republicans favorite talking points  the border  its far from clear whether it will sway surveillance skeptics, who now hold powerful perches within the House GOP conference.

Im not convinced. I would have to see evidence of that, said Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.), a member of the Judiciary Committee, adding the intelligence community has made the case about using the program to track cartels but not the details about fentanyl shipments.

A group of House Republicans is discussing letting the authority expire, underscoring the heavy lift the administration is facing even as it looks for angles to appeal to GOP skeptics. And theres growing bipartisan interest in an idea that the intelligence community has resisted: requiring a warrant to search the collected data for information on U.S. citizens.

Section 702 only allows the intelligence community to surveil the emails and other electronic communications of non-U.S. citizens located abroad. However, once that data is collected, it is stored in a repository that becomes fair game for the FBI  which can then sift through the database for information on Americans without a warrant.



The spike in fentanyl overdoses has pushed Democratic and Republican politicians on Capitol Hill and in state houses to call for the federal government to do more to crack down on the networks smuggling the drug. The Biden administration has taken a number of actions to blunt the flow of fentanyl, including establishing an interagency task force to try to disrupt the networks responsible for financing and shipping the illicit drugs into the U.S. and levying sanctions on Mexican cartels complicit in the fentanyl trade.

House and Senate lawmakers have also filed legislation to designate Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, an idea endorsed by every declared Republican presidential candidate and backed by some congressional Democrats.

That would link the fight even more directly to 702, which has long been justified by the need to address foreign terrorist networks.



But as ISIS and al-Qaeda networks in the Middle East have become less of a priority, it has made the governments argument for maintaining the broad electronic surveillance powers more difficult.

The intelligence community and the administration now need to demonstrate the value of section 702 and how it's relevant to today's foreign intelligence and threat environment, said Adam Klein, director of the Robert Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas at Austin. That includes China. And that includes potentially international cartel activity.

Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen made a similar argument this month. Particularly when it's connected to international terrorism, counternarcotics often comes into play, or can come into play, in the context of Section 702, he said at an event on the new national cybersecurity strategy.

702s backers in Congress are also hoping fentanyl could help convey the value of the program to skeptics or fence-sitters on the Hill, some of whom are unfamiliar with the program due to how rarely the government opens up about it.

Targeting the cartels with 702 is probably a particularly good example of where the statute can add immense value to the U.S. intelligence community, said Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), who supports the reauthorization of the program. The government should be deploying all resources we have available against what is an absolutely lethal threat to American safety.



Invoking the fentanyl crisis still doesnt address the privacy concerns around the measure, and the battle over what changes are needed to protect Americans data remains at the center of the debate.

Pro-renewal lawmakers and intelligence officials say that makes it even more critical to highlight how Section 702 is used.

The administration is facing an uphill battle when it comes to reauthorization, the second intelligence official said.

But traditionally, we've had success when we've made the value case, and certainly when we've made a tailored value case to members, we've seen that it does have impact, the official said.

Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), who supports reauthorizing 702 but believes new restrictions must be placed over the FBIs access to the program, said its backers still need more help from the administration to sell their colleagues on the program.

The administration has not, and even past administrations have not, tied intelligence successes to the tools that they have the authorizations that they have through Congress, Turner said. I think we're going to need really compelling stories that will illustrate the importance of these tools.

Alexander Ward and Jordain Carney contributed to this report.
U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Thursday that the Biden administration is pursuing a new global economic strategy that aims to make up for past U.S. failures to manage the rise of China and to strike the proper balance between market forces and public spending.

Officials now want to promote expanded U.S. capacity to produce needed goods using supply chains that can withstand natural disasters and geopolitical shocks.

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"At the end of the day," Sullivan said, "what we are trying to do is build the capacity to make things and deploy them and the resilience to be able to withstand the shocks in today's world, from the climate crisis to a global pandemic to a war."

The administration is deploying trillions of dollars in public spending to reshape an economic system that remained overly dependent upon market forces even as state-centric rivals such as China rose to dominate major industries.

Despite complaints about Chinese economic policies, Sullivan insisted the administration does not seek to decouple from China, only to reduce an excessive dependence upon Chinese suppliers for critical goods and minerals.

The International Monetary Fund in recent weeks has warned that rising tensions between the two nations threaten to split the global economy into rival trading blocs.

President Biden has pushed through Congress major legislation that identifies key sectors - such as advanced semiconductors, clean energy and infrastructure - that represent the foundation of decades of economic growth, Sullivan said. Rather than wait for companies to react to market signals, he said, the administration aims to use government funds to attract private investment, leading to total spending of $3.5 trillion over the next decade.

As the president seeks to revive domestic manufacturing, address the changing climate and narrow the gap between rich and poor, he seeks "to restore an economic mentality that champions building. And that is the core of our economic approach," Sullivan said.

Story continues

Greater domestic manufacturing is needed to maintain U.S. technological leadership and to produce the clean-energy products needed to address the climate crisis, he said.

Speaking at the Brookings Institution in Washington, Sullivan said past failures of economic policy also had eroded American democracy.

China was welcomed into the global trading system, yet continued to subsidize both traditional and advanced industries. As low-cost Chinese products gained market share, many American communities paid the price, he said.

"The so-called 'China shock' that hit pockets of our domestic manufacturing industry especially hard, with large and long-lasting impacts, wasn't adequately anticipated and wasn't adequately addressed as it unfolded," he said. "And collectively, these forces have frayed the socioeconomic foundations on which any strong and resilient democracy rests now."

Much of Sullivan's speech amounted to a sweeping dismissal of the trade policies pursued by presidents of both parties for almost three decades after the end of the Cold War. Sullivan said the United States had relied on "oversimplified assumptions" about the workings of market economies in seeking international agreements to reduce tariffs.

Officials promoted greater trade as an end in itself, believing that integrating authoritarian countries such as China and Russia into the world economy would promote a more peaceful world and produce widespread prosperity at home.

Instead, Russia and China doubled down on repressive rule while income inequality widened in the United States, fueling populist resentments.

"Economic integration didn't stop China from expanding its military ambitions in the region or stop Russia from invading its democratic neighbors," Sullivan said. "Neither country had become more responsive or cooperative."

Sullivan said the bipartisan push for greater trade liberalization, as a tool to promote widespread prosperity, was "a promise made but not kept."

"The fact is that those gains failed to reach a lot of working people," he added.

Business leaders have criticized Biden for not pursuing any new trade deals, which generally offer other nations improved access to the U.S. market in return for similar benefits for American exporters. Instead, the president has proposed "framework" agreements in Asia and Latin America, which would link U.S. trading partners in a cooperative arrangement involving standards for digital trade and measures to promote stronger supply chains.

The proposed Asian and Latin American pacts reflect the administration's efforts to strengthen regional ties while placating congressional opponents of further trade liberalization, which the president's labor union allies blame for the loss of millions of manufacturing jobs.

Sullivan denied that the administration is pursuing an "America alone" strategy or seeking to exclude other countries, saying such criticism is "just flat wrong."

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Muralist Louie "Sloe" Palsino with his wall-size work at Speedy Auto Tint & Detail in Bellflower. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

When business owner Robert Cornejo commissioned a mural to adorn his newly opened vehicle tinting shop in February, the Lakewood residents goal was to grab patrons and attention.

He accomplished his objective. Scores of visitors have flocked to Bellflowers Speedy Auto Tint & Detail to gaze upon the L.A.-centric 54-foot-by-10-foot painting. But a visit from Bellflower officials has thrown the fate of the new artwork into question.

Cornejo, 33, said the city Code Enforcement Division informed him hes in violation of multiple city ordinances regulating murals and might need to remove the work.

The mural features portraits of former Dodgers announcer Vin Scully, Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, Hall of Fame boxer Oscar De La Hoya, rap legends Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur, and Latino acting icon Danny Trejo painted alongside a lowrider, the 6th Street Viaduct, the Dodgers logo and the downtown cityscape. The phrase Wouldnt be L.A. without Mexicans, a nod to Shakurs city anthem To Live and Die in L.A., is written along the side of the mural.

The artwork attracted the praise of Trejo, who called it amazing and told his followers "to check it out before the city removes it!" De La Hoya thanked the artist on Instagram and said he'd "make some calls."

Cornejo said he was given a written warning last week and had been trying to find a way to work with the city to keep the mural.

I was heartbroken to receive the notice because I felt like everyone involved poured their soul into the project, Cornejo said. We first did this to promote and expand the business, yes, but after the mural was completed, it was a beautiful tribute to L.A. culture.

Pasadena artist Louie Sloe Palsino  who has painted murals of Kobe Bryant and daughter Gigi on West Pico Boulevard and artist Selena in South Los Angeles  undertook the task. According to Cornejo, work on the mural began in mid-February and was completed April 19 .

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Bellflower officials said the work was in violation of a city ordinance mandating that murals be located on a wall facing a side street. The art currently points toward Woodruff Avenue near the 91 Freeway. The mural is also in violation of area zoning standards and needs special approval, according to another ordinance.

Cornejo started an online petition  to save our community mural " that was aiming for 5,000 signatures and climbing rapidly Thursday night.

In the petition, he noted his pride in the mural.

An employee of Speedy Auto Tint & Detail in Bellflower walks in front of the business and its eye-catching mural Thursday morning. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

We are a Latino family-owned small business, and we believe this mural represents the city of Los Angeles and the culture it embodies, he wrote.

Cornejo's Bellflower shop is his second location. He said he also leases a location in Downey and works full time as a sales manager at Kia of Cerritos auto dealership.

The dream is to eventually be my own boss, he said.

Cornejo contends that his petition, social media comments and media attention have helped sway city officials. Initially, Cornejo said he thought he would need to "pay thousands of dollars to file the right paperwork to keep the mural.

He said he was told Thursday afternoon by city officials that he would have to write an essay about why the mural should stay and present his case at a City Council meeting.

I dont want to celebrate too quickly," he said, "but this is great."

Bellflower Mayor Sonny R. Santa Ines issued a statement Thursday saying that the city does not object to the content of the mural.

City officials, however, have received complaints that the artwork does not comply with the established mural standards in the municipal code, he said.

Ines said conversations were taking place with Cornejo and that both parties were actively seeking an appropriate solution.

Cornejo opened the tint shop in February but said he planned an official grand opening June 18.

So far, he said, city officials have told him they are not attending.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Ray Dalio. Pedro Fiuza/NurPhoto via Getty Images

China investor Ray Dalio encouraged the US and China to agree on mutual red lines if war breaks out.

He said they can agree to not fight on each other's lands, or kill each other's troops, he said.

Dalio wrote a LinkedIn memo on Thursday laying out fears that both nations are on the brink of war.

Billionaire Ray Dalio is urging the US and China to agree upon clear rules of engagement if war breaks out between the two nations.

Dalio, who runs the largest foreign hedge fund in China, wrote a cautionary LinkedIn post on Thursday describing his fears that the two great powers are teetering on the edge of war.

The investor, who has 40 years of experience with China, said he drafted the post after recently meeting with Chinese citizens, policymakers, and experts on Beijing.

Dalio said that in the event of war, Beijing and Washington should consider drawing lines  like agreeing not to kill each other's military personnel directly, or vowing not to fight on each other's lands.

He also suggested that both sides can agree not to use nuclear, cyber, or space-based weapons.

"It is hoped that in that way, if there is war, it will be contained," Dalio wrote. He cited the war in Ukraine as such a contained conflict.

"But such a contained war is not the worst-case scenario because history has shown that when conflicts have reached this stage 1) they have terrible economic consequences and 2) there is a high risk of moving from a contained war to an all-out war," Dalio added.

Dalio did not elaborate on what a direct US-China war that doesn't involve American and Chinese troops killing each other would look like. But in his post on Thursday, he repeatedly mentioned tensions over Taiwan as a dangerous flashpoint.

US lawmakers have, in recent years, reinforced ties with Taiwan through multiple high-profile visits and statements, while Chinese leader Xi Jinping has made absorbing the self-governed island a key goal of his rule.

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The US has refused to say if it will defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, but sells weapons systems to Taipei.

Even so, "almost all" the policymakers Dalio spoke to are "scared of war," the billionaire wrote.

"Both sides have been very clear that they recognize that either an economic decoupling or a military confrontation would be disastrous, while they are testing each other's limits," he wrote.

Dalio recommended several ways the US can reduce tensions with China, such as inviting Xi to San Francisco for the November APEC meeting, or sending a delegation of senators to Beijing.

But the 2024 US election is likely to spur politicians to lean into hawkish stances on China, as they seek to appeal to voters who want the US to stand up to Xi, Dalio added.

A representative for Dalio did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
This article was originally published in EducationNC.

A bill that would dramatically expand the Opportunity Scholarship program to all students regardless of their familys income moved forward in the Senate on Wednesday.

The chambers committee on education gave the bill a favorable report. Next, the bill must go to the Senate appropriations committee.

Senate Bill 406, Choose Your School, Choose Your Future, was filed by Republicans last month. At the time, President Pro Tem Sen. Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, said the bill would be the largest expansion of school choice since the state started the Opportunity Scholarship program 10 years ago.

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Todays a great day for kids  and thats what this bill is about, said Sen. Michael Lee, R-New Hanover, at a press conference before Wednesdays education committee. The Opportunity Scholarship, as we proposed, has no caps. So everyone that hears me today is eligible for the opportunity scholarship, as long as you live in North Carolina.

The Opportunity Scholarship program currently helps families who make below a certain income level pay tuition and fees at qualifying nonpublic schools, according to the N.C. State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA), which administers the program. During the 2022-23 school year, 25,524 students received the scholarship.

SB406, if passed, would eliminate income eligibility requirements for the program, guaranteeing up to a 45% scholarship to all N.C. students. It also eliminates the requirement that a student needs to have previously attended a public school.

Supporters of the bill say it will guarantee school choice for all North Carolina families.

Others say the bill could pose a threat to overall funding for public schools and more importantly to enrollment.

As EdNC previously reported, in other states where significant policy changes are implemented that could impact average daily membership (ADM), stabilization funds have been provided for districts. This bill does not appear to include such funding.

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On Wednesday, the education committee approved the bill with two amendments  adding more funds to the program, and delaying the start of access to vouchers for all families to the 2024-25 school year.

Students will be awarded scholarships based on their free-and-reduced lunch status, Lee said. After prior recipients are awarded, at least 50% of the remaining funds must go to students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, the bill says.

Awards go up to $6,492 for the 2023-2024 school year, according to NCSEAAs website. The projected average award is $5,600, Lee said.

Here is a look at the breakdown of award tiers proposed in the bill:

And here is a breakdown of the increased funding to the Opportunity Scholarship Grant Fund Reserve outlined in the revised bill:

In addition to expanding Opportunity Scholarships, SB406 also requires local school boards to create a three-year graduation track for high school students. Students who opt for that track  and who also seek a degree, diploma, or certificate at an eligible postsecondary institution  will be eligible for early graduate scholarships based on financial need.

Backpack funding

Last week, more than 200 bills were filed at the General Assembly  many of them education related. Several of those bills involved the expansion of school choice.

Last Tuesday, Rep. Tricia Cotham filed the House companion bill for Choose Your School, Choose Your Future. Cotham, a former educator and assistant principal who was elected as a Democrat in Mecklenburg, announced her switch to the Republican party earlier this month. The move gave Republicans a veto-proof majority in the state legislature.

On Wednesday, Cotham said the bill is about families being able to make the best decisions for their child.

I started off really anti-school choice for a while when I first entered the General Assembly, Cotham said at the press conference.

Then, she said on Wednesday, she started thinking about where her own children would go to school. Eventually, she opted for her son to attend a private school.

Thats where my policy really started to change, she said. Because as a policymaker and as a mom, Im also not a hypocrite. I do believe that as policymakers and legislators, if we have the ability to send our children to a private school or to a charter, then we cannot say to others, well, you cant.

SB665, which would also allow homeschooled students to receive the vouchers, was also filed this month.

On Wednesday, all public speakers voiced support for the expansion of the program, including parents and a student from private school. There were no public speakers from public schools.

Democratic lawmakers raised questions about expanding the scholarship beyond low-income families in North Carolina.

Over time, weve realized that its important for all families to have choice, Lee said during the committee meeting. And weve talked to a lot of families, and some families are here today that dont meet those eligibility criteria that would never have the opportunity to attend a private school.

During the press conference, reporters also raised questions about the Republicans support to expand private school vouchers while blocking the Leandro plan. Earlier this month, a state superior court judge ruled that the state still owes $677.8 million toward public education for this school year and last school year.

Rather than expanding a program that by its definition cannot support every student, lets invest in our public schools so students have safe schools, inviting classrooms, a well-rounded curriculum, class sizes that are small enough for one-on-one attention, and support services such as health care, nutrition, and after-school programs for students who need them, N.C. Association of Educators President Tamika Walker Kelly said in a statement Wednesday.

Lee said relying on a plan filed over 30 years ago was laughable and that the state already fulfilled many items laid out in the plan.

He went on to say that many Republican lawmakers believe the state should move toward backpack funding, where students are funded wherever they go to school. He said he wants to see uniform funding among all students, mentioning weighted funding.

Earlier this month, Senate Republicans filed Senate Bill 670, which would abolish all funds, grants, allotments, and other sources of funding that expend their funds from the State Public School Fund, to enact a weighted student funding model.

I do think over time we will start establishing weighted student formulas, and those formulas will be the baseline to establish for children, Lee said. So its a long way of saying that backpack funding for families is where were heading with respect to all students.

As soon as there is a fiscal note that compares current funding by district compared with funding by district if SB670 were to pass, EdNC will cover it.

A parent speaks about her support for opportunity scholarships at Wednesdays press conference. Hannah McClellan/EducationNC

Questions about accountability

Under current state law, private schools are required to administer at least once in each school year, a nationally standardized test or other nationally standardized equivalent measurement selected by the chief administrative officer of such school, to all students enrolled or regularly attending grades three, six and nine.

Each school must make and maintain records of the results for one year after testing, for annual inspection by a duly authorized representative of the State of North Carolina.

In addition, a nonpublic school that accepts eligible students receiving scholarship grants must comply with the following measures, among others:

Contract with a certified public accountant to perform a financial review, consistent with generally accepted accounting principles, for each school year in which the school enrolls 70 or more students receiving scholarship grants or scholarship funds awarded by the Authority.

A nonpublic school that accepts students receiving scholarship grants shall not require any additional fees based on the status of the student as a scholarship grant recipient.

A nonpublic school enrolling more than 25 students whose tuition and fees are paid in whole or in part with a scholarship grant shall report to the Authority on the aggregate standardized test performance of eligible students.

Sen. Natasha Marcus, D-Mecklenburg, said such requirements dont let lawmakers see how private schools perform compared to public schools, which must record and publish standardized testing data.

We have a lot of choice already without this bill, which I think does a lot of damage to public education, she said. If we are going to open it up and balloon the payments the way this bill would do, are we now finally ready to agree to some accountability?

Marcus also said some religious schools reject certain students, specifically listing LGBTQ+ students and students with a different religious background as an example. Public funds shouldnt go to such schools, she said.

The ultimate metric of accountability is the family and the student, Lee said in response.

Earlier this month, House Democrats filed HB667, which lays out additional testing requirements for the program.

This article first appeared on EducationNC and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
The black-headed gull is on the Amber conservation list, meaning there is "moderate concern" over its decline in numbers

An outbreak of avian flu is suspected at a nature reserve after a number of birds were found dead.

Staff at the North Cave Wetlands in East Yorkshire said they had "never seen mortality this high before".

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT), which runs the site, said samples from the dead black-headed gulls had been submitted for testing.

The trust said it was monitoring the situation and there were no plans to shut its reserves to the public.

A spokesperson said the deaths had left colleagues and visitors "distressed to see the impact this terrible disease has likely had on the gull colony".

"If confirmed, this will be the most significant outbreak on a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust reserve," the trust said.

"We are also investigating and responding to other potential cases on our reserves across the region, including Potteric Carr.

"This disease will have an impact on a species that has seen population numbers decline in recent years, and at a crucial time of year when the gulls should be raising young.

"At North Cave Wetlands, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust provides critical habitat for Yorkshire's largest black-headed gull colony, which has grown in the last decade."

North Cave Wetlands is home to Yorkshire's largest black-headed gull colony

The black-headed gull is on the Amber conservation list, meaning there is "moderate concern" over its decline in numbers.

YWT said there were an estimated 140,000 breeding pairs in the UK and about 2.2m wintering birds each year.

The trust asked visitors to its reserves to not touch any dead birds and report any they find.

There have been a number of outbreaks of avian flu across East Yorkshire.

Earlier this month, restrictions were lifted allowing poultry and captive birds to be kept outside again.

Follow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.
Broken bitcoin split in two pieces laying on a screen. The screen has red diagram. Bitcoin decline concept. 3D rendering



The CFTC alleged a South African fraudster got thousands of people to invest billions of dollars in bitcoin in a commodity pool that was all a big lie.

The Commodities Futures Trading Commission patted itself on the back for winning one of the largest civil cases against a crypto crook, even if mostor anyof those affected will see any of their money returned. On Thursday, a Texas judge issued a default judgment in a multi-billion fraud case against a man accused of swindling billions in bitcoin from unsuspecting people online looking to invest in bitcoin.

The CFTC filed its massive $3.4 billion civil suit last year against Cornelius Johannes Steynberg, AKA Joe Steyn, listed as a South African Man who at the time of the suit being filed operated in Brazil along with his company Mirror Trading International. The agency claimed that Steynberg operated an online currency commodity pool for three years from 2018 through 2021. Users had to pay bitcoin to access the pools found on sites like MTImembersand myMTIclub. The CFTC said he got people to invest 29,421 bitcoin, which in total valued $1.7 billion at the time.

Read more

In its original complaint, the agency said MTI lied to pool participants it was trading on off-exchange retail foreign currency, otherwise known as forex. Steynberg reportedly told pool participants his company used a bot to make successful trades using their funds, though all that was a lie, and any account statements offered to participants were all just fakes created by demo accounts on an off-site trading platform. Steynbergs broker platform which he called Trade300 didnt even exist, and he used word of mouth and other forceful ad campaigns to get more people involved, hence the charge of it being a multi-level marketing scheme.

Defendants never traded profitably, never earned any profits trading, and misappropriated essentially all of the at least 29,421 bitcoin they accepted from participants, the agency alleged in its lawsuit.

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The court order now has Steynberg and the company each paying $1.73 billion in civil penalties. While the mind-boggling $3.4 billion penalty is easily one of the biggest penalties ordered against any crypto fraudster, it remains unclear if anybody taken by the Steynbergs scheme will see their money again. The CFTC said the company was currently in liquidation proceedings in South Africa after declaring bankruptcy in 2021.

The agency admitted that victims may not see any restitution because wrongdoers may not have sufficient funds or assets. Attorney information for Steynberg was not available as he never responded to multiple summons issued by the CFTC, hence the default judgment. According to the agency release, the man behind the scheme is under arrest by Interpol agents in Brazil, and he is also a fugitive from South African law enforcement. Steynberg is also wanted by IRS financial cops for his involvement in the MTI scheme.

Gizmodo reached out to the CFTC to learn if the agency has any contact with Steynberg to collect on his penalties, but we did not immediately hear back.

Though Steynbergs fraud was conducted until 2021 (itself a massive year for crypto grifts), crypto scams were rampant last year, and they continue to hound the heels of investors into 2023. U.S. financial agencies have tried to warn banks away from crypto scams amid reports from researchers that close to a fourth of new crypto tokens are actually built by schemers who plan to pump up the price of their tokens and dump them later for a tidy profit.

At this point in cryptos lifespanmore than 14 years from bitcoins first inceptionits hard to say whether conscious scammers are attracted to the anonymous benefits of crypto, or if crypto inevitably turns each project into a scam. Research from the Bank for International Settlements has shown most people who invest in bitcoin actually lose money, so at this point, does the chicken or egg argument actually matter?

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Vellela vellela onshore at Crystal Cove State Park (California State Parks)

Bizarre, iridescent sea creatures have been washing up by the thousands on beaches across California throughout the month of April.

The critters  small, coin-sized creatures with blue-green colouring and a transparent, sail-shaped protrusion  are Velella velella, known as by-the-wind-sailors, according to California State Parks.

Dont worry about those little blue tentacles that hang from their body! These tentacles dont sting humans but will gather up plenty of zooplankton or fish eggs for them to eat, Point Reyes National Seashore wrote on Facebook earlier this month. You may come across a fresh wash-up of Velella, tinging the stretch of shoreline blue, but if theyve been there a while, they will look like crinkly and dry ovals of cellophane.

Others said more caution was warranted.

If you were to touch the top of the sail, it feels like plastic. Its quite thick. And actually whats in there is chitin. And thats the same material that is in the exoskeleton of crustaceans. So its notoriously hard and protective, but you definitely dont want to pick them up and touch them because they are cnidarians, Marine biologist Julianne Kalman Passarelli told NPR. Their sting is not known to be as toxic as their relatives, the Portuguese man o war, or even their more distant relatives jellyfish, sea nettles, things like that. But they can cause irritation. I wouldnt suggest picking them up with your bare hands.

The Velella velella have been spotted onshore across the state, including in Hunting Beach, Zuma Beach, Manhattan Beach, Salt Creek Beach.

Previous mass beachings have occurred between 2014 and 2016, according to the Orange County Register.

The tiny sailors carry a small toxin and have little meat, so they have few predators, though sunfish, birds, and turtles sometimes eat them.

Theyre amazing animals. Theyre like space aliens or something that have invaded our beaches, but theyre not going to be here for very long, Bruno Pernet, a professor of biological sciences at California State University Long Beach, told KTLA.

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Once they come on land, the beached animals are either eaten, dry up, or get washed back into the sea.

Whats driving the sudden blue masses appearing on California beaches?

In spring, shifting strong Pacific winds often drive thousands of these creatures on shore from British Columbia all the way to California, Point Reyes public information officer Christine Beekman told the San Francisco Chronicle. Sometimes beaches are covered by several inches of velella turning the beaches blue.
After a three-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Germany's Leipzig Book Fair opened once more on Thursday with 2,000 exhibitors from 40 countries presenting the "novelties of the spring."

To mark the "comeback of Europe's largest reading festival," 3,000 events will take place at various locations both at the fair and in the city, Leipziger Messe, the organizer of the book fair, said on Wednesday. The Leipzig Book Fair will welcome visitors until Sunday.

This year, the guest of honor is Austria. Under the motto "Meaoiswiamia", which means "more than we alone," visitors are challenged to think about things from a different perspective.

Despite the optimism about the trade show taking place again, Germany's book industry is not doing well. Small, independent publishers have been "suffering losses and reaching their economic limits," the German Publishers and Booksellers Association said in a statement on Wednesday.

Although book sales were up 6.7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2023, the figures were still 6 percent below the pre-pandemic levels recorded in 2019, the association said based on data from Media Control.

The organizers are also concerned that "more and more children cannot read properly when they leave elementary school".

"We must invest above all in promoting reading, because this is the basis for social participation," a spokesperson of Leipziger Messe told Xinhua on Thursday.
Whose history is it? Ours to discover, learn and share. Black history is American history 24/7, twelve months every year. No legislation or mandate can take away or interpret for us our background and experiences of joy and hurt, failures and accomplishments.

In 1977, after completing graduate studies in curriculum and instruction, library science, public administration and training in archives administration, I created The Black Archives, History & Research Foundation of South Florida Inc. This educational institute, a community archive, promotes scholarship and historical research to help save Miami-Dade Countys Black community.

Collecting, processing and making available photographs and non-current materials such as school and church programs, obituaries and non-current individual and family papers was not enough. Saving the communitys historic sites was also necessary.

After studying historic preservation, I earned a doctorate degree in public history and conducted the historical research that saved from destruction the Lyric Theater, Chapman House, Dorsey House, Greater Bethel AME Church, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Cola Nip (J&S) Bottling Company, Dr. S. H. Johnsons X-Ray Clinic and St. John Missionary Baptist Church.

Then-Miami Dade County Commissioner Barbara Carey-Shuler appointed me to the Metro-Dade Historic Preservation Board, where I served 19 years, five of those years as chair.

Along the way, I was inspired by pioneer educators Dorothy McKellar, Marian Shannon, Eunice Liberty, John McKinney, Charles L. Williams, Ida Ratcliff, Robbie George, Kate Stirrup Dean, Georgiana Bethel, Nelson Adams, Sr., David Dobbs, Sr., and many others.

That was in the 20th century, when Black history was not included in the local or state school curriculum. Instead, Black-owned publications including newspapers Miami Times, Tropical Dispatch, Pittsburgh Courier, and magazines Ebony and Jet, were our textbooks.

Now in the 21st century  in my conversations with retired educators Lois Oliver, Dr. Gloria McPhee, Beverly Nixon, Agenoria Paschal Powell, Dr. George Koonce, and Dr. Clarence Jones, and others  I am reminded that in the past, oratorical and essay contests in churches, civic and social organizations were used to teach Black history in communities throughout the United States. In recent times, interesting initiatives that connect Miamis Black history have been presented. Among those who have undertaken meaningful community initiatives:

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Former Miami Herald journalist Bea Hines is one of the six woman who have played significant roles in Miami shared history. Hines is photographed at her home as she recalls the tribulation and triumphs as the first female Black reporter on Thursday, February 4, 2021.

Bea Hines, The Miami Heralds longest-serving reporter and columnist. She began writing the communitys story in 1970. Promoted from Herald library file clerk to reporter, her current column  which appears in the Neighbors edition of the Miami Herald  often touches on current events, matters of faith, and descriptions of her life growing up Black in Miami in the 1950s. Her latest adventure: a Teach the Truth bus tour with Dr. Marvin Dunn to Tallahassee while the Legislature was in session.

SEE: SHE PAVED THE WAY. HOW A WOMAN WITH BIG DREAMS BROKE BARRIERS TO TELL MIAMIS STORY

Dr. Marvin Dunn, professor emeritus, Department of Psychology at Florida International University. He has been guiding students, their parents and teachers to the sites of some of the worst racial violence in Florida history. Dr. Dunn is quoted as saying, This Black man is not going to stand for Black History being white-washed. In a bold move, Dunn has opposed Gov. Ron DeSantis law prohibiting lessons on race and push to ban African American studies in Floridas public schools. Dr. Dunn is one of eight plaintiffs in the case against DeSantis Stop Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees Act (WOKE).

Nadege Green, founder and lead researcher of Black Miami Dade, an emerging online platform. The free education curriculum resists the erasure of Black Miami Dades past.

Marvin Ellis, longtime dedicated community genealogist. He organizes annual genealogy programs at The Church of the Incarnation, 1835 NW 54th St. in Miami.

Wallis Hamm Tinnie, president, The Florida Black Historical Research Project, Inc. She provides the public with previously hidden or forgotten facts about Floridas Black History, including early African arrivals, Black pirates, the mound builders, Southern Underground Railroad routes, Seminole Maroons and the Seminole Wars, particularly the 1838 Loxahatchee Battlefield in northern Palm Beach County. Under her leadership, the 185 year Seminole Maroon Family Reunion was held in Jupiter on Jan. 11-15 this year.

C. Isaiah Smalls II, Miami Herald reporter who covers race and culture. He also authors a weekly newsletter in the eHerald to promote its coverage of Black and brown communities. Titled The 44 Percent, the newsletter draws its name from the percentage of Black males who voted to incorporate the City of Miami in 1896.

From left: independent historical researchers AnnMarie Henry, Keith Moore and Christine Malcolm.

AnnMarie Henry, Christine Malcolm and Keith Moore, independent self-taught historical researchers. They began by searching in Overtown at The Black Archives for information about three pioneers in West Coconut Grove: E.W.F. Stirrup, Maria Brown and Dan Anderson. Dr. Dunns book Black Miami in the Twentieth Century was high on the list as it is the go-to book for consolidated information about the Black history in South Florida. As a result of one project, a street was designated honoring A.C. Lightbourne, one of the City of Miamis 1896 incorporators. Another project is a video of a pioneer community, Brownsville, led by Dr. Enid Pinkney with assistance from Dade Heritage Trust. More to come!

Kunya Rowley, founder and artistic director of Hued Songs. The organization strives to be a conduit for accessible arts and community building through a multicultural and equity-focused lens. Hued Songs produces performances across South Florida that amplify Black joy and Black culture. Through song, spoken word, dance and heart, our work seeks to be a platform where BIPOC artists are seen, heard, and paid and build belonging, empathy and community for all. Catch Hued Songs on May 20 in an online community activation, When Black Freedom Came to Florida. Details are online at huedsongs.org. Also: the annual celebration of our Juneteenth  The Juneteenth Experience  is at the Miami Beach Bandshell, 7275 Collins Ave., on June 19th at 6 p.m.

These initiatives help define Black Miami-Dade for current and future generations. Follow them on social media, and support their efforts.

This is the first in a quarterly series highlighting meaningful community initiatives. If you wish to nominate an individual, group or organization for this series, email information to the address below.

Keep it going!

Dorothy Jenkins Fields, Ph.D., is a public historian and founder of the Black Archives, History & Research Foundation of South Florida Inc. Send feedback to djf@bellsouth.net
As President Biden and Vice President Harris make the case to voters why they should get another four years in office, they will especially have to engage their most reliable base.

After officially announcing their 2024 re-election campaign this week, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will have to make the case to voters as to why they should get another four years in office.

In doing so, the Biden-Harris campaign will especially have to engage their most reliable base: Black voters.

In 2020, Biden and Harris received 92% of the African-American vote, which was critical in them flipping five states blue, including Georgia, which went to a Democrat for the first time in nearly 30 years. Even more notably, Black voters in South Carolina saved Bidens campaign during the Democratic primaries after South Carolina U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburns game-changing endorsement.

Then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden delivers remarks on Feb. 29, 2020, at his primary night election event in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

In a nod to South Carolina Black voters and Clyburn, Biden named the Palmetto State the first presidential primary state for the Democratic Party for the 2024 cycle and beyond, and appointed Clyburn as part of his campaigns leadership team.

In a recent interview with theGrio, Clyburn acknowledged the pretty close relationship that has developed between the two men over the years. The 82-year-old House assistant Democratic leader said he believes his longstanding relationship with the Black community will be crucial for the reelection campaign.

My relationship with the faith community, throughout the African-American populace, is a pretty close one and thats a vote that we have to stay connected to over the years, Clyburn told theGrio. He admitted, Weve had some times when we were not closely connected.

What has the Biden-Harris administration accomplished for Black America?

In many ways, the Biden-Harris administration has doubled down on its commitments to the Black community since taking office. On his first day in office, Biden signed an executive order to advance racial equity throughout the entire federal government, appointed a historic number of Black members of his presidential cabinet and nominated a historic number of Black federal judges.

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In his 2024 campaign launch video, Biden highlighted his historic nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court  something political strategist Alencia Johnson said is a huge accomplishment.

President Joe Biden, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and Vice President Kamala Harris appear together at a press conference on April 8, 2022, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the confirmation of Jackson as the first Black woman to reach the Supreme Court. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The former adviser to the Biden-Harris 2020 campaign also noted the administrations work to address environmental racism, including Bidens recent executive order advancing the governments work in environmental justice.

We have a lot of conversations about climate change, but we often do not center it in  the Black and brown communities that are [impacted] the most by environmental issues, Johnson told theGrio. They have also engaged and invested in HBCUs and small businesses that are overwhelmingly Black and Black women-led.

The Biden-Harris administration can also tout that the Black unemployment rate reached its lowest level in U.S. history. Many billion-dollar investments in rebuilding Americas infrastructure and clean energy projects are being targeted at Black and brown communities, which have historically faced discrimination.

U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-NY, said Bidens pardoning of federal marijuana convictions of formerly incarcerated people was a major step toward racial justice.

What he did there to clear the pathway for those individuals to seek housing and employment and have more opportunities post-conviction, I think that was very powerful for formerly incarcerated people who are disproportionately African American, Bowman told theGrio.

Clyburn said Bidens American Rescue Plan  which received no Republican votes  did a lot to provide housing and employment relief to Black and brown communities during the COVID-19 pandemic and lift millions of children out of poverty. He also touted the $65 billion investments in making high-speed internet more accessible and affordable to communities of color.

The challenges for the Biden-Harris campaign as it relates to Black communities

Despite some of the achievements of the Biden-Harris administration, other key campaign promises and issues important to Black voters have reached fruition. Bidens student loan debt forgiveness program, for example, is currently stalled as the Supreme Court decides this summer whether to allow it to proceed.

Student debt relief advocates gather on Feb. 28, 2023, outside of the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

If you want to think about the racial wealth gap, the student loan debt forgiveness relief is extremely important  and President Biden delivered on that promise, said Johnson.

She explained, The reason people arent feeling that [relief]  is not because President Biden did not want to deliver for Black Americans. It is because, unfortunately, even if the president can pass the policies that we so believe in [are] held up in this court, unfortunately, we may not feel that.

Johnson said other promises like voting rights and police reform were held up by filibusters in a tightly divided U.S. Senate.

She also acknowledged that it did take a bit for President Biden to get on board with getting rid of the filibuster to enact federal reforms on voting rights protections and police accountability after a year in office. That did drive a wedge between [the White House and] a lot of activists, said Johnson.

She continued, Unfortunately, now we do have  this slim Republican majority in Congress that is going to hold up any of that legislation unless we can cherry-pick  a handful of Republicans that will allow Democrats to pass something through.

Bowman said he wouldve also liked to see Biden sign an executive order on reparations  something Democrats were unable to do with their slim majority in the 2021-2022 session of Congress.

He really should form a commission to study the need for reparations for African Americans in our country, said the progressive lawmaker. He has the executive power to do it. He absolutely should do it.

How does the Biden-Harris campaign better engage Black communities?

Biden and Harris have significantly engaged with the civil rights community, the Black church community and historically Black fraternities and sororities  also known as the Divine Nine  over the past two and half years, but Bowman said the administration must work to reach other segments of the Black population.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris hold hands on Feb. 3, 2023, after speaking at the Democratic National Committee winter meeting in Philadelphia. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Theres a barbershop community; theres a podcast community; theres the hip-hop community; theres an athlete community, noted the New York congressman. Theres a lot of different Black communities out there that arent plugged into our politics for a variety of reasons. I think he needs to do a better job of engaging them.

Johnson, who runs her own social impact consultancy agency, 1063 West Broad, said it will be important for the Biden-Harris campaign to begin engaging Black voters early in the 2024 cycle.

Clyburn admitted that Democrats have a habit of supporting policies many Black and brown communities rely on and benefit from, like safety net or welfare programs, but we do not spend enough time explaining to people what that commitment is and what weve done.

He said part of his job will be to make sure people understand that this president is running on a record that not only is he proud of [but] that they should be proud of [too].

The role of Vice President Harris in engaging Black voters and women

Vice President Kamala Harris, front, speaks on April 25, 2023 at a rally for reproductive rights at Howard University in Washington, D.C.(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Harris is the first Black, first female and first South Asian vice president. To that end, Bowman hopes the Biden-Harris campaign will rely on her more than ever on the campaign trail. I hope the White House empowers her to do that and it has empowered her to do that, he said.

Clyburn said he believes Harris will be very effective in Bidens reelection efforts, despite people [being] overly cautious not letting her be herself earlier in her vice presidency.

Shes being herself now. People see it, he noted. They saw it in her speech down in Tennessee.

Johnson recalled being at the vice presidents first event since the reelection campaign was announced this week at Howard University. Harris delivered a speech promoting reproductive freedom and gender equality.

She explained: [Harris] talked about reproductive freedom and  about how the [Supreme Court] Dobbs decision has been such a domino effect of taking us back to  the days in which the government was controlling womens bodies, Black bodies, people of colors bodies.

Johnson said the campaign has to let her loose when it comes to these issues because she is so clear on them. That is the reason that she became his vice president on the ticket.

She continued: I look forward to them letting her loose on all of these issues going across the country, not only touting the achievements of the Biden-Harris administration, but really making it plain and putting the Republicans and the conservatives on notice that they have messed with the wrong coalition of people who are led by her.

Gerren Keith Gaynor

Gerren Keith Gaynor is the Managing Editor of Politics and White House Correspondent at theGrio. He is based in Washington, D.C.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post Will Black voters support the Biden-Harris 2024 campaign? appeared first on TheGrio.
Blake Lively has revealed to the disappointment of fans that she will not be attending the 2023 Met Gala.

The Gossip Girl star, 35, who has become a staple at the annual fashion extravaganza, confirmed that she would not be in attendance while speaking to reporters at the re-opening of the Tiffany & Co Fifth Avenue in New York City on Thursday.

After she was asked whether fans would see her on the red carpet-covered Met Gala steps on 1 May 2023, Lively said: You will not, according to People.

However, the actor promised she wouldnt be missing out on the festivities completely, as she said she would be watching.

Lively then joked about the outfit shed be wearing at home on the first Monday in May after a reporter complimented her on the gown shed worn to the 2022 Met Gala, with the A Simple Favor revealing shed be wearing the New York City-inspired Atelier Versace dress again.

Thank you, thats very sweet. Ill be wearing that on my couch, she joked.

For last years Met Gala, which celebrated the theme: In America: An Anthology of Fashion, with the dress code Gilded Glamour, Lively arrived on the red carpet in a strapless copper gown with a large bow inspired by the Statue of Liberty.

As fans, fellow attendees, and her husband Ryan Reynolds watched, Livelys gown then underwent a colourful transformation, with the unveil revealing a teal-coloured train inspired by the constellation decor in Grand Central Station.

Lively, who co-chaired the event alongside Reynolds last year, is no stranger to the Met Gala red carpet, as she has been attending the event since 2008.

Her fashion choices for the night are also some of the most-anticipated, as Lively has been known to match her gowns to the colourful stairs that cover the iconic Met Gala steps on the first Monday of each May.

However, it is unsurprising that Lively will not be attending this years event, as she and Reynolds recently welcomed their fourth child.

On social media, the news has been met with disappointment from fans, who were still hoping to see the actor posing on this years red carpet.

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Whats the point of the Met Gala if theres no Blake Lively? one person tweeted, while another said: A Met Gala with no Blake Lively is NOT the same.

Although Lively will not be in attendance at the annual fundraiser for the Met Galas Costume Institute, she did recently make her return to the red carpet, when she attended the Barnard College Annual Gala in New York City.

This years Met Gala, which will take place on 1 May, will celebrate late designer Karl Lagerfeld with the theme Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, while the official dress code for the event will be: In Honour of Karl.
B&M has already shut down five stores for good this year. Photo: PA/Alamy

B&M (BME.L) is closing stores up and down the country and relocating others as it joins the growing trend of high street closures.

The discount store is closing its Bishop Auckland branch in Country Durham on Friday 5 May.

The retailer said on its website: "Unfortunately your B&M Bishop Auckland store at 4 Saddler Street will CLOSE on Friday 5th May 2023. We'd like to apologise for any inconvenience caused as a result of this closure."

The nearest B&M store is two miles away in Shildon.

Read more: Sainsburys profits slump as it holds back price hikes

It will also be closing the Burnden Retail Park store in Bolton near the end of May but shoppers will still be able to visit the store on Manchester Road nearby.

Elsewhere, B&M will close its Widnes store in Cheshire on 17 May before relocating it to a new site on 24 May.

"Your B&M Widnes store is moving from its current location at Bowers Retail Park to its new home at Widnes Trade Park (former The Range)," the company said

Here's a full list of all the B&M locations permanently closing this year plus those that have already closed:

Castlegate Shopping Centre, Stockton  25 Feb CLOSED

Maesglas Retail Park, Newport, Wales  4 March CLOSED

Boucher Road, Belfast  26 March CLOSED

Queens Drive Retail Park, Kilmarnock  26 March CLOSED

Broadwalk Shopping Centre, Bristol  29 March CLOSED

Bishop Auckland, County Durham  5 May CLOSING

Widnes, Cheshire  17 May CLOSING

Burden Retail Park, Bolton  24 May CLOSING

Read more: Revealed: The UK's favourite seaside destinations

But six stores will also be opening in coming months:

Leven  29 April (re-launch following expansion)

Armagh  5 May (re-launch following expansion)

Widnes  24 May

Fforestfach (Swansea)  26 May

Jarrow  27 May (re-launch following refit)

Fazakerley  31 May

The latest store openings and closures come after B&M scrapped the home delivery option on its main website in a blow for shoppers ordering bulky items online.

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B&M has over 650 stores in the UK.

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KYIV (Reuters) - Two new advisory bodies will help make Ukraine's defence ministry more efficient and transparent, Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Friday.

The Office for the Support of Changes and the Public Anti-Corruption Council were set up earlier this month following allegations that the ministry bought food for troops at inflated prices.

The ministry has also received heavy weaponry from Western allies as Kyiv prepares to launch a counteroffensive against Russian forces after 14 months of war in Ukraine.

"Today is a time for reform, even during this war," Reznikov told an online briefing.

Reznikov said the Office for the Support of Changes had been tasked with "thinking out of the box" to propose institutional changes, including on the procurement of non-lethal resources.

The Public Anti-Corruption Council contained people who were publicly elected by thousands of voters, he said. It will monitor potential corruption risks at the ministry.

Ukraine has stepped up efforts to tackle graft as it seeks accession to the European Union.

A former deputy defence minister and another ministry official have been served with "notices of suspicion" over wrongdoing involving contracts for food purchases for the army, the state anti-corruption agency said last week.

Reznikov said in February that hundreds of officials at the defence ministry or in the armed forces had been disciplined last year after internal audits, and that he had "zero tolerance" for corruption.

(Reporting by Dan Peleschuk, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
An Ada County judge has ruled against taxpayers in Southeast Boises Harris Ranch who fought against a special tax district they argued was unlawful.

The district covering Harris Ranch in Barber Valley, called the Harris Ranch Community Infrastructure District, collects taxes to reimburse developers who spend money on certain types of public infrastructure, such as new streets and parks.

The case revolved around whether taxpayers or developers should be responsible for paying for that infrastructure.

The legal battle reached a resolution Tuesday when 4th District Judge Nancy Baskin denied a petition for judicial review from Larry Crowley and Bill Doyle  two Harris Ranch homeowners  and the Harris Ranch Community Infrastructure District Taxpayers Association, which objected to the tax districts existence and asked for it to be dissolved.

The district was formed in 2010 with just three votes. The first two votes came from the developers, Barber Valley Development and Harris Family Limited Partnership, and the third vote came from the only resident at the time in what would become the district: a farmhand.

When the court case began in May 2022, there were roughly 1,000 homes within the district, all of which have been built since 2010.

The taxpayers had requested that the court find and determine that the adoption of the Harris Ranch (Community Infrastructure District) resolutions and the actions authorized and approved thereby were and are unlawful, invalid and void, according to previous Idaho Statesman reporting.

Baskin wrote in her conclusion that while aggrieved homeowners have the right to challenge a property tax districts final decisions, they have to do so within the 60-day window required by state law.

The attorney representing the taxpayers association, Nicholas Warden, had argued that prior actions should be considered, because those gave the tax districts board the power to carry out two resolutions in 2021 that did fall within the 60-day limit when the court case was filed.

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The two items authorized by the resolutions were $7.1 million in payments to Harris Ranchs developers and the issuance of $5.2 million in bonds to cover the costs of roads and stormwater ponds.

Baskin wrote in the 64-page ruling that the resolutions did not violate the Community Infrastructure District Act, the districts development agreement, the Idaho Constitution or the U.S. Constitution. She said she understands why the petitioners feel aggrieved by the taxes levied in the resolutions, but noted that the court is mindful that nobody is obligated to purchase property within the district.

Crowley, president of the taxpayers association, told the Statesman by phone that its legal team plans to get together early next week to review the ruling and determine next steps.

In the courts decision, Baskin determined that the taxpayers association will not have to pay attorneys fees for the district or Harris Ranch Limited Partnerships because this is a first time the (Community Infrastructure District) Act has been litigated, and petitioners raised many complex matters of first impression challenging the legality of the districts decisions.
James Bond star Eva Green on Friday won a court case in the UK over her $1 million (810,000) acting fee for the never-made science fiction film "A Patriot".

The French actress had sued UK-based production company White Lantern Film at the High Court in London for the fee but the firm countersued, saying she derailed the 4-million project by making "unreasonable demands".

Judge Michael Green ruled the 42-year-old actress was entitled to the sum and dismissed the counter-claim.

"In particular, I find that Ms Green did not renounce her obligations under the artist agreement; nor did she commit any repudiatory breaches of it," the judge said.

Green, famous for her role as Vesper Lynd in 2006 Bond film "Casino Royale", was due to play a soldier.

She signed up to the project in 2018, but became increasingly uneasy as funding issues meant that UK producer Jake Seal began to assume more control.

The star attended a trial in January, where messages between her and production staff were read out.

At one point, she blamed her "Frenchness" for calling a film director "weak and stupid".

Green said in a statement on Friday that her "professional reputation has been upheld."

"I fought tooth and nail to defend the beautiful film that I loved and had signed on for. I stood my ground, and this time, justice prevailed," she said.

"I wish I could say that this ordeal has made me stronger, better, wiser. But to have my personal life dragged through the press and the court was more painful and damaging than I can say."

Max Mallin, lawyer for White Lantern, argued during the trial that Green had shown a "categorical and unequivocal refusal to perform" and repeatedly made "unreasonable demands".

Green told the court that "I don't care about the money. I live to make good films. It's my religion."

The actress was also angry that production was shifting from Ireland to Black Hangar studios in southern England.

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"I need my team around me so that I can handle anything evil Jake (Seal) throws at me", she messaged her agent.

"My team will have to pull out and I will be obliged to take his shitty peasant crew members" from nearby Hampshire, she added.

Green claims that she was not given enough training for the role and accused the producers of "cutting corners".

"Look at what happened with Alec Baldwin on the movie 'Rust'," she told the court.

"Producers cutting corners, no safety measures in place, and a young woman got killed."

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(Getty/iStock)

The world lost a giant this week. In his 96 years on this planet, Harry Belafonte didnt just leave a mark  he blasted the landscape, carved and etched roads and paths others could walk down, as activists and as artists. He loved music and it loved him, but the fight for civil rights became the calling into which he poured his intellect, his clarity of purpose and his impatience with injustice. He had a voice and he used it. His friend Dr Martin Luther King Jr once said the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. I think thats true, but only if, like Dr King and Harry Belafonte, we grab ahold of it and pull. It was one of the honours of my life to know Harry Belafonte, and he taught me one of the most important lessons of my life  while tying his shoes.

I am sitting on Harry s bed. There is only one chair in this small hotel room, and Bob Geldof is sitting on it as we watch our host get dressed. I recall the old French proverb No man is great in the eyes of his valet, but Harry Belafonte is great even when hes pulling on his pants. What am I doing here? His backing band once included Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. He is the king of calypso; he sang The Banana Boat Song (Day-O), a track released on the first-ever million-selling album. Hes also a lifelong troublemaker for equality. And so good-looking he probably never had to check himself in a mirror.

Right now we are his mirror as he tightens the belt of his trousers and locks us both in his gaze, one eyebrow raised suggesting a collegial questioning of his appearance, but with no interest in the reply. We are another kind of mirror. Belafonte, now in his early seventies, has been fighting injustice since before we were born. With his combination of charm and admonition he has written the playbook for every artist-activist who came after him. In the 1960s, he reminds us, he marched in step with his friend Martin Luther King Jr in the civil rights movement, and as he bends to tie the laces of his shoes  which I would gladly have done  he tells us a story that has shaped every day of my life since.

From Irish writers in theatre  Wilde and Beckett, Synge and Behan  he segues into the Irish in politics, where we anticipate similar thrall with the arrival onstage of Irish royalty, the Kennedys. Not quite. Harry Belafonte rounds on Bobby Kennedy as a heel dragger, an obstacle in the way of the charging civil rights movement. I want to object that this was not how Id seen it. But then I remember Im not Black, I wasnt there, and, anyway, Harry has the floor. He also has a speaking voice that sounds as if a fuzzbox were attached to his vocal cords, lending melodrama to his simplest expression. And with this stage whisper, he transports us back in time.

When Jack Kennedy appointed Bobby to attorney general in 61, it was such a setback to our struggle that it caused one of the most heated debates we ever had at the SCLC [Southern Christian Leadership Conference].

Everyone in the room was sounding off about Bobby Kennedy. How he lacked the inspiration of his brother John, the president. That he was known to have warned JFK off trying to reconcile our agenda with that of the Democratic Party. Bobby was sure that if the White House got too close to the civil rights movement, it would cost the Democrats dear in the South, where holding the highest office in the land as a Catholic was already a stretch. By all accounts, he confessed, Scratch the surface and many who carry the banner of the Democratic Party would not exactly be antislavery.

As the conversation grew more heated, Harry recalled how he turned to Martin Luther King, who he could tell was growing tired with the bitchin about Bobby Kennedy. Martin slams his hand on the table to snap everyone out of it. Does anyone here have anything positive to say about our new attorney general?

Harry Belafonte performs at the Circus Krone Bau, Munich (Getty)

No, Martin, thats what were telling you, comes the reply. Theres nothin good about this man; hes an Irish redneck, got no time for the Black mans struggle.

Dr King, said Harry, had heard enough and adjourned the meeting. Gentlemen, Im releasing you into the world to find one positive thing to say about Bobby Kennedy, because that one positive thing will be the door through which our movement will have to pass.

If I hadnt been sure what Id come looking for at the feet of Harry Belafonte, suddenly it was all clear. The search for common ground starts with a search for higher ground. Even with your opponents. Especially with your opponents. A lightbulb moment for me and a conviction thats informed my life as a campaigner ever since. The simple but profound idea that you dont have to agree on everything if the one thing you do agree on is important enough. But, hold on, school isnt out.

Harry Belafonte hasnt finished our lesson.

Years later, he continues, when Bobby Kennedy lay dying on the kitchen floor of a Los Angeles hotel, hed become a civil rights hero. A leader, not a laggard, in our movement, and I ask myself to this day if we got him wrong in those early days. Ill never know, but I still grieve his loss. So did you find it? asks Bob, raising the question we were both thinking. When the meeting reconvened, did you find that one positive thing Dr King was looking for? We did. Bobby was close to his bishop, who was in turn close to some of our clergy from the South. We found a door to move through.

This extract was published with kind permission from the author. Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story is available now
A week-long push by Westchester County lawmakers to oust their leader came to a head on Friday when she lost a lawsuit to block them and resigned shortly before they were set to remove her.

Catherine Borgia, chairwoman of the 17-member Board of Legislators, had sued on Wednesday and won a temporary order that prevented her colleagues from voting that day on her removal. But that barrier was lifted on Friday when acting state Supreme Court Justice Robert Prisco dismissed the case, which had argued the board had no power to depose her.

The board met after the ruling at 4 p.m. Friday but its vote was no longer needed. Borgia had submitted her resignation a half-hour earlier.

In a statement afterward, Borgia, who will keep her board seat, said it was an honor to serve as chairwoman and touted accomplishments that "cannot be erased." She condemned the drive to remove her, noted "overwhelming" support she had gotten, and warned of "a precedent that will dangerously weaken this institution."

"Every Chair of this body will be seated knowing that if nine colleagues disagree with any of the myriad decisions that the position requires, he/she/ they can also be removed at any time," she said. "I'm saddened that my colleagues chose to take the path that most endangers the work of the County."

Westchester County lawmakers have sought to oust Catherine Borgia as chairwoman for her initial handling of reports that an aide solicited sex from a minor in an amateur sting operation.

What led to Borgia's resignation?

The clash stemmed from Borgia's response to emails alleging that a legislative aide, Anand Singh, had solicited sex from what he thought was a 14-year-old girl. She ultimately fired Singh on April 13, after a vigilante group posted a video about its sting operation on YouTube. But her colleagues were upset she kept him on staff for four months and didn't consult others after the first alerts in December.

Borgia's fellow Democrats publicly asked Borgia to step aside as chairwoman on Monday, saying they had lost confidence in her leadership. But she defended her actions and refused to relinquish her post, leading to an unusual legal clash.

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In the lawsuit to retain her post, Borgia's attorney, Michael Tawil, argued that the board couldn't remove her because its rules and the county charter made no provision to remove a chairperson in the middle of a term.

Deputy County Attorney Justin Adin countered that the board's authority to remove a chairperson was "inherent" in its power to select one. He also argued the court had no jurisdiction over the dispute because it involved the board "internal workings."

Borgia has been a county lawmaker for more than 11 years and chairwoman since January 2022. She is due to leave office at the end of the year, barred by county law from serving more than 12 years. Her salary was $120,000, including a $45,000 stipend for her leadership position and the $75,000 base salary for legislators.

With her resignation, Vice Chairwoman Nancy Barr moved into the top position until legislators choose a new leader within 60 days.

Court fight: Top Westchester lawmaker sues to stop her removal by board for mishandling aide scandal

Board revolt: Top Westchester lawmaker asked to step down over handling of aide embroiled in sex sting

What happens now in Singh case?

The video about Singh, made by a group that exposes online sexual predators, alleges he sent lewd messages to a "decoy" and drove to meet her in New Jersey, where he was confronted. The Westchester County District Attorney's Office opened an investigation after learning about the allegations and video this month.

Lawmakers faulted Borgia for failing to consider the safety of Singh's fellow staff members and office visitors by allowing him to remain at work. She fired back in a statement that accused her colleagues of waging a "witch hunt" against her for their own political gain and out of misogyny.

Chris McKenna covers government and politics for the Journal News and USA Today Network. Reach him at cmckenna@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on New York State Team: Westchester lawmaker resigns as leader after aide's sex sting scandal
Indigenous reserves are considered a bulwark against Amazon deforestation

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday decreed six new Indigenous reserves, including a vast Amazon territory, after a freeze in such expansion under his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.

Under the decrees, Indigenous people are guaranteed exclusive use of natural resources on these lands, viewed by scientists as a bulwark against Amazon deforestation -- a major challenge in the fight against climate change.

They also commit the Brazilian state to protecting reserve land from intrusions of timber traffickers or illegal miners -- the main contributors to forest destruction.

Lula signed the official decrees covering 620,000 hectares of land on the final day of a gathering of Indigenous people from around the country in the capital Brasilia.

"It is a time-consuming process, but we are going to make sure that as many Indigenous reserves as possible are legalized," the president said.

"If we want to achieve zero deforestation by 2030, we need registered Indigenous reserves."

Under four years of Bolsonaro, who had vowed to not cede "one more centimeter" of land to Brazil's Indigenous communities, average annual deforestation had increased by 75 percent compared to the previous decade.

Bolsonaro instigated policies that favored the agriculture and logging industries, which are mostly responsible for deforestation.

Two of the six new reserves are in the Amazon.

The largest, named Unieuxi, was allocated to 249 members of the Maku and Tukano peoples on more than 550,000 hectares in the northern state of Amazonas.

Two others are in the country's northeast, one in the south, and one in central Brazil.

Fridays announcement was made at a closing ceremony for the 19th edition of "Terra Livre" (Free Land), a gathering of thousands of Indigenous peoples from across the vast country.

"This lifts a weight from our shoulders," 44-year-old Unieuxi resident Claudia Tomas told AFP-TV. "It's the best news we could have gotten, that our lands have been legalized. It fills us with hope."

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Tehe Pataxo, 29, is still waiting for news on demarcation of his traditional land in the northeastern state of Bahia, but said the move "reassures us about the future of our children."

Lula signed the decrees next to prominent Indigenous leaders such as chief Raoni Metuktire, who presented him with a traditional headdress of blue and red feathers.

According to the latest census, dating from 2010, Brazil is home to about 800,000 Indigenous people. Most of them live on reserves that take up 13.75 percent of the national territory.

- 'Fighting to recover' -

The last declaration of a new Indigenous reserve in Brazil dates to five years ago, when then-president Michel Temer granted the Guato people rights to 20,000 hectares (some 49,400 acres) of ancestral land in the western Mato Grosso state.

Lula vowed to approve new reserves "as soon as possible" after taking office for a third term on January 1. He had previously served as president from 2003 to 2010.

He created the country's first-ever ministry for Indigenous affairs, under Minister Sonia Guajajara.

"When they say that you occupy 14 percent of the territory and that it is a lot, it is necessary to remember that before the arrival of the Portuguese you occupied 100 percent," Lula said to loud cheers by the crowd who made the "L" of Lula with an index finger and thumb.

More reserves are in the pipeline: Guajajara announced last month that 14 reserves were ready to be legalized -- covering nearly 900,000 hectares in total.

These included the six announced Friday.

"We are going to write a new history, for the sake of all humanity, of our planet," Guajajara said after Friday's signing.

"We, the Indigenous peoples, represent only five percent of the worlds population, but we preserve more than 80 percent of the worlds biodiversity," she added.

lg/pt/mlr/caw
The first Chinese production of the Phantom of the Opera will premiere at the Shanghai Grand Theatre on May 2, and theater lovers in China are clearly looking forward to it, if the audience numbers of a recent livestream are anything to go by.

A few days after the Phantom of the Opera had its last curtain call on Broadway on April 16, the Shanghai Grand Theatre, which is behind the first Chinese production of the musical, lit up the musical's signature chandelier at its premises on April 19.

The lighting of the 3-meter-wide chandelier, which has more than 6,000 crystal beads and weighs 1 metric ton, was livestreamed on multiple internet platforms and watched by more than 1 million people.

One of the most popular musical productions in the world, the Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber is the longest-running show in Broadway history. Since its debut in 1986, the musical has been performed in 85 cities around the world.

The Chinese production will be the 18th language the show is performed in.

Two weeks before its premiere, the Shanghai Grand Theatre invited members of the media for a backstage tour. Denny Berry, the executive choreographer for the Chinese edition, who also used to work with the flagship production in New York, told the media that being in Shanghai was "bittersweet" as her colleagues had to "put to bed the flagship production" while she had to be here in another country to bring to life the musical's first Mandarin production.

Stage rehearsals for the Chinese production began on the same day the Phantom of the Opera had its final curtain call at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway.

The Chinese production team consists of more than 120 members, 40 of whom work with the technical department.

According to Rainer Fried, the executive director of the Chinese production, all casting was conducted online in a "nerve-wrecking, long process" due to the pandemic. It was only six weeks ago that more than 40 cast members from the original Webber production landed in Shanghai.

Fried describes the feeling of walking into the rehearsal room and meeting the cast as "emotional, moving and scary", but he expresses satisfaction with the casting choices. "We haven't made a single casting mistake. The actors exceeded expectations completely. I can't speak highly enough of them," he says.

Fried adds that he was especially impressed with the translation team, who stayed close by in the room during the rehearsals in Shanghai, an unusual practice compared to other international productions.

"I realized the great difficulty in translating a show as big as the Phantom into Chinese.  I am grateful for the devoted and passionate translation team. Their input ensured the first Chinese production would be a beautiful show," he says.

According to Zhao Chenlin, executive producer of the show, the installation of the stage settings and technical rehearsals required an entire month because of the amount of work involved. She notes that the props and equipment alone filled 22 trucks, and unloading them took three whole nights.

The scene of the secret lake under the Opera Garnier, Zhao points out, is one example of how detailed the settings for the Chinese production are. To achieve a misty, fantasy-like effect on the lake surface, the production crew will use more than 280 candles, dry ice weighing 250 kilograms and 10 smoke machines.

Jill Parker, the assistant costume designer, says that most of the props and costumes were specially made for the Chinese production, with only a small portion inherited from touring productions.

"From handsewn rhinestones to the gowns to elaborate embroideries to layers after layers of fabric, there is not a costume in Phantom that isn't labor-intensive," she says. "Some are so fragile they have to be cleaned by hand after use."

One of the three male actors who will play the title role of the Phantom is Ayunga, who is also the co-producer of the Chinese musical.

The Chinese production of the Phantom of the Opera is of great significance to the future development of China's theater industry, he says, noting that the Japanese edition that premiered in 1988 helped the production company become a leading player in Asia. The Korean edition also left a great impact on the live show business in South Korea.

"We have now planted the seeds, and I believe that with the success of the Chinese Phantom, the musical scene in China will go on to blossom."
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP)  Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday granted official recognition of nearly 800 square miles of Indigenous lands, most of it in the Amazon, in a move that seeks to safeguard critical rainforest from the unchecked exploitation that marked his predecessor's administration.

Lula's action was partial delivery on his promises to the Indigenous supporters and environmentally minded voters who lifted him to a narrow victory last year over far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who had encouraged widespread development of the Amazon -- both legal and illegal -- and pledged not to grant one more inch of land to Indigenous peoples.

The land remains under the federal governments jurisdiction, but the designation grants Indigenous peoples the right to use it in their traditional manner. Mining activities are prohibited, and commercial farming and logging require specific authorizations. And non-Indigenous people are forbidden from engaging in any economic activity on Indigenous lands.

Kleber Karipuna, executive coordinator at Indigenous peoples organization Apib, called it a welcome shift after four years of threats and invasions targeting Indigenous territories under Bolsonaro.

For us, it is a very significant process of restarting," he said. Of course, there are still other lands that can be advanced.

The Amazon rainforest, covering an area twice the size of India, holds tremendous amounts of carbon and is a crucial buffer against climate change. Studies have shown that Indigenous-controlled forests are the best-preserved in the Brazilian Amazon.

But deforestation surged to a 15-year high during the Bolsonaro years, with destruction largely caused by illegal miners and land-robbers. Destruction in the eastern Amazon has been so extensive that it has become a carbon source, rather than a carbon sink.

The designations granted Friday don't assure protection for the rainforest, with Bolsonaro allies still in charge of a majority of Amazon states. But Lula has shown a willingness to back up his rhetoric with action. In February, armed government officials began ejecting illegal gold miners from Yanomami Indigenous territory in the northwest corner of Brazil's Amazon.

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The six newly recognized territories amount to an area larger than Los Angeles and New York City combined. Lula announced it to a chanting crowd at the Free Land Camp, an annual weeklong encampment of Indigenous people in the capital of Brasilia that includes hundreds of tents on the main esplanade with Indigenous people of various ethnicities gathering to dance, sing, sell handicrafts and hold political demonstrations.

We are going to legalize Indigenous lands. It is a process that takes a little while, because it has to go through many hands, Lula said. I dont want any Indigenous territory to be left without demarcation during my government. That is the commitment I made to you.

For some Indigenous people, Friday's announcement was disappointingly small. The country has 733 territories with cases for demarcation pending before the federal government; the newly recognized territories accounted for just 6% of that number, according to Socio-Environmental Institute, a nonprofit.

In January, Lula's government had pledged to create 14 new territories in the short term.

Among lands that missed out was the Barra Velha territory of the Pataxo people in southern Bahia state. Renato Atxuab, a Pataxo leader, said this government that we supported, that we helped build must demarcate their land as soon as possible to prevent invasions by outsiders.

Already there are conflicts involving agribusiness and land-grabbers, he said, and drug traffickers have been moving in, too.

Atxuab said he has met with the Indigenous Peoples minister  a newly created position under Lula's government  but has not been given any date for his lands demarcation.

The largest new area is located in the Amazonas state. The Nadob people's Uneiuxi Indigenous Territory has been expanded by 37% to 554,000 hectares (2,100 square miles) of primary rainforest. It is in a remote area  from the main village, it takes four days to travel to the closest city in a low-powered motor boat, the most common mode of transportation in the region.

The demarcation will make the Nadob people feel safe and protected within our territory. That is where we live, fish, hunt, and gather fruits. We want to continue there, like our ancestors, chief Eduardo Castelo, 45, told The Associated Press in a phone interview. We dont want the impact of the whites on our territory.

___

Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about APs climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
The Duval County School Board abruptly canceled a highly anticipated meeting centered around several teachers at a Jacksonville high school.

Action News Jax told you last month when former Douglas Anderson School of the Arts Vocal Department Chair, Jeffrey Clayton was arrested and charged with sex crimes involving a student. Since then, more allegations have come to light, and more school employees have been reassigned due to investigations.

The school board held a special meeting Wednesday, discussing hiring an outside law firm to investigate the district. A follow-up meeting was supposed to be held on Friday, but 20 minutes before the start time, it was postponed due to pending legal matters.

Board Chairwoman Dr. Kelly Coker released the following statement:

At the request of the Office of General Counsel, the special meeting of the Duval County School Board scheduled for today (April 28, 2023) has been postponed due to pending legal matters.

I will provide information about rescheduling the meeting after further consultation with the Office of General Counsel.

RELATED: Duval schools superintendent Diana Greene, General Counsel negotiating terms of separation agreement

We were surprised to see the meeting canceled, but well find out if thats a good thing or bad thing in the days to come, Benjamin Dixon said. Hes a former teacher and current pastor. Dixon came out to support Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene.

Some other familiar faces from Wednesdays meeting were back again on Friday to voice their opinions.

As soon as the first Black female superintendent showed up, he [Clayton] had an investigation, Sharmin Smith said. He ended up arrested.

RELATED: NAACP Jacksonville throws support behind DCPS superintendent in newly released statement

Smith refers to the recent arrest of Clayton, who has been with the school since 2000. Three other teachers were removed from the classroom in the last few weeks for unknown reasons.

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The State Board of Education Commissioner, Manny Diaz, sent a letter, on Tuesday, accusing Greene of not reporting 50 cases of misconduct until just last week. Some of those cases date back to 2020. Its raised questions over who is responsible.

Greene responded to the criticism on Friday.

Letter of Response to Commissioner Diaz (04-28-2023) by ActionNewsJax on Scribd

What happened at Douglas Anderson was tragic and shameful, Dixon said. But, I think there needs to be an additional investigation into the people who are trying to lay this at the feet of one of the most successful superintendents weve ever had.

Dixons sentiments echo those of the NAACP Jacksonville Branch, which issued a statement Friday, urging the school board to abandon the political tactics or witch hunts.

RELATED: New documents reveal former Douglas Anderson teacher had several complaints prior to recent arrest

Others dont have as much faith in Greene and have more questions regarding who knew what and when.

The law has to be followed. If the law is not followed, theres systems in place to find out who the lawbreaker are, Joey Marmo said. If shes a lawbreaker, she needs to go.

RELATED: State questions Duval County Public Schools over reporting of arrested Douglas Anderson teacher

Some parents and Douglas Anderson alumni believe the questions over Greene are taking away from the victims.

Theres parents of DA students and DA alumni here who feel that they want the attention brought back and centered on the students and victims, Dr. Jennifer Cowart said. And, that theres some other things happening -- maybe with the superintendent or others -- that they feel in some ways, this is taking the spotlight off of where it needs to be.

Cowart is the mother of two DCPS students and came out to show support for the Douglas Anderson community.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

They are with teachers whom we trust, Cowart said. When something like this happens and theres a breach of trust, we need to be able to know that the system works -- that it identifies these people who are breaking our trust.

No word yet on when the special meeting will be rescheduled as of Friday evening.

The school board has its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

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School board member Charlotte Joyce of District 6 sent Action News Jax this statement in regard to the cancellation of the meeting:

The cancellation of todays special meeting is unfortunate and extremely concerning. This meeting which was supposed to be held at the beginning of the week has been postponed yet again.

To say I am frustrated is an understatement. The situation with Douglas Anderson has been ongoing for over a month and the board still has not had an opportunity to discuss the issues around the reporting and what is being done within the District to remedy the situation. No one has been put on administrative leave and only one individual has been reassigned.

This Board was elected by the taxpayers of Duval County and they deserve to hear a conversation about this issue. More importantly, the students and community of Douglas Anderson deserve better than this. They have been left in the dark and this is completely unacceptable.

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A Black woman palpates her breast to check for signs of breast cancer. (Getty Images)

Breast cancer is the second-most-common cancer among women and the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Even though it's slightly less prevalent among Black than white women in the U.S., Black women are more likely to die from the disease.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)  a group of independent medical experts who make recommendations about clinical preventive services, such as screening tests  recommends that women begin breast cancer screening at age 50. However, the group notes that women have the choice to begin getting mammograms earlier, starting at 40.

Now researchers involved in a large new study are proposing that health policymakers and clinicians consider screening Black women for breast cancer earlier than other racial and ethnic groups, starting at age 42. This strategy, the researchers said, could reduce the breast cancer mortality gap that exists between Black and white women.

The current one-size-fits-all policy to screen the entire female population from a certain age may be neither fair and equitable nor optimal, the researchers wrote in the study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open last week.

A nurse prepares a patient for mammography. (Getty Images)

Although Black women are diagnosed with breast cancer at similar rates as other ethnicities, they have dramatically higher mortality rates. Compared with white women, Black women have a 4% lower incidence rate of breast cancer but a 40% higher risk of dying from the disease.

The significant breast cancer mortality disparity between the two groups has remained stable since 2011 after widening over the past three decades, according to the researchers.

The study looked at a total of 415,277 female breast cancer deaths in the U.S. from 2011 to 2020. The dataset included age, race and ethnicity categories.

The researchers then estimated the 10-year cumulative risk of dying from breast cancer in the general population after reaching age 50  the time the USPSTF recommends that women begin biennial mammograms. Based on the data, the study authors concluded that Black women reach this risk level at 42, roughly eight years before white women, and they propose that it would make sense to screen them earlier.

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The take-home message for U.S. clinicians and health policymakers is simple. Clinicians and radiologists should consider race and ethnicity when determining the age at which breast cancer screening should begin, Dr. Mahdi Fallah, one of the authors of the study and leader of the Risk-Adapted Cancer Prevention Group at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, Germany, told CNN.

Robert A. Smith, senior vice president of cancer screening at the American Cancer Society, said the study was nicely done and he expects it to generate considerable discussion about enduring disparities in the risk of breast cancer death between Black and white women.

A young Black woman prepares for a breast exam and mammogram. (Getty Images)

This study suggests that our current recommendations for mammographic screening in the U.S. (and the age at which women start this screening) should not be uniform and should instead be based on ones risk of breast cancer, Dr. Rachel Freedman, a breast medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, told Yahoo News in an email.

She noted that current guidelines for breast cancer screening already recommend that the time a woman initiates routine mammograms be based on her risk of developing cancer. However, race and ethnicity have not been traditional factors that are considered in these decisions, and perhaps they should be.

Smith said that, as the authors of the study noted, cancer screening guidelines have historically been based on risk in the general population, even though certain groups may have different levels of risk.

[Key medical devices are failing to diagnose Black patients accurately, research shows]

More and more, there are calls to tailor recommendations not only to group differences but individual differences, since individuals in groups can have similar variance in the risks we see between groups, Smith said in an email.

But both Smith and Freedman noted that many medical groups breast cancer screening recommendations already differ somewhat from the USPSTF guidelines referenced in the study.

A woman does a breast self-exam at home. (Getty Images)

The American Cancer Society recommends that all women begin screening at age 45, Smith said, adding that women should also have the opportunity to begin screening earlier. Most women, he explained, do not wait until they are 50 to get their first mammogram and instead begin screening in their early 40s.

Smith also said his organization is in the process of updating its breast cancer screening guidelines.

We are examining the scientific literature for how screening guidelines could differ for women in different racial and ethnic groups, and by other risk factors, in a way that would reduce disparities based on risk and disparities in outcome, he said.

Although earlier screening may be beneficial for women of all ethnicities, some experts have doubts that earlier screening for Black Americans will make a dramatic impact on the current disparities in mortality rates because these disparities, they say, are more strongly correlated to things such as socioeconomic differences and differences in access to health care, which earlier screening recommendations cannot address.

[Black people are more likely to die from certain cancers, new study finds]

Biological factors also contribute to the disparity in the breast cancer mortality rate between Black and white women, experts say. According to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Black women are disproportionately affected by more aggressive subtypes, such as triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and inflammatory breast cancer. They are also more likely to get diagnosed at an earlier age and when the disease has progressed to advanced stages.

A sonographer performs an ultrasound scan on a woman's body. (Getty images)

Freedman said that early screening may have some impact in reducing the breast cancer mortality gap because it may find cancers earlier, but there are multiple factors that go into the long-term outcome of a woman with the disease. Some of these include tumor features, tumor biology, treatments received, barriers to care, lack of access to high-quality care, and disproportionate degrees of poverty in Black women compared with white women, she said.

Screening is an important piece but certainly not the only piece, Freedman explained. In some places where screening rates are high across race and ethnicities, you will still see mortality differences.

Even though Freedman thinks the study's findings are intriguing and should be followed up with further studies, these are are not sufficient to change current screening practices, she told Yahoo News.

The researchers who conducted the study acknowledged that multiple factors, including those highlighted by Freedman, contribute to the disparity in the breast cancer mortality rate between Black women and women of other ethnicities. But even though these issues are complex, the authors propose this early testing strategy as an easy step that could potentially make a difference.

Making everything too complex may lead to doing nothing, the researchers said. One can try to start from a first scientific step (like race- and ethnicity-adapted screening) and evaluate and build more complex steps along the way and reevaluate. Otherwise, the racial and ethnic disparity of early-onset BC [breast cancer] mortality may continue or even widen again.
The new artistic director of the country's oldest working theatre said she was making her first season one of joy and community.

Nancy Medina said she wanted Bristol Old Vic to have "a real presence" in the city.

"I think Bristol is a city with a lot of rebellious spirit and a good sense of humour," Ms Medina told BBC Points West.

She added that due to the pandemic, she wanted to bring people together.

"I think a lot about what this first season will be, and it is one of joy," she said.

"We need that, I think, with the last three years of the pandemic and how isolated we felt physically, mentally, emotionally.

"Here is an invitation to be a part of a community for an evening: laugh together, feel together, think together, connect."

Ms Medina will direct Choir Boy by writer Tarell Alvin McCraney as her first production for Bristol Old Vic.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk
Mondaire Jones is gearing up for a potential run for his old House seat, which could tee up a ugly primary with the sister of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in must-win territory for Democrats.

While the ex-congressman is publicly saying hes undecided, four people familiar with his plans say hes prepping a run for his former New York seat. Thatll likely pit him against Liz Whitmer Gereghty, who has filed federal campaign paperwork and is slated to officially launch her bid soon.

Democrats are bracing for the showdown  in one of several New York districts they need to claw back their House majority  to get nasty.

Jones backers are already peeved at what they see as an unnecessarily messy primary that will detract from efforts to flip the seat. Adding to the angst: Jones and his allies already felt hed been screwed out of the seat in 2022, after former House Democratic campaign chair Sean Patrick Maloney ran in Jones district following a redistricting saga. And then Maloney lost in the general, after an aggressive national GOP campaign, to Rep. Mike Lawler.

I want him to run. He needs to run, said Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) of Jones. What Sean Patrick Maloney did was bullshit. That should have been Mondaires seat.

I didnt even know her sister lived in the district, he added, referring to Gereghty. And I dont know many people who know her.

Gereghty supporters note shes lived in the area for two decades and serves on a local school board. And even some of Jones former New York colleagues are tepid about his return after his unsuccessful run for a different seat  miles away from his old one  after last years redistricting mess.

Jones has reached out to those members in recent days, according to four people familiar with the conversations, and its not clear how many of his former colleagues would support his comeback bid.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), a fellow progressive, said she didnt want to get involved before anyone officially entered the primary.

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Mondaire being in a neighboring district, were always kind of talking and chatting, she said. I think those are decisions thats very personal and I think its one that I defer to him.

And Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus political arm, said he wasnt going to weigh in yet, either: Ill give everyone the opportunity to make their case to see who would be the best candidate.

Thats the standard line from most members, for now, but the potential matchup threatens to pit members of the New York delegation against their Michigan counterparts and senior Black Caucus members against allies of the popular Democratic governor.

The race will also test competing views on how the party should run in competitive districts: by juicing up the progressive base or appealing to the center. Jones was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus while Gereghty seems more likely to carve out a more moderate lane. She met Thursday with the executive director of the New Democrat Coalition Action Fund, the political arm of the centrist group, according to a person familiar with the situation.

New Yorks 17th District, which includes parts of Westchester County and all of Rockland and Putnam counties, is a crucial battleground for Democrats who saw Maloney, their own 2022 campaign chief, lose it in the midterms. After a court tossed out the map New York Democrats drew following the 2020 census, Maloney declared he would run in the new 17th district, which included most of Jones current turf, leaving the first-term lawmaker with no clear political home.

The bitter feelings havent subsided in Jones camp, and his allies are eager to clear his path for 2024.

We saw what happened the last time political elites in Washington tried to determine the Democratic nominee in the district he represented 75 percent of, Rep. Nikema Williams (D-Ga.) said. She praised Jones as a highly productive member who could retake the seat.

Maloneys shocking upset last year forced the district, which President Joe Biden won by 10 points, to the top of Democrats 2024 target list. The party has signaled its willing to spend heavily to recapture Biden-won districts in New York after suffering unexpected losses in 2022.

Other candidates could still emerge in the race, but so far, Gereghty is the only Democrat who has filed.

Both Jones and Gereghty bring their own advantages. Jones could draw from wells of support among other national Democrats and the powerful Congressional Black Caucus. As a first-term lawmaker, he had carved out a niche by vocally calling for the expansion of the Supreme Court. Hes stayed active in local politics, too.

Hes a dear friend, and Id like to see him come back, and so I would love to be able to support him, said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), who served with Jones on the House Judiciary Committee.

Gereghty, for her part, has been reaching out to members in the Michigan delegation, and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) has been helping with the early stages of her campaign. Gereghtys campaign manager will be Carissa Best, who led Rep. Hillary Scholtens (D-Mich.) successful campaign to flip a Grand Rapids-based seat in 2022.

We love her, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) said of Gereghty, though she is not yet endorsing and is also friendly with Jones.

New York has lost some female leadership over the years, the Michigan Democrat added. Shes been steeped in that community for decades and is on the school board and was a small business owner and a mom.

Jones, first elected in 2020, would not likely not launch a run until the third quarter of the year and wouldnt make a final decision before May, according to a person familiar with his thinking. But he is starting to assemble his political operation and a campaign staff-in-waiting. Some Democrats on the ground in his district are urging him to jump in, too.

Mondaire has a great relationship with most of the voters in NY-17 and its unfortunate others would risk forcing a divisive primary instead of uniting around our strongest candidate to beat Mike Lawler, Rockland County Democratic Party Chair Schenley Vital said in a statement.

Jones, he added, was forced out of office by some in the national party establishment.
A college professor said he found an easy way to catch AI-generated plagiarism after finding phony citations in some of ChatGPT's content.

"It's very easy to identify the fake references," said Terence Day, a physical geography professor at Okanagan College in British Columbia. "All you need to do, really, is to check them up on the internet."

WATCH MORE FOX NEWS DIGITAL ORIGINALS HERE

Day suggested that professors require students to attach a hyperlink for each reference included on a class work.

"That's usually done in terms of what's generally called the DOI, the digital object identifier, and that is a hyperlink," he told Fox News. "You click on that. Does it exist? Does it not exist?"

Day detailed his detection method for fake AI citations in a peer-reviewed research paper published earlier this month in The Professional Geographer. He developed the approach after experimenting with ChatGPT and found it produced answers to his geography-themed questions with seemingly legitimate citations.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

But upon further inspection, those AI-generated references turned out to be fake, according to the professor.

"The references and the citations associated with my inquiries  were unfamiliar to me," he told Fox News. "So, I checked them out. And what I found was that they were all completely bogus."

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: WHAT IS IT USED FOR?

Students are increasingly using ChatGPT to complete school assignments.

"I went to the home pages of the journals and I went through the volumes and the page numbers, and they were not there," Day continued.

The professor said he entered some of the ChatGPT-cited journal titles into Google Scholar, a scholarly literature search engine, but they didn't appear.

"I was a little flummoxed and tried one or two more  and more and more and more," he told Fox News. "I never found one that was accurate, complete and existent."

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Day said all the citations he double-checked were seemingly falsified. He added that they were "presumably produced by the algorithm as part of a predictive process based on the  limited training that it has in a particular field."

CHATGPT: WHO AND WHAT IS BEHIND THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOL CHANGING THE TECH LANDSCAPE

The professor said he felt his approach could more reliably detect plagiarism than competing AI software.

"There is a growing interest in terms of plagiarism detection software, which is capable of detecting a AI chatbot's written material," he told Fox News. "The problem is it only gives a probability that the material is plagiarized, and it cannot definitively state whether or not it was written by a person or whether it was written by the ChatGPT."

Terence Day entered ChatGPT-generated citations into Google Scholar, only to find that they were fabricated.

Day said he believed his method's simplicity decreased ambiguity around whether a student cheated.

"The advantage of the approach that I'm promoting here is the idea is just simply checking the references," he told Fox News. "If the references exist, that  suggests that probably it's genuine."

"If the paper does not exist, then I'm sorry. You got caught," the professor added.

To watch the full interview, click here.
Editors note: This story was updated Friday, April 28, to include the correct title for Jim Nold at Hurst-Rosche, Inc. and a statement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The mayors of Cahokia Heights and East St. Louis are calling on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help them fix a $100 million problem they say is causing chronic flooding in their communities.

Cahokia Heights Mayor Curtis McCall Sr., East St. Louis Mayor Robert Eastern III and representatives from their engineering firms said during a Thursday news conference that they need to address a longstanding capacity issue in the major stormwater drainage canal known as Harding Ditch. And they want help with the large estimated price tag for the work from the federal government.

Last week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers presented the cities with recommendations from a floodplain management study that included cleaning small ditches, repairing culverts and upgrading pump stations.

But local officials say flooding would persist despite those efforts because Harding Ditch  the canal those ditches, culverts and pump stations drain into  becomes overwhelmed during heavy rain when it fills with water from neighboring communities.

The 14-mile-long Harding Ditch runs through Collinsville, Caseyville, Hollywood Heights, unincorporated OFallon, Fairview Heights, French Village, Washington Park, Belleville, Swansea, East St. Louis and Cahokia Heights.

More rain has been flowing into the canal for years as communities have shifted from farmland, which used to absorb the stormwater, to parking lots and development, officials say. Sediment has also built up over time inside the canal and along its walls, making it more narrow.

Its sort of like when your gutters dont get cleaned out at home and the water runs off your roof. The water cant go in the gutters so it spills over the top. Except in this case, (water from) your neighbors roof is going into your gutter, too, Jim Nold, a senior project manager for Cahokia Heights engineering firm, said during the news conference. Nold works for Hurst-Rosche, Inc.

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Cahokia Heights and East St. Louis officials say Harding Ditch, pictured here near Lake Drive in Cahokia Heights, becomes overwhelmed during heavy rain when it fills with water from neighboring communities.

The agency responsible for Harding Ditch, the Metro East Sanitary District, has been doing minimal maintenance on the canal for decades because thats what it could afford. Officials said Thursday that lower income communities support the sanitary district, while wealthier communities that benefit from the drainage dont contribute tax dollars.

Metro East Sanitary District Executive Director Rick Fancher said the budget this year is a little over $3 million, and the district has 28 employees.

The cities whose residents pay the sanitary district include:

East St. Louis

Cahokia Heights

Washington Park

Brooklyn

Fairmont City

Granite City

Pontoon Beach

Madison

Venice

McCall and his son Curtis McCall Jr., an assistant superintendent in Cahokia School District 187, provided copies of their 2021 tax bills to reporters showing they paid the Metro East Sanitary District $26.93 and $55.57, respectively.

McCall Sr. described the situation as environmental and institutional racism because the communities suffering from flooding and shouldering the maintenance costs are predominantly Black.

East St. Louis NAACP vice president George McClellan also spoke at the news conference about the injustice and racism he believes the communities are facing.

If you were to move those communities or to tell Belleville that 20 of your city blocks would be flooded every three to five years, it would be a problem, McClellan said. If you would do the same thing in Fairview Heights to where 20 to 30 of your blocks (are flooded) and people would have to be rescued out of their homes, it would be a problem. If it was a street inside of Scott Air Force Base that was flooded for a day, it would be a problem.

So why is it fair, why is it equitable in order for you to do it here? Its not.

Officials are asking for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help clean the silt out of Harding Ditch and for state lawmakers to redraw the Metro East Sanitary Districts boundaries to include the wealthier communities in its tax base.

From left to right, East St. Louis NAACP Vice President George McClellan, Cahokia Heights Mayor Curtis McCall Sr. and East St. Louis Mayor Robert Eastern III attend a news conference calling for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help the communities address chronic flooding.

Partnering with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers like Cahokia Heights and East St. Louis are requesting requires a cost-sharing agreement, George Stringham, a spokesman for the St. Louis District, said in a statement.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District, is committed to providing long-term flood risk management solutions to Metro East communities, to include the cities of Cahokia Heights and East St. Louis, Stringham stated. We are looking forward to working with mayors Curtis McCall Sr. and Robert Eastern III, and their teams on this difficult problem within these communities.

The study referenced can be reopened but it will require a willing and financially capable non-federal cost share sponsor to pursue a comprehensive approach that can lead to recommended actions that reduce this interior flood risk that plague these communities.

A non-federal sponsor could include entities like the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Metro East Sanitary District or the cities, according to Stringham.

For the past several years, Cahokia Heights residents have been drawing local, state and federal attention to the neighborhoods that regularly deal with flash flooding as well as raw sewage backing up in yards and homes. They filed two federal lawsuits over the issues in 2020 and 2021.

Homes on Terrace Drive and Mary Avenue in East St. Louis were destroyed by floodwater last summer when they were submerged for four days after record July rainfall caused severe flash flooding across the St. Louis region.

Emergency personnel have had to rescue people by boat in both Cahokia Heights and East St. Louis neighborhoods when roads become impassable after rain.

Nold, of the engineering firm, estimated the Harding Ditch cleanout project could take at least 14 years to complete, possibly longer.
A 46-year-old Cahokia Heights man who police allege tried to kill another man nearly two years ago was recently captured in Atlanta, according to authorities.

Walter Brown was arraigned Friday in a St. Clair County courtroom where entered a plea of not guilty. He was charged with attempted first-degree murder and five counts of aggravated assault, according to charging documents from the St. Clair County States Attorneys office. Brown is in the county jail. Bond was at $300,000.

Maj. Tony Tomlinson of the Cahokia Heights Police Department said officers were sent to Pops Liquor Store on Bond Avenue at 10:17 p.m. on June 2, 2021, after receiving a report of a shooting that left a victim with bullet wounds. Illinois State Police also were called to the shooting scene.

While officers were enroute, we received a call notifying us that the victim had been transported to Touchette Regional Hospital, said Tomlinson, who is also the public information officer for the police department.

Tomlinson said police got word that Brown was trying to raise money to get out of town because he was aware police were looking for him. He was arrested recently in Atlanta on another unrelated charge.

Thats how we found out where he was, Tomlinson said.
Four California lawmakers are criticizing Sacramento County officials for housing foster kids in jail-like cells.

The criticisms follow an April 10 story first reported in The Sacramento Bee that revealed the county has been housing foster kids in a former juvenile detention facility without a state license for the last six months.

Assemblyman Mike Gipson, D-Carson, Thursday sent letters to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors Chair Rich Desmond, Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta and the states Department of Social Services (DSS), Gipsons spokesman John Schaeffer said. The letters call for the county to remove the kids from the facility, and for the state to deny a license to allow the county to keep housing kids there.

Using an unauthorized and unlicensed former detention facility for foster youth is criminal, and there has been no response from local law enforcement to rectify the issue, Gipsons letter to Desmond states. There are laws specifically designed to protect the rights of foster youth and ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect. The county should be held accountable for flagrantly disregarding these laws, and we must find alternative solutions for these kids. I respectfully urge you to take immediate action to address this situation because being foster youth is not a crime.

Desmond said welcomes the help of lawmakers on the issue.

We welcome the opportunity to partner with state legislators and others to meet the challenges for our youths that are awaiting placement with resource (foster) families, Desmond said in a statement. These are issues that counties are grappling with statewide, and we are encouraged by the introduction of state legislation to address these concerns. In the meantime, we will continue to work diligently to find a licensed provider for our youth pending placement and to engage more community members to become resource families to care for and support our teenage youth population.

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Sen. Angelique Ashby, D-Sacramento, in February introduced Senate Bill 408, which is aimed at helping Sacramento and other counties find better places for foster kids to live while awaiting placement. The bill would provide more state funding for counties to build better housing, and also to spark the creation of new desperately-needed short-term residential therapeutic programs.

We have kids all across the state of California in inappropriate placements and it needs to be addressed as quickly as possible, Ashby said Thursday. Im pushing as hard as I can on SB 408. Primarily the kids who find themselves without a placement are the ones with the highest needs and the greatest traumas.

If the bill passes it would go into effect Jan. 1, unless Ashby can get an urgency clause, she said.

Sacramento only has a couple licensed residential therapeutic foster programs left, and when kids get kicked out or dont want to go, they often have nowhere else to go, said Michelle Callejas, director of the countys Department of Child, Family and Adult Services, which oversees Child Protective Services.

Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, D-Oakland, is also exploring ways to address the issue this legislative session, either through the budget process or with a standalone policy bill like Ashbys, she said. She called the situation incredibly unacceptable and said she would start by using the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Public Safety, which she chairs, to look into things.

This is wrong on so many levels, Bonta tweeted Wednesday.

Bonta was responding to a tweet by Assemblyman Isaac Bryan, D-Los Angeles, which read: Which of my colleagues represents this place? Because something needs to happen immediately. Bryan included a link to The Bees April 10 story.

Like Desmond, Callejas said she welcomed the criticism from lawmakers because the county needs the states help.

I welcome the outrage and the attention this is getting because this is an issue that is not only impacting Sacramento County but other counties across the state, Callejas said. County directors have been talking with DSS for years about the issue. While it is a small number of foster youth, they have significant needs and they should be in licensed settings where they can get supports they need. That is our goal.

Sacramento NAACP President Betty Williams earlier this week filed a lawsuit against the county. The lawsuit alleges Williams 14-year-old relative, who lives at the facility in question, fell victim to sex trafficking while in the countys care. The county declined comment on that lawsuit because it does not comment on pending litigation.

The county has been housing about 12 to 16 youth, mostly teens, at the Warren E. Thornton Center (WET) in Rosemont for six months despite several letters from state officials advising against it.

A September letter to the county from the California Department of Social Services Foster Care ombudsperson Larry Fluharty stated the county is housing teenagers in jail-like cells, containing metal beds, and metal toilets covered with wood. The environment could retraumatize youth and make them feel physically and psychologically unsafe, he wrote.

Prior to the WET center, the county housed the children in an office building nearby, which the state also deemed unsuitable.

Although it used to be a detention facility, the WET center bedrooms do not have bars on them and they are not locked, so the kids can come and go as they please, Callejas said.

The WET center is not a long term solution, Callejas said. Its the best option we have to keep our kids safe. They have showers, we provide services, we take them to school, and meet their educational needs. We are doing the best we can, but at the end of the day we simply do not have the capacity, either locally or across state, that can meet the needs of these young people.

County officials are currently in negotiations with a local organization in the hopes of signing a contract so the kids can be housed elsewhere, Callejas said. She did not provide a timeline for the contract to be signed.

The supervisors next meeting is May 9. Its unclear whether the topic will be discussed.

The Bees Lindsey Holden contributed to this story.
Camarillo is is no longer pursuing state Project Homekey funding to acquire the Days Inn Hotel on Daily Drive and transform it into supportive and transitional housing.

Camarillo is dropping plans to rehabilitate a hotel on Daily Drive into permanent supportive housing for the local homeless population.

The city said in a release Thursday it would no longer apply for funding from the third wave of state Project Homekey money due to a decrease in available money for Southern California.

Camarillo, the county of Ventura and developer Jamboree Housing Corp. had intended to apply for a Project Homekey grant to help fund the acquisition and rehabilitation of the 82-room Days Inn Hotel at 165 E. Daily Drive.

The project was previously estimated to cost about $32 million.

But the expected cost to rehabilitate the building and provide services had increased, city spokesperson Michelle Glueckert DAnna said in an email.

City Manager Greg Ramirez said in the release the city continues to work on the issue. We remain committed to collaborating with all stakeholders to address the needs of our unhoused and vulnerable populations, he said.

California, using funding from federal coronavirus relief packages and the state budget, has released two prior waves of grant funding since 2020 aimed at helping house the homeless during the pandemic. Municipalities initially used the money to rapidly house people who would otherwise be on the street as the virus spread.

For the third wave of funding, the state has allocated about $736 million for Project Homekey grants, down from $1.45 billion in the second wave last year.

It's that overall decrease in available funding that's causing Camarillo to shy away from applying for a Project Homekey grant, DAnna said.

The city could still pursue a similar project in the future, though Camarillo won't be applying for funding from the upcoming third wave, she added.

The city will instead expand homeless assistance programs and extend its hotel voucher program for more short-term housing.

Ramirez, the city manager, had also announced the change in plans during Wednesday's Camarillo City Council meeting while giving a short update on the project's status.

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The possible hotel project had been one response to the city's growing homeless population.

The Ventura County Continuum of Care reported 78 homeless people in Camarillo during its annual homeless count in January. In 2022, there were 49 homeless people in the city, the count showed.

About 80% of the hotel units would have been converted into apartments that tenants could lease for 30% of their monthly income. The remaining units would have been used for transitional or short-term temporary shelter.

Earlier this month, the Oxnard City Council approved an application to apply for a $17.6 million Project Homekey grant from the state Department of Housing and Community Development. If approved, the money will be used to help purchase and convert the 55-room Del Playa Inn Hotel in south Oxnard into supportive housing.

City spokesperson Katie Casey said Thursday Oxnard's project was still moving forward.

In Ventura, the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura has plans to convert the 142-room La Quinta Inn into 136 studio apartments for the homeless and other low-income individuals.

Ventura is hoping for its own Project Homekey grant to help fund the project. Denise Wise, CEO of the housing authority, said in an email Friday the project is still ongoing and the agency is ready to submit its grant application to the state.

-- Wes Woods II Contributed to this report.

Brian J. Varela covers Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Camarillo. He can be reached at brian.varela@vcstar.com or 805-477-8014. You can also find him on Twitter @BrianVarela805.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Camarillo drops plan to turn hotel into homeless housing
This photo taken on March 17, 2023 shows a high-speed train running past a cole flower field in Yangxian County of Hanzhong City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

About 120 million domestic trips are expected to be made by Chinese railway passengers from April 27 to May 4 around the May Day holiday, said the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. on Thursday.

The estimated figure during the period represents an increase of 20 percent from the 2019 level, the company said.

Passenger flows are expected to peak on April 29, the first day of the five-day holiday, with a record of over 19 million passenger trips, it said. The State Council, China's cabinet, has announced that this year's May Day holiday would be five days, from April 29 to May 3.

China's official railway ticket-booking website, 12306.cn, and its mobile app had sold more than 69.08 million tickets for the holiday as of 8 a.m. Thursday.

More than 10,800 trains will ride on average daily to tackle the rush of travelers around the May Day holiday, the company said.

May Day, also known as Labor Day, is observed on May 1 in China.
By Doina Chiacu

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday linked the production of lithium in China to "slave labor" as he discussed his own country's efforts to ramp up production of the metal used in electric vehicle and other batteries.

Canada has significant sources of lithium, Trudeau said, but China has made strategic choices over the decades that have made it by far the world's largest producer.

"If we're honest ... the lithium produced in Canada is going to be more expensive. Because we don't use slave labor," Trudeau said in remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

"Because we put forward environmental responsibility as something we actually expect to be abided by. Because we count on working with, in partnership, with Indigenous peoples, paying their living wages, expecting security and safety standards."

A representative for the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa did not respond to a request for comment.

Canada last year announced a tougher policy on critical mineral investment - particularly from China - as it worked to shore up its domestic supply after the global pandemic exposed supply chain problems.

"If the pandemic taught us anything, if the pandemic taught us anything, it's resilience, redundancy and reliability in our supply chains," Trudeau said.

The United States has alleged use of forced labor by China in sectors including mining and construction. Last year, a U.S. law took effect banning imports from China's Xinjiang region over concerns about forced labor.

In December, the United Auto Workers union called on automakers to shift their entire supply chain out of Xinjiang after a report by Britain's Sheffield Hallam University suggested that nearly every major automaker has significant exposure to products made with forced labor.

China denies abuses in Xinjiang, a major cotton producer that also supplies much of the world's materials for solar panels.

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Chinese firms also own, operate or finance most of the Democratic Republic of Congo's cobalt mines, the U.S. Labor Department said in a recent report. "Our research shows that lithium-ion batteries are produced with an input - cobalt - made by child labor," it said.

Diplomatic tensions between Canada and China have been running high since the detention of Huawei Technologies executive Meng Wanzhou in 2018 and Beijing's subsequent arrest of two Canadians on spying charges.

In November, Canada ordered three Chinese companies to divest from Canadian critical minerals, citing national security. China in response accused Ottawa of using national security as a pretext and said the divestment order broke international commerce and market rules.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu, additional reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Bill Berkrot, Sharon Singleton and Jonathan Oatis)
A Canadian man is being sent to prison for creating synthetic, AI-generated videos of child pornography, according to a Wednesday report.

Steven Larouche, 61, pleaded guilty to creating at least seven videos using "deepfake technology," which uses algorithms to perform face swaps to create the illusion or someone saying or doing something they didnt say or do.

FILE: Hands writing on a computer keyboard.

Larouche also admitted to possessing hundreds of thousands of computer files of child pornography, for which he was sentenced to an additional four- and a-year years, The Canadian Post reported.

Provincial court judge Benoit Gagnon sentenced Larouche to eight years in prison, with credit for time served.

HOW DEEPFAKES ARE ON THE VERGE OF DESTROYING POLITICAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Larouches lawyers had argued for less time because no children were assaulted when he made the videos. Gagnon disagreed with their argument, saying the children whose likeness appeared in the video had their sexual integrity violated.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

In a ruling issued earlier this month, the judge said Larouches synthetic images made it more difficult for police to stop the spread of this horrific material.

Gagnon believes this is the first case in Canada involving deepfakes of child sexual exploitation.

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence advancement has raised the alarm in recent years about the ease with which users can create porn deep fakes.

Earlier this month, California introduced legislation that would criminalize using artificial intelligence to create pornography while using a persons likeness without consent.

Introduced by Republican lawmaker Tri Ta, of Westminster, California, the legislation aims to punish people up to $1,000, or a year in jail, if they distribute "deepfake" porn depicting an individual without their consent.

Fox News Andrew Sabes contributed to this report.
A Canadian socialite has pleaded guilty to the shooting death of a Belize police officer just days before the two-year anniversary of his death.

Jasmine Hartin, 34, the former daughter-in-law of billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft, entered a guilty plea to a charge of negligent manslaughter in the death of police superintendent Henry Jemmott during a hearing at the Belize City Supreme Court on Tuesday, May 25. Had she not entered a guilty plea, the case would've gone to trial on Wednesday, according to The Guardian.

RELATED: Socialite Accused In Killing Of Police Superintendent Claims Shooting Was A Firearm Training Accident

"I just want Henry's family to have peace now and I want this whole thing behind all of us so we can heal," Hartin told reporters outside the court, the outlet reported.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May. In Belize, a negligent manslaughter charge carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison, according to the BBC.

A photo of Henry Jemmott

Henry Jemmott Photo: Facebook

Hartin's attorney Orson "OJ" Elrington told The Guardian that he anticipates there will be "no custodial sentence." Instead, a judge will likely order her to pay a fine or compensation to Jemmott's family. "The law dictates what the sentence should be in these matters, and the law is very clear ... it is right in line with the law," Elrington said.

Hartin initially told authorities that someone on a boat had shot him, before ultimately admitting that she accidentally shot and killed the 42-year-old officer with his own service pistol, a Glock 17, on the evening of May 28, 2021. The pair, who were friends, had been drinking on a pier in San Pedro when Jemmott offered to show her how to handle a firearm, Oxygen.com previously reported. At the time, Hartin had been standing behind him and was massaging his shoulders when she went to give him back the gun and a shot rang out.

Speculation about the nature of their relationship ran rampant, as Jemmott had been staying at the Grand Colony resort following a reported breakup from his partner of 14 years.

Story continues

Oxy App

But Hartin said they were merely hanging out and he offered to show her how to use a gun since she was sexually assaulted days prior. "Henry told me, take my firearm, I want you to get comfortable with it. That whole night he said you need to learn to protect yourself, we need to get you a gun license. He thought I was in danger and he made me promise I wouldn't go to any parties without protection," she told the Daily Mail in June 2021.

She added in a later interview with "48 Hours" that she didn't "consciously" pull the trigger. "I had no motive to do that to my friend," she insisted.

In the wake of the incident, Hartin's partner Andrew Ashcroft retained custody of their 4-year-old twins, Ella and Charlie, and stated that he intends to buy back the 10% stake in his hotels that he'd previously given to Hartin. "I hold no ill will or malice towards Jasmine and wish her well with the court proceedings," he said in a statement, according to The Guardian.
A cat seriously burned in a fire this week at a Trotwood apartment building remains at an animal shelter and rescue facility in Tipp City.

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Fotis, as the male, approximately 1-year-old cat is being called by workers at Our Farm Sanctuary, is being treated overnight.

So far, things are still looking hopeful, according to an update posted to social media Thursday evening.

He is continuing with hospitalization and oxygen as we want to exercise caution in his healing process.

A vet at the facility believes the cat may have had long hair and the coat length may have prevented the burns from being any more serious.

According to the sanctuarys social media post, a volunteer with the sanctuary went to the fire scene to get the cat, which reportedly jumped or fell from the top floor of the three-story apartment building.

As for the name, according to the sanctuary, the Greek word for fire is fotyia and the word related to fire is Fotis, which is a common name for boys. The name Fotis means light, according to the sanctuary.

News Center 7 and WHIO.com are still working to learn details about the fire, which occurred Wednesday afternoon. Weve reached out to Trotwood police and were waiting to hear back.

Our Farm Sanctuary is estimating that the cost of care will be from $2,000 to $3,000 and is asking the public to help in defraying the cost of treatment by calling in a payment or donating through ourfarmsanctuary@gmail.com




The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is relaxing COVID-19 restrictions on international travelers as the national public health emergency is set to expire next month.

The CDC said in an update on its website posted Thursday that it will consider anyone who has received a single dose of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine on or after Aug. 16, 2022, to meet the requirements for boarding an airplane to the United States.

The agency said it made the decision because some traveler vaccine records might not specify whether a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine that a person received was bivalent, meaning they were designed to protect against the original version of the coronavirus and the omicron variants.

It said it chose Aug. 16 because it is the earliest date that someone could have received a bivalent vaccine.

The CDC backed guidance from the Food and Drug Administration last week to simplify the recommended vaccine schedule. The move decided a single dose of the bivalent booster vaccine is enough for most people.

The CDC also allowed those 65 and older to receive an additional booster dose and medical providers to give additional doses to immunocompromised individuals as needed.

The agencys rules on international travelers do not apply to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents or immigrants.

CBS News reported multiple travel industry officials have said the vaccine requirement for international travelers is expected to be allowed to end soon.

President Biden signed legislation earlier this month to declare the COVID-19 national emergency over after members of both parties voted for a resolution to do so.

Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday that the country should move forward from the public health emergency but remain attentive to the virus and maintain resources to help those infected.

We want to be able to have some sort of a safety net for them to be able to get drugs and to get vaccines so those things dont fall between the cracks, Fauci said. If we take care of that, I think its important to move forward.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Three people were injured following a three-vehicle crash in Centerville early Friday morning.

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Centerville police and Washington Township fire and medics were dispatched to the intersection of East Alex Bell Road and Far Hills Avenue at around 5:20 a.m. on reports of an injury crash, Centerville Dispatch stated.

When emergency responders arrived, they discovered three people requiring medical attention following a three-vehicle crash, dispatch continued. At least one person was transported to a nearby hospital for further treatment. Dispatch was unaware of how many were transported and to where. The severity of their condition is also unknown.

Prior to officers arriving, a man, who was involved in the crash, allegedly ran south from the site towards Southminster Presbyterian Church, according to initial traffic on emergency scanners. It is currently unknown why the man chose to run.

Centerville police led the investigation into the crash.

This is a developing story and we will update you as we learn more.
In honor of Workers Memorial Day, several local union leaders and elected officials from around Centre County came together Friday to remember those who have died or were injured on the job, and to call for strengthened worker protections.

In recent years, at least five deaths have occurred in Centre County that have been investigated by OSHA. In most of the cases, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations, finding the employer partially responsible for the workplace deaths.

These were not unavoidable tragedies. These were entirely avoidable and OSHA found their employers to have contributed to the circumstances that lead directly to these employees deaths, Connor Lewis, president of the Seven Mountains Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, said. And although OSHAs fines help hold those employers accountable, no fine will bring those workers back to their families.

State College Mayor Ezra Nanes said those who perform essential functions that enable everyone in the community to live in comfort and safety deserve the opportunity to work an honorable and dignified day, to be paid a good living wage, and then to go home to their own lives, their families, their pets, their community and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

No one should ever have to wonder when they wake up and go to work in the morning, will I come home at the end of that work day? So the work of ensuring that our workers are safe falls to each and every one of us to everyone in this community, and most especially those of us in government and in industry, Nanes said.

Before a prayer for those who died on the job by the Rev. Jes Kast, pastor at Faith United Church of Christ, their names were read out loud:

C.E. Concrete owner Corey E. Eicher, 43, of Bellefonte, fell to his death from a fifth floor balcony at Beaver Terrace Apartments where he was performing construction repairs in 2018.

Adam Kanouff, 40, of Curwensville, died of electrocution in 2018 while cutting trees for Townsend Tree Service.

Anthony Laterzo, 27, of Clearfield County, received a fatal electric shock after an excavator struck an overhead power line while working for Abel Construction Company in 2021.

Alexander Fries, 19-year-old Centre WISP worker of Weedville was killed by electrocution in Penns Valley in 2022.

Joshua Farkas, 42, died as a result of blunt force head trauma after a five-story fall from an open window at the Days Inn Penn State demolition site in 2022. He was employed by ISI Demolition Inc. out of White Marsh, Maryland

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It would be easy, Lewis said, to remember those who have died, pay their respects and to move on. But to do so would undermine their remembrance.

Remembrance without action would cheapen our remembrance.  I want to be clear on this point. The working families of our labor council in the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO will not accept inaction, Lewis said.

He continued: We will not accept a reality in which two workers working side by side, performing the same work, have unequal protections under the law because OSHA covers one of them, but not the other. We will not accept predatory contractors under bidding responsible companies by slashing bid quotes at their workers expense and we will never accept  not today or tomorrow  a family experiencing the pain of a spouse, a partner, a parent, a sibling or a child, never returning home from work because their employer valued profit more than their lives.

Connor Lewis, president of the Seven Mountains Central Labor Council, speaks during the Workers Memorial Day event at the State College Borough Building on Friday, April 28, 2023.

Jake Schwab Worker Safety Act

One action the several speakers  including Sarah Hammond, legislative director for Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, Representatives Scott Conklin and Paul Takac, and Denelle Korin, executive vice president of the Seven Mountains Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO  talked about was the Jake Schwab Worker Safety Act, House Bill 299.

Federal OSHA standards are not extended to nearly 600,000 public sector workers across the state of Pennsylvania, Hammond said. The bill would extend OSHA protections to public sector workers in Pennsylvania, the bills memo states.

Every day that we go without an action, every year, every decade that we have gone without an action is blood on the hands of the state legislature of Pennsylvania, Hammond said. The bill recently passed out of committee with bipartisan support and it is expected to be supported in the House with bipartisan support, she said. Still, it will be an uphill fight to get it passed through the Senate, she said, encouraging people to call their representatives about the bill.

Sarah Hammond speaks during the Workers Memorial Day event at the State College Borough Building on Friday, April 28, 2023.

Conklin and Takac signaled their support of the bill.

On Monday, were going to pass that bill, said Conklin, who has a long family history of union workers, including himself.

Pennsylvania is one of about two dozen states that doesnt guarantee OSHA protections for public sector workers, Takac said. Those are people who are working to keep the community safe, he said, and gave examples of police, fire, EMS, public school employees, health care workers and PennDOT employee. The bill, he said, is the right thing to do (and ) now is the time to do it.

Every public worker deserves a safe and healthy workplace. They deserve exactly the same rights and protections as every other worker and so do their family, their friends and their communities, Takac said.

At the local level, more can be done to protect workers on the job. Korin talked about Responsible Contractor policies that local governments can adopt. The Centre County Commissioners have discussed an ordinance and will have a work session on the topic on Tuesday. Two of the three commissioners, Mark Higgins and Amber Concepcion, were at Fridays event.

Under state law, county and local governments are obligated to accept the lowest responsible bid, Korin said. But responsible isnt defined.

Because of this lack of clarity, there is an advantage for unfair contractors that slash bid costs at the expense of workers, workforce development and quality. This inherently rewards contractors for poor work quality and worker treatment. And whats more is that this ultimately penalizes the good contractors that we have who simply cant compete, Korin said. She said she and the labor council will continue to advocate for responsible contractor policies in the region.
Lori Vallow Daybell is on trial in Boise, Idaho. Tony Blakeslee/East Idaho News via AP, Pool

Chad Daybell's sister-in-law testified Friday in the trial of Lori Vallow.

Vallow and Daybell are accused of killing two of her children and Daybell's wife.

Samantha Gwilliam told the jury Daybell said Vallow had no kids and was wealthy.

BOISE, IDAHO  Chad Daybell told his late wife's sister that Lori Vallow had no kids and a lot of money, the woman testified Friday.

Samantha Gwilliam told an Ada County jury that Daybell had told her that he and Vallow  whom he recently married bonded over their dead spouses. Daybell was married to Gwilliam's sister Tammy Daybell.

Now Daybell, a former gravedigger, and Vallow are accused of conspiring to kill her and Vallow's two minor children.

"He told me, no, there were no children. They were going to be empty nesters," Gwilliam testified at Vallow's trial. "He told us she had lots of money."

Prosecutors say Vallow and Daybell killed Tammy Daybell in October 2019. Vallow's two youngest children, teenage Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old JJ Vallow, were last seen that September.

Police found the childrens' remains buried on Chad Daybell's property in June 2020.

Vallow is charged separately in Arizona for the July 2019 killing of her fourth-husband, Charles Vallow, who was fatally shot by Vallow's late brother, Alex Cox. Cox, who later died, is considered a conspirator in the killings.

Her voice rising in anger, Gwilliam described to the jury how she felt to learn in late 2019 that Chad Daybell had remarried two weeks after he told her by phone that healthy-seeming Tammy Daybell had died inexplicably in her sleep.

"After you bury your wife of almost 30 years, you just don't do that," said Gwilliam, a schoolteacher in Spring Valley, Utah. "It was devastating."

Chad Daybell will be tried separately. Erika Celeste

Gwilliam felt Daybell replaced her sister Tammy Daybell with Vallow

Vallow and Daybell are also accused of conspiring to collect fraudulent life insurance and social security payments.

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Chad Daybell took a $430,000 life insurance payout after Tammy Daybell died, while Lori Vallow seized additional thousands from social security after her children died, prosecutors said.

Gwilliam said Daybell conceded that on November 4, 2019 he remarried a woman named "Lori Ryan."

He described her as someone who had a "hard life" and who felt stigmatized after she claimed her previous husband, Charles Vallow, died of a heart attack.

"I asked him in a phone call, please tell us about this woman you married to replace my sister with," Gwilliam said.

Daybell explained his and Vallow's attraction.

"That's how they connected, they were both grieving the loss of their spouses," Gwilliam said.

On Friday, prosecutors played a 911 call from October 20, 2019 in which Chad Daybell reported Tammy Daybell's death, which was by asphyxiation.

"I'm Chad, the husband. She's clearly dead," he told the dispatcher between sobs.

Prosecutors also played a 911 call from Tammy Daybell on October 9, 2020 reporting a man in a ski mask at her home pointing a weapon at her. Prosecutors allege this was Vallow's brother, Cox, attempting to kill her.

"Holding the gun like he had a rifle and was shooting at me," she said. "My name is Tammy Daybell."

It was the first time jurors heard Tammy Daybell's voice. Jurors were also shown photos of her corpse. It was found in the bed she shared with Daybell.

Lori Vallow smiles at a camera after appearing in court on murder charges. East Idaho News/Tony Blakeslee

Chad Daybell grew distant from his sister-in-law

Gwilliam explained that her sister had worked jobs in schools to subsidize Daybell's writing of memoirs about his near-death visions and also soft-selling "dystopian" novels about "what life could be like for the second coming."

Gwilliam testified that she never heard about a vision Daybell had told others; that her sister would soon die.

Gwilliam said Tammy Daybell did not accompany her husband to fan-filled prepper conferences because, "she was working and trying to raise the kids."

With Tammy Daybell gone, Gwilliam asked her brother-in-law how he and Vallow  who married on a Hawaiian beach  would support themselves.

"I know that they had the life insurance money from my sister," she said. "And they were going to take some time."

As Gwilliam testified, Vallow, dressed in black, stared at her. Wearing pistachio-rimmed glasses and toting a Star Wars R2-D2 backpack, Gwilliam did not look back.

Gwilliam said she had always been close with her only sister and, after Tammy married Chad Daybell, she became close with him too.

That changed in the summer of 2019, months after Daybell met Vallow.

Daybell, who had moved Tammy Daybell and their five children to Rexburg, Idaho, against her will grew standoffish, she said.

"He seemed more distant and less willing to talk to us," Gwilliam said. "We didn't know what was going on. It was really different."

Gwilliam said that Daybell severed ties with her family after he married Vallow.

Gwilliam told the jury what she said to Daybell the last time they spoke in December 2019.

"I asked him to stop lying," she said.

Read the original article on Insider
Cairo  A fragile ceasefire in Sudan appeared to be clinging on Friday morning, despite heavy explosions and gunfire echoing across the capital city of Khartoum and the adjacent city of Omdurman. But the shaky ceasefire between Sudan's two top generals, whose vicious power struggle has left more than 500 people dead, wasn't nearly enough to staunch a flow of civilians  Sudanese and foreign nationals  desperate to escape the country.



There are believed to be hundreds of American nationals trapped in Sudan, and the U.S. government has announced no plans for evacuation flights or other efforts to get those people to safety, as European and other nations have been doing all week.

2 Sudan generals are at war with each other. Here's what to know.

The danger of such evacuation operations amid the chaos in Sudan was made clear Friday as Turkey said one of its aircraft was hit by gunfire just outside the capital, though there were no causalities reported.

Smoke rises on the horizon in an area east of Khartoum, Sudan, as fighting continues between Sudan's army and paramilitary forces despite a fragile ceasefire, April 28, 2023. / Credit: AFP/Getty

The reports of new violence Friday came just hours after both sides said they had accepted a 72-hour extension of a ceasefire that expired Thursday evening. The warring generals appeared to be constraining their battle for control of the east African nation as other countries tried to get their own civilians out.

But Sudan's own people have even fewer options. Thousands have flocked to Sudan's borders, including its northern frontier with Egypt, hoping to escape. Egyptian authorities said Thursday that 16,000 non-Egyptians had entered the country from Sudan in just a few days, and more than 5,300 Egyptian nationals were evacuated.

But thousands of civilians remain stuck at Egyptian-Sudanese border crossings in circumstances described to CBS News as dire.

A Sudanese university student who made it across the border into Egypt on Wednesday told CBS News the situation when she left Khartoum was "terrible."

"We couldn't sleep, and all we heard was gunshots and aircraft. There was no water, no electricity, and we were just trying to survive," said the woman, who asked that her name not be published. She said that when she finally arrived at the Egyptian border, after a very long bus ride, thousands were already waiting there.

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Sudanese civilians are seen in a holding area on the Egyptian side of the Argeen border crossing with Sudan, April 24, 2023, in a photo provided to CBS News by a Sudanese student who fled the violence in her country. / Credit: CBS News

"People were sleeping on the ground and children were crying," she said. "There was a lack of food and water and no bathrooms that humans can actually use."

Egypt does not require Sudanese women or children to have a visa to enter the country, but men up to the age of 50 do need the documentation. That has meant that some families have been forced to split up as men wait for visas.

Ebtihal al-Neaamah told CBS News that she finally made it to Cairo on Friday with her children, but her brother had been forced to stay behind.

"We were traveling together, me and my kids and my brother and other relatives, most of them women," she said. "My brother couldn't enter with us because he didn't have a visa. Even after he told them, 'I am with my sister and she has kids,' and that he is helping me."

She said it was now difficult to keep in touch with her brother as the fighting has cut power to many parts of Sudan, leaving people unable to charge their phones.

It's not clear who is being granted visas or visa exemptions to enter Egypt, and Sudanese people have said information is increasingly hard to come by. At first, Egyptian authorities appeared to be granting many exemptions, which encouraged even more people to head to the border, but as the crowds grew after more than a week of violence in Sudan, al-Neaamah said there was little reliable information available.

Sudanese refugees enter Egypt through the Argeen border crossing to escape the conflict in their home country, April 27, 2023. / Credit: STR/picture alliance via Getty

The student who crossed the border Wednesday told CBS News she saw some Sudanese civilians crossing the border into Egypt and then realizing they had no idea what to do next.

"Some have no money to get on the train, no food or water. They were afraid, and they had to leave Sudan, but they don't have any further plan about what to do," she said.

After making it safely into Egypt, she joined other people in the southern Egyptian city of Aswan, about 100 miles north of the border, collecting donations to buy food, water and medicine to help other new arrivals.

Mahmoud Mahdi, a representative of the Sudanese American Physicians Association who left his country last month and spoke Friday to CBS News in Egypt's capital Cairo, said the priority for his organization and others trying to help was the people still stuck at the two border crossings between the nations.

Those two crossings, at Wadi Halfa and Argeen, are very different. Wadi Halfa is a city, and local residents have opened their homes and schools to shelter the influx of refugees. But Mahdi said the situation was worse at Argeen, which is in the desert and far from the nearest Sudanese city.

Mahdi said there were an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 people stuck at the two border crossings.

"We have been trying to coordinate with the Egyptian Red Crescent, but they are telling us the government is not giving them the needed permits to allow us to go to the borders," he said.

Mahdi, a doctor himself, said his organization was also trying to work with local Egyptian humanitarian organizations, as it may be easier for them to obtain the required permits to deliver aid to the border.

Some Sudanese civilians still in the country have taken it upon themselves to try to help those stuck at the crossings.

Dr. Abeer Dirar told CBS News that she heard about the horrible circumstances at Argeen, including reports that two people had died there, and decided to do what she could.

She told CBS News she spent all of Thursday morning with a few friends shopping for essentials and making sandwiches to bring to those stuck on the Sudanese side of the desert crossing point.

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Charles III is Britains new monarch, following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on 8 September 2022.

Charles wife, the Duchess of Cornwall Camilla, was subsequently named Queen Consort as the couple began a new chapter in a relationship that has spanned more than 50 years.

Having first met in 1970, Charles and Camilla were married 17 years ago at Windsor Guildhall in a low-key ceremony.

For most royal fans, the couples journey will always be intrinsically linked to the story of Charles and his ex-wife Lady Diana Spencer, the Princess of Wales.

Over the years, the public, and other members of the royal family, became more accepting of the match. Yet for decades the couple were pursued by gossip and scandal following Charless fraught marriage to Diana.

Here, we detail Charles and Camillas complicated love story.

1970 - Charles and Camilla meet for the first time

A 22-year-old Charles met Camilla Shand, 24, the daughter of a British Army officer, at a polo match at Windsor Great Park. In 1992, People magazine reported that, when the pair met for the first time, Camilla said to Charles: My great-grandmother was the mistress of your great-great-grandfather. I feel we have something in common.

The couple subsequently began dating.

February 1973 - Charles goes away to the Caribbean and Camilla gets engaged to someone else

After meeting Camilla, Charles joined the Royal Navy. He was assigned to frigate HMS Minerva in November 1972 and, in February 1973, the ship was posted to the Caribbean, not to return until November that year.

While Charles was away, Camilla announced her engagement to Andrew Parker Bowles, then a lieutenant, whom she met in the late 1960s.

The Prince of Wales was reportedly heartbroken by the news, which Camilla shared with him herself in a letter. In his book about Camilla, The Duchess: The Untold Story, royal author Penny Junor wrote: She wrote to Charles herself to tell him. It broke his heart.

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July 1973 - Camilla gets married

Andrew and Camilla Parker Bowles together in 1992 (PA)

Camilla married Parker-Bowles at the Guards Chapel in London on 4 July, followed by a reception at St Jamess Palace.

The ceremony was attended by The Queen Mother, Princess Margaret and Princess Anne, who Andrew Parker Bowles was rumoured to also previously have had a relationship with.

July 1980 - Charles starts dating Lady Diana Spencer

Charles and Diana initially met in 1977 when Diana was just 16 and Charles was 29 (and dating her older sister). Diana and the Prince of Wales grew close a few years later when Diana went to stay with a mutual friend, Philip de Pass, at his family home in Sussex for a weekend.

While there, Diana spoke to Charles about the assassination of his great uncle, Lord Mountbatten, with whom he had been very close.

The next minute, he leapt on me, practically, she claimed in the tapes that were released in Diana: In Her Own Words. But then it sort of built up from there, she added of their courtship.

1981 - Charles and Diana announce their engagement

Prince Charles and Diana at Caernarvon Castle during an official tour of Wales in October 1981. (Getty)

Charles and Diana announced their engagement on 24 February. However, all already didnt seem well between the pair. In Diana: In Her Own Words, the Princess of Wales recalled a joint interview the couple gave the same day.

Charles married Diana at St Pauls Cathedral in London on 29 July 1981 (AFP/Getty)

"We had this ghastly interview the day we announced our engagement, she said. And this ridiculous [reporter] said, Are you in love? I thought, what a thick question. So I said, Yes, of course, we are, and Charles turned round and said, Whatever love means. And that threw me completely. I thought, what a strange answer. It traumatised me.

1981 - Charles buys a bracelet for Camilla

Weeks before his July wedding to Diana, Charles bought a bracelet for Camilla, which was engraved with the letters G and F. This stood for Gladys and Fred, the couples nicknames for one another, which were inspired by BBC radio programme The Goon Show.

Diana discovered the bracelet, she later told her biographer Andrew Morton.

She said: I was still too immature to understand all the messages coming my way. And then someone in his office told me that my husband has had a bracelet made for her.

I walked into this mans office one day and I said, Ooh, whats in that parcel? And he said Oh, you shouldnt look at that. So I opened it and there was the bracelet. I was devastated, and I said Well, hes going to give it to her tonight.

So rage, rage, rage. You know, Why cant you be honest with me? But no, absolutely cut me dead. It was as if hed made his decision, and if it wasnt going to work, it wasnt going to work.

1986 - Charles and Camillas affair begins

American journalist and historian Sally Bedell Smiths biography of Charles, Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes, states that his affair with his ex-girlfriend Camilla began in 1986.

In 2017, Camilla spoke about having been initially reviled by the press and the effect it had on her.

She told You magazine: It was horrid. It was a deeply unpleasant time and I wouldnt want to put my worst enemy through it. I couldnt have survived it without my family.

1989 - Diana confronts Camilla

Lady Diana Spencer and Camilla Parker-Bowles together in 1980 (Getty Images)

In 2004, an audio tape Diana made for her biographer Andrew Morton was broadcast for the first time on NBC for the first time.

On the tape, Diana recounted an incident at a party in 1989 when she confronted Camilla, interrupting a chat between Camilla, Charles and another man.

I was terrified of her. I said, I know whats going on between you and Charles and I just want you to know that, Diana is heard saying in the recording.

I said to the two men, OK, boys, Im just going to have a quick word with Camilla and Ill be up in a minute," she said. And they shot upstairs like chickens with no heads and I could feel, upstairs, all hell breaking loose  What is she going to do?

Diana said Camillas response was very interesting.

She recalled: She said to me: Youve got everything you ever wanted. Youve got all the men in the world fall in love with you and youve got two beautiful children, what more do you want?

So I said, I want my husband. And I said, Im sorry Im in the way... and it must be hell for both of you. But I do know whats going on. Dont treat me like an idiot.

December 1992 - Charles and Diana announce separation

On 9 December, Prime Minister John Major announced that the Prince and Princess of Wales had separated amicably.

1993 - Charles and Camillas explicit phone call revealed

Details of a secretly recorded explicit phone call between Charles and Camilla, which took place in 1989, were published by tabloid newspapers.

The leaked phone call did not make it into royal drama The Crown as Josh OConnor, the actor who portrays Charles, point-blank refused to do it.

When they offered me the role, he told SiriusXM. One of my first questions was  I say questions, I think it was pretty much a statement  We are not doing the [phone call].

January 1995 - Camilla and Andrew announce divorce

Camilla and Andrew Parker Bowles announced that they intended to divorce. However, Charles still refused to confirm divorce proceedings between him and Diana, with a spokesperson telling The New York Times that a previous statement denying that a divorce was in the works was still absolutely the case.

The original statement said that there is no truth in reports which state that it has been agreed that a divorce should take place or that there have been discussions about a financial settlement between the parties.

November 1995 - Princess Diana is interviewed by Martin Bashir

Diana during her interview with Martin Bashir for the BBC (PA)

In her now-infamous BBC Panorama interview, Princess Diana said there were three people in her marriage, a reference to her husbands relationship with Camilla.

Diana said that womans instinct meant she knew about Charless affair but that she was also told by her staff and those who minded and cared about our marriage.

Bashir asked the princess: Do you think Mrs Parker-Bowles was a factor in the breakdown of your marriage?

Diana replied: Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.

August 1996 - Charles and Dianas divorce is finalised

Newspapers reporting that Queen Elizabeth had sent a letter to both Prince Charles and the Princess Diana spelling out her desire for an early divorce (AFP/Getty)

The couple were finally legally separated in 1996, almost four years after their separation was first announced.

July 1997 - Charles hosts birthday party for Camilla

Charles hosted a 50th birthday party for Camilla at his home Highgrove in Gloucestershire.

Sept 1997 - Diana is killed in a car crash

The Princess of Wales died in a car crash in a road tunnel in Paris while being chased by paparazzi. Her partner, film producer Dodi Fayed, also died in the accident alongside the couples driver, Henri Paul.

A woman places flowers in front of the Pitie Salpetriere hospital in Paris where Diana was admitted following the fatal crash (AFP/Getty)

August 1999 - Charles vacations with Camilla and his sons

Camilla joined Charles, Harry and William on a holiday to Greece.

2000 - The Queen attends an event Camilla is invited to

Up until this point, the Queen had declined invitations for events Camilla was going to be attending, including a private 50th birthday party for Charles in 1998.

In 2000, however, she accepted an invitation to a 60th birthday party for the King of Greece at Charless home in Highgrove.

2003  Camilla moves into Clarence House

Charles and Camilla moved into official London residence Clarence House in 2003.

February 2005  The couple announce their engagement

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles formally announced their engagement, and that the wedding date had been set as 9 April 2005. In a statement released at the time, the Prince of Wales said the occasion would mark a very special day for us and our families.

Princes William and Harry also released a statement, which said: We are both very happy for our father and Camilla, and we wish them all the luck in the future."

It was also announced that Camilla would use the title HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, following her marriage to Prince Charles. It is intended that Mrs Parker Bowles should use the title HRH The Princess Consort when The Prince of Wales accedes to The Throne, the statement continued.

April 2005  The couple marries 35 years after first meeting

A family photo taken on Charles and Camillas wedding day (Getty Images)

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall married on 8 April  35 years after their first meeting  at Windsor Guildhall, with Prince William as best man.

The Queen and Prince Philip didnt attend the civil ceremony, but were present for the service of prayer in St Georges Chapel, after the civil ceremony.

Camilla wore a cream dress by Anna Valentine.

April 2020  The couple celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary

The couple marked 15 years of marriage amid the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

They released a picture of them with the duchesss dogs Bluebell and Beth on the anniversary.

Ahead of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall's 15th wedding anniversary tomorrow, we are sharing this photo of Their Royal Highnesses with The Duchess's dogs Bluebell and Beth.



The photo was taken earlier today at Birkhall. pic.twitter.com/0Xw1nxySpu  Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) April 8, 2020

February 2022  Queen Elizabeth II acknowledges Camilla as Queen Consort

The Queen said she hoped the Duchess of Cornwall will be known as Queen Consort when Prince Charles takes the throne.

She used her Platinum Jubilee message  celebrating her 70th year as the monarch  to set out her hopes for her daughter-in-law, once a royal mistress, to be called Queen.

This was a a huge U-turn after Camilla took the lesser title Princess Consort when she married Charles 17 years ago,

The late Queens message, expressing her succession support for Charles, read: And when, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.

September 2022 - Prince Charles and Camilla receive new titles after Queen Elizabeths death

After Queen Elizabeth IIs death on 8 September, Prince Charles immediately became King Charles III.

Addressing the nation outside 10 Downing Street, the countrys new prime minister Liz Truss said: Today the Crown passes  as it is has done for more than a thousand years  to our new monarch, our new head of state: His Majesty King Charles III.

The Duchess of Cornwall was bestowed the title of Queen Consort, as per the late Queens wishes.

On 9 September, King Charles referred to Camilla as Queen Consort officially, in his first address to the nation since his mothers death.

In the televised speech, recorded from the Blue Drawing Room of Buckingam Palace, he said: I count on the loving help of my darling wife, Camilla. In recognition of her own loyal public service since our marriage 17 years ago, she becomes my Queen Consort.

I know she will bring to the demands of her new role the steadfast devotion to duty on which I have come to rely so much.
At the 6th Digital China Summit on April 27, Wang Jing, CEO of Newland Group and a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), asserted that the Digital China Initiative is leading technological innovation towards goodness and positivity.



Wang Jing, CEO of Newland Group and a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), spoke at the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, Fujian province, April 27, 2023. [Photo courtesy of Newland Group]



The two-day summit, themed "Promoting modernization and elevating construction of Digital China," showcased the latest achievements of the Digital China Initiative and shared insights into digital development, aiming to promote high-quality growth and facilitate Chinese modernization.

In her keynote speech at a forum during the summit, Wang touched on several points regarding the initiative's impact on modernization, the importance of the right values, and the promotion of technology for the greater good.

Wang highlighted the four pillars of "Dao, Fa, Shu, Qi," taken from the Taoist classic, the "Daodejing," which stresses the importance of following the right path and taking proper actions to accomplish remarkable feats. According to her, "Dao" (way) now represents the soul and direction of the Digital China Initiative, referring to the people-centered modern governance system and governance capacity building. "Fa" (law) represents goals and boundaries. By aligning with the requirements and development laws of the times, legal principles, and laws, its modern governance and digital management model ensures that social governance and public services are more closely aligned with people's needs.

Wang elaborated that "Shu" (approach) symbolizes the methods and paths that encourage the digital transformation of industries, address communication gaps, and replace fragmented, isolated, siloed, and hierarchical management models, thus enabling integrated governance. "Qi" (tool) signifies the tools and instruments needed for digital governance, such as computing power, algorithms, data, and scenarios. China's vast single market can harness scenarios and data to fuel development. She further emphasized that the essence of digital governance lies in technological innovation. In contrast, the crux of technological innovation is talent, and the foundation of talent is education, all of which are essential tools.

The top executive underscored the significance of the values that drive Digital China's progress. She noted that as the nation advances, China's modernization efforts should prioritize its people by improving their lives and providing them with a greater sense of achievement, happiness, and security. Wang warned that although artificial intelligence is inherently neutral, it can either contribute to the greater good or become a destructive force. If the government, scientific research institutions, and market entities unite under the primary direction of the Digital China Initiative, they can collaborate to promote initiatives that benefit people, the nation and humanity as a whole.

Wang stressed that the evolution of digital governance in China adheres to contemporary norms and national strategic requirements, embracing the new development philosophy and fostering high-quality growth. The goal is to enhance government efficiency, foster more organized social governance, and improve people's lives. By promoting positive and forward-thinking technological innovation, it is possible to break away from historical patterns and move towards a brighter future.

Building the Digital China Initiative is essential for advancing Chinese modernization and establishing new national competitive advantages, as outlined in the country's digital development plan. The Digital China strategy aims to create a national innovation mechanism, activate innovative entities, and consolidate creative resources to prevent fragmentation and inefficient duplication in construction and innovation. The objective is to attain comprehensive and effective governance, allowing people to reap the benefits of the digital revolution while ushering in a new era of integrated governance characterized by data-driven empowerment, collaborative governance, intelligent decision-making, and exceptional services, Wang stated.
The youth director at Temple Israel in Charlotte, Alan Johnathan, describes why many Jewish people are adding an orange to update their traditional Passover seder meal.

The seder plate includes at least five symbolic foods: bitter herbs (maror in Hebrew), for the bitterness of slavery; leafy greens (karpas), for spring and the hope of new growth; a mixture of apples, nuts and wine (haroset), for mortar; a roasted egg (beitzah), for the cycle of life; and a shankbone (zeroa), for the Passover offering at the temple in Jerusalem.

An orange (tapuz) symbolizes the marginalized and excluded, especially LGBTQ people, and the fruitful benefits of inclusion and community.

The reason for that is to remember that some people dont feel as connected to community, Johnathan explained, and we should be welcoming them and trying to find ways to get them to feel comfortable, to just be who they are, and to be Jewish.

Despite splits in mainstream churches over issues of inclusion, conversations with leaders of Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith groups shine an optimistic light on progress in Charlotte. It suggests movement beyond mere acceptance and toward actual affirmation of LGBTQ communities.

Alan Johnathan, youth director of Temple Israel

Growth in the Black community

When she moved to Charlotte from Washington, D.C., in 1999, the Rev. Sonja Lee said there were no African-American-led churches that affirmed LGBTQ people. She had grown up in a Christian Methodist Episcopal congregation and visited several churches that didnt feel like a good fit.

So she worked with local faith leaders and founded the Unity Fellowship Church.

People just started coming in and we were like, wow, you know, it was happening, she said. And we have since served thousands of families in this area. Weve actively been trailblazers and pioneers in that area, because now there are several affirming churches in the African-American community. She listed the Movement Church on Village Lake Drive, St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church on Norris Avenue, and Sacred Souls Community Church on Eastway Drive.

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The Rev. Sonja Lee of the Lionel Lee, Jr. Center for Wellness

Lee is a preacher, veteran of the U.S. Army, activist, and executive director of the Lionel Lee Jr. Center for Wellness, which supports the LGBTQ community and specifically Black transgender women.

Religion and spirituality for me, there is an intersection, Lee said. But at some point, religion can be restrictive, and for certain people, they may have to work on their spirituality, which is their relationship with their higher power, their God as they understand God. It has shielded me from some religious dogma, knowing that God loves me, created me, loves me, just the way I am.

There were some things that most of us, especially in Black communities, learned about their faith traditions in the community that are good, Lee said. The challenge is not to be caught up in dogma, especially if you identify outside of the mainstream, outside of the heterosexual norms. It is really critical to find affirming spaces.

Evolution in mainstream Christian churches

Many Charlotte mainstream Christian churches are trying to answer a subtle but important question  How welcoming is welcoming? How do they move from welcoming to affirming?

Riley Murray, president of Charlotte Pride and a member of Caldwell Presbyterian Church, wasnt conflicted about reconciling identity and faith.

When I hear people have that struggle  I am not saying it is not real, because it is real, Murray said. But I didnt grow up being told you were going to go to hell because of how you identify sexually.

Murray first attended Metropolitan Community Church, the Charlottes first openly LGBTQ church, before joining Caldwell.

Rev John Cleghorn is Pastor of Caldwell Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC

Caldwell was not always open and affirming, said the Rev. John Cleghorn, Caldwells head pastor. He said its journey toward affirmation began when the church was dying. The older congregation integrated with a group that was more diverse and inclusive.

The distinction between being welcoming and affirming goes much deeper, Cleghorn said. It goes to empathy. It goes to a posture of listening and understanding all journeys and all the ways that God creates people. It requires some humility, especially for folks that have not spent a lot of time with the LGBTQ community.

The Presbytery of Charlottes LGBTQ Ministry Team is working with 93 churches in Charlotte on their move toward affirmation. Lisa Raymaker serves on the team and said affirming includes being allowed to be married, allowing leadership within the church, and sharing equal opportunity for voices to be heard.

How do we not just welcome them like we should everyone? How do we include them in what we are trying to do here? Raymaker asked. People shouldnt feel as though they need to work to be affirmed. They should be affirmed before they walk through the church doors, she said.

The Presbyterian team is working to reach churches through educational meetings conducted both online and in small groups, and by meeting directly with churches, their pastoral staff and lay leaders. The team started about one year ago, Raymaker said, and now feels a greater sense of urgency because of increases in anti-LGBTQ legislation.

The Rev. Dr. Suzanne Henderson, a Charlotte-based consultant with Interfaith America, lists several mainstream churches that are already well along the path, including Covenant Presbyterian, St. Johns Baptist, Myers Park Baptist, and Mayfield Memorial Baptist Church.

Exploring Islamic Belief

Hadia Mubarak, an Islamic scholar at Queens University of Charlotte and author of a recent book on evolving gender roles in the Muslim tradition, describes a modern interpretation of Islam which draws a distinction between scripture and inclusion.

The scripture is what it is, Mubarak said. But the Islamic faith is all about not judging people and about welcoming people to worship.

A Queens student, Owen Panos, recently explored Islamic views on LGBTQ communities and concluded that the positions of North American Muslims range from acceptance to dissent. Panos, who is transgender, described an explanation from Sherman Jackson, an Islamic scholar at the University of Southern California.

Jackson says gay Muslims are still Muslims, and cannot be disqualified from the religion, Panos said. An individual who commits adultery or drinks alcohol, for example, does not become an unbeliever. For example, the prophet Muhammad once dispelled followers from cursing a man who drank alcohol, which is against Islamic belief.

This inclusion is powerful in its support for LGBTQ Muslims, Panos said. It says God the prophet Muhammad still loves and supports those who follow Islam regardless of their actions. But Islam also makes distinctions.

If homosexuals want to say, Im a homosexual and you must accept homosexual acts as being acceptable in Islam, I dont see a place for that, any more than I see a place for I am an adulterer and you must make a place for adultery in Islam, Jackson has said.

A rainbow in Jewish life

Johnathan, the youth minister at Temple Israel, explained that if youre Jewish and LGBTQ, you can still get married in conservative and reform movements of Judaism. Charlottes Temple Beth El, in the reform movement, is more social action-facing, he said, and offers several groups and initiatives that directly address LGBTQ issues.

Johnathan explained that he and Temple Israels senior rabbi are part of the Keshet program, named after the Hebrew word for rainbow. Keshet works for the equality of all LGBTQ Jews and families in Jewish life.

The way I look at it is  sometimes its already difficult to be Jewish, Johnathan said. Especially in the South, where theres not as many of us. So theres no need to make anyone feel any more excluded from normal life than necessary. If you are straight, LGBTQ, any of those things, it doesnt necessarily matter to us. Because were just happy youre here and youre Jewish, and youre celebrating that with us.

Palmer Magri, JJ Jones and Eleanor Williamson are students in the James L. Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte, which provides the news service in support of community news.
Todd Chrisley is currently completing his 12-year sentence for fraud-related crimes at a prison in Florida

Terry Wyatt/Getty Images

Chase Chrisley is continuing to keep his dad Todd Chrisley in his thoughts amid his prison stint.

The Growing Up Chrisley star shared a throwback of Todd, 54, on his Instagram Story Thursday. In the photo, the pair smiled from ear to ear while posing alongside one of Chase's sisters.

"Missin ya pops," Chase, 26, captioned the shot.

Related:Chase Chrisley Ponders How Loved Ones Can 'Unexpectedly Be Taken from You' Days After Parents' Sentencing

Todd and wife Julie, 50, were sentenced in November to a combined 19 years in prison for fraud-related crimes. They reported to their respective facilities in January.

And while the pair are currently in the process of appealing their case, Todd is spending the next 12 years at Florida's Federal Prison Camp Pensacola. Julie is completing her seven-year sentence at FMC Lexington, Kentucky.

Chase Chrisley/Instagram

Chase has been less outspoken than his siblings when it comes to discussing his parents' legal situation.

Though he said he doesn't "owe the public an explanation," he did say during his first comments on his parents legal woes: "Obviously, what we have been going through is hell. It is a terrible, terrible situation. But I have to try and find the good, even in the darkest time."

He continued, "I feel like throughout everything that we have been going through, it has made me appreciate things I did not appreciate as much in the past. It's made me do a lot of reflecting and just kind of figuring out who I am now as a man and who I wanna be in 10 years, and then 10 years from there and 10 years from there."

RELATED VIDEO: Lindsie Chrisley Feels 'Blessed' That Her Parents Were Welcomed to Prison 'with Open Arms'

Also, as Todd celebrated his first birthday in prison, Chase shared a loving tribute post for the Chrisley Knows Best lead. Alongside multiple photos of the pair, Chase wrote, "Words can't describe how much I miss you."

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"This will be the first birthday of yours and mine that we won't be together but we are together in spirit. I Love you and I'm beyond proud of the man, father and husband that you are," he continued. "We live in a broken world with a broken system but I have faith that we will be together soon! Until then, I love you and we will hold it down! Happy Birthday Boss."

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If you live in Washington state, youre not imagining that the price of gas has been going up again.

Washingtonians have been paying an average of $4.58 per gallon statewide as of late April, according to AAA. Prices have been on the rise since January, when the states average cost per gallon was closer to $3.84.

The rest of the U.S. is currently paying around $3.63 per gallon for regular-grade gas. For drivers in the Olympia area, this would be a steal.

AAA finds that the average price of gas in Thurston County is about $4.62 per gallon. The automobile associations estimates show that overall, the west side of the state has higher averages per county, with King County at a whopping $4.79 per gallon of regular gas.

But as prices continue to rise at the pump, many retailers in Thurston County are offering gas by the gallon below the states average. Fuel economy website GasBuddy provides information on locations selling cheap gas. Drivers can also download the GasBuddy app on their smartphone to search for affordable gas in their region.

Here is a list of affordable fuel in Thurston County and where you can find discounted gas. Drivers should keep in mind that they need a paid Costco membership to purchase gas at their fuel stations.

Cheapest gas around Thurston County
Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Ronke Adekoluejo are giving fans a close-up look at the relationship between Joseph Bologne, a violin virtuoso of 18th century France, and his mother Nanon in Chevalier, in theaters now.

Shadow and Act Managing Editor Trey Mangum spoke with both Adekoluejo and Harrison about their roles, with Adekoluejo saying she was worried about how convincing she could be as Harrisons on-screen mother, considering they arent too far apart in age.

I was definitely worriedI was like, They are going to fire me at any moment because this isnt hitting,' she said. I just did a lot of research in the sense that Black women actually look incredible when they age, also there is somethinga bout an inner knowledge of your life and you allow that to communicate. Your lived experiences dont have to be visible on your skin, but they can be visible in your eyes and your speech and the rhythm in which you speak. So I tried to explore a lot of that, how she held herself, where she was in her body.

She added that the relationship they were able to create on screen reminded her of her own experiences with family.

The relationship that Kelvin and I got to explore and create was so pure and honest that it reminded meIve got a little brother, who I ended up raising for like, four or five years, she said. It reminded me of that relationship because you have to allow them to be adults because they are, but also have to check them at any moment.

Harrison said that when it came to learning more about Bologne, he had to go back to the resources many of us have probably used at some point in college.

I googled him and I didnt get much. And then I was like what is the best way to findbecause were dealing with someone who is a big part of historyso what I did is I went to JSTOR, which is what we used in college, andI got some scholarly papers and I looked at the citations and [found] their research materialsand then I went from there, he said, adding that he also read the book director Stephen Williams and writer Stefani Robinson read to create the film, Gabriel Benats The Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Virtuoso of the Sword and the Bow.

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That was also a big part of all of our process[es] in getting to know Joseph, he said.

Harrison, a skilled musician in his own right, played all of the music for the film, which meant weeks of practicingnot just on his violin, but on his stage presence.

It was hard because it was just so much work. I just couldnt get over how many songs there were and I really doubted myself in the beginning but I pulled it together, he said. [I[t was the discipline and the work ethic involved [and] being just so hands-on about every elementabout how I wanted to perceive or convey how he felt about his music and how he felt about his power in certain moments, and so theres a lot of elements. Yes, theres learning the notesdoing it is one thing, I can stand there and just play it, but then you have to add the rock star element to it and keep it entertaining for modern audiences.

Chevalier is in theaters now.
A cow that was brought to a high school near Chicago as part of a senior prank and later escaped was captured by law enforcement on Thursday.

A video taken in an Illinois neighborhood by Roger Plummer showed the brown bovine running down a sidewalk.

A group of boys is shown chasing after the animal.

Niles Police Chief Luis C. Tigera said they had responded to Northridge Preparatory School just before 3 a.m. EST based on a report of "suspicious subjects in the area."

MYSTERIOUS DEATHS OF SIX CATTLE IN TEXAS SPARK UFO FEARS: 'SOMETHING STRANGE' IS HAPPENING

Residents were told to avoid the area until the cow was secured.

Authorities encouraged residents and visitors to avoid the area until the cow was secured.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

An investigation later revealed that the animals involved in the incident were purchased using Craigslist, including a pig bought near Dixon.

The cow was purchased near Winneconne, Wisconsin, and chickens belonging to a student were also brought to the school.

"Wagner Farms was unable to take possession of the cow, so it will be transferred to Hooved Animals Humane Society in Woodstock, Illinois," the police said in a press release.

The cow was transferred to Hooved Animals Humane Society in Woodstock, Illinois.

"She's alert. Shes obviously cautious and keeps her eye on you, but she is settling in and eating," Cynthia Glensgard, the executive director of Hooved Animal Humane Society, told Fox 32.

CHICAGO OFFICIALS TO CUT DOWN CENTURIES-OLD OAK TREE THAT PREDATES CITY

While school administration refused to pursue any criminal charges, Northridge Preparatory School administration is conducting an internal investigation regarding those involved.

The school is managing cleanup and removal of any animals within school property.

The students involved in the incident were issued Village of Niles ordinance citations.

Students involved in the incident were issued Village of Niles ordinance citations with mandatory appearance in the Niles Ajuducation Court, including curfew violation, disorderly conduct, animal feces accumulation that was not permitted and a prohibited animal species.

Northridge Preparatory school  an "independent school for young men in grades 6-12"  apologized to the local community for an inconvenience caused by the incident and said it appreciated the work of city and law enforcement officials.

"This morning a prank went awry when a group of our seniors lost control of a cow they intended to put in a corral they built in front of the school. Unfortunately, the animal escaped, resulting in the cow roaming the community," the school said. "The senior class is in the process of contacting the police department, city officials and local residents to apologize for this incident."
The Chief of Staff to the Cobb County Sheriff is accused of lying to police and filing a fraudulent insurance claim.

Channel 2s Cobb County Bureau Chief Michelle Newell first broke the story on Thursday on Channel 2 Action News.

Major Braxton Cotton turned himself in Friday on two felony charges and a misdemeanor. Hes since been released.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Newell learned that an investigation was initiated on March 15 due to the report of an accident. According to warrants, Cotton lied to a Cobb County police officer that he knew well about a hit-and-run accident that he claimed happened on March 14.

According to warrants, he told the officer through texts and phone calls that someone hit his car. License plate reading camera images showed Cottons car was not damaged hours after he claimed it had been.

The warrant goes on to say that Cotton admitted to the officer that his car wasnt damaged in a hit-and-run and said it had been hit sometime between midnight and 2 a.m. on March 5 by a woman he knew.

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Cotton told police the woman was driving without insurance at the time. Traffic cameras prove that wasnt true either.

Cellphone data from Cottons phone service provider showed him in contact with the same woman before and after the alleged accident, which is inconsistent with what Cotton allegedly told the officer.

Court documents show the woman received insurance coverage the day after the alleged accident. Cotton is accused of filing a fraudulent insurance claim as a hit-and-run despite knowing who hit him. Hes now facing charges of making a false statement, making a false report of a crime and committing insurance fraud.

The Cobb County Sheriffs Office issued a statement, saying.

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Effective immediately, Sheriff Craig Owens has placed Maj. Braxton Cotton on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation. The investigation is unrelated to his duties at the Cobb County Sheriffs Office. Sheriff Owens will await the culmination of a fair trial before further commenting on the case

Prior to joining the Cobb County Sheriffs Office, Cotton was the director of both the Governors Office of Transition, Support and Reentry and the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

Cotton has been a police officer, deputy sheriff and a Georgia state trooper.
Consequences of the Russian missile debris hitting a high-rise building in Ukraine

The 13-year-old girl was taken to Kyivs Okhmatdyt Childrens Hospital.

The missile fragments damaged apartments on the fifth and sixth floors, causing a fire that was later extinguished.

Read also: Multiple dead in Dnipro and Uman, scores injured in new mass missile attack by Russia

ANDRII NEBYTOV/Telegram

Rescue teams continue to work at the scene, providing civilians with all necessary assistance, said Kravchenko.

The Kyiv City Military Administration reported on Telegram that 11 Russian cruise missiles were shot down in Kyiv Oblast overnight on April 28.

Read also: 25 civilians die in enemy rocket attack on Slovyansk

ANDRII NEBYTOV/Telegram

According to preliminary information, the Russians attacked Ukraine with strategic aviation aircraft.

In addition to cruise missiles, the Ukrainian Air Force shot down two drones near the capital of Kyiv.

Read also: Two people die in Russian missile attacks in Mykolaiv Oblast

ANDRII NEBYTOV/Telegram

Russia launched a massive missile attack on Ukraine overnight on April 28. In total, air defense forces shot down 21 out of 23 missiles, as well as two drones.

Read also: Six people injured; multiple houses destroyed due to Russian attack on Dnipro

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Around this time of year, high schoolers typically slug through the hallways, spinning lists in their minds of internships, community service and ACT/SAT prep. At least, thats where I was in the spring of my junior year. Fruitlessly searching for programs that would enrich my high school experience without breaking the bank.

So preoccupied was I with the coming college application season that I never listened closely to the morning announcements, which hailed the Summer Youth Internship Program (SYIP), a collaboration between The Childrens Trust, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), Miami-Dade County, Career Source South Florida, the Foundation for New Education Initiatives and EdFed Credit Union.

As a paid internship that also offers school credit in Miami-Dade, SYIP is a great opportunity to gain experience while also earning money that is open to high school students in Miami-Dade County.

I enrolled at the urging of my schools activities director. The promise of a paycheck at the end of a resume-building experience was extremely appealing. Another important benefit of the program is that students can earn a GPA boost by way of both school and Dual Enrollment credit through their participation.

Browsing the positions available, I was struck by the range of opportunities being offered: clerking in a law office, filing medical records, marketing, management, retail, or counseling, the possibilities were endless. That July, friends of mine took up new posts as chiropractic assistants, social media managers, and even summer camp counselors.

At first, the array of possibilities before me seemed overwhelming. Without a clear career path in mind, the job descriptions all started to blur together. During the interview process, however, that anxiety finally dissipated. The program provides online comprehensive workplace etiquette and interview coaching to ensure that all students, regardless of experience, are prepared for success.

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I was lucky enough to land a spot as an intern for The Childrens Trust, a government organization that provides funding for social services, programs, and resources for the children of Miami-Dade. Eight of us were interviewed and hired for five weeks in the summer of last year. None of us had ever worked in an office environment before, but with the help of the program and our wonderful supervisors, we learned how the important work of public service is done. Interning under one of the programs sponsors came with loads of insight into the program at large.

Our supervisor organized financial literacy sessions with EdFed, where educators demystified some personal finance concepts and pointed us in the direction of resources the bank provides. As part of this program, students are required to open a checking account with EdFed to receive their stipend payments. This credit union is particularly geared toward planning for the financial futures of students and educators in South Florida.

Too often, these internship experiences can be hard to access for students living in low-income neighborhoods. But by compensating participants and granting them access to financial literacy resources through the partnership with EdFed, students are really set up to succeed.

In my own experience, the internship program was an invaluable first step in my career. Not only did I learn how organizations like The Childrens Trust run, but I also learned how passionate I am to continue to make change in my community. This self-discovery motivated me to stay at The Childrens Trust during my senior year through a school year internship, and through applications and decisions, my commitment to pursue a career in social services is strong.

Research shows that students entering the workforce with an internship under their belt are more confident, more experienced, and more prepared to succeed. I can certainly attest to those results, as this opportunity has truly inspired me to stay engaged and push forward.

With the encouragement of M-DCPS and backing from organizations like The Childrens Trust, SYIP is uniquely positioned to provide a holistic experience for participants. I hope that families and students reading this piece take advantage of this opportunity and sign up for the SYIP experience. If youre searching for a program to enrich your summer and your resume, then look no further!

The deadline to complete an online course to apply for the program is Friday, May 12. Visit miami.getmyinterns.org for eligibility requirements and more information.

Amaya Borroto is a senior at Mast Academy and is a member of The Childrens Trusts Youth Advisory Committee (YAC).
TACNA, Peru (AP)  Stranded for five days under the scorching desert sun alongside a highway, Venezuelan Rosmary Morales looked on helplessly Friday at a wall of police officers blocking her passage into Peru.

The 45-year-old waits alongside hundreds of others who have set up a makeshift refugee camp on the Chilean side of the border they cant cross because they lack the proper documentation. There isnt even an awning, Morales said, adding she felt she was being treated like a dog.

Morales is among the Venezuelans, Colombians and Haitians stranded for two weeks along the Peru-Chile border, eager to return home as living costs skyrocket and as lawmakers in both countries propose penalties for undocumented migration.

Political leaders, meanwhile, are discussing how to facilitate their passage through Peru at a time when migrants increasingly are being blamed for rising crime on both sides of the border.

Chile said Friday it would start registering all the undocumented migrants who want to leave the country, and Peru started letting some of them through to its border offices.

Morales says that while shes grateful that Chile took her in when she left Venezuela, shes now ready to go back to her native country because the cost of living has risen, jobs have become scarce and shes finding it difficult to survive without the proper documentation, which she says has been impossible to obtain.

We can no longer make ends meet, Morales said.

Now she and others are having to endure the elements at the Atacama Desert, one of the driest on the planet, with heat during the day and cold at night.

Many mothers are there, with children, with the flu, fever, constant vomiting, dehydrated, unable to eat a good lunch, unable to bathe, Morales said.

Chiles acting interior minister, Manuel Monsalve, said Friday the government will set up registration points in the border region to enroll undocumented migrants who want to leave the country so their fingerprint, face and name can be recorded.

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Monsalve said Chile wants to let the migrants return to their country but also noted its the governments responsibility to ensure that people who have committed crimes are not leaving Chile.

The president of Chile's lower house of Congress, Vlado Mirosevic, had proposed Thursday that a humanitarian corridor be created to allow the migrants to return home, without elaborating on details of such a corridor.

Peruvian Interior Minister Vicente Romero said on Friday on local radio RPP that at the level of the foreign ministry, we are working with Chile, Ecuador, and also with Venezuela to find a way for migrants to cross borders without problems.

The important thing is to provide the necessary security to all foreigners who voluntarily wish to return to their country, Romero said.

Romero, who has been in the Peruvian border region with Chile since Thursday night, added that he met with local authorities to consider opening temporary shelters for people waiting to leave.

Migrants have set up improvised tents with blankets and braved the elements without access to running water and other basic services. Others have found help in the nearby Chilean border complex of Chacalluta.

We want to go back to our country, Venezuela. Weve achieved what we came to do in Chile," Omar Dominguez, 47, said at the border. We don't want to stay in Peru."

According to official figures from Chilean prosecutors, approximately 10,000 undocumented immigrants have entered Chile this year, and an additional 1,194 have requested to leave.

The crisis along the border comes at a time when officials in Chile are increasing controls on undocumented migrants. Earlier this month, Chile's National Prosecutors Office called on prosecutors to request preventive detention for anyone caught committing a crime who could not prove their identity.

In both Peru and Chile, lawmakers are seeking to toughen laws against undocumented migrants.

A measure set to be debated in Chiles lower house of Congress would classify undocumented immigration as a crime and proposes jail sentences up to 18 months for anyone caught entering Chile through unofficial channels.

In Peru, a lawmaker from the Somos Peru party proposed a bill Thursday to imprison migrants who enter the country illegally for up to 10 years. A lawmaker from the far-right Renovacion Popular said Perus border patrol should enjoy legal protections so they can shoot migrants if necessary.

Peruvian President Dina Boluarte attributed criminal acts to migrants earlier this week. ----- Associated Press journalists Franklin Briceno in Lima, Peru and Eva Vergara in Santiago, Chile contributed to this report.
EXCLUSIVE: The Chinese government has blocked Treasury Secretary Janet Yellens recent speech on the economic relationship between the U.S. and China from being viewed inside the country by disabling links to websites that show her address, a U.S. official told Fox News Digital.

Yellen spoke at Johns Hopkins University on the bilateral relationship on April 20.

"The United States proceeds with confidence in its long-term economic strength," Yellen said in her speech. "We remain the largest and most dynamic economy in the world. We also remain firm in our conviction to defend our values and national security."

"Within that context, we seek a constructive and fair economic relationship with China," she added.

CHINESE HACKERS OUTNUMBER FBI CYBER PERSONNEL 'BY AT LEAST 50 TO 1,' WRAY TESTIFIES

UNITED STATES - MARCH 16: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testifies during the Senate Finance Committee hearing on the The Presidents Fiscal Year 2024 Budget, in Dirksen Building on Thursday, March 16, 2023.

A U.S. official told Fox News Digital on Friday that WeChat, the Chinese instant messaging and social media app, disabled the sharing option for posts made by the U.S. Embassy in China related to Yellens speech.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

The official said the U.S. embassy in China had posted a version of Yellens speech on its website, translated from English to Chinese. WeChat blocked the opening of the embassys website and the Treasury Departments websites within the app, according to the official.

Another Chinese social media app, Weibo, also disabled the links to the embassys website. The Treasury Department declined to comment.

US INTEL COMMUNITY WARNS OF 'COMPLEX' THREATS FROM CHINA, RUSSIA, NORTH KOREA

Yellen outlined the U.S. approach to China, maintaining the importance of securing "our national security interests and those of our allies and partners," while also protecting "human rights."

"We will clearly communicate to the PRC our concerns about its behavior, and we will not hesitate to defend our vital interests," Yellen said.

"As in all of our foreign relations, national security is of paramount importance in our relationship with China," Yellen added, She said the Biden administration has "made clear that safeguarding certain technologies from the PRCs military and security apparatus is of vital national interest."

Story continues

CHINA FIRES BACK AT YELLEN, TELLS US TO 'COPE' WITH ITS OWN DEBT

Yellen did say the U.S. seeks a "healthy economic relationship with China: one that fosters growth and innovation in both countries." But she warned that the United States will "continue to partner with our allies to respond to Chinas unfair economic practices" and will continue to "make critical investments at home" to advance the United States vision for "an open, fair, and rules-based global economic order."

Yellen added that the U.S. seeks "cooperation" with China on global challenges, such as climate and "debt distress."

Chinese officials have slammed Yellens remarks by saying the U.S. is "generalizing the concept of national security" so that "no one dares to oppose it." Officials also accused the U.S. of wanting to "suppress China" and "decouple with China."

GOP, DEM LAWMAKERS CALL FOR 'WORLD WAR II-STYLE' MILITARY INVESTMENTS TO DETER CHINA

Yellen and other top Biden administration officials, including CIA Director Bill Burns and FBI Director Christopher Wray, have warned that China poses the greatest threat to U.S. national security.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is the latest administration official to sound the alarm on the China threat.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, July 19, 2022. Chung Sung-Jun/Pool via REUTERS

Sullivan spoke at The Brookings Institute Thursday, and echoed Yellens remarks.

"As Secretary Yellen said last week in her speech on this topic, we can defend our national security interests, have a healthy economic competition, and work together where possible, but China has to be willing to play its part," Sullivan said Thursday.

Sullivan, pointing to Yellens remarks, said "economic engagement remains a critical part of the administrations approach to managing the U.S.-China relationship."

"With her help, the president is leading investment in U.S. innovation and industries that position us to proceed with confidence as we compete," Sullivan said.

Following President Biden's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in December, administration officials said that diplomatic channels between Washington and Beijing could "potentially expand." However, communication channels between the United States and Chinese militaries have been closed since former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan last summer.
China plans to send one to three network backup satellites for the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) into space this year to improve the stability and usability of the constellation, according to the 13th China Satellite Navigation Conference on Thursday.

As a national major sci-tech project, the BDS is a global navigation satellite system, constructed and operated independently by China. Currently, it has 45 satellites in orbit, including 15 for BDS-2 and 30 for BDS-3.

All the satellites are connected to the network and run stably. The system's services such as global and regional short message communication, international search and rescue, precise single point positioning, and space-based and ground-based enhancement, all meet the target requirements.

The BDS was initiated in 1994. The construction of BDS-1 and BDS-2 was completed in 2000 and 2012, respectively. When BDS-3 was completed and put into service on July 31, 2020, China became the third country globally to have an independent global navigation satellite system.

China will accelerate the integration of BDS with emerging technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence and big data. It aims to build a more ubiquitous, integrated, and intelligent national spatial and temporal system by 2035.

The 3-day conference kicked off Wednesday in Beijing. More than 4,000 experts and scholars from home and abroad in the satellite navigation field attended the conference online and offline.
Abu Dhabi's crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, left, and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attend a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday, July 22, 2019. Andy Wong-Pool/Getty Images

China has resumed the construction of a military base in the UAE, leaker papers show.

Plans for a Chinese base had earlier been halted amid US concerns.

China is riling the US by forming ties with its traditional allies in the region.

China resumed construction of a military base in the United Arab Emirates, a move likely to alarm US officials and increase concerns that another US ally in the Middle East is drawing closer to China.

According to leaked US intelligence documents obtained by The Washington Post, construction has resumed at a Chinese military base just outside Abu Dhabi.

Plans for a base were halted in 2021 after the US voiced its objections. But The Post's documents indicate that the plans now appear to be going ahead.

According to the report, US intelligence is monitoring Chinese activity at the base and at other locations in the oil-rich UAE amid concerns that it is drawing closer to Beijing. The presence of Chinese officials at several sensitive military sites have alarmed US intelligence, the report says.

The base is part an ambitious plan to create a global network of military facilities in ports across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa, by 2030, according to The Post's documents.

China in recent months has made an audacious power play in the Middle East, organising a diplomatic thaw between longtime rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran. Beijing has exposed the limitations of US influence in a region where it's long been the dominant international power.

Saudi Arabia, another traditional US ally in the region, has also riled the White House by drawing closer to China, holding a summit last year to announce cooperation with Beijing across a broad range of security and economic issues.

At the same time, China has sought to position itself as a peace broker in Ukraine, while also offering diplomatic and economic support to Russia in its invasion of its neighbor.

Read the original article on Business Insider
China flag

Davydyuk cautioned that the arrival of the special envoy is actually a very important, but very risky step for Ukraine in terms of technical details.

The person clearly specializes in Russia, understands everything that is happening there, and may play (along with) Russia, Davydyuk said.

He said the envoys activities will be related to a document containing 12 points that recorded Chinas position on the resolution of the full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which Beijing made public on Feb. 24. However, the document did not call for the withdrawal of Russian troops, nor condemn the invasion by Russia.

Read also: Patrushev placed folder labeled Loss on Putins desk, political scientist tells Radio NV

Davydyuk said that the peace plan written by China was made jointly with Putin.

In fact, it is the Russian Minsk-3, just written in Chinese and presented in Beijing. The envoys task is precisely to look for opportunities to sell it, to tie it to Ukrainian circumstances, and to try to take advantage of the situation on the battlefield to establish this plan as the main one. This is dangerous for Ukraine, he said.

Davydyuk also noted that Russian dictator Putin is seeking allies among autocrats because he understands that neither Ukraine nor the West intends to protect his image.

Russia is seeking (like-minded individuals) because it wants only autocratic dictatorships, which view Russia positively as a dictatorship, to sit at the negotiatingtable, whenever there are such talks, Davydyuk added.

Read also: Putin doesnt mind if Russian oligarchs end up paying for rebuilding Ukraine, expert says

China will send a special envoy for Eurasian affairs to Ukraine and other countries tocommunicate on the settlement of the full-scale war initiated by Russia. The representative will be former Chinese Ambassador to Russia Li Hui.

This happened after the first conversation between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Chinese President Xi Jinping since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. According to the Ukrainian leader, it was long and substantive. They last spoke on July 13, 2021.

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At that time, President Zelenskyy signed a decree appointing former Minister of Strategic Industries Pavel Ryabikin as Ukraines ambassador to China.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Wikimedia Commons

Chinas Zhurong Mars rover has seen better days.

The craft hasnt moved for months, spurring speculation that something might have gone wrong with it. On Tuesday, a designer for the Chinese Mars mission confirmed to state TV that the rover likely accumulated so much dust on its solar panels that it has been unable to power back up.

Just because the rover is likely down for the count, though, doesnt mean that it cant still deliver groundbreaking discoveries. Case in point: researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have discovered evidence of saltwater through analysis of Martian sand dunes by Zhurong.

In a study published on Friday in Science Advances, images and chemical data gathered by the rover show hints that melting pockets of frozen water might have formed cracks and erosion on the sand dunes. Of course, where theres water, theres also the potential for life, so the discovery could point the way for future research into signs of life on the Red Planet.

Our findings provide useful clues for designing future exploration strategies for Mars rovers, the studys authors wrote. Specifically, future researchers should pay closer attention to small depressions and encrusted soil surfaces for evidence of saltwater on the Martian landscape.

Water Found on Mars Could Be First Signs of Martian Life

The authors added, As saline water once existed at various latitudes on the surface of Mars, priority should be given to salt-tolerant microbes in future missions searching for extant life on Mars.

The findings add credence to the idea that Mars had water on it relatively recently. While most scientists agree that the Red Planet used to actually be fairly wet and covered with oceans that likely teemed with life, that all occurred billions of years ago. Its since dried up, giving way to the rocky and sandy planet Mars is today.

However, the measurements taken by Zhurong indicate that there might have been some water on Mars as recently as 400,000 years ago. In the span of planetary history, thats the blink of an eye. For some perspective, early humans were hunting grazing animals in Africa at this time.

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(a) Topographic contour map of the environs where the trace is located. The coordinate system is east-north-up (ENU) local Cartesian coordinate and the origin is that of the rover coordinate system. The background Digital Orthophoto Map (DOM) photo was taken by NaTeCam. (b) MSCam birds-eye-view photo showing a strip-like trace and a likely water-soaked fragmented soil block. (c) Enlarged photo showing polygonal cracks and bright polygonal ridges. (d) Enlarged photo showing circular region with the strip-like trace as a part. (e) NaTeCam 3D image of an interdune depression between two dark longitudinal dunes. (f) A cross-section of the dune along the profile of the white dash line in (e). IGGCAS

Experiments run by the Chinese team also revealed that the crust and ridges of the sand dunes probably were the result of saltwater thawing from snow or frost. That reveals a potential water process system that could still be occurring on Marsthough much more research is needed to bear out anything conclusive.

If there is any life on the Red Planet, the studys authors say its likely a very hardy form of life capable of living in a salt-rich environment. Any water that might be present on the planet will likely contain a lot of saline, so organisms would have to be able to survive it.

While weve likely heard the last of Zhurong, the data the rover has gathered during its time on the Red Planet will continue to provide insights into future Martian explorations. Of course, that means that we have to find a way to get thereso lets hope SpaceX can figure out its Starship headaches sooner rather than later.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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China said Friday that a near-collision in the South China Sea between a Chinese coast guard ship and a Philippine patrol vessel carrying journalists was caused by the latter's "premeditated and provocative action".

The near-miss off the Spratly Islands on Sunday was the latest in a long string of incidents between China and the Philippines in the contested waterway.

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, ignoring an international ruling that the assertion has no legal basis.

The latest row comes days before Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos is due to meet with US President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss growing regional tensions.

AFP was one of several media outlets invited to join two Philippine Coast Guard boats on a six-day patrol of the waters, visiting a dozen islands and reefs.

Sunday's incident happened after the Philippine vessels approached Second Thomas Shoal, known in China as Ren'ai Jiao, in the Spratly archipelago.

As one boat, the BRP Malapascua, which was carrying Filipino journalists, neared the shoal, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel more than twice its size sailed into its path.

AFP journalists watched the incident from the other Philippine coast guard boat, which was less than a kilometre (0.6 miles) away.

The Malapascua's commanding officer said the Chinese ship came within 45 metres (50 yards) of his boat and only his quick actions avoided the steel-hulled vessels crashing into each other.

Asked about the incident on Friday at a regular press briefing, the Chinese foreign ministry said the Philippine boats had "intruded" without China's permission.

"The Chinese coast guard vessel safeguarded China's territorial sovereignty and maritime order, in accordance with the law, while taking timely measures to avoid the dangerous approach of Philippine vessels and to avoid a collision," said spokeswoman Mao Ning.

"It was a premeditated and provocative action for the Philippine vessel to barge into the waters of Ren'ai Jiao with journalists on board, the aim was to deliberately find fault and take the opportunity to hype up the incident," she added.

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Mao said the crew of the Chinese vessel had acted "professionally and with restraint".

But on Friday Mao's Philippine counterpart Teresita Daza accused them of putting the Malapascua's crew in "serious danger", and insisted the Philippines would continue to conduct patrols in its "own waters".

"Routine patrols in our own waters can neither be premeditated nor provocative," Daza said.

"It is a legal right that we exercised and will continue to exercise."

- Close call -

Second Thomas Shoal is about 200 kilometres from the Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000 kilometres from China's nearest major landmass of Hainan island.

The Philippine Coast Guard vessels were shadowed by Chinese navy and coast guard ships, and ordered to leave the waters several times during the trip with journalists.

The commanding officer of the Malapascua, Rodel Hernandez, told AFP Chinese boats routinely blocked his and other Philippine coast guard ships during their patrols near the shoal.

But Sunday was the "closest" he had seen vessels from the rival fleets come to a collision, he said.

The Philippine Coast Guard would "continue to keep watch over each square inch of Philippine territory", said Commodore Jay Tarriela, the agency's spokesman for the West Philippine Sea.

The near-miss came just a day after Marcos hosted Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang for talks in Manila aimed at defusing tensions in the waterway.

Since taking office last June, Marcos has insisted he will not let China trample on the Philippines' rights in the sea -- in contrast to his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte who was reluctant to criticise Beijing.

Marcos has meanwhile gravitated towards the Philippines' traditional ally, the United States, as he seeks to strengthen their defence ties.

This shift has alarmed China, which has accused Washington of trying to drive a wedge between Beijing and Manila.

Marcos said Monday he would discuss with Biden the "need to tone down the rhetoric" over the South China Sea, Taiwan and North Korea.

"The discussion is heating up, some harsh words are being exchanged and we are worried," Marcos told a Philippine broadcaster.

reb-amj/dva
(Bloomberg) -- Chinese and Philippine ships came close to collision in the South China Sea on Sunday, in yet another sign of continued tensions over contested waters as both sides accused one another of intrusion and provocation.

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Two Chinese coast guard vessels blocked Philippine patrol boats in the vicinity of Ayungin shoal on April 23, with one of the ships carrying out dangerous maneuvers and came within 50 yards of the Southeast Asian nations boat, according to its coast guard on Friday.

Similar moves were documented on April 19 in the same area, the Philippines foreign affairs department said, which cited other incidents of highly dangerous maneuvers by Chinese ships.

Chinas maneuvers were professional and restrained, China Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Friday at a regular press briefing in Beijing. It needs to be stressed that the Philippine vessels intruded into the waters with press staff on board. This makes it clear that it was a premeditated provocation designed to initiate friction, blame it on China and hype up the incident, Mao said.

The two nations have been locked in a territorial dispute in the resource-rich waters, with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s government ramping up protests over Beijings actions. China has maintained that its presence in the area is legitimate, even after an international tribunal dashed its expansive sea claims in 2016.

The incident happened as the US and the Philippines conduct their largest joint military exercises that are due to end Friday. Marcoss government has been strengthening its alliance with Washington, recently expanding the USs access to his nations military sites. Hes expected to discuss defense deals with President Joe Biden in a meeting next week.

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The Philippine Coast Guard said Friday that it conducted a seven-day patrol in the South China Sea through Monday upon Marcoss directive. It also reported a separate confrontation with a Chinese Navy vessel near Pag-asa Island on April 21. The Chinese ship reportedly told Philippine vessels over the radio to leave the area, and that failure to comply might cause problem.

Around a hundred Chinese maritime militia vessels are in the vicinity of Julian Felipe Reef at the same time, according to a report by Philippine state television PTV. It also showed coast guard personnel from both countries exchanging radio challenges and asking each other to leave the disputed waters.

We urge the Philippines to respect Chinas sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China and stop making moves that might complicate the situation, Mao said. The Philippine foreign affairs department also called on China to do the same and refrain from actions that may cause an untoward incident.

--With assistance from Philip Glamann and Cecilia Yap.

(Updates with comments from China, Philippine foreign affairs officials.)

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china and u.s. flags Getty Images / Tuomas A. Lehtinen

Is China replacing the U.S. as the world's peace mediator? Chinese leader Xi Jinping said Wednesday his country will send an envoy to Ukraine to seek a settlement in the war with Russia, The Associated Press reports. It's just the latest example of how Xi has "pursued a bigger role in global diplomacy" as part of a campaign to establish China as an even bigger world leader "and to build an international order that favors Beijing's interests."

The Ukraine effort comes a month after China brokered a rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, two longtime rivals in the Middle East. That deal came as a shock to U.S. officials used to having a hand in the region's affairs. But "all of this comes at a time when the influence of the United States  traditionally the biggest power broker in the Middle East  has waned" in the aftermath of failed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Al Jazeera reports.

Some observers suggest China's growing prominence in peace efforts reflects a larger shift in the worldwide balance of power. Thomas Warrick, a former Homeland Security official, tells U.S. News & World Report: "The announcement of China's involvement in restoring Saudi-Iranian diplomatic ties shows that Middle East diplomacy is alive and well  and does not always go through Washington."

What are the commentators saying?

"There was a time when all roads to peace went through Washington," the Quincy Institute's Trita Parsi writes for the New York Times. That changed as "America's foreign policy became more militarized" and the United States "gave up on the virtues of honest peacemaking," frequently taking sides in conflicts instead of acting as a neutral arbiter. The danger now is that the U.S. will see China's efforts as a threat, instead of welcoming peacemaking efforts. America's reputation will be in trouble "if we stand in the way of a world where others have a stake in peace."

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"Chinese mediation can benefit the rest of the world too, including the United States," Robert Rust writes for the Union of Concerned Scientists. Yes, it is difficult to see China as an "impartial actor" in Ukraine, given Xi's declaration of a "no-limits friendship" on the eve of Russia's invasion last year. And there are concerns that ending the Russo-Ukraine under Chinese-brokered terms could weaken the democratic world. But if the U.S. wants to retain its influence, it should emphasize cooperation and "work with China to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the conflict."

America could benefit. "The U.S. has long pressured Beijing to assume" a role as "responsible stakeholder on the international stage," Ahmed Aboudouh writes for the Atlantic Council. While China's work on the Iran-Saudi Arabia settlement was clearly part of a push "to reduce U.S. influence on Gulf policies and decision-making, stability in the Persian Gulf also serves U.S. interests. Instead of "deliberately belittling" Chinese diplomacy, the Biden administration "should see China's mediation as an opportunity, not a threat."

What's next?

It's not just Ukraine. China wants to build on its Iran-Saudi Arabia success by helping bring peace to war-torn Yemen, The Diplomat reports. The Yemeni war is widely seen as a proxy struggle between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which means that "Beijing will be able to take some credit for a possible peace in Yemen" even if China doesn't play a direct role in achieving a settlement there.

There are always power issues at play. Xi's efforts to bring about a settlement in Ukraine are probably part of an effort to "undermine a deepening trans-Atlantic solidarity" between the U.S. and Europe that has been bolstered by Russia's invasion, the Washington Post reports. The effort begins in earnest this weekend when China's envoy is expected to arrive in Ukraine "where he will work with officials to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table."

Will it work? CBS News reports that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is cautiously optimistic, calling the visit "an opportunity to use China's political power to reinforce the principles and rules that peace should be built upon." Western officials have expressed skepticism, though: NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg recently said China "doesn't have much credibility because they have not been able to condemn the illegal invasion of Ukraine." One thing is clear: American and Western officials will be watching China's efforts closely.

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP)  Water may be more widespread and recent on Mars than previously thought, based on observations of Martian sand dunes by China's rover.

The finding highlights new, potentially fertile areas in the warmer regions of Mars where conditions might be suitable for life to exist, though more study is needed.

Friday's news comes days after mission leaders acknowledged that the Zhurong rover has yet to wake up since going into hibernation for the Martian winter nearly a year ago.

Its solar panels are likely covered with dust, choking off its power source and possibly preventing the rover from operating again, said Zhang Rongqiao, the mission's chief designer.

Before Zhurong fell silent, it observed salt-rich dunes with cracks and crusts, which researchers said likely were mixed with melting morning frost or snow as recently as a few hundred thousand years ago.

Their estimated date range for when the cracks and other dune features formed in Mars Utopia Planitia, a vast plain in the northern hemisphere: sometime after 1.4 million to 400,000 years ago or even younger.

Conditions during that period were similar to now on Mars, with rivers and lakes dried up and no longer flowing as they did billions of years earlier.

Studying the structure and chemical makeup of these dunes can provide insights into "the possibility of water activity" during this period, the Beijing-based team wrote in a study published in Science Advances.

"We think it could be a small amount ... no more than a film of water on the surface, co-author Xiaoguang Qin of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics said in an email.

The rover did not directly detect any water in the form of frost or ice. But Qin said computer simulations and observations by other spacecraft at Mars indicate that even nowadays at certain times of year, conditions could be suitable for water to appear.

Whats notable about the study is how young the dunes are, said planetary scientist Frederic Schmidt at the University of Paris-Saclay, who was not part of the study.

Story continues

This is clearly a new piece of science for this region, he said in an email.

Small pockets of water from thawing frost or snow, mixed with salt, likely resulted in the small cracks, hard crusty surfaces, loose particles and other dune features like depressions and ridges, the Chinese scientists said. They ruled out wind as a cause, as well as frost made of carbon dioxide, which makes up the bulk of Mars atmosphere.

Martian frost has been observed since NASAs 1970s Viking missions, but these light dustings of morning frost were thought to occur in certain locations under specific conditions.

The rover has now provided evidence that there may be a wider distribution of this process on Mars than previously identified, said Trinity College Dublins Mary Bourke, an expert in Mars geology.

However small this watery niche, it could be important for identifying habitable environments, she added.

Launched in 2020, the six-wheeled Zhurong  named after a fire god in Chinese mythology  arrived at Mars in 2021 and spent a year roaming around before going into hibernation last May. The rover operated longer than intended, traveling more than a mile (1,921 meters).

___

AP video producer Olivia Zhang in Beijing contributed to this report.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
(Bloomberg) -- Chinas ambassador warned Japan that Taiwan was a red line not to be crossed, and said the detention of an employee of Japanese drugmaker Astellas Pharma Inc. was related to a spying incident that damaged Beijings sovereignty.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Foreign forces are colluding with Taiwan independence forces, and conducting repeated provocations, Wu Jianghao told reporters in Tokyo on Friday, saying their ultimate goal was to split Taiwan from China. Whipping up a division in China would lead the Japanese people into a fire, he added.

Japanese officials have said any contingency in Taiwan would amount to a contingency in Japan, whose southwestern isles neighbor the democratically ruled island. While Tokyo has official ties with Beijing, its ruling party has maintained close informal relations with the leadership in Taipei.

Wu said it was dangerous to link Japans security to that of Taiwan. He added the US was conducting a negative campaign against China and seeking to involve other countries.

Asked about the detention of an Astellas employee in China last month, Wu said the case was not a question of an innocent person being taken into custody. He said it was increasingly clear the matter affected Chinese national security, adding the man had been made to conduct spying activities.

The comments are some of the most direct made by a senior government official since the employee was detained by Chinese authorities about a month ago.

The employee, whom Astellas has not identified, was in his 50s and had been in China for more than 20 years, the Financial Times has cited people with knowledge of the incident as saying. The country accounts for less than 5% of Astellass annual revenue but is a key source of raw materials for the companys drugs, according to the report.

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The case has increased friction between the two biggest economies in Asia. It comes as Japan prepares to host leaders from the Group of Seven nations next month, with the US pressing for its allies and partners to coordinate against economic coercion from the likes of China.

Answering questions in Chinese interpreted into Japanese, Wu said media were giving the impression that visitors could be in danger just walking down the street, taking photographs, or talking to friends. He denied this was the case and said anyone conducting normal friendship or business activities would be welcomed with open arms.

Anyone illegally spying, on the other hand, would be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law, he said. The US and other leading democracies have accused China of using arbitrary detentions of foreign nationals for political purposes.

Seventeen Japanese have been detained in China since 2015, a foreign ministry official told parliament earlier this month. Five are still in Chinese custody, of whom two have received sentences.

In a separate case, staff at Bain & Companys Shanghai office were questioned by Chinese authorities. Wu said he was not familiar with the details of that case.

(Updates with comments and details throughout.)

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[Source]

Chinese social media users are changing their profile pictures to photos of "Eternals" actor Ma Dong-seok to receive better customer service.

In the growing trend, the Korean American action stars face has become the profile pictures for Chinese netizens who hope to gain respect and better responses from customer service agents and landlords, reported The Guardian.

Hes not very well known in China unless you are a K-drama fan so not a lot of people know who he is. Netizen said whenever they meet someone new online, the other party will address them politely as big bro. And whatever they need to get done is taken care of quickly, Chinese TikTok user Candise Lin explained in a video.

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Many social media users claimed that the shots of the 52-year-old actor, which appear to have been taken from his Instagram account, helped them solve tedious disputes.

When I used a girls avatar, the customer service ignored me, one person said. After changing to the avatar of Ma Dong-seok, the customer service attitude was much more polite, and they even took the initiative to make up the price difference.

In another incident, a woman claimed that her property manager, who had initially been ignoring her requests, was able to fix an issue for her in a matter of minutes after she changed her avatar from actor Liu Yifei to Ma.

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Many netizens have hopped on the trend as it has grown in virality on Weibo and WeChat.

Chinese celebrity Li Xian also changed his gaming avatar to a photo of Ma.

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However, other social media users expressed disappointment in having to change their pictures to one of Mas in order to receive better treatment.

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Its fun and useful, but it makes me sad that it shows a form of discrimination, one person said.

Ma, who is also known as Don Lee, has starred in numerous South Korean hit movies, including Train to Busan, The Outlaws and Unstoppable."

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TB-001

A Chinese TB-001 Scorpion medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) drone has flown an apparently unprecedented mission around Taiwan, according to authorities on the island. The drone sortie came as part of the latest spike in Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) air and naval activity in the Taiwan Strait, something that has become more commonplace in recent months. However, according to local reports, this is the first time that Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense has publicly acknowledged that a PLA aircraft encircled the island in this way.

The Scorpion drone first crossed the Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan from the Philippines, then headed up the east coast of the island, before crossing back toward the Chinese coast, according to a press release from the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense. Another Chinese MALE drone, a BZK-005, also flew part of the way around Taiwan on a similar course but turned back roughly halfway between the island and the median line that serves as a de facto boundary between it and the mainland.

The flight paths of the different PLA aircraft that the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense says crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or entered its southwest, southeast, and northeast Air Defense Identification Zones between April 2728. Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense

The two drones were part of a group of 38 PLA aircraft that the Ministry of National Defense says it detected around Taiwan in the 24 hours leading up to 6:00 A.M. local time today.

Of those aircraft, the Taiwanese defense ministry says that 19 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or entered Taiwans southwest, southeast, and northeast Air Defense Identification Zones, or ADIZ. While its not uncommon for PLA aircraft to cross the median line, the scale of such activity has increased notably in recent times. The ADIZ is a broader area Taiwan monitors and patrols and its worth noting that this covers not only the entirety of the strait but also portions of mainland China, too.

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19 of the detected aircraft(SU-30*5, J-10*8, J-16*2, TB-001 UCAV, BZK-005 UAV, Y-8 ASW, Y-8 RECCE) had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or entered Taiwans southwest, southeast, and northeast ADIZ, flight paths as illustrated.   Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C.  (@MoNDefense) April 28, 2023

As well as the two drones, the 19 aircraft specified as having crossed the median line and/or entered the ADIZ comprised five Su-30 and two J-16 Flanker fighter jets, eight J-10 fighter jets, a single example of the Y-8 anti-submarine warfare aircraft, and another, reconnaissance-configured Y-8 variant.

[The] Republic of China Armed Forces have monitored the situation and tasked CAP [combat air patrol] aircraft, Navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond [to] these activities, Taiwans Ministry of National Defense stated, in a routine response to incidents like these. The ministry also said that six PLA Navy vessels were also detected around Taiwan in the same period.

Interestingly, the TB-001 and BZK-005 have in the past both also been noted conducting operations in the East China Sea, something that you can read more about here and, more generally, long-range Chinese drones are a more familiar presence for over-ocean intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) in the first island chain  the first chain of major Pacific archipelagos that stretches out from the East Asian continental mainland coast.

A TB-001 over the East China Sea in August 2021, in an official photo released by the Japan Ministry of Defense. Japan Ministry of Defense

While the Taiwanese defense ministrys release classed the TB-001 and BZK-005 as recce drones, its notable that the first of these types was designed from the outset as an armed drone, with four underwing hardpoints capable of carrying various stores, though it also has a sensor turret underneath its central fuselage. Larger than the single-engine BZK-005, the TB-001 shares the twin-boom tail configuration but is substantially different in its overall design.

The TB-001, which was the first unmanned aircraft to come out of Tengoen, a company that was only established in 2016, has two engines, each driving a single propeller, one on either side of its central fuselage under its straight, high-mounted main wing.

Among the weapons associated with the TB-001 in the past are the FT-7 glide bomb, FT-8D guided missile, and the FT-9 and FT-10 guided bombs. At the Zhuhai Airshow in 2018, the drone was shown alongside the C-701/K anti-ship missile and the CM-502 air-to-surface missile. Chinese media reports suggest that the TB-001 can be equipped with the 40-pound AR-2 and 160-pound AR-4 air-to-surface-missile, as well as the 200-pound AR-3 cruise missile.

A Tengden TB-001 on display together with a range of potential weaponry, at the Zhuhai Airshow in November 2022. Infinty 0/Wikimedia Commons https://twitter.com/jesusfroman/status/1607668080934588417?s=20

There is no confirmation of whether the TB-001 involved in todays flight was carrying any weapons, but even when configured for long-range ISR, the drone offers some impressive capabilities. The TB-001s multi-intelligence gathering capabilities include a radar in the nose, various external pods, likely including ones with electronic intelligence payloads, and various antennas scattered around the airframe. The TB-001 is also capable of full beyond-line-of-sight operations.

In the past, the PLA has flown what it describes as island encirclement missions with the nuclear-capable H-6 bomber, although these have tended to involve the aircraft venturing only relatively briefly along the east coast of the island, before swinging back, as seen in the mission of November 21, 2021, shown below. Using the TB-001 to fly a similar but extended mission profile is seemingly unprecedented, at least in recent times.

9 PLA aircraft (H-6*2, J-10*4, J-16*2 and KJ-500 AEW&C) entered #Taiwans southwest ADIZ on November 21, 2021. Please check our official website for more information: https://t.co/hhAJGg1aoK pic.twitter.com/qgFjvp3vKR   Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C.  (@MoNDefense) November 21, 2021

Clearly, the TB-001 provides China with an efficient ability to collect multiple types of intelligence over and around the highly strategic strait. Its range  around 1,860 miles  and reported 35-hour endurance also allow it to venture around Taiwan, which means it can also conduct radar mapping and classification of electronic emissions from air defense systems and other Taiwanese military assets on the east coast of the island. This coastline is traditionally less heavily defended, although, more recently, there have been efforts made by Taiwan to address the situation.

Carrying a load of dummy weapons, a Tengden TB-001 flies at the Zhuhai Airshow on September 28, 2021. Photo by NOEL CELIS/AFP via Getty Images

With its mix of capabilities, the TB-001 could conceivably help surveil potential targets on the eastern side of the island and possibly even launch strikes directly against them in a crisis.

The latest PLA air and naval activity around Taiwan follows large-scale war games that took place earlier this month, apparently in response to the meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing Wen and Kevin McCarthy, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, in Los Angeles.

As we reported at the time, these maneuvers involved the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong and practicing so-called precision strikes. As well as multiple aircraft and warships, the three-day exercise also involved missile and rocket forces on the mainland.

Vessel : CV-17 Shandong carrier

Time : 7/April/2023

Place : east of Taiwan pic.twitter.com/zIiO3UELyj   (@louischeung_hk) April 8, 2023

Also significant, especially in the context of the TB-001 flight, is that Beijing stated that the exercise earlier this month included practicing for a multi-directional island-encompassing blockade situation. This was a very explicit reference to one of the strategies that the PLA might employ if it were to go on the offensive against Taiwan.

The involvement of the aircraft carrier in those drills also points to Beijing increasingly planning for military operations directed against the east of Taiwan. Combined, carrier-based airpower, long-range H-6 bombers, and TB-001 drones could all approach Taiwan from the east, further complicating the defense of the island in a more offensive scenario, or otherwise helping enforce an aerial and maritime blockade.

"The Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong transited the channel earlier this month before conducting jet-fighter drills to the east of Taiwan. The channel is also the most direct access point for any American forces sent to the Taiwan Strait from air and naval bases on Guam..." pic.twitter.com/DaNVGT2wrm  Alex  (@alexgarcialonso) April 25, 2023

Like the military drills earlier this month, todays activity around Taiwan is aimed squarely at practicing for a potential future armed confrontation with Taiwan, including establishing a blockade around the island and potentially launching attacks from multiple directions.

As we have noted before, near-continuous large-scale exercises, as well as upticks in air and naval activity around Taiwan would precede any actual military operation directed against the island. For this reason, as well as the inherent political signaling involved in these kinds of maneuvers, the United States and the international community at large will be keeping a close eye on Chinese military activities in the area.

On this occasion, it seems that a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft may have been observing the PLA activity in the Taiwan Strait. According to the Chinese military, PLA fighter jets were sent to intercept the Poseidon as it flew through the strait today. As part of freedom of navigation operations, intended to assert the international status of this and other waterways, U.S. military aircraft and warship movements in the strait are by no means uncommon.

Was taking stock of the table on reported U.S. maritime forces' transit through Taiwan Strait and found that none was announced last month. Appended the latest table here to reflect reported assertion of freedom of overflight by P-8 maritime patrol and recon aircraft (MPRA). pic.twitter.com/4jMSBTv2Jk  Collin Koh  (@CollinSLKoh) April 3, 2023

By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations, the U.S. Navy said in a statement.

Aside from the context of a potential Taiwan crisis, the TB-001 mission today also underscores the overall growing drone capabilities within the PLA and its ever-growing focus on uncrewed aircraft of various types, for a wide range of missions.

It seems likely that the periodic high levels of PLA activity around Taiwan will continue for the time being. As China continues to develop new and more capable drones and becomes more familiar with operating them, its also more than probable that uncrewed systems like the TB-001 will also make more regular appearances around the island, whether flying routine surveillance missions or taking part in exercises specifically directed against the island.

Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com
Chinese police have launched this year's campaign to apprehend economic fugitives who have fled overseas, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Public security organs will intensify efforts to solve key cases of fugitive repatriation and the recovering of criminal assets in the "Fox Hunt 2023" campaign, and support discipline inspection and supervision departments in this regard, the ministry said.

During last year's "Fox Hunt" campaign, Chinese police have arrested more than 700 fugitives suspected of various economic crimes, and recovered 1 billion yuan (about 144 million U.S. dollars) of illegal assets in one single case, the largest amount of this kind in the past three years, the ministry added.

China launched its "Fox Hunt" operation in 2014 to pursue economic fugitives.
Karen Gillan and Vin Diesel on the "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" red carpet. Jon Kopaloff/WireImage/Rich Polk/Getty Images for Disney

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" had its world premiere on Thursday night in Hollywood.

Director James Gunn showed up with the cast, including Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, and Bradley Cooper.

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" arrives in theaters on May 5.

Star-Lord actor Chris Pratt matched the purple carpet with a checked suit.

Chris Pratt attends the world premiere of Marvel Studios' "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3" on April 27, 2023, in Hollywood, California. Jon Kopaloff/WireImage

Newlyweds director James Gunn and actor Jennifer Holland had fun as a married couple.

Jennifer Holland and James Gunn attend the world premiere of Marvel Studios' "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" on April 27, 2023, in Hollywood, California. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Vin Diesel wore a Groot-inspired suit jacket, complete with a baby Groot in his pocket.

Vin Diesel attends the "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, on April 27, 2023. Rich Polk/Getty Images for Disney

Nebula star Karen Gillan took to the carpet in a slick blazer and boots combination.

Karen Gillan attends the world premiere of Marvel Studios' "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3" on April 27, 2023, in Hollywood, California. Jon Kopaloff/WireImage

While Mantis star Pom Klementieff donned a red dress with a hood.

Pom Klementieff attends the premiere of Marvel Studios' "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3" on April 27, 2023, in Hollywood, California. Jon Kopaloff/WireImage

Cosmo the Spacedog voice actor Maria Bakalova posed with Jackson the Fire Dog, who was dressed like the telepathic canine.

Maria Bakalova attends the "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, on April 27, 2023. Rich Polk/Getty Images for Disney

Jackson the Fire Dog clearly had a great time meeting all of his adoring fans too in his Cosmo the Space Dog outfit.

Rocket voice actor Bradley Cooper kept things casual in a sweater and sneakers.

Bradley Cooper attends the "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" world premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on April 27, 2023. Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

Chukwudi Iwuji plays the bad guy, the High Evolutionary, in the sequel  and he wore a sharp green suit for the premiere.

Chukwudi Iwuji attends the "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, on April 27, 2023. Rich Polk/Getty Images for Disney

Will Poulter looked equally suave in a Yves Saint Laurent suit.

Will Poulter attends the "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" world premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, on April 27, 2023. Rich Polk/Getty Images for Disney

Kraglin star Sean Gunn also brought his wife, actor Natasha Halevi, to the premiere.

Natasha Halevi and Sean Gunn attend the "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" world premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, on April 27, 2023. Rich Polk/Getty Images for Disney

Brothers Sean and James Gunn also snapped a photo together.

Sean Gunn and James Gunn attend the "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" world premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on April 27, 2023. Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Disney

Marvel newcomer Daniela Melchior also showed up in a vibrant pair of green boots.

Daniela Melchior attends the world premiere of Marvel Studios' "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" on April 27, 2023, in Hollywood, California. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Australian star Elizabeth Debicki reprises her role as High Priestess Ayesha in "Vol. 3," and she brought an ethereal look to the carpet.

Elizabeth Debicki attends the world premiere of Marvel Studios' "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" on April 27, 2023, in Hollywood, California Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

"Guardians of the Galaxy" alumni Michael Rooker showed up to support his friends and rocked a casual flowery shirt.

Michael Rooker attends the world premiere of Marvel Studios' "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" on April 27, 2023, in Hollywood, California. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Marvel fans might know Linda Cardellini as Linda Barton in "Avengers" and "Hawkeye," but she voices Lylla the Otter in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," and she brought her daughter to the premiere.

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Linda Cardellini and Lilah-Rose Rodriguez attend the world premiere of Marvel Studios' "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" on April 27, 2023, in Hollywood, California. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Actor Rob Lowe also attended the premiere with his son, Matthew Edward Lowe.

Matthew Edward Lowe and Rob Lowe attend the world premiere of Marvel Studios' "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" on April 27, 2023, in Hollywood, California. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

The whole cast later took to the stage to introduce the film.

Will Poulter, Maria Bakalova, Sean Gunn, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Chukwudi Iwuji, and James Gunn speak onstage during the "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" world premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, on April 27, 2023. Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

Read the original article on Insider
CITY OF NEWBURGH - City police on Friday were continuing to investigate a fatal shooting that happened earlier this week.

Police responded to the area of Lander and Farrington streets at about 8:40 a.m. Monday after getting a report of a shooting incident.

Responding officers found two victims. One victim was dead when the officers arrived. The other victim was taken to nearby Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital and is currently listed in critical condition.

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Their names are being withheld pending notification of family members. Police have not said whether the victims are male or female.

Anyone who might have information on the shootings is asked to call city of Newburgh detectives at 845-569-7509. Callers can remain anonymous.

Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record, Poughkeepsie Journal and The Journal News/lohud. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com or on Twitter @mikerandall845.

This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Newburgh police investigate shooting death
WDIV-TV/YouTube

New details are emerging in the brutal killing of a beloved Detroit neurosurgeon who was found dead in the attic of his upscale home over the weekend.

Dr. Devon Hoover, 53, was found dead in his attic in the historic Boston-Edison District on Sunday as officers carried out a welfare check. Authorities had been called after Hoover failed to show up at a family event in Indiana, according to Fox 2.

Person of Interest in Custody in Execution of Beloved Neurosurgeon

Hoover, who worked at Ascension Healthcare at St. John Hospital in Detroit, was found wrapped in a sheet. Police initially said that he had been shot once, but on Thursday a medical examiner found that hed been shot multiple times in the head, and his cause of death was officially listed as a homicide, according to WDIV-TV.

As of early Friday, no arrests have been made in the case. But sources told WDIV-TV that police have identified a person of interest, meaning they believe someone may have important information about the crime rather than considering them a suspect. Multiple outlets have also reported that there was no sign of a forced entry at Hoovers house, which some have interpreted as an indication that he may have known the person who killed him.

Fox 2 earlier reported that Hoovers car had been found ditched at an unspecified location on Detroits west side. Following the shocking news of Hoovers death, countless tributes from his colleagues, friends and patients have been shared online for the man they considered a kind and dedicated surgeon as well as a thoughtful, generous neighbor.

We, the family of Devon Hoover, wish to express our profound sadness at the loss of a beloved son, brother, and uncle, Hoovers relatives said in a statement. We grieve his untimely death and will miss him greatly. We are so grateful for the many words of kindness and stories from people who were touched by his life. He was a gift from God and used his talents to bless many.

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ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP)  Voters will decide Sunday whether to stay with the party that has governed Paraguay for seven decades or back a broad opposition coalition that has mounted a strong challenge amid discontent over health, schools and corruption.

The elections for president and Congress could also have geopolitical implications as Paraguay is the only country in South America with political ties to Taiwan and the opposition coalition has vowed to review that relationship.

The landlocked country, which enjoys a relatively stable economy even as it suffers high levels of poverty and corruption, has been practically immune to political change and the social movements that have swept the region, including the feminist wave.

But analysts say the political landscape may be due for alteration given that popular anger is at high levels over corruption and the deficiencies in the health and education systems that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Efrain Alegre, the leader of the Liberal party, the second-largest political force in Congress, is the presidential candidate of the opposition coalition that has united disparate parties in their desire to oust the long-governing Colorado Party.

Santiago Pena, a former finance minister who is Colorados presidential candidate, is former aide to powerful former President Horacio Cartes, who has been accused of corruption and links to terrorism by the United States.

Pena's party is South Americas longest-ruling political party, essentially governing Paraguay since 1947.

This is a very unique electoral process, said Diego Abete Brun, a political science professor who heads the Latin American and Hemispheric Studies program at George Washington University. There are two competing visions: one to continue with a 70-year hegemonic system and the other a coalition project, an unprecedented political experiment in Paraguay that has joined together different parties from the center-right to the left.

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Although all signs point to close elections, Abete Brun says he sees more wind in favor of the opposition.

As for Taiwan, Alegre has said Paraguay's relationship with Taipei is too costly.

Under current circumstances, Paraguay is making a significant effort, despite being a small country, by choosing to maintain relations with Taiwan instead of pursuing opportunities with China. We do not see Taiwan making a similar effort, Alegre said in an interview with The Associated Press. We believe that this relationship is unfair, and as a result, we have a critical stance.

Pena has defended the countrys relationship with Taiwan, but says he would seek more trade with China, without explaining how that would come about.

Paraguay must insert itself in the world, in all the markets, including the Chinese market of 1.4 billion people, Pena told AP.

Alegre, a 60-year-old lawyer, is making his third bid for the presidencv, though this time he is representing a mix of political parties that all call for change and an end to Colorado's reign.

People are convinced that change will come on April 30, and that we will begin a new era in Paraguay, Alegre said. We all understand that this is Paraguays decision for the next 15 or 20 years. This isnt just one election, its not just for five years. Its about an exhausted system and the need to reclaim the true Paraguay.

The responsibility for ensuring the continuity of the Colorado Party falls on Pena, who was finance minister in the Cartes government of 2013-2018 and, until recently, a member of the board of Banco Basa, a local bank owned by the former president.

Penas presidential campaign was hit by U.S. economic sanctions against Cartes for alleged bribery and ties to Hezbollah, which the United States designates as a terrorist organization.

The State Department said Cartes is one of the wealthiest individuals in Paraguay and charged he has engaged in a concerted pattern of corruption, including widespread bribery of government officials and legislators.

The sanctions blocked Cartes, who is president of the Colorado Party, from the U.S. financial system and cut off funding and loans for the Colorado Partys campaign.

The sanctions have been lethal, said Abete Brun. Cartes was the financing chief of the Colorado Party. The cash box was left empty.

Pena said the accusations against Cartes are groundless.

Paraguay doesnt have a runoff, so whoever of the 13 candidates receives the most votes Sunday will be the countrys next president.

One key factor will be turnout, considering that on average only around six-in-10 Paraguayans go to the polls.

The low participation numbers are at least in part due to the Paraguayan migrant population in Argentina, Spain and the United States that, despite having the legal right to vote, does not, historian Milda Rivarola said.

The May 1 Labor Day holiday could also decrease participation by voters.

___

Associated Press journalists Paul Byrne in Asuncion and Daniel Politi in Buenos Aires, Argentina, contributed to this report.
The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search on Thursday for a Royal Caribbean cruise ship passenger who went overboard, the agency confirmed in a news release.

The Quantum of the Seas passenger, identified as Warwick Tollemache, was on a cruise from Australia to Hawaii when he went overboard late Tuesday night about 500 nautical miles south of Hawaii's Big Island, a Coast Guard spokesperson said. The cruise notified the Coast Guard of a man overboard at 11:03 p.m. Tuesday, the spokesperson said.

Crew members searched for about two hours after Tollemache went overboard before the cruise resumed its trip toward Hawaii, according to the officials. On Wednesday morning, a Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point C-130 Hercules aircrew launched to continue the search. The Coast Guard arrived around 9 a.m. and the aircrew completed five searches over the course of six hours.

"After reviewing all relevant information of the case and discussing it with the next of kin, the Coast Guard has made the difficult decision to suspend the active search for the passenger aboard the Quantum of the Seas," Kevin Cooper, a search and rescue mission coordinator for the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu, said in a news release.

Another passenger aboard the Quantum of the Seas posted about the incident on social media early on Wednesday.

"Three medical emergencies and now a man overboard," passenger Joshua Reynolds wrote on Facebook. "We have slowed down and are now turning around. Hope they are found."

CBS News has reached out to Australian officials for comment.

In December, a cruise passenger died after falling from the MSC Meraviglia, about 18 miles off the coast of Port Canaveral, Florida.

Quantum of the Seas left Brisbane on April 12 and is expected to dock in Honolulu on Friday.

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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP)  Gerrit Cole got his fifth win after setting a career-long scoreless streak, DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres hit back-to-back home runs, and the New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 4-2 on Thursday night.

The series opener marked Aaron Judge's first game in Texas since breaking Roger Maris' single-season American League record with his 62nd homer at the Rangers' ballpark in October. Judge struck in his only two at-bats in his return before departing because of right hip discomfort.

Just a little grab in the hip area. After that headfirst dive the other night, just kind of whole right side has been a little locked up, Judge said. It wasnt until the second-to-last swing of that at-bat I felt something grab, and they thought it would kind of best just to shut it down and see how we feel after a couple of days."

Manager Aaron Boone said Judge would be re-evaluated Friday, but that initially there were no tests planned for the Yankees captain and reigning AL MVP.

On his 31st birthday Wednesday in Minnesota, Judge jammed his right hand, and apparently entire right side, on an awkward slide while trying to steal a base in Minnesota. He had three hits and drove in three runs in that game.

Cole's scoreless streak reached 25 2/3 innings before the Rangers scored on Jonah Heim's fielder's choice grounder in the sixth. That was a potential inning-ending double play, but Cole was unable to keep the ball in his glove when going over to cover first base. Ezequiel Duran followed with an infield single to drive in a run.

I need to make that play. Im capable of making that play," Cole said. Obviously was pretty tough, but I felt really good about continuing to make our pitches and pitching into the type of contact that we we wanted to get, and eventually went our way and we got out of there with the lead.

Andrew Heaney (2-2) struck out six and walked one over six innings for Texas, which has a season-long four-game losing streak and dropped into a tie with Houston for the AL West lead.

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With his eight strikeouts, Cole (5-0) pushed his season total to 44 Ks, one more than Rangers ace Jacob deGrom for the AL lead. Cole allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings, increasing his season ERA from 0.79 to 1.11.

Michael King pitched the final 2 1/3 innings for his first save.

Former Rangers catcher Jose Trevino homered in the ninth for New York.

Heaney had back-to-back strikeouts of Judge and Anthony Rizzo in both the first and second innings. The bases were loaded with one out in the second, after the back-to-back homers by LeMahieu and Torres, when the Yankees' No. 2 and 3 hitters both struck out again.

After Torres hit a 443-foot homer to straightaway center, Oswald Peraza was hit by a pitch and eventually scored on Anthony Vople's single that loaded the bases and made it 3-0. Heaney retired the next 13 batters, then hit Peraza with a pitch again before he was caught stealing to end the sixth.

After a bump in the road he hit in the second inning, he reset and did a great job, manager Bruce Bochy said. Probably missed some spots there, they took advantage. But overall, that's a good effort.

SHORT HOPS

The game was played in 2 hours, 9 minutes, the quickest nine-inning game ever played at Globe Life Field, which opened in 2009. ... Rangers leadoff batter Marcus Semien had two hits to stretch his on-base streak to 13 games.

TRAINERS ROOM

Yankees: Boone said RHP Jonathan Loaisiga (right elbow inflammation), who resumed playing catch last week, was sore after throwing Wednesday and that it was unlikely that he would throw off a mound this weekend. ... RHP Luis Severino (right lat strain) is expected to throw his third live BP session in nine days Friday.

Rangers: 3B Josh Jung (bruised left hand) and OF Travis Jankowski (left hip tightness) were both out of the lineup a day after exiting the series finale in Cincinnati. Jung was hit by a pitch and Jankowski got hurt chasing a fly ball. Both could be back Friday.

UP NEXT

DeGrom (2-0, 3.04 ERA), who has 43 strikeouts and only three walks, gets a chance take back the AL strikeout lead when he starts Friday night. The right-hander, who signed a $185 million, five-year contract with Texas in free agency last December, is 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his last four starts since allowing a career-high six extra-base hits on opening day. It will be deGrom's first start against the Yankees since Aug. 13, 2018.

___

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For some, it is as intrinsic to the college experience as living in a dorm, drinking alcohol. In some cases, lots of alcohol -- even so much as to require medical attention.

That kind of drinking went on at UMass-Amherst this past March when an all-day alcohol ingestion event called the Blarney Blowout ended with more than two dozen students needing medical attention. The emergency department at Cooley-Dickinson Hospital in Northampton was reportedly overwhelmed that day with potential alcohol-poisoning cases.

University of Massachusetts warns of TikTok drinking trend

All of the UMass students survived the Blarney Blowout. But, sadly, that has not always been the case on college campuses. In 2013, Anthony Barksdale, an 18-year-old freshman at Boston University, died after heavy drinking during a fraternity event.

Sigma Alpha Mu Suspended

Theres just simply this belief that it happens to somebody else, said Hank Nuwer, who authored several books on college binge drinking -- especially as it relates to hazing.

Nuwer said that while alcohol has a long history on college campuses, drinking seemed to accelerate when the legal age went from 18 to 21 in the United States.

Right around that time, you can start seeing the hazing increase, the alcohol-related deaths increase, Nuwer said. And maybe the simple reason for it is when you prohibit something it either becomes more attractive or it becomes necessary to break that rule, especially when youre in a group or a fraternity.

But there have been serious consequences to breaking that rule. The government reports about 22,000 college-age Americans wind up hospitalized each year because of alcohol use -- as many as 1,500 die.

Nuwer maintains an online list of fatal hazing incidents in the U.S., going all the way back to 1838. Most of the more recent ones involve heavy ingestion of alcohol.

(With pledging) the litmus test of manhood is to be able to drink a handle of alcohol -- youre talking about 40 ounces -- plus shots of alcohol, Nuwer said. So you could have anywhere from 40 to 50 ounces or more that youre consuming in 20 minutes, maybe an hour.

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Nuwer said that amount of alcohol would prove fatal to some students.

The problem is that many do survive, and then the expectation is that the next group will survive, said Nuwer. This kind of invincible spirit is pervasive on all campuses.

But invincibility is not guaranteed when it comes to alcohol and, in any case, isnt apportioned equally -- sometimes for the simple reason that young college students may lack drinking experience. Such was the case with Barksdale, according to his family at the time.

If youre not used to drinking alcohol, you are very susceptible to alcohol poisoning, said Antje Barreveld, MD, co-founder of Newton-Wellesley Hospitals Substance Use Service. So it doesnt take as much as it does for someone who already has an inherent tolerance.

But thats not an invitation to party it up pre-college in order to prevent alcohol poisoning.

One of the most shocking things to a lot of youth is understanding that the teenage brain actually doesnt stop developing until the late twenties, said Barreveld. And so the young brain is extremely vulnerable to certain stressors, including alcohol.

So even moderate drinking in the teen and young adult years can impact health.

Barreveld said its also true that the earlier you start drinking, the more likely you are to develop a substance use disorder.

Some of these risk factors are modifiable, but you may have a brain thats more susceptible to addiction, said Barreveld. So theres a lot we can do for prevention and recognizing whether you might be vulnerable. to substance use disorders.

Recognizing risk factors is key.

One of those is family history, Barreveld said. So if someone has a parent, a brother, a sister or other close family member with a substance use disorder, then they can have almost double the risk of someone who does not.

College is, of course, a time of testing and experimentation and pushing the limits. Its also a time when parents have to be vigilant, Nuwer said -- especially if a son or daughter is pledging to a fraternity or sorority -- because chances are the initiation will involve alcohol.

And dont count on the college administrators to stop it.

You take action, show up at the fraternity house, he said. Youre not getting called. Your sons a pledge and youre not getting calls. Your sons a rookie and you suspect something. Check it out and go first-hand yourself.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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A 16-year-old from Collinsville has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of another teenager in Collinsville on Monday.

Isaiah T. Jenkins was charged Thursday in the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Vaeden Hawkes, according to Madison County court records.

Jenkins also was charged with unlawful possession of a stolen firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, which was a Glock 43 9mm handgun, according to the charging documents filed by Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine.

Jenkins bail was set at $5 million.

Hawkes was shot on Monday night in the 200 block of Seminary Street less than a block from the Collinsville Police Department headquarters.

This doesnt feel real, Hawkes mother, Jessica Hawkes, said in a social media message to the Belleville News-Democrat Thursday night.

Please share, I want justice to be served, Jessica Hawkes wrote on Facebook about the killing of her son.

My son was murdered last night. He was shot dead, she wrote early Tuesday.

Jessica Hawkes called for the public to contact her or the police if anyone has information to share about the shooting.

Collinsville Police said one person was found on the sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds, according to a news release on Monday night.

Three people were arrested after a brief foot chase and a fourth is believed to still be at large, police said at the time.

Police hope residents of the vicinity can provide security camera footage of the incident or persons who ran from the scene, the release stated.

The Collinsville Police Department asks that anyone with information is asked to contact Lt. Eric Owen at 618-344-2131, extension 5136.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed a new batch of gun legislation into law on Friday, several months after a deadly mass shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs.

The laws establish a three-day waiting period to obtain a firearm, raise the minimum age to purchase firearms to 21, make it easier to sue gun manufacturers and expand the states red flag law.

Coloradans deserve to be safe in our communities, in our schools, our grocery stores, nightclubs and everywhere in between, Polis said at the bill signing, according to The Colorado Sun.

Five people were killed and 17 were injured in November when a 22-year-old gunman opened fire at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs.

A proposed assault weapons ban failed to make it to the governors desk alongside the other gun control legislation after the House Judiciary Committee voted last week to postpone consideration of the bill indefinitely.

However, legislation to ban the sale and manufacture of so-called ghost guns, or unserialized firearms, remains under consideration in the Colorado state Senate.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The governor of Colorado on Friday signed four bills that aim to combat gun violence  the most recent state to take action this month in the wake of a mass shooting.

"This legislation today will improve public safety and reduce gun violence," Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement.

The new laws increase the minimum age to purchase any firearm from 18 to 21, establish a three-day waiting period between purchasing and taking possession of a firearm and expand the state's existing red flag law. Another aims to make it easier for victims of gun violence to sue the gun industry.

Gun rights groups filed lawsuits Friday over the new restrictions on waiting periods and minimum purchasing age. The groups cite a key Supreme Court decision last year that expanded gun rights.

The legislation comes months after a 22-year-old man fatally shot five people and wounded more than a dozen others at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs.

Colorado Sen. Tom Sullivan, whose son was killed in the 2012 mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, sponsored two of the bills.

States take action after mass shootings

Earlier this month, the governor of Michigan signed legislation aimed at preventing gun violence after a mass shooting at Michigan State University left three people dead and five injured.

In Tennessee, the governor signed an executive order aimed at strengthening background checks for firearm purchases after a mass shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville killed three children and three staff members.

Meanwhile, Washington this week became the tenth state to ban some so-called "assault weapons." The state's ban specifically applies to military-style semiautomatic weapons, including AR- and AK-style firearms. Illinois adopted a similar ban earlier this year, after the mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park.

Dig deeper on Colorado Springs mass shooting

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colorado gun control bills become law after mass shooting at Club Q
A spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense on Thursday warned Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities against letting in U.S. defense companies, comparing the move to "inviting a wolf into the house."

Spokesperson Tan Kefei expressed grave concerns at a press conference when commenting on the visits of U.S. defense companies to Taiwan.

Tan reiterated that matters related to Taiwan are the internal affairs of China and allow for no external interference.

The U.S. defense companies have always been keen on selling arms and exporting wars and chaos across the world in return of huge profits, he said, adding that what the DPP authorities have done will only drag the people of Taiwan into disaster.

Tan urged the U.S. side to fully grasp the highly sensitive nature of the Taiwan question and the complicated situation across the Taiwan Strait, and to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques.

He urged the U.S. side to stop meddling in affairs related to Taiwan, cease arms deals and cut off military contacts with Taiwan.

The Chinese armed forces will follow the situation across the Strait closely, maintain high alert, and take necessary counter measures against any form of separatism for "Taiwan independence" and external interference, he pledged.
Colorado governor Jared Polis signed four gun-control bills into law Friday  raising the minimum age to purchase a gun from 18 to 21, among other measures.

The move comes just days after Washington governor Jay Inslee toughened state measures banning assault weapons. Coloradans deserve to be safe in our communities, our schools, our grocery stores, night clubs and everywhere in between, Polis said regarding the measures, referencing last years mass shooting at an LGBT nightclub in Colorado Springs. The state has a history of infamous massacres, including those at Columbine High School in 1999 and the Aurora theater in 2012.

However, Democrats in Colorado could not push through an assault-weapons ban earlier last week. Three House Democrats on the Judiciary committee joined Republicans in killing the bill on a 7-6 vote, according to the local NBC outlet.

Some Democrats thought the other measures, ultimately signed by Polis, were better equipped to address gun violence in the state.

Senate Bill 169 makes it a criminal offense for someone younger than 21 to purchase a firearm, with exceptions for members of the military or law enforcement. It is now also a criminal offense to sell someone younger than 21 a firearm.

Its just the truth that young people are far more likely to commit gun violence than their older counterparts, said Senator Jessie Danielson, a bill sponsor, to the Colorado Sun.

House Bill 1219 establishes a three-day waiting period before a firearms seller may deliver a firearm to a purchaser and punishes violators with a fine. It is intended to put distance between emotional distress and access to a firearm.

Gun-rights groups immediately challenged the two measures, arguing that the laws constituted infringements of the Second Amendment.

This morning we filed two lawsuits . . . against the age restriction and the waiting periods. We believe these are slam-dunk lawsuits and that we will easily win these in the courts, explained Taylor Rhodes, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, in a video statement.

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The third measure Polis signed was Senate Bill 170, strengthening the states red-flag law. Now, the list of persons who can petition for an extreme risk protection order includes licensed medical care providers, licensed mental health-care providers, licensed educators, and district attorneys.

Senate Bill 23 was also enacted, making suits against gun sellers and manufacturers easier. The previous law in Colorado limited product liability actions against manufacturers of firearms and ammunition to situations in which there was a defect in the design or manufacture of a firearm or ammunition. That rule is now repealed. The enactment also eliminates the requirement that plaintiffs automatically pay the legal fees of gun-industry defendants when cases are dismissed. It makes the industry susceptible to lawsuits under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act.

Rhodes explained why his organization hadnt filed suits against these laws yet.

The reason is simple. We dont have standing, he said. However, he urged injured parties to contact his organization, promising a prompt response.

More from National Review
A Columbus Police detective was indicted Wednesday after hitting a female pedestrian, then fleeing the scene back in 2022.

>> TRENDING: Centerville crash injures 3, hospitalizes at least 1

The Franklin County Prosecutors Office announced that a Columbus Police detective was indicted for fleeing the scene after hitting and killing a 30-year-old woman on April 20, 2022.

Naimo Abdirahman was crossing the street near the intersection of Morse Road and Walford Street at around 2:40 a.m. when she was hit by a vehicle that then fled the scene, WCPO reported.

When officers arrived, Abdirahman was pronounced dead at the scene, a spokesperson for the prosecutors office stated.

Following an investigation of the crash, the Columbus Police Department was able to determine that their own Detective Demetris Ortega, 49, was the suspect, according to the spokesperson. He was not driving a police cruiser at the time.

Further investigation found that Ortega was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, the spokesperson said.

As a result, he was indicted on one felony charge of failure to stop after an accident and a misdemeanor charge of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or a combination of them.

The prosecutors office said detectives were not able to conclusively determine the victims location at the time of the crash and Ortegas culpability, which is an essential element of a charge of aggravated vehicular homicide or vehicular homicide.

Ortega was relieved of duty shortly after the crash, WCPO reported.

Ortega is scheduled to be arraigned on May 10 at 1 p.m.

We were made aware of the indictment earlier today. We plan on entering a not guilty plea at his arraignment, Ortegas defense attorney said.

Ortega has been previously charged and suspended for an OVI crash in 2015. Ortega pleaded guilty on Feb. 9, 2016, according to court records. He was fined $375 and given one-year probation.




There are only a couple of days left to see Wesleyan Colleges graduating art students work at the schools East Gallery in the Porter Fine Arts Building.

What are young artists thinking about the world, themselves and their art in 2023? What are their abilities and what means of expression do they lean toward?

Graduating senior shows allow an annual glimpse and reveal answers to these questions and more. Of course, the way to get the most out of such shows is by personally visiting and drawing your own conclusions. But still, here in words based on a variety of artist statements and personal conversations, is an indication of what a handful of graduates are thinking and how theyre working. Its very personal and very much worth the time to explore what each is uniquely up to.

The Wesleyan show ends Tuesday so theres just today, Monday and Tuesday to find the Porter Fine Arts Buildings East Gallery in the center of campus at Wesleyans 4760 Forsyth Rd. location. The exhibit is free and hours are 1-5 p.m. weekdays.

Erika Durham works in clay and ceramics and is from Dry Branch, Ga. For the show, she used clay to create a large, towering vessel to explore the impact of organic pattern and movement.

I wanted the movement in the piece to feel calming, almost like you can look at it forever and have the wavy lines put you in a trance, Durham said of her creation. The influence behind the emotion was the music I listened to while I worked  which impacted the way my hands moved when I carved.

Durhamss green and brown ceramic sculpture is the singular sculpted piece in the show. She said her work and philosophy was influenced by a passage she was required to read by Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in her first year at Wesleyan.

He defined word flow as being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies.

Every action, movement and thought that follows inevitably follows the previous one. I incorporate that definition of flow in my artwork.

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Nicole Gaddis, from Peachtree City, Ga., is a mixed media artist whose work In Between explores in part the fears and challenges of OCD as she experienced them through different stages of her life. Gaddis uses drawings of insects as a way of expressing relevant emotions and accompanying themes of breaking free.

My goal with this series was to make viewers feel uneasy looking at the illustrations in order for them to find the space in between horror and fantasy, she said. Even if they dont particularly like giant bugs or creepy crawlies, I hope theyre able to find the space in between what is unsettling and what is fascinating.

When it was noted her work in some ways resembles medical illustration, she beamed and said that was one potential direction she was looking at pursuing.

In Illumination, Erika Hendrix of Jonesboro, Ark., said she used photography to explore her personality through objects she over and under-exposed.

My photography shows my personality with light and shadow and it made me think how much Ive changed over the past couple of years, she said. I wanted to keep exploring who I am so I decided to photograph objects in the studio that represented myself. I used a studio space to create photos that I overexposed and underexposed with some being blurry and some in focus. I thought the meaning of the work was just going to be about light and shadow but while working I discovered the true meaning was me shining a light on who I am and what I perceive to show people.

Minjia Luo comes from Guangzhou, China, and her display is mixed media/oil paints and called Butterflies and Ribbons. She said her work is taken from her very traditional mother and her relationship with her.

The butterfly is used as a character and different objects are used to represent the bondage to traditional marriage and behavior patterns as well as the clash of ideas between my mother and myself at different stages, she said. I gradually found that my perceptions were vastly different from hers. She feels that sacrificing herself to take care of her family is the correct thing to do and shes a microcosm of many women who are bound by tradition. Through this process of creation, I hoped to completely enjoy the thinking and confrontation of different perceptions in my inner heart and mind.

Luo expressed that after the projects completion, she understood more the dynamics of her relationship with her mother and found the work a way to express her love for her mother and how she missed her.

Laura Oceguera is from Fort Valley, Ga., and used videography to make a series of short films collectively known as Into the Known. Together, they explore psychology and art by showing a man with different identities and end by requiring viewers to make a tough choice.

The piece speaks about the feelings of anxiety, stress and the desire to be free, she said. These three feelings are explained through body and face and language. Additionally, narration is included to follow the interaction and specific qualities and speech of distinct characters. This short story was created through the journey from my last semester to this point in time. It is the sense of feeling overwhelmed but pushing forth to meet deadlines and working to make time for my friends. I used filming and editing techniques with audio experimentation to incorporate the atmosphere and mood of the film while working with angles, lighting and overlay videos.

Anna Richards of Macon created a series of mixed media works collectively called Excavation. Her senior show is one of three recent Wesleyan shows, the previous called The Woman at the Desk exploring a 9-to-5 view of women working in offices and the other a photography exhibit called A Space with Many Names.

In this new series, I used found objects from Central City Park to explore the themes of excavation, public spaces and the representation of communities, she said. I decided to collect objects from public spaces in Macon and use them to create abstract, mixed-media pieces. I believe a public space is a unique area that can be accessed by everyone so it serves as an ecosystem for those who utilize it. After visiting Central City Park, I decided I wanted it to be my primary focus. The size of the park and its history is a big enough subject I wanted to explore fully. I visited the park multiple times, surveying the land and collecting anything I found.

With everyday objects from beer caps, balloons, candy wrappers, cigars and cigarette packaging to objects unrecognizable due to the length of time theyd been left, Richards began cataloging, considering who might have used them and then began transforming them into something new. Yet each still remained somewhat recognizable. She said the idea of finding unseen aspects of a community and connecting activities and people has been a common theme in work produced in the past year.

Abigail Underwood of Fort Valley created a series of acrylic on canvas paintings called Deep Waters.

My work explores escapism through the usage of sequential storytelling and symbolism, she said. Everyone has something they want to run away from  or to run to. With my body of work, I wanted to focus on this escapism. I chose to address this concept of escapism because of my own personal crossroads in life. As Ive matured throughout college, Ive changed immensely. I dont wear my hair the same; I dont talk to the same people or even identify with who I used to be. These small things accumulate and grew until eventually, the feeling of escaping grew along with it. I hope to escape myself  my problems, anxieties, fears, the future. But escapism as a concept goes both ways. A person can run away but also be running toward something.

Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com. For a quick, abstract reel showing each of the Wesleyan grads, go to www.instagram.com/michael_w_pannell.
Boises revamp of its zoning code has gotten one step closer to passing.

The Boise Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the rewrite on Thursday, setting up an overhaul of the code for the first time in six decades.

The code is scheduled to go to City Council in June, when the council will decide whether to turn it into law.

The proposed code includes major changes, adding incentives for affordable housing and sustainability, mixed-use districts along transit corridors, encouragements for more urban development and changes to the public hearings process for some applications.

Late Thursday night, the commissioners moved to greenlight the new code, arguing that it is in line with Boises established aim to grow up and in rather than to sprawl, and to seek solutions to a housing crisis that in recent years has brought sharp rises in rents.

While the commissioners recommended the code be adopted, they did have notes and suggested tweaks for city planning staff, drawn from the public testimony of over a hundred residents earlier this week.

What did the public say?

Over several hours of testimony split across three nights, more than 130 residents and 13 neighborhood associations testified about the drafted zoning ordinance.

Those in favor said they wanted more housing for the growing city, allowing different housing types for a diverse population with different incomes. Advocates said they felt a more compact Boise would make it easier for people to choose to drive less in the future and would reduce the citys sprawl, protecting undeveloped land in the Foothills.

Gerri-Lynn Graves, who said she is homeless and disabled, told commissioners Wednesday that she has been looking for employment and has been unable to find a home that she can afford.

Had we had adequate housing, I think I would be OK, Graves said. But now Im not.  I dont know why all of a sudden we want to close the floodgates and act like we want to keep everyone out.

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Ellen Nelson said she is a certified planner, and that many cities have failed to modernize their zoning codes but believed that Boise is on a path to success.

She said opponents often cite neighborhood character, parking, traffic, taxes and an overly friendly approach to developers in opposing allowances for greater density.

Time and again those arguments really have not proven out, and  the market has not done a good job at giving us the times of things that we need in our communities, Nelson said.

Groups in favor of the rewrite included the Boise Bicycle Project, Idaho Walk Bike Alliance, the Idaho Conservation League and the Conservation Voters for Idaho.

Opponents of the rewrite argued it would harm existing neighborhoods by allowing larger buildings to be built nearby, thus changing the feel of the citys neighborhoods. Others worried about insufficient parking because of reductions in the minimum requirements in residential areas, or said public transit infrastructure is not yet widespread enough for many people to give up their automobiles.

Some critics said the effects of the new laws would have unequal effects on different neighborhoods, and that the largest changes would occur in Boises poorer communities.

I feel like the zoning changes are aggressive towards low-income, less affluent, older neighborhoods, said Karen Scriver, a resident of Veterans Park.

A home on Catalpa Drive displays a sign reading, Dont up zone Boise.

John Gannon, D-Boise, said he does not think there has been enough contact with the public about the plan. He said there should be an executive summary of the more than 600 page document posted on the citys website, as well as a list of frequently asked questions coupled with responses.

What issues did commissioners discuss?

On Thursday, commissioners had a wide-ranging discussion about the minutiae of the code, talking about tree canopy requirements, parking minimums, conditional use permit requirements, hearing notice requirements, building heights and more.

Commissioners said they had heard a lot about the parking problems during testimony, but that the changes were an important shift in how the city thinks about cars.

There is no free parking. Someone always pays for parking, Commissioner Milt Gillespie said.

If society is trending towards less car use, I think this code does a nice job of striking that balance, said Commissioner Bob Schafer.

Commissioner John Mooney said that he hopes the city lays out the changes in the code more clearly for the public.

How difficult is it for a lay person to read the code? he said. The suggestion that an executive summary would help  maybe theres a way to simplify it and make it a little easier for a lay person to understand.

The commission also discussed density incentives effects on different parts of the city. As part of the rewrite, the code would allow triplexes and fourplexes to be more easily built in the largely single-family residential areas of the city so long as some of the units were priced affordably.

For a triplex, one unit would have to be priced at 80% of the Area Median Income or less, and for a fourplex, two units would have to be priced at that level.

The commissioners noted that some testifiers said the changes could drastically remake neighborhoods, whereas others said the affordability incentives would have no effect on neighborhoods and therefore not create more affordable housing.

Commissioner Chris Danley noted that Idaho does not allow the city to require some units to have below-market rents.

If people want that to change, the building to do that is right up the street, Danley said, referring to the Idaho Capitol.

In response to criticisms that the effects of the changes would be disproportionate across neighborhoods, Gillespie said he thought lots of the changes would affect many parts of the city.

He said the extra units allowed in residential areas  and smaller lot sizes and allowances for accessory dwelling units  would spread out density, as all parts of the city have such neighborhoods.

While he said it might result in some tear-downs of smaller single-family homes that could be replaced with duplexes, ultimately thats a good thing.

It increases more housing units in a neighborhood, because in the long term that process leads to more density  more housing  which improves affordability over time, Gillespie said.

In an email, Lindsay Moser, a spokesperson for the Planning Department, said the city was very intentional about how the provisions would affect neighborhoods.

Each planning area was treated equitably and provides opportunities for different housing types so residents are able to choose where they want to live in our city, she wrote.

Commission discusses politics

Some critics said the passage of the new zoning ordinance should wait until after the November elections, when the entire council will be elected by district. Two of the six council members were appointed by the mayor, since Elaine Clegg left her seat to lead Valley Regional Transit and Lisa Sanchez lost her seat when she accidentally moved out of her district.

Danley said the rewrite process has been going on for years, and that it shouldnt stop because of recent circumstances.

If the new council thats elected decides to undo these things, they have that right, he said.

The commissioners also discussed the issue of private wells running dry in areas southwest of the city, and whether that issue should be addressed in the zoning code. Ultimately a city lawyer advised the commission that the issue is a matter for state regulation.

In recommending its passage, multiple commissioners also encouraged the city to play close attention to whether the new zoning results in the changes they want to see, and to make changes if it does not.
A breakdown in communication between the United States and China is raising the risk of an unintended crisis or conflict between the two superpowers, current and former U.S. and Western officials say.

Diplomatic channels between China and the U.S. have mostly dried up as relations between the superpowers have steadily deteriorated over two successive administrations, with Beijing so far unwilling to say when top U.S. officials from the Biden administration will be welcome for high-level meetings.

Even if the two sides are able to arrange another phone call soon between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping or a Cabinet-level meeting to discuss trade as White House officials hope, an underlying distrust has infected the relationship, according to former U.S. diplomats and Western officials.

Theres just so much suspicion of intentions on each side, said Susan Thornton, a former U.S. diplomat who worked in Asia. The lack of communication just amplifies and escalates the downward spiral, said Thornton, now a senior fellow at Yale Law School.

Although dialogue between China and the U.S. is at a standstill, Beijing is opening its doors to other governments, promoting itself as a global peacemaker ready to heal conflict in the Middle East and in Ukraine.

On Wednesday, Xi spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time, saying Beijing stands on the side of peace and announcing plans to send an envoy to have in-depth communication with all parties in the war.

The phone call came after China rolled out the red carpet earlier this month for French President Emmanuel Macron and hosted the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia, following a Chinese-brokered deal restoring diplomatic relations between the two regional rivals.

Chinas neighbors and U.S. allies worry the breakdown in communication between the worlds superpowers could derail the global economy or lead to an accidental clash, with each side misinterpreting the others intentions, according to Western officials and former U.S. diplomats.

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But China sees little value in pursuing talks with the Biden administration on trade or other issues, having concluded that the U.S. is seeking to block its economic progress and encircle its military, former officials and experts say.

The regime has decided that were out to get them, and that we will not tolerate Chinas rise to a point at which it could be a peer competitor, let alone displace us as king of the mountain, said Thomas Fingar, a fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University who served in senior roles at the State Department.

Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific program at the German Marshall Fund, said it was unclear if and when China would agree to face-to-face talks with Bidens top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, or the treasury and commerce secretaries.

They dont see much to be gained from dealing with the United States. Theyre not convinced that the U.S. agenda is advantageous to China, Glaser said.

Instead, China is pursuing an ambitious global campaign as a power broker and trade partner, calculating that it can bolster its relations with an array of countries, particularly those outside of Europe and North America, without having to cultivate relations with the United States.

China wants to show the rest of the world that its interested in peace, and in everything China does, it draws a contrast with the United States, saying, Were constructive, were promoting peace, while the United States is pouring oil on the fire by providing weapons to Ukraine, Glaser said.

The hawkish domestic political climate in both countries is helping to fuel the lack of dialogue, former officials say, as neither government wants to be seen to be weak or too willing to engage in talks.

A planned visit by Blinken in February was supposed to thaw the ice and defuse some of the tension with Beijing. But a 200-foot-tall Chinese airship, which U.S. officials said was a spy balloon designed for eavesdropping, traversed the U.S. for several days before it was shot down by a U.S. fighter jet, prompting Blinken to cancel his trip. Some lawmakers sharply criticized the administration for not downing the balloon earlier.

Following the balloon episode, China and the U.S. have yet to agree on a rescheduled visit for Blinken.

The White House expects a phone call between Biden and Xi soon, a senior administration official said, and there are efforts to arrange meetings with the Chinese counterparts of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Conversations between the two governments via embassies are continuing as usual, the administration official said.

But military-to-military talks have been suspended, despite repeated requests from Washington. And more than 100 communication channels between different government ministries and agencies are dormant, depriving each side of mechanisms that can defuse smaller disagreements and disputes.

Former intelligence officers and diplomats worry how the lack of communication could play out if there were an incident similar to a 2001 collision between a Chinese fighter jet and an EP-3E U.S. Navy surveillance aircraft near Hainan Island. That episode triggered a crisis, but relations between China and the U.S. were much better then.

In the current tense atmosphere, a mishap between the two militaries could quickly escalate with unpredictable consequences, said John Hamre, CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

I think it would be really hard to control something if there was an EP-3-like incident now, because everybody is just primed to see dark motives and evil intentions, said Hamre, who served as a senior Pentagon official in the 1990s.

Hamre signed on to an appeal last year from business executives and policy experts calling for restoring a constructive dialogue between the U.S. and China, arguing the two countries still had shared economic interests.

However, both the Biden administration and Xis government appear keen to avoid any sign that they are pleading for talks.

The conventional wisdom in Washington now  as well as in Beijing  is having a dialogue just for dialogues sake is a waste of time, or a negative thing that shows weakness. So neither wants to do that, said Kurt Tong, a former career U.S. diplomat and now managing partner at The Asia Group, a business advisory firm headquartered in Washington.

In years past, bilateral talks with China were candid and helped each side better grasp the others outlook, according to Michael Green, chief executive officer at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, who served in senior positions in George W. Bushs administration.

But things changed with Xi Jinping, Green said.

The Chinese presidents iron grip on power curtailed what officials were prepared to say and Beijing adopted a view that the United States and its Western partners were in decline, Green said. U.S. rhetoric about an intense competition with China didnt help either, he said.

This combination of aggressive triumphalism over the West  plus his (Xis) opaque and authoritarian leadership style made it extremely difficult for the Biden administration to really get dialogue going, Green said.

In a speech last week, Yellen offered what appeared to be a modest olive branch to Beijing, saying U.S. national security measures targeting Beijing were not meant to stifle the Chinese economy and that an attempt to decouple the U.S. from Chinas economy would be disastrous.

The treasury secretary said the U.S. and China can and need to find a way to live together in spite of current strains.

In January, Yellen met her Chinese counterpart in Zurich, marking the highest-level contact between the two countries since Xi and Biden met in November.

China says the U.S. is to blame for tensions between the two governments.

China and the U.S. maintain necessary communication, said Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington.

The responsibility for the current difficulties in China-U.S. relations does not lie in China. The root cause is the misconceived China policy of the U.S. which is based on a misguided China perception.

The U.S. side should show sincerity, honor its words and take concrete actions to follow through on the common understandings that were agreed between Xi and Biden in a meeting in Bali last year, the spokesperson said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
A new Beacon Journal database provides details on major job cuts or plant or office closings.

A new Beacon Journal online database can provide details on upcoming job cuts and plant and office closings.

The database is based off of a 1988 law passed by Congress that is meant to give workers a 60-day heads up if they are going to be laid off or if the plant or office where they work is closed.

It's called a WARN Notice, which stands for Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act and it went into effect in February 1989.

In Ohio, filings are made with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Our database includes information from across the nation or just in Ohio. You can check it out here.

Database: Summit County Restaurant Inspections

What does the WARN Notice require?

The law provides that workers who are laid off or terminated in certain circumstances of if plants or offices are closed must receive at least 60 days advance written notice of their job losses. It is meant to protect workers, their families and communities in the event of mass layoffs.

What companies are covered by the WARN Notice?

The act generally applies to employers with at least 100 workers that are laying off at least 50 workers at a single site of employment.

It does not apply to workers who will be laid off for six months or less.

The law does not apply to workers who are on strike or locked out in a labor dispute. It also does not apply to workers on temporary projects or to workers such as consultants or contract employees assigned to the business but actually work for and are paid by another employer.

It doesn't apply to workers who voluntarily leave a job, retire or fired for cause.

It also doesn't apply to government workers or the self employed.

Database: Find your state's unemployment rate

What is the purpose of the law?

The idea behind the WARN Notice is give workers time to prepare for new jobs. That includes obtaining information about where new jobs can be found or getting training so that they can get a new job.

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Cities and states also may be eligible for funding from the Department of Labor to provide these kinds of services. States also provide Rapid Response services when significant layoffs or plant closings occur to help workers get needed services as quickly as possible and to help employers manage the process of laying off their workers.

The Labor Department encourages employers to give their workers notice even when a notice isn't required and to work with state and local agencies to help their workers get the transition services they need.

Are there exceptions to the 60-day requirement?

Yes. If a company can't be expected to reasonably foresee the business faltering or if its actively seeking capital or business that could avoid the layoffs or the closing.

If a company provides a warning of less than 60 days, it must provide an explanation and give notice as soon as practical.

What is the Labor Department's role in investigating allegations of wrongdoing?

The role of the agency is limited to providing guidance and information about the act. It does not have any investigative or enforcement authority, and cannot issue advisory opinions on specific cases.

The guidance is not binding and does not replace the advice of an attorney.

If workers believe a WARN Act violation has been committed, they should consult legal counsel and consider whether to file a lawsuit in federal court.

A company that violates the law may be found liable for an amount equal to the amount of wages and benefits for each day of the period of violation, up to 60 days.

mawilliams@dispatch.com

@BizMarkWilliams

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: WARN Notice database can help you see if your company is cutting jobs
CAMBRIDGE TWP.  For more than an hour Wednesday, Cambridge Township residents offered questions or concerns about a proposed aggregate operation in the Irish Hills.

The Cambridge Township Planning Commission met Wednesday before a packed audience to examine language in a proposed ordinance pertaining to gravel and sand mining operations within the township.

SSP Leasing/Cambridge Lake LLC last year submitted a conditional use application to the township to allow mining on more than 325 acres along the south and north sides of U.S. 12, near Wamplers, Kelly and Allens lakes. The property eyed for mining borders Person Highway to the west, Killarney Highway to the south and ends near Egan Highway to the east.

The township board at that time imposed a six-month moratorium on the matter while it examined its ordinance and to develop clear language on regulations of such an operation. However, the township is being sued by the mining company, owned by Tim Warvel, over the six-month moratorium, which ends June 25. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for June 12 in Lenawee County Circuit Court.

The planning commission continued to examine the proposed wording in the ordinance, which will then go to the Region 2 Planning Commission, a board which works with government entities in Lenawee, Jackson and Hillsdale counties and makes recommendations based on their findings.

Region 2 will then make its recommendation to the Cambridge Township Board to vote upon.

The matter has packed previous township meetings, mostly by residents asking questions or speaking in opposition about the proposed operation. A residential opposition group, Citizens Protect Irish Hills, was formed in response.

On Wednesday, Cambridge Township resident Megan Beard presented to the planning commission 29 questions, concerns or comments about the ordinance, passing out copies to the board and township representatives. Beard and other residents were each given three minutes to speak, with a line forming up to the microphone.

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Karen Zavicar went over the proposed ordinance language and asked that a traffic study be added to the requirements for mining operations.

Sally McNamara said the township has the power to say yes or no to any application.

In my long life, I've had to put in a number of different applications, some for loans, some for jobs. and I received positive feedback for a majority of them. Sometimes applications are turned down. I am asking you to do that," she said to audience applause.

Wayne Turner, upcoming resident at Killarney Lake, expressed concerns about silica dust, a byproduct of mining.

Diane Schilling, an 11-year Killarney Lake resident, said she is vehemently opposed to the planned mining operation for silica and other reasons.

As a nurse, she said she is opposed to the project, citing mining operations place a lot of contaminants, including silica, into the atmosphere.

No one wants to hear" noises from a mining operation, she said.

What about our groundwater? she asked. Is my well going to be contaminated or defunct? I respectfully ask you to decline the mining operation. We don't need gravel and sand.

Dave Hartley also addressed the board with his concerns.

If you were in the same position as we are, would you be receptive to it? he said to the board. Ask that one question. We all moved from the city for tranquility. We all came here to get away from noise. You can reject it. A lot of this land at one time was farmland. I have lived in the Irish Hills for nearly 50 years. I bought property five years ago. Is this right for the Irish Hills? I say no, it's not. It's not right. These people were here long before this company.

Theresa Anders-Hughes, who said she has been vocally opposed to the operation, said she has been intimidated by truck drivers, alleging they have thrown items onto her property northwest of the land in question as they pass by.

Thomas Emerson, owner of Evans Lake Resort, also voiced concern about the proposed mining endeavor.

We dont want any more carpetbaggers coming in, buying up all the land," he said, then moving on when the money is made and abandoning any potential land problems.

Eric Link also asked questions about the proposed ordinance. Legal consultants stepped in a few times to reiterate the township is currently in litigation with the company over the moratorium.

Counsel also said the ordinance is a general document, not specific to any one company.

We are looking at this ordinance not because of an application; we are looking to update an out-of-date document, Burke Castleberry said during the meeting.

Resident Kelly Cichy was among the last to speak, thanking the planning commissioners for their attentiveness to the concerns of the township homeowners.

Email, phone and text message attempts to reach Warvel since the project was announced have been unsuccessful.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Concerns over proposed mining operation in Cambridge Township continue
WASHINGTON  Leaps in military artificial intelligence and other advanced computing capabilities will be for naught if troops and battlefield systems cant ultimately connect to one another, and do so securely, an official with U.S. Central Command said.

While the Department of Defense hails AI as a game-changer and the defense industry likewise invests and advertises its wares, it is network infrastructure, basic connectivity, that is at the core of anything related to the technologys real-world adoption, according to Schuyler Moore, CENTCOMs chief technology officer.

Algorithms on their own are increasingly less interesting to us, she said April 27 at a SparkCognition Government Systems event in Austin, Texas. The question is, do they run on the network with the right classification of other data that we need? Do they run in a particular area, at a forward operating base or on a vessel where the bandwidth is, in technical terms, real bad?

As the U.S. prepares for potential conflict with China in the Pacific or Russia in Europe it confronts a conundrum: how to link forces far afield, operating covertly or under fire. Both China and Russia are thought capable of hampering U.S. military communications and resisting its targeting and attacks.

The Pentagon is pursuing seamless networking  across land, air, sea, space and cyber  through a multibillion-dollar endeavor known as Joint All-Domain Command and Control, or JADC2. The Army, more specifically, considers network modernization one of its top priorities, alongside an overhaul of its aviation fleet and improved air-and-missile defense.

Moore on Thursday said she and others had some really interesting, sometimes depressing, occasionally uplifting, conversations with the services about the network infrastructure that we rely on, both stateside and overseas.

Admiral Gilday sees uncrewed vessels as critical to US Navys future

Reliable connections are essential to shuttling data and acting on orders derived from them. A disconnect can mean there is little to be examined and little to be relayed, leaving troops stagnant or ill-informed.

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From start to finish, if Ive collected data at a certain point, and then I need to push it back to a home base where you can run analytics, and that pipe is severed, suddenly everything downstream of that stops, said Moore, who previously served as the chief strategy officer for Task Force 59, an outfit designed to quickly fold AI and uncrewed systems into Navy operations.

If you think about data being the limiting factor for maturity and function of a model, we at the edge have found that network infrastructure and function is the limiting factor for adoption and use of anything, she said. I will hammer on this again and again. This is the make or break of whether or not models have any impact on our operations.

The Air Force in January expressed interest in installing always-on surveillance systems fueled by AI at sites overseen by CENTCOM, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

Such a setup would slash manpower and man-hours needed to keep tabs on foreign workers, an around-the-clock assignment, the Air Force said in documents published at the time. Al Udeid is the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East. It served as a crucial evacuation hub amid the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.
Kentucky Derby contender Continuar during a workout on Sunday. April 23, 2023 at Churchill Downs. Continuar placed third in the UAE Derby and first at the Cattleya Stakes in November at the Tokyo Racecourse.

Continuar is one of 20 horses expected to enter the Kentucky Derby on May 6 at Churchill Downs.

Spots for the Kentucky Derby are earned by gaining points through a series of prep races that began in September.

The post-position draw for the Kentucky Derby is set for Monday, May 1. Post time for the Kentucky Derby is set for 6:57 p.m. on Saturday, May 6.

Continuar will enter the Kentucky Derby off a third-place finish in the Group 2 UAE Derby on March 25 at Meydan. He received a Kentucky Derby invite via the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.

5 things to know: 2 Japanese horses are in this year's field, and more ahead of Monday's draw

Betting tips: Here's how many horses have won from each post position

Continuar

Color: Chestnut

Bred in: Japan

Sire: Drefong

Dam: Pan De Ring, by King Kamehameha

Price tag: $635,432 at 2021 Japan Racing Horse Association Yearling and Foal Sale

Owner: Lion Race Horse Company Ltd., first Derby

Trainer: Yoshito Yahagi, first Derby

Jockey: Ryusei Sakai, first Derby

'He was one of a kind': Secretariat's legacy remains untouched 50 years after Triple Crown

Record: 2-1-1 in five starts

Career earnings: $337,889

Road to the Kentucky Derby points: Qualified via Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby invitation

Last race: Third in Group 2 UAE Derby on March 25 at Meydan

Running style: Stalked the pace in the UAE Derby

Notes: Only two horses bred in Japan have competed in the Kentucky Derby  Master Fencer (sixth in 2019) and Crown Pride (13th in 2022)  but that number will increase this year with Derma Sotogake, Continuar and, possibly, Mandarin Hero.  Continuars only finish off the board was a fifth-place showing in the Group 3 Saudi Derby on Feb. 25. Derma Sotogake finished third in that race.  Horses coming from the UAE Derby are 0 for 18 all-time in the Kentucky Derby. The best finish came from Master of Hounds, who was fifth in 2011.

What theyre saying: After the UAE Derby, Yahagi said he would send Continuar to the Kentucky Derby because the 1 -mile distance would suit his horse.

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @KentuckyDerbyCJ.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Derby 2023 horse Continuar: Owner, trainer, jockey and record
A couple flying their personal plane fatally crashed on their way from Florida to Georgia, cops said.

Robert Denton, 76, and wife Sandra Denton, 75, left Leesburg, Florida, on April 27 in their single-engine Cessna 177B airplane, according to a news release from the Oconee County Sheriffs Office.

The two, both pilots, were on their way to Winder, Georgia, when their plane crashed just 20 miles short of the airport, the sheriffs office said.

Emergency personnel responded to the crash just after 2:30 p.m. and found the Dentons deceased.

Deputies did not release the cause of the crash but said the investigation had been turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, according to the release.

The Dentons were described as seasoned pilots by their family, in a statement shared by the sheriffs office.

While taken from us far too soon, we find comfort knowing they were together and doing what they loved, flying, the family said.

The Dentons were from Michigan and also spent time in Florida, according to their family.

Robert and Sandra lived life to the fullest and were two of the most thoughtful and loving people you could know, the family said.

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Southwest flight to Texas delayed. The reason? A mess dubbed RiceGate, passenger says
Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General Daren Tang in Beijing, capital of China, April 27, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General Daren Tang on Thursday in Beijing.

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the cooperation between China and the WIPO, Li said China's head of state has sent a congratulatory letter to a commemorative event marking the 50th anniversary, and China hopes to take this opportunity to push the cooperation to a new level.

Li said China has always attached great importance to intellectual property rights (IPR) protection, implemented the national IPR strategy, and exerted effort to make the country strong on intellectual property.

He said China has made significant improvements in establishing and strengthening the legal protection of IPR, improving the IPR management system, enhancing the awareness of the whole society on respecting and protecting IPR, and handling important infringement cases according to the law.

The premier said that China is an active builder, important contributor and staunch defender of the international IPR system.

Underscoring the importance of IPR, Li said that the work of intellectual property is facing many new issues and challenges, with the development of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and other new technologies, as well as the digital economy.

Li said China stands ready to enhance cooperation with the WIPO, and make contributions to creating a sound environment conducive to the creation, protection and application of intellectual property rights.

Tang commended the historic achievements and progress China has made on intellectual property over the past 50 years.

China's intellectual property strategy is exemplary, said Tang, adding that the WIPO has extensive and in-depth cooperation with China in the fields of innovation, technology and digitalization.

Tang said the WIPO will further strengthen cooperation with China in the future to promote the innovative development of the world and the common development of all countries.
A couple flying from Florida to Georgia have been identified as two people who died in a plane crash Wednesday. Now the victims family is speaking about the tragedy.

Robert and Sandra Denton, both residents of Williamsburg, Mich., Clare, Mich., and The Villages, Fla., were flying in their single-engine plane, a Cessna 177B, from Leesburg, Fla. on their way to Barrow County Airport.

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While en route, the plane crashed off of Government Station Road in Watkinsville, Ga., part of Oconee County around 3 p.m.

Both Dentons on board, described by family as seasoned pilots, died in the crash. In a brief statement, the Denton family said the two were taken before their time.

While taken from us far too soon, we find comfort knowing they were together and doing what they loved, flying. Robert and Sandra lived life to the fullest and were two of the most thoughtful and loving people you could know, the statement reads in part.

We are sincerely grateful for the outpouring of support shown to our family from Robert and Sandras many friends and neighbors. We also wish to extend our gratitude to the Oconee County Sheriffs Office and first responders who were at the crash scene, as well as the Oakland County Sheriffs Office in Michigan for their assistance.

TRENDING STORIES:

The crash is still under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. There are no additional details on the incident at this time.

The family is asking for privacy in the wake of the accident.

If you live in the area of Stonebridge Parkway and Latham Drive and find any debris that may be connected to the plane crash, officials are urging you not to move it call the Oconee County Georgia Sheriffs Office at 706-769-5665.

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Other news:
This is our biweekly briefing on the pandemic, vetted by John Bailey. See the full archive.

This Weeks Top Story

In School, Engaged, on Track? Pandemic Negatively Affected Student Attendance, Course Grades and Grade Retention in North Carolina

EdWorking Paper: This study extends research evidence to additional student outcomes  absences, course grades and grade retention  and to examine how pandemic effects are distributed across students.

Using a combination of descriptive and regression analyses, we find negative average impacts on all outcomes.

Effects are also largest in middle school for most outcomes and are typically larger among historically marginalized groups of students.

Top Three

Dogs Were Highly Accurate in Detecting COVID-19 in Schools

New Data Show Safety of Pfizer COVID Vaccine for Teens

Via CIDRAP: [Last week] in Pediatrics researchers published the safety data of the Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT-162b2) COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents ages 12 to 17 years. After one year, very few serious adverse events were reported, and instances of myocarditis (inflammation of heart muscle) were lower than initially reported.

The authors conclude that the vaccine is safe for this age group, noting that the risk of cardiac disease after COVID-19 infection may be two- to sixfold higher than after vaccination.

A Playbook to Address Students Mental Health Needs

Via EdWeek: AASA, The School Superintendents Association, and The Jed Foundation this week announced the initiative, called The District Comprehensive Approach, that aims to provide school districts across the country with a framework of best practices, expert support and data-driven guidance about how to best support students mental health and prevent suicide.

The organizations guidance for high schools focuses on seven overarching themes: developing life skills, promoting social connectedness, encouraging help-seeking behaviors, improving recognition of signs of distress, access to mental health care, establishing crisis management procedures and promoting the importance of keeping lethal and dangerous items away from children.

Related: Despite crisis, states and districts slow to spend $1B in mental health funds

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Federal Updates

White House: Susan Rice, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, is stepping down. A potential replacement could be senior adviser Neera Tanden.

Education Department: Supporting Schools Use of Evidence to Guide Ed Tech Adoption.

Institute of Education Sciences: Whats on tap at IES for the next year? Director Mark Schneider shares his priorities.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: CDC simplifies COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. Katelyn Jetelina explains.

City & State News

California: Districts see more chronic absenteeism than before pandemic.

Michigan: Detroit Public Schools Community District is eyeing staffing cuts as COVID funding comes to an end.

New York: Enrollment in New York Citys public schools, the countrys largest school district, dropped by 8.3% from 2020 to 2022, according to a fiscal watchdog funded by the city.

North Carolina: A new analysis of North Carolina test results from the 2021-22 school year shows that students made significant strides from the previous year in recovering instructional time lost to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ohio: Most families qualify for $1,000 to pay for camps, tutoring.

COVID-19 Research

In-Person School Reopenings Tied to Modest Rise in Community COVID Spread

A study of U.S. counties suggests that communities with schools that switched from remote to in-person instruction in fall 2020 had slightly higher COVID-19 case rates four to eight weeks later than those that remained virtual.

The magnitude of school contribution to community transmission found in this study must be interpreted in the context of the potential benefits of in-person instruction models on the academic, social, mental health and physical outcomes of many students.

The implications for future public health preparedness include consideration of the relatively small and manageable magnitude of school contribution to community transmission that may present a tolerable risk for the resumption of in-person education, with sufficient mitigation measures.

WHO Issues Initial Omicron XBB.1.16 Risk Assessment

Based on the assessment, the [World Health Organization] on April 20 said it elevated XBB.1.16 from a variant under monitoring to a variant of interest.

So far, no changes in severity have been reported. XBB.1.16 doesnt seem to come with additional health risks compared to XBB.1.5, but it may become dominant in some countries owing to its growth advantage and immune escape properties.

In-Depth

Student Access to Teletherapy Skyrockets

Via Chalkbeat: Thirteen of the nations 20 largest districts have added teletherapy since the pandemic began.

 Its not for everybody, but for those students and parents who want that, its been fantastic, said JaMaiia Bond, who oversees student mental health services for Comptons schools in California, which started offering teletherapy through Hazel Health this school year.

Kids Cant Read: The Revolt Taking On the Education Establishment

Via The New York Times: The movement, under the banner of the science of reading, is targeting the education establishment: school districts, literacy gurus, publishers and colleges of education, which critics say have failed to embrace the cognitive science of how children learn to read.

Ohio, California and Georgia are the latest states to push for reform, adding to almost 20 states that have made moves in the last two years. Under pressure, school districts are scrapping their old reading programs.

Bill Gates Talks Learning Recovery, AI and His Big Bet on Math

Via The 74: There is a gigantic upside in improving our public education system, both economically and in terms of equity, Gates said. But the countrys not falling apart as much as you might think.

The shortcomings of the U.S. education system are clear in terms of the inequity you end up with: the kind of jobs, salaries, mobility youd like to see in society. Education is the great enabler of mobility, and were falling short on that.

I think the predictions that this is going to hurt us in the long run are true, and wed be further ahead if we were running our education system as well as wed like to.

And on a Lighter Note



She Literally Did a Cartwheel:

On the way to first base.

This little girl must be protected at all costs. She is the future. pic.twitter.com/OWakbLNbiM  Charlotte Clymer (@cmclymer) April 21, 2023

For even more COVID policy and education news, subscribe to John Baileys briefing via Substack.

Disclosure: John Bailey is an adviser to the Walton Family Foundation, which provides financial support to The 74.
Photograph: Thomas Watkins/AFP/Getty Images

A UN body has declared that the detention of a long-term Guantanamo inmate, Abu Zubaydah, has no lawful basis and called for his immediate release, warning that the systemic deprivation of liberty at the camp may constitute crimes against humanity.

Related: Ron DeSantis in Guantanamo: how questions about his past haunt the Florida governor

The UN working group on arbitrary detention (UNWGAD), also declared the UK, among other countries, was jointly responsible for the torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of Mr Zubaydah over his more than 20 years in detention.

The UNWGAD finding released on Friday specifically addresses the case of Zubaydah, a 52-year-old Palestinian captured in Pakistan in March 2002, and held and tortured in a series of CIA black sites, before being transferred to the Guantanamo Bay prison camp in 2006. The US initially claimed he was number three in al-Qaida but later conceded he was not a member at all.

The finding went further to address detention at Guantanamo in general, and expresses grave concern about the pattern that all these cases follow and recalls that, under certain circumstances, widespread or systematic imprisonment or other severe deprivation of liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law may constitute crimes against humanity.

The UN working group is a quasi-judicial body, issuing legal judgments on behalf of the international community, but they are not binding, nor does it have the power to enforce its findings. It is made up of five legal experts from around the world: the current panel consists of lawyers, law professors and former judges drawn from Malaysia, New Zealand, Ukraine, Ecuador and Zambia.

Abu Zubaydah. Photograph: AP

Friday marks the first time an international body has referred to the 21-year-old prison camp as a potential crime against humanity, the first time such a body has ruled against the US for Abu Zubaydahs detention, and the first international case finding against the UK, Morocco, Thailand and Afghanistan, all of whom are deemed complicit in arbitrary detention, rendition and torture.

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The decision also found Pakistan, Poland and Lithuania to be part responsible: Pakistan for participation in his arrest and rendition, and Poland and Lithuania for hosting black sites. The European Court of Human Rights has previously ruled against Poland and Lithuania for their participation in the web of secret detention facilities and rendition flights.

Helen Duffy, Zubaydahs international legal representative, who runs a Hague-based legal group, Human Rights in Practice, said: Todays decision is a powerful reminder of the complete unlawfulness of Guantanamo, and our clients situation in particular.

Related: I didnt know who I was any more: how CIA torture pushed me to the edge of death

The UK has been found legally responsible for complicity in our clients torture and ongoing unlawful detention, and reparations should follow, Duffy said. This can include offers of relocation, recognition and apology, rehabilitation and compensation.

She added: We need to reckon with the fact that the war on terror, as waged for 20 years, has failed. But we cannot pretend to learn lessons from it while perpetuating its most notorious wrongs.

There are 30 inmates left at the Guantanamo camp, of which only one has been convicted of a crime; 10 are involved in military tribunal proceedings, although in most cases, the trials have not even started; 16 have been recommended for a transfer to another country, pending security guarantees; and the Biden administration has been in quiet negotiations with foreign governments to persuade them to accept transferred inmates.

Zubaydah is one of three forever prisoners who have not been charged and not been recommended for transfer.
The Crown has released first-look images of the Prince and Princess of Wales ahead of its sixth and final season.

Early last year, Netflix announced newcomers Rufus Kampa and Ed McVey had been cast as 16 and 21-year-old Prince William, respectively.

It was later revealed that 19-year-old Meg Bellamy would make her professional acting debut as Princess Kate after having read about the casting on social media and submitting an audition tape.

The popular drama series will enter a new decade in its forthcoming series, with Prince William starting at University in St Andrews, determined to lead as normal a life as possible while he still can.

Also beginning life as a University student, is Kate Middleton from Berkshire, an official logline reads.

As the pair meet for the first time on campus, a new romance and a new future for The Crown begins.

An official premiere date has yet to be announced, but Netflix has teased season six will release later this year.

Meg Bellamy and Ed McVey in The Crown (Justin Downing/Netflix)

On Thursday (27 April), the streamer unveiled four exclusive photos of McVey and Bellamy in character and costume as the royal couple.

In one, the two are seen walking hand in hand, while another shows McVeys Will seated on a couch in what appears to be a family home.

Ed McVey in The Crown (Netflix)

A third shows Bellamys Kate attending a college lecture, with Will in the background.

Meg Bellamy in The Crown (Netflix)

In the final photo, an off duty McVey and Bellamy are pictured standing outside Northpoint Cafe in St Andrews, where Kate and Will are claimed to have met.

Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy (Netflix)

Inspired by real events, The Crown is said to be a fictional dramatisation of the story of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that shaped her reign.

The show has come under intense scrutiny from several high-profile Britons, including Dame Judi Dench and former PM Sir John Major, who alleged its latest season distorted historical facts.

The Crown season six premieres later this year on Netflix, where seasons one through five can be streamed now.
The iconic horses of Cumberland Island have been part of the landscape for as long as people can remember. Popular myths of how they first got to the island range from Spanish conquistadors to the historical Carnegie family using them to pull carriages and hunt in the 1880s. The idea of them being removed is hard to imagine for some.

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Now, the famous horses of Cumberland Island are headed to court. A federal lawsuit has been filed against the National Park Service and the state of Georgia seeking to remove the feral animals from the barrier island.

Who filed the suit? Animal rights groups and a Cumberland homeowner.

TRENDING STORIES:

Action News Jax obtained court documents on Wed., Apr. 26, detailing why the parties involved want the horses removed.

The lawsuit states that the plaintiffs are looking for immediate action against the park services and the State of Georgia to assure the overall well-being of Cumberland Islands horses and to protect Cumberland Islands natural and wilderness resources, including its endangered species and habitats.

The plaintiffs argue that Cumberland Islands feral horses have been allowed to live in less-than-humane conditions. They also stated that the defendants have known of the destructive impacts on the island caused by the horses for over a quarter century.

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According to the National Park Service, an estimated 150 to 170 feral horses currently inhabit Cumberland Island. The life expectancy of the horses on the island has been estimated to be 9 to 10 years. In comparison, the average horse can live 25-30 years.

Causes of mortality include high parasite loads, drought-related stress, age, natural accidents, and suspected eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile virus, the NPS website reads regarding horses living on the island.

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Action News Jax will be following this story for any new developments on the lawsuit.

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Despite the mass missile attack from Russia, the Presidents of Czechia and Slovakia arrived in Kyiv on April 28 for meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

The visit marks Czech President Petr Pavels first since Russias full-scale invasion began, while Slovak President Zuzana Caputova addressed Ukraines Verkhovna Rada in June 2022.

They arrived at the Nemishaieve railway station in Kyiv Oblast, before travelling to Borodyanka, which was nearly destroyed by the Russian invaders, reported Slovakias Denik N.

Read also: Czechia, Slovakia ready to transfer Leopard tanks to Ukraine  FAZ

Zuzanna Chaputova and I understand the value of freedom and justice, Pavel wrote on Twitter.

Its difficult to see with our own eyes that Ukrainians are paying the highest price for this. Blood and life of their own citizens. Theyre defending what they have in common in the fight against the aggressor. Therefore, well support them.

Read also: Czechia denies reports of intent to supply Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine

Chaputova said that after her previous visit to the Ukrainian capital city Kyiv, her attitude towards the war unleashed by Russia had changed from political to deeply human.

She also called Russias morning missile strike at Ukraine a reminder that we cannot afford to look away.

Russia launched a massive missile attack on Ukraine overnight on April 28.

In total, air defense forces shot down 21 out of 23 missiles, including 11 outside Kyiv, as well as two drones.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Czech President Petr Pavel and Slovak President Zuzana Chaputova, along with other guests, were forced to hide in an underground hotel car park due to an air-raid warning in Kyiv.

Source: European Pravda, Ceske Noviny reports.

In the afternoon, the Ukrainian authorities issued a warning about the risk of air attacks in a large part of the country.

The Czech Presidents afternoon programme was interrupted since the officials were forced to go to a shelter. That is why Pavel's team organised today's last working meeting with representatives of the Crimean Tatar people in an improvised mode right in the shelter. Part of the underground car park was adapted for the needs of the shelter, placing tables and chairs for several dozen people there.

Crimean Tatar leaders Mustafa Dzhemiliev and Refat Chubarov arrived there to meet with the head of the Czech Republic.

Less than an hour later, the all-clear in Kyiv was given by the Ukrainian authorities. Chaputova was the first to leave the shelter. Pavel finished negotiations with the representatives of the Crimean Tatar people and followed her.

According to the app, which warns about the danger of missile strikes, the air-raid warning in Kyiv lasted 43 minutes.

Pavel and Chaputova arrived in Ukraine at night by train from Poland. On the same night, the Russian Federation again launched a large-scale missile strike on the territory of Ukraine, killing dozens of people.

As reported, following the visit of the presidents, Ukraine and the Czech Republic have prepared six projects for joint production of weapons and ammunition, training aircraft and tank repairs with the possibility of full production work on Ukrainian territory.

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KAZUHIRO NOGI - Getty Images

Toyota confirmed today that its affiliate brand Daihatsu manipulated interior door trim during side-collision crash testing of one of its products to avoid the discovery of a potential injury risk. The rigged testing has impacted some 88,000 vehicles sold globally, the vast majority of which left the factory with a Toyota badge.

According to a Daihatsu, a whistleblower from inside the company first raised concerns over the untruthful testing earlier this month. The automaker acknowledges that it began an investigation following the notice, ultimately discovering that modifications had indeed been done to the interior of a vehicle ahead of safety tests. More specifically, interior door trim pieces had been modified with a notch in an effort to prevent a sharp break upon deployment of the side airbags. This modification was not matched on the production vehicles, which raised questions about a potential safety risk. Impacted vehicles include the Toyota Yaris Ativ built from August 2022, as well as the Perodua Axia built from February 2023. The Yaris makes up the majority of the impacted vehicles, with 76,289 units sold in markets such as Mexico, Thailand, and countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Toyota

The whistleblower report did not make it initially clear who inside the company approved the modification to the test vehicles, nor how widely known the action was. Daihatsu reported the issue to regulators upon the discovery, and issued a shipment freeze on affected models. There are currently no steps outlined by Toyota for impacted owners to take. The automaker is undergoing a larger internal investigation in relation to the incident, but is not currently aware of any injuries related to the door trim.

Since this problem occurred with a Toyota brand passenger car, we believe that the problem is not limited to Daihatsu, said Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda in a statement. We will begin by conducting a detailed investigation and thoroughly collecting facts to understand the situation, determine the true cause, and work diligently to prevent a recurrence. We will also inform the public in a timely manner regarding the facts we learn through our investigations.

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Daihatsu became a wholly owned Toyota subsidiary in 2016 Toyota acquired Daihatsu as a wholly owned subsidiary under Toyoda back in 2016. Toyoda was serving as president of the company at the time, a role he just stepped down from earlier this month. This marks the first challenge of this kind for the brand under the leadership of the newly appointed president Koji Sato. That will start with Daihatsu running new safety tests with regulators present to confirm that no active safety risk exists.

Toyota

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A police officer and dog were injured in an overnight shooting while looking for a suspect in southeast Dallas, officials said. The officer also fired his gun, and the suspect died from his injuries.

Officers were dispatched to the 2900 block of Cypress Avenue around 9:45 p.m. Thursday regarding a family violence call, police said. They found two people at the home who had been shot by the suspect, according to a news release.

The victims were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

The suspect fled to a wooded area near Cypress Avenue and Briggs Street. Air 1 and the Canine Unit were called to help with the search, officials said.

The suspect fired at one of the officers and his K9, wounding both of them, police said. The officer also fired his weapon and hit the suspect, who died from his injuries.

Both the officer and the dog are expected to survive their injuries, police said. Their names have not been released.

Dallas police said they will release the officers body camera footage and will provide an update on the investigation on Monday.
A Chinese Coast Guard ship blocked a Philippine patrol vessel in the South China Sea, causing a near collision in waters where Beijing's vast claims have alarmed the US and its allies.

The BBC witnessed the tense encounter near Second Thomas Shoal in the remote Spratly archipelago last Sunday - a move that Manila says is straight out of Beijing's playbook. And it happened the day after Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr met Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Manila, and expressed hope for open communication lines on the South China Sea dispute.

Throughout the 1,670km (1,038-mile) journey of two Philippine Coast Guard ships over six days, news cameras captured how - on cue and in specific locations - Chinese ships would shadow or tail the Filipinos, and send them radio warnings to leave or face "consequences". The Philippine Coast Guard said it had invited journalists to join their routine patrol in the hotly-contested waters for the first time to witness China's actions for themselves.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including the Spratlys, which is also claimed in part by the Philippines. There are also competing claims by Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan.

This has turned the South China Sea into one of the world's biggest flashpoints, especially as US-China tensions have soared. For one, access to these waters is key to defending Taiwan at a time when China's claims over the self-governed island have intensified. And second, the waterways also host $5tn (4tn) of global trade every year, raising concerns that Beijing's increasing footprint could restrict commerce.

But China has ignored an international arbitration court's ruling that its claim to almost the entire South China Sea is ill-founded. It has instead built artificial islands over reefs, heightened patrols, and more recently, shone lasers at Philippine ships to obstruct their view.

China coast guard ship blocks Philippine coast guard boat in the South China Sea

The Philippines, on the other hand, has leaned on its long-standing ally, the US, which brands China's moves as disruptive of other countries' "freedom of navigation".

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When the stand-off happened, the US and the Philippines were in the final days of their largest ever war games. This came on the heels of the US gaining access to key Philippine military bases, many of which face Taiwan.

A glimpse into China's playbook

China made "highly dangerous manoeuvres" at Second Thomas Shoal and Filipino officials were well within their authority to routinely patrol the area, the Philippines foreign ministry said. Beijing, on the other hand, accused the Philippines of intrusion into Chinese waters.

"China has long used tactics like shadowing, but now, because of the media, the whole world gets to see it," said Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesman of the Philippine Coast Guard.

At dawn on 23 April, the Filipino crew noticed how the Chinese ship that had been shadowing their vessel Malapascua increased speed, as shown by the thick black smoke from its exhaust. The BBC witnessed the high seas chase playing out on relatively calm turquoise waters from a second Philippine ship, the Malabrigo, roughly one kilometre away.

Eventually the Chinese ship caught up with the Philippine boat, and it became clear that the latter could not outmanoeuvre a vessel more than twice its size. The Chinese ship blocked the way and refused to budge, forcing the Malapascua to turn off its engine to avoid a collision.

The Sierra Madre is beached on the Second Thomas Shoal

The Chinese ship came as close as 45m (146ft) to the Malapascua's bow due to the "sudden and really very dangerous manoeuvre", said the Philippine ship commander, Rodel Hernandez. It was the closest near-collision for his vessel, which was also involved in a laser incident with the Chinese in February, he said.

After a 30-minute stand-off, the Philippine ships turned away and were unable to patrol the Second Thomas Shoal, one of the few disputed outcrops and islands that Manila occupies by parking a rundown Navy ship - the Sierra Madre - on it with a handful of marines.

How China is tightening its grip

China's routine blocking of Filipino patrols and supply missions to the Second Thomas Shoal was part of the case brought before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016. The shoal is a rich fishing ground and its Filipino name, Ayungin, is taken from a tiny local fish.

Journalists who joined the patrol also witnessed what life has been like for the Philippine Coast Guard as the South China Sea dispute festers.

China has deployed militia ships near Whitsun Reef

Crewmen on board the two patrol boats have ready scripts to warn or respond to Chinese ships. The radio warnings from the Chinese could come at any time of day, even in the dead of night, and are delivered in English and Chinese.

In recent weeks, some Chinese ships have refused to respond to warnings from Filipinos, in an apparent new tactic. Some Chinese militia ships have also turned off a tracking mechanism to appear invisible on radar.

The coastguard mission also found some 100 militia ships near V-shaped Whitsun Reef, in the Spratlys' coral region.

It said it had informed a cabinet body tasked to handle the South China Sea dispute about China's recent actions.

Together with other Philippine security forces, the coastguard said it would "diligently and tirelessly work to protect the Philippines' exclusive sovereign rights".

The BBC's Virma Simonette was among a group of journalists on board the Philippine Coast Guard vessel on a week-long patrol in the South China Sea.
Japan should stop moving further down path of military expansion

09:08, April 28, 2023 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily

Japan has continuously made erroneous words and deeds to hurt its relations with neighboring countries. The so-called joint communique issued after a Group of 7 (G7) foreign ministers meeting in Japan grossly interfered in China's internal affairs and maliciously smeared and discredited China, which reflected the group's deliberate desire to block and contain China.

Besides, Japanese politicians also made erroneous comments on the Taiwan question which concerns the post-war international order.

Such remarks and deeds of the Japanese side are strategically short-sighted, politically wrong and diplomatically unwise, and will only make regional countries more vigilant about Japan's strategies.

As a country in Asia, Japan has frequently "invited the wolf into the house" over the recent years. Its diplomatic strategies are becoming dangerous.

As the United States claimed to "shape the strategic environment in which China operates," Japan accelerated the adjustment to its diplomatic and security policies. Last December, it officially approved three updated security and defense-related documents, including the new National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy and the Defense Buildup Program, declaring that Japan should have "counterstrike capability," or "enemy base strike capabilities."

According to the three documents, Japan intends to increase its defense spending between fiscal years 2023 and 2027 by 1.6 times from that between 2019 and 2023. The total defense spending in fiscal year 2027 will be aimed to account for 2 percent of the country's GDP.

This means that Japan, which had once launched wars of aggression, has totally discarded its exclusively defense-oriented policy, which completely deviates from the philosophy of peace in the Japanese constitution.

Seeing China as the "greatest strategic challenge," Japan distorts facts on the Taiwan question, the issue of Diaoyu Island and the South China Sea issue, and keeps fanning the so-called "China threat." It takes this as an excuse to break free from the post-war order and is moving further down the path of military expansion.

Since this year, the country has made frequent moves to expand its military strength. Its defense budget for fiscal year 2023 jumped 26 percent from a year ago, and it announced a decision to develop a new missile force to obtain the capability of striking targets more than 1,000 kilometers from Japan. It also plans to deploy hypersonic weapons and develop submarine-launched hypersonic missiles with a range of 3,000 kilometers.

It is Japan who seeks military breakthroughs under the excuse of so-called "surrounding security threat" that is making real threats against regional security.

To loosen constitutional restrictions on military, Japan has constantly elevated the importance of U.S.-Japan alliance in its diplomatic strategies. The country believes that it could seek speculations in the "Indo-Pacific Strategy" of the United States and even introduce the NATO to the Asia-Pacific region by cooperating with the United States. This is serious strategic confusion.

History has proved that the United States is indeed the one that's always steering the U.S.-Japan alliance, and to maintain its own hegemony and interests is always its goal in handling its relations with Japan.

Japan deeply knows the harms of the U.S. hegemony. The United States once launched seven trade and financial wars against Japan. In September 1985, the United States forced Japan to sign the Plaza Accord, which was believed to have paved the way for Japan's "Lost Decades."

In 1986 the United States and Japan inked the Semiconductor Agreement and renewed it five years later. After the agreement terminated, the U.S. semiconductor industry expanded its market share to around 30 percent in both the global and Japanese markets.

Over the recent years, the United States has not only increased tariffs on steel, aluminum and beef imported from Japan, but also claimed Toyota vehicles to be a national security threat against the United States.

These all indicate that Japan, though an ally of the United States, can never escape U.S. extreme oppression once it shakes up American interests.

Japan had long been addicted to the daydream of "Departure from Asia for Europe," which finally led it to the wrong path of militarism that caused deadly disasters to the people in regional countries and brought unbearable results to the Japanese people.

Today, regional countries are generally concerned that Japan may repeat its mistakes given its current military expansion.

China-Japan relations are of crucial importance for regional peace and stability as well as the development of Japan itself. However, some forces in Japan are blindly following the wrong policies on China of the United States and working with the U.S. side to stir up troubles on issues concerning China's core interests, which seriously undermines the political foundation of China-Japan relations and the basic trust and good faith between the two countries.

On April 24 and 25, a delegation of lawmakers from Japan's Okinawa Prefecture submitted a resolution to the Defense Ministry, the Cabinet Office and the Foreign Ministry, which voiced concern over the three updated documents on Japan's security and defense policies, calling on the Japanese government to follow the principles it reached with China in relevant political documents, develop friendly relations with China, and engage in peacebuilding through dialogue and diplomacy. The Japanese government should listen to the voices of peace and justice made by all relevant parties.

If Japan is still addicted to seeking private interests through exacerbating tensions in the region, which is no different from "pulling chestnuts out of the fire," it can never gain the so-called strategic freedom or the identity of a major country, but only bring to itself unbearable outcomes.

Only by coming to a correct perception of history, taking a hard look at itself, exercising caution in its words and deeds, and adhering to the path of peaceful development, can Japan be trusted by its neighboring countries in Asia and the international community.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming)
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Du Zhanyuan (center right), president of China International Communications Group, holds talks with international judges for the first Orchid Awards. [Photo provided to China Daily]

International judges for the first Orchid Awards visited the China International Communications Group on Tuesday.

Du Zhanyuan, president of the communications group, extended a warm welcome to the judges, who will participate in the final evaluation meeting of the first Orchid Awards on Thursday.

Du said that in the current complex and challenging international situation, cultural exchange and mutual learning among civilizations are more important than ever to eliminate differences and barriers.

The awards initiated by CICG are aimed at promoting exchanges and interactions between China and the world, as well as fostering mutual understanding among nations.

Contestants demonstrate international vision and authentic love for humanity, uphold the common values of humanity, and act on the vision of a global community of shared future.

Du and international judges pose for a group photo. [Photo provided to China Daily]

They also work in cultural sectors in a broad sense and actively engage in international cultural exchanges, lead achievements in related fields and demonstrate certain international influence.

Du said he hopes that the joint efforts by Chinese and foreign judges will help promote cultural exchange between China and foreign countries and advance mutual learning among world civilizations.

James Heimowitz, president at China Institute, speaking on behalf of the international judges said that dialogues at the governmental level are indispensable, but communication and interaction among peoples of different countries are even more important.

He said it is necessary to encourage and promote in-depth communications and mutual understanding among peoples of different countries, to eliminate estrangement and ignorance.

The first Orchid Awards collected submissions from more than 300 individuals and organizations, including those from the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Russia, Australia, and South Africa.

Judges tour an exhibition showcasing the communications group's history. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Additional officers on Friday were patrolling around Central Park in downtown Davis where a 50-year-old man was killed Thursday in what police called a brutal stabbing.

David Henry Breaux of Davis, a well-known community member and a regular fixture at the park and in downtown for the past decade, was found with multiple stab wounds in a violent attack, the Davis Police Department announced Friday morning. Investigators did not have any suspect leads.

City officials said Breaux was affectionately known around town as the Compassion Guy because of his regular interactions with everyone who walked by. They said Breaux would often wave and greet people or ask them to share their view on compassion.

The death of David Breaux is utterly and completely devastating, Davis Mayor Will Arnold said in a city statement posted online. Many of us knew David. We talked with him. We shared in his vision for a kinder world.

About 11:20 a.m. Thursday, officers were called to Central Park at 401 C St., just east of the University of California, Davis campus, for a report of an unresponsive male. Police said the preliminary investigation revealed this was a significantly violent attack. The wounded man, later identified as Breaux, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Police Department asked residents to avoid the park Thursday as investigators worked at the crime scene. On Friday, police said additional officers will be deployed on bike and foot patrol in the downtown corridor and Central Park areas to create a visible police presence.

Police officials called the deadly stabbing a senseless crime. They said they realize its difficult and disturbing when crimes like these occur, especially in a public space that many consider to be the heart of Davis and its downtown.

The Department would like to assure the public that all available resources will be used to ensure the safety of our community, police said Friday. As a reminder, please remain vigilant and aware of your surroundings, and advise law enforcement if you witness concerning or violent behavior.

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The Davis Phoenix Coalition will host a vigil for Breaux at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Compassion Corner at Third and C streets next to the park in Davis. The corner is where the Compassion Bench is located. Breaux was instrumental in creating and installing the bench in 2013.

City officials said Breaux was a Stanford University graduate and chose Davis as his home to be around people. They said he touched many lives in the community and dedicated his time and energy towards selflessness.

We connected on what it means to be human and humane, the mayor said about the communitys interactions with Breaux. David was gentle and kind, soft-spoken and thoughtful, brilliant and selfless. He will be missed.

The homicide investigation continued Friday, and police officials wanted residents to know that all available resources will be used to solve this horrific crime.

Investigators asked anyone who was in the area of Central Park in the early-morning hours on Thursday or has security video cameras directed at the park or in the downtown area to call the Davis Police Department at 530-747-5400 or send an email to policeweb@cityofdavis.org.

Investigators also asked anyone with information who wants to remain anonymous can call the departments tip line at 530-747-5460.
Daytona Beach police arrested a man wanted on a first-degree murder charge from Puerto Rico, where he was on a "12 Most Wanted" list, according to the department.

The department's Violent Criminal Apprehension Team arrested Ezequiel Rosado, 28, on Wednesday and took him to the Volusia County Branch Jail. Daytona police said he was being held on a $1 million bond. Jail records show he was released Friday at 8 a.m. The News-Journal sent an email to the Daytona police department inquiring about where Rosado might be but did not hear back.

Ezequiel Rosado

Rosado was also wanted for driving on a suspended license from another Florida county.

"Ezequiel Rosado is exactly the type of dangerous career criminal this team was implemented to apprehend, and our community is safer with each apprehension," the department said in a Facebook post.

Courts: Trial won't be in Volusia for Othal Wallace, man accused of shooting Daytona Beach officer Jason Raynor

Fatal wreck: Criminal charges possible for driver in crash that killed 3 teens in Daytona Beach

A Puerto Rican news publication identified him as Ezequiel Rosado Cartagena. Together with Jaime Rodriguez Martinez, 26, he faces charges of first-degree murder and illegally carrying and discharging a firearm.

The news organization reported the two men "stalked and shot Gary Bonilla Santiago, who was also driving a motor vehicle, from a moving car, causing his death."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona Beach officers arrest a 'most wanted' murder suspect
The states top air regulator rang a death knell for diesel in California this week by ruling to eliminate dirty fuel from its trucking and train industries, moves that promised cleaner air for millions over time.

By banning the sale of new diesel trucks in 2036 and ordering all trains to be carbon-free by 2047, the California Air Resources Board regulations aim to drastically lower levels of tailpipe exhaust that harm human health and contribute to atmospheric warming.

This is an absolutely transformative rule to clean our air and mitigate climate change, said air board chair Liane Randolph before a Friday morning vote. We all know theres a lot of challenges, but those challenges arent going to be tackled unless we move forward ... if not now, when?

Freight trucks moved 8.3 million tons of goods worth $1.2 billion last year, Department of Transportation data show. Despite making up just 7% of vehicles on California roads, big-rigs are the single largest source of vehicle air pollution.

Truck engines emit about 70% of smog-forming nitrogen oxides and 80% of carcinogenic diesel soot, according to the air board. Trains are also big polluters, the air board said, making up about 15% of nitrogen oxide pollution in the entire freight industry.

Much of this industrial pollution is felt most acutely in communities that live closest to ports and warehouses, including the southern Central Valley, Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire, leading to higher rates of asthma and breathing problems.

Union Pacifics J.R. Davis Yard in Roseville is one of the largest railyards on the West Coast. A new rule approved Thursday by the California Air Resources Board would limit emissions from locomotives. The board voted Friday to begin cutting diesel emissions in tractor-trailers and other commercial trucking.

Carbon-free trucks ahead

The air boards rule passed Friday forbids manufacturers of non-passenger vehicles from delivery vans to semi-trucks from selling any non-zero emission vehicle starting in 2036. The regulation also targets owners of truck fleets, requiring them to switch to zero-emission vehicles over time.

It would first kick in for drayage trucks, which move cargo between ports and warehouses up and down the state. Existing diesel vehicles can operate for several more years, but any new vehicles must be zero emission beginning in 2024 and all must be converted to electric by 2035.

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A requirement to switch existing trucks to zero emissions by 2042 would also apply to groups of 50 or more owned and operated by companies with more than $50 million in annual revenue, called high-priority fleets, as well as federally-owned trucks.

That includes both heavy-duty big-rigs weighing 8,500 pounds or more as well as lighter vehicles that include package delivery vans operated by the U.S. Postal Service, UPS and Amazon.

Requirements for public agencies such as fire departments and water agencies would also approach rapidly. Truck-owning agencies must make half of their truck purchases zero emission by 2024, ramping up to 100% by 2027, but emergency vehicles are exempt.

Environmental justice advocates in some of the most polluted regions of California have been key proponents of the regulation, pushing for more stringent measures and timelines. Sharing stories of longstanding health issues, they celebrate the rule as paving a healthier for future generations.

Warehouse worker Julieta Fuentes gave testimony Thursday on behalf of Isabel, an 18-year-old girl in her Inland Empire community who was diagnosed with asthma at age 4. She grew up being told by her parents not to run, jump, exercise and go outside.

Chronic disease as serious as asthma makes you live in fear and anger, and ask yourself in the morning, Why me? If only I could live a normal life without having to depend on an inhaler, she said. Ill be graduating high school soon but Im not satisfied. My childhood was taken from me.

Trucking companies and local governments have emerged as key critics of the regulation. They argue timelines are difficult to meet given a limited availability of zero-emission trucks with long-range and a dearth of adequate charging infrastructure.

There are many of us in the drayage industry that run our trucks 400 miles plus a day ... how will those of us buy something that does not exist? Cory Peters, CFO at Best Drayage based in Oregon said. This will have a devastating effect on Central Valley shippers who rely on getting their goods to the rest of the world.

Cleaner trains

Under the rule to clean up trains passed Thursday, most diesel locomotives older than 23 years must be retired and replaced with an electric alternative beginning in 2030. All locomotive fleets must go electric by 2047.

As soon as 2024, operators are required to fund a spending account based on their trains own emissions  the dirtier the locomotive, the more funds must be set aside for investment in zero-emission alternatives. Idling will also not be permitted for longer than 30 minutes.

Beginning in 2030, 50% of locomotive fleets must adopt updated technology to clean up some emissions. And by 2042, 50% of all fleets must be electric or other zero-emission trains.

Environmentalists celebrated the ruling, who say locomotives in California and the rest of the nation are long overdue for modernization. About one-quarter of the worlds rail lines are already electric, they point out.

Yet industry representatives have said throughout the process that the measures are coming too soon. They say implementing this regulation will be too expensive and lead to higher prices for goods.

There is no clear path to zero emissions locomotives, the Association of American Railroads said in a statement. Mandating that result ignores the complexity and interconnected nature of railroad operations and the reality of where zero emission locomotive technology and the supporting infrastructure stand. 
BANGKOK (AP)  Thailands Supreme Court upheld a death sentence for an ex-elementary school principal convicted of killing three people, including a toddler, during an armed gold shop robbery in 2020.

The court ruled Wednesday that Prasitthichai Khaewkao did not deserve a reduction in his original sentence, calling the shooting in a shopping mall in Lopburi province outrageously, ruthlessly inhuman" in a statement released Friday. Four people were injured in the attack and a salesclerk, a security guard and a 2-year-old boy were killed.

Prasitthichai was found guilty in August 2020 and given a death sentence on charges including first-degree murder, killing in commission of another crime and illegally carrying a gun. The Appeal Court also upheld the death penalty in 2021.

The Supreme Court said the defendant, as a teacher and a headmaster, should have behaved as a good role model for students, but instead committed a serious crime. Therefore, it said there was not enough grounds to grant his appeal for a sentence reduction.

Security footage of the shooting was widely broadcast and sent a shockwave across the country. One video showed a man dressed in a black ski mask and camouflage trousers, with a backpack across his chest, carrying a pistol with a silencer as he entered the Robinson Lopburi mall. Another camera at the gold shop showed the man firing his pistol, and the toddler, who had been walking hand-in-hand with an adult, suddenly falling to the ground. The man grabbed a number of gold necklaces before fleeing.

Speaking to reporters after his arrest, Prasitthichai denied that he deliberately shot the toddler and other victims. He said he opened fire to intimidate shoppers and security guards so he could flee easily.

According to the data from the Department of Corrections, Thailand had 250 inmates on death row as of the end of February, of which 23 had their sentence upheld by the Supreme Court.

Seven people have been executed since Thailand switched from using a firing squad to lethal injection in 2003. Thailands most recent execution was in 2018.
One child has been wounded and several apartments damaged when Russian missile debris fell on a residential multi-storey building in the city of Ukrainka, Kyiv Oblast.

Source: Ruslan Kravchenko, Head of Kyiv Oblast State Administration, on Facebook; Andrii Niebytov, Head of the Main Directorate of the National Police of Ukraine in Kyiv Oblast, on Telegram

Quote from Kravchenko: "Debris from a Russian missile has hit a multi-storey building in the city of Ukrainka. As a result, apartments on the 4th and 5th floors were damaged. The fire was contained at 05:30. The wounded child was taken to Okhmatdyt clinic."

Details: All relevant services are working at the scene.

Niebytov specified that a 13-year-old girl had been wounded.

He also published a photo of the damaged house and called on people to be as careful as possible and follow the rules for air-raid warnings.

A house in Ukrainka damaged by missile debris

PHOTO FROM NIEBYTOV'S TELEGRAM

Kravchenko reiterated that Russian forces attacked Kyiv Oblast at night again, with an air-raid warning being in force for more than 2 hours.

Russian missile shot down in the city of Ukrainka

PHOTO FROM NIEBYTOV'S TELEGRAM

Air defence forces destroyed all the Russian targets.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
The three defendants involved in the 2019 robbery and murder of a 20-year-old Fresno man wont be going to prison for their crime, a Fresno County Superior Court judge ruled Friday.

Judge Brian Alvarez sentenced the three women, Precious Green, 22, of Sioux City, Iowa; Hannah Haywood, 22, also of Sioux City; and Alexa Ramos, 23, of Firebaugh, to prison terms, ranging from two to four years. They were convicted of second-degree robbery.

But the sentences only amount to a paper commitment, Alvarez said. That means they have served more time in the Fresno County Jail, waiting for their case to go to trial, then their actual prison sentence.

Despite no prison time, Alvarez did not want the defendants to forget that a man, Tyrel Truss, was killed on Sept. 26, 2019 in a botched robbery attempt.

The three defendants, along with Isaac Ty Helms, concocted a plot to lure someone out to Mendota under the guise of meeting for a date. Truss responded to the phony profile on the app, MeetMe.

The four friends convinced Truss to give them a ride to Firebaugh where he was shot after refusing to give the would-be robbers anything.

This was not merely a robbery, this led to the death of an individual, Alvarez said.

The Fresno County District Attorneys Office agreed to drop the murder charge against the three women if they agreed to testify, which they did.

Helms was convicted of murder and robbery on April 25. He will be sentenced on June 27 and faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

At her sentencing, Ramos admitted she made a mistake that day and wants to put the incident behind her. Her attorney, Antonio Alvarez, told the judge shes moved to Texas, has a job and got married.

I have changed my life around, she said.

Green, who played a bigger role in planning the robbery and was the owner of the murder weapon, apologized to Truss family. She said the events of that day continue to replay in her head.

I just cant imagine losing someone like that, Green said. I know it doesnt mean anything, but I do apologize.

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Prosecutor Daniel Walters said Greens words do mean something to Truss family.

Knowing there is remorse is important to them, he said.

Greens attorney Christopher Irwin said that while the facts of the crime resulted in a tragic outcome, the actions of the defendants speaks to their youthfulness and the lack of consideration they had for the consequences of what they did.

Haywood chose not to speak at her sentencing, but her lawyer Jane Boulger said she is still haunted by the shooting. Helms shot Truss while they were all in Truss car.
President Biden is facing pressure from within his own party to send fighter jets and longer range missiles to Ukraine, as Russia continues to inflict daily death and destruction through aerial attacks.

Members of congress from both parties have called on Biden to supply Ukraine with long-range rocket artillery, called ATACMS, and modern F-16 fighter jets. The administration has so far refused, saying that the U.S. cant spare any ATACMS systems and that jets arent a priority.

But the U.S. pledge in January to provide M1 Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine earlier this spring, after months of opposition from the White House, has given cause for optimism that the administration may come around to providing even heavier weaponry.

For the most hawkish members of both parties, F-16s and long-range missiles are the logical next step. The equipment could be key in the defense of Ukrainian people and any offensive push against Russian positions, the lawmakers argue  and some U.S. military leaders agree.



Here are the leading figures in the Democratic push for stepping up U.S. support for Ukraine.

Rep. Jason Crow

Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.)

Crow (D-Colo.) has been one of the more outspoken members in the House calling for more Ukraine aid. A military veteran, he saw the battlefield impact of similar advanced weapons himself in the Iraq War, and he visited Ukraine last year.



It is in our interest for Ukraine to win, Crow said in an interview with the Hudson Institute think tank last week. Its in our own self interest to lean in and give what they need.

The Ukrainian military has outperformed U.S. expectations throughout the war, and Crow said that the Ukrainians are responsible partners for our most advanced weapons.

Ukraine is at a crucial time in the war. F-16s provide more range than ground-based systems and could help provide Ukraine with air superiority, Crow said in a statement to The Hill.

He added the jets could better protect civilians from indiscriminate Russian attacks.

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Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Sheldon Whitehouse

Like Crow, Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Whitehouse (D-R.I.) have also been unafraid to question Bidens restraint toward Ukraine. In January, the two joined Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in a letter to Biden requesting advanced military aid for the war.

The combination of tanks, fighter aircraft, and ATACMS will help Ukraine confront the upcoming Russian offensive and go on offense in both the East and the South in an attempt to further erode Russias capability to continue fighting in Ukraine, they said. Lets give the Ukrainians everything they need to win  now.

Whitehouse said that the weapons are proven to be effective and that the Ukrainian military has already proven itself as a military capable of using advanced U.S. weapon systems.

Our job is to ensure they have everything they need to eject Russian troops from their territory, Whitehouse said in a statement to The Hill. Fighter jets and longer-range missiles will help achieve victory for Ukraine, which has proven to be a responsible steward of Western weaponry.

The push for ATACMS is bolstered by the success of HIMARS, a less powerful rocket artillery system that has been credited as a game-changer in defending Ukraine.

The U.S. first supplied HIMARS last year but placed software limitations on the weapons so they could not be fired into Russian territory and could only be used defensively.

However, Biden administration officials have said that the U.S. does not have enough ATACMS systems deployed to Europe to be able to spare any.

Rep. Jared Golden

Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) is seen during the first day of the 118th session of Congress on Jan. 3.

In February, Golden (D-Maine) led a bipartisan group of more than a dozen representatives in a letter calling on the Biden administration to send F-16 jets to Ukraine.



F-16s or similar fourth generation fighter aircraft would provide Ukraine with a highly mobile platform from which to target Russian air-to-air missiles and drones, to protect Ukrainian ground forces as they engage Russian troops, as well as to engage Russian fighters for contested air superiority, the group said.



American leadership on this issue is crucial.

Golden was joined on the letter by Crow, Reps. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Susan Wild (D-Pa.), Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Elisa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas). Five Republicans also signed on.

There is no debating that Ukrainian forces have fought heroically in defense of their country, but the simple fact remains: Ukrainian troops are outnumbered, Golden said in a statement to The Hill.

F-16s would provide Ukraine with the capability to better protect Ukrainian ground forces as they engage Russian troops and with the air superiority needed to protect their nation and people, he added.

The war has slowed down to a near-standstill in much of the country, as Ukraine prepares a long-anticipated counteroffensive. But the Russian military has kept up pressure on eastern frontlines in Bakhmut, where forces are essentially locked in trench warfare.



Leaked Pentagon documents show concerns from U.S. intelligence officials that Bakhmut would fall months ago and that the Ukrainian military is struggling with dwindling equipment and supplies.

Sen. Mark Kelly

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) addresses reporters following the weekly policy luncheon on March 22.

Kelly (D-Ariz.) led a similar letter among senators to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last month. It called on Austin to provide the senators with additional information on what it would take to provide F-16s to Ukraine.

After speaking with U.S., Ukrainian, and foreign leaders working to support Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference last month, we believe the U.S. needs to take a hard look at providing F-16 aircraft to Ukraine, the senators wrote.

This would be a significant capability that could prove to be a game changer on the battlefield.

Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) signed onto the letter, along with three Republicans.



The Biden administration has previously said that rigorous fighter jet training would be prohibitive, but the Ukrainian military has attempted to downplay the concern. Military leaders said theyve pre-selected 50 pilots who are experienced, know English and could be trained on F-16s in as little as three months.

White House response

President Biden speaks during an event to honor the National Education Association 2023 Teacher of the Year award recipient Union High School math teacher Rebecka Peterson of Tulsa, Okla., in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 24.

Despite the pressure, the White House has not budged on refusing to supply both ATACMS and F-16s to the front. At a press conference Monday, spokesman John Kirby again shot down the idea.

President Biden has said that this [F-16s to Ukraine] is not being considered at the moment, Kirby said. What we are currently focused on are the capabilities that Ukrainians themselves have said they really need in the coming weeks and months.

Administration officials have emphasized that military aid is currently focused on air defense and ammunition supplies, which officials argue are more pressing needs.

Our focus is on Ukrainian priorities for this fight and aircraft, while on the list, western, modern aircraft is about 8th on the list, Assistant Defense Secretary Celeste Wallander said in a House Armed Services hearing Wednesday.

We have focused with resources on the highest priority capabilities and that has been air defense, artillery and armor, she added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Oleksii Reznikov, Defence Minister of Ukraine, has announced the arrival of French-made Caesar self-propelled artillery systems provided by Denmark in Ukraine.

Source: European Pravda

Quote: "CAESARs from Denmark are in Ukraine," Reznikov twitted, thanking the people of Denmark, its Ministry of Defense, and partners in France.

Quote: "Denmark had intended to use these systems for its army, but wisely and nobly decided to transfer them to the Ukrainian Army due to the significant threat that russian aggression against Ukraine poses to Europe as a whole," Reznikov wrote.

Also, he reminded, Danish friends participate in organising the training of Ukrainian soldiers.

Quote: "Our artillerymen appreciate the manoeuvrability and accuracy of these howitzers. Ukraine now has the world's second-largest CAESARs artillery park, thanks to our partners in France and Denmark," the Minister of Defense noted.

In January, the Danish government, with the support of the parliament, decided to give all 19 Caesar artillery systems it had ordered from France to Ukraine. In addition to the equipment itself, the Danish side also promised training for the Ukrainian military.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






While Ron DeSantis continues hounding Disney for criticizing him and legislation he favored, the Florida governor is allowing a second corporation to get away with its wokeness despite having received millions of dollars in state incentives.

DeSantis, a Republican expected to jump into the 2024 presidential race next month, has criticized Anheuser-Busch for its marketing campaign featuring transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney and even produced a video mocking its Bud Light brand. Yet he has done nothing to punish the company that in 2015 received $15 million in cash and other incentives from Jacksonville and Enterprise Florida, the states economic development entity.

Even a child grabs a hot pot on the stove only once, said longtime Republican consultant and lobbyist Mac Stipanovich, adding that, at least so far, Anheuser-Busch has not tried to engage with DeSantis directly. They have not explicitly criticized him or one of his initiatives, and he has his hands full with Disney, a battle that is not benefiting him as it continues.

Over a two-year period ending in 2017, Anheuser-Bushs Metal Container Corp. nearly doubled the size of its can and bottle cap factory to start making aluminum bottles, investing $170 million and creating 75 new jobs.

Between the can company and the nearby brewery, Anheuser-Busch now employs about 800 in the state.

DeSantis has been open in his explanations that he wanted to punish Disney for having woke values  his governors office press secretary wrote at one point: Go woke, go broke.

And DeSantis has said Anheuser-Busch should similarly pay a price for its actions. Id rather be governed by we the people than woke companies, and so I think pushback is in order across the board, including with Bud Light, he told serial plagiarist-turned right-wing celebrity Benny Johnson in a recent interview.

It is unclear, however, why he has not tried to punish Anheuser-Busch with legislation or executive action, even though, unlike Disney, the company actually did receive a monetary benefit from the state.

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DeSantis press office did not respond to HuffPost queries, but one top Florida Republican pointed out that Anheuser-Busch has remained a political donor to the party. Disney, in contrast, stopped its contribution program in Florida after DeSantis in March 2022 signed the Parental Rights in Education Act, which critics dubbed the Dont Say Gay bill.

Lots of beer distributors and Anheuser-Busch have been big supporters, and maybe that network of support dissuades action, the Republican consultant said on condition of anonymity.

Anheuser-Busch has given the Republican Party of Florida $47,080 over the past two months, according to the states campaign finance records. It also gave the party $50,000 in August 2022, much of which went toward DeSantis reelection effort, and had given DeSantis political committee $75,000 in the weeks ahead of the 2021 legislative session.

Anheuser-Busch, while based in Missouri, has operated a brewery in Jacksonville since 1967. In 1975, it opened a can factory there as well, and in 2015 the company chose it over two competing cities as the site to increase its production of aluminum bottles as an alternate method of packaging its beer. The city of Jacksonville put up grants and other incentives totaling $12 million, while the state kicked in grants totaling nearly $3 million.

Disney  while it was given the Reedy Creek Improvement District in 1967 that allowed it to collect property taxes from itself to pay off bonds it sells to finance roads and other public works on its property  has not received cash grants from the state.

DeSantis in April 2022 rammed through a law eliminating that taxing district entirely, apparently unaware that doing so would shift the responsibility of paying off $1.2 billion in outstanding bond debt from Disney to Central Florida taxpayers. To undo that unintended consequence, DeSantis pushed through a second law this February, repealing the elimination of the district and instead changing its structure so that he could appoint all its board members.

The new board, though, learned at its first meeting that Disney had outmaneuvered DeSantis by passing a long-term development plan and an agreement making it impossible for the new board to make changes to it for as long as a century.

Disney on Wednesday sued DeSantis in federal court over his boards attempt to void the last-minute provisions, while DeSantis is pushing a third bill through the legislature attempting to codify that action in law.

No such effort appears to be in work to punish Anheuser-Busch as Florida lawmakers enter their final week in the annual session.

Maybe the governor knows better than to get between voters and their beer, said another top Republican, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. Or perhaps hes realizing that these retaliatory and vindictive acts by a supposedly free market Republican government isnt making Florida look very free. Pro-business Republicans and members of the legislature are already grumbling privately.

Related...
(Bloomberg) -- Ron DeSantis is eyeing the first two weeks of June to formally jump into the 2024 presidential race, according to people familiar with the deliberations, as his long-expected bid shows signs of sputtering before its official launch.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Advisers are considering a campaign kick-off in the Florida governors hometown of Dunedin  or in Ohio or Pennsylvania, swing states where he has family ties, according to the people.

The timing of the formal announcement is critical with DeSantiss poll numbers falling and donors losing confidence that he is the best Republican candidate.

Polls show DeSantis and former President Donald Trump as the GOP frontrunners. Trump has relentlessly attacked him in recent weeks, aiming to deliver an early knockout blow, and sowing doubts about whether DeSantis can win the primary.

Good governor, billionaire New York donor John Catsimatidis told Bloomberg News. Lacks the skills to be president. Catsimatidis previously said he ruled out supporting DeSantis because he did not return phone calls.

I think he should stay governor, said Florida US Representative Matt Gaetz, who was close to DeSantis but now backs Trump. If I got to pick a brain surgeon, Im choosing the one with a lot of experience over the one with a lot of promise.

In DeSantiss insular, tight-knit world, there are signs the team is organizing despite the setbacks.

Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting DeSantis, recently added former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt, one of the governors closest friends, as chair. DeSantis advisers said the move, first reported by Semafor, was long-planned. The two roomed together during naval officer training and have supported each anothers political careers. Laxalt didnt respond to a request for comment.

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Fundraiser Heather Barker, one of DeSantiss longest serving advisers, also recently moved to the super PAC. The group said it has raised $30 million so far but $20 million came from a single donor, showing a lack of broad financial support.

A DeSantis spokesman declined to comment.

Rigid Timeline

DeSantis used the release of his memoir in February to deliver speeches and book talks, including in early voting states Iowa and New Hampshire. And DeSantis just completed a tour of Japan, South Korea and Israel intended to burnish his foreign policy credentials.

But he has long intended to formally announce once the Florida legislature wraps up the first week of May. The goal has been to pass conservative agenda items on guns, abortion and ESG investing DeSantis can later tout on the campaign trail.

The governor and his aides believe sticking to their plans, settled on months ago, will allow them to avoid being distracted by Trump or the daily news cycle.

Critics argue the approach has prevented DeSantis from being politically nimble as his polling dropped and Trump attacked his record. The DeSantis team often comes across as surprised to see Trump locking up support among GOP lawmakers and others in early voting states.

In New Hampshire on Thursday, Trump said DeSantis is crashing and burning and suggested he was so far ahead in GOP polls that he likely would skip the primary debates  signaling he is already pivoting to running against President Joe Biden.

The primary attraction of Ron DeSantis is the idea of Ron DeSantis  a Trump without all of Trumps boogers, to use a technical term, joked Mac Stipanovich, a longtime Republican lobbyist in Tallahassee, who is now a registered independent. But the reality is much different. It is not Donald Trump without the baggage. It is a totally different person.

Retail Politics

DeSantis has stumbled and appeared defensive when reporters ask expected questions about his political ambitions. And the team has been slow to respond to Trump attacks on everything from his record on Social Security and Medicare to a claim DeSantis ate pudding with his fingers.

His administration is also contending with a lawsuit from Walt Disney Co. in a long-running feud between the governor and one of his states largest employers.

QuickTake: How Disney and DeSantis Became Locked in Battle

Political operatives are watching how DeSantis engages with donors and voters, as the 2024 field becomes more crowded. Trump has stepped up his own retail politicking, embracing events he used to avoid.

DeSantis has a reputation as an effective governor but one who doesnt excel at small talk or one-on-one encounters. His team is trying to counter that impression, having him mingle and take selfies following a recent GOP dinner in New Hampshire.

DeSantis strikes me as smart guy but not dripping with charisma, said Benjamin Bolger, a teaching fellow at Harvard who attended the recent GOP Amos Tuck Dinner in Manchester, N.H., paying a few extra hundred dollars to meet DeSantis personally and take a photo with him. My money would be on Trump. I am only one guy, but I would say: Counting Trump out would be a big mistake.

At the same dinner, Dr. Peter Chamberland, pastor of Granite State Baptist Church, said he supported Trump in 2020 but had an open mind on 2024.

I believe Governor DeSantis is doing a good job in Florida on the economy, Chamberland said. My mind is not made up. I have not seen all of the official candidates.

--With assistance from Laura Davison, Mark Niquette and Christian Hall.

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Judges raise their hands for opportunities to express their views. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A total of 9 international judges exchanged ideas on the Global Civilization Initiative at the inaugural Orchid Awards final selection meeting in Beijing on Thursday.

They proposed that a strong relationship between countries depends on the mutual understanding and closeness between their peoples, which in turn depends on the blending of their cultures.

They believed different civilizations may have varying interpretations of values and beliefs, but the desire for a better life is universal among people from all nations. By actively embracing the Global Initiative for Civilization, identifying common ground between different cultures and fostering mutual understanding, can solid foundation be established to build a community with a shared destiny for humanity.

The awards were initiated by the China International Communications Group and are aimed at promoting exchanges and interactions between China and the world, as well as fostering mutual understanding among nations.

Du Zhanyuan, president of the communications group, said; "The initial intention of CICG initiating the establishment of the Orchid Awards fully aligns with the connotations of the Global Civilization Initiative, which is an important practice to promote the prosperity of the world civilization and the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind."

James Heimowitz, president at China Institute based in the US and a judge for the awards, said; "Globalization has made our connections even closer, forming a common global village and community. I hope everyone can become a friendship ambassador and interact with people from other countries and promote friendship as much as possible."

Zhou Shuchun, former chief editor of China Daily, said: "We need to connect the Global Civilization Initiative with the judgment of the world's century-old changes, the promotion of the common values of all humanities, and the concept of promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Wang Huiyao, founder of the Center for China and Globalization, said, "The best way to address misunderstandings and conflicts between the East and the West is through cultural exchanges, promoting civilizational exchanges and mutual learn-ing. Wang said the awards will play a positive role in echoing the Global Civilization Initiative and promoting civilizational exchanges and mutual learning.

The first Orchid Awards collected submissions from more than 300 individuals and organizations, including those from the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Russia, Australia and South Africa.
As the battle between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney continues, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is concerned what message it's sending to other companies that want to do business in the Sunshine State.

I think where it gets problematic in the eyes of some people is when you start creating the idea . . . that somehow if you run crossways against us politically, whoevers in charge, you may wind up in the crosshairs of the legislature for political purposes to make a statement at you, Rubio said on Fox News Thursday, adding that he thinks DeSantis feud is legitimate.

"I don't have a problem with taking on Disney," Rubio said.

Rubio said he thinks the political battles could scare away businesses from opening up shop in Florida.

I do worry that if this happens too many times, businesses that are thinking about coming to Florida are saying Maybe we dont want to go there because if we get into a firestorm with them politically, they might come after our business, Rubio said.

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US Senator and Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair, Marco Rubio, speaks during a hearing on worldwide threats, in Washington, DC, on March 8, 2023.

Ron DeSantis' feud with Disney

Disney sued DeSantis on Wednesday, alleging a targeted campaign of government retaliation after DeSantis made moves to weaken the company's self-governing status in Florida. The self-governing status gives Disney powers similar to a local government in its own special district.

DeSantis clash with Disney started in 2022 when the company opposed legislation that restricted discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida schools from kindergarten through third grade. Critics have derided the legislation as the Dont Say Gay bill.

Cinderella Castle stands at the Magic Kingdom, at Walt Disney World, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Monday, April 3, 2023.

DeSantis called the Florida state legislature into a special session and soon signed a bill giving him control of the special district. Disney sidestepped the states new oversight through various separate contractual agreements, prompting DeSantis to take further steps to cement state control of the district.

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I do think Disney is not different than any other company in the world and I dont know why they should have government powers. That was something given to them a long time ago and thats up for review every year the legislature looks at it, Rubio said, defending DeSantis position.

DeSantis dismissed Disneys lawsuit, calling it politically motivated in a press conference in Jerusalem meant to build his foreign policy credentials.

I dont think the suit has merit. I think its political, DeSantis said.

'You're a smart country': Ron DeSantis, in Israel, says US should not 'butt into' their internal affairs

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis talks to the media at a conference titled "Celebrate the Faces of Israel" at Jerusalem's Museum of Tolerance, Thursday, April 27, 2023.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DeSantis and Disney: Marco Rubio worries businesses will leave Florida
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) lashed out on Thursday over a former Guantanamo Bay detainees claim that the former naval officer oversaw his force-feeding at the prison.

No, no, all thats BS, DeSantis told reporters at a press conference in Jerusalem. No, totally, totally BS.

How would they know me? he continued, his voice rising. OK, think about that. Do you honestly believe thats credible? So, this is 2006. Im a junior officer. Do you honestly think that they would have remembered me from Adam? Of course not.

Theyre just trying to get into the news because they know people like you will consume it because it fits your preordained narrative that youre trying to spin, DeSantis added. Focus on the facts and stop worrying about narrative.

Mansoor Adayfi, a former Guantanamo detainee, alleged in an Al-Jazeera op-ed earlier this month that DeSantis was present when he was force-fed during an effort to break a hunger strike at the prison. Many international groups have said force-feeding amounts to torture.

As I tried to break free, I noticed DeSantiss handsome face among the crowd at the other side of the chain link. He was watching me struggle. He was smiling and laughing with other officers as I screamed in pain, Adayfi said in the op-ed.

As far as I know, DeSantis did not order my hunger strike to be violently broken or wrote the policies that allowed it to happen, he added. He was just a guy who claimed he was there to help us and then just watched while we were being tortured. He did not torture me, but he sure seemed to take joy from it.

DeSantis was stationed at Guantanamo Bay in 2006 but has denied Adayfis allegations, claiming he didnt have authority to authorize anything.

After the Florida governors outburst on Thursday, Adayfi tweeted, Oh, habibi Ron DeSantis, dont be upset! I would like to invite you for a cup of coffee or Ensure, referring to the liquid nutrient he claims he was force-fed at the prison.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to the press during a press conference at the Museum of Tolerance on April 27, 2023 in Jerusalem, Israel. Amir Levy/Getty Images

Ron DeSantis clashed with a reporter when questioned about Guantanamo Bay.

DeSantis worked as a naval attorney at the base used to detain terror suspects.

A former detainee claims DeSantis witnessed him being force fed.

Flordia Gov. Ron DeSantis was involved in a tetchy exchange with a reporter after being questioned about whether he witnessed detainees being tortured in Guantanamo Bay.

During a press conference in the Museum of Tolerance in West Jerusalem Thursday, DeSantis was questioned about a former detainee's claim that he watched as he was force fed while working as a naval attorney at the base.

"Do you honestly believe that's credible? It's ... 2006, I'm a junior officer, do you honestly think that they would've remembered me?" DeSantis responded angrily.

Guantanamo Bay in Cuba was used to hold detainees during the so-called "war on terror" in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

The UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross are among the organisations that have decried the treatment of inmates at Guantanamo Bay. Many say they endured systematic torture and abuse while being held there without charge. The US has denied the claims.

Mansoor Adayfi, a Yemeni citizen, was held at Guantanamo Bay for 14 years, and has told news outlets that DeSantis witnessed him being force fed during a hunger strike in 2006.

The UN has said that it regards the force feeding of inmates at Guantanamo as a form of torture. The US has denied this, saying the rights the prisoners have in peacetime didn't apply because the US was at war with terrorists, officials told NBC News at the time.

Adayfi in an op-ed for Al Jazeera in April described being strapped to a chair and force fed a protein drink through a tube inserted into his nose until he threw up.

"As I tried to break free, I noticed DeSantis's handsome face among the crowd at the other side of the chain link. He was watching me struggle. He was smiling and laughing with other officers as I screamed in pain," he wrote.

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Two former detainees, as well as defense lawyers and base officials, have told The Washington Post that DeSantis had a "close up views" of disturbing incidents at the camp during his time there.

DeSantis was deployed to the base as a young naval lawyer. He has previously said that he advised in favor of the force-feeding program, but later backtracked.

"So everything at that time was legal in nature one way or another," DeSantis told a CBS affiliate in 2018.

"So the commander wants to know, 'Well, how do I combat this?' So one of the jobs of the legal adviser be like, "Hey, you actually can force feed, here's what you can do. Here's kind of the rules of that.'

Yet as he gears up a possible bid for the presidency in 2024, DeSantis has sought to distance himself from alleged inmate abuse at Guantanamo, saying in an interview in March that he didn't have the authority to authorise force feeding at the base.

"There may have been a commander that would have done feeding if someone was going to die, but that was not something that I would have even had authority to do," he told Piers Morgan on Fox Nation.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Florida Governor Ron DeSantiss administration is considering penalizing a school district superintendent who publicly opposed Republican legislation involving restrictions on teaching about gender identity in public schools, banning mask mandates, and school choice.

The Florida Department of Education may revoke the teaching license of Leon County Superintendent Rocky Hanna, a Democrat, paving the way for DeSantis to potentially oust him from office, according to the Tallahassee Democrat, which first reported the story.

Florida officials have accused Hanna of letting his personal political views guide his leadership of the school district in Tallahassee. In a letter to Hanna earlier this month, Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. wrote that there is probable cause to justify sanctions against your Florida educator certificate.

Hanna has criticized a number of laws passed by the GOP-dominated state legislature, including last years Parental Rights in Education law, which prohibits sexual instruction to kindergartners through third graders in public schools. Lawmakers expanded the law this year to include all grades.

He also attacked a recently passed DeSantis-backed bill that will expand the states school voucher program, liberating kids from zip code constraints to attend charter and private schools that better serve them. During the pandemic, Hanna openly disobeyed the governors order that banned public schools from imposing mask mandates on students and staff.

Its a sad day for democracy in Florida, and the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, when a state agency with unlimited power and resources, can target a local elected official in such a biased fashion, Hanna told the Associated Press. This investigation has nothing to do with these spurious allegations, but rather everything to do with attempting to silence myself and anyone else who speaks up for teachers and our public schools in a way that does not fit the political narrative of those in power.

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Hanna said that a petition from a leader of local chapter of parents rights advocacy group Moms for Liberty prompted the probe into his conduct.

Education department spokesman Alex Lanfranconi said in a statement that Hanna has in the past unapologetically defied Florida law, making him subject to potential repercussions.

Any teacher with an extensive history of repeated violations of Florida law would be subject to consequences up to and including losing their educator certificate, he told the AP.

Last year, DeSantis removed an elected Democratic prosecutor in the Tampa Bay area who signed statements promising not to pursue criminal charges against those who performed abortion or gender transition treatments in violation of state law. Andrew Warren also pledged not to enforce policies dealing with charging suspects with certain crimes.

Warren sued DeSantis in federal court to reclaim his position.

More from National Review
descendants

Imagine leaving home for work only to return and see your house has been bulldozed away. This is exactly what happened to Black and Latino residents in Palm Springs, CA in the 1950s. Now, their descendants are seeking reparations for the displacements, destruction, and despair endured by their ancestors.

Like many other minority neighborhoods across the United States, communities in Section 14 of Palm Springs were intentionally annihilated as a result of systematic racism. Originally, the 6,700 acres of land was a part of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. The limitations on leasing in the area made it unappealing to developers. However, many people of color settled on the land and begin to build a community removed from discrimination and racism.

As Section 14 begin to blossom, local officials began plotting against the communities as early as the 1940s, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Ill never forget the cowardice of the act of our family being displaced, herded off like cattle and sheep, having to move from house to house, Delia Ruiz Taylor told the Los Angeles Times.

Government officials knew early on they wanted to stop the development of hotels, attractions, and businesses that would cause Section 14 to thrive and grow. When residents of color were allowed to renew their leases, the city ruled them as being incompetent and appointed guardians, including the mayor and police department, to preside over the residents real estate affairs.

Photo credit: Dapur Melodi

It wasnt long before they began destroying the community one building at a time. When residents left for work and school, the fire department would bulldoze down their homes.

Former Section 14 resident Pearl Devers told The Times the city-engineered holocaust of Section 14 tore her family apart. Her father had built their home in Section 14 with his hands from the ground. After it was destroyed, he was no longer able to provide for his family and turned to alcohol to cope with the destruction of the life hed built. Devers said he struggled with alcoholism until his death.

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He just drank himself to death, she said. He was a real hard worker, a good provider. It was just really hard to watch him go down like that because he couldnt provide for his family.

In 2021, the city of Palm Springs issued an apology for the injustices in Section 14 following former residents and their descendants filing claims for over $2 billion in reparations. The claimants accuse the city of robbing nearly 2,000 families of political power and generational wealth.

So far, the descendants of those displaced at Section 14 are awaiting an update from the city. The L.A. Times reports cite that the city is seeking a reparations consultant to aid in negotiating a settlement.
Daily Show correspondent Desi Lydic said Friday that a Trump rally once got so out of hand, a Trump supporter got physical with her.

Lydic, who was guest-hosting this week while The Daily Show figures out who will succeed Trevor Noah, recalled when she and other correspondents conducted more man-on-the-street interviews.

One example was around the time of Donald Trumps election when his MAGA minions had gathered to celebrate him.

I showed up with two cameras and a microphone, she told HuffPost in an interview. Nobody knew which outlet we were from. No one knew we were a comedy show. I had people shouting at me, Fake news, get your fake news camera out of here!

Someone came up to me and grabbed the mic out of my hand and yelled at me for being part of the fake news machine, she said.

Lydic fought back with a punchline.

I was like, yeah, were The Daily Show. Were the original fake news. Were not the fake news youre talking about.

The incident made me a little nervous to go out, Lydic said. We always go out with security. But that became a whole other world.

Jordan Klepper now handles much of the meet-the-public stuff. His wheelhouse, she said.

Desi Lydic:

Desi Lydic: "We gotta hold [Fox News] accountable for what theyre doing.

For the record, Lydic wants to be the permanent host. I would be lying if I said I have no interest in it, she said. I absolutely do.

The Louisville, Kentucky, native has gained traction with her Foxsplains bits and constant roasting of the right wing.

But nothing could prepare her for the perfect storm of having Fox News firing Tucker Carlson the week it was her turn to host.

I could not have asked for a better gift from the Fox News gods, she said. She had a field dayzinging the conservative network and its fallen prime-time star.

Lydic, who joined The Daily Show in 2015, said Fox News occasionally responds. Theyll come back at me with something, but its all just noise, she said. I feel like thats good. We gotta hold them accountable for what theyre doing.

Related...
If you live in Washington state, youre not imagining that the price of gas has been going up again.

Washingtonians have been paying an average of $4.58 per gallon statewide, according to AAA. Prices have been on the rise since January, when the states average cost per gallon was closer to $3.84.

The rest of the U.S. is currently paying around $3.64 per gallon for regular-grade gas. For drivers in the Tri-Cities area, this would be a steal.

AAA finds that the average price of gas in Benton County is $4.36 per gallon, and the same goes for Franklin County. The automobile associations estimates show that the west side of the state has higher averages per county, with King County at a whopping $4.79 per gallon of regular gas.

But as prices continue to rise at the pump, many retailers in Tri-Cities are offering gas by the gallon below the states average. Fuel economy website GasBuddy provides information on locations selling cheap gas. Drivers can also download the GasBuddy app on their smartphone to search for affordable gas in their region.

Here is a list of affordable fuel in Benton and Franklin counties and where you can find discounted gas. Drivers should keep in mind that they need a paid Costco membership to purchase gas at their fuel stations.

Cheapest gas around Tri-Cities
Tirzepatide helped people lose 16% of their body weight in a trial. Diy13/Getty Images

People were found to lose almost 16% of their body weight on the drug tirzepatide in a trial.

Manufacturer Eli Lilly said it hopes the FDA will approve the drug for weight loss this year.

If approved, it will join buzzy weight loss drug semaglutide on the market.

Diabetes drug tirzepatide has been shown to help people lose almost 16% of their body weight in a clinical trial, and it could soon join semaglutide and liraglutide in the ranks of buzzy weight loss medications on the market.

The trial that took place over 72 weeks involved 938 patients with type 2 diabetes who were overweight or obese, drugmaker Eli Lilly said in a press release on Thursday.

Those who took tirzepatide lost 15.7%, or 34.4 pounds, of body weight on average when compared to those on a placebo, who lost 3.3% of their weight, or 7 pounds, on average. The participants weighed 222 pounds on average at the start of the trial.

According to the press release, Eli Lilly plans to complete its submission to the FDA in the coming weeks for the drug to be approved for weight loss, which it hopes will happen late this year.

If approved, tirzepatide would join other buzzy "game-changer" drugs including semaglutide, which is marketed as Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss, and liraglutide, which is marketed as Saxenda for obesity and diabetes.

Semaglutide has become so popular there have been shortages, as rumors swirl around which celebrities may be using it.

These drugs are part of a family of medications known as GLP-1 agonists, which mimic a hormone released when we eat food. As well as helping the body to create more insulin, they reduce the amount of sugar the liver makes, reduce appetite, and slow down the digestion process.

Common side effects of GLP-1 agonists include nausea, diarrhea, stomach pains, constipation, lowered appetite, low blood sugar, and headaches.

Dr. M. Regina Castro of the Mayo Clinic wrote in an article for the institution's website that it is not yet certain why GLP-1 agonists help with weight loss, but they do curb hunger and can make a person eat less.

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Here's how the drugs compare.

Semaglutide

Developed and manufactured by Novo Nordisk, semaglutide is a weekly injection that was approved by the FDA to treat type 2 diabetes under the name Ozempic in December 2017.

However, a trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2021 involving almost 2,000 people across 16 countries found that in 68 weeks, participants lost 15% of their body weight on average on semaglutide, paving the way for it to be used as a weight loss drug.

At the time, Dr. Robert F. Kushner, lead author of the study and an obesity researcher at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine who works with Novo Nordisk, called the drug a "game-changer" in an interview with The New York Times.

"This is the start of a new era of effective treatments for obesity," he said.

In June 2021, semaglutide was approved by the FDA as a once-weekly weight loss shot under the name Wegovy for adults who were either obs ese or overweight with at least one weight-related condition, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol. In December 2022 it was approved for those aged 12 and up with the same conditions.

Tirzepatide

Tirzepatide was approved by the FDA for adults with diabetes in May 2022, under the name Mounjaro.

Like semaglutide products, tirzepatide is used to control blood sugar levels, and is administered via a weekly injection. Unlike semaglutide, it mimics the GIP hormone as well as GLP-1.

People have been found to lose large amounts of weight on the drug in trials, but it is not approved by the FDA for this purpose.

In addition to the trial results released on April 27, a clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine last year showed that patients who were obese or overweight and had other health conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or cardiovascular disease lost 20% of their body weight in 16 months while taking the maximum dose of 15mg. That potentially makes it more powerful than semaglutide for weight loss.

Liraglutide

Novo Nordisk also manufactures liraglutide, which is marketed as Saxenda.

Saxenda was approved by the FDA in December 2014 for weight management for adults who are overweight or obese with a weight-related condition. In April 2020, the drug was approved for those aged 12 and over, too.

Its effects are less significant than other drugs, with people losing between 4 to 6 kilograms or 5 to 10% of their body weight, according to a 2017 review.

During a trial, one patient died by suicide so patients should also be monitored for depression and suicidal thoughts while taking it, according to the FDA.

Read the original article on Insider
Madison is one of many disabled students HuffPost spoke to about their schools' plans to keep them safe during school shootings.

Madison is one of many disabled students HuffPost spoke to about their schools' plans to keep them safe during school shootings.

In May 2022, disabled student Anja, 16, was in her schools cafeteria, completely unaware that a student was headed toward her high school in Chicago with a gun.

Fortunately, the police apprehended the armed student before an active shooting could break out.

But Anja was terrified after hearing about the threat. She knew too well that, as a disabled student, she would not have been protected if that situation had escalated.

The next day, I kept looking over my shoulder because I couldnt shake the feeling that something would happen again, Anja told HuffPost in an email interview. And if it did, I knew there was no protocol or system in place to actually protect me.

The K-12 School Shooting Database, run by The Violence Project, a nonprofit gun violence research center, has tracked 118 school shootings so far in 2023, with 85 fatalities or injuries on school property from gun-related incidents.

Schools across the U.S. have pre-planned emergency preparedness protocols for what to do in the event of emergencies such as active shooter threats, fires and natural disasters. But disabled students, as well as disabled teachers and staff, are consistently left out of such emergency preparedness plans, according to disability advocates.

HuffPost spoke to disabled students who detailed the consequences of schools discounting their needs and lives in emergency plans and discussed what needs to be done to ensure safety in these life-or-death moments.

During school shooting drills, students typically practice hiding in classrooms or designated areas of the building, where theyre told to remain silent. Federal agencies advise students to take a run, hide and fight approach in the event of a real school shooting.

These protocols and evacuation plans often ignore disabled peoples needs, which says a lot about how the people who create such plans value disabled lives, said Katherine Yoder, executive director of the Adult Advocacy Centers, an organization dedicated to improving access, care and equity for adults with disabilities who are victims of crime.

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Yoder notes that in a real shooting, students who use wheelchairs might not be able to hide easily from a shooter. Students who experience overstimulation in loud, energetic or stressful situations might not be able to remain silent without the appropriate sensory tools.

According to the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, disabled and multiply marginalized people are disproportionately impacted in disasters, emergencies and crises. Data reveals that disabled people are two to four times more likely to die or be injured in natural disasters or conflict situations than nondisabled people.

The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies works directly with communities to provide support in creating disability-inclusive disaster response, planning and services.

Active shooter protocols need to better support disabled students by actually considering disabled students, Anja said.

She continued: It seems basic, and it is, but the country clearly needs to start with the basics and start considering that protocols need to be updated to consider students with disabilities. Even better, protocols should be designed with the needs of students with disabilities in mind first, so we dont have to feel like afterthoughts.

Emergency Evacuation Plans Treat Disabled Lives As An Afterthought

Beyond the lack of school shooting protocols in place for disabled students, advocates say disabled lives are often treated as an afterthought in other emergency situations, too.

Nearly 7 million disabled students in the U.S. make up 14% of national public school enrollment, according to Pew Research. To prepare for emergencies, alternative and specific evacuation protocols can be established for disabled students as part of their individualized education plan (IEP) or 504 plan.

Public elementary and secondary schools are required by law to develop a formal plan to support disabled students. A 504 plan, created for students who have a disability identified under the law, outlines specific accommodations needed to ensure academic success and access to the learning environment. IEPs are plans that lay out special education instructions and related support and services for disabled students.

But these plans dont always outline emergency evacuation protocols for disabled students. For example, high school student Madison, 15, from Pembroke Pines, Florida, told HuffPost that a protocol was never outlined in her 504 plan. Instead, she found out what the protocol was just hours before the first fire drill of her freshman year.

I happened to be in the office and they told me ahead of time Oh, by the way, theres going to be a fire drill sometime today and the plan for you is really just to wait. If youre upstairs, just wait in the stairwell, Madison told HuffPost. Once that happened, I just waited in the stairwell and one of the security guards came down and explained the plan to me.

Madison with her mother, Jennifer, outside their home in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

Madison with her mother, Jennifer, outside their home in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

When these plans do include directions for disabled students, the protocols vary, depending on the student and their needs. But advocates say most schools have protocols requiring disabled students to shelter in place and wait inside the building for emergency personnel to rescue them.

This was the emergency evacuation plan for author Emily Ladau back when she was in high school in Long Island, New York, in 2005. Ladau, who is a wheelchair user, was given three options in the event of a real emergency, which were decided upon during her 504 plan meetings: Shelter in place, find the strongest teacher and have them carry her down the stairs, or go to a window to have first responders help her out of the building once they arrived.

Their emergency plan was really to not have an emergency plan. It really made me feel like they couldnt be bothered to protect me, and it was very much every person for themselves. I felt more like a burden than someone who was worthy of being protected, Ladau told HuffPost.

Ladau recounted a fearful moment when the fire alarm went off unexpectedly, and she had to shelter in place with a teacher, not knowing if there was actually a fire or not.

The teacher tried to make me feel better, and she said, Dont worry, the doors on the classrooms are supposed to have a three-hour burn time, Ladau said. That has stuck with me since that moment, because I feel like I was essentially told Hopefully, theyll get you within three hours, otherwise, you could just burn with the door.

Today, over a decade since Ladau was in high school and in the wake of ongoing gun violence affecting students nationwide, shelter-in-place protocols remain a common emergency practice for disabled students in schools across the country. But the execution of these plans is often flawed, or the protocols are simply not practiced, resulting in unpreparedness.

Their emergency plan was really to not have an emergency plan. It really made me feel like they couldnt be bothered to protect me, and it was very much every person for themselves.Emily Ladau, author

Back in Chicago, Anja said that the only emergency protocol in place for her at her school is a fire evacuation plan that requires her to wait in the designated area of rescue assistance until the fire department comes to help her evacuate. She notes that an adult is supposed to be in the rescue area to make sure all of the disabled students are safe and to communicate with the fire department over an intercom.

But when the fire alarm went off one day last semester, the evacuation didnt go as planned.

Upon hearing the alarm, Anja tried to go to the rescue area, per protocol. But she ended up getting stuck in her wheelchair behind a locked door. Fortunately, a teacher saw her and unlocked the door. Anja then continued to the rescue area, only to find that there were no adults in the room, which meant the fire department didnt know she was in there.

Luckily, it was only another few minutes until everyone started coming back into the building and everything ended up OK, Anja said, noting that it was likely a false alarm rather than a real fire. But that experience has really stuck with me because it showed how vulnerable I really am in emergency situations.

None of the protocol is well executed, or designed with me in mind, Anja added. In fact, the protocol is designed so far without mein mind that it allows for me to be left behind.

Anjas school did not respond to HuffPosts request for comment on the incident.

Madison has a similar emergency evacuation plan as Anja, in which she has to wait in the stairwell for the firefighters to rescue her  all while her peers get to evacuate before her. The evacuation plan makes her feel unsafe, she said, especially given the rise of school shootings happening around the country,

With all the school shootings, I have no way of evacuating down the stairs. Im in a motorized wheelchair, and I obviously cant go down the stairs. So I have to wait and just hope, and it doesnt make me feel safe, Madison said.

Attempts To Fix Emergency Evacuation Protocols

When it comes to fixing emergency preparation and management practices anywhere, changes tend to be very reactive, rather than proactive.

Disability rights advocate Julia Wolhandler, who has a background in inclusive and accessible emergency management pertaining to natural disasters, told HuffPost that there is often a lot of red tape that gets in the way of making progress and reform.

Its always, Ive got to contact and approve it through this person, Wolhandler said. So it often just is forgotten about, or theres so much time thats passed in between trying to change things that sometimes change just doesnt take place until something horrible happens.

Over the past few decades, disabled people have spoken out about the need for better protocols for evacuating high-rise buildings in the event of an emergency  a major issue that has drastically impacted the disability community in the past.

According to a 2001 article by New Mobility, a few wheelchair users working in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, were carried down to safety in emergency evacuation chairs when the towers were attacked. But most others decided to do what was expected of them: remain in place and wait for someone to rescue them.

The outcomes of that horrific life-or-death moment were drastically different for the people who used evacuation chairs versus the people who waited. Those who used the evacuation chairs lived.

Those who waited for rescue died.

Even after the horrifying incidents that occurred on 9/11, emergency planning continued to fail disabled people across the country.

In 2011, the Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled filed a class-action lawsuit against New York City, alleging that the citys emergency preparedness plans were noncompliant with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and failed to address the needs of its 900,000 disabled residents.

The trial, which took place in 2013, illuminated the lack of evacuation systems for large groups in high-rise buildings, ineffective communication systems in emergencies and inaccessible public transportation in emergency evacuations, among other gaps in planning. A federal judge ruled that New York City had discriminated against disabled people by failing to plan for their needs in such large-scale disasters.

Following that major victory, disability advocacy groups filed a lawsuit against Washington, D.C., for alleged deficiencies regarding emergency evacuations for disabled people during large-scale disasters.

After years of negotiations, a settlement agreement was reached in 2019, in which the city agreed to a comprehensive emergency plan to meet the needs of disabled people in the event of natural disasters, terrorist attacks and more. After the settlement, Wolhandler even worked with a school for disabled kids to help create an evacuation plan that was effective for them and could then be replicated for the rest of Washington, D.C.

How Can Emergency Evacuation Protocols Be Improved For Disabled Students?

With the continual surge in school shootings in the U.S., advocates emphasize the need for efforts at both the local and federal levels to address failures in emergency protocols for disabled students.

While attending EmpowHer Camp, a program run by the nonprofit Disability EmpowHer Network, last summer, Madison began working on a local project to address issues with emergency evacuation protocols at her school in Florida. Madison has met with her schools principal to discuss the idea of installing evacuation chairs in the building and will be meeting with the district soon to discuss approval for the project.

Ideally, I believe that there should be an evacuation chair on every floor of the building, she said. Its really not safe for us just to be able to wait. Thats excluding us from the safety plan to evacuate.

Some U.S. schools have installed evacuation chairs that help students with physical or mobility disabilities go downstairs during an evacuation, which can make all the difference in a life-or-death moment.

Madison recently surveyed 501 disabled students  more than half of whom were in grades K-12  about their emergency evacuation plans. According to results that were shared with HuffPost, 45% of students had an emergency evacuation protocol involving waiting in an area of refuge, 22% had a plan to use an evacuation chair and 31% had no plan to evacuate offered to them.

Madison's mother, Jennifer, brushes her hair at their home in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

Madison's mother, Jennifer, brushes her hair at their home in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

Meanwhile, at the federal level, Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) introduced three bills on March 30 that aim to make educational settings  K-12 schools and higher education institutions  more accessible to disabled students and help ensure their safety at school through better emergency procedures and training.

The Promoting Responsible Emergency Protocols (PREP) For All Students Act, for example, emphasizes that a one-size fits all approach to these protocols is inadequate. The PREP Act would ensure that public schools, education centers and higher education institutions have tools to create inclusive emergency preparedness protocols.

The bill would also establish a federal advisory council composed of federal agencies, youth with disabilities, educators and advocates to develop guidelines and recommendations for the implementation of accessible, developmentally appropriate, culturally aware, and trauma-informed emergency preparedness protocols.

Wolhandler said shes particularly excited to see that disabled youth will be included in the conversation since disabled people who have lived through these experiences will have valuable insight into how to address these issues.

When I was growing up, we definitely had evacuations for threats. But we did not experience what todays students are experiencing, Wolhandler said. No one knows except those students that are going through it. So if theyre truly being invited to the table as part of this potential bill, then I totally applaud that.

It just makes me sad to think that we need a law to tell people that disabled lives are worth protecting.Ladau

But advocates worry that the bill lags in some areas, such as by failing to include emergency personnel in the discussions, as well as training so that emergency workers can learn how to best support disabled students in these situations.

Wolhandler thinks that emergency personnel should be included, but said they should only be there to listen, rather than actively shaping policy for evacuating disabled students in emergency situations since they dont have the relevant or lived experiences that disabled students and educators have.

Meanwhile, Ladau worries that these emergency preparedness bills will be used as a Band-Aid attempt to address gun violence without pushing for stronger gun control legislation.

Still, she believes the legislation is long overdue and is grateful that it has been proposed.

It just makes me sad to think that we need a law to tell people that disabled lives are worth protecting, Ladau said. Im glad it exists. I wish it didnt have to.

Its already been said, but the emergency plan for disabled kids is to let us die. Not even in active shooter scenarios, but also fires. My most poignant example happened when I was in the AAPD intern class of 2019 and campus cops left us for an hour during a 3am fire alarm   Gabi (@golemgabi) May 27, 2022

As legislation advances, advocates say there are immediate actions that can be taken to address safety concerns. Yoder said that people should make sure emergency protocols are explicitly written into and carried out in IEP plans. Additionally, technology and tools that support the disability community in these situations can be improved.

Yoder suggests that schools hire disabled actors to reenact emergency scenarios, as has been done with mock car crashes, to ensure that students, staff and emergency personnel know what to do in these situations.

But there also needs to be action in the aftermath of disasters and shootings, said Yoder, who holds degrees in social psychology and criminal justice. She said that having trauma counselors who are equipped and trained to work with disabled people is important but often gets left out of the discussions that take place after disasters or shootings.

Studies show that people who live through a disaster or traumatic experience such as a shooting exhibit emotional instability, stress reactions, anxiety, trauma and other psychological symptoms. Research also shows that people living with disabilities, including people with mental illness, were four times more likely to attempt suicide than individuals without a disability or mental illness.

But according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, disabled people face numerous barriers to mental health care, including practitioners who hold ableist perceptions about disability. Yoder notes that counselors are often made available to students following a traumatic event but dont have expertise in disability.

A lot of times, we hear back that the counselors dont have expertise in that disability. And so it really comes down to  not just looking at it, like, Oh, its too bad that this ended up happening, we have the support for the other kids, but we dont have to offer it for the kids with the disabilities, Yoder said.

She continued: Were all interconnected, and the only way to really provide holistic services after this is to include all the students because every experience is going to be different, but the path to healing has to be just as individualized.



Advocates for the disability community maintain that finding solutions to emergency evacuation issues involves engaging with and including all disabled people  especially those with intersectional identities. Yoder emphasized that disabled people are great at coming up with creative and innovative solutions that can be implemented and adapted on the spur of the moment during emergencies.

When it comes to adapting things and thinking outside the box, Yoder said, its a skill set that all of us who are in the [disability] community have, mostly because its a survival skill.

Related...
In an interview spreading online, a doctor tells parents to resist vaccinating their children against Covid-19, warning of impending mandates and deadly outcomes for those who receive the shot. But Canadian public health agencies and pediatricians say the jab is safe for minors -- and it is not on the routine vaccine schedule or mandated in any province.

"We've seen far too many deaths of children to have this be acceptable," says American cardiologist Peter McCullough in a reel he posted April 9, 2023 on Instagram. "The parents need to at this point in time stop -- absolutely no more shots in children whatsoever."

The video is an excerpt from an hour-long interview that McCullough gave to a Canadian blogger. The shorter clip spread on Twitter and Instagram, where it received more than 52,000 views on McCullough's account alone.

In the video, McCullough -- whom AFP has previously fact-checked for spreading misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines -- claims Covid-19 shots are not only deadly and unnecessary, but that immunization for children could be forced on parents.

"If it is required to go to school then the parents need to find another educational option at this point, otherwise they could lose their children," McCullough says in the clip.

Screenshot of tweet taken April 21, 2023

Blogger Monique MacKay, who uses variations of the names "Independent Journalism" or Monique Leal on social media and video-sharing sites, appeals to Canadian parents with posts on vaccination for children, often claiming Covid-19 vaccines are deadly.

However, public health agencies, infectious disease experts and pediatricians say vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to protect against serious illness, hospitalization and death due to Covid-19.

"Only vaccines that meet the safety, effectiveness and quality standards of Health Canada are approved for use in Canada," Mark Johnson, a spokesman for the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), said in an April 24 email. "Covid vaccines are tested during their development according to international standards and then carefully reviewed by Health Canada."

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According to Johnson and PHAC data (archived here), of the more than nine million doses administered to Canadian minors, there had been seven recorded deaths following vaccination as of April 24. In all those cases, there was not enough evidence to determine whether the vaccine was to blame.

"Simply because a death occurred following immunization does not mean the vaccine or vaccination caused that death," Johnson said.

No mandates for kids

In the video shared online, McCullough encourages parents to pull their children from school if the institution requires Covid-19 vaccination.

Of all the provinces and territories in Canada, only two have vaccine requirements for children to attend school: Ontario and New Brunswick (archived here and here). Neither has added Covid-19 vaccines to the list.

McCullough also encourages parents to reject any addition of the shot to the national routine inoculation schedule for children.

In Canada, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends the schedule (archived here) without mandating inoculation. As of April 28, the list did not include the Covid-19 jab.

"You offer the vaccine, which means that a parent wants it and can take it," said Caroline Quach-Thanh, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Montreal.

There are benefits to vaccinating healthy children, Quach-Thanh said -- but given their relatively low risk for severe Covid-19, there is not a strong campaign to add the vaccines to the recommended inoculation schedule. The emphasis is on adult vaccination since elderly and immunocompromised people are more likely to get seriously ill.

"The only children that have been given stronger recommendation are those with underlying medical conditions and those that are immunosuppressed," Quach-Thanh said.

Parents must consent

McCullough claims in the video that some Canadian hospitals have "standing orders" where a child can be vaccinated without parental consultation when they are brought to a hospital.

Pierre-Philippe Piche-Renaud, a physician and researcher at the Division of Infectious Diseases at SickKids Hospital, said he has never seen such an order. Pediatric hospitals are not required to provide Covid-19 vaccines, he said.

"It's certainly not something that would be broadly done to all children who come to the pediatric hospital," said Piche-Renaud, who is also a member of the Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

Laura Sauve, chair of the Canadian Pediatric Society's Infectious Diseases and Immunization Committee, also said she has not seen any standing orders to vaccinate hospital patients. She added that children do not receive medical procedures without parental consent.

"When I encounter patients who have not had a vaccine, I will have a conversation with them about the vaccine and what the benefit might be to them to be vaccinated," Sauve said. "But ultimately, it's up to the parents to make that decision."

Adverse events

During the interview, McCullough warned parents to stay vigilant for possible side effects following vaccination.

Myocarditis and pericarditis, inflammation of the heart muscles or the tissues around the heart, have been observed in rare cases following vaccination with the messenger RNA Covid-19 shots. But the conditions have also been the subject of ample misinformation.

Quach-Thanh said the symptoms of myocarditis and pericarditis are not deadly or long-lasting, with patients returning to normal activity in less than a year. In general, the vaccine is well-tolerated in children and adolescents, she said.

"Yes, you can have a little bit of fever and you're gonna have arm pain -- that's just part of the vaccine response," Quach-Thanh said.

Despite the low risk of severe Covid-19 for children, Quach-Thanh said it is still worthwhile for them to be immunized.

"The thing that we don't understand very well yet is long Covid, which seems to happen in children less so than in the adult population, but it's not zero either," she said. "You do have some complications and long-term consequences that you can't completely overlook."

Doctors have also identified rare cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children following Covid-19 infection. All of the cases required hospitalization, with more than a third needing intensive care.

More of AFP's reporting on misinformation about the Covid-19 pandemic can be found here.
Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos (L) meets with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Manila, the Philippines, on April 22, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang recently concluded a successful three-day visit to the Philippines, where he met with President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. and held talks with Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo. A clear focus on consolidating mutual trust, and managing maritime differences effectively, contrasts with external irritants and reinforces the relationship's value in a fast-changing regional security environment. Above all, such understandings can contribute meaningfully to the sound and steady development of relations.

There is strong merit to Qin's view that good neighborly relations can be bolstered on the back of the landmark presidential consensus between the two countries' leaders in January. It is a fact that Manila and Beijing have repeatedly recognized the value of complying with each other's core national and sovereign interests, making it pertinent to follow "the trend of history" and strengthen such alignment on all fronts. It is here that the establishment of more direct lines of communication and the proposed advancement of a "sea-related liaison mechanism" stand to deepen bilateral trust in the maritime space as some undue external pressures gather steam.

Qin's visit also reaffirmed the importance of compliance on issues of strict internal significance. One of the mainstays of this historic relationship has been continued responsiveness to each other's sovereign and territorial integrity, putting the spotlight on attending to China's "legitimate concerns" and Beijing's hope that Manila would "properly handle Taiwan-related and maritime issues" for regional peace and stability. It is a powerful testament to the relationship's endurance, given Manila's firm reaffirmation of the one-China principle and its continued treatment of the Taiwan question as China's internal affair.

Interestingly, a pertinent focus on upholding strategic independence is another welcome consideration for dialing up maritime cooperation in Southeast Asia. Recall that such a sense of strategic autonomy has contributed to key regional prospects, including advancing a China-ASEAN South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC). Similarly, strategic independence has contributed meaningfully to their view that maritime issues do not comprise the sum total of bilateral relations.

As such, optimism about strengthening strategic independence remains high. It is evidenced by Foreign Minister Manalo's view that negotiable differences should not "prevent [China and the Philippines] from seeking ways of managing them effectively." Moreover, consultations and friendly diplomacy can continue to play a valuable role in resolving present and future maritime issues as the regional environment evolves. "The Philippines will stick to strategic independence rather than picking sides and is ready to deepen friendship, expand cooperation, and strengthen communication with China," Marcos Jr. told Qin. Beijing and Manila's demonstrated support for bolstering common-ground fares well for regional peace.

This trip was Qin's first as foreign minister to the Philippines, underscoring the value China attaches to its relations with Manila. The trip should also be remembered for furthering key elements of the joint communique between the two countries in January. For instance, there was an important consensus on leveraging new communication channels to aid the resolution of future maritime developments. Such prospects align with the "confidence-building measures" proposed by their heads of state to improve mutual trust and benefit maritime stability.

Since 2018, frequent high-level engagements of this kind have reflected positively on the spirit of their comprehensive strategic cooperation. Qin's visit should be seen as the latest investment in that strategic cooperation, given Manila's stated intent to take ties to "even greater heights" by focusing on their comprehensive strategic partnership. Burgeoning bilateral trade, as well as expanding spheres of multisector cooperation, collectively indicate huge potential to drive forward "win-win cooperation" that serves "the fundamental interests of both sides."

In sum, Qin's debut trip to the Philippines as foreign minister was instrumental in consolidating mutual trust, generating new understandings of maritime cooperation, and ensuring that the fundamentals of the relationship inform steady and sound development for the future.

Hannan R. Hussain is a foreign affairs commentator, author and recipient of the Fulbright Award.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn.
Police and forensics at the scene where a man's body was found hours after he was attacked in a nearby park. (Reach)

Three 15-year-olds have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a dog walker was attacked in a Warwickshire park on Wednesday,

Two 15-year-old boys, who cannot be identified, were arrested on suspicion of murder on Thursday, while a third teen, a girl also aged 15, is also being questioned on the same alleged charge.

Detective Inspector Collette OKeefe appealed for witnesses to the attack which took place at 6.15pm on Tuesday evening, and urged people not to share footage on social media.

She said: We would ask anyone with information to get in touch with us as soon as possible.

Officers remain at the scene of an altercation at Snow Hill Recreation Ground, which has been sealed off with police tape. (Reach)

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Though we believe this to be an isolated incident, with no threat to the wider public, residents can expect to see a heightened police presence in the area for their reassurance.

"We are aware there is footage circulating of the altercation on social media and we would ask people not to share it while we continue our ongoing investigation to work out the circumstances behind this man's death.

"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man at this sad time."

The girl was the third person to be arrested after two boys, also both aged 15, were taken into custody, and police say they are still investigating who was involved.

Investigating officers believe that an altercation which took place in the recreation ground is connected to Hackett's death.

O'Keefe appealed for witnesses to the incident to call Warwickshire Police on 101, quoting incident 90 of 26 April.
Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 39 this month (WWE)

Following an epic match against his father at WrestleMania 39, WWE Superstar Dominik Mysterio is ready to look towards the future.

Undoubtedly one of the hottest heels in professional wrestling, he looked at home in front of 80,000 fans in Los Angeles earlier this month and, if it wasnt for interference from Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, he could have walked away with the win against Rey Mysterio.

To a 26-year-old, a match at WrestleMania could seem a daunting prospect. But not for Dominik, who has this business running through his blood.

It was a super crazy experience, being able to be a part of WrestleMania against my dad and him getting inducted into the Hall of Fame the night before, Mysterio told TheIndependent.

It was all just a surreal moment, how everything built up and the way it was leading up to the match. It was super fun and a blessing to be a part of it.

Dominik Mysterio with father Rey, a WWE Hall of Famer (WWE)

While many fans feel Dominiks current run is his best work in WWE to date, the man himself is staying grounded and admitted that he has been critiquing every detail of his performance at WrestleMania.

I feel like Im my own worst enemy. I critique my matches as strictly as I possibly can, even up to the littlest movements, he said. But for me, Im very happy with the match and how it turned out. There is so much that went into it, especially with the whole outfit having hints of 97 Halloween Havoc and having Eddie [Guerreros] design on the sides.

It was just all about symbolising the history and the culture of wrestling and what weve done and how much blood, sweat and tears those two generational families have put into it.

Mysterio will no doubt have many more WrestleMania matches to look forward to. But right now, theres the small matter of the upcoming WWE Draft, which looks set to shake up both Raw and SmackDown.

The 26-year-old will be happy to land on either brand but made it clear he wants to move forward with his stablemates Rhea Ripley, Damian Priest and Finn Balor.

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Mysterio with teammates Finn Balor (left) and Damian Priest (WWE)

I just want to go wherever The Judgment Day goes, Mysterio admitted, referencing the trios collective name. I want to make sure that we dont get separated, because were genuinely not sure about whats going on. Were getting drafted for real. I hope I get stuck with the Smackdown Womens Champion. But who knows? Well see what happens.

As it stands, Ripley is the only member of the dominant group with gold around her waist. But with the draft coming up, Mysterio expects that to change very soon  and has set his sights on two WWE Superstars he wants to challenge.

I think that Judgment Day needs some gold, so I would definitely like to get my hands on Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, he explained, teasing a match with the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions.

You know, see what we can do there. Whether its Finn and Priest, or me and Priest, or me and Finn, however they want to work it. I think even me and Rhea can get a shot at the titles, Dominik continued, calling for a rare mixed-gender tag team match.

While we will have to wait and see if Mysterio can talk his plans into reality, its clear that he has his sights set on a Hall of Fame-worthy career  much like that of his father.

Mysterio tussles with Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny (WWE)

And as he continues to grow and improve as a WWE Superstar, forging his own path in an industry surrounded by close friends and family, Dominik still carries the memory of the late Guerrero every single time he steps in the ring.

Hes always on my mind. Im always thinking Eddie Guerrero, whether its just constantly watching his matches, or someone bringing him up to me. Hes literally always the topic of conversation and even when Im in the ring, man, sometimes I feel him in there with me.

I just know hes watching over me, so its really cool to always have him be a part of it.

::WWE Money in the Bank will air live from Londons O2 Arena on 1 July 2023, the first Premium Live Event to be held in London in over two decades. Friday night SmackDown will also air live from London on 30 June, the first time ever that SmackDown will broadcast live from the UK.
Dr. Leah Torres administers an ultrasound on a woman seeking prenatal care at West Alabama Women's Center in Tuscaloosa. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

People often ask Dr. Leah Torres why she stays in Alabama.

The 43-year-old OB-GYN  who strides into her clinic most mornings wearing a clitoris pendant and T-shirts with a slogan declaring ABORT THE PATRIARCHY  does not consider this conservative Deep South state her home.

A few weeks after she arrived, the state Board of Medical Examiners revoked her temporary medical license to practice, accusing her of ethical violations.

It took her seven months to get it back, a legal battle that cost her $115,360.93, according to the price tag she affixed to the framed license hanging in her office at the West Alabama Womens Center.

The center was one of the busiest abortion clinics in the state, until the Supreme Court struck down Roe vs. Wade last year. Abortion became illegal in Alabama, one of over a dozen states with full bans. Now that doctors who perform the procedure in Alabama risk up to 99 years in prison, Torres finds herself, once again, unable to offer the full spectrum of reproductive medical care she was trained for.

But Torres has no intention of backing down.

You dont want me here? Thats why Im gonna stay, she said, sitting at a desk strewn with laboratory invoices and a tiny fetus replica handed out by antiabortion campaigners. Im not leaving, just out of spite!

Torres believes her work is not done in Alabama, a state with the third-highest maternal mortality rate in the nation and the sixth-highest infant death rate. The Republican-dominated Legislature joined nine other conservative states in refusing to expand Medicaid, which would allow more than 200,000 uninsured non-elderly adults in the state to become eligible for coverage.

A 27-year-old woman holds images of her 10-week-old fetus at West Alabama Women's Center in Tuscaloosa. The clinic, which shut down briefly after Alabama banned abortion, now focuses on prenatal care, birth control, miscarriage treatment and transgender care. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

After shutting down for a week in July after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, her clinic reopened its doors as a pay what you can nonprofit offering low-income and uninsured women basic reproductive health services that can be hard to access in Alabama.

Torres and the clinic are offering hormone therapy for transgender people, including teenagers  wading into another culture-wars fray at a time when Alabama and other conservative states are moving to ban such treatment for minors.

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Theres so much work here, Torres said. Alabamas really dead set on compromising peoples lives, especially LGBTQ+ youth, especially pregnant people. These are expendable people in the eyes of the state of Alabama.

'We have to push back'

When Tina Collins, the front office manager, picks up the phone  West Alabama Womens Center!  she frequently has to inform callers the clinic no longer provides abortions.

No maam, we do not, she says gently in her south Georgia drawl. They are illegal in Alabama. You can go to our website, the West Alabamas Womens Center, or you can go to the website redstateaccess.org.

In July, when the tiny brick clinic reopened with abortions no longer on its list of services, staff members were nervous. Robin Marty, the clinics director of operations, gave everyone firm instructions not to provide callers with information on obtaining abortions out of state or by mail.

Now theyve adopted a slightly bolder approach, plastering the reception window with stickers offering website links for abortion information. Need to be unpregnant? asks a sticker at eye level of the front desk. RED STATE ACCESS CAN HELP.

Safe. Private. Informed, another says. Learn about self-managed abortion.

We have to push back, Marty said. If we dont test these things, then they won already  and were going to be trapped forever.

As abortion clinics have shuttered across Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, national organizations have devoted resources to setting up new centers and mobile clinics in blue states. But women who travel for abortions still need care when they come home.

Earlier this month, a 20-year-old nursing student came to the clinic with her mother for a follow-up appointment a month after driving to Georgia for a medication abortion.

A TV news report about the court battle over the abortion pill mifepristone plays in the waiting room of West Alabama Women's Center, once one of the busiest abortion clinics in Alabama. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

After passing a sign that said Still Open for Non-Abortion Services, they slipped through a glass door into an empty waiting room that used to teem with patients. On the day before Roe was overturned, 67 people came to the clinic for medication abortions. Now the clinic sees about 15 patients a week.

The medication had worked and there were no complications, but the womans mother was indignant that politicians had forced them to take a day off work and school to make the six-hour round trip to Atlanta.

I feel like your body is yours, not the governments, said Renetha Abernathy, a 57-year-old nurse. We should have full healthcare right here in our own area, so we can make that choice.

Earlier that week, Torres met a pregnant patient who told her that the local OB-GYN clinic that gave her prenatal care and delivered her baby 15 months ago made her wait nearly three hours for an appointment and rebuked her when she complained. The woman suspected  as did Torres  that the stark discrepancy in care was because she had switched from Blue Cross Blue Shield to Medicaid.

Even patients with insurance have trouble accessing care. Tyeshia Smith, 31, a mental health worker who has done sex work, came to the clinic because she wanted another child but worried about her fertility. Her menstrual cycle had become irregular in recent months, and she feared sexually transmitted diseases had taken a toll on her body.

Tyeshia Smith, 31, a mental health worker who lives with her mother in Tuscaloosa, went to the West Alabama Women's Center after having trouble getting appointments at other area facilities. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The first clinic she called couldnt see her until July. Another didnt answer, so she left a voicemail.

Every aspect of healthcare here in Alabama to me is 20 years back, Smith, who is from Ohio, said as she waited in an exam room for a Pap smear.

Over the last year, Torres has treated women who have miscarried or learned their pregnancies are nonviable and have trouble finding care, as physicians across the state become more fearful of ending up in jail.

In February, Alison, a 36-year-old in Montgomery who spoke on condition that her full name not be used, started bleeding about seven weeks after getting pregnant via artificial insemination. When she went to her OB-GYN for an emergency ultrasound, she was told the pregnancy wasnt viable  there was a sac, but no fetal tissue or heartbeat. The doctor, seeming uncomfortable, told her to go home and wait for her body to pass the tissue.

Over the next few days, Alison bled and cramped so badly she could not get out of bed. Her grief and anxiety swelled as she read online about sepsis and fretted that if the sac did not pass it could harm her fertility.

After the bleeding subsided the fifth day, she decided to drive 100 miles to Tuscaloosa to see Torres. The ultrasound showed she was out of danger. Torres spent 20 minutes reassuring her she had not done anything wrong.

This is our bodys way of preventing us from heartache, Torres told her, noting that sometimes bodies reject cells that are unhealthy. Miscarriage is terrible; this was a blessing.

For the first time during the ordeal, Alison said, she felt seen and taken care of.

Escaping 'corporate medical hell'

The door to Torres office is usually open, adorned with buttons that say TRUST WOMEN and IM ON YOUR SIDE and a flag that proclaims ROUND THESE PARTS, WE RESPECT PRONOUNS.

Dr. Leah Torres, left, consults with Robin Marty, director of operations at West Alabama Women's Center in Tuscaloosa. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

As an activist who promotes herself in her Twitter bio as a sex+, gender-affirming repro health specialist tagline GTFO of my uterus  Torres has always chafed at the idea of the paternalistic physician.

I am not going to be the Do as I say doctor, she said before meeting a transgender patient last week for a telehealth appointment. I want them to understand that this is a team effort and that Im not a magic wizard with all of the answers. I am a human being too.

Thank-you notes to the staff hang on a bulletin board inside West Alabama Women's Center. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Throughout her medical career, Torres has often felt thwarted.

A Michigan native who also grew up in Florida, she studied medicine at the University of Illinois. After completing her OB-GYN and specialized family planning training in Philadelphia and Salt Lake City, she got a job in 2014 at a community clinic in northern Utah. The clinic would not let her incorporate abortion care into her general practice.

Her frustration built as she got embroiled in campaigns against Utah lawmakers attempts to restrict abortion.

In 2018, Torres found herself at the center of an online firestorm after someone on Twitter accused her of infanticide and asked: Do you hear their heartbeats when you lay down at night?

Torres replied: You know fetuses cant scream, right? I transect the cord 1st so theres really no opportunity, if theyre even far enough along to have a larynx.

She refers to this incident now as the tweet that broke my entire life.

Conservative pundit Ben Shapiro shared her tweet, commenting, This is like a James Bond villain explaining his plan to 007, but a lot less self-aware. Torres deleted the post and clarified that she meant umbilical cord, not vocal cord. But the Daily Caller and a string of right-wing outlets posted articles naming Torres. Eventually, she was asked to sign a mutual separation agreement due to the death threats being received at the clinic.

Unable to find another job in Utah, she sued the Daily Caller for defamation, reaching a settlement in which she got $40,000. After a year without work, she moved to New Mexico to work at a hospital that did not perform abortions.

She earned enough to pay off her student loans but felt disenchanted. The system, as she saw it, did not just prevent doctors from performing a necessary procedure; it encouraged them to perform unnecessary ones, such as caesarean sections. If a vaginal delivery pays half of what a C-section is, why would you do a vaginal delivery ever? she said.

Pregnant women  and Ill just be cis-normative for a second  are walking dollar signs, she railed. Theyre not people. They are a commodity that makes money for the hospital, for the healthcare network, for the insurance company and for the doctor.

When Marty called Torres in March 2020 to ask if she would be interested in leaving New Mexico to take on the role of medical director of an abortion clinic in a different state, Torres jumped at the offer.

Sign me up, she said.

Do you want to know where it is? Marty asked.

I dont care, Torres said. Im in corporate medical hell.

Alabama is not a haven for Torres. The state faces a critical shortage of OB/GYNs. In 1980, 45 of the states 54 rural counties provided obstetric services; by 2019, the number was 16. A family of four qualifies for Medicaid benefits there only if the household income is under $450 dollars a month.

But the Tuscaloosa clinic offers Torres a place to serve the needy in a state that, as she sees it, is the quintessential example of what corporate medicine really is.

For Torres, it is nothing short of a miracle that the clinic is still open.

Dr. Leah Torres, left, consults with Raven Williams, 17, with her boyfriend, Ethan Williams, 22, on prenatal care after confirming that she is pregnant. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Before Roe was overturned, when 95% of patients came to the clinic for abortions, the clinic brought in $200,000 a month. In the last 10 months, revenue from patients has totaled $20,000. Marty laid off five of the clinics 11 staff members in August. But revenue has totaled $998,000, mostly through grants and fundraising, ensuring that the clinic can stay open at least through September.

A key prong of its new work is bringing in LGBTQ+ patients from across Alabama via telehealth appointments. The clinic is now offering HIV testing and medication to prevent HIV transmission.

It also provides hormone therapy to transgender patients, including minors  a move that is almost certain to bring the clinic into conflict with Alabama officials.

Transgender care, a new battleground

A year ago, Alabama became the first state to pass a law making it a felony for a doctor to prescribe or administer puberty blockers or hormone treatment to anyone younger than 19 for the purpose of attempting to alter the appearance of or affirm the minors perception of his or her gender or sex  with prison sentences of up to 10 years.

But the law is partially blocked by a federal court until a September hearing. After consulting with attorneys, the Tuscaloosa clinic is, for now, quietly offering minors hormone treatment. The clinics website states that it can provide hormone therapy and other care to those over the age of 19, but Torres said that a whisper network promoted services for minors.

Over the last year, Torres said, she has prescribed hormone treatment to about 50 transgender patients. Two were younger than 19.

This is the healthcare people need to keep them safe, Torres said. I will fight for that.

Across the U.S. and Europe, debate is raging among health professionals about how to treat a rising number of adolescents who identify as transgender. There are no long-term clinical studies looking at how hormone treatments may affect fertility and sexual function. Countries such as Sweden, France and the U.K. have in recent years reversed course and adopted a more cautious approach, citing potential side effects and a growing number of people who regret transitioning.

Last year, the World Professional Assn. for Transgender Health, the leading medical group for transgender care, published new standards of care for gender-diverse adolescents seeking medical treatment, recommending that healthcare professionals carry out comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment before providing them with puberty blockers, sex-changing hormones or mastectomies.

Torres does not believe adolescents seeking hormones require mental health evaluations.

No, I dont need a psychologist or psychiatrist to evaluate someone whos telling me, This is how I felt for years, she said. I know that how they felt for years is not pathological.

When meeting trans patients, Torres is upfront that she has been practicing such care for only a year.

Full disclosure, she tells them, this area of medicine is pretty new to me. She also points out that this is a relatively experimental area of medicine without a lot of data.

One transgender patient Torres recently started seeing through telehealth was referred to her because the teens pediatrician and staff at a psychiatric hospital did not respect his gender identity and used his old name. The teen, who had a history of depression and anxiety, told Torres he had known he was a boy for years and wanted to take sex-changing hormones.

"There's so much work here," Dr. Leah Torres said of the women's clinic. "Alabama's really dead set on compromising people's lives, especially LGBTQ+ youth, especially pregnant people. These are expendable people in the eyes of the state of Alabama." (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Torres told him straight up that she would prescribe a low dose of testosterone. She let the boy know she was glad he was seeing a therapist, even though she didnt require it. She believes trans people need to deal with the trauma of trans bigotry in Alabama, she said.

When she told him she was prescribing testosterone, his face lit up, she said. He asked her, You mean right today?

And that, she said, was why she did her job. The teen had tried for so long to get healthcare and been unsuccessful. She believes she is offering lifesaving care.

I will do whatever I can within legal parameters, Torres said later. But at the end of the day, if its somebodys life versus a bad law, Im choosing that persons life.

Hopefully, she said, there would never be a conflict.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Kansas Citians apparently are interested in doing more than just talk trash.

After appearing in a story about the embarrassing trashy conditions of Kansas City area highways, the Northland Community Cleanup KC Facebook group saw its membership get a big boost  going from around 530 members before the story ran on April 12 to over 600 members as of Friday.

Hopefully it means well be able to do more trash pick-up, said Nancy Gorton, who organizes clean up events for the group. If these are people that really are interested in helping, then it would be great.

And if any of them are willing to lead events, even better. Im always looking for new leaders, Gorton said.

The story on the litter problems facing the metros highway was part of The Stars series Talking Trash. All the stories in the series were inspired by questions and concerns The Star heard from Kansas Citians through listening sessions, an online callout and other conversations in the community. The stories ran throughout this month and can be found here.

Because of the success Northland Community Cleanup had with its membership, The Star wanted to revisit the group to see whats next.

One of the biggest challenges the group faces is getting members active in the clean-up events. Despite having a significant membership, only about 10% participate, Gorton said. To get people to participate, Gorton has been reaching out to small groups of members asking what can be done to make it work for them.

She was encouraged that five new people showed up at recent clean-up events. She said every volunteer is needed.

Why not dream big

On Wednesday, Gorton was driving across Missouri 152 to Liberty and she couldnt help thinking about what was going to happen to the unsightly trash along the highway when the Missouri Department of Transportation begins its mowing season shortly.

Its going to go from one piece of litter to 100, which makes it more time consuming to pick up, she said.

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To prevent that from happening, she said whats needed is four groups of 10 people at intersections along Missouri 152, each working in a different direction  north, south, east and west.

If we could get that many people to participate, we could knock this stuff out, she said.

She admits thats a lot of volunteers, but pointed out that even a group of 20 people can cover a stretch of highway from exit to exit in about two hours.

Its a pipe dream, she said. But why not dream big, right?

Last weekend, you might have noticed members of the group cleaning up trash along Missouri 152 if you drove through the area. A crew of around 24 members picked up 112 bags of trash on eastbound Missouri 152 from North Platte Purchase Drive to U.S. 169 that Saturday.

The next day, a crew of 14 people picked up 97 bags of litter on the westbound lanes of Missouri 152 in the area of Green Hills Road and North Platte Purchase Drive.

Clean-up events are planned this weekend along the highway too. Members will pick up trash along eastbound Missouri 152 between North Ambassador Drive and Grenn Hills beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday. Another crew will be out at 10 a.m. Sunday cleaning up the area of North Ambassador Drive and St. Clair Avenue.

Another clean-up event is planned for 2 p.m. May 6, for the eastbound stretch of highway behind the Shops at Boardwalk from the RideKC bus stop in the to North Ambassador Drive. The next day, a clean-up is planned at noon along Northwest Roanrige Road, from the Texas Roadhouse to Northwest Barry Road.

For more information on clean-up events, ask to join the Northland Community Cleanup KC, which is a private group on Facebook but allows people looking to help with clean-up events to join.

Fundraising opportunities

Building on the groups past success, Gorton has formed a non-profit under the name of Northland Community Cleanup KC thats a separate entity from the Facebook group. The non-profit was awarded a $60,000 contract from Kansas City to do litter abatement in the Northland.

The non-profit will use that money primarily as fundraising opportunities for other groups, by paying them $15 an hour per person for participation in clean-up events.

The city contract will also allow the non-profit to pay $15 an hour to individuals who want to be paid for picking up trash.

The city is hoping to start the contract May 1, focusing on litter clean-up in the neighborhoods in Kansas City, North, said Sherae Honeycutt, a spokeswoman for the city. The group was chosen because it has already done outstanding work.

We hope that they carry that great work over to the neighborhood clean-ups, Honeycutt said.

For more information about the fundraising opportunities, groups can contact Gorton at 816-695-3305.

Ultimately, Gorton would like to see the work of the Northland Community Cleanup KC Facebook group spread to other parts of the metro, especially in the poorer areas of Kansas City. That could include pairing up with other clean-up groups on a monthly community clean-up effort.

As she sees it, everyone deserves to have litter picked up from their neighborhoods no matter what their means are.

I know there are people in the group that would go anywhere, she said. They want to pick up trash. It doesnt matter where it is.
Drew Kromer believes the path to a blue North Carolina lies in duplicating success that prompted him to buy 100 wine glasses as a Davidson College student.

Kromer, a 26-year-old Charlotte native, is the newly elected chair of the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party and says hes on a mission to build community connections and Democratic Party enthusiasm in areas with few competitive races. The goals: to win local elections and contribute local Democratic votes to statewide races.

If we can really nail our turnout here, we have a chance to severely cripple the GOPs chances to win statewide races, Kromer told The Charlotte Observer.

That will build on an example he helped create in Mecklenburg Countys Precinct 206, which sits at the Mecklenburg-Iredell County border.

Drew Kromer, a 26-year-old labor attorney, was elected chair of the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party this month. Kromer has a plan to boost turnout that includes hiring an executive director and creating a stronger regional system.

As Davidson College professor Greg Snyder told it in an endorsement letter, Kromer realized the value of precinct-level groups during his sophomore year in December 2016 and started organizing a crew that grew to more than 500 members. Snyder said he was taken by the vision Kromer laid out for precinct organizing and became the secretary and treasurer of the group.

They cut their teeth in town elections, helped Democrat Christy Clark knock off Republican incumbent John Bradford in House District 98 and planned events that drew the support of Democratic Rep. Alma Adams and Jeff Jackson  now a congressman and then a member of the N.C. General Assembly.

CLT POLITICS NEWSLETTER: Sign up for exclusive insight and analysis about Charlotte-area politics

Events like Stand Up Davidson in 2018 drew hundreds and earned the nickname of The Woodstock of Precinct events from Jackson.

They hosted gatherings with wine, but red plastic cups didnt cut it. So Kromer bought the wine glasses from a restaurant supplier. After events, Kromer says he took the glasses back to his fraternity house, used its industrial dishwasher and stashed the glasses at Snyders house for future use.

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Drew Kromer, then a Davidson College junior and Democratic Party chair for precinct 206, spoke to candidates and supporters at a rally after-party for Stand Up, Davidson.

It was a symptom of success and a signal that the Precinct 206 Democrats were out-raising and out-organizing countywide Democratic organizations, Kromer said. During his time with the Precinct 206 Democrats, the group raised $150,000, a news release said.

Today, Kromer has a burgeoning collection of hundreds of drink glasses to use for Democratic Party events.

County Commissioners Chairman George Dunlap, a Democrat, sees countywide potential in the Davidson Democrats story, too.

His leadership at Davidson and his continued service to the Democratic Party demonstrates the commitment we need to increase voters turnout and attract new volunteers, Dunlap said in a news release.

After Kromer received his bachelors degree from Davidson College, he earned a law degree from UNC Chapel Hill and returned home to Charlotte to work for his familys law practice. He has served as the vice chair of the College Democrats of America, was a delegate to the 2020 Democratic National Convention and served on the N.C. Democratic Party State Executive Committee.

Kromers goals

New Mecklenburg County Demcratic Party Chair Drew Kromer speaks April 17 during a pre-convention event. Kromer was elected chair April 22.

He was elected Mecklenburg County Democratic Party chair Saturday with 78% of registered Democrats voting, replacing Jane Whitley. She served six years in the position, is ready to give someone else the reins and is looking forward to other endeavors in the party.

Jane Whitley made the Democratic Party stronger in Mecklenburg County, Kromer said in a news release. I will build upon her foundation to make Mecklenburg County Democrats stronger for the entire state.

Kromer faced African American Caucus of Mecklenburg County President Braxton Becoats in the chair election.

Kromers key goals include the county party raising $250,000 during his two-year term, with $100,000 from his own efforts. He told the Observer regional chairs within Mecklenburg will build stronger community connections and that the party will use its steeper fundraising goals to hire an executive director and professionalize the party.

Boosting turnout

Becoats said he supports the new chairman and hopes the party will rally around a common goal: boosting registered Democrat turnout in Mecklenburg County.

I think everyone has come to the conclusion that we thought it was horrible, Becoats said about Mecklenburgs 2022 election turnout.

Statewide turnout was 51.14% in November, but it was 45.13% in Mecklenburg County. That wasnt the worst, but the states second largest county  a major source of N.C. Democratic votes  lagged nearly 10 points behind Wake County. And Mecklenburg County Republicans turned out at a higher rate than local Democrats.

Lackluster turnout here made Republican Sen. Ted Budds win over Democrat Cheri Beasley larger than it should have been across the state, Kromer said. Earlier in 2022, Democrats wouldve secured victory for Stephanie Hand in the competitive District 6 Charlotte City Council race with about 10 more votes per precinct.

The 2020 N.C. Supreme Court race between Republican Paul Newby and Beasley could have flipped with just a couple more Democratic votes per precinct in Mecklenburg County.

Theres no reason that we cant come up with those remaining votes, Kromer said.

One major problem, Kromer says: Voters are not convinced when a stranger volunteering for a statewide or federal campaign calls to ask for their vote. Kromer says his more robust structure of regional and community volunteers will form friendships instead of just partisan alliances.

We want to build politics that brings them to the Democratic Party, but relationships with other Democrats in the community that will get them to stick around and keep helping us, he said.

The party already has three regional vice chairs, but Kromers plan involves people taking ownership of their communities in the same way as Davidson Democrats, who canvassed the town five times during Clarks 2018 election.

Young people arent just the future

Anderson Clayton, the Chairperson of the North Carolina Democratic Party, speaks to the crowd during a rally at the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party office on Sunday, April 16, 2023. The rally was to denounce the decision of Rep. Tricia Cotham to make a surprise switch from the Democratic Party to the GOP in the States House of Representatives. The rally was also the start line for volunteers to sign up to canvas neighborhoods.

The party needs to turn out more young people, including eligible high schoolers and college students, and do better in Charlottes Black and brown communities, Becoats said. The good news: when young people see the 20-something Kromer leading Mecklenburg Democrats, theyll think, Well maybe I should look into politics, Becoats said.

N.C. Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton, herself elected at just 25, told the Observer young people arent just the future of the party. They are the present, she said. She noted Mackenzie Reedybacon, a Cabarrus Democrat, as another young, newly elected chair.

I am thrilled that so many young leaders like Drew and Mackenzie have stepped up to serve and enact change in their community, Clayton said in an emailed statement. Together, we can empower a multi-generational coalition that will deliver Democratic victories up and down the ballot.

Other Democrats elected to chair positions under the age of 36 this year include: Daniel Quick in Stanly County, Michael McLamb in Catawba County, Travis Lewis in Jackson County and Parron Baxter in Union County.

Statewide impact

People arrive to vote early at the Bank of America Stadium voting site on Thursday, October, 20, 2022.

Michael Bitzer, chair of politics and history at Catawba College in Salisbury, said two key registered Democratic groups in Mecklenburg  Black voters and those under 40  couldve contributed to Beasleys vote tally in 2022. But Mecklenburg alone wouldnt have done enough to overcome her 121,000 statewide deficit.

Democrats suffer from only equaling the state turnout average while Republicans traditionally (since 2010) have exceeded the state turnout average by several points, Bitzer said.

N.C. State Board of Elections data analyzed by Bitzer and provided to the Observer showed Generation Z (those aged 18 to 25) and Millennials (those aged 26 to 41) were the lowest-turnout generations. Across all generations in Mecklenburg County, Republicans turned out at higher rates than Democrats.

Black non-Hispanic voters are the largest portion of registered Democrats here  184,805 of 337,836 Democrats in Mecklenburg County. Combined with younger generations, boosting Black voter turnout in North Carolinas large cities could tip the balance, Bitzer said.

Kromer says Mecklenburg Democrats turnout problem is a product of their own success here. They hold all but two City Council seats, all county commission seats, all but three of Mecklenburgs spots in the legislature and both congressional seats. That includes Rep. Tricia Cotham, who was elected as a Democrat to represent eastern Mecklenburg and changed to a Republican this month.

Democrats easily win the vast majority of our local races. Unfortunately, the more races that Democrats are easily able to win, the fewer local campaigns we need, the less excitement that is generated, and the more complacent we become, Kromer said in an email pitch during the chair campaign.

READ NEXT: Mecklenburg lost 100 square miles of farmland in 20 years. Will this plan save the rest?

The missing votes to win

Kromers term will run through the 2024 presidential election and into 2025. That means hell oversee turnout efforts during this years municipal and school board elections, a presidential election and a gubernatorial race without an incumbent running.

Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat whos running for governor, will only be able to squeeze so many votes out of rural, nearby counties like Anson, Kromer says. Thats why Stein and statewide Democrats are counting on Mecklenburg County to boost its turnout.

The missing votes to win statewide are here, Kromer said.
A Georgia man is accused of parking his truck in front of a packed school bus after he says a student flipped off his family, deputies and news outlets report.

The 55-year-old man was charged after authorities said he held up a busload of students and picked a fight with their parents in Catoosa County, the Rome News-Tribune reported, citing the county sheriffs office.

It happened April 24 after the man accused one of the students of flashing an obscene hand gesture, according to the newspaper.

Before the incident, the man called sheriffs deputies to help with traffic as he moved his cattle across the road, WTVC reported. Thats when he said a student on the bus made the vulgar gesture at his wife and child.

The man then blocked the bus with his truck so that it couldnt continue its route and demanded the students information, according to the news station.

Before deputies arrived, he got into a heated verbal argument with parents who showed up after their children called to tell them what was happening, WSB-TV reported, citing an incident report.

Some students were released to their parents and the man left the scene, according to WRCB.

I think it was a pride or ego thing, Scarlett Rutherford, whose daughter was on the bus during the incident, told the news station. I thought it was pretty crazy that he got his feelings hurt by a minor and made that big of a deal out of it.

Rutherford also took video of the confrontation, in which the man is heard saying I just want to know where (the student) lives and his name so I can make a report, WRCB reported.

The bus driver radioed the districts director of transportation, who then called 911, a Catoosa County Schools spokesperson said. Deputies arrived soon after and made sure the bus was able to finish its afternoon route.

I appreciate the quick response from our bus driver, director of transportation, and the Sheriffs Office, Catoosa County Schools Superintendent Chance Nix said. I know this was a scary situation for our students and parents.

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The man turned himself in to authorities on April 25 and was charged with disruption or interference with operation of public schools, according the Rome News-Tribune. He was later released on a $1,000 bond.

Catoosa County is about 20 miles southeast of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

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Unhappy mom hits staffer, bites officer after meeting at childs school, GA cops say
The 2024 recruiting cycle is shaping up to be a battle of top programs, including a pair of blue bloods. As it stands, North Carolina has the top class with four commitments. Three of those are five-star recruits.

But on Thursday, UNCs rival Duke struck with a big commitment.

Five-star small forward Isaiah Evans announced his commitment to Duke, giving the Blue Devils their second commitment. Evans made the commitment a few weeks after he took an official visit.

The Huntersville, North Carolina, native is the top player in the state and picked Duke over offers from Texas, Alabama, Maryland, Kansas and Georgetown among others. North Carolina watched Evans during the EYBL cycle but did not offer him in his recruitment.

With North Carolina having the four-man class and a five-star small forward in Drake Powell, it may not have made sense to fully pursue him.

Duke moved up to No. 6 in the recruiting rankings with North Carolina still holding the top spot.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Story originally appeared on Tarheels Wire
Transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney has returned to social media to talk about the backlash to her Bud Light partnership. (Richard Shotwell / Invision / Associated Press)

After a three-week break, Dylan Mulvaney is back on social media.

The transgender activist and TikTok influencer posted a roughly three-minute video on Thursday, her first since April 5, in which she denounced the anti-trans backlash to her partnership with Bud Light.

Rather than her typical sign-on of "Day [insert number] of being a girl"  a hallmark of her Days of Girlhood" TikTok series, in which she has shared her gender-transition journey over the past year  Mulvaney started her new video with "Day 9,610 of being a human," adding that she would "try to leave gender out of this, since that's how we found ourselves here."

She acknowledged her silence online as a way to cope with the criticism that was "so far from my truth" and became "so loud that I didn't even feel part of the conversation." Mulvaney said she had taken the three weeks to sit "with my emotions ... not reacting," a choice she attributed to therapy.

"I decided to take the backseat and just let them tucker themselves out," she said, referring to commentary from conservative figures and upset Bud Light drinkers. "But then I remembered that nearly 13 million people at some point enjoyed me enough to hit the follow button on these apps and I was like, wait, wait, I want to talk to those people."

Mulvaney shared that since growing up queer in a conservative family and in a Christian church she is accustomed to people degrading her for her identity. But what she has received in recent weeks since she posted her promotional Bud Light video has been something different.

As the hashtag #BoycottBudLight took off online and people filmed themselves pouring out bottles of the beer, Kid Rock posted a video of himself shooting up a stack of Bud Light cases. Country music star Travis Tritt then said on Twitter that he would no longer request Anheuser-Busch products in his tour hospitality rider. Some Republican officials, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, said they no longer supported the brand and backed consumers in doing the same. Budweiser factories started to receive bomb threats, which drew condemnation from the Biden administration.

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"It's OK to be frustrated with someone or confused," Mulvaney said. "But what I'm struggling to understand is the need to dehumanize and to be cruel. I just I don't think that's right, you know dehumanization has never fixed anything in history ever."

Anheuser-Busch initially defended its partnership with Mulvaney, saying that the company works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics.

Yet as sales volume for Bud Light tumbled 21% in the week that ended April 15, Anheuser-Busch placed two of its marketing executives on leave. Its chief executive, Brendan Whitworth, issued a public statement, saying, We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.

In Thursday's video, Mulvaney, who studied musical theater in college and landed a role in the Broadway musical The Book of Mormon, committed to continuing to post content and "getting back to making people laugh and to never stop learning and going forward.

"I want to share parts of myself on here that have nothing to do with my identity, and I'm hoping those parts will still be exciting to you and will be enough," she said.

"And to those of you who support me and choose to see my humanity," Mulvaney added, "even if you don't fully understand or relate to me, thank you."

Times staff writer Alexandra E. Petri contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Dylan Mulvaneys "Day 365 Live!" - Red Carpet

Dylan Mulvaney at their "Day 365 Live!" Credit - Photo by Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty Images

On April 1, TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney uploaded a video of herself with a couple cans of Bud Light. In the video, there was a photo of a beer can with her face on it. The video, a part of Bud Lights March Madness campaign, featured the signature little quips that have helped earn her 10.8 million followers on the platform, and showed her encouraging people to enter a giveaway. Within a week, the 26-year-old influencer became the target of conservative vitriol online as many right-wing commentators expressed anger about the beer company partnering with a transgender woman. Since then, Mulvaney has taken a step back from the spotlight and has been silent on social media.

But on April 27, Mulvaney returned to TikTok and addressed her followers for the first time since the fiasco began to explain her absence. Ive been offline for a few weeks, and a lot has been said about me, some of which is so far from my truth that I was like hearing my name, and I didnt even know who they were talking about sometimes, she said. Mulvaney said that she decided to prioritize her mental health and take some time before responding.

The backlash to Mulvaney and Bud Light comes amid ongoing attacks against the rights of the LGBTQ+ community across the United States, as many states introduce new legislation restricting peoples freedoms. These prospective laws include access to gender-affirming healthcare and to restrooms and locker rooms that match peoples gender identity. Mulvaney, who started posting her Days of Girlhood diaries on TikTok in March 2022, has skyrocketed to fame within the year since coming out as transgender. But the recent Bud Light controversy has made the influencer, who also uses Instagram to promote her content, a target of much-unwanted attention. Heres everything you need to know about the controversy and Mulvaneys response.

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Read more: From Bud Light to Nike, Brands Are Facing Conservative Backlash for Featuring Trans People. Why Theyre Sticking to Their Decisions

What was the controversy that started this all?

At the beginning of April, Mulvaney uploaded a Bud Light-sponsored post on Instagram and shared a photo of a beer can with her face on it.

The lighthearted post detailing how to enter a giveaway was thrust into the spotlight when it quickly became a talking point for right-wing media, including Ben Shapiro, Matt Walsh, and many other figures with large followings. Kid Rock shared a video in which he shot at a couple of boxes of Bud Light with tears in his eyes and a MAGA hat on his head. F-ck Bud Light, and f-ck Anheuser-Busch, he said after completely missing a whole box.

There was also a viral video of a man in a Walmart destroying multiple 12-packs of beer. The original poster uploaded the TikTok video on April 17, at the height of the Mulvaney backlash; the implication was that he was destroying the cans as an act of protest. The video was circulated across different social media platforms before The man in the video was apprehended by police. Forbes reported that he was charged with Criminal damage to property; Felony Battery; Physical contact in rude, insulting, angry manner, and Assault.

TikTok users say that he appears to think hes destroying the Anheuser-Busch-owned Bud Light, but the boxes contain Busch Lightwhich the same parent company also owns. Mulvaneys sponsorship also prompted conservatives to boycott Bud Light and switch to Coors Light, highlighting a lack of awareness that the latter company has been, in fact, an outspoken supporter of the LGBTQ+ community.

Mulvaney was also the subject of a since-deleted episode of Marjorie Taylor Greenes Battleground podcast. She baselessly called Mulvaney one of the biggest pedophiles in America today and misgendered her.

What was Bud Lights response to the right-wing reaction?

The uproar prompted the parent company to release a statement regarding the controversy, but many felt the response was tepid at best. The CEO of Anheuser-Busch, Brendan Whitworth, said in a statement posted to Instagram, We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer. In a statement previously given to TIME, an Anheuser-Busch spokesperson said that theyve worked with influencers in the past and have given commemorative cans before.

But for activists like Matt Wagner, the vice president of an LGBTQ+ marketing agency, the statement was not enough. Wagner told TIMEs Anisha Kohli, I think that if a company is going to take a stand by being inclusive, in some way, shape, or formBud Light for example, with Dylan Mulvaneyand theres backlash that receives attention, the company in an ideal world would respond in a more full-throated way. He continued, If I were a partner, an influencer or creator of a company or brand that received backlash, largely as a result of my very existence as a human being, I would want that company to stand up for me.

How did Mulvaney respond to the conservative backlash?

On Thursday, she uploaded her first TikTok video in three weeks, which differed from the content she normally posts. Instead of starting with her usual count of how many days shes identified as a woman, she starts with how many days shes been alive, to leave gender out of this since this is how we found ourselves here. Mulvaney tells her followers that the uproar was so loud that she didnt feel like [she] was a part of the conversation. She said that she decided to let them tucker themselves outwhich seems like a nod to the now-fired Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who spoke about Mulvaney on his show.

In her usual conversational tone, Mulvaney told her followers that she is doing OK and is trying this new thing where [she doesnt] share anything before shes ready. She added that what she has been struggling with most is the need to dehumanize and to be cruel, referencing the right-wing vitriol that has been spewed her way, saying that the commentary reminds her of childhood bullying, only now the hatred is coming from the mouths of adults. She said that she is trying to hold true to her faith and continue having a loving attitude toward everyone, even the people that make it really hard.

Mulvaney ended the video, which has now been liked 1.5 million times, by saying that she is ready to get back to making people laugh and continue sharing tidbits about her life outside of her identity. I dont know if reincarnation is a thing, but in my next life, I would love to be someone non-confrontational and uncontroversial, she said.
Photograph: Jane Rosenberg/Reuters

The advice columnist E Jean Carroll has denied that she falsely accused Donald Trump of raping her in order to sell books and for political ends.

Related: Donald Trump raped me, writer E Jean Carroll testifies in New York court

On the third day of Carrolls civil suit against the former president for battery and defamation, Trumps lawyer, Joe Tacopina, put it to her that she made her allegation the centrepiece of a book proposal she was trying to sell.

Carroll is seeking damages for the alleged rape in a New York department store changing room in the mid-1990s and for defamation after Trump accused her of lying when she went public with her accusations in the book.

Carroll, who spent most of the day under cross-examination, said she was motivated to speak up after the New York Times exposure of Harvey Weinsteins crimes prompted women across the US to relate their own experiences of sexual assault and fired the #MeToo movement.

But she did acknowledge that she decided to sue Trump for defamation following a conversation at a party with George Conway, then the husband of one of Trumps top White House aides, Kellyanne Conway, but also a prominent Trump critic.

George Conway does not like Donald Trump, said Carroll, without elaboration.

Asked why she did not speak up when Trump was running for president in 2016, Carroll said it did not occur to her.

I was never going to talk about what Donald Trump did, she said. Never.

Tacopina sought to discredit Carrolls account by dwelling on why she didnt scream during the alleged attack, and why she admits laughing about it immediately afterwards.

Carroll stuck by her account that she went into the dressing room with Trump because she thought she was playing out a joke by telling him to put on the lingerie that he had been urging her to wear.

If a man tells me to try on some lingerie, I tell him to go try it on, she said. I had no concept of how this would turn out. I thought this funny conversation would continue.

Story continues

Carroll said that when Trump suddenly attacked her in the changing room, she instinctively laughed.

Laughter is a very good weapon to calm a man down if he has any erotic intention, she said.

Tacopina then pressed Carroll repeatedly about why she didnt scream.

I was in too much of a panic to scream, she responded. You cant beat up on me for not screaming.

Carroll said that women who report rape are frequently asked why they didnt scream, which was one of the reasons they do not go to the police.

Tacopina continued to press the issue, including what he said were differing accounts Carroll had given over the years for not screaming including that she isnt a screamer, that she didnt want to make a scene and that she was too full of adrenaline.

Carroll said all of those things could have been at play, and in any case it did not matter.

Im telling you he raped me whether I screamed or not, she said, her voice breaking.

Tacopina also confronted Carroll over the fact she did not call police and instead called a friend, Lisa Birnbach.

Trumps lawyer pressed Carroll about why, by her own account, she was laughing as she spoke to Birnbach. Carroll said that she was looking for reassurance that what she had just gone through was not as bad as she feared.

As Carroll began describing the assault, Birnbach told her to stop laughing.

If Lisa had laughed I would have felt so much better. I was disoriented, she said.

Instead, Birnbach told Carroll: He raped you.

Those are the words that brought the reality to the forefront of my mind, said Carroll.

Later, another friend told her not to go to the police because Trump was too powerful to take on.

Thats the advice I wanted so thats the advice I followed, said Carroll.

She said it was not odd to avoid going to the police. Many women do not go to the police. I understand why, she said.

Tacopina put it to Carroll that her view of Trump was of a brutal, dangerous man.

Yes, he is, she replied without hesitation.

E Jean Carroll, right, leaves federal court with her lawyer Roberta Kaplan on Thursday. Photograph: Bebeto Matthews/AP

Tacopina also confronted Carroll with a part of the draft of her book written a couple of years into his presidency that was not included in the final version, but which appeared to indicate a political motive for her going public with her accusations.

But now after two years of watching the man in action, I became persuaded that he wants to kill me. Hes poisoning my water. Hes polluting my air. And as he stacks the courts, my rights over my body are being taken away state by state. So, now I will tell you what happened, she wrote.

Tacopina also focused on an email sent by Carol Martin, a key witness in the trial who Carroll said she told about the alleged rape shortly after the attack.

In September 2017, Martin sent an email critical of Trump: This has to stop. As soon as were both well enuf [sic] to scheme, we must do our patriotic duty again.

Carroll replied: TOTALLY!!! I have something special for you when we meet.

Asked what that something special was, Carroll said she had no idea but added that the two women often bought funny gifts for each other.

Tacopina put it to Carroll that she started the book only two weeks after the email exchange. Carroll said that was not true.

Tacopina also latched on to a chapter in Carrolls book  entitled What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal  in which the author advocates for all men to be shipped to Montana for retraining.

Trumps lawyer appeared to be suggesting this was evidence of an anti-male bent when the judge, Lewis Kaplan, waded in to tell him it was satire modeled on A Modest Proposal, the renowned Jonathan Swift satirical essay from 1729 which suggested that impoverished Irish people should sell their children as food to the rich.

Move on, said the judge.

Trump is not expected to testify. But he has claimed the encounter never happened, that he does not know Carroll and she is not his type. On Wednesday, he called the case a made-up scam and Carrolls lawyer a political operative, an outburst that drew a warning.

Carroll told the court about online abuse she received after accusing Trump and again when he posted messages on social media denying the accusations and accusing her of being a liar.

The jury was shown some of the messages, which included misogynistic epithets and other personal attacks.

Asked if she regretted the lawsuit, Carroll said: About five times a day. It doesnt feel pleasant to be under threat.

The trial resumes on Monday with Tacopina continuing his cross-examination of Carroll.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.
 Flash

An overloaded passenger-speed boat sank in the waters off Indonesia's western province of Riau on Thursday, leaving at least 11 people dead and more than 9 others missing, a rescuer said.

The speed boat, SB Evelyn Calisca 01, sank in the waters off Pulau Burung of Indragiri Hilir district of the province, about 30 minutes after departing from a seaport in the district. The boat was heading to a seaport in Tanjung Pinang, the capital of Riau Islands province, said I Nyoman Sidakarya, head of the provincial search and rescue office.

"Now, the number of casualties reached 11 people, and over 9 others are confirmed to be missing," he said in a release received by Xinhua.

Sidakarya said that the number of casualties and missing people may rise as many passengers were not listed in the manifest.

He said that 58 people were rescued by the joint rescue team comprised of the search and rescue office, soldiers, policemen and volunteers.

Within the next few days, the search and rescue office would wait for reports from relatives or family about the loss of their members, Kukuh Widodo, press officer at the search and rescue office in Riau province, told Xinhua by phone.

"This speed boat is too small for carrying more than 80 people. It was seriously overloaded," he said.
During the cross-examination on Thursday, Trump attorneys questioned writer E Jean Carroll about her account of the assault

Tense exchanges marked the cross-examination of writer E Jean Carroll as she took the stand for a second day in her rape trial against Donald Trump.

Mr Trump's attorneys pressed her on details of her allegation the former president assaulted her in a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s.

"I'm telling you he raped me whether I screamed or not," she responded at one point when pushed on her reaction.

Mr Trump has consistently denied her accusation, calling it "fiction".

The rape and defamation civil trial is being heard in a New York federal court and is expected to last about two weeks.

Mr Trump's lawyer Joe Tacopina spent Thursday afternoon trying to cast doubt on Ms Carroll's story.

When he repeatedly noted that she could not recall the exact date of the alleged rape, a frustrated Ms Carroll replied: "I wish to heaven we could give you a date."

The former columnist for Elle magazine conceded at one point that certain parts of her story were "difficult to conceive of".

But when Mr Tacopina remarked that Ms Carroll was "supposedly raped", the writer quickly responded: "Not supposedly. I was raped, those are the facts."

Mr Tacopina also tried to make the case that Ms Carroll, a Democrat, only came forward with her allegation against Mr Trump to sell a book proposal and disliked his politics.

Ms Carroll's first made public her allegation that Mr Trump raped her in 2019, including details in her memoir released that year. She testified to telling two friends about the attack, who gave conflicting advice about whether she should go public with her story.

The columnist responded she was motivated to come forward by the #MeToo movement, saying it made her believe women telling their stories "might be the way to challenge the culture of sexual violence".

Mr Tacopina also questioned Ms Carroll about why she did not take legal action against Les Moonves, a former CBS executive she also accuses of sexual assault.

Story continues

She said she never sued Mr Moonves - who has denied her allegation - because he "stayed quiet".

Mr Trump "said I was in a conspiracy with the Democratic Party. He said I was trying to sell a book, that I was too ugly to rape", she testified.

In direct examination by her own lawyer, Ms Carroll said she was not motivated by money to sue the former president.

"It's about getting my name back," she testified.

The 79-year-old columnist is seeking unspecified damages from Mr Trump, 76.

Mr Trump, who is running in the 2024 presidential election, has repeatedly denied her allegations.

She was able to bring the civil case after New York passed the Adult Survivors Act in 2022, which allowed a one-year period for victims to file sexual assault lawsuits in the state over claims that would have normally exceeded statute limitations.
Welcome to Start TODAY. Sign up for our free Start TODAY newsletter to receive daily inspiration sent to your inbox.

This week marks the beginning of May, also known as Mental Health Awareness Month. Think your diet doesnt have much to do with your mental health? Think again. As previously reported by TODAY, research shows that fruit and veggie intake is linked to happiness levels. Including omega-3 fats and magnesium-rich foods and limiting red meat and added sugars has also been shown to improve mental health markers like stress levels, mood and energy.

This dietitian-designed meal plan will help you learn the building blocks of healthy eating and gives you the flexibility to ease into spring and summer.

What to Eat This Week, May 1, 2023

So, this weeks focus is on a nutritious, plant-filled diet that includes healthy sources of fat (such as seeds, nuts, avocados, and extra virgin olive oil), plus a few servings of seafood per week. We've also got creative ways to cut back on meat (hello, magnesium-rich lentils!) and added sugars.

Whether youre simply trying to eat healthier, or actively working on habits to boost your energy, mood, brain skills, and quality of life, we know you will enjoy the menu weve selected for the week ahead.

Start TODAY meal plan for the week of May 1, 2023

>>Download this weeks meal plan

Monday

Breakfast: Coffee Chia Parfait

Lunch: Chicken Quinoa Salad

Dinner: Easy Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Breasts with Quinoa and Roasted Veggies

Snack of choice

Tuesday

Breakfast: Pumpkin Overnight Oats with Greek Yogurt

Lunch: Leftovers or takeout

Dinner: Cashew Chicken and Asparagus and Brown Rice

Snack of choice

Wednesday

Breakfast: Coffee Chia Parfait

Lunch: Open-Faced Smoked Salmon Sandwich with Cucumber Slices

Dinner: Lentil Tacos with Sauteed Kale

Snack of choice

Thursday

Breakfast: Pumpkin Overnight Oats with Greek Yogurt

Lunch: Chicken Quinoa Salad

Dinner: Baked Chicken and Ricotta Meatballs with Broccolini

Snack of choice

Story continues

Friday

Breakfast: Joy Bauer's Broccoli Tots with Eggs and Fruit

Lunch: Open-Faced Smoked Salmon Sandwich with Cucumber Slices

Dinner: 4-Ingredient Air Fryer Salmon with Broccoli and Brown Rice

Snack of choice

Breakfast

Make mornings easier by spending five to 10 minutes prepping the night before. Come breakfast time, youll be happy you did.

Coffee Chia Parfait by Elena Besser

Using leftover coffee, make the coffee-chia topping before you head to bed. Then assemble the rest of the parfait in the morning.

Pumpkin Overnight Oats with Greek Yogurt

To make, mix 1/2 cup each oats and unsweetened almond milk with 2 tablespoons pureed pumpkin, 1 teaspoon chia seeds, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, and 1 teaspoon maple syrup. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve with Greek yogurt on top or on the side.

Joy Bauer's Broccoli Tots by Joy Bauer

Serve tots with hard boiled eggs and a cup or piece of fruit.

Lunch

Continuing with the mental health theme, we incorporated several smart strategies into the lunch selections. For instance, smoked salmon is a convenient way to score omega-3 fats. We dressed up the meal like a bagel but made it healthier by using a whole-grain English muffin and Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese. If youre not fond of smoked salmon, you can try canned or pouched salmon or tuna, which have been featured on previous menus. In addition, the quinoa salad is loaded with antioxidant-rich produce to protect your brain and support your mood and energy levels.

Leftovers or Takeout

Need inspiration? Choose one of the healthiest things to eat at Starbucks.

Chicken Quinoa Salad

To make, toss  cup shredded rotisserie chicken with  cup quinoa,  chopped apple, and 1 to 2 tablespoons of bottled vinaigrette. Spoon mixture over pre-washed salad greens and add 1 tablespoon of shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top.

Open-Faced Smoked Salmon Sandwich

Toast a whole grain English muffin and spread with Greek yogurt. Top each half with capers, red onions, lettuce, tomato slices, and smoked salmon. Serve with cucumber slices.

Dinner

Dinners include multiple healthy swaps, like ground chicken and lentils in place of ground beef and whole grains instead of refined grains. But the best part about this weeks dinner lineup is that youll be too tuned into the flavor to think about how wholesome the meals are.

Easy Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Breasts by Ali Rosen

Marinating chicken breasts in yogurt is as simple as it gets, but it transforms dry chicken breasts into the most tender meal. Serve with quinoa (microwavable or frozen if you want to save time) and roasted vegetables.

Simple Roasted Vegetables by Lazarus Lynch

Cashew Chicken and Asparagus by Kevin Curry

A Chinese takeout dish could have 77% more sodium than whats recommended in a day. Were not saying this dish is low in sodium, but making a Chinese-style dish at home will save you tons of salt and sugar. Youll also get more veggie goodness when cooking yourself since restaurants tend to serve skimpy portions. To get an even bigger veggie boost, double up on the red pepper and asparagus, and make more sauce if needed. Serve your stir-fry with brown rice.

Lentil Tacos by Jenne Claiborne

Eating a meatless meal at least once a week helps you boost your intake of plant foods and lentils are packed with magnesium, a nutrient that is involved in regulating your stress response. We chose tacos for this menu because theyre an easy way to dip your toe into meatless meals. This version calls for making guacamole, but if you dont have time, you can swap it with a store-bought variety and garnish with cubed mango for a special touch. While you have the kale out, saute some extra to serve with your tacos.

Baked Chicken and Ricotta Meatballs with Broccolini by Yasmin Fahr

Making meatballs with ground chicken instead of ground beef reduces saturated fat  the kind that can raise your risk of harmful LDL cholesterol. And you wont miss the beef in this insanely tasty meal. Feel free to swap broccoli for the broccolini, and serve your meatballs over whole grain, chickpea, or lentil pasta with a lower-sugar jarred pasta sauce.

4-Ingredient Air Fryer Salmon by Jocelyn Delk Adams

Salmon is loaded with omega-3 fats, and this easy marinade makes it the perfect thing to cook when you dont want to fuss in the kitchen. The recipe calls for soy sauce, but wed suggest swapping that with lower-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos  a milder, less salty alternative. Serve your salmon with broccoli and brown rice (frozen or microwavable to save time).

Snacks

Snacks that contain whole food sources of protein and fiber offer a winning formula that keeps you full for hours. Here are a few ideas:

Grape tomatoes with creamy taco dip. To make the dip, add some taco seasoning to Greek yogurt and mix.

Red pepper strips with egg salad

Cucumber slices and edamame

Freeze-dried apple or strawberry chips with nuts

 grapefruit with Greek yogurt

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
By Alexandra Valencia

QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuador's military will launch special-forces operations nationally in a bid to counter groups and individuals who commit terrorism in the country, Defense Minister Luis Lara said on Friday.

Ecuador's security council declared terrorism a threat to the South American country's security late on Thursday, urging the implementation of measures to combat criminal groups.

The security council also requested that President Guillermo Lasso issue a decree authorizing the use of lethal force by security forces to combat organized criminal groups.

Lasso, a conservative former banker, has struggled to stem rising crime and violence on Ecuador's streets and in prisons, which the government attributes to conflicts over territory and power between drug-trafficking gangs.

"In operations against terrorism, we won't hesitate to put into practice all the experience, capacity and professionalism of our soldiers, because it's time to say 'enough' to these criminals and their allies," Lara told journalists.

The government is working to identify criminal groups that are committing terrorism, he added.

Ecuador's police will support the military operations, Lara said. So far, troops have been carrying out operations to seize illegally owned weapons, the minister added.

Earlier this month, armed assailants attacked fishermen in the border city of Esmeraldas, killing nine people. On Thursday, a soldier was killed by unknown individuals who opened fire on the vehicle in which he travelled.

Lasso recently announced reforms to a decree to allow civilians to carry weapons for self-defense.

Ecuador's National Assembly, which is in the middle of holding an impeachment process against Lasso for alleged embezzlement, is debating constitutional reform that would allow the military to patrol streets without a state of emergency being declared.

Lasso denies the embezzlement allegations.

(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia in Quito; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
Singer Ed Sheeran exits the Manhattan federal court for his copyright trial in New York City

Ed Sheeran sang and played guitar to a New York jury at a civil trial that will decide whether he copied Marvin Gaye's Let's Get it On.

For roughly an hour, Sheeran described his entire musical career and performed parts of the song in question, Thinking Out Loud.

Heirs of Gaye's co-writer are claiming that he stole elements of the chart-topping hit.

But in court, Sheeran cradled a guitar as he described his artistic process.

"I draw inspiration a lot from things in my life and family," said Sheeran, denying that he had been influenced by Gaye's legendary 1973 R&B hit.

He told the jury how his 2014 song was written at his home in England with friend and collaborator Amy Wadge.

He said the process began during a brainstorming session, with him saying the phrase "I'm singing out now", which was ultimately changed to become the title of the song.

"When I write vocal melodies, it's like phonetics," Sheeran said.

He then picked up an acoustic guitar from behind the witness stand and played the chord progression for the song before singing the opening words.

The musician also said the song had been inspired by his grandparents' love for each other, his grandfather's recent death and a new romantic relationship he had just begun.

Sheeran's testimony came after a musicologist called by the plaintiffs on Wednesday testified that the two songs share similarities.

According to the Associated Press, Sheeran began his testimony by bumping his hand against the witness stand microphone before uttering a quick "sorry".

He also reportedly told the packed courtroom: "I'm not the world's most talented guitar player."

Sheeran also said that he writes music quickly, up to nine songs in a day.

As the trial began earlier this week, US District Judge Louis Stanton warned the seven-member jury that despite the fact that music will be played in court: "We don't allow dancing."

Story continues

In their opening statement earlier this week, lawyers for the plaintiffs played video of Sheeran at a concert in Zurich transitioning between playing Thinking Out Loud and Gaye's soul classic, claiming that it amounts to a "smoking gun" confession.

Heirs of Gaye's co-writer, Ed Townsend, argue that Sheeran, Warner Music Group and Sony Music Publishing owe them money for allegedly stealing the song.

If the jury finds the pop star liable for copyright infringement, the trial will enter a second phase to determine how much he owes.

Sheeran is expected to resume his testimony on Monday.

The latest trial comes one year after Sheeran was cleared at a trial in London of claims he copied his hit song Shape Of You.
The budget spearheaded by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) simply calls for 22% in funding cuts without considering what students need. Democrats say they will reject the proposal. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)

House Republicans narrowly passed a bill this week that would increase the federal governments debt ceiling in exchange for $4.8 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years that show what the GOP cares about.

Its not our nations youth. Republicans propose slashing funding for critical education programming that would affect low-income students, students with disabilities and students who need mental health support. These plans would also shrink the Pell Grant program, which helps low-income students attend college. In addition, the bill would block President Bidens student debt relief plan before the Supreme Court has a chance to rule on its legality this year. Republicans are proposing these cuts at a time when students are still recovering from pandemic-induced learning setbacks and suffering high rates of mental health difficulties.

Thankfully, this bill is not likely to pass the Democrat-controlled Senate, and Biden has promised to veto it if it does. The Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023, which passed on a 217-215 vote, would also trim funding to programs for veterans, enact work requirements for government aid recipients starting in 2024, rescind funding for 87,000 Internal Revenue Service agents and end tax credits for companies investing in green energy.

In California, the bill would remove $463 million in funding for schools that serve more than 4 million low-income children, reducing its funding to its lowest level in 10 years, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The bill would also cut $119 million in mental health support for students, reduce programming for students with disabilities, and make college more expensive for Pell Grant recipients by reducing the amount of gift aid, in addition to reducing the number of grant recipients by more than 9,500 students in the state.

The bottom line is that these proposals would hit the most vulnerable students, cutting programs that can help young people do better in school and thrive. In contrast, the Department of Education says that Bidens $6.9-trillion budget proposal would add funding to low-income schools and expand teacher training programs to address the shortage of teachers, which is affecting schools nationwide.

Story continues

Education funding proposals from either party should be scrutinized to ensure that students' needs are met and that young people are prepared for the workforce without wasteful spending.

But the cuts proposed by the GOP are hardly carefully considered trims as part of a measured analysis of programs. The 320-page plan spearheaded by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) simply calls for slashing 22% from funding without considering what students need. Balancing a budget this way is akin to a bull in a china shop breaking things. Republicans had no qualms in the past raising the debt ceiling while supporting programs that benefit the wealthy, such as Trump-era tax cuts.

Congress needs to grapple with balancing the budget, but lawmakers shouldnt sacrifice our youngest, most vulnerable to do so.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
(Netflix)

The Egyptian antiquities ministry has said that Cleopatra was white-skinned amid a casting row surrounding Netflixs Queen Cleopatra.

In the documentary, which is being narrated by Jada Pinkett Smith, Cleopatra is portrayed by Adele James, who is biracial.

Her casting has sparked debate in Egypt, due to the contested nature of the real-life Cleopatras racial identity.

Ever since the trailer was released, an online petition accusing the production of rewriting history has been signed by over 7,000 people.

Afrocentrism is a pseudoscience that is pushing a groups agenda to claim Egypts history and rob the actual Egyptians of it. By using false articles and zero evidence, they are still attempting to falsify history, the petition description reads.

Cleopatra was born in Alexandria, Egypt in the Ptolemaic dynasty to Greek descent. She was NOT Black. This is in no way against Black people, and is simply a wake up call to preserve the history and the integrity of the Egyptians and the Greeks.

On Thursday (27 April), the antiquities ministry of Egypt weighed in on the issue, saying that Cleopatra had white skin and Hellenistic characteristics.

Bas-reliefs and statues of Queen Cleopatra are the best proof, the ministrys statement said.

Cleopatra was born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in 69 BC, succeeding her father Ptolemy XII in 51 BC and ruled until her death in 30 BC.

The identity of Cleopatras mother is unknown, leading historians to suggest that she may have been Egyptian or from another part of Africa. Others, though, have suggested that her mother may have been Greek as her race was never documented.

(Netflix)

Last week, Queen Cleopatras director Tina Gharavi opened up about the backlash surrounding the documentarys casting.

Why shouldnt Cleopatra be a melanated sister? Gharavi wrote. And why do some people need Cleopatra to be white? Her proximity to whiteness seems to give her value, and for some Egyptians it seems to really matter.

After much hang-wringing and countless auditions, we found in Adele James an actor who could convey not only Cleopatras beauty, but also her strength. What the historians can confirm is that it is more likely that Cleopatra looked like Adele than Elizabeth Taylor ever did, she added.

Queen Cleopatra will be released on Netflix on 10 May.
Elon Musk has been critical of OpenAi. NurPhotos/Getty Images

In December, Elon Musk shut off OpenAI's access to Twitter's data, the New York Times reported.

Musk reportedly felt the AI company was not paying enough for access, per the publication.

He has been cautious about the tech for some time but is known to be working on his own AI project.

In December, only weeks after OpenAI launched ChatGPT, the company had its access to Twitter's data shut down, per a report.

Two sources familiar with the matter told The New York Times that Twitter CEO and OpenAI cofounder, Elon Musk, was reportedly behind the decision. Musk felt that the approximately $2 million a year OpenAI was paying to license the company's data was not enough,

The AI company had been licensing Twitter's data to help build its AI chatbot, per the NYT.

Musk has been wary of advanced AI for some time and was becoming increasingly critical of OpenAI around the time of the decision.

Musk began criticizing the company's viral chatbot in December, suggesting the tech suffered from bias issues and that it was capable of lying. Since then, Musk has accused OpenAI of being a "maximum profit" company and has signed an open letter that called for a six-month pause on AI development.

Despite this hesitance around the technology, Musk is embarking on his own generative AI project, per reports. The company is reportedly called X.AI.

Musk has said he wants to create a chatbot similar to OpenAI's viral hit, potentially called "TruthGPT," that would be a "maximum truth-seeking AI that tries to understand the nature of the universe."

Musk has also been in talks with Jimmy Ba, a researcher and professor at the University of Toronto, about the new company, The Times reported, citing three people with knowledge of the matter. Musk has also hired top researchers from Alphabet's DeepMind to work at Twitter, per the publication.

Representatives for OpenAI and Elon Musk did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside normal working hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Emmett Till's death was a key galvanising moment in the US civil rights movement

A white woman from Mississippi whose 1955 accusation against a black teenager Emmett Till led to his murder has died.

Carolyn Bryant Donham's death at age 88 closes a chapter on one of the most infamous lynchings in US history.

Prosecutors sought charges against her for the killing of Till, 14, up until the year before her death.

Last year they failed to convince a grand jury that she should be put on trial for kidnapping and manslaughter.

A statement from the Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley Institute said that they "wish mercy on her soul, even as we regret that she never took responsibility for her role" in Till's murder.

"While the world saw the horrors of racism in Emmett's murder, the real consequences of hatred, what the world will never now see is remorse or responsibility for his death."

The Chicago boy was visiting family when he entered a store in Money, Mississippi, where Donham, then 21, worked.

Donham accused him of making improper advances and harassing her while she was alone in the shop.

Her husband and brother-in-law kidnapped the boy at gunpoint, tortured him and tossed his battered body into a river.

At Till's funeral, his mother Mamie Till Mobley insisted on an open coffin so everyone could see what had been done to him. Published photos of his brutalised remains shocked the nation.

The two kidnappers - Roy Bryant and JW Milam - were arrested over the murder, but were quickly acquitted by an all-white jury.

They later admitted to the killing in a magazine interview, but could not be re-tried under US law. Both are now dead.

Donham died in the small town of Westlake, Louisiana, a coroner confirmed on Thursday.

Rev Wheeler Park Jr, a cousin of Till who is the last living witness to his abduction, said "our hearts go out" to her family, adding: "I recognise that any loss of life is tragic and don't have any ill will or animosity toward her."

"Even though no one now will be held to account for the death of my cousin and best friend, it is up to all of us to be accountable to the challenges we still face in overcoming racial injustice."

Story continues

During the trial against her husband and his half-brother, Donham took the stand and testified that Till had grabbed her hand and propositioned her.

In a 2008 interview with a Yale historian, she recanted the claim, reportedly saying: "That part's not true."

The admission sparked the Department of Justice to re-examine her case, but when asked directly by investigators, she denied that she had lied during the trial.

Carolyn Bryant Donham (right) with husband Roy Bryant and JW Milam (left) with his wife celebrate their acquittal

Donham was never taken into custody over the events that led to the lynching.

But in June 2022, a group searching the basement of the local county courthouse discovered an unserved arrest warrant charging Bryant, Milam and Donham with Till's abduction.

Though the warrant was made public at the time, the then-sheriff told reporters he did not want to "bother" a mother with two young children at home.

In an unpublished memoir obtained by the Associated Press, Donham wrote that she did not know what would happen to Till when she made her accusation.
Carolyn Bryant Donham, left, reads newspaper accounts of the Emmett Till murder trial in 1955. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

Carolyn Bryant Donham, the white woman who accused Black teenager Emmett Till of making inappropriate advances toward her in 1955, has died at the age of 88 in Louisiana, according to a coroners report.

Nearly 68 years after Till was kidnapped, brutally tortured, murdered and then dumped into the Tallahatchie River in Mississippi, the case continues to resonate with audiences around the world because it represents an egregious example of justice denied.

As a historian of the Mississippi civil rights movements, I quickly learned that most Mississippi civil rights history leads back to the widespread outrage over the Till case in the summer of 1955.

Emmett Till is shown lying on his bed in 1954, one year before his murder. Bettmann/Contributor

Emmett in Money, Mississippi

Fourteen-year-old Emmett arrived in Mississippi on Aug. 20, 1955, from Chicago to visit his mothers family, who sharecropped cotton in the tiny Delta community of Money.

On the evening of Aug. 24, Emmett and several cousins and neighbors drove the 2.8 miles into Money to buy candy at the Bryant Grocery and Meat Market.

Emmett entered the store alone. He bought 2 cents worth of bubble gum and left. At the door Emmett let out a loud, two-note wolf whistle directed at white 21-year-old Carolyn Bryant. His cousins were terrified: Emmett had just hit the trip wire of Southern racial fears by flirting with a white woman.

Early on Aug. 28, several men  white and Black  took Emmett from his familys house. Emmetts badly decomposed and battered body was discovered three days later in the Tallahatchie River. Emmetts uncle could identify Emmett only by a ring he was wearing that once belonged to Emmetts father, Louis Till.

Two white men, Roy Bryant and J. W. Milam, were quickly arrested and later charged with murder. During a five-day trial in September, the two men were found not guilty after a 67-minute deliberation by an all-white, all-male jury.

Several years later, members of the jury confessed to a Florida State University graduate student, Hugh Stephen Whitaker, that they knew the men were guilty but simply wouldnt convict a white man of crimes against a Black child.

Story continues

In 1956, Milam and Bryant sold their shocking true story of what happened to Till for US$3,150 to Look magazine. For nearly 50 years, celebrity journalist William Bradford Huies confession story in Look functioned as the final word on the case.

Continued interest and coverage

Southern newspapers wanted immediately to forget the Till story, ashamed of the backlash caused by Milam and Bryants confession. Many Northern and Western newspapers editorialized on the case long after its conclusion. Americas Black press never quit writing about the case; it was their work, after all, helping to track down Black eyewitnesses in September 1955 that helped us understand the truth of what actually happened to Emmett Till on Aug. 28, 1955.

Thanks to investigative work by documentary filmmaker Keith Beauchamp and others, the public has since learned that Milam and Bryant were part of a much larger lynching party, none of whom were ever punished.

Today, all of the people directly involved in Tills murder are dead.

Carolyn Byant Donham stands with her sons outside the store where she first encountered Emmett Till. Bettmann/Getty Images

A case that aged with Carolyn Bryant Donham

The last 20 years of Bryant Donhams life were characterized by the attempt of private citizens and law enforcement to bring her to justice for the part she played in Tills kidnapping and murder.

When Bryant Donham was in her 80s and living with family in Raleigh, North Carolina, FBI investigators and federal prosecutors revisited her case and the potential for prosecuting her for Tills kidnapping and death. One question was whether Bryant Donham recanted her previous testimony about Tills advances and said that it was false.

A historian said in 2017 that Bryant Donham told him in a rare interview that the most egregious parts of the story she and others told about Emmett Till were false.

The Justice Department said in 2021, though, that it was unable to confirm whether Bryant Donham actually went back on her previous testimony, and it closed the case.

Then, in 2022, a team of researchers  including two of Tills relatives  discovered an unserved arrest warrant for Bryant Donham in a courthouse basement. This led some legal experts to say that the 1955 document could support probable cause to prosecute Bryant Donham for her involvement in Tills death.

Mississippis attorney general said in 2022 that the office did not plan to prosecute Bryant Donham  though that didnt stop activists from protesting outside her home that same year.

Recently unearthed documents also showed that Till did not put his hands on her nor talk lewdly to her in the store. That was all fabricated as part of the defenses strategy to argue that the lynching amounted to justifiable homicide. When the presiding judge, Curtis Swango, did not allow the jury to hear Bryant Donhams testimony, the defense pivoted to the absurd claim that the body taken from the Tallahatchie River wasnt Tills.

Over the past several decades, the Till case has continued to resonate, especially for a nation that still experiences the all-too-frequent and seemingly unprovoked deaths of young Black men. The Till family has had to live with an open wound for 68 years. As Devery Anderson, author of Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement, has noted, that wound wont suddenly go away with Bryant Donhams passing.

This is an updated version of an article originally published on July 13, 2018.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. The Conversation has a variety of fascinating free newsletters.

It was written by: Davis W. Houck, Florida State University.

Read more:



Davis W. Houck does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a waiver allowing the sale of higher-ethanol gas blends during the summer, when it is typically restricted.

The waiver, issued Friday, will allow the sale of E15, or fuel that is 15 percent ethanol. The Clean Air Act allows for the temporary waiver of such restrictions in the face of ongoing fuel shortages.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement the ongoing war in Ukraine required the issuance of the waiver.

The announcement marks the second consecutive year the agency has issued a waiver allowing the summertime E15 sales. The 2022 waiver came at a time when U.S. gas prices hit record highs in the months following Russias initial invasion of Ukraine.

The Renewable Fuels Association, the main ethanol trade group, praised the decision in a statement Friday.

U.S. gasoline inventories are even tighter than they were a year ago, and Putins war on Ukraine continues to wreak havoc on global fuel supplies. EPAs action allowing summertime E15 will help extend gasoline supplies, prevent fuel shortages, protect air quality and reduce carbon emissions, RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper said in a statement.

We thank EPA, [the Department of Agriculture], [the Department of Energy], and the entire Biden administration for ensuring drivers across the country will continue to have access to lower-cost, lower-carbon E15 all summer long.

Midwestern governors from the states that produce ethanol have intensely lobbied the agency in recent months to make ethanol available year-round. In March, the agency granted a petition from eight such governors that will make the fuel available all next year in those states.

Ethanol has also been the subject of negotiations among the GOP House majority as Republicans developed their debt limit proposal in recent weeks. After Midwestern Republicans objected to the initial texts cuts to biofuel subsidies, they were restored to the bill the House passed Wednesday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
 Flash

Photo taken on May 25, 2022 shows a view of the Lahore Converter Station of the 660kV Matiari-Lahore high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on the outskirts of Lahore, in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday morning talked over phone with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Noting China and Pakistan are good neighbors, friends, partners and brothers, Li said that both sides should maintain high-level exchanges, strengthen strategic communication, promote greater progress in bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields, and jointly promote the building of a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.

Li underlined that this year marks the 10th anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping's proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the 10th anniversary of the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), indicating that both sides should work together to improve the quality of the CPEC cooperation, making it a high-quality demonstration project of the Belt and Road cooperation.

China is willing to continuously import more quality agricultural and livestock products from Pakistan and advance industrial cooperation with Pakistan, Li said, adding that the two sides should accelerate expanding the cooperation in fields regarding agriculture, minerals, science and technology, and information technology.

Li noted that China supports Pakistan in maintaining financial stability, and hopes that Pakistan will continue to create a favorable environment so as to guarantee the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel in Pakistan.

China will, as always, firmly support Pakistan in defending national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and firmly support Pakistan in fighting terrorism, maintaining unity and stability, and achieving revitalization and development, said Li.

He also expressed that the two sides should support each other in multilateral field, uphold international fairness and justice, safeguard the common interests of both countries and other developing countries, defend regional peace and security, and promote common development.

For his part, Sharif said that Pakistan and China are "iron-clad brothers" and the destinies of the two countries are closely linked.

Pakistan is always a reliable partner of China in maintaining peace, promoting development and addressing common challenges, he said, adding that Pakistan adheres to the one-China policy and firmly supports China on all issues concerning the latter's core interests.

Sharif noted that Pakistan thanks China for its firm support and selfless help to Pakistan in safeguarding national independence and sovereignty and promoting national development. He expressed Pakistan's willingness to work with China to promote high-quality development of the CPEC, deepen cooperation in infrastructure, industry, agriculture, economy and trade, and push forward the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.

Pakistan will make every effort to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, institutions and projects in Pakistan, Sharif added.
One of four inmates who escaped a Mississippi jail nearly a week ago and sparked a nationwide manhunt has been captured in Texas, authorities announced Thursday.

Jerry Raynes was nabbed in Spring Valley about 10 miles west of downtown Houston, after he and three other detainees escaped Saturday from the Raymond Detention Center outside Mississippi's capital of Jackson, Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said.

The U.S. Marshals Service, Harris County Sheriffs Office and Spring Valley Police Department assisted with Raynes' capture in the small town, more than 400 miles from where he fled the Hinds County jail.

Raynes faces extradition back to Mississippi, the sheriff said in a tweet.

The escapee had been incarcerated for auto theft and burglary.

The Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond

Escapee stole public works vehicle, investigators say

Investigators said Raynes fled to Texas after stealing a Hinds County Public Works vehicle, found Sunday under a freeway overpass near Houston. It was not clear whether he traveled alone. Before his arrest, Raynes was spotted on surveillance video at a Hedwig Village service station late Sunday morning.

The other two detainees, Casey Grayson and Corey Harrison, remained at large Friday. When authorities announced Raynes capture Thursday, they gave no updates on Grayson and Harrison's possible whereabouts.

He was taken into custody at a Houston hospital before he could be discharged after seeking treatment for an unspecified medical condition, U.S. Marshals reported.

Escaped inmates on the run: 1 of 3 escaped Mississippi detainees seen in Katy area

First escapee dies in fiery standoff

After a house fire and exchange of gunfire in Carthage, Miss. between a barricaded person believed to be Hinds County escapee Dylan Arrington and multiple law enforcement agencies, an unidentified body was located in the burned residence.

Raynes is the second escaped prisoner to be found during a manhunt involving multiple law enforcement agencies that began last week.

On Wednesday, escaped inmate Dylan Arrington died after barricading himself in a central Mississippi home and setting it on fire during an armed standoff with deputies. Arrignton, who was 22, is suspected of killing a man and stealing his pickup truck after the escape.

Story continues

Arrington is suspected of fatally shooting Anthony Watts, a 61-year-old church pastor killed Monday night in Jackson after he pulled over to help a man who matched Arrington's description. That man shot Watts several times and then stole his Red Dodge Ram, police said. Watts died at the scene.

Inmates found at IHOP after breakout: Two inmates found at IHOP after escaping Virginia jail using tools made from toothbrushes

Two escapees on the loose

The other two detainees, Casey Grayson and Corey Harrison, remained at large Friday. When authorities announced Raynes capture Thursday, they gave no updates on Grayson and Harrison's possible whereabouts.

Escaped detainees alert  Dylan Arrington, Casey Grayson, Corey Harrison, Jerry Raynes were discovered missing from the Raymond Detention Center this morning. A breach was discovered in B-Pod. A white Hinds County public works pickup truck has also been reported stolen. pic.twitter.com/SAHjwCe4Il  TyreeJonesSheriff (@TyreeSheriff) April 23, 2023

The escape

The breach occurred Saturday night, when the prisoners escaped through the roof of the jail, according to the sheriff's office. All four men had been incarcerated for a range of felony charges, most involving theft.

The men are believed to have initially escaped from through breaches in a cell. The sheriff said the men might have camped out on the roof before fleeing and going their separate ways.

Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to call 911.

Contributing: Associated Press

Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Escaped Mississippi inmate Jerry Raynes found in Texas; 2 at large
After nearly two weeks of negotiations, five EU countries finally "reached a political agreement" with the European Commission on Ukrainian grain imports to the EU, the European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis announced on April 28.

"I'm glad to announce that we have reached a political agreement concerning Ukrainian agri-food imports in the EU. We've agreed with the five neighboring EU member states and Ukraine on how we'll tackle the situation," Dombrovskis said.

Earlier, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Slovakia have all taken steps to suspend the import of Ukrainian grain and other products to protect their domestic markets. According to Politico, Romania joined the four countries in calling for "preventative measures" without imposing its own restrictions.

Ukraines grain overload sours countrys relationship with key allies Negotiations over a European import ban on Ukrainian grain between the European Commission and its eastern flank members were stalled as of April 23. Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria asked to extend protection measures after the EUs one-year decision to abolish customs duties, whil Kyiv IndependentAlexander Query

As announced earlier, the European Commission will propose "emergency safeguard measures" for wheat, maize, rapeseed, and sunflower seeds, according to Dombrovskis. He also said they will "put forward safeguard investigations into several other products."

The five EU countries will also receive 100 million euros in support package from EU funds to compensate farmers, according to Dombrovskis.

"In return, the neighboring member states will withdraw their unilateral measures. So we have a solution addressing both farmers in the neighboring member states and of Ukraine," he added.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also welcomed the agreement.

"I welcome the agreement in principle found on the transit of 4 types of Ukrainian grain and seeds. A deal that preserves both Ukraine's exports capacity so it continues feeding the world and our farmers' livelihoods," she wrote on Twitter.

Cheap Ukrainian grain has been flooding the EU market since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, helped by the European Union waiving customs duties and import quotas to keep Ukraine's agricultural sector running.
(Bloomberg) -- Poland and four other European Union member states agreed to restrictions on Ukrainian grain products as part of an agreement with the blocs executive arm, replacing their unilateral bans on imports in response to plummeting prices.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The measures apply to wheat, corn, rapeseed, sunflower and sunflower oil  and will be in place until June 5, with the possibility of being extended through the end of the year, Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski told reporters in Warsaw Friday. The transit of Ukrainian foodstuffs to other member states will continue, he said.

Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria imposed bans earlier this month, arguing a glut of grain stoked by a flood of Ukrainian imports was threatening the livelihood of their farmers. Romania had held off from imposing a ban but said it would adopt restrictions as part of a broader EU deal.

The moves drew a rebuke from the EU, which said it potentially violated the blocs trade policy. While the transit of Ukrainian grain has added to pressure on logistics in eastern Europe, global grain prices have fallen due to big harvests in major producers like Russia and Australia.

Farmers are a key voter base for political parties in Poland ahead of October elections. The ban came as a surprise, since Poland has been among the staunchest supporters of Ukraine since it was attacked by Russia last year.

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ROME  As the European Union figures out how to spend 1 billion on bullets and shells for Ukraine, the buildup of a massive weapons cash pile it will use is sparking debate about the blocs new-found appetite for arms purchases.

Better known for trade deals and farming subsidies, the EU now boasts a war chest of 8 billion, known as the European Peace Facility, which it is using to arm Russias neighbors, compensating EU states which donate tanks, planes and guns to Kyiv  and now buying ammunition for Ukraine.

The questions are however coming fast, starting with a key conundrum: Should the money be lavished on manufacturers in the EU states supplying the money, or used anywhere that ensures quick purchases, even if that means U.S. manufacturers?

Speedy buying has been central to the promise made by the bloc in March to provide one million items of ammunition to Ukraine within 12 months as the countrys fighters run short ahead of an expected counter-offensive against invading Russian forces.

To achieve that, the EU Council earmarked 1 billion from the Peace Facility to partially compensate EU members donating their stocks to Ukraine and another 1 billion for joint procurement of new ammunition.

But while France has said it would prefer to see the 1 billion procurement made in Europe, Poland has pushed for no limits on where the cash is spent, said Jean-Pierre Maulny, the deputy director at French think tank IRIS and scientific coordinator of its ARES defense research group.

France believes there is no problem obtaining this amount of ammunition from European suppliers, but Poland does not agree, he said, adding that material could be supplied by Finland, France, Germany and the Czech Republic.

One reason for the discussion is that the EU is still writing the rules as it gets used to becoming an arms buyer.

Set up in March 2021, the Peace Facility was given a 5 billion budget and funded armed forces in countries like North Macedonia, Moldova, Nigeria, Jordan and Georgia.

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Following Russias February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the budget was beefed up as the fund focused on aiding Kyiv, and now stands at just under 8 billion for the period 2021-2027.

Compensation to EU states which donate defense materials to Ukraine are now underway, with Slovakia, for example, saying it hopes to receive about 200 million from the fund after handing over kit including 13 out-of-commission Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets.

The EPFs prime objective is to strengthen Europes defense capacities, so of course it would be best if the funds were used to develop European defense manufacturing capabilities, said Tomasz Smura, the head of the research office of the Warsaw-based think tank Casimir Pulaski Foundation

Naturally, the EUs largest countries, who are also major weapon producers, are taking steps to ensure that the reimbursements are primarily used to reinforce the European defense industry, he said.

Reimbursement payments have come under scrutiny recently after a Politico report in March suggested that Estonia had applied a value calculation of donated equipment that unduly taxed collective coffers, billing the EPF for the cost of comparable new kit.

The Estonian government denied any wrongdoing, saying it had acted in accordance with reimbursement policies.

And in the case of Slovakias warplanes transaction, Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad announced having received a U.S. offer for 12 Bell AH-1Z attack helicopters at $340 million that an Associated Press article described as compensation for the Ukraine donation.

On Nov. 15 last year, the EU issued a rule that compensation cash handed out did not have to be spent in the bloc  it could also be used to buy most products in the United States.

Detailing the decision, an EU spokesperson told Defense News, EU member states have agreed on a series of rules, particularly when the items are on the Common Military List of the European Union, which limit their origin to EU, member states and a number of non-EU countries, including the U.S.

Those other non-EU countries include Norway, Canada, Israel, South Korea, the U.K. and others, the spokesperson added.

The EUs Common Military List, which is a long list of defense products governed by EU export rules, includes guns, howitzers, cannons, mortars, anti-tank weapons, rifles, rockets, missiles, bombs, ships, aircraft, drones, tanks and armored vehicles.

It also includes ammunition. However, in March, when the European Union Council issued recommendations for speeding up the joint ammunition purchase for Ukraine using Peace Facility funds, it stated: The Council further calls on member states to jointly procure 155-mm ammunition and, if requested, missiles for Ukraine in the fastest way possible before 30 September 2023 from the European defense industry (and Norway).

Explaining why the recommendation excluded U.S. purchases despite the Peace Facility rules allowing such buys, an EU source, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive deliberations, told Defense News the rules had been conceived to help armed forces around the world which benefited from the fund and might have needed to buy from outside the EU.

The huge amounts of money involved in the ammunition buy, meanwhile, meant the cash was better off being spent in the EU, the source argued.

It is however a recommendation and is now being discussed, he said.

The EU spokesperson added, The EPF is an instrument in the hands of the member states. They decide how the EPF is used. The spokesperson described ongoing discussions as confidential.

I can see why member states would be uncomfortable about putting money in a pot which subsidizes U.S. industry, but reality bites if your own industry cannot meet the requirement fast enough, said Daniel Fiott, an analyst at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) of the Brussels School of Governance.

Jaroslaw Adamowski in Warsaw contributed this this report.
A couple shares a sun umbrella in the streets of Seville, Spain, Thursday, April 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Santi Donaire)

The weather pattern across portions of southwestern Europe has been more reminiscent of August than April over the past week as temperatures have soared well above the historical average, shattering monthly all-time record highs in multiple countries, as well as the continent as a whole.

The blistering conditions have primarily settled across Portugal and Spain and also Morocco in northern Africa, where observed temperatures have reached levels 10-25 degrees Fahrenheit (6-14 degrees Celsius) above the historical average for the end of April.

The hot weather intensified throughout the week with dozens of record highs set on Tuesday and Wednesday before the heat wave reached a crescendo on Thursday and Friday.

Cordoba, Spain, located in the southern tier of the country, rose to an astounding 101.8 degrees Fahrenheit (38.8 C), beating the country's previous April high-temperature record of 101.5 F (38.6 C) set in the city of Elche in 2011. In addition, this marked the highest April temperature ever recorded in Europe.

Portugal was also feeling the summerlike heat, with the municipality of Mora climbing to 98.4 F (36.9 C) on Thursday. Pinhao had held Portugal's previous temperature record for April with a mark of 96.8 F (36.0 C), which had stood since 1945.

Farther south, temperatures surged even higher in northwestern Africa. In the town of Ben Guerir, Morocco, Thursday's high was a scorching 106.3 F (41.3 C) which beat the country's 2006 all-time record high record for the month of April of 105.8 F (41.0 C) set in the coastal city of Agadir.

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The extreme heat contributed to several alterations to daily life across southern Spain, including schools being allowed to adjust their schedule to avoid the worst of the heat and trains running more frequently than usual to prevent long lines on platforms amid the scorching sunshine, the BBC reported. Additionally, residents eager for a dip in a public swimming pool will be able to do so a month earlier than usual as a result of the early spike in temperatures.

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Experts urge residents and visitors of the region to limit time outdoors during the hottest part of the day, wear light-colored and loose-fitting clothing and drink plenty of water to stay properly hydrated. Taking these precautionary measures can help reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses.

AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tony Zartman explained that the record-breaking temperatures were a result of an extensive heat dome, or high-pressure system, that stretched from northwestern Africa up into the Iberian Peninsula. As these high-pressure systems sit overhead for an extended period of time, the air underneath can continue to grow hotter and hotter.

Two people rest by a fountain in Seville, Spain, Thursday, April 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Santi Donaire)

"The hot weather was amplified by the fact that much of northwest Africa into Spain and Portugal have been much drier than the historical average," Zartman said.

A couple of disturbances moving across western Europe will help to break down the heat from its record-breaking levels into early next week. Even with the slight cooling, AccuWeather meteorologists expect temperatures to remain above the historical averages through much of next week.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
(Bloomberg) -- Stung by Chinas close ties with President Vladimir Putin and its repression at home, European nations are putting new limits on Chinese exports and investments in a tack thats more in line with a strategy championed by Washington.

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Countries such as Germany and Italy are following the Netherlands example and studying export and investment controls adopted by the US, according to public statements and numerous people familiar with leaders thinking. The main driver is Chinas continued alliance with Russia despite the invasion of Ukraine, but also its perceived aggression overseas and against its own people.

The change amounts to a major shift for a continent that previously bridled at the US push to unwind economic ties with China. While important differences remain, it reflects a growing frustration  and sense of vulnerability  toward the leaders of the worlds second biggest economy as the conflict in Ukraine rages on.

That change has been accompanied by far more critical public comments from senior officials who previously had been wary of speaking out against Beijing.

China for us is a partner, competitor and systemic rival, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told lawmakers in Berlin after visiting China earlier this month. Unfortunately our impression was  I want to emphasize unfortunately  that the systemic rival aspect is growing ever stronger.

Not only because China is behaving more in an offensive fashion externally  one could also say aggressively  but also more repressively domestically, she said. She called Chinese actions home and abroad more than shocking.

The US and the EU have been working to develop tools to slow Chinas progress in fields including semiconductors and defense. The allies are discussing export controls, tighter screening of investments and increased cooperation on critical materials.

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been in close talks on the issue with the US, which is pushing for a global blockade of Chinas access to key goods. One target: limiting the export of chemicals to China that are used to make semiconductors.

Even Italy, which has has maintained close ties with Beijing, is looking at ways to limit the influence of Chinas Sinochem on tire maker Pirelli SpA, of which it is the largest shareholder. Possible measures include limiting information-sharing on sensitive technologies with any Sinochem-appointed board members.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is also leaning toward pulling out of an agreement to join Chinas controversial Belt and Road Initiative, which has funded $900 billion in infrastructure projects globally. Italy is the only Group of 7 country that signed up to the plan.

Those changes will please President Joe Bidens administration, which has sought to present a united front with allies and spread the burden of the inevitable economic consequences that will come with more confrontation.

Burden sharing when it comes to taking some economic hit to protect your national security is harder to quantify, and then harder to implement, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said at an event at the Brookings Institution on Thursday. But its the fundamental concept that is what makes alliances function effectively.

Ignoring economic dependencies that had built up over the decades of liberalization had become really perilous, he said.

China and economic security will be main topics when G-7 leaders meet in Japan next month, according to an official familiar with the discussions. Theres broad agreement on the need to reduce risks but not break completely. Momentum is growing for a way to coordinate reaction against economic coercion without doing anything automatic.

Theres been patient work across the G-7 and beyond from US officials to build consensus on export controls, investment screening, Taiwan and a number of other issues, said Andrew Small, a senior fellow in the Indo-Pacific program at the German Marshall Fund. Europe and the US have been moving in the same direction on the same issues for similar reasons with China, just at different speeds and often using different language.

There are notable caveats to the approach. Those were exemplified by French President Emmanuel Macrons recent trip to Beijing, where he said Europe should avoid being dragged into a conflict between China and the US over Taiwan.

European countries including France  as well as Germany  want to make sure that there isnt a decoupling from the Chinese market. Like the US, they want more to reduce risk in sensitive areas, including quantum computing, biotechnology and critical minerals.

Another challenge for Europe is the differing views among its 27 member states. Those will likely be on display when the blocs leaders meet in Brussels next month and a China strategy will discussed.

Yet officials say the European Unions over-reliance on Russian oil and gas, and the painful process of diversifying its energy sources following Moscows invasion, forced the bloc to rethink its policy of engaging with autocratic countries.

Washington and the European capitals shared concerns about challenges posed by economic coercion, the weaponization of economic dependencies, and non-market policies and practices, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Biden said in a joint statement last month.

Russias invasion of Ukraine has also sharpened European perceptions of how geopolitical risk matters for the economy, Small said. And Chinas backing for Russia has heightened the sense of China as an ideological and security threat.

--With assistance from Chiara Albanese and Ania Nussbaum.

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Grain harvest in Kyiv region, August 2022

Read also: Russia blocks Black Sea grain agreement  Ukrainian Navy

The agreement comes after two weeks of negotiations, following Poland and nearby countries introducing bans on imports of Ukrainian grain, sunflower oil, and other food products.

"We have acted to address concerns of both farmers in neighboring EU countries and Ukraine," said Dombrovskis.

Under the agreement, EU members will forego unilateral restrictions on Ukrainian imports, while Brussels allocates EUR 100 million ($110 million) to compensate farmers who are hurting from the decrease in domestic prices.

Furthermore, the commission will introduce exceptional safeguard measures for imports of wheat, maize, rapeseed, and sunflower seed.

Read also: Kyiv could negotiate on Crimea when Ukrainian army reaches border of peninsula, senior official says - UPDATED

All parties have pledged to work to ensure Kyiv can still export its grain via the so-called solidarity lanes to other countries, as the Russian navy prevents Ukraines Black Sea ports from handling the usual volume of exports.

Starting on April 15, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria began imposing temporary bans on these products coming from Ukraine. The import bans were due to the shipping of Ukrainian produce through Poland to third countries causing imbalances in domestic agricultural markets and lowering prices for local farmers

Read also: EU Commission may ban import of five Ukrainian agricultural products for rest of 2023

On April 18, the Ukrainian and Polish governments agreed to restore the transit of Ukrainian grains.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Eva Green said she was pleased her "professional reputation has been upheld"

French actress Eva Green has won a High Court case over her $1m (810,000) fee for a sci-fi film that never got made.

The Casino Royale star sued White Lantern Film, saying she was owed the sum after the film collapsed amid a bitter dispute with producers.

White Lantern claimed her "unreasonable demands" derailed the film, A Patriot.

The company said it is "disappointed by today's judgment and the court's findings" and is considering options, including an appeal.

The ruling follows a trial in January, at which text messages in which Ms Green called one producer a "moron" and another "evil" were revealed.

On Friday, judge Mr Justice Green ruled that the 42-year-old actress was entitled to her fee, and dismissed White Lantern's counterclaim.

He said Ms Green "did not renounce her obligations" under her contract, as White Lantern had claimed, "nor did she commit any repudiatory breaches of it".

Mr Justice Green added: "There is no doubt that Ms Green did not make any conclusive decision or statement that she would not comply with her obligations under the artist agreement.

"Nor could anyone have reasonably understood her to have made such a decision."

However, the judge also described Ms Green as "in some senses a frustrating and unsatisfactory witness".

'Under-prepared for her evidence'

Giving evidence in January, the actress was asked about messages she wrote about the film-makers, including one in which she described two of them as "weak and stupid".

She explained that comment by telling the court: "It's my Frenchness coming out sometimes. Sometimes you say things you don't actually mean. Of course they are not weak and stupid."

In his judgement, Mr Justice Green continued: "For such a perfectionist in her art, she was surprisingly under-prepared for her evidence."

He said he understood "the torment it must have been for her to have all her private texts and WhatsApp messages revealed in open court".

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"She said it was 'humiliating' but some of her explanations for the language she used and the feelings she expressed - such as they were down to her 'Frenchness' - were not credible or adequate," he said.

"However, I do think allowances need to be made for the heightened emotions that were clearly present when some of the messages were written and for the fact that these were assumed to be personal correspondence between friends that would never have been imagined to be seen by anyone else and certainly not analysed to the extent they were."

'Set upon by hounds'

Ms Green told the court she was unhappy with producers after budget cuts forced filming to move from Ireland and there had been "chaotic" preparations.

She also criticised what she described as corner-cutting - such as an "extremely dangerous" reduction in her stunt training - and the crew being paid "significantly" below industry rates.

It was revealed that in another text message, Ms Green had referred to crew members as "peasants... from Hampshire".

She explained to the court: "I have nothing against peasants. I didn't want to work with a sub-standard crew. I wanted to work with a high-quality crew who just wanted to be paid standard industry rates."

Mr Justice Green decided that, while Ms Green "may have said some extremely unpleasant things" about the producers and crew, "this was born from a genuine feeling of concern that any film... would be of very low quality".

The actress released a statement following the judgement, saying her "professional reputation has been upheld".

During the trial, the media coverage of her messages and actions "felt like being set upon by hounds", she said.

"I found myself misrepresented, quoted out of context and my desire to make the best possible film was made to look like female hysteria. It was cruel and it was untrue," she said.

"As a result of this case, the cat's well and truly out of the bag that I am mildly terrified of public speaking, that I don't understand technical financial structures, that I am fragile in the face of aggression, that I'm passionate about my work and that my heart breaks when people are unkind."

She added: "I fought tooth and nail to defend the beautiful film that I loved and had signed on for."

During the trial, White Lantern claimed Ms Green's "expectations for the film were incompatible with its budget", and that she was "repeatedly making unreasonable demands" about the crew, locations and equipment.
Eva Green has said that justice prevailed after winning her High Court battle with a production company over the collapse of an abandoned sci-fi film.

The Casino Royale star was due to play the lead role in dystopian thriller A Patriot, but the production collapsed in October 2019.

After the film was abandoned, Green sued production company White Lantern Film, claiming she is still entitled to her $1m (810,000) fee.

White Lantern Film and lender SMC Speciality Finance brought a counterclaim against the actor, in which they claimed that Green undermined the independent films production and renounced the contract.

On Friday (28 April) morning, the judge ruled in Greens favour. He said that Green was entitled to the fee, and dismissed the counter-claim, saying: In particular, I find that Ms Green did not renounce her obligations under the artist agreement; nor did she commit any repudiatory breaches of it.

In a statement released following the ruling, Green said: My professional reputation has been upheld.

In this legal action I was forced to stand up to a small group of men, funded by deep financial resources, who tried to use me as a scapegoat to cover up their own mistakes, she said. I am proud that I stood up against their bully-boy tactics.

They made false allegations about me in public court documents which the judge has now shown are totally incorrect.

Green appeared in court in January (PA Wire)

Green also criticised media coverage of the trial in London earlier this year, saying: A few people in the press were only too delighted to re-print these lies without proper reporting. There are few things the media enjoys more than tearing a woman to pieces.

It felt like being set upon by hounds. I found myself misrepresented, quoted out of context and my desire to make the best possible film was made to look like female hysteria. It was cruel and it was untrue... I stood my ground, and this time, justice prevailed.

During the trial, the court heard that Green described potential crew members as s***ty peasants, the production as a B-s***ty-movie and executive producer Jake Seal as pure vomit.

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Green, who gave oral evidence at the High Court in London over two days in January, said it was humiliating to have her messages used in court. During two days of cross examination, she told the judge that she just had a very direct way of saying things.

Her lawyer Edmund Cullen KC told the court that the actor had been subjected to a character assassination, adding it was based on some of the cheapest and nastiest sorts of stereotypes around.

Continuing her statement, Green said: As a result of this case, the cats well and truly out of the bag that I am mildly terrified of public speaking, that I dont understand technical financial structures, that I am fragile in the face of aggression, that Im passionate about my work and that my heart breaks when people are unkind.

Im also the kind of person who escapes through the back door at parties and is happiest at home alone with my dogs. But, most importantly, I want to add that Im also at my happiest when Im making the films that I love and that I believe in, working side-by-side with brilliant crews in the UK and overseas.

Therefore, the deliberate misreporting by some of the press has amplified the pain to a huge degree and has been more painful than I can say.

She concluded her speech: I fought tooth and nail to defend the beautiful film that I loved and had signed on for... I stood my ground, and this time, justice prevailed.

I wish I could say that this ordeal has made me stronger, better, wiser. But to have my personal life dragged through the press and the court was more painful and damaging than I can say.

Additional reporting by Press Association.
Eva Green won her case. (AFP via Getty Images)

Eva Green has won her court case over her 810,000 acting fee for a movie that never got made.

The French star was due to play a soldier in The Patriot but it didnt get made, and she sued White Lantern Film, saying she was owed her money.

However, the UK-based production company countersued and said the Casino Royale actor had derailed the sci-fi project with her "unreasonable demands" and had expectations that were incompatible with the budget.

Read more: Eva Green: Having personal life dragged through the court was painful and damaging

On Friday (28 April), Mr Justice Michael Green ruled in Greens favour, saying she was entitled to the fee.

The case ran for several days earlier this year, with the actor giving evidence and some of her private messages being revealed.

The judge found in Eva Green's favour. (PA Images via Getty Images)

Pure vomit

At one stage, it emerged that Green referred to producer Jake Seal as "pure vomit".

She was also said to have called him "evil" and described him as a "devious sociopath".

Seal said he'd only met the actor face to face once and had no idea she "had all this vitriol towards me".

S***** peasants

Green was also said to have described the potential crew as s***** peasants.

A barrister said that in exchanges with her agent and the films director, Green claimed Seal was planning to make a cheap B movie and described local crew members as s***** peasants from Hampshire.

Eva Green is well known for Bond film Casino Royale. (PA Images via Getty Images)

The screen star said she would be working with people who are not experienced under Seals proposals.

S***** peasants," said the barrister, asking if that should be interpreted as inexperienced.

I have nothing against peasants," the actor replied, saying she didn't want to work with a "sub-standard" crew.

'Likely to combust'

A movie financier said the actor was described as volatile and likely to combust ahead of the film's collapse in 2019.

Alastair Burlingham said he formed the impression that Green had become increasingly hard, if not impossible to manage during pre-production.

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My impression was that Ms Greens demands were grandiose and more appropriate to a James Bond film than a five-million dollar budget independent film from a first-time British director, and possibly borne out of a misguided effort to provide executive producing services when she should have simply been preparing for her role," he said.

However, the star denied she wasn't prepared to go ahead with the project, saying in written evidence: In the 20 years that I have been making films, I have never broken a contract or even missed one day of shooting.

Eva Green sued over a fee for a cancelled film. (AFP via Getty Images)

Blaming her 'Frenchness'

Green hit the headlines when she addressed the way she'd said some of the things she had said about people working on the project.

The star, 42, suggested it was to do with where she was from, blaming it on her "Frenchness".

Hospital excuse

At one stage the High Court was told that Green suggested pretending to be in hospital if she was called to make the film.

Max Mallin KC, for White Lantern, said the actor was so concerned about what would happen if she were expressly called upon to perform that she had suggested her agent invent a story about Ms Green being hospitalised.

The court was told the message read: If they come back to you and say they are going to go ahead with the movie, what can we say?

The star leaving court. (Reuters)

Could we say this situation has made me ill over the weekend? We could say I had to go to hospital as I had a serious rash all over my body?

However Edmund Cullen KC, for the star, said she had been subjected to a character assassination.

Judge finds in Green's favour

Finding in Greens favour, Mr Justice Michael Green said it was not part of some unlawful conspiracy or deceit.

He said the "extremely unpleasant things" the star said about Seal and the crew "was borne from a genuine feeling of concern that any film made under Mr Seals control would be of very low quality and would not do justice to a script that she and the former directors were passionate about".

Eva Green was due to play a soldier. (Invision/AP)

Discussing Seals time in the witness box, he added: I have to say that, having heard him give evidence, I can see how it might be possible to take an instant dislike to him. In giving evidence he was at times patronising, sarcastic and denigrating.

The judge also said Green was in some senses a frustrating and unsatisfactory witness.

Read more: Eva Green film project became Shakespearean farce, High Court told

He said he understood the torment it must have been for her to have private messages revealed.

But he added that some of her explanations for the language she used and the feelings she expressed  such as they were down to her Frenchness  were not credible or adequate.

Additional reporting from PA.

Watch: Eva Green blamed her 'Frenchness' after a swear-laden rant
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone talk with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday ahead of the inauguration ceremony of Turkiye's first nuclear power reactor built by Russia.

Turkiye-Russia relations and regional issues were discussed during the phone talk, Erdogan's office said in a statement.

The Turkish president thanked Putin for his contributions to the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, where a ceremony for its first nuclear fuel delivery will be held on Thursday, the statement said.

The two leaders discussed the developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the work on the grain agreement, the statement said, adding that Erdogan and Putin talked about new "initiatives that could be worked on through the proposed working group."

They also discussed the developments in Syria, Erdogan's office said.

Putin also conveyed his best wishes to Erdogan for a speedy recovery after his stomach bug, according to Erdogan's office.
Apple has struggled to advance Siri. CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images

Apple is having a hard time convincing workers that Siri can keep up with new AI rivals.

Apple lost three top engineers working on AI technology to Google, The Information reported.

It's the latest example of how far behind Apple is seen to be on AI versus Google and OpenAI.

Apple has lost three top engineers working on ChatGPT-like technology to Google, in a sign the iPhone-maker is struggling to supercharge its AI efforts and Siri as large language models go mainstream.

The trio had been working on frontier AI tech but left late last year, The Information reported after speaking to dozens of former employees.

Srinivasan Venkatachary, Steven Baker and Anand Shukl quit because they believed Google was a better place to work on the large language models underlying tools like ChatGPT, which went viral on its release in late November.

They were personally poached by Google CEO Sundar Pichai after shunning Apple boss Tim Cook's efforts to keep them, the report said.

Linkedin shows that all three left Apple for Google through October and November last year.

Apple has been making efforts to bolster its AI credentials and to strengthen Siri, its consumer-facing AI assistant, bringing in former Googler John Giannandrea in 2018 to oversee its machine learning and AI strategy.

Siri has long been seen as weaker than rivals  one of the top ranking forums on Reddit is r/SiriFail, a running catalogue of the assistant's flubs. And last month, former Apple engineer John Burkey, who worked on Siri before leaving the company in 2016, told the New York Times that the assistant suffered from a clunky design that was hard to update and puts it behind ChatGPT.

That weakness looks acute as ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google step up their focus on consumer-grade AI.

Former Apple employees who worked on AI told The Information that "organizational dysfunction and a lack of ambition" had proven to be crucial barriers in the company's ambitions to become a serious AI player, with few improvements made over the past five years.

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Apple's challenges with Siri could come into sharper focus in the coming months. Investor appetite for AI continues to grow and tech grandees such as Bill Gates have described the tech as being "as revolutionary as mobile phones and the internet."

Critics have warned that many companies racing to get ahead in the generative AI space have been doing so despite serious issues the technology poses around misinformation, its potential for misuse, and the unforeseen consequences of bias.

Former Apple employees told The Information that Siri's responses are typically reviewed and edited by humans to avoid the kind of mistakes other AI bots have been shown to make, making its approach to AI a slower and more cautious one than rivals.

Apple did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
An Apple Store in Shanghai, China. CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images

A former Apple employee has been sentenced to three years in prison and over $30 million for a fraud scheme.

Dhirendra Prasad pleaded guilty to the scheme last year and was sentenced earlier this week.

Prasad and two others partook in schemes like double billing Apple for parts, defrauding the company of over $17 million.

A former Apple employee was sentenced to three years in prison and hit with over $30 million in financial penalties for a yearslong scheme that involved himself and two others defrauding the company of over $17 million.

Dhirenda Prasad, 55, was charged with several crimes related to the fraud last March, and pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud and defraud the US in November. He was sentenced earlier this week to prison time and ordered to pay Apple and the Internal Revenue Service a combined $19 million in restitution, authorities announced Wednesday.

From 2011 through 2018, Prasad  alongside Robert Hansen and Don Baker, who ran companies that sold products to Apple  "exploited his position" as a buyer in the company's supply chain to defraud the company, authorities said.

Hansen, Baker, and Prasad all admitted to their roles in the schemes, authorities said.

Prasad was part of the supply chain team that purchased parts for Apple to use to perform warranty repairs. According to authorities, he conspired with the business owners to steal parts, alter invoices, double bill Apple for components it already received, and charge the company for parts it never actually bought.

In one 2013 example cited by prosecutors when he pleaded guilty, Prasad sent motherboards already owned by Apple to Baker, whose company took them apart and sold them back as individual parts, effectively billing Apple for its own property.

In 2016, Prasad sent more of Apple's parts to Hansen, who simply repackaged them and sent them back as if they were a new order, again forcing Apple to pay for its own property.

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Prasad also admitted he evaded paying taxes on his portion of the $17 million the group made from the fraud schemes. Charges of tax evasion and money laundering were dropped at his sentencing after he pleaded guilty in November.

The court ordered Prasad to forfeit about $5.5 million in assets the government seized when he was arrested. He is also required to pay another $8 million in forfeitures, along with $17.4 million in restitution to Apple and $1.8 million to the IRS, totaling just under $33 million in penalties.

His prison term will also be followed by three years of supervised release.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A former Apple employee who pled guilty to defrauding the company out of over $17 million has been sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to repay his ill-gotten gains. Dhirendra Prasad, who primarily worked as a buyer in Apple's Global Service Supply Chain department during his time at the company, admitted to charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States in November. As iMore notes, two charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering were dismissed during sentencing.

Prasad joined Apple in 2008 and carried out his schemes between 2011 and 2018. According to the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, he conspired with two vendors to conduct fraud against Apple by "taking kickbacks, stealing parts, inflating invoices and causing Apple to pay for items and services it never received." Prasad is said to have used his insider knowledge of Apple's fraud detection practices to avoid being caught for several years.

The government has already seized $5.5 million worth of assets from Prasad, who a judge ordered to pay an additional forfeiture money judgment of $8.1 million. On top of that sum and the $17.4 million Prasad has been told to give back to Apple, he was ordered to pay $1.9 million to the Internal Revenue Service  he conceded that he did not pay tax on the proceeds of his schemes. Following Prasad's time in prison, he will have to serve three years of supervised release.
A former Michigan priest pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 5-year-old boy after officiating a memorial service for the boy's family more than 35 years ago, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced in a news release this week.

Vincent DeLorenzo, 84, a former priest with the Lansing Diocese, assaulted the boy "following a service he officiated for the boy's deceased family member" in 1987, the attorney general said. The Lansing Diocese removed DeLorenzo from the ministry in 2002, saying they have a "a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual abuse of minors."

In exchange for DeLorenzo's guilty plea, additional abuse charges stemming from a larger investigation into clergy sexual abuse will be dropped, the attorney general said.

DeLorenzo was charged with the sexual assault of a child from 1995-2000, while the child was a student at Holy Redeemer School and Church in Burton, Michigan, the attorney general said.

In 2019, DeLorenzo was one of five Michigan priests arrested, the attorney general's office said, for abusing children. DeLorenzo and the four other Michigan priests who were suspected of abusing thousands of children. During the initial investigation, law enforcement interviewed 552 victims who have named 270 priests as abusers.

DeLorenzo was arrested in Marion County, Florida, in May 2019, the attorney general said, and brought back to Michigan for trial.

Nessel said in the news statement the plea deal was reached in consultation with DeLorenzo's victims and that the guilty plea was "an important part of this healing process for the survivors of DeLorenzo."

Zach Hiner, executive director of the Survivors' Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP), said in a news statement that "it is always disheartening when predators avoid further justice through legal loopholes."

Hiner said he hopes others who witnessed or suffered clergy abuse will come forward.

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"We truly hope that the sentencing judge sends a very strong message in this case and points out that regardless of age, justice will prevail," he said.

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Theres nowhere left to run. Benton County looks to be permanently ending horse racing at the SunDowns Horse Racing Track.

The Tri-Cities Northern Racing Quarter Horse Association announced they were calling it quits after Benton County canceled its contract this year over insurance issues.

They havent run races at the track since 2019, first due to COVID-19 closures and then due to insurance issues last year.

What happened?

Nancy Sorick, who has led the horse racing association for more than 35 years, told the Herald that she believes the county was trying to push them out in order to use the space for other types of events.

Records obtained by the Herald show the association failed to deliver proof of insurance by the date required in its contract, handing over the required proof only after its contract was terminated by the county.

Then public discussion of using the space for other events followed.

We were three days late, so they voided our contract, the groups president Dwayne Woodward told the Herald.

Long story short, that contract we had, they wanted to renegotiate the contract so they could do any event they wanted to, he said.

The association signed a new three-year contract in 2022, which required verification of insurance for the event to be provided by Jan. 15 of each year, with coverage starting no later than Feb. 1.

They canceled in 2022 due to issues trying to obtain the insurance. On Jan. 13, 2023, the county sent a notice letting them know they would have to terminate the contract if the 2023 insurance proof wasnt provided by Jan. 31.

That date came and went, and records show the county began putting together an item for the county commissioners to vote on in order to terminate the contract Feb. 7.

The county ended the contract during that meeting, then two days later, on Feb. 9, a representative from the racing association brought in insurance documents.

They were dated Jan. 31, effective Feb. 1.

An e-mail and letters asking commissioners to reconsider also were delivered.

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Horses, riders and trainers prepare for the spring racing season in 2019 at the Sun Downs Race Track in Kennewick.

One mentioned that the proof of insurance had initially been sent to an incorrect email by the insurer. By that point, the contract already had been terminated, but commissioners indicated they were open to renegotiating a new contract that would see the track tied up for less time around the racing events.

The association believes that was the countys intent all along, but documents obtained by the Herald dont show any paper trail of plans being made or any other events being booked before the contract was terminated.

Typically the races run during a three-week period around the time of the Kentucky Derby, in late April or early May. But the association takes possession of the grounds at the beginning of February to begin training and wraps up at the end of May.

Having worked on this contract over the years, theyve struggled to put those races on and I guess, I understand the year of COVID, theyve struggled, its just one or two people who organize and do this, Commissioner Jerome Delvin said during the Feb. 7 meeting.

They tie up that area for five months, thats always been a concern of mine. Theyre only scheduled to race two to three weekends, its very short, he continued. I think theres better use for that area, thats not to say Im not willing to renegotiate a timeframe for a shorter period.

He also was concerned about the need to replace aging railing at the track, and felt that was a cost the county shouldnt ask taxpayers to shoulder.

Im willing to move to terminate (the contract), but let them know we certainly will negotiate that on different terms and maybe they have to make the investment on the railings, he said. I dont think the county should pay for that.

Commissioner Will McKay echoed Delvins sentiments, saying he thinks there could be better uses for the area, but that they could still make a contract work with the racing association that doesnt tie up the track for almost half the year.

I agree theres something where we could renegotiate  to where they have it for a month or so, McKay said. I look at so many other venues like Walla Walla, and they use theirs for monster truck races and motorcycle races. And that just brings more revenue into the county and I look at that area and I think eventually we could be using that for more events that are more fun.

Documents obtained by the Herald show the county was paid about $20,000 for use of the track each year.

Woodard said they often sublet the space during the season for other events.

A post on Facebook made by the Northern Racing Quarterhorse Association about the closure of the SunDowns race track.

No path forward

While the documents paint a fairly clear picture of the legality of what happened, some are placing the blame on Fairgrounds Manager Tom French, calling him a failed manager.

Sorick told the Herald in February that the county wanted to shut them down. She said French had made new and unreasonable demands, but did not provide the Herald with copies of requested changes.

Its unclear if that was a reference to the county wanting the association to pay for the railing replacement and the potential shorter period discussed after the contract was canceled.

In a later Facebook post blaming French for the shutdown, the pages administrator said a records request would reveal what the demands were.

A Herald records request under the Washington Open Records Act for all correspondence between the county and the horse racing association between January 2022 and April 2023 did not return any documents that showed the county requesting major changes beyond the new contract agreed to in February 2022.

Woodard told the Herald that he believes the demands were referring to the drastic changes the the county wanted to see in order to negotiate a new contract, after the previous one was terminated. He said these changes demonstrated a lack of understanding of how the races are run, and they would not be able to operate on such a truncated schedule.

Theres training that starts Feb. 1 and all the horsemen train their horses, and were the first track that really has a race meet and they go on from there, he said. That was the bottom line. Horses train every day, theyre out there from 5:30 or 6 in the morning until 1 oclock.

The Tri-Cities Horse Racing Association has permanently canceled racing at Sun Downs at Benton County Fairgrounds in Kennewick, WA after an insurance issue caused the county to terminate their contract.

French told the Herald that the county is still open to a new contract, but the horse racing association has so far declined to pursue one.

Even though they had missed all the deadlines we told them we were open to renegotiating with this. If they did want to renegotiate we would have a point to start with, he said. Nobody at the county has any animosity towards the horse racing (association), it has been a beloved event out here for a long time.

Woodard provided the Herald with a letter he sent to the county, saying they would not be pursuing a new contract under the new conditions proposed.

Benton Countys management team of the fairgrounds doesnt seem to understand horse racing and how it operates. Its unfortunate their lack of knowledge has put us in a position to cancel this race meet This year and in years to come, the statement read.

He said that the association has since removed their property from the track.
By Sergiy Karazy and Dan Peleschuk

UMAN, Ukraine/KYIV (Reuters) - Russia hurled missiles at cities across Ukraine as people slept on Friday, killing at least 25 civilians in the first large-scale air strikes in nearly two months, as Kyiv said it was nearly ready to launch a huge assault to retake occupied land.

Firefighters tackled a blaze at a residential apartment hit by a Russian missile in the central town of Uman and rescue workers clambered through a huge pile of smouldering rubble, searching for survivors and bodies as anxious people stood by.

"My neighbours are gone. No one is left," said Serhii Lubivskyi, 58, who survived inside a flat on the seventh floor. He was rescued by firefighters from the balcony where he escaped with his wife after the explosion blocked their front door.

Officials said at least 23 civilians were killed, including four children, with an estimated 109 people living in the part of the block that was hit and 27 flats completely destroyed.

Lubivskyi wept as he looked up at the smouldering gaps in the building where adjacent flats had been blasted away.

"An elderly woman, her daughter and two grandchildren lived on the ninth floor. They are gone. A man with his son lived on the eighth floor. They are gone. A woman with her daughter lived on the seventh floor. They are gone. A young family lived on the sixth floor, their son was lucky ... he is alive."

In the southeastern city of Dnipro, a missile killed a two-year-old child and a 31-year-old woman, regional governor Serhiy Lysak said. Video released by the authorities showed a blackened hole where a missile had crashed through an apartment window.

Moscow said it had targeted locations of Ukrainian reserve troops and had struck them successfully, preventing them from reaching the front. It supplied no evidence to support this.

Reuters could not independently verify Moscow's accounts.

The wave of Russian missile attacks was the first since early March. Russia had launched such attacks almost weekly for most of the winter, but they tapered off as spring arrived, with Western countries saying Moscow was running out of missiles.

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The capital Kyiv was also rocked by explosions in the early hours, as were the central cities of Kremenchuk and Poltava, and Mykolaiv in the south. Two people were wounded in the town of Ukrayinka just south of Kyiv, officials said.

The war is coming to a crucial juncture after a months-long Russian winter offensive that gained little ground despite the bloodiest fighting so far. Kyiv is preparing a counteroffensive using hundreds of tanks and armoured vehicles sent by the West.

It wants to drive Russia out of the nearly one fifth of Ukraine that it occupies and claims to have annexed.

"As soon as there is God's will, the weather and a decision by commanders, we will do it," Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov told an online news briefing.

Ukraine was "to a high percentage ready", he said, with new modern weapons to provide an "iron fist".

CRUISE MISSILES

Closer to the front, in Donetsk, an eastern city controlled by Russian proxies since 2014, a Russian-installed official said seven people, including a child, had been killed by Ukrainian shelling that hit a minibus.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the number of casualties or who was to blame. Ukrainian officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Ukrainian military said it had shot down 21 out of 23 cruise missiles fired by Russia. Moscow says it does not deliberately target civilians. Kyiv says strikes on cities far from the front lines have no military purpose apart from intimidating and harming civilians, a war crime.

"This Russian terror must face a fair response from Ukraine and the world," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote in a Telegram post alongside images of the wreckage. "And it will."

Along hundreds of kilometres of front, Russia has been fortifying its territory for months in anticipation of Kyiv's planned assault, widely expected once warmer weather dries out Ukraine's notorious sucking black mud.

Ukraine made swift gains throughout the second half of 2022, but has kept its forces on the defensive for the past five months. Russia, meanwhile, launched a huge winter campaign using hundreds of thousands of freshly called up reservists and convicts recruited as mercenaries from jail.

But despite the heaviest ground combat in Europe since World War Two, Moscow captured little additional territory, focusing mainly on the small mining city of Bakhmut where Ukrainians have withstood for almost a year.

Kyiv and its Western military backers hope a push by thousands of Ukrainian troops trained at Western bases, using hundreds of newly donated tanks and armoured vehicles, will shift the dynamics of the war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree giving people living in parts of Ukraine under Moscow's control a path to Russian citizenship. It means that those who decline or who do not legalise their status could be deported.

Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February last year, claiming that the Kyiv government posed a threat. Ukraine and its Western allies call it an unprovoked war of conquest.

(Reporting by Sergiy Karazy, Gleb Garanich, Ron Popeski, Dan Peleschuk, Olena Horodetska; Writing by Peter Graff and Philippa Fletcher; Editing by Diane Craft)
(Bloomberg) -- Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. are reaping profits not seen since oil topped $145 a barrel in 2008  almost twice the current price.

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Strong results over the past four quarters underscore how theyve whipped themselves into robust financial shape in response to back-to-back oil-market collapses by cutting costs and streamlining portfolios. Now, ample cash flows mean shareholders have little reason to worry about the sanctity of dividends  even as oil prices flounder around $78.

Exxon on Friday reported its best-ever start to a year with first-quarter net income of $11.4 billion after oil production soared from new wells in the US and off the coast of South America. Chevrons profit rose slightly to $6.6 billion as oil-refining profits rebounded amid climbing fuel demand.

Investors applauded Exxon but were disappointed with Chevron, which disclosed slipping output in the Permian Basin. Exxon was the days best performer among S&P 500 energy stocks with a 1.9% increase at 9:40 a.m. in New York. Chevron slid 0.8%.

Both companies have posted hefty profits for four straight quarters even as international crude prices slid more than 35% from last years peak. Exxon has earned more than $10 billion a quarter during that span while Chevrons average was close to $9 billion  something neither company has done since at least 2008, when crude reached $147.50.

The results reflect changes weve made, Exxon Chief Executive Officer Darren Woods said during an interview with CNBC on Friday.

Exxons adjusted earnings of $2.83 a share were 20 cents higher than the Bloomberg Consensus. Chevron also exceeded expectations with $3.55 in per-share adjusted profit.

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Exxon said its net debt-to-capital ratio shrank to 4% at the end of the period, thanks in large part to a cash pile of almost $33 billion. The company has sought to enrich investors via dividends and share buybacks, and Exxon is the best-performing energy stock in the S&P 500 Index this year.

The unexpected results were really all about us increasing our production volumes significantly, Chief Financial Officer Kathy Mikells said during an interview. Exxons output off the coast of Guyana and in the US Permian Basin rose 40% on a combined basis from a year earlier, she noted.

As for Chevron, the companys worldwide fleet of refineries reaped $1.8 billion during the period, a five-fold increase from the first quarter of 2022.

Chevron has pledged to maintain investor payouts even as it faces pressure to fund new projects key to expanding production.

Chevrons results followed a disappointing end-of-2022 performance and confusion over its strategy for repurchasing shares. Executives were forced to redraw development plans in the Permian Basin after wells clustered too closely together hindered productivity.

--With assistance from Mitchell Ferman.

(Updates share prices in the fifth paragraph.)

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U.S. Air Force F-35A Joint Strike Fighter pilots flying patrols along NATO's eastern flank have been detecting air defense systems  likely Russian, or possibly Belarusian  operating in unexpected ways, according to a report from Air Force Times. These incidents highlight the Joint Strike Fighter's already substantial electronic warfare capabilities and the importance of forthcoming upgrades to these systems. Above all else, these encounters in Europe underscore the importance of developing, and the inherent potential of, so-called cognitive electronic warfare capabilities.

Cognitive electronic warfare, at its core, refers to efforts to automate and otherwise speed up various aspects of electronic warfare, including the rapid updating of the functionality of existing systems and the development of all-new countermeasures. The absolute "holy grail" of the concept envisions electronic warfare suites being able to do all of this by themselves, in real-time, even right in the middle of an actual combat mission.

To rewind a bit, at the end of March, Air Force Times published a piece, which is worth reading in full, about the lessons U.S. Air Force F-35A units were learning on deployments to Europe following Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Even before that conflict erupted, the United States and its NATO allies had been bolstering their force postures along various parts of the alliance's eastern periphery facing Russia. This included the deployment of F-35s and personnel from the Air Force's 388th Fighter Wing, an active-duty unit, and 419th Fighter Wing, part of the Air Force Reserve. Both wings are based at Hill Air Force Base in Utah.

A pair of US Air Force F-35A Joint Strike Fighters at Siauliai Air Base in Lithuania, on Feb. 24, 2022, the day Russia launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine. Lithuanian Air Force

The Air Force Times story included the following anecdote from Col. Craig Andrle, head of the 388th:

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Were looking at an SA-20. I know its an SA-20. Intel says theres an SA-20 there, but now my jet doesnt ID it as such, because that SA-20 is operating, potentially, in a war reserve mode that we havent seen before."

SA-20 Gargoyle is the NATO reporting name for the Russian-made S-300PMU-1 (SA-20A) and PMU-2 (SA-20B) surface-to-air missile systems. Air Force Times' story does not say whether or not Andrle specifically identified the SA-20s operating in these unusual manners as being Russian-operated, but this seems very likely given the context of his unit's activities in Europe.

Elements of a Russian S-300 surface-to-air missile system. Russian Ministry of Defense

In addition, "the F-35 flagged the object for troops who updated and re-uploaded the data into the jet," according to Air Force Times. "After that, NATO aircraft knew what they were looking at and how to geolocate it."

The piece does not elaborate on exactly what data the F-35 was able to collect in this instance on the SA-20 it could not identify, or what changes were determined to be needed to be made to the aircraft's systems afterward. It seems more likely than not that what the jet detected and recorded were emissions from one or more radars associated with the SA-20, but that those signals were coming in a format that its onboard threat library of radar signatures was unfamiliar with.

The ability to alter a radar's basic signature by operating it in different modes, some of which may be unknown, and at non-traditional wave lengths makes detecting and classifying them more challenging. It can also alter what they can detect and at what range. These wily tactics are alive and well especially in the combat doctrine of potential adversaries.

Regardless, that the F-35 was able to collect useful enough data for later analysis to confirm that the object detected was indeed an SA-20 speaks volumes about the jet's robust electronic warfare capabilities. The War Zone has written in detail in the past about the Joint Strike Fighter's electronic warfare suite's impressive secondary ability to collect and fuse electronic intelligence.

A diagram from 2011 giving a general overview of the sensors found on all three variants of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Lockheed Martin

The data F-35s scoop up can then be used to categorize and geolocate various kinds of emitters, including radars associated with air defense systems. This, in turn, can help commanders build so-called "electronic orders of battle" of enemy forces to help future mission planning and otherwise increase general situational awareness. It can also be used for wider intelligence gathering, as was the case in this instance, where it still recorded the signature it could not readily identify.

The forthcoming Block 4 upgrades for the F-35 are set to give the aircraft even more impressive electronic warfare capabilities. Air Force Gen. Mark Kelly, head of the service's Air Combat Command, said earlier this year that those elements of the Block 4 package are among the most important for ensuring his service maintains its edge in any future high-end conflict.

So, as far as why we need those [Block 4] capabilities... Most of what we need the F-35 to do rests on the Block 4 electronic warfare capabilities," Kelly told The War Zone and other media outlets at a media roundtable on the sidelines of the Air & Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium last month. "Those rest on the suite of hardware and software, Technology Refresh-3, that supports all that Block 4 EW... You've got to have that amount of processing power, transmitting power, speed, and sensors."

However, as good as the F-35's electronic warfare capabilities are now and how much better they are set to get with the Block 4 upgrades, they are still currently reliant on being able to match whatever emissions they detect to known information contained in laboriously maintained threat databases. Updating those databases and then pushing that information out to operational units in ways they can make use of, including in the form of changes to electronic warfare systems to allow for proper identification, takes time.

If some kind of emission  say an SA-20 operating a non-traditional war reserve mode  is not in the right database at the right time, it can hamper the ability of various systems to detect it and be able to react appropriately to the potential threats it might pose. This could include jamming, decoying, avoiding, or killing it. This is precisely what Col. Andrle and the 388th Fighter Wing found out on sorties in Europe in the past year or so, according to the Air Force Times story.

It's also exactly where cognitive electronic warfare could play a major part in upending this dynamic in the future.

The U.S. military is still very much in the process of creating hard, formal definitions for cognitive electronic warfare, sometimes also referred to as algorithmic electronic warfare. At their core, these terms generally refer to efforts intended to improve electronic warfare systems' capabilities to automatically react to the detection of novel signals and to parse out particularly threatening emissions from the clutter of the modern electronic battlefield. Beyond that, the hope is that these functions can be done increasingly in real-time.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) video below provides a brief primer on cognitive electronic warfare.

There are already multiple tiers emerging for what these capabilities might entail as they become more advanced. One pillar in the foundation that cognitive electronic warfare will be built upon would simply involve a system on an aircraft or other platform recording data on unknown emissions and then doing some initial automated processing to aid in more robust analysis later on. The Air Force, in particular, has been actively exploring ways to increase in-flight data-processing capacity to support a host of different advanced capabilities, including automated target recognition. The F-35 seems to have done this in the instance being discussed. Being able to pass this information on to another platform for further analysis and processing is a step beyond this.

As already noted, a major end goal of cognitive electronic warfare development efforts is to craft capabilities that would allow an electronic warfare system on an aircraft or other platform to detect an unknown signal, do the work required to identify and classify it automatically, and then immediately begin programming the system to respond to it in the most effective way possible. As a further example, an electronic warfare system with this kind of capability would theoretically be able to detect a previously unknown threat emission, analyze it, and then determine the most optimal counter-emission to disrupt it, all in real-time right in the middle of the action.

Having this ability on each discreet platform would be an amazing capability, but even having the computing to come up with a countermeasure solution on another platform in the battlespace that is connected via secure datalink could be the stepping stone needed to get there. Once a countermeasure solution is obtained, the update could be sent not just to the aircraft that detected the signal in question, but to all aircraft in the battlespace.

In an interview with The War Zone in 2022, Col. Josh Koslov, commander of the Air Force's 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing, had the following to say about cognitive electronic warfare:

"Cognitive EW is definitely something that is a real thing. The Air Force has been doing it for a while. It's not new, it's just becoming more broadly well-known."

...

"There is a potential for a buzzword aspect to that phrase. I don't want to have lexicon battles, but what I do need is a mindset that I can develop technology that says it looks like a duck, it smells like a duck, it's in bad-guy land, so I'm going to use this effect against it in order to be as quick as possible because all future fights are about speed. That's what I have to be able to do. If we're going to call that cognitive, that's fine. If we're going to call that algorithmic, that's fine. But at the end of the day, what I need to do is be rapid."

The Air Force stood up the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing in 2021 to be a focal point for the service when it comes to all things in the electromagnetic spectrum, including electronic and cyber warfare. The Wing's 350th Spectrum Warfare Group is specifically responsible for providing reprogramming support for various electronic warfare systems, including ones belonging to U.S. allies and partners.

In his interview with us last year, Koslov explained the general need to get around historical 'stovepiping' in various processes and find ways to help speed up the 350th Spectrum Warfare Group's critical work, again underscoring the potential value of cognitive electronic warfare capabilities:

"The 350th Spectrum Warfare Group... is a really awesome organization. ...they do right now what we traditionally call mission data or reprogramming. They do that for over 70 systems for over 40 countries and are really hardcore engineering outfits."

"Their purpose is to make sure that our platforms and our systems are survivable and have the most up-to-date information for the battle spaces that we face in the future. That's their job. We're looking to modernize that capability."

"In the past, that has been a very stovepiped capability focused on individual platforms, and that business model is not going to work in the near-peer fights that we're going to have in the future. So we're looking to develop capabilities within that organization to be able to move quickly and more agilely reprogram the various systems that are out there in the world and to provide combat capability for their Air Component Commanders."

For the Air Force, the potential utility of cognitive electronic warfare capabilities extends well beyond the F-35, too.

"World War II Army Gen. Montgomery had a very famous quote where he said, If we lose the war in the air, we'll lose the war and we'll lose it quickly,'" Gen. Mark Kelly had said at the media roundtable in March. "And I would offer it today, this many years later, if we lose the war on the electromagnetic spectrum, we're going to lose the war and lose it quickly. E-7 and EC-37, which I would frankly say the EA-37 because it attacks, and the power behind the Block 4 F-35 and the power behind EPAWSS [Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System], are the lines of effort that our Air Force has to go after."

A picture of the first prototype EC-37B Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft with an inset, at top left, showing a rendering of how the final aircraft are expected to look. USAF

"The phrase cognitive EW is thrown around a little bit too much for how undefined it actually is. We are trying to stay away from that a little bit just because we don't want to tie our capability to that, even though we've demonstrated numerous cognitive EW capabilities," an Air Force officer directly familiar with the EC-37 program, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The War Zone in a separate interview in 2022. "While there's no formal definition, the program has been experimenting with artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate some interactions with the EMS (elector-magnetic spectrum) and better complement lower crew size. So we definitely have some applications that do cognitive electronic warfare, but it's a spectrum."

The Air Force has also expressed a specific interest in giving EPAWSS-equipped F-15E Strike Eagles and F-15EX Eagle II combat jets cognitive electronic warfare capabilities, possibly as part of giving these aircraft expanded electronic warfare roles overall.

The rest of the U.S. military is taking note, too. The Navy's EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jets would seem well positioned to benefit from cognitive electronic warfare capabilities, for instance.

The development of advanced electronic warfare systems, as well as the ability to defend against enemy forces using similar capabilities, is emerging as a central component of the Air Force's multi-faceted Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. This is part of a broader focus on "spectral warfare," within NGAD, as you can read more about here.

An artist's conception of an advanced sixth-generation combat jet. An aircraft like this is being developed as part of the Air Force's NGAD program, which also includes work on advanced drones with high degrees of autonomy, as well as new weapons, sensors, networking and battle management suites, advanced jet engines, and more. Collins Aerospace

The Navy has its own separate NGAD program, but which is known to be heavily intertwined with the Air Force effort of the same name. It seems very likely that the Navy's NGAD has similar focuses when it comes to advanced electronic warfare and other 'spectral' capabilities.

Advances in cognitive electronic warfare are, of course, set to be relevant outside of air combat, too. The U.S. military, among others, is actively invested in new sea and ground-based electronic capabilities, as well. These systems can increasingly be networked together in various ways across domains, offering enhanced capabilities and expanded capacity.

Altogether, any future high-end battlefield is all but certain to be full of various tiers of electronic warfare systems on all sides.

U.S. Air Force F-35 units have clearly already been learning new valuable lessons about electronic warfare issues that are likely to arise in future battlespaces from patrols along NATO's eastern flank over the past year or so. This all only reinforces the case for developing and fielding cognitive electronic warfare capabilities to address new threats or other unexpected circumstances that might emerge suddenly. While the F-35's ability to detect and flag the curious emission was critical, being able to deploy code to counter it not in a matter of days or even hours, but in near real-time potentially right onboard the same aircraft, and distributing across the battlespace, could be a game changer in battles to come.

Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com
Albert Corado Jr. holds up a photo of sister Mely Corado, who was killed by the LAPD in 2018 at the Trader Joe's in Silver Lake, in 2020. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Albert Corado Sr. keeps his daughters number in his phone's list of favorite contacts  even though he knows no matter how many times he calls, she wont pick up.

Dialing the number makes him feel closer to her, if only until the call goes to voicemail.

Its been nearly five years since Melyda Mely Corado was fatally shot by a Los Angeles police officer who was firing at a fleeing suspect. Her family has sued the city and the officers involved in the shooting, alleging that they opened fire recklessly into a crowded store. The trial is expected to begin in October.

Corado cant stop thinking about that horrible day. A friend had called to tell him there was a shooting at the Trader Joes in Silver Lake where Mely worked. Frantic, he tried her cellphone. She didnt answer. He called the store, but the line rang and rang and rang. He stopped by the store on his way home to find a sea of police cars, lights flashing.

Before the shooting, Corado still wasn't done healing from the death of his wife  the mother to Mely and her brother, Albert Jr.  from cancer in 2003. He learned to push the hurt aside so he could be present as a father. He and the kids learned to lean on one another. Then he lost Mely.

Albert Jr. channeled his grief into political activism. Last year, he ran a long-shot campaign for the Council District 13 seat, arguing for abolishing the Los Angeles Police Department and investing in non-police alternatives. He lost in the primary; the race was eventually won by longtime labor organizer Hugo Soto-Martinez.

Corado said his relationship with his daughter had helped him endure after his wife's death. He remembered the bright-eyed youngster looking over at him once and saying, Oh, Daddy, dont worry. Im going to take care of you.

We had so many plans, he said. We live in pain every single day.

Mely was fatally shot on July 21, 2018, after two police officers pursued a man suspected of shooting his grandmother in South Los Angeles and then taking a young woman hostage. Gene Evin Atkins led the officers on a lengthy car chase with the hostage in his grandmothers car, prosecutors allege.

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The chase ended at the Silver Lake Trader Joes on Hyperion Avenue. Atkins stopped the car and ran toward the store, which was crowded with Saturday afternoon shoppers.

As he sprinted, police say, Atkins shot at the officers, who returned fire as he entered the store. One of the officers bullets struck Mely, killing her. Atkins was wounded in the arm, but he held shoppers and employees hostage inside the store for three hours before surrendering.

The shooting generated fierce criticism of the Los Angeles Police Department. Chief Michel Moore later referred to the shooting of a bystander as every officers worst nightmare.

Atkins, who under state law is considered criminally responsible for Corados death, has pleaded not guilty to 51 felony counts, including murder, kidnapping, premeditated attempted murder and attempted murder of a peace officer. His next pretrial conference is set for May 10.

A department investigation found that the officers who shot at Atkins  Sinlen Tse and Sarah Winans  acted within policy. The two, who both remain with the department, were later cleared of criminal wrongdoing. Department officials have not identified which officer they believe fired the shot that killed Mely.

"We always send our condolences to those families even though we can't comment further about the case specifics," said LAPD spokeswoman Capt. Kelly Muniz, citing the pending litigation.

Police shootings are statistically rare; those involving bystanders even more so. But several such shootings in recent years, including the high-profile deaths of Mely and Valentina Orellana-Peralta, have raised questions about the use of deadly force in crowded areas. Orellana-Peralta was 14, shopping with her mother at the Burlington store in North Hollywood, when she was killed by an LAPD officer shooting at an assailant.

In a presentation at the Police Commission meeting Tuesday, LAPD Capt. Scot Williams said officers have to qualify regularly at the weapons range, needing a minimum score of 160 out of 200. A deep dive review of 11 years' worth of LAPD shootings, however, found officers are far less accurate in real life.

Over that span, officers on duty fired about 321 rounds per year  an average of 8.9 rounds per shooting. Just 28% struck their target, said Williams, who runs the Critical Incident Review Division.

Inconsistent record-keeping at other police departments makes comparisons tricky, he said. In 2022, LAPD officers fired fewer rounds (216) than the annual average of the previous 11 years and had a higher hit percentage (31%), Williams said.

Even before their mothers death, Albert Jr. and Mely were exceptionally close.

They bonded over trips to the pool and snack runs to the AM/PM gas station near their home in the San Fernando Valley. He still cant drive past the AMC theater in Burbank without thinking of the times growing up that their dad would take them to the movies there. Breakfasts at Rick's Drive In & Out will never be the same without her, either.

Albert Jr. gets angry when he thinks back to a conversation he had with Chief Moore the day after the shooting, in which Moore said the police would provide more answers. That hasnt happened, he said.

Nor have the politicians who met with the family made good on their promises to hold police accountable. Instead of a huge reining in of LAPD after Melys death, he said, the city has since gone to great lengths to defend the actions of the officers involved.

After moving to Minneapolis for a few years, Albert Jr. flew home to California the day after Mely died and hasn't left since. In his grief, he found community with local activists who felt the police made cities less safe, showing up at rallies and news conferences with signs bearing Melys name.

With every new police killing in Los Angeles and beyond, he became more convinced that the current system of policing was beyond repair and needed to be replaced.

Frustrated with the pace of change, he ran for City Council last year. He also began attending court dates for other families suing over LAPD violence, hoping they will reciprocate when his case goes to trial later this year.

If youre having to listen to city attorneys make their case [about] why its OK that the person you loved the most in the world died, its not a system thats set up for us to ever get true justice, Albert Jr. said in an interview last fall. Weve asked nicely, weve sent our lawyers in and said, Hey we want to figure this out.' Weve done everything.

At first, Corado was heartened by the support that flowed after Mely's death. Over the next few months, though, his grief hardened into anger. It felt as if the world had stopped caring about his daughter.

The phone stopped ringing with concerned calls from friends or journalists seeking quotes. Social media largely moved on to the next tragedy. And the politicians and police officials who'd been on TV news for days after her death promising accountability were suddenly nowhere to be found.

Secretly, he started to loathe it when people came up to him and offered platitudes about the need for healing.

As the months went on, he slowly began to shut himself off from the world. He stopped going to church regularly  "I go to Mely, shes my saint, shes advocating for me, he told himself. He started to see a therapist, who told him that grieving is the price you pay for loving.

"And its true, if you dont love, you dont feel anything. And I do love my kids, he said.

And he kept calling Mely's cellphone, praying that she could hear him "from heaven."

Eventually, the number was assigned to someone else. Still, he kept calling. He would let the phone ring until it went to voicemail. If the number's new owner  a man  answered, he would quickly hang up.

Then one time, Corado decided to stay on the line.

And now theres a guy who answers and then the guy says, Why do you keep calling my number? he recalled. I explained it to him; I was crying.

And he said, Look, you can call anytime you want. I wont pick up the phone.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Maldwyn Harries pictured with his family

A farmer was killed by a bull during a TB test of cattle, an inquest has found.

Maldwyn Harries, 58, from Cefn Rhiwlas farm, near Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, was knocked unconscious by the animal and later died.

Mr Harries was crushed after being pinned against a wall while helping to gather the cattle for the test, the hearing at Llanelli town hall was told.

Coroner Paul Bennett recorded a conclusion of accidental death.

After Mr Harries was injured, "best efforts" were made to save him by emergency responders, said coroner's officer Hayley Rogers, which included giving him a blood transfusion.

A post-mortem examination found he died from multiple traumatic injuries to his chest, abdomen and spinal column.

Mr Harries, a father of seven, had been testing a herd for the disease with his son Mark, other members of his family and a local veterinarian on 23 September 2022.

He had to enter a cattle stall in an attempt to move one bull towards a cattle crush - a cage that holds large animals while they are inspected - for the TB test, explained Simon Breen, an inspector with the Health and Safety Executive.

Maldwyn Harries was crushed by a bull at Cefn Rhiwlas Farm near Llandeilo in September last year

Normally the bull could be coaxed by leaning over the railing from an adjacent stall and tapping his nose, Mr Breen said, but the animal refused to move on that occasion.

It was subsequently destroyed after testing positive for TB.

Mr Breen confirmed the farm had all the "correct equipment" for the test.

In recording his conclusion of accidental death, the coroner said the incident was a sad example of an "unusual and infrequent occasion" when somebody doing "valuable work as part of the farming community" had lost their life.

He said Mr Harries "had not anticipated the fatal consequences" of his actions.

The coroner told Mr Harries' family at the inquest that "he couldn't imagine the impact" of losing him and "dealing with the ongoing situation" of dealing with TB on the farm.
Ryan Salame. The Berkshire Eagle

Ryan Salame was the co-CEO of FTX Digital Markets, FTX's Bahamian subsidiary.

The FBI searched his Maryland home on Thursday morning, The New York Times reported.

Salame's attorney previously gave prosecutors information related to political donations, per Bloomberg.

The FBI searched the home of the former co-CEO of FTX Digital Markets, Ryan Salame, on Thursday morning, The New York Times reported. FTX Digital Markets was the Bahamian subsidiary of Sam Bankman-Fried's fallen crypto exchange, FTX.

A photo seen by the Times showed FBI agents gathered outside Salame's $4 million home in Potomac, Maryland at around 7 a.m. ET. It was unclear what they were searching for, and Salame has not been formally accused of any crime.

Salame's attorney previously spoke to prosecutors on his client's behalf, and handed over information relating to campaign finance activity, two people familiar with the investigation told Bloomberg.

The former top FTX executive became a high-profile political donor after giving more than $23 million to mostly Republican candidates, per OpenSecrets. That ranked him as the country's 15th-top donor last year.

Bankman-Fried, the crypto exchange's former CEO, has pleaded not guilty to 13 criminal charges including conspiracy to defraud the Federal Election Commission and commit campaign finance violations.

Prosecutors allege Bankman-Fried funneled $100 million in political donations through FTX executives, which allowed him to exceed contribution limits.

The indictment says he was the real engine behind the Republican donations of one unnamed executive. The alleged scheme also allowed Bankman-Fried to hide that the money was actually coming from his hedge fund, Alameda, prosecutors said.

FTX imploded last November after a CoinDesk report suggested overly-close ties between Bankman-Fried's crypto exchange, FTX, and his hedge fund, Alameda, prompting customers to withdraw their funds.

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But it didn't have enough money to fulfill demand, partially due to lavish spending by FTX executives  including a $65 billion line of credit that drew on customers' deposits, according to bankruptcy lawyers.

Salame reportedly threw up when he discovered FTX's impending collapse, according to The Wall Street Journal. According to the Financial Times, he tipped off Bahamian authorities about wrongdoing at the crypto exchange  leading to Bankman-Fried's arrest in the Caribbean nation last December.

The FBI and a lawyer for Salame did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, sent outside US working hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Jose Diego, originally from Huehuetenango, shows the copy of his registration to the Guatemalan electoral roll. (Soudi Jimenez / Los Angeles Times en Espanol)

When election season rolls around in Guatemala, politicians make bombastic speeches about how migrants are national heroes for settling in the United States, at great personal sacrifice, and sending back the millions of dollars in remittances that keep the Central American country's economy afloat.

But in practice, these migrants often have been treated by their homeland as second-class citizens, stripped of their right to take part in national elections. Although Guatemalans living in the United States were permitted in 2019 to vote for first time in a presidential contest, many have complained on social media, WhatsApp chats and via letters and emails to election officials that they're being stymied by a shortage of polling stations and difficulties in accessing the voter registration website for the June 25 election.

We are the ones who are least taken into account, said Alba Rojas, a clothing designer originally from Quetzaltenango who settled in Los Angeles in the late 1990s and voted in 2019.

Rojas and other Guatemalans living in the United States have denounced Guatemala's Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) for what they perceive as its persistent mishandling of the electoral process. And they are angrily criticizing the appointment of Hugo Merida, whom they view as a partisan political ally of President Alejandro Eduardo Giammattei, to be the coordinator and the electoral board's liaison for the voter abroad process.

Merida and other Guatemalan officials respond that they have invested significant resources in this year's foreign voter process, and that critics are unfairly downplaying these efforts and are themselves politically motivated.

Like many of her compatriots, Marta Castillo, a Guatemala native and activist who settled in the New York City area in 1969, is deeply suspicious of election administrators and highly skeptical that the entire process will be free or fair. Her fears are compounded by her awareness that voting is being allowed only for Guatemalan expatriates in the United States and not for those in Canada, Mexico, Spain and other Central American and European countries.

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"It's a hoax, it's a dirty political maneuver and corruption, because it's not convenient for those of us who are abroad to vote," Castillo said.

The 2019 election received little promotion in the United States, where only four polling stations were available, in Los Angeles, Houston, New York City and Silver Spring, Md., outside Washington, D.C. Although immigrants in June will be able to vote in more than 12 cities, activists here believe that number is still insufficient and that the electoral board hasn't adequately promoted the event.

In 2019, Guatemala's electoral rolls numbered about 63,000 voters abroad. For this election cycle, by March 25  the final date to register  the figure stood at 89,554.

In the first round of elections in 2019, a mere 734 votes were counted for Guatemalans living in the United States; even fewer, 521, cast ballots in the second round.

The way this is going, the elections are going to be the same as a failure [as in 2019], because I don't think the TSE has done an appropriate job, said Ben Monterroso, 64, president of the Vote of Guatemalans Resident Abroad, an organization created in 2021 to promote electoral participation, and co-founder of Mi Familia Vota. He attributes the limited participation in part to many expatriates lacking a personal identification document (DPI) issued by the Guatemalan government, which serves as a requirement for voting.

From the beginning the TSE has not done its job of documenting and registering people, and to this day there has been no campaign to inform and motivate people to register," Monterroso said. "From the beginning, the party goes badly.

Four years ago, the TSE invested a total of 47 million quetzales ($6 million) to cover the entire foreign voting process. For the June 25 election the budget is $2.5 million.

Last August, Walter Batres, president of the Guatemalan Migrant Network, a nonprofit advocacy and assistance group, proposed that the TSE and various other Guatemalan government agencies hold a mass documentation day in Los Angeles. But his idea gained no traction with the Guatemalan government, he said.

This is nothing more than makeup, Batres said of this year's election process. "Postal voting and electronic voting work, but they don't want Guatemalans to vote, because if the people vote en masse we would say goodbye to the corrupt pact."

Equally troubling to U.S. activists is the role of Merida, who helped finance Giammattei's 2019 presidential campaign and who has been contracted by the TSE "to provide technical services" for about $2,000 per month.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Merida said that local activists are simply envious. He attempted to justify his financial support of Giammattei four years ago by asserting that he also supported six other presidential candidates.

"We held meetings and receptions for each of them," said Merida, a professional accountant who at the time was president of the National Coalition of Guatemalan Immigrants in the United States.

Merida also said that in his role as coordinator he will oversee the selection of the approximately 900 volunteers needed at U.S. polling stations for first-round voting on June 25. If no candidate receives a majority of first-round votes, a second round of voting will take place in August.

In the interview with The Times, Merida also confirmed that at least four of the five TSE magistrates are his friends. The TSE office did not a respond to The Times' request to speak with the TSE president. Two TSE magistrates did not respond to phone calls from The Times.

Activists are disturbed by Merida's expansive influence.

This is a Giammattei appointment. How do you want the community to accept something from a president we don't respect? said Juan Carlos Mendez, a Guatemalan community leader and bishop of the Centro Cristiano Bet-El church in South Gate. When they come out with this nonsense, it is an insult to the migrant community."

What some U.S. activists fear above all is that the suspicions aroused by this year's foreign voter process will feed the apathy of expatriate Guatemalans, leading to their further disenfranchisement and alienation from their native country.

It is a rigged situation and generates distrust with something so special. The purity of the vote is immediately lost, said Aroldo Ramirez, a native of Izabal and advisor to the organization Mision Guatemala USA, which provides aid through social projects and defends immigrant rights. "My request would be to name a suitable person, who generates a lot of trust and honesty, who has nothing to do directly with the official party."

Alicia Ivonne Estrada, a professor of Chicano Studies at Cal State Northridge, said that the corruption within the TSE reflects the broader corruption of Guatemalan politics, stemming from the genocidal civil war of 1960-1996.

Guatemala is a co-opted state, it is co-opted by corrupt people," she said.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Silicon Valley Bank

The US central bank has said it failed to act with "sufficient force and urgency" in its oversight of Silicon Valley Bank, which collapsed last month in the country's biggest bank failure since 2008.

The conclusion is one of the main findings from the Federal Reserve's investigation of the episode.

It sparked global fears about the state of the banking industry.

The review comes as another US lender, First Republic, remains in trouble.

US regulators are reported to be working on a potential rescue for the struggling firm, which was the 14th largest bank in the US at the end of last year.

Michael Barr, the Federal Reserve's vice chair for supervision, who led the review, said the US central bank should toughen its rules in response to what it had learned from SVB's demise.

"Federal Reserve supervisors failed to take forceful enough action," he said, pointing to regulatory standards that were "too low", supervision that did not work with urgency, and risks to the wider system posed by troubles at a mid-size bank that Fed policies had missed.

"Following SVB's failure, we must strengthen the Federal Reserve's supervision and regulation," he said.

Jerome Powell said he was confident the recommendations would lead to a more resilient banking system

The head of the Federal Reserve, chairman Jerome Powell, said he welcomed the "thorough and self-critical report".

"I agree with and support his recommendations to address our rules and supervisory practices, and I am confident they will lead to a stronger and more resilient banking system," he said.

The report from the Fed was one of three published by US officials on Friday, detailing regulatory lapses that contributed to the failures of SVB and Signature Bank last month.

Both banks catered to business customers and ran into trouble after the US central bank raised interest rates sharply last year which is when customers started to withdraw money.

SVB's subsequent announcement that it needed to raise funds last month prompted panic and billions of dollars were withdrawn overnight, forcing regulators to step in.

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A pedestrian walks by a First Republic Bank office in San Francisco, California.

The fears then spread to other firms, including Signature Bank and First Republic, which suffered $100bn in outflows last month.

Shares in First Republic, worth more than $120 apiece at the beginning of March, fell more than 40% on Friday to below $4, as questions swirled about its future.

"Uniquely vulnerable"

The Government Accountability Office said the banks were felled by a combination of risky strategies and weak risk management, while officials were slow to take action after uncovering problems.

The Federal Insurance Deposit Corp, which examined Signature, concluded the "root cause" of that bank's failure was "poor management", while acknowledging its own oversight was often "not timely".

The Fed's review said SVB was "uniquely vulnerable" to problems due to "widespread managerial weaknesses, a highly concentrated business model, and a reliance on uninsured deposits".

But it also faulted regulators for failing to appreciate the increased risks as the bank grew rapidly and for acting too slowly when it did spot issues.

The Fed's decision to take a looser approach to oversight of small and mid-size banks, a response to a law Congress passed in 2018, was a key part of the problem, according to the report.

"In the interviews for this report, staff repeatedly mentioned changes in expectations and practices, including pressure to reduce burden on firms, meet a higher burden of proof for a supervisory conclusion, and demonstrate due process when considering supervisory actions," it said.

"There was no formal or specific policy that required this, but staff felt a shift in culture and expectations from internal discussions and observed behaviour that changed how supervision was executed."

Mr Barr was appointed to his role by President Joe Biden in 2022. Many of the changes discussed in the report occurred under his predecessor, appointed by Donald Trump.

"Unflinching"

Response was divided in Washington.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat known for her critical views of banks, called the Fed's report an "unflinching assessment" that should push Congress to revise its law and lead to the ouster of Fed chairman Jerome Powell.

Representative Patrick McHenry, the Republican who leads the House Financial Services Committee, said internal reports from the Fed and FDIC were "self-serving".

"While there are areas ... on which we agree the bulk of the report appears to be a justification of Democrats' long-held priorities," he said.

"Politicizing bank failures does not serve our economy, financial system, or the American people well," he said.
A federal judge in East St. Louis issued an order Friday blocking enforcement of Illinois ban on certain semiautomatic weapons and high-capacity magazines until a lawsuit challenging the law is resolved.

Judge Stephen P. McGlynn, of the Southern District of Illinois, said the law known as the Protect Illinois Communities Act is likely to be found unconstitutional when the case goes to trial and the plaintiffs in the consolidated cases will suffer harms without a preliminary injunction to block its enforcement.

Attorney General Kwame Raouls office, which defended the statute during a hearing before McGlynn on April 12, said in a statement Friday, We plan to file an appeal and remain committed to defending the constitutionality of the Protect Illinois Communities Act.

In a 29-page opinion, McGlynn acknowledged that the law was passed in the wake of the fatal shooting of seven people at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park near Chicago last year. But he said the senseless crimes of a relative few cannot be used to justify abridging the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.

Citing a U.S. Supreme Court case that was decided less than two weeks before the Highland Park shooting, New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, he said the Constitution guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms for self-defense.

More specifically, can (the Protect Illinois Communities Act) be harmonized with the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution and with Bruen? McGlynn asked rhetorically in the opinion. That is the issue before this Court. The simple answer at this stage in the proceedings is likely no.

McGlynns decision came less than a week after another federal judge, Lindsay Jenkins, of the Northern District of Illinois, reached an opposite conclusion and denied a motion to halt enforcement of the law. Plaintiffs in that case have indicated they intend to appeal to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

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However, McGlynns order states that Illinois officials are enjoined, or prohibited, from enforcing the law statewide during the pendency of this litigation until the Court can address the merits.

The law prohibits the manufacture, sale and possession of more than 190 different types of firearms as well as many types of grips, stocks and attachments. It also bans large-capacity magazines like the ones used by the accused Highland Park shooter that enabled him to fire off more than 70 shots in just a few minutes.

Based on other recent U.S. Supreme Court cases, McGlynn said the state needed to show that the items being banned are not in common use and that they are the types of firearms that have been regulated historically.

The state argued that the law is consistent with historical tradition because neither assault weapons nor large-capacity magazines were in common use when the Second and 14th Amendments were ratified.

But McGlynn said that argument was bordering on the frivolous because the Supreme Court has said the Second Amendment extends even to firearms that did not exist when the Constitution was drafted.

He also noted that Fridays ruling was not a final resolution of the case, but he said the state has other means available to address the issue of gun violence.

There is a wide array of civil and criminal laws that permit the commitment and prosecution of those who use or may use firearms to commit crimes, he wrote. Law enforcement and prosecutors should take their obligations to enforce these laws seriously. Families and the public at large should report concerning behavior. Judges should exercise their prudent judgment in committing individuals that pose a threat to the public and imposing sentences that punish, not just lightly inconvenience, those guilty of firearm-related crimes.

McGlynn was nominated to the bench by former President Donald Trump while Jenkins was nominated by President Joe Biden.

McGlynns ruling pertains to a group of four federal lawsuits that have been filed in East St. Louis against Gov. J.B. Pritzker and several other state and local officials over the law that plaintiffs allege is a violation of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Pritzker signed the law on Jan. 10.

The banned guns listed in the law, which was House Bill 5471, include the AK 47, AR-15 and Bushmaster ACR.

The law describes the guns as assault weapons. However, plaintiffs in the lawsuits filed against the state contend that this is an inaccurate term.

For instance, one of the federal lawsuits in East St. Louis, which includes Dane Harrel as a plaintiff from St. Clair County, alleges the law inaccurately describes the firearms as assault weapons and instead called them popular semiautomatic firearms.

Thomas Maag, an attorney from Wood River representing plaintiffs in one of the four federal cases in East St. Louis, said he was pleased to read the ruling by McGlynn.

It appears he applied the proper analysis under the Supreme Court Bruen case, Maag said.

Maag called on state officials to drop the case to save taxpayers the additional cost of defending the law in court.

Multiple lawsuits also have been filed in state court and those cases are pending. These suits allege lawmakers violated the state constitution in the process of passing the bill in January.

Belleville News-Democrat reporter Mike Koziatek contributed information to this article.
Douglasville police said a mother and her middle-school daughter sent a threatening message to 150 middle schoolers after a fight at a park.

Police said Quantisha Wilson threatened a 15-year-old girl who her daughter had been in a fight with at Hunter Park on April 15.

Douglasville police responded to the park to investigate the next day. They were able to find surveillance video of the fight and confirmed that Wilson and her daughter, who they did not identify, were involved.

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The video showed Wilson instruct the girl her daughter was fighting with to apologize and say she was afraid to fight her, or Wilson would allow her daughter to beat the girl up again.

Later that night, Wilson and her daughter ranted on Instagram Live for over two hours, where Wilson continued to threaten the other female, police said. At one point, Wilson stated, I will fight a child.

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The threatening Instagram Live message was sent directly to 150 middle-school students, police said.

Wilson has been charged with one count of misdemeanor terrorist threats, three counts of felony terroristic threats, one count of felony contributing to the delinquency of a minor, one count of felony cruelty to children, simple battery and disorderly conduct.

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Police are encouraging parents to attend a parenting class they are offering May 16 at 6:30 p.m.at the Douglasville Public Safety Complex.

Whatever the reason, parents should be aware of the law and know that there are consequences to their actions, as well as their childrens, police said.
A fireball was seen hurtling over Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona early Thursday, April 27, and videos show it exploded into multiple pieces before vanishing in the dark.

The American Meteor Society says 36 people have filed witness reports, including five who recorded video.

Most assumed it was a meteor, but it was actually human-made space trash, the society has revealed.

This event was not a natural fireball but rather an uncontrolled space debris reentry from the SpaceX Endurance 2 mission launched Oct 5, 2022, the society reported.

The section of the Dragon Endurance 2 was launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida and was projected to cross over eight central US states (from Michigan to Arizona) before crashing.

Among the witness accounts were people reporting it looked bigger than a regular meteor and was visible for an extended period, leading some to suspect it might be an aircraft or done. The majority of fireballs only last (a) few seconds, the society reports.

Multiple witnesses noted the object was red and made no sound as it fell.

Nearly half the reports came just before 3 a.m. from Colorado, with many living in the Denver area.

Until the meteor fragmented I thought it was a low flying plane with landing lights full on, although smoke trail was visible and it was oscillating slightly, a witness in Perry Park, Colorado, reported.

This was the brightest and longest and most exciting fireball ... with hundreds of fragments and some trail with smoke glowing red at the end, a woman in Montrose, Colorado wrote.

It looked like a firework exploding downward across the western sky but Ive seen plenty of fireworks and this wasnt one, a witness in Castle Rock, Colorado, said. Ive never seen nor heard of a red meteor either.

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On 19 May, the first ever Bucha Journalism Conference: Journalism's Role in Wars and Crises will take place. This is a joint event of the Media Development Foundation public organisation and the Ukrainska Pravda online news outlet.

The one-day conference will be a platform to discuss the role of professional media in covering war crimes and human rights violations. It will also focus on the ethical aspects of a journalist's work during a full-scale war.

The organisers chose Bucha as the venue for the event, a city where Ukrainian and international journalists witnessed the war crimes of Russians in the spring of 2022, after the liberation of Kyiv Oblast.

The conference aims to protect the historical memory of Ukraine as well as call on media professionals around the world to continue to cover the events of those tragic days.

In the context of full-scale Russian aggression, media professionals should be reminded of the importance of establishing justice and accountability of those responsible for these crimes.

To become a participant of the conference, please fill out the form.

In total, the organisers expect to invite about 300 participants from among journalists, students, representatives of civil society and international partners.

The journalists from various international media outlets, such as The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Voice of America will be among the speakers at the conference.

The Ukrainian media community will be represented by media managers of leading independent editorial offices as well as war correspondents of Bihus.info, Hromadske and Donbas Frontliner.

The language of the event is Ukrainian. Simultaneous translation into English will also be available.

During the day, participants will have the opportunity to participate in four panels:

Panel 1: Ethics on the battlefield: the responsibility of the media in covering the war

On this panel, participants will discuss the ethical aspects journalists face when covering war crimes in a war zone.

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Speakers will talk about the impact of propaganda and disinformation, as well as the role of independent journalism in providing reliable and unbiased information.

The discussion will be attended by Natalia Humeniuk, the Ukrainian journalist, documentary filmmaker, and executive director of the Laboratory of Public Interest Journalism; journalist Yanina Sokolova; as well as Yevhenii Spirin, the editor-in-chief of Babel.

Panel 2: Telling the History of Ukraine: Challenges for Foreign Media

Participants will learn what security risks foreign journalists face in the war in Ukraine, how they overcome challenges in accessing information sources, and how to understand the complex social and political contexts in the country.

Among the invited speakers are Isabelle Khurshudyan, the head of the Ukrainian bureau of The Washington Post and Matthew Luxmoore, a special reporter for The Wall Street Journal.

Olha Rudenko, editor-in-chief of The Kyiv Independent, will moderate the discussion.

Panel 3: Witness of War: The Media's Key Role in Documenting Atrocities and Crimes

Participants will discuss coverage of war crimes committed during the full-scale war in Ukraine. The focus of the discussion is on working with witnesses and methods of documenting war crimes.

The discussion will be attended by Bihus.info journalist Anna Kaliuzhna and TSN correspondent Natalia Nahorna.

Hromadske journalist Nastia Stanko will moderate the discussion.

Panel 4: Panel of Editors: The Role of Journalism in Wars and Crises

During this panel, editors of the country's leading media outlets will discuss how the war affected the media and how to survive in such conditions. It will also focus on the role of Ukrainian journalists in shaping the nation.

The panel will be attended by editor-in-chief of Ukrainska Pravda Sevgil Musayeva and ex-editor of Suspilne Movlennia Angelina Kariakina.

The panel discussions will be followed by awarding journalists with a special conference award for their ethics and professionalism in covering war crimes.

In addition, Bellingcat researcher Michael Sheldon will conduct a seminar for journalists, where they will gain skills in working with OSINT [open-source intelligence - ed.] and fact checking, as well as learn how to work with misinformation.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Shares of First Republic Bank are cratering Friday as federal regulators are attempting to figure out a way to prevent it from collapsing, according to multiple reports.

First Republic shares were down more than 43 percent shortly before noon, extending a slide triggered by a dire earnings report released earlier this week. Shares of the bank are worth just more than $3, down from a peak of nearly $220 in late 2021.

The Federal Reserve Board, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) and the Treasury Department are meeting with banks and financial firms to craft a potential rescue package for First Republic, according to Reuters. Earlier this month, First Republic received $30 billion to back up deposits from a group of several megabanks after prodding from the Treasury Department.

First Republic, however, may be forced into federal receivership and taken over by the FDIC, according to CNBC. The FDIC took over Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank after their collapses in March.

First Republic has faced serious financial pressure and fears from markets and regulators since the outbreak of a banking crisis in March. Like SVB, the vast majority of First Republics deposits are over the FDICs deposit insurance threshold and the bank is responsible for steep unrealized losses on their Treasury Department bondholdings.

Concern around First Republic deepened Tuesday after the bank unveiled first-quarter earnings that were far worse than market analysts expected. Even with the $30 billion in aid from larger banks, First Republic lost 40 percent of the $176 billion in deposits it held at the end of last year.

Developing

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The number of foreign nationals spied on by the U.S. through its warrantless surveillance program reached an all-time high last year, according to government statistics released Friday, even as the number of Americans swept up in such searches declined dramatically.

The report, required annually, comes as Congress weighs reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), set to expire this December.

Section 702 allows for the warrantless surveillance of foreign nationals outside the United States, even as they communicate with U.S. citizens on domestic soil. Its a feature that many fear allows intelligence agencies to keep tabs on U.S. citizens without securing a warrant.

The FBI spied on more than 246,000 foreign nationals using the tool, a jump from roughly 232,000 the year before, about a 6 percent increase.

The number of Americans impacted by those searches plummeted, from 2.9 million last year to 119,000 this year.

The FBI attributes the decline to a shift in its practices, including requiring agents to opt in to searching the 702 database and requiring attorney approval when running a batch of more than 100 queries.

Its a factor Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee and a leader in the reauthorization effort, called evidence of a real tightening up on the part of the FBI on the most controversial aspect of 702.

It shows that theyve taken what was a pretty blunt instrument, the mechanics of making a query, and made it much more targeted and specific, he told The Hill.

I think its evidence of very good progress. I dont think it gets us over the reauthorization line. I think theres still a conversation to be had about the fact that U.S. person data is queried, something he said can be done as a defensive measure if there are concerns a citizen may be targeted.

But the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said the data shows the process should be reformed to require a warrant.

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FBI agents are sitting at their computers and subjecting Americans to warrantless backdoor searches hundreds of times per day. While the new statistics show a decline, the total number of searches is huge even now, and the intrusion on Americans privacy is undeniable, said Patrick Toomey, deputy director with the American Civil Liberties Unions National Security Project, in a statement.

After years of FBI surveillance abuses, its time for Congress to step in and require the constitutional gold standard: a warrant, he said.

Himes said the practice would undercut the ability to do defensive searches to see if a citizen may be at risk.

The problem is that warrants are designed to be given when theres probable cause to believe that somebody is committing a crime. Warrants arent designed to allow the FBI to investigate the possibility that a U.S. person might be a victim, he said.

Section 702 often faces a difficult path to reauthorization every five years, but this year may be more so, with critics on the right and the left already expressing hesitation.

Concern from the right comes amid a wave of GOP criticism of law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, with the House Judiciary Committee alleging it has improperly targeted conservatives, something the agency denies. Though Section 702 is different from the program used to spy on former President Trumps adviser Carter Page, many still see the case as emblematic of broader issues with FISA.

On the left, lawmakers argue the tool can disproportionately impact people of color and religious minorities.

Two California lawmakers this week started the bipartisan Fourth Amendment Caucus, arguing for reform of Section 702.

With a nod to the constitutional protection against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government, a Dear Colleague letter says the caucus would fight to safeguard against warrantless searches and seizures, close privacy-violating surveillance loopholes, and protect and restore Fourth Amendment rights.

The Justice Department and FBI have been making the case for Section 702 reauthorization, warning of what they would lose if the power expires at the end of the year.

What keeps me up at night is thinking about what will happen if we fail to renew Section 702 of FISA, said Matthew Olsen, the assistant attorney general for national security, at a discussion at the Brookings Institution in March.

Without 702, we will lose indispensable intelligence for our decision-makers and warfighters, as well as those of our allies. And we have no fallback authority that could come close to making up for that loss.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Zion National Park Molly OBrien

NBC journalist Morgan Chesky developed a fever, fatigue, and difficulty breathing on a hiking trip.

After taking an ambulance to a hospital, he was diagnosed with high altitude pulmonary edema.

HAPE is a potentially fatal form of altitude sickness that causes fluid to build up in the lungs.

When Morgan Chesky, an NBC broadcaster based in Dallas, developed a fever after hiking Bryce Canyon in Utah, he figured a good night's sleep would cure it.

The 37-year-old journalist had "painstakingly planned" his multi-day trip with a "legendary crew," he wrote on Instagram, and had hiked more difficult, higher-elevation trails before.

But the next day while hiking at Zion National Park, Chesky said he became frustrated that he couldn't catch his breath. Even "a slow pace caused my pulse to spike. I got angry," he wrote. "When my uncle grabbed my pack, I let him take it and finished the trail, too weak to even celebrate."

Still, Chesky hoped it would pass with Tylenol and some sleep.

"But when I woke up worse, I caved. After hearing my symptoms at Urgent Care, they tested my pulse ox (blood oxygen saturation). Normal is 95-100 percent. Mine read 58," he said. "That's when they called the ambulance."

Chesky had a dangerous form of altitude sickness

At Cedar City Hospital in Utah, Chesky learned he had a condition called high altitude pulmonary edema, or HAPE, a severe form of altitude sickness. Research shows the condition tends to occur when people living in low elevations ascend rapidly to altitudes above 2,500 meters, or about 8,200 feet.

Doing so can put pressure on the blood vessels in the lungs, forcing fluid into lung tissue and the small air sacs of the lungs called the alveoli, the Mayo Clinic says. Symptoms typically begin two to five days after arriving at altitude and can first include a cough, fatigue, and difficulty breathing during physical activity, and progress to bluish skin and trouble breathing even at rest.

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Left untreated, it can kill 50% of those affected, a medical continuing education report shows.

Bryce and Zion aren't quite 9,000 feet, and Chesky said he'd hiked at higher elevations of 14,000 feet before with no problem. But doctors at the hospital told him that didn't matter  even a cold that he didn't realize he had may have put him at risk. Men also seem more prone to the condition, which doesn't seem to spare people who are physically fit, the report says.

It's a good thing that Chesky went to the hospital when he did."When my lungs started to fill with fluid, it forced my heart to work harder, causing my pulse to skyrocket," Chesky said.

Hospital staffers told Chesky he could have passed out or suffered a cardiac arrest had he waited longer for treatment.

"Hard pass," wrote Chesky, who said he was treated with oxygen, blood thinners, and "stellar care" over 24 hours. "I'm not home yet, but hope to see y'all at a lower elevation soon," he added.

Prevent HAPE while hiking this summer

Research suggests that HAPE is rare in tourists, and most often affects mountaineers and climbers who are pursuing high-altitude climbs. But it's good for all hikers to be prepared.

Adventurers can lower their risk by giving themselves time to acclimate to higher altitudes, sleeping at lower altitudes, and avoiding alcohol, salt, and sleeping pills at higher elevations.

If you do experience symptoms, getting oxygen  be it by descending quickly, receiving supplemental oxygen, or both  is key.

Read the original article on Insider
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Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines are kept in a cooler during a vaccination event at the at the Ezell Hester Jr. Community Center Saturday September 18, 2021 in Boynton Beach. Boynton Beach gave $100 gift cards to the first 500 people who received a COVID-19 vaccine during the event. MEGHAN McCARTHY/The Palm Beach Post

Floridas official COVID-19 caseload count remains unclear while hospitalizations have hit a one-year low, new state data showed Friday.

More than 36,000 new cases or fewer than 4,500?

Floridas infection tally increased by 36,758 since April 14, the state Health Departments biweekly COVID report released Friday shows.

But its just 4,446 more than March 31 because state health officials inexplicably removed more than 32,000 cases between March 31 and April 14.

The state Health Department reported a total of 7,569,449 cases March 31, 7,537,137 on April 14, and 7,573,895 on Friday.

The state Health Department said April 7 it had paused sending data to the CDC to upgrade its case-reporting systems to match the CDCs expanded definition of a COVID case. The definition was changed in late February. It now includes test results from over-the-counter kits and tests performed on the dead.

Before Florida stopped sending statistics to the CDC, the federal agency would report new infection and death numbers from the state weekly. Since then, the state Health Departments biweekly COVID report has become the only source for those updates.

State health officials have yet to explain why it removed cases between March 31 and April 14.

Hospitalizations still declining

748 hospital patients Friday, the fewest since April 25, 2022. Far fewer than the nearly 3,000 in early January. (Source: U.S. Health and Human Services Department).

Viral loads rising in a few counties

Wastewater, which reveals coronavirus trends sooner than official case counts, shows viral levels rising in Monroe County.

Test results from Wednesday found 1,208 coronavirus particles per milliliter of sewage in the state's southernmost county, which contains the Florida Keys, according to Boston-based private laboratory Biobot Analytics. That's almost six times more than April 12.

Sewage readings from Alachua, Hillsborough, Leon, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach and Pinellas counties continue to show viral loads well below their winter peaks.

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Should you mask up indoors?

The CDC cant issue indoor masking recommendations in Florida due to lack of data from the state.

Florida vaccination rates still among nation's worst

30.5%  Floridians 65 and older who have gotten the latest booster*

42.6%  Seniors boosted nationwide**

11.5%  Floridians up to date on shots

16.8%  Americans up to date

More than 7.5 million infected in Florida, which is more than 1 in 3 residents.

*Those 65 and older comprise the vast majority of COVID deaths.

**Only seniors in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee have less protection than those in Florida.

Chris Persaud is The Palm Beach Post's data reporter. Email him at cpersaud[at]pbpost.com. Click @ChrisMPersaud and follow him on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida COVID caseload increases more than 36,000 or less than 4,500
State lawmakers legislation to crack down on misbehaving insurance companies had teeth.

Maybe a few too many.

A provision that would have pierced the veil on insurance company profits by requiring insurers to report new information to the state was met with resistance when the bill was introduced last month.

By the time senators unanimously approved the bill on Wednesday, it was gone.

SB 7052 still gives state regulators new powers to investigate insurers and hold them accountable, a sea change in Tallahassee after years of largely giving companies what they want in an effort to stop rapidly rising premiums and a slew of company insolvencies.

But the conflict over a provision that targeted domestic insurers business models highlights the dilemma state lawmakers and regulators face with the insurance crisis.

Ever since 1992s Hurricane Andrew upended the states insurance market, the state has been dominated by small, Florida-based insurance companies.

Those companies have attracted investors because of the chance to make immense profits in storm-free years.

Insurance company profits are capped by state regulators, who approve rate filings each year. But many domestic insurers business models revolve around creating sister and parent companies, which charge the original insurer fees.

These affiliates can charge the insurance company up to $25 per policy, as well as a percentage fee of premiums for providing services to the insurer. That fee, commonly between 20% and 30% and approved by regulators, is often tied to policyholder rates. When rates go up, so does the fee.

Between 2005 and 2017, when the state saw no named storms, domestic insurers were highly profitable.

In 2015, the CEO of Tampa-based Heritage Insurance Holdings made $27.3 million, more than twice the CEO of State Farm, the nations largest insurer. In 2017, the CEO of Fort Lauderdale-based Universal Insurance Holdings was the highest-paid property and casualty insurance company executive in the nation, at $19.3 million in compensation.

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However, state regulators have repeatedly cited excessive fees to affiliate companies as a reason insurers are going under.

When Tampa-based Homewise Insurance Co. and one of its affiliates went insolvent in 2011, for example, auditors hired by the state dug into the companys books. They found tens of millions of dollars in fees paid to its parent company each year.

The heavy flow of cash out of the Company  weakened both insurance companies and ultimately contributed to their insolvency, auditors wrote.

The initial version of SB 7052 would have provided unprecedented insight into insurers and their affiliate companies. Companies would have been required to report to the state:

the actual cost of each service provided by an insurers affiliate company

the relative financial condition of the insurer and its managing company

the amount of dividends paid by the parent company

The language was dropped during negotiations with the House and Senate, however.

The Senate bill sponsor, Sen. Travis Hutson, R-Elkton, said both sides agreed that they didnt want to do anything to upset the applecart of Floridas insurance industry. And that included not challenging the industrys business model.

Were trying to make sure the business model can stay intact, but the bad actors were going to go after, he said.

In exchange for dropping the reporting requirements, both chambers agreed to require insurers adopt best practices for handling claims, Hutson said. Companies would have to create, and use, claims-handling manuals, and allow the Office of Insurance Regulation to request those manuals.

The legislation also gives the office new powers to investigate insurers, sharply increases fines against them and requires regulators to regularly report their actions against insurers to the Legislature.

On Thursday, the Senate passed the bill with no debate. The House is expected to take it up next week.

Insurers have privately opposed the bill.

Mark Friedlander, Florida spokesperson for the industry-backed Insurance Information Institute, said the bill appears to be a direct response to negative feedback some legislators have received from their constituents about the bills passed by the Legislature last year. The bills made it harder to sue insurance companies and dedicated $3 billion to help insurers.

Friedlander said last years bills will create a more stable insurance market and more competitive pricing.

Many of the changes were requested by the states new insurance commissioner, and others were spurred by news coverage of the states insurance crisis, Hutson said. The new law would also require insurers to document any changes to an adjusters report and include the name of the person who ordered the changes, a reaction to a Washington Post story last month in which adjusters said their reports were manipulated to reduce payouts to homeowners.

We want to make sure the insurance company is treating the consumer fair, Hutson said. If theyre not treating the insured fair, then its a problem.  They should get severely penalized.
BEIJING (AP)  Foreign companies are under growing pressure in China from anti-corruption, national security and other investigations as President Xi Jinpings government tightens control over business, clashing with efforts to lure back investors after the pandemic.

This week, Bain & Co. said police questioned staff in its Shanghai office. The consulting company gave no details of what investigators were looking for. Last month, the corporate due diligence firm Mintz Group said its Beijing office was raided by police who detained five employees. Also last month, an employee of a Japanese drug maker was detained on spying charges and the government announced a security review of memory chip maker Micron Inc.

The ruling Communist Party is trying to reignite investor interest i n China despite increased political control over the economy. Business groups have said global companies are shifting investment plans to Southeast Asia, India and other economies.

At a time when China is proactively trying to restore business confidence to attract foreign investment, the actions taken send a very mixed signal, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said Friday in a statement.

A foreign ministry spokesperson said she didn't know about the Bain & Co. case but defended Chinese law enforcement.

China welcomes foreign companies to invest and do business in China. We are committed to building an internationalized, market-oriented and law-based business environment, said Mao Ning. All companies in China should operate in compliance with law.

Xi, Chinas most powerful leader in decades, is in the midst of multiple campaigns to tighten ruling party control over entrepreneurs, root out official corruption and reduce reliance on foreign technology and expertise.

Chinas relations with Washington, Europe and Tokyo are strained by disputes about human rights, Taiwan, security and technology. But there is no indication whether the investigations were politically motivated. Chinese companies have been targeted for more severe action.

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The Beijing office of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu was fined 211.9 million yuan ($30.8 million) in March on charges that it failed to adequately audit state-owned China Huarong Asset Management Co. That came after Huarongs former boss was sentenced to death in 2021 on charges of taking bribes.

The ruling party has tightened legal restrictions on access to information about companies and their employees. That has increased uncertainty for firms including Bain & Co. and Mintz Group that help clients spot fraud or other misconduct by business partners or acquisition targets.

We can confirm that the Chinese authorities have questioned staff in our Shanghai office. We are cooperating as appropriate with the Chinese authorities, Bain & Co. said in a written statement.

This week, Chinas legislature expanded the scope of its espionage law to give authorities powers to gain access to electronic information. The law covers all documents, data, materials and items related to national security, said the official Xinhua News Agency, though it did not say how national security is defined.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Friday expressed concern about the law's impact on firms that are fundamental to establishing investor confidence.

The additional scrutiny of firms providing essential business services dramatically increases the uncertainties and risks of doing business in the Peoples Republic, the Chamber said. This is a matter of serious concern for the investor community and likely is as well for their local business partners in China.

Foreign companies have for years advised employees visiting China not to carry computers or mobile phones with confidential information because they might be seized by authorities or stolen by industrial spies.

An employee of Japanese drugmaker Astellas Pharma Inc. was detained in March on what the foreign ministry said were suspicions of spying. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi protested during a visit to Beijing this month.

The Chinese ambassador to Tokyo, Wu Jianghao, on Friday defended the handling of the case of the Astellas employee, whom he identified as Kan Nishiyama.

The core of this incident, it's a spy that involves China's national security. The facts are becoming more and more conclusive, Wu said. He gave no details.

Tens of millions of Japanese friends have dealt with China. How many over decades have been arrested? the ambassador said. We welcome normal, friendly activities and economic activities. But engaging in illegal espionage, we must ban in accordance with law.

Also last month, the government announced Micron's technology and manufacturing would be scrutinized for possible risks under China's cybersecurity law. The company is a leading supplier to Chinese factories.

The ruling party also has tightened control over private sector Chinese success stories including e-commerce giant Alibaba Group and ride-hailing service Didi Global Inc. by launching anti-monopoly and data security investigations.

Didi Global moved trading in its shares from the New York Stock Exchange to Hong Kong last June. The company was fined 8 billion yuan ($1.2 billion) the following month on charges it mishandled customer information.

The crackdowns are a jarring backdrop for official efforts to reverse a decline in foreign business interest in China. The ruling party wants foreign companies in electric cars and other fields to bring in technology and provide competition to force Chinese companies to improve.

Business groups earlier said global companies were shifting investment plans to Southeast Asia, India and the United States due to the difficulty of visiting China, as well as higher costs and more cumbersome regulations.

At a forum in March with business leaders including Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook, the countrys top economic official, Premier Li Qiang, promised broad space for foreign competitors.

___

AP researcher Wanqing Chen in Beijing and AP Business Writer Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed.
Zoe Petersen, Deseret News

Folks whove held a grudge over a wrong, mentally replayed a hurtful incident over and over or struggled to move past tragedy have access to a tool that could free them from the pain  and the person who inflicted it.

The REACH forgiveness workbook, developed by psychologist Everett Worthington, is designed to provide a starting point and directions to navigate the path to forgiving someone. Its free, takes between two and three hours and can be used almost anywhere in the world by virtually anyone who has something they would like to let go.

Forgiving someone is not the same as excusing or reconciling, said Tyler J. VanderWeele, director of the Human Flourishing Program and co-director of the Initiative on Health, Spirituality, and Religion at Harvard University  and an advocate of the workbooks process.

Forgiving does not mean someone doesnt seek justice for a wrong, either, he said.

On the Human Flourishing blog hosted by Psychology Today, he wrote that forgiveness can set someone free. From the hurt. From replaying the painful event over and over. And even from the offender.

Why forgive

Exquisitely important is how Andrew Serazin, president of the Templeton World Charity Foundation, describes forgiveness, calling it an area of human interest and human need.

He told the Deseret News that mammals are hardwired for revenge and shame and guilt. Punishment and negative feelings toward an offender were effective when societies were small, he said.

But its not a tenable path forward in the modern world. In order to cooperate across diverse groups, long distances and long time frames, we humans needed a strategy to overcome a cycle of vengeance, guilt and shame. In that sense, forgiveness is a miracle because it is a behavioral strategy that breaks us out of that cycle, Serazin said.

The benefits are impressive.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, research shows that the act of forgiving  it takes genuine, internalized action  reduces the risk of heart attack, lowers cholesterol, improves sleep quality and dials down blood pressure, pain and anxiety levels. It counters depression and stress. And the impact of forgiveness keeps growing as people age.

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Researchers and health practitioners have found that forgiveness lets one release anger and other negative emotions, replacing them with empathy, compassion and sometimes even affection.

Holding onto hurt or anger harms humans in ways known for years. A 2009 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, for instance, linked anger and hostility to a greater risk of heart disease and said those who already have cardiovascular problems and harbor those feelings tend to fare worse than those who can let grievances go.

The workbook itself lays out the case for forgiveness, noting that harboring anger increases the stress hormone cortisol in the body. It can cause digestive problems, mess with ones immune system, interfere with sex drive and deplete memory, among other ill effects.

Science has shown that forgiving, when practiced over time, makes people physically healthier, more psychologically adjusted, happier in relationships and more spiritually calm. But it takes time and effort, the workbook says.

Worthington points out that forgiveness has two parts: Deciding to forgive improves relationships and spirituality, while emotional forgiveness improves mental and physical health, though the latter takes longer. For most, the emotional side is harder than simply deciding to do it, he said.

Empathy can flow both ways, VanderWeele said. If something you say or do deeply hurts or offends another person, even if you believe you did nothing wrong, it can still be helpful to express sorrow for the others pain. In some cases, this itself might facilitate healing and might help the other person to forgive.

Author Everett L. Worthington Jr. is pictured in this undated handout photo. | Damion Muller

A familys tragedy

Worthington had been studying the power of forgiveness for at least six years when tragedy forced him to confront whether he could walk the talk hed put forth in several books on forgiveness and hope and finding peace. Hes now written dozens of books on related subjects.

On New Years Day in 1996, his mothers body was found in her home. Shed been murdered by an intruder, robbery the suspected motive. His younger brother, whod been unable to reach his 77-year-old mom, had gone over and found her body.

Though police had a suspect, the young man was never charged and the case was never officially solved.

Still, Worthington and his brother and sister each decided separately that to honor their mothers life, they would find a way to forgive the person who killed her.

It wasnt the first time hed made a hard decision and changed directions. Before he was a marriage counselor and professor, Worthington was a nuclear engineer with a masters degree from MIT. As a naval officer, he found an aptitude and a liking for counseling so he changed course and studied psychology, which eventually led to his 40-year career as a couples counselor and a professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. There, he has become an internationally renowned expert in the field of forgiveness research.

Asked if talking about his familys tragedy would make him feel bad, Worthington responded, At this point, like many other things that happened to us in life, its something that is in the past. Of course, like everybody, I remember  and especially remember around the New Years holiday. But it does not really cause me great pain, just memories of her and the legacy she left in the lives of myself, my brother and my sister.

Part of that legacy was the profound belief shared that their mother, Frances Worthington, would want them to forgive her killer.

His lifes goal, Worthington said earnestly, is to promote forgiveness in every willing heart, home and homeland. I think (the workbook) is a way to make it possible for people who are willing to work on forgiveness anywhere.

REACH forgiveness workbook

The idea of the workbook, which has had different iterations as Worthington worked to boil it down from about seven hours of evidence-based practice to being doable almost anywhere in the world in less than half that time, was to help anyone who wants to forgive to be able to do so more efficiently and effectively, he told the Deseret News. Most people arent sure how to start.

The workbook has been the subject of numerous randomized controlled trials that vet its effectiveness, he said.

Pretty much anybody can do it, said Worthington. It introduces the topic and defines a working definition of forgiveness.

VanderWeele said it was tested in relatively high-conflict countries  Columbia, South Africa, Ukraine, Indonesia and Hong Kong. People were randomly assigned to receive the workbook right away or had to wait a couple of weeks. Just before the delayed group got it, researchers measured forgiveness.

Per VanderWeele, those who got it right away showed more forgiveness than those who had to wait, although they, too, were seeking to forgive a hurt or wrong. The workbook-first group displayed less depressive symptoms and anxiety levels during the assessment and their sense of hope appeared more buoyant.

He wrote that using accepted human flourishing measures, researchers found evidence it increased various aspects of flourishing: happiness, health, meaning, character, relationships and even a sense of financial security.

A paper on the studies results is in the peer-review process, but researchers released a preprint of findings early because they are important. They hope people will start on their forgiveness journey right away.

In the workbook, people tackle one incident they want to forgive. Later, theres a section with several other hurts they try to work through, so they are applying those to different hurts in their lives, said Worthington. Hopefully, they dont just get help with one hurt, but they learn a skill or improve their natural skills in forgiveness.

The workbook name is an acronym Worthington came up with to describe the five steps involved in forgiving. Those are:

Recall the hurt.

Empathize with the person who caused it.

Altruistically forgive.

Commit to that forgiveness.

Hold onto the forgiveness when you doubt, which will likely happen.

Justice is a different issue

Forgiveness isnt the only route to cope with injustice, Worthington said. There are many good ways. But if people are willing, forgiveness is powerful.

But forgiving  and Worthington, VanderWeele and other forgiveness experts emphasize this repeatedly  does not mean foregoing justice.

Forgiveness and justice are actually in different realms, Worthington said. Forgiveness is something that happens internally. When my mother was murdered, I could forgive the young man that did that. But if he were to be caught and brought into the justice system, it wouldnt matter whether I had forgiven. He would still have to face justice, which is societal.

Ones sense of injustice  the injustice gap  hinges on how hard it is for one to deal with the feelings around it. One of the things we try to let people know is they can mix and match these ways of dealing with injustice. They can go to God. They can appeal to God for divine justice. They can relinquish it to God. They can seek justice in the justice system. They can forebear, tolerate, accept, move on. However they can get the injustice they feel down, the lower it can get, the easier it is to forgive, Worthington said.

Serazin said that most people say forgiving allows those whove been wronged to go through a formal process of justice in a more objective way  a way that doesnt cause continued hurt. Those who hold onto negative thoughts and feelings, on the other hand, have a tendency to ruminate. You just think about it over and over and every time you do that, it causes pain.

He added, Justice is about making sure there are appropriate consequences to things that happen without carrying this unforgiveness in the heart in a way that is ultimately taxing and draining for physical and mental health. Justice and forgiveness can work side by side.

Having experienced the worst of human nature, Worthington nevertheless believes that nothing, in principle, is unforgivable. Practice, though, may be different. Forgiving can feel like trying to jump over a 20-foot fence, he said. We just physically or by our nature or by our experience cannot get over that fence. Thats why I think its important for people to realize forgiveness doesnt have to do all the heavy lifting.

He emphasizes that forgiving someone does not have to lead to reconciliation. You can even forgive someone dead who has harmed you  reconciliation is impossible there.

I can forgive someone and it still might not be desirable or prudent to reconcile with them. Reconciliation requires restoration of trust. If someone isnt trustworthy, it would not be a good idea to reconcile, but I can still forgive.

That lets one lay down tortuous memories and move on, he noted.

Adds Serazin, to engage in strategies like visualization or perspective taking where you put yourself in someones position, or physical activity like giving a gift. Those are really important because they get the rest of the body to go along with the decision to forgive. Without that kind of twofold approach, the benefits arent as powerful.

The Templeton World Charity Foundation has its own forgiveness initiative and resources, available online at Discoverforgiveness.org. So it was a no-brainer for the group to support a free downloadable workbook thats readily available globally, Serazin said. The foundation provided a grant to fund a trial to see if it worked.

We were very pleased and honored to be able to fund something global in scope that can meet people where they are, whether they have access to therapists or other resources or whether they are by themselves, Serazin said.

Its surprising that a two-hour intervention can make a difference on really deep-seated things like anxiety and depression, he said of the study results. Our support for this research is part of a broader multimillion-dollar effort about raising the profile and practice of forgiveness.

You can download the workbook here.
The board of directors at AMC Networks have unveiled the 2022 compensation packages paid out to its leadership team after surprise executive suite turmoil at the company that operates such cable networks as AMC, IFC and Sundance TV.

Former CEO, COO and CFO Christina Spade received a total pay package of $21.3 million last year, AMC Networks revealed in an SEC filing issued on Friday. Spade was promoted to CEO from Sept. 9, 2022, only to abruptly step down from the job on Nov. 28, 2022.

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Spade, whose pay topped $7 million in 2021, last year received a salary of $1.24 million and no bonus, while also taking home $7.4 million in stock awards, $2.1 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation and $10.5 million in all other compensation.

Spades latest employment agreement was set to run through the end of 2025 and stipulated she was eligible to receive a severance payment of more than $10 million, in addition to benefits associated with restricted stock and other awards.

Former interim CEO Matthew Blank, who gave way to Spade in the top post last September, received a total pay package of $4.87 million last year, down from $6.96 million in pay for 2021.

Josh Sapan, another former CEO, as well as former president and executive vice chairman, earned $15.06 million in 2022, just down from compensation of $15.2 million in 2021. Blank, a former Showtime Networks CEO, replaced longtime boss Sapan as an earlier CEO.

Sapan then shifted to an executive vice chairman role after a 26-year run with the company, with that term ending on Dec. 31, 2022.

Elsewhere in the SEC filing, Patrick OConnell, previously a senior executive at CBS Corp. and Goldman Sachs who became executive vp and CFO at AMC Networks from August 2, 2022, earned a total compensation package of $1.7 million last year.

Story continues

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Former Vice President Mike Pence stands with former Gov. Gary Herbert at an event at the Zions Bank Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 28, 2023. The event was hosted by the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke at a private event in Salt Lake City on Friday about the tragedy of the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, his related grand jury testimony on Thursday, and what he thinks the Republican Party should focus on going into the 2024 election.

Pence has been floated as a potential presidential candidate, and he appears to be preparing for a run as he crisscrosses the U.S. doing speaking events in support of his memoir, So Help Me God.

Known for his strong Christian faith, Pence said his book was a record of Gods faithfulness in both he and his wife, Karen, who was also at the event.

The event was hosted by former Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, in conjunction with the public policy institute named for Herbert at Utah Valley University. Herbert asked Pence questions and the two former governors  Pence was the governor of Indiana in the 2010s  joked about their previous interactions.

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Pences visit to Utah came just a day after he testified to a grand jury for seven hours. The jury is exploring whether criminal charges should be filed against former President Donald Trump for his role in seeking to overturn the 2020 election results.

Earlier this week, a federal appeals court rejected Trumps attempt to stop Pence from testifying. Pence had also opposed the grand jury subpoena on the grounds that his role as president of the Senate should provide him congressional privilege. In that case, Pence was allowed to avoid some lines of questioning over the conflict.

Pence has not shied away from talking about his anger with Trump over his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, when protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol Building. In his memoir, Pence said he told Trump he was angry over Trumps actions that day. He also recounted how he, his wife and daughter had to huddle in the Capitol garage to escape rioters who were reportedly chanting, Hang Mike Pence!

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Pence demurred when Herbert asked him about what he said in his seven hours of grand jury testimony the day before, saying he was very limited in what he could discuss.

Former Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen Pence, arrive at an event at the Zions Bank Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 28, 2023. The event was hosted by the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

If people are curious about what I might say, you can look at the interviews that Ive done over the last six months, and you can read the pages of my book, he said.

The audience gave Pence a sustained standing ovation after he spoke about his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, and how he believed it was a tragic day, that became a triumph of freedom, because the institutions and Constitution held strong.

I will always believe by Gods grace  with my wife at my side the whole day, the whole night, and our daughter beside her  Ill always believe it was by Gods grace that we did our duty that day under the Constitution of the United States, he said.

He also declined to answer a question about his plans for a presidential run in 2024. He has hovered in third or fourth place in early presidential primary polls, trailing behind Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Pences decision to run will likely be based on his ability to raise money, and on whether he is able to capture the lane once held by conservative evangelical Republicans. He may have some competition in that lane from other candidates, including South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott who is exploring a run.

Pence did seem to try to set himself apart from Trump and DeSantis with a more optimistic message.

Ive often said to people, Im a conservative but Im not in a bad mood about it, he said.

Pence also weighed in on what he thought the Republican Party should focus on in the lead-up to the election, saying candidates should focus on the future.

In the 2022 midterms, those caught up on re-litigating the past, he said, did not fair as well  making a not-so-veiled reference to candidates who were focused on false claims that the 2020 election was rigged.

Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks at an event at the Zions Bank Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 28, 2023. The event was hosted by the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

He also said repeatedly that the problems faced by the country would also be solved through strong leadership.

Pence had harsh words for the policies of the Biden administration, saying he thought Democrats had been overtaken by the politics of the radical left.

His criticisms focused on Bidens policies on immigration, energy, spending and foreign defense.

Im here to tell you hope is on the way, he said. I truly do believe we are eight months away from a great American comeback and itll start right here.

When asked what he thought the biggest challenges were facing the country, Pence named the rise of China and the nations debt.

He said China was a strategic and economic threat to the vitality and future of the United States.

On the debt, Pence spoke about his worries for his three granddaughters  and he touched the so-called third rail of politics by speaking in favor of entitlement reform.

Despite possible blowback from Trump, who has criticized his fellow Republicans who are willing to speak in favor of Social Security and Medicare reform, Pence said Social Security should be reformed for younger workers  those who dont share his white hair color, he said.

He also acknowledged the Trump-Pence administration didnt do everything we needed to do to rein in spending. During their administration, the national debt increased before the COVID-19 pandemic, and then shot up in its wake.

Herbert also asked Pence about immigration.

While Pence and Trump were known for their focus on a border wall, Herbert said lawmakers also need to provide a gate for immigrants. Pence said immigration reform should start with border security, but he said there was a need to fix the doors.

On lawmakers inability to compromise, Pence said Washington acts when they feel a gale-force wind of pressure from the American people.

He also spoke about the need for civility in Washington, and his friendship with the late Democratic congressman John Lewis of Georgia. While he didnt agree with Lewis politically, the two struck up a friendship, he said, leading to Lewis inviting Pence to lead a commemorative walk across the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in 2010.

On the Republican Partys struggles with younger voters, Pence said he thinks the younger generation values freedom, and he said that will eventually drive them away from Democratic policies.

Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks with former Gov. Gary Herbert at an event at the Zions Bank Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 28, 2023. The event was hosted by the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

Former Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen Pence, accept a gift from former Gov. Gary Herbert and his wife, Jeanette, at an event at the Zions Bank Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 28, 2023. The event was hosted by the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks at an event at the Zions Bank Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 28, 2023. The event was hosted by the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

Former Vice President Mike Pence shakes hands with Boyd Matheson of KSL Newsradio after an interview at the Zions Bank Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 28, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

Former Vice President Mike Pence talks to journalists during an interview after speaking at an event at the Zions Bank Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, April 28, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News
Dmytro Tabachnyk

"Balitskys (team) is now supplemented by an odious minister from the Yanukovych government, Dmytro Tabachnyk," Fedorov wrote.

Fedorov also said Tabachnyk is also running for MP from Putin's United Russia party in upcoming elections in Russia.

At the end of November 2022, Tabachnyk was charged with treason. According to investigators, he organized and coordinated the activities of Volodymyr Saldo and Yevgeny Balitsky (heads of fake "administrations" illegally created by the Russian occupation authorities in Kherson and Zaporizhzhya oblasts) "in the field of healthcare, education and preparation for (fake) referendums."

Read also: Zelenskyy strips ex-Yanukovych-era officials of Ukrainian citizenship

In January 2023, Ukraines Security Service seized assets worth more than $2 million belonging to Tabachnyk.

Tabachnyk was put on the wanted list by the SBU in 2015. According to law enforcement, he is hiding from law enforcement in Ukraines Crimea, which has been under Russian military occupation since 2014.

Tabachnyk is also suspected of the misappropriation of property through abuse of office.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Thousands of formerly incarcerated North Carolina residents serving felony sentences will no longer be able to vote.

A trial court ruling had made them eligible to vote in the midterm elections last November, but on Friday the North Carolina Supreme Court overturned that order.

The State Board of Elections said later Friday it has updated voter registration applications to comply. Now, once again, people serving a felony sentence cannot register or vote until their sentence ends, including any period of probation, parole or post-release supervision.

Elections officials will use lists of people serving felony sentences to cancel registrations of people who are now ineligible, the board said.

Arguments in the case, known as Community Success Initiative v. Moore, centered on whether the state law that delineates how peoples voting rights are restored is constitutional and whether it had discriminatory intent.

The high court reversed the trial ruling Friday 5 to 2, split along partisan lines, with Republican justices in favor of reversal and Democrats against.

For the majority, Justice Trey Allen wrote that it is not unconstitutional to insist that felons pay their debt to society as a condition of participating in the electoral process.

The General Assembly did not engage in racial discrimination or otherwise violate the North Carolina Constitution by requiring individuals with felony convictions to complete their sentences  including probation, parole, or post-release supervision  before they regain the right to vote, Allen wrote.

Republicans flipped control of the court in the November elections, flipping two Democratic-held seats and giving their party back a majority on the states high court. Allen was one of the newly elected justices.

Writing in the dissent, Justice Anita Earls said Fridays ruling will one day be repudiated on two grounds. First, because it seeks to justify the denial of a basic human right to citizens and thereby perpetuates a vestige of slavery, and second, because the majority violates a basic tenant of appellate review by ignoring the facts as found by the trial court and substituting its own. Justice Michael Morgan joined in the dissent.

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A reversal of the ruling is unlikely, Western Carolina University politics professor Chris Cooper told The News & Observer.





In politics theres always a way, but I think the most likely scenario certainly is that this ruling will hold, even though challengers are probably not gonna go quietly into the night on this issue.

But at least for now, this is the law of the state.

Right to vote restored after probation

Under North Carolina law, people serving a felony sentence must complete any period of supervision and pay all legal financial obligations before they can vote.

That was challenged in a 2019 lawsuit by nonprofits that argued that this disenfranchisement of formerly incarcerated voters was unconstitutional, that it disproportionately affected Black residents, and that voters should not have to wait to be eligible to vote but should have those rights restored after leaving prison or jail.

The original lawsuit was filed against government officials including House Speaker Tim Moore, Senate leader Phil Berger and the State Board of Elections. Moore said Friday, in a written statement, that Fridays ruling ensured that our constitution and the will of the people of North Carolina are honored.

For years plaintiffs and activist courts have manipulated our Constitution to achieve policy outcomes that could not be won at the ballot box, Berger said in a statement. Todays rulings affirm that our Constitution cannot be exploited to fit the political whims of left-wing Democrats.

They were referencing this case as well as two other high-profile rulings handed by the same court on voter ID and gerrymandering.

Shakita Norman, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, who was able to vote in 2022, said in a written statement that the ruling is just plain wrong.

If youre telling us we can no longer vote, are you also telling us that we dont have to pay taxes? Norman said. This isnt right. This makes us feel like we arent even American citizens. Weve had a long fight and to see our hard-fought victory taken away because of the politics of people is frustrating and sickening. Why cant we have a voice in how things are governed?

The people affected are disproportionately African American, said Brittany Cheatham, communications manager for Forward Justice, one of the organizations that filed the lawsuit on behalf of plaintiffs.

Stripping away the right to vote from over 56,000 people who had finally gotten their voices back clearly demonstrates just how dedicated our officials are to silencing the people whose rights they are supposed to protect, Dennis Gaddy, director of the Community Success Initiative, said in a written statement. It shows their commitment to knowingly and willingly upholding racist laws and practices designed specifically to disenfranchise Black voters.

Breaking News: The NC Supreme Court Strips voting rights from 56,000 North Carolinians, reinstating the states racist felony disenfranchisement laws, including the requirement to pay money to regain the right to vote



Meet us at the NCGA on May 2nd to make your voice heard! pic.twitter.com/9KkbzYutz3  Forward Justice (@Forward_Justice) April 28, 2023

In May 2022, the state Supreme Court, still controlled by Democrats agreed to take over the lawsuit rather than wait for an appeals court to determine if the superior court was right to loosen restrictions. In February the high court, now controlled by Republicans, heard arguments.

People convicted of felonies must pick up the cost of appointing counsel, court costs, fines, any supervision needs and restitution, said Daryl Atkinson, attorney and co-director for Forward Justice. Failure to pay results in a multi-year extension of their disenfranchisement and their denial of the right to vote upwards to eight years.

Republican justices parried this point, saying that it seemed Atkinson was assuming that the right to vote was indisputable when that was open to interpretation.
Hunter Lawrence has been in business a good while for someone still considered a young entrepreneur. Its a title that isnt going away anytime soon, and one that keeps garnering attention for his business.

Lawrence, 21, was recently named the South Carolina Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The Fort Mill resident will be honored in Columbia during a May 5 ceremony. Lawrence operates Hunters Arcade House and Sales, a business he started at age 13.

Lawrence buys, sells, repairs, delivers and otherwise works with a variety of arcade style games and machines. He began by selling a claw machine hed gotten a loan from his parents to buy, then paid off through online arcade prize and other sales. Lawrence then set up a storage unit as home base where he brought in and sent out large games.

He owned his own business at 13. At 15, one Fort Mill student is hitting the jackpot.

The recent title isnt the first for Lawrence.

Nonprofit group SC Economics named Lawrence its 2019 SC Young Entrepreneur of the Year. At that time, the Nation Ford High School student already had sold products to 35 states and three foreign countries.

Lawrences business is eight years old. He could run it another eight years and still qualify as young entrepreneur.

Susan Chavis, economic development specialist with the state office for the U.S. Small Business Administration, said the award Lawrence just won is available to business owners up to age 30.

Its awarded for young professionals who are majority owners of a business open at least three years. Its based on year-to-year growth, expansion, online activity, employee count and community involvement.

In addition to arcades, Lawrence works with businesses and restaurants that want games in waiting areas, offices or lobbies. Lawrence also works with homeowners on private game rooms.
Four people were killed when their car hit a mine in Belgorod Oblast, Russia.

Source: Russian independent Telegram channel Baza

Quote: "As preliminary data states, the explosion occurred near the village of Zhuravlivka. Four young men were going fishing and decided to drive to the river in a field in their car. However, they hit a mine, and an explosion occurred.

As a result, everyone in the car was killed."

Screenshot

Background:

In April, Vladimir Zhdanov, head of the Shebekino district of Belgorod Oblast, said that they were digging trenches in the region to "play it safe".

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NAIROBI, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese tech firm Huawei on Friday launched its latest cyber security service targeting the Kenyan private and public sectors, deepening the use of cloud storage solutions and artificial intelligence systems amid escalating cyber attacks.

Gao Fei, chief executive officer of Huawei Kenya, told a technology forum in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi that Ransomware Protection 2.0 is designed to address emerging technologies, including the cloud, Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence, which are spreading rapidly.

The new developments mean that cyber security risks are rising, Gao said, noting that for the country to benefit from the expansionary economic impact of ICT (information and communications technology), maintaining a secure ICT environment is critical.

"The ICT sector is growing rapidly; it is important to ensure that every business' systems are working well without facing malicious threats, such as ransomware, that disrupt day-to-day operations and bring real financial costs," Gao said.

Naveen Kumar, chief technology officer of the Data Storage Product Line at Huawei Kenya, said the product provides real-time monitoring and protection from ransomware attacks.

Kumar said ransomware attacks are one of the most common forms of cyber security threats where the attacker encrypts personal or corporate data and asks for payment in return for decrypting the data.

Andrew Opiyo, director of ICT at the Ministry of Information, Communications and The Digital Economy, said Kenya is facing increasing threats of cyber security attacks due to the rising uptake of digital and online services.

Opiyo said the Huawei solution will help to boost the protection of the country's ICT networks as well as end-user devices such as computers and mobile phones.

He added that with a digital infrastructure that includes data storage being a critical component of the Kenya National Digital Master Plan 2022-2032, it is important for the country to pursue enhanced vigilance against cyber criminals. 
Tributes hang on the temporary fence surrounding the parking lot in front of a King Soopers grocery store in which 10 people died in a late March mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado, on Friday, April 9, 2021. AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File

A new Fox News poll found that 61% of registered voters in the US want a ban on assault weapons.

Broken down by political party, 84% of Democrats favored a ban, compared to 36% of Republicans.

More than half of poll respondents said they're worried about becoming a victim of gun violence.

Sixty-one percent of Americans support a ban on assault weapons in the country, according to a new Fox News poll released Friday.

Following multiple mass shootings in 2023  including one at an elementary school in Nashville and another at a bank in Louisville  Fox News polled 1,004 registered voters nationwide via phone from April 21 to April 24 on their thoughts about guns in America. The poll had a sampling error of 3 percentage points.

On Tuesday, Washington state banned manufacturing, importing, distributing and selling assault weapons.

In the Fox News poll, 87% of respondents said they favor requiring criminal background checks on everyone who wants to purchase a gun and 80% said they want mental health checks on gun buyers nationwide. Eighty percent said they want police to be able to take guns away from those who are considered a danger to themselves or others, a regulation known as red-flag laws.

A vast majority of those polled, 81%, said they wanted the age to legally buy a gun in the US to be raised from 18 to 21 years old.

Seventy-seven percent said they favor enforcing a 30-day waiting period for all gun purchases. On Thursday, the parents of the 25-year-old who opened fire at an Old National Bank in Louisville said a waiting period would have been helpful in stopping their son who was able to purchase a gun in just 40 minutes days before the incident.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signs House Bill 1240, which prohibits the manufacture, importation, distribution and sale of semi-automatic assault-style weapons in the state, Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at the Capitol in Olympia. AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson

When looking at those polled generally, 45% said they think more citizens should carry guns to protect themselves, but 52% opposed that idea. Broken down by political party, a small 27% of Democrats polled said people should carry guns with them, compared to 61% of Republicans.

Story continues

Similarly, 84% of Democrats favored banning assault weapons versus 36% of Republicans.

Half of those polled (51%) are "extremely or very concerned" that they or someone they love will be a victim of gun violence, including 44% who live in a home with a gun. The poll found that the concern is higher among younger voters, parents, those who live in urban areas, and nonwhite voters.

Of those who are worried about becoming a victim of gun violence, 67% said they believe stricter gun laws will make the US safer.

Overall, nearly half of voters polled (43%) think stricter gun laws would make the country safer while 25% disagreed. Thirty-one percent said they don't think stricter gun laws will make a difference.

A February Gallup poll showed similar results: It found that 63% of Americans are dissatisfied with current gun laws while 34% are satisfied. The number of Republicans versus Democrats satisfied with the current gun laws was much higher. Democrats polled at only 14% satisfied  a record low, Gallup said.

Read the original article on Insider
Consequences of the shelling of Uman

The statement asserts that Russia intentionally targeted residential buildings in the city of Uman, resulting in "a heavy toll of civilian casualties, including children."

Read also: Multiple dead in Dnipro and Uman, scores injured in new mass missile attack by Russia

"Such targeting of Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian populations underlines Russia's clear desire to continue escalating its war of aggression in Ukraine," CNN quotes the ministry.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna emphasized that Paris will continue to support the efforts of the International Criminal Court and Ukrainian courts "in order to fight against impunity" for Russia's war crimes. She added that her country will continue its military and humanitarian support to strengthen the resilience of Ukraine, for as long as necessary.

Read also: Death toll in Uman rises to 21 after Russian missile attack on Ukrainian apartment block UPDATED

On April 28, Russia launched a massive missile strike on Ukraine, with air defenses successfully intercepting 21 out of 23 missiles, including 11 near Kyiv. However, in Uman, Cherkasy Oblast, one missile destroyed an entire wing of a nine-story residential building, killing at least 25 civilians, including children.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Living in a college dorm for the first time can be an exciting yet overwhelming experience. What if you end up with roommates who dont like you? Or worse, what if you dont like them and spend the entire year awkwardly avoiding each other?

Those were one TikTokers fears before heading to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, last fall. But in her now-viral video, she says she now counts her roommates among her best friends.

So I moved into this apartment a little over one month ago, and I was a little worried, I was like, What if I dont get along with my roommates?' admitted Whit (@whit.dahle) as she takes followers on an apartment tour.

But much to her relief, the opposite wound up happening. In just four weeks, she bonded with her roommates and created inside jokes that kept them laughing all day.

This is our wall now, the Tea Wall, Whit explains while pointing to a door with paper print-outs of tea cups all over it. You put the little tea bag in your tea cup name if you have tea, and then we spill.

And then we have the Roster Wall, hidden from anyone who comes into our room. she continues while opening a closet door.

On the back are several pieces of looseleaf paper with pros and cons lists for everyone. (Though by everyone, she seems to mean the boys on campus theyve met so far.)

Other touches throughout the shared apartment include a DIY disco ball, a Bibble flag and even a Hot Guy Wall, which features (among other things) a poster of a young Tom Cruise. There are decorative streamers around the kitchen for no reason, a random Bob Ross painting hanging on the wall and even some souvenirs from every monumental time they attended the fast food restaurant together.

Last but not least, Whit showcases an envelope taped to the back of one of the doors.

And this is where my ID card goes, because I have ADHD, she says with a laugh.

Clearly, Whit found an accepting group of roommates with whom shes bonded over a relatively short period of time.

Story continues

In the comments, people couldnt help but fawn all over this.

This is so college core and I love it, one person wrote.

the tea cups are incredible tbh, said another.

Some people said they longed for this exact kind of connection.

HOW DO I FIND ROOMMATES LIKE THIS, one TikToker demanded to know.

i want this so badly, said another.

Others encouraged Whit to revel in this feeling because shes in the midst of a memory-packed time.

As one person told her, shes about to live through some of the best times of her life, and make some killer friends for life in the process.

Enjoy, they added.

In The Know by Yahoo is now available on Apple News  follow us here!

The post Freshman shares unique (and hilarious) apartment traditions she and roommates created: So college core appeared first on In The Know.

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Girl gets cheated on and decides to check the status of her college application so she can feel all the pain at once

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(Evening Standard)

NatWest shares have fallen sharply despite the state-backed lender revealing first quarter profits of 1.3 billion and low default levels.

The results came as Deutsche Bank moved to expand in the UK by striking a 410 million deal to buy City firm Numis.

Meanwhile, the FTSE 100 index is under pressure after disappointing first quarter GDP figures from Germany and the eurozone.

FTSE 100 Live Friday

Deutsche Bank buys Numis for 410 million

NatWest Q1 results send shares lower

German economy stagnates in Q1

Revealed: The wealthiest Brits in tech

Friday 28 April 2023 13:56 , Daniel O'Boyle

The UKs tech industry reached $1 trillion in value last year, making it only the third country ever to hit this milestone after the US and China.

London on its own has created more than 20 unicorns  firms worth more than $1 billion  since 2021. That has been helped on by a string of IPOs over the past two years, including the likes of takeaway app Deliveroo and payments firm Wise.

In fintech, the capitals speciality, London has even been able to overtake New York and San Francisco in funding, attracting around 8 billion in investment last year alone.

Those successes have built extraordinary wealth for many of the firms founders, as the Standard today reveals in its inaugural tech rich list.

Read more here

First Republic shares plunge further amid receivership fears

Friday 28 April 2023 17:39 , Daniel O'Boyle

Shares in US regional lender First Republic Bank plunged to new lows amid fears that shareholders could be wiped out as the firm is taken into receivership.

Shares of in the company are down 35.7% to $3.98, well below previous lows and now down more than 97% in less than two months, after a CNNBC report said that the most likely outcome of government rescue talks would be the bank being placed in receivership.

The lenders market cap is now less than $750 million.

London fintech Moneybox shelves customer crypto investing plans

Friday 28 April 2023 17:22 , Simon Hunt

Story continues

Round-up savings app Moneybox has shelved its plans to introduce crypto products to customers as the London fintech distances itself from digital assets amid market volatility and cost-of-living pressures.

The firm, which offers app-based savings and investments services, had previously expressed enthusiasm for cryptocurrencies and boasted of plans for crypto investing options for customers following its 35 million Series D round last year, but has since put those plans on the back burner, according to a report by fintech news site AltFi.

Read more here

Almost 700 jobs to be saved as AxiomDWFM buys collapsed law firm Ince Group

Friday 28 April 2023 17:16 , Daniel O'Boyle

London and Birmingham-based law firm AxiomDWFM is to rescue the legal business of the collapsed Ince Group, saving close to 700 jobs.

The Ince Group - once Londons largest listed law firm -announced that it would enter administration earlier this month. The 150-year-old company, formerly known as Gordon Dadds Group, said a lengthy auditing process, after BDO LLP determined there were matters outstanding with its accounts in Hong Kong, put increasing pressure on its cash flows.

Read more here

FTSE rallies to close at 7870

Friday 28 April 2023 16:36 , Daniel O'Boyle

The FTSE 100 closed at 7870, up 0.5% from opening and more than 1% from the low it reached in the mid-morning.

While shares fell initially amid weaker-than-expected German GDP and a disappointing outlook from NatWest, they picked up after EU-wide GDP and inflation figures were published.

The top risers of the day were Prudential and Pearson, whch both published results today, while NetWest was joined by Diageo and Antofagasta on the fallers board.

Nearly half of Pearson shareholders vote against new bumper pay policy

Friday 28 April 2023 16:13 , Daniel O'Boyle

Pearson shareholders came close to rejecting a pay policy on Friday which could make the publishers chief executive nearly as well paid as the boss of oil giant BP.

Nearly half (46.37%) of shareholder votes were cast against the new policy, which the board says brings Pearson in line with what US companies pay their top leaders.

Under the new plan Andy Bird, who earned 8.5 million dollars in 2022 (6.8 million), could earn more than 11 million dollars (8.8 million) in future years.

Read more here

Aldermore reason to believe in the City

Friday 28 April 2023 16:11 , Daniel O'Boyle

Aldermore Bank has inked a deal for a larger London headquarters in the City, in a move set to encourage more staff into the office post-pandemic.

The lender will take the 24th floor, comprising just over 13,100 square feet, at property giant British Lands Broadgate Tower next to Liverpool Street station.

The specially designed workspace will also feature a business lounge and gym. Aldermore considers the space, which will open to team members in mid-May, a high-quality area suitable for better project collaboration.

Read more here

PCE inflation increases Fed hike fears

Friday 28 April 2023 15:35 , Daniel O'Boyle

The US Federal Reserves preferred inflation gauge came in ashead of expectations at 4.6% in March, increasing the chances of more interest rate hikes.

The Core Personal Consumption Expenditures Index was up 4.6% year-on-year - ahead of the expected 4.5% - and 0.3% month-on-month.

US shares rally

Friday 28 April 2023 15:19 , Daniel O'Boyle

US shares bounced back after opening lower today.

The S&P 500 is up 0.4% to 4153.06 while the Dow Jones is also up 0.4%, to 33,955.74. The Nasdaq gained 0.3% to 12179.87.

The biggest riser of the day was Intel, despite the chip maker posting a record loss.

Heathrow calls on Khan to cut Elizabeth Line fares for its staff

Friday 28 April 2023 15:11 , Daniel O'Boyle

Heathrow bosses have appealed to Sadiq Khan to slash fares for its workers on Elizabeth Line services to the airport.

Chief executive John Holland-Kaye told the Standard that the 12.80 fare for a journey to or from Heathrow Airport that starts in, ends in or goes through Zone 1, is deterring staff from using the line.

Read more here

City voices: The UK is on the cusp of being a crypto hub  but only if its regulated properly

Friday 28 April 2023 14:44 , Daniel O'Boyle

Britain is on the cusp of becoming a global crypto hub. Since becoming Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak has committed to make the UK a global science and tech superpower.

Recently, he announced 100 million of investment to put together an expert taskforce to help the UK build the next generation of safe AI, alongside a White Paper to guide the use of artificial intelligence in the UK.

The Government now has a huge opportunity to make crypto a part of this initiative and must not let it slip. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make Britain the best - and safest - place to run a cryptoasset business, in turn benefiting and protecting the millions of British people that invest in these assets.

Read more here

US shares set decline

Friday 28 April 2023 14:19 , Daniel O'Boyle

US shares are set to dip this morning, with Amazon among the fallers.

According to futures markets, the Dow Jones is set t fall by 0.4%, while the S&P 500 is projected to decline by 0.3% and the Nasdaq by 0.1%.

Amazon looks set to be among the fallers, with shares set to decline by about 2% after its results last night. Though its shares initially rocketed post-close on strong earnings figures, they fell back down to earth as investors panicked at the outlook for its AWS cloud computing division.

More City mergers to come?

Friday 28 April 2023 13:28 , Daniel O'Boyle

Joshua Maxey, co-founder of Third Bridge, believes that more acquisitions could be on the way after Deutsche Bank snapped up Numis.

In the last week, we've seen two big moves in the sell-side research space, he said, noting the merger of Redburn and Atlantic Equities. These are signs we can expect more consolidation over the course of this year.

These deals underline the tremendous pressure that cash equities is under at the moment, exacerbating the pain felt on the banks balance sheet given the dearth of deal activity.

It would be no great surprise if we saw further consolidation outside of the big seven investment banks and for the exodus of research talent to accelerate.

While PE and M&A activity remains slow we may see some of the smaller European research shops closing down altogether, and others snapped up by US entities responding to the expiry of the SECs no-action letter.

HMV returns to iconic original Oxford Street site  after reclaiming it from an American candy shop

Friday 28 April 2023 12:51 , Daniel O'Boyle

Music retailer HMV will return to the location of its first ever shop on Oxford Street, reclaiming the site from an American candy store.

The company said the new opening marks the latest sign of a dramatic turnaround since 2019 when the shop closed.

The store - close to Bond Street station - is on the site of the first HMV shop, founded in 1921. In 1995, Blur played a rooftop gig from the top of the store, while the next year it hosted the Spice Girls Christmas Lights switch-on.

Read more here

Eurozone back to growth

Friday 28 April 2023 12:20 , Daniel O'Boyle

The Eurozone economy returned to growth in Q1, despite surprise stagnation in Germany.

GDP across the region was up by 0.1% for the three-month period, meaning it avoided recession.

That was mostly off the back of growth in France and Italy, as Europes largest economy disappointed.

Shares in microchip maker Alphawave to be suspended after audit delays

Friday 28 April 2023 12:17 , Daniel O'Boyle

Shares in the UKs top listed semiconductor business Alphawave plunged this morning as it announced its shares would be suspended because of a delay to its audit process.

The firm published unaudited results for 2022 today, showing profit was up 44% to 56.3 million as revenue more than doubled.

However, it said accountants KPMG had to request more time to complete its audit of the results.

Read more here

NatWest shares fall as lender leaves profit guidance on hold

Friday 28 April 2023 11:46 , Daniel O'Boyle

A surge in first-quarter profit at NatWest helped by a rise in mortgage lending and low bad-loan rates added to signs of a rebound in the UKs housing market today

The high street lender lender reported a surge of around 50% in first quarter pre-tax profit of almost 1.8 billion, beating City forecasts. Nonetheless, it shares fell 16p to 257p, in part as traders seemed disappointed it did not lift profit guidance for the full year.

Joseph Dickerson at City stockbroker Jeffries said: Management really needed to raise the 14.8 billion 2023 revenue guide to around 15 billion.

Read more here

Sony needs a superhero as lack of blockbusters hurts profits

Friday 28 April 2023 11:14 , Daniel O'Boyle

Profits at one of the worlds biggest movie studio owners, Sony Pictures Entertainment have been hit by a lack of global superhero blockbusters.

The film and TV arm of the Japanese giant reported income of 119.3 billion yen (710 million) in 2022, down 44% from 217.4 billion yen (1.28 billion) the previous year.

Sony said that 2021 had been boosted by major franchise hits such as Spider-Man: No Way Home and Venom: Let There Be Carnage. However Sony Corp is forecasting an 11% rise in sales this year on a stronger pipeline of franchise releases and revenues from its streaming service acquisition Crunchyroll.

Overall, Sony Corp sales grew to 11.54 trillion yen (68 billion), up 16% from 9.92 trillion (59 billion) yen in 2022. Operating income was flat at 1.2 trillion yen (7.1 billion). The games division saw strong revenue growth with sales of 3.64 trillion yen (22 billion) up from 2.74 billion yen (16 billion) a year prior.

Citry comment: Deutsches Numis swoop is a show of faith that City sorely needs

Friday 28 April 2023 11:11 , Daniel O'Boyle

On the face of it the timing looks odd.

Londons corporate finance markets have been moribund for a couple of years, with M&A deal volumes depressed and IPOs virtually an endangered species.

Thousands of jobs have been lost and there is tumbleweed blowing through the offices of some of the Citys biggest advisory names.

Reasd more here

FTSE 100 lower despite Pearson and Pru boost

Friday 28 April 2023 10:31 , Graeme Evans

Reassuring updates by Prudential and Pearson today failed to prevent the FTSE 100 index from falling 34.42 points to 7797.16 as weaker financial and mining stocks weighed on the top flight.

The mood for European markets wasnt helped by figures from the powerhouse German economy showing unchanged GDP in the first quarter, below forecasts for 0.2% growth. The figure across the eurozone was 0.1% higher, compared with hopes for 0.2%.

The Pru rose 27.5p to 1190.5p after it said new business profit in Hong Kong more than doubled in the first quarter. Despite the favourable post-lockdown trends, its shares remain broadly unchanged so far this year.

Education publishing business Pearson rose 26.4p to 881p after it revealed a stronger-than-expected start to 2023 with underlying sales growth of 6%.

FTSE 100-listed Scottish Mortgage also lifted 2% or 12p to 627.6p after stronger-than-expected results from Amazon.com.

The Baillie Gifford investment trust, whose valuation has taken a hammering in recent months, has 2.5% of its portfolio invested in Amazon alongside other holdings including Tesla, Moderna and Shopify.

Amazon shares improved 5% in regular trading on Thursday before its better-than-expected results triggered further gains in after-hours dealings.

The post-bell rally later faded, however, as a jittery Wall Street market turned its attention to slowing growth for the Amazon Web Services cloud computing platform.

Germany narrowly escapes recession as economy flatlines

Friday 28 April 2023 10:00 , Daniel O'Boyle

Germany avoided a recession by the skin of its teeth, underperforming expectations in the first quarter as its economy flatlined.

There was no growth in the German economy during the first three months of the year, despite expectations of a 0.2% increase in GDP.

Read more here

Hikma ups guidance after strong generics growth

Friday 28 April 2023 09:14 , Daniel O'Boyle

Hikma Pharmaceuticals upped its guidance for the year thanks to the strength of its generics arm, but warned that ongoing events in Sudan could have an impact on its earnings.

The pharma giant said an improving pricing environment, new business wins and a better-than-expected performance across our differentiated portfolio mean that its generics division is set to grow by almost 20% this year, up from just over 10%.

Hikma has had a good start to the year. Our Injectables and Branded businesses continue to perform well reflecting our diversified portfolio of products and manufacturing flexibility. We have also had a stronger than expected start in our Generics business, leading us to upgrade our guidance for the full year, CEO Said Darwazah said. The strength of our operations is enabling us to meet the evolving needs of our customers across our markets and we look forward to making continued progress in the year ahead.

However, it noted that its current guidance does not take into account any potential impact from unrest in Sudan, which makes up around 2.5% of its revenue.

Shares are up 4.3% today.

Education publisher Pearson buoyed by work skills training

Friday 28 April 2023 09:07 , Daniel O'Boyle

Pearson, one of the worlds largest educational publishers, said that pushes by workers to learn new skills had helped the company beat its financial expectations in the first months of the financial year.

Boss Andy Bird said that Pearsons enterprise-facing business, which upskills or reskills workers, had seen double-digit growth in the period.

Overall the company said that sales had risen by 6% over the period, excluding the impacts of a strategic review and a business unit that Pearson is selling.

Read more here

NatWest shares slide, FTSE 100 flat

Friday 28 April 2023 08:26 , Graeme Evans

NatWest shares have been hit by heavy selling, even though the state-backed lender delivered reassauring first quarter results.

The FTSE 100-listed stock slumped 6% or 15.1p to 257.1p as the volatile performance of stocks in the banking sector continues. Lloyds also dropped 2% or 0.8p to 48p ahead of its figures on Wednesday.

Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor, said the negative reaction to the NatWest numbers could contain an element of disappointment on customer balances and the unchanged outlook guidance.

He added that the strength and stability of the group remained attractive in the current climate, resulting in the market consensus of the shares as a buy.

Other blue-chip trading updates drew a more positive response, with Prudential shares up 3% or 39p to 1202p and educational publisher Pearson ahead 24p at 878.6p.

A weaker-than-expected FTSE 100 index slipped 7.62 points to 7823.96 whereas the FTSE 250 index cheered 64.09 points to 19,312.10.

Strong US session lifts FTSE 100, focus on eurozone GDP

Friday 28 April 2023 07:34 , Graeme Evans

Wall Street trading was anything but dull yesterday after US GDP missed expectations, leading tech stocks surged and the S&P 500 index finished 2% higher in its best session since early January.

The strong trading reflected relief at this weeks run of stronger-than-expected earnings updates, including Meta Platforms as the Facebook owners shares finished 14% higher.

A first quarter annual US GDP figure of 1.1% fuelled recession expectations but failed to deter buyers as investors focused on the possibility the figure will deter the Federal Reserve from another rate rise next week.

There was a setback after the closing bell, however, as Amazon shares lost earlier gains due to concerns about slower growth in its cloud business.

The focus now turns to this mornings run of eurozone GDP figures, with traders hopeful that Germanys economy can avoid a technical recession. Weve already heard from France, where quarter-on-quarter growth of 0.2% matched expectations.

The FTSE 100 index dropped 0.3% yesterday but CMC Markets expects a rise of 23 points to 7506 at todays opening bell.

WANdisco narrows fraud investigation down to one rogue employee

Friday 28 April 2023 07:28 , Simon Hunt

WANdisco has narrowed its investigation down to one single employee as the beleaguered tech firm seeks to establish why its revenue bookings were false.

The firm said in an update: The evidence identified supports the initial view that the irregularities are as a result of the actions of one senior sales employee only.

All of the purchase orders associated with the senior sales employee in question are illegitimate.

WANdisco said it believed all purchase orders by other staff members were legitimate.

Deutsche Bank buys Numis for 410 million to up UK corporate presence

Friday 28 April 2023 07:22 , Daniel O'Boyle

Deutsche Bank is set to buy mini-investment bank Numis for 410 million, in a deal that the German titan says will help it grow its ties with Londons top firms.

But it warned some jobs could be lost, while adding that these cuts are not expected to be material.

Deutsche Bank will pay 350p per Numis share, valuing the business at 410 million. Numis shares closed at 204p yesterday

Read more here

NatWests profits up over 50% and bad debt levels hold steady

Friday 28 April 2023 07:19 , Michael Hunter

NatWest, the partially publicly owned bank, reported first quarter earnings of almost 1.3 billion today -- up over 50% -- and said that its level of bad debts were stable, while new mortgage lending grew.

Net loans to customers were up by 4.1 billion, or 2.1%, mainly due to new mortgage lending of 3.9 billion, another sign of demand for home loans heading back up after the disruption late last year from the Truss governments mini-Budget, when hundreds of fixed-rate mortgages were pulled across the banking industry,

Customer deposits were down 4.4 billion, or 2.3%, as its customers paid more tax in the period, when bills from His Majestys Revenue and Customs were due in January.

It wrote off 70 million in bad loans, an impairment charge it said meant Levels of default remain stable and at low levels across the portfolio.

Amazon shares rise after earnings beat expectations

Friday 28 April 2023 06:59 , Simon Hunt

Amazon shares rose 11% in after-market trading after the tech giant posted first-quarter earnings that came in ahead of expectations.

Revenue for the quarter was $127.4bn, up 9% compared to the $116.4bn last year, while profits hit $3.17bn, higher than the $2.24bn City analysts had expected.

Income from its cloud computing and advertising units both beat estimates.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, said: theres a lot to like about how our teams are delivering for customers, particularly amidst an uncertain economy.
After the liberation of Crimea and part of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts from the Russian occupation, "gentle Ukrainization" will be needed there, said Oleksandr Tkachenko, Ukrainian Minister of Culture and Information Policy.

Source: Tkachenko said this in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

"[After the start of the full-scale war  ed.] Ukrainization took place rapidly and without state intervention. According to the same sociological surveys, it seems that more than 20% of the population,  and this is a huge number,  switched to communicating in Ukrainian in everyday life, voluntarily without any gentle or forced Ukrainization. Ukrainization of the cultural product took place instantly. All theatres that had Russian names in their names abandoned these names. And it seems to me that this is a completely natural process," said the Minister of Culture.

At the same time, he noted that in the case of territories that have been under Russian occupation since 2014, certain efforts may be required.

"We recently talked about Crimea, what steps should be taken. There, obviously, gentle Ukrainization will be needed. Because Crimea has been under occupation for almost 10 years, and so were parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Therefore, within the framework of dialogue, within the framework of establishing our understanding of the narratives that they use, our sometimes imaginary structures of how the population thinks and acts there, this will require a more delicate progress in order for Ukrainization to take place there," Tkachenko said.

Photo: Oleksandr Tkachenko / Facebook

The Minister stressed that this process will require delicacy. "The entire cultural sphere will require greater participation of mainland Ukraine in the processes that take place there. Above all, it is the language of dialogue. It is not a question that we should immediately make everything the same way it is in Lviv [the least Russified part of Ukraine  ed.], but will require a dialogue of explanation. Therefore, the language of dialogue for liberated territories, in my opinion, should be one of the most important," he said.

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Tkachenko also said that Ukraine has developed a programme to popularise the Ukrainian language, but it has not yet been approved due to lack of funding. It involves the creation of mobile applications, a network of free courses, the promotion of the Ukrainian language, the creation of a Ukrainian-language cultural product, the popularisation of Ukrainian literature, in particular abroad.

"The programme draft has been developed, it is called Strategy for popularising the Ukrainian language until 2030: Strong language  successful state. But there is one problem, which is the price of this program: UAH19.6 billion," the minister said.

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An engine based on German technology stolen almost 20 years ago has been discovered in the Shahed-136 drones that Russia bought from Iran.

Source: CNN referring to Conflict Armament Research (CAR), a British research organisation

Details: Between November last year and March 2023, Conflict Armament Research examined the components of 20 Iranian drones and munitions in Ukraine, about half of which were Shahed-136s.

The engine was developed by the Iranian company Oje Parvaz Mado Nafar, known as Mado, based in the city of Shokuhie in Qom Province. Last December, the company was sanctioned by the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.

CAR researchers found Mado markings on the spark plug caps in the drone's engines, as well as sequences of serial numbers used by Mado.

 Mado MD-550,       

A Mado MD-550 engine, documented in Ukraine last December

According to CNN, according to Western governments and the UN, Mado plays a crucial role in Iran's drone industry. The same sequence of serial numbers was also noticed by UN investigators looking into drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, allegedly carried out by Iran's Houthi allies in Yemen, as well as missile attacks on Abu Dhabi last year.

Taimur Khan, a Gulf analyst at CAR, told CNN that Iran's UAV systems are constantly being improved and modernised and "have proven to be increasingly accurate in terms of guidance and targeting systems and jamming capabilities."

The design of the engine shows that over the years, Iran has made significant efforts to acquire Western technology for its drones and missiles, despite widespread international sanctions.

In 2006, Iran illegally purchased drone engines from the German company Limbach Flugmotoren. Three years after that, Iranian engineer Yousef Abutalebi announced that his company had created an engine for a UAV.

According to CAR, the company appears to have tried to conceal its role in the creation of the Shahed drones. Investigators found that the original serial numbers on the drone components found in Ukraine had been erased, apparently in an effort to conceal their origin.

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    MD-550  Mado,    2  2022 

Serial number on an MD-550 engine manufactured by Mado, documented in Kyiv on November 2, 2022

"These modifications have prevented investigators from identifying procurement networks that facilitate the international supply of key components to Iran," CAR's report says.

  ,    20  2023 

Cables in the engine, documented in Kyiv on 20 January 2023

Other Western components purchased and copied by Iran include parts of Czech-made missiles. A 2020 report by UN experts stated that the engine of Iranian Quds-1 missiles used in attacks on Saudi oil refineries last year was an "unlicensed copy of the TJ-100 jet engine manufactured by PBS Velka Bites" in the Czech Republic.

The company said it had never supplied the engine to Iran or Yemen. At the same time, the newspaper emphasises that Iran has become "an expert in evading control" over technology, in some cases using shell companies. A UN panel of experts found that parts exported by a Czech manufacturer to a company in Hong Kong in 2010 ended up in Iranian missiles used in 2019.

CAR's Taimur Khan says that Iran "has acquired Western components and technology for its UAV program by taking advantage of the lack of transparency in the supply chain," making component identification a critical method in improving export controls and sanctions mechanisms.

CNN writes that the proceeds from the sale of hundreds of Shahed-136 drones to Russia will likely be reinvested in further improving the industry.

Khan believes that "given the fact that Russia has been capturing advanced Western weapons on the battlefield  such as the Javelin anti-tank missile  and that military cooperation is growing between the two countries, with Iran having proven 'achievements' in this regard, it is likely that they will work together to copy these types of systems."

Quote from CNN: "There is also the possibility that Russia will use its cooperation with Iran to develop its own military drone capabilities.

But until that happens, the Russian military is likely to remain a willing buyer of hundreds of other drones from Iran, a country that has turned sanctions evasion into a fine art in building its own weapons industry."

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The flag of Germany

Read also: Rheinmetall develops proposal for tank plant in Ukraine

According to the article, the proposal was made during a meeting of directors of armament companies earlier this week.

Germanys defense industry giant Rheinmetall would be making the contribution. A company representative stated that the current production capacity of Rheinmetall is 450,000 artillery shells per year, with 350,000 of them made in Europe.

In the future, Rheinmetall expects to significantly increase the production of artillery ammunition, up to about 600,000 shells per year.

As part of the compromise reached between EU member states, final assembly of shells must be carried out in the EU to partially compensate for the cost. The components, however, can be supplied from third countries.

Read also: Civilian killed and Italian journalist injured by Russian shelling in Ukraine

In this plan, Rheinmetall may provide about 50,000 shell casings that the company produces in Australia, and explosive cartridges from its South African factory, but not 100,000 grenades that are also manufactured made.

Read also: Zelenskyy meets with Rheinmetall CEO in Kyiv

On March 4, media reports said Rheinmetall is negotiating with Kyiv regarding the construction of a tank factory somewhere in Ukraine.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Roland Coleman, shown in his Arcadia living room, receives dialysis three times a week while he waits to hear whether he will be placed on the waiting list for a new kidney. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

As her kidneys faltered, one woman was turned away from a transplant center in Maryland, which told her she was not a good candidate for a coveted organ.

Months later, she was recovering from surgery in New York City, where another transplant center had accepted her after she sought out another doctor and raised money for the trip.

In New York, a single mother said she was initially told she was such a good candidate, only to eventually hear that she needed a reliable vehicle to get to the many appointments required to clear her as a kidney transplant candidate  something she could not afford.

And in Los Angeles County, a 73-year-old man lamented that he spent more than a year and a half waiting on Keck Medical Center of USC  just to hear back about whether he could get onto the waiting list. Frustrated, he turned to another center, only to be thwarted by his insurance carrier as the center was nearing a decision.

He has been stuck heading three days a week to dialysis, the tedious process of pumping out his blood, filtering it and piping it back into his body.

It has felt, Roland Coleman said, like being "a trapped animal."

To even have a chance at a kidney from a deceased donor  a lifesaving resource in limited supply  an ailing patient needs to get onto the waiting list.

But a shrinking share of Americans undergoing dialysis have been getting that chance, national data show. Their odds have been disturbingly shaped by race and income, researchers have found.

And unlike many other steps in the transplant process, which are closely tracked and publicly reported, there is little information readily available about what is happening at each transplant center before a kidney patient is waitlisted  a vacuum that leaves patients and the public in the dark about those crucial decisions.

"It's a huge problem," said Dr. Sumit Mohan, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Columbia University. "We have no idea, nationally, what proportion of patients are actually being referred to transplant centers. We have no idea what proportion actually make it into the transplant center."

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Transplant centers do not have uniform criteria for deciding whom to waitlist, "and there is no transparency in terms of how selective a transplant center is  what proportion of people referred to them do they evaluate and what proportion do they actually accept?" Mohan said. "That's an impossible task for patients to find out."

Less than 13% of kidney patients undergoing dialysis were on the waitlist in 2020, compared with more than 17% a decade earlier, according to data from the United States Renal Data System, which tracks information about kidney disease. Even among patients who appear to be prime candidates for transplant, more than half did not get onto a waitlist before or within three years of starting dialysis, one analysis found.

Black patients have been repeatedly found to be less likely to be waitlisted than white ones, even in wealthy neighborhoods and even after adjusting for medical and social factors. Researchers have also found that poorer patients and those using public insurance are less likely to get onto waitlists.

Without clearer information about who is getting onto the waitlist and who is not, it is impossible to address disparities in who gets donated organs, experts have argued.

Much of the national debate has revolved around how organs are allocated to waitlisted patients, but far less attention has been devoted to the barriers to getting waitlisted at all, said Keren Ladin, a Tufts University associate professor who heads the ethics committee of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

Ladin likened the situation to deciding who gets into the few lifeboats on the Titanic. "If all of the rich white people are in the lifeboats," she said, "that's pretty problematic."

Despite concerns about inequities, experts say that the complex decisions about whom to waitlist cannot be boiled down to a standard and inflexible checklist. Across the country, more than 200 medical centers perform kidney transplants. Some may have technical capabilities to take on riskier patients than others.

Those center-by-center decisions put patients onto a national waitlist, but patients can also register with more than one center, which can improve their chances of getting a transplant if they are far enough apart to be offered different kidneys.

Kidney demand vastly exceeds supply

With demand for donated organs far exceeding the supply, getting onto the waitlist is no guarantee of getting a kidney. Thousands of people die annually on the waitlist for a kidney transplant.

Nationally, less than a third of patients waitlisted in 2018 got a kidney from a deceased donor within three years, according to data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.

If a 70-year-old does not have a living donor to help them, "there's really not much point in putting them on the transplant list, because he's going to have to wait ... and the truth is they may not live that long," said Dr. Gabriel Danovitch, medical director for the Southern California organ procurement agency OneLegacy as well as for the UCLA kidney and pancreas transplant program. Danovitch instead urged more attention to the need for living donors.

Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Orange spread more than 1,200 crafted butterflies on its grounds April 12 to commemorate the number of organ transplants it has performed during the last 50 years. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Others argued that if the U.S. had a clearer picture of the number of viable candidates who never make it onto a waitlist, that could pressure key players in the organ donation system to seek solutions. Among them: reducing how many donated organs are not being used.

"Is it acceptable that 25% of kidneys are being discarded? Is that OK with you?" Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) asked the chief executive of the United Network for Organ Sharing, the nonprofit managing the U.S. organ transplantation system, at a Senate committee hearing in August.

"No, Senator, absolutely not," then-CEO Brian Shepard replied.

If the kidney waitlist suddenly doubled, the number of discarded organs would probably drop, argued Jesse Schold, a professor in the departments of surgery and epidemiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. "The urgency would be that much higher."

Federal officials recently announced that they would overhaul the transplant system and seek out more than one group to manage it, ending the monopoly that UNOS has held over the transplant network for decades. A Health Resources and Services Administration spokesperson said one of their goals is collecting data about patients before they reach the waitlist.

Wildly differing referral rates

Some kidney patients are never even referred to transplant centers by doctors or dialysis centers, despite being possible candidates: In one study of dialysis centers in the Southeast, referral rates were wildly different from one facility to another  ranging from 0% to 100% of patients being referred within a year.

"I'm still seeing patients that have been on dialysis for seven, 10, even 15 years, who say, 'Oh yeah, I just had a conversation about transplant,'" said Dr. Dinee C. Simpson, a transplant surgeon who runs the Northwestern Medicine African American Transplant Access program in Chicago.

Federal regulators have started tying some funding for dialysis centers to the percentage of patients who get onto the kidney transplant waitlist, nudging them to refer more patients to transplant centers. But whether a patient makes it onto the waitlist can also hinge on which transplant center is scrutinizing them as a candidate.

Dee Griffin, 53, was told by a Maryland center that she was not a transplant candidate five years ago because she had a "pattern of non-compliance," among other issues, medical records show. She found that absurd, pointing out that at the time she was undergoing home dialysis, a process that requires patients to diligently adhere to the treatment.

Instead, she believes the decision had more to do with the doctor in charge, whom Griffin said she had asked to replace during an earlier hospital visit because he disregarded her input.

After being turned down as a candidate by the Maryland center, Griffin sought out another doctor who had treated her in the past. Three months and five days after being turned down as a candidate in Maryland, she got a kidney transplant from a New York center.

"Imagine if I just accepted what this man said," Griffin said, "and went home to die."

Rachel E. Patzer, director of the Transplant Health Services and Outcomes Research Program at Emory University, has worked to gather information about waitlisting from dozens of transplant centers. Thanks to that legwork, she and other researchers discovered that some transplant centers have been twice as likely as others to put patients on the waitlist. But without such information being collected and released nationally, it is impossible for a patient to know how their chances differ from center to center.

Crucial differences in waitlisting criteria can also be invisible to patients. Kidney transplant centers are unlikely to waitlist patients with medical conditions that plainly jeopardize their chances of surviving surgery, but many other decisions can differ.

Under federal Medicare and Medicaid regulations, transplant centers are required to have written criteria that ensure "fair and non-discriminatory distribution of organs," but the rules do not specify what those criteria should include. Some waitlisting criteria may be defined as "absolute," while others are "relative," meaning they are not automatic deal-breakers.

A kidney patient might be deemed too obese to get waitlisted at one center, but make the cut at another. In California, transplant programs also have different guidelines around whether they will waitlist elderly patients, a Times review found. And some insist patients stop using drugs or alcohol for months before waitlisting, while others only frown on "active" use.

As an ailing patient, "when you've got limited time and capability to navigate all of this, who helps you figure that out?" said LaVarne Burton, president and chief executive of the American Kidney Fund.

Transplant centers can also weigh murkier factors such as "social support," which ethicists have warned there is no uniform way to assess. The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network ethics committee cautioned that non-medical criteria have been inconsistently applied and are susceptible to stereotyping.

Financial issues can also factor in, as transplant centers consider whether patients can afford their expenses as they recover.

Bethany Edwards, 44, is a single mother who said she has been on disability payments for nearly two decades because of her kidney disease. One center turned her down, saying that she wasn't financially stable and didn't have enough help for after the surgery, Edwards said. Another center told her, after she had struggled to make it to medical appointments that were needed to assess her, that she needed to have a reliable vehicle of her own if she was going to continue with the process, Edwards said.

"I get they don't want me to waste their time" by not making it to appointments, Edwards said. "But it's also just not realistic."

She used to clean houses and babysit, but found it impossible to juggle work with the demands of dialysis at least three times a week.

Some California programs declined to provide waitlist criteria to The Times: Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla called them "proprietary," but said it does provide them to patients. Sutter Health declined to provide specific criteria for California Pacific Medical Center Van Ness, as did Riverside Community Hospital, Loma Linda University Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai.

Insurance delays and logistical holdups

The National Kidney Foundation has urged waitlist criteria to be made more transparent to patients so that people can go where they have the best shot, especially if their health insurance limits how many evaluations they can undergo. Federal regulations say transplant programs must provide their selection criteria to patients upon request, but advocates say many patients are unaware that they can do so.

The evaluation process, which can require numerous assessments, can be slowed at many points by insurance authorizations and other logistical holdups. The steps can also be confusing enough that in some cases, patients have mistakenly believed they were already waitlisted while still undergoing evaluation, researchers have found.

"One little test could not be performed and you didn't get the memo  and that could be preventing you from getting on the waitlist," said Lori Hartwell, founder of the Renal Support Network.

And despite the high stakes of getting a kidney transplant, there is no requirement for transplant centers to assess candidates for the waitlist within a specific amount of time.

Kidney patient Roland Coleman, 73, is still waiting to get onto the waitlist. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

In Los Angeles County, Keck Medical Center of USC had indicated the process could take up to six months, but it wasn't until last August  more than a year and a half after his initial orientation  that Coleman was initially told he was too "high risk" to be a transplant candidate at that time, although it could reconsider if he took some additional steps.

Keck said it had reached out to ask Coleman for needed records before its August decision. Coleman, however, said he hadn't been asked to provide specific documents until that fall, and complained that "I have lost over a year during this tenuous period in my life."

The 73-year-old also disputed Keck's claims about his medical condition, pointing to information in its records. Frustrated, Coleman turned to another program for help. Roughly five months after he was connected to Providence St. Joseph, Coleman was eagerly anticipating its decision on whether he could get onto the waitlist.

Then he was thwarted again, this time by his health insurance company.

It said the Providence transplant center was not in its network, despite having initially authorized him to go to that hospital.

Closing racial equity gaps

Across the country, the waitlisting rate fell after the rollout of key changes in the kidney allocation system, researchers have found. Among them: Waiting time is now calculated based on when kidney patients started dialysis, not when they got onto the waitlist.

The changes have been credited with closing gaps between Black, Latino and white patients getting transplants once they're on the waitlist, but researchers have suggested they may have lessened the sense of urgency to waitlist patients who just started dialysis.

Danovitch, asked about the decline in waitlisting, said there could be a greater proportion of people who have too many medical problems to undergo transplant. Schold disagreed, saying that although the precise number of kidney patients eligible for transplant is unknown, there is clear evidence that eligible patients are being bypassed.

Mohan argued that because the regulatory system has monitored transplant centers for getting the best outcomes after an organ is transplanted, but never tracked how many patients are shut out from the waitlist, the system has grown increasingly selective, focused on delivering the best results to the lucky few who are waitlisted and chosen for transplant, rather than maximizing the benefits for as many patients as possible.

At the same time, more donated kidneys are not being used. UNOS researchers previously found that much of the rise in discards over decades is due to an expanded pool of kidney donors, but their results also suggested that "a significant number of opportunities for kidney transplant are missed."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
are-you-there-god-1

Rachel McAdams and Abby Ryder Fortson in 'Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret' Credit - Courtesy of Lionsgate

Long before young-adult novels became the profitable juggernaut they are today, there was Judy Blume, who wrote about subjects and experiencespuberty, body-image anxiety, teen sexthat a certain sort of parent would never broach with their kids. Her frank approach was enough to get many of her books banned: in the mid 1980s they became a favorite target of the far-right Christian group Moral Majority, and one book in particular, Blumes 1970 best-seller Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret, has continued to raise ire among uptight types across the decades. Through the 1990s and 2000s, that book has held a comfortable spot on the American Library Associations list of 100 most frequently banned works. What better endorsement can a book earn? And can a movie version do it justice?

The wonder of Kelly Fremon Craigs film adaptation of Are You There God? isnt just that it deals directly, and without condescension, with the vagaries of preteen awkwardness. Its that it speaks so ardently to the adolescent in all of usparticularly, maybe, women who are going through menopause or already on the far side of it, an event that in some ways returns us to a lunar landscape whose contours wed forgotten. The heroine of this story, set in 1970, is 11-year-old New York City girl Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) who, as the movie opens, is just returning home from a summer away at campwe get brief glimpses of the fun she had, running and laughing with friends, in what we know are among her last moments of just being a little kid.

Margaret is barely off the camp bus when her father Herb (Benny Safdie) and gentle, art-teacher mom Barbara (Rachel McAdams) break the news that the family is moving to the Jersey suburbs. Its the beginning of the end of her world: Margaret doesnt want to leave the familys cozy, cluttered apartment, or her friends at school, or, most of all, her grandmother, Sylvia (Kathy Bates), a firecracker decked out in splashy prints and gumball-vivid costume jewelry. But this decision is beyond her control. She and her mother and father make the trek to a place that seems like a different planet from New York, with its scruffy bodegas and lattice network of fire escapes. The sudden sight of a supermarket set far off from the street, with an actual parking lot around it, is as much a shock to our system as it is to Margarets. What do people do with so much space?

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Kathy Bates and Abby Ryder Fortson in 'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret' Courtesy of Lionsgate

Yet its not hard for Margaret to make new friends. Even before the moving cartons are unpacked theres a girl around Margarets age coming to the door. Nancy (Elle Graham), lives nearbyin the bigger house up the street, she says brightly to Barbaraand where Margaret is thoughtful and somewhat cautious about the world, Nancy, brimming with faux sophistication, is ready to storm right into it. She almost instantaneously invites Margaret to be part of a secret club with two other girls, Gretchen (Katherine Mallen Kupferer) and Janie (Amari Alexis Price). There are rules: No socks! Nancy admonishes, and Margaret dutifully complies, even though her loafers give her blisters without them. The girls must all wear bras, even though Nancy, further ahead than the rest of them, is the only one who isnt stuck with the stretchy training variety. They must each keep a book listing the names of the boys they like. (Margaret has her eye on one whos escaped the radar of the others, a winsome-looking kid named Moose, played by Aidan Wojtak-Hissong.) And, perhaps most significantly, each girl is sworn to alert the others as soon as she menstruates for the first time, an event they all see as a triumphant milestone, though they wont admit theyre a little scared of it too. At school, as the girls watch the classic heres what it means to be a woman educational film that generations of preteens had to suffer through, the look on their faces says it all: So waitthat totally disgusting-sounding thing is actually going to happen to me?

Even so, Margaret doesnt want to be the last of her friends to reach that marker of womanhood. Whats more, simply because shes 11, shes confused about just about everything, which is what leads her to try prayer on for sizethough even that route provides little comfort, because her mother (raised by devout Christian parents, from whom shes estranged) and her father (Jewish) have decided to let her choose her own religion when shes ready.

Read More: The Best Judy Blume Books to Read at Every Age

Margarets little-girl doubts feel huge to herthese are the things we forget once we leave adolescence behind. We forget how much we wanted to rush to grow up, and also how, once it started happening, we werent sure how to adjust to this rattling new normal. Are You There God?, both funny and generous, brings it all back. Craig has navigated similar territory before: she wrote and directed the perceptive and vibrant 2016 comedy-drama The Edge of Seventeen. And she gets the tone and vibe of Are You There God? just right. Anticipating the onset of menses, and wanting to be prepared, Margaret and Janie suffer the embarrassmenttheres a guy behind the counterof buying their first box of sanitary pads at the drugstore. (The brand is Teenage Softies.) At one of those ubiquitous preteen basement parties, the kids play one of those ridiculous yet terrifying kissing gamesdevised by Nancy, naturallyand Margaret gets matched with the cutest, coolest boy in the class, who, even though he later turns out to be a jerk, in that moment bestows the gentlest of kisses. (The music on the soundtrack is Dusty Springfields version of Son of a Preacher Man, one of the great songs about honey-sweet stolen moments.) And Craig knows how to direct our gaze in the subtlest ways. As Margaret watches Moose replace a fallen bird feeder in the branches of a tree, somehow we notice, just as she does, that he has just the littlest bit of hair under his arms. Its a moment that brings you back to the days before you knew everything, where there were so many mysteries left to unfold.

Rachel McAdams, Benny Safdie, and Abby Ryder Fortson in 'Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret' Courtesy of Lionsgate

This is also one of those rare teen movies where the parents arent duds: McAdams and Safdie are wonderful as parents who know they have to largely sit on the sidelines as Margaret navigates all this new confusion, though theyre also at the ready to catch her when she slips. The costumingfrom Herbs dad turtlenecks to Barbaras art-teacher sandal-and-skirt combos to the other moms pristine twin setsis perfect. (The costume designer is Ann Roth, a legend for a reason.)

And best of all, this is a movie where the kids really look like little kids, not just older actors playing younger. Their teeth havent yet evened outthey still have that ridged Chicklet look. Their hair gets messy as they go through their day. And Fortson is marvelous, capturing all of Margarets eager earnestness. Margaret has a subterranean intelligence that she cant yet see, particularly in the context of Nancys dazzle (though, as we learn, Nancy has her own vulnerabilities). Of course, at least on the surface, Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret, adapted from an evergreen book, is designed for young people. But theres a transportive quality about it too. Im not sure its possible to watch it as a grownup and not see, somewhere on that screen, a version of the awkward little person you used to be. Maybe that feeling is particularly acute if youre a woman, and it might hit even harder if youve reached the 50-year mark, when all the things you so eagerly waited for are well behind you. Now you know all the secrets. But deep inside, there will always be the girl who knew nothing at all.
State Sens. Megan Hunt, from center left, Jen Day and Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh embrace in the Rotunda while being cheered on by supporters after a bill seeking to ban abortions in Nebraska after about six-weeks fails to advance, Thursday, April 27, 2023, at the Nebraska State Capital in Lincoln, Neb.



State Sens. Megan Hunt, Jen Day, and Machaela Cavanaugh celebrate with supporters after a bill seeking to ban abortions in Nebraska after about six weeks fails to advance on Thursday, April 27, 2023.

Most abortion news is bad news so here we are with some good news, albeit qualified: Abortion bans failed this week in the Republican-controlled states of South Carolina and Nebraska. Abortion remains legal in both states until 22 weeks of pregnancy for now, though South Carolinas clinics only offer care up to 14 weeks.

In South Carolina, lawmakers were considering H.B. 3774, a near-total ban with exceptions for rape or incest only through the first trimester. Five women senators (three Republicans and two Democrats) opposed the bill and it failed by one vote. State Sen. Sandy Senn (R) said that abortion laws have always been, each and every one of them, about controlplain and simple. And in the Senate, the males have all the control.

Read more

Thats all well and good, but the Senate previously passed a separate six-week ban, S.B. 474, which the House could still take up before the session ends on May 11. Senn was the only Republican woman to vote against both; her two other colleagues, Katrina Shealy and Penry Gustafson, are apparently fine with a six-week ban. Senn herself favors a ban after the first trimester, so this is not over.

Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey (R) told reporters after the near-total ban failed: Its up to the House now. They have the ability to prevent thousands of abortions in South Carolina. The state is crucial for maintaining some semblance of access in the Southeast, especially since a six-week ban could take effect in Florida this summer.

The Nebraska bill, L.B. 626, would have banned abortion at about six weeks of pregnancy, but it failedalso by one vote. State Sen. Merv Riepe (R) had co-sponsored the original bill and voted for it two weeks ago, but then added an amendment to change the ban from six weeks to 12 weeks. Riepe said he was concerned that people may not know theyre pregnant at six weeks. When that amendment didnt get a vote, Riepe abstained from voting on LB 626. So, hes no pro-choice hero because he still wants to ban abortion in the first trimester, but he did prevent the six-week ban from advancing this time. Nebraskas unicameral legislature could try to hold another vote this session, or bring it back next year.

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The ACLU of Nebraska said in a statement: We know that the fight in the long term is not over. But today its a sense of relief knowing that abortion remains legal in Nebraska.

Thats exactly the vibe.

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DHAKA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank has discussed a new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Bangladesh, spanning from 2023 to 2027, and approved 1.25 billion U.S. dollars financing in three new projects, the lender said Friday.

Of the projects, the bank said it will provide 500 million for a project termed Program on Agricultural and Rural Transformation for Nutrition, Entrepreneurship, and Resilience (PARTNER).

Another 500 million will come as First Green and Climate Resilient Development Credit which will help the country's transition to green and climate-resilient development, the lender said in a statement.

It approved 250 million for a project on microenterprise to help transform the micro-enterprise sector into a more dynamic, less-polluting, resource-efficient, and climate-resilient growth sector.

"This Country Partnership Framework builds on five decades of strong partnership between the World Bank Group and Bangladesh," said Abdoulaye Seck, World Bank country director for Bangladesh and Bhutan.

"As Bangladesh aims to be more prosperous, it will need stronger institutions and policies to serve the needs of an upper-middle-income country. This CPF will support the government's reform programs to deliver jobs and support inclusion and resilience," Seck said.

"Bangladesh has been one of the world's outstanding development growth stories. Additional reforms to spur the development of a more diversified and competitive private sector will grow exports and create quality jobs," said Martin Holtmann, country manager of International Finance Corporation for Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. 
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Reuters/Getty/CSPAN

Paul Erickson, the conservative operative who helped Russian agent Maria Butina make outreach to the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign, is still defending her name years after the whole operation went south.

Butina, the gunslinging, flaming Russian redheadand Ericksons former girlfriendinfamously admitted to conspiring to act as a clandestine foreign agent of Russia in 2018. Her work including trying to build backchannels between the Russian government and the Trump campaign and infiltrating conservative political circles in the United States. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2019, before being deported back to Russia, where she now serves as a member of parliament.

Ericksonwho himself was convicted in a fraud scheme unrelated to the influence operation and sentenced to seven years in prisonclaims in new interviews that Butina was never acting as a spy and complained about her treatment in the United States justice system.

The ultimate insult of her travails in the United States was that not only was she not a spy until she was treated harshly by the justice system, she was once a potentially future ally to America in global relations in a post-Putin world, Erickson said in an interview with Paul Glader and Mary Cuddehe, guest cohosts of the podcast Infamous, which released an episode about him on Thursday.

Erickson rarely speaks publicly since being pardoned by then-President Donald Trump in 2021 after serving two and a half years of his seven-year prison sentence. But the interviews he completed for the podcast during his imprisonment and shortly after his release indicate that he still believes Butina wasnt in the wrong. The podcast episode Fool Me Twice: A Russian Spy and a South Dakotan Operative Fall in Love, is the first in a three-part series to be released over the next two weeks.

Infamous

The governments charge against her was so flimsy, Erickson claimed in the February 2021 interviews. This is my opinion, [but] you can't fully appreciate the lunacy of the government's prosecution of her without directly refuting their premise for the prosecution.

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Erikson did not respond to requests for comment from The Daily Beast.

From arranging a visit for members of the National Rifle Association in Moscow in 2015 to sending political updates back to Russia while Russian intelligence operatives were working to influence the 2016 election, Butinas goose was cooked in 2018. She eventually tried to set up a meeting between then-candidate Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the 2016 presidential campaign, prosecutors said.

Robert Anderson Jr., a retired FBI counterintelligence official, wrote in a statement filed in court that Butina provided the Russian governmentwith work that aligned with what intelligence officers would provide the Kremlin.

Butina provided the Russian Federation with information that skilled intelligence officers can exploit for years and that may cause significant damage to the United States, Anderson said.

Maria Butina is accompanied by federal agents after her release from a Florida prison ICE via Reuters

Ericksons comments appeared to echo statements from Russian government officials trying to pour cold water on the idea that Butina was guilty. The Russian Embassy has previously claimed Butina was falsely accused.

Butina, too, has rejected allegations that she was working to spy for Russia, although she pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as a Russian foreign agent. I wasnt a spy. I wasnt working for the government. I was just a civilian, she said in a 2021 interview with The New York Times.

Butina did not immediately return a request for comment.

Russian Spy Maria Butina Is Living the American Dreamin Russia

Butina came to the United States in 2016 on a student visa, but the scheme dates back to 2013, according to prosecutors. She worked to help expand the levers of power Russia leaned on to build ties with the United States. Beyond just working through official ties, Butina believed Moscow would benefit from focusing on unofficial channels of communication. For Butina, who grew up hunting with her father, her enthusiasm for guns was her way in.

Their love affair ultimately erupted into a dramatic public scandal, raising questions about whether Butina was acting as a Russian Red Sparrow and using seduction to complete tasks for Moscow and merely using Erickson, a well-connected lawyer and businessman, to gain access to conservative circles.

Zero chance of linking me

According to Erickson, the relationship crumbled after his arrest.

When my arrest happened, then was this strategic, we just said, right, this is farewell for now, until we didnt know when, if ever. Because we couldnt, Erickson said in an interview with the podcast hosts in January of 2021. Every communication, everything would have been monitored or used against her or against me.

Butina, who was released from a Florida prison and then deported by U.S. immigration officials, speaks with journalists upon arrival at Sheremetyevo International Airport outside Moscow. Tatyana Makeyeva/Reuters

Despite his recounting of the dramatic break-up, the Republican appears to be sticking to his declaration that Butina wasnt a Red Sparrow, claiming instead that she was a reformer, an enemy of the state, Top 10 dissident.

Erickson was pardoned by Trump in the final hours of his administration, even though the lawyer had pleaded guilty to the charges against him. The former president indicated that he thought Erickson was indicted because of the probe into Russian ties with his campaign. The conviction of Erickson was based off the Russian collusion hoax, Trump said at the time, adding the pardon helps right the wrongs of what has been revealed to be perhaps the greatest witch hunt in American History.

Feds Target Butinas GOP Boyfriend as Foreign Agent

Erickson appeared to defend himself and his own record in the podcast interviews.

A couple deals in the course of my life that didnt work, but nobody was, nothing was ever taken, he said.

Although Ericksons charges werent tied to the Russian influence op, records show that he was also trying to arrange backchannel communications between Russia and the United States. In one note he sent to then-Sen. Jeff Sessions, Erickson admitted to working quietly on a backchannel.

Happenstance and the (sometimes) international reach of the NRA placed me in a position a couple of years ago to slowly begin cultivating a back-channel to President Putins Kremlin. Russia is quietly but actively seeking a dialogue with the U.S. that isnt forthcoming under the current administration, Erickson wrote.

In the new interviews, however, Erickson indicated that he was never too worried about the Russian influence operation saga.

They had zero chance of linking me to any political or intelligence stuff related to Maria, he said.

You can listen to the Infamous podcast here.

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Peter Thiel holding hundred dollar bills. Marco Bello/Getty Images

Republican megadonor Peter Thiel is not planning to donate to any 2024 GOP candidates.

Sources told Reuters that he's unhappy with the GOP's positions on abortions and transgender rights.

Thiel wants Republicans to talk less about the culture wars, and more about China, per Reuters.

Billionaire Republican megadonor Peter Thiel is not planning to donate to any political candidates in 2024 because he's unhappy with the GOP's positions on several important social issues, according to Reuters.

The news agency spoke to two sources close to the businessman, who was an early backer of former President Donald Trump and stumped for him in 2016, who said that Thiel reached this decision late last year.

One source, a Thiel business associate, said that the GOP's positions on abortion and restrictions on which bathrooms transgender students can use in schools contributed to his decision.

The source said that Thiel believes Republicans are making a mistake by honing in on culture war topics for 2024, and prefers candidates to instead focus on US innovation and competing with China.

Both sources said that Thiel, who has a net worth of more than $8 billion, has declared on several recent occasions that he has taken a step back entirely from US politics.

Four other sources confirmed to Reuters that Thiel, who was born in Germany and later went on to co-found PayPal, has plans to withdraw from American political life, with one person saying that concerns over his family's safety have influenced his decision.

Thiel donated some $1.25 million to the 2016 campaign efforts of Trump, which set him up as an outlier in Silicon Valley.

But he didn't financially back Trump's re-election efforts in 2020, with one source close to Thiel telling Reuters that the businessman was turned off by the chaos surrounding Trump's persona.

Thiel contributed more than $25 million to federal-level GOP candidates in 2022, making him the 10th largest donor to either party in the midterm congressional elections, according to Reuters, which cited OpenSecrets data.

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Insider contacted Thiel for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

The news that Thiel does not intend to contribute to GOP candidates in 2024 follows reports that Republican megadonors are souring on Gov. Ron DeSantis, with some attributing it to similar reasons.

Thomas Peterffy, for example, told the Financial Times that DeSantis' "stance on abortion and book banning" meant that he and "his friends" are no longer planning to give their financial support to the Republican governor.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill targeting hate crimes in Florida.

He signed it while on his foreign visit to Israel on Thursday.

Watch: This is pure, pure, pure evil: Sheriff Chitwood responds to recent wave of anti-Semitism

The law makes harassing someone based on their religion or ethnicity a hate crime that can be prosecuted as a third-degree felony.

This follows recent cases of antisemitism in places like Volusia and Orange counties.

Watch: Sheriff: Cowardly scumbags spread anti-Semitic flyers throughout Volusia County

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Since the 2009 Self-Government Act, only Greenland's currency, justice system, foreign and security affairs fall under Denmark's authority

Greenland's lawmakers on Friday got their first look at a draft constitution which the autonomous territory could rely on if it comes to negotiating independence from Denmark.

Developed in secrecy over four years, the 49-paragraph document written in Greenlandic was presented by a constitutional commission to the territory's parliament, the Inatsisartut, where it will now be discussed.

The text, still in the draft stage, did not come down firmly on several key issues, local media reported -- including Greenlandic passport access and the administration of justice, areas still managed by mainland Denmark.

It also made no reference to the monarchy, leaving unresolved the question of whether the queen or king of Denmark would remain head of state.

"For the time being (the draft constitution) is primarily a Greenlandic issue. It will only concern Denmark when Greenland has discussed it and depending on what the politicians decide," Ulrik Pram Gad, a researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies and an expert on Danish-Greenlandic relations told AFP.

Greenland has been autonomous since 1979. The world's largest island, located in the Arctic some 2,500 kilometres (1,550 miles) from Denmark, has its own flag, language, culture and institutions, but still relies heavily on a Danish grant which makes up a quarter of its GDP and more than half of its public budget.

Mainland Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland -- with its roughly 55,000 inhabitants -- together form the Kingdom of Denmark.

- Moving towards independence -

Since the 2009 Self-Government Act, only currency, the justice system and foreign and security affairs fall under Denmark's authority.

The Act also included a provision that if Greenland's people take a decision in favour of independence, negotiations are to commence between Nuuk and Copenhagen.

The resulting agreement, reached with the consent of the Danish and Greenlandic parliaments, would then have to be approved via a referendum in Greenland.

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"There won't be a revolution tomorrow, but the text will enlighten the debate," Pram Gad said, adding that it still "shows that Greenland wants to move to a new, looser stage" in its relationship with Denmark.

It remains to be seen whether politicians and the public agree with the project and whether Greenland's leaders "will dare to set the ball rolling", he said.

For Social Democrat Aki-Matilda Hoegh-Dam, who holds one of the seats reserved for Greenland in the Danish parliament, the text represents a "step" towards the creation of a sovereign Greenlandic state.

"We will have a more in-depth discussion on exactly how this will happen" covering matters including citizenship and voting rights, she said during a recent press briefing.

When it comes to future relations with Denmark, a potential free association agreement, which has been mulled in the past, is mentioned in an annex to the draft constitution.

"We want to create a common solution that is beneficial for both countries," stressed Hoegh-Dam, who envisions negotiations on the island's sovereignty starting within a decade.

The territory's geostrategic location and massive mineral reserves have raised international interest in recent years, as evidenced by former US president Donald Trump's swiftly rebuffed offer to buy it in 2019.

But even though the idea of buying up Greenland has been abandoned, Washington has sought to gain more influence.

cbw/jll/lcm
Japanese incarceration survivors and others unveil a new plaque in Griffith Park on April 20 that tells the stories of the Japanese, German and Italian immigrants detained in the park's World War II prison camp. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

At the northern end of Griffith Park, the Travel Town Museum showcases old trains and locomotives.

Few people are aware that a much darker history lives on this spot, where Japanese, German and Italian immigrants were unjustly imprisoned during World War II, often on baseless suspicions of being "potentially dangerous enemy aliens."

Now, that history is being recognized at Travel Town with a plaque telling the stories of the prisoners, including Rafu Shimpo newspaper typesetter Katsuo Nagai and Italian fisherman Ralph Averga.

Nagai was arrested because of an alleged affiliation with the Hollywood Japanese language school, the plaque says.

Averga was 48 when he was removed from a fishing boat in San Pedro, according to the plaque, which displays his mug shot and fingerprints.

These men werent prominent individuals within their communities. They were regular people, said Russell Endo, a retired professor of sociology and Asian American studies at the University of Colorado. We wanted to show the extent to which the government overreached its authority and went after everyone.

Endo has documented 101 Japanese, 21 German and four Italian prisoners who were incarcerated at the site at some point between February 1942 and August 1943, though he said there were almost certainly more.

Three sets of barracks and 50 Army tents could hold up to 550 people and were enclosed by two 10-foot-high fences with barbed wire, according to Endo and Travel Town archivist Linda Barth.

Like the much larger prison camp at the Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia, Griffith Park was a way station for people who ended up in long-term prison camps.

Under proclamations signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in December 1941, immediately after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the immigrants were arrested and forced to appear before an "alien enemy hearing board."

Some were released or paroled. Others were imprisoned "based on weak evidence or unsubstantiated accusations of which they were never told or had little power to refute," according to the National Archives.

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Under a separate executive order that Roosevelt issued on Feb. 19, 1942, about 122,000 men, women and children of Japanese ancestry were sent to incarceration camps.

About 18,000 lived in horse stalls at Santa Anita before moving to remote, windswept prison camps like Heart Mountain and Manzanar.

Harumi "Bacon" Sakatani, left, and Takashi "Tak" Hoshizaki, who both were incarcerated at the Heart Mountain camp in Wyoming during World War II, attend the sign dedication. "I'm glad we came," Sakatani said. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

At a ceremony on April 20 in Griffith Park to dedicate the new plaque, descendants of men who were imprisoned there stood alongside Harumi Bacon Sakatani and Takashi "Tak" Hoshizaki, Japanese Americans incarcerated with their families as teenagers.

The plaque was a gift from the Griffith J. Griffith Foundation, which supports park projects, and was created with the help of L.A. recreation and parks officials, the Travel Town Museum Foundation, the Tuna Canyon Detention Station Coalition, the Japanese American National Museum and the Los Angeles Breakfast Club.

In a tweet, City Councilmember Nithya Raman, whose district includes Griffith Park, expressed hope that "a problematic past can still give way to a more just, educated, and equitable future."

Kathy Masaoka's grandfather was in the first group of 77 Japanese immigrants imprisoned in Griffith Park.

Sochi Kadota worked as a day laborer before eventually buying a 10-acre vegetable farm. After he was taken away, his wife and 10 children had to sell the farm and were soon incarcerated themselves at Gila River near Phoenix.

Masaoka has no idea why her grandfather was arrested.

"This was a part of our history that was never talked about, because it elicits such shame and pain," Masaoka said. "But it's a story that needs to be told so it can never happen again."

After they were released, most of the family settled in the Midwest.

Kadota had a hard time rebuilding his life, Masaoka said. He worked as a janitor and then became a homemaker while his wife worked at the Fuller Brush Co. He died in 1968 at age 88.

"He was the head of a household and had a certain lifestyle and all that was taken away," said Masaoka, 74, of Silver Lake. "He had to adapt."

Sigrid Toye was 3 years old when her father, a German immigrant, was arrested on Dec. 7, 1941, after FBI agents searched their home near Griffith Park.

Her mother didn't know why he was arrested.

Eugen Banzhaf stayed at Terminal Island for a few weeks before being moved to Tuna Canyon, Griffith Park and then a prison camp in Stringtown, Okla.

Toye said her mother had a hard time finding a job because of her thick German accent. They survived by selling their possessions, including their home.

After Banzhaf was released in 1943, he and his family settled just outside Griffith Park. He struggled to find steady employment, often relying on temporary jobs, from working at a brokerage firm to raising chickens.

Toye became a clinical psychologist. Her father died in 1992 at age 91.

"A lot of my life was defined by that moment," said Toye, of Santa Barbara. "I'm not here because I'm angry or want some sort of payment. I'm here because no one spoke up for my parents, and I'm doing that now."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
[Source]

A group of teens brutally attacked a Chinese man in front of his daughter in Dublin, Ireland.

A 16-year-old boy was recently found guilty of assault in relation to a beating that took place in the city centers north side on December 6, 2021.

According to local reports, the unidentified father was beaten and racially abused by a group of teens and forced to apologize to a boy he had confronted after the child squirted him with water.

The incident, which was captured on CCTV footage, reportedly showed the 16-year-old repeatedly punching the man while his teenage daughter stood close by. Other teens soon joined in and dragged the man along railings before hitting him all over his head and body.

More from NextShark: NY Real Estate Agent Fired After Reportedly Saying Asian Woman Has Coronavirus on Instagram

According to police, the victim arrived at Store Street Garda station with a swollen eye and bloody face after the incident.

The victim claimed that he tried to walk away because he was worried about his daughter.

Some guys came across the road and hit me really bad. I was covered by my hat, so I did not see anything, and they kept hitting me; one guy hit me really bad, he said.

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The father said that a whole load of youths became involved in the incident and that they followed him and made him apologize.

If you don't say sorry, we won't let you go, the teens reportedly said.

Although the 16-year-old boy admitted to hitting the father up to seven times before his friends became involved, he denied the charges against him.

More from NextShark: Man suspected of shooting 4 in DC found dead inside his apartment, police still have no motive

In court, the teen claimed that he was protecting his little brother, who had used a water gun to spray the man. He claimed that the man had put his hand on his brother and started to reprimand him, so he went to defend him.

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Defense solicitor Michael Byrne said his client had an "instinctive reaction" to defend his brother.

However, the Judge ruled that the teen had acted aggressively, not defensively. He adjourned sentencing until after a victim impact statement and a probation report on the accused.

More from NextShark: Kim Jong-uns daughter spotted in $2,800 Dior jacket as N. Korea suffers extreme poverty, starvation

The minor was remanded on continuing bail.
My mother passed away when I was 14  a defining moment in my life that shaped the trajectory of the woman I've become. After I graduated college, I attempted to piece together her story by visiting places she had lived and grew up, including Vietnam and Cambodia. I also spent time with her family members in France, Switzerland and Louisiana, and became acquainted with her younger brother in Saigon.

Because I never heard stories directly from her, I sought them out to paint a vivid picture of the woman whom I knew in only one role  my mother, Evelyne Yubonn Gonoux. I discovered through family members that my mother was "vivacious" and "alive"; an avid Ping-Pong player in Cambodia, where she was born and raised as a third-generation Cambodian of Vietnamese descent; and a medical doctor in Vietnam. These descriptions felt like such a stark contrast to my mother who didnt work or drive, and whose life felt defined by the meals she prepared for us in small towns where I was raised in Tennessee, Illinois and Indiana.

Throughout my global quest to find her, however, I overlooked another family member  my father, Nghia Vo. Nearly 50 years later, the memory of South Vietnam and the lasting trauma of its fall to North Vietnam's communist regime still haunts my family.

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After finishing medical school, my father was drafted into the South Vietnamese army as a physician. In April 1975, he was transferred to Phu Quoc, an island off the southwestern coast of Vietnam. When Saigon fell to the communists that April 30, my father boarded a boat that was about to set sail in search of freedom.

Evelyne and Nghia Vo at their wedding in Saigon, South Vietnam, in 1972.

Meanwhile, my mother remained in Saigon with their first son, a toddler. After the war ended, she worked at the French Grall Hospital, earning enough money to secure passage out of Vietnam in 1976. She eventually reunited with my father in the United States.

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Upon her arrival, my father noticed that although she remained the same person, something about her spirit had changed. Their son had passed away from hemorrhagic fever, and perhaps the combined weight of his loss and the war had taken a toll on her soul.

'Homeless among the clouds': My journey from movie star to faceless refugee

Two wars showed me who I am: When did I, a daughter of Vietnam, become an American?

After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I worked for a pharmaceutical company for a year, but there was a deep yearning within me to know more about my family's history and, in particular, my mother's story. I secured an internship in Vietnam, primarily to delve deeper into my roots.

While living and working in Saigon in my early 20s, I saw glimpses of my mother in the Vietnamese women gathered chatting over "cafe sua da" in crowded coffee shops in District 1. Id watch them drive away on their motorbikes, somehow navigating the vehicles with heels and wearing gloves to protect their skin from the scorching Saigon sun, and I wondered whether my mother would have been happier in Vietnam? Would her soul have felt more at ease?

A lifeline to my father

Now in his mid-70s, my father, Nghia Vo, was always a distant, quiet man, focused on building his medical career and working on his personal projects.

As a child, I remember he slept in a separate room, while my mother, my sister and I shared another room. My sister and I never communicated with him directly, relying on my mother to ask him questions for us. To this day, I'm unsure whether the no's we received as children were truly his words, or whether she put them in his mouth. When she passed away, we not only lost her but also a lifeline to my father.

Christina Vo

I eventually settled in San Francisco in my 30s, on the opposite coast from my father, who had remarried another Vietnamese woman a few years after my mother passed away on April 26, 1994. They divorced, and he moved from Southern Indiana (his home for 15 years) to Northern Virginia, where he started a new career as a scientific research officer.

Being closer to a Vietnamese community served my father well. He began writing and researching Vietnamese history, publishing books and anthologies, and founding a nonprofit organization to help document Vietnamese American culture as a way for future generations to learn about the people of South Vietnam, a country that no longer exists.

Soldiers without a country: We're finally honoring South Vietnamese who fought with us

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His passion for researching Vietnam and sharing his love for South Vietnam, in particular, brought him to life. I eventually realized that despite facing numerous losses in his life  his son, my mother, the divorce from his second wife  the greatest love and loss in my father's life was South Vietnam.

'Vietnam is a country that has always been fighting itself'

Last year, he invited me to attend a Texas Tech University conference in Orange, California, focused on Vietnamese history. I accepted, knowing that as my father ages, our time together is limited. In the back of my mind, I regretted all the times he asked for my help with his nonprofit and I declined.

At the conference, my father was scheduled to present on two panels. I was nervous, having only heard my father speak in public a few times  at my mothers funeral and at the 25th reunion of his medical school class in Northern Virginia. I was surprised to see that my father had befriended other attendees, many of them U.S. veterans, some of whom had attended his conference previously. The common thread that united these men with vastly different lives was Vietnam and their desire to unpack the past, to unravel the war.

Missing in action: 50 years later, peace treaty that was supposed to end Vietnam War is still MIA

'Dust Child': She searched for a father she'd never met. Then, after 52 years, they found each other.

When my father spoke on one panel about the Paris Peace Talks, I was taken aback. I hadn't expected my quiet, reserved father to speak so passionately. He transformed into a man who spoke with deep reverence and love for the motherland.

The conferences keynote speaker, former Ambassador John Negroponte, who was a member of the U.S. delegation to the Paris negotiations in 1973, approached him afterward and thanked him for his presentation. You were a medical doctor, he said, how do you know so much about the history of Vietnam?

My father responded, Well, Vietnam is a country that has always been fighting itself. I had to understand the reason why.

It dawned on me at that moment that for my entire life, I never saw my father clearly, identifying him only as a quiet man living in the shadow of my mothers memory.

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The roles of men and women in the Vietnam War  people who are now grandfathers, grandmothers, fathers and mothers of younger generations  differed, and the lingering trauma passed from one generation to the next has its distinct tones. And perhaps just as I saw my mother in the Saigonese women chatting over their ice coffees, maybe for my father, while it is difficult for him to express this directly, his most vivid memories are also of Vietnam.

Perhaps, regardless of how many years Vietnamese people live on foreign terrain, even if it is the majority of their lives, they will always feel most at home in Vietnam. And maybe for many, just like my father, their greatest loss will always be South Vietnam.

Christina Vo, is the author of the newly published "The Veil Between Two Worlds: A Memoir of Silence, Loss, and Finding Home." Follow her on Instagram: @stina_vo or find her at christinavo.com

You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fall of Saigon anniversary: Loss of South Vietnam haunts my family
J Hope attends the Louis Vuitton Menswear Fall-Winter 2023-2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 19, 2023 in Paris.

J Hope attends the Louis Vuitton Menswear Fall-Winter 2023-2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 19, 2023 in Paris. Credit - Julien HekimianGetty Images

Seouls Jamsugyo Bridge, which crosses the Han River, will transform into a high fashion runway on April 29, as Louis Vuitton presents its first ever pre-fall womenswear show in South Korea in a partnership that aims to boost tourism and capitalize on the popularity of the countrys pop culture.

The historic display is being brought to life by the French fashion houses creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere, with Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk working as a creative advisor on the shows scenography. Louis Vuitton chose Seoul because it is a cultural hub that continues to draw global attention, said chairman and CEO Pietro Beccari in a statement, noting that the city shares a common spirit with the luxury brand.

The show marks a symbiotic three-party partnership between the brands parent company LVMH, the Korea Tourism Organization, and Seoul Metropolitan Government, as part of an attempt to attract more visitors to South Korea.

It is part of a wider tourism effort for 2023-2024 Visit Korea Year. The initiative aims to encourage as many as 30 million overseas tourists to travel to the capital this year. The collaboration will include long and short term projects that preserve the river and its biodiversity, and promote tourism in Seoul via fashion exhibitions and other content.

The deal comes as luxury brands increasingly look to capitalize on the growing global fascination with hallyu, a term denoting the so-called Korean wave of popular culture that has spread around the world since the 1990s, with the success of K-pop music and Korean dramas. In February, Louis Vuitton announced that J-Hope, a band member of the global sensation BTSwho were lauded by Seouls tourism board in 2018would be its newest brand ambassador. He is the latest member of his band to partner with a luxury brand, after his bandmates Jimin and Suga, signed lucrative deals with Christian Dior and Valentino respectively.

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Key figures from South Koreas culture scene will likely attend Saturdays show; Squid Game star HoYeon Jung and model So-ra Choi, who both star in the womens pre-fall 2023 campaign, are expected to be present.

I think luxury fashion houses view Seoul as a hip city because it has a young and energetic mood, says Kyoung Eun Rhee, a former fashion editor at Elle magazine and a stylist to young Korean actors. While Korean culture once had a small following, social media has afforded artists a larger platform, allowing them to build a mainstream fanbase of young people, she says.

Those global young generations made luxury houses focus on K-pop. Young people all over the world will be their main customer base someday, so having markets in these various countries is key, says Kyoung. The right brand ambassadors can make luxury products seem attainable to young citizens across Asia, rather than an asset reserved for older generations, she adds.

As such, K-pop stars are becoming increasingly visible in luxury brand campaigns, with Blackpink, one of the worlds most popular girl groups, working with Celine, Chanel, Dior and Saint Laurent. In May, Gucci is also set to host its postponed cruise collection show in South Korea to mark the brands 25 years in the country, and there Womens Wear Daily reports that Saint Laurent is also considering a Seoul show this year.

Research tells us that the hallyu industry has been a major draw for tourism to Korea, particularly inter-Asian tourism, which tends to be realized in large group tours that are well organized, Mary Ainslie, an associate professor at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China Campus who specializes in Southeast Asian culture and media, tells TIME.

Read More: These Are the Best K-Pop Groups You Should Know About

Ainslie says tour groups looking to visit key filming locations used in Korean dramas and other related sites bring consumer spending: Adding fashion brands into this package is not difficult, though it generally depends on how well connected the various creative elements are, as these different products must feed into each other and (ultimately) be connected to Koreanness, she notes in an email to TIME.

Between 2000 to 2019, South Korea saw a 12.18 million increase in inbound visitors, rising from 5.32 million people in 2000 to 17.5 million in 2019, according to Statista. But as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of tourists fell to unprecedented lows, dropping by 85% in 2020 (2.52 million) and a further 62% in 2021 (97,000). Historically, South Korea attracts many tourists in their twenties from neighboring countries such as Japan and China, but it is increasingly attracting tourists from around the world.

To remedy the hard-hit industry, the Korean Tourism Organization collaborated on a video campaign with Netflix in 2020 to promote its offering of South Korean television and film productions on its platform, offering its global audience a wealth of Korean content. The campaign strengthened the appeal of hallyu tourism, which the nation is hoping to capitalize on this yearand so, too, are luxury brands.

Since the beginning of hallyus overseas appeal in the mid-2000s, Korean fashion has always been a part of this industry, though to a lesser extent than cosmetics, says Ainslie, Fashion was often advertised through its connection to Korea, though it tended not to be luxury goods, which is a more recent development in overseas nations.

Before the pandemic, Koreans typically made luxury purchases abroad, as brands tended to offer better deals in other countries, but this became difficult during the pandemic and demand for luxury began to rise, Korea JoongAng Daily reported. Morgan Stanley figures reported by CNBC show that South Koreans became the worlds largest spenders per capita ($325) of luxury products in 2022, surpassing both Japan ($280) and China ($55).

Read More: Why Quiet Luxury Is Having a Moment

In 2022, the so-called Big Three luxury brandsHermes, Chanel, and Louis Vuittonmade around 4 trillion won ($2.98 billion) in sales in Korea in 2022, with the latter becoming the nations top-performing brand, Korea JoongAng Daily reported. The publication added that Louis Vuitton, which opened its first store in Seoul in 1991, recorded net profits of 380 billion won ($283.8 million). Leveraging the image of Koreanness by luxury brands gives a particular connection to both cosmopolitanism and Asianization, the notion of being a global citizen yet one firmly fixed in the Asia region, says Ainslie. This, she adds, is a key characteristic of hallyus international branding.

Tapping into other promising global markets appears to be a growing priority for luxury brands, particularly as luxury sales flatline in markets like the U.S. In December, Dior showed its fall collection in the Giza desert with Egypts most recognisable pyramids as the shows backdrop. In March, the French brand also hosted a landmark runway show in Mumbai drawing a number of high profile celebrities to India. While long established fashion capitals will continue to the industry, new cities are developing their own luxury identities.

Ainslie says international luxury brands have been attracted to hallyu because its a particularly flexible cosmopolitan model of pan-Asianness that has capitalized on a wave of modernization throughout the region. It was able to achieve much wider regional success than its predecessor of Cool Japan due to its lack of a pre-existing negative historical reputation, she adds.

Its longevity over the last three decades is due to its ability to adapt but as more establishments seek a piece of the profitable hallyu pie, Ainslie says globalization brings new concerns: The challenge is not how to innovate, but how to keep this culture as specifically representative of Koreanness when it is now such a global phenomenon.
By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) - The armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas said on Thursday it would stop receiving fundraising via the crypto currency bitcoin, a method it has used for years, citing an increase in "hostile" activity against donors.

"This comes out of concern about the safety of donors and to spare them any harm," the group said in a statement late on Thursday, adding that it had seen increased efforts to prevent people and groups sending it bitcoin funds.

The group, Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, Gaza's most powerful armed faction that has fought several wars with Israel over many years, renewed its call for "continued donation to Qassam and the resistance by all available means."

Contacted by Reuters, the Israeli military declined to comment on the Hamas statement.

Policymakers and regulators across the world have for years voiced concern over the illegal use of crypto, from money laundering to the financing of terrorism. Bitcoin and other crypto tokens offer high levels of anonymity, making them attractive to criminals.

However, developments in technology that track the movement of crypto on the blockchain ledger have made it easier for authorities to identify those behind crypto transfers. Many major crypto exchanges now also run ID checks on clients.

Hamas had endorsed crypto as a fundraising method for years, previously developing sophisticated tactics to solicit bitcoin donations.

The group doesn't disclose where its financial resources come from, yet leaders have frequently mentioned donations by individuals across the Muslim world as one key source. Iran has also always been a major financial and military backer of the group, according to officials from both sides.

Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the United States, Britain and the European Union. That means that, in the United States for instance, it is illegal to provide it with money or training, with financial firms in control of related funds obliged to report them to the authorities.

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In 2020, the U.S. broke up efforts by the military wing of Hamas, al-Qaeda and Islamic State to raise funds via cryptocurrency, seizing some $2 million worth of crypto.

Gaza economist Mohammad Abu Jayyab told Reuters the Hamas decision implied they may have felt Israel could reveal the identities of donors or reach their wallets, and were therefore seeking to protect them.

"They may also have preferred to go back to old traditional methods or maybe they figured out more advanced ones," he added.

(Reporting by Nidal Almughrabi; Additional reporting by Tom Wilson in London; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
A Jackson Health System vice president said this week that despite the abrupt closure of its heart transplant program due to deaths and other bad outcomes, the program would be 100% back on track once independent regulators complete their investigations.

Dr. Chris Ghaemmaghami painted a rosy picture for the Public Health Trust board of trustees on Wednesday, within an hour of the Miami Transplant Institute receiving a critical report  which he said he had not yet read  from the organ transplant organization leading the main probe. Jackson Health System is Miami-Dades publicly owned hospital network; the Public Health Trust board governs it.

Nonetheless, Ghaemmaghami reassured board members at their board meeting that a plan was already in place to resuscitate the adult heart transplant program, which Jackson suspended in mid-March after the nonprofit United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), signaled to Jackson officials that it had received complaints warranting an investigation. The organ sharing network manages the U.S. organ transplant system under contract with the federal government.

Ghaemmaghami said the problems at the Miami Transplant Institutes program, which he identified as teamwork, communications and leadership, were eminently addressable. Jackson said work is already underway. The Miami Transplant Institute, which is housed at Jackson Memorial Hospital and is staffed with physicians from the University of Miami medical school, is still performing pediatric heart transplants as well as lung, kidney, liver and other transplants.

The adult heart transplant program was suspended following a letter from the organ sharing network in which the organization urged the institute to do so after complaints regarding deaths, infections and other issues in the program, which has been led by Dr. Matthias Loebe. Jackson told the Herald at the time that the organ sharing network would oversee a peer review of the program, which occurred the week of April 4, and in the weeks following issue a report.

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READ NEXT: Heres what led to the investigation at Jacksons Miami Transplant Institute, and whats next

Jackson received that report Wednesday morning, the same day Ghaemmaghami spoke to the Public Health Trust.

Jackson has refused a public records request from the Miami Herald to provide the report or the original letter sent by the organ sharing network urging Jackson Health to suspend the program, citing a legal exemption that makes the documents not subject to inspection and copying.

Ghaemmaghami acknowledged the update on the status of the transplant center was not originally part of the agenda for Wednesdays meeting, but it was added since there have been questions surrounding the suspension of heart transplants and when they might resume. He said the heart program had been seeing very good outcomes, which were maybe not great but only marginally below the national average.

Jackson officials have previously acknowledged that the adult heart transplant program has not been performing as well as Jacksons other transplant programs involving kidneys, livers and other organs.

But Ghaemmaghami said the heart programs outcomes would not ordinarily be the reason for investigations and that he found it interesting that the issues had gotten to this level.

Though it is unclear whether the organ sharing network suggested when and if they recommended resuming heart transplants, the Jackson VP said Jackson was appealing to the network to have them understand that Jacksons outcomes were in a place where they should be allowed to go forward.

He also said the transplant institute presented the organ network with its own action plan during the nonprofits visit highlighting remaining issues and how they will be addressed.

We have made a lot of changes, and wed like them to show some flexibility in terms of when we can fully restart the program, Ghaemmaghami told the board. Those changes include at least the removal of Loebe as chief.

READ MORE: Probe of Jacksons suspended heart transplant program expands; top surgeon cant see patients

In October 2022, the institutes director, Dr. Rodrigo Vianna, told Loebe in a letter that he would no longer serve in the role of chief of Heart Transplant and Ventricular Assist Devices effective Feb. 13, 2023. However, up until the programs suspension, Loebe had still been serving in that capacity, since Jackson had not found his replacement. A week ago, Jackson confirmed to the Herald that Loebe was no longer seeing patients but refused to elaborate, stating that Jackson has ample coverage with other heart transplant surgeons.

Ghaemmaghami said senior Jackson leadership  beyond the heart transplant program and the Miami Transplant Institute  would be involved with the program and its organizational structure at least for the foreseeable future.

He also told the board Jackson is recruiting for key positions to improve the processes. Other than discuss the pending replacement for Loebe, Jackson has not responded to questions from Herald reporters about other personnel changes.

Its unclear whether a new chief needs to be named before the program resumes.

Ghaemmaghami, who is also Jacksons chief physician executive and chief clinical officer, told the Herald after the meeting that they are still discussing the heart transplant program with the organ sharing network and doesnt know when the program will reopen.

READ NEXT: He died after getting a heart transplant at Jackson. His loved ones want answers

Two other agencies, investigations

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Floridas Agency for Health Care Administration, which licenses and regulates hospitals in the state, visited the transplant institute the week of April 10. Jackson sources previously told the Herald that a report had been sent to the Medicare and Medicaid agency highlighting complaints about the heart-failure team and the implantation of Left Ventricular Assistance Devices, basically a heart pump. The team is led by Dr. Anita Phancao.

Ghaemmaghami told the board that the state agency left after a thorough four-day review with no findings. The Medicare and Medicaid agency, he said, had no immediate findings but did request additional medical records for further review, which were provided.

Their early early indications were that they were pleased with the work we were doing. We found that very reassuring, Ghaemmaghami said.

The report sent to the Medicare and Medicaid agency, which was reviewed by the Herald, cited poor patient outcomes and detailed over 20 deaths since 2020 within a year of heart pump procedures. The deaths were characterized by the authors of the complaint as preventable.

Ghaemmaghami did not specifically address the heart pump implantation procedure or complaints surrounding it during Wednesdays meeting. Jackson has told the Herald that Phancao remains as a cardiologist who heads the heart-failure team.

Jackson Health CEO Carlos Migoya, in the second seat from left, gives an update to the Public Health Trust on Wednesday, April 26, 2023.

Jackson CEO weighs in on plans moving forward

Jackson Health System CEO Carlos Migoya assured the board of trustees during an afternoon meeting following the one that Ghaemmaghami spoke at that Jackson was prioritizing finding a replacement for Loebe. We know what it takes to be successful  our lung transplant program, for example, is a model that we are striving to replicate for heart transplantation. I have no doubt that well get there.

The lung program was previously also headed by Loebe.

I can confidently say that our team is dedicating the time, energy and resources needed to ensure that we can safely reinstate the program as soon as possible, Migoya told the board.

Now that the report has been issued, Jackson and the University of Miami medical school can accept the recommendations or challenge them, according to Loebe, who explained the process to the Herald in an interview earlier this month. It would be unusual for a transplant program to challenge a peer-review panels recommendations to the extent that it would require a formal appeals hearing in Chicago, Loebe said.

Once Jackson-UM accepts the panels recommendations, then Jackson and the Miami Transplant Institute would be monitored by the organ sharing network for at least one year and possibly up to two years. The institute would have to file a report every six months that spells out its progress in meeting certain benchmarks set by the peer-review panel. Once Jackson meets those benchmarks, it would no longer be under close monitoring by the organ network.
Egypt receives over 16,000 foreigners fleeing Sudan conflict

Xinhua) 09:34, April 28, 2023

People carrying their luggage are seen after crossing into Egypt through the Argeen land port with Sudan on April 27, 2023. Egypt has received more than 16,000 foreigners fleeing the deadly conflict in neighboring Sudan, including more than 14,000 Sudanese, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo by Radwan Abu Elmagd/Xinhua)

CAIRO, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Egypt has received more than 16,000 foreigners fleeing the deadly conflict in neighboring Sudan, including more than 14,000 Sudanese, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

The non-Sudanese foreigners are from 50 countries and six international organizations, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said in the statement.

"The Egyptian efforts continue around the clock to facilitate the reception of citizens fleeing military clashes in Sudan, work to alleviate their suffering, and provide them with the necessary humanitarian assistance," Abu Zeid said.

Egypt has managed to evacuate 2,679 Egyptians from Sudan as of Wednesday, Egyptian official data showed.

Since mid-April, Sudan has been mired in military clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces following days of tension between the once-allied leaders of both sides.

At least 459 people have been killed and over 4,000 wounded so far in the conflict in Sudan, according to the World Health Organization.

People wait to board a bus after crossing into Egypt through the Argeen land port with Sudan on April 27, 2023. Egypt has received more than 16,000 foreigners fleeing the deadly conflict in neighboring Sudan, including more than 14,000 Sudanese, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo by Radwan Abu Elmagd/Xinhua)

People wait to cross into Egypt through the Argeen land port with Sudan on April 27, 2023. Egypt has received more than 16,000 foreigners fleeing the deadly conflict in neighboring Sudan, including more than 14,000 Sudanese, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo by Radwan Abu Elmagd/Xinhua)

A man carrying luggage is seen after crossing into Egypt through the Argeen land port with Sudan on April 27, 2023. Egypt has received more than 16,000 foreigners fleeing the deadly conflict in neighboring Sudan, including more than 14,000 Sudanese, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo by Radwan Abu Elmagd/Xinhua)

People wait to cross into Egypt through the Argeen land port with Sudan on April 27, 2023. Egypt has received more than 16,000 foreigners fleeing the deadly conflict in neighboring Sudan, including more than 14,000 Sudanese, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo by Radwan Abu Elmagd/Xinhua)

People cross into Egypt through the Argeen land port with Sudan on April 27, 2023. Egypt has received more than 16,000 foreigners fleeing the deadly conflict in neighboring Sudan, including more than 14,000 Sudanese, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo by Radwan Abu Elmagd/Xinhua)

People wait to board a bus after crossing into Egypt through the Argeen land port with Sudan on April 27, 2023. Egypt has received more than 16,000 foreigners fleeing the deadly conflict in neighboring Sudan, including more than 14,000 Sudanese, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo by Radwan Abu Elmagd/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
People carrying their luggage are seen after crossing into Egypt through the Argeen land port with Sudan on April 27, 2023. Egypt has received more than 16,000 foreigners fleeing the deadly conflict in neighboring Sudan, including more than 14,000 Sudanese, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo by Radwan Abu Elmagd/Xinhua)

CAIRO, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Egypt has received more than 16,000 foreigners fleeing the deadly conflict in neighboring Sudan, including more than 14,000 Sudanese, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

The non-Sudanese foreigners are from 50 countries and six international organizations, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said in the statement.

"The Egyptian efforts continue around the clock to facilitate the reception of citizens fleeing military clashes in Sudan, work to alleviate their suffering, and provide them with the necessary humanitarian assistance," Abu Zeid said.

Egypt has managed to evacuate 2,679 Egyptians from Sudan as of Wednesday, Egyptian official data showed.

Since mid-April, Sudan has been mired in military clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces following days of tension between the once-allied leaders of both sides.

At least 459 people have been killed and over 4,000 wounded so far in the conflict in Sudan, according to the World Health Organization. 

People wait to board a bus after crossing into Egypt through the Argeen land port with Sudan on April 27, 2023. Egypt has received more than 16,000 foreigners fleeing the deadly conflict in neighboring Sudan, including more than 14,000 Sudanese, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo by Radwan Abu Elmagd/Xinhua)

People wait to cross into Egypt through the Argeen land port with Sudan on April 27, 2023. Egypt has received more than 16,000 foreigners fleeing the deadly conflict in neighboring Sudan, including more than 14,000 Sudanese, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo by Radwan Abu Elmagd/Xinhua)

A man carrying luggage is seen after crossing into Egypt through the Argeen land port with Sudan on April 27, 2023. Egypt has received more than 16,000 foreigners fleeing the deadly conflict in neighboring Sudan, including more than 14,000 Sudanese, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo by Radwan Abu Elmagd/Xinhua)

People wait to cross into Egypt through the Argeen land port with Sudan on April 27, 2023. Egypt has received more than 16,000 foreigners fleeing the deadly conflict in neighboring Sudan, including more than 14,000 Sudanese, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo by Radwan Abu Elmagd/Xinhua)

People cross into Egypt through the Argeen land port with Sudan on April 27, 2023. Egypt has received more than 16,000 foreigners fleeing the deadly conflict in neighboring Sudan, including more than 14,000 Sudanese, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo by Radwan Abu Elmagd/Xinhua)

People wait to board a bus after crossing into Egypt through the Argeen land port with Sudan on April 27, 2023. Egypt has received more than 16,000 foreigners fleeing the deadly conflict in neighboring Sudan, including more than 14,000 Sudanese, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo by Radwan Abu Elmagd/Xinhua)
The showdown occurred  as they often do with Sen. Josh Hawley  in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The committee meets in a large room in the Hart Senate Office Building, with most senators seated behind a carved wooden desk. Its from there that the Missouri Republican peers down on his witnesses and begins his inquiries  combative moments that later get chopped and put on social media and land him an interview on Fox News, where hell get another five minutes to sound off on his issue of the day in front of a larger conservative audience.

In March, the witness was Attorney General Merrick Garland and the issue was whether there was an anti-Catholic bias in the FBI.

Attorney General, Hawley said. Are you cultivating sources and spies in Latin Mass parishes and other Catholic parishes around the country?

For someone not tapped into conservative media, Hawleys question may have seemed unusual  after all, President Joe Biden, who appointed the FBI director, is Catholic and goes to church regularly. Hawley is not Catholic, even though he went to Rockhurst High School, a Catholic Jesuit prep school in Kansas City. When he lived in Columbia, he attended Evangelical Presbyterian services at The Crossing Church.

But the line of questioning shows how a relatively obscure event  like an FBI memo targeting a small sect of the Catholic Church  can quickly be amplified by lawmakers and spun into the larger political culture wars.

I dont know about the Latin Mass. Im not Catholic. I dont know the nuances, Hawley told The Star. But it doesnt matter, right? Religious doctrine. Its a principle in this country, our First Amendment, that you shouldnt be targeted by government because of your religious beliefs.

The Latin Mass  called the Tridentine Mass  came out of the Council of Trent, which ended in 1563. The liturgy was performed in Latin and the priest faced away from the congregation. No matter where a Catholic went, anywhere in the world, they participated in the exact same service.

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Theres a certain aura, a certain mystique, said Thomas Groome, a theology and education professor at Boston College. And it was the same yesterday, today and forever. You could be in Central Africa or Brazil or the United States or Poland and basically you had the same Mass everywhere.

In the 1960s, the Vatican moved to modernize the ritual. Called the Ordinary Form or Novus Ordo, priests turned and faced the congregation. They started using everyday language. In some parishes, they started using a more modern folk music.

While there was some early backlash, most Catholics accepted the new way of celebrating Mass and came to appreciate the fact that it allowed for more participation. But there was a small group that preferred and sought out the traditional Latin Mass. That group is growing in the United States, even though last year Pope Francis discouraged the form, saying it is a source of division in the Church.

There is no universal reason some Catholics are drawn to the Latin Mass, though it has been associated with a right-wing tilt in American politics. Some are drawn to the tradition, others might appreciate the Gothic aesthetics, others might have more conservative views about Pope Francis attempts to make the church more open and welcoming. Others are outright hostile to the changes in the church that took place in the 1960s. Sometimes, its a combination.

People are called traditionalists because of their aesthetic tastes, said Richard Garnett, the director of the Program on Church, State and Society at Notre Dame University. And thats given some political baggage like theyre hostile to the pope or they dont believe in the Second Vatican Council and thats a mistake.

Garnett said that could have been the mistake an FBI agent in Richmond, Virginia, made when crafting a memo in January. In it, the agent wrote about how people classified by the FBI as racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists were increasingly drawn to radical-traditionalist Catholicism  which it characterized as people who reject the changes made by the Vatican in the 1960s and could be seen as heretics by the Church.

It suggested that Catholic dioceses in Richmond could be a good place to cultivate sources for people driven toward extremism. The redacted copy of the report does not cite a specific threat that concerned the FBI, but wrote that there could be concerns over legislation or judicial decisions involving abortion, immigration, affirmative action and LGBTQ issues.

The memo was leaked by a former FBI agent in February and quickly picked up attention in conservative news media and religious publications. By February, the House Judiciary Committee demanded documents from the FBI. On March 20, they sent up a follow up letter asking for the documents.

Hawley questioned Garland about the memo in between the two House letters. A religious conservative, Hawley said the issue wasnt about the ideology of people who gravitate toward Traditional Latin Mass. Instead, he said the FBI wasnt respecting religious liberty because he said they were targeting Catholics drawn to the Traditional Latin Mass, highlighting the FBIs conflation between the more extremist elements of the radical-traditionalist movement and those drawn to the old style of Mass.

It has nothing to do with church doctrine. I dont know about that, I dont care about that, in terms of from a governmental perspective, Hawley said. From a constitutional perspective, it doesnt matter. What matters is the government cannot target people on the basis of their religious faith because they think its suspicious.

Garland said the Justice Department does not do investigations based on religion. He called the FBI memo appalling and said he agreed with Hawley that it was inappropriate. The FBI has retracted the memo, saying it didnt meet its standards.

The Justice Department does not do that, Garland said in response to Hawley. It does not do investigations based on religion. Its appalling. Im in complete agreement with you. I understand that the FBI has withdrawn it and is now looking into how this ever could have happened.

Garnett, who focuses on First Amendment law, said he believed it was appropriate for Garland to retract the memo, though said just the fact that it existed didnt necessarily mean the FBI had violated anyones religious freedom.

I think that just the existence of a memo probably doesnt cross that line, but its a step in the wrong direction to be classifying citizens on the basis of worrisome religious beliefs and non-worrisome religious beliefs, Garnett said. Thats not really a road we want governments going down, generally speaking.

Asma Uddin, a fellow for religious liberty at the Freedom Forum, said the FBI memo felt similar to when the New York Police Department was monitoring Muslim communities in New York City after the 9/11 attacks.

You cant just spy on entire communities because of a very particular limited risk, Uddin said. There has to be a way to narrow down the way the government does it.

Hawley told the Star he would have raised an issue with the surveillance of a mosque, saying it would be equally inappropriate.

Earlier this month, the FBI turned over the same memo to the House Judiciary Committee with fewer redactions. The Committee sent out a press release, saying it learned that the FBI suggested reaching out to churches and religious groups to sensitize their congregations to the warning signs of radicalization.

Rep. Jim Jordan, the Ohio Republican who chairs the committee, then subpoenaed the FBI, saying he wanted more information.

Immediately after, Hawley again criticized Garland  this time in a letter  and demanded answers to whether the FBI had undercover agents in other Catholic churches.

This is an unconscionable assault on American Catholics First Amendment rights and an abdication of your duty to enforce the law without fear or favor, Hawley wrote. He claimed there was an emerging pattern of FBI bias against Catholics because of the memo and the September arrest of a man who was accused of shoving a 72-year-old who escorted women into a Philadelphia abortion clinic.

That evening, Hawley appeared on Sean Hannitys show on Fox News, claiming Garland lied to him.

They regard churches apparently as the enemy, Hawley said. And church going Americans as akin to terrorists.

Days later, he sent out a fundraising email under the headline The FBI is ATTACKING Catholics.

In Joe Bidens Godless administration, people of faith are under attack by the federal government, the email said. Your right to practice your faith is in jeopardy - and we MUST take action.

His supporters could take action by clicking on a link that said defend your freedom to worship. It directed them to a site where they could donate to his campaign.
Another Wisconsin man has been arrested and charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the nation's Capitol.

Jonathan Bonney, of Hayward, is charged with four misdemeanor counts: entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol building. He is the tenth Wisconsin man to be charged for partaking in the insurrection.

More: Wisconsin man avoids jail time for role in Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at U.S. Capitol

Bonney made an initial appearance Thursday in the Western District of Wisconsin federal court.

Nine other Wisconsin residents face charges stemming from the demonstration that left more than 130 police officers injured and five dead.

Bonney was discovered to have been involved in the insurrection after reportedly telling a passenger seated next to him on a flight on Jan. 7, 2021, according to a criminal complaint. That passenger reported the tip to the FBI, who tracked down Bonney.

Using his driver's license photo, they were able to identify him breaking into the Capitol Building during the insurrection. Video records show Bonney was in the building for a total of 12 minutes.

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At the time, Bonney appears to have lived in Colorado Junction, Colorado, and moved to Hayward later.

He is scheduled to be in court again in Washington, D.C. courthouse via Zoom on May 4 at 1 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin man faces charge in Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol Building
GOMA (Reuters) -The Kenyan commander of a regional force set up to tackle militia violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo said he had resigned due to obstruction and threats to his safety, adding to doubts over whether the mission can be effective.

In the letter dated Thursday, Major General Jeff Nyagah said he was quitting due to an "aggravated threat" to his safety and a "systematic plan" to frustrate the force's efforts.

Diplomatic and Congolese government sources confirmed the letter's authenticity.

However, Kenya Defence Forces said on Friday that Nyagah had not resigned, saying the letter written by him was fake, but that he had in fact been appointed to a domestic command role.

The seven countries of the East African Community (EAC) set up the EACRF military force last April to try to end bloodshed linked to decades of militant activity in Congo's east.

But its mandate expired last month and EAC leaders have expressed differing views on how it should operate, with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi demanding a more aggressive stance than the peacekeeping mandate proposed by others.

In the letter, Nyagah alleged foreign military contractors were sent to survey his residence in January, placing monitoring devices that forced him to relocate.

A spokesman for Congo's army said in a statement that Nyagah was not the target of any surveillance and his safety was never threatened. He added that the contractors were military instructors legally hired by the Congo to train its troops.

Nyagah said in the letter he was the target of orchestrated "negative media campaigns" that accused the EACRF of being soft on the M23 rebel group, which launched an offensive in east Congo last year.

He also mentioned a push by Congo's government to rotate the commander role every three months.

"My security as the Force Commander is not guaranteed," Nyagah said. "The ongoing frustration has rendered my mission untenable."

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An EAC spokesperson did not comment on the allegations.

Congo has been openly critical of the EACRF since the start of the year, accusing it of failing to rein in the M23, and the renewal of its mandate is still under discussion.

(Reporting by Sonia Rolley, Paul Lorgerie, Djaffar SabitiAdditional reporting by George Obulutsa in Nairobi; Writing by Sofia ChristensenEditing by Bhargav Acharya, John Stonestreet, Jonathan Oatis and Frances Kerry)
CAIRO (AP)  Heavy explosions and gunfire rocked Sudans capital, Khartoum, and its twin city of Omdurman early Friday, residents said, despite the extension of a fragile truce between the countys two top generals whose power struggle has killed hundreds.

After two weeks of fighting that has turned Khartoum into a war zone and thrown Sudan into turmoil, a wide-ranging group of international mediators  including African and Arab nations, the United Nations and the United States  were intensifying their pressure on the rival generals to enter talks on resolving the crisis.

So far, however, they have managed to achieve only a series of fragile temporary cease-fires that failed to stop clashes but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese to flee to safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate thousands of their citizens by land, air and sea.

In a sign of the persistent chaos, Turkey said one of its evacuation planes was hit by gunfire outside Khartoum with no casualties on Friday, hours after both sides accepted a 72-hour truce extension.

The U.K. said it would end its evacuation flights on Saturday evening, after numbers of British citizens seeking an airlift began to decline. After a slow start that attracted criticism, Britain has run regular military flights from an airfield near Khartoum to Cyprus. As of Friday evening, it had airlifted 1,573 people, including nationals of several European countries.

You have another 24 hours if you are eligible to make your way to the airport and we will get you on a plane," Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said.

Fierce clashes with frequent explosions and gunfire continued Friday in Khartoums upscale neighborhood of Kafouri, where the military's warplanes bombed its rivals, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, residents said. Clashes were also reported around the militarys headquarters, the Republican Palace and the area close to the Khartoum international airport. All these areas have been flashpoints since the war erupted on April 15. Explosions also rang out across the river in Omdurman.

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Doctors in the Sudanese capital said the RSF has been abducting medical personnel to treat its wounded fighters  a sign the paramilitary was struggling to get medical support.

One doctor forwarded to The Associated Press a voice note shared on a chat group for Sudanese healthcare workers, warning them not to wear medical uniforms or hand over identification listing a profession if fighters stop them on the street.

Nada Fadul, a Sudanese-American infectious disease physician at the University of Nebraska who is working with community health leaders in Sudan, said she knows of five doctors taken by the RSF from Khartoum streets since the start of the fighting.

One abducted doctor said he was forcibly taken to an unknown location in Khartoum earlier this week. There, he saw dozens of wounded fighters, a stockpile of medical supplies and two other kidnapped doctors working. He spent three days treating fighters with gunshot wounds, burns and other injuries before he and the others were released on Wednesday night, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity for his safety.

The Turkish Defense Ministry said light weapons were fired at a C-130 aircraft heading to Wadi Sayidna airbase on Khartoum's northern outskirts to evacuate Turkish civilians. The plane landed safely, the ministry said in a tweet, and no personnel were injured.

The Sudanese military blamed the RSF, which denied firing on the plane.

Over the past 14 days of pummeling each other, the military led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and the RSF led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, have each failed to deal a decisive blow to the other in their struggle for control of Africa's third largest nation.

Still, world powers have struggled to get them to adhere to announced cease-fires. A bloc of East Africa nations has put forward a initiative for the two sides to hold talks, and a gamut of mediators are promoting the plan, including the African Union, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the United Nations.

Burhan on Friday ruled out negotiations with Dagalo, accusing him of orchestrating a rebellion against the state, a day after the military expressed openness to the talks under the initiative. Dagalo wants to rule Sudan, seize its resources and magnify his wealth, Burhan said in an interview with U.S.-funded Alhurra TV, denying that he wants power for himself.

Both Burhan and Dagalo have been involved in crushing pro-democracy activists and together they pushed out civilians from an interim government in a coup in 2021. The former allies fell out in recent months in disputes over an internationally brokered deal meant to pave the way back to a civilian government, including over the issue of incorporating the RSF into the military.

The rivals' battles in the streets with artillery barrages, airstrikes and gunfire have wreaked misery on millions of Sudanese caught between them. Many have left Khartoum to the northern borders with Egypt, or to the city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea.

Around 40,000 South Sudanese, Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees who had been living in the capital have fled Khartoum since fighting erupted, the UNs refugee agency said Friday. Many are now sheltering in refugee camps in White Nile, al-Qadarif and Kassala provinces, said Fathi Kasina, a UNHCR spokesman. Sudan hosts over 1.3 million refugees, including over 800,000 from South Sudan, according to U.N. figures.

Those who remain in Khartoum have been living in rapidly deteriorating conditions, mostly trapped inside their homes for days. Food, water and other services have become scarce, and electricity is cut off across much of Khartoum and other cities. Fighters roam the streets in the capital and other cities, looting and destroying homes, shops, businesses and open-air markets.

At least 512 people, including civilians and combatants, have been killed since April 15, with another 4,200 wounded, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry. The Sudan Doctors Syndicate, which tracks civilian casualties, has recorded at least 387 civilians killed and 1,928 wounded.

Dr. Salah Tour, of the Doctors Syndicate in West Darfur province, said at least 113 civilians were killed on Thursday alone in the city of Genena, where fierce clashes among tribal militias have raged despite the cease-fire. A total of more than 190 civilians have been killed there this week and most of them have not yet been added to the nationwide tallies of the dead.

The health care system is near collapse with dozens of hospitals out of service. Multiple aid agencies have had to suspend operations and evacuate employees.

The French military evacuated dozens of employees with the U.N. and other international aid agencies Thursday night from al-Fasher, a city in Sudans western Darfur region, to Chads capital, NDjamena, according to U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

The evacuation came a day after armed fighters rampaged through the city, battling each other, killing dozens and looting shops and homes. U.N. envoy Volker Perthes remained in Sudan along with a small team.

___

Associated Press writers Andrew Wilks in Ankara, Turkey, and Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.
I used to brag about my Confederate heritage because I thought it represented my taste for independence. Historical research and deeper reflection have changed my mind.

Many people  including aging Confederates from the 1920s  maintain the South was fighting for state's rights.

Well, yeah, but if you read the original documents, where southern states withdrew from the Union, you'll see that the right they were most concerned about was their ability to own fellow human beings.

But it got worse  if that's possible  once I began doing genealogy. The ugly truth is that my great-great-grandfather was probably a war criminal. On April 18, 1864, his cavalry unit fought in the Battle of Poison Springs in Arkansas, which was infamous for the slaughter and mutilation of Black prisoners of war from the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry.

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A consolation is that my great-great-grandfather on my mother's side died in Missouri fighting to preserve the Union. So, like our great country's history, my family history is a mixture of good and bad.

The thin gray line of local Confederate veterans was growing thinner as the 1920s progressed, and Spalding Trafton romanticized Capt. Paul Jones Marrs in The Gleaner after he died June 4, 1923. That's not surprising, considering Traftons father served with Marrs on the staff of Gen. Adam R. "Stovepipe" Johnson, Henderson County's most famous Confederate. More about Marrs in a moment.

I suspect other Confederate stories in The Gleaner during the first half of 1923 were also written by Trafton because they shine the same golden haze around the "Lost Cause."

Capt. Paul J. Marrs of Henderson was a prisoner of war at Johnson's Island near Sandusky, Ohio, before being exchanged. This pen and ink drawing of the prison compound was done by a POW identified only as "M" and was sent to Ann Frederick Pope of Bardstown on Oct. 20, 1864.

The first story appeared March 6 about a man known as George W. Walton, who was reputed to be the oldest man in the county. He would have been 100 if he had lasted another month.

But that wasn't his only claim to fame. He was also a veteran of the Mexican War, which is probably why Confederate veteran Virginius Hutchen  in writing in the Aug. 10, 1909, Henderson Twice-A-Week Journal about Kentucky's Orphan Brigade -- called him a "very useful man." I suspect he learned the basics of artillery during the Mexican War, because he spent most of the Civil War in artillery units.

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He also spent several months in a hospital after a Union soldier ran a bayonet through Walton's shoulder.

It wasn't until March 18, 1923, that Henderson residents learned George W. Walton wasn't his real name. His friend, Sen. Henry Dixon, had mailed copies of The Gleaner's story about his death to his sole surviving niece in Maryland, which prompted a story to be published in the March 13 issue of The Sun in Frederick, Maryland. That story was then mailed back to Dixon, who shared it in the March 18 Gleaner.

As it turned out, the tough old veteran's real name was Ezra Mantz. He assumed a new identity when he ran off from his apprenticeship as a hatmaker to fight in the Mexican War.

The stories about James W. Burns ran April 20 and May 6. The first was about his recent return from a Confederate reunion in New Orleans. The second was about him reminiscing on the porch of his house on Letcher Street.

Burns was born Feb. 16, 1842, in Livingston County and died April 15, 1926. He and 117 other men formed the 3rd Kentucky Co. C in July 1863 at Clarksville, Tennessee. Only six of them survived the war. As of 1923 only two of the original soldiers remained.

The war was mostly hardship, he said, noting he fought in 10 battles and nearly 50 skirmishes. "He declared he had walked forty and fifty miles a day without anything to eat, and that he lived almost without eating."

One time he nearly lost his life trying to scavenge sugar from hogsheads along a riverbank. He kept a sharp eye out downriver but wasn't expecting company from upstream. He saw the gunboat just in time to scurry up the bank and hug the dirt. The grapeshot "seemed to cut a swath through the underbrush," he said.

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"He laughed heartily at what he regarded as a joke on himself, but at the time it happened he did not have time to see the funny part of it."

Two stories were also written about Capt. Paul Jones Marrs, the first on June 5, the day after he died, which was brief, and the second June 24, which was not. He was born Feb. 28, 1838, in Posey County but moved to Henderson at age 6 after his father died. He began work in a local dry goods store while in his early teens but mostly worked in drug stores before the war.

He sold his business interests when the war began and enlisted as a private under Stovepipe Johnson, who was a colonel at that point. Before long he was a captain and quartermaster of a regiment, which raided West Franklin, Indiana, and captured guns, ammunition and horses from the home guards there.

A Union force out of Henderson responded to the raid and captured Marrs and others. They were at first imprisoned in the Henderson courthouse before being moved to Evansville, then to Indianapolis and finally to the Federal prison on Johnson's Island near Sandusky, Ohio.

Marrs and others were exchanged in mid-1863 for prisoners the Confederates were holding.

That resulted in Marrs retrieving the horse he had rode to war on, according to Marrs' contribution to Johnsons book, "Partisan Rangers." Archibald Dixon bought the horse at a government auction and when Marrs was released he sent word that Marrs could get the horse at his convenience.

Marrs did just that and rode it throughout the rest of the war. When the war was over, he returned the horse to Dixon, and it ended its days pulling a buggy.

The war also left Marrs with a little quirk: He always had a buckeye in his pocket. He told Trafton that his company once stopped under a buckeye tree, and everyone picked up a buckeye nut for luck. Four men did not  despite the warnings of the others.

"Later on, we had a considerable skirmish, and three of the men who had no buckeyes were killed, and the other one wounded. Therefore, I carry a buckeye."

Since I'm writing about the Civil War, I should include some information about a current exhibit at the Henderson County Public Library and associated events in June.

The display in the Genealogy and Local History Department focuses on the career of the Rev. Paul Horace Kennedy, who was 15 in 1863 when he escaped slavery to join the Union Army.

He walked from Elizabethtown to Louisville to join the 109th Regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops as a musician. He got himself an education after the war  a doctorate, no less  and began his life as a minister.

He arrived in Henderson Jan. 1, 1881, to pastor First Missionary Baptist Church, which with the library is co-sponsoring the events. He found the congregation "worshipping in the basement of an unfinished building," according to Maralea Arnetts "Annals and Scandals" book.

From then until he died in 1921 very little of importance in the Black community happened without him at the forefront.

Kennedy's cleaned up military tombstone will be rededicated at 11 a.m. June 17 at Fernwood Cemetery. A reception, which some of his descendants from Detroit are expected to attend, will take place the same day at 2 p.m. at the library's exhibit.

75 YEARS AGO

Worsham Post 40 of the American Legion was asking relatives or friends of veterans who had died since May 1947 to notify the legion so a cross could be prepared to install in Central Park on Memorial Day, according to The Gleaner of May 4, 1948.

In 1947 the display in the park featured 565 crosses.

50 YEARS AGO

The Gleaner of May 2, 1973, announced the Henderson City-County Human Rights Commission was being reorganized after a hiatus of two years.

The local Human Rights Commission began as the Mayor's Bi-Racial Committee, which was originally formed June 22, 1961. That was a mere 12 days after two dozen people had attempted to integrate Ken's Korner restaurant at Center and Green streets.

The mayor's committee morphed into the Human Rights Commission by late 1962, but it apparently fizzled out. The Gleaner of March 2, 1967, reported it was being revived.

25 YEARS AGO

The Kentucky Department of Parks made it official, according to The Gleaner of May 1, 1998. There would be no more swimming at the 28-acre lake in Audubon State Park because of a muddy lake bottom, vandalism, and a growing problem with parents of young children leaving them there unattended.

The park attempted to limit swimming to residents of the park cabins during the 1997 swimming season, but that didnt quite conform to legal niceties and caused controversy at the time.

Readers of The Gleaner can reach Frank Boyett at YesNews42@yahoo.com or on Twitter at @BoyettFrank.

This article originally appeared on Henderson Gleaner: Henderson history: Last local Confederate veterans were dying in the 1920s
Jerick Tabudlo left his home in the Philippines on Monday, and 16 hours later, stepped off an airplane at Detroit Metropolitan Airport into a new life as an operating room nurse at Henry Ford Hospital.

Hes the first of as many as 600 registered nurses from the Philippines who will take jobs through 2025 as part of a historic international hiring wave by Detroit-based Henry Ford Health.

"It's exciting," Tabudlo, 29, said Thursday, on his first visit to the hospital. "Where I had my experience in the Philippines was at a hospital with a 100-bed capacity." Henry Ford has 877 licensed beds, "so it's a much bigger hospital catering to more sophisticated cases from different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds."

Jerick Tabudlo, in front of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Tabudlo is an operating room nurse from the Philippines and landed in Detroit on Tuesday, April 25 to start a new job at the hospital. With a big nurse shortage going on, Henry Ford Health looked toward the Philippines and Tabudlo is the first of as many as up to 600 are expected to come in the next year to fill various open nursing positions throughout the health system.

The health systems leaders are putting their faith in Tabudlo and other foreign nurses to help ease a staffing shortage that has forced it to shutter operating rooms and slash the number of beds it can keep open.

We don't think that this is going to close or fill every position that we have, but it's a piece of how we do that, said Scott Ragland, director of vendor contracting and centralized staffing for the six-hospital health system.

US is 1 million to 2 million nurses short of needs

The nursing shortage is at crisis level not just for Henry Ford, which has 33,000 employees, of whom about 6,500 are registered nurses, but for hospitals across the state and country.

Since 2020, Michigan has lost 1,700 staffed hospital beds because of a lack of staffing  creating longer waits in emergency departments; difficulty transferring patients to hospitals better suited to their needs, and fewer services, particularly in rural areas, according to the Michigan Health and Hospital Association.

In March, Michigan hospitals had 27,000 open jobs, said Brian Peters, chief executive officer of the association.

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Nationally, the shortage of nurses is estimated to range from 1 million to 2 million, depending on the source of the data, Ragland said. Michigans share of that, he said, is at least 100,000.

A large chunk of that is because we did have a number of folks who stepped out of the workforce during the pandemic, he said. They were people who were at retirement age but were still working who said, Enough's enough. I'm going to retire. "

Others close to retirement age made the same decision. "And then there were people who decided to go work in other careers. So it exacerbated the challenge that existed even pre-pandemic.

Thats a chasm that students graduating from nursing schools cant fill.

Jerick Tabudlo, left, listens to Scott Ragland, the director of vendor contracting and centralized staffing for Henry Ford Health, talk about the area as they are driven around by a shuttle to the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Tabudlo is an operating room nurse from the Philippines and landed in Detroit on Tuesday, April 25 to start a new job at the hospital. With a big nurse shortage going on, Henry Ford Health looked toward the Philippines and Tabudlo is the first of as many as up to 600 who are expected to come in the next year to fill various open nursing positions throughout the health system.

Nursing schools nationally graduate about 200,000 nurses a year, Ragland said. So when you look at the fact that we're only bringing 200,000 new people into the workforce, and we're already 1 million-plus folks short, plus people every day are reaching retirement age and stepping out, we simply don't have the pipeline in the workforce to ever really close in that gap.

Exacerbating the crisis is the fact that about 39% nurses working in Michigan today say they plan to leave their jobs in the next year, according to a new University of Michigan study. Of the newly trained nurses surveyed who are younger than 25, 59% said they planned to leave the profession. "That really says to me that we have a problem with our workplace," Christopher Friese, a professor of nursing, health management and policy at the University of Michigan and director of the Center for Improving Patient and Population Health, told the Free Press for a previous article.

Ragland said Henry Ford's recruiting efforts are multipronged.

We continue to work on strategies here with our local academic partners, our nursing schools, to figure out how do we grow the pipeline locally as well," he said. Its not a one-strategy model. This is one piece of the overall strategy of how do we strengthen the nursing workforce in southeast Michigan.

A history of Filipino nurses in America

Early in the coronavirus pandemic, Henry Ford leaders knew they couldnt wait for a reprieve in the staffing crisis. It might never come.

We are facing an extreme challenge with our talent with our pipeline across the board," said Wright Lassiter III, then CEO of Henry Ford Health, during a panel discussion at the 2021 Mackinac Policy Conference.

The health system upped recruiting efforts. It looked to Canada to boost its workforce, and now has 590 Canadian nurses on staff. It brought in travel nurses, too, shelling out premium pay that nationally averages more than double what staff nurses earn, according to Beckers Hospital Review.

But that wasnt enough. Henry Ford had to get more creative to fill hundreds of nursing vacancies.

We are now doing something we haven't talked about in a long time, and that is importing nurses from other countries, Lassiter announced on that September day in 2021.

Namely, the Philippines  a country that decades ago supplied nurses when there were shortages in the U.S.

The Philippines has historically had a pool of talent, of nurses trained very similar to what we have here in the United States, said Eric Wallis, Henry Fords chief nursing officer. They are obviously very proficient with English, and so the care that they deliver in country and their training, etc., is very comparable to what we experience. It makes their onboarding and their transition a lot easier than other places in the world.

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Additionally, the Philippines has a surplus of nurses, he said.

They're actually producing more nurses than they have need for in country, and so economically, it's almost an export for them, Wallis said. A lot of these folks, when they do come to other countries  the United States, U.K., the EU  a lot of their income goes back to support their family members  because it's so much greater than they would make as a nurse in the Philippines.

The government there has been very supportive of creating and exporting some of their talent in health care, and particularly with nurses."

400 Filipino nurses have accepted Henry Ford offers

But it took nearly two years from when Lassiter made that announcement to bring Tabudlo, the first registered nurse in this wave, from the Philippines to Detroit.

We have authorization to recruit up to 600 nurses, Wallis said. We've got just a little over 400 offers that we've made to Filipino nurses that have been accepted.

Eric Wallis, chief nursing officer for Henry Ford Health

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Those nurses must clear medical licensing and immigration hurdles before they can come to the U.S.

We expect the total time frame from offer to when they are here could be anywhere from 14 to 20 months, Ragland said.

The timing is slowed by U.S. testing requirements, along with a complex visa process managed by the U.S. State Department.

State Department puts visa approvals on hold

Every year, the U.S. government decides how many visas are going to be issued, and throughout the year they kind of monitor how many visas they've issued, Wallis said. This past month, they looked at that math, and determined that they maybe are a little bit oversubscribed for this current federal fiscal year and so they slowed the process down.

The issuance of new, employment-based visas to workers from the Philippines is on hold at least until Oct. 1, when the new federal fiscal year starts, a U.S. State Department spokesperson told the Free Press.

We cannot predict when wait times will return to previous levels, the spokesperson said. The annual limit will reset with the new fiscal year in October, and worldwide demand for EB-3 visas will be evaluated against the annual limit for (fiscal year) 2024 to determine adjustments to the final action dates at that point.  EB-3 is the immigrant visa category most commonly sought by nurses, however health care workers may also be recipients of other categories of immigrant visas, including family-based immigrant visas.

Kim Meeker, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital, gives a presentation about Henry Ford Health during a job fair in November 2022 in the Philippines. A team of Henry Ford nursing and human resources representatives traveled to Manila to interview registered nurses interested in working at Henry Fords hospitals.

Henry Fords leaders are encouraging lawmakers to pass legislation that would speed up the process for international nurses looking to come to the U.S. to help alleviate the shortage.

We are having conversations with our government affairs folks and our local elected officials to try to help us in that space, Wallis said. Sometimes, even though our government is trying to do the right thing and manage immigration appropriately, there's unintended consequences to that if we don't look at all the nuances to those decisions.

Were in the process of advocating and saying we really need this to be reevaluated and think about the challenge that's going on in the health care sector in the United States and how this is making the problem worse, not better.

McLaren Macomb hospital in Mount Clemens.

Other hospital systems also seek international help

McLaren Health Care, which has 14 Michigan hospitals, also is looking beyond U.S. borders to recruit nurses and medical technologists.

Grand Blanc-based McLaren posted more than 150 open nursing positions to its website in the month of April alone and is offering signing bonuses of $20,000 for cardiac care registered nurses at its Bay City hospital.

It already has some Canadian workers and now is seeking nurses and medical technologists from the Philippines, Nigeria, Kenya, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Were proud to say that our first set of offers recently went out with more to follow in the coming weeks, said Kimberly Keaton Williams, vice president of talent acquisition and development and chief diversity officer for McLaren. We anticipate welcoming a group of registered nurses and medical technologists to the state for placement at our facilities in the second half of 2024.

Trinity Health is doing the same.

About 100 international workers  including some from the Philippines  already are employed by the Livonia-based health system, said Shana Lewis, vice president of human resources-talent acquisition.

Trinity operates 88 hospitals in 26 states, including eight in Michigan. Of the roughly 100 international workers systemwide, six are working in Michigan, Lewis said.

More: Maternal mortality jumped 35% during pandemic's 1st 9 months, MSU study shows

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We expect to hire an additional 200 nurses in Michigan and several hundred more across our national system over the next two years, Lewis said. While we are excited about the opportunity to capture a broader workforce, we are being thoughtful in ensuring we have the right infrastructure to support long-term retention and high engagement."

Corewell Health, Michigans largest health system  born of a 2022 merger between the former Spectrum and Beaumont Health  also told the Free Press it is working to recruit international nurses to address the staffing crisis.

Though Corewell didnt provide details, spokesperson Beth Cranson said its efforts to bring nurses from abroad, complements the nurse scholar programs at Grand Valley State University and Oakland University, which are designed to increase the talent pipeline.

Filipino nurses make 3-year commitment to Henry Ford

Tabudlo met some co-workers for the first time Thursday at Henry Fords headquarters and took a shuttle bus to its main Detroit hospital.

"They always say that I'm courageous to be coming here alone, but I'm just excited because it's a new clinical environment and there are so many different specialties here," he said. "I'm a person who wants always wants to learn."

Tabudlo and the other nurses who come from the Philippines to work for Henry Ford will be paid at the same rate as all other nurses on staff, Wallis said, based on experience. Salaries range from $70,000 to $100,000 a year.

Scott Ragland, the director of vendor contracting and centralized staffing for Henry Ford Health, left, talks with Jerick Tabudlo about the various levels and departments in the massive Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Tabudlo is an operating room nurse from the Philippines and landed in Detroit on Tuesday, April 25 to start a new job at the hospital. With a big nurse shortage going on, Henry Ford Health looked toward the Philippines and Tabudlo is the first of as many as 600 who are expected to come in the next year to fill various open nursing positions throughout the health system.

They do sign an employment agreement of three years with the organization, Ragland said. We do as much as we can on the front end to make sure that we're aligning them with the opportunity that sets them up to be successful.

We do pay for pretty much the majority of their immigration journey. However, there are some that are bringing maybe their family members over or there's an added cost to that. We are advancing them funds to help them do that.

We don't want there to be any barrier to put them in a position where they want to change their mind. So we do provide advances and once they are on the job and on the payroll, we work out a very amenable payback schedule for them that we think is going to work out nicely for them.

The health system contracts with a housing company to provide an apartment for the first month and other necessities.

We will provide them with the first 30 days of housing ... a one-bedroom or two-bedroom ... furnished apartment," Ragland said. "These apartments will be located within as close proximity to the site hospitals as possible because, again, most of these folks will not have ... their own transportation and many of them will not be aligned with any other family or friends here."

The housing contractor will stock the refrigerator with a grocery starter package, and provide other help, too, Ragland said.

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They'll help them on their very first day here to apply for a Social Security card, and if they do plan to drive, we'll get them started on the driver's license process, he said. So it's really everything from A to Z. If the nurse is bringing over a family where kids are going to need to be registered in the schools, they'll assist with that process, and help them find the local churches.

Tabudlo is staying within walking distance of the hospital, but just in his first few days of living in the Motor City, he's come to realize that he needs a Michigan driver's license and a car.

"We often use public transportation in the Philippines, but here, I think a car is a necessity," he said. "The establishments and the facilities are too far from each other here."

Mentors ease the transition

The new nurses will have mentors, too.

Some of the nurses from the Philippines who came to work for Henry Ford during earlier staffing shortages in the 1980s to the early 2000s are still employed by the health system, Wallis said, and are helping the newcomers get adjusted.

They're extremely loyal to the organization, theyre hardworking, and they're great nurses, Wallis said.

Among them is Wilson Rapanut, 52, of Sterling Heights, who moved to Lubbock, Texas, in 2003 for a hospital nursing job from the same part of the Philippines as Tabudlo. He worked in Texas for eight years before moving to Detroit for an operating room nursing position at Henry Ford.

Rapanut remembers the challenges of moving to a foreign country to start a new life.

When I came first in the United States, I was very excited and terrified as well because I don't know anybody, Rapanut said. I wanted to move into the U.S. to pursue my dream.

We were lucky because the first nurses who came before us, they helped us. We needed groceries so they could drive us to the grocery store, things like that. And then the hospital partnered with a credit union and a car dealership so we could get a car.

Rapanut said he is confident Tabudlo will be successful in the operating room at the Detroit hospital; his first shift is May 2.

With all his experience, I think the transition will be not that hard for him," Rapanut said. "He has OR experience already. ... The only thing is that the technology is more advanced here. So that's the only struggle he is going to have is the technology. Back home we don't have the robots.  Here, we have robotics.

I'm just to advise him, make him more comfortable in there. I think seeing me, as another Filipino, too  it will be more comfortable for him.

Leaders expect international recruiting needs to ease

Though an influx of 600 new nurses from the Philippines will definitely help the staffing shortage at Henry Ford, Wallis said it can't be the only strategy the health system uses to fill all the vacancies it has now or in the future.

"Part of what we're talking about now is what is our ongoing strategy," he said. "I don't think the nursing workforce is going to be completely fixed in the next couple of years. It's going to take longer-term work across the country to do that."

But he can envision a time when the need for international recruiting won't be as urgent.

"We want to get to a place where maybe we're looking at 25 to 50 international nurses a year coming not only from the Philippines, but looking at other places around the globe where the immigration process is reasonable, the training is appropriate and the English proficiency is there," Wallis said. "How do we look at international recruiting as a whole as a part of our talent strategy?"

Contact Kristen Shamus: kshamus@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kristenshamus. Subscribe to the Free Press.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Henry Ford looks to Philippines to combat nursing shortage
WASHINGTON, D.C.  Here's a look at how area members of Congress voted April 21 through April 27.

Along with the week's roll call votes, the Senate also passed: the Justice for Jana Elementary Act (S. 418), to provide financial assistance to schools impacted by radioactive contaminants, and a resolution (S. Res. 175) recognizing the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea.

House

House Vote 1:RELATIONS WITH CHINA: The House has passed a resolution (H. Res. 90), sponsored by Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, to demand that China's government immediately release from prison Mark Swidan, a U.S. citizen whom China sentenced to death in 2012 after being convicted of drug trafficking charges. Cloud said Swidan has been severely mistreated while in prison and that "no drugs were ever found on Swidan or in his hotel room, and the prosecution did not produce any evidence tying him to the drugs." The vote, on April 25, was unanimous with 418 yeas.YEAS: Jim Jordan R-OH (4th), Bob Latta R-OH (5th)

Rep. Jim Jordan

House Vote 2:MIDDLE EAST DIPLOMACY: The House has passed a resolution (H. Res. 311), sponsored by Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., to encourage Middle East countries to join the Abraham Accords for improving relations between Israel and neighboring countries. Wagner said: "Israel is a force for peace and a beacon of democracy in a challenging region. At a time of heightened anti-Semitism across the globe, it is more important than ever that we maintain our strong connection to this very key ally." The vote, on April 25, was 401 yeas to 19 nays.YEAS: Jordan R-OH (4th), Latta R-OH (5th)

House Vote 3:EMERGENCY TELECOMMUNICATIONS: The House has passed the Advanced, Local Emergency Response Telecommunications Parity Act (H.R. 1353), sponsored by Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio. The bill would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take measures to improve emergency communications services, such as 9-1-1 calls, in areas of the country that lack adequate services. Johnson said the bill would help "ensure everyone has access to critical lifesaving emergency services regardless of where they live or travel." The vote, on April 26, was 422 yeas to 1 nay.YEAS: Jordan R-OH (4th), Latta R-OH (5th)

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House Vote 4:BUDGET CHANGES: The House has passed the Limit, Save, Grow Act (H.R. 2811), sponsored by Rep. Jodey C. Arrington, R-Texas. The bill would suspend the federal debt limit until spring 2024 and make numerous spending and policy changes, including rescinding unobligated funding for COVID and Internal Revenue Service programs, establishing work requirements for Medicaid and food stamp programs, and reducing subsidies for electric vehicles and energy efficiency and renewable energy. Arrington called the bill's $4.8-trillion spending cut "an important first step to getting our fiscal house in order and a good faith effort to bring the president to the negotiating table" for budget talks. An opponent, Rep. Brendan F. Boyle, D-Pa., said the bill made risky cuts to public safety, health and food programs and represented "reckless brinkmanship" by raising doubts about whether the U.S. will pay its debt obligations. The vote, on April 26, was 217 yeas to 215 nays.YEAS: Jordan R-OH (4th), Latta R-OH (5th)

House Vote 5:FCC AND PRECISION AGRICULTURE: The House has passed the Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act (H.R. 1339), sponsored by Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, to require the Federal Communications Commission to evaluate potential changes to its rules governing the use of satellites to enable precision agriculture practices. Latta said of the benefit of such changes: "Farmers use information in real time to make smarter decisions on how to optimize inputs and whether and when to plant or harvest. When terrestrial or cellular networks are not available, satellite broadband steps in to make these technologies work." The vote, on April 26, was 409 yeas to 11 nays.YEAS: Jordan R-OH (4th), Latta R-OH (5th)

House Vote 6:WITHDRAWAL FROM SOMALIA: The House has rejected a resolution (H. Con. Res. 30), sponsored by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., that would have ordered the removal of U.S. soldiers stationed in Somalia within 1 year. Gaetz said "I have yet to see the evidence that U.S. troops are the essential element to fusing relationships among warring African warlords, clans and tribes" and succeed in stabilizing Somalia. An opponent, Rep. Richard McCormick, R-Ga., voiced concerns that if the U.S. military leaves Somalia, "we will have an increase in terrorist activities" and therefore an increased threat to U.S. security. The vote, on April 27, was 102 yeas to 321 nays.YEAS: Jordan R-OH (4th)NAYS: Latta R-OH (5th)

Senate

Senate Vote 1:VETERANS' BENEFITS: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Joshua David Jacobs to be the Veterans Affairs Department's under secretary for benefits. Jacobs is currently a senior benefits management advisory official at the VA, and was in a similar role at the VA during the Obama administration. A supporter, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said Jacobs' experience at the VA "shows his deep commitment to serving those who served our nation and why he is such a strong fit and trusted choice for this role." The vote, on April 26, was 74 yeas to 25 nays.YEAS: Sherrod Brown D-OHNAYS: J.D. Vance R-OH

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio)

Senate Vote 2:REGULATING VEHICLE EMISSIONS: The Senate has passed a resolution (S.J. Res. 11), sponsored by Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., to disapprove of and void an Environmental Protection Agency rule limiting nitrogen oxide air emissions from heavy-duty engines. Fischer said: "The technology required to meet this new rule's standards will cost between approximately $2,500 and $8,500 per vehicle. This means that many truckers will choose to keep their old heavy-duty vehicles, which do have higher rates of emissions, instead of buying vehicles that are both affordable and more climate-conscious." A resolution opponent, Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said: "For the sake of clean air, for the sake of our environment, and for the sake of the health of all communities across the country, I urge you to oppose this repeal." The vote, on April 26, was 50 yeas to 49 nays.NAYS: Brown D-OHYEAS: Vance R-OH

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Votes cast by area members of Congress April 21-27
The Arizona Board of Regents gave a stamp of approval to multiyear tuition increases on April 21.

The move marks the first time the governing body for Arizonas public university system has set a rate schedule on a staggered six-year cycle, a structural change regents approved in February. Increases had previously been set yearly.

Here's what to know about the changes and how they will impact students' tuition bills.

What will tuition cost next year?

Across the three universities, the tuition hikes for next year range from 3% to 5% for undergraduate students, depending on residency.

Here's what resident undergraduates can expect to pay for the 2023-24 academic year:

Arizona State University: Resident undergraduate students in campus immersion programs will pay a base rate of $11,308, per Arizona State University's tuition plan.

University of Arizona: Resident undergraduate base tuition for new students will be $11,871, per the university's plan.

Northern Arizona University: Tuition for new resident undergraduate students on Northern Arizona University's Flagstaff campus will be $11,352, according to the university's plan.

The Arizona Board of Regents approved multiyear tuition increases for state schools last week.

How much could tuition rise in the future?

Several factors could impact how much tuition costs in future years. The tuition-related policy changes passed by the Board of Regents in February allow the three state universities to choose to charge tuition below the maximum allowable amount. In addition, legislative changes to the amount of money allocated to the universities could impact whether the annual growth rates freeze, continue as approved or increase in future years.

Here are the maximum annual growth rates proposed by the universities and approved by the regents through the 2028-29 academic year:

Arizona State University: Resident undergraduate tuition increases will be capped at 3% each year.

University of Arizona: Resident undergraduate base tuition will be capped at an annual 3% increase.

Northern Arizona University: Tuition growth for resident undergraduate students will be capped at 3.5% annually.

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The board and universities are scheduled to revisit the growth rates in four years when they consider the next six-year cycle.

Why tie tuition to lawmakers' decisions?

For years, regents have criticized state lawmakers for disinvesting in public universities and forcing the board to raise tuition prices.

Now, the regents are attempting to put legislators in the hot seat. If state lawmakers give more money, the board can avoid passing on the costs to students. If not, the planned increases will apply.

And if lawmakers choose to reduce the amount of funding going toward public universities, the new policy allows the schools to set tuition and fees exceeding the maximum growth rates  meaning students could pay more than what's currently approved.

Turning the tables: Regents link future Arizona tuition increases to how Legislature funds universities

How does Arizona compare with other states?

The Arizona Republic examined tuition rates for resident undergraduates at public, four-year universities in California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico and found that base tuition rates at Arizona's three state universities are not the highest but fall near the upper end of the pack.

Sasha Hupka covers higher education for The Arizona Republic. Do you have a tip on Arizona's universities, community colleges or trade schools? Reach her at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter: @SashaHupka.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What to know about tuition increases at state universities in Arizona
So I run with purpose in every step. 1 Corinthians

In this purpose-filled journey to serve as Nashvilles next Mayor, I have had the opportunity to listen, and learn from victims of violent crime across our city. April 23-29 commemorates National Crime Victims Rights Week, and an important time to reflect on the voices of victims.

I am grateful for the brave victims who have shared their stories, and to groups like the Tennessee Voices for Victims - who advocate for, and walk alongside, victims of crime.

What I have learned is the importance of approaching crime and justice from a victim centered perspective. And you will hear me talk a lot - from the first debate March 7 to Election Day August 3rd - about reframing our criminal justice system to a victims justice system.

Victims desire two things; to never have anyone else experience what they have experienced, and to gain an assurance that the person who committed the crime wont reoffend.

Hear more Tennessee Voices: Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought provoking columns.

Increase our support for police

Today, according to FBI data, two-thirds of cases reported in Nashville are never cleared. That creates a situation where criminals become more emboldened and victims feel helpless.

Metro Nashville Chief of Police John Drake speaks as emergency workers who responded to the Covenant School shooting are honored in the House of Representatives at the State Capitol in Nashville, Tenn., on Thursday, April 13, 2023.

A victims justice system ensures we have enough officers to respond to crime. Today it is widely reported that MNPD is short 200 officers, which means our extraordinary police are stretched thin.

Benchmarking our force strength of 1.96 per thousand population vs. the national average of 2.6 per 1,000 population calls the question - is filling those vacancies enough?

In reframing our work from a criminal justice system to a victims justice system, we need to increase our support and funding for the specialized units that focus on specific victimization such as domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault and cold cases.

Sign up for Latino Tennessee Voices newsletter:Read compelling stories for and with the Latino community in Tennessee.

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Support jails and show results

A victims justice system supports jails with adequate and thorough programming. Sometimes incarceration is needed particularly in cases with frequent and repeat offenses. A time-out can be effective if programming towards improving literacy, education, addiction, victim impact, and job training is provided. It is imperative that all of our correctional facilities return to the pre-COVID practices of allowing in-person programming - particularly on topics like victim impact.

A victims justice system supports and funds victim advocates. We have two well-regarded victim counseling units within our MNPD - but they run a consistent waiting list and need more support. Our district attorneys office includes victim witness coordinators - a role that is vital to supporting victims through the system. Many non-profits such as the Family Safety Center, Childrens Alliance, Our Kids and others help close some of the gaps.

A victims justice system supports programs showing results - like the juvenile restorative justice program run by the Raphah Institute and programs like Men of Valor, The Next Door, Magdalene House and others with long track records of changing lives of the offender - and breaking the cycle of future victimization. More beds at these facilities will reduce the number of victims of crime.

Sign up for Black Tennessee Voices newsletter:Read compelling columns by Black writers from across Tennessee.

Specialty courts offer tremendous support

A victims justice system supports specialized courts - like the mental health and veterans court of Judge Melissa Blackburn and her dedicated team. These intensive programs are changing lives and reducing the number of victims of crime in our city.

Alice Rolli

In this broken world, let us ask what we are doing, every day, to reduce the number of victims of crime across our city - from literacy to mental health support to investing in our public safety.

Let us renew our focus to center on the rights of victims.

Alice Rolli is a Nashville native, mother, business leader and former Tennessee State Economic Development official for Gov. Bill Haslam. She is running to serve as the Metro Nashville-Davidson County Governments 10th Mayor to usher in a new era of regional cooperation to address our challenges of growth.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How Nashville can move toward a victim-centered justice system
A Garner High School teacher who spent 25 years as a U.S. Air Force medic has been named Wake Countys top educator.

Terry Hennings, a Civic Literacy and African American Studies teacher at Garner High, was named the 2023 Wake County Teacher of the Year at a ceremony Thursday night at the Raleigh Convention Center. Teaching is the second career for the Air Force veteran.

My time in the U.S. Air Force has provided a unique opportunity to insert my own experiences and include personal, culturally relevant experiences, Hennings said in his Teacher of the Year portfolio. Once students discover the personal connection I have with their culture, race or ethnicity, it increases the opportunity for meaningful bonds to form.

After leaving the military, Hennings attended graduate school at N.C. State University and earned a masters of arts teaching degree concentrating in social studies. He taught World History at a high school in Las Vegas before joining Garner High in 2017.

Empowering his students

In addition to his teaching duties, Hennings is Garner Highs Black Student Union Club advisor and serves on Wake County Superintendent Catty Moores Teacher Advisory Council. He also has served on the schools Equity Team and as a Civic Literacy Professional Learning Community Leader.

Hennings taught through the pandemic, which he said highlighted the importance of students social-emotional needs. Part of his mission has been to hep strengthen the confidence and communication skills of his students.

My classroom has clear habits of mind that give every student a voice which promotes their sense of empowerment and engagement, as well as develops friendships, Hennings said in his portfolio.

Hennings was chosen among the Teacher of the Year winners for each individual school. The list was whittled to 10 finalists.

Hennings will receive a prize package that includes a $1,000 check and use of a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe for the next year. He will represent Wake County in the North Carolina Teacher of the Year program.
Palestinians evacuated from Sudan arrive at the Rafah Border Crossing in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on April 28, 2023. About 180 Palestinians who had been evacuated from conflict-ravaged Sudan to Egypt arrived in the coastal enclave late on Friday, said the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Gaza, April 28, (Xinhua) -- About 180 Palestinians who had been evacuated from conflict-ravaged Sudan to Egypt arrived in the coastal enclave late on Friday, said the Hamas-run Interior Ministry.

The batch, mostly students, arrived in the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Border Crossing with Egypt, the ministry's spokesperson Iyad al-Bozzom said in a statement.

Al-Bozzom thanked the Egyptian authorities for an exceptional move to open the Rafah crossing to facilitate the home return.

Early on Thursday, several buses carrying Palestinians from Khartoum, Sudan's capital, arrived in Egypt, the Palestinian embassy in Cario has said.

A growing number of countries have evacuated citizens from Sudan since fierce clashes broke out between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in mid-April.

At least 459 people have been killed and more than 4,000 wounded so far in the fighting in Sudan, with hundreds of thousands of people displaced, according to WHO and UNHCR estimates. 

A Palestinian evacuated from Sudan is welcomed by his relatives at the Rafah Border Crossing in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on April 28, 2023. About 180 Palestinians who had been evacuated from conflict-ravaged Sudan to Egypt arrived in the coastal enclave late on Friday, said the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

A Palestinian evacuated from Sudan is welcomed by his relatives at the Rafah Border Crossing in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on April 28, 2023. About 180 Palestinians who had been evacuated from conflict-ravaged Sudan to Egypt arrived in the coastal enclave late on Friday, said the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

Palestinians evacuated from Sudan arrive at the Rafah Border Crossing in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on April 28, 2023. About 180 Palestinians who had been evacuated from conflict-ravaged Sudan to Egypt arrived in the coastal enclave late on Friday, said the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A Palestinian evacuated from Sudan is welcomed by his relatives at the Rafah Border Crossing in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on April 28, 2023. About 180 Palestinians who had been evacuated from conflict-ravaged Sudan to Egypt arrived in the coastal enclave late on Friday, said the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A Palestinian evacuated from Sudan is welcomed by his relatives at the Rafah Border Crossing in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on April 28, 2023. About 180 Palestinians who had been evacuated from conflict-ravaged Sudan to Egypt arrived in the coastal enclave late on Friday, said the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Palestinians evacuated from Sudan arrive at the Rafah Border Crossing in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on April 28, 2023. About 180 Palestinians who had been evacuated from conflict-ravaged Sudan to Egypt arrived in the coastal enclave late on Friday, said the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A Palestinian evacuated from Sudan is welcomed by his relatives at the Rafah Border Crossing in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on April 28, 2023. About 180 Palestinians who had been evacuated from conflict-ravaged Sudan to Egypt arrived in the coastal enclave late on Friday, said the Hamas-run Interior Ministry. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)
PETERSBURG  A 10-year-old public school student was the victim of a hit-and-run Friday morning as he crossed the street in front of Pleasants Lane Elementary School, the school system said.

Petersburg Police released these photos of the vehicle they believe struck a 10-year-old child Friday, April 28, 2023 in front of Pleasants Lane Elementary School

The unidentified child was in the crosswalk in front of the school when the incident happened, Petersburg City Public School spokesperson Terrance Dixon said. The injuries were minor, and the boy was treated at a local hospital and released.

The driver of the blue vehicle stopped briefly, then fled the scene.

Please be advised, a child was involved in a hit and run situation this morning, the statement read. The child has been released & treated with minor injuries.

The system said it is working with police to investigate the matter. Dixon said surveillance video at the school captured the incident and has been turned over to police.

Police have released photos of the suspect vehicle.

The statement concluded with a reminder for drivers to be vigilant and aware of students and pedestrians during arrival and dismissal times" around schools.

Anyone who may recognize the vehicle or have information about the suspect is asked to call School Resource Officer Joshua Cuba at (804) 732-4222 or xall Crime Solvers at (804) 861-1212. You may also use the P3Tips app on a mobile device.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Petersburg student hit by car at school Friday morning
HMV first moved into 363 Oxford Street in 1921

The original central London HMV store is to reopen later this year after a four-year absence.

The century-old music shop chain shut its flagship store in 2019 after going into administration. It was then taken over by Sunrise Records.

It said the return to 363 Oxford Street was due to a "dramatic turnaround", with HMV returning to profit in 2022.

The store will have different branding and a new layout.

The store, which first opened in 1921, became a world-famous presence on London's busiest shopping street, hosting some of the biggest acts in the music business, such as the Spice Girls.

In recent years, the retailer has broadened its focus to include merchandise, music technology, more live music and in-store signings, amid falling demand for DVDs and CDs.

HMV said it would bring the new format, called HMV Shop, to 24 new sites and 14 existing stores by the end of 2023.

Doug Putnam, Sunrise Records' owner, said the "new concept" stores were "really working".

He added new stores would also open in Europe in 2023, which would be a "launchpad for an exciting new era for HMV".

Councillor Geoff Barraclough, Westminster City Council's cabinet member for planning and economic development, said: "The return of this famous name is proof that there's a buzz back in the West End."

Several large shops on Oxford street have closed in recent years, including Debenhams, BHS and Top Shop.

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk
Honda

Brooklyn, New York law firm Hagens Berman has filed a class-action lawsuit against Honda over dozens of reports of "sticky" electric power steering racks in Civics that can suddenly fail and cause a crash, CarBuzz reports.

The firm claims American Honda Motor Company sold 2022 and 2023 model year Civics that it knew were equipped with faulty steering racks that could fail without warning under various driving conditions. The suit cites no less than 145 complaints made to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the problem.

CarBuzz points out one particularly scary description from someone who experienced the issue first hand. From the NHTSA's website:

Steering is 'sticky,' making it difficult to make minor adjustments while driving. Each time any move is made with the steering wheel, it is like it has to 'break free' from being stuck. This happens almost all the time over 40-45 mph, regardless of the driving mode.

The NHTSA has launched a preliminary investigation in response to the sheer number of complaints, says Hagens Berman. In a statement to CarBuzz, Honda confirmed the investigation and said it will cooperate with the government agency throughout the process, while conducting an internal investigation of its own.

Honda told CarBuzz that most of the vehicles referenced in the NHTSA complaints are newer, lower-mileage vehicles that should still be under warranty. The Japanese automaker is encouraging owners to bring their cars to an authorized dealer to diagnose any issues.

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An Horry County Schools special education teacher resigned just a few days after being arrested for allegedly harming a student.

Gabriel Hernandez, formerly with St. James Intermediate, submitted his resignation April 17 for personal reasons, according to documents included in his personnel file, acquired by The Sun News through the Freedom of Information Act.

Hernandez was arrested April 14 on a misdemeanor charge of cruelty to children. A witness told Horry County Police that Hernandez dragged the student across the room by his arms and then put all his body weight on the childs legs by sitting on him for about 30 seconds, according to the incident report.

An attorney representing Hernandez did not immediately return a request for comment.

HCS had placed Hernandez on administrative leave with pay March 20, four days after reported incident occurred.

This was the second time during the 2022-23 school year that Hernandez was placed on leave, according to his personnel file, which showed the district also did so beginning November 1 while it investigated allegations of unprofessional conduct.

He was allowed to return to work November 18, though a letter from the districts human resources officer cautioned that it is imperative that you understand that conduct of this nature will not be tolerated and could place your employment in jeopardy.

Nicole Perez told The Sun News her 10-year-old son is the victim related involved in the allegations against Hernandez. Hernandez was placed on leave last November for allegedly stepping on her sons hand on purpose, she said.

Perez said her son, who has autism, has been afraid to return to the classroom since the March incident, and shes planning to move her family out of South Carolina out of fear for her sons safety.

Hernandez began working at HCS during the 2019-20 school year as a special education teacher at Waccamaw Elementary and also worked briefly at Lakewood Elementary, according to his personnel file.

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He had also resigned in December 2021 before being quickly rehired, his record shows.

Hernandez is one of three HCS special education employees arrested during the current school year on charges related to harming students.

Georgia Branch, a teachers aide at Myrtle Beach Elementary, was also arrested in April and charged with cruelty to children for allegedly hitting a 9-year-old boy.

Ocean Bay Elementary teacher Grace McColgan was arrested in November and charged with six counts of unlawful conduct towards a child for alleged actions including smacking students, dumping a child out of a chair and rubbing hand sanitizer on an open wound.
House Republicans left Washington on Friday for a week feeling elated about their massive debt bill they muscled through despite the thinnest of narrow margins. Just dont call it a breakthrough.

Speaker Kevin McCarthys fiscal standoff with President Joe Biden remains as deadlocked as ever, with the GOP demanding steep spending cuts in exchange for lifting the nations borrowing limit to stop a dangerous debt default. And that impasse might not ease until one or both parties start feeling more pressure to bend as Congress veers closer to the edge of fiscal calamity later this spring.

This is one of those things where you have to get really, uncomfortably close  unfortunately  to the deadline before people really roll up their spikes and decide theyre going to start to move in their position, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said.

While Republicans believed the plan they passed Wednesday would force Biden to the table, the White House and most congressional Democrats have brushed it off and made clear they won't entertain the GOPs demands. Instead, both sides have retreated further into their corners, with each party planning to spend the coming days talking almost entirely to its respective base voters.



I think we in the House ought to message the hell out of it, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said, warning that Democrats would make false claims about their bill: We need to be on offense on the message.

As for the next steps, Roy said: The balls in the presidents court and the Senate court.

Roy is far from alone in the GOP conference in arguing that the problem is no longer in their hands, putting the blame squarely on Democrats shoulders. Most Republican lawmakers insist they have little anxiety about the increasingly rattled nerves on Wall Street as a dysfunctional Congress barrels closer toward this summers drop-dead debt limit date.

Every day that he refuses to negotiate, he is putting the U.S. economy at risk, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) said. The next move is on Biden.

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Top Democrats have revealed little about their next steps. While Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has called on Republicans to work with him on a clean debt plan, its unclear if his caucus would even unite to vote in favor of one. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), specifically, has put the onus on Biden to meet with McCarthy.

And at least some in the party are getting nervous: We all should be getting anxious, Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) said.

All the focus next week will be on the Senate, which will return to Washington facing the pressure from House Republicans  and possibly from the Treasury Department. Officials there are expected sometime in the coming days to update the public on the X date, before which Congress will need to pass a debt limit lift to avoid default.



I think once we have that date with clarity  then well know with some urgency our timeframe for dealing with this challenge, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told reporters Friday, adding: Understand that this is a manufactured crisis that extreme MAGA Republicans are foisting on the American people."

In the meantime, Democrats plan to spend their time turning the GOPs debt plan into campaign fodder, betting that fresh attacks on Republican plans to slash spending on programs like food stamps and Medicaid will hurt in the swing districts they need to flip next November.

Many of the Republicans currently holding those battleground seats, however, say they arent sweating their yes votes.

Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), who flipped a purple Long Island seat last fall, said he recently did a tele-town hall with over 13,000 callers where he asked each person to weigh in on whether they supported his position on debt: Raising the limit, but with some cutbacks to federal spending, including Covid aid.

Three to one, [constituents] agreed with my position, LaLota said Friday.

Ever since House Republicans passed its plan on Wednesday, both parties have resorted to finger-pointing to try to pin blame if negotiations go south.

Still, the GOP bill remains a win for McCarthy, who faced a steep climb as he wrangled a deal among the disparate wings of his party with only a handful of votes to spare. By working closely with conservatives to craft a plan packed with right-flank priorities, the speaker achieved near-total unity in his bid to kick off negotiations with Biden.

Even so, White House officials have emphasized in conversations with Democratic congressional leaders the importance of staying aligned on Bidens no-negotiation stance. The president's team is clearly betting that it still holds the stronger hand in the debt ceiling standoff; the White House reacted to the House GOPs bill by issuing a flurry of statements and analyses detailing the damage it would do to the economy and popular programs.

While Biden administration officials have explored a variety of potential alternative options for averting default, there is skepticism that any would be workable  and none are seen as preferable to Congress simply voting to raise the debt ceiling.

The House Republican pitch that would raise the debt limit by $1.5 trillion, or through March of next year  whichever comes first  setting up another fight with the White House next year. In particular, Republicans are proudest of the bill's slashes to federal spending, including $130 billion in the upcoming fiscal year that would effectively return discretionary spending totals to nearly the same level as two years ago.

But the task is far from done, and McCarthy still could be squeezed yet by his own party.

Some members of the conservative Freedom Caucus are arguing that the California Republican should refuse to negotiate down at all as Democrats decide on their counter  a position that other Republicans in the conference view as irrational.

I don't do red lines because there might be a different price that I might want for something, right? Put a border bill on there, change the length and times. There's always a way to come up with something that will actually be good for the country, Roy said of the potentially negotiable items.

Go ahead, Mr. President," he added. "Go ahead, Sen. Schumer.

Adam Cancryn and Nicholas Wu contributed to this report.
The debt ceiling bill House Republicans passed Wednesday includes tighter work requirements on food stamp recipients. While the Biden administration and Senate Democrats have vowed to block the measure, policies narrowing access to nutrition assistance are advancing in a handful of GOP-led states.

Kansas lawmakers voted Thursday, largely along party lines, to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kellys veto of a bill that puts new limits on state residents enrolled in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP and the successor to the Food Stamp Program.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly (Eric Lee / Bloomberg via Getty Images file)

The new law, set to take effect in July, tightens work requirements for older Kansans to keep or qualify for SNAP benefits. It extends the age limit of those legally considered to be able-bodied adults without dependents from 18-49 to 18-59. That means most food assistance recipients ages 50-59 will soon need to work at least 30 hours per week or attend mandatory job training to qualify.

The 30-hour work requirement itself is fairly new. The Republican supermajority in the Kansas Statehouse enacted that rule last year, also overriding a veto by Kelly. Since the measure took effect last summer, more than 1,400 able-bodied adults without dependents have stopped receiving food assistance, the Kansas Department for Children and Families estimated last month.

We want to help people to be able to get a job, to get the employment, the training they need to not only get a job but a get a better job, state Sen. Beverly Gossage, a Republican who voted in favor of the bill, told The Kansas City Star as lawmakers debated the measure this week.

Beverly Gossage (Carolyn Kaster / AP)

Democrats characterized the legislation  which passed amid a flurry of other bills enacted by overriding the governors vetoes, including a sweeping anti-transgender bathroom law  as out of touch and an effort to boot Kansans from SNAP rolls.

This one is really horrendous, because we are taking food out of the mouths of vulnerable Kansans, said state Sen. Dinah Sykes, who was elected House minority leader in 2020, after switching her party affiliation from Republican to Democratic the year before. Sykes said her party estimated that the new law would affect some 7,600 food assistance recipients in Kansas.

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They have this image of people who are sitting around on their couch or something and not wanting to work. No one can survive [solely] off of that benefit, said Karen Siebert, advocacy and public policy adviser for the Kansas City-based Harvesters food assistance network. They also have housing costs. They have utility costs.

The new law reflects a growing nationwide push to curtail safety net programs. Millions of low-income Americans lost pandemic-era enhancements to SNAP payments on March 1, when authorization for the extra support expired. But some conservative lawmakers and policy groups have argued that further limits are needed, saying the current levels of food aid, among other forms of public assistance, have contributed to labor shortages.

A Florida-based organization called Opportunity Solutions Project has helped lead the effort to narrow SNAP eligibility across the U.S., including in Kansas. Last year the group hired local lobbyist Steve Greene, state legislative records show, who provided testimony last month on behalf of OSP in favor of a proposal to disqualify for SNAP benefits parents who dont have physical custody of their children and fall behind on child support.

OSP is the lobbying arm of the Foundation for Government Accountability, a think tank that has backed a range of conservative policy efforts across the country, including on voter access and child labor. The nonprofit group said in its latest annual report that it notched 144 state policy victories and raised $15 million, up 26% from 2020.

The FGA is also campaigning for congressional Republicans SNAP limits in their debt ceiling bill, with its founder, Tarren Bragdon, penning a supportive opinion article in the New York Post this week and the group tweeting a video interview with Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., criticizing Democrats on the issue as paying people not to work.

Earlier this month, OSP prevailed in Iowa in a campaign to factor the value of liquid assets, including personal property like cars, into food-assistance recipients income limits. State lobbying disclosures show OSP paid $14,250 to a consultant who lobbied for the bill. In a Utah House committee hearing in 2021 on a proposal to limit access to SNAP, Republican Rep. Steve Christiansen brought an OSP representative to speak alongside him in introducing the measure, which was ultimately defeated.

Encouraging work means helping people become self-sufficient and reach for a better life! Work requirements are key to making this happen.



As @SenRickScott says, "We need to have a safety net, but nobody should be dependent on government that can work. Nobody." pic.twitter.com/boe072X7fa  The FGA (@TheFGA) April 26, 2023

Neither Opportunity Solutions Project nor Greene responded to requests for comment.

Opponents of the recent efforts to link SNAP participation to employment note that many states with low unemployment maintain elevated food-assistance enrollment.

In a policy paper published this month, University of Illinois researchers who reviewed new work-requirement laws across the country contended that a divergence between employment and SNAP/poverty, itself, raises questions about the current state of the economy.

At the very least, SNAP participation does not appear to impact employment nor serve as a disincentive to work, they said.

In the meantime, lawmakers in Washington, D.C., who support tighter SNAP criteria will have other opportunities to pursue those changes even if they fail to secure them in the debt limit battle. The SNAP program is funded by the federal farm bill, which must be renegotiated every five years and is set to expire by the end of September  setting up further clashes over the future of food stamps in the months ahead.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The House voted Friday morning in favor of striking down President Biden's action last year which allows Chinese solar panel manufacturers to avoid Obama-era tariffs.

In a 221-202 vote, the House approved the resolution with 209 Republicans and 12 Democrats voting in favor. A bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla., and joined by Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., first introduced the resolution in January, arguing tariffs were necessary to protect the fledgling U.S. solar industry which is dwarfed by Chinese industry.

"Joe Bidens decision to protect Communist Chinas solar manufacturers from U.S. tariffs is another demonstration of weakness from an already spineless administration," House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital.

"House Republicans are continuing to lead where the White House has failed in holding China accountable by working across the aisle to nullify this absurd rule," he continued.

CONGRESS GEARS UP TO SMACK DOWN PRESIDENT BIDEN'S CHINESE SOLAR HANDOUT

President Biden vowed to veto the legislation with the White House saying he is "working aggressively to support domestic solar panel manufacturing."

After the resolution passed via voice vote, House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., who has been a strong supporter of the effort, requested a roll call vote, a measure usually requested by the minority. Twelve members didn't participate in the vote.

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In June 2022, Biden implemented a 24-month moratorium on the enforcement of solar panel anti-circumvention tariffs introduced under the Obama administration to protect U.S. companies. The White House characterized the move as a two-year "bridge" that would allow companies to build solar panel production capabilities on U.S. soil.

CHINESE TECH COMPANIES ARE EXPLOITING US GREEN ENERGY GOALS, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS WARN

The move, however, came after the Commerce Department said months earlier it would investigate whether Chinese manufacturers were routing solar panels through countries in Southeast Asia to avoid U.S. tariffs. And in December, the agency published its preliminary findings showing four large solar companies had routed products through Cambodia, Malaysia and Vietnam to circumvent duties.

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The Commerce Department is expected to release its final findings in May. Still, the White House vowed earlier this week that Biden would veto the legislation if it made it to his desk regardless of the findings, though House Democratic leadership opted against recommending how members vote.

Solar panels are pictured at the ENGIE Sun Valley Solar project in Hill County, Texas, on March 1. The Chinese solar industry dominates global solar supply chains.

"With every passing month the CCP gets closer to dominating the solar market, making it harder for Americans to compete," Posey said in a statement to Fox News Digital after the vote Friday. "Todays bipartisan vote holds China accountable for violating our trade laws and scores a big win for American solar manufacturers and workers."

"The United States can and should focus its resources into developing our own capability to manufacture quality solar products and boosting American competitiveness around the world and I want to thank my colleagues for advancing this important bipartisan legislation," the Florida Republican added.

And Kildee previously told Fox News Digital that while he supports Biden, he disagreed with the president's actions on the issue. He said the U.S. has failed to respond China's violations of trade laws.

Green energy industry groups like American Clean Power and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), meanwhile, have pushed back on the legislation and have expressed support for Biden's emergency declaration. SEIA, which counts energy utility and Chinese solar companies among its members, has argued the Commerce Department investigation had a chilling effect on the solar supply chain, hurting American jobs.

A group of environmental groups have also lobbied Congress to vote against the bill.

But pro-tariff groups like the Coalition for a Prosperous America have supported the bill, saying it is a "commonsense piece of legislation that protects American workers and manufacturers by ensuring Chinese solar manufacturers that are illegally violating U.S. trade law are held accountable."

The Senate is expected to hold a floor vote next week on companion legislation introduced by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and sponsored by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. Several Democratic senators have already come out in support of the resolution.
Good day!

Thats how the most popular AM radio host in the nation back in the 1960s and 70s, Paul Harvey, would sign off on his popular mid-day show, before telling us the rest of the story later in the afternoon. It was a broadcast staple heard daily in countless Hoosier homes, farms, factories, businesses and restaurants.

In the early 1990s, we listened as Rush Limbaugh burnished his conservative broadcast brand across northeastern Indiana. There would be noontime Rush listening sessions at small restaurants in this part of the state, which became a precursor to Ross Perots 1992 independent presidential bid. Perot would carry 19.7% of the Hoosier vote that year, compared to 42.9% for President George H.W. Bush, and 36.7% for Democrat Bill Clinton, who won the presidency with just 43%.

And that 1992 presidential contest would signal an ominous slide for the GOP, which has lost the popular vote in seven of the last eight elections (President George W. Bush was the lone Republican to win the popular vote during his 2004 campaign - 50.7% to 48.3% for Democrat John Kerry). Bush43 in 2000 and Donald Trump in 2016 would lose the popular vote but win the Electoral College.

More: Howey: What will stop this low-grade war on Americans?

This conservative radio movement spawned Network Indianas Mike Pence Show and WOWOs Charly Butcher and a gaggle of rightward talk shows on WIBC.

Fast forward to the 21st Century. Whether its a high school principals lobby, or a waiting room in a doctors office, tire store, or a bar, restaurant or the Antelope Club, if theres a TV on, most likely it is tuned to Fox News. A significant portion of Indiana gets much of its news from Fox.

This has had compelling ramifications in Indiana, which is devoid of Democrats representing any rural district in Congress and the General Assembly. Democrats are still competitive in recent gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races, but were now in the midst of an unprecedented fifth consecutive General Assembly supermajority. While the reapportionment maps of 2011 and 2021 have helped create these vast competitive electoral deserts, Fox News, Limbaugh, Pence and Butcher helped alter the political landscape.

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When Pence was broadcasting, he would often invite Democrats like Evan Bayh, Andy Jacobs, John Gregg and journalists like Harrison Ullmann and me on his show. Pence would tout conservative positions, but they were not based on outright lies and vile propaganda.

More: Howey: Trump unhelpful for Hoosiers who joined his administration

That would be the forte of Fox hosts like Glenn Beck, Bill OReilly, and from 2016 until recently, Tucker Carlson. All three would be axed by the Murdoch hierarchy, with Carlson vanishing a week after Fox settled its Dominion defamation lawsuit for an astounding $787 million. It faces a similar $2.6 billion suit from Smartmatic. Tucker Carlson was last seen eating interstate pizza Friday night, cheerily signing off with, Well be back Monday!

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

On Monday morning, Fox News issued this terse statement: FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor. Sources are now saying Carlson was terminated for bad-mouthing Fox management and using vulgar terms in the newsroom.

Carlson drew about 3 million viewers a night, feeding the conservative echo chamber. But in a nation of 332 million people, thats a statistical drop in the bucket. What Carlson and his brand of propagandists have done is help push the GOP into the disastrous Trump era, as well as promoting extreme positions on abortion, gun reform, Ukraine and the despot Putin that are far, far out of the American mainstream. Thats a big reason the Republican Party is facing a dire future on the presidential stage.

What the Dominion case depositions demonstrated was that Tucker Carlson and Fox News were airing untruthful rubbish, like this:

Sidney Powell is lying, Carlson told a Fox News producer in a Nov. 16, 2020 exchange before using expletives to describe Powell, an attorney representing Trump. You keep telling our viewers that millions of votes were changed by the software. Youve convinced them that Trump will win. If you dont have conclusive evidence of fraud at that scale, its a cruel and reckless thing to keep saying.

Addressing Trumps four years as president, Carlson said: Were all pretending weve got a lot to show for it, because admitting what a disaster its been is too tough to digest. But come on. There really isnt an upside to Trump.

A day after the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection that killed seven people and injured 140 cops, Carlson and producer Alex Pfeiffer lamented how the rioters had believed Trumps election lies they helped propagate (and still were when Carlson interviewed Trump earlier this month). They take the president literally, Pfeiffer said. He is to blame for everything that happened today.

The problem is a little deeper than that Id say, Carlson replied. He later described Trump this way: Hes a demonic force, a destroyer. But hes not going to destroy us. Ive been thinking about this every day for four years.

Its impossible to ignore the Janus duality aspect of Fox News, saying things in cryptic fashion internally, and airing blatant lies to its viewers at the same time.

But, as Paul Harvey would put it, thats the rest of the story.

Good day!

The columnist is managing editor of Howey Politics Indiana/State Affairs at StateAffairs.com/pro/Indiana. Find Howey on Facebook and Twitter @hwypol.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Howey: After Tucker Carlson, its time  for the rest of the story
Hugh Grant has claimed The Sun ordered burglaries of his home and tapped his landline to get information about his personal life.

The actor, 62, attended the final day of a hearing at the High Court, at which News Group Newspapers (NGN) is bringing a bid to have claims by him and the Duke of Sussex thrown out.

Prince Harry is suing NGN over alleged unlawful information gathering at two of its titles, The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, claiming that his private information was unlawfully accessed.

Hugh Grant attended court in the final day of the hearing. Prince Harry attended last month (PA)

Mr Grant, who settled a claim against NGN relating to unlawful information gathering at the News of the World in 2012, is now bringing a similar legal action in relation to The Sun.

In a witness statement, Mr Grant said: My claim concerns unlawful acts committed by The Sun, including burglaries to order, the breaking and entering of private property in order to obtain private information through bugging, landline tapping, phone hacking, and the use of private investigators to do all these and other illegal things against me.

He referred in the statement to evidence he gave to the Leveson Inquiry into press standards and ethics in 2011, in which he spoke about a break-in at his London flat, where the front door was forced off its hinges. He said a story shortly after in The Sun detailed the interior.

He said: I had no evidence that this burglary was carried out or commissioned on the instruction of the press, let alone The Sun.

The actor added that he had been told by a private investigator in early 2022, which prompted him to launch the claim against NGN.

In his witness statement, the actor says he brought his recent claim after being passed information which showed, for the first time, evidence that The Sun had targeted unlawful activity at me and my associates directly.

He said the information included private investigator invoices and payments, and that they included the period during which the Leveson Inquiry into press standards and ethics was taking place.

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Hugh Grant arrives at the High Court on Thursday (PA)

Mr Grant said in the statement: It was particularly shocking to learn that me and my associates, including members of my family who were not in any way in the public eye, had been targeted by The Sun during the Leveson Inquiry.

It was widely reported and well known at the time these private investigators were commissioned  in November 2011  that I was shortly going to be giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry which included NGN.

I found it astonishing that The Sun carried out these unlawful acts against me at a time when I was preparing to give evidence to a public inquiry on press ethics.

Of course, all of this was concealed from me at the time.

His statement concludes: I have invested a great deal of time in my campaign work for a better and ethical press. A corollary of that has been my interest and my own investigations to understand the truth.

I have been shocked by what I have unearthed, without any help at all from the defendant, about unlawful acts committed by The Sun against me.

The fact that it has now been confirmed, through my investigations, that these unlawful acts included targeted burglaries is truly appalling.

The defendant clearly considers itself above the law and is using the law now in a way I believe it was never intended, that is to further cover up and conceal what it has done.

I strongly believe that cannot be allowed to happen and that what it has done must be brought to light.

Mr Grants statement came as more evidence was heard in court over the alleged secret agreement between the royal family and NGN.

Emails between Buckingham Palace staff and NGN executives discuss finding a resolution without lawyers (PA)

Emails about phone hacking allegations between executives from The Sun and senior staff in the royal family discuss finding a resolution without lawyers, the court heard.

In a 2017 email to the CEO of News Corporation, Robert Thomson, former director of royal communications Sally Osman said: The fact that we can have this conversation, with the Queen's full authority and knowledge of the scale and effect of hacking and surveillance on her family, their staff, associates, friends and family, is important with a view of resolution in the near future.

However, in a March 2018 email, Ms Osman, seeking the arrangement of a meeting with Mr Thomson to discuss the matter said: The hope is still to find a resolution, without involving lawyers. However, if we do not receive a response and a sense of what might be done and by when, then we will need to reconsider.

David Sherborne, representing Prince Harry, said this is consistent with a secret agreement and shows this wasnt dealt with by the legal department, it was dealt with at a much higher level.

NGN has previously settled a number of claims since the phone-hacking scandal broke in relation tothe News of the World, which closed in 2011, but has consistently denied that any unlawful information-gathering took place at The Sun.

The Sun strongly refutes the allegation that it ever commissioned anyone to break into Hugh Grants home, a spokesperson told The Independent.

NGN has called for both claims to be thrown out, arguing they have been brought too late.

The judge is expected to give his ruling at a later date.
Hugo Boss has signed the Pakistan Accord.

The German luxury brand is also a signatory of the larger International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry, which succeeded the Accord for Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh in 2021 with a more expansive mandate for worker well-being. The original Accord, which coalesced after the collapse of Rana Plaza outside Dhaka killed 1,134 garment workers and injured thousands, turns 10 next month.

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At Hugo Boss, we are committed to respecting human rights and safe working standards along our entire value chain and apply this throughout our organization, Yves Muller, its chief financial officer and chief operations officer, said on Thursday, just days after the 10th anniversary of the disaster, which cast a renewed spotlight on working conditions in the garment industry, sparking protests and demonstrations worldwide.

Pakistan is the first extension of the International Accord outside Bangladesh. Collectively, the International Accords 187 brand signatories source more than $2.6 billion worth of garments and textiles from Pakistan.

Hugo Boss is the 36th company to back the spinoff, which also includes brands and retailers such as Asos, American Eagle Outfitters, Bestseller, Calvin Klein parent PVH Corp., H&M Group and Zara owner Inditex. Eventually, the International Accord expects all 110 signatories with operations in Pakistan to sign up, covering 500 to 700 facilities and tens of thousands of workers.

The Pakistan Accord bears many of the hallmarks of its Bangladeshi predecessor. With an interim term of three years, it includes inspections and remediation, an independent complaints mechanism and worker safety training. It remains legally binding, meaning that signatories can incur liabilities for not following through on their commitments. Beyond ready-made garment manufacturers, which was the focus of the original, it will also oversee home textile and fabric accessory makers.

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Hugo Boss sources from one manufacturer in Pakistan: Interloop Limited, a prominent hosiery maker that also supplies socks and leggings to the likes of Adidas, Nike, H&M and Target. The idea behind all iterations of the Accord is joint responsibility begetting joint action. Because brands dont typically own their own factories but rather share production lines, the pact is able to apply collective leverage to accelerate change, its proponents say.

We take the fair and ethical treatment of our employees, suppliers and partners worldwide very seriously and look forward to supporting the improvement of labor conditions in Pakistan through implementing the Pakistan Accord, Muller said.

Click here to read the full article.
SHIJIAZHUANG, April 28 (Xinhua) -- A freight train left Langfang City in north China's Hebei Province on Friday morning, bound for Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, marking the opening of a new China-Europe freight train route.

The train will complete a journey of approximately 6,000 kilometers, leaving China via the Horgos Pass in Xinjiang, passing through Kazakhstan and finally arriving at its destination 15 days after its departure.

The train is carrying more than 1,400 tonnes of goods, with a total value of over 14.5 million yuan (about 2.09 million U.S. dollars). The cargo includes cotton goods and furniture hardware.

Langfang's imports and exports continued to grow this year. The total volume of the city's foreign trade from January to March was 11.83 billion U.S. dollars, up 23.5 percent year on year.

Zhang Chao, deputy director of the Langfang Municipal Development and Reform Commission, said the launch of the new China-Europe freight train route will effectively reduce transportation times and costs of goods between Langfang and Central Asia, smoothen enterprises' industrial and supply chains, and provide a strong guarantee for local international logistics channels and export-oriented economic development. 
[Source]

A 75-year-old Japanese man has opened a free cafe in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv to help those affected by Russias invasion.

Fuminori Tsuchiko, who arrived in the city last year, said he felt deeply concerned about the situation of the residents seeking shelter in subway stations to evade Russian shelling.

Tsuchiko was visiting Ukraine as a tourist in February 2022 when the news of Russia preparing to invade the country broke out.

When the Japanese embassy told him to leave the country, he traveled to Warsaw, Poland. Two months later, he returned to Ukraine and decided to stay in a metro station.

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"June, July, August, September, October, November, December - (for) seven months I stayed in the metro, underground, sleeping or eating, and together (with) many, many Ukrainian people," Tsuchiko was quoted as saying.



After spending months distributing food in the subway as a volunteer, he teamed up with a Ukrainian friend he met at the station to plan a better way to help the affected residents.

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Using donations from Japanese people via social media, he was able to open "FuMi Caffe" in Kharkiv's Saltivka neighborhood with the help of his Ukrainian friend.

The cafe, which now serves about 500 people a day, has already gained the attention of locals, including Anna Tovstopyatova, who visited to make a donation.

She shared her admiration for Tsuchiko's efforts, saying, "It's great that there are sincere people with an open heart and soul, who sacrifice their life and time to help and give hope."

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Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, is situated near the border of Russia.

While Ukrainian forces have pushed Russian troops back towards the border, local communities and volunteers still face extreme risk due to frequent shelling and unexploded ordinance in the city.

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(Bloomberg) -- Hungarys president pardoned a far-right figure convicted of terrorism hours before meeting Pope Francis in Budapest, a decision that risks damaging the optics of the pontiffs visit with a highly charged domestic issue.

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The pardon, issued late Thursday by President Katalin Novak, came on the eve of the Popes three-day visit. Prime Minister Viktor Orbans government has tried to play up Franciss trip to Hungary to shore up his international image after confrontations with the US and the European Union over the war in Ukraine and accusations of democratic backsliding.

Novak will welcome the Pope to Budapest at a ceremony at the presidential palace on Friday morning hours after she issued the pardon for Gyorgy Budahazy. A figure with folk-hero status among the countrys far right, Budahazy radicalized Orbans efforts to oust a center-left government before the nationalist premier returned power in 2010.

Budahazy was convicted for participating in attacks against the homes of ministers and ruling party members of the Socialist-Liberal coalition that governed from 2006 and 2010. Hes also widely known for his anti-LGBTQ and anti-Semitic views.

The Popes visit is a special occasion for the head of state to exercise her right to issue pardons, Novak, tapped by Orban for the largely ceremonial post last year, said in a statement. She also pardoned a handful of Budahazys co-conspirators, after absolving others convicted of lesser crimes in the same case in December.

Orban has bashed the EU and NATO members for providing weapons and money to Ukraine to help it fight off Russias invasion, enraging the leadership in Kyiv and Hungarys western allies. The Hungarian leader has sought to portray his stance as pro-peace, which he says is only shared in Europe by the Vatican.

Story continues

The Pope is praying for a just peace, with Russian troops withdrawing from Ukraine, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vaticans foreign minister, was quoted as saying in a Feb. 23 interview in the Jesuit magazine America.

Francis will lead an invocation for peace in Ukraine on Sunday at a Mass outside Hungarys parliament thats expected to draw tens of thousands of people.

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Hunterdon Central Regional High School will be losing three teachers and one administrator under the terms of the 2023-24 budget adopted on Monday.

Taxes also will rise by 1.8%.

Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Moore said the move to terminate the staff was the result of "some very tough circumstances  gut-wrenching stuff."

While there will be no reduction in programs for students, which Moore said the district is "very proud of," four staff members will not have jobs when the new school year starts.

"Even though we're pleased with the budget, it doesn't mean that we don't make very difficult decisions and have very difficult decisions to make  extremely difficult recommendations on the agenda tonight, particularly in the personnel section of the agenda," Moore said. "We always talk about schools being a people business. So it feels quite odd to be talking on the agenda about some reductions, some restructuring that are going to leave folks without a position here next year."

Hunterdon Central Regional High School will be losing three teachers and one administrator under the terms of the 2023-24 budget.

Moore explained the staff cuts were prompted by the district's declining enrollment  a loss of 500 students in recent years and the cuts in state aid the district has suffered over the past six years. Those cuts have totaled $1.1 million.

The personnel cuts in the budget include three full-time teachers identified only by their personnel number and title  broadcast technology teacher, world language teacher and instrumental music teacher  and abolishment of the Human Resources manager position, currently filled by Shunda Williams.

A few residents told the board Williams was the only Black member of the administrative staff and by cutting her job, it would go against the district's own pledge of "equity and inclusion."

But after a long executive session, the board voted to do away with the position.

More: Which Central Jersey school districts got the biggest aid increases? Which lost the most?

Story continues

Earlier in the meeting, Moore said he made the job "reductions and restructuring" recommendations with a "heavy heart," but with the conviction that they are "necessary."

"We have to balance all of our responsibilities," Moore said. "To deliver the kinds of budgets that we deliver to you and to the community without increases that would be impossible to shoulder. I really regret the impacts of reductions and restructuring.

Other challenges the district faced in creating the 2023-24 budget included increases in utility costs, transportation expenses, such as contracted bus routes and new district vehicles, and various insurance rates.

Adopted unanimously by the board, the 2023-24 budget stands at $80,138,426.

The budget calls for an 1.8% increase in the local tax levy to $58,959,952. Those taxes are divided among the five K-8 sending districts that comprise the regional district  Delaware Township, East Amwell, Flemington, Raritan Township and Readington.

Three of the five municipalities  Delaware, East Amwell and Flemington  will see a decline in their Hunterdon Central tax rates.

But there will be slight tax increases in Readington and Raritan Township

Business Administrator Heather Spitzer said the ongoing reduction in state aid has been a factor that has hit the district hard.

This year, Hunterdon Central saw a reduction of $96,000 in state aid from the 2022-23 school year. She anticipates the reduction in aid to continue for a few more years.

But Spitzer said, "A lot of school districts lost millions and millions of dollars."

"So we were lucky in that sense, and we anticipated it," she said. "Cutting to the dice here. Because we don't anticipate our state aid for the following year going up to $60 million. It's going to stay flat to be reduced."

email: cmakin@gannettnj.com

Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Hunterdon Central budget cuts teachers, administrator
NEW DELHI (AP)  India's defense minister accused China on Thursday of eroding the entire basis of ties between the countries by violating bilateral agreements, a reference to a nearly 3-year-old standoff involving thousands of soldiers stationed along their disputed border in the eastern Ladakh region.

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met with visiting Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu and had frank discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations, Indias Defense Ministry said.

Singh told Li that "development of relations between India and China is premised on the prevalence of peace and tranqulity at the borders," and that all border issues need to be resolved in accordance with existing agreements and commitments, the ministry said in a statement.

There was no immediate comment on the talks by the Chinese side.

India says the deployment of a large number of Chinese troops, their aggressive behavior and attempts to unilaterally alter the border status quo violate agreements between the countries. The violations have "eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations," Singh said.

A clash three years ago in the Ladakh region killed 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese. It turned into a long-running standoff in the rugged mountainous area, where each side has stationed tens of thousands of military personnel backed by artillery, tanks and fighter jets.

Days before Lis visit, top Indian and Chinese army commanders held an 18th round of talks in an attempt to work out a disengagement of troops from areas of tension.

Both India and China have withdrawn troops from some areas on the northern and southern banks of Pangong Tso, Gogra and Galwan Valley, but continue to maintain extra troops as part of a multitier deployment.

A Line of Actual Control separates Chinese and Indian-held territories from Ladakh in the west to Indias eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims in its entirety. India and China fought a war over their border in 1962.

Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu is visiting New Delhi to attend a meeting of the defense chiefs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on Friday. The group consists of China, India, Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Krgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Singh also met separately on Thursday with the defense ministers of Iran, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.
(Bloomberg) -- Ties between India and China depend on peace on the border, Indias defense chief has told his Chinese counterpart, amid strained relations over their contested Himalayan border.

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The border dispute has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations Indias Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said, after meeting Chinas Li Shangfu late Thursday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Corporation Organization in New Delhi.

Li said he hoped their two militaries will work together to strengthen mutual trust and called for efforts to normalize border issue management and control, according to the Chinese defense ministry.

Li is the first Chinese defense minister to visit India since deadly clashes between their troops in the summer of 2020. The nuclear armed South Asian neighbors, who share a 3,488 Km (2,167 miles)-long disputed border, have been locked in their worst territory dispute in four decades since then.

At least 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers were killed in the 2020 skirmish, and both sides have moved thousands of soldiers, artillery guns, tanks and missiles close to the border.

Over the weekend India and China held an 18th Round of talks between military commanders to try to resolve the crisis along their contested Himalayan frontier. Progress in several rounds of diplomatic and military talks so far has only been incremental.

India is the current host of the eight member Chinese-founded Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which also includes Russia and Pakistan, a group intended to counter the US-led global system.

At the SCO, New Delhi is seeking more cooperation to counter terrorism in the region and on military medicine, humanitarian and disaster relief, among the member countries.

Story continues

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UK Government Continues Efforts To Evacuate British Nationals From Sudan

In this handout image provided by the Ministry of Defence, British nationals board an RAF aircraft in Sudan, for evacuation to Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus on April 26, 2023 in Khartoum, Sudan. The UK has undertaken a military operation to evacuate British nationals from Sudan, due to escalating violence. Credit - MoD Crown Copyright via Getty Images

Sudans violent implosion shows that the international communitys approach to responding to conflict there is misguided and devoid of imagination. Most significant is the failure by the international community to appreciate how stacked the incentives are in favor of those using control of the state to violently loot and repress. Unless these incentives are altered, the calculus favoring violent kleptocracy will persist.

One of the two men vying for control of the Sudanese state is General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemedti), who heads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF was formalized in 2013 out of the militias known as the Janjaweed that carried out the genocidal dirty work in Darfur. The RSF is now the largest paramilitary entity on the African continent, receiving significant support over the years from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar, and Russias Wagner Group. Hemedti has enriched both himself and his networks through control of gold smuggling, real estate, and other key sectors of the economy.

His main competitor, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and other top army leaders have also monopolized key sectors of the economy, such as banking and agriculture. The army leadership and RSF seek each others destruction, and are certainly driving Sudan into an existential death spiral over the economic spoils of state control that has been years in the making.

Over the last few years, international mediators have continuously accommodated the two generals, imposing few consequences on them for massive corruption and human rights abuses. Sanctions and legal prosecutions have been too few to make an impact. State power remains the ultimate prize, delivering personal enrichment with few consequences. Sudan has become a classic kleptocracy (rule by thieves), and none of the mediation efforts have addressed the incentives in the system that favor violence, repression, and corruption.

Story continues

In fact, the U.S. previously reduced its leverage by removing the most significant sanctions on the regime in 2017 in return for promised reforms instead of evidence of actual change. No consequences were reintroduced in response to the army and the RSFs subsequent depredations, including perpetrating massive violence in Darfur, killing hundreds of protesters in Khartoum, and overthrowing the civilian-led transitional government in October 2021.

Endless rounds of mediation focused on Sudan have professed inclusivity but often move forward without sufficient involvement of local Sudanese Resistance Committees, womens organizations, and other civil society peace and democracy advocates. Mediators and policymakers from Africa, the US, and Europe have accommodated warring leaders and focused on short-term objectives that in no way alter the instability-producing status quo in the hopes that the guns will go silent on their watch. Of course in this moment of conflagration every effort must be made to reduce the damage. But over these past few years, mediators have repeatedly kicked the can down the road on kleptocracy and massive rights violations, entrenching the status quo rather than requiring fundamental change. They have issued repeated unfulfilled threats of legal and financial accountability, to the point where the Sudanese warlords can afford to largely ignore their entreaties.

To become major players again in Sudan, the U.S. and Europe must rebuild their leverage. China has leverage because of its economic investments and massive corruption in the oil sector. Russia has influence because of the Wagner Group. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt have clout because of their military support and payoffs.

U.S. and European policymakers cant compete with the flood of dark money, but they have unique strengths that appeal to a broad swathe of Sudanese, from civil society to the responsible parts of the private sector to government and military reformers. And the U.S. in particular has an additional comparative advantage: the predominance of dollar-denominated transactions. Stronger leverage could come from using the broad array of financial tools of pressure and anti-money laundering measures to counter kleptocracy by targeting the officials, enablers, and entities benefiting from mayhem.

The U.S. and Europe could ally themselves with Sudanese civil society reformers by embarking on a multilateral campaign focused on building financial leverage for longer-term system change. Working with willing countries, multilateral bodies, and relevant private sector entities, the U.S. and key European countries could impose coordinated targeted sanctions focused on the kleptocratic networks through which both Sudanese warring parties are profiting. These network sanctions are a far cry from the usual financial penalties issued in response to African abuses, where individual officials are targeted, rather than the broader set of cutouts, collaborators and companies that are part of the massive looting machines that several governments like Sudan have become.

Furthermore, the U.S. Treasury Department could also issue an advisory to banks around the world articulating a clear anti-money laundering strategy aimed at the corrupt Sudanese networks and their enablers extending to Russia, the Gulf, and elsewhere. Shutting these networks out of the international financial system would disincentivize the ongoing win-at-all-cost struggle for state control.

Ultimately, for peace and democracy to have a chance, international efforts should focus on making it financially painful to benefit from human suffering through war, repression, and corruption. Unless that fundamental calculus favoring violent kleptocracy is altered significantly, the Sudanese conflict will bleed on for as long as there are resources to loot.
Three soldiers were killed and one was injured Thursday after two Army helicopters collided near Healy, Alaska, according to a statement from the U.S. Army.

The names of the dead will be withheld until 24 hours after their relatives are notified, according to statement from the 11th Airborne Division.

The aircraft were AH-64 Apache helicopters from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright. Two of the soldiers were declared dead at the scene, and a third died on the way to the hospital, according to the statement. A fourth soldier was hospitalized.

PREVIOUS REPORTING: 3 soldiers dead, 1 injured after 2 Army helicopters crash in Alaska

US Army helicopter crash under investigation

The helicopters were returning from a training mission when they collided. Each one was carrying two people at the time of the crash, John Pennell, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Alaska, said Thursday.

The AH-64 Apache is a twin-engine attack helicopter equipped with a cannon, rockets and missiles. The helicopters typically have a crew of two: a pilot and a co-pilot gunner, according to the U.S. Army.

The crash is being investigated by a team from the Army Combat Readiness Center in Fort Novosel, Alabama, according to the 11th Airborne Division.

GRAPHICS: US Army Black Hawk helicopters crash in Kentucky leaving nine dead

Authorities call Alaska helicopter crash 'incredible loss'

Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, called the crash "an incredible loss for these soldiers' families, their fellow soldiers and for the division."

"The Fort Wainwright community is one of the tightest military communities I've seen in my 32 years of service," Eifler said in a statement. "I have no doubt they will pull together during this exceptional time of need and provide comfort to our families of our fallen."

Where did the crash take place?

The helicopters crashed near Healy, about 10 miles north of Denali National Park and Preserve and about 250 miles north of Anchorage.

Story continues

A community of about 1,000 people, Healy is a popular destination for visitors of the nearby park, which is home to Denali, the continents tallest mountain.

The town is also near where a long-abandoned bus made famous by the 1996 book "Into the Wild" and the movie of the same name had once been. The bus was removed and taken to Fairbanks in 2020. Before it was removed, scores of travelers had to be rescued and two died while trying to make the unforgiving trek to the abandoned vehicle, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

KENTUCKY CRASH: 9 soldiers dead after two Army Black Hawk helicopters crash during training in Kentucky

Recent military helicopter crashes

The military helicopter crash is the second in Alaska this year after two soldiers were injured in an Apache helicopter crash in February in Talkeetna.

In March, nine soldiers were killed after two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a routine nighttime training exercise about 30 miles northeast of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Contributing: The Associated Press

Contact Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US Army helicopters collide in Alaska; 3 soldiers dead, 1 injured
(Reuters) - Iran's intelligence ministry on Friday accused foreign "enemies" and dissidents of fomenting fears over suspected poisonings of schoolgirls, saying its investigation found no actual poisoning.

The wave of suspected attacks has affected thousands of schoolgirls and provoked public anger, after months of protests against Iran's clerical rulers following the death of a young woman held by police for allegedly flouting strict hijab rules.

"The enemies' role in fuelling this crisis is certain and undeniable. Individuals, groups and Western media (especially in Persian language)... have focused on this in the past few months, as well as foreign politicians and international bodies," said a ministry report carried by state media.

"In field findings and laboratory investigations ... no toxic substance able to cause poisoning was observed ... and there have been no deaths or long-term physical conditions," the report said, blaming mischievousness and mass hysteria among students.

The report accused unnamed dissidents of provoking fears to produce propaganda videos and warned of "prosecution of individuals, groups, media who accused the government ... and aligned themselves with enemies".

Authorities have accused the Islamic Republic's "enemies" of using the suspected attacks to undermine the clerical establishment. But suspicions have fallen on hardline groups operating as self-declared guardians of their interpretation of Islam.

The suspected poisonings began in November in the holy Shi'ite Muslim city of Qom and spread to 28 of Iran's 31 provinces, according to activist HRANA news agency, prompting some parents to take children out of school and protest.

For the first time since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, schoolgirls have joined the protests that spiralled after Mahsa Amini's death in morality police custody.

(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Footage has been released by the Iranian navy that shows the seizure of a foreign vessel in the Gulf of Oman.

The Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Advantage Sweet was taken Thursday by Iranian forces after leaving Kuwait en route to Houston, the U.S. Navy announced.

"Advantage Sweet was seized by Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy while transiting international waters in the Gulf of Oman," NAVCENT said.

IRAN SEIZES SHIP IN GULF OF OMAN, US NAVY SAYS

"Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy," the statement continued. "In the past two years, Iran has unlawfully seized at least five commercial vessels sailing in the Middle East."

Video of the incident shows Iranian forces approaching the oil tanker via helicopter as it travels through the Gulf of Oman.

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FBI SAYS CHINA, IRAN USING NEW TACTICS TO TARGET CRITICS IN THE US

An Iranian Guard Corps soldier can be seen brandishing a rifle out the helicopter door as the aircraft sweeps by the vessel from a distance.

Additional footage shows Guard Corps members descending from the helicopter via rope before taking control of the ship.

SENIOR SHIITE CLERIC FATALLY SHOT IN ATTACK IN NORTHERN IRAN

The Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Advantage Sweet, which, according to Refinitiv ship-tracking data, is a Suezmax crude tanker that had been chartered by oil major Chevron and had last docked in Kuwait, sails through Bosporus Istanbul, Turkey, on Feb. 11, 2023.

The international incident is only the latest in a series of aggressions by Iran toward foreign vessels within its region.

"The Islamic Republic continues to prove that its terrorism and regional destabilization is not limited to land, air, or even international waters. Tehrans threat to international shipping is almost as old as the Islamic Republic itself," Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior fellow and Iran expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.

"Irans continued hostage taking of oil tankers and harassment of other vessels blows a hole through the theory that greater Chinese involvement in the Persian Gulf might restrain the regimes bad behavior," he added.
Finbar Cafferkey

According to the article, Cafferkey had combat experience from fighting ISIS militants in Syria.

Read also: Ukraine says Russia is using the same tactics in Bakhmut as in Syria

His family told the newspaper they are still waiting to hear details of his death.

We are grievingits a private matter. I dont want to say anything further, The Independent quotes Cafferkeys father, Tom.

Read also: Special Operations Forces commander visits Bakhmut to rally troops

Irish Foreign Minister Michael Martin also honored Cafferkeys memory.

It is clear that he was a young man with clear principles, the minister said.

Read also: Ukrainian soldier shares video of sad dog asking to play amid fighting in Bakhmut

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family today. His family has asked for privacy, and I will not comment on this at this time. I will allow the family to mourn this very sad loss.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
JUBA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan said on Friday it hopes to use the recently extended ceasefire agreement in Sudan to push for face-to-face talks between the warring parties.

Deng Dau Deng, acting minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, said President Salva Kiir has already held talks with Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) who accepted direct talks with his rival Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

"We hope that this particular ceasefire will have an impact on the lives of Sudanese people, those who are in Khartoum and those who are outside. We are hoping that then the attention will shift to how to get face-to-face talks because war cannot be won on the battlefield," Deng told foreign diplomats in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, during a briefing on the situation in neighboring Sudan.

On April 17, the regional body Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) appointed Kiir to lead ceasefire negotiations in Sudan alongside Kenyan President William Ruto and Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh.

Deng said that South Sudan's experience has shown that foreign interference complicates conflict. "Our position is that Sudanese are capable of resolving their internal differences."

South Sudan has so far received about 16,000 people fleeing fighting since violence erupted in Sudan on April 15 between the SAF and the RSF.

Deng said due to the ever-rising number of people crossing into South Sudan across the border with Sudan, Juba is talking to partners on how to allocate returnees and refugees to different parts of the country to avoid congestion.

He said that in the Bahr El Ghazal region alone, about 500 people arrive daily from the 12 border crossing points with Sudan. 
Israel Adesanya says he was not 100 percent going into his title-fight rematch with Alex Pereira at UFC 287.

Adesanya (23-2 MMA, 12-2 UFC) revealed that he suffered a grade 1 MCL tear to his right knee just 13 days before he ran things back with Pereira (7-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) earlier this month in Miami. There also was some damage to his ankle, he said.

His injury started to affect him when Pereira was unleashing staggering leg kicks, but Adesanya was able to knock Poatan out in Round 2 to reclaim the middleweight title.

Adesanya explained he sustained the injury while defending a takedown during sparring and released a video on his YouTube channel to show the exact moment it happened. The Stylebender powered through the injury and finished off the grappling round, anyway.

I remember the feeling, as well  it was hot, Adesanya said. It felt hot, like a burning feeling. But this is just mental toughness  mental toughness and adrenaline.  Were fighters, man. Dont worry. Ive been through worse. Ive been through some sh*t.

Watch the full video below:

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UFC champ Israel Adesanya sounds off on Dricus Du Plessis: 'Im going to f*cking beat him until hes black' Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis added to UFC 290; Dana White says winner gets Israel Adesanya Eugene Bareman details 'old things' Israel Adesanya brought back in Alex Pereira win at UFC 287

Despite the injury, UFC president Dana White said Adesanya is looking to compete in July. Adesanya already has beaten the top five ranked UFC middleweights, but his next challenger could come from the winner of former foe Robert Whittaker and Dricus Du Plessis, who battle at UFC 290 on July 8.

Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie
(Bloomberg) -- Italys lower house backed Giorgia Melonis plan to expand borrowing to finance labor cost cuts, after suffering an embarrassing defeat in parliament on Thursday.

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A large majority of lawmakers voted in favor of the government request for extra deficit spending, which requires the support of an absolute majority of lawmakers to be approved.

The governments defeat on Thursday was arguably self-inflicted as too few coalition lawmakers were present to pass the bill. Still, it cast an uncomfortable light on the authority of Melonis six-month-old right-wing coalition and on its capacity to carry through with controversial reforms in the future.

Adding to the disarray, Meloni herself was traveling outside Italy for a state visit to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during the vote.

A cabinet meeting was hastily called Thursday evening to submit a similar request for borrowing, which is the one voted in parliament today. In order to be approved, the request also requires the backing of the Senate, where a vote is scheduled later Friday.

The extra borrowing authorized by the parliament will allow Meloni to carry trough with her promise to introduce cuts to labor costs at a May 1 cabinet meeting.

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LONDON (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday Britain's plan to send illegal migrants to Rwanda was a deal between two free nations which are safeguarding the safety of the people, adding it was wrong to call it a deportation.

Meloni, who heads a right-wing government in Rome, was talking to reporters at the Italian embassy in London after a two-day visit to the British capital during which she met Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

"I think that talking about deportation or suggesting that Rwanda would be a country that does not respect rights and would be an inadequate or unworthy nation is a racist way of interpreting things," she said.

The British government is hoping to send thousands of migrants more than 4,000 miles away to the East African country as part of a 120 million pound ($150 million) deal.

More than 45,000 migrants arrived in small boats on the English south coast in 2022, and Sunak has made it a priority to deter asylum seekers crossing the English Channel from France in small boats.

This week lawyers for a group of asylum seekers challenged the British government's plan before the Court of Appeal in London, claiming it is unlawful because Rwanda is not a safe country.

Rome is also facing growing pressure from migrants crossing the Mediterranean, with a surge in arrivals compared to 2022. Almost 41,000 people have landed in Italy so far in 2023, against around 10,200 in the same period last year.

Following a deadly shipwreck in southern Italy in February, Meloni called on fellow European Union leaders to do more to halt illegal immigration and prevent further tragedies at sea.

(Reporting by Angelo Amante; Editing by Keith Weir and Nick Macfie)
By Giuseppe Fonte and Angelo Amante

ROME (Reuters) -Italy's government on Friday won parliamentary backing for additional borrowing, after a first attempt resulted in a major setback for nationalist Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The government's request to marginally raise this year's budget deficit to 4.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) from 4.4% under current trends was eventually approved by parliament following a surprising defeat on Thursday.

The right-wing coalition had initially failed to secure the 201 votes needed to approve the extra borrowing at the lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, with almost 50 of its lawmakers missing, according to politicians.

The result was a shock for the right-wing bloc, in power since October, which was forced to reiterate the request to parliament and call another vote in both houses.

"I believe that we learn from our mistakes, so I hope there will be no similar situations in the future," Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti told reporters in Senate.

A senior coalition lawmaker, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters the defeat provided evidence of weaknesses within the alliance in parliament.

Meloni needed the parliamentary green light, as she plans to use the budget leeway to fund tax cuts for middle- and low-income workers to be unveiled on May 1, International Workers' Day.

Tommaso Foti, the lower-house leader of Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, dismissed speculation there was a political problem and said the defeat was the result of careless behaviour by lawmakers who did not show up at the vote.

The extra borrowing is worth 3.4 billion euros ($3.7 billion). It will go to reducing this year's so-called tax wedge, the difference between the salary an employer pays and what a worker takes home, with the benefit going to employees with an annual income of 35,000 euros and lower.

Rome also aims to make it easier for firms to offer job contracts lasting between 12 and 24 months and abolish from Jan 1, 2024 a "citizens' wage" poverty relief scheme introduced in 2019.

($1 = 0.9106 euros)

(Reporting by Giuseppe Fonte and Angelo Amante, Editing by William Maclean and Christina Fincher)
American Classical Education's application sits on a table during the Jackson-Madison County School Board meeting on Thursday, Apr. 27, 2023.

The Jackson-Madison County Board of Education voted 7-1, with one pass vote, to deny American Classical Academy's charter school application at Thursday's special-called meeting.

Board members who voiced a "yes" vote, were in favor of denying ACA's application, while a "no" vote meant that the application should be accepted. District 4 Representative Harvey Walden was the sole "no" vote, while District 3 Rep. Debbie Gaugh chose to "pass" on her vote.

More: Madison Co. school board to decide on opening ACA charter school

The meeting began with public comment, which school board chairman James Johnson prefaced is not normally allowed in special-called meetings, from both ACA staff in favor of the charter as well as parents and educators who opposed it.

JMCSS comes as the fourth denial of ACA's application this week, among Robertson County Schools, Maury County Public Schools and Clarksville-Montgomery School System. Rutherford County remains the only school system to have voted in favor of the charter.

The partnership between Hillsdale College, a Christian liberal arts college in southern Michigan, and American Classical Education Inc. was established in February 2022 with the goal of expanding classical charter schools in Tennessee.

After JMCSS previously denied ACA's application in July of last year, the charter made an additional attempt with an amended application in February of this year.

People outside the Jackson-Madison County Board of Education protest against the funding of charter school American Classical Education before the Jackson-Madison County School Board meeting on Thursday, Apr. 27, 2023.

Though charter schools are run autonomously from public schools, they rely on public education funding to operate, warranting JMCSS's involvement in the decision.

JMCSS Attorney Dale Thomas read a resolution to deny the charter based on a total of 50 reasons derived from ACA's application.

Reasons included:

the establishment of an ACA charter school "will have a substantial negative fiscal impact on the district" totaling $1.2 million dollars

enrollment projections could not be determined in the application

allegedly engaging with non-profit organizations in Jackson, despite inaccurately naming them and failing to contact them altogether

lack of rigor in education

no support that Singapore math, of which ACA's curriculum is a proponent, is as rigorous as the determined Tennessee education standards

ACA has 30 days to amend application deficiencies if they so choose to reapply, and the JMCSS board has 60 days to review and reconsider the submission.

This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: The school board voted against having charter school in Jackson
Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim, costars of The Covenant, arrived at Fort Irwin in a Black Hawk helicopter

United Service Organizations Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim visited U.S. Army soldiers

Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim team up in the new film The Covenant, a fictional story about an American soldier and his Afghan interpreter. On April 14, the pair went to an Army base to screen the movie  and to learn from real-life solders.

The event, which was hosted by the United Service Organizations (USO) at California's Fort Irwin, began with a grand entrance from the stars, who arrived via Black Hawk helicopter. Once there, Gyllenhaal and Salim met with service members and toured the U.S. Army's National Training Center on the installation.

"I am honored and incredibly grateful to have visited the real-life heroic men and women at Fort Irwin and witness firsthand their unparalleled training facility, equipment and dedication as they ensure our freedom," Gyllenhaal, 42, said in a USO press release.

Related:USO Celebrates 80th Anniversary After Humble Beginnings During World War II

In The Covenant, directed by Guy Ritchie, Gyllenhaal plays a soldier whose life is saved by his interpreter, played by Salim. Gyllenhaal's character later learns that Salim's character isn't given safe passage to America as promised  compelling Gyllenhaal's character to return to the war zone to repay his debt, all with the Taliban chasing them down.

Said Salim in the USO release, "It was a huge pleasure and learning experience meeting the service men and women and seeing firsthand the unique and impressive scope of Fort Irwin."

United Service Organizations Jake Gyllenhaal, Dar Salim visit U.S. Army soldiers

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

The visit by Gyllenhaal and Salim also featured a virtual meetup with American service members stationed throughout the globe, including in Okinawa, Japan. The meetup was joined by a surprise third guest  Jimmy Kimmel, who popped onto the screen and exchanged jokes with the actors and the service members.

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Gyllenhaal is no stranger to portraying soldiers, having starred in Jarhead, a 2003 movie about the Iraq War, and Brothers, a 2009 film about the War in Afghanistan.

"I played a young guy [in Jarhead] who was trying to figure out his way, so it's a very different thing than playing a special-ops guy who's had years of experience and is wizened by so many things," Gyllenhaal told the service members in the virtual meetup. "The choices that my character makes in this movie are based on all the years he served."

The USO was founded in 1941 when six civilian organizations pooled their resources to entertain the troops during World War II. Bob Hope performances became a staple, and since then the organization has grown and evolved into an unwavering source of support for deployed service members.

The Covenant was originally titled The Interpreter, but Ritchie, 54, revealed why the title had changed at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this past December.

Related:USO Helped Feed National Guard Troops Deployed to D.C. for Inauguration

"Names, as it transpires, is about the most challenging aspect of filmmaking," the director told Variety. "The last few films I've done, the trickiest decision to make has been the name of the movie. As of today, it's called The Covenant."

The Covenant  also starring Alexander Ludwig, Antony Starr, Bobby Schofield and Jonny Lee Miller  is in theaters now.

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Read the original article on People.
James Cordens tenure of The Late Late Show has come to an end.

The British presenter is hosting his final episode tonight (27 April) following an eight-year run on the CBS talk show.

First, viewers will be treated to a Carpool Karaoke special starring Adele at 9pm ET, the video for which was shared earlier this week.

The Late Late Show itself then airs at 12:37am ET. Ahead of the show, Corden has teased the return of some of his favourite guests including Harry Styles and Tom Cruise.

Cruise, Corden said, was adamant about filming one last stunt for the series after previously putting Corden through his paces in a jet plane to promote his 2022 blockbuster, Top Gun: Maverick.

The pair will perform one final over-the-top sketch, which will reportedly see the duo gatecrash a Broadway performance of The Lion King.

Scroll down for live updates as Cordens big finale airs.

Key Points

Timon and Pumbaa, everyone:

03:21 , Tom Murray

James Corden and Tom Cruise (CBS)

03:18 , Tom Murray

As rumoured, Corden and Cruise will be appearing in The Lion King on Broadway. Corden introduces himself as Tony award winner veteran of National Theatre, West End and Broadway and Cruise as Tom.

Cruise speaks to Corden on the phone after diving out of a plane

03:13 , Tom Murray

We have our first Cruise teaser. Corden first shared a 2022 clip from when the two performed stunts to promote Top Gun: Maverick. Turns out the Mission: Impossible star told Corden at the time: We gotta do a musical sometime man.

Cut to two weeks ago and were seeing Cruise speaking to the host on the phone... after jumping out of a plane, obviously.

Corden invites him to lunch in Hollywood and then... ad break. Were about to find out what they discussed.

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Tom Cruise on Late Late Show (CBS)

Hes singing...

03:05 , Tom Murray

The last Carpool Karaoke special has begun and what other way would the host do it than by singing a musical number.

Lyrics include: Drivers, thanks for not running me down!

And: Ive got to steal everything from CBS I can, next year I might be living in a van.

(CBS)

Who's on the final guest lineup?

02:55 , Tom Murray

Corden is bringing back some of his favourite guests on the show for the big finale. This includes Harry Styles, Will Ferrel and Tom Cruise.

Cruise will perform one final over-the-top sketch featuring a performance of The Lion King.

Tom Cruise and James Corden (Getty/CBS)

Video: James Corden 'didn't know' Carpool Karaoke with Adele was last one

02:28 , Tom Murray

How to watch the last episode

01:59 , Tom Murray

The Late Late Show With James Corden airs at 12:37am EST on CBS in the US (late night Thursday and wee hours of the morning on Friday). It can be live-streamed on Paramount Plus.

Fans in the UK will, unfortunately, have to wait until Friday evening to watch the last two episodes on Sky Showcase at 10:15pm and 11:15pm.

Corden recently spoke about being unprepared to talk about terrorist attacks on TV

01:26 , Tom Murray

Late night talk show hosts in the US are expected to talk about the biggest stories of the day  whatever they might be.

Despite being comedians, presenters like Corden, Kimmel and Colbert will often open with a monologue about school shootings, terror attacks or Donald Trumps latest antics.

When talking about those moments when theres a mass shooting or a national disaster or any of those things, what Ive tried to do, is just be as honest as I can and in some way offer comfort and perspective, Corden told People ahead of his last show.

Its really hard. Its hard sometimes to find the words to say. I really, really wont miss doing that.

Read more:

James Corden says he was deeply unprepared for terror attacks discussion

Video: James Corden addresses Gavin and Stacey return rumours

Friday 28 April 2023 00:59 , Tom Murray

It hasnt always been plain sailing

Friday 28 April 2023 00:51 , Tom Murray

While Cordens career has undoubtedly soared to extraordinary heights during his time on the talk show, its also hit some embarrassing lows on occasion.

There was the Weinstein jokes, the accusations of gayface and, of course, the New York restaurant saga.

You can find a timeline of the hosts biggest controversies over the years here.

A timeline of James Cordens biggest controversies ahead of his final Late Late Show

What to expect from the series finale

Friday 28 April 2023 00:44 , Tom Murray

My lovely colleague has put together this handy-one sheet rounding up all the information you need ahead of Cordens final episode, including how to watch, who will be appearing and who is rumoured to take the presenters place.

You can read it here.

What to expect from James Cordens final episode of The Late Late Show

Why is Corden leaving the show?

Friday 28 April 2023 00:39 , Tom Murray

Corden announced he was leaving the show last year, saying he always knew it was an adventure, and I never ever considered it to be the final destination.

The decision, he said, came to him after a conversation with his 11-year-old son.

I was filming [Mammals] on a Sunday and I came downstairs, it was about 6am and my son, who was 10 at the time, was sat on the stairs and he said, Are you working today? and I said, I am, and he said, I thought, but its Sunday, Corden said at the time.

And I said, I know buddy, but this schedules just all over the place. Weve just got to get it done because we only have a tiny amount of time before we have to go back and do the show and his face just kind of dropped, he continued.

I got in the car and I called my wife Jules and I said, Ive realised, best case scenario we have six more summers where Max even remotely wants to be around us and I cannot waste another one.

James Corden hosting The Late Late Show on CBS (CBS)

Welcome to The Independents live blog!

Friday 28 April 2023 00:26 , Tom Murray

Hello! Thanks for joining us live as we prepare for James Cordens final outing as host of The Late Late Show.

Well be watching along and pulling out all the key moments from the presenters big finale featuring a heavily-rumoured Tom Cruise stunt and an appearance from Harry Styles.

The presenters last Carpool Karaoke segment featuring Adele will air at 9pm ET ahead of the show itself at 12:37am ET.

Its gonna be a late, late one!
James Corden has said that he felt deeply unprepared to talk about mass shootings and terrorist attacks on The Late Late Show.

The British comedian has hosted the US talk show since 2015, with his tenure coming to an end as his last ever show is broadcast on Thursday (27 April) night. You can find out everything you need to know about his final episode here.

While the chat show was known for its light-hearted segments, such as Carpool Karaoke and Spill Your Guts, the episode would often open with Corden discussing the biggest headlines of the day.

Speaking ahead of the final show, the Gavin and Stacey creator admitted that having to speak on such heavy topics was one thing he struggled with throughout his eight years on the show.

When talking about those moments when theres a mass shooting or a national disaster or any of those things, what Ive tried to do, is just be as honest as I can and in some way offer comfort and perspective, the 44-year-old told People.

Its really hard. Its hard sometimes to find the words to say. I really, really wont miss doing that.

One such moment came in 2017, when the Manchester Arena was the subject of a terrorist attack following an Ariana Grande concert. 23 people were killed, including the bomber.

The episode began with Corden delivering an emotional monologue to the empty studio, saying: It shocks me every time we hear this sort of news. That attacks like this can happen, but especially when there will be so many children at this concert tonight.

Discussing speaking about the Manchester bombing, Corden said: If Im honest, its something I was deeply unprepared for.

It never occurred to me that when I was hosting the show, that we would have to talk about these things and these moments and youre reactive to the days news.

During his final episode of Carpool Karaoke, which aired earlier this week and featured Adele, Corden opened up about leaving The Late Late Show.

Admitting he was excited and scared in equal measure to be leaving the show and returning to London, he added: Its been a crazy eight years.
James Corden has signed off from his US late-night talk show after eight years, with the help of Harry Styles, Will Ferrell and President Joe Biden.

Ferrell and Styles smashed up the Late Late Show host's desk, while Biden sent a video joking he was "surprised you lasted eight years in any job".

The British host's farewell mixed laughter and a heartfelt message.

Signing off, he urged US viewers not to give in to people who are "trying to stoke differences" in the country.

James offers some final thoughts as our final #LateLateShow comes to an end pic.twitter.com/2GbQTQS8kh  The Late Late Show with James Corden (@latelateshow) April 28, 2023

"Moving here to America eight years ago, it was a huge leap for me and my family," he said. "My son was three, our daughter was 12 weeks old and we now have another small person, and she's American.

"We started this show with Obama, then Trump, then a global pandemic, and I've watched America change a lot over these past eight years. I've watched divisions grow and I've seen and I've felt a sense of negativity grow and at points boil over.

"And I guess all I really want to say tonight is, I implore you to remember what America signifies to the rest of the world.

"My entire life, it has always been a place of optimism and joy, and yes it has flaws - so many. But show me a country that doesn't."

'Look for the light'

He added: "Just because somebody disagrees with you it doesn't make them bad or evil. We are all more the same than we are different, and there are so many people who are trying to stoke those differences, and we have to try as best we can to look for the light, look for the joy, because if you do it's out there.

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"And that's all this show has ever been about. All we've ever wanted is just be a little bit of light and levity at the end of your day. Thank you for letting me do this, thank you for letting me into your home every night."

Earlier, in his pre-recorded message, the current president told Corden: "I'm going to miss you buddy," before thanking the presenter for "never making me sing in a car" - a reference to Corden's hit Carpool Karaoke segment.

What... what just happened. pic.twitter.com/oUlORBOojY  The Late Late Show with James Corden (@latelateshow) April 28, 2023

Ferrell walked on to the set with a sledgehammer and proceeded to smash up the desk. Styles later finished the job after Corden, in a final game of Spill Your Guts Or Fill Your Guts, was forced to answer which of his two guests he thought was more talented, and chose the Elf and Anchorman actor.

In the game, which sees the participants eat disgusting food if they refuse to answer a question, Styles was asked whether there would be a One Direction reunion. "I would never say never to that," the singer replied. "If there was a time when we all felt like that was what we wanted to do, then I don't see why we wouldn't."

"I'm taking that as a yes!" Corden responded.

The British pop star told Corden he was "very proud of everything you've done" and that the presenter had been an "inspiration".

"Selfishly, I'm very happy that you're coming home, I love you so much," he said, before the pair embraced.

Elsewhere in the show, fellow late-night hosts Seth Myers, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and David Letterman took part in a sketch in which they discussed Corden's retirement plans and argued over who would take over Carpool Karaoke.

Adele, a long-time friend of Corden's, returned for a final instalment of Carpool Karaoke, which aired as an hour-long special before the main show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV8UZJNBY6Y

There was also a segment in which Corden and Tom Cruise performed as Timon and Pumbaa in a production of The Lion King in Los Angeles.

Before his final episode aired, Corden told BBC Radio 2's breakfast show: "It is a strange one, I haven't really ever felt like this before.

"I just know in my core that it's the right thing to do for so many personal and professional reasons."

Corden took over the late-night talk show from comedian and actor Craig Ferguson in 2015.

He told the BBC he had never expected it to become a success, describing the experience as a "glorious ride".

Previous guests on the show have included Sir Paul McCartney, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Justin Bieber, Stevie Wonder and Mariah Carey.

There have also been return visits from the likes of Josh Gad, Gal Gadot, Mila Kunis, the Jonas Brothers and Billie Eilish.

While Corden became known for his cheerful hosting on screen, he has been a divisive personality and was temporarily banned from a New York restaurant late last year for being what the owner described as "extremely nasty" to staff. The actor later apologised.
James Van Der Beek has responded to Melissa Joan Hart's comments about their on-screen kiss in "Clarissa Explains It All." Michael Tran/FilmMagic/Getty Images, Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Lifetime

James Van Der Beek shared his thoughts on his "Clarissa Explains It All" kiss with Melissa Joan Hart.

Hart previously said she didn't want him to appear in the '90s sitcom as she didn't find him "cute."

"All on-screen kisses are awkward," the actor Insider while promoting his Quaker Chewy partnership.

James Van Der Beek is sharing his side of the story about filming Melissa Joan Hart's first on-screen kiss in "Clarissa Explains It All."

Hart has previously described the kiss as "uncomfortable" and even told Meredith Vieira in 2015 that she didn't find the actor attractive.

Van Der Beek, 46, spoke to Insider on Thursday to promote his new partnership with Quaker Chewy on their Take Your Child to Play campaign.

The "Dawson's Creek" star said that while he doesn't remember much of his experience guest-starring on the teen sitcom, he thought the whole experience was "awkward," but he isn't as hung up about it as his costar is.

"All on-screen kisses are awkward, especially at that age," he said.

"My gosh, how old were we? We were teenagers. I was 16 at that point, but yeah."

In the fifth and final season of the Nickelodeon show, which ran between 1991 and 1994, Van Der Beek played a drummer named Paulie, who Hart's character meets while dressed as her punk alter-ego, Jade.

After Clarissa reveals her real identity and tells him she understands if he doesn't want to speak to her anymore, the two share a kiss.

James Van Der Beek and Melissa Joan Hart in "Clarissa Explains It All." Nickelodeon

At the time, both actors were a few years away from landing the roles that would cement them as 1990s icons.

Van Der Beek rose to prominence playing Dawson Leery in the seminal teen drama "Dawson's Creek," which began in 1998.

Meanwhile, two years after "Clarissa Explains It All" ended, Hart landed the lead role on "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" on ABC.

In her 2013 memoir, "Melissa Explains It All: Tales from My Abnormally Normal Life," Hart recounted her version of how the kiss went down and why it led to her dubbing the actor "Van Der Blah."

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Hart wrote that the show's producers gave her the headshots of three actors who they were considering for the part of Clarissa's love interest and she expressed that she would be happy with anyone but Van Der Beek because she did not find him attractive.

"Oh, come on. I know people think he's dreamy, but I never got the appeal," she wrote. "This was five years before he began getting naked with most of the cast on 'Dawson's Creek.'"

Hart said that right before shooting the scene, which was the first time she had kissed on screen, Van Der Beek "blurted out" that his girlfriend wasn't going to like them kissing, which made the already "uncomfortable" scene worse.

Hart wrote that she responded in "a snotty-teen-girl-rolling-her-eyes way" that her boyfriend wouldn't be happy about it either.

"To this day, I still have a small panic attack  call it PTSKD, post-traumatic screen-kiss disorder  when I read a kissing scene in a script," she joked.

Hart also discussed the experience while making an appearance on "The Meredith Vieira Show" in 2015, in which she reiterated that she wasn't keen on Van Der Beek's casting.

"I don't think he's that cute. I think he's so sweet and so lovely, he's just not my type. I don't know, does anyone else feel that? Am I crazy?" she said.

Van Der Beek, who is a father of six, also spoke to Insider about why he has partnered up with Quaker Chewy to put a twist on the idea of "Take Your Child to Work Day" by encouraging parents and guardians to take a break from their everyday routines and make time to "Take Your Child to Play."

"You never know what experiences are going to stick with a kid in their memory, but spending time, playing with them, putting down your phone, and connecting with them, it's just so important," he said.

Read the original article on Insider
HANOI, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Businesses in Vietnam, including foreign-invested firms and local private companies, have invested about 9 billion U.S. dollars in green growth projects, or 2 percent of the country's gross domestic product, the Vietnam News reported on Friday.

Green investments in Vietnam have grown between 10 percent and 13 percent over the past two years, said Nguyen Anh Tuan, deputy director of the Foreign Investment Department under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has announced that Vietnam would achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and the country needs global partners to support its green transition.

Working toward a low-carbon economic pathway requires political determination and commitments of resources from the business community, especially companies with foreign direct investments, which have financial resources, management experience and modern technologies, Tuan said.

"Vietnam used to attract foreign investment inflows at all costs, more focused on boosting investment capital, creating jobs and promoting exports rather than fostering environmental protection," said Nguyen Van Toan, vice chairman of the Association of Foreign Investment Enterprises.

However, things have changed greatly in recent years as the country has shifted toward luring foreign investments in green growth, Toan noted.

He gave examples of such companies as toy giant LEGO which decided to open a green factory worth 1 billion dollars in Vietnam.

Science and technology will help Vietnam achieve the goal of net zero emissions by 2050, said Nguyen Quang Vinh, vice chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stressing the need to impose zero-carbon high-technology requirements on foreign companies.

Industries helping Vietnam achieve net-zero emissions could be worth 300 billion dollars to Vietnam's gross domestic product by 2050, skyrocketing from only 6.7 billion in 2020, official data showed.

The push for green development will present unprecedented opportunities for local businesses to make deals with multinational groups and companies in key sectors for low-carbon transition, said Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Planning and Investment. 
James Van Der Beek shares six children with wife Kimberly: Olivia, Joshua, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn and Jeremiah

James Van Der Beek Instagram

James Van Der Beek stays plenty busy with his brood of six!

The Dawson's Creek star and his wife Kimberly are the proud parents of six children: daughters Olivia, Annabel, Emilia and Gwendolyn, and sons Joshua and Jeremiah.

"I think fatherhood changes you from the inside out," James told PEOPLE in 2013, adding that with fatherhood comes a lack of free-time, but that it's a trade-off he's happy to make for family.

Similarly, Kimberly shared that having a big family means less alone time for the couple. "Now, date nights are on the couch ordering in and snuggling up," she told PEOPLE in 2019.

James and Kimberly (nee Brook) met in July 2009 in Israel. The following April, they confirmed they were expecting their first child together. The couple quietly tied the knot in August 2010, returning to Israel for a small, spiritual ceremony.

Their eldest daughter, Olivia, was born the following month. They welcomed their second child, son Joshua, two years later.

Kimberly Van Der Beek Instagram

"My philosophy has always been to be completely honest," James told PEOPLE about his parenting style.

Now, the former Dancing With The Stars contestant is a dad to six  he and Kimberly welcomed their youngest son in October 2021 after several pregnancy losses.

"We have watched our lives change with each kid," James shared with PEOPLE. "We've watched opportunities grow, and we've seen the positive effect it's had on our other kids. And the added love brought into the house lights everybody up in a way that is kind of undeniable."

Here's everything to know about James Van Der Beek's children.

Olivia Van Der Beek, 12

James Van Der Beek Instagram

James and Kimberly's first child, Olivia Van Der Beek, was born on Sept. 25, 2010, in Los Angeles.

Speaking to PEOPLE, James shared that he chose her name for a sweet reason. "We wanted her to come out and then see what her name would be." He went on to say, "She looked like an Olivia," before adding, "there's an olive tree in Israel that's special to us."

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"We spent time under it when we first met in Israel," Kimberly added, saying that the two of them "went back to this tree when I was pregnant."

As for Olivia's birth, Kimberly said that despite an easy pregnancy, the delivery was difficult. Of the couple's six children, Olivia was the only one born in a hospital.

"We were one of those couples who was all about natural birth," James said, adding, "Kimberly did it as naturally as she could, but at the end of the day we were very glad we were in the hospital."

The following February, James talked to PEOPLE about life with a 5-month-old, saying, "She's brilliant. Easily smarter than the father, already! Way smarter than me!"

James Van Der Beek Instagram

Now 12 years old, Olivia and her younger brother Joshua have begun to understand their dad's fame  and James has a Dawson's Creek meme to thank for that.

"For some online learning, we got them iPads and they immediately discovered memes," James told PEOPLE in 2022. "So it started, my eldest sent me a meme of myself."

The dad of six followed up with a meme of "me dancing or something," to which Olivia responded with James' funny cry face. "She immediately hit me with the cry face. ... I thought, 'That's aggressive.' "

Joshua Van Der Beek, 11

Kimberly Van Der Beek Instagram

James and Kimberly gave birth to their second child, Joshua Van Der Beek, at home on March 13, 2012.

When Kimberly was 37 weeks pregnant with Joshua, she discovered the baby was breech. Her doctor told her she would need a C-section if the baby didn't turn  which was unsettling. In an essay for PEOPLE, Kimberly revealed she met with another doctor who was well-adept at delivering breech babies. Since the doctor only delivered at homes or birth centers, she decided on a home birth, saying, "At 7:42 a.m. Joshua was born into James' arms in our bed as the sun was rising. Yes, it was painful. But it was also peaceful and perfect."

After Joshua was born, James told PEOPLE that his free time was nonexistent with two kids but being a father was "the best."

He went on to share how both kids had different personalities. "The biggest surprise is how different they are right out of the gate. They come out with their own thing," he said, adding, "My son's a thinker. You can tell already."

James Van Der Beek Instagram

Based on his parents' Instagram posts, Joshua appears to be a Spider-Man fan, wearing Spider-man sweatshirts and onesies. The 11-year-old has also inherited James' passion for the Green Bay Packers and attended a game at Lambeau Field in 2022 with his dad.

Like big sister Olivia, Joshua has started picking up on his father's stardom.

"My son can sniff out when we walk into a restaurant and somebody recognizes me  the skill that took me like 20 years to learn," James told PEOPLE. "And he just gets it: 'Daddy, those ladies at the table right now? They know.' It's interesting."

Annabel Leah Van Der Beek, 9

Kimberly Van Der Beek Instagram

On Jan. 25, 2014, James and Kimberly welcomed their third child, Annabel Leah Van Der Beek.

James revealed her name nearly a week after she was born during an appearance on The Talk, explaining that he and Kimberly felt they needed to meet her before deciding on a name. He also shared that they chose not to find out the sex until the day of her birth, saying, "We thought it would be fun to do it old school."

The actor initially thought having three kids would be tricky, but after Annabel's arrival, James told PEOPLE that she turned out to be easier than expected. He said that the little one "decided to take it easy on us." He went on to add, "I think she's probably our easiest baby. I think she knew that we couldn't handle any more than that."

James Van Der Beek Instagram

James has also praised his middle child's sense of adventure and spontaneity on social media. When she turned 3, the couple threw Annabel a unique purple Batman-themed birthday party.

A few years later, she opted for a bold haircut that surprised and impressed him once again. In an Instagram video, James shared that his daughter, then 5 years old, wanted to rock an undercut and shave one side of her head.

James went on to praise her, writing in the caption, "I don't know if my parents would have ever let me do this  because I don't know if I would have had the balls to even go for it. VanDerBeek2.0 ."

Emilia Van Der Beek, 7

Kimberly Van Der Beek Instagram

On March 23, 2016, James and Kimberly welcomed their fourth child, Emilia Van Der Beek, at their home in Los Angeles.

James shared the news of his third daughter's arrival on Instagram two days later, writing, "Crazy how deeply in love you can fall with someone you just met ."

Emilia made her social media debut the following year when James shared a sweet birthday tribute on Instagram. "One year ago today, I got to meet this sweet, determined, magical little soul," he wrote.

James Van Der Beek Instagram

In 2021, James and Kimberly revealed that then-4-year-old Emilia had to go to the emergency room after injuring her head. "Emilia hit her head on a table. Needed to be glued...," the mom wrote on Instagram.

Kimberly shared in another post, "She breathed through it all and the doctors and nurses here have had a  percent success rate with us of handling situations with fully informed decision offerings, friendliness and care."

Gwendolyn Van Der Beek, 4

James Van Der Beek Instagram

James and Kimberly welcomed their youngest daughter and fifth child, Gwendolyn Van Der Beek, on June 15, 2018. Like three of her older siblings, Gwendolyn was born at home with a doctor and midwife present.

In a statement to PEOPLE confirming the birth of his fifth child, James said, "Every child awakens a different energy in you  and this one has been bringing up the truth ever since we found out she was on her way."

According to James, being the father of four girls opened his mind about what masculinity really meant. He shared a photo of Gwendolyn giving him a pink manicure on Instagram, writing "#Parenting perk: Surprise liberation from limited belief systems."

James also gave her a sweet social media shout-out on her 4th birthday, writing, "You're such a big personality, and you command so much of the world around you."

James Van Der Beek Instagram

In September 2020, the Van Der Beek family moved from their home in Los Angeles to Texas.

Speaking to Austin Lifestyle, James shared more about their decision to move. "We wanted to get the kids out of Los Angeles. We wanted to give them space and we wanted them to live in nature."

"It's expansive and nature will hug you and heal you," Kimberly added, sharing that the couple had experienced two late-term miscarriages and felt like the relocation would be healing.

Roughly two years later, the Van Der Beek's celebrated Gwendolyn's 4th birthday with a tea party and a pinata. "Thanks for being so sensational, kiddo. So different. So you. And for taking us on the ride of our lives," James wrote on Instagram.

Jeremiah Van Der Beek, 1

Kimberly Van Der Beek Instagram

Jeremiah Van Der Beek was born in October 2021 at the couple's ranch in Texas.

The following month, James announced the birth of his sixth child on Instagram, writing, "Humbled and overjoyed to announce the safe, happy arrival of Jeremiah Van Der Beek  (We've been calling him Remi, btw - not "dinosaur" )."

The couple had previously been open about their pregnancy losses, which greatly impacted them. "We kept this one quiet," he wrote, adding, "Truthfully, I was terrified when I found out."

According to James, having another baby was something they had "serious questions" about. In an interview with PEOPLE, Kimberly said, "The biggest concern was having enough one-on-one time with each child. And it's getting wildly expensive to travel. But we really felt another child knocking at our door."

She went on to say, "When we look at our kids, and they're a tribe, and they take care of each other."

"It can be exhausting," James said of parenting a large family. "But we love the chaos!"

James Van Der Beek Instagram

In February 2023, James and Kimberly gave fans a glimpse of what it was like traveling with their family of eight on Instagram. The actor shared photos and videos of an airplane adventure, including a family selfie on the jet bridge.

"It struck me today, as @vanderkimberly and I were managing more tiny humans than I'd previously thought possible that any excuse for a single-minded focus on those you love most really IS a vacation: From all the stresses and 'priorities' constantly nipping at the back of my consciousness, vying for my attention," wrote James in a lengthy heartfelt caption.

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Read the original article on People.
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will end COVID-19 border control measures specifically targeting visitors from China, effective on Saturday at midnight local time, chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference on Friday.

Passengers on direct flights from China to Japan were previously subject to random testing on their arrival, a measure Japan put in place after coronavirus cases surged in China early this year.

Matsuno, Japan's top government spokesperson, also officially announced the end of all border control measures for travellers entering Japan on Saturday at midnight.

(Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
Photo: Jeff Kravitz (Getty Images)

One month after Jonathan Majors was arrested for domestic assault after allegedly attacking a woman whom police identified as his girlfriend, the woman was granted a temporary restraining order against Majors on Thursday. Per the Manhattan District Attorneys office, the order of protection was granted with the consent of Majors legal team. Majors lawyer Priya Chaudhry, who has an extensive history of representing famous men accused of abuse, claimed that Majors only consented to the restraining order because he wants nothing to do with the woman who assaulted him.



On the night of Majors arrest in March, a police report details that the woman sustained minor injuries to her head and neck resulting in her hospitalization. Chaudhry shared screenshots of texts apparently between the woman and Majors in which the woman references her injuries and seems to claim they were my fault for trying to grab your phone. In recent weeks, according to several reports, multiple women who say they were abused by Majors are now cooperating with the Manhattan District Attorneys office.

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With all of this context, Chaudhrys claim that Majors is the victim is fairly ridiculous. But its concerning how blatantly his legal team appears to be relying on a tactic that domestic violence experts call DARVO (Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender.) DARVO was the driving strategy in Johnny Depps legal battle against ex-wife Amber Heard. Depps team characterized evidence of Heard fighting back against abuse as mutual abuse, a term thats inaccurate and harmful, domestic violence experts have told Jezebel. DARVO can be a highly effective tactic because of widespread illiteracy and misunderstanding about the complexities of abuse (resulting in victims reactions to abuse being equated with abuse), and, naturally, because of misogyny.

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That Majors legal team would try to cast the woman he allegedly attacked as the real aggressor is in line with what weve seen from his team so far. The texts Chaudhry shared with TMZ last month show the woman claiming the alleged altercation between the two was her fault, although this only raises questions about what exactly happened after she [tried] to grab Majors phone and how this may have resulted in her recorded injuries. Research has also shown self-blame is a common frame of thinking among victims of intimate partner violence, often as a result of extensive or long-term manipulation.

That the woman insisted in her texts to Majors that police do not have my blessing on any charges being placed ultimately doesnt absolve Majors either: Its faily common for victims or women in abusive relationships to try to drop charges against an abusive partner to protect them, or understandably, to avoid entering a re-traumatizing criminal legal system. One 2018 study showed that in a third of cases in which domestic violence charges are dismissed, this happens because the victim has recanted, wont testify against the alleged abuser, or cant be located.

In addition to the texts, earlier this month, Majors team shared video footage with the New York County Criminal Court that they claim shows the woman out partying after the alleged attack, as if women who are victimized have to act a certain way after an assault to be believed. Video footage can only capture one frame of time and can be heavily manipulatedit cant prove what did or didnt happen off-camera.

We still know very little about the case surrounding Majors, as the woman he allegedly harmed hasnt spoken publiclyunderstandably so, considering what weve seen happen just in the last year to women who do publicly come forward about alleged abuse. But with the little information we have, its chilling to watch yet another famous man accused of abuse spin, manipulate, and use DARVO. Weve already seen how effective this can be and how eager the public is to both exonerate allegedly abusive men and frame women as liars.

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John Roark / AP

A month after prosecutors say Doomsday author Chad Daybell colluded with his paramour to kill her two children, he called 911 about another deaththis one a little closer to home.

Im Chad the husband. Shes clearly dead, Daybell is heard saying in an October 19, 2019, call to a Fremont County Sheriffs Office dispatcher, according to EastIdahoNews. Shes frozen.

The startling 911 call, played in Ada County Court on Friday, began when one of Daybells sons called in a panic after he found his mother, Tammy Daybell, stiff. Daybell, a former gravedigger-turned-popular apocalyptic novelist for the Mormon audience, suddenly took the phone to declare his wife of nearly 30 years was deceased. He began to cry as he gave dispatchers his Idaho address.

When Officer Alyssa Greenhalgh arrived at the home, Daybell was distraught and crying as he led deputies to his bedroomwhere he said he had moved Tammy on the bed. Greenhalgh said Daybell then told her that his wife had woken up coughing the night before and she eventually fell off the bed. The officer told jurors that Daybell also made a point to stress that Tammy hated to see doctors.

Harrowing Details of Daughters Burial Emerge in Doomsday Moms Trial

Just two weeks later, after Tammy was pronounced dead of natural causes and laid to rest in a quick funeral, Daybell jetted to Hawaii to marry his lover and devotee, Lori Vallow.

Prosecutors allege that Tammys death, which has now been deemed a homicide after an autopsy later concluded she had been fatally strangled, was one of three murders the religiously fanatical couple committed in 2019. Authorities say that in September 2019, Vallows children, 7-year-old Joshua JJ Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, were murdered and buried in Daybells backyard. A month later, the couple allegedly murdered Tammy for an insurance and Social Security payout before they fled to get married.

Vallow, who is standing trial first, has pleaded not guilty. She faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, while Daybell faces the death penalty in his trial later this year.

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So far, Vallows trial has focused on the grisly deaths of her two children. Experts say one was fatally strangled with a duct-taped plastic bag while the other was dismembered and burned after her death. But on Friday, prosecutors pivoted their case to the third victim Vallow is accused of conspiring to murder: Tammy Daybell.

Prosecutors say that Vallow and Chad Daybell met in 2018 at a religious conference and began a months-long affair centered around their extremist beliefs. Jurors previously heard testimony about how Vallows former husband, Charles, found out about their affair and had emailed Tammy to inform her.

Pathologist Reveals How Doomsday Mom Lori Vallows Kids Died

Charles was fatally shot in July 2019 by Vallows brother, Alex Cox. A few months later, Cox died of a blood clot. (Vallow faces separate charges in connection with Charles Vallows death.)

Tammys sister, Samantha Gwilliam, took the stand on Thursday and Friday to discuss Chad and Loris relationship leading up to Tammys slaying. She began to cry as she explained Daybells weird behavior and noted that her sister seemed very awkward in the summer of 2019.

Something seemed off, they were very awkward at our house and Chad wouldnt converse with my husband like they normally did, Gwilliam told jurors on. It seemed really strange and we didnt know what was going on.

Two weeks before Tammy was murdered, Gwilliam said, she spoke with her sister who seemed very healthy. But just days before she died, Tammy called her sister to let her know that shed just evaded injury. On Oct. 9, 2019, police say Tammy called 911 to report that someone shot her with a paintball gun.

In a 911 call played in court on Friday, Tammy said that a man in a ski mask shot at her twice as she was unloading groceries from her car.

I pulled up into our driveway and I was getting stuff out of the backseat of my car. He had a paintball gun like he was going to shoot at me, Tammy is heard saying in the call, according to EastIdahoNews. I kept asking what he was doing and I yelled for my husband. He took off behind my house.

The man in the driveway didnt say anything. He was holding the gun like he had a rifle and was shooting at me but nothing came out of the gun so I dont think it was loaded, she added.

Just days later, Tammys son called dispatchers for help after he found his mom on the ground frozen.

Or shes stiff. I dont know, he added before Chad Daybell took the phone.

Lori Vallows Sister Takes the Stand: She Lied to Me

After Tammys death, Gwilliam said, Daybell wanted to have a quick funeral that some family members could not even attend. Fremont County Advanced EMT Cammy Willmore testified that Daybell did not want an autopsy, despite concerns about foam coming out of Tammys mouth at the time of her death.

About a month later, Gwilliam said, she learned that Daybell had remarried Vallow in Hawaii.

You dont get married four weeks after you just buried your wife of almost 30 years. You just dont do that, Gwilliam said. She added that she was devastated by the news and even confronted Daybell about the decision when she realized Vallow had children after finding Charles Vallows obituary online.

Gwilliam said Daybell told her that Vallow had a hard life but denied he was going to be raising her children. She said Daybell responded: Theres no children and they were going to be empty nesters.

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The last time I spoke to Thomas Dixon, some six years ago, he told me a story about his father.

But it was really a metaphor for the way one of Tacomas early civil rights movement champions tried to live his life.

My father was a country doctor in Sparta, Georgia, Dixon explained. And from our house to the school house was three miles. He drove his five children to the schoolhouse every day of school. And he never passed a walking student.

Some days we would end up at the school house with 12 or 14 students, Dixon continued, sitting in the same office building where hed opened the Tacoma Urban League in 1968. My brother and I would sit on the bumper, or on the fender, but my father never passed a walking student.

The point of the story? That Dixons old man never left anyone behind.

Like father, like son.

Thomas Dixon died Wednesday at the age of 92, according to his friends and family. His long-time wife, Sylvia Dixon, told The News Tribune he passed away peacefully of natural causes at the familys Tacoma home, where he was receiving hospice care.

Dixon, who spent more than 30 years as president of the Tacoma Urban League, is often mentioned in the same breath as groundbreaking Black leaders like former mayor Harold Moss and former city manager Jim Walton  and for good reason.

In a city with no shortage of African American icons, Dixons lasting legacy in Tacoma looms as large as any.

He had a sincere love for this community, and for doing the kind of work that he was involved in, said Sylvia Dixon, who first met her husband at one of Moss early career campaign events and married him a year later.

He had a real sweet smile, and he let me know that right away, she said.

The official ribbon-cutting of Dixon Village: (left to right) Emmette Bryant, Thomas Dixon, Rev. Brazil, Wayne Morris (behind) and Hugh Price. Photo taken Sept. 14, 1995

Tacoma Urban League

Born in Sparta, Georgia in 1931, the grandson of a slave, like many, Dixon came to Tacoma through the Air Force, by way of McChord (now part of Joint Base Lewis-McChord). During more than 50 years living in the area, he raised two children with Sylvia, a son and a daughter. Dixon also had a large extended family, his wife said.

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According to News Tribune archives, Dixon held a bachelor of science degree in economics and sociology from Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan, and a masters degree in urban studies from the University of Puget Sound. In 1988, he received an honorary doctorate in public service from UPS.

Professionally, Dixon opened the Hilltop Multi-service Center in 1966, two years before he founded Tacomas branch of the National Urban League  where he served as president until his retirement in 1999.

During his tenure, he guided an organization that grew from just two employees to one big enough to oversee a $3.5 million budget, with more than 30 employees delivering 20 programs, ranging from education and job training initiatives to civil rights.

In 1995, the Tacoma Housing Authority named a low-income housing development in South Tacoma after Dixon.

In 2017, the 32-unit community underwent a $4.1 million renovation.

The Leader

Over the years, Dixon was instrumental in shaping the city we know today while improving the lives of Tacomas African American residents, according to Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards, who followed Dixon as Tacoma Urban League president.

Tacoma is what it is  and African Americans are where they are  because of the work Tom Dixon did, Woodards said on Thursday. We lost another really big giant  just a really good human being.

Former Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland, who, in 2020, became Washingtons first Black representative and the first Korean American elected to Congress, echoed Woodards sentiments.

Thomas Dixon, aka The Leader, was an iconic member of our community who will be deeply missed, Strickland in a statement provided to The News Tribune. His positive impact on the political, economic and social well-being of our community will be felt for decades.

Among his notable accomplishments, Dixon is credited with helping to diffuse whats come to be known as the Mothers Day Disturbance of 1969, easing simmering racial tensions after the rough arrest of a 19-year-old Black woman on Hilltop sparked a night of violence and vandalism.

As the Tacoma Urban League noted in a press release announcing his death, in exchange for helping to ensure peace on the streets of Hilltop, Dixon brokered a deal between the Black community and a city with a long history of police brutality and disinvestment, including increased neighborhood services and more Black representation in law enforcement.

What I love about Mr. Dixon is his commitment to community  his commitment to the Black community  just fighting tremendously hard for racial and social justice, said state Sen. Twina Nobles, who today serves as Tacoma Urban League President and CEO. He did it for decades, when it was much harder, when they had to carry protection because it was dangerous and unsafe.

He had an incredible vision for Black liberation, Nobles continued. Even then, he knew it could happen.

A day after his death, Dixons contemporaries  and the younger generations of Black leaders he inspired  described him as a powerfully quiet and contemplative man who preferred to move mountains from behind the scenes.

Dixon could be blunt, and he was unflinchingly loyal, they said, but carefully building bridges in the service of the Black community was his greatest strength.

He wasnt a firebrand. He was almost like Moses type of a leader, said Walton, who first met Dixon as a young activist establishing Tacoma Community Colleges Black Student Union in the 1960s. Dixon would go on to serve as the best man during Waltons wedding, held at the home of Rev. Earnest Brazill.

Tom Dixon was genuine, Walton said.

And this was his calling.
Mr. Murdoch would like you to leave now. You can come back tomorrow morning and gather your stuff.

We dont know if that was the message Tucker Carlson received from CEO Suzanne Scott when he was fired at Fox News on Monday morning just 10 minutes before it was announced on air that he was gone by mutual agreement.

The Los Angeles Times soon reported it was Rupert Murdoch himself who ordered the expulsion of Foxs highest rated personality. And I know Murdoch prefers to have someone else deliver such news.

Opinion

Let me explain: Travel back with me to a cold and windy Chicago day in November, 1983. Hundreds of us were jammed in the Chicago Sun-Times newsroom. The image of Marshall Field V delivering the news that changed many lives, mine included, will never fade. The newspaper and other media holdings were being sold to Murdoch.

The cost: $90 million.

The cost to journalism in Chicago: Still counting.

The Fields could have sold the Sun-Times alone to publisher Jim Hoges investment group for $63 million. But according to Marshall, his brother, Ted, who lived in Los Angeles and whose career was in movies, wanted the bigger payoff, and he had the right to demand it.

The Sun-Times Murdoch bought was a serious, highly-rated newspaper with a number of Pulitzer Prize-winners on board. It was a tabloid in size only, not like the sensational tabloids Murdoch published elsewhere.

The late Roger Ebert, the wonderful film critic, also with a Pulitzer on his resume, captured the difference both beautifully and sadly: On the first day of Murdochs ownership, he walked into the newsroom, and we all gathered around. He recited the usual blather, rolled up his shirtsleeves and started to lay out a new first page. He threw out every meticulous detail of the beautiful design, ordered up big garish headlines and gave big play to a story about a North Shore rabbi accused of holding a sex slave. The story turned out to be fatally flawed, but so what? It sold papers. Well, actually, it didnt sell papers. There were hundreds of cancellations.

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Soon, our precious page three was defaced with a daily Wingo girl, a pinup in a bikini promoting a cash giveaway, Ebert wrote. The Sun-Times never took that great step it was poised for.

Talented journalists at the Sun-Times, such as Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Mike Royko and editorial page editor Lois Wille, walked across the street to work for the Chicago Tribune. In the end, about 80 staffers left for other jobs.

At the time, I was managing editor of the Sun-Times. Before the deal closed, Murdoch offered me the editors position. Thanks, but no thanks, I said.

The decision was uncomplicated. His vision of journalism and mine were worlds apart. It remains that way still. I agreed to stay two weeks to help through the transition.

Then, on the Saturday of that first week, I was sitting in my office, which shared a wall with the office where Murdoch was talking with his chosen publisher, Robert Page. My phone rang. It was Page.

Mr. Murdoch would like you to leave now. You can come back tomorrow morning and gather your stuff, he said.

Sunday morning was bittersweet.

Bitter because I was leaving a place where dedicated journalists, under Hoges creative and wise leadership, had built a newspaper filled with splendid writing, photography and solid investigative journalism. A real Chicago newspaper that  unlike Murdochs Fox cable operation and its nightly gossipers  could truly brag about its commitment to the highest journalistic standards.

But it was also sweet because a number of staffers showed up to help me pack. It was the kind of moment you never forget.

And it was extra sweet because my family and I landed in Sacramento.

Gregory Favre is the retired vice president of news for the McClatchy Company and was previously executive editor of The Sacramento Bee.
Its not true that all stories about babies being slaughtered after surviving an abortion procedure are apocryphal: It happened hundreds of times in a filthy clinic in West Philadelphia, according to the grand jury report on the ghoulish career of baby butcher Kermit Gosnell.

Only, there is already a law against murder, which is why Gosnell is serving life without possibility of parole.

A decade ago, he was found guilty of killing three babies  yes, after they were born alive  in an office that smelled of cat urine, where the furniture was stained with blood and the doctor kept a collection of severed baby feet.

And according to the grand jury report, Gosnell was responsible for many more deaths than those for which he was convicted. As often as possible, it said, he induced labor for women so pregnant that, as he joked, the baby was so big he could walk me to the bus stop. Then, hundreds of times over the years, he slit their little necks.

The report said the doctor regularly and illegally delivered live, viable, babies in the third trimester of pregnancy and then murdered these newborns by severing their spinal cords with scissors. The medical practice by which he carried out this business was a filthy fraud in which he overdosed his patients with dangerous drugs, spread venereal disease among them with infected instruments, perforated their wombs and bowels  and, on at least two occasions, caused their deaths. Over the years, many people came to know that something was going on here. But no one put a stop to it.

Anyone who knew what that something was was an accessory to murder, and should also have been prosecuted.

Those who oppose abortion rights regularly cite Gosnell.

But anyone who knows about any homicides perpetrated by any Kansas Kermit Gosnell should notify the police.

It did happen, so it could again. But even Gosnells victims didnt happen to survive an abortion; he induced labor and then committed murder.

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And are those opponents of abortion rights who claim they know firsthand of other such cases really saying that they witnessed a murder and failed to report it? Because that would be both criminal and surprising.

Youd think that any Kansas lawmaker who knew of even one such case would want to make international news by both alerting the authorities and proving wrong all of those doctors and supporters of abortion rights who say this does not happen in modern abortion care. Which is not what Gosnell was providing.

Instead, what lawmakers have done  in clear opposition to the will of Kansans, as expressed in last years landslide vote to preserve abortion rights in the Kansas Constitution  is pass a law that will subject abortion providers in Kansas to additional criminal penalties if they do not provide care to infants born alive in an abortion. The Kansas Legislature voted Wednesday to override Gov. Laura Kellys veto of the bill.

State Rep. Ron Bryce, a Coffeyville Republican, has said that he supported the bill in part because almost 40 years ago, he responded to a code blue and found a crying infant who had survived an abortion in Fort Worth, Texas.

The infant wasnt receiving care, according to Bryce, though a code blue is a call for immediate medical intervention. He said he sent the baby to the hospitals neonatal intensive care unit, where he died of irreversible brain damage he had sustained due to lack of oxygen. Surely, anyone who saw a colleague refuse urgently needed care to any patient of any age would have to report that, not just to the hospital, but to the police.

And though we do see this new Kansas law as unnecessary, that doesnt mean theres no harm in it, as women could be forced to endure and doctors forced to perform lifesaving measures in cases of severe malformation and incompatibility with life.
The Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature voted Friday to prohibit the states top health official from mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for schoolchildren as part of a far-reaching measure that severely restricts the power of state and local health officials to fight infectious disease.

The Senate approved the bill 22-18, followed by the House in a 63-56 vote  the bare minimum needed for passage. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is almost certain to veto it. A veto override appears highly unlikely given how narrowly the bill passed.

The bill removes the authority of public health officials and the secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, who leads the states public health efforts, to mandate isolation or quarantines to control infections. It would also remove the secretarys ability to offer testing for contagious diseases and the power of local public health officials to restrict gatherings.

In many instances, the secretary and other public health officials would be able to do little more than issue recommendations. The legislation also removes a requirement that local law enforcement assist in enforcing any order made by public health officials related to infectious diseases.

I would say that this is the infectious diseases bill of rights, Rep. Jo Ella Hoye, a Lenexa Democrat, said.

The passage of the bill in many ways marked an aggressive rebuke of how public health officials handled the pandemic, underscoring the anger that still exists among some GOP legislators years after the most intense phases of the pandemic.

Why are we here talking about this? Because they trampled over everyones rights, House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said during a gathering of Republican legislators.

Opponents sounded flabbergasted as the measure advanced through the Capitol on Friday. They warned of unforeseen and serious consequences if the power of health officials is curtailed.

I think this conference committee report will cause huge havoc in public health. It is confusing to employers and is not great public policy, said Sen. Jeff Longbine, an Emporia Republican who said on the Senate floor that his father had died from mad cow disease.

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If there is not someone who has the power to control disease, we will not control disease, Longbine said.

Rep. John Eplee, an Atchison Republican and a physician, warned that the measure is nothing more than, really, an attempt to dismantle public health, at least as Ive known it my entire career.

The measure represents a boiling over of long-simmering frustrations among many Republican legislators, especially over restrictions on gatherings and business closures during the early weeks of the COVID pandemic in Kansas. GOP lawmakers have long cast those restrictions, as well as mask mandates, as unacceptable intrusions on personal freedom.

It was an abuse of power, said Rep. Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth Republican.

Several GOP lawmakers, such as Sen. Mike Thompson of Shawnee and Sen. Mark Steffen, a Hutchinson physician, have made a mark in Topeka with strident denunciations of the public health response to the pandemic. Thompson said the Legislature needed to act now because memories of the pandemic  and, by implication, anger over restrictions  would fade.

If we wait too long, some future legislature is going to have to deal with it again and well have to relearn the lessons that we have just learned over the last couple of years, Thompson said.

Sen. Beverly Gossage, a Eudora Republican who carried the bill in the Senate, repeatedly emphasized that public health officials could make recommendations. And she suggested elected officials would have the power to order isolation and quarantine.

Mad cow disease is awful but this has absolutely nothing to do with that, Gossage said, referring back to Longbines speech.

But those arguments have done little to assuage opponents, who fear the long-term consequences of the proposal if it becomes law. Tracy Russell, the executive director of Nurture KC, an pro-vaccine organization,said the legislation sets a dangerous precedent for future vaccines and public health measures while unnecessarily politicizing the issue.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Janet Stanek has indicated there are no plans to require schoolchildren to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Russell said the Legislature, by advancing the bill, was giving credence to a loud minority of Kansans.

It shouldnt be subject to political consideration, Russell said. This is about science and this is about evidence. I would much prefer that people who are experts in contagious diseases are considering this.

Sen. Pat Pettey, a Kansas City Democrat and the ranking minority member of the Senate committee on Public Health and Welfare, worried the bill could prevent necessary action from health officials in future pandemics.

We dont know what lies ahead of us, she said. Whether its a month or six months down the road, the secretary and our health departments need the ability to put things in place immediately so we dont see an outbreak.

The Stars Katie Bernard contributed reporting
Jefferson County, Kansas, commissioners have agreed to pay $7.5 million to Floyd Bledsoe, who spent 16 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.

The three-person commission voted unanimously last week to approve the settlement, which calls for Bledsoe, 46, to receive an initial payment of $1.5 million with the remainder to be paid out over the next 10 years.

Arrested at age 23, Bledsoe was convicted in 2000 of sexually abusing and murdering a 14-year-old girl named Camille Arfmann in Oskaloosa. That was despite the fact that Bledsoes brother, Tom Bledsoe, confessed shortly after the 1999 killing, turned himself in to the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office, led officers to Arfmanns buried body and handed over the murder weapon.

Instead of pursuing Tom Bledsoe, investigators framed Floyd Bledsoe for the murder, according to the lawsuit he filed in 2016. They orchestrated a recantation by Bledsoes brother and hid evidence of Floyd Bledsoes innocence, his lawyers argued.

In 2015, DNA testing revealed Tom Bledsoe was in fact the likely source of sperm found in the victim. Tom Bledsoe then died by suicide, admitting yet again in his final written words that he killed Arfmann.

I tried telling the truth but no one would listen, Tom Bledsoe wrote in his suicide note. I was told to keep my mouth shut.

Floyd Bledsoe was freed from prison that year.

Now, the county of about 18,300 people will pay Bledsoe for his wrongful imprisonment.

One of Bledsoes attorneys, Russell Ainsworth of Loevy & Loevy in Chicago, called the settlement a really smart move by the commissioners. They were facing $40 million in liability if the case went to trial.

It also recognizes that a grave injustice was committed against an innocent man, Ainsworth said. Floyd looks forward to using the compensation to try and put his life back together again.

But Ainsworth said no amount of money would compensate Bledsoe for being branded a murderer and getting thrown into the hellhole of prison for years, during which his children had to grow up without their father.

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Commissioner Richard Malm, who represents the countys Third District, described the settlement amount as pretty big, considering the countys annual budget is roughly $20 million.

Initially, the county offered Bledsoe $3 million, Malm said. They landed on $7.5 million after a long, long day of negotiations, he said.

Were just going to have to tighten our belts a little bit, Malm said, noting that the settlement will become a budget item in future years. If they hadnt agreed to spread it out over 10 years, wed have had to float a bond and then pay interest.

In 2019, Kansas agreed to pay Bledsoe more than $1 million in compensation under a law that makes the wrongly imprisoned eligible to receive $65,000 in compensation for each year they were behind bars.

Last year, another wrongful conviction led to a settlement when Wyandotte County agreed to pay Lamonte McIntyre, who wrongly spent 23 years in prison, $12.5 million after he argued he was framed by former Kansas City, Kansas, detective Roger Golubski.

Since then, Wyandotte County has been sued by the family of Olin Pete Coones, who spent 12 years in prison for a crime he did not commit and died months after his 2020 release. That case is pending.
This article was originally published in Kansas Reflector.

TOPEKA  Kansas teachers of the year rallied at the Statehouse to push for a clean K-12 education funding bill, joined by Gov. Laura Kelly in an attempt to sway lawmakers before the veto override session begins.

Kelly, who showed up to support the teachers during their Tuesday gathering, said the school funding debate had been longstanding, but she was confident a fully funded school bill would arrive at her desk by sessions end.

Right now, the issue is fully funding our schools and not diverting public funds to private schools, Kelly said.

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The 13 teachers present for the gathering asked for a school funding bill that fully funds Kansas public schools and special education, as well as one that doesnt send tax dollars to private schools not held to the same standards as public schools.

During the regular legislative session, neither chamber attempted to take up the proposed K-12 education funding bill.

That bill was criticized because it was a massive piece of legislation that blended state funding for K-12 education with provisions from about nine other bills, including funding for mental health needs in schools, a form of parental rights legislation, and an extension of the statewide mill school finance levy.

Some form of a K-12 education funding bill is expected to be discussed and voted upon in the next few days.

Throughout the legislative session, public education has been criticized by some lawmakers, who say Kansas students are graduating without the ability to read or write.

Some legislators have also supported parental rights, the idea that parents need to be granted additional oversight of classrooms to prevent their children from being taught radical ideas.

Shannon Ralph, 2015 teacher of the year, said teachers were being treated unfairly by those holding such assumptions.

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I think its fair to say that teachers are generally feeling attacked, and its confusing to me because you will not find more genuine, giving, loving people. Teachers are there for kids. Its just very confusing to me, Ralph said.

Tracy Taylor Callard, 2002 teacher of the year, echoed Ralphs sentiment.

I think we all know public schools are under attack, Callard said. If you watch television, if you are on social media, you see that weve been demonized.

Another piece of legislation, a much-debated voucher program that would allow unregulated private schools to receive state dollars and put federal COVID-19 relief funds toward special education, was canned by the Legislature. It might return in the coming days.

On Monday, Kelly vetoed a form of parental rights legislation that would allow parents to withdraw their children from courses or lessons they find objectionable.

Kelly said all of her vetoes, which include more than 20 bills and budget line items, were made after careful consideration.

Its a record Im proud to hold, Kelly said. I have looked very carefully at the legislation, Ive signed those that I thought were in the best interest of the state, and I vetoed those that I didnt think were in the best interest of the state.

Kansas Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kansas Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sherman Smith for questions: info@kansasreflector.com. Follow Kansas Reflector on Facebook and Twitter.
MANILA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Friday that at least 496 Filipinos caught in the fierce fighting in Sudan have been evacuated as Manila steps up efforts to bring their citizens to safety.

DFA spokeswoman Teresita Daza said Philippine Ambassador to Egypt Ezzedin Tago welcomed 340 Filipinos from the Sudanese capital Khartoum at Argeen border Friday morning after the Egyptian authorities cleared them for entry.

Daza said the 340 Filipinos were aboard buses leased by the Philippine government, adding that eight Filipinos from Khartoum arrived in Greece onboard a Greek military aircraft.

Daza added there are currently 58 Filipinos in Port Sudan, awaiting the ship that will bring them to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where a DFA team has already received 16 Filipinos.

On Thursday, 74 Filipino citizens were evacuated to Egypt from Sudan.

"Coordination with the governments of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Greece on the safe passage of Filipino evacuees is continuing through the respective Philippine embassies," Daza said.

Philippine Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople, who flew to Egypt, and her staff are personally attending to the needs of the Filipinos, such as food and accommodations while awaiting the trip to the Philippines.

"We are now exploring the possibility of a chartered flight for the Filipinos home," Ople told an online press conference, stressing the need to transport the Filipinos to Manila immediately.

The DFA on Wednesday night raised the alert level to 3 in Sudan. "The public is informed that alert level 3 (voluntary repatriation or evacuation) has been raised for the whole of the Sudan region due to the ongoing political situation in the country," read the DFA advisory.

The DFA said at least 740 Filipinos are in Sudan, and the majority are professionals. 
The Met Gala 2023 is almost here. As fashion lovers everywhere prepare for the star-studded event, there is one question that many people are asking about this years guest list: Are the Kardashians invited?

Members of the Kardashian-Jenner family have been a mainstay at the Met Gala for the last 10 years. Just last year, six members of the famous clan attended the red carpet event together. However, a report from Page Six in March claimed that the reality stars have not received an invitation to the 2023 Met Gala, whose theme this year is Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.

The reason why the Kardashians supposedly didnt make the cut? Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who is in charge of the guest list, was allegedly cracking down on who can attend the exclusive event. However, another source close to the Kardashian family told the outlet that the rumours werent true.

On 26 April, Kim Kardashian finally confirmed her attendance at this years Met Gala in an Instagram post featuring none other than Karl Lagerfelds cat, Choupette. Had a date with @choupetteofficiel in Paris, she captioned the post, which featured photos and video of Kardashian with Lagerfelds famous feline. We then spent some time at @karllagerfelds office to get a little inspiration for the Met.

Photos in her Instagram post also showed Kardashian preparing for her Met Gala look, which is likely to be inspired by Lagerfelds archival looks from his time as creative director of Fendi or Chanel.

Kim Kardashians confirmation she will attend the Met Gala comes after much speculation over whether the famous Kardashian-Jenner clan will be invited to the annual fashion event, which takes place every first Monday in May. Despite initial reports that she wasnt invited, a source told Page Six on 13 April that Kardashian will indeed attend the annual fashion event alongside another unnamed member of the Kardashian-Jenner family.

Its possible that Kendall Jenner will be seen at this years Met Gala, considering the supermodel has attended the Costume Institutes fundraiser since 2014. The 27-year-old model also posed for the cover of Vogues May 2023 issue, which pays tribute to legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld ahead of this years Met Gala. Jenner was among 10 models enlisted for the cover, including Gigi Hadid, Naomi Campbell, Anok Yai and Devon Aoki.

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Since 1995, the exclusive Met Gala guest list has been carefully presided over by Wintour. Tickets for the annual event  which raises money for the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute  go for $30,000 (23,000), while tables cost $275,000 (211,000).

Kim Kardashian attended her first Met Gala in 2013 alongside then-husband, Kanye West. The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, who was pregnant with North West at the time, hit the red carpet in a floral Givenchy dress.

Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West attend the 2019 Met Gala (Getty Images for The Met Museum)

Supermodel Kendall Jenner made her Met Gala debut the following year wearing a satin, custom made Topshop dress with Chopard jewellery. Kim and Kendall were joined by their famous momager Kris Jenner in 2015, while Kylie Jenner first walked the Met Gala steps in 2016 wearing Balmain.

Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian attend the 2022 Met Gala (Getty Images)

Last year, sisters Khloe Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian Barker attended the Met Gala for the first time. The Poosh founder arrived with her then-fiance, Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, where they gave their obligatory kiss for the cameras. Meanwhile, the Good American designer donned a gold Moschino gown for her first Met Gala.

Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner attend the 2019 Met Gala (Getty Images)

Despite attending the 2022 Met Gala, rumours circulated that Khloe Kardashian was allegedly banned from the fashion event. However, the reality star has since shut down speculation that she was forbidden from the Met Gala on Twitter.

In September 2021, a fan tagged Khloe and tweeted, "Khloe now that you are online please tell [if] the Met Gala rumours are true, adding: "Please clarify, thank you."

"Absolutely NOT true," she replied.

Kim Kardashian turned heads at last years Met Gala when she wore a bedazzled sheer beige floor-length gown previously worn by Marilyn Monroe. According to Vogue, the Skims mogul came up with the idea to wear the gown during the previous years Met Gala, which celebrated the first part of the theme: In America: An Anthology of Fashion.

This year, celebrities and fashion lovers will gather on 1 May 2023 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to honour the late Karl Lagerfeld. In September 2022, Vogue announced that the theme of the 2023 event will be Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, which will examine the life of the late designers fashion legacy. Along with Vogues editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, there will be four co-chairs of the event: Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel, Penelope Cruz, and Roger Federer, as announced by the publication on 18 January.
Editors Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent.

One of the first things I noticed in Kharkiv, besides the boarded-up windows and shrapnel holes in the sidewalks, were the street signs reminding people about the threat of mines. It was a stark contrast to the city that I had once known  Kharkiv transformed into a defiant frontline city.

Coming from Chernivtsi, a city located in western Ukraine which has lived in relative peace since Feb. 24, 2022, I initially wasnt sure what to expect during my time there.

Five years ago, when I told my friends and acquaintances in western Ukraine that I wanted to visit Kharkiv for the first time, many of them said, "Why? It's so far away. You're better off going to Poland instead."

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, those same people have confided in me that they regret not having traveled to eastern Ukraine when they had a chance. Russias all-out war has altered our perspective on many things.

There is still a chance to travel to much of the east, including Kharkiv, thanks to the Ukrainian military. I had no doubt in my mind that I would return to Kharkiv as soon as the situation there became more stable.

Meanwhile, those same people who expressed their regret at never having traveled to cities like Kharkiv responded with the same skepticism, just phrased differently: Why are you going back there? Its so dangerous. Youre better off staying at home where its safe!

Kharkiv residents under fire: I hear some shelling every hour Even after a Russian missile blew up Kharkivs city hall and the central square on March 1, Oleksandr Zuiev didnt want to leave his hometown. Zuiev, 46, didnt believe Russian forces would target civilians and never expected his own apartment to come under fire. I was wrong, Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima

Due to its proximity to the Russian border, Kharkiv Oblast is subject to near daily attacks. The day before my cross-country train ride, Russia launched S-300 missiles at the city, and I had a moment where I asked myself if I was making the right decision.

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I went anyway, and Im thankful that I did. I traveled to Kharkiv to take part in a weeklong literary residency at the Slovo (Word) building. This historic building was once home to some of Ukraine's most talented young artists who were systematically targeted, imprisoned, and killed during the Stalinist purges in the 1930s.

Known today as the "Executed Renaissance, this group represents nearly an entire generation of brilliant minds lost to Russian aggression. The literary residency allows artists to come to Kharkiv, live in the Slovo building, create, and pay their respects to their predecessors as a means of healing generational wounds.

After my first night in Kharkiv, the messages from people back in western Ukraine were all the same: Were you able to sleep through the sounds of explosions? Is there a proper shelter near your apartment?

I was fortunate that Russia didnt attack the city while I was there, although it did target cities and villages closer to the border. I dutifully replied to the messages I received from back home, explaining that life was carrying on in Kharkiv as best it could.

Even the cat cafe is packed with clientele! I added. Many people have returned to the city, businesses are steadily resuming work, and there is a glimmer of typical city life following the successful Ukrainian counteroffensive last September.

A woman stands in front of a shelter, the exterior wall of which is marked by the word "People," in Saltivka, a large residential area located in the northeastern part of Kharkiv on April 5, 2023. (Photo by Aziz Karimov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

However, this new normal in Kharkiv has no comparison to be found in peaceful times and the atmosphere of the city will never fully return after everything that has transpired  nor will it anywhere else in Ukraine.

The people of Kharkiv, no matter their background, all have one thing in common: they are thankful to be alive. They are also immensely proud to call Kharkiv home, as evidenced by how pristine the city looks, even with the traces of war visible at every turn.

Some of the Kharkivites I met fled to western Ukraine during the first terrifying weeks of the full-scale invasion, while others remained the entire time. It was difficult to hold back my tears listening to one woman calmly describe what it was like being caught on the street during Russian shelling and how her first reaction was, Well, Ive lived a long life before her survival instincts kicked in.

One man told me about the fear that gripped him as he saw Russian tanks rolling down the street, and his uncertainty as he boarded a train to Lviv, wondering if he would ever be able to return home. Another woman told me with a dreamy smile about the pure bliss shed experienced going to a cafe for the first time after everything started and having the chance to almost feel normal again.

People evacuate from Kharkiv's Kupiansk District amid Russian shelling on April 12, 2022. (Photo by Sofiia Bobok/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

On one of my last days in Kharkiv, I traveled to a village where a friends elderly mother stubbornly, yet bravely, lives alone, and she told me about her childhood spent in Belarus during World War II. According to her, the sounds of Russian missiles were even louder and more frightening than the Nazi bombardments shed heard back then.

We sat in her kitchen talking for several hours, and when light rainfall outside transitioned into a thunderstorm, she jumped, startled by the sounds. As I reassured her that it was just the weather, I understood that the hate and anger I felt toward Russia did not, in fact, have a limit.

Russia launches another mass attack on Ukraine, killing 2-year-old child Russian forces launched yet another large-scale missile strike against Ukraine in the early hours of April 28, killing at least 19 civilians and injuring 24 more. The number of casualties is not final and will be updated. Kyiv IndependentDinara Khalilova

I would typically make my way home in a daze after all these meetings and then burst into tears upon arriving back at the Slovo building. How could I discuss Russias all-out war, as I had in my work for the past year, when the reality in Chernivtsi was so different?

Wed lived with mass blackouts all winter due to Russian missile strikes on Ukraines energy infrastructure, but how did sitting in the dark in Chernivtsi measure up to Saltivka, one of Kharkivs largest residential areas, being reduced to rubble?

I realized that I, like so many other people, was suffering from survivors guilt. For a while, I wasnt quite sure how to handle it.

Ultimately, those who have been in places like Chernivtsi since the beginning of Russia's all-out war will never fully comprehend what its like being caught in the midst of shelling or witnessing enemy tanks rolling down their streets  and thats a good thing. I hope and pray we will never have to experience it.

This doesnt lessen the suffering of those in Chernivtsi whose loved ones are currently fighting in eastern Ukraine, including Bakhmut, or the shudder felt upon hearing the wail of yet another air raid siren in the middle of the night.

Soldiers from Chernivtsi Oblast were killed while trying to hold Mariupol, Melitopol, and other cities currently under Russian occupation. Chernivtsi Oblasts official social media channels also feature weekly  sometimes daily  announcements of soldiers funerals.

The war is here but not here, forever circling us, forever taunting us with the promise of more death.

Chernivtsi, Ukraine's smallest oblast, has also become a safe haven for tens of thousands of refugees fleeing from Russian attacks. Some internally-displaced Ukrainians still call Chernivtsi home, enrolled in schools, set up businesses, and think about their future here  at least, for as long as the war continues. Others say that they are slowly resettling in Kharkiv and other oblasts where the situation has more or less improved. Home is home, after all.

A woman is comforted by her son as they watch Ukrainian servicemen lift the coffin with the body of her other son on June 27, 2022, in Chernivtsi, Ukraine. Her son was killed on June 21, 2022, in Luhansk Oblast. (Photo by Alexey Furman/Getty Images)

Everyone in Ukraine is living through one war  a brutal, inhumane war  that is defined by multitudes of pain. Those of us who manage to survive will hopefully someday find the right words to not only describe but process it.

The longer the war continues, however, the more we will inevitably have to remind ourselves that we all have the same obligation: we must ask ourselves daily what we are doing to bring Ukraine one step closer to victory. If it is not fighting on the frontlines, the most vital and pressing of tasks facing us now, then it is most often what we can do to ease soldiers burdens.

Thats why its essential for people in areas of the country that do not live with the daily threat of missile and drone strikes to take that survivors guilt or bouts of denial and transform it into something useful.

The mother who fled with her infant child at the start of the invasion and donates to Come Back Alive whenever she reads the news and feels hopeless 

The foreigner who quietly went through the rigorous process of joining the Ukrainian Armed Forces as a combat medic 

The volunteer worker in Chernivtsi who hands out cups of hot tea and bowls of soup to tired refugees from the east 

The IT specialist who put his career on hold to defend his country against Russian aggression 

Each and every person who carries Ukraine in their heart, no matter where they are located, is making their own unique contributions to and sacrifices in the name of Ukrainian victory.
It was a special night for Ke Huy Quan and Drew Barrymore.

The actors reunited more than 30 years after they posed together as children in 1984 at the Youth in Film Awards. Quan and Barrymore presented Steven Spielberg with the impact award at the Time100 Gala on April 27, praising the acclaimed director for giving them their major break in Hollywood when they were just kids.

Ke Huy Quan, Steven Spielberg and Drew Barrymore are all smiles as they reunited at the annual event. (Sean Zanni / Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Quan met Spielberg when he was cast in 1984s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom at the age of 12. The now-51-year-old recently made his Hollywood comeback, winning his first Oscar after starring in Everything Everywhere All At Once.

As for Barrymore, she was 7 when she landed her breakout role in the directors 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

During the introduction, Quan credited Spielberg for helping him discover his love for acting, per Time. Steven introduced me to this world where his imagination lived and invited me in. He showed me how much fun we can have when we let creativity be our guide.

Steven Spielberg accepting his award with Ke Huy Quan and Drew Barrymore. (Sean Zanni / Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Barrymore, 48, said she could trace her entire life back to a choice made by one person.

He not only changed my life, but I am so happy to be here to honor him tonight to thank him for changing all of our lives, she continued. Every person on the planet has a story, and Steven has made us all feel so connected, not only in the movie theaters but in life itself. 

The Jurassic Park director also applauded the two stars, saying in his speech, per the magazine, I have never been more proud in my working career than being able to find in 1981 6-year-old Drew Barrymore and in early 1983 11-year-old Ke. I was so lucky to find them both, and they have not changed in all those years.

The actors together in 2023 and when they were kids in 1984. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for TIME  Vinnie Zuffante/Micheal Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Quan and Barrymore were also part of this year's Time100 list. The actors have a history together.

In 1984, they both attended the Youth in Film Awards and posed together on the red carpet. A pre-teen Quan wore a black tuxedo with a red bow tie, while a little Barrymore dressed in a dark grey silk dress.

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Barrymore was nominated for the best young actress in a motion picture (musical, comedy, adventure or drama) award for her performance in "Irreconcilable Differences."

Also nominated was Quan in the best young supporting actor in a motion picture (musical, comedy, adventure or drama) award for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

The two actors reunited on stage 39 years after attending the Youth in Film Awards in 1984. (Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images)

Quan was able to reunite with Spielberg during the course of this most recent awards season, as he received multiple nominations  and wins  for Everything Everywhere All At Once. Spielberg also received acclaim and accolades for his semi-autobiographical film The Fabelmans.

The "Goonies" actor also had a memorable and emotional reunion with Indian Jones himself, Harrison Ford, at the 2023 Academy Awards.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
The 2023 Keeneland Spring Meet ended Friday evening, bringing a close to an especially deadly stretch of racing at the Lexington horse track.

The 15-day Spring Meet, held from April 7-28, saw three horses die as the result of racing incidents at Keeneland.

According to the Equine Injury Database  a national database of horse racing injuries that was started by The Jockey Club in July 2008  this years Keeneland Spring Meet has already accounted for the most horse deaths in one year at the track since 2019.

On April 13, Goin to the Show became the first horse to suffer a catastrophic injury during the Spring Meet after the horse sustained a bilateral sesamoid fracture of the right front fetlock during a 6 1/2-furlong race on Keenelands dirt track.

On April 19, Master of the Ring clipped heels with another horse during a race on the turf course and suffered a sublaxated right carpus.

Most recently on Wednesday, Wolfe County was pulled up by its jockey shortly after the start of a 1 1/16-mile race on the dirt course. An injury to Wolfe Countys left front leg was deemed to be catastrophic.

Keeneland is committed to the safety and welfare of all involved in this sport we love so much. Toward that goal, Keeneland has instituted some of the strongest safety and integrity protocols in North America, read a statement provided by Keeneland officials to the Herald-Leader.

Our equine medical teams and racing surface experts work tirelessly on a daily basis to ensure every measure is taken to provide our participants the safest racing environment possible. Doing what is in the best interest of the horse is at the core of everything we do at Keeneland, and that remains our No. 1 priority at all times.

On the Keeneland website, daily updates are provided regarding the number of horses that work out and start races at the track, as well as the equine safety responses that occur as the result of racing incidents.

In both 2020 and 2022, one horse died from racing incidents at Keeneland. In 2021, two horses died as the result of racing incidents at the track.

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In 2019, nine horses died following racing incidents at Keeneland. In 2016, 2017 and 2018, five horses died each year due to racing incidents at the track.

Since The Jockey Club began the Equine Injury Database, the highest number of horse deaths per 1,000 starters at Keeneland is 3.21, which was recorded in 2019.

That figure dropped to a record-tying low of 0.33 horse deaths per 1,000 starters in 2022, a year in which Keeneland hosted both its annual spring and fall meets, as well as the Breeders Cup World Championships.

After three horse deaths due to racing incidents during this years Spring Meet, Keeneland is averaging 1.91 horse deaths per 1,000 starters for 2023, which would be its second-highest mark in the Equine Injury Database era (since 2009), with the Fall Meet still to come.

Keenelands Fall Meet is scheduled to take place Oct. 6-28.

Wonder Wheel, with Tyler Gaffalione up, wins the Juvenile Fillies race during the first day of the 2022 Breeders Cup World Championships at Keeneland. Gaffalione won the jockey title at the 2023 Keeneland Spring Meet.

Gaffalione takes jockey title, Ward wins training crown

The 15th and final day of the Keeneland Spring Meet took place Friday, as a packed Keeneland crowd saw an overcast afternoon morph into early evening blue skies.

The racing surface benefited from the turnaround in weather as well, with Keenelands dirt surface transitioning from muddy to good and only one race having to be moved from the turf surface to the dirt surface.

Tyler Gaffalione won the jockey title for the 2023 Spring Meet with 21 victories.

This was his second consecutive Spring Meet riding title and fifth overall.

Gaffalione was fortunate to have not sustained a serious injury during the Spring Meet: He was aboard Master of the Ring when the horse suffered an ultimately fatal injury. Gaffalione was medically cleared despite being thrown from the horse, and returned to the saddle in the very next race on April 19.

The training title went to Wesley Ward, who posted 12 wins during the Spring Meet.

This marks Wards sixth consecutive Spring Meet training title and ninth total.

Trainer Todd Pletcher  who is set to have three of the favorites running in next Saturdays Kentucky Derby with Forte, Blue Grass Stakes winner Tapit Trice and Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns  was at Keeneland on Friday and saw one of his horses, We the People, win an allowance optional claiming race.

Similarly, the owner title for the Spring 2023 meet also came down to the final day of racing.

Godolphin and Stonestreet Stables were tied with five wins each entering Friday, but a victory by Loyal Company in the seventh race on Fridays 10-race card moved Godolphin into the lead with six wins.

This is Godolphins third leading owner title.

Fridays featured race to close the Spring Meet  the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes on the turf course  was won by War Like Goddess for the third consecutive time.

War Like Goddess is the third horse to win a Keeneland stakes race three years in a row, and the first horse to achieve that feat since 1974.

War Like Goddess is trained by Bill Mott, who will also have a horse in the Kentucky Derby with Rocket Can.

The 2023 Spring Meet generated a record all-sources wagering handle of $224,348,745, which surpassed the previous record of $219,284,979 set during last years Spring Meet.

This marks the fifth consecutive season of record wagering at Keeneland.
Some voters in the Keller school district have received a text message suggesting that two candidates have the support of Keller ISD Progressives, a group the candidates are unaware of and one that is not registered with Texas Ethics Commission.

The text message names Place 5 candidate Beverly Dixon and Place 4 candidate Haley Taylor Schlitz, who said the texts were sent to people who voted in Republican primaries.

The message said in part, Hey Keller ISD, vote for Haley Taylor Schlitz and Bev Dixon. These progressive candidates will fight for our values and stand up for equity.

Dixon, 53, is seeking her third term. She said she is filing a complaint regarding the message, but did not elaborate.

I received the text while taking prom pictures of my daughter, she wrote in an email. I am definitely filing a complaint. This is just one of many things that have occurred during this election cycle that have been dishonest and unethical.

Taylor Schlitz, 20, is seeking her first term on the school board. She said she is talking to her campaign team about next steps they might want to take regarding the text message.

Obviously, raising awareness is key as far as responding to this, she said.

Their opponents, John Birt, who is running against Taylor Schlitz, and Chris Coker, who is running against Dixon, did not return messages from the Star-Telegram.

The message was saying vote for me and for Beverly. It was almost provoking voters, Taylor Schlitz said.

Taylor Schlitz said she is a teacher and has a passion for education. She said there has been misinformation spread about her on social media, such as that she never attended Keller schools. But she did attend from the second through fifth grade before her parents home-schooled her because the schools werent meeting her needs.

Taylor Schlitz said she wants to create an environment where all are welcome in public schools.

Dixon, who is also president of the Keller Chamber of Commerce, said in an endorsement interview for the Star-Telegram that she has taken a conservative stance on issues, but has tried to stay nonpartisan.

She said the process the school board adopted for dealing with library books went too far.

I was the conservative, but now, Im not conservative enough.
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla will be crowned next month during a symbolic coronation ceremony.

The coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey in London on 6 May 2023, and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury during a ceremony that follows nearly 1,000 years of tradition.

Although there are many ways the coronation will be similar to Queen Elizabeth IIs 70 years ago and to her father King George VIs coronation in 1937, there will also be a few key differences as King Charles announces departures from tradition.

From the dress code to the role given to his grandson Prince George, these are some of the ways King Charles is expected to break from royal protocol during his coronation.

A relaxed dress code

According to Buckingham Palace, the coronation ceremony next month will reflect the monarchs role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry.

For the King, this means choosing to replace some of the historical remnants of the symbolic ceremony with more modern approaches.

One way Charles is expected to embrace modernity is through his own outfit, with reports suggesting that, rather than the silk stockings and breeches traditionally worn by Kings and Queens during coronation ceremonies, the King may instead wear his military uniform.

Senior aides think breeches look too dated, a source told The Sun, while the DailyMail previously reported that the King is unlikely to partake in multiple outfit changes.

In addition to changes to his own outfit, the event is also expected to see a more casual dress code for attendees.The Telegraph reported that members of the House of Lords have been asked to dress down for the ceremony by swapping the coronation robes and coronets typically donned for the occasion for the parliamentary robes used during the state opening of Parliament each year.

The change stems from an effort to be sensitive to public attitudes towards the royal family and a desire to avoid excess during the cost of living crisis, according to the outlet.

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A shorter ceremony, a smaller guest list, and a possible multiple-faith oath

The dress code wont be the only aspect of the coronation pared back. The ceremony itself is also expected to be shorter than Queen Elizabeth IIs own three-hour coronation in 1953.

The Kings coronation will also feature a much smaller guest list of just 2,000 guests, while the late Queens coronation was attended by 8,000 dignitaries from 129 nations.

Additionally, The Telegraph reports that the coronation is expected to reflect the ethnic diversity of Britain with a diverse guestlist. The King is also reportedly planning to acknowledge multiple faiths during the service while still pledging to be Defender of the Faith.

The alleged amendment to the service comes after Charles explained in 2015 that he feels he can be protector of faiths while at the same time being Defender of the Faith.

Prince George will make history in his role

Earlier this month, Buckingham Palace announced that the Kings grandchild Prince George, the eldest son of Prince William and Kate Middleton, will hold a special role as a Page of Honour during the coronation.

The decision to grant the nine-year-old, who is second in line to the throne, the honour of being one of the Kings four pages marks the first time that a future monarch is officially involved in the service, according to People.

Foreign monarchs have been invited, and plan to attend

Unlike coronations for British Kings or Queens in the past, where foreign monarchs would typically send an heir or family member, a number of foreign royals have confirmed they will be attending the upcoming ceremony.

Prince William may be the only duke to perform traditional ceremonial role

As a result of the pared-back guest list, the portion of the coronation during which royal dukes typically pledged to serve the monarch may also look different. Its been reported that Charles eldest son will be the only duke to carry out the gesture of kneeling and swearing allegiance to the King.

You can find all the details about King Charles coronation here.
On 9 April 2023, King Charles III and his wife, the Queen Consort Camilla, celebrated 18 years of marriage.

The pair were married in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall in 2005, following divorces on both sides, to Diana, Princess of Wales, and Andrew Parker Bowles, respectively.

But Diana was not the first woman in Charless life, as the popular Netflix series The Crown has demonstrated, dramatising the new monarchs dating history in the lead up to his first marriage.

While Camilla and Diana are considered to be the most significant love interests of the prince, Charles was not short of admirers during his youth, as season four of The Crown makes clear.

Between meeting his first girlfriend while studying at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1967 and marrying Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, the future king was romantically-linked to a number of women.

At the urging of his uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten, who served as a father figure for him, Charles did not hold back during his twenties and reportedly dated more than 20 women in the space of a decade.

According to Netflix documentary The Royal House of Windsor, Mountbatten wrote a letter to Charles in 1974, encouraging him to sow his wild oats.

In a case like yours, the man should sow his wild oats and have as many affairs as he can before settling down, he wrote. But for a wife, he should choose a suitable, attractive and sweet-charactered girl before she met anyone she might fall for.

The 1970s were a trying time for the prince as, under pressure from the royal family and public opinion, he attempted to find a wife deemed suitable.

(Rex)

During his first ever TV interview with the BBC that same year, Charles opened up about the importance of choosing the right partner, stating: This is obviously very difficult because youve got to remember that when you marry, in my position, youre going to marry somebody who, perhaps one day is going to become queen.

Youve got to choose somebody very carefully, I think, who can fulfil this particular role, because people like you, perhaps, would expect quite a lot from somebody like that, and its got to be somebody pretty special.

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In his search for that special someone, biographer Christopher Wilson said the prince had a string of arm candy adding that, while he fell deeply in love with a handful of partners during his younger years, many were women he would take out simply because it made him look good.

So, who were the women that did not quite make the cut? From sprigs of aristocracy to actors and Princess Dianas older sister, here we take a look at some of Charless many girlfriends over the years.

Lucia Santa Cruz

(Rex)

Lucia Santa Cruz, who is the daughter of the former Chilean ambassador to London, is said to have had a brief but passionate romance with Charles some 40 years ago when he was studying at Cambridge.

Shortly after joining Trinity in 1967, Charles met Lucia, who was five years his elder, at a dinner party hosted by a mutual friend.

According to biographer Sally Bedell Smith, Charles cousin Lady Elizabeth Anson, who was also a friend of Lucias, commented: She was the first real love of his life.

Ironically, it was Charless first love who introduced him to the great love of his life. In his authorised biography, author Jonathan Dimbleby says Lucia told Charles she had just the girl for the young prince and subsequently arranged for the royal to meet Camilla Shand  later Parker Bowles.

Lucia has remained close to Charles and Camilla. In 2009, when the then-Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall embarked on an official tour of South America, they visited her in Lima. Then, in 2011, she was invited to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges wedding.

Camilla Shand

(Rex)

Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles's relationship has made headlines from the very beginning.

According to the biography Charles and Camila: Portrait of a Love Affair by Gyles Brandreth, the two reportedly first met in 1971. While it is widely believed that Charles and Camilla met at a polo match in 1972, Brandreth wrote that they were actually introduced by their mutual friend Lucia Santa Cruz.

The two quickly started dating but broke up before Charles left to serve in the Royal Navy. When he returned eight months later, Camilla was engaged to her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Andrew Parker Bowles, whom she went on to marry in 1973.

In 1981, Charles married Diana Spencer but, he began an affair with Camilla five years later. In 1994, Charles admitted to committing adultery during his marriage in an interview with Dimbleby. When asked if he tried to be faithful and honourable to Diana, Charles initially replied: Yes, absolutely, but when prompted further by Dimbleby, he added: Yes until it became irretrievably broken down, us both having tried.

(Getty)

In December 1993, prime minister John Major announced that Charles and Diana had officially separated and two years later, so did Camilla and Andrew.

Following the death of Diana in 1997, Charles and Camilla rekindled their relationship but were not photographed together until 1999.

It was not until 2003 that the couple moved in together at Clarence House residence, before announcing their engagement in February 2005. Charles proposed with an art deco-style ring that features a five-carat emerald cut diamond in the centre and three diamond baguettes on each side. The ring belonged to his grandmother, the Queen Mother.

On 9 April 2005, Charles and Camilla got married in a civil ceremony. Prince William served as the best man and Camilla's son Tom was a witness. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip did not attend the ceremony but did make an appearance at the Service of Prayer and Dedication at St Georges Chapel.

Lady Jane Wellesley

(Getty)

Daughter of the 8th Duke of Wellington, Lady Jane Wellesley reportedly had a courtship with the young Prince of Wales in her early twenties and was considered by many to be a prime candidate for marriage.

The couple were together between 1973 and 1974 and when they eventually parted ways, the blame was placed on intense media scrutiny.

When asked on one occasion if there was to be an engagement announcement, Jane said: Do you honestly believe I want to be queen?

Davina Sheffield

(Rex)

The granddaughter of 1st Lord McGowan and a cousin of Samantha Cameron, Davina Sheffield was romantically linked to Prince Charles in 1976.

In her 2005 book The Firm, author Penny Junor delved into the romance, which she said was killed stone dead after an ex-boyfriend of Davinas spoke to the press.

In 1976, the prince fell for another girl, Davina Sheffield, who could have been the soulmate he was searching for, Junor wrote.

She seemed ideal in so many ways, and they appeared to be very much in love but she already had a boyfriend when Charles met her, an Old Harrovian and powerboat racer named James Beard.

He was subsequently conned into talking about his relationship with Davina by what turned out to be a Sunday tabloid reporter and the story of their affair, complete with photographs of their love nest, made headline news.

The admission meant that Davina was no longer considered a suitable wife, as royal brides were at that time expected to still be virginal by the time they walked down the aisle. This was exactly the same obstacle that had prevented Charles from settling down with Camilla a few years before.

Lady Sarah Spencer

(Rex)

Daughter of 8th Earl Spencer and elder sister to Princess Diana, Lady Sarah Spencer briefly dated Prince Charles in 1977. But, after she spoke about their relationship in the press, the two split.

While it sounds strange that her own sister started seeing Charles after they broke up, Sarah took pride in the fact that she set the two of them up.

I introduced them, she once said. Im Cupid.

Lady Amanda Knatchbull

(Rex)

After his relationship with Sarah Spencer came to an end, Charles resumed his search for a suitable bride and, in 1980, proposed to Lady Amanda Knatchbull, the granddaughter of Lord Mountbatten.

Writing in his 2007 biography Charles: The Man Who Will Be King, Howard Hodgson explained how Amanda had become fond of the Prince of Wales.

She was equally impressed with his energy, enthusiasm, sense of fun, kindness and modest self-deprecation, he wrote.

She was indeed a very sensible and loving girl, who genuinely did share all the same interests as the heir to the throne.

Amanda turned Charless proposal down, citing the glare of the royal spotlight.

Anna Wallace

(Rex)

Having passed his self-ordained deadline of the age of 30 to get married, Charles remained undeterred and proposed to Anna Wallace, the daughter of a Scottish landowner, later that same year.

In the book The Duchess of Cornwall: Camillas Story and Secrets, author Jessica Jayne claimed that Anna broke off their relationship during the Queen Mothers 80th birthday party because Charles had ignored her all evening.

However, in her 2017 book The Duchess, Junor stated that the two actually parted ways due to the princes relationship with Camilla.

Charles had taken her to two successive balls and then danced with Camilla for most of both evenings, Junor wrote. Anna dumped him with the words: No one treats me like that  not even you.

The couple had only just broken up when Charles met Diana in the summer of 1980.

Lady Diana Spencer

(Getty)

Diana and Prince Charles initially met through her older sister, Sarah, in 1977, when she was just 16 years old and he was 28.

Recalling their first meeting, Charles said in an interview conducted in 1981 that he could remember thinking what a very jolly and amusing and attractive 16-year-old she was, describing her as great fun, and bouncy and full of life.

The two next met in 1980, a year after the assassination of Lord Mountbatten and, in a private tape released in the documentary Diana: In Her Own Words, Diana can be heard saying that she sympathised with how lonely Charles must have been feeling at the time.

It soon became apparent that Charles was considering Lady Diana Spencer as his bride when she was invited to spend some time with the royal family at Balmoral in November 1980 and in February 1981, the couple announced their engagement.

During a television interview to share the news, an interviewer behind the camera asked the couple: Are you in love? While Diana immediately replied with a giggle, Of course, Charles added: Whatever in love means.

After six months, they were married in a lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey, described by many as the wedding of the century. The couple went on to have two children  William and Harry  however, their relationship was not meant to be.

In 1986, Charles began an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, according to Dimbleby, while Diana also admitted to being unfaithful in the marriage with James Hewitt  a former household cavalry officer in the British Army.

Six years later, then-prime minister John Major announced that Charles and Diana were separating and their divorce was finalised in 1996.

Just one year later, Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris alongside her partner, Dodi Fayed, and their driver, Henri Paul.

You can read more about the story of Charles and Dianas first meeting here.
The countdown is on until King Charles III is coronated on May 6.

To mark the occasion, The Providence Journal looked through our archives to see what we could find out about the royal's history with the Ocean State. As it turns out, he did come for one visit  albeit a brief one  more than two decades ago.

When did King Charles III come to Rhode Island?

Charles visited Rhode Island, specifically Newport, in the summer of 1996.

It was, according to Providence Journal archives, a beautiful summer day on July 19, with calm seas and perfect for sailing on Narragansett Bay, which is how Charles spent most of his brief stop. He cruised aboard the Shamrock V, a former Americas Cup entry, while talking to 30 VIPs on board.

Britain's King Charles III and Camilla, the queen consort, arrive for the Easter Mattins Service on April 9 at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

"At least on this occasion I wasn't told  as I usually am everywhere else I go in the world  that I should have been here yesterday or last week," he said. "I promise you, I am the subject of Murphy's law, because usually I'm told because it's thick fog or raining when I'm here that it would have been wonderful if I had been there yesterday. So, I obviously got here on the right day today."

He didnt come just to sail, as nice as that might have been.

The main event was a 20-minute speech at a 250-guest, $500-a-ticket fundraiser for the Mary Rose Trust. The trust runs a museum and cares for artifacts from the Mary Rose, a 16th-century British warship that sank off the coast of England.

King Charles III coronation: When is it? Will Camilla be crowned? Who is performing?

Immediately after the speech, Charles, who had joked, "I have absolutely no idea where I was, or where I am, or where I'm going to after this," was put on a flight back to England.

The Journal called him the Stealth Prince, because his news conference was only 15 seconds long and virtually no one outside of the event saw him.

Charles, then the Prince of Wales, shares a lighter moment during his 1996 speech at the New York Yacht Club's summer home in Newport. He was attending a fundraiser for the Mary Rose Trust.

Which other royal family members have visited Rhode Island?

In addition to Charles, many other members of the royal family have made stops in Rhode Island over the years.

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Queen Elizabeth II visited in 1976, as part of Americas Bicentennial, before heading on to New York.

Who is Nicholas Alahverdian?: Everything you need to know

Prince Andrew visited in 1983 and caught some of the Americas Cup race, as well as visiting the Newport mansions and the Naval War College and meeting with the governor.

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, has also visited.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: King Charles III visited Newport, Rhode Island in 1996 for quick stop
Jury Selection Begins In Magazine Columnist E. Jean Carroll's Rape Allegation Trial Against Donald Trump

Magazine Columnist E. Jean Carroll leaves after the first day of her civil trial against former President Donald Trump at Manhattan Federal Court in New York City on April 25, 2023. Credit - Michael M. SantiagoGetty Images

Writer E. Jean Carroll testified in a civil trial this week against former President Donald Trump, alleging that he sexually assaulted her over 25 years ago in a New York Department store, and then defamed her after she spoke out about it in 2019.

A prominent 79-year-old former columnist for Elle Magazine, Carroll is one of more than 20 women who have accused the former president of sexual misconduct since the 1980s. Trump has denied all the allegationsincluding Carrollsand few have ever resulted in legal action. The trial, which is the result of Carroll filing a lawsuit in 2022, began on Tuesday and on Wednesday Carroll testified and underwent an aggressive cross-examination in court by Trumps lawyer.

Heres what to know about the case.

The allegations

Carroll alleges that Trump, 76, violently attacked and raped her in a changing room at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan in the mid-1990s. Trump has denied the allegations and previously said he had never met Carroll.

Carroll first disclosed the alleged assault in New York magazine in June 2019 while Trump was in office. Trump accused Carroll of lying to boost sales for her upcoming memoir, What Do We Need Men For?, where Carroll details the alleged assault. Carroll responded with a defamation suit against the former president in November 2019, claiming that Trumps accusation that she lied was damaging to her reputation and career.

More from TIME

I am filing this on behalf of every woman who has ever been harassed, assaulted, silenced, or spoken up only to be shamed, fired, ridiculed and belittled, Carroll said in a statement upon filing the defamation suit in 2019. No person in this country should be above the lawincluding the president.

Carroll has said that all the attention she received after speaking out and Trumps continued insults toward her cost her heaps of backlash on social media and her job at Elle magazine.

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The suit was delayed in court for years, until Carroll filed a new suit in November 2022, renewing the defamation suit and including additional statements from Trump. She also added a battery claim after the Adult Survivors Act passeda New York law that permits adult sexual violence survivors to sue for attacks that occurred decades ago, outside former statutes of limitations.

Trump has maintained his innocence and released a statement on Truth Social in October 2022 saying, Carroll is not telling the truth, is a woman who I had nothing to do with, didnt know, and would have no interest in knowing her if I ever had the chance. He added that Carroll is not his type.

Carroll is seeking an unspecified amount of money in the case.

The trial

On Tuesday, Carrolls attorney, Shawn Crowley, described during opening statements what Carroll said about how she and Trump bumped into each other at the department store, and while the two were in a dressing room, Trump pushed her up against a wall and sexually assaulted her. On Wednesday, Carroll took the stand with a detailed account of her alleged assault.

Im here because Donald Trump raped me and when I wrote about it, he said it didnt happen. He lied and shattered my reputation. Im here to try to get my life back, Carroll said in court.

Trumps lawyer, Joe Tacopina, questioned Carroll for hours, in an apparent attempt to raise doubt on Carrolls story. He asked Carroll detailed questions about why she didnt scream and how she claimed to try and fight Trump off. Im telling you, he raped me, whether I screamed or not, Carroll said in court.

The presiding judge, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, rebuked Tacopina, at one point calling the lawyers questions argumentative. The judge also warned that Trump had to cool his ongoing criticism of Carroll on social media that persisted this week.

In court, Tacopina emphasized Carrolls uncertainty in the exact date of the alleged assault, arguing that it was impossible for Trump to explain his alibi without a specific time. Tacopina also suggested that Carroll had political motives to sue Trump, given her history voting for Democrats.

The nine jurors (six men and three women) presiding over the case were chosen out of 100, and are set to be kept publicly anonymous throughout the trial.

If jurors identities were disclosed, there would be a strong likelihood of unwanted media attention to the jurors, influence attempts, and/or of harassment or worse of jurors by supporters of Mr. Trump, Kaplan wrote in a decision in March.

Its not clear if Trump will appear in court for the trial after Tacopina told the judge he wasnt sure. On Tuesday, Kaplan told Tacopina he would need to know by Friday for security reasons if Trump does make an appearance.

On Wednesday on Truth Social, Trump continued to call the case a made up scam and witch hunt.Trump is also currently facing criminal charges in New York for allegedly paying hush money to a former porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. Trump has also denied any wrongdoing in the case.
He may have been Des Moines' most renowned philanthropist, gifting millions of dollars, but who was John Pappajohn?

The legendary venture capitalist and philanthropist died April 23, 2023, at age 94 at his Naples, Florida vacation home.

The Mason City native built a fortune of at least $200 million after founding financial consulting firm Equity Dynamics and venture capital fund Pappajohn Capital Resources. Pappajohn and his late wife, Mary, donated tens of millions of dollars to projects at the University of Iowa, Des Moines and other causes.

Their most visual legacy is the $30 million John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park, but people who knew them said their reach extended far beyond the boardroom.

Here is what we know about the life and legacy of the legendary businessman:

More: Iowa icon in business, arts and philanthropy, John Pappajohn, dies at 94

Who was John Pappajohn?

Pappajohn was born in Greece in 1928. He came to America when he was 9 months old with his mother, Maria, following his father, George, to Mason City. He graduated from Mason City High School, then spent six years earning a degree at the University of Iowa.

Mary Pappajohn died last year.

John and Mary Pappajohn during the public ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Pappajohn Sculpture Park in downtown Des Moines on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009.

How did John Pappajohn make his fortune?

Pappajohn went into the insurance business and after a decade decided to start his own company, Guardsman Life Insurance, in 1962, traveling the state to raise money and putting together a board of directors.

But Pappajohn, who considered himself a risk-taker, recalled in 2016 that "insurance was boring to me. So, seven years after he founded it, he sold Guardsman to become a venture capitalist.

At the time he only had $100,000 to start his venture capital firm, according to Pappajohn's website. His fortune would grow to more than $200 million.

He launched Equity Dynamics, a financial consulting firm, then founded Pappajohn Capital Resources, a venture capital fund. A self-taught expert in medicine, he was particularly successful with his investments in medical technology and innovations such as managed care.

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He was known for being hands-on with the companies he backed, helping them get on track and making sure other investors were paid before taking his own profits  which earned him invaluable trust.

"When the day of reckoning comes, your legacy, your reputation is number uno," he told the Register in 2016.

Philanthropist and investor John Pappajohn, pictured Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016, in Des Moines, grew up in Mason City after coming to the U.S. from Greece with his parents.

Ambition to be the greatest Iowa philanthropist

After Pappajohn amassed his fortune, philanthropy became the biggest love for John and Mary Pappajohn. Speaking about his close friend John Pappajohn, the late David Miller said, He has an ambition to be the biggest philanthropist this state has ever seen.

A self-described workaholic, Pappajohn kept working until at least two weeks before died.

Matt Kinley, founding partner at West Des Moines venture capital firm ManchesterStory, worked for Pappajohn Capital Resources from 1995 to 2017. He talked to Pappajohn about a deal he co-invested with in the ManchesterStory fund just two weeks ago, Kinley said.

Pappajohn managed his investment portfolio "right to the end," Kinley said.

"I usually called him to check in and we'd chat about companies and what's going on in the world. But he called me because he saw a transaction with one of the companies that both invested in. That's him working."

Jeff Flemming, the retiring director of the Des Moines Art Center, said when Pappajohn was in his 90s, he told Flemming, I keep working, so I can give it away.

So I think leading by example is probably one of the strongest attributes that I can share, Fleming said.

How much money did John and Mary Pappajohn donate?

It's hard to say, but over several decades John and Mary Pappajohn donated:

$35 million since 1996 to establish entrepreneurial centers at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, Northern Iowa, Drake University and North Iowa Area Community College.

At least $30 million to build the 4.4-acre John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park to share their love of modernist sculpture with the people of Des Moines.

$26.4 million in 2009 to UI to build its Biomedical Discovery Building.

$3 million to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in 1989 for a new pavilion.

$1 million to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in 1991 for a new clinical cancer center.

$4 million to the University of Iowa College of Business for a new business building in 1992.

$5 million for a scholarship fund for disadvantaged or minority students dedicated in 1997.

$4 million to start the John and Mary Pappajohn Higher Education Center in Des Moines in 1997.

At least $5 million to Iowa State University for various causes.

What did Des Moines' mayor say about John Pappajohn's death?

On April 26, Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie praised John and Mary Pappajohn's "love for Des Moines.'

"The city of Des Moines lost a great friend, generous benefactor and beloved member of our community in the passing of John Pappajohn," Cownie said. "The tremendous contribution to Des Moines of the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park is one of our most frequented parks, enjoyed by thousands of visitors every year."

But the couple's legacy "goes well beyond their beautiful sculpture park. Their mutual love for Des Moines and Iowa can be seen in dozens of contributions and gifts they bestowed on communities, hospitals and universities throughout our state. We will miss them both and are forever grateful and indebted to them."

How did John Pappajohn change entrepreneurship in Iowa?

Pappajohn was recognized as one of the country's leading venture capitalists, but he kept his business and home in Iowa. In 1996, as Iowa's economy still reeled from the farm crisis and its economy, in Pappajohn's words, was "lower than whale poop in the bottom of the ocean," he provided funding to start five entrepreneurship centers at Iowa's Universities. While he funded a center at the University of Iowa, he gave to more than just his alma mater.

Centers were established at UI, Iowa State University, Drake University, Northern Iowa University and North Iowa Area Community College.

The centers and their affiliated programs have helped launch thousands of businesses, and he was still giving to them as late as 2021, donating another $10 million.

"Iowa has a lot of talent, a lot of hard-working people, but needed a jump start on the entrepreneurial side, Kinley said. "He exposed people to it early so they can understand this can be a career path."

What do John Papajohn's friends say about his legacy?

Nowhere is Pappajohn's legacy more apparent than the sculpture park. It's the most visible sign of his legacy, Fleming said.

In the process, they helped complete the transition of the Western Gateway, a once-seedy section of downtown, into a symbol of a city on the rise, a place that has become increasingly attractive to the entrepreneurs Pappajohn nurtured and who in turn helped him earn his fortune.

Their amazing contributions made it one of the best sculpture parks in the country," Fleming said. Everything around it has been renovated. So it has economically transformed that community, that neighborhood.

But Pappajohn's legacy will be most felt in the gifts and words of wisdom he and his wife shared out of public view, said those who knew him.

In the end, he will likely be known most for his impact on Iowa's entrepreneurial community and the venture capital business, Kinley said.

"The people that he's worked with have been impacted," Kinley said. "But there's a lot of branches on that tree. He's had impact across a lot of folks."

Philip Joens covers retail, real estate and RAGBRAI for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at 515-284-8184, pjoens@registermedia.com or on Twitter @Philip_Joens.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: What to know about late Des Moines venture capitalist John Pappajohn
TOKYO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Japan will end its COVID-19 border controls for all people arriving in the country on Saturday, with an influx of travelers expected during the Golden Week string of holidays, the government said Friday.

Currently, visitors to Japan are required to present certification proving they've had at least three vaccinations or evidence of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours.

But Japan's top government spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, told a news conference that these prerequisites to enter the country will no longer be required for people arriving from Saturday onwards.

Controversial, so-called randomized COVID-19 tests, will also be scrapped, the government said.

Japan had initially aimed to fully lift its border protocols on May 8, the same day that the legal status of COVID-19 will be downgraded to the same as that of seasonal influenza.

Matsuno said the decision to end the border requirements earlier was to cater to numerous travelers who will travel overseas during the Golden Week period starting this weekend.

As for the downgrading of COVID-19, when it comes into effect on May 8, the virus will no longer be in a special category equivalent to or stricter than Class 2 but will be categorized among Class 5 diseases like seasonal influenza.

If there is future spike in cases of COVID-19 infections, under the lowered categorization, a state of emergency will not be declared.

"Special measures that the government has been taking in response to the novel coronavirus will end on May 7," Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Katsunobu Kato told a press conference on the matter a day earlier.

Kato also said that while efforts have been made toward the resumption of normal social and economic activities, COVID-19 had not disappeared and as such medical institutions, along with facilities for the elderly will be asked to take necessary measures.

Under the auspices of the health ministry's advisory panel, a group of experts warned earlier in April, however, that a ninth wave of infections could hit Japan.

Kato himself on Thursday highlighted an uptick in cases in Japan of a new subvariant of COVID-19.

People entering the country with symptoms including fever and coughing will still be tested for COVID-19, the government said. 
The next year's budget for Knox County Schools includes a pay hike for custodians, more school security officers and teachers, and funding for playgrounds.

The Knox County school board reviewed and voted on its budget for the 2023-2024 year on April 27. The budget is created by the superintendent and presented to the board to vote on. Once approved by the board, it goes to the Knox County Commission for approval.

Before the board was a budget of $668 million, up 13% or nearly $77 million from the current year. After hours of discussion, about $400,000 was added to include a pay raise for school security officers.

Here are some highlights from the budget:

What are the key areas of expenditure for Knox County Schools?

New positions and pay increase for teachers and custodians

The proposed budget included a 4% pay raise for teachers and a 12% raise for custodians, teaching assistants and clerks. The district has struggled to fill open custodial positions, prompting the school board to hire an outside firm for $1.04 million earlier this year. Earlier this year, the district had approved a contract with Duncan & Sons Building Maintenance to hire 50 janitors for five months to get through the school year.

Knox County Schools custodians are paid between $10.89 and $16.82 an hour.

Many of the board members expressed concerns that a 12% raise was not sufficient to attract candidates, but a motion to add $1 an hour to those positions, which would have increased the budget by about $4 million, failed.

A motion to add school security officers to the groups receiving a 12% raise, which would increase the budget by $400,000, was approved on a 6-3 vote.

District's $1.04 million custodian fix Knox County school board OKs 'stopgap' janitorial contract to get through the school year

The budget also includes a new program that will kick off with 20 positions  10 academic interventionists and 10 behavior interventionists. One elementary and one middle school from each region will participate in the pilot program. The goal of the program is to fill the need for more student behavioral support, in response to concerns raised by school principals.

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The budget also adds 18 new teaching positions  16 in elementary schools and two in middle schools and 18 new preschool positions. One middle school counselor and five assistant administrators were among the proposed positions.

Over 63% of the total budget is allocated to salaries and wages. The superintendent's salary, at $250,000, remains unchanged from the current budget.

Increased investment for Region Five schools

Two schools in the district's Region Five were put on the state's list of lowest performers and the district plans to support the schools with increased funding.

That means increasing support staff for schools in Region Five, which has 10 elementary schools, four middle schools and three high schools. Compared to other regions, Region Five is seeing the biggest budget increase with a little over $41,000.

The addition of increased investments in this region (Region Five) would provide for more consistent and aligned professional development aimed at building school culture and increasing academic achievement," according to a memo from Superintendent Jon Rysewyk to the school board.

The district is working on a five-year strategic plan for Region Five, Rysewyk told Knox News.

"What we believe is that those communities very strongly want strong schools there. They want academic rigor there and they want to keep their students in those schools and be able to have a future for them," Rysewyk told Knox News.

Funding for playgrounds

The budget includes half a million dollars to build new playgrounds and maintain existing ones. Prior to this change, communities had to raise their own funds for playgrounds for new schools. In March, the school board unanimously voted to change the district's standards to cover the costs of a playground at each new school.

Moving forward, when a new school is built, a playground will be included in the budget.

The first school to benefit from the change is Mill Creek Elementary school, which is scheduled to open this August for students in grades K-2.

The school will cost about $32.5 million, district spokeswoman Carly Harrington told Knox News.

3 of 5 school playgrounds need repairs Will the district finally pay for them?

Increased spending on Emerald Academy

Emerald Academy is the county's only charter school. But that will change with the schools board approving Knox Prep.

Administrators added $2.5 million for Emerald Academy, which is being credited to a TISArelated perpupil funding increase, according to the memo from Rysewyk. The new school funding formula from the state accounts for more spending for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and students with unique learning needs.

Capital improvement

The budget accounts for nearly $52 million to pay for ongoing and anticipated construction projects. The capital budget was approved unanimously.

This money will be used to help ease overcrowding in schools in the county's fastest-growing areas, especially Beaumont, Farragut, Lonsdale, Mechanicsville and South Knoxville.

Where will the money come from?

This budget is supported almost equally by local sales and property taxes and state funding under the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement program.

The funding formula, announced last year, replaced the Basic Education Program. The district is accounting for nearly $312 million, or about 47%, in TISA funding for the year, which is a little over $5,200 per student.

Gov. Lee unveils new school funding plan New school funding formula aimed at focusing money directly on students

The state is projected to contribute another $4.1 million from other sources.

The remaining revenue  about $340.5 million  comes from the county sales and property taxes. Sales tax revenue is expected to be nearly $226 million, a 3.8% increase from what was budgeted last year, and property tax revenue is budgeted at a little over $113 million, a 3.6% increase from last year.

What did the community want from the budget?

The district said it surveyed over 2,200 stakeholders including community members, district employees, families and students to garner input.

A majority of survey respondents rated high-quality teaching and instruction equipment and increased pay for teachers and staff as highly important, the district reported.

The district serves nearly 59,000 students in 90 schools.

Areena Arora, data and investigative reporter for Knox News, can be reached by email at areena.arora@knoxnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AreenaArora.

Liz Kellar is a public safety reporter. Email lkellar@knoxnews.com. Twitter @LizKellar.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knox County school board OKs raises for teachers, officers, custodians
The Pennsylvania school district where Moscow homicide suspect Bryan Kohberger attended, and also later worked, turned over his student and employment records in response to a court-ordered subpoena.

Email correspondence between attorneys and administrators at the Pleasant Valley School District in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, revealed that the legal demand arrived in January, within three weeks of Kohbergers arrest. The documents, obtained by the Idaho Statesman through a public records request, do not identify whether prosecutors or Kohbergers public defender requested the subpoena, which in Idaho must be issued by a judge or clerk of the court.

Kohberger graduated from Pleasant Valley High School in 2013, including stints at the countys technical school and the high schools online program. He went on to work for the public school district as a part-time security officer from 2016 to 2021, his personnel records previously obtained by the Statesman showed.

Bryan Kohberger, left, in his senior photo from the 2012-2013 yearbook for Pleasant Valley High School, in Brodheadsville, Pennsylvania. The Pleasant Valley School District has yet to comment publicly since its former student and part-time security officers arrest in December on suspicion of killing four University of Idaho students.

Kohberger, 28, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one felony count of burglary in connection with the November slayings. The victims were University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.

Subpoenaed materials are not available to the public, but Kohbergers high school transcripts were set to be among the districts response to Januarys subpoena, according to the emails. On the advice of a school attorney, the district planned to notify Kohberger of their release to satisfy the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law that limits handing over such records without a students prior consent. The law includes an exception for subpoenas.

We cannot just turn over his student records without placing him on notice of this, attorney Mark Fitzgerald said in a Jan. 20 email to school district leaders. My suggestion is send a notice to the (jail) in Idaho indicating that we intend on complying with the subpoena. Obviously this is the least of his problems but we need to adhere to the law here.

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Employee personnel files do not have the same protections, Fitzgerald told the districts human resources director, CCing James Konrad, the superintendent.

Konrad and Pleasant Valley High School co-principals Jonathan Ayre and Brian Boylan havent responded to Statesman requests for comment dating to February, including a follow-up made earlier this month.

The Statesmans formal request for records from the school district about Kohbergers prior employment also was partially denied. In its February response, the district said it withheld several documents, citing several Pennsylvania exemptions, including non-criminal investigations or complaints, written criticisms of an employee, or discipline, demotion or discharge records in a personnel file.

Kohberger resigned from his position in June 2021, school district records showed.

I decided to resign or retire freely and voluntarily after considering my options  a district resignation/retirement form letter signed by Kohberger read.  I understand that if I do not resign, I have a right to a school board hearing to determine if I should be dismissed from employment with the school district.

A pretty decent worker

Former Pleasant Valley security supervisor George Curcio hired Kohberger for his school district position. He told the Statesman that he remembered Kohberger as reserved, courteous and polite  a reliable employee for whom he couldnt recall ever receiving a complaint.

He was a pretty decent worker, always there, not one of those guys who would show up when he wanted to, Curcio said in a phone interview. He was quiet in a strange sort of way, but nothing that ever really reared its head with us.

In December 2018, Kohberger was credited with helping save the life of a district staff member after she had a medical emergency at the high school, The Pocono Record reported. Luis Fuentes, the district security officer who acted as lead on the incident, deferred comment about Kohberger to the superintendent in February during a Statesman reporters visit to his Monroe County home.

Kohbergers job, which did not include carrying a weapon, entailed working 8-hour shifts on Saturdays and Sundays as part of 24/7 security at the districts four school buildings, Curcio said. When another officer called out, Kohberger often would volunteer to work an extra four hours on his weekend assignment, he said, shuttling between schools to ensure buildings were locked and utilities were operating properly.

Youd drive up, check all the doors, hit the security button to show youre doing your job, check the boilers, the air conditioners, school room doors, look for broken windows and open windows, Curcio said. So basically patrolling.

Now, homicide investigators allege they have probable cause to believe Kohberger conducted surveillance on the off-campus rental home in Moscow in the months leading up to the four students deaths on Nov. 13. His cellphone location data showed he connected to cell towers near the area at least 12 times, police said in an affidavit. All but one of those instances was late at night or early in the morning, they said.

Four University of Idaho students were found stabbed to death in November at an off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022.

During Kohbergers tenure with the school district, he earned an associates degree in psychology in May 2018 from Northampton Community College in eastern Pennsylvania, according to a school commencement list. He went on to graduate with a bachelors degree in psychology from DeSales University in June 2020.

A year later, when Kohberger resigned from his weekend security job, Curcio said, Kohberger told him he was going back to school full time. Kohberger finished his graduate studies at DeSales in June 2022, the university said. One of his former professors told The Daily Mail that Kohberger received his masters degree from the universitys online criminal justice program.

After Kohberger finished at DeSales, he moved to Pullman, Washington, about 9 miles west of Moscow, to begin study last August toward a Ph.D. in Washington State Universitys criminal justice and criminology graduate program.

School district stays tight-lipped

Law enforcement arrested Kohberger on Dec. 30 at his parents eastern Pennsylvania home while he was there during winter break from school. Police at the same time executed search warrants at the home, as well as at Kohbergers WSU office and student apartment in Pullman.

On the list of items they were seeking were any weapons, including knives. Investigators said they found a leather sheath for a combat-style Ka-Bar brand knife stamped USMC  U.S. Marine Corps  next to the body of one of the victims at the crime scene. A single source of male DNA was later discovered on the button snap of the sheath, which police said they linked to Kohberger.

On Jan. 4, police transported Kohberger from Pennsylvania to Moscow, where he remains in the Latah County Jail on no bond. He awaits his preliminary hearing scheduled to start June 26.

Bryan Kohberger is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary in connection to Novembers homicides in Moscow, Idaho.

In the nearly four months since Kohberger was taken into custody, the Pleasant Valley School District has remained tight-lipped. Thats in spite of repeated requests for comment from more than a dozen media outlets, including the Statesman, according to email records, and the Kohberger family being well-known within the district.

Kohbergers two older sisters attended the same school system, and their parents also spent lengthy tenures working there. Kohbergers father retired in June 2019 after 12 1/2 years as a maintenance worker with the district, followed by his mother retiring in June 2020 after 16 years as education support staff, their school district personnel records obtained by the Statesman showed.

While in high school, Bryan Kohberger was enrolled in the half-day technical schools law enforcement program as a sophomore. A photo of Kohberger in Pleasant Valley High Schools 2010-2011 yearbook that the Statesman reviewed showed him in a uniform with a caption noting he aspired to be an Army Ranger. But a former high school friend previously told the Statesman that Kohbergers main interest was joining law enforcement.

By Kohbergers junior year, he switched his technical school focus to heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC  a specialty that aligned with his fathers skill set. After 4 1/2 years in the Air Force, Kohbergers dad earned certifications, including in HVAC, from technical programs, according to a six-page resume he included in a 2006 job application with the district.

School district leadership has still yet to issue a single public statement about Kohberger, a former employee of 5 1/2 years whose education began at Pleasant Valley Elementary School, his 2015 job application detailed. The districts email records obtained by the Statesman indicate thats by design.

Late on the day police arrested Kohberger, district leadership spent time with Fitzgerald, Pleasant Valleys attorney, workshopping an internal communication that was sent to all district staff.

A former student and employee, Bryan Kohberger, has been taken into custody in connection with the 4 college students that were killed in Idaho. If you are contacted by news or media in relation to Bryan Kohberger, we ask that you respond with no comment as this is an ongoing investigation, read a draft of the employee notification penned by Rae Lin Howard, the districts assistant superintendent.

Fitzgerald instead advised highlighting the sudden nature of the information, and referencing FERPA and other applicable state law protections as the reason for not commenting. That advice was incorporated into the email Howard sent to the school board and all district employees.

 We are learning this news just like you. Media outlets could reach out to staff. Due to FERPA privacy protections and other applicable state law protections we cannot comment any further at this time, the latter portion of that email read.

In fact, FERPA restricts only the release of education records that contain information directly related to a student and maintained by the institution. The federal law does not prohibit a district from commenting altogether, or district employees with information obtained through personal knowledge or observation from providing it, unless the employee was involved with producing the protected record, according to a U.S. Department of Education FERPA guidance document.

A Statesman request of district leadership to address their position on FERPA and clarify the other Pennsylvania laws that applied and barred comment went unanswered.

Meanwhile, Michael Simonetta, the districts business manager who also oversees its public records requests, resolved not to respond to any media outlets seeking comment unless they made official public records requests, the emails showed. He took the advice of attorneys for the district, Fitzgerald and Alicia Luke, to automatically issue a 30-day extension permitted under Pennsylvania law.

Im guessing the drive-by media will have likely moved on to the next shiny thing, Fitzgerald wrote in a Dec. 31 email.

Thanks Mark, exactly what I am thinking, Simonetta replied. I just dont want it to look bad for the district by delaying.

I surmise even those few that are actual (records) requests wont even hold the attention of the requesters by the time we actually respond, for the reasons Mark discussed, Luke added Jan. 3.

Subpoena signals possible legal strategy

The subpoena two weeks later for Kohbergers academic and employee records, however, required the school district to respond.

It remains unclear whether Kohbergers defense or Latah County prosecutors sought the documents, or for what purpose. A gag order issued by the judge in the case restricts attorneys on both sides from commenting outside of the court record, for which there is no filing related to the school district subpoena.

Edwina Elcox is a criminal defense attorney in Boise who previously served as an Ada County deputy prosecutor. She told the Statesman in an interview that it could be either side that requested the legal demand sent to the school district, but that details in the emails, provided to her by the Statesman, indicate that its more likely to have been the prosecution.

If were playing connect the dots here, I think it would be the state, Elcox said by phone. The district is complying with the subpoena and saying we have to notify him of this, so theyre saying were covering our bases with him.

Kohberger, on the other hand, and his attorney on his behalf, could request his academic records from the district without having to ask the court to issue a subpoena. And that would be a prudent choice, Elcox said, to avoid sharing a possible legal strategy with the prosecution at this stage of the case.

Kohbergers attorneys may want the same records if they help document their clients past educational challenges or a mental health history that helps in his defense, she said. Kohberger is believed to have posted on an online forum between 2009 and 2012 about suffering from a rare brain disorder known as visual snow. He also complained of the condition to friends at the time.

His district personnel file might also show a work history absent any problems to help persuade a jury that he is not the killer, Elcox said. Prosecutors, meanwhile, would be looking for information included in the records to prove the opposite, she said.

They are casting a wide net, Elcox said. They are looking for  evidence of other prior wrongs, bad acts, things to show intent, motive, lack of mistake. Theoretically, its a literal goldmine, if in an official capacity, there was documented concern that he demonstrates this kind of inappropriate behavior, tendencies, auctions, patterns and he did it again. What theyre showing is, Hey, these behaviors, theres no mistake here. 
Billy Ngo made his name as the chef/co-owner of Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine, widely considered Sacramentos top sushi restaurant. But Ngo grew up on Chinese and Vietnamese dishes in his familys Florin Road apartment.

Hell tap those roots, then transform them at Chu Mai, the contemporary Asian cuisine restaurant and cocktail bar opening at 1717 S St. later this year on the ground floor of a new housing development.

Chu Mai is Ngos tribute to his late mother, whose maiden name was Mai Chu. Its a passion project for the star chef, who co-founded Kodaiko Ramen & Bar and Fish Face Poke Bar after Krus rise to prominence in the 2010s.

Chu Mai will predominantly focus on Chinese and Vietnamese flavors, though Cambodian, Korean and Japanese food will be featured as well. Most will be reimagined with fresh eyes, hybrid dishes geared toward first- or second-generation Asian Americans.

The basic flavors are there, the authenticity is there, but its new and exciting enough for all the American-born Asians like us that are in their 30s or 40s and ate these kinds of foods growing up with their families, Ngo said.

Ngo will be flanked by Chu Mai business partners Michael Ng, his opening general manager at Kodaiko, and Tyler Bond, chef/co-owner of Lemon Grass Restaurant and mushroom foraging extraordinaire.

The 3,500-square foot restaurant (plus two outdoor patios) will occupy the ground floor of ARY Place, a seven-story affordable housing building under construction across the street from midtowns Ice Blocks project.

ARY Place is named for developer Ali Reza Youssefi, who helped transform downtown Sacramento before dying of cancer at age 35 in 2018.

Ngo hadnt planned to open another restaurant after the pandemic, he said. But the chance to honor his mother in a building named for his deceased friend was something really special he couldnt pass up. To him, Chu Mai represents the circle of life.

Its also a chance to revive the spirit of Red Lotus, Ngos modern take on Chinese food, which opened two doors down from the original Kru on J Street in 2010 but folded a year later.

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Ngo was a wunderkind chef trying a new, pricier concept during a recession, at a time when Sacramentos restaurant scene was just starting to take off. In Chu Mai, hes betting that the citys taste buds are now ready for that kind of restaurant, or something similar to Slanted Door in the Bay Area.

Its going to be a fun concept, Ngo said. Im excited about it. I think its something Sacramento needs and is ready for, kind of a redo on Red Lotus, but with a lot more Vietnamese and Southeast Asian influence.

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Russian missiles fell on Kyiv early Friday, Ukrainian authorities said, the first direct attacks on the capital in weeks. Missile strikes across the country killed at least 19 people, including 17 in an apartment building in the central city of Uman.

A social media post by the Ukrainian Armed Forces claims the country shot down 21 Russian cruise missiles in the morning attack.

Ukrainian Gen. Serhiy Popko said in a Telegram post Friday that 11 missiles were shot down over the capital, along with two drones. He said it is the first attack on the city since March 9, and no casualties were reported.

Missile strikes came all over the country, with Uman far from the front line and the southern cities of Mykolaiv and Kremenchuk also under attack, according to a Ukrainian news outlet.

The Uman apartment building strike killed three children, the local governor said. Uman is about three hours south of Kyiv and over six hours away by car from the nearest front line of the conflict, which is Kherson in the countrys south.

Ukraine is expected to begin a counteroffensive in the coming weeks. The U.S. has continued to supply Ukraine with military equipment and ammunition, though some lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to put limits on or completely stop the assistance.

Ukraines allies in Congress are calling on Biden to increase support further by sending the country more advanced forms of military aid, including advanced long-range missiles and modern fighter jets, while others have called for the use of cluster munitions.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Taylorsville Mayor Kristie Overson speaks with Riverton City Council Member Tawnee McCay after a press conference announcing grants for the conversion of grass areas into more water-efficient landscaping at the West Jordan City Hall in West Jordan on April 27, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News

Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson announced more than $1 million in grants to several cities to help convert grass to more water-efficient landscaping.

Wilson was joined by several mayors and city officials at the West Jordan City Hall on Thursday, where she expressed the need for continued conservation efforts, even as Utah's record snowpack has lessened the effects of drought this year.

"It's hard to believe we are in a declared flood emergency and we're here to talk about drought," she said. "But indeed, our drought challenges are ongoing. I call it whiplash weather. We had an amazing year ... but we know that our Great Salt Lake is suffering."

Shovel in hand, West Jordan Mayor Dick Burton joined Wilson and officials from neighboring cities to break ground on a conversion project in the parking lot in front of City Hall. He said the city hopes to be an example to residents to "flip their strips," by converting park strips and other nonessential grass.

"If we just do these little things, and enough people do these little things, it ends up making a big difference," he said. "And that is amazingly important."

Unsatisfied with the progress made by shovel, Burton climbed into a nearby excavator to pull up a long strip of sod.

The grants will use funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, and will cover conversion of turf on municipal property. They will be distributed through the Integrated Water Conservation and Land Use Municipal Partnership, made up of Salt Lake County, Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District and the Utah League of Cities and Towns.

Bluffdale, Riverton, Sandy, Taylorsville, West Jordan, West Valley City and South Jordan are all recipients of the grants, which total $1.1 million. Together, the conversion projects will remove 412,000 square feet of nonessential turf and conserve 9 million gallons of water per year.

Amid Utah's yearslong drought, efforts to convert "thirsty" landscaping  such as replacing park strip grass with water-wise plants  have grown in popularity, both personally and at the municipal level.

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West Jordan Mayor Dick Burton operates an excavator during a press conference announcing grants for the conversion of grass fields at the West Jordan City Hall on Thursday. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News

Burton said the grants will help West Jordan continue the work they've already begun.

"With all the (water) we got this past year, everybody's thinking we're out of the problem," he said. "We're not, but we will be if we don't keep using water. We use it and nature replenishes it. We can't control nature's schedule, but we can control the schedule of when we use it, and that's where we have the power to make a difference."

He acknowledged that residents across his city  and the state  have already taken it upon themselves to convert their landscaping to save water.

"Thank you so much for what you've done. You've done a fantastic job," he said. "We asked you to conserve, and you stepped forward and you did it."

"None of us can do this alone," Wilson said. "Governments, businesses and families all need to do their share."
LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Lafayette attorney Earl McCoy appeared in court Friday morning for his initial hearing on a charge of attempted sexual battery, a Level 6 felony.

McCoy's attorney, Brian Dekker, waived the reading of McCoy's charge, and special Judge Heather Barajas informed McCoy that if convicted, he faces a possible sentence of between six and 30 months in prison and a possible file up to $10,000.

Barajas entered a not guilty plea on McCoy's behalf, and set 1 p.m. July 14 as a status hearing in Tippecanoe Superior 5. Barajas did not set a trial date during Friday's hearing.

Neither McCoy nor Dekker had any comments after the hearing.

Barajas was appointed to the case by the Indiana Supreme Court in March after all of the Tippecanoe County judges recused themselves from the case.

A special prosecutors charged McCoy, 54, of Lafayette, on March 15 on allegations from a woman who worked in McCoy's law office.

File Art - Crime - Gavel

The woman's allegations are that on May 6, McCoy and several of the office workers went to a downtown pub, where they had a few drinks, according to prosecutors. McCoy asked the woman to let him back into the law office, saying he left his keys there, according to prosecutors.

Once inside the office, McCoy invited the woman into a conference room, where he asked her questions about her sexual past, according to prosecutors. He tried to kiss the woman, who pulled away, and McCoy backed her into a corner, according to prosecutors. He then grabbed the womans hand and tried to force her to touch his crotch, according to prosecutors.

McCoy was a candidate for Tippecanoe Circuit Judge in 2014 and a candidate for prosecutors in 2018. McCoy lost both races in the GOP primaries.

Between late October and the middle of March when he was charged, McCoy regularly appeared on WLFI-TV18 as the station's legal analysist in the case of Richard Allen, who is charged with murder in the Feb. 13, 2017, killings of Delphi teenagers Abby Williams and Libby German.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette attorney has initial hearing on sexual battery charge
The Richland recall effort is in its home stretch.

Citizens will have just three more days  including today  to sign the petition to recall Richland School board members Audra Byrd, Kari Williams and Semi Bird.

So if youve wanted to put your name on the list but have been putting it off, this weekend is your last chance to get it done.

Signature gatherers will be at Jefferson Park Friday afternoon from 3-6 p.m.

 On Saturday, they will be at Badger Mountain Park from noon-2 p.m.

 On Sunday they will be at Jefferson Park from noon-2 p.m.

Brad Rew, an organizer for the recall effort, said Sunday is the last day the group will gather signatures.

Only registered voters who live within the boundaries of the Richland School District can sign the three recall petitions  one for each school board member.

The recall campaign needs to collect the signatures of 25% of the total number of votes cast in the last election that each school board member was involved in.

But the goal is to collect an additional 10% cushion to account for any errors  the push is on.

Heres how many signatures they will need to gather for each school board member to satisfy the 35% threshold:

 Kari Williams: 5,176

 Misipati Semi Bird: 5,822

 Audra Byrd: 5,887

In all, that adds up to 16,885 signatures.

The controversy over Byrd, Williams and Birds decision to illegally make masks optional last year has divided Richland for months.

But if anyone has been on the fence as to whether these three rogue school board members broke state law, the Washington state Supreme Court just came out with its written ruling on the case.

The court order on Feb. 9 allowed the recall effort to go forward, but a detailed report on why the justices supported it was not released until this week.

Now it has and its timing is weirdly appropriate. If recall supporters needed last-minute backing, this is it.

The courts written opinion affirms that Byrd, Williams and Bird were aware that the Washington state mask mandate carried the force of law  and that they knowingly decided to defy the law because they disagreed with it.

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And their recklessness launched chaos.

Regardless of how many citizens pushed them to defy the governors orders, elected leaders have an obligation to follow the law. When Byrd, Williams and Bird chose to put the school district in illegal territory, the school superintendent was forced to close school for two days.

It was the right decision. Employees cannot be forced to break a state law.

Suddenly canceling school was tough for students, parents and staff, but it was the safest choice. State officials were clear that funding would be put at risk if school districts didnt follow Gov. Jay Inslees COVID mandates.

In addition, the court also agreed that the majority board members did not give proper notice that they were going to make such a major decision  and thats a violation of the state Open Meetings Act.

Many people didnt like wearing masks and other COVID restrictions, but as a society we dont get to pick and choose which laws we follow.

The goal of recall supporters is to give Richland citizens a chance to vote Byrd, Williams and Bird out of office in the August primary election.

To get to that point, enough Richland citizens first must sign the petitions. Lets get this done.
The latest COVID-19 variant, Arcturus, can cause pink eyehere's what to know and ways to avoid

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A new strain of coronavirus has come to town, and its one that behaves a little differently than its preceding variants thanks to its tendency to give people pink eye.

Were here to tell you all about the Arcturus strain, how to keep yourself safe from it and ways to relieve symptoms if you catch it.

Make smart choices without hours of googling. Subscribe to The Checklist newsletter for expert product advice and recommendations

What is Arcturus?

XBB1.1.16, or "Arcturus," is a strain of COVID-19's omicron variant. First reported in January, the strain has rapidly spread in nations such as India and Indonesia. While Arcturus is similar to other variants, it does differ in a few key ways.

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Arcturus COVID-19 symptoms

According to infectious disease specialist Dr. William Schaffner, Arcturus is associated with more fevers than previous strains. Its more distinctive trait, however, is its tendency to produce conjunctivitis, particularly when it infects children. Conjunctivitis, more commonly known as "pink eye," can cause mild-to-severe eye irritation, cloudy vision and even discharge from the eye. Visually, it causes the sclera (the white of your eye) to appear pinkish-reddish, hence the common name.

If you need a refresher on the general symptoms of COVID-19, they are:

Fever or chills

Cough

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Fatigue

Muscle or body aches

Headache

New loss of taste or smell

Sore throat

Congestion or runny nose

Nausea

Vomiting

Diarrhea

How common is Arcturus?

As of April 22, Arcturus represents 9.6% of new cases in America or 1 out of 10 cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

How contagious is Arcturus?

According to experts such as infectious disease specialist Dr. William Schaffner, Arcturus is highly transmissible due to mutations in its spike protein.

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Is Arcturus treatable?

Arcturus seems to respond well to the existing vaccines that treat omicron, as it's a strain of that particular variant. In terms of treatment, like other forms of coronavirus, your best bet is to treat the symptoms, though you may have to contend with the symptoms of pink eye with Arcturus. Consult your medical provider if your symptoms are concerning or to figure out the best plan for treating your symptoms.

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How to protect yourself from Arcturus

A mask

A mask remains your best protection against COVID-19.

Airborne particles from infected individuals are the most common source of transmission for all known COVID-19 variants. Thus, the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to use a KN95 or N95 mask, named such because they block 95% of particulates, including those responsible for the spread of airborne diseases. As a bonus, they can also block out pollen, which may help minimize the effects of seasonal allergies this time of year.

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Hand sanitizer

Protect yourself from sickness by keeping your hands clean.

While COVID-19 spreads predominantly through airborne particles, it can also spread by touching surfaces coated with infected droplets and then touching one's face. As such, it's recommended to wash your hands often with soap and water or hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol.

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Disinfectant spray or wipes

Disinfect surfaces with both wipes and spray.

Another way to avoid COVID-19 on dirty surfaces is by cleaning the surface itself. One way to do this is by using a disinfectant wipe or spray, both of which are effective in killing the coronavirus.

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An at-home COVID-19 test

See where you stand with an at-home COVID-19 test.

It can be hard to tell if you have COVID-19 or something else. With this new, pink eye-giving variant coming during a season when pink eye is typically more common because of seasonal allergies, it's even harder to figure out what you have. To take the guesswork out, we recommend using a take-home test to see where you stand.

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A thermometer

Monitor your fever with a thermometer.

With this variant causing more fevers than others, it's a good idea to have a thermometer on hand as another way to figure out if you have COVID-19 or not. One of the best thermometers you can buy is the Femometer Digital Infrared Thermometer thanks to its features such as silent mode and a high-temperature warning.

$16 from Amazon

A washcloth

Bring relief to your eye by using a washcloth as a compress.

One remedy for the symptoms of pink eye, including eye pain and swelling, is to apply a moist washcloth to the affected eye. If you need a new washcloth (or a new bath set entirely), we recommend the washcloth that comes with our favorite bath towel. Parachute Classic's cotton towels are both comfortable and absorbent, the perfect combination for when you're nursing a hurting eye.

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Eye drops

Ease pain in a pinch.

Eye drops are another way to relieve the symptoms of pink eye. Some of the best-rated eye drops for this purpose on Amazon are Similasan's pink eye relief eye drops. They have over 4,500 five-star ratings on Amazon, with buyers attesting to their effectiveness at clearing up pink eye and relieving its pain.

$7 from Amazon

A water bottle

Whether you're staving off sickness or recovering, staying hydrated will help a lot.

No matter what sickness you're afflicted with, one of the best ways to help your body get over it is by making sure you're well-hydrated. To that end, you should make sure you have a quality water bottle on hand such as our favorite, the Brita BB11 Premium Filtering Water Bottle, which keeps water cool for up to 24 hours and filters out odors and taste.

$30 from Amazon

The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews and more.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

This article originally appeared on Reviewed: Arcturus COVID-19 variant: Pink eye symptoms, how to treat
Draped in a colorful campaign banner and wearing an oversize "God, Guns and Trump" medallion around her neck, Angela Wilkinson insisted at a political rally that her hero will oust Joe Biden from the White House next year.

Just two days after Biden launched his 2024 reelection bid, his likely Republican opponent Donald Trump descended on early-voting New Hampshire Thursday to energize supporters and boost their confidence that he can reclaim the job he lost to the veteran Democrat.

Many including Wilkinson, a 48-year-old insurance agent who drove several hours from the northeasternmost state of Maine to see Trump speak, said at the rally in a Manchester hotel ballroom that they were relishing the prospect of another Biden-Trump showdown.

"A rematch? There wasn't even a match to begin with" back in 2020, an exasperated Wilkinson said, alluding to largely debunked claims of election fraud she and others repeated at the event.

"But bring it on," Wilkinson, hand on one hip, said with a grin. "Because Biden is going to get annihilated. And for sure we're not going to have any election meddling" in 2024.

New Hampshirite native Anne-Marie O'Neil agreed. "I don't like Biden," and "there should be a rematch," said the 63-year-old licensed nursing assistant.

Asked whether she was prepared for a bruising battle which could feature Trump campaigning while under a shadow of legal woes, O'Neil didn't flinch: "I have the stomach for anything."

- 'He's a fighter' -

Trump arrived in New Hampshire with bad news weighing on his campaign.

This week a woman writer testified in a New York court that Trumped raped her in the mid-1990s.

His vice president Mike Pence appeared Thursday before a grand jury investigating the 2001 US Capitol riot by Trump supporters.

And earlier this month Trump appeared before a judge to face indictments related to hush-money payments he made to a porn star just before the 2016 election.

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Still, the MAGA base refused to be distracted by the barrage of legal challenges.

"It pushes him forward, he's a fighter," O'Neil said. "They've been after Trump since Day 1."

And Trump reminded his audience as much, recounting a series of old grievances -- the 2020 election was "rigged," Democrats are "weaponizing" the subpoena process, the "corrupt global establishment" is aligning to defeat him once again.

His fans cheered wildly though when Trump, himself 76, mocked his 80-year-old Democratic rival, imitating a lost or stumbling elderly man and then pledging: "We're going to crush Joe Biden."

The brash billionaire also recounted a greatest hits of talking points in his more than 90-minute address.

He said, among other things, that he is the only candidate who "will prevent World War III," illegal immigration has made the United States a "dumping ground for the entire world," and that the United States is now, under the Biden administration, run by "stupid people."

- 'Like a zombie' -

Despite an eye-popping $787.5 million payout by conservative-leaning Fox News to settle a lawsuit claiming the network willfully aired Trump's false claims including accusations of election fraud, his supporters in Manchester insisted much of what was deemed conspiracy theories by critics was actually true.

"I don't believe he lost the election at all," said Maureen Anderson, 43, from neighboring Massachusetts. "I think he won in a landslide, you know?"

One supporter, a Vietnamese American in his late forties who identified himself as Tin Tran, was decked out in a cowboy hat and a suit that read "ReTrumpbution Now" in gold letters down the back.

He expressed fears that Trump was facing a corrupt Democratic team that would do anything to keep the Republican leader out of the White House.

"They're going to steal the election again!" he said with a loud flourish as Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U" played on the rally's audio system.

Biden is "like a zombie, so easy to control him behind the scenes," Tran added.

While Mike Osene and his wife Anne, both 45 and from Connecticut, expressed less radical views about the race, and conceded that Trump lost in 2020, they both were optimistic about challenging Biden once again.

"If there is a rematch, I think Trump will wipe the floor with him," Mike Osene said.

mlm/tjj
Edgars Rinkevics

Read also: Baltic states to completely boycott Russian liquefied gas

Rinkevics held a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, where they discussed Ukraine's progress in integrating with the EU, the situation on the battlefield, and Russia's responsibility for its aggression against Ukraine, according to Baltic news outlet Delfi.

The minister stressed that the EU should be ready to start negotiations on Ukraines accession to the EU in 2023. He believes this is important both for Ukrainian wartime morale and for spurring further reforms in the country.

Rinkevics added that Ukraine is conducting reforms while fighting a war, noting that Kyivs efforts to combat corruption and strengthen the judicial system are especially noteworthy.

Read also: EU neighbors block agro imports, Wagner war crimes, former customs chief on corruption

"Integration into the EU will require significant and diligent work, a very important part of which will be the implementation of serious and effective reforms," he said.

Read also: Russia wants to restore its influence in Baltic states by 2030, strategy documents show

On April 28, at Kulebas invitation, the ministers of foreign affairs of Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland visited Odesa.

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This aerial photo taken on Feb. 23, 2023 shows a construction site of the China-Thailand railway in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand.

Pannaros Boonserm, 33, is a translator in a supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project.

The China-Thailand railway, an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway. The first section, linking the Thai capital of Bangkok with the Nakhon Ratchasima province, in which Pannaros lives for the moment with her grandparents, is expected to put into use in 2026 and shorten the travel time from more than four hours to over one hour.

When the second section finishes in 2029, the railway will be connected with the China-Laos railway. By then people can travel by train from Bangkok, through Laos, to Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Having studied in Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality for several years, Pannaros visited many places in China and witnessed how high-speed railways have changed local residents' life. She believed the China-Thailand railway will not only facilitate the traveling of local residents, but also help revive the tourism sector and economic growth in regions along the way.

"It took me more than 20 hours when I came back from Kunming to Thailand's Chiang Mai in 2012. The trip was exhausting," Pannaros recalled.

Pannaros said she couldn't wait to see the completion of the new railway, which she was so proud to be part of. "when the railway is finished, I'm definitely going to take it all the way northward to Kunming," she said. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

This undated file photo shows Pannaros Boonserm posing for graduation photos at Nankai University in Tianjin, north China.

Pannaros Boonserm, 33, is a translator in a supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project.

The China-Thailand railway, an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway. The first section, linking the Thai capital of Bangkok with the Nakhon Ratchasima province, in which Pannaros lives for the moment with her grandparents, is expected to put into use in 2026 and shorten the travel time from more than four hours to over one hour.

When the second section finishes in 2029, the railway will be connected with the China-Laos railway. By then people can travel by train from Bangkok, through Laos, to Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Having studied in Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality for several years, Pannaros visited many places in China and witnessed how high-speed railways have changed local residents' life. She believed the China-Thailand railway will not only facilitate the traveling of local residents, but also help revive the tourism sector and economic growth in regions along the way.

"It took me more than 20 hours when I came back from Kunming to Thailand's Chiang Mai in 2012. The trip was exhausting," Pannaros recalled.

Pannaros said she couldn't wait to see the completion of the new railway, which she was so proud to be part of. "when the railway is finished, I'm definitely going to take it all the way northward to Kunming," she said. (Xinhua)

This aerial photo taken on Feb. 23, 2023 shows a construction site of the China-Thailand railway in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand.

Pannaros Boonserm, 33, is a translator in a supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project.

The China-Thailand railway, an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway. The first section, linking the Thai capital of Bangkok with the Nakhon Ratchasima province, in which Pannaros lives for the moment with her grandparents, is expected to put into use in 2026 and shorten the travel time from more than four hours to over one hour.

When the second section finishes in 2029, the railway will be connected with the China-Laos railway. By then people can travel by train from Bangkok, through Laos, to Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Having studied in Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality for several years, Pannaros visited many places in China and witnessed how high-speed railways have changed local residents' life. She believed the China-Thailand railway will not only facilitate the traveling of local residents, but also help revive the tourism sector and economic growth in regions along the way.

"It took me more than 20 hours when I came back from Kunming to Thailand's Chiang Mai in 2012. The trip was exhausting," Pannaros recalled.

Pannaros said she couldn't wait to see the completion of the new railway, which she was so proud to be part of. "when the railway is finished, I'm definitely going to take it all the way northward to Kunming," she said. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

Pannaros Boonserm (C) works at a construction site of the China-Thailand railway in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, Feb. 23, 2023.

Pannaros Boonserm, 33, is a translator in a supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project.

The China-Thailand railway, an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway. The first section, linking the Thai capital of Bangkok with the Nakhon Ratchasima province, in which Pannaros lives for the moment with her grandparents, is expected to put into use in 2026 and shorten the travel time from more than four hours to over one hour.

When the second section finishes in 2029, the railway will be connected with the China-Laos railway. By then people can travel by train from Bangkok, through Laos, to Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Having studied in Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality for several years, Pannaros visited many places in China and witnessed how high-speed railways have changed local residents' life. She believed the China-Thailand railway will not only facilitate the traveling of local residents, but also help revive the tourism sector and economic growth in regions along the way.

"It took me more than 20 hours when I came back from Kunming to Thailand's Chiang Mai in 2012. The trip was exhausting," Pannaros recalled.

Pannaros said she couldn't wait to see the completion of the new railway, which she was so proud to be part of. "when the railway is finished, I'm definitely going to take it all the way northward to Kunming," she said. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

Pannaros Boonserm puts on safety gear at the supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, Feb. 23, 2023.

Pannaros Boonserm, 33, is a translator in a supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project.

The China-Thailand railway, an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway. The first section, linking the Thai capital of Bangkok with the Nakhon Ratchasima province, in which Pannaros lives for the moment with her grandparents, is expected to put into use in 2026 and shorten the travel time from more than four hours to over one hour.

When the second section finishes in 2029, the railway will be connected with the China-Laos railway. By then people can travel by train from Bangkok, through Laos, to Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Having studied in Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality for several years, Pannaros visited many places in China and witnessed how high-speed railways have changed local residents' life. She believed the China-Thailand railway will not only facilitate the traveling of local residents, but also help revive the tourism sector and economic growth in regions along the way.

"It took me more than 20 hours when I came back from Kunming to Thailand's Chiang Mai in 2012. The trip was exhausting," Pannaros recalled.

Pannaros said she couldn't wait to see the completion of the new railway, which she was so proud to be part of. "when the railway is finished, I'm definitely going to take it all the way northward to Kunming," she said. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

Pannaros Boonserm waits at Pak Chong railway station in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, Feb. 23, 2023.

Pannaros Boonserm, 33, is a translator in a supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project.

The China-Thailand railway, an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway. The first section, linking the Thai capital of Bangkok with the Nakhon Ratchasima province, in which Pannaros lives for the moment with her grandparents, is expected to put into use in 2026 and shorten the travel time from more than four hours to over one hour.

When the second section finishes in 2029, the railway will be connected with the China-Laos railway. By then people can travel by train from Bangkok, through Laos, to Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Having studied in Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality for several years, Pannaros visited many places in China and witnessed how high-speed railways have changed local residents' life. She believed the China-Thailand railway will not only facilitate the traveling of local residents, but also help revive the tourism sector and economic growth in regions along the way.

"It took me more than 20 hours when I came back from Kunming to Thailand's Chiang Mai in 2012. The trip was exhausting," Pannaros recalled.

Pannaros said she couldn't wait to see the completion of the new railway, which she was so proud to be part of. "when the railway is finished, I'm definitely going to take it all the way northward to Kunming," she said. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

Pannaros Boonserm drives past a construction site of the China-Thailand railway in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, Feb. 24, 2023.

Pannaros Boonserm, 33, is a translator in a supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project.

The China-Thailand railway, an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway. The first section, linking the Thai capital of Bangkok with the Nakhon Ratchasima province, in which Pannaros lives for the moment with her grandparents, is expected to put into use in 2026 and shorten the travel time from more than four hours to over one hour.

When the second section finishes in 2029, the railway will be connected with the China-Laos railway. By then people can travel by train from Bangkok, through Laos, to Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Having studied in Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality for several years, Pannaros visited many places in China and witnessed how high-speed railways have changed local residents' life. She believed the China-Thailand railway will not only facilitate the traveling of local residents, but also help revive the tourism sector and economic growth in regions along the way.

"It took me more than 20 hours when I came back from Kunming to Thailand's Chiang Mai in 2012. The trip was exhausting," Pannaros recalled.

Pannaros said she couldn't wait to see the completion of the new railway, which she was so proud to be part of. "when the railway is finished, I'm definitely going to take it all the way northward to Kunming," she said. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

Pannaros Boonserm (C) works at a construction site of the China-Thailand railway in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, Feb. 23, 2023.

Pannaros Boonserm, 33, is a translator in a supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project.

The China-Thailand railway, an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway. The first section, linking the Thai capital of Bangkok with the Nakhon Ratchasima province, in which Pannaros lives for the moment with her grandparents, is expected to put into use in 2026 and shorten the travel time from more than four hours to over one hour.

When the second section finishes in 2029, the railway will be connected with the China-Laos railway. By then people can travel by train from Bangkok, through Laos, to Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Having studied in Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality for several years, Pannaros visited many places in China and witnessed how high-speed railways have changed local residents' life. She believed the China-Thailand railway will not only facilitate the traveling of local residents, but also help revive the tourism sector and economic growth in regions along the way.

"It took me more than 20 hours when I came back from Kunming to Thailand's Chiang Mai in 2012. The trip was exhausting," Pannaros recalled.

Pannaros said she couldn't wait to see the completion of the new railway, which she was so proud to be part of. "when the railway is finished, I'm definitely going to take it all the way northward to Kunming," she said. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

Pannaros Boonserm (R) works at the supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, Feb. 23, 2023.

Pannaros Boonserm, 33, is a translator in a supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project.

The China-Thailand railway, an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway. The first section, linking the Thai capital of Bangkok with the Nakhon Ratchasima province, in which Pannaros lives for the moment with her grandparents, is expected to put into use in 2026 and shorten the travel time from more than four hours to over one hour.

When the second section finishes in 2029, the railway will be connected with the China-Laos railway. By then people can travel by train from Bangkok, through Laos, to Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Having studied in Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality for several years, Pannaros visited many places in China and witnessed how high-speed railways have changed local residents' life. She believed the China-Thailand railway will not only facilitate the traveling of local residents, but also help revive the tourism sector and economic growth in regions along the way.

"It took me more than 20 hours when I came back from Kunming to Thailand's Chiang Mai in 2012. The trip was exhausting," Pannaros recalled.

Pannaros said she couldn't wait to see the completion of the new railway, which she was so proud to be part of. "when the railway is finished, I'm definitely going to take it all the way northward to Kunming," she said. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

This aerial photo taken on Feb. 23, 2023 shows a construction site of the China-Thailand railway in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand.

Pannaros Boonserm, 33, is a translator in a supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project.

The China-Thailand railway, an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway. The first section, linking the Thai capital of Bangkok with the Nakhon Ratchasima province, in which Pannaros lives for the moment with her grandparents, is expected to put into use in 2026 and shorten the travel time from more than four hours to over one hour.

When the second section finishes in 2029, the railway will be connected with the China-Laos railway. By then people can travel by train from Bangkok, through Laos, to Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Having studied in Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality for several years, Pannaros visited many places in China and witnessed how high-speed railways have changed local residents' life. She believed the China-Thailand railway will not only facilitate the traveling of local residents, but also help revive the tourism sector and economic growth in regions along the way.

"It took me more than 20 hours when I came back from Kunming to Thailand's Chiang Mai in 2012. The trip was exhausting," Pannaros recalled.

Pannaros said she couldn't wait to see the completion of the new railway, which she was so proud to be part of. "when the railway is finished, I'm definitely going to take it all the way northward to Kunming," she said. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

Pannaros Boonserm (2nd R) attends a meeting at the supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, Feb. 24, 2023.

Pannaros Boonserm, 33, is a translator in a supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project.

The China-Thailand railway, an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway. The first section, linking the Thai capital of Bangkok with the Nakhon Ratchasima province, in which Pannaros lives for the moment with her grandparents, is expected to put into use in 2026 and shorten the travel time from more than four hours to over one hour.

When the second section finishes in 2029, the railway will be connected with the China-Laos railway. By then people can travel by train from Bangkok, through Laos, to Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Having studied in Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality for several years, Pannaros visited many places in China and witnessed how high-speed railways have changed local residents' life. She believed the China-Thailand railway will not only facilitate the traveling of local residents, but also help revive the tourism sector and economic growth in regions along the way.

"It took me more than 20 hours when I came back from Kunming to Thailand's Chiang Mai in 2012. The trip was exhausting," Pannaros recalled.

Pannaros said she couldn't wait to see the completion of the new railway, which she was so proud to be part of. "when the railway is finished, I'm definitely going to take it all the way northward to Kunming," she said. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

Pannaros Boonserm works at the supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, Feb. 23, 2023.

Pannaros Boonserm, 33, is a translator in a supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project.

The China-Thailand railway, an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway. The first section, linking the Thai capital of Bangkok with the Nakhon Ratchasima province, in which Pannaros lives for the moment with her grandparents, is expected to put into use in 2026 and shorten the travel time from more than four hours to over one hour.

When the second section finishes in 2029, the railway will be connected with the China-Laos railway. By then people can travel by train from Bangkok, through Laos, to Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Having studied in Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality for several years, Pannaros visited many places in China and witnessed how high-speed railways have changed local residents' life. She believed the China-Thailand railway will not only facilitate the traveling of local residents, but also help revive the tourism sector and economic growth in regions along the way.

"It took me more than 20 hours when I came back from Kunming to Thailand's Chiang Mai in 2012. The trip was exhausting," Pannaros recalled.

Pannaros said she couldn't wait to see the completion of the new railway, which she was so proud to be part of. "when the railway is finished, I'm definitely going to take it all the way northward to Kunming," she said. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

Pannaros Boonserm makes notes at a construction site of the China-Thailand railway in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, Feb. 23, 2023.

Pannaros Boonserm, 33, is a translator in a supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project.

The China-Thailand railway, an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway. The first section, linking the Thai capital of Bangkok with the Nakhon Ratchasima province, in which Pannaros lives for the moment with her grandparents, is expected to put into use in 2026 and shorten the travel time from more than four hours to over one hour.

When the second section finishes in 2029, the railway will be connected with the China-Laos railway. By then people can travel by train from Bangkok, through Laos, to Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Having studied in Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality for several years, Pannaros visited many places in China and witnessed how high-speed railways have changed local residents' life. She believed the China-Thailand railway will not only facilitate the traveling of local residents, but also help revive the tourism sector and economic growth in regions along the way.

"It took me more than 20 hours when I came back from Kunming to Thailand's Chiang Mai in 2012. The trip was exhausting," Pannaros recalled.

Pannaros said she couldn't wait to see the completion of the new railway, which she was so proud to be part of. "when the railway is finished, I'm definitely going to take it all the way northward to Kunming," she said. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

This aerial photo taken on Feb. 23, 2023 shows a construction site of the China-Thailand railway in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand.

Pannaros Boonserm, 33, is a translator in a supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project.

The China-Thailand railway, an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway. The first section, linking the Thai capital of Bangkok with the Nakhon Ratchasima province, in which Pannaros lives for the moment with her grandparents, is expected to put into use in 2026 and shorten the travel time from more than four hours to over one hour.

When the second section finishes in 2029, the railway will be connected with the China-Laos railway. By then people can travel by train from Bangkok, through Laos, to Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Having studied in Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality for several years, Pannaros visited many places in China and witnessed how high-speed railways have changed local residents' life. She believed the China-Thailand railway will not only facilitate the traveling of local residents, but also help revive the tourism sector and economic growth in regions along the way.

"It took me more than 20 hours when I came back from Kunming to Thailand's Chiang Mai in 2012. The trip was exhausting," Pannaros recalled.

Pannaros said she couldn't wait to see the completion of the new railway, which she was so proud to be part of. "when the railway is finished, I'm definitely going to take it all the way northward to Kunming," she said. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

Pannaros Boonserm (1st R) attends a meeting at the supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, Feb. 24, 2023.

Pannaros Boonserm, 33, is a translator in a supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project.

The China-Thailand railway, an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway. The first section, linking the Thai capital of Bangkok with the Nakhon Ratchasima province, in which Pannaros lives for the moment with her grandparents, is expected to put into use in 2026 and shorten the travel time from more than four hours to over one hour.

When the second section finishes in 2029, the railway will be connected with the China-Laos railway. By then people can travel by train from Bangkok, through Laos, to Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Having studied in Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality for several years, Pannaros visited many places in China and witnessed how high-speed railways have changed local residents' life. She believed the China-Thailand railway will not only facilitate the traveling of local residents, but also help revive the tourism sector and economic growth in regions along the way.

"It took me more than 20 hours when I came back from Kunming to Thailand's Chiang Mai in 2012. The trip was exhausting," Pannaros recalled.

Pannaros said she couldn't wait to see the completion of the new railway, which she was so proud to be part of. "when the railway is finished, I'm definitely going to take it all the way northward to Kunming," she said. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

This undated file photo shows Pannaros Boonserm (R) posing for graduation photos at Nankai University in Tianjin, north China.

Pannaros Boonserm, 33, is a translator in a supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project.

The China-Thailand railway, an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway. The first section, linking the Thai capital of Bangkok with the Nakhon Ratchasima province, in which Pannaros lives for the moment with her grandparents, is expected to put into use in 2026 and shorten the travel time from more than four hours to over one hour.

When the second section finishes in 2029, the railway will be connected with the China-Laos railway. By then people can travel by train from Bangkok, through Laos, to Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Having studied in Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality for several years, Pannaros visited many places in China and witnessed how high-speed railways have changed local residents' life. She believed the China-Thailand railway will not only facilitate the traveling of local residents, but also help revive the tourism sector and economic growth in regions along the way.

"It took me more than 20 hours when I came back from Kunming to Thailand's Chiang Mai in 2012. The trip was exhausting," Pannaros recalled.

Pannaros said she couldn't wait to see the completion of the new railway, which she was so proud to be part of. "when the railway is finished, I'm definitely going to take it all the way northward to Kunming," she said. (Xinhua)

Pannaros Boonserm works at a construction site of the China-Thailand railway in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, Feb. 23, 2023.

Pannaros Boonserm, 33, is a translator in a supervision company for the first section of the China-Thailand railway project.

The China-Thailand railway, an important part of the trans-Asian railway network, will be Thailand's first standard-gauge high-speed railway. The first section, linking the Thai capital of Bangkok with the Nakhon Ratchasima province, in which Pannaros lives for the moment with her grandparents, is expected to put into use in 2026 and shorten the travel time from more than four hours to over one hour.

When the second section finishes in 2029, the railway will be connected with the China-Laos railway. By then people can travel by train from Bangkok, through Laos, to Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Having studied in Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality for several years, Pannaros visited many places in China and witnessed how high-speed railways have changed local residents' life. She believed the China-Thailand railway will not only facilitate the traveling of local residents, but also help revive the tourism sector and economic growth in regions along the way.

"It took me more than 20 hours when I came back from Kunming to Thailand's Chiang Mai in 2012. The trip was exhausting," Pannaros recalled.

Pannaros said she couldn't wait to see the completion of the new railway, which she was so proud to be part of. "when the railway is finished, I'm definitely going to take it all the way northward to Kunming," she said. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)
Gov. Laura Kelly made a last-ditch effort Friday to reach consensus with Republicans for tax relief before legislators left Topeka.

Gov. Laura Kelly made a last-ditch effort for tax relief, urging Republican leadership to advance a proposal on the last day of the legislative session.

But the Legislature adjourned Friday night, with lawmakers leaving Topeka without enacting any substantive tax relief.

The new plan from the governor's office didn't include a flat income tax, a top priority of Republicans that garnered stiff opposition from Kelly and Democrats. But it did include other sales, income and property tax cuts that had more bipartisan support.

"They still have time. They're not gone yet," Kelly told reporters Thursday. "If they wanted to do something, they could do it."

But the Legislature did not take up the late-session proposal after Republican leaders had indicated they would not support crafting a new tax cut package.

While the new plan was provided to The Topeka Capital-Journal on Friday, the governor's office said the concepts had been communicated to legislative leadership earlier in the week before making it public.

A Thursday afternoon effort to reach Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, was unsuccessful, which they said was likely because of preparation for a failed second attempt at overriding the governor's veto of the flat tax bundle. Masterson's office said in a statement that they are not aware of any such communications.

"Much like when she walked down the middle of the road or was holding an ax, this is more politicaltheater by the governor  a public gimmick on Day 90 in attempt to play the hero in order to distractthe people from the fact she was actually the villain and vetoed tax relief for Kansans," Masterson said.

More: After defeating Kansas flat tax bill, flip-flopping GOP senator loses leadership position

The total in tax cuts proposed by the governor was $1.4 billion over four years, but the greatest share of the hit is in the first year due to an earlier elimination of the state sales tax on food. The final year of projections for the tax plan, fiscal year 2027, would see tax cuts of $292.4 million.

Story continues

The Republican tax cut plan in Senate Bill 169 was also $1.4 billion, but it was over three years. Its last year had $480.8 in tax cuts.

The governor's office argued Kelly's new plan is sustainable, but House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, said in a Friday statement that the GOP plan already was sustainable.

"In a bizarre twist of political spite, the Kelly/Toland Administration grabbed their made-for-TV ax and brazenly chopped down tax relief for all Kansans," Hawkins said. "I'm disappointed but not surprised at the hypocrisy of their Administration. Its clear they only cared about election year slogans and not about delivering actual tax relief results for the people of Kansas."

Friday was likely the last chance to see tax cuts without a special session. The governor's office said they haven't had conversations about the possibility of calling a special session to cut taxes.

Here's what was in Kelly's last tax package proposal:

Kansas governor's sales tax plan would have sped up elimination of food tax

Kelly has long championed cutting sales taxes on groceries, making "axe the food tax" a reelection campaign slogan complete with a hatchet as a prop.

While the food sales tax is scheduled to be eliminated in 2025, Kelly's plan calls for a more immediate elimination. The price tag would be $242.5 million in fiscal year 2024 and $77.9 million in fiscal year 2025. There would be no additional costs in later years.

Kelly also started the session with a plan to exempt diapers and feminine hygiene products from both state and local sales taxes.

That would cost $7.4 million in FY24, $8.3 million in FY25, $8.7 million in FY26 and $9.1 million in FY27.

Income tax cuts proposal from Laura Kelly adopted Republican idea

While Kelly and both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have expressed interest in addressing the so-called cliff on taxing Social Security benefits, there were a multitude of proposals of how to do so.

The new plan from Kelly would adopt a Republican proposal to fully eliminate state income taxes on Social Security income. The price tag is $127 million in FY24, $129 million in FY25, $131 million in FY26 and $133 million in FY27.

The plan would also adopt a plan advanced by legislative Republicans to cut privilege taxes on banks. Financial institutions have pushed for the tax cut because they were not included in the corporate income tax cuts in last year's economic development megaproject legislation. The price tag is $5.8 million in FY24, $7.2 million in FY25, $7.4 million in FY26 and $7.5 million in FY27.

A child care tax cred would have a price tag of $6 million each year.

It also includes a standard deduction parity proposal, which is not as substantive of a tax cut as Republicans had wanted with their standard deduction plan. The price tag is $3.7 million in FY24, $12.2 million in FY25, $12.4 million in FY26 and $12.7 million in FY27.

The package does not include income tax rebates, as Kelly had proposed earlier in the week.

Property tax cuts urged by Kansas governor had bipartisan support

While property taxes are largely a local issue, the state does have a 20 mill levy to help fund schools. The first $40,000 in value is exempt after a move last year to raise it from $20,000.

There has been broad bipartisan support this year to raise the exemption level, with the question has been by how much. Kelly's new plan calls for raising it to $100,000.

The price tag is $107.2 million in FY24, $112.5 million in FY25, $118.2 million in FY26 and $124.1 million in FY27.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Laura Kelly urges Kansas Republicans to weigh new tax cut compromise
Laurence Fox was accused of spewing out biased views during an interview segment on his GB News show that swiftly went off the rails.

The Lewis actor, who is a vocal critic of Covid-19 vaccines, was hosting his show on the news channel on Thursday (27 April), when he was joined by Dr Bharat Pankhania, a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeters medical school.

Asked his thoughts on a new report seen by GB News criticising the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agencys (MHRA) roll out of the vaccines, Pankhania told Fox: I sometimes wonder why you exist, to be honest with you.

With Fox looking shocked, the doctor continued: A lot of these things that you spew out, just send things that are worrisome to people, are not verified, not factual.

You just have your own agenda, thats what I think. You are just spewing out your biased views. Thats how I feel about you.

I wasnt asking you what you felt about me, I was asking you what you felt about the discussion, Fox said, with Pankhania replying: I feel [that] about you, your statements and the panellists that you brought together.

I was brought up on this programme right now, told Im going to have a one-to-one conversation with you, and suddenly I find myself in a panel discussion.

Pankhania claimed he hadnt read the report and hadnt been told he was coming on GB News to discuss it, accusing Fox of an ambush.

Expert slapping the wet fish of reality around the smug, entitled chops of Laurence Fox. Theres another expert they wont be inviting back pic.twitter.com/Zng7xG2jE0  Monster Of Truth (@TheMooseOfTruth) April 28, 2023

Defending the MHRA, he added that the organisation was in a harder position post-Brexit, but concluded: Having said all that, it is absolutely fit for purpose and said that, when it comes to Covid-19 vaccines, the good outweighs the harm by a large, large margin.

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The clip was widely shared, with Foxs name trending on Twitter on Friday (28 April) afternoon.

Expert slapping the wet fish of reality around the smug, entitled chops of Laurence Fox. Theres another expert they wont be inviting back one tweet read.

Always nice to see Laurence Fox getting his arse handed to him. But also, it sounds like GB News producers werent exactly straight with Dr. Pankhania when they were booking him. He obviously felt ambushed, another wrote.

Another tweet read: Stop what you are doing and watch this 30 second video of an academic confronting the risible @lozzafox with a dose of truth. Trust me.
BEIRUT (AP)  Irans top diplomat visited Lebanons border with Israel on Friday where he expressed support for the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group in its struggle against their common enemy: Israel.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian began his visit to Lebanon since Wednesday, meeting top officials and expressing Tehrans readiness to help build power stations in an effort to try to end the Mediterranean countrys prevailing electricity crisis.

Lebanon is in the throes of the worst economic crisis in its modern history, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by the small nations ruling class. The crisis erupted in October 2019 and has plunged three quarters of Lebanons 6 million people, including 1 million Syrian refugees, into poverty.

Earlier this month, Israel launched rare strikes into southern Lebanon, hours after militants fired nearly three dozen rockets from there at Israel, wounding two people and causing some property damage. The Israeli military said at the time that it targeted installations of the Palestinian militant Hamas group in southern Lebanon.

Iran is a main Hezbollah backer and has supplied the militant group over the past decades with weapons and funds.

We are here today ... to declare again with a loud voice that we support the resistance in Lebanon against the Zionist entity, Amirabdollahian told a gathering that included several Hezbollah legislators in the border village of Maroun al-Ras.

Amirabdollahian's visit to Lebanon is the first since Iran and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement in China last month to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after seven years of tensions.

Later Friday, the Iranian diplomat held a news conference at the Iranian Embassy. He said the Riyadh-Tehran agreement will have positive effects in the region in general. The two countries will reopen embassies in Tehran and Riyadh within a few days," he said, adding that he invited his Saudi counterpart to visit Iran and that the invitation was welcomed.

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In neighboring Syria, a pro-government newspaper reported that Irans President Ebrahim Raisi will begin a two-day visit to Damascus next Wednesday, the first by an Iranian president to the Syrian capital since 2010.

Iran has also been a main backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad since the uprising that turned into war began in Syria in March 2011, killing nearly half a million people. Tehran has sent Iran-backed fighters from around the Middle East to fight alongside Assads forces, helping tip the balance of power in his favor.

The pro-government Al-Watan said Raisi would meet with Assad to boost strategic cooperation between the two allies. Several agreements and memorandums of understanding would also be signed during the visit.

Asked about Raisi's upcoming visit to Damascus, Amirabdollahian only said that "a program and a plan for the visit in the near future" had been prepared, without offering a specific date.

Some oil-rich Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, have been slowly reconciling with Assad after supporting opposition fighters for years.

___

Associated Press writer Albert Aji in Beirut contributed to this report.
A sign for the University of Utahs Research Park is pictured in Salt Lake City on Thursday, April 27, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

Sens. Mike Lee and Mitt Romney, R-Utah, have reintroduced legislation to remove the federal governments reversionary interest on the University of Utahs Research Park.

The University of Utah Research Park Act is intended to protect and preserve the nearly 600-acre development along Salt Lake Citys east bench, which serves the university and local workforce. Research Park is home to more than 50 companies and organizations that employ nearly 14,000 people. It is considered a key economic and research center for the state.

The legislation references an unspecified reversionary interest that needs to be removed because it puts Research Park at risk of losing its productivity and vitality, according to a joint press release issued by Lee and Romney.

Were coming together to ensure that Research Park remains a thriving center for research and development. By doing so, we will support the University of Utahs continued success and foster economic growth and job creation throughout our state, the press release states.

The University of Utahs Research Park is pictured in Salt Lake City on Thursday, April 27, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

Research Park was developed on land transferred to the university by the Bureau of Land Management in 1968. The land was conveyed with a land patent issued under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act.

One practical implication of the patent is any time the university wants to address Research Parks management plan, you have to go through the federal government, including the BLM, said Jason Perry, the U.s vice president for government relations.

Perry said the federal government is not an adverse party to the legislation, Perry said.

The federal government and the university are trying to clear up the process and the future of University Research Park, he said.

Lee and Romney introduced the University of Utah Research Park Act during the 117th Congress with the support of the states entire congressional delegation, U. President Taylor Randall, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall.

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Perry said Congress ran out of time before the bill could be considered in that congressional session.

This bill is not controversial, but the legal substance of it is what is important, he said.

Randall, in a 2022 statement released by Lees office, said Research Park has become a key component in the universitys mission to foster innovation, advance science and contribute to the states strong economy.

The forethought of state and federal leaders in making this investment of land to the university has reaped extraordinary success and resulted in a myriad of scientific discoveries and companies that have improved the health and well-being of all Americans. This public-private partnership remains a case study in how major research universities can contribute to the success of their communities, Randall said.
Emily Gramajo and Jonathan Cornejo at West Adams Preparatory High School in Los Angeles on April 14. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

To the editor: I sympathize with high-achieving high school graduates such as Jonathan Cornejo who worry they cannot attend their "dream" University of California campus despite being admitted. However, I disagree with the implication that these students would be greatly lowering their standards by attending a California State University campus.

Since UCs tend to cater to students seeking advanced research degrees, it is often better for bachelor's- or master's-level students to attend a Cal State campus. Classes tend to be smaller and taught by professors rather than teaching assistants.

Also, there are 23 Cal State schools, so students can often live in cheaper or more convenient locations.

As someone with a UC degree who taught for many years at a Cal State school, I feel no need to apologize for our bachelor's and master's programs.

John Lane, Stanton

The writer is a professor emeritus of computer engineering and computer science at Cal State Long Beach.

..

To the editor: When asked about the shortfall in financial aid that would keep Cornejo from attending his "dream school" of UC San Diego, his response was brutally honest: "You did all these things, tried your best. Then you look at the money aspect and see you can't afford it.

Cornejo cited his fear of taking on student loan debt as the primary reason for considering community college. How many other brilliant young minds is the UC system willing to lose because higher tuition means many people must now assume colossal amounts of debt to have a fair shot at the American dream?

The UC system was once tuition-free; in the late 1960s, then-Gov. Ronald Reagan changed that. Further, our state is beset with a level of unaffordability at every level, and we pay for this with extreme poverty, homelessness and outward migration.

Let's fix the man-made unattainability of higher education before our bright young minds join the hundreds of thousands of Californians leaving for states where opportunity is actually an option.

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Lisa Ansell, Beverly Hills

..

To the editor: One message from your article is that attending community college is a disappointing necessity for many people. What it should be is that the tens of thousands of deserving California students in this situation in no way have to give up on their dream.

Community college is a very effective bridge to UC. Students can transfer well-prepared academically and having saved themselves and their families tens of thousands of dollars.

It's tragic that students often don't understand this and as a result make damaging financial decisions.

Scott Howell, Murrieta

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Country star Kelsea Ballerini had high praise for Lexington after her visit to the Bluegrass State earlier this week.

Lexington? More like Flexington, Ballerini captioned her Instagram post about her visit, saying she just had the most beautiful two days.

Ballerini is opening for Kenny Chesney on his I Go Back tour, which stopped in Rupp Arena on April 25. The country star, originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, has released two albums in the last year: SUBJECT TO CHANGE and Rolling Up the Welcome Mat.

She also co-hosted this years CMT Music Awards.

While in Lexington, Ballerini went to Keeneland and spent time with a friend who grew up in Lexington, she wrote in her caption. She also posted about her song, Mountain with a View, being played on the radio, and included a video of her and Chesney singing his song You and Tequila while at Rupp Arena.

Horses are magical, Ballerini said. Mountain with a View is on the radio? Kenny and I sang You and Tequila. ... Friends are everything.
Mamadi Doumbouya for Insider

The editor in chief of The Cut spoke to Insider about her media career, the importance of Black creatives, and why working in the fashion industry shouldn't be a popularity contest.

Lindsay Peoples has changed the face of fashion media. At 28 years old, she was the youngest editor in chief of any Conde Nast publication while at Teen Vogue; in 2019, she was the only Black female editor in chief in the fashion industry; and now, at 32, she's at the helm of New York Magazine's The Cut while simultaneously running the Black in Fashion Council, an organization that aims to help Black creatives thrive in the fashion industry.

Clearly, Peoples has an impressive resume. But it's what she's done with each job title that really shows her lasting impact.

She sparked a groundbreaking conversation about race and fashion in 2018 with her investigative feature, "Everywhere and Nowhere: What it's really like to be Black and work in fashion," where she interviewed 100 people in the industry about their experiences. She introduced herself as the new editor in chief of The Cut by publishing an interview with the mother and sister of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman who was killed by police in her home in March 2020. She turned Teen Vogue into an educational tool and resource for young voters. And she was the first to sit down and speak with legendary stylist Law Roach when he announced his retirement in March.

Peoples has worked her way up from a fashion-closet intern to a two-time editor in chief, taking the industry to new heights along the way. In a conversation with Insider for our ongoing series, Black Ensemble: Fashion for the Culture, she reflected on her journey and how she uses her platform to elevate aspiring fashion leaders.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

As a leading voice in fashion and media, Peoples has encouraged creatives from underrepresented communities to take up space and do work that matters to them. Mamadi Doumbouya for Insider

I want to start by talking about your piece "Everywhere and Nowhere." It's clear that you've given a lot of support to the people around you. Is that a conscious effort that you make?

It's 100% a conscious effort that I'm making. I often think about the fact that I never thought that I would be an editor in chief. When I moved to New York, coming from the Midwest, everything felt really far in a sense that no matter how hard I worked, there were some things that were going to be up to chance.

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Once I got the opportunity to have a platform, to have some sense of responsibility, to have some power to use in the industry, I was like, "I have to use this to help other people because I didn't even think it was possible for me."

Did you have to fight to get "Everywhere and Nowhere" published in 2018?

I actually had the idea for the piece when I first started at The Cut [as a fashion market assistant in 2015]. But I was really junior, I was hungry, and, in hindsight, I don't think the piece would have had this same kind of impression that it did in the industry because there weren't enough people willing to talk yet.

I had been at The Cut for a few years, and I remember they were planning the fashion issue and an editor came up to me and said, "Hey, I remember you made this big chart about different Black fashion editors and editors in the industry. Where is that?" The chart was extremely outdated by that time, but I did still have it. It was something that I started to organize, and I wrote down in an excel sheet hundreds of different Black people in the industry that I wanted to interview, and I just started talking to people.

Peoples used to host lunches at her apartment where friends and colleagues in fashion could talk openly about their experiences in the industry. One person, Peoples recalled, revealed that someone called her the N-word during a job on set  one example of the racism they encountered in a professional space. "We all needed those jobs," Peoples told Insider. "We couldn't afford to get fired. We couldn't afford to upset our bosses." Mamadi Doumbouya for Insider

Do you remember what it felt like to watch that go live?

No, because I wasn't here. When I was writing "Everywhere and Nowhere," it was hard for me to see the forest through the trees. There were a lot of people who were like, "You're going to get blacklisted. You shouldn't be writing this kind of piece, it makes us look bad."

So by the time "Everywhere and Nowhere" actually came out, I was terrified, and I went to Mexico. I don't even take that many vacations, but I took one because I didn't want to be in the same time zone when it came out.

I felt very at peace, though, which is how I knew that I was doing the right thing. I was terrified, but also aware that if this was the last thing that I did and that if I had to go back to waitressing and go back to changing store displays, that was good enough for me because I really believed in the piece.

A couple of people quoted in the piece said that they came up in fashion during a time when "you had to be the right kind of Black." Do you think that's still true today?

I think it's still true today. There are still stereotypes and lanes that people want to be accepting of inclusivity. But we're all going to fight it in different ways. I see it as doing what is necessary and what I feel like I'm equipped to do. I don't think that has to be everyone else's task.

I talk a lot to Mama B, Bethann Hardison, about this because she always says that I'm a firecracker, which I don't know if I agree with, and she's always pushing me to have engaging conversations that are moving things forward in the industry.

You worked with Sandrine Charles to create the Black in Fashion Council. Can you talk about the impact it has had?

I love our showroom that we do with IMG every February and September. It's a free showroom for Black designers to showcase their work. We do it at Spring Studios, so it's where fashion editors already are. They can meet the designers, they can call in those brands, shoot those brands for their magazines. We have editors, stylists, buyers, etc. come.

Things like that take work on our end, but it's connecting all of these people we know and creating a resource and support for other Black people in the industry.

We started to do a lot more fellowship meetings for younger people in fashion so that they could ask questions in a less formal way. We want to be of service, and I want there to be a pipeline of younger people of color in the industry.

You've said that being "unapologetically Black" while working in fashion has aged you. Is that experience something you feel grateful for, or is that something you don't want others coming up in the industry to experience?

A little bit of both. I'm super grateful for the journey. I feel really grateful, especially in this season because coming back to The Cut was a dream that I never even had. At this stage in my life, being in my 30s and knowing who I am, I think I can appreciate it a lot more than I would have if it would have happened in my 20s.

I remember so much of when I was working a lot of jobs and trying to get my footing. I was just looking for the bare minimum of, "I need to be able to pay my bills, and I want to make great work." That itself aged me because it wasn't just a season of my life  that was years and years.

Fashion and media in general, the kind of storytelling that we do is so incredible and innovative, and I think that it shouldn't be something that's such a labor of, "Can I endure this?" for Black people in the industry.

What did that feel like for you to become editor in chief of Teen Vogue at 28?

I was really excited because that was my third time at Teen Vogue since I had interned there, and I had worked there out of school, so I had a lot of history with the brand.

It was daunting, but at the same time, surreal. I felt like, "This is a brand for upper-class white girls who have trust funds." Running that publication and realizing that I had the platform to make it really inclusive, cool, and modern in a way that makes people realize that you can love fashion, but also care about the world, politics, abortion rights, and other things and it not be so monolithic was exciting to me.

The Black in Fashion Council will host a job fair this fall to help create a stronger pipeline for young people of color in fashion. "Just because people like fashion and like media, doesn't mean they'll actually end up working in it," Peoples said. Mamadi Doumbouya for Insider

What went into your decision to go back to The Cut?

I'm a huge Toni Morrison fan, and I remember I was listening to one of her talks where she was challenging someone on the other end saying, "Who are you without racism?" And I remember thinking, "I want to spend time  before I get in my 40s  in a place where I can make work that is about what I want to make and not just the magazine that I'm at."

I didn't know that the Cut role was going to be opened. When it came about, that felt like, "This is the right door for me to open to see if I can make work that is more expansive." It speaks to the kind of work that I want to make that's indicative of the woman that I am  as a Black woman, as a young woman, as a person in my 30s, as someone trying to figure it out like everyone else.

You told WWD that as a person of color, you have "a different responsibility" in your job. How have you used your role to act on that responsibility?

Whether it be in the writers, the visual language that we use on the site, the photographers, or the brands that we shoot  every little thing is so intricate.

It's in, obviously, the structural things of who you hire, but also in the tone. The way that you talk to your audience, the way that you talk about other people in the work. It requires a level of accuracy and intentionality that I think everybody is not willing to do.

You've also said that The Cut has a "fearless usefulness." How have you seen that unfold over the past year?

We want to be of service to our readers, and I felt like our abortion issue last year was a big moment for us. We wanted to make sure that people had the resources and access to be able to get abortions wherever they are and to be able to have that information accessible and available, not behind our paywall.

And I think of the issue we did early last year on 10 years since Trayvon Martin had passed as this fearless usefulness because everybody had been swirling, post-pandemic: "What are the conversations around BLM?" I've written so much about Trayvon and Breonna Taylor, and there were so many things  the conversations around George Floyd, etc.  that felt surface level. There were important conversations that needed to be had.

On the subject of sustainability in fashion, Peoples underscored the importance of taking a holistic approach to improving the industry. "A lot of times, when I talk to people, they feel like, 'If I'm focusing on diversity and inclusivity, I can't also fight this good fight of making sure that these companies and brands are more sustainable,'" she said. "And I understand that frustration. But I think that they're all interconnected. Fighting for the resistance is fighting through resistance." Mamadi Doumbouya for Insider

Switching gears a bit, how do you feel about the luxury fashion industry's relationship with Black creatives now compared to the past?

I think Black creatives have more opportunities than they did in the past. There's also more transparency around pay and pay equity.

One of the biggest differences is that people are much more willing to come forward and have a lot of those conversations about what it's actually like working with brands and PRs. I think people saw that if they watched the Law Roach interview that I just did. The more that people are forthcoming, the better things will get.

Is there anything in particular in Black history and culture that inspires your fashion perspective?

I often think about innovation as a concept and understanding that Black people have started so much and not gotten the credit for it. I want to make sure that we're giving Black creators the space to be seen and heard in a big way.

I find a lot of inspiration from fashion things, but I often also find it from Black authors and Black creatives outside of fashion because I think it's all connected.

In what ways have you seen Black fashion leaders innovating and advancing the industry  both others and yourself?

A lot of the conversations now are requiring people to understand that there needs to be an infrastructural change. You have to choose what your values are.

If you really care about equity, equality, inclusivity, and diversity, you can't continue to hold tight to this idea that you have to work with the same people you've always worked with because those are the only people that understand your vision and those are the only people that speak your language, even though you know those people are racist and don't actually care about being progressive.

In the past, people would just do the front-facing thing, and it would be deemed as good enough. Now we know so much more and understand that that's just scratching the surface of what needs to be done.

Lindsay People poses with her hand in her pocket while wearing a pantsuit and high heels against a neon green background.

Peoples hopes the fashion industry will evolve into a community sustained by love rather than politics.Mamadi Doumbouya for Insider

What do you think the future of fashion will look like, and what do you think it should look like?

I want the future of fashion to be less afraid to be honest.

I think because I'm not from here, and I'm from the Midwest and spent a lot of time in smaller places and not just big cities for fashion shows and things like that, the excitement and pure love that's not tainted by the industry that people have for fashion is really beautiful. I want that to be the future of fashion  not the politics, not the messiness of it.

What advice would you give to the next generation of fashion writers?

Oh, this is an easy one. I get so many amazing, lovely young people who love the industry but want to be famous. And I think you have to make that distinction quickly.

I don't care about fame. I don't care about the popularity of it. I'm here to do work that has longevity and stands the test of time.

There's usually a disconnect with young people of understanding that while I don't want you to have to suffer and endure certain things, you also have to work hard regardless of who you are.

I want young people to be less thirsty for attention and more hungry to do the work. Followers, being on panels, all this other stuff are additive, lovely things, but it doesn't matter. It fades away.

You have to focus on the things that are actually going to sustain you because I've seen so many people in this industry care more about the clothes, care more about how it looked on Instagram, care more about how it seemed to other people. That's the fastest way to lose track of who you are, your calling, your purpose, and your identity. So that's always my advice.

Read the original article on Insider
Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuanian Foreign Affairs Minister, promised to lobby for the provision of more weapons, ammunition, and Western-produced fighter jets to Ukraine.

Source: Landsbergis said this at a press conference in Odesa, reports the correspondent of European Pravda

A joint visit of the foreign ministers of Latvia, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and the Deputy Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland took place in Odesa on 28 April at the invitation of Ukraine's Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

Quote: "We will support you until your victory, it is our unbreakable commitment. We will support your path to NATO  your place is in NATO, with us in NATO," Landsbergis said.

Also, according to him, Lithuania will continue to support the special tribunal on the crime of aggression.

"We will lobby and advocate for more weapons and ammunition, including the F-16s you need. Because your struggle is our struggle. Because your freedom is our freedom," Landsbergis said.

As was reported earlier, Ukraine's Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba asked Ukrainian partners to accelerate the decision to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighters.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
NOAA image

If youve seen the 2004 quirky adventure-comedy movie starring Bill Murry, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, theres a fair chance youve contemplated a life at sea on your own tricked-out ex-navy vessel turned floating research and leisure ship.

Well, nows your chance!

As it turns out, something pretty similar to the Belafonte featured in the movie is up for auction on the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) website, pictured in the top shot above and in the images below.

GSA GSA GSA GSA GSA GSA GSA

At the time of writing, the going bid for the ex-Navy-Coast Guard-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) vessel now named Hiialakai is just $40,500 (although the reserve has not been met). The 225-foot ship  which the GSA indicates has a range of 20,000 nautical miles and is currently docked in Newport, Oregon  comes with its own onboard laboratories and a bunch of equipment for you to bring The Life Aquatic to life.

Glocks and orange crew beanies are not included in the auction lot, sadly.

Also the entire modeling shop staff get Glocks! pic.twitter.com/rBE5e7Hp1k  Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) March 20, 2023

Like the movie star vessel in the film, which was actually born as a Cold War Royal Navy Minesweeper, there's more to the Hiialakai's history than necessarily meets the eye. In order to trace the rich history of the vessel, we need to first look back to the 1980s, at a time when a very different kind of ocean surveillance was being undertaken.

Hiialakai started life as USNS Vindicator (T-AGOS-3), an ocean surveillance vessel with the U.S. Navy. Entering service in November 1984, Vindicator was the third vessel in the Stalwart class of ships  USNS Stalwart (T-AGOS-1) and Contender (T-AGOS-2) entered service with the Navy in April and June of 1984, respectively. The first 12 vessels in the 18-strong Stalwart class were built by the Tacoma Building Company based out of Tacoma, Washington state. T-AGOS-13 through T-AGOS-18 were subsequently built by Halter Marine Services in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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USNS Vindicator (T-AGOS-3) underway, May 6, 1985. National Museum of the U.S. Navy

The original purpose of the early Stalwart class vessels, which were all placed in non-commissioned service with Military Sealift Command, was to monitor the movement of Soviet submarines during the Cold War. Vindicator, along with other Stalwart class vessels, used the Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS) to collect acoustic data in search of Soviet submarines beneath the oceans surface. According to the Navy, SURTASS provides long range detection [of submarines] and cueing for tactical weapons platforms or other vessels of interest.

As we explained in this past War Zone piece, Stalwart class vessels were fitted with the passive version of SURTASS, before a Low Frequency Active (LFA) sonar capability was introduced in the late 1980s. With the introduction of LFA sonar capability, the Navy switched to catamaran-style Victorious class vessels (T-AGOS-19 through T-AGOS-22) for its ocean surveillance ships, however, bypassing the Stalwart class vessels.

A basic diagram showing the SURTASS system's components. U.S. Navy

According to Ken Sayers in his book, U.S. Navy Auxiliary Vessels: A History and Directory from World War I to Today, the Stalwart class vessels, including Vindicator, used four Caterpillar D-398B diesel generators with General Electric motors. Vindicator was capable of a top speed of 11 knots, with a top speed of three knots (just under three and a half miles per hour) when towing its SURTASS array. Vindicator boasted a mixed crew of around ten Navy personnel and 19 civilians working as technicians with the vessels sonar equipment.

Vindicator spent less than a decade performing submarine surveillance with the Navy, however. Following the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, the Stalwart class of vessels lost much of their raison d'etre, as Sayers notes, and were subsequently retired and discarded. USNS Vindicator was stricken and then transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard in June 1993.

USNS Vindicator (T-AGOS-3) underway, May 6, 1985. National Museum of the U.S. Navy

From June to October 1993, crew members of USCGC Tamaroa (WMEC-166) manned Vindicator during the vessel's Coast Guard acceptance trials. In May 1994, Vindicator was accepted by the Coast Guard as USCGC Vindicator (WMEC-3) for use in counternarcotics operations, with the vessel based at Norfolk, Virginia.

In June 1994, for example, USCGC Vindicator was used in support of Operation Able Manner. The operation, which began under Presidential orders in January 1994, saw Navy and Coast Guard vessels deployed to the Windward Passage  the body of water between Haiti and Cuba  in order to interdict would-be Haitian migrants venturing to the U.S. in overloaded sailboats. Some 15,955 migrants were picked-up during the month of July 1994, as the Department of Defense indicates. According to transcripts of Senate hearings for the Department of Transportation from April 1994, USCGC Vindicator was sent to the Windward Passage in order to serve as a repatriation ferry to transport migrants from the Migrant Processing Center (MPC) to a Haitian port of repatriation.

USCGC Vindicator pictured in July 1994. The exact location remains unclear. DoD photo

Shortly after this, however, USCGC Vindicator was decommissioned from the Coast Guard in August 1994. For the following five years, the vessel remained in reserve at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland. Then, in August 1999, the vessel was recommissioned. How Vindicator was used from this time, until it was decommissioned again by the Coast Guard in May 2001, remains unclear exactly.

The third act in the vessels story, before it was recently put up for auction, came when it was transferred to the NOAA in October 2001. It wasnt until September 2003 that the new vessel was commissioned, with the new name Hiialakai (a Hawaiian word meaning embracing pathways to the sea). The NOAAs flagship ocean research vessel, Hiialakai was designed to study, monitor, and protect the coral reefs of Honolulu, Hawaii, through coral reef ecosystem mapping, assessment, and monitoring.

NOAA Research Ship Hi'Ialakai off Rocky point Sand Island, Midway Atoll, June 11, 2008. Forest & Kim Starr

During the period between October 2001 and September 2003, Hiialakai was given a $4 million refit in order to perform its new ocean research mission. The vessel was co-sponsored by the late Margaret Shinobu Awamura, wife of Hawaiis then-senior senator Daniel Inouye, and Isabella A. Abbott, professor emerita at the University of Hawaii.

As documentation provided by the GSA on its auction page indicates, Hiialakai was packed with a whole host of equipment to support its ocean research mission, including multibeam sonar and echo sound equipment for underwater mapping work. Although now obsolete and no longer supported by the manufacturer, the documentation indicates, this included the Kongsberg Maritime multibeam EM300 and EM3002 sonars. The 30 kHz EM300 is capable of surveying to depths of 3000 meters, while the 300 kHz EM3002 is capable of surveying to depths of 150 meters.

In addition, the vessel features a host of navigational systems, as well as a 46-foot telescoping boom with a designed lifting capacity of 6,600 pounds at full extension on deck. The full list of equipment on board (and being sold with) Hiialakai, compiled by the GSA, can be seen below.

Assets being sold along with the NOAA Ship Hi'ialakai as part of the auction. GSA

Hiialakai was designed to support up to 50 personnel on board, split almost evenly between officers/crew and scientists, and featured a wet and dry laboratory and an electronics laboratory. The vessel also boasted specialized diving equipment (including a three-person decompression chamber) affording scientists the opportunity to participate in deep-water dive projects. It also can carry its own little armada of rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs).

Hi'Ialakai off the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, date unknown. NOAA image

Ultimately, Hiialakai was officially decommissioned by the NOAA in December 2020 after a period of inactivity in 2019. During its latter years with the NOAA, extensive corrosion, pipe failures, and propulsion problems were discovered onboard  a perfect fit for the next-generation Belafonte.

Whichever bidder ends up winning the auction  if the reserve is indeed met  will clearly need some serious funds to bring Hiialakai back to life. But, if youre interested, it may just be the closest youll get to living like Steve Zissou on the Belafonte for real.

Contact the author: oliver@thewarzone.com
The jury in the Lori Vallow Daybell trial  who will decide whether the 49-year-old Rexburg mother is guilty of murder  heard for the first time from a member of Tammy Daybells family Thursday.

Tammy Daybell was married to Chad Daybell for nearly 30 years, and they had five children together. But quickly after her death, Chad Daybell married Vallow Daybell. Chad and Vallow Daybell are charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of two of Vallow Daybells children: 7-year-old Joshua JJ Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan. Theyre also accused of conspiring to murder the two children as well as Tammy Daybell.

Samantha Gwilliam in emotional testimony Thursday described her sister, Tammy Daybell, as an animal-loving introvert who loved her large family.

Chad and Lori Daybell  who had a months-long affair  got married on a Hawaii beach two weeks after Tammy Daybells body was buried in a Utah cemetery, according to witnesses throughout the trial.

To be convicted of the first-degree murder charges, the jury will need to conclude that they killed, encouraged or commanded someone else to kill Vallow Daybells children.

READ MORE: Lori Vallow Daybells case spans 3 states, 4 deaths. Here are all the key people involved.

Lori Vallow Daybells trial began early this month and could last another four weeks. Chad has a hearing scheduled for May 4.

Authorities said they believe Vallow Daybells brother Alex Cox also conspired to kill JJ, Tylee and Tammy Daybell, according to the indictment filed by prosecution teams from Madison and Fremont counties. Cox died of natural causes in 2019.

Vallow Daybell also faces a felony charge for allegedly conspiring to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, with her brother.

Tammy Daybell would have been 53 next week. Gwilliam continued testifying Friday morning.

12:45 p.m.  Tammy Daybell was very healthy, witness says

Tammy Daybells co-worker Shanna Miller said during her testimony Friday afternoon that Tammy Daybell was very healthy and in great shape.

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Miller said she and Tammy Daybell together attended a fitness class where theyd do high-interval exercises, like burpees and jumping jacks. Miller added that Tammy was preparing to run a 5K with her daughter.

Kelsey Harris also testified Friday and said she instructed a clogging class that Tammy Daybell attended. Harris said Tammy Daybell was attending the class in the weeks before her death.

The day before Tammy Daybell died, Miller said Tammy was happy and jovial at school. Miller said she didnt observe Tammy cough, and that she didnt appear sick.

Friday I see her at school  things are great  then the next I hear shes passed, Miller said.

12:30 a.m.  Tammy Daybell blocked Charles Vallows email account

Sugar Salem School District Technology Director Spencer Cook during his testimony said Tammy Daybell, who worked as an assistant librarian at the school, blocked an email account.

Cook said the email came from an account belonging to Charles Vallow on June 29, 2019.

Detective Nathan Duncan, from the Chandler Police Department in Arizona, previously testified and presented evidence that Charles Vallow emailed Tammy Daybell to inform her about the affair between Chad and Lori Vallow Daybell. In the email on June 29, 2019, Charles Vallow said he had some vital and disturbing information regarding their spouses.

10 a.m.  Witnesses testify about Tammy Daybells death

Several witnesses  including Fremont County Coroner Brenda Dye  in testimony late Friday morning said Tammy Daybell had woken up with a coughing fight on Oct. 18, 2019, according to their conversations with Chad Daybell.

Chad Daybell told Dye, along with then-Fremont County Deputy Coroner Cammy Willmore, that he woke up around 5:40 a.m. after he felt Tammy Daybell partially fall out of bed. Police arrived at the house by 6 a.m., according to Rexburg Police Officer Alyssa Greenhalgh.

Photos of the Daybells bedroom showed her lying diagonally on the bed. Chad told police he and his son moved Tammys body back onto the bed before authorities arrived.

Greenhalgh said Chad Daybell told her that after he felt Tammy Daybell fall out of bed, he told her to wake up and called his son into the room. All of the witnesses  Dye, Willmore and Greenhalgh  said Chad Daybell told them Tammy Daybell hadnt been feeling well in the days surrounding her death.

Dye said she estimated Tammy Daybells time of death around midnight to 2 a.m. based on rigor mortis, which is the stiffening of an individuals joints and muscles after theyve died. She added that Tammy Daybells abdomen was cold to the touch, which Dye said is the last place that stays warm.

I asked Chad how she could fall out of bed if she was already deceased, Dye said.

Dye said Chad Daybell told her he must have pulled the top sheet off of Tammy Daybell and released her body.

There was also a pink-reddish foam, which was a mixture of blood and fluids, surrounding Tammy Daybells mouth, according to the witnesses and autopsy photos presented in court. Willmore called the foam around Tammy Daybells mouth odd.

Dye said she didnt decide to do an autopsy and initially ruled that Tammy Daybell died from a pulmonary edema because of a seizure-like episode. She added that part of her conclusion was based on information that Chad Daybell and his daughter gave him.

Tammy Daybell died by asphyxiation in October 2019, Fremont County Prosecutor Lindsey Blake said during opening statements.

The court broke for a lunch break at 11:30 a.m.

9:30 a.m.  We just found my mom. Daybell family calls 911

In roughly 30 minutes the prosecution called several witnesses to testify about the attempted shooting of Tammy Daybell.

On Oct. 9, 2019  10 days before Tammy Daybell died  someone attempted to shoot at her with a paintball gun, said Colter Cannon, a Fremont County sheriffs deputy. He said that Tammy Daybell told him she saw someone point a paintball gun at her. She heard two pops and then screamed for Chad.

Cannon said that police werent able to find any bullets or marks from a paintball gun, and in January 2020, they searched the area for evidence but werent able to find anything.

Prosecutors in the indictment alleged that Vallow Daybells brother attempted to shoot Tammy Daybell.

In a brief 911 call on Oct. 19, 2019, one of Chad Daybells sons called dispatch to report the death of his mother, Tammy Daybell. Christina West, who worked as a dispatcher at the Fremont County Sheriffs Office, received the call and testified about the recording.

We just found my mom, the Daybells son told West. He then said through tears that she was on the ground, and he didnt know what was wrong.

Then Chad Daybell took over the phone call.

Hi Im Chad, the husband, he said in the 911 recording, sounding distraught. Shes clearly dead.

8:30 a.m.  Chad Daybell told Tammy Daybells sister that Vallow Daybell had a lot of money





Gwilliam wrapped up her testimony Friday morning and provided an inside look into Tammy and Chad Daybells publishing company, Springcreek Books.

Chad Daybell, who was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, authored several fictional books about the end-times and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Gwilliam said that the Daybells company published books written by Chad Daybell as well as other authors.

A lot was probably based on what he thought would happen in the future, but it was still a fictional story, Gwilliam said about Chad Daybells books.

Witnesses told the jury Chad and Lori Vallow Daybell, who was also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, believed that the world was going to end in July 2020. They also had fringe beliefs that people could be possessed by dark spirits, witnesses said in testimony, and that the spirits would need to be cast out.

Chad Daybell in one of his books, an autobiography, wrote about two near-death experiences.

When people talk about their spiritual experiences, we dont write that down, Gwilliam said.

When asked by Vallow Daybells defense attorney Jim Archibald whether Chad Daybell was trying to make money off his spiritual experiences, Gwilliam said the answer is complicated.

Archibald also asked Gwilliam whether Tammy Daybell ever mentioned that Chad Daybell had a vision she would die. Several witnesses have said in testimony that Chad Daybell believed Tammy Daybell would die young.

No, she never mentioned that to me, Gwilliam responded.

Gwilliam said she called Chad Daybell after her sister died and questioned him about his new marriage with Lori Valllow Daybell. In November 2019, around two months after the children were last seen, Chad told her that Vallow Daybell didnt have any children, and that they were going to be empty nesters. Gwilliam added that Chad Daybell mentioned Vallow Daybell had lots of money.

I had no reason to suspect Chad, I had no reason to suspect anything, Gwilliam said.

But she added that as a spiritual person, she was concerned that something happened to her sister.
ISLAMABAD, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Cooperation between Pakistan and China in the field of traditional medicine can bring fruitful results and serve humanity across the globe, Pakistani experts have said.

"In Pakistan, 70 percent population relies on traditional medicine for various diseases, so through cooperation with China, we are not only looking to launch traditional Chinese medicine in Pakistan, but also promote our own traditional 'Greek medicine' and streamline it to establish its proper market," said Professor Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, coordinator general of the Standing Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC-COMSTECH).

Speaking to Xinhua on Thursday on the sidelines of an event here themed on strengthening cooperation between China and the OIC in traditional medicine, Choudhary said the OIC member states including Iran and Indonesia are exploring traditional medicines, and in this regard, COMSTECH seeks to facilitate liaison between OIC member states and Chinese institutions for strengthening cooperation in the field of healthcare.

A delegation of 16 Chinese comprising researchers and industrialists from central China's Hunan Province is currently visiting Pakistan to participate in the dialogue for collaboration in the fields of traditional medicine and biomedical sciences in the sphere of research, education, and industrial linkages.

The delegation also attended the event and showed interest in cooperating with Pakistan to promote traditional Chinese medicine, some of whose trials are also being conducted at Karachi University of Pakistan's south Sindh province.

Speaking at the event, President of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine Dai Aiguo said that in recent years, the acceptance rate of traditional Chinese medicine in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has become higher, and cooperation between traditional Chinese medicine and traditional medicine of other countries has become extensive.

The professor said that in the future, the integration and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine and modern technology will become a new highlight and new engine in the construction of the BRI.

In his remarks, Syed Farooq Bukhari, chairman of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association, said that the Sino-COMSTECH collaboration initiative provides an excellent opportunity for Pakistan to learn from China's experiences to develop strategies and policies that are tailored to its own needs and priorities. 
A group of Los Angeles students gathered on an April morning in the courtyard of Alexander Hamilton High School, wooden skateboard decks in hand.

Their freshly sanded and white-primed boards were blank canvases  but not for long.

They will soon be adorned with the students creative graphic designs in memory of Tyre Nichols, a Sacramento, California-born father, photographer and skateboarder who appreciated art.

Nichols died after being beaten by Memphis, Tennessee, police during a January traffic stop.

The students goal: Design skateboards that honor Nichols and capture his unique style. They want to celebrate his life and shine a light on police reform, said Stephanie Mack, owner of Los Angeles-based Cater 2 Sk8r, a mobile snack truck that alsosells skateboarding equipment.

Alexander Hamilton High School students Dylan Songco, Rubi Aparicio and Wendy Lopez hold their primed skateboard decks. The boards will be decorated with their unique art as part of the Tyre Nichols Project.

The designs are "quite a different spectrum, said Mack, who is leading the project.

Students plan to finish the project by graduation in May. Much of the process was captured on camera by Regal Pics, a film and photography company. Their project and interviews will be turned into a documentary.

Being a part of this is helping other people notice what happened to Tyre, and also see the kids that are actually in support of changing the reforms and making a difference, Regal Pics owner Megan Love said.

HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED? Why we should make this the enduring image of Tyre Nichols

MULTIPLE FORMS OF NEGLIGENCE: Tyre Nichols' family files lawsuit against Memphis police

The short film and project, which will highlight the students as new artists, will debut around the time of the students graduation in May, according to Mack. The documentary will be shown during a high school assembly and entered into Los Angeles-area film festivals, she said.

Emiliano Garcia, 17, a student at Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, creates a rose-themed skateboard design as part of an art project honoring Tyre Nichols.

How the Tyre Nichols Project began

Last September, Alexander Hamilton High Schools graphic design and yearbook department contacted Mack for a donation of 26 blank skateboard decks for the students final art project.

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Their original plan was to give the students free rein to design and create whatever art they wanted using Adobe Illustrator. For three months, they sketched and planned their ideas, Mack said. Then, on Jan. 7, Nichols was severely beaten by five Memphis police officers. He died three days later.

I was devastated, I just wept, said Mack, whose oldest son is around Nichols age.Nichols was 29 when he died.

She thought of ways to celebrate Nichols. Cater 2 Sk8r's founder and most of the art students pivoted their design plans to create the Tyre Nichols Project, which will include a documentary of the students' work.

This film will be a lasting imprint of his life, Mack said.

Honoring Tyre Nichols through art

Alexander Hamilton, a public high school in Los Angeles' Castle Heights neighborhood, enrolls more than 2,300 students, more than half of whom are Hispanic. The graphic design class working on the skateboards is part of the school's Communication Arts Academy, a college preparatory school for students interested in visual and communicative arts.

Rubi Aparicio, an 18-year-old senior and Los Angeles native, is one of the students altering her design to honor Nichols.

Rubi Aparicio, 18, a senior at Alexander Hamilton HIgh School in Los Angeles, is honoring Tyre Nichols through a hearts-themed skateboard design. The board features the phrase "I love you" in French along with Nichols' initials inside one of the hearts.

On the backside of the skateboard, I drew a bunch of hearts with little faces and puckered lips, and on the front, it says I love you in French, Aparicio said.

She plans to add Nichols initials to one of the hearts, with his full name written under the phrase je t'aime. Herartwork is inspired by her belief that the world needs love.

We never know what people are going through, she said.

The students have receivedguidance from Los Angeles muralist Mike Norice, who often works with youths and has designed skateboards.

This generation has seen a lot, Tyre Nichols, George Floyd and others who have been killed by police, Norice said. These kids are very radical, they're a different new tech generation that wants to show their feelings, especially through art."

Alexander Hamilton High School student Kevin Gomez sands his blank skateboard in preparation for transferring his graphic design onto its surface as part of the Los Angeles school's Tyre Nichols Project.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tyre Nichols honored by LA art students through skateboard project
Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed president of the Republic of Belarus, said during a meeting with residents of the Homiel Oblast, located near the Ukrainian border, that no one will attack Belarus, including Ukraine.

Source: Nasha Niva, a Belarusian media outlet, citing Lukashenko as quoted by Belta, a Belarusian state news agency

Details: Lukashenko said that Homiel and Brest oblasts were "frontline" oblasts. Both are located near the Ukrainian border.

Quote from Lukashenko: "But I know better than you that we shouldnt get involved in this large-scale fighting. We are learning from this experience. We are looking to make our army stronger. So you shouldnt worry. I want to be at war even less than you do. I also have children. And you are all also my children. I dont want to have to send you to the front. So calm down, keep doing your jobs.

No one is going to attack us. Including Ukrainians. And the westerners that I meet tell me: Alexander Grigoryevich [Lukashenkos patronymic], Mr President, neither the Ukrainians nor the Poles are going to go after you. Maybe theyre not planning to. But we have to be prepared for everything. Raise your children. Ideally, as many as possible."

Background:

Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed president of the Republic of Belarus and Russias ally in its war of aggression against Ukraine, signed an order announcing 2023 the "Year of Peace" on 1 January 2023.

In summer 2022, Lukashenko said that Belarusian troops may have to fight for the west of Ukraine so that it is "not chopped off by the West."

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!








Federal agents said they caught a man red-handed as he was bringing in and distributing cocaine in Central Florida.

Investigators said the drugs were seized as part of a joint effort involving federal and local agencies.

Investigators said they intercepted a package believed to be carrying drugs or drug money. They said they delivered it to a community mailbox and arrested the suspect, identified as Christian Arroyo-Rivera, 29, when he came to pick it up.

Arroyo-Rivera is now facing federal charges for possession with intent to distribute cocaine after a bust last year.

Read: Man, 19, accused of stealing mail using key stolen from Central Florida mail carrier

Federal agents refer to Arroyo-Rivera as a known parcel shipment coordinator and cocaine distributor operating in the Central Florida area.

Investigators said they intercepted a package from Puerto Rico that was addressed to his home on Live Oak Ridge Road in Kissimmee. A U.S. postal inspector posing as a mail carrier delivered the box to a mail drop box and left him a key.

Read: 9 Investigates ongoing problem of attacks on mail carriers for universal mail key

Federal agents said they then watched Arroyo-Rivera as he picked it up.

Records show they found two kilos of cocaine in the package and a handgun in his car with no serial numbers.

The Postal Inspection Service said this is a crime it takes seriously.

Read: Attack on Seminole County mail carrier for special key the latest in growing crime trend

Were looking to prevent any damage being done or harming society with these dangerous drugs, so we get as many as we can as often as we can off the street, said Rick Johnsten with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Investigators said Arroyo-Rivera told them he was getting paid between $600 and $800 to receive the package and that he knew it would contain cocaine.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
The Memphis Police Department has arrested and charged a man they say is responsible for a string of kidnappings and sexual assaults in various South Memphis communities.

MPD, which partnered with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation for the case, said they had arrested a man about 5:15 p.m. Thursday, according to a press release. The man was identified by two victims, but police did not identify the man who was arrested, nor say what his charges were.

"The suspect was positively identified by two juvenile victims whose identities will remain protected," the statement said. "The Memphis Police Department will be working closely with the Shelby County DA's Office to ensure successful prosecution in this case."

Laderio Gordon, 29, was booked at the Shelby County Jail Friday and charged with especially aggravated kidnapping, rape of a child and employing of a firearm with intent to commit a felony. MPD Public Information Officer Sgt. Louis Brownlee later confirmed to The Commercial Appeal Gordon was the man arrested Thursday.

Also: Memphis, Shelby County to lose millions in revenue due to sales ratio; Assessor considers lawsuit

According to an arrest affidavit obtained in court records, MPD first responded to the 1500 block of Ragan in the Cane Creek Apartments on April 13. A 12-year-old girl was walking to school when Gordon approached her in a 2018 Ford Escape at 9:44 a.m.

"Gordon order [the girl] into the vehicle at gunpoint and and proceeded to drive away from the location," the affidavit read. "Gordon told [the girl] to turn her phone off, at which point she restarted her phone, but did not completely power it off."

The affidavit goes on to say Gordon then sexually assaulted the girl while he was driving. After the assault, the affidavit says, Gordon offered to pay the girl and released her near the same spot she was taken at 10 a.m..

The affidavit said there were multiple cameras that caught the abduction and release on surveillance cameras.

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Gordon was interviewed at the Airways Station and the affidavit said he then told officers he picked the girl up in his girlfriend's black truck. Officers also wrote in the affidavit that Gordon "identified the vehicle in the surveillance photo" and went on to confirm he sexually assaulted the girl and then let her out where he had picked her up.

MPD first announced on Tuesday they were searching for a man they believed was connected to multiple kidnappings and sexual assaults throughout the South Memphis communities of Gaslight, Bunker Hill and Cane Creek.

In Thursday's release, MPD said "two juvenile victims" identified the man arrested Thursday as the man who kidnapped them.

MPD did not say if more charges were pending, but Brownlee said detectives are still interviewing potential victims and continuing to investigate the case. MPD is asking for other victims, or near victims, to come forward and call Crime Stoppers at (901)528-2274.

Lucas Finton is a criminal justice reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com and followed on Twitter @LucasFinton.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Man arrested, charged in connection to string of South Memphis kidnappings
A Texas man on a date fatally shot a fake parking attendant who scammed him of $40 before returning to his dinner. (KTRK)

A Texas man in the middle of a date fatally shot a fake parking attendant who scammed him of $40 before returning to his dinner.

Erick Aguirre, 29, allegedly told his date that everything was fine after he allegedly killed 46-year-old Elliot Nix in a car park near Houstons Rodeo Goat restaurant.

Police say that Mr Aguirre and his date had parked their vehicles near the burger spot and were told by the victim it would cost them $20 each.

A probable cause affidavit states that the suspect paid $40 but was later told by restaurant staff that Mr Nix did not work for the parking lot, reported NBC News.

After allegedly attacking Mr Nix, the suspect told his date he had just scared the victim. But court records state that instead of taking their table the couple left as Mr Aguirre looked uncomfortable.

Police say that the suspects date contacted them several days later after officials released a picture of the couple.

She wanted to do the right thing. She wanted to make sure that she came forward and told the police what she knew, Rick DeToto, the womans attorney told KPRC.

A witness later told investigators that he had seen Mr Aguirre go to his car, grab a gun and go after Mr Nix. When the men were out of his view he then heard a gun go off.

Mr Nix died later in hospital.

The suspect, who lives near Corpus Christi, Texas, appeared in court on Thursday on murder charges.
Two grenades, five guns, a lot of ammo, and nearly 20 pounds of marijuana were found in an apartment complex in uptown Charlotte.

Thats according to a search warrant Channel 9s Hunter Saenz uncovered Friday. The warrant also revealed that the suspect involved was already on the radar of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for allegedly posting videos threatening to blow up their patrol cars.

Last week, police said they pulled over Farran Harrison near his Third Ward apartment for fictitious tags on what turned out to be a Dodge Charger stolen from Virginia.

But according to the search warrant, a detective also noticed a be on the lookout alert for Harrison because of videos he posted of him holding explosives behind CMPD patrol vehicles. The post was captioned with Say I wont.

Police said in the warrant affidavit that it was very concerning because Harrison is obviously someone who is not mentally stable, and hes someone who feels its OK to threaten law enforcement.

Daniel Redford with the Charotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police said the warrant troubled him as he read it.

ALSO READ: Arrests made after armed robberies during Facebook Marketplace sales, warrants say

Its very disheartening and unnerving to know that there are people out there that will purposefully target police officers, Redford told Channel 9.

During a search of Harrisions apartment, police said they found explosives, guns, and marijuana.

To date, Harrison has not been charged in connection with any of the threats he has made. But hes facing several other charges including possession of a stolen motor vehicle, carrying a concealed gun, and trafficking marijuana.

It goes to show you the passion the officers have, that they turned this stolen motor vehicle into getting so many dangerous weapons off the street, Redford said.

However, he said he is still worried because Harrison is currently out on bond.

The equipment he had has been taken away, but the fact that he got it in the first place. I mean, is he going to be able to go back and get more? Redford explained.

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Police said two other passengers were in the stolen vehicle with Harrison. They were also arrested and are facing other charges.

Channel 9 reached out to CMPD about this incident but the department declined to comment.

VIDEO: Arrests made after armed robberies during Facebook Marketplace sales, warrants say
[Source]

A San Jose resident and several of his associates believed to be behind illegal drug and underground gambling operations are now in custody following a series of San Jose Police Department (SJPD) raids last week.

Detectives from the Burglary Prevention Unit (BPU) with the SJPD identified Chuong Ho, 43, as both the primary suspect and the mastermind behind a criminal organization that operated illegal underground casinos across the city.

Ho and his associates were booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on numerous charges. The SJPD, however, did not elaborate on Hos charges and how many of his associates have been arrested.

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The BPU conducted a massive raid operation on Thursday at six locations in the city, as well as another address in the city of Los Banos, California, which is about 79 miles away from San Jose.

The raided addresses include:

2000 block of Whittington Drive in San Jose

1000 block of Commercial Court in San Jose

400 block of East Williams Street in San Jose

200 block of Prairiewood Court in San Jose

3000 block of Capewood Lane in San Jose

1800 block of Harbor View Avenue in San Jose

21000 block of Ingomar Grade in Los Banos

BPU detectives reportedly began their investigation after receiving complaints from community members about how the illegal activities, such as gambling and drug use, affected their safety.

More from NextShark: Indian police station officer arrested for sexually assaulting teen girl who was reporting sexual assault

They generate a lot of quality of life issues. But also behind the scenes, they create a lot of criminality associated not only with the casinos but firearms, drug consumption, drug possession," San Jose Police Spokesperson Officer Steven Aponte said, according to CBS News.

A neighbor of one of the raided houses who did not want to be identified told the news network that they kept seeing people coming in and out of the house 24 hours a day.

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The large-scale operation was conducted with the assistance of several units within the SJPD, such as the Covert Response Unit and Special Operations, as well as officers from the Santa Clara Police Department, the Department of Motor Vehicles and U.S. Postal Inspectors.

More from NextShark: U-Haul truck driver rampages through Brooklyn pedestrians, leaving 1 dead, 8 injured

The authorities reportedly seized more than $285,000 in cash, dozens of illegal gambling machines, 11 firearms, more than eight pounds of crystal methamphetamine and cocaine, 500 MDMA pills and more than 2,000 pieces of stolen mail.

More from NextShark: Teen Charged With Murder For Shooting Stepfather at Birthday Celebration in Houston
A man accused of biting off part of a police officers finger as he was escorted off a train in California has been arrested, according to police.

At 10:15 a.m. on April 27 Los Angeles police personnel were patrolling the Metro Red Line when they noticed a man on the train with narcotic paraphernalia, according to a news release shared on Twitter by the department.

Police escorted the man off the train to conduct a narcotic investigation, officials said.

The man became violent and fought with the officers, according to police.

Officials said during the altercation, the man bit off a portion of a police sergeants finger.

The officer was taken to a hospital for treatment, officials said.

It can be a little scary here sometimes, said Dexter Norwood, a witness told KTLA. You just got to make sure you pay attention to your surroundings.

KTLA said doctors confirmed the officers fingertip was not able to be reattached.

The man was arrested on charges of mayhem and resisting an executive order, officials said.

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A man has been charged in connection with an April 13 altercation during which a gun discharged on a MetroLink train in East St. Louis, according to the St. Clair County Sheriffs Department.

John Goliday, 57, is charged with felon in possession of a firearm, said Master Sgt. Adam Quinn. The St. Clair County States Attorneys office issued the charge on Thursday.

Goliday was taken into custody at 2:08 p.m. Friday at the Fairview Heights MetroLink station without incident, said Sheriffs Sgt. James Hendricks.

Altercation on the train

Heres how authorities described what happened the night of the altercation.

After speaking with two witnesses who were on board the train and at the station at Fifth and Missouri that night, we were able to determine that two individuals were on an eastbound train who had just come to Illinois from Missouri who were involved in a verbal disturbance on board the train, Hendricks said at the time.

He said the verbal disturbance turned into a physical altercation, with one man hitting the other on the head with a gun. During that battery the firearm went off and a bullet was discharged. It did not strike anybody, Hendricks said.

Many of the people on board the train were returning from a Cardinals game.
A Passaic man will serve 23 years in a federal prison for his part in a pair of armed bank robberies, the U.S. Justice Department announced.

Jose Soto, 53, was sentenced on Thursday, having been convicted of executing two daring bank robberies in Passaic and Little Falls in February 2020, along with Nicholas Ortiz of Paterson, according to charges filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office at the time.

On Feb. 6, Soto entered a PNC Bank in Passaic with an accomplice, reportedly Ortiz, U.S. attorneys said. While one of the defendants allegedly brandished a handgun and demanded that all of the bank's occupants get on the floor, the other is said to have leaped over the counter and forced a teller to hand over cash from the bank's drawers.

Passaic County: Advocacy group calls for DOJ to consider consent decree for Paterson Police Department

Then, on Feb. 27, the two allegedly entered a Valley National Bank in Little Falls, where they were accused of pulling off a similar heist. But that time, they looted the bank's vault and locked all witnesses inside before fleeing through a rear exit, according to past statements from the Justice Department.

Both men were eventually indicted on bank robbery, conspiracy and weapons charges.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to a request for the current status of the court's case against Ortiz, who was not named in Friday's announcement.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ man sentenced for Passaic, Little Falls bank robberies
KHOST, Afghanistan, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Afghan police have busted an eight-member gang of robbers and thieves in the eastern Khost province, the state-run Bakhtar news agency reported Friday.

The arrested gang members were involved in criminal activities including armed robbery, kidnapping, theft, and creating law and order problems in Khost province and its vicinity, the report said.

All the arrested men have been referred to concerned bodies for further interrogation.

In similar operations, police captured over a dozen criminals in the capital Kabul a couple of weeks ago.

The Afghan caretaker government has vowed to crack down on criminal elements in the war-ravaged country. 
A 34-year-old man died Friday afternoon, three days after he was found shot in a crashed vehicle on the city's East Side.

Brian Borghetti, 34, was found around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday inside a vehicle that had crashed on the 700 block of Northview Avenue. Borghetti had been shot and was rushed to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center in critical condition.

UNDER FIRE: Who pulled the trigger? How Columbus police are finding ways to battle gun violence

At 1:15 p.m. Friday, Borghetti died from his injuries.

Columbus police have not identified any suspects or motivation for the shooting.

Anyone with information is asked to call Columbus homicide detectives at 614-645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS. Callers can be anonymous.

bbruner@dispatch.com

@bethany_bruner

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Man dies 3 days after being found shot in car on Columbus' East Side
A 60-year-old man died Wednesday at the Ventress Correctional Facility after struggling to breathe, Alabama prison officials say.

Medical staff treated Marcus Antonio Williams and held him for monitoring. His condition worsened, and staff arranged for him to go to the hospital, according to a news release from the Alabama Department of Corrections.

"Inmate Williams became unresponsive, and staff began life-saving measures. Hospital transport arrived and that staff assisted in life-saving measures..." the release stated. They were unable to resuscitate him, and the attending physician declared Williams dead.

"The ADOC Law Enforcement Services Division is investigating Williams death," the news release stated. "Cause of death is pending an autopsy and the conclusion of the investigation."

Fellow prisoners knew Williams as Demarcus and claimed he was 64. They said that Williams' death is the result of medical negligience.

Williams had been to the infirmary twice, and each time medical staff sent him back to his cell, said Ventress inmate Bernard Jemison.

Jemison took Williams to the infirmary for a third time. He died an hour and a half later, Jemison said.

Jemison said Williams was sweating profusely and was having trouble breathing, but that health concerns are not taken seriously enough. This happens too often," Jemison said.

More: 17-year-old arrested for murder Police arrest Montgomery 17-year-old in March 30 murder

Alex Gladden is the Montgomery Advertiser's public safety reporter. She can be reached at agladden@gannett.com or on Twitter @gladlyalex.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Man dies in Alabama prison; inmates allege medical neglect
Cincinnati police are on the scene investigating a deadly shooting in Over-the-Rhine early Friday.

Officers responded to East Liberty and Main streets around 2:30 a.m. after receiving a report of a man shot in the chest laying in the street.

A man in his 20s was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and was pronounced dead, police said.

Police are blocking roads in the area.

Enquirer media partner Fox19 provided this report

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Over-the-Rhine shooting: Man killed at Main Street and East Liberty
Crimea

"This information comes from both (Russian) state banks and the Crimean (branch of Russias) Railway, which indicates comprehensive preparation measures (are being taken)," the statement said.

Read also: Occupiers ramp up efforts in search of guerrillas in occupied Crimea  NRC

As clarified by the NRC, local top managers and their families are the ones expected to be evacuated.

Read also: Russians using fortified positions atop Zaporizhzhya NPP to fire at Ukraine  photos

"For now, they are talking about paid leave," the message added.

According to Reuters, the most robust fortifications built by Russian forces are located in the southern part of the Zaporizhzhya Oblast and at the approaches to Crimea.

Read also: Russia has removed all military equipment from northern Crimea base  Radio Liberty

Ukrainian Military Intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov previously said that Ukraine will regain control of Crimea through a combination of both military force and diplomacy.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Meteorologist Craig "Ceecee" Croskery has spent the last two years identifying, verifying and logging buildings that he described as "almost impossible" for the average citizen to easily find, despite the fact that they are meant to be places of refuge in life-threatening severe weather events.

Mere seconds can mean the difference between life and death when a tornado strikes -- and time matters even more when seeking out the closest public storm shelter.

"It matters because oftentimes seconds count, and that extra time can help people get to safe shelter," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said.

GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

However, Croskery found many were difficult to locate and others that were listed as storm shelters weren't built to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) code.

"It's almost impossible in many cases unless they drive by it or unless they get an exact address, and even then, the GPS isn't that great," Croskery told AccuWeather Managing Editor of Content and Specials Monica Danielle in an interview.

Croskery, a Ph.D. student at Mississippi State University, has taken it upon himself to create a state-by-state database of tornado shelters.

The dots he uses to identify each location are color-coded. The colors help identify if a shelter isn't wheelchair accessible, the building type, its capacity and other details.

These spaces are open to everyone, whether those seeking them out live in a foundation-based home or a mobile home.

On average, 72% of all tornado-related fatalities occur in homes, 54% of which are in mobile homes, according to the National Weather Service. Someone in a mobile home is 15 to 20 times more likely to be killed than their counterparts sheltering in a site-built home.

Mobile homes provide little to no shelter from tornadoes, so residents should have an emergency preparedness plan ready and research the closest community tornado shelter, experts say.

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In the case that you and your family are unable to make it to a storm shelter in time, here are some other ways to take shelter.

Rooms like closets, bathrooms and other rooms without windows are typically the go-to shelter location for people in on-site homes during a tornado. The best place to go, if possible, would be a pre-designated shelter area such as a safe room, basement, storm cellar or the lowest building level.

AccuWeather Senior On-Air Meteorologist Geoff Cornish explained that knowing the acronym DUCK could be life-saving.

D - get Down to the lowest level.

U - get Under something sturdy.

C - Cover your head.

K - Keep in a shelter until the storm has passed.

"If you have a basement, that's the best place to be when a tornado warning is issued," said Cornish. "If you don't have a basement, and that's the case for many in the Midwest, get into a small interior room like a bathroom or closet that does not have windows [and has] multiple walls between you and the outside world."

While there is no guaranteed safe place to take shelter in a tornado, staying in a mobile home during severe weather is extremely dangerous, even if it's tied down properly. Residents should have a plan in place to give themselves plenty of time to drive to a shelter.

However, Croskery has noted that many tornado shelters don't open until there is an active tornado warning.

"Thirteen minutes is the average lead time for a tornado. That's not a lot of time to get there, get in, get even out of bed in some cases," he said. "And that can be something that emergency managers have to work on going forward."

Part of having a tornado plan ready should include visiting the closest tornado shelter to become familiar with where to go and how to get there rather than relying on GPS.

Experts advise motorists to stay off the road until severe weather clears; however, there are ways to lessen any danger if it strikes while driving.

AccuWeather Storm Warning Meteorologist William Clark warned there aren't any completely safe options if someone is driving near a tornado, just less dangerous ones.

This includes never seeking shelter under a bridge or overpass, which can amplify the speeds of the winds and offer little to no protection from flying debris.

Gene Fulton and his family were driving home in his truck when a tornado on Friday, March 24, flipped the vehicle. Both Fulton and his family made it out of the tornado with no major injuries. (AccuWeather/Bill Wadell)

"The safest option is always to seek shelter in a sturdy structure, especially underground," Clark said. "This can be achieved if the tornado is visible at a far distance and there is light traffic, by driving at right angles to the perceived path of the tornado and seeking shelter in a sturdy building off the roadway."

If reaching a structure is not possible, experts recommend staying in the car with your seat belt on, getting as low as possible and finding cover. It's essential to protect your head.

"If you are unable to make it to a safe shelter, either get down in your car and cover your head or abandon your car and seek shelter in a low-lying area such as a ditch or ravine," the National Weather Service recommends. Other hazards to be aware of when seeking shelter in a ditch is there can be debris and flooding dangers. Covering your head is still essential in this scenario.

Additional reporting by AccuWeather Managing Editor of Content and Specials Monica Danielle and AccuWeather National Reporter Emmy Victor.

Visit www.accuweather.com/tornadoweek to follow along with coverage.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Mariposa County will receive federal assistance and recovery centers to help support the recovery from 2022 and 2023 winter storms as well as from the last summers Oak Fire.

As part of the assistance, the county has been approved for Single Family Housing Rural Disaster Home Repair Grants through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to a Mariposa County news release. The grants are for residents whose homes suffered damage during the Oak Fire in the summer of 2022 as well as residents whose homes suffered damage due to winter storms in late December 2022.

According to the county, the grants focus on providing funding to low-income and very low-income homeowners whose property sustained damage, to help with site preparation and repair expenses. It could even help cover the cost of moving a manufactured home to a new location.

Residents can apply for the grant through the disaster assistance website and additional resources for Oak Fire Survivors can be found at the FEMA website.

In addition to the home repair grants through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the county also has been approved for federal assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as well as the Small Business Associations Office of Disaster Recovery and Resiliency. The the assistance is for the the series of winter storms the area experienced which started on Feb. 21 of this year.

Mariposa County residents and business owners who register through FEMA will automatically be moved through the process of finding assistance that they may be eligible to receive. According to the release, people are likely to experience different path options, but all are encouraged to register.

According to the release, a home inspection by FEMA is required as part of the process in order to verify losses. The county said the process usually takes between 30-45 minutes and the FEMA inspector will present their badge including a photo ID before they begin any inspection.

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The county warns residents to not proceed with the inspection if the inspector does not present photo ID and FEMA will never charge a fee for the inspection. If you are asked to pay for the inspection, do not proceed, according to the release.

Residents should also be cautions of potentially fraudulent behavior. If contacted by someone claiming to be with FEMA, residents can ask for their name, photo ID and request that they confirm the FEMA application number generated during registration.

Residents are also warned to not provide payment or financial information as FEMA representatives will not request those items.

Additionally, Mariposa County in partnership with the California Office of Emergency Services, SBA and FEMA has opened two Disaster Resource Centers. One of the resource centers is located at the Greeley Hill Community Center, 10332 Fisk Road in Coulterville and is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The other Disaster Resource Center is located at Midpines Hall, 6364 Highway 140 in Midpines and is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday though Saturday. According to the release, the Coulterville location will remain operational until May 18, while the Midpines location will remain operational until May 25. The closing dates may be extended if there is a continued need for the centers.

According to the county, residents who experienced damage due to the storms are encouraged to register for assistance. Both individuals and businesses can register through the disaster assistance website, by calling 800-621-3362 or by downloading the FEMA app. Residents and businesses can also register by visiting a Disaster Resource Center, according to the release.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) railed against climate change mitigation programs in Congress Wednesday, not merely because she doesnt believe in man-made climate change. She quipped that people during the ice age didnt have to pay taxes to combat it.

People are not affecting climate change, Greene said. Youre not going to tell me that back in the ice age, how much taxes did people pay, and how many changes did governments make to melt the ice? The climate is going to continue to change.

She continued, And there is no reason to just open up our borders and allow everyone in and continue to funnel over $50 billion or however many billions of dollars or trillions of dollars to foreign countries all over the world simply because they dont like the climate change.

Greenes remarks came within hours of Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) proclaiming that a warming globe is actually beneficial during a Senate Budget Committee hearing on climate change-related health care costs and Republican attempts to cut spending.

Greene reportedly made a similar crack at a town hall in Murray County, Georgia, in 2021.

How much taxes and how much money did the people back in the ice age spend to warm up the Earth? Greene asked. Maybe, perhaps, we live on a ball that rotates around the sun, that flies through the universe, and maybe our climate just changes.

Greene directly denied man-made climate change and said maybe our climate just changes.

Greene directly denied man-made climate change and said maybe our climate just changes.

Scientists studying the climate have long agreed that people directly impact global carbon emissions and related temperature increases worldwide. NASA reported that 97% of actively publishing climate scientists agree.

While Greene is correct that people during the last ice age didnt pay taxes to stop Earth from cooling, the last ice age ended about 11,700 years ago.

The congresswoman nonetheless continued to rant against climate change-related spending like the Green New Deal, however, and even insulted fellow Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) for introducing that framework to Congress and the public sphere.

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Ill tell you what the New Deal and our new infrastructure plan will do, said Greene. Its going to bring us down to net zero carbon emissions, right? So weve got to stop using oil and coal, right? Because that makes a lot of sense to a little girl named AOC from New York.

She added: You cant even make this up.

This isnt the first wild claim Greene has made publicly. She previously furthered an anti-semitic conspiracy theory about Jewish space lasers  and was pretty convinced that former President Donald Trump was fighting the Deep State.

In February 2021, House Democratic leadership stripped Greene of her committee assignments, but she was reinstated by Republicans when they gained control of the chamber.

CORRECTION: This article has been updated to clarify that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene lost her committee assignments in February 2021, not February of this year, and to clarify the timing of the last ice age.

Related...
Editors note: This story headline has been updated to show that the Maury County corrections officer was convicted of obstruction of justice.

A Maury County corrections officer was convicted Thursday by a federal jury of obstruction of justice, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office of Middle District of Tennessee.

James Justice, also known as James Stewart Thomas, 32, of Columbia, a corrections officer with the Maury County Sheriffs Office, was indicted in May 2022 and "charged with falsifying records relating to nonconsensual sexual contact that he had with a female inmate in his custody," a press release says from the office of U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis.

Todays verdict ensures that James Justice will be held accountable for his actions. As importantly, it ensures that he will no longer be entrusted to serve as a law enforcement officer, Leventis said. I commend our trial team and partners at the FBI for an excellent job of investigating and presenting this case to the jury.

Maury County Sheriff's Department patrol cars rest near the Maury County Jail in Columbia, Tenn., on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021.

Testimony and evidence produced at trial established that Justice wrote an official report in which he falsely claimed that he had reported to two Maury County Jail supervisors that an inmate had made sexual advances toward him while the inmate was in his custody at a hospital.

The report also falsely claimed that those two Maury County Jail supervisors both advised him not to write a report about the alleged sexual advances by the inmate, and the report omitted that he had a sexual relationship with the inmate after her release from the custody of the Maury County Jail.

Maury County Sheriff Bucky Rowland called the incident unfortunate and a career-ending outcome, but also said repeated investigations into Justice, aka James Stewart Thomas, have uncovered no evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a female inmate while in custody.

"After numerous attempts of gaining evidence, there is no proof, information or complaint from a willing victim that would indicate James Thomas had any inappropriate relationship while an inmate was in custody," Rowland said.

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"The Maury County Sheriff's Office, the 22nd District Attorney and the FBI have investigated finding no proof and no alleged victim has come forward to cooperate with authorities."

Justice faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on Sept. 18. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Klopf of the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Departments Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Maury Co. jail officer convicted of obstruction of justice
Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons, and other supermarkets have released their opening times for the Easter bank holiday weekends (iStock)

Britons are being treated to two bank holiday weekends in a row, as the early May bank holiday and the coronation weekend of King Charles III arrive one after the other.

Monday 1 May is the early May bank holiday, while Buckingham Palace announced last year that Monday 8 May would also be a bank holiday to give the country an extra day to celebrate the coronation.

With warmer spring weather expected this coming weekend and Big Lunches and street parties planned for the following one, British people have plenty to look forward to in the coming fortnight.

However, it could also mean closures across some supermarkets on more days than usual.

Many people will be looking to stock up for the long weekends and ensure they have plenty of food and drink for gatherings, parties, or just to relax with.

Here are the opening times for Sainsburys, Tesco, Morrison, Lidl and more.

Sainsburys

1 May  early May bank holiday

Its business as usual across most Sainsburys stores throughout the weekend before the early May bank holiday.

Stores are usually open from 8am to 8pm, while smaller Sainburys Local shops are usually open from 7am until 11pm.

Opening hours may vary according to individual stores, so its best to check the store locator.

8 May  Kings coronation bank holiday

Sainsburys is operating at normal hours for the weekend of the Kings coronation.

Again, opening hours may vary. Check your local store before you visit.

Tesco

1 May  early May bank holiday

Most of Tescos large stores will be open from 8am to 6pm on 1 May, with some staying open until 8pm.

However, opening hours do vary from branch to branch. Customers should check their local Tesco using the companys store finder.

8 May  Kings coronation bank holiday

Most of Tescos large stores will operate at normal hours on 8 May.

(PA)

Morrisons

1 May  early May bank holiday

Morrisons stores will remain open at normal hours across the weekend before the early May bank holiday.

On 1 May, stores will open at their usual time but are set to close slightly earlier at 8pm.

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8 May  Kings coronation bank holiday

On 8 May, Morrisons stores will open at their usual time but will close at 8pm, slightly earlier than normal.

Customers should check their local store times on Morrisons store finder.

Aldi

1 May  early May bank holiday

Normal opening hours across Aldi stores on Saturday and Sunday (29 and 30 April). On 1 May, stores will be open until 8pm in England and Wales, while stores in Scotland will be open until 10pm as usual.

8 May  Kings coronation bank holiday

Normal opening hours across Aldi stores on Saturday and Sunday (6 and 7 May). On 8 May, stores will be open until 8pm in England and Wales. In Scotland, stores will be open until 10pm.

The opening times of some stores may vary and customers should check their local stores on Aldis website.

Lidl

1 May  early May bank holiday

Lidl stores will be open as normal across the bank holiday weekend. Saturdays see the stores open from 8am until 10pm, while Sunday hours are shorter, from 10am to 4pm or 11am to 5pm.

On 1 May, all Lidl stores will be open from 8am to 8pm.

8 May  Kings coronation bank holiday

On Monday 8 May, Lidl stores will be open from 8am to 8pm in England and Wales. Stores in Scotland will remain open as normal until 10pm.

Store opening hours may vary, so check the store finder before visiting.

Asda

(PA Wire)

1 May  early May bank holiday

Asda store opening times will remain as normal on Saturday and Sunday (29 and 30 April). They usually open from 6am or 7pm and close around 10pm or 11pm on Saturdays, while Sunday operating hours are shorter, between 10am or 11am to 4pm or 5pm.

On the bank holiday itself, most Asda stores will open from 8am to 8pm.

8 May  Kings coronation bank holiday

Asda stores will be open at normal hours on Saturday and Sunday (6 and 7 May), but will shorten opening hours from 7am to 8pm on Monday 8 May.

Marks & Spencer

1 May  early May bank holiday

All M&S stores will be open as usual on the weekend, but many stores will have shorter hours on the bank holiday Monday.

8 May  Kings coronation bank holiday

Stores will be open at usual times on Saturday and Sunday (6 and 7 May), but will have shorter hours on Monday 8 May.

Customers should check their local M&S using the store finder before visiting.

Waitrose

1 May  early May bank holiday

Stores are set to be open as usual across the early May bank holiday weekend, including on Monday 1 May. Some Little Waitrose shops will be open from 7am to 10pm.

8 May  Kings coronation bank holiday

Large Waitrose stores will be open for normal hours throughout the coronation bank holiday weekend.

You can check your local Waitrose opening times using the companys store finder.
(April Bey/Witness; Delfin Finley, "Sin Fin," 2022; Salomon X Sandy Liang; Yolanda Gonzalez, "Sueno de Conejo," 2002, Collection of Art Beccera & Alfred Fraijo; Inujima Art House)

Sandy Liang x Salomon

Darlings of the Pokemon franchise Jigglypuff and Whimsicott inspired this collaboration. Designer Sandy Liang introduces precious pastel colorways to Salomons sleek XT-6 and RX Moc 3.0 sneakers  a must for spring and summer walks. Drops May 5 on salomon.com

'Craft in Motion: A Film by Bottega Veneta'

Craft is not a trend. ... It is a timeless technology, says Bottega Venetas creative director, Matthieu Blazy. The houses new film, Craft in Motion," directed by Massimiliano Bomba, defines "quiet luxury" as the meticulous days of handcrafting behind each Cabat, Sardine and Intrecciato bag. The film will be screened in 29 theaters across Southern California, including Rooftop Level DTLA, May 12-25. bottegaveneta.com

Delfin Finley 'Coalescence' at David Kordansky Gallery

Los Angeles native Delfin Finley visualizes the weight of existence in Black and brown America in new photo-realistic portraits. In his exhibition Coalescence, Finley likens each twine of a rope  which is draped on, lifted and carried by the subjects  to a different memory, the result of a circumstantial history  personal, national or otherwise. May 13-June 16. 5130 W. Edgewood Place, Los Angeles. davidkordanskygallery.com

Burberry summer capsule collection

Summer trip to London? Burberrys summer capsule can take you there. The collection highlights the houses iconic check print on womens and mens swimwear, tote bags and bucket hats. Available May. us.burberry.com

'Witness' at WACO Theater Center

The new exhibition at WACO Theater Center, curated by Tina Knowles Lawson and Genel Ambrose, asks the question: What do you witness when you look through the eyes of Black women? The answer comes in the form of installation, portraiture and photography from L.A.-based Black women and nonbinary artists including Sophia Nahli Allison, Alexis Hunley, Liam Woods, Dana Davenport, Amber J. Phillips and more. Running through May 27 at WACO, 5144 Lankershim Blvd., Los Angeles. wacotheatercenter.com

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Yolanda Gonzelez at MOLAA

Artist Yolanda Gonzalezs Metamorphosis series reflects decades of transformation and reinvention within herself. Inspired by the Japanese use of monochromatic materials, Gonzalezs colorless expressions depict the depth and complexities of love, loss, anger, grief and acceptance. Open through July 30. 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach. molaa.org

Gucci Salon

Gucci Salon, the fashion houses new appointment-only boutique on Melrose Place, has opened its doors. Created with set designer Gideon Ponte to have the feel of an old Hollywood home where glamour meets coziness, the salon features jewelry, housewares, custom evening wear and more. 8400 Melrose Place, West Hollywood. gucci.com

'Symbiosis: Living Island' at Japan House L.A.

Symbiosis: Living Island, an exhibition curated by Yuko Hasegawa and designed by Kazuyo Sejima for Japan House Los Angeles, takes you on a journey to the Inujima Art House Project, which integrates contemporary art and nature on a tiny island in Japan. The exhibition features documentary film and testimonials from the island, as well as works by artists such as Beatriz Milhazes, Haruka Kojin and Yusuke Komuta. These wide-ranging works convey a vision of Inujima as a living entity and potential blueprint of coexistence for the future, writes Japan House. On view now through July 5. 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. japanhousela.com

Kang Seung Lee: The Heart of a Hand

The Heart of a Hand pays tribute to the pioneering Singaporean-born choreographer Goh Choo San, who died of an AIDS-related illness. Using archival research and interviews, Lee pieces together a memory of San and honors his place in Asian and queer histories. On view now through July 22. Vincent Price Art Museum 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park. vincentpriceartmuseum.org

Carl Craig: 'Party/After Party'

Techno legend DJ Carl Craig re-creates a night at a warehouse party, from the silent moments in an empty venue to the thumping bass at 2 a.m. to the wavering awareness caused by his tinnitus. Conceived in 2020, the exhibition is also a meditation on what and who was lost in the thick of the pandemic. In this warehouse, we are in Craigs world and the sonic spaces hes created. On view now through July 13. The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, 152 N. Central Ave., Los Angeles. moca.org

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Putin, Erdogan discuss ties, regional issues over phone

Xinhua) 09:40, April 28, 2023

ANKARA, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone talk with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday ahead of the inauguration ceremony of Turkiye's first nuclear power reactor built by Russia.

Turkiye-Russia relations and regional issues were discussed during the phone talk, Erdogan's office said in a statement.

The Turkish president thanked Putin for his contributions to the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, where a ceremony for its first nuclear fuel delivery will be held on Thursday, the statement said.

The two leaders discussed the developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the work on the grain agreement, the statement said, adding that Erdogan and Putin talked about new "initiatives that could be worked on through the proposed working group."

They also discussed the developments in Syria, Erdogan's office said.

Putin also conveyed his best wishes to Erdogan for a speedy recovery after his stomach bug, according to Erdogan's office.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Indonesian citizens evacuated from Sudan get off a bus in Jakarta, Indonesia, April 28, 2023. The first group of 385 Indonesian evacuees from Sudan landed in the Indonesian capital Jakarta Friday morning. (Photo by Rahmat Dian P./Xinhua)

JAKARTA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The first group of Indonesian evacuees from Sudan landed in the Indonesian capital Jakarta Friday morning, amid the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces which broke out on April 15, has reportedly killed hundreds of people.

The 385 Indonesians were received at Soekarno-Hatta airport in Banten province at around 5:46 a.m. local time, the country's Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said at a press conference, adding that they would be temporarily housed at a dormitory in East Jakarta before being sent back to their respective hometowns.

The first group of evacuees reportedly consists of 248 women and 137 men, including 43 children.

Marsudi also said the second batch is expected to arrive in Indonesia on Sunday.

"Meanwhile, the third batch of repatriation which will also close the entire evacuation process will be carried out on April 30 using an aircraft of the Indonesian Air Force," she added. 

Indonesian Red Cross members help a citizen evacuated from Sudan get off a bus in Jakarta, Indonesia, April 28, 2023. The first group of 385 Indonesian evacuees from Sudan landed in the Indonesian capital Jakarta Friday morning. (Photo by Rahmat Dian P./Xinhua)
As former President Donald Trump prepared his third straight campaign for the White House, Mitch McConnells mind was elsewhere.

The Senate GOP leader quietly flew to West Virginia in mid-October to begin wooing Gov. Jim Justice to challenge incumbent Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) in 2024, according to a person familiar with the previously unreported trip. The upside to McConnell's visit was simple: Courting Justice early would limit the risk if the former president backs another Manchin challenger and wins the partys presidential nomination.

Someone like Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.), a member of the House Freedom Caucus who got Trump face time in Florida last week.

So when Justice entered the Senate race on Thursday, it highlighted the crux of McConnells 2024 strategy. After several Trump-inspired candidates fell short last fall and denied the GOP the majority, the Kentucky Republican hopes to run a Senate campaign plan that's divorced from the presidential race. That means getting candidates who can win even with the former president back on the ballot next year.



McConnell's gambit underscores the reality that, with the presidential primary still ramping up, he is probably Trumps greatest foil in the Republican Party right now. He has not changed his mind about Trumps conduct after the 2020 election, according to confidantes, and he sees Trumps nomination as complicating the task of defeating Joe Biden next year.

But McConnell, true to form, is not letting emotion or his low view of Trump get in the way of the task at hand. The Senate GOP leader doesnt talk about Trump in public, and does so little in private.

That's despite Trump going after McConnell mercilessly and unleashing racist attacks on his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. And despite McConnell savaging Trump as practically and morally responsible for the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

McConnell spoke very clearly on  his enormous disagreements with the [former] president. And I think the personal attacks at his wife, Elaine Chao, have really rubbed Sen. McConnell the wrong way, said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of McConnells leadership team.

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Sen. McConnell is just looking forward, Capito added. Hes not really focused on that disagreement of the past. We all know where he stands.

The Kentucky Republican sees a path back to the Senate majority through the red states of West Virginia, Ohio and Montana, races that the party can win even with Trump at the top of the ticket. And while hes not looking to influence the GOP presidential primary, he views the Senate and Senate races as within his control.



Asked about Trump this week, McConnell said: My principal focus and most of my colleagues' principal focus is on trying to get the Senate. It was his second consecutive weekly Trump dodge, the first being a deadpan response to the former presidents indictment: I may have hit my head, but I didnt hit that hard, he said, referring to a recent concussion.

Its vintage McConnell, and precisely the posture that made him the longest serving Senate party leader of all time  even after Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) mounted the first-ever challenge to his leadership spot. But McConnells end-around of Trump comes with some political risk: His conference, including Scott's replacement as Senate campaign chair, is beginning to coalesce around the former president  who has 10 Senate endorsements, with more coming.

That means, if McConnell began speaking out against Trump, he'd be driving a wedge within the Senate GOP. He might also give Trump fuel.

I dont think it generally makes sense to give President Trump a target. Hes able to fire up the base in part by finding someone to attack, and the best way to keep from providing ammunition to President Trump is to stay quiet, said Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who opposes Trumps 2024 bid. He called him an old crow and Leader McConnell said: Yep, Im an old crow.

McConnell spent the last two years helping build a separate GOP identity from Trump, blessing bipartisan deals on gun safety and infrastructure that otherwise drew the ire of conservatives and often the former president himself. That occasionally collaborative bipartisan spirit surprised senators in both parties, who were used to McConnells grim reaper persona of blocking Democrats and jamming through judicial picks.

What McConnell won't do, though, is pick a fight with the GOP frontrunner, whom he clearly does not want to win the nomination. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who supports Trump, said that Mitch is trying to pick his battles wisely.

He understands that the drama of Trump probably doesn't help day-to-day activities in the Senate, Graham said of McConnell. Any leadership person is going to have to make some decisions that are not popular with their base.

And while it may seem surprising, McConnell is fine with National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Steve Daines' (R-Mont.) endorsement of Trump; he even got a heads-up before the Monday announcement.

Daines is close to the Trump family and taking a more interventionist role in primaries than his predecessor, so even Senate Republicans who are tired of the former president believe the Montanan's move could ultimately help them get more electable candidates in their biggest races next year.

Still, a Trump nomination could complicate the task of winning the next tier of Senate races in states won by Biden in 2020: Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan. But after the 2022 debacle netted Democrats a seat, the GOP leader and most of his colleagues are focused on ousting Manchin, as well as Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), more than anything else.

The thing about Mitch is, he wants a majority in the Senate, said one Republican senator who spoke candidly on condition of anonymity. As for McConnells repeated parries on the former president, this senator recalled a McConnell mantra: Just because a reporter is asking a question doesnt mean you need to answer it.

And given the volume and intensity of Trumps attacks on McConnell, its reasonable to assume that McConnells endorsement probably wouldnt go far in a Republican presidential primary anyway. It could even hurt his ability to get the Senate majority, said another confidante: He believes that him getting involved in the presidential cycle makes it harder for candidates to win. Not easier.

The practical reality of winning the Senate is probably entirely divorced from what happens in a presidential primary because of the map, this McConnell ally added. If Trumps the nominee, I dont know what happens but I can probably tell you hes not going to lose West Virginia, Montana and Ohio.

McConnells position won't necessarily win him plaudits for courage from anti-Trump Republicans or Democrats who were impressed with McConnells clear-eyed and critical review of Trumps Jan. 6 conduct. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who has served with McConnell since 1997, simply said it is normal for McConnell to stay quiet about Trump.

I hope he lends his voice to those who are decrying what Trump stands for, Durbin said optimistically.

But it tracks with the majority leaders seven-term legacy: He exercises political power where he can, to deny Democrats a Supreme Court seat or force a confrontation over the debt ceiling, while generally not picking fights he cannot win. A tit for tat with Trump is politically untenable for McConnell.

That doesnt mean he can be totally hands-off. If Trump were to endorse Mooney over Justice, it could complicate even McConnells best-laid plans.
Those who provide or fund health care would be allowed to deny or refuse to pay for medical care they deem to be in violation of their religious, moral, or ethical beliefs or principles, under a proposal moving forward in the North Carolina House.

Parents, medical providers and transgender young people spoke to state lawmakers about House Bill 819 on Thursday.

Those in favor of the bill said doctors and other providers should not be forced to go against their beliefs, while those against it said it could lead to the denial of life-saving care, including care for transgender people and those seeking abortions.

Republicans filed the bill and several other pieces of legislation related to transgender medical care earlier this month. On Thursday, it became the first of those bills to receive a vote, clearing one committee and moving on to another.

Separately, the GOP-led legislature is also expected to pass new abortion rules, as previously reported by The News & Observer. Lawmakers are closing in on a 12-week abortion ban.

Denial of health care?

Lawmakers who spoke in opposition to the bill objected to its broad language.

Asked by Rep. Sarah Crawford, a Democrat from Wake County, how the bill would define an ethical belief, Rep. Donna McDowell White, a primary bill sponsor, said that whats ethical to you and what is ethical for me can be different.

If youre asking me to do something for you, (and) our positions of ethicality would be challenged, then I should have that right, to not provide services, said White, a Republican from Johnston County and a nurse.

Crawford said she was concerned that there would be a kind of regular refusal of care for people who need it and that the bill appeared to also limit the ability of patients to be referred for care from another provider.

Other lawmakers asked what would happen in an emergency or if no other medical option were available, such as in rural areas. White said she was open to discussing the bills language about referring patients.

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Supporters of the bill told lawmakers that they should have the right to deny health care based on their personal beliefs.

Michele Morrow, who said she has been a nurse for 30 years in Chapel Hill, said she supported the bill because we are in a crisis right now in the medical community.

The trust with our community has been broken, said Morrow, a former candidate for Wake County school board. Weve lost many great medical professionals and its because their convictions and their conscience, the very thing that probably got them into the health care field to begin with, have not been respected.

Tami Fitzgerald, the executive director of NC Values Coalition, a socially conservative Christian organization, said many health care providers and pharmacists have been asked and in some cases forced to provide drugs and services which run counter to their deeply held religious beliefs.

Susan Bay, an obstetrician and gynecologist, said she respects patients diverse beliefs.

I ask you to do the same and respect the diversity (in) health care and protect conscience rights of health care professionals.

Transgender health care

Ray Bandy of Equality North Carolina, which advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, said the bill threatens the health care that saved his life and the lives of transgender people across the state.

Bandy said I was 16 and nearly committed suicide because of the abuse and hatred that I faced from those who are supposed to love me. All because I am transgender. Im 22 now; I cannot describe the joy I feel now that I have begun (hormone replacement therapy).

Kirstin Cassell, a licensed clinical social worker from Greensboro, said she was the proud mom of a transgender teen. She said her childs safe and reversible gender-affirming medical care was denied by her husbands insurance because of his employers personal beliefs.

Someones opinion is never more important than our access to health care. Gender affirming care for our kids is life-saving. It is an emergency, she said.

Abortion called out in bill

Critics also say the bill could lead to denial of abortion care.

The bill says a health care practitioner may not be scheduled for, assigned, or requested to directly or indirectly perform, facilitate, refer for, or participate in an abortion unless the health care practitioner affirmatively consents in writing prior to performing, facilitating, referring, or participating in the abortion.

Elizabeth Campbell, an oncology and hematology physician, said the bill will harm the health care workforce and the health of our state.

She spoke about her experience receiving excellent medical care after a placental abruption. She said if she had been forced to continue the pregnancy, it would have killed both of us instead of the baby alone.

More details of the bill

The bill prohibits liability for denial of care based on beliefs, but it allows civil action for violations of the bill.

It protects whistleblowers who report those violations.

The bill also forbids the state or licensing boards from taking disciplinary action against a medical practitioner for engaging in speech protected under the First Amendment without proof it was the direct cause of harm to a person.

It says the changes do not override any requirements to provide medical treatment under federal law.
Attorney Asma Warsi has been approved as an Edison Municipal Court judge, the first Muslim to hold that position in the township's history.

Warsi's appointment by Mayor Sam Joshi was unanimously approved Monday by the Township Council.

Warsi replaces Parag Patel who resigned. She will fill Patel's unexpired term which expires on July 31, 2024.

Its important that our government reflects its population. I am very proud to announce the appointment of the first Muslim-American municipal court judge in Edisons history. Joshi said in a statement. This is a historic moment that highlights our commitment to diversity and inclusion in our justice system. Judge Warsi brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and integrity to the bench, and I am confident that she will serve our community with fairness and impartiality.

As a Muslim-American, I am honored to serve as the first Muslim municipal court judge in Edisons history, and am immensely grateful to Mayor Joshi for giving me this wonderful opportunity, Warsi said in a statement. Public service has been the backbone of my career and personal life, and I hope to bring a diverse perspective to the bench to ensure that justice is served for all members of our community.

Asma Warsi is a new Edison Municipal Court judge.

Born in Pakistan, Warsi immigrated to America and was raised in Metuchen. She has lived in Edison for the past 19 years.

She graduated in 1994 from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Middle Eastern Studies, continued her education and received a Master of Arts in Near Eastern Studies from New York University in 1998. She earned her law degree from the Rutgers University School of Law in 2000.

More: Edison's new sports recreation center project delayed. Here's why

More: Edison schools ready to launch $100 million project to address overcrowding

That same year she began as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx District Attorneys Office, working in the Appeals Bureau. While there, she drafted briefs to the Appellate Division, responded to Habeas Corpus petitions, answered post-judgement motions and Freedom of Information Act requests, interviewed crime victims, and prepared criminal complaints.

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In 2004 she became the executive director and director of legal affairs for the Boaz Community Corporation, a nonprofit legal services provider, where she represented clients on immigration matters and conducted annual outreach campaigns to social service providers on immigration law, family law and rights of victims. She also served as an immigration law consultant from 2012 to 2020 to the nonprofit Puerto Rican Action Board.

Warsi has had her own law practice since 2009. Since 2020 she also has worked for Catholic Charities of Metuchen as the immigration services program director. Additionally, she researches and drafts briefs before the Board of Immigration Appeals for denial of asylum requests based on claims of persecution, religion, race and nationality.

Email: srussell@gannettnj.com

Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Edison NJ appoints first Muslim as Municipal Court judge
Richard Saghian is the billionaire founder and CEO of Fashion Nova. Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images

Richard Saghian is best known as the fashion mogul behind Fashion Nova, but he's also snapped up pricey real estate.

Within a year, he bought a $40 million home on Malibu's "Billionaire's Beach" and shelled out $126 million for the biggest modern home in the US.

Here's a look at his life and career.

Richard Saghian is best known as the founder and CEO of fast-fashion company Fashion Nova, but he's also racked up some record-breaking real estate.

The billionaire exec has shelled out $40 million for a 6,000-square-foot home on Malibu's exclusive "Billionaire's Beach," The Real Deal reported.

Less than a year prior, Saghian bid $126 million at auction for a Los Angeles megamansion. Nicknamed "The One," the 105,000-square-foot property is considered the biggest modern home in the US. Taking into account the auction premium and commission fees, he ended up paying closer to $141 million for the home.

"'The One' Bel-Air is a once in a lifetime property that can never be duplicated," Saghian said in a statement sent to Insider at the time. "There is nothing else like it. As a lifelong Angeleno and avid collector of real estate, I recognized this as a rare opportunity that also lets me own a unique property that is destined to be a part of Los Angeles history."

Here's a look at Saghian's life and career:

According to Paper Magazine, Saghian was born in California to an Iranian-American family that operated a retail business.

Richard Saghian and Meek Mill attend a Super Bowl party in 2022. Shareif Ziyadat/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Source: Paper Magazine

According to Saghian's LinkedIn, he founded Fashion Nova in 2006 and has served as the company's CEO since then. The first store opened in California's Panorama Mall.

Lil Nas X performs at a Fashion Nova event in 2019. Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for Fashion Nova/Getty Images

Source: LinkedIn

Saghian, 41, has a net worth of $2.1 billion, according to Forbes estimates.

Steve Granitz/WireImage

Source: Forbes

Fashion Nova is a fast-fashion brand based in Los Angeles. While the company manages a handful of brick-and-mortar stores, the business is largely based on social media-bolstered e-commerce sales.

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A model represents Fashion Nova at a show in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Noam Galai/Getty Images for FTM Fashion Week

Source: Paper Magazine

Saghian told Paper that the business has been fueled by social media engagement with influencers, models, and other "Nova Babes," especially on Instagram.

A model represents Fashion Nova at a show in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Noam Galai/Getty Images for FTM Fashion Week

Source: Paper Magazine

"I realized early on, getting into the minds of my customers is what helped me grow," Saghian told Paper Magazine. "I don't think I would've been able to do it without all my retail experience from the brick and mortar days to the e-comm days."

A model represents Fashion Nova at a show in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Noam Galai/Getty Images for FTM Fashion Week

Source: Paper Magazine

The brand has also engaged in notable celebrity partnerships with rappers Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion.

Cardi B strikes a pose at a Fashion Nova event. Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Fashion Nova/Getty Images

Source: Paper Magazine

According to the Los Angeles Times, Fashion Nova enjoys annual sales of over $1 billion.

A model represents Fashion Nova at a show in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Noam Galai/Getty Images for FTM Fashion Week

Source: The Los Angeles Times

Saghian has spent some of his Fashion Nova fortune on eye-catching real estate. Last year, he bought a Los Angeles megamansion called The One for $126 million at auction. After the auction premium and commission fees, his total came out closer to $141 million.

Joe Bryant

Source: Insider

The Los Angeles Times reported that buying The One could "make sense as a marketing tool for Fashion Nova, serving as a backdrop where its influencers could show off the company's affordable, of-the-moment designs."

Inside "The One," a Los Angeles mega-mansion. Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Source: The Los Angeles Times

Designed by architect Paul McClean, The One boasts 21 bedrooms and 42 bathrooms.

An aerial view of "The One," a Bel Air mega-mansion. Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Source: Insider

The home boasts features like a floating lounge ...

A look at the floating lounge situated in "The One." Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Source: Insider

... a private 50-seat movie theater ...

Inside the private movie theater in "The One." Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Source: Insider

... and a bowling alley.

Inside the bowling alley in "The One." Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Source: Insider

Other amenities at the home include a 10,000-bottle wine cellar, a 30-car garage, five swimming pools, a putting green, and a private night club.

Joe Bryant

Saghian also owns a Hollywood Hills residence on Blue Jay Way that McClean also designed.

An aerial view of the Hollywood Hills. GRANDADAM/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Source: The Los Angeles Times, The Los Angeles Times

In 2021, the Blue Jay Way home was the site of a deadly shooting during an early morning armed robbery gone wrong, according to local news channel ABC7. Several people were injured and one suspect was killed after a shootout with Saghian's private security employees. Saghian was not at the scene at the time of the incident.

A view from the Hollywood Hills. Getty Images

Source: ABC7

Saghian's latest addition to his real estate portfolio is a $40 million beach home on Malibu's exclusive "Billionaire's Beach." The 6,000-square-foot home originally listed for $69 million in June but was marked down first to $59 million in September, and then again to $49 million in December.

Richard Saghian is the billionaire founder and CEO of Fashion Nova. Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images

Source: The Real Deal

Read the original article on Business Insider
Katherine Abughazaleh in Washington, DC

Katherine Abughazaleh in Washington, DC

This story was originally published by BuzzFeed News.

Katherine Abughazaleh, better known to her fans as Kat Abu, was glowing.

It was Monday afternoon, about five hours after Fox News made the shocking announcement that its flagship host, right-wing superstar Tucker Carlson, was leaving the network , and she was making no attempt to hide her glee as we talked over video chat. Ive been very joyful today, she said. I feel like everyones just having a fun day.

For the past two years, Carlson and his show have been a huge part of her life. The Washington, DCbased Abughazaleh is a senior video producer for Media Matters for America, a not-for-profit media watchdog group, and her job requires her to tune into Fox Newss primetime hours every weekday.

Her Twitter bio used to read I watch Tucker Carlson so you dont have to. At the time of our interview, it was LMAO.

Abughazaleh, 24, has parlayed her familiarity with Fox News into social media stardom across multiple platforms. Her weekly TikTok videos rounding up the cable news networks wildest stories are eagerly anticipated. Since she started posting on the app in January, shes gained nearly 130,000 followers and several of her videos have cracked 1 million views.

Abughazaleh has frequently targeted Carlson and his show. He was the subject of her first TikTok , which covered the hosts on-air attacks on then-aspiring Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. In another TikTok , she broke down 10 Ridiculous Things That Made Tucker Carlson Throw a Tantrum.

More recently, in a TikTok posted April 12, she skewered Carlsons exclusive interview with Donald Trump  their first televised interaction since Carlsons texts calling the former president a demonic force and a destroyer were made public as part of the now-settled Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit.

Trump saw an opportunity to put Tucker back in his place, and boy did he take it, Abughazaleh says in the video. It went on like this for an hour  Trump rambling about something for five minutes and then pausing so Tucker can respond like a trained animal.

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Although neither Carlson nor his team has ever responded to her publicly, Abughazaleh said that now-former Tucker Carlson Tonight producer Gregg Re knows of her and her work. If an even semi-influential conservative person quote-tweets me with a really mean caption, she said, he will go through and like every reply thats mean about me. If you scroll down his likes after I have a viral tweet, its literally just people calling me an ugly bitch. Its fun.

As news of Carlsons departure began to spread  it turned out he had been fired, for reasons that are still not totally clear  strangers started sending Abughazaleh money, unsolicited, via Venmo, telling her to Go get a drink. Ive tried to send it back, and they reject it, she said. As for what caused this generous outpouring? I think people have just been having fun watching me have fun.

Two weeks before Tucker Carlson got canned, I hung out with Abughazaleh and five of her Media Matters colleagues in their Navy Yard office overlooking the Anacostia River to watch them watch Fox Newss evening lineup. The space is massive, with open seating and large conference rooms  and very few employees. (Most of the team has worked from home since the pandemic began.)

Blonde, blue-eyed, and petite, Abughazaleh could easily pass for one of Fox Newss talking heads. Indeed, Abughazaleh has a pretty good idea of what it would take for her to become a darling of the right on one of the shows she monitors daily. Rant about cancel culture on Twitter, make some I stand with J.K. Rowling tweet, escalate it over and over, she said. Complain, rinse, and repeat.

Its so easy and theres so much money in it, which is why so many people do it, she continued. All you have to do is whine and be a little racist. To be clear, Id rather gouge out my eyeballs.

Abughazaleh joked that she was born to be a conservative sleeper agent. She grew up in a well-off area of Dallas and attended private schools up until her sophomore year of high school. Her father is a Palestinian immigrant, and shes a seventh-generation Texan on her mothers side. Their conservative household regularly tuned into Fox News.

Abughazaleh taking a selfie at Last Call Bar in Washington, DCs Union Market neighborhood.

Abughazaleh taking a selfie at Last Call Bar in Washington, DCs Union Market neighborhood.

As a child, Abughazaleh also watched her maternal grandmother  a longtime member of the Texas Federation of Republican Women  work on multiple GOP campaigns and listened to her glowing descriptions of the partys ideology. (Upon her grandmothers death, Abughazaleh inherited the mink coat that she wore to President Nixons inauguration.)

Abughazaleh was a Republican up until her teens. She credits her progressive political awakening to a move to Tucson, Arizona, during those years. At least half my high school was low-income or undocumented, she says. The bootstrap myth just shattered before my eyes.

She attended George Washington University in Washington, DC, during Donald Trumps years in office, majoring in international security in addition to studying journalism. Upon graduating in 2020, she said, I wanted to work for an organization that aligned with a good mission, a mission that I believed in, and I didnt want to work somewhere that would just be a job  I wanted to care about what I do. The position at Media Matters was perfect for her.

Media Matters describes itself as a progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the US media. The groups website archives footage from television shows and online broadcasts alike, which it uses to track false narratives or draw attention to how certain issues are being covered.

Part of Abughazalehs job is to pull TV clips of Fox News moments from her assigned shows and send the transcripts to her colleagues so that they can keep track of whats being said on a wide range of topics on the cable news channel.

Katherine Abughazaleh in Washington, DC

Katherine Abughazaleh in Washington, DC

Unlike some of her colleagues, who utilize multiple desktop monitors, Abughazaleh does all of her work on a laptop. She flips from one tab to another with lightning speed, sending out emails, posting clips to Twitter, and firing off biting responses to people in her mentions.

On the evening I watched her at work, one of the first segments she grabbed was Carlsons  wildly racist rant  about Tennessee state politician Justin Pearson. Youre here for a fun night, she said while exporting the clip from Carlsons opening monologue. Strong stuff  hes having a normal one today.

Media Matters employees are sometimes criticized for platforming problematic content by posting clips from Fox News. Abughazaleh sees it differently. Fox is the most-watched cable news channel in the country, Abughazaleh said. They already had the platform. And just letting them get by scot-free does more damage than it helps.

Given the fact that her videos align with her employers mission, one might assume that Abughazalehs viral content is something she makes for her job. It is not. Abughazalehs social media stardom is all her own doing. She writes her scripts, shoots, and edits her videos on her own time. (Abughazaleh, who describes herself as a lifelong anime fan told me that she taught herself how to edit videos as a kid so that she could create anime music videos .)

Its just for funsies, she said with a laugh, when I asked about her content. Its my personal account, my personal views. And indeed, she signs off most of her videos with I watch conservatives for work but make fun of them for pleasure.

Nobody is more surprised by her popularity than Abughazaleh herself. Its just weird, she said. I dont really use TikTok as a consumer, and I was wowed at the response. Ive since realized how far the app can reach. Even if you have no followers, you can get a million views with just a couple of hashtags and decent content.

Katherine Abughazaleh in Washington, DC.

Katherine Abughazaleh in Washington, DC.

Abughazaleh theorizes that her increasing virality is a symptom of a larger Fox News problem: its failure to appeal to her generation. Theyre demonizing young people every single day, she said. Talking about how we Gen Zs are out of touch. Thats not going to help you keep [young] viewers.

In addition to her TikToks, Abughazaleh has been experimenting with longer content on YouTube, where she has more than 11,000 subscribers. After seeing countless ads for what she described as Mike Huckabees Christian Nationalist homeschooling program on Fox News, Abu signed up for it and so far has produced two videos about its right-wing propagandist material. Her most recent YouTube deep dive was about the online store Mammoth Nation, which is described as the right-wing Amazon and, according to Abughazaleh, is a huge grift.

Abughazaleh has also gone viral on Twitter (where she has more than 182,000 followers) on a number of occasions. In August 2022, she was roofied at a bar and tweeted about her experience in the hope that it might help other women. Her story got written up all over the internet, including BuzzFeed . In November, she secured an invite to the right-leaning dating app the Right Stuff. She tweeted screenshots from the app  which she described as a cesspool of cringe conservative dudes who are desperate to get laid  in a thread that was retweeted thousands of times.

Then, on Jan. 22, conservative commentator Phil Labonte tweeted a screenshot of Abughazalehs Tinder profile with the caption , I havent even gotten the key to my apartment yet and tinder is already tryin to hook me up with the Media Matters Tucker Carlson explainer girl. . At the time, she was 23. Labonte was 47.

The next day, Abughazaleh publicly shared some of the abusive and explicit messages she received as a result of Labontes tweet, in an effort to demonstrate the harassment women deal with on the internet. These people are pathetic and though its gross, its also pretty funny/sad (and a very regular thing), she tweeted . I just picked 50 replies at random after some (cis) male friends expressed shock at the replies. I figured this was a good visual aid.

These vile messages were just a taste of what was to come as her online profile grew.

Katherine Abughazaleh in Washington, DC.

Katherine Abughazaleh in Washington, DC.

Abughazaleh said shes amused by a certain type of harassment she gets on Twitter: When people offended by her work tweet her videos (some of which include profanity) and snitch-tag Media Matterss Twitter account in the hope of getting her into trouble with her employers. I love it, she said. Thanks for showing them what a great job Im doing!

This happened just last week, when a troll pulled a photo of Abughazaleh smoking from her public Instagram and posted it on Twitter, tagging Media Matterss account. oh my fucking god are you really tattling to my employer because I smoke, she tweeted . noooo dont show everyone fun pictures from my public insta!!! how will I ever recover!!!

The snitch-tagging is relatively harmless. Much of the abuse directed at her is sexist and sexually explicit in nature. [Trolls] say I should be in the kitchen, but in a very weird race war type of way, like I should be chained in the kitchen and pregnant with two children on my hips, she said. Abughazalehs been photoshopped into pornographic images (including pictures of her with Carlson) and regularly deals with crude responses to her videos.

If I were a man, I would not get 10% of the comments that I get, she said. I can [film] a normal video wearing a sweater and there will be a litany of comments talking about my face, talking about my body, talking about my womb.

Her womb? All the time, she said. People will talk about how I should be breeding white babies and then I have to refer them to my [Palestinian] grandfathers obituary again. Like, how many times do we have to go over this?

Media Matters clearly recognizes  and cares about  the potential security threat posed by Abughazalehs harassers. While the organization declined to provide any specific information on the subject, during our first interview in the companys office, publicist Laura Keiter interrupted Abughazaleh as she answered one of my questions to make sure I omitted a throwaway detail that could give a determined reader a clue to the location of Abughazalehs apartment.

The constant harassment can be difficult on her. There are days where its just like, OK, I need to turn off my phone and block out everything, because I just dont have the time or capacity for this right now, Abughazaleh said. But if you let it get to you, it only helps the people yelling at me about my pussy or my tits or whatever. It shows Im doing something right if thats the best they got.

As a fuck you to her harassers, Abughazaleh has chosen to lean into her femininity in her videos, applying makeup (including a bold cat-eye) and styling her hair before she begins recording. It makes them even more mad, she says. They dont like a woman telling them that everything they believe is bullshit.

Despite the hate she gets, Abughazaleh said her extracurricular work is worth it. Ive gotten more rape threats than Ive ever seen in my life, she said. But also, its been great seeing people say that my videos are helping them connect with their parents and get them off Fox News. She added, I see comments from people on TikTok saying, I sent these to my mom, and now shes decided to only watch Special Report With Bret Baier  by Fox News standards, a relatively benign newscast  instead of Tucker Carlson Tonight. And thats really great.

Its why she keeps going, spending so much of her free time making content to expose right-wing media narratives and misinformation to a wider (and younger) audience.

It feels like Im doing something  its so easy to feel powerless, she said. Being angry and passionate and wanting to push forward because you want to make things better for other people makes it worth it.

Carlsons departure  while exciting for Abughazaleh and the rest of the Media Matters team  ultimately wont have much of an impact on their work. If somehow all of this was solved, if there were no more bad actors and I was out of a job  that sounds great, she said. It sounds great not to have to worry about misinformation, but thats obviously not going to happen.

In Abughazalehs mind, Carlson has nowhere to go but down. She has always believed that its the 8 p.m. timeslot thats powerful, not the person in the anchor seat. Look at Bill OReilly, she said, referring to the host Fox News forced out in 2017. No one knows what hes up to now, and he was even more powerful than Tucker.

Shes looking forward to watching Fox News rotate hosts in the 8 p.m. hour while the network looks for Carlsons replacement. I think theyre going to be using their existing pool of talent to see who goes next, and Im not sure what direction theyre going to take, she said. Her rundown of possible hosts is the subject of her latest TikTok:

But whether its Jesse Watters or Sean Hannity or Brian Kilmeade or someone else who ultimately fills Carlsons seat, you can rest assured that Abughazaleh will be watching them so you dont have to.

Ellie Hall is a senior reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Washington, DC. Contact Ellie Hall at ellie.hall@buzzfeed.com.
Meghan Markle and her estranged sister, Samantha Markle. REUTERS/Toby Melville, GB News/YouTube

Megan Markle's estranged half-sister said the royal would be a "waitress" if it wasn't for their dad.

"She would still be a waitress if it wasn't for dad," Samantha Markle said in a teaser for an upcoming interview.

Samantha also accused Meghan Markle and Prince Harry of being in a "toxic relationship."

Megan Markle's estranged half-sister said the Duchess of Sussex would be working as a "waitress" if it wasn't for their father's help.

"She would still be a waitress if it wasn't for dad," Samantha Markle said in a teaser released on Friday for an upcoming interview with Australia's 7NEWS Spotlight.

Before Meghan married Prince Harry in 2018, she worked as an actor. But she initially struggled to make money as she got started in the industry in the early 2000s.

One of the many jobs Meghan took to pay the bills was as a hostess at a restaurant, she told Vanity Fair in 2017, calling it one of "those things that actors do."

"My parents had been so supportive," Meghan said at the time, "watching me audition, trying to make ends meet, taking all the odds-and-ends jobs to pay my bills."

"My father knew how hard it is for an actor to get work, so he above all people was so proud I was able to beat the odds," she told Vanity Fair.

Meghan and her father, Thomas Markle, had a falling out after the dad reportedly staged paparazzi photos ahead of Meghan and Harry's wedding.

The 7NEWS Spotlight interview, which is set to air on Sunday, features Samantha, Meghan's father, and her half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., who is also estranged from the American Hollywood actress-turned-royal.

Since Meghan's relationship with Harry went public, Samantha has been one of Meghan's loudest critics.

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"They're really unhealthy for each other," Samantha can be heard saying of Meghan and Harry in the clip. "It's a toxic relationship."

Last year, Twitter suspended Samantha's account following a BuzzFeed investigation that found the account had been harassing Meghan for years. Additionally, Samantha sued Meghan for defamation in Florida in March 2022, but a judge dismissed the suit a year later.

Read the original article on Insider
The Duchess of Sussexs father Thomas Markle Sr has expressed a desire to fix his relationship with his daughter.

Meghan Markle and Thomas Sr have a strained relationship, which came to a head after Thomas collaborated with paparazzi to stage several photo shoots before her wedding to Harry in 2018.

Thomas has now sat down for an interview with Australian news programme 7News Spotlight, which will be released on Sunday (30 April).

The trailer for the interview, which features previously unseen footage of Meghan, includes a voiceover describing Thomass deathbed plea to his daughter.

How can I fix this? he is shown slowly asking.

Last May, Thomas suffered a stroke, after which he said he was lucky to be alive.

He and Meghan have not spoken since her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. Prior to the nuptials, the duchess says she begged her father to stop talking to any press in a text message exchange.

In their Netflix documentary series Harry & Meghan, the duchess spoke about learning her father wouldnt be attending her wedding from a TMZ report.

The unraveling happened that week when he wouldnt pick up my call, Meghan said. And instead youre talking to TMZ. And Im finding out that youre not coming to our wedding through a tabloid.

Thomas has never met husband Harry nor the couples two children Prince Archie, who turns four next week, and Princess Lilibet, who turns two this June.

The Independent has contacted the Sussexes representative for comment.

Elsewhere in the interview with the Australian broadcaster, Meghans half-sister Samantha claims that Meghan and Harry have a toxic relationship.

The trailer sees clips of Harry and Meghan walking together at various points in their relationship shown alongside a voiceover from Samantha, who said: They are really unhealthy for each other.

The video then cuts to Samantha being interviewed, as she adds: Its a toxic relationship.

Samantha also claims that Meghan would still be a waitress if it wasnt for their father.
Samantha Markle, the estranged older half-sister of the Duchess of Sussex, has claimed that the Meghans relationship with Harry toxic in a new interview.

Speaking to Australian news programme 7News Spotlight, the 58-year-old, who recently lost a defamation lawsuit against the royal, claimed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are unhealthy for each other.

In a trailer for the show, which is set to air on Sunday 30 April, clips of Harry and Meghan walking together at various points in their relationship are shown alongside a voiceover from Samantha, who said: They are really unhealthy for each other.

The video cuts to Samantha being interviewed, as she added: Its a toxic relationship.

She also claimed that Meghan would still be a waitress if it wasnt for their father, Thomas Markle Sr.

Thomas Sr and Meghans half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, also give interviews on the programme, which features unseen home videos of the duchess as a teenager.

At one point in the trailer, Thomas Jr said: Were not going to go away. This is going to change everything.

It comes almost exactly a month after Samantha lost a defamation lawsuit that she filed against Meghan, in which she accused the duchess of spreading malicious lies during Meghan and Harrys 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey and alleged statement to journalists in 2020.

(PA)

Samantha filed the lawsuit in March 2022 and alleged that Meghan defamed her by claiming they barely had a relationship and that Samantha had been handsomely paid by a tabloid to speak against her half-sister.

The case was dismissed by a Florida court, after the judge said that Meghans statements were purely her opinion and not capable of being proved false.

In 2021, Samantha authored a 330-page memoir titled The Diary of Princess Pushys Sister Part 1. In Meghans Netflix documentary with Harry, titled Harry & Meghan, the duchess addressed the nickname and said: I dont know your name. I dont know your birthday. Youre telling these people you raised me, and you coined me Princess Pushy?

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According to 7News Spotlight, the programme will see Thomas Jr and his two eldest children in their first reunion since Meghan wed Harry and iced them out of her life.

(Getty/ITV)

The Markles have shared treasured childhood videos of Meghan, including clips of her as her high schools homecoming queen.

Meghans relationship with this side of her family became especially strained after Thomas Sr collaborated with paparazzi to stage several photo shoots before her wedding to Harry in 2018.

The duchess previously revealed that she had begged her father to stop talking to any press in a text message exchange. They have not spoken since the wedding. Last May, Thomas Sr was hospitalised after suffering a stroke.

In the new interview, he can be heard asking what he can do to fix his relationship with his estranged daughter.

The Independent has contacted the Sussexes representative for comment.
Meghan and Thomas Markle Getty/Good Morning Britain

Meghan Markle's estranged father Thomas Markle wants to mend their strained relationship.

"How can I fix this?" Thomas pleaded in a newly released teaser for an upcoming interview.

The pair had a falling out after the dad reportedly staged paparazzi photos ahead of the royal wedding in 2018.

Meghan Markle's estranged father, Thomas Markle, says he wants to repair his strained relationship with his royal daughter.

"How can I fix this?" the Duchess of Sussex's dad pleads to her in a teaser released on Friday for an upcoming interview with Australia's 7NEWS Spotlight.

In the clip, 78-year-old Thomas can be seen holding a school photo of Meghan as a voiceover promoting the interview, set to air on Sunday, says: "Dad's deathbed plea to the daughter he lost."

Last year, Thomas was hospitalized after having a stroke.

Meghan and her dad had a falling out after Thomas reportedly staged paparazzi photos ahead of Meghan and Prince Harry's 2018 wedding.

Meghan addressed her father's "betrayal" in her and Harry's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.

Thomas' paparazzi scandal was also discussed in Netflix's "Harry & Meghan" series. In it, Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, said that she was "absolutely stunned" that her ex-husband "would become part of this circus."

"I felt sad that the media would run with this," Ragland said. "That he would capitalize. Certainly, as a parent, it's not that's not what you do. That's not parenting."

Meghan says in the Netflix series that she called her father more than 20 times as reports of the staged photos broke just days before the royal wedding, but she said he did not return any of her calls.

The 7NEWS Spotlight interview also features Meghan's estranged half-siblings, Samantha Markle and Thomas Markle Jr.

Story continues

"She would still be a waitress if it wasn't for dad," Samantha Markle says in the teaser.

Since Meghan's relationship with Harry went public, Samantha has been one of Meghan's loudest critics.

"They're really unhealthy for each other," Samantha can be heard saying of Meghan and Harry in the interview clip. "It's a toxic relationship."

Read the original article on Insider
Growing up with the name

Growing up with the name "Ken" has its perks, real-life Kens said. As a teen, I sometimes had girls flirtatiously offer to be Barbie to my Ken, and how do you not love that? one Ken told HuffPost.

These are weird times for men named Ken.

Ever since cast photos emerged from Greta Gerwigs upcoming movie Barbie, Ken  Barbies long-time boy toy  has been the butt of a lot of internet jokes.

Earlier this month, a handful of official posters from the film dropped featuring Margot Robbie, who plays Barbie, and Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken, among other cast members. (Barbie fanatics were quick to point out that Goslings character seems to be based on Earring Magic Ken, a 1993 version of the doll that became an accidental gay icon.)

Robbies poster bears a tagline that simply reads, Barbie is everything.

The tagline for Goslings poster matter-of-factly states: Hes just Ken.

The other Barbies and Kens in the movie got posters, too. (Click through the slides above to see them.)

While the posters say the other Barbies hold down jobs like doctor, diplomat and Supreme Court justice, all the other Kens in the movie are just, well Kens.

The internet responded by turning the ad campaign into a meme, using the setup, shes everything, hes just Ken as a caption for photos of other mismatched pairs from real life and pop culture: Princess Diana and (now) King Charles, Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber, Katniss and Gale in Hunger Games, Meredith and Derek in Greys Anatomy.

The self-seriousness of Goslings approach to playing the Mattel doll is just as funny as the movie posters.

While speaking at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Gosling said that he initially doubted he had the right Ken-ergy for the Barbie movie.

I only knew Ken from afar. I didnt know Ken from within, and if Im being really honest, I doubted my Ken-ergy, Gosling told the audience at a Warner Bros. Pictures presentation.

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I didnt see it, but Margot and Greta, they conjured this out of me somehow, Gosling said. It was like I was living my life and then one day I was bleaching my hair, shaving my legs and wearing bespoke neon outfits and rollerblading down Venice Beach.

It came on like a light scarlet fever, the star joked. Then I woke up one day and was like, Why is there fake tanner in my sheets? What just happened?

Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie speak onstage as they promote the upcoming film

Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie speak onstage as they promote the upcoming film "Barbie" during the Warner Bros. Pictures Studio presentation during CinemaCon.

Given all the commotion about Barbies boo, we thought wed check in on men named Ken. How does it feel to be the butt of the joke? What was it like growing up with the same name as a man with hairless, perfect plastic pecs and seemingly no career or ambition of his own besides professional plus-one?

Ken Dobell, a 53-year-old digital marketing consultant from Quebec, Canada, loves the current crop of Barbie memes.

I find theyre mostly themed around calling out and parodying the outdated social mores that characterized the Barbie dolls of the 70s, 80s, and 90s, which Im sure is the era that the producers of the new Barbie movie grew up in, he told HuffPost.

Dobell genuinely likes being called Ken, and especially liked it growing up.

As a teen, I sometimes had girls flirtatiously offer to be Barbie to my Ken, and how do you not love that? he said. I would respond with one-liners about being an anatomically correct, fully operable action figure, batteries included.

Now that hes older, he wouldnt mind if someone likened him to the doll or the very toned, very tan Gosling.

Now that Im middle-aged, any suggestion about being good for physical as well as psychological company is more than welcome, Dobell joked.

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling film new scenes for 'Barbie' in Venice, California, in June 2022.

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling film new scenes for 'Barbie' in Venice, California, in June 2022.

Most Kens we spoke to said Kenneth, their birth name, just felt too stuffy growing up.

I dont smoke a pipe or have enough higher education degrees to be referred to as Kenneth officially, said Ken Reid, a 42-year-old comedian from Massachusetts who hosts the TV Guidance Counselor podcast.

Hes very glad Gosling is bringing true Ken representation to the masses.

For years, the doll meant we were accused of being genital-free monsters, but I cannot think of a better, more redemptive representation of Ken-dom than Ryan Gosling, Reid said.

For years, famous Kens were ashamed to use the doll version of their name, Kenneth Branagh, Kenny Rogers, but I think now we may be able to reclaim our glory and publicly announce our Ken-hood, he added.

Three of the Kens we spoke to: Ken Reid, a 42-year-old comedian from Massachusetts; Ken W., a 31-year-old living in Georgia; and Ken Dobell, a 53-year-old digital marketing consultant from Canada.

Three of the Kens we spoke to: Ken Reid, a 42-year-old comedian from Massachusetts; Ken W., a 31-year-old living in Georgia; and Ken Dobell, a 53-year-old digital marketing consultant from Canada.

Kenneth Fisher, a 53-year-old programmer, has gone by Ken and Kenneth in equal measure in his lifetime, and a fair amount of Kenny as a child. (Yep, he had to endure a lot of they killed Kenny! jokes for a while in the late 90s, too.)

Interestingly, he went out with a woman named Barbara once. (Barbies full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.)

We both agreed it was way too weird and never did it again, he said.

This Ken is full of Ken factoids.

Over the years, I think I was probably more aware of Barbies in general than someone my age and gender would normally have been, but mostly because I thought it was hilarious and always made a point of making jokes about it myself, Fisher said.

FYI: Did you know that Ken and Barbie were named after the kids of the woman who invented them? So yes, Ken and Barbie are siblings, he said.

Fisher just celebrated his 25th anniversary with his wife, and yes, he is absolutely just the Ken in the relationship.

My wife and I have always said that shes management and Im labor, he said. She makes the decisions and then plans  also mutually decided on  and I help implement them. Its just whats always worked for us.

Ken the dollhas always been comfortable playing second fiddle to his woman; Barbie was officially introduced to the world on March 9, 1959, and Ken came three years later, basically evolving from Barbies rib.

According to Mattel lore, Ken entered the scene wearing red swim trunks and the barest hint of a smile ... He became Barbies supportive boyfriend, ready to accompany her anywhere from the beach to black-tie balls. (We stan a supportive S.O.)

An original 1961 Ken doll wears a bathing suit and a towel in this studio portrait.

An original 1961 Ken doll wears a bathing suit and a towel in this studio portrait.

Ken W. is a 31-year-old living in Georgia. Hes of mixed mind on all this Ken-attention.

My knee-jerk reaction was, weirdly, to get territorial over my first name, he said. It sucks that my first name is getting used as shorthand for boyfriend who sucks, but if the meme teaches other dudes to suck less, then thats a fall Im willing to take for the team.

This Ken brought up a good point; it may be a weird time to be a Ken, but its an excellent time to have an ex named Ken.

Just ask Shanti Clayton, a 29-year-old Californian who had a long-term relationship with a Ken.

Its been hilarious seeing the hes just Ken movie posters because its so true! Our focus was on Barbie and her friends the man was optional, she said. With my ex, I was super ambitious and goal-driven whereas he was just there.

Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and style.

Related...
By Nurul Fitri Ramadhani

JAKARTA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia is getting ready for a surge in COVID-19 cases, particularly for new Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16, after a high mobility of people during the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

The country's Health Ministry said on Thursday that people were advised to wear masks for activities indoors and in public places, particularly those who found themselves with flu, and follow health protocols again. Previously in May last year, the government lifted the face mask mandate in open spaces.

"By wearing masks and do healthy lifestyle, as well as get vaccinated, we hope to avoid the possibility of significant increases in COVID-19 cases," Health Ministry spokesman Mohammad Syahril told reporters.

The ministry confirmed 1,879 new active COVID-19 cases as of Thursday, bringing the tally of infections to 6,769,005. The number has continued to rise in the last two weeks.

During the Eid holiday, which fell on April 19-25, Indonesia recorded the largest annual traveling in its history, with no less than 123 million people across the country going to their hometowns or their relatives' houses, based on data from Indonesia's Transportation Ministry.

The number significantly increased from the Eid holiday last year in May, which saw around 85 million travelers.

Separately, data from the country's Tourism Ministry has shown that there were 540 million moves from people across Indonesia to and from various tourist destinations, with Bali resort island recording the highest number of visitors.

Some areas of Indonesia's big cities have reported increases in COVID-19 cases.

Indonesia's COVID-19 Task Force for East Java province, for instance, revealed that some hospitals had reported a surge in COVID-19 infections since the Eid holiday.

"Usually, the daily increase for COVID-19 infections in the province was around 50 cases, but recently it has become more than 100 cases," spokesman of the COVID-19 Task Force for East Java province, Makhyan Jibril, said on Thursday as quoted by a local news portal.

As of April 24, there had been 697 active cases in the province, with a positivity rate reaching 10.32 percent.

Bengkulu province in Sumatra Island confirmed on Thursday nine new COVID-19 active cases allegedly carried by travelers.

"We've found nine new active cases this week. This is the first time for this province to find COVID-19 again after a long time of seeing no case," the head of Bengkulu Health Agency, Herwan Antoni, said as reported by local media.

A number of hospitals across Indonesia have also braced up to receive more COVID-19 patients after the Eid holiday.

State-owned Dr. Seotomo General Hospital in Surabaya, East Java had prepared 290 high-care and low-care treatment rooms and 37 intensive care rooms only for COVID-19 patients, the director of the hospital, Joni Wahyuhadi, told local media on Friday.

Meanwhile, Syahril also said that the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16, referred to as "Arcturus," would contribute to the surge of COVID-19 cases, as the variant was deemed "very infectious."

So far, the Arcturus variants are mainly found in India. The infections have started to spread in Indonesia since the end of March, but there has been no specific number of Arcturus infections since the Eid holiday. 
The 2023 Met Gala is only days away, with the theme of the event dedicated to late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld.

The fashion soiree is set to return to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on 1 May 2023, in celebration of the Costume Institutes upcoming exhibition Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.

According to Vogue, which first revealed the controversial theme last year, the annual fashion event will also pay homage to the designer through the dress code: In honour of Karl.

Along with the publications editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, there will be four co-chairs of the event: Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel, Penelope Cruz, and Roger Federer. Held at the museums Costume Institute, each guest invited to attend the event is carefully chosen by Wintour.

Whenever the Met Gala is held, there are certain guidelines that guests will be expected to follow should they want to stay in Wintour's good books.

From an age restriction to a ban on selfies, here are five of the unexpected rules put in place at the Met Gala.

No selfies

One would think that all who attend an event as glitzy as the Met Gala would be forgiven for taking the odd photograph to capture special moments of the occasion.

However, in 2015, it was reported that use of social media had been banned from the event, in order to clamp down on celebrities spending the majority of the evening on their phones.

The use of phones for photography and social media will not be permitted inside the gala, a notice sent to all guests stated.

The apparent ban at the Met Gala has been flouted by numerous guests in the past, with beauty mogul and reality TV star star Kylie Jenner taking a large bathroom selfie at the event in 2017.

No under 18s allowed

In 2018, it was revealed that the Met Gala had decreed a new age restriction.

This meant that high-profile individuals under the age of 18 were no longer allowed to attend the event.

I can't go, because I'm not old enough, then 16-year-old model and dancer Maddie Ziegler told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018 when asked whether she would be present on the coveted Met Gala red carpet.

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While it was initially suspected that the new age restriction had been introduced due to the 2018 Met Gala theme Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, a spokesperson for the event confirmed that the decision had been made because it's not an appropriate event for people under 18.

No smoking inside the museum

In 2017, celebrities including Bella Hadid, Dakota Johnson and Marc Jacobs were pictured smoking cigarettes in the bathroom at the Met Gala.

That same year, it was reported that board members and donors had expressed their dismay over guests smoking at the event, with one saying it was disrespectful to the art collection.

this year's met gala theme was smoking in the bathroom pic.twitter.com/b83rjR3qlZ  i am eviscerated (@veedagger) May 2, 2017

According to Page Six, following the complaints, guests at the 2018 Met Gala were informed that it was illegal to smoke in the museum.

It was allegedly mentioned on the event's invitations that smoking at the event was strictly banned.

In 2003, a ban on smoking indoors in New York City in locations including office buildings, bars and theatres was enforced by then-mayor Michael Bloomberg.

No onion breath

Following the Met Gala red carpet, guests at the event are treated to a cocktail hour and a formal dinner.

According to The New York Post, certain food items are purposely omitted from the menu at the request of Wintour herself.

A former Vogue employee told the publication that parsley is banned to avoid the risk of the herb getting stuck in people's teeth.

Neither onion or garlic is served at the event, so as to avoid any bouts of bad breath, whilst bruschetta isn't offered to guests in case of any food spillages on extravagant ensembles.

In 2016, model Karlie Kloss had her floor-length Met Gala gown cut into a mini dress for the after-party following a red wine spill on the white fabric.

Strict seating arrangements

Wintour is very particular about where her Met Gala guests sit on the night of the event.

In the 2016 documentary The First Monday in May, which details the degree of planning that goes into the occasion, the director of special projects at Vogue, Sylvana Ward Durrett, explained that a lot of power-brokering goes into the seating plan.

A lot of thought goes into who sits next to who, if they sat together last year, if they've sat next to each other at other events, so much goes into it, it's shocking, Ward Durrett said.

According to Ward Durrett, spouses are never seated next to each other.

The whole point of these things is to meet new people, and to be interested in what others are doing. What's the point if you come here to hang out with your husband? she added.
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Friday backed a proposal to scrap Mexico's freedom of information body, adding it to a planned bonfire of autonomous watchdogs and regulators that he argues are unnecessary and hostile toward him.

Lopez Obrador, who has frequently lambasted the body known as INAI for its Spanish initials, made his comments after the head of the Mexican Senate, his ally, presented a bill to eliminate the national transparency institute.

"I propose the Federal Auditor's Office, which belongs to an independent branch, the legislative branch, be in charge of transparency and that (INAI) disappears," Lopez Obrador told a news conference.

The INAI is enshrined in the constitution, and opposition lawmakers say Lopez Obrador will not be able to muster a two-thirds majority in Congress needed to remove it.

In March, Lopez Obrador vetoed appointing two new INAI commissioners, effectively hamstringing it. To operate, INAI needs at least five active commissioners. It currently only has four following his veto and the retirement of another.

The ruling National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) wants the Senate to approve various bills the lower house passed before the current session of Congress concludes this month, including planned changes to Mexico's mining laws.

The opposition has made its participation contingent on MORENA agreeing to vote to appoint a new INAI commissioner so that it can keep operating. MORENA and its allies could still pass laws this weekend that only require a simple majority.

Since taking power in December 2018, Lopez Obrador has criticized prominent state-funded checks on his power as a waste of money. He argues many autonomous bodies are biased against him and were creations of past administrations he opposed.

The president says the government could handle information requests without the need for a separate institution.

(Reporting by Anthony Esposito and Raul Cortes Fernandez; Editing by Dave Graham and Josie Kao)
In her message in which she explained her veto of large portions of the Legislature-passed tax bill, Gov. Lujan Grisham wrote, Although HB 547 has many laudable tax reform measures, I have grave concerns about the sustainability of this tax package as a whole.

She wrote this while the State of New Mexico sits on a $3.6 billion budget surplus thanks to oil and gas revenues (a boom that shows no signs of slowing down). She also signed a 14 percent budget increase which grew the size of government by $1.2 billion and included everything from increased film subsidies to $10 million for an abortion clinic primarily to serve Texans. Last years budget increase was over 13 percent as well.

Paul Gessing

The tax reform effort in Santa Fe got off to a bad start when the House didnt seriously attempt to reform the unfair and job-killing pyramiding of the gross receipts tax. That original sin of New Mexico tax policy (reform of which was supported by the Gov.) should have been the Legislatures top priority. It clearly was not, and it was never included in any version of the bill.

Worse, instead of just cutting taxes, both houses of the Legislature sadly included tax increases in versions of the bill including the final version. Raising taxes is inexcusable with a $3.6 billion budget surplus. Worse still, the tax hikes included anti-economic-growth policies like imposing two new top rates on personal income and increasing both capital gains and corporate income taxes.

Each of these tax hikes would have done great harm to our economy. The Gov. was right to veto them. Gov. Lujan Grishams tax policy agenda is hardly above reproach, however. The Legislature initially planned to reduce the GRT by 0.5 percentage points. This should not be mistaken for reform, but it is much better than nothing. Reducing the GRT also fits nicely with progressive economic policy goals as the GRT is a classic regressive tax meaning that poor pay a higher percentage of their incomes on it.

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But, in the waning days of the session as the Gov. expressed concerns about the size of the tax package legislators adjusted the package by phasing-in the gross receipts tax reductions to make room for the film subsidies which had been added during the legislative process.

It would be hard to come up with worse tax policy than delaying broad-based tax relief to pile even more generous subsidies on top of those already given to a favored special interest (Hollywood). Adding insult to injury these GRT rate reductions were vetoed by the Gov. while film subsidies were left intact.

The best that can be said for tax package is that New Mexicans will get one-time rebates and medical doctors will no longer be taxed on deductibles and copays.

Watching the many twists and turns of the tax bill in the 2023 session highlighted that New Mexicos political leadership simply does not understand basic economics. Given their ignorance, it is no wonder New Mexico performs so poorly economically. And its not just the Gov.s vetoes, but the Legislatures approach which was misguided from the start.

Economically, the 2023 session was a big disappointment. But, unless something dramatic happens, the State will likely again be awash in oil and gas revenues when the 30-day session rolls around next January. Can the Legislature and Gov. come up with a real tax reduction plan that will diversify our economy and move New Mexico out of last place?

Paul Gessing is president of New Mexicos Rio Grande Foundation. The Rio Grande Foundation is an independent, nonpartisan, tax-exempt research and educational organization dedicated to promoting prosperity for New Mexico based on principles of limited government, economic freedom and individual responsibility.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: New Mexico's misguided approach to economic development
Miami Beach commissioners voted Friday to allow themselves to receive pensions if they serve more than two years in office, when previously they would have had to be reelected to be eligible.

Five of the citys seven elected officials are not yet vested under the plan and could benefit from the change that now requires spending more than half of a four-year term in office. The previous rules required commissioners to serve at least five years, so they would have to be reelected to qualify.

One of the officials who could benefit is the legislations sponsor, David Richardson, who confirmed Friday that he does not intend to run for a second commission term and will instead run for an unspecified countywide office.

I dont think that we should have elected officials who are even considering a motivation to run for reelection just because theyre not going to get [a pension] if they dont run for reelection, Richardson told the Miami Herald. Thats an equity issue for me.

Commissioners Laura Dominguez, Alex Fernandez, Kristen Rosen Gonzalez and Steven Meiner could also benefit. Mayor Dan Gelber and Commissioner Ricky Arriola, both of whom are term-limited in November, are already vested.

Meiner and Fernandez voted against the item, citing ethical concerns.

Im happy to get the pension, but at the same time, I guess I feel uncomfortable voting for my own pension, Meiner said.

Fernandez echoed that sentiment.

I dont feel comfortable voting on this for myself, he said.

Others said they believe its a fair benefit for the work they do.

From the time that we wake up in the morning until the time that we go to sleep, Im spending time for the city, said Rosen Gonzalez, a commissioner from 2015 to 2018 who was elected again in 2021. We are here for you, and we need the community to be here for us moving forward.

Under the citys retirement plan, elected officials are eligible to receive lifetime monthly payments once they leave office and are 62 years old.

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The payment amounts, calculated as a percentage of their salary and weighted depending on how long they served in office, come to approximately $500 per month for officials who served four years and around $1,000 per month for those who served eight years.

Rosen Gonzalez said she was supporting the change in part because she doesnt think Miami Beach elected officials are fairly compensated.

The city charter in 1996 set salaries for commissioners and the mayor at $6,000 and $10,000, respectively, though that does not include monthly stipends and car allowances. Including those benefits, compensation for commissioners is around $39,000 per year and $40,000 for the mayor.





The citys elected officials often stay in their professions. Gelber is a practicing lawyer. Meiner is a lawyer who works for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Miami Beach voters rejected proposed raises for elected officials in both 2018 and 2019. The 2019 referendum proposed increasing the base salary to around $45,000 for commissioners and $75,000 for the mayor.

Miami Beach United, a resident advocacy group, opposed the change at Fridays meeting, saying compensation related to elected officials should be decided by voters.

Usually these increases require voter approval, resident Gayle Durham said at the meeting on behalf of the group. Somehow, theres a loophole and maybe we should close this loophole.

The legislation passed Friday also changes the citys pension rules for all city employees, as well as elected officials, to allow their service time to accrue if they leave the city and return at a later date.

Previously, employees would go back to square one for vesting purposes if they didnt vest during their initial stint with the city.

The change will help a number of city workers, and could also benefit former elected officials who served less than five consecutive years  including November mayoral candidates Michael Gongora and Michael Grieco.

The legislation will have a limited impact relative to the approximately $29 million in retirement plan contributions the city expects to make this fiscal year.

It will add about $117,000 to the citys costs this year, according to an actuarial analysis.
Michael J. Fox recently told CBS that he doesn't think he'll live to 80 as his health continues to decline. (Mike Coppola / Getty Images)

Michael J. Fox had recently been thinking about the mortality associated with Parkinson's, the disease he's dealt with for the last 30 years.

"Its banging on the door," Fox tells Jane Pauley during a "CBS News Sunday Morning" interview that airs this weekend. "I mean, Im not gonna lie. Its getting hard ... its getting tougher. Every day its tougher. But thats the way it is. I mean, you know, who do I see about that?"

Fox, 61, was diagnosed with Parkinson's when he was 29, a moment he recalled as "scary" when he was still fresh off the successes of the "Back to the Future" franchise and sitcom "Family Ties."

He continued acting, starring in six seasons of the political comedy "Spin City," voicing the memorable rodent protagonist of "Stuart Little," playing the titular character in NBC's short-lived "Michael J. Fox Show," and appearing in supporting roles in the hit shows "The Good Wife," "Designated Survivor" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

But Fox's health has deteriorated since he underwent a risky spinal surgery in 2018 to remove a tumor, unrelated to Parkinson's. He had to learn to walk again. The process has been rough and has led to scary falls in recent years.

"It messed up my walking ... and then, started to break stuff," Fox said during the CBS interview. "Broke this arm, and I broke this arm, I broke this elbow, I broke my face. I broke my hand."

In his 2020 book, "No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality," Fox shared how one of those serious falls forced him to miss a cameo in the 2019 Spike Lee-produced movie See You Yesterday. (Netflix eventually funded a pickup day, allowing Fox to complete his scene once he recovered.)

During the interview, he explained how falling "is a big killer with Parkinson's," along with "aspirating food and getting pneumonia."

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"All these subtle ways that get ya," he said. "You dont die from Parkinsons  you die with Parkinsons."

Such day-to-day challenges have had him "thinking about the mortality of it."

"Im not gonna be 80," Fox said. "Im not gonna be 80."

In November, Fox received an honorary Oscar, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, for his advocacy of research on Parkinsons disease.

"Michael J. Fox never asked for the role: Parkinson's patient or disease advocate," said fellow actor Woody Harrelson, who presented the award to Fox during the Governors Awards ceremony in 2022. "But make no mistake, it is his greatest performance."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Retired Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Krumholtz, who served the court for nearly a decade, has died, court officials confirmed Friday.

Krumholtz, 69, died unexpectedly on Thursday, April 20. He was residing in Fort Collins, Colorado at the time of his death.

General Division Administrative Judge Mary Wiseman has ordered the flags at the Montgomery County Courts Building to be lowered to half-staff in his honor until the close of business on Friday, May 5.

>> Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools vote to remove verbiage that protects LGBTQ+ students, staff

Krumholtz was elected to the General Division for the first time in 2012 and took office in January 2013. He was elected again in 2018 and served until his retirement in February 2022.

Prior to taking the bench, he was in private practice law for over 30 years. Before entering private practice, he was an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Montgomery County Prosecuting Attorneys office.

Judge Krumholtz was widely regarded as a positive, warm, and ethical man, who was respected by his colleagues on the bench, loved by court staff, and admired throughout the Dayton legal community, court officials said in a release on their website.

Judge Steve Dankof described Krumholtz as egalitarian, selfless, and true blue.

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If Mike Krumholtz was your friend, the wind never blew so cold again, Dankof said.

Krumholtz was a Dayton native and a Alter High School graduate.

He is survived by his wife, Janis; three children, two grandchildren and five siblings.

Krumholtz funeral will be held Saturday, April 29 at 10 a.m. at Holy Angels Church. A luncheon will follow at the NCR Country Club.




A mother has sued a Michigan school district, claiming her sons First Amendment rights were violated last year when they were asked repeatedly to remove clothing with the slogan Lets Go Brandon, a political meme popular in conservative circles referring to a vulgar chant about Joe Biden.

In the suit, filed on Tuesday against the Tri City County Area Schools district, the parent alleges the school is censoring students who try to express support for former President Donald Trump or opposition to Mr Biden.

The legal action, brought with the support of the speech advocacy group Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), argues the students shouldnt be punished, so they remain free to use their Constitutional rights at school, not just learn about them.

Multiple times in 2022, according to the suit, the children at Tri County Middle School were asked to remove their Lets Go Brandon clothes, which they complied with, fearing they would get in trouble.

Schools can stop kids from dropping F-bombs in class and thats entirely appropriate, Conor Fitzpatrick of FIRE told The New York Times, but these kids didnt do that.

The schools dress code forbids attire with messages or illustrations that are lewd, indecent, vulgar, or profane.

The First Amendment case, if it goes forward, will turn on whether the slogan is itself profane, or just referencing something that is.

The Lets Go Brandon meme began in 2021, when a reporter at a NASCAR race misheard a crowd chanting f*** Joe Biden as Lets go Brandon, what she thought was a reference to driver Brandon Brown, who had just won a race at the Talladega Superspeedway.

The slogan quickly became popular on the right, emblazoned on t-shirts and hats at political rallies, and at the centre of various workplace controversies.

In 2021, Southwest Airlines announced it would investigate a pilot who used the phrase on an airliners PA system while addressing passengers.

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Last year, the Tri City County Area Schools district released a statement saying, Lets Go Brandon is transparent code for using profanity against the President, the Times reports.

Political speech is a touchy subject in public schools under the law, where a schools unique custodial rights to dictate a safe and effective learning environment run up against students rights to protest.

In the 1969 Supreme Court case Tinker v Des Moines, the high court famously wrote that, It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate, in a ruling overturning the suspension of a group of students who wore black armbands in protest of the Vietnam war.
A Michigan priest who preyed on a 5-year-old boy after a family funeral in 1987 pleaded guilty this week to sexual assault, the states attorney general confirmed.

Vincent DeLorenzo, 84, who served for many years in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted criminal sexual conduct in the first degree. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss charges in connection with the sexual assault of another 5-year-old boy starting in 1995 through 2000.

Our team continues to work day and night to bring an end to an era of abuse that has hidden in plain sight for far too long and provide justice to those who have suffered years of unimaginable trauma, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement Tuesday. This guilty plea will hopefully close this painful chapter and open the opportunity for much-needed healing for those victimized by DeLorenzo.

When he returns to court on June 13, DeLorenzo is expected to be sentenced to five years probation, the first of which he will serve in the Genesee County Jail, Nessels office said. He will also have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

In addition, DeLorenzo will have to pay restitution, undergo counseling and listen to a victim impact statement if one is made at sentencing.

It was not immediately clear whether the 5-year-old, who is now around 40 years old, that DeLorenzo admitted molesting after presiding over the burial of the boys relative, would be at the sentencing. Appearing before Genesee Circuit Judge Brian S. Pickell and flanked by his attorney, Michael Manley, DeLorenzo admitted Tuesday that he assaulted the boy. He told the judge hed been asked to meet with the boy because the child had been acting out.

Prosecutors offered DeLorenzo the plea after consulting with the priests accusers, of which there were more than two, according to Nessels office.

The organization SNAP, or Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, praised Nessel for prosecuting DeLorenzo but said the former priests punishment does not fit the crime.

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It is always disheartening when predators avoid further justice through legal loopholes, SNAP said in a statement. We truly hope that the sentencing judge sends a very strong message in this case and points out that regardless of age, justice will prevail.

DeLorenzo was ordained in 1965 and removed from the ministry in 2002, according to the Lansing dioceses list of credibly accused priests. He served in at least two parishes in the diocese before he moved to the Ocala area in Florida, where he was arrested in May 2019.

DeLorenzo was one of five former Michigan priests that Nessels investigators tracked down and charged with sexual offenses against children dating back to 1950.

David Kerr, a spokesman for the Diocese of Lansing, said now that DeLorenzo has pleaded guilty he will be formally defrocked. He also praised the bravery of the priests accusers.

There is no statute of limitations for first-degree criminal sexual assault in Michigan, but in cases like DeLorenzos a suspect can be charged only within 10 years of the crime or before the alleged victim turns 21 years old.

Even though DeLorenzo had pleaded guilty to a crime committed 36 years ago, Nessel was able to charge him because the priest left the state after the incident, which put a freeze on the statute of limitations clock.

While the crime occurred more than 10 years ago, Michigans statute of limitations is tolled when a defendant leaves the state for any reason within the statute of limitations and resumes if and when the defendant returns to the state, her statement said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Photograph: Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images

Two students in Michigan have filed a lawsuit against their school district after they were banned from wearing Lets Go Brandon sweatshirts.

The slogan is widely understood as a coded euphemism for a profane curse towards Joe Biden and is popular with conservatives.

Related: Mike Pence interviewed by grand jury investigating Capitol attack  live

The lawsuit, filed by the two middle-school students through their mother, accuses Michigans Tri County Area school district of censoring the students peaceful, non-disruptive political expression in school.

According to the lawsuit, one of the brothers wore a Lets Go Brandon sweatshirt to Tri County middle school last February. The sixth-grader was stopped in the hallway by the schools assistant principal who asked that he remove the sweatshirt, saying that it was equivalent to the F-word.

The boy, fearing further punishment, took off the sweatshirt, the lawsuit said.

The boy then wore the sweatshirt again a few weeks later to express his opposition to President Biden. to which a teacher responded, Take the sweatshirt off. Ive told you before and wont tell you again.

The lawsuit states that the slogan conveys the same opposition to President Biden, sanitized to express the sentiment without using profanity or vulgarity, adding that the sweatshirt did not disrupt class, cause disturbance among students, or invade the rights of others.

A few months later, the boys older brother also wore the sweatshirt to the same school. The eighth-grader was removed from class and was asked to remove his sweatshirt, which he did.

Despite prohibiting Lets Go Brandon apparel, the school district permits students to wear apparel expressing other political and social messages, including but not limited to apparel expressing support for LGBTQ+ rights, the lawsuit said.

The school district has defended its decision to prohibit the slogan. Its attorney Kara T Rozin said: The commonly known meaning of the slogan Lets Go Brandon is intended to ridicule the president with profanity. At least one of the students  has acknowledged knowing what this slogan means, and a simple Google search confirms the slogan means Fuck Joe Biden.

She added that although the school district does not prohibit students from the right to express their political views or from wearing clothing with political slogans, its student code prohibits language or clothing containing language that is offensive, vulgar or profane.
What started as a regular bus ride home ended with one middle school student from Michigan being hailed as a hero for bringing his school bus to a safe stop after the driver lost consciousness.

Dillon Reeves, a seventh-grader at Lois E. Carter Middle School in Warren, Mich., was one of dozens of students riding a bus home from school Wednesday afternoon, according to officials. Around 3 p.m., the bus driver, who has not been identified, radioed into the transportation base that she felt really dizzy and needed to pull over, initiating the process to allow dispatch to send an alternative driver.

But as the driver slowed down, she lost consciousness, Robert D. Livernois, superintendent of Warren Consolidated Schools, said at a news conference Thurs- day. The bus began to roll toward oncoming traffic, he said.

Dillon was seated about five rows behind the driver and threw his backpack down, ran to the front of the bus, grabbed the steering wheel and brought the bus to a stop in the middle of the road, Livernois said.

In my 35-plus years of education, this was an extraordinary act of courage and maturity on his part, Livernois said.

In the video, Dillon can be seen grabbing the steering wheel and calmly and slowly taking control of the brakes. Children are panicking and shouting in the background. He had the wherewithal to push slowly, likely in anticipation that the bus was full of passengers, Livernois said.

After bringing the bus to a stop, Dillon told the other students to call 911.

A man walking down the street and a woman two cars behind the bus came to the students aid, Livernois said. The man attended to the driver along with Dillon while the woman helped the children exit through the rear door so they wouldnt witness their driver in distress.

Police and fire officials arrived within four minutes, Livernois said. No injuries among students were reported, he said, and no damage to the bus was reported.

The driver began in July and was one of our best, the superintendent said. She followed protocol exactly by alerting the base to send another driver, school officials said. It also appeared that as she prepared to stop, she took her foot off the accelerator, Livernois said.

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Skip McAdams, commissioner of the Warren Fire Department, said the driver was semiconscious when responders arrived. She became more alert and oriented as she was transported to a hospital and placed on an EKG monitor and given oxygen and an IV drip. She did not remember the incident itself but does remember that she wasnt feeling well prior to the incident, McAdams said, who added that her vitals were stable.

The driver, who is 40, remained in the hospital as of Thursday and was undergoing testing and observation. She had no history of fainting and had passed the Department of Transportations mandatory medical exam, Livernois said. The driver is undergoing drug screening as required by federal law, he said.

Steve and Ireta Reeves, Dillons parents, praised their sons actions and called him a hero. Dillon has been driving on his fathers lap along backcountry roads and up driveways since he was 4, said Steve Reeves, who described his son as very attentive to his surroundings.

Ireta Reeves said that when she asked Dillon how he knew what to do, he responded, I watch [the driver] do it every day.

The school board plans to hold a commendation ceremony for Dillon, Livernois said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
MANILA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday said that at least 340 Filipino citizens caught in the fierce fighting in Sudan have crossed the border and are now in Egypt.

"More Filipino evacuees are now in Egypt. They crossed the border of Argeen aboard buses which the DFA leased for Filipinos leaving (the Sudanese capital) Khartoum," spokeswoman Teresita Daza said.

"There are now 340 Filipinos from Sudan on Egyptian soil," the DFA said in a social media statement.

The foreign department said that Philippine Ambassador to Egypt Ezzedin Tago met the Filipinos, including children, after they crossed the border into Egypt through the Argeen land port with Sudan.

Since mid-April, Sudan has been mired in military clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces following days of tension between the once-allied leaders of both sides.

At least 459 people have been killed and over 4,000 wounded in the conflict in Sudan, according to the World Health Organization.

The DFA on Wednesday night raised the alert level to 3 in Sudan. "The public is informed that alert level 3 (voluntary repatriation or evacuation) has been raised for the whole of the Sudan region due to the ongoing political situation in the country," read the DFA advisory.

The DFA said at least 740 Filipinos are in Sudan, and the majority are professionals. 
Calhoun County School District officials on Friday confiscated a firearm from a 14-year-old student who brought the weapon to school to store it for afterschool clay shooting practice, the Calhoun County Sheriffs Office.

The sheriffs office, which was called to investigate the incident at Sandy Run K8 School in Swansea, said in a Facebook post that no one was threatened or harmed, and that the situation was under control.

Still, the child was removed from the school and will face disciplinary action, according to the sheriffs office, which has opened a criminal investigation and plans to pursue criminal charges.

A preliminary investigation determined the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding between the boys mother and school administrators, Chief Deputy Matt Trentham said.

The mother incorrectly believed a school administrator had signed off on letting her son store his shotgun at the school, he said.

As a result, the boy brought the gun to school Friday in a locked case and left it in the administrative office, Trentham said.

The child literally took a locked case straight from the car into the administrative office and said Can you give this to the principal to secure it? he said. Our (school resource officer) was there and he immediately secured it and started going from there.

While there was no malicious intent, Trentham said the boy likely would be expelled and the mother likely would be charged because its illegal to carry guns on school property.

It was just a misunderstanding all the way around, he said.
President Biden is under pressure to reduce the number of migrants entering the US illegally

The US has announced plans to open new migrant processing centres in Colombia and Guatemala as part of efforts to reduce undocumented immigration.

The regional facilities will process thousands of claims a month, with pathways for legal migration expanded.

The number of deportations for those ineligible to be in the US will also be doubled or tripled.

The US is bracing for a spike in undocumented immigration when Covid-era processing rules end in May.

The processing centres will allow successful applicants to enter the US legally and improve their access to assistance such as refugee resettlement processing and family reunification.

Between 5,000 and 6,000 people are expected to be processed a month but this will be scaled up. Spain and Canada have also agreed to take a number of those applying.

US officials on Thursday also announced plans to double or triple the number of deportation flights to some countries.

Those who try to reach America illegally by sea will now also not be eligible for parole, allowing them to temporarily live and work in the US.

These latest measures come weeks before the planned lifting of Title 42, which was introduced during the Trump administration and gave immigration agents the right to immediately deport undocumented migrants before they could register an asylum request.

The policy is expected to end on 11 May after being delayed.

"Notwithstanding those preparations, we do expect that encounters at our southern border will increase as smugglers are seeking to take advantage of this change and already are hard at work spreading disinformation that the border will be open after that," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

President Joe Biden has been under intense pressure to deal with the high number of undocumented migrants caught crossing the US-Mexico border.

About 200,000 undocumented migrants attempt to enter the US each month, recent government records show.

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Earlier this year, Mexico agreed to accept thousands more deportees from the US after the Biden Administration said 30,000 Haitians, Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans would be granted entry each month on humanitarian visas provided they applied through the correct immigration pathways.

Also on Thursday, the International Rescue Committee said more than nine in 10 Haitians seeking asylum in Mexico lacked basic necessities such as food and medical supplies.

Language barriers, discrimination and a lack of space means accessing shelter is difficult, leaving many displaced Haitians to live on the streets or makeshift camps. The aid agency said nearly half need help to afford food.

Mexico's refugee agency says asylum claims by Haitians are on track to surpass the 52,000 record of 2021. Tens of thousands of people have fled Haiti in recent months as it has descended into lawlessness and violence.
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell on Thursday accused Fox News of playing a big part in the mass 2020 voter fraud that he claims was Donald Trumps downfall in the election. (Watch the video below.)

Lindell, a vociferous election denier who has appeared on Fox News and other right-wing outlets to shout his pro-Trump conspiracy theories, now says Fox News was somehow wrapped up in the election steal and suppressed the flow of information.

This would be the same Fox News that just paid Dominion Voting Systems gobs of money to settle a lawsuit because the network falsely and repeatedly claimed that balloting machines were rigged against Trump.

Be warned: Following Lindells addled argument could prove challenging.

I believe Fox played a big part in this election crime because back then, they called Arizona early, he said, referring to the channels correct election night projection that Biden would win the swing state, which angered viewers.

Smartmatic sued Fox News on Feb. 4 of 2021, Lindell continued in a nod to another voting technology company suing Fox for defamation. That started lawfare in this whole country. Since that time people like me have not been able to go on any conservative media and talk about our election. ... So Fox News has been suppressing for some reason and they make this deal with Dominion?

Interviewer Chris Cuomo of NewsNation noted that Fox cant produce evidence of something that never occurred, and that it got into trouble for asserting fraud did happen. And its facing more legal jeopardy. Not to mention that dozens of Trump-led legal election challenges went nowhere in the courts.

Lindell claimed he subpoenaed Fox for evidence and they wont give us anything.

But Mike, Mike, theyre not gonna produce evidence of the nonexistence of the election being rigged, Cuomo replied. And they did more than anybody else did to fuel the speculation, which is how they got jammed up with Dominion.

Last week, Lindell was ordered to pay $5 million to man who debunked his theory about Chinese interference in the 2020 election in the bedding moguls 2021 Prove Mike Wrong challenge.

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Lindell is also facing a $1.3 billion defamation suit from Dominion.

h/t Mediaite

Related...
Former Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday testified before a federal grand jury looking into efforts to interfere in the 2020 presidential election.

Pences testimony came hours after a federal appeals court denied former President Trumps emergency motion to block the subpoena for Pence to testify.

Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks to guests at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Spring Kick-Off on April 22, 2023 in Clive, Iowa.

The case remains under seal, but the court indicated the motion was denied. Pence had dropped further appeals and agreed to testify once all other pending appeals were exhausted.

MIKE PENCE, TIM SCOTT SPOTLIGHT DIFFERENCES WITH DONALD TRUMP AS THEY MOVE CLOSER TO LAUNCHING 2024 CAMPAIGNS

Pence's appearance before a grand jury in Washington is a milestone in the Justice Department's investigation. It also carries significant political implications, coming as Pence hints at entering the 2024 presidential race and a potential run against Trump, the Republican front-runner.

Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks with social conservative voters at a gathering of the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, on April 22, 2023 in Clive, Iowa.

Pence, as vice president, had a ceremonial role overseeing Congress' counting of the Electoral College vote but did not have the power to affect the results, despite Trump's contention otherwise.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Pence has said that Trump endangered his family and everyone else who was at the Capitol that day and history will hold him "accountable."

The Justice Department special counsel leading the investigation, Jack Smith, has cast a broad net in interviews and has sought the testimony of a long list of former Trump aides, including ex-White House counsel Pat Cipollone and former adviser Stephen Miller.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A man who was married to a U.S. Army soldier maintained he never remarried after her death in 1994  but he lied, according to federal prosecutors.

Over the course of nearly 20 years, he stole thousands from a program that pays benefits to spouses of deceased military members by keeping his second and third marriages a secret, prosecutors said.

If a spouse remarries, the Department of Veterans Affairs Dependency and Indemnity Compensation program will stop paying them the benefits, according to officials.

The man, 55, of Citrus County, Florida, lied to the VA about never remarrying and stole $364,000, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Middle District of Florida.

He was indicted on a charge of receiving stolen government property, the attorneys office announced in an April 27 news release.

McClatchy News contacted the mans attorney for comment on April 28 and didnt immediately receive a response.

Brother-in-law reports him to the VA

The case dates to November 1995, when the man remarried about a year after the death of his wife who served in the Army, according to prosecutors.

Over the years, the man lied on VA marital status questionnaires, saying he never remarried since 1994, according to an affidavit.

Months after his second marriage ended in July 2022, the mans brother-in-law from that subsequent marriage revealed he had remarried and told the VA he was wrongfully receiving benefits on Dec. 12, 2022, the affidavit says.

The brother-in-law then revealed even more information about the man, including that the man had been dating his eventual second wife in 1994 while his first wife was alive, during an interview with a special agent from the VA on April 3, 2023, according to the affidavit.

The brother-in-law also told investigators the man remarried again on Feb. 3, 2023, after divorcing his second wife, the affidavit says.

If the man is found guilty, he faces up to 10 years in prison and could be ordered to forfeit at least $364,000, prosecutors said.

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Citrus County is located in western Florida, about 75 miles north of Tampa.

TSA officer stole thousands in unemployment while working at Florida airport, feds say

Missing moms boyfriend stole her disabled sons benefits after she vanished, feds say

Manager spent $1.5M using churchs credit card for guns, travel and cars, feds say
A healthcare worker carries a donated organ in a cooler next to a gurney outside an ambulance. (Getty Images)

The scene at OneLegacy in Azusa on a recent Friday morning would have been familiar to anyone who's been in a hospital intensive care unit. Three adults were tucked into hospital beds, still and apparently asleep, with ventilators and other machines of artificial life doing the work that their bodies couldn't do.

If you didn't know better, you'd think all the tubes and wires and boxes and screens were designed to save the lives of these patients, but it was too late for that. Instead, the machines were keeping oxygenated blood circulating through soon-to-be-donated organs of three people who had recently been declared brain dead.

OneLegacy, you see, is not a hospital. It's the country's largest organ procurement organization. And the kidneys, livers and other organs in those three bodies could save the lives of up to 24 people.

The sad fact of the matter is that there aren't enough people who end up in a spot like this, their organs being prepped for a new gig in another body. That's true in part because doctors haven't figured out yet how to retrieve useful organs from the vast majority of dying patients, and in part because not enough people are willing to give up major body parts after they no longer need them.

You don't have to die to be an organ donor  you can donate one of your two healthy kidneys and a big chunk of your liver, among other body parts. But even though the total number of living and deceased donors is about 50% higher now than in 2016, a wide gap still remains between the demand for organs and the supply.

Organ donation and transplant centers have controversies of their own to deal with, as does the system as a whole. The Times zoomed in on the challenge facing people on dialysis for kidney failure, a shrinking percentage of whom are making it onto the waiting list for organs. Other problems include a large number of potentially life-saving organs going to waste (including some lost in transit), as well as regional, racial and ethnic disparities in transplants.

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According to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, there were more than 100,000 people on the national transplant waiting list in January, with someone added every 10 minutes. The number of transplants performed has grown steadily, but it's still well short of the number of people waiting for them. Every day, HRSA says, 17 of the people waiting for an organ die.

Here's an overview of the national system for donations and transplants, what you should know about donating your organs, what some of the problems are, and what the Biden administration is doing to try to solve them.

A short history of organ transplants

The first successful organ transplant on record took place more than 150 years ago, when a Swiss-born physician grafted small pieces of a patient's skin into a wound in the patient's arm to speed healing. (Yes, your skin is an organ. In fact, it's the body's largest organ.) But transplanting an organ from one person to another is significantly harder because the recipient's immune system tries to reject the foreign tissue as if it were an invader, not a potential savior.

The breakthroughs started in the 1950s, when a doctor in Boston successfully transplanted the first kidney (from one identical twin to another), followed in the next decade by doctors in Paris making four successful kidney transplants between non-siblings. The next important step was the development of a drug protocol in the 1960s to suppress the immune system, replacing the use of radiation  a technique that rarely held off organ rejection for very long.

The improving techniques boosted interest in transplants, but no system existed to match potential donors and recipients across hospitals and regions. The gap was gradually filled by a new class of middlemen, according to a National Institute of Medicine report: independent regional organ procurement organizations that "identified donors, retrieved organs and found recipients within a reasonable time frame."

In 1984, the National Organ Transplant Act brought the regional efforts together into a national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. Among other duties, the network was tasked with creating a list of individuals who need organs, developing a computerized system for matching them with donors, and helping organ procurement organizations distribute organs "equitably among transplant patients" nationwide.

The network is currently operated by a single contractor: the United Network for Organ Sharing, usually referred to by its initials, UNOS.

Which organs and tissues can be donated?

The Cleveland Clinic cites five organs from a single deceased donor that can potentially be used to save eight lives: the kidneys (one each for two recipients), the liver (two recipients each receiving half), the lungs (one each for two recipients), the heart and the pancreas.

In addition, the donor's corneas, intestine, middle ear, bones, bone marrow, skin and connective tissue all can be harvested to help improve the lives of ailing or injured patients. Doctors can recover usable bone, skin and other tissues from far more deceased patients than they can recover major organs.

Bone donations are used to replace sections of bone that were lost or removed, as well as to provide a conduit for natural bone regrowth, said Thomas Mone, chief external affairs officer at the OneLegacy Foundation. Researchers are also trying to develop ways to recover bone marrow from a deceased donor to transplant along with the donor's organs, which could stop the recipient's immune system from attacking the new organs.

According to Lifebanc, an organ procurement organization in Cleveland, a single donor's tissue and corneas can help up to 75 people. "Tissue donors save the lives of burn victims through skin grafts, repair faulty heart valves, give sight to the blind, and restore mobility to those who have suffered injuries," Lifebanc says.

Who can donate?

You might think that the only thing you have to do to become an organ donor is to sign up to be one. But that's just the easiest part of the process. Whether your organs can help someone else after you die depends on how healthy your organs are and how you met your maker.

Your organs don't have to be the picture of health to be transplanted. But there are some "comorbidity" conditions that will disqualify them, whether you're donating while you're alive (a "living donation") or not (a "deceased donation"). These include an actively spreading cancer, damage from diabetes or high blood pressure, tumors and other hidden maladies.

A patient's age is important, but having a liver donated by a 70-year-old is hardly unprecedented, said Dr. Marty Sellers, an organ recovery surgeon at Tennessee Donor Services. Age-related changes in organs can shorten their lifespan in the recipient's body, he said, but "older livers are still far better than staying on a waiting list."

Perhaps the biggest limit on organ donation is how quickly organs deteriorate in the body after the heart stops beating. When organs are deprived of oxygenated blood for more than 20 to 30 minutes, they become too damaged to be transplanted, Mone said, adding, "Nobody's solved that medical riddle yet." (The clock ticks more slowly for bone and tissue, which can be recovered up to 24 hours after the donor's time of death, Mone said.)

As a consequence, kidneys, livers and other vital organs are taken only from patients who die in a hospital while on a ventilator. Only 1% of the roughly 2.8 million people who die in the U.S. each year fit into that category, Mone said, and of that group, less than half of the organs available are fit to transplant.

What are the steps?

Each of the 56 not-for-profit organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the U.S. oversees organ donations in its region. OneLegacy, for example, serves seven Southern California counties with about 20 million residents, collecting donations from 216 hospitals, Mone said.

Federal regulations require hospitals to notify their regional OPO when they have a patient who has died or is facing imminent death. At OneLegacy, staffers use information from the patients' physicians to identify potential donors, then meet with family members to discuss the patient's wish to donate (if registered as a donor) or the family's willingness to donate (if the patient wasn't registered). As with other surgeries, Mone said, there must be consent to remove the organs.

After organ donation is authorized, the search for a matching recipient on the waitlist begins. After brain death, the OPO conducts more tests on the organs and works to improve their function, trying to get them to the point that the transplant doctors consider viable, Mone said.

A dead body could spend two to three days hooked up to pumps and other medical devices before the organs are ultimately removed, Mone said. OneLegacy is one of four OPOs in California that are set up to maintain bodies after brain death at their own facilities, where they can get a better picture of the health of the organs before removing them. In other cases, including when a donor dies of heart failure instead of brain death, the organs are removed at the donor's hospital.

The organs are then packaged and hustled to the transplant center where the recipient is waiting. According to Mone and Sellers, properly packaged kidneys ordinarily last for 24 to 36 hours outside the body, while a healthy liver can typically last six to eight hours, and a heart or lungs only three to four hours. Given the short shelf life, Mone said, OPOs typically won't remove organs other than kidneys if no recipients have been lined up.

Devices and techniques have started emerging to preserve organs longer after their removal, Mone said, but they are "very, very, very early" in their development.

Who can get a donated organ?

The organs gathered by OPOs go only to people on the waiting list. And the only way to get on the list is to be referred to a transplant center, where doctors will test you to determine whether you're a suitable candidate.

According to UNOS, each transplant center has its own criteria for suitability, so it pays to check those out in advance. To find a center near you, consult the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.

When an OPO knows an organ is coming in, it checks the UNOS computer system for the best match on the waiting list. If your name comes up as the top match, the OPO confirms with your physician that the donor's blood type, tissue antigens and other details are compatible with yours. Historically, Mone said, two other key factors were how close you were to a transplant center and how long you'd been waiting for a new organ. But the considerations have evolved over time, he said; what matters most now is how close you are to dying and how long you're likely to survive after the operation.

Still, Mone said, most organs (and especially kidneys) are transplanted in the same region where they are donated. That's why experts suggest getting on the waiting list in more than one region. To do so, you'll have be evaluated and approved by one or more additional transplant centers.

What are the problems in the system?

Medical experts say the biggest problem is the growing gulf between the number of donations and the demand for replacement kidneys, livers and other major organs.

E'Tiffany Jones, communications manager for OneLegacy, said there's a prevalent myth that deters people from registering as an organ donor: "If you have a pink dot, the hospital will not save you." In truth, Jones and Mone said, hospitals try to save every patient they can, and OPOs like OneLegacy have no role in those decisions. Besides, Mone said, if a hospital doesn't try to save a patient, the organs are likely to be unfit to donate.

White and Latino patients and their survivors authorize donations at a significantly higher rate than Black or Asian patients and survivors, a situation that Mone said reflects distrust of the system and cultural opposition to organ donation. Although the organ donation authorization rate in OneLegacy's region was 87% for white and 73% for Latino patients from 2017 to 2020, it was only 58% for potential Black and Asian donors, the organization says. The rates for the U.S. as a whole follow a similar pattern.

There's also a racial disparity on the receiving end of donated organs.

According to OneLegacy's statistics for 2021, nonwhite people in its region receive a share of the transplants that's proportionate to their numbers, but not to their need. Making matters worse, Mone said, Black Americans suffer from kidney failure at three times the rate of white Americans, yet they aren't getting on the waiting list for transplants at that rate.

Four years ago, The Times chronicled several cases in which OneLegacy and other OPOs were allowed to harvest organs and tissue before a coroner could conduct an autopsy and determine a cause of death. In some of the cases, prosecutors couldn't file murder charges without the cause of death determination. At the request of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, the county's chief medical examiner-coroner investigated and found that organ procurement before autopsies "does not have a significant effect" on his office's ability to determine the cause of death. The county continues to allow OneLegacy to take bodies before autopsies.

How to register to be a donor

Years ago, you'd express your interest in donating your organs by putting a pink dot on your driver's license. Those dots have since been augmented by an electronic registry, which you can sign up for through your state's site or RegisterMe.org. You also can register by visiting your local Department of Motor Vehicles office or, if you have an Apple iPhone, through the Health app.

To register, you'll need to supply your name, gender, birth date, street address, email address and place of birth. If you'd prefer to mail in your registration in California, you can download the form from the state registry's website, fill it out and return it to Donate Life California, 3940 Industrial Blvd., West Sacramento, CA 95691.

Being an organ donor is not an all-or-nothing choice  you'll also have the opportunity to decide which organs and tissues can be taken from your body after death. You can also restrict your tissue donations to nonprofit organizations, confine your tissue donations to the U.S., bar your body parts from being used in medical research, and prevent your skin from being used in anything other than life-saving or reconstructive purposes.

By creating an account with the state donor registry, you'll also be able to add or remove restrictions over time. But only you can make those changes; according to Donate Life California, no one can override your choices after you die.

States keep registries just of people who want to be donors; there's no "Do not harvest my organs" list for those who don't. If you do not want your organs to be taken after you die, Mone said, you can make this clear in an advance healthcare directive  a document that outlines how aggressively you want doctors to treat you near the end of your life.

How much does a recipient pay?

The system is designed to charge the person who needs a transplant all the costs associated with removing, maintaining and transplanting the donated organ. How much you'd pay for a new organ depends on the deductibles, out-of-pocket costs and exclusions in your insurance policy; the same is true for the costly drugs that fight rejection.

Examining U.S. data from 2020, analysts at Milliman, an insurance consultancy, estimated that the average medical bill for transplants was $442,500 for a kidney, $878,400 for a liver, $1.2 million for an intestine and $1.7 million for a heart. The amounts paid by insurers were probably lower, Milliman said, because of the lower rates they negotiated.

Can organs be sold?

Not legally, at least not in the vast majority of countries (Iran is one notable exception). In the U.S., federal law prohibits the sale of body parts, as do state versions of the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act.

"Selling body parts has a long and sordid history," Mone said. While some economists argue that paying donors would increase the supply of organs and shorten the waiting list, he said, nations have banned it because they worry that "paying for organs would lead to poor people donating to save rich patients." And that's been the experience in Iran, where the bulk of the donated organs have come from poor tribespeople, not the rich or the well-educated, Mone said.

What changes are coming to the transplant system?

The Biden administration announced plans in March to modernize the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, including more than doubling the government's investment in the system. The most visible result is a new online dashboard showing the annual tally of transplants performed state by state, the number of people on waiting lists for each major organ, and other performance data.

One of the main features of the effort is the possible end of UNOS's monopoly on the key aspects of the network. Going forward, the administration said, it will break the system's operations, governance and technology into separate contracts that will be held, potentially, by different companies.

Barry Massa, president of the Assn. of Organ Procurement Assns. and executive director of the LifeCenter Organ Donor Network in Cincinnati, said the association welcomes the administration's effort, and more broadly supports the recommendations the National Research Council made last year to improve equity, transparency and efficiency in the system. "Anything that can improve the system, we are supportive of," Massa said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Investment adviser Kay Yang used investor funds to finance a luxury lifestyle that included four homes in Wisconsin and Minnesota, including this Mequon house, according to federal court records.

A Milwaukee-area developer and investment adviser has been ordered by a judge to repay $4.06 million to investors  and pay the same amount as a fine  after using investment funds to finance her luxurious lifestyle.

Kay X. Yang, who operates Mequon-based Xapphire LLC, must make those payments within 30 days or face collection efforts. That includes contempt of court proceedings that could result in being jailed, according to a Wednesday ruling issued by U.S. District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller.

Her husband, Chao Yang, was ordered to repay $830,502 of ill-gotten gains.

"Kay and Xapphire must be held accountable for their pervasive and knowing violations" of federal securities law, Stadtmueller said in the ruling.

"Kay and Xapphire targeted a vulnerable group of victims for millions of dollars in a years-long scheme rife with fabricated documents and material misrepresentations and omissions. Kay continues to make these choices today," the judge said.

Kay Yang didn't respond to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's request for comment.

One question: will federal authorities be able to compel Yang to comply with Stadtmueller's order?

In July 2020, the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions found that Yang was operating as unregistered investment advisor.

She was ordered to pay $16,950,777 in restitution to her investors, disgorge up to $4,231,998 in profits, and pay a $50,000 civil penalty. However, Yang has not paid the amounts she owes.

Meanwhile, Yang has continued to raise millions of dollars from the Hmong-American communities in Wisconsin and Minnesota, according to federal court records.

Also, in February 2022, a search warrant affidavit filed in U.S. District Court said Yang was the subject of a criminal investigation for alleged money laundering and wire fraud.

"The Court can only hope that this Order, as the Wisconsin Order apparently failed to do, will deter Kay and Xapphire from future violations of the securities laws," Stadtmueller wrote.

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Yang raised at least $16.5 million from investors in 8 states

Yang raised at least $16.5 million from approximately 70 investors in at least eight states through two fraudulent offerings from around April 2017 through April 2021, the ruling said.

Most of the investors are Hmong-American, including some who do not speak English as a first language and "were not sophisticated investors," Stadtmueller wrote.

Kay and Chao Yang used more than $3 million in investor funds to pay for real estate, living expenses, travel, and luxury automobiles.

That included four homes in Wisconsin and Minnesota; trips to Hawaii, Thailand, Cancun and Las Vegas, and gambling. Some of the cash was used to repay investors in a previous venture.

Kay Yang also is vice president of 5xen Inc., which operated 5xen Asian Super Market, 6300 N. 76th St.  leaving a once-thriving business in dire straits.

5xen Inc. operated the market from April 2020 until Jan. 7. That's when control of the property was turned back over to Pai Yang (no relation), who in 2009 launched the business, then known as Phongsavan Asian Market.

Pai Yang sold the business to 5xen through a land contract. She remained liable for the property's mortgage debt even though 5xen agreed to take over making payments to the bank.

When 5xen stopped making mortgage payments, Chicago-based Byline Bank in 2022 filed a foreclosure suit and obtained a judgment. Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Thomas McAdams in January ordered 5xen to turn the property over to Yang after 5xen failed to make a $3.6 million payment to her.

Yang has since sued 5xen, saying it ruined the property and committed theft by removing commercial kitchen equipment, chairs, tables, carts, shelves, price guns, garbage bins  and even toilets and other restroom fixtures. The suit also says 5xen owes $11,920 in January rent collected from the market's vendors.

In February, McAdams issued an injunction barring 5xen from selling or mortgaging a neighboring property it owns at 6270 N. 76th St.

Yang's attorney, Jason Baltz, said that building  with an assessed value of $485,000  could eventually be used to pay down damages Yang hopes to collect from 5xen through her lawsuit.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee-area investment adviser ordered to repay $4 million
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is asking for help in finding a man who disappeared after his home was set on fire.

Firefighters were called out to Melvin Cookseys home on Feb. 24 along Mote Road in Covington after his house was set on fire by an unidentified person, the GBI said.

A car was seen leaving his home by a neighbor about 30 minutes before the fire.

We have reason to believe that the vehicle is involved with the disappearance of Cooksey, the Newton County Sheriffs Office said.

Deputies said they believe Cookseys license plate was stolen in early February as well.

TRENDING STORIES:

We have reason to believe that the driver is a brown-skinned male, and the passenger is a light-brown-skinned female, the sheriffs office said.

Cooksey is paralyzed on his left side and requires medical equipment and services that were left inside the house.

Investigators said Cooksey was not found inside the house following the fire and they do not believe that he left his home willingly.

Witnesses said the car seen leaving his home was a white 2006 Ford Focus hatchback with a Kansas tag of C0255.

Anyone with information on Cookseys whereabouts or have seen the car, is asked to call the GBI at 770-388-5019 or the Newton County Sheriffs Office at 678-625-1455.

IN OTHER NEWS:
Dame Sharon White is in the running

Richard Sharp has resigned as BBC chairman after he conceded an official report found that he breached the rules for public appointments.

Mr Sharp, who said he was quitting to "prioritise the interests" of the broadcaster, will stay on until June 27, when an acting chairman will be appointed in line with the Charter.

This chairman will be selected from the BBC's current board of non-executive directors. It will then be up to Rishi Sunak to appoint a permanent successor to Mr Sharp, with the Prime Minister acting on the advice of Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary.

The Telegraph takes a look at the runners and riders to replace Mr Sharp as the Corporation's acting chairman.

Jay Hunt

Jay Hunt - Rodin Eckenroth/GA

Jay Hunt has been an executive director at Apple TV+ for the past six years and has had an extensive career in the broadcasting industry, including two decades of experience at the BBC.

As controller of BBC One between 2008 and 2010, she was accused of sacking four middle-aged female presenters from Countryfile because she hated women, only to insist she would never discriminate against women over 40 because she was one herself.

She went on to spend six years as the chief creative officer of Channel 4, where she oversaw The Great British Bake Off moving to the channel.

George Osborne

George Osborne - Karwai Tang

George Osborne, the Tory chancellor between 2010 and 2016, was initially lined up for the BBC chairman role when the vacancy last emerged three years ago.

Boris Johnson, the then prime minister, was understood to have been keen to appoint a Conservative at the corporation to counter accusations of Left-wing bias, which have only become more prominent in the intervening years.

Since leaving frontline politics, Mr Osborne has gone on to hold a number of simultaneous roles. He edited the Evening Standard newspaper for three years, and is currently the chairman of the British Museum and the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.

Baroness Morgan

Baroness Nicky Morgan - Barcroft Media

Baroness Morgan was education secretary under David Cameron and then culture secretary for the first seven months of Boris Johnsons premiership during her time as a Conservative MP.

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As culture secretary, she warned the BBC the issue of the licence fee was coming up more and more on the doorstep. She stressed the need for a national broadcaster with a very strong international footprint and pointed to growing numbers who neither watched nor agreed with the corporation.

A staunch Remain supporter, she was highly critical of Nigel Farages campaigning  claiming he was emboldening racists  and called for a soft Brexit.

Sir Trevor Phillips

Trevor Phillips - Simon James

Sir Trevor Phillips is a seasoned broadcaster, who most recently presented political programmes for Sky News, and a former Labour politician who served as the chairman of the London Assembly from 2002 to 2003.

He was then appointed by Sir Tony Blair to chair the Commission for Racial Equality and then its successor, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). During this time, he described some of Britains most popular television programmes as too white.

Sir Trevor went on to make a Channel 4 documentary tackling inconvenient truths about race, and has since argued that guilt obscures media coverage of race issues.

Dame Sharon White

Sharon White

Dame Sharon White has chaired the John Lewis Partnership since 2020, having also held a chief executive role at Ofcom for four years and a number of Whitehall mandarin roles.

She oversaw its controversial decision to ditch its never knowingly undersold price match pledge and a number of swingeing cuts, with losses ballooning to more than 230 million earlier this month. This led her to warn of further job cuts, as well as scrapping the staff bonus.

Earlier this week, Dame Sharon promised to preserve what makes the John Lewis Partnership unique and deliver a sense of social purpose amid the cost-of-living crisis.
Dmytro Kuleba

Kuleba stated that he had productive negotiations with Popescu, during which they discussed the necessary steps to begin negotiations on Ukraine joining the EU in 2023.

Read also: Ukraine had frank conversation with NATO in Brussels, FM Kuleba says

"He informed me on Moldovas decision to join the Core Group on the creation of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine," the minister said.

Earlier on April 27, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution recognizing the forced displacement of Ukrainian children to Russia as genocide.

Read also: Hungary's foreign minister outraged at Ukraines Kuleba being invited to NATO meeting

On March 17, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Russias childrens ombudsman, Maria Lvova-Belova, for their involvement in unlawful removal of children from Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
NEW DELHI, April 28 (Xinhua) -- India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday called upon the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states to jointly work towards eliminating terrorism in all its forms, said an official statement issued by the Indian defense ministry.

"If we want to make the SCO a stronger and more credible international organization, our top-most priority should be to effectively deal with terrorism," said Singh while addressing the SCO defense ministers' meeting in the Indian capital.

Singh said India is committed to the defense capacity building of SCO member states for shared security interests.

The defense minister asserted that India will further bolster trust and cooperation among the members of the SCO for peace and security based on the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.

The SCO defense ministers' meeting was also attended by defense ministers and representatives of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Iran and Belarus. 
Santa Rosa, Calif.  An Instagram social influencer who reported an attempted kidnapping of her young children has been convicted of making a false report of a crime, CBS Bay Area reports.

Katie Sorenson, a former Sonoma, Calif. resident, was immediately remanded into custody on the misdemeanor conviction and bail was set at $100,000, said the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office in a press statement. She faces up to six months in jail.

The 31-year-old Sorenson posted viral Instagram videos in December 2020 claiming a couple tried to kidnap her two children at Michael's store in Petaluma. The videos were posted about a week after Sorenson had reported the supposed kidnapping attempt to police. In the videos, Sorenson described a number of details about the alleged incident that hadn't been disclosed to police, the DA's office said.

Sorensen later went on a local news program to repeat her account of the purported event, identifying a Petaluma couple seen in the Michael's store surveillance video as the perpetrators.

Image from Katie Sorenson's Instagram video in which she claims a couple tried to kidnap her children. / Credit: @motherhoodessentials/Instagram

Before the accusation, Sorenson had enjoyed a modest following on her @motherhoodessentials Instagram account while also posting conspiracy theories espoused by QAnon followers of Democrats and Hollywood elites running child sex-trafficking rings.

Her videos on the alleged kidnapping attempt were viewed more than four million times and gained her tens of thousands of new followers. They've since been deleted.

The DA's office said Sorensen's report was determined to be false and was resoundingly contradicted by the accused couple as well as the surveillance video from the store.

"This verdict will enable us to hold Ms. Sorensen accountable for her crime, while at the same time helping to exonerate the couple that was falsely accused of having attempted to kidnap two young children," said District Attorney Carla Rodriguez said in a press statement. "The case is also important in that it illustrates the importance of using social media responsibly."

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Sorensen had been charged with three misdemeanor counts of making a false report of a crime: one to a police dispatcher, another to a police officer on Dec. 7, 2020, and a third a week later to a police detective. She was acquitted on the first two counts and convicted of the third for statements made to the detective.

Sadie Vega-Martinez, who was falsely accused by Sorenson along with her husband Eddie Martinez, told Elle magazine she was "happy" with the verdict.

"After [Sorensen] avoided accountability for years, and then hearing she was found guilty and walked out in handcuffs ... yes, justice was served," she said. "I feel like it's a step in the right direction for my family. I'm grateful for the support."

In a statement to The Press-Democrat, Sorenson's attorney, Charles Dresow said, "The verdict of not guilty as to counts one and two rejects the theory that my client lied to the police on Dec. 7. The jury reviewed the actual evidence and found it to be very different than how the case has been portrayed outside the courtroom. We are disappointed as to count three and will evaluate our options moving forward."

Sorensen showed no emotion as the verdict was read while family members in the courtroom began sobbing, The Press-Democrat reported. She was quickly placed in handcuffs and led from the courtroom, the report said. She is being held in the Sonoma County Jail.

A sentencing date wasn't set.

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"48 Hours" investigates the wrongful conviction of Lamar Johnson
Former mom influencer Katie Sorenson. Twitter;@henrykleeKTVU

Micro momfluencer Katie Sorensen was convicted of falsely reporting a crime.

Sorensen went viral in December 2020 for claiming a couple tried to kidnap her children.

Later, Sorensen identified a couple shopping for Christmas decorations as the perpetrators. Her story was false.

Katie Sorensen, a 31-year-old mom influencer, was convicted on one count of making a false report of a crime after she claimed a couple tried to kidnap her children at a Michael's store in Petaluma, California, in December 2020.

On December 7, Sorensen took her kids to Michael's, made a purchase, got into her car with her children, and left the parking lot, according to the Sonoma County District Attorney's press release. Shortly after, she called and reported to the Petaluma Police Department that a couple had tried to kidnap her kids. A week later, she posted a video to Instagram, which subsequently went viral, discussing the attempted kidnapping "in an effort to raise awareness" and gave viewers more detail than she'd originally given to police, according to the press release. (Sorensen's Instagram account is currently private, but snippets of the video have been reposted across social media). Sorensen also appeared on local news, reiterating the false claim that a couple had tried to abduct her children and describing the perpetrators as not "necessarily clean cut."

When police followed up with Sorensen, she identified a local couple from the craft store's footage as the perpetrators.

Following an investigation, however, Sorensen was charged with three misdemeanor counts of making a false crime report  to a police dispatcher, to a police officer, and to a police detective.

During her trial, Sonoma County prosecutors successfully argued that Sorenson's story was false, and the jury returned a guilty verdict on one count of reporting a false crime. (She was acquitted on two other related charges).

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"This verdict will enable us to hold Ms. Sorensen accountable for her crime, while at the same time helping to exonerate the couple that was falsely accused of having attempted to kidnap two young children," District Attorney Rodriguez said. "The case is also important in that it illustrates the importance of using social media responsibly."

Sadie Vega-Martinez, who was accused by Sorensen as well as her husband, Eddie Martinez, told Elle magazine she was "happy" with the verdict and "grateful for the support." Vega-Martinez said Sorensen had "avoided accountability for years" and the guilty verdict meant "justice was served." In 2020, Vega-Martinez explained to the Petaluma Argus-Courier that the couple had been at Michael's to purchase Christmas decorations and said she believed the false story was racially motivated.

Months before Sorenson's false claims, she began posting about anti-trafficking awareness. She posted a 20-slide highlight reel to her Instagram (@motherhoodessentials) and a photo to her grid of herself holding what appeared to be a hand-drawn anti-trafficking sign, Elle reported, using the hashtag #savethechildren, a hashtag associated with the QAnon conspiracy movement. The magazine noted that many "overly online moms hopped on the anti-trafficking train" around that time, sometimes (intentionally or not) disseminating QAnon conspiracy theories in their posts and leading to misinformation that complicated real-life anti-trafficking work.

"The verdict of not guilty as to counts one and two rejects the theory that my client lied to the police on December 7," Sorensen's defense attorney, Charles Dresow, said in a statement shared with Insider. "The jury reviewed the actual evidence and found it to be very different than how the case has been portrayed outside the courtroom. We are disappointed as to count three and will evaluate our options moving forward."

Sorenson was remanded into custody and her bail has been set at $100,000. According to the Sonoma County District Attorney's office, there's no sentencing date yet, and the maximum sentence is six months in jail.

Read the original article on Insider
Merkle

Larry Merkle will be honored as the 2023 alumnus of the year at tonights Monroe County Community College commencement ceremony.

More: Monroe County Community College graduation tonight; Wendy Wysocki honorary grand marshal

Merkle was a member of MCCC's first graduating class in 1967 and holds an Associate of Science degree from MCCC. He continued his higher education, earning a bachelors degree from Eastern Michigan University in 1969 and then became a member of the Michigan National Guard from 1970-76.

He was employed as office manager for Michigan Memorial Park Cemetery in Flat Rock and later the Monroe County Road Commission before taking a position with Roselawn Memorial Park in LaSalle as general manager, a position he had held for 27 years until his retirement in 2007.

In 1971, Merkle found his lifes calling when he joined the Monroe Township Volunteer Fire Department. Upon joining the fire department, he quickly earned the respect of his fellow firefighters and was promoted to lieutenant, captain and assistant chief and in 1983 was selected to be chief of the Monroe Township Fire Department, MCCC said in a news release.

Merkle served as chief for 36 years, until his retirement from the post in 2019.

Under his leadership, the department became highly respected in the community and grew in personnel, equipment and technology to make firefighting safer and provide more services to Monroe Township, MCCC said. Merkle worked with elected officials to build a training facility on LaPlaisance Rd., a satellite fire station on W. Dunbar Rd. and a state-of-the-art headquarters on South Dixie Highway that now bears his name.

He is a state-certified fire instructor and served in many capacities in the fire and emergency medical services community, including president of the Monroe County Chiefs and Firefighters associations, co-director of the Critical Incident Stress Management Team, member of the Monroe County Medical Control Board and Monroe County 911 Board and as the assistant clerk secretary for the Monroe County Road Commission.

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He is a member of the Corl-Gaynier AMVETS (American Veterans) Post 1942; helps at Merkle Funeral Service, assisting with gatherings, services and permanent memorials; and continues to be an active, lifetime member of Trinity Lutheran Church, where he serves as an usher and formerly as an elder.

MCCC's Board of Trustees, in a resolution of commendation they approved on April 25 to name Merkle the 2023 Alumnus of the Year, stated that he is "a man of great character and integrity who exemplifies the best of Monroe County Community College."

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe County Community College names Larry Merkle alumnus of the year
The son of Republican Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said they asked their father to veto three bills concerning transgender and LGBTQ rights in a meeting at the governors office last month, according to a new report.

David Gianforte, who told the Montana Free Press they identify as nonbinary and use the pronouns he and they, said the meeting came together after they wrote an email to their father pleading with him to use his power to stop three pieces of legislation coming to his desk for signature.

The governor seemed open to his son, replying: I would like to better understand your thoughts and concerns. When can we get together to talk about it?

The bills in question are House Bill 359, which sets to ban drag performances in public places, Senate Bill 99, which bans gender-affirming care for transgender minors, and Senate Bill 458, which states there are exactly two sexes, male and female, with two corresponding gametes.

So far, only SB 99 has made it to the governors desk. Gianforte has indicated his support, but hasnt signed it into law.

In the March 27 meeting, also attended by the governors health adviser, David Gianforte said those bills would negatively impact many of their friends.

I would like to make the argument that these bills are immoral, unjust, and frankly a violation of human rights, David Gianforte said in a statement read to the governor and shared with the Montana Free Press.

Gov. Gianfortes office wont discuss private conversations between the governor and members of his family, press secretary Brooke Stroyke told the outlet.

Republicans have been intensifying attacks on LGBTQ+ and trans rights as the 2024 presidential campaign begins. About 500 anti-trans bills have been introduced in almost every state in the country this year.

Montana Republicans on Wednesday voted to censure Democratic state Rep. Zooey Zephyr, one of the states first transgender lawmakers, after she spoke out against SB 99.

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David Gianforte said they felt a responsibility to speak up, even if it doesnt change the outcome of the bills.

I feel like I have a voice and I can be heard, they told the Montana Free Press Tuesday. And I feel, not only in communicating with my father, thats not necessarily the main point, but also just showing support for the transgender community in Montana.

The governor made national headlines in 2017 after he body-slammed a Guardian reporter on the eve of the special election that put him in the governors office.

You can read the full Montana Free Press article here.
A recent comment by a Montana state lawmaker who sponsored legislation to ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors has gone viral and drawn backlash online.

State Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe, a Republican, suggested during a floor debate that she would rather risk her daughter dying by suicide than allow her to transition. Seekins-Crowe did not say that her daughter identified as transgender, but said she was one of those parents who lived with a daughter who was suicidal for three years.

Montana State Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe. (Montana Legislature)

"One of the big issues that we have heard today and we've talked about lately is that without surgery the risk of suicide goes way up. Well, I am one of those parents who lived with a daughter who was suicidal for three years," Seekins-Crowe said in her remarks in March. "Someone once asked me, 'Wouldn't I just do anything to help save her?' And I really had to think and the answer was, 'No.'"

"I was not going to give in to her emotional manipulation because she was incapable of making those decisions and I had to make those decisions for her," Seekins-Crowe said.

She continued, "I was not going to let her tear apart my family and I was not going to let her tear apart me because I had to be strong for her, I had to have a vision for her life when she had none, was incapable of having none."

Seekins-Crowe said that she was scared and "spent hours on the floor in prayer because I didn't know that when I woke up, if my daughter was going to be alive or not. But I knew that I had to make those right decisions for her so that she would have a precious, successful adulthood at that time."

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., lambasted the GOP state lawmaker on Twitter on Thursday for her remarks.

"I vehemently disagree with this speech by GOP state rep Kerri Seekins-Crowe. But you know what she didnt say? That it should be the governments role to make personal decisions for families. Why is she now shoving her private decision down other peoples throats?" he wrote.

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The video clip went viral after an account called The Intellectualist shared it on Twitter and paraphrased what Seekins-Crowe said, writing, "Montana bill sponsor: I prefer my transgender daughter commit suicide rather than allow her to transition."

Montana House Republicans voted this week to censure Rep. Zooey Zephyr, a Democrat and Montanas first transgender state legislator. The move came after Zephyr told lawmakers they would have blood on their hands if they supported the anti-trans measure to limit gender-affirming care for minors.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, has signaled that he plans to sign the legislation, though he has proposed amendments, which forces the bill to go back to the Legislature.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
More than 70 people attended an open house on Wednesday afternoon about the Lullwater Lake Basin Outfall project.

PANAMA CITY BEACH  About 70 people attended an open house on Wednesday afternoon on the Lullwater Lake Basin Outfall project, according to Councilman Michael Jarman.

The meeting was a chance for residents to get more information on the development, which aims to construct a more than $41.375 million offshore stormwater outfall in the Gulf of Mexico.

"I think it's great," Jarman said of the meeting's attendance. "I think that people need to ask questions, and that was the basis of having that  so they could get answers from the engineers. ... I care about people having the truth."

Open house: Panama City Beach to hold open house on Lullwater Lake Basin Outfall project

More funding: Panama City Beach to apply for $3 million grant to help fund offshore stormwater outfall

The outfall, which has been in the works for about two yeas, is a controversial topic for some area residents. It would combine current outfalls near Lullwater Lake and Calypso Resort and Tower, channel stormwater underground and deposit it about 1,500 feet into the Gulf.

Jarman said a main question about the outfall that came up during the meeting was whether it will hurt the water quality of the Gulf. He said the outfall is anticipated to improve water quality because it will filter stormwater. Stormwater that will be redirected by the outfall already funnels into the Gulf without being treated. It currently runs across the sandy beach near Lullwater Lake.

Other communities, such as Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, have successfully built similar developments and improved water quality over time. Myrtle Beach was recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 2017 for improving the environment through such outfalls.

Jarman said some residents at the meeting also were concerned that drilling would be used to install the Beach's outfall. He said crews would not drill, but dig out areas where pipes would go.

Officials have said construction of the outfall will depend on permitting and grant funding. A list of environmental studies were needed before the project could break ground. All but one of the required studies  a hydrodynamics study  is complete. It and design plans for the outfall are about 95% finished.

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Regarding grant funding, Beach officials voted in March for the city to apply for a $3 million grant from Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation also applied for a $10 million grant from the National Coastal Resilience Fund to help fund the outfall project. Both grants still are under review.

If approved, they will add to a $21 million grant Panama City Beach received for the project in 2021 through DEO's Rebuild Florida General Infrastructure Repair Program. The program is for communities impacted by Category 5 Hurricane Michael in October 2018, and it is designed to help areas rebuild and harden their critical infrastructure to better withstand future natural disasters.

The outfall project is expected to cost more than $41.375 million. Officials hope to begin advertising for construction bids by the end of the year. Construction of the project is expected to take about 18 months.

"I think it's a great project for the Lullwater community," Jarman said. "It's not like this project was slapped together. The process of preconstruction is extensive to determine any issues and mitigate and resolve any issues that might take place."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City Beach holds meeting on Lullwater Lake outfall project
NASHVILLE, Tenn.  Now entering its third year, the U.S. Army plans to bring more international partners into the Experimental Demonstration Gateway Exercise next month to improve the ability to connect, share information and execute missions together more seamlessly, according to the services two-star general in charge of aviation modernization.

We have a much larger coalition presence, Maj. Gen. Wally Rugen, the Armys Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team lead, told Defense News in an interview ahead of the Army Aviation Association of Americas summit in Tennessee.

Australia, Canada, France and the United Kingdom  all of which observed the exercise last year  are now participating, Rugen said. Those nations will join the Netherlands, Italy and Germany, which participated in the exercise in 2022 at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah.

I dont want to oversell it, but we have seven that are bringing technology, two that are observers, and we have actually others who have sent in some late requests, so that number may grow by the time May happens. It may be up to 10 with us, he added. We are working through the paperwork and foreign disclosure stuff, but that coalition piece is really good.

With the addition of more partners, the Army will continue to work on its secret enclave that connects countries on the battlefield at a classified level not previously achieved. The coalition force plans to go through hundreds if not thousands of iterations of a machine-to-machine call for fire, while also testing message traffic, Rugen explained.

If the force at the Experimental Demonstration Gateway Exercise  otherwise known as Edge  can solve such a challenge Ill be very, very excited, he said at a press briefing during the AAAA summit.

Edge will take place at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, in May, where events will challenge the U.S. Army and its growing number of partners as the service experiment with concepts and capabilities meant to enhance mission performance in the aerial tier.

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The campaign applies space, aviation and network capabilities to show how the Army and the joint force would fight in various theaters. The 2021 iterance focused on the Indo-Pacific region.

The experimentation exercise is meant to feed into Project Convergence, a larger campaign of learning that examines and tests how the Army plans to fight against advanced adversaries across all domains of warfare using capability slated for fielding about 2030 and beyond. The next Project Convergence capstone event will take place in the spring of 2024.

Last year, Edge focused on the European theater and centered around a wet-gap crossing. The U.S. Armys 82nd Airborne Division and other allied units were tasked with defeating an enemys integrated air defense systems. That led to a second phase, introducing maneuver forces through air assaults to seize two different pieces of terrain.

This year, the exercise will focus on the Indo-Pacific theater and will test capability across a vast expanse of territory by tying the Yuma-based exercise to Northern Edge, a joint military training event at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, down to Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. Two of the Armys three established multidomain task force units will participate in the exercise. The other task force is European-based.

Participants will use more than 120 technologies at the exercise, an increase over previous years, Rugen said.

The Army will continue to experiment with what it calls deep sensing capabilities using aircraft, air-launched effects, unmanned aircraft, sensors, and command-and-control capabilities to see farther, communicate faster and penetrate enemy territory while keeping piloted aircraft out of the range of threats.

To achieve deep sensing on the battlefield, Rugen said, the Army is working to integrate technology developed in the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Task Force and within Army Cyber Command.

Edge will also help the Army develop and refine its Ariel Tier Network. The Army Requirements Oversight Council will make a decision on the way forward for the capability this calendar year, Rugen noted.

Contested logistics will have a stronger focus in the exercise as well, Rugen said, given its increasing priority as the Army modernizes and prepares to operate in environments under constant surveillance or threat from fort to port.

With the introduction of new partners, some new capability in development with allies will also undergo testing. For instance, Rugen said, Canada is bringing an uncrewed rotorcraft to continue working on related concepts, and the Netherlands is bringing a fifth-generation fighter jet.
Hunter Biden will appear at a court hearing in Arkansas on Monday for his child support case. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

The mother of one of Hunter Biden's children has accused him of concealing his financial situation.

Lunden Roberts' attorney is demanding Biden provide all records of payments to his attorneys.

Biden will appear at a court hearing in Arkansas on Monday in his ongoing child support case.

A lawyer representing the mother of one of Hunter Biden's children accused the president's son of mischaracterizing his financial situation in an effort to reduce his child support payments, according to a brief filed Thursday.

"Mr. Biden claims to be nothing more than a Yale-educated attorney/artist who is somewhat financially destitute and needs his child support adjusted," the brief, filed on behalf of Lunden Roberts, the mother of Biden's four-year-old daughter, said. "However, for an artist living on meager means, Mr. Biden is living lavishly."

The brief took aim at Biden's cadre of powerful lawyers, calling them "some of the most expensive attorneys on planet Earth." It requested that an Arkansas judge order Biden to provide all records of payments to his attorneys, arguing the payments count as income for child support purposes.

The brief singled out Biden's attorney Abbe Lowell, saying the DC lawyer charges a whopping rate of $855 per billable hour. Lowell did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

"If Mr. Biden can afford a Washington DC, Hollywood, Chicago big law, and the best domestic relations attorney on the Texas side of the Texarkana border, he surely must have income for child support purposes," the brief said.

Part of the case also concerns the ability of Biden and Roberts' child to carry the "Biden" surname. Biden's team has opposed that idea, arguing it would rob the child of a "peaceful existence."

"Regardless of who is paying this stable of American super lawyers, it is still an element of prestige, power, and influence associated with the name 'Biden' and the evidence of payment is relevant to the plaintiff's request for her daughter to carry the Biden name," the brief said.

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Biden is set to appear for a contempt hearing in the case in Batesville, Arkansas, on Monday. Roberts has accused Biden of failing to honor court-imposed deadlines and failing to provide evidence and requested that a judge hold him in contempt and jail him until he complies, according to court documents.

Biden initially disputed he was the father of the child, but a DNA test in 2019 proved paternity and Biden eventually settled and agreed to pay an undisclosed amount of monthly child support, court records show. The case was closed in 2020 but reopened last fall after Biden sought to reduce his child support payments.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Miami police arrested a man they say fatally struck a motorcyclist with his car and then ran away.

Elton Suarezmesa, 46, faces charges of vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal crash. He is being held on a total bond of $17,500, according to Miami-Dade county jail records.

Police say Suarezmesa was driving his Toyota Corolla north on Northwest 47th Avenue toward Flagler Street on Thursday morning when he didnt stop for a flashing red light, then hit a Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by 50-year-old Edgar Edmundo Sarduy Suarez.

According to a Miami police arrest report, Sarduy Suarez fell off the Harley and became pinned between the Toyota and the Miami Animal Hospital on the corner of 47th Avenue.

Security camera footage shows Suarezmesa get out of his car, notice Sarduy Suarez trapped between the car and building, run back to the drivers side of the car, and search inside in a frantic manner before running away, according to the report.

Miami Fire Rescue paramedics declared Sarduy Suarez dead at the scene.

Police found Suarezmesa around 8:15 p.m. Thursday at a Shell gas station on Northwest 42nd Avenue and Seventh Street, the report states. He was arrested without incident and confessed to the hit-and-run after officers read him his Miranda rights, according to the report.

Information about his legal representation or first appearance before a judge were not immediately available.
 Russian military targets sleeping children in barbaric missile attack onUkraine

In Russias grotesque and indiscriminate desire to punish the Ukrainian population, it is often the most vulnerable that pay the price. Victims killed in Uman, Dnipro.

 Russias Butcher of Mariupol first to go in reported major Defense Ministry purge

The Butcher of Mariupol, the Russian war criminal responsible for the three-month siege of Mariupol, namely Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, has been fired from the Deputy Defense Ministers post, pro-war Russian Telegram channels reported on April 27.

 Black Sea wont be safe for at least 20 years dueto Russias actions, top admiral says

The Black Sea will not be considered safe for at least another 20 years due to Russias actions, the Ukrainian Naval Forces reported on Facebook on April 26, citing the navys top commander, Rear Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa.

 Ukraines central bank forecasts remarkable economic turnaround in Ukraine in2023

The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has improved its economic growth forecast for 2023, from 0.3% to 2.0%, in view of the rapid recovery of the energy system and loose fiscal policy, the NBUs press service reported on April 27.

 Russia attacks Mykolaiv with Kalibr missiles: one person killed, atleast 23 wounded

One person is dead and at least 23 are injured, including a child, after Russian forces attacked the city of Mykolaiv with Kalibr missiles in the early hours of April 27, South Operational Command spokesperson, Vladyslav Nazarov, reported on Telegram.

 Russia can finance war in Ukraine for another year despite sanctions

According to the recent leaks of classified documents, U.S. intelligence believes that Russia can finance the war in Ukraine for at least another year, even under current harsh sanctions, The Washington Post reported on April 26.

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 Panicking, but not yet fleeing  Melitopol Mayor on Russian moves inoccupied city

Russian occupation forces have not left temporarily occupied Melitopol and locals, in fact, report the arrival of new Russian units every day, said Mayor Ivan Fedorov on national television on April 27.

 Ukrainian PM visits Rome, focused on EU integration and financial aid

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has arrived in Rome to meet with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella, and to participate in a bilateral conference on Ukraines post-war reconstruction, Italian news agency ANSA reported on April 26.

 Ukraine has received 98% of weapons needed for counteroffensive, US general says

Ukraines Armed Forces have received nearly all the military equipment they need for a successful counteroffensive, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Gen. Christopher Cavoli, said during a U.S. House Armed Services Committee hearing on April 26.

 IRC in Poland launches new social campaign for Ukrainian refugees

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has launched a new campaign Know Your Rights, aimed at informing Ukrainian refugees in Poland of their employment rights, the agency reported on April 26.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
ROME, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Italian tourism sector is expected to see a boom from the return of Chinese visitors around the upcoming May Day holiday.

"The Chinese return has been long-awaited here in Italy, and it's bringing huge benefits to our tourism industry," said Cristiano Varotti, chief representative of the Italian National Tourist Board (ENIT) in China.

The global tourism industry has seen a rebound since China relaxed its travel restrictions earlier this year, and resumed group tours for up to 60 destinations including Italy.

A five-day holiday that starts on April 29 is adding more momentum to soaring demand. The latest data from Chinese travel agency Trip.com Group shows that mainland outbound travel bookings for the holiday have multiplied by 18 times year-on-year.

"Italy's position as a major destination for Chinese tourists in Europe will be confirmed in the next few months," said Varotti.

The country received more than 5.3 million Chinese tourists in 2019, he added, making it one of the most visited European countries by the Chinese.

Ludivine Destree, marketing project manager at the European Travel Commission, expected the tourist influx to bring ample dividends for sectors such as catering and luxury shopping in Italy, as well as in Europe.

"International travelers have always been very important for the global luxury market, especially for Italy," said Stefania Lazzaroni, general manager of the Italian foundation of luxury brands Altagamma.

She added that 60 percent of luxury purchases in Italy, and 50 percent of luxury purchases in Europe are made by international travelers, and most of them are Chinese. "This is how much tourism is relevant to our brands."

The catering sector will also receive a boost from the recovery of the tourism industry.

"We are looking forward to Chinese tourists visiting us," said Christopher, area manager of La Prosciutteria in Florence. "I'd like to invite them to try typical Florentine products, like original ham and aged or seasoned pecorino cheese."

Varotti said that promotion work was well underway: "We have been investing a lot of time and resources in the Chinese digital ecosystem and social media platforms to push content to promote Italy," he explained.

In 2023, training sessions and marketing actions will be organized to promote Italian destinations, in collaboration with some of the largest national Chinese tour operators, ENIT said. It will stage a series of roadshows in several cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, he added. 
Founded in 2014, Blossom Finance was first intended for Muslim entrepreneurs in the United States. The microfinancing platform connects investors with small businesses using mudarabah, a shariah-compliant profit-sharing agreement. But founder Matthew Joseph Martin soon realized that the startup, backed by investors like Boost VC and Tim Draper, was serving a relatively niche market in the States. So he started researching markets with large populations of Muslim people. Indonesia emerged as the best choice.

Southeast Asia is already home to a thriving fintech scene, where Grab, GoTo and Sea have built super apps that encompass financial services, and startups like Xendit, Akulaku and Dana (to name a few) have raised hundreds of millions of dollars for payments, banking services and other financial tools. Indonesia and Malaysia, in the heart of Southeast Asia, are among the countries with the largest Muslim populations in the world.

These factors are proving fertile ground for establishing and growing fintechs that focus exclusively on Islamic finance, offering products and services that follow shariah law. Among other things, this forbids accruing interest, speculation and financing non-halal products like pork, tobacco and alcohol.

According to the World Bank, Indonesia has the most Islamic fintech companies in the world  perhaps fitting, since its also the most populous Muslim-majority country in the world with about 231 million Muslims.

Some notable Islamic fintech companies include peer-to-peer lending platform and digital bank Hijra (formerly known as Alami), online bank Bank Aladin, LinkAja, which is backed by Telkomsel and Bank Mandri, the largest bank in Indonesia in terms of asset loans and deposits.

Gojeks GoPay is also partnered with the Indonesia mosque council to allow users to make zakat, or obligatory alms giving, online.

Meanwhile in Malaysia, where 61.3% out of its 33.6 million inhabitants practice Islam, fintech companies that focus on Islamic finance include crowdfunding platform Ethis Ventures and investment platform Wahed, which is the only shariah-compliant robo-advisory platform in the country. Funding Societies, the SoftBank Vision Fund II-backed SME digital lending platform, recently launched a shariah-compliant financing product there, and now offers it as the default product to all its Malaysian customers.

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Shariah law calls for a different approach to financial services, and conventional banks are also launching products for Muslim customers. Along with the growing number of Islamic fintech startups digitizing the process, Islamic-compliant services are becoming accessible to more people.

Profit sharing instead of debt

The seed of Blossom Finance was planted when Martin was running a project in the U.S. enabling people to buy Bitcoin. He ran into a receivables problem, and the usual way to finance cash receivables is to get line of credit or receivables financing from a bank. As a practicing Muslim, however, Martin couldnt use conventional loans. But he also couldnt find any other options in the U.S.

Quite naively, I thought there are plenty of Muslims who own businesses, surely they face the same problem, he said. They must have a solution. So what is the solution?

After learning more about the principles of Islamic finance, Martin launched Blossom Finance, a platform that connects investors with microbanks, which in turn disburse shariah-compliant financing to microbusinesses. Headquartered in Delaware, Blossom Finance hosts investors from primarily the United States and Europe, but all of the microbusinesses it serves are in Indonesia.

After initially soft-launching in the U.S., the Blossom Finance team realized that the market there for Islamic finance was very small, said Martin. They started looking for a bigger market, and landed on Indonesia because of the financial inclusion challenges facing micro and small businesses.

Other reasons Blossom Finance chose Indonesia over other countries with large Muslim populations included its relative political stability, Martin said. It also has a strong baseline infrastructure for operating businesses with primarily foreign capital.

Theres already been over the past two decades prior to us arriving tons of amazing work, Martin said. A lot of the groundwork was already there and we were able to come in and operate as a connector where there are inefficiencies, and a lack of capital. We were able to bridge that lack of capital using a technology solution. All that underlying infrastructure for the last mile of serving the microbusinesses was already there and we were able to tap into it.

Investors on Blossom Finances platform pool their money into funds, or cooperatives, which are then managed by microbanks. The microbanks disburse the financing to microbusinesses to purchase inventory and other things they need. All losses and profits are shared pro rata, Martin explained. If an investors capital is 1% of a fund, they can expect to receive 1% of its profits, or absorb losses at the same rate.

What makes Blossom Finances microfinance platform shariah-compliant is its use of murabaha contracts instead of traditional interest-charging loans. For example, when a microbusiness, like a corner store, needs to buy inventory like beverages or snacks, they go to one of the cooperatives for financing. Martin explains that the basis of the financing is not the capital, but the commodity that needs to be purchased. The cooperative purchases it at wholesale prices and provides it to the business at a markup instead of charging interest. They then share the profit with investors. Martin said cooperatives can often connect microbusinesses with wholesalers that they didnt previously know, and also benefit from economies of scale, which also helps microbusinesses.

An Indonesian warung, or small store selling snacks, drinks and daily use items (Gratsias Adhi Hermawan/Getty)

An Indonesian warung, or small store selling snacks, drinks and daily use items (Gratsias Adhi Hermawan/Getty)

Cooperatives dont set prices, and instead mudarabah agreements are based on current market prices, which microbusinesses agree to. To make sure microbusinesses get fair agreements from microbanks, cost of funding for microbusinesses is one of the things Blossom Finance takes into consideration when deciding whether to work with a cooperative/microbank.

Lets say youre the bank and I want to buy chickens. You agree to buy me 100 chickens. Lets say it costs $1,000. We will agree that your profit will be 20%, so I have to pay you $1,200 over the course of, say, 12 months. So you as the financier have that 20% profit, Martin said.

The advantage of working with cooperatives instead of commercial banks is that they provide more flexible payment terms and financing tenure, which is helpful if a business runs into financial difficulty, Martin added.

Martin said there is discussion among Islamic scholars about whether or not profit-sharing is inherently better than debt. But, he asks, if equity and debt are equal, why is it that the Prophet Muhammed prayed for protection from debt? I think we all inherently know the answer to that question, because debt can trap the poor in a cycle of poverty that they cannot escape. Equity, on the other hand, involves the concept of risk participation. Investors hopefully have a better upside, and the reason they get that better upside is because theyre participating equally with the entrepreneur in terms of risk.

Fostering financial inclusion

A 2022 report by research firm DinarStandard and fintech Ellipses estimates that the market size of Islamic fintech in the Organisation of Islamic Coorporation (OIC) countries was $79 billion in 2021, making up 0.83% of global fintech transaction volume. While Islamic fintechs market size is still small, it is expected to reach $179 billion at a 17.9% CAGR by 2026, outpacing traditional fintechs 13.5% CAGR growth over the same period.

DinarStandard and Ellipses also found that there are 375 Islamic fintech companies around the world. Most are in the P2P financing space, and Indonesia is one of the top markets in transaction volume.

Islamic fintech startups in Malaysia and Indonesia have the support of government policies. For example, Indonesias National Islamic Finance Committee is focused on developing Islamic finance and the countrys Islamic economy.

And in Malaysia, Bank Negaras Investments Accounts Platform is the first Islamic P2P initiative established by a central bank, while the government-owned Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation connects investors with halal business owners. In 2019, the Malaysian government also issued its Shared Prosperity Vision 2030, a 10-year framework for restructuring its economy that includes building an Islamic fintech hub as a key part of its strategy.

The World Bank has said that the growth of Islamic fintech can foster financial inclusion by giving unbanked people access to financial services.

For example, one group of people it can reach are those who avoid bank accounts because their terms are not shariah-compliant, and want usury-free financial transactions based on risk-sharing. Islamic fintech can also help resolve issues that unbanked people face, like lack of money, lack of proper documentation and being located far away from conventional Islamic banks.

Golden Gate Ventures partner Justin Hall, an investor in Hijra and Funding Societies, believes that Islamic fintech makes Islamic financial services accessible to more people.

Islamic banks are extraordinarily conservative, not only with how they operate, but the cost of financing, who they can lend to, etc., he said. Having companies that differentiate from that and provide a nice consumer experience on the digital banking side, but within the framework of an Islamic bank, theres an opportunity there.

The World Bank also says the Islamic microfinancing, or short-term financing with terms of less than 12 months, can play an important role in alleviating poverty in OIC countries since they work with customers who are often underserved by traditional banks.

One example of a fintech company creating shariah-compliant products for underserved customers is Funding Societies, which is headquartered in Singapore with operations in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand and Vietnam.

Kien Poon Chai, the country manager of Funding Societies Malaysia, said its shariah-compliant financing product was launched in 2022 to serve relatively new micro- and small businesses, which are usually overlooked by banks when seeking working capital.

Chai said the impetus for launching shariah-compliant financing products was because Malaysia has a large Muslim population and the company was seeing demand from lenders and SMEs looking for financing products in line with their faith.

Funding Societies underwrites its shariah-compliant financing product in the same way as its conventional financing counterparts, but there are several nuances it has to pay close attention to. For example, financing cannot be used for non-halal businesses, including ones that sell alcohol, pork, tobacco or massage houses.

Financial offers also have to be backed by underlying assets, so for every disbursement Funding Societies makes through its shariah-compliant product, it has to purchase underlying commodities through exchanges.

Fee disclosures and charges also have to be shariah-compliant. There cannot be uncertainty in financing products, so all fees and charges must be clearly defined and outlined. For example, penalizing people for early repayment with prepayment fees is forbidden.

Peer-to-peer lending without interest

Another Islamic startup focused on financial inclusion is P2P lending platform and neobank Hijra. Founded in 2018, Hijra has raised $30 million in equity from investors like Quona Capital, Golden Gate Ventures and EV Growth. It first started as an aggregator of traditional Islamic banks serving SMEs, but co-founder and CEO Dima Djani told TechCrunch that after about 9 months, the team realized that the Islamic banking industry in Indonesia couldnt keep up with the growth of fintech.

As a result, Hijra got licensed by Indonesias Financial Services Authority (OJK) in 2019 to operate as a digital lending platform. Then retail lenders began asking for more comprehensive financial services, so Hijra, then known as Alami (which is still the name of its P2P lending platform) acquired a small Islamic bank last year and launched a new digital bank with savings accounts and money transfers.

The main reason Djani wanted to launch an Islamic finance platform is because Indonesia has one of the largest Muslim populations in the world, but the penetration of Islamic finance was still very low, at about 6% to 7% of total banking assets, compared to about 30% penetration in Malaysia. Djani attributes this to low consumer awareness of Islamic finance, but says a new wave of religious teachers, who gain followers on social media, has given rise to a strong halal economy over the last 10 years and also spurred interest among millennial and Gen Z Muslims in adopting services that are tailored to their faith.

In Indonesia, the guidelines for Islamic finance are determined by three authorities, said researcher Fahmi Ali Hadaefi. These are the Financial Services Authority (OJK), which regulates and supervises the financial services sector, Bank Indonesia, which oversees banks, and the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (National Sharia Board-MUI), or the countrys leading Islamic scholars body.

The MUI has published at least two fatwas on fintech. The first, issued in 2017, is about Islamic perspectives on practices related to e-money. The second one, issued a year later with the Financial Services Authority, covers Islamic fundamentals for P2P lending.

Since Muslims are prohibited from interest-bearing transactions, Hijras team wanted to provide an alternative for users in need of working capital financing. Like Blossom Finance, it uses a profit-sharing model to avoid interest.

The way it handles P2P loans between lenders and farmers is one example. When a fish farmer needs to buy feed, they dont take out a loan with interest from a lender. Instead, their lender buys fish feed and sells it at a profit to the farmer, with markups based on current market rates. Instead of paying for the feed immediately, farmers pay it off after harvesting fish in about three to four months.

Islamic finance is meant to create a transparent and fair financial service for everyone, said Djani. For example, we view interest or usury as an unfair instrument on its mechanics. In addition, we also view that speculation and gambling as unfair, as they do not commensurate the effort and return evenly.

Harvesting fish on Ganga Island, North Sulawesi, Indonesia (Giordano Cipriani/Getty)

Harvesting fish on Ganga Island, North Sulawesi, Indonesia (Giordano Cipriani/Getty)

Hijras digital banking app, which it was able to launch after acquiring the small Islamic bank in Jakarta, doesnt give any yield to depositors at the moment, but it also doesnt charge them any fees. In the future, Hijra is planning to launch more sharia-compliant financial solutions, like rent-to-own, payments and community-driven savings for groups of people who have a common goal, like saving money for a trip to Mecca.

Building a halal payment gateway

Another example of a company founded to get more Muslims participating in digital financial services is PayHalal, which was created to provide a shariah-compliant online payment gateway.

Co-founder Pat Salam Thevarajah told TechCrunch that he and fellow PayHalal co-founders realized in 2016 that if they wanted to get more people in the Muslim community to adopt online payments, they would have to build their entire tech stack from the ground up, instead of going to a white-label provider like Ayden. Thevarajah said that 55% of the Malaysian population is unbanked primarily because they fear riba, or interest.

We built it because of the pure necessity to create end-to-end compliance into the transaction. Thats how PayHalal came about. The primary objective is to keep payment free from riba and gharar, or speculation, so that Muslims are able to perform electronic payments in person or e-commerce without any form of non-compliance.

One of PayHalals goals is to create a network like Visa or Mastercard that stays true to Islamic finance principles. One key difference is the lack of interest.

Conventional payment gateways treat money as a commodity, which means it can be sold at a price higher than face value or lent out with interest. PayHalal does not treat money as a commodity, instead only using it to purchase goods and services, and makes profit on the trading of goods or services. PayHalal makes sure its services are shariah-compliant with the help of two team members, scholar Dr. Daud Bakar and co-founder Indrawathi Selvarajah, who was a corporate lawyer before she became a shariah fintech specialist.

Right now, when an instrument comes from a conventional financial institution, PayHalal feeds it into its AI-based non-shariah compliance screening tool. The tool then suggests treatment based on the amount of non-compliance factor, and PayHalal says that it takes the fee it earns on the transaction, writes it off and contributes it to social work, like feeding poor people or building mosques, as part of a process called purification.

Thevarajah said the process is auditable because Islamic financial institutions have internal shariah compliance departments, which in turn undergo regular audits by external shariah supervisory boards. The process of identifying non-compliant transactions, writing off profits and donating fees is documented and reviewed by internal and external auditors for accuracy.

Some examples of shariah non-compliant transactions include ones that involve the sale of forbidden items like alcohol, tobacco and pork. Transactions that involve riba or gharar are also considered non-compliant, and these can include interest charged on late payments or uncertain terms used in sales contracts.

There is no guarantee that we can keep riba away, unless its a closed-loop Islamic transaction, said Thevarajah. If it becomes an open-loop transaction, we are then required to do purification.

Cases of non-compliant transactions it tries to avoid include the exchange of goods for consumption that arent made with halal ingredients. Another is in cases of salaam contracts, where a buyer pays immediately for something that will be delivered at a later date. When that kind of transaction is handled by PayHalal, it mitigates chargebacks by making sure customers get their goods at the agreed upon time.

Transparency is fundamental with Islamic transactions, Thevarajah said.

One of PayHalals goals is to build a super app with different shariah-compliant financial services, like insurance products and saving accounts for pilgrimages to Mecca. It recently took a step toward expanding its product portfolio by launching a shariah-compliant buy now, pay later service with Atome. The BNPL program is interest-free and has no annual and servicing fees. It is currently onboarding merchants who offer halal and shariah-compliant services and products.

Mecca during the Hajj pilgrimage (Reptile8488/Getty)

Mecca during the Hajj pilgrimage (Reptile8488/Getty)

Thevarajah explains that if a customer defaults beyond the three-month term of the loan, PayHalal cant charge interest. Instead, it has to underwrite the entire transaction. Our contract with the merchant would be active participation where we buy the product and we resell it to the consumer for the consideration of a fee, he said, adding The contract changes the entire structure of how an Islamic buy now, pay later operates.

Thevarajah added that transactions are structured as deferred payment sales, which means PayHalal, acting as the seller, buys the product for a supplier and then sells it to a customer at a profit margin. The customer than pays off the total price of the product in installments over a predetermined period of time. The transaction is asset-based, which means that it is secured against the product being sold, not the buyers creditworthiness.

Still early days

The rise of Islamic fintech in markets like Indonesia and Malaysia is tied to the growth of Islamic finance in Southeast Asia. According to a S&P report published last year, Southeast Asias $290 billion Islamic banking market is expected to continue growing at a CAGR of about 8%. In Malaysia, Islamic banks will make up 45% of the overall commercial banking loan book by the end of 2025, and in Indonesia, Islamic finances market share is expected to grow to 10% by the end of 2026, at a faster rate than conventional banks.

But Islamic fintech still makes up a very small percentage of the total market. As stated earlier, DinarStandard and Ellipses estimate that the market size of Islamic fintech in was OIC countries was $79 billion in 2021, or just 0.83% of global fintech transaction volume. But thats not stopping Hijra from making international expansion plansthe team already has an eye on Malaysia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Golden Gates Justin Hall, also an investor in Hijra and Funding Societies, believes Indonesia is uniquely positioned to be a starting ground for Islamic banks to expand to other markets around the world.

Indonesia is the only country today that has a confluence of operators that understand Islamic banking, as well as serial entrepreneurs, institutional LPs that are willing to capitalize companies that are doing that, and a very, very large domestic market. Its very rare to find a model unique to Southeast Asia that can go global and I actually dont know of any but Islamic fintech.

As Muslim fintechs create a more inclusive market landscape for Muslim users, they are also working on their own inclusivity issues, such as getting more women into the field of financial technology businesses.

Djani said the rate of women working in Muslim fintech is still comparatively low, though some have promoted women to leadership roles, including Hijra's chief financial officer Febriny Rimenta.

One of the co-founders of PayHalal, Selvarajah, is a woman and Thevarajah said Muslim fintech startups can take several steps to get more women into the space, including building a gender-inclusive workplace based on Islamic values, providing flexible working arrangements, mentorship and promoting transparency to build trust with women employees.

He added that Muslim fintech startups can design products, including savings and investment platforms, to increase womens financial empowerment.

Martin said the cooperatives Blossom Finance works with typically have a high representation of women, with one that is staffed completely by women.

Barriers exist in other aspects of the space, too. On the fundraising front, Martin said one of the main obstacles he faced in the U.S. was educating investors.

First you have to explain what does Islam say and why is this even a problem, and then you explain your situation. So that was a challenge. However, I would say for VCs who were able to connect the dots and understand it was a genuine problemthere were some that did say, ok, maybe this is too niche and they passedbut for those who were able to take the time to understand the problem, we didnt face any barriers.

Perhaps surprisingly, the most pushback he got was from other Muslims.

Where we did face barriers was within Muslims living as a minority in America. They pushed back against: why are you calling this Muslim? Why are you focused on Islam? he said. Very interestingly, the venture capital investors [who did back us] were like, this makes sense. This is an important niche. I think that goes back to being a minority and post-9/11, and being defensive. There is that resistance versus going to a Muslim-majority [market], where its like well of course youre doing Muslim finance, why wouldnt you?

For Islamic fintechs, finding investors can also mean doing their own due diligence.

PayHalal, which has received $4.5 million in seed funding from Asad Capital, Q Cap, Effective Shields and Crescent Capital, is now in the process of raising a $5 million Series A round at a valuation of $33.5 million. Thevarajah said part of fundraising means assessing potential investors to ensure both they and their fund management is done in alignment with shariah principles.

Investor interest in the Islamic fintech sector for PayHalal was very high due to its potential in a fast-growing Muslim population worldwide, Thevarajah said. While some investors viewed it as a captive market due to the religious beliefs of the Muslim community regarding halal food and transactions, we still had to ensure that potential investors fell within the fit and proper category for Islamic financial services.

Founders in countries with large Muslim populations say they also had to educate investors, but that is changing. The $30 million Hijra has raised in equity so far is almost all from non-Muslim countries. Djani said several of its investors already had a strong interest in Islamic financial services because it is a growing niche that is able to provide differentiation for fintech players.

We will need to do education on what we are offering, but dramatically less so over the past few years as Islamic finance has become more mainstream and widely accepted in Muslim-majority countries, like Indonesia, he said.
Fat Tony is still a sought after DJ across the music and fashion worlds. Photo: WENN.com

Tony Marnoch, aka DJ Fat Tony, hit rock bottom during an out-of-control cocaine binge in the early 2000s that almost literally left him speechless  he pulled out his own teeth with pliers while experiencing psychosis. Following rehab and a 16-year journey through sobriety and enlightenment, the fashion worlds go-to DJ, now 56, is a best-selling author, speaker and acerbic social influencer.

Rusty Egan, a famous DJ at the time who ran nights at big venues like Camden Palace, was opening a new night in the 1980s called Playground at the Lyceum Ballroom. I remember going to him and saying that I was opening a club night at the same time. As if a 16-year-old was going to do that. I was completely ballsy but Rusty said I should work for him instead, in case there was competition.

Rusty has had so many genres and reawakenings and was one of the pioneers of New Romanticism. He showed what nightclubbing was all about. I started working on the door for him, but I gave away so many free tickets as I was trying to build up a name for myself.

Read More: My first boss: Jo Fairley, Green & Black's co-founder

He used to ask me how business was going and I told him that everyone was complaining about the music and leaving early. One week he said, Im sick of you saying this, if you can do better come and do it. The next week I turned up with four records.

I had literally blagged my way in and the next month I had a job in New York. There was no social media back then. My mouth was a really good platform and I used that  I made people laugh or cry and was bitchy.

Naomi Campbell, DJ Fat Tony and Kate Moss share a laugh at the inaugural amfAR Hong Kong gala in 2015. Photo: Ryan Emberley/Invision/AP

What I learned from Rusty was always to be upfront about everything. To this day he is very proud that he gave me my first job. He is a grafter, he sees it in other people and he acknowledges it.

Ive had many curve balls thrown my way throughout my career, but Ive always stayed true to myself. I always go with my gut when it comes to business and have never gone for somebody whos got the best shoes on. The worst thing was when I listened to my head; thats why I got out of it so much, let alone be in it.

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Writing the book was incredibly important. It changed my life and I dont have fear anymore. There were so many things I put in it that I considered shameful about my life which controlled me and I didnt want to tell anyone, until I wrote the book.

Singer Roisin Murphy, DJ Fat Tony and fashion designer Pam Hogg during London Fashion Week in 2018. Photo: Getty Images

A year on it is still selling 1,500 copies a week in the UK alone  and in hardback. That never happens but its a book about honesty, self help and I get up to 80 messages a day on Instagram which just cements the purpose of the book. Its changed so many aspects of my life. After all, who would have thought that being honest would get you anywhere in life?

The best business advice I received was dont do favours. If you do that then you get treated like a favour and you can go from the main event to a piece of furniture. Know your worth and surroundings, never forget the primary purpose of what your job is and never lose track of the music. The minute you believe your career is about you and not the music, your career should be over. Too many DJs think like that.

Im blessed that I had the years of addiction in the middle as it reinvented me and how I see things. I will promote the up-and-coming DJs as Im not scared someone will get my job. Helping promote new talent and the love for music keeps us fresh and the music industry alive.

DJ Fat Tony, right, and Ed Worley (aka Opake) are celebrating their recovery through some unsettling and provocative art with an exhibition at Londons Quantus Gallery

No music is new and its just how it is presented and changed. You can be played a track with a bassline from Robin S Show Me Love or a classic house track that has its origins from those days. Today its about perception and how its done.

We live in a throwaway music industry now where anyone can download and the music is out there to take. Personalities have changed because of it as they realise they are no longer important.

Read More: My first boss: Reggae Reggae Sauce entrepreneur Levi Roots

The reason why half the people in this world are so successful now is because we didnt have social media back then. They had to fight for a purpose and prove what they could do. Now I could sit in my house in Pimlico for three days, pretend I am on holiday and people would believe it. Back then you actually had to go on f***ing holiday! We live in a 30-second world where what people are reading in their hands they believe. We have made a lot of stupid people famous for no reason.

Im at the top of my game still at 57 and in an industry with kids a quarter of my age. I've stood the test of time because I believe in what I do and my business sense comes from that belief. Like it was back then and how it is now, its all about the party and I want to make people dance, have a good time and to feel the energy.

Church Halls and Broken Biscuits is at Quantus Gallery, London from 26 April  20 May

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The North Carolina Supreme Court reversed itself Friday on whether partisan gerrymandering and a strict voter ID law violate the state Constitution, in a pair rulings with implications far outside the state.

The court  which flipped to GOP control in January  said in February that it would break with tradition and revisit two high-profile voting rights rulings not long after the previous Democratic-controlled court had ruled against the Republican-controlled state Legislature in the cases.

The redistricting ruling sets up North Carolina to return to legislative maps that give Republicans an aggressive edge over Democrats both locally and in the U.S. House. It also offers the U.S. Supreme Court an opportunity to sidestep ruling on a broad legal theory tied to this case.

The North Carolina Supreme Court had previously said partisan gerrymandering violated the state Constitutions free elections protections, but the new Republican justices said they were wrong to do so.

Our constitution expressly assigns the redistricting authority to the General Assembly subject to explicit limitations in the text. Those limitations do not address partisan gerrymandering, they wrote.

They dismissed the case and said the state Legislature can redraw the maps.

Before the new Republican-controlled state Supreme Court weighed in, state Republicans had also asked the U.S. Supreme Court to let them use their gerrymandered maps. There, they argued that only the state legislatures had the power to write election rules, citing a broad legal argument known as the independent state legislature theory.

The Supreme Court took the case, but this ruling offers them an off-ramp of sorts: They could declare the case moot and decline to rule.

On voter ID, the court said the liberal justices had erred when they agreed with a lower court's decision to invalidate the state's 2018 law requiring photo ID at the polls, which the lower court said was discriminatory. They ordered the lower court to dismiss the case with prejudice.

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There is no legal recourse available for vindication of political interests, but this Court is yet again confronted with 'a partisan legislative disagreement that has spilled out . . . into the courts,' the majority wrote. This Court once again stands as a bulwark against that spillover, so that even in the most divisive cases, we reassure the public that our states courts follow the law, not the political winds of the day.

Voting rights advocates decried the rulings as politically motivated.

Its essentially telling the citizens of North Carolina that they're effectively subject to the whims of the legislature and the courts  arent there to help, said Justin Levitt, a voting rights expert who recently left the White House where he served as senior policy advisor on democracy and voting rights issues.

He said the rulings fundamentally undermined democracy because the gerrymandered maps make it impossible for voters to censure the legislators the court says should have complete control in redistricting.

This Supreme Court ruling will go down as one of the gravest assaults on democracy ever in North Carolina. Now, extreme partisan gerrymandering has been legalized and it will be weaponized against voters, Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina, said in a release.

Phillips said he expected that the Republican-controlled Legislature might target additional voting rights in the state this year, including same-day voter registration and early voting.

The two reversals on Friday weren't the only voting rights rulings coming out of the top court, which also heard an appeal on felon voting rights and determined that people with felony convictions must complete their sentences  including parole  before they are allowed to vote. A lower court had ruled that people with felony convictions could vote as long as they were not behind bars.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The North Carolina supreme court released a trio of opinions Friday that defer to the states general assembly on matters of election law, handing Republicans a victory prior to the 2024 election cycle.

At the turn of this year, two new justices joined the states high court, flipping the balance of power to a majority of Republican-appointed justices. In February, the court decided to rehear gerrymandering and voter-identification cases decided by the courts previous iteration in December. The two Democratic justices lamented the decision to reopen the cases, saying it stood against more than 200 years of court history in which rehearings have been exceedingly rare.

The redistricting case, in particular, will give state Republicans the opportunity to rework the congressional map for next years election. Last years map saw North Carolina send a split delegation to Washington: seven Republicans and seven Democrats.

In that case, Harper v. Hall, Chief Justice Paul Newby wrote for the five-justice majority, explaining that the North Carolina Constitution expressly assigns redistricting authority to the general assembly subject to specific limitations, of which partisan gerrymandering is not one.

There is no judicially manageable standard by which to adjudicate partisan gerrymandering claims. Courts are not intended to meddle in policy matters, wrote Newby. In its decision today, the Court returns to its tradition of honoring the constitutional roles assigned to each branch.

The people have the authority to alter their foundational document, not this Court. The people alone have the final say, Newby added, referring to the assemblys accountability to voters.

Justice Anita Earls, joined by Justice Michael Morgan, dissented, writing that the majority strips millions of voters of this state of their fundamental, constitutional rights and delivers on the threat that our decisions are fleeting, and our precedent is only as enduring as the terms of the justices who sit on the bench.'

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In Holmes v. Moore, the second case decided 5-2, Justice Phil Berger Jr. once again deferred to the acts of the legislature on behalf of North Carolinians.

The people of North Carolina overwhelmingly support voter identification and other efforts to promote greater integrity and confidence in our elections. Subjective tests and judicial sleight of hand have systematically thwarted the will of the people and the intent of the legislature. But no court exists for the vindication of political interests, and judges exceed constitutional boundaries when they act as a super-legislature, wrote Berger. We recommit to that fundamental principle and begin the process of returning the judiciary to its rightful place as the least dangerous branch.

Berger explained that the plaintiffs failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the voter-identification law was enacted with discriminatory intent or that it produced a meaningfully disparate impact along racial lines.

In December, the courts 4-3 majority struck down the voter-ID law for being infected with racial bias. Morgan wrote in dissent on Friday, joined by Earls, that the majority is acting to shield the state legislature from scrutiny for invidious discriminatory intent.

Finally, in Community Success Initiative v. Moore, Justice Trey Allen writing for the majority overruled a trial court decision on when the voting rights of convicted felons can be restored.

It is not unconstitutional to insist that felons pay their debt to society as a condition of participating in the electoral process, wrote Allen. The General Assembly did not engage in racial discrimination or otherwise violate the North Carolina Constitution by requiring individuals with felony convictions to complete their sentences  including probation, parole, or post-release supervision  before they regain the right to vote.

Morgan and Earls dissented once more.

The decision in the redistricting case also calls into question the future of a gerrymandering case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, Moore v. Harper, in which the independent state legislature theory is being assessed. The high court was using the North Carolina case as the basis for its review, but Fridays ruling from the state court saw that decision vacated.

If the North Carolina Supreme Court decides that the state constitution contains no such limits, its decision would effectively moot the federal Elections Clause issue in this case: There would be no need to decide whether the Elections Clause prevents state courts from enforcing particular types of state-law requirements in a case where the state courts have found that no such state-law requirements exist, explained Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar in guidance to the high court in March, asserting the Supreme Court would no longer have a role to play.

On the other hand, counsel for the petitioners David Thompson wrote that nothing the North Carolina Supreme Court does on rehearing can turn back time and rerun the 2022 congressional election on a map other than that written by the North Carolina court.

The North Carolina Supreme Courts decision to rehear Harper v. Hall . . . has no effect on this Courts continued jurisdiction, Thompson added.

More from National Review
(Reuters) - Gerry Adams, former leader of the political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), was wrongly refused compensation over historic convictions which were later overturned, Belfast's High Court ruled on Friday.

Adams, who led the Sinn Fein party during much of the conflict in Northern Ireland, was among hundreds of people held by Britain without trial in the early 1970s under a policy meant to break the IRA. He has always denied membership of the militant group.

He was convicted in 1975 of twice attempting to escape from prison, but those convictions were quashed by the United Kingdom's Supreme Court three years ago.

The 74-year-old was refused compensation for his wrongful convictions by Northern Ireland's Department of Justice in 2021.

However, Judge Adrian Colton ruled on Friday that the decision was wrong and ordered the Department of Justice to reconsider Adams' application.

The judge said in a written ruling that the reversal of Adams' convictions "shows beyond reasonable doubt that there has been a miscarriage of justice".

The internment of suspected militants was one of the most controversial elements of the British counter-insurgency campaign.

Adams was initially detained in Belfast's Maze prison in 1973. On one of his attempts to flee, he switched places with a visitor at the prison who had been abducted while waiting at a bus stop, Belfasts High Court heard in 2018.

The UK Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that Adams was not lawfully detained as his internment was not approved by a British cabinet minister, meaning he was wrongly convicted of attempting to escape.

(Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Toby Chopra)
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson testifies before the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee on the Fiscal Year 2024 budget at Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, April 27, 2023.



NASA Administrator Bill Nelson testifying before the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee on Thursday, April 27.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson downplayed concerns regarding Starships ability to deliver astronauts to the surface of the Moon in two years in light of the SpaceX launch vehicle exploding minutes into its first test flight.

During his testimony before the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee regarding NASAs 2024 budget request, Nelson said that Starships explosion was not a big downer in the way that SpaceX does things, SpacePolicyOnline reported. They are hardware rich meaning theyve got a lot of those rockets ready to go, he continued. They launch. If something goes wrong, they figure out what it is, they go back and they launch it again.



Read more

SpaceXs Starship megarocket finally blasted off on April 20 for a less-than-perfect orbital test flight. About four minutes after the rocket launched from Boca Chica, Texas, Starship exploded in the skies above the Gulf of Mexico. A few of the rockets engines failed in flight and, after falling into a catastrophic tumble, the two-stage heavy-lift launch vehicle was forced to self-destruct. It wasnt exactly a failure though, as the test showed that Starship can get off the ground and endure intense aerodynamic stresses. The test also resulted in critically important feedback for SpaceX to apply to its next Starship improvements.

Despite its untimely explosion, Nelson reiterated SpaceXs timeline of repairing Starships launchpad and preparing another Starship vehicle for flight in at least two months. The ambitious timeline may not be entirely up to Elon Musks private space venture, however, since the Federal Aviation Administration has grounded Starship pending an ongoing investigation into its blowup.

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The reason why NASA is invested in Starships ability to fly is because SpaceX is under a $2.89 billion contract to use the megarocket in landing humans on the Moon by late 2025 as part of the space agencys Artemis 3 mission, and then again for Artemis 4 in 2028, under a separate $1.15 billion contract signed last year.

U.S. lawmakers really dont want NASA, and by extension SpaceX, to fall behind on its timeline to land on the Moon, fearing that China may take the lead instead. China recently announced that it plans to land its astronauts on the Moon in 2030. I want to be clear that I will do everything within my power to ensure that the next astronauts on the Moon are Americans. House Representative Frank Lucas said during Thursdays hearing, according to SpacePolicyOnline.

At the same time, the House is anticipating budget cuts that could possibly affect NASAs Artemis timeline. This week, the House passed legislation for deficit reduction measures meant to lower discretionary spending. If the bill were to go into effect, it could potentially place constraints on NASAs budget. It would be a disaster. We would be delayed, Nelson said in response to potential budget cuts, according to SpaceNews.

NASA is already having a hard time managing its budget, with the space agency dedicating most of its funding towards its Artemis program and the Mars Sample Return mission. The Mars mission, scheduled for launch in 2028, received $822.3 million in the 2023 spending bill, and NASA requested another $949.3 million out of a total of $8.26 billion for science spending in its budget proposal for 2024. Other missions have suffered as a result of budgeting concerns, namely NASAs VERITAS mission to Venus.

The U.S. government will likely prioritize taking the lead in the new space race to the Moon over planetary missions. It needs to be said, however, that NASAs commercial partnerships are sometimes beyond the control of lawmakers, and its now up to companies like SpaceX to get its megarocket off the ground once again. As to whether the Elon Musk-owned company can deliver Starship on time, well, lets just say were having a hard time getting that explosion out of our heads.

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FALL RIVER  A historic home on Pine Street has been nationally recognized as a station on the Underground Railroad, the network of safe-houses in the mid-19th century whose owners sheltered Black people escaping slavery to freedom in Canada.

The National Park Service on Tuesday added the Dr. Isaac Fiske House at 263 Pine St. to its list of sites on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. The house, built in 1833, is owned by the Preservation Society of Fall River, which has plans to open a portion of the house as a museum.

The NPSs Network to Freedom is a collection of more than 700 places nationwide that played a role in the abolition of slavery. The Fiske House is the first Fall River site to make the list.

The Fiske House is one of several Underground Railroad sites in Fall River, but none had received the Network to Freedom designation, Preservation Society President James Soule said. We at the Preservation Society are excited that the Fiske House is the first in the city to be added to this prestigious network, and we are hopeful its not the last.

6 homes part of Black history: Fall River was an Underground Railroad junction. Where were the stations?

The Preservation Society of Fall River owns the Dr. Isaac Fiske House on Pine Street in Fall River.

What was the Underground Railroad?

For several decades in the early 19th century until 1865, Fall River was an important stop on the Underground Railroad. For generations, Black people had been kidnapped from Africa and forced into involuntary servitude on Southern farms. Runaways bold and lucky enough to escape could find help from free Black people and white people opposed to slavery. From Norfolk, Virginia, Black fugitives stowed away on commercial ships to Wareham or New Bedford. From there, conductors brought this cargo to Fall River, kept these people hidden from police, and guided them on to Rhode Island and eventually Canada where slavery had been abolished.

Underground Railroad conductors were criminals breaking the Fugitive Slave Law. The white conductors risked steep fines and imprisonment. The Black people fleeing the South risked being sent back to the hell of slavery and likely punishment that could have meant whipping, branding or mutilation.

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Because of the secrecy involved, it will never be known for sure how many Black people passed through Fall River, or even exactly how many stations there were.

Routes of the Underground Railroad, from "The Underground Railroad from Slavery to Freedom."

More Fall River history: The Lizzie Borden House has undergone restorations and upgrades. Here's what's new.

Who was Dr. Isaac Fiske and what happened in his house?

Fiske was a Quaker who studied medicine and taught penmanship for many years. He owned a private boarding school in Scituate, Rhode Island, for 10 years, then settled in Fall River to practice medicine as a homeopath. He lived in the home with his wife, Anna, and two children, George and Anna.

Like many Quakers, Fiske was also a staunch abolitionist on ethical and religious grounds. He published articles in publications including The Liberator, was involved in many anti-slavery meetings and societies, and in 1861 led a petition to have Fall River end the practice of hunting for freedom-seeking Black enslaved people.

According to letters written by his daughter, Fiske used his Pine Street home as a way station for slaves, noting that when she came home from school there might be an escaped slave at the house on his way north to freedom in Canada whose presence must be mentioned with bated breath. Legend has it that at one point Fiske hosted Henry Box Brown, a runaway who escaped a Virginia tobacco factory by mailing himself in a wooden crate to Philadelphia in March 1849, and made his way to Boston. According to Soule, Brown may have made part of his journey north on a Fall River Line steamship from New York.

"The resurrection of Henry Box Brown at Philadelphia," a lithograph published in 1850.

Saving old structures: From churches to mills, these 13 places in Fall River are at risk of losing historic value

What is in the Fiske House now, and can I visit?

The house passed to many different owners through the generations, but the Preservation Society bought it in 2018 and has been in the process of restoring it with help from the Community Preservation Act. Today, the house is a rental property, home to seven tenants and not open to the public.

But the Preservation Society is hoping to change that. Theyre currently in the process of restoring the homes basement, where Fiske had his medical practice, with the goal of using the space for a public museum to Fall Rivers role in the abolitionist movement.

What does the National Park Services announcement do?

Mondays announcement doesnt make the Fiske House a national park  it validates all the research done into the houses slavery-era history, paving the way for future museum space. That research was performed by the Preservation Society, historian Kenneth Champlin, the Fall River Historical Society, and student researchers from Roger Williams University, who recently gave a talk about their findings.

Each addition to the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom centers around a story of hope in the face of hostility and oppression," said Diane Miller, the networks program manager.

What other Network to Freedom sites are there locally?

New Bedford has four sites on the Network to Freedom, including the Sgt. William H. Carney House, home of escaped father and son fugitives who arrived from Virginia in 1857 and 1859. Carney enlisted in the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the nations first all-Black Army regiment, which fought in the Civil War and whose story was told in the film Glory.

Dan Medeiros can be reached at dmedeiros@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: National Park Service adds Fall River home to Underground Railroad map
A burglary suspect left crime scenes in multiple counties in North Carolina, but he bit off more than he could chew this week when he came face to face with a fearless couple.

Deputies took Gary Towery into custody outside of a home in Cleveland County, but its all thanks to a man with mixed martial arts training and his wife.

Kimberly Moore showed Channel 9s Dave Faherty where she spotted a man stealing items out of her husbands pickup truck in northern Cleveland County.

He was just right at my door; by the time we got to the door, he lunged at my husbands throat, Kimberly said.

>>Armed robbery in Cleveland County leads to police chase in Cleveland County

Moore and her husband, Jordan, say they had no idea the man in their yard was wanted for trying to rob a Dollar General in Burke County and for breaking into homes and cars in Cleveland County.

He told me to bring it on, talking about whipping my hind end, Jordan said, recalling the incident. And I said, Alright let me get my shoes on.

So I backed in there, and by the time I come down my steps, he went to lunge at me, and I had to take him to the ground, Jordan told Faherty.

You can fight a little bit? Faherty asked.

Yeah, Ive had some training in the past, I didnt want to hurt him too bad.

Jordan says he trained in mixed martial arts for two years, and he was able to quickly take Towery to the ground near his home. Then his wife held Towerys gun until deputies arrived.

Towery is charged with attempted armed robbery, possession of stolen property, and breaking and entering into a motor vehicle. Deputies said his pickup truck was spotted both leaving the robbery and near the break-ins that were reported in Cleveland County.

ALSO READ: Man upset sheriff posted drug house sign in yard

The Moores are glad no one was hurt.

I hope he gets help or put in jail and learns his lesson, Jordan told Faherty.

It was just shocking to me that it happened to us, but it ended here so thats a good thing, Kimberly said.

The couple noted that because deputies were in the area investigating the other thefts, they got to their home in less than a minute after Moore called 911.

(WATCH: Victims family asks for help finding driver of deadly hit-and-run in Cleveland County)
The North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday overruled its previous decision that struck down the states GOP-drawn voting maps, finding that claims of partisan gerrymandering are political questions that cannot be resolved by the states courts.

The 5-2 party-line vote dismisses the underlying lawsuit that led to a sweeping election law clash at the U.S. Supreme Court, allowing the justices to potentially sidestep the dispute. The state court in separate rulings also reinstated laws that require voter-ID and prohibit certain felons from voting.

Our constitution expressly assigns the redistricting authority to the General Assembly subject to explicit limitations in the text. Those limitations do not address partisan gerrymandering. It is not within the authority of this Court to amend the constitution to create such limitations on a responsibility that is textually assigned to another branch, North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby, a Republican, wrote for the majority.

The courts previous 4-3 Democratic majority had struck down the GOP-drawn map. After Republicans regained control in an expensive midterm election campaign, the partys new 5-2 majority granted a request from GOP lawmakers to rehear the dispute, marking only the third time the court did so in the past three decades.

Following decisions such as this, we must remember that, though the path forward might seem long and unyielding, an injustice that is so glaring, so lawless, and such a betrayal to the democratic values upon which our constitution is based will not stand forever, Justice Anita Earls, a Democrat, wrote in dissent.

Her dissent was joined by the courts other Democrat, Justice Michael Morgan.

This is bad news for voters of North Carolina. BUT, with a conservative court in place, this will very likely prevent (or at least delay) the possible limiting of state court review of voter suppression laws elsewhere, Marc Elias, whose law firm represented the plaintiffs, reacted on Twitter.

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The new decision could impact a pending U.S. Supreme Court case with major nationwide implications for federal elections.

After the maps were struck down, the nations highest court agreed to take up an appeal from the Republican lawmakers.

The lawmakers advanced before the justices their maximalist argument known as the independent state legislature theory, which contends that the federal Constitution prohibits state courts and constitutions from limiting legislatures power to regulate federal elections.

Under that theory, the lawmakers asked the justices to reverse the state Supreme Courts previous decision and rule that they had no authority to issue it.

But with that decision now overruled, the U.S. Supreme Court could dismiss the appeal without reaching the merits. When the rehearing was granted, the justices had questioned whether they still had authority to move ahead.

In separate rulings on Friday, also along partisan lines, the North Carolina Supreme Court reinstated laws that require voter-ID in the state and prohibit certain felons from voting.

The General Assembly did not engage in racial discrimination or otherwise violate the North Carolina Constitution by requiring individuals with felony convictions to complete their sentencesincluding probation, parole, or postrelease supervisionbefore they regain the right to vote, Republican Justice Trey Allen wrote for the courts majority in the latter case.

In the voter-ID law dispute, the courts Democratic majority had found the law was enacted with racially discriminatory intent, striking it down as a violation of the state constitution in December just before Republicans took control.

The partys new majority granted rehearing in the case alongside the gerrymandering dispute.

The people of North Carolina overwhelmingly support voter identification and other efforts to promote greater integrity and confidence in our elections. Subjective tests and judicial sleight of hand have systematically thwarted the will of the people and the intent of the legislature. But no court exists for the vindication of political interests, and judges exceed constitutional boundaries when they act as a superlegislature, Republican Justice Phil Berger wrote for the majority in that case.

Updated: 1:07 p.m. ET

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A college student from North Carolina who suffered a brain hemorrhage while on Spring Break in Mexico died Friday morning, according to her family.

Liza Burke, 21, was on a spring break vacation in Cabo San Lucas when she got a bad headache and went to her room to rest, according to our sister station in Atlanta, WSB-TV. Burkes friends said they tried to wake her up, but she was unresponsive.

RELATED: NC woman who suffered brain hemorrhage diagnosed with tumor

She started to have a headache so she said Im going to go back to the room to lay down and take some medicine, family friend Jennifer Ritter told WSB. Her friends went back later to check on her and they couldnt wake her up.

Burke, whos originally from Asheville and had a job lined up in Charlotte after she graduated from the University of Georgia, was rushed to the hospital. Doctors discovered a brain bleed and performed an emergency surgery in late March.

Then, Burkes family learned that she had been diagnosed with a brain tumor that was likely dormant for years.

According to a journal posted by Burkes family and friends, she passed away at around 2:20 a.m.

Liza took a final breath, sighed, and transitioned into the next realm, said the journal on Posthope.org.

Burkes family and friends say they are setting up a fund at the Foundation of the Carolinas for educational purposes.

(WATCH: NC woman who suffered brain hemorrhage while on spring break in Mexico diagnosed with tumor)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28)  The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will review the 100-billion unsolicited proposal of a newly-formed consortium to upgrade and operate the main gateway Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), its chief said Friday, following the failure of similar proposals to take off in the past.

Transportation Secretary Jimmy Bautista said he already received the proposal from the group created by the country's major tycoons.

READ: Consortium proposes over 100B in upgrades to NAIA

The Manila International Airport Consortium or MIAC is composed of six big Filipino conglomerates: Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation, Asia's Emerging Dragon Corporation, Alliance Global Infracorp Development, Inc., Filinvest Development Corporation, and JG Summit Infrastructure Holdings Corporation.

It also includes US-based Global Infrastructure Partners.

Bautista, however, said that they are still in talks with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) regarding the requirements in terms of privatizing the operations and maintenance of NAIA.

The transportation secretary added that they may only accept the unsolicited proposal of the consortium if it will meet the parameters that will be set by the DOTr and the ADB.

Pag-aaralan namin yan. In fact today my team is meeting with ADB because alam niyo naman (you know already) we have engaged ADB to assist us in determining who can be the best operator for the Manila international airport, Bautista said.

We welcome the submission of unsolicited proposal but for us to get the best terms baka kailangan talaga review-hin yung proposal. And ADB can assist kung ano ba yung terms na dapat i-impose natin sakali mang pag-usapan na namin itong proposal ng super constortium, he added.

[Translation: We welcome the submission of the unsolicited proposal but for us to get the best terms, maybe, the proposal really needs to be reviewed. And ADB can assist us in identifying the terms that we should impose if we ever discuss this proposal of the super consortium.]

Bautista said they are not closing their doors to other proposals.

Currently, NAIA is being operated by the Manila International Airport Authority or MIAA, a government-owned and controlled corporation.

Big groups in the local market have been eyeing the rehabilitation of the main air hub, with proposals consistently failing to move forward.

Over five years ago, the first super consortiumalso composed of the six members in the new groupsubmitted to then President Rodrigo Dutertes administration a whopping 350-billion unsolicited proposal to operate and maintain NAIA.

The proposal was challenged by listed construction firm Megawide, partnering with Indian company GMR Infrastructure, with their $3-billion proposal.

The old consortium then revised its bid to 102 billion.

While it was prioritized by the DOTr before, several issues emerged during the process, including problems with its manpower absorption and uncertainties brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, eventually leading to the government rejecting its fresh proposal.

Megawides group took over, but issues with its financial muscle to finance the project likewise hindered it to take off.

CNN Philippines' digital producer Lisbet Esmael contributed to this report.
Bellingham Police, working with downtown merchants and city officials, have arrested several people on graffiti charges with damages that amount to nearly $100,000, according to statements on the departments social media.

Four graffiti suspects arrested for vandalizing buildings, walls, fences and other property, Bellingham Police tweeted late Thursday, April 27.

Photos of several graffiti tags were uploaded to the departments Facebook and Twitter pages, all taken in the downtown area.

Jenny Hagemann of the Downtown Bellingham Partnership told The Bellingham Herald that the arrest of repeat offenders resulted from cooperation between merchants, the city and police.

Police didnt name the suspects, who were each arrested on dozens of counts of third-degree malicious mischief  806 counts in all with damage totaling $92,932.87.

Those graffiti tags included Home, Maze/Ezma, Rhizo, and Noid, according to the social media posts.

No bookings on such charges were listed in the online Whatcom County Jail log, and it was unclear if the suspects were being held.

Police didnt immediately respond to an email asking why the suspects names werent disclosed.

Malicious mischief in the third degree is a gross misdemeanor for vandalism damage of $750 or less, according to the online legal research company Westlaw.

A gross misdemeanor is punishable by up to 364 days in county jail and a fine of $5,000 or both, according to the Revised Code of Washington.

City officials have been focused on reducing graffiti and other forms of vandalism in the downtown core over the past several months, and the city began an initiative last year to remove graffiti and add private security to bolster the Police Department, which has been understaffed in recent years.

Hagemann told The Herald that the Downtown Bellingham Partnership manages a graffiti abatement and removal program with city funding.

The program allows private property owners to permit Downtown Bellingham Partnership staff to remove, cover, or buff graffiti tags on their behalf. Since the programs inception in June 2022, over 2,600 tags have been removed from private and public property. When Partnership staff remove graffiti, reporting to Bellingham Police also happens, Hagemann said in an email.

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Mayor Seth Fleetwood told The Herald that graffiti removal and prevention help create a safe, welcoming environment in Bellingham. We have invested more than $1 million a year in these strategies, which were developed with participation and feedback from the downtown business community and others, Fleetwood said in an email.

In its social media posts, Bellingham Police said the investigation is continuing.

(Our) lead investigator wants to know if you were a victim of the below four tags and have not reported, the department said.

Graffiti victims were urged to take a digital photo and report damage at www.cob.org/reporting or contact Deputy Chief Don Almer at dalmer@cob.org if they have information about the graffiti tags involved in the recent arrests.
The dog who authorities said mauled a Georgia woman to that point that she needed part of her leg amputated, has been ordered to be euthanized.

Kim Golden was brought to Grady Memorial Hospital for her injuries after the dog attacked her on March 1 in Columbus. Golden works for a nonprofit that finds housing for people in need.

She was with another co-worker checking out a property when the dog attacked her. Her injuries were so severe that part of her left leg had to be amputated.

Following a Muscogee County Superior Court hearing Wednesday, WTVM-TV reports that the dog named Cowboy has been ordered to be put down.

If I could take it back and reverse it I would, but I dont think my dogs getting the right treatment. I dont think I am getting the right treatment, the dogs owner Edward Murray told the TV station following the hearing.

TRENDING STORIES:

Murray has claimed since the incident happened that Golden was trespassing on his property, and Cowboy was doing his job to protect.

Im truly sorry it happened to Ms. Golden, but it happened for a reason -- it had to. Dont nothing happen for a reason. It could be for me to learn how to protect the public and my dog. It could be for Ms. Golden to slow down on something else. I dont know. Im not God but it did happen for a reason, Murray told WTVM.

Even if a person were to step on the property line, the end result shouldnt be that a dog bites and latches on to a persons body for two minutes, Judge John Martin said during the hearing. Its not a question whether you love the dog or if its a good dog or bad dog, its about what the dog did.

Its going to be a great loss, but I have made peace, Ive made peace, Murray said.

Once the order has been filed, Cowboy will be put down. Murray and his wife are expected to be back in court on May 3.

IN OTHER NEWS:
After years of rejected petitions and open letters, posthumous degrees have been awarded at Yale University.

New Haven Register reports that the Ivy League has conferred honorary masters degrees to Rev. James W.C. Pennington and Rev. Alexander Crummell.

Pennington  who was born enslaved and escaped from Maryland in 1828  was the first known Black person to study at Yale. He studied from 1834 to 1837. Crummell attended the university three years after in 1840 for one year.

According to Yale, Pennington, and Crummell  who both studied theology  werent allowed to formally register in classes, participate in classroom discussions, or access library resources because they were Black.

Although we cannot return to Pennington and Crummell the access and privileges they were denied when they studied at Yale, we recognize their work and honor their legacies by conferring on them these M.A. Privatim degrees, Yale President Peter Salovey said, according to the outlet.

Salovey continued, With these honorary degrees, we aim to extend the remembrance of Pennington; to broaden the understanding and commemoration of Crummell; and to inscribe, for perpetuity, their names in the official records of the university.

Yale is set to host a commencement ceremony for Pennington and Crummell in the fall, the outlet notes.

One of the student groups behind Pennington receiving his honorary degree was the Pennington Legacy Group. Noah Humphrey, the founder, believes that the decision is long overdue.

We are still not done, but this means that we have set a foundation that is forever, Humphrey said, according to the report.

I mean, the fact that we have some of the brightest scholars in the world, but we couldnt come to an agreement on giving the first Black student their rightful degree is insane, the third-year Divinity School student added.

Humphrey, alongside the Pennington Legacy Group, aims to continue in their efforts toward having Yale do more in correcting the injustices.
Climbers waiting in the "death zone" to summit Mount Everest. Twitter/@nimsdai

Nepal has granted a record number of permits to climb Mount Everest this season. Experts worry that more permits will lead to more deaths as climbers crowd the "death zone." In 2019, 11 climbers died on the mountain, almost all of whom had entered the "death zone."



Nepal has granted a record number of permits to climb Mount Everest this season, despite criticism over traffic jams in the so-called "death zone" in recent years, according to Reuters.

Nepal's Department of Tourism has so far approved 463 permits for the current climbing season, which runs from March to May, Reuters reported. That far exceeds the 409 permits it granted in 2021 when the previous record was set.

Nepal is one of the world's poorest countries, and revenue from climbing Everest is an important part of its fiscal planning. The fee to climb Everest exceeds $10,000, which means each season brings in millions for the country. Some worry, however, that reliance on Everest for revenue could come at the sacrifice of safety.

"The challenges with more climbers on the mountain will be potential traffic jams on the climbing route, especially if the weather windows are few and far between," Garrett Madison, the president of the Madison Mountaineering Company, told Reuters. "This can lead to climbers running out of oxygen and facing exhaustion/exposure in the 'death zone.'"

The "death zone" is a section of the climb that's above 26,246 feet, where the levels of oxygen are so low that the body's cells start to die and a climber's judgment is impaired.

In 2019, at least 11 climbers died attempting to summit Mount Everest, and almost all of them had been in the "death zone." It was one of the deadliest years ever on Everest, according to ABC News.

The director of Nepal's tourism board, Yubaraj Khatiwada, however, said the government was ready for the crowds and prepared to protect the climbers. He told Reuters that, for the first time, the government would place a team of doctors and officials at base camp.

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"We are concerned for their safety and are well prepared to cope with the crowd by spreading summit bids as long as the good weather window provides to ensure the climbing goes smoothly as far as possible," Khatiwada told Reuters.

Nepal's Department of Tourism did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
White House Plumbers, Halloween Ends and Ticket To Paradise are all streaming on NOW in May 2023. (HBO/Universal)

May 2023 is another busy, blockbuster and binge-watch filled month for Sky Cinema and NOW is headlined by a double-header of original thriller movies.

First up, darkness and paranoia lurk on the streets of 70s London in The Guard Brothers Dead Shot, which sees Colin Morgan play a retired Irish paramilitary hell bent on revenge. Then, in To Catch a Killer, Shailene Woodley stars alongside Ben Mendelsohn as a rookie detective who must overcome her traumatic past to yknow catch a killer.

Talking of killers, Jamie Lee Curtis Laurie Strode faces horrors most iconic murderer Michael Myers one last time in Halloween Ends. The final chapter in David Gordon Greens bloody reboot trilogy is available on demand from mid-May.

Read more: Everything new on Prime Video in May

Read more: Everything new on Paramount+in May

Read more: Everything new on Netflix in May

Read more: Everything new on Disney+ in May

Thankfully, there are no murderers on the loose in the George Clooney and Julia Roberts starring whimsical destination rom-com Ticket to Paradise, which lands on Sky Cinema at the start of the month.

Over on the TV side of things, original satire mini-series White House Plumbers is set to plunge into the true story of how President Nixons own political saboteurs and Watergate masterminds wound up toppling the presidency they were trying to protect.

Rounding out the months TV highlights are the hotly anticipated second seasons of bold Fresh Prince reimagining Bel-Air and noir crime drama Perry Mason.

Read more: Everything leaving Netflix in May

Heres everything we know is heading to Sky and NOW this month

New movies on Sky Cinema and NOW in May 2023

Ticket to Paradise | 5 May

David (George Clooney) and Georgia (Julia Roberts) in Ticket to Paradise, directed by Ol Parker. (Universal Pictures)

George Clooney and Julia Roberts are on sparkling form as a divorced couple who team up to sabotage their daughters big day in Ticket to Paradise. A throwback to rom-coms of yore that ran on sizzling chemistry, blooper reels, and movie star power alone, this destination wedding farce from Mamma Mia! director Ol Parker is an absolute riot from start to finish.

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Dead Shot (Sky Original) | 12 May

Dead Shot (Sky)

Originally titled Borderland, with John Boyega set to star, its taken 11 years for The Guard Brothers Dead Shot to make it from script to screen. But now its here, with Merlins Colin Morgan taking on the lead role of Micheal, an Irish ex-paramilitary who undertakes an odyssey of revenge in 70s London following the murder of his wife at the hands of an SAS officer (Aml Ameen). Felicity Jones and Mark Strong co-star in this taut thriller.

Mrs Harris Goes to Paris | 13 May

Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris (Universal)

Quite possibly the most warmhearted film this side of Paddington 2, comedy of manners Mrs Harris Goes to Paris stars a radiant Lesley Manville as a widowed cleaning lady who heads to the continent in pursuit of a coveted Dior dress. An escapist delight with an incredible Isabelle Huppert cameo, this Oscar-nominated gem revels in the simple pleasures of kindness, fine fashion, and the beauty of the City of Light.

Halloween Ends | 19 May

Halloween Ends (Universal)

13 films into one of horrors most legendary franchises, its worth taking the titular promise of Halloween Ends with a pinch of salt. But, if this really is Michael Myers final bow in the boiler suit then its a hell of a finale. Set four years after Halloween Kills, this trilogy closer reckons with resident evil as a troubled young man (Rohan Campbell) picks up Myers bloody baton (well, knife), setting up a final showdown for the ages between the Strode clan and Haddonfields boogeyman.

Lyle, Lyle Crocodile | 26 May

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (Sony Pictures)

Shawn Mendes is the shy croc with a killer voice in Lyle, Lyle Crocodile, a musical adventure based on Bernard Wabers classic American childrens book series. The Greatest Showman songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul conjure enough compositional magic to get your toes tapping, while Javier Bardems inspired - and quite possibly possessed - performance as a cuckoo magician with delusions of grandeur really must be seen to be believed.

To Catch a Killer (Sky Original) | 27 May

To Catch a Killer (Sky)

Committed performances from Shailene Woodley and Ben Mendelsohn drive To Catch a Killer, Skys latest original crime thriller. Here, Woodley plays Eleanor Falco, a young and promising Baltimore PD police officer whose tortured mind becomes an invaluable tool when the FBIs chief investigator (Mendelsohn) recruits her to help find a brutal serial killer with their own seemingly unfathomable mind. This is definitely one for fans of the genre to enjoy.

Smile (2022) | 28 May

Caitlin Stasey in Smile. (Paramount)

Sosie Bacon finds her sanity slipping in Smile, the latest horror blockbuster from Blumhouse. Probably best known for its viral marketing campaign, Parker Finns feature debut is far more than its demonic grinning gimmick may suggest. The filmmaker actually uses the idea of an uncanny entity occupying emotionally fraught hosts to explore the ways in which society demonises and disregards those in most need of our love and understanding.

New TV on Sky and NOW in May 2023

Perry Mason S2 | 2 May

Perry Mason S2 (Sky)

Set in early 30s, post-Depression Los Angeles, the first season of neo-noir legal drama Perry Mason introduced us to Matthew Rhys titular down-and-out PI as he took on his first case as a defence attorney. Now, with secretary and legal scholar Della Street (Juliet Rylance) and new PI Paul Drake (Chris Chalk) at his side, the renowned defence lawyer Perry Mason begins to take more recognisable shape in this lavish, cinematically shot and psychologically complex second season.

Bel-Air S2 | 5 May

Bel-Air S2 (Sky)

For a show that started life as a proof of concept YouTube video, Bel-Air is the perfect example of how to reboot a beloved show. Zeroing in on the complicated journey that takes West Philadelphia born and raised Will (Jabari Banks) from the streets of Philly to the princely Bel-Air, the series - now heading into its second season - transcends its sit-com origins to offer a powerful commentary on class, race, and familial conflict.

Last King of the Cross | 18 May

Last King Of The Cross (Sky)

Based on John Ibrahims best-selling autobiography, Last King of the Cross charts Ibrahims rise from being an impoverished immigrant with nothing to his name, to being the most infamous nightclub mogul in Sydneys Kings Cross, a strip generously described as a mecca of sin. Lincoln Younes stars as John Ibrahim, whilst Tim Roth appears alongside as one of the crime bosses Ibrahim tangles with.

White House Plumbers | 30 May

Justin Theroux and Woody Harrelson in White House Plumbers. (Phil Caruso/HBO)

Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux are Watergate masterminds E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy in White House Plumbers, a new satirical political drama from HBO.

Read more: The wild true story behind White House Plumbers

The five-part mini-series lifts the lid on how Hunt and Liddy, committed by President Nixon to the task of plugging governmental press leaks by any means necessary, ended up accidentally catalysing the downfall of the very presidency they were sworn to protect.

Other movies/TV on Sky Cinema and NOW in May 2023

5 May

Mia And Me: The Hero of Centopia (2022)

The Old Way (2023)

12 May

Vengeance (2022)

19 May

Alone Together (2022)

Confess, Fletch (2022)

25 May

The Ark (S1)

26 May

Summering (2022)

TBC May

The Conners (S5)

Black Lady Sketch Show (S4)

Watch a trailer for Confess Fletch
Newsmax

Rudy Giuliani pushed false claims about Jan. 6 on Thursdayspecifically that nobody died during the insurrection and that not a single one of Trumps supporters was armedwhile Newsmax host Eric Bolling failed to step in to correct him.

In an interview pegged around Fox News recent ousting of Tucker Carlson, Bolling and Giuliani each criticized the network over the move.

Everything were going to see now for the next year and a half can all be answered by: They dont want Trump back, said Giuliani, apparently lumping Fox News in with most other media outlets.

It wasnt even so much that Tucker was that much for Trump. He had become that way. Really, he was laying out the circumstances that show how incredibly crooked they are. I mean, they manipulated Jan. 6. They were more than willing to create the fiction of an American insurrection in order to get rid of Donald Trump. For that, you probably should be thrown out of the country, said Giuliani, who is still being sued by Dominion Voting Systems over his false comments in the weeks leading up to the insurrection.

Tucker Carlson Breaks Silence, Tells Viewers to Stay Tuned

Carlson, of course, pushed baseless conspiracy theories about Jan. 6 on his Fox News show and in a Fox Nation documentary.

The reality is theyre talking about six people dead. Nobodys dead, said Giuliani, similar to how Donald Trump has also tried to minimize the death toll. Four people in the crowd of Trump supporters died on Jan. 6, and five police officers who had been at the Capitol later died, four by suicide and one from a series of strokes.

Theyre talking about an insurrection, except an insurrection without a single gun and without a single person being charged with insurrection after four hundred charges, continued Giuliani, even though it was just last week that rioter Chris Alberts told a Washington, D.C., jury that he had been armed with 25 rounds of ammunition. Guy Reffitt, another rioter sentenced last year to over seven years in prison, was also carrying a handgun. (The crime of inciting an insurrection is rarely prosecuted, though several rioters, like Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, have been convicted of seditious conspiracy.)

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Rather than mention any of this, Bolling responded to the former Trump lawyers rant by keeping the microscope on Fox News.

Im old enough to remember when Fox used to embrace that and allow the host to dig into the stories, said Bolling, who left Fox in 2017 over sexual misconduct allegations and who recently took aim at Carlson for once writing that he hated Trump passionately.

It was never Dont say that or Dont talk about that over there. Now its like, Be careful what you say or you might get fired, said Bolling, clearly angling to siphon off the competitor networks viewers. If they can fire Tucker, they can fire everyone. Im sure the rest of the hosts are going, Uh oh, I wonder what we can and cant do anymore. And theyve clearly moved left.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Ohio State offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr. went to the Arizona Cardinals with the sixth pick of the NFL draft. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

The Arizona Cardinals looked pretty shrewd in the first hour of the NFL Draft.

The Cardinals were linked to Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. in the days leading up to the draft. There were rumors they'd draft him No. 3 overall.

The Cardinals got the man they wanted, and picked up with a lot of extra picks too.

The Cardinals traded down from No. 3 with the Houston Texans, who paid a lot including a 2024 first-round pick to move up and get Alabama edge defender Will Anderson Jr. Then shortly after, the Cardinals traded the 12th and 34th picks, along with No. 168 to the Detroit Lions for the sixth and 81st overall picks.

Then the Cardinals got the tackle they coveted in Johnson. That's how you work a draft (it's pretty good for the Lions too, who can help their defense with those extra picks).

The Cardinals needed to add to the offensive line, especially with Kyler Murray coming back off a torn ACL. Murray reportedly lobbied the Cardinals to draft Johnson. Murray got his way. The Cardinals got a good tackle who should start from Week 1 of his rookie season on. And the new Cardinals front office looked pretty sharp.


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Nicole Richie is looking more gorgeous than ever.

The 41-year-old House of Harlow founder attended her sister Sofia's wedding in the French Riviera. And wow, her dress was fierce!

Nicole wore a sheer lime-green Alberta Ferretti dress with a high neckline and a tie-back. It also had strategically placed leaf motifs lining the front. A winner 'fit indeed!

Folks know that American Idol judge Lionel Richie's daughter Nicole is a well-known fashion staple since she shot to fame in the early 2000s. Well, the former The Simple Life star proved time is but a measurement, thanks to the gorgeous look she wore over the weekend.

To celebrate her sister Sofia's wedding to Elliot Grainge in the south of France, Nicole turned up to the festivities ready to show off an array of couture moments. During one of the events on April 23, she shocked everyone by wearing a lime green Alberta Ferretti gown, which she posted alongside a series of other looks on Instagram. The silhouette of the garment felt unique, due to the high neckline with a tie back and the pleated yet flowing nature of the skirt.

But what truly made the House of Harlow 1960 designer stand out was the fact that the colorful attire was made from a sheer material, with strategically placed leaf motifs lining the front. The detailing didn't stop there, as the cloth greenery wrapped around the waistline of Nicole's dress. (See the dress in the second pic below!)

As someone famous for taking risks with her fashion, Nicole made sure to keep it classic with the outfit's accents. While her jewelry wasn't visible in the social media post, the former reality TV star accessorized the dress with black strappy heel sandals that were spotted when she walked around.

What's more, her medium-length blonde hair was styled into beach waves. To complete the look, Nicole swiped on bold eyeliner and a neutral lipstick for makeup.

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When followers saw the stunning frock Nicole wore for Sofia's nuptials, many immediately took to the comments section to tell her how much they enjoyed seeing her flair for style across the world.

"That green dress is giving me life ," one person wrote. "That green on you!!!! Jaw drop," a different user raved. "Are you kidding me? Stunning goddess. That green dress is perfection on you ," another follower complimented.

Shortly after seeing her sister get married, Nicole also made sure to give her a sweet shoutout on Instagram. "I love you more than anything ," she captioned a photo of her spreading out Sofia's train on her wedding gown.

She wasn't the only family member celebrating the occasion. Lionel took a break from filming the latest season of American Idol to walk his youngest daughter down the aisle, looking dapper in a suit and bowtie.

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GOP presidential contender Nikki Haley said it is unlikely that President Biden will "make it until 86 years old."

Haley, the former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor, took a shot at Bidens age as the president enters into his re-election campaign with Vice President Kamala Harris at 80 years old.

The South Carolina Republican said that the president likely would not physically make it five years in office if he were re-elected.

NIKKI HALEY BLASTS BIDEN AS WEAKEST PRESIDENT IN MODERN HISTORY AFTER RE-ELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT

Nikki Haley, the former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor, took a shot at President Bidens age as hs enters into his re-election campaign at 80 years old.

"He announced that hes running again in 2024, and I think that we can all be very clear and say with a matter of fact that if you vote for Joe Biden you really are counting on a President Harris, because the idea that he would make it until 86 years old is not something that I think is likely," Haley told Fox News on Thursday.

At 80, Biden is the one of the oldest presidential candidates in history.

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The presidency is a stressful job, arguably one of the most stressful in the world. Most younger presidents, such as former President Barack Obama, go gray over the course of their time in the West Wing from the rigors of the office.

Biden could face serious health complications should the stress of the job, an illness or his age catch up to him.

Harris, as vice president, would be the first person in line to pick up the presidential mantle should misfortune find Biden  something her critics are warning against.

President Biden could face serious health complications should the stress of the job, an illness or his age catch up to him.

KAMALA HARRIS COULD BE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL RUNNING MATE IN MODERN HISTORY AS REPUBLICANS SEE WEAKNESS

Former Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii  now an independent  told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that "Kamala Harris is clearly unqualified to be the commander-in-chief."

"This should be a major issue for voters, but the mainstream media will continue to try to cover for her because they dont want the American people to know the truth," Gabbard said.

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"The Biden administration has already brought our country to the brink of nuclear war with Russia, and the new Cold War with China is heating up quickly," she continued.

"The consequences of President Kamala Harris at the helm would be dangerous and catastrophic for the American people and our nation," Gabbard added.

Republican strategists said Vice President Kamala Harris is a thorn in Biden's side heading into the next election.

Republican strategists said Harris is a thorn in Biden's side heading into the next election.

Fox News contributor Lisa Boothe told Fox News Digital that "Kamala Harris hurts Joe Biden."

"If anything happens to Biden, does anyone want Harris? She is personally unlikable and inarticulate," Boothe said.

"She dropped out of the 2020 Democrat primary before Iowa," she continued. "Her own party didn't want her. She was a diversity, equity and inclusion hire."

Fox News Digital's Brandon Gillepsie and Andrew Murray contributed to this report.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has again swiped at President Joe Biden's age after he formally launched his 2024 bid this week and on Thursday the White House shot back.

Haley suggested during an interview with Fox News Wednesday that Biden wouldn't "make it" to the end of a second term were he to be reelected.

"He announced that he's running again in 2024, and I think that we can all be very clear and say with a matter of fact that if you vote for Joe Biden you really are counting on a President Harris, because the idea that he would make it until 86 years old is not something that I think is likely," Haley said.

MORE: Biden took 'hard look' at his age, would run even if Trump wasn't

The Haley campaign continued that criticism on Thursday, tweeting: "A vote for Joe Biden is a vote to make Kamala Harris president."

PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate, former ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks about her abortion policy, April 25, 2023, in Arlington, Va. (Patrick Semansky/AP)

The former South Carolina governor, who is 51 years old, jumped into the race for the GOP nomination in February. She's pitched herself to voters as much-needed generational change against figures like Biden, 80, and Donald Trump, 76.

Asked for a response Thursday, White House deputy spokesman Andrew Bates told ABC News: "As you know, we don't engage with campaigns. But honestly, I forgot she was running." (Biden's campaign declined to comment.)

Haley's platform includes proposed mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over 75, though she hasn't elaborated on what those tests would look like or entail.

Biden is the oldest sitting president in U.S. history, and if he's successful in the next election would be 82 when sworn in for a second term and 86 by the time that term ended.

Questions about his age have swirled around his reelection announcement. Biden said he took a "hard look" at his age himself when weighing whether to run again and respects Americans doing the same.

"I can't even say, I guess, how old I am. I can't even say the number, it doesn't register with me," Biden told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce on Wednesday.

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PHOTO: President Joe Biden delivers remarks during a joint press conference with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in the Rose Garden at the White House, April 26, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Win Mcnamee/Getty Images)

"But the only thing I can say is that one of the things that people are going to find out, they're going to see a race and they're going to judge whether or not I have it or don't have it," Biden continued. "I respect them taking a hard look at it, I'd take a hard look at it as well."

Biden's critics jumped on an exchange with he had with kids Thursday when he appeared to forget when asked about the last foreign trip he made -- to Ireland -- as he said it's "hard to keep track" of all his meetings with heads of state.

MORE: Nikki Haley officially launches her presidential bid: 'We're ready'

When previously asked about Haley's proposition of mental competency tests, the White House dismissed the idea, telling ABC's Stephanie Ramos that they've "heard these types of attacks and remarks before."

"If you go back to 2020, they said that the president couldn't do it in 2020 and attacked him there and he beat them," press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told Ramos in February.

ABC News' Ben Gittleson and Brittany Shepherd contributed to this report.

Nikki Haley swipes at Biden's age, says he's 'not likely' to 'make it' to 86 originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
(CNN) -- Less than a few hours after Snapchat rolled out its My AI chatbot to all users last week, Lyndsi Lee, a mother from East Prairie, Missouri, told her 13-year-old daughter to stay away from the feature.

"It's a temporary solution until I know more about it and can set some healthy boundaries and guidelines," said Lee, who works at a software company. She worries about how My AI presents itself to young users like her daughter on Snapchat.

The feature is powered by the viral AI chatbot tool ChatGPT -- and like ChatGPT, it can offer recommendations, answer questions and converse with users. But Snapchat's version has some key differences: Users can customize the chatbot's name, design a custom Bitmoji avatar for it, and bring it into conversations with friends.

The net effect is that conversing with Snapchat's chatbot may feel less transactional than visiting ChatGPT's website. It also may be less clear you're talking to a computer.

"I don't think I'm prepared to know how to teach my kid how to emotionally separate humans and machines when they essentially look the same from her point of view," Lee said. "I just think there is a really clear line [Snapchat] is crossing."

The new tool is facing backlash not only from parents but also from some Snapchat users who are bombarding the app with bad reviews in the app store and criticisms on social media over privacy concerns, "creepy" exchanges and an inability to remove the feature from their chat feed unless they pay for a premium subscription.

While some may find value in the tool, the mixed reactions hint at the risks companies face in rolling out new generative AI technology to their products, and particularly in products like Snapchat, whose users skew younger.

Snapchat was an early launch partner when OpenAI opened up access to ChatGPT to third-party businesses, with many more expected to follow. Almost overnight, Snapchat has forced some families and lawmakers to reckon with questions that may have seemed theoretical only months ago.

In a letter to the CEOs of Snap and other tech companies last month, weeks after My AI was released to Snap's subscription customers, Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet raised concerns about the interactions the chatbot was having with younger users. In particular, he cited reports that it can provide kids with suggestions for how to lie to their parents.

"These examples would be disturbing for any social media platform, but they are especially troubling for Snapchat, which almost 60 percent of American teenagers use," Bennet wrote. "Although Snap concedes My AI is 'experimental,' it has nevertheless rushed to enroll American kids and adolescents in its social experiment."

In a blog post last week, the company said: "My AI is far from perfect but we've made a lot of progress."

User backlash

In the days since its formal launch, Snapchat users have been vocal about their concerns. One user called his interaction "terrifying" after he said it lied about not knowing where the user was located. After the user lightened the conversation, he said the chatbot accurately revealed he lived in Colorado.

In another TikTok video with more than 1.5 million views, a user named Ariel recorded a song with an intro, chorus and piano chords written by My AI about what it's like to be a chatbot. When she sent the recorded song back, she said the chatbot denied its involvement with the reply: "I'm sorry, but as an AI language model, I don't write songs." Ariel called the exchange "creepy."

Other users shared concerns about how the tool understands, interacts with and collects information from photos. "I snapped a picture ... and it said 'nice shoes' and asked who the people [were] in the photo," a Snapchat user wrote on Facebook.

Snapchat told CNN it continues to improve My AI based on community feedback and is working to establish more guardrails to keep its users safe. The company also said that similar to its other tools, users don't have to interact with My AI if they don't want to.

It's not possible to remove My AI from chat feeds, however, unless a user subscribes to its monthly premium service, Snapchat+. Some teens say they have opted to pay the $3.99 Snapchat+ fee to turn off the tool before promptly canceling the service.

But not all users dislike the feature.

One user wrote on Facebook that she's been asking My AI for homework help. "It gets all of the questions right." Another noted she's leaned on it for comfort and advice. "I love my little pocket, bestie!" she wrote. "You can change the Bitmoji [avatar] for it and surprisingly it offers really great advice to some real life situations. ... I love the support it gives."

An early reckoning over how teens use chatbots

ChatGPT, which is trained on vast troves of data online, has previously come under fire for spreading inaccurate information, responding to users in ways they might find inappropriate and enabling students to cheat. But Snapchat's integration of the tool risks heightening some of these issues, and adding new ones.

Alexandra Hamlet, a clinical psychologist in New York City, said the parents of some of her patients have expressed concern about how their teenager could interact with Snapchat's tool. There's also concern around chatbots giving advice and about mental health because AI tools can reinforce someone's confirmation bias, making it easier for users to seek out interactions that confirm their unhelpful beliefs.

"If a teen is in a negative mood and does not have the awareness desire to feel better, they may seek out a conversation with a chatbot that they know will make them feel worse," she said. "Over time, having interactions like these can erode a teens' sense of worth, despite their knowing that they are really talking to a bot. In an emotional state of mind, it becomes less possible for an individual to consider this type of logic."

For now, the onus is on parents to start meaningful conversations with their teens about best practices for communicating with AI, especially as the tools start to show up in more popular apps and services.

Sinead Bovell, the founder of WAYE, a startup that helps prepare youth for future with advanced technologies, said parents need to make it very clear "chatbots are not your friend."

"They're also not your therapists or a trusted adviser, and anyone interacting with them needs to be very cautious, especially teenagers who may be more susceptible to believing what they say," she said.

"Parents should be talking to their kids now about how they shouldn't share anything personal with a chatbot that they would a friend -- even though from a user design perspective, the chatbot exists in the same corner of Snapchat."

She added that federal regulation that would require companies to abide by specific protocols is also needed to keep up the rapid pace of AI advancement.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Snapchats new AI chatbot is already raising alarms among teens and parents."
Last year, Democratic justices on the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that maps of the states legislative and congressional districts drawn to give Republicans lopsided majorities were illegal gerrymanders. On Friday, the same court led by a newly elected Republican majority looked at the same facts, reversed itself and said it had no authority to act.

The practical effect is to enable the Republican-controlled General Assembly to scrap the court-ordered state House, Senate and congressional district boundaries that were used in elections last November, and draw new maps skewed in Republicans favor for elections in 2024. The 5-2 ruling fell along party lines, reflecting the takeover of the court by Republican justices in partisan elections in November.

The decision has major implications not just for the state Legislature, where the GOP is barely clinging to the supermajority status that makes its decisions veto-proof, but for the U.S. House, where a new North Carolina map could add at least three Republican seats in 2024 to what is now a razor-thin Republican majority. Overturning such a recent ruling by the court was a highly unusual move, particularly on a pivotal constitutional issue in which none of the facts had changed.

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The North Carolina case mirrors a national trend in which states that elect their judges  Ohio, Kentucky, Kansas, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and others  have seen races for their high court seats turned into multimillion-dollar political battles, and their justices rulings viewed through a deeply partisan lens.

Such political jockeying once was limited mostly to confirmation fights over seats on the U.S. Supreme Court. But as the nations partisan divide has deepened, and the federal courts have offloaded questions about issues like abortion and affirmative action to the states, choosing who will decide state legal battles has increasingly become an openly political fight.

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The new Republican majority of justices said the North Carolina Supreme Court had no authority to strike down partisan maps that the General Assembly had drawn.

Our constitution expressly assigns the redistricting authority to the General Assembly subject to explicit limitations in the text, Chief Justice Paul Newby wrote for the majority. Were this court to create such a limitation, there is no judicially discoverable or manageable standard for adjudicating such claims.

Newby said that Democrats who led the previous court had claimed to have developed a standard for deciding when a political map was overly partisan, but that it was riddled with policy choices and overstepped the state constitutions grant of redistricting powers to the Legislature.

Legal scholars said the ruling also seemed likely to derail a potentially momentous case now before the U.S. Supreme Court involving the same maps. In that case, Moore v. Harper, leaders of the Republican-run Legislature have argued that the U.S. Constitution gives state lawmakers the sole authority to set rules for state elections and political maps, and that state courts have no role in overseeing them.

Now that the North Carolina Supreme Court has sided with the Legislature and thrown out its predecessors ruling, there appears to be no dispute for the federal justices to decide, the scholars said.

The ruling drew a furious dissent from one of the elected Democratic justices, Anita S. Earls, who said that it was pervaded by lawlessness. She accused the majority of making specious legal arguments, and at times using misleading statistics, to make a false case that partisan gerrymandering was beyond its jurisdiction.

The majority ignores the uncontested truths about the intentions behind partisan gerrymandering and erects an unconvincing facade that only parrots democratic values in an attempt to defend its decision, she wrote. These efforts to downplay the practice do not erase its consequences and the public will not be gaslighted.

Some legal experts said the ruling underscored a trend in state courts that elect their justices, in which decisions in politically charged cases increasingly align with the ideological views of whichever party holds the majority on the court, sometimes regardless of legal precedent.

If you think the earlier state Supreme Court was wrong, we have mechanisms to change that, like a constitutional amendment, said Joshua A. Douglas, a scholar on state constitutions at the University of Kentucky College of Law. But changing judges shouldnt cause such a sea change in the rule of law, because if thats the case, precedent has no value any longer, and judges really are politicians.

The state court also handed down two more rulings in politically charged cases, overturning decisions that favored voting-rights advocates and their Democratic supporters.

In the first, the justices reconsidered and reversed a ruling by the previous court, again along party lines, that a voter ID law passed by the Republican majority in the Legislature violated the equal protection clause in the state constitution.

In the second, the justices said a lower court misapplied the law and overlooked facts crucial to its ruling when it struck down a state law denying voting rights to people who had completed prison sentences on felony charges but were not yet released from parole, probation or other court restrictions.

The lower court had said the state law was rooted in an earlier law written to deny voting rights to African Americans, a conclusion the Supreme Court justices said was mistaken.

The new ruling undid a verdict that had restored voting rights to more than 55,000 North Carolinians who had completed prison sentences. Those rights are now revoked, lawyers said, although the status of former felons who had already registered or voted under the previous ruling appeared unclear.

The ruling Friday in the gerrymander case, now known as Harper v. Hall, came after partisan elections for two Supreme Court seats in November shifted the seven-member courts political balance to 5-2 Republican from 4-3 Democratic.

The Democratic-controlled court ruled along party lines in February 2022 that both the state legislative maps and the congressional district maps approved by the Republican Legislature violated the state constitutions guarantees of free speech, free elections, free assembly and equal protection.

A lower court later redrew the congressional map to be used in the November elections, but a dispute over the state Senate map, which GOP leaders had redrawn, bubbled back to the state Supreme Court last winter. In one of its last acts, the Democratic majority on the court threw out the GOPs state Senate map, ordering that it be redrawn again. The court then reaffirmed its earlier order in a lengthy opinion.

Ordinarily, that might have ended the matter. But after the new Republican majority was elected to the court, GOP legislative leaders demanded that the justices rehear not just the argument over the redrawn Senate map, but the entire case.

The ruling Friday came after a brief re-argument of the gerrymander case in mid-March.

North Carolina voters are almost evenly split between the two major parties; Donald Trump carried the state in 2020 with 49.9% of the vote. But the original map of congressional districts approved by the GOP Legislature in 2021, and later ruled to be a partisan gerrymander, would probably have given Republicans at least 10 of the states 14 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Using a congressional map drawn last year by a court-appointed special master, the November election delivered seven congressional seats to each party. With the decision Friday, the GOP Legislature is likely to approve a new map along the lines of its first one, giving state Republicans  and the slender Republican majority in the U.S. House  the opportunity to capture at least three more seats.

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The North Carolina Supreme Court has overturned its own past ruling that said partisan gerrymandering is illegal, clearing the way for Republicans there to redraw the states congressional lines in a way that heavily favors the GOP.

The ruling clears the way for North Carolina legislators to aggressively gerrymander the congressional map, which is currently represented by seven Democrats and seven Republicans. Now Republicans in Raleigh could re-create the map they initially passed last cycle which a Democratic-controlled state Supreme Court struck down, netting as many as four seats.

The court issued a 5-2 decision, with the courts Republican justices voting to overturn the past ruling and the two Democratic justices dissenting. The court flipped from 4-3 Democratic control to 5-2 Republican control during elections last November.

The state courts ruling issued Friday could also result in the U.S. Supreme Court dropping a closely watched case about the power of state legislatures over federal elections. The justices heard arguments on the issue in December, but signaled last month that they were considering changing course as a result of the effort to get the North Carolina court to reverse its earlier ruling.

In a separate ruling, the court also overturned another one of its past decisions on a voter ID law, on a similar 5-2 split strictly along party lines. That ruling issued Friday will clear the way for a long-litigated photo ID law to go into effect in the state.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder, who now runs a Democratic redistricting group, denounced the ruling as a nakedly political exercise.

This shameful, delegitimizing decision to allow the unjust, blatant manipulation of North Carolinas voting districts was not a function of legal principle, it was a function of political personnel and partisan opportunism, Holder said in a statement. Neither the map nor the law have changed since last years landmark rulings  only the makeup of the majority of the North Carolina Supreme Court has changed.

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The previous Democratic majority on the state court issued a series of recent decisions in the last year that ruled that partisan gerrymandering was illegal in North Carolina, while also blocking implementation of the states photo ID law. The new majoritys decision to rehear arguments on these cases so quickly was an unusual one, and many court observers believed the decision to do so meant that it was a matter of when, not if, the new court would allow for partisan gerrymandering.

In a lengthy decision issued by the court Friday, the conservative justices concluded that they could not adjudicate claims of partisan gerrymandering, saying that is the role of the state legislature.

There is no judicially manageable standard by which to adjudicate partisan gerrymandering claims. Courts are not intended to meddle in policy matters, Chief Justice Paul Newby wrote in his 144-page opinion for the courts majority.

Much of the majoritys rationale echoes that of a 2019 U.S. Supreme Court decision that found federal courts could not act against partisan gerrymandering, but left the question in individual states to their courts.

For a brief window in time, the power of deciding who is elected to office was given to the people, as required by the state constitution, Justice Anita Earls wrote in her 72-page dissent, joined by Justice Michael Morgan. The two, who joined the courts ruling last year striking down the map for being too partisan, are the last remaining Democratic jurists on the court.

Today, the majority strips the people of this right; it tells North Carolinians that the state constitution and the courts cannot protect their basic human right to self-governance and self-determination, Earls added, declaring that her Republican colleagues efforts to downplay the practice do not erase its consequences and the public will not be gaslighted.

Fridays decision on partisan gerrymandering will likely cement Republican power in the state. The state legislature has the power to remake the states evenly split congressional delegation  unusually, the states chief executive, currently Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, is explicitly left out of the process  and Republican lawmakers wont need to negotiate with Democrats because the GOP has supermajorites in both chambers.

The new maps will likely gravely endanger Democratic Reps. Kathy Manning in Greensboro, Wiley Nickel in the Raleigh suburbs and Jeff Jackson in Charlotte by placing them into Republican-leaning seats. Freshman Democratic Rep. Don Davis could also see his rural northeastern district become more competitive as well.

Republicans could snag as many as 11 seats under a new map. Some GOP names to watch in potential new red seats: former Rep. Mark Walker, who has been eyeing a return to Congress while also teasing a run for governor; Bo Hines, who lost in 2022 to Nickel; and House Speaker Tim Moore.

When Republicans first drew congressional lines after the 2020 census, they heavily favored their party. That map were heavily litigated and eventually struck down in state court, with court drawn maps instituted for the 2022 election only. The state legislature always expected to get another crack at redrawing the map ahead of 2024, and Fridays ruling means that legislators could draw lines substantially similar to those the courts had previously thrown out.

Moore, the state House speaker, has previously said before Fridays ruling that he didnt anticipate the legislature taking up the mapmaking process until the summer.

Fridays decision from North Carolinas state Supreme Court could also have ramifications in the nations highest court.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Moore v. Harper, which is a challenge brought by Republican legislative leaders to the North Carolina Supreme Court decision overturning the original gerrymandered maps last year.

That federal case advanced a once-fringe legal idea called the Independent State Legislature theory, which holds that under the U.S. constitution, state judiciaries have little  to no  authority to review state legislatures decision-making on laws around federal elections, including redistricting. At least four of the courts conservative justices have in the past signaled, at a minimum, some friendliness to the theory  but during oral arguments in December it appeared that the court was not prepared to accept the most robust reading of the theory.

The U.S. Supreme Court asked parties in the federal case to submit additional briefings on if the court still had jurisdiction over the federal case after North Carolinas state Supreme Courts decision to rehear the redistricting case earlier this year. That was a signal the nations top court is at least considering dismissing the case as improvidently granted, which is the court functionally saying it heard the case prematurely and will not be issuing a decision.

Even some opponents of the independent state legislature theory feared the U.S. Supreme Court would dismiss the case. If it did so, it could mean there was no clear interpretation of the ISL theory heading into the 2024 election from the Supreme Court.

The U.S. Supreme Court has not signaled a timeline for its next steps on Moore.
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North Macedonia has become the 36th country to join the collation on the establishment of a Special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, said Kuleba.

Read also: North Macedonia signs off on giving Ukraine Mi-24 helicopters

I appreciate our Macedonian friends joining our fight for justice. Support for the Special Tribunal keeps gaining steam.

Read also: EU official details possible structure of tribunal for Putin

In a similar move, Moldova became the 35th country to support the tribunal on April 27.

Also on April 27, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution recognizing the forced displacement of Ukrainian children to Russia as genocide.

Read also: Moldova joins international Russia tribunal initiative, FM Kuleba says

On March 17, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Russias childrens ombudsman, Maria Lvova-Belova, for their involvement in unlawful removal of children from Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has exposed the novice of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate [UOC-MP - ed.] in the Pochaiv Lavra, who publicly justified Russia's armed aggression and the war crimes committed by the invaders.

Source: Press service of the Security Service of Ukraine; General Prosecutor's Office

Quote: "According to the investigation, the novice, who has been living on the territory of the Pochaiv Lavra since 2017, distributed posts about support for the seizure of the territories of our country and the glorification of the Russian military in his personal accounts on banned Russian social networks."

Details: The defendant used profiles on banned Russian social networks to actively disseminate narratives of Kremlin propaganda.

The perpetrator praised the highest military and political leadership of the Russian Federation and tried to discredit the Ukrainian defenders.

Based on the collected evidence, investigators of the Security Service notified the defendant of suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Currently, the issue of choosing a preventive measure for the suspect is being decided. The novice has an outstanding criminal record for murder.

Earlier: On 4 April, the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) uncovered Oleksandr Svyrydov, the former parish priest of a church in the Izium diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) who blessed Russian troops during the occupation of Kharkiv Oblast. Svyrydov fled to Russia after the oblast was liberated.

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A certified nursing assistant opened a credit card in her Alzheimers patients name and used it to pay for plastic surgery, according to Florida police.

The patient, an 88-year-old woman, received a bill at her home in Deltona on April 4 for $7,160.11, according to an April 28 news release from the Volusia Sheriffs Office.

The womans husband told deputies that neither he nor his wife signed up for the credit card account, according to the release.

Investigators found that the card had been used for a $7,000 transaction at Moon Plastic Surgery in Miami, about 260 miles southeast of Deltona, the release says. The customer was identified as the in-home nursing assistant who was caring for the 88-year-old woman.

The nursing assistant, a 31-year-old woman, was suspended by her company, American In-Home Care, on April 4, according to deputies. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on April 28.

The nursing assistant denied opening a credit card in her patients name and denied getting plastic surgery, according to the sheriffs office.

She then called her patients husband and asked if they could meet to arrange a repayment plan, the release says.

The nursing assistant went to her patients home on April 27 carrying an envelope containing $1,500 and a contract for a loan agreement, the release says. Deputies were waiting for her at the home and arrested her.

She was charged with grand theft and fraudulent use of identity without the consent of a victim 60 years or older, according to the sheriffs office. She was released after posting $10,000 bail.

Hospital workers stole urn with babys ashes and dumped them, Georgia authorities say

Daughter stole $300K from sick dad for plastic surgery and travel, Utah officials say

Nursing home worker stole rings from residents fingers as they slept, Indiana cops say
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  Judges in New York will have more discretion to jail people awaiting trial for alleged crimes, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday night, a policy change fiercely resisted by some of her fellow Democrats.

The governor held a state Capitol news conference to announce that a conceptual agreement had been reached on a $229 billion budget with the state Legislature, a deal that still needs to be approved by lawmakers. The budget includes policy proposals ranging from a minimum wage hike to allowing more charter schools in New York City.

But negotiations between the governor and legislative leaders ran well past an April 1 deadline, in large part because Hochul insisted on changes to the state's bail laws.

The issue has been a flashpoint between liberal Democrats, who say requiring people to pay cash to get out of jail rigs the system against poor people, and elected officials who cast it as a public safety issue.

New York approved sweeping changes in 2019 aimed at keeping defendants who can't afford bail from being disproportionately jailed. But those changes have been tweaked twice before amid criticism that judges were being deprived of a tool they could use to hold people likely to commit new crimes.

The new agreement would remove a requirement that judges choose the least restrictive means to ensure defendants return to court. Judges have complained the standard tied their hands, Hochul said.

It gives judges discretion they need to hold violent criminals accountable, while still upholding our commitment to a justice system that is fair and accessible to all and also ensuring that poverty is never treated as a crime, she said.

State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie confirmed the conceptual agreement in a statement, saying it addresses many priorities advocated by Democrats. He added that some issues were still under discussion.

Hochuls latest push for bail changes came after her closer-than-expected election victory last November in the Democrat-dominated state. Republicans attacked their opponents as soft on crime, making particularly strong gains in New York City suburbs.

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Some lawmakers said Hochul's proposed changes would undercut the bail reforms approved in 2019 and result in more New Yorkers in pretrial detention  especially people with low incomes and people of color.

Assembly member Latrice Walker, a Brooklyn Democrat, accused Hochul of the wholesale dismantling of bail reform.

Bail has become a point of contention between GOP and Democratic lawmakers in other states as well. Republican lawmakers in at least 14 states, including Georgia and Wisconsin, have pushed bills that would in part make it harder for defendants to get out of jail before trial.

The bail deal struck between Hochul and the Assembly and Senate leaders is one of several political compromises in the budget package.

The state would raise the minimum wage, but not to the $20 sought by liberal Democrats. Starting next year, the minimum wage will rise to $16 in New York City and some of its suburbs and $15 elsewhere in the state, with additional 50 cent increases in 2025 and 2026, Hochul said.

The state would give an infusion of money to the authority that operates the subway, bus and commuter rail systems in the New York City metropolitan area, funded partly through a tax increase paid by larger businesses. However, those higher taxes would only be paid by businesses in New York City, not in the suburbs where Democrats are concerned about losing votes.

Hochul also dropped, for now, a plan to try to spur construction of multifamily housing in suburban communities that have historically put up barriers to new development. That proposal had also run into loud opposition from suburban lawmakers.
New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which for 14 years has provided real-time information on service outages, delays and other important transit updates for its 1.3 million Twitter followers, will no longer do so.

The MTA said Thursday that Twitter is no longer reliable for providing the consistent updates riders expect. For this reason, the agency tweeted, it will no longer use the platform for service alerts and information.

The MTA also listed other ways subway, train and bus riders can get reliable transit information, including through its mta.info site, text alerts and its Weekender newsletter for weekend advisories.

Twitter has long been a way for people to keep track of train delays, news and weather alerts or the latest crime warnings from their local police department.

But when the Elon Musk-owned platform started stripping blue verification check marks this month from accounts that dont pay a monthly fee, it left public agencies and other organizations around the world scrambling to figure out a way to show theyre trustworthy and avoid impersonators.

New York City's government Twitter account, for instance, pinned a tweet to its profile telling users that it is an authentic Twitter account representing the New York City Government This is the only account for @NYCGov run by New York City government.

While Twitter is now offering gold checks for verified organizations and gray checks for government organizations and their affiliates, the former come at a cost too steep to justify for many agencies.

The MTA's affiliate Twitter accounts, such as the @NYCTSubway account that replied to passengers, will also stop providing real-time alerts, but encouraged riders to find other ways to get in touch, such as through WhatsApp. ___

This story has been edited to correct the name of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and to indicate the agency has provided real-time information on Twitter for 14 years, not 13.
Jerry Springer, host of The Jerry Springer Show

Divisions in the Ohio House bubbled back to the surface as the chamber passed the budget this week. The state's former governors united in opposition to an August special election, and Jerry Springer, an Ohio politician turned television icon, died.

We break down what it all means In this week's episode of Ohio Politics Explained. A podcast created by the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau to catch you up on the state's political news in 15 minutes or less.

This week, host Anna Staver was joined by statehouse bureau chief Anthony Shoemaker.

1) House passes a budget

Income tax cuts, a ban on TikTok for government devices, more school vouchers, and more school funding were all part of the two-year budget passed by the Ohio House 78 to 19 on Wednesday.

The bipartisan plan to spend $88 billion in state dollars over the next two years also included a change in how children are taught to read, a study on moving the Ohio State Fairgrounds out of Columbus and a commission tasked with investigating the future of gambling as more play moves online.

But the day wasn't without drama. Speaker Jason Stephens, R-Kitts Hill, ignored several conservative lawmakers, as they tried and failed to add last-minute amendments to the budget.

"The question here isn't if you support the backpack bill. The question is a member going to be allowed to speak to the budget," Rep. Derek Merrin, R-Monclova Township, said. "What are we afraid of? Don't we want to have debate?"

2) Death of Jerry Springer

Jerry Springer, the former mayor of Cincinnati who launched one of the best political comeback campaigns in state history, died this week at age 79.

Springer, who is most well known for his controversial daytime television talk show, had a promising political career in Ohio before he admitted to sleeping with a prostitute. Springer resigned from office in 1974 but won his seat back in 1975. Then, he became Cincinnati's mayor in 1977 and made an unsuccessful run at the governor's mansion in 1982.

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3) In a rush

A USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau analysis of state lawmaker driving records found that lawmakers don't always follow the rules.

Three Ohio lawmakers racked up more than 10 traffic tickets over the past decade, and the worst offender in both chambers was Sen. Niraj Antani, R-Miamisburg. He's had 14 traffic convictions since 2013.

When asked about his record, Antani sent a written statement: "I've been told I'm a young man in a hurry. With the issues we face, we need someone who's in a hurry to fix them. However, I do regret and apologize for speeding and will do better in the future."

4) Former Ohio governors unite against August election

Former governors Ted Strickland, John Kasich, Richard Celeste and Bob Taft all think calling a statewide special election in August is a bad idea.

Republicans in Ohio's House and Senate are pushing to ask voters whether they want to make it harder to amend the state's constitution in August. If passed, it would raise the bar from 50% plus one vote to 60% voter approval for all future changes.

Opponents say August elections are low turnout and high cost, so the state eliminated them less than a year ago. They suspect the only reason Republicans want to call this election in August is because it looks like an abortion amendment will be on the ballot in November.

Listen to "Ohio Politics Explained" on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts and TuneIn Radio. The episode is also available by clicking the link in this article.

The USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau serves The Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio politics podcast: Jerry Springer dies, Ohio House passes budget
Exxon logo

Oil giant ExxonMobil's profits more than doubled in the first three months of this year, helped by the increased demand for oil and gas.

The US energy firm said cost-cutting measures also contributed to its record $11.4bn (9.1bn) first-quarter profits, up from $5.5bn a year earlier.

The jump came despite falling oil prices and a $200m hit from windfall taxes the company paid in Europe.

Rival US oil firm Chevron also reported an increase in its profits.

It made nearly $6.6bn between January and March, up 5% from the same time a year ago. It also paid a $130m "energy profits levy" or windfall tax in the UK.

Next week Shell and BP are both set to report their latest results.

Like other big energy companies Exxon has faced criticism about how much it has returned to shareholders off the back of high oil and gas prices.

It said shareholders would receive $8.1bn including dividends and $375m in share buybacks.

ExxonMobil said the rise in profits included a $3.4bn after-tax reduction to exit Russia.

Bar chart showing ExxonMobil's profits each quarter. In the first three months of 2023, the company made a profit of $11.4bn, more than any other equivalent period the years before.

"We delivered a first-quarter record despite the fact that energy prices and refining margins are softening a bit," chief financial officer Kathryn Mikells told Reuters.

The biggest contributor to the better-than-expected earnings came from strong production growth, driven by the start-up of new offshore developments and refining facilities, she said.

Exxon is currently caught up in a legal case with the European Union - it is suing the EU in an attempt to stop its new windfall tax on oil firms.

It has accused Brussels of exceeding its legal authority, calling the measure "counter-productive" and argued, along with other players in the sector, that the tax would discourage investment.

Peter McNally, an industry analyst at Third Bridge research firm, said Exxon's output had exceeded expectations. The firm's oil and gas production was the highest since 2019.

"The key driver was surging oil production in Canada, but profitability was dragged lower by the collapse in US natural gas prices," he said.

Mr McNally said the company's refining business continued to be a "star performer", delivering earnings of more than $4bn for the fourth consecutive quarter.
OLD BRIDGE  A 26-year-old Laurence Harbor man was identified as the victim in a fatal police shooting earlier this week.

The state Attorney Generals Office said Luke Mendez died after being shot by Old Bridge Police Officer Christopher Hammel on April 24.

According to a preliminary investigation, about 3:09 p.m. Monday police responded to a 911 call about a dispute on Woodland Avenue in the Laurence Harbor section of the township.

Officer Hammel fired his service weapon at Mendez, who was wounded, transported to Old Bridge Medical Center and pronounced dead at 4:47 p.m., according to the Attorney Generals Office

A knife was recovered at the scene near Mendez, the Attorney Generals Office said.

State law requires the Attorney General's Office to investigate any deaths that occur during an encounter with police acting in their official capacity or while a person is in police custody.

Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com

Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Old Bridge police officer, victim identified in fatal shooting
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28)  The first batch of Filipinos evacuated from war-torn Sudan will hopefully be back in the Philippines next week, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.

I am confident as well that next week, I wouldnt say Monday, but surely next week well be receiving the first group of Filipino repatriates to the Philippines, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega told CNN Philippines' The Source.

The Philippine government has started evacuating Filipinos in Khartoum after it raised the crisis status in Sudan to Alert Level 3 due to the ongoing conflict there.

De Vega said authorities are currently focusing on the 350 Filipinos evacuated from Khartoum that have reached the Sudan-Egypt border. These individuals are still waiting for their entry visa, he noted.

The release of the visa is currently taking days from the usual few hours due to the sheer volume of applications Egyptian authorities are receiving, he explained.

Another problem Philippine authorities are addressing is the lack of documents for some of those evacuated, De Vega said.

De Vega added two buses with a total of 116 Filipinos are also set to leave the Sudanese capital Friday morning.

From the Sudan-Egypt border, they will be transported to the city of Aswan, which is about four hours away, De Vega said. They will then be given accommodation there until authorities are able to bring them to Cairo either by air or land, he noted.

De Vega said the Philippine government will shoulder all the expenses of the evacuated Filipinos, including their commercial flights back to Manila.

The Department of National Defense has also offered the use of its C-130 planes, De Vega said.

So far, no evacuated Filipino has reached Cairo, aside from those who left with their employer after the alert level was raised, the DFA official said.

De Vega said some of them are now in Greece, while some are in Jeddah.

In total, 496 Filipinos were already evacuated from Khartoum, the DFA noted.

Of these 496, 414 are at the border between Egypt and Sudan, or have already crossed the border into Egypt, it said 58 are in Port Sudan, awaiting the ship that will bring them to Jeddah.

Of the remaining 24, there were eight who flew to Athens via a Greek military flight, and 16 arrived in Jeddah and were met by our consulate general there, the DFA added.
Starbucks new Oleato line of coffee drinks with olive oil has been met with intrigue as well as derision. Only one Sacramento roastery has been brave enough to follow suit with its own version: Pachamama Coffee Company.

Pachamamas olive oil latte, a seasonal special at all five of the companys Sacramento-area cafes, was introduced at the end of March and has been an item of interest ever since, said chief retail officer Cruz Conrad.

Its nutty, rich and a bit bitter, with a mouthfeel that lingers long after swallowing. You can add lavender syrup or honey for a sweeter, more floral taste. And with Starbucks Oleato expansion not yet having reached Sacramento, Pachamama is the only coffee shop around to try it.





Pachamama baristas start by pulling two or four shots of Five Sisters espresso, a medium-bodied blend of beans. The name refers to the five countries (Peru, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico and Ethiopia) from which Pachamama sources its beans.

Cruz Conrad of Pachamama Cafe Organico demonstrates the making of olive oil lattes on Tuesday. The olive oil is sourced from Pasture 42 in Yolo County.

Cruz Conrad of Pachamama Cafe Organico demonstrates the making of olive oil lattes on Tuesday.

The 200,000 farmers that grow those organic beans also own Pachamama, making it a rare coffee cooperative. In fact, Pachamamas website states that it was the first U.S. coffee company fully owned and governed by its farmers when it opened in 2006.

Baristas then whisk in a quarter-ounce of Arbequina olive oil from Capay Valley-based Pasture 42, Pachamamas neighbor at the Davis Farmers Market, for about 15 to 20 seconds. Pachamama sampled a dozen olive oils before settling on Arbequina, a Spanish varietal with a slightly fruity flavor.

We realized that we wanted to have a certain kind of mouthfeel, a texture and a creaminess that would ultimately not distract from the drink but elevate the drink, Conrad said.

The customers choice of milk (oat milk is the default, because it brings out nutty flavors) is steamed to 135 degrees and poured in to form latte art in the shape of a leaf. Youd hardly know it contained olive oil by appearance, were it not for little yellow bubbles dotting the foam.

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Im admittedly only an occasional coffee drinker, but found Pachamamas olive oil latte quite enjoyable as a once-in-a-while beverage. Its a thoughtful take on a somewhat gimmicky concept that uses high-quality ingredients to create a luscious drink. More serious coffeeholics who sampled it with me agreed, and Conrad said that love it or not, most people finish their cup.

And yes, if youve been wondering, it is indeed a natural laxative.

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Sign up here to receive our free weekly Food & Drink newsletter, written by Bee food reporter Benjy Egel. You'll exclusively receive an early look at restaurants, bars, festivals and more.

What Im Eating

Caravan Uzbek Cuisine is the Sacramento regions only eatery dedicated to the foods of Uzbekistan, a Central Asian nation of 35 million people. Far from the heart of Sacramento and with no seating, this North Highlands halal food truck needs to be intentionally sought out.

Couple and owners Farkhod Soatov and Aziza Ibragim grew up in Uzbekistans capital city of Tashkent, then immigrated, moved to Sacramento and opened Caravan in a lot near the corner of Watt Avenue and Elkhorn Boulevard in 2020.

Uzbek food shares some similarities with Afghan or Persian cuisines, with influences from Silk Road trade and centuries of Russian/Soviet control. Grains and meat dominate the landlocked countrys culinary landscape, though pork is rare because most people are Muslim.

Caravan only serves five items when fully stocked, and the truck was sadly out of kebabs (chicken, ground lamb or shish kebabs) and kazan kebabs (a lamb-and-potato Uzbek dish) on my visit. I was most disappointed not to try lagman, a hearty beef noodle stew.

Uzbekistans national dish, pilaf ($12, also known as plov), was available. Spiced long-grain rice formed a base for soft garbanzo beans, sweet roasted carrots, raisins and fatty beef fried in a manner similar to carnitas.

The other option was shawarma ($10), with a choice of shaved beef, chicken or lamb to go inside cross-hatched grilled pita. Ask for a side of the creamy orange housemade hot sauce with a quick kick; itll brighten up the cabbage/cucumber/bell pepper slaw inside the wrap.

Caravan Uzbek Cuisine

Address: 3525 Elkhorn Blvd., North Highlands.

Hours: 12-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday.

Phone number: (916)860-7777.

Website: https://www.instagram.com/caravangoodfood.

Drinks: Canned sodas.

Animal-free options: None.

Noise level: No seating; road noise moderately high, if you choose to enjoy your food on-site.

Openings & Closings
Its been a tough stretch for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis putative presidential campaign, as chief rival Donald Trump racks up endorsements in the governors backyard and hammers him on the airwaves.

But DeSantis has one big advantage heading into his likely White House bid: A heap of donor cash.

As he prepares to enter the presidential race in the coming weeks, DeSantis sits atop accounts poised to support his candidacy that total more than $110 million, according to public filings and people who represent the entities.

And thats all without him opening an official campaign committee account.

DeSantis financial advantage looms over the Republican field: Most contenders have cash balances on orders of magnitude lower than his. It far outpaces lower-polling contenders like the pair of South Carolinians, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott. Even the super PAC backing Trump, MAGA Inc., reported $55 million on hand as of the end of 2022  a hefty sum, but far short of whats in the bank for DeSantis. The former president has also raised $18 million through his campaign since launching in November.

Whats more, DeSantis has the advantage of his platform as governor of Florida. Just this week, he sought to burnish his foreign policy chops on a trip to Japan, South Korea, Israel and the United Kingdom funded by the states economic development arm, which relies on both public and private money. The governors team said taxpayers did not foot the bill.

If DeSantis gets in, hes going to have a huge amount of momentum and I think the donor class and the [fund]raiser class are going to be with him, supporter Roy Bailey, a Texas fundraiser who helped lead Trumps prior presidential fundraising efforts, said in an interview with POLITICO on Wednesday.

The people I speak to are either major donors or major raisers. For a time now, it has been very clear to me from my conversations around the country with those people that they are hoping DeSantis gets in the race and I think their money will follow, Bailey added.

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Bailey declined to detail why he switched allegiances, simply calling DeSantis what our country needs right now.

DeSantis state reelection account, Friends of Ron DeSantis, has more than $80 million left over since he won in a landslide last November, including $14 million that came in during the first three months of this year. That money can be transferred into a federal PAC  a move that could invite formal complaints from his opponents.

Never Back Down, a super PAC formed by former Trump White House official Ken Cuccinelli, has reportedly raised $33 million. (A filing will not be available until July, but a representative for the group  granted anonymity to share details that are not publicly available yet  confirmed reporting of its sum.) And a smattering of smaller groups have formed to support a possible DeSantis candidacy. The Republican Party of Florida, over which DeSantis has significant sway, shifted $3 million to his campaign in February and continues to post impressive fundraising numbers.

Despite his financial edge, DeSantis has been stymied by Trump in other ways.

The former president and current Republican frontrunner is snapping up endorsements from Florida Republicans and this week received the backing of former Rep. Lee Zeldin, a New Yorker who had been heaping praise on DeSantis for months. Some supporters and donors have begun to express concern about his strength after he articulated controversial positions on abortion and the war in Ukraine.

Nevertheless, a tidal wave of money is already crashing on DeSantis shore.

Robert Bigelow, a real estate magnate with a keen interest in the afterlife, has donated $10 million to DeSantis gubernatorial account and recently identified himself to TIME Magazine as Never Back Downs largest donor. Wall Street billionaire Jeff Yass, an early investor in TikTok, contributed $2.6 million to the state campaign in February  three months after DeSantis won reelection.

Several other big donors followed that pattern, an indication they support DeSantis ambitions. Joe Ricketts, former CEO of TD Ameritrade, donated $1 million to the gubernatorial account in February as well.

Bigelow, Yass and Ricketts did not respond to requests for comment, nor did a spokesperson for DeSantis.

While money matters, well-funded campaigns have fallen apart in the past.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush serves as one cautionary tale after entering the 2016 Republican primary with $100 million in super PAC funding but not a single primary state win. Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg spent $1 billion of his own fortune on a White House bid in 2020, only to drop out three months later after failing to secure any victories beyond American Samoa.

For DeSantis, shifting his political fortune comes with some risk.



Federal law bars a transfer from his state account to a presidential campaign, and presidential candidates are generally prohibited from raising money through state accounts.

But moving money into a PAC that supports him is unlikely to trigger legal consequences if DeSantis follows a series of convoluted steps including giving up control of the state account before the transfer happens, according to two election lawyers.

They said the move raised concerns but pointed to precedent from Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, a Republican who resigned from a state committee that then moved more than $100,000 into a super PAC boosting his Congressional run in 2020. The Federal Election Commission was deadlocked when adjudicating a complaint against Donalds, effectively sanctioning the move.

There's no indication that the FEC would take a different approach and apply the law differently simply because we're talking about more money, said Erin Chlopak, senior director for campaign finance at the Campaign Legal Center, which had filed a complaint against the Donalds committee.

The FEC also moves so slowly that if DeSantis were to elicit a complaint, it likely would not be resolved until after the 2024 election, said Brendan Fischer, a longtime campaign finance lawyer and deputy executive director at the nonprofit Documented.

Never Back Down has been raising money for a draft account that would funnel funds to an eventual DeSantis campaign, but contributions to that entity would be capped at $3,300 per donor for the primary. The PACs representative would not say whether it has shifted any money to the Draft DeSantis 2024 effort, and would not disclose the number of people who donated to Never Back Down.

There is only one Republican who can beat Joe Biden. Its Ron DeSantis, Erin Perrine, communications director for Never Back Down, said in a statement. Perrine was referring to polling that shows DeSantis in a stronger position than Trump to defeat Biden despite trailing Trump in most primary matchups. America needs bold, conservative leadership unafraid to stand up to the woke left, defend families, and never back down from the hard fights our country faces. Ron DeSantis is that leader.
One of the men convicted of murdering 15-year-old Dystiny Myers was granted parole suitability for the second time on Thursday, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Jason Adam Greenwell was convicted of second-degree murder for the killing of Myers in Nipomo. Her body was found beaten and partially burned near Santa Margarita Lake.

Greenwell was one of four people convicted of the Santa Maria teenagers murder, along with Ty Michael Hill, Frank Jacob York, Rhonda Wisto and Cody Miller.

Greenwell was sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison, and became eligible for parole in January 2021, according to records from the corrections department.

He was first granted parole suitability Nov. 18, 2021, but Gov. Gavin Newsom reversed the decision in March 29, 2022, after the San Luis Obispo County District Attorneys Office sent a letter to the governor requesting Greenwell stay in prison.

Dystiny Myers, 15, of Santa Maria was found beaten and partially burned in Santa Margarita on Sept. 26, 2010. Five people were convicted of murder in her death.

San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow called the decision to grant Greenwell parole the first time improper.

Dow told The Tribune he intends to send another letter to Newsom asking to reverse the decision yet again.

We are disappointed with the Parole Board commissioners decision to release Jason Greenwell from prison because in our opinion he currently poses an unreasonable danger to society if released, Dow said in a statement to The Tribune.

The parole board finding Greenwell suitable for release from prison does not guarantee he will be granted freedom.

Under California law, the proposal must now undergo a 150-day review period that Newsom will ultimately review.

Jason Greenwell pleaded guilty to murdering 15-year-old Santa Maria resident Dystiny Myers in 2010. The District Attorneys Office is opposing his suitability for parole.

Newsom can choose to uphold, reverse or modify the decision, or he can send it back to the full board or take no action.

Greenwell is currently imprisoned at the California Institution for Men in Chino.

Under California state law, people imprisoned for violent crimes can receive 33% custody credit for each day served for good behavior.
On the morning of May 13, Tetiana Horobtsova was busy in the kitchen at her home in then-occupied Kherson when she heard her daughter saying, "Mom, theyve come for me."

She left the kitchen to find her daughter  37-year-old IT specialist Iryna Horobtsova  standing on the balcony, looking pale and scared.

Just a few seconds later, the doorbell rang. Six armed Russian soldiers stood behind the door with balaclavas covering their faces.

"Open the door!" Tetiana recalls them shouting. "Otherwise, we will break it down!"

Terrified, Tetiana turned to her daughter and heard her repeating: "Don't worry, theyre here for me." Iryna was right. The Russian troops had come to kidnap Iryna for her activism against Russias full-scale invasion and occupation of Kherson.

Iryna had actively participated in protests against the Russian occupation of her hometown, Kherson, in the early months of the full-scale war. During that time, she also delivered medicine and first aid to wounded local protestors and territorial defense fighters.

She also called for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to liberate the city and raised money for them on her social media accounts  something that Russian troops punish and torture civilians for in the areas they occupy.

"She's a patriot of Ukraine," says Irynas mother.

When kidnapping Iryna that day in May, one of the Russian soldiers told her parents she would be "returned home by the evening."

But its been nearly a year now since Irynas relatives last saw her. Months after she was kidnapped, some women contacted Irynas family, claiming they had been imprisoned with her.

Through them, Irynas loved ones discovered she was kept in a pre-trial detention center in Russian-occupied Crimea.

To date, Russia has not officially confirmed that Iryna is in their captivity.

"I can not sleep. I close my eyes and see my daughter," the 73-year-old mother says, crying. "It's been a year"

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The office of Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets has received over 20,000 reports from the relatives of civilians in Russian captivity, he said in an interview with the Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainiska Pravda. But the actual number of civilian prisoners may be much higher, according to Lubinets.

"While part of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia oblasts, as well as Donetsk, Luhansk, and all of Crimea, are under occupation, it is clear that the relatives (of those kidnapped and held captive) who are there can not contact us," Lubinets said, as quoted by the media.

On April 26, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that 2,279 Ukrainians had returned home from Russian captivity since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. This number includes both Ukrainian military and civilian personnel.

Fearless patriot

Iryna cared deeply about her hometown and its residents even before the full-scale invasion, according to her friend Igor Mazurok.

"It is difficult to say that she was an activist on a permanent basis, but if she saw a problem, she tried her best to find a solution," Mazurok told the Kyiv Independent.

In addition to her work at an international IT company, Iryna wanted to help victims of domestic violence and began studying psychology at the local university.

No one in her inner circle was surprised when in March, shortly after Russian tanks rolled into Kherson  a southern Ukrainian city with a pre-war population of about 290,000 people  Iryna move quickly to help those in need and participate in protests against Russias invasion.

Her mother Tetiana says their whole family attended protests every Sunday, "holding Ukrainian flags," until Russian troops began using tear gas and stun grenades against the peaceful protesters.

A photograph taken by IT specialist and activist Iryna Horobtsova during one of the protests against the Russian occupation of her hometown Kherson, in spring 2022. On May 13, Russian troops kidnapped Horobtsova from her parents home in Kherson. She still remains in Russian captivity. (Olena Kornii)

Irynas older sister, Olena Kornii, and her family fled Kherson in early April. The rest of the family refused to leave their hometown.

According to Tetiana, Iryna purchased a large quantity of bandages, painkillers, syringes, and other goods needed for first aid and began delivering them across Khersons hospitals. She soon started delivering the goods to the other towns in the oblast as well.

Since public transportation had stopped running in the early months of the war, Iryna was often asked to drive doctors to hospitals or deliver medicine to local patients.

Her mother refused to let Iryna go alone on these trips around the oblast, saying that armed people at check points inspected the car and documents. "It was terrifying. What if they had decided to shoot us in the back."

Irynas friend, Mazurok, says she also spoke out against Russias invasion on social media: She posted many photographs from protests on her accounts, as well as called for the release of Ukrainian soldiers from the besieged Azovstal steel plant in occupied Mariupol.

Shortly before her birthday, Iryna also asked everyone to donate money to the Ukrainian military instead of giving her gifts, says Mazurok.

"Compared to what other Kherson residents were posting at that time, her posts looked quite fearless," he says.

"I didn't post anything like that," Mazurok adds.

Irynas circle says they asked her to be more careful: "But no one can influence my daughter," says Tetiana.

"She is a strong-willed person with a strong sense of justice," says Mazurok.

Darkest birthday

Amid all those grim days of living in the city under Russian occupation, May 13, Irynas birthday, was supposed to bring at least some joy to the family.

Instead, it became one of the darkest days for the family. "I got up in the morning and set the table," Tetiana says. "We prepared flowers and brought her a gift."

It was also the day Irynas parents were supposed to meet her boyfriend's parents for the first time.

Iryna Horobtsova (L) takes a selfie with her parents during one of the protests against the Russian occupation of their hometown, Kherson, in spring 2022. (Olena Kornii)

Out of nowhere, six Russian soldiers appeared at their door. Five more waited near the car outside their apartment building.

They searched through the entire flat, taking away Irynas two cell phones, laptop, some flash drives of her father, retired physics teacher Volodymyr Horobtsov, and a power bank.

One of the soldiers locked Tetiana in the kitchen, while her husband was outside at a grocery store, so they didn't see what was happening in the room where Iryna was.

When her father returned home, he heard his daughter saying to the Russian troops that she was a "Ukrainian patriot and she hated them," Tetiana says. They brought her downstairs, put her in the car, and drove away.

"That was it. We didn't know anything about our child," she says.

Tetiana assumes her daughter was kept in Kherson for the first couple of days: One night after Iryna was kidnapped, they got a call from her saying that she was alive and would be released as Russians "didn't have anything on her."

Then, a local collaborator who supposedly allowed Iryna to call her parents took over the phone, Tetiana says, and told them they should not be as optimistic as Iryna was.

Tetiana and Volodymyr looked for their daughter all over occupied Kherson. One day, however, a Russian officer told them they should stop looking as she had already been transferred to occupied Crimea.

Desperate to find their daughter, they reached out to Russian-installed authorities and law enforcement and received a response from Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in Simferopol, a city in the occupied Crimean Peninsula. They said that Iryna "would remain in isolation while the special military operation (the Kremlins official way of referring to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine) is ongoing," according to Tetiana.

Seeing no other way on how to help their child, the two decided to go to Simferopol.

Year of pain

Russian troops established a bus connection between Kherson and Crimea shortly after they occupied the city, says Tetiana. When the family saved up enough money for the trip, they hopped on a bus to Simferopol in July.

But they were never allowed to enter the FSB building.

"I cried so much, saying that we only needed to know whether she (Iryna) was alive and where she was," Tetiana says. "No one would even talk to us after seeing our Ukrainian passports."

Ukrainian IT specialist and activist, Iryna Horobtsova, was kidnapped by Russian troops from her parents home in then-occupied Kherson on May 13. Although it will soon be a year since Horobtsova remains in captivity, Russia has not yet confirmed her as its prisoner. Horobtsova is believed to be kept in a pre-trial detention center in occupied Crimea. (Olena Kornii)

They spent five days going back and forth to the FSB office, trying to get at least some information about their daughter. Running out of money, the two had to return home.

In the fall, however, Irynas family was contacted by two Ukrainian women who claimed they had shared a prison cell with her at a pre-trial detention center in Simferopol.



One of them anonymously told Ukrainian journalists that Iryna had lost weight and felt depressed. She also said Russian troops found some photographs of their military equipment in her phone and that Horobtsova was treated "much harder" than her.

"She wasnt beaten but threatened," the woman said.

According to Tetiana, another woman passed them a hand-written letter from their daughter: It said that she was transferred to Simferopol on May 16, three days after being kidnapped. The Kyiv Independent saw the letter but agreed to not disclose further details upon the familys request.

So far, Russia has not confirmed that Iryna is among its prisoners. She has not been charged either.

Her attorney, Emil Kurbedinov, wrote on Facebook that the FSB refuses to allow him to meet Iryna "under the pretext of protecting state secrets."

"I know what the state secret is," says Tetiana. "That no one knows how many of them are locked there and in what condition they are."

She says that her daughter has a high risk of a stroke due to a brain aneurysm, and any severe stress is extremely harmful to her health and can even lead to death.

The woman from Irynas cell told them the Red Cross was the only organization ever allowed to visit the pre-trial detention center and that they have only been allowed to visit prisoners with severe health issues.

Nearly two weeks ago, the family got confirmation that the Red Cross representatives had been to that pre-trial detention center. But they were told that Iryna was not there and couldnt see her, says Tetiana.

Some hope sparked when Lubinets, Ukraines ombudsman, told the family that Ukraine had added Iryna to their "prisoner exchange list" and that his team was working on creating a "platform to exchange civilians."

Even though they were happy when Ukraine liberated Kherson on Nov. 11, Tetiana says they could not celebrate it to the fullest, knowing that their child's life was still in danger.

"This has been a year of pain for our family," says Kornii.

Note from the author:

Hi! Daria Shulzhenko here. I wrote this piece for you. Since the first day of Russia's all-out war, I have been working almost non-stop to tell the stories of those affected by Russias brutal aggression. By telling all those painful stories, we are helping to keep the world informed about the reality of Russias war against Ukraine. By becoming the Kyiv Independent's patron, you can help us continue telling the world the truth about this war.
The mother of an abducted one-year-old girl in Indiana told police that her boyfriend killed the child and hid her body in a dresser in an abandoned home, according to a new report.

Madison Marshall, the child's mother, is facing new felony charges, including two counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in death. That is a Level 1 felony. She has also been charged with a Level 3 felony, neglect resulting in serious injury, according to Fox 59.

Her boyfriend, Roan Waters, is facing a single count of murder along with two counts of neglect leading to death, as well as other charges.

Ryan Mears, the Marion County prosecutor, said the girl, Oaklee Snow, was abused and ultimately murdered by the people who should have loved her the most.

Her time on this earth was very much defined by adults abusing her and the allegation here is that abuse eventually led to her death, he said.

Oaklee and her baby brother were abducted from her father's home on 19 January. Ms Marshall and Mr Waters are the alleged abductors.

The baby boy was ultimately recovered after the couple allegedly abandoned him in a drug house in Indianapolis and reported his abandonment to Child Protective Services.

Court documents cite a witness who saw the couple leaving the drug house, saying they saw "what looked like a child wrapped in a blanket." The witness said the child was not moving, talking, or crying when they saw the couple.

Fox 59 obtained recently released charging documents, which say Ms Marshall, "hysterical and sobbing," led police to the abandoned home outside Morgantown, Indiana, where they allegedly hid Oaklee's body.

The Morgan County Coroner is examining the remains, which were severely decomposed when police arrived. A positive match between the remains and Oaklee is pending, and will likely take several weeks.

This child was the victim of abuse over the course of multiple days, Mr Mears said. This was not an isolated incident. The Probable Cause affidavit indicates that there was abuse that took place in Oklahoma, Colorado and Indianapolis. This child suffered for a very significant period of time and on Feb. 9 the culmination of that abuse led to Oaklee tragically losing her life.

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Madison Marshall, 22, was arrested in connection to the death of her 1-year-old daughter, Oaklee Snow, in Indiana (Marion County Jail)

Roan Waters, 25, was arrested in Colorado and has been charged with the murder of his girlfriends daughter, one-year-old Oaklee Snow (Arapahoe County Sheriffs Department)

That abuse included instances in which Mr Waters allegedly would "choke her out" and beat her for things like "holding a fork wrong," Ms Marshall reportedly told investigators.

She claimed the abuse was so frequent and brutal that the child would not eat when Mr Waters was present. Ms Marshall said when she tried to intervene Mr Waters would allegedly beat her.

The girl ultimately died less than a month after her disappearance, on 9 February, according to court documents.

Ms Marshall said Mr Waters, who was woken up by the girl's crying because she was hungry, allegedly threw the girl to the ground, causing her head to hit the floor of the drug house where they were staying. Sometime later Ms Marshall found Mr Waters holding the girl, who was struggling to breathe.

She told investigators she attempted to call 911, but that Mr Waters allegedly knocked the phone from her hand. That's when the couple reportedly wrapped Oaklee in a blanket and drove to the abandoned house to hide her body.

Ms Marshall was taken into custody and is being held in the Marion County Jail on a $200,000 bond.

The couple reportedly fled to Colorado after Oaklee's death, according to a witness statement to police. Ms Marshall reportedly returned to Indiana and then continued onward to North Carolina, where she was arrested and returned to Marion County last month.

Mr Waters was arrested on 3 March in Colorado after police were called to a hotel where he was staying and discovered he had outstanding warrants for child abuse, domestic assault, and battery in the presence of a minor in Oklahoma.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the Utah Republican Party Organizing Convention at Utah Valley University in Orem on Saturday, April 22, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News

Utah Republicans are making headlines locally and nationally. We explore what it all means.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was the keynote speaker at the April 22 State Republican Organizing Convention. This event garnered coast-to-coast media coverage. Why did the well-known contender for the presidency make a stop in Utah, and what does it mean for our state?

Pignanelli: The only condition (for my marriage ceremony in Disney World)  was no Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck in our wedding photos.  Ron DeSantis

Republican activists should thank state Sens. Todd Weiler, Dan McCay and Mike McKell for recruiting almost 100 Utah officials to express public support for DeSantis after the 2022 elections. This famous action prompted his visit, especially because the Florida governor needs love from the Beehive State.

Recently, DeSantis offered a much-criticized speech at Liberty College and endured a humiliating revelation in Washington, D.C., that many in the Florida congressional delegation are supporting Donald Trump. Despite the protesters outside the UVU convention hall, the warm embrace of Utah delegates was essential to his national ambitions. Having watched the speech on livestream, I can attest DeSantis was technically efficient in listing accomplishments as governor while occasionally mentioning the national founders. But additional inspiration is required for a successful campaign.

DeSantis pilgrimage to Utah elevates the local GOP as an important factor for those seeking to dislodge Trump. Thus, a parade of famous politicians (i.e. former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Tim Scott, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and others) will soon arrive to lavish public praise upon Utah for our excellent management, friendly residents and beautiful surroundings.

So, here is a warranted shoutout to Weiler, McCay and McKell for playing state ambassadors.

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Related

Webb: It was a good idea to invite DeSantis and give Utahns an opportunity to size him up. He appears to be the only viable challenger to former President Donald Trump, the clear frontrunner for the GOP nomination. But DeSantis has stumbled in his pre-announcement campaign phase and has been put on the defensive by Trumps savage, personal and often inaccurate, attacks. Its tough for DeSantis to respond aggressively to Trumps assaults because he doesnt want to offend Trumps loyal followers, who will be needed to beat President Joe Biden.

When DeSantis declares his candidacy in the next few weeks hell need to up his game or the Trump juggernaut will bury him in a Florida swamp.

Survey results from Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics-sponsored polls show 47% of Utah voters approve of Sen. Mike Lees performance and 44% do not. Sen. Mitt Romney gets a slightly higher 52% approval rating, with 44% of voters disapproving. Three quarters of conservative voters support Lee but only 55% support Romney. What are the implications of the surveys?

Pignanelli: Right wingers ignore Romneys conservative voting record and remain angry with his votes to impeach Trump. But the polls reveal Romneys strong support with moderates (69%) that he could recruit to vote in the primary should reelection be announced.

Lee just emerged from a brutal general election and the fallout expressed in the survey is not surprising. But he has a strong base from which he can expand appeals to moderates on some issues.

Webb: The polls show Romney must run an excellent, grassroots-focused primary campaign to appeal to conservatives and win the GOP nomination next year. He must spend most of his time traversing the state, meeting with thousands of ordinary GOP voters. Its long hours and hard work. If he runs mostly a media campaign and stays in Washington, he loses. Will Romney even want to do it?

Also at the GOP convention, state director for Sen. Mike Lee, Robert Axson, was confirmed as GOP state party chair. How will he do?

Pignanelli: Axson is a friend and former student of mine. He understands the chairman of the states leading political party has obligations towards financial integrity, intelligent outreach to voters and appreciation of how Utahns conduct business. He will excel in this new role.

Webb: Its great to see a younger generation of leaders take over. My only concern is that Axsons leadership team said they want to strengthen and preserve the caucus/convention system. Thats fine, unless it means they want to repeal SB54 and eliminate the dual path to the primary ballot. That would be an historic mistake that would be terribly divisive within the party. It would alienate young people, disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Republicans, send the message that mainstream Republicans arent welcome, and severely damage fundraising. They would be at odds with their own governor.

Their goal ought to be to unite the party, emulate Ronald Reagans big tent philosophy, encourage broader participation  not make the party more ideologically exclusive and right-wing. I hope the new leaders will listen to all Republicans, not just pander to the small number of delegates who tend to be more rigid and politically elitist.

Also, as a protege of Lee, Axson will need to avoid perceptions of bias against Sen. Romney in the 2024 U.S. Senate nomination fight. Hard feelings no doubt exist after Romney declined to endorse Lee, his fellow Republican, in last years general election.

Republican LaVarr Webb is a former journalist and a semiretired small farmer and political consultant. Email: lwebb@exoro.com. Frank Pignanelli is a Salt Lake attorney, lobbyist and political adviser who served as a Democrat in the Utah state Legislature. Email: frankp@xmission.com.
Nonviolent Black student demonstrators were met with fire hoses and dogs in May 1963 during the 10-week Birmingham desegregation campaign organized in part by Martin Luther King Jr. (Frank Rockstroh / Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images)

I never met Harry Belafonte but for the last three years Ive thought about him every day.

Over those years, I researched and wrote a book on Project Confrontation, the campaign in the spring of 1963 in Birmingham, Ala., to break segregation once and for all or be broken by it. I believe that what happened in Birmingham  10 weeks of nonviolent protest and the brute force levied against it  forever altered the trajectory of America.

Project Confrontation led to the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, Martin Luther King Jr.s martyrdom and then a new life for his country: Everything from the rise of the Black middle and upper classes to Barack Obamas presidency to my ability, as a white man, to marry a Black woman and, together, to raise our three kids on a quiet street where no one threatens us simply for being who we are.

Belafonte made my life possible. And yours too. Its the simple truth of his role in Project Confrontation.

The protests were days from launching in Birmingham and King and his Southern Christian Leadership Conference needed to finance the campaign. The SCLC was broke and Bull Connor, running Birminghams violent police force, had repelled decades' worth of attempts to integrate the city. In other words, before the SCLC gambled lives going up against Connor and Birmingham this time, it had to figure out how to pay for Project C.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Harry Belafonte, circa 1965. (Hulton Archive / Getty Images)

King called Belafonte and asked if Harry would stage a fundraiser. The two had an easy rapport after seven years of friendship, but they had to use code words on the phone. They were worried about an FBI wiretap. Belafonte ultimately agreed to hold the fundraiser at his New York apartment, the better to avoid prying eyes. He would determine the guests. Better still: He would tell them this was their chance to invest in an upcoming campaign, instead of an ongoing one. The SCLC had never thought to do that before.

In late March 1963, King, the Rev. Ralph Abernathy and Birmingham pastor Fred Shuttlesworth arrived for the party at Belafontes apartment at 300 West End Ave. It was a palatial spread, a 21-room apartment, 7,200-square feet in all. Belafonte dedicated one half of the massive space to living and the other to entertaining.

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More than 75 people gathered there that night: Actors Ossie Davis and Sidney Poitier, the only person present who was arguably a bigger celebrity than Belafonte himself.

There was James Wechsler, the editor in chief of the liberal New York Post. Hugh Morrow, New York Gov. Nelson Rockefellers top advisor. Tom Wicker and Anthony Lewis, among the New York Times most prominent writers. Above all, there were dozens of deep-pocketed New Yorkers intrigued by what Belafonte had billed as a secret and very special evening.

Belafontes drawing power in America, and among the liberal whites gathered in his apartment, lay in part in his skin tone. The thing is, the Black poet and critic Stanley Crouch later said, Harry isnt black black. Harrys Jamaican grandmother was white. Harrys own complexion had yellow undertones  he was High Yellow, as he learned as a kid in Harlem  and this made him less threatening to whites. I think people perceive him as a nice person, Johnny Carson once said.

Harry hated that. He was not nice. He was not approachable. He was instead deeply aware of the broad discrimination all Black Americans contended with  he had grown up in a New York more segregated than his forebears colonial Jamaica  and of the discrimination among Black people based on color. This obsession with complexion enraged Harry. For Dad, it was about changing all of society, his daughter Adrienne once told the New Yorker.

That change started with Belafontes own choices. I wasnt an artist whod become an activist, Belafonte later wrote. I was an activist whod become an artist. It was Harrys most admirable trait, even more alluring than his high cheekbones. He was never interested in the easy life his beauty and performing talent afforded him. In spite of his skin tone or perhaps because of it, Belafonte chose the hard road of true activism.

That night in his living room, introducing the entourage from the SCLC, he had already given much to the civil rights movement. Hed given his money to it: hundreds of thousands of dollars by 1963 and eventually millions.

Hed given his marriage to it: His first wife, Marguerite, divorced him after FBI agents stopped by one too many times with questions about why Harry was so involved in protests.

Hed given his reputation to it: Hollywood producers thought he was difficult." By 1963, Harry refused movie offers where the Black character was kind-hearted and even-tempered, a propped-up eunuch, which was in Harrys view every movie Hollywood made.

Belafonte effectively abandoned his film career for the civil rights movement. King turned to him when the SCLC needed money. Bobby Kennedy, then U.S. attorney general in his brother's administration, called when he wanted to reason with King.

Martin would say that one of his greatest strategic decisions was recruiting me to the movement, Harry once boasted.

After Belafontes introductions at the fundraiser, Shuttlesworth, who was orchestrating the Birmingham campaign, talked about how his citys cops raped Black women. How the Ku Klux Klan castrated Black men. How it would be difficult to find another American city as racist and violent as Birmingham: CBS Edward R. Murrow reported from Birmingham prior to Project Confrontation and told his producer he hadnt seen any place like it since Nazi Germany.

So wasnt it a dangerous folly to stage the largest civil rights campaign to date in Birmingham, someone asked? Well, Shuttlesworth said, you have to be prepared to die before you can begin to live.

That line wowed the donors. Belafontes hand-selected editors and publishers and movie stars wanted to be part of the story of Birmingham, the story he had allowed them to take part in authoring.

They raised $475,000 that night for Project Confrontation. It was the biggest haul in the SCLCs history, a total equivalent to $4.5 million today.

What happened that spring in Birmingham  Kings arrest and his "Letter from Birmingham Jail," Connors fire hoses and dogs turned on nonviolent protesters, the Klan members who bombed the motel where King stayed and, ultimately, the civil rights legislation the Kennedy brothers sponsored  forever changed our collective history.

We have Harry Belafonte to thank for it all.

Paul Kixs latest book, You Have to be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live, will be published next week.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio speak at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. (Kevin Winter / Getty Images for CinemaCon)

This week, the movie theater industry had its biggest pep rally, known as CinemaCon. The annual gathering of exhibitors from around the world in Las Vegas was their chance to worship at the altar of the big screen.

And worship, they did.

Recovering since the confab was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's attendance returned to pre-pandemic levels with 3,348 fully registered delegates. Each of the major studios, including Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. and Disney took the opportunity to show off the highlights of their upcoming film slates.

Here's what you missed.

Hollywood falls back in love with theaters

An unmissable theme was that the presenting studios were once again expressing their full commitment to theatrical experience. While many pre-pandemic CinemaCons were overshadowed by media companies' efforts to shrink the exclusive time their movies are in theaters, that was not the case this year. In fact, studios promised to increase the number of movies they are releasing theatrically.

Sony Pictures' Tom Rothman, chairman and CEO of its Motion Picture Group, declared that it was "the only studio dedicated entirely to theatrical." (Unlike most rivals, Sony doesn't own a mass-market streaming service.) Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said the company was not interested in direct-to-streaming movies. "We believe in full windowing of the motion pictures," he said.

Michael Kustermann, president of dine-in theater chain Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, said the mood this year was very optimistic.

"Last year felt like a little bit like still holding breath," Kustermann said in an interview. "This year we came into it with more proof points, more commitments from studios publicly saying there's more titles coming out and we are committed to windows again. That is imbuing this optimism that we are certainly feeling."

Warner Bros. breaks out 'The Flash'

A big highlight for many film fans attending in Vegas was Warner Bros.' screening of "The Flash" on Tuesday afternoon at the Colosseum in Caesar's Palace. The film has been mired in controversy ever since its star Ezra Miller had several run-ins with law enforcement. The actor, who goes by they/them pronouns, in January agreed to a plea deal in connection with a May break-in at a southern Vermont home last spring. The Justice League actor avoided jail time and was put on probation.

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That went unmentioned Tuesday at Warner Bros.' presentation. The actor didn't turn up to promote the film, unlike Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and Oprah Winfrey who were among the stars promoting their projects, "Barbie" and "The Color Purple." Instead, "The Flash" director Andy Muschietti presented the movie and praised Miller as one of the best actors he had ever worked with.

That afternoon the studio screened the movie in full for attendees and press leading to glowing praise. "The Flash," coming June 16, features Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck as different versions of Batman.

Apple and Sony present epic 'Napoleon'

During its Monday evening presentation, Sony Pictures showed a few minutes of Ridley Scott's upcoming epic "Napoleon," a historical drama about the rise of the French emperor. Joaquin Phoenix stars in the title role.

The studios shared a long battle scene, which echoes some of Scott's goriest "Gladiator" moments. In the extended war scene, the Frenchman shows off his military acumen on the battlefield, tempting the rival army onto snowy ice before beginning an assault. It is dramatic and unflinching.

The film heralds Apple's foray into exhibition by working with Sony to distribute it worldwide with a robust theatrical window, as Rothman put it. It will open right in the heart of awards season on Nov. 22.

Apple is releasing another awards hopeful, Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon," which distributor Paramount Global showed off to exhibitors on Thursday. The director was interviewed by lead actor Leonardo DiCaprio at the conference during an event where the director was presented with the CinemaCon Legend of Cinema Award. The film will be released Oct. 20 in theaters.

All hail Christopher Nolan

Nolan is dedicated to film  both the visual experience and the physical medium. The director has been steadfast in insisting his films are released in theaters long before streaming platforms. The applause that greeted the director as he walked onstage on Wednesday during Universal Pictures' presentation was among the biggest of the week. (Though Jack Black might have had him beat as he hit some high notes while touting "Kung Fu Panda 4.")

Nolan introduced a montage from his upcoming film "Oppenheimer," featuring Cillian Murphy in the title role as the famed Manhattan Project leader alongside Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt. Nolan's films are often shrouded in secrecy, so anticipation was high to see what was in store.

The feature is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin about the "father" of the atomic bomb. Murphy and Downey gave electric performances in the tense montage of scenes that mix black-and-white and color segments.

The movie opens July 21.

Vin Diesel goes off script

In one of the most entertaining and puzzling moments of the week, actor Vin Diesel went off script during Universal Pictures' high-octane presentation.

Diesel walked onto the stage solo, molded in a white leather ensemble emblazoned with an X on its back, as his co-stars in the upcoming sequel "Fast X" exited stage right. While most presenters at the show have been closely following a teleprompter, that was not the case for the gravelly voiced car heist hero. He described the assembled theater operators as "soldiers on the front line". "I like this room better than the Oscars," he said.

Diesel even mocked the script rolling across the prompter that Universal had put together for the actor to read about the movie. The crowd loved it.

The ramble culminated with an unexpected reveal for fans of the franchise. "Fast X," which is due out May 19, is the first of two parts. The second is due out in 2025, he said.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The sign at Canyon Cannabis in Mill City was purchased with funds from the Santiam Canyon Wildfire Relief Fund. The owner said he was unable to access state or federal recovery funds because of the nature of its business.

Questions surrounding the secretary of state's role in consulting for a private cannabis company overshadowed a report released Friday about how the state is handling marijuana-related businesses.

After a report came out that Secretary of State Shemia Fagan recused herself from the audit process after taking on a consulting job with a private marijuana company that operates in Oregon, Republican leaders called for Fagan to resign.

She must resign, Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp and House Republican Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson said in a joint statement. This appears to be an ethics violation and if it isnt then Oregons ethics laws are broken. An elected official cannot take funds for personal use from someone they regulate.

Fagan has not commented on the resignation call but KOIN reported Fagan told her staff in a Feb. 15 letter: I do not believe a real conflict exists because any action required would be taken by the Legislature or OLCC (Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission) and any benefit could flow to all cannabis companies in Oregon, not this specific company.

What the audit said

According to the state audit that was released earlier in the day by the Secretary of State's Office, some state agencies are hampering Oregon marijuana businesses by not working with them due to concerns about criminal liability at the federal level and losing federal funding.

The audit also found the state agency with oversight of cannabis businesses treats them differently than other businesses it oversees. And Oregon has yet to implement any social equity programs despite people of color being adversely impacted by past law enforcement of marijuana.

Oregons regulatory system for cannabis compounds the already significant issues faced by members of this industry stemming from federal restrictions on cannabis, deputy secretary of state Cheryl Myers said.

Cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, but voters in Oregon legalized medicinal marijuana in 1998, and in 2014 approved legalizing recreational marijuana.

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Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia have approved medicinal marijuana, and recreational marijuana is legal in 21 states and D.C.

The federal government has slowly moved toward decriminalization, including President Joe Bidens Oct. 6 pardon of all prior federal offenses for simple possession of cannabis.

Oregon can do more in anticipation of federal decriminalization

The audit said the state believes there will be a high demand for Oregon-grown and manufactured cannabis products in other states if it becomes federally legal and the state can do more to prepare for that.

The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, the state agency that regulates cannabis, has licensed about 2,800 recreational marijuana dispensaries or manufacturing facilities and there are some 63,000 active cannabis worker permits.

There were $1.18 billion in recreational marijuana sales in Oregon in 2021, according to the Liquor and Cannabis Commission. The state received $311 million from taxes on sales of cannabis in the 2019-2021 biennium.

Economic development agency doesn't work with cannabis businesses

The audit said Business Oregon, the states economic development agency, chooses not to work with cannabis businesses as part of a risk management strategy intended to prevent federal intervention.

That causes unclear messaging from the state about the industry, which could open the state up to legal risks, the auditors said.

In a December interview, Canyon Cannabis owner Thorin Thacker said he was unable to get any state or federal wildfire recovery money for his Gates business that burned down in the 2020 Labor Day wildfires.

The sign on the highway at his new location in Mill City was paid for by the Santiam Canyon Wildfire Relief Fund, a nonprofit.

Business Oregon told auditors the agency was worried that working with cannabis businesses could violate federal grants and threaten the $122 million it received in the 2021-2023 biennium, about 5.7% of the agencys budget.

The auditors noted the Oregon Health Authority received $18 billion from the federal government in the same period, but hadnt lost any funding due to its involvement with the cannabis industry.

A 30% off on Thursdays sign is displayed outside Preserve Oregon, a Salem marijuana shop. Along the West Coast, which has dominated U.S. marijuana production from long before legalization, producers are struggling with what many call the failed economics of legal pot, a challenge inherent in regulating a product that remains illegal under federal law.

Uneven application of regulations on marijuana businesses

The auditors said the OLCC unevenly applies regulations on marijuana businesses, including fining license holders thousands of dollars if their security system fails or if they improperly track product.

The OLCC also requires steel doors and frames, and a video surveillance system for all cannabis businesses. Businesses in the alcohol industry, which the agency also oversees, do not have to follow those same rules.

"We couldnt find evidence of their effectiveness, but we did find evidence they were costly. Were not suggesting, hey, lets get rid of all the regulations," Kip Memmott, audit director for the Secretary of State, said. "Its that whole thing of getting the right regulations and the right level based on emerging science and based on theres 47 other states that have some level of legal cannabis."

He said now is the time to make some changes.

Given the action taken at the federal level, now we believe is the time to prepare a system for a future when cannabis is legal nationally," he said. "How do we embrace this industry and treat it like every other industry?"

OLCC and lawmakers told auditors some of those safeguards are to protect against minors consuming cannabis.

In 2020, there were more than 100 robberies, burglaries and looting at cannabis businesses in Portland and more than $580,000 in cash and marijuana was taken, according to the audit.

The auditors point out that those incidences have turned into a public safety risk.

Oregon hasn't launched any social equity cannabis programs

Some states set aside 50% of licenses for equity applicants, waive application fees or give their applications technical assistance and financially invest in communities most impacted by disproportionate cannabis enforcement.

According to a 2017 survey, 4.3% of legal cannabis businesses were Black-owned and 5.7% were owned by those who are Hispanic or Latino. Those groups make up 33% of the population in the United States.

The audit said social equity programs have faced legal challenges, such as when the state set aside $62 million of its $1.4 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds for Black business owners.

The auditors also noted the state doesnt track demographic information for licenses.

Fagan's connections to the marijuana industry

Willamette Week reported Thursday that Secretary of State Shemia Fagan agreed in February to privately consult with Veriede Holding, an affiliate of the La Mota chain of cannabis shops.

Because of that, she recused herself from the audit.

Memmott said Fagan participated in two kick-off meetings for the audit, but recused herself after entering the business relationship and was no longer in meetings about the audit that she usually would be in.

Bottom line, she can tell me what to audit, he said. What she cant tell us to do is what to find in those models.

Willamette Week has previously reported the owners of the dispensaries, Rosa Sazares and Aaron Mitchell, have failed to pay millions of dollars in cannabis taxes and federal income taxes and face workplace complaints and unpaid bills.

Fagan's professional experience includes practicing employment law, but she is no longer licensed by the state bar.

According to a Secretary of State's Office spokesperson, Fagan recused herself from the audit due to consulting with the company on an out-of-state project.

Republicans in their media statement also referenced controversies surrounding the OLCC, which has been under fire in the past few months and agency leaders have been fired after it was discovered that they diverted bottles of high-end bourbon to themselves and possibly some state lawmakers.

We have been continually calling for oversight into the OLCC and this industry. And yet, another turn of government misuse is apparent today. Democracy will die in darkness if we dont hold elected officials accountable, Breese-Iverson said in a statement.

Bill Poehler covers Marion County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Some Oregon agencies won't work with marijuana businesses, audit finds
The city of Orlando is celebrating National Small Business Week next week.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyers office is using the week, April 30 - May 6, to bring attention to the citys incentive programs to help foster and retain local businesses.

Those programs include the Small Business Facade, the Minority/Women Entrepreneur Business Assistance (MEBA) and the Business Assistance programs.

The city said one of its most successful small business programs is Orlando Main Streets, which has created more than $2.1 billion in public and private investments, 11,000 new jobs and more than 1,800 new businesses since it started in 2008.

Read: New project breaks ground in trendy downtown district

For more information on resources for small businesses, click here.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28)  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will be making another international trip next month as he is set to fly to Indonesia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.

The trip slated from May 10 to 11 is upon the invitation of ASEAN chair Indonesian President Joko Widodo, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

In a media briefing on Friday, Angelito Nayan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the DFA-Office of ASEAN Affairs, said Marcos is expected to "assert the importance of demonstrating ASEAN centrality in the region amid geopolitical rivalries."

The chief executive is also seen to advance the Philippines' priorities in ASEAN by boosting cooperation in various areas such as food and energy security, economic recovery, and protection of migrant workers, among others.

"One of the important outcomes of this summit is the leaders' declaration on combatting trafficking in persons caused by the use and misuse of technology. This [i]s something that the Philippines fully supports  owing to our advocacy in ASEAN on the protection of migrant workers, and the Philippines role as lead shepherd for ASEAN cooperation against trafficking," Nayan added.

Before this trip, Marcos will head to the US for an official visit and to the UK to attend the coronation of King Charles III.
A man who claimed he became paranoid after smoking meth pleaded guilty Friday to killing another man in January 2021.

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Patrick Lyle Osborn, 32, pleaded guilty to murder, aggravated assault and illegal possession of a firearm.

Seventy-eighth District Court Judge Meredith Kennedy sentenced him to 45 years in prison.

Osborn was convicted of killing Curtis Wayne Day and wounding a woman at Osborn's home on Pearl Street in Wichita Falls.

Court documents said both victims were shot multiple times. Day died of his wounds but the woman survived and made a victim impact statement in the courtroom Friday after Osborn was sentenced.

"Forty five years is not justice. I hope you serve every minute, every part," Samantha Hardesty said. "You knew what you were doing when you did it."

Hardesty was shot multiple times and suffered other injuries. Day threw himself over her in an effort to protect her.

Day's mother, Debbie Day, also made a statement Friday.

"It's what you deserve. You have totally destroyed our family," she said.

She said her husband died of a broken heart because of the murder.

Court affidavits claimed Osborn fled the scene after the shooting. Sherelle Maxwell, who shared the house with Osborn, was later arrested and charged with making false statement to police about the incident. She was sentenced to 24 days in jail on the misdemeanor charge.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Osborn pleads guilty in Day murder
A flood of reporting in the aftermath of Tucker Carlsons abrupt exit from Fox News suggested that allegations outlined in lawsuits from Dominion Voting Systems and a former producer who worked for his most-watched programme likely played a role in a decision to part ways with the host, as the network described it.

Now, speculation about the future of other Fox stars has been growing among pundits and media reporters in the aftermath of his apparent firing and the massive $787m settlement with Dominion, announced after a jury was already sworn in for what would have been a blockbuster trial against the right-wing media behemoth.

If that litigation played a role in Carlsons exit from Fox News, analysts and pundits are left questioning how other figures who were central to the Dominion case have thus far avoided similar fates. The Daily Beast flatly asked in its headline, How Does Maria Bartiromo Still Work at Fox News?

Former Fox host Megyn Kelly said recently on her radio programme that Carlsons firing is a massive misjudgment of what their audience wants.

If  this is a reaction to the Dominion lawsuit, why is Maria Bartiromo there? Why is Jeanine Pirro still there? Why is Suzanne Scott still there? she said.

Bartiromo and Pirro were key boosters of false claims about Dominion in the 2020 election; filings in the case showed that Pirro planned an opening monologue full of baseless statements about the company, called rife with conspiracy theories and BS and another example why this woman should never be on live television by another Fox producer, according to court documents.

Fox also removed Pirro from the airwaves after the election because leadership did not believe she could be honest about the outcome, according to Dominions filings.

Bartiromo is also among defendants in a separate defamation lawsuit from voting technology company Smartmatic, and she is captured on recordings made by Abby Grossberg, a former producer on programmes hosted by Bartiromo and Carlson.

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Recordings include off-air conversations with Rudy Giuliani, who admitted knowing very little about Dominion and had difficulty defending false claims that the company was involved with election fraud.

Another recording includes a conversation between Bartiromo and Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who outlines a scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Media reporter Brian Stelter, the author of Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth and upcoming Network of Lies, told The Daily Beast that be believes other personalities will be leaving in the months to come, adding that he fallout from the Dominion case is far from over.

The Independent requested comment from Fox regarding speculation about other terminations.

Not just Tucker: Other Fox figures were removed from the network

In depositions in the Dominion case, News Corporation chair Rupert Murdoch acknowledged that hosts on his network  Bartiromo, Pirro and Lou Dobbs  elevated those election lies.

Dobbs, who uncritically gave election conspiracy theorists Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani a platform on his Fox programme, was removed from the network in February 2021.

Dominions filings reveal Fox leadership, producers and on-air personalities privately debunking election lies and ridiculing conspiracy theorists and the Fox hosts who gave them airtime. Dobbs ran several segments devoted to them.

He aired a segment based on a provably false tweet from then-President Trump about votes being switched to Joe Biden, prompting Fox Business News President Lauren Petterson to say in an email: Jesus Christ. Does anyone do a f***ing simple Google search or read emails?

Tony Fratto, a former deputy White House press secretary under George W Bush and a communications consultant to Dominion, wrote directly to Fox executives on 16 November 2020, warning that the networks promotion of election lies is crossing dangerous lines.

That same night, he forwarded part of a transcript from Dobbs broadcast to Fox News president Jay Wallace.

More f****ing lies, he wrote. Honestly. He is a disgrace.

Earlier this month, Dobbs and Fox News also settled a separate defamation lawsuit over false claims that a Venezuelan businessman helped execute an electoral 9-11 and a cyber Pearl Harbor, as Dobbs wrote on Twitter.

Justin Wells  a now-former producer on Tucker Carlson Tonight  was also fired along with Carlson this week.

Wells was mentioned throughout a lawsuit from Abby Grossberg, a former producer at Tucker Carlson Tonight who was fired after filing her complaint against the company and Carlson himself.

Ms Grossbergs lawsuit, filed in US District Court in New York last month, alleges that Carlsons derogatory comments towards women, and his disdain for those who dare to object to such misogyny, is well known on the set of his Tucker Carlson Tonight.

The claims in her lawsuit allege a much larger state of toxic dysfunction, workplace harassment, retaliation and casual bigotry at the programme and inside Fox News.

A statement from Fox News to The Independent following her lawsuit said the company engaged an independent outside counsel to immediately investigate the concerns raised by Ms Grossberg, which were made following a critical performance review.

Media reports in the wake of Carlsons exit from the network have also pointed to vulgar messages aimed at other Fox News employees that were redacted in court filings, which attorneys for Dominion allegedly sought to use in their questioning against Carlson on the witness stand, in the event that the defamation case actually went to trial.

Dominions filings show Carlson privately insulting guests on the network who advanced false claims about the company, including Donald Trump, while providing a massive platform for spurious attempts to overturn election results.

In one message, Carlson calls Powell a f****** b****.

Last year, when she sat for a deposition in the Dominion lawsuit, a lawyer for Dominion showed Ms Grossberg the message. When asked how she felt about that language or if she heard that language from Carlson, Ms Grossberg said she had only just started working for his programme and declined to speculate how she would react, according to her complaint.

The day after her deposition, on 14 September, 2022, an email was sent to the Tucker Carlson Tonight staff in recognition of Abby Day for defending the host.

Wells later confirmed that he was the person who received Carlsons message, according to her complaint.

The Independent has requested comment from Ms Grossbergs legal team.
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale armed aggression in Ukraine, more than 11,700 children have been searched for.

Another 361 children have been brought back to Ukraine, reports the Prosecutor General's Office.

At the same time, as of the morning of 28 April, 471 children were killed as a result of Russia's full-scale armed aggression, and 952 children were injured of varying severity.

Most children were injured in:

Donetsk Oblast - 452;

Kharkiv Oblast - 275;

Kyiv Oblast - 128;

Kherson Oblast - 94;

Zaporizhzhia Oblast - 89;

Mykolaiv Oblast - 88;

Chernihiv Oblast- 68;

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast - 67;

Luhansk Oblast - 66.

Photo: Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine

Photo: Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine

Another 401 children, as the National Police state, are reported missing.

As per the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Russia has deported 19,393 Ukrainian children since the beginning of the large-scale war. At the same time, 361 children have been brought back.

It is noted that these data are not final.

"Work is underway to establish them in the areas of hostilities, in the temporarily occupied and liberated territories," the statement said.

Background:

A young woman and a 3-year-old child were killed in a rocket attack on Dnipro on the night of 28 April, and a Russian missile destroyed a high-rise building in Uman, with two young children among the 14 killed.

Earlier, it was reported that about 400 Ukrainian children had already been forcibly handed over to Russian families.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty/City of Boise

Racist, homophobic, and sexually explicit texts describing routine brutality, faked confessions, and other civil right violations were sent between 2020 and 2021 by 17 of the 100 police officers in the Antioch, California, police department.

The text chainsrecovered from officers phones during a joint investigation by the FBI and the Contra Costa County District Attorney were viewed by nearly half of the department.

But nobody said anything.

And the police chief at the time, Tammany Brooks, did nothing.

If Brooks did not know what was going on in the small department where he spent two decades, he certainly should have as it continued to go on right under his nose.

He nonetheless went on to become deputy police chief in Boise, Idaho. And he retains that position despite two reports from the joint investigation that document the damning texts during his tenure in Antioch.

The reports were presented in March to defense attorneys whose clients had been arrested by some of the officers involved. The contents were quickly leaked and so widely disseminated that the DA posted redacted versions on its website. The texts and the accompanying allegations are also detailed in a civil suit filed last week against Brooks and seven past and present Antioch cops.

To read the court papers is to wonder how the hell Brooks is still in law enforcement, much less second in command of the police department in Idahos capital city.

Much has been made about the blue wall of silence. This was more a cloak of indifference.

The suitfiled by six private citizens who say they suffered malicious treatment at the hands of the Antioch policecharges that Brooks was aware of the openly racist conduct and use of excessive force by officers under his command when he served as chief of police from 2017 to 2021.

The complaint further alleges that Brooks failed to take any remedial measures and tolerated, encouraged, and ratified the repeated and widespread pattern and practice of unconstitutional actions.

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Neither Brooks nor the police union representing the Antioch cops involved responded to a request for comment.

Whether or not Brooks knew specifically what was going on, the texts evidence a pathology that he either accepted or ignored . His officers routinely described Black people as apes and monkeys. One cop talked of pulling over motorists only cuz they Black. Another wrote of kicking a suspects head like a fucking field goal. Another, Officer Morteza Amiri of the K-9 unit, wrote, I sometimes just say people gave me a full confession when they didnt.

In addition to being a defendant in the present case, Amiri was named along with Brooks in an earlier federal civil complaint that was filed three years ago.

The April 2020 suit was brought by Vance Gattis of Antioch. He was catching a ride to a local convenience store on April 19, 2019, when the car he was in with two other adults and a child was pulled over by Amiri for having tinted windows.

Amiri ordered Gattis out of the car, ostensibly for not wearing a seatbelt as a passenger. The complaint says that Amiri then put Gattis in a chokehold and sicced his police dog, Purcy, on him.

[Purcy] mauled Gattis arms, chest and neck areas, the complaint says.

Three other cops allegedly joined in punching Gatti and beating him with flashlights. He was also Tasered.

As a result of the incident, Mr. Gattis suffered physical injuries throughout his body, including an intracranial hemorrhage, spinal cord injury, and chest wall trauma, the complaint says. He required stitches for lacerations to the arms and forehead.

With regards to Brooks and other Antioch officials, the complaint adds, Plaintiff is informed and believes and thereon alleges that high-ranking CITY officials, including high-ranking supervisors knew and/or reasonably should have known about the repeated acts of unconstitutional use of force by CITY officers.

The complaint further alleges that Antioch has a pattern of city officers using excessive force and making unlawful arrests on the African American community and that his pattern of misconduct by city officers should have been enough to alert high ranking officials of deficiencies in city policy or training.

The complaint contends Brooks and other officials approved, ratified, condoned, encouraged, sought to cover up, and/or tacitly authorized the racist abuse.

All of that would have been just a computer search away had Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee done even cursory vetting of Brooks before hiring him in August 2021. A quick online search would have also produced a 2017 posting on the Antioch Police Department Facebook page showing Brooks standing next to Amiri.

Please say hello to the newest member of the Antioch PD family, Officer Morteza Amiri. Pictured here with Chief Tammany Brooks, Morteza was sworn in today, the post said. Morteza is an Antioch homeowner, and is excited to be able to work with the community and his peers to combat crime in Antioch Congratulations Morteza and welcome!

The post reported that Amiri had previously served with the police department in nearby Brentwood.

A fun fact about Officer Amiri is that because he has always admired the Antioch Police Department, he would sometimes switch his radio from the Brentwood radio channel and accidentally respond to the Antioch PD call, the post added. Guess it was meant to be!

Such rule-breaking was apparently applauded with no thought of where it could lead.

Congratulations Morteza and welcome! the post said.

In total, the seven-member Antioch K-9 unit sicced their dogs on suspects 49 times between 2019 and and early 2022. Amiri and Purcy accounted for 22 of them, including a traffic stop in which the cop ordered the dog to jump into the drivers side window. Amiri is now one of eight Antioch cops who were suspended this month after it became known that they are targets of a federal grand jury probe arising from the original joint investigation.

Any indictments will further raise the question of how Brooks could not have been aware there was a serious problem in the Antioch Police Department.

His new department in Idaho has been having some problems of its own. Lee, the Boise police chief who hired Brooks, was fired last September as a result of numerous complaints from his subordinates. The most notable was from Sgt. Kirk Rush, who reported to the Idaho State Police that he suffered a broken neck when Lee suddenly chose him to demonstrate an unauthorized restraining hold.

On top of that, word that a retired police supervisor had posted white supremacist sentiments online prompted Boise Mayor Lauren McLean to order an investigation of the entire department to see if it was infected with racism. The allocated funds appear to have run out before the law firm hired to conduct the probe reached any firm conclusions.

Brooks has a biography that would seem to make him a natural to become the new chief: a one-time high school dropout who started life as the mixed-race son of a thrice-convicted felon in a high-crime district of San Francisco, he worked his way up through the police department ranks, earning an undergraduate degree and a masters along the way.

If that narrative helped him go from being the first Black police chief in Antioch to the first Black deputy chief in Boise, it was unlikely to get him past the federal lawsuit and the accompanying investigation down in California.

A spokesman for the Contra Costa DA told The Daily Beast that the probe began in September 2021 with an anonymous tip from a member of the public asking us to investigate possible offenses at [the] Pittsburg Police Department.

According to one news report, the tip concerned officers paying a woman to do their course work towards a college degree, which translates into a salary hike at both departments. The resulting investigation quickly extended to neighboring Antioch.

In November 2021 the FBI joined the DA in investigating what the spokesman described to the Beast as a broad range of crimes of moral turpitude at the Pittsburg and Antioch police departments. Search warrants for the officers cell phones apparently led to the texts.

One immediate result is that in recent weeks prosecutors have dropped cases involving the officers under suspicion. That included at least four instances in which the defendant had been convicted on a gun charge.

On Thursday in Boise, the mayor appointed interim Police Chief Ron Winegar to become the new top cop, pending confirmation by the city council next week. Brooks remains the No. 2.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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A Bluffton man and owner of a local air duct cleaning company faces an accusation of child sexual abuse as police investigate his alleged involvement with a young girl, according to the Bluffton Police Department.

Christopher Ray Donelson, 52, was charged Friday with second-degree criminal sexual conduct, jail records show.

Bluffton police have accused Donelson of inappropriately touching a young girl he knew and saw regularly. The alleged abuse spans six years, beginning when the girl was 7, according to department spokesperson Sgt. Bonifacio Perez.

The investigation began after the Department of Social Services received an anonymous tip detailing the allegations, which were confirmed by the victim during a forensic interview with the young girl. Donelson turned himself in to Bluffton police early Friday morning after learning of the investigation, Perez said.

Donelson, who moved to Bluffton in 2008, is the owner of Air Duct Southeast LLC (formerly Air Duct Dr LLC), which specializes in air duct and dryer vent cleaning services in Beaufort County and Savannah, according to previous reporting. The businessmans public LinkedIn profile also names him as owner of local solar power and food delivery services.

Donelson was featured in an Island Packet story in November when a DNA test connected him with a long-lost daughter from Iowa.

He was released Friday from the Beaufort County Detention Center after posting 10% bond on bail set at $20,000.

If you or someone you know has been affected by abuse, help can be found by calling Hopeful Horizons 24-hour Support Line at 843-770-1070.

When we publish mugshots

The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette publishes police booking photos, or mugshots, in the following instances:

In situations where a public figure or someone in a position of public trust is arrested

In cases where there is an immediate and widespread threat to public safety

In cases where the arrested person is accused of a crime reporters have evidence to believe involved numerous, unknown victims

Reporters will avoid using mugshots as lead images for online articles in order to limit their circulation on social media, except in cases where the public is served by the immediate identification of the accused. Reporters and editors may use discretion in situations that dont meet the criteria outlined in this policy but still present a compelling reason to publish a mugshot.
Oxnard police investigate a shooting by an officer on the second story of an apartment building at 235 E. Seventh Street on Friday, April 28, 2023. A man, 24, was said to be in critical condition after he allegedly approached an officer while holding a knife.

An Oxnard police officer shot a 24-year-old man who officials say was holding a knife early Friday.

The man, an Oxnard resident, was transported to Ventura County Medical Center in critical condition, the Oxnard Police Department said in a release. No update on the man's condition was available as of midday.

The incident is the Oxnard agencys third shooting by a police officer since March 12.

During Friday's incident, an officer was called to a two-story apartment building at 235 E. Seventh St. around 12:15 a.m. to assist Oxnard firefighters with an "uncooperative subject" needing medical attention, according to the police account.

The 24-year-old was reportedly hallucinating. Oxnard Fire Department personnel had been told he was on the second floor with a knife and had been cutting himself.

The man had gone into a community bathroom on the second floor before the first police officer arrived. The officer took a position at the top of the stairs, according to the police account.

The man came out of the bathroom "with a knife in his hand and then advanced directly toward the officer," police officials said in the release.

When the man failed to comply with the officer's commands, the officer opened fire.

The officer was not injured. No information was immediately provided about the officer's employment history with the department. He or she has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard practice after such use of force.

A nearby security camera and the officers body-worn camera captured the incident. The footage will be released at a later date, the department said.

Details under investigation

Oxnard police investigate a shooting by an officer at an apartment building on Seventh Street Friday. A man reportedly approached the officer holding a knife before he was shot, authorities said.

Oxnard police Cmdr. Alex Arnett said the agency is sorting through numerous details as investigators try to piece together the scenario that led up to Friday's encounter.

The building is apparently associated with the nearby Ventura County Rescue Mission, Arnett said. The two-story building has some living spaces as well as at least one communal bathroom used by people in the area.

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As of Friday afternoon, it hadn't been determined whether the man lived in the space or was possibly just using the bathroom or visiting a resident, he said.

Arnett said it would likely take days for investigators to go through all of the information being gathered.

Two other recent Oxnard police shootings were fatal.

On March 12, an officer shot and killed Adam Barcenas, 60, as he advanced toward police with a large metal pole during an unrelated DUI investigation in the downtown area.

On April 7, police fatally shot 18-year-old Christian Baltazar Torrez as he approached officers while holding a knife near Oxnard College.

The department released body-worn camera and some security camera footage from the prior incidents, which are both undergoing multiple investigations.

Chief responds

Oxnard Police Chief Jason Benites described the recent string of officer-involved shootings as unusual, but not entirely without precedent.

"We consider the close proximity to be an anomaly of circumstances that we have not seen for a number of years," Benites wrote in an email Friday. "However, there have been other years with incidents that have relatively short proximity to each other."

Examples include 1993, 2001, 2012 and 2016, he said. "In those years, we have instances in which officer-involved shootings or critical incidents occurred either days or weeks apart," the chief wrote.

When asked whether there has been any additional training or discussion after the two recent deadly use-of-force incidents, Benites said his agency "must always work to learn from our experience."

"We have continued discussions at each of our shift briefings about a variety of topics," he said in the email.

That includes debriefing significant incidents that occurred on preceding shifts as common points of discussion.

"De-escalation and ways to resolve situations while minimizing use of force are common and an integral part of these discussions," Benites wrote.

Oxnard police investigate a shooting by an officer on East Seventh Street on Friday, marking the department's third shooting since March 12.

What's more, the department is about to enter a training phase that includes a half day devoted to tactical decision making under stress and strategic communications, he said. The training covers high-pressure, often unpredictable situations along with ways to improve an officer's ability to gain voluntary compliance.

The department is also near implementing de-escalation and decision-making training using virtual reality technology, Benites said. The system allows for immersive training in squad rooms and other easily accessible sites.

"Training, experience and preparation can help individuals improve their ability to make sound decisions under pressure," he said. "This better prepares them to deal with the very challenging and dynamic environments that they face on a daily basis."

This story may be updated.

-- Editor Gretchen Wenner contributed to this report.

Brian J. Varela covers Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Camarillo. He can be reached at brian.varela@vcstar.com or 805-477-8014. You can also find him on Twitter @BrianVarela805.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Oxnard police officer shoots man accused of holding knife
(Bloomberg) -- Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif won a confidence vote in parliament in a show of force against his rival and former premier Imran Khan who is pushing for early elections and counting on a top court to back him.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Sharif on Thursday won the support of 180 lawmakers, eight more than needed in the lower house of parliament, according to the speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf. The vote outcome is not a surprise since Khans party, which is the main opposition, quit the National Assembly last year after he was ousted.

There had been speculation in local media that Sharif would call a confidence vote, which his government had denied. However, in a surprise move, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari  the foreign minister and a key Sharif ally  put forward a resolution on Thursday afternoon for the vote, which was swiftly taken up and passed by lawmakers.

The vote was seen as a means to politically shore up Sharif, who said in a speech after the motion that the Supreme Court was threatening to disqualify him for not complying with an order to hold local elections in the most populous province of Punjab. Pakistans parliament has at least twice rejected court orders requesting it to release funds to hold the provincial polls.

This parliament has given a vote of confidence to me today, Sharif said after counting the number of prime ministers, including his brother Nawaz Sharif, who were disqualified in the past. My government is standing with them.

Analysts said the confidence vote was a show of strength for Sharif who is grappling with a raft of challenges, including securing a bailout from the International Monetary Fund to avoid a default and countering a rise in militant attacks.

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It does not have any other impact, said Hassan Askari Rizvi, a Lahore-based political analyst. It wont make any difference on the current political crisis, unless the contentious issue of elections is resolved.

Khans party had forced the dissolution of the state assembly of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where it holds majorities, in a bid to pressurize the government to call an early national vote. Sharif has repeatedly rebuffed this, saying a general election will take place once his administration completes its term in August.

According to the constitution, elections, whether provincial or national, must be held within 90 days of a dissolution. This has already lapsed for the two provinces and now the nations top court is currently hearing a case on the delay.

Please for the sake of the constitution, sit with each other, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial was cited as saying by local media before the the parliament vote on Thursday, urging Khans Tehreek-e-Insaf party and the government to meet.

Sharif later confirmed to parliament that his government will hold talks with Khans PTI, with the main agenda being to ensure elections will be held on the same day. Traditionally Pakistan holds national and provincial elections at the same time.

Representatives from the ruling coalition and the opposition held the first round of talks Thursday evening, and are expected to meet again at 3 p.m. Friday, local media reported, citing an official from a political party allied with Sharif.

We agreed not to employ any delaying tactics and assured each other that sincere efforts would be made to find a good solution, Senator Ali Zafar, who is part of the opposition partys negotiating team, was cited as saying by local media.

--With assistance from Francesca Stevens and Khalid Qayum.

(Updates with recast and fresh details throughout.)

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A Palestinian prisoner on hunger strike for more than 80 days is being held in "difficult" conditions, his wife told AFP Friday after an advocacy group warned his health is deteriorating.

Khader Adnan, 45, a leading figure in the Islamic Jihad militant group in the north of the occupied West Bank, was arrested by Israeli forces at his home near the city of Jenin on February 5, according to the faction.

He is being held under administrative detention -- a controversial Israeli measure under which people are interned without charge.

Adnan's wife Randa Mousa said he was being held in the clinic at Ramla prison in central Israel.

"(He is) refusing any support, refusing medical examinations, he is in a cell with very difficult detention conditions," the 41-year-old said, referring to the room in which he was being held.

"They (Israel) have refused to transfer him to a civilian hospital, they refused to allow his lawyer a visit," she added.

Adnan has carried out four previous hunger strikes during multiple stints in Israeli prisons, his wife told AFP.

He had been due to appear before the Ofer military court in the West Bank on Thursday, but the hearing on his release was cancelled, Mousa said.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Club said Thursday that his situation was "very serious".

The advocacy group called for Adnan's release "in light of the dangerous health condition that he has reached," without elaborating on how they were aware of his condition.

Following rumours that he had died, the Israel Prison Service told AFP that Adnan was still alive but a spokesperson would not comment further on his case.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967 and its forces regularly detain Palestinians, who are subject to Israeli military courts.

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Relatives welcome home Palestinian students evacuated from violence-torn Sudan after they cross from Egypt into the Gaza Strip, itself no stranger to fighting

Palestinians embraced at the Egyptian border with the blockaded Gaza Strip on Friday as students returned home after fleeing the eruption of violence in Sudan.

Gaza's Crossing and Border Authority said "172 students arrived in the homeland through the Rafah border crossing, as the first batch of students coming from Sudan."

There were hugs and tears at the southern gateway to Gaza as relatives greeted young Palestinians fleeing fighting which broke out on April 15.

"The situation was really difficult, it hit everywhere in Khartoum," university student Nasser Qishta told AFP.

"The Palestinian embassy in Sudan contacted us, gathered up the students and transferred us to Gaza," added Qistha, who remained determined to return to the Sudanese capital "when conditions improve."

Governments have rushed to extract their citizens from Sudan amid the deadly violence between the army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

More than 500 people have been killed, according to health ministry figures which are believed to be incomplete.

Wael al-Masri, a medical student, said the situation was akin to a "civil war".

"I thank everyone who helped us return," he said at the Rafah crossing, which was opened especially for their arrival by Egyptian authorities.

Gaza's 2.3 million residents have lived through multiple wars fought between Palestinian militants and Israel since the Islamist group Hamas took control in 2007.

An Israel-led blockade has since been imposed and obtaining the necessary permits and funds to leave the territory is nigh on impossible for the majority of residents.

az-rsc/kir
By Lucinda Elliott and Daniela Desantis

ASUNCION (Reuters) - In the heart of Paraguay's capital Asuncion, a tropical city close to the Argentine border, voters are gearing up for election day on Sunday, with the economy, corruption and Taiwan on their minds.

The farming nation of just under 7 million people will go to the polls to vote in what is expected to be a close contest between the slick, 44-year-old economist Santiago Pena representing the incumbent conservative Colorado Party and the 60-year-old political veteran Efrain Alegre leading a broad center-left coalition and pledging a foreign policy shake-up.

Pollsters see a tight race, even a technical tie. The ruling Colorado Party has dominated Paraguayan politics for the last three-quarters of a century, in power for all but five years. But persistent corruption allegations have led to cracks appearing in their support.

"We never talked about politics before, because a win for the Colorado Party was a done deal," 40-year-old bank worker Gustavo Vera told Reuters in the capital. "There's an air of change, the people have woken up."

At the bustling Mercado 4 street market in Asuncion, most cited the tough economic situation. The fiscal deficit ballooned to 3% of GDP last year, average annual growth in the last four years dipped to 0.7%, and extreme poverty has risen.

"We're going backwards, that is how I feel," said Nicolas Ortigoza, 32, as he served chicken skewers at his stall. "There's more corruption in Paraguay than work... All I know is we have to work much harder to make ends meet."

Whoever takes over the presidency in August is likely to come under pressure from the newly-elected legislature to reduce spending after a splurge to ease the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine. Alegre has pledged to cut energy bills and Pena has promised to create more jobs.

"Whoever wins is going to have to limit public spending because debt cannot continue to grow," economist and former finance minister Cesar Barreto told Reuters, adding it was a "complex" moment for any new government.

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LOWER PRICES, BETTER SCHOOLS

In political newscasts and columns, talk has centered on the debate about whether to end long-term diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favor of China, and a string of graft allegations against key Colorado Party leaders.

The U.S. Treasury earlier this year imposed sanctions on party chief Horacio Cartes and Vice President Hugo Velazquez, citing "rampant corruption." They both deny the charges.

But the noise is swaying some voters.

"We've lived for too long with corruption, with poverty, with hidden drug trafficking and negligent healthcare," said student Eiden Malky, 19, who is voting for the first time.

"There is a lot of opposition to the Colorados... Not that the next politicians will be better, but we will vote (for them) because they offer something different."

Alegre, on his third presidential campaign, has pulled together a broad alliance of independent parties to challenge the powerful Colorado political machine. But he has come under fire from some quarters for indicating he would end nearly 70 years of diplomatic ties with Taiwan in a push to open up China's huge markets for Paraguayan soy and beef.

Back in the Asuncion street market, fish seller Candida Britez, 59, said her sales were weak and falling, and she was keen to have a new political leader to improve things.

"Customers before would buy three or five kilos, now maybe just one kilo. I can barely make enough to buy bread, sugar and milk," she said, adding that after the market closes she travels door-to-door selling what she can.

"Those of us who don't have much want to see prices fall, better schools, and more affordable electricity with our next president," said Britez.

(Reporting by Lucinda Elliott and Daniela Desantis; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Rosalba O'Brien)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28)  Beijings aggressive tactics against Manila continue in disputed waters, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Friday as it reported another incident of a Chinese ships dangerous maneuvers which risked the safety of Filipinos onboard a much smaller vessel.

The PCG confirmed reports of a near-collision in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan last April 23 after a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel with bow number 5201 maintained a perilous distance of only 50 yards from the Philippines BRP Malapascua.

The CCG ship is nearly thrice the size of the Philippine patrol vessel, according to Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Buti na lang ang ating commanding officer ng barko, na-prevent ang kanyang pagtakbo. Kung hindi, nagkaroon ng dangerous collision, nabangga natin sana sila, Tarriela told CNN Philippines Balitaan.

[Translation: Its a good thing the commanding officer of BRP Malapascua was able to halt the ship. Oherwise, there wouldve been a dangerous collision and we wouldve crashed into them.]

That same morning in Ayungin Shoal, the PCG said another CCG vessel with bow number 4202 persistently tailed the Philippines BRP Malabrigo at a distance of 700 yards and closely monitored its movements.

The PCG noted it has already reported these incidents to the National Task Force West Philippine Sea.

The government has repeatedly maintained that Ayungin Shoal is part of the Philippines exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but Beijing continues to assert ownership over it.

Meanwhile, the PCG also raised an alarm over the presence of a Chinese warship in Philippine waters, which it said directed PCG vessels to leave the area.

According to the PCG, the confrontation took place on April 21 when a Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy vessel with bow number 549 crossed paths with Philippine ships some seven nautical miles from Filipino-held Pag-asa Island, located southwest of Palawan.

It said the Chinese gray ship issued a warning via radio challenges and suggested that Manilas failure to comply might cause problem.

Despite this, the PCG vessels did not back down and responded by asserting their rights to carry out operations within the territorial sea of Pag-asa Island. They further asked the Chinese navy to leave the area immediately instead, the PCG said.

Over 100 Chinese vessels spotted

Besides the recent tense encounters, the PCG also said over 100 Chinese ships linger in the WPS despite being asked to leave.

The coast guard noted that this number is based on its weeklong maritime patrol from April 18 to 24 in Sabina Shoal, Iroquis Reef, Lawak, Patag, Likas, Parola, Pag-asa, Tizzard Bank, Julian Felipe Reef, and Ayungin Shoal.

Notably, it reported that 17 groups of suspected Chinese maritime militia (CMM) ships were found in the vicinity of Juan Felipe Reef, with the total count estimated to exceed 100 vessels.

The PCG deployed rigid hull inflatable boats in an attempt to drive them away but it said there was no reaction from the CMM vessels.

According to Tarriela, the large CMM gathering could either be ghost ships or the Chinese nationals inside are simply ignoring their calls.

It appears na parang walang tao [It appears there are no passengers], Tarriela said. But I doubt (it)We believe na merong tao dito sa mga barko na 'to [there are people inside these boats].

What we did, we documented each one of them, and then we also showed our media friends that these Chinese maritime militia are occupying Juan Felipe Reef and that falls within our exclusive economic zone, Tarriela added.

Near Sabina Shoal, the PCG detected 18 other CMM vessels.

However, the Chinese ships also reportedly did not respond to numerous radio challenges ordering them to leave the waters immediately.

Meanwhile, the coast guard said it was able to successfully drive away from Pag-asa Island four CMM vessels which appeared to be engaged in fishing activities.

The PCG is dedicated, along with the Western Command (WESCOM) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Area Task Force - West (ATF-WEST), to diligently and tirelessly work together to protect the Philippines' exclusive sovereign rights in its EEZ, its sovereignty, territory, and continental shelf in the West Philippine Sea, it wrote in a statement.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo earlier said cases of harassment or land reclamation by Beijing continue in the WPS on a daily basis.

The East Asian giant refuses to acknowledge the 2016 arbitral ruling in The Hague, which invalidated its sweeping claims over the South China Sea and recognized the Philippines' rights within its EEZ.
LOUISVILLE, Ky.  The parents of a man who shot and killed five coworkers at a Louisville bank spoke out Thursday, recalling their son's struggles with mental health over the last year.

In an interview with NBC's "Today" show, Lisa and Todd Sturgeon apologized to those affected by the mass shooting and said their 25-year-old son, Connor Sturgeon, shouldn't have been able to buy an AR-15 assault-style rifle because of his mental state.

On April 10, Connor Sturgeon killed five coworkers and injured eight others while live-streaming before Louisville police fatally shot him.

"We're so sorry. We're heartbroken. We wish we could undo it, but we know we can't," Lisa Sturgeon said.

"If we could take it back, we would," Lisa added later.

The five people killed at the bank were Joshua Barrick, 40, a senior vice president; Deana Eckert, 57, an executive administrative officer; Tommy Elliott, 63, also a senior vice president; Juliana Farmer, 45, a loan analyst; and Jim Tutt Jr., 64, a commercial real estate market executive. Louisville Metro Police Officer Nickolas Wilt, 26, was one of the eight injured and remains in critical condition but is making an "encouraging" recovery.

'PLEASE DON'T PUNISH HIM': Louisville shooting bodycam footage, 911 calls paint picture of desperate moments

'WE SHOULDN'T BE SHOCKED': Wrong-place shootings have plagued US communities for decades

In an exclusive interview with @SavannahGuthrie, the Louisville bank shooters mom talks about the call she received the day of the shooting.



[...] you go from praying for his life to praying that this is unimaginable. That he just commits suicide and doesnt hurt anyone else. pic.twitter.com/Maq47pKHq2  TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 27, 2023

Shooter bought rifle during mental health crisis

Lisa and Todd Sturgeon said their son's mental health struggles began about a year ago, with panic attacks, anxiety, and a suicide attempt. But the Sturgeons said they thought it was being managed as their son was seeing a psychiatrist and taking medication.

Story continues

Lisa Sturgeon told the "Today" show that her son called her on April 4, six days before the shooting at the Old National Bank in downtown Louisville. He told her that he had a panic attack at the bank the day before and had to leave work.

She said the two had lunch the following day, and she set up his next psychiatrist appointment and joined him there on April 6.

"We thought he was coming out of the crisis," Lisa Sturgeon said.

The Sturgeons had no clue their son had legally purchased an assault rifle and ammunition from a federally licensed firearms dealer on April 4, the same day he had called his mother. They were told that their son was able to walk into the store and walk out with the weapon and ammunition in 40 minutes, Todd Sturgeon said.

The last time the Sturgeons saw their son was at a family gathering on Easter Sunday, a day before the attack. Todd and Lisa Sturgeon said he seemed fine and was helping children find the last eggs in the egg hunt.

The next morning, Lisa Sturgeon said her son's roommate called saying Connor told him by phone: "I'm going to go in and shoot up Old National." She called 911 but her son was already at the bank.

He did this, Lisa Sturgeon said. And he did it to totally innocent individuals. There was no provocation, no justification, no rationalization  at all. They were just trying to do their jobs, to provide for their families. And they will never be the same, due to his actions.

ALABAMA SHOOTING CASE: 7 guns, 89 shells recovered and 'blood everywhere'

Parents of shooter saw no warning signs

Todd Sturgeon said they have no idea what prompted their sons murderous assault with an assault rifle he had just bought, and they fear that whatever they come up as a cause still isnt going to make sense.

And Lisa said there was no clear tell that he would erupt in violence. She said she and her husband decided to speak out to put other parents on alert.

They said their son should not have been allowed to buy a firearm, given his mental condition, though Todd acknowledged it is hard to thread the needle to protect the public while safeguarding individual rights.

While the families of four of the victims declined to comment, Barrick's family said in a statement to Today that the shooting "didn't have to happen."

"The fact that anyone can walk in and buy a semiautomatic weapon, its only purpose being to kill many in seconds, is simply wrong. Enough is enough. Inaction is not an option," the statement read. "We deserve to be safe in our communities  whether that be at the bank, the grocery store, our schools, or anywhere else."

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Parents of Louisville shooter recall son's mental health struggles
Paris Hilton will be making her red carpet debut at this years Met Gala.

The 42-year-old socialite is set to attend the annual fashion event, which takes place on Monday 1 May at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, for her first time ever. Hilton received an invite from Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and an unnamed designer who will be dressing her for the evening, according to TMZ.

While its unclear which designer Hilton will be wearing, her Met Gala look is expected to be in line with the years theme, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. The mother of one has famously been a friend of Lagerfelds over the years, often sporting Chanel looks and bags. In 2006, she attended the launch of Lagerfelds collaboration with Dom Perignon with none other than Kim Kardashian.

Paris Hilton joins the star-studded list of celebrities and fashion lovers attending this years Met Gala event. Since 1995, the exclusive guest list has been carefully presided over by Anna Wintour. Tickets for the annual event  which raises money for the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute  go for $30,000 (23,000), and tables cost $275,000 (211,000).

But not anyone who can afford a ticket can attend the Met Gala. Unlike other charity events, the Met Gala is invitation only and there is a waiting list to get a ticket. While fashion houses can buy entire tables at the event, Wintour reportedly has final say over every invitation.

Along with the Vogue editor-in-chief, the celebrities who have confirmed their attendance at this years Met Gala includes four co-chairs: Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel, Penelope Cruz, and Roger Federer.

Kim Kardashian  Paris Hiltons famous friend and former personal assistant  has also said she will be attending the 2023 Met Gala, despite much speculation over whether the Kardashians scored an invite from Wintour.

On 26 April, Kardashian announced shell be attending this years Met Gala in an Instagram post featuring none other than Karl Lagerfelds cat, Choupette.

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Had a date with @choupetteofficiel in Paris, she captioned the post, which featured photos and video of Kardashian with Lagerfelds famous feline. We then spent some time at @karllagerfelds office to get a little inspiration for the Met.

Photos in her Instagram post also showed Kardashian preparing for her Met Gala look, which is likely to be inspired by Lagerfelds archival looks from his time as creative director of Fendi or Chanel.

Initial reports suggested the famous Kardashian-Jenner family have not received an invitation to the 2023 Met Gala because Wintour was allegedly cracking down on the exclusive guest list. However, a source later told Page Six that the SKIMS founder will indeed attend the annual fashion event alongside an unnamed family member.

Its likely that her younger half-sister Kendall Jenner will also walk the Met Gala red carpet. The supermodel has attended the Costume Institutes fundraiser since 2014. In fact, she recently posed for the cover of Vogues May 2023 issue, which paid tribute to legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld ahead of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute exhibition.

Fashion lovers can tune in to the Met Gala 2023 red carpet livestream on Monday 1 May at 6:30pm ET on the Vogue website or its social media platforms.
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.

Entering the 2000s, Red Hat was a darling among computer programmers and Wall Street traders. But marketing CDs to tech enthusiasts in bookshops and electronic stores wasnt going to make the company profitable. It needed to convince institutional clients to trust open source.

And it would have to do so with new leaders.

In November 1999, Bob Young stepped down as CEO, replaced by software executive Matthew Szulik. Marc Ewing left two months later, cashing out a portion of company stock worth $31.5 million. He was replaced as chief technology officer by Michael Tiemann, a pioneering software engineer from California who had formed the worlds first commercial open-source company, Cygnus Solutions, which Red Hat acquired.

Donnie Barnes, one of Red Hats first four employees, exited soon after Ewing.

For the new leaders, 2000 provided a rude awaking. Red Hat was on a hiring tear  it ended the year with 550 employees  when the dot-come bubble burst, nosediving the companys value. Shares that had reached a high of $148 in January plummeted to $5.13 by years end.

Luster off Red Hat, read a headline in The News & Observer that spring.

As the economy worsened, the viability of Red Hat was called into question. Tech startups, every week, were folding. On Feb. 3, 2000, Red Hat sold 4 million additional shares during a secondary public offering at a price of $95 each. The next month, tech stocks eroded. Selling the shares when it did (and not a month later) gave Red Hat a floor on how far it could sink, Tiemann said.

We put a big, big buffer against any kind of short-term cash crunch, he said. It took us out of the realm of Can the company survive?

While it was able to continue operating, Red Hat was also taking arrows from its rivals. In 2001, then-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer labeled Linux a cancer and Microsofts operating systems chief Jim Allchin called open source an intellectual-property destroyer.

Story continues

We were changing the industry and a lot of companies were mad at us, said Michael Ferris, Red Hats vice president of corporate development and strategy who started at the company in 2000.

Among their staff, Red Hat leaders spread a quote, often wrongly attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, which addressed their critics: First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.

We felt we were on the right side of history, Young said.

In June 2001, Red Hat eked out its first profitable quarter. Then a tragedy accelerated its growth.

Sept. 11 destroyed servers housed in World Trade Center

The Sept. 11 terrorist attack killed more than 2,750 people at the World Trade Center in New York.

It also destroyed the principal data centers of many Wall Street investment banks, which were housed in the twin towers. With their computers wiped out, financial institutions had to choose whether to rebuild with standard proprietary software or the emergent open source. Many picked the latter.

(9/11) unbound what had been a barrier to entry, Tiemann said. It wasnt as if (the banks) just overnight made this transition, but it absolutely opened up the opportunity (for them) to make a completely different set of business decisions than they would have had to make if they were carrying however many hundreds of millions of dollars of existing inventory.

In the following years, Red Hats client list grew to include Morgan Stanley, AOL Time Warner, General Electric, UBS, Amazon, Dell, Deutsche Bank and Cisco, among many others. Red Hat had won over Wall Street.

Marty Messer, with the companys trademark red hat, works in Red Hats IT department in 2002 after the company moved into offices at NC States Centennial Campus.

Persuading corporate executives to trust Red Hat Enterprise Linux could be a challenge, however, said Joanne Rohde, who became Red Hats chief operating officer in 2004.

It was very hard and we had to explain it, she said. In general, the technicians would get it but the security people would not get it. The people that would rather trust the brand name would not get it.

Red Hat fends off Oracle and wins over an old rival

Rohde arrived at Red Hat at the tail end of what she called the companys Wild West era  a moment when the last vestiges of the startup era (a relaxed if disorganized culture) was giving way to a more corporate climate. By then, Red Hat had left Durham for good, relocating to a 120,000-square-foot office complex on North Carolina State Universitys Centennial Campus in West Raleigh.

A native of Durham, Rohde felt she had to leave the Triangle after college to start her career in the early 1980s.

There werent sufficient job markets for the kinds of things I did in tech and finance back in the Dark Ages, she said. But Red Hat gave me an opportunity to come back.

At Red Hat, Rohde led the companys transition to subscription models, which she said were key to making free software services profitable.

We kind of flipped the model on its head, she said. The software is free. The value add is all those things you wrap around it: the service, the testing, the version control, the knowledge. Thats where the real value is.

By the mid-2000s, Red Hat was the worlds largest provider of Linux.

Customers proved loyal. In 2006, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison unveiled plans to erode Red Hats open-source service market share by replicating its Linux package at a reduced price.

This is easily the biggest challenge Red Hat has ever faced, a technology analyst said at the time.

That was the downside to building a business around open source; any competitor could see the formula and copy it. But Red Hat endured. Young would often compare his companys success to that of Heinz Tomato Ketchup: Everyone can read the ingredients and make their own, but people trust the brand.

Soon, Red Hat was servicing more than 90% of Fortune 500 companies.

By then, even the most vehement former critics were amenable to Red Hats kind of software. Microsoft had begun to integrate open source into its core operations.

Microsoft was on the wrong side of history when open source exploded at the beginning of the century, and I can say that about me personally, Microsoft President Brad Smith later said.

In the 2010s, open source has won became a popular tagline among programmers. After years of fighting for legitimacy, former Red Hat executives said victory felt good.

There was never gloating, Tiemann said. But there was always pride.

In Part 3: Would Red Hat take its fedora to Texas or Georgia?
When you have a company like (Red Hat), youre a magnet for a certain type of driven person interested in high-flying companies.

Would Red Hat ditch the Triangle?

In 2010, the answer wasnt obvious. The areas homegrown software distributor wanted larger offices, and company officials eyed sites in Austin and Atlanta, in addition to Raleigh.

We continue to evaluate the alternatives, said Charlie Peters, the companys chief financial officer, as doubt over Red Hats future headquarters hung in the air.

Back then, Wake County didnt typically offer financial incentives for companies to remain in the area, but local leaders said theyd make an exception for Red Hat.

In 2011, the state dangled $15 million in incentives for Red Hat to create 540 new jobs in Wake County and Wake commissioners pitched in an extra $675,000. Red Hat accepted.

Gov. Bev Perdue applauds Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst, right, for his companys decision to stay in Wake County in 2011. Shawn Rocco/File photo

At a press conference announcing the incentive deal, Gov. Bev Perdue donned a signature red fedora and defended the states decision to offer Red Hat tax breaks even as the companys annual revenue approached $1 billion.

They could have gone anywhere they wanted to go, she said. Im mighty glad [Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst] chose North Carolina, and Im not at all unhappy that incentives were part of that decision.

Red Hat moves to sleepy downtown Raleigh

Red Hat officially left N.C. States Centennial Campus in 2013, transferring more than 700 employees to a downtown Raleigh office tower vacated by the utility company Progress, which had merged with Charlottes Duke Energy. Up to that point, the center of Raleigh wasnt known for vibrancy.

There wasnt a lot of reason to go downtown, said Joanne Rohde, a former chief operating officer at Red Hat. None of the things that would tend to take you there were there.

Public officials hoped Red Hat, and its young, hip workforce, would help change.

Celebrating Red Hats move, Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane called the company a cornerstone that attracts and fosters other companies and small businesses.

Story continues

Harvey Schmitt, then president of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, said adding Red Hats signature fedora logo to the skyline helps us establish our case as a vibrant, growing, dynamic community.

The Red Hat building sign looms large on the Raleigh skyline in 2014. Keeping Red Hat was a win for the city. Chris Seward/ cseward@newsobserver.com

Red Hat had already put its name on another piece of Raleigh, buying the naming rights to the 6,000-seat downtown amphitheater in 2012 in a five-year deal that paid the city $1.175 million.

Yet, in more subtle ways, the company had already left its mark all around the Triangle.

Flights to Frisco and billions in startups and spinoffs

For years, Red Hat executives were vocal proponents of Raleigh-Durham International Airport getting a direct flight to West Coast destinations. I would think at the top of everyones list in Raleigh would be a direct flight to San Francisco, Red Hat spokesperson Leigh Day said in February 2011.

The next year, RDU announced nonstop service to the Bay Area.

CEO Jim Whitehurst, who had taken over from Matthew Szulik in 2008, would also speak up on public policy, speaking with North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan about a bipartisan tax bill and voicing his displeasure with the states 2016 HB2 Bathroom Bill.

Then there are all the spinoff startups.

Former Red Hat intern Joe Colopy used the term spidering effect to describe how frequently Hatters moved on to launch their own ventures.

When you have a company like (Red Hat), youre a magnet for a certain type of driven person interested in high-flying companies, he said.

In 2002, Colopy founded Bronto Software, a marketing services firm that counted the Durham Bulls, Trek Bikes and Timex as clients. By 2012, former Bronto employees themselves had gone on to form six new local startups. These companies were nicknamed Red Hats grandkids.

Pendo: The biggest Red Hat grandkid

Colopy, who sold Bronto for $200 million in 2015, has continued investing in the Triangle tech sector. Today, hes a partner at the software-focused venture capital fund Jurassic Capital in Durham and founder of the technology news outlet GrepBeat.

After five years as Red Hats COO, Rohde founded a health care startup called Axial Exchange. In 2009, a group of ex-Red Hatters formed the marketing firm New Kind, which still exists today.

Sometimes, former employees would grow a company Red Hat would then later acquire.

In 2015, Red Hat purchased the Durham-based software firm Ansible for a reported $100 million. Started by a former Red Hat and rPath employee named Michael DeHaan, Ansible employed around 50 and served a number of Fortune 500 companies when Red Hat came calling. Its automation platform has since become strategically key to Red Hat (and now IBM) as customers seek to optimize their time and enhance security.

But the most well-known Red Hat grandkid has been Pendo.

A rainbow appears to start near 301 Hillsborough tower, the headquarters of Pendo, in downtown Raleigh, N.C., Friday, May 27, 2022. Ethan Hyman/ehyman@newsobserver.com

In 2005, former Red Hat executives Erik Troan and Billy Marshall formed rPath, another software company that incorporated open-source principles. The company made its tools freely available online to developers who promised to share the software applications they built with rPaths programs.

SAS Institute purchased rPath in 2012, and Troan went on to co-found another software company, Pendo, which today is one of the fastest growing tech companies in the Triangle. Last year, an Atlanta-based venture capital firm valued Pendo at $2.6 billion.

Pendo leaders havent hidden their desire to take the company public, and the fact that a multibillion-dollar tech firm would file for an IPO in Raleigh might be a testament to the route Red Hat paved 25 years ago.

You did not have to move your startup to Silicon Valley to have a billion-dollar IPO, Red Hat co-founder Bob Young said. You can do it from Research Triangle Park and we demonstrated that.

In Part 4: When Red Hat meets Big Blue.
On Monday morning, April 24, 2023, Red Hat employees woke up to unwelcome news.

In an all-staff email, Red Hat CEO Matt Hicks announced the company would reduce its total workforce by close to 4% over the next few months.

This decision is now appropriate to ensure Red Hats ability to compete in a new environment, he said.

Online, many reacted by blaming a company. Not Red Hat, exactly, but IBM.

It was inevitable that IBM would eventually turn Red Hat blue, a commenter said on Facebook. Welcome to IBM! another posted underneath The News & Observer article on the layoffs.

In July 2019, the multinational corporation nicknamed Big Blue acquired Red Hat for a landmark sum of $34 billion, among the largest software acquisitions in history. At the time, Red Hat had 13,360 employees and offices in 40 countries. It had built a distinct brand adhering to open-source orthodoxy, keeping its information accessible and contributing code back to strengthen Linux.

Yes, Red Hat was a corporation, and corporations arent typically cool. According to financial records, its revenue the year before being bought topped $3.3 billion.

Red hat employees work in a communal office setting at Red Hats office building in Raleigh on Tuesday, March 7, 2023.

Yet, a hip aura still surrounded Red Hat, a reputation it picked up playing the thorn in Microsofts heel 20 years earlier. It actually got rich exposing an open-source ideology, a journey technologists worldwide admired.

Many are curious to see if this identity will continue.

I do think the real question for people that are there now is, What has the IBM merger done to the culture? said Joanne Rohde, the chief operating officer at Red Hat from 2004 to 2009.

Im extremely curious, said Red Hat co-founder Bob Young. How much does IBM change Red Hat and how much does Red Hat change IBM?

Some feel IBMs presence in Red Hat work

Headquartered in Westchester, New York, IBM was a magnitude larger than Red Hat when it purchased the Raleigh company four years ago. Its Triangle area headcount alone is about three times higher than Red Hats.

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And next to Red Hat, IBM was seen to have a drier corporate culture.

We had IBM refugees all the time, said former Red Hat chief technology officer Michael Tiemann, who would meet with new hires during orientation. I remember meeting with one of those people (after 2019) who was just so mad because they felt like they had escaped a bad situation and come to Red Hat.

In the deal, IBM committed to respect Red Hats neutrality by not interfering with its open-source model and to allow Red Hat to sell services to IBMs competitors, like Lenovo, Dell and Hewlett-Packard. IBM also pledged to keep Red Hats platforms transparent and free.

What we all worry about is that IBM might attempt to apply proprietary licenses to what Red Hats doing, Young said.

Some Red Hat employees say there has been a subtle culture shift under IBM.

Sure, the acquisition has led to Red Hat being a lot more, say, corporate-centric, but then again, its something a big company has to do to make sure they survive and they prosper, said Akashdeep Dhar, a software engineer based at Red Hats office in Pune, India.

IBM, he said, has been calculated about the investments both in time, money, as well as the human resources, and understanding that has an outcome attached to it.

But overall, Dhar said, IBM has largely left Red Hat alone.

We still are free to make choices of our own, and they have been very supportive of the choices we make, he said.

The fastest-growing part of IBM

Dhar is also a community lead for the Fedora Council, an independent Red Hat-backed initiative that coordinates employees and volunteers to improve Linux. Contributing back into Linux, the operating system thats made Red Hat (and now IBM) millions of dollars, has been important to many Red Hatters over the years.

We dont own it, Michael Ferris, Red Hats vice president of corporate development and strategy, said of Linux.

Dhar said IBM has respected Red Hats position on transparency.

He also pointed out that IBM has invested heavily in Red Hat platforms like OpenShift, extending its reach to new sectors. Developed in 2011, OpenShift is a hybrid cloud platform that allows customers to create, use and manage applications. According to IBM, it today generates $1 billion in annual recurring revenue.

Much of Red Hat, in fact, has performed sterling for Big Blue. It is the fastest growing part of the parent corporation. As IBMs overall growth has stalled or decreased in recent quarters, Red Hats revenue has jumped by at least 10% every fiscal quarter since the acquisition.

Open-source believers are cautious about IBM tinkering. But in the minds of many, IBM wont mess up Red Hat because it knows Red Hat customers wont stick around with a diminished product.

In June of 1998, when Red Hat was just beginning to draw widespread attention, The News & Observer noted that the way Red Hat got to this point is as much about a software phenomenon as it is about any single company.

That phenomenon was open source, and its helped define the Triangle for the past 30 years. Today, the Triangle is one of the fastest growing areas in the country, with tech giants like Google expanding and Apple on the way.

Local startups like SAS, Pendo and Epic Games have seen their valuations top $1 billion and Raleigh and Durham regularly demand recognition among the nations hottest tech hubs.

Red fedoras are on display inside Red Hats office building in Raleigh.

The Triangle will go on just fine if Red Hat ever loses its shine. Open source will too.

But neither the movement nor the region would be the same.

This story was produced with financial support from a coalition of partners led by Innovate Raleigh as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work.

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Do you enjoy Triangle tech news? Subscribe to Open Source, The News & Observer's weekly technology newsletter and look for it in your inbox every Friday morning. Sign up here.
Politics have gotten so divisive it's dicey to weigh in, but on this one, I can't stay silent.

Ron  leave Mickey alone.

Immigration, guns, Ukraine and abortion are one thing. But coming down on Mickey is over the line.

Speaking for all lovers of the Jungle Cruise, Tower of Terror and Spaceship Earth  Governor DeSantis, knock it off.

Actually, the Tower of Terror scares the daylights out of me, but my kids force me to ride it.

I have standing on this since, over the last three decades, I think my family has been responsible for 2% of Disney World's revenues. Now that theyre young adults, I feel a bit guilty I didn't take them to Paris or Rome instead, but we always went to the France and Italy pavilions at Epcot, which I think is the same thing.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is taking on Walt Disney Co. in a battle over control of the company's holdings in the state.

To paraphrase the great, first sentence about fly fishing in "A River Runs Through It"  in my family, there was no clear line between religion and Disney World.

I have long thought there's no clear line between America and Disney World, either. It was always where red and blue staters ate side-by-side at the Hoop-Dee-Doo review.

Ron  why attack that?

I understand the initial reason. Disney opposed the so-called "Don't say gay" law. But Governor, your response has been like trying to kill Tinker Bell with a sledgehammer. Except she's proving too nimble for you.

DeSantis vs. Disney: Disney lawsuit accuses Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis of 'targeted campaign of government retaliation'

I at first figured this would be a brief kerfuffle in a whirling tea cup, but Ron has been at it for a year now. When he got to the point a few weeks ago of saying he might build a prison by land Disney was eyeing for its next development, hed clearly gone off the Space Mountain rails.

I get that Ron figured a culture war like this would raise his profile as a White House prospect, and at first, it probably did. But its begun to look like a rather unconservative and peevish attack on business.

Story continues

Plus, Ron, its the wrong target.

Feeling stuffed: Are 7-foot tourism stuffies a good idea or half-baked? Imagining how the decision was made

Bud Light sales may be down since featuring a transgender influencer, but as for Disney attendance after the Ron attack? Its fine. People are willing to give up their beer, but not their Pirates of the Caribbean. I almost said Mr. Toads Wild Ride, but I remember they shut it down a while back because after the oncoming train, you ended up in hell, and devout riders didn't appreciate that.

Ron should give Disney credit on that one  it proves they are not the ultra-liberal heathens he's branding them as. It was the same six or so years ago when an audio-animatronics President Trump got the starring role in the Hall of Presidents. Disney didnt play liberal politics with that, either.

Im sure Ron would say Disney started it by opposing the "Dont say gay law. But the DeSantis counter-attack is so over-the-top that were I to go to Disney World tomorrow, Id feel an apoplectic Ron was spitting bile over Main Street. He's become a huge buzzkill around a beloved destination.

Dueling with Disney: DeSantis suggests building prison near Disney World, touts bill to assert Disney control

Let me quote a major Disney authority, my daughter, Ariel.

Why is he doing this to us?" she asks.

By the way, that's really her name; I gave it to her a few years before "The Little Mermaid" came out. I was tempted to sue Disney over that, but decided to give them a bye.

Like Ron should. But hes become as rabid about this as Captain Hook chasing Peter Pan. And it's costing him. Lately, DeSantis has fallen faster in the polls than that dreaded car in the Tower of Terror.

Why? In part, his weird Disney crusade.

Its one reason many folks have begun to think the once mighty Ron DeSantis is a small world after all.

Governor, leave Mickey alone.

mpatinki@providencejournal.com

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: As DeSantis battles Disney World a bit of advice - Leave Mickey alone
The percentage of teenage girls considering and attempting suicide rose in 2021, a sign of declining mental health during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDCs Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 30 percent of female students in grades 9-12 seriously considered attempting suicide in 2021, up from 24.1 percent in 2019. The amount of teen girls who made a plan for suicide also rose from 19.9 to 23.6 percent, and the percentage who attempted suicide rose from 11 to 13.3 percent.

The CDC conducts this survey every two years to poll young people on questions about topics such as sexual activity, substance use and mental health.

The survey is based on data from 13,677 students from across the country in 2019 and 17,232 students in 2021. A preliminary release of the surveys results showed in February that youth mental health had worsened in 2021, with about 30 percent of respondents saying they had poor mental health and more than 40 percent saying they had persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in the past year.

The respondents were asked if in the past 12 months they had seriously considered or planned for suicide and how many times in the past 12 months they attempted suicide. They were also asked if their attempt resulted in any injury, poisoning or overdose that needed medical treatment.

Researchers found that the statistics for male students for those questions remained mostly stable from 2019 to 2021. The percentage of teen males who considered suicide rose slightly from 13.3 to 14.3 percent, the percentage who made a plan rose from 11.3 to 11.6 percent and the percentage who attempted suicide was unchanged.

The percentage of female students in grades 9-11 who seriously considered suicide was significantly higher than the percentage in 12th grade who did so. Those in grades 9 and 10 were much more likely than 12th-graders to make a plan and attempt suicide, according to the data.

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Researchers also found a slight increase in the number of female suicide attempts that required medical attention, rising from 3.3 percent in 2019 to 3.9 percent in 2021.

They concluded that their findings are consistent with trends of rising rates of suicide risk among females and demonstrate the effect the COVID-19 measures might have had on social isolation and anxiety.

The study states that suicide is the third-leading cause of death in high schoolers ages 14 to 18 and is the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S. overall.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Binghamton man who admitted stealing items from a store last fall and threatening an employee with a weapon will serve at least 12 years in prison.

In January, Johnnie N. Hardwick, 41, pleaded guilty in Broome County Court to a charge of second-degree attempted robbery, a felony, in connection with an incident Oct. 21, 2021 at Weis Markets on Pennsylvania Avenue in Binghamton.

Hardwick admitted he entered the business and stole merchandise. When confronted by a store employee, Hardwick pulled out a large knife and threatened to stab the worker.

He was apprehended a short time later by officers from the Binghamton Police Department.

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Hardwick was sentenced Thursday in Broome County Court to a minimum of 12 years and a maximum of life in prison. The sentence is based in part on his prior criminal record.

Hardwick is classified as a persistent violent felony offender under New York state law for a record that includes felony convictions for first-degree sexual abuse in 2011 in Broome County, and first-degree attempted robbery in 2002 in New York City.

Defendant Hardwicks criminal history began in Queens in 2000. He has made no effort to lead a law-abiding life," Broome County District Attorney Michael Korchak said following Hardwick's plea. "Therefore, it is necessary to protect the citizens of our community for a lengthy period of time. This sentence accomplishes that."

Hardwick also waived his right to appeal. He has been in custody at the Broome County Jail since his guilty plea.

Follow Jeff Murray on Twitter @SGJeffMurray. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Binghamton man convicted of attempted robbery gets 12 years to life
Devon Hoover, a Detroit neurosurgeon, was found dead in his home on Sunday.

Devon Hoover, a Detroit neurosurgeon, was found dead in his home on Sunday.

Police say they have a person of interest in custody in connection with the homicide of a Michigan neurosurgeon who was well known in his community.

Dr. Devon Hoover, 53, was found dead and wrapped in a sheet in his Detroit home on Sunday. Police say they found Hoovers body in the attic of his residence in the Boston-Edison Historic District while conducting a wellness check. Hoover was found with multiple gunshot wounds to the head, and his death has been ruled a homicide, FOX 2 Detroit reports.

Following a graduation ceremony for new recruits, the Detroit Police Department announced Friday that a person of interest had been taken into custody at 12:15 that morning.

Detroit Police Chief James White told reporters that the person of interest is being held on charges unrelated to the doctors death, but that preliminary investigation indicates the person and Hoover knew one another. White declined to comment further on the nature of their relationship.

Were confident this person has information about what transpired, White said in a video shared by local news channel WXYZ. This was not a random act.

White told reporters that police have no reason to believe that the community is at any risk.

He declined to comment about any potential motive.

Weve got some theories, he said. We are happy to have a person of interest who we can question, and we are confident as a policing agency that this person knows something about what occurred.

But he did offer a bit of context about what led to Hoovers welfare check in the first place.

A member of the family called because he did not show up at an event that he was expected to show up at, White said. When the officers arrived on the scene, they were quickly concerned about some of the things that they saw, and as a result, they went into the home.

White said he was confident that police will be able to share more information about Hoovers death soon.

Related...
PETER PAN & WENDY

Alyssa Wapanatahk as Tiger Lily in Disney's live-action PETER PAN & WENDY, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Eric Zachanowich.  2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Credit - Eric Zachanowich 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

In the over 120 years since Peter Pan first appeared in J.M. Barries novel The Little White Bird, the mischievous character who never grew up has become a cultural fixture, a symbol of imagination, childhood fancies, and eternal youth.

Peter Pans fantastical life and adventures represents a dream world for many. But revisit Barries stories, and readers will find that while he filled his works with wonder and magic, the author also relied on and spread racist tropes. Among the most prominent was the character of Tiger Lily in Peter Pan.

The fictional Native American princess of Neverland, Tiger Lily is an exotic imagining of the other. Barrie uses racist slurs like savages and redskins to describe her and her tribe, deploys a mock Native American language, and portrays the character using stereotypes.

Historians say Barries depictions of Tiger Lily and other Native Americans is a reflection of his time. But the multiple film adaptions and television series Peter Pan has inspired have been controversial and problematic in their own right, from creating blatantly racist caricatures, like Disneys 1953 animated film, Peter Pan to Pan, a 2015 live-action adaptation that featured Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily, in a role that many criticized as whitewashing.

Now, a new film seeks to retell the story of Peter Panand to reframe the narrative on Tiger Lily. In Peter Pan & Wendy, a live-action version of the classic fairy tale that releases on Disney+ on April 28, director David Lowery was intentional in grounding Tiger Lily in reality, not racist caricature. In an interview with Total Film, Lowery said that he was not precious with keeping Barries renderings of Tiger Lily for his film.

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The challenge for us was: how do we take this character who, going back to the original text, was problematic, and give her a role that is not only supporting, but integral to the entire movie, he said. There was nothing from the past that we needed to hang on to when it came to Tiger Lily. The version of the character in the movie, who is so strong and vibrant, its incredible. There should be a Tiger Lily movie!

As the film hits Disney+, heres what to know about the controversial and racist history behind Peter Pan and Tiger Lily.

Who is Tiger Lily?

Although the character of Peter Pan first appeared in J.M. Barries 1902 novel The Little White Bird, Tiger Lily made her first appearance in Barries 1904 stage play, Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldnt Grow Up, and again in his 1911 novel, Peter and Wendy. In both works, shes referred to as a beautiful Native American princess, the daughter of Great Big Little Panther, the chief of the fictional Piccaninny Tribe in the fantasy world of Neverland. By all accounts, Barries literary treatment of Tiger Lily, her father, and the rest of the Native Americans in his work is racial caricature, from their nonsensical dialogue or broken English to his naming of their tribe as Piccaninny, a racist slur. They dance and smoke peace pipes; in a telling passage from Peter and Wendy, Tiger Lily and other people in her tribe call Peter, the great white father.

Read more: See All the Actors Who Played Peter Pan on the Big Screen

According to Anne Hiebert Alton, an English professor at Central Michigan University and the editor of a scholarly edition of Peter Pan, while Barries depiction of Tiger Lily and her community is problematic, it was a veritable reflection of the times.

It was a popular fantasy trope, Alton said in an interview with Smithsonian Mag. Barrie was telling the story in the very early 1900s, and so part of it, I think, was: this was a good story, thisll stage well. He was very Victorianand thats the age when British people were still proud to brag that the sun never set on the British empire.

A long history of problematic portrayals of Tiger Lily

The racist legacy of Barries depiction of Native Americans continued with the many film adaptations of Peter Pan. Notably, Disneys 1953 film, Peter Pan, not only rendered Tiger Lily nearly completely silent, an exotic damsel in distress to be rescued by Peter, but also doubled down on racial caricature with a offensive musical number titled, What Makes the Red Man Red? In recent years, Disney has added a content advisory notice to the film and removed it from childrens profiles on the platforms because of the negative racist stereotypes.

Later adaptations still faced plenty of criticism. While some filmmakers sought to subvert the problematic history of the character by casting indigenous actors, like QuechuaHuachipaeri Peruvian American actor Qorianka Waira Qoiana Kilcherwho portrayed Tiger Lily in the 2011 limited series, Neverlandothers chose to do away with the on-screen depiction of the Native Americans altogether, like Steven Spielberg with 1991s Hook. Others invited more scrutiny with their interpretations of the role; both director Joe Wright and actor Rooney Mara were criticized for whitewashing after Mara appeared as Tiger Lily in the 2015 film, Pan.

How Peter Pan & Wendy reinvents Tiger Lily

In Lowerys Peter Pam & Wendy, Tiger Lily emerges as a leader in her own right and a mentor of sorts to Wendy, as she navigates her coming-of-age. To ensure that the role was as culturally respectful as possible, Lowery worked with two Native consultants, Dawn Jackson (Saginaw Chippewa) and Dr. Kevin Lewis ( Minisitkwan Lake Cree Nation) who were involved with the project, from the development stage through post-production. Cree actor Alyssa Wapanatahk was cast as Tiger Lily. In an interview with Native Viewpoint, Wapanatahk said that she worked elements of her heritage into the character, with the encouragement of Lowery.

Making sure that she was authentic was the hugest part, she said, noting that she consulted her grandmother, a fluent Cree speaker, during the process. I wanted to be authentic. I think thats why we brought my Cree background into it.

She also noted that her spirituality also influenced her role as Tiger Lily.

I knew that If I didnt have this culture. If we didnt have these ceremonies, I wouldnt be here in this position, she said. And I knew that if I just kept that strong, then everything would connect. Everything would fall into place where its meant to be.
Chinese vocational training program welcomed in Thailand

10:45, April 28, 2023 By Sun Guangyong ( People's Daily

Natawut is a Thai employee of a plant under a Chinese refrigeration equipment supplier located in the Thai-Chinese Rayong Industrial Zone in the core area of Thailand's Eastern Economic Corridor over 100 kilometers southeast of Bangkok.

The air condition parts and other products manufactured by the plant are sold to not only Thai customers, but also countries and regions in other ASEAN countries.

Natawut, from central Thailand, speaks fluent Chinese and has a Chinese name Wang Dashan. It was under the assistance from the Luban Workshop, a vocational training program jointly implemented by China and Thailand, that he turned from an impoverished student to an engineer and became a department manager of the Chinese refrigeration equipment supplier.

Thai students learn technologies of Internet of Things in the Luban Workshop at Ayutthaya Technical College, Thailand, Feb. 20, 2023. (People's Daily/Sun Guangyong)

In March 2016, the world's first Luban Workshop was jointly unveiled by China's Tianjin Bohai Vocational Technology College and Thailand's Ayutthaya Technical College. It marked that China started sharing vocational education resources with other countries.

This first-ever Luban Workshop combines academic education and vocational training, uses advanced teaching equipment and offers courses in both Chinese and Thai languages. It has established 15 practice areas where students can learn to operate various types of machines.

Natawut was enrolled in the Thai Luban Workshop the same year, where he gradually learned that Luban represents not merely a name of a great Chinese craftsman, but the pursuit for craftsmanship and excellence.

Over the past seven years, the students of the Luban Workshop at Ayutthaya Technical College have delivered remarkable performance, winning a number of vocational competitions at the national level and even the ASEAN-level.

"They are proud of being students of the Luban Workshop," said Mayuree Sriraboot, principal of Ayutthaya Technical College, adding that the workshop not only improves Thai students' language and vocational skills, but also offers them with broad development opportunities.

"Through learning in the workshop, they have been acquainted with Chinese technologies, products and techniques, and developed skills that match the requirement of Thai enterprises. They are competitive in the job market," the principal said.

Mechatronics, which Natawut majored in, enjoys broad application in industry. After graduating from the Luban Workshop, he worked as an assistant engineer.

Thai students of the Luban Workshop learn to operate automation equipment. (People's Daily/Sun Guangyong)

"In the Luban Workshop, I learned both knowledge and operational skills. Students there need to learn the operation of machines, solve practical problems and acquire vocational skills," Natawut told People's Daily.

Thanks to the skills and experiences he gained from the vocational training program, Natawut got many job offers. Finally he chose a Chinese enterprise in the Thai-Chinese Rayong Industrial Zone.

"It is in the Eastern Economic Corridor, the future of Thailand's economic development," he explained.

It is learned that since the Luban Workshop at Ayutthaya Technical College was established in 2016, it has trained 1,227 local students and sent 301 of them to China for vocational education.

Besides, the Luban Workshop also accepts students and teachers from vocational schools in other ASEAN countries and has trained a total of 12,000 people from these countries.

The Thai Luban Workshop improves Thailand's vocational training, further enhances Thai-China education cooperation, and builds closer friendship between the two peoples, said Tanu Vongjinda, secretary-general of the Thai Vocational Education Commission.

He hopes the Luban Workshop can train more professionals, drive technical innovation and upgrade, and make a contribution to the Thai government's 20-Year Strategy, a project also known as Thailand 4.0.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) The Philippine government is looking into possible actions against China after the recent incident involving the nations vessels in Ayungin Shoal, as it once again pressed Beijing to respect its rights in the disputed waters.

We are studying our options, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza told reporters on Friday when asked if the government will protest the near-collision of Philippine patrol vessel BRP Malapascua and a much larger Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) ship.

We again call on China to respect the Philippines rights over the West Philippine Sea, and refrain from actions that may cause an untoward incident, she added.

The episode  which took place in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal west of Palawan last April 23  saw a Chinese vessel maneuvering closely to the Philippine ship, risking a dangerous crash, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported.

The CCG ship was also nearly thrice the size of the Philippine vessel, according to authorities.

Daza explained that Manilas vessel was deployed in the waterway to carry out routine maritime patrols.

She stressed that the CCGs interference with the patrol mission is totally inconsistent with freedom of navigation.

A number of documented incidents also involved highly dangerous maneuvers that were contrary to standard navigational practices, the DFA official said.

China hits back, communication mechanism used

The Chinese Foreign Ministry, as cited by international media, had a different version of the incident, saying it was caused by the premeditated and provocative action from the Philippine vessel.

The DFA pushed back, saying the Philippines will continue to ply the waters  a legal right that we exercised and will continue to exercise.

The agency also said that local authorities availed of the two countries' communication mechanism and had earlier informed the Chinese side of its routine activity.

Gov't told: Rethink policy, boost alliance with like-minded nations

Senators, meanwhile, have slammed the incident and urged the government to rethink the country's policy towards China and strengthen alliance with nations that are against Beijing's aggression.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros said that Manila should "seriously" look into reviewing its national policy towards Beijing, noting those policies must defend the rights and livelihood of Filipinos.

"Let us urgently work on building this bigger coalition of countries who are against Chinas misbehavior, who uphold our victory at The Hague, and who want to preserve peace and stability in the region," she added.

Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel also reiterated the need for countries which have claims in the South China Sea to come up with a code of conduct, and that all parties must start "behaving like civilized, respectful, and reasonable neighbors."

RELATED: Nearly all claimants pursuing oil, gas projects in South China Sea  report

Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, for his part, said the Philippines cannot afford to "fire the first shot that would trigger a shooting war."

"My advice to our Coast Guard is to maximize their escape and evasion tactics and remember always that patience is a virtue," Dela Rosa added.
Disney

Just as J.M. Barries Peter Pan remains perpetually youthful, so too does the procession of stage and screen adaptations of his tale never endcase in point being, most recently, Joe Wrights Pan (2015) and Benh Zeitlins Wendy (2020). Now add to that ceaseless parade Peter Pan & Wendy, director David Lowerys second live-action Disney re-do following 2016s Petes Dragon, which by and large hews closely to its source material. Infused with bounding energy but little meaningful invention, it climbs to only modest heights, weighed down by its inability to add much to the iconic legend.

Based on both Barries novel and the animated 1953 film, Peter Pan & Wendy (streaming April 28 on Disney+) is, in many respects, not very different from Disneys other do-overs, tracing the lines of its ancestors in ways that are faithful, if not particularly interesting. It begins in London in the home of George (Alan Tudyk) and Mary Darling (Molly Parker), whose hallways and rooms resound with the sound of childrenin particular, John (Joshua Pickering) and Michael (Jacobi Jupe), who are pretending to be Peter Pan and Captain Hook engaged in a titanic sword fight.

Lowerys camera sprints and glides alongside them, up steep staircases and onto beds where they leap and laugh with uninhibited excitement. From the get-go, the actions spirit is adolescent and dynamic, and its only offset by the unhappiness of the boys older sister Wendy (Ever Anderson), whos presently lamenting her impending departure to boarding school, where shell follow in her mothers footsteps.

Faced with this momentous turning point, Wendy pouts, Perhaps I dont want to grow up, and those words prove to be magic, summoning spritely Tinker Bell (Yara Shahidi)whose voice is so soft that it can only be heard by those who listen very closelyand her right-hand man, Peter Pan (Alexander Molony). Peters arrival is a shock to the Darling children, since they believed him to be a bedtime story rather than a real boy. Why cant I be both? he smartly remarks, and Peter & Wendy thus sets itself a challenge to make the indefatigably immature hero both the stuff of myth and an easily relatable flesh-and-blood individual.

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Its a trick tried many times before, and courtesy of newcomer Molony, its one that the film proficiently pulls off, depicting its protagonist in his trademark high-flying, mischievous form and yet also trying to dig deepor, at least, a teeny bit deeper than usualinto the wounds that compelled him to eschew adulthood at all costs.

Courtesy of happy thoughts and some Tinker Bell fairy dust, Wendy, John and Michael are soon airborne with Peter on their way to Neverland, where Peter is engaged in an everlasting battle against the dastardly Captain Hook (Jude Law) and his band of colorful pirates.

Disney

Peter Pan & Wendy differentiates its villain from his predecessors by giving him long slicked-back hair and a scruffy beard to go with his giant mustache, as well as a somewhat tattered costume that looks like its been through a few wars without being properly cleaned. Law snarls and bellows with panache, all while imbuing Hook with an aggrieved heart due to the fact thatas the film eventually revealshe was once Peters best mate, only to be rejected by his friend when he began to miss his mom and went in search of her, returning a despondent (and, to Peters mind, evil) adult.

Disney Keeps Bungling the Lilo and Stitch Remake Casting

Lowery and Toby Halbrooks script weaves Peter and Hook closely together as kindred souls trapped in an eternal struggle by their longing and fear for home, for mother, and for companionship. That twist gives Peter & Wendy a dash of distinctive personality, as do a couple of faint feminist flourishes designed to empower Wendy.

Yet for the most part, the film doesnt fiddle too much with its beloved tale. Wendy, John, and Michael meet the Lost Boys. Peter spars with Hook. Hook rails at his goofy sidekick Mr. Smee (a pitch-perfect Jim Gaffigan) and screams about his hatred of clocks. Kids are kidnapped. Ships take flight. And Peter quips away with a playful arrogance thats meant to delight young audiences as much as it infuriates his one-handed adversary.

Disney

Save for Daniel Harts score temporarily aping John Williams Jurassic Park theme, Peter & Wendy doesnt make a major misstep along its journey. Nor, however, does it do much to profoundly justify its own existence. During its climax, a few self-conscious touches creep into the proceedings: Peters announcement that he and Hook are fighting one last time is delivered with a wink; one pirate goes to take a nap, telling others to wake him if one of the two finally defeats the other. Like its prior nods to the role of storytelling in Peters saga, though, the film only flirts with grander ideas; in most crucial respects, its content to be the same old thing in newer, fancier CGI threads.

If more of a rehash than a reinvention, Peter Pan & Wendy benefits from Lowerys expert stewardship. Theres are traces of his prior work in various aspects of his sophomore Disney outing: his low-angled compositions, and Neverlands natural splendor, recall the Malickian beauty of Aint Them Bodies Saints; images of light shining through the forest evoke Petes Dragon; and the mossy, ancient ruins in which Peter and the Lost Boys dwell boast a fabled The Green Knight-esque splendor.

Disney

Even better, Lowery and cinematographer Bojan Bazellis camerawork is electric, soaring, twirling, swooping, tilting, and rotating with fitting rambunctiousness. From POV shots of cannonballs and arrows sailing through the air, to an amusing chase between Peter and his disobedient shadow, Lowery captures the madcap temperament of this time-honored adventure.

Frog and Toad Are Still Gay In Apples New Kids ShowIf You Want Them to Be

All the aesthetic wondrousness in the world, however, cant elevate Peter Pan & Wendy above being an accomplished pantomime. Disneys desire to endlessly mine its popular properties for profit is wedded to a belief that remakes are most likely to succeed if theyre safe and comforting replicas. Theres no arguing that the results indicate as much, at least in terms of bottom-line evaluations. Still, such an approach often renders them creatively pointless endeavors destined to be also-rans to their illustrious forefathers. Despite its charm and polish, Lowerys latest appears headed for that same fate.

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By Jennifer Rigby and Maggie Fick

LONDON (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc has pledged to deliver critical new medicines more quickly in low-income nations, but its first such vaccine effort faces hurdles likely to delay distribution in poorer countries by several years, global health officials told Reuters.

Pfizer made a commitment on more equitable access last year, following criticism that it prioritized wealthy nations for doses of its COVID-19 shot early in the pandemic. The company says it wants to shorten a timeline in which poorer countries often get vaccines many years after they are available elsewhere.

The drugmaker received a $28 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in September to support the launch of the respiratory syncytial virus vaccine in poorer countries, where RSV - a common cold-like virus - is much more likely to be lethal for very young children.

Pfizer's maternal RSV vaccine is expected to be approved for use in pregnant women in August in the United States and several months later in Europe, and the company plans to launch the product in both markets in the fall. Its peak sales forecast is of more than $2 billion annually together from the maternal vaccine and an RSV shot for older adults.

But the vaccine will need a different delivery system to be used in developing countries in Africa and Asia, including alternative packaging and syringes. Preparations for those modifications are just beginning, according to the World Health Organization and the company - which is likely to push back delivery by several years.

The case highlights how equitable global access will require better advance planning by drugmakers, governments and health organizations, health officials say.

"They could have tried sooner," said Erin Sparrow, WHO's technical officer for the RSV vaccine, referring to Pfizer. "It's a little bit disappointing, but they are doing the right thing now."

Pfizer says it is committed to a faster timeline for rolling out medicines to poor nations but acknowledges that there are challenges in meeting such goals.

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"We are committed to working with the appropriate organizations, including regulatory authorities and other global health partners, to help ensure the vaccine candidate, once approved, is available in lower- and middle-income countries as quickly as possible," a Pfizer spokesperson said when asked about the timeline for the RSV shot.

In an interview last month, Pfizer's head of vaccines research and development Annaliesa Anderson said the company still aimed to make its vaccine  the first of its kind  available for pregnant women in low-income countries more or less in the "same time frame" as in wealthy countries.

It had pledged last May to offer its existing portfolio, as well as newly developed drugs and vaccines, at a not-for-profit basis to 45 lower-income countries on a faster timeline than in the past.

The company had learned during the COVID-19 pandemic that "parallel development" to meet the needs of different regions was possible, Anderson said.

LEARNING CURVE

Rates of RSV have surged since the pandemic. Inoculating pregnant women against RSV can protect babies from the virus that kills nearly 100,000 children worldwide each year.

Most of those children are under five years old, with 98% living in low and middle-income countries that have fewer healthcare resources to treat the infection.

Pfizer has yet to take a number of steps needed to make the vaccine available in developing countries, according to global health officials and the company.

They include seeking approval for the shot from the WHO, whose authorization is used by governments that don't have a strong domestic drugs regulator, and by nonprofits - such as the global vaccine alliance Gavi - that fund purchases in low-income countries.

Early discussions with the WHO are underway, but the process will be complicated because Pfizer's RSV vaccine is not designed for syringes that automatically disable after one injection, which are preferred by the health agency for safety reasons to prevent reuse.

In addition, the RSV shot is currently only available in a single-dose vial. In lower-resource settings, multi-dose vials are often used because they are cheaper and simpler to distribute.

Multi-dose vials require the addition of a preservative, which means the manufacturer needs to run new trials to ensure there is no impact on the vaccines safety or efficacy.

The Gates grant will be used to fund trials of a multi-dose vial, which are likely to begin next year and may take another year to complete, a source with knowledge of the plans said.

A Gates Foundation official said that the investment in the RSV program represented a learning process for the organization and the company on the steps needed for more equitable access.

They have already reached a partnership for a maternal vaccine in earlier stages of development against Group B Streptococcus, which kills around 90,000 babies a year and causes 46,000 stillbirths, over half of them in sub-Saharan Africa.

"We very much want to see that time gap [between high and low-income countries] reduced, such that there's no space between the two," said Padmini Srikantiah, lead on the RSV vaccine launch at Gates.

She still expects it to be several years before the RSV vaccine is launched in lower-income countries.

"I think we're doing better than in years before," she said. "It's a process."

(This story has been corrected to change the approval date in the US to August, not May, in paragraph 4)

(Reporting by Jennifer Rigby and Maggie Fick; Editing by Michele Gershberg and Deepa Babington)
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell gathered with Phoenix police leadership at the Phoenix Police Department on Thursday afternoon to request the publics help in identifying an additional victim in a string of kidnappings and violent sexual assaults involving six other women.

Mitchell said investigators were searching for the woman after 25-year-old Tyler Munguia allegedly raped and tortured women across the Phoenix area between October 2021 and June 2022.

Munguia was arrested in June.

Police describe the unidentified woman as being 18 to 22 years old and either Caucasian or Hispanic. The woman was captured on video as she was being sexually assaulted and could be seen wearing a necklace that said Angel and another with a ring-shaped pendant around her neck.

Screenshot of jewelry a woman who was kidnapped and raped that Phoenix police shared.

Screenshot of jewelry a woman who was kidnapped and raped that Phoenix police shared.

If anybody has any information on who she is, we really want to make sure that shes OK, Phoenix Police Commander Edward DeCastro said during the press conference, adding that the department seeks to get her resources and find out what her story is.

Mitchell said Munguia has been indicted on 59 felony counts, including 38 counts of sexual assault, six counts of kidnapping, six counts of aggravated assault and nine counts of sexual abuse.

In one of the cases, court documents say Munguia approached a woman who was working as a sex worker in the area of 27th Avenue and Mariposa Street on May 25, 2022, where he paid her to perform oral sex.

But rather than allowing the woman to leave the car, documents state Munguia held her at knifepoint before binding her wrists and legs with duct tape, gagged her and put a bag over her head. The woman recalled Munguia driving her to a residence possibly in Tempe where he raped her multiple times, court documents state.

$2K reward offered: Police seek information leading to suspect who shot, killed Phoenix woman

She said Munguia scrubbed her down in the shower and kept her clothing and cell phone. The woman said Munguia drove her back to the area he had abducted her after roughly seven to ten hours, documents state. The woman took an Uber ride home and eventually went to the hospital to be tested for STDs.

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Court documents state Munguia followed another woman in his car on June 28, 2022, on Mariposa Street and tried to talk to her. Documents say the woman tried ignoring him when Munguia exited his car and approached her while brandishing a knife. Munguia then forced the woman into the front seat of his car, bound her legs and wrists with duct tape and raped her in a nearby alley, documents say.

He then forced her into the back seat, documents say, and drove her to Tempe where he parked along a canal where he raped her again. He then drove her to a single-family home and raped her repeatedly. Documents say the attack lasted approximately four to five hours before he cut the duct tape and let the woman wear a dress she had in her bag. Documents say he drove her to the area of 27th Avenue and Camelback Road.

The woman later told officers that Munguia regularly recorded himself sexually assaulting her and had done so with other women before posting the videos on the dark web, documents state.

Mother faces charges: Phoenix woman charged with hiding son in murder case

A police analyst used a partial plate search based on information the woman gave and identified a 2015 Dodge Charger owned by Munguias mother who lived in Chandler.

Police arrested Munguia on June 30, 2022, while he was in the car in Gilbert where they found a used condom, a large kitchen knife and a roll of duct tape. Court documents state Munguia told officers he had sex with the two women but said the sex was consensual.

Documents say police obtained a search warrant to search Munguias phone where they found several videos of Munguia raping and torturing different women.

Munguia has been held in a Maricopa County Jail since his arrest on a $750,000 cash-only bond. His trial is scheduled for Aug. 24.

Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at 602-444-2474 or perry.vandell@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @PerryVandell.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix police seek 7th victim of man accused of raping 6 other women
A procession with a replica of the Our Lady of the Torrents, a virgin historically associated with drought, on March 26, 2023 in Spain.

Its so dry in Spain, communities in the Catalan region asking for divine intervention.

Parishioners in the Northeastern mountain village of LEspunyola held a special mass and procession in honor of Our Lady of the Torrents, a local virgin associated with rain, in late March, the Associated Press reported. Villagers carried a statue representing the Lady on a platform with flowers in veneration. We have asked with faith, and many people have come and prayed with faith, Bishop Francesc Conesa told the AP. The Lord will give us what suits us. Many of the parishioners are farmers who are desperate for relief from several years of below average rainfall.

Read more

The drought is affecting wildlife, too. In the northeastern city of Girona this week, officials had to rescue fish from the drought-stricken River Onyar, Euronews reported. The fish were transported to another river with deeper waters.

Luis Planas, Spains agriculture minister, has requested emergency funds from the European Union to support farmers and ranchers amid the extreme drought conditions. Currently, about 27% of Spain is experiencing a drought emergency or drought alert, according to data from the Ecological Transition ministry.

Early last year, low water levels in the Northwestern region of the country revealed a submerged ghost village. The country, alongside many other European nations, saw sky-high temperatures that created a public health crisis. More than 1,000 people died there during a mid-July heat wave.

Click through for photos of the dire drought situation in Spain.

Saintly procession through rural Spain



Local residents take part in a procession carrying a statue of the Our Lady of the Torrents, a virgin historically associated with drought, in lEspunyola, north of Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, March 26, 2023.

Praying for rain in Spain

Local residents take part in a procession carrying a replica of the Our Lady of the Torrents, a virgin historically associated with drought in lEspunyola, north of Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, March 26, 2023.

Procession through rural Spain

Local residents take part in a procession carrying a statue of the Our Lady of the Torrents, a virgin historically associated with drought, in lEspunyola, north of Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, March 26, 2023.





Fish rescue



Nature workers during the transfer and rescue of fish in the Pas river, one of those affected by the drought, on April 28, 2023, in Corvera de Toranzo, Cantabria (Spain).







The dry landscape in Spain, north of Barcelona



View of La Baells reservoir in Berga, about 112 km (69 miles) north of Barcelona. Spain, Sunday, March 26, 2023.

The depleted La Baells reservoir in Spain

View of La Baells reservoir in Berga, about 112 km (69 miles) north of Barcelona. Spain, Sunday, March 26, 2023.

Dwindling water supply in Northeastern Spain

View of La Baells reservoir in Berga, about 112 km (69 miles) north of Barcelona. Spain, Sunday, March 26, 2023.

Water dwindling in a Spanish canal

A car drives over a bridge where the canal should be full of water to supply agricultural areas in the area on April 15, 2023 in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.

Drought is straining Spanish agriculture

A completely dry agricultural flow, exposing the pipes where the pastures should be irrigated on April 15, 2023 in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.

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A 16th Century depiction of a Pictish woman

Researchers have provided new insights into Scotland's mysterious Picts.

The people, known for creating ornately carved symbol stones, left little written material of their own to offer clues on their lives and history.

Since Medieval times, some writers have claimed the Picts were migrants with "exotic origins".

But the first extensive analysis of Pictish genomes has found the Picts belonged to regions of the British Isles.

The researchers said the DNA results also suggested present-day people from western Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Northumbria have genetic links to mainland Picts.

There is also a suggestion of significant Pictish genetic continuity in Orkney over the last 2,000 years.

Bioarchaeologists at the University of Aberdeen and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) carried out the study.

They compared Pictish genomes sequenced from individuals excavated from Pictish-era cemeteries at Lundin Links in Fife and Balintore in Easter Ross to those of previously published ancient genomes, as well as the modern population.

The research team said the Picts were one of the most mysterious of Britain's ancient peoples, but added it was myth they originated from Thrace north of the Aegean Sea, or Scythia in eastern Europe, as suggested by medieval writers.

Dr Adeline Morez, a visiting lecturer at LJMU said: "Our findings support the idea of regional continuity between the Late Iron Age and early medieval periods and indicate that the Picts were local to the British Isles in their origin, as their gene pool is drawn from the older Iron Age, and not from large-scale migration, from exotic locations far to the east."

A reconstruction of a Pictish fort based on excavations in recent years

Roman invaders encountered the Picts about 1,700 years ago, and the term "Picti" was likely to have been a nickname the Romans used to describe communities north of Hadrian's Wall.

Story continues

The Picts created intricately decorated standing stones and also constructed impressive hill forts to defend themselves against rival tribes and invaders.

They battled against the Romans, Angles and the Vikings.

The Picts lived in north and north east Scotland, including what are the Highlands and Aberdeenshire today, before the kingdoms of Alba and Scotland.
A lawsuit challenging a city of Pikeville ban on bringing guns inside Appalachian Wireless Arena should be dismissed because of a lack of evidence, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

The city-owned arena, formerly known as the Eastern Kentucky Expo Center, has a policy barring the possession of firearms on its premises because it is located within 1,000 feet of a preschool and elementary school  a requirement under the federal Gun Free School Zone Act.

Arguing the policy violated a state law prohibiting local governments from regulating firearms, the Kentucky Concealed Carry Coalition sued the city in 2018. In its complaint, the coalition said members had been denied entry to the 7,000-seat arena solely based on their lawful possession of firearms.

But the coalition did not provide enough evidence to show that its members had been previously denied entry, the majority opinion backed by six of the seven justices said. The suit did not identify any members who had been denied entry or describe a specific instance where that occurred.

Because the coalition failed to produce sufficient proof of any concrete and particularized injury suffered by any of its members, the complaint lacked standing and should be dismissed, wrote Justice Christopher Shea Nickell in the opinion.

Justice Kelly Thompson, the one justice to disagree with the majority, wrote in his dissent that through its dismissal the court was avoiding the issues presented by the lawsuits parties.

It is my belief that the number one job of the Supreme Court of Kentucky is to adjudicate disputes between our citizens, Thompson wrote. This dispute is ripe for adjudication. It requires a complex, well briefed legal analysis of the interplay in the conflicts between local law, state law and federal law on an important subject matter.

Kentuckys mens basketball team held its Blue-White Game at Appalachian Wireless Arena in Pikeville on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.

The suit was originally filed in Pike County Circuit Court. That court sided with the city and dismissed the complaint in March 2020. But the coalition appealed to the Kentucky Court of Appeals which said in a 2021 opinion that the arenas policy banning openly carried firearms was legal but the city should pass an ordinance if it wanted to regulate guns carried by those with a concealed carry license.

Story continues

While Thursdays decision technically reversed the appellate courts finding, the state Supreme Court didnt say the Court of Appeals was wrong, Russell Davis, the city of Pikevilles attorney, told the Herald-Leader.

Davis said he doesnt expect any major changes to the policy but would check with the citys commission to see if they would want to consider a change in regards to concealed weapons carried by those with a license. Those with a license at least have been vetted, Davis said.

They have been run through the system to see if theyre not convicted felons or domestic violence abusers and things like that, Davis said.

Concealed carry licenses are offered in Kentucky but have not been required for those carrying a concealed firearm since 2019.
By Noel Randewich

(Reuters) -Shares of both Pinterest Inc and Snap Inc tumbled about 18% on Friday after the two social media companies' quarterly reports spooked investors worried about weak digital ad spending.

Their disappointing reports late on Thursday stood in contrast to strong results earlier this week from digital advertising heavyweights Alphabet Inc and Meta Platforms Inc, and show that advertisers are sticking with the biggest players in an uncertain economy.

Pinterest forecast second-quarter revenue growth below Wall Street estimates late on Thursday as the image-sharing platform grapples with a pullback in advertising spending in a market it warned remained uncertain.

Also reporting late on Thursday, Snapchat owner Snap missed analysts' expectations for revenue, blaming changes to its advertising platform that it said hurt demand for ads. It warned results in the next quarter could fall below Wall Street's targets.

Snap said it was taking steps to improve the relevance of ads shown to users, and those changes in some cases meant advertisers saw fewer "actions," such as users' tapping on ads.

"Aside from Snaps internal issues, the competitive landscape remains daunting, and we believe the darkest days of this downturn are ahead of us," Monness Crespi Hardt analyst Brian White wrote in a client note on Friday.

The two companies lost a combined $6 billion in stock market value, with Pinterest now valued at $15 billion and Snap at $13 billion.

Short sellers betting against Pinterest and Snap were up about $240 million in mark-to-market profits due to Friday's selloff, Ihor Dusaniwsky, managing director of predictive analytics at S3 Partners, said in an email.

At least 12 analysts cut their price targets for Snap, while Pinterest saw at least seven price target cuts on its stock.

Shares of Meta Platforms have surged 13% since Wednesday, when the owner of Facebook and Instagram forecast quarterly revenue well above analyst expectations.

Also on Wednesday Google-owner Alphabet's quarterly results showed ad sales held up better than expected.

(Reporting by Noel Randewich; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Leslie Adler)
Pittsburgh police are asking for the publics help to locate a missing teen.

Sixteen-year-old Haley Eadie has been missing since Feb. 27, when she ran away from school.

Eadie is 5 feet 3 inches tall with blue eyes and long, sandy-colored hair.

She is possibly in the North Side, West End or McKees Rocks areas.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to call police at 412-323-7141 or 911.

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The Platte Countys Sheriffs Office is continuing to investigate what went wrong after an inmate facing serious charges across state lines was mistakenly released from jail a week ago.

Jaeveon Mitchell-Locke, 21, was being held in Platte County jail on five different warrants, the majority of which involved failing to appear in court, before he was allowed to leave the detention center. Since then, both federal and local authorities has been on the hunt for him. So far, theyve come up short.

Authorities had planned to transfer him to Wyandotte County, Kansas, where hes been charged in the attempted capital murder of multiple police officers, who he had allegedly engaged in an early April shootout.

Two other defendants  Cornell Lance Jones Jr. and Samarion Ardel England  are also facing charges for the shooting spurred by an undercover police drug bust.

Spokesman for the sheriffs office Maj. Erik Holland said employees are being interviewed and procedures examined to determine what led to Lockes release.

That process isnt all the way done but it should be wrapping up, he said in a Friday phone call.

When asked if the office has any concerns about the safeguards preventing an erroneous release from happening again  he said no.

According to Holland, a booking officer runs a check for outstanding warrants on every inmate arriving to the jail. That check is run through MULES, local law enforcements recordkeeping system, which funnels information from a national database.

Any outstanding warrants from other jurisdictions are noted as holds to keep the person in custody. Before the person is released, an officer reviews MULES to ensure there are no pending holds and outstanding warrants. Normally, these holds appear in the system as soon as a warrant is issued.

That is our safety net, he said.

Its possible for someone who has been in the facility for an extended period of time to receive a warrant from another area while they are in custody, according to Holland.

Story continues

The check through MULES is done twice to make sure an officer is not releasing anyone with outstanding charges. Then, a second officer is brought in for the final review.

Holland declined to comment on whether parts of this procedure had not been followed ahead of Lockes release.

Locke had been in jail for warrants unrelated to the Kansas City, Kansas, police shooting. The cases associated with each warrant involved incidences of stealing, traffic violations, resisting arrest and possession of marijuana. Another warrant, which was the only one where he was not sought for failing to appear in court, involved domestic assault.

Our efforts to get him back into custody are ongoing, Holland said.

As of Friday, the U.S Marshals Service announced a reward of $10,000 for information leading to Lockes arrest.

Hes believed to be armed and dangerous, according to the U.S Marshals Service.
WARSAW, Poland  Polands Defence Ministry has awarded two contracts worth about 13 billion zloty (U.S. $3 billion) to boost the nations short-range air defense capabilities.

Under the first contract, valued at roughly 1.9 billion (U.S. $2.4 billion), the government ordered Common Anti-air Modular Missiles, or CAMM, as well as iLaunchers from European consortium MBDA. The weapons will be part of Polands 22 Pilica+ very-short-range air defense batteries.

In a statement, MBDA called the forthcoming procurement the largest European short-range air defense acquisition program in NATO.

Lt. Col. Krzysztof Patek, the spokesperson for the ministrys armament agency, tweeted that MBDA is to deliver 44 iLaunchers and several hundred CAMMS to the military in the years 2025 to 2029.

Warsaw awarded the second contract to a consortium led by Polands state-run defense giant PGZ, which is to provide the countrys military with 16 new Pilica+ batteries and six upgraded ones for about 3 billion zloty.

The Pilica+ complements the multi-layer anti-aircraft and anti-missile protection of the Polish skies which is being developed by the military, PGZ president Sebastian Chwaek said. The war in Ukraine demonstrates how important the lowest layer of the anti-missile shield is, as it allows to efficiently strike, among others, unmanned aerial vehicles.

The CAMM interceptor is capable of defeating air threats within a range of 25 kilometers (16 miles), according to data from MBDA.

In April 2022, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Baszczak inked a deal that paved the way for the countrys acquisition of a short-range air defense system using the CAMM missile. The contract designated PGZ as the integrator of the system, dubbed Narew. In this capacity, PGZ collaborates with the European industry group supplying the missile technology.

The Narew will complement the two Patriot Configuration 3+ batteries Poland secured last year under the Wisa midrange air defense program. Baszczak announced in May 2022 Poland had requested the United States sell it a further six Patriot batteries with related equipment.
(CNN)  As the crisis in Sudan continues to unfold, there is mounting anger among Americans who feel abandoned by the US government and left to navigate the complicated and dangerous situation on their own.

"I am incredibly shocked and disgusted by the American lackluster response to the health and safety of their citizens," said Muna Daoud, whose parents were traveling to get out of Sudan via Port Sudan to Saudi Arabia.

Despite a number of nations evacuating their citizens, the US government has continued to say that the conditions are not conducive to a civilian evacuation. All US government personnel were evacuated in a military operation this weekend. US officials have said they are in "close communication" with US citizens and "actively facilitating" their departure from Sudan.

However, CNN spoke with multiple people whose family members are among the "dozens" of Americans who want to leave Sudan, and they said the State Department has provided "barely any assistance" since the deadly violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) broke out more than a week ago.

That fighting between the rival military groups has left hundreds dead, including two Americans, and thousands wounded, and has left the country at risk of humanitarian disaster, as those still trapped in their homes face shortages of food, water, medicine and electricity.

Those who spoke to CNN said they and their family members have had to make "life or death decisions" about when and how to leave the country with very little guidance.

'The State Department was useless'

"To be honest with you, the State Department was useless, utterly useless throughout this entire period," said Imad, who asked CNN to withhold his last name, and whose parents were traveling from Khartoum to Egypt.

"We expected the Department to provide some kind of guidance, but the guidance was the template, just shelter in place, no critical information being provided," he said.

Daoud said that "the only communication is to make their way somehow to Port Sudan and from there they will be assisted by the Saudis.

Those who spoke to CNN also pushed back on the argument made by US officials that they had warned Americans not to be in Sudan. The travel advisory level has been Level 4: Do Not Travel since June 2021, and the State Department has consistently advised Americans to "have evacuation plans that do not rely on US government assistance." However, there were no recent security alerts explicitly advising Americans to leave the country.

Maisoun Sulfab, who has several US citizen relatives in Sudan, said that they had a number of reasons to be there -- her father's wife is not a US citizen and they had been working to get her an immigrant visa to come to the US. Her uncle was visiting for a funeral.

"I think this is just a talking point that they're using to just cover themselves," Imad said, noting that he had been in Sudan in December and it was "not a war zone whatsoever."

"We would not send our parents if we knew that at any second this was gonna break out into like an all out civil war," he said.

He also took issue with the argument made by the US government that most of the Americans in Sudan are dual citizens, and as such they may not want to leave.

"At the end of the day, a dual citizen is a citizen. They have the same constitutional rights as other citizens, and we shouldn't be creating a tiered system for citizenship," he said.

Daoud said that "it seems like American citizens in this situation just have to fend for themselves and hope for the best. Apparently we are just 'passport holders,' whose lives and well-being is not a priority for the US government."

"The might of our military and resources does not get used to save our lives in war zones," she said.

When CNN spoke to Daoud, her 69-year-old father and 66-year-old mother -- both of whom are US citizens -- were making the "harrowing" nine hour bus journey from Khartoum to Port Sudan.

"They had to find a bus this morning after waiting outside on the side of the road," she said. Daoud said that the bus had been stopped three times by RSF soldiers "and at one checkpoint they held my father at gunpoint because they believed he was in the Sudanese Army."

"They told all the men to step off the bus and searched and questioned them," but they kept her father at gunpoint, she described to CNN.

"My mum believed he was going to be taken or shot. Luckily they decided to let him go," Daoud said.

Once her parents reach Port Sudan, they do not know how long they will have to wait for a ferry to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where the State Department has said there are consular officials to assist Americans.

Other Americans are attempting to flee Sudan through Egypt, but those who spoke to CNN warned of a growing humanitarian catastrophe at that border.

Sulfab said her US citizen relatives in Sudan decided to evacuate after the US diplomats were pulled out of the country. Some went towards Ethiopia, others towards Egypt. She has not been able to get in touch with her elderly father since he began his journey to the Egyptian border.

'Stranded in the desert'

One of her cousins and her children, all of whom are US citizens, have been waiting to cross into Egypt for three days.

"They're just stranded in the desert," Sulfab said. They do not have access to food, water, medicine, or bathroom facilities.

"We have children and women who are thirsty. Whether they're US citizens or not, it's a humanitarian crisis," she said. "Unfortunately, without the help of people who are willing to help, private individuals, they ultimately they will die."

Imad said that facilitating the journey to Egypt for his 74-year-old father and 66-year-old mother was "incredibly hard," and one of many obstacles that they had to face when the fighting suddenly broke out. His parents were in separate places for the first several days of the violence before his father made a treacherous, three and a half hour walk to reunite with his mother, Imad said.

He said the department reached out with only two hours heads up about joining evacuation convoys organized by the United Arab Emirates and Turkey on Sunday, and that in order to join those convoys Americans would have needed their own cars. Imad said most people don't have private cars available to drive to Port Sudan.

"It was quite perplexing because I don't understand how other nations were able to secure buses and evacuate their citizens and devise plans to get hundreds of their citizens out, and we're patting ourselves in the back for getting 70 diplomats out," he said.

Instead, his parents had to try multiple times to arrange a car to take them to the bus station, and once they finally got there after going through "live shelling, active bombing in Khartoum," "they waited for about six hours they're finally able to secure seats," Imad said.

The seats, which Imad said would normally cost around $50 each, cost $600 a person.

After a 36-hour journey, his parents had not been able to cross the border into Egypt, Imad told CNN Wednesday evening. The physical American passport that his father has is expired, but he has a photocopy of his current one. Imad said when he contacted the State Department, "they essentially said that there are other cases ahead of us that are similar. They will take up our case when the time comes and just to contact them tomorrow for an update."

"Both of my parents are senior citizens who have health conditions. They don't have water and have food. The bus that they came on has gone so they're just outside on the streets in the border just waiting to be let into the country," he told CNN.

"What's shocking is also the lack of humanitarian assistance on the ground," his wife Leila said. "It's an open desert, 100 degrees. How shameful would it be as a society if we let these people die on the border because there wasn't basic access to food and water, when they just escaped bombs and shooting 24 hours ago?"

"If we're not going to do massive evacuations for US citizens and support the Sudanese people effectively let's at least provide basic necessities at the border," she said.

On Tuesday, the US Embassy in Khartoum issued a security alert advising Americans to bring food, water, and medicine if they plan to travel to either border with Egypt or Ethiopia.

On Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US is working to develop "a sustained process" that would allow Americans to leave Sudan overland, likely to Port Sudan.

"We believe that the best way to have an enduring capability to help people leave Sudan if that's what they so choose is over land," Blinken said at a press conference at the State Department. "And we are working to establish a process that would enable people to move overland to a place where they can more easily exit the country, in all likelihood port Sudan. So that's under very active development."

This story was first published on CNN.com. "Americans stuck in Sudan to make life or death decisions express anger at US government"
Heavy police presence and the Monroe County Coroner responded to an investigation in a small, wooded area of Stroudsburg Thursday.

Stroud Area Regional Police were seen walking through an embankment in the wooded lot on the 100 block of Park Avenue, between First Northern Bank and Trust and the off-ramp of the Park Ave interchange off Interstate 80 East.

The Monroe County Coroner and multiple Pennsylvania State Police Forensic Unit vehicles arrived shortly thereafter. They were seen wearing chest waders and carrying equipment down a path that led to a very dense brush area.

Law enforcement and the Monroe County Coroners office were seen on Thursday investigating a wooded area near Route 80 Eastbound and Park Avenue in Stroudsburg.

The Stroudsburg Fire Department eventually on the scene. Assistant Chief Michael Mignosi directed traffic as a fire truck and personnel lined up on the ramp side of the wooded area

Police have asked for our assistance with a crime scene. Mignosi said.

Police said it was an ongoing investigation and more information will come from Stroud Area Regional Chief of Police Jennifer Lyon.

4 p.m.: Fire Dept. closes on-ramp to Route 80

Firefighters secure the area of the on-ramp to Route 80 eastbound at Park Avenue in Stroudsburg.

Stroud Volunteer Fire Department has now closed the on-ramp to Route 80 eastbound at Park Avenue as police continue responding to an unknown incident Thursday.

Police have asked for our assistance with the crime scene." Assistant Chief Michael Mignosi told reporters at the scene.

Other details were not yet available as of 4 p.m. Thursday.

1:30 p.m.: Coroner arrives on scene

Pennsylvania State Police, Stroud Area Regional Police and the Monroe County Coroner were seen responding to an unknown incident in the area of the First Northern Bank and Bridge Views Inn on Park Avenue in Stroudsburg on Thursday, April 27, 2023.

The Monroe County Coroner has reportedly arrived at the scene of an unknown incident in Stroudsburg Borough Thursday afternoon.

A heavy police presence was reported in the area of the First Northern Bank, across the street from the Bridge Views Inn, on Park Avenue in the borough at around noon on Thursday.

Stroud Area Regional Police officers could not comment to reporters on the scene as the nature of why they were present or if an investigation was taking place.

By 1:30 p.m., Pennsylvania State Police Forensics Unit and the Monroe County Coroner arrived at the scene.

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Police, coroner respond to scene on Park Avenue in Stroudsburg
Police officers patrol Union Station in downtown Los Angeles in 2022. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Police shot a man armed with a knife with "less-lethal" rounds at Los Angeles' Union Station on Friday, the latest violent incident in the region's expansive public transit system.

Police responded to the 800 block of North Alameda Street shortly before 12:30 p.m. for reports of a man armed with a weapon, according to Officer Rosario Cervantes with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Officers fired beanbag rounds from a launcher at the suspect who was then taken into custody, Cervantes said. There was no other information provided by the LAPD about the incident or the person's condition.

The Alameda Street entrance to Union Station was closed due to the police activity, according to social media updates from Metrolink.

Paramedics responded to Union Station shortly after 12:30 p.m. for a medical call, but it's unclear whether it was related to the LAPD incident, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Margaret Stewart said.

The Metro rail system has seen a dramatic increase in violent crimes, with a 24% jump in aggravated assaults, robberies, rapes and murders from 2021 to 2022, according to its latest yearly report. The Red Line had by far the highest number of crimes, at 687, nearly twice as many as the next line, Blue, the report said. But it's unclear how many incidents took place at the downtown transportation hub.

Earlier this month, two people were stabbed at Metro Red Line stations in separate attacks by different suspects, according to police. One person was stabbed at the Hollywood/Western station, and the other person was stabbed at the Westlake/MacArthur Park station just a few hours later.

A teenage boy was stabbed and shot to death near the 7th Street/Metro Center station in downtown Los Angeles in January, and weeks later a man was stabbed to death near an escalator at the Westlake/MacArthur Park station, according to authorities.

Metros head of security has sought to expand the agencys in-house force of nearly 200 transit officers, some of whom are armed, and transit officials committed $122 million over the last year to put 300 unarmed ambassadors throughout the system to report crimes and help passengers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Footage showing a woman being rescued through the window of her car after it became submerged in a flooded ford has been released by police.

Officers formed a human chain to save the woman who was caught in flash flooding in Worcester on Tuesday.

They waded into the water and managed to drag her out through a window as the vehicle sank deeper. Moments later it was completely submerged.

The incident, between between Pershore and Drakes Broughton, near Worcester, was caught on police body cameras and has been shared by the local force to warn drivers of the dangers of flash flooding.

The woman was in immediate danger due to flooding in the ford, so officers acted quickly to rescue her and formed a human chain to drag her out of her sinking car. (SWNS)

Emergency services arrived to find the woman's car already at least 30 feet downstream and submerged under water.

In the footage, the driver can be heard apologising to her rescuers, to which one responds: "Don't apologise lovely, don't apologise."

Another can be heard telling her "we'll get your stuff later, just watch your legs", moments before they haul her from the broken car window.

West Mercia Police said the woman was rescued from the vehicle within 20 minutes of the 999 call.

Moments after police dragged the woman from the sinking car it became completely submerged. (SWNS)

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Chief Inspector Brian Gibbs said: Unfortunately the woman found herself in difficulty in the ford and were really pleased officers were able to act so swiftly and rescue her before the vehicle sank too far under the water.

"Thankfully she wasnt injured during the incident.

This is, however, a stark reminder of how dangerous the water can be and we would always urge motorists to take care and avoid driving through large pools of water.

"I am immensely proud of the work of our team, they all acted in the finest traditions of policing acting quickly and instinctively working together as a team to rescue the lady."

A force spokesperson added: "Well done to all the officers involved for their quick lifesaving actions."

Worcester has become a hotspot for floods in recent years. In January, the River Severn overflowed due to persistent rain.
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's worst-ever mass stabbing, which left 11 people dead and 17 wounded in Saskatchewan last year, was carried out by just one of the two brothers initially thought to be responsible, CBC News reported police as saying on Thursday.

The stabbing spree, spanning 13 sites across the two tiny communities of James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon in rural Saskatchewan, rattled a country unaccustomed to acts of mass violence.

Two brothers, Damien Sanderson, 31, and Myles Sanderson, 30, were initially identified as suspects. Damien was found dead during an intense four-day manhunt that ended with Myles's capture. Myles later died in police custody.

On Thursday, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police released a statement containing a detailed timeline of the events just before and during the stabbings on Sept. 4, 2022.

Police now believe Damien did not commit any of the homicides, Rhonda Blackmore, commanding officer of the Saskatchewan RCMP, told reporters at a news conference, according to CBC News. She said Damien was involved in the initial planning for the killings on Sept. 4, however.

According to the timeline, the brothers were in James Smith Cree Nation selling cocaine from Sept. 1. On the eve of the stabbings, Sept. 3, police said Damien went to a local bar.

"Damien told an adult female acquaintance that he and Myles 'have a mission to do' and that 'people would hear all about it in the next few hours," said Joshua Graham, officer in charge of Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes unit, told the news conference.

The brothers attacked their first victim the next morning just after 5:40 am local time, the timeline said. Shortly afterwards, there was an altercation between them.

"Based on scene examination, investigation has determined Damien fled from the vehicle and ran into the bushes/trees, where he later was located deceased," the timeline said.

A further 26 people were killed or injured in the subsequent stabbing spree that lasted just over an hour.

Police said the timeline was meant to show the sequence in which the homicides and attempted murders occurred, but would not comment on the police response or Myles's death while investigations are ongoing.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil and Nia Williams, editing by Deepa Babington)
WCVB/YouTube

New details have emerged about the police investigation into Brian Walshe, the Massachusetts man accused of killing and dismembering his real estate executive wife.

Ana Walshe, 39, went missing on New Years Day and Brian was arrested in connection with the disappearance a week later. At a hearing in court Thursday, Norfolk County Assistant District Attorney Greg Connor revealed that Brian suspected his wife was having an affairand even hired a private investigator to follow herbefore he allegedly murdered her.

Brian Walshe Hired PI to Tail Wife Before Murder, Prosecutor Says

Later Thursday, WCVB published information and images from newly unsealed documents concerning the early stages of the investigation into Brian Walshe that shed more light on the allegations presented in court. Among the disclosures was a previously unreported police interview with a man in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 7the day before Brians arrest.

In D.C., authorities spoke with a man who said he had been in a dating relationship with Ana Walshe. The documents say the man told investigators: The relationship had become more serious over the past several months and they had spent Thanksgiving together in Dublin. The man, who has not been identified, told WCVB he had nothing to say when contacted for comment.

A friend of Ana Walshes also said the slain woman had given her husband an ultimatum over his looming sentencing on federal art fraud charges and that she had planned to move with her children to D.C.

On Jan. 8, the day after police spoke with the man involved with the alleged affair, law enforcement confronted Walshe about suspicious internet searches on his sons iPad made on the night of his wifes disappearance. They included queries such as ways to dispose of a dead body if you really needed to and how to stop a body from decomposing.

Walshe reportedly could only explain the suspicious searches by saying it was his sons iPad, and his attorney ended the interview when officers asked how a 6-year-old could make the searches without any spelling mistakes.

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WCVB also reported that police in Cohassetwhere the Walshes livedreceived a strange email account the day before Brian Walshe was arrested apparently claiming Ana Walshe had been kidnapped. We have the so named Ana walshe with us here, the email read, making reference to an unspecified deal worth $127,000. She messed up, the email reportedly continued, We have her here with us and if she doesnt pay the money... then shell never be back. No additional information was disclosed about the message.

Along with those details, WCVB published surveillance photos of Brian Walshe in the days after his wife disappeared. In one, he can reportedly be seen shopping at a Home Depot in Rockland, where police say he purchased mops, buckets, tarps, a Tyvek suit, a hatchet, 12 pounds of baking soda, and other items. Another image shows him carrying what looks like a trash bag from the trunk of his car outside a liquor store in Swampscott, the Massachusetts town where his mother lives. Police reportedly said he visited six dumpsters in different locations over the course of five days after Ana Walshe vanished.

Brian Walshe has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, misleading investigators, and improperly conveying a human body.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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A woman has been arrested in connection with the murder of a Boston man who died last year from a sharp force injury to the heart, authorities announced Friday.

Tanya Kelley, 57, of Boston, is slated to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court on a charge of murder in the death of 55-year-old Robert Lee Scott, according to the Boston Police Department.

Officers responding to a report of a person in cardiac arrest at 155 Northampton Street on the evening of Nov. 29, 2022, transported Scott to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A medical examiner last week ruled Scotts death a homicide and determined his cause of death to be sharp force injury to the heart, according to investigators.

Kelley was arrested Thursday by officers assigned to the departments fugitive unit.

Police didnt release any additional details about the alleged murder.

Anyone with information on Scotts death is urged to contact homicide detectives at 617-343-4470.

An investigation remains ongoing.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Pope Francis during his visit to Budapest called Friday for recovery of the European spirit and rejection of "adolescent belligerence" amid rising nationalism and war in Ukraine.

The pontiff arrived in Hungary Friday for a three-day visit, which kicked off with a meeting with nationalist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose views often clash with his own.

The 86-year-old Argentine will only stay in the capital Budapest during his trip due to his fragile health, a month after being hospitalised for bronchitis.

"It is vital, then, to recover the European spirit," the pope said during a speech, attended by Orban together with other dignitaries, diplomats and members of civil society, as he warned against a "kind of adolescent belligerence".

- 'Path of peace' -

The pope arrived just before 10:00 am (0800 GMT) in the Hungarian capital, where key roads have been blocked for days as part of a major security operation surrounding the visit.

After being received at the presidential palace by President Katalin Novak, Francis met Orban.

Live footage of the visit showed the two men greeting each other with a handshake.

"Without Christianity, Hungary would not exist today... Hungary has a future if it stays on the Christian path, and the Christian path is the path of peace today," Orban said at the meeting according to national news agency MTI.

On the war in Ukraine, both men have called for peace talks, with Orban an exception in the EU in insisting on maintaining ties with Moscow.

But their views differ on migration.

In power since 2010, the Hungarian premier regularly espouses anti-migration rhetoric to defend a "Christian Europe".

This is at odds with the pontiff's more welcoming stance towards those fleeing poverty or conflict zones.

In his speech, the pope emphasised "the need for openness towards others", warning against "withdrawing into oneself".

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- 'World's attention' -

Zoltan Kiszelly, the head of pro-government think tank Szazadveg, said Orban would use the pope's visit to emphasise shared "traditional values around family and God".

"Domestically, Orban can profit from this visit," Kiszelly said.

Laszlo Temesi, a retired journalist who was among those lining the streets to try to catch a glimpse of the pontiff, said he was "happy" that "the world's attention is on Hungary".

"This country has a slightly negative image... perhaps it will be a little positive now," he told AFP.

Francis last made a brief stopover in 2021 in Hungary -- where 39 percent of the population is Catholic.

On Friday afternoon, the pope will meet local bishops and clergy at St Stephen's Basilica, where giant screens set up in the square will transmit his speech live to the public.

While in Budapest, Francis will as usual be accompanied by his doctor.

Last month he spent three nights in hospital with bronchitis, fuelling concerns about his long-term health and future as head of the worldwide Catholic Church.

On his 41st international trip since becoming pope in 2013, Francis plans to meet young people, local church members and representatives of the academic and cultural sectors, and will hold an open-air mass on Sunday.

On Saturday, the pope will also meet Ukrainian refugees.

During an audience last year at the Vatican, Francis thanked Orban -- who comes from a Calvinist background -- for welcoming Ukrainians fleeing the war across the border.

In a society where family and gender rights are hot political issues, pro-Orban media have criticised the pope in the past for being too favourable to migrants and the LGBTQ community.

In his speech on Friday, the pope spoke against "'ideological colonisation'... as in the case of the so-called gender theory, or... by vaunting as progress a senseless 'right to abortion'."

Francis is the second pope to visit Hungary, after John Paul II made trips in 1991 and 1996.

cmk-burs/jza/imm
A craft beer bar is returning to Fort Worth with a new location, after shutting down its downtown spot nearly three years ago.

The Brass Tap is opening a new location at The Shops at Chisholm Trail Ranch later this year at 9617 Red Dirt Rd. The southwest Fort Worth shopping center is host to a Studio Movie Grill, Chick-fil-A and more.

Itll be at least six months before The Brass Tap opens the new location, owner Ridham Bhatt told the Star-Telegram. Construction hasnt started yet, but permits have been filed with the city.

Construction on the 3,732-square-foot bar and restaurant will start May 1 and finish around July 21, according to filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

The move nine miles south of downtown comes after The Brass Tap closed its downtown location nearly three years ago. The bar ownership held out hope they could get past the COVID-19 pandemic, but shuttered the business after three months of shutdowns, according to a July 2, 2020 Facebook post.

The Brass Tap has 10 locations spread across the Metroplex. Locations include Roanoke, Highland Village, Frisco, Prosper, McKinney, Allen, Richardson, Dallas, Sachse and Rockwall.

Created and based in Tampa Bay, each Brass Tap location has over 100 beers on tap, along with appetizers and entree menu options.
Multiple Facebook posts shared thousands of times falsely claim that consuming the Stemona curtisii Hook plant -- often used in traditional medicine in Southeast Asia -- can cure HIV/AIDS, some cancers and various other diseases. Experts told AFP there is no scientific evidence that the plant can cure any of the listed conditions.

The false Burmese-language post was published on Facebook here on March 8, 2023. It has been shared more than 160 times.

It translates to English in part as: It (Stemona curtisii Hook plant) cures dizziness and skin disorders, leukemia, throat cancer, fistula, hemorrhoidal anemia, stomach cancer, and all kinds of women's diseases.

The tha-myar-ni plant can cure HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C virus and all infectious diseases, it goes on to say, using the plant's Burmese-language name 'tha-myar-ni.

It has been observed that 100 percent of patients with HIV disease have been cured when they are treated with tha-myar-ni.

Clean the plant with water and boil all parts of the plant then drink it. The result is white blood cells decrease, red blood cells increase, and leukemia is cured.

The post also shared three photos of what appear to be a Stemona curtisii Hook plant.

A screenshot of the false Facebook post taken on April 28, 2023.

There is currently no effective cure for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), as explained here by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and here by the World Health Organization (archived links here and here).

The virus attacks the cells in the body that help fight infections and diseases and can lead to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It is primarily contracted during unprotected sex and can be fatal.

Similar false posts also have been widely shared on Facebook here and here in 2021, and here in 2022.

In response to the posts, medical experts told AFP that consuming Stemona curtisii Hook plant cannot cure HIV/AIDS or any of the listed diseases.

"There is no evidence to support the claim that consuming Stemona Curtisii Hook plant can cure disease," a CDC representative told AFP via email on April 6, 2023.

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"The CDC continues to recommend widely proven and scientifically accepted methods of treating and preventing HIV and cancer. While HIV cannot be cured, it can be controlled with proper care."

Dr Thurein Hlaing Win, country manager of Myanmar-based healthcare website Hello Sayarwon, also told AFP that there is no proven evidence that the plant can cure HIV/AIDS and cancers.

"Although there are some claims that this particular plant is useful in treating chest and cough complaints, there is no scientifically proven evidence that it can actually cure HIV/AIDS and cancer," he said in an email on April 20, 2023.

"There might be some benefits for sure but I don't think it can cure cancers, hepatitis, and AIDS from my professional point of view."

The post also falsely claims that consuming the Stemona curtisii Hook plant can cure leukemia as it decreases white blood cells, and increases red blood cells.

According to CDC, the best treatment for any cancer depends on the type and severity of the disease.

This CDC article about cancer treatments states that the disease can be treated in various ways including surgery, special medication and stem cell transplant that replaces "bone marrow cells lost due to very high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy."

Lack of research

Health experts from Meedan, a non-profit organisation that tracks health misinformation, said studies conducted on the Stemona curtisii Hook plant were too limited to conclude whether or not it can treat general health conditions.

"These studies are limited and not sufficient to conclude that any type of this species is useful for addressing any health condition," the organisation told AFP on April 28, 2023.

Meedan advised that plants of this species and their extracts should not be used in place of evidence-based medicines.

It added that "the lack of scientific literature on Stemona plants does not mean that they are definitely not beneficial, only that we do not have enough strong research to claim that they are."
Ukraine's preparations for the counteroffensive are in their final phase.

Source: Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraines Defence Minister, during a briefing in Kyiv

Quote: "The preparations are coming to an end, as in addition to weapons and military equipment, there must be training for our military personnel in how to use them. We have received state-of-the-art systems...

Let me remind you that in addition to the tank coalition (which primarily includes Leopard 2 tanks and Challengers, with Leopard 1s coming later), we are also waiting for Abrams. However, I don't think the Abrams will be used in this counteroffensive. But our crews have left for training [on them].

We also have many armoured vehicles of various types, particularly armoured personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles. We have Bradleys, Marders, Strykers and CV 90s from Sweden. We are finishing up some more training courses there.

The equipment itself has been announced, prepared and partially delivered. And then there is the equipment on which the training programmes are being completed, and then the crews will stay with it when the time and place are determined.

But let's say that in a general sense, we are more than ready."

Details: Reznikov noted that the date and location of the Ukrainian counteroffensive would be determined by the General Staff. The minister also said that due to the high level of trust among the partners, Ukraine receives Patriots, HIMARS, MLRS, tanks and it will receive aircraft.

Quote: "We are getting all this equipment for free. I'll have to do the math: I think we've already received about US$80 billion in aid, give or take. The largest contributor is the United States; I'll have to count: US$50 billion [from the US - ed.] and US$30 billion from other countries."

More details: As an example of cooperation, Reznikov cited a project launched last August with Denmark to provide artillery systems.

Quote: "The Kingdom of Denmark once ordered French CAESARs [self-propelled howitzers  ed.], modernised and upgraded, for its Armed Forces: a division. They paid money for them. They were supposed to be in service in Denmark after being manufactured by the French... Today, I want to brag to you: the first CAESARs arrived in Ukraine, made in France, but these are Danish CAESARs that are also on combat duty."

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(CNN)  A mass of hot and dry air blowing north from Africa has led to exceptionally high temperatures that are more typical of summer this week in central and southern Spain, the national weather service AEMET reported.

Temperatures this week are expected to be 15 to 20 degrees Celsius above normal for this time of year, with a chance they could hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some places.

In large parts of Spain, temperatures have exceeded 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). On Thursday, they are expected to surpass 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Guadalquivir River valley, which includes the cities of Cordoba and Seville, according to the Spanish national weather service.

On Wednesday, Cordoba and Seville airports both surpassed 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 degrees Fahrenheit), shattering the previous records for April temperatures set in 1997, Spains national weather agency AEMET reported.

Nighttime temperatures are also forecast to remain high, not dipping below 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) in some places.

Schools in central and southern Spain are concerned about protecting students and staff from overheated classrooms that dont have air conditioning, Spanish media reported. Some are considering shifting timetables to put outdoor exercise activities earlier in the school day.

The heat could increase risks of wildfires in the country, which has already seen unusually early fires burn more than 10,000 acres in the countrys eastern region of Castellon in late March.

The high temperatures come as a prolonged drought has gripped parts of southern Spain, as well as the northeast of the country, near Barcelona. Rainfall has been very low, with March levels just 36% compared with the monthly average rainfall, Spains Ministry of Ecological Transition reported.

The country has experienced 36 consecutive months of below-average rainfall, with reservoirs at only about half of their capacity, Reuters reported. In Catalonia, northeastern Spain, reservoir water levels are at about 25% and there are already some water restrictions in place.

The lack of water is having a severe impact on the countrys farmers.

The situation for agriculture due to the drought is very worrisome across Spain but in the areas most affected, it could be called agonizing, said UPA, the Union for Small Farmers and Ranchers.

Even fruit and olive trees, which normally are more resistant to drought, are heavily affected, because there have been years of low precipitation and intense heat, UPA said on its website.

The early extreme heat is expected to continue into the weekend, according to AEMET.

This story was first published on CNN.com, Drought-stricken Spain braces for exceptionally high temperatures expected to break April records"
Mike McComb loads sand bags in his truck at the Salt Lake County Public Works Operations Division in Midvale on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. County residents are permitted to fill up to 25 sandbags. McComb and his family live near Cottonwood Creek and has had flooding in the past. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

In early December 2022, Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson released their budget recommendations for the coming fiscal year. In it, they included $5 million for flood mitigation, even though Utah was still in a once-in-a-thousand-year drought. Was it optimism? Foresight? Inspiration? Clairvoyance?

When Cox delivered his State of the State address on Jan. 19, he said the following: A few months ago, before the first big storm, I asked my team to include $5 million in my budget proposal for flood mitigation. I didnt want to be the person to show up for a prayer meeting without my umbrella. Its too soon to know, but I sincerely hope we need that money.

Related

Related

Fast forward four months and here we are with record-breaking snowpack. Alta Ski Resort, for example, hit a mind-boggling 900 inches of snow this winter  that is 75 feet of snow! Up and down the Wasatch Front, around 90% of the snowpack still remains. So far, the spring temperatures have been cooler than normal, delaying the snow melt, but now we face a weekend forecast with temperature jumps heading up 15 to 25 degrees above normal.

In the months between the State of the State address and this weekend, the Cox-Henderson administration and state agencies have not been idle. By mid-April, the $5 million for flood mitigation funds was depleted. Cox issued an emergency order allowing state agencies to use rainy day funds for flooding, avalanches, landslides and other natural disasters tied to runoff. Preparations continue, even as flooding has already occurred. There are now flood watch cameras on rivers and streams, Sugar House Park is being used as a retention pond and sandbags have been filled by the millions.

Friday afternoon, the governor tweeted information and reminders about potential flooding. Stay up-to-date on flood warnings, clear debris from gutters and drains, keep important documents in a waterproof container, make an emergency kit and please  dont go near flooded rivers and streams! (In other words, please dont try out your surfing techniques in Utah waterways this weekend, even if it is a TikTok trend.)

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Utahs reaching higher temperatures this weekend, which means more snowmelt and potential flooding could occur.



Learn how you can be prepared at https://t.co/6lS4uK20wx and stay tuned to your local news and officials on how you can help your community combat the effects of pic.twitter.com/dPtlrEiRYF  Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox (@GovCox) April 28, 2023

Henderson has cautioned that we are due to see accelerated snowmelt. Streams, creeks and rivers will run high, fast and cold, and there is a high chance of localized flooding.

Imagine if Utah had waited to prepare for flooding until this week.
The Supreme Courts recent defense of its ethical standards is being met with scorn from Democrats and judicial watchdog groups, who are pushing to intervene in the wake of the high courts recent controversies.

A ProPublica investigation into undisclosed luxury trips that Justice Clarence Thomas received from GOP megadonor Harlan Crow has set off a firestorm among skeptics of the conservative court.

For starters, the controversy prompted Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) to summon Chief Justice John Roberts to Congress. Sitting justices have testified before congressional committees before, but the appearances usually focus on administrative and budget matters rather than an issue involving the court itself.

Roberts declined the invitation, laying out in a letter to Durbin how exceedingly rare it was for a sitting justice, and especially the chief justice, to sit before the committee on matters other than ones considered mundane.

In addressing the ethical controversies, Roberts attached a Statement on Ethics and Principles signed by all nine justices, which notes they consult the code for lower courts as one of multiple non-binding authorities in handling dilemmas. But Supreme Court justices dont necessarily need to abide by the same ethical code as other federal judges.

It meant absolutely nothing, said Gabe Roth, executive director of Fix the Court. It was worse than nothing, because at least with nothing, you could potentially convince yourself that maybe the justices would do something. But this is, as I said, just a rehashing of things we already knew.

The hearing slated for May 2 will go on, Senate Judiciary Democrats vowed, appearing unsatisfied by Roberts response, saying it raises more questions than it resolves.

It just highlights how detached the court is from notions of accountability and how unable and unwilling they are to effectively police themselves, Sarah Lipton-Lubet, president of Take Back the Court Action Fund, said of the recent controversies.

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The meeting comes in the wake of ProPublicas report about trips that Thomas took across the globe on Crows private jet and yacht. ProPublica later reported that Thomas didnt disclose Crows $133,363 purchase of a string of properties that the justice and his family owned in Savannah, Ga.

Crow, a billionaire Dallas-based real estate developer who has donated millions to conservative causes, said he never discusses cases with Thomas. Thomas, meanwhile, said he had consulted with his colleagues and was advised the trips fell under a personal hospitality exception  an exception the judicial branch clarified last month.

Adding to the controversies, Politico this week first reported that the head of a major law firm with regular business before the court purchased a Colorado property partially owned by Justice Neil Gorsuch days after his confirmation. Gorsuch, who did not return a request for comment on the revelation through a court spokesperson, had disclosed the transaction but left a box for the buyers identity blank.

As Democrats and watchdogs express outrage, many Republicans have portrayed Congress push as an attempt to smear the courts conservative majority.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on the Senate floor on Wednesday that he had total confidence in Thomas, Gorsuch and the other justices.

Just yesterday, all nine justices explained in a statement their joint approach to maintaining their high ethical standards. Unlike the activists and elected Democrats trying to tear them down, the justices have proven their sobriety and their judicial temperament over their long and distinguished careers, McConnell said.

House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) similarly wrote on Twitter, Justices Thomas and Gorsuch get attacked because theyre preserving our constitution. God Bless their efforts.

But at least one Republican is now joining the calls for ethics reform. Alongside Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who caucuses with Democrats, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on Wednesday introduced a bill that would require the court to implement a code of conduct within one year of enactment.

It is critical the public has full faith that their institutions are functioning, including the judicial branch. The Supreme Court must demonstrate independence and fairness as they rule on the laws of the landand any cracks in the publics confidence will have damaging repercussions for the state of our democracy, Murkowski said in a statement.

Roth, whose group consulted on the bill, said additional Republicans had expressed interest in the legislation, but he declined to provide specific names. He added that he is willing to advocate for Congress to withhold the funding for justices clerks until the court adopts a binding code of conduct.

This is not the Clarence Thomas Code of Conduct Act. This is the Supreme Court Code of Conduct Act, and this is something that people have been talking about for three-plus decades, said Roth.

Anthony Sebok, co-director of the Jacob Burns Center for Ethics in the Practice of Law at Cardozo Law School, suggested extending the code of conduct in place for other federal judges to the Supreme Court.

I think to most people who think seriously about democratic norms, it is simply absurd that anyone who occupies the office of the judge does not conform to an articulated set of codes of ethics, said Sebok.

Now, if that means that we are at a point now where we have just realized that we have a gap here, and we need to go back to the branch that is independent of the original branches and tell them they have to come up with a code of judicial ethics, that would simply be a reasonable alternative, he added.

Opponents of congressional intervention, however, have raised separation of powers concerns, stressing that the Constitution established one Supreme Court while separately authorizing Congress to structure lower federal courts.

In his 2011 year-end report, Roberts highlighted that the justices voluntarily follow certain financial disclosure requirements prescribed by legislation. But he noted that the court had never addressed whether Congress had the authority to impose such requirements.

People throwing around the phrase separation of powers as if its some magical incantation that lifts the court above and outside of the government just is not the case, said Lipton-Lubet. Congress absolutely has the authority and the responsibility to act.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
NEW BEDFORD  Returning to his childhood home, New Bedford photographer and artist Anthony Barboza will be speaking about his new book Eye Dreaming on May 6.

Hosted by the New Bedford Historical Society and the New Bedford Art Museum, the event will feature a talk-back about his monograph which follows Barboza's prolific career, from his childhood in New Bedford, to his formative years in New York City in the 1960s, to the present day.

Anthony Barbozas latest book of photography, Eye Dreaming.

It includes an introduction from renowned author and critic Hilton Als, an essay from curator Aaron Bryant and an intimate interview between the artist and curator Mazie M. Harris. According to the New Bedford Historical Society President Lee Blake, the book will appeal to fans of Black art and culture.

Who is Anthony Barboza?

Born in 1944, he is renowned both as an artist and a writer, having captured thousands of photographs since 1963. He is a self-taught member of the Kamoinge collective of photographers in New York and is known for his unique and intuitive style, which he calls "eye dreaming" or a "state of mind that's almost like meditation."

More: 'We have some crazy talents': New Bedford Festival Theatre prepares 'The Wiz' for April 27

With roots originating from Cape Verde, and work that began in commercial photography, Barboza's artistic talents and successful career helped him to cross over and pursue his passions in the fine arts where he continues to contribute to the American art scene.

How would you know Barbozas work?

Barboza has created numerous commercial photographs, such as celebrity portraits, advertisements, and album covers, in addition to personal projects that celebrate the art and culture of Black communities in the United States and around the world.

More: 'I had to get out of my comfort zone': Long-time sushi chef opens new business

He has made countless commercial images, including celebrity portraits, advertisements and album covers. His personal photographic projects illuminate his deep investment in the art and concerns of Black communities, not only in the United States but also around the globe.

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What are some examples of his work?

Barbozas Galaxy of the Black Stars for The New Yorker is one of his many famous works to date. Barboza's work has also appeared in photojournalist and editorial spreads for publications such as Newsweek, Business Week, TV Guide, National Geographic, Town and Country, Village Voice and New York Times Sunday Magazine.

Barboza was a co-director for a TV commercial featuring his friend and jazz legend Miles Davis for Dentsu Advertising of Japan.

An excerpt from Anthony Barbozas latest book of photography, Eye Dreaming.

Other work Barboza has done has been for companies such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, General Motors, Kraft Foods, HBO, Kodak, Revlon, AT&T, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Marines, Sony, Miramax Films and Burger King.

How to meet Barboza?

Join the members of the Historical Society and the Art Museum on Saturday, May 6 from 2--5 PM to meet the artist at a reception and book signing. The New Bedford Art Museum is located at 608 Pleasant Street, New Bedford.

Copies of Eye Dreaming will not only be available for sale, but you can also purchase a book in advance online. Barboza will be doing an intimate book signing after the talk.

Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at schitwood@s-t.com. Follow him on twitter:@ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford native and Black artist Anthony Barboza returns May 6
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Reuters

The two tracks of Rupert Murdochs debasement of journalism have converged into one extremely costly crisis for him. Its clear that Murdochs last years as a media tycoon will be spent paying for his criminalizing of print journalism and his primetime television assault on truth.

Prince Harrys onslaught in a London court on Murdochs British tabloids exposes the long and unstinting drain on the Murdoch purse of 16 years of litigation to settle claims by many thousands of victims of phone hacking. Coming on the heels of the $787.5-million payout by Fox News to settle the Dominion defamation case it means that what were once viewed as cash cows have turned into fiscal black holesmore cases against Fox are in the pipeline and paying off hacking victims could still take years.

This may not resemble repentance but its surely not the way he wanted to end a life building a world-straddling media empire.

Moreover, Harrys attack on the grotesque and sadistic London tabloids is likely to bring more reputational harm. Murdochs lawyers know this. Harrys refusal to settle out of courtas thousands of other hacking victims have done because they lack his kind of wealth to support protracted litigationmeans that damning documents uncovered during discovery would suddenly be made public in court.

How Rupert Murdochs Final Grasp for Power Failed So Spectacularly

News Group Newspapers (NGN) cannot allow some of those documents to see the light of day a person familiar with the case told the Daily Beast.

One specific personal target picked out by Harry is Rebekah Brooks, Murdochs top newspaper executive in the U.K.

NGN have always contended that hacking and illicit blagging of personal material was limited to the now-defunct Sunday tabloid the News of the World, and did not include the top-selling daily The Sun. Brooks edited the News of the World from 2000 to 2003, and The Sun from 2003 to 2009.

The criminal case for hacking brought against the News of the World in 2013 at Britains most storied criminal court, the Old Bailey, resulted in the jailing of its editor, Andy Coulson, for 18 months. Coulson had edited the paper from 2003 to 2007.

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Brooks, who had been on trial for a more serious charge, a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, was found not guilty and set free.

But Prince Harryand other litigantsclaim that hacking was widespread at The Sun during Brookss editorship. At the Old Bailey, Brooks and her defense team persuaded the jury that phone hacking had never attracted her attention, even though she and Coulson had been lovers for six years.

Royalist is The Daily Beasts newsletter for all things royal and Royal Family. Subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Sunday.

The person familiar with Harrys case claims that lawyers have now discovered considerable evidence that hacking did continue at The Sun under Brooks and says Shes exposed and whats strange is that shes running this litigation. Its unusual for a company to have someone with an interest having a role in deciding the legal strategy.

Shes got a conflict of interest. Is it right for a company and its shareholders to allow someone with a conflict of interest to decide how a case is run?

A spokesperson for NGN said: It is not the case that Ms Brooks is directing the legal strategy. She is not involved and it is being entirely handled and directed by senior lawyers and external counsel.

Ironically, because the News of the World was killed off because of the repugnance of the hacking scandal, it is The Sun that bears the costs of the settlements. That has wiped out any chance of the paper making a profit. In 2020 the legal costs were 80 million pounds and, in 2022, 51 million.

Its striking that in both the Fox News and tabloid cases Murdochs driving priority has been to preventat all costsanyone getting a full picture of how cynical his producers, anchors, editors, and journalists were as they broke all norms of media integrity.

Dumping Trump Is Just the Start of Rupert Murdochs Ugly New Era

The hacking settlements all include an agreement by the victims not to disclose how much they received; when it seemed in the Fox case that full disclosure in court would go beyond the already jaw-dropping revelations made in Dominions discovery process Murdoch finally caved and settled.

In Harrys London case the NGN lawyers have, for the second time, argued that a statute of limitations should apply because the cases go so far back.

In a hearing last year they said, now is the appropriate time to ensure that any intended claims are brought within a reasonable time and that the slow drip-feed of the evidencewhich, on the claimants approach could last many more years, possibly another decadeis brought to a conclusion.

However, as the cases mounted, more and more people found out that they, too had been hackedsometimes as a result of what had happened to friends, or remembering that there had been hundreds of unexplained calls to their phones.

The fourth wave of cases began in 2019, with a cut-off date of September 2022. It is reckoned that there were 220 cases in this wave and around 30 have been settled. Some of these involve claims against The Sun, not the News of the World. Earlier, the actress Sienna Miller was one of those who settled a Sun claim because, she said, she did not have the financial resources to force a court case.

The legal costs are not only a burden for claimants. For MGN they mount up with each wave. They are reckoned to have already surpassed 200 million pounds and it is said that Murdoch expects that the final price of the hacking to him, including the legal costs and settlements, could reach a billion pounds, about $1.25 billion. That is largely driven by the anxiety to keep the true extent of the crime being revealed.

The Woman Set to Take Over Murdochs Media Empire

The person familiar with the cases says that among evidence that has been concealed is the destruction of emails and hard drives and boxes of documents removed from the newspaper offices. Some of the evidence found in discovery includes revelations about collusion between the journalists and the Metropolitan Police, a relationship already known but which may have been more corrupt than previously revealed.

Rebekah Brooks is one of Murdochs favorite executives, regarded almost as a daughter for her loyalty and avidity as a ruthless tabloid professional. In his classic account of the hacking scandal, Hack Attack, the journalist Nick Davies said that Brooks was known as the beating heart of the Devil. When Davies worked for The Guardian, Brooks threatened his editor that she would run a story about his having a love child. There was no love child, and the story did not run, but it was part of a Brooks doctrine to monster critics of the Murdoch empire wherever they surfaced.

One particularly disingenuous part of her defense in the Old Bailey trial was the idea that although hacking in both tabloids had reached industrial scale she could remain unaware of it. The hacking, backed up by gumshoe snooping by private detectives, was a large part of the papers budgets. Murdoch tracked all budgets with a gimlet eye, and Brooks was a trusted manager.

To buy the idea that she missed all of this you would need to believe that she was either negligent or incompetent, and she was neither. Found not guilty at the trial, she and Murdoch had reason to believe that the true scale of the hacking crime as a part of a deliberately corrupted editorial ethic that turned in huge profits while it lasted would never be disclosed. That looks highly unlikely now.

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Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Reuters

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Friends of the royal family have scoffed at Prince Harrys characterization of an alleged $1 million-plus payment to Prince William as evidence that a secret agreement was constructed by the family with a major newspaper publisher and that Harry was kept in the dark over phone hacking claims, with one source questioning how the payout could be described as secret if Harry knew about it.

Another friend of the family said Harrys suggestion that the family would have maliciously conspired against Harry or sought to protect Queen Camilla at his expense was hurtful and mistaken.

Meanwhile a report in the Daily Telegraph, citing royal sources, suggested Harry could have secured a payout similar to that given to Prince William by News Group Newspapers (NGN), but chose to go rogue.

Prince William Will Never Trust Harry Again, Friend Says

It appears that the palace is pushing back at Harrys interpretation of events surrounding the long-running phone hacking scandal, which has seen a public enquiry in the U.K and reporters and private investigators jailed for illegally tapping into voicemails. Harry outlined his position in a 31-page witness statement submitted this week as part of his case against NGN, the publishers of the Sun and the Times.

Harry alleges that the Sun published stories based on hacked voicemails. NGN has always denied such activity took place at the Sun, insisting it was restricted to the now-shuttered Sunday newspaper, News of the World.

The Murdoch family-owned newspaper group is also arguing that Harry has anyway waited too long to bring a claim against them, but Harry says the existence of the secret agreement between the royals and NGN was part of what prevented him acting in a more timely manner.

In his witness statement, however, to much general surprise, he also took the incendiary step of revealing details of a very large phone hacking settlement William got from NGN in 2020, which subsequent reports have said was worth over a million dollars.

Story continues

In one critical paragraph, Harry said: My brother appeared to know an awful lot more than I did on the subject of phone hacking although he did not tell me if that was the case. However, NGN still settled his claim for a huge sum of money in 2020 without subjecting him to a similar strike out application, without any of the public being told, and seemingly with some favorable deal in return for him going quietly so to speak. This goes to prove the existence of this secret agreement between the institution and senior executives at NGNif it wasnt in place then why on earth did William wait until 2019 to bring his claim in circumstances where our two private secretaries brought and settled claims back in 2012, and where he knew far more about the matter back then than I did.

But a friend of Williams has now questioned Harrys version of events, telling The Daily Beast: It hardly seems like much of a secret if Harry knew about it.

The friend said they did not know if the report that Harry was offered the opportunity to try and get a similar deal but had gone rogue was accurate.

But media lawyer Mark Stephens, a partner at leading law firm Howard Kennedy, told The Daily Beast that just because Harry knew about the deal did not mean it couldnt be described as secret.

Secrets are never entirely secretthere are of course always some people who know. What is more important is whether there was an agreement at all, and the palace now seems to be conceding that yes, some deal or settlement exists. Thats the important point.

Harrys father and stepmother also came in for multiple bashings in his witness statement.

Harry claimed in one section, for example, that he wanted to get a public apology from NGN but that his fathers office blocked his every move and successfully put pressure on the queen to abandon his cause.

Harry said that his father was afraid of a re-run of the crisis that engulfed the family when a phone call of Charles fantasizing of a life as Camillas tampon was made public in 1993, saying: The institution was incredibly nervous about this and wanted to avoid at all costs the sort of reputational damage that it had suffered in 1993 when the Sun and another tabloid had unlawfully obtained and published details of an intimate telephone conversation that took place between my father and step-mother in 1989, while he was still married to my mother.

Harry added: With hindsight, I now understand why staff at Clarence House were being so unhelpful and were seemingly blocking our every move, as they had a specific long term strategy to keep the media (including NGN) onside in order to smooth the way for my stepmother (and father) to be accepted by the British public as Queen Consort (and King respectively) when the time came, and anything that might upset the applecart in this regard (including the suggestion of resolution of our phone hacking claims) was to be avoided at all costs.

A long standing friend of the king and queen told The Daily Beast: Dragging Camilla into it is hurtful and mistaken.

Asked if Camilla and Charles were upset by the allegations made by Harry, which echoed remarks in his book, Spare, in which he described Camilla as dangerous and prepared to sacrifice him, the friend said, They are fully focused on the coronation in just a few days time. They wont be distracted.

The Telegraph said their source had been involved in the discussions at the time and that both Harry and William were kept fully in the loop of all negotiations, and said the focus was getting an institutional resolution on behalf of everyone affected, adding: This was not about individuals.

There is, however, little doubt that the last thing the royals would want to see is a full blown court case, which could take place early next year.

While it seems highly possible that Harry will get his day(s) in court, the judge did highlight one apparent contradiction in Harrys argument, saying: Another thing that is troubling me is what appears to me to be a factual inconsistency in the current pleaded case about the way the Duke of Sussex did not have the knowledge before 2019 to bring a claim. Your proposed amendment seems to suggest that he would have brought a claim in 2012 except for the secret agreement.

David Sherborne, Harrys attorney, replied that before 2012 Harry had thought that only one voicemail, left for him by his brother, had been intercepted.

Charles, William and Harrys offices all declined to comment.

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Turkey's main pro-Kurdish party and its leftist allies called on voters Friday to back President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main rival in the May 14 polls.

The announcement pushes one of Turkey's largest voting blocs behind opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu and further complicates Erdogan's path to a third decade of rule.

The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) -- the third-largest in Turkey's parliament -- decided last month not to field a presidential candidate.

It then strongly hinted that it would back Kilicdaroglu without officially endorsing his candidacy.

But both the party's co-leader and its leftist electoral alliance issued statements Friday calling on voters to rally around the most likely candidate to beat Erdogan.

"In this historic election, we call on the people of Turkey to vote for the Labour and Freedom Alliance in the parliamentary elections and for Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the presidential elections," the HDP and its allies said in a statement.

HDP co-leader Mithat Sancar called the upcoming vote "the most crucial in Turkey's history".

"That's why we've decided to support Kilicdaroglu," he told the Sozcu news site.

The HDP won more than 10 percent of the vote in past national elections and represents a community accounting for about a fifth of Turkey's population.

- 'Our goals coincide' -

Kurds suffered repressions under successive secular governments and helped Erdogan and his Islamic-rooted party seize power two decades ago.

Erdogan lifted linguistic and cultural restrictions on the community and tried to end a bloody Kurdish struggle for an independent state in Turkey's southeast through talks.

But a breakdown of those negotiations in 2015 was followed by a new wave of violence and a government clampdown on Kurdish groups.

Erdogan's government jailed thousands of activists and replaced dozens of elected Kurdish mayors with state trustees.

Story continues

The HDP is now facing the threat of closure over alleged terror ties.

Erdogan portrays the party as the political wing of militants who have been waging their insurgency since 1984.

The party says it is being singled out for standing up to Erdogan's rule.

The imminent threat of dissolution forced the HDP to run its parliamentary candidates under the banner of a new party called the Green Left.

"We have two strategic goals. The first is to end the one-man regime. And the second is to become the most influential force in the democratic transformation," Sancar said.

"Our goals coincide with Kilicdaroglu's on ending the one-man regime."

The HDP's support expands the reach of Kilicdaroglu's six-party alliance -- already comprised of an eclectic mix of liberals and nationalists and an Islamic group.

bg/zak/pvh
A new legislative proposal would provide free credit monitoring for all uniformed service members and their family members, building on a five-year-old law that provided the free benefit to active duty members.

The monitoring, which generally costs around $30 a month or more, can help troops and family members keep on top of their finances, with information about new activity on their credit reports. With early detection, troops can take steps to nip fraud and other problems in the bud. The three credit reporting agencies are currently providing the service to all active duty members.

The bipartisan proposal, introduced Thursday by Sen. Tom Carper, D-Delaware; Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota; Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-North Dakota; and Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, would amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to expand the definition of those eligible for free credit monitoring to include all in the uniformed services, regardless of duty status, to include members of the National Guard and reserve components. It also would expand the free credit monitoring to their spouses and dependents over 18.

We owe it to our service members and their families to make sure that their financial well-being is protected while they are protecting our country at home and abroad, said Carper, a 23-year veteran of the Navy and the Navy Reserve, in an announcement about the proposal. Military families are often more vulnerable to cybersecurity breaches, which can expose personal data like sensitive financial and identification information.

Ensuring that military families have full access to credit monitoring services will help keep their information secure, said Cramer, in the announcement.

Credit files maintained by the credit reporting agencies include information about where you live, whether you pay your bills on time and the amount of debt your are carrying; whether youve been sued or arrested; or filed for bankruptcy. The information is used to make decisions on whether to lend you money, rent you an apartment, and, importantly for many in the military, whether you should be given a security clearance.

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The legislation is endorsed by TransUnion, one of the three major credit reporting agencies, and by The Military Coalition, according to the announcement.

The current law  provides a safety net for most but not for all of our uniformed services as we would intend, said Jack Du Teil, president of The Military Coalition, in a statement provided in the senators announcement. The key to oversight is to expand the current law to include all service members  a course of action TMC has long supported.

We appreciate that this legislation also expands credit monitoring coverage to spouses and dependents of uniformed service members, he said.

A proposal was introduced in the House in March to expand the free credit monitoring to all uniformed service members, but it didnt include family members.
This article was originally published in Texas Tribune.

Texas lawmakers on Wednesday voted against a bill that would prohibit public school employees from using corporal punishment on students.

House Bill 772 received a 58-86 vote in the lower chamber. Rep. Alma Allen, a Houston Democrat and former public school educator, has carried a bill to eliminate the controversial practice in each biennial session for the past 18 years. The bill passed 5-2 out of the Select Committee on Youth Health and Safety earlier this month.

On the House Floor on Wednesday afternoon, Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, and Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, said schools should be able to continue using corporal punishment, which includes hitting, spanking, paddling or deliberately inflicting physical pain on a students body to discipline them.

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Kids do need to fear leadership, Toth said. And so I ask respectfully that we adhere to that in our schools.

Arguing against the bill, Schaefer referenced a biblical proverb that he said endorses disciplining children. We will be wise members to follow the design that God has for disciplining children, Schaefer said.

Related Kids Keep Getting Hit, Even in Schools Where Its Banned

Until this year, Texas was one of 19 states, most of which are in the South, to allow corporal punishment in public schools. Colorado and Idaho passed bills this month to bar the practice.

Texas educators can use physical means of punishment if a schools board of trustees adopts a policy allowing it. However, a parent in one of those districts can opt a student out of receiving corporal punishment by providing a written notice to the district.

It is not entirely clear how many districts in Texas use corporal punishment. A report by the Intercultural Development Research Association found that during the 2017-18 school year, 1,165 Texas schools used the practice to discipline nearly 13,000 students. The nonprofit found that Black students and students with disabilities were disproportionately impacted.

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A wide body of research has found that corporal punishment can be harmful to students both physically and psychologically. During a public hearing earlier this month, parents and disability rights activists spoke against the practice and urged the Legislature to ban it.

Clayton Travis, director of advocacy and health policy for the Texas Pediatric Society, said he and other medical professionals have seen kids who suffer from fear and anxiety after facing physical violence from adults. He said nonviolent practices, such as setting boundaries and using positive reinforcement, are more effective discipline tools.

Id like for schools to be [students] happy place where they learn and where they are very comfortable, Allen said on the House floor. Not where theyre going to get beat.

Adoneca Fortier, legislative director for Allen, said the representative will carry the bill again during Texas 89th legislative session in 2025 if asked. Allen was not immediately available for comment.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune, a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
A man appearing in a Northern California courthouse Thursday afternoon fled in the middle of his hearing, stole a vehicle and led law enforcement officers on a pursuit into steep terrain that ended without the suspect in custody, authorities said.

David Lee Salke Jr., 35, was being remanded back into custody by an Amador Superior Court judge for violating the terms of his release from a firearms-related arrest in February, the Amador County Sheriffs Office said in a news release.

Deputies said Salke fled the Jackson courthouse mid-hearing, around 4 p.m. Thursday, then stole a pickup truck from a nearby construction site.

A Jackson police officer located the stolen vehicle and attempted to pull it over, but Salke failed to yield and a pursuit began on southbound Highway 49, according to the sheriffs news release.

Calaveras County deputies and a California Highway Patrol helicopter joined Amador County deputies and Jackson police in the pursuit, which proceeded onto Highway 26 and nearby surface streets, authorities said.

Pursuing law enforcement lost sight of Salke, who abandoned the stolen pickup in the Calaveras County town of Mountain Ranch, according to the news release.

The CHP helicopter continued to monitor Salke as he fled on foot toward Tiger Creek Reservoir, which is on the Mokelumne River about 20 miles east of Jackson.

Personnel saturated the area and navigated the extremely steep and difficult terrain in an attempt to locate Salke, the Amador County Sheriffs Office wrote.

As they were doing so, deputies were flagged down regarding an unrelated subject who had entered the water and hadnt been seen for approximately 15 minutes.

Those deputies diverted from the pursuit of Salke to the attempted water rescue, which the Sheriffs Office said remained ongoing as of late Thursday.

Salke remains at large, the Sheriffs Office said. His February arrest came on charges related to being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a short-barreled shotgun and resisting arrest, authorities said.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has instructed authorities to establish a new museum network in the Russian Federation dedicated to the war of aggression Putin unleashed against Ukraine, and to encourage the study of the history of the war.

Source: list of Putins instructions on the Kremlin website

Details: On 26 April, the Kremlin released a list of Putins instructions, noting that it had been finalised after Putins meeting with representatives of "patriotic and youth organisations" on 2 February 2023.

Some of Putins instructions pertain to World War II, which is referred to as the Great Patriotic War in Russia; others relate to Russias current war against Ukraine, which Putin refers to as the "special military operation".

The Ministries of Culture, Education and Defence, together with the executive authorities of the Russian Federal Subjects and with the participation of the Russian Historical Society and public associations engaged in search efforts, have been instructed to "ensure the creation of museums (regional, municipal, and educational) dedicated to the events of the special military operation and the exploits of its veterans".

The Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Culture, and public associations engaged in search efforts have been instructed to "consider the question of handing over to museums artefacts suitable for museum preservation and display connected to the special military operation."

The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Defence, and the Russian Academy of Sciences have been instructed to consider the "organisation of the teaching of the history of the special military operation."

The first two questions will be reported on on 30 December 2023, the last one on 30 September 2023.

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(CNN)  The Indian and Chinese defense ministers will hold talks in New Delhi on Thursday, the first such meeting on Indian soil between the two nuclear-armed neighbors since deadly clashes claimed the lives of multiple soldiers along their disputed border in the Himalayas.

Chinas newly appointed defense minister Li Shangfu will meet his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defense ministers meeting, the Indian defense ministrys spokesperson A. Bharat Bhushan Babu told CNN Thursday.

Li, who stepped into the role last month, is visiting New Delhi alongside counterparts from Russia and several Central Asian countries.

This is the first time a Chinese defense minister has visited India since a deadly clash along their hotly disputed border claimed the lives of at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers in Aksai Chin-Ladakh in 2020.

Tensions between the two countries have been simmering ever since, and escalated in December when a brawl between troops from both sides in the Tawang Sector of Indias northeastern territory of Arunachal Pradesh resulted in minor injuries.

The lengthy disputed border has long been a source of friction between New Delhi and Beijing, with the agitation spilling into war before. In 1962 a month-long conflict ended in a Chinese victory and India losing thousands of square miles of territory.

On Tuesday, Chinas Ministry of Defense said Li will communicate and exchange views on issues of the international and regional situations as well as defense and security cooperation, at the SCO gathering.

Earlier this month, he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in his first overseas trip since assuming the role, as China and Russia continue to bolster ties while Western countries ramp up pressure on Beijing to push Putin to end his war against Ukraine.

Li, a general and veteran of Chinas military modernization drive, was sanctioned by the United States in 2018 over transactions with Russias state-controlled arms exporter Rosoboronexport, when he led the Chinese militarys Equipment Development Department.

India, which is moving closer to the US as it tries to counter the rise of an increasingly assertive China, also relies heavily on Russian arms to equip its military.

Lis visit comes four days after India and China concluded the 18th round of talks to attempt to resolve the border issue.

India assumed the chair of the SCO summit in 2023. The groupings foreign ministers are expected to meet in the western Indian coastal state of Goa on May 4-5.

Pakistans Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardaris visit to the country will be the most senior-level one in seven years.

This story was first published on CNN.com, Indian and Chinese defense ministers to meet face to face"
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law to tighten the penalty for high treason to life imprisonment.

Source: Kremlin-aligned news outlet RIA Novosti

Details: The official Internet portal of legal information contains information about this.

This means that espionage, giving out state-secret information to foreigners, siding with the enemy or providing financial, logistical, advisory or other assistance in activities against Russia may be punishable by life imprisonment.

Previously, these crimes were punishable by a prison term of up to 20 years and a fine of up to RUB 500,000 [roughly US$3,900].

In addition, Putin signed a decree to increase criminal liability for sabotage and terrorism.

Background: On 18 April, the State Duma of Russia [the lower chamber of the Russian parliament  ed.] approved amendments that allow life imprisonment for high treason in the third reading.

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Alan Winde - MICHELE SPATARI/AFP

Vladimir Putin has been threatened with arrest in South Africa ahead of a controversial visit expected later this year

The premier of the Democratic Alliance-governed Western Cape province, which includes Cape Town, said he would order local police to seize the Russian leader.

Alan Winde attacked the ruling African National Congress (ANC) government for pushing ahead to welcome the Russian leader despite the International Criminal Court (ICC) ordering his arrest for the deportation of Ukrainian children.

Ukraine on Friday meanwhile said it was wrapping up preparations for its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia and its forces were largely ready.

Oleskii Reznikov, the defence minister, said: As soon as there is Gods will, the weather and a decision by commanders, we will do it.

The country faced its heaviest night of Russian missile and drone strikes for almost two months, with at least 19 killed.

South Africa is due to welcome the leaders of Russia, China and other members of the Brics bloc of nations for a summit in August.

Mr Winde said pressing ahead with the invitation would be unacceptable and deplorable.

He said: Putin has consistently and violently eroded the freedoms of the Ukrainian people and those in his own country who dare take a principled stand against his brutal actions.

The ICC warrant obliges South Africa to arrest Putin if he visits the country, but the ANC has a long-standing friendship with Moscow.

Vladimir Putin and Cyril Ramaphosa - Reuters

Fikile Mbalula, the secretary-general of the ANC, said earlier this week that as far as the party was concerned, Putin can come here any time.

The country has also defied an ICC warrant in the past, refusing to arrest former Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2015.

Mr Winde said locally funded police in the Western Cape province would act if the government did not order national police to act.

ANC supporters mocked Mr Winde for over-reaching his powers and questioned if he had the legal authority or resources to arrest a world leader.

Story continues

Pretoria has not issued a detailed itinerary for the summit, but has said it will be held in the Gauteng province, so it is unclear if attendees would also be visiting the Western Cape.

Mr Winde said he would have police ready at the airport and would liaise with Interpol and the ICC if necessary to make the arrest.

Putins allies have previously said any attempt to arrest the Russian leader would be considered an act of war.

The Kremlin says the ICC arrest warrant for Putins alleged role in the deportation of hundreds of Ukrainian children is a partisan decision.

Yet Putins potential presence at the summit has created an intense diplomatic quandary for South Africas president.

Supporters of South Africa's Ukrainian Association protest outside the Department of International Relations and Cooperation in Pretoria - AFP

Pretoria has said it refuses to take sides in the Ukraine war and the country has long accused the ICC of double standards. Some of the ANC old guard retain a fondness for Moscow because of Soviet support during their struggle against apartheid.

Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this week appeared to say the country would leave the court, only for the ANC to then roll back his comments.

London and Washington have been frustrated by Mr Ramaphosas warmth towards Russia and China, which has included staging joint naval manoeuvres earlier this year.

The ANC has this week sent a delegation to Washington amid concerns the US may respond by ejecting South Africa from a trade deal.

Pretoria is looking for a fudge to avoid a confrontation, diplomatic sources have suggested

Last week a leading Ukrainian activist said it would be better for South Africa if Putin dialled in to the summit.

Oleksandra Romantsova, executive director of Ukraines Centre for Civil Liberties, which jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, said: If Putin comes here ... they [South Africa] need to arrest him. Its a complicated political situation. So better that Putin join via Zoom.
Consequences of the Russian strike on Uman, Cherkasy Oblast, April 28, 2023

It could be (so) ... we shouldnt ignore the psychological and emotional factor, Koshel said.

Ive spoken to many military experts, very authoritative to me, who referred to articles in scientific publications that claim that strikes at the beginning of the working week are most effective.

(Thats) because this event will last long enough in emotional and psychological terms. So we shouldnt rule out several factors (regarding strikes on other days), including emotional things.

Koshel said Russia might launch missile terror attacks on Ukrainian cities depending on the Russian dictators mood and his reaction to the latest events in the news.

(It may depend on) the mood of the Russian Fuhrer, ... how much he is offended by a certain publication, by some actions, by many other things, the political scientist said.

In fact, many things can throw him off balance. Lets recall the events of recent days: (a drone) fell outside St. Petersburg, (a drone) fell outside Moscow... These are factors I always take into account, and they seem important to me.

(Thats) because they show that the Russian authorities are trying to demonstrate such monolithicity, pragmatism, but in reality, they may depend on the fact that some person woke up in the morning, bumps on the table and makes a decision by his own under the influence of emotional factors. This is quite important for us to understand the enemys logic and be able to predict it.

Read also: Russia murders Ukrainian civilians as they slept  video and photo essay

Russia launched another massive missile attack on Ukrainian cities overnight on April 28, resulting in the shooting down of 11 missiles and two UAVs in Kyiv Oblast.

Overall, Ukrainian defenders managed to shoot down 21 out of 23 Russian missiles, according to the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi.

However, one missile struck an apartment block in Uman, a town in Cherkasy Oblast to the south of the capital Kyiv, with the death toll from that attack already standing at 20 as rescue work continues.

Story continues

And in the southeast of the country, in the city of Dnipro, another Russian missile strike killed a young mother and her two-year-old daughter.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree that gives people living in parts of Ukraine under Moscow's control a path to Russian citizenship, but means those who decline or who do not legalise their status could be deported.

The decree, which was reported by Russian news agencies on Friday, covers four Ukrainian regions that Russia has unilaterally claimed as its own and partially controls: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

Kyiv says it will retake all four areas and has accused Moscow of trying to browbeat its citizens into accepting Russian citizenship.

Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar this week accused Russia of trying to change what she called "the ethnic make-up" of occupied territory by bringing in settlers from remote parts of Russia while deporting people suspected of being pro-Ukrainian.

The decree sets out ways that Ukrainian citizens or those holding passports issued by Russia-backed breakaway republics, and who live in the four regions, can start the process of becoming Russian citizens or legalise their status with the Russian authorities.

But it also says that anyone who does not take such action by July 1, 2024, will be regarded as a foreign citizen, something that will leave them at risk of being deported from territory that Moscow considers part of Russia.

The decree also allows the deportation of people from the four regions who are deemed a threat to national security or take part in unauthorised meetings.

Specifically, the decree singles out for potential deportation people who favour "the violent change" of Russia's constitutional order or who finance or plan terrorist attacks.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Kevin Liffey)
On the evening of 27 April, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting on the development of the drone industry in Russia at Rudnevo Industrial Park in Moscow.

Source: Russian state-owned media RIA Novosti and TASS

Details: During the meeting, Putin said that UAVs "must be mass-produced" in Russia.

Putin instructed the Russian Ministry of Transport to prepare proposals for the UAV industry to be made subordinate to Rosaviatia [the Russian aviation authority] or to propose ideas for the setting up of a special body.

Putin emphasised that security and secrecy must not impede the development of the UAV industry in Russia.

According to Andrey Belousov, First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, who attended the meeting, government orders for the production of drones will be worth about RUB 92 billion in 2024-26 and RUB 200 billion by 2030 .

The government is proposing to create a system of tax incentives for drone manufacturers in Russia.

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An eccentric Arizona man whose facepaint, fur stole, bare chest and bizarre headdress made him one of the best-known figures in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection is asking to be resentenced, saying his former lawyer failed to adequately investigate video footage indicating that, at times, police officers seemed to ease his movements through the Capitol that day.

A new attorney for Jacob Chansley, more often called the "QAnon shaman," filed a motion Thursday night asking that Chansley's almost three-and-a-half-year prison sentence be set aside because of "ineffective assistance" from his prior counsel, Albert Watkins, in connection with the video issue.

Chansley's motion, filed by former federal prosecutor William Shipley, says Watkins should have sought to postpone Chansley's sentencing in November 2021 after prosecutors signaled that they planned to show Capitol Police closed-circuit surveillance video at that proceeding.

"The filing of a notice of intent to use CCTV video should have caused Attorney Watkins to request that sentencing be postponed in order to obtain from the government all video evidence of Mr. Chansley from inside the Capitol," Shipley wrote. "By not securing the video and determining whether it supported Mr. Chansleys description of events, Attorney Watkins allowed the Government to take liberties in describing Mr. Chansleys conduct while inside the Capitol, without fear of the unproduced videos contradicting the Governments claims."

Chansley pleaded guilty in September 2021 to obstruction of an official proceeding.

The new motion was prompted by video footage that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy shared exclusively with Tucker Carlson, then of Fox News, earlier this year. Some of the video Carlson aired last month showed police appearing to open a door for Chansley and to direct him through various hallways in the Capitol.



Prosecutors claimed in correspondence with Shipley that almost all the videos aired during Carlson's program last month were made available to his then-attorney and others on a data-sharing platform in October 2021. However, Shipley asserts that prosecutors in another case said the videos were uploaded the prior month "and it is quite likely that both [claims] are false."

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In addition to claiming Chansley's lawyer didn't explore the video issue sufficiently, the motion argues that prosecutors violated Chansley's rights by failing to isolate and highlight the videos Shipley contends are exculpatory. Prosecutors have argued that they fulfilled their obligations by turning over a massive trove of video evidence to all defendants and by alerting defendants to relevant videos that prosecutors were aware of.

The motion is likely to have little direct effect on the most significant element of Chansley's sentence  his time spent behind bars  because he was released last month from a federal prison in Arizona and sent to a halfway house. A federal prisoner database shows he's scheduled for release from custody in May. He served only about 27 months of his 41-month sentence due to various policies crediting prisoners with so-called "good time" and allowing for transition programs like halfway houses.

Shipley declined to comment on what concrete benefit the motion can achieve for Chansley at this juncture, but it's possible the move could lead to his conviction being overrturned. The motion also suggests that the video footage undermines prosecutors' claims that Chansley intended violence when he entered the Capitol. U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth, who sentenced Chansley and will handle the new motion, applied an enhancement for use of violence that more or less doubled the recommended sentence for Chansley.

Lamberth, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan, also ruled early in Chansley's case that a finial on an American flag he carried in the Capitol could have been used as a spear so it qualified as a weapon. The finding supported Lamberth's decision to deny Chansley release on bond.

Whatever the actions of the police, prosecutors have contended that Chansley acted in a manner that was unambiguously threatening. After going onto the Senate floor, he went up on the dais, writing and leaving a note saying: Its only a matter of time. Justice is coming. Chansley has contended he was peaceful on Jan. 6, never engaging in the violence some other protesters did.

Asked about the new filing, Watkins said in an email to POLITICO: "I wish nothing but the best for Jacob Chansley. He is a bright and gentle man who deserved better from the Government on many levels."

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington did not respond to a message Thursday night seeking comment on the filing.
Queen Elizabeth II accompanied by Prince Philip on the day of her coronation in 1953 (Intercontinale/AFP/Getty)

As the country gears up to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday 6 May 2023, many will be remembering the crowning of his late mother 71 years earlier, a defining event in 20th century British history.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II sat on the throne for seven decades, overseeing huge change in the national life, reigning from the Suez crisis to the coronavirus pandemic and witnessing both the decline of empire and the rise of the internet.

Her death at 96 on 8 September 2022, just months after her platinum jubilee celebrations were observed, was followed by a lavish state funeral and now her eldest son will succeed her as monarch following a ceremony of his own in Westminster.

So what was the late Queens coronation like and what did it involve?

Heres everything you need to know.

What is a coronation?

The Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to mark the coronation (AFP/Getty)

A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power.

As well as being an occasion for celebration and pageantry, it is also a solemn religious ceremony that has remained essentially the same for over a thousand years.

For the last 900 years, the ceremony has taken place at Londons Westminster Abbey. The service is conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, whose task this has almost always been since the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Representatives of the Houses of Parliament, church and state attend the event, along with prime ministers and leading citizens from the Commonwealth and representatives of other countries.

When was the Queens coronation?

The Queen and Prince Philip in the horse-drawn carriage on the way to Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953 (Intercontinentale/AFP/Getty)

In 1937, 11-year-old Princess Elizabeth watched her father, King George VI, being crowned in the elaborate ceremony.

Sixteen years later on 2 June 1953, her own official coronation took place. She was just 27 years-old.

At this stage, Queen Elizabeth II had already been serving as the head of the British royal family for 16 months, following the death of her father at the age of 56 from coronary thrombosis on 6 February 1952.

The service began at 11.15am and lasted almost three hours.

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aaA total of 8,251 guests attended the ceremony, with 129 nations and territories officially represented at the service.

The first ever coronation to be televised, it was watched by 27 million people in the UK alone (out of a population of 36 million), and millions more around the world.

What does the sovereign promise to do during a coronation?

The incoming sovereign promises to rule according to law, to exercise justice with mercy  promises symbolised by the four swords in the coronation regalia (the Crown Jewels)  and to maintain the Church of England.

The sovereign is then anointed, blessed and consecrated by the Archbishop, while the monarch is seated in King Edward's chair (made in 1300, and used by every sovereign since 1626).

After receiving the orb and sceptres, the Archbishop places St Edward's Crown on the sovereign's head. After homage is paid by the Archbishop of Canterbury and senior peers, Holy Communion is celebrated.

What did the Queen wear at her coronation?

The Queen wore a dress designed by British fashion designer Norman Hartnell (AFP/Getty)

aaThe Queen's coronation dress, designed by British fashion designer Norman Hartnell, was made of white satin and embroidered with the emblems of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in gold and silver thread.

Since the coronation, the Queen has worn the coronation dress six times including the Opening of Parliament in New Zealand and Australia in 1954.

The Duke of Edinburgh wore full-dress naval uniform for the journey to and from the Abbey. While in the Abbey, he wore a coronet and his Duke's robe over his uniform.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said this week that American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten is not a mother, during a congressional hearing on pandemic-era school closures.

Democrats at the hearing alleged that Taylor Greene (R., Ga.) had engaged in cruel personal attacks against Weingarten that were unacceptable.

But is she right? The answer is not as simple as it might appear.

First, the basic family history: Weingarten married Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum in 2018, whose former wife had two children with a previous husband (more on this below).

The exchange in question occurred before House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Select Coronavirus Crisis during its hearing Wednesday on school closures during the pandemic:

Greene: Ms. Weingarten, are you a medical doctor? Weingarten: I am not. Greene: Are you a mother? Weingarten: I am a mother by marriage. Greene: By marriage, I see. Weingarten: And my wife is here with me. So, Im really glad that shes here, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum. Greene: Ms. Weingarten, and you havent taught school since the 90s, so youre not a teacher anymore? Kleinbaum: I am actually, Representative, I am actually on leave from my teaching position and this fall I will be teaching as a guest teacher at Cornell, my alma mater. Greene: When was the last year you taught, 1997? Is that correct? Weingarten: The last time I taught a full class was June 1997. Greene: Okay, thats been quite a long time, approximately 26 years ago.

What Id like to talk about is your recommendations to the CDC as not a medical doctor, not a biological mother, and really, not a teacher, either, Greene said later in the exchange. Let me tell you, I am a mother, and all three of my children were directly affected by the school closures by your recommendations, which is something that you cant really understand. She mentioned rising rates of suicide, anxiety, depression, and diagnoses of gender dysphoria among children during the pandemic, as well as decreased learning.

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Greene then told Weingarten, You had no business advising the CDC what the medical guidelines were for school closures. . . . The problem is people like you need to admit youre just a political activist. Not a teacher, not a mother, and not a medical doctor.

The statement prompted a challenge from fellow lawmakers. Representative Robert Garcia (D., Calif.) raised a point of order, saying of Weingarten, I just want to note that the decorum of the attacks on the witness were unacceptable that the gentlelady from Georgia just did. And so it would be nice if we didnt attack the witnesses, particularly making a decision about whether or not she is a mother. You are a mother. Thank you for being a great parent. Thank you.

Representative Raul Ruiz (D., Calif.) decried the cruel personal attacks to Ms. Weingarten, who loves her children, saying it is reflective of the cruel personal attacks to any adopted mother or father who love their children and asking that the remarks be taken out of the record, for the sake of all the parents who have adopted a child and love them dearly and see them as their own.

Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R., Ohio) stated that Greenes comments were not in violation of House rules.

Back to the family history, which helps shed light on why Greene said what she said: Weingarten was friends with Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum in the 1990s, and they married in 2018. Kleinbaum previously was married to Rabbi Margaret Moers Wenig. They wed in 2008. Wenig had two children with her former husband, whom she divorced upon realizing she was a lesbian; Wenig and her husband shared equal custody of their two daughters. Kleinbaum and Wenig divorced in 2012 after a nearly 20-year relationship. In a New York Times interview published in 1993, Kleinbaum mentioned raising two kids, but did not disclose the ages. A brief biography of Kleinbaum published before 2013 mentions that the two daughters had graduated, and Kleinbaum had a niece and nephew.

The media coverage of the hearing has characterized Weingartens status as a parent differently, with some describing her as a step-mother and others describing her as an adoptive mother.

This is not the first instance in which Weingartens claim to parenthood prompted criticism from conservatives. Senator Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) had made similar comments about Weingartens status as a parent on Fox News in 2021.

Randi Weingarten is a joke. Randi Weingarten does not even have children of her own. What in the hell does she know about raising and teaching kids? In fact, thats probably why she was perfectly fine to shut down schools for two years and force kids to wear masks, because she didnt have to deal with it at home, Cotton said.

More from National Review
Cases of babesiosis, which causes a flu-like illness, are on the rise.

Cases of babesiosis, which causes a flu-like illness, are on the rise.

Youve probably heard of Lyme disease, the tick-borne illness that is known to infect people and dogs who spend time outside. But Lyme disease is only one of a number of tick-borne diseases that can infect humans.

Cases of Lyme disease are rising in the United States, along with cases of babesiosis, another tick-borne disease that tends to crop up in the spring and summer. According to Edouard Vannier, an infectious diseases researcher at Tufts Medical Center in Massachusetts, there are about 2,400 to 2,500 reported cases of babesiosis each year in the U.S. That is just the number of reported cases. Many go unreported, which means the actual number of babesiosis infections is likely much higher. (Based on predictions, up to 38,000 cases of babesiosis may occur each year in the U.S., Vannier said.)

Comparatively, there are 30,000 reported cases of Lyme disease each year in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (And, again, the number of Lyme disease infections is likely much higher  the CDC estimates up to 476,000 people may be infected with Lyme disease.)

While Lyme disease is clearly a more prevalent problem throughout the country, babesiosis cases are on the rise and can lead to serious health issues if left untreated. Below, experts share what babesiosis is and how to spot the symptoms.

Like Lyme disease, babesiosis is spread via the deer tick.

According to Vannier, Babesiosis is an infectious disease caused by parasites that invade red blood cells.

Specifically, the parasite that often causes babesiosis in the US is Babesia microti, and its spread through deer tick bites, he said. But some human babesiosis infections have been caused by other Babesia species, too, according to the CDC.

Deer ticks are commonly infected with both of the pathogens that cause Lyme disease and babesiosis, which means co-infection in humans is also common, according to Karine Le Roch, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease and Vector Research at the University of California, Riverside.

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But there are more cases of Lyme disease than babesiosis because babesiosis needs the help of Lyme disease to spread, Vannier said.

So, while not all Lyme disease infections also mean you have babesiosis, it is important to know that it is common. Additionally, those who are infected with both have a greater number of symptoms and have a longer duration of disease, Vannier said. Lyme disease symptoms include a bulls-eye rash, fever, fatigue, joint stiffness and muscle weakness, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Babesiosis causes flu-like symptoms in most people.

The symptoms are very wide. Id say it can range from asymptotic to life-threatening disease, Le Roch said.

Most people experience flu-like symptoms, which makes the disease very hard to detect, especially with COVID-19, norovirus and the actual flu continuing to infect people.

You have a bit of fever, fatigue, headache, chills, sometimes nausea  but in most [cases], its resolved and then in a couple of weeks you can feel better, Le Roch said.

In other words, there arent telltale signs that signify this disease, which means it often goes unreported and untreated. Vannier said that some people report muscle aches and a loss of appetite as well. People can also experience vomiting or diarrhea, which is indicative of serious disease.

You have to be aware that you can indeed have babesiosis and the symptoms might not be warning you, Vannier said.

The unfortunate catch is that the treatment for the illness is different from Lyme disease treatment, which means its important to be aware if you do have it.

Deer ticks spread not only Lyme disease but babesiosis as well.

Deer ticks spread not only Lyme disease but babesiosis as well.

For immunocompromised people and elderly folks, the symptoms can be more severe.

The issue here is that some people will have mild disease  and some of them will actually have very severe disease that will progress into complications, and these patients have to be admitted, Vannier noted.

For healthy people under 50, your body will likely be able to fight off the disease without any issue, he said. For those 50 and over and those who are immunocompromised, treatment is more often needed.

There are some additional risk factors that you should be aware of  people who do not have a spleen are at risk for severe babesiosis, which can be fatal in those cases, Vannier stressed. Those living with health conditions that affect the immune system, like those going through cancer treatment or living with HIV, can have a hard time fighting off infections of all sorts, including a babesiosis infection.

The longer babesiosis lingers in ones system, the more of an opportunity it has to mutate and become resistant to the drug therapies that are used for treatment, Vannier added. (There is currently no vaccine.) The most common complication is kidney failure.

That said, its important to remember that most peoples immune systems can handle this disease. Its only a very few cases that reach this life-threatening disease because most of the healthy people will be fine, Le Roch said.

The disease has been detected in certain parts of the Northeast, upper Midwest and the West Coast.

Vannier said the first U.S. case of babesiosis caused by Babesia micorti was found on Nantucket, an island in Massachusetts, in the late 1960s.

It was actually known at that time as Nantucket fever ... It was also known as the summer flu because, obviously, it is [a] seasonal disease that is most often seen from late May to late September, he said.

Following this, it was recognized onMarthas Vineyard, and along the coastline of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. In 2000, it spread to the Hudson Valley region of New York and has since spread north to Boston, the North Shore in Massachusetts, southern Maine, southern New Hampshire and southern Vermont. There are also some cases in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., Vannier said.

Additionally, cases have been reported in the upper midwest, like Minnesota and Wisconsin. Le Roch added that cases have also been reported in California, Washington and Oregon.

You need kind of a wet, warm climate and you need some forest and grass and bushes to actually find these ticks, Le Roch said.

To protect yourself from ticks, you have to be diligent.

Spring is already here  cases usually start showing up in late May, which means people are exposed beginning in late April, Vannier said. (Babesiosis has an incubation period of one to six weeks.) As mentioned above, tick season runs through late September.

To avoid ticks, Vannier recommends staying away from long grass by walking on clear trails, in addition to wearing long pants, long-sleeved shirts and socks when out. Additionally, bug repellant is a good tool to keep ticks at bay.

Le Roch said you should check your entire body after being outside in grassy areas, and showering can help wash away any ticks that arent attached to you. If you do find an attached tick, remove it immediately with tweezers, she said.

If you feel sick or weak one to six weeks after the bite of the tick, you definitely have to consult your health provider, and let them know youve been walking in the wild and you may have either Lyme or babesiosis, Le Roch said.

This article has been updated to offer further clarity on the spread of babesiosis in the U.S.

Related...
A ghostly white figure graced the waters off the California coast, offering whale watchers a rare glimpse.

Casper, an all white Rissos dolphin, was spotted swimming in Monterey Bay with a pod of more than 1,000 dolphins Tuesday, April 25, Monterey Bay Whale Watch said in an April 26 Facebook post.

Any day spent in the company of this special individual is a good day in our book, the company said.

Those aboard delighted in the sight.

His stunning white body is incredible to see in the deep blue water, a Facebook user shared.

The dolphin was also spotted in the bay just 11 days before, the company said in an April 15 Facebook post.

Casper frequents the area, Nancy Black, a marine biologist with the whale-watching company, told The Mercury News.

You can see him any time of year, sometimes he stays for several months with his family and other Rissos dolphins, Black told the newspaper.

The dolphin is a rarity, as he is just one of three white Rissos dolphins in the world, Colleen Talty, a marine biologist with the company, told KION-TV.

Its unclear where Casper gets his white pigmentation, as it is either the result of albinism or leucism, according to the company.

With leucism, youll usually see more natural pigment on them, whereas with albinism its a pure white animal, Eric Austin Yee, a naturalist with Discovery Whale Watch, told SFGate. There are a few other dolphins in the world that are white with patches of pigment on them so we know for sure theyre leucistic, but on Casper we havent seen the patches. Casper is pretty white.

Leucism is the abnormal condition of reduced pigmentation caused by a genetic mutation in animals that inhibits melanin and other pigments from being deposited in feathers, hair, or skin, according to Merriam-Webster. It results in overall pale color or patches of reduced coloring.

Albinism, on the other hand, is caused by an absence or defect of the enzyme tyrosinase, which is involved in the synthesis of melanin  the pigment that gives skin, hair, and eyes their color, according to the nonprofit Dolphin Project.

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Daniel Bianchetta, a photographer with Monterey Bay Whale Watch, first spotted Casper in 2015, The Mercury News reported. He named him not just for his white color but also for his scattered appearances.

The name just seemed appropriate, Bianchetta told the newspaper. We wouldnt see him for six months at a time, so he was kind of like a ghost  youd see him sometimes and then you wouldnt.

Rissos dolphins, which have a lifespan of at least 35 years, are found worldwide in temperate, subtropical, and tropical oceans and seas, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They typically measure between 8 1/2 and 13 feet long and weigh between 660 to 1,100 pounds.

The ghost orca returns. Rare white calf named Frosty spotted off California coast

One of the rarest whales in the world stuns group when its spotted off California

Rare white dolphin spotted off Southern California coast. See the video
(CNN)  Single people should be honored as much as couples and families, the Church of England has said, pointing to Jesus own single status.

A report published Wednesday focuses on families and relationships befitting a diverse society, with one of its key messages to honour singleness and single person households.

The Love Matters report was conducted by the Archbishops Commission on Families and Households, a group established in 2021 by the archbishops of Canterbury and York  Justin Welby and Stephen Cottrell respectively  to recommend ways the church can work with families and households, while drawing on Christian tradition.

In a statement Wednesday, Welby said the report encourages us to prioritise the hopes, needs and aspirations of families  in all their diversity.

Love Matters concludes a trilogy of reports, with the first looking at housing and the second at care and support.

The commission recognizes that an increasing number of people do not live in family or couple units, and that singleness can be a deliberate choice.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of people living alone has increased by 8.3% over a decade to 2021. That year, the proportion of one-person households ranged from 25.8% in London to 36% in Scotland.

Sometimes the right partner has not been found, and sometimes separation, divorce or death has resulted in the loss of a partner, the Love Matters report says, adding that it believes single people must be valued at the heart of our society.

Jesus own singleness should ensure that the Church of England celebrates singleness and does not regard it as lesser than living in a couple relationship, the report adds.

The reports suggestion to honour singleness is another deviation from the churchs traditional teachings of heterosexual marriage. While same-sex couples cannot be married by the church, a vote earlier this year favored blessing their marriage.

The commission highlighted that the church now has an opportunity to reimagine a society where all families and relationships are valued to promote a stability that enables everyone to thrive in a variety of family constellations, including being single.

Paul Butler, bishop of Durham and co-chair of the commission, added in a statement that what constitutes as family differs across society.

(The report reveals) that the shape of family changes through our lives, Butler said. It further shows that there is no one best shape, except that loving long term relationships are absolutely key for us all to flourish.

This story was first published on CNN.com, Single people should be valued as Jesus was single, Church of England says"
Most Californians are unaware that their personal income information is about to get factored into what they pay for electricity.

Should that raise alarms, dont blame utilities like Pacific Gas & Electric. Investor-owned utilities  PG&E, along with Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas and Electric  must comply with a state law passed last year that requires customers to be charged a flat fee to pay for electric system infrastructure such as power poles and transmission lines, as well as state-mandated initiatives like energy efficiency and wildfire-risk reduction.

The legislation, AB 205, was the ultimate product of the Assembly Budget Committee. It requires that the infrastructure charge be based on income level, with lower-income customers paying less than those earning more. Besides the fixed fee for infrastructure maintenance, customers will still have the monthly charge for how much electricity they use.

The California Public Utilities Commission is to review a proposal by the utilities next year and then adopt the final version. Full implementation is expected in 2025.

In an explanation in its Currents newsletter, PG&E says the plan will not generate any new revenue. These are not new charges, but a restructuring of the components of providing and delivering power, the utility says.

This proposal aims to help lower bills for those who need it most and improves billing transparency and predictability for all customers, said said Marlene Santos, chief customer officer for PG&E. As California rapidly advances to a future of electrification, this proposal will help to limit the impact on disadvantaged communities, as Californians transition to electrification in support of the states clean energy goals.

So, the state government is requiring that our personal income information be accessed, when until now, our exact income information has been the purview of tax agencies.

There is a real irony to California officials gaining further access to our earnings when the state is so reticent, even obstructionist, when citizens, nonprofit groups and the media seek information that is public record.

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Too often the reaction of government  from local to county to state  is to ignore, delay or deny requests for information, said David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition.

We hear of multiple problems statewide, Loy said. On the one hand, state or local agencies are over-citing exemptions (to public records laws), making people fight for disclosure, when they should be more proactive with disclosure.

Rate plan

The three utilities have proposed a plan for the fixed-rate charge that is based on a four-person household. Here are the guidelines that PG&E will follow based on the annual income of their customers:

 Less than $28,000 per year: $15 fixed charge per month.

 Between $28,0000 and $69,000 per year: $30 fixed charge per month.

 Between $69,000 and $180,000 per year: $51 fixed charge per month.

 More than $180,000: $92 fixed charge per month.

Edison and San Diego Gas and Electric have slightly different charges in their tiers.

Publicly run utilities, like Sacramento Municipal Utility District, do not come under the law. But SMUD customers already have a fixed charge on their bills, said PG&E in its explanation of the plan.

Just who would verify customer income levels? The utilities do not want to have any part of that. Instead, they propose a qualified, independent state agency or third party be responsible for verifying customers total household incomes.

PG&E says its proposal would wind up reducing bills for most customers. Those in the low-income tier would see bills drop 21%; moderate-income customers would get an 8% reduction. The highest-earning customers would see bills increase by 24%.

The rate for each kilowatt hour of electricity for all residential customers would decrease by about one-third, PG&E said.

The plan only applies to residential customers. Commercial and industrial are not included.

Public records examples

Any reduction in costs might make customers more agreeable to sharing their annual earnings.

That said, government cannot have it both ways. It cannot require more information from taxpayers while refusing to give out legitimate public information at the same time.

Two recent examples involve law enforcement.

The First Amendment Coalition recently filed a lawsuit against the city of Fresno over its refusal to hand over records in a case where police used a Taser on a suspect who later died.

Brian Howey, an investigative journalist from Oakland, asked for police reports in the Aug. 20, 2004, case of Michael Sanders, 40, who was shocked multiple times before he stopped breathing. Howey was gathering information about how families of suspects are kept unaware of what occurred in cases of deaths caused by police.

Howey said Sanders had puncture wounds and burns in his groin area where police had repeatedly shocked him with a Taser. The journalist said the wounds represented great bodily injury, a condition that makes records subject to public release. Fresno officials rejected that argument.

For the city of Fresno to assert this is not great bodily injury is a grave insult to the public and common sense, Howey said. What are they hiding, nearly 20 years after Mr. Sanders death?

The Fresno County coroner ruled Sanders died from cocaine intoxication. But without the records, it is impossible to judge that finding, or know what police told his survivors.

In another example of public records wrongly denied, former Sacramento Sheriff Scott Jones was found by a judge to have violated a California law requiring him to turn over disciplinary records of deputies accused of dishonesty, sexual assault or uses of force that killed or seriously injured citizens.

The Sacramento Bee and Los Angeles Times sued Jones for that information in 2020 and waited months to get the reports. Delays of more than four months before an agency even starts to release records defy the command of Government Code 6253(b) that agencies shall make the records promptly available, attorney Karl Olson wrote in his representation for The Bee.

Done in secret

There are times Californians do share their earnings information, including when they take out a home or consumer loan. But that is at the borrowers initiative. The same is true when lower-income residents sign up for government benefit programs that have income-eligibility requirements.

The requirement for income reporting was added to the many provisions of AB 205 without public debate or fanfare, said a San Diego environmentalist who routinely monitors CPUC proceedings.

So it was in the trailer bill that nobody saw, nobody read, it got passed and here we are, Bill Powers told the San Diego Union-Tribune. He expects a high-income ratepayer to sue.

Trying to ease the burden of utility costs on the lowest earners is well-intentioned. But sharing individual taxpayers earnings information for purposes of monthly electric bills feels like big government run amok.

With state, county and local governments fighting hard to keep public records secret, what does that say about the Democrats supermajority rule in the statehouse? It belies the transparency they so often claim to want.

Share your view

It is too late to stop the income requirement as it relates to electricity bills. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 205 into law last summer. But the public can still comment on it to the state Public Utilities Commission. Go online to https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/consumer-support/file-a-complaint to share your concerns.
Volunteers from around Maury County stand together for a group photo after participating in a Red Sand Project event at the Maury County Courthouse to raise awareness of the vulnerabilities that lead to human trafficking in Columbia, Tenn. on Apr. 27, 2023.

Sometimes it's easy to forget about the ones who need help the most, victims of horrific crimes, sexual violence and human trafficking, often occurring at a young age.

The fight to raise awareness for victims of human trafficking was recognized Thursday with the Red Sand Project, an international public art exhibition celebrated in more than 70 countries around the world. In Columbia, the Red Sand Project was presented by local sexual and domestic assault nonprofit Center of Hope and the Maury County Health Department, which has become an annual tradition over the last five years.

During the Red Sand Project, participants spread sand along the front of businesses, on sidewalks and other walkways, filling in the cracks to represent human trafficking victims, or "those who've fallen between the cracks of society." They will then share photos to social media with the hashtags #centerofhopetn, #RedSandProjectTN and #ITHasToStop.

Chaz Molder, mayor of Columbia, pours red sand into the cracks outside of the Maury County courthouse to raise awareness of human trafficking during a Red Sand Project event in Columbia, Tenn. on Apr. 27, 2023.

"People all over the world celebrate this, which of course honors the victims of human trafficking and the red sand standing for that," Mayor Chaz Molder said. "But Center of Hope makes it local, brings it to us. Without Center of Hope, we would not have this kind of awareness, which is what they are so good at doing, bringing public awareness to issues that might otherwise not have awareness."

MCHD Public Health Educator Jennifer Kinzer Parks, one of the event's organizers, said she got involved in public service after becoming a victim of domestic violence and sexual assault. To her, raising awareness is important because it can connect victims with resources to better their life, and that her story is an example of how it is possible.

Jennifer Kinzer Parks, public health educator to Maury County Health Department, stands in the center of a heart drawn in red sand following a Red Sand Project event in Columbia, Tenn. on Apr. 27, 2023.

"People who come into the health department who are like who I used to be, they get to see somebody who has thrived and survived and overcome this," Kinzer Parks said. "I want to be a voice for those who feel they don't have a voice, because we need to break the silence, and secrets make us sick."

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She said events like the Red Sand Project are important because it gives the victims that voice and brings a greater public awareness to the problem in ways that hopefully lead to solutions.

Birdie Hardison, a resident of Columbia, pours red sand into the cracks outside of the Maury County courthouse during a Red Sand Project event hosted by her daughter, Jennifer Kinzer Parks, in Columbia, Tenn. on Apr. 27, 2023.

"It's definitely a problem in Tennessee, but we do have our TBI and local law enforcement who have a national line that people can call," Kinzer Parks said. "During COVID, there was about 50,000 people or more who called, texted or sent out an alert that they could possibly be a victim of human trafficking. Those numbers represent people."

The Tennessee Human Trafficking Hotline can be reached at 1-855-55-TNHTH.

Hosting the event in April was also important, as April is recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, as well as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Wednesday was also Denim Day, wherein participants are encouraged to wear denim in solidarity for victims of sexual assault.

Jennifer Kinzer Parks, right, public health educator to Maury County Health Department, and Cindy Sims, executive director for Center of Hope pose for a portrait in Columbia, Tenn. on Apr. 27, 2023. Sims and Parks collaborated on this years Red Sand Project at the Maury County courthouse to raise awareness of the vulnerabilities that lead to human trafficking.

Center of Hope Executive Director Cindy Sims said she was pleased with Thursday's turnout, which drew city leaders, first responders, nonprofit groups and citizens, all joining together at the Maury County Courthouse to pour bags of sand. Many local businesses, nonprofits and civic groups also took part in the Red Sand Project.

"It was so much wonderful having so much support in this community," Sims said. "We are so excited to have this opportunity to raise awareness. That is what is important, right? Center of Hope is here, and we are here to help and are in this community. This is what we do."

For more information on Center of Hope, visit www.CenterofHopeTN.org or call (31) 840-0916. For more information on the Maury County Health Department and its resources, call (931) 388-5757 or visit the main building at 1909 Hampshire Pike.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Red Sand Project fights for victims of human trafficking
By Daria Sito-Sucic

SARAJEVO (Reuters) - Bosnia's parliament on Friday confirmed the new government of the autonomous Bosniak-Croat Federation in a tight vote ordered by Bosnia's international envoy as protesters outside chanted "treason".

Following a devastating war in the 1990s in which about 100,000 people died, Bosnia was split into two ethnically based autonomous regions, the federation and the Serb Republic, linked by a weak central government.

The federation had been unable to form a government since an election last October because the largest Bosniak party, the SDA, has blocked any proposals that did not include its ministers.

Former German politician Christian Schmidt, who has vast powers as international High Representative in post-war Bosnia, on Thursday amended the constitution so that only two of three federation presidency members needed to support a proposed government to forward it to parliament, thus cutting out the presidency member from SDA.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken supported Schmidt's move, saying that Bosnians need a "functional, efficient, and accountable government".

"The United States fully supports the High Representative's actions today to help Bosnia and Herzegovina move towards a Euro-Atlantic integration," Blinken said in a tweet.

Fifty-one out of parliament's 98 deputies voted for the government, one abstained and two were against, while 44 walked out of the chamber failing to cast their vote.

Hundreds of protesters, mainly SDA supporters, waved Bosnian flags and chanted "treason" in front of the regional parliament in the capital of Sarajevo.

Echoing SDA complaints, they accused Schmidt of an anti-Bosniak bias and denied the legitimacy of a government they said was imposed by a foreigner.

The SDA dominated the outgoing federation government which remained in caretaker capacity since 2015 over similar political bickering after an election in 2018.

(Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Nick Macfie)
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is getting ready to release a much-anticipated, decade-long investigation into the death of Cuban opposition member Oswaldo Paya, who was killed in a 2012 car crash that family members and activists suspect was initiated by Cuban state-security agents.

The U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States, Frank Mora, told the Miami Herald the commission, an autonomous branch of the regional organization, is about to publish the report as part of renewed efforts to address the human-rights situation on the island.

The work done by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is important; they are going to release the report on the killing of Oswaldo Paya, Mora said.

A commission official investigating freedom-of-expression issues in the region also said last week the report was expected to come out soon.

The Paya case is deemed of the highest level of importance within the commission, and I hope that we can give public information soon, Pedro Jose Vaca said at an OAS event exposing the crackdown on journalists, artists and dissidents on the island.

The commission did not provide a date for the reports release. While not an active member, Cuba is a signatory of the OAS charter, and commission officials argue that the Cuban government should comply with its recommendations.

New book tells the story of opposition leader Oswaldo Payas quest for freedom in Cuba

At the time of his death, Paya, 60, was the Christian Liberation Movement leader and one of the most prominent members of the Cuban opposition. He challenged Fidel Castro by gathering enough signatures to support a vote that would have allowed citizens to change the islands political system. Castro reacted by ordering the imprisonment of many of Payas fellow opposition members and a swift change of the countrys constitution to make socialism irrevocable.

Angel Carromero, a member of the youth branch of Spains Popular Party, was in the drivers seat and was blamed for the crash that killed Paya and movement member Harold Cepero near the Cuban city of Bayamo on July 22, 2012. Carromero was convicted in Cuba of vehicular homicide. But after Spain secured his extradition, he said the crash was the result of an attack by state-security agents, who were following them in another vehicle and forced Carromeros car off the road.

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Cuban authorities, who have said the two opposition members died after Carromero lost control of the vehicle and hit a tree, did not provide Payas family with his autopsy results. Family members also said Cuban authorities destroyed key evidence. In 2013, Payas family members and the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization petitioned the Inter-American Commission to open an independent investigation into his death.

The commission held its first public hearing on the case several years after, in December 2021. In March, a bipartisan group of senators wrote to the commissions executive secretary, Tania Reneaum Panszi, to request an update on the investigation.

In 2015, an independent investigation by the Human Rights Foundation concluded the Cuban government had direct responsibility in the deaths of Paya and Cepero.
Regulators failed to address serious mismanagement at two major U.S. banks, leading to two of the biggest bank failures in U.S. history, a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released Friday found.

The failures of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank in March sent shockwaves throughout the U.S. economy and likely hastened the arrival of a potential recession, which the Fed has been warning about since last month.

Trouble brewing: First Republic shares plunge as regulators plot rescue: reports

While lawmakers have been pointing fingers at both bank managers and regulators the GAO report confirms that the Federal Reserve was at least partly to blame.

While working as CEO of SVB, Greg Becker also sat on the board of the San Francisco Fed whose job it was to make sure his bank was following rules and acting responsibly. The GAO revealed Friday that the Fed began working on an enforcement action to address mismanagement at SVB, but failed to complete it before the bank failed.

In the five years prior to 2023, regulators identified concerns with Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, but both banks were slow to mitigate the problems the regulators identified and regulators did not escalate supervisory actions in time to prevent the failures, the GAO report found.

The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco rated Silicon Valley Bank as satisfactory up until the bank received its first large bank rating in 2022. The Reserve Bank downgraded Silicon Valley Bank in June 2022 and began working on an enforcement action in August 2022. However, it did not finalize the action before the bank failed, the agency said.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) bailed out depositors at SVB well above the standard $250,000 insurance limit, in some cases into the billions of dollars.

The bank served a niche clientele of wealthy venture capitalists (VCs) that was described by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen as highly correlated.

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The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) took multiple actions to address supervisory concerns related to Signature Banks liquidity and management, but did not substantially downgrade the bank until the day before it failed, the GAO reported on Friday.

The report comes just as the Fed performed its own post-mortem on the failure of SVB, in which regulators also blamed themselves for falling asleep at the wheel.

Mea culpa: Fed blames oversight, management for Silicon Valley Bank collapse

Federal Reserve supervisors did not fully appreciate the extent of the vulnerabilities as Silicon Valley Bank grew in size and complexity, Fed regulators said, adding that when supervisors did identify vulnerabilities, they did not take sufficient steps to ensure that Silicon Valley Bank fixed those problems quickly enough.

Consultants for the banking industry have told The Hill that the industry is being much more responsive to federal regulators in terms of data collection following the bank collapses that could now be having an impact upon the physical economy beyond the financial sector.

But the latest findings from both the Fed and the GAO could prompt a legislative response in addition to a regulatory one.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told The Hill at the end of March that he thought there could be cause for a banking reform bill this year.

If we did one banking bill this year, well only do one, he said. Most of us are like, Lets get the report.

In March the Fed warned that historical recessions stemming from the financial sector are often worse than typical recessions resulting from characteristic business cycle dynamics.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates LP, speaks during China Development Forum (CDF) 2023 at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on March 25, 2023 in Beijing, China. Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

Billionaire Ray Dalio warned on Thursday that the US and China are on the precipice of war.

And the two giants are threatening to drag the rest of the world down with them, Dalio said.

The 2024 US election is only going to make relations between both powers worse, he added.

The US and China are on the brink of war, warned billionaire and renowned China investor Ray Dalio.

Both sides are at severe risk of crossing each other's red lines, and diplomacy between them is clearly failing, Dalio wrote in a Thursday memo on LinkedIn.

"The United States and China are on the brink of war and are beyond the ability to talk," reads Dalio's grim message.

Dalio, who runs the biggest foreign hedge fund in China and has 40 years of experience investing in the country, said he penned his thoughts after recently meeting with policymakers, Chinese citizens, and China experts from around the world.

The billionaire fears conflict will escalate over several immediate flash points  quarrels over Taiwan, confrontations between American and Chinese aircraft and ships, the war in Ukraine, and threats of economic sanctions.

While China and the US know they need to deconflict, "there is growing belief that the unavoidable trajectory is toward war," Dalio said.

Washington and Beijing are showing they aren't able to talk these issues out, he added. Whenever they interact with each other, "discussions about big, important things have become exchanges of accusations that worsen relations rather than help them," he wrote.

So it's better if both sides don't try to discuss these issues at all, Dalio suggested.

The 2024 US election will also worsen tensions, Dalio predicted. Politicians seeking reelection will likely try to keep pushing limits with Beijing to appeal to anti-China sentiment from voters, said the billionaire.

"The hawkish political influences in the United States will exert more pressure on the relationship over the next 18 months because of the emergence of the 2024 election season," Dalio wrote. "That will be a very risky period because China and the US are now already on the brink of war."

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An additional risk is that US leadership is "fragmented" in how it projects anti-China stances, Dalio said. He cited then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's August visit to Taiwan. Chinese leader Xi Jinping had personally asked President Joe Biden to block the trip, but Biden said he had no control over Pelosi's foreign diplomacy, The Washington Post reported.

And as both powers look to protect their sources of essential technologies and minerals, they're making countries around the world choose sides, Dalio warned further.

He cited the US seeking to stop South Korean chip producers from increasing sales to China if Beijing sanctions the Idaho-based Micron Technology.

Dalio also pointed to Saudi Arabia  traditionally a US ally  recently engaging in new deals with China and Russia, and French President Emmanuel Macron criticizing Washington for provoking China.

The US and China, he said, are "like two giants wrestling with each other six inches from the edge of a cliff and threatening to pull others into this dangerous fight."

"All things considered, I think that the greater provocations will most likely come from the American side, which I worry will cause a tit-for-tat crossing of the line," Dalio wrote.

Still, he doesn't believe those grievances will push China to declare war soon, or even in the next three years.

"I want to emphasize that by saying that they are on the brink, I don't mean to say that they will necessarily go over the brink," Dalio wrote.

The billionaire recommended several steps to de-escalate tensions. This included having Biden host Xi in San Francisco at the November APEC meeting, and sending key US policymakers and congressional leaders to visit China.

"Have all parties make clear that peace is better than war," Dalio said. "That working on agreeing on ways to reduce the probabilities of having the worst types of wars is a top priority, and that gradually building agreements to reduce the progressively less bad types of conflict would be the best path."

Read the original article on Business Insider
[Source]

Democratic Rep. Judy Chu (D, CA-28) said that "rhetoric used around economic competition with Asian countries," particularly China, can harm Asian Americans at a recent organization launch event.

On Wednesday, Chu delivered a speech during the opening of the Vincent Chin Institute, which is dedicated to combating anti-Asian hate.

What we learned is that the rhetoric used around economic competition with Asian countries can result in the harm and even murder of Asian Americans here at home. Already, Asian Americans have been suffering three years of anti-Asian hate due to Trump calling COVID-19 China virus and kung flu, but now, the rhetoric and tension about the U.S.-China relationship comes on top of that, potentially escalating that violence. Today, the focus has shifted to extremists engaging in racial profiling of Chinese Americans due to this economic competition. As a result, Chinese American scientists and researchers have been terrorized with accusations and their lives ruined. And most recently, numerous Chinese Americans, and even I, have been accused by extremist right-wing Republican congressmen, in particular this one from Texas, of being a spy for China. More from NextShark: Canadian man gets suspended sentence, probation for attacking Asian teen last year

Chu was likely referring to Rep. Lance Goodens (R, TX-5) remarks that questioned her loyalty to the U.S.

In an appearance on Fox News Jesse Watters Primetime in February, Gooden said that Chu should be denied access to classified materials and be investigated for previously defending Dominic Ng, the CEO of East West Bank in California, from accusations that he is working with the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing.

The comment was quickly denounced by Chus democratic allies. Chu described Goodens remarks as racist and demanded an apology.

More from NextShark: Man sentenced to be hanged after importing two pounds of marijuana into Singapore

The Vincent Chin Institute is named after Vincent Chin, a Chinese American man who was beaten to death in 1982 by white men who blamed Asians for job sector layoffs.

Ill never forget learning about Vincent Chin, Chu said.

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Im beyond confident that the legacy of the Vincent Chin Institute will be extensive. We cannot let history repeat itself. The strongest way for us to combat this is by standing together. It is when we lock arms and unequivocally say end the xenophobic rhetoric that puts lives in danger. More from NextShark: Sikh Doctor Brothers Shave Their Beards to Safely Treat Coronavirus Patients

Chu is the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress.

Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark!

Rising star Wu Yibing becomes first male Chinese player to win ATP title
For too long, artists have been unfairly targeted by prosecutors who use their lyrics as evidence of guilt, said Congressman Hank Johnson, D-GA.

Prosecutors could soon be prohibited from having free reign to use rap artists lyrics against them in criminal cases, a practice members of Congress and advocates say disproportionately impacts the Black community.

On Thursday, U.S. Reps. Hank Johnson, D-GA and Jamaal Bowman, D-NY, held a press conference at the U.S. Capitol to re-introduce the Restoring Artistic Protection Act, also known as the RAP Act. If passed into law, the legislation would prohibit the use of artists lyrics in the courtroom.

WASHINGTON, DC  APRIL 27: U.S. Representative Jamaal Bowman and U.S. Representative Hank Johnson speak during Grammys On The Hill: Advocacy Day on April 27, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

For too long, artists have been unfairly targeted by prosecutors who use their lyrics as evidence of guilt, even though theres no evidence that the lyrics are anything more than just simply creative expression, Congressman Johnson told reporters.

An artists creative content shouldnt be used as evidence of guilt without the prosecutor having to show  that the artistic expression was intended to be taken as true, he insisted.

The introduction of the RAP Act comes several months after rapper Young Thug was arrested on RICO charges for allegedly starting a street gang in Georgia. In that case, the judge read several of the rappers song lyrics in the courtroom as evidence to portray him as a criminal.

During the press conference, Congressman Bowman said he supports the bill because rap artists influenced his political career.

I wouldnt be here if it wasnt for Eric B. & Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, KRS One, X-Clan, Public Enemy [and] Brand Nubian, he shared.

He continued, If Rakim didnt tell me with knowledge of self, theres nothing I cant solve. I never would have pursued knowledge of self, which gave me the self-esteem and self-worth to be standing here before you today.

UNITED STATES  APRIL 27: Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol on the reintroduction of the Restoring Artistic Protection (RAP) Act, on Thursday, April 27, 2023. The legislation aims to protect artists from the use of their lyrics against them as legal evidence in criminal and civil cases.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Bowman cautioned that if the RAP Act is not passed, it could open a Pandoras box.

The minute we start saying you cant use those rap lyrics, were going to start saying, you cant use those country lyrics. You cant use those rock lyrics. God forbid the wrong person gets into the White House and starts talking to heavy metal or another, he argued.

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Given the racial climate in the U.S., Bowman said that although all forms of legal self-expression should be preserved, we have to provide even more protection for Black art and hip-hop. Why? Because we continue to see the disproportionate targeting of Black artists.

Record producer Rico Love attended Thursdays press conference and thanked Congressmen Johnson and Bowman for their efforts to protect rappers First Amendment rights.

As a music creator myself, I know how important it is that we safeguard artists freedom to create at all costs, said Love.

He emphasized that its important that the music industry and Congress collaborate to eradicate the biases that come with the unconstitutional practice of using lyrics as evidence which disproportionately affect artists of color and penalizes the creativity of Black and brown creators.

According to Johnson, prosecutors in more than 500 criminal cases have used artists lyrics as evidence against them.

WASHINGTON, DC  APRIL 27: U.S. Representative Hank Johnson speaks during Grammys On The Hill: Advocacy Day on April 27, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

The Georgia congressman first introduced the RAP Act in July 2022. Although it was not enacted into law, Johnson told theGrio he expects the proposed statute to gain the support of his Republican colleagues this time around.

[Similar bills] are already passing in state legislatures which are controlled by Republicans, he said.

Music mogul Kevin Liles also attended the congressional event and told theGrio that even if the RAP Act is not passed, You cant discourage the truth. You cant discourage hip-hop. Were not afraid to speak our truth; weve been speaking our truth from NWA to now, Young Thug.

However, Liles said, America promised every citizen equal justice under law  so, lets pass this bill and keep the promise, not just for artists but for all of us.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post Reps. Johnson and Bowman re-introduce RAP Act to protect rappers in the courtroom appeared first on TheGrio.
Gov. Jim Justice speaks during an announcement for his campaign for U.S. Senate at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., on Thursday, April 27, 2023. | Chris Jackson, Associated Press

West Virginia Republican Gov. Jim Justice announced Thursday that he is running for the West Virginia Senate seat in 2024 currently held by Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat.

I am officially announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate, Justice told a roomful of supporters at a luxury resort in White Sulphur Springs, per CNN. And I absolutely will promise you to God above that I will do the job, and I will do the job that will make you proud.

Justice, who initially ran as a Democrat, became governor in 2016 but switched party affiliations to Republican after a few months in office. He revealed the news at a rally for former President Donald Trump, his ally, as Forbes reported at the time. (Both Trump-backed candidates won the 2020 House elections in West Virginia.)

Who has endorsed Jim Justice?

The race could be critical for the GOP in its bid to control the Senate.

Republican Sens. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia showed their support for Justice at the announcement. Graham conveyed that Justice was a strong Republican candidate, according to local news outlets.

We need help in Washington, Graham said. We need a winner. We need somebody who can win in a general election, a conservative who can move the ball forward in Washington, D.C.

Meanwhile, Capito touted the partnership the Republican party has had with Justice, who enjoys a 66% approval rating as the GOP governor.

Weve worked on the COVID response together. We worked on broadband deployment. I think were really gonna make a good pair in Washington, Capito said.

Justice has also earned the support of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Justice appeared on Fox News, sitting alongside his bulldog, named Babydog  who he intends to take with him to Washington, D.C., should he get elected  to field questions about his newly launched bid and his competition.

Babydog will be joining me for my appearance on Fox News Tonight around 8:30 p.m. Were ready to go! #WVSen pic.twitter.com/6BOoD4Uphh  Jim Justice (@JimJusticeWV) April 28, 2023

Of Manchin, he said, I absolutely believe that for good or for bad, Joe migrates back too much. And the situation we have right now is we have got to control the Senate.

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Reporters asked Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, a Republican, if he would weigh in on the race, to which he said, I wont in any way campaign against my friend Joe Manchin.

Hes a great friend, good leader, he said about Manchin. The two have worked together on bipartisan legislation in the past.

Romneys office clarified to the Deseret News that the senator also said that he will probably stay out of the race.

West Virginia Senate race gets crowded

Justice faces GOP Rep. Alex Mooney, a previously Trump-backed candidate, and Chris Rose in the Republican primaries, which are already proving to be divisive, according to NBC News.

Backed by the Club for Growth, which has promised to spend millions on the representatives campaign, Mooney was quick to engage in a counter-response to Justices bid, alleging that the governor has liberal leanings.

Jim Justice has a liberal record and Republican primary voters will soon see that he is nothing but a Democrat in sheeps clothing, he said.

Supporting over $3 trillion in Biden spending, proposing massive tax hikes, and gun control are just a few examples of Justices extreme liberal postures, Mooney stated, according to West Virginias MetroNews.

Meanwhile, Manchin hasnt revealed whether he is running for reelection. But after Justices announcement, he emailed his supporters, saying that he is laser focused on his job as West Virginias senator, working on lowering healthcare costs, protecting Social Security and Medicare, shoring up American energy security and getting our fiscal house in order.

But make no mistake, I will win any race I enter, he added.

Manchin, who has served as the senator of the deeply red state for over a decade, told reporters that Justices bid doesnt change anything and that he expects the primaries to be very interesting and entertaining.

Suzanne Bates contributed to the reporting.
Nearing the end of their respective legislative sessions, Republican state senators in South Carolina and Nebraska on Thursday helped to torpedo pro-life bills that would have significantly restricted abortion in those conservative states.

Nebraskas bill, which would have banned abortions once fetal cardiac activity is detected around six weeks of pregnancy, died in a 32-15 filibuster-ending cloture vote, the Omaha World-Herald reported.

Veteran GOP state Senator Merv Riepe denied the 33rd vote needed for the bill to pass, abstaining over fears that it would be interpreted as a total ban on the procedure.

At the end of the day, I need to look back and be able to say to myself, Did you do the best? he told the Flatwater Free Press. No group came to me, asking me to do this. This is of my own beliefs, my own commitments.

Riepe also told the publication that he rejects the idea of legislating morality.

In response to the 80-year-old lawmakers withdrawal from the vote, Republican Governor Jim Pillen, who ran on the pro-life platform, urged Riepe to honor what he said was his history of defending the unborn.

I am profoundly disappointed in the cloture vote today, Pillen said in a statement. It is unacceptable for senators to be present not voting on such a momentous vote. I call on Senator Merv Riepe to make a motion to reconsider and stand by the commitments to life he has made in the past.

Riepe, whose district has elected both Republicans and Democrats, introduced an amendment that would limit abortions up to 12 weeks, striking a balance between Nebraskas current 20-week ban and the state Senates proposed six-week ban. But the amendment did not make it to a vote before debate began Thursday.

In 2019, Riepe received a 100 percent rating from Nebraska Right to Life, according to Vote Smart. But on Thursday he said that we must embrace the future of reproductive rights.

In South Carolina, a bill that would have prohibited most abortions flopped in the chamber on a 22 to 21 vote. At four different points, the state Senate could not garner the 26 votes to end a filibuster, after three days of debate, the Post and Courier reported.

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The Senate does not have the votes to pass a ban before six weeks, Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey said after the vote.

The measure, which originated in the state House, included exceptions for rape and incest through 12 weeks of gestation as well as for fatal fetal anomalies or when abortion was necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman.

While the near-total abortion ban failed in the state, a separate six-week limitation, already approved by the Senate, could be enacted if the House passes it by end of session on May 11.

Im disappointed but not surprised, Massey said. We gave it our best shot. Its up to the House now. The House has two weeks to save as many lives as possible.

The odds of it succeeding there are low though, Republican House Majority Leader Davey Hiott said, according to the Post and Courier.

I dont think we have the votes, Hiott said after the Senate adjourned. We have six days left. That kind of puts us in a bind. Time is not on our side.

Republican state representative John McCravy, who introduced the House bill, said he believes there is no path forward at all on that bill, speaking of the Senates six-week version.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, South Carolina has become a hotbed for abortion tourism, with nearly half of the 2,927 abortions performed in the state in the first three months of 2023 coming from another state, according to provisional data from the state Department of Health & Environmental Control.

More from National Review
(CNN)  Former US Vice President Mike Pence testified on Thursday to a federal grand jury investigating the aftermath of the 2020 election and the actions of then-President Donald Trump and others, sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

The testimony marks a momentous juncture in the criminal investigation and the first time in modern history a vice president has been compelled to testify about the president he served beside.

Pence testified for more than five hours, a source familiar with the matter told CNN, and while adviser Marc Short did not confirm the appearance on Thursday, he addressed the legal back-and-forth over the testimony.

"I think that the vice president, you know, had his own case based on the Speech and Debate Clause. He was pleased that for the first time a judge acknowledged that it applied to the vice president of the United States," Short said in an interview on NewsNation afterward. "But he was willing to comply with the law, and courts have ordered him to testify."

Pence was poised to recount for the first time under oath his direct conversations with Trump leading up to January 6, 2021. Trump repeatedly pressured him unsuccessfully to block the 2020 election's result, including the morning of January 6 on a private phone call, and a federal judge previously ruled Pence could be compelled to recount conversations the two men had where Trump may have been acting corruptly.

Pence's meeting with investigators comes as he is exploring a possible challenge to Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, with his testimony likely to elicit a strong negative reaction from his former boss.

As part of his political appearances and a recent book tour, Pence frequently speaks about refusing to do Trump's bidding on January 6 and instead following the Constitution. But he had avoided speaking under oath as part of any investigation.

The grand jury in Washington, DC, whose proceedings are secret, assembled just before 9 a.m. ET on Thursday. That coincided with an increase in security inside the courthouse and two SUVs with tinted windows spotted ferrying people to the building.

A spokesman for special counsel Jack Smith's office and a spokesman for Pence both declined to comment on Thursday.

Court battle

Smith's investigation around Trump's efforts to block the election result has long sought to question Pence under oath given his proximity to Trump at the White House.

Both Pence and Trump went to court to hold off his unprecedented subpoena. But trial and appellate judges ordered Pence to testify about his direct conversations with the then-President -- decisions that were in line with several other losses courts dealt to Trump as he's tried to block top officials from his administration from testifying.

The latest decision -- from the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, which refused to give Trump emergency help -- came Wednesday night.

The case has put Pence in a unique position to define the powers of his former office -- and the court had even given the former vice president the ability to keep out of criminal proceedings his actions while he served as the presiding officer of the Senate on January 6. Still, much of what Smith's team appears to be interested in would be attainable by the grand jury.

Pence and Trump's pre-January 6 communication

Trump's conversations with Pence and about Pence in the days before the US Capitol riot have been of keen interest to investigators probing the attack.

Though Pence declined to testify before the House select committee that investigated the insurrection, people in Trump's orbit told the committee about a heated phone call he had with Pence the day of the attack in which he lobbed insults at his vice president. Pence and Trump did not speak during the attack on the Capitol itself, in which many of Trump's supporters angrily sought him out, and Pence narrowly escaped the mob heading to the Senate floor.

Much of what is known about Trump's communications with Pence leading up to the insurrection has come from a memoir the former vice president published last year, as well as from people who testified in the House probe into the attack.

Nicholas Luna, a former special assistant to Trump, said he remembered Trump calling Pence a "wimp." Luna said he recalled something to the effect of Trump saying, "I made the wrong decision four or five years ago."

And Julie Radford, Ivanka Trump's former chief of staff, said she recalled Ivanka Trump telling her that "her dad had just had an upsetting conversation with the vice president."

Radford said she was told that Trump had called Pence "the P-word," referencing a derogatory term.

For Pence's part, many of his public comments about his conversations with Trump in the days before and after the insurrection he disclosed in his memoir.

In the book, Pence wrote that Trump told him in the days before the attack that he would inspire the hatred of hundreds of thousands of people because he was "too honest" to attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

The former vice president also said in the book that he asked his general counsel for a briefing on the procedures of the Electoral Count Act after Trump in a December 5 phone call "mentioned challenging the election results in the House of Representatives for the first time."

Over lunch on December 21, Pence wrote, he tried to steer Trump to listen to the White House counsel's team's advice, rather than outside lawyers, a suggestion the then-president shot down.

And Pence wrote that Trump told him in a New Year's Day phone call: "You're too honest," predicting that "hundreds of thousands are gonna hate your guts" and "people are gonna think you're stupid."

"Mr. President, I don't question there were irregularities and fraud," Pence wrote that he told Trump. "It's just a question of who decides, and under the law that is Congress."

This story has been updated with additional details.

This story was first published on CNN.com. "Former Vice President Pence testifies to federal grand jury investigating Donald Trump and January 6"
Photograph: Michael Reynolds/EPA

A 2018 Senate investigation that found there was no evidence to substantiate any of the claims of sexual assault against the US supreme court justice Brett Kavanaugh contained serious omissions, according to new information obtained by the Guardian.

The 28-page report was released by the Republican senator Chuck Grassley, the then chairman of the Senate judiciary committee. It prominently included an unfounded and unverified claim that one of Kavanaughs accusers  a fellow Yale graduate named Deborah Ramirez  was likely mistaken when she alleged that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a dormitory party because another Yale student was allegedly known for such acts.

Related: Democrats condemn Roberts refusal to testify over US supreme court ethics row

The suggestion that Kavanaugh was the victim of mistaken identity was sent to the judiciary committee by a Colorado-based attorney named Joseph C Smith Jr, according to a non-redacted copy of a 2018 email obtained by the Guardian. Smith was a friend and former colleague of the judiciary committees then lead counsel, Mike Davis.

Smith was also a member of the Federalist Society, which strongly supported Kavanaughs supreme court nomination, and appears to have a professional relationship with the Federalist Societys co-founder, Leonard Leo, whom he thanked in the acknowledgments of his book Under God: George Washington and the Question of Church and State.

Smith wrote to Davis in the 29 September 2018 email that he was in a class behind Kavanaugh and Ramirez (who graduated in the class of 1987) and believed Ramirez was likely mistaken in identifying Kavanaugh.

Instead, Smith said it was a fellow classmate named Jack Maxey, who was a member of Kavanaughs fraternity, who allegedly had a reputation for exposing himself, and had once done so at a party. To back his claim, Smith also attached a photograph of Maxey exposing himself in his fraternitys 1988 yearbook picture.

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The allegation that Ramirez was likely mistaken was included in the Senate committees final report even though Maxey  who was described but not named  was not attending Yale at the time of the alleged incident.

In an interview with the Guardian, Maxey confirmed that he was still a senior in high school at the time of the alleged incident, and said he had never been contacted by any of the Republican staffers who were conducting the investigation.

I was not at Yale, he said. I was a senior in high school at the time. I was not in New Haven. He added: These people can say what they want, and there are no consequences, ever.

The revelation raises new questions about apparent efforts to downplay and discredit accusations of sexual misconduct by Kavanaugh and exclude evidence that supported an alleged victims claims.

A new documentary  an early version of which premiered at Sundance in January, but is being updated before its release  contains a never-before-heard recording of another Yale graduate, Max Stier, describing a separate alleged incident in which he said he witnessed Kavanaugh expose himself at a party at Yale.

It has previously been reported that Stier wanted to tell the FBI anonymously during the confirmation process that he had allegedly witnessed Kavanaughs friends push the future judges penis into the hand of a female classmate at a party. While Republicans on the Senate committee were reportedly made aware of his desire to submit information to the FBI, he was not interviewed by the committees Republican investigators.

The committees final report claimed there was no verifiable evidence to support Ramirezs claim.

It is not clear how the films director, Doug Liman, obtained the recording, or whom Stier was speaking to when it was recorded.

Stier, the chief executive of a Washington nonprofit who formerly served in the Clinton administration, declined to comment to the Guardian.

He is married to Florence Pan, a prominent judge on the US court of appeals in Washington. Pan sits in the seat that was vacated by Ketanji Brown Jackson, the US supreme court justice, and is seen as a possible future candidate for the US high court.

Maxey adamantly denied any allegation that he exposed himself to Ramirez at any time. Asked if he had ever visited Yale at the time of the alleged incident, Maxey said he had visited his older brother, Christopher, who was an older student at Yale, on a limited number of occasions when he was a senior in high school, but that they had not attended any freshmen parties.

Maxey, a Republican activist, has gained prominence in conservative circles for his role in sharing a portable hard drive of data from Hunter Bidens laptop with members of the media, including the Washington Post. When he was reached by the Guardian, Maxey said he was in Europe and claimed he had just given the hard drive to Viktor Orbans government in Hungary.

Related: Ethical no mans land: can the US supreme court be trusted to police itself?

Maxey has said he obtained the hard drive from Rudy Giuliani. He previously worked as a researcher for Steve Bannons War Room podcast but the two have since had a falling out.

While Maxey seemed in his interview with the Guardian to have been annoyed that Smith  whom he said he didnt know or recall interacting with  named him in an accusatory email, he also separately defended Kavanaugh, who he said had behaved like a choir boy while attending Yale.

Smiths email arrived in Daviss inbox six days after the New Yorker first published details of Ramirezs accusation. In the article, Ramirez described how Kavanaugh had allegedly exposed himself drunkenly at a dormitory party, thrusting his penis in her face in a way that caused her to touch it without her consent in order to push him away. Ramirez, who was raised as a devout Catholic, described feeling ashamed, humiliated and embarrassed after the alleged assault, and recalled how Kavanaugh had allegedly laughed as he pulled his pants up.

Kavanaugh has denied the incident took place.

Ramirez, through a spokesperson, declined to comment.

Smith did not respond to several requests for comment.

It is not clear whether Smith, a Denver-based partner at Bartlit Beck, knew or had a relationship with Kavanaugh while or after both attended Yale as undergraduate students, or what prompted him to send Davis the email, which was an apparent attempt to clear Kavanaugh of suspicion.

According to his online biography, Smith attended the University of Chicagos law school after graduating from Yale and  like Kavanaugh  was part of the legal team that represented George W Bush in the 2000 presidential recount in Florida.

Redacted emails show that Smith also appears to have shared his accusation about Maxey with federal investigators. While the name of the accuser and the accused were redacted, records released by the FBI show that an individual made the exact same claim as Smith made to Davis to the FBI shortly after the email was sent to Davis. In it, the individual wrote: I submitted this same information to a staff member of the Senate judiciary committee, Mike Davis, because I know him, and he suggested I also submit it to you.

Davis declined to comment. The Republican staff on the Senate judiciary committee declined to respond to a request for comment.

The FBI was at the time involved in its own review of sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh. The investigation, conducted under FBI director Christopher Wray, another Yale graduate, has widely been derided as a sham by Democrats led by the Rhode Island senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a member of the Senate judiciary committee.

Whitehouses office is expected to release a report into the FBIs handling of the Kavanaugh investigation by the end of this year.
Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he is running against President Biden for the Democratic nomination because he fundamentally disagrees with him about the countrys direction.

Kennedy, an environmental attorney and prominent anti-vaccine activist who declared his candidacy for president earlier this month, told radio talk show hosts John Catsimatidis and Rita Cosby on WABC 770 AMs Cats & Cosby Show that he has a long relationship with Biden but disagrees with him on key issues.

Im not running a mean-spirited campaign against Joe Biden. Ive been friends with Joe Biden for 40 years, he said. Im grateful for his service to our country and his familys service to our country. But I just disagree fundamentally with him on where the country is going.

I dont want Wall Street running the country. I dont want the neocons running our foreign policy. I dont like censorship. I think Im skeptical about war, Kennedy continued, adding that he believes the United States should look to settle the war between Russia and Ukraine.

He hails from the prominent Kennedy family, with his uncle being former President John F. Kennedy and his father being former Attorney General Robert Kennedy. But, he has been the subject of controversy as the leader of Childrens Health Defense, an organization that has promoted misinformation about vaccines.

Early polling has shown Biden with a large lead over Kennedy and his other challenger, self-help author and 2020 presidential candidate Marianne Williamson, but a USA Today-Suffolk University poll from last week found that 14 percent of Biden 2020 voters said they supported Kennedy.

He also noted that an Emerson College poll released Thursday had him at 21 percent.

Kennedy said he has been attacked pretty solidly by the mainstream media for the past three years without an opportunity to answer  but added that he has been on media a lot in the past 10 days and been left unedited, leading to the support he has gained so far.

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I think a lot of the people began remembering that Im not really a crazy person. When they see me, I dont look like the mischaracterizations, he said. That may be the case. It may be that people just want something different.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Kennedy has pushed against the use of vaccines developed to protect the public from the effects of the virus. He claimed on Saturday that the middle class was systematically wiped out because of lockdowns during the pandemic.

Kennedy said his campaign is intended to get people to forget that theyre Democrats or Republicans and remember that were all Americans. He said people should focus on shared values instead of the issues that divide them.

He added that he is willing to talk to anyone and make appearances on any media network.

The attorney said he still has the same values of his father and uncle: opposing censorship, war, Wall Street and companies merging the state and government power in this corrupt collusion that is hollowing out the American middle class.

I want to be proud of my country, he said. I want my children to grow up in a country that they could be proud of the way I was growing up in the United States of America in the 1960s and 70s.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Boris Johnson is facing calls to be examined after Richard Sharp resigned as chairman of the BBC on Friday.

Mr Sharp, a Tory donor, had helped arrange a meeting for Boris Johnson to meet with someone who could give him a personal loan.

He also told the prime minister in advance that he wanted the job  and the appointment panel was told he was the only candidate supported.

His old friend Sam Blyth, a businessman, went to Mr Sharp with an offer to help Mr Johnson as the then-prime minister struggled financially in 2020.

Mr Johnson should now be examined for his role, the former commissioner for public appointments has said.

Sir Peter Riddell, the commissioner when Mr Sharp took on the job, said the former prime minister's role hasn't really been discussed enough because it was outside the remit of Adam Heppinstall KC's inquiry.

He told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme: He himself was conflicted... Should he have recused himself from the appointment given he knew about Richard Sharp helping him out on this loan?

Key Points

Richard Sharp resigns after report found he broke rules

Report found Sharp failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest

Former BBC chair is person of integrity BBC Board says in statement

Report into Richard Sharps appointment as BBC chairman due to be published

Questions to be asked of Boris Johnsons role in saga

Call for return of face masks as Covid variant spreads

18:14 , William Mata

Face masks should be worn again on public transport, experts have claimed, as the new Arcturus Covid variant continues to spread.

Five Brits have died from the Arcturus strain of Covid, according to the UK Health Security Agency, while 135 sequences have been detected in the UK so far, and there are believed to be around 104 cases as some people have been sequenced twice.

Read Martha McHardys full story here.

Rishi Sunak to continue using English name for Brecon Beacons in snub to Welsh language

18:07 , William Mata

Story continues

Rishi Sunak has said he will continue using the name Brecon Beacons, despite the Welsh national park dropping its English name.

The park decided it would rebrand under its Welsh language name, Bannau Brycheiniog, earlier this month after management claimed the association with a wood-burning, carbon-emitting blazing beacon was not a good look.

Read Emily Atkinsons article here.

Brecon Beacons National Park rebranded with its Welsh name Bannau Brycheiniog (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Wire)

Ron DeSantis and Rishi Sunak will not meet in visit

17:58 , William Mata

Ron DeSantis will not meet with Rishi Sunak as the governor of Florida and White House hopeful continues his British tour.

It is understood to be against precedent and protocol for a governor and British prime minister to meet. But Mr DeSantis, who is the bookies third favourite to win next years US election, did meet with Tory front benchers James Cleverly and Kemi Badenoch on Friday.

All the resignations under the Sunak government

17:45 , William Mata

Richard Sharp was not a politician but is still a major figure to have stepped down under the prime ministership of Rishi Sunak.

Three other big names have left the front benches of the Tory party since Mr Sunak took office in November.

- Gavin Williamson. The minister without portfolio, was sacked over bullying claims.

- Nadhim Zahawi. The Tory chairman became the second one to fall after an investigation into his tax affairs.

- Dominic Raab. Last week, the deputy prime minister stepped down, also due to bullying claims.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak (PA Wire)

Video: Boris Johnson dodges question

17:29 , William Mata

Boris Johnson did not give a straight answer on the resignation of Richard Sharp when asked.

He had lost the dressing room: Quotes of the day

17:19 , William Mata

"I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC. I feel that this matter may well be a distraction from the Corporation's good work were I to remain in post until the end of my term" - Richard Sharp resigns as BBC chairman.

"He had lost the dressing room, he had lost the respect of senior figures in the broadcasting industry and besmirched the reputation of the BBC" - National Union of Journalists general secretary Michelle Stanistreet criticises Mr Sharp for not resigning earlier.

"He (Mr Johnson) himself was conflicted... Should he have recused himself from the appointment given he knew about Richard Sharp helping him out on this loan?" - Sir Peter Riddell - the former commissioner for public appointments.

Boris Johnson casts a shadow over the Richard Sharp affair (DCMS/PA/Getty/Reuters)

Who could replace Richard Sharp as BBC chairman?

17:12 , William Mata

Conversation has now moved onto who could succeed Richard Sharp as BBC chairman. Here are four names that have been attached to the role.

Murial Gray

The former broadcaster and television host is a non-executive director on the BBC board and represents Scotland at the corporation.

George Osborne

The former chancellor (pictured below) is chairman of the British Museum and the Northern Powerhouse Partnership but had been linked to the BBC role in 2021 when Mr Sharp took it.

Sir Nicholas Serota

Another BBC board member, Sir Nicholas is best known for being director of the Tate galleries for almost three decades.

Charles Moore

The former editor of the Daily Telegraph and The Spectator has been a member of the House of Lords since 2020.

Former chancellor George Osborne is in the frame (PA Archive)

Let all British residents join Sudan evacuation, Labour urges government

17:02 , William Mata

All British residents should qualify for evacuation from Sudan, Labour has said  amid concerns people could be left behind if the country again descends into fighting.

The government has rejected calls to widen the eligibility for evacuation beyond British passport holders and their immediate family  and is facing both domestic and international criticism over its response.

Jon Stone has the full story here.

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said that all British residents should be evacuated from Sudan (PA Wire)

Richard Sharp report: 6 things we learned from report into BBC chair

16:40 , Thomas Kingsley

If youre just tuning in, Richard Sharp has resigned after a report found he failed to disclose a conflict of interest in his appointment as BBC chair.

The report found that:

1) Sharp had two undisclosed conflicts of interests

The report found that Richard Sharp failed to disclose two potential conflicts of interest during the application process to be BBC chair.

One was that he was making introductions to help the prime minister with his "personal finances".

But the inquiry also found that Sharp had another conflict of interest - he had told the prime minister in advance that he wanted to be BBC chair.

2) Sharp accepts one of the conflicts of interest but not the other

The now former BBC chair "does not consider" that telling Boris Johnson he wanted to be BBC chair amounts to a conflict of interest.

But he does accept that he should have explained to the appointment panel that he was making an introduction to help Mr Johnson with his finances.

"He says that his failure to disclose was entirely inadvertent", the report says.

Read the full list below:

6 things we learned from the report into BBC chair Richard Sharp

Who is outgoing BBC chairman Richard Sharp and why did he resign?

16:07 , Thomas Kingsley

Mr Sharp  a major Tory Party donor who was on the board of conservative think tank the Centre for Policy Studies  described Mr Sunak to a friend as the best young financial analyst he had seen.

Before his stint at Goldman Sachs, which spanned from 1985 to 2007, he worked in both commercial and investment banking for JP Morgan.

Mr Sharp, who read philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University, is also a former chairman and an emeritus trustee of the Royal Academy.

He acted as an adviser to Mr Sunak during the pandemic, and played a key role in the creation of the Governments 1.57 billion culture recovery fund.

He was also a member of the Bank of Englands Financial Policy Committee from 2013 until 2019.

(Department for Digital, Culture and Sport)

Watch again: BBC chair resigns over Cash for Boris scandal

15:44 , Thomas Kingsley

How did Twitter react to the resignation?

15:21 , Thomas Kingsley

Richard Sharps resignation has been dominating social media today. Here are some of the key reactions from Twitter today:

Richard Sharp has resigned as BBC chairman, paving the way for a less controversial Tory donor to take the role.  Henry Mance (@henrymance) April 28, 2023

RICHARD SHARP RESIGNS: I have this morning received the report of the investigation into Richard Sharp which Labour instigated. The report is clear: Mr Sharp breached the rules expected of candidates by failing to disclose his involvement in a personal loan to the then PM.  Lucy Powell MP (@LucyMPowell) April 28, 2023

Finally, #RichardSharp is out as #BBC Chairman, after making a grubby loan deal with former PM Boris Johnson and dragging the BBCs reputation through the mud.



As I said yesterday, is the reason why he wasnt sacked his close pally-pally relationship with current PM Rishi Sunak? pic.twitter.com/EOujtUhjJD  Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP (@TanDhesi) April 28, 2023

Who gave Johnson the 800k?

Richard Sharp made the introduction, Sam Blyth acted as guarantor, but we still don't know who gave the money.



Tories say "it isn't of public interest."

In other words "peasants, know your place, we rule, so stop asking questions"@Gabriel_Pogrund https://t.co/L8rjRPICAn  Carol Vorderman (@carolvorders) April 28, 2023

Watch: Richard Sharp report - The findings

15:05 , Thomas Kingsley

Voices | Richard Sharps real failing was keeping bad company (that means you, Boris)

14:46 , Thomas Kingsley

Say what you like about Richard Sharp, he is not a stupid man, Sean OGrady writes. He knew when the game was up, and, unlike many others in a similar position, did not try to hang on and embarrass himself.

He is an intelligent man, and has been a perfectly competent chair of the BBC  a role to which he was appointed, as he always said, on merit.

Its a traditionally political appointment, so his being a past Tory donor shouldnt necessarily have ruled him out. No one minded when Chris Patten was chair, and hed been chair of the Tory party. Labour sympathisers have been given the job too, and fallen out with a Labour government.

Read the full voices piece below:

Sharps real failing was keeping bad company (that means you, Boris) | Sean OGrady

Boris Johnson should be investigated over role in Sharp appointment

14:30 , Thomas Kingsley

Boris Johnson's role in the appointment of Richard Sharp as BBC chairman should be examined, the former commissioner for public appointments has said.

Sir Peter Riddell, who was the commissioner when Mr Sharp took on the job, said the former prime minister's role hasn't really been discussed enough because it was outside the remit of Adam Heppinstall KC's inquiry.

He told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme: He himself was conflicted... Should he have recused himself from the appointment given he knew about Richard Sharp helping him out on this loan?

Should someone in the Cabinet Office have told their colleagues in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport about what was happening with the private finances?

Sharp has caused 'undoubted damage' to trust in BBC - media committee chair

14:16 , Thomas Kingsley

The acting chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee of MPs says Richard Sharp's failure to disclose two conflicts of interest when he interviewed for BBC chairman has caused "undoubted damage" to public trust in the BBC.

Conservative MP Damian Green says this could all have been avoided had he chosen to be more open with the facts when he first appeared before the committee more than two years ago.

Mr Green said: Sharp's resignation shows that pre-appointment hearings should not be seen by candidates as a minor inconvenient hurdle to be brushed aside, but as an important part of a process to ensure the right person is appointed to the job.

We hope that lessons have been learnt by all those involved so that future appointments are not clouded in the same way and people can have faith in those chosen for public positions.

(PA Wire)

Leaks to press made appointments under Johnsons government almost irrelevant'

13:58 , Thomas Kingsley

Leaks to the press on preferred candidates for public appointments under Boris Johnson's government made the recruitment process almost irrelevant, former culture minister Lord Vaizey has said.

He agreed with Adam Heppinstall KC's recommendation that these pre-briefings should stop, with the barrister noting in his report that the Telegraph reported that Richard Sharp was tipped as a frontrunner as he was applying for the BBC chairmanship in 2020.

Lord Vaizey told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme: People who get involved in public appointments, who are interested in public appointments, read the newspapers.

Certainly, under Boris Johnson, they were told by the newspapers pretty clearly who Boris Johnson wanted to be the chair of various different public bodies. I think that definitely had a material impact on people who might have been thinking about going for the chair of the BBC, who would have been very good appointments, and I think they were put off, so I think that does have to stop...

The last government certainly gave the impression that these jobs would be given to favoured candidates and the process was almost irrelevant.

Opinion | Rishi Sunak should have sacked Richard Sharp straight away

13:40 , Emily Atkinson

The moment Richard Sharp admitted that he had helped Boris Johnson with his personal finances, Rishi Sunak should have sacked him, writes our chief political commentator John Rentoul. There was no need to appoint a lawyer to conduct an inquiry, because Sharp, as he now accepts, had broken the rules.

Rishi Sunak should have sacked Richard Sharp straight away | John Rentoul

Media reacts to Richard Sharp resignation

13:20 , Thomas Kingsley

On Friday, Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, said Mr Sharp had lost the dressing room at the BBC over the long-running probe into his breach of appointment rules.

She said: Richard Sharp has shamefully clung to his position as chair for months whilst all around him could clearly see his time was up, so of course it is a relief and proper that he has now finally resigned.

He had lost the dressing room, he had lost the respect of senior figures in the broadcasting industry and besmirched the reputation of the BBC.

Now the BBC must move on with a new chair who can help steer the corporation through difficult times and champion public service broadcasting.

The BBC's World Affairs editor John Simpson also tweeted: Following Richard Sharp's resignation as BBC Chairman, it's likely there'll be more support for the proposal that the chairman should be nominated by an independent committee and not by the government.

Polls always show that people want governments to keep their hands off the BBC.

Damian Green, the acting chair of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said Mr Sharp's successor must have the integrity and impartiality needed for this role.

Mr Green added that we hope that lessons have been learnt so that future appointments are not clouded in the same way and so that people can have faith in those chosen for public positions.

13:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Rishi Sunak told journalists: This is about doing things properly and professionally.

When concerns are raised, it is right there is a proper process, an independent process that we don't prejudge, we allow it to carry on, establish the facts of what happened, reach a conclusion.

That has happened, Richard Sharp has resigned. But it is right that we do these things properly and professionally, I think most people will think that is the right thing to do.

Asked if Mr Sharp's replacement should be a non-political appointment, Mr Sunak said he was focused on delivering for the British people.

He said: That is what is I am here talking about today in Scotland, how we can work constructively with the Scottish Government to deliver for the people of Scotland.

Rishi Sunak has not spoken to Richard Sharp following his resignation

12:44 , Thomas Kingsley

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he has not spoken to former BBC chairman Richard Sharp following his resignation.

Asked if he had spoken to Mr Sharp, who quit his job after being found to have broken the rules by failing to disclose he played a role in getting Boris Johnson an 800,000 loan guarantee, Mr Sunak said: No.

The prime ninister was in Glasgow for the Scottish Conservative conference and said he had been talking to our members and talking about what we are doing to deliver for the people of Scotland.

Mr Sunak said: I haven't seen the report but I understand he tendered his resignation to the Secretary of State and she has accepted it.

12:28 , Thomas Kingsley

Gary Lineker has commented on the resignation of BBC chairman Richard Sharp.

The Match Of The Day host, 62, tweeted: The BBC chairman should not be selected by the government of the day.

Not now, not ever.

His comments come after he was taken off air by the broadcaster in March after posting a tweet which sparked an impartiality row prompting the BBC to launch an independent review of its social media guidance for freelancers.

He later returned to his Match Of The Day presenting role following a boycott by top on-air talent.

The BBC chairman should not be selected by the government of the day. Not now, not ever.  Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) April 28, 2023

Rishi Sunak says he has not seen report into Richard Sharp

12:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he has not seen the report into Richard Sharp, but was unable to guarantee a non-political figure would replace him.

Speaking to media at the Scottish Tory conference in Glasgow, Mr Sunak said: There's an appointments process that happens for those appointments. I'm not going to prejudge that.

(Hannah McKay/PA)

Richard Sharp was the only candidate supported by the government

11:50 , Thomas Kingsley

The appointment panel was told Mr Sharp was the only candidate supported by the government

The appointment panel had a shortlist of 23 applications, which was then cut down to eight people.

But the chair of the panel was told about No 10s support for Richard Sharp and it was stated that he was the only candidate identified to the Panel as having his candidacy supported by Ministers.

In the end Mr Sharp was selected.

Read more from our policy correspondent, Jon Stone, on key points from the report into Richard Sharps rule breach:

6 things we learned from the report into BBC chair Richard Sharp

Labour say Richard Sharp should have been sacked weeks ago

11:40 , Thomas Kingsley

Shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell said Richard should have been sacked instead of resigning.

This report, that I instigated, not the government, found that he failed to disclose this murky relationship that he had with the prime minister over the private loan that they received, Ms Powell said.

But he could have been sacked, he should have been sacked weeks ago.

It was clear for everyone to see that he had failed to act appropriately in the process, and it has caused untold damage to the reputation and the independence of the BBC.

They shouldve sacked him weeks ago.

Timeline of key events leading to Richard Sharps resignation over Cash for Boris row

11:30 , Thomas Kingsley

Where did the Richard Sharp story begin?

September 2020: Richard Sharp, a former Goldman Sachs banker advising the Government on the economic response to the coronavirus pandemic, is contacted by old friend Sam Blyth, a distant cousin of then-prime minister Boris Johnson. Mr Blyth says he wants to help Mr Johnson with his financial difficulties.

October 2020: The recruitment process opens for the next chairman of the BBC.

November 2020: Mr Sharp submits his application for the BBC job. He has already discussed it with Mr Johnson.

Late November 2020: Mr Blyth gets back in touch with Mr Sharp, asking him to arrange a meeting with Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, Whitehalls top civil servant.

December 2020: Mr Sharp meets Mr Case to discuss Mr Blyths request for a meeting and the offer of help for Mr Johnson. They agreed that Mr Sharp should have no further involvement in the matter.

Read the full timeline below:

Timeline of events leading to Richard Sharps resignation over Cash for Boris row

Sharp had two undisclosed conflicts of interests

11:15 , Thomas Kingsley

The report found that Richard Sharp failed to disclose two potential conflicts of interest during the application process to be BBC chair.

One was that he was making introductions to help the prime minister with his personal finances.

But the inquiry also found that Sharp had another conflict of interest - he had told the prime minister in advance that he wanted to be BBC chair.

Sharp accepts one of the conflicts of interest but not the other.

The now former BBC chair does not consider that telling Boris Johnson he wanted to be BBC chair amounts to a conflict of interest. But he does accept that he should have explained to the appointment panel that he was making an introduction to help Mr Johnson with his finances.

He says that his failure to disclose was entirely inadvertent, the report says.

(Getty Images)

Richard Sharp appointment shows how far standards have fallen former business secretary says

10:55 , Thomas Kingsley

Former shadow business secretary Dame Angela Eagle told The Independent that Mr Sharps appointment shows how far standards have fallen under successive Tory governments.

She said: It was clear that he should have resigned as soon as the report of his lack of disclosure about facilitating the 800,000 loan to Mr Johnson came out.

That he could ever have believed that this was not an interest to be declared both during the public appointments procedure or when appearing in front of Parliament to confirm the appointment, beggars belief.

That the then PM could appoint him in these circumstances and then both of them claim there was nothing untoward about it - is extraordinary and shows just how far standards of decency and probity have fallen under successive Tory governments.

By hanging on he has dragged the BBC through the mud and the damage to trust will take a long time to repair

Mad Richard Sharp was appointed in first place, report writer said

10:45 , Thomas Kingsley

Senior SNP MP John Nicolson - who sits on the culture committee which produced a damning report into Mr Sharps role in securing the loan for Mr Johnson - said the fact he had the job in the first place was mad.

Mr Nicolson said the next BBC chair must not be a Tory donor and called for an end to party political appointments to plum public service positions.

He told The Independent: It is very important that the next chair of the BBC appointed by Downing Street should not be a Tory Party donor.

And Mr Nicolson delivered an excoriating verdict on Mr Sharps tenure saying he showed little interest in broadcasting through his career and was unable to do his job when appointed.

He said: Richard Sharp was absent during the Gary Lineker row, and it is absolutely right that he has gone. I am glad he resigned, I called for him to resign.

A more modest, self-effacing resignation statement, however, would have been welcomed, he added.

Mr Nicolson also piled pressure on the Labour Party to pledge not to appoint donors to public service roles. He said: Keir Starmer must also rule out appointing a Labour Party donor to this and any other public service role if he goes into Downing Street.

Labour has refused to say that it will change this culture. Now is the time for Keir Starmer to say, I will not give a public service appointment to anybody who has given Labour a large financial donation.

Richard Sharp explains why he did not disclose loan help to Boris Johnson

10:36 , Thomas Kingsley

In his statement, Mr Sharp sought to explain what happened when he secured a loan for Boris Johnson.

When I sought, in December 2020, to introduce the cabinet secretary to Mr Blythe, I did so in good faith. I did so with the best intentions and I did so with the sole purpose of ensuring that all relevant rules were being followed, he said.

I'm pleased that Mr Heppinstall supports the fact that my involvement in these matters, as he states was accordingly, very limited.

After extensive work, he states his words, that he's happy to record that he's seen no evidence, and nor could he say I played any part whatsoever in facilitation arrangement, or financing of a loan to the former prime minister. Now during my conversation with the Cabinet Secretary on December the fourth 2020 I reminded him of the fact that I was in the BBC appointment process.

I believed as a result of that conversation, that I had been removed from any conflict or perception of conflict.

I understood this recusal to be absolute. This was my error.

In my subsequent interview with the appointments panel, I wish with the benefit of hindsight, this potential perceived conflict of interest, something you might consider to mention.

I would like once again to apologise for that oversight, inadvertent though it was, and for the distraction these events have caused the BBC.

(BBC)

Richard Sharp reports causes untold damage to BBCs reputation

10:30 , Thomas Kingsley

Lucy Powell, the shadow culture secretary, said the report was clear that Mr Sharp breached the rules expected of candidates by failing to disclose his involvement in a personal loan to the then PM.

She added that the findings have caused untold damage to the reputation of the BBC and seriously undermines its independence.

Ms Powell said: This comes after 13 years of the Tories doing everything they can to defend themselves and their mates. From Owen Patterson to Dominic Raab, and now Richard Sharp, instead of doing whats best for the country the Prime Minister was more interested in defending his old banking boss. The prime minister should have sacked him weeks ago. Instead it took this investigation, called by Labour, to make him resign.

She called on Rishi Sunak to urgently establish a truly independent and robust process to replace Sharp to help restore the esteem of the BBC after his government has tarnished it so much.

Culture secretary weighs into Sharp resignation

10:19 , Thomas Kingsley

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, has weighed into the resignation fallout. In a letter to Richard Sharp she said: I understand and respect your decision to stand down.

She told the outgoing chairman: I know that you are held in high regard by the BBC Board.

You have clearly demonstrated your commitment to public service and I especially applaud the work you did during the pandemic. Your decision to step down in the wider interests of the corporation is further testament to that commitment.

Certainty and stability for the corporation are clearly a shared priority. In this context, I have spoken to the board and they have proposed that you stay in place until the next board meeting on June 27 2023 whilst an acting chair is appointed in line with the Charter.

I have accepted this and would like to thank you for your continued service to assist in ensuring an orderly and smooth transition takes place. We will also move to launch a process to identify and appoint a permanent new chair.

Thank you, once again, for your service and I wish you well for the future. I am sure there will be further opportunities for you to make a significant contribution to public life.

Richard Sharp is a person of integrity, BBC Board says in statement

10:10 , Thomas Kingsley

The BBC Board issued a statement accepting Richards decision to stand down.

It reads: The BBC Board believes that Richard Sharp is a person of integrity.

Richard has been a real advocate for the BBC, its mission, and why the Corporation is a priceless asset for the country, at home and abroad. He has always had the impartiality of the BBC and a desire to see the organisation thrive at the forefront of his work as Chairman.

We understand that the UK government is moving swiftly to begin the process of appointing a new Chairman of the BBC, in line with the terms of the BBCs Charter.Tim Davie, the Director-General of the BBC, added: On behalf of the BBC Executive, I would like to thank Richard for his service to the BBC and the drive and intellect he brought to his time as Chairman. Working with him over the last two years has been rewarding and Richard has made a significant contribution to the transformation and success of the BBC.

Richard Sharp failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest, report finds

10:07 , Thomas Kingsley

Adam Heppinstall KC's report into the appointment of Richard Sharp as BBC chair found he failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest.

Mr Sharp continued in his statement: I feel that this matter may well be a distraction from the Corporation's good work were I to remain in post until the end of my term.

I have therefore this morning resigned as BBC Chair to the Secretary of State, and to the Board.

BREAKING: Richard Sharp resigns

10:03 , Thomas Kingsley

Richard Sharp said he was quitting as BBC chairman to "prioritise the interests" of the broadcaster after a report by Adam Heppinstall found he breached the governance code for public appointments.

In a statement, he said: "Mr Heppinstall's view is that while I did breach the governance code for public appointments, he states that a breach does not necessarily invalidate an appointment.

"Indeed, I have always maintained the breach was inadvertent and not material, which the facts he lays out substantiate. The Secretary of State has consulted with the BBC Board who support that view.

"Nevertheless, I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC.

Watch: BBC panel asked by chair Richard Sharp to review potential conflict of interest over Boris Johnson loan

10:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Who is under-pressure BBC chairman Richard Sharp?

09:46 , Thomas Kingsley

Richard Sharp  a major Tory Party donor who was on the board of conservative think tank the Centre for Policy Studies  described Mr Sunak to a friend as the best young financial analyst he had seen.

Before his stint at Goldman Sachs, which spanned from 1985 to 2007, he worked in both commercial and investment banking for JP Morgan.

Mr Sharp, who read philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University, is also a former chairman and an emeritus trustee of the Royal Academy.

He acted as an adviser to Mr Sunak during the pandemic, and played a key role in the creation of the Governments 1.57 billion culture recovery fund.

He was also a member of the Bank of Englands Financial Policy Committee from 2013 until 2019.

Mr Sharps appointment as chairman of the BBC, during one of the most turbulent periods in its history in February 2021, was widely regarded as political.

Read the full story below:

Who is under-pressure BBC chairman Richard Sharp?

ICYMI: Boris Johnson stays at Caribbean villa owned by tycoon at heart of BBC chair row

09:22 , Thomas Kingsley

Boris Johnson is believed to have stayed at the luxury Caribbean home of his distant cousin at the heart of the row over the appointment of BBC chair Richard Sharp.

The former Tory PM and his wife Carrie spent Easter holidaying in the Dominican Republic in a villa thought to be owned by his Canadian relative Sam Blyth.

It comes as a new book found that Mr Johnson told Downing Street staff that I am the fuhrer and Im the king amid tensions with his then-top adviser Dominic Cummings.

The ex-Tory PM stayed at a 4,100-a-night villa owned by his distant cousin, the Mirror reported after he was pictured there with his family by El Nuevo Diario.

Mr Johnson declared the use of Gatwick Airports luxury suite at the value 1,584 as he flew out to the Caribbean, the latest register of MPs interests shows.

But he has not declared any hospitality provided by Mr Blyth, and did not do so after a previous stay as a guest of his cousin. It is understood he does not believe it is necessary because he is staying with family.

Read the full story below:

Boris Johnson stays at villa owned by tycoon at heart of BBC chair row

Richard Sharp will have to go if found to have broken rules, Labour MP says

08:58 , Thomas Kingsley

A Labour MP has said BBC chairman Richard Sharp will have to go if he is found to have broken the code for public appointments by facilitating a loan for Boris Johnson.

Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh told Sky News: If it is revealed that he has failed to declare the details of this loan arrangement properly or failed to be forthcoming in the process, then of course he will have to go.

A report investigating the matter is expected to be released on Friday morning, and Ms Haigh said an independent panel to look into the issue of public appointments has been established in the opposition.

She added: It's been really concerning to see how the Government has sat back and done very little about the potential breaches in the process, and did nothing to help restore trust and faith in the impartiality of the BBC.

I think his whole saga raises wider issues around the way that the Government has approached the BBC and the particular links of the Tory party with the BBC.

What could happen to Richard Sharp

08:37 , Thomas Kingsley

BBC chair Richard Sharp should consider stepping down after jeopardising public trust in the corporation over the cash for Boris row, its former head of television news has said.

Writing for The Independent, Roger Mosey said Mr Sharps position appeared to be untenable  warning that there was an ever-stronger sense that the end credits are about to roll on his tenure.

Mr Sharp has been under growing pressure since a cross-party group of MPs found that he had made significant errors of judgement by acting as a go-between for an 800,000 loan guarantee for Boris Johnson.

Read the full exclusive story below:

Damning report exposes how extraordinary incident is

08:15 , Thomas Kingsley

According to The Times the investigation by Adam Heppinstall KC into whether Mr Sharp should have disclosed the talks is lengthy.

Mr Heppinstall's findings were said to be damning. One source said: When it's all laid out clearly, it exposes just how extraordinary the whole episode is.

Mr Sharp's lawyers are understood to have disputed criticisms made by Heppinstall after receiving a letter summarising his findings this month. This means that some aspects of the report may since have been toned down.

Report into Richard Sharps appointment as BBC chairman due to be published

08:04 , Thomas Kingsley

BBC chairman Richard Sharp is braced for a report into his appointment to the role after he helped facilitate an 800,000 loan guarantee for Boris Johnson.

MPs have already criticised Mr Sharps significant errors of judgment.

He has admitted introducing his friend Sam Blyth, a cousin of Mr Johnson who wanted to help him with his financial troubles, to the Cabinet Office in 2020.

In January the following year he was named as the governments preferred candidate to be BBC chairman.

The Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee confirmed his appointment but was not aware of his role in helping to facilitate the loan.

Read the full story below:

Report into Richard Sharps appointment as BBC chairman due to be published

Good morning

08:01 , Thomas Kingsley

Good morning and welcome to our live blog covering the publication of a report into whether BBC chair Richard Sharp breached rules by securing a loan for former prime minister Boris Johnson before he was appointed to his role.
Richard Sharp became chairman of the BBC in February 2021

Richard Sharp has resigned as chairman of the BBC following the publication of a review into his appointment.

The 25-page report looks at whether he failed to properly disclose his involvement in the facilitation of an 800,000 loan to Boris Johnson.

At a glance, here is what it tells us:

Failed to disclose perceived conflicts of interests

The main finding in the report is Mr Sharp "failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest".

In the BBC chairman job specification, candidates were told if there were any issues which could "be misconstrued, cause embarrassment, or cause public confidence in the appointment to be jeopardised", they should be raised.

The reports takes issue with Mr Sharp over not disclosing two issues.

The first was a perception "he influenced the former prime minister to recommend him [for the BBC role] by informing him of his application before he submitted it".

The second related to a perception Mr Sharp "was recommended for appointment because he assisted the former prime minister in a private financial matter", which would have involved setting up a meeting between Cabinet Secretary Simon Case and a guarantor for the loan, millionaire Sam Blyth. In the event, the meeting did not take place, the report found.

"There may well have been a risk of a perception that Mr Sharp would not be independent from the former prime minister, if appointed," it says.

The report notes that Mr Sharp does not accept the first conclusion, but he has apologised for the second.

The timeline

The report lays out when these things happened, and why that could be an issue.

It was before his application in November 2020 for the role of BBC chairman that Mr Sharp told Boris Johnson he wished to apply for the role.

Prior to being interviewed, Mr Sharp also told the former prime minister he would meet the most senior civil servant, Cabinet Secretary Simon Case - who advises the prime minister - over the matter of making an introduction to "a person who had made a suggestion that he might assist the former prime minister with his personal finances".

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This meeting with Mr Case took place on 4 December, 2020. At this meeting Mr Sharp told Mr Case of his BBC application and agreed to have no further involvement in any loan discussions, believing this resolved any conflict of interest issues.

Following an application process laid out in the report, the appointment of Mr Sharp was announced on 17 February, 2021.

He could still have got the job

Despite potential conflicts of interest not being raised in Mr Sharp's application, he may still have got the job if they had been flagged.

"A potential conflict of interest should not preclude a candidate from being shortlisted or appointed," the report says, as long as they are declared.

In this instance, it would have been the permanent secretary in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport who would have handled the issue, and advised ministers ahead of the appointment.

What it says about Boris Johnson

One of the other key players in this is former prime minister Boris Johnson.

The report states the inquiry "makes no findings about the conduct of ministers, in relation to this appointment process, including the former prime minister".

It does add "ministers are reminded of their duties to declare and resolve any interests and relationships which they have".

Leaking of preferred candidates

The report also takes aim at the practice of the leaking of names of "preferred candidates" for the BBC job, and says this practice by ministers should be prohibited.

On 22 October 2020, the Daily Telegraph had carried a story that Mr Sharp was "tipped as a frontrunner for the role of BBC chair", with a source saying he was likely to apply. Mr Sharp and Downing Street were quoted in the article as having no comment.

The report says that the practice "may well have discouraged people from applying for this role", and could "undermine efforts to increase diversity".

The panel responsible for the recruitment process noted its disappointment at a lack of diversity among the applicants.

It notes that a suggestion was made to civil servants to call potential candidates and inform them the application process was open.
Rihanna attended the convention to announce her role as the voice of Smurfette in The Smurfs movie

This year's CinemaCon has given a glimpse of some of the biggest releases that film fans can expect in the next couple of years.

Rihanna, Ryan Gosling, Martin Scorsese and Oprah Winfrey were in Las Vegas to make announcements, while there was news about Hunger Games, Transformers, Wicked and Beetlejuice films.

Here are the 12 of the biggest revelations.

1. Rihanna is Smurfette, although she wanted to be Papa Smurf

Performing at the Super Bowl? Tick. Having successful make-up and lingerie lines? Tick. Playing a Smurfette? Tick! What can Rihanna not do?

It seems getting the role of Papa Smurf is one thing Rihanna can't do, as she joked at CinemaCon.

She made a surprise appearance at the convention, where she took to the stage to announce her latest role as the voice of Smurfette in the new Smurfs movie.

"I tried to get the Papa Smurf role but It didn't work out," the Grammy Award winner joked. She will also write and record original songs for the project.

The Smurfs movie is not expected to hit theatres until February 2025.

2. A long-awaited look at the Hunger Games prequel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDE6Uz73A7g

What's a successful film series without a prequel? Eight years since the last film, fans finally got a glimpse of more Hunger Games action - this time going back 64 years before the events of the main story.

It is the first instalment to not feature Jennifer Lawrence's character Katniss Everdeen - instead we get to see what led Coriolanus Snow, played as a young man by Tom Blyth, to become the tyrannical leader he is in later years.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is due to be released in November.

3. Chris Hemsworth and Scarlett Johansson will be Transformed

Johansson and Hemsworth have previously worked together on Avengers: Endgame

From one prequel to another, the Transformers are going back to their roots in the franchise's first animated adventure for almost 40 years.

The project will tell the story of how a young Optimus Prime and Megatron went from being best pals to big-time enemies.

Story continues

Chris Hemsworth will loan his voice to Prime, while Megatron will be voiced by Eternals actor Brian Tyree Henry. Scarlett Johansson will play Elita, the female counterpart to Optimus Prime.

Transformers One is expected to be released in July 2024.

4. Wicked will be a 'fully immersive experience'

Ariana Grande stars in Wicked as Glinda

Keen fans of the musical Wicked will be wishing they were at the convention, as cinema owners were treated to a rough cut of a brief section of the new film.

According to reports, the clip showed Michelle Yeoh's character training Elphaba - played by Cynthia Erivo - in the use of magic, and also a first look at Jeff Goldblum's Wizard of Oz. Sadly you won't find the clip online because it has not been released.

Director Jon M Chu told the audience the movie does not include CGI or the blue screen filming technique, and it's "a fully immersive experience". It will be interesting to see how they defy gravity without the use of CGI...

Wicked will be released in two parts - with the first out in November next year.

5. Christopher Nolan on the 'most important person who ever lived'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keydELfWuMQ

Christopher Nolan's latest film looks at the life of atomic bomb creator J Robert Oppenheimer, with Cillian Murphy in the title role.

The Dark Knight and Dunkirk director was at the convention to show new footage. "Like it or not, J Robert Oppenheimer is the most important person who ever lived," he claimed. "He made the world we live in, for better or for worse."

He went on to say: "I know of no more dramatic tale with higher stakes, twists and turns and ethical dilemmas."

Oppenheimer is released this July.

6. Scorsese showed the trailer for his latest film

Scorsese frequently collaborates with De Niro and DiCaprio but rarely with both together

What's a Martin Scorsese film without Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio?

At this year's CinemaCon, Scorsese revealed the first trailer for his forthcoming project Killers of the Flower Moon.

The two actors have both worked with the director several times over the years, but only once together - in short film The Audition.

Killers of the Flower Moon is based on the real story of the murders of members of the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma, and is out in October.

7. Ziggy Marley revealed the title of his father's biopic

British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir will play the reggae legend

Bob Marley is the latest legend to have a biopic made about his life, and son Ziggy, who is also a producer on the project, revealed its title at the convention.

It's called Bob Marley: One Love, and Marley Jr also shared some unseen footage with the CinemaCon audience - although it remains unseen online.

What we do know is that Kingsley Ben-Adir, who played Malcolm X in One Night in Miami, will star as the iconic musician.

Bob Marley: One Love is out next January.

8. Hugh Grant is going to be an Oompa Loompa

Hugh Grant will play an Oompa Loompa in the new Wonka film

There was a time when Hugh Grant only seemed to be offered roles as lovably bumbling upper-class Englishmen.

That's been laid to rest once and for all with the news that he has been cast as an Oompa Loompa.

Grant will play one of the workers in the forthcoming Wonka movie - about the life of Willy Wonka, from Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

According to reports, footage played at the convention showed Grant trapped in a tiny glass jar before being rescued by Timothee Chalamet's Mr Wonka - who, according to Variety, later hires Grant to keep his factory up and running.

Audience members also got a glimpse of Olivia Colman as a Cockney innkeeper and Sally Hawkins as Wonka's mother.

It's been reported that Chalamet revealed he swam in real melted chocolate. How's that for method acting?

Wonka is out in December.

9. Ryan Gosling didn't understand Ken until he shaved his legs

Ryan Gosling will play the iconic Ken doll in the upcoming Barbie film

From swimming in chocolate to bleaching hair and shaving legs, CinemaCon revealed the ways in which actors are getting fully into character.

To promote the Barbie film, director Greta Gerwig and actors Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera attended the convention - and it was there we found out that Gosling was worried about channelling his inner Ken doll.

He told the audience: "If I'm being really honest, I doubted my Ken-ergy. I didn't see it. Margot and Greta, I feel like they conjured this out of me somewhere."

He went on to explain how the spirit of Ken came to him. "I was bleaching my hair and shaving my legs and wearing bespoke neon outfits and rollerblading down Venice Beach. It came on like a fever," he said.

It won't be long until fans get to soak up the plastic fantastic world of Barbie when the film comes out in July.

10. Beetlejuice 2 is on the way

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po1HJbmow0g

Don't say his name three times... but Beetlejuice 2 is on the way.

Fans of the 1980s favourite will be happy to hear that Warner Bros announced a second film is in development.

That's all we know for now, but it's enough for people to get up and dance to the late Harry Belafonte's Banana Boat song.

11. The Color Purple remake is not 'Your Mama's Color Purple'

Oprah Winfrey starred in the original movie adaptation of The Color Purple and will produce the musical remake

Almost four decades after the original film, The Color Purple is being remade as a musical.

Oprah Winfrey, who earned a best supporting actress Oscar nomination for her role in the classic, will co-produce the remake, and gave the convention a sneak peek.

Alongside the footage, Winfrey and director Blitz Bazawule revealed the tagline for the movie: "Not Your Mama's Color Purple."

The Color Purple is expected to hit cinemas in December.

12. Melissa McCarthy's singing made waves

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpGo2_d3oYE

Our hearts go out to the poor unfortunate souls who missed Melissa McCarthy's rendition of a classic Disney song.

Although she sadly didn't perform live, McCarthy introduced a clip of her singing Poor Unfortunate Souls from Disney's live action remake of The Little Mermaid.

While on stage, McCarthy said it was an honour to play Ursula, one of the most iconic Disney villains, who she described as "dishy" and "a conniving broad", but "you can't help but love her at the same time".

We will have to see if the audience fall in love with her when the film is released next month.
The good news is that veterans are making more claims than ever before, as they learn of new eligibility under burn pit legislation and more. The bad news is that theres not enough staff to handle the deluge in claims, even as the Veterans Affairs has added more employees. And thats a recipe for burnout.

I am concerned about ensuring we take care of our employees, because when we take care of them, they can take care of veterans, said VA Under Secretary for Benefits Joshua Jacobs at a press conference on April 27. So we are actively looking at making sure we are providing the support our employees need.

The backlog of benefits claims has been a major focus of the department and members of Congress for years, amid concerns that too many unprocessed cases could undermine faith in VAs system as individuals are forced to wait months or years for payouts.

VA gets new benefits chief after two years of waiting

Last year, the Veterans Benefits Administration processed about 1.7 million claims from veterans, its highest total ever. Jacobs said they expect to set a new record this year, in large part due to expansion of benefits under the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (better known as the PACT Act) signed into law last summer.

Already, 500,000 individuals have filed paperwork for PACT Act compensation for illnesses tied to burn pit exposure in Iraq and Afghanistan, Agent Orange conditions from service in Vietnam, and issues related to radiation exposure at various military sites in the 1970s and 1980s.

Jacobs said VA staff have processed about 14% more claims through mid-April than compared to the same time frame last year, with roughly the same approval rates. But new claims this year are up 31% over the same time frame last year, meaning staff isnt keeping up with the demand.

VA officials insisted the heavier caseload is a positive sign, because it means more veterans are reaching out to the department for earned benefits. But they acknowledged it increases the need for new staff hires and faster training.

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The department currently employs 28,000 claims staffers, its largest total ever, and up more than 1,100 in recent months because of aggressive hiring initiatives, Jacobs said. He added that recent improvements in the claims process such as automating some processing and clarifying approval rules have also helped workers improve efficiency and helped boost morale.

In addition, the department is sending out new surveys to veterans starting this week to gauge their satisfaction with the claims process, in an effort to make sure the changes and challenges arent adding stress to disabled veterans. The 13-question survey will look at veterans trust in the process, use of support services and other issues related to the claims.

Were going to take that to drive specific improvements to the overall process, Jacobs said.

Those surveys should reach veterans by email in coming days, department officials said.
Romance novelist Nora Roberts has been caught up in the conservative effort to ban books from Florida schools, an action she describes as shocking.

Eight of her books were removed from school library shelves in Martin County, Fla., following a complaint.

All of it is shocking, Roberts told The Washington Post. If you dont want your teenager reading this book, thats your right as a mom  and good luck with that. But you dont have the right to say nobodys kid can read this book.

A co-founder of book-banning activist group Moms for Liberty told CBS Sunday Morning last weekend that books containing incest, pedophilia, rape or pornography should be banned from schools.

A slew of notable authors have been taken off some shelves in the state, including Judy Blume, Toni Morrison and James Patterson.

A study from the American Library Association found that there were 1,269 attempts to ban books across the country last year, impacting 2,571 titles, nearly twice as many as 2021.

A Martin County Moms for Liberty activist, Julie Marshall, said Robertss books are inherently not appropriate for schools because they are romance novels, an explanation provided to the Post by the Florida Freedom to Read Project.

Im surprised that they wouldnt want teenagers to read about healthy relationships that are monogamous, consensual, healthy and end up in marriage, Roberts said about her books.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ron DeSantis angrily chastised a reporter on Thursday as he spoke in Jerusalem, and denied that the had been present for force-feedings during his service at the US military prison at Guanatanamo Bay.

The moment occurred as Mr DeSantis gave a press conference at the Museum of Tolerance, a cultural centre in the Israeli territory of West Jerusalem. His visit to the Middle East comes as the Florida governor is thought to be preparing a bid for the Republican nomination against Donald Trump and others in 2024.

At the press conference, Mr DeSantis was questioned about claims from a former Guantanamo detainee who was held without being charged for more than a decade at the notorious military prison accused him of being present for episodes where he was force-fed by guards to break a hunger strike.

Mansoor Adayfi, a Yemeni citizen who was held for 14 years at Gitmo, told The Independent in March that he was brutally force-fed by camp staff during a hunger strike in 2006, and that Mr DeSantis was present for at least one of those sessions. Force-feeding is designated as torture by the United Nations

DeSantis wrecks a journalist when the hack starts citing claims made by Guantanamo Bay terrorists. pic.twitter.com/JiNphfq9m5  Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) April 27, 2023

Do you honestly believe thats credible? Its ... 2006, Im a junior officer, do you honestly think that they wouldve remembered me? Mr DeSantis shot back angrily.

Mr Adayfi was released in 2016 (without ever being accused of a crime) and first came forward with the charge that Mr DeSantis had been in attendance for the force-feedings last November.

Another detainee has also accused Mr DeSantis of being present; an investigation from The Independent confirmed that Mr DeSantiss role as an attorney was to field complaints of illegal treatment from detainees.

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I dont remember exactly when DeSantis came because we had no watch, no calendar, nothing, Mr Adayfi told The Independent. He came to talk to us along [with] others  medical staff and interpreters. And we explained to him why we were on hunger strike. And he told us, Im here to ensure that you get treated humanely and properly. We were talking about our problems with the brothers, the torture, the abuses, the no healthcare.

The treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay is hardly a partisan issue in Washington. Members of both parties have worked to keep the controversial prison open, and even though Barack Obama famously pledged to close the prison during his presidency he ultimately failed to do so and even found himself defending the concept of these force-feedings to journalists.

I dont want these individuals to die, he said in 2013.

The prison at Guantanamo Bay has faced global criticism as detainees have been held for years without charges, in some cases with very thin or no evidence at all of detainees supposed links to terror groups. Some of treatment of prisoners at the facility has also been described as torture, including the force-feedings and waterboarding.

In his recent book, The Courage to be Free, Mr DeSantis wrote that part of the reason he enlisted in the military was to lead the prosecution of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, explaining that it seemed like a good opportunity to make an impact.
In the end, it took a civil jury trial  a procedure so unusual many lawyers and even judges were unfamiliar with it  to resolve what happens with the extraordinarily entangled power line to Canada: It will be built.

Last weeks unanimous conclusion from nine ordinary Maine citizens in effect reversed the 59% majority of voters who decided, in a 2021 referendum, that the project should be shut down. Jurors found that New England Clean Energy Connects builder, Avangrid, parent of Central Maine Power, went ahead in good faith earlier and created vested rights, making the referendum unconstitutional as ex post facto law.

Though almost everyone is mum, what happens next is clear: The Department of Environmental Protection will reinstate permits so construction can resume, even as inevitable appeals proceed.

Douglas Rooks

New England desperately needs the electricity Hydro Quebec will provide, and relief from the exorbitant rates of natural gas suppliers in the absence of 1,200 megawatts of hydropower, which would have started flowing in 2022 without all the objections and delays. In the meantime, generation charges nearly doubled.

Against impressions of controversy and confusion, however, and with the honorable exception of the Business Court jury, many Maine institutions failed us in this drawn-out and largely unnecessary saga.

We must learn these lessons thoroughly to stave off the worst effects of global warming that, for Maine, include inundations from rising seas.

The basic facts should never have been in serious dispute. Massachusetts, like New York, Maine and most other New England states, set ambitious renewable electricity standards to jump-start conversion away from fossil fuels.

Massachusetts sought bids for one such contract, and Hydro Quebec won  angering NextEra, a Florida energy giant, about which more in a moment. To get power from Canada to the Bay State, lines must traverse northern New England. After a botched attempt in New Hampshire, Maine was up next.

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The cost to Maine ratepayers was zero and, in compensation for cutting the corridor through the north woods, benefits totaling $500 million were offered; perhaps it should have been more.

But the Natural Resources Council of Maine, with a long-time horror of hydroelectric dams, even those built three decades ago in Canada, went to work to convince Mainers that such a corridor  necessary for any large-scale project, such as the King Pine wind project now moving through the Legislature  amounted to sacrilege.

As for Hydro Quebec, NRCM accused it of greenwashing electricity from other sources, betraying ignorance of how electric grids actually work.

Since electricity must be provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, no amount of solar and wind  intermittent, by definition  can ever do the job. Constant sources, currently hydro, nuclear  and fossil fuels  are also needed. Which would you prefer?

When the referendum battle was joined, Hydro Quebec, and CMP, did a terrible job defending the project. For a long time, CMP did nothing, allowing NRCM and deep-pocketed fossil fuel allies to frame the argument.

Then, rather that campaign on something like, Clean, affordable power for all of New England, including Maine, CMP ran silly ads about No retroactive laws, which was its winning legal strategy, but meaningless concerning the projects appeal to voters.

Nor should we exempt the news media, which presented the battle as environment vs. big utility, in this case a utility also in hot water over computer billing failures and poor storm cleanup response.

As widely reported, Hydro Quebec did spend $10 million opposing the referendum, with CMP kicking in a smaller amount. But nowhere was NextEras $20 million in favor of the referendum even mentioned.

Admittedly, until full court filings it was harder to trace NextEras sour-grapes role. But it previously lost a lawsuit against regulatory approvals, so it wasnt hard to guess.

Instead of environment vs. utility giant, two utility giants duked it out. Would that have changed the Question 1 vote?

Nor does the Supreme Judicial Court get a pass. Its original ruling on CMPs challenge essentially validated the vested rights arguments, but it remanded the case, producing seven months of delay and facilitating another whopping electric rate increase.

Its difficult to escape the conclusion that justices didnt want to be seen as thwarting the will of the people, nor did the Business Court judge, who granted NRCMs request for a jury trial.

Going forward, we need to collectively make better decisions about creating a survivable future. That means accepting lawful regulatory decisions, understanding that necessary compromise may require modifying long-held positions  and definitely not filing unconstitutional referendum questions.

Weve lost precious time. Lets hope it doesnt come back to haunt us.

Douglas Rooks, a Maine editor, commentator and reporter since 1984, is the author of three books, and is now researching the life and career of a U.S. chief justice. He welcomes comment at drooks@tds.net

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Rooks: Jurors succeeded where many others failed regarding power lines
Princess Diana attends the Met Gala in 1996. Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

The Met Gala red carpet is filled with celebrities, models, and fashion designers every year.

But on occasion, members of royal families from around the world make appearances at the event.

The late Princess Diana and Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece are just two examples.

Princess Lee Radziwill wore a statement stole to the 1978 Met Gala.

Lee Radziwill attends the 1978 Met Gala. Fairchild Archive/Getty Images

Radziwill, who was First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' sister and royal through her marriage to Prince Stanisaw Albrecht Radziwi of Poland, arrived at the 1978 Met Gala in a silky dress that cinched at her waist.

She added a sparkly jacket and fuzzy stole to the glamorous look.

Princess Diana's Dior dress for the 1996 Met Gala was daring for a royal.

Princess Diana attends the Met Gala in 1996. Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

The Princess of Wales' navy shift dress flowed to the floor and featured ruching on the empire-style bodice.

Lacy, black fabric peeked out from the neckline and on the straps, giving the gown a sexy edge that many royals wouldn't have dared to wear at the time.

Diana wore the dress just months after her divorce from then Prince Charles, and Eloise Moran, author of "The Lady Di Look Book: What Diana Was Trying To Tell Us Through Her Clothes," told Yahoo that it was a "revenge" outfit.

"That was one of her most shocking dresses," Moran told the site. "But I thought she looked fabulous. She just looks so happy and confident."

"I think she was embracing it and enjoying it," Moran added. "She knew she could never get rid of the attention and the spotlight on her, but I think she was positioning it in a different way, as a kind of international megastar, Marilyn Monroe-type icon rather than a member of the royal family. And I think the dress really reflected that."

German royal Diane von Furstenberg wore a slinky gown at the 1997 gala.

Karl Lagerfeld and Diane von Furstenberg attend the 1997 Met Gala. New York Daily News Archive/Getty Images

The famous fashion designer, who was married to Prince Egon von Furstenberg from 1969 to 1983, embraced a more-is-more look for the Versace-themed Met Gala, wearing a patterned silk dress with a scooped neckline and a black fuzzy boa.

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She was photographed at the event with Karl Lagerfeld, who will be honored at the 2023 Met Gala with the theme "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty."

Posing with the designer himself, Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece walked the 2001 Met Gala carpet in a Valentino gown.

Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece and designer Valentino Garavani at the 2001 Met Gala. Evan Agostini/Getty Images

The princess, who is married to Pavlos, the Crown Prince of Greece, wore a shiny teal dress to the gala.

The gown had a one-shoulder neckline that swept across the garment and created a sleeve trimmed with sparkly embellishments.

Queen Rania Al-Abdullah kept things simple for her appearance at the 2007 Met Gala.

Rania Al-Abdullah, Queen of Jordan, at the 2007 Met Gala. Patrick McMullan/Getty Images

Al-Abdullah, who became royalty when she married Prince Abdullah of Jordan, wore a navy-blue gown for the "Poiret: King of Fashion"-themed event.

It had a ruched neckline, matching puff sleeves, a crystal-lined collar, and a thick band of black satin around her waist. She paired the dress with a silk headband, diamond jewelry, and dark pumps.

Princess Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis made a case for glamorous outwear in 2017.

Princess Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis attends the 2017 Met Gala. Sean Zanni/Getty Images

Simone Rocha designed her baby-pink coat, which was embellished with flower appliques and seemingly covered a matching dress.

To add a pop of color, the royal  who is a member of the German princely House of Thurn and Taxis  added statement red heels and matching lipstick.

She matched many other stars at the event who wore shades of pink and red for the "Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons" theme.

At her first Met Gala in 2018, Princess Beatrice stood out in purple.

Princess Beatrice attends the 2018 Met Gala. Karwai Tang/Getty Images

Though the night's theme was "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination," the British royal's Alberta Ferretti gown was seemingly inspired by Grecian styles.

It had sheer sleeves, a flowing skirt, and diamond pieces that decorated its collar.

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(CNN)  Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell earlier this year held a video chat about the global economy with someone he thought was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Except it wasn't Zelensky. Powell appears to have been pranked.

In clips posted online of the January conversation, Powell discussed global politics and the economy. He said he supported the Ukrainian people but was limited in ways he could help. And Powell said a recession was likely coming in the not-too-distant future and divulged the Fed's plans to raise rates in 2023.

Powell has said all of that publicly as well.

A Federal Reserve spokesperson acknowledged Powell participated in a conversation in January with someone who misrepresented himself as the Ukrainian president. But the spokesperson notes the clip had been edited and could not confirm its authenticity.

"It was a friendly conversation and took place in a context of our standing in support of the Ukrainian people in this challenging time," the spokesperson said. "No sensitive or confidential information was discussed."

The Fed said it referred the matter to law enforcement.

In the clips, Powell said he supported the Ukrainian cause.

"We all see what's happening, people like me just want to support you in any way we can but I have limited ways to do that in my professional job," he said.

The New York Times reported the pranksters were Russian supporters of President Vladimir Putin who have previously pranked International Monetary Fund President Christine Lagarde and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Fed Chair Jerome Powell pranked into chat with fake President Zelensky."
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio at the White House in January 2019. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Marco Rubio said lawmakers should avoid looking like they are going after companies for "political purposes."

Disney has sued Florida Republican Gov. DeSantis, accusing him of targeting the company.

Rubio said more similar action could mean businesses choose to stay away from Florida.

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida warned politicians against being seen to go after companies for "political purposes" after Disney sued his fellow Florida Republican, Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Rubio was interviewed on Fox News on Thursday, where he was asked about the legal battle between DeSantis and Disney over the company's special self-governing powers in the state.

Fox host Brian Kilmeade asked Rubio about comments by some Republicans, who criticized DeSantis for targeting the company.

Rubio responded: "I don't have a problem with taking on Disney. I think the fundamental question here is if what we're trying to fix is if Disney had some arrangement that gave them governmental-type powers, I think it's a perfectly legitimate thing."

But, he said, "I think where it gets problematic in the eyes of some people is when you start creating the idea  and I'm not saying we're there yet as a state  but the idea that somehow, like if you run crossways with us politically, whoever is in charge, then, you know, you may wind up in the crosshairs of the legislature for political purposes to make a statement."

Disney sued DeSantis, who is widely expected to run for president, on Wednesday, saying that the governor was trying to "weaponize government power" by targeting the company.

The lawsuit filed by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts US, Inc. said that DeSantis' actions "threatens Disney's business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region, and violates its constitutional rights."

The legal action came after a yearlong feud, which included Disney speaking out against the state's "Don't Say Gay" bill and DeSantis stripping Disney World of its self-governing status in February.

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Rubio, in the Fox News interview, denied any speculation that Disney could leave Florida as a direct result, but said that a repeat of such legal action could drive businesses from the state.

"I do worry that if this happens too many times, businesses that are thinking about coming to Florida are saying: 'Maybe we don't want to go there because if we get into a firestorm with them politically, they're gonna come after our business.'"

But when it comes to Disney, Rubio said he doesn't think the company is going to leave Florida. "They've invested a lot of money and time and I think that's going to find itself out."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Amr Alfiky/Reuters

Rudy Giulianis consulting firm hasnt paid its phone bill, and the carrier is dragging the disgraced former New York City mayors company to court over the outstanding charges.

Thats according to a summons filed in New York state court by Momentum Telecom, a company that sells internet-based calling technology. The Atlanta-based company says it was stiffed out of more than $30,000 by Giuliani Partners LLC, which Giuliani founded in 2002 after his second mayoral term.

The company filed court paperwork on April 21 indicating that the relief sought is no less than $30,396, plus interest and attorneys fees.

Although that bill would be astronomically high for the average iPhone user, businesses often contract with communications companies for additional services. The company Giulianis firm contracted provides internet-based communications and high-speed internet. And its not like Giuliani Partners wasnt willing to spend the dough. According to another court filing, at least one employee at his company earned $1 million a year.

The mounting legal troubles against Giulianis company are starting to portray him as a fast-moving trainwreck.

New York State Supreme Court

This is the second lawsuit filed this year against New Yorks former mayor and Giuliani Partners. In January, Noelle Dunphy, a 43-year-old who described herself as a former employee who was sexually harassed by Giuliani, filed a lawsuit claiming she started doing business development work for him in 2019, only to discover that he would get drunk and launch into racist tirades. She says that he also demanded sexual favors from her, until she was eventually fired in 2021.

On every day of the week, Giuliani would begin drinking shortly after awakening and would continue consuming alcohol persistently and in excess, affecting his behavior as her boss and lawyer, Dunphys lawsuit states.

Giuliani received special permission from New York City in 2001 to start Giuliani Partners, which specializes in security and emergency management issues, before he left office. It has worked with clients ranging from defunct investment bank Bear Stearns to Oxycontin manufacturer-cum-criminal enterprise Purdue Pharma.

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One of the so-called law-and-order mayors first hires was ex-police commissioner Bernard Kerik, who would later go to prison on felony corruption charges.

Giuliani replaced Kerik with Pasquale DAmuro, a former high-level FBI agent accused by the bureau of improperly taking a half dozen souvenirs from Ground Zero shortly after the World Trade Center attacks. (DAmuro was not charged or punished, and he reportedly donated a piece of granite taken from the site to the FBIs New York Field Office when he retired.)

In 2003, Giuliani hired a friend named Alan Placa, who had resigned as vice-chancellor of the Diocese of Rockville Center on Long Island amid allegations of sexual abuse.

Jon Schuyler Brooks, the attorney who filed the payment demand on behalf of Momentum Telecom, did not immediately respond to The Daily Beasts request for comment. Giuliani does not have a lawyer listed on the docket in the Momentum case.

It is unclear who might represent Giuliani, and his usual attorneys did not respond to queries on Friday.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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There are no qualified personnel left in Russia to win prizes again

The annual event saw tank crews competing in driving and shooting accuracy, and was intended to popularize military affairs among Russian citizens, on top of maintaining the prestige of the Russian army abroad.

Read also: France condemns Russian airstrike on civilians in Uman

According to the report, due to significant losses in both armored vehicles and personnel in the war with Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defense no longer has enough crews to compete at an adequate level.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, at least three of Russia's tank biathlon champions  Maxim Zharko, Bato Basanov, and Alexey Bakulov  have been killed in action. It is likely that the Russian Ministry of Defense is concerned about the shortage of tanks, crews, and other qualified personnel due to the losses in Ukraine, which puts Russia's normal dominance in the medal standings at risk, the assessment says.

Read also: Russia can finance war in Ukraine for another year despite sanctions

The message also notes that hosting the Army Games before the Ukraines anticipated counteroffensive may stir up dissatisfaction among the so-called "Z-patriots," who would criticize such military amusement in light of the Russian army's repeated setbacks on the battlefield.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
UMAN, Ukraine (AP)  Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraine early Friday, killing at least 23 people, almost all of them when two missiles slammed into an apartment building in a terrifying nighttime attack, officials said. Three children were among the dead.

The missile attacks included the first one against Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, in nearly two months, although there were no reports of any targets hit. The city government said Ukraines air force intercepted 11 cruise missiles and two unmanned aerial vehicles over Kyiv.

The strikes on the nine-story residential building in central Ukraine occurred in Uman, a city located around 215 kilometers (134 miles) south of Kyiv. Twenty-one people died in that attack, according to Ukraine's National Police. They included two 10-year-old children and a toddler.

Another of the victims was a 75-year-old woman who lived in a neighboring building and suffered internal bleeding from the huge blast's shock wave, according to emergency personnel at the scene.

The Ukrainian national police said 17 people were wounded and three children were rescued from the rubble. Nine were hospitalized.

The bombardment was nowhere near the war's sprawling front lines or active combat zones in eastern Ukraine, where a grinding war of attrition has taken hold. Moscow has frequently launched long-range missile attacks during the 14-month war, often indiscriminately hitting civilian areas.

Ukrainian officials and analysts have alleged such strikes are part of a deliberate intimidation strategy by the Kremlin.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the long-range cruise missiles launched overnight were aimed at places where Ukrainian military reserve units were staying before their deployment to the battlefield.

The strike has achieved its goal. All the designated facilities have been hit, Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, the Defense Ministry's spokesperson, said. He didnt mention any specific areas or residential buildings getting hit.

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Survivors of the Uman strikes recounted terrifying moments as the missiles hit when it still was dark outside.

Halyna, a building resident, said she and her husband were covered in glass by the blast. They saw flames outside their window and scrambled out, but first Halyna checked whether her friend in a neighboring apartment was OK.

I was calling, calling her (on the phone), but she didnt pick up. I even rang the doorbell, but still no answer, she told The Associated Press. She used the spare keys from her friends apartment and went inside to check on her. She found her lying dead on her apartment floor.

Halyna refused to provide her last name out of security concerns.

Another building resident, Olha Turina, told the AP that glass from the explosion flew everywhere.

Turina, whose husband is fighting on the front lines, said one of her child's classmates was missing.

I don't know where they are, I don't know if they are alive, she said. I don't know why we have to go through all this. We never bothered anyone.

Three body bags lay next to the building as smoke continued to billow hours after the attack. Soldiers, civilians and emergency crews searched through the rubble outside for more victims, while residents dragged belongings out of the damaged building.

One woman, crying in shock, was taken away by rescue crews for help.

Yulia Norovkova, spokeswoman for emergency rescue crews on the scene, said local volunteers were helping nearly 150 emergency personnel. Two aid stations, including psychologists, were operating, she said.

A 31-year-old woman and her 2-year-old daughter were also killed in the eastern city of Dnipro in another attack, regional Governor Serhii Lysak said. Four people were wounded, and a private home and business were damaged.

The attacks came days after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a long and meaningful phone call where Xi said his government will send a peace envoy to Ukraine and other nations.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Fridays bombardment showed the Kremlin isnt interested in a peace deal.

Missile strikes killing innocent Ukrainians in their sleep, including a 2-year-old child, is Russias response to all peace initiatives, he tweeted. The way to peace is to kick Russia out of Ukraine.

Czech President Petr Pavel, on a visit to Ukraine, was unconvinced by the Kremlins past denials of responsibility for such bloodshed.

The number of attacks on civilian targets leads to an only conclusion that it is intentional, Pavel told Czech media. Its a clear plan intended to cause chaos, horrors among the civilian population.

Shortly after Moscow unleashed the barrage, the Russian Defense Ministry posted a photo on Telegram showing a missile launch and saying, Right on target.

The message triggered outrage among Ukrainians on social media and some officials, who viewed it as gloating over the casualties.

The Ministry of Homicide of the Russian Federation is happy that it hit a residential building with a rocket and killed civilians, said Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraines presidential office.

In Kyiv, fragments from intercepted missiles or drones damaged power lines and a road in one neighborhood. No casualties were reported.

In Ukrainka, a town about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of Kyiv, debris from shot down missiles or drones left holes in the walls of some apartment buildings, and a smashed pink stroller in the street.

It feels like this nightmare has been going on for two years, but I still cant wake up, local resident Olena, 62, said. She asked for her surname not to be used, saying her son lived in a sensitive military area.

Ukraine officials said last week that they had taken delivery of American-made Patriot missiles, providing Kyiv with a long-sought new shield against Russian airstrikes, but there was no word on whether the system was used Friday.

The city's anti-aircraft system was activated, according to the Kyiv City Administration. Air raid sirens started at about 4 a.m., and the alert ended about two hours later.

The missile attack was the first on the capital since March 9. Air defenses have thwarted Russian drone attacks more recently.

The missiles were fired from aircraft operating in the Caspian Sea region, according to Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander in Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

Overall, he said, Ukraine intercepted 21 of 23 Kh-101 and Kh-555 type cruise missiles launched, as well as the two drones.

The war largely ground to a halt over the winter, becoming a war of attrition as each side has shelled the other's positions from a distance. Ukraine has been building up its mechanized brigades with armor supplied by its Western allies, who have also been training Ukrainian troops and sending ammunition, as Kyiv eyes a possible counteroffensive.

Meanwhile, the Moscow-appointed mayor of the Russia-held city of Donetsk, Alexei Kulemzin, said a Ukrainian rocket killed seven civilians in the center of the city Friday. He said the victims died when a minibus was hit.

___

Hanna Arhirova and David Rising reported from Kyiv. Patrick Quinn contributed to this story from Bangkok.

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Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Three guided bombs launched from two Russian jets hit the village of Kostobobriv in Chernihiv Oblast at around 3:30 p.m. on April 28, Ukraines Northern Operational Command reported.

The attack damaged eight civilian houses, two of which caught fire, the military reported citing the State Emergency Service. No casualties have been reported yet.

Introduced earlier this year, Russias guided bombs are the regular gravity bombs modified to be dropped by multirole fighter-bombers from safe distances. They are launched from beyond the effective ranges of Ukrainian air defense, and as of now, Ukraine has little to no instruments to counter them.

Russias new guided bombs pose increasingly serious threat to Ukraine Still unable to achieve air supremacy, Russia is nevertheless finding ways to threaten Ukraine from the sky. Early this year, Russia introduced guided bombs  essentially, the regular gravity bombs modified to be dropped by multirole fighter-bombers from safe distances and deal precise and very dam Kyiv IndependentIllia Ponomarenko

Earlier in April, Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said Russia launches up to 20 guided aircraft bombs daily against Ukraine.

Russia is deploying them along the front line and other positions in Ukraine with Sukhoi Su-34 and Su-35 fighter jets, Ihnat said.

He added that the guided aircraft bombs don't have efficient navigation, thereby posing a significant threat to civilian infrastructure and populations.

"This poses a threat to us, and it is imperative that we respond to it urgently," Ihnat said.
Nikopol, Ukraine  Russia fired a barrage of more than 20 cruise missiles and two explosive drones at Ukraine early Friday, killing 23 people, The Associated Press said citing Ukrainian officials. The deadliest strike was a pair of missiles that tore into an apartment building in the central city of Uman, bringing death and destruction hundreds of miles from any active front line.

At least 17 people were killed in that strike alone, The Associated Press said, citing the Kyiv region's governor, including two 10-year-old children and a toddler. The missile tore off one end of the residential building as families slept.

Firefighters stand amid rubble while their colleagues extinguish a fire at a residential building, April 28, 2023, in Uman, central Ukraine, after an overnight Russian missile attack. / Credit: Yevhenii Zavhorodnii/Global Images Ukraine/Getty

"We're covered in blood," wailed a young mother in a video she posted on social media. "The children were sleeping here it's good that everyone's alive."

As she pointed her camera at a burning crater outside their building, she swore at the Russians responsible for the attack.

It was a terrifying glimpse at the reality of life in Ukraine: Nowhere is completely safe amid the threat of Russian missiles raining down indiscriminately on towns and cities, killing civilians in their sleep.

Zelenskyy wary, but sees "opportunity" in China's offer to mediate

Anton Gerashchenko, a Ukrainian government advisor, shared images of a strike in the city of Dnipro that he said had killed a 3-year-old girl and a woman.

Russian rocket attack on Ukraine last night.



In Dnipro the attack killed a 3 year old girl and a woman, 31. Three people were injured - head of regional administration.



Russia continues terrorizing civilians. pic.twitter.com/7G377ca0Y4  Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 28, 2023

"Russia continues terrorizing civilians," he said.

The capital, Kyiv, also came under attack, for the first time in about two months. Officials said there were no casualties there, however, with the country's air defenses downing 11 missiles and two drones.

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Each civilian victim constitutes a potential war crime, the head of the United Nations human rights mission in Ukraine told CBS News.

"If you look at the scale of the injuries, of the killings, of the destruction, it's very clear that international humanitarian law, the rules of war, have been broken," said Matilda Bogner.

Shelling is a regular occurrence in front-line cities like Nikopol, just across a river from Russian-occupied territory. There is no military objective in towns and cities like Nikopol or Uman, but that doesn't stop Russia's forces from taking potshots into residential neighborhoods, to spread terror.

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Russian forces launched yet another large-scale missile strike against Ukraine in the early hours of April 28, killing at least 12 civilians and injuring 23 more.

Ukraine's air defenses destroyed 21 of the 23 X-101 and X-555 cruise missiles as well as two drones that Russia had launched using strategic Tu-95 aircraft from the Caspian Sea, according to Ukraine's Air Force.

In central Ukraine's city of Uman, Cherkasy Oblast, the Russian strike hit a 9-story apartment building and a warehouse.

As of 10:00 a.m. local time, ten people are known to be killed and 17 injured, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported as the rescue operation is ongoing. The number of casualties is not final and will be updated.

Russian troops hit a private house, an enterprise, and a construction base in Dnipro, killing a young woman and a three-year-old child, according to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak. Four more civilians in the city were reportedly injured.

Kyiv Oblast Governor Ruslan Kravchenko said on Facebook that a high-rise building in the city of Ukrainka, located some 50 kilometers south of Kyiv, was damaged by the missile debris.

Two people were wounded, including a 13-year-old child who was transferred to a hospital in Kyiv, according to the Interior Ministry.

In Kyiv, local power lines in the Obolonskiy district were damaged by the attack, as well as road infrastructure. No civilian casualties or damage to residential buildings have been reported in the city.

President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the mass attack, saying that "Russian terror must receive a fair response from Ukraine and the world."

"Each such attack, each evil against our country and people, only brings the terrorist state closer to failure and punishment, not the other way around, as they think. We will not forget any crime, we will not allow any occupier to escape responsibility."

Since October, Russia has carried out repeated nationwide missile strikes against Ukraine that resulted in serious damage to the country's critical energy infrastructure and killed dozens of civilians.

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Russia's previous mass attack took place on March 9, killing at least six people and injuring at least seven. Numerous energy infrastructure sites were targeted.
Russian invaders hit a high-rise building in Uman with a rocket, killing at least 13 people

Reaction

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted on Facebook.

Last night the enemy attacked Ukraine again with missiles and UABs. Terrorists targeted civilians and objects  Unfortunately, there are casualties, including a child (in Uman, updated to two children  ed.). In Dnipro, terrorists shelling claimed the life of a child. My consolences to everyone who lost their loved ones because of the Russian terror! he wrote.

Every attack, every evil act against our country and people brings the terrorist state closer to failure and punishment  We will not forget any crime; we will not let any invader avoid responsibility.

Ukraines Foreign Affairs Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, reacted on Twitter.

Missile strikes killing innocent Ukrainians in their sleep, including a 2-years-old child, is Russias response to all peace initiatives. The way to peace is to kick Russia out of Ukraine. The way to peace is to arm Ukraine with F-16s and protect children from Russian terror.

Uman, Cherkasy Oblast

At least 14 Ukrainians have been killed in Uman after a residential high-rise building was hit by a cruise missile. At least nine more civilians have been hospitalized in the attack.

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Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

A two-year-old girl and her 31-year-old mother were killed in a Russian cruise missile attack on the city of Dnipro.

Ukrainka, Kyiv Oblast

In the city of Ukrainka, a missile fragment hit an apartment on the fifth floor of a 10-story building, hospitalizing a 13-year-old girl.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Ihnat stated that the invaders will look for various other options for destruction

As for long-range cruise missiles, of course everyone is counting them, he said.

And everyone thinks that they can end. Well, Russia will continue to manufacture them, but not at such a pace. Its clear that these missiles that they had, with which they attack us in the summer and autumn, they were manufactured over many years, and Russia is unlikely to be able to make up for that number now.

Read also: Air Force silent on whether Patriots were operational in latest Russian attack

Therefore, according to Ihnat, the invaders will look for various other options for destruction.

Actually, guided air bombs are one of those options they use to replace missile weapons, the spokesperson said.

And theyll also go back to (using) older missiles.

Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with a barrage of 23 cruise missiles fired from Tu-95 bombers flying over the Caspian Sea to the east of Ukraine.

Ukrainian air defenses shot down 21 of the missiles, or 91%. However, one of the missiles struck an apartment block in the Cherkasy Oblast town of Uman to the south of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Rescuers as of 1640 on April 28 said 19 people had been killed in the missile strike, and a further 18 injured, of whom nine were being treated in hospital.

Russia launched regular mass missile attacks on Ukraine during the autumn and winter, but they started to become smaller and less frequent by spring, leading many to speculate that Russia might be running low on stocks of missiles.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Russia has formally agreed to remain aboard the International Space Station (ISS) until 2028, NASA has announced. Yuri Borisov, the Director General of Roscosmos, previously said that the country was pulling out of the ISS after 2024 so it can focus on building its own space station. "After 2024" is pretty vague, though, and even Roscosmos official Sergei Krikalev said it could mean 2025, 2028 or 2030. Now, we have a more solid idea of until when Russia intends to remain a partner. To note, the United States, Japan, Canada and the participating countries of the ESA (European Space Agency) have previously agreed to keep the ISS running until 2030.

After the United States and other countries imposed sanctions on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, former Roscosmos director Dmitry Rogozin spoke up and threatened to stop working with his agency's western counterparts. "I believe that the restoration of normal relations between the partners at the International Space Station and other projects is possible only with full and unconditional removal of illegal sanctions," Rogozin said at the time.

While Roscosmos has now agreed to continue cooperating with its fellow ISS partners, the increasing tension between Russia and the US even before the invasion of Ukraine began prompted NASA to prepare for the possibility of the former leaving the space station. NASA and the White House reportedly drew plans to pull astronauts out of the station if Russia leaves abruptly, as well as to keep the ISS running without the Russian thrusters keeping the flying lab in orbit.

Private space companies had reportedly been called in to help out, and a previous report said Boeing already formed a team of engineers to figure out how to control the ISS without Russia's thrusters. It's unclear if the remaining ISS partners will use any of those contingencies after 2028 and if a private space corp will step in to keep the space station running. It's worth noting, however, that NASA and other space agencies are already preparing to leave Low Earth Orbit to explore the moon.
The Russian military command has made changes to the senior officers in charge of logistics and supply in Ukraine, particularly due to the growing fear of a Ukrainian counter-offensive in Russia.

Source: Report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Details: The ISW reports that the Russian military command is likely reshuffling the leadership of the command-and-control bodies related to force formation and logistics.

Several well-known Russian military bloggers reported on 27 April that Colonel General Alexei Kuzmenkov, Deputy Head of the Rosgvardia (Russias National Guard), has replaced Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev as Deputy Minister of Defence for Logistics.

ISW reports that a Wagner PMC-affiliated military blogger said that Mizintsev's dismissal could be the result of a readiness check of the Northern Fleet conducted by Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinsky, former Airborne Troops commander and Wagner-affiliated officer, who has recently been reassigned to an "unspecified position" in Russias war against Ukraine.

The blogger stated that Teplinsky's inspection revealed that troops in certain parts of the frontline were not receiving the necessary weapons. Wagner PMC has experienced significant problems with Russian logistics. Teplinskys role in identifying supply problems may indicate that Russian procurement agencies will once again focus on providing Wagner PMC with the necessary logistical support, as Teplinsky's ties to Wagner are well-known, according to the ISW.

Last September, the ISW reported that Mizintsev had replaced Army General Dmitry Bulgakov as Chief of the Rear and that Mizintsev had previously headed Russia's National Defence Control Centre and overseen the command of the 150th Motorised Rifle Division (the 8th Combined Arms Army, Southern Military District) during Russian operations in the city of Mariupol last spring.

Russian bloggers also reported that Yuri Kuznetsov, former Head of the 8th Directorate of the Russian General Staff (protection of state secrets), will head the Main Personnel Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defence, and Stanislav Gadzhimagomedov, Deputy Head of the Main Operational Directorate of the Russian General Staff, will replace General Oleg Gorshenin as head of the National Defence Management Centre.

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The ISW notes that Russian institutions have not yet officially confirmed these changes.

Quote from the ISW: "The three command organs that are reportedly receiving new leadership as part of this reshuffle are noteworthy because they are associated with managing aspects of Russian force generation, troop sustainment, and logistical oversight.

The Russian National Defense Control Center is the body responsible for coordinating the actions of the Russian Armed Forces and is essentially the nerve center of the entire Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD). Alongside the coordination actions of the National Defense Control Center, the organs responsible for personnel and logistical oversight facilitate critical troop sustainment functions.

These changes also suggest that existing commanders in charge of these functions failed to properly facilitate Russias winter offensive, which has largely culminated without making substantial gains."

More details: The Institute suggests that the Russian General Staff is hurrying to introduce these changes, as the fear of a Ukrainian counter-offensive is growing in the Russian information space.

However, the ISW believes these changes are unlikely to effectively create the conditions for Russian troops to respond promptly to a Ukrainian counteroffensive. These changes may be part of a long-term effort to reform and formalise the Russian Armed Forces.

To quote the ISW's key takeaways on 27 April:

Western officials expressed confidence in Ukraines ability to conduct a successful counteroffensive.

Chechen Republic Head Ramzan Kadyrov appears to have launched a renewed campaign for national attention.

Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin met with Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu and Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani in New Delhi, India on April 27.

Russian forces are reportedly using new tactics to complicate Ukrainian air defenses ability to detect Russian missiles.

Russian forces conducted defensive operations in the Kupyansk direction and limited ground attacks near Kreminna.

Russian forces did not make any confirmed gains in or around Bakhmut but may be transferring additional reserves to the Bakhmut area.

Russian forces continued offensive operations along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line.

Russian forces are further militarizing the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to defend against possible Ukrainian counteroffensive operations.

The Washington Post reported that leaked US intelligence documents state that Russian military leaders aim to enlist 815,000 soldiers while balancing concerns about critical labor shortages.

Ukrainian partisans conducted three separate attacks in occupied territories on April 26-27.

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At least ten people were killed as a result of a Russian missile attack on a high-rise building in Uman

Last night, it was Ukrainian children  as they slept.

Three children were killed and another one was injured in a Russian massive missile strike at Ukraine in the middle of the night on April 28.

Missile strikes killing innocent Ukrainians in their sleep, including a 2-year-old child, is Russias response to all peace initiatives, Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a Tweet.

The way to peace is to kick Russia out of Ukraine. The way to peace is to arm Ukraine with F-16s and protect children from Russian terror.

Read also: Multiple dead in Dnipro and Uman, scores injured in new mass missile attack by Russia

Two 10-year-old boys were killed after a Russian cruise missile struck a residential building in Uman, Cherkasy Oblast.

A three-year-old girl was the victim of Russian aggression after her home was shelled in Dnipro. Her 31-year-old mother also died in the attack.

While authorities in multiple oblasts in Ukraine are still compiling the number of injured, at least one child in Kyiv region was hospitalized.

A 13-year-old girl was taken to Kyivs Okhmatdyt Childrens Hospital with injuries after Russian missile fragments hit a high-rise building in the town of Ukrainka in Kyiv Oblast.

Russia launched a massive missile attack on Ukraine overnight on April 28.

Read also: Russia conducts mass missile, drone attack overnight: six explosions in Kharkiv

In total, air defense forces shot down 21 out of 23 missiles, including 11 outside Kyiv, as well as two drones.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been charged for war crimes by the International Criminal Court for policies directly targeting Ukrainian children.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Residents watch the destruction of a residential building that was hit during a Russian attack in Uman, central Ukraine, Friday, April 28, 2023. | Bernat Armangue, Associated Press

Russia sent more than 20 missiles and two drones into Ukraine Friday, which killed at least 19 people.

According to The Associated Press, nearly all of the missiles struck a residential apartment building in the central city of Uman. Among the people killed were two 10-year-olds and a toddler.

Ukraine intercepts missiles over Kyiv

Eleven cruise missiles and two unmanned aerial vehicles were intercepted by Ukraines air force over Kyiv. The attack was nowhere near the wars sprawling front lines or active combat zones in eastern Ukraine, where a grinding war of attrition has taken hold, per AP.

Search and rescue crews are still working until they make sure that no one else is left under the rubble, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, per The New York Times.

The entire town heard that awful explosion, local hotel administrator Tetiana told the Times. It has been quiet for a while, and we had a feeling like life is coming back to normal. And now, again.

It was the first wide-ranging Russian assault against civilian targets in more than a month, according to the Times.

How will Ukraine respond to Russian attack?

Ukraines military said a counterattack was nearly ready to strike, and the government hopes to take back Russian-claimed annexed territory within the country, Reuters reported.

As soon as there is Gods will, the weather and a decision by commanders, we will do it, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleskii Reznikov told an online news briefing, per Reuters.
Getty Images

The Russian missile attack on Friday morning did not damage the energy infrastructure and did not result in any power outages.

Source: Press service of Ukrenergo, the national power regulator

Details: However, the situation in the east of Ukraine, where an energy facility has been damaged by the attack, remains difficult.

Electricity generation is currently sufficient to cover consumption.

The floodwaters are receding, but hydroelectric power plants continue to operate not only to cover peaks in consumption in the morning and evening but also throughout the day.

Electricity exports to Poland and Moldova are also continuing, as are small imports from Slovakia.

Repair crews are working on all the high-voltage grid facilities that were subjected to Russian attacks. As a result of the 15 missile and 18 drone attacks, the power grid has sustained unprecedented damage, which will take a great deal of resources and time to repair.

Background:

On the night of 28 April, Russia launched a massive missile attack on Ukrainian cities: civilian buildings in Uman, Ukrainka and Dnipro were hit, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 people. Three more people were killed in Kherson and Kharkiv oblasts. A bridge was destroyed in Chernihiv Oblast.

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Ukrenergo plans to increase the capacity of power plants and import electricity

Ukrenergo is Ukraines state electricity transmission system operator.

Typically, there is an excess of electricity during the spring and summer in Ukraine, but this year the situation is different due to the shelling of infrastructure by Russian invaders, he said.

The deficit can be compensated by increasing the capacity of thermal power plants and through imports from Europe, Kudrytskyi noted.

Read also: Ukrenergo completes restoration of energy facilities after Russias March 9 mass missile attack

Read also: Ukraine seeing significant deficit in power grid after Russian missile attack, says Ukrenergo

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Russian strikes battered cities across Ukraine early Friday, killing at least 12 people in a barrage of missiles and drones that hit as Kyiv prepares an expected counteroffensive.

The deadly attack included a strike on a residential building and came days after the leaders of Ukraine and China spoke by phone, with Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly advocating peace negotiations.

"Missile strikes killing innocent Ukrainians in their sleep, including a 2-years-old child, is Russia's response to all peace initiatives," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted.

While Russia regularly bombed Ukrainian cities and infrastructure over the winter, the massive strikes had tailed off in recent months.

Kyiv, which was among the cities targeted Friday, had not been hit by missiles in more than 50 days.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the latest barrage and vowed a response to "Russian terror".

Most fighting is now taking place in the east for control of the industrial Donbas region, particularly the city of Bakhmut, which has been almost completely destroyed.

Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said strikes on the town of Uman south of the captial Kyiv led to "a total of ten victims," while the mayor of the central city of Dnipro Borys Filatov earlier reported that two people had been killed.

Ukraine said it had downed 21 of 23 Russian missiles and two attack drones overnight.

Ukraine's air defence system has been bolstered in recent months by the delivery of Western equipment crucial to the country's war effort.

In particular, Kyiv received the sophisticated American Patriot systems in April.

While it has not faced missile barrages since early March, the capital was the target last week of an attack by 12 Iranian-made drones, eight of which were shot down without causing any casualties.

- China, Ukraine leaders speak -

In Uman, a central city of 80,000 inhabitants, a video broadcast by Ukrainian media showed a gutted apartment building, rubble strewn around it.

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"An enemy missile hit a residential building. Information about the victims is being clarified," Zoya Vovk, spokesperson for the regional police, said on Telegram.

According to regional governor Igor Taburets, Uman was hit by two cruise missiles, with one hitting a residential building and the other a warehouse.

Moscow has been seeking allies to confront the West as its war in Ukraine causes immense destruction and suffering but is far from President Vladimir Putin's goal of capturing control of the country.

Ukraine says it has been preparing for months a counteroffensive aimed at repelling Russian forces from the territory they currently hold in the east and south.

Xi and President Volodymyr Zelensky's nearly one-hour discussion on Wednesday, which reportedly included Xi advocating peace negotiations, was met by Russian accusations that Ukraine was undermining efforts to end the fighting.

Beijing says it is neutral in the Ukraine conflict and Xi has never condemned the Russian invasion, but the Chinese leader has come under increased pressure from Western nations to step in and mediate.

The Kremlin said Thursday it welcomed any attempt to end the Ukrainian conflict, on Moscow's terms.

"We are ready to welcome anything that can bring forward the end of the conflict in Ukraine and the achievement of Russia's goals," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

bur-jmm/ach
During 28 April, the Russian occupiers carried out more than 40 attacks on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka fronts.

Source: General Staff

Quote: "The enemy is concentrating its primary efforts on conducting offensive actions on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka fronts.

During the day, they carried out more than 40 attacks on the specified areas of the front. Bakhmut and Marinka remain at the epicentre of hostilities; our soldiers courageously defend us."

Details: At the same time, the Air Force of the Defense Forces struck the areas of concentration of Russian personnel and military equipment four times during the day.

Units of Rocket Forces and Artillery hit three control points, an ammunition storage point and four areas of concentration of manpower.

During the day, the occupiers launched 23 Kh-101 and Kh-555 cruise missiles. The defenders destroyed 21 cruise missiles and 2 UAVs of operational and tactical levels.

Also, the enemy carried out 28 airstrikes and fired 11 MLRS.

On the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna fronts, the presence of the invaders in the areas of Ukraine bordering the Russian Federation remains. During the day, the occupiers shelled the border settlements.

On the Kupiansk front, the Russians did not carry out offensive actions, actively using unmanned aerial vehicles to adjust artillery fire. Settlements were subjected to artillery and mortar attacks.

On the Lyman front, the occupiers carried out unsuccessful offensive actions in the direction of the settlement of Bilohorivka. They conducted airstrikes and shelling of local settlements.

On the Bakhmut front, the invaders continued to conduct offensive actions.

Fighting continues in the city of Bakhmut. In addition, during the day, the Russians conducted unsuccessful offensive actions toward the settlements of Bohdanivka and Chasiv Yar. Settlements of Donetsk Oblast suffered from shelling.

On the Avdiivka front, the occupiers carried out offensive actions in Avdiivka, Sieverne and Pervomaiske of Donetsk Oblast with no success. They carried out shelling on populated areas.

Story continues

On the Marinka front, the defenders repelled attacks by the occupiers in the areas of Marinka and Novomykhailivka. The settlements of Krasnohorivka, Marinka, Pobieda and Novomykhailivka of Donetsk Oblast came under Russian fire.

The occupiers did not conduct offensive actions on the Shakhtarsk front during the day. They carried out airstrikes on Vuhledar, Prechystivka and Shakhtarsk in Donetsk Oblast.

The Russians continued to conduct defensive operations on the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson fronts. They shelled more than 40 settlements.

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Russian pilots have begun buzzing American fighter jets over Syria in apparent invitations to dogfight, according to the three-star general in charge of U.S. air operations in the Middle East.

Its the latest example of Russian troops growing increasingly confrontational toward the U.S. and its allies as they cross paths over war zones and in shared airspace around the world.

Russian airmen are increasingly bellicose in their approach and aggressively maneuvering, almost like theyre trying to dogfight, Air Forces Central Command boss Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich told the publication Defense One. Our protocols would say were supposed to stay  several miles apart and just monitor each other.

He cautioned American airmen not to engage.

Were not going to act like they are, Grynkewich told Defense One. Were going to act in a professional manner, and were going to try to de-escalate the situation.

For months, Grynkewich has warned of increasingly hostile actions by Russian forces in Syria, where Moscow backs the Assad regime in the 12-year civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands of civilians and displaced more than half of the countrys pre-war population.

About 900 U.S. personnel remain in Syria to advise and assist the patchwork of rebel forces that are fighting government troops. The Pentagon also continues to launch airstrikes and raids from elsewhere in the region in its decade-long mission to contain the Islamic State group inside Syria.

While they support forces on opposite sides of the Syrian conflict, and are both fighting Islamic State militants, U.S. and Russian troops have not clashed directly. Grynkewich has suggested that unprofessional Russian moves could jeopardize efforts to keep the situation from escalating.

Armed Russian fighter aircraft flew over U.S.-led coalition and partner forces on the ground more than two dozen times from March 1 to April 19, AFCENT said in an April 19 press release.

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Russian aircraft have also violated longstanding deconfliction protocols 85 times since March 1, including 22 in the past nine days, Air & Space Forces Magazine reported Friday. Thats an uptick from the 63 airspace violations the Air Force made public as of April 19.

The Air Force did not provide further details in response to a query Friday from Air Force Times.

But Grynkewich told NBC News in March that Russian jets had violated al-Tanfs airspace about 25 times in 22 days, compared to zero times in February and 14 in January. That was on track to be double what it has been in the past, he said.

Theyre regularly flying directly overhead of our units  within about a mile, no more than a mile offset one side or the other, while weve got forces right there on the ground at al-Tanf, he told NBC News. Its an uncomfortable situation.

The Air Force in April released two videos that appear to show Russian Su-35 fighter jets veering close to American F-16 fighters in coalition airspace over Syria, filmed from the viewpoint of the F-16.

The aircraft were operating in airspace that U.S.-Russian protocols recognize as coalition-controlled airspace over Syria, said one video of an April 2 incident. The Russian Su-35 had not been deconflicted when it entered the airspace.

The second video, of an April 18 incident in coalition airspace, noted that the Russian pilot came within 2,000 feet of U.S. aircraft in violation of the deconfliction protocols. American jets arrived from elsewhere in the region to intercept the Su-35.

These flights are not in line with 2019 protocols established between the coalition and Russia to avoid miscalculations and potentially dangerous encounters in airspace over Syria, the Air Force said in its April 19 release.

The al-Tanf garrison is protected by a 34-mile deconfliction zone, and U.S. and Russian forces also share a hotline where they can discuss potential close calls. Those measures are in place to prevent U.S. and Russian forces from seeing an incoming aircraft as an attack on their respective positions, and retaliating in kind.

But Grynkewich said Russias recent behavior shows an unprecedented disregard for those safeguards.

Weve seen Russian aircraft come within 500 feet of our aircraft, he said in the release. As a professional air force, we will do everything in our power to ensure we maintain safety of flight and engage according to our special instructions. However, if any entity threatens the safety and security of coalition forces in the sky or on the ground, we will take swift action to address the threat.

In March, Grynkewich suggested the uptick in Russias reckless behavior could be a sign that its military is trying to unnerve U.S. troops as a favor to its ally, Iran. He suspects the fly-bys are part of a joint pressure campaign to resist Americas military presence in the region.

I cant prove that yet, but were watching it very closely, he told reporters March 7.

The aircraft are not just passing through, he said. They fly in there, and they orbit around for a bit.  Theyre trying to say, Hey, we dont recognize you have the ability to operate in this airspace, and were gonna contest you doing it.

Typically, the U.S. sees Russian Su-24 or Su-34 fighter jets designed to attack ground targets paired with air-to-air fighters like the Su-35, Grynkewich said. Drones and manned surveillance aircraft also poke around American positions in Syria.

That is a little bit more concerning to me, if theyre potentially building out ... what our forces on the ground look like and how theyre arrayed, he said.

Americans have turned to the deconfliction hotline to lodge their complaints, asking why Russian forces arent sending those drones to spy on the Islamic State instead, Grynkewich said. Russia has complained about U.S. behavior in return.

U.S. troops are on particularly high alert for Russian interference after an Su-27 harassed an MQ-9 Reaper intelligence drone on patrol over the Black Sea on March 14, apparently damaging it enough to force it down into the water.

It was the first time such an interaction was made public since the beginning of Russias large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. U.S. officials pointed to the incident as a uniquely unsafe moment in an area where Russian and American aircraft routinely pass without a problem.

NATO and non-allied European pilots continue to intercept Russian aircraft around Europe as well. On Wednesday, Germany and the United Kingdom sent Eurofighter jets to intercept two Su-27 fighters and an Il-20 reconnaissance plane that were flying without transponder signals in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, the German air force said on Twitter. Danish and Swedish jets also intercepted a Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea on April 20, according to NATOs Allied Air Command.
Some of the Russians were told to shout pro-Ukrainian slogans, even though they were convinced they were helping the Russian government. Room_76_Photography/Getty Images

At least 16 Russians have been tricked into attempting arson on government buildings and cars.

They were told by scammers to chuck Molotov cocktails, but most were unsuccessful, per local media.

Some were told to shout Ukrainian slogans, though they believed they were helping Russia's military.

Russian pensioners are being tricked into tossing Molotov cocktails at Russian military offices and officials' cars, according to local media outlets.

Since the war in Ukraine began, Russian citizens have carried out at least 16 separate arson attempts on government or bank properties at the behest of scammers, reported the independent Russian media outlet, MediaZona.

The people involved have tried to set fire to enlistment offices, bank ATMs, a car trunk, and a police department, though most have been unsuccessful, the outlet reported. At least 11 of them were over 55, per MediaZona.

Some of them, like the 65-year-old Yelena Belova, were told to shout pro-Ukrainian slogans as they chucked the Molotov cocktails  even though they were also told they were helping the Russian military.

The Russian police detained Belova in August after she set fire to the trunk of a deputy army chief's car, per the independent Russian news outlet Shot.

"Azov is power!" Belova shouted as she threw the Molotovs, Shot reported. The Azov Battalion is a far-right paramilitary force in Ukraine, and praising the organization is banned in Russia.

According to independent outlet Baza, an unknown person had called Belova and convinced her she would be enlisted in a "special operation."

The caller persuaded her to send them large sums of cash, then told her to carry out the arson attempt as part of her mission, the outlet wrote.

Upon her arrest, Belova told police she supported the war in Ukraine and would never have set fire to the car if she knew it belonged to a military commander, Baza reported.

Would-be arsonists receive scam calls first

Another would-be arsonist, a 67-year-old woman identified only as Olga, tried to light two Molotov cocktails on March 27 and throw them into an enlistment office in the city of Nizhny Tagil, according to Shot.

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But she was stopped by a policeman, Shot reported. Olga told authorities an unknown man had been calling her for a month, saying he was a bank employee.

He'd taught Olga how to create the Molotov cocktails and instructed her to start a fire in the government building, according to Shot.

When police confronted Olga, she called the fraudster, who tried to convince her that they were false agents, according to a video posted by the Russian Telegram channel Ural Mash.

"Try to hide now, what are you doing there? Have you been released or are you still being held?" the man asked Olga.

"No. They're holding me. We're standing on the street where they stopped me," Olga told the man on the phone.

The man asked Olga if there were any bottles left for her to throw or if she still had a lighter.

"No," she told him.

Local outlet E1.Ru reported that Olga had just lost her son to cancer, and the scammers had persuaded her to sell her apartment and take out loans.

Most of the arson attempts were carried out by senior citizens, who wouldn't even try to escape capture afterward, MediaZona reported.

They include 70-year-old Alexandar Rassokhin, who lit a Molotov cocktail and placed it on the window of an enlistment office, and a 71-year-old woman who set fire to the carpet at a bank branch in St. Petersburg, per MediaZona.

The 71-year-old woman, who was not named, called someone on the phone after her attack in October. "I completed the task. Take me away from here," she told the other person on the line, per St. Petersburg news outlet Fontanka.

Others had money stolen from their accounts and were told they would only see the cash again if they threw Molotov cocktails at certain government buildings, Shot reported.

Some of the scammed Russians were younger, like a 36-year-old mother with a newborn baby and a 22-year-old student, according to MediaZona.

Russia's Federal Service Service issued a warning in December about the scam calls. The department blamed Ukraine for the calls without providing evidence or substantiation for the claim.

Scammers have been convincing "gullible citizens to commit arson of social infrastructure facilities, as well as cars in crowded places," the department said in a press release.

Most of these would-be arsonists were told they were part of an operation to catch criminals, the department said.

The press department for the Russian government did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The wreckage of what Kyiv has described as an Iranian Shahed drone downed near Kupiansk, Ukraine. Ukrainian military's Strategic Communications Directorate via AP, File

The engine for drones that Russia is using in Ukraine is based on stolen technology, experts said.

Conflict Armament Research said the German technology was stolen by Iran in 2006.

Russia has used the Iranian-made drones to destroy buildings and kill civilians in Ukraine.

Drones manufactured by Iran and used by Russia in its invasion of Ukraine have at their core German technology that was stolen by Iran 17 years ago, according to weapons experts.

UK-based group Conflict Armament Research (CAR), which tracks weapon supplies around the world, said in a report this month that Iran's Shahed-136 drones use engines based on technology stolen from Germany in 2006.

Russia has used the drones to strike targets across Ukraine, including in the capital, Kyiv, as well as power infrastructure and apartment buildings. Civilians have been killed in the process.

CAR said that it had examined engines of drones recovered in Ukraine, and found markings belonging to Iranian company Mado. It said that this proves for the first time that Mado is "indeed the producer of engines" found in Shahed-136 drones used against Ukraine.

The group then connected the Mado engines to German technology stolen in 2006.

It said that the company's MD-500 engine is "probably a copy" of a German engine that was stolen in 2006, the Limbach L-550.

It also said that commentators believe that other Mado models looked like they are copies of European technology.

CAR said that the serial numbers on parts of the drone engines found in Ukraine were erased, or new serial numbers applied  something that would help to hide their origin.

"These modifications have prevented investigators from identifying the acquisition networks facilitating the international supply of key components into Iran," it said.

CAR's findings were first reported by CNN.

Russia has been using Iran-made drones in Ukraine for months.

Iran initially denied any involvement, and then admitted that its drones were being used by Russia  but only ones that it sent before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

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Western governments have disputed this claim, with the US saying that Iran has also sent drone operators to Russia to train its forces.

Russia turned to Iran for arms after its own ability to manufacture weapons became limited.

Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said in November that Iran had given Russia hundreds of drones and Russia was relying on Iran for weapons for Ukraine because it had become so internationally isolated.

The US and EU have sanctioned Iranian companies and individuals in response to the drone supply.

Yousaf Aboutalebi, Mado's CEO, has been under US sanctions since before the invasion of Ukraine began, and was added to the UK's sanctions list in December 2022.

Read the original article on Business Insider
By David Ljunggren

(Reuters) - Russia's private Wagner militia, which is leading the assault on Bakhmut in Ukraine and has been active in Africa, could soon cease to exist, founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said in video remarks to a blogger that were released on Friday.

It was not immediately clear when Prigozhin had spoken and how serious he was being. Earlier this week he withdrew comments about the frontline he said had been a joke.

Prigozhin has complained repeatedly about how Russia is conducting the war in Ukraine. He often says the regular armed forces are not giving his men the ammunition they need and sometimes accuses top brass of betrayal.

"Now, with regard to the need in general for shells at the front, what we want. Today we are coming to the point where Wagner is ending," he told Russian war blogger Semyon Pegov.

"Wagner, in a short period of time, will cease to exist. We will become history, nothing to worry about, things like this happen," he continued.

Pegov posted the clip on his Telegram channel. Wagner did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Prigozhin, known for his combative style and ironic sense of humour, said on Thursday he had been joking when he said his forces would stop shelling Bakhmut to allow Ukrainian forces to show the city to U.S. journalists.

Prigozhin said this week his troops were suffering heavy casualties due to a lack of support from Moscow.

Last week he expressed concern about a counter-attack by well-equipped Ukrainian troops at Bakhmut.

Wagner has in the past dispatched soldiers to fight in Syria and in conflicts across Africa.

In January, the United States formally designated Wagner as a transnational criminal organization, freezing its U.S. assets for helping Russia's military in the Ukraine war.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
(Bloomberg) -- RWE AG is still in discussions with Germany about developing another LNG terminal, the utility said after a media report stated that it seeks to withdraw from a project on the Baltic Sea island of Ruegen.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The utility already operates a state-backed floating terminal near Hamburg. RWE has said it doesnt intend to operate the facilities in the long term but is in talks with the government about helping to develop those projects.

We do not intend to operate LNG infrastructure on a permanent basis, and we expect to hand over these activities to other players in the foreseeable future, a company spokesperson said. Regarding Ruegen, We are only involved in the project as a service provider for the German government and help where we can and are needed.

Germany has embraced liquefied natural gas as way to fill the energy gap after Russia cut pipeline supplies in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine. However, the Ruegen project  near the tourist destination of Sellin on the island  has been a source of contention, with environmental and local groups saying it shouldnt go forward.

An RWE affiliate in February submitted a proposal for the offshore project, but the government backed off and is now considering an LNG terminal at the industrial harbor of Mukran, also on Ruegen.

A final political decision on the location of the project has not yet been made, but is to be made in the near future, a spokesperson for Germanys economy ministry said.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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The Stone of Destiny, a sacred slab of sandstone that became a symbol of Scottish nationhood, left Edinburgh Castle for London late Thursday, where it will play a key role in King Charles III's coronation.

The 152-kilogram (335-pound) stone, seized from the Scots by the king of England Edward I in 1296, is being taken to Westminster Abbey in London for the May 6 ceremony.

Officials at Edinburgh Castle, where it is kept with the Scottish crown jewels, held a special ceremony to bid temporary farewell to the legendary stone.

It has not been taken out of Scotland since 1996 when it was officially returned following a 700-year absence.

The Stone of Scone, as it is also known, was transported south from Edinburgh under tight security and will be placed beneath the Coronation Chair at the abbey for Charles's enthronement.

Legend has it that the stone was brought from the Holy Land through Egypt, Sicily and Spain to Ireland before being placed in a monastery in Scone in Scotland in the 9th century.

It was then used for centuries in the inauguration of Scottish kings.

But David Breeze, a professor of history and archaeology from the University of Edinburgh, said it is highly likely that the stone originates from the ancient Pictish kingdom of Scotland.

"The origin of the stone has long been shrouded in myth," he told Times Radio.

"The connection with the Middle East is strong and in the Middle Ages the idea that the stone had been Jacob's pillow was used to justify territorial aggrandisement.

"We believe the link to Scone is strong and it is highly likely that its origins lie in the ancient Pictish kingdom of Scotland."

Edward ordered it to be built into the Coronation Chair in London in 1296.

The stone remained in Westminster Abbey for most of the next 650 years, until Christmas Eve 1950 when a group of Scottish students took part in an audacious raid to retrieve it.

It was taken back to London in 1951 and returned to Westminster Abbey, where it was placed back in the throne before the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

The stone was returned to Edinburgh in 1996 on condition that it be returned for the coronation of future kings and queens.

srg-jwp/phz/ach
The Stone of Destiny, a sacred slab of sandstone that became a symbol of Scottish nationhood, has left Edinburgh Castle for London, where it will play a key role in King Charles III's coronation.

It has not been taken out of Scotland since 1996 when it was officially returned following a 700-year absence.

The 152-kilogram (335-pound) stone, seized from the Scots by the king of England Edward I in 1296, is being taken to Westminster Abbey in London for the May 6 ceremony.

Officials at Edinburgh Castle, where it is kept with the Scottish crown jewels, held a special ceremony to bid temporary farewell to the legendary stone that left for London late Thursday.

The Stone of Scone, as it is also known, was transported south from Edinburgh under tight security and will be placed beneath the Coronation Chair at the abbey for Charles's enthronement.

Legend has it that the stone was brought from the Holy Land through Egypt, Sicily and Spain to Ireland before being placed in a monastery in Scone in Scotland in the 9th century.

It was then used for centuries in the inauguration of Scottish kings.

But David Breeze, a professor of history and archaeology from the University of Edinburgh, said it is highly likely that the stone originates from the ancient Pictish kingdom of Scotland.

"The origin of the stone has long been shrouded in myth," he told Times Radio.

"The connection with the Middle East is strong and in the Middle Ages the idea that the stone had been Jacob's pillow was used to justify territorial aggrandisement."

- 'Tremendous privilege' -

Edward ordered the stone to be built into the Coronation Chair in London in 1296.

"Edward was making a statement about the status of Scotland," said Ewen Cameron, a professor of Scottish history at the University of Edinburgh.

"One chronicler stated that its removal to London was 'in recognition of a kingdom surrendered and conquered'."

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The stone remained in Westminster Abbey for most of the next 650 years, until Christmas Eve 1950 when a group of Scottish students took part in an audacious raid to retrieve it.

A manhunt was launched, with checkpoints set up at the Scottish border, but the students succeeded in smuggling the stone into Scotland.

The students later recounted that they had to secretly employ a stonemason to repair the 335-pound stone after they dropped it and broke it into two as they carried it to their car.

The stone was later found on the site of the High Altar at Arbroath Abbey where, in 1320, Scottish nationhood was declared under the leadership Robert the Bruce.

It was taken back to London in 1951 and returned to Westminster Abbey, where it was placed back in the throne before the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

The stone was returned to Edinburgh in 1996 on condition that it only leave Scotland for the coronation of future kings and queens.

Kathy Richmond, head of collections and applied conservation at Historic Environment Scotland (HES) which looks after the stone, said they were working closely with the conservation team at Westminster Abbey on the installation of the stone.

"It is a tremendous privilege for HES to play its part in such a significant and historic occasion," she said.

"It is also a great responsibility to ensure the safe voyage and return of such an important national symbol," she added.

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Some of San Francisco's office buildings are staying empty as workers continue working from home. Alexander Spatari/Getty Images

A 22-story office tower in San Francisco that was worth $300 million in 2019 is for sale.

It's expected to sell for around $60 million, real-estate brokers told The Wall Street Journal.

It's the latest example of the commercial real-estate crisis as cities deal with the impact of remote work.

A 22-story office tower in San Francisco is expected to sell for around $60 million  80% less than it was valued at in 2019, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The office tower, which sits at 350 California Street, was previously worth around $300 million during its last sale, office brokers told The Journal. The street runs through San Francisco's financial district  home to some of its booming tech companies.

The building's expected decline in value reflects the current crisis facing the real-estate industry across the US, and remote work's heavy impact on San Francisco's office buildings, in particular. Almost 30% of the city's office spaces are available to lease, according to a report from CBRE, a commercial real-estate-services firm. That's five times higher than it was before the pandemic, and almost twice as high as the amount of vacancies across the country. Over a quarter of San Francisco's office space is empty as well, according to CBRE.

Last summer, for example, Salesforce had half of its Salesforce Tower office space listed for lease as a sublet. The 43-story Salesforce Tower is San Francisco's tallest building. A spokesperson at the time told SFGate that Salesforce could make use of the owned space in the future and was welcoming employees back into the office.

Earlier this month, an office building at 25 Taylor St in San Francisco, a building that was largely occupied by WeWork, saw its value plummet by about two-thirds, according to commercial real estate data firm Trepp. After WeWork moved out, the building was 97% vacant.

Tech companies made up 50% of office leasing requests in San Francisco before the pandemic, but that number dropped to around 33% last spring. In addition to the rise of remote work, the tech industry is facing a financial downturn, forcing some of them to make cuts that include closing offices or moving to other areas.

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At the World Economic Forum earlier this year, real estate executives warned that unused office buildings would have to be converted or demolished.

"You will have a lot of obsolete buildings at the end of the day which are not suitable to be upgraded, or it is financially not viable," Christian Ulbrich, CEO of JLL, said. "So we have to repurpose those buildings in some form or fashion, or they will be empty and will be taken down at some point in time."

Whatever price the 22-story tower sells for will be telling for San Francisco's office building market, the latest data point to likely drive home just how far prices have fallen since the pandemic.

Read the original article on Business Insider
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP)  Workers seeking to unionize at a Ben & Jerry's retail shop in Burlington, Vermont, the city where the ice cream brand was founded announced Friday that the company has signed the fair election principles.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont Independent who has been a vocal supporter of Starbucks labor organizers, congratulated the Ben & Jerry's workers at a press conference in his home city.

I'm very proud of the work that these workers have done in coming together to form a union and I'm very proud that we have here in Vermont a company like Ben & Jerry's that has long stood for progressive principles, today saying they're willing to sit down and negotiate a good contract with their workers," Sanders said.

Ben & Jerry's said last week that it supported a plan to unionize by about 40 workers at the retail shop in downtown Burlington.

It said in a statement that it shares the goal of advancing justice, both inside and outside our company. The ice cream manufacturer was founded in a former gas station a short distance from the downtown shop.

Thats why we recognize and support the rights of all workers to unionize and collectively bargain, the company said. Ben & Jerrys is committed to the goal of operating our company in a way that is fair, inclusive, and equitable, while being a dynamic and fun place for all workers.
A beachgoer is dwarfed by a pile of sand for a beach replenishment project at Turtle Beach on Siesta Key. The project will add 92,000 cubic yards of sand to the north and south of Turtle Beach to replace sand lost during Hurricane Hermine in 2016. Sand being delivered by truck is being piled up and will be spread along the shoreline.

A project that will replenish south Siesta Keys eroded beaches has begun.

Workers are going to add around 92,000 cubic yards of sand to the key to repair damage from Hurricane Hermine in 2016. During the two-month project, which began Monday, trucks will transport the sand to the beach.

Sarasota County staff said some beach access points at Turtle Beach Park may be closed off. Some parking areas at the park will remain accessible, while others will be marked or cordoned off.

Traffic delays and lane shifts are possible. The county asks that community members pay attention to the signs in the project area and allow for additional driving time.

Previous coverage: Eroded Turtle Beach to get a facelift in spring 2023

Other news: Report: Almost half of households in Sarasota-Manatee region live paycheck-to-paycheck

The new sand will come from a sand mine in Florida, according to Curtis Smith, the project manager. During the project, approximately 50 to 60 dump trucks will each make two trips a day to Turtle Beach Park, where they will deposit the sand in a large pile on the beach.

Off-road trucks will then take some of the new sand to the end of the beach where they will start replenishment. They will add sand to that area before spreading and grading it and continuing the process along the beachfront.

The South Siesta Beach repair project will add sand to the shoreline, providing improved storm protection to the upland properties and a wider beach for recreation and wildlife use, such as sea turtle and shorebird nesting, said Carolyn Eastwood, the countys capital projects director, in a news release.

Sand for the beach replenishment project is being delivered by truck at Turtle Beach Park. The sand is being piled up and will be spread along the shoreline. Parts of the Turtle Beach Park parking lot will be closed for the next two months so trucks can deliver sand.

Sarasota County said that its working with a contracted coastal engineering firm to engage Mote Marine Laboratory and Sarasota Audubon Society for daily shorebird and sea turtle monitoring services in the project area. Turtle nesting season begins May 1.

Sarasota County awarded the contract for the project to Ahtna Marine & Construction Company for about $8.3 million, according to the county. Its being funded by a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Florida Division of Emergency Management and by the countys tourism development tax.

The county must complete the project by June 30. It has tried to get an extension on the project, but as of April 26, FEMA has not issued an extension, according to county staff.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: South Siesta Key beach repair project begins, may affect access points
A Sarasota man has been convicted of two counts of attempted first-degree murder in connection to shooting his longtime girlfriend in the face and her teenage daughter in the back in April 2018, according to a 12th Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office news release.

Linval Raymond Cohoone Jr., 39, was also convicted of one count of violation of pretrial release conditions following a four-day jury trial held before Circuit Court Judge Donna Padar, State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced in the news release.

The crimes carry a maximum penalty of life in prison and a minimum mandatory prison sentence of 25 years, according to the release. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

More court news: Sarasota County man sentenced to prison for role in 'We Build The Wall' scheme

Courageous victims speak up: 4 Sarasota men convicted of sexual abuse against children

In early April 2018, Sarasota police were called to investigate a shooting in the 1400 block of 21st Street after they learned that two women had been shot at close range, according to previous Sarasota Herald-Tribune reporting. Both were transported to the Sarasota Memorial Hospital with serious injuries.

"After years of repeatedly threatening and abusing his longtime girlfriend, the defendant shot her in the face while she was at home in her bedroom," the release states.

The victim's daughter, who was home at the time, went to check on her mom after she heard the gunshot and was shot by Cohoone in the back of her head, according to the release. Cohoone then fled. Despite being shot point blank and suffering a serious injury, the teenager was able to call the police.

Both mother and daughter survived their injuries.

Members of the U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested Cohoone in Bradenton five days after the shooting, according to previous reporting.

For subscribers: Midnight heist of rare horse: Minnesota woman's bizarre fight with Florida circus owner

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Two years later, while at the Sarasota County Jail, Cohoone offered to pay another inmate to kill one of the survivors, and four months before trial, he called the other victim and begged for her to not testify against him, according to the release.

Based on their injuries, the victims, in this case, should be dead, and if it were up to the Defendant, they would be," Assistant State Attorney Joshua Wertheim said in the release. "Their strength and their courage kept them alive, and fortunately this week they were able to tell the jurors the heinous acts that Linval Cohoone committed upon them. Their bravery during trial this week, along with testimony from dedicated members of law enforcement and other witnesses, led the jurors to the correct verdict of Guilty on all counts."

Gabriela Szymanowska covers the legal system for the Herald-Tribune in partnership with Report for America. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at gszymanowska@gannett.com, or on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota man found guilty of attempted murder of girlfriend, daughter
Sarasota Police officers arrested a Sarasota Military Academy High School teacher on Friday after she "made out" with a 17-year-old student, police officials said.

Michele Little, 29, faces felony charges of indecent, lewd, or lascivious touching. Detectives began investigating her after school representatives informed them that rumors were spreading about Little and the student.

The high school administration was made aware of an alleged incident that happened between a staff member and student that is being investigated by the Sarasota Police Department, said a representative from the Sarasota Military Academy High School. We have come to learn that an arrest was made by the Sarasota Police Department, and any updates regarding this case will be released by the SPD.

More: Parents concerned by anonymous app used to report Florida school threats

In case you missed it: Manatee School Board names three superintendent finalists

The student said that Little made sexual comments to him several times for several weeks, according to a police report.

"He said it started with small things when she would flirt with him by looking him up and down and making flirting remarks to him," detectives said in a report. "She would call him dangerous because he was only 17-year-old and 'hot.'"

On April 17, he said they made out in her classroom after school for 10-15 minutes before he left.

On April 25, police officers were called to the school and spoke with Little, and she was placed on administrative leave by the school. The student was interviewed at the Child Protection Center on April 27.

Little was transported to the Sarasota County Jail.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota school teacher arrested after students says she touched him
The prospect of contacting a satellite to send a text or contact emergency services may soon be an effortless reality as startups move from proof of concept to actual product. Canadians on the Rogers network, which just inked a deal with Lynk, will get direct satellite-phone connections across the country; and not to be outdone, AST SpaceMobile claims to have made the first satellite voice call using a regular cell phone as well.

Connecting a stock smartphone like last year's Samsung or iPhone to a satellite would have sounded like a fantasy a few years ago, when we all knew it was impossible. But now companies are jostling for position as it becomes clear that satellite services will be a compelling offering on any mobile plan or phone model over the next few years.

Lynk's approach is to offer as universal as possible an SMS service to as much of the planet as possible, in the hopes that no one who needs help or is off the grid for any other reason will ever have to face "no signal." It has demonstrated texting from the middle of nowhere (in fact the founder texted me) and also can blanket an area unexpected without signal  due to a power outage or natural disaster  with crucial info like where to find shelter.

The company has been striking deals across the world with various carriers, and is now at the very doorstep of the U.S. (which has a tough regulatory environment and entrenched mobile players) with a deal with Canada's biggest provider, Rogers.

Although the idea is that everyone will be able to use this, every satellite cellular station still needs to operate through a licensed carrier. The Rogers deal doesn't necessarily mean total exclusivity (for example, you're lost and need help but have a different carrier) but Lynk CEO Charles Miller told me it's not always simple to figure out who does and doesn't have access.

"Every country is a little different," he said. "Sometimes there's technical limitations. They have national roaming in Canada, so perhaps it works out, our goal is to provide those services to everybody, but for now it's TBD." Here's hoping the non-Rogers subscribers up there (and god knows they have their reasons) can get access if they need it.

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Bringing an alternative connectivity package to the table is AST SpaceMobile, which has launched its first test satellite and for the first time demonstrated a direct phone-to-satellite call using an unmodified consumer handset. I double checked (this stuff can be tricky) and this was a continuous two-way connection between the phone and the satellite, which relayed it to the terrestrial network:

Abels phone in Texas was connected directly to the satellite for both send and receive two-way communications, without any other intermediary. He made the phone call by typing in the number to the regular Samsung dial app on the Galaxy S22, just like you would make any regular phone call. The other end of the phone call in Japan was received via the normal terrestrial communications network (a cell tower).

Demonstrating the capability, even in 2G (as an AT&T rep described it to The Verge) is a big step forward, since the engineering involved in getting a regular phone to connect with something in low Earth orbit is already difficult  maintaining a continuous connection is even harder. Scaling is yet another problem that AST SpaceMobile will face, but having proven the capability, that challenge probably seems less daunting now.

The company's BW3 satellite is the prototype for a constellation that will provide "2G, 3G, 4G LTE and 5G" coverage from space, though they only have the first of those working just now. Let's hope for great success, because I lose 5G just going down the block. Help me out, AST SpaceMobile.

Of course Apple has made headlines with its emergency SOS service, which connects to the Iridium network but requires you to sort of sight your phone on a passing satellite in order to exchange a set of mostly premade messages. Useful if you're stuck in a canyon and need a helicopter to scoop you up, but not if you want to check the weather or tell your spouse your backpacking trip is going fine.

And then there's T-Mobile and SpaceX, which plan to provide a Starlink data connection to the network's customers. While no one can gainsay Starlink's ability to provide a signal from orbit, it has not yet demonstrated an orbital connection to an unmodified phone, something it supposedly will do this year.

Pretty soon these services will graduate from experiment to line item and we'll be back to the days when texts cost a dime each. Still, it's better than nothing, and that's definitely what a lot of people have once they leave the city to take a hike or go fishing. Let's hope the connection stays on-demand, though  no one needs to get spam messages from orbit while they're waiting for the trout to bite in a remote mountain lake. That's not a future anyone wants.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) met for more than an hour in his Capitol Hill office with tech magnate Elon Musk this week to discuss the future of artificial intelligence (AI), a sign of a possible thaw in relations between Democrats and one of the nations most powerful CEOs.

Relations between Musk and Democratic lawmakers had soured steadily since Musk announced his plans to buy Twitter last year.

Many Democrats were outraged over his decision to cut content moderators from the company and reinstate former President Trumps account, also unhappy that one of the nations richest men suddenly controlled what they viewed as the nations digital town square.

Lawmakers voiced suspicions about Musks plans for the company and the influence of foreign sources of money over its heavily indebted operations.

Yet Musk, who last year urged voters to support Republican candidates in the midterm election, reached out to Schumer recently to discuss the future AI, which policymakers and investors think could have a huge future impact on the economy.

Schumers meeting comes a year after the Democratic leader expressed concern about Musks purchase of the company.

In many ways, Twitter has become a dark, dark place. I hope it doesnt get any darker, Schumer told reporters in April of last year when asked about Musks acquisition of a social media platform that has come to dominate political discussion in the United States.

Schumer told reporters in December that he would be open to reviewing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects social media companies from legal liability, when he was asked about reports that hate speech on Twitter had increased significantly since Musk took over the company.

Other Democrats expressed concerns about Musks takeover of Twitter a year ago.

He said he wants to make it this global message board. My first question to him, Is your message board going to include Donald Trump? Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) asked in response to the news that Musk would buy Twitter for $44 billion. Thats a key question. If he lets that man rant and rave on Twitter, not in the best interests of Americans future.

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Democrats fears were confirmed when Musk restored Trumps Twitter account in November, which the company under previous ownership had suspended permanently after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson at the time said Musk allowed hate speech and violent conspiracies on his platform and called on advertisers funding Twitter to immediately pause all advertising.

A study published last week  by researchers at University of Southern California; the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of California, Merced; and Oregon State University  found that hate speech has increased significantly on Twitter since Musk took over the company in October. They conclude the volume of hate speech on the site doubled.

Musks standing with Democrats didnt improve much in the following months.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) raised concerns in January over Twitters opaque financing and questioned whether foreign interests could gain enough influence over the social media platform ahead of the 2024 election to threaten national security.

There are national security implications, there are democracy implications, there are commercial implications and there are plain old how-we-talk-to-each other implications, she told The Hill at the time.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) in October called on the Treasury Departments Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to review Twitters ownership and governance, pointing out that Musk collected at least $1.89 billion from members of the Saudi royal family to finance his purchase of the company.

Setting aside the vast stores of data that Twitter has collected on American citizens, any potential that Twitters foreign ownership will result in increased censorship, misinformation, or political violence is a grave national security concern, Murphy warned in a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

A thaw in relations came earlier this month when Schumer announced he has been discussing and circulating with experts a high-level regulatory framework for artificial intelligence.

His proposal would require companies to allow independent experts to review and test AI technologies before they are released to the public.

Musk hailed the announcement as good news.

AI regulation will be far more important than it may seem today, he tweeted.

He and Schumer confirmed that AI was a prominent topic at their private meeting Wednesday.

That which affects safety of the public has, over time, become regulated to ensure that companies do not cut corners. AI has great power to do good and evil. Better the former, Musk tweeted shortly after midnight Thursday.

Schumer said they also discussed Teslas plant in Buffalo, N.Y., and described it as a very good meeting.

Musk is the CEO of both Tesla and Twitter, as well as the CEO of SpaceX, which manufactures and launches rockets and spacecraft.

Jim Kessler, a former Schumer aide who now serves as executive vice president for policy at Third Way, a centrist Democratic think tank, said Schumer has a long history of working with people with whom he may disagree with on a range of other issues.

First and foremost, Schumer is a pragmatist, and if factories are going to be built in Buffalo, hes going to support factories being built in Buffalo, he said.

Also, Schumer is very interested and also concerned about AI, and hes going to seek out the smartest voices on all sides in this multifaceted debate, he added. Schumer talks to a wide array of people. He really does.

I dont think its, Do Democrats need to have a good relationship with Elon Musk or not? I dont. But [Schumer] is going to seek out the smartest voices of a whole range of areas and take that into account, he said.

Senate Democrats are split about whether its a good move to develop a better relationship with Musk, who continues to draw scrutiny because of his controversial statements and management of Twitter.

The man employs an awful lot of people. OK? And the bottom line is: Try to get along with everybody, said centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) when asked whether it would be wise for Democrats to bury the hatchet with Musk.

Other Democrats continue to have a negative view of Musk or at least serious reservations.

My views on Musk at the moment are pretty negative, said Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). But there are going to be things that were going to need to deal with regarding Section 230 and theres a whole of array of those kinds of issues that surround social media.

Section 230 is the provision in U.S. law that protects social media companies from legal liability for content posted on their platforms.

Warren said Musks unilateral control over Twitter gives him too much power.

Elon Musk wants to make all the decisions about a major communications platform. I think that is a problem for our country. One person should not be able to go off in secret and fulfill his every whim by whatever set of rules he wants to put in place and however he wants to change them, hide them or use them to further his other interests, she said.

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who is active on tech-related issues, said, I have great respect for Elon Musk and what hes done.

But he added, I do worry that some of his comments about the Communist Party in China and their approach doesnt make sense to me.

Musk came under fire last year for recommending that Taiwan could become a special administrative zone under Chinese rule.

He also drew criticism for favorably comparing Chinas great energy and smart, hardworking people to what he described as the complacency and entitlement he said pervaded New York, Californias Bay Area and Los Angeles.

Democrats concerns about foreign influence over Twitter were stirred again in February when Chinese state-run media warned Musk about responding to Tweets about the COVID-19 virus leaking from a research laboratory in Wuhan.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A multi-million pound fund set up in memory of Sir Sean Connery has announced four new grants to Scottish film and television projects.

The projects will share 1m from his estate over the next three years.

The foundation supports projects in the two places Connery called home, Scotland and the Bahamas.

It was set up in October 2022, exactly two years after the actor's death at the age of 90.

The latest Scottish projects centre on training in film and television and include GMAC (Glasgow Media Arts Centre), The Portal Arts in Glasgow, Screen Education Edinburgh and Station House Media Unit in Aberdeen.

The late actor's son Jason Connery said: "Before he was a globally recognised movie star, my dad was a lad from Fountainbridge, and he never once forgot that whilst talent might be distributed equally, opportunity is not.

"By supporting access for passionate young people to the screen sector, no matter what their circumstances, we'd like to help dreams come true.

"We hope that young people with an appetite for visual storytelling and a curiosity about the many behind-the-scenes jobs that make movies possible, will reach out to our grantees and get involved."

Foundation chairman, Stephane Connery, another of Connery's sons, added: "The screen sector has enjoyed strong growth in recent years as more global productions choose to shoot their film and TV in Scotland, providing good jobs for industry-ready young people.

"Our screen-education grantees offer a wide variety of programmes that introduce participants to the possibility of a career in screen production, often for the first time, and provide a clear path into an exciting industry that is too often considered out-of-reach."

The Sean Connery Foundation has already allocated more than 6m in funding, including a grant for another of the actor's charities, the Scottish International Education Trust which he set up in 1971, using his fee from Diamonds are Forever.
Board member Leticia Vasquez stands in front of the old Central Basin Municipal Water District building in Commerce. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Already roiled by criminal indictments against its general manager and bitter infighting between board members, the embattled Central Basin Municipal Water District has now been accused of trying to muzzle critical comments at a public meeting.

After telling a Downey resident and vocal critic of the board that he was "out of order" for mentioning criminal charges against district general manager Alejandro "Alex" Rojas, and then ordering guards to eject the resident from a recent meeting, the district's board has been accused of violating the Ralph M. Brown Act, a California law that guarantees the public's right to attend and participate in government meetings.

"It is abundantly clear ... that the Board had no legitimate or legal basis for its actions, which violated the Boards obligation to allow public comment," read a cease-and-desist letter filed recently by the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California.

The incident occurred on March 27, as community organizer and water advocate Juan Martinez addressed the board during its public comment period, according to the letter and video of the event.

Rojas faces charges of money laundering, soliciting a bribe and grand theft embezzlement from his days as superintendent of La Puentes Bassett Unified School District from 2014-17. Rojas has denied any wrongdoing.

The Brown Act provides for people to have the right to discuss matters of public interest that are within the board's purview in the public comment period, said Jonathan Markovitz, a free expression and access to government attorney for the ACLU and the letters author. The board stopped [Martinez] from doing that the second it was clear what he wanted to talk about.

On Tuesday, the district responded. "[T]he District commits to permitting him and any other individuals to fully and freely participate in its public comments periods in accordance with the requirements of the Brown Act" so long as they don't threaten anyone or disrupt the meeting, wrote Derrick Lowe, one of the district's lawyers.

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Lowe said that the board's reaction to Martinez stemmed from an alleged "history of disruptive behavior with respect to the district," including harassing a district employee at their home. "As such, in an abundance of caution and based on this prior conduct, the Boards initial reaction to his attempted statements at the public meeting was to intervene when it was believed that he would simply be continuing with his prior pattern of disruption."

Martinez said any claims that he has intimidated board members are false.

The letter comes during another tumultuous chapter for the Commerce-based water wholesaler, which serves almost 2 million residents in southeast Los Angeles. For years it was seen as a poster child of government dysfunction: Lawsuits accused officials of corruption and harassment. State auditors criticized the district for questionable contracting practices, poor leadership and violating the law. Some California lawmakers even tried to dissolve the districts board of directors and place it in receivership.

The charges against Rojas, filed in August, have incited bitter and ongoing fighting among board members, further shattered trust from district residents, and complicated decision-making among officials.

Prosecutors allege that in 2015 and 2016  when Rojas served as Bassett Unifieds superintendent  he schemed to divert more than $1.4 million in public money by approving invoices for work that was never done. He was charged along with Luis Rojas, the chief executive of Del Terra, a company that was hired to oversee construction projects for the school district. The two men are not related.

Luis Rojas has called the charges frivolous.

Board members Leticia Vasquez and Martha Camacho-Rodriguez have also repeatedly voiced concerns about Rojas remaining in his position even as he faces corruption charges.

In a video of last months meeting, Martinez, who is off camera, begins his public comment saying, Please let the record reflect that I have shared an 18-count criminal complaint filed by the [Los Angeles County Dist. Atty.] George Gascon against Alejandro Alex Rojas and Luis Rojas.

As Martinez says this, Alejandro Rojas looks up from his laptop and turns to board President Arturo Chacon, who then bangs his gavel and says youre out of order to Martinez and calls "security.

A California Metro Patrol officer walks to the podium, stands in front of Martinez, takes the microphone, and tells him to take a seat, bro. Martinez continues talking, noting that Vasquez made very alarming allegations against Rojas. The gavel is struck two more times off camera and someone says remove him.

After repeating take a seat a few more times, one of the officers puts his hand on Martinezs arm and says "lets go, sir. The video shows Martinez walking out of the room with a guard beside him, saying loudly: "Alex Rojas, youre being indicted on 18 counts of fraud, embezzlement and perjury. Why is this board allowing you to continue to keep your job when youre clearly being investigated for criminal counts?

According to t he Brown Act , a person can be removed from public meetings if their behavior disrupts, disturbs, impedes, or renders infeasible the orderly conduct of the meeting. But prior to doing so, a member of the agency must warn the person that they are being disruptive and risk being removed if they continue their behavior.

No one from the board warned Martinez that he would be removed, the video shows.

"Theres really no possible justification for the boards actions, Markovitz said. It wasnt about stopping disruptive conduct. He was as calm as possible at the beginning of his comments. It was really pure censorship enforced by raw power and armed guards.

Martinez, who has engaged in tense exchanges with board members outside meeting chambers, said this was not the first time some of the board members have prevented him from speaking about Rojas during public comments.

"I have tried to talk about this topic in previous meetings, he said. When the meetings were being held over Zoom, I was just being muted, so I expected this, but it was unfortunate to experience it.

But the district took note of Martinez's calm demeanor at recent meetings. "[I]n view of your letter, Mr. Martinezs compliance with security on the day of the meeting, and his subsequent, peaceable attendance at the Districts Board meeting [on Monday], we have revised our prior concern about Mr. Martinez attending the Districts board meetings," Lowe wrote.

The revision was immediate.

During Mondays Board of Directors meeting, Martinez said he again raised concerns about Rojas employment status. "I was not impeded for the first time in a while and I was able to make my full public comment.

Staff writer Ian James contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A second firm hired by the Trump campaign to investigate fraud in the 2020 election said all of Trumps fraud claims were false, the firms founder told The Washington Post

The Trump campaign hired Simpatico Software Systems and its founder, Ken Block, to investigate fraud claims all over the country after the 2020 election.

No substantive voter fraud was uncovered in my investigations looking for it, nor was I able to confirm any of the outside claims of voter fraud that I was asked to look at, he told the Post. Every fraud claim I was asked to investigate was false.

Block said he recently met with special counsel Jack Smith, the federal investigator into Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Campaign finance records show the campaign paid Blocks firm about $750,000, starting just days after the election.

A similar firm, Berkeley Research Group, was hired by the Trump campaign to investigate fraud claims. Like Simpatico, Berkeley did not find evidence of fraud or that the election was stolen.

A Trump spokesperson did not address claims in the Post report, but he did deride its findings.

This is nothing more than a targeted, politically motivated witch hunt against President Trump concocted to try and prevent the American people from returning him to the White House, spokesperson Steven Cheung said. Just like all the other fake hoaxes thrown at President Trump, this corrupt effort will also fail.

Block did not specify which claims his firm investigated or what methods he used, citing Smiths investigation.

He has repeatedly spoken publicly that Trumps claims were false, recently cheering on a court order that MyPillow CEO and conservative figure Mike Lindell must pay up a $5 million promise to a man who disproved his false election conspiracies.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Sean Hogg

A child rapist deemed too young for jail is to have his sentence appealed by prosecutors after a backlash led by JK Rowling.

Sean Hogg, 21, was spared prison earlier this month and instead ordered to carry out 270 hours of unpaid work for raping a 13-year-old girl in a park.

The judge in the case, Lord Lake, said that had Hogg been aged 25 or over, he would have been sentenced to between four and five years in custody.

However, under Scottish sentencing guidelines introduced last year, courts are told to treat those aged up to 24 much more leniently, in part because it is claimed their brains have not fully developed.

The sentence caused outrage from Ms Rowling, the Harry Potter author, who claimed it sent a dangerous message to young men that they could attack girls with impunity.

Progressive Scotland 2023, where a man gets no jail time for raping a 13-year-old girl in a park. Young Scottish men are effectively being told first times free. https://t.co/iHeV1xZYyy  J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 4, 2023

The Lord Advocate, Scotlands top law enforcement officer, said that the Crown would appeal the sentence on the grounds that it was unduly lenient. The appeal court will now consider whether to quash it and impose a harsher sentence.

Sentence is quite rightly the domain of the independent judiciary, Kenny Donnelly, deputy Crown Agent for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said.

However, the law provides for some limited circumstances in which prosecutors have the right to appeal against sentences.

The Appeal Court has set a high test to be satisfied for this to happen. The sentence must be unduly lenient, which means that it must be outwith the range of sentences which the sentencing Judge, taking account of all relevant factors, could reasonably have imposed.

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The question of Crown appeal against sentence in this case has been carefully considered, and the decision to place this matter before the Appeal Court has been communicated to the complainer through her representative.

Scottish Tories want sentencing guidelines scrapped

The Scottish Tories have demanded that the sentencing guidelines which saw Hogg spared jail are scrapped.

While they were written by an independent body, they were endorsed by the SNP government.

Lord Lake claimed that a jail sentence for Hogg, who was 17 when he carried out the attack, would not be appropriate due to his age and because prison would not aid his rehabilitation.

Court papers stated Hogg, of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, threatened the girl, seized her by the wrists and forced her to carry out a sex act before raping her in 2018.

He was found guilty by a jury but his lawyer has claimed he plans to appeal the conviction.
Nordic and Baltic Foreign Ministers in Odesa with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on April 28, 2023

Read also: Russia blocks Black Sea grain agreement  Ukrainian Navy

I don't recall there ever being this many foreign ministers in Odessa at the same time, Kuleba said at joint press briefing.

If this is the first time, then we are pleased to set a new standard together with our colleagues.

According to the minister, European diplomats have gathered to examine how the Black Sea Grain Initiative functions, amid repeated Russian attempts to stall and scupper the deal.

The dignitaries also discussed preparations for the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius, the beginning of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU, and establishing a special tribunal for crimes of Russian aggression.

Read also: Management of Russian state companies in Crimea told to evacuate, Kyiv says

Kuleba asked his colleagues to expedite the decision-making process on the training of Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets.

He also noted that five months ago, the same group of ministers visited Kyiv.

Read also: EU official details possible structure of tribunal for Putin

"We decided that our next meeting should take place in Crimea; we will work towards achieving this goal," the minister concluded on a hopeful note.

Read also: Moldova joins international Russia tribunal initiative, FM Kuleba says

Also on April 28, the Presidents of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, and Slovakia, Zuzana Caputova, arrived in Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
'I realised that the strongest performers weren't those with the higher IQ. It was the ones who persevered.' Angela Duckworth, author of Grit. Photo: TedTalks

Self-help books can be a great resource when it comes to self-improvement and boosting your career. From improving your communication skills and building relationships with colleagues to nurturing your confidence and self-esteem, books can give us the tools and strategies to find success at work.

From new releases to bestsellers, here are some of the best reads about cultivating a healthy, fulfilling career in the modern workplace.

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Dr Julie Smith (2022)

Its no secret that our workplaces are unhealthy. Excessive workloads, stagnant pay, job insecurity, discrimination and toxic cultures and environments have had a serious impact on our mental health. According to a survey of 30,000 people by AXA UK and Centre of Economic and Business Research, more than a fifth (21%) of UK adults are in emotional distress, defined by the study as struggling.

Although self-help books are no replacement for professional support and treatment, having a practical guide can help  something clinical psychologist Dr Julie Smith provides in her latest book. Its an easy-to-understand therapy toolkit designed to help readers understand and manage various mental health challenges from anxiety and depression to low motivation.

How To Fail by Elizabeth Day (2019)

Despite our best efforts, things go wrong and its almost impossible to avoid failure at work. We mess up job interviews, our technology stops working and we make poor decisions, but failing isnt always a disaster  and it can be a good learning opportunity. Inspired by her popular podcast, How To Fail is Elizabeth Days funny and insightful outlook on the benefits of things going wrong.

Both a memoir and a self-help book, How To Fail discusses work, dating, babies, families, friendships and more. Day explores why we fail and how it can make us stronger and more resilient.

Read more: What to do if your company backtracks on remote working

If You Could Live Anywhere by Melody Warnick (2022)

Until fairly recently, your job dictated where you lived. If you wanted to work in publishing, you lived in London. Launching an app meant living in San Francisco. But now, with more people choosing to work from home either full-time or part-time, where we live is less dependent on our jobs.

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Almost half of working adults were working from home at times during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to ONS data, 24% of people worked from home part-time in May 2022  and more than eight in 10 workers said they planned to do hybrid work in the future. However, the place you call home still matters and finding the right place is essential for your happiness. Melody Warnick looks at how to find the right location for you while doing the job you love.

Read more: How to ask about work-life balance in a job interview

Grit by Angela Duckworth (2016)

Some people may be naturally gifted, but most have to work hard to succeed. Whether its practising an instrument for hours on end or honing your communication skills, achieving high often requires what psychologist Angela Duckworth calls grit. She speaks to CEOs, students, parents and others about how perseverance got them where they are  and why natural talent isnt necessarily an indicator of success.

Deep work by Cal Newport (2016)

Modern work is distracting. Were bombarded by Twitter notifications, pinged on Teams and many of us find it hard to sit down and focus without scrolling on our phones. Cal Newport, an associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University, explores the benefits of switching off from our distractions - and helps you learn how to focus again.

He advocates for digital minimalism and challenges the idea that we all need to be engaged with social media in order to achieve success. Its a practical guide to cutting down on your screen time, something many of us could benefit from.

Read more: How to look for a new job while you're working full-time

Presence by Amy Cuddy (2015)

Even the most confident of us get anxious from time to time, whether its in a job interview or before a big presentation. Frustratingly, these jitters can stop us showcasing our skills and abilities  and can set us back when it comes to career progression.

Harvard Business School professor and social psychologist Amy Cuddy examines how to overcome anxiety in stressful situations with some helpful, practical tips. She looks at how the mind and body are connected and how body language and posture can be used to overcome nerves.

Be A Triangle by Lilly Singh (2022)

Research suggests self-esteem is linked to positive work outcomes, such as job satisfaction and higher income. However, a lack of self-esteem and confidence at work is something many of us struggle with. According to one 2019 study, 79% of women and 62% of men regularly feel a lack of confidence on the job. Imposter syndrome, doubting your abilities and feeling like a fraud, is common.

Comedian Lilly Singh, the New York Times bestselling author of How to Be a Bawse, suggests that triangles are the ideal model for building self-esteem in this short book. Triangles have got a strong foundation and they are difficult to knock over  an ethos we should apply to ourselves.

Watch: When should I start paying into a pension?

Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.
Sixty-six Michigan school students are all safe thanks to one quick-thinking 13-year-old who steered the school bus to safety after the driver lost consciousness, officials said.

Dillon Reeves of Carter Middle School in Warren leapt to the front from his seat about five rows back before taking control of the wheel.

A video shows the bus driver messaging officials that she is not feeling well.

The town is hailing the schoolboy as a hero.

"We are very proud of you for your heroic actions!" Warren Councilman Jonathan Lafferty wrote in a Facebook post.

Students were returning home from Carter Middle school on Wednesday when the bus driver "became lightheaded and lost consciousness", according to the school's superintendent Robert Livernois.

Video of the incident, released on Thursday, shows the bus driver radio messaging officials that she is not feeling well and might need to pull over.

Dillon's parents are very proud and he has been hailed as the town hero

Shortly after, the driver loses grip of the steering wheel, falling limp, and students are heard screaming as the bus starts to veer from its lane.

Mr Livernois said Dillon saw the "driver in distress" and "stepped to the front of the bus and helped bring it to a stop".

After stopping the bus. Dillon shouts out for someone to call the emergency line 911 "now".

The cause of the bus driver's illness is not yet known. She does not have a history of any other incident while driving.

When police called Dillon's parents, his father, Steve Reeves, first asked "what the heck did he do?"

Officers said, "no, your son is a hero", according to local media.

A councilman for the town, about 30 minutes north of Detroit, praised Dillon for "bringing the bus to a stop and avoiding what could have been a very tragic accident".

After the incident, his proud stepmother, Ireta Reeves, wrote on Facebook: "He is home and everyone is okay all thanks to Dillon!!!"

"To Dillon, it's just another day," she continued to say, "He has no idea the amount of people who are so proud of him today."
Former DJ Rodney Bingenheimer, left, and late rock impresario Kim Fowley have been accused of sexual assault by Runaways songwriter Kari Krome. (Eric Charbonneau; Chris Pizzello / Associated Press)

Kari Krome  a songwriter and co-founder of the 1970s all-female punk group the Runaways  has filed a lawsuit against the estate of the Runaways' late manager Kim Fowley and the former KROQ DJ and nightclub owner Rodney Bingenheimer. She alleges that the men sexually assaulted her in the 1970s, starting when she was 13.

Krome, whose legal name is Carrie Mitchell, "is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, sexual battery, assault, and molestation, say court documents obtained by The Times.

When she was approximately 13 and 14 and 15 years old, Defendant Rodney Bingenheimer and Defendant Kim Fowley used their roles, status, and power as adults, as well as their connections to and work in the music industry to gain access to manipulate, exploit, and sexually assault" her, the documents say.

According to the lawsuit, the sexual abuse began after Krome met Bingenheimer, who was 28, at his nightclub, Rodney Bingenheimers English Disco, on the Sunset Strip. She claims that he began grooming her and eventually began sexually assaulting her.

Krome alleges that Bingenheimer knew that she was interested in music and introduced her to his good friend Fowley, who eventually hired her as a songwriter for his publishing company.

According to the suit, Krome broached the idea of an all-girls rock band with Fowley. Separately, they recruited the members, including Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Joan Jett, to ultimately form the Runaways.

The suit also claims that Fowley took credit for many of the songs Krome wrote for the group, including lyrics for their hit "Cherry Bomb" that she claims he lifted straight from her journal.

This isnt the first time Fowley, who died in 2015, has been accused of sexual assault. In a Huffington Post article published shortly after Fowleys death, the Runaways' bassist, Jackie Fuchs, claimed that he raped her at a party while others watched; Krome corroborated Fuchs' story and in the article detailed her own allegations of assault against Fowley.

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Krome spoke with Rolling Stone about the suit, saying the allegations had weighed on her for years, but she feared not being taken seriously.

You can come to a conclusion or think that something isnt right, but if youre speaking on something too soon, a lot of times youll get nothing but blowback, and you have to wait until the time is right, Krome told the magazine. I never shut up about it. Just nobody wanted to hear it. Nobody seemed to care. Were still looking at these characters through a lens of glamorization of that era and that scene instead of looking at them through a lens of doing things that are criminal.

Bingenheimer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Times was unable to reach a representative of Fowley's estate late Thursday.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Quilla Long, Sallamondra Robinson and Shanquella Robinson; right photo, Shanquella Robinson. (Courtesy of Robinson family)

Weeks after prosecutors announced they would not bring any charges in the death of Shanquella Robinson, a 25-year-old Charlotte, N.C., woman who died last year while on a trip to Mexico with a friend and five other American travel mates, her family is raising doubts about the U.S. investigation.

Robinsons mother, Sallamondra, believes she knows why her daughter is no longer alive and who did it based on video footage of Shanquella getting physically assaulted, along with various investigative documents the family has retrieved. But she says U.S. authorities arent willing to hold anyone accountable.

It's very disturbing because they saw the same thing we saw [on video], Sallamondra Robinson told Yahoo News, referring to footage shared online just weeks after Shanquellas death in which a blogger in North Carolina claims a woman is seen viciously attacking Robinson until her body goes limp. Then they do an autopsy and they come back with something different. I dont even know if we can trust them.

Shanquella Robinson. (via Instagram)

On Oct. 28 of last year, Robinson traveled to the resort city of San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, with six others to celebrate one of their birthdays. Less than 24 hours later, she was found dead.

Initially, the people on the trip told her mother that Robinson had died of alcohol poisoning, but the family later received an autopsy report from the Mexican Secretariat of Health and learned she had suffered a broken neck and a cracked spine. No mention of alcohol was included in the report. In a death certificate obtained by Queen City News in Charlotte, Robinson's death was attributed to a severe spinal cord injury and atlas luxation, meaning that her first vertebra was loosened or detached from the base of her skull.

Nearly a month later, the video footage of Robinson being attacked appeared on social media. Her mother recognized the other people in the video as the ones who traveled with Shanquella, and she believes it was recorded on the trip to Cabo.

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I want justice, because Ive seen her being brutally beaten, Sallamondra said. Thats enough evidence right there.

Mexican authorities issued an arrest warrant in the case in November for the crime of femicide, a form of gender-based violence. They also sought to extradite an American suspect to the country to face charges. But since then, no one has been held accountable.

In the absence of any arrests six months since Robinsons death, family attorney Sue-Ann Robinson (who is not related to the family) said she and the family have taken matters into their own hands, calling the FBIs response to the case thus far disrespectful.

Shanquella Robinson, right, with her mom at left. (Family handout)

Over the last few months, the family has sought out investigative documents from federal authorities in Mexico about the case, called on President Biden and the State Department to intervene and continued to hold local demonstrations to ensure that Robinsons name and legacy are not forgotten.

Attorney Robinson said she also traveled to Mexico earlier this year for a better understanding of the lack of urgency and was informed by the Mexican attorney generals office that the case is a high priority and that Mexican authorities are willing to turn it over to the U.S.; they reportedly claim, however, that the FBI has not taken any action.

The family is in a situation where they have to carve their own path to justice in this case and have been aware of that from the beginning, attorney Robinson told Yahoo News. Having to mourn your child, bury your child, bury your sister and every single day have to make sure that people dont forget about the case, while essentially fighting with the FBI to do their job  it couldnt be more disrespectful.

On April 12, federal officials with the U.S. attorneys offices in two districts in North Carolina announced they would not bring charges in Robinsons death based on insufficient evidence.

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Ms. Robinson has been a priority for federal prosecutors and the FBI, a statement issued by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of North Carolina read in part. Based on the results of the autopsy and after a careful deliberation and review of the investigative materials by both U.S. Attorneys Offices, federal prosecutors informed Ms. Robinsons family today that the available evidence does not support a federal prosecution.

The FBI national and local North Carolina offices declined Yahoo News request to provide further comment.

The seal of the FBI at the bureau's headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

As for the current state of extradition requests, the DOJ also declined to elaborate.

The U.S. Department of Justice generally does not confirm, deny or otherwise comment on the existence or non-existence of requests for apprehension from foreign governments, Nicole Navas Oxman, a spokesperson for the department, told Yahoo News in an email.

But attorney Robinson questions whether the case was ever a priority for U.S. officials, particularly in contrast to the federal agencys response to four Americans kidnapped in Mexico last month and its subsequent fervor to solve the case  including a $50,000 reward. She said that case alone is evidence of a protocol in such cases that isnt being followed in the Shanquella Robinson investigation.

But experts say extradition remains on the table.

The prosecutors decision not to file charges shouldnt affect possible extradition, according to Stephen Ward, an assistant professor of criminal justice at Belmont Abbey College.

When an extradition request is made, thats simply asking the jurisdiction that receives the request for the police to pick this person up and turn them over to us, Ward, a retired assistant district attorney in Mecklenburg County, N.C., told the Charlotte Observer. We do that all the time between states here in the United States and extradite with other countries.

Donald Corbett, an associate law professor at North Carolina Central University who specializes in constitutional law, previously told Yahoo News that while he understands the Robinson familys frustration, the politics involving a transnational case like this makes it more complicated.

Just because the extradition request is made doesnt automatically mean that person just gets shipped overseas, Corbett said. They will have a federal court process here in the States in which that person has an opportunity to challenge the extradition. And then the court system here will figure out whether they think its a valid extradition request. This is all going to take time, and obviously when youre dealing with grief, the time only makes the grief worse in some ways.

Shanquella Robinson. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos courtesy of Robinson family [2])

Robinsons sister, Quilla Long, echoed sentiments of frustration in a GoFundMe for the family, calling the investigation unacceptable.

We continue to fight for the truth, Long said.

The family and their attorneys are organizing buses to travel from Charlotte to D.C. on May 19  the 200th day since Robinsons death  to demand the attention and diplomatic intervention they say this case deserves.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, a second family attorney, told Yahoo News last month that an intervention may be the only way to get actual movement on the case, and he expressed frustration that the opportunities that have been presented thus far have been thwarted.

We have direct access to officials at the White House, and weve engaged one another on the matter, Crump said, adding that the case deserves more attention because he believes a murder was committed.

Sallamondra Robinson says her faith in God allows her to hold on to hope that justice is coming. And shes encouraged by supporters both near and far who continue to keep her daughters name alive.

I thank everyone that stands with our family, because we need all the help, she said. Because Shanquella didnt have no one there to help her when she was being attacked. And she dont have no one helping her now.

Cover thumbnail photo illustration: Jack Forbes; photos: family handouts
China's energy consumption sustains recovery in Q1

Xinhua) 10:59, April 28, 2023

BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China's energy consumption continued to rally in the first quarter of 2023, boosted by the country's rising industrial power demand, a government official said Thursday.

Total electricity consumption increased 3.6 percent year on year in the first three months, Dong Wancheng, an official with the National Energy Administration, told a press conference.

Dong said that the electricity consumption for industrial use went up 4.4 percent from the same period in 2022, contributing 78 percent of the overall electricity consumption growth.

Coal consumption logged a steady increase driven by the rising industrial power demand in the first quarter, while the consumption of natural gas and refined oil had also reported an uptick since February, according to Dong.

To further meet domestic energy demand, China scaled up energy source imports. The imports of coal surged 96.1 percent year on year in the first quarter, Dong added.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A 15-year-old Flagler Palm Coast High School student was arrested after being accused of threatening other students possibly because of bullying, according to a release Friday from the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies believe the student used Snapchat to send a photo Monday to a group of students with a caption threatening to kill his opponents, the release stated.

One of the students showed a screenshot to a school administrator who then reported it to the school resource deputy. The threat "is believed to be a response to the student being bullied at school," the sheriff's office stated.

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The student was arrested on a charge of written threats to kill or do bodily harm and was turned over to the Department of Juvenile Justice.

In the release, Sheriff Rick Staly said bullying should be reported to school administrators or the school resource deputy, adding that making threats will get a student arrested.

Bullying is never acceptable and making threats to settle the score is not a joke and will always be taken seriously, Staly said. We dont like making these arrests, but we will come knocking on your door if your child makes any threat to harm someone.

"Parents, talk to your kids and be the sheriff in your home and teach them what to do if they are bullied. They should report bullying to the SRD or school administrators. There are also school counselors available. If you are a bully, STOP IT! You could be the impetus to a school shooting. Thank you to the student who alerted school administrators who then reported the threat to the SRD.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Flagler Palm Coast student accused of threatening to kill 2 others
Sergei Shoigu, the aggressor country's Defence Minister, met with his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu in New Delhi, where a meeting of the defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is taking place.

Source: Russian propagandists

Quote: "Shoigu met with the Chinese Defence Minister in New Delhi, where a meeting of the heads of the SCO defence ministers is taking place."

Details: It is reported that these are unscheduled talks and that Li Shangfu invited Shoigu to China.

Details of the talks between the ministers have not been disclosed.

Background:

On the afternoon of 26 April, it became known that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a telephone conversation with Chinese leader Xi Jinping that day. This is the first conversation between the two leaders since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

China will send China's former ambassador to Russia, Li Hui, as a special representative to Ukraine and other countries to communicate on resolving the "Ukrainian crisis" (war  ed.).

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Jeffrey Kenny is one half of the Ukraine duo Tvorchi, who will represent Ukraine at this year's Eurovision

Ukraine's Eurovision act Tvorchi were due to perform at Kyiv's main rail station Friday when an air raid siren forced them down into the cellar, hours after massive shelling.

The group will represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool next month, after the UK agreed to host the event instead of 2022 winner Ukraine because of the war.

"It is what it is," said Andriy Hutsuliak, the electronic music group's 27-year-old producer, after the sirens sounded.

"We believe in our air-defence forces."

"We always have to come down and try to be safe," said the electronic group's 25-year-old vocalist, a Nigerian-Ukrainian who performs as Jeffery Kenny. His full name is Jimoh Augustus Kehinde.

The band members wore matching dark glasses and blue suits with sparkly ornaments in the shape of wheat sheaves. Hutsuliak had his nails painted scarlet.

As it turned out, the all-clear sounded in time for the duo to give an unannounced performance for surprised passengers in the entrance hall of the vast Stalin-era station, which is decked out with chandeliers and mosaics.

Frontman Kenny changed into a gold shirt and trousers, as Hutsuliak jabbed at a synthesiser wearing one black glove. Pink and blue lights flashed as the beats reverberated.

Their concert was to promote a drive to buy incubators for premature babies, run by United 24, a online donation platform supported by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

But the focus was on the forthcoming Eurovision contest.

- 'Heart of Steel' -

Tvorchi's song "Heart of Steel" "symbolises strength, it symbolises courage," said Kenny.

The duo talked of their pride in representing Ukraine.

"We feel honoured and excited to perform in Liverpool, so we just can't wait to show all that we've prepared," Hutsuliak told AFP.

While Kenny declined to give details of their stage show, he promised: "We're definitely preparing something nice.

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"We hope it will impress everyone, because we're working a lot on it. And we just hope, you know, things go smoothly.

"We'll add some elements from the ones we had in the national selection and make it better in Liverpool," Hutsuliak added.

Kenny said they had received "a warm welcome" at concerts for fans with other contestants.

And Hutsuliak stressed they did not want "to be pitied" by those voting.

In the end, they acknowledged, the need to win the war overshadowed everything.

"For us it's most important to win the fight and to have peace in the country," said Hutsuliak.

But if they won this year's Eurovision and the situation became safe enough for next year's contest to be held in Ukraine, "we will appreciate that and we'll be happy. That'd be great".

am/jj
Siera Bearchell has shared a powerful reminder about the 'trenches of parenthood' in a new post. (Instagram/ @sierabearchell)

Siera Bearchell is getting real about parenthood.

On Friday, the former Miss Universe Canada took to Instagram with a carousel of candid photos of herself and her children. In the snaps, she can be seen holding her son and daughter, paired with a thoughtful message about "becoming someone new" after having children.

Bearchell began by explaining that being in the "trenches of parenthood" and experiencing the inherit rapid personal growth can make it difficult to maintain a sense of self.

"Your baby isnt sleeping, your toddler isnt sleeping, you cant eat a whole piece of toast without getting up from the table multiple times, you forget who you used to be before kids," she penned.

"It's easy to overlook that you too are becoming someone new."

The 30-year-old shared that motherhood hasn't just been about raising her kids, but also "raising a new version" of herself, "who sets an example that shapes the life of these little eyes that watch your every move."

The Saskatchewan-native said one of the most overlooked parts of parenthood is looking "inward and asking what we can do to work on ourselves that can better the lives of our children."

"These little eyes learn by watching and listening. The model adult is us," she added.

"Im working on ways to better myself mentally and physically so I can be a better version of myself for both myself and them," Bearchell concluded.

The influencer's post was quickly met with supportive comments from fans.

"Love. Such a great perspective," an Instagram user wrote.

Another added: "Love this and love you!"

"This is a really important and refreshing reminder! Good parenting starts within. Thank you for sharing," one commented.

"So cute!" another chimed in.

Earlier this month, Bearchell garnered praise after sharing an Instagram Reel opening up about her thoughts on unsolicited parenting advice.

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"I was at the zoo with my two kids and I had my baby in the carrier, just like this, and this man walked by me and he said, 'Ah, that's the easiest phase,'" Bearchell explained in the video.

"To be completely honest, I have been struggling," she shared. "No offense to this man, but I know for a fact that he did not go through nine months of pregnancy, delivering a baby, pushing it out of his body.

"Telling a woman with a six-month-old baby who is still sleep deprived and still recovering from the trauma of being pregnant and delivery and all of that  to tell her that this is the easiest phase is just... no thanks."

Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Job retrenchments in Singapore continued to rise in the first quarter of 2023. (PHOTO: Getty)

SINGAPORE  Job retrenchments continued to increase in the first three months of 2023 (1Q 2023)  to levels last seen in 2016 and 2017  according to advance labour market estimates released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Friday (28 April).

This is the third consecutive quarterly increase in retrenchment numbers. Retrenchments increased from 2,990 in the previous quarter to 4,000 in the first quarter of 2023. During the 2016 to 2017 period, quarterly retrenchments ranged from 3,400 to 5,440.

Despite this, however, total employment (excluding migrant domestic workers) grew by 34,500 in 1Q 2023, marking the sixth consecutive quarter of expansion.

The MOM said in a statement that the rise in retrenchments was seen across all three broad sectors of the economy, which included manufacturing, construction, and services. Retrenchments were seen mainly in electronics manufacturing, professional services, and the information and communications sectors.

The top reason for retrenchments for the first quarter of 2023 was business restructuring or reorganisation, as firms "streamlined their operations in anticipation of a slowdown in the economy".

Another reason for retrenchment in this quarter was a downturn in the industry. "MTI's (Ministry of Trade and Industry) advance GDP (gross domestic product) estimates released earlier this month showed that global economic headwinds have contributed towards a slowdown in Singapore's economy, which will weigh on labour demand going forward, particularly for outward-oriented sectors," MOM said. "Employment growth is likely to ease and be uneven across sectors."

At the same time, hiring sentiments remained positive for the quarter, with 65 per cent of polled firms indicating their intention to increase headcount in the next three months. More firms also indicated they intend to raise the wages of their employees, from 25.3 per cent of polled firms in December 2022 to 38.2 per cent in March 2023.

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Still, the labour report noted that against the backdrop of the global economic slowdown and a more uncertain business environment, firms are likely to take a more cautious and targeted approach with salary increments.

Job retrenchments continued to increase in the first three months of 2023 (1Q 2023). (INFOGRAPHIC: Ministry of Manpower)

Singapore's unemployment rate remained low

Despite the rise in retrenchments, the number of unemployed residents remained low in March 2023.

The total number of unemployed residents fell from 67,100 to 61,500 in March 2023, of which 54,900 were Singapore citizens.

Overall, the unemployment rate was 1.8 per cent of the labour force in March 2023. In the resident category, the unemployment rate stood at 2.5 per cent while the unemployment rate for citizens was 2.7 per cent.

Total employment expanded

Total employment excluding migrant domestic workers in the first quarter of 2023 stood at 3,659,500. As of March 2023, the total employment level had surpassed its pre-pandemic level in December 2019 by 3.9 per cent.

Similar to past quarters, non-residents (non-Singapore citizens or non-permanent residents) contributed to most of the total employment increase and were concentrated in the construction sector.

Resident employment saw the largest gains in community, social and personal services (mainly in public administration and education) and financial services.

The labour market report for 1Q 2023 will be released in mid-June.

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The first six of the ten Spanish Leopard main battle tanks arrived aboard a transport ship in a Polish port.

Source: This was stated by Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles, reports European Pravda with reference to Spiegel.

Quote: "Defending Ukraine, we not only protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country, but also support the right to legitimate self-defence enshrined in the UN Charter," Robles said at a meeting with her colleagues from Germany and France in Madrid.

The Spanish Leopard tanks, which were sent from Santander last Saturday, are an older Type 2A4 model. They have long been decommissioned and preserved in a warehouse near Zaragoza since 2012.

Before being sent to Ukraine, the tanks were overhauled and tested for use on the battlefield.

Earlier, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that Ukrainian tank crews have started training on the older model of the Leopard tank, Leopard 1, and 80 of these tanks will be gradually sent to Ukraine in the summer of 2023.

In February, the Netherlands, together with Germany and Denmark, announced plans to transfer 100 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine; they will be sent as soon as they are brought into proper technical condition.

Pistorius did not specify why he named the number of 80 tanks. Perhaps he is talking about the batch Germany promised to restore.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






Women in parts of the world are victims of slavery Wikimedia Commons/Flickr

Governments and religious institutions regulate marriage. Such regulations are heavily laden with specific moral ideas and cultural taboos. There are heated debates around what counts as proper marriage: should polygamy or monogamy be preferred? What should be the minimal age for marriage?

Despite these debates, all contemporary societies see marriage as a sacrosanct institution that deserves legal protection. Not so slavery.

Today slavery is abolished in all countries. But 250 years ago various forms of slavery would have been legal on all continents.

During the period of legal slavery, marriage and slavery were closely interconnected and sometimes overlapped. Slave owners could force their slaves to marry, remain unmarried, or separate from their spouses. They could also marry them.

The forms of power that allowed slaveholders to coerce enslaved persons into unwanted marriages (or out of wanted ones) havent disappeared.

First, slavery has not ended. African women and children are caught in illegal networks controlled by sex traffickers who cater for a persistent demand in vulnerable (and therefore sexually abusable) persons. This, today, is outlawed and prosecutable as either slavery or forced marriage. But in the past such a demand was largely met through the provision of enslaved persons who could be used for sexual and conjugal purposes.

This points to continuities in the types of services required, as well as the traffic geographies that connect vulnerable people from the South to demand in the North and Near East, as well as from poorer peripheries to urban centres within different regions in the South.

Second, during recent African wars, militias kidnapped women and forced them into marriage, and sexual or conjugal slavery. Here, too, there are clear continuities with historical forms of wartime captivity. African women  survivors and activists  have been on the forefront of global movements speaking out against these abuses.

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Thirdly, African abolitionists today fight against groups who illegally enslave people and defend slavery as a legitimate institution, based on the alleged slave descent of its victims . These practices are peculiarly resilient in connection to the acquisition of enslaved wives or concubines.

I have been studying slavery in African and global history for over two decades. As part of this research, I have considered the relation between slavery and marriage.

In a recent research paper co-authored with professor of politics Joel Quirk, we introduced a collection of articles on slave marriages in Africa from 1830 to today.

While slavery has lost the ideological battle almost everywhere, women nevertheless continue to be objectified and subordinated under the protective cloak of marriage. What forms of marriage are nothing but slavery in disguise? In such cases, does the terminology of marriage merely serve the interest of perpetrators?

We can learn from the history of African womens resistance against slavery, a history that has not ended. The voices and actions of women who were enslaved in the past, or who experienced enslavement today, reveal how oppression works and what made a difference to those exposed to it.

This history is not only an important part of the past that should not be forgotten. It can also be useful to activists and decision makers today.

Historical slave marriages

It is still common for people to think of historical slavery as coinciding exclusively with the history of Africans transported to America and the Caribbean as dehumanised labour for the profit of Euro-American racist capitalism. But this was only one of multiple historical forms of slavery.

Slavery also occurred within Africa and between different groups of Africans. Research by African and international historians leaves no doubt that slavery was a legitimate institution in most African societies in the Nineteenth Century. In Africa in the 1800s, marriages between enslaved people and freeborn people were relatively common. Usually a slave wife benefited from some protections compared to other categories of female slaves. But slave wives were nevertheless subordinate to free wives, first wives and higher-ranking wives.

Whether the role of the slave wife or the conjugal slave was perceived as relatively desirable, or whether it was instead experienced as a daily torture imposing dreaded burdens on its unfortunate bearers, was contextual and individual. But such hierarchies were not uncommon. As historian Ettore Morelli has shown for Sesotho- and Setswana-speaking societies of the Highveld in todays Lesotho, they gave rise to complex social dynamics of resistance and accommodation.

In most African societies there were many ways of being a slave and many ways of being a wife. There were hierarchies within slavery and hierarchies within marriage. Researchers have only just begun to explore this area.

It must also be remembered that both marriage and slavery in Africa in the 1800s existed within patriarchal societies. In such societies positions of political dominance and public prestige are primarily held by men, and in which men have rights in women that women do not have either in their male kin or in themselves  even though the features of patriarchy varied from case to case. Everyday gender inequalities common in patriarchal contexts influence historical and contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking.

Modern-day slave marriages

Modern-day or contemporary trafficking in women and girls meets a demand for women whose sexuality, fertility and labour can still be imagined as fully controllable. Trafficking is recognised as a major problem in most African sub-regions and countries.

In addition, in Africas recent conflicts large numbers of women and girls have been abducted by militias whose members seized females as booty, as in the case of the Lord Resistance Army in northern Uganda. Their commanders redistributed female abductees among their officers. Forced wives were expected to become pregnant. Their children would join societies ruled by warlords who sought to establish new autonomous political and social units.

Researchers Eleanor Seymour, Eunice Apio, and Benedetta Rossi explored how, if at all, these phenomena were in continuity with forms of female captivity common in the regions warfare in the nineteenth and early twentieth century.

Another form of trafficking that has proven resilient in contemporary Africa is the sale of young concubines (also known as fifth wives) to Muslim men who feel entitled to purchase girls of alleged slave status to avoid committing the sin of fornication. These practices, in Niger for example, have been combated by African anti-slavery non-governmental organisations whose members are Muslims who argue that there can be no Islamic justification for these forms of conjugal slavery today, if there ever was.

Historic slavery lives on today in various forms and is exacerbated by contemporary slavery. Research on this history can reveal the perspectives and strategies of those enslaved and inform policy aimed at reducing their oppression.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. The Conversation is trustworthy news from experts. Try our free newsletters.

It was written by: Benedetta Rossi, UCL.

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Benedetta Rossi receives funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Unions Horizon2020 research and innovation programme, grant agreement no. 885418.
A local teachers union expressed outrage after the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office arrested an Arroyo Grande teacher on suspicion of child abuse, calling the agencys actions egregious.

Sarah Watts, 42, is accused of pulling a 13-year-old students hairbrush from her hand and throwing papers at her and the other pupils, injuring the girl.

Watts was arrested Tuesday and booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail in lieu of a $50,000 bond, but posted bail just after midnight Wednesday, according to Sheriffs Office spokesperson Tony Cipolla.

Cipolla said the Sheriffs Office had sent its investigation file to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorneys Office by Thursday afternoon.

However, the District Attorneys Office told The Tribune on Thursday afternoon that it had yet to receive the recommended charges for Watts from the Sheriffs Office.

The Lucia Mar Unified Teachers Association sent an email to its members on Wednesday, saying the Sheriffs Offices actions were egregious.

This specific matter was being handled swiftly and appropriately by district administration prior to law enforcements encroachment onto the school campus, the union wrote in the email. While many believe this dramatic demonstration of power was exercised only because the accusing student was a child of a sheriffs deputy, we are horrified by the precedent it sets for our profession nationwide.

Lucia Mar Unified School District spokesperson Amy Jacobs was unable to confirm Thursday whether the school district was handling the incident with Watts prior to sheriffs deputies arriving on campus.

Neither the school district nor Sheriffs Office would confirm the student was a child of a deputy.

However, employees at Mesa Middle School told the Tribune on Thursday the student involved in the incident is the child of a sheriffs deputy who oversees the school resource officer at the school.

The sources asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation from the district or Sheriffs Office.

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According to the sources, teachers saw the student in classes and at track practice following the incident with Watts and did not see any clear injuries.

Cipolla said Thursday that he would not release any photos the agency took of the students injuries as they are considered evidence in the case.

The teachers actions caused injuries to the students hand and near her eye that were clearly visible, Cipolla wrote in an email to The Tribune. When a child is injured at the hands of an adult, we are required to take action.

Child abuse, as defined by the California penal code, is when someone willfully inflicts upon a child any cruel or inhuman corporal punishment or an injury resulting in a traumatic condition.

There are some who apparently feel that the event that occurred was acceptable or so minor that we should have taken no action, Cipolla wrote in his email. It is our belief that any parent would have found injuries to their child at the hands of a teacher to be unacceptable.

The school district said it is continuing to investigate the incident, and Watts remains on administrative leave.

In its email, the Lucia Mar Unified Teachers Association said the incident clearly highlights a greater need for administrative support for unruly student behaviors in our classrooms.

This year has brought unprecedented levels of defiance and disruption, the email read. Teachers calls for support should not be ignored.
Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, and Captain America dont often get together, but their infant counterparts were spotted Friday in the NICU at a Boston hospital.

In celebration of National Superhero Day, the nursing staff at Brigham and Womens Hospital decked out some small but mighty heroes in hand-knit superhero costumes.

Brigham and Womens Hospital is known for dressing up its newborn patients.

Earlier this month, babies were recently happy to don some Easter apparel. They also dressed up for Valentines Day and Christmas.

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These benefits make it easier for millions of Americans to buy groceries. SDI Productions/E+ via Getty Images

The House of Representatives has passed a bill that would cut spending, in part by expanding work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, through which nearly 43 million low-income Americans get help buying groceries. The House bill calls for this policy to apply to adults as old as 55, while today this policy only applies to adults under 50. Some Democrats, in contrast, are seeking to eliminate work requirements altogether.

The bill passed by a 217-215 vote, with all but four Republicans in favor and every Democrat opposed, on April 26, 2023. Tied to a standoff over raising the debt ceiling, the bill would also make Medicaid  the U.S. program that helps low-income and disabled people get health care  contingent on work requirements for some eligible Americans. Its not clear whether thats possible, since a federal court has struck down similar measures enacted in some states previously.

Since the Clinton administration, the government has required that at least some people getting SNAP, commonly known as food stamps, do paid work, get job training or volunteer  otherwise they cant continue receiving benefits. Those requirements were paused in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They are set to return in July 2023 regardless of the fate of the House bill  which is unlikely to pass in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Im a member of a team of economists studying the social safety net and work. Because the rationale for work requirements is that they encourage adults who are able to work to earn more money and become more economically self-sufficient, we wanted to determine whether this policy boosts employment and earnings. We also looked into whether SNAP work requirements lead low-income adults to lose their benefits.

We found that the policy doesnt make people more likely to find a job or make more money, but it does make Americans who could use help buying groceries less likely to get it.

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Tracing a similar case study

Adults with SNAP benefits who are subject to work requirements must document at least 80 hours per month of paid work, job training or volunteering. Otherwise, they can get the benefits for only three months within a three-year period.

Before the pandemic, these rules applied to most so-called able-bodied adults without children who were under 50, and that policy will again apply in July. There are some exceptions, such as if the person with benefits is caring for kids younger than 6, has disabilities incompatible with holding a steady job or is in a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program.

To determine this policys impact, we studied SNAP, employment and earnings data in Virginia from both the period of the states previous suspension of work requirements and afterward.

Virginia, like many other states, suspended work requirements for several years beginning in the Great Recession. During this period, adults could enroll in the program and continue to receive benefits regardless of their employment status.

In October 2013, however, Virginia reinstated work requirements, and they remained in effect in most counties for several years. In those areas, adults under the age of 50 without dependents who were considered able to work needed to either satisfy work requirements or receive an individual exemption to keep their SNAP benefits, while similar adults over the age of 50 did not.

We followed both age groups over time, comparing whether they worked and were getting SNAP benefits both before and after work requirements returned.

No employment boost

By comparing older and younger adults previously getting SNAP benefits, we found that work requirements did not increase employment or earnings 18 months after their reinstatement.

We also detected nearly identical patterns of employment before and after work requirements were reinstated for people in both age groups.

Adults without dependents, whether or not they lost their SNAP benefits to the resumption of work requirements, were earning at most an additional US$28 per month.

Many lost their benefits

But we did find that work requirements dramatically reduced the number of people enrolled in SNAP. Among the adults subject to work requirements once they were restored in 2013, over half lost their benefits because of the policy.

We also found that work requirements disproportionately led people who had faced great economic hardships, such as those without housing or earned income, to lose benefits.

Only 44% of the currently or formerly homeless people getting benefits remained enrolled in SNAP 18 months after work requirements were reinstated, compared with 64% of everyone else, our estimates suggest. Similarly, only 59% of those with no earned income remained enrolled, relative to 73% of those with prior earnings.

Because they are likely to qualify for an individual exemption to work requirements, adults with a history of a disability were more likely to retain benefits compared with others.

Adults kicked out of SNAP because of work requirements typically stood to lose $189 in benefits per month  the most a single person could obtain at the time. It also amounted to about two-thirds of their gross income.

We studied work requirements in Virginia because of the availability of detailed data on both earnings and SNAP benefits.

Although work requirements enforcement varies across states, we believe that our results are likely to be representative of the impacts of this policy, since SNAP recipients in Virginia look similar to nationwide averages on most demographic characteristics except race.

Our findings do suggest that work requirements restrain federal spending by reducing the number of people getting SNAP benefits.

But our work also indicates that in todays context, these savings would be at the expense of already vulnerable people facing additional economic hardship at a time when a new recession could be around the corner.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. Like this article? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

It was written by: Kelsey Pukelis, Harvard Kennedy School.

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Kelsey Pukelis receives funding from the National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship Program under Grant No. DGE1745303. Any opinion, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
European Commission

Just what was the point of Brexit if Britain is to become merely an alternative brand of high-tax, high-regulation, precautionary principle-driven European social democracy? Until this week the Government seemed to be committed to ridding the statute book of 4,000 EU laws in a great Brexit bonfire. Now, Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch seems to think we will see just 800 laws torched by the end of the year.

Perhaps we should welcome the fact that some regulations will be scrapped. But the trouble is that while the government talks of ridding us of unnecessary EU regulation, it is busy formulating new laws of its own. It has already granted employees the right to request flexible working arrangements on the very first day of their employment  so the eager job applicant who told interviewers they would work their socks off for the company can turn up and immediately demand a home-based job-share. We have a UK ban on all petrol and diesel cars from 2035  more stringent even than the EU, which has decided to continue to allow combustion engines which use e-fuels.

Michael Gove wants to force property-owners to seek planning permission  at 400 a time  before they can let their properties as holiday homes. Net zero rules will ban new oil boilers by 2026 and new gas boilers from 2035, while buy-to-let investors have been told they must bring their properties up to grade C on an Energy Performance Certificate (EPCs) by 2028  this in spite of just five out of 145 respondents to a government consultation saying that EPCs present an accurate picture of a propertys energy performance. Abolishing EPCs, which were dreamed up by Brussels, would be a very good place to start if we want to rid ourselves of bad regulations.

Then this week we have had the Governments proposals to ban under-25s from placing bets and to treat anyone who loses more than 500 in a year as a problem gambler. Im not sure where this fits with the Governments incentives for us to put our money in Venture Capital Trusts  in which anyone who doesnt lose far more than 500 in a day at some point will have experienced a miracle.

It is always the same with bonfires of red tape, which every recent government has promised. They start off with grand ambitions  but then the vested interests who profit from excessive regulation start to get their hooks into ministers and the whole thing gets snuffed out. Big business, as Tony Blairs deregulation tsar Lord Haskins observed, is often the prime mover of silly rules and regulations because it knows that while pettifogging rules will bring it some inconvenience, they will make life impossible for smaller competitors. But it is the disruptors we need to encourage if we want the economy to grow.

Surely, the sole purpose of Brexit was to do something different, to break away from the EUs economic and social model  either by becoming a Corbynite socialist paradise or to become a more free-market, business-friendly island, the famed Singapore-on-Thames. But all we are doing so far is to tag along in the EUs wake, the only difference being that it is now our own ministers and civil servants who dream up the kind of stuff which previously effused from the European Commission. The result is that we are slowly slumping into low-growth mediocrity  we suffer the extra friction with trade which Brexit was inevitably going to deliver, yet we have no strategy to boost investment and enterprise. Failing to repeal EU regulations will be a poor pointer to the future.
I'm very excited to just be locked in this villa with Elliot doing nothing, the new bride said of her couple's getaway in a new TikTok video

Sofia Richie

Sofia Richie Grainge and Elliot Grainge are vacationing newlywed-style.

On April 22, the couple, who got engaged last year, officially tied the knot surrounded by close friends and family in Antibes, France.

After sharing glimpses of her pre-wedding celebrations on her new TikTok account and her bridal wardrobe (which included three bespoke Chanel dresses!) with Vogue, Richie Grainge, 24, gave fans a peek at how she's celebrating married life so far.

Sofia Richie

Related:Chic in Chanel! See All of Sofia Richie's Gorgeous Wedding Week Looks

In a new post shared to Instagram on Friday, she and her music executive husband can be seen enjoying a serene tropical getaway filled with quality time in the ocean, bike rides and nights out on the beach.

Although on R&R mode, Richie Grainge did not leave out the glam. She stuck to the bridal theme, wearing a one-shoulder Magda Butrym top with rosette accents and Christopher Esber pants. She accessorized with a petite white handbag and sandals, plus fuchsia floral-shaped drop earrings.

"Husband trip," Richie captioned the photos.

Related:Sofia Richie Wears Three Chic Chanel Wedding Dresses During France Ceremony to Elliot Grainge

Sofia Richie

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The Nudestix beauty director also took to TikTok with another get-ready-with-me video for the look. While walking through her makeup of the day, she revealed that she "didn't have a voice for, like, six days," after the big day.

She also revealed the couple's trip agenda: lots of rest and relaxation.

"We are here for about five days and I'm very excited to just be locked in this villa with Elliot doing nothing, having rose and tanning."

Since walking down the aisle, Richie Grainge has been basking in her new stage in life. "Marry your best friend!!!" she wrote on Instagram alongside photos of their destination ceremony.

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An adult son tragically strangled his mom to death before calling 911, according to police in Oklahoma.

Officers with the Tulsa Police Department responded to an apartment complex at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, April 27, according to a news release. The arriving officers found the mother Dana Jones unresponsive.

Security guards had her son, Drayk Jones, in custody, police said.

The woman was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m., according to the release. Her son was arrested.

Drayk Jones was booked into the Tulsa County Jail on a charge of first degree murder, records show. Hes being held on an $800,000 bond.

Detectives are still working out the finer details of the case and we will get an update out, as it becomes available, police said.

If you are experiencing domestic violence and need someone to talk to, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline for support at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.

Dad dies after hes found with stab wounds, Texas cops say. Son charged with murder

Husband said he shot wife because she would not shut up, cops say. Hes prison bound

Man kills ex-fiancees mom and uncle on video call with her, Michigan officials say
South African Kirsten Neuschaefer has made history by becoming the first female mariner to win a solo round-the-world race.

Neuschaefer crossed the line in the Golden Globe on France's west coast late Thursday after more than seven months at sea.

The 40-year-old, in her boat Minnehaha, conquered the three Capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn) and her 15 rivals without being allowed to stop off at other ports, permitted any help or equipped with modern navigation devices.

It was doubly pleasing for Neuschaefer that her victory came on South Africa's Freedom Day -- so named as it was the date in 1994 of the first post-apartheid elections.

"It's Mandela Day and of all the people I know, if there is one person I wish I could have met, it's Nelson Mandela," she said at her victor's press conference on Friday.

"I love South Africa the way it is now, and that's thanks to him -- his sacrifice was immense."

Neuschaefer hugged her proud mother on stepping shore at Les Sables d'Olonne.

She said Friday her success was something her mother's generation could never have aspired to.

"Liberty for me is the freedom to have been able to do that race," she said.

"In this day and age, I can do these things if I want to.

"My mothers generation, she couldn't and women couldn't back then, or the battle could have been a lot tougher."

The challenging nature of the race was illustrated by the fact that only two other competitors are on course to officially finish the race.

India's Abhilash Tomy should arrive in the coming days while Michael Guggenberger of Austria is believed to be afloat round the Canary Islands.

British sailor Simon Curwen crossed the line first mid-afternoon on Thursday but he had lost his chance of being crowned the victor as he had stopped off at a Chilean port for repairs.

Women sailors have gone close before in winning a solo round-the-globe race -- British great Ellen MacArthur finished second in the 2001 Vendee Globe.

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It was not all plain sailing for the redoubtable Neuschaefer, who had to battle through several heavy storms -- but the frown turned to a beaming smile as she absorbed what she had achieved.

"It is unbelievable, it is too much after all these months alone," she said after setting foot on terra firma and taking in the hordes of people who had lined the shore to come and shower her with accolades.

"I am very emotional and honoured that there are so many people here and I do not think I will ever experience a similar moment again."

- 'Difficult to say goodbye' -

She might be proved wrong as at 40 she is considerably younger than the previous winner in 2019, Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, who is now 77.

Van Den Heede came to welcome home Neuschaefer, calling her a "great champion".

"It is a very tough race, there is no communication, we receive no encouragement," he said.

Neuschaefer had already rewritten the nautical history books by becoming on February 15 the first woman to pass Cape Horn leading a global yachting race.

In November she had courageously saved her Finnish opponent Tapio Lehtinen, who had sunk off South Africa.

"I received a message that Tapio's boat had sunk and I was the closest to him," she said.

"I did everything I could to reach him quickly, using the motor and staying at the helm all night.

"However, spotting him was difficult as it can be hard to see rafts out at sea.

"Eventually, we managed to get him on my boat, and another ship arrived."

In acknowledgement of her heroism she had her final finishing time reduced by two days to 233 days, 20 hours, 43 minutes and 47 seconds.

The Port-Elizabeth-born yachtswoman has been a professional since 2006, specialising in the transfer and delivery of yachts by sea.

Sadly for her Minnehaha -- which she insisted on sleeping on on Thursday night -- might also have to be delivered.

"I am considering selling the boat because I owe money on it," she said.

"But it will be difficult to say goodbye, it needs to go to someone who will continue to use it with a purpose."

fd/bvo/pi/gj
State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, center, hugs supporters after a bill seeking to ban abortion in Nebraska after about six weeks fails to advance, Thursday, April 27, 2023, at the Nebraska State Capital in Lincoln, Neb. | Larry Robinson, Lincoln Journal Star via Associated Press

South Carolina and Nebraska each failed to pass an abortion restriction bill by one vote on Thursday.

Following the overturn of Roe v. Wade last summer, Republican-dominated states are proving that the heavily heated debate on abortion is controversial among lawmakers on both sides of the political spectrum.

According to The New York Times, the Nebraska bill proposed to ban most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy  a strict prohibition that would outlaw the procedure before most women know they are pregnant.

The South Carolina bill that the Senate rejected would ban most abortions in the state. The bill had already been passed by the House, but the Senates five women  three of whom are Republicans  opposed the bill and spoke forcefully against it.

The bill that didnt pass in South Carolina is the third time that a near-total abortion law has failed in the state since Roe v. Wade was overturned last June. The state has become a common destination for women from states with stricter abortion laws who want the medical procedure.

There are currently 13 states with abortion bans at all stages of pregnancy: Louisiana, Missouri, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia, Alabama, Idaho, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas.

In Utah, a judge on Friday will consider a request from Planned Parenthood to delay implementing a statewide ban on abortion clinics, set to take effect next week, per NPR.

Related

In Nebraska, Republican Gov. Jim Pillen said, It is unacceptable for senators to be present not voting on such a momentous vote. He continued, I call on Sen. Merv Riepe to make a motion to reconsider and stand by the commitments to life he has made in the past, according to CNN.

Sen. Merv Riepe, who was a co-signer of the bill, abstained from voting after expressing concerns that six weeks might not be enough time for a woman to realize she is pregnant.

According to NPR, When he received pushback from fellow Republicans, Riepe warned his conservative colleagues they should heed signs that abortion will galvanize women to vote them out of office. ... We must embrace the future of reproductive rights, he said.

With time still left in session, there is still a possibility South Carolina will pass an abortion law.
[Source]

A Southwest Airlines flight from Atlanta to Houston was purportedly delayed for an hour due to spilled rice.

On April 15, flight attendants discovered rice on an aisle floor of their airplane.

Hoping to identify the person responsible for the spilled rice, one of the flight attendants purportedly confronted the planes passengers about the mess.

The flight attendant screamed who spilled rice? and is walking up and down the aisles, Jennifer Schaper, a passenger on the plane, tweeted. They are refusing to leave the gate until someone cleans the rice."

More from NextShark: Jonghyun fan comforts grieving fans of ASTRO's Moonbin with unexpected gesture

Because my travels seem to involve unintentional comedy:

Just boarded the plane and somebody spilled food. The flight attendant screamed who spilled rice? and is walking up and down the aisles. They are refusing to leave the gate until someone cleans the rice. pic.twitter.com/f5SfdjZcGr  Jennifer Schaper (@jenschap) April 15, 2023

More from NextShark: Shiba Inu behind Doge meme makes surprising recovery, owner announces

Update: they are still refusing to leave until the rice has been cleaned. They are sending out for a broom. #RiceGate pic.twitter.com/2H8fIQwdsh

 Jennifer Schaper (@jenschap) April 15, 2023

More from NextShark: Video: What happens when an iPhone is dropped into boiling oil?

After no one came forward, the flight attendants eventually gave up. However, one of them allegedly expressed her disappointment with the passengers over the planes loudspeaker.

Rice is getting cleaned but [the flight attendant] is MAD, Schaper updated on Twitter. She has let us all know that we were not raised right and she is disappointed in all of us.

Schaper reflected on the situation during a recent interview with KHOU 11, saying, "It was the end of a long day. They apparently had a complete crew change. Im sure they were tired. We were all tired."

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She also noted that she did not witness anyone spill the rice near her seat: "I didn't see it happen, but apparently one of the last passengers to board spilled a large amount of what looked like some sort of Asian fried rice... and the flight attendant was really, really mad about it."

Schaper took to Twitter on April 20 to reflect on the incident, sharing both a serious and comical perspective of the situation and using the hashtag #RiceGate.

"For the record  I did not spill the rice, and the person who did absolutely should have cleaned it up," she tweeted. "However, SWA [Southwest Airlines] staff was out of line in how they handled the situation and continued to delay an already delayed flight.

Update (1/2)

For the record - I did not spill the rice, and the person who did absolutely should have cleaned it up. However, SWA staff was out of line in how they handled the situation and continued to delay an already delayed flight. #RiceGate  Jennifer Schaper (@jenschap) April 20, 2023

The over-dramatization of the whole event made it more comical than anything, Schaper added. She also shared that an "oblivious passenger" further delayed the flight after deciding to use the bathroom before takeoff.
(Bloomberg) -- The European Union will likely struggle to meet a deadline to resolve differences on the blocs spending limits by the end of the year, setting up a possible return to old debt rules that would crimp some governments ability to stimulate their economies.

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Time is of the essence, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde told a news conference during an informal gathering of EU finance ministers and central bank governors outside Stockholm on Friday.

Getting back to the old rule is not something I have heard anybody regard as desirable, neither do we for that matter, she said.

The European Commission, the EUs executive arm, set out legislative proposals this week to reform the Stability and Growth Pact that would give greater leeway to member states to set their own fiscal trajectories and allow for investment in areas such as green energy, digital infrastructure and defense.

Reactions since Wednesdays announcement show EU capitals remain far apart on key details, with Germany in particular calling for stricter debt-reduction targets.

The existing fiscal rules, which were suspended early on during the Covid pandemic, are due to be reinstated on Jan. 1. Without an agreement on the latest proposals, however, the EU would fail to reform the framework ahead of European elections next spring.

Lagarde welcomed key aspects of the commissions plan, including increased national ownership of fiscal paths, a medium-term approach and stronger enforcement, adding that the ECB is preparing an opinion.

Spanish Finance Minister Nadia Calvino, who will chair the negotiations as her country takes over the EU presidency for the second half of 2023, told reporters on the sidelines of the event she would do her utmost to push for a deal, though she acknowledged it might not come by year-end.

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We are going to do everything possible to reach an agreement, or in any case make as much progress as possible, she said.

European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis told reporters the timetable is very ambitious and said its hard to predict how long the legislative process will take.

The blocs finance ministers have agreed to try to reach a legislative agreement by the end of 2023, including approval from the European Parliament.

Markets are watching, theres a lot of uncertainty, globally, internationally, economically, so it is upon us to have a robust package in place, Dutch finance chief Sigrid Kaag said. I am concerned that we will spend a lot of time talking about talks as opposed to engaging in talks.

Enforcement Problem

Some economists said the proposals still fail to address the central issue of how to force member states to comply with the new conditions, undermining their credibility in the markets.

It is less a problem of the rules, rather one of enforcement, LBBW chief economist Moritz Kraemer said.

The need for fiscal clarity comes as Europe is battling to bring down surging inflation that has led to an ongoing cycle of monetary tightening, complicating the spending picture for governments that also have to find more money to service their debt.

A return to the old world would mean fiscal stimulus as an important driver of growth will become weaker, according to ING economist Carsten Brzeski. For the ECB, this would mean that they have to be careful with further rate hikes.

Swedish Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson, whose countrys presidency of the EU ends in June, sought to push back against pessimism about reaching a deal this year.

Its a good start if everyone is a bit unhappy, its a good start for negotiations, she said.

--With assistance from Niclas Rolander, Kamil Kowalcze, Maria Tadeo, Max Ramsay, Alessandra Migliaccio, Alessandro Speciale and William Horobin.

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MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish former King Juan Carlos denied claims made in a new book that he had a secret daughter in comments to Spanish news agency Efe on Friday.

It is rare for the former monarch, who in recent years has been hit by a whirlwind of financial and personal scandals, to comment personally on stories about his private life.

"I absolutely deny having had any amorous relationship with Mrs. Rosario Palacios and consequently having a daughter with her," he told Efe from his home in Abu Dhabi.

Juan Carlos, 84, said he was commenting on the rumour "out of respect for the truth" and the "honour" of the people affected, adding he was "rejecting and condemning as false all that has been published in relation to this invented affair".

Many major Spanish outlets picked up the story after a book by two investigative journalists, due to be published on May 8, claimed Juan Carlos had fathered a secret daughter, Alejandra, some time in the late 1970s or early 1980s with Palacios, a Spanish aristocrat.

Juan Carlos departed to Abu Dhabi in 2020 under a cloud of financial scandals that shook the Royal House.

Once revered for his role in Spain's transition to democracy, the popularity of the former king fell drastically after scandals that included an affair with Danish national Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein Sayn and the shooting of an elephant in Botswana. He abdicated the throne in 2014.

The former monarch left Spain for Abu Dhabi in August 2020 after several investigations opened in Spain and Switzerland over alleged fraud.

(Reporting by Jessica Jones; Editing by Alistair Bell)
Washington  A Rhode Island software company commissioned by Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign to investigate claims of election fraud was subpoenaed by special counsel Jack Smith earlier this year, according to the firm's founder.

Ken Block  a software engineer and politician who once ran for governor of the state  confirmed that his company, Simpatico Software Systems, was hired by the Trump campaign and found over a dozen claims of election fraud presented to him by the campaign were false.

The existence of the subpoena and Block's firm's election findings were first reported by The Washington Post.

The data were shared with the special counsel, who is investigating the events surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack and efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, Block said.

Block says he founded Simpatico, a software engineering firm, 20 years ago. It designs computers for big corporations across the country and has also been hired to conduct public research on registered voter lists to determine if deceased people are still listed on voter rolls and whether ballots were cast in their names.

The day after the 2020 presidential election, a Trump campaign lawyer hired Simpatico to both "attempt to validate some pretty wild claims of voter fraud" and analyze voter data from across the country collected by the Republican National Committee, Block said.

He declined to provide any further details about his work with the Trump campaign or about his interaction with federal investigators because of the ongoing special counsel probe. However, speaking broadly, he said, "The claims that I deal with are the claims that have some basis in data. None of those claims have yielded anything close to fraud that could change an election."

"I don't believe I've seen any credible report of massive voter fraud ever," Block said Friday in an interview with CBS News, explaining the data he examined have not turned up any substantive evidence of fraud that could have changed the outcome of an election.

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And as for the more than a dozen instances of voter fraud alleged by the campaign, Block said, "Every fraud claim I was asked to investigate was false."

When approached by federal investigators earlier this year who asked to speak with an attorney for Simpatico, the Rhode Islander said he responded, "I am accounts-receivable, janitorial, and legal. How can I help you?" and soon after fully complied with the subpoena from Smith's office.

During an interview with the House Select Committee that investigated the Jan. 6 Capitol riot last year, a Trump campaign attorney confirmed that Simpatico was hired to try to "to verify some of the information that came in about categories of election fraud," according to a transcript of the interview released by the committee.



"It's very difficult within the timeframes of an election to be able to confirm to a level that would withstand judicial scrutiny whether or not someone voted twice or whether or not someone was deceased when they voted. There are issues with the data, and it's hard to say with a high degree of certainty that certain things are verifiable," the attorney, Alex Cannon, testified.

When pressed by committee staff about Simpatico's findings, Cannon told investigators such information was privileged, the publicly released transcript revealed.

Block is a registered Republican who, after first founding the Moderate Party in Rhode Island, ran in the state's GOP primary for governor in 2014. During the gubernatorial campaign, he was criticized for revealing that he had previously voted for Barack Obama and as a result, wouldn't disclose who he voted for in the 2020 presidential election.

"It's private information," he said Friday.

A spokesperson for Trump did not immediately respond to CBS News' request for comment, but told the Washington Post in its initial report, "This is nothing more than a targeted, politically motivated witch hunt against President Trump concocted to try and prevent the American people from returning him to the White House."

Smith and his team of investigators have convened numerous grand juries in recent months, tasked with investigating efforts to subvert the Biden presidency. On Thursday, former Vice President Mike Pence testified for approximately seven hours, after an appeals court rejected Trump's attempts to assert executive privilege over his testimony.

Other Trump aides and allies, including former national security adviser Robert O'Brien and White House advisor Stephen Miller, were spotted in recent months at the Washington, D.C. federal courthouse where the grand juries meet each week.

And last year, the special counsel subpoenaed election officials in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin for communications with Trump, his campaign and several lawyers and allies associated with his 2020 presidential campaign, state officials confirmed.

Beyond the special counsel's investigation, Block hopes his election data analysis will lead to "meaningful change that is not partisan." He is now working to highlight inconsistencies in state laws concerning votes lawfully cast by individuals via mail who then die before Election Day.

"The experience of the voter is dramatically different depending on where they live," Block said. "The voter experience should be largely the same and it's not."

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Hollywoods summer release schedule in China is coming into greater focus.

Sony Pictures Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Paramounts Transformers: Rise of the Beasts have both locked down release dates in the country, which remains a major potential revenue driver for U.S. tentpole films.

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Across the Spider-Verse will open June 2, followed by Transformers 7 on June 9. Each film will release simultaneously in North America, which should help with marketing momentum.

Other major U.S. films to recently have gotten the green light from Beijings film regulators include Marvel/Disneys Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5), Universals Fast X (May 17) and Warner Bros. long-coming DC superhero entry, The Flash (June 16).

Collectively, the tentpoles will provide some valuable insight into the current health of the Chinese film market for Hollywood movie product. Recently, U.S. movies have stumbled in China, while Japanese anime is on the rise. Disney/Marvels Ant-Man 3 earned only $39 million (compared to China totals of more than $100 million for each of its franchise predecessors) and The Super Mario Bros. Movie has brought in just $20 million, a smaller than usual share of its boffo $895 million global total. And Warner Bros Shazam! Fury of the Gods earned a scant $6 million, but that film was a disappointment everywhere, totaling just $133 million globally.

Some analysts have begun to speculate that the past few years of spiraling diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China have begun to take a significant toll on the popularity of American pop culture among Chinese consumers. By mid-June, Hollywood should have an answer on whether it needs to reassess the current earnings potential of the worlds second-largest theatrical box-office territory.

Story continues

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After four days of testimony, 21 pieces of evidence, five exhibits, lawyers angling for a favorable decision for their clients and allegations of threats toward family members, a six-member jury on Friday returned a split verdict in an attempted murder case: guilty for one man and acquittal for the other.

Three men and three women went to the back to deliberate at 10:53 a.m. Friday. After several back-and-forth trips to the courtroom to ask questions and view video evidence, the jurors made up their minds at 2:55 p.m.

The courtroom was tense. More than a dozen bailiffs were posted inside and outside the courthouse, as family and friends of the two co-defendants awaited the verdicts. At the conclusion of the trial, bailiffs took turns escorting jurors and other court personnel to their destinations.

More court coverage: Guilty of robbery with a firearm

More court coverage: Babysitter found guilty of manslaughter

Different emotions after the verdict

First up was 29-year-old Patrick Rodriguez Emmanuel. Wearing a shirt, tie and pants, Emmanuel, standing beside his lawyer, Laurie Hall, was told he was not guilty of principal to attempted first-degree murder and four counts of principal to aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony.

Emmanuel smiled and hugged his lawyer. Both were emotional. Hall apologized to the court and Circuit Judge Peter Brigham told her it was OK.

Next was Searron Nathaniel Brooks III, 26. Standing beside his lawyer, Jack Maro, he learned that the jury found him guilty of attempted first-degree murder and four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. A charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon was dropped by prosecutors.

Brooks' family cried, and some left the courtroom. His sentencing hearing was set for next month.

Emmanuel shook Brooks' hand before Emmanuel was escorted to the back for transport to the county jail. He still faces a battery charge. The judge set bail at $1,000 for that case.

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Outside the courtroom, Hall told a Star-Banner reporter that people should always respect a jury's verdict because "That's what makes the system work."

She thanked the jurors for the consideration and time they spent reaching their decision.

"This is not an easy job for me," she said. Hall is expected to represent Emmanuel in his battery case.

As he was leaving the courtroom to go to the back, Brooks, wearing a shirt and tie, told his family and friends that he loves them. They told him that they also love him.

Brooks had been free on bond when the trial started, but the bond was revoked during the trial by the judge because of Brooks' alleged outburst and comments during a break.

Assistant State Attorney Janine Nixon and Ocala Defense Lawyer Jack Maro consult with Circuit Judge Peter Brigham during the Searron N. Brooks trial

Maro said it was a "difficult case." He said the "jury worked hard."

The lawyer said a second trial is always difficult because the prosecution can find a remedy to fix whatever problems that may have come up in the original trial. (Brooks stood trial last year on these charges, but a jury was unable to reach a verdict and the judge declared a mistrial.)

"We respect the jury's work," he said. Maro said he would more than likely represent Brooks in the appeal.

Lawyers' closing arguements

Prosecutors contend that Brooks fired more than a half dozen shots at 28-year-old Dishon Jechonias Barnes on Feb. 2, 2022. They, along with law enforcement officials, believe Emmanuel was the getaway driver.

In closing arguments, Assistant State Attorney Janine Nixon said Brooks was caught trying to establish an alibi during a video visitation chat with a woman after his arrest.

Nixon said Barnes saw the men through the front windshield. She told jurors she was confident that after they reviewed the evidence, the jurors would find the defendants guilty as charged.

Maro argued that Barnes has a problem with Brooks' brother that has been ongoing. He said Barnes' plan was to get rid of Brooks and then carry out his own form of street justice on Brooks' brother.

The lawyer said Barnes' wife never told the 911 operator who shot her husband, even though Barnes reportedly told her that Brooks was the triggerman.

He said there was no way Barnes could've seen who was in the vehicle because the windows were tinted.

"The lies just keep coming," Maro said.

Hall said there was no evidence against her client: No fingerprints, no DNA. She said because of Barnes' vendetta against Brooks, Emmanuel is "collateral damage."

She pointed out that Emmanuel's alibi witness, his girlfriend, said he was with her at his grandmother's residence at the time of the shooting.

Questions and requests from the jury

It appeared the jury's discussions were focused on a home security video that captured the shooting.

Jurors had a series of questions for the court. The first: Could they watch two clips from the video that captured the shooting? The footage showed to the jury was when the suspected car drove by. The second was of the shooting itself.

Jurors watched the clips several times. They also asked to stop and start the video at different intervals.

For instance, they wanted the video stopped when the shooter exited the car. Secondly, they wanted the video paused when the car slowed down seconds before the shooter's arm was seen extending from the back seat, and then shots fired.

Lawyers speaking to each other and Circuit Judge Peter Brigham at trial

Approximately 15 minutes later, the jury had a second question and a request. They wanted to watch the video footage after the shooting. They wanted to hear what Barnes said to his wife while he was outside and she was was on the phone with a 911 operator.

The video was replayed several times.

They asked for a transcript of the video, but were told none was available.

Earlier coverage of this trial: Drama outside the courtroom during trial in shooting case; defendant sent back to jail

Earlier coverage of this trial: Who did it? Trial starts for two men charged in connection with 2022 shooting of Ocala man

Jurors returned to their deliberations. Then, less than 10 minutes later, there was a third question. It was similar to the second question: They wanted to again watch the portion of the video showing Barnes talking with his wife.

After watching the clip at least three times, jurors went to the back.

At 2:54 p.m., jurors signaled they had made up their minds.

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Shooting trial ends in split verdict: one guilty, another acquitted
Springfield and Logan County will be receiving grant money from the state of Illinois to help boost tourism efforts as the 100th anniversary of Route 66 approaches.

The state announced Thursday that Springfield would be receiving $623,000 from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity's Route 66 Grant Program to help in the construction of 12 murals connecting the city and other cities and villages in central Illinois to other murals in the Illinois & Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor  located in the Chicago area  and the Great Rivers & Routes area in the Metro East suburbs of St. Louis.

The other cities and villages included in the murals will be Chatham, Auburn, Williamsville and Sherman. In addition, the money will be used to help with upgrades to the Shea's Gas Station site on Peoria Road across from the Illinois State Fairgrounds and 12 site-specific exhibits along the path of Route 66 through Springfield.

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The Logan County Tourism Bureau will receive $29,320 to help provide Route 66 insignia along areas of the road passing through the county and to help with the installation of two electric vehicle chargers.

The intended tourism boost is coming with hopes of enhancing people's enjoyment of the Mother Road leading up to its 100th anniversary in 2026. Kristin Richards, director of DCEO, said that the millions of dollars being pumped into Route 66 tourism will help in boosting local economies throughout the state.

"Illinoisans know our state is not only the best place to live, work and do business, but also the best place to invite friends and family from near and far for a visit," Richards said. "The millions of dollars the State is investing in local tourism promotion and enhancing the historic Route 66 will do wonders for Illinois tourism industry while boosting local economies and promoting the future of travel."

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Gov. JB Pritzker said that in addition to the economic boost, the funds will allow for a spotlight of the growing EV sector, included within the money being sent to Logan County.

"Illinois truly is the middle of everything, as perfectly demonstrated by the hundreds of miles of Americas highway Route 66 that travels through our state," Pritzker said. "These grants will stimulate local economies across Illinois and highlight our growing EV sector, honoring the history of Route 66 and looking to the future."

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: State provides grant money to Springfield for Route 66 murals
A member of the far-left "Squad" of progressive lawmakers is the latest Democrat to call on blue California Sen. Dianne Feinstein to step down.

Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib responded to her Democrat colleague Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., on Twitter after the congressman continued his calls for Feinstein to "step down gracefully."

Tlaib attacked the California senator for her absences from the Senate floor, which is leading to the GOP passing bills through the upper chamber.

FELLOW DEMOCRATS TURN ON DIANNE FEINSTEIN, CALL FOR HER TO RESIGN FROM SENATE: DERELICTION OF DUTY

Far-left Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat, responded to her blue colleague Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., on Twitter after the congressman continued his calls for Feinstein to "step down gracefully."

"Because Sen. Feinstein was absent, Republicans are passing legislation through the Senate, undermining the right of our residents to breathe clean air," Tlaib wrote.

"And with a far-right judiciary targeting our human rights, we are unable to confirm judges," she continued. "Sen. Feinstein must step down."

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Tlaib is the latest Democrat to call on Feinstein to hit the road after her long career representing the Golden State in the Senate.

A spokesperson for Feinstein pointed to the senator's statement from earlier this month when she said, "I intend to return as soon as possible once my medical team advises that its safe for me to travel."

"In the meantime, I remain committed to the job and will continue to work from home in San Francisco," Feinstein continued.

Those calling on Feinstein to resign have cited the senators golden years, her health and questioned mental acumen as reasons for her to exit the Senate.

Earlier this month, Khanna and Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., both called on the California senator to exit the upper chamber.

"Its time for [Feinstein] to resign. We need to put the country ahead of personal loyalty," Khanna tweeted. "While she has had a lifetime of public service, it is obvious she can no longer fulfill her duties. Not speaking out undermines our credibility as elected representatives of the people."

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Phillips wrote that he agreed with Khanna, and called on others to speak out as well.

"Senator Feinstein is a remarkable American whose contributions to our country are immeasurable. But I believe its now a dereliction of duty to remain in the Senate and a dereliction of duty for those who agree to remain quiet," he wrote.

Feinstein, 89, who has served in the Senate for over 30 years, was hospitalized for shingles last month and has faced other health issues, including concerning reports related to her mental fitness. She had previously faced calls to resign prior to announcing that she would retire after her current term ends.

Fox News Digital's Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.
Starbucks docked stars from some customers' Rewards accounts. Pauline Villegas/Insider

Some Starbucks app users said their Rewards "stars" disappeared after they used a leaked QR code.

The company confirmed it had removed stars from certain customers' accounts.

The leaked code, which awarded 200 stars, was meant for attendees of an in-person event, Starbucks said.

Some Starbucks app users are posting complaints online after discovering that their Starbucks Rewards "stars" have slipped into negative territory.

The app typically rewards customers with one or two stars per dollar spent. Stars can be redeemed for free beverages and other Starbucks products. The app's stars typically never drop below zero unless something goes wrong.

But last week, Starbucks docked stars from certain customers who it said used a leaked promo code for free drinks, the company told Insider. The QR code for 200 bonus stars was shared at an in-person event and intended only for attendees. But the code was shared on a Reddit forum last week and could be used widely before it was disabled.

Customers who used the code posted on Reddit and other social media sites to complain and post pictures of their Starbucks apps showing negative stars. One Twitter user joked about owing Starbucks a "star debt."

"I used the 200 star coupon floating around yesterday, had 244 stars, ordered a drink this morning, now in the negative!" one Reddit user wrote. "Starbucks is going to piss off a ton of loyal customers if they put all these people in the negative because they're too stupid to make a QR code for a free drink single use."

Starbucks said it wouldn't redeem the docked stars.

"On Saturday, April 22, a QR code for bonus Stars given to attendees at an in-person event spread online, going beyond the intended audience," a Starbucks spokesperson said. "The stars redeemed through this code have been removed from ineligible accounts. We apologize for the inconvenience."

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Starbucks' Rewards program is popular, boasting more than 30 million members, and it has hit some snags in the past.

Last summer, the company faced days of technical issues, including widespread issues with mobile ordering, the Wall Street Journal reported.

In March, the app sent out a test notification to its users, setting off concern about a data breach. The company said there was no breach of customer information.

The company's recent update to its Rewards program, which made it harder to redeem many drinks, like hot coffee, outranged customers earlier this year when it was announced. And when the coffee chain last made major changes to the program in 2019, customers also complained.

Do you work for or shop at Starbucks and have a story to share? Contact Gloria Dawson via the encrypted messaging app Signal (+1-516-721-6598) or email (gdawson@insider.com). Check out Insider's source guide for other tips on sharing information securely.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Stark County Sheriff's Office

A woman whose dead body was found in a Canton Township scrap yard this week was a suspect in the shooting death of her boyfriend last year in Akron.

The Stark County Sheriff's Office on Friday identified the woman as Suzanne Marie Thomas of Canton. Authorities said they believed her death "to be an isolated incident."

Thomas' body was discovered by a passerby just before 4 p.m. Wednesday in the 3700 block of Georgetown Road NE. The body was described as a white female with reddish-brown hair in her mid-30s and authorities initially asked the public for help in identifying her.

The cause of death has not yet been determined. The Stark County Coroner's Office has transferred Thomas' body to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.

It is unclear how long Thomas had been dead before her body was found.

Thomas was named as a suspect in the homicide after her boyfriend Joseph Hall was found with a gunshot wound to the torso Nov. 30 at a residence in the 1300 block of Brandon Avenue in Akron. Hall was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives learned the couple had been arguing that evening over a car. They determined Thomas was involved in Hall's death and a warrant was signed that night for her arrest but Thomas was never taken into custody.

The man accused of shooting Hall, Darrell Lee Antwan Buchanan, was arrested Dec. 13.

Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or amy.knapp@indeonline.com

On Twitter: @aknappINDE

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark County authorities identify body found in Canton Township scrap
Local law enforcement from across Southwest Florida joined State Attorney Amira Fox as she announced the arrests of 26 accused drug dealers and confiscation of drugs, a quarter-million dollars and 20 guns linked to a regional scheme.

The operation, spearheaded by NETFORCE, has been dubbed "Operation All in the Family," Fox said.

Fox, of the 20th Judicial Circuit, created the Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, known by its acronym, in late 2019 to coordinate a circuit-wide approach and resources to dismantle organized crime, narcotics, racketeering and criminal enterprises in Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties.

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The latest operation has resulted in the arrest of 26 alleged drug traffickers and their associates, and has seized approximately 160 grams of fentanyl; 4.5 kilograms of cocaine; 461 grams of methamphetamine; more than $251,000 in cash; 20 firearms; and two vehicles.

Joining Fox on Friday were Homeland Security's investigation Special Agent John Yancey, Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, Acting Fort Myers Police Acting Chief Randall Pepitone, Cape Coral Police Chief Anthony Sizemore, Lee County Port Authority Police Deputy Chief Bob Taylor and Marco Island Police Capt. Richard Stoltenborg, among others.

Fox said the investigation began in Collier County.

"The investigation led law enforcement into Lee County," Fox said. "Into Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres and Cape Coral."

Fox said narcotic sources of supply were identified as far away as Texas.

"This operation has been successful in disrupting and dismantling a narcotics crime family who has been making a living from poisoning our community," she said.

Fox said the last three operations have netted 4,085,000 grams of fentanyl.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Southwest Florida drug crackdown nets 26 arrests, 20 firearms, cash
Abortion access has been a patchwork of policies across the U.S. since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. New restrictions are taking effect in some states, while others are increasingly taking actions to strengthen access.

Heres some of whats happened this week.

North Dakota bans almost all abortions

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum gestures as he speaks

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) on Monday signed into law one of the nations strictest abortion bans. The law will ban abortion at every stage of pregnancy, with some exceptions for victims of rape or incest  but they must get the procedure within six weeks of gestation.

The law takes effect immediately, though the state no longer has any abortion clinics.

North Dakota was one of the states with a trigger law that was enacted when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The trigger law banned nearly all abortions and would have made it a felony for a doctor to perform an abortion even during medical emergencies and in cases of rape or incest.

The trigger ban is temporarily blocked in state district court amid an ongoing lawsuit.

Nebraska, South Carolina fail to pass restrictions

The South Carolina state Senate rejected a near-total abortion ban on Thursday after the chambers five female lawmakers led a multiday filibuster against the bill.

The Republican-led House passed the bill in February, but there werent enough votes in the Senate to break the filibuster.

The Senate passed a six-week abortion ban earlier this year, and theres still a chance it passes the House, which is in session for the next two weeks. The state Supreme Court struck down a similar version of the bill in January.

Meanwhile in Nebraska, a six-week heartbeat abortion ban bill failed by one vote. The bill will not be rescheduled for debate, effectively killing it for the rest of the year.

Abortion remains legal in both states until 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Washington protects reproductive health data

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signed a first-of-its-kind law that protects individuals reproductive health data. The law responds to concerns that some of the personal data bought and sold by tech companies could be used to help prosecute abortion cases.

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The law requires companies to get explicit consent from a consumer to collect, share or sell the consumers health data. Consumers can sue organizations that dont get their explicit consent to use their data, and the attorney general can also take legal action on behalf of consumers.

Minnesota, Washington become abortion sanctuaries

Inslee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) signed into law similar bills that will protect people traveling to their states for abortion or gender-affirming care.

The Washington law is aimed at protecting people from nearby Idaho, which bans abortion and also recently made it illegal for an adult to help a minor get an abortion without parental consent.

In Minnesota, the law is aimed at nearby states and far-flung ones that have seen patients travel to Minnesota for abortion access. It also makes patient data on abortions private and restricts subpoenas from other states.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
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Stephen King said he admires Elon Musk, but not his work at Twitter.

The author said Twitter has "gotten very strange" since Musk took over.

King has praised Tesla in the past, but he's been more critical of Musk in recent months.

Stephen King said there are "a lot of things to admire" about Elon Musk, but he hasn't approved of the billionaire's Twitter takeover.

"$44 billion for what's essentially a social media plaything is a little bit on the ridiculous side," the author told Slate regarding Musk's Twitter purchase in an interview that was published on Friday. "The whole thing is a tempest in a teapot," he added.

In the interview, King admitted that he owns a Tesla and he thinks it's a "great car."

"I've owned one almost since the very beginning," King said. "And I think that Elon Musk made the whole electric car stuff serious."

The horror author also said he's "delighted" with Musk's Starlink satellite network and the billionaire's donation to Ukraine, but he's found some of his moves at Twitter to be a bit of a "head-scratcher"  including Musk's decision to subscribe him to Twitter Blue without his permission.

"I don't really understand it," he told Slate.

King said he thinks Twitter is a great site for gossip and dad jokes, but he doesn't take the site too seriously and added that the social media platform has "gotten very strange" since Musk took over last October.

"You know, there are a lot of people that I don't follow who are now part of my Twitter feed," King said in the interview. "Every day I get tweets from Matt Gaetz, Jim Jordan, Lauren Boebert, a number of different people who are just sort of like all-in on Trump to the extent that it's actually sort of amusing."

Musk and King have a complicated relationship. Only a few years ago the two men appeared friendly on Twitter. In 2019, King praised Musk for Tesla's "fart" feature and Musk thanked him for owning a Tesla. More recently, King has taken to Twitter to criticize Musk's work at the social media company.

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After King called Musk a "terrible fit" for Twitter last year, Musk said he welcomes the author's suggestions and said he'd invited him to Twitter's headquarters.

"Stephen King is one of most creative people on Earth," Musk tweeted in November. "While I may not agree with everything he says, I do actually want to hear it."

King told Slate he doesn't plan to leave Twitter anytime soon, but he's still averse to the idea of subscribing to Twitter Blue.

"But the thing is, you know, not to brag or anything, but I get paid to write," King said. "I don't have to pay to do it."

Musk and King did not respond to Insider's request for comment ahead of publication. Twitter responded with an automated message.

Read King's full interview with Slate on its website.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Gov. Kevin Stitt has vetoed 20 Senate bills as retribution for not adopting his tax cut and education plans.

The bills cover a wide range of topics, including college athletics, opioid overdose prevention, child abuse protective orders and the existence of boards that regulate architects, chiropractors and psychologists.

Stitt has pressured lawmakers this session to adopt any combination of tax cuts on groceries, personal income and corporate income. He also has urged senators to compromise on proposals to raise teacher pay and give parents a tax credit if they send their kids to private school.

On Wednesday, the House passed the governor's proposed package, but Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat responded to the move by saying: "We have already communicated to the House and governor that this isn't going to pass the Senate."

Late in the day, after meeting behind closed doors for several hours, Senate Republicans emerged with a revised version of their plans and brought them immediately to the floor. It wasn't immediately clear whether the House and the governor would support the bills.

More: Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoes OETA renewal, questioning public broadcaster's long-term value

Gov. Kevin Stitt speaks at to reporters about his tax cut proposals.

The veto messages Stitt attached to each bill were identical:

"Oklahomans elected me to advocate on their behalf and fight for the taxpayer. I take this responsibility seriously and so I cannot, in good faith, allow another year to go by without cutting taxes and reforming education, both of which we can absolutely afford with our $1.2 billion surplus and over $6 billion in savings," Stitt wrote. "Therefore, until the people of Oklahoma have a tax cut, until every teacher in the state gets the pay raise they deserve, until parents get a tax credit to send their child to the school of their choice, I am vetoing this unrelated policy and will continue to veto any and all legislation authored by Senators who have not stood with the people of Oklahoma and supported this plan."

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Both the House and Senate would have to override the bills for them to become law. A veto override requires at least a two-thirds majority for most bills. By vetoing a wide range of bills, Stitt also forces the supporters of those bills into the discussion on tax cuts and education policy.

House Speaker Charles McCall responded to Stitt's vetoes by urging the Senate to, at the very least, have a recorded vote on the bills.

More: House pressures Senate by adopting Stitt plan for teacher pay and tax credits

"We think that the Senate should put it up for a vote and just see where the chips fall," said McCall, R-Atoka. "I understand why the governor is vetoing the bills. The governor has certain power under the Constitution; he's exercising that. He's making it very clear and he has conveyed it to me personally, that if we get his compromise plan to his desk, he is going to be completely fine with any overrides."

Speaker of the House Charles McCall speaks at a pro-school choice rally on the south steps of the Oklahoma state Capitol on March 30, 2023, in Oklahoma City, Okla.

The Senate responded on Thursday with a wholly new plan.

Senators proposed raising teachers minimum salaries by $4,000 to $8,000, giving greater increases to those with more years of experience. These pay raises would be higher than any the House, Senate and governor have voted on so far this session.

Refundable tax credits for private-school costs would change under the new proposal, as well. Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, suggested more controls for household income.

Families earning under $75,000 a year would qualify for a $7,500 tax credit per child attending a private school.

Households with annual income between $75,000 and $150,000 could receive a $7,000 tax credit for each student. Those earning between $150,000 and $225,000 could apply for $6,500 tax credits.

A $6,000 tax credit would reward families earning between $225,000 and $250,000 a year. Those with a household income above $250,000 could earn a $5,000 tax credit.

The state's budget for these tax credits would reach their peak in 2026 at $250 million. The governor's plan proposed an initial $200 million budget and removing that cap on total spending after two yerars.

Homeschooling families would qualify for a $1,000 tax credit per student to apply toward the costs of educating their children. The state would give no more than $5 million in total tax credits for homeschooling.

More: Proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors survives legislative deadline

What bills did Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt veto?

The following bills were included in the governor's veto package:

Senate Bill 291: adds child abuse as a reason to file for a protective order, and allows for a petition to be filed on behalf of a minor victim for any of the listed reasons a person may file a protective order

Senate Bill 711: provides naloxone (Narcan) or another opioid antagonist to the Department of Corrections, and authorizes the creation of an opioid overdose education program to be used by DOC and county jails.

Senate Bill 712: Provides naloxone (Narcan) or another opioid antagonist to hospitals, and allows for some patients to leave the hospital with two doses

Senate Bill 840: brings Oklahoma in line with other states in regards to name, image and likeness regulations for collegiate athletes. Supporters have said the bill would make Oklahoma's recruiting classes more competitive.

Senate Bill 34: updates statutory references to prevention of youth access to tobacco

Senate Bill 58: extends the Board of Governors of the Licensed Architects, Landscape Architects and Registered Commercial Interior Designers of Oklahoma until 2026

Senate Bill 60: extends the Board of Chiropractic Examiners until 2026

Senate Bill 162: extends the State Board of Examiners of Psychologists

Senate Bill 249: makes it easier for health care providers to provide hospice palliative drugs to patients

Senate Bill 123: relates to parole eligibility

Senate Bill 125: relating to how often law library boards of trustees must meet

Senate Bill 267: increases the membership of the Advancement of Wellness Advisory Council

Senate Bill 369: requires an employer to conduct a criminal background check before a nurse aide begins employment or a contract

Senate Bill 395: creates an income tax check-off to benefit the Recovering Oklahomans After Disaster organization

Senate Bill 479: updates definitions in the Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act to include members of the active or reserve components of Space Force

Senate Bill 534: amends the gross adjusted income required to be eligible for the Family Support Program to a gross adjusted income that did not exceed 300% of the federal poverty level guidelines. The previous income line was $45,000.

Senate Bill 617: requires any action against a limited liability company to be brought in the county which it is situated or holds its principal place of business

Senate Bill 623: various updates to Service Oklahoma

Senate Bill 841: relating to motor vehicle storage

Senate Bill 889: expands the definition of a dairy farm and milk to include any hoofed mammal, and doubles the fee on milk products

Nuria Martinez-Keel contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoes bills on child abuse, overdose prevention
Four men from the Miami area traveled to Naples and caused mayhem Wednesday afternoon, according to the Collier County Sheriffs Office.

A Facebook release says that after their 120-plus mile journey west in a white Ford pickup truck, the suspects ended up at Corkscrew Middle School around 3:30 p.m., where they stole a different Ford pickup (a F-250, also white) from the parking lot.

The crew then popped by a gas station and ripped off a keg of beer, the sheriffs post says.

Deputies spotted the stolen truck heading west on Golden Gate Boulevard at a high rate of speed and attempted to pull them over, but were initially unsuccessful.

Deputies later observed the jacked vehicle recklessly zooming down Collier Boulevard, approaching U.S. 41 East, and attempted to stop it once again. But the driver, Yeniel Aguilar Rodriguez, 38, kept going, fleeing to I-75, aka Alligator Alley.

Stop sticks, tire-deflation devices used by law enforcement, were deployed at I-75 and State Road 29 where the sheriffs office says Aguilar attempted to run one deputy off the road and strike others.

The sticks were successful in slowing down the truck, which went into a ditch, then crossed the highway, where deputies were finally able to bring it to a halt.

Aguilar and Frank Luis Henriquez Diaz, 36, ran from the truck across the highway where Jose Rodriguez Nodarce, 30, and Abel Batista Palacios, 48, were waiting inside the original truck.

Aguilar jumped into the passenger seat and kicked a deputy multiple times in the chest, causing his body-worn camera to fall off, authorities say.

These four individuals came to Collier County with the intent of committing felonious activity with no regard for law enforcement, Coller Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said. They put the lives of deputies and other motorists at risk with their reckless behavior, and thankfully nobody was seriously hurt. They will now be held accountable for their criminal actions.

WINK News footage from the scene shows the havoc caused as a large chunk of the Alligator Alley, which connects Naples with Broward County to the east, was shut down.

Chaos, bystander Delma Colon told the station. Its crazy.

All four, who are convicted felons, were arrested on multiple charges, including grand theft auto, aggravated assault and resisting arrest.
London  The "Stone of Destiny," an ancient symbol of Scotland's monarchy, was on its way from Edinburgh Castle to London on Friday to play its role in the coronation of King Charles III on May 6. The stone, also known as the "Stone of Scone," was used for the coronation of Scotland's kings until it was seized more than 700 years ago by the then-King of England, Edward I.

King Charles III's coronation: What to know for the centuries-old ceremony

The Duke of Buccleuch Richard Scott (C), flanked by two Officers of Arms, stands by the

The 335-pound stone was then held in Westminster Abbey  incorporated into the Coronation Chair  until 1996, when it was permanently returned to Scotland. It was agreed at the time of its return, however, that it would be brought back to England for future coronation ceremonies.

The trip up to the north in 1996 wasn't the stone's first return to Scotland, however. Several years before the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, in 1950, four students from Glasgow broke into Westminster Abbey and took the stone.

The

"The Stone of Destiny is Scotland's icon," Ian Hamilton, the leader of the group who died last year, told CBS News partner network BBC News in an interview. "In one of the many invasions by the English into Scotland, they took away the symbol of our nation. To bring it back was a very symbolic gesture."

The stone was returned to Westminster Abbey the following year, however, and reincorporated into the Coronation Chair. Two years after that, in 1953, it was part of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

A ceremony was held at Edinburgh Castle ahead of the stone's return visit to London for King Charles' coronation. It was then transported in a special carrier made of Scottish oak to London.

After King Charles' coronation, it will be returned to Edinburgh Castle, where it is stored with Scotland's crown jewels.

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Abdulrahman Babiker being interviewed by the BBC as he waits to be evacuated near Khartoum

An NHS doctor who felt "betrayed" after being refused a place on a UK evacuation flight from Sudan has now been given a seat.

Abdulrahman Babiker was flown to Cyprus and will travel to the UK on Saturday.

He told the BBC he was delighted to be leaving the country but had mixed feelings about family left behind.

He was initially turned away by officials on Thursday - he has a UK work permit but only UK passport holders were being accepted.

After contacting his MP and being advised to travel to Wadi Seidna air base, he made the perilous journey and then queued for 16 hours, only to be told he could not board.

"They said, 'we are really sorry, this is the guidance from the Home Office'. And a soldier took me out," he recalled.

The Foreign Office had said it was prioritising UK nationals and those in Dr Babiker's situation needed to make their own way to the UK.

Khartoum International Airport has been shut for almost two weeks due to fighting between two warring factions, while the borders of neighbouring countries are hundreds of miles away from the capital.

It is thought at least 24 Sudanese NHS doctors were in a similar position to Dr Babiker.

He credited the apparent change in policy to the public attention his story received.

"I got so much support from my colleagues at the hospital, from friends.... everyone knew the case," the Manchester Royal Infirmary doctor told the BBC.

He said he was due back at work on Tuesday and was meant to have an interview about extending his contract on the same day he was speaking to BBC, but had spoken to his supervisor about his "situation".

While Dr Babiker said he felt "much better" now that he knew he was able to leave, he said the "risk" his family and friends are in has left him unable to sleep.

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Dr Babiker was allowed a seat on an evacuation flight, but it is not currently clear if there has been an explicit change in UK government policy.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden told the BBC he was aware of the situation and said: "We are in touch with and engaging rapidly with the Sudanese Doctors' Association to see what further support we can provide for them."

He added that over 1,500 people had been evacuated so far in the UK operation, mostly British nationals or their eligible dependents.

Mr Dowden also said that UK evacuation flights from Sudan would end on Saturday at 18:00 BST.

"If you present yourself and you are eligible at the airport we will make sure you get on a flight, just as we have done with everyone else."

It is thought there are around 4,000 British nationals in Sudan, more than half of them having registered with the Foreign Office under evacuation plans.

UK nationals have to make their own way to the Wadi Seidna airstrip near Khartoum unescorted to get on the evacuation flights. One flight has also taken off from Port Sudan to Cyprus with evacuees on board.

Dr Abdulrahman Babiker is due back at work at the Manchester Royal Infirmary where he has been working for four years

Dr Babiker - who has worked in Manchester for four years - was back in Sudan visiting family for Eid when violence broke out almost two weeks ago.

Rival factions within the Sudanese military are battling for control, destroying large sections of the capital Khartoum in the process and killing hundreds of civilians.

A three-day ceasefire due to end on Thursday night was extended for another 72 hours, allowing more time for evacuation flights to leave the country and people to try and make their way to safety.

Despite this, doctors in the country say 74 people have been killed this week in the western Darfur region, and there have been reports that fighters have burnt markets, warehouses and banks in the city of El Geneina. There have also been reports of fighting between the army and rival paramilitary group - the Rapid Support Force (RSF) - in the capital.

At least 512 people have been killed in the fighting and almost 4,200 injured, although the real number of deaths could be much higher.

The World Health Organization said it expected there to be "many more" deaths due to outbreaks of disease and a lack of services.

Health officials say most hospitals in conflict areas are not functioning, and more than 60% of health facilities in Khartoum are inactive.

There are a large number of people in Sudan with ties to the UK, partially due to historical links between the two countries.

Sudan was controlled as a British colony between the 1890s and 1956, when it became independent.

In 2020, the Office of National Statistics estimated there were around 35,000 people living in the UK who were born in Sudan, including 20,000 Sudanese nationals.

Additional reporting by Alex Binley

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At least five 24-hour coffee shops in Pierce and King counties reported robberies or attempted robberies Thursday night and early Friday morning, according to law enforcement and city officials.

The robberies occurred in Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner and SeaTac. Details in several of the incidents were similar. The businesses in SeaTac and Sumner were reportedly robbed by three people who arrived in a vehicle and demanded money while implying they were armed with a weapon. The Puyallup robberies involved just two suspects, police said. Several police departments said they were sharing information with other agencies to determine if the crimes are connected.

At least four of the robberies were reported at BigFoot Java stands, a drive-thru coffee chain. Tacoma police did not confirm exactly which coffee business was robbed there. A BigFoot Java stand is in the area where it happened.

No one was hurt.

The first incident was reported Thursday evening in Tacoma in the 1400 block of East 72nd Street, according to Tacoma Police Department. A spokesperson said it occurred at about 10:37 p.m., and the suspects fled in a vehicle. Its unclear how many people were involved.

The second happened in Puyallup at a BigFoot Java at 1002 N. Meridian Ave., Puyallup Police Department said in a press release. Police said the barista reported that a dark-colored sedan parked north of the building, and a woman exited while a man stayed in the car. The woman reportedly approached the barista and demanded she empty the registers while implying she had a weapon by tapping the front pocket of her hoodie.

Meanwhile, police said the man in the car yelled that if the barista didnt hand over the money then they would shoot the place up. According to the release, the barista refused to hand over cash and closed the window. The would-be robbers drove away.

Another attempted robbery occurred 25 minutes later at a BigFoot Java at 801 South Hill Park Drive, police said. Again, a man and woman in a sedan approached the stand and demanded cash, but they were refused, and the two left.

The fourth incident was reported in Sumner at a BigFoot Java on 136th Avenue, city spokesperson Carmen Palmer said. She said two females and a male robbed the business while implying they had a weapon. The robbers reportedly left with cash. Palmer said Sumner police were aware of the previous robberies in the region and went to the business as a proactive measure, but they were called to another incident before it occurred.

A fifth robbery occurred in SeaTac at a BigFoot Java on Military Road South, according to KOMO News. The TV station, citing information from the King County Sheriffs Office, said it was robbed at about 1 a.m. by three people who implied they had a firearm and demanded money. The robbers reportedly left with cash before deputies arrived.
The Charlotte region faces strong to severe storms with large hail and potentially damaging gusts Friday, although the chances in metro Charlotte remained slight Friday morning, National Weather Service meteorologists said.

Severe weather could develop ahead of a cold front Friday afternoon and evening, NWS forecasters in the Greer, South Carolina, said on Twitter Friday morning.

Any storm that does become severe will mainly have a damaging wind threat, according to the post.

Just after 5:30 p.m. Friday, Winston-Salem station WXII posted citizen video of large hail dumping on the Ronda area of Wilkes County in the N.C. Blue Ridge mountains.

Flooding threat

Heavy downpours and lightning could accompany the storms in Mecklenburg and surrounding counties, Upstate South Carolina and the North Carolina Foothills, NWS meteorologists said in a hazardous weather bulletin.

Storms have battered the region for weeks and spawned an 80-mph tornado over Lake Norman that crossed Interstate 77 and narrowly missed Mooresville Middle School on Saturday, April 22.

April has already produced so much rain that parts of the region, including western Cabarrus County and eastern Gaston County, were under flood warnings Friday.

The NWS removed its warning for Cabarrus County Friday afternoon, but a similar warning is in effect until Saturday afternoon for the South Fork River in eastern Gaston County.

As the river rises to near 11 feet, floodwaters will cover Riverside Park in Cramerton and inundate Goat Island Park, NWS forecasters predicted in the warning.

Flood waters will approach Riverside Drive near 5th and 6th streets in Cramerton and may also approach homes along Catawba Run Road, according to the alert.

Charlotte forecast

Showers are likely in Charlotte Saturday night into Sunday, while a much drier weather pattern is predicted late Sunday through at least Wednesday, according to the NWS office.

Highs are expected to range from 78 Friday to 80 Saturday, 72 Sunday, 67 Monday, 71 Tuesday and Wednesday, 74 Thursday and 76 Friday, according to the NWS Charlotte forecast at 4 p.m. Friday.
When a 17-year-old student at a boarding school in Utah became sick in December, she begged staff for help, a lawsuit says.

Taylor Goodridge was in excruciating pain, but instead of getting proper medical attention, staff at the school accused her of faking it, told her to suck it up and advised her to drink water and take aspirin, according to the lawsuit.

Days later, on Dec. 20, 2022, she collapsed and died at Diamond Ranch Academy, the lawsuit says.

An autopsy report shared with McClatchy News by her familys lawyer says she died of acute fibrinopurulent peritonitis  an inflammation of the inner wall of the abdomen caused by an infection. The condition can be treated with antibiotics and sometimes surgery but can be fatal if left untreated.

Goodridges family sued Diamond Ranch Academy on Dec. 30 and filed an amended complaint on April 26.

The teens parents issued a statement on April 7 after the Utah Medical Examiner released their daughters autopsy report that showed she died of a fully recoverable illness.

We are devastated to learn that Taylors death was entirely preventable had Diamond Ranch Academy cared, the statement says.

The family is suffering a lot, because her death was needless, the familys attorney, Alan Mortensen, told McClatchy News. Theres no reason this shouldve happened.

Diamond Ranch Academy, which is located in Hurricane, about 290 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, describes itself as a world-class residential treatment center and therapeutic boarding school for teenagers, according to its website. Lawyers for the school and its executive director did not respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

Lawyers for Diamond Ranch Academy filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on March 10.

Taylor begged for help, her lawyer said

Goodridge began reporting back pain, difficulty breathing and trouble sleeping as early as Dec. 9, 2022, according to a news release from Mortensens law firm.

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Her condition worsened over the course of a few days, and on Dec. 16, she collapsed in her vomit, the lawsuit says. Her stomach was extremely distended and noticeable to other people.

Weekly phone calls to her parents were unilaterally canceled by the academy in the weeks leading up to her death, according to Mortensen.

On Dec. 20, Goodridge went to the schools medical office, where she collapsed and died, the lawsuit says.

School staff told Goodridges father that his daughter had a heart attack and died at a hospital, the lawsuit says.

Her autopsy report says that she became unresponsive while in the medical area of Diamond Ranch Academy and lifesaving efforts at a hospital proved futile. In addition to peritonitis, she also had sepsis, according to the report.

Taylor died on site at the Diamond Ranch Academy without ever seeing a doctor or being taken to the hospital, Mortensen said in the news release.

The perfect storm of horrible behavior at Diamond Ranch Academy, Mortensen said

Taylor Goodridge was a huge Disney fan, played volleyball and was on the cheerleading team, her familys lawyer said.

It was Goodridges choice to attend the boarding school because she wanted to get everything in line to go to college, Mortensen said. She left her home state of Washington to attend the school, where she was getting excellent grades, he said.

She got all As and a couple Bs, he said. She was a sharp kid.

A huge Disney fan, she also played volleyball and was on the cheerleading team, he said.

But while at the school, she was neglected, isolated and prevented from contacting her parents without the schools permission, he said.

Im trying to put myself in her shoes.  How horrible those two weeks wouldve been, and being so sick and being ignored and punished when you complain, Mortensen said. Its just the perfect storm of horrible behavior at Diamond Ranch Academy.

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services placed the academy on a conditional license while it investigated Goodridges death in December 2022, according to a spokeswoman for the agency. The school was prevented from admitting new students and subjected to increased monitoring inspections, according to a letter issued by the agency on Dec. 22.

The department conducted multiple site visits and issued a new conditional license to the academy on March 17, allowing it to enroll new students once again.

(The Department of Health and Human Services) inspections showed (Diamond Ranch Academy) had made the changes needed to become compliant and showed no evidence to prevent the facility from taking on new clients, the department spokeswoman said in a statement.

But Goodridges parents, Dean Goodridge and AmberLynn Wigtion, said in a statement that the states Department of Health and Human Services had not held Diamond Ranch Academy accountable.

Diamond Ranch Academy is now able to continue accepting unknowing students with naive parents, so that the owners of Diamond Ranch Academy can continue to earn profits from the misfortunes of its students and their parents, the statement says. We intend to continue to pursue all avenues to hold Diamond Ranch Academy accountable for (Taylor Goodridges) death to make sure this does not happen to other innocent teens and their families.

Paris Hilton has led a charge to shut down similar boarding schools, including Provo Canyon School, a residential treatment facility for teens in Utah where she says she was sexually abused and traumatized.

Her accusations first came to light in her documentary released in 2020, Vanity Fair reported. Soon after the documentarys release, Provo Canyon School issued a statement saying it does not condone or promote any form of abuse.

Any and all alleged/suspected abuse is reported immediately to our state regulatory authorities, law enforcement, and Child Protective Services, as required. We are committed to providing high-quality care to youth with special, and often complex, emotional, behavioral, and psychiatric needs, the school said, according to the outlet.

Hilton has also advocated for Diamond Ranch Academy to face consequences.

It is vital that facilities like Diamond Ranch Academy are held accountable, she tweeted in December.

Michael Jacksons daughter, Paris Jackson, told C Magazine in 2021 that she also suffered abuse at a reformatory school in Utah, though she did not specify which one.





The lawsuit against Diamond Ranch Academy seeks punitive damages as well as general damages.

The parents goal is that this never happens to another kid, both at this facility and any other troubled teen facility, Mortensen said. Its really the industry thats troubled and not the teens.

Mom sues after 24-year-old daughter fatally overdoses in CA rehab. She wanted help

Teachers ignore dying 5-year-old they thought was playing dead at recess, lawsuit says

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A university student has sparked a debate about college expectations after tearfully revealing her professor gave her a zero on her six-page philosophy essay.

Erika Schafrick, 22, who goes by the username @erikaschafrickk on TikTok, shared her dismay over the grade in a video posted to the platform on Monday, where she began by acknowledging that the paper she had submitted wasnt that good, but that all shed needed to pass the course was 17 or 18 per cent.

I wrote an entire six-page paper and, like, I get that the paper wasnt that good, and it was for a philosophy class, so theres so many ways that whats being said and the text can be interpreted, Schafrick said, before adding: And so I wrote this entire paper, and all I needed on it was a 17 or 18 per cent to pass the course. The professor gave me a zero.

As she became emotional, the college student revealed that shed initially thought the grade was a mistake, so shed reached out to her professor with proof that shed submitted the paper.

And Im literally sitting here thinking it was a mistake so I sent him my submission receipt and he was like: No, its not a mistake, heres your feedback, the TikToker continued.

According to Schafrick, her professor claimed in the feedback that what shed written misrepresented the text the class had been writing about. However, she alleged that the work could be interpreted in so many different ways.

In the video, Schafrick then suggested that the grade was unfair because shed actually tried to interpret the ideas herself, and because she hadnt used AI like some of her classmates allegedly had. Like sorry I didnt f***ing cheat and use ChatGPT just like everyone else in the f***ing course probably did who passed, she continued. I actually tried to do it myself and use my own ideas.

But thats what I get right. Thats what I f***ing get.

In her follow-up video, Schafrick claimed there was no reason her essay deserved a zero, as it wasnt that bad and it was six pages of work that took [her] two days to write that was related to the prompt.

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Theres just no f***ing way that it was that f***ing bad, she continued, adding that the only critiques were identical comments from her professor claiming that shed misinterpreted what the text was saying. Not why it misrepresents it, not why its wrong, not how its wrong, just that its wrong, she said. And philosophy is not that objective. Its subjective. When you are reading a book, you interpret it how you interpret it when youre not allowed to use outside sources.

The original TikTok, which has been viewed more than 2 million times, has since sparked a debate among users, with some arguing that Schafrick deserved at least some credit for completing the assignment and submitting it.

Although she has since disabled comments on her initial TikTok, the debate has continued in the comments of her follow-up videos.

Ive never ever ever seen someone get a zero on an essay that they actually completed and handed in, one person commented, while another said: Philosophy major here, its not subjective but even if everything in your paper was wrong you should still get marks for an attempt that follows the rubric.

According to someone else, who said that theyve been enrolled in university for five years, its a struggle to get a zero on an assignment. I would love to see him make a very itemised review on EVERY REASON why you got that, they added.

A zero should only be given if simply nothing was submitted, another person argued. The worst essay in the world still deserves literally any number above zero.

Others defended the TikTokers emotional reaction on the basis that they would also be upset if they received the failing grade, while many viewers encouraged Schafrick to contest the grade with her professor or university.

You need to contest the grade, one person wrote, while another said: Book an appointment or go see him in office hours in a few days once you can keep composed and challenge it, hell probably budge.

In another follow-up video, Schafrick said she felt like she was being gaslit by her professor, and that, after reading it over, she believes her essay, which was based on the book Existence and Existent by French philosopher Emmanuel Levinas, deserved a grade of at least 50 per cent.

Schafrick also addressed her previous comments about her fellow classmates relying on ChatGPT, with the TikToker claiming that she hadnt meant to bash the students or imply that they had been cheating.

@erikaschafrickk Replying to @lea so ya i more so meant like it may have been all wrong but at least you know it has integrity. So apologies xo luv ya  original sound - Erika Schafrick

Im not trying to bash my classmates or really accuse anyone of cheating at all. Im just saying, how amazing do these other essays have to be for him to read mine and be like: This is absolute dog s**t and deserves a zero.

After reiterating that she wasnt trying to accuse her classmates of cheating, the TikToker admitted that it could be that she just doesnt know how to write philosophy.

In the comments, viewers continued to side with Schafrick, with many alleging that her failing grade is a reflection on the professors teaching.

Its the professors job to teach so you explain the lecture properly.. so its a reflection on your prof!! Not you, one person wrote, while another said: I really hope this gets appealed, Id be so upset if this happened to me. I cant imagine what youre feeling.

In a comment posted in the comment section of her most recent video, Schafrick said she would be meeting with her student accessibility advisor, and that she would be fighting the grade.

The Independent has contacted Schafrick for comment.
Students at West High School were dismissed early after a gun discharged in a backpack in a classroom April 28, grazing a teacher but not seriously injuring anyone, Knoxville police said.

"A teacher was grazed either by the bullet or bullet fragment. No serious injuries were reported. The student is in custody and the gun is accounted for," according to a tweet from the Knoxville Police Department.

A 14-year-old boy was fumbling around in his backpack and the gun was not intentionally fired, police said. He has been charged with reckless endangerment, reckless aggravated assault and possession of a weapon on school grounds.

At 9:20 a.m., school security received reports of an "incident in a classroom," and a school security officer was there in seconds, said Knox County Chief of School Security Jason Periard at a news conference at West High School in the afternoon.

Periard and Knox County Schools Superintendent Jon Rysewyk declined to offer details about the student.

Principal Ashley Speas sent a note to parents at 10:20 a.m. saying there was an incident involving an "extremely loud noise," but that police and school security had determined there was no threat.

Students finish crossing Sutherland Avenue after an early dismissal April 28 at West High School.

A follow-up note from Speas sent at 11:39 a.m. said administrators were made aware of additional information and decided to dismiss students for the day. She did not describe what the additional information was or mention that a gun was fired. "I would like to reiterate that there is no danger and everyone is safe," Speas wrote.

Rysewyk said at a news conference the school went into a midlevel lockdown after the gun was fired, when it was determined there was no ongoing danger. He said he met with the teacher who was injured, and said the teacher said they would be back in the classroom Monday.

"The injuries to the teacher were very minor," police said in follow-up tweet sent just before 2 p.m.

Students were dismissed at 12:30 p.m. School staff prepared to-go lunches for students.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Student's gun goes off at West High School in Knoxville, grazing a teacher
A statue in New York City's Central Park honours Balto the sled dog

A new study of the taxidermied remains of a celebrity Siberian Husky has revealed the special DNA that helped the sled dog gain international fame.

In 1925, Balto led a team of sled dogs in a blizzard to deliver lifesaving medication to an Alaska town.

His heroic efforts have been recognised in a statue of the dog sitting in New York City's Central Park.

But unlike what the 1995 cartoon film Balto suggests, it's not wolf ancestry that made him so tough.

Comparing Balto's DNA to other dogs and mammals, researchers found the Siberian Husky's more diverse genes helped him survive the harsh journey better than his descendants would have.

"Balto belonged to a population of small, fast, and fit sled dogs imported from Siberia," researchers wrote in a study published in the journal Science on Thursday.

They found that Balto and "his working sled dog contemporaries were more genetically diverse than modern breeds and may have carried variants that helped them survive the harsh conditions of 1920s Alaska".

The authors of the study took a DNA sample - supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, which has Balto's taxidermied remains - from the dog's underbelly to reconstruct his genes. They also relied on a genetic dataset of 240 mammals and 682 dogs and wolves of the 21st Century.

The investigation into his genes revealed "no discernible wolf ancestry", according to the study authors.

The heroic dog did have other traits that distinguish him from modern-day Siberian Huskies and other sled dogs of his time, including a smaller stature and a better ability to digest starches, according to the study.

Researchers also believe he came from a less inbred population of huskies, which made him genetically healthier and better suited to the extreme environment of 1920s Alaska.

Balto was born in 1919 and imported from Siberia. His owner was Norweigan-American breeder Leonhard Seppala.

In January 1925, an outbreak of a deadly bacterial infection, diphtheria, threatened the Alaskan town of Nome. But the only available medication was in Anchorage, and the only aircraft to take it there would not start because of the freezing temperatures.

That's where Balto and his team of sled dogs came in, pulling around 20 mushers - sled drivers - carrying the medication for 674 miles (1084 km) as temperatures fell to -23 F (-31 C).

News of the historic journey spread quickly, and Balto would later be honoured as a character in comic and children's books and films, as well as in a sculpture at the children's zoo in Central Park.
"We all can't believe we made it - all the people we boarded the flight with we became like a family," Alaa Sanhouri said

A woman from West Yorkshire who fled conflict-hit Sudan has said she was convinced she would die trying to get out of the country.

Alaa Sanhouri, from Leeds, said the bus carrying her and others to an airfield near Khartoum was twice hit by bullets.

The occupants of the bus were trying to escape after violence erupted in the North East African country on 15 April.

Now back home, Ms Sanhouri said the experience had been a "horrible, terrifying, nightmare".

Since the clashes in Sudan started two weeks ago, hundreds of people have been killed and tens of thousands forced from their homes.

Rival military factions in the country agreed to an extension of their ceasefire at midnight local time (22:00 BST on Thursday) for a further three days.

Speaking to the BBC after returning to the UK, Ms Sanhouri said when the fighting broke out she had been on holiday to see her family in Sudan.

"I went to celebrate the last few days of Ramadan with them - the biggest, happiest day in Muslim society. I never thought it would end this way."

She said when the conflict started, she boarded a bus with nine other British citizens heading to the Wadi Seidna airfield, north of the Sudanese capital Khartoum, and did not even have time to say goodbye to her family.

Visibly shaken, she added: "I feel like I'm born again. That trip to the Wadi Seidna airfield, there are no words to describe that.

"The bus got shot twice and we stayed on the floor. We got stopped at military checkpoints 12 or 13 times. I was sure I was going to get shot, every time they stopped the bus.

"It was horrible, it was terrifying, it was a nightmare until we saw the British soldiers. Then we felt we're safe, we're finally here, we made it. Everyone was crying."

Leaving Sudan, Ms Sanhouri and her fellow bus passengers first flew to Cyprus and then on to London.

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"At Stansted airport, I couldn't say anything to my husband and children," she said.

"I just hugged them. I couldn't believe I could see and feel them."

At least 512 people have so far been killed and almost 4,200 injured, although the real number could be much higher

However, she said she still had concerns about her family members remaining in Sudan.

"We're looking into plans and routes and ways to get them out.

"I've survived, but my mind is still in Sudan, thinking about family and friends who are still stuck there. We just hope that they get out safely."

Ms Sanhouri also praised the British government for its part in her rescue.

"The way we've been treated and looked after from the moment we saw the British soldiers, then when we reached Cyprus and all the way to London, the government really looked after us."

She said she now just wanted to "get back to normal life in Leeds".

"I wish the best for Sudan. Sudanese are the kindest people, they don't deserve this. They are just victims of politics," she added.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.
A Turkish Air Force C-130 Hercules (file pic)

A Turkish evacuation plane coming into land at an airbase outside Sudan's capital, Khartoum, has been fired at, Turkey's defence ministry has said.

No-one was injured and the plane landed safely at Wadi Seidna airfield, where it was being checked.

Sudan's army blamed paramilitary fighters for firing at the aircraft and damaging its fuel system.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) denied the allegation, saying it was committed to the extended humanitarian truce.

A military blogger later tweeted images claiming to show damage to the plane, including what looked like a bullet hole and liquid, possibly fuel, leaking from the aircraft.

The reference number pictured on the plane is a match for a registered Turkish military transport aircraft - a C130 Hercules.

Satellite imagery shows that a military transport plane - resembling a C130 - landed at Wadi Seidna airfield on the morning of 28th April.

The rival military factions agreed to an extension of their ceasefire at midnight local time (22:00 GMT on Thursday) for a further three days.

It has had only a limited effect, with army jets continuing to pound RSF positions in Khartoum during the night.

The previous truce allowed thousands of people to attempt to flee to safety, while dozens of countries organised evacuations.

Turkey's defence minister said efforts would continue to rescue Turkish citizens from Wadi Seidna and the city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast.

Since the clashes began 14 days ago, hundreds of people have been killed and tens of thousands forced from their homes.

The fighting is devastating the capital and its surrounds - which until recently had a population of around 10 million - leaving people without supplies of food, water and fuel.
A mother who fled Sudan with her four children has spoken of her relief at being back home in Scotland.

But Jennifer McLellan said she was "heartbroken" to have left her husband, Mohamed, behind.

The English teacher and her children - aged three, eight, 13 and 15 - left Sudan on a UK government evacuation flight on Wednesday.

They finally arrived on Islay on Friday but Ms McLellan admitted they faced an "uncertain" future.

Rival factions of Sudan's military earlier agreed to renew a three-day ceasefire, shortly before it was due to expire.

The extension - for another three days - follows intensive diplomatic efforts by neighbouring countries, as well as the US, UK and UN.

But there are continuing reports of heavy fighting in the capital Khartoum.

Foreign nations, including the UK, have urged their citizens to leave the country as soon as possible.

People in Khartoum are watching parts of the city being destroyed

Ms McLellan, who lives in the city, told BBC Scotland she was "so relieved" to be back home safely.

She added: "It has been a difficult journey to get here. We were well looked after along the way.

"A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us and to the military, who continue to work tirelessly to help others in this terrible situation."

Ms McLellan's husband had to stay in the country for family reasons, but hopes to make it to the UK soon.

She added: "We are obviously heartbroken to have left Mohamed behind and we pray for his safety and that we will be reunited some day soon.

"We can't even bear to think about the danger he is still in - and many others in Sudan."

Many British nationals fleeing the fighting described how hotels were bombed and people shot in front of their eyes.

Ms McLellan, who has lived in Sudan for 16 years, recalled a perilous journey from Khartoum after leaving all their possessions behind.

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She said: "We literally have come with the clothes we are wearing and a few hastily packed items in a carry-on bag."

Ms McLellan lives in Khartoum with her husband and four children

The fighting broke out on 15 April as the result of a bitter power struggle between Sudan's regulary army and its Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The military factions disagree about the country's proposed move to civilian rule, and in particular about plans to include the 100,000-strong RSF in the regular army.

Despite the relief of being back home Ms McLellan is fearful about what will happen in the coming weeks.

She added: "The future for us is unknown as we have left our whole lives behind.

"We have to get some rest and see what our next steps will be".
Hemedti's 100,000-strong force controls areas of the capital and has a strong presence in Darfur

One of Sudan's duelling generals, who leads the paramilitary force fighting the country's army, has told the BBC he will not negotiate until fighting ends.

But Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, said his fighters were being "relentlessly" bombed since a three-day truce had been extended.

"We don't want to destroy Sudan," he said, blaming army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan for the violence.

Gen Burhan has tentatively agreed to face-to-face talks in South Sudan.

Thursday night's extension of an uneasy ceasefire followed intensive diplomatic efforts by neighbouring countries, as well as the US, UK and UN.

As of Saturday air, tank and artillery strikes are continuing in parts of Khartoum, making the prospect of any wider dialogue between the two rival military factions seem remote.

Speaking to the BBC by phone, Hemedti said he was open to talks but the condition was that the ceasefire should hold: "Cease hostilities. After that we can have negotiations."

He said he had no personal problem with Gen Burhan, but regarded him as a traitor for bringing into government those loyal to former President Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted by the army and RSF together in 2019 after mass street protests.

Bashir's regime - in power for three decades - was known for its Islamist ideology and imposition of a strict version of Sharia (Islamic law).

"Unfortunately Burhan is being led by the radical Islamic front leaders," Hemedti said.

In 2021, he and Gen Burhan overturned an agreement to share power with civilians, taking full control in a coup.

They fell out this year over the proposed return to civilian rule, in particular about the timeframe of incorporating Hemedti's 100,000-strong Rapid Support Force's (RSF) into the army.

"I am looking forward to having the civilian government today - before tomorrow, a fully civilian government. This is my principle," Hemedti told the BBC.

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This is not the first time the RSF leader has spoken of his commitment to democracy, although analysts point out that his forces have brutally put down civilian protests in the past.

Hemedti told the BBC that his RSF fighters were not the enemies of the military soldiers, explaining they were battling to protect the country from "the relics of the government of the past 30 years".

"We won't fight you. Please go back to your army divisions and we won't fight you."

Fears grow as violence spreads

Hemedti's comments to the BBC come as millions remain trapped in the capital Khartoum, where there are shortages of food, water and fuel.

In some parts of the city, trenches have been dug as rival troops battle each other street by street, AFP reports.

People continued to leave Khartoum on Friday

The UN says RSF troops are forcing people from their homes and looting and extortion is taking place.

However, Hemedti told the BBC his rivals were dressing up in RSF uniforms in order to discredit his fighters.

He categorically denied involvement in looting and taking over hospitals, saying his troops were trying to help residents of a city reeling from fierce clashes that began 14 days ago.

"My team is working on the water and electricity supplies for the areas we control. Unfortunately all the technicians and engineers have disappeared. And this is our main problem," he said.

At least 512 people have been killed and 4,193 wounded in the fighting, according to health ministry figures, although the real death toll is likely much higher.

The UN says hundreds of thousands of Sudanese have now fled their homes, often paying huge sums to leave and facing abuses en route.

As well as the thousands of foreigners who have been evacuated, tens of thousands of Sudanese have crossed into neighbouring countries, including Chad, Egypt and South Sudan.

Reuters reports a UN official as saying some have walked from Khartoum to South Sudan's border, a distance of more than 400km (250 miles).

Earlier a Turkish evacuation plane was shot at as it was landing at an airport outside Khartoum. No-one was injured and the RSF denied accusations by the army that it was involved.

Those remaining in Khartoum describe living in a "constant state of fear".

"We hear the sounds of planes and explosions. We don't know when this hell will end," 65-year-old Mahasin al-Awad, a resident of Bahri, a northern area of Khartoum, told Reuters.

Violence is reported to have been particularly bad in El Geneina, a city in Darfur in western Sudan, where the RSF and militias linked to the group are reported to have looted and torched markets, aid warehouses and banks.
Aya is worried about her dad who is still in the African country

Graphic images of the vicious fighting in Sudan have been all over social media for the past two weeks.

You might've seen clips of people sheltering from fighter jets and gunfire as two weeks of fierce clashes have left hundreds dead.

Thousands of British people are still trying to get out the country after the government put on a series of flights.

But what about people in the UK with family stuck in the country who can't just switch off from the conflict?

BBC Newsbeat went to the Easton Community Centre in Bristol to speak to young people whose parents and grandparents won't be able to leave.

Awab Elsharif, 20, and 17-year-old Aya Mohamed say they're both glued to social media as they worry about relatives in the north-east African country.

"It's really tough. You go on Instagram and TikTok and you just see your neighbourhood completely blown to shreds," Awab says.

"I've got family homes that've been toppled over, I've got family members that have been killed, family friends that have been killed."

Hundreds of people have been killed in the Sudanese capital Khartoum

And they both say worrying about what's going on in Sudan is also affecting their studies.

"I've got my mocks currently. And I'm just constantly sat there in my room, on Instagram, on the TV just watching," Aya, who's at college, says.

Awab, who's a law student at the University of Exeter, adds: "It does impact your work, does impact your focus.

"Not just that, but your social life as well because you don't know if you're going to wake up tomorrow and your grandmother is going to be dead.

"It's quite a dire situation."

The fighting that's erupted in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, and elsewhere in the country, is a direct result of a vicious power struggle between the army and a rival paramilitary group.

Since the clashes began two weeks ago, hundreds of people have been killed and tens of thousands forced from their homes.

Story continues

Aya says her dad had to go to Sudan for a family emergency and now has a dilemma about whether to leave or not.

"It's really difficult because my dad's sort of torn between does he leave his family behind and come back here and start worrying about them?" she says.

"Or does he stay with them? And on top of that he doesn't even have his passport and stuff anymore, it all got lost in the war. So it's honestly really difficult."

Awab has friends who've lost relatives in the fighting in Sudan

Aya has managed to speak to her dad but says she's constantly "sitting there not knowing when that contact is going to stop".

"A lot of the houses now don't have any electricity, they don't have any water," she says.

"They don't have any basic supplies and they can't really go out and get them because they have the risk of being shot or being killed."

There are about 3,000 people with a Sudanese heritage in Bristol and lots of them live around the part of the city where the Easton Community Centre is.

Awab has got lots of relatives in Sudan and knows lots of friends who have lost family members in the fighting.

"It's a shame because we don't see no end," he says.

"I haven't been [to Sudan] for nine years and when I went back then it was honestly one of the most beautiful places you could visit.

"This is what's a shame, to see all these videos online about all the killing and all the destruction because Sudan is such a beautiful country and it's such a shame that people don't get to see that side of it."

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Dr Abdulrahman Babiker is due back at work at the Manchester Royal Infirmary where he has been working for four years

An NHS doctor trapped in Sudan after visiting family for Eid has urged the government to fly him back to the UK, saying he feels "betrayed" after being turned away from evacuation flights.

Sudanese-born Dr Abdulrahman Babiker is due back on shift as a registrar at the Manchester Royal Infirmary on Tuesday.

Despite having a UK work permit, he cannot board an evacuation flight as they only accept UK passport holders.

The Foreign Office says it is prioritising British nationals.

It added that people in Dr Babiker's situation are allowed to enter the UK but must make their own way there.

Khartoum International Airport has been shut for almost two weeks due to the fighting, while the borders of neighbouring countries are hundreds of miles away from the capital.

BBC Two's Newsnight has learned of at least 24 NHS doctors in this position.

Dr Babiker, who has worked at the Manchester hospital for more than four years, told Newsnight: "To be honest I feel totally betrayed I worked throughout Covid and I'm so disappointed."

It is certainly not how Dr Babiker expected his perilous journey to Wadi Seidna airbase to turn out. Speaking from a relative's home in neighbouring Omdurman, he says he hoped to be helped to escape the conflict which has already claimed hundreds of lives.

"I had spoken to my MP and had emails advising me to go to the air base," he says.

For almost two weeks, rival factions within the Sudanese military have fought for control, destroying large sections of the capital Khartoum in the process and killing hundreds of civilians.

After initially telling people to make their own way out of the country, the British Foreign office eventually put on a series of rescue flights.

But after 16 hours queuing at the site north of Khartoum, Dr Babiker was told he could not board.

"They said, 'we are really sorry, this is the guidance from the Home Office'. And a soldier took me out," he said.

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There are a large number of people in Sudan with ties to the UK, partially due to historical links between the two countries.

Sudan was controlled as a British colony between the 1890s and 1956, when it became independent.

More than 2,000 British nationals in Sudan have registered with the Foreign Office under evacuation plans.

In 2020, the Office of National Statistics estimated there were around 35,000 people living in the UK who were born in Sudan, including 20,000 Sudanese nationals.

Speaking on Newsnight, Dr Nadia Baasher of the Sudanese Junior Doctor's Association said Dr Babiker was just one example of a much larger problem. She said she knew of at least 24 NHS doctors in a similar position, having been caught in Sudan while on a short trip there, many of them for the Muslim celebration of Eid.

"People are heartbroken by the whole situation," she said.

She said that some of those who had gone to the airbase had taken the decision to leave their Sudanese families behind to return to their jobs working in the NHS - and some were travelling with their young children.

"It's not safe. This is is very disappointing to see that they weren't treated with some consideration."

The operation to rescue British nationals has undoubtedly been a difficult one, with priority given to children, the sick and the elderly.

Downing Street has said eligibility requirements have been set out "very clearly" and have not changed, but there is "an element of discretion" for those working on the ground in Sudan. The Foreign Office also said other routes were available, "such as crossing the border into Egypt".

But Dr Babiker claims that discretion was not used in his case. He says he would have gladly waited in line, but says he was told to leave the airbase by soldiers.

"I'd be more than happy to wait for other people to be evacuated before me, but to not have any chance to be evacuated in this very risky situation is.... I'm really feeling disappointed."

The Foreign Office said eight flights had airlifted 897 people from the east African country to Cyprus as of Thursday.

However, this is a fraction of the thousands of British nationals thought to be in Sudan and there have been growing reports of situations like Dr Babiker's.

Dr Baasher added it would hit future recruitment to an already struggling health service.

"I think this will have an impact on international medical graduates wanting to join the NHS. They make up about 40% of the workforce and it will make other nationalities think twice about whether they want to work for the NHS."

It comes as a further 72-hour ceasefire has been agreed between the rival Sudanese army and Rapid Support Forces, giving hope that further evacuation flights will be possible.

British military chiefs say they have the capacity to fly at least 500 people per day out of the Wadi Seidna airfield, north of Khartoum.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who had previously warned the mission could become "impossible" tweeted on Thursday night: "I urge all British nationals wishing to leave to proceed to the airport as quickly as possible to ensure their safety."

Mr Cleverly also called for the "full implementation" of the ceasefire by the generals in conflict in Africa's third largest country.

Additional reporting by Andre Rhoden-Paul

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By Khalid Abdelaziz, Nafisa Eltahir and Aidan Lewis

KHARTOUM (Reuters) -Alarmed that movements of rival military factions in Sudan could bring bloodshed, a group of mediators pushed for last-ditch talks between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and paramilitary commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo two weeks ago.

But neither of Sudan's two most powerful men showed up to the meeting, convened at presidential offices in central Khartoum at 10 a.m. on April 15, three of the Sudanese mediators said, in details revealed for the first time here.

Instead, fighting was breaking out across the country.

At about 8.30 a.m. shooting started at the Soba military camp in the south of Khartoum, according to three eyewitnesses and an advisor within Dagalo's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Reuters could not establish who fired the first shot, but the violence escalated quickly across Africa's third-largest country, an illustration of just how far the two sides had gone in the preceding weeks to prepare for all-out war.

Through interviews with nearly a dozen sources in the military, the RSF, officials and diplomats, Reuters has reconstructed several key events in the build up to the violence, which has so far killed at least 512 people, prompted tens of thousands to flee and deepened the country's already grave humanitarian crisis.

A week before the fighting, on April 8, Burhan and Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti, met for the last time at a farm on the outskirts of Khartoum, a diplomat briefed on the meeting and two of the mediators said.

At the encounter, Burhan asked for the withdrawal of RSF forces from al-Fasher, a city in Hemedti's stronghold of Darfur in Western Sudan, and a halt to flows of RSF troops into Khartoum, which had been taking place for weeks.

Hemedti in turn asked that forces from Burhan's close ally Egypt be withdrawn from an air base called Merowe, fearing they could be used against him, the two mediators and the diplomat said.

Story continues

The men also spoke privately and appeared to agree to deescalate, the two mediators said. But despite plans to talk again the next day, no more meetings took place.

Over the next week, behind the scenes, each was steadily preparing for the worst.

Burhan's air force was studying where the RSF was gathered, using coordinates provided by the army, two military sources told Reuters, describing plans that have not previously been reported. The RSF, meanwhile, had been locating more and more gunmen at Soba and other camps across Khartoum, the same military sources said.

The air force, which has bombed positions in the capital since fighting erupted, studied the location of RSF camps for more than a week before the battles began, the two military sources said. The army also established a small committee of senior generals to prepare for a possible conflict with the RSF, the same sources said.

On Saturday, April 15, the first volleys of the war woke RSF troops stationed at Soba, Moussa Khadam Mohamed, an advisor to Hemedti, told Reuters in an telephone interview.

Looking beyond the walls of the camp, they saw the army had positioned cannons in the vicinity, he said.

"We observed a force gathering at the base," as well as around Hemedti's home in Khartoum, he said.

Both the army and the RSF were quick to blame the other publicly for sparking the violence and attempting a power grab.

Reuters could not independently verify the events Mohamed described. In response to written questions, a spokesman for the armed forces, Brigadier General Nabil Abdullah, said the army had been preparing to repel, not launch a war, in response to indications of an RSF attack.

He said the RSF had attacked first, taking many soldiers prisoner, and the army moved to repel the aggression. The army was conducting its campaign under its established chain of command, and the RSF had become a legitimate target for the air force after the fighting started, he added.

The offices of Hemedti and Burhan did not respond to requests for interviews.

A temporary truce this week was agreed under pressure from the United States and Saudi Arabia, who along with the United Nations and the African Union are concerned that Sudan could fragment, destabilising a volatile region.

The lull allowed thousands of Khartoum residents and foreign visitors to flee the capital. Although the truce was extended late on Thursday, air strikes and anti-aircraft fire again rocked the city.

RIVALRY AT THE TOP

Hemedti, previously a militia leader in Darfur, was an enforcer for former president Omar-al Bashir and became rich from the gold trade.

He and Burhan, a career army officer, were not always at odds.

Both commanded men in Darfur where as many as 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million displaced in a conflict that escalated in 2003 and rumbles on to this day despite several peace deals.

Assuming the top two positions on Sudan's ruling council after Bashir's 2019 overthrow during a protest movement, they mostly presented a united front in a power sharing arrangement with the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), a political coalition that arose from the uprising.

By that time, the RSF had grown into a force estimated at 100,000 and formalised under legislation passed by parliament

In October 2021, the two men staged a coup.

Hemedti, however, quickly came to see that takeover as a mistake that had enabled Bashir loyalists to regain some influence, he has said in speeches and televised interviews. The coup led to weekly mass street protests and cut short a tentative opening of Sudan's stagnant economy.

As Hemedti bet on an internationally-backed framework agreement for a civilian government, apparently eyeing a future political role for himself, ties grew strained over the chain of command in the new transition and plans to integrate the RSF into the regular army.

In the buildup to the fighting, Hemedti insisted the integration of the RSF should be stretched over 10 years, in line with details of the framework transition plan signed in December, several Sudanese and diplomatic sources familiar with the talks said.

However, the army was pushing for a shorter time frame, with General Shams El Din Kabbashi, Burhan's hardline deputy within the army, pushing for just two years.

Reuters could not reach Kabbashi for comment.

A senior diplomat involved in mediation efforts in the final weeks before the fighting said there seemed to be space for agreement between Burhan and Hemedti, though the RSF leader showed exasperation.

"There was a lot of rage, frustration, the narrative of 'I'm the only one protecting the democratic transition'".

The army chief was insisting that Hemedti would report to him, while Hemedti was saying that only an elected parliament could decide the chain of command. Neither wanted to back down first, the senior diplomat said.

DARFUR TO POWER

The RSF's Mohamed, echoing comments made publicly by Hemedti, and the civilian FFC, both say there was a third group at play, souring relations between the army and the paramilitary force.

"There's a bloc inside the army that rejects democracy," Mohamed said, adding that RSF intelligence had monitored meetings of Bashir allies opposed to the transition.

Mohamed and the FFC say this bloc is made up of supporters, including Islamists, of Bashir, who ruled Sudan for decades. Pro-Bashir forces started making a comeback after the 2021 coup. They have publicly opposed the December framework agreement for elections and civilian rule.

"The agreement threatened the space that the elements of the defunct regime found after the October 25 (2021) coup, so they fuelled the conflict between the armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces and are now working to continue it after the outbreak of the war," Khalid Omer Yousif, a senior FFC member and former cabinet minister, told Reuters.

FFC members have accused the pro-Bashir group of spreading rumours and exerting internal pressure within the army.

Representatives of Bashir's National Congress Party did not respond to calls requesting comment for this story

Since his overthrow, Bashir has been in prison, with spells in hospital. He was convicted on corruption charges and is now being tried over the 1989 coup that brought him to power.

Before the outbreak of violence, Bashir was transferred from the sprawling Kober prison to a military hospital, the army said on Wednesday, along with five senior loyalists, including one who, like Bashir, is charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court.

Days before the fighting broke out, Bashir sympathisers attacked pro-democracy groups near the prison. Last weekend, thousands of inmates were released in unclear circumstances.

Among them was a former minister in Bashir's government who is also wanted on war crimes charges by the ICC, and other top members of his movement.

Mohamed Tahir Ayla, prime minister at the time Bashir fell and once touted as a potential future president, recently started making public appearances after keeping a low profile for several years.

At a gathering of supporters a few days before the fighting started, he brought an inflammatory message, promising "martyr after martyr" to defend Sudan's land and religion.

Reuters could not reach Ayla or Bashir, or establish whether they have had any role in the collapse of the transition plan and the conflict.

"There is no place for the framework agreement," Ayla said, in a video of the gathering viewed by Reuters. "We are more prepared now than before to take up arms, and take what is ours by our own hands".

(Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz in Khartoum and Nafisa Eltahir and Aidan Lewis in Cairo; Writing by Michael Georgy and Aidan Lewis; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)
Jordanians being evacuated from Sudan amid fighting between two factions. AP Photo/Raad Adayleh

The sight of diplomats fleeing Sudan amid chaotic scenes reflects the gravity of the situation, but also the extent of international interest in the strife-torn nation.

Days into fighting that has left at least 400 people dead, governments from across the Middle East, Europe, Asia and the Americas evacuated nationals  teachers, students and workers, as well as embassy staff  from the capital, Khartoum.

Of course, expat employees are to be found in all countries. But as a scholar of Sudanese history, it is difficult to ignore the fact that, in the words of one analyst, everyone wants a chunk of Sudan. While a 2019 coup ended the brutal dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir, the years since have not given way to democracy. Rather, it has led to a period in which various overseas governments have sought to capitalize on the transition of power and Sudans strategic importance and mineral wealth.

And while a descent into all-out civil war would be devastating for Sudan, it would also create ripples that would be felt throughout the geopolitical world.

Where things stand

The evacuation of foreign nations followed the eruption of violence between the Sudanese military, led by the countrys leader, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, generally known by the name Hemedti.

The two men jointly ran the government but now find themselves deadlocked in a power struggle. On April 25, 2023, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. brokered a three-day ceasefire. Despite sporadic fighting, that ceasefire was later extended.

Efforts of international governments to broker peace may hint not only at a desire to halt the bloodshed, but also a desire to limit the fallout that the situation will have for world politics.

Sudans regional, economic and strategic importance

Sudan is located at a critical nexus, geographically. It borders Egypt and Libya in North Africa, Ethiopia and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa, the East African nation of South Sudan, and Central Africas Chad and the Central African Republic.

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Sudan is the site where the White and Blue Nile Rivers merge to form the main Nile and is home to more than 60% of the Nile River Basin. Safe management of the Niles water is crucial for stability of the region. Northern neighbor Egypt is 90% dependent on the river for its water supply, while Ethiopia to the east is looking to double the countrys electricity generation through the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

The project has been a source of contention, though  Ethiopia began filling the dam in 2020-2021 without an agreement with Egypt, and last year Egypt protested Ethiopias planned third filling of the dam to the U.N. Security Council. The United Nations has called on the three nations to negotiate a mutually beneficial agreement over the Niles management  something that will be difficult should Sudan fall into a prolonged period of instability.

Sudan also has a strategic location on the Red Sea, a body of water that approximately 10% of global trade passes through, with the Suez Canal connecting Asian and European markets.

And then there are Sudans immense mineral resources. The nation is Africas third-largest producer of gold, has major oil reserves and produces over 80% of the worlds gum arabic  a component of food additives, paint and cosmetics.

Sudanese gold, Russias war

As a result of this strategic and economic importance, Sudan has attracted willing international partners. Gulf oil states Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, for example, saw Bashirs ouster as a chance to stabilize the region and invest in everything from agricultural projects to Red Sea ports.

Sudans leaders have seemingly been none too picky about who they partner with. While much of the international community shunned and sanctioned Russia after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Sudan provided Moscow with an economic lifeline through its gold reserves.

Russias interest in Sudans gold dates back to 2017, when after a meeting between Bashir and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the two countries established the Meroe Gold corporation  a subsidiary of the Wagner Group network of mercenaries.

Since the 2019 coup, Moscow has increasingly aligned itself with Hemedti, as the RSF leader sought to control more and more of the countrys richest gold mines. In July 2022, Sudanese sources told CNN that at least 16 Russian gold smuggling flights had embarked from Sudan over the previous year and a half.

The Wagner Groups involvement in Sudanese gold extraction and its role in supplying fighters in Ukraine have prompted many observers to suggest that Sudanese gold is being used to finance Moscows war.

In return, Russia has provided political and military assistance to Sudans paramilitary leadership. According to U.S. officials, the Wagner Group has offered weaponry, including surface-to-air missiles, to the RSF.

Hemedti is not alone in currying Russian support. Theodore Murphy, Africa director at the European Council of Foreign Relations, has suggested that the RSF leaders now-rival, Burhan, would also be open to working with Moscow.

China a winner in Sudan scramble

China also has considerable interests in Sudan as part of its Belt and Road global infrastructure initiative. From 2011 to 2018, Beijing granted Sudan an estimated US$143 million in loans and has invested in projects such as the construction of Sudanese oil pipelines, Nile bridges, textile mills and railway lines.

Indeed, China was one of the main investors to Sudan during the rule of Bashir and one of the few countries to supply the regime with weapons.

China relies on Africas mineral resources to meet its own expanding industrial needs. China-Sudan mining cooperation dates back to the 1970s, and over 20 Chinese enterprises have operated in Sudanese mining with a total investment of over $100 million.

However, this relationship is not entirely one-way. Sudan exported $780 million worth of products to China in 2021 and in the previous quarter-century increased its exports to China at an annual rate of 10.6%. Indeed, China is Sudans second-largest trading partner after the UAE, and the African nations biggest supplier of goods.

Although the U.S. revoked long-standing sanctions against Sudan in 2017, allowing for American companies to pursue business interests in Sudan, Washington is still playing catch-up with China.

Concerns of contagion

The United States strategic interest in the Sudanese crisis can be considered through the lens of its opposition to Russias war in Ukraine and concern over regional contagion  that is, the spread of instability.

Sudans potential to prop up Moscows war effort would make Western leaders wary of the RSF gaining an upper hand in the current fighting; the paramilitary group could reward Russias friendship with Sudanese gold. But with an apparent willingness of both sides of the current fighting to exploit the countrys gold mines in return for Moscows military assistance, a better outcome for the West  and indeed the Sudanese people  would be a transition away from military rule altogether.

Of perhaps more concern to Washington is the impact of an unstable Sudan on the region. In recent years, the U.S. has benefited from a warming relationship with Sudans leaders, especially through counterterrorism cooperation. The Biden administration will surely be fearful of Sudans instability providing the kind of conditions in which terrorist groups, such as al-Shabaab, may thrive. or that the situation could trigger a refugee crisis on Sudans borders, especially in Ethiopia and South Sudan  countries that are already struggling to keep fragile peace deals in place.

While the people of Sudan have the most to lose should the current fighting descend into civil war, the geopolitical significance of the country means millions in the surrounding regions  and indeed around the world  also stand to be impacted.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. If you found it interesting, you could subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

It was written by: Christopher Tounsel, University of Washington.

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Christopher Tounsel has previously received funding from the Council of American Overseas Research Centers, the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Social Science Research Council, the Doris G. Quinn Foundation, the University of Michigan, the Pennsylvania State University, Macalester College, and the University of Washington.
Days after the Surfside condo collapse, people kept strong with hope that their loved ones would be found in the rubble. An Israeli military rescue force, among the teams on the site, combed through the pile day and night.

Families watching anxiously formed a bond with the Israeli team.

Every day, the Israeli National Rescue Unit met with the relatives. The team learned what rooms residents slept in and, in turn, kept loved ones apprised of the search process.

Then on Shabbat, the day of rest for faithful Jews, they shared a meal and their grief.

The empathy they showed was very therapeutic for the families, recalled Elise Scheck Bonwitt, a cousin of Jeff Berezdivin, whose daughter Deborah died in the Surfside tragedy along with her boyfriend, Ilan Naibryf.

College-aged couple Deborah Berezdivin and Ilan Naibryf. Both perished in the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside Florida.

In all, the collapse of Champlain Towers South on June 24, 2021, killed 98 people.

Many of the people were Jewish and there was a degree of comfort that the Israelis were working with the Miami rescue team, Scheck Bonwitt told the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald.

Col. Golan Vach, who heads the Israeli Defense Forces famed National Rescue Unit, receives a plaque from Elise Scheck Bonwitt, who lost family in the Surfside tragedy.

Nearly two years after the tragedy, a delegation of 800 Jews from the Greater Miami Jewish Federation ended their mission to Israel this past week with an emotional appreciation ceremony for the Surfside Israeli rescue crew members, who were reunited with survivors of the tragedy and relatives of those killed.

The Israel Mega Mission traveled to the Holy Land for the celebration of Israels 75th anniversary, and for its 800 participants to learn about the programs that the Federation funds in the Jewish state.

The strong ties between the Miami Jewish community and the Israeli people played out in a startling and unexpected way during the Surfside catastrophe, Ariel Bentata, president of the Federations Board of Directors, said at the closing ceremony at Ronit Farm, near Tel-Aviv.

KNOW MORE: Invigorated, educated, inspired: 800 Miami Jews strengthen faith on a visit to Israel

Shortly after the condo collapse, Federation President and CEO Jacob Solomon received calls from then-Minister of Diaspora Affairs Nachaman Shai and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid. They offered help from the IDFs National Rescue Unit, led by Col. Golan Vach.

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Col. Golan Vach, who heads the Israeli Defense Forces National Rescue Unit, speaks to a delegation of 800 Jews from Miami in Ronit Farm, near Tel Aviv, on Thursday, Apr. 27, 2023. To his left are Elise Scheck Bonwitt, who lost family in the Surfside tragedy, and Ofi Osin-Cohen, who lived in the collapsed building.

Accompanied by members of his unit on Thursday, Vach received a plaque from the Federation, which also made a contribution to his military unit in appreciation. The inscription of the plaque features a popular quote from Israels first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion: The State of Israel will prove itself not by material wealth, nor by military might or technical achievements, but by its moral character and human values.

In an interview with the Herald, Col. Vach noted that the Miami delegations gesture of appreciation during the visit symbolizes their unwavering commitment to the State of Israel, he added.

Members of the Israeli rescue crew that came to Miami to aid after the Surfside condo collapse, hug each other during a moving ceremony where the Miami Jewish community honored their valor and determination.

The Israeli rescuers were in Surfside between June 27 and July 11, 2021. Although they didnt find survivors at the condo site, we knew that they would do their best to recover the bodies and bring them as quickly as possible to their relatives, said Scheck Bonwitt, 53, who traveled to Israel with her family and members of her congregation, Beth Torah, near Aventura.

Rabbi Yossi Harlig, director of Chabad of Kendall and chaplain for the Miami-Dade County Police Department, kept in close contact with Jewish relatives and rescuers during the days of searching. He said the Israeli rescuers understand that the body is sacred and that each part must be recovered to be buried as soon as possible.

Miami rabbis (left to right) Fred Klein, Mario Rojzman, Yossi Harlig and Eliot Pearlson light a candle in memory of the 98 people who perished in the Surfside tragedy.

They worked around the clock to get it done, said Rabbi Harling, who, along with Miami rabbis Mario Rojzman, Eliot Pearlson and Fred Klein, lit a candle in memory of the 98 people who perished in the collapse. Then Rabbi Rojzman recited the Mourners Kaddish, one of the most sacred rituals observed by Jews.

Helping new immigrants in Israel

New immigrants to Israel who receive aid from Miami Jewish donors are greeted by Lily Serviansky, Federation General Campaign Chair.

Various programs supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Miami through the Jewish Agency for Israel help new immigrants in the Holy Land. Three of them, together with their families, attended the closing ceremony, where a video was shown with their moving testimonials and their gratitude expressed to the Miami donors.

Another poignant highlight was the testimony of a young man from Miami, Jonah Kafka, grandson of Holocaust survivors, who decided to enlist in the IDF even though he is alone in Israel. His family also participated in the Mission.

KNOW MORE: Miamis young Jewish leaders find a sense of belonging as Israel marks 75-year milestone

Jonah, I know your grandfather would be so proud of you, as we all are, Lily Serviansky, Federation General Campaign Chair, told him. She noted that his grandfather, Herbie Karliner, was a pillar of the Holocaust survivor community in Miami.

The young soldier could not hold back his tears.

A lone Israeli soldier from Miami, Jonah Kafka, gets emotional during the closing ceremony of the Miami Mega Mission to Israel. His grandfather, Herbie Karliner, was a pillar of Miamis Holocaust survivors community.

Daniel Shoer Roth, an editor for el Nuevo Herald, is participating in the Greater Miami Federations mission to Israel and is reporting on the delegation and events.
One of two roommates who survived a gruesome quadruple homicide in their Idaho home last year has agreed to be interviewed by the defense, days after her attorney asked a judge to reject a request for her to attend the suspect's hearing in June.

An attorney for Bethany Funke, one of the surviving roommates, wrote in a motion on April 21 that Funke had been subpoenaed to appear at murder suspect Bryan Kohberger's preliminary hearing in June, as well as potentially for the duration of his trial.

The judge in the case released Funke from the subpoena on April 26 after the prosecution and defense said in court documents she agreed to be interviewed by defense counsel in Reno, Nevada, where she is from, instead of taking the stand in Idaho in June.

Kohberger, 28, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one burglary count in December 2022 in connection with the slayings of Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21.

Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle. (TODAY)

He has not yet entered a plea, though a previous attorney for Kohberger said his client told him he believed he would be exonerated.

Kohberger's preliminary hearing is scheduled for the week of June 26. Funke's attorney, Kelli Anne Viloria, argued in the motion earlier this week the subpoena was issued without allowing Funke to address her concerns first.

There is also "no authority for an Idaho criminal defendant to summon a Nevada witness to Idaho for preliminary hearing," Viloria wrote in the motion. The filing also argued if Funke has evidence that could be exculpatory to the defense, she should provide it during a trial, not at a preliminary hearing.

An affidavit attached to the motion filed by a criminal investigator hired by Kohberger's defense said Funke was in a first-floor bedroom at the time of the murders, which took place on the second and third floors of the home on Nov. 13.

Funke was interviewed by police on several occasions, and "disclosed things she heard and things she saw," according to the affidavit.

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"Bethany Funke has information material to the charges against Mr. Kohberger; portions of information Ms. Funke has is exculpatory to the defendant," the affidavit said. "Ms. Funkes information is unique to her experiences and cannot be provided by another witness."

Funke's motion to quash the subpoena said the statements in the affidavit are "without support and there is no further information or detail pertaining to the substance of this testimony, its materiality or the alleged exculpatory information of Ms. Funke or why it would be entertained at preliminary hearing."

Viloria's law firm declined to comment on the motion to NBC News.

The public defenders office in Washoe County and Kohbergers attorney Anne Taylor could not immediately be reached for comment.

Bryan Kohberger (Ted S. Warren / AP)

Funke and Dylan Mortensen, the other surviving roommate, have spoken about the loss of their four friends through letters read aloud in December by a pastor from Real Life Ministries.

Goncalves, Mogen, Kernodle and Chapin were found dead with multiple stab wounds in their off-campus home near the University of Idaho in November.

Mortensen told investigators she stood in a "frozen shock phase" when she saw a man wearing a mask and black clothing walk past her on the night of the murders, according to a probable cause affidavit prepared by police. She then locked herself in her room.

One of the surviving roommate's cellphones was used to call 911 around noon on Nov. 13, police have said, about eight hours after police believe the killings took place.

Investigators said they linked DNA found on a knife sheath left at the crime scene to Kohberger, who was a PhD student studying criminology at Washington State University, which is just over the state line from the University of Idaho. He was arrested on Dec. 30 at his parents' house in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Investigators have not released a motive for the crime, and the murder weapon, believed to be a fixed-blade knife, has not been recovered, police said.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
A man was arrested in connection with a shooting that left a 14-year-old girl and 5-year-old girl injured earlier this week.

Athens-Clarke police, Gwinnett County police and the Federal Bureau Investigation Safe Streets Task Force arrested 38-year-old Rasheed Scott of Atlanta on Thursday in connection with a shooting.

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Athens-Clarke police responded to a shooting call at a shopping center off 400 North Avenue around 5 p.m. Wednesday.

When officers arrived, they found a 14-year-old girl and a 5-year-old girl injured. Police said the 14-year-old had been shot in the arm. The 5-year-old had an injury to her face.

Officers are working to determine if she was shot or hit by a bullet fragment or piece of glass.

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Paramedics took both girls to a nearby hospital for treatment with non-life-threatening injuries. Police said the 5-year-old was later transported to Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta.

Scott was charged with aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

Authorities have not said what led to the shooting.

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The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Johnson at 762-400-7060.

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Police say a woman sought in the November shooting of her boyfriend in Akron has been found dead near a scrap yard in Canton.

Suzanne Thomas was named as a suspect after her boyfriend Joseph Hall was found with a gunshot wound to the torso after a shooting Nov. 30. Detectives responded to the residence at 1385 Brandon Ave. and pronounced Hall dead at the scene.

Goodyear Heights shooting: Man shot and killed inside home in Akron's Goodyear Heights neighborhood identified

At the time, Thomas was determined to have been involved in Hall's death. Detectives found that the couple had been arguing that evening over a car. Police said warrants were signed that night for Thomas' arrest, but she was never captured.

Her body was found dumped near a scrap yard in Canton on Wednesday according to the Stark County Sheriff's Office.

The cause of death is not yet known, police said. An autopsy is pending.

Police said the actual shooter in Hall's death, Darrell Lee Antwan Buchanan, was arrested Dec. 13 and has been in Summit County jail ever since.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Suspect in November shooting death in Akron found dead in Canton
ROME (AP)  Austrian authorities on Friday handed over to Italy one of the suspected smugglers of the boat which capsized in February off southern Italy in a tragedy that killed 92 migrants, Italian police said.

The suspect, a 27-year-old Turk identified by police as Ufuk Gun, was arrested on March 7 near Graz, Austria.

Prosecutors in Calabria, in the toe of the Italian mainland, are investigating the shipwreck, near the beach town of Cutro. There were 80 survivors, many of whom staggered ashore or were pulled to safety by local residents.

They are also investigating whether the Italian coast guard should have been dispatched hours earlier, in time to prevent the deaths.

After the shipwreck, the conservative government of Premier Giorgia Meloni sharply raised criminal penalties against people smugglers who cause death but denied any blame for the tragedy.

Italian police said in a written statement that authorities arranged for the suspect, sought on a European arrest warrant, to be returned to Italy at the border town of Tarvisio. After formalities, the man will be brought to Crotone, the headquarters of prosecutors near Cutro, for continued investigation, police said.

Survivors had indicated the suspected smugglers to investigators. At the time, a warrant for Gun was issued, court documents indicated his whereabouts as unknown and no lawyer for him was listed.

It's common for smugglers to try to mingle with their passengers in hopes of avoiding arrest, and then attempt to slip out of Italy. Three other suspected smugglers have previously been arrested in the shipwreck investigation.

The boat had set out from Turkey. Afghans, Pakistanis, Iranians, Somalis and Palestinians were among those who paid about 8,000 euros (then $8,700) apiece for the trip, which they hoped would reach Europe so they could find work or reunite with family.

Italy's interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, has dismissed contentions by opposition lawmakers and rights groups that the shipwreck could have been avoided. He argued that the smugglers could have brought the boat to shore hours earlier but deliberately kept it at sea in hopes of avoiding police on shore.

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Just offshore, the boat, rocked by tall waves, slammed into a sandbank, splintering and rapidly taking on water. Bodies washed up on beaches for days afterwards.

Italy decided at first only to send border police boats, which couldn't handle the rough seas, and not coast guard vessels, better equipped for rescue in adverse marine conditions, after the migrant boat was spotted by surveillance aircraft.

At a Cabinet meeting held in Cutro, 11 days after the shipwreck, Meloni and her government had issued a decree establishing a new crime  people smuggling that results in death of migrants  punishable by up to 30 years in prison, an exceptionally stiff sentence for crimes involving facilitating illegal immigration.

Despite the crackdown, the migrants keep coming. Since the start of this year, nearly 40,000 had arrived by Thursday on Italy's southern shores, some four times more that the number of migrants arriving in the same period last year.

The tiny Italian isle of Lampedusa has been struggling to temporarily house many of the migrants, who come ashore either unaided or after rescue by coast guard boats, before they can be sent elsewhere for screening of their asylum bids.

While boats still set out from Libya and Turkey, lately many of the smugglers' precariously constructed vessels are being launched from Tunisia.

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Follow APs coverage of global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
Pausing artificial intelligence development in the U.S. while China continues to advance its own programs would create a risk to Americans, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy told Fox News.

"A temporary pause amongst U.S. companies  if China is actually running forward with it  that doesn't do anything in alleviating the risks of AI," Ramaswamy said in an exclusive interview. "It exacerbates them because Americans are at an even greater risk instead."

China's deployment of AI could pose threats to the U.S., Ramaswamy told Fox News.

Elon Musk and other leaders in the tech industry called for a temporary pause on major AI experiments last month, citing potential risks to society. However, others have suggested that pausing development would only hinder the U.S. and enable China to get ahead in the AI race.

"I do have some concerns with the advancement of AI," Ramaswamy told Fox News. "In the name of helping humanity, AI presents a lot of other risks to humanity that may be difficult to reverse."

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Musk has warned that rapid advancements in AI could significantly impact elections, pose civilizational threats to humanity and could blur truth from reality. Eliezer Yudkowsky, a decision theorist at the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, said the Tesla CEO's warnings aren't dire enough and that AI could push humanity to extinction.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

On Wednesday, Musk met with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who has been developing a high-level framework that outlines new regulations for AI.

AI HAS NO KILL SWITCH, COULD DESTROY' FOUNDATIONS OF SOCIETY WITHOUT GUARDRAILS: EXPERT

But Ramaswamy said keeping a competitive edge over China in AI is crucial.

"It's important as a U.S. president not to apply any constraints to the U.S. that China isn't itself adopting, but to lead diplomatically in a way that we're able to address those risks together," he said. "We can't tie our own hands if China isn't adopting the same constraints."

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The Chinese Communist Party proposed measures earlier this month requiring Chinese AI developers to include socialist values in their products to avoid regime subversion and disrupting social order. If Chinese AI pulls ahead of the U.S. and becomes the standard across the globe, socialist principles could influence other countries, a panel of AI experts warned the Senate last week.

FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WARNS AI COULD DESTROY US IF AMERICA REMAINS DECADES BEHIND THIS CURVE

The U.S. should not pause AI developments as China pushes ahead in the sector, presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said.

Ramaswamy, who founded a multi-billion dollar biotech company, ranks his understanding of AI as high compared to other politicians.

"I have even run a company that used AI to discover and design drugs, even AI in the drug development process," he said.

Recent AI developments have already impacted the medical and pharmaceutical industries, with one study showing that machines read ultrasounds better than humans. A study also found that AI can predict lung cancer in some patients.

Ramaswamy doesn't believe AI is America's greatest threat.

"China represents a much greater risk to the US right now than AI does," he told Fox News. "We have to be eyes wide open to that fact."

To hear more of Ramaswamy's thoughts on AI, click here.
TAIPEI (Reuters) - A new type of Chinese combat drone that China's state media says can carry a heavy weapons payload has flown around Taiwan, the island's defence ministry said on Friday, in the latest uptick in military tensions.

China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has increased military pressure on the island over the past three years as it tries to force Taipei to accept Beijing's sovereignty claims.

This month China staged war games around Taiwan after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met in Los Angeles with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Taiwan's defence ministry, in its daily update of Chinese military activities from the previous 24 hours, said 19 military aircraft had entered the island's air defence identification zone.

One of those aircraft was a TB-001 drone, which flew around Taiwan, first crossing the Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan from the Philippines, then up the east of Taiwan before crossing back toward the Chinese coast, according to a map provided by the ministry.

Chinese state media has referred to the TB-001 as the "twin-tailed scorpion" and has shown pictures of it with missiles under its wings, saying it is capable of high altitude, long-range missions.

China's air force has flown what it calls "island encirclement" missions with the nuclear-capable H-6 bomber.

No shots were fired and Chinese aircraft have not flown in Taiwan's airspace. The air defence identification zone, or ADIZ, is a broader area Taiwan monitors and patrols to give its forces more time to respond to threats.

Chinese military aircraft have since last year regularly crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which normally serves as an unofficial barrier between the two sides, though China says it does not recognise this.

Taiwan's government rejects China's sovereignty claims and says only the island's people can decide their future.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
The decision to ban Afghan women from working for the United Nations was an "internal social matter", the country's Taliban authorities said Friday, a day after the UN Security Council demanded they overturn the ruling.

The Security Council resolution passed unanimously by all 15 Council members on Thursday said a ban on women working for the world body and NGOs in Afghanistan "undermines human rights and humanitarian principles".

It urged "all States and organisations to use their influence" to "promote an urgent reversal of these policies and practices".

On Friday, however, the Afghan Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying the resolution failed to respect the country's "sovereign choices".

"We remain committed to ensuring all rights of Afghan women while emphasizing that diversity must be respected and not politicized," it said.

"This is an internal social matter of Afghanistan that does not impact outside states."

Since ousting the foreign-backed government and returning to power in August 2021, Taliban authorities have imposed an austere version of sharia that the United Nations has labelled "gender-based apartheid".

Women have been barred from most secondary education and universities, prevented from working in most government jobs as well as NGOs and blocked from public spaces such as gyms and parks.

Earlier Friday, a senior Taliban leader warned the UN Security Council to give up its "failed policy of pressure".

"Any position adopted, that is not based upon a deep understanding wont give the desired results and will always be ineffective," said Anas Haqqani, a senior leader in the Taliban movement but with no official government role.

- 'Collective punishment' -

The foreign ministry statement said the government welcomed parts of the resolution -- including "the principle of Afghan-led and Afghan-owned right to self-determination".

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But it insisted that the humanitarian crisis was man-made and driven by economic restrictions.

"The reality is that this ongoing crisis can only be resolved by the removal of restrictions on the country," the statement said.

At the UN on Thursday, Russian ambassador Vasily Nebenzia criticised the text of the resolution despite signing it.

"We seriously regret and are disappointed that steps and a more ambitious approach and texts were blocked by Western colleagues," he said.

"If you're so sincere, why not return the assets you've stolen from the country and without any preconditions," he said, referring to the $7 billion in Afghan central bank assets frozen by the United States after the Taliban government seized power.

The United States announced in September the creation of a fund based in Switzerland to manage half the money.

Amnesty International welcomed the Security Council resolution but said on Friday it "fell short of setting out concrete steps" that member states should take to help restore the rights of women and girls -- and to hold Afghanistan's rulers accountable.

The United Nations announced on April 4 that the Taliban authorities had banned Afghan women from working in its offices countrywide, several months after an edict was issued against Afghan women working for NGOs.

The move sparked wide opprobrium as well as a UN review of its Afghanistan operations, which is to last until May 5.

The world body has stressed "the dire economic and humanitarian situation" in Afghanistan, as well as the "critical importance of a continued presence" of the UN mission in Afghanistan and other UN agencies.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has organised a meeting in Doha next week with envoys from various countries to "reinvigorate the international engagement around the common objectives for a durable way forward on the situation in Afghanistan".

bur-ecl-fox/pbt
A teenager accused of killing a motorist after throwing a rock through the windshield of her car allegedly took a photograph as a memento of the crime, say authorities.

Three high school students have been charged with the murder of Alexa Bartell, 20, when her vehicle and a string of other cars were struck by landscaping rocks in Colorado.

Joseph Koenig, Nicholas Mitch Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak, who are all 18, were arrested on Tuesday on charges of first-degree murder and extreme indifference, according to the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office.

Mr Karol-Chik told investigators that after the rock hit Bartells car, Mr Kwak, who allegedly threw the rock, told the others We have to go back and see that, according to an arrest affidavit.

The group then circled back and Mr Koenig slowed down so that Mr Kwak could take a picture of Bartells car, prosecutors say.

Joe slowed the vehicle so that Zach could take a photo of it. Mitch noted that he felt a hint of guilt, the court document said.

When asked by police why he had taken a photograph, Mr Kwak told them that he thought Joseph or Mitch would want it as a memento.

The affidavit states that after the photograph was taken, Mr Koenig and Mr Kwak spoke about being blood brothers and that they could never speak of this incident again.

Mr Karol-Chik told investigators that he and Mr Kwak both collected rocks, and that all three of them threw rocks at moving cars, the affidavit said.

He stated that he and Mr Koenig have been involved in throwing objects since at least February on ten separate days.

Mr Karol-Chik also told police that the group had felt excited when the rocks hit the cars.

Officials say Bartell was on the phone with a friend when the incident happened. The friend tracked her phone and found Bartell dead inside the car, which had come to a stop in a field.

Officials say that in the hour before Bartell was struck and killed, six other cars in the area had rocks thrown at them, and two other motorists suffered minor injuries.

The suspects appeared via Zoom before First Judicial District Judge Mark Randall in Jefferson County Court on Thursday. They did not enter pleas and will be in court on 3 May.

All three remain held without bail.
Atlanta Police arrested a 17-year-old on Thursday in connection with the murder of Black transgender woman Rasheed Williams, who was featured in the Sundance Film Festival documentary "Kokomo City" in January 2023.

Williams, 35, who performed under the stage name Koko Da Doll, was found shot to death in southwest Atlanta on April 18, according to police. She "was not alert, conscious or breathing, and pronounced deceased on scene," a statement from the Atlanta Police Department read.

Atlanta Police said homicide detectives were able to secure arrest warrants for murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm against 17-year-old Jermarcus Jernigan, who is being charged as an adult under Georgia law.

"On April 26, 2023, Mr. Jernigan turned himself in at the Zone 1 Precinct," a separate police statement said. The statement confirmed that Jernigan was transported to the Fulton County Jail and placed into custody without incident.

While the police statement did not identify Williams, "Kokomo City" director D. Smith wrote on Instagram that the victim was Williams.

"On Tuesday night, Rasheeda Williams was shot and killed in Atlanta. Rasheeda, aka Koko Da Doll, was the latest victim of violence against Black transgender women," Smith wrote on Instagram. "I created Kokomo City because I wanted to show the fun, humanized, natural side of Black trans women. I wanted to create images that didn't show the trauma or the statistics of murder of Transgender lives."

The Atlanta Police Department noted in its statement that it was "actively investigating three violent crimes involving transgender women this year."

It added, "While these individual incidents are unrelated, we are very aware of the epidemic-level violence black and brown transgender women face in America."

The department told CBS News that it was not able to release further information about the incident at this time.

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Teens accused of killing Alexa Bartell make court appearances

Woman whose claims led to Emmett Till's lynching dies at 88

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A teenager is dead after high-speed chase near Upatoi that ended in a car crash, Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan told the Ledger-Enquirer on Friday.

Bryan identified the victim as 19-year-old Andrew Miles Hardie.

The chase occurred after troopers attempted to stop the car on State Route 22 (Macon Road) in Talbot County for traffic violations around 9:49 p.m. Thursday, according to the Georgia State Patrol.

GSP said the driver continued driving west weaving in and out of traffic at high speed.

The driver eventually lost control of the vehicle and drove into the median striking several trees before re-entering the eastbound lanes of State Route 22 striking an 18-wheeler, according to a GSP statement.

GSP said the front seat passenger of the suspects car was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the vehicle and the rear seat passenger received serious injuries and were transported by EMS to Piedmont Midtown Hospital, according to GSP. The driver of the tractor-trailer was taken to the hospital complaining of a head injury, GSP said.

This story is ongoing and will be updated as new information becomes available.
Three Colorado teens accused of throwing rocks and other objects at cars and killing a 20-year-old woman allegedly circled back to take a "memento" picture of her car after it drove off the road, CBS Colorado reported. The revelation came in court documents released Thursday.

Joseph Koenig, Nicholas "Mitch" Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak, all of whom are 18 and were living in the Denver suburb of Arvada, were arrested at their homes overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday. They are charged with first-degree murder with extreme indifference in the death of Alexa Bartell, who police said was killed after a rock thrown by the teens went threw her windshield and struck her.

Investigators said that Karol-Chik told them that Koenig was driving while Kwak was the one throwing the rocks. After Kwak allegedly threw the rock that hit Bartell, he said to the other two, "We have to go back and see that," according to CBS Colorado.

Kwak told investigators that he then took a picture of Bartell's car, saying that one of them might want it for a "memento," CBS Colorado reported. Kwak also admitted to being the one throwing the rocks, according to CBS Colorado.

Bartell, also of Arvada, was on the phone with a friend when she was struck, officials said. The phone went silent, and Bartell's friend was able to find her by tracking the phone, police said. The friend found Bartell fatally injured in her car, which had driven off the road and into a field, the sheriff's office said.

The arrest affidavit also said the teens had been throwing rocks and other heavy objects at cars since at least February. On the night Bartell was killed, several other rock-throwing incidents linked to the three suspects occurred as well. Two other drivers suffered minor injuries.

According to the affidavit, a witness said he had been with the three teens in the parking lot of a local Walmart the night Bartell was killed, CBS Colorado reported. The witness said the suspects were loading landscaping rocks into a pickup truck, CBS Colorado reported. The witness said he did not get in the truck with them, according to the documents.

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All three suspects are being held without bond. They are due back in court Wednesday.

Teens accused of killing Alexa Bartell make court appearances

U.S. consumer spending still strong despite slowing GDP, expert says

Woman whose claims led to Emmett Till's lynching dies at 88
SAO PAULO (AP)  Telegram's CEO said Thursday that the social media company will appeal a Brazilian judge's decision to block access to its platform in Brazil for failing to hand over data on neo-Nazi activity. He claimed compliance was technologically impossible. In a statement posted to his Telegram account, Pavel Durov said that when local laws or unfeasible requirements counter his company's mission  to preserve privacy and freedom of speech around the world  it sometimes has to quit markets.

Telegram has been blocked in the past by governments, including Iran, China and Russia, while in the latter country. Kremlin partisans have employed it as a digital weapon in President Vladimir Putin's war of conquest in Ukraine.

Durov said the Brazilian federal judge who ordered the suspension Wednesday requested data that is technologically impossible for us to obtain. He claimed to be defending Brazilian users' "right to private communication but did not elaborate.

Telegram users can post publicly to channels they create or join  or communicate privately. The company says secret chats between individual users can be encrypted.

United Arab Emirates-based Telegrams press office did not respond to questions emailed by The Associated Press or sent via the app to a company media representative.

In addition ordering the blocking of Telegram, which Brazilian internet providers and wireless carriers enforced, the judge set a daily fine of about $200,000 for noncompliance. Durov did not say whether Telegram intends to pay.

The ruling from a federal court in Espirito Santo state said the facts shown by police authorities show a clear purpose of Telegram of not cooperating with the investigation. Police are especially keen on Telegram content related to school violence.

The development comes as Brazil grapples with a wave of school attacks, including one in November in which a man with a swastika pinned to his vest shot four people to death and wounded 12 in the small town of Aracruz in Espirito Santo state.

Brazil's federal government has strived to stamp out school violence with a particular focus on the supposedly nefarious influence of social media.

Last year, a Brazilian Supreme Court justice ordered a nationwide shutdown of Telegram, arguing it had repeatedly ignored requests for cooperation. After five days of blockage, Telegram apologized, claiming not to have received the court's communications.
Texas conservatives and activists are due to hold a rally at the state capitol on Saturday to call for tougher border measures to stop the influx of drugs and migrants into the U.S. at the southern border  including a new bill to create a Texas Border Protection Unit.

The "How Many More? rally in Austin, Texas, is being held to highlight the ongoing crisis at the southern border, now into its third year, and the devastation it has caused  and to call on state lawmakers to take further action to combat the crisis. Speakers at the event include Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, former Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan, Goliad County Sheriff Roy Boyd, activists tackling the fentanyl crisis, and victims of the ongoing crisis at the border.

Specifically, they are calling for the passage of House Bill 20 that would create a Texas Border Protection Unit, which would have the ability to "repel" illegal immigrants back to Mexico if they are caught crossing the southern border.

BIDEN ADMIN TO SET UP PROCESSING CENTERS IN LATIN AMERICA AS TITLE 42 SET TO EXPIRE

Texas conservatives and activists are due to hold a rally at the state capitol on Saturday to call for tougher border measures to stop the influx of drugs and migrants into the U.S. at the southern border.

It would mark the latest in a series of tough actions by the state in response to the yearslong migrant crisis. Texas has been at the forefront of that crisis, which regularly sees hundreds of thousands of migrant encounters at the southern border each month. Numbers are expected to spike once the Title 42 public health order, which allows for the rapid expulsion of migrants at the border, ends in a few weeks. While the administration says it is stiffening penalties for those entering the U.S. illegally, officials have also said they expect a surge in migration once the order ends on May 11.

Mark Meckler, president of the Convention of States Project and rally organizer, said he was disturbed by people talking about how it would require a change in presidential administrations to change the situation at the border.

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"I just started to get sick to my stomach because basically what we're talking about is that we're all going to wait around another couple of years until there will be another 150,000 or so people dead from fentanyl overdoses, Lord knows how many more young girls raped and sold into sexual slavery, our ranchers being overrun, the cartels controlling the border, all of this stuff continuing on for two years," he said.

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"And the question came up, well, is that the only solution? Is that really what we have to do? Is it resigned to that kind of mayhem for the next two years? And it just didn't seem like that's the way we ought to proceed," he said.

BIDEN ADMIN WARNS MIGRANTS THAT ENTER ILLEGALLY WILL RESULT IN REMOVAL' AMID FEARS OF POST-TITLE 42 SURGE

Texas has surged resources to the border under the enormous Operation Lone Star, has bussed migrants to liberal "sanctuary" cities, and in November, Abbott invoked the invasion clause to allow state forces to expel migrants.

MEXICO MIGRANT CAMP TENTS SET ABLAZE ACROSS TEXAS BORDER

But the new bill would create the new unit  the Border Protection Unit  to arrest, detain and return illegal immigrants to Mexico. It would also make officers in that unit immune from criminal and civil liability.

Meckler said that bill is not about immigration law but about stemming an ongoing invasion at the border.

"We're saying there is an invasion, appropriately declaring an invasion, and we expect the governor and the legislature to put the forces in place to repel that invasion," he said.

He said the rally was planned long before it was decided that Title 42 would end on May 11, but he says it is appropriate.

"We're about to see all heck break loose on our southern border," he said. "2.5 million people are estimated to have been kept out of the country by the imposition of Title 42. And when that goes away, it's going to be crazy down on the border. So, I just think the timing is perfect and God has a plan."
Photo: Tamir Kalifa (Getty Images)

Texass Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday that would allow locally-elected prosecutors to be removed from office if they refuse to enforce anti-abortion laws. The Texas Tribune reports that House Bill 17 is a response to elected district and county attorneys in Texas large, left-leaning counties who have said they will not enforce the states abortion laws or pursue election fraud cases.

The purpose of this bill is to eliminate politics from prosecution, State Rep. David Cook (R) said on the House floor Thursday.

Read more

Per the Tribune:

Elected prosecutors cannot be impeached by the Legislature or face recall elections. They can be removed only after the filing of a removal petition that accuses the district attorney of incompetency, official misconduct or intoxication. If they are found guilty by a jury, a district judge can order them removed from office.

The move comes as Republican state legislatures increasingly use authoritarian tactics to mute their opposition. In Montana, Republican lawmakers have silenced a Democratic trans legislator for the rest of the session because she spoke out against an anti-trans bill. In Nebraska, an attorney filed an ethics complaint against a Democratic lawmaker who filibustered an anti-trans bill, bogusly arguing that she stands to benefit from killing the bill because her son is trans. In Tennessee, Republicans voted to expel two Democratic lawmakers for joining in student protests for gun safety laws following a mass shooting at an elementary school.

Texas prosecutors have said that being pressured to enforce anti-abortion laws vacuums resources away from being able to investigate and prosecute things like mass shootings.

We are very focused on holding accountable people who commit acts of violence in our community, Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza told the Texas Tribune. Pulling resources away from that to focus on this kind of case would be reckless and endanger the safety of our community.

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Texas State Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos (D) also spoke out against the Texas bill earlier this month: It is very clear what Texans are saying: They want to choose who their district attorney is, she said. What they dont want is a grandstanding legislator to say No, we are not going to allow you to have thisvoice.

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Thai authorities have charged a woman with premeditated murder in connection with the deaths of at least 13 people, including her ex-boyfriend and two female police officers.

Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, who is married to a senior police officer, was arrested on Tuesday after authorities were alerted about the suspicious death of a friend she had traveled with on April 14.

Rangsiwuthaporn had reportedly been traveling with her friend, Siriporn Khanwong, to take part in a Buddhist ritual at a river in Ratchaburi province, located west of Bangkok, when Khanwong collapsed and died on the riverbank. When her body was found, her belongings, such as her phone, money and bags, were missing.

The suspicious nature of Khanwong's death prompted her family to ask local authorities for an investigation, during which an autopsy found traces of cyanide in her body.

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The police interviewed witnesses, including Rangsiwuthaporn's police officer husband, who had recently broken up with her. Police said they found cyanide at the suspects home as well as other pieces of evidence inside her Toyota Forerunner.

Cyanide, which can induce heart attacks and starve the body's cells of oxygen, can still be detected in bodies several months after a persons death depending on the used amount. The substance is heavily regulated in Thailand, where unauthorized access can result in up to two years in jail.

Police said that their investigation points to Rangsiwuthaporn having allegedly killed at least 12 other people by poisoning between 2020 and 2023.

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While the authorities did not identify all the victims, they named Rangsiwuthaporn's former boyfriend, as well as two female police officers, as among them.

The other victims, who died over several years and were allegedly similarly poisoned, reportedly knew the suspect and may have loaned her money. One victim, who survived but vomited and fainted after having lunch with Rangsiwuthaporn, had lent her 250,000 baht (approximately $7,300).

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Relatives of her other alleged victims had claimed to have jewelry and cash missing as well.

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''If the evidence shows she has committed other murders, then the suspect will fit the description of a serial killer,'' Major General Montri Theskha, chief of the Crime Suppression Division, was quoted as saying.

However, authorities noted that gathering further evidence could be a hurdle since at the time of many of the victims deaths, no one suspected any foul play. Some of the victims bodies had already been cremated.

Rangsiwuthaporn, who is currently four months pregnant, has denied all charges against her. Her request for bail has been denied.

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As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis prepares to jump into the presidential race, a growing number of supporters say he is sorely in need of a change in strategy if hes to have any chance of defeating Donald Trump for the GOP nomination.

They point to his drop in the polls, his lack of outreach to potential supporters who have instead backed Trump and the policy issues he has focused on. Hes spending his time battling one of the largest employers in the state, moving to the right on abortion and cleaning up verbal missteps on the war in Ukraine.

But inside DeSantis world, theres no plan for a course correction on messaging or a broad strategy that puts culture wars front and center.

That confidence may best be highlighted by DeSantis' doubling down on his fight with Walt Disney World, a politically powerful company that had long been allied with Republicans in the state. More broadly, though, DeSantis insistence on centering his political identity as the governor most eager to wage a range of culture war fights has some supporters concerned  and a handful of large donors turned off.

Interviews with more than a dozen donors, elected officials and people close to his organization reveal that, while not a universal perspective, there is a frustrated contingent of Republicans who were open or excited about a DeSantis candidacy but fear the door is closing  in large part because of recent policy decisions  and who see no change in strategy from DeSantis. Many of them spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak frankly.

I think hes in trouble, said Ron Gidwitz, a major GOP fundraiser who served as the National Republican Senatorial Committees finance chair and was a Trump-era ambassador but is undecided for 2024. Theres a lot of people that are concerned about DeSantis  and Trump for that matter. Theyd like to have an alternative to Trump that can win. But is DeSantis the person?

Some of the stuff that hes been doing recently doesnt sit all that terribly well with donors, he said, adding, This craziness with Walt Disney  I mean, how do you get into a fight with Mickey Mouse?

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A person with knowledge of the DeSantis operations described struggles in mastering interpersonal skills, building up an operation and focusing on effective policy messages.

Complaints are streaming in from donors who feel brushed off by DeSantis or left in the lurch after they are asked to assemble a fundraising event but then never hear back from someone in his circle. Trump is proving to be far more adept at winning early endorsements with his personal touch, wooing them with calls and personal meetings.

Theyre pushing back the ocean with a broom that person with knowledge said of the DeSantis team. People want to feel valued and appreciated. Theres none of that emotion there.

Some of the organizational problems may work themselves out once DeSantis launches a campaign. Right now, for example, theres a struggle to nail down hires, but that should get easier next month when there is a formal operation.

Many people see the bad news that is swirling around the campaign and get the sense there should be a course correction, said a veteran Florida political operative who supports DeSantis running for president. There seems to be a disconnect with the inner circle where they think everyone is fine, and in the end its not.

Some of DeSantis backers are encouraging him to launch his exploratory committee as soon as May 11, so that he can start building up his infrastructure quicker, while others in his orbit say that is too soon.

DeSantis policy problems began last month, when he said that Ukraine was not a vital national interest and that the war there was simply a territorial dispute. He later changed his tune after criticism from members of his own party.

More recently, DeSantis quietly signed a six-week abortion ban into law, even though many Republicans believe moving so far to the right on the issue has hurt the party.

Billionaire GOP donor Thomas Peterffy told the Financial Times this month that he was putting his backing of DeSantis on hold because of his policies on abortion and book bans, then wrote a $1 million check to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is being talked about for a 2024 presidential run.

Ken Griffin, a Republican megadonor who gave DeSantis state-level political committee $10 million, is also considering shifting support in the 2024 Republican primary after DeSantis statement on Ukraine and his signing the abortion ban, The New York Times reported Tuesday. A source with knowledge of Griffins thinking confirmed to NBC News that he was re-evaluating his support and expressed concerns over those two issues. Griffin has been one of DeSantis biggest donors over his two terms as Florida governor.

GOP donor and Never Trumper Bill Kunkler said he was desperately looking for an alternative to Trump, but DeSantis actions on immigration  including a move to fly migrants to Martha Vineyard  soured him on the governor.

I would vote for him over Joe Biden, but Ive worked for nine years on immigration reform  hes pretty despicable on that subject, said Kunkler, executive vice president of CC Industries, who has now turned to No Labels, a group aimed at supporting a third- party candidate, to seek an alternative.

In the absence of a campaign, the super PAC Never Back Down has been providing air cover, resources and political backup for DeSantis. It has already raised $30 million, which the group holds up as a clear sign of DeSantis grassroots appeal. Never Back Down pushed back on the contention that DeSantis needs to change gears when he isnt even a presidential contender  yet.

I just reject the premise that there needs to be anything other than what the governor is doing, which is what he said he would do, which is end the legislative session and then make considerations after that, said Erin Perrine, spokeswoman for the super PAC. Everything else is D.C. noise because what were seeing on the ground  that grassroots movement  its not reflected.

The group has hired organizers in the four early states, sent out mailers and is airing television ads. Its looking to grow more granular and recruit DeSantis supporters in those states on the county level, according to a source with Never Back Down. It also is aggressively pushing back on social media attacks from Trump and beyond.

Jeff Boeyink, a onetime chief of staff and campaign aide to former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, said he is organizing for DeSantis on the ground in Iowa, including talking to state legislators and others who are ready to jump on board the DeSantis campaign as soon as he launches.

Im getting a lot of enthusiasm, theres a lot of anxiousness, waiting for him to announce, Boeyink said. Iowa is ripe  theres a lot of interest in an alternative to President Trump.

Supporters of the double-down strategy say its smart not to deviate from the blueprint that helped build DeSantis national rise. They see the early aggression from Trump as a school yard bully-type tactic from someone who is afraid to get punched in the nose when DeSantis becomes a formal candidate.

Trumps plan is to kill Rons chances before he gets in, said a Republican state lawmaker who supports DeSantis and requested anonymity to speak freely about political strategy. It is not working.

There is also a confidence among DeSantis backers in his internal political radar, which in large part helped him defy political gravity in 2018 when he beat Republican Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, who was supported by the entire GOP establishment in that years primary for governor.

In 2018, the entire political apparatus was telling the world the reasons DeSantis couldnt beat Adam Putnam, said a veteran Florida lobbyist who supports DeSantis running for president. DeSantis was undeterred by the noise then, and hes just going to be undeterred now. He has a plan, and hes going to continue to work that plan.

For all the criticism people can make of him, they have yet to point to an example when his political acumen has been wrong, the person added. From his first election until now, he has been told reasons he cannot win, and each time he has found a way to get it done.

To date, much of the DeSantis plan has been to focus on the culture war issues that have fueled his rise.

He has gained an intense national conservative following by stacking Floridas administrative bureaucracy with appointees opposed to things like gender-affirming care for transgender minors and Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Programs, and he has directed his education department to review books in school libraries that opponents have framed as book bans.

DeSantis most high-profile fight has been a yearlong battle with the Walt Disney Co. that gives the clearest example that hes not going to take a different tack despite the criticism.

The governors feud started after the politically powerful company issued a statement in March 2022 opposing DeSantis-backed legislation that banned the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in classrooms up until third grade. Opponents branded that proposal Dont Say Gay, and said it would have a detrimental impact on LGBTQ students.

The Disney fight has escalated in recent months after DeSantis convinced a GOP-dominated Legislature to pass a bill allowing him to appoint members to a board that runs a special governing district overseeing Disney operations. That boards recent actions, including trying to nullify an agreement the old board had with the company, prompted Disney to file a federal lawsuit that has further intensified the feud.

DeSantis continues to lean into the issue and dismissed Disneys suit as political this week.

What made DeSantis appealing to a number of Republicans is that he seemed like a conservative who could get through a general election and appeal to a broader swath of voters than Trump. But Gidwitz worries that with a dealbreaker like the six-week abortion ban, DeSantis is pursuing a losing path.

We lost congressional seats over Roe v. Wade in 2022, Gidwitz said of the Supreme Court overturning the landmark abortion case. Politics is a game of addition, not subtraction.  We dont need to alienate both pro-choice Republican women or libertarian Republican women who would like to not have the government make that decision for them.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Three North Carolina destinations boast some of the cleanest air in the United States, a new report finds.

Asheville joins Greenville and Wilmington on a list of metro areas that have the lowest air pollution levels, according to results published April 19.

To create the list, the American Lung Association said it considered 922 counties with available data. Using figures from air quality monitors across the country, analysts considered ozone pollution  also called smog  as well as short-term and year-round particle pollution, which consists of smoke, dust or other tiny specks in the air.

A city must experience no high ozone or particle pollution days and rank among the 25 cities with the lowest year-round particle pollution levels, the lung association wrote in a news release, noting that only seven places in the United States met the criteria to be named the Cleanest Cities.

About one-third of North Carolinas 100 counties had enough data to be graded in at least one air quality category.

Of those, most got A grades for ozone pollution, while the Charlotte-area counties of Union and Mecklenburg received a C and an F, respectively. Several counties also scored top marks for particle pollution, though Forsyth  home to Winston-Salem  and Mecklenburg earned Cs in that category, results show.

As we can see from this years report data, there is much work to be done in Charlotte to improve our air quality, Danna Thompson, the organizations director for advocacy for North Carolina, wrote in a release. Even one poor air quality day is one too many for our residents at highest risk, such as children, older adults, pregnant people and those living with chronic disease.

Meanwhile, Asheville and Greenville are newcomers to the Cleanest Cities list, and Wilmington has received the honor before. Though the Wilmington area ranks low for air pollution, it sits on the Cape Fear River, which is known for high levels of chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which have unknown health effects in people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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On the most recent list, North Carolina was the only state to have multiple places in the top seven cleanest metros. When asked for insight into why the state was home to three areas with the least pollution, the American Lung Association told McClatchy News in an email that the answer was beyond the scope of its report.

Overall, many of the cities that were named the worst for air pollution were in California. The the rest of the top seven cleanest metros  which werent listed in ranking order  included:

Bangor, Maine

Lincoln-Beatrice, Nebraska

Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, New York

Urban Honolulu, Hawaii

Despite efforts to reduce ozone pollution, 120 million people still live in places with unhealthy air pollution, and not all communities are seeing improvements. This is why it is crucial to continue our efforts to ensure that every person in the U.S. has clean air to breathe, wrote Harold Wimmer, national president and CEO of the lung association.

The best place to live? This county tops the list in North Carolina, new rankings show

Two North Carolina cities rank among nations hot spots for retirees. Heres why
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.  About a year ago, the Space Force established a combined program office to ensure that the three Pentagon agencies building the next generation of missile warning and tracking satellites were functioning as a cohesive unit.

So far, according to officials, the arrangement has worked.

Space Force Col. Brian Denaro, Space Systems Commands program executive officer for space sensing, and Army Col. Alex Rasmussen, program manager for the Space Development Agencys second tranche of missile tracking satellites, told C4ISRNET that without regular collaboration with their respective teams and their counterparts at the Missile Defense Agency, they would likely have faced unexpected development challenges.

Within the combined program office construct, the agencies meet weekly through an integration working group to share technical information. They also convene quarterly summits to troubleshoot any challenges theyre facing and prioritize and assign tasks for the working group.

There are absolutely things we would be missing, Denaro said in an interview this month at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo. Those groups have ferreted those things out and helped us get after them.

The Pentagons space acquisition offices have struggled in the past to agree on their roles and align their work to avoid duplication  particularly within the space-based missile warning mission area. Lawmakers and watchdogs including the Government Accountability Office have criticized the departments lack of coordination, particularly between the Missile Defense Agency and the Space Development Agency, which are developing sensors to track hypersonic missiles.

Last year, the Space Forces program integration council  which includes officials from Space Systems Command, the National Reconnaissance Office, MDA and the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office  approved a strategy for the Defense Departments future space-based missile warning satellites and ground systems.

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The strategy calls for a new approach to detecting and tracking missile threats from space, a mission the Space Force has traditionally conducted from geosynchronous orbit, roughly 22,000 miles above Earth. As Russia and China develop hypersonic missiles that can maneuver and travel at Mach 5 or faster, the strategy calls for improving U.S. defenses against those weapons by launching smaller satellites to more diverse orbits.

It also endorsed the creation of the combined program office and clarified responsibility for various elements of the architecture.

Under the strategy, the Space Development Agency is responsible for fielding smaller satellites that will reside in low Earth orbit, about 1,200 miles above the planet. Space Systems Command will continue to develop the GEO layer as well as a medium Earth orbit constellation, which will reside between LEO and GEO. The organization is also leading efforts to build a ground control segment that integrates systems from the three agencies.

MDA, meanwhile, is developing medium-field-of-view sensors through its Hypersonic Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor program, or HBTSS. The sensors are designed track dimmer missile targets and send data to interceptors. The agencys role is to demonstrate the capability, which the Space Force will ultimately take over and incorporate into the broader missile tracking constellation.

Denaro and Rasmussen said the regular working group meetings and summits have not only helped clarify roles among the agencies, but theyve created a venue for them to learn from one another. For example, Rasmussen said that as MDA plans to launch its HBTSS satellites later this year and begins testing the capabilities in orbit, SDA will collect data from those demonstrations and opt to either integrate the sensors with its future satellites or continue to refine the technology.

Even if HBTSS doesnt end up in part of the future tranches, all that tech that they learned, all of that stuff that we were able to do in the demo, its absolutely advancing our mission, Rasmussen said.

MDA officials have also indicated improved collaboration with the Space Force. In a March 14 budget briefing, the agencys director, Vice Adm. Jon Hill, said the combined program office is helping the teams avoid redundance and duplication.

Denaro said because of the summits, SDA and SSC decided to co-fund technologies that both agencies will need for their pieces of the program. This includes capabilities like focal planes, which satellites use to collect real-time imagery, and crosslinks, which allow systems to communicate.

The collaboration has also helped address common supply chain issues. Over the next five years, the agencies plan to launch more than 100 missile tracking satellites combined, which means they need to be aware of any vulnerabilities within their supply base, Denaro said.

Were absolutely looking at the supply chain to make sure that . . . the supply chain is not a weak link in the chain, if you will, and that weve anticipated any potential disruptions or concerns on the supply side, he said.

Rasmussen said the coordination among the agencies also helps industry view their work from an enterprise level and have a better sense of the various opportunities to compete for development contracts.

He said SDA and SSC have deliberately staggered their schedules, which makes competition consistent and predictable.

That really tells industry, Hey, make the investments. You know were going to compete this. You know were going to compete every tranche, he said.
EXCLUSIVE: Big cat wrangler and "Tiger King" star Joe Exotic says drug sentences should be capped at three years and that a "two-party" criminal justice system in the U.S. is unfair to the accused as he challenges President Biden to a debate on the issue.

Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also told Fox News Digital in a phone call from the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, that he is innocent of the attempted murder-for-hire charges and animal abuse for which he is serving a 21-year federal sentence.

Exotic, now 60, was convicted in 2019 on charges that included trying to hire an undercover FBI agent as a hit man to kill his Netflix series rival Carole Baskin.

Behind bars, Exotic said he gets nearly all news from the outside over the radio or via email.

TIGER KING' JOE EXOTIC: SOMEONE HAS TO ASK QUESTIONS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WORK THEIR BUTTS OFF IN OUR COUNTRY

"It's not a fair system," Exotic said. "It's a two-party justice system."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

He claimed that the system treats criminals more leniently in Democrat-controlled states  and too harshly in Republican ones.

"It doesn't matter, if I'm in Oklahoma, and I get sentenced by a Republican judge, I'm going to jail forever," Exotic said. "If I get a sentence in, you know, New York, by a Democratic federal judge, I'm out in three."

CAROLE BASKIN SAYS HOUSE PASSING BIG CAT PUBLIC SAFETY ACT IS 'ONLY SILVER LINING TO TIGER KING'

He argued that plea bargains unfairly result in longer prison terms for low-income defendants than those who can afford private attorneys.

"The poor people of this country are being blackmailed to plea bargain out," Exotic said. "Use my case as an example. They indicted me with one charge to start with. OK, and I didn't want to plead guilty because I didn't do anything. So I asked for a trial  just like the Constitution says, I have a right to a fair trial. The minute you ask for that trial, they superseded me with 20 more charges."

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He also claimed a profit motive encourages holding more inmates for longer periods and that sentences are too stiff to begin with.

"Sentencing guidelines is screwed up," he said. "I got sentenced by the same guidelines, as a 55-year-old man that has never been in trouble, as an 18-year-old who just robbed a bank  so I got no credit for being a not even a speeding ticket in 55 years."

In federal courts, the guidelines are the same across the country, and criminal history does play a role.

In 2021, Exotic had a year shaved off his sentence after an appeal arguing that sentencing guidelines had not been properly followed in his case.

"You should shut down and forget the war on drugs because you're never going to keep drugs out of America with an open border  or even if it's a closed border  between the crooked cops, the drones, the boats, the smugglers," he said. "You can't keep drugs out of a five-acre, fenced-in federal prison. How the hell are you going to keep them out of America?"

Along with ending the war on drugs, he argued nonviolent drug offenders should get clemency after no more "than three years."

"This is nothing but a cesspool of corruption," he said of the federal prison system. "And if you don't arrive here as a drug addict, the chances are you're going to leave as a drug addict."

TIGER KING STAR JOE EXOTIC BOOKS STRETCH LIMOUSINE, EXPECTING PARDON FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP

Exotic, who said he is running for president as a Democrat from behind bars, also challenged President Biden to a debate. He has previously said he was running as a Libertarian.

"President Biden just announced that he's now going to run for a second term," he said. "I'm legitimately a Democratic candidate, and I challenge him to debate me face-to-face on his failed promises of his last election that he was going to do prison and justice reform."

KIM KARDASHIAN LEADS YOUNG INFLUENCERS ON LOS ANGELES PRISON TRIP TO RAISE CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM AWARENESS

Exotic blasted his own stalled appeal and the conditions of his incarceration, and claimed that guards tied him down in a chair for so long "the skin came off my arms."

Carole Baskin, founder and CEO of Big Cat Rescue, arrives for a meeting with Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on March 2, 2022.

He claimed his prosecution came to "further an agenda" and pass the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which was signed into law in December.

After activists and celebrities successfully lobbied for that new law, he argued, high-profile advocates for criminal justice reform should do more in their push for results there.

Exotic singled out Instagram and reality mega star Kim Kardashian, asking for her to look into his case while arguing that she has more influence than the past two presidents. He said her recent trip to a California prison alongside a group of young influencers and the REFORM Alliance, a group focused on parole and probation improvements, prompted him to speak out on criminal justice reform himself.

Kim Kardashian, Michael Rubin and REFORM Alliances Future Shapers Advisory Council visit a California state prison.

"Either shut the hell up or jump in with both feet," he advised. "Our lives are not a hobby. The system is broken and it's so corrupt."

Kardashian famously lobbied former President Donald Trump on several criminal justice reform measures, including the First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill that Trump signed in 2018.

WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP ACT? 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM LAW

However, Exotic previously criticized Trump's efforts on the issue, telling Fox News Digital last month that they amounted to "nothing."

"Let's see if Kim can use her 85 million followers to influence the political spectrum of this country to step up and do some criminal justice reform," he said. "She has more followers on just her Instagram alone than both President Trump combined."

As of Friday, Trump has 23.4 million, Biden has 17.5 million and Kardashian actually has a whopping 353 million, larger than the population of the U.S.

Exotic also offered a health update.

He said that the prostate cancer he was treated for seven months spanning 2021 and 2022 is in remission, but that he is currently awaiting the results of another test.

"I'm waiting on a biopsy to see if I have bladder cancer, which I hope I don't, because I'm going to throw in the towel and I don't know how much more of this I can do," he said. "I'm fighting every day just to just stay alive in my head. It's the mental s--- that you go through in here, that's what's crazy."
James Cordens time as the host of The Late Late Show on CBS comes to an end this week following an eight-year run in the presenters chair.

The British entertainer has a star-studded week of guests lined up ahead of his last show on Thursday (27 April), including a final Carpool Karaoke session with Adele.

Since arriving in the US in 2015, Corden has gone from being the beloved star of the hit BBC comedy series Gavin & Stacey to a global phenomenon, appearing in major Hollywood movies and forming personal relationships with A-listers like Tom Cruise.

However, the dizzying heights Corden has reached have also been marked by some embarrassing lows. Over the years, Corden has been accused of exhibiting diva behaviour and stealing jokes from other comedians.

Read on to find a timeline of the entertainers biggest controversies.

2010: Patrick Stewart row at the Glamour Awards

James Corden and Patrick Stewart square off at the 2010 Glamour Awards (Rex Features)

A moment of genuine drama unfolded at the 2010 Glamour Awards ceremony as Corden clashed with X-Men star Patrick Stewart on stage.

As he walked up on stage, Stewart told Corden to get his hands out his pockets and accused him of looking around as if you would rather be anywhere in the world but here.

Oh! You couldnt be more wrong, sir. You couldnt be more wrong, Corden responded. Genuinely. And if it looked like that, Im so sorry. But when you come up and present an award, just f***ing get on with it.

Stewart kept the argument going, making fun of Cordens weight: From where I was, I could see your belly and that was from right at the back of the room.

As the actor paused, Corden hit back: Im waiting for the punchline. Go on. No, seriously, go on. No, go on! You could see my belly, and we can all see you dying right now.

He concluded: OK, can we get a taxi really quickly please. Theres an old man going home.

2017: Weinstein jokes at the amfAR Gala

Corden received backlash for his stint as host at the AmfAR Gala  an HIV/Aids fundraiser  in Los Angeles, where he chose to comment on the then-ongoing sexual harassment scandal involving Harvey Weinstein.

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The comedian quipped: This is a beautiful room. Its a beautiful night here in LA. So beautiful, Harvey Weinstein has already asked tonight up to his hotel to give him a massage.

Corden continued with: It has been weird this week though, watching Harvey Weinstein in hot water. Ask any of the women who watched him take a bath.

James Corden speaks onstage during the amfAR Gala Los Angeles 2017 (Charley Gallay/Getty Images for FIJI Water)

The actors jokes about the disgraced Hollywood film mogul were met with harsh reprisals from the likes of Anthony Bourdain and Rose McGowan, who alleges that Weinstein raped her.

Corden later apologised for the awards show segment, tweeting: To be clear, sexual assault is no laughing matter. I was not trying to make light of Harveys inexcusable behavior, but to shame him, the abuser, not his victims. I am truly sorry for anyone offended, that was never my intention.

2020: Accusations of gayface in Ryan Murphys The Prom

In 2020, the actor was accused of portraying gross and offensive gay stereotypes in Ryan Murphys Netflix musical, The Prom.

Corden  who is straight  plays ailing gay Broadway star Barry Glickman in the film. AwardsWatchs Erik Anderson described the Brits performance as the worst gayface in a long, long time.

IndieWire writer Zack Sharf tweeted: The Prom shouts about tolerance but has James Corden leaning into effeminate gay stereotypes every chance he gets.

In an article about Cordens insulting performance for Vanity Fair, Richard Lawson said that Corden is so bad that no more straight actors should play gay men until [the films] sins are properly atoned for.

The Prom (MELINDA SUE GORDON/NETFLIX)

2022: Balthazar restaurant scandal

Last year, Corden was branded a tiny cretin of a man and banned from New York City restaurant Balthazar over his alleged treatment of the staff.

The owner of the eatery Keith McNally alleged on Instagram that The Late Late Show host was the most abusive customer to my Balthazar servers since the restaurant opened 25 years ago.

However, McNally rescinded the ban shortly after and claimed that Corden had apologised profusely and all was forgiven in a second post.

Corden later addressed the controversy on his talk show, saying: The truth is I have made a rude, rude comment. And it was wrong. It was an unnecessary comment, it was ungracious to the server.

As the saga unfolded, however, a clip resurfaced online showing the Gavin and Stacey star being unable to name members of the crew on The Late Late Show.

2022: Joke-stealing accusations

Just months after the restaurant scandal, Corden was accused of stealing one of Ricky Gervais stand-up jokes.

On 31 October, Corden told his Late Late Show crowd: When you see Elon Musk talk about Twitter, he does this thing where he goes, Well, its the town square. But it isnt, cause if someone puts up a poster in a town square that says, Guitar lessons available, you dont get people in the town going, I dont wanna play the guitar! I wanna play the piano, you piece of s***!

Its like, That sign wasnt for you  it was for somebody else. You dont have to get mad about all of it.

James Corden (left) and Ricky Gervais (Shutterstock)

The joke was practically identical to one Gervais made in his 2018 special Ricky Gervais: Humanity.

Gervais himself drew attention to the similarities before swiftly deleting the Twitter post.

Corden addressed the subject hours later, writing on the Late Late Shows official Twitter page: Inadvertently told a brilliant Ricky Gervais joke on the show last night, obviously not knowing it came from him.

Its brilliant, because its a Ricky Gervais joke. You can watch all Rickys excellent specials on Netflix. J x.

The Late Late Show With James Corden airs weeknights at 12:37am EST on CBS in the US. The final episode will air on 27 April.

UK viewers can tune into on Sky Comedy the next day at 11:50pm GMT.
From two guys in Durham to a multibillion-dollar corporation, here are key moments in Red Hats 30-year history.

1983: American software programmer Richard Stallman founds the GNU Project, a pioneering software-sharing community.

1991: Finnish student Linus Torvalds creates a PC operating system called Linux. He publishes its source code online for the public to freely access.

1993: Marc Ewing designs a Linux-based software distribution program he names Red Hat. Electronics salesperson Bob Young reaches out to Ewing, and the two begin marketing Red Hat Linux from the Triangle area.

February 1998: InfoWorld magazine names Red Hats Linux 5.2 its Operating System of the Year over Microsofts Windows.

September 1998: Intel and Netscape become two of Red Hats first large corporate investors.

November 1998: Red Hat relocates to new office at the Meridian Business Complex in Research Triangle Park. The company has roughly 80 employees.

Aug. 11, 1999: Red Hat hits the stock market with the eighth-largest first day gain in Wall Street history, its share price leaping from $14 to $52. It ended its first day of trading worth $3.5 billion. Within a month, Red Hats value surpassed $7.2 billion.

Robert Young, the first CEO of Red Hat, photographed in 1995.

November 1999: Bob Young steps down as CEO, replaced by software executive Matthew Szulik. Marc Ewing leaves the company two months later.

June 2001: Red Hat posts its first profitable quarter.

June 2001: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer calls Linux a cancer that attaches itself in an intellectual property sense to everything it touches.

Marty Messer, with the companys trademark red hat, works in Red Hats IT department in 2002 after the company moved into offices at NC States Centennial Campus.

March 2002: Red Hat relocates to North Carolina State Universitys Centennial Campus in West Raleigh. The company now employs 630 people and reports an annual revenue of $79 million.

October 2006: Oracle unveils plans to go after Red Hats market by distributing Linux at a lower price, which a tech analyst says is easily the biggest challenge Red Hat has ever faced. But Red Hat fends off the Oracle threat and remains the worlds largest distributor of the open-source Linux operating system.

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January 2008: Jim Whitehurst becomes Red Hats third CEO.

September 2012: Red Hat obtains the naming rights to Raleighs 6,000-seat downtown amphitheater in a five-year deal worth $1.175 million.

Nine Inch Nails opens their 2022 U.S. tour at Raleigh, N.C.s Red Hat Amphitheater, Thursday night, April 28, 2022.

2013: Red Hat moves its headquarters to a 19-story tower in downtown Raleigh. The company now employs more than 900 people locally and 5,700 worldwide.

October 2015: Red Hat announces deal to acquire the Durham-based software firm Ansible for a reported $100 million. Ansibles automation platform has since become strategically key to Red Hat, and now IBM.

Red Hat employees walk back to their Raleigh headquarters after a meeting at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts Monday, Oct. 29, 2018. IBM will acquire the Raleigh-based software maker in a $34 billion deal, the two companies announced Sunday.

July 2019: IBM buys Red Hat for $34 billion in one of the largest software acquisitions in history. Leading up to the sale, Red Hat employs 13,360 people worldwide and reports yearly revenue of $3.3 billion.

April 2020: Jim Whitehurst steps down as CEO, replaced by longtime Red Hat executive Paul Cormier.

July 2022: Red Hat promotes Matt Hicks to become its fifth CEO. Hicks joined the company in 2006 as an IT developer and is based in Massachusetts.

April 2023: Hicks informs employees the company will lay off close to 4% of its global workforce. Red Hat employs roughly 2,200 in the Triangle-area. Neither Red Hat nor IBM share how many North Carolina employees will be affected.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) called on Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) to step down on Friday, joining a small group of House Democrats who are urging the six-term Senate stalwart to resign due to her prolonged absence.

In a tweet on Friday, Tlaib voiced concerns that Senate Republicans have been able to push through legislation while Feinstein remains sidelined while recovering from shingles, and that the chamber has not been able to confirm partisan judges with her out of the Capitol.

Because Sen. Feinstein was absent, Republicans are passing legislation through the Senate, undermining the right of our residents to breathe clean air. And with a far-right judiciary targeting our human rights, we are unable to confirm judges. Sen. Feinstein must step down, Tlaib said.

The call came two days after the Senate approved a resolution that seeks to undo a Biden administration rule that is aimed at cutting pollution from heavy-duty trucks. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) joined all Republicans in supporting the measure, allowing it to clear the chamber. Had Feinstein been present, she likely would have opposed the measure, allowing Vice President Harris to issue a tie-breaking vote to defeat the effort.

Feinstein, 89, announced in March she had been hospitalized after being diagnosed with shingles the month before. She was released days later, but she has not returned to the Capitol. This month, she said her return has been delayed because of continued complications related to my diagnosis.

The senators absence has left Democrats down one person, chipping away at their 51-49 seat majority, and it has left the Senate Judiciary Committee evenly split, making Democrats unable to advance partisan nominees to the full chamber for votes.

Tlaib is the third House Democrat to publicly call for Feinstein to step down. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) was first, followed shortly after by Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.). Khanna re-upped his call on Thursday after the Senate passed the resolution pertaining to the Biden administration rule, blaming Feinstein for the measure being approved.

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A number of other Democrats, however, have stood by Feinstein, arguing the longtime senator should be able to determine when to end her career. In February, she said she would not seek reelection in 2024, putting an expiration date on her 30-plus-year tenure in the chamber.

Shortly after Khanna and Phillips called for Feinsteins resignation, the senator asked that she be temporarily replaced on the Judiciary Committee while she remained out of Washington. Senate Republicans, however, blocked the effort.

On April 12, the same day Khanna and Phillips called for her resignation, Feinstein said I intend to return as soon as possible once my medical team advises that its safe for me to travel.

In the meantime, I remain committed to the job and will continue to work from home in San Francisco, she added in a statement.

A competitive race is currently underway to replace Feinstein upon her planned retirement at the end of 2024, with Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Katie Porter (D-Calif.) vying for the seat.

Khanna passed on his bid and is serving as co-chair of Lees campaign. California Gov. Gavin Newson (D) has pledged to name a Black woman as Feinsteins replacement if she were to retire early.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Tom Cruise fans have shared their reactions to the actors appearance on The Last Last Late Late Show Carpool Karaoke Special.

The Top Gun: Maverick star appeared on the special, which aired shortly before the final episode of James Cordens late-night talk show.

In his segment, Cruise gatecrashed a Broadway performance of the Lion King musical alongside Corden.

Dressed as the characters Pumbaa and Timon respectively, Cruise and Corden launched into a rendition of the famous song Hakuna Matata.

In an extended video released online, Cruise can also be seen singing the musical number Can You Feel the Love Tonight?.

While many voiced their appreciation for the stunt, some viewers branded the segment bizarre.

This may be the most bizarre thing Ive ever seen Tom Cruise do, one person wrote (which may be quite the claim).

Is anyone watching the James Corden prime time special?? Him and Tom Cruise are so chaotic together, another person commented.

Ive seen Tom Cruise do so many crazy things, but I never thought I see him do something like this. I cant stop laughing. I will miss James and Toms friendship, someone else remarked.

Ladies and gentleman.... @tomcruise and James Corden performing "Hakuna Matata" as Timon and Pumba at an actual performance of @thelionking. pic.twitter.com/o6xNpS6HkV  The Late Late Show with James Corden (@latelateshow) April 28, 2023

10/10 no notes. Incredible, someone else wrote.

Cruise has previously appeared on Cordens series multiple times, including last year, when he memorably re-enacted an aerial Top Gun stunt with Corden in tow.

According to Corden, Cruise was adamant about appearing on his show one last time.

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James Corden and Tom Cruise (CBS)

Towards the end of his final episode, Corden addressed the audience and issued a warning for America as he prepared to head back to the UK.

As well as Cruise, Cordens final show included guests such as Harry Styles and Will Ferrell, who at one point demolished the hosts desk with a sledgehammer.

Five of Cordens rival talk show hosts also appeared in a sketch, warning the presenter not to give away sacred secrets.
WASHINGTON  Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., is the man in charge of retaking the Senate for Republicans in 2024. And he thinks he has a secret weapon: former President Donald Trump.

Many people blame Trump, in part, for endorsing candidates who were popular with the conservative base but turned off general election voters and ultimately lost. But Daines is convinced that a partnership can work its magic this time.

The start of that plan came Monday, when Daines, the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, formally backed Trump for president, giving him arguably his most significant endorsement of the cycle.

He wants to win. I want to win, Daines said in a sit-down interview Thursday. The most important thing we can give our next Republican president is a Republican majority in the Senate.

Daines explained his decision to back Trump at such an early juncture of the primary by pointing to their collaboration on the 2017 tax cuts and the Great American Outdoors Act, legislation that provided billions in new funding to address maintenance backlogs at national parks.

But Daines also highlighted his efforts to recruit more mainstream Republican candidates and the boost Trump could give them to make it through contested primaries.

You look back  his endorsement certainly was a significant factor in primary elections, Daines said. And so Im going to continue to work with the president. I spoke to him [Wednesday] night. And we dialogue a fair amount, just talking about the various states and where his support could help significantly in terms of getting behind candidates who can win primaries and general elections.

Having Trump on the same page with the NRSC could be critical to the Republican Partys Senate fortunes next fall. The party is blessed with a map that features Democrats trying to hold on to more than a half-dozen swing or Republican-aligned states with only a few, tough, opportunities for them to pick up seats.

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But the GOP is coming off a cycle in which it blew critical races after Trump-backed candidates who embraced his false claims of a stolen election and called for stringent abortion restrictions piled up loss after loss in what shouldve been a strong year for them.

At the top of the agenda for Daines and Senate Republicans is a trio of seats held by Democrats in red states  West Virginia, Ohio and Montana. The NRSC has already started to rally behind West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, who announced his candidacy Thursday, in a primary battle against Rep. Alex Mooney.

Trump has yet to make his support in that race clear; he is close personally with Justice, but he endorsed Mooney in a contested primary last year. In Ohio, Trump has encouraged businessman Bernie Morenos Senate run, while the NRSC has so far stayed neutral. In Montana, the NRSC is reported to be encouraging military veteran and businessman Tim Sheehy to jump in, while Trump has kept his powder dry.

Meanwhile, should Trump win the presidential nomination, he will have to carry swing states like Pennsylvania, Arizona and Wisconsin  each of which is gearing up for tough Senate contests.

While Daines sees Trump as the prohibitive favorite to win the GOP primaries, he said there was still a long way to go for him to secure the nomination.

So it is early. I mean, its April of the year before the election, he said. But this is absolutely a generational-defining election. And weve got our heads down here working hard. And were going to continue to watch [the] presidential level for sure. But my singular task here is to stay focused on winning the United States Senate for the Republicans.

Although most polling shows Trump far ahead of his GOP primary rivals, the same surveys tend to show him behind President Joe Biden.

But Daines believes 2024 will be different from 2020, because Biden will be expected to more vigorously campaign and make more public appearances than he did last time, in a period overshadowed by the Covid pandemic. Voters, he said, will also be judging the records of both Biden and Trump rather than offering a referendum purely on Trumps performance.

Theres a lot of water to run between now and the election that will go under the bridge, he said. But I think itd be a pretty strong contrast between these two leaders.

In his short time at the helm of the NRSC, Daines has sought to correct issues that plagued the party at the ballot box last year, whether they be candidate quality or an aversion to early voting. He said his big takeaway from 2022 was the need to get more involved in recruiting candidates who can appeal to independent voters while still being able to make it through GOP primaries.

Winning a primary is step one, but thats not sufficient, he said. Youve got to be able to win the general election. Ive said many times: Winners make policy, and losers go home. We need candidates who can win.

Where there are candidates that are not able to win general elections, were going to be doing all we can to dissuade them, he added. And where there are candidates who can win general elections, do all we can to persuade them.

Daines, like many Republicans, wants to place a greater emphasis on early voting. Trump and his allies denigrated the practice in both 2020 and 2022, and Republicans overwhelmingly eschewed the early vote in those cycles and voted on Election Day. But the strategy put the GOP at a big disadvantage compared to Democrats, who banked votes and more easily avoided Election Day misfortunes. Case in point: a snowstorm Daines cited that hit Republican-leaning northern Nevada on Election Day and may have contributed to GOP Senate nominee Adam Laxalts loss.

Weve got to become election month voters and not Election Day voters, Daines said. Republicans have kind of shifted to being more Election Day voters. And there will still be a lot of Republicans who want to vote on Election Day. But clearly weve got to start the aggressive banking of ballots.

Daines said he believes Trump is shifting his stance on early voting, citing public and private statements. (Trump has maintained that mail-in votes are corrupt but has said the party has no choice but to adapt.)

He is aligned with that strategy, Daines said. And thats an important shift from where Republicans were in the last election. And Im grateful that President Trump now will be out there talking about the need for our voters to get out there early and get their votes cast.

Republicans may soon have to deal with candidates who lost critical races last year  like Kari Lake in Arizona and Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania  jumping into Senate races this cycle. Asked about any message he might have for such candidates looking to run, Daines said he wants to have open and honest conversations with prospective candidates about their polling and the opposition research theyre likely to face.

Sometimes, he said, its about self-awareness.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
As you start to think about your next vacation, the Better Business Bureau has a warning about parts of the timeshare industry. Its new study finds concerns in certain situations, including scams and predatory business practices.

Some timeshare companies market the opportunity to buy a vacation deal with beautiful beaches, excellent accommodations and frequent fun. But thats not what comes to mind when Tracy Pullen thinks of his experience.

Anxiety, anxiety to the tenth power, the Chicago resident recalled.

Timeshares allow you to become part owner in a vacation home or property.

I got all this money into this thing, so how do I use it, Pullen asked. Is it worth it? Does it work?

For many people, according to the Better Business Bureau, it doesnt.

Read: Frustrating as hell: Timeshare owners feel trapped by companies promising a way out

This new study reveals in the last three years, the BBB received 20,118 complaints about timeshares. They include difficulty getting out of the agreement and aggressive sales tactics.

The pressure they put on you is you got to do it right now; you got to do it right now, Pulled described. ' If you dont do it right now, the doors going to close.

There are reputable companies that do this, but unfortunately, the bad actors take center stage, BBB Spokesperson Melanie McGovern explained people need to read these contracts.

Read: What you need to know before booking that summer vacation home

If the contract is really wordy, its really long, this is like buying a house, McGovern said. In some cases, it might behoove you to get a lawyer to look at it.

The trade association for the industry commended the BBB for the guidance to consumers. The group told us it launched a program to help owners get out of their timeshares, educate them about available resources, and work on regulations that provide transparency and consumer protections.

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For people like Tracy Pullen, the stakes are high.

Read: Migration to Florida puts strain on U.S. Coast Guard resources

So many people and so many families cannot afford to be locked into this kind of contract because they have mouths to feed and families to take care of, he said.

Consumers have disputed thousands of dollars each in their complaints.

The BBB advises you to protect yourself, check out its website, which has reviews and complaints, and always read the fine print of the contracts.

Full statement from the American Resort Development Association:

ARDA commends the BBB for providing overall guidance to consumers about the information they need and questions they should ask before purchasing a timeshare. We are also happy that the BBB brought to light the predatory practices that the industry, as well as timeshare owners, have observed from the timeshare exit industry.

Despite the fact that the 2022 Timeshare Owners report, which was independently produced by Ernest & Young, found that 90% of timeshare owners are happy with their overall ownership experience and 84% of owners would purchase a timeshare product again, ARDA was proactive in providing resources to owners who no longer feel timeshare ownership is a fit with their lifestyle.

In 2018, ARDA, through the Resort Owners Coalition (ARDA-ROC), was proud to launch its Responsible Exit program, providing safe and trusted resale and exit resources to owners and to help protect them from engaging with ill-intended third-party exit companies. Here are some additional examples of the work ARDA does to directly educate or to help others to spread the word about resources that are available to owners:

As for advocacy, ARDA and ARDA-ROC, also represent the collective voices of hundreds of thousand timeshare owners, working with federal, state, and local officials to protect and defend the use of their timeshares. Both organizations have been involved with helping regulatory agencies in the US, and beyond, to pass legislation that not only helps the industry to grow and provide vacation options to meet the needs of modern-day travelers, but to also provide a high-level of transparency and consumer protections for the end users of the product.

ARDA is proud to represent world-renowned and respected hospitality brands that strive to uphold professional standards in sales, marketing and resort management practices.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
This article originally appeared on Velo News

Trek-Segafredo and Antonio Tiberi parted ways Friday.

The team released a statement to confirm the 21-year-olds contract - due to run through 2024 - was terminated with immediate effect.

Tiberi rocked the headlines this February when he was found guilty of killing a cat with an air rifle. He was then fined by local authorities and placed on suspension by his Trek-Segafredo employer.

Trek-Segafredo and Antonio Tiberi have mutually agreed to part ways, effective immediately, after the rider's actions during his suspension did not meet our criteria for a return to competition. With the rider's contract now terminated, he is free to sign with another team, read a team statement Friday.

Also read: Antonio Tiberi suspended for 20 days by Trek-Segafredo after killing cat with air rifle

Tiberi claimed February he was testing the range of his recently purchased rifle when shooting out of the window of his San Marino apartment.

After first firing on a road sign, he fired at the cat, later stating he "had no intention of killing the animal.

Trek Segafredo went on to suspend Tiberi for 20 days, who pledged to work with a cat welfare organization as well as donate any prize winnings he earned this season.

The Italians suspension ended last month, but he has not raced since.

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Kathy Chervenell-Brinson believed the woman she met in a 12-step addiction recovery program was a good person.

But after years of threats and violence, she was killed by Chiloe Chervenell and her body left under a pile of junk on the porch of her Mesa home.

The court had the chance to review the affidavits and the other facts of the matter, and to put it pretty bluntly, I was sick. It was horrible, Judge Sam Swanberg said during Chervenells sentencing on Thursday.

Not only did you treat someone inhumanely, in fact you treated them ... like they werent so much as trash, he said.

The Kennewick woman pleaded guilty to first-degree murder earlier this week for strangling her partner last August.

Swanberg said he was reluctantly following the recommendation of prosecutors and the defense attorney for a 25-year prison sentence for Chervenell.

While he considered giving her another five years, he followed the agreement, saying its unclear what more the sentence would accomplish for the 49-year old woman.

Chervenell seemed to choke back tears as she told the judge she didnt want to speak before she was sentenced.

Her attorney Shelley Ajax said her client had wanted to plead guilty early on in the case but other issues delayed that.

She immediately was remorseful. She took responsibility, Ajax said. This has been a sad case for everybody involved. ... She understands this isnt about her, its about Kathleen. It was a very horrible traumatic thing and she wishes she could take it back.

Chervenell-Brinsons father, sister and son asked for justice for the woman who suffered years of abuse at the hands of her partner.

Her sister, Becky Marty, told the judge she learned about the abuse while helping Chervenell-Brinson file for a restraining order against Chervenell. When Marty learned about the extent of the problems, she said she was worried.

She told me Chiloe had strangled her to the point of losing consciousness and when she came to, (Chiloe) was standing over her screaming at her to, Stop faking it, Marty recalled. She told me about Chiloes threats to kill her and how she knew people that could make Kathy disappear.

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I looked at her aghast and told her shed better take her seriously, especially since she had already strangled her once. She just shook her head and said, Nah, she wont try that again, because she knows shell lose the kids forever.

Violent relationship

Chervenell-Brinson met Chervenell while they were both going through an addiction recovery program. While police warned Chervenell-Brinson to stay away from her, Marty said that her sister always tried to see the good in people.

She believed that she was really doing her best to get her life back on track, Marty said. Even though Chiloe ended up getting pregnant twice when she was supposed to be in a relationship with my sister, Kathy forgave her each time and fell in love with those babies.

While she wasnt related to them, Chervenell-Brinson treated the children like they were her own and became their primary caregiver.

According to court documents, Chervenell would often use that love to keep her partner quiet.

Even though Chervenell nearly strangled her to death once and had recently resumed physical attacks, it was the fact that she brought the children along when she was dealing drugs that prompted Chervenell-Brinson to get the restraining order, Marty said.

Marty said she felt relieved when her sister got a protection order in May that was supposed to keep Chervenell away from her and the children.

Its not clear what brought Chervenell to the home in Mesa last August.

Investigators say her then 7-year-old son saw the deadly attack. Then, Chervenell hid her body underneath some bicycles and other items on the porch. She loaded the kids into Chervenell-Brinsons Chevy Equinox and took the other womans phone.

When her then 9-year-old daughter was later interviewed by police, she said it felt like a kidnapping and that Chervenell was taking her mommas phone, money and credit card.

As they were driving, one of the kids tried to call Chervenell-Brinsons phone only to discover that it was in the car with them.

Arrest in Oregon

Chervenell called a friend along the way and admitted she went to Mesa to speak with Chervenell-Brinson and didnt know the power of her hands and killed her wife, according to court documents.

That person called 911 and reported it. Police eventually tracked Chervenell-Brinsons phone to Oregon, and as they were doing that they found her body.

Morrow County sheriffs deputies found Chervenell and the children in the Equinox in Irrigon, Ore. She was arrested and the children were taken into custody.

Since the arrest, Chervenell has been barred from talking with the children, and they are now in foster care.

Life term

Ajax said this case was more about attorneys maneuvering than her client wanting to avoid repercussions. Chervenell wanted to admit her guilt from the beginning of the case.

She didnt lie to me like a lot of my clients do. The first chance she had, she sat down and wrote it all out, Ajax said.

She explained the sentence will see Chervenell leaving prison when she is in her mid-70s, making it effectively a life sentence.
(Photo courtesy of Apache Stronghold and Steve Pavey)

WASHINGTON Tribal and congressional leaders joined the San Carlos Apache Tribe on Wednesday, April 26, in a prayer ceremony and press conference denouncing Arizonas Resolution Copper Mine project.

The event, dubbed Prayer to Save Oak Flat, was hosted across the street from the White House in Lafayette Square Park.

The Biden Administration is poised to give sacred Apache land in eastern Arizona to foreign mining companies with close financial ties to the Chinese government to construct an unnecessary copper mine that will destroy Oak Flat, said San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman Terry Rambler in a statement. Destroying Oak Flat would be a major human rights violation. Tribes across the country vehemently oppose this assault on tribal sovereignty and Native American religious freedom.

Resolution Copper hopes to build a copper mine near a place the Apache and other tribes consider sacred, a ceremonial ground called Chichil Bidagoteel, or Oak Flat, in Arizonas Tonto National Forest. Because the mine is on federal lands, the permitting process is overseen by the U.S. Forest Service. Federal legislation was passed in 2014 that paved the way for a land swap between Resolution Copper and the U.S Forest Service, where Resolution Copper would exchange 5,429 acres of Arizona land it owns in exchange for 2,422 acres of federal land above a massive copper deposit.

The value of the mine is estimated at $64 billion, with 1.787 billion metric tonnes of copper with an average grade of 1.5% copper over the next 60 years. The company says the mines life will provide thousands of direct and indirect jobs and will supply nearly 25% of the domestic demand for copper.

In the final days of the Trump Administration, the U.S. Forest Service published the project's final environmental impact statement (FEIS) on January 15, 2021. However, president Biden halted the FEIS on March 1, 2021, saying the project needed more time to consult with Indian Tribes.

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We want the EIS redone because the EIS the Trump Administration rushed to publish didnt have all the negative impacts the Tribe and other organizations came up with, San Carlos Apache Chairman Terry Rambler told Native News Online. It wasnt fair the way they did.

Rambler said the tribe and allies drafted a memorandum of understanding they wanted to enter with the USDA to ensure a fair consultation process.

Because the MOU wasnt signed, Rambler disagrees that consultation was officially done. As a result, The Apache Stronghold  a nonprofit advocacy group led by Rambler  filed a lawsuit on January 21, 2021, against the project.

In the lawsuit, the Apache Stronghold states, the Apaches view Oak Flat as a direct corridor to the Creators spirit. They also argued that the land exchange violates their First Amendment rights and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, where government should not substantially burden religious exercise without compelling justification.

The 9th Circuit Court decided in early 2022 that Resolution Copper could proceed with operations while the lawsuit is pending in court. Last November, the court announced that it would rehear Apache Stronghold v. United States en banc in front of a full panel of 11 judges. The court requested the en banc hearing to rehear the case, and is extremely rare, Apache Strongholds legal counsel Becket Law told Native News Online last fall. A call to rehear a case happens in less than 0.5 percent of cases the court hears.

Oak Flat is listed on the National Historic Register of Historic Places as a Traditional Cultural Property. It has been protected from mining by Congress for more than 60 years. Last week, leaders at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) acknowledged and called the Resolution Copper project a human rights violation and said the project will destroy an entire way of life for the Apache people.

U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., joined Apache leaders with other congressional representatives and Tribal leaders from Oklahoma and North Carolina, and the president of the Inter Tribal Association of Arizona.

Together, they hope President Biden will stop the mine from proceeding.

About the Author: "Darren Thompson (Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe) is a staff reporter for Native News Online who is based in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Thompson has reported on political unrest, tribal sovereignty, and Indigenous issues for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, Indian Country Today, Native News Online, Powwows.com and Unicorn Riot. He has contributed to the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Voice of America on various Indigenous issues in international conversation. He has a bachelor\u2019s degree in Criminology & Law Studies from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. "

Contact: dthompson@nativenewsonline.net
A trove of 175 Roman silver coins was uncovered in an Italian forest, according to a LiveScience report. The coins, which likely date back to 82 BCE, may have been buried for safekeeping during a Roman civil war.

The hoard was found by an archaeological group hiking through a newly cut forest northeast of the Tuscan city Livorno in 2021. The area has since been investigated by archaeologists, who yielded no further results.

More from Robb Report

The silver Roman denarii, found inside of a terra-cotta pot, are all from between 157 BCE and 82 BCE. Experts believe the hoard could have possibly belonged to a solider caught in conflicts or a merchant seeking to hide his wealth. They do know for certain that whoever buried the coins never recovered them.

Since the last of the coins date to a time of internal strife, archaeologists believe whoever buried them did so for safekeeping.

In 91 BCE, a war had broken out between Rome and its Italian allies seeking citizenship. The Roman general and statesman Sulla, who had previously been declared a public enemy of the state in 87 BCE and who had attacked the city in 88 BCE, returned with his army from Asia to confront his Roman enemies in 82 BCE. As the first man of the Republic to seize power through force, his victory paved the way for future dictators such as Julius Caesar.

After remaining hidden for 2,000 years, the coins are slated for display at the Museum of Natural History of the Mediterranean in the Province of Livorno, Il Terrino reported.

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NEW YORK  As Congress and courts threaten to roll back abortion rights, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau used the stage at the Global Citizen summit to declare his unequivocal support for doing the opposite.

When do we get to stop having to relitigate this? the prime minister asked Thursday in New York. "Women are still having to stand up for basic rights that should have been and have been recognized long ago."

The stance is on brand for the G-7 leader who has never been shy to flex his feminist credentials  despite those who question his follow through.

With the battle over the abortion pill in the headlines  the U.S. Supreme Court has maintained access to mifepristone, for now  Trudeau also took to the internet last week to remind the world where he stands.

With attacks on reproductive rights around the world, its really important that we not take things for granted  that we continue to stand up unequivocally, he said in a video on social media. This government will never tell a woman what to do with her body, we are unequivocally and proudly pro-choice and always will be.

Earlier in Ottawa, International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan announced a C$195 million investment over the next five years in support of women's advocacy globally.

Trudeau caught the alley-oop in New York, telling the crowd of world leaders and activists there is no place where we're not seeing attacks on rights.

When he was first elected in 2015, Trudeau introduced a gender-balanced Cabinet  a move U.S. President Joe Biden would go on to replicate. Im very proud that both of us have Cabinets that are 50 percent women for the first time in history, Biden boasted in a speech during his visit to Ottawa in March.

In the wake of the SCOTUS leak and the decision to revoke federal abortion rights in the United States, Trudeaus government declared Canada open to Americans who needed to travel north to access an abortion.

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No government, politician, or man should tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body, he said after the official ruling in June 2022.

After Roe v. Wade was overturned, there was speculation Americans would head north. Theres no reason why we would turn anyone away to receive that procedure here, Canadas Families Minister Karina Gould said at the time.

But there has so far been no influx, says Joyce Arthur, executive director of Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada. It's really an option that would only be available for higher income people living near the border, she said.

The only border state that has banned abortion is Idaho, she added. People who have to travel for a procedure are much more likely to travel to another state.

The same observation was made by Planned Parenthood Toronto, the largest Planned Parenthood in the country.

We havent seen an uptick, said executive director Mohini Datta-Ray. They would have potentially been non-insured patients but [because of the price tag] its not worth the journey.

On stage in New York Thursday alongside Jacqueline O'Neill, Canadas first women, peace and security ambassador, Trudeau insisted Canada has been unequivocal about advocating for womens equality, at home and abroad.

The claim was met by a challenge from veteran journalist Lisa Laflamme who was moderating the discussion at the Global Citizen event.

A 2023 report from Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, a nonprofit known also as Planned Parenthood Canada, notes that in 2019 the Trudeau government said it would increase funding for womens health services worldwide to C$1.4 billion by 2023. It also pledged to boost funds for sexual and reproductive health to C$700 million from C$400 million.

The report said that while C$489 million of the $700 million budget was spent in 2020-21, only roughly C$104 million was allocated to programming in support of the neglected areas  far below what would be expected in the promise made by the government.

When asked about it on stage, Trudeau responded there is obviously more to do.

I don't know the details behind those numbers, he continued. But I do know that we put a tremendous emphasis on ensuring that the provincial governments which deliver health care in our country are delivering the full range of reproductive health services in an inclusive way.

The Trudeau Cabinet has been watching developments around the abortion pill.

In the U.S., some states and government organizations are moving to ban or restrict abortion. The Food and Drug Administration updated its guidelines on mifepristone in January so that it can only be sold with a prescription in certified pharmacies. Previously, the pill  which the FDA first approved in 2000  could be obtained in person at clinics, hospitals and medical offices, as well as from some mail-order pharmacies.

Fifteen states that allow abortion require medication abortions be prescribed solely by a physician, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which says more than half the abortions in the U.S. in 2020 occurred because of the pill.

Last week, Minister Gould told CTV that if mifepristone were to be banned in the U.S., the Liberal government would work to provide it for American women.

She was vague when pressed in that interview for details about Canadas supply. When POLITICO asked for details, her office said, We have discussed what Canada's support for American women in need might be, and those discussions are still ongoing.

The idea that Canada would get involved with U.S. affairs doesnt sit right with some American lawmakers, particularly ones from states like Texas with tight abortion pill restrictions already in place.

Canada should reevaluate their claims that it would provide Americans with a drug that is not only dangerous for the mother but out of step, said conservative hardliner Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas). These do-it-yourself chemical abortions should be off the shelf in the United States and around the world.

Americans may yet turn to Canada, though Arthur points out Canadians still have access problems of their own.

Were just a much smaller country demographically, she said. It would hurt Canadians access to abortion by allowing a whole lot of Americans to come up here.
Donald Trump hugged Jan 6. protestor Micki Larson-Olsen at the Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, New Hampshire on Thursday. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Donald Trump hugged and praised a woman convicted for defying police during the January 6 Capitol riots.

During a campaign stop in New Hampshire, Trump said the woman had "been through too much" and told her to "hang in there."

Trump has consistently supported people charged with crimes for their roles in the Capitol riot.

Former President Donald Trump hugged and reassured a QAnon supporter who had been convicted of defying police orders during the January 6 Capitol riot, the Washington Post reported.

During a campaign stop in New Hampshire on Thursday, Trump stopped by a famous diner, where Micki Larson-Olson  who was found guilty of resisting officers at the Capitol on Jan. 6  approached him. Larson-Olsen is a member of Negative 48, a spinoff group of the QAnon movement, according to the Post.

"President Trump, will you please sign my Trump backpack that I carried up to Jan. 6?" She asked, according to the Post. "I went to jail for 161 days for Jan. 6. I'm an Iraq War veteran."

Trump replied, "Patriots, I hear the woman." He then embraced her, took photos with her, and gave her the pen he used to sign her backpack.

"Listen, you just hang in there," Trump told the woman, according to the Post. "You've been through too much. You're going to wind up being happy."

Trump has offered his support for anyone convicted in the Capitol riot, even promising to pardon them if he's re-elected to the presidency in 2024. Trump released a song called "Justice for All" last month with a group of January 6 rioters now serving jail time who call themselves the "J6 Prison Choir."

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

In an interview with the Post after her run-in with Trump, Larson-Olsen explained her actions on Jan. 6.

"It was the most patriotic day of my life," she said. "I refused to walk down from the stairs  because I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and those politicians are domestic enemies to our republic."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Special counsel Jack Smith. (Charles Dharapak/AP)

Former Vice President Mike Pence testified Thursday before the federal grand jury convened by special counsel Jack Smith to investigate former President Donald Trump's efforts to hold onto power by overturning the results of the 2020 election.

Pence's appearance comes as Smith is believed to be wrapping up his investigation and possibly preparing to indict Trump on charges that could include obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the United States and insurrection.

Prior to the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Trump pressured Pence to summarily reject the certification of the Electoral College vote tally showing that Joe Biden had won the election. Pence refused to comply, leading Trump to denounce him at a Washington rally prior to the riot. Trump's supporters then descended on the Capitol in an effort to disrupt the certification of the election, chanting Hang Mike Pence! as they ransacked the building and delayed the proceedings.

On Thursday, Pence testified under oath before the grand jury for roughly seven hours about his dealings with Trump following the 2020 election.

In a video statement posted the same day, Trump repeated himself in describing the man who might yet indict him as "a Trump-hating prosecutor, Jack Smith, hes a Trump-hater. His wifes a Trump-hater. His family is a Trump-hater. They all hate Trump. They hate him with a passion and theyll do anything they can to hurt Trump.

[Who is Jack Smith, the special counsel Garland appointed to investigate Trump?]

The former president, who has a healthy lead over his Republican challengers for the 2024 GOP primary, also misspoke about which election cycle he claimed Smith was trying to influence with his investigation.

But he's a harasser and an abuser of our people in order to obstruct and interfere with the 2020 presidential election, thats why theyre doing it. Were leading by a lot in the polls. If I werent, I believe it would all stop."

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Heres a rundown of where Smiths investigation stands and why Trump has good reason to be concerned.

All eyes on Pence

Former Vice President Mike Pence after speaking at a conference on Tuesday. (Alex Brandon/AP)

The appearance by the former vice president on Thursday before the Washington grand jury is a significant event in Smiths investigation. On Wednesday, an appeals court rejected a last-ditch appeal by Trump's lawyers to block Pence from testifying. Just hours later, Pence swore to tell the truth and nothing but the truth about his interactions with Trump and the plan hatched by lawyer John Eastman for Pence to reject the Electoral College tally. While the testimony already given by former members of Trumps staff will no doubt factor into Smith's decision on whether to charge Trump with crimes, Pence is the central character in the former president's plan to subvert American democracy.

Well obey the law, well tell the truth, Pence said in an interview with CBS on Sunday.

2nd firm hired by Trump confirmed absence of 2020 election fraud

Dominion ballot-counting machines in Estancia, N.M. (Andres Leighton/AP)

While Trump spent months prior to the 2020 election declaring to the nation that it would be marred by fraud due to the use of mail-in ballots, those claims have since repeatedly been proved false. In order to charge him with conspiracy and obstruction, however, Smith will need to prove that Trump wasnt simply wrong that fraud had cost him victory in the election, but that he pursued a strategy to overturn the results even though he knew his assertions were bogus.

To that end, Smith has subpoenaed employees of two firms that Trumps campaign paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in the wake of the election to turn up evidence of voter fraud.

No substantive voter fraud was uncovered in my investigations looking for it, nor was I able to confirm any of the outside claims of voter fraud that I was asked to look at, Ken Block, founder of the firm Simpatico Software Systems, one of the firms subpoenaed by Smith, told the Washington Post. Every fraud claim I was asked to investigate was false.

[Pence Just Testified About Trumps Election Theft Plot for Over Seven Hours: Rolling Stone]

Berkeley Research Group, a second firm contracted by the Trump campaign and subpoenaed by Smith, reached the same conclusion: Voter fraud significant enough to sway the results of the 2020 election had simply not occurred.

Whether Trump was made aware of the findings by Simpatico Software Systems and Berkeley Research Group is not clear, but his campaign certainly received them.

Trump fundraising under the microscope

In the two months following the 2020 election, Trump and his associates may have used his bogus election claims to raise millions of dollars from his supporters. Smith has been scrutinizing that fundraising, the Washington Post reported, which may have violated federal wire fraud laws that prohibit the use of false information over email to raise money. According to the Post, Smith has sent subpoenas in recent weeks to Trump advisers and former campaign aides, Republican operatives and other consultants involved in the 2020 presidential campaign in connection with the possible fundraising grift.

Fox News producer Abby Grossberg to turn over recordings to Smith

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, at a Senate committee hearing in March. (Mariam Zuhaib/AP)

Smith's case may not implicate only Trump. On Tuesday, former Fox News producer Abby Grossberg released a recording she had made of a conversation between Fox News host Maria Bartiromo and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, describing a plan to challenge the 2020 election results.

NEW: Ted Cruz caught on tape pushing fake "commission" to steal the 2020 election. pic.twitter.com/nY39aYfGJL  The Beat with Ari Melber  (@TheBeatWithAri) April 25, 2023

Grossberg, who worked with the recently fired Fox News host Tucker Carlson, is suing the network for alleged gender and religious discrimination. Earlier this month, Fox News reached a $787 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over bogus claims of voter fraud promoted by the networks hosts.

MSNBC reported Tuesday that Smith had contacted Grossbergs lawyers and was in the process of securing access to the recording of the conversation between Bartiromo and Cruz, as well as others.
E. Jean Carroll (center) arrives at court for her rape and defamation lawsuit trial against former President Donald Trump. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina questioned rape accuser E. Jean Carroll on the stand on Thursday.

Tacopina brought Carroll's motivations for publicly accusing Trump of rape into question.

The lawyer drew attention to an email she received from a friend who asked to "scheme."

Donald Trump's lawyer tried to suggest to a jury Thursday that the former president's rape accuser made up the story as part of an effort to "stop" the politician.

Attorney Joe Tacopina questioned longtime Elle advice columnist E. Jean Carroll on the stand in Manhattan federal court, drawing attention to an email she received from a friend, Carol Martin, in September 2017.

Martin is one of the two women Carroll says she told that Trump had raped her immediately after the alleged incident in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-1990s.

Carroll is suing Trump for battery and defamation.

The email Martin sent Carroll in September 2017 included a link to a humorous New Yorker column mocking Trump, who Martin called "orange crush."

"This has to stop," Martin wrote at the time. "As soon as we're both well enough to scheme, we must do our patriotic duty again."

"TOTALLY!!!" Carroll responded. "I have something special for you when we meet."

Joe Tacopina, left, an attorney for former President Donald Trump, arrives at a Manhattan federal court for the E. Jean Carroll trial. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

E. Jean Carroll said the #MeToo movement prompted her to name Trump as her rapist

Carroll said she didn't remember what she meant when she said she had "something special" for Martin, and said that the two often used the word "scheme" in a casual way.

"She has very colorful language and so do I," Carroll said Thursday of Martin.

Tacopina drew particularly attention to the fact that, two weeks after the email exchange, Carroll began work on "What Do We Need Men For?"  the book where she would ultimately accuse Trump of rape publicly.

Carroll tried to downplay the connection, saying she never planned to include Trump in the book when she was first sketching it out.

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Carroll said her initial idea for the book was meant to be an exploration of why women seem to have so many issues with men. She said she planned to go on a road trip and interview women across the country to learn more about this issue.

But her idea for the book began to shift the day she set out on the trip, when the sexual misconduct accusations against film producer Harvey Weinstein broke  setting off the #MeToo movement, she said.

As more and more women across the country came forward with their own stories of sexual misconduct, Carroll said she began to think about telling her own stories, and began putting together a list in her head of the men who had wronged her.

During direct testimony on Wednesday, Carroll said that Trump entered her mind, but that she wasn't initially sure she wanted to include him because he was a sitting president. Eventually, she had a change of heart.

"I just said, E. Jean, don't be a chicken. Put the man on the list. He is the worst of all," Carroll testified. "So I did it."

In addition to Martin, Carroll said she told another friend, Lisa Birnbach, of the alleged rape right after it happened.

Both Martin and Birnbach are expected to testify during the trial.

Carroll said the women are the only two people she told about the rape until she went public with the story in 2019, when New York magazine published an excerpt from her book.

When Trump loudly denied her claim in statements to the press  saying Carroll was not his "type" and that she made up the story to sell her memoir  Carroll sued him for defamation.

In her lawsuit, Carroll says that Trump's comments have "injured the reputation on which she makes her livelihood as a writer, advice columnist, and journalist."

Tacopina is expected to continue questioning Carroll when the trial resumes on Monday.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Reuters/Getty

On Thursday, Joe Tacopina, lead counsel for Donald Trump, cross-examined E. Jean Carroll after she testified that Donald Trump raped her in the 1990s.

During his moment in the spotlight, Tacopina was derisive, derogatory and dismissive. This may have been the most tone-deaf cross-examination in a rape trial since To Kill A Mockingbird.

The fireworks started from the first moment, when Tacopina started, Good morning, Ms. Carroll. She did not respond in kind, but instead remained silentwhich was appropriate, as there was not question pending. Mr. Tacopina, visibly perturbed, raised his voice and repeated, Good morning, Ms. Carroll! At that point, she finally responded, Good morning.

It went downhill from there.

When Tacopina insinuated that Ms. Carroll only had a story that she was raped by Donald Trump, she gave no ground.

Q: Now, that is the book in which you included the story about your supposedly being raped by Donald Trump in a Bergdorf Goodman changing room, right?

A: Not supposedly. I was raped.

When Mr. Tacopina again tried to make her retreat, she stood firm.

Q: Thats your version, right, Ms. Carroll, that you were raped.

A: Those are the facts.

Jury Has Likely Decided Trumps Fate in Rape Case Already

Tacopina then belittled Ms. Carrolls testimony that she did not come forward before Trumps election because she was caring for her dying mother.

Q: So yesterday when you testified that you didnt want to come forward at this point, even though he was running for president and you claimed he had raped you, you didnt want to do that because one of the reasons you said was your mother was dying, correct?

A: She was on her deathbed. My sisters and brother and I had joined her at the end of September to spend our last weeks together.

Q: And ultimately your mother unfortunately passed away in October of 2016, right?

A: Yes.

. . .

Q: And that's a month before the election took place, more or less, correct?

A: Yes.

Q: So why didnt you come out with the story after your mother passed away before he was elected?

Story continues

A: I was in deep, incredible, painful mourning.

Q: How old was your mother when she passed?

A: 97. She would have been 98.

Q: This had nothing to do with the fact that the book wasnt ready yet, did it, Ms. Carroll, the reason you didnt come out at that point?

A: I hadnt conceived of writing a book at that point.

The jurors almost certainly heard that exchange as Tacopina stating that Ms. Carrolls claim to be in deep, incredible, painful mourning had to be a lie, because no one could be surprised by the death of a 97-year-old woman. If Tacopina did not already have a juror on his side, that question would almost certainly turn that juror against him.

Tacopinas Gotcha Moment Fell Flat

After belittling Ms. Carrolls grief, Tacopina then went in for the kill, using a text exchange between Carroll and Carol Martin (who is set to testify on behalf of Ms. Carroll) to show that they had a scheme to get Trump.

Carroll explained that in the text, As soon as we are both well enough to scheme, we must do our patriotic duty again, the word scheme was a typical word that Carol and I use, carrying no connotations of evil. Its just a word that we use.

Tacopina lost control of this line of questioning when he asked how Ms. Carroll could fail to remember that email, but could remember her conversation with Ms. Martin 28 years earlier.

Carroll responded, devastatingly: I told Carol Martin what Trump did to me in the dressing room. Those are facts that I could never forget. This is an e-mail, among probably hundreds of e-mails between Carol and I, that I have no recollection of, but I suspect its something funny.

Tacopina later attacked Carrolls trustworthiness based upon her testimony that she laughed, but did not scream, when Donald Trump started to rape her. It did not go well for him.

Q: In fact, in response to this supposedly serious situation that you viewed as a fight, where you got physically hurt, its your story that you not only didnt scream out, but you started laughing?

A: I did not scream. I started laughing. That is right. I dont think I started laughing. I think I was laughing going into the dressing room, and I think I laughed pretty consistently after the kiss to absolutely throw cold water on anything he thought was about to happen. Laughing is a very goodI use the word weaponto calm a man down if he has any erotic intention.

Former Elle magazine advice columnist E. Jean Carroll answers questions from lawyer Joe Tacopina during a civil trial to decide whether former U.S. President Donald Trump raped Carroll in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in the mid-1990s. Reuters/Jane Rosenberg

Undeterred, Tacopina doubled down on his attack.

Q: When youre fighting and being sexually assaulted and raped, because you are not a screamer, as you describe it, you wouldnt scream?

A: Im not a screamer. You cant beat up on me for not screaming.

Finally, Tacopina stated flatly that Carroll did not have a story for why she did not scream until after she spoke with a psychiatrist, Dr. Lebowitz (who will provide expert testimony in the case).

Carroll then exploded with indignation: I wasnt coming up with a story. Its usuallyI would say more than usuallyunder discussion when a woman is raped and she doesnt scream. Its usually discussed, why didnt she scream, E. Jean? Why didnt you scream? Its what a womanyou better have a good excuse why you didnt scream. Because if you didnt scream, you werent raped. Im telling you, he raped me, whether I screamed or not.

It was as if Mr. Tacopina had learned nothing from the public response to The Accused, which won five Oscars in 1988.

Tacopina, with nothing to back his questions up, also expressed incredulity at Ms. Carrolls testimony that she had parried Trumps suggestion that she try on the lingerie by suggesting that he, instead, try it on. The exchange did not go as he expected:

A: I had written a similar scene on Saturday Night Live and got nominated for an Emmy for the very thing of a man getting dressed in front of a mirror. The idea was, to me, hilarious.

Q: You wrote a scene for Saturday Night Live about a man putting on lingerie over a suit?

A: About a man getting dressed in the bathroom, and he was wearing his underwear.

Q: Over his suit?

A: No. It was just a man in his bathroom falling in love with himself in front of the mirror.

Q: To you thats a similar scene as Donald Trump, in the middle of Bergdorf Goodman, with his suit on, trying on a piece of womens lingerie?

A: Thats how my mind works. Thats how comedy is born. You take two opposite things, you put them together, and it makes a new scene. Thats where comedy comes from.

Q: Did that ever air on Saturday Night Live?

A: Yes.

Q: When was that?

A; 1987, William Shatner played the role.

As a trial attorney, I am astonished that Mr. Tacopina went down this road, without knowing that Ms. Carroll was, in fact, nominated for an Emmy for writing that sketch.

As I wrote yesterday, I do not know whether the jurors believed Carrolls direct testimony that she was raped by Trump. Based on my 25+ years as a trial attorney, including service as an Assistant United States Attorney who focused on sex crimes, I am confident that any juror who did not already believe that Ms. Carroll lied in her direct testimony would not have been persuaded by any of the cross-examination that she was a liar.

In fact, it appeared that Tacopinawho is a very capable trial attorneyhad an agenda that valued being mean to Ms. Carroll over undercutting her credibility. I would not be surprised if that was a direct order from Donald Trump.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Former President Donald Trump in front of Bud Light cans in an edited photo. Joshua Zitser/Insider, Getty Images

After Bud Light partnered with transgender TikToker Dylan Mulvaney, right-wingers launched a boycott.

But former President Donald Trump has been missing from the conversation.

It turns out that he's an investor in Anheuser Busch InBev  the company that produces Bud Light.

When prominent conservatives called for a boycott of Bud Light earlier this month, after it partnered with transgender Tiktok influencer Dylan Mulvaney, former President Donald Trump remained uncharacteristically tight-lipped.

There appears to be no mention of Bud Light, or Mulvaney, in recent Truth Social posts, and the former president does not appear to have made any public statements on the company or the surrounding right-wing furor.

Indeed, Real Clear Politics noted that Trump is "MIA" on the boycott, ignoring repeated requests for comment from the outlet on the topic.

He also did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

But it turns out the former president, who has previously spoken against transgender rights, has a financial interest in Bud Light's parent company  Anheuser Busch InBev.

The Independent was the first to report on financial disclosures showing that Trump is an investor in the company that produces Bud Light.

Trump's most recent 101-page disclosures form, which was filed with the Federal Election Commission on April 14, shows that Trump owns between $1 million and $5 million in Anheuser Busch InBev under an account listed as "DJT Trust  Investment Account #2."

While the former president has been quiet about the Bud Light outrage, his son, Donald Trump Jr., has called for the boycott to end.

During an April 13 broadcast of his "Triggered" podcast, Don Jr. said: "I'm not for destroying an American, an iconic company, for something like this. The company itself doesn't participate in the same leftist nonsense as the other big conglomerates."

His position was out of step with many other prominent GOP figures.

Story continues

Former Gov. Nikki Haley, a Republican presidential candidate, has repeatedly misgendered Mulvaney in speaking out against the Bud Light partnership.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, who is expected to announce his 2024 run in the coming months, told RealClearPolitics that the boycott was merited.

And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has passed a slate of anti-LGBTQ laws and is largely seen as Trump's biggest rival for the GOP nomination, went as far as to accuse Bud Light of "rubbing our faces in it" by using Mulvaney as part of a campaign.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former President Trump described GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) as a progressive from South Carolina during an event Thursday, drawing boos from those gathered in New Hampshire.

Lindsey Graham, the progressive from South Carolina, Trump told a crowd of supporters while talking about trade involving India, China and Europe. The crowd booed at the mention of the senators name.

No, hes a progressive, but hes got some good things, too, OK? Trump continued.

Graham, one of Trumps staunchest supporters in Congress, has been among some of the first Senate Republicans to endorse the former president for his 2024 presidential bid.

GOP primary endorsements: Where they stand

Its not the first time Trump has labeled Graham a progressive. During a fundraising dinner in Florida last year, Trump called Graham our progressive senator from South Carolina, according to Insider.

The Hill has reached out to Grahams office for comment.

Trumps speech in New Hampshire also included some jabs at potential 2024 GOP rivals.

The former president took aim at former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), saying hes got a big mouth  thats all hes got.

And on New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R), Trump said: He couldve really made an impact. He couldve run for the Senate. He probably wouldve easily won because of the family name, wouldve won. And that would have been a tremendous thing. Instead, he wants to play games with running for president.

Sununu said earlier this week that Trump is positioning himself to be a four-time loser in 2024, citing presidential and congressional elections the past three cycles.

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Former president Donald Trump said he is popular on college campuses and among the Generation Z while interacting with the audience at a campaign rally in New Hampshire on Thursday.

During the rally an audience member named Christine asked the former president about how he planned to engage with Gen-Z  the generation of people born in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Engaging with young voters is crucial. Here in New Hampshire we have America First warriors like Caroline Lovett. How do you plan to engage with Gen-Z voters, she was quoted as saying in a clip shared on Twitter by user Acyn.

Mr Trump replied: I think we are doing that. I tell you what you would be shocked, like Charlie Kirk and others the job that they do, its a youth movement, you would be shocked to see how popular we are in college campuses-much different than what you hear.

According to AP VoteCast, a sweeping national survey of the electorate conducted in December voters under 30 went 53 per cent for Democratic House candidates compared with only 41 per cent for Republican candidates nationwide.

However, the level of support for Democrats was down compared with 2020, when such voters supported Mr Biden over his predecessor Mr Trump, 61 per cent to 36 per cent.

Question: How do you plan to engage with Gen Z voters?

Trump: I think were doing that.., You would be shocked to see how popular we are on college campuses pic.twitter.com/GSBJayM6EH  Acyn (@Acyn) April 27, 2023

Prior to that in 2018, when Democrats used a midterm surge to retake control of the House, voters 18 to 29 went 64 per cent for the party compared with 34 per cent for the GOP.

The rally on Thursday was his first since president Joe Biden announced his re-election bid.

It also marked his first appearance in New Hampshire since his legal troubles increased with an indictment in New York.

Story continues

Also at the rally, Mr Trump took aim at the president.

We are a nation in serious decline, a nation that has lost its way, he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

We are led by a hopeless person, but we will win in 2024 and make America great again. We can do it. Its not too late.

While Mr Trump is considered as the front-runner for the GOP nomination for the 2024 elections, other Republicans are expected to jump into the race soon, including Florida governor Ron DeSantis.
MANCHESTER, N.H.  Former President Donald Trump is considering skipping the 2024 Republican primary debates  one of the rites of election season  but some voters in the crucial, first-in-the-nation state of New Hampshire say it's a mistake.

I want to see everybody out there and how they work and how they act on the fly, said Vanessa Hayes, 41, of Goffstown.

Though Trump's positions are hardly unknown here, there are New England voters who say they want to see how all the candidates interact  and compare.

"I think how they debate and they answer questions on the fly is reflective of how they'll be able to perform under pressure," said Denise Greaves, 59, an undecided voter in North Andover, Massachusetts.

Trump considers missing 2024 primary debates

President Donald Trump reacts to the crowd as he arrives at a campaign rally, Thursday, April 27, 2023, in Manchester, N.H.

Trump on Tuesday questioned why he would subject himself in a debate to hostile NETWORKS and TRUMP & MAGA hating anchors.

The former president reiterated his skepticism of the Republican primary debates Wednesday, referencing his large leads in multiple polls.

Im leading by 40 points, Trump told New-York based WABC in an interview. People dont debate when they have these massive leads.

But a move like that could hold mixed results for Trump in important early voting states.

'Voters here want to see their candidates debating'

Republican voters who plan to cast ballots in the first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire told USA TODAY how Trump skipping the debates could affect their perception of him.

When youre simply leading by such substantial numbers as (Trump is), it gives your challengers an opportunity to knock you down a few pegs, said Nathan Shrader, professor of political science at New England College.

But even so, New Hampshire voters are accustomed to seeing candidates duke it out on the debate stage, which could make a dent in Trumps popularity, Shrader said.

There are some voters in New Hampshire who are used to seeing an open race or an open nomination. Shrader said, but added Trumps commanding lead could withstand the electoral consequences. I think voters here want to see their candidates debating, but Im not convinced that is enough to weaken Donald Trump as the front-runner.

Story continues

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President Donald Trump arrives at a campaign rally, Thursday, April 27, 2023, in Manchester, N.H.

Some voters want to see Trump on the 2024 GOP debate stage

Hayes said the Republican presidential candidate pool for 2024 is definitely still an open field for her, including Trump.

She voted for President Joe Biden in the 2020 general election but said her ballot could still be cast for Trump in the primary.

A factor that could play into her decision are the upcoming GOP debates  being able to see how candidates interact with one another and quickly respond to questions and attacks.

Some voters are adamant against Trump as a candidate, but they would like to see him on the debate stage regardless.

Will Biden win?: 3 clues to track  and his approval rating isn't one of them

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on April 27, 2023 in Manchester, New Hampshire. Trump, who is currently dealing with a growing number of legal cases against him, is the Republican frontrunner for the Republican presidential ticket.

"It's good to hear their perspectives," said Randy McIntyre, 62, of Londonderry. McIntyre stressed that even though he might not support Trump, he would like to see how the other candidates might interact with the former president.

Trump's apparent hesitancy to attend the debates could extend beyond New Hampshire. The state's style of retail politics attracts voters from all over the New England area, such as Greaves, who said that for her the primary debates are one of the most important factors in the primary elections.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at the National Rifle Association Convention in Indianapolis, Friday, April 14, 2023.

One undecided voter on Trump: 'I've seen him so many times'

Trumps presidency dominated headlines, and he remains one of the largest figures in GOP politics after being voted out in 2020. Some Granite State voters say they already know enough about the former president and they do not need to see him on the debate stage to know what type of candidate he is.

Ive seen him so many times, said Ernie Bencivenga, 64, of Hooksett. I know what his views are. Ive been to all his rallies when he was coming in."

Bencivenga, an avid Trump supporter, added that at this point in the race, he is leaning only toward Trump. He attended one of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haleys town halls in Bedford and believes the debates focus too much on national issues compared with local issues.

Former President Donald Trump campaigns on March 13, 2023, in Davenport, Iowa.

I come here to these events to hear questions that the locals have, that us locals have and get answers, instead of the nationwide questions (from the debates), Bencivenga said.

Some of Trumps most die-hard supporters, who gathered in Manchester on Thursday for one of his first rallies in New Hampshire of the 2024 election cycle, would like to see him on the debate stage even though their primary vote is set on the former president.

I think he did a very good job when he debated people, said Jackie Bellanti, 80, who drove down from Lebanon, Maine, to see Trump in Manchester. Even though Bellanti already knows Trumps positions, she said, she would enjoy seeing Trump duke it out with his competition in a public forum.

Sometimes he gets a little carried away," Bellanti said. "Sometimes I think he gets rude sometimes. He shouldnt do that."

Related: Mike Pence testified to federal grand jury about Donald Trump and Jan. 6

Former President Donald Trump campaigns on March 25, 2023, in Waco, Texas.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump could skip the 2024 GOP debates. Voters have mixed feelings.
Donald Trump appeared on his eldest sons programme Triggered, saying that its a shame what happened to Tucker Carlson and that the ousted Fox host was willing to tell the truth.

Mr Trump blasted the $787.5m settlement between Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems following the voting machine companys lawsuit against the network for its repeated broadcasts including lies about the election and Dominions role in it.

They need a new law firm, Mr Trump said, adding that the Dominion lawsuit is the craziest case Ive ever heard.

Its a shame what happened to Tucker Carlson. He had the number one show. He was doing great. His show was very interesting, and he was out there in the sense that he was telling the truth, he said.

He claimed that others in the media are lying and theyre hiding and theyre afraid to talk.

Donald Trump Jr said the payout Fox News made to Dominion was tiny to the company.

If there's liability, and you do damage, it's based on what the company is actually worth. This seems like it's worth multiple times what the company could ever possibly be worth and yet they were willing to pay it, he added. And it seems like that was designed to probably prevent, you know, a Rupert [Murdoch] from having to testify or something like that.

According to Macrotrends, Fox is worth $15.89bn as of 27 April.

I don't know how they could have lost the case, Mr Trump added. If they had lawyers that would have talked about free speech and lawyers that would have talked about platforms  It's a news platform.

That means every time somebody goes into news, if they say something, and if it's wrong, CBS or NBC fake news or ABC fake news, any of them, any of these groups or outlets or platforms are going to be responsible for whatever [anyone] says, Mr Trump said.

He added that it was ridiculous.

You won't have any news, they ought to close up their news shows right now, he said.

I think losing Tucker, having Tucker not be there, is gonna have a big impact and a negative impact on Fox, the ex-president added.

Story continues

Fox News announced it was parting ways with Mr Carlson in a statement on Monday morning.

The statement confirmed that Mr Carlsons last show occurred the preceding Friday, which ended with him eating pizza with Pennsylvanian delivery man Tyler Morrell, who was honoured after he helped police stop a suspected car thief.

At the end of the segment, Mr Carlson told his viewers he would see them again next week.

The statements language  and later comments by Fox News anchors  seemed to imply that Mr Carlson and Fox split ways mutually, though the statement lacked any comment from Mr Carlson. Later details suggested that Mr Carlson was blindsided by the decision, which reportedly came from the top of the network as late as Monday morning.
Tucker Carlson, a leading amplifier of far-right extremist conspiracy theories to mainstream audiences, has parted ways with Fox News. Meanwhile, a long-sought violent white supremacist has been arrested in Romania, the Proud Boys seditious conspiracy trial goes to a jury and we learned about the Pentagon leaker's alleged history of racism.

It's the week in extremism.

Tucker Carlson as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars in 2006.

Tucker, spreader of extremism, is out

Lies lead to increased threats online: Exclusive: Social media threats exploded after Tucker Carlson's Jan. 6 claims, analysis finds

Great replacement explainer: Racist conspiracy theory explained

In a seismic shift for the spread of disinformation and far-right extremist conspiracies, Carlson abruptly departed Fox News this week. On Monday, we took a look back at the man one expert once called "our hate mainstreamer-in-chief," and identifed five ways Carlson spread extremist content on his nightly shows:

Carlson's coverage seemed obsessed with the "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory. (For a measure of how much, see the end of this article.)

Carlson pushed the trope of a "white genocide" in South Africa, a claim that has been utterly debunked.

He overtly blamed America's problems on immigrants, saying immigration makes America poorer, and dirtier and more divided, words that cost Fox dearly in advertising revenue.

Carlson whitewashed the Jan. 6 insurrection, leading to an immediate spike in hate speech and threats.

And he pushed the canard of Antifa as an omnipotent leftist boogeyman.

Members of the white supremacist group called the Rise Above Movement were charged in violence at political rallies in California in 2017.

White supremacist arrested in Romania

You may not have heard of Robert Rundo, but the California native is pretty famous among extremism watchers as the founder of the violent and hateful Rise Above Movement or RAM. Rundo was arrested in Romania on March 31 at the behest of US authorities, according to the BBC.

RAM's members were infamous for attending far-right events, where they brawled with opposing protesters. Rundo and other members were charged with crimes related to the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, or other violent rallies around the country.

Rundo went on the lam in 2019 and avoided his initial charges, which were dismissed by a district court judge but then reinstated by a federal appeals court in San Francisco. Prosecutors indicted Rundo again in January.

Rundo, who has been living in Eastern Europe, was recently tracked down by the news site Bellingcat, which geo-located him using photos Rundo placed on the internet to promote his far-right clothing brand.

Story continues

Enrique Tarrio, left, chairman of the Proud Boys, wears a shirt expressing support for Derek Chauvin in a counterprotest against a remembrance of George Floyd in Miami on May 25, the one-year anniversary of Floyd's death at the hands of police officer Chauvin.

Proud Boys case goes to jury

January 6 prosecutions: List: A comprehensive list of all prosecutions related to the insurrection

The jury in the seditious conspiracy case against members of the Proud Boys street gang began deliberating Wednesday. A day earlier, a lawyer for former Proud Boys national chairman Henry "Enrique" Tarrio told the court that former President Donald Trump, not his client, should be blamed for insurrection.

It was Donald Trump's words. It was his motivation. It was his anger that caused what occurred on Jan. 6th in your beautiful and amazing city, defense attorney Nayib Hassan told the court. It was not Enrique Tarrio. They want to use Enrique Tarrio as a scapegoat for Donald J. Trump and those in power."

The trial is one of the most high-profile of more than 1,000 prosecutions related to the insurrection.

If found guilty of seditious conspiracy, Tarrio and the others face prison terms of up to 20 years.

Members of the extremist group the Oath Keepers were found guilty of similar charges last year.

Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, right, appears in U.S. District Court in Boston. A judge is expected to hear arguments Thursday over whether Teixeira, accused of leaking highly classified military documents about the Ukraine war and other issues, should remain in jail while he awaits trial.

Racist past alleged for Pentagon leak defendant

We learned a lot more this week about Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old accused of leaking hundreds of classified documents to his friends on the communication platform Discord, including that he had a trove of weapons and allegedly has a troubling past that includes making racist threats.

Discord Explainer: What is Discord? And why does it keep coming up in news stories like the Pentagon leak?

Legal filings claim Teixeira posted about mass killings online, including allegedly expressing his desire to kill a ton of people and cull the weak minded.

Teixeira also has a history of making "racial threats," prosecutors said in the filings.

The National Guard airman was also suspended from high school in 2018 for making comments about molotov cocktails and other weapons.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson

Statistic of the week: Zero

That's how many times the Great Replacement theory was promoted by Tucker Carlson on his nightly show this week.

Carlson's last show on Fox News aired a week ago.

In the years preceding his demise, Carlson had invoked the Great Replacement more than 400 times, according to an analysis from the New York Times.

Last week in extremism: Far-left activists charged with working for Russian agents

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Robert Rundo, wanted in white supremacist rallies, arrested in Europe
ANKARA, Turkey Baykar has revealed a new cruise missile for use on the Turkish companys TB2, TB3 and Akinci combat drones.

The miniature weapon, known as the Bayraktar Kemankes, was on display April 27 at the Teknofest exhibition in Istanbul.

It is powered by a jet engine and has a range of 200 kilometers (124 miles). The company said it features an auto-pilot system supported by artificial intelligence technolgoy.

The missile can fly at a speed of Mach 0.7 and carry a 30-kilogram (66-pound) payload.

Baykar reported $1.4 billion in revenue for 2022. It announced that 99.3% of its revenue that year came from exports. The company has sold its TB2 combat drone to 28 countries, and its Akinci drones to six countries.

Baykar did not disclose a per unit price for the Kemankes. But a company engineer, speaking on the condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to the press, told Defense News his team has tried to minimize the cost to less than $20,000 per unit.
LAFAYETTE, Ind.  WLFI-TV18 multi-platform reporter Cameron Deblasio pleaded guilty Friday morning to drunken driving, a Class C misdemeanor.

Tippecanoe Superior 6 Judge Michael Morrisey sentenced Deblasio, 25, of Lafayette, to one year on unsupervised probation. Morrisey fined Deblasio $500 and sentenced him to 60 days in jail, then Morrisey suspended the sentence and fine, which he'd done for others who pleaded guilty for the same crime. Deblasio's license also is suspended for 180 days.

As terms of his probation, Deblasio is barred from consuming alcohol or using drugs, and he may not possess a firearm  which is standard terms for those on probation.

Deblasio left the Neon Cactus with another person early March 10 in Deblasio's car, according to police reports. West Lafayette police officers at the bar were dealing with a situation in the Cactus' parking lot and noticed Deblasio leave. Officers watched as Deblasio drove to nearby Tapawingo Park and parked in the parking lot, leaving his car running, according to police reports. Deblasio parked his car perpendicular to the lined parking spaces.

Statue of justice (court or lawsuit file illustration)

When police finished their incident at the bar's parking lot, which was about 30 minutes after Deblasio left the bar, officers drove to Tapawingo Park to investigate why the car was parked there, according to police reports. It was then they discovered that Deblasio was impaired.

Deblasio's blood-alcohol content tested 0.131%, according to police reports. Indiana's legal limit 0.08%.

Deblasio declined to comment after the hearing.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: TV reporter pleads guilty to drunken driving; receives suspended sentence and probation
A wave of Russian missile and drone strikes killed at least 17 people and wounded some 17 more in cities across Ukraine on Friday, according to officials.

The attacks came as large-scale Russian air strikes on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure had appeared to wane in recent months and expectations were growing that Ukraine's military would soon launch a counter-offensive against Russian forces.

Most of the deaths occurred in Uman, a city south of Kyiv, when two missiles slammed into an apartment building, Ukraines interior minister, Ihor Klymenko, said. "Missile strikes killing innocent Ukrainians in their sleep, including a 2-year-old child, is Russias response to all peace initiatives," Dmytro Kuleba, the countrys foreign minister, tweeted.

Rescuers work in the rubble of a damaged residential building in Uman, south of Kyiv on April 28, 2023, after Russian missile strikes targeted several Ukrainian cities overnight.

Ukraine war latest

Russia launched 23 missiles and two attack drones at Ukrainian cities, officials said. Ukraine's air defense systems shot down 21 of the projectiles.

In addition to the 15 people killed in Uman, a woman and her three-year-old daughter were killed in the southeastern city of Dnipro, the mayor said.

Survivors of the Uman strikes recounted the moments as the missiles hit. "All the glass flew out, everything flew out, even the chandelier fell. Everything was covered in glass, resident Olha Turina told The Associated Press at the scene.

For the first time in nearly two months, Ukraine's capital Kyiv also came under attack, although there were no reports of any targets hit.

None of the projectiles landed anywhere near active combat zones in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian officials and independent analysts have alleged since the start of the war that the strikes are part of a deliberate intimidation strategy by the Kremlin. Russia has repeatedly denied its military takes aim at civilian targets.

A grinding war of attrition has taken hold along the wars sprawling front lines in Ukraine's east and south. Ukraine appeared to rebuff a planned Russian offensive this past winter. Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, previously told USA TODAY that Russia would be "out of military tools" by this spring, laying the ground for a Ukrainian counter-offensive. Leaked U.S. military documents reported in the New York Times detailed that 12 Ukrainian combat bridges  4,000 troops  would be moved to the front line by the end of April.

Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine's defense minister, said Friday that planning for Ukraine's counteroffensive was in its final stages. However he did not mention a specific timeframe: As soon as there is Gods will, the weather and a decision by commanders, we will do it.

Story continues

More USA TODAY reporting on Russia's war in Ukraine:

It's 6 mos. since Russia launched its war on #Ukraine. UA is also marking its #IndependenceDay amid fears of renewed Russian strikes. Our in-depth story on UA's complex effort to get justice for war crimes https://t.co/kp5fHuOvye



Visuals by @jakoscielniak

Editing by @jsusong  Kim Hjelmgaard (@khjelmgaard) August 24, 2022

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Russia unleashes mass airstrikes in Ukraine, killing at least 17
Two U.S. Army helicopters returning from a training flight collided in Alaska on Thursday, leaving three soldiers dead and a fourth injured.

The incident was the second such accident involving military helicopters in the state.

Each AH-64 Apache helicopter involved in the crash was carrying two people, according to John Pennell, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Alaska.

"This is an incredible loss for these soldiers families, their fellow soldiers, and for the division," Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, said in the Army statement. "Our hearts and prayers go out to their families, friends and loved ones, and we are making the full resources of the Army available to support them."

The Pentagon, which is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense (DOD), is the world's largest office building by floor area.

MILITARY HELICOPTER CRASH IN AK INJURES 2 SOLDIERS

The names of those killed are being withheld until relatives are notified, the Army said.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

The crash occurred near Healy, Alaska, while returning to Fort Wainwright, near Fairbanks. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Healy is located about 10 miles north of Denali National Park and Preserve and approximately 250 miles north of Anchorage.

In a statement from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, the helicopters were part of the 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright.

First responders arrived on the scene, and the incident is under investigation.

In February, two soldiers were injured when a military helicopter  an Army AH-64D  was involved in a rollover accident in Talkeetna, Alaska.

The helicopter was also part of the 25th Attack Battalion at Fort Wainwright.

In March, nine soldiers were killed when two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a routine nighttime training exercise.

The helicopters were part of a medical evacuation unit. The crash took place approximately 30 miles northeast of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Two US Army helicopters were involved in a crash during a training flight in Alaska, according to officials.

US Army spokesperson John Pennell told the Associated Press each helicopter had two people onboard, but that he did not have immediate word on their condition.

First responders are on the scene, the 11th Airborne Division said in a statement on Twitter. The incident is under investigation and more information about the incident will be released when it becomes available.

Two AH-64 Apache helicopters from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, at Fort Wainwright crashed today near Healy, Alaska, returning from a training flight.  Eleventh Airborne (@11thAirborneDiv) April 28, 2023

The incident involved two AH-64 Apache helicopters based out of Fort Wainwright, the AP reports.

The crash, near Healy, is the second such incident in Alaska this year.

In February, two soldiers were injured when an Apache helicopter had a rollover accident at the Talkeetna Airport.

Both soliders involved in that incident were treated and released, according to ArmyTimes.

In March, nine soldiers were killed in a collision between two US Army Black Hawk helicopters during a training mission in Kentucky.

Officials are still investigating the cause of the crash.

Earlier this month, the family of a Czech billionaire killed in a helicopter crash in Alaska two years ago sued the aircraft operator, claiming negligence may have led to the accident.

The heirs of Petr Kellner, who was killed in the crash along with four other people, have filed a lawsuit in Alaska and are seeking an investigation into the potential negligence which may have directly or indirectly caused the fatal incident, according to Bloomberg.

In the lawsuit, Mr Kellners widow Renata Kellnerova names both the operator and the participants in the rescue mission as defendants.

Story continues

The family  worth $12.4bn according to Bloombergs Billionaires Index  said they wanted to wait to file a lawsuit until US authorities finished their investigation into the crash.

However, the investigation is still ongoing. The family moved to file the lawsuit before the two-year statute of limitations expired on 27 March.

Graig Graziosi contributed reporting to this story.
The U.S Marshals Service is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a man who was mistakenly released from Platte County jail after being charged with attempted capital murder in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a release.

Jaeveon Mitchell-Locke, 21, was being held in Platte County jail on warrants unrelated to his attempted capital murder charges in Kansas City, Kansas, when he was mistakenly released on April 20.

The Wyandotte County District Attorney charged Locke with attempted capital murder, criminal discharge of a firearm, aggravated endangering of a child and distribution of fentanyl  along with three other suspects  following an April 5 shootout that left three Kansas City, Kansas, police officers seriously injured.

Officers were attempting an undercover investigation of fentanyl dealing when the shooting happened.

A manhunt for Locke between the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department, U.S Marshals Service and Platte County Sheriffs Office has ensued since his release.

Locke stands 6 feet 1 inches tall and weighs about 200 pounds. His hair is black and his eyes are brown. He has a scar on his right arm.

Hes believed to be armed and dangerous, according to the U.S. Marshals Service

Anyone with information on Lockes location should call the U.S. Marshals Service at 1-877-WANTED2 or use the USMS Tips App. All calls are kept confidential.
US journalist Evan Gershkovich NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA / Contributor/ Getty Images

The U.S. issued new sanctions on state-run groups in Russia and Iran for their roles in wrongfully detaining Americans. The move comes as the Biden administration "works to prevent more captive-taking and potentially secure the release of citizens currently being detained," CNN reports.

The sanctions arrive "amid several high-profile cases of Americans being wrongfully detained," CNN explains. Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, and former Marine Paul Whelan are being held in Russia on espionage charges, while U.S. citizens Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi, and Morad Tahbaz are detained in "Iran's notorious Evin prison, where there have been reports of torture." The sanctions target Russia's Federal Security Service and the Intelligence Organization of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

"Russia's and Iran's continued pattern of wrongfully detaining U.S. nationals is unacceptable," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement announcing the sanctions."The United States will never stop working to secure the release of U.S. nationals who are wrongfully detained or held hostage and reunite them with their loved ones."

In addition to the sanctions for the organizations, the Treasury Department sanctioned four officials from the IRGC-IO, "meaning any property of theirs that is in the U.S. or controlled by Americans must be blocked and reported to the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control," NBC News says. The sanctions also block anyone in the U.S. "from making transactions with the designated people or entities."

Officials intend for the sanctions to act as a warning to those contemplating taking Americans hostage for personal gain. "We are also showing that one cannot engage in this sort of awful behavior using human beings as pawns, as bargaining chips, without paying consequences, and these are some of the consequences," a senior administration official said.

Story continues

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WASHINGTON  The Biden administration on Thursday slapped sanctions on state-run agencies in Russia and Iran over their roles in wrongfully detaining U.S. citizens.

The sanctions, announced by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, target Russia's Federal Security Service and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Intelligence Organization.

"Russias and Irans continued pattern of wrongfully detaining U.S. nationals is unacceptable," Blinken said in a statement. "The United States will never stop working to secure the release of U.S. nationals who are wrongfully detained or held hostage and reunite them with their loved ones. Todays actions are one tool furthering that cause, and we will continue to use all authorities at our disposal to bring our people home."

In a coordinated move, the Treasury Department sanctioned four senior officials of the IRGC-IO, meaning any property of theirs that is in the U.S. or controlled by Americans must be blocked and reported to the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control. The sanctions also generally prohibit anyone in the U.S. from making transactions with the designated people or entities.

"Today  and every day  our message to Russia, Iran, and the world is holding hostage or wrongfully detaining Americans is unacceptable," President Joe Biden said in a statement. "Release them immediately."

Government representatives from Russia and Iran did not immediately respond to request for comment.

The authority to impose the sanctions stems from an executive order related to the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act. It is the first time the Biden administration has used the executive order since the authority of the statute was expanded in July, senior administration officials said.

"The IRGC-IO frequently holds and interrogates detainees, including at least one wrongfully detained U.S. national, in Evin Prison," a senior administration official told reporters. "And Evin Prison has a long and sordid history of human rights abuses, including extensive reports of torture."

Story continues

The U.S. has previously sanctioned FSB and IRGC officials. In 2019, the Trump administration designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization.

Russia's Foreign Affairs Ministry refused the next requested consular visit on May 11 for Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was arrested about four weeks ago in Russia on espionage charges. Gershkovich and his employer have denied the charges.

The U.S. ambassador to Russia made the first consular visit to Gershkovich on April 17 after Russia previously denied the U.S. Embassy's earlier requests for visits.

U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich stands inside a defendants' cage in Moscow on April 18, 2023. (Natali Kolesnikova / AFP - Getty Images)

WNBA star Brittney Griner encouraged wrongfully detained people to stay strong and not lose hope at a news conference Thursday with the Phoenix Mercury.

"I would say to everyone that is wrongfully detained right now across the world: Stay strong," Griner said. "Keep fighting. Don't give up.

"We're not going to stop fighting," she added. "We're not going to stop bringing awareness to everyone that's left behind right now."

Griner was released from Russian custody in December after having been held on drug charges for over nine months.

Earlier Thursday, publishers and editors from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Washington Post released a joint letter reiterating calls for Gershkovich's release.

"Evan is a distinguished journalist whose coverage has provided an important window into one of the world's most isolated countries; his detention is a loss not just for our individual publications but for the people of Russia and society at large," they wrote. "The unjust arrest of any reporter, anywhere in the world, is simply unacceptable."

The U.S. on April 10 designated Gershkovich as wrongfully detained, a classification that gives the government additional resources to work toward his release. A Moscow court has since rejected Gershkovich's detention appeal.

In addition to Gershkovich, the U.S. also designated Paul Whelan and at least three Americans and a legal permanent U.S. resident in Iran as wrongfully detained.

"These actors in Russia and Iran have tried to use Americans for political leverage or to seek concessions from the United States," said a senior administration official discussing the sanctions. "These actions threaten the stability and integrity of the international political system."

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Liza Burke, a University of Georgia senior, died a little over a week after her family decided to stop treatment for her brain tumor, her mother told McClatchy News.

Burke died just after 2 a.m. on Friday, April 28, according to her mom, Laura McKeithen, who also posted the news in an online journal.

After her passing, those with her dressed Burke in colorful pajamas, braided her hair and said their goodbyes.

It is with both relief and belief that I share Lizas passing, McKeithen said. Liza has now been reunited with her sister and they are making up for lost time!

Burke was taken to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, where her brain will be removed and used for further studies, her mom said.

Memorial services will be held in Athens, Georgia, and her hometown of Asheville, North Carolina.

Burkes death comes a little more than a week after her family decided to stop her treatment for a grade 4 astrocytoma tumor.

Also known as a glioblastoma, this tumor is the most malignant, aggressive and common type of astrocytoma, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. The tumor is a highly aggressive cancer that progresses quickly.

After Burke failed to respond to treatment, her family met with several doctors and made the decision to cease radiation and pursue providing Liza a send-off like only she deserves, McKeithen said in an April 17 journal entry.

Tonight we begin the hunt for the perfect place by the sea where Liza can enjoy her final days supported by the infinite love that surrounds her, McKeithen wrote. If I could, I would hang onto Liza and follow her. But since I cant, please continue your prayers for our Sleeping Warrior and for all of us who will never fully fill the void that will be left in her wake.

Liza Burkes story

While on spring break with friends in Mexico, Burke developed an unusually painful headache on March 10, McClatchy News reported. She left breakfast to rest and hours later was found unconscious in her room.

Story continues

Burke was rushed to a hospital after friends were unable to wake her. On March 14, Burke and her family made it back to the United States and she was admitted to the Mayo Clinic.

Originally, doctors diagnosed Burke with a brain bleed caused by an arteriovenous malformation (AVM)  a tangle of blood vessels that causes arteries and veins to be connected wrong.

However, on March 28, preliminary biopsy results revealed that Burke was suffering from a grade 4 astrocytoma tumor.

Friends described Burke as genuine, dynamic, playful and fierce, according to a GoFundMe started by a family friend.

Liza amazes me daily with her ability to do this dying thing with bountiful courage, grace, and beauty, but PLEASE shout out your prayers for Lizas peace and comfort because it looks hard, McKeithen wrote in an April 24 update.

Liza exemplifies all the good in this world, wrapped into one beautiful, kind, selfless and smart lady, one person commented on the post.

To some of you she may be a stranger, but to so many on UGAs campus she is a friend, another friend wrote on Facebook.
A 21-year-old University of Georgia student diagnosed with brain cancer after a trip to Mexico for spring break has died.

Liza Burke was in Cabo San Lucas last month when she got a sudden headache and quickly became unresponsive.

Friends rallied to raise money to fly her to a Florida hospital where her mother lives.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Initially diagnosed with an arteriovenous malformation, Burke was later diagnosed with a stage 4 astrocytoma tumor near her brain stem, also known as a glioblastoma.

As they started to try to figure out what was going on  she became less and less responsive, her mother, Laura McKeithen, told Channel 2 Action News. Your brain stem is where everything happens, and as a result, thats why she is not waking up.

McKeithen said that while Burke had not been able to speak, she could communicate with her family to some extent.

Burke underwent three rounds of radiation but didnt respond to treatment.

Earlier this month, Burkes family decided to bring her to a home near the beach in Florida to spend her final days.

Friends and family had been visiting and watching her favorite movies in the days before her death.

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McKeithen said her daughter died around 2:20 Friday morning while holding hands with her brother, Jack.

Once he fell asleep and the only eyes on Liza were those of her other mother, Liza took a final breath, sighed, and transitioned into the next realm, McKeithen wrote. Beane, the dog quickly sensed it and was downstairs while I was being awakened.

Burke lost her younger sister, Edie, in 2018 to a rare genetic syndrome.

Liza has now been reunited with her sister and they are making up for lost time! her mother wrote.

Story continues

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Friends and family are planning for two celebrations of life, one in Athens and another in Asheville, where Burke is from.

The family is also setting up a fund at the Foundation of the Carolinas in Burkes name for educational purposes.

Channel 2 Action News lost anchor Jovita Moore to the same type of aggressive, quickly-growing cancer in 2021 at age 54.
The UK will maintain vigilance in the North Sea in response to alleged Russian spy ships operating near offshore energy infrastructure, a minister has said.

Baroness Goldie said the activities of Russian vessels suspected of gathering intelligence will be watched closely.

It comes after a joint investigation earlier this month by European broadcasters claimed a Russian ship called the Admiral Vladimirsky was part of an operation to map undersea infrastructure.

Admiral Vladimirsky' (DR)

At a meeting of the North Atlantic Council Conservative peer Baroness Goldie, a defence minister, told PA news agency the UK has deployed HMS Somerset to be in the vicinity of Admiral Vladimirsky.

She said: We take that presence very seriously, as do our Nato allies, and we all have a role to play.

The United Kingdom deployed one of our vessels, HMS Somerset, to be in the vicinity.

We do constantly track and monitor the activity of vessels like these Russian purported-to-be fishing vessels but may be something very different.

We are constantly aware of what they are doing.

The important thing is for the Russians to understand theres constant surveillance, theres this vigilance on the part of not just the UK, but our Nato allies.

Baroness Goldie, defence minister (Andrew Milligan/PA)

We are aware of their activity, the Russians know that.

Were very vigilant about ensuring that if we detected any potential risk to critical subsea infrastructure, then appropriate action would be taken.

Admiral Vladimirsky is officially a research vessel but Danish journalists filmed an armed man in military gear on its deck.

The report claimed the ship sailed around the Baltic Sea and the North Sea for a month, passing current and future wind farms off the coast of several Scandinavian countries, as well as the Moray Firth.

The broadcasters say that the ship is part of a fleet of espionage boats, disguised as fishing trawlers and scientific research vessels, which is examining key energy sites for possible sabotage.

The ship is thought to have entered the Moray Firth, off the coast of Scotland, on November 10 last year.

Story continues

Dozens of military leaders gathered at the Clyde base for a meeting of Natos North Atlantic Council and military committee.

Baroness Goldie addressed the meeting and reiterated the UKs commitment to its nuclear deterrent, the Vanguard-class submarines based at Faslane.

The Tory peer also confirmed the name of the Royal Navys new multi-role ocean surveillance vessel will be RFA Proteus, which will be tasked with monitoring undersea infrastructure. It shares a name with a US Navy ship which was based at Faslane in the 1960s.

The conservative peer also praised the work of the military in evacuating British nationals from Sudan, with around 900 people returned so far.

She said: We all understand its a complex, fast-moving and dangerous environment.

As an MoD minister Ive watched with pride as the MoD again steps up to the plate.
Zuzana Chaputova, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Petro Pavel in Kyiv on April 28, 2023

Pavel noted that the Czech Republic and Ukraine have common projects that can be implemented quickly. Other initiatives have also been prepared in five key areas, including the reconstruction of Ukraine, focusing chiefly on energy and transport infrastructure.

Read also: UK supplied Ukraine with thousands of shells for Challenger-2 tanks

We have prepared six key projects for joint production based on both Ukrainian and Czech companies, said Pavel.

Read also: Czech Republic to send $30 million in additional military aid to Ukraine

As for specific projects: they concern the production of weapons, ammunition, tank repairs (T-62), as well as the potential production of trainer aircraft. For us, the transfer of technologies and production is a priority, so that production could take place partially or entirely on the territory of Ukraine.

The final result will reflect technologies that both sides have.

Read also: Czech teacher prosecuted for anti-Ukrainian propaganda and genocide denial

On April 28, Czech President Petr Pavel and Slovak President Zuzana Caputova arrived in Kyiv. They signed a joint declaration with President Zelenskyy, pledging their support for Ukraines NATO accession and establishing a special international tribunal for Russian crimes of aggression.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Evgen Kotenko/ Ukrinform/ Future Publishing via Getty Images

Civil aviation will not resume flights in Ukraine until the airspace is completely safe.

Source: Oksana Ozhyhova, deputy head of the Ukrainian State Air Traffic Services Enterprise (UkSATSE), in a commentary to the Kyiv TV channel

Quote: "The aftermath of today's night attack is what we call danger. Everything to do with aviation we associate with the word safety. It is too early to make any predictions until 100% safety in the airspace of Ukraine is guaranteed," Ozhyhova stated.

She added that at the moment, the UkSATSE is making preparations to resume flights as soon as possible and "whenever possible".

Background:

Earlier, Clement Beaune, the Minister of Transport of France, reported that Ukraine is preparing to open its air space for civil planes.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
China's new energy power project in desert area becomes operational

Xinhua) 11:04, April 28, 2023

BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The first phase of a renewable power project in the Tengger Desert in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region was connected to the grid and began generating power on Wednesday, according to the China Energy Investment Corporation (China Energy), the project's operator.

The first phase of the China Energy project runs purely on photovoltaic power with an installed capacity of 1 million kilowatts, the company said.

It is expected to generate 1.8 billion kilowatt-hours of solar power each year, meeting the demand of 1.5 million households, according to the company.

It is the first one of China's planned solar and wind power projects to be built in the Gobi Desert as well as other desert or arid areas in the country. The project was designed to run on wind and photovoltaic power, according to China Energy. It has a total installed capacity of 13 million kilowatts and an investment of over 85 billion yuan (about 12.28 billion U.S. dollars).

China plans to bring its combined wind and solar power capacity to 1.2 billion kilowatts by 2030, with power generated at large wind and photovoltaic power bases in the Gobi Desert as well as other desert or arid areas in the country totaling 455 million kilowatts.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Ukraine activated air defence systems and sounded air raid alerts across the country after Russia fired another barrage of missiles towards the besieged nation in the early hours today.

Air defences are at work! Kyivs regional administration wrote on the Telegram amid explosions heard in the region.

Keep calm! Stay in shelters until the air alarm goes off!

Blasts have been reported in Dnipropetrovsk and Sumy so far. Locals were seen taking shelter in metro stations after the whole country came under air raid alert.

The air raid alert was sounded around 3.40am local time today and it is still on.

Serhii Shaikhet, the head of Ukrainian city Mykolaivs police, had warned that Russia may try to strike Ukraine with up to a hundred missiles and overnight, Ukraines presidential office head Andriy Yermak had urged citizens not to ignore air raid sirens.

The barrage of missiles comes just two days after a similar attack by Vladimir Putins forces on Ukraine killed at least 23 people, including four children, after a Russian missile struck a nine-storey residential building.

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Ukraine controls key supply route into Bakhmut, military says

Barrage of missile fired over Kyiv, air defence activated

03:37 , Arpan Rai

Air raid alerts have been issued throughout all of Ukraine by emergency services after a threat of missile strikes in the early hours today.

The threat of a missile strike! Kyivs regional administration wrote on the Telegram. Stay in shelters.

Andriy Yermak, head of president Volodymyr Zelenskys office, said on the Telegram, Take care of your safety, do not publicise the work of air defence.

Vatican involved in secret peace mission'

04:00 , William Mata

Story continues

Pope Francis said Sunday the Vatican was willing to help facilitate the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia during the war, saying the Holy See had already helped mediate some prisoner exchanges and would do all that is humanly possible to reunite families.

All human gestures help. Gestures of cruelty dont help, Francis said during an airborne press conference en route home from Hungary.

Francis also revealed a secret peace mission was under way. However, he gave no details when asked whether he spoke about peace initiatives during his talks in Budapest this weekend with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban or the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in Hungary.

The Pope on his visit to Hungary (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Relatives bury children killed in Russian missile attack

03:00 , William Mata

Relatives and friends cried next to coffins on Sunday as they buried children and others killed in a Russian missile attack on this central Ukrainian city, while fighting claimed more lives elsewhere.Almost all of the 23 victims of the attack on Friday died when two missiles slammed into an apartment building in Uman. Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said six children were among the dead.Mykhayl Shulha, 6, cried and hugged relatives next to the coffin of his 11-year-old sister Sofia Shulha during Sundays funeral, while others paid respects to a 17-year-old boy.As mourners held candles, crossed themselves and sang, the priest at the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God Quick to Hear waved a vessel containing incense over the coffins. He said the deaths had hit the entire community hard.I live nearby, said Father Fyodor Botsu. I personally knew the children, the littlest, from when they were very young, and I personally baptized them in this church. Im worried with everyone since I have children and Im a citizen of this country and have been living in this city for 15 years.He said he prayed that the war should end and peace should come to our homes, city and country.

A funeral procession in Uman (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

British armed forces chief comments on Ukraine

02:00 , William Mata

Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin has said he has accompanied the National Security Adviser Tim Barrow and had a meeting with Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Weve got the capacity to deal with lots of different things at different times. I was in Ukraine earlier this week and met my opposite number General (Valerii) Zaluzhnyi, he said in defending the British policies in rescuing individuals while also preparing for the coronation.

I accompanied the National Security Adviser Tim Barrow and we had a meeting with President (Volodymyr) Zelensky.

We have also been involved in the evacuation from Sudan. And Im pleased with how that has gone.

Read the full story here.

Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin defended the Sudan evacuation effort (Alastair Grant/PA) (PA Wire)

Full story: Putins commanders forcing troops into caged pits for being drunk or refusing to fight

01:00 , William Mata

Russian commanders are likely punishing soldiers by forcing them into caged holes in the ground, the Ministry of Defence has said.

In its daily intelligence update on Sunday, the MoD said that troops are likely facing the makeshift dungeons as a form of punishment for actions such as being drunk or refusing to fight in the Ukraine war.

The holes, called Zindans, consist of holes in the ground covered with a metal grille, it said. The MoD said in the statement that it had heard multiple reports of the Zindans being in use.

Read William Matas full story here.

Vladimir Putin with Russian soldiers (Sputnik)

Irish criticise statement from Russian ambassador after death

Monday 1 May 2023 00:00 , William Mata

Teachta Dalas, the Irish equivalen to MPs, across the political spectrum have criticised a statement from the Russian ambassador issued in response to the death of an Irishman fighting in Ukraine.

But despite the Irish government stating that its support for Ukraine was "unwavering", and that Russian disinformation would have "no impact" on this, it said that diplomatic channels between the two nations should remain open.

Finbar Cafferkey, from Achill Island in Co Mayo, was killed while serving as a military volunteer in the eastern part of Ukraine.

Irish deputy premier Micheal Martin paid tribute to Mr Cafferkey as "obviously a young man of clear principles", which prompted the Russian embassy in Ireland to question that statement.

Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin) (PA Wire)

Todays headlines

Sunday 30 April 2023 23:00 , William Mata

At 11pm on Sunday, April 30, we can bring you some of the headlines from the events of the day in Ukraine.

Russian forces suffer radiation sickness after digging trenches and fishing in Chernobyl

Russian troops who dug trenches in Chernobyl forest during their occupation of the area have been struck down with radiation sickness, authorities have confirmed.

Train drivers union boss hits out over criticism of strike on eve of Eurovision

Aslefs Mick Whelan said Transport Secretary Mark Harpers accusation was bizarre, implying the union was not standing in solidarity with Ukraine.

Putins soldiers likely put in holes in the ground as punishment for misdemeanors

Russian commanders have likely started a harsher punishment regime for their soldiers by placing them in holes in the ground called Zindans, the UK ministry of defence has said.

The Zindans are improvised cells consisting of holes in the ground covered with a metal grille, according to UK intelligence.

(SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)

Russian forces suffer radiation sickness after digging trenches and fishing in Chernobyl

Sunday 30 April 2023 22:00 , William Mata

Russian troops who dug trenches in Chernobyl forest during their occupation of the area have been struck down with radiation sickness, authorities have confirmed.

Ukrainians living near the nuclear power station that exploded 37 years ago, and choked the surrounding area in radioactive contaminants, warned the Russians when they arrived against setting up camp in the forest.

Read Emily Atkinsons full story here.

(EPA)

Loss estimates of Russian military

Sunday 30 April 2023 21:00 , William Mata

The Armed Forces of Ukraine has given its latest update on the losses of Russian troops. Some of the headline figures are:

- 190,510 soldiers have died, an increase of 470 from Saturday,

- 7,189 all purpose vehicles have now been eliminated, a rise of five,

- 3,699 Russian tanks are now out of action.

The figures have not been verified by the Kremlin.

Government teases Stacey Dooley documentary

Sunday 30 April 2023 20:00 , William Mata

The British Ministry of Defence has advertised a new documentary called Stacey Dooley: Ready For War

The trailer features the presenter talking to Ukrainian Mykola, who was a florist before the war, and now joins his two brothers in fighting against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The documentary is now streaming on iPlayer.

Mykola was a florist before the war, and now joins his two brothers in fighting against Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.



Watch Stacey Dooley: Ready For War?  https://t.co/c9YyIH0yk5 pic.twitter.com/EPsxDYFPvv  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) April 30, 2023

Zelensky makes video address to Ukrainians

Sunday 30 April 2023 19:00 , William Mata

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has tweeted a message of encouragement to his supporters.

Russian invaders wont take away our peace  a natural part of Ukrainian character, he tweeted.

Peace & the desire for freedom for our entire country, all our regions, cities & communities. We'll definitely gain it. Glory to everyone who is in combat for Ukraine! Thank you to everyone in the world who helps!

 invaders wont take away our peace  a natural part of  character. Peace & the desire for freedom for our entire country, all our regions, cities & communities. We'll definitely gain it. Glory to everyone who is in combat for ! Thank you to everyone in the world who helps! pic.twitter.com/EpIdIV3vZ9    (@ZelenskyyUa) April 30, 2023

Ukraine: Sunday, April 30 in pictures

Sunday 30 April 2023 18:00 , William Mata

People react during the funeral of two children, Sofia and Kyrylo, who officials said were killed on Friday by a Russian missile strike (REUTERS)

People embrace each other during the funeral service of Shulga Sophiya, 11, and her brother Pisarev Kiryusha, 17, who were killed after a Russian missile strike on a multistorey residential building, at a church in Uman (AFP via Getty Images)

People take part in a funeral service for sister and brother Shulga Sophiya, 11, and Pisarev Kiryusha, 17 (AFP via Getty Images)

A woman lays flowers in front of a damaged multistory residential building, where a Russian strike killed 23 people, in Uman (AFP via Getty Images)

Russia says its forces take four blocks in western Bakhmut - RIA

Sunday 30 April 2023 16:45 , William Mata

Russia's Ministry of Defence on Sunday said its forces had taken four blocks in western Bakhmut, Russian state-owned news agency RIA reported - Reuters has said.

The news agency could not independently confirm the claim.

Russian forces have been struggling for months to capture the city in eastern Ukraine.

Russian soldiers progress in Bakhmut (AP)

Pope on the banks of the Danube in final Mass in Hungary

Sunday 30 April 2023 15:26 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Tens of thousands of Hungarians flocked to Budapests main square Sunday for Pope Francis final Mass, gathering on the banks of the Danube as the pontiff wrapped up a weekend visit to the heart of Europe with pleas for a peaceful end to Russias war next door.

The Mass on Kossuth Lajos Square, with the Hungarian parliament and Budapests famed Chain Bridge as a backdrop, provided the visual highlight of Francis three-day visit that has been dominated by the Vaticans concern for the plight of neighboring Ukraine.

Citing local organizers, the Vatican said some 50,000 people were participating at the Mass, more than 30,000 of them in the square on a brilliantly sunny spring morning. Among them were President Katalin Novak and Hungarys right-wing populist prime minister, Viktor Orban, whose lukewarm support for Ukraine has rankled fellow European Union members.

Pope on the banks of the Danube in final Mass in Hungary

Four civilians killed in Ukrainian shelling on Russias Bryansk

Sunday 30 April 2023 14:49 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Four civilians died as a result of Ukrainian shelling on a village just over the border in Russias Bryansk region on Saturday evening, a local governor said.

Four civilians have been killed, Governor Alexander Bogomaz said on the Telegram messaging app. Two other citizens were being treated in hospital, Bogomaz said.

Bogomaz earlier said that one residential building had been completely destroyed and two other houses partially destroyed.

Bogomaz blamed the incident on Ukrainian nationalists. Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia and on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine.

Both sides deny targeting civilians in the 14-month-old Russian invasion on Ukraine.

Work is continuing at the site of the incident to remove rubble and clear the area, Bogomaz said. A state of emergency has been introduced in the village.

Russias Bryansk region borders Ukraine. The village of Suzemka, where the incident occurred, is around 10 kms (6.2 miles) from the border.

Russia says its forces take four blocks in western Bakhmut

Sunday 30 April 2023 14:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russias Ministry of Defence on Sunday said its forces had taken four blocks in western Bakhmut, Russian state-owned news agency RIA reported.

Reuters could not independently confirm the claim. Russian forces have been struggling for months to capture the city in eastern Ukraine.

The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary

Sunday 30 April 2023 13:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

It was a month into Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine. Russian forces had withdrawn from around Kyiv and in their wake Bel Trew and her team stumbled on a body by an abandoned Russian camp.

His hands were tied. He had been burned and shot in the back. Soldiers said he was a teenager.

As Bel tried to find out who he was and what had happened, she uncovered a nightmare world: a nation struggling to find thousands of its missing and to identify its dead.

The Body in the Woods by Bel Trew is streaming now on Independent TV and on your smart TV.

The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary

Russia blames Ukraine drone attack for major Crimea oil depot fire

Sunday 30 April 2023 13:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian officials have claimed a Ukrainian drone strike caused a massive fire to erupt at an oil depot in Crimea, in the latest in a series of attacks on the annexed peninsula as Russia braces for an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, said the oil depot was attacked by two enemy drones and four oil tanks had burned down. A third drone was shot down from the sky, and one more was deactivated through radio-electronic means.

He said the fire at the citys harbour had been assigned the highest ranking in terms of how complicated it would be to extinguish. However, he reported that the blaze had been contained.

Russia blames Ukraine drone attack for major Crimea oil depot fire

In pictures: scenes from Bakhmut

Sunday 30 April 2023 12:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian soldiers walk in a trench near Bakhmut (AP)

A Ukrainian soldier fires a cannon near Bakhmut (AP)

Putins soldiers likely put in holes in the ground as punishment for misdemeanors

Sunday 30 April 2023 11:22 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian commanders have likely started a harsher punishment regime for their soldiers by placing them in holes in the ground called Zindans, the UK ministry of defence has said.

The Zindans are improvised cells consisting of holes in the ground covered with a metal grille, according to UK intelligence.

Behaviours which warrant such a punishment include drunkenness and soldiers attempting to terminate their contracts.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 30 April 2023.



Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/SIvHuzvKuo



 #StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/n6EiQpwtpM  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) April 30, 2023

Don't shut door on foreigners, migrants, Pope Francis says in Hungary

Sunday 30 April 2023 11:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Pope Francis on Sunday presided over a big outdoor Mass where he urged Hungarians not to close the door on migrants and those who are foreign or unlike us, in contrast to the anti-immigrant policies of nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

More than 50,000 people gathered in and around the square behind Budapests iconic neo-gothic parliament building, a symbol of the capital on the Danube, to see the pope on the last day of his visit to the country.

He continued a theme he began on the first day of his visit on Friday, when he warned against the dangers of rising nationalism in Europe, but put it in gospel context, saying that closed doors were painful and contrary to the teachings of Jesus.

Orban, a populist who was attending the Mass, sees himself as a protector of Christian values. He has said he would not allow Hungary to be transformed into an immigrant country, as he claims others in Europe have become, unrecognizable to its native peoples.

In his homily, 86-year-old Francis said that if Hungarians wanted to follow Jesus, they had to shun the closed doors of our individualism amid a society of growing isolation; the closed doors of our indifference towards the underprivileged and those who suffer; the doors we close towards those who are foreign or unlike us, towards migrants or the poor.

Francis believes migrants fleeing poverty should be welcomed and integrated because they can culturally enrich host countries and boost Europes dwindling populations. He believes that while countries have a right to protect their borders, migrants should be distributed throughout the European Union.

Orbans government has built a steel fence on the border with Serbia to keep out migrants.

In his homily, Francis also spoke against doors closed to the world.

(REUTERS)

Thick Russian forces suffer radiation sickness after digging trenches and fishing in Chernobyl

Sunday 30 April 2023 10:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian troops who dug trenches in Chernobyl forest during their occupation of the area have been struck down with radiation sickness, authorities have confirmed.

Ukrainians living near the nuclear power station that exploded 37 years ago, and choked the surrounding area in radioactive contaminants, warned the Russians when they arrived against setting up camp in the forest.

But the occupiers who, as one resident put it to The Times, understood the risks but were just thick, installed themselves in the forest, reportedly carved out trenches, fished in the reactors cooling channel  flush with catfish  and shot animals, leaving them dead on the roads.

Thick Russian troops suffer sickness after digging and fishing in Chernobyl

What are the dragons teeth defences being erected by Russia in Ukraine?

Sunday 30 April 2023 09:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian forces have been erecting dragons teeth defensive barricades in areas of Ukraine they control, in anticipation of an imminent counteroffensive by Kyiv, according to the latest satellite imagery of the warzone.

The defensive obstacles, pyramid-shaped concrete shards also nicknamed devils teeth for their resemblance to a fanged jawline, can be seen running between anti-tank ditches and troop-manned trenches from western Russia through eastern Ukraine towards Crimea, in aerial imagery recorded by Capella Space, Reuters reports.

The layered, zig-zagging lines are intended to make life as difficult as possible for any oncoming Ukrainian forces, as Russia seeks to protect the territory it has seized.

What are the dragons teeth defences being erected by Russia in Ukraine?

Ukraine welcomes EU deal on continued farm exports

Sunday 30 April 2023 09:06 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine on Saturday welcomed the European Unions hard-fought deal to keep farm exports flowing into and through the bloc to world markets, saying that the Middle East and Africa would specifically stand to benefit from it.

Late Friday, the 27-nation EU ended a damaging internal standoff over a destabilizing glut of Ukraine farm imports by granting five eastern member countries the right to temporarily ban the most problematic produce while allowing all farm products to transit onward.

Resolving the issue allows the EU to maintain a unified stance in the face of Russias invasion of its neighbor. We welcome that we resolved this issue, Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko said at a meeting of EU finance ministers in Stockholm.

Ukraine welcomes EU deal on continued farm exports

Pope visits refugees, urges Hungary to show charity to all

Sunday 30 April 2023 08:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Pope Francis thanked Hungarians on Saturday for welcoming Ukrainian refugees and urged them to help anyone in need, as he begged for a culture of charity in a country where the prime minister has justified firm anti-immigration policies with fears that migration threatens Europes Christian culture.

On the second day of a visit to Hungary, Francis met with refugees and poor people at St. Elizabeths church, which was named for a Hungarian princess who renounced her wealth to dedicate herself to the poor as a follower of the popes namesake, St. Francis of Assisi.

Speaking in the white-brick church in Budapest, Francis recalled that the Gospel instructs Christians to show love and compassion to all, especially those experiencing poverty and pain and even those who are not believers.

Pope visits refugees, urges Hungary to show charity to all

Wagner threatens Bakhmut withdrawal

Sunday 30 April 2023 08:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Russias Wagner Group has threatened to withdraw troops from Bakhmut, saying they had enough ammunition left only for days.

In a nearly 90-minute video interview with Russian military blogger Semyon Pegov published on Saturday, Mr Prigozhin said: If the shortage of ammunition is not replenished, then ... most likely, we will be forced to withdraw part of the units.

He was quoting a letter he said was sent to Russias defence minister Sergei Shoigu, giving an 28 April deadline.

It was not immediately known when the interview was recorded.

Mr Prigozhin has often blamed regular armed forces for not giving his men the ammunition they need and has sometimes accused top brass of betrayal.

We need to stop deceiving the population and telling them that everything is fine, he was quoted as saying in the interview.

I must honestly say: Russia is on the brink of a disaster.

(TELEGRAM/ @concordgroup_official)

ICYMI: Pope Francis meets refugees who fled Ukraine on Hungary visit

Sunday 30 April 2023 07:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Pope Francis has met with refugees who fled from Ukraine during the invasion as part of his three-day trip to Hungary.

Watch:

Watch: Pope Francis meets refugees who fled Ukraine on Hungary visit

Ukraines grain import to resume on May 2'

Sunday 30 April 2023 07:00 , William Mata

The EU Commission expects Ukraine's grain import to resume from May 2, Polish media RMF 24 has reported.

Poland is expected to lift its ban on shipments from Tuesday. Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania had also previously announced bans.

However, the EU Comission is reportedly set to allow an embargo on wheat, corn, rapeseed, and sunflower

(Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Russia blames Ukraine drone attack for major Crimea oil depot fire

Sunday 30 April 2023 06:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Russian officials have claimed a Ukrainian drone strike caused a massive fire to erupt at an oil depot in Crimea, in the latest in a series of attacks on the annexed peninsula as Russia braces for an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, said the oil depot was attacked by two enemy drones and four oil tanks had burned down.

A third drone was shot down from the sky, and one more was deactivated through radio-electronic means.

Read more:

Russia blames Ukraine drone attack for major Crimea oil depot fire

Zelensky: Six children lost their lives in this attack on Uman'

Sunday 30 April 2023 06:00 , William Mata

Ukraines president took to Twitter on Saturday evening to pay respects to six children who were part of a group of 23 to die in Uman.

Anyone who prepares Russian missile attacks must know that he will be an accomplice in the murder, he wrote.

Anyone, who guides and launches missiles, who handles planes and ships for terror. Not just those who give orders, but all of them, they are all terrorists and murderers and they must all be punished. And definitely  those who committed the primordial crime, from which all others began  the crime of aggression.

Six children lost their lives in this attack on Uman, a total of 23 people died...

Anyone who prepares  missile attacks must know that he will be an accomplice in the murder. Anyone, who guides and launches missiles, who handles planes and ships for terror. Not just those who pic.twitter.com/zphc84ynHy    (@ZelenskyyUa) April 29, 2023

Russia vows harsh response after 'seizure' of embassy school in Warsaw

Sunday 30 April 2023 05:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Russia has vowed that it will respond harshly to what it said was Polands illegal seizure of its embassy school in Warsaw.

Polish state-run news channel TVP Info reported that police had shown up outside the Russian embassy school on Kielecka street in Warsaw on Saturday morning.

A Polish foreign ministry spokesperson said to Reuters that the building housing the embassy school belonged to the Polish state.

Russias foreign ministry has claimed that Polish authorities burst onto the embassy schools grounds with the aim of seizing it.

We regard this latest hostile act by the Polish authorities as a blatant violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and as an encroachment on Russian diplomatic property in Poland, the ministry said in a statement.

Such an insolent step by Warsaw, which goes beyond the framework of civilised inter-state relations, will not remain without a harsh reaction and consequences for the Polish authorities and Polish interests in Russia, it said.

FILE-Warsaws Old Town, seen here reflected in a puddle (ANDRZEJ RYBCZYNSKI/EPA)

Two civilians killed in Ukrainian shelling on Russia's Bryansk

Sunday 30 April 2023 05:00 , William Mata

Two civilians died as a result of Ukrainian shelling on a village in Russia's Bryansk region on Saturday evening, a local governor said.

"According to preliminary information, one residential building was completely destroyed, two more houses were partially destroyed," Governor Alexander Bogomaz said on the Telegram messaging app.

"Emergency services continue to work at the scene."

Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia and on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine.

Ukraine controls key supply route into Bakhmut, military says

Sunday 30 April 2023 04:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Ukraine has said that it is in control of a key supply route into Bakhmut.

Serhiy Cherevatyi, a spokesperson for Ukrainian troops in the east, said in an interview with the local news website Dzerkalo Tyzhnia that the situation however remains really difficult in the besieged eastern city.

For several weeks, the Russians have been talking about seizing the road of life, as well as about constant fire control over it, he was quoted as saying.

The road of life is a vital road between the ruined Bakhmut and the nearby town Chasiv Yar to the west - a distance of just over 17 km (10.56 miles).

Yes, it is really difficult there, because their attempts to seize the road continue, as well as attempts to establish fire control. But ... the defence forces have not allowed the Russians to cut off our logistics, the spokesperson said.

Russian forces have been trying for 10 months to move into the remains of what was once a city of 70,000, which Russia sees as a stepping stone to attacking other cities.

Ukraine has pledged to defend Bakhmut.

FILE-Smoke rises from buildings in this aerial view of Bakhmut, the site of the heaviest battles with the Russian troops (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Shevchenko: I want the world to understand the damage'

Sunday 30 April 2023 04:00 , William Mata

Ukrainian football legend and former national team manager Andriy Shevchenko has been working with charity United 24 to help support his country.

Shevchenko told the Guardian: I want the world to understand the damage. The images of destruction and the bombs coming can be seen on television but the personal feeling after you go inside the hospitals is absolutely different. You feel the pain of people.

He added that he has visited children in hospital.

Andriy Shevchenko in Ukraine (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky carries a pistol with him'

Sunday 30 April 2023 03:00 , William Mata

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky carries a pistol and would have fought to the death with his inner circle had the Russians stormed his Kyiv headquarters at the start of the war, he said in an interview shown on Saturday.

I know how to shoot. Could you imagine (a headline like) The president of Ukraine is taken captive by Russians? This is a disgrace. I believe this would be a disgrace, he told the 1+1 television channel.

In the first days after the invasion, Ukrainian officials said Russian intelligence units tried to break into Kyiv but were defeated and failed to reach Bankova Street in the centre, home to the presidential offices.

Other Russian units launched an attack on the outskirts of Kyiv, but were unable to advance. Officials also reported several unsuccessful sabotage attempts inside the city.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky (EPA)

In pictures: Scenes from April 29 in Ukraine

Sunday 30 April 2023 02:00 , William Mata

Ukrainian servicemen clean the cannon of their tank on a position near the frontline city of Bakhmut (AFP via Getty Images)

A local resident walks out of his damaged apartment with belongings after yesterday's missile strike by Russia (REUTERS)

Rescuers are seen at a building destroyed by yesterday's Russian missile strike in the town of Uman (REUTERS)

A woman with child holds flowers as she pays respect to civilians killed yesterday by a Russian missile strik (REUTERS)

Spring storm coming to Ukraine

Sunday 30 April 2023 01:00 , William Mata

Retired air vice marshal Sean Bell has told Sky News that the war in Ukraine is very busy on the ground.

Bakhmut is now 87 per cent taken by the Wagner group, he said on Saturday evening but Russian troops had been sandbagging defensive positions in Zaporizhzhia which could lead them vulnerable to a counteroffensive.

The 14,000 troops that were trained in the UK are now back in Ukraine, Mr Bell added.

More than 190,000 Russian soldiers killed, Ukraine sources say

Sunday 30 April 2023 00:00 , William Mata

Ukraines ministry of defence has claimed on Twitter that 190,040 Russian soldiers have been eliminated on their soil up until today, Saturday, April 29.

The figure could not be verified with Russia.

"It is not those who can inflict the most but those who can endure the most who will conquer."

Terence MacSwiney



Total combat losses of the enemy from February 24, 2022 to April 29, 2023: pic.twitter.com/oqTbcAbnxh  Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 29, 2023

Headlines from today

Saturday 29 April 2023 23:00 , William Mata

Here is an 11pm round-up of some of the headlines from the Ukraine front on Saturday, April 29.

Russian official: Drone causes fire at Crimea oil reservoir

A Russia-appointed official in Crimea says a massive fire erupted at an oil reservoir there after it was hit by a drone.

Ukraine welcomes EU deal on continued farm exports

Ukraine on Saturday welcomed the European Unions hard-fought deal to keep farm exports flowing into and through the bloc to world markets, saying that the Middle East and Africa would specifically stand to benefit from it.

Russian court fines war critic who asked for prison instead

A court in Russia has convicted a woman from a Siberian city over social media posts condemning the war in Ukraine and punished her with a steep fine - even though both she and the prosecution asked for a prison sentence.

Pelosi says Ukraine and democracy must win

Pelosi and the lawmakers were ushered under the cloak of secrecy into the capital city, an undisclosed passage that even to this day she will not divulge.

Ukraine update (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Picture recap: April 29 in Ukraine

Saturday 29 April 2023 22:00 , William Mata

This video grab taken from a footage released on April 29, 2023, on the Telegram chanel of Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, shows a firemen standing next to a huge fire at a fuel depot in Sevastopol (TELEGRAM/ @razvozhaev/AFP via G)

A local resident speaks with an investigator outside her house, which was destroyed by shelling in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Donetsk (REUTERS)

Ukraine fans hold up flags during an ice hockey match against Japan in Estonia (REUTERS)

A man lays flowers at a monument to Ukrainian poet Lesya Ukrainka (REUTERS)

ICYMI: Aerials of building hit by Russian missiles

Saturday 29 April 2023 21:30 , William Mata

Dramatic aerial footage shows the aftermath of a Russian strike that hit an apartment building in Ukraine.

Footage from Friday shows parts of the residential block in Uman reduced to rubble.

At least 23 people, including four children, were killed in the attack.

Read the full story here.

Pope met with people on both sides of war'

Saturday 29 April 2023 21:00 , William Mata

Pope Francis has met people from both sides of Russias war with Ukraine - greeting some of the 2.5 million Ukrainian refugees who have fled across the border to Hungary during a public prayer service, before a private meeting with an envoy of the pro-Kremlin Russian Orthodox Church.

Francis maintained the Vaticans tradition of diplomatic neutrality during his second day in Budapest, where he is on a weekend visit to minister to Hungarys Catholic faithful.

Starting the day, he thanked Hungarians for welcoming Ukrainian refugees and urged them to help anyone in need. He called for a culture of charity in a country where Prime Minister Viktor Orban justified firm anti-immigration policies with fears that migration threatens Europes Christian culture.

Speaking in the white-brick St Elizabeths church, named after a princess who renounced her wealth to care for the poor, Francis recalled that the Gospel instructs Christians to show love and compassion to all, especially those experiencing poverty and even those who are not believers.

The Pope in Hungary (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Russian embassys statement on Irishman killed in Ukraine criticised as chilling

Saturday 29 April 2023 20:30 , Emily Atkinson

Irelands Russian embassy has warned of possible ensuing consequences in response to tributes paid to an Irishman killed while fighting in Ukraine.

The comments have been criticised by a former minister for justice as threatening and chilling.

Finbar Cafferkey, from Achill Island in Co Mayo, is reported to have been killed while serving as a military volunteer in the eastern part of Ukraine.

Read more here:

Russian embassys statement on Irishman killed in Ukraine criticised as chilling

Watch: Fire rages after suspected drone attack on an oil depot in Crimea

Saturday 29 April 2023 19:30 , Emily Atkinson

Crimea fuel storage facility fire extinguished

Saturday 29 April 2023 18:45 , Emily Atkinson

A fire at a fuel storage facility in the Crimean port of Sevastopol caused by a drone strike has been extinguished, the citys Moscow-installed governor said on Saturday.

Experts examined the site and it became clear that only one drone was able to reach the oil reservoir, Mikhail Razvozhaev said on the Telegram messaging app, adding that no one had been injured in the fire.

Another drone was downed, its wreckage found on the shore near the terminal, Razvozhaev added.

Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed head of Crimea, said on Telegram that air defence and electronic warfare forces on Saturday shot down two drones over the region.

There are no casualties or destruction, he said.

Ukraine welcomes EU deal on continued farm exports

Saturday 29 April 2023 18:00 , Emily Atkinson

Ukraine on Saturday welcomed the European Unions hard-fought deal to keep farm exports flowing into and through the bloc to world markets, saying that the Middle East and Africa would specifically stand to benefit from it.

Late Friday, the 27-nation EU ended a damaging internal standoff over a destabilizing glut of Ukraine farm imports by granting five eastern member countries the right to temporarily ban the most problematic produce while allowing all farm products to transit onward.

More on this story here:

Ukraine welcomes EU deal on continued farm exports

Russian court fines war critic who asked for prison instead

Saturday 29 April 2023 17:15 , Emily Atkinson

A court in Russia has convicted a woman from a Siberian city over social media posts condemning the war in Ukraine and punished her with a steep fine - even though both she and the prosecution asked for a prison sentence.

Marina Novikova, a 65-year-old lawyer, was found guilty of spreading false information about the Russian army, which was made a criminal offence after President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine more than 14 months ago.

Novikovas posts on the messaging app Telegram decried the invasion and criticised the Russian government.

The court in Seversk, Novikovas hometown, imposed a fine of one million roubles (nearly 10,000), the Russian human rights and legal aid group OVD-Info quoted her husband, Alexandr Gavrik, as saying.

Prosecutors had requested a three-year prison sentence. Novikova herself pleaded with the court to send her to prison rather than the alternative: a fine of at least 700,000 roubles (6,900) that the law allows. She said she does not have the money to pay such a fine.

I am prepared to pay the price for the right to remain a human ... because I understand that there will be no acquittal, Novikova was quoted by Russian media as saying in court.

Pelosi says Ukraine and democracy must win

Saturday 29 April 2023 16:30 , Emily Atkinson

We thought we could die.

The Russian invasion had just begun when Nancy Pelosi made a surprise visit to Ukraine, the House speaker then the highest-ranking elected U.S. official to lead a congressional delegation to Kyiv.

Pelosi and the lawmakers were ushered under the cloak of secrecy into the capital city, an undisclosed passage that even to this day she will not divulge.

Read the APs interview with Nany Pelosi here:

AP Interview: Pelosi says Ukraine, democracy 'must win'

Russian court fines war critic who asked for prison instead

Saturday 29 April 2023 15:46 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A court in Russia has convicted a woman from a Siberian city over social media posts condemning the war in Ukraine and punished her with a steep fine - even though both she and the prosecution asked for a prison sentence.

Marina Novikova, a 65-year-old lawyer, was found guilty of spreading false information about the Russian army, which was made a criminal offence after President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine more than 14 months ago.

Novikovas posts on the messaging app Telegram decried the invasion and criticised the Russian government.

The court in Seversk, Novikovas hometown, imposed a fine of one million roubles (nearly 10,000), the Russian human rights and legal aid group OVD-Info quoted her husband, Alexandr Gavrik, as saying.

Prosecutors had requested a three-year prison sentence. Novikova herself pleaded with the court to send her to prison rather than the alternative: a fine of at least 700,000 roubles (6,900) that the law allows. She said she does not have the money to pay such a fine.

I am prepared to pay the price for the right to remain a human ... because I understand that there will be no acquittal, Novikova was quoted by Russian media as saying in court.

An average salary in Siberias Tomsk province, where Seversk is located, is 56,000 roubles (554), according to official government statistics.

OVD-Info, which monitors protests and tracks arrests, said the case against Novikova was among the first ones launched under the new law that prohibited spreading false information about the Russian military.

The number of such prosecutions has mushroomed as part of the Kremlins crackdown on dissent since the start of invasion of Ukraine.

The campaign of repression has been unparalleled since the Soviet era. It has effectively criminalised independent reporting on the conflict and any criticism of the war, with the authorities targeting not only prominent opposition figures who eventually received draconian prison terms, but also people not known for anti-government activity.

A court in Moscow convicted a former police officer on Monday of publicly spreading false information about the countrys military for criticising the war in Ukraine to his friends over the phone. Semiel Vedel was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Authorities argued his phone conversations qualified as public because his phone was wiretapped in connection to another criminal case, and that there was a third person listening in.

Last month, a Russian court convicted a single father over social media posts critical of the war and sentenced him to two years in prison.

His 13-year-old daughter, who drew an anti-war sketch at school, was sent to an orphanage.

A recent report by the Russian supreme court said that in 2022, courts ordered citizens to pay fines for discrediting the military 4,439 times, the equivalent of about 1.4 million, according to independent Russian news site Mediazona.

Ukraine says more than 10 oil tanks destroyed by Crimea blast

Saturday 29 April 2023 15:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A Ukrainian military intelligence official said on Saturday more than 10 tanks of oil products with capacity of around 40,000 tonnes were destroyed in an explosion on the Russian-occupied port of Sevastopol on April 29, RBC Ukraine reported.

The official, Andriy Yusov, did not claim Ukraine was responsible for the explosion in comments reported by RBC, instead describing the blast as Gods punishment for a Russian strike on a Ukrainian city on Friday.

Harrowing Google Earth update reveals Ukraine before and after Russias attack

Saturday 29 April 2023 14:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Google has updated its aerial maps of Ukraine for the first time since the start of Russias attack - with images now revealing the full scale of devastation.

The contrast is stark in Mariupol. The city of was a centre of industry, producing steel and other metals but since the February 2022 invasion has come under siege from Russian troops and is now occupied by Vladimir Putins forces.

Old Maruipol was disembowelled by its occupiers, with the UN estimating that 90 per cent of residential buildings were damaged or destroyed in the bombardment.

Here, The Independent looks at some of the most striking examples from Google Earth.

Harrowing Google Earth update reveals Ukraine before and after Russias attack

Russian embassys statement on Irishman killed in Ukraine criticised as chilling

Saturday 29 April 2023 14:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Irelands Russian embassy has warned of possible ensuing consequences in response to tributes paid to an Irishman killed while fighting in Ukraine.

The comments have been criticised by a former minister for justice as threatening and chilling.

Finbar Cafferkey, from Achill Island in Co Mayo, is reported to have been killed while serving as a military volunteer in the eastern part of Ukraine.

Mr Cafferkey had previous combat experience in the Syrian conflict, and those paying tribute to him have described him as an activist on issues such as environmentalism and migration.

Russian embassys statement on Irishman killed in Ukraine criticised as chilling

Pope, meeting Ukrainian refugees, says better future possible

Saturday 29 April 2023 13:28 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Pope Francis on Saturday met Ukrainians who fled the war on Hungarys eastern border, telling the refugees that a different future is possible.

Francis met with about 600 refugees, poor and homeless people in a visit to St. Elizabeths church in Budapest on the second day of his visit, which began on Friday when he pointedly warned of the dangers of rising nationalism in Europe.

Francis was serenaded by a singing band of Hungarian Roma wearing flower-patterned clothing and seemed to enjoy the music as they hovered around him as he sat in his wheelchair.

But what Francis heard earlier was much more sober.

Oleg Yakovlev told of he and his wife Lyudmila and their five children had to leave Dnipro a year ago after Russian bombings.

We were welcomed here and we have found a new home (but) many have suffered and suffer still because of the war, Yakovlev told the pope.

Sitting in the first row of the church with his family, the youngest of Yakovlev children, a boy of about four, was amused by the attention he was getting, making faces at reporters as his father spoke of missiles, crumbled buildings and a 1,500 km trip to safety.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, millions of refugees have fled through Central Europe, including Hungary, and moved to other countries. About 35,000 have applied for temporary protection status in Hungary.

Francis said expressing compassion for those suffering from poverty and tragedy is an integral part of being a Christian, even if those in need are non-believers.

Even amid pain and suffering, once we have received the balm of love, we find the courage needed to keep moving forward: we find the strength to believe that all is not lost, and that a different future is possible, he said.

(via REUTERS)

The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary

Saturday 29 April 2023 12:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

It was a month into Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine. Russian forces had withdrawn from around Kyiv and in their wake Bel Trew and her team stumbled on a body by an abandoned Russian camp.

His hands were tied. He had been burned and shot in the back. Soldiers said he was a teenager.

As Bel tried to find out who he was and what had happened, she uncovered a nightmare world: a nation struggling to find thousands of its missing and to identify its dead.

The Body in the Woods by Bel Trew is streaming now on Independent TV and on your smart TV.

The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary

Russia to lodge official protest over 'seizure' of embassy school in Warsaw

Saturday 29 April 2023 12:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia will lodge an official diplomatic protest over what it says is the illegal seizure by the Polish authorities of its embassy school in Warsaw, Moscows ambassador to Poland told Russian state news agencies on Saturday.

Sergei Andreyev, the ambassador, said the move was a violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, but Poland said it was within its rights to take back the building.

Today the Polish authorities decided to take forceful action, despite the fact that this is a diplomatic building, a school building, Andreyev told the TASS news agency.

This is an illegal action and a violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations. We of course will lodge a protest, the RIA news agency cited him as saying, adding that he expected Moscow to weigh potential retaliation.

Polish state-run news channel TVP Info reported that police were present outside the school on Kieleckiej street in Warsaw on Saturday morning.

Its the right of the ambassador to make this protest. So far, we dont know if he has made it or not, we are waiting for this, Lukasz Jasina, a Polish foreign ministry spokesman, told Reuters.

Our opinion, which has been confirmed by the courts, is that this property belongs to the Polish state and was taken by Russia illegally.

The two countries already fraught relations have soured further over the war in Ukraine with Warsaw helping arm Kyiv.

Andreyev said earlier this week that Polish prosecutors had seized significant amounts of money from the frozen bank accounts of the Russian embassy and trade mission.

Fire at Crimea fuel depot extinguished after apparent drone attack

Saturday 29 April 2023 11:38 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A fire at a fuel storage facility in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol, caused by an apparent drone strike, has been extinguished, the Moscow-installed governor there said on Saturday.

Open fire was extinguished in an area of 1,000 square meters, Mikhail Razvozhaev said on the Telegram messaging app.

Earlier he said no one was injured and according to preliminary information the depot was hit by two drones.

Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed head of Crimea, said on Telegram that air defence and electronic warfare forces on Saturday shot down two drones over the Crimean Peninsula.

There are no casualties or destruction, he said.

Sevastopol, on the Crimean peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, has come under repeated air attacks since Russia invaded the country as a whole in February 2022.

Russian officials have blamed the attacks on Ukraine.

A spokesperson for Ukraines armed forces said he did not have any information to suggest Ukraine was responsible for Saturdays fire.

Watch: Pope Francis meets refugees who fled Ukraine on Hungary visit

Saturday 29 April 2023 11:06 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Pope Francis has met with refugees who fled from Ukraine during the invasion as part of his three-day trip to Hungary.

This morning (29 April), the religious leader attended both the Elizabeth of Hungary Church to meet with less-fortunate people, before heading over to the Protection of the Mother of God church, to meet the Greek Catholic community.

Yesterday, Pope Francis met nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, encouraging him to keep an open-mind when it comes to refugees, particularly because of the countrys close borders with Ukraine.

Watch: Pope Francis meets refugees who fled Ukraine on Hungary visit

Ukraine welcomes EU deal on continued farm exports

Saturday 29 April 2023 10:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine has welcomed the European Unions hard-fought deal to keep farm exports flowing into and through the bloc to world markets, saying that the Middle East and Africa would specifically stand to benefit from it.

On Friday, the 27-nation EU ended a damaging internal stand-off over a destabilising glut of Ukraine farm imports by granting five eastern member countries the right to temporarily ban the most problematic produce while allowing all farm products to transit onwards.

Resolving the issue allows the EU to maintain a unified stance in the face of Russias invasion of its neighbour.

We welcome that we resolved this issue, Ukrainian finance minister Sergii Marchenko said at a meeting of EU finance ministers in Stockholm.

Under the deal, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania can keep four farm products that make up the overwhelming mass of exports from Ukraine out of their local markets but must guarantee unfettered access to the rest of the bloc.

Since Russias invasion of Ukraine hampered Black Sea shipments of Ukrainian agricultural products, using the 27-nation bloc as a transportation route has been essential to getting the nations prized cereal production on to the world.

We found a wise decision that would help Ukraine to export necessary commodities, food commodities towards African countries, which is so necessary for them, Mr Marchenko said, adding Middle East nations would equally profit.

Under the deal, the bloc would basically accept the national bans on four of the five main products - wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seeds - that account for most imports. The EU would also assess whether other products, including sunflower oil, should also be included.

As an added sweetener, the EU provided 100 million euros more in special aid on top of on an initial support package of 56.3 million euros to help farmers in the affected countries.

On Friday, EU nations also tentatively agreed to lift tariffs on Ukraines grains for another year.

The EU lifted duties on Ukrainian grain to facilitate its transport to Africa and the Middle East by other routes after a Russian blockade kept cargo from leaving Ukraines ports.

Overall, there was acceptance that the lifting of import tariffs had seriously skewed the local markets in nations closest to Ukraine. In Poland, wheat imports went from 2,375 tons in 2021 to 500,008 tons last year. Maize went from 5,863 tons to more than 1.8 million over the same period.

Similar huge increases were also evident in Hungary, Slovakia and Romania.

In pictures: Crimeo oil depot set ablaze

Saturday 29 April 2023 09:59 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Photos taken from a video released by the Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev telegram channel on Saturday show smoke and flame rise from a burning fuel tank in Sevastopol, Crimea.

(AP)

(AP)

Russian embassys statement on Irishman killed in Ukraine criticised as chilling

Saturday 29 April 2023 09:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Irelands Russian embassy has warned of possible ensuing consequences in response to tributes paid to an Irishman killed while fighting in Ukraine.

The comments have been criticised by a former minister for justice as threatening and chilling.

Finbar Cafferkey, from Achill Island in Co Mayo, is reported to have been killed while serving as a military volunteer in the eastern part of Ukraine.

Mr Cafferkey had previous combat experience in the Syrian conflict, and those paying tribute to him have described him as an activist on issues such as environmentalism and migration.

In the wake of his death, Irish deputy premier Micheal Martin expressed his sympathies to his family and said Mr Cafferkey was obviously a young man of clear principles.

Russian embassys statement on Irishman killed in Ukraine criticised as chilling

Pope Francis warns of rising nationalism in Europe as he begins Hungary trip

Saturday 29 April 2023 08:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Pope Francis has warned of the dangers of rising nationalism in Europe, and told the Hungarian government that accepting migrants, as the rest of the continent does, would be a true sign of Christianity.

At the start of a three-day trip to Hungary, the pontiff made a hard-hitting speech to government leaders including the prime minister, Viktor Orban, who has had a series of run-ins with the European Union. Francis urged a rejection of self-referential forms of populism and strictly nationalist interests.

The Pope also called for a return to the European soul envisioned by those who had laid the groundwork for modern Europe after the Second World War, saying nations had to look beyond national boundaries.

Pope Francis warns of rising nationalism in Europe as he begins Hungary trip

Drone causes fire at Crimea oil reservoir

Saturday 29 April 2023 08:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A massive fire erupted at an oil reservoir in Crimea after it was hit by a drone, a Russia-appointed official there reported Saturday.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of the Black Sea peninsulas port city of Sevastopol, posted videos and photos of the blaze on his Telegram channel.

Razvozhayev said the fire was assigned the highest ranking in terms of how complicated it will be to extinguish.He did not say whether the drone he cited as causing the fire was Ukrainian.

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, a move that most of the world considered illegal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his country is seeking to reclaim the peninsula during Russias current full-scale invasion.

(AP)

Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment on the oil reservoir fire.

After previous attacks on Crimea, Kyiv usually stopped short of openly claiming responsibility but emphasized that the country had the right to strike any target in response to Russian aggression.

ICYMI: Ukraine vows iron fist counterattack after Russian missile strikes

Saturday 29 April 2023 07:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Ukraine has said it is concluding its preparations for a huge ground assault to try and reclaim land seized by Russia after Moscow launched its first large-scale missile assault in weeks that killed at least 23 people.

Chris Stevenson reports:

Ukraine vows iron fist counterattack is close as Russian strikes kill at least 25

Artwork showing train journey through Ukraine goes on show ahead of Eurovision

Saturday 29 April 2023 07:00 , Emily Atkinson

An art installation showing Ukraine from the perspective of refugees on a train has gone on display at Liverpool Cathedral as the city prepares to host the Eurovision Song Contest.

The work, Izyum to Liverpool by Katya Buchatska, features 12 television screens showing the view from train windows during a 24-hour journey across the war-torn country.

It is one of a number of works commissioned as part of EuroFestival, a cultural programme running alongside the song contest, which is being hosted by Liverpool on behalf of last years winner Ukraine.

More on this story here:

Artwork showing train journey through Ukraine goes on show ahead of Eurovision

US 'deeply disappointed' after Russia denies request to visit detained Wall Street Journal reporter

Saturday 29 April 2023 06:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

The US is deeply disappointed after its request to visit detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was denied by Russia, reported CNN.

At a State Department briefing on Friday principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said: We have been clear and consistent that American nationals detained abroad, especially those American citizens who are wrongfully detained like Evan, like Paul Whelan, are allotted appropriate and regular consular access by our personnel.

And so were going to continue to insist that.

The statement comes after the Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday rejected the US request to see Mr Gershkovich.

The Russian ministry said that the decision was in response to Washingtons denial to provide visas to Russian reporters for foreign minister Sergey Lavrovs visit to the United Nations this week.

(Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

I was only joking about Bakhmut ceasefire, says Wagner chief

Saturday 29 April 2023 06:00 , Emily Atkinson

The head of Russias Wagner mercenary group said he had been joking when he offered to suspend artillery fire on Ukrainian forces in besieged Bakhmut.

Wagner has been spearheading Russias assault on the Ukrainian city since last summer in the longest and bloodiest battle of the war, but Ukrainian forces have so far thwarted its attempts to take full control.

Yevgeny Prigozhin said in an audio message: A decision has been taken to suspend artillery fire so that American journalists can safely film Bakhmut and go home.

Alastair Jamieson reports:

I was only joking about Bakhmut ceasefire, says Wagner chief

South Korea considering its options on lethal aid to Ukraine

Saturday 29 April 2023 05:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Friday that Seoul was considering its options when it came to providing lethal aid to Ukraine.

In a speech at Harvard Universitys Kennedy School on the fifth day of his state visit to the US, Mr Yoon called Russias invasion a violation of international law and the rights of Ukrainians.

When asked about the possibility of South Korea providing lethal aid to Ukraine, the president replied: We are closely monitoring the situation thats going on the battlefield in Ukraine and will take proper measures in order to uphold the international norms and international law.

We are considering various options.

Earlier Mr Yoon had said to Reuters in an interview last week that Seoul might extend its support for Ukraine beyond humanitarian and economic aid if it comes under a large-scale civilian attack, signalling a shift in his stance against arming Ukraine for the first time.

(Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Zelensky meets with presidents of Slovakia and Czech Republic

Saturday 29 April 2023 05:00 , Emily Atkinson

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky met with the president of Slovakia, Zuzana Aaputova, and the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel.

Zelensky said they discussed military aid to help Ukraine address Russias invasion and prepare for (the) counteroffensive, as well as the forthcoming Nato summit in July in Vilnius, Lithuania.

We are expecting ambitious decisions that will enforce Europes security, he said. The time has come to eliminate any uncertainty.

(AFP via Getty Images)

There has long been talk of a Ukrainian spring counter-offensive against invading Russian forces, but it has still to materialize.

Czech president Pavel said what he saw in Ukraine reminded him of the devastation from wars in Afghanistan and the former Yugoslavia.

Fortunately, it hasnt broken the Ukrainians, said Pavel, a retired army general and former senior Nato official. Russia has shown such an inclination to barbarism in recent years that Im not surprised.

Zelensky calls for removal of restrictions on Ukrainian food exports

Saturday 29 April 2023 04:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has called for removal of the ban on importing Ukrainian agricultural products in some neighbouring European countries in a call with European Union president Charles Michel.

The artificial and illegal restriction of trade with the European Union is hitting Ukraine, resisting Russian aggression, both economically and politically, Mr Zelensky said according to a release from his office.

Im convinced that in the conditions of war with Russia, Ukraine as a candidate country and the European Union must always adhere to the provisions of the Association Agreement and the rules and regulations of the EU Single Market.

Therefore, any alternative to the legal approach will not be considered a solution to the problem, he said.

(AFP via Getty Images)

Top diplomats visit Odesa to show support

Saturday 29 April 2023 04:00 , Emily Atkinson

Seven foreign ministers from a group of Ukraines European backers visited the war-torn country Friday to express support for Kyiv in its defence against Russias invasion.

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba, hosting his counterparts from four Nordic and three Baltic countries in the southern port city of Odesa, repeated a plea for the delivery of US-made fighter jets to his country.

(The jets) are needed to cover our brigades that are going to (counter-attack), Kuleba said.

Although no promises were made, he added, I have a feeling that our colleagues are well-disposed in this matter.

(AFP via Getty Images)

Kuleba met with the foreign ministers of Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Because of government formation talks in Finland, the Nordic country was represented by a senior foreign ministry official.

Through this visit, we manifest strong Nordic and Baltic support for Ukraine and its people, said Tobias Billstrom of Sweden whose country currently holds the rotating six-month presidency of the European Union.

I honestly dont remember if Odesa ever hosted this many ministers of foreign affairs at once. If this is the first such time, we are glad, together with our colleagues, to set a new standard, Kuleba said.

The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary

Saturday 29 April 2023 03:00 , Emily Atkinson

It was a month into Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine. Russian forces had withdrawn from around Kyiv and in their wake Bel Trew and her team stumbled on a body by an abandoned Russian camp.

His hands were tied. He had been burned and shot in the back. Soldiers said he was a teenager.

As Bel tried to find out who he was and what had happened, she uncovered a nightmare world: a nation struggling to find thousands of its missing and to identify its dead.

The Body in the Woods by Bel Trew is streaming now on Independent TV and on your smart TV:

The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary

Harrowing Google Earth update reveals Ukraine before and after Russias attack

Saturday 29 April 2023 02:00 , Emily Atkinson

Google has updated its aerial maps of Ukraine for the first time since the start of Russias attack - with images now revealing the full scale of devastation.

The contrast is stark in Mariupol. The city of was a centre of industry, producing steel and other metals but since the February 2022 invasion has come under siege from Russian troops and is now occupied by Vladimir Putins forces.

Old Maruipol was disembowelled by its occupiers, with the UN estimating that 90 per cent of residential buildings were damaged or destroyed in the bombardment.

Here, The Independent looks at some of the most striking examples from Google Earth:

Harrowing Google Earth update reveals Ukraine before and after Russias attack

Watch: Aerials of building hit by Russian missiles

Saturday 29 April 2023 01:00 , Emily Atkinson

US deeply disappointed by Russias rejection of request to visit jailed reporter

Saturday 29 April 2023 00:00 , Emily Atkinson

The US is deeply disappointed by Russias rejection of its embassys request to visit detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in prison, state department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters on Friday.

Russia said on Thursday it had rejected the request in response to Washingtons refusal to grant visas to a group of Russian journalists.

Gershkovich was arrested last month and accused of espionage, a charge he has denied. The United States has designated him as wrongfully detained.

Turkey's Ziraat Bank may mediate in payments for Russian grains

Friday 28 April 2023 23:00 , Emily Atkinson

Turkish state lender Ziraat Bank may mediate in payments for Russian grain and fertilisers, Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said, adding that Ankara was still in negotiations with the deals participants.

The deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July, allows Ukrainian grain trapped by the conflict to be safely exported from the countrys Black Sea ports.

Ukraine vows iron fist counterattack is close as Russian missile strikes kill at least 25

Friday 28 April 2023 22:00 , Emily Atkinson

Ukraine has said it is concluding its preparations for a huge ground assault to try and reclaim land seized by Russia after Moscow launched its first large-scale missile assault in weeks that killed at least 25 people.

The Ukrainian defence minister, Oleskii Reznikov, said that weapons received from the West will help his country use an iron fist to punch through Russian lines, as Kyiv seeks to reclaim the near one-fifth of the country Moscow occupies. As soon as there is Gods will, the weather and a decision by commanders, we will do it, Mr Reznikov told an online news briefing, adding that Ukraines military is to a high percentage ready for the counteroffensive.

Chris Stevenson reports:

Ukraine vows iron fist counterattack is close as Russian strikes kill at least 25

Putin signs decree introducing life sentences for treason

Friday 28 April 2023 21:00 , Emily Atkinson

Vladimir Putin has signed a decree formally increasing the maximum sentence for treason to life in jail, as part of a drive to suppress dissent since the start of the war in Ukraine.

The decree was posted on the Kremlin website. Lawmakers had already voted to boost the longest sentences for treason to life, up from 20 years.

Legislators also approved raising the maximum sentence for carrying out a terrorist act - defined as a deed that endangered lives and was aimed at destabilizing Russia - to 20 years, from 15 years at present.

(SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)

Those found guilty of sabotage could also go to jail for 20 years, up from 15, while people convicted of international terrorism could be sentenced to life, up from 12 years. The decree did not explain what international terrorism is.

Putin signed the new decree at a time when rights groups say authorities are stepping up efforts to quieten the few voices of opposition that remain.

What are the dragons teeth defences being erected by Russia in Ukraine?

Friday 28 April 2023 20:00 , Emily Atkinson

Russian forces have been erecting dragons teeth defensive barricades in areas of Ukraine they control, in anticipation of an imminent counteroffensive by Kyiv, according to the latest satellite imagery of the warzone.

The defensive obstacles, pyramid-shaped concrete shards also nicknamed devils teeth for their resemblance to a fanged jawline, can be seen running between anti-tank ditches and troop-manned trenches from western Russia through eastern Ukraine towards Crimea, in aerial imagery recorded by Capella Space, Reuters reports.

The layered, zig-zagging lines are intended to make life as difficult as possible for any oncoming Ukrainian forces, as Russia seeks to protect the territory it has seized.

Joe Sommerlad has the details:

What are the dragons teeth defences being erected by Russia in Ukraine?

Death toll rises to at least 25'

Friday 28 April 2023 19:15 , Emily Atkinson

Ukraine said it was nearly ready to launch a huge ground assault to retake occupied land, after Russias overnight missile attacks killed at least 25 civilians.

The war is coming to a crucial juncture after a months-long Russian winter offensive that gained little ground despite the bloodiest fighting so far. Kyiv is preparing a counteroffensive using hundreds of tanks and armoured vehicles sent by the West.

It wants to drive Russia out of the nearly one fifth of Ukraine that it occupies and claims to have annexed.

As soon as there is Gods will, the weather and a decision by commanders, we will do it, Ukrainian defence minister Oleskii Reznikov told an online news briefing.

Ukraine was to a high percentage ready, he said, with new modern weapons to provide an iron fist.

In the central town of Uman, firefighters battled a blaze at a residential apartment building struck on an upper floor by a Russian missile. Officials said at least 23 civilians were killed there, including four children.

Ukraine cancels new air alerts

Friday 28 April 2023 18:45 , Emily Atkinson

Ukraine stood down the series of air alerts that were issued for much of eastern and southern Ukraine and some central regions on Friday after Russian missile strikes killed 24 people, authorities said.

(Global Images Ukraine via Getty)

Russia says Ukrainian rocket attack kills seven civilians in Donetsk

Friday 28 April 2023 18:15 , Emily Atkinson

The top Russian-installed official in Ukraines occupied Donetsk region has accused Ukraine of killing seven people on Friday, including a child.

Denis Pushilin said the fatalities were the result of a rocket that set a minibus alight in the city of Donetsk.

A Russian Investigative Committee officer, who declined to give his name, told Reuters that a residential area had been struck by multiple Grad rockets.

He said all the passengers including children died, and the only survivor was the driver.

(Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Reuters was unable to independently verify the number of casualties or who was to blame.

The Russian-installed mayor of Donetsk, Alexei Kulemzin, said on Telegram that 19 people had been wounded by shelling on Friday in various parts of the city, in addition to the seven who had been killed.

Early on Friday, Russia launched its first large-scale air strikes on Ukraine in nearly two months, killing at least 21 civilians including several children.

Friday 28 April 2023 17:46 , Emily Atkinson

Equipment spotted at Ukraines Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Russia controls, will be used to fix a power transmission line that leads to Russian-held territory, Moscow reportedly told the UN nuclear watchdog.

A small number of International Atomic Energy Agency officials are present at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), which is operated by Ukrainian staff working under the orders of Russian forces and the Russian nuclear company Rosatom.

The (IAEA) Team observed, and following questions were subsequently informed, that a large piece of equipment being transported into the turbine hall of Unit 3 was a transformer to replace the damaged Kakhovka node in the ZNPP open switchyard, it said in a statement.

The Kakhovka line is one of the four 750 kV (kilovolt) lines that were operational before the military conflict. This line is linked to the currently Russian-controlled electrical grid, to the south of the ZNPP site, it added.

(via REUTERS)

Only one of those four power lines is currently working and is the only source of external power to the plant, which it needs to keep cooling the fuel in its six reactors even though they are shut down. Failing to cool that fuel could lead to a potentially catastrophic nuclear meltdown.

The IAEA said it also had not had access to the switchyard at a nearby thermal power plant (TPP) that can supply backup power to Zaporizhzhia. The IAEA last visited that switchyard in December, when damage from shelling was observed.

Two weeks ago the team was informed that access would be granted in the coming days. It is important that ISAMZ (the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia) gets the necessary access to the ZTPP open switchyard given the implications on nuclear safety and security at ZNPP.

India and Russia agree to boost longstanding defence ties

Friday 28 April 2023 17:19 , Emily Atkinson

India and Russia agreed to strengthen their defence partnership in talks between their defence ministers on Friday, the Indian government said, amid worries in New Delhi that the war in Ukraine was hurting its own military supplies from Moscow.

Rajnath Singh and Sergei Shoigu held talks on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers gathering in New Delhi.

They acknowledged the unique, long-lasting and time-tested relationship between India and Russia, the statement said.

They expressed satisfaction over the continued trust and mutual respect between the two countries, particularly in defence and reiterated their commitment towards strengthening the partnership, it said, without elaborating.

India, the worlds largest arms importer, depends on Russia for nearly half its military supplies, and has bought fighter jets, tanks, nuclear submarines and an aircraft carrier over the decades.

New air alerts in Ukraine after deadly Russian missile strikes

Friday 28 April 2023 16:42 , Emily Atkinson

Air alerts were issued for much of eastern and southern Ukraine and some central regions on Friday, with officials appealing to residents not to ignore the warnings.

Do not ignore the alerts, Andriy Yermak, head of president Volodymyr Zelenskys office, said on the Telegram messaging app hours after deadly Russian missile strikes earlier on Friday.

See live updates on air alerts in Ukraine here:

Death toll rises to 19

Friday 28 April 2023 16:10 , Matt Mathers

Russia has fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine, killing at least 19 people, officials said.

Almost all of the deaths are said to have happened when two missiles hit an apartment building in central Ukraine.

Three children, including a toddler, are among the dead.

Putin signs decree paving way for deportation of people from annexed Ukraine

Friday 28 April 2023 15:40 , Matt Mathers

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed a decree that gives people living in parts of Ukraine under Moscows control a path to Russian citizenship but means those who decline or who do not legalise their status face potential deportation.

The decree extends to four Ukrainian regions which Russia has claimed as its own and partially controls: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

Kyiv says it will retake all four areas and has accused Moscow of trying to browbeat its citizens into accepting Russian citizenship.

The new decree sets out ways that Ukrainian citizens or those holding passports issued by Russia-backed breakaway republics, and who live in the four regions, can start the process of becoming Russian citizens or legalise their status with the Russian authorities.

Kyiv ready to counterattack with 'iron fist'

Friday 28 April 2023 15:02 , Matt Mathers

Kyiv said on Friday it was nearly ready to launch a huge ground assault to retake occupied land, after Russia hurled missiles at cities as people slept overnight, killing at least 21 civilians in its first large-scale air strikes in nearly two months.

The war is coming to a crucial juncture after a months-long Russian winter offensive that gained little ground despite the bloodiest fighting so far. Kyiv is preparing a counteroffensive using hundreds of tanks and armoured vehicles sent by the West, hoping to drive Russia out of the nearly a fifth of the country that it occupies and claims to have annexed.

"As soon as there is Gods will, the weather and a decision by commanders, we will do it," Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleskii Reznikov told an online news briefing.

Afternoon recap contd.

Friday 28 April 2023 14:45 , Matt Mathers

Diplomacy/politics

Russian Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, who was sanctioned by the West and dubbed the "Butcher of Mariupol" by the EU, has been removed as deputy defence minister, reports said.

Russia rejects U.S. embassy request to visit detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in response to Washingtons refusal to grant visas to group of Russian journalists.

The Kremlin played down the idea that Russia might be preparing to carry out a nuclear weapons test, saying all nuclear states were abiding by a moratorium.

A United Nations committee said it was deeply concerned about human rights violations by Russian forces and private military companies in Ukraine, including enforced disappearances, torture, rape and extrajudicial executions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law allowing for naturalised Russian citizens who "threaten national security" to be stripped of their citizenship, RIA news agency reported.

Afternoon recap

Friday 28 April 2023 14:15 , Matt Mathers

Kyiv said on Friday it was nearly ready to launch a huge ground assault to retake occupied land, after Russia hurled missiles at cities as people slept overnight, killing at least 17 people in its first large-scale air strikes in nearly two months.

Fighting

War at crucial juncture after Russian winter offensive gains little ground and Kyiv prepares counter-offensive using hundreds of tanks and armoured vehicles sent by the West.

Russia said its strategic bombers had carried out what it called high-precision missile strikes on Ukrainian army reserve units overnight to prevent them from getting to the frontline.

Ukraine said victims included several children killed in strikes on homes.

Russian-installed mayor of Donetsk city said seven people were killed when Ukrainian shelling hit a minibus.

UN body deplores 'grave' rights abuses by Russia in Ukraine

Friday 28 April 2023 13:40 , Matt Mathers

United Nations committee said on Friday it was deeply concerned about human rights violations by Russian forces and private military companies in Ukraine, including enforced disappearances, torture, rape and extrajudicial executions.

In its findings on Russia, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination called on the Russian authorities to investigate allegations of human rights violations committed during the invasion of Ukraine.

The Committee was deeply concerned about the grave human rights violations committed during the ongoing armed conflict by the Russian Federations military forces and private military companies ..., it said in a statement.

There was no immediate comment from the Russian permanent mission to the United Nations in Geneva.

In its report, the committee listed excessive use of force, arbitrary detentions, killings and the forcible transfer of children from Ukraine to Russia among the violations committed.

Russia, which the US committee said had refused to provide it with information on the conflict, has denied committing atrocities and deliberately attacking civilians in Ukraine. It denies deporting Ukrainian children to Russia, saying it has evacuated them to keep them safe.

The refusal of the Russian Federation to address these issues did not hinder us from addressing them in our concluding observations, but of course it made our work more difficult, committee member Mehrdad Payandeh told reporters in Geneva.

Pope calls for creative efforts for peace'

Friday 28 April 2023 13:00 , Matt Mathers

The Pope has called for creative efforts for peace to end the war in Ukraine.

He is currently visiting Hungary where he will set out his vision for Europe.

Well have more on this story as it comes in,

Death toll rises to 17

Friday 28 April 2023 12:40 , Matt Mathers

Russia hurled missiles at cities across Ukraine as people slept early on Friday, killing at least 17 people in the first large-scale air strikes in nearly two months.

Hours after the pre-dawn attacks, Kyiv said it was finishing preparations for a counteroffensive to try to take back territory occupied by Russian forces in 14 months of war.

In the central city of Uman, firefighters battled a raging blaze at a residential apartment building that had been struck on an upper floor.

At least 15 people were killed in Uman, including two children, and nine people were taken to hospital, the regional governor said.

Russia sacks deputy defence minister sanctioned by West over Mariupol - reports

Friday 28 April 2023 12:00 , Matt Mathers

Russian Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, who was sanctioned by the West and dubbed the "Butcher of Mariupol" for his role in the Ukraine war, has been removed as deputy defence minister, according to a military blogger and a leading news website.

Mizintsev orchestrated the siege of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol in the early months of the war last year. In September, he was appointed deputy defence minister in charge of logistics and supplies.

Imposing sanctions against Mizintsev last June, the European Union referred to him as the Butcher of Mariupol and said he was responsible for the "inhuman" siege of the shattered Ukrainian city, which Russia says it is now rebuilding.

His departure was reported by a Russian military blogger, Alexander Sladkov, and by the RBC news site. Neither offered an explanation for why he had apparently been removed.

The defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while the Kremlin has said it cannot say anything on the subject and has referred questions on the matter to the defence ministry.

Vladimir Putin has replaced Dmitry Bulgakov with Mikhail Mizintsev (AP)

Ukraine wrapping up preparation for couteroffensive

Friday 28 April 2023 11:30 , Matt Mathers

Ukraine is wrapping up preparations for a counteroffensive against Russian forces and is largely ready for it to go ahead, Defence minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Friday.

"As soon as there is Gods will, the weather and a decision by commanders, we will do it," he told an online news briefing.

He gave no date for when the counteroffensive would start but said: "Globally speaking, we are to a high percentage ready."

Kyiv hopes its planned counteroffensive will change the dynamics of the war that has raged since Russia invaded Ukraine 14 months ago.

Russia Ukraine War (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Military units that have fought in Ukraine to join Victory Day parade - Kremlin

Friday 28 April 2023 10:58 , Matt Mathers

The Kremlin said on Friday that Russian military units that have fought in Ukraine will be represented in a parade in Moscow on May 9 to mark the anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War Two.

The holiday is one of the most important in the Russian calendar, usually featuring a huge show of military hardware on Red Square and a speech from President Vladimir Putin.

The Victory Day military parade is a celebration that pays tribute to the triumph over Nazi Germany in 1945.

Russia pulls Army Games over Ukraine losses - MoD

Friday 28 April 2023 10:15 , Matt Mathers

Russia may have pulled its annual International Army Games due to losses sustained in Ukraine, Britains Ministry of Defence has said.

A shortage of tanks, tank crew and other skilled personnel could have risked the Russian teams usual domination of the medals tables, it added.

The games have been used to reestablish the military at the heart of popular culture.

Death toll from overnight missile barrage rises to 12

Friday 28 April 2023 09:45 , Matt Mathers

The death toll following last nights attacks has risen to 12.

Russia hurled missiles at cities across Ukraine as people slept early on Friday.

It was the first large scale attack by Russia in nearly two months

A building burns following last nights attacks (Telegram/ Volodymyr Zelensky)

Pope to give vision for Europe in Hungary

Friday 28 April 2023 08:45 , Matt Mathers

Pope Francis plans to outline his vision for the future of Europe during a three-day visit to Hungary starting Friday, with Russias war in Ukraine, migration flows and Hungarys tense relations with Brussels looming large over the pontiffs weekend journey.

Hungarian officials say Francis pilgrimage was designed primarily to let the pope minister to the countrys Catholic community and to encourage its members in their faith.

But with the war unfolding next door and Hungary butting heads with other European Union nations over rule of law issues and LGBTQ+ rights, Francis words and deeds in the heart of Europe will carry strong political undertones.

After his arrival, Francis is scheduled to meet with President Katalin Novak and Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and then to deliver his main political speech to Hungarian authorities and diplomats. He has a chance to speak to Hungarian society and Europe at large in his final event Sunday, when hell address academic and cultural figures at Budapests Catholic University.

In between, Francis is set to meet with some of the 35,000 Ukrainian refugees who have remained in Hungary after 2.5 million fled across Ukraines border with Hungarys early on in Russias invasion. It will be another opportunity for Francis to raise immigration as a topic and and to reiterate his belief that European countries should, within their means, open their arms and borders to people fleeing poverty as well as conflicts.

Pope boards flight to Hungary (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Death toll from overnight strikes rises to eight

Friday 28 April 2023 08:15 , Matt Mathers

Russia has fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine, killing at least eight people and hitting a residential building in central Ukraine, officials said.

Air raid sirens sounded around the capital in the first attack against the city in nearly two months and Ukraines air force intercepted 11 cruise missiles and two unmanned aerial vehicles over Kyiv, according to the city administration.

There were no immediate reports of any missiles hitting targets in Kyiv but fragments from intercepted missiles or drones damaged power lines and a road in one neighbourhood.

No casualties were reported.

Explosion rock Kyiv overnight (Telegram: Zoya Vovk, Cherkasy Oblast police)

Russian defence minister says US and allies trying to restore military presence in Central Asia

Friday 28 April 2023 07:22 , Matt Mathers

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday that the United States and its allies are trying to restore their military presence in Central Asia under the pretext of fighting terrorism, Russian state-owned news agency RIA reported.

RIA cited Shoigu as saying that Russia was increasing combat readiness at its bases in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as a result.

Russia China (Sputnik)

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website
AFP

As fighting raged in Sudan's capital, Ayman Abu Arki and his uncle Hossam went out "to go buy some water" for the family, but then stopped answering their phones.Their panicked family, desperate for news, kept dialling their numbers but then turned to social media, as many others have done to search for those missing amid the bloody chaos.The numbing response finally came back from a Facebook user: a photo showed two lifeless bodies inside a bullet-riddled car, the licence plate matching that of the family vehicle.The two men died on the second day of the battles that have rocked Khartoum since April 15, and which have since claimed hundreds of lives and left untold numbers unaccounted for.The unrest has pitted the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces, commanded by his deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.The fighting took the capital's five million residents by surprise, and many were unprepared to survive for weeks on the stocks of food and other basic goods they had at home.Some of those who ventured out to buy water and food never came back, and relatives fear the worst as bodies lie in the streets while gun battles and airstrikes continue into a third week.- 'He never came back' -Heba, a doctor, is also among those who have turned to online platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, for news of her father, who has been missing since April 23.He left that day to buy vital medication "but he never came back", said Heba, who preferred not to give her full name. "I just hope he is safe and sound."To help those desperately searching for missing relatives and friends, the International Committee of the Red Cross announced it had set up a special hotline to report disappearances.Volunteers have also staffed the Mafqoud (Missing) online project, first set up to report disappearances in 2019 which pro-democracy protesters blamed on forces loyal to Burhan and Daglo following the dispersal of a mass sit-in. According to official figures, more than 500 people have been killed since the conflict began and over 4,500 wounded, although the real toll is feared to be much higher.Mafqoud spokesman Mossab Kamel estimates that about 250 people have been reported missing since the fighting began -- the majority of them elderly or disabled people and children.He said the project handled "100 to 150" phone calls a day at first, although this had dropped to about 15 daily. Some of those missing were ultimately found alive -- many either being held by the armed forces or the RSF. But in many other cases, the agonising wait continues.- Long stretch of silence -Another resident of the Sudanese capital sheltering from the war, Munira Edwin, said she had last spoken to her older brother Babiker on the first day of fighting.Babiker, who worked at a Coca-Cola plant in a northern Khartoum suburb, phoned her when the fighting started "to ask me to tell his wife and six children that he was fine," Edwin said.Babiker said he was leaving the factory and returning to their home in the capital's twin city of Omdurman, across the Nile, before communications abruptly stopped.What followed was a long stretch of silence, during which Edwin contacted the Mafqoud project. When they called her back nearly two weeks later, Edwin's worst fears were confirmed."He had been found dead with two bullets" in his body, she said, struggling to hold back tears.His body had been taken to a mosque near the stop where he usually changed bus on his way home from work."We were in contact with the imam" who was guarding the body in the hope that the family would be able to retrieve it, she said.But, Edwin recounted, "when two of my brothers tried to look for the body, the army forces at a checkpoint forced them to go back because of the fighting in the area".str-bur/fz/kir
Ukraines long-awaited counteroffensive is just around the corner, with top commanders and defense officials announcing Kyiv has nearly everything it needs to mount a successful attack on occupying Russian forces.

Preparations are being finalized, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said at a news conference Friday, adding they were mostly ready for the offensive.

That followed remarks from NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg saying Ukraine is now in a strong position to retake occupied territory in the east after the bloc delivered 98 percent of promised combat vehicles to Ukraine, including some 1,550 armored vehicles and 230 tanks.

While the launch date of the offensive appears to be coming into focus, its unclear whether it will be as successful as previous Ukrainian operations.

Michael OHanlon, the director of research in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution, said even with the new armor, he had modest expectations for the offensive because of heavy Russian fortifications.

Russias got a lot of antitank weapons and other multiple lines of fortification, he said. Ukraines got limited ability to provide air support for these incoming armored units and probably limited ability to sustain them as they move further away from their home bases of support.

So I dont expect big breakthroughs, but Id be happy to be proven wrong.

The armor rolling into Ukraine includes Germanys Leopard tanks, British-made Challenger tanks and infantry fighting vehicles from Western allies, such as the American-made Strykers and Bradleys.

Those are far more advanced than the Soviet-era heavy armor used by Ukraine during successful counteroffensives in Kharkiv and Kherson last year.

Ukraine has also received more MiG-29 fighter jets from allies like Poland, giving it a slight boost in air capability, though Kyiv remains heavily outmatched by Russia over the skies.

Christopher Cavoli, NATOs supreme allied commander in Europe, told Senate Armed Services lawmakers on Thursday he is very confident Ukrainian troops have the military equipment they need for the offensive.

Story continues

He said that Washington and Kyiv worked together to war-game and compile a list of needed weapons for the operation, which the United States pulled from its inventories and from those of allies over the past few months.

We have fulfilled that. We have nearly gotten everything into Ukraine, and I am confident they have what they need for the offensive that we have planned with them, Cavoli said.

But he also warned that critical parts of the Russian military remained intact  including cyber, nuclear, information operations and undersea warfare, such as submarines  despite months of heavy losses in Ukraine.

Much of the Russian military has not been affected negatively by this conflict, Cavoli said at an earlier Wednesday hearing with the House Armed Services Committee.

We should not make the mistake of underestimating Russias military capabilities because the stakes of getting it wrong are too high, added Celeste Wallander, the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, at the hearing.

Much of the recent fighting in Ukraine has been focused on the eastern frontlines around the industrial city of Bakhmut. But Ukraine is expected to launch its counteroffensive in the south as well.

Ukrainian forces have been observed setting up positions on the eastern side of Dnipro River, an area that could be used as a staging point for a move to recapture the Crimea Peninsula, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Moscow is aware of the most likely place for Ukraine to strike  in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, where Kyiv would seek to cut off a land bridge to the Russian-occupied peninsula.

Russian military bloggers are casting doubt on the prospects for success of the counteroffensive, though they anticipate a huge operation.

Alexander Kots, a blogger with hundreds of thousands of subscribers, said Kyiv will put all in for the operation.

Russian command has an understanding of the inevitability of the upcoming offensive, he said. A difficult period awaits us, during which the good news will be that the enemy has not been able to advance through our defensive formations.

Leaked Pentagon documents suggest the U.S. is not confident Ukraine will make any significant gains soon, and a protracted war is likely to extend beyond 2023.

But Washington has underestimated Kyiv before, and Ukraine has the capabilities to slice through entrenched Russian positions, which are not very mobile, said OHanlon from Brookings.

It is possible. It is possible to essentially go over some of these trenches, he said. Again, youre [going to] take casualties and take losses as you do it, but its not as if a trench is somehow completely impregnable.

OHanlon said trench lines can be overcome with bulldozers and explosives, referencing the U.S. Desert Storm operation in 1991 when American forces overwhelmed entrenched Iraqi positions in Kuwait.

Ukrainian savviness may also come into play. During the counteroffensive last fall, Ukraine duped Russia by hinting in public media reports it was going to strike in Kherson, but it instead went for Kharkiv.

Its unclear whether Russia will fall for a similar head fake should Ukraine posit one ahead of the offensive.

But Ukraines Defense Ministry posted a statement on Telegram earlier this month suggesting its counteroffensive plan is finally chosen in such a way that the enemy cannot react.

The Armed Forces are currently not preparing one thing  for a specific time in a specific direction, the statement read. The Armed Forces prepare the entire complex of defensive and counteroffensive measures every day.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Russia has been reinforcing the captured Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Ahead of the looming Ukrainian counteroffensive that could very well drive through the occupied portions of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the Russians have been reinforcing their military presence at Europe's largest nuclear power plant, according to British military intelligence.

While that assessment downplays concerns about a radioactive catastrophe at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as a result of any fighting on the premises, combat there in March 2022 sparked global concerns that such an event could take place.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 27 April 2023.



Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/ipsPH8v8mx



 #StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/6BQqzpqrks  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) April 27, 2023

"Imagery shows that by March 2023, Russian forces had established sandbag fighting positions on the roofs of several buildings at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP)," the U.K.'s Defense Intelligence Directorate (DI) said Thursday in a tweet.

Russia captured the plant in March 2022, but "this is the first indication of the actual reactor buildings being integrated into tactical defense planning. Russia has likely constructed these because it is increasingly concerned about the prospects of a major Ukrainian offensive."

Russian positions on the roofs of several buildings of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant seen in March 2023. (U.K. Defense Ministry photo)

The move "highly likely increases the chances of damage to ZNPP safety systems if fighting takes place around ZNPP," the U.K. DI said. But it downplayed concerns that fighting there could spark a radioactive catastrophe.

Story continues

"However, direct catastrophic damage to the reactors is unlikely under most plausible scenarios involving infantry weapons because the structures are very heavily reinforced."

Still, the world watched in horror as fighting broke out there as the Russians captured the plant last year.

Just in > New call between Biden and Zelensky to discuss the fire/Russian shelling at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. pic.twitter.com/K32t8Q7Yhh  Andrew deGrandpre (@adegrandpre) March 4, 2022

Webcams from the site showed what looked like some sort of flares descending on the compound and one of the buildings being sprayed with heavy gunfire, the tracers clearly seen flying through the air. Though a fire broke out at a maintenance building on the compound, which you can see in the video below, there was no increase in radiation as a result of the fighting.

But that did not calm Ukrainian nuclear officials.

The worst-case scenario for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear explosion, Olena Pareniuk, a senior researcher for Ukraines Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants, told us a year ago. In that case, all of Europe will be contaminated. We will have an exclusion zone, in Europe. In Turkey. Everywhere."

And while the U.K. DI suggested that the likelihood of serious damage to the nuclear reactors was low in the event of fighting involving "infantry weapons," Pareniuk told us last year, one of her fears was that those working units might be hit with a missile.

You can read more about her concerns in our deep dive here.

Aside from being the home of nuclear reactors, ZNPP also sits on strategic ground astride the Dnipro River, which Ukraine could target in its attempt to cut off Russian troops and ultimately liberate Crimea.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plants sits along the Dnipro River and could be targeted in a Ukrainian offensive. (Google Earth image)

The Russian Rybar Telegram channel on Thursday suggested that the "idea of the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is to strike in one or two main directions and is paying special attention to the territories on the left bank of the [Dnipro] in his plans.

With the beginning of the attack, one can expect a simultaneous [crossing] of the [Dnipro] by a tactical landing not only from Kherson, but also from the line Dudchany - Zolotaya Balka - Maryanskoye - Pokrovskoye In theory, this will make it possible to take control of the ZNPP and provide a springboard for the landing of a larger group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for a breakthrough to the Crimea.

The Russian command is well aware of the impending Ukrainian operation, Rybar wrote. Therefore, the equipment of defensive positions at the Zaporizhzhia NPP and around its territory is a completely logical step.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is about 95 miles north of the Crimean peninsula border. (Google Earth image)

It is necessary to strengthen not only the area of the nuclear power plant and Energodar, but also the coastal line from Bolshaya Lepetikha to Dneprorudny and Vasilyevka," Rybar wrote. "The Kakhovka reservoir is quite extensive, and attacks can occur in any of the sections.

At the same time, in order to fulfill its plan, it is vitally important for the Armed Forces to occupy a wide foothold on the entire left bank of the [Dnipro]. This is connected with the probing of the soil by the Ukrainian landing on the islands in the Kherson region.

#NewsMap

The Ukrainian army liberated the Dnipro island of Cherkesssky, leading to furious Russian air strikes on the lost territory. pic.twitter.com/tYYbyNwgCz  Julian Ropcke (@JulianRoepcke) April 25, 2023

Though it tried to tamp down concerns about what could happen if fighting breaks out again at the ZNPP, the U.K. DI assessment comes a day after the 37th anniversary of the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which is still seared into memories of those who lived through it and had to deal with the aftermath.

The thought of a battle at ZNPP is horrifying, Pareniuk told us last year.

Nuclear power is not just a toy, and it's not something that you use for nuclear terrorism," she said. "So we shouldn't play with this because we were already trying to take care of the Chornobyl accident and also to take care of the Fukushima accident. We don't want people to cause another nuclear accident.

Before we head into todays latest updates from Ukraine, The War Zone readers can catch up on our previous rolling coverage here.

The Latest

Ukraine has a good deal of what it needs for its upcoming offensive, U.S. European Command honcho Gen. Christopher Cavoli testified Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"So we went into a planning process with our Ukrainian colleagues last winter and we developed with them a number of courses of action, war-gamed it carefully and we came down to the key courses of action for an offensive," Cavoli testified. "We calculated the amount of equipment and the various types of things required, and we have fulfilled that. We have nearly gotten everything into Ukraine. And I'm confident they have what they need for the offensive that we have planned with them, and I can go into significant detail in a closed session."

Happening now: SASC receives testimony from @US_EUCOM commander General Christopher Cavoli and @US_TRANSCOM commander General Jacqueline Van Ovost on the posture of their forces.

Watch: https://t.co/AsZOZPvWCs  Senate Armed Services Committee (@SASCDems) April 27, 2023

Though Russian forces have taken heavy losses during its all-out invasion, it will still pose a threat for a while, Cavoli said.

"I think Russia is quite likely to remain the core security challenge in Europe for some years to come," Cavoli testified. "Their military has suffered significant losses in this conflict. But they've mainly been in the ground domain. The Air Force - the tactical Air Force - has lost about 80 fighters and fighter bombers. But they have more than 1,000 of them left. The long-range aviation has not been touched. The Navy has barely been touched - it lost a ship or two. The strategic nuclear forces to cyber to space have not been touched. So I think Russia will continue to be the core security challenge."

As for the stated goal of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other Ukrainian leaders of liberating the Crimean peninsula, occupied by Russia since 2014, Cavoli was circumspect.

"The question of retaking any specific piece of ground depends on a variety of things," he testified. "Crimea is pretty tough. Crimea has got a mountainous center. But of course, Crimea is pretty hard to keep resupplied if you're the adversary as well. So it really depends on the situation at the time." If "Crimea were empty of Russian soldiers it would be easy," said Cavoli. "If Crimea were defended at a certain level, it would be harder and it's hard to see where things go. What we do know is that any such question would be answered sequentially after the activities that the Ukrainians are planning to undertake in the next step in the next months. So it's hard to say from here."

Russian forces have emptied out this military depot in northern Crimea, new satellite imagery shows.



This site was used to store tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery. pic.twitter.com/3uIc4GI5ac  Brady Africk (@bradyafr) April 26, 2023

Yesterday we told you about complaints by the head of the Wagner mercenary group that his troops aren't getting enough ammunition to fight in Bakhmut. Today, the BBC reported a similar complaint from Ukrainian troops.

A soldier named Volodymyr, with the 17th Tank Battalion, expressed frustration that he could not offer more artillery fire support to Ukrainian troops in Bakhmut.

"He says Ukraine has already burned through its own stocks of Grad ammunition, so is relying on rockets sourced from other countries," the BBC reported. "Volodymyr says supplies are coming from the Czech Republic, Romania and Pakistan." He complained that the rockets originating from Pakistan are "not of a good quality."

As I've been saying, the Ukrainians are running low in ammo / shells.



BBC News - Ukraine war: Bakhmut defenders worry about losing supporthttps://t.co/oQZmRU0Plp  Sage Despatches (@SageDespatches) April 27, 2023

Despite any concerns about ammunition shortages, Ukrainian troops are still holding out there, as Ukrainian National Guards Lt. Col. Mykhailo Kryzhanivskyi explained in this video below.

Mykhailo Kryzhanivskyi, Lieutenant Colonel of Ukrainian National Guards, about the situation in Bakhmut.



Glory to Ukrainian Defenders!



: 1+1 pic.twitter.com/hHCAScJ6ng  Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 27, 2023

After almost a year of fighting, the embattled Donetsk Oblast coal mining city has been nearly obliterated, which you can see in this video below.

Bakhmut today.

This city was peaceful and vibrant until recently.

The russian world is equivalent to death. The russian world turns everything into a wasteland.



 @Liberov pic.twitter.com/zclYl1J5z8  Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 27, 2023

At least one civilian was killed and nearly two dozen injured after a Russian cruise missile attack on residential areas of the city of Mykolaiv, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry (MoD) said Thursday, calling the attack "another war crime of the invaders."

The Russian MoD claims it was targeting Ukrainian military sites.

"Last night a concentrated strike by long-range, sea-based high-precision weapons has been launched against the enemy reserves' deployment points," the Russian MoD claimed. "The goal of the attack has been reached. All the assigned targets have been neutralized."

Another war crime of the invaders: russian cruise missiles "Kalibr" hit residential areas in #Mykolaiv.

A civilian was killed, and 23 others were injured.#russiaisaterroriststate pic.twitter.com/VX0GciE332  Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 27, 2023

Both sides continue to fight along the Dnipro River, where Ukrainian forces managed to push Russian forces back in the fall at the culmination of the Kherson counteroffensive.

A vivid example of that can be seen in the destruction of a Russian 2S1 Gvozdika 122mm self-propelled howitzer by Ukrainian artillery.

#Ukraine: A Russian 2S1 Gvozdika 122mm self-propelled howitzer was destroyed by an Ukrainian artillery strike on the left bank of the Dnipro River, #Kherson Oblast. pic.twitter.com/5qWFeDC2BN   Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) April 27, 2023

The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS) donated by the U.S. has been spotted in use with Ukraine's newly stood-up 37th Marine Brigade, according to the Ukraine Weapons Tracker OSINT group. In this case the weapon, which you can read more about in our deep dive here, was mounted on a M1152A1 HMMWV.

#Ukraine: The new Ukrainian 37th Marine Brigade already using the long-awaited  APKWS in #Kherson Oblast. The APWKS is essentially Hydra 70 unguided rockets fitted with a laser guidance kit to create a precision weapon.



In this case the launcher is mounted on a M1152A1 HMMWV. pic.twitter.com/j0PK1QccN1   Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) April 27, 2023

The Russian SHOT news agency posted video Thursday it claims shows a drone of unknown origin flying near Moscow.

"A newly unknown drone of impressive size was spotted in the Moscow region - in the sky over Serpukhov," SHOT reported on its Telegram channel. "Eyewitnesses reported to the police. Now they are investigating where this UAV came from."

In a later message posted on its Telegram channel, SHOT reported that there are "reports of a drone that dropped something on a police station in Moscow but that it did not "pose a threat" because "the security forces are conducting exercises."

While it is unclear whether the object in the video is even an uncrewed aircraft, there have been several instances of late where Ukrainian drones have been found close to Russia's capital. You can read more about that in our story here.

Unknown drone of impressive size spotted in the sky over Serpukhov, Moscow region,  russian media.



Another drone was spotted by the plane's pilots while landing at Moscow's Domodedovo airport. pic.twitter.com/8RjGnJYVIU   Albina Fella   (@albafella1) April 27, 2023

On Wednesday, video began to circulate of an explosion near an airport in St. Petersburg, Russia, raising lots of speculation that it could have been another Ukrainian attack.

Russian mass media reports about an explosion in St. Petersburg  pic.twitter.com/J5B5CFPpBI  MAKS 22 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) April 26, 2023

Today, Russian investigators explained that "an unidentified device exploded near an abandoned building in Pavlovsk, on the territory of a thermal power plant," according to the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for St. Petersburg Telegram channel.

The directorate "initiated a criminal case on the grounds of a crime under Part 1 of Art. 222.1. Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, transfer or carrying of explosives or explosive devices)."

The site of the incident "is being examined," and "all the circumstances of the incident are being established."

Explosion occurred near St Petersburg, creating 6-metre crater. I could hear this in the city center last night https://t.co/W6niROB9L7  Dan Kovalik (@danielmkovalik) April 27, 2023

Air defenses are a critical need for Ukraine and it appears that it lost a 9A330 Transporter-Launcher and Radar (TLAR) component of a Tor air defense system. It was the first confirmed loss of this rare system, the Ukraine Weapons Tracker OSINT group reported.

#Ukraine: A Ukrainian 9A330 TLAR of the Tor air defense system was taken out of action by a Russian Lancet loitering munition in #Kherson Oblast.



The first confirmed loss of this AD system, very rare in Ukrainian service. pic.twitter.com/df8AmmXNsh   Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) April 26, 2023

Ukraine also appears to have lost a 5P85S launcher for an S-300PS air defense system in Kherson Oblast. A second launcher was hit, but the missile containers did not detonate, according to the Ukraine Weapons Tracker OSINT group.

#Ukraine: A Ukrainian 5P85S launcher of the S-300PS air defense system was destroyed by a Russian Lancet loitering munition in #Kherson Oblast.



A 5P85S launcher to the left can also be seen hit on the missile containers which didn't detonate. pic.twitter.com/pWZ0YDLjFL   Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) April 27, 2023

Ukraine appears to have added yet another update to the Pulemyot Maxima PM1910 (also known as PM M1910) heavy machine gun  a design first introduced in 1910 and used by the Imperial Russian Army during World War I.

In addition to previous updates that included a distinctly modern sight, as well as a stock, and a suppressor, it appears Ukraine is running the old weapon in an air-cooled, not water-cooled configuration.

New in only in #Ukraine: A PM M1910/30 Maxim gun converted to be air cooled, and with a new (and quite effective) muzzle device, plus optics and stock. pic.twitter.com/eHDUQS6ylQ  C Os (@CalibreObscura) April 26, 2023

Japan has donated more non-lethal aid to Ukraine. The equipment included crane trucks, metal detectors with sets of spare parts for them, protective equipment for pyrotechnicians and more, according to the Ukrainian Military Center.

Japan donated truck cranes, metal detectors with spare parts for them, as well as personal protective equipment to Ukrainian SSNS sappers



https://t.co/ZZfSNzj8a4#StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/s4W3AkGSDo  Lew Anno Suport #Ukraine 24/2-22 (@anno1540) April 27, 2023

In addition to governmental donations to Ukraine, a lot of weaponry has been acquired through private donations. Noted Ukrainian public figure Serhiy Prytula announced that his Prytula Foundation completed its effort to donate 101 armored personnel carriers to Ukrainian troops.

The 101 peoples APCs project is complete! The final two are passed to the Ground Forces Command.



Ukrainian people & foreign donors bought 101 APCs:

40 Spartan

21 Sultan

2 Samaritan

3 Samson

2 FV434

24 FV432

8 Stormer

1 Shielder



Donations spent:

5 275 600 / 236 720 868 pic.twitter.com/UEDjg9obJn  Serhiy Prytula (@serhiyprytula) April 27, 2023

Because it is still the rainy season in Ukraine, both sides are not just battling each other, they are fighting the elements as well. You can see how Ukrainian troops are dealing with the ever-present mud in this video below.

A bedraggled Russian soldier was pulled into a trench after surrendering to Ukrainian troops.

How enemies surrender to capture if they want to stay alive. This is their only chance. pic.twitter.com/60VvgenS3J  Sander (@SanderRegter) April 27, 2023

And finally, it's no trench beaver, but Ukrainian troops appear to have adopted a new pet, letting this dog of war slip into their unit.

A new crew member pic.twitter.com/leQ9gzyqMS  InUkraine (@InUAOfficial) April 27, 2023

That's it for now. We will update this story when there's more news from Ukraine to report.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
Friends and colleagues have paid tribute to Sasha Bondarenko's humour, intelligence and big heart

Former BBC News Ukraine journalist Oleksandr Bondarenko has been killed on duty on the front line in Ukraine.

He volunteered for Ukraine's territorial defence at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, working as a communications expert and media trainer and then becoming part of the military.

Details of how he was killed in action are not yet known.

Close friends said only that "death caught up with him in a battle".

Friends, former BBC colleagues and Ukraine's wider media community paid tributes to a talented journalist who went on to be a successful communications professional.

Known as Sasha or Sashko, Bondarenko was originally from Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.

He worked for the BBC's Ukrainian Service from 2007 to 2011 as a news reporter, presenter and editor of radio programmes broadcast from Kyiv. He left the BBC to work for other media organisations.

At the start of the war Sasha Bondarenko worked as a communications expert and media trainer.

At the start of the war he was in charge of special projects for leading Ukrainian communications agency, RMA, whose staff paid tribute to his intelligence, humour and voice.

He was one of many thousands of Ukrainians who have left their civilian jobs across all walks of life to defend their country from the Russian invasion.

Among well-known Ukrainians who enlisted were members of one of Ukraine's top rock bands, Antytila, who became army medics, and broadcasters Pavlo Kazarin and Yurii Matsarskyi.

A number of journalists have lost their lives reporting on the war too. A Ukrainian fixer working with an Italian reporter was killed this week as they came under fire near the southern city Kherson.

Vasyl Samokhvalov of RMA paid tribute to Sasha Bondarenko as a man who volunteered on day one: "A human with a will of steel. A human with the clearest motivation. A human with the best music playlist."

The former head of the BBC's Ukrainian Service, Maciek Bernatt-Reszczynski, said the corporation was extremely lucky to have him on the Kyiv team: "It was always new challenges with this extraordinary man. Including the last, heroic one, to defend his country from aggression."

Story continues

Bondarenko graduated from Luhansk teacher-training college and started his career in journalism at a local radio station in the east of Ukraine, before working for leading Ukrainian TV channels and and then the BBC's Ukrainian Service.

BBC Ukraine's editor-in-chief Marta Shokalo (R) paid tribute to her former colleague

"I look at our photos together and can't stop crying even though I can only remember our carefree days in the Kyiv office and how we laughed together," said Marta Shokalo, BBC Ukraine's editor-in-chief.

He went on to work as a TV reporter, covering the mass Maidan anti-government protests in Kyiv in 2013-14 and later Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014.

As a native of eastern Ukraine his insight of the complexities of Ukraine's relationship with Russia was seen as especially valuable.

A keen athlete, he achieved a long-held ambition of swimming the Bosphorus. His last photo published on Facebook was captioned: "Somewhere in the Kharkiv woods."
Key developments on April 27:

Court sentences Russian soldier to life in prison for killing 1, injuring 3 Ukrainians

Russian serviceman admits killing POWs after interrogations, intercepted call allege

Mayor: Collaborator killed in Zaporizhzhia Oblast

US commander confident in success of Ukraine's counteroffensive

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) published an intercepted phone call alleging another Russian soldier committed war crimes in Ukraine.

In the intercepted call, a Russian soldier admitted that he repeatedly killed Ukrainian prisoners of war by cutting their throats after interrogating them.

"Because we get all the information from them. There is no point in keeping them anymore they need to be disposed of," the Russian serviceman allegedly said over the phone.

SBU said the man talking was Yevgeny Suchko, 28, from Russia's Novgorod region. Suchko was mobilized during Russia's mobilization campaign in the fall of last year. He was deployed in northeastern Kharkiv Oblast since then.

In an intercepted call, Suchko described in detail how he cut POW's throats, adding he's done that "a lot."

"This is not the first time for me. I don't give a f*ck," Suchko allegedly told a woman over the phone, adding that he planned to commit another war crime after the call.

Executions and tortures of POWs breach the Geneva Conventions and constitute war crimes.

Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on April 17 that his office had received "several dozens" of videos allegedly showing executions of Ukrainian POWs carried out by Russian soldiers.

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, 80,000 Russian war crimes in Ukraine are currently being investigated.

Viral videos show pattern of Russian atrocities throughout the war Warning: This story contains graphic descriptions of violence. At least several Ukrainian servicemen have been beheaded by Russian troops, as alleged by two videos shared online this week. The revelation comes as yet another instance of exceptional brutality demonstrated  and filmed  by Russian f Kyiv IndependentAlexander Khrebet

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Life sentence for war crimes

The Chernihiv Oblast court sentenced a Russian soldier to life for shooting a civilian car with four people inside on Feb. 26, 2022, the Prosecutor General's Office said on April 27.

The prosecutors said one woman was killed, and three other people were wounded.

The court convicted a Russian serviceman of violating the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder.

The Prosecutor General's Office said that Russian forces stopped a car in Krupychpole village in northern Chernihiv Oblast two days into the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops opened fire at a car with four people inside  a man and woman, their daughter, and their son-in-law.

After shooting a civilian car, Russian troops left the scene, according to the report.

Ukraine's regional authorities said dozens of civilians, including children, have been killed and injured in attacks on cars trying to flee the northern oblasts, invaded by Russia in February 2022.

Collaborator killed in Melitopol explosion

Oleksandr Mishchenko, a Russian proxy police chief in occupied Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, was killed in an explosion, Mayor Ivan Fedorov said on April 27.

Fedorov lives in Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Prior to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Mishchenko headed the Melitopol police department. He became a collaborator after Russian troops occupied the town in late February 2022.

The explosion reportedly occurred in the early morning in downtown Melitopol. Mishchenko died in the hospital, Fedorov said.

Vladimir Rogov, a Russian proxy in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, said two "police officers" had been injured, one of whom later died, without giving the name.

Explosions are heard regularly in Meltipol and other Russian-occupied areas where partisan movement is active. Aside from Russian troops, explosions often target local collaborators.

Melitopol is an important rail hub that links Russia to occupied Crimea.

Theyll kill me if I come back: Abduction, torture become routine in Russian-occupied Melitopol In a rare glimpse, the Kyiv Independent talked to some who escaped Russian-occupied Melitopol and learned whats happening behind the curtain of Russias occupation. Since Melitopol fell to Russian forces in March 2022, the citys residents constantly fear being kidnapped, sometimes in broad dayligh Kyiv IndependentAlexander Query

Guardian: UK company registered on Russian proxy official despite sanctions

The Guardian reported on April 27 that a U.K. business was allegedly registered on a Russian proxy official of occupied Kherson Oblast Volodymyr Saldo five months after the British government imposed sanctions against him.

Company documents show that Grainholding Ltd., which holds over $1.2 million in capital, is allegedly partly owned by Saldo.

The Guardian found the company registered in central London, of which Saldo has been listed as the proprietor since November. A representative of the property denied they have connections to Saldo.

Grainholding Ltd is still listed as an active entity, the Guardian reported.

Since Russian troops occupied southern Kherson Oblast in the first days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Saldo has been placed as the proxy head of the Russian occupation administration in the region.

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been ongoing for over a year, yet "proposals that would make it a crime for people under sanctions to set up U.K. companies have yet to become law," according to the Guardian.

Saldo was sanctioned by Ukraine, the U.K., the U.S., the EU, Canada, Switzerland, Japan, and New Zealand.

The U.K. officials said he is guilty of "promoting policies and actions which destabilize Ukraine and undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty or independence of Ukraine."

Ukraine's anticipated counteroffensive

U.S. General Christopher Cavoli, the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, said he is "very confident" in the success of Ukraine's anticipated counteroffensive, Voice of America reported on April 26.

Cavoli is confident that Ukraine's forces have plenty of military hardware and supplies essential to support their advances, and that they will not be held back by their current stockpiles.

Ukraine has received almost all the military supplies, including combat vehicles, pledged by NATO countries, which are intended to support the upcoming counteroffensive.

Some U.S. officials said on April 24 Ukraine's counteroffensive could begin as soon as May.

Comments made by Russian officials, including Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, highlighted a "pervasive anxiety" over an upcoming Ukraine's counteroffensive, the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest report on April 26.

The ISW said that disjointed rhetoric in the Russian information space surrounding the counteroffensive indicated the lack of a unified strategy for addressing this concern.

Russian officials are also attempting to secure occupied Crimea and prepare other locations for Ukraine's counteroffensive by transferring armored vehicles and artillery systems, according to the ISW.

Additionally, Russian troops had set up combat positions on the roofs of several reactors at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in its latest intelligence update on April 27.

This is the first indication of the plant's buildings to be directly used as part of Moscow's defense planning over a year into occupation, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, Russia focuses its main military efforts on Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Marinka in Donetsk Oblast, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said in its update on April 27.

The most intense fighting is ongoing in Bakhmut and Marinka, a small town just west of Russian-occupied Donetsk, the military said.

Ukraine's counteroffensive was being planned "in several areas," Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in late March.

At the same time, "complex measures" of Ukraine's planned counteroffensive are "already underway" in the east, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on April 19. Maliar also said the counteroffensive should not be reduced to specific dates and activities.
Key developments on April 28:

Russian missile strike on apartment block in Uman kills at least 23 people

Defense minister: Preparations for Ukraine counteroffensive at final stage

Slovak, Czech presidents make joint visit to Ukraine

Denmark delivers Caesar howitzers to Ukraine

A Russian mass missile attack against Ukraine killed 25 people, including five children, on April 28, according to the Ukrainian authorities.

The Russian overnight attack that hit a nine-story residential building in the city of Uman, Cherkasy Oblast, killed 23 people, including four children, as of 7 p.m., the Interior Ministry reported.

The National Police earlier said that at least 18 people had been injured in Uman, nine of whom had been hospitalized.

The number of casualties may grow as the rescue operation continues at the destroyed building.

The attack partially destroyed three upper floors of the apartment building, causing large fires, according to first responders.

Other missiles Russia launched on April 28 targeted Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv oblasts.

A young woman and a two-year-old child were killed, and four other civilians were injured in the city of Dnipro, according to the regional authorities.

Kyiv Oblast Governor Ruslan Kravchenko said that a high-rise building in Ukrainka, some 50 kilometers south of Kyiv, was damaged by the missile debris.

Two people were injured, including a 13-year-old child who was hospitalized in a Kyiv hospital, according to the Interior Ministry.

Ukraine's air defense shot down 21 of the 23 X-101 and X-55 cruise missiles, as well as two drones, that Russia had launched using strategic Tu-95 aircraft from the Caspian Sea, according to Ukraine's Air Force.

Ukraines power grid operator Ukrenergo said the missile attack had not damaged the country's energy infrastructure.

The deliberate killing of civilians at any time and in any place breaches the Geneva Conventions and constitutes a war crime.

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Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraines foreign minister, has argued that the April 28 mass missile attack is another proof Ukraine needs to be supplied with American-made F-16 fighter jets.

Ukraine has been asking to receive F-16 warplanes to protect its airspace from Russian attacks and strengthen its upcoming counteroffensive. Yet, many allies, most notably the U.S. and Germany, have not backed the idea.

Editorial: Todays Russia is fascist. Its time to start calling it that Editors Note: Editorials are articles that present the opinion of the editorial team of the Kyiv Independent. We went and killed everyone. There were women, men, seniors, and children. These were the words of Azamat Uldarov, an ex-fighter of Russias Wagner mercenary group who personally admit Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent

Ukraines counteroffensive

Preparations for Ukraines upcoming counteroffensive are "coming to an end" as the military trains on Western-provided weapons, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on April 28.

"But let's say it like this: in a global sense, we are ready by a high percentage," Reznikov said at a press conference, adding that the decision on the date and place of the counteroffensive will be made by the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces.

Reznikov said the equipment had been pledged, prepared, and partially delivered. The training on some military hardware is at the final stage.

The crews will arrive (in Ukraine) with it when the time and place are determined," he said.

Ukraine has reportedly received almost all the military supplies promised by NATO countries.

Reznikov said on April 28 that Denmark has delivered the Caesar self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine, and they are already in use. The minister didn't specify how many howitzers have been delivered.

Denmark pledged to deliver 19 French-made Caesar 155 mm howitzers to Ukraine in January, in addition to a promise to donate 100 German-made Leopard 1 battle tanks.

The equipment provided by Ukraines allies is planned to support the much-anticipated counteroffensive, which some U.S. officials believe could launch in May.

General Christopher Cavoli, a Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, said he is very confident in the success of Ukraine's spring counteroffensive.

The operation was being planned "in several areas," Reznikov said in late March.

Meanwhile, Russian troops have shifted to defense in the wake of Ukraines upcoming counteroffensive, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in its intelligence update on April 25.

Russian officials are also attempting to secure occupied Crimea and prepare other locations for Ukraine's counteroffensive by transferring armored vehicles and artillery systems, the Institute for the Study of War said in its report on April 26.

As of today, Russia focuses its main military efforts on Bakhmut, Lyman, Avdiivka, and Marinka in Donetsk Oblast, where Ukraines forces repelled 40 Russian attacks on April 28, the General Staff said in its evening update.

The battles of Bakhmut and Marinka remain the most intense on the almost 1,000-kilometer-long (some 600 miles) front line, the military said.

Apart from Donetsk Oblast, on April 28, Russian forces attacked Luhansk, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts with missiles and artillery, the military said.

Flanks around Bakhmut hold as brutal urban fighting continues for city blocks Two months after Ukraines defense of Bakhmut seemed doomed, the bloodiest battle of Russias full-scale war against Ukraine is still going against all expectations. Making rapid advances at the end of February, Russian forces seemed to be on the cusp of surrounding the city, as the only roads Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell

Check, Slovak presidents in Ukraine

Czech President Petr Pavel and his Slovak counterpart Zuzana Caputova arrived in Ukraine on the morning of April 28 for an unannounced joint visit.

Both arrived in Kyiv Oblast's Nemishaieve shortly after Russia's mass missile strike on Ukraine, Czech newspaper Dnes reported.

From there, Pavel and Caputova headed to Bucha and Borodianka, Kyiv suburbs where thousands of Russian war crimes have been documented after the occupation in early weeks of the full-scale invasion.

The presidents also met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and other top Ukrainian officials.

"With Zuzana Caputova, we both perceive the value of freedom and justice. It is hard to see with your own eyes that Ukrainians are paying the highest price for it. The blood and lives of their own citizens," Pavel said on Twitter.

This is Pavel's first visit to Ukraine since he was elected as the Czech president.

"Our first joint visit abroad with President Pavel is to Ukraine, bringing a message of friendship, solidarity, and support. Slovakia, Czechia, and Ukraine share parts of common history  and we also share our common future," said Caputova.

"Tonight's shameful attacks on some Ukrainian cities, including Dnipro or Uman, where innocent civilians died, remind us that we cannot afford to avert our eyes," Caputova wrote on Facebook.
Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov says he cannot confirm or deny the use of Patriot missile systems last night during a massive Russian missile attack.

Source: Interfax-Ukraine

Quote from Reznikov: "I won't tell you whether they were used [Patriot systems  ed.] at night because then it will be clear where they are. If the Air Force Command decides to say later that they used them somewhere, then we will inform you."

Details: Colonel Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, recalled on TV that the military never discloses what type of weapons are used and in what direction to prevent the enemy from drawing appropriate conclusions.

"As you know, we have NASAMS, IRIS-T and Patriot already in operation. For such a complex as Patriot, this is a simple target; the cruise missiles are eventually shot down, X-101 and X-555. These are the types of missiles that were used today. They are shot down by different types of weapons, and even mobile fire groups are operating. Today, too, two targets were destroyed by the Air Defence of the Ground Forces," he said.

Background:

On 27 April, it was reported that the second division of the Patriot air defence system was put on combat duty in Ukraine.

During a nighttime air attack by the Russian occupiers, Ukrainian air defence forces destroyed 21 of 23 cruise missiles of the X-101 and X-555 types, as well as two drones.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Ukraine's Security Service has said that Russian security forces' claim that a "Security Service of Ukraine agent" plotting a subversive operation was detained in the Crimean city of Kerch was an untruthful "insinuation".

Source: Krym.Realii (Crimea.Reality), Radio Liberty's project reporting on Crimea, citing the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) press service.

Quote from the SSU: "Ukraine's Security Service considers these allegations made by the Russian special services as insinuations invented to accomplish the propaganda goal of demonstrating achievements that do not in fact exist."

Details: The SSU also said that it notified about 700 Russian citizens of suspicion.

Background: On 7 April, Russian security forces reported that a 52-year-old man named Sergey Goriunov was detained in Crimea. The Russian occupation regime suspects him of collaborating with Ukrainian special services and planning to blow up an electricity sub-station in the Crimean city of Kerch.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Consequences of a rocket hitting a residential building in Uman

This was confirmed by Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko and Head of the Cherkasy Regional State Administration Ihor Taburets reported on their social media accounts on April 28.

Three of the deceased were recovered from the rubble, and another died later in hospital, said Klymenko.

Read also: One dead, two children hospitalized in Russias surprise attack on Mykolaiv civilians

Taburets announced later that as of 9:00 am, the death toll had risen to six. Nine people were hospitalized, and three children were rescued.

Search and rescue operations are ongoing.

Read also: Russia attacks Mykolaiv with Kalibr missiles: one person killed, at least 23 wounded

About 10 residential multi-story buildings were damaged in the Uman attack, said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Telegram.

Early on the morning of April 28, Russia carried out a massive missile strike on Ukraine. The air defense forces destroyed 21 out of 23 missiles, including 11 near Kyiv. Two drones were also shot down.

The Russians also targeted Dnipro, killing a three-year-old girl and a 31-year-old woman.

In Kyiv Oblast, fragments of a Russian missile hit a high-rise building in Ukrayinka, sending a 13-year-old girl to the Okhmatdyt Hospital.

Read also: Explosions heard in Zaporizhzhya, Russia attacks Ukraine again with Iranian-made drones

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A United Nations human rights group is touring Los Angeles county jails on Friday, bringing international scrutiny to a detention system criticized for overcrowding, mistreatment and abuse of people with mental illnesses, and conditions described by civil rights groups as barbaric.

A panel of experts appointed by the UN human rights council and formed after the murder of George Floyd is visiting LA as part of a two-week trip to cities across the US examining racial justice and police violence. In California, the investigators will meet with families of people killed by police and formerly incarcerated people. They will also enter the LA county jail system, the largest in the country, which is run by the LA sheriffs department (LASD).

The jails, which house roughly 14,000 people, have been mired in scandals for decades, but have faced growing national outrage over reports of violence by guards, systemic misconduct and racism, medical neglect, preventable deaths, extended use of solitary confinement, unsanitary cells and other conditions that civil rights leaders say amount to torture.

Advocates for incarcerated people have repeatedly warned of a humanitarian catastrophe behind bars over the last year, even after a federal judge in September 2022 ordered the LASD to address civil rights violations and four US senators raised concerns about the appalling crisis.

In the summer of 2022, attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which has ongoing LA jail litigation dating back to the 1970s, visited the jail systems booking facility, known as the inmate reception center (IRC), and documented that people with serious mental illnesses were chained to chairs for days and were forced to sleep sitting upright. Dozens were crammed sleeping head-to-foot on concrete floors. People were defecating in trash cans and had no access to showers or clean clothes for days. Detainees also lacked adequate access to drinking water and food, and people with serious health issues were not accessing medications or care.

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In declarations from 23 people inside the jail in February, some said they were freezing without blankets, covering themselves with plastic bags to stay warm, going hungry, denied prescribed medications, suffering delusions and stuck in dirty living quarters. Photos from inside the IRC showed detainees lying on the ground, trash strewn about near them.

The conditions are squalid, unsafe and inhumane. It is incredibly difficult to see people suffering in such a way Corene Kendrick of the ACLU

The conditions are squalid, unsafe and inhumane, said Corene Kendrick, ACLU National Prison Project deputy director, who has visited the jails. It is incredibly difficult to see people suffering in such a way, and its just viewed as normal and acceptable  Were glad the United Nations is coming in to see the human rights violations that are occurring every day.

The UN will probably pay close attention to the racial disparities in the jails. LA county is 8% Black, while the jail population is 29% Black. Kendrick noted: You can draw a straight line back to the racist police practices and LA county law enforcements disproportionate focus on communities of color.

The LASD has also faced criticisms over a jail complex called Twin Towers, which houses people with mental illnesses and which the department says is the largest mental health facility in the US. Alex Sherman, a lawyer and county-appointed commissioner on an oversight group that inspects the jail, described observing a grotesque scene earlier this year with cells covered in human waste and infested with bugs: The international attention these facilities receive could cause a lot of embarrassment to the county.

This isnt the first time LA advocates have sought intervention from watchdogs outside the US. In 2014, Dignity and Power Now, an LA non-profit group that has fought for alternatives to incarceration, submitted a report on violence against Black people with mental illnesses in the jails to a UN convention. A decade later, the dynamics of racial discrimination have not changed, and thats one of the most damning components, said Mark-Anthony Clayton-Johnson, co-executive director of the group and chair of the countys jail oversight commission.

There is a longstanding culture that is very self-aware of its ability to evade accountability, to act with impunity and to dehumanize people in the jails, particularly Black people, he added.

An LASD spokesperson said in an email on Thursday that the visit would include stops at Twin Towers, Mens Central and the womens jail, but did not offer further details. In court last week, county officials admitted that the department had not complied with an injunction ordering it to clean the jails, and a judge has called for a hearing to decide whether the county is in contempt of court, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Salimah Hankins, director of the UN Antiracism Coalition, which is coordinating civil society group meetings with the UN experts, noted that there was a long history of Black activists, including Malcolm X, appealing to the UN and similar entities. Theres this understanding that the LA jail system is serving the purpose of the subjugation particularly of Black bodies  Its really important from an advocacy perspective for people to see that the world  and the UN represents that  has its eyes on whats happening in jails and detention centers.

Hankins said there was much less visibility to brutality behind bars compared with police violence on the street caught on cellphone cameras, and that she hoped the UN trip would give a voice to those incarcerated. This is just one way we can tell folks inside, We love you, we have not forgotten about you, we are pushing for you, she said.

The UN panel also has stops in Atlanta, Washington DC, Chicago, Minneapolis and New York City.
A UNC-Chapel Hill student died in a campus residence hall last week, the university confirmed Friday.

The student died in Thomas Ruffin Jr. Residence Hall, located near Davis Library on the northern part of the universitys campus.

The students cause of death is unclear. The universitys webpage regarding student death protocols says the university does not broadly announce students names or link cause of death to individuals.

The matter is currently under investigation, but there is no threat to the community, university media relations manager Erin Spandorf told The News & Observer by email Friday.

The UNC Police crime log shows that a death was reported at the residence hall at 8:28 a.m. on Friday, April 21. The case status for the death is listed as open on the log.

Spandorf said the university is aware of six enrolled students who have died this academic year.

News of the student death at UNC comes during the universitys last week of class, and after two student deaths were reported at N.C. State University within 24 hours this week. In total, 14 N.C. State students have died this academic year.

Resources for UNC students following death

Spandorf said UNC provides a variety of support resources for students.

On campus, the universitys Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) has a primary mission to offer short-term counseling through brief individual therapy appointments and group therapy offerings, Spandorf said. More information about CAPS is available at caps.unc.edu.

The university also offers support and resources through the Heels Care Network website, available at care.unc.edu, which includes a comprehensive mental health resource hub for users to search and filter options for mental health support, a live peer-support chat, mental health trainings and more, Spandorf said.

Mental health and suicide prevention resources

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with someone, dial 988.

Crisis Text Line is a texting service for emotional crisis support. To speak with a trained listener, text HOME to 741741. This free, confidential service is available 24/7.
Residents and business representatives along Kings Canyon Road, Ventura Street and California Avenue in south Fresno offered impassioned pleas for the Fresno City Council to reconsider their vote in March to rename a 10.2-mile stretch of the streets for labor leader Cesar Chavez.

A newly formed advocacy organization, 1 Community Compact, has coalesced over the controversial renaming decision and held a press conference Thursday prior to the Fresno City Councils meeting to air their grievances over the issue.

And, if the council ultimately chooses not to respond to their demands, coalition member and southeast Fresno resident Karen Musson said they are willing to file a lawsuit and challenge the citys action in court.

We believe the March 9 vote by our city council  can and should be reversed, said B.T. Lewis, pastor of the Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church in southwest Fresno. Our city council has the power to unring this bell and begin the healing process in our city.

Lewis and others described the renaming, which was co-sponsored by Councilmembers Miguel Arias and Luis Chavez, as divisive to the community, particularly in southwest Fresno where California Avenue is subject to the change.

Democracy should never be manipulated or molded to fit our personal agendas, Lewis said of the councilmembers. It should always represent the will and the desire of all people impacted by our decisions and our choices.

Among the organizations objections are that prior to the March 9 vote, Arias and Chavez indicated to their council colleagues that the decision would come back to the elected officials and have another round of public comment before it became final. But after Mayor Jerry Dyer opted not to veto the passage, Arias told The Fresno Bee that a second vote would not be needed.

The necessity of a second vote, Arias said, was based on the presumption that Dyer would veto, which would prompt a council attempt to override a mayoral veto. Since the mayor didnt veto it, its final, Arias told The Bee last month.

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That was one of the factors, along with what the organization described as a lack of community engagement prior to the vote, that triggered some of the hue and cry by opponents of the name change.

Lewis said there was no public planning, no interaction with stakeholders or notifications to community advisory committees. Doing so without robust community engagement is an injustice, he said.

Bredefeld: Simply terrible public policy

Councilmember Garry Bredefeld, the lone vote against the Chavez renaming, called the actions of his colleagues misguided and simply terrible public policy.

When this was first discussed over a year ago, our citizens were promised to be included in the discussions, including citizen committees to examine the issue. None of those promises were kept and the people were clearly blindsided by the councils actions.

Another southwest Fresno pastor, Paul Binion of the Westside Church of God, said he was troubled by the apparent lack of consideration for the cultural and historical context in which they made the decision to change the street names for Kings Canyon Road, Ventura Street and California Avenue  monikers long etched on maps of Fresno and in the consciousness of residents across south Fresno and beyond.

The city council are our elected officials. Elected officials are to be representatives, Binion said. If you represent me, you should consider me. If you represent me, you should consult with me. If you represent me, then I should be one in which you take time to see my response to your decision.

A representative from another church, the Holy Trinity Armenian Church at the corner of M and Ventura streets, also objected to the change. You dont destroy one history to start another one, said Ara Jerian, a member of the church. Our church is historic. Everyone knows the red brick church on Ventura.

Kings Canyon Road business owner Sarah Pilibos, whose family owns and manages a shopping center on the street between Winery and Willow avenues, called the decision an affront to our business owners, tenants, operators, franchisees, employees and customers without any consultation, without any communication, without any notification whatsoever.

Potential for a lawsuit

For the decision to be reversed, one of the six council members who voted for the name change would need to ask for the issue to be reconsidered, if there is a council member who has the courage to bring it back and allow these people to come and address this in the right way, Bredefeld said.

If that doesnt happen, however, Musson said the organization is willing to go to court.

You have to remember theres 3,150 addresses (on the affected streets), and about one-third of those or more are business owners, Musson said. The $1 million allocated by the City Council to relief the financial burden isnt going to come close to covering their costs, changing their deeds, their contracts with property owners. Were talking about millions of dollars in lost revenue.

A couple of hours later, during the councils meeting at which several people spoke out over the Cesar Chavez street renaming, Arias sought to counter some of the arguments, denying that there was no consideration of cost, that other alternatives were not considered, or that there was insufficient community engagement on the issue.

The fact that there was no stakeholder committee  thats not a requirement of our city process, nor was it ever used when we recognized African American leaders, Punjabi, Hmong and Armenian heroes by naming places and streets after them, Arias argued. In my view, this is simply an attempt to set a new standard when recognizing a Latino hero in our community, and I dont think that is fair, just or equitable in a city this diverse.

Threat of violence against councilmember

Prior to the press conference, Bredefeld said, a woman attending the event confronted him and verbally threatened him and his chief of staff with violence.

Bredefeld said the woman walked up to me and she said something to the effect of, Theres a bullet waiting for you.

And then she walked up to my staff person ... and got in her face and started cursing at her ... Theres two bullets waiting for you, Bredefeld said. This is beyond the pale.  Im not going to tolerate that and Im not going to tolerate anyone threatening my staff.

Bredefeld added that he was filing a police report over the incident.
A judge on Thursday upheld the right of prosecutors to file upgraded charges of murder against an Orem man accused of hitting and killing two 3-year-old boys playing in a horse corral. He was originally charged with manslaughter. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

A judge has upheld prosecutors' decision to upgrade manslaughter charges to murder charges for a man accused of causing a crash that killed two 3-year-old boys who were playing in an Eagle Mountain corral.

Attorneys for Kent Cody Barlow, 27, contested the upgrade. He attended Thursday's hearing remotely from the Utah State Prison, where he is being held on a conviction in another case. He was on parole for that case when the crash occurred.

Barlow was previously ordered to stand trial for two counts of manslaughter, a second-degree felony, and possession or use of a controlled substance, a class A misdemeanor. Recently, the Utah County Attorney's Office upgraded those charges to two counts of murder, a first-degree felony.

He is accused of causing the deaths of Odin Jeffrey Ratliff and Hunter Charlie Jackson. The 3-year-old boys died after a car crashed into Cedar Valley Stables on May 2, 2022. Witnesses testified that Barlow was showing off his car and driving fast when he lost control and the car went off the road and into the corral.

Fourth District Judge Robert Lund said it is the prerogative of prosecuting attorneys to decide which charges to file, but warned deputy Utah County attorney Ryan McBride that the change in charges could potentially create issues on appeal.

The judge said although the new charges increase potential penalties, the information on which the case is based has not changed, which minimizes any prejudice against Barlow.

Defense attorney Benjamin Aldana argued there were "due process issues" with the upgraded charges because there was no new information to justify the change. He said prosecutors filed the more severe charges because a new county attorney was just elected and the new administration had "buyer's remorse" about the manslaughter charges.

He also accused prosecutors of withholding evidence, saying he received a new report on Feb. 17, 2023, indicating Barlow was going 123 mph before the crash  a significant variation from the last report indicating his speed was between 80 mph and 100 mph. Aldana called the new information an "ambush."

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In March, a spokesman for the Utah County Attorney's Office said the key to the upgraded charges was an allegation of "depraved indifference to human life." After Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray took office, he took a look at the Barlow case with a fresh set of eyes. From Gray's perspective, Barlow knowingly engaged in conduct that showed a depraved indifference to life, the spokesman said.

With the new charges, Aldana also argued that keeping the same trial date in October would be prejudicial to his client, and asked for the trial to be delayed until spring of 2024 so he could have the option to bring the jury to the crash site.

Lund said there should be enough time to prepare, but he did move the trial to Jan. 8, 2024.

Although the altered charges were filed months after a preliminary hearing in the case was held, Lund said prosecutors had a reason to wait for a ruling on Barlow's motion not to admit evidence from Barlow's blood test at trial. In a hearing on Feb. 23, Lund ruled that such evidence could be used in trial  overruling Aldana's claims that the process for the warrant breached Barlow's constitutional rights.

At Thursday's hearing, the attorneys seemed to agree that manslaughter, the original charge, will be presented to the jury as a "lesser included" option, meaning the jury would have an option of convicting him of manslaughter if it felt he wasn't guilty of murder.

Barlow is scheduled to be back in court on June 28 for a preliminary hearing on the two murder charges.
An airman was pronounced deceased on Tuesday after being found unresponsive outside a gym at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico, officials announced.

U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant Quameir A. Harding, a unit deployment manager for the 27th Special Operations Communications Squadron, leaves behind his wife and three children.

"Q was well known for his mentorship and growing the next generation," U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Benjamin Wingler, 27th SOCS commander, said in a statement on Thursday. "He expressed this in so many ways from the Cannon Air Force Base mens basketball coach to the junior enlisted and officers he molded in the 27 Special Operations Communications Squadron. He left a lasting impression on Cannon and in the Air Force."

U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant Quameir A. Harding was pronounced dead at a local hospital after being found unresponsive outside a gym at Cannon Air Force Base on Tuesday.

Cannon Air Force Base, which is home to the 27th SOCS, is located in eastern New Mexico on 3,800 acres of land about 15 miles from the border with Texas.

TOP GUN MAVERICK: NAVY, AIR FORCE LOOK FOR RECRUITMENT BOOST FOLLOWING BIG OPENING FOR TOM CRUISE SEQUEL

A spokesperson for the 27th SOCS said that they did not have any details on his cause of death.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"Our focus right now is to support his family and all of those affected by this tragic loss," U.S. Air Force Col. Terence G. Taylor said in a statement. "We have a variety of resources and support mechanisms in place to help anyone that may be impacted by this loss."

U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds in the air at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico.

It's the second death this week for the Air Force after a service member was found dead on Monday at an off-base residence near Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas on Monday.
FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va.  U.S. Army Virginia garrison, Fort Lee, was renamed Thursday to Fort Gregg-Adams in honor of two Black officers who helped advance inclusivity and made significant marks in the military.

The post is one of nine that will be redesignated to remove the names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that commemorate the Confederacy, according to the Department of Defense.

The path to retired Lt. Gen. Arthur Greggs name being placed on an Army post started out at the honored-to-be-included stage and ended with him being overwhelmed at being chosen.

I was obviously very honored that they felt I was worthy of my name being here, Gregg said Thursday afternoon, not long after Fort Lee officially became Fort Gregg-Adams. When the decision was made that the post would be redesignated Gregg-Adams, I was really overwhelmed with pride and with joy.

History was made on several fronts Thursday afternoon when the drapes were pulled off the new gate signs bearing the names of Gregg and the late Lt. Col. Charity Adams.

It is the first time in military history that an installation was named after Black soldiers and the first time in modern military history that an Army post was named for someone still living  Gregg is 94, and Adams died in 2002 at the age of 83  and one that carries the names of two people.

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First post named after Black officers

Gregg, who once taught at Fort Lee and even retired from the post in 1981, was the first Black officer to attain the rank of three-star (lieutenant) general. At the time of his retirement, Gregg was the highest-ranked Army officer of color.

Adams was the first Black woman to be made an officer in the Army and the first to command a battalion of Black and Hispanic female soldiers in World War II. Her command, known as the 6888th, delivered mail and other necessities to soldiers on the front lines of the European Theater.

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She was always extremely proud of the 6-Triple 8, her son Stanley Earley said during a news conference after the ceremony. He and his sister, Judith, represented the Adams family at the ceremony and helped remove the drapes, but they did not speak during the event.

WHEN WAS THE CONSTITUTION WRITTEN?: Here's a history lesson on the creation of the Constitution

Renaming reflects diversity, inclusivity

The names of Gregg and Adams replaced that of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, a decorated U.S. Army officer who resigned his commission to lead the Confederate army in the Civil War.

In 2020, Congress ordered the names of Lee and eight other Confederate leaders removed and replaced with those who reflect diversity and inclusivity of todays Army following a series of protests earlier in the year over racial inequality. Those protests were prompted by the high-profile deaths of Black citizens at the hands of police officers across the nation.

During the news conference, Gregg was asked if he found the idea disturbing that a military post, especially one where he was denied entry into civic and social places and functions because of his skin color, would be named for an officer whose government he fought for stood for racial segregation.

It was troubling, Gregg said. General Lee had a tremendous record as a soldier, as a graduate of the Military Academy. But during a critical time in our history and certainly in his life, he elected to go to the other side.

We are troubled by anyone deserting the United States Army and going to the other side and fighting against us.

Gregg said he thinks Lee was judged on two levels -- as a cadet at West Point and U.S. Army soldier, and then as a leader of the Confederacy. He was viewed negatively because of his fight against the United States of America, Gregg said.

Honoring Gregg and Adams

The 50-minute invitation-only ceremony Thursday was held beneath a tent in front of the Gregg-Adams Club and was packed to the flaps. Several hundred people, including federal and state representatives, attended and expressed their support for the redesignation.

Maj. Gen. Mark Simerly, the final commanding general of Fort Lee and the first commanding general of Fort Gregg-Adams, said the name change gives the Army the opportunity to tell the story of two great Americans.

As our commonwealth and our country continue working to dismantle long-standing systems of oppression and address institutional racism, this is another encouraging step in those efforts," Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-Virginia, whose district includes Fort Gregg-Adams, said in a statement.

During his brief remarks, Gregg thanked his parents and other mentors. He made a special mention of his late wife, Charlene.

She was an outstanding Army wife and a loving companion, Gregg said. And without her love and support, I would not be standing here today.

Fort Gregg-Adams is the second of three military posts in Virginia earmarked for change. Last month, Fort Pickett in Nottoway County was renamed Fort Barfoot in memory of Lt. Col. Van Barfoot, who received the Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery in World War II.

Fort A.P. Hill is to be renamed Fort Walker in memory of Civil War surgeon Dr. Mary Walker, the first and so far only woman to receive the Medal of Honor. The date for that ceremony has not yet been scheduled.

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on Twitter at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Fort Gregg-Adams namesake: Fort Lee renamed to honor 2 Black officers
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP)  Canada and the United States agreed Friday to share more information about the smuggling of guns and drugs across their shared border, and pledged to review recent incidents of migrants dying along the border.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said Ottawa signed four new or updated agreements with Washington that allow the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canada Border Services Agency to exchange more data with their U.S. counterparts.

Officials gave few details as to what had materially changed as a result of Fridays agreements. But Mendicino said the agreements will allow Canada to go after ghost guns in particular, referring to untracked, privately manufactured firearms used by gangs.

The announcement was made during the Cross Border Crime Forum, which was attended by Mendicino, Canadian Justice Minister David Lametti, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The agreements are aimed at helping stem the flow of opioids such as fentanyl. Garland said authorities will track the ingredients used to create the deadly drug and the flow of its components from China.

It means more joint investigations into gun smuggling and trafficking, Mendicino said at a news conference.

Mayorkas said, ``Its all about meeting the moment, meeting the changes that occur and addressing them in real time  sharing actionable, relevant information in real time.

A joint statment said law enforcement on both sides of the border would be trained to have a shared understanding of both nations' privacy laws.

The four leaders also pledged to review recent incidents of migrants dying along the border, pledging to hold people smugglers accountable and crack down on irregular migration using sensors, personnel and timely information.
Mary and her teenage child Jasper (these are pseudonyms) clasp hands in a public park in Minneapolis, where they moved from Texas to ensure Jasper's safety amid anti-transgender bias

With bills targeting transgender youth multiplying at an alarming rate, Mary knew it was time to leave Texas -- and fast.

So she looked for places she could raise her child safely, and landed on the northern US state of Minnesota, clear across the country.

"The idea that the state (of Texas) would betray us that way, I still can't really wrap my head around that," said Mary, sitting in a Minneapolis park with her 16-year-old child Jasper on an unusually warm April day.

"I feel like this is much, much safer," Mary added.

Minnesota public officials have pointedly worked to make it that way, turning the state into a self-styled "refuge" for transgender children whose rights and access to medical care are being threatened elsewhere in the United States.

Mary and Jasper aren't even their real names, as the duo chose to remain anonymous when speaking to the media amid increasing hate online targeting transgender people.

Like many Texans, Mary and Jasper -- who identifies as a boy, and uses they/them pronouns -- have a strong affinity for the Lone Star State. And in Minnesota, they're far from family and friends.

At the same time, the warm welcome they received up north was a stark contrast from the increasingly conservative atmosphere they faced in Texas.

School officials here didn't bat an eye when Jasper wanted to use a name that didn't match their birth certificate. The ease of the whole process brought Mary to tears.

- 'Coffin or closet' -

As culture wars around abortion, education, racism -- and now, transgender children -- engulf the country, states' divergent responses are causing some families to pull up stakes.

Some Republican-controlled states have passed laws to prohibit children from using bathrooms that don't match their sex assigned at birth, despite studies that show there is no increased risk of assault, and have banned certain medical treatments.

In Texas, the governor ordered the state agency tasked with fighting child abuse to launch inquiries into the parents of transgender children -- an effort currently tied up in the court system.

Story continues

Meanwhile, states like California, Illinois and Minnesota have declared themselves "sanctuaries" for transgender youth.

Last week, the Minnesota legislature passed a "trans refuge" bill that would guarantee legal protection for transgender people coming to Minnesota from elsewhere for medical care.

"We're trying to not just say it's okay to be trans, but you can come here and be safe," said Leigh Finke, Minnesota's first openly transgender lawmaker, who sponsored the initiative.

"We know what it means to force people not to be themselves, and it's coffin or closet."

- 'Takes my breath away' -

Access to health care for transgender minors is "lifesaving," said Angela Kade Goepferd, medical director for gender health at Children's Minnesota, one of the largest pediatric health systems in the United States.

Children with access to gender-affirming care "have less anxiety, less depression, they think about suicide less often and they act upon those suicidal thoughts less often," said Goepferd.

That care can include hormone blockers to prevent the onset of puberty, birth control (to prevent menstruation), as well as estrogen or testosterone.

Gender-affirming care is a complex issue and one that defies partisan divides. Even some progressive parents say they worry about treatment being offered too early, as they fear kids could ultimately reassess their gender identity -- and might regret surgery.

Surgery however "is almost exclusively reserved for people who are over the age of 18 years old," Goepferd said, adding: "There is a big manufactured controversy around that."

"There may be some people -- and by some I mean less than one percent of older adolescents, 16 or 17 -- who may access a type of surgery called a chest surgery," Goepferd said.

"But the type of surgery that is often described in legislatures in this country is genital surgery. And that is not a type of surgery that is done in children or adolescents."

Most important in gender-affirming care is "meeting with families, answering questions, helping figure out how to support a young person in school, in their community, with their family," Goepferd said.

For kids who have reached puberty or older, "it may involve these medications."

As policies further diverge between Republican- and Democratic-controlled states, Finke expects "thousands of families" to come to Minnesota.

Mary considers herself lucky: She, her husband, and Jasper had the means to leave Texas.

But she knows families "who can't and who are just holding their breath."

Despite the upheaval, Jasper is still nostalgic about Texas, and plans on returning for vacation this summer. But Mary is hopeful Jasper will adapt to their new home.

"Every time Minnesota does something that's trans affirming, or trans welcoming, it still kind of takes my breath away," she says.

iba/nro/sst
Bipartisan US lawmakers from both chambers of Congress introduced legislation this week that would formally prohibit AI from launching nuclear weapons. Although Department of Defense policy already states that a human must be in the loop for such critical decisions, the new bill  the Block Nuclear Launch by Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Act  would codify that policy, preventing the use of federal funds for an automated nuclear launch without meaningful human control.

Aiming to protect future generations from potentially devastating consequences, the bill was introduced by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Representatives Ted Lieu (D-MA), Don Beyer (D-VA) and Ken Buck (R-CO). Senate co-sponsors include Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). As we live in an increasingly digital age, we need to ensure that humans hold the power alone to command, control, and launch nuclear weapons  not robots, said Markey. That is why I am proud to introduce the Block Nuclear Launch by Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Act. We need to keep humans in the loop on making life or death decisions to use deadly force, especially for our most dangerous weapons.

Artificial intelligence chatbots (like the ever-popular ChatGPT, the more advanced GPT-4 and Google Bard), image generators and voice cloners have taken the world by storm in recent months. (Republicans are already using AI-generated images in political attack ads.) Various experts have voiced concerns that, if left unregulated, humanity could face grave consequences. Lawmakers are often too slow to adapt to the rapidly changing technological environment, Cason Schmit, Assistant Professor of Public Health at Texas A&M University, told The Conversation earlier this month. Although the federal government hasnt passed any AI-based legislation since the proliferation of AI chatbots, a group of tech leaders and AI experts signed a letter in March requesting an immediate six-month pause on developing AI systems beyond GPT-4. Additionally, the Biden administration recently opened comments seeking public feedback about possible AI regulations.

While we all try to grapple with the pace at which AI is accelerating, the future of AI and its role in society remains unclear, said Rep. Lieu. It is our job as Members of Congress to have responsible foresight when it comes to protecting future generations from potentially devastating consequences. Thats why Im pleased to introduce the bipartisan, bicameral Block Nuclear Launch by Autonomous AI Act, which will ensure that no matter what happens in the future, a human being has control over the employment of a nuclear weapon  not a robot. AI can never be a substitute for human judgment when it comes to launching nuclear weapons.

Given the current political climate in Washington, passing even the most common-sense of bills isnt guaranteed. Nevertheless, perhaps a proposal as fundamental as dont let computers decide to obliterate humanity will serve as a litmus test for how prepared the US government is to deal with this quickly evolving technology.
The US government is determined to continue its comprehensive support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's armed aggression and to carry out further work to bring the Russian Federation to justice for its war crimes.

Source: Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesman for the US State Department, as reported by Ukrinform

Details: Patel commented on the position of official Washington on Friday regarding the latest Russian missile attack on Ukraine.

Quote from Patel: "This is another example in a long line of examples of Russia's brazen disregard of Ukrainian civilians and Ukrainian life...

The United States is going to continue to do what it can to support our Ukrainian partners, continue to do what we can to hold the Russian Federation accountable as well."

Background: Early in the morning on April 28, Russia launched another missile attack on Ukraine, firing 23 cruise missiles from strategic aircraft. Ukrainian air defence forces destroyed 21 missiles, 2 missiles hit the city of Uman, Cherkasy Oblast.

As a result of a missile hitting an apartment building in Uman, 23 people died, including 4 children.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
KITTERY, Maine  The USS North Dakota, a Virginia-class attack submarine, pulled through the Piscataqua River Friday, arriving at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for a nearly three-year scheduled maintenance period.

The nuclear-powered submarine is set to undergo approximately $347 million in system upgrades and other maintenance, according to shipyard officials. Carrying 130 crew members, the North Dakota is expected to remain in Kittery for about 33 months.

KITTERY, ME. Apr. 28, 2023: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard: USS North Dakota (SSN 784) arrives at the shipyard for a scheduled maintenance period. (U.S. Navy photo by Jim Cleveland/Released)

More news: Navy boss, US senators talk Portsmouth Naval Shipyard hiring and housing

The 377-foot-long submarine, according to the shipyard, is led by Robert Edmonson III, who assumed command in February 2021.

The USS North Dakota is the second warship commissioned under the same name, with the first being a battleship active during World War I. It was commissioned Oct. 25, 2014, after the contract to build it was awarded to the Electric Boat division of General Dynamics in Groton, Connecticut, in August 2003, according to a shipyard press release.

The submarines stay in Maines oldest town comes after the Virginia-class USS Virginia departed the shipyard in mid-April.

More news: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard seeks 1,200 more workers, offers $5,000 bonus

The USS North Dakota, a Virginia-class nuclear submarine, arrives Friday, April 28, 2023 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for a scheduled maintenance period.

According to the shipyard release, the USS North Dakota is the first of eight Block III Navy submarines.

Block III platforms were redesigned to increase operational flexibility and lower acquisition costs with most notable changes in sonar and weapon delivery systems, the shipyard noted.

Neighboring York, Maine, was chosen to serve as the host community for the USS North Dakota.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: USS North Dakota arrives at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Annie Barker, Deseret News

A high school teacher was arrested Wednesday after students say he got angry and hit a student and police say he had been drinking.

Carlos Alfredo Castillo, 61, of Payson, was booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of child abuse and DUI.

On Wednesday, Salem police were notified by "several students" that "Castillo had became mad while teaching a class." An officer was then given a video that showed "Carlos striking a student that was sitting in a chair. The student was struck on his back," according to a police booking affidavit.

The affidavit does not identify the school, but Castillo is listed on the Salem Hills High School website as a law enforcement teacher, the arresting officer is listed as the school's on-campus resource officer, and the affidavit says after the student was hit, Castillo was found "in the driver's seat of his vehicle in the high school parking lot."

When the officer asked Castillo to step out of his car, he noted that Castillo "had slurred speech" and an odor of alcohol on his breath, according to the arrest report.

"I asked Carlos if he had drank alcohol and he stated he had. Carlos stated he had a few drinks earlier in the morning," the affidavit states.

Police say Castillo refused to do field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest.

Thursday afternoon, the Nebo School District confirmed that Castillo taught law enforcement at Salem Hills, Spanish Fork and Payson High schools. The district said administrators were made aware of the allegations on Wednesday and are grateful for local law enforcement for taking immediate action.

"The teacher has been removed from the classroom and put on administrative leave for the rest of the investigation," district spokeswoman Lana Hiskey said. "Any inappropriate behavior is not acceptable and not reflective of the professional conduct that we expect of our educators. This type of behavior will not be tolerated."

Correction: Castillo is a teacher at Salem Hills, Spanish Fork and Payson high schools. An earlier version incorrectly listed Provo High.
Thursday was Take Your Child to Work Day, and members of the Pittsburgh police force were on hand at the City-County Building.

Representatives from Pittsburgh Police were at the City County Building today for @Pittsburgh's Take Your Kid to Work Day festivities.



Units present included SWAT, Bomb Squad, Mounted Unit, Crime Scene Unit, and Motorcycle Unit. K9 Zane and McGruff were also a big hit! pic.twitter.com/2hDufeYh7f  Pittsburgh Police (@PghPolice) April 27, 2023

Employees at the building and their children could stop and talk with officers representing different units.

SWAT, the bomb squad, mounted police, the crime scene unit and the motorcycle unit were all in attendance.

K-9s Zane and McGruff were also on hand to meet with kids.

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Jurors began deliberating Friday in the public corruption trial of Andrew Gillum and Sharon Lettman-Hicks after federal prosecutors and defense attorneys offered dueling versions of the former mayor and his confidante during closing arguments.

Shortly before stopping for the day, jurors gave a glimpse into their head space when they asked U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor several questions, including whether they could find one of the defendants guilty for wire fraud and not the other.

Winsor answered that they could in fact find one of the defendants guilty and the other not guilty, as explained in the jury instructions. The question left lawyers and the defendants themselves trying to decipher what it might mean about a possible verdict.

Federal prosecutors, who are trying to secure their fourth and fifth convictions in Operation Capital Currency, the FBIs long-running undercover probe into public corruption in Tallahassee, appeared buoyed by the news. Shortly after their questions were asked and answered, the 12-person jury decided to break for the day and reconvene Monday morning.

Attorney David Markus in intense conversation with his client Andrew Gillum before testimony begins on Tuesday.

The government argued that Gillum and Lettman-Hicks schemed to fleece nonprofits of campaign donations to keep the former mayor financially afloat after he was forced to step down from his longtime job for the People for the American Way Foundation in early 2017 ahead of his bid for Florida governor.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Grogan told jurors that the pair solicited donations from grantmaking organizations and used unwitting friends and associates to help them reroute the funds from campaigns to Gillums pockets.

You have that scheme repeating itself again and again, Grogan said. They all have the same pattern: Get money from someone whos going to expect minimal accountability and then  use someone that you can talk into things  or at least take you at your word.

David Markus, a Miami attorney representing Gillum, told jurors he is innocent and that undercover FBI agents who investigated him tried to get him to take a bribe but failed.

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Over and over and over again, Mr. Gillum demonstrates his good faith, Markus said. They tried to get him to cross a line and he wouldnt  because hes a good and honest and law-abiding man.

Alex Morris, a Tallahassee attorney representing Lettman-Hicks, asked jurors not to buy the governments theory that she suddenly turned to a life of crime after years working as a political consultant.

I submit that doesnt make a heck of a lot of sense for a professional person, Morris said.

Gillum served 15 years as a Tallahassee city commissioner, the last four as mayor, before scoring an improbable win in the 2018 Democratic primary for governor. Prosecutors allege he and Lettman-Hicks, his mentor and political godmother, turned the campaign and a separate mayoral initiative into their own piggy banks, illegally taking donations for their personal use.

The pair were charged in June with one count of conspiracy and 19 counts of wire fraud, though two of those were dropped from a superseding grand jury indictment handed up about a week before the trial began. Gillum alone was also charged with lying to overt FBI agents about Hamilton tickets and other gifts he allegedly took from undercover agents in New York.

The same FBI probe yielded earlier bribery convictions and prison time for former City Commissioner and Mayor Scott Maddox, his aide, Paige Carter-Smith, and wealthy local developer John J.T. Burnette.

Government says it put the 'puzzle pieces' together for jurors

Winsors courtroom on the fifth floor of the U.S. Courthouse on North Adams Street was packed with the defendants families and friends, reporters and curious spectators. Gillum never looked in the direction of federal prosecutors as they presented their closing arguments, though he smiled and nodded affirmatively as Markus and Morris took their turns.

Grogan, who flashed photos and evidence on courtroom monitors, told jurors that the government had met its heavy burden of proving the crimes beyond a reasonable doubt. He compared the evidence  which included voluminous text messages and emails, financial documents and wiretapped conversations  to a jigsaw puzzle.

Theres all the pieces that have to eventually be put together so you can see the whole puzzle, he said.

Grogan walked jurors through the alleged crimes, saying the defendants skimmed money off the top of donations to his gubernatorial bid and the Campaign to Defend Local Solutions, which he started as mayor to fight the gun lobby and state encroachment on home rule.

In all, the two allegedly raided $50,000 from the CDLS, another $60,000 from get-out-the-vote efforts and $132,000 of a $250,000 donation from billionaire donor Donald Sussman. The CDLS funds came from grants from the New World Foundation and the Foundation to Promote Open Society. The Sussman money, meanwhile, moved through the Opportunity to Learn Action Fund.

Sharon Lettman-Hicks listens to testimony during trial.

Gillum and Lettman-Hicks had longtime connections to the nonprofits, which prosecutors said were unwitting parties. Gillum served on the New World Foundation board, and both he and Lettman-Hicks were once on the board of the Schott Foundation for Public Education, the parent organization of Opportunity to Learn. The Foundation to Promote Open Society was founded by liberal billionaire George Soros, a major Gillum donor.

Both Markus and Morris asserted that none of the representatives from the nonprofits, who testified on behalf of the government, ever complained about how their money was used or pursued lawsuits because contract terms werent followed. They also tried to paint retired FBI special agent Michael Wiederspahn, who testified he believed Gillum was on the take, as biased and unwilling to look at evidence that could exonerate them.

Whos complaining? Markus asked. Mr. Wiederspahn is the only one complaining.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Milligan II, during rebuttal, told jurors that the beliefs of the nonprofits werent crucial to the case, which didnt require a victim to press charges. Earlier, Grogan noted that the nonprofits, which shared Gillums progressive views, backed the former mayor at the time of the alleged crimes.

Just about every eyewitness you heard from ... wanted Andrew Gillum to succeed, Grogan said. They wanted the causes he believed in to succeed.

Lawyers spar over Andrew and Marcus Gillum's 'Hamilton' accounts

Prosecutors focused much of their closing on the FBI investigation into Gillum and his dealings with undercover agents, who came to Tallahassee in 2015 posing as seedy developers who paid bribes to win government approvals. And while Gillum never took a bribe, Grogan noted that he kept talking to the agents and asking for donations even after learning they wanted guarantees for their purported projects.

'I got you': Texts, emails detail how Adam Corey, FBI arranged trips for Andrew Gillum

In 2016, when Gillum was in New York on PFAW business, he met up with the agents, his brother Marcus Gillum and former lobbyist Adam Corey for outings planned as part of a guys trip. According to the government, the FBI paid for dinners and drinks, hotel rooms, tickets to Hamilton and a boat ride, which Gillum happily accepted.

The trip, which became public in 2017 after grand jury subpoenas hit City Hall, and a related state ethics complaint dogged Gillum on the campaign trail. He repeatedly said in debates and media interviews that he arrived at the theater late and got his ticket from his brother outside the theater.

Grogan urged jurors to listen to recordings from the night of the Hamilton show, including an earlier gathering at the Hard Rock Cafe that show one of the agents told Andrew Gillum directly that hed gotten the tickets and that it was his brother who actually showed up late.

He said Andrew and Marcus Gillum got their stories straight during the Florida Commission on Ethics investigation into the trip, which culminated in 2019 with the former mayor agreeing he took a gift or gifts and paying a $5,000 fine to settle the matter.

He and his brother had to lie, repeatedly, to the media, to voters ... to the Ethics Commission, Grogan said.

During an interview with the FBI in 2017, Gillum denied that the agents ever offered or gave him any gifts, comments that form the basis of the false statements count against him.

From the archives: FBI arranged outings for Gillum, others during NYC trip

Markus gave jurors 25 examples of true statements Gillum offered up about his interactions with the undercover agents. He said Gillum was wrong about who handed him the ticket, but he noted the FBI never asked about it in the 2017 interview.

Ladies and gentlemen, he paid the price for that ethics case  more than enough, Markus said.

Milligan, the last of the lawyers to speak, said no one is alleging that Lettman-Hicks and Gillum, who raised north of $55 million in his run for governor, robbed the campaign blind. But he said they broke laws when they siphoned off some of the proceeds.

Maybe they felt like it was the only way, Milligan said. Maybe they felt like no one would notice. It doesnt matter. What matters is what actually happened.

Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com and follow @JeffBurlew on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Andrew Gillum trial verdict watch after closing arguments
SHELBURNE, Vt. (AP)  Two years ago, the Vermont Legislature apologized to all Vermonters and their families who were harmed by state-sanctioned eugenics policies that started in the early 1900s and led to institutionalizations and sterilizations, targeting Native Americans, French Canadians and disabled and poor people.

Legislators also vowed to do more. Now the state has formed a truth and reconciliation commission with the task of creating a public record of discrimination against certain marginalized populations caused by state laws and policies, as well as making recommendations for repairing the damage and preventing it from happening again.

An apologys only words, said state Rep. Tom Stevens, a Democrat. You have to really follow it up with actions, and we said in the apology that we would.

The three commissioners were appointed last month to three-year terms, with annual salaries of $80,000 each. Last years act to create the commission allocated $748,000 in state funds this fiscal year to the panel, which also will hire an executive director and other staff.

The panel will create commissions to examine discrimination caused or allowed by state laws and policies experienced by Native American or Indigenous people; people with physical, psychiatric or mental conditions or disabilities and their families; people of color; and people with French Canadian, French Indian or other mixed ethnic or racial heritage. At the commission's discretion, discrimination against other populations and communities may be considered.

Its definitely a broader scope than normal truth and reconciliation commissions, said commissioner Mia Schultz, president of the Rutland Area NAACP. I think the theme is this intergenerational trauma proliferated through state policy and law.

The other two commissioners are Melody Walker Mackin of the Elnu Abenaki Tribe, who is an artist and educator and serves on the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs, and Patrick Standen, a St. Michael's College professor, author and disability rights advocate.

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More than 50 truth commissions have been established worldwide with some focusing on a single event and others centered on a specific time period, according to Virginie Ladisch of the International Center for Transitional Justice, which helped Vermont with its effort.

Peru's commission, for example, was tasked with investigating terrorist violence and the violation of human rights from May 1980 to November 2000. A commission in Kenya had a wider scope of investigating, analyzing and reporting on what happened between 1963 and 2008 regarding human rights violations, economic crimes, illegal acquisition of public land, marginalization of communities, ethnic violence and state repression, Ladisch said by email.

The broad scope of the Vermont TRCs mandate gives the commission a chance to explore the various forms of structural harm that are part of the states history and that continue into the present, Ladisch said.

Don Stevens, chief of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, said his family was one of the largest targeted by the Eugenics Survey of Vermont organized in 1925 by University of Vermont professor Henry Perkins.

Some Vermonters of mixed French Canadian and Native American heritage, as well as poor, rural, white people, were placed on a state-sanctioned list of mental defectives and degenerates and sent to state institutions.

Vermont authorized voluntary sterilizations in 1931, becoming one of more than two dozen states to do so. More than 250 people were sterilized in Vermont, with two-thirds of those women and many labeled as mentally deficient," according to the University of Vermont.

Steven's grandmother, the last of his relatives to be on the survey, was listed as a cripple. She changed her name several times to try to escape recognition, he said.

She was born as Lillian May, and she was married as Pauline, and she died as Delia in the '90s, Steven said. "She changed her name to avoid the surveys like so many others did, but they were very good at following people."

Among the defects of others on the survey were wanderer, illiterate, feeble-minded, liar, deserted husband, town pauper, obstinate, alcoholic and bearer of stillborn twins.

Stevens, who worked on the state apology and one from UVM, said he supports the Vermont truth and reconciliation commission and making the experiences for kids and future generations better.

I wanted people to know about the history, Stevens said. You can't avoid something unless people know about it.
Sixty-five people were held over the alleged smuggling of 50kg of drugs - some hidden in toothpaste tubes

Police have arrested 65 people for smuggling 50kg of drugs - some hidden in toothpaste tubes - into Vietnam.

It follows last month's arrests of four Vietnam Airlines cabin crew found with the tubes in carry-on bags after a flight from Paris to Ho Chi Minh City.

They said they were hired to transport 60kg of toothpaste but didn't know it was ecstasy, ketamine and cocaine.

Vietnam is a major drug-trafficking hub despite having some of the harshest drug laws in the world.

About half of the 327 toothpaste tubes the flight attendants were transporting contained drugs. Investigators said the women were unaware of their contents - they are currently out on bail.

Police said this week that the 65 suspects had been arrested after they uncovered another six shipments of narcotics being smuggled into Vietnam via the same route.

It is alleged they were directed by the same smuggling ring that hired the flight attendants.

The 65 suspects are being investigated for various charges, including buying, selling, transporting and storing narcotics, local media reported.

Police suspect the same syndicate often uses Vietnamese nationals studying and living in France to bring drugs into the country.

Once the drugs arrive at Vietnamese airports, domestic delivery services transport them to an accomplice in Dong Nai province bordering Saigon.

The drugs are then transported to multiple localities for distribution.

Authorities say the amount of drugs seized via air routes into the country over the past three months has surpassed the amount of airborne drugs trafficked in the past five years combined.

Ho Chi Minh City is a particularly attractive transit point for smugglers because of its proximity to neighbouring Cambodia.

Those convicted in Vietnam of possessing or smuggling more than 600g of heroin or more than 2.5kg of methamphetamine face the death penalty. Production or sale of illegal narcotics above certain quantities is also punishable by death.
Todays most successful communities unified under a regional approach to economic development through a regional economic development agency long ago. Our region was slow to follow this path, but 17 years ago business and community leaders created the Lansing Economic Area Partnership. LEAP's purpose then and now is to grow businesses, talent and entrepreneurs to increase prosperity for all people throughout Clinton, Eaton and Ingham counties.

Successful economic development depends on partnerships between the private and public sectors. Thus, LEAP's membership includes townships, cities, counties, universities and colleges, workforce development, other community organizations, and diverse private businesses of all sizes. These stakeholders convene as equals. They take off their competitive hats to collaborate for our collective future regional prosperity.

Often, LEAP assists non-LEAP member companies and communities, including their competitors, because our collective duty is to the region regardless of our funders. We do not favor one community over another but are guided by company prospects' needs. Our job is to suggest the best matches in our region. All our members, public and private, understand the altruistic mission of LEAP.

Since 2012, LEAP projects have created nearly $6.5 billion in private investment and 10,363 new direct jobs. Additionally, 207 new companies have been launched through our programs and support over those 11 years.

Throughout the pandemic, LEAP administered more than 1,600 small business relief grants totaling more than $21.6 million. Many have told us these grants saved their business from closing. Some even say these grants saved their lives.

Our placemaking efforts have placed more than 36 permanent public art pieces throughout the three counties over the past 12 years.

Our entrepreneurial efforts have helped create a thriving startup ecosystem to support innovation, jobs and new wealth in our community. Our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have helped remove barriers and expand opportunities for historically underserved and underrepresented business owners. We are leading incredible agtech and medtech initiatives and have recently launched our region's first childcare coalition alongside community partners, employers, parents and childcare providers.

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Concerning the potential development in Eagle Township, known as the Michigan Manufacturing Innovation Campus (MMIC), a chance to create thousands of good-paying jobs and re-shore our supply chain, we followed the standard process for introducing a potential project of this type to a community.

When the Michigan Economic Development Corporation approached LEAP to discuss a unique opportunity for advanced technology manufacturing companies, one first step was to properly engage the township's elected officials for guidance and input.

We asked them to sign a non-disclosure agreement with MEDC, a routine step in a project's first stage. Municipal leaders routinely sign NDAs so communities can speak freely with companies about potential projects. Companies require NDAs to protect sensitive information that could offer their competitors an advantage and to comply with securities law. Therefore, the MEDC must require that same non-disclosure commitment of LEAP and its partners, in this case, Eagle Township.

It's understood NDAs simply open the door to the first and critically important stage of exploration, especially when there may be real estate activity as part of a proposed project.

The Eagle Township Board of Trustees unanimously agreed to ask their supervisor to sign an NDA  signaling us to continue the exploration process with the understanding that there will be various public input and discussion phases as a specific economic development project evolves.

Bob Trezise

Eagle Township has decided to establish its own planning commission, and LEAP respects that board's decision. We believe we have the right concept for our region and will continue to follow and collaborate with township and county officials to understand how we can create a project that meets everyone's needs.

LEAP does not approve incentives for companies. Only the public sector can do that through public votes during public hearings at the local or state level.

LEAP also receives no financial compensation from the companies it works to attract to the region for the services rendered. We serve at the pleasure of the collective region as the lead economic development agency designated by the state of Michigan. Our work on retaining, growing, expanding and attracting businesses and positive development comes down to creating new economic opportunities, pathways and choices for the nearly half a million people who choose to live here. That's what LEAP's work is about and why our members invest their dollars and trust in us.

Bob Trezise is president and CEO of the Lansing Economic Area Partnership.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: LEAP works for all stakeholders to build economic prosperity for region
A northern Virginia man is accused of stabbing a man and his dog Wednesday, authorities say.

Brendan Hadermann, 22, is charged with animal cruelty and malicious wounding. He is also charged with disregarding police commands to stop.

Fairfax County Police Department officers found a man and a dog with stab wounds at a Centreville residence around 9:15 a.m. Wednesday.

"The victim reported he suffered multiple stab wounds from a domestic-related incident," the Police Department said in a statement. "When officers arrived, they also found the family dog suffering from a puncture wound to its abdomen."

CHRISTY BAUTISTA MURDER: WASHINGTON, DC, SUSPECT SMOKED CIGARETTE AFTER HOTEL ROOM STABBING, POLICE SAY

Virginia resident Brendan Hadermann, 22, was charged with animal cruelty, malicious wounding and disregarding police commands to stop.

The man was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The dog was rushed to an animal hospital in stable condition.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Hadermann is accused of fleeing in a black Chevrolet pickup truck, which was later spotted by authorities.

3 TEENS INVOLVED IN ARMED DC CARJACKING; ONLY 1 IS BEING CHARGED AS INCIDENTS SOAR

Virginia State Police officers found the suspect on Interstate 95, but he refused to yield, prompting a police pursuit and eventual arrest.

The Fairfax County Police Department encourages anyone with information about this case to call their Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 5.
When an American man flew from Brazil to Miami International Airport in November, U.S. Customs agents stopped him for questioning upon arrival.

Guilherme Cipriani told them that he wasnt carrying anything purchased abroad into the United States.

But U.S. Customs agents found that Cipriani was holding 14 loose, cut diamonds and 53 rough, uncut diamonds, authorities say. They seized his undeclared cache of gems but let him go  until this week.

On Wednesday, Cipriani, 41, was arrested at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, according to Homeland Security Investigations. The following day, he was released on his own recognizance by a federal judge in Phoenix.

Cipriani must appear May 24 in federal court in Miami to face an indictment charging him with smuggling goods into the United States and making a false statement to a federal agency.

Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys Office said Cipriani lied to Customs and Border Protection agents at MIA that he bought nothing of value abroad, according to a news release issued Friday.

The indictment doesnt say how much the diamonds are worth. The Miami Herald obtained a U.S. Customs document estimating their value at $25,750.

Ciprianis defense attorney, Frank Quintero, said that as a result, his client faces between zero and six months in prison under federal sentencing guidelines  even though the smuggling count carries up to 20 years and the false statement charge up to five years.

According to published news reports, Brazils black market for diamonds has faced sharper scrutiny by authorities there in recent years  not unlike prior crackdowns on the illicit gold trade in several South America nations, as reported by the Herald in a series published in 2018.

The smuggling of contraband, ranging from precious metals to drugs, is commonplace at Miami International Airport, authorities say. But unreported cash by travelers leaving from or arriving at the airport happens practically every day.

Miami International Airport trails only New Yorks JFK and Chicagos OHare airports for federal seizures of funds from travelers who dont fill our the right customs form. The sum taken from travelers at MIA totaled $91.5 million between 2000 and 2016, according to a report by the Institute for Justice, a Virginia-based law firm that specializes in efforts to recover civil seizures by the U.S. government.

Under federal law, travelers can carry as much money as they want into or out of the country, but if its more than $10,000 they have to declare the amount to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Republican agenda

It has become evident why the Republicans are attacking CRT, a law school course. It is to distract and keep the public ignorant of their CRRT agenda: Crazy Radical Republican Treachery.

The Republicans use terms like WOKE to help stir the pot of deception. They believe womens health belongs in the hands of the politicians, they promote more guns over the safety of children and they know they cant win a fair election so they gerrymander voting districts and suppress voting rights. Also they feel so sorry for the rich, they give them huge tax breaks and leave us fools to pay. Those are only some of their treacherous ways.

The negativity that has become the norm during our election cycles is over the top. How can you trust candidates who are willing to distort the truth, misinterpret public opinion and out-right lie? Do we need politicians who are willing to sell their souls to win an election?

Somehow we have lost our self-respect and integrity, creating a disconnect from reality. Because of this disconnect, we are slowly losing faith in our Constitution.

J. Adriano Hernandez, Lexington

Craft ad

When asked what Critical Race Theory is, Kentucky Gubernatorial candidate Kelly Craft recently said, When you are having two children and you are having them to compete with one another because of race, or you having children have their differences because of color.

According to the Legal Defense Fund - Critical Race Theory, or CRT, is an academic and legal framework that denotes that systemic racism is part of American society...[I]t is not taught in K-12 schools.

Sowhich is it? Two children competing with one another because of race? Or an academic approach exploring the underlying causes of racial inequalities?

We may not completely agree on its definition, but Im pretty sure we can agree Crafts statement is not CRT.

I am appalled.

Racism in America today is not just a matter of individual prejudice. It is embedded in our laws and our social constructs. It is why we had to adopt the 15th Amendment to the Constitution in 1869. Its why we had to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Weve tried to root it out. But we never will if we dont know our history and if we dont teach it honestly and examine it critically.

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Marilyn S. Daniel, Versailles

Elections have consequences

You see what happens when you hate people?

Women couldnt stand Hillary Clinton. They sat back and allowed Trump to win in 2016. The man said it was his mission to end a womens ability to have an abortion. He said it every time he made a public address. What the heck were the women of America doing while all of this was being said? They said it would never happen because Roe v. Wade is a done deal.

Fast forward to November 2016. You would have thought the world was coming to an end! Women gathered in the streets by the millions, screaming, yelling, and crying because Trump won. Europeans made fun of Trump. He stacked the Supreme Court with conservative judges just like he said he would. The Supreme Court judges said for years they wouldnt overturn Roe v. Wade. After Trump won they turned around and said, I said I wouldnt vote that way, but somebodys has to save the unborn babies of America!

Recently, a Texas judge ruled that women cant use abortion pills.

You see where hate got us? The women of America deserves every bit of this! I feel no empathy for any of them!

Yolanda Averette, Lexington

Free market choices

Kentuckys children are cannon fodder for the state Attorney General Daniel Cameron as he eliminates free market investment choices of banks and other investors. Cameron supports a legal ban on investments aimed at net-zero emissions by 2050, yet these are investments that factor in the true costs of irresponsible energy production.

Cameron rejects the free-market evaluations that factor in health costs on our children and ourselves, disaster costs from the dying industrys receding commitment to safety, and the clear future of devaluation of the dying industry as the inevitable switch to renewables increases. If coal was such a great investment, it would not need Cameron to babysit it.

The Attorney General is abusing government power to demand irresponsible investments in a dying industry that only benefits owners and eliminates free market choices  why? Is his goal to serve masters that will fund his reign over a wasteland state? Instead, he should commit to policies for a prospering and healthy Commonwealth. He should care about Kentuckys children.

Cameron should stop his war on responsible businesses who want to lower fossil fuel consumption because it is a wise investment.

Cathy Hinko, Louisville

Plays message

The musical play Mean Girls was performed recently at Great Crossings High School in Georgetown. Who were the individuals in the Scott County school system who took it upon themselves to impose their censorship of this play by avoiding all advertisement of it to the public? They failed miserably.

The irony of Mean Girls as A Cautionary Tale and its success as both a play and movie was not lost on the audience, reflecting the ignorance displayed by legislators in Frankfort this legislative session. For the high school, it was a missed opportunity for public service by giving Frankfort a private performance.

The play is about teens discovering themselves; acceptance, body image, mental health, their total messy love/hate awareness of self and soul. The students, their parents, brave teachers, families and friends reflected what truth in education is. Loud applause thanked them all for their courage.

But those fear-filled educators and legislators also taught a lesson: How to create distrust in a whole new generation of young people.

Judy Rembacki, Georgetown

Camerons dogma

Isnt it so interesting that when Daniel Cameron slams Gov Beshear for closing churches during the pandemic, he isnt aware that we can worship anywhere.

Becky Horine, Lexington

Cameron and Trump

It is fascinating that Daniel Cameron flaunts his Donald Trump endorsement at the same time he talks about his respect and support for law enforcement!. Trump has done most everything possible to prove he believes himself above the law in both his private life, his business dealings and his politics. He has surrounded himself with colleagues who have done his dirty work and have served prison time for their behavior on his behalf. And then we have Kelly Craft buying ads that are filled with preposterous prevarications about Andy Beshear promoting sex change surgeries for young children and suggesting our schools are filled with woke ideology. If these scurrilous and head-scratching ads do the trick to give the primary to either candidate, Kentucky is in for a very sordid and sorry race for our governorship.

Janice Russell, Lexington

The Lexington Herald-Leader welcomes letters from readers about the upcoming primary candidates. Primary-related letters will run the week of May 7. The Herald-Leader reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and space.

Compiled by Liz Carey
This artist's drawing shows one of the Voyager probes. NASA

NASA has hacked a backup source of power to keep Voyager 2 working.

The switch should keep the probe, which launched in 1977, alive for another three years.

Together, Voyager 1 and 2 have traveled further than any other spacecraft.

Voyager 2's demise has been postponed after NASA found a way to hack a backup source of power to keep the probe going until 2026.

Voyager 1 and 2 have provided crucial scientific information in their 45 years of spaceflight.

Today, the probes are traveling in interstellar space, 12 and 14 billion miles away from Earth. That's further than any spacecraft or human-made object has gone before.

"The science data that the Voyagers are returning gets more valuable the farther away from the sun they go," said Linda Spilker, Voyager's project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

"We are definitely interested in keeping as many science instruments operating as long as possible."

The probes have been traveling for 45 years

This montage shows examples of striking images of the solar system taken by Voyager 1 and 2 on their missions. NASA/JPL/Insider

Voyager 1 and 2 set off a month apart in 1977. The probes were initially meant to set off on a four-year mission to sail past Saturn and Jupiter. They were launched with a "golden record" with information that would provide aliens with information about the Earth.

But the probes kept exceeding expectations, and NASA has continually extended their missions, first to visit Neptune and Uranus, then to sail further than any other probe: past the heliosphere.

A diagram shows where Voyager 1 and 2 are compared to the solar system as of April 28. NASA

The heliosphere is a bubble of particles and magnetic fields that extend from the sun. This sphere is particularly important for Earth because it protects us from galactic cosmic radiation.

Because the probes are now outside of this heliosphere, their measurements provide unprecedented insights into the bubble's properties, like its shape and its protective role.

This illustration shows the position of NASA's Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 probes, outside of the heliosphere, a protective bubble created by the Sun that extends well past the orbit of Pluto. NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA hacked the ancient probe's power system

A space simulator replica of the Voyager probes is shown here pictured in 1976 NASA/JPL-CalTech

The probes are powered by generators that convert heat from decaying plutonium into electricity. As this energy source becomes weaker, NASA engineers have had to shut down non-essential instruments, like the probes' cameras and heaters, to conserve power.

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But as Voyager 2 was entering its last energy reserves, NASA engineers came up with a clever hack that would allow it to stay alive a little longer.

They found a way to divert power from a safety mechanism designed to turn on if the probes' circuit malfunctions because of voltage variations.

"Variable voltages pose a risk to the instruments, but we've determined that it's a small risk, and the alternative offers a big reward of being able to keep the science instruments turned on longer," said Suzanne Dodd, Voyager's project manager at JPL, said in a press release.

"We've been monitoring the spacecraft for a few weeks, and it seems like this new approach is working."

NASA may consider using it on Voyager 1. One of Voyager 1's instruments previously malfunctioned, which means the probe has not been using up as much power as Voyager 2.

The decision to switch off instruments for Voyager 1 will be made next year, according to the space agency.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Courtesy of Bloomfield Auctions

An emerald and diamond ring that once belonged to the Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, have sold for $46,250 at an auction in Belfast. The set was a gift from Simpson's husband, the Duke of Windsor, who abdicated as king.

After Simpson, the jewelry set was then sold to socialite Esther McCreery who met the Duke and Duchess through her role as a liaison for the American Embassy in the Bahamas.

The sale exceeded Karl Bennett's, managing director of Bloomfield Auctions, expectations by $10,000. "I am delighted with what the emerald and diamond bracelet and ring has fetched at auction," he said according to the Irish News. "The pair is the most stunning item of jewelry I have ever had on sale at the auction house."

An original handwritten letter by the late Queen Elizabeth II addressed to lord Plunkett for his engagement was also sold for $1,200.

Bachrach

Wallis Simpson is known to have had an impressive collection of jewelsso much, that it was dubbed the "alternative Crown Jewels." Some standout pieces in her collection included an onyx and diamond panther bracelet by Cartier; a ruby and sapphire brooch given to Simpson by the Prince of Wales; and a ruby and diamond Cartier bracelet that sold for $2.15 million at auction in 2021.

The first sale of Wallis Simpson's jewelry came a year after her death. The auction was held by Sotheby's in large tents pitched outside of Beau-Rivage hotel on the banks of Lake Geneva and brought in more than $30 million.

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Studies show being able to work from home at least some of the time has become a top priority for many Canadians.

The ability to work from home has quickly become a new bargaining chip in workplace negotiations between employees and their employer, where topics such as pay and health benefits might have typically dominated such conversations in the past.

The latest incidence of remote work being a sticking point between an organization and its workers is the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) strike. The union is at odds with the federal government over the right to work from home in the collective agreement.

The key for employees in negotiating the ability to work remotely, even if it's just a couple of days a week, comes down to removing emotion from the discussion and focusing on the business case for the employer, according to Mike Shekhtman, senior regional director with recruitment firm Robert Half.

Individuals that make it more emotional and make it more about me, tend to have the negotiation go sidewaysMike Shekhtman of Robert Half

Regardless of the employee's personal reasons for wanting to work from home, they need to lay out the benefits for the employer, he says.

"An employee needs to put together some sort of business case to the 'why' where you can explain, maybe with supporting data, why you'll be even more productive with your job," he told Yahoo Finance Canada by phone.

"Individuals that make it more emotional and make it more about 'me,' tend to have the negotiation go sideways."

A recent survey from Robert Half found 85 per cent of workers say they were interested in a hybrid or fully remote work model, and a quarter of those respondents say they would accept a pay cut of 16 per cent on average if they were able to work from home.

While employees should have their boundaries and deal-breakers in place going into talks, adopting a "my way or the highway" approach will likely mean they'll run into a wall of resistance from the boss, Shekhtman adds.

Long commutes a deterrent in return to the office

Earlier this year, the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research examined how much time workers in different countries saved on commuting by working remotely. For Canada, employees saved an average of 65 minutes, and about 40 per cent of that time was instead spent working at their job, the study found.

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A compromise employees could make, Shekhtman says, is offering to dedicate some of the time to working that is saved from not commuting to their job.

Another option to increase flexibility could also be discussing shifting your work schedule to avoid travelling in the thick of rush-hour traffic, he adds.

Convincing senior executives

In some cases, it's the managers who need to advocate to senior leadership to allow their team to work remotely.

In early March, Dave McKay, chief executive officer of Royal Bank of Canada (RY.TO) (RY), one of the country's largest employers, said remote work was hurting productivity and innovation in Canadian society and acknowledged that some corporate leaders are having difficulty getting employees to come back to the office.

Weeks later, RBC increased the number of days its employees were required to be in the office to three or four days a week, depending on the team. McKay said he prefers workers be on-site but admitted the hybrid work model is here to stay. It was a significant example of the battle employers are having with some workers who want to continue doing their job remotely post-pandemic.

For managers, convincing the higher-ups requires a plan to maintain the team collaboration and culture executives want in their organization even though employees are working remotely, Shekhtman says.

"I think if you create an environment where you can still drive a high level of collaboration within departments, within teams and a brand identity, then ultimately your employees will work even harder for you. And we see that," he said.

"They ended up being much more productive and engaged, and ultimately, that's what you want as an executive."

Michelle Zadikian is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow her on Twitter @m_zadikian.

Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.
(Bloomberg) -- Sudans military and a rival paramilitary force agreed to extend what had been a largely ineffective truce for an additional 72 hours, as diplomatic efforts pressed ahead to end a conflict thats tipped the impoverished nation into fresh chaos.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The decision by the military headed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces chief Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo was announced late Thursday as an earlier truce brokered at the start of the week was set to expire.

The agreement has been punctured by continued fighting in various parts of the country, underscoring the difficulty of halting violence thats killed nearly 500 people and wounded thousands in the past fortnight.

Read also: The World Backed Two Generals. Then Sudan Went to War

Efforts to end the fighting that erupted on April 15 have been pushed by a broad spectrum of international and regional powers, as well as the United Nations, the African Union and others. In a statement, the RSF said it voiced special thanks and appreciation for the United States and Saudi Arabia for their continuous support since the outbreak of the crisis in the Sudan.

Sudan Conflict: Is Nation Heading for Civil War? (Video)

The latest cease-fire is aimed at allowing space for diplomacy and humanitarian efforts. Foreign governments have been scrambling to evacuate their citizens, with many heading by ship to Saudi Arabia or leaving through border crossings in Egypt and Chad.

Click here to listen to our Twitter Space conversation about how the rival Sudanese leaders resisted renewed diplomatic efforts.

The United Kingdoms government said Thursday evacuation flights may stop at very short notice, and advised its citizens to proceed to Wadi Saeedna airfield as soon as possible to be processed for the flight.

Story continues

Sudan was already in crisis long before the latest violence flared. As the conflict spread, costs have soared for diminishing supplies of goods and fighting has cut off access to medical help.

Almost 70% of hospitals located near conflict zones are out of service, according to the Sudanese American Physicians Association and the Sudan Doctors Trade Union. Ambulances have been attacked and others not allowed to pass to transport patients and deliver medical supplies.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Sign up for the Happiness is a Warm TV newsletter here.

Heres whats on TV tonight.

Dateline: Along Came Sarah (9 p.m., NBC)

Keith Morrison reports on a Texas woman connected to the mysterious deaths of her husband and a former partner. When Sarah Jean Hartsfields fifth husband died this year under suspicious circumstances, an investigation revealed the mother of four to be a charismatic charmer with a past full of alleged infidelities, spurned lovers, wild allegations and even a fiance she shot to death.

Hartsfield, a former Army sergeant who served as Sarah Dohonue, said she killed her fiance in Minnesota in self-defense in 2018. That case was later reopened. An ex-boyfriend says he had a suspicious house fire after breaking up with her. A Texas sheriff told an NBC affiliate in Houston that Hartsfield had been married five times in relationships that often ended under grim circumstances.

Morrison goes cross-country on this story  from Baytown, Texas to Douglas County, Minnesota  to unravel Hartsfields past. He also has interviews with her daughter, Ashley Donohue, and her son, Ryan Donohue.

Charles: In His Own Words (10 p.m., National Geographic  plus streaming on Hulu / Disney+)

*Programming note: This documentary streams on Hulu on April 29 and on Disney+ on May 5.

Charles: In His Own Words is a history of one of the most scrutinized public figures in the world  man some have called the Rebel Prince  through a collection of rare archival material.

The documentary explores his relationships with his current wife, Camilla, Queen Consort; and with his first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales.

From National Geographic, the documentary offers a rare view into the real Charles, back to the beginning, revealing the formative events that have influenced the man, former Prince and the King he was destined to be. The film is from the creator of Diana: In Her Own Words, Peabody and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Tom Jennings.

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Note: The two-hour film Diana: In Her Own Words airs Friday, April 28, at 8 p.m., just before the King Charles doc.

Love & Death (The Max)

This new true-crime limited series from The Max (formerly HBO Max) premiered this week. It covers the case of Texas housewife Candy Montgomery, who killed her friend and neighbor Betty Gore with an ax in 1980. She was arrested and tried for the murder, but ... well, its a wild story and we wont spoil it here.

This isnt the first time this case has been covered in a prestige cable drama. Last year, Hulu released Candy, with Jessica Biel as Candy and Melanie Lynskey as Betty. Its very good.

Love & Death has Elisabeth Olsen (Wandavision) as Candy and Lily Rabe (American Horror Story) as Betty. Jesse Plemmons and Krysten Ritter also star.

Some programming descriptions are provided by networks.
Good news, Swifties, Taylor Swift is in the ATL!

Georgias Own Credit Union welcomed the pop queen with a massive WELCOME TO A-TAY-L message on its 450-foot-high sign Friday at midnight.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Swifts three Atlanta shows will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

On Wednesday, Swift fans took to the streets to wait in line for merchandise. Channel 2s Steve Gehlbach spoke to some of the most hard-core swifties.

To be here in this crowd of people who also love Taylor Swift like I do too, Abbie Essery said.

TRENDING STORIES:

Fans told Gehlbach that they waited hours to purchase a sweatshirt that was only available on the merch truck.

I want the sweatshirt, and its been selling out on Thursday. So, I have to be here. Im skipping class for this, Becton said.

For $65, the long sleeve crewneck has the tour name on the front, with concert venues and a list of Swifts albums on the back.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

This was definitely worth the 6-hour wait in the cold and rain, but I love it, Becton said. I cant wait to wear it. Im going to sleep in it tonight.

Friday night in downtown Atlanta will be packed. State Farm Arena hosts the Hawks playoff game Thursday night, moving the Janet Jackson concert to Friday, the same night as Taylor Swift.

Tens of thousands are expected for both shows but should be no bad blood between them.

The message will be displayed throughout the opening day of Swifts show until 11:59 p.m.

IN OTHER NEWS:
A 34-year-old western Kansas man was arrested Thursday in his hometown in connection to the Monday killing in west Wichita, police spokesperson Juan Rebolledo said Friday.

Micky Don Owens of Johnson City had an ongoing dispute with 44-year-old Wichita man Shawn Lahman, who was found fatally shot in the drivers seat of a rental passenger van, Rebolledo said.

Rebolledo didnt know if Owens had come to Wichita just because of the dispute or if the rental was Lahmans.

Police responding to a call around 11:20 p.m. in the 1300 block of South Edwards, which is near Meridian and Harry, found Lahman fatally shot in the upper torso.

The investigation revealed that Owens drove to Wichita on Monday, saw Lahman on South Edwards, and shot him, Rebolledo said in a news release. Investigators quickly learned that Owens fled to Stanton County Kansas and coordinated with Stanton County Sheriffs Office and the Kansas Highway Patrol to be on the lookout for him.

The sheriffs office arrested Owens in Johnson City on Thursday in connection with an unrelated Sedgwick County case that involves drugs and traffic violations, according to Rebolledo and court documents.

Hes now been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder in the death of Lahman.

Owens had a first appearance in the unrelated Sedgwick County case on Friday, court records say.

Owens has a dozen convictions from incidents between 2008 and 2018, Kansas Department of Corrections records show. Four of those are in Sedgwick County. Other convictions are in Grant, Finney and Stanton counties. The convictions involve aggravated battery, aggravated burglary, arson, three theft charges and two fleeing-and-eluding-an-officer charges.

Owens was last released from a Kansas prison in April 2019.

Owens is currently serving an out-of-state probation in Kansas, a KDOC official said.

Lahmans death was the citys seventh homicide this year. There were 16 at this time last year.
Publix opened several new supermarkets in March and April.

The newest Florida store is in Sarasota County, and its big  more than 48,000 square feet  like most new suburban stores in the chain.

In March and April, Publix also opened stores in Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina.

Heres what to know about recent Publix openings in Florida:

New Florida store openings in April

Sarasota County: Opened April 27, The Shoppes of Palmer Ranch, 8405 Honore Ave.

New Florida store openings in March

Sarasota County: Opened March 23, The Landings, 4840 S. Tamiami Trail

Navarre: Opened March 8, Wynnehaven Plaza, 10040 Navarre Pkwy.

Tampa: Opened March 2, Gandy Shopping Center, 3617 W. Gandy Blvd.

Newest store in South Florida

Pembroke Pines: On Jan. 23, Publix opened a new store at 16024 Pines Blvd. in Pembroke Pines. The stores neighbor is an older Publix across the street at Paraiso Parc at 15729 Pines Blvd. The older store isnt going anywhere. As a whole, we look for opportunities to best serve our customers and, in some cases, alleviate congestion in stores, in addition to allowing for the best traffic patterns in a particular area, said Lindsey Willis, media relations manager for Publix.

Reopenings in Florida

Fort Myers Beach: Publix isnt saying when a hurricane-amaged store on Estero Boulevard will reopen. Local TV station WBBH-NBC2 is reporting that the reopening is expected May 25. We want our little Publix on the island, Fort Myers Beach Vice Mayor Jim Atterholt told the station. We love our Publix. Im hungering for Publix. Not just for grocery shopping, but to get a sub at the deli. The store has been shuttered since Hurricane Ian steamrolled the area last September. Publixs statement on the reopening: Our team is working diligently to get the store prepped and ready for reopening. We are going through our standard processes before we open any store to ensure we are prepared to provide all our customers with the best possible experience.
Early voting ends Tuesday, and so far heres what we know about The Forgotten Election:

 The north Tarrant County suburbs didnt forget.

The countys new political power cities, Colleyville and Keller, have combined for more votes (3,462 going into Friday) than the entire city of Arlington (3,331).

Grapevine, Colleyville and Keller have the busiest voting boxes and longest lines.

The Keller school district, which mostly covers north Fort Worth, has drawn 3,179 voters. Add in the strife-torn Carroll and Grapevine-Colleyville schools, and theyve seen almost as many voters (7,982) as all of Fort Worth (8,389).

Voting in Colleyville and the Grapevine-Colleyville school district is about 20% ahead of 2021.

But with only thin competition for mayor, Fort Worth and Arlington city council voting is about 50% behind.

Whos developing the next generation of campaigners, strategists and leaders?

Not the cities with forgotten elections.

 If you want to beat the lines, look in south Tarrant County.

The box at 4500 Longhorn Trail in south Fort Worth near Crowley is averaging only 10 voters per day. (Any voter can cast a ballot anywhere in Tarrant County.)

The next smallest turnout is in small towns such as Edgecliff Village, Blue Mound and Azle, along with city facilities in the Diamond Hill and Worth Heights neighborhoods in Fort Worth.

All will be open daily through Tuesday. For the hours, addresses and complete list, see tarrantcounty.com/elections.

 I know. The ads are weird.

And they went weird early.

In one ad, the Fort Worth Republican Womens Club political action committee supports two city council candidates and two Fort Worth school board candidates warning: Dont Let Fort Worth Become the Next Austin!

The ad quotes a news report by now-retired NBC5 reporter Scott Gordon accusing city leaders of not supporting police.

Except Gordon didnt report that.

He was indirectly quoting County Commissioner Manny Ramirez.

Why not attribute the quote honestly to Ramirez?

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It probably carries more weight coming from Ramirez, the police labor leader, than from a reporter.

 An ad in a northwest Fort Worth council race criticizes crony downtown insiders.

The ad is from a political action committee, CORE PAC, that has yet to file a state ethics report listing its own crony insiders.

CORE PAC also has mailed a Conservative Voter Guide endorsing eight candidates. The lists include District 7 candidate Jason Ellis, facing Caleb Backholm and Macy Hill for an open seat. Its the busiest city election so far.

No surprise: CORE PAC is run by the political consultant for Ellis.

 I wont even begin to sort out the volatile school board campaigns, where a Grapevine cellphone companys PAC is now supporting candidates in Fort Worth along with Grapevine-Colleyville and Keller.

But if you want to know who paid for an ad that came in the mail or popped up on social media, look at the fine print.

Every ad has to say who paid.

Then you have to track down the money.

For PACs such as the CORE PAC or Colleyville-led Fort Worth Excellence PAC, start by searching reports at the Texas Ethics Commission website and list of PACs.

For local candidates campaign finance reports, check the city, school district or local agency website, or ask the city secretary.

Fort Worth council candidates report donations at fortworthtexas.gov/departments/citysecretary/elections.

New reports will be posted Monday and again over election weekend May 6.

 All these ads wont stop anytime soon.

The runoff election will start in late May. It will end June 10.

Figure on more mailers and fewer voters.
When progressive Stanford Law students shouted down a conservative speaker on campus in March, one observer argued that they had walked into a trap.

The Stanford students played their role in the conservative pantomime perfectly, wrote Ken White, a lawyer who goes by Popehat on social media.

The protesters' we get to say who talks and who listens reception at Stanford will be hot-burning fuel in the right-wing engine that seeks to use the force of law to restrict expression on college campuses to suit conservative tastes.

Censorship, in other words, begets more censorship.

Students stage a walk out at Hillsborough High School after Florida officials voted to ban classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in all public school grades. (Octavio Jones/Reuters)

State legislatures have significant power to shape what can and cannot be taught in K-12 public schools. But when it comes to universities, groups like the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education are fighting against legislation that they believe would violate constitutional protections.

So far, only one state  Florida  has actually passed legislation that FIRE considers to be a curricula ban. FIRE defines a curricula ban as provisions that prohibit certain topics or ideas from being taught in college classrooms.

Of all the states that have considered curricular bans in the last few years, just one state enacted it, John Coleman, legislative counsel for FIRE, told Yahoo News. And we opposed that bill when it was before the Legislature.

The law would ban instruction on eight specific concepts related to race, color, national origin, or sex that may run counter to government officials notions of freedom.

And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has made the legislation a centerpiece of his self-proclaimed war on woke, a phrase the likely GOP presidential candidate uses in speeches such as his recent address at Liberty University.

But litigation by FIRE and other groups has so far halted the Florida law  otherwise known as the Stop WOKE Act  in the courts.

Last fall, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued a temporary injunction against portions of the law that affect public universities in Florida. Walker ruled that the law officially bans professors from expressing disfavored viewpoints in university classrooms while permitting unfettered expression of the opposite viewpoints.

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If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear, the judge wrote.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis discussing the so-called Stop WOKE Act at a news conference in Hialeah Gardens, Fla., last year. (Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald via AP)

DeSantis spokesman Bryan Griffin told Yahoo News that the Florida law is designed to prohibit forced indoctrination.

But the legislation, while it prohibits anything that compels [an] individual to believe something, also forbids state employees such as a university professor from subjecting any individual ... to training, instruction, or any other required activity that espouses, promotes, advances any of the forbidden ideas detailed by the state.

Griffin told Yahoo News that the ideas outlined by the state are designed to force individuals to believe something and are delivered by individuals with authority or influence over others (employers over employees, teachers over students). That means this isnt a peer-to-peer discussion or public discourse, but it is coming from someone with power over another and all of the associated leverages of their position.

FIRE attorney Adam Steinbaugh told Yahoo News that this interpretation is infantilizing.

Were talking about adults who are going into class to encounter ideas they may disagree with because thats how you learn to disagree with those ideas, Steinbaugh said. Students are able to come to their own conclusions. ... A university can very well deal with a faculty member who imposes some sort of coercive control over a students work. But outlawing ideas is not the way to do that.

Donald Trump speaking at an NRA event in Indianapolis, April 14. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

In all other states where legislatures have considered laws to restrict what public universities can teach on subjects like racism, history, sexuality and other topics, Coleman said, the final bills were amended.

Other than Floridas Stop WOKE Act, FIRE did not oppose the final versions of the so-called divisive concepts bills that were ultimately enacted, but did seek to amend earlier drafts when those versions would have instituted curricular bans in public institutions of higher education, Coleman said.

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union also filed suits against the Florida legislation, but FIREs suit was different.

FIREs suit is limited to higher education and does not take a position on the truth of the prohibited concepts of race and sex. Rather, FIRE takes the viewpoint-neutral approach that faculty retain the right to give an opinion  whether that opinion supports or opposes the prohibited concepts in the Stop WOKE Act, the organization said.

The number of attempts by state legislatures to impede academic freedom in universities has skyrocketed since the summer of 2020, when racial justice protests took place across the country in response to the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. Those protests also sparked a higher level of discussion and interest about systemic racism nationwide, which filtered into many different parts of American life, from education to corporate culture to police reform.

It has been decades since there was any question about the constitutionality of government bans on what can and cant be taught in college classrooms, Coleman said.

High school students in Temecula, Fla., protest of the districts ban of critical race theory curricula. (Watchara Phomicinda/Press-Enterprise via Getty Images)

The Supreme Court ruled on the issue in the 1950s and 60s in cases where government officials sought to curtail the freedoms of subversive left-wing professors. The high courts resulting decisions reaffirmed the free speech rights of academics.

However, a 2006 Supreme Court ruling in Garcetti vs. Ceballos has muddied the waters to some degree, holding that a public employees on-the-job speech was not protected because it occurred in the workplace, FIRE summarized.

The Garcetti decision strips some 20 million public employees of their First Amendment rights when they clock in, FIRE argues, and the court has indicated it might not apply to university faculty, but has not decisively settled the issue.

Recent attempts to crack down on academic freedom in universities has been a feature almost entirely of conservative Republican state legislatures. But attempts to censure professors or have them fired for objectionable speech have also ticked up since the Floyd murder in 2020, and that dynamic has involved cancellation attempts from both the left and right.

The curricula bans, meanwhile, have their roots in an executive order issued in September 2020 by then-President Donald Trump. The order banned certain types of diversity training in federal agencies and included a list of ideas deemed divisive, according to Education Week.

For example, it banned the discussion in federal agencies of any ideas rooted in the pernicious and false belief that America is an irredeemably racist and sexist country; that some people, simply on account of their race or sex, are oppressors; and that racial and sexual identities are more important than our common status as human beings and Americans.

The specific list of divisive concepts outlined in Trumps order has been the inspiration for many of the laws drafted in state legislatures, Coleman said. States have borrowed from that language, he said. Theyre often called anti-[critical race theory] bills but often the language comes in the form of divisive concepts. Its a broad umbrella.

Coleman said that in several states, such as Tennessee, Idaho, South Dakota, Oklahoma and New Hampshire, laws were introduced and passed along these lines. But Coleman said that these bills were amended and watered down before becoming law to alleviate the concerns of civil libertarians.

There has been some confusion on the ground as to some of the bills application to classroom teaching, Coleman said. Neither the Idaho or the Oklahoma laws imposed bans on what could be taught in college classrooms, but there were incidents in both states where administrators improperly paused course offerings while they evaluated their obligations under those laws.

Students and others attend a rally at Orlando City Hall to protest Florida education policies. (Paul Hennessy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The Florida law is unique in its attempt to explicitly censor professors, according to FIRE. Steinbaugh said the law would mean that if a faculty member permits a guest speaker to endorse affirmative action (one of the prohibited concepts, as Floridas lawyers conceded in federal court), or reads from an essay making that argument, they risk not only their job, but millions of dollars in annual state funding.

While conservatives might welcome that scenario, Steinbaugh said that proponents of the Florida law are unwittingly arming their enemies.

Granting campus censors (high or petty) expanded authority will only reinforce campus orthodoxy  or, at best, trade one orthodoxy for another. Officials given more authority will wield it against unpopular speech, which conservatives will be unsurprised to learn often means suppressing conservative-minded speakers.

Free speech advocates have long  and correctly  responded that students should expect to encounter views, speakers and faculty they find disdainful, Steinbaugh said.

In fact, this is exactly what Stanford Law School Dean Jenny Martinez said in her memo rebuking the progressive students who shouted down conservative federal Judge Kyle Duncan.

The mission of the university is the discovery, improvement and dissemination of knowledge, Martinez wrote. To perform its mission in the society, a university must sustain an extraordinary environment of freedom of inquiry and maintain an independence from political fashions, passions, and pressures. A university, if it is to be true to its faith in intellectual inquiry, must embrace, be hospitable to, and encourage the widest diversity of views within its own community.

Yet despite the halting of the Stop WOKE Act in federal court, legislators in multiple states have continued to propose similar provisions this year.

And DeSantis and Florida Republicans are pushing ahead with another piece of legislation that would, according to FIREs summary, eliminate any major or minor that engenders beliefs in the concepts defined in the unconstitutional Stop WOKE Act, as well as any major or minor in Critical Race Theory, Gender Studies, or Intersectionality, or any derivative major or minor of these belief systems.
Its not often that large numbers of Washingtons political and media elite gather in the same room in a spirit of conviviality. But that will be the case at Saturdays White House Correspondents Dinner.

Its exactly why the climate activist group, Climate Defiance, plan to blockade the event.

According to Margaret Klein Salamon of the Climate Emergency Fund (CEF), one of the groups backers, the roast is a very smart target.

Both the administration and the press really have so much more that they could do on climate, she told The Independent.

Dr Klein Salamon, a clinical psychologist, is CEFs executive director. The fund supports disruptive climate activism and is backed by oil heir Aileen Getty, Dont Look Up director Adam McKay, and film-maker Rory Kennedy.

Last year, CEF paid out $5.3million in donations to 44 organizations including Just Stop Oil, Scientist Rebellion and Letze Generation.

This is a climate emergency, Dr Klein Salamon said. Were accelerating towards absolutely catastrophic outcomes. As a clinical psychologist, my diagnosis is that were in a state of mass delusion, an illusion of normalcy, when in fact we are in terrible danger. So these activists, by disrupting normal normal life events that are so publicly familiar, by disrupting those, theyre shaking us awake.

In recent weeks, Climate Defiance has shut down keynote addresses by White House climate advisor Ali Zaidi and President Joe Bidens senior advisor, John Podesta.

The activists announced in February that they would target this weekends White House Correspondents Dinner at the Washington Hilton which is being headlined Daily Show correspondent, Roy Wood Jr.

President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are expected to attend, along with Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff along with celebrities like John Legend and Chrissy Teigen.

Biden made a promise to us and then stabbed us in the back. We are calling on him to stop fossil fuel extraction on federal lands. Our polite requests have gone unanswered - so we will blockade the Correspondents Dinner, Climate Defiance said, in a statement to The Independent.

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Dr Klein Salamon hopes the protest will spur the administration to declare a climate emergency, cease fossil fuel development, and speak more frankly about the climate crisis.

In terms of what more the administration can do, I mean, seriously, it is insane that we would be continuing to expand fossil fuel infrastructure, she said.

At this point its totally out of step with what is needed to avoid apocalyptic outcomes.

President Biden has a mixed record on the climate. In 2022, he helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, the most significant climate legislation in US history. But his Biden administration has also backed large-scale fossil fuel projects including the Mountain Valley pipeline in the eastern US, and the $8bn Willow project in Alaska.

Climate Defiance shut down a speech by White House climate advisor Ali Zaidi to protest the Biden administrations continued investment in fossil fuels (Climate Defiance/Twitter)

The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UNs leading climate science panel, warned that to avoid worsening outcomes, will mean rapid cuts in fossil fuels across the board, and no new infrastructure for oil, coal and gas.

The press also has room to improve.

A 2022 study from Northwestern University found that the media continues to employ both sides framing and feature commentary from climate deniers, despite overwhelming scientific consensus about the extent and urgency of the climate crisis.

The media is still giving air to the opinions of people who do not believe there is cause for alarm, which makes the problem seem less dire than it actually is, David Rapp, a psychologist and professor at Northwesterns School of Education and Social Policy, said last year.

Issues with climate journalism were urgent enough that it was addressed in the latest series of IPCC assessments.

The UN panel noted while the number of articles of climate journalism roughly doubled between 2016 and 2021, the media could work on building trust with audiences.
A 35-year-old Wichita man is headed to prison for killing his new girlfriends boyfriend at a south-side trailer home in 2018.

Sedgwick County District Judge Kevin Mark Smith on Friday sentenced DeWayne A. Cope to 5 years, 3 months in the April 15, 2018, fatal shooting of 39-year-old Trenton H. Custer of Wichita, said Dan Dillon, a spokesman for the Sedgwick County District Attorneys Office. A neighbor who crawled through a window of the trailer, in the 3800 block of South Meridian, found Custers body facedown on the floor with gunshot wounds to his back and chest, according to an account previously given by Wichita police and court records.

Witnesses told police that Custer, Cope and the girlfriend all lived at the trailer home and that Cope shot Custer twice to protect the girlfriend after Custer quarreled with her over other roommates not paying bills, a probable cause affidavit released in the case says. The affidavit says Custer dated and bought the trailer home with the girlfriend and that she moved Cope in after having an affair with him.

After the shooting, Cope and others discussed disposing of Trentons body or burying it, according to the affidavit. Cope and the girlfriend spent about two weeks staying with friends and in different hotels  and even went to Oklahoma to try to find a place to hide, the affidavit says  before his arrest.

Cope was convicted by plea on Feb. 1 of one count of voluntary manslaughter in connection with Custers shooting and to one count of methamphetamine possession in an unrelated case, court records show. He was originally charged with first-degree premeditated murder in Custers death.

Prosecutors initially charged Cope in 2018, shortly after his arrest. But they were forced to dismiss the murder case in January 2019 after a key witness called to testify at Copes preliminary hearing couldnt be found, court records show.

The murder charge was refiled more than two years later, in July 2021.
(Pixabay)

Wikipedia could be banned in the UK after it committed not to comply with the upcoming Online Safety Bill.

The controversial legislation has already drawn similar responses from companies such as WhatsApp, which also said that it would not abide by new rules and could be forced out of the country as a result.

Wikipedias specific objections come to parts of the bill that require websites that include content that could be harmful to children to include age verification checks. The Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia, said that it fears that some content  such as educational content about sexuality  could be included in that.

If that does happen, and it is asked to include age verification checks, it would refuse to comply. Rebecca MacKinnon, from the Wikimedia Foundation, told that BBC that doing so would violate our commitment to collect minimal data about readers and contributors.

That in turn could leave the app facing sanctions in the UK, and that it could be blocked in the country if it does not comply.

It has already said that the website could lead to major problems with the way the site operates, given the vast amount of new content that is being added all the time and the difficulty in moderating it. It has said the Online Safety Bill would also cause problems by forcing it to moderate articles, rather than the volunteers that currently do so.

In the House of Lords this week, heritage minister Lord Parkinson said that the bill would probably not include Wikipedia and that it was focused on only services which pose the highest risk to children will use age verification technologies.

But Lucy Crompton-Reid, from Wikimedia UK which is affiliated with the foundation, told the BBC that the remarks were reassuring but that it did not want to rely on the goodwill of the government.

As such, she said it was definitely possible that one of the most visited websites in the world - and a vital source of freely accessible knowledge and information for millions of people - wont be accessible to UK readers (let alone UK-based contributors).

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Ms Crompton-Reids concerns echoes comments from messaging apps, which have expressed concerns about other parts of the bill. Platforms such as WhatsApp and Signal have said that the legislation could require them to be able to moderate all messages that are passed through their systems  a requirement that would be technically unfeasible because of security settings that they have committed not to weaken.

The government has said that the bill is not intended to weaken that security, and has occasionally suggested that the end-to-end encryption technology that powers those apps will still be allowed. But they have argued that those assurances should be written into the legislation, so that the powers in the law cannot be abused at a later date.

As such, Signal, WhatsApp and others have said they will leave the UK before they comply with any requirements to weaken their security features.

The announcement came shortly after the Wikimedia Foundation was punished by a Russian court over an article about the war in Ukraine. Wikimedia was fined two million roubles ($24,510) for not deleting what Russia said was banned content related to the Russian military, Interfax reported.

It said this was the seventh fine imposed on Wikimedia in 2023 for not removing prohibited information. The fines now total 8.4 million roubles.

The latest penalty was for not removing an article about a military unit that contained classified military information about its location, composition and equipment, including information related to the progress of what Russia calls its special military operation in Ukraine.

Wikimedia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It has previously said information that Russian authorities complained about was well-sourced and in line with Wikipedia standards.

Wikipedia is one of the few surviving independent sources of information in Russian since a state crackdown on online content intensified after Moscow invaded Ukraine last year.

We are not blocking Wikipedia yet, there are no such plans for now, Interfax quoted digital affairs minister Maksut Shadaev as saying last week.

Additional reporting by Reuters
Wausau School District

Members of the Asian American community in Wausau, Wisconsin, are outraged that the school district has put a teacher it admits used racist and sexist language back in the classroom.

While a preponderance of the evidence shows that Mr. Perkins did not engage in harassing or discriminatory behavior, he did engage in insensitive and unprofessional conduct, the district superintendent wrote in a letter this week.

Witnesses indicate that he did use language that could be insensitive to students of different protected classes, including race and sex, but that language does not rise to the level of discrimination or harassment.

An open letter signed by Asian American leaders in Wausauwhich is 81 percent white according to census data, but has a large Hmong-Lao populationsaid they were outraged by the reinstatement of high school band teacher Robert Perkins.

Despite corroborating statements confirming Mr. Perkins use of anti-Asian, racist slurs such as chink and ching chong, as well as statements from other witnesses that Mr. Perkins conduct caused unease among students from protected classes, the WSD investigator still found no grounds for a determination of harassment, the letter reads.

This decision sends a strong message that using racist, sexist, and homophobic slurs are permissible, so long as they made are in good faith, and that is just unacceptable to us.

The school districts letter, which summarized its internal investigation into a student complaint about Perkins, said that all students report that Mr. Perkins uses humor to engage students and create a fun environment.

It then went on to say, somewhat confusingly, that while Perkins does say things that causes students unease, the students also believe he creates a safe space and does not meant to harm anyone.

The student who complained told the investigator he believes Perkins knows what he doing and that students will cover for him because they like him.

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At a school board meeting this week, several students spoke out in support of Perkins, who was named Teacher of the Month in January, and urged the district to reinstate him.

Perkins has not publicly commented on the situation. The father of the boy who complained said his son was so upset he had not been in school for two weeks.

When I saw it in my sons eyes as hes crying on the floor, it broke my heart that a grown man can do this to my son, Tha Vongphakdy told WAOW.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Bernard Arnault holding dollar balloon Illustrated/Getty Images

Luxury conglomerate LVMH has passed $500 billion in value, becoming the first European company to ever achieve this milestone. While the average person may not know LVMH, they definitely know the brands it owns, including Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Hennessy, Moet & Chandon, Givenchy, Princess Yachts, Tiffany & Co., TAG Heuer, and many more.

This $500 billion mark cements the status of LVMH's founder, Bernard Arnault, as the world's richest person. Like his company, Arnault is likely not a household name, but Forbes puts his net worth at $243.4 billion. In comparison, the world's second-richest person, Elon Musk, is worth $171.5 billion. Given LVMH's ballooning value, it is likely that Arnault's net worth will only continue to rise.

While French-born Arnault is the face of the operation, his family also shares a sizable portion of this wealth. His daughter Delphine is the CEO of Dior and the vice president of Louis Vuitton, while his son Antoine is Dior's vice-chair. Arnault's other three children also have roles in LVMH-held brands, The New York Times reports, with major positions in Tiffany & Co., TAG Heuer, and Louis Vuitton.

How did Arnault, who is not particularly recognizable outside of luxury circles, make it to the one percent of the one percent?

Arnault's beginnings

Bernard Arnault was born in Roubaix, France, to an industrial family. Described by France24 as a man "driven by ambition who built his own empire," Arnault told the Financial Times his mother had a love of Dior that was passed down to him.

Arnault would eventually study engineering at the Ecole Polytechnique, one of the most prestigious universities in France, Insider reports, before making a small fortune working for his father's construction business. Everything changed for Arnault, though, when he purchased a struggling textile company called Agache-Willot-Boussac in 1984 for $15 million. This company owned a number of French department stores, Insider adds, but also another more notable brand: Christian Dior.

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Arnault sold almost all of Agache-Willot-Boussac's other brands to focus on bringing Dior to the top, with The New York Times reporting in the late 1980s that his goal was to create the world's biggest luxury conglomerate. Within a few years, that plan was in motion.

The creation of LVMH and the company's future

After selling off most of Agache-Willot-Boussac, Arnault used the profits to bring together two major luxury brands, Louis Vuitton and Moet Hennessy, with the three companies combining to form LVMH in 1987. Arnault eventually bought a controlling stake in the company in 1989, becoming its principal shareholder.

With LVMH, headlined by Dior, now under his control, Arnault "led an aggressive expansion, turning LVMH into the world's largest luxury goods firm," Forbes reported, slowly acquiring all of the aforementioned brands plus other companies like Loewe, Sephora, Marc Jacobs, and Celine.

Today, the company is by far the largest luxury conglomerate on the planet, controlling more than 70 brands. Its revenues in 2022 totaled $86 billion, according to Forbes. Arnault overtook Musk to become the world's richest person in December of that year. His aggressive acquisitions have earned Arnault both admiration and ire, with The Wall Street Journal noting that many in the industry call him a "wolf in cashmere."

The future for LVMH will likely bring more of the same. Recent reports show that despite the downturn in the economy, the luxury goods market remains resilient. At the end of 2021, Arnault announced that LVHM was looking to recruit nearly 25,000 more young people by the end of 2022.

However, Arnault is 74 years old, so thoughts have inevitably turned to the next generation of LVMH leadership. While all of his children are potentially in the running to lead the company, the Journal reports that his eldest child, Delphine, has seemingly pulled out in front. However, Arnault "has given no indication whom he will choose as his successor, saying only that it will be based on merit," the Journal notes, meaning that he likely still sees himself in the role for the foreseeable future.

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A woman has reignited a debate about wedding guest etiquette after accusing two women of being disrespectful by wearing white, bridal-like gowns to her friends nuptials.

Isabella Santos Giha, who goes by the username @isabellasg3 on TikTok, uploaded a video from the wedding on Wednesday. In the clip, which she captioned: Two girls wore WHITE at my friends wedding, she filmed two guests who appeared to be wearing white dresses to the party.

The first guest could be seen wearing a floor-length lace gown which appeared to be a pale peach or off-white colour, while the second guest, who was filmed from behind as she sat at a table, appeared to be wearing a white off-the-shoulder gown with a white lace overlay. This one wore a legit WEDDING DRESS, the TikToker continued as she showed the second guests outfit.

In the TikTok, Giha then shared the brides reaction to the outfits, with the video showing the newlywed, who was wearing a white sequin ball gown and a tiara, looking disappointed. The bride got sad, the TikToker wrote in a text caption on the video.

In the caption of the TikTok, which has since been viewed more than 19 million times, Giha issued a plea to never wear white at someones wedding.

Please never wear WHITE at someones wedding. It is sad and [disrespectful], she wrote, before tagging the brides username @sisilozada.

In the comments under the video, many viewers expressed their shock over the dresses worn by the guests in question, with one person writing: I cant believe the audacity some people have, while another said: Omg the first one couldve just been a poor decision, but the second one!! Oh my god I thought it was going to be the bride at first.

Please tell me they got kicked out!! someone else wrote.

Others shared their own similar experiences, with one person revealing: My husbands cousin wore white on mine too, while someone else said that the same thing happened at their wedding and the guest in question was blacklisted as a result. What are they thinking? they added.

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Another person said that, despite the generally well known wedding etiquette rule that white is reserved for the bride, they took extra steps to prevent guests from wearing white or off-white by requesting it specifically in the FAQ section of their wedding site. I put no white or off-white dresses for guests in the wedding site FAQ and that they would be asked to leave if they did wear one, they wrote.

Although the majority of viewers said they would be upset by the guest outfits, others defended the women on the basis that the wedding etiquette rule is only common in some cultures. Laughs in Nigerian culture. I recently realised this was a thing. Been to a wedding where the guests were asked to wear white, one person wrote, while another asked: Is this an American thing?

Someone else questioned why people were angry over the outfits, as they claimed its not like people arent going to know who is getting married or whose wedding they are at.

According to Diane Gottsman, a national etiquette expert and founder of The Protocol School of Texas, who previously spoke to The Independent, the rule still applies for most weddings, as she noted that white is still reserved for the bride and that guests should select another colour when choosing an outfit. She also said the no-white rule should be followed by guests of all genders.

As for why guests should avoid white for a wedding, wedding dress designer Madeline Gardner told The Knot that it comes down to the most important thing to keep in mind, not upstaging the bride.

When youre a guest at a wedding, the most important thing to keep in mind is not to upstage or upset the bride, she said, adding: Its safe to stay away from any outfits that are predominantly white, cream or ivory.

On the brides TikTok, where she has posted videos from her wedding, viewers have taken to the comments to share reassuring messages, with one person writing. You looked so much better than the girls who wore white.

The Independent has contacted Giha and the bride for comment.
A couple who tried to conceive for 18 years have welcomed two more babies via IVF, Kim and James with baby Harrison shortly after his birth. (SWNS)

A woman who tried for a baby for 18 years has since given birth to not one, but two children through IVF and is thrilled that her family is finally complete.

Kim Barrett, 40, a business owner from Tollesbury, Essex welcomed her first child, daughter Yasmin, now 22, when she was 17, and desperately wanted another baby.

Having then met her husband James, 46, the couple were persistently trying but were unable to conceive as Kim had irregular periods and was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) aged 18.

PCOS is a common condition that affects how a woman's ovaries work.

While she initially wanted children close together, following her diagnosis and with her struggle to conceive again, Kim says it soon became clear that wouldn't happen for her.

Read more: Jennifer Aniston, 53, 'has nothing to hide' as she shares 'challenging' IVF journey

William with Kim and James after birth. (SWNS)

For years, the couple tried various treatments including a laparoscopy  a surgical procedure that allows a surgeon to access the inside of the abdomen and pelvis  to try and increase their chances of growing their family.

After exhausting all options, in July 2017, the couple went to the TFP Simply Fertility in Chelmsford for help.

"I saw IVF as a last resort," Kim explains.

"We had a laparoscopy which was not a success.

"I felt like IVF wouldn't work so I didn't want to go through it but we had no other option."

Watch: Baby born 12 weeks early fit entirely in his dad's hands

In their first cycle of IVF, doctors retrieved 19 eggs and the couple were thrilled to see a positive pregnancy test in May 2018.

Despite feeling "extremely lucky", Kim also describes being "fearful" throughout her pregnancy.

"I was so scared about losing the baby," she explains. "There was a lot of fear  I was worried all the time.

"It has to be the most stressful thing I have ever done, but it was a straightforward pregnancy apart from the worry."

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Read more: Major breakthrough on fertility treatment for lesbian couples

Harrison and William were both conceived via IVF after a long fertility journey. (SWNS)

And Kim went on to give birth to the couple's first son Harrison, on 16 January, 2019, in Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, weighing 7lb 7oz.

"When Harrison was born, I just can't describe the feeling, it was incredible," she says.

"I never thought I would fall pregnant again, so having him in my arms was a magical moment."

Kim says her family is now complete after her fertility journey. (SWNS)

But that wasn't the end of the couple's fertility journey, with Kim also falling pregnant via another round of IVF in 2020.

William was born in April 2021 at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, weighing 7lb 11oz.

"I had another normal pregnancy," Kim says.

"There were some times when I couldn't feel him moving but we went into the hospital for monitoring and everything was fine.

"I think I blocked out all the bad stuff, " Kim adds. "But my husband remembers all of it and how stressful it was.

"I was just happy to have my baby."

Kim was diagnosed with PCOS at 18, pictured with her husband James and boys Kit and Harrison. (SWNS)

Following the happy ending to their fertility story, the couple now want to encourage others not to view IVF as just a last resort, like they did.

"If you have the option to do IVF I would say don't hold off," Kim says.

"The clinic was amazing and really supportive.

"When I took the boys back they wanted to hold them and see them."

Read more: Fertility experts debunk the most common myths around conceiving

Harrison and William were both conceived via IVF after a long fertility journey. (SWNS)

What is IVF?

IVF is one method that can help with having a baby if you have fertility problems. During the process, an egg is removed from the woman's ovaries and fertilised with sperm in a lab.

Once fertilised, the egg is called an embryo, and is returned to the womb to grow and develop, just as with a normal pregnancy. It can either be carried out using your own eggs and your partner's sperm, or with eggs and sperm from donors.

This is different to egg freezing, when they aren't mixed with sperm, but instead stored to be used in the future. Freezing healthy sperm or eggs while young can increase the chances of successful fertility treatment.

The process has six main stages, which include, as per the NHS:

1. Suppressing your natural cycle

Your natural menstrual cycle is suppressed with medicine, to make other medicines used in the next stage of the process more effective.

This is done either via an injection that you'll be taught to give yourself every day, or as a nasal spray, continuing for around two weeks.

Read more: Single mum who had IVF baby at 50 says it was right time to become a parent

2. Helping your ovaries produce more eggs

You'll next be given a fertility hormone called follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) to help your ovaries produce more than one egg at a time. This is with the aim of collecting and fertilising more eggs, increasing the choice of embryos to use in your treatment.

3. Monitoring your progress and 'maturing' your eggs

The development of your eggs will be checked with vaginal ultrasound scans, and sometimes blood tests. Before they are collected, you'll have an injection of another hormone called human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) to help them mature (ripen, ready to be fertilised, in a sense).

4. Collecting eggs

Your eggs will be collected with a needle passed through your vagina and into each ovary, with the help of an ultrasound, taking around 15 to 20 minutes.

You'll be sedated during the collection, but might experience cramps or a small amount of vaginal bleeding afterwards.

5. Fertilising eggs

This is when the eggs are mixed with the sperm in a lab to fertilise them. Sometimes, each egg might need to be injected individually with a single sperm, called intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI.

The embryos will then continue to grow in the lab for up to six days before being transferred into the womb, with one or two of the best chosen.

You'll have been given hormone medicines to help prepare the lining of the womb to receive the embryo.

Read more: Woman with PCOS shows off full beard, inspires others to love their facial hair

6. Transferring embryos

When the embryos are placed into your womb, this will be done with a thin tube called a catheter, passed into your vagina.

The procedure is more similar to having a cervical screening, or smear test, and you won't need to be sedated. The number of embryos that will be transferred should have been decided before starting treatment, which can be dependent on your age and which IVF cycle you're in.

If any suitable embryos are left over, they can be frozen for other attempts.

After embryo transferral, you should wait around two weeks to have a pregnancy test to see if it has worked. For more information, see our useful guide on the fertility treatment in full, including who's eligible.

Support and more information

IVF can be a challenge physically and mentally (and financially for some), but there is help and support out there if you need it.

You can also contact the Fertility Network UK on Monday, Wednesday and Friday on 0121 323 5025 or at support@fertilitynetworkuk.org, or on Tuesday and Thursday on 07816 086694 or at janet@fertilitynetworkuk.org, between 10am and 4pm.

Additional reporting SWNS.
A man was jailed after a head-on collision that killed a woman Wednesday in northeast Kansas.

Ayinde Jriel James, 44, of Fort Worth, Texas, was booked into the Jackson County Jail on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter, driving under the influence, unlawful possession of a controlled substance and reckless driving, a news release from the Jackson County Sheriffs Office said.

The accident was reported around 10:51 a.m. along U.S. 75 about two miles north of Holton, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol crash log.

James was heading north on U.S. 75 in a 2013 Dodge Avenger car. Melinda Wareham, 74, of Whiting, Kansas was southbound on U.S. 75, the crash log said.

James car was travelling at excess speeds and began to pass numerous vehicles without sufficient clearance from Warehams vehicle, according to the crash log. James struck Wareham head on, the report said.

She was pronounced dead at the scene, the news release said.

Both lanes of U.S. 75 where the crash happened were closed off and traffic was rerouted until 2:30 p.m.
Dr. Ryan Cole speaks during a panel discussion on Capitol Hill in January 2022. The panel featured scientists and doctors who have been criticized for expressing skepticism about COVID-19 vaccines and for promoting the use of unproven medications for treatment of the disease. Drew Angerer / Getty Images

An Idaho woman is suing a doctor for misdiagnosing her with cancer, leading to an unnecessary surgery.

She said Dr. Ryan Cole said she had endometrial cancer, but other doctors later found she was cancer-free.

Cole has a history of misdiagnosing women and claiming that the COVID-19 vaccine causes cancer.

An Idaho woman is suing anti-vaxx advocate Dr. Ryan Cole for allegedly misdiagnosing her with an aggressive cancer which led to an expensive and invasive surgery, including a hysterectomy, that doctors later told her was unnecessary.

The woman, whose initials are "J.B.," said she went to her primary care provider, a nurse practitioner, in July 2021 with heavy vaginal bleeding, according to court records filed in mid-April that were obtained by Insider.

After an ultrasound came back abnormal, the nurse took a tissue biopsy, which she sent to Cole's then-laboratory, Cole Diagnostics. There, Cole examined the tissue sample and noted that J.B had a rare and aggressive form of endometrial cancer, the lawsuit says.

"I felt like I died already" when receiving the diagnosis, J.B. told the Idaho Capital Sun, which first reported on the case.

After the woman, who is in her 50s, consulted with a gynecologic oncologist, she opted for an extensive surgery to remove her uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes, as well as surrounding tissue and lymph nodes, the lawsuit said.

Only after the procedure did J.B. learn she never had cancer to begin with, according to multiple doctors who examined the original sample as well as the tissue and organs that were removed, the lawsuit says  Cole had misdiagnosed her original biopsy.

"Severe mental suffering"

As a result of the misdiagnosis and surgery, J.B. experienced "severe mental suffering," including insomnia, anxiety, fear of doctors, and severe headaches, not to mention unnecessary medical bills and six weeks of healing, the lawsuit claims. Her husband also suffers from insomnia and anxiety due to the experience, the lawsuit says.

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"I can't even imagine receiving that kind of a diagnosis from someone, and then spending that period of time wondering  or knowing, or believing  that you had a very serious cancer," Eric Rossman, one of the lawyers representing J.B. and her husband in the case, told the Sun. "And then just to find out, after that radical, extensive procedure, that there's really no cancer whatsoever."

J.B. and her husband are suing Cole and Cole Diagnostics for negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

The lawsuit says the couple has suffered damages worth more than $25,000 "relating to lost contribution of services, past medical expenses, supplies, nursing and physician care, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life."

Other women have also claimed that Cole has misdiagnosed them

J.B. isn't alone in her experience: In 2022, The Sun reported on two other women's claims of being misdiagnosed with cancer or precancer of their reproductive organs by Cole in the past.

Cole has long been outspoken against COVID-19 vaccines, saying, among other false claims, that they cause endometrial cancer.

In January, the Washington state Medical Commission found he had made "false and misleading statements" related to the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines, treatments, and masks. He also provided "negligent care" to four patients related to COVID-19, the AP reported.

While Cole no longer runs Cole Diagnostics, according to the Sun, he remains licensed in several states, including Idaho and Washington, according to the states' health departments.

Neither Cole nor J.B.'s lawyer Rossman responded to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
A woman has shared the amusing email that artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT created for her after she asked for help crafting a professional letter to her boss about quitting her job.

Mari, who goes by the username @sillyyerba on TikTok, uploaded a video about the ChatGPT response this week, in which she laughed as she read out a line from the AI-generated note that read: I cannot be sad and poor for another month.

In the clip, Mari began by explaining that shed recently submitted her two-weeks notice letter to her boss informing her that shed be quitting her job. However, according to the TikToker, her boss had asked Mari to continue working until 8 June.

In response to the request, Mari said she planned to ask ChatGPT for help creating a response pretty much saying I cant be sad and poor for another month but in a professional way.

So Im gonna have ChatGPT write an email response of me pretty much saying I cant be sad and poor for another month in a professional way, she said. So I put in the prompt: Write a professional email saying I cant be sad and poor for another month replying to this email and then in quotes I put in my managers email and this is what it gave me.

Mari then read out the response she received from the chatbot, which began: Thank you for your email and for providing notice of my final working day being Saturday 6 May.

After expressing her appreciation for the opportunity to work with the team, the email then said Mari regrettably could not extend [her] time beyond this date.

The email continued in a professional manner, with the AI including a line in which Mari acknowledged her boss would be open to a longer transition time, but that, due to personal circumstances, Mari would be unable to continue working beyond 6 May. I hope you can understand my position, the chatbot wrote.

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As she began to laugh hysterically, Mari then read out the next sentence of the email, which read: As much as I value my time here, I cannot be sad and poor for another month.

ChatGPT then transitioned back into a professional tone, with the AI expressing Maris hope that this does not cause any inconvenience to the team and that we can end things on a positive note.

Thank you again for your understanding and support during my time here, the message concluded. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to ensure a smooth transition.

After reading out the candid email suggestion, Mari jokingly asked: Should I send that as is?

In the caption of the video, Mari added: Lifes too short to be sad and poor.

The video, which has been viewed more than eight million times, has been met with amusement from viewers, with many joking that the chatbot could not come up with a better way of phrasing the sentiment.

ChatGPT: Theres literally no other way to say that, sorry, one person wrote, while another said: Even ChatGPT is like: Im just gonna tell them. Ill put fluff around it. But Im gonna be blunt. You indeed cant be sad and poor another month.

Its perfect, someone else jokingly claimed.

Others encouraged Mari to send the letter without removing the sentence, with one viewer writing: Send that email exactly word for word. Its perfect.

Please send it,another person wrote along with a laughing face emoji.

In a follow-up TikTok, Mari revealed that she didnt send the original email created by ChatGPT, and instead directed the AI to make the email sound more human. She also confirmed that she removed the line about being sad and poor.

The Independent has contacted Mari for comment.
Women are a rare sight in Japanese politics, but 20-year-old Rinka Saito is determined to run for office one day because "you can't have true democracy without diversity".

She is one of a small group of young women being offered mentoring and money to help them break into a political scene that remains utterly dominated by men.

Once elected, female leaders in Japan face a tough environment, describing sexual harassment, chauvinist habits and ingrained views of government as a man's world.

Even so, Saito, the youngest participant of the scheme run by the Murakami Family Foundation, told AFP the part-time programme had brought her "a step closer to my dream".

There are only two women in Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's 19-member cabinet, and parliament's powerful 465-member lower chamber is 90 percent male.

The Tokyo-based foundation has organised a series of seminars by leading politicians for 20 women aged under 40 in a bid to address that imbalance.

The participants, chosen from 200 applicants, also receive a grant of one million yen ($7,400).

"I became interested in becoming a politician because I thought I could give hope to people with disabilities," said Saito, who has had surgery for hearing loss.

High-profile examples of discrimination in Japan, such as the forced sterilisation of disabled people under a now-defunct eugenics law, strengthened her resolve.

Saito, a social sciences student, initially didn't know where to begin.

She said the foundation has helped her build a network and better understand the "good and bad aspects of the political world".

- 'Homogenous' -

Foundation chair Rei Murakami Frenzel, 28, was surprised so many people applied for the first programme, which ran from November to March.

"We had assumed that women didn't want to be politicians, but in fact, there just wasn't enough support," she said.

Japan's "homogenous" power base -- even the parliament's less powerful upper house is 75 percent male -- means lawmakers are "not tackling diverse social issues", said Murakami Frenzel, whose father is a renowned activist investor.

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Japan has never had a woman prime minister and that must change, said lawmaker Seiko Noda. She ran against Kishida in the ruling party's last leadership race and is a lecturer for the programme.

"Even well-educated people have the entrenched view of politics as a male domain," said the former internal affairs minister and women's empowerment minister.

Noda, 62, told AFP she "couldn't even find the women's bathroom" when she started her political career in parliament's lower house three decades ago.

And while she believes the situation is slowly improving, Noda is keen to encourage women to enter the field given the "overwhelming lack of young female politicians".

A nursery was available during the seminars for those with children, and remote access was also an option.

Natsuki Shinobori "felt responsible for my country" after having two boys and joined the scheme with the hope of becoming a local politician.

"I want to solve social issues by starting small," said 36-year-old Shinobori, who lives in Nagano in central Japan.

- 'Won't quit' -

Unequal attitudes towards female politicians endure, however, and Shinobori said she worries about the burden on her children.

In Japan, "wives will support their husband if he's running a campaign, but... we feel like women shouldn't cause trouble to their family", she said.

A record 489 women stood for office at local elections this month, still just 16 percent of the candidates.

Umeko Saito, a 75-year-old politician in Niseko, a small ski-resort town in Hokkaido, wants to see more women in local assemblies.

But, as the only woman in the 10-member local government for the past 12 years, she has first-hand experience of how tough the job can be.

"One of them told me he wanted to see me naked," she said. "I was in utter shock."

As well as facing sexual harassment, "when I speak in the assembly, other members insult me so I cannot continue, or they tell me my questions are too strange".

Saito fought to end a tradition of hiring "companions" -- women in their early 20s who serve drinks and chat with guests -- for political events.

Her efforts were successful and the custom has stopped. But Saito still feels that others view her as "an alien" in the political system and acknowledges that "many female politicians cannot speak up about harassment".

Some people have advised Saito to quit. "But I won't," she said.

"If I quit now, I don't know what I'm in politics for."

nf/kaf/pbt/cwl
By Sharon Bernstein

(Reuters) - A day after all five women in the South Carolina state senate banded together to block a proposed abortion ban, Republican Senator Sandy Senn posted a picture of the group on her Facebook page calling the three Republicans, one Democrat and one Independent "united and unstoppable."

The senators came together across parties on Thursday to force any discussion of the near-total ban into 2024, their success the latest indication that not all Republicans agree with the strictest abortion bans.

"Republican leaders from other states are supporting moderate stances, and people I don't even know have started contributing to my campaign," Senn posted above the photo on Friday.

The group's successful filibuster of the near-total abortion ban came on the same day that the legislature in Nebraska defeated a ban on most abortions after six weeks by just one vote.

Their actions are the latest signal that some Republicans are starting to see the strictest abortion bans as possible political liabilities in a country where most voters hold more moderate views on the topic.

Earlier this month, Wisconsin voters elected liberal judge Janet Protasiewica to the state Supreme Court, flipping control to a liberal majority ahead of rulings on an abortion ban and other matters that could play a role in the 2024 presidential election.

"I don't judge someone who is pro-choice any more than I want them to judge me for being pro-life," former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, the only female candidate in the Republican Presidential race, said in a speech this week interpreted as showing a softer approach than many Republicans on the issue.

Some Republican strategists have pointed to the party's struggle to win key recent races, saying the relentless focus by some state legislatures on banning abortion over the past year have backfired. In Kansas last summer, voters roundly defeated a measure that would have made it easier to ban abortion in that state.

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South Carolina Republicans have tried three times this legislative session to ban abortion, according to Senn, who favors a statewide referendum on the issue.

The vote to "continue," or delay, discussion of the proposed ban passed by just one vote on Thursday, state records show. The motion to end the women's filibuster also failed by one vote.

In Nebraska, a bill to ban most abortions at six weeks, before many women know they are pregnant, also failed by just one vote, with two senators not voting.

(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
Scenes for the new Wonka movie starring Timothee Chalamet being filmed on The Cobb harbour at Lyme Regis in Dorset. (Graham Hunt/Alamy Live News)

Fans of the Roald Dahl classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will be wanting to grab their golden tickets once more, as 2023 marks the release of Warner Bros. blockbuster Wonka.

Following in the footsteps of the 1971 classic Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and the 2005 adaptation with the same name as the novel, the new film will explore the early years of the eccentric chocolatier.

Warner Bros. first acquired the rights to Willy Wonka himself back in 2016, with initial production negotiations beginning in 2018.

Read more: Why is Warner Bros. making a Willy Wonka prequel?

Heres everything we know about Wonka so far.

Wonka release date

Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. (Paramount)

Wonka is currently scheduled to be released on 15 December, 2023.

The film was initially scheduled for release in March 2023, but was pushed back through adjustments to the Warner Bros. 2022/2023 film slate.

With the majority of filming taking place in the wake of COVID-19 restrictions, its more than likely that Wonka will be ready for its new December release date.

Wonka cast

Timothee Chalamet, seen here in 2021, will play the chocolatier. (Getty Images)

Only three stars currently have confirmed roles in this adaptation of Wonka.

Bones and All and Call Me By Your Name star Timothee Chalamet will appear in the titular role, fresh from the November release of Dune: Part Two. He was announced to play Willy Wonka in 2021. The famous chocolate maker was previously played by the late Gene Wilder, in the beloved 1971 original film, and Johnny Depp, in the 2005 remake.

Peep Show actor Paterson Joseph is also set to star as Arthur Slugworth, one of Wonkas rival chocolatiers.

Also, as revealed during CinemaCon 2023, Hugh Grant has been confirmed to appear as an Oompa-Loompa, with footage of his performance shared with those in attendance at the event in Las Vegas.

Paterson Joseph recently starred in the BBC's submarine drama Vigil. (World Productions)

Though their roles are yet unknown, there are plenty of other cast members slated to star in Wonka. Blackadder star Rowan Atkinson is set to appear in the film, alongside The Shape Of Water actress Sally Hawkins.

The Favourite Oscar-winner Olivia Colman is also billed on the castlist, with Matt Lucas and Keegan-Michael Key additionally scheduled for Wonka roles.

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Other names include The Mighty Boosh star Rich Fulcher, Ghosts' Simon Farnaby, Downton Abbey's Jim Carter, comedian Natasha Rothwell, Murder in Successville's Tom Davis, Horrible Histories' Matthew Baynton, and stage actor Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.

Wonka director and writers

Timothee Chalamet as Willy Wonka with director Paul King during filming on Wonka in October 2021. (Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)

Wonka is set to be directed by Paul King, who has previously worked on films including Paddington and its 2017 sequel, and Bunny and the Bull.

King was officially announced as the films director back in early 2021, alongside the announcement of the films new title.

Read more: Roald Dahl hated Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

The screenplay has been co-written by both King and Simon Farnaby, who is known for his work on Horrible Histories and Paddington 2.

The production team includes David Heyman, Luke Kelly, and Alexandra Derbyshire.

Wonka filming locations

Jordan Fry, Adam Godley and Johnny Depp in 2005's Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. (Alamy)

Filming took for Wonka place across England and Utah in the United States. In early 2022, Chalamet was spotted on set at Verulamium Park in St. Albans, which had been transformed into a wintry landscape with the help of fake snow.

Other UK locations have included Bath, Lyme Regis, Mapledurham and Wendover Airport, as well as the Warner Bros. studios in Leavesden, near Watford.

Wonka plot

Gene Wilder with the Oompa Loompas in 1971's Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory. (Alamy)

It has been revealed that Wonka will act as a prequel to the original 1964 novel, following a younger version of Willy Wonka in the days before he set up his infamous chocolate factory.

Specific plot details are as yet unknown, but it has been announced that Wonka will be a musical adaptation. In an interview with British Vogue, Chalamet revealed that he has seven musical numbers throughout the film, citing them as an escape to everyday life.

Read more: Movies delayed by legal battles

Speaking to ScreenRant in early 2022, star Natasha Rothwell said: I can't give away anything. I feel like I signed everything away to do it. But I had so much fun. I literally got back a few weeks ago from shooting in London. I was there for five months and I just think audiences are going to enjoy it.

The current IMDB synopsis for Wonka reads as follows:

The story will focus specifically on a young Willy Wonka and how he met the Oompa-Loompas on one of his earliest adventures.

Wonka trailer

Scenes for the new Wonka movie starring Timothee Chalamet being filmed on The Cobb harbour at Lyme Regis in Dorset in 2021. (Alamy)

Currently, there is no trailer for Wonka.

The movie is in post-production, but expect the first trailers to appear during the summer blockbuster period.

Some behind-the-scenes footage has been released on YouTube, including a clip of Chalamet filming a scene in Lyme Regis.

In another short clip, he can he heard singing atop a vehicle moving through The Cobb harbour.

Wonka is coming to cinemas on 15 December.
CHINLE, Ariz.  Many residents of Chinle in northeastern Arizona lost their homes when rain and water from snowmelt inundated their community last week.

Part of the Navajo Nation, Chinle was suffering from drought when the floodwaters came.

"This is the worst that I've seen ever since I've been living here," one Chinle resident said to FOX 10 reporter Marissa Sarbak.

Parts of Arizona and the Southwest experienced record snowfall during the winter. For example, the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, which lies west of Chinle, broke its snowfall record after receiving more than 250 inches of snow.

GRAND CANYON NORTH RIM SET TO REOPEN FOLLOWING RECORD-SETTING SNOW SEASON

As the snow melted with rising spring temperatures, the water flowed downstream, causing rivers and lakes downstream to surge.

According to the Facebook page of Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, the flooding in Chinle occurred Friday, after overflow from Wheatfields Lake and Tsaile Lake was released, and a berm meant to hold back the rising water failed.

Emergency officials try to tame the floodwaters.

The berm had held up against other flooding events for 15-20 years. This recent flooding event, however, was powerful enough to break it.

"A lot of homes that were right in the face of where the berm broke, and the water kept rushing into homes," Nygren said. "Some of them, that's the only thing that they have, and it was really sad to see."

For many residents, mud and sand now fill their cars and homes.

The Navajo Nation and Apache County Emergency Management Team created a joint command center directly overlooking the 3-mile radius of the affected area. Also, volunteers have sent food and water to residents.

According to Sarbak, the Navajo Nation issued an evacuation order ahead of the flooding, but many residents either could not or did not want to leave their property and livestock.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

The water has now been redirected, and much of it has receded. Sarbak reported, however, that more snowmelt is expected in the coming weeks.
A Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) family member will be honored at the White House today.

Lucas Robinson, 13, will unveil artwork chronicling his life as a military child during a ceremony. Lucas is the son of Space Force Lt. Col. Daniel Robinson of the National Air and Space Intelligence Center.

>> Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools vote to remove verbiage that protects LGBTQ+ students, staff

He will represent the U.S. Space Force by displaying his artwork in the White Houses East Room alongside artwork from children representing the other five services.

Lucas artwork, a decorated mini suitcase, was inspired by a military childs poem last year about a military suitcase that helps enable resiliency among the children of service members. It includes a representation of his familys travels in the Army and Space Force.

This is all part of a celebration honoring Aprils Month of the Military Child, according to a spokesperson from WPAFB.
Roland Coleman has spent two years trying to get on waitlist for a kidney transplant. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

In his Arcadia home, Roland Coleman grew increasingly frustrated as the months passed without an answer from Keck Medical Center of USC.

Coleman, 73, was seeking a kidney transplant to free him from his listless afternoons undergoing dialysis and lengthen what remains of his life.

Keck had indicated, in an educational video for transplant seekers, that the evaluation process could take up to six months. One year after Coleman went to Keck's Los Angeles campus for an orientation on its kidney transplant program, a Keck coordinator assured him in an email that "the team is reviewing your case."

Then in August  more than a year and a half after his Keck orientation  Coleman was told that his evaluation was closed. In a letter, Keck told Coleman he was too "high risk" to be a transplant candidate at that time, but said it might reconsider him if he took some additional steps.

Coleman, a "semi-retired" attorney who once served as president of the Los Angeles County Bar Assn., vigorously disputed their statements. For instance, Keck raised concerns about a medical condition requiring the use of blood thinners, but Coleman pointed to documents indicating he had gotten an implant that eliminated the need to take them.

Keck also said he needed to get psychiatric care for depression and anxiety, but Coleman countered he had previously seen a psychiatric professional and was taking medication  facts already laid out in a Keck assessment.

In a string of emails to the program, Coleman complained that Keck seemed unaware of information it had in its own records, saying that "you have all you need if someone would just read the material." He was galled that he was being asked to reconnect with a psychiatrist, saying that he would not have needed to do so if Keck had not dragged its feet.

An earlier evaluation, he pointed out, had found that getting a kidney transplant could ease his depression. Even more urgently, studies have shown that getting a kidney transplant is tied to a lower risk of death than staying on dialysis.

Story continues

"I have lost over a year during this tenuous period in my life," he wrote. "Medical treatment delayed is medical treatment denied."

Keck said every patient referred there for a kidney transplant is assigned a coordinator who communicates with them about their progress, but by last fall, Coleman said he wasn't sure who his coordinator was because the program had endured so much turnover. As of that time, he had had three coordinators over the course of his evaluation, according to the medical center.

The transplant program said its evaluation process can be delayed "due to issues with insurance approvals, outstanding records, or lapsed communication" between the patient and a coordinator, and such delays had been exacerbated amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The medical center said that Coleman, who provided consent for Keck to discuss his medical history with The Times, could still be assessed as a candidate after it sent the August letter, but there had been inconsistencies between his claims and its existing records, and that it needed more documents to reconsider his eligibility.

Keck said it had reached out to Coleman to tell him documents were needed in the months before its August decision, including by email in July, but did not provide a copy of such a message to The Times. Coleman said he had not gotten any messages asking for specific documents before the fall.

In September, he told Keck he had already provided a release to get any medical records they needed. A Keck representative told him that they had made efforts to do so, but "the ultimate responsibility for providing all required records lies with you as the patient."

Fed up with Keck, Coleman decided to undergo evaluation at another center. By early March, roughly five months after he was connected to the Providence St. Joseph program based in Orange, he was eagerly anticipating a decision on whether he could get onto the waitlist after a series of appointments, pleased that the process had moved faster there.

Then he was thwarted again.

Insurance company UnitedHealthcare had sent a letter granting approval for Coleman to go to Providence St. Joseph, but hospital officials said that when they sought to confirm his health insurance would cover his care after transplant  a step it takes before having a selection committee decide whether patients are waitlisted  they hit a roadblock.

Providence St. Joseph officials said UnitedHealthcare told them it made a mistake when it authorized Coleman to go there in September. Coleman needed to go to a transplant center in its network, it said, and that did not include Providence St. Joseph.

"We really advocated, saying that, 'We've done this entire evaluation. The patient is established with us. Hes happy with us,'" and tried to get approval for Coleman to get a transplant there, said Wendy Escobedo, director of nursing in dialysis and transplant for Providence St. Joseph.

Coleman was especially frustrated because he said UnitedHealthcare had pointed him there. "They called me and told me, 'Oh, we've got another program for you,'" he said.

A UnitedHealthcare spokesperson said, "We are working with Mr. Coleman to help him find a facility in his area for a transplant evaluation." As of March, the insurance company said it had granted authorization for Coleman to be evaluated at Keck and at UCLA.

More than two years have now passed since he first went to Keck to seek a transplant. Keck said in March that it had received documents that it needed and could reevaluate him as a candidate. Among the documents that Keck had received: one from a cardiologist stating that the risk of cardiac complications surrounding the surgery for him should be low.

But soon afterward, Keck said it was closing his case. It said that UnitedHealthcare affiliate Optum did not allow him to be evaluated at two programs, so moving forward with UCLA would prevent him from proceeding with Keck. Coleman worried about how much time restarting the process at UCLA could take, and how much time he now has left.

"I'm in a 'Twilight Zone' where I don't know who's going to do what," he said, "or when."

After The Times reached out to UnitedHealthcare and Optum about their rules, Coleman said he got a phone call from Optum saying he could be evaluated by both UCLA and Keck.

He later heard from Keck that his evaluation there could proceed, he said.

Coleman, as a seasoned attorney, is equipped to argue his case in ways that many patients are not. He has lodged complaints with regulatory bodies and is weighing possible lawsuits against Keck and UnitedHealthcare. As a lawyer, he has defended product manufacturers, which often involved questioning medical experts in court.

And as a Black man who had to endure racist insults during his career as an attorney, "what I had to do was be the best," Coleman said.

But years into his quest for a kidney, he said he felt defeated. "I shouldn't have to do all this," he said in an interview last fall at his Arcadia home, describing the hurdles he had faced at Keck. His blood pressure had been low that afternoon. At one point, he paused and put down his head, apologizing for not being at his best.

"I'm the sick one."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
By Doina Chiacu

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday he was worried about the future of American democracy, taking a veiled swipe at former U.S. President Donald Trump during a visit to New York.

"You guys are the greatest democracy in the world," Trudeau said at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. "Right now, it's not just that it's being taken for granted by so many citizens, it's actually being devalued."

Canada's Liberal prime minister did not refer to Trump by name but had harsh criticism for policies and practices closely identified with the former president, from isolationism to stoking voter anger.

In 2021, Trudeau blamed Trump as having incited his supporters to wage the violent Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

On Friday, he said similar forces were running rampant in Canada and other democracies, with people feeling the system was rigged, and politicians were tapping into that anger and anxiety aimed at government and democratic institutions.

"Because amplifying anger is a very effective short-term mobilization policy, strategy for politics," Trudeau said. "The tougher challenge is to figure out how to roll up your sleeves and solve it."

Trudeau praised President Joe Biden, the Democrat who beat Trump in 2020 as working to address economic and other factors behind the political unrest that marked his predecessor's tenure.

Trump, a businessman turned reality television host, left behind a more polarized U.S. when he vacated the White House in January 2021, with the economy badly damaged and political violence on the rise after his false claims the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

Abroad, Trump often invoked his "America First" agenda by dismantling or disrupting multilateral pacts, which alienated allies and spawned distrust in Washington's promises.

Trudeau acknowledged that people were left behind in the economic boom that followed global free trade pacts. He stressed it was politicians' responsibility to fix that, "not to burn it all down to attack our institutions to be isolationist protectionist, nativist."

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Josie Kao)
A car in New York was involved in a head-on crash with a school bus on Thursday afternoon and left four people with life-threatening injuries, according to officials.

The New Castle Police Department said that a 16-year-old unlicensed driver of a Honda Accord was involved in the crash with a school bus.

Police said that the teenager "lost control while rounding a curve, crossed into oncoming traffic and struck the bus head-on." Officers responded to the incident at around 2:15 p.m.

The driver of the Honda and three passengers were taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to police.

TEXAS MAN TOOK BREAK FROM DATE TO KILL FAKE PARKING ATTENDANT OVER $40 SCAM, POLICE SAY

Four people are hospitalized after a head-on crash in New Castle, NY.

Four people are hospitalized after a head-on crash in New Castle, NY.

Several passengers on the bus were taken to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries, officials said.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

A car in New York was involved in a head-on crash with a school bus on Thursday afternoon left four people with head-on injuries, according to officials.

The Westchester County District Attorneys Office is assisting in an investigation into the collision.
By Moira Warburton

(Reuters) - New York will return three antiquities worth $725,000 to the people of Yemen, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced on Friday, as part of a criminal investigation into a Manhattan-based private collector.

The antiquities - including an alabaster ram from the 5th century B.C.E., which was looted during the Yemeni Civil War in 1994 - were seized from the Manhattan apartment of Shelby White, a board of trustees member of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

The investigation into White by the Manhattan Antiquities Trafficking Unit "has allowed dozens of antiquities that were ripped from their countries of origin to finally return home," Bragg said. "These are just three of nearly 1,000 antiquities we have repatriated over the past 16 months."

The district attorney's office thanked Shelby for cooperating in the investigation.

In December, the Art Newspaper, a trade publication, reported that the Manhattan district attorney's office had seized $24 million worth of antiquities from White's apartment.

The Yemeni pieces will be on temporary display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington until Yemeni authorities can safely repatriate them.

(Reporting by Moira Warburton in Washington; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
In his evening address, President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russias latest large-scale missile strike against Ukraine that killed 26 people, including five children, on April 28.

Today, our Air Force managed to shoot down most of the Russian missiles  21 out of 23. If not for this, the terrorist state would have managed to claim many more lives, Zelensky said in his video address.

And this proves once again that we can stop terror and save people only with weapons, he added.

Zelensky also expressed condolences to the families of those killed in the Russian missile attack on Uman, a city in Cherkasy Oblast. There, a Russian missile hit a nine-story residential building in the early hours of April 28, killing 23 people, including four children.

Update: 23 killed, including 4 children, in Russian missile attack on Uman As of 7 p.m. local time, 23 people are known to be killed in Russias April 28 missile strike on Uman, Cherkasy Oblast, Interior Ministry reported. A body of a child was found under the rubble, bringing the total number of children killed by the missile attack to four. Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

A missile on Uman, an absolutely peaceful city known worldwide for hosting tens of thousands of Hasidic pilgrims every yearOnly absolute evil can unleash such terror against Ukraine, Zelensky said.

Earlier in the day, the National Police said that at least 18 people had also been injured in Uman, nine of whom had been hospitalized.

According to first responders, the attack partially destroyed three upper floors of the apartment building, causing large fires.

Other missiles Russia launched on April 28 targeted Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv oblasts.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the April 28 mass missile attack is another proof Ukraine needs to be supplied with American-made F-16 fighter jets.

"The way to peace is to kick Russia out of Ukraine. The way to peace is to arm Ukraine with F-16s and protect children from Russian terror," Kuleba said on Twitter.

Ukraine has been asking to receive F-16 warplanes to protect its airspace from Russian attacks and strengthen its upcoming counteroffensive. Yet, many allies, most notably the U.S. and Germany, have not backed the idea.
The military commanders from military staffing centres will be sent to the contact line, and they will be replaced by injured soldiers.

Source: Oleksii Reznikov, Minister of Defence of Ukraine, cited by Ukrinform

Quote: "The President of Ukraine [Volodymyr Zelenskyy  ed.] gave Valerii Zaluzhnyi [Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - ed.] a simple but serious recommendation to send the majority of military commanders, who currently have office jobs in staffing centres, to the contact line as soldiers.

They can be replaced with injured soldiers who are also competent in conducting mobilisation activities."

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
A conditional rezoning request for 136 townhomes on 13 acres on Dillard Road in Madison Heights near the U.S. 29 Business intersection received the Amherst County Planning Commissions recommendation of approval at its April meeting.

The request to rezone the property from General Commercial, R-2, to Multi-Family Residential, R-3, is from Adam Huffines, owner of Motor World at the corner of the intersection. The commission held a public hearing on the request in March and tabled the matter for further review.

Tyler Creasy, co-director of community development, presented the commission on April 20 with a traffic impact analysis from the Virginia Department of Transportation for the townhome project.

During a March 16 public hearing, several residents of Coleman Road, which is located close to Motor World at the intersection of Dillard Road and U.S. 29, voiced opposition and concerns in large part based on increased traffic in a congested stretch of Madison Heights.

Creasy told commissioners April 20 that the high density townhome project would only have an entrance from Dillard Road and the only emergency medical services and law enforcement could access the property from Coleman Road. The rezoning request will head to the Amherst County Board of Supervisors for consideration and is separate from a business expansion zoning request Huffines has pending before the board for the Motor World property.

The mix of two-story and three-story townhouses would be affordably priced and help meet a growing housing need for the area, according to Russ Nixon, a land surveyor for the project.

The 136-home figure is the maximum allowed and that figure could possibly go down, Nixon told the commission in March.

The 13 acres are located within the countys designated growth area and has public water and sewer. The site has an existing pond that the developer plans to use as a stormwater feature, according to county documents.

The intent of R-3 zoning is to maximize the use of available public water and sewer and roads by dense developments, according to the county.
A special use permit seeking to establish a halfway house in Goode is set to go before the Bedford County Planning Commission on Tuesday for a public hearing.

The applicant, Sobrius Curae, LLC, of Galax is requesting the permit for a parcel on the 4000 block of Lowry Road. The proposed use is a facility licensed through the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and the Department of Licensing for an American Society of Addiction of Medicine for a chemical dependency program, consisting of 30-day inpatient treatment for 16 residents.

The uses surrounding the property include single-family residential, agriculture and undeveloped parcels, and Otter River Elementary School is less than a mile away, according to county documents. The proposed halfway house use is permitted in the Agricultural Village Center zoning district through a special use permit.

The applicant, in documents before the commission, states we hope to utilize this property as a low-key, low visibility, impactful site that provides peace, serenity and calmness our residents need during treatment in order to focus on their recovery. Our homes are staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with personnel from extensive training backgrounds in the field that we serve.

Jason Stevens, authorized agent for the application, wrote Sobrius focuses on trauma, mental health, and substance abuse and reemphasizes life skills and trades to help residents become productive members of society. He wrote Sobrius anticipates remodeling several buildings and adding media, exercise and relaxation rooms and 13 staff will operate three shifts per day.

A letter from Bedford County School Board Chair Susan Falls Kirby, on behalf of the board, sent to members of the commission and Bedford County Board of Supervisors, is included in the commissions meeting agenda packet for Tuesday. The letter expresses our unanimous opposition to the proposed drug rehabilitation facilitys location.

While the school board understands the need for such a facility in Bedford County, the proposed location within a mile of Otter River Elementary is not the place, the letter states. Many residents have presented concerns to school board members in the past few months, according to the letter.

We believe the children of our community are our most valuable commodity and their protection is paramount, and we would hope that you would believe the same, Kirby wrote in the letter. While we are certain safety precautions will be taken to keep this facility safe to both residents of the facility and the community, it is our belief that this is putting our school at a great potential risk.

The commissions meeting and hearing is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday in the third floor meeting room of the Bedford County administration building, 122 E. Main St., Bedford.
BEDFORD  A travel park for recreational vehicles has the green light from Town of Bedford officials to set up operations on a seven-acre site bordering Longwood Avenue and Independence Boulevard.

Bedford Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a conditional use permit for the RV park, which includes 35 lots for recreational vehicles with visitor amenities done in two phases with access from Independence Boulevard near its intersection with Virginia 122 and U.S. 221.

Christopher Blair, the applicant, said the new travel park will benefit the town.

We need to bring people to Bedford to visit Bedford and have that wow factor for Bedford, Blair said. Thats what we are trying to develop here in that part of town.

The 7.4-acre property in a business-zoned district currently has two empty buildings being renovated and the remaining acreage is vacant. One of the buildings will have bathrooms for the travel park.

Town Manager Bart Warner said the travel park use for RVs was added to the towns zoning ordinance in 2022 through a conditional use permit process.

The project will include tree placement for adjoining neighbors and limiting visibility, no entrance from Longwood Avenue, pedestrian safety improvements to lighting as well as a sidewalk to the Food Lion shopping center, according to town documents.

Ed Adams, who lives a quarter-mile from the planned RV park, spoke in favor of it during a public hearing before council Tuesday and said the new use is much better than what was in place under a previous owner.

Its good for the economy. Its good for the tourism in this area, Adams said. The people that brought this piece of property have done a tremendous job ... as a town we need to move on and accept change.

Town resident Maurice Hensen also spoke in favor of the new park, adding he feels too many for rent signs are in Bedford for properties than can be better used.

I think we should be behind it, Hensen said.

Town resident David Thomas said he also supports the new venture.

I think its a great thing for the town, Thomas said. Im sure the town will benefit from it tremendously.

Bedford resident Daniel Roberts during the hearing asked council to ensure oversight of tracking the limited stays at the park.

Blair said Bedford needs to take advantage of the RV travel industry that pours in billions of dollars in economic activity across the country.

We have nowhere for them to stay. We saw a need for it, Blair said. The location we came across is ideal for it. Its a really great spot.

Blair said people traveling as part of the RV experience will love the close proximity to several restaurants, stores and gas stations as well as downtown Bedford and its many businesses. The National D-Day Memorial and the Peaks of Otter also are draws those travelers will love, he said.

That brings business to Bedford and thats what we are shooting for, Blair said.

The goal is for RV users to feel like they are camping as bathrooms and pavilions will be available and each lot will have water, sewer and electrical hookups, according to Blair.

Theyre good people, theyre safe people, theyre honest people, Blair said of RV users the park plans to attract. They want to spend money, they want to visit, they want to enjoy the area theyre in in a safe and clean matter and we think we can provide that.

The RV park would be subject to Virginia Department of Health campground regulations, according to the town. The most recent average daily vehicle traffic estimate in that stretch of Independence Boulevard is 8,600 vehicle trips per day and on Longwood Avenue is 8,400 per day, data from the Virginia Department of Transportation shows.

Blair told council the goal around this time next year is to be up and running with the first phase of 25 lots. He said the project will take some time to develop and it will be well marketed.

Were ready to go, Blair said. This is a huge project for Bedford.
A Lynchburg City Councilor is calling on the citys school division to cancel future performances of what he deems to be a controversial play at one of the citys high schools, threatening the superintendents job if the school board does not scrap the play.

However, the citys school board is saying it has no plans to cancel the remaining performances of the play, according to a statement from the boards chair.

At-large City Councilor Martin Misjuns, in an email sent Wednesday night to Lynchburg City School Board Chairman James Coleman, as well as Misjuns colleagues on council, school board members, and various city and school staff members, called for the division to cancel the remaining performances of the play The Prom, which is currently being held at Heritage High Schools Pioneer Theatre and features students from both Lynchburg high schools.

However, Coleman issued a statement on Thursday saying, The Lynchburg City School Board has the utmost trust in the staff who initiated and directed our students in the high school production  The Prom. Therefore, the remaining performances of The Prom will continue as scheduled.

The Prom is a theater musical by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin, which follows four Broadway actors as they travel to a small town in Indiana to help a lesbian student who was banned from bringing her girlfriend to a high school prom.

The play is based off a real-life situation that occurred in 2010, when Constance McMillen, a high school senior in Mississippi, attempted to bring her girlfriend to prom in a tuxedo, but was instead banned. After challenging the result and suing the school district with the ACLU, it was found the school district violated her First Amendment rights, however the district was not required to continue with the prom.

The districts school board eventually reversed the ban on McMillen; however, the prom was hardly attended, with a separate prom taking place elsewhere for other students.The play has been a part of Pioneer Theatres 2022-23 play season, with performances taking place on April 21-23 at Heritage High School, as well as performances from April 26-28.

In the email sent to the school board chair, Misjuns wrote, If our school superintendent does not cancel the rest of these plays for the offensive content, the school board should ask for [Superintendent Crystal Edwards] resignation. Our citizens tax dollars SHOULD NOT be funding Anti-Christian sentiment carried out by the youth in our schools, overseen by what should be responsible adults.

In addition to calling for canceled performances, and potentially the superintendents job, Misjuns said he wants the script to be reviewed by legal counsel to determine if our public dollars funding this hate speech is in violation of Virginias Human Rights Act, the Civil Rights Act, or both.

Misjuns, who also read lines of the play into the record during Lynchburg City Councils work session on April 25, wrote to Coleman that he has heard from constituents all day about the highly offensive and distasteful performance, saying it is absolutely appalling to me that our local public school system would put on a production with children that openly mocks the Judeo-Christian faith.

Misjuns claims the play refers to those who practice the Judeo-Christian faith as: Fist pumping, Bible thumping, SPAM eating, cousin humping, cow tipping, shoulder slumping, tea bagging, Jesus jumping, and losers and their inbred wives.

The councilman later wrote The mere thought that children are PRACTICING and PERFORMING this level of bigotry is beyond belief.

He also cited several other lines from the play that he says divides people by race and physical characteristics, as well as other areas that depict Judeo-Christian members of our community as people who desire to judge and damn others to hell, and execute members of our community and their families for promiscuity.

Misjuns, who currently has an active lawsuit against the City of Lynchburg alleging the city violated his First Amendment rights, said in the email that this is not a First Amendment issue.

This is an issue of publicly-funded speech that strikes at the heart of laws in our nation that oppose discrimination on the basis of race and religion. I would say the same thing if this marginalized any other class of people in our community being spoken of in derogatory, belittling and dehumanizing terms, he wrote.

Lynchburg high schools are not the only ones in Virginia to perform The Prom. Woodbridge Senior High School in Woodbridge, Va. performed the play from April 21-23, according to the school theaters Facebook page.

Mayor Stephanie Reed told The News & Advance on Thursday that up until Misjuns read lines from the play during Tuesdays work session that she was unaware of the play going on in the school division.

She added, if there are any parents in the community who are upset about the content of this production, I would urge them to reach out to the school board and make those concerns known as soon as possible.

Lynchburg City Schools did not provide a statement prior to the time of publishing.
Lighthouse Bible Church

Lighthouse Bible Church, 2136 Fifth Ave., invites the community to participate in our live Sunday worship service at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.

The Sunday sermon is prerecorded and can be viewed on our website, lighthousemc.com. Dress is casual, and coffee and refreshments are provided.

Upcoming events: Prayer and Study, 7 p.m. Wednesdays. Movie Night Friday, April 28 at 7 p.m.

Mt. Hope United Methodist

Mt. Hope United Methodist Church, 290th and Highway 6, McClelland, would like to invite all to join us on Sunday mornings for our worship service at 9:30 a.m. Children are welcome for the regular worship service and childrens sermon during the worship service. You do not have to be a member to participate in our church activities. Everyone is welcome.

Gethsemane Presbyterian ChurchGethsemane Presbyterian Church, 224 Wallace Ave., invites you to worship with us. The service runs from 9 to 10 a.m. on Sundays. The Rev. Nancy Ross-Hullinger will deliver the message, Fellowship. Children are invited to participate in Sunday school. Please join us for refreshments following the service.

Adult Bible study meets on Mondays and Thursdays from 9 to 10 a.m.

Sloppy Joe Bingo will be on Thursday, May 18. Dinner will begin at 6 p.m., followed by bingo at 6:30. For $10 per person, you get a sloppy joe sandwich, chips and dessert, plus 20 games of bingo.

Our church is collecting Iowa 5 cent refund cans/bottles for one of our mission projects. Your donations help! Bags can be dropped off anytime at our front door.

We are also collecting diapers and wipes for children. These can also be left in bags by the front door.

Our Food Pantry is open on Mondays and Thursdays until 10:30 a.m. Donations are welcome. For more information, contact the church office at 712-366-2513 or visit us on Facebook at gethsemanepresbyterianchurch.org.

Timothy Lutheran Church

Timothy Lutheran Church, 3112 W. Broadway, offers services at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Sundays. The church alternates between traditional services and praise services each week. Bible study and Sunday school at 9:15 a.m. If a month has a fifth Sunday, the church hosts a combined service at 9 a.m. Food and fellowship after service on fifth Sundays and there is no Bible study or Sunday school on those days. The church is handicap accessible. For more information, visit the church website at timothylutheran.net.

St. Pauls Evangelical Country Church

We all need the Lord, so join us at St. Pauls Evangelical Country Church. The church bell rings each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. to welcome people to worship at 11055 Dumfries Ave. There are directional signs from Wabash Avenue and Pioneer Trail leading to the church.

We are a growing, caring and friendly Bible-teaching church led by Pastor Jason Kinney. Sunday school for children and adults begins at 9:15. We have childrens church later in the service. Greeters are Jan Peters and Connie Tillia. Each week, we enjoy donuts and coffee in the Fellowship Hall after worship.

The ladies Bible study meets Wednesdays at 1 p.m. Youth group will meet on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Young Adult Discipleship Group will meet Thursday at 7 p.m.

Visit our website at stpaulsecc.org for more information. We are handicapped accessible.

Underwood Lutheran Church

Underwood Lutheran Church, 10 Third Ave., will hold Sunday activities on April 30. Education begins at 9 a.m. In-person worship begins at 10:15 a.m. Affirmation of Baptism will be celebrated, and Pastor Scott Dalen will deliver a sermon based on John 10:1-10.

The online video will be available later in the day.

Compass Christian ChurchCompass Christian Church welcomes you to worship with us Sundays at 10:30 a.m. We are located at 2007 S. Seventh St., just west of the South Expressway. The church is handicap accessible. During worship, a cry room is available, along with childcare for children ages 1 to 4. Compass Kids grades K-5 meet downstairs for special Bible lessons during the sermon. You may also worship with us at compasscb.online.church or on YouTube.

Monday morning Bible study meets at 10 a.m. weekly. Separate mens and womens Bible study groups meet on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. The Bridge Young Adults (ages 18-30) meet on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 6:30 p.m. The next meeting is May 2.

On Wednesdays, students in grades 6-12 meet at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting is held at 6:30 p.m.

For questions or more information, visit our Facebook page, Compass Christian Church CB, our website compasscb.org or call the church office at 712-366-9112.

Fifth Avenue United Methodist Church

Fifth Avenue United Methodist Church, 1800 Fifth Ave., invites the public to participate in our live worship service at 10:30 a.m. Sundays. The service will be recorded live and can be viewed on our Facebook page: Fifth Avenue UMC, Council Bluffs. Face masks are optional.

Upcoming events: Meal & Message, April 26 and May 10 and 24 at 6 p.m. A Fun-raiser dessert auction will be held May 21 at 11:45 a.m. The church office can be reached at 712-323-7374 or through our email at fifthaveumchurch@gmail.com.

Broadway United Methodist Church

Broadway United Methodist, First Street and Broadway, is seeking, growing and serving with unconditional love and acceptance. On Sunday, April 30, we will hold a single blended service at 9:30 a.m. Coffee and donuts will be served in the DeLong Lounge after the service. Our services are held in person and livestreamed to our Facebook page or broadwayunitedmethodist.com/live. Masks are optional.

Student Life Breakthrough is held Sundays at 6 p.m. On Mondays, Philips Cupboard, a nonfood pantry, is open noon to 2 p.m. United Women in Faith meets at 1 p.m. Bibles at Barleys is at 7:30 p.m. on Monday for those over 21.

The womens book study meets at 5 p.m. on Wednesdays. The praise band practices at 5:30. A community meal is held at 6 p.m. A Foundations Adult Group meets Wednesday at 6:30 in the DeLong Lounge while BUMC Kids and Student Life meet. The bell choir practices at 6:30, followed by the choir at 7:30. The Mens Brown Bag Bible Study will be held Thursday at noon.

On Friday, the church office is closed but Philips Cupboard is open noon to 2 p.m.

Upcoming events: Aldersgate Spring District Conference will be May 7 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Zoom. The summer kickoff block party will be Wednesday, May 17 from 6 to 8 p.m.

For more information, visit our website at broadwayunitedmethodist.com or call the office at 712-322-7741 (closed Fridays).

Bethany Presbyterian Church

Bethany Presbyterian Church, 1900 S. Seventh St., will have worship at 11 a.m. Pastor Nancy Ross-Hullingers message will be Fellowship, and the scripture will be Acts 2:42-47. There will be a childrens chat.

There will be a cleaning of the church on Friday, April 28 at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 29 is our garage sale from 8 a.m. to noon.

We are a handicap accessible facility.

Community of Christ Church

Community of Christ Church, 140 W. Kanesville Blvd., invites people to attend Sunday worship at 10:15 a.m. Our theme this week is Find Wholeness. Scripture readings will be 1 Peter 2:19-25; Psalm 23; John 10:1-10; and Acts 2:42-47.

Sunday school starts at 9:15 a.m. We also have prayer service Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

Please call our office at 712-323-4498 for any questions. There are virtual ministries out on our World Church Website under Ongoing Ministries at cofchrist.org.

Epworth United Methodist Church

Are you searching to know more about God and His divine plan for you? Epworth United Methodist Church, 2447 Ave. B, is a place you can visit to grow your knowledge and experience with God. Join us for worship Sundays at 9:30 a.m. There is room for the little ones in the family to learn about God according to their ages. The people are friendly, worship is meaningful and the building is handicap accessible.

You are also invited to our Bible study on Thursdays at 10 a.m. We are currently going through the book of Proverbs. Join us in seeking Gods presence and answers.

We are in prayer for the healing of our community and a nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. If you want us to pray for you personally, let us know. We believe God is powerful to provide, redeem us from our wrongdoings and, more importantly, heal the soul and the body. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Phone: 712-323-3124. You can find us on Facebook at Friends of Epworth UMC/Facebook.

Faith Lutheran ChurchFaith Lutheran Church (LCMS), 2100 S. 11th St., invites you to join us for creative worship with contemporary songs at our 9 a.m. Sunday service. The LWML will be collecting noisy Mites.

On Tuesday, there is a 9:30 a.m. adult Bible study in the downstairs fellowship hall that is open to everyone. Please use the rear door. Wednesday there is confirmation at 5:45 p.m.

Worship services are available on Faiths Facebook page and on YouTube by searching for Ron Rosenkaimer. For more information, check our webpage or contact the church office at 712-323-6445.

New Horizon Presbyterian Church

On April 23, New Horizon Presbyterian Church, 30 Valley View Drive, will hold worship services at 8, 9 and 11 a.m. Youth and adult Sunday school will be at 10 a.m.

On Wednesdays, the Praise Band meets from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m., the Chancel Bell Choir from 6:30 to 7:30 and the Chancel Choir from 7:30 to 8:30. There will be a Red Cross blood drive on May 1 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Deacons will meet on May 4 at 6 p.m.

If you are ill, please worship from home by watching our Facebook page, facebook.com/NewHorizonPC.

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Westminster Presbyterian Church, 517 S. 32nd St., invites everyone to our 10:30 a.m. Sunday worship service as we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Easter. The Rev. Portia Iverson will deliver the sermon.

Donations for One Great Hour of Sharing are still being received.

We are handicapped accessible through the northeast door of the church.

Corpus Christi Catholic Parish

Join us for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Easter. The Liturgy of the Word will be Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 23:1-6; 1 Peter 2:20b-25; and John 10:1-10.

Our Weekend Mass in English is celebrated on Saturday at 4 p.m. and on Sunday at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. at Corpus Christi Queen of Apostles, 3304 4th Ave., Council Bluffs; and at 9:30 a.m. at Corpus Christi Our Lady of Carter Lake, 3501 North Ninth St., Carter Lake. Our Sunday Spanish Mass is at noon at Corpus Christi Queen of Apostles.

Daily Mass is celebrated as follows: In English on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8 a.m. (Council Bluffs) and in Spanish on Monday and Thursday at 6 p.m. (Council Bluffs).

Eucharistic Adoration is held every Monday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. at Corpus Christi Queen of Apostles.

The parish will hold a huge rummage and bake sale Thursday, May 18 and Friday, May 19 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday, May 20 from 9 a.m. to noon in the Great Hall at Corpus Christi Queen of Apostles.

For more information, call the parish office at 712-323-2916 or 712-323-4716 (Spanish) or visit our parish website at www.corpuschristiparishiowa.org.

Emanuel Lutheran ChurchEmanuel Lutheran Church, 2444 N. Broadway, welcomes everyone to come as you are and be who you are! Our weekly worship service is Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Students will be dismissed for Sunday school after the Gospel lesson. Coffee and donuts will be available in the community room after church.

Other events this week include Tai Chi Monday at 10 a.m. in the youth center, Bible study Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in the conference room, Tai Chi Thursday at 10 a.m. in the youth center and Craft Inn Saturday at 10 a.m.

Services are streamed on our YouTube channel, Facebook page and Twitter. Visit us online at emanuelcb.org.

Saint John Lutheran Church

Saint John Lutheran Church, 633 Willow Ave., holds worship at 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 8:30 and 11 a.m. on Sundays. Worship is also available to watch on YouTube. Our website is www.SaintJohnELCA.org, and our Facebook page is Saint John Lutheran Church Council Bluffs IA.

Wednesday morning Bible study meets at 9 a.m., and Wednesday evening Bible study meets at 6:30 p.m. The bell choir practices at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, and the Chancel Choir starts practice at 7:30 p.m. Confirmation students and high school youth also meet Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.

Please call the church office with any questions, 712-323-7173.

Broadway Christian Church

The congregation invites you to join us for Sunday worship at 9 a.m. at Broadway Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 2658 Ave. A. Masks are optional. A hearing loop is installed for those who need it.

This Sunday, the Rev. Patti Ford will provide the message, A Shepherd, A Gate, A Lamb. We celebrate communion weekly, and it is open to all. Each week, you are invited to enjoy coffee and donuts following worship in Fellowship Hall.

Pieceful Hearts Quilters meet the second Tuesday of each month at 9:30 a.m. Bible Study meets each Wednesday at 10 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome at both.

Alcoholics Anonymous meets Mondays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m. Overeaters Anonymous meets Mondays at noon and Tuesdays at 6 p.m. The church is ADA-accessible. To submit prayer requests or for more information, call the church office at 712-323-7741 or email us at office@bcccb.org. Visit us online at www.bcccb.org or on Facebook.

First Congregational UCC Church

Come and join us for worship at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at First Congregational Church (United Church of Christ), located at 611 First Ave. near Bayliss Park. Coffee and light snacks are provided. Our service is also available via Zoom. Please email the church for information on how to join the Zoom meeting: cbfirstcong@gmail.com.

First Congregational hosts a weekly NAR-ANON meeting Mondays at 7 p.m. (ring the doorbell by .entrance on the Bayliss Park side). We host a free Community Dinner the last Friday of each month from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Everyone is always welcome at First Congregational to enjoy worship, a meal and fellowship.

Our Saviors Lutheran Church

Our Saviors Lutheran Church, 600 Bluff St., can be reached at 712-322-6655. Everyone is welcome. The church is handicapped accessible.

Worship services are Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning services are livestreamed on Facebook. Adult Sunday school is at 9:15 a.m., and youth Sunday school is at 9:30. All are welcome! For more information, see our Facebook page, Our Saviors Lutheran Church Council Bluffs or our website at oursaviorscb.org.

Other activities this week include Al-Anon meetings Monday and Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Education Building. Thursday morning Bible Study will meet from 9:30 to 11 a.m., and Prayer Team will meet at 11:15 a.m. Thursday evening Bible study will meet at 7 p.m. On Thursday evening, bell choir practices at 6:30 and choir practices at 7:30.

Food Pantry and Pet Food Pantry are open by appointment Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. To schedule an appointment, please call the Food Pantry directly at 712-522-3522 on the day it is open. For more information, see our Facebook page under Our Saviors Lutheran Church of Council Bluffs or the website at oursaviorscb.org.

St. Johns United Church of Christ

St. Johns United Church of Christ, 400 Cloverdale Drive, welcomes everyone to attend Sunday service at 10:15 a.m. Pastor Don Morgans Installation at St. Johns will be on April 23 at 3 p.m., followed by an all-church potluck.

For information on how to join us by Zoom, email the church at stjohnsucccb@gmail.com. You can also follow us on Facebook at stjohnsucc-council bluffs or call 712-322-2174 for additional information.

St. Pauls Episcopal Church

St. Pauls Episcopal Church is located at 22 Dillman Drive in Council Buffs. Services held each Sunday morning at 11 a.m., we invite visitors to attend and share with us these very enjoyable and enlightening services. For additional information, please contact the church at 712-323-7188.
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A support group for Moroccos autonomy plan in the Sahara has been set up at the Peruvian Parliament, showing the firm backing of the lawmakers of this South American country to Moroccos

territorial integrity and sovereignty over its Saharan provinces.

Members of this group affirm that the autonomy plan is the only solution to the Sahara regional dispute. They pledged to defend the credible and realistic autonomy offered by Morocco for the Sahara under its autonomy.

The creation of this group was announced during the 2nd meeting of Peru-Morocco Parliamentary Friendship Group convened last Tuesday inside the Peruvian Congress.

The support group includes Ernesto Bustamante Donayre, chairman of Peru-Morocco Parliamentary Friendship Group, Maricarmen Alva Prieto, Head of Parliaments Foreign Affairs Committee, Jose Cueto Aservi, Head of Parliament Intelligence Committee and several other influential Peruvian MPs.

Commenting the creation of this support group, Mr. Bustamante said the Peruvian Congress supports the autonomy plan and Moroccos sovereignty over its entire Sahara territory. He also called on the Peruvian government to reconsider its wrong decision of restoring ties with Polisario separatist group.

For her part, Alva Prieto stressed the need to reverse the Peruvian governments decision undermining the territorial integrity of a friendly country.

Mr. Jose Cueto Aservi called for strengthening further relations between the two countries and benefiting from Moroccos experience in security governance, renewable energy, agriculture, industry

Other MPs called on the Peruvian government to recognize the Moroccan proposal as the only solution to the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.

Moroccan Ambassador to Peru Amin Chaoudri said the autonomy plan was proposed by Morocco in 2007 to end the political stalemate over the Sahara issue, affirming the Moroccan plan, which is described as serious & credible by the UN, is the only realistic and pragmatic political solution to this regional dispute.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is set to approve by end of May a $100 million loan program to Banque Misr, under the Financial Intermediaries Framework (FIF), to finance micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The program, according to the EBRD website, will support BMs lending to private MSMEs in Egypt, where the gaps in access to finance are high, with a focus on regional outreach and attracting new MSME clients.

It also aims to ensure prudent lending practices and adequate portfolio quality, the website added. Banque Misr ranked the second-largest bank in Egypt by the end of September 2022, with a market share of 18.2 percent, 17.6 percent and 20.1 percent in terms of assets, loans, and deposits, respectively.

EBRD is planning to invest over $1.4 billion in Egypt, , Ahram Online reports.
Cote dIvoire and The Gambia signed Thursday three agreements spanning several areas.

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara made the announcement following a meeting with his visiting Gambian counterpart Adama Barrow. The agreements, Ouattara told the media, touch on air cooperation that will lead to flight connection between the two countries via the national carriers of both countries, energy and a general framework of cooperation between the Parties to strengthen their bilateral relationship for a period of 5 years.

We will work to strengthen and diversify our relationships, particularly in the private sector, the Ivorian President said.

This visit is a strong sign of my commitment as well as that of my government and the entire Gambian population to see this Ivorian-Gambian cooperation strengthened between our populations, Barrow said on his part.
From a year ago to now, drought conditions have gone from bad to worse for the Telegraph area, according to maps generated by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Januarys snow helped, but North Platte is still 1.59 inches below the normal of 3.98 inches for the year to this date, according to the National Weather Service at North Platte.

The weakening of a two-year long La Nina pattern could bring more favorable conditions. In Nebraska, the drought is expected to continue at least through the end of July but could become less severe, according to the NWS Climate Prediction Center.

La Nina is characterized by stronger-than-normal trade winds pushing warm ocean water from the equatorial Pacific toward Asia. There was more upwelling of cold water than usual to the ocean surface along the west coast of Central America, pushing the atmospheric jet stream northward. That generally lead to drought in portions of the central and southern U.S. along with colder winter temperatures than usual in the North.

An El Nino pattern may develop later in the year, according to the NWS. That would again alter weather patterns but may or may not bring more precipitation than normal to Nebraska. In an El Nino event, the upwelling of cold water from below the surface of the oceans is diminished compared with normal.

The NWS outlook shows a likelihood of near normal precipitation for the Telegraph area in the period from May through July, with a slight tendency toward above-normal precipitation in eastern Nebraska in late summer. Higher chances for above-normal precipitation exist for southeast and eastern areas of the United States in the summer and early fall.

Temperature outlooks for western Nebraska have a slight tendency toward above normal through the summer months, with higher than normal temperature outlooks for western, southern and eastern portions of the country.

As for current drought conditions, the area from Nebraska through the southwest two-thirds of Kansas, the west half of Oklahoma the Texas Panhandle and south central Texas have been hit particularly hard.
Thursdays one-vote failure of an anti-abortion fetal heartbeat bill likely will reverberate through the rest of the 2023 Legislature and beyond, state Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte said Thursday.

I dont think any of us really saw this coming, necessarily, the District 42 lawmaker said of the 32-15 vote, one shy of the 33 needed, in favor of breaking a second-round filibuster of Legislative Bill 626.

Jacobson and western Nebraskas other four senators  Tom Brewer of Gordon, Steve Erdman of Bayard, Brian Hardin of Gering and Teresa Ibach of Sumner  were among LB 626s 30 cosponsors and again voted to move it forward Thursday.

But it was the 30th cosponsor, Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, who doomed LB 626 by declining to vote on Thurston Sen. Joni Albrechts motion to cease debate on her bill to generally ban abortions when an ultrasound detects a fetal heartbeat.

Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, who voted against first-round approval April 12, also declined to vote Thursday on the cloture motion to cease debate. Speaker John Arch of La Vista said afterward that LB 626 wont return to the floor this session.

Riepe, a registered Republican, had introduced an amendment before first-round debate to rewrite the bill to ban abortions after 12 weeks gestation instead of at roughly six weeks under Albrechts bill. Current law forbids abortions after 20 weeks.

But Jacobson noted that Riepe, who joined the first-round votes to break an eight-hour filibuster and advance LB 626, had said he would continue to support Albrechts bill regardless of whether his amendment succeeded.

We knew Riepe was on the fence, he said. But I asked Riepe Tuesday morning if he was going to be on board to be with us if his amendment didnt pass, and he said, Im not saying.

Riepe introduced a revised version of his 12-week amendment before second-round debate started Thursday. It was still pending when Albrecht moved to end debate so the bill could move to its third and final round.

Many of LB 626s supporters left the State Capitol for a four-day recess angry with the outcome and with Riepe, Jacobson said.

Why would you say Ill vote for the clean bill either way? he said. That effectively gave us permission to vote against his amendment.

Jacobson predicted a rough legislative road ahead for Riepe, who previously served in the Legislature and was made chairman of the Business and Labor Committee upon his return in January.

Everyone understands the ramifications of all their votes, he said. If you are expected to vote yes (and) committed to vote yes and you dont vote yes, it can affect how people vote on your other bills.

Jacobson also noted that Wayne, who represents the Florence area in far northeast Omaha, was the next-to-last of the 49 senators called upon on the roll-call vote to break the filibuster.

He thought about it and thought about it, and literally the place just stopped and he was silent, Jacobson said. He finally said, Not voting.

Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, the Unicamerals presiding officer, paused before announcing the final vote in case Riepe wanted to change his vote.

Riepe just stayed sitting there, Jacobson said. The fact that hes a cosponsor on the bill and wouldnt give us a cloture vote is just unbelievable to me.

LB 626 might have one last chance this session, he added, should Riepe ask that the cloture motion to be reconsidered. Gov. Jim Pillen, who supports the fetal heartbeat bill, publicly urged Riepe to do just that after Thursdays vote.

But theres no reason to reconsider if hes not going to change his vote, Jacobson said.

This could have some major ramifications for (votes) the remainder of the session and the rest of the (two-year) biennium, because there are some people who are extremely upset.

Jacobson, who spoke emotionally during first-round debate of the death of his prematurely born son, John, said he would support any measure that rules out abortions sooner than 20 weeks.

Id support 12 weeks if I cant get six weeks, he said. But LB 626 answered all the objections (opponents) made a year ago.

As I said on the floor, the goalposts continue to get moved, and nothing is ever enough.
A lifetime of teaching students comes to a close at the end of the school year for Diane Ostermeyer, as she has chosen to retire.

Mrs. O, as she is known, has been a teacher for 50 years, the last 47 at North Platte St. Patrick High School where she teaches history.

She began her career in teaching at Hay Springs before taking off three years to have children.

Then in 1976, after substituting at St. Pats, the history teacher left and Bill McGahan, superintendent at the time, asked her to step in to the position.

I thought he was talking about substituting, but no, it was a full time job, Ostermeyer said. I was thinking I wont be here that long. I think God plants us in a particular place and its been a wonderful journey.

She said the longevity and success can be attributed to a strong, academic and wonderful school system with good kids, good teachers and good administrators.

Ive just been really blessed, Ostermeyer said. It takes a village to raise a child and my time here proves that it does take a village to raise a child.

Ostermeyer said it is difficult to think of all the memories she has accumulated over the years. Some things stand out that give her satisfaction in what she has accomplished.

I look at my history curriculum and Ive done the research paper, we call it a UNIPAC, Ostermeyer said. Its really a good college preparation tool that Ive been doing for 50 years.

For at least 10 years, students selected for the Telegraph Academic All-Stars from St. Pats chose Ostermeyer as their most influential teacher. Each of them said she was tough, but they learned much from her.

I have saved all of the Academic All-Stars awards, Ostermeyer said. I was always very proud of that. It made me feel affirmed as a teacher that the things that Im doing are for the benefit of the students. If they buy into it, they learn a great deal.

Another project she started in 1971-72 school year and continued throughout her career.

I started the program of asking my seniors to write to the graduating class of 20 years prior, Ostermeyer said. So in 1972, their letters went out to the class of 1952.

The letters the students sent to their predecessors talked about the changes in the school, the dress code, the classes seniors take and their activities.

The letters mentioned anything the students thought the alumni might be interested in, Ostermeyer said. Theyre wonderful letters and the students would get a number of letters back.

The letters that have come back to them have just been very encouraging and heartfelt and full of advice for the seniors as they go forward in their life. I take great pride in that project.

Another memory comes from the 1988-89 school year. The student council project was to take part in a national contest hosted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

That year we started the Just Say No Red Ribbon campaign in honor of an FBI agent, Enriquo Camarena, a DEA agent who was killed in Mexico by the cartel that involved drugs, Ostermeyer said.

The senior class won that national contest and Ostermeyer was given a plaque by the FBI.

I was presented that at an honors day assembly. It came as a surprise, Ostermeyer said. I saw these three gentlemen in the crowd. They were very prim and proper, military haircuts and suits, and I wondered who they were.

The plaque still hangs in her room at the school.

Ostermeyer said there are a number of reasons she thinks gave her the opportunity to be successful as a teacher.

Whats caused me to have just great fun is making sure that I was always prepared and having a good classroom management plan so students could learn, Ostermeyer said. Then it was developing a good rapport with the students, which sometimes takes a while to do to where they feel comfortable and we can just have some good laughs and a lot of fun.

She always established high standards from her students.

I do have high expectations. Im a strong believer in high expectations for students, Ostermeyer said. What amazes me is that they will reach that expectation, given the chance. I dont think a teacher should every underestimate a student and what their ability is to achieve.

This part of Ostermeyers journey will come to a close at the end of the school year, but she said she doesnt have any plans to slow down.

Thinking about that is frightening, Ostermeyer said. As a teacher, youre constantly teaching, interacting. Theres a passion there.

Now that I will have more time, its a little frightening because Ill need to find my passion again and Im not quite sure where that will be.

She is confident she will find a new passion.

The doors to opportunity are open, Ostermeyer said. I dont think Im too old for those doors of opportunity.

Exercise is part of her daily routine and she loves reading and working on her hobbies of collecting campaign buttons and coins. She also has dreams of traveling the United States and Europe to see the many historical things she has taught about throughout her lifetime.

Ostermeyers husband Jim died in 2019 and they had been married for 50 years at that time. They have four children and nine grandchildren and she is looking forward to having more time to spend with them as well.
Episode 87: Americans have a distinct set of values that differs from citizens of most if not all other countries. But for those of us who have lived here all of our lives, we probably dont think enough about those differences.

The University of Portland put together a list it calls American Values and Assumptions. The information for the list was adapted from Gary Althen's book American Ways: A Guide for Foreigners in the United States.

For todays show, were going to take the list of seven values and see how they contribute  in both positive and negative ways  to the American experience.

About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Nebraska State Patrol has identified the victims in a multi-fatality crash that occurred Thursday in Furnas County. The wreck also resulted in an arrest.

At approximately 12:15 p.m. Thursday, a Hyundai Santa Fe was traveling north on Nebraska Highway 283. At that time, a Dodge Ram 3500 pulling an empty car trailer was traveling west on Highway 89, which has a stop sign at the Nebraska Highway 283 intersection. The pickup ran the stop sign and struck the passenger side of the Hyundai.

One passenger of the Hyundai, identified as Miriam Mejia Barrientos, 46, of Burlington, Colorado, was pronounced dead at the scene. Four additional occupants of the Hyundai were transported to hospitals in critical condition.

One of those patients, identified as Sloan Luna Portillo, 13, of Burlington was flown by Tri City LifeNet to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, where she was pronounced deceased.

The driver of the Hyundai, Olvin Luna, 43, of Burlington and an 11-year-old girl were transported to Cambridge Memorial Hospital.

Luna was then flown to Bryan Health West Campus in Lincoln. An 11-year-old boy was transported to Norton County Hospital in Norton, Kansas and was then flown to a hospital in Wichita.

Olvin Luna is the father of Sloan Luna Portillo. Miriam Mejia Barrientos is the mother of the two 11-year-old children.

The two occupants of the Dodge were transported to Norton County Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Once released from the hospital, the driver of the Dodge, identified as Kyiaz Ulanov, 28, of Lynnwood, Washington, was lodged in Phelps County Jail for two counts of motor vehicle homicide and willful reckless driving.
WASHINGTON  Top U.S. House Republican leaders on Thursday unveiled an immigration package of bills that appropriates millions in funds for border security and imposes sweeping restrictions on asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The plan is in sharp contrast with an announcement earlier Thursday by the Biden administration on how it would begin to handle legal migration through processing centers in Colombia and Guatemala.

Since we took the majority, we have been hard at work putting together a strong border security package, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana said during a press conference.

Republicans plan to put the bill on the House floor for a vote in May, the same time when a pandemic-era tool used to expel millions of migrants, known as Title 42, is set to expire. Even if passed by the House, the GOP plan will not be taken up in the Senate, where Democrats hold a slim majority.

The package combines bills from the House Judiciary and House Homeland Security Committees.

GOP leaders who joined Scalise included House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan of Ohio, House Homeland Security Chair Mark Green of Tennessee, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul of Texas, and House Homeland Security Vice Chair Michael Guest of Mississippi.

We think its a strong bill that will correct the  problems we have seen now, the entire two years of this administration, Jordan said.

The bill from the House Homeland Security Committee would:

Resume building a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Hire 22,000 border agents.

Appropriate $100 million in retention bonuses to agents.

Appropriate $110 million in grants to local police.

Limit the use of an app that migrants use to make appointments to apply for asylum.

Green said the bill takes money away from certain areas in order to cover some other areas.

The bill removes funds for nongovernmental organizations to support migrants and ends funding for the Department of Homeland Security to process migrants arriving at U.S. ports of entry.

It also does not allow funding for the Shelter Service Program, which allocates $800 million to the Customs and Border Patrol to transfer to FEMA to establish a new Shelter and Services Grant Program (SSP) to support CBP in effectively managing migrant processing and preventing the overcrowding of short-term CBP holding facilities.

The bill from the House Judiciary Committee would:

Expand migrant family detention.

Increase penalties for immigration violations.

Increase requirements for employment verifications.

Allow for the expedited removal of unaccompanied migrant children unless they are a victim of trafficking or can prove a credible threat to their lives.

Scalise said Republicans welcomed the Biden administration to join them in creating a legal pathway for immigration.

What were saying is, lets get back to the legal system, he said.

Under the Biden plan unveiled Thursday, migrants will be screened in Colombia and Guatemala  and if found eligible  referred to programs like the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, parole programs, family reunification or existing labor pathways.

Migrants who do not apply through those legal pathways and cross the U.S.-Mexico border will be subject to swift deportation in a matter of days and barred from applying for asylum for five years, senior administration officials said.

Scalise called those failed policies  the policies have not yet gone into effect  and said the processing centers would just make matters worse.

He was critical of this idea that you just create more opportunities for people to come here illegally and then look the other way.

Thats what created this new problem, is that theyre encouraging people to come into America legally knowing they dont have valid asylum claims.
The Indiana Dunes National Park has named new vendors to run the concession stands during its upcoming busy beach season.

The National Park, which stretches across 15 miles of Lake Michigan lakeshore in Northwest Indiana, held a competitive bidding process to pick the concession stand operators for Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk and West Beach, its biggest and busiest beach, for the 2023 and 2024 beach seasons, when attendance is at its peak.

It picked Smoke on the Water to provide concessions at the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk.

Smoke on the Water Premium Mexican Barbecue was started locally in Ogden Dunes in 2021. We are a small, minority owned business, with a passion for live fire smoked BBQ, said owner Mark Bedella. We look forward to making the national park lakefront a BBQ destination for travelers and local customers alike.

The national park picked The Big Weiner of Valparaiso to operate the West Beach concession stand. It plans to expand the dining options to include a wide variety of beach fare.

The Big Weiner has been serving Chicagoland favorites since 2016 throughout the Region, said owner Kristin Sponsel. This owner-operated establishment focuses on high quality fresh ingredients while maintaining a conscious effort to support ecofriendly initiatives.

The new vendors replace Kona Ice at West Beach and Dig the Dunes, which ran the Dig the Dunes Trail Stop at Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk.

"Unfortunately we received some sad news yesterday. The national park has decided to award the Portage Lakefront concession to someone else. We were angry, frustrated and upset when we heard the news," Dig the Dunes founder Eve Wierzbicki said in a letter to customers. "But then we remembered that Dig the Dunes is not just about Trail Stop. Dig the Dunes is so much bigger. Dig the Dunes brings people together to celebrate this beautiful area. We will continue to do that with hikes, events, gatherings and support of all the local people and businesses at the Indiana Dunes and in southwest Michigan. Stay tuned. We promise that good things are on the horizon. We love you all and your support means the world to us."

More than 3 million people visit the Indiana Dunes National Park every year, making it Northwest Indiana's top tourism draw. Combined with the attendance to the Indiana Dunes State Park, it would rank as one of the most visited National Parks in the country due in part to its location in the third largest metropolitan area.
HAMMOND  A sign may not seem like much.

But for a child entering a school for the first time from a different country, a different culture, that sign might mean the world.

Irving Elementary and the School City of Hammond on Thursday unveiled signs reflecting the school's Dual Language Immersion Program. In addition to the large unveiled letters outside, 200 signs inside Irving are now in English, Spanish, and Braille.

This is a great opportunity for our children to learn two languages, said Fabiola Gonzalez, the mother of one child in DLI. She came to this country from Mexico.

Irving becomes the first school in the largest school district in Northwest Indiana to display multilingual signage throughout the building, but Superintendent Scott Miller would like to see similar signage system-wide.

"This is an act of love from us to you, Miller said, adding that the signs were a really great idea and easy to approve.

The school system established the first DLIP in Lake County at Irvings kindergarten and first grade during the 2019-20 school year. Each year, as the program grows, another grade level is added, with two fifth-grade classrooms to be added next year.

For newcomers to this country and the English language, Miller said, the signage really goes a long way. We want to be a welcoming school to our families. We want you to feel welcome.

With 11,000 students, Miller said 48% are Hispanic, 32% African-American and 12% Caucasian. The superintendent noted that Hispanic students represent the largest growing ethnicity is the school system.

DLIP is designed to develop high linguistic and academic proficiency in both English and Spanish.

Irving is Hammonds largest elementary school with 767 students, 65% of whom, Principal Sarah Kilander reported, are Hispanic.

This two-way immersion program combines two groups of students, each with different home languages. About half begin DLIP as English-only speakers; the other half as Spanish-only speakers.

As Ana Verduzco, Hammond DLIP director, explained, while the teacher is teaching Spanish, native Spanish speakers support the English speakers. When the teacher is working in English, native English speakers support the native Spanish-speaking students.

Verduzco said she would like to see the program reach the high school level.

The programs overall goal is to improve student performance for both our English learners and native English speakers, the program director said. We firmly believe that by implementing a solid DLI two-way program, it will help in closing the achievement gap for our students who are identified as at risk.

Anhtony Salinas, director of elementary education for the school system, added that in addition to students acquiring a bilingual base, they are learning another way to think.

As noted in a press release, DLIP seeks to ensure that all students reach high levels of academic achievement; develop biliteracy and bilingualism; and cultivate global competency in order to thrive in a multicultural society  become cross-cultural ambassadors for school, community, and society.

Verduzco said the signage sends a message that the School City of Hammond is bilingual and bicultural.

Cortina Nelson, an African-American mother of one child in the program, called DLIP quite an experience  quite an honor, and encouraged other parents to give it a try.

Stephanie Vargas, the schools physical education instructor, has two sons in DLIP. A native English speaker, Vargas called the immersion a wonderful program that challenges students.

Vargas added that she has not seen any decline in her sons English.

Kids get so much more, the mother said, and it means so much more to them.
Photo: Steve Taylor/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

On Thursday evening, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that legislators in Albany had come to a conceptual agreement on the major aspects of the state budget  which includes a provision to cut the gas in all newly constructed buildings.

The $229 budget deal (which arrived weeks after its original April 1 deadline) would increase funding for the MTA, gradually raise the minimum wage to $17 over three years and alter the states bail laws to allow judges more discretion in setting bail for certain crimes, among other items. Left out of the agreement were several of the governors big wants including removing the citys cap on charter schools and her ambitious plan to build 800,000 new homes across the state.

But what the framework does include is an environmental provision that, if passed, will require all new construction in the state to meet a zero-emission standard  banning the use of oil and natural gas in these buildings. That would make New York the first state in the nation to institute such a requirement.

Environmentalists have been advocating for the phasing out of gas hookups in homes as a way to cut carbon emissions and fight against climate change. They also cite studies that point to health concerns with gas stoves and indoor air pollution. The natural gas and oil industries have fiercely opposed these plans, and gas stove bans have recently become politicized as yet another battle in the culture wars.

In 2021, New York City Council passed a bill barring gas hookups in newly constructed buildings in the city thatll take effect at the end of the year for buildings under seven stories tall, and in 2027 for buildings taller than that.

Despite the backlash, severing the gas line is an idea that has picked up momentum in recent years, even on the commercial side. Chipotle, the fast-casual Mexican food chain, announced earlier this month that 100 of its new locations will be fully electric, as part of its company-wide goal of decreasing its carbon emissions by 2030.

Lawmakers in Albany will still have to discuss the proposal and are expected to begin voting next week. But even if the gas ban gets their seal of approval, there could still be some challenges to come. Berkeley, California, had its three-year-old gas prohibition in new buildings thrown out in court after a challenge from the California Restaurant Association that claimed the ban went against federal law. And natural-gas advocates reportedly plan to spend $4 million to attempt to defeat a similar ban on the books in Eugene, Oregon.
She may be a long shot for president, but Nikki Haley doesnt mind taking risks. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Like several of her rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Nikki Haley is struggling to break through the massive wall of media and activist hype surrounding front-runners Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis. Its tough competing with those birds. Just this week, Trump continued nailing down elected-official endorsements to embarrass DeSantis, while the Florida governor did some high-profile globe-trotting to shore up his resume.

Whats a highly credentialed pol with a hazy image and no clear lane to the nomination to do? In Haleys case, it looks like shes decided to take some major risks to get attention.

Her week of living dangerously began with a heavily advertised speech on abortion at the headquarters of the hard-core anti-abortion group SBA Pro-Life America, with whom Haley has been closely identified in the past. SBA and its fiery, uncompromising president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, were fresh from calling out Donald Trumps refusal to support a national abortion ban as unacceptable, and making it clear the group would not support any GOP presidential candidate who didnt go along with at least a 15-week national ban. So you had to assume that whatever Haley chose to say, it would clearly meet that litmus test, particularly since Dannenfelser introduced Haley as someone willing to confront the difficult politics of abortion courageously. Indeed, before Haleys voice stopped echoing, SBA put out a statement thanking her for supporting the 15-week national ban:

... We are clear on Ambassador Haleys commitment to acting on the American consensus against late-term abortion by protecting unborn children by at least 15 weeks when they can feel excruciating pain.

...  SBA Pro-Life America (@sbaprolife) April 25, 2023

Trouble is, Haley did not actually say that in her speech. While she was careful not to rule out federal action to ban abortion, she made it clear she thought a national ban was politically impossible, making its proponents look foolishly fanatical. And the major thrust of her remarks was to urge anti-abortion activists to seek consensus with their pro-choice enemies over restrictions on rare and mostly symbolic late-term abortions. Haley all but urged her audience to forget about any measures that didnt poll at over 80 percent. Its hard to imagine an approach more absolutely alien to SBAs Save all the babies at whatever cost philosophy.

So you had to wonder: Did Nikki Haley ratfuck her friend Majorie Dannenfelser by using her and her organization to depict herself as moderate on abortion policy? Even if the disagreement over the 15-week ban was some sort of misunderstanding, you can only imagine what was going through Dannenfelsers mind as she listened to Haley call for singing Kum Ba Yah with baby killers. Her groups entire raison detre is to hold politicians strictly accountable for never giving an inch on the right to life. If Haley did stab Dannenfelser in the back, there will be consequences, or at least some very uncomfortable conversations.

But this wasnt Haleys only attention-grabbing bit of risky business this week. As DeSantis continued his culture-war attacks on his states leading employer, Haley offered this helpful suggestion for a way out of the struggle:

Hey @Disney, my home state will happily accept your 70,000+ jobs if you want to leave Florida.



Weve got great weather, great people, and its always a great day in South Carolina!



SCs not woke, but were not sanctimonious about it either. pic.twitter.com/uf1PWQjGc5  Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) April 26, 2023

This snarky gambit enraged conservatives who are in solidarity with DeSantiss battle against Disney and other woke corporations who dared to publicly disagree with his homophobic policies (which Haley has said do not go far enough). But it raised some other questions as well. Did Haley bother to run this breezy invitation by the current governor of South Carolina, Henry McMaster (who, as it happens, had endorsed Trump rather than Haley, his predecessor, for president)? And is she willing to welcome with open arms the estimated 42,000 union workers at Walt Disney World after telling the world in 2014 that no company should even think about coming to South Carolina with any union jobs?

Whether or not she can answer these questions, one thing is sure: Nikki Haley has definitely ruined any chance she might become Ron DeSantiss running mate should he win the 2024 nomination. That is an estimable price to pay for an hour or two of giving his critics a good chuckle.

And finally, Haleys made yet another attention-grabbing comment this week when she said, as reported by NBC News, that 80-year-old President Joe Biden would likely die within the next five years, so his supporters better be okay with Kamala Harris becoming president when that happens.

Sure, all Republicans will talk about Bidens age and drop hints that he will either cede influence or the presidency itself to Harris, whom they imagine to be a radical left figure. But its considered to be in rather poor taste to speculate publicly about the death of the president of the United States. Unless, of course, you crave headlines like your political life depends on it.

Well see if this high-risk, questionable-reward pattern of conduct represents an actual strategy for Nikki Haley (whose path to the 2024 nomination is a bit hard to discern), or was just a spasm of spontaneity her staff and donors will soon get under control.
Could this strange dude with the familiar name win a primary the president cant enter? Photo: Scott Eisen/Getty Images

There is zero reason for Joe Biden to worry about the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination, barring some unforeseeable development. Party elites are entirely in his corner. No viable opponents have emerged, actual or potential. And even among rank-and-file Democrats, where Bidens support has always been a bit mushy, scattered polling shows him far ahead of announced rivals Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (who undoubtedly benefits from positive name ID unassociated with his eccentric recent views) and Marianne Williamson. To put it bluntly, if either of those candidates does become viable as an aspirant for the presidential nomination, the Democratic Party will have become unrecognizable and will need to be torn down and rebuilt immediately.

Thats not to say, however, that these out-there candidates might not be capable of an embarrassingly strong showing in an isolated contest under very special circumstances. And those circumstances might be early contests in Iowa or New Hampshire, which wont matter in the final analysis but could get significant media coverage out of sheer force of habit.

Biden himself is barred from competing in Iowa and New Hampshire, which have been the two kickoff states in the presidential nominating process since 1972. Thats because the Democratic National Committee acceded to Bidens request for a new primary calendar in which South Carolina goes first and Iowa has been ejected from the list of early states holding contests prior to March 1. If (and this is still up in the air) Iowa persists with a first-in-the-nation-caucus, that will be an unsanctioned event and candidates competing there could lose delegates and even debate access. Whatever happens in Iowa, an unsanctioned primary is all but certain in New Hampshire, where state law requires both parties to hold contests the same day as established by the secretary of State, whose mission is to keep the Granite State first on the primary calendar. But while Biden will stay out of these proscribed contests (it would be a bit absurd for the partys leader to violate the partys rules), Kennedy and Williamson, having nothing to lose from sanctions and a lot to gain from a day of headlines, will undoubtedly run hard wherever Biden cant.

What can Team Biden do to preempt the possibility of an embarrassing early loss to Team WooWoo? In Iowa, with its robust caucus traditions, and where nobody really blames Biden for the states loss of status (that became inevitable when the party couldnt get the votes counted on Caucus Night in 2020), its likely caucusgoers pledged either to Biden or to no one will be able to subdue Kennedy or Williamson (and again, Iowa Democrats may just comply with the new calendar, allowing Biden to run there).

New Hampshires a bit trickier. Compliance with the new calendar is not an option, and there is some genuine Democratic anger at Biden for dropping the hammer on the Granite State. Still, New Hampshire Democrats dont want to send an anti-vaxx slate (to cite one possible outcome) to the convention in Chicago, and theyd just as soon not throw their state to the GOP in the general election, either. As nomination-process wizard Josh Putnam notes, New Hampshire Democrats might mount a write-in effort for Biden, but they would be in trouble if it fell short: If Williamson or Kennedy stand to gain in that scenario, it may not be Biden who loses. It may be New Hampshire that loses even more clout with the national party for 2028.

Democrats nationally do have a number of months left to persuade the political media to ignore whatever happens in Iowa (if the state goes rogue) and New Hampshire, though theres no question conservative media will go absolutely wild if Kennedy or Williamson officially wins in an early state, even if Bidens not on the ballot and no one is campaigning on his behalf. Theres only so much the presidents people can do about how Fox News or the New York Post spin non-news into a big story. Probably the smart thing for them is to threaten local Democrats in any state Biden cant enter with unending vengeance if they in any way encourage other candidates or lend credence to their empty wins.
ASSP Safety 2023: A Look at the 3 Keynote Sessions

Speakers for this years keynotes include a songwriter and an Army veteran and Paralympic medalist.

Were just a little over a month away from the American Association for Safety Professionals (ASSP) Safety 2023 Professional Development Conference and Exposition.

As you get your travel plans underway, dont forget to plan what sessions youll be attending. Before we cover a few cant-miss sessions (OH&S article on this is coming soon), lets take a look at the three keynote sessions offered at Safety 2023, taking place from June 5 to 7, 2023, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.

To kick off the event, attendees will hear from storyteller and songwriter Jimmy Yeary for the keynote 5 Strategies to Songwriting: AKA Building Valuable Relationships. If youre a country music fan, you may recognize the name of this speaker. If his name is still unfamiliar, you can recognize some of the artists hes written songs for: Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts and Blake Shelton. Yeary has written over 2,000 songs and has been awarded Song of the Year by The Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association for I Drive Your Truck, sung by Lee Brice.

During the keynote, taking place on Monday, June 5 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. CT, Yeary will discuss how you can create relationships and teams that are more effective, according to ASSPs website, which noted that Jimmy will set the tone for our three days together with a high-energy message and a song that will stay with you long after you leave San Antonio!

The following day, Join Andrea Baker, Founder, The HOP Mentor, Ron Gantt, CSP, CIT, ARM, Director, Health, Safety and Environment - Americas, Yondr LLC and Helen Harris, MEng, CSP Health and Safety Center of Excellence Leader, WestRock and moderator Pam Walaski, CSP, FASSP, ASSP Senior Vice President, Senior Program Director, Specialty Technical Consultants Inc for a plenary session from 1 to 2 p.m. CT.

In this session, How We Can Lead Workplace Safety and Health in New Ways, Baker, Gantt and Harris will discuss how they increased their impact through a systems view and focus on building relationships as a foundation for change, rather than rules, control and discipline, per an ASSP press release.

On June 7 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., the last day of Safety 2023, attendees can hear from Melissa Stockwell, an Army veteran and Paralympic medalist, during the keynote session titled The Power of Choice. Stockwell, who, while deployed in Iraq, became the first female American solider to lose a limb in active combat, will share her personal story of perseverance and resilience, per ASSP. Stockwell has gone on to compete in the 2008 Beijing Paralympics as a swimmer and the 2016 Paralympic Games in the paratriathlon, where she won a bronze medal, according to Team USA.

Registration for Safety 2023 is still open. Those wishing to attend can register online.

Photo credit: Ceri Breeze / Shutterstock.com
In February 2022, the EU imposed sanctions on Russia in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions at this point included restrictive measures (individual sanctions), economic sanctions, and visa measures. The sanctions aimed to disrupt the countrys economy to prevent Russia from continuing its conflict with Ukraine. Throughout the year, the EU and other parts of the world increased the number and types of sanctions on Russia as they decreased their reliance on Russian energy.

In December 2022, the EU banned the import of Russian crude oil and in February 2023 the region banned imports of Russian diesel, jet fuel, and other oil products. These sanctions came later than many others due to the heavy reliance of many EU countries on Russian energy. For example, before the war, Germany imported around half of its gas from Russia and more than a third of its oil. But in January, Germany stated that it was no longer reliant on Russian energy.

But one area that the EU has avoided sanctioning, to date, is Russian nuclear power. This is largely because of the significant role Russias state-owned nuclear energy monopoly, Rosatom, plays in global nuclear power. Paul Dorfman, chair of Nuclear Consulting Group, explained that the problem is a Russian dolls worth of interlocking dependencies. Firstly, Rosatom is a major exporter of nuclear fuel, providing the U.S. with 14 percent of its uranium in 2021. Meanwhile, utilities across Europe purchased around a fifth of their uranium from Rosatom, and they have been unable to diversify their uranium sources since cutting other energy ties with Russia. Rosatom also provided 28 percent of the U.S.s enrichment services in 2021. Related: Senators Call For Seizure Of Iran Oil Cargos

Further, Rosatom is not just limited to Russia, holding ownership of several nuclear plants around the world. By the end of 2021, one in five nuclear plants worldwide was either in Russia or was Russian-built. Rosatom has repeatedly stepped in to help finance nuclear plants in countries that want to expand their nuclear power sectors but dont have the money to do so. Many of these plants fall under a build-own-operate model, relying on Rosatom for their operation.

Certain EU states have, therefore, opposed sanctions on Russian nuclear power as they continue to rely on Rosatom for their energy security. For example. Hungary sources around 40 percent of its electricity from nuclear power and has a long-term financing deal with Rosatom to build two new nuclear reactors. In February this year, the European Commission (EC) scrapped plans for sanctions on Russias nuclear energy industry, citing opposition from some member states. The EU had considered imposing sanctions on individual employees of Rosatom and other companies on the list but has not acted on this idea so far.

Despite uncertainty over how to impose sanctions on Russian nuclear energy without harming the interests of several European countries, such as Hungary and Bulgaria, the nuclear sanction plan is on the table once again. Germany, Poland, and the Baltic EU member states are pushing for new sanctions on Russian nuclear energy as a means of imposing greater harm on Russias economy, as the war on Ukraine continues. Robert Habeck, the German economy and climate minister stated, Across the EU, we must keep making ourselves independent from Russia. Habeck added, The nuclear sector is still outstanding. It is not justifiable that this area is still given preferential treatment. Nuclear technology is an extremely sensitive area, and Russia can no longer be seen as reliable partner within it.

A Royal United Services report stated that Between March and December 2022, Russia exported just over $1 billion-worth of materials and technology of relevance to the nuclear energy sector. And This trade included exports to members of NATO and the EU. In fact, not only has the value of Russian nuclear-related exports not shrunk since February 2022, the data reviewed by the author suggests that it may be expanding, with a handful of loyal customers still eager to do business with Russias nuclear sector.

Ukraine has repeatedly condemned the EU for not introducing sanctions on Russias nuclear might alongside other restrictions on Russian energy. So far, the EU has imposed 10 packages of sanctions on Russia, with preparations for the 11th one now taking place. However, despite pressure from Ukraine and several EU member states to include nuclear power in the new sanctions, the EC must consider what this will mean for countries like Hungary and Bulgaria, which continue to rely on Russian nuclear power for their energy. Not to mention the fact that nuclear power is a major clean energy source, and a halt of Russian nuclear energy could encourage some countries to return to fossil fuels. The EU must now weigh up the positive and negative implications of sanctioning Russian nuclear power to determine the right move.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

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Exxon will go ahead with a $12.7-billion oil development off the coast of Guyana after the countrys government gave its final approval to the project.

The Uaru project is expected to boost the companys production in Guyana by a quarter of a million barrels daily. Startup is scheduled for 2026. According to Reuters, this would be Exxons and Hesss most expensive project.

The Uaru field is estimated to hold more than 800 million barrels of crude oil.

Exxon and its partner Hess Corp. have made some 30 discoveries offshore Guyana since they started exploring the Stabroek block. Production is climbing consistently, likely to hit 400,000 bpd by the end of this year. Guyana is a priority jurisdiction for Exxon, along with U.S. shale.

Exxon and Hess are currently the only oil producers in Guyana, but the countrys government has big plans. Guyana is tendering 14 more blocks this year as it seeks to speed up its transformation into a major oil producer while reducing Exxons dominance of its emerging oil industry.

Guyanas government eyes oil production of some 1.64 million bpd by 2030 as it is eager to monetize its hydrocarbon resources before peak demand hits, as predicted by forecasters seeing a successful energy transition away from fossil fuels.

Yet Exxon also has big plans for Guyana that would keep it in a dominant position. By the end of 2027, the company plans to have six floating production vessels there, bringing its total production capacity to 1.2 million barrels daily.

Oil is not Guyanas only bet. The South American nation also has plans to develop its untapped natural gas reserves. Per Vice President Jagdeo, the government had been approached by several companies with the request to be considered should Guyana decide to develop LNG export capacity.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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West Texas Intermediate Midland crude is about to be added to the Brent benchmark contract this June. This would be the first time a non-North Sea crude has been added to the benchmark basket. And it will change the oil market forever.

First, however, why is WTI being added to the Brent basket? It's really simple. There has been more U.S. crude oil going into Europe since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. At the same time, the output of the grades making up the Brent basket has been falling consistently, and so has trade in these grades.

"We're really basing the world's biggest and most important oil benchmark off a very small pool of market activity," James Gooder, Argus vice president, told Reuters.

The latter cites data from its Refinitiv service as showing the production of Brent, Ekofisk, Troll, Forties, and Osebergthe original basket membershad fallen to less than 700,000 bpd from some 850,000 bpd in late 2020.

At the same time, the amount of WTI crude that is arriving in Europe daily has increased massively, hitting 1.25 million bpd last month, making it a perfect candidate for the international benchmark basket, according to S&P Global, which is making the addition.

"WTI Midland is the best candidate for this because it already has a fairly similar refining slate to most of the North Sea grades," S&P Global's director for crude and fuel oil markets told Reuters. Related: Large Crude Inventory Draw Jolts Oil Prices

It is more than that, however. According to some analysts, WTI will not just become another member of the Brent crude basket. It will come to dominate it, and this means that U.S. political, economic, and industry developments would come to have a much bigger effect on Brent crude prices than before.

"Bottom line for Brent is that it will be much more influenced by U.S. fundamentals such as Strategic Petroleum Reserve releases and Permian production," Rebecca Babin, senior energy trader at IBC Private Wealth US, told Reuters.

Permian oil production will be particularly relevant when WTI is added to the Brent crude basket. That's because "The vast majority of U.S. crude exports originate from Texas ports, and most of the crude shipped out originates from the Permian basin, which has been the growth engine for U.S. oil production," according to Aaron Brady, a VP of energy oil market services at S&P Global, who spoke to the Houston Chronicle.

Some industry observers have pointed to uncertainty about the production growth prospects of the shale patch, which currently provides most of U.S. oil output. According to one of them, Saxo Bank's commodity chief Ole Hansen, the addition of WTI to the Brent crude basket will not have much of an impact on prices.

Yet despite this uncertainty, shale production continues to grow, albeit more slowly and modestly than during the peak boom years.

"The Permian Basin still has thousands of premium well locations remaining, and is expected to continue growing this decade," S&P Global's Brady told the Chronicle.

So, the addition of West Texas Intermediate to the Brent crude basket may seem like an eccentric move, but it actually makes perfect sense. The U.S. oil is being sold in Europe in ever-growing volumes while the output of previous Brent crude basket members is falling. Middle Eastern oil has its own benchmark, and OPEC has its own basket. It seems the addition was only a matter of time.

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With the addition of WTI to the basket, Brent's price may fall: the price of dated Brent is based on the price of the cheapest grade in the basket, and WTI has always traded at a discount to Brent. And that's good news for consumers.

By Tom Kool for Oilpice.com

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With earnings season in full swing, big players like Exxon, Halliburton and Baker Hughes have posted strong results despite lower crude prices in Q1.

Friday, April 28, 2023

Oil prices have stabilized around $78 per barrel for ICE Brent and $74 per barrel for WTI after Wednesdays double whammy of bad macroeconomic data. The decline in US capital goods spending confirmed fears that economic growth is slowing down in the United States, whilst refinery margins continued their descent this week as downstream players are finding it ever harder to stay profitable. As such, oil is set for its sixth straight monthly loss, despite the OPEC+ production cuts.

OPEC Goes Against IEA. OPEC Secretary General Haitham al-Ghais warned the International Energy Agency (IEA) to be very careful about discouraging investment into oil and gas, arguing that advocating for such measures and finger-pointing at oil producers will lead to increased volatility in the future. [if !supportLineBreakNewLine][endif]

Ship Insurers Warn of Russias Dark Fleet. Top executives from the shipping industry have warned that the oil price cap has made insurers even more wary of running afoul of US or EU sanctions and that depriving the increasing fleet of shadow tankers of insurance raises navigation safety risks.

Suncor Doubles Down on Oil Sands. French oil major TotalEnergies (NYSE:TTE) sold its carbon-heavy Canadian oil sands assets to Suncor Energy (TSO:SU) for $4.1 billion with potential additional payments up to $450 million, equivalent to 135,000 b/d of net bitumen production capacity and 2.1 Bbbls of 2P reserves.

Pioneer CEO Retirement Rekindles Exxon Takeover Talk. Scott Sheffield, the long-time CEO of US shale producer Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE:PXD) announced he would retire at the end of this year, fuelling speculation that ExxonMobils (NYSE:XOM) reported $52 billion takeover might be much closer than thought.

Iran Seizes Oil Tanker Again. A Turkish-owned and operated tanker carrying Kuwaiti crude for Chevron in the US has been detained by the Iranian Navy after reportedly hitting another Iranian vessel in the Gulf of Oman, drawing the ire of the US which accused Tehran of interfering with navigational rights.

German Chemicals Major Keeps Options Open. German chemicals conglomerate BASF (ETR:BAS) is seeking to exit oil producer Wintershall Dea, preferably by means of a stock market listing though not ruling out an outright sale, after a massive $7.2 billion writedown in its shareholding there in 2022.

Glencore Is on a Buying Spree. Maintaining the suspense around its takeover of Teck Resources, mining and trading major Glencore (LON:GLEN) has in the meantime bought a 30% stake in Brazils alumina refinery Alunorte and a 5% stake in bauxite producer MRNS for $700 million, adding to its base metal portfolio.Russia Opens Up China Exports for Competition. Nearing in on the final investment decision for the 55 bcm Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, the Russian government is considering breaking Gazproms (MCX:GAZP) monopoly on pipeline exports and allow Rosneft and smaller producers to send gas to China, too.

Australia Extends Price Cap Into 2025. Australias government proposed to extend a price cap on natural gas until at least mid-2025, however softened its stance by allowing some pricing exceptions if major producers agree on domestic supply commitments into the countrys east coast hubs.

Stabroek Block Sees Yet Another Discovery. Whilst disclosing its Q1 results, US oil producer Hess Corp (NYSE:HES) announced that it made another offshore discovery in Guyanas prolific Stabroek block alongside project partner ExxonMobil, taking the tally of hydrocarbon finds above 30.

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Indonesian Supply Depresses Nickel. Global nickel markets are in for a sizable supply glut as booming Indonesian production, up 44% year-on-year so far, continues to outpace demand growth  the latter is still increasing despite recessionary headwinds, but only at an annualized 6% this year.

Quebec Might Run Out of Power. Canadas Quebec province has for years lobbied US customers to buy its plentiful hydro power, leading to new projects such as the $6 billion Champlain Hudson Power Express, a transmission line to NY, however its massive commitments have created a 100 TWh shortfall towards local consumers.

Weak Graphite Demand a Harbinger of EV Trends. The worlds largest graphite miner Syrah Resources (ASX:SYR) said it would lower production from its main producing assets in Mozambique until demand improves, with growth hindered by a volatile anode market in China and high inventories.

China Wants More Chemicals Out of Coal. Chinas oil major Sinopec (SHA:600028) has landed a $4.4 billion coal mining deal in the Inner Mongolia region of the country, seeking to use the coal for a 800,000-tonne per year coal-to-olefins refinery, expanding its petrochemical production portfolio.

By Josh Owens for Oilprice.com

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Russia's government is mulling over fuel subsidy cuts or a windfall tax for the oil industry in a bid to offset the sharp drop in oil and gas revenues amid the Western sanction push following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Bloomberg cited unnamed sources as saying one of the options to boost income was to change the formula that the authorities use to calculate the level of subsidies that Russian refiners receive for supplying fuels to the domestic market.

The subsidies last year came in at some $26.6 billionquite a substantial sum. In order to shrink them, the government could revise the discount of flagship Urals to Brent crude or, alternatively, it could increase the base fuel price it uses in the formula by up to 50 percent, the sources told Bloomberg.

The other option, according to Bloomberg sources, was to tax oil companies with a one-off levy for the profits they made last year amid the price surge in oil following the invasion.

Earlier this week, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said the Russian government was discussing changes to the way subsidies are granted to refiners, Reuters reported, adding that the changes, once agreed, will then be submitted to the lower house of parliament, the Duma.

Also, Novak said this week that the European Union's introduction of exemptions to Russian oil imports was evidence those imports were still in demand in the EU, despite the embargoes.

The remarks followed an update on the price cap regime the EU follows, according to which the cap stops applying to oil products after those products are put into free circulation in a country other than Russia.

"This once again emphasises that our oil products are in demand in Europe, once European politicians indicated that their actions defy any logic and take such decisions and think how to get out of this situation," Novak said.

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Two Senators have urged President Biden to give the Department of Homeland Security powers to resume seizure of Iranian oil cargos.

In a letter cited by Reuters, Senators Joni Ernst (R) and Richard Blumenthal (D) wrote that the DHSs Homeland Security Investigations office has been unable to seize Iranian cargos of crude oil for more than a year.

The reason for this long lull in Iranian cargo seizures was a set of policy limitations imposed on the Department of Treasurys Executive Office for Asset Forfeiture, the report noted.

Before these limitations were introduced, the Homeland Security Investigations office seized some $228 million worth of Iranian oil and fuel oil shipments, Reuters recalled.

Irans oil sales remain a KEY revenue source for the regime to promote a destabilizing agenda & bolster terrorist groups who intend to harm the U.S. I'm working with colleagues from across the aisle to ensure Iranian oil sanctions are actually enforced! Senator Joni Ernst said in a tweet.

The senator was also member of a group that yesterday introduced a bill dubbed the Maritime Architecture and Response to International Terrorism in the Middle East (MARITIME) Act, whose stated purpose was to develop a strategy with partners and allies in the Middle East to counter maritime threats posed by Iran, violent extremist organizations, and criminal networks.

The letter and the bill came simultaneously with news that Iranian forces had seized a tanker in the Gulf of Oman. The vessel, Advantage Sweet, was carrying crude oil for Chevron from Kuwait to Texas, but collided with an Iranian vessel in the gulf, according to the Iranian Navy.

The U.S. Navy has accused Iran of interfering with navigational rights in international waters. "Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy," the U.S. Navy said in a statement, adding that Iran had seized at least five commercial vessels in the Middle East over the last two years.

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By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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A 40-year-old Omaha woman was sentenced to prison Thursday for strangling one man to death and slitting the throat of another.

Autum Acacia-Cortes was sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison for manslaughter and one to two years for tampering with evidence in the killing of 53-year-old Francisco Santiago, and 35 to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder in the killing of 58-year-old Jose Martinez.

Officials found Martinez slain at Highland Tower, 2500 B St., on Jan 20, 2021, The World-Herald previously reported. He was found dead in the apartment buildings north elevator with a large cut to his neck.

Omaha police then found the body of Santiago in a shed on the property of Our Lady of Guadalupe social hall, 5001 S. 23rd St., on Jan. 27.

Authorities believe Acacia-Cortes killed Santiago first, either in December or early January, then Martinez.

This is a case of a woman who killed two individuals at two very different times for two very different reasons, Deputy County Attorney Ann Miller said at Thursdays sentencing.

Detective Matthew Backora previously testified that Acacia-Cortes knew the two men and that the group frequently spent time together, usually drinking alcohol.

In investigating Martinezs death, detectives found that Santiago, who had previously been homeless, was renting a sixth-floor apartment at Highland Tower where several homeless people would come over to drink, Backora said. Santiago was last seen on security footage at the building on Dec. 7.

In security footage from Jan. 19, Acacia-Cortes and Martinez were seen entering Santiagos apartment and Acacia-Cortes was seen leaving the apartment about four hours later with blood on her hands.

Early the next morning, Acacia-Cortes returned to the apartment, put Martinezs body in a wheelchair and went to put it in the elevator, detectives said. However, Martinezs body fell out in the elevator, so she returned the wheelchair to the apartment and left through an emergency exit.

At the apartment, detectives found blood on the walls, floor and furniture. They also discovered a 9-inch serrated knife with blood on it, tucked next to the arm of the sofa. Detectives think the knife was used to kill Martinez.

Acacia-Cortes was arrested shortly after the crime scene at Highland Tower was discovered.

Officials then received an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip that Acacia-Cortes also was involved in Santiagos death. A man told police that about a month before Martinezs death, he saw Acacia-Cortes assault Santiago on the Our Lady of Guadalupe property at a shed that had been turned into a makeshift living space for homeless people. Earlier that day, Acacia-Cortes and Santiago had been discussing a $40 payment he owed her for sex, the man said.

The man told police that when he later returned to the shed, he saw Acacia-Cortes hit Santiago in the face, then put her foot on his neck and get on top of him to strangle him. The man said he pulled Acacia-Cortes off of Santiago, who was drunk and passive. When the man returned a second time, he said Santiago was no longer there, but Santiagos prosthetic leg remained inside the shed.

On Jan. 27, police searched the shed and found Santiagos decomposing body behind a freezer, with blankets and beer cans piled on top.

An autopsy found that Santiago died of strangulation due to compression of the neck, Backora said.

Acacia-Cortes will receive credit for the 824 days shes already been in custody and will serve the three sentences consecutively.
JERUSALEM  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday shrugged off Disneys lawsuit against him as politically motivated and said it was time for the iconic company to stop enjoying favorable treatment in his state.

Disney sued DeSantis on Wednesday over the Republicans appointment of a board of supervisors in its self-governed theme park district, alleging the governor waged a targeted campaign of government retaliation after the company opposed what critics call the Dont Say Gay law.

The legal filing is the latest salvo in a more than year-old feud between Disney and DeSantis that has engulfed the governor in criticism as he is expected to launch a 2024 presidential bid.

Theyre upset because theyre having to live by the same rules as everybody else. They dont want to pay the same taxes as everybody else and they want to be able to control things without proper oversight, DeSantis said during a visit to Israel. The days of putting one company on a pedestal with no accountability are over in the state of Florida.

DeSantis was speaking on the third leg of an international trip meant to burnish his foreign policy credentials ahead of a potential campaign for the Republican presidential nomination as a key rival to former President Donald Trump. His multi-country trip in Japan and then traveled to South Korea. After Israel, he heads to Britain.

DeSantis has dived headlong into the fray with Disney, a major driver of tourism and a font for employment in Florida, as business leaders and White House rivals bashed his stance as a rejection of the small-government tenets of conservatism.

The fight began last year after Disney, in the face of significant pressure, publicly opposed the state law that bans classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades.
WORCESTER, Mass.  The Massachusetts Air National guardsman accused of leaking highly classified military documents kept an arsenal of guns and said on social media that he would like to kill a "ton of people," prosecutors said in arguing Thursday that 21-year-old Jack Teixeira should remain in jail for his trial.

But the judge at Teixeira's detention hearing put off an immediate decision whether he should be kept in custody until his trial or released to home confinement or under other conditions.

The court filings raise new questions about why Teixeira had such a high security clearance and access to some of the nation's most classified secrets. They said he may still have material that hasn't been released, which could be of "tremendous value to hostile nation states that could offer him safe harbor and attempt to facilitate his escape from the United States."

In Teixeira's detention hearing, Magistrate Judge David Hennessy expressed skepticism of defense arguments that the government hasn't shown Teixeira intended leaked information to be widely disseminated.

"Somebody under the age of 30 has no idea that when they put something on the internet that it could end up anywhere in this world?" the judge asked. "Seriously?"

One possibility is that the judge could order Teixeira to be confined at his father's home while awaiting trial, if not held in jail.

Under questioning at the hearing, his father, Jack Michael Teixeira, said he was aware that if his son were to violate conditions of release or home confinement, he'd have to report him. The elder Teixeira said he owns firearms but no longer has any in his home.

"You have a young man before you who didn't flee, has nowhere to flee," said Brendan Kelley, the defendant's lawyer. "He will answer the charges, he will be judged by his fellow citizens"

But Nadine Pellegrini, chief of national security division in the Massachusetts U.S. attorney's office, told the judge the information prosecutors submitted to the court about the defendant's threatening words and behavior "is not speculation, it is not hyperbole, nor is it the creation of a caricature. It is based on what we know to date  directly based upon the words and actions of this defendant."

The prosecution's filing contains a review of what it says are Teixeira's social media posts, stating in November that he would "kill a (expletive) ton of people" if he had his way, because it would be "culling the weak minded."

Late Wednesday, the Air Force announced it suspended the commander of the 102nd Intelligence Support Squadron where Teixeira worked and the administrative commander "overseeing the support for the unit mobilized under federal orders," pending further investigation. It also temporarily removed each leader's access to classified systems and information.

Court papers urging a federal judge to keep Teixeira in custody detailed a troubling history going back to high school, where he was suspended when a classmate overheard him discussing Molotov cocktails and other weapons as well as racial threats.

More recently, prosecutors said, he used his government computer to research past mass shootings and standoffs with federal agents.

He remains a grave threat to national security and a flight risk, prosecutors wrote, and investigators are still trying to determine whether he kept physical or digital copies of classified information, including files that haven't already surfaced publicly.

"There simply is no condition or combination of conditions that can ensure the Defendant will not further disclose additional information still in his knowledge or possession," prosecutors wrote. "The damage the Defendant has already caused to the U.S. national security is immense. The damage the Defendant is still capable of causing is extraordinary."

Teixeira has been in jail since his arrest this month on charges stemming from the most consequential intelligence leak in years.

Teixeira has been charged under the Espionage Act with unauthorized retention and transmission of classified national defense information. He has not yet entered a plea.

His lawyers urged the judge to release him from jail, arguing in court papers filed Thursday that appropriate conditions can be set even if the court finds him to be a flight risk  such as confinement at his father's home and location monitoring.

The defense said Teixeira no longer has access to any top-secret information and accused prosecutors of providing "little more than speculation that a foreign adversary will seduce Mr. Teixeira and orchestrate his clandestine escape from the United States."

"The government's allegations  offer no support that Mr. Teixeira currently, or ever, intended any information purportedly to the private social media server to be widely disseminated," they wrote. "Thus, its argument that Mr. Teixeira will continue to release information or destroy evidence if not detained rings hollow."

Prosecutors wrote in their filing that he kept his gun locker within reach of his bed and in it were handguns, bolt-action rifles, shotguns, an AK-style high-capacity weapon, and a gas mask.
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  Chinas military flew 38 fighter jets and other warplanes near Taiwan, the Taiwanese defense ministry said Friday, in the biggest such flight display since the large military exercise in which it simulated sealing off the island earlier in April.

Naval vessels were also seen in the area as part of Chinas long-running campaign of intimidation against Taiwan.

Later Friday, China's Peoples Liberation Army issued a protest over the flight of a United States Navy P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft through the Taiwan Strait, which separates mainland China from the self-governing island democracy claimed by Beijing.

Calling Thursdays flight a provocation that the U.S. openly hyped up, the PLAs Eastern Theater Command said it scrambled fighter jets to monitor the planes flight.

Such acts fully prove that the U.S. is a disruptor of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and a creator of security risks," the statement said. Theater troops maintain a high level of alert at all times and resolutely defend national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability.

The U.S. 7th Fleet said Thursdays flight was in accordance with international law and demonstrates the United States commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate anywhere international law allows including within the Taiwan Strait, the statement said.

The U.S. remains Taiwan's closest military and political ally, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between them. U.S. law requires Washington to treat all threats to the island as matters of grave concern, though it remains ambiguous over whether American forces would be dispatched to help defend the island.

Beijing has threatened to bring Taiwan under its control by force if necessary, and China's intensely nationalistic leader Xi Jinping has sworn never to give up a single inch of territory claimed by his country  a pledge that applies to Taiwan, the disputed border with India, and the South China Sea that China claims almost in its entirety.

In addition to the latest Chinese warplane flights, Chinese navy vessels were spotted in the area from 6 a.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday, the island's Defense Ministry said.

Nineteen of the aircraft flew across the midline in the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from the mainland, the ministry said. It said they included five SU-30 and two J-16 fighter jets, along with one drone: a large, long-endurance TB-001 Scorpion capable of carrying a variety of bombs and missiles that circled the island in a relatively rare move, according to a diagram from the Defense Ministry.

It wasn't clear what, if anything, prompted the large-scale Chinese action, but China's efforts to train for a potential attack, wear down the island's military and impact Taiwan's politics have become increasingly ambitious.

U.S. military officials recently said they are increasingly concerned that a massive buildup in China's military capabilities makes the potential for a conflict more likely.

China held exercises simulating the sealing off the island after the sensitive April 5 meeting between Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California. China opposes any exchanges at the official level between Taiwan and other governments.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 following a civil war that ended with the Communist Party in control of the mainland. The island has never been part of the Peoples Republic of China, but Beijing says it must unite with the mainland, by force if necessary.
A coalition has commended the conduct of Saturdays governorship re-run election in Kano State.

The observers, numbering 18, addressed the press via a statement read by

Chinyere Manukwem, the leader of Global Initiative for Civic Training and Youth Development.

Speaking under the aegis of the Coalition of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Accredited Observers for Kano State Supplementary Election, the group commended the electoral umpire for their immeasurable contributions to the success recorded during the just concluded Kano State governorship supplementary election.

Ms Manukwem said the distribution of both sensitive and non-sensitive election materials, was done in record time.

She said having observed the entire electoral process, her coalition could say there was total adherence to the restriction of both vehicular and commercial activities.

She also said in most of the polling units visited, election commenced early enough.

There was a massive turn out of voters largely women and there was a heavy presence of security personnel in all the polling units visited.

Most of the political parties agents that participated in the election were present at the polling units, she said

She also said in most of the polling units visited by the observers, the election was relatively peaceful but for Dala Local Government and Gama in Nasarawa Local Government where the election was disrupted by hoodlums in snatching ballot boxes.

The group commended the security agents for their quick response in calming the situation. The observers also commended the media for adequate coverage and reportage of the electoral process.

Ms Manukwem said the observers would also like to recommend to all involved in Kano to henceforth educate their electorates on the need for a free and fair election as an election is not a do or die affair.

They also commended the voters for coming out en masse to carry out their civic responsibility.
Lai Mohammed

The federal government on Thursday defended its use of foreign media, public relations firms and paid for lobby consultancy.

The Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed said apart from using them to campaign federal governments policies and programmes, they are also used to correct misconceptions and misinformation.

He spoke before the House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and values, headed by Hon. Olusegun Odebunmi (APC OYO).

According to him: The world has become a global village and what happens in Nigeria today reverberates all over the world and we in the administration we face a lot of challenges, especially from the comments of the foreign media, from the sometimes hostile positions of foreign governments, even foreign parliaments.

So, it is the duty of the Ministry of Information to regularly lobby and address in international media in the countries.

I remember that in 2018 we made two trips to the UK and two trips to the US and these two trips helped tremendously in actually helping the people in diaspora and foreign governments to understand the real dynamics of the herdsmen/farmers clashes.

Until we got there, the impression held by many of them was that thing was Christians/Muslims, North/South and that time we had to book for interviews with CNN, BBC, Aljezeera, Reuters and AFP.

I think it is an important part of governance so that if you cannot mould their opinions, at least it can give them the opportunity of hearing our own side of the story.

I am sure you have all noticed a lot of very erroneous editorials that have been carried by some highly respected pens like the New York Times, Boston Globe, which do not actually represent the true situation in Nigeria.

So we go there, not just for government but to give the correct impression about what goes on in this government.

The Minister said the Buhari administration has been denied loans because of the misinformation spread abroad.

We all go there, not just to correct the misinterpretation, but also to tell them the concrete steps the government is taking in this respect.

Until we went there, generalisation was that what was happening in Nigeria was religious.

I always give them two examples to show that what happens in Nigeria has nothing to do with religion.

I give them the example of Kebbi State, one-third of all the inmates in Kebbi prisons today are there as a result of farmer/herdsmen clashes yet the farmers in Kebbi are Muslims and the herdsmen are Muslims.

In the case of Zamfara State, where we have lost more lives than Taraba, Plateau and Benue put together, to rustling and kidnapping.

The rustlers are Muslims, the victims are Muslims. So we needed to put this in perspective. What we are dealing is largely environmental. A country of 50 million people 50 years ago today has a population of 200 million.

In 1960 what was our population in Nigeria? 52 million. How many are we today? 180 million, yet the country has not expanded, on the contrary, it has contracted because we have lost land to desertification , we have lost land to flooding and yet 200 million people are supposed to use the same resources of land and water as 50 million people did,  he said.
The leader of traders in Lagos and Iyaloja General, Mrs Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, has said that some traders in the Computer village market who protested against the appointment of Iyaloja and Babaloja in the market on Tuesday were ill-informed.

Addressing a press briefing on Wednesday, Tinubu-Ojo said all the markets in the state were under her control and the computer village market cannot be an exception.

According to our constitution, I can choose anybody from any local government in the state to head the market, all the iyaloja and babaloja in all the Lagos markets are my representatives in the market where they operate. Kindly educate them that phones, handsets, computers are commodities.

They cannot tell us they are not pepper sellers, everybody cannot be textile dealers; they cant tell us that computer village will be exonerated (sic) from other markets. We have the right to choose for them Iyaloja and Babaloja.

Those people protesting never approached me to complain. They dont have the initiative that the person leading the protest has finished his tenure and wants to remain in power

Computer village is not just an ICT hub, there are a lot of commodities being sold there; nobody can say it is wrong to select a babaloja and iyaloja for the market. Those that have been selected were not selected because they are Yoruba , in some of our markets in Lagos we have Igbos that were selected as market leaders, Tinubu-Ojo said.
The President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu held a meeting with the leadership of the All Progressives Congress and some National Assembly members on Wednesday over the zoning of the leadership of the incoming 10th National Assembly.

It was gathered that Tinubu did not accept proposals made by some members of the APC leadership and three South-West senators for the Senate presidency to be zoned to the South-South.

Tinubu, it was learnt, told the meeting that he was only disposed to having the number three office zoned to the South and not to any particular zone.

According to sources, Tinubu said that since APC members stood for the zoning of the presidency to the South and not to any of the three zones in the area, which produced him as the presidential candidate and president-elect, it was wrong to propose zoning the post of Senate President to the South-South only.

It was gathered that Tinubu said zoning the post to the South will give all the qualified aspirants from South-East and South-South opportunity to go into a fair contest for senators to make their choice, just like APC delegates picked the presidential candidate of the party prior to the election.

The president-elect told the meeting to avoid a controversy that would cause a crisis in the party, directing the party stakeholders to go back and amend their recommendations to be the zoning of Senate President to the South.

He reiterated his preference for fairness, equity, religious and regional balancing as his benchmark for the constitution of the National Assembly leadership.

Sources revealed that elements around Senator Godswill Akpabio had infiltrated the APC NWC to influence members to push for the micro-zoning of the office of Senate President to the South-South.

The Akpabio camp, it was gathered, was hoping that if this scales through, the Akwa Ibom senator, being the only ranking APC senator from the zone, will become the sole candidate.

A source privy to the meeting said, The plot to have a sole South-South candidate by zoning the office to the zone failed flat with President-elect, who rejected pressures by some members of the party leadership and the South-West senators for the zoning of the Senate presidency to the South-South.

Theres no truth in all that was reported in the media that the President and the NWC have settled for South-South. The President insisted that the position should be zoned to the South region.

Further dismissing the claim, a senator-elect who pleaded anonymity, stated that contrary to the claim of the three senators from the South-West, the majority of elected lawmakers from the zone and other senators have queued behind the current Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, who hails from the South-East geopolitical zone.

He said;

The three senators from South West lied to the president-elect Tuesday night that all of them from the zone were supporting Akpabio for Senate President, but Asiwaju couldnt be fooled. He cross-checked the claim by reaching out to the other senators-elect only to discover it was untrue.

As South-westerners, we have good relationship with all Nigerians and these three senators cannot speak for us. They are not our leaders and cannot take South-west senators for granted. Our leader is a former governor who is also a senator.

For us, we have resolved to do the right thing for the country since its the only way Asiwaju (president-elect) can succeed as president. We have chosen to support fairness and justice as this country is built on a tripod  Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.

We are happy that the president-elect did not listen to them because he is not petty. He likes fairness and he wants to do the right thing. The 12 senators from the South-west already have a preferred candidate. We have 11 senators and one ranking senator who have endorsed Senator Orji Uzor Kalu for president and Senator Sani Musa for Deputy Senate President.

The northern senators and southern senators believe in the leadership of these two senators and there is no going back. The good news is that Asiwaju has strong character and will stand firm on his personal convictions.

Source: Legit.ng
Hong Kong: Ingrid Yeung visits Peking University

Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung concluded her trip to Beijing today by visiting Peking University to call on its President Gong Qihuang.

They exchanged views on collaboration in training for the civil service and explored room for further co-operation.

Peking University has always been a key partner for civil service training for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. We have a history of more than 20 years of co-organising national studies courses with the university and we will have closer co-operation in future, Mrs Yeung noted.

Among the two new training programmes to be launched by the Civil Service College this year is an in-depth training programme in collaboration with the Institute for Hong Kong & Macau Studies of Peking University on one country, two systems and contemporary China for directorate officers.

The civil service chief also attended a working seminar with the universitys Dean of the School of Government Prof Yan Jirong and met the Hong Kong SAR civil servants who have enrolled in the Master's Degree in Public Policy Programme.

The Hong Kong SAR Government and Peking University launched the two-year master's degree programme for senior civil servants in September last year. Participants have to attend the programme on a full-time basis at the university in their first year and complete a thesis while working in Hong Kong in their second year for graduation.

Mrs Yeung said: The civil servants have the opportunity to conduct social research in different regions during their studies to experience the country's development in person. For example, they learnt about the implementation of the country's poverty alleviation measures by conducting social research on rural revitalisation and regional development in Midu County, Yunnan in February.

The classroom training and field visits would enable colleagues to learn from their first-hand experience, stimulate their thinking, and deepen their understanding of the country's development so that they will contribute their best to society after returning to Hong Kong.

This story has been published on: 2023-04-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
China's partnership with Africa not neocolonialism, promises shared future for all: South African ambassador

11:09, April 28, 2023 By Kou Jie ( People's Daily Online

Siyabonga Cwele, South Africas ambassador to China. (Photo provided by South African Embassy in China)

Siyabonga Cwele, the South African ambassador to China, stressed on Thursday that the Belt and Road Initiative and the BRICS have provided China and Africa with new opportunities for economic growth, and that Western accusations that China is acting like a neocolonialist in Africa are false.

In contrast to Western nations, African nations do not advance by trampling over one another. We are accused of turning to the East, which we are not. China does not try to force its culture and beliefs on others. China and Africa treat each other with respect, unlike our old colonizers who want to impose their values on us, Cwele told Peoples Daily Online.

The remarks were made on April 27 at a South Africa Freedom Day event in Beijing, which also commemorated the 25th anniversary of China-South Africa diplomatic ties.

The ambassador thanked China for providing support during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa, and he reflected on the longstanding connection between the two countries.

Vaccines were out of the question for many of our African brothers and sisters. As you may be aware, China pledged increasing quantities of vaccines and other equipment to aid African nations. Undoubtedly, having China around has its advantages, said Cwele.

We do not consider ourselves to be colonized by China at all. Our relationship is mutually beneficial, he added.

The ambassador said that the growth in bilateral cooperation can be attributed to the frequent communication between the two countries' leaders, which has allowed for the expansion of commerce and cultural interactions.

I'm not fluent in Mandarin, but kids in South Africa now have the option of learning it in school. This further proves the strength of our partnership. That's why I've been studying Mandarin the past few of months, the ambassador told Peoples Daily online.

With the theme BRICS and Africa: Partnership For Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism, this years BRICS Summit will be held in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Cwele pointed out that the BRICS is a cooperation of developing nations, which benefits not just the five member nations but also developing nations all over the world, particularly in Africa.

[The BRICS nations] are working together to make the multilateral institutions of the United Nations more representative of today's circumstances. It's not about fighting a war or imposing sanctions on someone. We need to ensure global financial security. It's crucial to the development of the entire world, and we must push for peace rather than conflict, because we cannot develop in wars, said Cwele.

The ambassador was also quite complimentary of the Belt and Road Initiative, highlighting the positive effects that collaboration in the areas of infrastructure and technology have had on South African development.

For instance, we can modernize our economies because your telecoms businesses and ours work together to set up the necessary digital infrastructure, said Cwele.

We welcome Chinese companies to South Africa, and we will deepen cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, he added.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Wu Chengliang)
Alhassan Doguwa, the majority leader of the House of Representatives might be in for fresh trouble over the alleged murder case against him

This is following an order of Mandamus on the murder charges filed against the Majority leader by a former magistrate in Kano state

The order has also compelled the Attorney General of Kano state to begin the prosecution of Doguwa

A High Court sitting in Kano state on Thursday, April 27, granted an exparte motion seeking leave to commence an Order of Mandamus on the murder charges filed against the Majority leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Doguwa.

The order granted by the court will compel the Attorney General of Kano state to commence the prosecution of Doguwa, Daily Trust reports.

The Attorney General of Kano state has been compelled by the court to file murder charges against the majority leader of the House of Representatives.

Photo: Alhassan Doguwa

Source: Twitter

Doguwa was earlier arrested and charged before a magistrates court over an allegation of masterminding the killing and burning of properties at Tudunwada LGA during the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections.

The majority leader was later granted bail after an application for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights was granted.

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However, shortly after his release, civil society organizations in the state raised alarm over the unwillingness of the state government to prosecute the lawmaker because of his members with the ruling All Progressives Congress

In a swift move, Muntari Dandago, a retired magistrate in Kano state, sought the permission of the state high court to apply for an order of mandamus seeking to compel Kano State Attorney General, Musa Abdullahi Lawan to immediately file a charge against Doguwa and other alleged conspirators.

Following this, the court in its ruling granted the applicant the order for the issuance of mandamus against the lawmaker.

In his reaction, the Kano states Attorney General, Musa Abdullahi Lawan, said the investigation on the matter has not been concluded.

Lawan assured that the state will not take file charges against the lawmaker should the need arise at the conclusion of the investigation on the matter.

House of Reps Majority Leader Doguwa Sent to Prison over Alleged Murder during 2023 Elections, Video Emerges

The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, was remanded in prison.

A magistrates court in Kano gave the order on Wednesday, March 1, following Doguwas arraignment and reading of the First Information Report.

Recall that the police arrested Doguwa in connection with a suspected case of criminal conspiracy, culpable murder, etc during the just concluded 2023 presidential election.

Police arrest House of Reps member with bag containing $498,000

In another report, a member of the House of Representatives, Dr Chinyere Igwe, was arrested with a bag containing $498,000.

Igwe, who represents Port Harcourt Federal Constituency 2, in the lower chamber of the National Assembly, was arrested on Friday morning, February 24, along Aba Road in Port Harcourt.

The Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed the arrest and shared further details.

Source: Legit.ng
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Thursday, in Abuja, said while the All Progressive Congress worked hard to retain power in the 2023 general elections, the combined opposition lost due to overconfidence.

He also argued that a blend of overconfidence, complacency and poor tactical moves cost the opposition their desired victory and sank them into a post-election crisis.

Buhari said this when he received members of the Progressive Governors Forum led by their Chairman, Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, at his residence in the State House, Abuja.

Our party blended confidence with caution, we worked hard and won. Now, their overconfidence is creating more problems for the opposition than anyone else, he said.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed this in a statement he signed on Thursday titled President Buhari: opposition was victim of over confidence in last elections.

According to the President They (the opposition) were already telling their foreign backers that they would defeat the APC. Our party blended confidence with caution, we worked hard and won.

Now, their overconfidence is creating more problems for the opposition than anyone else. They are finding it hard to convince those who supported them from outside why they are unable to beat us.

A combination of over confidence, complacency and bad tactical moves made them lose, plain and clear. This has created more problems in their camp. Why did they fail to remove us?

In his response to an issue raised by Governor Bagudu, the leader of the Forum, Buhari said, An important reason I congratulate Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu) on winning is because the opposition got support and false hope from outside and went on to create the impression that they will win, that they will defeat us. How more wrong could anyone be?

The President urged the Progressive Governors to stick together and openly address issues among themselves.

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Try and keep solving problems. Be courageous to discuss them openly between yourselves.

This is the best way to survive politically in Nigeria. You (Governors) have a program to meet regularly and to discuss issues and how to maintain the Party nationwide, he said.

He rehashed his retirement plans noting that he intends to remain in his Daura home for six months before moving eventually to Kaduna.

He thanked Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State for the infrastructure he has provided that would make life for his retirement and that of the people of the state much better, adding that the Governor of Kano had equally done the same.

The Chairman, Bagudu, said the governors were at the Villa to on a Happy Sallah visit to the President and to thank him for showing leadership to the party and the nation.

Being their first visit since the elections, they congratulated the President on the APCs victory in the presidential polls, saying, Congratulations, your party won the presidency, a majority in the Senate and for being the leading party in the House of Representatives.

These successes would not have happened without your support. History will remember you kindly. Around the world, the election is being celebrated because of the turbulence in the region and in the developing world, all courtesy of your leadership.

We won by sheer hard work, the same thing you have always encouraged us to do. We thank you immensely for everything.

The state governors in attendance include Simon Lalong of Plateau, Hope Uzodinma of Imo, AbdulRahman AbdulRaza of Kwara, Abiodun Oyebanji of Ekiti, Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, Yahaya Bello of Kogi, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Ben Ayade of Cross River, Abubakar Mohammed of Jigawa, Aminu Masari of Katsina, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun and Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa.

The Deputy Governors of Kano, Gombe, Borno and Ebonyi were also in attendance, as well as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.
President Muhammadu Buhari said on Thursday identified overconfidence as the cause of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led oppositions defeat in this years presidential election.

The president, according to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, stated this when members of the Progressives Governors Forum visited him at the State House, Abuja.

He commended the All Progressives Congress (APC) for working hard to retain power at the centre by winning the election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on March 1 declared the APC candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the winner of the February 25 election after he defeated the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and 16 others in the exercise.

The APC also secured the majority seats in the National Assembly and won in 16 out of the 28 states where the governorship election took place.

READ ALSO: 2023 elections prove Nigerias democracy is maturing Buhari

The president said: They (the opposition) were already telling their foreign backers that they would defeat the APC. Our party blended confidence with caution, we worked hard and won. Now, their overconfidence is creating more problems for the opposition than anyone else. They are finding it hard to convince those who supported them from the outside why they are unable to beat us.

A combination of overconfidence, complacency, and bad tactical moves made them lose, plain and clear. This has created more problems in their camp. Why did they fail to remove us?

Buhari charged the governors to stick together and openly address issues among themselves.

Try and keep solving problems. Be courageous to discuss them openly between yourselves. This is the best way to survive politically in Nigeria, he added.

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Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi said he spent over N36 billion to build an international airport in Onueke, Ezza South Local Government Area of the state.

Governor Umahi disclosed this on Thursday while addressing stakeholders of the state and the delegation of the Federal Ministry of Aviation during the flight test that took place at the Onueke airport.

Two Air Peace Hopper airlines, No. 5N-BXF and No. 5-BUY which landed at the airport carried over one hundred passengers from Lagos and Abuja.

According to him, the international airport named after President Muhammadu Buhari will be inaugurated in the first week of May 2023 by the president.

Umahi revealed his preparedness to hand over the airport to the federal government to run, noting that the state government cant manage the airport.

He further stated that over 400 citizens of Ebonyi State were employed as staff of the airport.

Earlier in his remark, the director of the Civil Aviation Authority, CAA, who was represented by the General Manager of Aerodrome Services, Oladipo Adebayo, described the airport as the best of all the airports in Nigeria.

He applauded the Ebonyi State Government for using high-standard equipment to construct the airport, adding that with such quality materials used, the airport will stand the test of time.

KanyiDaily recalls that Former Kaduna Senator, Shehu Sani had tackled Governor David Umahi for naming the newly constructed Ebonyi international airport after President Muhammadu Buhari.
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The crisis rocking the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) continues to deepen as the Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Dr. Salihu Lukman, has dragged the National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, to court over alleged breach of the partys Constitution.

Sued alongside Adamu was the national secretary of the party, Iyiola Omisore.

In the suit filed at an Abuja High Court on Thursday, Lukman, a member of the partys NWC, noted that he was left with no option but to approach the court to stop Adamu from further perpetuating illegality upon the expiration of a seven days ultimatum which expired on Wednesday.

In a letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari justifying his actions, Lukman, said: I have proceeded to institute a legal action, seeking to compel Adamu and lyiola Omisore, being respectively APC National Chairman and National Secretary to compel them to comply with the requirements of running the affairs of the party as enshrined in the provisions of the APC Constitution.

READ ALSO: IPAC urges APC to zone Senate President to South East, South-South

As things are, I am painfully left with no option. It is quite disheartening that under the leadership of Adamu, we are failing to abide by the provisions of our partys Constitution and the party is being managed based on discretionary decisions of Adamu and Omisore.

Given the high confidence you had in Adamu, which made you to nominate him to emerge as the National Chairman of our party, the least one would expect is that he will conduct himself strictly based on requirements as provided in the APC Constitution.

It is my strong view that APC is the most important political legacy you gave to Nigerians. It was your leadership, and partnership with Tinubu and other party leaders that produced the success story of the merger negotiations of 2012/2013 and the defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015.

Having participated in the advocacy for the merger that produced the APC and being a founding member of the party privileged to be a member of the current NWC, I find it very compelling to take this legal action to enforce accountability within the party.

It is my hope that this court action will be concluded before May 29, and a NEC meeting of the party will be held before the end of your tenure in office as President, he said.
The Nigerian former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has arrived in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for the meeting of the DRC/Nigeria Business Council scheduled to start tomorrow, in the countrys state capital.

The former President left Abeokuta, Ogun State capital enroute Lagos at the early hours of Wednesday, for the two-hour chartered flight to Kinshasa with the Executive Secretary, National Action Committee on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and the former executive director/chief executive officer of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) between 2013 and 2022, Olusegun Awolowo.

According to his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi in a release, the Anambra State governor, Prof. Charles Soludo and Wale Adeosun, a business mogul/renowned industrialist in DRC Congo joined the former President on the trip.

READ ALSO: Obasanjo to deliver Keynote Address at National Daily Awards on May 12

On ground ahead of the summit were the President of the Council and former Director General of the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr. Nteranya Sanginga, Mr. Jimi Lawal and representative of Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, Dr. Debo Akande.

Others expected to join at the meeting are the Kaduna State Governor and Deputy President of the DRC/Nigeria Business Council, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Aliko Dangote of the Dangote Group, Mrs Stella Okoli of Emzor Paracetamol among others.

At the last meeting held in Lagos in December, the countrys outgoing President, President Muhammadu Buhari expressed satisfaction with the establishment of the Council, which he stressed would further boost the trade relations between the two countries.

The Deputy Secretary, DRC-NIGERIA Business Council, Amb. Leke Adebiyi hinted that no fewer than 30 prospective investors drawn from Health, Education, Agriculture, Communications, Power and Finance sectors are to meet with their DRC counterparts
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President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Thursday in Abuja, met with the All Progressives Congress governors who paid him a courtesy visit and urged them to work with the party leadership and lawmakers on the election of principal officers of the National Assembly.

We thank God Almighty for our electoral victory. It was tough and turbulent.

The challenge before us is working in unison with the party leadership and the National Assembly over the election of their principal officers. And I charge you to unite in spirit and faith and work in line with the party, he said.

The President-elect told the governors and former governorship candidates of the party that whether you return or not, this is our government.

Once we know what we are doing and communicating as elected leaders and loyal party men, we will conquer the challenge.

READ ALSO: NASS principal officers: Tinubu, APC weigh options

He reiterated his earlier admonitions that, as leaders, they were elected to serve the people and humanity with fairness and justice.

Sounding emotional, he expressed gratitude to God that he, the first Muslim minority from the South-West got the blessing of Allah to be elected president.

Dismissing speculations about his health, the President-elect said all speculation has been perished and their purveyors brought to shame.

The Chairman of the Progressive Governors who is also the governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, led his colleagues to Tinubus residence.

Among those in attendance were Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima and Governors Simon Lalong (Plateau), Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna), Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina), Hope Uzodinnma (Imo), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Babajide Sanwo-olu (Lagos), Ben Ayade (CrossRivers), Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq (Kwara), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) and Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti).

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READ ALSO: Im refreshed, ready for task ahead Tinubu

There were also the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Kelechi Igwe and APC governorship candidate in Kano State, Alhaji Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna.

Governor Bagudu said the visit was to congratulate Asiwaju Tinubu over the election, extend goodwill to him over the end of Ramadan Fast and welcome him back from his recent travels and celebrate with him.

He also said, however, that the governors were ready for any assignment the President-elect may give them.

On the task with respect to the election of presiding officers of the National Assembly, he pledged that the governor would continue to discuss and work with the party and the lawmakers to arrive at the best decision in the interest of the country.
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Fidelity Bank Plc has released its audited financial statements (AFS) for the year ended December 31, 2022 which showed the banks impressive growth across key top-to-bottom line figures.

The banks financial results released to the investing public at the Nigeria Exchange Limited (NGX) show its full year (FY) 2022 gross earnings printed higher at N337.050billion, representing 34.4percent increase against N250.776 billion recorded in 2021.

Net Interest Income (NII) rose by 60.94percent to N152.695billion from N94.879billion recorded in 2021. Its Profit Before Tax (PBT) was also higher at N53.677billion in 2022, up by 112.88percent from N25.215billion recorded in 2021, while the banks profit after tax (PAT) for the year 2022 at N46.724billion was 102.2percent higher than N23.104 billion profit it recorded in 2021.

READ ALSO: New investors acquire stake in Fidelity Bank

Its earnings per share (EPS) basic and diluted increased to 161kobo in 2022 from 80kobo in 2021. Fidelity Banks total assets in FY 2022 stood at N3.989 trillion, up by 21.76percent from N3.276trillion in 2021.

In the review financial year 2022, the banks Earning Assets make up a significant portion of the banks total assets. For instance, as of December 31, 2022, Earning Assets were N2.64 trillion (2021: N2.22 trillion). The banks net loan balance in 2022 stood at N2.116 trillion (2021: N1.66 trillion).

This value represents 55percent (2021: 52percent) of the total assets as at the reporting date. Deposits from Fidelity Bank customers increased to N2.580trillion in 2022 from N2.024trillion recorded in 2021.

READ ALSO: Fidelity Bank wins bilateral trade ambassador award

The banks Board of Directors proposes a final dividend of 40kobo per share which in addition to the 10kobo per share as interim dividend amounts to 50kobo per Ordinary Share (2021: Dividend of 35kobo per Ordinary Share.

Fidelity Bank shares have been on investment analysts stock picks. The share price at N5.3 had reached a 52-week high of N6.03 as against a 52-week low of N2.87. The bank shares price has yielded about 21.8percent return this year, confirming analysts BUY rating as a value stock.

In recognition of its product innovation and sound corporate governance standards, the bank was recognised by several local and international award agencies. These include: Bank of the Year 2021 by Leadership Newspaper, Best Banking or Insurance Website/Portal by the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), Best SME Bank Nigeria 2022 by the Global Banking & Finance Awards, DBN Platinum and Service Ambassadors Awards, and Global Finances Worlds Best Private Banks 2023 awards for Best Private Bank in Nigeria and Best Private Bank Digital Solutions for Clients in Africa.
A former president of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Peter Esele, has explained that he was not surprised that President Muhammadu Buharis administration suspended the fuel subsidies removal in June, Daily Post reports.

Esele disclosed this on Friday during a Channels Television interview monitored by DAILY POST.

Recall that the federal government had suspended the proposed fuel subsidy removal via the National Economic Council despite the fact it would save Nigeria over N6 trillion in revenue.

But Esele, a former president of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, said the Buhari administration would have removed the fuel subsidy one year into its government if it wanted to phase out the regime.

According to him, Buhari is simply beating about the bush on fuel subsidy removal in the last eight years without the political will to achieve it.

I think this government, if they wanted to remove fuel subsidies, would have done it in the first year of their administration when they had huge political capital to expend, but since it was not done, what they have been doing over the years is kicking the can down the room, he said.

According to industry data, from May 2015 to May 29, 2023, Buharis administration would have spent close to N10 trillion on fuel subsidies.
The spokesperson of the state police command, SP Usman Abdullahi, who confirmed the incident, said the military officer was ambushed and killed while the other persons were either Kuteb or Fulani extractions.

In what will come across as a really startling development, it has been reported that no fewer than 20 persons have been killed in Taraba.

They were killed a fresh clash between farmers and herdsmen in the Ussa Local Government Area of Taraba State.

The spokesperson of the state police command, SP Usman Abdullahi, who confirmed the incident, said the military officer was ambushed and killed while the other persons were either Kuteb or Fulani extractions.

The military officer who was from the checkpoint coming back to 93 Battalion Barrack was ambushed and killed, though nothing was taken from him, his motorcycle and luckily he has no rifle on him, Usman stated.

He was killed by unknown persons and an investigation has been launched to unravel those behind the killing. Statistically, 20 Kuteb indigenes were killed while three Fulani herdsmen also paid the supreme price as a result of the crisis.

According to Channels Television, the spokesman explained that at the moment, the major problem halting the return of peace is the claim by the Fulani herdsmen that their cattle are held hostage by the Kuteb farmers and the denial from the other end.

Stressing that the problem they faced was that the Fulani claimed their cattle were rustled and held hostage within the Kuteb farmers areas while the Kutebs fear going to the farm for fear of attack from the Fulani herdsmen.

The Commissioner of Police has called on the leader of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in Ussa and the claimants to discuss, agree and go to where they alleged that their cattle are held hostage for fact-finding as well as the release of same for peace to reign, the police spokesman added.

He also revealed that two immigration officers and a soldier were ambushed and killed in a separate incident in the Takum LGA of the state.

Two immigration officers were ambushed and killed by unknown person along Takum-Ussa road while a soldier was also ambushed and killed while returning from duty in Takum town.
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The post 2023 general election crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, has continued to claim more victims, unabated.

Already, some big political players have been punished for their perceived anti-party activities during the presidential, national and state assembly house of election in Edo State.

Those that have come under the hammer includes, Mr. Francis Inegbeniki, who was reportedly expelled recently and Mr. Bright Osayande who Mr. Oscar Aghedo, the Chairman of Ovia North East Local Government Area chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has referred to a deciplinary and investigation committe on allegation of anti-party activities.

READ ALSO: APC crisis deepens as chieftain drags Adamu, Omisore to court

Mr. Samson Osagie who had also been accused and earlier referred for investigation on allegation that he worked for the opposition party, has been expelled along with others by the executive of APC in Uhunmwode Local Government Area.

Apart from Osagie, APC also expelled the State Auditor, Woman Leader and five others.

Shortly after the elections, a disciplinary committee was set up by the party to investigate allegations of misconduct levelled against eleven persons, including the State Auditor of the party, Mr. Roland Alari; former Minority Whip, House of Representatives, Mr. Samson Osagie; Mrs. Esohe Idemudia, the LGA Woman Leader; Mr. Monday Guobadia; Mr. Nelson Gomez Iserhienrhien, LGA Secretary; Mr. Festus Iyekeoretin, Isi South Ward Chairman and Mr. Evans Ozabor.

Three accused persons  Mr. Jolly Iyekeoretin, Bar. Felix Alari and Mr. Simon Uduogie were left off the hook and pardoned, while Mr. William Amadin was recommended for six months suspension.

According to the report communicated to the lical government chairman, and signed by the Chairman, Prof. David Osifo and Secretary, Daniel A. Noah Osa-Ogbegie, Esq., Osagie and others allegedly worked against the party in their respective wards and units in the just concluded general elections resulting to the partys failure in the local government area.

READ ALSO: Trouble looms in APC as chieftain issues ultimatum, demands Omosores resignation

Alari was found guilty for his involvement in the 30 million Naira the PDP shared in Ehor ward on the eve of the House of Assembly electionand he openly canvassed for votes against the party in his unit on the day of election for the House of Assembly.

It claimed also that Alari organised a party in his house at Ehor to celebrate the loss of the party (APC) in his unit and ward in the House of Assembly election, singing songs to mock the party.

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Osagie on the other hand, was pronounced guilty for his refusal to attend leaders meeting, open campaign against his party , the APC.

That he (Osagie) lost all the three Elections that were conducted on 25th Feb in his unit and ward by high margins.

On the eve of the House of Assembly Elections; which was Friday 17th March, that he, Hon. Samson Osagie was seen in Rialto hotel, Eyaen at night holding a meeting with some of his ward leaders including Mrs. Betty Iyayi, LGA Assistant Women Leader, Barr. Uyi Ediale, LGA Legal Adviser, among others. It was gathered that it was in that meeting, he concluded plans to sabotage APC and work in favour of the opposition in their various units.

The report added that: It is confirmed that he, Hon. Osagie called Hon. Stanley Otabor one of the Legacy PDP members who had agreed to work for the APC that he had resolved to work for PDP and that he (aforementioned Stanley Otabor) should join.

READ ALSO: Edo APC takes on Obaseki over Wikes 13% derivation allegation

It is also confirmed that he told one Mr. Igbinidu, a legacy PDP member that he should work for PDP when he (Igbinidu) was ready to work for the APC following prior arrangement the APC made with his PDP group.

That the said Mr. Igbinudu was called by Hon. Charles Idahosa and he confirmed it to Hon. Charles Idahosa

In his polling unit on the House of Assembly Election Day, it was confirmed by some voters that Hon. Osagie told them to vote for the opposition PDP and when he was asked why, he said that was the order and that the PDP candidate was born at Egba and from neighbouring community, so Egba people must support their own. That was how APC lost the election to PDP.

Betty Iyayi was found guilty for saying away from campaigns. That she was in the USA at the beginning of campaigns and refused to participate in campaign even after she came back to Nigeria.

That she did not donate any money to the campaign even after enjoying the opportunity as National delegate in the Presidential primaries.

That she canvassed votes for the PDP to win Igieduma ward. That perusal of her unit and ward results eloquently point to her acts of sabotage against the party that has done much for her.

She was also accused of collecting money from Governor Godwin Obasekis PDP in the House of Assembly election.

In his response sent to Midwest Herald, Osagie blamed his ordeal on those envious of his rise in politics.

He insisted that his accusers are on a voyage to no where and their efforts will end in futility.

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My response is that, the allegations against me were duly answered and all denied but the committee abandoned my responses to the allegations and made their unjust and unfair recommendations even when they have no congent evidence to substantiate the allegations.

The conclusion in my response shows clearly that the committee acted with bias as the recommendations shows that they were accusers, prosecutors and judges in the same matter.

I had no doubt in my mind that their report will not be different from what they have made. Indeed they were working from answer to questions to satisfy the bid of their pay masters.

Unfortunately, the entire charade falls short of the constitutional requirements for discipline in Article 21 of the APC Constitution.

Osagie concluded that: the purported expulsion is ultra vires both the Committee and the Uhunmwode Local Government chapter of the APC.
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By Israel Yusuf, Kaduna

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State has appealed to its supporters across Kaduna State that it would soon reclaim it governorship mandate at the Election Petition Tribunal.

The State PDP governorship candidate, Mohammed Isah Ashiru had approached the tribunal to challenge the victory of Uba Sani at the governorship polls, insisting that he (Ashiru) won the election, but was allegedly robbed of victory by the APC.

In a statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Abraham Alberah Catoh and issued to newsmen in on Friday,said it is often said that no matter how long the night tarries, morning would come.

According to him, Uba Sani, therefore, may continue to run or attempt to evade the judicial service of the governorship election petition by the PDP but can not hide.

We thank the Kaduna State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for granting our request for a substituted service to Uba Sani. When you conspire to thwart the outcome of an election against the choice of the people, you shouldnt be afraid to defend the stolen mandate in court.

We assure the people of the state of our resolve to recover the mandate freely given to our candidate and party in the March 18 governorship election.

Let us continue to show support to the party, remain calm, and also pray that God will grant their Lordships the wisdom to continue to do the right thing always, he stated.

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The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called for increased security measures for the President and Vice President-elect, Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima.

MURICs Executive Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, in a statement on Friday, said the call was based on the alleged rising security threats and treasonable utterances coming from the opposition camp which bothered on desperation.

We find it necessary to alert the nation, particularly the security agencies, concerning ominous signs on the Nigerian political horizon.

We call on the security agencies to double guards for the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his vice, Kashim Shettima. Nothing must happen to them.

We remind those plotting to truncate the presidential inauguration, billed for May 29 of the dire consequences of their actions, he said.

Akintola urged the opposition to exercise restraint in its conduct as it contested election results.

Those who fight and run away live to fight another day. Those who did not win in 2023 have another chance in 2027.

Remember the words of Paul Tibbets who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, My God! What have we done? But it was too late. The damage had already been done. A word is enough for the wise, he said.

KanyiDaily recalls that Bola Tinubu recently released a 13-man Presidential Inauguration Committee which will plan for a week-long presidential inauguration of himself and Kashim Shettima as Nigerias new leaders.
By Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja

Amid the crisis of leadership in the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu has summoned a meeting of the National Working Committee NWC.

The meeting scheduled to hold next Wednesday is coming on the heels of a lawsuit instituted against Adamu and the National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore by the National Vice Chairman (North West) of the party, Salihu Moh. Lukman.

Notice of the meeting to all the 24-member NWC sighted by our correspondent was issued by the National Secretary.

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The notice reads; Distinguished NWC members, HE, the national chairman has called the regular NWC meeting for Wednesday, 3rd May 2023. This notice is given early enough to allow our esteemed members to attend. Thanks for your attention. Good afternoon everyone.

Time of the meeting 12: noon prompt.

A source privy to details of the meeting said! The issues slated for discussion will include the review of the just concluded general elections, consider the preliminary reports of an external auditor engaged to look into the books of the party, in anticipation for the preparation of a financial report to be presented to National Executive Committee NEC whenever is conveyed.

Wednesdays meeting will also afford tbe NWC to mend the rough edges among themselves, especially as it regards the two letters by Mal. Salihu Lukman and the legal action he instituted against the National Chairman and National Secretary. It is going to be a loaded meeting where far-reaching decisions will be taken ahead of the NEC meeting and the May 29 inauguration of President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima.
The Labour Party (LP) has expressed concerns about the relocation of the Ebonyi State Election Petitions Tribunal (EPT) from Abakaliki, the state capital to Abuja.

The LP in a statement by the partys chairman in Ebonyi State, Godwin Jioke said it was not comfortable with the development.

Naija News recalls the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Mensem, gave the directive for the movement.

In a chat with reporters on Wednesday in Abakaliki, the state capital, the Secretary of the Tribunal, Nyior Henry Sekulla, said all petitions and processes relating to matters before the tribunal will now be heard in Abuja.

Sekulla said that following the directive, the election petition tribunal office at the Ebonyi State Judiciary Headquarters in Abakaliki has been shut down.

On the reason for the decision to move the Tribunal to Abuja, Sekulla said it is not within his powers to speak on the reasons.

However, the Labour Party chairman asked that the decision be reversed.

We are not comfortable with the cessation of operation and decision of moving the EPT sitting to Abuja.

The decision has to be reconsidered and allow matters to be handled in the state where elections took place, Jioke said.
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PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OF NIGERIA (ALGON), BENUE STATE CHAPTER ON THE FULANI INVASION OF BENUE STATE SINCE JANUARY, 2023.

INTRODUCTION

We address you together under the canopy of the ALGON, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, who as Chief Executives and security Chiefs of our various Local Governments in Benue State, wish to add our voice to the renewed attacks on rural communities in Benue State by armed Fulani herdsmen. Over five Local Governments in Benue State are presently engulfed in these renewed security crises especially after the February 25, 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Election, under the leadership of Governor Samuel Ortom, who is known nationally for standing against Fulani occupation of the Benue Valley.

HISTORICAL DIMENSION.

Tiv and Idoma, have repulsed and resisted Fulani attempts to dominate and occupy traditional lands in the Benue Valley for over 100 years. Benue is the only state in the North without an Emirate Council. The idea of coveting our lands is a prelude to declaration of Emirate Councils in Benue state. Benue Valley is the best natural environment for Livestock Development in Nigeria especially Benue State which is also the Fresh Water Capital of Nigeria. The Fulani have wished to capture the River banks in the past, but especially under Buhari, have been emboldened to enforce their grip on cattle and livestock monopoly in Nigeria as a window to help the spread of Islam in Benue State especially, and the Benue Valley and Middle Belt generally. Fulani have generally ensured that Nigerias agriculture is crop-centric, thus ensuring that no other ethnic group in Nigeria stray into the livestock value chain. They are now using livestock, especially cows, to spread across Nigeria and encourage the 49million Fulani in the West African sub-region to move into Nigeria via RUGA, Cattle Colonies and grazing reserves, overturning the nations demographic character.

FULANI HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY INTENSTIONS IN BENUE AND NIGERIA

Fulani intentions in Benue and Nigeria, have nothing to do with Livestock Development. First, it must be clear to all that the Fulani dont even produce livestock. They largely import livestock into Nigeria  mostly from Yobe State, via Potiskum where most of the nations livestock is imported. Of the nations 19.8 million cattle population which is contested, most of this feeds only a small percentage of the population. Over 85% of what Nigeria consumes (Lagos over 6000 a day) is imported.

What the Fulani are doing is land grabbing for the Fulani of the whole world. They are especially targeting Benue state and the Benue Valley for religious, political and solid mineral purposes. There is no livestock transformation plan in their agenda. The national cattle deficit continues to expand. For a population of 210m and expanding at over 4%, a cattle stock of 19.8 million is laughable. Brazil has 230 million cattle for a population of 210. Ethiopia 120m with cattle of 55-60m. USA 330million  cattle 90m.The Nigerian cattle and livestock deficit is the worst in the world. And, been mismanaged by the Fulani fighting for land and River Banks all over Nigeria without dedicating any attention to wiping out the growing deficit.

FULANI AND THE NIGERIAN CIVIL WAR

Fulani have never been great infantry fighters; the Tiv, Idoma, Bachama, Birom, Nupe, Jukun of the Middle Belt, constituted the fighting force of the Civil War. In the aftermath of the Civil War of which the Fulani really never took part in serious numbers, they took over Nigerias military and especially in the Buhari era, have been capturing traditional Middle Belt, Benue Valley lands endlessly using AK47s that indigenous ethnic group are not allowed to possess. On a level playing ground, where indigenous ethnic groups are also allowed to own AK47s and to confront the Fulanis in open warfare, they (the Fulani) would not stand a chance. the Fulani have also been helped by the Islamizationa and monopolization of the Military High Command in the Buhari era. Without these, our people would not be refuges or IDPs in our land.

NATIONAL WATER BILL

As the nation continues to reject attempts from the Fulani lobby at the national level via the National Assembly to pass the National Water Bill with its vision to seize inland national water ways in furtherance of Fulani control and expansion therefrom, within Benue State, this agenda is been implemented vigorously via forceful take over and occupation of indigenous lands on River banks in over 13 Local Governments in the state viz: Kwande, Logo, Katsina  Ala, Buruku, Tarka, Makurdi, Agatu, Apa, Gwer- West (Naka).Thus, what the Fulani are unable to get via National Water Bill, they are getting via forceful invasion and occupation of Benue River banks. What the nation (Tiv, Idoma. Southern Kaduna, etc) has rejected in RUGA or Cattle Colonies or grazing reserves, they are getting via occupation of these River bank.

THE LATEST ATTACKS

The latest attacks coincides with the eve of the General Elections when the Fulani hoped they would make further conquests in anticipation of an Atiku Fulani, Northern Muslim victory at the Presidential Elections. The hope was that an Atiku presidency would follow through with Buharis cynical live with your neighbor philosophy. When this didnt materialize, they began to push further given the victory of a Muslim  Muslim ticket in Asiwaju  Shettima in the APC. Also, the interim victory of the APC Senatorial Candidates in the State further fired the Fulani in their push in the 5 Local Governments of Kwande, Agatu, Makurdi, Guma and Gwer  West. This is both poignant, dangerous and evidential of the Fulani threat in the State.

CHARACTER OF THE ATTACKS

This is the first time in the history of Fulani Herders, terrorists attacks in the State that six (6) Local Governments are under attacks simultaneously. These are Guma, Makurdi, Gwer  West, Kwande, Agatu and some forays in Logo. In the past, attacks would be in two or three  Guam, Gwer West and Agatu. This new dimension speaks of volumes of Command Room Coordination and Strategy. This is a strategic attempt to attack from all corners of the state as it is tactical. The attempts are also politically timed to coincide with the electoral season.

GOING FORWARD

The next Governor of the state must come armed with a ROBUST livestock vision and agenda that will permanently resolve the Herder  Herder Crises in the state from where Ortom will leave off.

Whoever should be the next Governor or Senator should be the person with the best vision to resolve this crisis and chase out the Fulani invaders/terrorists masquerading as herdsmen.Benue State and Nigeria should, therefore, be very vigilant, from Southern Kaduna, South- East, South  West, North  East, North West, Tiv, Idoma etc, as to the perspectives designed to resolve the Herder  Farmer Crisis. If we get it right, we move forward, wrong, serious crisis.

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Coalition of Northern political activists has recant its allegations against Hon.Benjamin Kalu, the Spokesperson House of Representatives saying they were hired to attack him.

The chairman of the Coalition group, Comrade Ali Abacha, disclosed this at a press briefing at Nigeria Union of Journalists Secretariat ( NUJ), Abuja, on Friday.

The group under the umbrella of Coalition of Northern patriotic front, Coalition of Arewa Youths group for progress and development had on Thursday at press briefing in Abuja, accused the member representing Bende federal Constituency of anti- party , saying he traded the interest of All Progressive Congress ( APC), and its Presidential election.

The group claimed Hon. Kalu who is one of the front runners in the race for Speaker of the House of Representatives, in the 10th assembly should be treated like a saboteur.

In a press statement entitled  Emerging issues in the contest for leadership of the 10th National Assembly the Coalition had alleged that Hon. Kalu did not sow in APC but rather an opportunist Comrade Ali Abacha who led the group told journalists that

they were in NUJ again on Friday  to set the record straight and also to correct some of the statements we issued. As a Civil Society Organizations, we remain non-partisan and we should be seen to be so, not to allow ourselves to be dragged into politics of sentiments

 Our attention has been drawn to the press briefing by those that should know better, that forces from Abia state working with highly placed politicians in the State are back in the trenches to paint Hon. Benjamin Kalu, a member representing Bende Federal Constituency, black ahead of the contest.

We want to state without any equivocation that we were misled, given false information to justify the plot against Benjamin Kalu.

Some of the issues raised by this Coalition yesterday is an obvious attack on the personality of the Spokesperson of the House of Representatives and member representing Bende Federal Constituency, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, who expressed his interest to run for the position of the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, in a bid to misinform the general public and cast aspersions on the Integrity of the Honourable member who has so far remained an impeccable image maker of the 9th Assembly. He noted

If Hon. Benjamin Kalu truly sold the party in the Southeast, he would probably not be the only surviving House of Reps member from APC in the entire Abia State with eight Federal Constituencies. His victory is a testament of his hard work to project his party in his State and Region. If Hon. Benjamin Kalu truly sold the party out in the Southeast, as been alleged how come he was the only one whose office was attacked with over 100 bullets destroying properties with so many lives put at risk in the incident? How come he was the only member whose life was threatened by hired assassins who were sent to silence him for projecting the APC Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.  He observed.

Abacha further stated that If from senate these allegations by his traducers are to be taken seriously, how come he was the only one who campaigned publicly for his party APC in Abia State, also being one of the leaders to join in receiving the Presidential Candidate of the Party during his visit to his State? 

Our findings have also revealed that the Leader who joined the Abia APC Gubernatorial Candidate in his Campaign rallies while some of the Leaders who want to lead the 10th National Assembly publicly supported other political parties. This remains an unfounded allegation against the aspiration of Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu by desperate politicians who lack any moral standing to occupy any leadership position in our nation. On the issue of expirience that we raised earlier, circumstantial evidence before us after the briefing shows that We were grossly misled.

Hon. Kalu from records, stands tops amongst them all as he was already in the House when most candidates from the Southeast rejoined the Assembly after their victory in court. He was already holding the Chairmanship position of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs and the Spokesperson of the House before they came on board.

Hon. Kalu has sponsored one of the highest number of bills among the new members of the House with about 43 bills amongst which 2 or 3 have gotten the Presidential assent while others have progressed from one level of legislative attention to other.

Outside the parliament, the public sector experience of Hon. Benjamin Kalu becomes resourceful having been a Local Government Chairman and a two-time member of the State Executive Council in Abia State. His knowledge of the law and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a practicing Lawyer as an Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria should also be recognized, a qualification that has played a role in molding conversations around law making in the House.

it does not show a man that is lacking in knowledge, his grasp of the issues around the parliamentary practice, around the mandate of the legislature, constitution mandate of the legislation remains a top-notch knowledge-based and if you also watch his participation in various committee levels you will understand that this is a thorough breed and well-groomed in the act of lawmaking and the committee he chaired become one of the best committees in the house in terms of creating visibility for the National Assembly. In terms of unbundling the opaqueness around the activities of the national assembly and increasing transparency, accountability, credibility, the confidence of the public in what the mandate of the legislature actually entail and this he has achieved through innovative platforms created by him, is it through the green chamber magazine that he innovated with the speaker or through sectorial engagements or through periodic town hall meetings or through weekly radio programs and all the rest of them, all these are platforms that have increased public participation in our democracy and if this man created all this, he must have created them through knowledge?

One of the issues raised by the sponsored agent whose intentions is to drag the CSO into Abia politics is the issue of loyalty, they tried to project Hon Benjamin Kalu as a man that has low fiber for loyalty, our investigation has revealed that the benefactor in quote should be no other person than Dr Orji Uzor Kalu and its important to note that unlike what the public thinks that the so-called benefactor has fought the election of Hon Benjamin Kalu from 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023 and he has carried out his objective of insuring that the opposition will always be in partnership with him against the candidate of the party, do we really call that a benefactor? 

Its obvious that if this man was not loyal to APC, he will not be seen around campaigning with the flags of APC, we have the pictures, we have the videos, he will not be seen campaigning and granting interviews to promote the candidate of APC, his office would not have been attacked if he was not loyal to the party all in the effort to threaten him to soft-pedal in projecting APC in Abia State while the so called benefactor refused speak up publicly for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in his presidential campaign, they refused to project even the gubernatorial candidate, they refused to follow him to any of the campaigns around the state.

Hon. Benjamin Kalu followed the guber candidate of APC around the state projecting APC, he projected Asiwaju privately and publicly while the so-called benefactor was busy having multiple engagement with the Labour Party and APP in Abia state.

From the available record obtained from the All Progressive Congress Secretariat in Abia state, Hon. Kalu remains one of the greatest donors when they say it is a contribution, the press release alleged that the contribution of Benjamin Kalu should be questioned in APC, Benjamin Kalu remains one of the greatest donors to Abia state APC, in the form of cash, in forms of ideas, in form of materials to make sure that the party stands firmly in Abia state, the evidence they are there, the receipts as issued by the executive council of Abia state APC, they are there to prove but its unfortunate that those contributions to the growth of APC in Abia State as we speak are being use against him by those who feel they owe the state.

We challenge them to present that, we challenge them to show any evidence of their campaign support Asiwaju in Abia State, we challenge them to show any evidence of their campaign support to the guber candidate in Abia State.

On the issues of loyalty as well, the question becomes, Do you become loyal to a man who fought against you in 2011, fought against you in 2015, fought against you in 2019, and fought against you in 2023?

When people compare the relationship of Femi Gbajabiamila and Senator Asiwaju Tinubu, what they will highlight remains consistent support that encourages this loyalty to flow seamlessly from the current speaker to the current president-elect, but we cannot say that about Benjamin Kalu and who claims to be the benefactor of Benjamin Kalu, as for every election arrangements will be made with oppositions on how Benjamin Kalu should not be allowed to win the election, its also important to note that the current speaker has tasted the loyalty quality of Hon Benjamin Kalu in the last four years.

The leadership of the House can attest to the dependability of Benjamin Kalu in teamwork, the team spirit of Benjamin Kalu in making sure that the house was stabilized, that the relationship of the leadership of the House and members is well managed, that the relationship of the house and other arms of government were handled well without anyone betraying the other. The evidence is there to be gotten on inquiry.

These lies were bandied around, cooked up, spread around to make sure that the spotless image of Benjamin Kalu was dented with scandals, the benefactor who conceived this particular idea of spoiling the name of Benjamin Kalu remains with a stigma that he was an ex-convict and the fact remains that as an ex-convict as alleged in his affidavit he was not even supposed to be in the last election, so for somebody like that to put up a kangaroo group together asking for Benjamin Kalu to be scandalized is something that beats our imagination. The president-elect at the moment was scandalized does it mean that those scandals were true, they were not true and he won his election and will be sworn in as the president of this country, RT Hon Femi Gbajabiamila that is been celebrated today for his efficiency, for his credibility, for capacity was also scandalized during his campaign.

It is also important to note that one of the issues that we raised yesterday was the issues of ethnic sentiments and mediocrity, the decision of who becomes the next speaker should not be based on sentiment and also should not be based on mediocrity, the point remains that Benjamin Okezie Kalu who represents the entire Nigeria starting from Bende federal constituency as he always present himself has shown Nigerians that he is a man who doesnt recognize the borders of our ethnic lines, the borders of our tongues, the borders of our religion, he is a man who has extended his handshake across the Niger with more friends in other region even more than his own region, its not about ethnicity, its about capacity, Its about preparation for this job.

When you talk about mediocrity Benjamin Kalu is not mediocre and weve seen the exhibition of his capacity which is why some of us are standing behind him. It is not in doubt that the information given to us is a wrong assumption brought up by someone who sponsored a candidate against the party (APC) and Hon. Kalus candidacy who also feels his growth and development will diminish him in the nearest future.

We talking about a man who openly celebrated the destruction of his Representatives constituency office without any iota of remorseful feelings or empathy, a man who was publicly seen making jest of Asiwajus candidacy around South East which he practically dramatized by boycotting all of Asiwajus rallies within the zone as well as the presidential campaign rally at Abia his home state.

It is visibly glaring how Hon. Kalus billboards and that of Asiwaju were seen scattered all over the constituency courtesy of Benjamin Kalu whereas the person you want to bring in as a valuer openly fought the move, a man whos anti-party activities were visibly witnessed by all coupled with his incessant secret night meetings with other political partys like PDP, Labour Party and His own party App which he remains a deep financier up till date, yet you are clamoring for such character to evaluate a well-known outstanding committed party Stewart like hon Kalu.

Notably, Benjamin Kalu has in no small measure defended and managed the image of the party within and outside the shores of the country, there are well-known facts and information to that effect.

Those who are sincere will openly attest to the fact that Hon. Kalu has heavily invested in the party during and before the general election both federal and state polls unlike the man who spent his time campaigning against our Presidential and governorship candidate, an ungrateful party man who was busy moving around de-marketing APC in a bid to deliver his younger brother who was running under the platform of APP as well as a rep candidate of Labour Party whom he invested heavily in a bid to put on off his party Man out of the way, let me put it clearly that Dr Orji Kalu lacks the moral Right to demand anything from All progressives Congress having strategically fought against the party during the 2023 polls.

Meanwhile, those who are calling for Hon. Benjamin Kalus head using Civil Society organization should come openly to tell us their contribution to the party during the election?

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By Izunna Okafor, Awka

Unidentified gunmen, have, again, stormed and abducted a yet-to-be-identified man in Anambra State, barely three days after similarly abducting another in the same state.

247ureports gathered that the recent abduction happened on Thursday, April 28, along the OraukwuAdazi Road, where the hoodlums double-crossed the victim, whisked him into his car and zoomed off after releasing some bullets into the air to register their presence and scare the residents.

This was corroborated by a video currently trending on the social media, which shows the battle-ready armed men as they successfully carried out their operation undisturbed.

From the video, it was also observed that some of the hoodlums were dressed in police uniform, which kept many wondering, as to whom they really were.

The hoodlums, who stormed with Prado Jeep, as was shown in the video, double-crossed a Lexus Jeep, bounded him into his vehicle and drove off with the two vehicles.

An eyewitness and resident of the community who ran a commentary on the incident, also attested that the armed hoodlums were dressed in security camouflage, while also revealing that the incident happened exactly at the front of Olisa compound.

However, when contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Anambra State Police Command, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga said the Command arrested three suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the state on Thursday.

Ikenga, in a press release issued on behalf of the State Police Commissioner, CP Echeng Echeng, on Friday, said police camouflages and other incriminating items were also found in the possession of the suspects, whom he identified as Hyacinth Ujwuika, aged 45 years; Sunday Samuel Akpan, aged 31 years; and Chinonso Offor (a.k.a. wolf), aged 24 years.

He said the suspects were intercepted along the Afor Nnobi Road during a routine stop and search, while adding that the police also recovered three AK47, two cell phones, two bulletproof vest, two walkie-talkies, 4 AK47 magazines, one hundred and twenty live ammunition, one police belt, one hand glove, a pair of police boot, two police caps, and one military T-shirt from them.

The Police Spokesperson noted that the hoodlums earlier engaged the police in gun duel when they tried to stop and search them, which made the police to respond and eventually succeeded and arresting three of them, while others escaped.

Efforts are already in place to arrest other fleeing gang members, he added.

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The Presidency has said that the special privilege accorded some ministerial nominees by the Senate in the ongoing screening is proper and in line with global parliamentary tradition.

Contrary to expectations, the Senate did not grill former federal and state lawmakers during the screening.

Female nominees and individuals that are leaders of the All Progressives Congress have been spared.

The President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, has consistently justified the practice, claiming it was also done in advanced democracies.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, said the red chamber had done nothing wrong by adopting such practice.

Speaking with reporters on Friday night, Enang, a member of the National Assembly from 1999 to 2015, agreed with Lawan.

He said, For anyone to qualify to be appointed as a minister, they must be qualified to be a member of the House of Representatives. So, it is taken that you are qualified and had already been screened.

For you to have been a member of the House of Representatives or a Senator, it is taken that you are the person who earlier screened and passed other people. Therefore, having been a member of the institution, you are deemed to have gone through all the tests.

Unless there is something which has arisen after your tenure can be seen and questioned, only then can any questions arise. That is even not a matter for the Senate; it is a matter which only the security agencies can say something about.

So, the Senate is right in saying that if you were a member of the Senate and a member of the House of Representatives, you are deemed to be qualified and nothing has happened to demean that. It is a tradition that started in the United Kingdom and United States parliament and has become a parliamentary tradition everywhere.

Enang said a former Minister of State for Aviation, Dr Hadi Sirika, who was a member of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, should not be questioned.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN on Thursday said that Nigeria can benefit from the United Kingdom in its ongoing reform of the business environment by learning from how the British resolved similar challenges.

The Vice President spoke during a meeting with the newly appointed United Kingdoms Secretary of State for International Development, Mr Alok Sharma, at the Presidential Villa.

Prof Osinbajo, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said One of the critical issues with the ease of doing business is with respect to the registration of property and how the process is long drawn.

He noted that while States like Lagos and Kano have done well with issues around land registration, there are still some outstanding issues.

According to him, this is an area where the UK and Nigeria can collaborate.

I think one of the ways by which we could get some help is in the whole land registry concept, the Vice President noted.

He recalled that Lagos State actually had such collaboration when he was serving there.

According to him, the UK gave us quite a bit of help in establishing what was used in Lagos State land registry years ago.

Every state has its own peculiar issues and challenges. How to document across the various states is what poses the challenge, Osinbajo observed.

Prof Osinbajo also explained the National Livestock Transformation Plan, NLTP, stating that the Federal Government and States decided on ranching as an option for livestock breeding.

States determine the implementation methods in their respective States, while both the Federal Government and the States will share the costs.

Speaking earlier in his remarks, Mr. Sharma commended the Vice President for his role in driving the Ease of Doing Business reforms and commended the country for moving up 24 places in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Ranking.

On the specific issue of land registry, he noted how the process was simplified in the UK using technology.

Both the Vice President and the UK Secretary, among other issues, also discussed the rehabilitation of the Northeast region and how the British could support the process going forward.
No leave, no transfer x Teebillz, thats not something Id thought Id see in 2019.

This was one of the most popular catchphrases during the 2019 season of Big Brother Nigeria. It became synonymous with the houses resident conflict baiter, Tacha, who spent the bulk of her time adamant about her principles and unafraid to challenge anyone who held other views.

As far story lines go, Tacha seemed to have an iron-clad one. Even before the housemates were announced there were videos circulating of Tacha being slut-shamed and cyber-bullied for deciding to apply for the Big Brother competition. Before the show, she had spent a significant amount of time building a social media brand and audience and working as an influencer out of Port Harcourt.

With a public identity as a self-made entrepreneur, unashamed of her body and unwilling to conform to societal expectations, she seemed tailor made for the drama and politics of a reality show like Big Brother.

That persona helped her get into the house and win her a near fanatic fanbase drumming up so much conversation around her that she would trend on social media nearly every day of the show. also made her enemies among the largely hypocritical Nigerian elite and semi-elite who were furious that Tacha, wouldnt play by their rules. However, Tachas early exit from the Big Brother House was all her doing, and really dented her relationship with the shows organizers and sponsors.

Since her exit, her future as a Big Brother alum has been in limbo. She was excluded from the final Big Brother House party that saw all the other housemates return to the house and get a second chance in the limelight. Barring a few photo shoots, she was also conspicuously absent in the finale event. During this time however, Teebillz, former manager (and husband) 0f Tiwa Savage began to make known his intentions on social media that he wanted to take over managing Tacha with his new management company Billz Vision. If this new Instagram press release is anything to go by, Tacha has finally signed with Billz Vision.

It will be interesting to see how they try to parlay Tachas notoriety into cool cash in the coming months. Teebillz did have a hand in Tiwa Savages early success and if he really knows his onions, he will replicate that here. Well wait and see how the Teebillz x Tacha partnership plays out.

Source: YNaija
Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde is planning to spend N8 billion in reconstructing the popular Iwo Road interchange, and it will require the demolition of a mosque, among other buildings, to pave way for the construction of a new bus terminal in Ibadan, the stairs capital.

Governor Makinde disclosed this on Friday when he joined the Muslim faithful to observe the Jumah service at the Adogba Central Mosque, Iwo Road, Ibadan.

He informed the Muslim faithful at the mosque that the decision to demolish the mosque twas part of governments plan to make Ibadan a befitting state capital, and that the project would be completed between nine and eleven months.

The Governor added that a church along the interchange area would also be demolished, refuting the insinuation that the demolition had religion undertone.

He stated further that the State Government had made provision for new land for the building of a befitting mosque for the Adogba congregation, promising to personally spearhead the finance for the building of the new mosque. Makinde said:

The main reason I decided to come here is, there are reports that the State Government wants to demolish the Adogba Mosque. Yes, it is true. The church that is close to this mosque will equally be demolished but I want it to be on record that, first, I worship in the mosque today. Second, what we want to do to this mosque can be likened to the popular saying that suggests that the palace of a king that gets destroyed can only get beautiful later. I make bold to tell you that we wont demolish it and not rebuild a better mosque. They have looked for another land that is close to where we are and I will ensure that I donate personal money to begin the building of the new Adogba Mosque. I built a mosque at Omituntun House. The new mosque will be twice bigger in terms of size than this current one and will be a reference point. We will have a meeting with those that are running the mosque to see how we can achieve this. Also, we will try and cushion the effect of the demolition for those who trade around the mosque and may be badly affected by our action. We dont want to run a government that will demolish and not compensate or make plans for those who may be affected.

The Governor, therefore, appealed to the Muslim faithful to support the decision for the overall development of the State.

Governor Makinde attended the Jumah service alongside his deputy, Engr. Rauf Olaniyan; the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr AbdulMojeed Mogbonjubola; other appointees and top civil servants in the State.




PDP leaders protested at EU and French embassies today

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party and some party members in the National Assembly have staged a peaceful protest at the embassy of the European Union and France.

The PDP National Secretary, Senator Ibrahim Tsauri, who led the protest presented the partys protest letter to the embassy officials.

The protesters later proceeded to the embassy of France.

Tsauri said democracy has been derailed in Nigeria and solicited the cooperation and assistance of the international community.

See tweet below:
<! Muhammadu Sanusi: judge orders he should be set free >

Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday ordered immediate release of deposed Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, who is currently confined illegally to Awe town, Nasarawa State, by the police and the Department of State Services.

Justice Chikere gave the order in an ex-parte motion brought by Sanusis team of lawyers.

The judge also granted the prayers for all the respondents to be served through substituted means should it become impossible to personally effect the service.

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Liberia Confirms Its First Case Of Coronavirus

Liberia announced its first case of the novel coronavirus on Monday, becoming the 27th African country to confirm the illness.

The patient is the head of Liberias environmental agency and had recently returned from Switzerland, the information ministry said in a statement.

The coronavirus patient is Nathaniel Blama, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, who returned to the country on Friday March 13 following a visit to Switzerland.

Chief Medical Officer Francis Kateh told Reuters;

I can confirm that we have a case and we are managing it.

President George Weah is expected to make a speech later in the day. Residents of the country have been asked to remain calm as health officials continue to trace all those the infected person came in contact with, as well as quarantine them for the incubation period of the virus.




Two fresh polio cases had been detected in Afghanistans southern Uruzgan province, the Ministry of Public Health said on Monday.





With these two new cases, the total number of polio cases in 2019 reaches 15 in the country, all of which were reported from inaccessible areas.





Fourteen of the 15 polio cases have been reported from the south, the ministry said in a statement.





Poliovirus could be rapidly transferred and the only preventable way was vaccination, the statement said.





Access to health services is the right of every citizen of the country, Health Minister, Ferozuddin Feroz, was quoted as saying.





The ongoing conflicts have been hindering the efforts to stamp out the infectious disease in the mountainous country.





Poliomyelitis, also known as polio, is a highly infectious viral disease transmitted through the fecal-oral route, contaminated water or food.





It mainly affects young children and once infected, the virus multiplies in the intestine, affects the nervous system and can cause paralysis.





Globally, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria are the remaining countries yet to be declared free from polio.





Although, Nigeria on Wednesday declared three years without the detection of the viral polio disease, with local officials saying the country is set to record a historic milestone of being certified polio-free.





The virus was last detected in the countrys northeastern state of Borno in August 2016.





As a result, Nigerian health authorities said a certification process had commenced ahead of declaring a polio-free country by March 2020, if the situation remains the same.
Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company Limited has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Education to sponsor 50 brilliant needy students in the impacted communities of the company to pursue Engineering and Computer Science Courses in seven public universities.



The sponsorship package according to BOST is Ghc1.5 million covering accommodation, tuition, a laptop and a stipend to support the 50 selected students to pursue their respective courses for four years.



Each of the selected students in the scholarship scheme gets Ghc7, 500 a year.



At the brief ceremony to officially sign the MoU, Mrs Harriet Amoah, Head of Legal and General Counsel of BOST said the decision of the company to enter into a partnership with the Ministry of Education to offer a scholarship to the students formed part of the companys corporate social responsibility.



Mrs Amoah noted that it was the policy of BOST to give back to the communities within which it operates in diverse ways, by recognising the social and developmental gaps and being a leading force within the community.



According to BOST, the proposal of the Minister of Education Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum to train engineers, especially those in the impacted communities in the country sounded good to the company since it has tank farms across the various regions bearing the risks in the event of any explosion.



To us, when the children of these communities remain poor, then the time may come in the future when they must feed and one quick way would be to punch a pipeline to get some oil to sell and that would result in the distraction of critical national infrastructure and the loss of lives.



BOST jumped on and quickly recruited 50 sons and daughters of the poorest of the poor in these impacted communities of BOST to be enrolled as part of the larger vision of the Hon. Minister for Education Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum to become better people to better their communities for the safety of BOST infrastructure and Ghana as a whole because joblessness is a national security risk in our view, she said.







Scholarship Scheme



On the 9th of December 2021, the Ministry of Education wrote to BOST to partner with it to provide scholarships to needy but brilliant students throughout the country to pursue Engineering and Computer Science Degrees/Courses at seven public universities in the country.



BOST responded positively in line with its CSR Policy on Education but insisted that such sponsorships from the company should go directly to its impacted communities in the country.



BOST together with the Ministry of Education went to all its impacted communities or areas (Kpone and Shai Osudoku Districts in Greater Accra Region, Lower Manya and Asuogyaman District in the Eastern Region, Kaasi Municipal Assembly in the Ashanti Region, Central Gonja District in the Savanna Region, Savelugu District in the Northern Region, West Mamprugu District in the North-East Region and Bolgatanga Municipal in the Upper East Region).



Over 200 candidates were screened in all the above-listed communities and 50 were deemed to have qualified to receive the BOST scholarship.



The selected students have started their schooling at the Tarkwa School of Mines.











Ministry of Education Remarks



Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister of Education expressed his excitement and appreciation to Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited for making his dream come through by sponsoring these 50 students to study Engineering and Computer Science for free.



Dr Adutwum disclosed that the partnership allowed 50 per cent of the selected students in the impacted communities to study Engineering and Computer Science without any science background in high schools.



He explained that there was a one-year intensive pre-engineering programme that brought in students who did Visual Arts, Home Economics and Business courses in high schools but were determined to become engineers to be taught Mathematics, Advanced Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.



BOST decided to allow the students in these impacted communities who have not done science to be part of this programme. 50 per cent of the students sponsored by BOST are students who had no science background in high school.



They did integrated science but they didnt do physics, biology and chemistry like other students. These students went through a one-year engineering programme at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), and others began their journey from engineering because they have done science, he disclosed.



He added that those who did the pre-engineering programme are now in level 100 and I am informed that they are doing so well.



Today with the support of BOST, we have students whose future is going to be different because an opportunity has been extended to them that they would never have had. What BOST is doing is not just the fact that they are supporting students to do engineering but they are also supporting those students who would never have had the opportunity to become engineers.



The story of the students is going to link up with the story of BOST, an organisation that is so progressive that they are willing to bring along people who are growing up in their most impacted communities to change their fortunes and future and to make them great individuals and also allow them to be individuals who will be part of the story of Ghana that this nations fortunes in the coming years will be better than its past, he said.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The executive director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu has appealed to the National Chief Imam to lead the crusade for a clean and responsible environmental activities in the country.



Dr. Kwabena Kokofu noted that the country faces several environmental challenges as a result of both internal and external factors which threaten the lives of its people.



He was therefore of the view that the involvement of civil society groups, more especially the venerable Office of the National Chief Imam will go a long way to assist in shaping the minds and attitudes of Ghanaians in becoming environmentally conscious.



The EPA Executive Director made the appeal when he led a delegation made up of directors of the agency to pay a courtesy call on the National Chief Imam last Friday.



He noted that environmental degradation as a result of human activities is a source of worry to the country, adding that though the government is doing it's best to address these challenges, it would require the expressed support and commitment from all stakeholders, including the religious community.



The National Chief Imam has meanwhile affirmed his support towards the crusade for environmental safety in the country.



The National Chief Imam made references to the Holy Book, The Qur'an where Allah The Almighty stresses the diverse reasons for creating man and enjoining man to be each other's keepers.



He noted that every Ghanaian has a collective responsibility to ensure that out environments are safe since our very existence depends on it.



Speaking through his Spokesperson Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, The National Chief Imam noted "I am appealing to every Ghanaian to understand the importance of the environment; that is where we all survive. Collectively owe it to ourselves as a duty to make our environments clean of all poisonous substances that affect our health"



Meanwhile, the EPA Executive Director and his team made handsome donations of items including 100 bags of rice, 100 cartons of canned fish and 100 cartons of cooking oil.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Dennis Miracles Aboagye has slammed former Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng for accusing the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah of sabotaging his efforts against galamsey.



Professor Frimpong-Boateng, who is also a former Minister for Environment and Technology, accused the Information Minister of orchestrating a plot to bring him down while he was working to fight against the illegal mining menace.



Mr. Oppong Nkrumah, in reply, has denied all the claims and expressed disappointment in Professor Frimpong-Boateng, saying "over the years, I had nothing but great admiration for Prof Boatengs public spirited works and as an inspirational citizen. I feel gravely offended over the false claims he has made and the hurtful conclusions he has sought to exact about me precisely because of the great esteem in which I have held him. I trust that in the coming months and years he will reflect deeply upon his own actions and comments which have led to his challenges. He should kindly leave me out of his personal fights".



"I am utterly disappointed but I forgive him," he added.



Discussing the matter during Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, Dennis Miracles corroborated the Information Minister's denial of any wrongdoing purported by Professor Frimpong-Boateng.



He stated emphatically that "if you want MPs actively involved in the fight of galamsey in his area, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah is among them".



The Director of Local Government Services at the Office of the President noted that the claims made by Professor Frimpong-Boateng against the Mr. Oppong Nkrumah are not just untrue but also something he (Frimpong-Boateng) isn't saying he personally knows or experienced but rather basing the claims on hearsay.



He wondered why Professor Frimpong-Boateng would level such serious allegations against the Information Minister just because he received information from someone who claims to have also been told on phone by another person that Mr. Oppong Nkrumah had mobilized media persons to smear his (Frimpong-Boateng) reputation.



"How do you even pick a pen and a paper and try to impugn Kojo?...How do you come and try to even create an impression that Kojo Oppong Nkrumah was trying to sabotage your work...?", he fumed.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The School Feeding Program started in 2005 and seeks to enhance food security and reduce hunger in schools in line with the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on hunger, poverty and malnutrition.



The programme has however been facing challenges as caterers have threatened to withdraw their services if the feeding fee is not increased. They insist that the current 97 pesewas is not enough.



Subsequently, the aggrieved caterers on Wednesday, declared a nationwide strike.



They explained that the declaration of the nationwide strike was due to the governments failure to pay them their arrears and increase the amount per child.



Reacting to this on Thursday's edition of Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', host Kwami Sefa Kayi said: "It's getting embarrassing . . . if we can't pay 97 pesewas how much more ghc3.50p? Should we just scrap it? Here we are struggling with it; I don't know if it is leadership, I don't know".



Listen to him in the video below









Meanwhile, Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, a Governance Lecturer at Central University has asked government to scrap the programme if it can no longer fund it.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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" " Actress Melissa McCarthy scored an Oscar nomination in 2019 for her portrayal of forger Lee Israel in the film "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" Raymond Hall/GC Images

Anyone who saw Melissa McCarthy's dramatic turn in 2019's "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" is familiar with the name Lee Israel. The film was based on Israel's memoir of the same name, which chronicled her theft and forgery of about 400 letters from figures like Dorothy Parker and Ernest Hemingway. While Israel saw some success as a biographer in the 1970s and 1980s, her career stalled after her third book flopped.

As she struggled to pay the bills, Israel came into possession of some letters from actress Fanny Brice. She sold them for $40 each and then realized how easy it would be to alter the letters to make them juicier and more valuable. She did just that, and then transitioned to flat-out forgery, using old typewriters to compose entirely fake correspondence from famous figures. "I had a whole cock-and-bull story made up about the cousin who died and left me these wonderful letters," Israel later told NPR. "I never had to explain."

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She eventually stopped selling letters, but then moved on to stealing letters from library archives, replacing them with her own carefully crafted replica, and selling the stolen original to private collectors. It wasn't until autograph dealer David H. Lowenherz learned that the Ernest Hemmingway letter he'd purchased was actually part of Columbia University's collection that Israel's scheme was uncovered. The FBI found the rest of the writer's forgeries and she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce in 1993. Israel was sentenced to six months' house arrest with five years' probation, and while she was able to work again as an author and editor, she said, "I still consider the letters to be my best work."
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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Ending hunger by 2030 is one of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN. This is a huge challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, where one third of all households are still exposed to food insecurity. To meet the demand of the rapidly growing African population, there is widespread consensus that farmers need to boost cereal crop yields.

Crop yields in the region are severely limited by depleted soils, following decades of relentless cropping with insufficient fertilization. This is because African farmers struggle to access affordable mineral fertilizers, while a lack of biomass also places organic fertilizers out of reach.

Currently, the quantity of nitrogen input would need to increase 15-fold to produce the cereal crop yields required for food security.

The precious nutrients in green manure

Mineral fertilizers provide one solution to inject nitrogen into crops. Although they are crucial for improving cereal crop yields, they can nevertheless harm the environment if used in excess, and are often too expensive for farmers. The war in Ukraine has only worsened the region's fertilizer shortage, though prices have stabilized since their peak in 2022.

Another fertilizing method seeks to harness the nitrogen from legumes. Through symbiotic bacteria, these plants have the unique ability to fix nitrogen present in the atmosphere to their tissues. To secure it for cereals cultures, farmers can adopt a technique consisting in growing legumes and pushing their residues into the soil prior to sowing cereals seeds.

This effect is well known in temperate and tropical systems, but can vary considerably from one year to another. In cases where there is an abrupt temperature increase, legume residues will decompose more rapidly, while heavy rains can cause the nitrogen obtained by residue decomposition to leach.

Fertilizers, climate and rice growth in Madagascar

For more than 20 years, FOFIFA (institute of agronomic research in Madagascar) and CIRAD have been exploring different avenues aimed at sustainably intensifying agricultural production in Madagascar and alleviating poverty.

In a recent study, we looked at the possibility of boosting the yields of a rain-fed rice fields in Madagascar by replacing some of the mineral fertilizers with green manure. The country's state policy provides for an increased in rice production in order to ensure food self-sufficiency in the country.

Both the saturation of the floodplains used for irrigated rice and the emergence of upland rice varieties have led many farmers to take up rain-fed rice cultivation in Madagascar's highlands.

However, they currently obtain an average yield of 1.6 t/ha, which is well below the maximum yield of around 4 to 6 t/ha that can be obtained in research stations under experimental conditions, in other words when nutrients are not limited and when pestsinsects, diseases, weedsare controlled.

Mucuna and Crotalaria

In our experiment, the green manure grown was a combination of "Mucuna" and "Crotalaria" legumes. Thanks to their complementary growth and above-ground structures, these two plants can produce a large quantity of plant biomass and thereby fix atmospheric nitrogen. This green manure was grown during the rainy season in the first year of a two-year rotation based on rain-fed rice, and residues were then incorporated into the soil, before tillage and rice sowing for the following crop season.

The rotation was repeated twice for the purposes of the experiment and compared to rice monoculture. We conducted in-depth monitoring of this experiment, measuring the quantity of nitrogen in soil and plants, the dynamics of rice growth, the biomass produced and the grain yield. The data collected enabled us to adapt a crop simulation model to the case of rain-fed rice in Madagascar, in order to reproduce the impact of green manure incorporation and decomposition on rice growth.

A promising model

The model then enabled us to explore the potential advantages of green manure for rice growth, for 24 hypothetical rice growing seasons, built using climate measurements corresponding to our study region, for the period from 1994 to 2018. In this virtual experiment, we set the quantity of green manure incorporated into the soil prior to rice cultivation at 6 t/ha (or 140 kg of nitrogen), based on results obtained in the field.

Our findings showed that the cultivation and integration of green manure made it possible to reduce the mineral fertilizers required to improve rice yields. We set the target yield at 3.7 t/ha, or 75% of the maximum yield obtained in the on-station experiments. We achieved this with 40 kg/ha of nitrogen provided by mineral fertilizers when green manure was added to the soil. By way of comparison, more than double this quantity or 100 kg/ha, was necessary without the use of green manure.

Trade-offs to be made

This promising practice nevertheless requires considerable adjustments to make it appealing to family farms in Madagascar. Three key aspects need to be taken into consideration.

First, and as previously noted, heavy rainfall will dampen the benefits of green manure on rice productivity. To tackle this, farmers will have to dynamically manage residues and fertilizers and tailor them to individual crops.

Next, the gains linked to the use green manure do not entirely offset the losses resulting from its cultivation. In the process, farmers have to use a part of the land that would otherwise serve to grow rice for self-sufficiency. Crop rotation remedy this problem, as well as helping (control pests, nematodes and weeds, higher soil fertility over time and maintain biodiversity).

Finally, crop residues are typically left on the land to be grazed by cattle in the region. Alternative solutions are therefore required to feed cattle, and suitable value chains need to be developed to guarantee supplies for these farmers, who often live a long way from any infrastructure. It is also essential to once again ensure that mechanisms exist to offset this additional spending for farms, the majority of which live on less than 540 euros per year per agricultural worker.

Dual purpose legumes

Obstacles linked to rainfall can be overcome by adjusting the dates at which green manure is incorporated and rice is sown. The model that we have calibrated can help to make this type of assessment in silico.

Likewise, farmers needn't have to make the choice between food security and fertilizers. Certain pulse crops, such as groundnuts, can be both used as green manure and sustenance for farmers. Experiments in Southern Africa are currently focusing on the assessment of these "dual" legume crop rotations. However, it is important to ensure a market exists for these products with a sufficiently high price.

Time is short, but we are convinced that a change can occur rapidly to transform the current cereal production system toward greater productivity and sustainability. Solutions exist, including green manure, but extension officers, researchers, value chain actors and policymakers need to help farmers to invest in these techniques that will maximize production in the short term, but will be more sustainable in the long term.

Recent decades have seen the emergence of many talented African researchers. Now it is up to the leaders to make decisions.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Piping plover. Credit: Mdf, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Imani, the son of Chicago's famous piping plovers Monty and Rose, has at long last been joined by what appears to be a female.

But in a dramatic twist, our plucky hero has also been joined by a male.

In a post Thursday morning, the Chicago Piping Plovers Twitter account showed a photo of a comely bird with the classic white face, black headband and ebony collar. The photo was dated April 27 and the post read, "BREAKING: Unbanded female Piping Plover joins Imani and unbanded male on Montrose Beach."

The situation mirrors the love story of Imani's famous parents, according to Tamima Itani, lead volunteer coordinator for Chicago Piping Plovers. When Monty and Rose arrived at Montrose Beach in 2019, there was a second male.

Monty and his rival faced off in a nonviolent contest that includes chest-puffing and walking lines to mark territory, and the rest was history.

Now, it's Imani's turn, and the early results are, well, mixed.

"Unfortunately, Imani's chasing both of them away, so I don't know," Itani said, laughing. "I don't think he understands the concept yet."

Itani said the physical attributes of one of the unbanded birds points to her being female, but a piping plover's sex is usually not 100% certain until he or she courts and mates.

Imani's romantic ups and downs are of broad interest because Great Lakes piping plovers are federally endangered, with only about 250 summering in the region. The birds winter as far south as Florida, Texas and the Bahamas.

Monty and Rose sparked high hopes in 2019, when they became the first pair to successfully nest in Chicago in decades. Their love story landed them on T-shirts, posters and beer cans, and in two documentary films.

With Monty deceased and Rose missing, Imani has taken center stage. Last summer, the jaunty little shorebird, who is about 1 years old, spent six lonely weeks at Montrose Beach, presumably hoping to find a mate. After a winter in an unknown southern location, he returned to Montrose Tuesday, to much fanfare.

Now, the plot is thickening. Will Imani's passion for his territory be matched by his interest in mating? Will the female stay around? And what about the unbanded male?

"What's really hopeful is that piping plovers are coming through and landing at Montrose," said Itani. "It's excellent and that gives more chances for Imani to find a mate."

2023 Chicago Tribune.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Corn bunting in an area of flowering fallow land. Credit: Michael Radloff

In recent decades, many of Germany's animal populations in agricultural landscapes have experienced sharp declines, both in terms of the number of species and the number of individuals. Fallow land is considered an effective measure to slow this decline. Researchers from the Thunen Institute, the University of Gottingen and the Dachverband Deutscher Avifaunisten (DDA) have investigated the correlation between the proportion of fallow land and the number and abundance of farmland birds over a nine-year study period.

The research shows that areas of fallow land can contribute to an increase in the populations of these birds and that the benefits of fallow land depend significantly on the complexity of the surrounding landscape. Their findings were published in the Journal of Applied Ecology.

To find out where areas of fallow land should be most effectively established, the researchers studied fallow land in agricultural landscapes of varying complexity. Complexity was measured by the density of boundary lines between fields, as well as between fields and adjacent woody structures such as hedges or forest edges. Data from the nationwide monitoring of common breeding birds (CBBM) as well as data from agricultural statistics were used for the evaluation.

The results clearly show that establishing areas of fallow land is particularly effective in agricultural landscapes that have a medium level of complexity. The average density of boundary lines in Germany is around 65 meters per hectare of agricultural land. The authors therefore recommend promoting fallow land primarily in these regions with medium structural complexity.

"Our research enabled us to identify regions where fallow land should preferably be established in order to have the greatest effect," says Dr. Sebastian Klimek, Thunen Institute of Biodiversity in Braunschweig, who has coordinated the study.

"In order to stop declining populations of farmland birds nationwide, it is necessary to maintain a minimum proportion of fallow land in the agricultural landscape," says Professor Johannes Kamp, University of Gottingen and member of the DDA's advisory board.

The EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has a strong influence on the total area of fallow land in Germany. Due to changes in the CAP, the amount of fallow land has decreased significantly since the early 2000s. The loss of fallow land, especially after the loss of "set-aside" areas in 2007, led to a lack of suitable breeding sites and food for many bird species.

Although the "greening" of the last CAP funding period has slightly increased the total area of fallow land in Germany from 2015 onwards, the pre-2007 level has not been reached again. In the new CAP funding period starting in 2023, farms are obliged to set aside 4% of their arable land. This could contribute to an improvement in the population of many farmland birds. In order to restore the pre-2007 level of the farmland bird population, a further increase is required in measures proven to be effective at enhancing biodiversity in the agricultural landscape.

More information: Lionel R. Hertzog et al, Associations between farmland birds and fallow area at large scales: Consistently positive over three periods of the EU Common Agricultural Policy but moderated by landscape complexity, Journal of Applied Ecology (2023). DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14400 Journal information: Journal of Applied Ecology

Provided by Johann Heinrich von Thunen-Institut
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Development of PAGE CRISPRCas9 system. Credit: Nature Biotechnology (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01756-1

A new approach to the genetic engineering of cells promises significant improvements in speed, efficiency, and reduction in cellular toxicity compared to current methods. The approach could also power the development of advanced cell therapies for cancers and other diseases, according to a study from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

In the study, which appeared this week in Nature Biotechnology, researchers found that protein fragments used by some viruses to help them get into cells could also be used to get CRISPR-Cas gene editing molecules into cells and their DNA-containing nuclei with extraordinarily high efficiency and low cellular toxicity.

The scientists expect the new technique to be particularly useful for modifying T cells and other cells from a patient's own body to make cell therapies. One such application could be CAR T (chimeric antigen receptor T cell) therapy, which uses specially modified immune cells from a patient to treat cancer. The T cellsa type of white blood cellare removed from the patient and reprogrammed to find and attack cancer cells when reintroduced to the bloodstream.

The first FDA-approved CAR T therapy was developed at Penn Medicine, and received Food & Drug Administration approval in 2017. There are now six FDA-approved CAR T cell therapies in the United States. The therapies have revolutionized the treatment of certain B cell leukemias, lymphomas, and other blood cancers, putting many patients who otherwise had little hope into long-term remission.

"This new approachbuilding on Penn Medicine's history of cell and gene therapy innovationhas the potential to be a major enabling technology for engineered cellular therapies," said co-senior author E. John Wherry, Ph.D., Richard and Barbara Schiffrin President's Distinguished Professor and chair of Systems Pharmacology & Translational Therapeutics at Penn Medicine.

CRISPR-Cas molecules are derived from ancient bacterial antiviral defenses, and are designed to precisely remove DNA at desired locations in a cell's genome. Some CRISPR-Cas-based systems combine the deletion of old DNA with the insertion of new DNA for versatile genome editing. This approach can be used to replace faulty genes with corrected ones or delete or modify genes to enhance cellular function. Some systems can also add genes that confer new properties to CAR T cells such as the ability to recognize tumors or withstand the harsh tumor microenvironment that normally exhausts T cells.

Although CRISPR-Cas systems are already widely used as standard laboratory tools for molecular biology, their use in modifying patients' cells to make cell-based therapies has been limitedin part because CRISPR-Cas molecules can be hard to get into cells and then into cells' DNA-containing nuclei.

"Current methods of getting CRISPR-Cas systems into cells, which include the use of carrier viruses and electric pulses, are inefficient for cells taken directly from patients (called primary cells). These methods also typically kill many of the cells they are used on, and can even cause broad unwanted changes in gene activity," said co-senior author Shelley L. Berger, Ph.D., the Daniel S. Och University Professor in Cell and Developmental Biology and Genetics and director of the Penn Epigenetics Institute.

In the study, researchers explored the use of small, virus-derived protein fragments, called peptides, to pilot CRISPR-Cas molecules more efficiently through the outer membranes of primary human cells and into their nuclei. Notably, researchers found that a fused combination of two modified peptidesone found in HIV and one in influenza virusescould be mixed with CRISPR-Cas molecules to get them into primary human or mouse cells and their nuclei with efficiencies of up to nearly 100 percent, depending on the cell typewith almost no toxicity or gene-expression changes.

The team demonstrated the approach, which they call PAGE (peptide-assisted genome editing), for several types of envisioned cell therapy including CAR T cell therapies.

In addition to its potential use in cell and gene therapies, the authors note the PAGE approach could see wide application in basic scientific research. The inefficiency of standard CRISPR-Cas cell penetration methods has meant that gene-editing to create mouse models of diseases typically requires a multi-step, time-consuming process of generating transgenic miceto introduce the gene-editing machinery into their DNA. By contrast, PAGE with its high efficiency and low toxicity might enable rapid, efficient, and straightforward gene editing in ordinary lab mice.

"The simplicity and power of the peptide-assist concept suggests that it could potentially be adapted in the future for the delivery into primary cells of other genome-editing proteins, or even protein-based drugs," said co-senior author Junwei Shi, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Cancer Biology and member of the Penn Epigenetics Institute and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute.

The study was a collaboration that included the laboratories of Penn co-author Rahul Kohli, MD, Ph.D., an associate professor of Infectious Diseases and Biochemistry and Biophysics, and co-author Gerd Blobel, MD, Ph.D., the Frank E. Weise III Professor of Pediatrics and co-director of the Epigenetics institute.

More information: Zhen Zhang et al, Efficient engineering of human and mouse primary cells using peptide-assisted genome editing, Nature Biotechnology (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01756-1 Journal information: Nature Biotechnology
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A new study from MIT researchers shows how much the Covid-19 pandemic has diminished interaction among people from different socioeconomic areas in U.S. cities. This figure shows the change in the Boston/Cambridge area between April 2019 and October 2021. The blue dots represent locations with an increase in visits by people from differing socioeconomic groups, and red dots represent locations with a decline in visits by people from differing income groups. Credit: Map tiles by CartoDB, under CC BY 3.0. Data by OpenStreetMap, under ODbL

The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced how often urban residents intersect with people from different income brackets, according to a new study led by MIT researchers.

Examining the movement of people in four U.S. cities before and after the onset of the pandemic, the study found a 15% to 30% decrease in the number of visits residents were making to areas that are socioeconomically different than their own. In turn, this has reduced people's opportunities to interact with others from varied social and economic spheres.

"Income diversity of urban encounters decreased during the pandemic, and not just in the lockdown stages," says Takahiro Yabe, a postdoc at the Media Lab and co-author of a newly published paper detailing the study's results. "It decreased in the long term as well, after mobility patterns recovered."

Indeed, the study found a large immediate drop-off in urban movement in the spring of 2020, when new policies temporarily shuttered many types of institutions and businesses in the U.S. and much of the world due to the emergence of the deadly COVID-19 virus. But even after such restrictions were lifted and the overall amount of urban movement approached pre-pandemic levels, movement patterns within cities have narrowed; people now visit fewer places.

"We see that changes like working from home, less exploration, more online shopping, all these behaviors add up," says Esteban Moro, a research scientist at MIT's Sociotechnical Systems Research Center (SSRC) and another of the paper's co-authors. "Working from home is amazing and shopping online is great, but we are not seeing each other at the rates we were before."

The paper, "Behavioral changes during the COVID-19 pandemic decreased income diversity of urban encounters," was published in Nature Communications. The co-authors are Yabe; Bernardo Garcia Bulle Bueno, a doctoral candidate at MIT's Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS); Xiaowen Dong, an associate professor at Oxford University; Alex Pentland, professor of media arts and sciences at MIT and the Toshiba Professor at the Media Lab; and Moro, who is also an associate professor at the University Carlos III of Madrid.

A decline in exploration

To conduct the study, the researchers examined anonymized cellphone data from 1 million users over a three-year period, starting in early 2019, with data focused on four U.S. cities: Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Seattle. The researchers recorded visits to 433,000 specific "point of interest" locations in those cities, corroborated in part with records from Infogroup's U.S. Business Database, an annual census of company information.

The researchers used U.S. Census Bureau data to categorize the socioeconomic status of the people in the study, placing everyone into one of four income quartiles, based on the average income of the census block (a small area) in which they live. The scholars made the same income-level assessment for every census block in the four cities, then recorded instances in which someone spent from 10 minutes to four hours in a census block other than their own, to see how often people visited areas in different income quartiles.

Ultimately, the researchers found that by late 2021, the amount of urban movement overall was returning to pre-pandemic levels, but the scope of places residents were visiting had become more restricted.

Among other things, people made many fewer visits to museums, leisure venues, transport sites, and coffee shops. Visits to grocery stores remained fairly constantbut people tend not to leave their socioeconomic circles for grocery shopping.

"Early in the pandemic, people reduced their mobility radius significantly," Yabe says. "By late 2021, that decrease flattened out, and the average dwell time people spent at places other than work and home recovered to pre-pandemic levels. What's different is that exploration substantially decreased, around 5% to 10%. We also see less visitation to fun places." He adds, "Museums are the most diverse places you can find, parksthey took the biggest hit during the pandemic. Places that are [more] segregated, like grocery stores, did not."

Overall, Moro notes, "When we explore less, we go to places that are less diverse."

Different cities, same pattern

Because the study encompassed four cities with different types of policies about reopening public sites and businesses during the pandemic, the researchers could also evaluate what impact public health policies had on urban movement. But even in these different settings, the same phenomenon emerged, with a narrower range of mobility occurring by late 2021.

"Despite the substantial differences in how cities dealt with COVID-19, the decrease in diversity and the behavioral changes were surprisingly similar across the four cities," Yabe observes.

The researchers emphasize that these changes in urban movement can have long-term societal effects. Prior research has shown a significant association between a diversity of social connections and greater economic success for people in lower-income groups. And while some interactions between people in different income quartiles might be brief and transactional, the evidence suggests that, on aggregate, other more substantial connections have also been reduced. Additionally, the scholars note, the narrowing of experience can also weaken civic ties and valuable political connections.

"It's creating an urban fabric that is actually more brittle, in the sense that we are less exposed to other people," Moro says. "We don't get to know other people in the city, and that is very important for policies and public opinion. We need to convince people that new policies and laws would be fair. And the only way to do that is to know other people's needs. If we don't see them around the city, that will be impossible."

At the same time, Yabe adds, "I think there is a lot we can do from a policy standpoint to bring people back to places that used to be a lot more diverse." The researchers are currently developing further studies related to cultural and public institutions, as well and transportation issues, to try to evaluate urban connectivity in additional detail.

"The quantity of our mobility has recovered," Yabe says. "The quality has really changed, and we're more segregated as a result."

More information: Takahiro Yabe et al, Behavioral changes during the COVID-19 pandemic decreased income diversity of urban encounters, Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37913-y Journal information: Nature Communications

This story is republished courtesy of MIT News (web.mit.edu/newsoffice/), a popular site that covers news about MIT research, innovation and teaching.
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The human body relies heavily on electrical charges. Lightning-like pulses of energy fly through the brain and nerves and most biological processes depend on electrical ions traveling across the membranes of each cell in our body.

These electrical signals are possible, in part, because of an imbalance in electrical charges that exists on either side of a cellular membrane. Until recently, researchers believed the membrane was an essential component to creating this imbalance. But that thought was turned on its head when researchers at Stanford University discovered that similar imbalanced electrical charges can exist between microdroplets of water and air.

Now, researchers at Duke University have discovered that these types of electric fields also exist within and around another type of cellular structure called biological condensates. Like oil droplets floating in water, these structures exist because of differences in density. They form compartments inside the cell without needing the physical boundary of a membrane.

Inspired by previous research demonstrating that microdroplets of water interacting with air or solid surfaces create tiny electrical imbalances, the researchers decided to see if the same was true for small biological condensates. They also wanted to see if these imbalances sparked reactive oxygen, "redox," reactions like these other systems.

Appearing on April 28 in the journal Chem, their foundational discovery could change the way researchers think about biological chemistry. It could also provide a clue as to how the first life on Earth harnessed the energy needed to arise.

"In a prebiotic environment without enzymes to catalyze reactions, where would the energy come from?" asked Yifan Dai, a Duke postdoctoral researcher working in the laboratory of Ashutosh Chilkoti, the Alan L. Kaganov Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Lingchong You, the James L. Meriam Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering.

"This discovery provides a plausible explanation of where the reaction energy could have come from, just as the potential energy that is imparted on a point charge placed in an electric field," Dai said.

When electric charges jump between one material and another, they can produce molecular fragments that can pair up and form hydroxyl radicals, which have the chemical formula OH. These can then pair again to form hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in tiny but detectable amounts.

"But interfaces have seldom been studied in biological regimes other than the cellular membrane, which is one of the most essential part of biology," said Dai. "So we were wondering what might be happening at the interface of biological condensates, that is, if it is an asymmetric system too."

Cells can build biological condensates to either separate or trap together certain proteins and molecules, either hindering or promoting their activity. Researchers are just beginning to understand how condensates work and what they could be used for.

Because the Chilkoti laboratory specializes in creating synthetic versions of naturally occurring biological condensates, the researchers were easily able to create a test bed for their theory. After combining the right formula of building blocks to create minuscule condensates, with help from postdoctoral scholar Marco Messina in? Christopher J. Chang's group at the University of CaliforniaBerkeley, they added a dye to the system that glows in the presence of reactive oxygen species.

Their hunch was right. When the environmental conditions were right, a solid glow started from the edges of the condensates, confirming that a previously unknown phenomenon was at work. Dai next talked with Richard Zare, the Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor of Chemistry at Stanford, whose group established the electric behavior of water droplets. Zare was excited to hear about the new behavior in biological systems, and started to work with the group on the underlying mechanism.

"Inspired by previous work on water droplets, my graduate student, Christian Chamberlayne, and I thought that the same physical principles might apply and promote redox chemistry, such as the formation of hydrogen peroxide molecules," Zare said. "These findings suggest why condensates are so important in the functioning of cells."

"Most previous work on biomolecular condensates has focused on their innards," Chilkoti said. "Yifan's discovery that biomolecular condensates appear to be universally redox-active suggests that condensates did not simply evolve to carry out specific biological functions as is commonly understood, but that they are also endowed with a critical chemical function that is essential to cells."

While the biological implications of this ongoing reaction within our cells is not known, Dai points to a prebiotic example of how powerful its effects might be. The powerhouses of our cells, called mitochondria, create energy for all of our life's functions through the same basic chemical process. But before mitochondria or even the simplest of cells existed, something had to provide energy for the very first of life's functions to begin working.

Researchers have proposed that the energy was provided by thermal vents in the oceans or hot springs. Others have suggested this same redox reaction that occurs in water microdroplets was created by the spray of ocean waves.

But why not condensates instead?

"Magic can happen when substances get tiny and the interfacial volume becomes enormous compared to its volume," Dai said. "I think the implications are important to many different fields."

More information: Yifan Dai et al, Interface of biomolecular condensates modulates redox reactions, Chem (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2023.04.001 Journal information: Chem
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Credit: NFstock/Shutterstock

Spain recently adopted a menstrual leave policy, which makes additional (paid or unpaid) days off work available to "only and all cisgender women."

It's so great that we're having more public conversations about menstrual and menopausal health, but I'm getting very tired of being told that menstrual leave is the solution.

As someone with a background in policy evaluation and the founder of the world's first evidence-based menstrual health website, I am well placed to comment on this topic. When I evaluated existing menstrual leave policies around the world, I found that they were not progressive or beneficial for female reproductive health or gender equality.

The thing is, it is really hard to argue against something that sounds good, even if the available evidence suggests otherwise. Humans seem to be bad at going beyond surface thoughts and we may even prefer stories that align with rather than challenge gender stereotypes.

So, here is a quick outline of what I think you should know about this policy.

What is the problem?

There are four main arguments used by those promoting menstrual leave policy:

It will make the workplace fit for the menstruating female body. It will improve menstrual health. It will reduce menstrual shame and stigma, and associated discrimination. It will improve gender equality in the workplace and beyond.

However, it has never been made clear exactly how the policy will deliver these outcomes. In fact, based on what we know about existing menstrual leave policies, it might not contribute to any of them.

For instance, the policy does not make it easier to manage your period at work because your employer doesn't have to change a thing. Instead, you are encouraged to stay away from the workplace.

The policy also does nothing to improve menstrual health. The 90% of people who menstruate and do not regularly experience severe symptoms do not need to take a whole day off work during their periods.

Meanwhile, the minority who do regularly experience severe symptoms almost always have an underlying health issue, such as endometriosis, heavy menstrual bleeding, polycystic ovary syndrome, fibroids, auto-immune disorders, depression or premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Encouraging people to cope with severe symptoms alone at home every month, is not an effective or humane solution.

These health conditions deserve effective and timely medical diagnosis and treatment, sick leave and reasonable workplace adjustments. The same things that apply to all chronic health conditions and are already covered by EU and UK labor policies.

Menstrual leave also does not help to reduce menstrual shame, stigma or discrimination. It actually encourages the removal of menstruationand by extension womenfrom the public realm by hiding it at home.

This sex-based policy conflates healthy periods with debilitating menstrual health conditions, which both pathologises the normal female body and undermines health conditions that mainly affect women. This is partly why women and conditions that mainly affect women are more likely to be dismissed by doctors, sometimes taking years to get a formal diagnosis.

Finally, by medicalising the menstrual cycle (that is, positioning it as an illness rather than a healthy process) these policies reinforce sexist beliefs that make it seem like all women are biologically inferior (mentally and physically). This is a major contributing factor in gender discrimination, especially in the workplace, since these ideas are used to undermine the value, contribution and leadership potential of women.

Menstrual leave might even make things worse

Not only have existing menstrual leave policies failed to address the problems they set out to solve, they have also directly resulted in discrimination against female workers. This is largely due to the gender myths reinforced by the policy. It makes all women seem like more expensive and less consistent and productive employees. It can also lead to a backlash from colleagues and employers against a sex-based benefit.

We already know that shared parental leave (for parents regardless of gender) is a more effective policy than maternity leave (which is female sex-based). It improves the gender pay gap, women's hiring, promotion and leadership opportunities, child health outcomes, fatherhood experiences and gender equality in wider society.

These improvements occur because the policy avoids the gender-based backlash associated with maternity leave. This backlash is driven by the conscious or unconscious resentment of, and associated discrimination against, working women due to a perceived unfair advantage (paid time off work) and/or biological liability (the female reproductive body). The same issues apply to menstrual and menopausal health workplace policies.

We need to improve workplace (and school, and medical) knowledge of reproductive health and well-being. We should all know what's normal or the sign of an underlying health condition. Likewise, it's shocking that some people do not know why we menstruate or how to reduce cyclical changes.

We also need to make workplaces (including schools) fit for those who have periods and to promote more flexible and equitable work cultures and practices that benefit all employees. For instance, challenging "presenteeism" if employees feel obliged to work even when feeling unwell, and ditching "timed" toilet breaks.

While these actions are not quite as simple or catchy as "menstrual leave," they would at least make a positive difference in the lives of millions of workerswithout unintentionally worsening gender inequalities.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Graphical abstract. Credit: Analytical Chemistry (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c05603

Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) featured with high volatility and high adsorption is a common toxic and hazardous gas. Traces of HCN are also found in human exhaled breath. Unusual high HCN concentration in the breath of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients is associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infection. Therefore, the development of a highly sensitive online HCN measurement in exhaled breath can enable rapid screening for PA infection in CF patients.

Recently, a research group led by Prof. Li Haiyang from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has developed a flow-assisted photoionization mass spectrometry method for profiling hydrogen cyanide in exhaled breath.

The study was published in Analytical Chemistry on April 4.

"HCN is easily soluble in water and highly adsorbed on device surfaces, so sensitivity and response speed are main challenges for directly measuring HCN in exhaled breath at high humidity presents," said Prof. Chen Ping, co-corresponding author of this study.

The researchers developed a method by utilizing a self-developed atmospheric pressure negative photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer instrument and improved the sensitivity and time resolution of direct HCN measurements in exhaled breath. This method enabled real-time tracking of HCN concentrations in a single exhaled breath, which could provide an effective means for early screening of CF patients with PA infection.

They proposed to use helium shield gas within the mass spectrometry ionization source. This approach reduced the effect of high humidity on ionization, improved ion transport efficiency, and thus enhanced HCN detection sensitivity.

Moreover, they improved the sampling system by shortening the sampling line and adding a gas purging process to effectively reduce HCN adsorption residue and improve time resolution. This method achieved a limit of detection of 0.3 ppbv and a resolution time of 0.5 s.

By utilizing this method, the researchers tracked the changes in the single exhaled HCN profiles of volunteers before and after gargling. The resulting profiles clearly showed an early peak and a stable end-tidal plateau, representing the concentration of the oral cavity and end-tidal gas, respectively.

"The new method demonstrated good resistance to interference and high accuracy in HCN quantification. It has potential applications in the detection of PA infection in CF patients," said Prof. Li.

More information: Yuxuan Wen et al, Online Detection of HCN in Humid Exhaled Air by Gas Flow-Assisted Negative Photoionization Mass Spectrometry, Analytical Chemistry (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c05603 Journal information: Analytical Chemistry
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An artistic depiction of computer-aided structure-based rational design. The green arrows symbolize the innovative strategy to introduce new chemical properties in the hyaluronic acid molecule (green and red sticks) to develop Rationally Engineered GAG (REGAG) molecules that act as hijackers of bone regeneration blocking proteins. Dickkopf-1, a protein blocking bone formation, is shown in grey, and its receptor in beige. The colored spheres represent a set of properties that mimic the interactions between dickkopf-1 and its receptor. Credit: Gloria Ruiz Gomez

People's ability to regenerate bones declines with age and is further decreased by diseases such as osteoporosis. To help the aging population, researchers are looking for new therapies that improve bone regeneration.

Now, an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC) and the Medical Faculty of TU Dresden along with a group from Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials (MBC) developed novel bio-inspired molecules that enhance bone regeneration in mice. The results were published in the journal Biomaterials.

As people age, their ability to regenerate bones decreases. Fractures take longer to heal and diseases like osteoporosis only add to it. This represents a serious health challenge to the aging population and an increasing socioeconomic burden for the society. To help combat this issue, researchers are looking for new therapeutic approaches that can improve bone regeneration.

A team of scientists from Dresden used computer modeling and simulations to design novel bio-inspired molecules to enhance bone regeneration in mice. The new molecules can be incorporated into biomaterials and applied locally to bone defects. These new molecules are based on glycosaminoglycans, which are long-chained sugars such as hyaluronic acid or heparin.

A sweet solution for an old bone

"Thanks to our group's work and the work of other researchers, we know a distinct molecular pathway that regulates bone formation and repair. In fact, we can narrow it down to two proteins that work together to block bone regeneration, sclerostin and dickkopf-1" explains Prof. Lorenz Hofbauer, "The big challenge for developing drugs that improve bone healing is to efficiently turn off both of these proteins, which act as brake signals, at the same time."

An interdisciplinary approach was a key to this challenge. The Structural Bioinformatics group led by Prof. Maria Teresa Pisabarro at the Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC) of TU Dresden and the Functional Biomaterials group led by PD Dr. Vera Hintze at the Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials (MBC), Institute of Materials Science of TU Dresden combined their know-how with bone expert Prof. Lorenz Hofbauer at the Medical Faculty of TU Dresden.

"For several years, we have harnessed the power of computer simulations to investigate how proteins regulating bone formation interact with their receptors. All this to design new molecules that can efficiently interfere with these interactions. We worked in tandem between the computer and the bench, designing new molecules and testing them, feeding the results back to our molecular models and learning more about the molecular properties required for our goal," explains Prof. Pisabarro.

Finally, the team of Lorenz Hofbauer's Bone Lab used a biomaterial loaded with the new molecules on bone defects in mice to test their effectiveness. The group found that materials containing the novel molecules outperformed the standard biomaterial and enhanced bone healing by up to 50%, which indicates their potential for improving bone regeneration.

Value-added chain: From computer to the lab bench and back

The multidisciplinary team used rational drug design to create novel molecules with tailored properties and minimal side effects. By using computational methods to predict and refine the properties of the designed molecules, the team was able to develop a series of candidates with the greatest potential for turning off the proteins that block bone regeneration.

Pisabarro group's expertise allowed the thorough analysis of the three-dimensional (3D) structures of the two proteins that block bone regeneration. With that, they were able to model their interaction with their receptors in 3D and identify so-called hot spots, i.e., specific physicochemical and dynamic properties that are essential for the biological interaction to occur.

"We used molecular modeling to design new structures that mimic relevant receptor interactions with both proteins. We wanted this binding to be stronger than their natural interactions. In this way, our novel molecules would simultaneously hijack the proteins and effectively turn them off to turn the bone regeneration on," explains Prof. Pisabarro.

"The molecules designed by Pisabarro's group were synthesized by our colleagues at the Free University of Berlin and then analyzed regarding their protein binding properties via biophysical interaction analysis," says PD Dr. Hintze. "For each of the molecules we were able to measure the binding strength with the proteins and their interference with natural receptor binding of the proteins. Thus, we could reveal empirically how effective each of the small molecules could be at turning off the inhibitory proteins." Hofbauer group then tested the biological relevance of these interaction studies in a cell culture model and later in mice.

The results of such iterative testing are a valuable asset that enhances the current molecular models of the Pisabarro group and can be used to guide the development of novel and better molecules in the future. Such an approach also ensures that animal research is minimized and enters the project only in its final phase.

The team's findings represent an exciting step forward in preclinical development. The newly designed molecules could potentially be used to turn off the proteins that block bone regeneration and lead to the development of novel, more effective treatments for bone fractures and other bone-related conditions.

More information: Gloria Ruiz-Gomez et al, Rational engineering of glycosaminoglycan-based Dickkopf-1 scavengers to improve bone regeneration, Biomaterials (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122105 Journal information: Biomaterials
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The unusually early heatwave has been driven by a mass of very hot and dry air coming from Africa.

Mainland Spain and Portugal have broken temperature records for April, officials said Friday, as both nations wilt in an unusually early heatwave that has raised the risk of wildfires.

The mercury hit 38.8 degrees Celsius (101.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in the airport in Spain's southern city of Cordoba on Thursday, beating a previous record of 38.6 C in the eastern city of Elche, national weather office AEMET said.

This "provisional data" must still be confirmed, a process that can take several days, a spokesperson for the agency told AFP.

The highest temperature for all of Spain in the month of April, however, was recorded in 2013 in the Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa when the mercury hit 40.2 C.

In neighboring Portugal, temperatures in the central town of Mora reached 36.9C on Thursday, breaking the record of 36 C set in April 1945 in the northeastern town of Pinhao, weather agency IPMA said.

While temperatures started dropping in Portugal on Friday, the scorching heat persisted in much of Spain with the mercury reaching 36C in Cordoba.

The unusually early heatwave has been driven by a mass of very hot and dry air coming from Africa.

The scorching temperatures have prompted warnings about the high risk of wildfires and worsened drought conditions that have already led some farmers in Spain not to sow seeds this year.

The Spanish government said it would launch its forest fire monitoring campaign on Friday, a month and a half earlier than usual due to the early arrival of scorching temperatures.

This will involve adding reinforcements to local firefighting teams and the "continuous monitoring of forest fires" across the country, the interior ministry said in a statement.

Blazes have ravaged some 54,000 hectares (133,400 acres) of land so far this year in Spain, compared with just over 17,000 hectares during the same time in 2022, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.

Last year, Spain experienced its hottest year since records began, with UN figures suggesting nearly 75 percent of its land is susceptible to desertification due to climate change.

Water reservoirs are at half their capacity nationally and the COAG farmers' union says 60 percent of farmland is "suffocating" from lack of rainfall.

Spain is the world's biggest exporter of olive oil and a key source of fruits and vegetables in Europe.

Experts say climate change driven by human activity is boosting the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, droughts and wildfires.

 2023 AFP
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Distribution of US-China trade war tariff changes. Products are defined at the 10-digit level of the Harmonized System (HS) classification.Tariff hikes are relative to 2017. Credit: SocArxiv (2023). DOI: 10.31235/osf.io/9rdne

A trade war between China and the United States triggered by former president Donald Trump created an unexpected boost for Vietnam, new research has shown.

A series of tariffs introduced by the president between 2018 and 2019 covered some 200billion of Chinese goods and included 19,000 products, a move which left US-based businesses scrambling for alternative import options.

One of the biggest 'winners' of the trade war was Vietnam which, according to new data, saw a 40 percent boost in its exports of tariff-affected products to the US between 2017-2020, as well as a significant increase in jobs and wages for Vietnamese workers.

The results were published in a new paper, Trade Policy and Jobs in Vietnam: The Unintended Consequences of Trump's Trade War, co-authored by Dr. Pierre-Louis Vezina, Dr. Sanchari Roy and Anri Sakakibara, of King's College London, and Professor Lorenzo Rotunno, of the Aix-Marseille School of Economics.

The researchers write, "The value of Vietnamese exports to the US grew by 40 percent as a result of Trump's tariffs on China. This was driven by both increased exports in products Vietnam already exported to the US, and by an increased likelihood of new exports in Trump-affected products relative to non-affected ones. Previously exported products were also less likely to exit from the US market. This indicates that the adjustment for Vietnamese exporters to the Trump-induced trade shock occurred at both the intensive and extensive margins."

"Importantly, our results suggest that Trump's trade war led to an acceleration of the shift of manufacturing exports away from China and towards other emerging economies."

In sectors targeted by the US trade tariffs, Vietnam saw a 15 percent increase in the number of jobs, while individuals worked on average an extra 50 minutes per week. While the gains in employment were mostly for men, women enjoyed higher wage gains, indicating that increased trade between Vietnam and US ensuing from the US-China trade war may have helped close Vietnam's gender wage gap.

However, there was no sign that the increase in exports to the US resulted in occupational upgrading in Vietnam, with researchers suggesting this may have been because the new jobs created were predominantly in low-skilled occupations.

The study is published on the preprint server SocArxiv.

More information: Lorenzo Rotunno et al, Trade Policy and Jobs in Vietnam: The Unintended Consequences of Trump's Trade War, SocArxiv (2023). DOI: 10.31235/osf.io/9rdne
By Politico Staff writer

Eight people identified as Sierra Leoneans are reported to have drowned in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross into Greece from Turkey last month.

This was confirmed in a press statement by the Sierra Leone Embassy based in Ankara, Turkey, dated 24th April 2023.

The statement informed that after they heard about the devastating news, they immediately wrote a Note Verbal to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as per usual protocol, requesting the issuance of Diplomatic approval for staff of the Embassy to visit the scene for identification of the bodies and to convey same to their families and loved ones.

The statement also said after the Embassy had written the note to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, they dispatched a team to Izmir, where the unfortunate incident took place.

President of the Sierra Leone Community in Turkey, Mohamed Shaka Sesay identified and confirmed at least five corpses from the different mortuaries they visited to be Sierra Leoneans.

According to the Turkish authorities, they had already buried the remains before the Embassys entourage could arrive at the mortuary owing to the fact that some of the bodies had gone bad before they were discovered on the sea.

The Sierra Leone Embassy in Turkey expressed its condolences to the affected families, whilst it continues to monitor the situation closely.

Copyright  2023 Politico (26/04/23)
By Alpha Abu

President Julius Maada Bio says the Alliance forged between the ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) and the opposition National Grand Coalition (NGC) is to promote national cohesion and transformational development of the country.

Addressing thousands of supporters of both political parties after the two leaders formally signed the Progressive Alliance document on Sunday 23rd April at the Bintumani Hotel, in Freetown, he confirmed the alliance has practically endorsed him as the sole Presidential Candidate for the June 24th General Elections.

This means Dr. Yumkella wont be contesting for the presidency under the NGC ticket and has instead shifted his support and those of his supporters over to the incumbent.

Months leading to the alliance, the NGC leader has cozied up to the SLPP, making complimentary statements, and was seen in the company of President Bio in several instances.

There were telling signs that something more concrete was brewing, and the alliance has finally put to rest all the speculations surrounding the recent hobnobbing involving the two political leaders.

President Bio in his address confirmed that for the past several months both leaderships of the SLPP and NGC have engaged in extensive discussions rooted in the desire to form an alliance that is strong, strategic and transparent.

The President spoke of the numerous achievements of his government in various sectors in his first term and said We cannot change an experienced pilot when the plane is mid-air.

He praised his alliance partner Dr. Yumkella for his contributions as an effective parliamentarian and a great partner in our development efforts

On the simmering tension in the country ahead of the polls, President Bio said: We cannot let political or ethnic differences divide us to the point of conflict.

Dr. Yumkella in his statement dwelt on the need for peace and praised President Bio for putting a premium on human capital development and stressed the alliance will lead to the development of Sierra Leone.

At exactly 17:26, the two leaders literally went to work to seal the pact, applying their signatures on the document, each holding a copy of the document for photos, followed by a firm handshake, all lasting 3 minutes.

All the said actions were greeted by deafening applause from throngs of supporters of the two parties inside the hall, and those in the lobby watching proceedings on a giant screen.

A veteran independent Journalist who was watching the scene from the Bintumani balcony said its a very historical event, whilst some women seated nearby shouted no run-off to indicate their belief that the team-up will secure overwhelming victory for President Bio at the first ballot.

Earlier the Womens Leader of NGC, Fatima Tejan Sillah in her statement described the alliance as a fight for the betterment of the country and that all must trust the process. She said they are tired of the verbal abuse of women and that they do not want vengeful leaders anymore in Sierra Leone.

Representing the SLPP Womens Leader, Isatu Timbo thanked President Bio for supporting the 30% quota for women in elective office and assured the president of their readiness to vote him in again.

The NGC was formed in 2017 by senior political figures who were predominantly members of the SLPP. Dr. Yumkella had vied for the SLPP Presidential Candidacy and lost. He and other notable figures including Dr. Andrew Keilli and the late Dr. Albert Joe Demby- former Vice President, went on to form NGC after Bio swept the votes for the SLPP Presidential ticket.

Dr. Yumkella was the Leader of NGC in parliament- his party had four seats in the house. They were in control of the Kambia District Council and had 19 Councillors in the districts of Kambia, Falaba, and Koinadugu all in the North of Sierra Leone.

NGC was the fourth largest party in the Sierra Leone Parliament which formally dissolved yesterday.

Most of NGCs grassroots supporters were originally SLPP supporters that followed Dr. Yumkella after he quit the party to form his own. His father was one of the founding members of the SLPP formed in 1951.

Copyright  2023 Politico (26/04/23)
LPP-NGC ALLIANCE: LETS LOOK AT ARTICLE 12

The big event at Bintumani conference center announcing an alliance between the ruling SLPP and the NGC is over. There was a lot of speech-making and dancing but there was also a group of people in that hall who didnt look taken in by the whole affair. We could see it written all over their faces. Later, we tried to find some answers to that puzzle and after a brief period of asking the normal questions, a friend of one of those who refused to sing and dance told us to look at Article 12 of the alliance document. This was what we saw:

The parties agree that when the alliance wins the presidential elections, the NGC will be included in an inclusive government where in the NGC will be allocated a number of positions as mutually agreed in various categories of appointment in governance e.g. (ministers, deputy minister, ambassadors, board members). Every appointment shall be subject to the approval of the elected president.

First of all, this provision is looking forward to the first few days after June 24 2023, in other words, the period during which the government is formed. So the alliance is sure of winning even before the first ballot is cast. Thats a positive way of looking at things but there are more than three million people registered to vote in this election. We shall see.

The other aspect of Article 12 which talks about jobs being shared with NGC people is responsible for those long faces just below our sitting position. We saw mostly heads of state-owned enterprises, a few ministers and deputies. We understand their frustration but NGC people are Sierra Leoneans and we welcome them into the inclusive government the alliance is talking about. Beside, those people who have performed well in Principals first term have nothing to fear. If you dont get your old job back in the new arrangement, welcome to alliance politics. Find something to do.

SIERRA LEONE TEMPLE RUNNERS DIE TRYING TO REACH GREECE

Our embassy in Turkey has confirmed that EIGHT of our brothers and sisters have perished in the sea trying to reach GREECE from Turkey. In fact, we are told that they were positively identified as Sierra Leoneans by the leadership of their community in Turkey and because their bodies were found at sea days after their vessel capsized, they had to be hurriedly buried. We see people from mostly the middle east and other parts of Africa dying daily trying to reach Europe in search of what they call a better life, now the realities of that dangerous voyage has come home to Sierra Leone in a very brutal way.

We know that things are hard but this idea that heaven is just over the horizon in a place called Europe is flawed. When our late brothers and sisters are eventually identified, we should not be surprised to discover that University graduates are among them. We are talking about people who are capable of making it at home. These are people who are able to genuinely approach any embassy in the world and apply to legally travel and work abroad.

Even as we write this there are dozens of other Sierra Leoneans putting their paperwork together to go along the same route fervently believing that they will definitely reach Europe. Its up to them.

In a few days, the rest of us will move on and the pain will be for their parents and friends.

SHEIK JAGABAN AND THE FAKE IG SAGA

We want to alert movie producers to the guy we know in good old Sierra Leone as Sheik Jagaban. In the few days hes spent trying to give himself some relevance in Sierra Leone politics, hes put so much in that public domain that the producers should be able to do a movie with him as the main character before the end of 2023. And such a movie would bring in hundreds of thousands of US dollars.

After many years in the US, the heavily bearded man turned up in Freetown and expressed his burning wish to be made the running mate to Orsamu of the main opposition Red Movement in the coming elections. He announced himself in a big way with his supporters telling the world the guy is worth FIFTY MILLION US dollars. We were told he owned petrol stations, several properties in the US, employing hundreds.

The next few weeks witnessed a massive open source investigation of the main claims made by Sheik Jagaban. We can only describe the information that turned up as interesting. It turned out that Sheik Jagaban was not even on the shortlist of candidates for the running mate position in the Red Movement. The guy and his supporters went quiet. There was even talk that he bought a power bullet proof vehicle for Orsamu. We cant find the evidence to support that.

The latest around Sheik Jagaban is that some not so clever guys easily transferred more than ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND New Leones from his bank account to theirs. Sheik Jagaban was made to believe that he was being nice to the nations Police Boss  that guy who doesnt smile. By the time Sheik Jagaban realized hed fallen in the wrong hands, the criminals were already congratulating each other after a good day at the office.

This is a plot line that many people with deep pockets should be ready to sponsor with little difficulty. We are not asking for any fee for alerting you guys to this. All we want is for you guys to acknowledge our effort when you collect your prize at the film festival in Burkina Faso.

WHERE ARE THE TURKISH FERRIES PLEASE?

We keep asking about those Ferries because we welcomed the two Turkish ferries not too long ago with a lot of fanfare typical of the social media period in which we live but several months on we cant feel the presence of those ferries. Is anything the matter? If they were waiting for the new airport to go into operation, they have no more excuses.

The vast majority of Sierra Leoneans cannot afford the alternatives on the west side of town and that includes airline passengers who are upper middle class Sierra Leoneans and the small expatriate community in this country. They turn up there because what we currently have at Kissy is real chaos  a risk not worth taking.

We dont want to say much for now. We are expecting some answers urgently because when we used one of those that have been with us for decades the other day we prayed throughout the journey for God to keep us afloat because we absolutely gave up on the mechanics that drive ferries the moment we entered the vessel. Last weekend there were May Day calls on another one.

Please, lets not put the new ferries in service because without them and the promised improvements at Kissy and Government wharf terminals, we have to keep praying for Gods constant intervention.

Copyright  2023 Politico (26/04/23)
LAKE LUZERNE  The Rockwell Falls Library, where a Drag Queen Story Hour was set to take place before being postponed, received a bomb threat last week.

Trooper Stephanie ONeil, New York State Police spokeswoman, said that police responded to the library at about 10:10 a.m. on April 17 after the New York State Intelligence Center found a bomb threat posted on the internet.

The library was closed at the time of the call. A K-9 unit inspected the building and did not find any explosive material or unusual activity, according to police.

ONeil said she did not have any additional information about the type of threat or where it was posted. The investigation has been closed. No arrests have been reported.

The incident was not publicized through a news release, but there was an item in the state police public information blotter listed as Bomb Threat in Lake Luzerne.

The library found itself at the center of controversy when it announced on its Facebook page on April 8 that it was going to have the Drag Queen Story Hour with Scarlet Sagamore on Saturday, April 15. A large crowd attended the library boards meeting on April 11, with many asking the library to cancel the event. Speakers expressed concern that children would be groomed to question their sexuality. Other speakers defended the event, saying it had nothing to do with sexuality and was aimed at encouraging creativity and expression.

Planned drag queen story hour at Lake Luzerne library sparks debate The Rockwell Falls Public Library announced that it will host its first ever Drag Queen Story Hour Saturday, but the event has received a mixture of support and disgust from residents.

Library Director Courtney Keir said at that time she would review the request with board and staff and make a decision before the event was scheduled to take place. The library on April 13 said it was postponing the event to conduct more research and would make a decision no later than June 1.

When contacted via phone and email about the threat and the future of that event, Keir said: You are welcome to attend any or our board meetings. We have the next one listed on our website banner. Board meetings are usually a great place to get information on any decisions.

In response to a follow-up email, Keir said she did not have any information about the threat.

The next meeting is May 18 at 6:30 p.m.
More than a dozen women have publicly accused former President Donald Trump of sexual assault and harassment, but none of those claims has gone to trial. That is about to change. The trial of a former advice columnist's rape lawsuit is due to start with jury selection Tuesday. E. Jean Carroll alleges that Trump raped her in a New York luxury department store dressing room in the mid-1990s. He denies assaulting or even knowing her, and he denies all the other sexual misconduct allegations against him. The trial comes as Trump is seeking to return to the White House and battling a roster of legal problems.
New York Attorney General Letitia James worked with state lawmakers to introduce legislation targeting deed theft, a crime that is a growing problem in New York City and other parts of the state.

Deed theft, according to the attorney generals office, is when the deed or title to a home is stolen without the homeowners knowledge. Scammers use deed theft to take ownership of properties, mainly those owned by older residents or people of color.

One bill would establish deed theft as a felony offense in New York. An individual would be charged with first-degree deed theft, a class B felony, if they steal the title for a residential property or two or more real properties. A lesser charge, second-degree deed theft, would apply in cases where a thief steals one property.

The attorney generals office, along with district attorneys, would have jurisdiction to prosecute deed theft cases. The legislation would set the statute of limitations for deed theft at eight years.

A separate bill sponsored by state Sen. Brian Kavanagh and Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein would address civil aspects of deed theft. It would eliminate good faith purchaser protections for buyers of stolen homes to ensure that the property is returned to the owner. Victims could also pause eviction proceedings to show proof of the theft.

No ones home should be stolen by a scammer without warning or reason, James said. Victims of deed theft are often older adults and people of color who are asset rich but cash poor. Homeownership is a stabilizing economic force for their families and loved ones, and deed theft robs them not just of their family home, but of their most significant financial asset and the community they have known for their entire lives.

The New York City Sheriffs Office has handled nearly 3,500 deed theft complaints since 2014, including more than 1,500 in Brooklyn and 1,000 in Queens, according to the attorney generals office. While there have been thousands of crimes reported in the city, it is a statewide problem. James said district attorneys in four upstate counties, including Onondaga, have reported deed theft complaints.

Deed theft victims are asked to contact the attorney generals office by calling 1-800-771-7755, emailing deedtheft@ag.ny.gov or by completing an online confidential complaint.
ATLANTIC CITY  With about a week left until its kickoff, the city has stopped the Bamboozle Festival, a resurrected concert event previously held in North Jersey, officials said Friday.

The city had not received insurance certificates, a medical plan, an emergency evacuation plan, or mercantile and facility fees for use of Bader Field by an April 27 deadline, officials said in explaining why they would not issue final payments for the March 5-7 event.

The Bamboozle website announced the cancellation but gave no reason for it.

After extensive discussions, we have made the heartbreaking decision to cancel Bamboozle 2023, a posting on the Bamboozle website said Friday afternoon. An incredible amount of time, dedication, passion and hard work was invested into making this comeback a success. We appreciate everyone who supported this festival. Refunds should be requested at point of purchase.

Among the acts scheduled to perform were Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach and DJ Steve Aoki.

Nick Richetti, owner of Canna City Hemp in Statesville, North Carolina, said Friday he paid $10,000 for a small vendor booth and is worried about getting a refund.

I have emailed and made phone calls, and not heard anything back from them, Richetti said. I own one small CBD store in North Carolina, and $10,000 will absolutely break me.

Richetti also said he had been led to believe there would be 20,000 to 30,000 fans a day passing his booth, for exposure to up to 90,000 people.

But festival founder John DEsposito had expected about 15,000 to attend, he recently told The Philadelphia Inquirer.

City Solicitor Mike Perugini sent a letter to the organizers legal team at Cooper Levenson, informing them the municipality would refuse to issue the final permits needed to host the event.

We asked for this information months in advance to protect the city and the taxpayers of Atlantic City, city officials said in a statement. The event was fast approaching, and these issues were still unresolved.

The event had come under fire online. In social media postings, fans said Bamboozle organizers used false advertising to sell pricey early-bird tickets far ahead of the festival and failed to land promised big name acts.

They also said DEsposito refused refund requests and trolled and cyberbullied fans who complained.

Rob Rowan, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, told NJ.com the office received 21 complaints about Bamboozle, ranging from false advertising to refund requests.

Some fans said they paid a premium for presale tickets because DEsposito repeatedly promised on social media that tickets costing as much as $366 would jump in price as more stars joined the bill.

But when fewer top-billed performers signed on than expected, ticket prices fell and some fans felt bilked.

What South Jersey is looking forward to in 2023 From the opening of a waterpark in Atlantic City to a variety of music festivals in the regi

From its founding in 2002 to 2012, Bamboozle became one of New Jerseys most celebrated music festivals, featuring headliners like Bon Jovi, 50 Cent and Foo Fighters.

Shows sold out at the Meadowlands Sport Complex and Asbury Park Convention Hall.

By 2012, more than 100,000 fans had attended the shows in Asbury Park. Soon after DEsposito left Bamboozle because of a falling out with partners Live Nation and House of Blues, the festival ended.

DEsposito said he repurchased the festivals trademark in 2020 in time to plan this years 20th anniversary show. To succeed, the festival had to go back to its roots of showcasing lesser known talents on the way up to become headliners, he said.
Events

Friday, April 28

ART CHAT EXHIBIT AND ARTISTS' RECEPTION: Mondays through Saturdays through April; an exhibit by the Art Chat collective will be on display throughout April; Ocean County Library/Little Egg Harbor Branch, 290 Mathistown Road, Little Egg Harbor Township; free. 609-294-1197 or theoceancountylibrary.org/events.

ATLANTIC COUNTY LIBRARY FOUNDATION BOOK SALE: daily through Aug. 31; proceeds benefit the Atlantic County Library Foundation support of programming in your library branch; Mays Landing Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 40 Farragut Ave., Hamilton. 609-625-2776 or atlanticlibrary.org.

AUDITIONS FOR FOOL MOON THEATRE PRODUCTION: 6 to 8 p.m. April 28, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 29; Fool Moon Theatre's "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"; Margate Community Church, 8900 N. Ventnor Ave., Margate. 609-457-0903 or foolmoontheatre.org.

'BEAUTY AND THE BEAST': 7 p.m. April 28, 29, 2 p.m. April 30; Egg Harbor Township High School presents the Broadway musical Disney's "Beauty and the Beast"; Egg Harbor Township High School, 24 High School Drive, Egg Harbor Township; $10. 609-653-0100 or ehths.booktix.com.

'EXCITING DISCOVERIES IN ART HISTORY': noon to 1 p.m.; presented by Mallory Mortillaro; Cape May County Library/Cape May Court House Branch, 30 Mechanic St., Middle Township; free. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.

ICF DESIGNER BAG BINGO: 7 to 10 p.m.; annual Italian Cultural Foundation's Designer Bag Bingo; basket items, 50/50 sales, door prizes; must be 18 or older; St. Mary's School, 735 Union Road, Vineland; $30. 609-805-3757.

'NEWSICAL THE MUSICAL': 7:30 p.m.; NEWSical "tackles everything from the highest office in the land to the lowest depths of reality"; Stockton University, Jimmie Leeds Road, Galloway Township; $31.50-$35. 609-652-9000 or stockton.universitytickets.com.

Saturday, April 29

AUTHOR VISIT: DEBORAH GOODRICH ROYCE: 2 to 3:30 p.m.; Deborah Goodrich Royce's literary thrillers examine puzzles of identity; Cape May County Library/Cape May Court House Branch, 30 Mechanic St., Middle Township; free. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.

BARNEGAT LIBRARY 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; enjoy day-long family fun, starting with the "Talewise Dry Ice Show" and followed by the Frog Jam Band's live concert; Barnegat County Library, 112 Burr St., Barnegat Township. 732-349-6200 or theoceancountylibrary.org/events.

BIRDING BASICS WITH THE NEW JERSEY AUDUBON: 10 a.m. to noon; birding event; Pleasantville Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 33 Martin Luther King Junior Ave., Pleasantville. 609-641-1778 or atlanticlibrary.org.

CAPE MAY WINE TRAIL WITH LUNCH AND TROLLEY TOUR: 10:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 29, May 6, Sept. 22, Oct 6; visit two Cape May County wineries for tours and tastings; Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., Cape May; $125. 609-884-5404.

RENAISSANCE FAIRE: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 29, 30; Historic Smithville Village is hosting the annual Renaissance Faire; Historic Smithville, 615 E. Moss Mill Road, Galloway Township. 609-748-8999 or historicsmithville.com.

Sunday, April 30

MISS TRI-CITY SCHOLARSHIP PAGEANT: 6 to 10 p.m.; find out who the next Miss Tri-City will be; pageant winner will go on to represent Vineland, Millville, Buena and the surrounding areas; The Landis Theater, 830 E. Landis Ave., Vineland, $15. thelandistheater.com.

Monday, May 1

ESL CAREER READINESS LAB: 9:30 a.m. to noon Mondays through July 31; learn how to use the Engen Language Upskilling platform, which provides ESL classes and tutorials with a focus on job interview skills, and the food and beverage industry and hospitality industry; Public Library, 1 N. Tennessee Ave., Atlantic City. 609-345-2269 or acfpl.org.

HOUSEPLANTS: 2 to 3 p.m. Mondays through May 22; learn how to plant, propagate, and care for a variety of popular plant species; Ventnor City Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 6500 Atlantic Ave., Ventnor. 609-823-4614 or atlanticlibrary.org.

LINE DANCING - WITH SUSAN PENNYPACKER: noon to 12:45 p.m. Mondays; no meetings May 29, Sept. 4, Oct. 9; Wildwood Crest Branch, 6300 Atlantic Ave., Wildwood Crest. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.

MAY DAY TEA PARTY: 3 to 4 p.m.; celebrate May Day with a flower craft and snacks; open for adults; Egg Harbor Township/Atlantic County Library System, 1 Swift Drive, Egg Harbor Township; registration required. 609-927-8664 or atlanticlibrary.org.

MEDITATIVE DRUM CIRCLE: 5 to 6 p.m. Mondays; bring your own instrument or borrow one; no meetings May 29, Aug. 28, Sept. 4, Oct. 9, Nov. 6, Dec. 25; Cape May Court House Branch, 30 Mechanic St., Middle Township. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.

SCRABBLE NIGHT: 5:45 to 7:45 p.m. first and third Mondays through May; bring your own team or play with others; Public Library, 235 32nd St., Avalon. avalonfreelibrary.org.

Tuesday, May 2

PRAC SENIOR DANCE CLASSES: 10 to 11 a.m.; during the month of May, P.R.A.C. of Southern New Jersey will host free senior dance classes; Public Library, 1058 E. Landis Ave., Vineland. 856-794-4244 or vinelandlibrary.org.

Wednesday, May 3

ADULT BOARD GAME NIGHT: 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays May 3, 17, June 7, 21, July 5, 19, August 2, 16; Egg Harbor Township/Atlantic County Library System, 1 Swift Drive, Egg Harbor Township. 609-927-8664 or atlanticlibrary.org.

Thursday, May 4

ADULT CRAFT: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.; May 4: Beach-Themed Wall Art; additional dates are June 22, July 20, Aug. 10; Brigantine Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 201 15th St. S., Brigantine. 609-266-0110 or atlanticlibrary.org.

AUTHOR'S HIGH TEA 2023: 2 p.m.; hosted by Friends and Volunteers of the Ocean City Free Public Library; guest speaker will be Laura Quinn, local author of "Thicker Than Water"; event will take place at Flanders Hotel, 719 11th St., Ocean City, $40. friendsvolunteersocfpl.com.

CONTACT CAPE-ATLANTIC'S SPRING SENSATION AND 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: 5 to 9 p.m.; CONTACT Cape-Atlantic's 32nd annual Spring Sensation and 50th anniversary celebration; cocktail reception with live music; live, silent and chance auctions; sit down dinner; benefits CONTACT Cape-Atlantics Reassurance Program; The Carriage House, 25 S. Pitney Road, Galloway Township; $75. 609-823-1850 or contactcapeatlantic.org.

For kids

Friday, April 28

NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK HIDE-AND-SEEK: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through April 29; for kids ages 13 and younger; kids who find the hidden object will receive a treat; Mays Landing Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 40 Farragut Ave., Hamilton. 609-625-2776 or atlanticlibrary.org.

Saturday, April 29

DROP-IN LEGO PLAYTIME: 1 to 2 p.m. Saturdays through August; Egg Harbor Township/Atlantic County Library System, 1 Swift Drive, Egg Harbor Township. 609-927-8664 or atlanticlibrary.org.

SATURDAY FAMILY STORYTIME: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays through August; Egg Harbor Township/Atlantic County Library System, 1 Swift Drive, Egg Harbor Township. 609-927-8664 or atlanticlibrary.org.

SPRINGTIME STORYTIME: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays April 29, May 27, June 10, 24; for ages 3 1/2 to 5, siblings welcome; few quick stories, songs, an easy craft, plus a treat; Somers Point Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 801 Shore Road, Somers Point; registration required. 609-927-7113 or atlanticlibrary.org.

TEEN BOARD GAME AND SNACK AFTERNOONS: 2 to 4 p.m. Saturdays April 29, May 13, 27, June 10, 24, July 8, 22, Aug. 5, 29; for kids and teens, ages 10 and older; Egg Harbor Township/Atlantic County Library System, 1 Swift Drive, Egg Harbor Township; registration required. 609-927-8664 or atlanticlibrary.org.

Monday, May 1

PRE-K CLUB AND CRAFT: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays through May 22, June 5, 12; Galloway Township Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 306 E. Jimmie Leeds Road, Galloway. 609-652-2352 or atlanticlibrary.org.

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME - ABSECON: 10 to 11 a.m. Mondays; Absecon branch/Atlantic County Library System, 305 New Jersey Ave., Absecon. 609-646-2228 or atlanticlibrary.org.

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME - EGG HARBOR CITY: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays through Aug. 28; Egg Harbor City Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 134 Philadelphia Ave., Egg Harbor City. 609-804-1063 or atlanticlibrary.org.

Tuesday, May 2

TODDLER STORYTIME AND CRAFT: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays through May 9; for ages 18 months to 3 years; Hammonton Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 451 S. Egg Harbor Road, Hammonton. 609-561-2264 or atlanticlibrary.org.

Groups

Friday, April 28

AMERICAN MAH JONGG: 1 to 3 p.m. Fridays; Wildwood Crest Branch, 6300 Atlantic Ave., Wildwood Crest. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.

CONVERSATIONAL LENAPE LANGUAGE - WITH TERI HISLOP: 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Fridays; newcomers welcome; Lower Cape Branch, 2600 Bayshore Road, Lower Township. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.

'LIGHTBULB' ONLINE GROUP: 3 to 4 p.m. Fridays; virtual group presented by the Mental Health Association in New Jersey; weekly online discussion group and forum to ask questions about mental health and wellness. 609-652-3800 or MHANJ.org.

Saturday, April 29

CHESS CLUB: noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays through May 27; for adults and interested teens and children, ages 8 and older; Ventnor City Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 6500 Atlantic Ave., Ventnor; registration required. 609-823-4614 or atlanticlibrary.org.

Monday, May 1

AL-ANON FAMILY GROUPS: 11 a.m. Mondays; for those troubled by someone else's drinking; Egg Harbor City Senior Center, 351 Cincinnati Ave., Egg Harbor City. AL-ANON.org.

GREAT BOOKS CLUB: 10 a.m. to noon every other Monday through May 15; Cape May Court House Branch, 30 Mechanic St., Middle Township. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.

LONGPORT NEEDLERS: 10 a.m. to noon Mondays; bring your needle/crochet craft project and join us for a time of crafting and socializing; Longport Public Library, 2305 Atlantic Ave., Longport. 609-487-7403 or LongportPublicLibrary.org.

'MONEY TALKS' ONLINE DISCUSSION GROUP: 7 to 8 p.m. first Mondays; monthly online discussion group with thought-provoking topics related to money and wellness; virtual event hosted by the Mental Health Association New Jersey. 609-652-3800 or MHANJ.org.

Tuesday, May 2

INTERMEDIATE SPANISH CONVERSATION VIRTUAL CLASS: 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays; intermediate-level Spanish Conversation class via Zoom; Atlantic City Free Public Library, 1 N. Tennessee Ave., Atlantic City. 609-345-2269 or ACFPL.org.

JERSEY CAPE WRITERS: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. first and third Tuesdays; e-mail Jerseycapewriters01@gmail.com to register; share your writing and ideas in a friendly and supportive environment; Cape May Court House Branch, 30 Mechanic St., Middle Township. 609-463-6350 or Events.CMCLibrary.org.

YARNBENDERS CROCHET AND KNITTING CLUB: 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Aug. 29; Egg Harbor Township/Atlantic County Library System, 1 Swift Drive, Egg Harbor Township. 609-927-8664 or atlanticlibrary.org.

Wednesday, May 3

'TOO MUCH STUFF?' MEETINGS: 1 to 2 p.m. first and third Wednesdays; hosted by the Mental Health Association in Atlantic County; online or call-in support for those with clutter challenges, collecting behaviors, or hoarding tendency. 609-652-3800 or MHAAC.info.

Thursday, May 4

1ST THURSDAY BOOK CLUB WITH KATHY TWEED: 7 to 8 p.m. first Thursdays through Dec. 7; meeting virtually on Zoom; discuss pre-selected readings with like minded individuals. 609-463-6350 or Events.CMCLibrary.org.

TWP. OF HAMILTON GREEN TEAM MEETING: 7 to 8:30 p.m. first Thursdays; join the Township of Hamilton Green Team; Municipal Building, 6101 13th St., Mays Landing. lmccardell@townshipofhamilton.com.

Health, fitness

Friday, April 28

ANYTHING GOES FITNESS: 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. April 28, May 5, 19, 26; Cape May County Library/Wildwood Crest Branch, 6300 Atlantic Ave., Wildwood Crest. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.

Sunday, April 30

MEDITATION - ONLINE GROUP: 7:15 to 8 p.m. Sundays; offered by The Mental Health Association in Atlantic County; staff offer a guided calming meditation or breathing exercise; to receive a link by email and join the group online, email btrendler@mhanj.org. 609-652-3800 or MHAAC.info.

Monday, May 1

CHAIR YOGA - WITH LYNNE CATARRO: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays; no class 5/29, 9/4, 10/9, 12/25; Cape May County Library/Wildwood Crest Branch, 6300 Atlantic Ave., Wildwood Crest. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.

'GOT STRESS?' ONLINE GROUP: 4 to 5:30 p.m. Mondays; online group meets to discuss daily wellness, coping strategies and tools to relieve stress and reduce anxiety; offered by The Mental Health Association in Atlantic County; free. 609-652-3800 or MHAAC.info.

Tuesday, May 2

BODY IMAGE & BALANCE MEETINGS: 7 to 8 p.m. first and third Tuesdays; hosted by the Mental Health Association in Atlantic County; call-in and online group for those living with or recovering from disordered eating. 609-652-3800 or MHAAC.info.

DEALING WITH DEPRESSION SUPPORT GROUP: 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays; hosted by the Mental Health Association in Atlantic County; online support group for those living with depression. 609-652-3800 or MHAAC.info.

ZUMBA WITH KELLIE WOOD: 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays; Cape May Court House Branch, 30 Mechanic St., Middle Township. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.

Thursday, May 4

'CREATIVE EXPRESSIONS' ONLINE WELLNESS GROUP: 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. first and third Thursdays; online group to share artwork, discuss the creative process, and work on projects among peers; presented by the Mental Health Association in Atlantic County. 609-652-3800 or MHAAC.info.

Music

Friday, April 28

ADAM EZRA GROUP: 7:30 to 10 p.m.; fusing folk intimacy and rock energy with soul power and pop charm; The Lizzie Rose Music Room, 217 E. Main St., Tuckerton; $33. 908-310-2941 or lizzierosemusic.com.

DIRTY DEEDS - THE AC/DC EXPERIENCE: 7 p.m. doors open, 8 to 10:30 p.m. show; Levoy Theatre, 126-130 N. High St., Millville; $32 to $37. 856-327-6400 or levoy.net.

MUSIC TO MY EARS - ONLINE: 7 to 10 p.m. Fridays through Aug. 4; uplifting online discussion group in which participants share favorite music selections and what it means to them; virtual event hosted by the Mental Health Association in New Jersey. 609-652-3800 or mhanj.org.

Saturday, April 29

KATIE HENRY: 7:30 to 10 p.m.; The Lizzie Rose Music Room, 217 E. Main St., Tuckerton; $30. 908-310-2941 or lizzierosemusic.com.

THE BREAKERS: A TRIBUTE TO TOM PETTY: 7 p.m. doors open; 8 to 10 p.m. show; Levoy Theatre, 126-130 N. High St., Millville; $38.50 to $43.50. 856-327-6400 or levoy.net.

Religion Friday, April 28 LUNCH AND MUSICAL SHABBAT WITH ISRAELI RABBI OR ZOHAR: 12:30 to 2 p.m.; community is invited to an Israeli-style luncheon and special Musical Erev Shabbat evening service with a special guest; Congregation Beth Israel, 2501 Shore Road, Northfield; $10. 609-641-3600. Bus trips Saturday, April 29 UT HISTORICAL SOCIETY SPRING BUS TRIP: April 29, 30; sponsored by the Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township; tour historic Dutch sites around the state, learn about the Dutch influence on New Jersey's earliest settlements; cost includes admission to all sites, lunch and dinner on Saturday, breakfast and lunch on Sunday, a room on Saturday night and the bus cost and the drivers tip; $250-$300. parytell@gmail.com or UpperTwpHistory.org.
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE  A grand jury has indicted a Cape May County jail officer accused of sexually assaulting a young girl multiple times between 2020 and 2023, the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office said Friday.

Jonathan Perez, 33, of Woodbine, has been in custody since February. He is charged with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

He is being held at the Atlantic County jail.

The child Perez allegedly assaulted told her mother about the encounters, which took place from 2020 to Feb. 3, according to an affidavit of probable cause. In some instances, Perez, the document says, gave the girl alcohol and allowed her to watch pornography.

Cape May County corrections officer charged with sex assault of child detained CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE  A corrections officer arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a mi

Her wrists were also tied during some encounters when Perez forced her to have sex with him, the affidavit states.

The Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into the girl's claims after the child was given an exam for sexual assault at Cape Regional Medical Center.

Perez traveled to New York before being arrested by State Police.
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OCEAN CITY  City officials have ruled the Seaspray condominium at 34th Street and Bay Avenue unfit for occupancy, putting some residents out of their homes and casting doubt on the future of the building.

Red tags were placed on the entrances to each of the 32 units, stating, This building is declared unsafe for human occupancy, and no one is to stay in the property until repairs have been made.

City attorney Dottie McCrosson reported on the decision to City Council on Thursday, saying the citys construction office ordered the building be red-tagged this past week. She said the office acted under the orders of the state Department of Community Affairs and added that the construction office acts independently of the city administration.

The city can dictate working hours, but matters of construction code are under the discretion of the construction office, McCrosson said.

They have the expertise to make those calls, and they report to the Department of Community Affairs, she said.

The ruling can be appealed, she said.

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About six or seven of the units are used as year-round residences. McCrosson said the city has offered assistance to those who need help finding a place to stay, and the local organization OCNJ CARE is working with the residents. That organization has worked with families after fires and other disruptive events. It worked during the pandemic to help make sure needs were met for the citys most vulnerable residents.

One of the Seaspray residents, Connor Brady, attended the council meeting. He said he has lived in the building for two years.

I dont really know where Im going to go, Brady said after the meeting.

Council members expressed concern for the residents of the building but also about the impact of having a condemned property at one of the main entrances to town.

I dont think anybody wants to see a red-tagged building in their neighborhood, Council member Jody Levchuk said.

Council member Bob Barr said he had heard from residents of the building.

They dont know what theyre going to do. They dont have anywhere to go, Barr said.

McCrosson said the city has been named in active litigation in connection to the property, which she said limited how much she could say in a public forum.

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Brady said there also had been litigation filed against the condo association in February 2022, from other owners known as Block Properties LLC.

A copy of the suit, posted to the New Jersey courts system website, shows the LLC is challenging the three-member condominium board for control of the building, alleging the board has failed to address structural concerns that have been known for close to two decades. The suit put the current estimated cost of the repairs at $7.5 million.

It alleges six engineering studies have established that the building is structurally unsound. The suit contends that the structure should be torn down and redeveloped.

Attorney Dennis E. Block filed the suit. There was no answer at the listed number for his Turnersville office, and there was no immediate response Friday to emails requesting comment for this story.

The future of the property has been an issue for years, Brady and others said.

There have been prior disputes about whether to sell or to repair, Brady said Friday. When there are 32 different opinions, its very difficult.

He said the bylaws would require a unanimous agreement among the condo owners to dissolve the association, if the property were to be sold to a developer to be demolished for a new building.

Repairing the building would be a significant investment.

A lot of the people that own here, they want to see what their options are, Brady said. People need to make an informed decision.

Some of the units are rented to vacationers each summer, while others are used by the owners when they visit the shore town, Brady said. Some of the year-round residents rent their units.

There is a pool in the courtyard of the two-story building, which is five blocks from the beach. A social media page for the property shows images from decades ago of families gathered by the pool.

The building at 3313-15 Bay Ave. was built as a motel in 1960, Brady said, and became a condominium in 1980.

The units have sold for $200,000 to close to $250,000, Brady said. But with the lawsuit underway, which must be disclosed to potential buyers, one unit that has listed at $199,000 has not moved.

They cant get anybody interested with a lawsuit hanging over it, Brady said.

A real estate website shows units up for sale in the condominium, one for just under $200,000, and another listed at $318,000 for a two-bedroom unit.
ATLANTIC CITY  Seniors and disabled residents at the public housing complex Stanley Holmes Village say they are being forced to move to troubled high-rise properties like Jeffries Tower, just as the Atlantic City Housing Authority has begun fixing problems in their complex.

I dont want to leave, said Diane Ruffin, 69, a six-year resident and advocate for seniors in the complex. I had a brain bleed in 2017, and Im still in care. I still have ongoing deficits ... Im at high risk of stroke. I have to be in a stable environment.

On April 10, Ruffin and many other residents in the 420-unit complex got temporary relocation notices, saying it was necessary to do heavy renovation to the property, and they would be given 72 hours notice before having to move.

At an April 19 meeting with Housing Authority officials, which only those who received letters were allowed to attend, residents were given basic information but much was left vague, said Alan Donnie Bailey, 63.

All they did was tell us they are moving us, said Bailey, whose apartment faces Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. He has lived there 15 years without problems, he said, and pays $779 a month for a one-bedroom unit because he is still working.

For Ruffin, the idea of being forced to move away from the neighborhood she knows, where she can walk to church and to the hospital, has caused her great stress.

And she has a fear of elevators.

On a recent visit, contractors of all types could be seen on the grounds of Stanley Holmes, addressing mold issues, replacing appliances and getting rid of pests.

The authority has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars fixing the boilers to address lack of heat and hot water that caused the city to declare an emergency at Stanley Holmes last fall.

It is in the midst of replacing gas lines in the complex after numerous gas leaks were found there and in other Housing Authority buildings, interim part-time Executive Director John Clarke said at Thursdays board meeting.

By them fixing up, it got us settled, Ruffin said. All of a sudden this letter arrives without warning.

No one from the Housing Authority at the Zoom-only meeting would address questions about the relocation plan, saying it was because the questions were posed outside the public comment period on the agenda.

For Yolanda Stotts and her husband, James, both 64, moving out of their home of eight years would be an impossibility.

My husband just got out of a nursing home two months ago. He had esophageal cancer, Yolanda Stotts said. We are not ready to move.

She said the house is full of medical equipment, caregivers come regularly and a move to a high-rise building would further stress them at a terrible time.

Stotts and Ruffin both said their apartments only need cosmetic updating, nothing that would require a relocation.

Only high-rise locations are open to them for relocation, said Robyn Parker, a 63-year-old disabled woman with serious lung disease who also does not want to move.

I have been here 20 years, Parker said. Its close to everything. I can walk to the Avenue (Atlantic Avenue), its in walking distance to the hospital and clinic.

A letter given out April 19 said the relocation would be for four months, and people could move back to Stanley Holmes after that if they prefer.

It also said residents can look at the new unit they are assigned for layout purposes, not for refusal.

The authority is offering $1,100 per unit to cover moving expenses to leave, but no money to move back in.

Bailey also said his unit only needs cosmetic updates.

I have never seen a mouse in all that time. No bugs, no mold, Bailey said of his apartment.

But he said serious problems are common in high-rises like Jeffries Tower, where residents are complaining of water leaks causing mold and rampant pest infestations.

What really upsets him, he said, is feeling targeted because he is older.

They told us they were moving the whole block, but they are not emptying the whole block. Younger people and families are staying, Bailey said. They are moving all the seniors.

This is the latest confusing thing that has been happening, said Olga Pomar, housing preservation and community development coordinator for South Jersey Legal Services.

South Jersey Legal Services is representing about 80 residents of Stanley Holmes Village suing over poor conditions there.

Pomar has questions about how extensive the scope of rehabilitation will be, since the Housing Authority is planning to demolish and replace it.

She also questions whether people will be guaranteed to be returned to Stanley Holmes Village after renovations. She has requested information from the Housing Authority but gotten no answers, Pomar said.

If they end up being permanently relocated, it raises questions, Pomar said, about all the benefits and protections they would have under the Choice program.

The authority plans to demolish and replace Stanley Holmes Village with a federal Department of Housing and Urban Development Choice Neighborhoods grant. It is in the middle of an application process for the funds to do that.

Under the Neighborhood Choice program, Stanley Holmes residents have a right to return to a redeveloped unit, the right to choose to receive a Section 8 voucher instead, and other rights, Pomar said.

If they no longer live in Stanley Holmes, however, Pomar wants to know what happens to those rights.

Mary Hill is a senior citizen who has lived at Stanley Holmes for 16 years and also wants to stay.

Im scared of elevators, Hill said. And I want my grandchildren to come see me.

At Stanley Holmes they can walk right up to the door, but in the high rises they would have to be signed in and out, she said. Shes afraid shed see them less.

We have already been mentally, physically and emotionally damaged by what has gone on here, Ruffin said.

Now that things are getting fixed, why make them move now, she asked?

What are they trying to do? Kill us?
Even as the evacuation process of Indian citizens from violence-hit Sudan is underway through Operation Kaveri, the government on Thursday said that it is monitoring the situation.

Addressing mediapersons, foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said: We are constantly monitoring the situation in Sudan since the conflict began on April 15. Our estimate is that there are approximately 3,500 Indians and 1,000 PIOs in Sudan.

He further informed that around 600 Indian citizens have already reached India.

We have received requests for the evacuation of citizens of other countries from Sudan. This is subject to the fulfilment of the procedures, he added.

Kwatra further informed that apart from INS Sumedha and INS Teg, the third naval ship INS Tarkash has also reached Port Sudan on Thursday to evacuate Indians from Khartoum. IANS
In the backdrop of a grim monsoon forecast, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has started addressing leakages and thefts. This will save a significant amount of water.

The PMC has submitted a report to the state irrigation department demanding 7.94 TMC of water to be reserved from the Khadakwasla dam chain for the citys needs till August this year. A decision on the report is still pending.

However, the civic body has started tracking down leakages and thefts to curb wastage.

The state government had earlier ordered the PMC to prepare a water management plan and an emergency water supply plan. It had asked the civic body to submit a survey of all wells and borewells, which could be utilized in crisis situations.

The state has also proposed to use the Krishna Valley Development Corporation funds to build a water tunnel from Khadakwasla dam, which may save 2.5 TMC water going down the drain due to leakages, thefts and evaporation from the canal.

The canals length is 200 kms from Khadakwasla to Indapur. Its length through the city from Khadakwasla to Phursungi is 26 km. Though civic officials have maintained that there is no immediate plan to impose water cuts in the city, the situation may change if thefts and leakages are not fixed.

Aniruddha Pawaskar, superintending engineer, water supply department, PMC, said that the dam has 0.5 TMC more water storage as compared to last year. There is no plan to implement water cuts as of now. But it will depend on the decision made on our proposal by the irrigation department. Our team has been efficiently cracking down on thefts and leakages, which is also expected to give an additional boost to the usage quota, Pawaskar told Mirror.

PMC has identified three major leakage spots in the city, out of which two have been plugged. Nandkishor Jagtap, executive engineer, water supply department, PMC, said, The repair work on the Sinhagad College road was done by using advanced leak detection technology in a special experimental drive suggested by the municipal commissioner. An 11-MLD leakage was arrested this week, which will bring down the consumption and usage figures drastically. The process will continue and other leakages will be identified soon.

Vijay Patil, executive engineer, Khadakwasla irrigation division, said that the next meeting on water supply will be held on May 15, which will be headed by district guardian minister Chandrakant Patil. The quota of 14.61 TMC has already been used by the city whereas the demand made by the PMC is 21 TMC. We have been giving the PMC 14.60 TMC from Khadakwasla while 30 MLD from Pawana and 140 MLD from Bhama-Askhed daily, which has been agreed upon till July 15. In the meeting on 15 May, depending on how the El Nino impacts, further course of action will be decided, Patil said.
A federal judge this week sentenced three Davenport men identified as members of the Savage Life Boys street gang to more than 34 years in prison, total.

Austin Ruiz and Olajuwan Culbreath sentenced

Austin Z. Ruiz, 28, and Olajuwan H. Culbreath, 27, both of Davenport, were sentenced by Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger.

She sentenced Ruiz on Monday to 16 years and eight months in prison on counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, according to the U.S Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Iowa and federal court records.

Ebinger also sentenced Culbreath, who received 12 years and six months on counts of aiding and abetting the same activities. His sentencing was Tuesday.

According to the U.S Attorney:

From 2016 to 2017, Ruiz and Culbreath took part in several shootings while they were members of the gang.

In December 2016, Ruiz took part in attacking and robbing a person at a dice game in a Davenport apartment.

During the initial encounter, someone struck the victim, a male, with a pistol. The victim got away and began to flee in a vehicle driven by another person.

Ruiz chased them and began shooting, wounding the driver.

In January 2017, Ruiz and Culbreath chased a person associated with a rival gang through the NorthPark Mall parking lot. During the chase, Ruiz shot at the victim.

In February 2017, members of the gang started a fight at a concert at the Hotel Davenport because of a perceived slight against Savage Life. During the fight, one person was killed by a gang member and another was hurt.

As the gang members fled after the attack, Culbreath fired a gun once to cause a distraction. No one was struck by Culbreaths gunfire.

In April 2017, Ruiz took part in confronting a person in Davenports Centennial Park because the victim robbed a gang-organized dice game.

During the confrontation, Ruiz and the victim struggled over Ruizs firearm and it went off. The bullet struck the victim in the foot.

Ruiz and Culbreath took these actions to increase their standing in Savage Life.

Both must complete five years of supervised release upon completion of their prison sentence.

Milton Howard Jr. heads to prison

Ebinger sentenced Milton Lee Howard Jr. on Monday to five years in federal prison on a count of being a felon in possession of firearms.

According to another release from the U.S. Attorneys Office and court records:

Authorities arrested Howard in December 2021 because he was wanted on a warrant for escape.. At the time of his arrest, he was with several other known members of Savage Life, and all of them were in a vehicle.

When they searched the vehicle, police found four firearms, an extended magazine, marijuana and four cell phones.

Further examination of the phones and of the social media accounts belonging to the vehicles occupants uncovered images of Howard and other gang members with firearms. Two of the guns depicted were recovered during Howards arrest.

A convicted felon, Howard was prohibited from possessing firearms.

Upon completion of his prison term, he must serve three years of supervised release.

Federal authorities have prosecuted a number of other members of Savage Life. Some of those cases have been resolved and others are pending.
A man accused of breaking into a Davenport home and striking a person in the face with a gun received a 92-month federal sentence for being a felon in possession of ammunition.

Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger on Tuesday sentenced Michael Jermaine Hambrick, 38, of Chicago, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Iowa and district court records.

The case against Hambrick began in October 2020 after Davenport police investigated a report of burglary and domestic assault at a residence, according to the release. Officers previously served Hambrick with a no-contact order, intended to keep him away from someone who lived at the residence.

Authorities suspected Hambrick of stealing the protected persons firearm and magazines from the residence. He broke back in, struck the victim with the gun and fled, police said.

After the attack, the victim found one of her magazines on the floor and investigators found Hambricks fingerprints on it, the release states. Police also found Hambricks vehicle nearby, and it contained another magazine that belonged to the stolen firearm.

Hambrick is prohibited from having firearms because of a felony record, the release states.

A federal grand jury indicted him on the charge in 2021, according to court records. He accepted a plea agreement and pleaded guilty in 2022

Upon completion of his sentence, Hambrick must also serve three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.
After two resident deaths, a Mount Pleasant nursing home has been added to a federal list of the nations worst care facilities.

Arbor Court of Mount Pleasant is one of two Iowa nursing homes that on Wednesday were named Special-Focus Facilities by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. They join several other Iowa care facilities already deemed eligible for inclusion on CMS periodic list of nursing homes that have recurring quality-of-care problems.

Iowa has 10 nursing homes on the list, but only two of the 10 are officially designated special-focus facilities that are operating under additional scrutiny from regulators. The others are considered eligible for that added level of oversight due to similar quality-of-care issues, but theyre not actually enrolled in the program.

The two Iowa facilities now deemed special-focus facilities are:

Arbor Court of Mount Pleasant  This 62-bed, for-profit home is owned by Judah Bienstock and Arbor Court Investments. It has a one-star rating from CMS for both health-inspection results and quality-of-care measures. The federal government has fined the home seven times in the past three years. Since September 2021, those fines have totaled $272,024. The home has been considered eligible for special-focus status for 15 months.

Last December, the home was cited for a residents death after the woman was given an antibiotic and an anticoagulant medication that were contraindicated. The facilitys electronic system of checking residents health records issued a warning pertaining to the potentially dangerous interaction between the two drugs, noting they had the potential to increase the risk of internal bleeding.

According to state inspectors, the nursing staff didnt acknowledge the warning and didnt notify the womans physician. Days later, the woman was admitted to a hospital emergency room with a gastrointestinal bleed. She died while the hospital was attempting a blood transfusion.

In January 2022, the state cited Arbor Court after a resident of the home, Donna Lee Huffaker, fell to her death from a mechanical device that was being used to transfer her in and out of bed.

Aspire of Primghar  This 40-bed, for-profit home is owned by Bruce Wertham and Black Hawk Healthcare. It has a one-star rating from CMS for both health-inspection results and staffing levels. The federal government has fined the home nine times in the past three years, with the penalties totaling $265,168. The home has been considered eligible for special-focus status for 19 months.

Last year, the home was cited for 26 violations of federal nursing home regulations related to a wide variety of issues, including abuse and neglect, professional standards, overall quality of care, treatment of pressure sores, frequency of physician visits, the use of unnecessary psychotropic drugs, medication errors, laboratory services, sanitary food service, staff qualifications, infection control, staff immunizations, and nursing services.

According to state records, one resident of the home was injured when her wheelchair rolled off the ramp on a vehicle that had transported her to an appointment. The resident reportedly rolled backward, then fell three to four feet to the ground and struck a building with her head. She was rendered unconscious, and made three trips to a hospital emergency room for rib fractures, severe back pain, muscle spasms, and multiple bruises over her arms, hands, torso, legs and face.

More facilities eligible for special-focus status

The three other Iowa facilities that have just been added to the list of facilities considered eligible for special-focus status are:

Aspire of Gowrie  This 46-bed, for-profit home is also owned by Wertham and Black Hawk Healthcare. It has a one-star rating from CMS for both health-inspection results and staffing levels. The federal government has fined the home six times in the past three years. The most recent fine, imposed last October, was for $196,247.

Granger Nursing & Rehab Center  This 67-bed, for-profit home is owned by Holdco Goldfinch, a limited liability company. It has one-star rating from CMS for health-inspection results and a two-star rating for staffing levels and quality-of-care measures. In the past three years, the federal government has fined the home once  a $57,469 penalty imposed in 2021.

Iowa City Rehab & Health Care Center  This 89-bed, for-profit nursing home is owned by Arboreta Healthcare Inc., and Greenside Healthcare Properties. It has a one-star rating from CMS for both health-inspection results and staffing levels, and a two-star rating for quality-of-care measures. In the past three years, the federal government has fined the home once  a $5,000 penalty imposed in May 2022.

Other homes have long been eligible for special-focus status

The five other Iowa care facilities considered eligible for special-focus statis are: Cedar Falls Health Care Center, which has been on the eligibility lists for two months; Genesis Senior Living of Des Moines, which has spent 11 months on the list; Griswold Rehabilitation & Health Care Center, which has spent seven months on the list; New London Specialty Care, which has spent four months on the list; and Northern Mahaska Specialty Care of Oskaloosa, which has spent seven months on the list.

Three Iowa care facilities have dropped off the national list of special-focus facilities in recent months  but in each instance that was because the facilities either closed or changed ownership after bankruptcy.

The federal Special-Focus Facilities list is now updated monthly by the CMS and includes homes deemed by the agency to have a history of serious quality issues.

Nationally, there are 88 nursing facilities on the list, with one or two slots filled by each state. Those homes are enrolled in a special program intended to stimulate improvements in their quality of care through increased regulatory oversight.

Because the number of Special-Focus Facilities is capped, new facilities  even those that have earned CMS lowest ratings for quality  cant be named a special-focus facility until other homes in that same state shut down or improve and graduate from the program.

Thats a process that can take four years or more. As a result, there are several homes in each state that are deemed eligible for special-focus status due to ongoing quality-of-care issues, but they are unable to benefit from actual enrollment in the program.

Iowa typically has 10 facilities on the list that are considered eligible for enrollment in the program.

Typically, all of the homes that are deemed eligible for special-focus designation have about twice the average number of violations cited by state inspectors; they have more serious problems than most other nursing homes, including harm or injury to residents, and they have established a pattern of serious problems that has persisted over a long period of time.

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A Pennington County judge set a 49-year-old Black Hawk man's bail at $100,000 cash only at his initial appearance in court Thursday morning.

Matthew Ratliff was arrested Wednesday for allegedly possessing, manufacturing or distributing child pornography. The criminal complaint against Ratliff alleges the image in question depicted a minor performing oral sex.

The crime is a class 4 felony with a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to a $20,000 fine. Ratliff told Magistrate Judge Scott Bogue he understood the charges against him.

Deputy Pennington County State's Attorney Alexandra Weiss asked Bogue to set Ratliff's bond at $100,000 cash only with a stipulation he have no access to the internet if he bonds out.

Joseph Juenger with the Public Defender's Office asked the court to "set a reasonable bond."

Ratliff is scheduled to appear in court at 10:30 a.m. May 12 for a preliminary hearing.

At a preliminary hearing, the state must present evidence before a judge to prove that there is enough information to formally charge a defendant.

Preliminary hearings are cancelled in the event the case goes before a grand jury, which determines if there is enough evidence to indict a defendant.
In early April, Deputy Secretary of the Interior Tommy Beaudreau, Senior Advisor to the President and White House Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton announced a nearly $585 million investment from President Bidens Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for infrastructure repairs on water delivery systems throughout the West.

Funding will go to 83 projects in 11 states to improve water conveyance and storage, increase safety, improve hydro power generation and provide water treatment.

These projects have been identified through a rigorous process and are a testament to the Bureau of Reclamations commitment to deliver water to future generations, said Commissioner Touton. As we manage through changing climate, we must look to the safety of our projects to ensure that we can continue to provide clean, reliable water to communities, irrigators, and ecosystems across the West.

The projects selected for funding today are found in all the major river basins and regions where Reclamation operates. Among the 83 projects selected for funding are efforts to increase canal capacity, provide water treatment for Tribes, replace equipment for hydropower production and provide necessary maintenance to aging project buildings.

Projects will be funded in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota and Washington.

In South Dakota, the following projects received federal funding:

Mni Wiconi Project: Lower Brule Booster 1 and 2 Generators ($500,000): Installation of 2 Backup Power Generators at Lower Brule Rural Water System (LBRWS) facilities that require a backup power source to ensure continued delivery of drinking water to residents of the Lower Brule reservation and surrounding area during power outages.

Installation of 2 Backup Power Generators at Lower Brule Rural Water System (LBRWS) facilities that require a backup power source to ensure continued delivery of drinking water to residents of the Lower Brule reservation and surrounding area during power outages. Mni Wiconi Project: Oglala Sioux Tribe Oblaya Pipeline Replacement ($3.5 million): Construction of approximately 11 miles of PVC watermain and appurtenances that has experienced failures leading to the disruption of water service.

Construction of approximately 11 miles of PVC watermain and appurtenances that has experienced failures leading to the disruption of water service. Mni Wiconi Project: Oglala Sioux Tribe South Core Reservoir 4 ($8.67 million): The project constructs a one-million-gallon elevated water storage tower near Kadoka, South Dakota. The proposed tower will add system redundancy to ensure continued service to sponsors during the significant leak repairs the system has been experiencing.

The project constructs a one-million-gallon elevated water storage tower near Kadoka, South Dakota. The proposed tower will add system redundancy to ensure continued service to sponsors during the significant leak repairs the system has been experiencing. Mni Wiconi Project: Oglala Sioux Tribe Water Treatment Plant and Intake Generators ($2.8 million): Installation of two generators, transfer switches, and appropriate controls at the water treatment plant and intake pump station to provide backup power. The generators are sized to sustain operations at minimum service levels during a short-term power outage.

Installation of two generators, transfer switches, and appropriate controls at the water treatment plant and intake pump station to provide backup power. The generators are sized to sustain operations at minimum service levels during a short-term power outage. Mni Wiconi Project: Oglala Sioux Tribe Water River Bore Crossing Replacement ($5 million): The project replaces a river crossing underneath the White River south of Kadoka, South Dakota. The current crossing has experienced significant erosion, causing increased risk to distribution structures that are adjacent to the river. In addition, the pipeline is currently believed to be leaking under the river. The project will install a new river crossing bore and new structures located at distances away from the river.

The project replaces a river crossing underneath the White River south of Kadoka, South Dakota. The current crossing has experienced significant erosion, causing increased risk to distribution structures that are adjacent to the river. In addition, the pipeline is currently believed to be leaking under the river. The project will install a new river crossing bore and new structures located at distances away from the river. Mni Wiconi Project: Rosebud Sioux Tribe Big White River Booster Rebuild ($1.7 million): Replacement of the aging Big White River Booster Station, which is the main pump station that conveys clean drinking water to multiple towns and tribal communities. This station suffers from inadequate capacity, reduced useful life, significant deterioration, and is considered a confined space.
The Montana Department of Transportation is preparing for a busy season of road construction and maintenance projects this spring in the Bitterroot Valley.

MDT is starting work on a resurfacing project just south of Victor. The project begins half a mile north of Bear Creek Road and extends 2.3 miles north. Traffic on Highway 93 is coned off to one lane each direction within the construction zone. The work includes crack sealing, a seal and cover, new pavement markings and signage as well as fog sealing of the adjacent path.

Officials ask that drivers slow down when approaching work zones and be careful as you pass through for the safety of construction workers. Follow posted speed limits and do not resume normal speed until you see roadway signs indicating its safe to do so.

Crumbling guardrails on the U.S. Highway 93 bridge crossing the Bitterroot River at Anglers Roost south of Hamilton may give drivers pause when crossing, but a 2022 inspection indicates the bridge is structurally sound and safe.

MDT engineer Ryan Dahlke said that while the existing guardrail is clearly showing signs of its age, the concrete bridge rail adequately serves its intended purpose. If that changes, MDT will look at repair options.

Like all transportation infrastructure, nothing lasts forever, he said. Eventually, this bridge will need to be replaced. This bridge, along with over 2,000 other bridges in the state, are continually evaluated for strategic replacement. Infrastructure needs across the state far outpace the funding available, so MDT continually evaluates and prioritizes all needs to select the most critical needs first. This bridge is not currently scheduled for replacement; however, as needs accelerate or change, MDT is agile in adjusting projects as needed.

Last year, work was completed that repaired some erosion and protects the foundation of the bridge from future erosion. That work fortified the piers and provides the protection necessary to ensure the long-term safety of the bridge piers, and subsequently the overall structure.

The bridge is scheduled to receive repair work on the driving deck surface which includes patching areas where the concrete has broken apart, sealing the deck to keep out moisture and de-icing chemicals, as well as some other minor repairs. The project is currently on track to be awarded to a contractor this fall with the hopes of work starting in the spring on 2024.

October to December is about that timeframe that we're looking at for it to be awarded to a contractor, Dahlke said. Which means, barring some kind of really warm weather it would be in the neighborhood of next spring is when they would get started.

For more information on road construction in the Bitterroot Valley or the state of Montana go to MDT Active Projects at https://bit.ly/3NitU1E.
Last years huge, war-fueled rise in oil prices boosted Richmond-based ARKOs revenue from gas and diesel sales at its convenience stores, fleet-supply and wholesale businesses, but the gap between what it charged and what it spent to acquire its products narrowed, the company reported in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Those price and cost increases along with the additions that came from its continuing efforts to buy more regional convenience store chains boosted its fuel revenue by 29.5% from the year before to $7.4 billion, while its margin on those sales slipped to 7.4% from 7.7%, a Richmond Times-Dispatch analysis of data in the filing showed.

Although ARKO, the nations sixth-largest operator of convenience stores, said it is facing increased competition from dollar stores and drugstores for the snacks and drinks it sells inside its outlets, its merchandise revenue rose 2% to $1.65 billion. Its margin on those sales increased by 1.1 percentage point.

Fuel, food and drink sales powered a 21% increase in its profit, which rose to $71.7 million.

ARKO, whose brands include the Richmond regions Fas Mart, operates or leases more than 1,400 convenience stores and supplies fuel to more than 1,670 independent dealers, while operating more than 180 fleet fueling locations, in a business that stretches across 34 states and Washington, D.C.

The company moved into Alabama and Mississippi when it acquired Transit Energys 135 convenience stores and fuel supply business last month. Last year, it came to Massachusetts through the acquisition of the 31-store Pride chain in that state and Connecticut, which it closed on in December.

Its continued acquisition push also won it assets from Quarles Petroleums fleet-fueling and deal business in July, a deal that added $317 million in revenue to ARKOs top line.

Acquisitions remain a key company strategy, chairman and CEO Arie Kotler said in a letter accompanying the filing.

He wrote that the company has moved to boost customers activity at its stores by adding bean-to-cup coffee machines at 548 of its stores, while expanding its fas REWARDS to about 1.3 million customers, an effort to encourage its best customers to stop by more often and spend a bit more at its outlets.

The company also expanded its food offerings, a move also aimed at getting customers to come more often and spend more.

Close 02-05-1968: Central National Bank 05-01-1977 (cutline): Arch at end of banking hall. 06-30-1977: Central National Bank ceiling detail. 10-09-1991 (cutline): Central Fidelity Bank's tower tapers as it rises. Shields Building is in the foreground. 11-27-1976 (cutline): "Supermodern" is what an officer calls the main office banking lobby in the Broad and Grace Streets Arcade of Central National Bank. The area consists of about 14,000 square feet and will open on Monday, December 6. The lobby is party of a $4 million renovation of the arcade and portions of the banks main building at Third and Broad Streets. The renovation includes a small park in a corner of the bank property. Renovations for the entire project are about half completed, a bank spokesman said yesterday. Overall designers are Hankins and Anderson of Richmond. 02-01-1978 (cutline): Workmen have begun dismantling Central National Bank's weather sign atop its office and Central National Corp. headquarters at Third and Broad streets. A replacement sign with blue C-N-B letters on a white background is to be installed within the next two weeks, a bank spokesman said. He declined to discuss other details, saying that the bank is planning a ceremony when the installation is completed. 06-30-1977: Central National Bank 02-12-1981 (cutline): Central Fidelity Bank lobby's Art Deco magnificence sets scene for post-concert party. From the Archives: The Central National Bank building The Central National Bank was a 23-story Art Deco building in downtown Richmond at 219 E. Broad Street. The building was designed by well known architect John Eberson in the 1920s. Once called the Central Fidelity Bank, (CFB) it was once Richmonds tallest skyscraper. Interested in a copy of one of these images? Click here. 02-05-1968: Central National Bank 05-01-1977 (cutline): Arch at end of banking hall. 06-30-1977: Central National Bank ceiling detail. 10-09-1991 (cutline): Central Fidelity Bank's tower tapers as it rises. Shields Building is in the foreground. 11-27-1976 (cutline): "Supermodern" is what an officer calls the main office banking lobby in the Broad and Grace Streets Arcade of Central National Bank. The area consists of about 14,000 square feet and will open on Monday, December 6. The lobby is party of a $4 million renovation of the arcade and portions of the banks main building at Third and Broad Streets. The renovation includes a small park in a corner of the bank property. Renovations for the entire project are about half completed, a bank spokesman said yesterday. Overall designers are Hankins and Anderson of Richmond. 02-01-1978 (cutline): Workmen have begun dismantling Central National Bank's weather sign atop its office and Central National Corp. headquarters at Third and Broad streets. A replacement sign with blue C-N-B letters on a white background is to be installed within the next two weeks, a bank spokesman said. He declined to discuss other details, saying that the bank is planning a ceremony when the installation is completed. 06-30-1977: Central National Bank 02-12-1981 (cutline): Central Fidelity Bank lobby's Art Deco magnificence sets scene for post-concert party.
(Photo : Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay)



Nursing is a profession that demands a high level of knowledge and skills to provide quality patient care. However, the healthcare landscape constantly evolves with technological advancements, changes in healthcare policies, and emerging healthcare issues. As a result, nurses need to engage in continuous learning and professional development to stay updated with the latest products and deliver the best care possible to their patients.

There has been a noticeable shift in how nurses pursue further education and career advancement in recent years. Online degree programs have gained popularity among nurses as a convenient and flexible way to meet their educational goals. But what exactly are the reasons driving this trend? Let's delve deeper into some critical factors motivating nurses to choose online degrees.

1. Flexibility:

Flexibility is one of the primary reasons why nurses are increasingly opting for online degrees. Many nurses work long and irregular hours, including weekends, holidays, and rotating shifts. That can make it challenging for them to attend traditional on-campus classes that follow a fixed schedule. However, online degree programs offer the flexibility that allows nurses to study at their own pace, on their own time, and from anywhere with an internet connection.

Nurses who are pursuing a master of science in nursing online can enjoy the flexibility of creating a study schedule that fits around their work shifts. Online learning allows them to balance their professional responsibilities and their educational pursuits. They can take control of their learning journey and customize it to their unique needs and schedules. With the convenience of logging in to their online courses at their convenience, nurses can access course materials, participate in discussions, submit assignments, and interact with faculty and peers, all from the comfort of their own homes or workplaces.

The flexibility of online degree programs also considers the personal commitments that nurses may have, such as family responsibilities or other obligations. This flexibility empowers nurses to better manage their work-life balance by choosing when and where they want to study. They can prioritize spending quality time with their families, pursuing hobbies, or engaging in other activities that are important to them without sacrificing their educational pursuits. This flexibility is particularly advantageous for nurses, who may have to juggle multiple roles and responsibilities, enabling them to pursue higher education without disrupting their personal and professional commitments.

2. Convenience:

Convenience is another significant factor that drives nurses towards online degrees. Many nurses already working may need help to commute to a physical campus, mainly if they live in rural or remote areas. Online degree programs eliminate the need for commuting, saving time and energy. Nurses can log in to their online courses and access course materials, participate in discussions, submit assignments, and interact with faculty and peers from their homes or workplaces.

The convenience of online degrees is especially beneficial for nurses with busy schedules or other responsibilities that limit their availability for traditional on-campus classes. Nurses often work long shifts, including weekends and holidays, and may have rotating schedules that make it challenging to attend regular classes. Online degree programs offer the flexibility to study at their own pace and on their own time, allowing nurses to fit their education around their work schedule. This flexibility will enable nurses to continue working while pursuing higher education without sacrificing their job or compromising their other responsibilities.

3. Access to resources:

Access to resources is another significant advantage of online degree programs for nurses. These programs often provide nurses access to a wide range of resources to enhance their learning experience. Many online programs offer virtual classrooms, discussion boards, and other online tools that facilitate collaboration and engagement with fellow students and faculty. That allows nurses to connect with other professionals in their field, exchange ideas, and learn from each other's experiences, even if they are located in different geographic areas.

Furthermore, online students often have access to online libraries, databases, and other digital resources that can support their research and coursework. These resources may include scholarly articles, textbooks, case studies, clinical guidelines, and multimedia materials. This wealth of online resources can particularly benefit nurses seeking specialized knowledge or pursuing advanced degrees in specific nursing specialties. It enables them to access the latest research, evidence-based practice guidelines, and other relevant information that can enhance their understanding of complex nursing concepts and practices.

Access to resources in online degree programs also promotes independent learning and self-directed study skills among nurses. They can explore the resources at their own pace, delve into topics of interest, and conduct research to deepen their understanding of nursing theories, concepts, and evidence-based practices. That fosters critical thinking and enhances their ability to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world nursing situations, improving their clinical practice.

4. Career advancement:

Career advancement is a crucial factor driving nurses to pursue online degrees. With the increasing demand for higher levels of education in the nursing profession, many healthcare employers now require or prefer nurses to have a bachelor's or master's degree. Online degree programs offer nurses the opportunity to further their education and meet these requirements without having to leave their jobs or disrupt their professional commitments.

Obtaining an advanced degree through an online program can open up new career opportunities for nurses. Nurses with higher levels of education perceive leadership roles, such as nurse managers, nurse administrators, or nurse educators. These positions may involve overseeing departments, managing teams, developing policies, and implementing evidence-based practices. Nurses with advanced degrees can also pursue research positions, where they can contribute to advancing nursing knowledge and practice by conducting research studies, publishing research findings, and participating in interdisciplinary research collaborations.

Furthermore, nurses with advanced degrees may also be eligible for teaching positions in nursing schools or other educational settings.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, online degrees have become increasingly popular among nurses due to their flexibility, convenience, access to resources, and opportunities for career advancement. Nurses seeking to further their education can benefit from the comfort and flexibility of online degree programs while gaining access to resources and opportunities for career advancement that can contribute to their professional growth and success in the nursing field.

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
John Hinckley Jr., who shot President Ronald Reagan in 1981, announced on social media Thursday that he would be playing a music show at Banditos Burrito Lounge in Richmond in September.

Big news! I will be doing a show at Banditos Burrito Lounge in Richmond, Va. in September! Looking forward to it!  John Hinckley (@JohnHinckley20) April 27, 2023

However, according to Banditos owner, Ken Strain, Hinckley will not be performing at Banditos. Strain said Banditos recently switched promoters and the booking may have been made in error.

I remember being asked about it months ago, but I said, No, Im not interested in having that gentleman here, Strain said. Im not interested in all that publicity.

In 1981, Hinckley shot and wounded Reagan, as well as hitting Secret Service agent Timothy J. McCarthy, police officer Thomas K. Delahanty and White House press secretary James S. Brady, who was paralyzed as a result of the shooting and died in 2014. Hinckley claimed he committed the shooting in order to impress actress Jodie Foster.

Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and spent the next 30 years in a psychiatric facility.

In 2016, Hinckley was released from a Washington mental hospital and settled in Williamsburg. In 2022, Hinckley, now 67, was freed from all court oversight.

After 41 years 2 months and 15 days, FREEDOM AT LAST!!!, he wrote on Twitter.

Hinckley plays guitar, sings and has shared his music on his YouTube channel. In 2022, he began to plan a John Hinckley Redemption Tour, with concerts scheduled in Chicago, Connecticut and New York City, which were subsequently canceled.

In August, a performance by Hinckley at the Williamsburg Regional Library theater also was canceled.

Banditos Burrito Lounge canceled.  John Hinckley (@JohnHinckley20) April 27, 2023

In a statement, the library said that based on the tenor of the communications the library received, it became evident that this event would be disruptive to library operations, the Daily Press reported.

On April 22, Hinckley tweeted, Im still having difficulty finding a music venue that will book me. If anyone knows of a brave venue, let me know.

On Thursday, a few hours after he posted about his Richmond show, he posted an update: Banditos Burrito Lounge canceled.

From the archives: Cloverleaf Mall, 1972-2011 Cloverleaf Mall: Before the opening Cloverleaf Mall: Opening day, 1972 Cloverleaf Mall: Busy first week Cloverleaf Mall: Upscale Sears Cloverleaf Mall: Twin cinema Cloverleaf Mall: Piccadilly Cafeteria Cloverleaf Mall in 1975 Cloverleaf Mall Community Room Cloverleaf Mall: Christmas Tubas, 1985 Cloverleaf Mall: 1987 renovation Cloverleaf Mall: Christmas Eve, 1990 Cloverleaf Mall: 1995 fire Cloverleaf Mall: Frederick's of Hollywood Cloverleaf Mall: Christmas, 1997 Cloverleaf Mall: 1998 renovation Cloverleaf Mall: New police station, 1999 Cloverleaf Mall: Regal cinemas close, 2001 Cloverleaf Mall: Sears closes, 2003 Cloverleaf Mall: Empty food court, 2005 County buys Cloverleaf Mall, 2007 Cloverleaf Mall sold to county, 2007 Cloverleaf Mall: One last shop Cloverleaf Mall: Closing in 2008 Cloverleaf Mall: Fenced off in 2010 Cloverleaf Mall: The walls come down, 2011 Goodbye Cloverleaf, 2011 Kroger rises from rubble of Cloverleaf, 2012
Something in the Water returned to Virginia for the first time in three years over the weekend.

The three-day festival kicked off Friday in Virginia Beach after a high wind and rain delay. Gates opened at 5 p.m. and performers including Babyface Ray, Maren Morris, Third Eye Blind, Arcade Fire, and Skrillex, among others, took to the two beachfront stages. The evening closed with headlining sets from Mumford & Sons and Kid Cudi.

On Saturday, the weather was sunny and filled with performances from Wet Leg, The Kid Laroi, Jonas Brothers, Machine Gun Kelly and Lil Wayne, to name a few. The night wrapped with a star-studded set led by Pharrell featuring A$AP Rocky, Busta Rhymes, Spliff Star, De La Soul, M.I.A, and surprise guests Puff, Chris Brown, Lola Brooke and Latto.

Pharrell told the crowd, It feels so good to be home, Virginia! The set list included Drop It Like Its Hot, Frontin, Pass The Courvoisier, All About The Benjamins, Paper Planes, Loyal, Happy, Cash In Cash Out, and many more.

But Sunday was canceled due to the threat of severe weather with tornadoes and lightning in the area. A tornado touched down in Virginia Beach on Sunday night, damaging dozens of homes.

The festival posted that it would be refunding 33% of the base price from admission passes.

Pharrell Williams, Virginia Beach native and the festival's founder posted to social media: "Dearest Virginia, We are the best. These past few days @sitw #sitwfest have been the best.

"Even during this Tornado Watch and Lightning Storm right now as I type, we are the best. Thank you for giving the folks that travel here that energy and that LOVE that only we can give...The spirit here was felt everywhere! Next year we will shift the dates because this rain aint playing, but we will be!"

PHOTOS: Something in the Water 2023
A new Crisis Receiving Center in Henrico County will become the first of its type in central Virginia, providing mental health treatment for 7- to 17-year-olds.

St. Josephs Villa and Henrico broke ground on the $1 million project Thursday. The CRC, which is funded by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, will become an alternative to emergency rooms, giving children and teens quicker access to mental health care.

We have so few facilities (in Virginia) that specially target young people in mental health crises, said John Littel, secretary of health and human resources for the commonwealth. We dont want to send people to hospitals that really cant care for them; at centers like these, they can get very focused care, and they can be back in their home in a couple of days.

From 2016 to 2021, the number of Virginians 9- to 18-year-olds who visited emergency rooms for suicide attempts, self-harm and suicidal thoughts doubled, according to the Virginia Department of Health. Mental Health America ranked Virginia 48th in youth mental health for 2023, a steep drop from its 21st position the previous year.

We have to change (that ranking), and we want to be a part of it, said St. Josephs CEO Kathleen Burke-Barrett, who is retiring in June.

Burke-Barrett said the CRC can help prevent situations where children wait in hospitals for hours to receive care. It also stands as an alternative to detention centers, where youth could face further distress and be tagged with stigmatizing labels.

For the children to be able to come here to a crisis stabilization unit and be received here, its a home, and the families are part of it, Burke-Barrett said. Its not so traumatic for the kids, and they have a chance to turn their lives around.

St Josephs is partnering with Henrico Area Mental Health & Developmental Services for this project. CRC staff will include licensed mental health professionals, case managers, registered nurses, direct support professionals, family support partners and telehealth psychiatric services.

The center will be open 24/7 for walk-in and call service. Admitted youth will receive complete assessments and crisis interventions from professionals, and will be referred to community providers for additional support within 23 hours.

We want to keep our children and our youth in the community so their families can have access to them, said Nelson Smith, commissioner of the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. Thats a critical piece to their well-being.

The program will serve up to six youth when the CRC first opens, and will eventually expand capacity to serve nine youth.

The CRC will serve Region 4 of central Virginia, which covers Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Greensville, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, Powhatan, Prince George, Surrey and Sussex counties, as well as the cities of Emporia, Hopewell, Petersburg and Richmond.

Richmond-based Daniel & Company Inc. is the CRCs contractor. The company previously renovated the Sarah Dooley Center for Autism at St. Josephs, which was completed in 2021. The CRC project includes renovating an existing 1,780-square-foot building on the St. Josephs campus.

Completion of the building is scheduled for 2024.

I especially want to thank and acknowledge the families of this community, who placed their trust in us and allowed us to be a partner in their childrens journey of well-being and a bright future, said St. Josephs CEO-elect Jenny Friar. We see you doing the hardest work of all.

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A North Chesterfield man in custody following a shootout in Northern Virginia faces additional charges.

Police have said that on April 5, Tatiana N. David, 34, was abducted from her home in Ithaca, New York, and forced into a white sport-utility vehicle driven by Davis. New York state police said David and Davis had been in a relationship and share a child.

A Virginia trooper later spotted a Jeep Cherokee traveling south on I-95 in Fairfax County, authorities said. As the trooper walked back to the SUV, the driver sped off, and police pursued.

The Cherokee ran off the road about 20 miles south of where police initially made contact, as state police say they positioned vehicles around the Jeep to force it to stop.

State Police said Davis began firing shots as troopers approached the Jeep. Troopers returned fire. Police say David died at the scene.

Davis was treated at Inova Fairfax Hospital and taken to Prince William County Adult Detention Center.

The new charges are in addition to the felony count of abduction served on Davis earlier this month. Davis is being held without bond.

The body of David was transported to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Manassas for examination and autopsy.

Two firearms were recovered at the scene, police said.
Fort Gregg-Adams new name honors not its past, but its future.

The logistics and training base in Prince George County has officially been renamed in honor for two Black officers  Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams. Their names now adorn the military base formerly named for Gen. Robert E. Lee, the general who led the Confederate Army against the Union in the Civil War.

Both Gregg and Adams were trailblazers for equality in the U.S. Army, being the first to hold high-ranking positions. Officials said the hope is that the renaming of the base for two Black leaders will inspire future generations of fighting men and women.

Its been 81 years since Charity Adams was commissioned as the first Black woman in the Womens Auxiliary Army Corps and 76 years since General Gregg enlisted as an army private. Weve come a long way since then; todays redesignation is yet another example of our nations Armys progress, said Maj. Gen. Mark Simerly, the commanding officer of the troops stationed at what is now Fort Gregg-Adams.

Greggs inclusion in the name marks the first time that any military base has honored a living person. He was in attendance at the ceremony Thursday while the forts new sign was unveiled.

The retired major general said it was an honor to have the base, where he spent a majority of his professional career, named for him. Im extremely proud and grateful to the nation for this to occur, and Im also aware that since Im a living person that it imposes on me added responsibility to represent this post and the worthiness of my name along with Col. Adams being here.

I certainly hope and I believe that this will not be limited to African Americans but will be inspiring to all soldiers entering this base, Gregg said.

Adams son and daughter attended the dedication ceremony on behalf of their mother, who died in 2002. Her daughter, Judith Early, said she was still in awe over the renaming of the facility and the gravity of her mother being among the first Black names to adorn a base.

The scope of the symbolism had not set in, she said.

This base renaming really does show that it is possible that the country can be more open to a picture that includes all of our citizens, said her son, Stanley Early.

The fort has been a key training facility for over a century. Established as Camp Lee in 1917, it became a permanent fixture and home to the Quartermaster Corps during World War II. Today, the installation is the home of the Army Sustainment Center of Excellence and trains about one-third of the U.S. Army every year.

A commission created by Congress in 2021 recommended new titles for nine U.S. Army bases  including three in Virginia  chosen to honor the two leaders. The eight-person commission had received 34,000 submissions for a new name.

Fort Barfoot near Blackstone  formerly called Fort Pickett after Confederate Gen. George Pickett  was just renamed last month to honor Tech. Sgt. Van T. Barfoot, a Medal of Honor recipient. Fort A.P. Hill in Bowling Green is set to be renamed after Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the first woman surgeon in the Civil War and the only woman awarded the Medal of Honor.

The push for the Gregg-Adams name was largely spearheaded by the late Congressman Donald McEachin, who presides over the district including the area where the base is located. McEachin first met the general in Newport News as a teenager. McEachins father, Ivan, better known as Sandy, and Gregg became lifelong friends.

McEachin told the Richmond Times-Dispatch in May 2022 that Gregg was exceedingly well qualified and said it was a great day in Virginia when Greggs name had been chosen alongside Adams. The former congressman died in November at age 61 after battling cancer.

Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, D-4th, paid homage to her predecessor, saying that his tireless work helped push on the renaming.

As our Commonwealth and our country continue working to dismantle long-standing systems of oppression and address institutional racism, this is another encouraging step in those efforts, McLellan said in a statement. Our nations military installations, facilities, and other properties should reflect the values our nation continuously strives to achieve  freedom, liberty, and justice  and their names should honor those who fought for those fundamental rights for every American.

Arthur Gregg was born in the Jim Crow South and enlisted into a segregated Army in 1945, anchoring his career in supply and logistics during the post-World War II era, establishing himself as an outstanding logistician. He later went to then-Fort Lee as an instructor in the Quartermasters Leadership School.

During his career, he commanded the 96th Quartermaster Direct Support Battalion in Vietnam, one of the largest battalions in the war. He was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation as a result.

In 1979, Gen. Gregg became the Armys first Black officer to serve as a Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics and was the highest-ranking Black Army officer upon his retirement in 1981. His retirement ceremony was held inside of a club at Fort Gregg-Adams that also bears his name, and was a segregated space when he first became an officer there in 1950 and was barred from entering.

We recognize (Gregg) and (Adams) for their courage, their dignity and their hope. Despite growing up in a segregated nation, these two pioneers volunteer to serve that nation in uniform, Simerly said. Their service ... demonstrates that courage is not confined or defined by a single race or gender.

Like Gregg, Adams grew up in the Jim Crow South. In July 1942, she and 439 other women arrived at Fort Des Moines, Iowa, to attend the Womens Army Auxiliary Corps, the very first officer candidates. Much of the actual training was integrated, but she and her Black classmates were segregated into a separate platoon.

Upon graduation, Adams was the first Black female officer to be commissioned in the U.S. Army. She commanded Company Eight that received, equipped, fed and housed hundreds of Black women trainees.

In 1943, the Army promoted Adams to major in the newly redesignated Womens Army Corps and, in 1944, she was selected to lead the first  and only  multiracial battalion of African American and Hispanic women, known as the Six Triple Eight, to serve overseas in the war. She ended her career having been promoted to lieutenant colonel, making her the highest-ranking Black woman at the time.

The inspirational quality of the two leaders that we now honor should echo in the hearts of every soldier and every American, Simerly said.

Close PHOTOS: World War I-era images from Fort Lee
The Richmond-based United Network for Organ Sharing has named Maureen McBride its CEO. McBride has held the position on an interim basis since October.

She will guide the nonprofit and its 450 employees during a period of transformation. Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services announced its intention to break up the federal contract for managing organ transplantation across the country. UNOS has been the sole holder of the contract since its creation in 1984. The current deal expires this year.

As we move forward in our mission to save more lives, I look forward to leading UNOS during a time of immense change, McBride said.

When she became interim CEO, McBride promised improvement. UNOS has been criticized for shortfalls in its technology, its ability to deliver kidneys on time and its ability to oversee the organ procurement organizations in the network.

The nonutilization rate of kidneys increased in 2022, said Ginny McBride, head of a Florida organ procurement organization; 26% of kidneys removed from a dying patient were never successfully transplanted to a needy one, an increase from 22% in 2021.

One doctor told Congress she received a kidney with tire marks on the box. Another sat overnight in an airport hangar. Another was the victim of a botched biopsy.

But UNOS is best situated to take one or more of the contracts, said Maureen McBride, noting the organizations expertise.

McBride has a clear-eyed vision of transformational change at UNOS, said Dr. Jerry McCauley, president of the UNOS board.

This month, UNOS released a list of improvement areas it intends to focus on, including IT infrastructure, transportation of organs, oversight of the procurement organizations and hospitals in the network, and transparency of the systems performance.

McBride replaces Brian Shepard, who earned more than $700,000 in 2020 and resigned in September.

She becomes UNOS first female leader. She has worked for UNOS since 1995 and was previously director of research and chief operations officer. She received her doctorate in biostatistics from Virginia Commonwealth University.

What it takes to be middle class in America's largest cities What it takes to be middle class in America's largest cities Cities with the highest middle-class ceilings What it takes to be middle class in the 50 states Data and methodology
In a letter to state regulators, state Sen. Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond, said he was dismayed and upset by chemical releases at a Hopewell plant that were reported in a Richmond Times-Dispatch story earlier this month.

The April 9 story documented violation reports collected by both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The reports identify releases by a chemical plant run by a company called AdvanSix; the releases included large volumes of harmful chemicals that went beyond the companys permit limitations.

The tonnage of sulfuric acid, phenol, and benzene that was released into the air and water is indefensible, Morrissey wrote.

Morrissey represents the city of Hopewell in the Virginia state Senate. Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Chesterfield, represents the city in the House of Delegates. Their letter was addressed to Mike Rolband, director of the DEQ.

With regard to the recent defalcations (cases of handling of money) by AdvanSix, neither Delegate Coyner nor myself were aware of these violations. Indeed we were never notified in our capacities as the sitting Senator and Delegate as to the toxic chemicals being released into the air and water, Morrissey said.

Morrissey also cited concern with the life expectancy in Hopewell, which is five years shorter than the state average. He said he did not blame AdvanSix entirely, but that the chemicals being released were certainly contributing factors.

In a footnote, Morrissey said he and his children regularly ski and swim in the Appomattox and James River and I had no idea that these pollutants were being discharged directly into the river.

The Times-Dispatchs reporting identified numerous stormwater runoffs, which contain nitrogen, a chemical that causes chemical dead zones that kill fish. The Times-Dispatch did not report that the company was releasing benzene, a known carcinogen, directly into the river.

The violation reports show documented releases of excess benzene occurred as recently as 2021, when a pressure relief valve malfunctioned.

From 2016 to 2019, the records show ambient air chemical releases that included benzene exceeded legal requirements each year. In 2018, the company released an average 38.55 pounds per hour, more than three times their limitation of 8.6 pounds per hour, according to DEQ documents.

AdvanSix has previously said The Times-Dispatch reporting is misleading, but has not identified any factual errors in its story. Janeen Lawlor, a company spokesperson, has said the violations were self-reported, that many have been corrected and that it is not aware of any significant impact to the environment or risk to human health as a result of the operation of our plant.

Morrissey offered assistance to Rolband and promised his support in backing any legislation in the 2024 General Assembly session.

The violation reports are publicly available online at Richmond.com.

The letter was also sent to The Times-Dispatch and is dated April 11, 2023.

Morrisseys letter comes in the wake of a letter to the company from U.S. Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, who took office earlier this year in a special election to replace former U.S. Rep. Donald McEachin, D-Richmond.

In her letter, McClellan asked AdvanSix to show how it will change its operations to avoid future clean air and clean water violations and how the company will work with the Environmental Protection Agency and the DEQ to comply with federal and state regulations.

Concetta Manker, Hopewells interim city manager, announced earlier this month that the city plans to work with the EPA and the DEQ to investigate the violations and to help AdvanSix become compliant.

From the archives: Cloverleaf Mall, 1972-2011 Cloverleaf Mall: Before the opening Cloverleaf Mall: Opening day, 1972 Cloverleaf Mall: Busy first week Cloverleaf Mall: Upscale Sears Cloverleaf Mall: Twin cinema Cloverleaf Mall: Piccadilly Cafeteria Cloverleaf Mall in 1975 Cloverleaf Mall Community Room Cloverleaf Mall: Christmas Tubas, 1985 Cloverleaf Mall: 1987 renovation Cloverleaf Mall: Christmas Eve, 1990 Cloverleaf Mall: 1995 fire Cloverleaf Mall: Frederick's of Hollywood Cloverleaf Mall: Christmas, 1997 Cloverleaf Mall: 1998 renovation Cloverleaf Mall: New police station, 1999 Cloverleaf Mall: Regal cinemas close, 2001 Cloverleaf Mall: Sears closes, 2003 Cloverleaf Mall: Empty food court, 2005 County buys Cloverleaf Mall, 2007 Cloverleaf Mall sold to county, 2007 Cloverleaf Mall: One last shop Cloverleaf Mall: Closing in 2008 Cloverleaf Mall: Fenced off in 2010 Cloverleaf Mall: The walls come down, 2011 Goodbye Cloverleaf, 2011 Kroger rises from rubble of Cloverleaf, 2012
Downtown Richmond is coming back to life after the COVID-19 pandemic that emptied it three years ago.

Most state government workers spend at least part of their week in their offices under a telework policy that Gov. Glenn Youngkin imposed last summer. More people live downtown, and commercial office vacancy rates are relatively low. The Virginia Commonwealth University Health System  the city's largest employer  never closed.

Lunch lines are forming again at food carts on weekdays in the central business district, although an open restaurant can be hard to find on Mondays and commuter traffic from the suburbs continues to lag behind where it was before the pandemic.

But while Richmond's downtown appears to be recovering faster than those of Washington D.C. and Baltimore, the challenges to renewed economic growth lie closer to home, with rising rents and real estate prices making life less affordable for the workers who make the city and its businesses go.

"What are we going to do to make sure a school teacher and a firefighter can live not 30 miles from where they work?" asked Brian Anderson, president and CEO of ChamberRVA, the city's largest business organization.

Focus on affordable housing

Affordable housing emerged as a top priority for restoring the "vibrancy" of downtown Richmond  as well as promoting economic growth that benefits workers at all income levels  during an unusual dinner meeting that the Greater Washington Partnership hosted on April 6 for 30 political, business and civic leaders in the southern end of a "super-region" that extends through Washington to Baltimore.

The partnership, created in 2015 by corporate business leaders from all three cities, was looking for ideas on how to help its cities recover from the pandemic, which upended local labor markets, crippled small businesses, emptied government and commercial office buildings, snarled supply lines and raised prices for everyone.

"Downtown vibrancy is really going to be critical to the economic vitality of the bigger region," said Kathy Hollinger, who became CEO of the partnership last summer after helping to lead restaurants in the Washington region through a public health emergency that hit the hospitality industry hardest.

The partnership, founded by executives including the late Dominion Energy CEO Tom Farrell, focuses on big challenges facing the Greater Washington region, such as transportation, education and workforce, and "inclusive growth" that benefits all income levels, races and ethnic groups.

Affordable housing has not been a prominent part of the partnership's portfolio, but it is central to the issues facing downtown Richmond, acknowledged Mayor Levar Stoney, who has declared an affordable housing crisis in a city that he said otherwise is "resurging."

"This administration is focused on ... an abundance of housing opportunities that are attuned to working-class people," Stoney said in an interview. "And right now, we are struggling with that."

The partnership had already hosted a similar dinner last month in Washington with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and local leaders. It plans another this week in Baltimore.

Richmond does not face the same challenge as Washington, where getting federal employees back into their offices has been harder than with state workers in Richmond. Baltimore lies somewhere between, but other obstacles to economic renewal are universal.

"To address housing and create jobs  that was a lot of the conversation in Richmond," Hollinger said in an interview about the dinner, which was held at Lemaire restaurant in The Jefferson Hotel.

Stoney wants affordable housing to be part of all of the major economic development projects that Richmond is undertaking, especially along the Pulse bus rapid transit that the city and partnership hope to expand with a north-south line to help link workers and jobs downtown. The link between affordable housing and transit is one that the partnership has encouraged to support workers.

"They need a home they can afford to live in and an affordable way to get to work," Hollinger said.

The partnership's board of directors includes the CEOs of Dominion and Capital One, the largest private employer in the Richmond region, as well as Tom Barkin, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

The board also includes Greta Harris, president and CEO of the Better Housing Coalition, which has helped to provide affordable housing for 20,000 people in the Richmond area since its creation 35 years ago. Harris called the dinner "a good first step in trust building."

Trust is important for Harris, who said "equitable growth is the key" so that expansion of market-based housing does not overlook those who cannot afford it or push longtime residents out of their neighborhood with rising home values and real estate taxes.

"We need policy to put some guardrails on the market and get the market to be just," she said, adding that race is an issue that also must be confronted because of the long history of discrimination in housing and zoning laws in Richmond.

Remote work has allowed more people who work in the Washington area to move to Richmond, which has caused housing prices to rise, but a larger concern for some leaders is the loss of existing housing stock to outside investors who then raise rents.

"I don't want to put it on 'damn Yankees' coming south," said Richmond City Council President Michael Jones, who said "investors from out of state" represent a stronger influence on rising housing costs.

Cost of living lower in region

Housing costs in Richmond  and the cost of living generally  are still lower than in many of the metropolitan areas that are competing with the region for new and expanding businesses, said Jennifer Wakefield, president and CEO of the Greater Richmond Partnership, the economic development coalition for the region.

"Compared with those we are competing against, we are still an affordable market," said Wakefield, who also attended the dinner.

As evidence, she cites the example of CoStar Group, a commercial real estate data company that settled in Richmond in 2016 and began a $460 million expansion last fall that will boost the size of its downtown campus to 1 million square feet and bring 2,000 jobs.

"They analyze real estate for a living and they just put a half-billion-dollar bet on Richmond and return to office," Wakefield said.

Affordable housing is not the only challenge that the pandemic magnified in downtown Richmond. The public health crisis also disproportionately affected women, many of whom left the workforce because of the cost and availability of child care. "We've got a child care problem," Anderson said at ChamberRVA.

Other priorities include public education  from early childhood through two- and four-year college degrees  workforce development and training, and public safety. But affordable housing tops the list. Hollinger promised the partnership would provide "significant support for pro-growth housing policies and programs."

If nothing else, Stoney said the dinner discussion signaled a healthy dialogue between corporate leaders and the people working in the trenches to address needs in the city. Those needs include neighborhoods far from downtown, such as those that Jones, the council president, represents in South Side.

"It is the business community asking us, 'What do you need help on?'" the mayor said, "not the business community telling us, 'This is what you need to do.' "

From the Archives: A look back at coffee in Richmond Coffee Coffee Coffee Coffee Coffee Coffee Coffee
Nancy Russell is a reminder of what western Henrico County  the prosperous, leafy quilt of subdivisions, shopping centers and office parks abutting urban Richmond  is becoming: a national suburb.

Now retired from the financial services industry, Russell moved from Connecticut to Henrico 40 years ago and has since resettled in still-heavily rural Hanover County, just north of Richmond. Leaning right and largely white, Hanover is more accommodating of Russells Republican politics.

Russell, nonetheless, is an example of whats becoming the rule in western Henrico: out-of-staters, drawn by high-paying jobs with global companies, lower taxes and highly rated public schools, who bring their diverse families and different attitudes to a once-reliably conservative pocket of metropolitan Richmond, pushing its preferences from red to purple to blue.

That shift, magnified by recent redistricting, threatens Siobhan Dunnavants aspirations for a third four-year term in the Virginia Senate, to which she was first elected in 2015.

Back then, the district included an insurance policy for Republicans: a slice of southwestern Hanover. It was peeled away, giving a distinct Democratic cast to a new district whose profile  61% white, 14% Black, 14% Asian, 7% Hispanic and 7% multi-racial  is not too far off from that of the state.

The reconfigured seat favored for governor in 2021 Democrat Terry McAuliffe over the winner, Republican Glenn Youngkin, 53% to 47%. In 2022s congressional election, Democrat Herb Jones  though clobbered by Republican incumbent Rob Wittman  won the Henrico portion of the Tidewater-heavy 1st District, 53% to 45%.

Dunnavants district is a must-win for Democrats and Republicans in the November fight for control of the 40-member Senate, where Democrats hold a two-seat majority.

At least two other seats are essential to both parties: an open, toss-up district anchored in Loudoun County outside Washington, D.C., and one in the resort city of Virginia Beach that leans Democratic and was snatched from the GOP in a snap election in January in which abortion rights figured prominently.

Listening to Russell at a recent conference of Republican activists, operatives and candidates, abortion rights is one issue in Dunnavants race with Schuyler VanValkenburg, a three-term delegate, that could mobilize against the incumbent two important audiences: the Democratic base and disaffected centrist Republicans, many of them women.

Russell initially didnt use the word abortion in asking a panel of three GOP legislators how to navigate the issue  amped by the U.S. Supreme Courts reversal in 2022 of Roe v. Wade and the current legal fight over a widely used abortion pill  in order to save Dunnavant, an OB-GYN who opposes abortion and says she has never performed one or recommended a patient terminate a pregnancy.

There are a lot of women who are single-issue voters but would be Republicans if not for you-know-what, said Russell, the president of the Hanover County Republican Womens Club. She describes herself as pro-life but favors a Democrat-defeated proposal pushed by Dunnavant this year in behalf of Youngkin: unrestricted access to abortion up to 15 weeks with exceptions for rape, incest, to save the life of the woman, or fetal deformity. (Dunnavant also proposed a measure to ban most abortions after 22 to 24 weeks that was defeated in a Senate committee.)

Those lawmakers  a female delegate, Amanda Batten of James City County, and two male senators, David Suetterlein and Mark Obenshain of Roanoke County and Rockingham County, respectively  said Republicans should go on offense on abortion, depicting Democrats as uncompromising radicals. Though Obenshain conceded Democrats had effectively weaponized the issue in 2022, holding the U.S. Senate and losing  just barely  the House of Representatives.

Democrats did a very good job casting Republicans on abortion after Dobbs, said Obenshain, referring to the Mississippi case in which the Supreme Court scuttled its 1973 decision that the Constitution guaranteed a womans right to have an abortion.

Dunnavant, whos been walking the new district, said she hasnt heard much from voters about abortion rights  an issue on which, fresh statewide polling indicates, Republicans are out of sync with the majority of Virginians. A survey in late March by The Washington Post shows that 41% say abortion laws should be less strict, while 34%  including nearly four in 10 Republicans  believe they should remain the same.

Under Virginia law, abortion is unrestricted in the first two trimesters. Abortion is permitted in the third trimester if the womans health is imperiled.

As a doctor  and a member of a vast political family that holds sway in Henrico and Virginia Beach, producing legislators, a Cabinet secretary, a sheriff and a prosecutor  Dunnavant would seem an emblem of suburban sensibilities. As Russell put it, perhaps somewhat hyperbolically, Shes delivered half the children in western Henrico.

But as Henricos steady blue-ing indicates  and, beginning in 2016, it accelerated in response to Donald Trump  this Richmond suburb apparently senses a Democratic future.

Dunnavant is publicly confident she can blunt it, despite her hostility to abortion rights; resistance to measures that could strip firearms, if only temporarily, from Virginians deemed dangerous by the courts; and her preference for sharply limiting  from 45 days to two weeks  early voting that Democrats enthusiastically use to get a jump on Republicans.

And as the lines separating local, state and national politics blur, VanValkenburg  an upstate New York ex-pat and government teacher in the districts newest high school whos been a Henrico educator for 18 years  sees abortion rights, which he supports, as part of a larger picture.

VanValkenburg, who moved to take on Dunnavant after his own redistricting reform scheme lumped him in the same House of Delegates district with a senior Democratic incumbent who has since been elected to the Senate, suggests abortion is of a piece; that it should be viewed with Republican attacks on voting rights, LGBTQ rights, the right to health care and the partys well-to-the-right support of corporate tax cuts.

All of which means a distinctly local, nationalized campaign is unfolding in Richmonds backyard.

From the archives: Remembering Ukrop's through the years 1958 Ukrop's 1963 Ukrop's 1963 Ukrop's 1965 Ukrop's 1972 Ukrop's 1981 Ukrop's 1983 Ukrop's 1984 Ukrop's 1985 Ukrop's 1985 Ukrop's 1986 Ukrop's 1987 Ukrop's 1987 Ukrop's 1987 Ukrop's 1987 Ukrop's 1987 Ukrop's 1987 Ukrop's 1988 Ukrop's 1988 Ukrop's 1988 Ukrop's 1989 Ukrop's 1990 Ukrop's 1990 Ukrop's 1990 Ukrop's 1990 Ukrop's 1991 Ukrop's 1991 Ukrop's 1991 Ukrop's 1992 Ukrop's 1992 Ukrop's 1996 Ukrop's 1996 Ukrop's 1996 Ukrop's 1996 Ukrop's 1996 Ukrop's 1996 Ukrop's 1997 Ukrop's 1997 Ukrop's 1997 Ukrop's 1997 Ukrop's 1998 Ukrop's 1998 Ukrop's 1998 Ukrop's 1998 Ukrop's 1998 Ukrop's 1999 Ukrop's 1999 Ukrop's 1999 Ukrop's 1999 Ukrop's 2000 Ukrop's 2000 Ukrop's 2000 Ukrop's 2000 Ukrop's 2000 Ukrop's 2001 Ukrop's 2002 Ukrop's 2002 Ukrop's 2004 Ukrop's 2004 Ukrop's 2005 Ukrop's 2006 Ukrop's 2007 Ukrop's 2007 Ukrop's 2007 Ukrop's 2008 Ukrop's 2008 Ukrop's 2008 Ukrop's 2008 Ukrop's 2008 Ukrop's 2008 Ukrop's 2008 Ukrop's 2009 Ukrop's 2009 Ukrop's 2009 Ukrop's 2009 Ukrop's 2009 Ukrop's 2009 Ukrop's 2009 Ukrop's 2009 Ukrop's 2009 Ukrop's 2009 Ukrop's 2009 Ukrop's 2009 Ukrop's 2009 Ukrop's 2009 Ukrop's 2009 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2010 Ukrop's 2011 Ukrop's 2011 Ukrop's 2012 Ukrop's 2012 Ukrop's 2014 Ukrop's 2014 Ukrop's 2015 Ukrop's 2015 Ukrop's 2015 Ukrop's 2015 Ukrop's 2015 Ukrop's 2016 Ukrop's 2016 Ukrop's 2016 Ukrop's 2016 Ukrop's 2017 Ukrop's 2017 Ukrop's 2017 Ukrop's 2017 Ukrop's 2017 Ukrop's 2017 Ukrop's 2018 Ukrop's Ukrop's
Worried that Americans werent paying attention to the hundreds of civilian deaths and tens of thousands more people at risk as Sudans military and a potent militia battle each other, Elnigomi Bushra, leader of the Sudanese American community in Richmond, waylaid Sen. Tim Kaine at a community event last week.

And one week later, Richmonds Sudanese American community organized a listening session so Kaine could find out more  winning a promise from the senator to do everything he could to step up U.S. pressure for a supposed cease-fire to actually be enforced, and to speed the flow of humanitarian aid.

I want to make sure we get this right, he told a group of several dozen gathered at the Sudanese American Community Association center and school on East Parham Road.

This is real, this is real, in Sudan people are dying, a lot of people are dying and I dont know what do to, Abdelwahab Elsirag told Kaine, D-Va.

Theres a feeling that Americans arent hearing how bad the violence is, said Alsiddig Elmahdi, a doctor who as a member of the Sudanese American Physicians Association has been tracking the human cost and trying to keep hospitals open, as fighters commandeer several, or the violence on the streets forces others to close their doors.

He said two-thirds of Sudans hospitals are now closed.

And, just from the capital, Khartoum, an incomplete count has 400 civilian deaths, and some 5,000 people injured in the crossfire  with worse in prospect, he said.

There are an estimated 2,000 people with severe kidney disease who cant get dialysis and as a result could add to the death toll shortly, Elmahdi said.

Some 42,000 women are soon to give birth, with the nations main obstetrics hospital shuttered and few others actually open.

The nations main medical research facility is occupied by militants, and the worry is they dont know how to handle the viruses, chemicals and other biohazards inside.

And thats just Khartoum, the capital.

The fighting between the nations armed forces and the paramilitary troops of its Rapid Support Forces, heirs of the Janjaweed militias that terrorized the Darfur region during the national governments 16-year war on that region, has spread all over, said Abubaker Abdelrhaman.

The war, the attacks, is everywhere, he said.

Fighting between the armed forces and the RSF erupted April 15. The military junta that took control of the nation in 2019, suppressing the democracy movement that overthrew the nations long-serving and brutal dictator Omar al-Bashir, used the RSF to secure control.

Now, as the two sides battle for power, the cease-fires they supposedly agreed to arent actually observed, Kaine said.

Community members told Kaine that Sudans neighbors, especially Egypt and Ethiopia, arent letting aid get through or letting Sudanese fleeing the violence cross the border.

Theres a need for clinics and temporary housing at the border, and a desperate need for the U.S. and its allies to press harder for a real cease-fire, they said.

Kaine said he thought the U.S. humanitarian parole visas that currently apply to people fleeing the war in Ukraine, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan as well as turmoil and political oppression in Haiti, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba might be an option for Sudanese suffering in the nations civil war.

These allow refugees from designated countries to stay safe in the U.S. for two years, he said. They can cover more people than the other main help for people fleeing oppression and violence, the temporary protected status program.

Kaine said the Norfolk-based destroyer USS Truxton has just had its deployment in the Mediterranean extended with orders to Sudans Red Sea coast, in order to be on hand to offer humanitarian aid.

But more is needed, he said.

Im taking away, loud and clear: cease-fire, humanitarian aid. Immigration, reconstruction, Kaine said. These are the four pillars so the country can move on to its next chapter.

From the Archives: Photos of the Richmond region in the 1980s
Mike Pence testifies before a federal grand jury over the investigation of Donald Trump.

The former vice president was sought to detail information regarding the former president's involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot.

The Capitol siege happened after the 2020 elections as Trump claimed the results were fraudulent.

Former United States Vice President Mike Pence testifies before a federal grand jury responsible for investigating former U.S. President Donald Trump and the Republican businessman's involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot.

The Republican's testimony is seen as a momentous moment amid the criminal investigation of his former boss. It is also the first time that a former vice president was compelled to testify about the president that he previously served side by side with.

Mike Pence Testifies Before Grand Jury

The former vice president's testimony lasted for more than five hours, said a source familiar with the matter. During an interview following the testimony, Pence's former adviser Marc Short said that his boss had his own case based on the Speech and Debate Clause, as per CNN.

He added that Pence was pleased for the first time that a judge acknowledged that the clause applied to the vice president of the U.S. However, Short noted that his former boss was willing to comply with the law as courts ordered him to testify for the investigation.

The former vice president was set to testify regarding details of his direct conversations with Trump leading up to the Capitol Hill riot. At the time, Trump repeatedly and unsuccessfully pressured his second-in-command to curb the finalization of the results of the 2020 presidential elections where Joe Biden won.

Read Also: President Yoon Suk Yeol Calls for Continued US-South Korea Cooperation

These conversations included a phone call on the morning of Jan. 6, 2021. Previously, a federal judge ruled that Pence could be compelled to testify that he and the former president had where the Republican businessman may have acted in a corrupt manner.

Pence's testimony is seen to be a crucial moment for the investigation. The former vice president previously published a memoir that detailed his interactions with Trump but left some of the details vague, according to NBC News.

Claims of Executive Privilege

The former vice president's appearance before the grand jury comes amid an increased security presence at the federal courthouse in Washington on Thursday. Reports noted that there were several black SUVs that had tinted windows going into the building's parking garage earlier in the morning.

At around 9:00 a.m., two black SUVs were seen entering the courthouse garage, using an entrance that would allow witnesses to head up to the grand jury rooms that are found on the third floor without the worry of being seen in the public areas of the building.

Trump previously tried to prevent Pence's testimony by claiming that the subpoena was in violation of the speech or debate clause of the Constitution. He argued that his conversations with his former vice president were protected by executive privilege.

However, courts rebuffed the former president's arguments and Pence partially won in his effort to delay or limit the testimony that the grand jury was seeking from him. The chief judge in charge of the case allowed the former vice president to not talk about matters connected to his role as president of the Senate during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot, said the New York Times.



Related Article: McCarthy Wins House Vote to Pass Debt Ceiling Bill-What Happens Next?

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After Gov. Glenn Youngkins initial push for school choice failed, he turned to lab schools, which are K-12 schools partnered with higher education institutions  but the initiative could be hitting a bump in the road.

Virginia state code prevents giving lab school grant funding to private institutes of higher learning, or two-year colleges, according to several Democratic lawmakers who wrote that part of the law. But the Youngkin administration disagrees.

The Virginia Department of Education awarded planning grants to several private Virginia colleges, which are not eligible under state code, according to the plain letter of the law. Those include the University of Lynchburg, Emory & Henry College, Roanoke College and Virginia Union University.

Lab schools are similar to charter schools in that they do not charge tuition, are nonreligious and are open to the public. They set their own curricula and budgets, and are associated with their corresponding institution of higher education.

The Virginia Education Association sent a letter to the Virginia State Auditor this month alleging that the administration violated budget code by misappropriating lab school funding.

We respectfully request that you investigate what we believe is an unauthorized and illegal handling and expenditure of state funds, and take immediate action as required by (state code), reads the letter signed by VEA President James Fedderman.

Auditor of Public Accounts Staci Henshaw, who heads the agency, replied by saying she would review the information and respond after discussing it with the higher education team at the agency.

Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera said in a statement to the Richmond Times-Dispatch this week: The Board of Education was aware of the disagreement between the two houses at their board meeting when they adopted guidelines for the grant process on August 17th, 2022, as it was extensively discussed.

Planning grants have been awarded to institutions who demonstrate strong partnerships with school divisions, private partners, and nonprofit organizations. The expansion of eligibility to all higher education institutions was made to ensure that every Virginia student had access to innovative and high-quality education that prepares them for success in life.

The Virginia Board of Education at its September meeting voted to approve guidelines that say certain private and two-year colleges are eligible for planning grant funding.

Guidera in August recommended that board members vote in favor of the guidelines and said every expert recommends moving forward.

But a letter written by staff attorneys at the Division of Legislative Services, at the request of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, said the budget only allows the funding to go to a public higher education center, institute, or authority.

Guidera cited a letter that House Appropriations Chairman Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, wrote to Youngkin in August, meant to clarify legislative intent regarding the eligible institutions for the College Partnership Laboratory School Fund.

At a Sept. 14 Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee meeting, several Democratic legislators took issue with offering grant funding to private institutions, citing the section of the budget code that they said prevents that.

Then-Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, now a member of Congress, said at the meeting: We dont have legislative intent in Virginia. We have a clear body of law for statutory construction that says you follow the unambiguous letter of the law ...

It doesnt matter what the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, or with all due respect, the chair of the Finance Committee intended. What matters is the language that was put in the budget.

In his letter to the state auditor this month, Fedderman said, Given the clear budget language, lack of bipartisan intent, and the requirement for budget funding to be appropriated according to statutory requirements, we ask you to take immediate action to stop the misappropriation of these funds to two-year and private institutions.

According to state law, if the Auditor of Public Accounts discovers any illegal expenditure of state funds, she reports the facts to the governor, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission and the Comptroller.

At an October 2021 rally in Prince William County shortly before the gubernatorial election, Youngkin pledged to launch the most aggressive school choice program in the history of Virginia.

Before his inauguration, Youngkin announced a plan to launch up to 20 charter schools in his first year in office. The plan did not come to fruition last year when the Senate rejected administration-backed legislation to clear a path for more charter schools in the commonwealth.

During this years legislative session, an administration-backed school choice bill would have allocated a portion of per-pupil state funding to a savings account for parents to spend on private school tuition or other specified education expenses. It ultimately died when it failed to cross to the Senate.

Lab schools have been the only significant school choice initiative to move forward during Youngkins governance.

The governor won a partial victory for his signature lab school proposal last year when Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears broke a tie vote in the Senate to rescue his amendment to triple the number of higher education institutions that can partner with local school divisions. But the Senate then voted to block his proposal to use state per-pupil funds to pay for them.

Last month, Youngkins office announced it awarded 13 planning grants to Virginia colleges to help launch their lab schools, including Richmonds Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Union, which each received the full allotment of $200,000.

Others included those that some lawmakers claim should not be eligible under state code: Emory & Henry College for a school to prepare health care workers; and the University of Lynchburg for an elementary school focusing on reading.

More grant funding is available, and the state education department is still reviewing more applications.

The Times-Dispatch's 'Photo of the Day'  Jan. 1, 2023 Jan. 2, 2023 Jan. 3, 2023 Jan. 4, 2023 Jan. 5, 2023 Jan. 6, 2023 Jan. 7, 2023 Jan. 8, 2023 Jan. 10, 2023 Jan. 11, 2023 Jan. 12, 2023 Jan. 13, 2023 Jan. 14, 2023 Jan. 15, 2023 Jan. 16, 2023 Jan. 17, 2023 Jan. 18, 2023 Jan. 19, 2023 Jan. 20, 2023 Jan. 21, 2023 Jan. 22, 2023 Jan. 23, 2023 Jan. 24, 2023 Jan. 25, 2023 Jan. 26, 2023 Jan. 27, 2023 Jan. 28, 2023 Jan. 29, 2023 Jan. 30, 2023 Jan. 31, 2023 Feb. 1, 2023 Feb. 2, 2023 Feb. 3, 2023 Feb. 4, 2023 Feb. 5, 2023 Feb. 6, 2023 Feb. 7, 2023 Feb. 8, 2023 Feb. 9, 2023 Feb. 10, 2023 Feb 11, 2023 Feb. 12, 2023 Feb. 13, 2023 Feb. 14, 2023 Feb. 15, 2023 Feb. 16, 2023 Feb. 17, 2023 Feb. 18, 2023 Feb. 19, 2023 Feb. 20, 2023 Feb. 21, 2023 Feb. 22, 2023 Feb. 23, 2023 Feb. 24, 2023 Feb. 25, 2023 Feb. 26, 2023 Feb. 27, 2023 Feb. 28, 2023 March 1, 2023 March 2, 2023 March 3, 2023 March 4, 2023 March 5, 2023 March 6, 2023 March 7, 2023 March 8, 2023 March 9, 2023 March 10, 2023 March 11, 2023 March 12, 2023 March 13, 2023 March 14, 2023 March 15, 2023 March 16, 2023 March 17, 2023 March 18, 2023 March 19, 2023 March 20, 2023 March 21, 2023 March 22, 2023 March 23, 2023 March 24, 2023 March 25, 2023 March 26, 2023 March 27, 2023 March 28, 2023 March 29, 2023 March 30, 2023 March 31, 2023 April 1, 2023 April 2, 2023 April 3, 2023 April 4, 2023 April 5, 2023 April 6, 2023 April 7, 2023 April 8, 2023 April 9, 2023 April 10, 2023 April 11, 2023 April 13, 2023 April 14, 2023 April 15, 2023 April 16, 2023 April 17, 2023 April 18, 2023 April 19, 2023 April 20, 2023 April 21, 2023 April 22, 2023 April 23, 2023 April 24, 2023 April 25, 2023 April 26, 2023 April 27, 2023 April 28, 2023 April 29, 2023 May 1, 2023
Virginia parents fears about gun violence in schools, already top of mind, have been intensified by two school shootings in the commonwealth this year  one at Newport News in January and one on Thursday in the parking lot of George Wythe High School in Richmond.

On Saturday evening, Richmond police announced an 18-year-old man had been arrested and charged in the George Wythe shootings. David Gutierrez, of Richmond, a George Wythe student, was arrested without incident and charged with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Two George Wythe students were hospitalized, one in critical condition, after they were shot near the school on Thursday. In a wooded area outside the schools parking lot on Crutchfield Street, police found one student suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. That student had life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital. A second student, who was also shot but suffered less serious injuries, took himself to a hospital, police said.

In a news release, police said the investigation is continuing but they believe Gutierrez is the primary suspect. Richmond Police interim chief Rick Edwards said officers will be in the area of the school on Monday with extra patrols to ensure students, parents, and faculty feel safe on their return to school.

The recent violence has area parents on edge.

If Henrico County mom Jamie Bass drives past her two kids schools during the day, she worries when she sees small details awry, like a police car parked out front, or a door being propped open.

Something that I had always heard but didnt understand until I was a parent is that when we enroll our kids in school, we are trusting schools with the physical safety of our children for a huge portion of the day, Bass said.

Amid heightened concerns, local school divisions are taking varied approaches to school safety. In Henrico County, for example, the school division piloted metal detectors starting in February at some schools to study the effectiveness.

Bass is part of an increasingly worried group of parents across the nation. A CBS News poll conducted this month shows that American parents concern about gun violence is higher than it was last summer.

This month, 77 percent of parents are at least somewhat concerned about the possibility of gun violence at their childrens school, according to the poll, while 72 percent of parents had the same concern last year.

About 61 percent of parents of school-age children reported this month that their children worry about gun violence at school, either a lot or sometimes.

Days after a 6-year-old student fired a single round and intentionally shot his teacher Jan. 6 at Richneck Elementary in Newport News, Colleen Renthrope, mother of a 7-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son in the school system, was among parents pouring out their anguish at a meeting of the Newport News School Board.

Theres no single answer to this abhorrent situation that our kids, teachers and parents find ourselves in daily, Renthrope said. I send my kids to school and find myself praying to God that they will return home safely.

Around the same time that the 6-year-old shot teacher Abigail Zwerner in Newport News, another teacher across the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel faced threats of gun violence from students. She said the school administration failed to act, the same way that school administration reportedly failed to protect the teacher in Newport News.

Kelley Green, a third-grade teacher in Virginia Beach, said she reported a verbal threat of gun violence from a student immediately after it happened, but said she did not hear back from school administration until four hours after school had ended.

I still had to sit in the office with that same student who had threatened me that day with an AK-47, Green said. (The student did not have a gun.)

When the situation at Richneck Elementary occurred, it was weeks after numerous incidents of teachers, myself included, reporting unsafe scenarios, and nothing being done.

Green has faced several threats and acts of violence during her teaching career. Within her first few weeks of her first teaching job, a student punched Green in the stomach. Earlier this school year, a parent came into school and struck her, she said.

Next year, Green will join a new school in Virginia Beach.

I was allowed to be assaulted. After reporting it for 17 days and saying that I dont feel safe, nothing was done, she said. I was told that, Well, you were hit because that was your fault. Thats when I knew I kind of had to go.

Green said recent school shootings across the U.S. have prompted school division officials to hold faculty meetings and reassure teachers that they are safe. But the officials have not taken any actions to make teachers safe, she said.

We are someones child as well, Green said. We deserve to be able to go home to our families and our parents and our kids and our pets in order to do what we love the next day.

Green plans to push for better policies in her school division to protect teachers.

She proposes that teachers should be given personal leave to go home and recover if they have been physically or mentally assaulted by students or others. The proposal also says parents who threaten teachers should be banned from the school, and threat assessments should be mandatory.

She said she is pushing for things that should be the bare minimum in order to make a better environment for teachers and students.

I love those kids, and I love being able to make an impact, Green said.

As many headaches and heartaches as they give, theyve given more love. They deserve so much better.

Alarming, but uncommon

Although school shootings and parents worries about them are on the rise, school gun violence remains uncommon.

Despite the alarming scariness of school shootings and, despite the fact that they have increased in recent years and the terrible nature of them, theyre still an extremely rare event and extremely unlikely to happen in any individual school, said Jeff Temple, a professor and psychologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch who studies adolescent violence.

For many people, a large number of our kids, school is the safest place that they can be.

Gun violence overtook automobile accidents as the leading cause of youth deaths in the U.S. as of 2020. But less than one percent of youth gun deaths each year happen in schools, and even fewer are from mass shootings in schools.

Although school shootings are statistically rare, they are on the rise. Last year, more school shootings took place in the U.S. (46) than in any year since at least 1999, when 15 were killed at Columbine High School in suburban Denver, according to a Washington Post database.

School shootings are not only here to stay, but theyre probably going to get worse before they get better in terms of frequency and severity, Temple said. Were going to have a day in the not too distant future where were going to have two schools have mass shootings on the same day. That will happen, just statistically speaking.

Moms Demand Action is a national nonprofit organization with localized groups of parents who are advocating for what they term common-sense gun laws to make schools safer.

Membership for the Richmond chapter has soared in the wake of the high-profile school shootings March 27 at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, in which a former student killed three 9-year-olds and three adults  and Jan. 6 in Newport News. It was largely dormant during the depths of the pandemic when parents were hunkered down, focused on their kids online learning.

Last year, the groups membership snowballed.

It wasnt until after the Uvalde (Texas) shooting in May 2022, in which a former student killed 19 elementary school students and two teachers, that we have seen an enormous surge in interest in joining the movement, said Kristin DuMont, a local co-lead for Richmonds Moms Demand Action chapter. Now weve had over 100 people join us in the last few weeks, really since the Nashville shooting.

Aside from what it terms common-sense gun laws  like stricter background checks and mental health checks on gun purchases  the group pushes for practices and laws that would keep kids from having guns in the first place. It also wants parents to talk to children, educate and be mindful about guns.

School safety measures

Henrico County Public Schools Superintendent Amy Cashwell said the school system is constantly talking about safety and how to upgrade or improve it.

Within the past five years or so, the countys schools have seen visible changes to safety features. Security vestibules where visitors can do school business without coming into the school were added, while a buzz-in system keeps people from entering schools without speaking to someone in a front office.

Cashwell said the overall goal of the school districts security systems is to have a layered approach that catches all types of gun violence, from potential mass shootings to students who bring guns into school.

The school division has a host of physical security devices like visitor identification scanners, newly upgraded camera systems and KnoxBoxes  wall-mounted safes that hold keys so first responders can access a building. The school system just concluded a study testing metal detectors and weapons scanners at three of its schools.

Cashwell said that beyond the need for physical protections at schools is the importance that each school community plays in reporting problems that might involve students.

Its been public that weve had some weapons on our campus, at our high schools specifically, Cashwell said. Without picking any one of them out, in almost every instance, a student reported that they believed another student had a weapon on their person either through anonymous alerts or to a trusted adult directly.

HCPS also has an internal team that focuses solely on its school safety plans, which are vetted annually by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services school safety audit program. Cashwell said the system is consistently working to upgrade those plans based on expert feedback.

Student mental health

Despite the effort, coordination and resources, those best-laid school security plans have not proven entirely perfect.

Joshua M. Langberg, a parent of a student at Holman Middle School in Henrico, said the safety measures themselves can be dangerous for children.

He said Holman had experienced two gun-related events over the past couple of months. In the second, which the school said appeared to be a prank, police burst into his daughters classroom during a lock-and-hide drill with their guns drawn, red laser dots leveled at all around the room.

I understand that given all thats going on in the world, we have to focus on and prioritize school safety but, as a parent, I feel the pendulum has swung too far and that weve forgotten that our core mission at schools is child development and well-being, Langberg said.

Thats why we send our children to school. If we focus on safety too much, we will not be able to meet our core mission.

Langberg is a licensed child psychologist in Virginia and New Jersey, having worked for Virginia Commonwealth University for 11 years. He says his daughter has been showing signs of PTSD since the incident that drew law enforcement.

This is not normal. This is stuff that we typically dont think about it unless people are in war situations, Langberg said. Can we at least acknowledge that some of the safety procedures weve put into place are literally causing our children potential PTSD, which is a lifelong debilitating condition  and I want to make sure that side of the discussion doesnt get left.

Data compiled by Everytown, a national gun safety nonprofit, found that 52% of school campus shootings come from arguments that escalate, robberies or parking lot altercations. The compilation found that less than 1% of school gunfire incidents were done with the intent to commit a mass shooting.

Anne Forrester, a middle school teacher in Richmond Public Schools, said the answer is not hardening schools or more discipline  it is more mental health supports for students.

I dont think our schools have become any more or less safe (over the past few years). I think that our students mental health has declined, Forrester said. Its not that Im not concerned about violence, but I think whats causing violence amongst our students is unmet mental health needs.

The problem, she said, is that students come to school with unprocessed and unresolved trauma. It stems from violence in their households and their communities, she said.

In the news, you see this child brought a weapon to school, or this child assaulted someone, or this child made a threat. At the end of the day, there were teachers and parents and other students who knew that child and probably cared about that child, and knew that child as someone who was suffering, as someone who needed a lot of help. Theres more to it than this kid was bad,  Forrester said.

Kids arent bad. People make bad choices, people get desperate in bad circumstances, especially kids. As a teacher, I have to believe that they can change if they just get the help they need.
Deputies approve delivery of Maya Train to Sedena for an indefinite period

Mexico City, Mexico  By urgent resolution, the Chamber of Deputies approved the allocation of railway services to parastatal entities without the possibility of ceding or transferring them to individuals.

The reform project was approved with 264 votes in favor of and 216 against. The opposition denounced that with the modifications to the General Communication Routes, Railway Service Regulations and Federal Parastatal Entities laws, the aim is to shield the Maya Train and leave its administration forever to the Army.

PAN Deputy Jose Antonio Garcia questioned the fact that, without analysis or opinion, violating the legislative procedure and through the back door, Morena has approved the initiative for the government to operate and administer the Maya Train in total opacity.

He made the comment since it also grants the President of Mexico the power to directly assign parastatal entities the provision of public services as well as the use and exploitation of assets subject to the public domain regime for reasons of public utility and interest, general interest, social interest or national security.

PRI Legislator Eduardo Zarzosa affirmed that the project presented at the last minute seeks to dismantle the industry with the introduction of direct assignments to operate the railways.

This initiative, in addition to wanting to get in through the back door at the last minute, does not have the consensus of the industry, nor of the people involved in the railway sector. We do not know if it is technically viable, the impact it may have and to what extent it may affect the countrys industry, he pointed out.

Modifications to three laws give the guideline for the President to grant allocations for the provision of railway services to state entities, which would be non-transferable.

Currently, the majority state-owned company Fonatur Tren Maya has the assignment title, which was delivered by the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) for a period of 50 years, counted from April 20, 2020, which allows it to build, operate and exploit the general rail communication route.

The initiative presented Tuesday, considered an urgent resolution, was proposed by Morena Deputy, Pablo Amilcar Sandoval Ballesteros, and endorsed by 263 votes in favor and 218 against.

It still needs to go to the Senate of the Republic for its analysis.
Lopez Obrador says he is well and working from home while in Covid-19 isolation

Mexico City, Mexico  President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador reported that he is in good health after announcing he tested Covid-19 positive on Sunday .

Fortunately I am very well. I am working, I have already written two drafts for two speeches, he reported on his social media.

Lopez Obrador clarified that he did not present any affectation in the heart or brain nor did he lose consciousness, as has been reported in some local media.

He said he tested positive last weekend while on tour evaluating the construction of the Maya Train together with military engineers and public servants. He said during a tour, he experienced a drop in blood pressures, but that it did not require an emergency transfer to Mexico City.

It got complicated for me because I went on a very intense tour that I started in Veracruz where there was a change in weather. I then went to Quintana Roo. I was in Chetumal, in Cancun, in Merida and there I had a crisis because my blood pressure suddenly dropped, he said.

Lopez Obrador remains in isolation. He has not said when he expects to reappear in public. It is the third time he has tested positive for Covid-19.
Puebla suspect wanted for attempted murder arrested in Playa del Carmen

Playa de Carmen, Q.R.  Jesus C has been taken into legal custody in Playa del Carmen on charges of attempted murder. The suspect was wanted in the state of Puebla for the attempted murder of a woman.

According to Quintana Roo authorities, his capture derived from a collaboration requested by the FGE of Puebla after the defendant fled to the state of Quintana Roo.

Elements of the Investigative Police of Quintana Roo completed an arrest warrant against Jesus C in the municipality of Solidaridad, who, after allegedly committing attempted murder, fled to Quintana Roo in an attempt to evade justice.

Quintana Roo authorities did not provide information regarding when the charges were laid or where in Playa del Carmen he was arrested.
Quintana Roo Congress approves new proposed Mobility Law reforms

Riviera Maya, Q.R.  The Congress of Quintana Roo has approved the reformed Mobility Law proposals that will allow rideshare companies such as DiDi, Uber and Cabify to work in the state. On Wednesday night, the Congress of Quintana Roo unanimously approved the proposed reforms to the states law.

The reforms were approved with 23 votes in favor of and zero opposing. On social media, Governor Mara Lezama posted Unanimously approved the regulatory framework for the Quintana Roo Mobility Law to make way for the regulation and operation of technological services contracted through digital platforms!

Once again, I recognize the full disposition of the deputies of the H. XVII constitutional legislature of the Congress of Quintana Roo, who have opted to promote competitiveness, quality and safeguard the integrity of the users of public and private transport services in Quintana Roo.

This is how the New Agreement materializes, addressing old citizen demands, forgotten for years and giving space to development with justice and well-being for everyone.
Tulum brigades continue to battle days-old forest fire

Tulum, Q.R.  Forest firefighters of Tulum continue to battle the El Travieso fire. The fire was reported to authorities early Wednesday morning. By Thursday morning it had grown to 23 hectares and was only 10 percent contained.

According to Proteccion Civil de Tulum, the fire is located north of the community of San Juan de Dios, which is approximately 57 kilometers from the town of Tulum.

Brigades from Civil Protection, Conafor, the National Forestry Commission of Mexico and the Forest Protection Brigade of the Mayan area, began their battle with a total of 13 forest firefighters.

The agency says that work will continue to contain the advances with firebreaks and thus have less impact on the area.
As 75-year-old Jimmy Lai languishes in prison, the Hong Kong government, pressured by the Chinese Community Party (CCP), is dedicated to ensuring that the countrys most famous freedom fighter fails to win any further support for his cause. Lais story has spread across the world, and the regime currently holding Lai in solitary confinement is realizing that the key to suppressing basic human rights in Hong Kong is to attack the credibility of Lais advocates.

Jimmy Lai has spent more than 800 days in prison for the crime of taking part in Hong Kongs pro-democracy movement in 2019 and 2020. Held in 35-pound handcuffs, the former entrepreneur has gone from a mere jailed rebel to the major face of resistance to the CCPs terrible influence in a once-free Hong Kong. Lais fight for freedom has even earned him a Nobel Prize nomination. Most recently, Lais story has hit the ears of a worldwide audience courtesy of the U.K.s All-Party Parliamentary Group, which released a report on the status of both Lai and broader media freedom in Hong Kong. It decries Lais treatment and the silence of Parliament on the unfolding situation in Hong Kong, especially in regard to the draconian CCP-enforced National Security Law (NSL), which Lai supposedly violated.

Lai, a dual Hong Kong and British citizen, faces a lifetime in prison on charges of conspiracy and foreign collusion, actions spurred by his production of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, shuttered in 2021 during the Beijing-backed enforcement of the NSL. This crackdown is the highlight of the parliamentary groups excoriation of the CCPs actions against Lai and his fellow democracy advocates.

[CCP] authorities have weaponised the law as part of a campaign to smear Jimmy Lais reputation to justify the way in which he has been targeted by Hong Kong authorities, the report reads. To the reports authors, Lais predicament is more than an illustration of Hong Kongs growing authoritarian rotits also a failure of the British government: The British Government may not have been completely silent on these developments, but its utterances have been barely a whisper. The report calls for the United Kingdom to treat Lai as a political prisoner and apply further sanctions against China to secure his release.

The CCP has responded in smear fashion, deeming the groups remarks an exercise in fact-twisting despite being largely sourced from legal documents and official State Department reports. As always, the media can exercise their right to monitor the HKSAR Governments work, CCP advocates argued in response to the U.K.s accusations of media censorship. Their freedom of commenting on and criticising government policies  remains uninhibited as long as they are not in violation of the law. The CCP did not mention that its own National Security Law makes such violations virtually impossible.

To Beijings mouthpieces, the outcome of the Lai trial is all but inevitableJimmy Lai and the pro-freedom voices who stand against him are doomed to fail. As Lai remains in prison, fighting against direct CCP attempts to withhold legal counsel, its difficult to see a positive end in sight without increased awareness of deteriorating conditions in Hong Kong. One can only hope that reports like the one out of the U.K. will give Lai and his team the visibility they so desperately need.

The Hong Konger, the Acton Institutes new documentary, tells the story of Jimmy Lais heroic struggle against authoritarian Beijing and its erosion of human rights in Hong Kong. The film premiered worldwide at freejimmylai.com on April 18, 2023. Stream it now.
Today we remember a profound thinker who continues to remind us of the danger of instrumentalized art in the service of merely ideological endsand the role of hospitality, personal influence, in the upholding of truth.

On this particular day  we had just said to one another that if our nature was so unhappy as to possess only a pseudo-intelligence capable of everything but the truth, if, sitting in judgment on itself, it had to debase itself to such a point, then we could neither think nor act with any dignity. In that case everything became absurdand impossible to accept.

Thats Raissa Maritains description of a dramatic, early moment in her marriage to Jacques Maritain, as the two faced together the nihilism they encountered in their studies at the Sorbonne in Paris. They would eventually find a home in the Catholic Church and Jacques would go on to become one of the most prolific and influential authors of the 20th century, whose work had an impact on the Second Vatican Council and the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Born in 1882, Jacques died on April 28, 1973, 50 years ago today.

None of this would have happened had Raissa and Jacques not found a way out of the existential malaise in which they were enmeshed at the Sorbonne. As Raissa points out, if human thought and action were bereft of any contact with the true and the good, human life would become a cruel and pointless comedy. Refusing to live out such a farce, they made what was in effect a suicide pact for one year hence. During that year, they would extend credit to existence, look upon it as an experiment to be made, in the hope that to our ardent plea, the meaning of life would reveal itself. Fortunately for them and us, they soon had an opportunity to study with Henri Bergson, whose philosophy of the Absolute gave them a foundation on which to base their thinking. They would go on to enter the Catholic Church, part ways with Bergson, and become lifelong students of the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Raissa discovered Thomas first and passed his work on to Jacques, whose reading generated instantaneous recognition: I was already a Thomist without knowing it. He would go on to write many books of philosophy, spanning nearly all the philosophical disciplines, from logic to metaphysics, and ethics to aesthetics. Never content to restate what had been said before, he sought to bring Aquinas into contact with contemporary conversations and to articulate his teachings in a way that would bring it to life for modern readers.

He was confident that Aquinas had a wisdom that was much needed in our time, a time of civilization in crisis. Jacques and Raissa came of age in the first half of the 20th century, a period marked by the barbarism of the First World War, which cast grave doubts on the optimistic narrative of modern progress. Jacques detected a different peril during the Second World War. His thoughts about these matters can be found in a 1943 book with a surprising title for such musings, Education at the Crossroads. The West is rightly working to defeat the Will to Power politics of Nazism, with its fanatical belief in racial and nationalist purity. But Maritain anticipates problems for the West. Indeed, he worries that the West might lose by winning. The means of Western victory, namely its superior technology and technical expertise, might undermine the very things for which the West was fighting.

The danger is the triumph of technocratic pragmatics. With its reduction of knowledge to calculable phenomena, technocracy leaves in human life nothing but relationships of force, or at best those of pleasure. It ignores or repudiates the spiritual dignity of man and rests on the assumption that merely material or biological standards rule human life and morality. Thus does a subtle form of totalitarianism emerge as a hazard within liberal democracy. Jacques returns here to Raissas concerns about the reduction of human life to matter in motion, the result of which is, as she goes on to say, relativism, intellectual skepticism, andif one was logicalmoral nihilism. The political implications are already evident in what she calls the new barbarism that was to deck itself out in the prestige of a culture already worn thin, already hypocritical, already prepared for the worship of force.

What does that have to do with education, the title of Maritains book? Mirroring its devotion to technology, Western education is increasingly instrumentalist, fascinated with means rather than ends, fostering in students a tendency to think this way. The result, as C.S. Lewis would point out in The Abolition of Man, a book also published in 1943, is the elimination of, or at least the occlusion from view, any investigation of the ends or goods of human life, in light of which we might appraise various means or instruments. As in education, so too in the field of art: Maritain sees dangers in its subordination to ideological aims. Maritains criticisms of instrumentalized art take aim primarily at the totalitarian insistence that the only valuable art serves ideological ends.

Just as the human soul longs for truth, so too is it nourished by the encounter with beauty. The experience of the beautiful,Maritain explains, has the savor of the terrestrial paradise, because it restores, for a moment, the peace and the simultaneous delight of the intellect and the senses. Beauty is, as the contemporary political philosopher David Walsh puts it, the pull of the real. Maritain sees an affinity between the philosophical pursuit of wisdom and art:

There is a curious analogy between the fine arts and wisdom. Like wisdom, they are ordered to an object which transcends man and which is of value in itself, and whose amplitude is limitless, for beauty, like being, is infinite. They are disinterested, desired for themselves, truly noble because their work taken in itself is not made in order that one may use it as a means.

In the modern obsession with productivity, with information and activities that are means to other ends, which turn out themselves to be means to something else, life becomes a restless pursuit with no ultimate goal or end.

Now, these are fairly common claims in traditional circles. Whats distinctive about Maritain is the way he discerns and cultivates connections between deeply traditional teachings about human nature, truth and beauty, on the one hand, and very contemporary movements, particularly in the arts, on the other.

Maritains reflections on art, which run from his early Art and Scholasticism (1920) to Creative Intuition in Art and Poetry (1953), are hardly abstract academic enterprises. They arise out of a remarkable set of friendships with many of the great artists of the 20th century, including the Jewish painter Marc Chagall, about whose life and work Raissa wrote a book; the French Catholic artist Georges Rouault, whose work inspired Jacques to write his now famous Art and Scholasticism; and the composer Igor Stravinsky, whose turn to neo-classicism and sacred music was influenced by Maritain; and the surrealist filmmaker Jean Cocteau, whose epistolary exchanges with Maritain became a little book, Art and Faith (1926).

Maritains work on art and artists has proved remarkably influential. Thomas Merton and Flannery OConner both found inspiration in Art and Scholasticism, while contemporary poets Dana Gioia and Seamus Heaney have read Creative Intuition with something of the same sense of immediate recognition that Jacques experienced in reading Aquinas. Artists testify to Maritains deep insights into the creative process.

In his wonderful book The Very Rich Hours of Jacques Maritain: A Spiritual Life, the great Thomist scholar and former director of Notre Dames Jacques Maritain Center Ralph McInerny observes that Maritain embraced an apostolate to contemporary intellectuals and artists. That is the origin of the famous Thomistic Study Circles, lengthy gatherings that mixed prayer, study, and fellowship, which Jacques and Raissa hosted at their home. Yves Simon, perhaps the most philosophically gifted of all Jacques students, describes the setting in this way: The living room was generally crowded, less by teachers or students than by writers, poets, painters, musicians, persons interested in mysticism, missionaries. Most of the artists were of the vanguard description. Including not just Catholics but also unbelievers, Jews, Orthodox, and Protestants, the meetings were not meant primarily to shore up the faith of those already within the Church. The study circles embodied Christian hospitality at its finest.

If the human soul longs for truth and beauty, it also seeks the good, not in the abstract but in the concrete realities of human life, in community. Like the lives of Jacques and Raissa, the study circles reflected a truth articulated beautifully by John Henry Newman, who describes the hospitality of St. Philip Neri as creating a home of Christian mirth. The Maritains knew what Neri and Newman knew, namely that truth is upheld in the world not as a system, not by books, not by argument, not by temporal power, but by the personal influence of those who in the areas of virtue and holiness are both teachers and patterns of it, whose hospitality invites others to participate in that life.
A Roanoke man who confessed to family members in 2022 about fatally shooting one of his tenants pleaded guilty to murder Thursday.

Lavon Martae Belcher, 31, received a 28-year prison term in what was the citys first of 19 homicides in 2022. The January shooting took 23-year-old Brooks M. Mullens life.

Belcher pleaded guilty in Roanoke Circuit Court to two felonies, first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Sheri Mason said Friday.

Under the terms of a plea agreement, the court sentenced Belcher to life in prison, suspended after 25 years, on the murder charge. He also got three years, the mandatory minimum sentence in Virginia, on the firearm charge. Once released from incarceration, he will be placed supervised probation for five years.

That sentence was within the sentencing guidelines for first-degree murder, Mason said. We were happy that the family was supportive, and that hopefully can provide a sense of closure for them.

The prosecutor said that Belcher was Mullens landlord in January 2022. They lived adjacent to each other in a duplex apartment building on Yellow Mountain Road.

He was allowing her to live there rent free, Mason said. Its believed that they had some sort of on-again, off-again relationship, to the point where it seemed like he had gotten sort of possessive and maybe had deeper feelings for her than she did for him.

On Jan. 9, the prosecutor said, Mullen made plans with another man to watch movies at his residence. After the man got off work, he went to Mullens apartment to pick her up. He found her body near the duplex.

It was obvious to him that something was wrong, so he called 911 and waited for the police and medics to get there, Mason said. Medics declared her dead there at the scene, and the police department started their investigation.

Police identified and ruled out various suspects until Mason said some members of Belchers family contacted police.

A couple who lived in Maryland woke up the morning of Jan. 10 with Mr. Belcher parked in their driveway, Mason said. He had arrived there in the middle of the night. When they woke up, they let him in, and he told them that he was there because he had shot someone the night before.

One of those family members drove Belcher back to Virginia, where he confessed the crime a second time to a close family friend, Mason said.

At the scene of the shooting, police located a .40 caliber bullet casing. Mason said while police never located the matching firearm, they found a box for a .40 caliber gun in Belchers apartment.

They tracked it down to a place in Vinton and discovered that Mr. Belcher had purchased a .40 caliber firearm from that location, Mason said.

Police arrested Belcher in May. Mason said he told police later that he and Mullen had argued.

He had started the eviction proceedings against her, and they were arguing about that, Mason said. She had told him that she was going to turn him in for dealing drugs, and he got mad about that, and he shot her.

The Empathy Project, a Roanoke public art project commissioned by the city to draw attention to homicide victims and their families, features a portrait of Mullen. Her mother, Heather Mullen-Hutton, spoke when the project launched in November.

I will always, forevermore, wonder what she would have become, where she would have been in life, what my grandchildren would have looked like, Mullen-Hutton said. My daughter had come a long ways, and she was getting ready to fly. She got mixed up with some wrong people and was making some bad decisions at one point. Who doesnt? She clawed her way out of the addiction she was in and did it single-handedly, and she was ready. She was getting ready to fly.
The Sudan crisis continues despite the two factions involved in the fighting agreeing on an extension of a ceasefire agreement by 72 hours.

The situation threatens to destabilize the fragile nation.

The two factions previously topped a civilian government in a coup in October 2021.

The Sudan crisis continues despite the two factions involved in the fighting having agreed to extend a ceasefire agreement by 72 hours as violence was observed in the capital of Khartoum as well as the western region of Darfur.

Various reports claimed that there have already been hundreds of people who have died and tens of thousands of others who were forced to flee in fear for their lives amid the two-week conflict between the region's army and its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Sudan Fighting Continues Despite Ceasefire

During an October 2021 coup, the two factions topped a civilian government, but have now started to struggle for power against each other. The situation has derailed a transition to democracy that the global community supports and is now threatening to cause a destabilization of the fragile nation, as per Reuters.

On Wednesday, the region's army said that it had agreed to a new three-day ceasefire that would last through Sunday. The decision came after one agreement was set to expire on Thursday night. They reiterated that the truce would be extended, claiming that it would honor the agreement unilaterally.

The RSF on Thursday, responded by saying that it also approved the new 72-hour ceasefire that would begin on Friday. The United Nations, the African Union, the Africa trade bloc IGAD, the United States, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates all welcomed the news.

Read Also: President Yoon Suk Yeol Calls for Continued US-South Korea Cooperation

A joint statement said that they welcomed the readiness of the two factions to engage in dialogue in an attempt to establish a more durable cessation of hostilities. They added that they were optimistic about ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access in the region.

The previous truce allowed thousands of people in the region to flee to safety amid efforts by dozens of countries to evacuate their own citizens in the area. The violence comes as South Sudan offered to host peace talks between the two factions, and the army agreed to send representatives to participate in the talks, according to BBC.

Evacuation of Civilians

In a statement, U.S. Secretary of State said that Washington was "very actively working" to extend the ceasefire agreement. He added that while imperfect, the deal would reduce the violence happening in the region.

However, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre later argued that the situation in the region could worsen at a moment's notice. On the other hand, the RSF and several eyewitnesses said that the army was conducting attacks in Khartoum despite the truce.

The situation comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday issued a warning that there could be a "huge biological risk" after fighters seized control of the National Public Health Laboratory located in Khartoum.

The lab was thought to contain samples of diseases and other biological material. While the WHO did not place responsibility on anyone or any entity for the seizure of the lab, it said that medical technicians were no longer able to access the facility, said CNN.



Related Article: Philippine Coast Guard Exposes China's Aggression in Disputed Waters

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A Roanoke home invasion that turned into a shootout left one man wounded Wednesday, police said. At about 6:10 p.m., an officer patrolling the 1900 block of Melrose Avenue Northwest heard the sounds of gunshots from an area nearby, according to a police statement. As the officer drove toward the scene, the citys 911 call center relayed a report of someone shooting at a residence in the 1600 block of Gilmer Avenue Northwest. Police went to that house and learned that a male suspect had forced entry into the residence and began shooting into the dwelling. Occupants shot back at the suspect, who fled the scene, police said. No injuries were reported, and officers did not locate a suspect. However, police learned an adult male with a gunshot wound had arrived at LewisGale Medical Center in a personal vehicle, police said. Officers went to the hospital and talked to the man, whose injuries did not appear life-threatening. The injured man at the hospital was the suspect in the shooting that occurred on Gilmer Avenue, police said. Police also determined that the injured man and the Gilmer Avenue residences homeowner knew each other. At this time, no one has been arrested regarding this incident, police said Thursday. Detectives are continuing this investigation and charges are pending. The shooting is the 15th to injure but not kill at least one person in the city since Jan. 1. During the same time frame in 2022, there were also 15 nonfatal shooting incidents in which at least one person was hit by gunfire.

A Roanoke home invasion that turned into a shootout left one man wounded Wednesday, police said.

At about 6:10 p.m., an officer patrolling the 1900 block of Melrose Avenue Northwest heard the sounds of gunshots from an area nearby, according to a police statement.

As the officer drove toward the scene, the citys 911 call center relayed a report of someone shooting at a residence in the 1600 block of Gilmer Avenue Northwest.

Police went to that house and learned that a male suspect had forced entry into the residence and began shooting into the dwelling.

Occupants shot back at the suspect, who fled the scene, police said. No injuries were reported, and officers did not locate a suspect.

However, police learned an adult male with a gunshot wound had arrived at LewisGale Medical Center in a personal vehicle, police said. Officers went to the hospital and talked to the man, whose injuries did not appear life-threatening.

The injured man at the hospital was the suspect in the shooting that occurred on Gilmer Avenue, police said. Police also determined that the injured man and the Gilmer Avenue residences homeowner knew each other.

At this time, no one has been arrested regarding this incident, police said Thursday. Detectives are continuing this investigation and charges are pending.

Less than 24 hours later, at about 4:50 p.m. Thursday, police responded to the scene of another shooting, this one in the 1700 block of Westview Avenue.

Officers found a man there with a gunshot wound that did not appear life threatening, police said. Roanoke Fire-EMS Department personnel took him to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for treatment.

The investigation is in its early stages and details about what lead to the shooting are limited at this time, police said.

If you know something about the shooting on Westview Avenue, call 540-344-8500 to share what you know with police. You can also send a text beginning with RoanokePD to 274637. Police say both calls and texts can remain anonymous.

The shootings are the 15th and 16th to injure but not kill at least one person in the city since Jan. 1. During the same time frame in 2022, there were 16 nonfatal shooting incidents in which at least one person was hit by gunfire.
The sentencing of a Botetourt County man who pepper-sprayed police during the riots at the U.S. Capitol has been delayed.

Markus Maly was scheduled to be in Washington D.C.s federal court Friday afternoon. No reason for the continuance was given in a brief court order filed earlier in the day.

In December, a jury convicted Maly of eight charges for his role in the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021. Evidence showed he was part of a mob that clashed with a line of police officers who were trying to defend the Capitols Lower West Terrace.

Maly, 49, doused a Metropolitan Police Department officer with pepper spray during the encounter, the jury was told.

In a sentencing memorandum filed last week, prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta to impose a prison term of 15 years and eight months. To date, the longest sentence handed down in the insurrection cases has been 10 years.
The Environmental Protection Agency has ordered a West Virginia chemical plant to curtail pollution from a contaminant that made its way into the Roanoke Valleys public drinking water.

In what the EPA said was its first enforcement action involving a so-called forever chemical, The Chemours Co. was cited for excessive releases of GenX into the Ohio River from its plant in Parkersburg.

Separately, Chemours for seven years shipped industrial equipment from the same plant to a company in Elliston for cleaning. Wastewater containing GenX  a heat- and water-resistant compound used in the manufacture of many consumer goods  from the process was inadvertently released into the South Fork of the Roanoke River, according to ProChem, the company that cleaned the equipment.

Asked about that case Thursday, EPA spokesman Roy Seneca said a significant amount of investigation and fact gathering is being conducted across a wide region.

As part of an agreement with the EPA, Chemours will take steps to analyze the amount of GenX released from its Parkersburg plant and find ways to reduce the levels.

GenX  one of thousands of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS  has been linked to health problems that include liver, kidney and immune system complications. PFAS are also called forever chemicals because they can linger for many years in the environment.

The Parkersburg community has a long history with this facility and the ever-present threat of PFAS pollution, EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz said in an announcement of the enforcement action.

This order demonstrates that EPA will take action to safeguard public health and the environment from these dangerous contaminants, Ortiz said.

At whats known as the Washington Works plant, Chemours uses GenX in the manufacture of fluoropolymers, which can repel heat, oil and water and are common components of non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, carpet, upholstery and other consumer products.

The company said in a statement that its products are also used in semiconductor manufacturing and in emerging technologies such as hydrogen production.

Chemours is committed to manufacturing its products responsibly to support multiple industries, the company said. We worked with EPA to agree to a consent decree and will continue to take action to address the legacy deposition that has contributed to many of the exceedances.

From September 2018 through March, levels of GenX and other forever chemicals in storm water runoff and emissions from the plant exceeded limits set by a permit that allowed the discharges, the EPA says.

The enforcement action falls under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System, and is not related to national standards on drinking water proposed last month to reduce PFAS on a broader basis.

Mark Barker with the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, who has followed the contamination of the Roanoke River closely, said he was encouraged by the EPAs actions in West Virginia.

What other communities, like Roanoke, have been contaminated by PFAS by accepting Chemours equipment for cleaning or waste for disposal? Barker wrote in an email. Their investigation needs to expand to include all the avenues for contamination (air, soil, water) in other impacted communities.

In 2020, GenX was first detected in Spring Hollow reservoir, which is owned and operated by the Western Virginia Water Authority as one of several sources of public drinking water for the Roanoke Valley.

The first tests of water samples showed a concentration of 62 parts per trillion. In a health advisory issued in 2022, the EPA advised against long-term consumption of water with more than 10 parts per trillion.

Later tests showed that the Roanoke River, from which water is pumped to fill Spring Hollow, was also contaminated.

An investigation by the water authority and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality led to ProChem, which is about five miles upstream of Spring Hollow.

ProChem has said it stopped servicing Chemours equipment in September 2022, and levels of GenX in the Roanoke River have gradually decreased since then.

However, levels in Spring Hollow have remained at about 40 to 50 parts per trillion. A carbon filtering system reduced that concentration last summer to well under the EPAs advisory of 10 parts per trillion.

The amount of GenX started to increase again late last year, as the carbon in the filtering system gradually lost its ability to capture the contaminant. After new units were installed earlier this month, the GenX has returned to acceptable levels.
RICHMOND  Fort Gregg-Adams new name honors not its past, but its future.

The logistics and training base in Prince George County has officially been renamed in honor for two Black officers  Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams. Their names now adorn the military base formerly named for Gen. Robert E. Lee, the general who led the Confederate Army against the Union in the Civil War.

Both Gregg and Adams were trailblazers for equality in the U.S. Army, being the first to hold high-ranking positions. Officials said the hope is that the renaming of the base for two Black leaders will inspire future generations of fighting men and women.

Its been 81 years since Charity Adams was commissioned as the first Black woman in the Womens Auxiliary Army Corps and 76 years since General Gregg enlisted as an army private. Weve come a long way since then; todays redesignation is yet another example of our nations Armys progress, said Maj. Gen. Mark Simerly, the commanding officer of the troops stationed at what is now Fort Gregg-Adams.

Greggs inclusion in the name marks the first time that any military base has honored a living person. He was in attendance at the ceremony Thursday while the forts new sign was unveiled.

The retired major general said it was an honor to have the base, where he spent a majority of his professional career, named for him. Im extremely proud and grateful to the nation for this to occur, and Im also aware that since Im a living person that it imposes on me added responsibility to represent this post and the worthiness of my name along with Col. Adams being here.

I certainly hope and I believe that this will not be limited to African Americans but will be inspiring to all soldiers entering this base, Gregg said.

Adams son and daughter attended the dedication ceremony on behalf of their mother, who died in 2002. Her daughter, Judith Early, said she was still in awe over the renaming of the facility and the gravity of her mother being among the first Black names to adorn a base.

The scope of the symbolism had not set in, she said.

This base renaming really does show that it is possible that the country can be more open to a picture that includes all of our citizens, said her son, Stanley Early.

The fort has been a key training facility for over a century. Established as Camp Lee in 1917, it became a permanent fixture and home to the Quartermaster Corps during World War II. Today, the installation is the home of the Army Sustainment Center of Excellence and trains about one-third of the U.S. Army every year.

A commission created by Congress in 2021 recommended new titles for nine U.S. Army bases  including three in Virginia  chosen to honor the two leaders. The eight-person commission had received 34,000 submissions for a new name.

Fort Barfoot near Blackstone  formerly called Fort Pickett after Confederate Gen. George Pickett  was just renamed last month to honor Tech. Sgt. Van T. Barfoot, a Medal of Honor recipient. Fort A.P. Hill in Bowling Green is set to be renamed after Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the first woman surgeon in the Civil War and the only woman awarded the Medal of Honor.

The push for the Gregg-Adams name was largely spearheaded by the late Congressman Donald McEachin, who presides over the district including the area where the base is located. McEachin first met the general in Newport News as a teenager. McEachins father, Ivan, better known as Sandy, and Gregg became lifelong friends.

McEachin told the Richmond Times-Dispatch in May 2022 that Gregg was exceedingly well qualified and said it was a great day in Virginia when Greggs name had been chosen alongside Adams. The former congressman died in November at age 61 after battling cancer.

Congresswoman Jennfier McClellan, D-4th, paid homage to her predecessor, saying that his tireless work helped push on the renaming.

As our Commonwealth and our country continue working to dismantle long-standing systems of oppression and address institutional racism, this is another encouraging step in those efforts, McLellan said in a statement. Our nations military installations, facilities, and other properties should reflect the values our nation continuously strives to achieve  freedom, liberty, and justice  and their names should honor those who fought for those fundamental rights for every American.

Arthur Gregg was born in the Jim Crow South and enlisted into a segregated Army in 1945, anchoring his career in supply and logistics during the post-World War II era, establishing himself as an outstanding logistician. He later went to then-Fort Lee as an instructor in the Quartermasters Leadership School.

During his career, he commanded the 96th Quartermaster Direct Support Battalion in Vietnam, one of the largest battalions in the war. He was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation as a result.

In 1979, Gen. Gregg became the Armys first Black officer to serve as a Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics and was the highest-ranking Black Army officer upon his retirement in 1981. His retirement ceremony was held inside of a club at Fort Gregg-Adams that also bears his name, and was a segregated space when he first became an officer there in 1950 and was barred from entering.

We recognize (Gregg) and (Adams) for their courage, their dignity and their hope. Despite growing up in a segregated nation, these two pioneers volunteer to serve that nation in uniform, Simerly said. Their service ... demonstrates that courage is not confined or defined by a single race or gender.

Like Gregg, Adams grew up in the Jim Crow South. In July 1942, she and 439 other women arrived at Fort Des Moines, Iowa, to attend the Womens Army Auxiliary Corps, the very first officer candidates. Much of the actual training was integrated, but she and her Black classmates were segregated into a separate platoon.

Upon graduation, Adams was the first Black female officer to be commissioned in the U.S. Army. She commanded Company Eight that received, equipped, fed and housed hundreds of Black women trainees.

In 1943, the Army promoted Adams to major in the newly redesignated Womens Army Corps and, in 1944, she was selected to lead the first  and only  multiracial battalion of African American and Hispanic women, known as the Six Triple Eight, to serve overseas in the war. She ended her career having been promoted to lieutenant colonel, making her the highest-ranking Black woman at the time.

The inspirational quality of the two leaders that we now honor should echo in the hearts of every soldier and every American, Simerly said.
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" " The jet stream that circles Earth's North Pole travels west to east. But when the jet stream interacts with a Rossby wave, as shown here, the winds can wander far north and south, bringing frigid air to normally mild southern states. NASA/GSFC

Carl-Gustaf Arvid Rossby was a Swedish-born meteorologist who left quite a legacy behind. Rossby spent World War II training scientists for the U.S. military and gave prescient warnings about climate change. Though he died in 1957, the man's name lives on in a phenomenon he discovered during the turbulent 1930s: Rossby waves.

Also called "planetary waves," these have a huge effect on our atmosphere and oceans. As James R. Holton and Gregory J. Hakim write in their book, "An Introduction to Dynamic Meteorology," Rossby waves are "[the] wave type that is of the most importance for large-scale meteorological processes."

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They influence everything from high tides to extreme weather patterns. And that's just what happens on Earth. Let us not ignore the sun, which experiences Rossby waves of its own. So do the atmospheres of Venus and Jupiter.

But what defines these things? What is it that makes a Rossby wave a Rossby wave?
FLORENCE, S.C.  The Florence County Museum announced Friday it has received an extended loan of art painted by Florence native William H. Johnson from Morgan State University.

The paintings have now become part of the Florence County museums exhibition Kindred Spirit: The Personal Worlds of William H. Johnson.

The four works on loan to the museum from Morgan State University represent three of the exhibitions interpretive themes: Johnsons spiritual world, the world of New York, and the world of the South.

Morgan State University in Baltimore was among the first institutions to receive works by Johnson as gifts from the Smithsonian in 1967. James Lewis, an arts administrator at Morgan State, went to Washington where he selected 20 works which now make up the universitys Johnson collection at James E. Lewis Museum, now named in Lewis honor.

We are very proud to collaborate with James E. Lewis Museum on the loan and exhibition of these artworks, said museum curator Stephen W. Motte.

Two of the paintings now on exhibit were created by Johnson in Florence during his visit home in the summer of 1944, including a rare portrait of the artists mother, Alice Johnson.

The project to work with James E. Lewis Museum was initiated in 2020, interrupted by COVID, and then restarted last year, when conversations were renewed.

The loans arent the only recent work undertaken by the museum about Johnson. Last year the museum acquired two portrait drawings at auction from a collection in Denmark, and this year purchased a rare early still life painting. Both the drawings and the painting were created by Johnson during his time as a student of the National Academy of Design in the 1920s.

Motte said national interest in Johnson is increasing. In the past few years we have taken a growing number of visits, calls, and research requests from educators, other curators and institutions, and members of the public who want to learn more about Johnson, Motte said.

Part of the reason is that the Smithsonian American Art Museum has recently curated an exhibition of Johnsons Fighters for Freedom series of paintings made in the 1940s. The traveling exhibition is touring the country and a catalogue is scheduled for publication in the near future.

Florence is the city of Johnsons birth, and people expect the museum to play a role in whats happening. Continuous exhibitions and programming help us emphasize our commitment to the interpretation and exhibition of Johnsons art. Motte said.

The museum is expanding the conversation about Johnson to include a more serious consideration of his wife, Holcha, and his brother-in-law, the German sculptor Christoph Voll. The museum has recently taken a donation of one of Holchas still life paintings, and in 2018, worked with family descendants to acquire several significant pieces of Volls art, some of which are currently on exhibition.

By exhibiting these other works along with Johnsons, you build a more comprehensive view of who he became based on where he travelled, what he learned, and who he knew, Motte said.

Johnsons list of contacts included prominent authors and other artists of the time, like Alain Locke, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Edvard Munch, Jacob Lawrence, and George Luks.

He was one of the 20th centurys most fascinating artists. We are still trying to understand him, and especially to bring a better understanding of him to Florence, Motte said.

The exhibition Kindred Spirit: The Personal Worlds of William H. Johnson is on view in the museums Focus Gallery.
The Ukrainian cyber police arrested a Ukraine man for selling the data of over 300 million people from different countries.

The Ukrainian cyber police have arrested a man (36) from the city of Netishyn for selling the personal data and sensitive information of over 300 million people from different countries.

The man had information on passport data, taxpayer numbers, birth certificates, drivers licenses, and bank account data. Depending on the amount of data offered for sale, the man demanded from 500 to 2000 dollars.

The man was identified by the Cyber Police Department together with the employees of the Svyatoshyn district prosecutors office.

The illegal activities of a 36-year-old resident of Netishyn were exposed by the employees of the Cyber Police Department together with the employees of the Svyatoshyn district prosecutors office. reads the announcement published by the Ukraine Cyber Police. The man was an administrator of closed groups and channels in the Telegram messenger, where he sold personal data of citizens of Ukraine and the European Union.

The man was offering for sale a huge trove of sensitive data through closed Telegram groups and channels that he created, where he sold the personal data of citizens of Ukraine and the European Union.

The Ukraine cyber police revealed that the stolen data were also bought by Russian citizens who paid using currencies prohibited in the Ukrainian territory.

The police raided the mans home and he attempted to obstruct the investigation and injured a police officer. The police arrested the man in accordance with Art. 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine and placed him in a temporary detention facility.

The law enforcement officers seized the mobile phones of the man, three dozen hard drives, SIM cards, computer equipment and server equipment. The server contained several databases with limited access.

As part of the pre-trial investigation of criminal proceedings under Part 2 of Art. 361-1 (Creation for the purpose of illegal use, distribution or sale of malicious software or technical means, as well as their distribution or sale), Art. 362 (Unauthorized actions with information that is processed in computers, automated systems, computer networks or stored on carriers of such information, committed by a person who has the right to access it) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and on the basis of a court order, law enforcement officers came to the person involved to conduct a search. concludes the announcement. The sanction of the article provides for restriction of freedom for a term of up to five years or deprivation of liberty for the same term. Investigations are ongoing.

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NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng interacting with young job seeker Pu Huan Jun (centre) during the launch of the Career Starter Lab initiative. (PHOTO: NTUC)

SINGAPORE  Pu Huan Jun, a 20-year-old student about to graduate from polytechnic, felt that her internship experience last year left her unsupported and lost, as she struggled to adjust to the workforce without adequate guidance and mentorship.

She told Yahoo Southeast Asia on Thursday (27 April), "Most of the time, the interns there actually had to teach ourselves how to do most of the tasks, because whenever we ask questions, the company doesn't want to answer and help us.

"They would kind of look down on us when we ask questions. I feel my self-esteem has lowered a lot because I think it's important to ask questions, especially if it is your first internship. When you ask questions, you can do things better."

Career Starter Lab to help young job seekers in Singapore

In an effort to support youths like Pu, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) announced on Thursday it will pilot a Career Starter Lab initiative with the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF).

Under the initiative, job seekers will have the opportunity to participate in a three-month trial period with a company. This trial period allows both the job seeker and the company to evaluate if there is a mutual fit for full-time employment.

Additionally, job seekers will receive structured training and guidance from a workplace mentor who is specifically matched with them.

The pilot initiative aims to reach 300 to 600 youths who have completed their full-time National Service or freshly graduated from Institutes of Higher Learning (IHL).

The Career Starter Lab was developed based on feedback from the NTUC Youth Taskforce's engagements with youths over the past few months, according to NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng.

"We want to help the youths coming into the workforce with mentorship programs, in-company mentors, supervision and structure, so that they have less anxiety as they move from school or post NS into the workplace," he explained.

Story continues

Since July last year, the taskforce has talked to over 10,000 young people from various educational institutes. Nearly 4,000 were asked about the top two resources needed to transition from school to their desired careers. Most answered that they needed quality internships (31.4 per cent) and career mentorships (18.9 per cent).

Prioritising mental health in work practices

This pilot initiative is expected to launch in the second half of this year, with the support of over 100 companies, including Singapore-based integrated logistics and supply chain provider YCH Group.

YCH Group was founded in 1955 as a passenger transportation company, but pivoted to provide cargo transportation and logistics services in early 1980s.

Over 50 youths will be able to work in 15 different job roles in YCH Group through the pilot program. It will provide mentoring and support for both entry-level positions such as warehouse material handlers, as well as higher-level positions for those with more experience.

The company will also conduct regular check-ins with employees to assess their progress and mental health.

"We will then see how they are coping. Are you doing fine? Do you think there's any way that we can actually help your learning to be better, or we can even explore potentially, you know, this may not be a good role because you may feel overly stressed out?" said Annie Lam, YCH Group' head of group human resources.

She expressed her hope that the pilot program will dispel misconceptions about the supply chain and logistics industry and encourage more young people to join the sector.

"There is a common misconception that the industry lacks highly sophisticated technology and that it only involves working in hot warehouses, but the reality is very different now," she explained.

Post-IHL graduates or NSmen who have completed their full-time National Service may apply for the pilot NTUC Career Starter Lab within the current year. Companies interested in participating in this pilot NTUC Career Starter Lab can register here.

YCH was founded in 1955 as a passenger transportation company but expanded its services to include cargo transportation and eventually grew to provide additional logistics services such as warehousing and freight management. (PHOTO: YCH Website)

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Brandishing a bolt-action rifle, civil servant Sanjeet Kumar is one of 5,000 Kashmir villagers who have joined all-Hindu militia units armed and trained by Indian forces to fight off rebel attacks.

India has more than half a million soldiers permanently stationed in the parts of Muslim-majority Kashmir it controls, as the Hindu nationalist government presses a bid to crush a decades-long insurgency.

Authorities announced the new militias last year, and a deadly rebel assault in Kumar's frontier village in January prompted him to sign up.

"We were totally terrorised by the attack," the 32-year-old municipal worker in the electricity department told AFP.

Wearing a saffron-coloured tilak on his forehead to mark himself as a member of the Hindu faithful, Kumar said he was ready and able to defend his home.

"Anyone who turns a traitor to our nation is my target," he told AFP.

- 'Only one community' -

Kashmir has been disputed between India and Pakistan since both countries achieved independence 75 years ago. Both sides claim the territory in full.

India has fought against rebel groups demanding the territory's independence, or merger with Pakistan, in an insurgency that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

The new militia units, known as Village Defence Guards, were unveiled last year in the wake of a string of murders targeting police officers and Hindu residents of Kashmir.

The scheme has been broadly popular among the region's Hindu residents but Muslim villagers are concerned the militia will only exacerbate Kashmir's woes.

"My worry is about the way weapons are now being distributed among only one community," said one elderly Muslim living in Dhangri, who asked not to be named.

"Now weapons are being brandished around by young ones. This is not good for any one of us," he told AFP. "I sense a growing tension."

- 'I will fight back' -

Many residents of Dhangri, the remote hamlet where Kumar lives, are still grief-stricken by the attack that claimed the lives of seven of their neighbours, which police blamed on Pakistan-based militants.

Story continues

"With or without the weapons, we're terrorised," said farmer Murari Lal Sharma, 55, as he cradled his loaded .303 calibre rifle.

"But now I will fight back."

One Indian paramilitary officer said the newly armed villagers were on such a constant state of alert that his unit informed them beforehand of their night patrol, so that they were not accidentally mistaken for militants and fired upon.

"The purpose is to create a line of defence, not a line of attack," Kanchan Gupta of India's information ministry told AFP.

India first created a civil militia force in Kashmir in mid-1990s as a first line of defence when the armed rebellion against Indian rule was at its peak.

About 25,000 men and women, including teenagers and some Muslims, were given weapons and organised into village defence committees in Jammu region.

Rights groups accused members of these committees of committing atrocities against civilians.

At least 210 cases of murder, rape and extortion blamed on the militias were prosecuted, official records show -- though less than two percent of defendants were convicted.

Gupta said that these cases were individual acts and there was no record of organised crime by the militias.

"There is always a chance that a few may turn rogue," he said. "It's not possible to control everyone."

Most of the committees became dormant as Indian troops gradually throttled the insurgency and the security situation improved.

- 'Now there are guns' -

This time around, militia members are warned by trainers from the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) that they would be punished for misusing their rifles.

"Alongside training them in firing, maintenance and cleaning of the weapons we also tell them what legal action will be taken for misuse," CRPF spokesman Shivanandan Singh told AFP.

Three people have nonetheless been killed since the new Village Defence Guards were established, including two who died by suicide using weapons issued to the militias.

The wife of another member was killed in January when her husband's rifle accidentally discharged.

But the reservations of some neighbours have not stopped men in the villages around Dhangri from clamouring to get their own arms.

"Now there are guns in houses all around mine," said Ajay Kumar, a flour miller and ex-serviceman, pointing out to AFP the homes of neighbours who had been given arms.

"Whenever needed, I will take full advantage of my weapon."

pzb/gle/ser/qan
Chinese police launch campaign to hunt down economic fugitives abroad

Xinhua) 11:13, April 28, 2023

BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese police have launched this year's campaign to apprehend economic fugitives who have fled overseas, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Public security organs will intensify efforts to solve key cases of fugitive repatriation and the recovering of criminal assets in the "Fox Hunt 2023" campaign, and support discipline inspection and supervision departments in this regard, the ministry said.

During last year's "Fox Hunt" campaign, Chinese police have arrested more than 700 fugitives suspected of various economic crimes, and recovered 1 billion yuan (about 144 million U.S. dollars) of illegal assets in one single case, the largest amount of this kind in the past three years, the ministry added.

China launched its "Fox Hunt" operation in 2014 to pursue economic fugitives.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Donald Trump, the former president, sees the President of the United States, Joe Biden, as a "threat to democracy."

Biden previously warned everyone, Trump, alongside "MAGA Republicans," is a danger to the democracy in the country. And this time, the ex-president says the same to his successor amid the reelection bid of the current POTUS.

(Photo : Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

MIAMI, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 06: Former U.S. President Donald Trump watches a video of President Joe Biden playing during a rally for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) at the Miami-Dade Country Fair and Exposition on November 6, 2022 in Miami, Florida. Rubio faces U.S. Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) in his reelection bid in Tuesday's general election.

Donald Trump: President Biden is a 'Threat to Democracy'

As per a report by USA Today, Trump addressed the crowd in Manchester, New Hampshire, giving remarks that attacked President Joe Biden, which he could potentially face once again in the 2024 US presidential elections.

The former president spoke about his reelection bid, saying he intends to win New Hampshire again "for the third straight time." The visit of Trump comes shortly after Biden formally confirmed that he plans to take on his second term in the White House.

Trump has also expressed his eagerness to run for the highest position in the US federal government once again.

The ex-POTUS took the chance to respond to the reelection bid of Biden following the announcement of the President. Trump told the New Hampshire crowd, "We are going to crush Joe Biden in the ballot box." On top of that, he assures everyone that Biden and him, who were rivals in the 2020 presidential elections, will also settle their "unfinished business."

CNBC reports that Biden previously warned Americans that Trump and the "MAGA Republicans" pose a danger to the democracy of the US last September 2022. He also made such remarks when he ran for the presidency in the 2020 polls, wherein he won against the Republican bet.

However, Trump hits back, accusing Biden of a "threat" to democracy as well. The former president argues that the "gross incompetence" of the current US leader endangers the democracy of the country. He also claimed that Biden does not know what he is doing, saying that "basically he [does not] have a clue."

Read Also: Donald Trump Urges Republican Legislators To Defund FBI, DOJ

(Photo : Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 13: Video of former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden is played during a hearing by the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S.

Trumps Warns of 'Anarchy' if Biden Wins for Presidential Reelection

Besides touting Biden as a "threat to democracy," Trump further warned against the reelection of the current President.

Channel News Asia reports that Trump told his supporters in New Hampshire that the victory of Biden might trigger "anarchy" in the country. He also suggests that voting for his potential rival in the 2024 elections leads to "catastrophe," "failure," and "conflict."

In fact, the former POTUS also told the New Hampshire crowd that we are now "living in a catastrophe."

The 80-year-old politician, Biden, has confirmed that he plans to pursue his second term in 2024. Meanwhile, the 76-year-old entrepreneur, Trump, wants to make a comeback in the White House as he seeks to run in the next elections.

Related Article: Donald Trump Can't Block Mike Pence From Testifying, Court Says

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Teen allegedly attacks Foodpanda rider first, both arrested for affray, according to police. (PHOTO: Shin Min and Reddit threads)

SINGAPORE  Police are investigating a fistfight involving a 13-year-old teenager and a 45-year-old foodpanda rider in Bukit Batok last Sunday (23 April).

The police told Yahoo Southeast Asia on Friday (28 April) that both individuals were arrested for affray after a fight broke out along Bukit Batok Street 41.

"On 23 April 2023 at about 6.40pm, the Police were alerted to a fight along Bukit Batok Street 41. Two men, aged 13 and 45, were conveyed conscious to the hospital. Both men were subsequently arrested for affray," the Singapore Police Force said in a media statement.

Boy allegedly charged at the rider

The incident occurred outside Le Quest Shopping Mall and was caught on video, which has been circulating widely online.

The 16-second video shows the teenager, dressed in a black jacket and pants, attacking the foodpanda rider, who was wearing a blue T-shirt and dark-coloured bermuda shorts.

In the footage, the teen could be heard shouting "Lai!" (come in Mandarin) before charging at the man and throwing punches at him.

Despite the man's attempts to defend himself and retreat to his work bicycle, the boy continued to pummel him, almost causing him to fall over the bicycle.

Shin Min Daily News reported that passers-by eventually intervened to stop the fight, and the police were called.

The exact cause of the alleged altercation remains unclear.

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Sunset at Seminyak Beach. (Photo: Gettyimages)

Seminyak is a vibrant beach town located on the west coast of Bali, Indonesia. It's known for its luxurious accommodations, high-end shopping, trendy restaurants and cafes, and picturesque beaches. It has something for everyone, whether you're looking for a relaxing vacation and especially if you're looking for a dynamic nightlife scene.

A 30-minute drive from the Denpasar International Airport, the area is home to several famous beaches, including Seminyak Beach, Petitenget Beach, and Batu Belig Beach. These beaches offer a variety of activities, such as swimming, surfing, and sunbathing, and are lined with beach clubs, restaurants, and bars.

Seminyak is also a great destination for shopping. The town has many upscale boutiques and designer stores selling clothing, jewellery, and homeware. Additionally, several art galleries and local markets are selling unique Balinese handicrafts.

Foodies will love Seminyak's diverse dining scene. The town is home to a wide range of restaurants serving everything from traditional Balinese cuisine to international fare. There are also plenty of cafes and bars where you can enjoy a cocktail or a cup of coffee while taking in the stunning views.

If youre looking for a perfect blend of relaxation, luxury, and excitement, Seminyak is going to be up your alley. Here are the things you can do there, and where to stay.

THINGS TO DO

1. Visit the beach

Aerial view of the sunset over the famous Seminyak beach with the Agung volcano in the background in Bali, Indonesia. (Photo: Gettyimages)

Seminyak has a long stretch of beautiful beach with white sand and clear waters, perfect for sunbathing, swimming, and surfing.

2. Explore the local markets

Balinese woman selling eggs and other products at the local food market in Seminyak. (Photo: Gettyimages)

Seminyak has several markets, including the Seminyak Flea Market and the Seminyak Square, where you can find traditional Balinese crafts, souvenirs, and clothes.

3. Relax at a spa

Bali Spa Treatment at Lluvia Spa Seminyak. (Photo: Klook SG)

There are many luxurious spas in Seminyak, offering massages, facials, and other treatments to help you unwind and relax.

Bali Spa Treatment at Lluvia Spa from S$28.35 Montigo Spa Experience from $21.50

4. Enjoy the nightlife

Crowded street by night in Seminyak. (Photo: Gettyimages)

Seminyak is famous for its vibrant nightlife, with numerous bars, clubs, and restaurants to choose from.

5. Visit a temple

Petitenget Temple (Pura Petitenget), is a significant, centuries-old temple in Bali and one of the very few cultural landmarks at the island's upscale beach resort area of Seminyak. (Photo: Gettyimages)

Bali is known for its beautiful temples, and Seminyak is no exception. Pura Petitenget is a popular temple in the area, located just a short walk from the beach.

6. Engage in water sports

Surfing Lesson in Seminyak Bali by Nuna Surfing School. (Photo: Klook SG)

Seminyak is a great place to catch some waves, with several surf schools offering lessons and equipment rental. The waters around Bali are home to a wide variety of marine life, and there are many scuba diving and snorkelling tours available in Seminyak as well.

Surfing Lesson by Nuna Surfing School from S$23.80

7. Indulge in the local cuisine and restaurant scene

Nasi Campur, a popular Balinese dish of rice with a variety of side dishes. (Photo: Gettyimages)

Bali is known for its delicious cuisine, and Seminyak has plenty of restaurants serving traditional Balinese dishes.

Nia Cooking Class in Seminyak from S$49.15 Kin Vegan Cooking Class in Seminyak from S$64.70

8. Take a yoga class

Yoga Experience And Wellness Workshop at Nataraja Bali Yoga Shala. (Photo: Klook SG)

Bali is a popular destination for yoga enthusiasts, and Seminyak has many studios offering classes for all levels.

Yoga Experience And Wellness Workshop from S$26.85

9. Enjoy a sunset

Sunset at Seminyak in Bali, Indonesia. (Photo: Gettyimages)

Seminyak has some of the most beautiful sunsets in Bali. There are many beach bars and restaurants where you can enjoy a cocktail while watching the sun go down.

Afternoon Tea at S.O.S by Anantara Seminyak Bali Resort from S$16.29

WHERE TO STAY

$$$: Villa Ley Seminyak by Best Deals Asia Hospitality

Villa Ley Seminyak by Best Deals Asia Hospitality. (Photo: Klook SG)

Villa Ley Seminyak by Best Deals Asia Hospitality is a modern and stylish villa in Seminyak. With four spacious bedrooms, the villa offers guests a relaxing and luxurious stay, with amenities such as a private pool, a fully-equipped kitchen, and an outdoor dining area. The villa is great for families or groups seeking a private retreat.

From S$1490 a night

$$$: W Bali - Seminyak

W Bali - Seminyak. (Photo: Klook SG)

W Bali - Seminyak is a luxurious beachfront resort with stylish and modern rooms, suites, and villas to offer guests an indulgent stay. It is equipped with amenities such as a spa, fitness centre, restaurants, bars, and an infinity pool overlooking the beach.

From S$602 a night

$$: Courtyard By Marriott Bali Seminyak Resort

Courtyard By Marriott Bali Seminyak Resort. (Photo: Klook SG)

Courtyard By Marriott Bali Seminyak Resort is a stylish resort located within walking distance from Seminyak Beach. Best for couples, families, and business travellers, it offers guests a comfortable and luxurious stay, complete with amenities such as a fitness centre, outdoor pool, spa, and on-site dining options.

From S$166 a night

$$: Del Cielo Villa Seminyak

Del Cielo Villa Seminyak. (Photo: Klook SG)

Del Cielo Villa Seminyak is a luxurious villa complex located in the upscale area of Seminyak. With four elegantly designed villas, the complex offers guests a private and pleasant stay. Best for couples or families seeking a luxurious getaway, it is complemented by amenities such as a private pool, a fully-equipped kitchen, and on-site staff.

From S$130 a night

$: The Haven Bali Seminyak

The Haven Bali Seminyak. (Photo: Klook SG)

The Haven Bali Seminyak is a modern hotel located in the vibrant area of Seminyak. With stylish and spacious rooms and suites that best suit couples, it has amenities such as a rooftop bar, restaurant, spa, fitness centre, and outdoor pool.

From S$63 a night

$: Grandmas Plus Hotel Seminyak

Grandmas Plus Hotel Seminyak. (Photo: Klook SG)

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IOWA CITY  Several years into an academic career, University of Iowa research engineer Chris Jones realized his research and journal articles weren't going to lead to improvements in Iowa's water quality.

He decided to start writing about why many of Iowa's lakes aren't safe for swimming and about rivers and streams whisking soil and harmful levels of nutrients downstream.

"For me to rationalize being a public employee, if I couldn't get them better water quality, I could at least give them the truth about it," Jones said in an interview with The Gazette. "The environmental problems we have here are not unique to Iowa. What is unique to Iowa, I think, is the death grip the industry and the culture of agriculture has on the discourse about these problems."

Jones, whose wry, often-provocative essays have appeared on a UI blog since 2015, now has written a book called "Swine Republic: Struggles with the Truth about Agriculture and Water Quality." The book, which includes 69 essays  including several new to readers  goes on sale May 19 through Ice Cube Press.

Early work for ag sector

Jones retires from the UI on May 16 after eight years. He was paid $126,631 last fiscal year, state records show.

Before coming to the university, Jones, 62, worked as a laboratory supervisor at Des Moines Water Works from 2003 to 2011 and then as an environmental scientist for the Iowa Soybean Association from 2011 to 2015.

His work at the UI includes studying how nitrate and phosphorus wash from farm fields into waterways. Over the years, he's overseen water sensors installed on Iowa's streams and rivers to measure nitrate loads and concentration.

Sensor data feed directly into the Iowa Water Quality Information System, which has an interactive map online.

Nitrates in drinking water have been linked to cancer, rashes, hair loss, birth defects and other health problems, including infant methemoglobinemia, or blue baby syndrome. High levels of nitrate and phosphorus spur growth of toxic algae, which has been an ongoing problem at some Iowa beaches.

"This is a quality-of-life issue for people," Jones said. "We see people who vacation in Minnesota or Colorado. We could have those types of experiences here in Iowa if we were able to clean up our act."

Essays tackle public land, farm incentives, manure

In his essay called "No Country For Old Men," included in "Swine Republic," Jones talks about hitting the road in a 35-year-old camper during the COVID-19 pandemic. He compared Iowa's 3 percent of public land with that of Arkansas.

"Somehow this state (Arkansas), with 30% less GDP, 10% fewer people and 15% less area, is able to afford 10 times more public land than Iowa," Jones writes.

" ... If you've been to an Iowa park any time during the pandemic, you've seen the situation here in Iowa is disgraceful. All summer long, campgrounds, boat launches, the picnic areas and trails were busier than ever. Getting a weekend campsite was nearly impossible at times."

Iowa agricultural groups, including the Farm Bureau, have lobbied for legislation to make it harder for Iowans to donate their land for public use and conservation.

In "They Break It, You Buy It," Jones explains how taxpayers have paid billions of dollars for incentives to encourage farmers to adopt conservation practices to reduce harmful runoff when a few basic regulations  such as no application of fertilizer in the fall  would do the trick.

Jones and four other scientists published a paper in 2019 that showed farmers in two Western Iowa watersheds applied fertilizer at more than double the recommended rate, causing higher nitrate levels in streams there.

"The calculus on this is very simple: while the farmer absorbs the consequences of too little nitrogen, the public must absorb the consequences of too much, with these latter consequences being degraded water," Jones writes in the book.

Jones's most-read essay, "Iowa's Real Population," which got more than 7,000 page views after it was first published March 14, 2019, takes the amount of manure from Iowa farm animals and converts it into what would be produced by a human population. A map shows Iowa watersheds with enough manure to match the human populations of New York City, Paris and Los Angeles.

'Caustic or sardonic'

The essays often use analogies to help non-scientists understand the scale of water quality challenges. Jones often mixes in puns, jokes and cultural references like "Fifty Shades of Brown," the title of an essay about Iowa's animal population compared with other states.

"I do try to inject humor into almost all of them," Jones said. The humor provides a bit of a buffer against opponents, he said. And there are a fair number of opponents  or at least people who disagree with some of his opinions.

In 2021, Iowa Rep. Chad Ingels, R-Randalia, wrote to UI officials, including the then-director of IIHR, to complain about an opinion piece Jones wrote for Civil Eats saying low-income and minority Iowans are disproportionately affected by poor water quality.

Ingels disagreed with the implication that farmers are racist for not doing more to improve water quality, he told The Gazette in 2021.

Even some people who agree with Jones don't always like his tone. But Jones doesn't apologize.

"When I hear people say I'm too caustic or sardonic, I always know they haven't read Aldo ..." Jones writes in the introduction to the book. He's referring to Aldo Leopold, a Burlington native world-renowned for his work as a conservationist, educator and writer. The Leopold Center of Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University is named after the man who died 1948.

"At times I am almost ashamed to admit that this book exists largely because so many can't bring themselves to say that grass is green, and the sky is blue. At least not in public, anyway," Jones writes.

"Swine Republic" likely won't be Jones's last book. He'd like to write about the Driftless area, a topographical region in southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa and the extreme northwest corner of Illinois.

Cities with the worst commute in Iowa Cities with the worst commute in Iowa #25. Muscatine #24. West Des Moines #23. Iowa City #22. Clive #21. Clinton #20. Boone #19. Grimes #18. Des Moines #17. Johnston #16. Urbandale #15. Council Bluffs #14. Waukee #13. Coralville #12. Marion #11. Bettendorf #10. Davenport #9. Newton #8. Ankeny #7. Indianola #6. Altoona #5. Norwalk #4. Cedar Rapids #3. Burlington #2. North Liberty #1. Storm Lake
Fans of Lego toys are buzzing over a report that the company is eyeing Omaha for a new store, but the company is neither confirming nor denying.

I can confirm that my fingers and toes are crossed for this to happen, said Brian Hirt, president of the Lincoln and Omaha Lego Users Group, a club of devout fans.

If Omaha does get a Lego retail store, it would be a great recognition by the Lego Company that eastern Nebraska is a great market for Lego and has a thriving community of adult Lego builders, Hirt said.

A website that highlights Omaha development happenings ignited the speculation. The Grow Omaha website, in its weekly market report March 16, said that Lego representatives visited the city.

Representatives from Lego were in town last week touring various retail properties, the site reported.

The closest Lego stores are in Kansas City and Minneapolis. Those cities are quite a bit larger than Omaha. But there are clearly Lego fans in Nebraska and Iowa, as evidenced by the strong turnout at last weekends Brick Days Omaha, an expo of all things Lego.

The show attracted about 7,000 people to the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Hirt said.

Organizer Daniel Schmidt described it as a Lego-fan celebration.

The public could come and see imaginative creations made by Lego club members from across the country.

All of these creations that these folks have brought in have incredible detail to them, Schmidt said. They really have spent a lot of time and energy to create each scene and each individual building. Theres a lot of humor in it. Theres a lot of fun and whimsy.

Among the creations were a model of the Nebraska State Capitol, created by John Tooker, and an elaborate machine called the Great Ball Contraption. The motorized Rube Goldberg device conveyed marbles around a track of ladders, wheels, rails and levers. In one display, locomotives ran around a track, at one point passing two Lego wind turbines like the ones along Interstate 80 and carrying the Lincoln Electric System logo.

Legos are hands-on and mind-engaging, Schmidt said. And theres a social aspect, whether through the clubs or with a grandparent and grandchild teaming up on a project, he said.

Theres a lot of opportunity to work together, and also its a lot of fun to work solo and build and sort out your Lego without being on the phone, without sitting in front of a screen, he said.

Schmidt said if Lego opens a store, the folks at Brick Days would be excited about it.

We are really of the belief that the more people that get into Lego and find how creative it is and how open-ended it is, the more participants there are in Brick Days, and the more that they join the clubs and the more fun thats had.

Legos all about fun, and we love fun, he said.

The World-Herald contacted Lego for comment. The company declined to confirm the report but sent our warmest regards to the Lego fans at Brick Days.

We love hearing about Lego fans coming together for joyful play, and its great to hear theres an enthusiastic community in Nebraska, a Lego spokesperson said. Im afraid we dont comment on any of our future store plans and deliberations ... 

During 2022, the company grew its global network of stores, opening 155 new stores together with partners, taking total stores globally to 904, according to Legos 2022 annual report.

The stores included a refurbished flagship store in London, stores in Dublin and Munich, and 95 stores in China, it said.

In 2023, we will continue to make significant investments in our retail platforms to reach and inspire even more shoppers, the report said.
Guest Speaker from LSI

Mayflower Congregational UCC , 1407 W. 18th St., will welcome a guest speaker, Anna Stokes, Community Engagement Specialist with Lutheran Services of Iowa. Anna will speak after worship during coffee hour on Sunday, April 30, from 12 to 12:30 p.m. She will share a bit about the history of LSI, their services, the populations they serve, and their current needs. Please join us to learn more about their outreach!

Confirmation of Youth Service

Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3204 S. Lakeport St., will host a service on Sunday, April 30, at 2 p.m. for the confirmation service of nine youth. Confirmation is an Affirmation of Baptism. This means that the youth will affirm for themselves the promises their parents and sponsors made for them when they were baptized. They affirm that they will live following the example of Jesus, hear the word of God and share in the Lords Supper, proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed, and to serve all people.
SIOUX CITY  Sioux City lost a civil rights icon Thursday with the death of 69-year-old Flora M. Lee.

Lee, a lifelong Siouxland community activist and the first Black woman elected in Woodbury County, served on the Sioux City Community School Board for 12 years, headed the local chapter of the NAACP for more than a decade, spent 20 years with Northwest AEA as an educational consultant and special education strategist, and worked with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission and the Sioux City Human Rights Commission.

Flora Lee Student Chance Gladwin answers a question as Flora Lee talks to second grade students at Hawthorne Elementary School about Kwanzaa during a pr

In addition to those roles, Lee, whose husband, Rudy Lee Jr., made history as the first Black Sioux City firefighter, more recently served on boards for organizations such as UnityPoint - St. Luke's and Women Aware.

Making history

In September 1991, Lee became the first ever Black woman elected in Woodbury County when she won a seat on the Sioux City Community School Board. Two other women, Hannah Brewer and Cindy Deck, joined her as winners in that cycle. Before running, she was involved with the PTA and as a "reading mother."

"I am only the second Black to every win an election. George Boykin was the first," Lee said of the former school board member and Woodbury County Supervisor. Boykin actually helped Lee with her initial election campaign.

Five years later, in September 1996, she became the Sioux City School Board vice president. In September 1998, Lee took the control of the gavel for the Sioux City School Board. The same year, in December, she said she wanted her time on the board to be remembered for making a difference in a child's life.

"It sounds corny, but I sincerely mean it," Lee said.

Lee was re-elected to the position in 1999. In a Journal Q&A about one of her runs, she said she brought "consistency, consensus building and knowledge to the board while strengthening the education of students in Sioux City Public Schools."

Also in March 1999, Lee was recognized at the 15th annual Women of Excellence Banquet in the category of "Women Striving to Improve the Quality of Life" for working with young women at AEA on such issues as AIDS, teen pregnancy and violence.

In a statement Friday, the Sioux City Community School District touted Lee's "tireless" giving to the school board and various committees as well as behind-the-scenes work she did mentoring students and staff across the district.

"Flora was a lifelong community advocate who dedicated her life to making Siouxland and the world around her a more beautiful and welcoming place for all."

Years later, when she was no longer on the school board, Lee had the chance in 2018 to recognize the first Black teacher ever to be hired by the Sioux City School District, Evelyn (Walker) Freeman, with a Celebrating Community Project sculpture at the Martin Luther King Jr. Transportation Center. The Rudy and Flora Lee Celebrating Community Project began in 2015 and sculptures of those recognized can be found outside of the transportation center.

At the 2016 ceremony for Nguyen Thi Hong Cuc, George Boykin, Richard Owens and Tomasa Salas, Lee reminded attendees that great leaders can be found everywhere.

"So often we always tell our children look for a mentor, look for a hero, and we look nationally, or on a world-wide level," she said. "We forget that we have local heroes and she-roes right here in our local community."

Growing up

Lee, born Flora McNeil on Dec. 21, 1953, to Eally McNeil and Tony Mae Moore, grew up in the South Bottoms neighborhood of Sioux City and went to Hobson Elementary School.

"There were many immigrants and refugees (and it was) a very diverse area in general," Lee told The Journal in 2015.

Lee was a member of the last graduating class of Sioux City's Central High (class of 1972) and received a bachelor's degree in sociology from Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska. Her graduating class included such notable Sioux City figures as: Garry Smith, president of Jolly Time Pop Corn, Bruce Kalin, president of Kalin Indoor Comfort, Steve Struthers of Modern Kitchens, Rusty Clark, president of the former Thorpe & Company Jewelers, the late Bill Knoepfler, who operated Knoepfler Chevrolet with his brother, Charlie, Norm Waitt, who ran Gateway Computers with his younger brother, Ted, and established The Kind World Foundation, and fellow school board member Mark Stuck, Sioux City market director for Baird, a financial services firm.

Flora Lee A group of Central High School class of 1972 and reunion committee members, from left, Jeff Wooldridge, Patrick Corey, Garry Smith, Dave Mumfo

On Aug. 29, 1975, she married Rudy V. Lee Jr., who grew up in Sioux City and graduated from Central High School in 1967. The couple enjoyed 41 years of marriage until Rudy's death on April 25, 2017 at the age of 67. Flora and Rudy had two daughters, Treyla and Marissa, and two sons, Trenton and Terron (who died prior to his parents).

She is survived by her children, Treyla Lee of Sioux City, Marissa Lee of Arlington, Va., and Trenton Lee of Dallas, Texas. Lee was preceded in death by her parents; husband Rudy; son Terron Lee; and brothers Milton Crawford and Alfred Ellington.

She spent time as a licensed practical nurse at the former St. Joseph Hospital and worked for St. Luke's Gordon Recovery Centers for more than 15 years as a residential supervisor therapist. While working, full time, she later received a master's degree in counseling.

Responses

Similar praise poured out for Lee after news broke about her death.

Ike Rayford, who worked with Lee on a number of boards, and succeeded her as president of the Sioux City NAACP chapter, said she never stopped working on issues that she believed in.

"When you think of social work or civil rights, you think of Flora," Rayford said.

Sioux City Community School board member Monique Scarlett remembered Lee as "an activist, a trailblazer and a mentor."

"Flora was very instrumental in my life as both a mentor and an example," Scarlett said. "She believed in the community and handled herself with so much dignity."

Plus Lee was a role model for many in the community.

"Here was a girl who grew up in Sioux Citys South Bottoms and was respected throughout the community as well as throughout the state of Iowa," Scarlett said.

Scarlett also remembers Lee for her humor and sense of adventure. Lee was an avid dancer and enjoyed traveling, photography, and her walking and coffee dates with friends.

"It was always fun to be around Flora," she said.

While I will mourn Floras passing, I will also be rejoicing in the pathway she left for everyone who followed her, Scarlett said.

Lee was a colleague and friend to Karen Mackey, the executive director of the Sioux City Human Rights Commission. According to Mackey, Lee helped youth who weren't getting a fair shake.

"She did so much, especially for children, Mackey said.

Richard Moore, a pastor at Evangelical Covenant Church in Sloan, Iowa, called Lee a "voice for the voiceless and an advocate for many without representation" and said she volunteered hundreds of hours "to worthy groups and organizations in Siouxland."

Sandra Pearson, the attendance specialist at Liberty Elementary School, had a relationship with Lee that stretched back decades. Her husband, Andrew, grew up with Flora and their children considered Lee to be a godmother.

Lees community involvement went far beyond African-American issues, Pearson said.

"Flora had her finger in every issue you can imagine, she said. "Education, church, you name it."

"The kids always called her 'Aunt Flora' and they loved her," Pearson said.

Jeremy Dumkrieger, the former head of the Woodbury County Democratic Party, considered Lee a friend who advised him on everything from politics to teaching.

"This was not a unique experience as she was this to many of us; Flora was giving. The last time I saw her she gave me a hug; I am glad that happened. Sioux City won't be the same without her...nor will I," Dumkrieger said.

Mentor Flora Lee Flora Lee's passion for civil rights was shaped by her upbringing, family and late community activist Beulah Webb. She works as a special educ

The Great Plains Action Society's Siouxland Project Director Trisha Etringer, an Indigenous activist, posted a photo of Lee and a broken heart emoji.

Iowa House District 1 Rep. J.D. Scholten shared a like message while adding "Sioux City lost an amazing educator and civil rights activist. Flora Lee was a vocal leader, a family friend and mentor."

The first Black chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, Ross Wilburn, referred to Lee as a history maker who impacted thousands.

Denise Davis with Sioux City Area National Organization of Women said "The world, especially Sioux City, lost an icon today. I'm so happy to have had Flora Lee as a friend and someone to aspire to be like. She helped so many people."

During a 2015 chat with The Journal, Lee talked about growing up and not being able to visit her grandparents in Foley, Alabama because of racial violence in the southern state.

When asked how experiences shaped her, she said "I didnt want to live like that. And I didnt want my children to have to live like that. So, thats what pushed me here, and I continue to fight for it today."
SIOUX CITY  Northwest Area Education Agency has started moving into their new building, almost two years after buying it.

The new office at 5800 Discovery Blvd. is a wide open, modern, collaborative space - a stark difference from their current 106-year-old building.

"We're just really excited to be here," said Northwest AEA chief administrator Dan Cox. He said the modern space better reflects the organization's mission and vision.

By the end of May, Northwest AEA will be completely moved from its current building, the former East Junior High School at 1520 Morningside Ave. into the new space.

Northwest AEA provides services to students, teachers and administrators in 34 public school districts and 32 non-public schools in a 10-county area of Northwest Iowa.

The organization has been located in the former junior high for 37 years and Cox said it was no longer conducive to the type of work the AEA does. There was also a lot of unused space in the multi-story, 104,000-square-foot building.

The new building, which was formerly a call center owned by MCI, was purchased by the Northwest AEA in July 2021 for $2.76 million. MCI requested up to 12 months to relocate its businesses so renovations didn't start until last fall.

Because the building was a call center, it was a wide-open 52,000-square-foot space. Cox said the transformation between then and now is amazing.

The new space has a college campus feel, with a variety of windows, open space and a modern environment.

When entering the building, guests will be greeted by a receptionist. The central open space is a public area with a variety of different seating options, Four large conference rooms with retractable walls and large monitors, three breakout rooms, easily accessible restrooms and a media center.

"For the past 37 years [the media center] they've been in the basement," Cox said. "We're excited to give them a space that has windows and our public when they come in .. now they get to see our collection."

The main area has space for people to gather and network during events, unlike the current building. There are also small workspaces that people can work in separate from events.

The new building also has a large creative production space for printing posters, banners, floor decals, etc.; a cafe; and a separate, locked space for employees and administration.

The organization has around 275 people spread out across 10 counties. At any time there are around 40 or 50 staffers in the office space. The new building is a "drop-in" location, where those who have offices in various schools can stop in and have a space to work.

Another plus side of the new building: close to 400 parking spaces.

Cox said the new building will improve the environment of programming and reflect the forward-thinking message of the organization.

When people enter the current building, it is like stepping back in time. Cox said people don't think "This is a visionary leadership, forward-thinking agency." The new building reflects the modern mission.

The total cost of the project was $8.4 million with funding from the Northwest AEA general fund and a loan used to finance the purchase and construction. Cox said the organization will be able to pay off the loan this summer, eight years early after selling the its Sioux Center office.

The current Northwest AEA building will be converted into apartments. The Sioux City Council's approval of a rezoning request for a $17 million plan by Commonwealth Development Corporation of America to transform the building into living spaces.

There will be a final public walkthrough of the old East Junior High School On Wednesday, May 31, said Northwest AEA Communications Coordinator Pete Iversen.

Equipped with fiber optic cable and other technology, the new Northwest AEA building in the city's Expedition Business Center was built in 1999 by SOSINC Communications. SOSINC, which made voice-over-Internet network equipment, went out of business in 2001.

The building was later leased by a CenturyLink call center that originally was envisioned to house nearly 500 employees but had dwindled to fewer than 50 workers when it shut down in 2016.

Built-in 1917, Northwest AEA's current building served as East Junior High from 1917 to 1973. The former Western Hills AEA began operations in the former school in 1975. In 2006, Western Hills AEA merged with AEA 4 in Sioux Center to form Northwest AEA.
SIOUX CITY  Students at Unity Elementary School learned about Arbor Day Friday. Some students even got to plant a tree.

Kelly Bach and Brett Prince with Sioux City Parks and Recreation spoke to Unity Elementary students on Friday about the history of Arbor Day and the importance of planting trees to the environment.

As a fun activity, students in Unity's leadership team got to help plant a tree outside the school.

Unity Principal Eric Kilburn said the tree planted Friday has an expected growth rate of two to four feet a year for 10 years. He encouraged the kids to keep an eye on it and visit the tree after graduation from high school.

When pioneers began settling in Nebraska there was a significant lack of trees. Nebraska City resident and newspaper editor J. Sterling Morton advocated for people to start planting them and on Jan. 4, 1987, he proposed creating Arbor Day, according to the Arbor Day Foundation.

The first celebration was on April 10, 1872, and it was estimated more than one million trees were planted in the state.

Photos: Arbor Day 2018 at the holiday's birthplace, Nebraska City Close Joel Topham, grounds and orchards manager at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City, helps Bella Witte, 4, scoop dirt onto a newly transplanted tree during ceremonies at Arbor Lodge State Historical Park. Happy D. Klown, right, shows off how he turned Kilee Olson, a first grade teacher at Northside Elementary school in Nebraska City, into a rabbit during Arbor Day ceremonies at Arbor Lodge State Historical Park. Joel Topham, grounds and orchards manager at Arbor Day Farm at Arbor Lodge State Historical Park, asks students, "Who wants to be an arborist?" Presley Richardson, left, gets a free tree from Susan Freshman during Arbor Day ceremonies at Arbor Lodge State Historical Park. Richardson is a second grader at Northside Elementary School in Nebraska City. Nebraska City Mayor Bryan Bequette scoops dirt onto a newly transplanted tree during Arbor Day festivities at Arbor Lodge State Historical Park. Behind him is Austin Mackrill, vice president of Arbor Day Farm. Nebraska City Mayor Bryan Bequette holds a tree during Arbor Day ceremonies at Arbor Lodge State Historical Park. Austin Mackrill, vice president of Arbor Day Farm, scoops dirt onto a transplanted tree at Arbor Lodge State Historical Park. Eric Gustafson, left, and Zach Debban, right, of Jensen Gardens Custom Landscaping, plant trees at Pulaski Park on April 5, 2018. The program "Trees for Omaha," which hopes to plant a diverse variety of native trees across Omaha to protect against the emerald ash borer, officially launched on Arbor Day, April 27, 2018. +8 +8 +8 +8 +8 +8 +8 +8 +8 +8
LE MARS, Iowa -- A downtown business and a basement apartment had to be evacuated in Le Mars, late Thursday afternoon.

At around 4:55 p.m. Thursday, Le Mars Fire - Rescue were alerted to a possible gas leak in the alley of 10 block of Plymouth Street, behind the Pizza Ranch restaurant.

Upon arrival, firefighters could smell natural gas before being informed that a work crew may have hit a buried gas line when tearing out concrete earlier in the day.

Firefighters detected high levels of natural gas from a basement apartment inside of the Perfect Image Hair Salon. Both the apartment and the Pizza Ranch were evacuated.

MidAmerican Energy crews shut off power to the two buildings until the gas leak was rendered safe.

Power was restored to both buildings in about an hour-and-a-half.

There were no injuries and the cause of the incident was determined to be accidental.

Le Mars Fire - Rescue was assisted at the scene by Le Mars Police, MidAmerican Energy and Specialized Concrete.
The moment you step through the front door, you realize you have entered an exceptional gem of architecture. Designed in 1927 by an international Swedish architect, the rich details welcome all who enter. It takes a moment to soak in the double mahogany staircases, original crystal lighting and exquisite mosaic Italian floor tile. The living room with beamed ceilings is set off by the focal point fireplace with flanking Inglenooks. Peaceful, southern light floods the room. Across from the center hall, sits the large formal dining room with coved ceilings. The charming breakfast room offers more intimate dining. The original kitchen footprint has been enlarged and is currently a clean slate for you to design your gourmet kitchen. A passageway from the kitchen accesses the three~stall garage and proposed Southern Terrace. Ascending one of the double staircases on the second floor is the light filled family room. Designed to offer space for social gatherings, this original feature of the house has 6~foot~tall windows on three sides and access to the exterior Western Terrace. Also on the second floor is the large primary bedroom as well as two large bedrooms. A proposed primary bathroom on the front of the house will make for a beautifully designed ensuite. The deep basement features an original game room, two new egress windows, a proposed fourth bedroom, full bathroom, and laundry room. You will find endless opportunities for customization of this space!! Considerable structural and mechanical updates have been added within the past year including a 400~amp electrical service, new HVAC system, plumbing upgrades and a new Ludowici clay tile roof. Located in one of Sioux Citys premier Historic neighborhoods, the sweeping Prairie style design offers eight large original outdoor planters on the terraces to bring the feel of the outside inside. Offered to the public for the first time in years, here is your chance to make this significant piece of Prairie design yours!!!

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Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh accuses China of violating bilateral border agreements.

Thousands of soldiers from both sides have been stationed along the disputed border in the eastern Ladakh region.

The dispute is a result of a clash three years ago that resulted in the death of 20 Indian troops and four Chinese personnel.

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh accuses China of violating bilateral border agreements during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Li Shangfu.

The situation is a reference to the nearly three-year-long standoff between the two countries that involves thousands of soldiers that are stationed along the disputed border in the eastern Ladakh region.

India Accuses China of Violating Border Agreements

Singh's meeting with Li was filled with "frank discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas." The two officials also talked about bilateral relations between China and India, said the latter's Defense Minister on Thursday.

The Indian official told his Chinese counterpart that the development of the two countries' relations is premised on peace and tranquility at the borders. He noted that all border issues must first be addressed in accordance with current agreements and commitments, as per Aljazeera.

New Delhi said that the deployment of a large number of Chinese military troops, as well as their aggressive behavior and attempts to alter the border status quo, were in direct violation of agreements between the two countries. Singh noted that these violations have eroded the basis of their bilateral relations.

The origin of the border tensions between China and India comes from a clash that occurred three years ago. During that incident in the Ladakh region, 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troop members were killed.

That situation eventually erupted into a long-running standoff between the two countries' troops in the rugged mountainous area. Both parties have chosen to station tens of thousands of military personnel as well as artillery, tanks, and fighter jets in the region.

Read Also: Sudan Fighting Continues Despite Agreement on Extension of Truce

Since then, the two nations have had several other confrontations of military troops, the most recent of which was a flare-up that occurred in December at Tawang in the north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, according to BBC.

Addressing Relations Issues

On Tuesday, China's Defense Ministry said that Li would address the conference in New Delhi and personally meet with the heads of delegations from relevant countries. He would communicate and exchange views on the various issues of the international and regional situation as well regarding defense and security cooperation.

The two ministers' meeting came a few days after China and India concluded the 18th round of military negotiations in an attempt to address the dispute along the border. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was also expected to attend the meeting held in New Delhi in person while Pakistan's Khawaja Asif would be joining virtually.

The two nations have already ordered the withdrawal of troops from some areas near the border, specifically on the northern and southern banks of Pangong Tso, Gogra, and Galwan Valley. However, they still maintain a military presence that is awaiting orders as part of a multi-tier deployment.

Chinese- and Indian-held territories are separated by a Line of Actual Control that affects Ladakh in the West up to Arunachal Pradesh. China claims the entirety of the latter region to be a part of its territory, said the Associated Press.



Related Article: Philippine Coast Guard Exposes China's Aggression in Disputed Waters

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SIOUX CITY  A state medical board has charged a former Sioux City heart surgeon with professional incompetency and engaging in harmful and misleading medical practices.

Dr. Giovanni Ciuffo is accused of "... engaging in a practice that is harmful or detrimental to the public" and "... making misleading, deceptive, untrue or fraudulent representations in the practice of medicine and surgery," the Iowa Board of Medicine said in a statement of charges filed April 20.

The charging document says the board reviewed and approved a short statement of allegations forming the basis for the charges. The statement will be provided to Ciuffo, but is not a public record.

Ciuffo, who was MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center's director for cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, has 20 days from the date he was served with the charges to file an answer and request a continuance of a May 22 scheduling conference.

A MercyOne spokeswoman confirmed Ciuffo no longer works at the Sioux City hospital and said the hospital could not comment on the charges.

"MercyOne stands by our cardiac services program, and our commitment to safe, quality care is steadfast alongside our commitment to the fair and valued treatment of colleagues, physicians and providers. As this is a Board of Medicine inquiry, we are unable to provide further comment," Michaela Feldmann, MercyOne regional communications lead, said in an emailed statement.

Though Ciuffo no longer works for MercyOne, the charges are related to his actions while at the hospital. According to the medical board, he now lives in Nevada and has an active Iowa medical license that is due to expire on May 1, 2024.

Ciuffo trained as a surgeon in Italy and practiced in New York and Ohio prior to his arrival in Sioux City.

Though specific actions aren't detailed in the medical board's statement of charges, numerous allegations of his conduct are contained in a wrongful termination lawsuit filed in August by MercyOne's former cardiovascular service line director, who says she was fired for reporting safety and malpractice concerns about Ciuffo to the hospital's ethics committee.

In the lawsuit, Cynthia Tener said she reported concerns that Ciuffo performed risky procedures on patients without obtaining proper consent from them, performed an excessive number of add-on procedures and falsified paperwork.

In one instance, Ciuffo is alleged to have opened a patient in the operating room without other treating physicians present and failed to follow the surgical plan that he, the physicians and the patient had agreed upon. The patient died not long after surgery.

Concerns were raised about Ciuffo keeping patients who had little to no chance of recovery on ventilators and other artificial life-sustaining measures for at least 30 days after surgery to protect his outcomes statistics in a national database. After the hospital limited Ciuffo to surgeries with low patient risk levels, Tener said she was informed Ciuffo began falsifying patients' risk scores so he could again perform high-risk surgeries.

Tener said she was suspended after administrators informed her of complaints she was creating a toxic work environment, but refused to provide information about any complaints against her. She was fired six days later.

Ciuffo is not named as a defendant in Tener's lawsuit, filed against Mercy Health Services-Iowa Corp., which does business as MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center, and its parent company, Indiana-based Trinity Health Corporation. A trial is scheduled for February in Woodbury County District Court.
The crash occurred at 7:30 a.m. on Ida County Road L-51 about four miles south of Battle Creek. Ida County Sheriff Wade Harriman said the male driver of one of the vehicles was killed and the driver of the second vehicle was transported to Horn Memorial Hospital in Ida Grove. There were no other passengers.
Nelnet was among five companies to sign contracts with the U.S. Department of Education to overhaul student loan debt repayment plans over the next five years.

The Lincoln-based student loan servicer will be tasked with implementing "much-needed improvements" for more than 37 million borrowers with Direct Loans as well as federally managed Federal Family Education Loans.

In a news release, the Education Department said the contracts are part of a plan to provide "high-quality customer experience" and support for at-risk borrowers in order to prevent them from missing payments, defaulting on their loans, as well as qualifying for forgiveness programs.

Servicers that work with at-risk borrowers to keep them current are eligible to receive financial incentives or double the length of their contracts with the Office of Federal Student Aid.

James Kvaal, the undersecretary of education, said the contracts are part of the Biden administration's plan to fix the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and implement "the most affordable repayment plan ever."

"The contracts awarded today will combine more investment and more accountability to deliver high levels of service to 37 million borrowers with federally managed loans, help them claim student loan benefits they have earned, and reduce the number of borrowers who fall into delinquency and default," Kvaal said.

Nelnet CEO Jeff Noordhoek said the company looked forward to its ongoing partnership with the education department.

"The department's goal of modernizing and enhancing student loan servicing for borrowers through (Unified Servicing and Data Solution) aligns well with Nelnet's current investment strategies focused on the modernizing of our systems to ensure secure, state-of-the-art servicing platforms," Noordhoek said.

"We're excited to be part of the solution for the next 10 years and beyond as we continue our long-term mission of helping people fulfill their educational dreams," he added.

Along with Nelnet, Central Research Inc., EdFinancial Services, Maximus Education and the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority all received contracts to service loans under the new program.

In March, Nelnet announced plans to layoff more than 500 people as a pause on student loan payments was extended while the Biden administration's plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student loans was being challenged in court.

The U.S. Supreme Court has yet to rule on that case, which was brought by Nebraska and five other states that said the student loan debt forgiveness plan exceeded the federal government's authority and would do harm to those state's finances.

The White House said in January 154,000 of the 232,100 borrowers in Nebraska deemed eligible to apply for forgiveness had been accepted into the program before it was put on pause.

Of those, 97,000 borrowers in the Cornhusker state were told their applications had been sent to loan servicing companies for discharge.

Top Journal Star photos for April 2023
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP)  Abortion bans in Nebraska and South Carolina fell short of advancing in close votes amid heated debates among Republicans, confounding conservatives who have dominated both legislatures and further exposing the chasm on the issue of abortion within the GOP.

In Nebraska, where abortion is banned after 20 weeks of pregnancy, an effort to ban abortion at about the sixth week of pregnancy fell one vote short of breaking a filibuster. Cheers erupted outside the legislative chamber as the last vote was cast, with opponents of the bill waving signs and chanting, Whose house? Our house!

In South Carolina, lawmakers voted 22-21 to shelve a near-total abortion ban for the rest of the year. Republican Sen. Sandy Senn criticized Majority Leader Shane Massey for repeatedly taking us off a cliff on abortion.

The only thing that we can do when you all, you men in the chamber, metaphorically keep slapping women by raising abortion again and again and again, is for us to slap you back with our words, she said.

The Nebraska proposal, backed by Republican Gov. Jim Pillen, is unlikely to move forward this year. And in South Carolina, where abortion remains legal through 22 weeks of pregnancy, the vote marked the third time a near-total abortion ban has failed in the Republican-led Senate chamber since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade last summer.

Katie Glenn, the state policy director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, characterized the failure of both proposed abortion bans as disappointing.

Its a sign that legislating is hard, and theres a lot of pieces and parts that all have to come together, Glenn said.

The bans staunchest supporters have promised political retribution.

Since the fall of Roe, both states have become regional havens of sorts as they've watched neighboring states enact stricter abortion bans. Conservative lawmakers have bitterly made that observation in Nebraska, which has a long history as a leader in abortion restrictions. In 2010, it was the first state in the nation to ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Most aggravating to some Republicans is that the pushback is coming from inside the house. The Nebraska bill on Thursday failed when Republican Sen. Merv Riepe, an 80-year-old former hospital administrator, refused to give it the crucial 33rd vote needed to advance. Riepe was an original co-signer of the bill but later expressed concern that a six-week ban might not give women enough time to know they were pregnant.

When his fellow Republicans rejected an amendment he offered to extend the proposed ban to 12 weeks and add an exception for fatal fetal anomalies, Riepe pointed to his own election last year against a Democrat who made abortion rights central to her campaign. His margin of victory dropped from 27 percentage points in the May primary election, which occurred before the fall of Roe, to under 5 percentage points in the general election.

Had my opponent had more time, more money, and more name recognition, she could have won. This made the message clear to me how critical abortion will be in 2024," he said. We must embrace the future of reproductive rights."

Riepe and some Republicans across the country have noted evidence pointing to abortion bans as unpopular with a majority of Americans. An AP VoteCast nationwide survey of the 2022 electorate showed only about 1 in 10 midterm voters  including Republicans  believe abortion should be illegal in all cases." Overall, a majority of voters said abortion should be legal in all or most cases. That includes nearly 9 in 10 Democrats and about 4 in 10 Republicans.

An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll in July showed Republicans are largely opposed to abortion for any reason and at 15 weeks into a pregnancy. But only 16% of Republicans say abortion generally should be illegal in all cases.

Even so, Republican politicians who buck party leadership on abortion can find themselves targets of political retaliation. The backlash against Riepe was swift, with public reprimands from the governor and fellow Republican lawmakers. Anti-abortion groups demanded his immediate resignation. And the Nebraska Republican Party issued a statement warning that Riepe would be censured.

The entities and individuals who aided in the defeat of a Core Republican Value have been duly noted by the leadership of this party. The Watchfulness in the Citizen applies now more than ever, the statement reads.

Riepe did not return a message Friday seeking comment on the backlash.

Likewise, some of the South Carolina Republican holdouts shared last week that they received anatomical backbone figurines from an anti-abortion group urging them to grow a spine and pass a ban starting at conception.

The South Carolina vote came with days left in a session that began shortly after the states highest court struck down a 2021 law banning abortion when cardiac activity is detected, about six weeks into pregnancy. Since then, both chambers have advanced abortion bans at differing stages -- a disagreement that Massey, the Senate majority leader, hoped to resolve by considering the stricter House bill.

Frustrated after his last-ditch effort to break the impasse, Massey issued a warning for the bans fiercest Republican opponent.

The response to Sen. Senn will be in 2024, Massey told reporters after the vote, referring to elections next year.

Fourteen states have bans in place on abortion at all stages of pregnancy. Four other states have bans throughout pregnancy where enforcement is blocked by courts. The majority of those bans were adopted in anticipation of Roe being overturned, and most do not have exceptions for rape or incest.

In Utah, a judge on Friday heard a request from Planned Parenthood to delay implementing a statewide ban on abortion clinics set to take effect next week. Planned Parenthood argues a state law passed this year will effectively end access to abortion throughout the state when clinics stop being able to apply for the licenses theyve historically relied on to operate.

In North Dakota, Gov. Doug Burgum signed a ban Monday that has narrow exceptions: Abortion is legal in pregnancies caused by rape or incest, but only in the first six weeks of pregnancy. Abortion is allowed later in pregnancy only in specific medical emergencies. The North Dakota law is intended to replace a previous ban that is not being enforced while a state court weighs its constitutionality.

And on Friday, Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee reversed course and signed off on softening the states strict abortion ban. That change came after several high-profile Republican lawmakers warned early in the session that doctors and patients were facing steep risks under Tennessees so-called trigger law, arguing that the statute did not include clear exemptions when a physician may provide abortion services.

Pollard reported from Columbia, South Carolina. Associated Press writer Freida Frisaro contributed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. James Pollard is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

This story has been corrected to show that the votes in Nebraska and South Carolina blocked advancement, not passage, of abortion bills; and that 14 states, not 13, now have abortion bans.
Three Iowa energy projects  and their communities  stand to benefit from a proposed green hydrogen hub seeking $1 billion in federal money.

The Nebraska Public Power District, a publicly owned state utility, would take the lead in a collaboration among Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri, but five projects  two in Nebraska and three in Iowa  would "produce and consume clean hydrogen" as part of the Mid-Continent Clean Hydrogen Hub, or MCH2.

"MCH2 aims to bring over $4 billion in new economic development to the region through clean energy manufacturing while creating opportunities for skilled training and ensuring long-term, well-paying employment," according to a summary of the grant application submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy earlier this month.

The Iowa projects are:

 Verbio, a German-owned firm, has a renewable natural gas and ethanol plant in Nevada that runs on crop residue, including corncobs and stalks. The plant already is producing renewable hydrogen and is poised to ramp up, the summary states.

 Ideal Energy, based in Des Moines and Fairfield, plans to create a "hub-and-spoke network" clean hydrogen fuel dispensing stations for Iowa freight trucks.

 Greenfield Nitrogen, owned by Italian company Maire Tecnimont, is building a clean hydrogen and ammonia facility in Garner, in north-central Iowa.

The largest project of the five is Monolith, located near Hallam, in eastern Nebraska, which already uses renewable energy to break down methane into hydrogen and carbon. A new company called Meadowlark in Gothenburg, Neb., would serve as a "local access source for clean fertilizer."

It's unclear what role Missouri will play in the hydrogen hub. The state's name is mentioned only once in the three-page summary written by the Nebraska Public Power District. The Iowa Economic Development Authority provided the abstract in response to a Gazette request for the full application.

Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri are competing against other regional proposals to share $7 billion available to establish six to 10 green hydrogen hubs as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Initially, 79 applicants asked the federal government for permission to apply for the federal funding, Iowa Finance Authority and Economic Development Authority Director Debi Durham told the Finance Authority board earlier this month. The Energy Department told 33 of those applicants to submit a full application, she said.

The agency is expected to make funding decisions by November.

Clean hydrogen is made with water, an electrolyzer and a renewable power source, such as a wind or solar farm. No greenhouse gas emissions come from the process.

MCH2 leaders would like to generate 430 metric tons of hydrogen a day.

"Secondly, MCH2 will provide agricultural and transportation applications from hydrogen including producing clean ammonia and fertilizers and hydrogen fuels for trucks, rail, and shipping," the Nebraska Public Power District reports.

The summary notes the projects align with interstate highway systems including I-80, I-35, I-70 and I-29.

"The three states in the hub are among the largest agricultural producers in the USA, creating vast opportunity for both distribution and transportation-related consumption of hydrogen fuels," the summary said.
UMAN, Ukraine (AP)  Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraine early Friday, killing at least 23 people, almost all of them when two missiles slammed into an apartment building in a terrifying nighttime attack, officials said. Three children were among the dead.

The missile attacks included the first one against Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, in nearly two months, although there were no reports of any targets hit. The city government said Ukraines air force intercepted 11 cruise missiles and two unmanned aerial vehicles over Kyiv.

The strikes on the nine-story residential building in central Ukraine occurred in Uman, a city located around 215 kilometers (134 miles) south of Kyiv. Twenty-one people died in that attack, according to Ukraine's National Police. They included two 10-year-old children and a toddler.

Another of the victims was a 75-year-old woman who lived in a neighboring building and suffered internal bleeding from the huge blast's shock wave, according to emergency personnel at the scene.

The Ukrainian national police said 17 people were wounded and three children were rescued from the rubble. Nine were hospitalized.

The bombardment was nowhere near the war's sprawling front lines or active combat zones in eastern Ukraine, where a grinding war of attrition has taken hold. Moscow has frequently launched long-range missile attacks during the 14-month war, often indiscriminately hitting civilian areas.

Ukrainian officials and analysts have alleged such strikes are part of a deliberate intimidation strategy by the Kremlin.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the long-range cruise missiles launched overnight were aimed at places where Ukrainian military reserve units were staying before their deployment to the battlefield.

The strike has achieved its goal. All the designated facilities have been hit, Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, the Defense Ministry's spokesperson, said. He didnt mention any specific areas or residential buildings getting hit.

Survivors of the Uman strikes recounted terrifying moments as the missiles hit when it still was dark outside.

Halyna, a building resident, said she and her husband were covered in glass by the blast. They saw flames outside their window and scrambled out, but first Halyna checked whether her friend in a neighboring apartment was OK.

I was calling, calling her (on the phone), but she didnt pick up. I even rang the doorbell, but still no answer, she told The Associated Press. She used the spare keys from her friends apartment and went inside to check on her. She found her lying dead on her apartment floor.

Halyna refused to provide her last name out of security concerns.

Another building resident, Olha Turina, told the AP that glass from the explosion flew everywhere.

Turina, whose husband is fighting on the front lines, said one of her child's classmates was missing.

I don't know where they are, I don't know if they are alive, she said. I don't know why we have to go through all this. We never bothered anyone.

Three body bags lay next to the building as smoke continued to billow hours after the attack. Soldiers, civilians and emergency crews searched through the rubble outside for more victims, while residents dragged belongings out of the damaged building.

One woman, crying in shock, was taken away by rescue crews for help.

Yulia Norovkova, spokeswoman for emergency rescue crews on the scene, said local volunteers were helping nearly 150 emergency personnel. Two aid stations, including psychologists, were operating, she said.

A 31-year-old woman and her 2-year-old daughter were also killed in the eastern city of Dnipro in another attack, regional Governor Serhii Lysak said. Four people were wounded, and a private home and business were damaged.

The attacks came days after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a long and meaningful phone call where Xi said his government will send a peace envoy to Ukraine and other nations.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Fridays bombardment showed the Kremlin isnt interested in a peace deal.

Missile strikes killing innocent Ukrainians in their sleep, including a 2-year-old child, is Russias response to all peace initiatives, he tweeted. The way to peace is to kick Russia out of Ukraine.

Czech President Petr Pavel, on a visit to Ukraine, was unconvinced by the Kremlins past denials of responsibility for such bloodshed.

The number of attacks on civilian targets leads to an only conclusion that it is intentional, Pavel told Czech media. Its a clear plan intended to cause chaos, horrors among the civilian population.

Shortly after Moscow unleashed the barrage, the Russian Defense Ministry posted a photo on Telegram showing a missile launch and saying, Right on target.

The message triggered outrage among Ukrainians on social media and some officials, who viewed it as gloating over the casualties.

The Ministry of Homicide of the Russian Federation is happy that it hit a residential building with a rocket and killed civilians, said Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraines presidential office.

In Kyiv, fragments from intercepted missiles or drones damaged power lines and a road in one neighborhood. No casualties were reported.

In Ukrainka, a town about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of Kyiv, debris from shot down missiles or drones left holes in the walls of some apartment buildings, and a smashed pink stroller in the street.

It feels like this nightmare has been going on for two years, but I still cant wake up, local resident Olena, 62, said. She asked for her surname not to be used, saying her son lived in a sensitive military area.

Ukraine officials said last week that they had taken delivery of American-made Patriot missiles, providing Kyiv with a long-sought new shield against Russian airstrikes, but there was no word on whether the system was used Friday.

The city's anti-aircraft system was activated, according to the Kyiv City Administration. Air raid sirens started at about 4 a.m., and the alert ended about two hours later.

The missile attack was the first on the capital since March 9. Air defenses have thwarted Russian drone attacks more recently.

The missiles were fired from aircraft operating in the Caspian Sea region, according to Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander in Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

Overall, he said, Ukraine intercepted 21 of 23 Kh-101 and Kh-555 type cruise missiles launched, as well as the two drones.

The war largely ground to a halt over the winter, becoming a war of attrition as each side has shelled the other's positions from a distance. Ukraine has been building up its mechanized brigades with armor supplied by its Western allies, who have also been training Ukrainian troops and sending ammunition, as Kyiv eyes a possible counteroffensive.

Meanwhile, the Moscow-appointed mayor of the Russia-held city of Donetsk, Alexei Kulemzin, said a Ukrainian rocket killed seven civilians in the center of the city Friday. He said the victims died when a minibus was hit.

Hanna Arhirova and David Rising reported from Kyiv. Patrick Quinn contributed to this story from Bangkok.
EGU2023 - Highlights from the last week of April

Posted on 28 April 2023 by BaerbelW

Note: this is a work in progress which will be updated throughout the week. This especially applies to the notes from the sessions, so please regard them as somewhat preliminary! In case of the Great Debates mentioned below, EGU plans to release the recordings sometime after the conference ends. Once they become available, I'll include links to the ones I watched live.

This year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) started on Monday April 24 both on premise in Vienna and online as a fully hybrid conference. As in previous years, I'm spending the whole week in Vienna, picking and chosing sessions I was interested in. This blog post will be an evolving compilation - a kind of personal diary - of the happenings from my perspective.

As this post is fairly large, you can jump to the different days, via these links (bolded days have been added already):

Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday - Friday

I'll fill in sections as time allows during the week and after the conference.

The already published prolog blog post contains general explanations about the session formats as well as an outline of the presentations done by myself and John Mason on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Monday, April 24

EGU Today

Arriving at the Vienna International Center (VIC) on Monday morning shortly after 8a in the morning, I joined the swarm of attendees making their way towards the entrance. Once there and after taking a quick tour around the center, I joined my first session for this years conference:

EOS2.1 - Open session in Teaching & Learning in Higher Education

Convener: Elizabeth Petrie | Co-conveners: Michal Ben-Israel, Zoltan Erdos, Sarah Owen, Beth Pratt-Sitaula, Solmaz Mohadjer

From the abstract:

In this session we encourage contributions of general interest within the Higher Education community which are not covered by other sessions. The session is open to all areas involving the teaching of geoscience and related fields in higher education. Examples might include describing a new resource available to the community, presenting a solution to a teaching challenge, pros and cons of a new technique/technology, linking science content to societally relevant challenges/issues, developing critical thinking skills through the curriculum and effective strategies for online/remote instruction and/or hybrid/blended learning.

The session had two parts with 21 presentations all told. As sometimes happens during the first session at a large conference like the EGUs General Assembly, there were some technical glitches with the projector not quite coopeartive throughout the first part, but everybody was game and the session - while somewhat spilling into the break times - was able to conclude successfully. Unfortunately, I couldnt grab any images from the wide-ranging presentations because most of them didnt include a clear indicator that this was encouraged - and the default assumption is that taking pictures is not allowed.

After the lunch break, I joined one of the Great Debates: GDB5 - Is social media outreach?

Speakers for this session - convened by Jenny Turton, Simon Clark and Nazimul Islam - were Dr Bethan Duavies (Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography, Newcastle University), Dr Solmaz Mohadjer (Interdisciplinary Geoscientist, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems) and Prof Stuart Lane (Professor in Geomorphology, University of Lausanne). From the abstract: Is social media a worthwhile vector for communicating science and reaching non-expert audiences? Proponents of social media highlight its ability for bringing otherwise inaccessible research to a global network, spreading research to new audiences whilst cultivating a following. The public can be updated with discoveries in real-time, without the potentially modifying lens of traditional media. And with content under the control of individuals or small groups communicators can flex and nurture their creativity. But communicating through social media often requires sacrificing nuance and accuracy for the extremely short time-frames of attention and engagement. Critics also state that it requires a considerable time-investment and money, which may otherwise distract from core research activities. Amongst this is also the fear that social media exposes communicators to the possibility of derision and hateful conduct. In this Great Debate, our panellists will be asking if effective communication on social media is possible or whether scientists are better investing their efforts elsewhere. The speakers were first invited to give their initial statements followed by a podium discussion moderated by Jenny Turton and finally opened up to questions from the audience, both on-premise and on Zoom. The discussion was fairly far-reaching, including examples about reaching people with regards to earthquake hazards or how to tackle climate discussions on Twitter and elsewhwere on social media. After a short (coffee) break the next session drew a much larger crowd - not really surprising given its title: GDB2 - As climate change impacts accelerate, are we sleepwalking into the inferno? Convener: Nick Everard | Co-conveners: Hayley Fowler, Rolf Hut From the abstract: The sheer number and ferocity of extreme weather events causing major impacts in recent years have shocked and surprised many, including those working in the earth science community. We are seeing temperature records smashed by large margins, unprecedented wildfires, and floods with huge destructive power and massive impacts. Despite widespread media coverage of these devastating events, policy and public opinion still lag a long way behind what is required to address the climate crisis effectively and rapidly. This Great Debate asks why this might be the case, and critically examines the role of the earth science community in driving public opinion and policy making. It will examine the messaging, the tone and the science that shapes how climate change is presented to the public and policymakers, and look at how our community can help to drive climate action before it is too late. This Great Debate followed the same format as GDB5, so the following speakers were first invited to give short introductory statements: Dr. Philippe Tulkens (Head of Unit, European Commission, DG Research & Innovation, Healthy Planet Directorate  Climate and Planetary Boundaries Unit), Prof. Ed Hawkins (Climate scientist, National Centre for Atmospheric Science at the University of Reading and Creator of the Warming Stripes), Dr. Noel Baker (Project Manager at the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, Climate Scientist, and Activist), Prof. Dr. Maartin van Aalst (Director-General and Chief Science Officer of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute), Dr. Elena Lopez Gunn (Founder and Director of ICATALIST). Afterwards, the panelists discussed the topics in more details amongst themselves, touching on the effectiveness of Ed Hawkins Climate Stripes as a communication opener, but also about economists not overly interested in working on IPCC-reports or whether or not the climate crisis can actually be tackled within capitalism. An answer to the last one was, that we just wont have time to come up with another economics system in the time we have available. What we however can and should do, is to make the mechanics of the capitalist system work in favor of climate mitigation via pricing in externalities and getting rid of fossil fuel subsidies. Our political systems are also too much geared towards short election cycles. Ed Hawkins pointed out the we should perhaps stress the negatives (what we are supposedly losing) a lot less but instead stress the positives like cleaner air well get from meaningful climate mitigation. For audience questions, the challenge was to keep them to 20 seconds max in order to give as many people as possible a chance to ask one. Here are a few of them (paraphrased and somewhat shortened): Q: "Are we doing climate communications right or are there better ways?"

A: We have the means to do it faster, to communicate as simple as possible and leverage existing communications networks. Q: "Who is the "we" in the title of the session?

A: "We" means "humanity". Regardless of who is listening, we are all in this together. If "we" are not acting, than "we" is everybody. The Paris agreement has this as wel: there is a global responsibility. Q: "Should there be more activity to reach older people as they often lean conservative and hold most of the resources?"

A: We can all make a difference, regardless of the generation we belong to. Q: "Should scientists get invovled with activism?"

A: Yes, if they have the time and energy to do so. But some might also need or prefer to stick with "doing science". Q: "Could there be sessions for people from outside science to get them to participate in conferences like EGU?"

A: We should mix more with other groups and EGU already has many policy-relevant sessions. Q: "Should people from other groups like insurance be included in conferences?"

A: Instead of expecting these groups to come to conferences like the EGU meeting, scientists should also go to them and meet them where they are. Q: "How to deal with people who don't want windmills in their backyards?"

A: Involve people in the decision making in the form of assemblies and (informal) contracts. A sample of final words from the panelists: "Thanks for being here, thanks for caring." / "Dont try to shoulder everything on your own." / "We need more and bigger action." / "We need to be even louder through all these communciations channels." / "Keep communicating, give space and encourage those who want to go out and do the more activist work." / "Help in whichever way you can and what makes you comfortable." / "Turn science into action!". / "Everybody is part of the solution." / "Keep doing what we doing - and do more." This session really was worth to be called a Great Debate and it made for a thought-provoking end of Day 1 of EGU23 for me.

Tuesday, April 25

EGU Today

Tuesday started with an almost clear blue sky, so looked decidely nicer - even if cold - than the previous evening. Arriving at the Vienna International Center shortly after 8 in the morning, I headed straight up the stairs to room N1 in which session EOS1.1 - Science and Society: Science Communication Practice, Research, and Reflection was scheduled to start at 8:30am. As an aside and in case you are interested in the "general lay of the land" in the meeting center, check out this map showing the different levels and where each room is located (click for a larger image):

This all-day long session was convened by Solmaz Mohadjer with co-conveners Francesco Avanzi, Roberta Bellini, Roberta Wilkinson, and Usha Harris.

From the abstract:

Science communication includes the efforts of natural, physical and social scientists, communications professionals, and teams that communicate the process and values of science and scientific findings to non-specialist audiences outside of formal educational settings. The goals of science communication can include enhanced dialogue, understanding, awareness, enthusiasm, improving decision making, or influencing behaviors. Channels can include in-person interaction, online, social media, mass media, or other methods.

This session had lots of submissions and the conveners had divided them into three orals, roughly by topics as well as posters. I joined the first oral part to get an idea of how the session would be run in order to know this for my own presentation in the 3rd block later in the day. The presentations covered a lot of ground and one abstract was especially of interest to John Mason (who had joined virtually via Zoom) and myself as we could see some immediate collaboration possibility between s-ink.org and Skeptical Science: EGU23-10129 - Ongoing experiences in establishing and maintaining a grass-roots science outreach initiative; the s-Ink.org graphics repository presented by Grace E. Shepard and co-authored by Fabio Crameri, and Eivind O. Straume.

The last presentation in this 1st part of the session was actually a treat: the Katia and Maurice Krafft Award Lecture From Dissemination to Participation  A Creative Approach to Geoscience Communication by Sam Illingworth.

From the abstract:

Science communication exists on a spectrum: from dissemination to dialogue. While participation is likely to be the most effective way of helping to truly diversify science, there is still a need for geoscience communication initiatives that exist across this spectrum. In this Katia and Maurice Krafft Award lecture I will present an overview of my research into using poetry and games as facilitatory media to help disseminate knowledge, develop dialogue between scientists and non-scientists, and engender participation amongst diverse publics, including those audiences that have previously been marginalised by the geosciences. By presenting a series of case studies, published works, and works in progress, I aim to demonstrate how this creative approach can help to address a lack of diversity in the geosciences. This lack of diversity should be paramount to anyone who is involved in either the geosciences or geoscience communication, not only because it is ethically the right thing to do, but because ultimately greater diversity results in better science. In addition to my own research, I will also explore how the work that we are doing with the EGU journal Geoscience Communication is supporting others in developing innovative and effective research and practice in this space, and how this in turn is helping to provide greater recognition for science communication in the geosciences.

Sam Illingworth's presentation contained lots of food for thought as he not just turns scientific research into poems but also helps create games which hopefully will help people to better grasp sometimes abstract issues like climate change.

I skipped the 2nd part of EOS1.1 to join the Greate Debate GDB3 - The Science activist: should science get Political? which promised to be just as interesting as GDB2 on Monday, given that Prof. Katharine Hayhoe was among the speakers (who, btw, joined virtually at 3:30am her time in Texas!). Given how much was discussed in this session in the packed E1 hall it would require its own and separate write-up to do it justice. Instead, I'll link to the video once that is made available on the EGU Youtube channel sometime after the conferences ends. So, please be patient! As a teaser, here is one of Katharine Hayhoe's slides, summarizing the issue neatly:

In case it's too small to read the slide, here is the text:

As philosopher David Hume first articulated so clearly,

Science can explain what the current state of the world is

Policy states what we ought to do about it

to do about it The logical gap between "is" and "ought" can't be bridged without a priori values

So no matter how much date we have, values still stand in the way of effective policy making

After a short break which I used to finish and post Monday's write-up (see above), I rejoined EOS1.1 where I was on the list as the 2nd speaker to talk about our recently launched Rebuttal Update Project, which made for a good example of trying to improve how we debunk climate myths. I have to admit, that I don't much like having to talk "against a countdown" even if I know that I should be able to stay within the alloted 8 minutes! The presentation - co-authored by John Mason - is available here and you can read the abstract on the EGU website.

There were several other interesting presentations in this session, like Karsten Haustein with Are we past the point where it is acceptable to err on the side of least drama? or David A. Stainforth with A proposal for engaging amateur scientists in climate forecasting to name just two of them. This 3rd part of EOS1.1 ended like the first, namely with an award lecture, in this instance the Angela Croome Award Lecture titled From carbon copy paper to AI: 36 years as a reporter for the BBC and presented by awardee (is that a word?) Jonathan Charles David Amos from BBC News. This was another inspiring talk and it sparked quite a few questions afterwards so tha the session was running way over the alloted time - but nobody really seemed to mind much!



As an evening session between 7 and 8pm, David Crookall had organized a townhall meeting for which he had "roped me in" as co-convener: TM14 - Climate change communication: What policy, education, research, geoethics and action are realistic?



From the abstract:

The state of the planet, especially climate and ocean, is moving towards catastrophe almost by the day. Just two, from among many 2022 quotes illustrate the enormity of the problem. "Our world is suffering from the impact of unprecedented emergencies caused by the climate crisis, pollution, desertification and biodiversity loss." UN Secr-General, Guterres.

"Multiple climate tipping points could be triggered if global temperature rises beyond 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. This will be disastrous for people across the world." futureearth.org & Rockstrom. This town hall meeting provides a panel for speakers and participants to discuss these quotes. The aim will be to move forward in our climate change and ocean realism, even if it is tentative. The aim is to develop some kind of consensus on the idea; still expressed by some, that it is still possible  realistically  to move the needle back. If not, then what?

David Crookall started the session with a short presentation to set the stage and then each of the panelists was invited to give a short statement related to their work and the townhall's topic. Panelists included

Chloe Hill - Policy, European Geosciences Union, Bavaria

Dean Page - ECS, Human Geography, Climate-Smart and Transboundary MSP, Hull

Giuseppe Di Capua - Istituto Nazionale Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Rome, International Association for Promoting Geoethics (IAPG) & International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS))

Kateryna Terletska - Ukraine National Academy of Science, Kiev

Noel Baker - Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Brussels

Odin Marc - Environment, National Centre for Scientific Research, Toulouse

In addition Svitlana Krakovska (National Antarctic Scientific Center, Kiev, & Applied Climatology Laboratory, Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute, Kiev) sent a short video statement as she unfortunately couldn't make it to Vienna which panelists and attendees watched with great interest.

Guiseppe di Capua opened the round of statements with an analogy that climate scientists trying to get through to politicians can be compared to machinists (IIRC) on a sinking ship trying to make the captain aware of a critical issue but he doesn't want to know about it. Noel Baker pointed out that while scientists are good at sharing information about their field of expertise, they will need to do a better job of gearing the message towards the intended recipients. Kateryna Terletska explained that even though Ukraine is currently in a war, they are already working on a new curriculum for students which will specifically include climate education. Odin Marc made the point that communication needs to go directly to policy makers and that people need to be aware of the "merchants of doubt".

Audience members had been given index cards when they came into the room, so that they could jot down short questions for the panelists which I then tried to somewhat sort into topics and posed to the panelists after their initial statements. Questions ranged from who to concentrate on - politicians or the public, what scientists should do regarding misinformation and how to deal with people who fear that climate policies make life more expensive for them (to name just some of the questions discussed). The alloted hour for this town hall meeting flew past and came to a close with short final comments from the panelists at 8pm.

And with that, my most likely longest day at EGU23 came to an end and I could make the short train ride back to the hotel!

Wednesday April 26

EGU Today

Not having picked a session starting at 8:30am on Wednesday morning, I took things more slowly but was at the convention center just as sessions started nonetheless. Most tables scattered around in the hallway were empty, so I picked a quiet spot and finished up the drafted write-up for Tuesday's happenings. Once that was "in the can" I got a quick bite to eat and then headed down to the basement level to find PICO Spot 3a where session EOS1.3 - Games for Geosciences was scheduled to start at 10:45am.

From the abstract:

Games have the power to ignite imaginations and place you in someone elses shoes or situation, often forcing you into making decisions from perspectives other than your own. This makes them powerful tools for communication, through use in outreach, disseminating research, in education and teaching at all levels, and as a method to train the public, practitioners and decision makers in order to build environmental resilience. Games can also inspire innovative and fun approaches to learning. Gamification and game-based approaches add an extra spark of engagement and interaction with a topic. Gaming technology (e.g. virtual reality) can transport and immerse people into new worlds providing fascinating and otherwise impossible experiences for learners. In this session we welcome contributions from anyone who has used games, gaming technology, and/or game-based approaches in their research, their teaching, or public engagement activities.

Rolf Hut chaired the session which had been convened by Christopher Skinner with Elizabeth Lewis, Lisa Gallagher, Maria Elena Orduna Alegria as co-conveners. PICO-sessions are fun and start off with the 2-minute-madness where authors have exactly 2 minutes to pitch their abstract and to pique attendees' interest. Once the pitches are done, authors move to their assigned touchscreens where they can go into much greater details with an interactive presentation. There were both on-premise and virtual pitches, covering theoretical aspects of serious games as well as games like "Save the glaciers! An educational escape kit" or "QUARTETnary - The card game about the geological time scale" or "Dirty Matters: The Soil Game". And I had the pleasure to pitch Cranky Uncle - a critical thinking game to build resilience against climate misinformation in multiple languages! What was already a good sign during my 2-minutes elevator pitch, was that attendees laughed at the right moments and seemed to enjoy the cranky cartoons. You can download the detailed presentation here. My pitch was the 2nd to last one, so shortly afterwards we all moved to our screens and much to my delight a fairly large group had already formed next to screen 3a.12 and I spent the next hour talking with people about the Cranky game. Chris Skinner published a nice summary of the session here.

Image: Rolf Hut

After a quick lunch-break I went to room 0.15 near the center's entrance on the ground floor where session EOS2.3 - Climate and ocean education: Geoethics, emergency, fossil fuels, war and more started at 2pm. This session was convened by David Crookall and chaired by Dean Page, Guiseppe di Capua and myself. Svitlana Krakovska was another co-convener but unfortunately couldn't make it to Vienna this year. To begin with, I didn't really know what if any role I'd have as one of the chairs, so I offered to keep an eye on the time each speaker had. In order to do that, I had to sit in front which also meant that I was close to one of the microphones and this - not too surprisingly! - lead to me introducing each speaker and their abstract. What's the saying? "There's a first for everything!".

Please image or here for a larger - and readable! - version

The session had an oral and a poster part, both with virtual participation. We started with 2 virtual presentations - A journey to a cold seep: a paired teaching video lesson on how scientists study methane in the Arctic Ocean and Communicating the need for better understanding of the militarys contribution to climate change and action to be taken followed by a recording of Mapping Our Technosphere: what questions make it (and our biosphere) more sustainable?.

Next came three on-premise presentation where Fossil war impact on atmosphere air, terrestrial ecosystems, and climate: involvement of masters degree and post-graduate students in Ukrainian Polissia case study left the deepest impression for me and many others because of it's immediacy. The other two were Fostering the next generation of Arctic scientists, from five to 35 and Activism as a tool for education and societal outreach: legitimacy, efficiency and complementarity with classic science communication.

To round out the orals we had Innovative tools to narrate the importance of climate literacy, Getting to impact at scale: A dynamic analysis to guide propagation of educational innovations in climate change and last but not least Seas & Oceans: An interactive, immersive science-art exhibition for communicating science and educating the public.

After the coffee break it was time for the poster part of the session for which I had offered to "chair" - i.e. moderate - the virtual part in Gather.town. I was really happy that I had spent some time on Tuesday to get at least the basic navigation right and that I had already defined my avatar in this video game like online environment! So, I headed to the virtual poster hall for EOS sessions to see if any of the authors had already made it there via their own avatars. It took a couple of minutes to find them and to direct them to where we were supposed to meet, but eventually they all made it! This is how a virtual poster session looks like when nobody shares their screen:

The first two posters - The Making of Ynyslas: weaving hard scientific evidence into an understandable narrative (open PDF) and The Making of Ynyslas: communicating change through the visual impact of a drowned landscape (open PDF) were presented by John Mason and we already included detailed descriptions in the preview blog post. The other posters were How marine insurance causes damage with insurers aiding and abetting it!, Time to recognize the geoscience disclosure as the tool to face climate change impacts: can we care about something that we do not know? and The European Teach-In On Climate And Justice, March 2023. This was an interesting way to include posters virtually in a hybrid conference and worked rather well, once all attendees had come to grips with how the platform worked.

And with this, day 3 of EGU 2023 came to a close for me.

Thursday April 27

EGU Today

On Thursday I headed to the convention center early as I'd a hunch that the short course I was interested in might fill the room fairly quickly. When I arrived the room was still empty and I settled in ahead of time for SC3.12 - Beyond SciComm 101: what is meaningful & ethical communication when it comes to the climate crisis?

From the abstract:

How can scientists and governments ensure that their communication resonates more deeply with citizens without resorting to the manipulative tactics used by those who seek to undermine liberal democracy? How can scientific and government actors ensure their communications are equally meaningful and ethical?



This Short Course will combine insights from state-of-the-art scientific knowledge, novel empirical research on values-targeted communication strategies, and a deep understanding of practitioners and citizens attitudes on these topics. Examples from the European Commissions Joint Research Centre will be used to share practical guidance for scientists who need to successfully navigate the policy world.

This short course was chaired by Laura Smilie and Mario Scharfbillig of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. They help prepare policy proposals  often an arduous process. Here are key points (Ill add links to material when publicly available):

Most people - 80 to 100 % - think that their countries should tackle climate change yet don't necessarily pick the most impactful measures. There's an increase in the number of people who avoid news for various reasons as well as a shift from traditional news media (TV, radio, newspapers) to online venues.

The online world is cognitively unique because:

our behaviour is changed by online media - it is identity driven, with in-groups and out-groups

people are driven by negative news, getting highest numbers of eyeballs, getting shares and likes

it's an attention economy based on a choice architecture and algorithmic content creation and often ripe with mis- and disinformation

Policymaking with convictions - myside biases

own values and views from people's social groups automatically cloud own views and beliefs

myside bias is not mitigated by intelligence, political sophistication or the tendency to displace actively open-minded thinking

myside bias is a central challenge to evidence-informed policymaking

The case of personal values

Blend of biological and individual histories

Individually stable, mostly determined in early life

Priority over diverse values matters

Seen as positive, people like their values

More diverse within than between countries (under discussion)

Exceptional features of the climate crisis

Time is running out

Those seeking to end the problem are also causing it

No central authority

Policies discount the future irrationally

Question: is individual non-action paired with calls for more actions by others a contradiction?

Communication in an adversarial environment (Lewandowsky 2021)

Acknowledge emotional nuances but avoid focusing on fear

Affirm science through culturally appropriate message and by highlighting scientific consensus

Counter mis- and disinformation by innoculation or well-designed debunking

Focus on policies rather than attitudes

14 strategies to increase / repair trust in environmental policies (Cvitanovic et al. 2021)

Increase process transparency Do not advocate for a specific outcome Have regular outputs Be able to demonstrate independence Acknowledge risks and / or limitations Ensure data quality control Have advice independently reviewed Do not defend advice Allow time for trust to form Ensure those generating advice have expertise Listen to stakeholders and accept feedback Communicate organisational success Provide the advice that was requested Be mindful of local politics and political sensitivities

Due to several questions from attendees, not all slides of the presentation were shown, but I noticed three slides with quite familiar images flash by while fast forwarding to the last slide: The Debunking Handbook, The Conspiracy Theory Handbook and the Cranky Uncle game! It's reassuring to see - even if briefly - that these offerings are getting used by organizations like the EU Commission!

After the coffee break Laura Smilie and Mario Scharfbillig offered a "Drop in clinic" to discuss these topics in more details. A few of the attendees - me included - took them up on the offer and we relocated to another conference room for about 90 minutes.

After the lunch break, I went to Great Debate GDB1 - The thrills and dangers of extending human impact beyond our planetary boundaries

From the abstract:

Space exploration has enabled humanity to unlock and discover amazing things about the Earth we inhabit. It has pushed our scientific boundaries and transformed the way in which we communicate, navigate, predict the weather, monitor climate, and investigate the rest of the Solar System and the Universe. With humanitys ever growing greenhouse gas emissions and resource exploitation driving us closer to tipping points that threaten our existence, could it also be a solution to our planetary boundaries? Could we reduce our impact on Earth by exploiting the resources and energy sources of other planets? Or is extending humanitys exploitation to nearby planets an unethical option that will cause more problems than it solves? This Great Debate will outline the benefits and opportunities that we may be able to achieve through space exploration while debating the ethical dilemmas and potential risks that it comes with. It will discuss the impacts of private investment into space exploration and the potential for its regulation. Not only is this an ethical issue, but unregulated access to space exploration and a surge in activity has the potential to result in collisions and space debris that, could in an extreme circumstance, limit our access to space in the future. The panelists will also debate if humanity can ethically exploit the resources on other planets and objects in space and how we can limit our impact beyond our planetary boundaries.

The following panellists were involved with this great debate:

Dr Alfredo Carpineti: Astrophysicist and Science Journalist

Dr Michaela Musilova: Astrobiologist and Analog Astronaut

Dr Anna Maria Trofaier: Cryosphere Scientist, European Space Agency

Dr Andrew Williams: External Relations, Executive Office of the Director General, European Southern Observatory

The session was moderated by Jonathan Bamber, Professor at the University of Bristol and Guest Professor at the Technical University of Munich.

The panelists talked about ethical questions related to outer space missions like planned landings on the Moon or on Mars but also practial issues like what to do with all the waste in the form of disbanded satellites orbiting Earth. Current rules and regulations are not enforced and nobody knows how well - or not - private companies will adhere to them. As an example, once completely launched Musk's Starlink project will account for 5 out of 6 satellites orbiting Earth! Given how "well" (or not!) the "Polluter pays" principle works in the case of fossil fuels pollution, it's rather unlikely that it'll work any better when applied to outer space - unless enforcable mechanisms and rules are in place and players are held accountable for whatever mishaps they cause.

While somewhat interesting, this session wasn't related very closely to climate science communciations, so I didn't take many notes.

To round off the day I went down to level -2 and Hall X2 to the poster part of session EOS4.1 - Geoethics: Geoscience Implications for Professional Communities, Society, and Environment.

From the abstract:

Geoscience expertise is essential for the functioning of modern societies, to address many of the most urgent global problems, inform decision-making, and guide education at all levels, by equipping citizens to discuss, shape and implement solutions to local, regional and global social-environmental problems. In recent years, geoscientists have become more and more aware of ethical responsibilities to put their knowledge at the service of society, foster public trust in geosciences, and reflect on the environmental footprint of research practices. Geoethics aims to provide a common framework for orienting geoscientists concerns on delicate issues related geoscience-society interaction and to nourish a discussion on the fundamental principles and values which underpin appropriate behaviors and practices, wherever human activities interact with the Earth system.

The displayed posters tackled various aspects of Geoethics which is explained in great detail on the related website of the International Association for Promoting Geoethics. I spent some time at David Crookall's and Pimnutcha Promduangsri's Geoethics values clarification: A playable poster which proved a bit of a challenge for me as they task viewers to pick and rank geoethical principles and underlying values and to then give their picks "some thoughts". You can check it out yourself here. Based on the number of people milling around and engaging with the poster, it seemed to be quite popular.

This concluded day #4 at EGU 2023 for me.

Friday April 28

EGU Today

Its always quite amazing, how quickly time flies when at a conference like the EGU's annual meeting! So here is my account for Friday, the 5th and therefore last day of this years General Assembly!

I started the day with short course SC3.18 - Non-academic stakeholders and sectors: who are they, why should we care and how do we engage with them? as that looked quite applicable to the work we do here at Skeptical Science.

From the abstract: Research institutes, universities, and academic societies are key agents of economic and social progress. The research that they undertake should inform critical decisions leading to the advancement of society and the solution to local and global issues, such as the usage of natural resources, resilience to geohazard impacts, climate change mitigation actions, and other societal challenges that shape our future. Knowing how to generate effective and efficient interactions with stakeholders is also essential for career advancement; it helps promote the research by increasing its impact and is now demanded by most funding agencies. However, science is often created and shared in silos, limiting research impact and potential societal progress. Breaking down these silos requires more than just expanding our academic network and working across disciplines. It requires us as scientists and as a scientific community to engage more with other sectors and stakeholders. But where do we start?

Speakers in this short course were:

Jenny Turton, Arctic Frontiers, Norway

Glen Burridge, European Federation of Geologists, Belgium

Munira Raji

Marco Masia, University of Vienna, Austria

The short course started with remarks and presentations from the speakers with convener Jenny Turton providing an introduction to set the stage with a slide showing the various stakeholders for science & research:

Why should scientists engage with these stakeholder?

They are directly impacted by your research - it is your duty to engage e.g. via science outreach and communication

Development of ideas and science progression

Science that makes a difference, e.g. via policy involvements or start-ups

How to meet and approach stakeholders?

At conferences - EGU has exhibtors, policy working groups, journalists

Research councils sometimes have calls to fund projects in collaboration with businesses

Science-Policy Pairing schemes

Non-academic scientists

Experts in short courses like this one!

Next, Glenn Burridge made some very interesting points about different groups of stakeholders and what they want as customers of geoscientis:

Engineers - want to build something specific and for example need to know the ground conditions and if they are viable for what gets build

Investors - might be inclined to provide funds but want a viable project, financially, socially and environmentally. It should also be sustainable in the longer run

Communities - have a voice in what you are doing. They want to know what brings benefits to their lives and reduces their risk to a minimum.

Media - prepared to translate your message but want to know what scientists are talking about

Policymakers - they have a job to do and want topics with positive impact for (European) society, they want wise counsel and a vision

And they all want assurance about risks!

He also had a very good list of recommendations:

Get into the mind of your stakeholders

What do they need to do their jobs?



To make a decision => create options, identify values, weigh uncertanty

Craft your messaging accordingly.

Highlight how you can uniquely help them through your solutions. Create a pathway.



Make efforts to speak their language and see world through their eyes

Capitalise on the most engaging mechanisms available.

Whats newsworthy / vital / familiar/ awe-inspriing!



Create emotion, think like a marketer. Use cool visuals, create wonder, tell a story!

Where possible, work in coalitions

Creates gravitas, spreads efforts and creates opportunity for greater collective impact



Capitalise on wisdom of diversity to strengthen message and appeal

Next, Munira Raji talked about why and how to engage with scientific stakeholders:

Why will your research benefit from the engagement with targeted stakeholders?

Define the prupose of your engagement and why your are engaging with them

Why will these stakeholders benefit or be influenced by your research?

Research impact is an effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life.

Marco Masia briefly talked about the role of scientists in society:

They can have a very positive effect

See society as a network with nodes which are connected to periphery. What happens in one node has impacts on the rest of the network (with different levels of impact, depending on how relevant the node is)

Establishing connections from science to other communities

Personal level why to engage - you want to give back to society, you do it for money

Several questions were raised by attendees of the session, here are two of them:

Is there a directory of stakeholders?

No, unfortunately not!

Attending workshops might be an option

Can be a laborious process to create.

Try becoming a node to connect people

Map out groups, identify the important nodes

its a bit like a dating exercise, develop trust with people you already know, 2nd order links - the friend of a friend - often work best, good faith activities, trust

How to balance slowly building trust with the need for quick action?

Find the node most likely having the most impact

See who the influencers are and become useful for them

Not everybody has to do everything, pick and chose according to your own preferences

We need to help and support each other and that includes institutional support for these kind of activities

This for sure was a very valuable short course to attend!

Next I went to EOS1.4 - Science communication and citizen science to increase risk perception and awareness but as the orals presented in that session were not too closely related to my main focus I only listened with half an ear and actually used the time to get a head-start on todays write-up!

After a quick lunch - courtesy of the press center (as a science blooger I had media accredation for the conference in addition to my regular registration) - I went to my only science-related session of the week: CL3.2.1 - Towards a net-zero world: remaining carbon budgets, mitigation pathways and implications for policy.

From the abstract:

Remaining carbon budgets specify the maximum amount of CO2 that may be emitted while stabilizing warming at a particular level (such as the 1.5C or 2.0C target), and are thus of high interest to the public and policymakers. Estimates of the remaining carbon budget come with associated uncertainties, which increase in relative terms as more ambitious targets are being considered, or as emission reductions continue to be delayed. As a result, practical implementation of remaining carbon budgets is challenging. This session aims to further our understanding of the climate response under various emission scenarios that aim to inform the goals of the Paris Agreement, with particular interest in emission pathways entailing net-zero targets. We invite contributions that use a variety of tools, including fully coupled Earth System Models (ESMs), Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs), or simple climate model emulators, that advance our knowledge of remaining carbon budgets, net-zero targets, and policy implications.

I have to admit that most of the presentations about carbon budgets, emission scenarios, achieving net-zero, TCRE, ZEC, CMIP7 and what-not flew straight over my head! That at least one speaker seemed to think that this was a speed-talking competition didn't really help! The main reason for joining this particular session was Stefan Rahmstorf's contribution Assessing ExxonMobils global warming projections which had been planned as an on-premise talk. Unfortunately, he already had to leave Vienna in the morning, and because of that joined virtually via Zoom (good thing that the conference is now fully hybrid!).

In his talk, Stefan Rahmstorf summarized the paper he had published together with Geoffrey Supran and Naomi Oreskes in January 2023 (Supran et al. 2023) showing that most of the projections by Exxon and ExxonMobil Corp scientists between 1977 and 2003 accurately forecast warming consistent with subsequent observations. Their projections were also consistent with, and at least as skillful as, those of independent academic and government models. When the paper came out in January, Geoffrey Supran explained their findings in a Twitter thread which we republished in a blog post: New paper: Assessing ExxonMobils global warming projections. You can see most of the slides from today's presentation in that blog post.

This was one of the very last sessions of EGU23 and numbers of attendees in the room had already dwindeled throughout the afternoon as people needed to leave for their trip home. I stayed until the "very end" as I won't be heading back until Sunday.

Final thoughts

As in previous years, I enjoyed participating in the EGU's General Assembly a lot. I made new connections, "ran into" people accidentally - namely Stefan Rahmstorf and Peter Doran - and briefly met "Hoskibui" who some may remember from his contributions to Skeptical Science, especially his translations into Icelandic. On several occasions, I got nice remarks about what we do here on Skeptical Science and I could make others aware of our website and offerings. Quite a few people already knew about and liked Cranky Uncle (anybody surprised?), while others will have heard about him for the first - but hopefully - not the last time. Bottom line for me is that I'm already looking forward to next year's EGU meeting, although I'll then most likely participate virtually from April 14 to 19. And with that, it's a wrap!
This is part of Say Yes to the Mess, a pop-up Slate series on the unsettled state of the American wedding in 2023.

About three weeks ago, I got marriedfor the second time. Like about 1 in 5 people who will wed this year in the U.S., I legally accepted a second person as my spouse, something I suspected Id never do. And I have to tell you: It was the absolute best.

This is a surprising development. In my late 20s, I insisted Id dump anyone who proposed to me. So, there was no proposal from my ex the first time aroundmore like a dare that stuck. And no engagement ring, which was fine, because I obviously didnt want one. (I was no ones property!) I was in opposition to everything, and completely distrustful of anything that whiffed of romance. My stance toward nearly everything wedding-oriented was indifference. You can ask my ex-husband, who basically planned our entire wedding.

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This time around, I really didnt care about much of anything other than being married to Stefan, the man who is now my husband. We had planned to get married at the Brooklyn City Clerks office in July, before the two celebratory parties weve plannedlunch parties!were to take place. (My ex was so good at planning my first wedding, I asked him to do the seating arrangements.) But then, in March, I asked Stefan, who is German: Do you want to get married in April before you go back to Berlin? I do, he said. We made an appointment shortly after, while my daughter was out of school for spring break. It was a breezeshe was there as well as my best friend, who served as our witness. It took two minutes. And poof! I had the second husband of my dreams.

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It was easy to be this relaxed about my second time around the block because both Stefan and I had much more traditional first weddings. When I think of my first wedding, I think of an event where my then-husband and I tried hard to find ways to break tradition while still having a wedding. It meant ceding to some of my parents wishes (they paid), being annoyed about some required family invites, puzzling over flowers on a budget. We had a ceremony, but made it a standing ceremony so it was less formal and different. We also had SO MANY speechesat the rehearsal, during the ceremony, then at the dinner. (Oy, our best mans speech was a nightmare. It sounded like a eulogy for my husband, and I was a footnote.) Dont get me wrongwe had a blast. But I never wanted to do that again. And after my divorce, it seemed inconceivable to me that I ever would.

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Now, at 47, I do not give a shit about anything except what I know will make my partner and I happy. I dont think I had any idea what would make me happy at 31, when I was married the first time. Everything was wide open, full of potential, just question marks everywhere. In midlife, things can be a lot clearer and everything is less fraught. That means that when Stefan got down on one knee and proposed to me with a ring designed by the woman who made Taylor Swifts ring on the cover of Red (Taylors Version)a little tribute to my Swiftie daughterI didnt balk in disgust. I teared up and said yes immediately and put that ring on my finger. I love it!

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What Im trying to say is: Romance isnt political to me anymore. I dont have to hate on it or mistrust it because my sense of myself, and the world, is a lot more formed. This is what younger people have to look forward to, or at least younger people who are like I was. It makes a lot of things easierespecially wedding planning.

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And we are still doing those lunches. In New York, our lunch will be at the restaurant in Manhattan where we first met; in Berlin, a cool pizza place near Stefans apartment. All in all, about 110 people across two cities will celebrate with us. But lunch is all it isa buffet with fancy pizza and seasonal fare in New York, family-style pizza in Berlin. No dancing. No cake. No speeches. No gifts (we dont need anything!). No hard alcohol. Not even a playlist! And, nope: no flowers. Its gonna be a nice lunch with good food. We dont have to think about anything except showing up and running the credit card at the end. (And yes, thanks to the fact that we are solidly in midlife, we have been able to budget for this ourselves.)

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Dont misunderstand me: I love big traditional weddings, and goth weddings in the woods (I went to one! It was awesome!), destination weddings, and everything in between. I hope I am invited to many of them in this second part of my life. If you invite me, I will buy you a very nice gift (with apologies to my colleagues)! I will dance at your wedding, give a toast if you want me to, or sit next to your estranged aunt. I will have no judgments about anyones choices and will devote myself to celebrating and making life easier for the bride and groom. But for me, now, the simplest thing feels right. I look forward to seeing whoever can make it to lunch. I will be having a blast.
On Wednesday, Disney escalated its battle with Ron DeSantis by filing a lawsuit to attempt to stop the Florida governors efforts to revoke the companys control over the district it self-governs. The lawsuit is styled as yet another noble effort in Disneys battle with DeSantis, and specifically as a fight for freedom of speech against DeSantis anti-LGBTQ censorship. The complaint leans heavily on First Amendment rhetoric, but free expression is not its lead theory of the case. Rather, Disney centers a claim that Florida violated its rights under the Constitutions contracts clause by voiding agreements that wouldve preserved its right to self-governance as its main argument for retaining the right to its land and properties.

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Its easy to see why Disneys excellent lawyers from big law firms WilmerHale and OMelveny are trying to frame this through the lens of free speech: Federal courts are reluctant to strike down otherwise valid laws because they might be pretext for the suppression of speech. But this case is more about contract law than free expression. And by invoking the Constitutions contracts clause, and leaning on it so heavily, Disney is playing with fire. There is a reason this provision has sat moribund for nearly a century: Interpreted broadly, it could give courts immense power to help corporations and employers escape regulation. The federal judiciary should not be handed another open-ended invitation to halt progress at the behest of the unscrupulous and powerfulwhich, free speech gestures aside, is what this is.

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Disneys DeSantis saga began when the company publicly opposed a bill barring public school teachers from discussing LGBTQ people, families, and issues in class. The governor retaliated through a flurry of legislative action that has culminated in an effort to abolish Disneys self-governance. For 55 years, the company has controlled the area in which it operates, known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, through a board allied with Disney. As part of his feud, DeSantis signed legislation replacing the Reedy Creek board with a new commission, whose members he would appoint. Shortly before the Reedy Creek board turned over the reins, though, it executed an agreement with Disney granting the company continued authority over its properties and stripping the DeSantis commission of almost all its power. By its own terms, the agreement continues until 21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III.

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It appears that Disney and the Reedy Creek board followed all applicable laws in drafting, publicizing, and executing this contract. They even advertised it through two public notices in the Orlando Sentinel, as required by Florida statute. The governor and his allies just missed it. But they would not accept that they were outplayed; instead, DeSantis new commission issued a declaration attempting to void the agreement. That move led Disney to file this suit in federal court.

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But the company did not ask the court to simply enforce their contract as written. Instead, it accused state officials of violating the Constitution by voiding the agreement. Its primary theory is that these officials ran afoul of the contracts clause, which says that no state may pass a law impairing the obligation of contracts. The most recent Supreme Court case that Disney could cite to support this argument is from 1902, so understanding it requires a brief history lesson.

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The contracts clause became a tool of mischief during the Lochner era, the period from the 1890s to the 1930s when the Supreme Court routinely invalidated health, safety, and economic regulations. The clause fit neatly into the courts conception of a constitutional liberty of contract that sharply limited state oversight of the marketplace. During this period, for instance, SCOTUS repeatedly used the contracts clause to preserve private monopolies over the water supply, preventing local governments from constructing their own water works. It also struck down a Kansas law, enacted during a financial panic, that let mortgage-holders stay in their homes for several months after foreclosure.

During the Great Depression, both Congress and the states passed a number of laws to assist impoverished families that appeared vulnerable to legal challenges under the contracts clause. At the time, the twilight of the Lochner era, the court regularly struck down regulations designed to protect working people, like minimum wage requirements. So it was an ominous sign when the Supreme Court took up a challenge to a Minnesota law enacted in response to the Depression. The statute gave residents who defaulted on their mortgage two extra years to reclaim their homes after foreclosure.

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Surprisingly, in 1934, the Supreme Court upheld the law by a 54 vote, announcing a new rule that states could alter contracts so long as they did so in a reasonable and appropriate way. Ever since, the contracts clause has largely sat dormant, subsumed to modern societys greater interest in sensible regulation. Most recently, in 2018, the Supreme Court passed up an opportunity to revive the clause.

Just five years later, the Supreme Court looks very differentfar more eager to turbocharge constitutional provisions with radical new readings that curb governments power to protect their citizens. Plaintiffs have taken note. During the pandemic, landlords, developers, and real estate associations flooded the courts with lawsuits claiming that various COVID-19 orders  especially eviction moratoria, rent stabilization laws, and wage increasesviolated the contracts clause. Anti-vaxxers also urged the courts to wield the contracts clause against vaccine mandates. The vast majority of these claims failed. But some conservative judges leveraged eviction restrictions to resuscitate Lochner-era ideas about freedom of contract.

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Disney has no good reason to join this game. By all appearances, the company executed a valid contract with the Reedy Creek board, adhering to every procedural rule in the book. If DeSantis hand-picked commission wont honor it, Disney can ask a court to enforce its terms as writtenit doesnt need to go this route to preserve its autonomy. It can also pursue its First Amendment claim by building a case that the governors allies retaliated against its protected expression. There is no need to open Pandoras box by launching an assault on states broader power to modify contracts. The Supreme Courts conservative supermajority has given itself enough reasons to bring back the deregulatory zeal of the Lochner era.

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Disney should not hand it another one. The consequences could be severe given the legal climate; the contracts clause cases just keep on coming. Hotels cite the clause to battle severance pay for workers and rehire of laid-off employees. Delivery apps used it to combat caps on the amount of commission cash they can extract from restaurants. Corporations deployed it to fight data privacy laws. Police unions have seized upon it to hobble disciplinary procedures and conceal records of misconduct from the public.

These arguments have not yet carried the day in court. But plaintiffs keep raising them, because it is impossible to know how far SCOTUS will go to implement conservative policies from the bench. Thats why far-right anti-government groups like the New Civil Liberties Alliance encouraged the Supreme Court to use the COVID eviction cases to reinvigorate the clause: They sense an opportunity to restore it as a cudgel against progressive regulation. It would be a sadly ironic victory if the House of Mouses enlightened quest for justice empowered the courts to resurrect this dangerous zombie legal doctrine.
Telegram is banned in Brazil yet again, and it might leave the Latin American country soon, according to the founder of the messaging app, Pavel Durov.

The Telegram founder issued such remarks in response to a new local court order, which bans the privacy-focused platform in the entire Brazilian country for the second time.

(Photo : YURI KADOBNOV/AFP via Getty Images)

An illustration picture taken through a magnifying glass on April 17, 2018 in Moscow shows the icon of the popular messaging app Telegram on a smart phone screen.

Telegram Might Leave Brazil Amid New Court Ban

According to 9to5 Mac, the end-to-end encrypted messaging service may be on the verge of Brazil in response to a recent court ban, no less than the Telegram founder says. The ban, imposed by a Brazilian judge earlier this week, has left the future of the privacy-focused app in the country in doubt.

Durov suggested that the company may have no choice but to leave Brazil altogether. The Telegram founder issued his statement on his channel. He notes that in instances wherein the laws or regulations conflict with their mission, they may have to exit certain markets.

The founder points out that countries, such as Russia, Iran, and China, have previously banned Telegram as the service attempts to uphold its stand on safeguarding the human rights of its users.

Durov says that as much as it is unfortunate for him, leaving Brazil will still be "preferable to the betrayal of our users and the beliefs we were founded on."

The founder and CEO of Telegram are now raising the potential move of leaving the country if ever the laws of Brazil continue to go against the belief of the messaging app.

9to5 Mac notes that users in Brazil may no longer access Telegram following the new court order. If ever they really want to do so, they need to use tools like VPNs or proxy servers.

Read Also: Brazil Axe Attack: 4 Pre-school Students Killed, at Least 5 More Wounded

(Photo : Carl Court/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 25: A close-up view of the Telegram messaging app is seen on a smart phone on May 25, 2017 in London, England. Telegram, an encrypted messaging app, has been used as a secure communications tool by Islamic State.

Why Did Brazil Ban Telegram Again?

As per the Associated Press News, the Brazilian federal judge temporarily suspended the operations of Telegram in the country following an inquiry into school attacks.

Authorities in Brazil were investigating the existence of neo-Nazi groups in the end-to-end encrypted service. The court ordered Telegram to provide the complete data of the users in the anti-semitic group chats.

The New York Times reports that the tech firm told the police that they could no longer retrieve the data of the neo-Nazi group chats. Telegram explains that users have already deleted the said group chats on the platform. And with that, the messaging service told the authorities that retrieving the information is already impossible.

Durov further adds in his recent statement that the request of the local court is "technologically impossible."

And as such, the local court has already banned Telegram in the country, which also requires Google Play Store and Apple App Store to kick out the messaging app.

Related Article: Brazil Floods, Landslides Kill 44, Prompt Frantic Search for Dozens

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
On Tuesday, Politico reported that Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, within days of his 2017 confirmation, sold a property to Brian Duffy, the chief executive of Greenberg Traurig, one of the nations biggest law firms with a robust practice before the high court. Gorsuch reported on his financial disclosure form a gain of between $250,000 and $500,000 for the sale of his 20 percent share of the property.

Remarkably, in making that disclosure, he left blank the name of the buyer. And it turns out that the property had sat on the market for two years. Since the sale, the Politico story reports, Duffys law firm has been involved in at least 22 cases before or presented to the court.

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The word corruption need hardly be written here for its specter to appear. Following so quickly on the heels of ethical breaches by Justice Clarence Thomas, Gorsuchs extraordinary omission presents obvious dangers. The foundation for a society governed by law is public trust in people who govern, including judges who interpret and apply the law. Any whiff of misconduct for personal gain at the pinnacle of legal authority corrodes that trust with a vengeance.

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The United States Code requires a federal judge, including a Supreme Court justice, to disqualify himself in any proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonably be questioned. Under the Ethics in Government Act, there is a civil penalty of $71,316 for willful violations of financial disclosure requirements and the potential of being referred to the Justice Department under criminal statutes for supplying false information on any financial disclosure report.

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Normally, there are checks and balances in place to prevent and punish this kind of thing. The presidents veto power, Congress impeachment powers, and the courts powers to strike down laws and executive orders were all designed to prevent individuals from abusing the privileges of their perches in government. The justices are not meant to be immune from this system.

Indeed, in Federalist 51, James Madison, describing the need for constraints on each branch by the other, expressly recognized the special dangers in the judicial department because of the permanent tenurethe lifetime appointmentsof its members. If men were angels, Madison wrote, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. But Gorsuch, Thomas, and Chief Justice John Roberts have acted as if the need for checks and balances only applies to the other branches and to judges other than the justices of the high court.

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Theres a remarkable historical irony here. In March 1983, Gorsuchs mother, Anne Gorsuch Burford, was President Ronald Reagans administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Congress issued her a subpoena for documents as it investigated allegations that she had withheld funds from a Superfund cleanup site in Californiaan action she allegedly took to damage the reelection prospects of Democratic California Gov. Jerry Brown.

Burford refused to respond to the subpoena. She acted precisely as if she could violate constitutional rules and anti-corruption norms with impunity.

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Fortunately, in that interbranch conflict between Congress and the executive branch, the governments checks and balances worked; the rule of law held. In a bipartisan 259105 vote, the House cited Burford for contempt, and she stepped down from office. By report, her young son Neil told her she never should have resigned.

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On April 23, Roberts followed in Burfords footsteps and declined the invitation of Senate Judiciary Committee chair Dick Durbin to testify about reported ethical breaches and the need for a code of professional conduct for the Supreme Court. Roberts did not defend the misconduct or argue that Congress had no proper oversight role. Rather, his letter relied on the relatively few times that a chief justice has testified before Congress.

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Notably, he failed to mention either that simultaneous ethical breaches by two justices are unprecedented or the 92 timesaccording to Durbinthat sitting Supreme Court justices have appeared. The obvious next step is to invite other justices to testify, as well as Harlan Crow and Brian Duffy, and to raise the ante if they decline.

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Congress has the authority to tighten the justices financial disclosure requirements, ban gifts to justices entirely, and introduce an enforceable ethics code to rein in the kinds of ethical transgressions that journalists have brought to light. The reality, however, is that House and Senate Republicans are sure to be the ethically challenged courts enablers and to block such measures.

Still, Durbin and his colleagues have avenues to pursue. There is something significant to be gained by the Senate asserting its constitutional responsibilities. Durbin must proceed with holding hearings and issue subpoenas if necessary. Declining to do so would abdicate those duties.

And if it comes to a public clash, with the Senate challenging an institution riddled with ethical violations and the chief justice enabling them, the conflict could have more than symbolic value. Debate and attention serve democracy by raising the publics awareness of misconduct by a court that has undermined elements of American progress that remain popular with the American public: reproductive freedom, one personone vote, and environmental protection, to name a few. That awareness can lead to public pressure on both the court and Congress to institute reforms.

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The chief justice has previously written that a code of conduct for the Supreme Court is not needed because members of the court are jurists of exceptional integrity and experience. Regrettably, black robes in a high court do not transform those wearing them into angels. To the contrary, with the latest disclosures, Roberts institutionally self-serving view is now rather completely defrocked.

He should learn the lesson of Burford, that congressional oversight can increase his branchs legitimacy and credibilityrather than threaten it. The bigger threat comes from the status quo. A rule-of-law society cannot tolerate members of its foremost legal institution conducting themselves as if they are above the law.
Trial lawyers are performance artists, very much like stand-up comedians. As I explain in my book The Vanishing Trial, these seemingly disparate professions have much in common. First, it takes years to develop and hone the skills necessary to make people laugh or to effectively try cases. Second, the results of your work are immediate and clearpeople either laugh at your jokes or not, and the emotional impact of a summation or cross-examination is felt immediately by all those present in a courtroom. Finally, in both professions, kudos are directly bestowed on you for success, and if you bomb, there is no one else to blame.

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With that in mind, from the very outset of the E. Jean Carroll lawsuit against former President Donald Trump, I and many of my veteran New York courtroom colleagues have been focusing intently on the performance of someone most of us know: Trump lead lawyer Joe Tacopina. As I reported just before the trial began, given his bulldog persona both in and out of the courtroom, and the strict no-nonsense nature of Lewis Kaplan, the judge presiding over the trial, a potential clash was looming. During Tacopinas pivotal cross-examination Thursday of Carroll, that most unwelcome reality for Trumps defense has begun to emerge.

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There are two compelling reasons a lawyer needs to avoid such clashes. First, when judges interrupt a cross-examination, it interferes with the flow of the lawyers questions. Second, whether it is the case or not, jurors will automatically assume that you are doing something you should not be doing if the neutral judge is intervening. Both of these outcomes seriously limit a lawyers effectiveness and credibility.

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The cross of Carroll was inherently loaded with land mines. First, she is an elderly woman whose direct testimony over the past two days on direct seems to have been effective. Her lawyer Mike Ferrara not only took her and the jury through the painful details of the assault itself, but very effectively had her address potential weaknesses in her story and explain them directly. In what trial lawyers call bringing it out on direct, you remove any surprise when the issue is raised on cross, provide in advance your best explanation, and eliminate the belief that you were too afraid to address the subject. In Carrolls direct examination, rational reasons were provided for a host of potential matters that might impeach her credibility, including the very long time interval between the event itself and when she made any public statements about it, her personal dislike of the former president, and her ability to make money out of the incident.

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Tacopina was also boxed in by the need to show that an allegation made by a credible person wasas he described it in his opening statementunbelievable. While in an organized crime case, for instance, it may be necessary and appropriate to bludgeon a cooperating former mob member into admitting that at least part of his testimony is questionable, that tactic is hardly appropriate in this case. On Thursday, Tacopinas repeated attempts to get Carroll to give in to this approach were unsuccessful.

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So, it came as no surprise that Kaplan periodically intervened in the cross-examination, calling Tacopinas questions repetitive and argumentative. Judge Kaplans frustration seemed to increase as the day wore on. Weve been up and down the mountain. Move on. New York Times reporters in the courtroom noticed that just before the midday break, the typically attentive jury seemed to be losing steam. Late in the afternoon, when Tacopina asked Carroll to provide details about the dress she wore the day of the alleged assault, Kaplan immediately interjected and excused the jury for the day. Not exactly the impression Team Trump wanted the jury to be left with on the way home.

We still have a long way to go. Tacopina may adjust his approach enough to avoid further clashes with the courtor things may get even worse. Despite the lack of progress seemingly made by Team Trump to date, the jury might still render a verdict in their favor, given the basic he said, she said nature of the case. What can be said at this juncture, however, is that things are not going well for the former president and that, as expected, the Carroll-Trump trial is great theater.
The U.S. Postal Service has unveiled new Forever stamps in honor of the centennial of American pop artist Roy Lichtensteins birth. Featuring five of his eye-catching creations, these stamps are ideal for small business owners seeking to add a touch of creativity to their mailings. The stamps are available in panes of 20 and can be shared on social media with the hashtag #RoyLichtensteinStamps.

Thomas Marshall, general counsel and executive vice president of the Postal Service, emphasized the significance of the stamp program in recognizing the nations best talents, stating that Lichtenstein certainly deserves this recognition because of the remarkable creativity and innovation he demonstrated throughout his career. The artists widow, Dorothy Lichtenstein, also expressed her appreciation for the honor, adding that she believes more people will discover Roys work because of the stamps.

Born in New York City in 1923, Roy Lichtenstein pursued art from a young age, exploring different styles and mediums throughout his life. He eventually became an iconic figure in the mid-20th-century pop art movement, using bold colors and the Ben-Day dot printing process to reproduce images from comic books and popular culture. The new stamps celebrate his lasting impact on the art world and offer a unique way for small business owners to incorporate art into their daily operations.

As small businesses often rely on direct mail campaigns for marketing, these stamps can add a touch of creativity to promotional materials, making them more memorable for recipients. Additionally, the use of iconic pop art on mailings can help small businesses stand out in a crowded marketplace, giving them an edge over competitors.

Small business owners can also use the stamps as conversation starters with clients or customers, engaging them in discussions about art, history, and innovation. The stamps serve as a reminder of the importance of creativity in all aspects of life, including business.

In summary, the U.S. Postal Services new Roy Lichtenstein Forever stamps not only honor a great American artist but also provide small business owners with a creative way to enhance their mailings. By incorporating these bold, eye-catching designs into their marketing materials and everyday correspondence, small businesses can stand out in the marketplace and foster engaging conversations about art and innovation.

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Jennifer de Leon wanted to offer a different perspective on the immigration crisis at the southern border of the United States, so she wrote "Borderless."

What was your inspiration behind your most recent book?

In the summer of 2018, when I was pregnant with my second son, I could not keep my eyes off screens that showed children being torn away from their parents, especially mothers, at the U.S./Mexico border. It pained me not to join others at rallies and protest the zero tolerance immigration enforcement policy which affected many Central American people. My people. For me, the news was personal. Both my parents are from Guatemala. They moved to the United States in the 1970s in search of a better life, like so many immigrants do. Although I could not march in the streets in 2018, I decided to begin writing this novel. It was my own way of marching.

What does "Reading with Pride" mean to you?

In many ways, Reading with Pride reminds me of reading without borders, or reading with a strong sense of self, no matter the latitude or longitude in which you find yourself. Everyone, but especially young readers, should be able to find versions of themselves in stories. Or, as the famous educator Rudine Sims Bishop put it, Children need books that are mirrors that allow them to see themselves and their own experiences, windows that they can look through to see other worlds that they can then compare to their own, and sliding glass doors that allow them to enter other worlds.

Why do you feel representation of a variety of people is so important when it comes to writing books?

By allowing readers to see and engage with a variety of people, we are opening up possibilities of being, showcasing different ways of living. The more that readers (especially young readers) are exposed to diversity in its truest sense (diversity of identities, including gender and sexual orientation), the less likely they are to view differences as negative, or something to hide. We can be different, and we can celebrate these differences.

Tell us a little more about the book and why you decided to write it.

"Borderless" tells the story of 16-year-old Maya Silva who lives in Guatemala City with her mom. When we first meet Maya, she loves life  she attends a competitive fashion school in the capital, hangs out with her best friend and her new love interest, and she has a chance to win first place in the schools upcoming fashion show, something she and her mother have dreamed about for ages. Life is good. But as Maya prepares her pieces for the upcoming show, and her relationship with her boyfriend develops, she gets caught up in the prickly net of the local gang. Suddenly, Maya and her mother must flee the country in the dead of night. They make it to the Mexico-U.S. border, but their journey is far from over.

One of the main reasons I wrote this book was to offer a different perspective on the immigration crisis at the southern border of the United States. I imagined a young girl, a teenager, and I thought about what her life was like in Guatemala. I wanted to show a character who wasnt dreaming of moving north, but someone who was happy in her country. When we see images of caravans of migrants inching their way toward the border, it is easy to forget that every single one of them has a story, a reason for crossing. Many times they dont want to come to the United States; it is that they must in order to survive.

What can fans expect from your book?

It is YA, so fans can expect a teen character, one who is ambitious and flawed. There is boy drama, best friend drama, mom drama, and of course, a competitive lead up to the fashion show. It is a page-turner (I hope!) and has some unexpected twists and turns. The journey to the U.S. is only part of the story, readers will see.

What's up next for you in the bookish world?

Thank you for asking! I am finishing another Young Adult novel, tentatively titled False Light. It is a historical novel set in 1960s Guatemala during the countrys Civil War (1960-1996) and tells the story about an 18-year-old young woman named Luz Morales who is fighting as a guerrilla soldier and searching for her lost twin brother, Elian, who was kidnapped by the repressive Army at a student rally.

Many readers do not know about the role the United States played in Guatemalas Civil War. Thus, very few connections are being made between the current wave of Central American immigrants and the root causes steeped in US foreign policy. As an author and a former public-school humanities teacher, I long to provide a book that can shed light on this part of the world, this part of history.

I also have two picture books coming soon.
Based on queer writer Phillippe Bassons gay novel (whose English translation was written by Molly Ringwald), director/screenwriter Olivier Peyons Lie With Me (Cinephobia) plays out like an adaptation, and thats intended as a compliment.

The movie, about a gay novelist returning to his hometown in the Cognac region of France, has a literary sensibility that is very effective.

Stephane (Guillaume de Tonquedec), a French writer living in Paris, is the author of popular novels that have earned him a devoted following over the years. One of them is Eleanor (Laurence Pierre), the wife of Mr. Dejean (Pierre-Alain Chapuis), the owner of the cognac distillery in the town where Stephane was born and raised. Stephane, who hasnt been back to the small town in 35 years, has been invited to be the guest speaker for a special anniversary event at the cognac cellars. As his wrangler Gaelle (Guilaine Londez) tells him, they usually have visual artists, and made an exception for him.

While there, Stephane meets Lucas (hot Victor Belmondo, grandson of the late actor Jean-Paul Belmondo) who works in Los Angeles with the American distributors of the distillerys products. Lucas is supervising the group of American visitors who are also present for the special anniversary celebration. Stephane recognizes Lucas surname as being the same as one of his schoolmates. As it turns out, Lucas is, in fact, the son of Thomas (Julien De Saint Jean), a popular classmate of Stephanes with whom he had a clandestine sexual relationship during their last year of school.

The interwoven school segments, seen in flashbacks, are set in 1984, at a time when being a gay high school student was very dangerous. The younger Stephane (Jeremy Gillet) is known to be gay, while Thomas, who is working the bisexual angle, is obviously more gay on the spectrum, especially when it comes to his feelings for and attraction to Stephane. Nevertheless, Thomas insists their relationship remains a secret. As the only child of farmers, not only is it important to maintain appearances, but he knows that he will never leave the town. Whereas Stephane, who is an excellent student, has the potential to leave and make something of himself, away from the place where he feels like an outsider.

Like a great novel, Lie With Me is striated with twists and turns, surprises you never see coming. Even the title is multi-layered. Not only does it refer to the way the teens lie with each other during and after sex, but also to the way that they must lie to others to keep their relationship between them. Additionally, it applies to young Stephanes mother, who discouraged his imagination and storytelling by saying, Stop with your lies. In French (and English) with English subtitles.

Rating: A-

Lie With Me screens as part of the OUTshine Film Festival on April 29 at 9:15 p.m. at the Silverspot Cinemas in downtown Miami. Visit: OUTshine Film Festival - Lie With Me (Arrete Avec Tes Mensonges). Available for streaming May 1  5.

Gregg Shapiro is the author of eight books including the poetry chapbook Fear of Muses (Souvenir Spoon Books, 2022). An entertainment journalist, whose interviews and reviews run in a variety of regional LGBTQ+ and mainstream publications and websites, Shapiro lives in Fort Lauderdale with his husband Rick and their dog Coco.
Not all the news out of Florida is bad these days.

For the first time ever, Tampa elected a gay man to its city council. Alan Clendenin won the District 1 seat in a runoff election, taking almost 65% of the vote.

A retired air traffic controller, Clendenin received 16,244 votes to defeat Sonja P. Brookins, who got 8,933 votes. Clendenin, 64, lost in the city council race four years ago, but never gave up.

He credited his years of civic engagement as a key factor in the win.

Years of hard work and experience, Clendenin said. Building relationships and I surrounded myself with good people. I also had the help of the Victory Fund and Equality Florida.

In a July 2021 estimate, the Census Bureau reported Tampa had a population of 387,050, making it Floridas third largest city behind Jacksonville and Miami.

Big congratulations to Tampas newly elected city council members. Look forward to working with each of you to keep moving our city forward, tweeted Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.

Clendenin, who had the backing of the Tampa Police Benevolent Association, told the Tampa Bay Times that increased funding for the citys transportation department is a top priority.

Voter participation in the citywide election was 11%.
(SS) The Sun Sentinel editorial of April 20, "A low-water mark for unity in Fort Lauderdale," is hyperbolic, shortsighted and off the mark.

I am obliged to provide a response that provides clarity regarding our position here in Fort Lauderdale.

First, I want to say how saddened I am for the loss of property and the heartbreaking suffering our neighbors have had to endure. Our area was hit by a 1,000-year supercell thunderstorm that, with very little advance warning, poured 26 inches of nonstop rain  a record for Florida  over Fort Lauderdale in a matter of six hours. The U.S. Geological Survey defines a 1,000-year flood as an event with a one in a thousand chance of occurring in any given year. Almost immediately, our emergency response teams, in coordination with our mutual aid agencies, came to the rescue and helped save more than 600 people, resulting in no deaths in such a freak weather phenomenon.

After a community experience of this magnitude, it is important to help those in need and expedite recovery. At our last commission meeting, we focused on how those in need were getting aid and support, not only from the city, but from other agencies as well. We also discussed the next steps and what it would take to fully recover. Once those two critical topics were done, we should have continued to discuss pending city business for the sake of our neighbors and stakeholders. That is what resilient cities do.

Fort Lauderdale is not a hamlet; we are the kind of well-managed, strong community that can walk and chew gum at the same time. For the Sun Sentinel to say that it was a serious mistake for the commission to carry on our business is astonishing. Please tell me how conducting our business in any way impeded the recovery efforts on the ground. It simply did not.

Besides, we had more than 50 residents on the virtual meeting who waited more than three hours to speak on a duly noticed public meeting agenda, and that is why I objected to the adjournment that left them hanging. We carried on with the other meetings that day and night, so what was the panic about for our first meeting of the day? Baffling.

Our local newspaper, instead of editorializing on the rapid response, the door-to-door visits and all the good that happened and is still happening, instead nitpicks on emotions that my colleagues displayed on the virtual dais. Certainly, city officials are not shrinking violets; we sometimes get passionate and disagree with each other. That does not mean that unity has been shattered.

The paper highlighted what it called a clash between Commissioner Warren Sturman and me but omits the fact that a few minutes later, we were joking with each other and were just fine.

Focus on the good, Sun Sentinel, rather than kick the community you cover in the teeth just for online clicks.

This commission and city staff are working together to deal with all aspects of this humanitarian crisis and that will always be the case. At the same time, it is important to demonstrate to our residents, the state, the country and the world that, even under an emergency order, we are able to meet the needs of all residents and that we are open for business.

Steven Glassman is the District 2 city commissioner in Fort Lauderdale.

SFGN and the Sun Sentinel are media partners.
Dog owners meeting their tax obligation are entitled to a free plastic bag for dog excrement or free dog training.

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Petrzalka, the biggest borough of Bratislava, is calling on dog owners to not forget their obligation to report their dogs and pay the tax. The borough registers approximately 8,000 dogs and a growing number of dog tax doggers.

This year alone we registered 568 dog tax dodgers, said Janka Velicka from Petrzalkas taxes and fees department as cited by the TASR newswire, recalling that it's the dog tax that helps them create a dog-friendly environment. From the collected dog tax, we can build new dog parks or take care of bins for dog excrement, as well as create new services.

Petrzalka has adopted several measures to fight against the increasing number of tax dodgers. It cooperates with the metropolitan police, who constantly monitors unregistered animals in its streets. The borough also warns those who have not settled the tax and penalizes them.

Different dog tax in Bratislava boroughs

In Bratislava, each borough sets its own dog tax rates. Every dog owner is obliged to notify the municipality or borough in writing of his or her dog within 30 days from the day he or she brought it home. He or she is then obliged to pay the tax within the statutory time limit. Further information, including the tax rate for the dog or the amount of the possible fine, is published on the municipalitys website. In general, the tax for a dog kept in a house is lower than in a flat. Seniors or other vulnerable groups of residents usually have lower dog taxes. Some boroughs also reduce the tax for dogs that have undergone basic training.

In Petrzalka, the tax for a small dog kept in a flat, i.e. whose height at the withers does not exceed 43 cm, is 34. For a bigger dog the tax is 67. The tax for any dog kept in a house is 17. The fine for not paying the tax is up to 165.

A dog owner in Petrzalka who pays the tax is entitled to a free package of plastic bag for dog excrement. They can also attend a free dog training at the Dog Training School on Wolkrova Street.

In Ruzinov, the dog tax ranges between 20 and 70, the latter paid by a legal entity. In the Old Town the tax ranges between 20 and 400, and in Nove Mesto it is between 13 and 50.
Czech President Petr Pavel joined the Slovak president.

Slovak President Zuzana Caputova with her Ukrainian and Czech counterparts, Volodymyr Zelensky (l) and Petr Pavel (r). (Source: Facebook/Office of the Ukrainian President)

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Slovak President Zuzana Caputova and her Czech counterpart, Petr Pavel, travelled to Ukraine on Friday, April 28.

The pair promised to make a joint trip to Ukraine shortly after Pavel became the Czech president in early March of this year.

"Our message is clear: we are connected to Ukraine not only by a border and a common past, but also by a common future," the Slovak president said on Friday.

The pro-Ukrainian presidents arrived in the war-torn country shortly after Russia's overnight missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, including its capital Kyiv. It was the first large-scale assault in more than 50 days, The New York Times wrote.

"Tonight's shameful attacks on some Ukrainian cities, including Dnipro or Uman, in which innocent civilians were killed, remind us that we cannot afford to look away," said Caputova.

On Friday, the presidents visited the towns of Borodyanka and Bucha, which became the symbols of the Russian massacre of civilians. They both laid flowers in the towns. In Kyiv, both leaders laid flowers at the Memory Wall of Fallen Defenders of Ukraine before noon. New names are added to the wall every day.

Slovakia to help rebuild Chernihiv

They also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He thanked the Slovak and Czech people and their leaders for their help in protecting the freedom and life of Ukrainians.
Kuciak case continues, politcal parties merge, and President Caputova visits Kyiv.

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Good afternoon. Here is the Friday, April 28 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

Zsuzsova says she's innocent, Kocner says he believes in numerology

More than five years after the crime that shocked Slovakia, the trial of those accused of murdering journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova continued this week. Alena Zsuzsova is charged with commissioning Kuciak's murder, and with planning the murders of three prosecutors (the two cases are being tried jointly). Zsuzsova is accused of acting in concert with businessman Marian Kocner, the alleged mastermind, who is also being prosecuted in both cases. Like Kocner, Zsuszova continues to assert her innocence.

Alena Zsuzsova, pictured in the Specialised Criminal Court on April 21, 2023. (Source: Jaroslav Novak, TASR)

More stories from The Slovak Spectator website

Politics: President Zuzana Caputova is visiting Kyiv, along with President Petr Pavel, her Czech counterpart.

Weekend: With May 1 just around the corner, make the most of this public holiday with our weekend tips.

Pets: Don't forget to register your dog, says Bratislavas Petrzalka district. For those who do, there will be benefits. If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription with no ads and a print copy of The Slovak Spectator sent to your home in Slovakia. Thank you.

Events for the weekend

The Good Market is back in Bratislava

The now-traditional street market for domestic producers, locals, neighbours and artists is back. The Dobry Trh (Good Market) festival will take place on and around Panenska Street in Bratislava's Old Town this Saturday. Visitors can look forward to a programme focused on understanding and diversity, and adults and children alike will have activities to enjoy. Dobry Trh is one of three free events to enjoy in Bratislava that weve picked for our list of free activities.

Visitors enjoying a previous Good Market event. (Source: Gabriel Kuchta, SME)

Remembrance on Karloveska street

A commemorative event will take place today, Friday April 28, at 17:15 near the cross on Karloveska street. The gathering is dedicated to the memory of Robert Remias, who died on the evening of April 29, 1996, when an explosion destroyed his car. His death was linked to an infamous abduction case during the Vladimir Meciar era but no one has ever been convicted of his murder. Acting Prime Minister Eduard Heger (Demokrati) and acting Environment Minister Jan Budaj (OLaNO) will attend, the Environment Ministry announced. A short religious ceremony will be held for the deceased former policeman.

In other news

The number of occupational diseases is rising, with the most common among those working in healthcare. Such complaints often include infections and parasitic diseases, along with complications from physical stress. Healthcare workers, social workers and industrial workers are the most affected. (NCZI)

Peter Pellegrinis party Hlas is merging with the Dobra Volba party of Tomas Drucker. In the upcoming general election, Dobra Volba candidates will appear on the Hlas election list. The Dobra Volba brand is expected to be retired. (TASR)

Today marks this year's launch of the Duhova Stuzka (Rainbow Ribbon) initiative in support of the LGBT+ community in Slovakia. The campaign will continue until the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia on May 17. By wearing a ribbon, wearers show their support for the community. (SAPLINQ, OZ) Weather for the weekend

On Saturday, western and central Slovakia can expect rainy weather with temperatures from 11C to 18C. There will be cloudy skies in the east, with temperatures of around 12C.

On Sunday, Slovakia will have partly cloudy weather with warmer temperatures, up to around 18C.

Monday should see clearer skies in the east, with sunshine and clouds in the west. Temperatures will remain at around 18C across the whole country. (SHMU)

Thank you for subscribing and reading. It means a lot to us.

P.S. If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.

Follow The Slovak Spectator on Facebook, Instagram (@slovakspectator) and Twitter (@slovakspectator).
Senate Republicans block Equal Rights Amendment resolution that would prohibit sex discrimination.

The vote for the measure resulted in 51-47, failing to meet the necessary 60 votes for the Senate to formally take it up.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the vote during a Monday speech.

Senate Republicans have collectively blocked a procedural measure on a joint resolution to pass the Equal Rights Amendment that would prohibit sex discrimination.

The resolution sought to remove an expired deadline for states to ratify the amendment, which was never added to the United States Constitution. The situation comes a century after the amendment was first introduced to Congress.

Senate GOP Blocks Advance of ERA Resolution

The vote for the bill resulted in 51-47, failing to reach the required 60 in order for the Senate to formally take up the measure. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York announced the vote of the measure in a Monday speech. A spokesperson for Schumer, Angelo Roefaro, said that they chose this week for the vote after working for several months with advocates, as per RollCall.

In the version of the ERA that Congress passed in 1972, it said that equality of rights under United States law will not be denied or abridged by the government or by any state on account of sex.

On Thursday, the White House released a statement showing its support for the Senate measure. It noted that the Joe Biden administration "strongly supports" nixing the 1982 deadline and cited a recent assessment of the Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel of the legality of such a move.

Read Also: Gary Gensler Says Crypto Exchanges Must Comply With SEC Standards

The statement noted that no one's rights should be denied on account of their sex in the U.S. It argued that it was way past the time to enshrine the principle of gender equality in the country's Constitution.

Prohibiting Sex Discrimination

The failure of the vote on the measure comes despite having two Republican lawmakers as co-sponsors, Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins. The GOP has largely argued that it does not believe that the amendment is necessary because of the equal protections provided to women in the 14th Amendment, according to CNN.

However, supporters of the measure argued that ERA would ban discrimination on the basis of sex and guarantee that there is equality for all people under the Constitution. Democrats will use the failed vote as a way to put GOP lawmakers on the spot regarding the issue.

However, there is little to no expectation that both chambers of Congress will pass the resolution in the future. Across the country, 38 states have ratified ERA, which seemingly shows that it has met the required three-fourths needed to be approved.

However, some of these states only adopted the measure after a congressionally mandated deadline had already passed. This raised questions regarding the validity of those actions and many others later chose to rescind their support of it.

Defending the measure on the Senate floor, Schumer said that the resolution was necessary and timely. He argued that the United States can never hope to be the land of freedom and opportunity if it allows half of its population to be treated like second-class citizens, said The Hill.



Related Article: Mike Pence Testifies Before Grand Jury Over Investigation of Donald Trump

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/alarms-are-sounding-off-as-mideast-nations-begin-to-put-distance-from-us-influence-1109905261.html

Alarms Are Sounding Off as Mideast Nations Begin to Put Distance From US Influence

Alarms Are Sounding Off as Mideast Nations Begin to Put Distance From US Influence

US allies in the Middle East are beginning to distance themselves from American influence amid efforts to stabilize the region, which may be a concern to Washington, former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chas Freeman told Sputnik.

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world

us

middle east

chas w. freeman

sergey lavrov

concern

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Saudi Arabia recently took diplomatic action to thaw relations with Iran, Syria, and Hamas, while Bahrain and Qatar agreed to resume diplomatic ties. In mid-April, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad traveled to Saudi Arabia, marking his first visit to the country since 2011, to discuss efforts to reach a possible political solution to the crisis. At the UN on Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the world must boost efforts to reach political settlements and stabilize conflict zones in the Middle East now more than ever as the region undergoes deep transformation. Lavrov also said a multilateral approach is required to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli crisis, instead of what he called the "destructive" one-sided actions of the US and EU that have harmed the Mideast peace process. The Eastern part of the Arab world, Freeman added, has long been subjected by external powers, but it is now in the midst of a self-driven rearrangement of regional relationships. "Its major actors have seized control of their own destiny for the first time since Napoleon's 1798 invasion of Egypt and are seeking their own answers to their region's problems," Freeman said. According to Freeman, the Middle East is now led by assertively independent leaders with their own determination about how their national interests will be best served, and they do not respond well to outside efforts to dictate policy in the region. Mideast nations, Freeman said, are expanding their outreach to rising and resurgent powers like China, India, Brazil, and Russia and by identification with post-Cold War institutions like the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, entailing the adoption of a nonaligned stance on matters between external great powers like the contention between the United States, Russia, and China. Freeman is an American retired diplomat and writer who served in the US Foreign Service, and in the departments of State and Defense, in many different capacities over 30 years.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230321/us-invasion-of-iraq-helped-bolster-chinese-iranian-influence-in-middle-east-experts-say-1108629155.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/anti-government-activists-attack-israels-economy-minister-in-tel-aviv---office-1109906309.html

Anti-Government Activists Attack Israel's Economy Minister in Tel Aviv - Office

Anti-Government Activists Attack Israel's Economy Minister in Tel Aviv - Office

Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat and his entourage were attacked by a group of anti-government activists on their way from a restaurant to their car in central Tel Aviv, the minister's office said Thursday.

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"Several troublemakers attacked the minister's guards and police officers while trying to get to him and hurt him. The minister's guards and police officers defended him with their bodies, after which the demonstrators also attacked the police officers," the office said. Israeli media earlier indicated that one of the police officers who defended the minister was injured and hospitalized, and that two attackers had been detained.Broadcaster CH12 reported earlier on Thursday that 200,000 Israelis gathered in front of the parliament building in central Jerusalem in support of the government's judicial reform. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Barkat had thanked demonstrators on social media for their "incredible support." Earlier broadcasts also detailed that a group of protesters had interrupted the work of Israeli broadcaster Channel 13 News by cursing the team of reporters and throwing a glass bottle at them."The bullying and violent behavior of a handful of the protesters will not deter us and will not harm our commitment to our viewers," the broadcaster was quoted as saying. "We expect the police to quickly and decisively investigate the case and bring the violent criminals to justice, knowing that violence against journalists in general and Channel 13 News teams in particular, has already become a matter of routine."Incidentally, the broadcaster has also undergone similar attacks in late March. At the time, a cameraman was left with a broken rib.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/chinas-special-envoy-to-visit-damascus-on-saturday---syrian-foreign-ministry-source-1109905519.html

China's Special Envoy to Visit Damascus on Saturday - Syrian FM Source

China's Special Envoy to Visit Damascus on Saturday - Syrian FM Source

China's Special Envoy for the Middle East Zhai Jun is expected to visit the Syrian capital, Damascus, on April 29, a source at the Syrian Foreign Ministry told Sputnik on Thursday.

2023-04-28T02:24+0000

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china

syria

damascus

bashar assad

faisal mekdad

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middle east

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"The Chinese government's special envoy for the Middle East, Zhai Jun, will arrive in Damascus the day after tomorrow on Saturday [April 29]. Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad will meet with the Chinese envoy," the source said.Syrian President Bashar Assad is also expected to hold a meeting with the Chinese special envoy, the source added. The visit comes following the recent talks in Moscow between the defense ministers of Turkiye, Russia, Syria and Iran to promote a political solution to the Syrian conflict. The participants reaffirmed their desire to preserve the territorial integrity of Syria and intensify efforts for the speedy return of Syrian refugees.At the same time, Beijing has recently intensified its peacekeeping efforts in the region. In early March, China hosted landmark talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran, in which the two states agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies in short order. On Tuesday, senior Chinese diplomats met with their Russian counterparts in South Africa and reiterated the two countries' commitment in coordinating efforts to resolve conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230418/middle-eastern-relations-shift-toward-rapprochement-1109640751.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/chinese-air-forces-observe-us-military-aircraft-flying-over-taiwan-strait-1109913400.html

Chinese Air Forces Observe US Military Aircraft Flying Over Taiwan Strait

Chinese Air Forces Observe US Military Aircraft Flying Over Taiwan Strait

The air forces of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) observed a flight of US Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft over the Taiwan Strait on Friday, Shi Yi, a spokesman for the PLA's Eastern Theater Command, said.

2023-04-28T08:51+0000

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military

chinese people's liberation army (pla)

taiwan strait

china

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"The fighters of the Eastern zone of the PLA combat command observed the entire flight of the US aircraft," Shi said in a statement published on WeChat. US vessels have recently been staging provocations that "undermine peace and stability" in the Taiwan Strait and pose threats to regional security, the spokesman added. Shi also said that Chinese troops always maintain a high level of combat readiness and defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity. On April 16, the Japan-based missile destroyer USS Milius of the US navy crossed the Taiwan Strait after Chinese naval forces conducted military drills in the vicinity of the island a week earlier. The situation around Taiwan recently escalated once again after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier in April, with Beijing starting massive three-day military exercises near the island in what it called a "warning" for Taiwanese separatists and foreign powers. Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan  a territory with its own elected government  maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230421/chinas-peoples-liberation-army-to-start-3-day-naval-drills-on-friday-1109720457.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/globalization-ukraine-aid-has-drained-us-militarys-ability-to-fight-great-power-war-1109914803.html

Globalization, Ukraine Aid Has Drained US Militarys Ability to Fight Great Power War

Globalization, Ukraine Aid Has Drained US Militarys Ability to Fight Great Power War

US media reported this week that the loss of Americas sole operational black powder plant to a massive explosion has left the defense sector lacking a critical component for bullets, bombs, mortar and artillery shells and missiles. But this problem is just the tip of the iceberg, says former US Army HQ Staff Officer David T. Pyne.

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2023-04-28T13:29+0000

analysis

ukraine

shortage

globalization

defense

armaments

weapons

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The destruction of the black powder factory in Minden, Louisiana in June 2021 left the US military-industrial complex dependent on stockpiles and foreign imports of the crucial material  small amounts of which are required in key ordnance like 155mm howitzer shells and Tomahawk cruise missiles.The Department of Defense and the plants new owners hope the plant will reopen and resume operations later this year after being refurbished.How did the US end up in a situation where it came to depend on a single plant for its entire supply of black powder? Post-Cold War cutbacks and "consolidation," Pyne says.But the problem is much deeper, according to Pyne.The Biden administration has made things worse by sending vast stocks of Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stinger surface-to-air missiles, HIMARS rocket launchers and Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, despite the fact that it will take nearly a decade to replenish them even if production rates are accelerated, Pyne lamented.Meanwhile, Pyne noted, Washington lawmakers are engaged in political theater in a new House resolution affirming that it will be US policy to see Ukraine emerge victorious against Russia.The resolution is nothing but pie in the sky rhetoric, according to the former Army officer, who points out that Russia is 35 times larger than Ukraine, has an economy thats 11 time bigger, and has five times more people, tanks, combat aircraft and artillery systems" than Ukraine, not to mention nuclear weapons.Pointing to the revelations in the so-called Pentagon leaks, the expert said that they not only show a lack of confidence in Washington about Kievs ability to make substantive gains in its long-awaited spring offensive, but that behind the scenes, the administration has reportedly informed Ukrainian leaders that they need to try to retake as much territory during this offensive as the US will not be able to continue providing heavy weapons and ammunitionpast summer of this year and that the war will only end at the negotiation table as Russian leaders have been stating for the past year.Pyne is at least heartened by the fact that both of the top Republican contenders in 2024  Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, support a ceasefire to end the Ukrainian quagmire, before it escalates into a full-scale shooting war between Russia and NATO. On the Democratic side, top Biden challenger Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has similarly laid out a plan to end the US and NATO proxy war in Ukraine.For more of Pynes analysis on the House Resolution, check out Sputniks Telegram post here.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230427/wrench-in-the-war-machine-whats-causing-americas-arms-and-ammo-shortages-1109882415.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/one-or-two-shells-per-day-ukrainian-troops-reportedly-hit-by-acute-ammo-shortage-1109298451.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/history-altering-find-radar-uncovers-8th-century-viking-ship-in-norway--1109909360.html

History-Altering Find? Radar Uncovers 8th-Century Viking Ship in Norway

History-Altering Find? Radar Uncovers 8th-Century Viking Ship in Norway

The find made near a much-sailed trading route may write a new chapter in the history of early Viking rulers.

2023-04-28T07:49+0000

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beyond politics

science & tech

norway

europe

scandinavia

northern europe

archeology

vikings

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A spectacular ancient Viking find has been made at one of the burial mounds in Karmoy in western Norway.A 20-meter-long Viking ship has been discovered using georadar technology to analyze the soil beneath a mound previously believed to be empty. This contrasts to others located close by, where over decades of excavations, numerous artifacts have been found, including ships, swords, spear, gold bangles and glass board games. Archeologists thought nothing more was to be unearthed, until a surprising discovery was made.The ship was discovered along with parts of a smaller boat under a drawbridge that was built later. The discovery has been celebrated as the first sailing ship of its kind in Norway. The ancient vessel has been preliminarily dated to the 8th century, which is half a century older than the famous Oseberg ship, a well-preserved Viking vessel also found in a large burial mound and commonly acknowledged to be among the finer artifacts to have survived from the Viking Era. That one was previously seen as Norway's first sailing ship, which may now be reconsidered.The findings further strengthen the theory of a local kingdom ruled from Avaldsnes before the times of Harald Fairhair, who is universally seen as the first king of Norway.Avaldsnes on the island of Karmoy, located a few kilometers from the site of the discovery, was a center of power in the Viking Age. For hundreds of years, powerful rulers sat here and controlled the maritime traffic through the Karmsund strait. This shipping route was once called Nordvegen and is said to have given Norway its name. Along the Karmsund, kings were buried together with their ships.With this most recent find, Karmoy, can now boast of three Viking ships. The two previous ones are the Storhaug ship, which dates back to 770, and the Gronhaug ship, to 780.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230421/photo-norwegian-woman-finds-tucked-away-viking-treasure-trove-while-cleaning-house-1109720148.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/huge-uncertainty-over-aukus-sub-project-as-costs-shown-to-include-50-contingency-fund-1109912577.html

'Huge' Uncertainty Over AUKUS Sub Project as Costs Shown to Include '50% Contingency Fund'

'Huge' Uncertainty Over AUKUS Sub Project as Costs Shown to Include '50% Contingency Fund'

There is a huge level of uncertainty in the AUKUS submarine deal," Australias Greens Senator David Shoebridge said in a statement after the agreements "unprecedented" contingency fund was revealed.

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aukus

australia

aukus

contingency plan

costs

virginia-class

nuclear submarines

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There is a huge level of uncertainty in the AUKUS submarine deal," Australias Greens Senator David Shoebridge said in a statement, after what he described as the agreements "unprecedented" contingency fund was revealed. The Greens party had earlier commissioned an analysis by the Parliamentary Budget Office into the costs linked to the AUKUS nuclear submarine program.The scrutiny revealed that the A$368 billion (US$245 billion) agreement over three decades incorporated a 50% contingency fund. In other words, the budget overrun is anticipated to be at least A$123 billion (more than US$82 billion). A major part of the expenses connected with the submarine program would fall on the two decades from 2033, the data reportedly shows.The analysis added that the Australian Department of Defense had not released the sale price of the US Virginia Class submarines that Canberra would initially be purchasing.After the revelation, Defense Minister Richard Marles said the deal was a "massive challenge for the country" and that the government was "prudently budgeting here for the unexpected"."We have sought to be as upfront and transparent as we possibly can be," he was cited as telling local media.Divisive AUKUS DealThe trilateral Australia-United Kingdom-United States security pact - AUKUS - was announced in September 2021. It is centered on cooperation in the transfer of nuclear technology to Canberra for nuclear-powered submarines. Furthermore, there is to be collaboration on hypersonic weaponry, cyber warfare, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and expanded information and intelligence sharing. The sub deal stipulates that the United States will sell Australia three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines, built by General Dynamics in the early 2030s, with an option for two more. Subsequently, during phase two, Australia and Britain will build the new SSN-AUKUS submarine. Canberra would likely get its first such submarine in the early 2040s. The AUKUS pact triggered a scandal from the outset, as the sub deal robbed France of its own $66 billion submarine contract with Australia.Countries such as China, Russia, and North Korea have criticized AUKUS, saying it threatens to kick off a new regional arms race. The AUKUS deal, which also provides for a new naval base in western Australia from which US warships can operate, was slammed by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning as ratcheting up tensions in the Asia-Pacific region. Beijing accused Washington of pursuing its own interests and adhering to a zero-sum game mindset. The result of US policy would inevitably be increased tension and a threat to regional peace and stability, Mao said. The US-UK-Australia deal involves the transfer of large quantities of highly enriched weapons-grade uranium from nuclear-weapon states to a non-nuclear-weapon state. Accordingly, it poses a serious risk of nuclear proliferation and violates the goals of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, China underscored.Russia has also voiced its concerns regarding the AUKUS pact."The Anglo-Saxon world with the creation of bloc structures like AUKUS, with the promotion of NATO military infrastructure in Asia, is making a serious bid for confrontation for many years," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230404/australia-says-us-tech-edge-against-prc-totally-gone-in-some-areas-urges-aukus-to-pool-resources-1109110634.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230328/new-zealand-willing-to-explore-joining-non-nuclear-aspect-of-aukus-pact-defence-minister-says-1108851439.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230314/lavrov-warns-aukus-may-lead-to-long-regional-confrontation-for-years-to-come---1108368018.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/iaea-notes-intensified-military-activity-near-zaporozhye-nuclear-power-plant-1109924540.html

IAEA Notes Intensified Military Activity Near Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant

IAEA Notes Intensified Military Activity Near Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Friday that military activity near the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has increased and called for an urgent agreement on the station's protection.

2023-04-28T16:29+0000

2023-04-28T16:29+0000

2023-04-28T16:29+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

russia

zaporozhye

international atomic energy agency (iaea)

ukraine

zaporozhye npp

special operation

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"The increased military presence and activity in the region again underlines the importance and urgency of agreeing on the protection of the plant," Rafael Grossi said in a statement. This week, the IAEA experts present at the station were once again forced to take cover after a shelling warning. Meanwhile, sounds of bombing in the distance were heard, the agency's statement added. On Thursday, the IAEA said that a regular, seventh rotation of the agency's specialists had taken place at the power plant on schedule. For the next month, two IAEA officers will work at the ZNPP. The IAEA mission has been stationed at ZNPP since September. Grossi also expressed the hope on Thursday that a safety zone around the ZNPP will be created before the end of this year. Located on the left bank of the Dnepr River, the ZNPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe by number of units and energy output. It came under Russia's control in early March 2022 and has since been repeatedly shelled, raising international concerns over a possible nuclear accident. An international mission led by Grossi first visited the plant from August 31 to September 5. IAEA observers have since been staying at the plant on a rotational basis. Following the visit by the mission, the IAEA published a report in which it confirmed multiple attacks on the ZNPP. On October 5, 2022, the ZNPP was placed under the control of Russian institutions by order of Russian President Vladimir Putin. On December 8, Moscow sent proposals to the IAEA with specific parameters for creating a security zone around ZNPP.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230405/ukraines-strike-drone-falls-from-skies-near-zaporozhye-npp-1109135963.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/microsoft-trying-to-maintain-its-presence-in-russian-market---reports-1109908035.html

Microsoft Trying to Maintain Its Presence in Russian Market - Reports

Microsoft Trying to Maintain Its Presence in Russian Market - Reports

Microsoft is trying to maintain its presence in the Russian market and is trying to continue cooperation with companies that are not subject to the US sanctions, Russian media reported on Friday, citing sources in the IT industry.

2023-04-28T04:19+0000

2023-04-28T04:19+0000

2023-04-28T04:19+0000

russia

microsoft

russia

market

sanctions

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"Since the start of the year, a number of Russian representative offices of international companies began to receive letters or verbal offers from Microsoft to continue cooperation ... Microsoft does not want to lose Russian customers, so it does not close its legal entity in Russia is trying to find ways to continue to support software and release updates," a source told the newspaper. According to the report, about 1,000 companies received letters with an offer to extend the software licenses. A source among distributors told media that Russian businesses still have demand for Microsoft products, and the IT giant's software is supplied in boxed versions through parallel imports. Microsoft will be able to maintain its influence on Russian business for some time, Viktor Petrov, the director of the research and development center of Russian IT company IVA Technologies, told media. He said that several customers cannot start using other operating systems and office software due to a lack of budget and analogs. However, Petrov believes that Russian companies will switch to domestic software because of the Russian government's policy in the IT sector.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230118/microsoft-to-fire-10000-employees-in-5-workforce-cut-reports-say-1106448754.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/moscow-us-south-korea-joint-nuclear-agreement-destabilizes-situation-in-region-world-1109916658.html

Moscow: US, South Korea Joint Nuclear Agreement Destabilizes Situation in Region, World

Moscow: US, South Korea Joint Nuclear Agreement Destabilizes Situation in Region, World

The joint declaration of the United States and South Korea that provides for the regular bilateral consultations on the use of nuclear weapons destabilizes the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the world, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.

2023-04-28T11:27+0000

2023-04-28T11:27+0000

2023-04-28T11:27+0000

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"This development of events is clearly destabilizing in nature and will have serious negative consequences for regional security with a projection on global stability," Zakharova said in a statement. Moscow is convinced that such further actions of the collective West will bring nothing but tensions escalation by provoking an arms race. The United States and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region are expanding their global nuclear presence with the full support of other members of the North Atlantic bloc, which declared itself a "nuclear alliance," the diplomat added.On Wednesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and US President Joe Biden adopted the Washington Declaration that provides for the establishment of a regular bilateral consultation mechanism called the US-South Korean Nuclear Consultative Group on extended deterrence and strategic planning. South Korea also secured a US promise to promptly deploy "the entire force of the alliance," including nuclear weapons, in the event of a nuclear attack by North Korea. The US also assured Seoul it would use all measures, including nuclear weapons, in the case of an aggression from North Korea, and promised to send nuclear missile submarines to the Korean Peninsula.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230426/s-korea-us-talks-seeking-to-reaffirm-ironclad-ties-amid-fallout-from-pentagon-leaks-1109842930.html

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Richard Sharp, chairman of the BBC, resigned on Friday, April 28, after an independent inquiry revealed he had broken government guidelines by failing to disclose his involvement in assisting former Prime Minister Boris Johnson to acquire a personal loan.

Under Scrutiny

Before Sharp's appointment in 2021, Sharp was essential in introducing Johnson to a rich benefactor who provided Johnson with a loan guarantee of up to 800,000 (or about $996,000), as The Washington Post reported.

Critics say that by introducing a potential benefactor for Johnson prior to his appointment as chair of the BBC, Sharp tainted the reputation of the UK's national broadcaster and one of the world's premier news organizations.

Sharp is a former Goldman Sachs banker who now provides substantial funding to the Conservative Party. In the past, he had simply refused to quit and had vigorously denied any misconduct. He reportedly claimed that he had made an honest mistake by not disclosing his involvement in the transaction.

Sharp asserts he only got Sam Blyth, a Canadian business entrepreneur and distant relative of Johnson, in contact with Simon Case, the cabinet secretary and senior civil officer.

Sharp remarked in a statement on Friday, "I wish, with the benefit of hindsight, this potential perceived conflict of interest was something I had considered to mention." He also apologized for the mistake and for the disruption these events brought about at the BBC.

In addition, Sharp emphasized that the barrister Adam Heppinstall's independent inquiry into the case determined that his participation in the transaction was "very limited." In a report by The Guardian, he said there was no indication that he "played any part whatsoever in the facilitation, arrangement, or financing of a loan for the former Prime Minister."

Sharp will continue to serve as BBC chairman until a new leader is elected in June.

Also Read: Don Lemon Shares Plans After CNN Firing: 'Excited for a New Chapter'

'Untold Damage'

The damage, according to critics, was significant.

Michelle Stanistreet, national secretary of the National Union of Journalists, stated, "[Sharp] has shamefully clung to his position as chair for months, whilst all around him could clearly see his time was up." She added that Sharp's resignation is a relief and appropriate.

For Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, the BBC has been "dragged through the mud" by this scandal. "The British people won't stand for any more of this. Everything Conservative politicians touch turns into a mess."

Davey said that Johnson should not have been given the authority to hire Sharp and that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak should have fired him months ago.

Lucy Powell, leader of the opposition Labour Party, claimed that the Conservatives' sleaze and cronyism had resulted in a breach that had done "untold damage" to the BBC's image and badly compromised its independence.

Also Read: Statement from President Joe Biden on New Steps to Punish and Deter Wrongful Detention and Hostage-Taking

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/new-twitter-files-drop-international-conference-on-venezuela-biden-sends-nukes-to-korea-1109904044.html

New Twitter Files Drop; International Conference on Venezuela; Biden Sends Nukes to Korea

New Twitter Files Drop; International Conference on Venezuela; Biden Sends Nukes to Korea

A new "Twitter files" drop demonstrates that allegations of Russian accounts were made without evidence after multiple checks failed to produce evidence to support the claims.

2023-04-28T04:05+0000

2023-04-28T04:05+0000

2023-04-28T11:47+0000

the critical hour

radio

the twitter files

taiwan

venezuela

israel

sudan

south korea

north korea

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New Twitter Files Drop; International Conference on Venezuela; Biden Sends Nukes to Korea A new "Twitter files" drop demonstrates that allegations of Russian accounts were made without evidence after multiple checks failed to produce evidence to support the claims.

Dr. Ken Hammond, writer, and professor of East Asian and global history at New Mexico State University, joins us to discuss China. The Biden administration is sending nuclear weapons to the Korean peninsula. Also, the EU is split on following the US into a clash with China.Dr. Gerald Horne, Professor of History at the University of Houston, TX, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss Ukraine and Foreign policy. Recent information demonstrates that the Biden administration has been lying to the American people about Ukraine. Also, France is losing its dominance in West Africa.Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, joins us to discuss the new Twitter files and media. A new "Twitter files" drop demonstrates that allegations of Russian accounts were made without evidence after multiple checks failed to produce evidence to support the claims.Dr. Margaret Flowers, activist, and editor of "PopularResistance.org", joins us to discuss the Global South. Juan Guaido landed in Miami without a country or political entity to support him. Also, Colombia is holding a conference on Venezuela to end US sanctions.Laith Marouf, broadcaster, and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to discuss why the Belgian city of Liege has cut ties with Israel. Dr. Jemima Pierre, Professor of Black Studies and Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles, a member of the Black Alliance for Peace, and an editor of the "Black Agenda Review" segment of the Black Agenda Report, joins us to discuss Haiti. Anti-imperialists have done a sound job of foiling a US military attack on Haiti.KJ Noh, writer, teacher, and activist, joins us to discuss Asia. Secretary Yellen argues that the US economy should take a backseat to neocon foreign policy. Also, we discuss the RFK Jr candidacy and India.Margaret Kimberley, editor and senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and author of "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents", joins us to discuss media stories. An ex-CIA chief admits to election meddling. Also, Western media is working to hide the Biden administration's attack on the Nord Stream pipeline.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/paris-backs-framatomes-participation-in-hungarys-paks-2-npp-with-rosatom---reports-1109907355.html

Paris Backs Framatome's Participation in Hungary's Paks-2 NPP With Rosatom - Reports

Paris Backs Framatome's Participation in Hungary's Paks-2 NPP With Rosatom - Reports

The French Ministry of Energy Transition has greenlighted the participation of French companies in the construction of two new power units for the Hungarian NPP together with Russian Rosatom, reported French newspaper.

2023-04-28T03:41+0000

2023-04-28T03:41+0000

2023-04-28T03:41+0000

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peter szijjarto

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hungarian paks nuclear power plant (npp)

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According to the report, the French and Hungarian authorities share a "common belief in nuclear power" despite possible disagreements on a number of other issues. The newspaper quoted sources as saying that "the French government has given the authorization to Framatome" for the construction of two new power units in the absence of sanctions against Russia in the nuclear industry. Despite Russia's loan for the construction of the power units, "final beneficiaries" of the project will be Hungarians, the sources said, while emphasizing the need to switch from thermal power stations to nuclear power plants to combat climate change. In mid-March, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that France's Framatome would participate more actively in the construction of the Paks-2 NPP. In January, Szijjarto said that construction of the Paks NPP is being obstructed by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and German Economy Minister Robert Habeck from the Green Party, who do not issue permits to Siemens for the construction of new units. The Hungarian foreign minister recalled that Germany has not yet issued a permit to Siemens Energy to participate in the construction, which is unfair because "the issue of energy supply is in the national competence" of EU member states. In late 2014, Russia and Hungary signed an agreement on the construction of two advanced reactors in addition to four existing reactors of the Paks NPP, Hungary's only nuclear power plant. The project was titled "Paks-2." The sides agreed that Russia would allocate up to 10 billion euros ($10.9 billion) in a loan to finance the construction of the units, while the total cost was expected to reach 12.5 billion euros.In February, Rosatom said that the construction of the Paks-2 NPP is scheduled to begin in 2024. Currently, Paks generates almost half of all electricity in Hungary, with the share due to double after the planned commissioning of the new reactors. The Hungarian authorities consider nuclear energy as the best way to ensure the country's energy security.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230411/szijjarto-says-discussed-with-novak-prevention-of-sanctions-against-nuclear-energy-sphere-1109352398.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/project-6363-varshavyanka-inside-russias-stealthiest-non-boomer-sub-1109917484.html

Project 636.3 Varshavyanka: Inside Russias Stealthiest Non-Boomer Sub

Project 636.3 Varshavyanka: Inside Russias Stealthiest Non-Boomer Sub

Some naval strategists see the 21st century as the era of the nuclear-powered sub, with the United States doing away with diesel-electric boats entirely in the 1990s.

2023-04-28T12:58+0000

2023-04-28T12:58+0000

2023-04-28T13:05+0000

military

varshavyanka-class (project 636.3) submarine

submarine

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The fifth Project 636.3 Varshavyanka-class diesel submarine built for Russias Pacific Fleet was floated out of the Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg on Thursday in a ceremony attended by senior naval and industry officials, including Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov.The class of attack sub, created by St. Petersburgs legendary Rubin Design Bureau, is a modernized variant of Project 636, which is itself an improvement of Project 877 Paltus (NATO reporting name Kilo), created and commissioned at the twilight of the Cold War in the 1980s to take on NATO strike groups and lurk in Transatlantic and Pacific shipping lanes.The latest variant of the boat, which began to be delivered to the Russian Navy in the mid-2010s, features everything you would expect from a modern attack submarine, including advanced sonar, 6x533 mm torpedoes (plus 12 reloads), up to 24 anti-ship mines, Kalibr anti-ship and ground attack cruise missiles, and a stock of Strela-3 and Igla-1 man-portable surface-to-air missiles.Why So Stealthy?Dubbed 'Black Holes' by Western defense observers, Project 636.3 subs feature a hull design reminiscent of a droplet of water, and a diesel-electric propulsion system isolated in a special rubberized base, preventing it from touching the hull and thus vibrations which turn into sonar noise. The subs are also fitted with an external anechoic tile coating  which deadens noise coming from inside the vessels.The subs' design, surpassed in stealth characteristics perhaps only by France's strategic Triomphant-class ballistic missile submarine, allows them to evade enemy fleets, slip past anti-submarine warfare (ASW) warships and aircraft, and  if worst comes to worst, launch their torpedoes and cruise missiles at the enemy before being detected.The Varshavyankas stealth characteristics are not only theoretical. Time and time again, NATO countries have deployed warships, ASW helicopters, sonar buoys and other equipment to hunt for the Russian subs.In one incident in early 2021, the Rostov-on-Don Project 636.3 boat disappeared from NATO sonars in the Mediterranean, sparking a frantic search off the coasts of Israel, Lebanon and Syria. An informed military source told Sputnik that the US and its allies deployed "large forces to search for the Russian sub, but to no avail. This means that in conditions of hostilities, they are in the crosshairs, and this bothers them tremendously." A similar incident took place later that year, with Britains Royal Navy scrambling specially-equipped choppers to find a Russian sub stalking a the HMS Queen Elizabeth carrier in the Mediterranean, but failing in the mission.Variants of the Varshavyanka-class and their predecessor, Project 877 Paltus, have proven themselves in service not only with the Russian Navy, but those of several other navies as well  with over 60 boats in service with the navies of China, India, Iran, Vietnam, Algeria, Myanmar, Poland, and Romania. Russia has not yet exported its Project 636.3 abroad, but Project 363 boats have been delivered to China, Vietnam and Algeria.Proven by the test of time, Project 636 and 636.3 subs have one other major advantage over their nuclear cousins: cost. For example, while a single US Virginia-class fast attack sub costs upwards of $3.45 billion, Varshavyankas (their export Project 636 variant anyway) reportedly cost around $200 million apiece - or over seventeen times less.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/huge-uncertainty-over-aukus-sub-project-as-costs-shown-to-include-50-contingency-fund-1109912577.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230420/iranian-navy-forced-us-nuclear-submarine-to-surface-change-track-in-hormuz-strait-1109700784.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/putin-drone-industry-very-promising-12bln-to-be-invested-in-future-1109907090.html

Putin: Drone Industry Very Promising, $12Bln to Be Invested in Future

Putin: Drone Industry Very Promising, $12Bln to Be Invested in Future

The drone industry is very promising, and one trillion rubles ($12 billion) will be invested in it in the future, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

2023-04-28T03:23+0000

2023-04-28T03:23+0000

2023-04-28T03:51+0000

russia

russian economy under sanctions

vladimir putin

russian federal air transport agency

rosaviatsiya

drones

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investment

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On Thursday, Putin visited the Rudnevo industrial park, where drones are being manufactured, to hold a meeting on the development of unmanned aviation. During the visit, Putin called the Rudnevo park "the new industrial face of Moscow." During the meeting, the president said that Russia has the potential in the drone industry to ensure the necessary level of technological sovereignty, adding that Russia "can and should not just import something but go one step ahead of our competitors" in the field. The president noted that it is necessary to maximize the localization of the development and production of breakthrough technologies and "put the production of promising, competitive models on stream."Putin noted that it is necessary to digitalize the organization of air traffic in Russia to reach the required level of development of unmanned aviation, adding that "there will be no development of unmanned aviation" if the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsiya, continues to work in the same mode as today.The president told the meeting that it is necessary to create special operators who will be buying drones to lease them, as it is "another great mechanism for expanding demand." Putin stressed the need to help businesses in the field at all levels but noted that it is necessary to prevent "monopolies, to preserve the competitive principles of the industry, based on a balance of interests of entrepreneurs, investors, and the state." Drones should be used to prevent and deal with the outcomes of natural disasters and emergencies, Putin said. The president also noted the opportunities for the widespread use of unmanned aerial transport in agriculture, which, he said, would increase the efficiency and competitiveness of Russia in the field.The president also backed the idea of teaching schoolchildren to construct, assemble, and operate drones, saying that relevant training courses are needed in a variety of fields, including agriculture, energy, and transportation.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230421/russia-creates-1st-jet-powered-kamikaze-drone-equipped-with-ai-computer-vision--developer-1109735950.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230424/russia-brings-focus-on-development-of-military-drones-electronic-warfare-1109782683.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/scott-ritter-ukraine-victory-resolution-act---a-delusional-suicide-pact-1109895144.html

Scott Ritter: 'Ukraine Victory Resolution' Act - a Delusional Suicide Pact

Scott Ritter: 'Ukraine Victory Resolution' Act - a Delusional Suicide Pact

Two US Congressmen who sit on a bureaucratic relic of the Cold War have introduced the "Ukraine Victory Resolution", calling for the US to support an outright victory for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

2023-04-28T17:27+0000

2023-04-28T17:27+0000

2023-04-28T17:36+0000

analysis

russia

us

ukraine

dmitry medvedev

joe wilson

ukraine crisis

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After the presentation of the resolution, it must then be approved by the Foreign Affairs Committee and then put to a vote in Congress, both at the House of Representatives and the Senate level, before becoming law.While the "Ukraine Victory Resolution" faces an uncertain future in a Congress where enthusiasm for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine is waning, one should not count out the potential for the resolution becoming law, especially given the track record of its sponsors. Wilson, Cohen and McCaul last collaborated on the "Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act", which was signed into law on May 9, 2022, by President Joe Biden. That law enhanced Bidens authority to simplify bureaucratic barriers with regards to military equipment for Ukraine or other Eastern European countries affected by the Russian Special Military Operation in Ukraine.Since the start of Russia's Special Military Operation, the Helsinki Commission has worked closely with the Ukrainian government to craft legislation that supports Ukrainian goals and objectives when it comes to its conflict with Russia.To call the Helsinki Commission a de facto adjunct of the Ukrainian government would not be an exaggeration. Indeed, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova, was the person chosen to make the official announcement regarding the presentation of the "Ukraine Victory Resolution" to the House of Representatives.The text of the draft resolution "affirms that it is the policy of the United States to see Ukraine victorious against the invasion and restored to its internationally recognized 1991 borders."Wilson and Cohen both have stated that the territorial integrity of Ukraine must be preserved, meaning that the conflict in Ukraine could not be ended until the territories of Kherson, Zaporozhye, Donetsk, Lugansk, and Crimea are returned to Ukrainian sovereignty.While the resolution introduced by Wilson and Cohen accurately reflects both current US policy objectives and Ukrainian government desires, it ignores two critical realities. First, it is Russia that is winning the conflict, not Ukraine, and as such any termination of the current conflict will reflect this hard truth.Moreover, to tie both the US and Ukraine to unrealistic expectations creates obstacles to any possible negotiated end to the conflict, meaning that the conflict will drag on to its inevitable conclusiona strategic Russian victoryin a manner which will only increase the human, material, and financial cost to Ukraine.Indeed, as senior Russian officials such as former President Dmitri Medvedev have noted, if the crisis does not reach a negotiated end, Ukraine itself may cease to exist as a sovereign entity. The irony of a piece of US legislation purporting to defend Ukrainian sovereignty serving as the foundation of the death of Ukraine as a nation seems to have escaped the sponsors of the resolution.But the resolution also lays the groundwork for the possibilityindeed, if the resolution accomplished its goal, probabilityof a general nuclear war between the United States and Russia. Former Russian President Medvedev recently noted that, according to Russian policy regarding the use of nuclear weapons, such weapons "can be used in case of aggression against Russia with the use of other types of weapons that threaten the very existence of the state. This is, in essence, the use of nuclear weapons in response to such actions."Any effort by Ukraine to recover its former territories which have been absorbed by Russia would, by definition, constitute a threat against the "very existence of the Russian State," to quote Medvedev. "If you have a weapon in your hands," Medvedev declared recently, referring to nuclear weapons, "and I, as a former president, know what it is, you must be prepared that your hand will not tremble in a certain situation to use it, no matter how monstrous and cruel it sounds."This is something Russia's potential adversaries, including Congressmen Wilson, Cohen, and McCauland indeed every member of Congress who will be called upon to vote in support of the "Ukraine Victory Resolution"  should keep first and foremost in their mind.A vote for the resolution is a vote for nuclear war with Russia. The resolution is a literal suicide pact with Ukraine. Hopefully the American people will wake up to this reality before it is too late, and let their representatives know that they chose life over death.Ukraine has lost its NATO-driven conflict with Russia. There is no need for the entire world to die as a result.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230426/pentagon-uses-ukraine-as-testing-ground-while-prepping-for-clear-china-standoff--1109847462.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230427/us-resumes-large-scale-production-of-plutonium-pits-for-nukes-1109886797.html

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nuclear war, why us supports ukraine, how much us spends on ukraine, who is winning in ukraine, ukraine war, ukraine crisis
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/shoigu-us-allies-implementing-plan-to-provoke-other-countries-to-confrontation-with-russia-china-1109908961.html

Shoigu: US-Led West Seeks to Goad Other Countries Into Confrontation With Russia, China

Shoigu: US-Led West Seeks to Goad Other Countries Into Confrontation With Russia, China

With India chairing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in 2023, its capital New Delhi is hosting a summit of SCO defense chiefs on Friday to discuss... 28.04.2023, Sputnik International

2023-04-28T05:55+0000

2023-04-28T05:55+0000

2023-04-28T07:24+0000

world

russia

china

sergei shoigu

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The hostilities in Ukraine confirm the US-led West's fixation on goading other countries into a military confrontation with Moscow and Beijing, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday at the current summit of defense ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) member states.The United States seeks to reformat the system of international relations by creating controlled regional alliances, using blackmail and threats, the minister emphasized.On Ukraine ConflictThe West's real aim in the Ukraine conflict is to strategically defeat Russia, threaten China and maintain a monopoly position in the world, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.The combat capabilities of almost all the countries of the North Atlantic military bloc have been deployed against Russia since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, the defense chief said."The West demonstrated its preparation in advance for a confrontation with the Russian Federation. Sweeping sanctions were immediately imposed against Russia, arms deliveries to Ukraine, intelligence support, military advisers and mercenaries were organized," Shoigu noted.The Wests efforts to sway Moscow's partners to isolate Russia and discredit its leadership are failing, the defense minister said."Against the backdrop of the special military operation, attempts to influence Russia's partners into isolating it (Moscow) are continuing. A massive information campaign has been launched to discredit the Russian leadership and its policies. An unwavering eagerness to ramp up across-the-board pressure is being demonstrated, regardless of the current damage to their economic and political interests," Shoigu stressed.On US BiolabsThe Pentagon's bioweapons programs in Ukraine are aimed at developing biological weapons components, Shoigu pointed out, putting the spotlight on US activities, still in progress, to transfer the most dangerous research to third countries."In the instance of Ukraine, we see the dual purpose of these programs and their actual focus on developing biological weapons components, which is in direct violation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention," the minister added.On Growing Militarization of Asia-Pacific RegionAccording to Shoigu, Washington and its allies are zealously opposing the formation of a multipolar world in the Asia-Pacific region.He said this started with the creation of politico-military blocs such as QUAD and AUKUS.Russia is beefing up the combat readiness of its bases in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan amid efforts by the United States and its allies to restore its military presence in Central Asia, Shoigu said."For our part, we are increasing the combat readiness of Russian military bases in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as well as other response forces to possible challenges," Shoigu said.Under the pretext of aiding the fight against terrorism, the United States and its allies are trying to restore their military presence in Central Asia, the minister said, adding that Moscow sees their requests to countries in the region to deploy military infrastructure as "a direct threat to stability in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's zone."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230426/pentagon-uses-ukraine-as-testing-ground-while-prepping-for-clear-china-standoff--1109847462.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230321/joint-russo-chinese-statement-us-biowarfare-activities-aukus-submarines-prospects-of-nuclear-war-1108661395.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/tehran-believes-still-possible-to-resolve-latest-issues-on-nuclear-deal---envoy-to-vienna-1109911959.html

Tehran Believes Still Possible to Resolve Latest Issues on Nuclear Deal - Envoy to Vienna

Tehran Believes Still Possible to Resolve Latest Issues on Nuclear Deal - Envoy to Vienna

The current status of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iranian nuclear deal, is the result of US policies and miscalculations, but there is a chance to resolve latest issues.

2023-04-28T07:13+0000

2023-04-28T07:13+0000

2023-04-28T07:13+0000

world

iran

joint comprehensive plan of action (jcpoa)

ukraine

tehran

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"The current status of the JCPOA is the product of US policies and miscalculations. Our past experience has taught us to become engaged in the new round of negotiations with more care and sensitivity. The few remaining issues from the last round of negotiations could be addressed," Naziri Asl said. The final steps in the negotiations to resume the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) can be taken without preconditions, the US needs to have the will and strength to complete these talks, Mohsen Naziri Asl said.Talks to resume the JCPOA with Iran began in December 2021. Their main goal is to restore the deal and lift the sanctions previously imposed on Tehran by the United States after Washington's withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018. However, progress on the deal was frozen by September 2022 amid a series of mass protests in Iran, for which Tehran blamed the US and other Western countries.Iran Gives Priority to Dialogue in Resolution of Crises, Ukraine ConflictIran condemns warmongering and the imposition of unilateral sanctions, and gives priority to dialogue and diplomacy in narrowing differences between parties to a conflict, including to that in Ukraine, Mohsen Naziri Asl said.Tehran also condemns the Cold War era "hegemonic mentality and unilateralism" by the United States and other Western nations through national policies and regional arrangements such as NATO, the Iranian diplomat said, adding that that was "one of the main root causes of many crises in the world, including the ongoing one in Ukraine."He noted that it was high time for "genuine diplomacy" activation to put an end to the Ukraine conflict and unilateral sanctions and stop "advertising and fueling the war."Naziri Asl added that Iran had announced its readiness to contribute to the peaceful settlement of the crisis and also supported China's peace plan for Ukraine released on February 24.Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The West responded by imposing comprehensive sanctions against Moscow, while also ramping up its military support for Kiev. The European Union, in particular, has imposed 10 packages of sanctions against Russia since the onset of the Ukraine crisis.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230426/jcpoa-revival--de-dollarization-what-did-lavrov-say-after-unsc-meeting--1109832212.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230405/washington-benefiting-from-ukrainian-conflict-as-europe-made-to-bear-its-cost-irans-supreme-leader-1109176584.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/the-corporate-media-is-dying-before-our-eyes-1109901280.html

The Corporate Media is Dying Before Our Eyes

The Corporate Media is Dying Before Our Eyes

On todays episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events including Jerry Springer passing away at age 79, and the EU urging Serbia to ban Russian media.

2023-04-28T04:23+0000

2023-04-28T04:23+0000

2023-04-28T11:09+0000

the backstory

radio

big pharma

cnn

cia

9/11

syria

corporate media

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The Corporate Media is Dying Before our Eyes On todays episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events including Jerry Springer passing away at age 79, and the EU urging Serbia to ban Russian media.

Jose Vega - Activist, Independent Journalist | The Need for More Activism, Confronting the Legacy Media, and The Last Mainstream Truth TellerThom Nickels  Author, Journalist | San Francisco's Soft on Crime Policy, Sanctuary Cities, and Don LemonIn the first hour, Lee spoke with Jose Vega about his confrontation with mainstream media executives, Biden bringing us to the brink of World War III, and AOC now doing virtual town halls. Jose talked about his most recent video confronting the New York Times and Washington Post executives. Jose described his support for Tucker Carlson and how the corporate media has lost Americans' attention.In the second hour, Lee spoke with Thom Nickels about the firing of Don Lemon, the problem with sanctuary cities, and where Tucker Carlson might land next. Thom discussed his recent column on the sanctuary city policy of San Francisco and how one Democrat supervisor is standing up against these policies. Thom detailed his past interactions with Don Lemon and how corporate news anchors cover stories in person.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.

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the backstory, censorship in europe, what happens to russian media, the problem with sanctuary cities, where tucker carlson might land
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/three-french-protesters-facing-prison-for-flipping-macron-the-finger-1109906439.html

Three French Protesters Facing Prison for Flipping Macron the Finger

Three French Protesters Facing Prison for Flipping Macron the Finger

Three protesters are facing prison time after giving the increasingly unpopular French President the finger during protests against pension reform.

2023-04-28T03:31+0000

2023-04-28T03:31+0000

2023-04-28T03:28+0000

world

emmanuel macron

france

marine le pen

freedom of speech

free speech

protest

pension reform

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Three protesters from the French commune of Selestat, which sits near the border of Germany, are facing prison time for giving the middle finger to French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to the town on April 19.The three protesters have pleaded guilty to contempt of a person holding public authority, according to a statement issued by prosecutor Catherine Sorita-Minard.Due to their gesture to the French president, the three protesters are facing up to a year in prison and a 15,000 fine. None of the protesters have a criminal history. A fourth person was also arrested but the charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence.When Macron arrived in Selestat he was met with a crowd demanding his resignation and a chorus of boos. Macrons approval rating in the country has been plummeting since he decided to move forward with pension reforms despite massive monthslong protests around the country against the reforms.Protesters have followed Macron around the Alsace region, banging on pots and pans to interrupt his speeches. That resulted in the government hastily passing a ban on portable sound devices hours before Macron arrived in the village of Ganges. Police there confiscated pans from protesters, classifying them as falling under that law.French trade unions have so far refused further dialog with Macron, and the French president has reportedly resorted to carrying generators everywhere he goes because unions have been shutting off power in areas he is visiting.Protesters have also promised to shut down and cut power to popular events, including the Cannes film festival and the Monaco Grand Prix.Macrons approval rating sits at just 26%, according to a BVA poll. Despite the slump, he has pledged not to back down on his pension reforms and has ordered his government to restore peace over the next 100 days. Another poll, conducted by LOpinion en direct, said the 2022 candidate for the right-wing National Rally party, Marine Le Pen, would easily beat Macron if the election were held today, with 55% of the hypothetical vote.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/trade-between-russia-paraguay-remains-stable-despite-western-sanctions---ambassador-1109928086.html

Trade Between Russia, Paraguay Remains Stable Despite Western Sanctions - Ambassador

Trade Between Russia, Paraguay Remains Stable Despite Western Sanctions - Ambassador

Russia and Paraguay remain strong trade partners despite Western attempts to isolate Russia over the conflict in Ukraine, the Russian ambassador in Asuncion told Sputnik.

2023-04-28T20:15+0000

2023-04-28T20:15+0000

2023-04-28T20:11+0000

americas

russia

paraguay

alexander pisarev

ukraine

ukraine crisis

trade

latin america

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"We view as positive the fact that Paraguayan political circles have refrained from offering the West their unconditional support or limiting trade and economic relations with Russia," Alexander Pisarev said in an interview. The diplomat said exports of Paraguayan frozen meat dipped in early 2022 before recovering, while trade in meat products edged up last year. Exports of soy, Paraguay's main agricultural commodity, also took a hit last year due to a drop in production. Russia has been aware of the West's pressure on the Global South to sever ties with Moscow, but media coverage of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in Paraguay remains balanced, the diplomat said. Pisarev also accused the United States of interfering in Paraguay's 2023 presidential race by imposing sanctions on Vice President Hugo Velazquez, who quit office and withdrew his candidacy in August over corruption accusations by Washington.

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Donald Trump was unusually silent this month as conservative leaders demanded that supporters of Bud Light stop drinking the beer because of the company's partnership with transgender Tiktok personality Dylan Mulvaney.

The former president does not seem to have made any public remarks on Bud Light or the right-wing uproar around the brand in recent Truth Social postings.

RealClearPolitics made this observation, pointing out that Trump has been conspicuously "MIA" (missing in action) on the boycott despite numerous demands for comment. Now, here's why.

Former President Is MIA

It was recently revealed that the former president, who has publicly opposed transgender rights, has a financial stake in Anheuser Busch InBev, the parent company of Bud Light.

Disclosure forms reveal that Trump is a stakeholder in the business that makes Bud Light. The Independent was the first to report on this.

In his last filing with the Federal Election Commission on April 14, Trump declared his ownership of between $1 million and $5 million in Anheuser Busch InBev via an account titled "DJT Trust - Investment Account #2."

His son, Donald Trump Jr., has urged for the Bud Light boycott to halt, but the former president has been silent on the matter.

On the episode of his podcast Triggered that aired on April 13, Don Jr. remarked, "I'm not for destroying an American, an iconic company, for something like this. The company itself doesn't participate in the same leftist nonsense as the other big conglomerates."

His views were at odds with those of many other high-profile Republicans, as reported by Insider.

The Republicans' Counterattack

According to Insider, Mulvaney's gender has been incorrectly referred to by Republican presidential contender and former governor Nikki Haley when she has spoken out against the Bud Light collaboration.

In an interview with RealClearPolitics, former Vice President Mike Pence, who is widely anticipated to declare his 2024 bid in the coming months, said that the boycott was justified.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has been projected to be Trump's top contender for the GOP nomination, has accused Bud Light of "rubbing our faces in it" by employing Mulvaney in an ad campaign.

Also Read: Indiana Bar Bans Dylan Mulvaney - Bud Light Controversy Discussions

Plummeted Sales After an Outcry

After weeks of partnering with Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Light has seen a dramatic decline in pours at pubs and restaurants throughout the US.

It was found that sales of the company's goods dropped by 6% between the beginning and middle of April at 3,000 separate locations. Bud Light was reported to have surpassed its category by 15% based on sales data compared to the period of March 18 to April 1. This occurred two weeks before the company's planned collaboration with the transgender influencer.

Also Read: Bud Light Partnership with Dylan Mulvaney: Sales Continue to Drop; Orders at Bars and Restaurants Plummete

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/turkiye-confirms-intention-to-mediate-bank-payments-for-russian-grain-fertilizers-1109910581.html

Turkiye Confirms Intention to Mediate Bank Payments for Russian Grain, Fertilizers

Turkiye Confirms Intention to Mediate Bank Payments for Russian Grain, Fertilizers

The issue of the mediation of a Turkish bank in payments to Russia for the sale of grain and fertilizers is on the agenda, the goal is to keep the Black Sea Initiative, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday.

2023-04-28T06:39+0000

2023-04-28T06:39+0000

2023-04-28T06:46+0000

istanbul grain deal

russia

mevlut cavusoglu

grain

turkiye

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"The question of a Turkish bank mediating payments to Russia for the sale of grain and fertilizers is on the agenda. The goal is to solve the problem and keep the deal," Cavusoglu said, as quoted by the Turkish newspaper.Earlier this week, Cavusoglu said that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres suggested that Ankara consider the possibility of mediation by Turkish banks in resolving the situation with the access of Russian agricultural products to global markets. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed between Russia, Turkiye, Ukraine and the United Nations amid the military conflict in Ukraine in July 2022, provides for exports of Ukrainian grain, food and fertilizers over the Black Sea from three ports, including Odessa.The package agreement also includes a memorandum of understanding between Russia and the UN to unblock Russian grain and fertilizer exports via the Black Sea, which, according to Moscow, has not been implemented amid Western sanctions. In March, Russia extended the deal for 60 of possible 120 days.Russia requested that in order to further extend the grain agreement after its expiration on May 18, the normalization of Moscows agricultural exports, including bank payments, transport logistics, insurance, unfreezing of financial activities and the supply of ammonia through the Tolyatti-Odessa pipeline, must be ensured.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20220919/central-banks-of-turkey-russia-to-start-working-out-ruble-gas-payments-energy-minister-says-1100949289.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/two-us-army-apache-choppers-crash-in-alaska-during-training-flight-1109904526.html

Two US Army Apache Choppers Crash in Alaska During Training Flight

Two US Army Apache Choppers Crash in Alaska During Training Flight

Two Army helicopters crashed in Alaska during a training exercise. This marks the third military helicopter crash in the United States this year.

2023-04-28T02:06+0000

2023-04-28T02:06+0000

2023-04-28T03:13+0000

military

ah-64 apache

fort campbell

fairbanks

alaska

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Two Army Apache helicopters crashed in Fairbanks, Alaska, on Thursday, leaving three dead and one person hospitalized.First responders are on the site, a statement from the US Army Alaska said. Alaska State Troopers are not part of the response, a spokesperson for the department told US media.The AH-64 Apache helicopters were reportedly participating in training exercises at the time of the crash. According to the 11th Airborne Division, the helicopters were from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment and were stationed in Fort Wainwright.The incident marks the third major military helicopter crash in the United States this year. In February, two soldiers were injured when an Apache rolled after takeoff from Talkeetna, Alaska. Then in March, nine soldiers were killed during routine nighttime training when two Army Black Hawk medical helicopters crashed about 30 miles northeast of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.Officials say more information will be made available after an investigation is completed.The Thursday crash occurred near Haley, Alaska, a town of about 1,000 people. It is located 10 miles from the Denali National Park and Preserve, which is home to Denali, North Americas tallest mountain.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/two-military-helicopters-collide-over-kentucky-during-training-media-reports-1108944014.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/ussouth-korea-nuclear-deterrence-codifies-decades-of-dprk-threat-rhetoric-1109908798.html

US/South Korea Nuclear Deterrence Codifies Decades of DPRK Threat Rhetoric

US/South Korea Nuclear Deterrence Codifies Decades of DPRK Threat Rhetoric

None of the actions proposed by the US and the Republic of Korea in the unveiled extended deterrence agreement during the South Korean Presidents visit to the United States are particularly new, Michael Madden told Sputnik.

2023-04-28T10:58+0000

2023-04-28T10:58+0000

2023-04-28T10:58+0000

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south korea

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china

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None of the actions proposed by the US and the Republic of Korea (ROK) in the unveiled extended deterrence agreement, the so-called Washington Declaration - the most important outcome of the South Korean Presidents visit to the United States - are particularly new, Michael Madden, non-resident Fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington DC, has told Sputnik.The Washington Declaration could be seen as codifying certain actions or forms of strategic rhetoric permeating US-ROK decision-making over the past few dozen years, Madden said.Some tough-sounding statements came out of Washington on Wednesday, as Joe Biden and Yoon Suk-yeol touted the "new" plan aimed at boosting US-South Korean cooperation on aspects such as military training, information sharing with respect to the threat posed by the DPRK [North Korea]." The 46th POTUS warned that: A nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies and partners is unacceptable, and will result in the end of whatever regime were to take such an action.The plan presupposes:But, as Biden stated: We are not going to be stationing nuclear weapons on the peninsula.The pretext for reinforcing the US-ROK alliance used by the Biden Administration has been North Koreas (DPRK) steady schedule of missile simulations and test firings, Madden said.If one examines one of the proposed "new" measures, such as the docking of nuclear submarines in South Korea, the US last brought nuclear subs into the ROK during the Nineties. Madden succinctly sums it up:The issue of the North Korea threat is a "never-dying rationale, like a revolving-door or a lifelong battery, which is constantly remanufactured as a convenient justification for the US to stay in South Korea forever," Dr Kiyul Chung, editor-in-chief at the 4th Media, told Sputnik.The retired professor of Tsinghua University in Beijing agreed that there was, indeed, nothing new about the unveiled so-called new nuclear deterrence efforts", including US nuclear submarines in the ROK, mutual training and deepening coordination between military forces.South Korea has been under Washingtons "24-hour watch" or "complete control" for almost 80 years now, never allowed to carry out its own independent foreign affairs or socioeconomic development, he said. President Yoon, according to the retired professor, was no more than Washingtons vassal for today, as his shameful and undignified visit to Washington further proved.China, DPRK ResponseThe fall-out from the so-called Washington Declaration, with its certain types of deployments and military exercises by the two allies could, over the next year, easily irritate China, added Madden. The extended deterrence agreement, will enhance China's current posture and viewpoint on Korea, he said.Chung doubted whether there would be, "anything impactful regarding DPRKs reaction to Washingtons another 'April Fools Day' show which is basically and fundamentally the same as the past 70 years of US global military show businesses."The Ukraine issue was "mentioned very briefly" during the talks between Biden and the visiting South Korean President, a senior Washington official was cited as saying. But it should be borne in mind that the visit came amid the fall-out from the recent alleged Pentagon Leaks. The classified US military documents showed how South Korea was struggling to balance pressure from its Western allies to help Ukraine get military aid with its own policy of staying out of the conflict.Whether it is supplying munitions to Ukraine, or issues such as getting along with Japan, antagonizing China on the issue of Taiwan, etc, the current leadership of South Korea will find it very challenging to resist US pressure," Chung said. He reiterated that in his opinion, South Korea will find it hard to say No! to Washingtons pressure, as the US continues in its "desperate, but repeatedly failing attempts to prevent the DPRK, China, Russia, India, Iran - and now, even, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and the like - from getting closer and united against the unipolar powers so-called unilaterally imposed rules-based international order.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230426/s-korea-us-talks-seeking-to-reaffirm-ironclad-ties-amid-fallout-from-pentagon-leaks-1109842930.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230415/us-japan--south-korea-discuss-regularizing-military-drills-to-counter-pyongyang-1109545917.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230321/experts-xi-putin-talks-on-expanded-economic-cooperation-part-of-multipolarity-building-process-1108662814.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/watch-iranian-commandos-board-us-bound-oil-tanker-1109927202.html

Watch Iranian Commandos Board US-Bound Oil Tanker

Watch Iranian Commandos Board US-Bound Oil Tanker

Iran seized the errant tanker after it slammed into an Iranian fishing boat Wednesday and attempted to flee the scene.

2023-04-28T19:01+0000

2023-04-28T19:01+0000

2023-04-28T19:04+0000

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iranian navy

seizure

tanker

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accident

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The US military has confirmed that Iranian forces have seized the Advantage Sweet, a Marshall Islands-flagged crude oil tanker chartered by Chevron carrying crude oil from Kuwait to Texas.CENTCOM commander Michael Erik Kurilla said the tankers detention was a violation of the international rules-based order by Iran, and claimed that the Islamic Republics behavior places the security and stability of the Middle East at risk.Iranian media said Navy forces including the Bayandor corvette sailed out of Chabahar Port to intercept the Advantage Sweet in the Sea of Oman after the fishermen made a distress call. Irans Navy subsequently seized the tanker in compliance with a confiscation order issued by Iranian judicial authorities.The tanker, operated by a 24-person crew of Indian nationals, was seized by about 1:15 pm local time on Thursday, according to the US military.Iranian media later posted dramatic footage of the operation to seize the vessel, showing Iranian commandos armed with automatic weapons descending from a helicopter rope line onto the tankers deck and proceeding to secure it.The Iranian military also confirmed that it picked up a US Navy P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft snooping on the Iranian operation.Also Friday, UK business media reported that the seizure of the Advantage Sweet followed in the wake of a recent US sanctions enforcement operation which forced the Suez Rajan, a tanker carrying Iranian crude to China, to redirect toward the United States. Tehran, which has faced Western sanctions for decades, has repeatedly condemned US efforts to strangulate the Islamic Republics economy.

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Ilya Tsukanov

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/white-house-officials-admit-age-taking-its-toll-on-joe-biden-1109926610.html

White House Officials Admit Age Taking Its Toll on Joe Biden

White House Officials Admit Age Taking Its Toll on Joe Biden

Joe Biden's age has become a hot topic after the US president announced his re-election bid earlier this week. He is now 80 and looking to extend his tenure in the White House until he is 86.

2023-04-28T18:36+0000

2023-04-28T18:36+0000

2023-04-28T18:36+0000

americas

us

opinion

joe biden

democratic party

democrats

white house

daniel mcadams

2024 us presidential elections

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On April 25, Joe Biden tossed his hat into the ring for presidency, despite 70% of American voters signaling they don't want him to run again, citing his age. Moreover, only 47% of Democrats back Joe's re-election. Biden's approval numbers are unimpressive, too.Three days prior to the incumbent's announcement, The New York Times, frequently chastised by US conservatives over its apparent sympathy for the Democratic Party, released an editorial eloquently titled "Biden Should Take Voters Concerns About Age Seriously." The newspaper argued that Joe's age could become both "a political liability" in 2024 and "a barrier" to a successful second term. Citing the president's standard line "watch me," the media outlet admitted that Joe Biden has given voters very few chances to do that. His refusal to regularly engage with the public raises concerns about his age and health, as per the newspaper.For its part, Axios brought focus on Joe's "age trap" on Friday. The media outlet cited Biden's aides asserting to US journalists that the president is mentally sharp. Still, even they acknowledged that Joe's age has been taking a toll on his performance, diminishing his energy and limiting his schedule.The media outlet presented a breakdown of the president's schedule so far in 2023, which indicates that Biden had only four public events before 10 am; a dozen public events after 6 pm, with most of them being dinners, receptions with foreign leaders, or fundraisers; and 12 full weekends with no public events.Still, unlike his predecessors, Biden, as a president, hasn't done an interview with The New York Times, The Washington Post, or The Wall Street Journal. The White House is basically "hiding" the president as he auditions for his second term, according to the media outlet.Meanwhile, the US conservative press is lashing out at the Democratic Party over Biden's age and health, citing his frequent blunders and gaffes. The American conservatives believe that their political opponents will resort to their 2020 strategy by again hiding Joe in a basement and limiting rallies. For his part, Daniel McAdams, executive director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity, told Sputnik that he doesn't rule out that the Dems will "cheat" to keep the increasingly unpopular Joe in the White House.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230428/bidens-2024-bid-tainted-by-new-corruption-allegations-1109921356.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230427/dems-going-to-cheat-to-keep-biden-in-white-house-in-2024-1109888358.html

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Attorney General Jason Miyares hosted the 6th Annual Unsung Heroes Award Ceremony this week recognizing Virginians who provide exemplary service and support to victims of crime in Virginia.

Among the honorees was a detective with the Town of Orange Police Department.

The Office of the Attorney General established these awards to acknowledge Virginians who dedicate their work to support crime victims with trauma-informed responses in their recovery and healing journey, according to a release.

Unsung heroes work tirelessly for others, never seeking the limelight, and, instead, serving as a light to crime victims who are often facing the darkest, most unmooring time in their life, said Miyares. Our unsung heroes wake up every morning, not knowing what horrors or pain the day could bring and go to work because they know that there are victims who need their help. Their resilience and determination to make a difference in a victims world inspires me every day.

Orange PD Detective Adrienne Beale is among Miyares Unsung Heroes. She has worked in law enforcement for over 18 years, including 12 in the Town of Orange. Due to limited funding, Beale is the only full-time detective working on sexual assault cases for the police department, according to the release.

Due to the heavy caseload, Beale advocated for herself to receive forensic interview training to better serve victims and ensure justice is served. Recognizing how traumatic the entire legal process is for victims, she made an independent effort to reduce how many times a victim has to retell their story to minimize further traumatization, the release stated.

Other winners were Jennifer Baron, Master Police Officer Norfolk Police Department; Judy Clark, Outreach Coordinator Abuse Alternatives, Inc.; Kristan Crummett, Victim Witness Coordinator for Waynesboro and Magnolia Rose; Linda Ellis-Williams, Director of Domestic Violence YWCA, Lynchburg; Lorraine Goldberg, Detective Loudoun County Sheriffs Department; Christopher Hudspeth, Master Firefighter/Paramedic Chesapeake Fire Department; Charlene Tammy Jones, Deputy Director Richmond Victim Witness Services; Ashley Manuel, LAP Coordinator The Family Resource Center; and Karen Mortensen, Director New Kent/Charles City Victim Witness Program.
The Upper Niobrara White Natural Resources District (UNWNRD) is hosting the fourth annual amateur photo contest, in search of natural resources related photos from residents within the District encompassing Box Butte, Dawes, Sheridan and Sioux counties.

The NRD Photo Contest is intended to get the residents of the District outside to enjoy the beauty in the natural resources close to home.

The photos that our District residents have been able to capture have been nothing short of amazing, Mike Strasburger, UNWNRD director, said in a press release. The winning photos are difficult to choose each year.

The deadline for the 2023 contest is June 1. Please see the list below for requirements to enter your photos.

 The photo must be taken within the District (Box Butte, Dawes, Sheridan, Sioux counties).

 The photographer must be a resident of the district.

 The subject of the photo must be natural resources related. Ex: agriculture, nature, wildlife, recreation, etc.

 The photographer must be an amateur. No professional photographers.

 The photo must be submitted electronically to: Kylen Armstrong (armstrong@unwnrd.org) and include the photographers name, address and phone number.

 Please include a title for your photo as well as the location it was taken.

 Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three photographers and the winning photo will be made into a canvas print to be displayed in the UNWNRD office for the next year.

For more information, please contact Kylen Armstrong (armstrong@unwnrd.org or 308-432-6190), see the NRD website www.unwnrd.org or stop by the office at 430 East Second St. to see the 2022 winning photo.
The West Nebraska Arts Center is preparing to unveil two new collections with receptions taking place on the evening of May 4.

Stages is a show by Martin Vargas created to share the various stages of his art career. Many mediums will be featured, including acrylics, ceramics, watercolors and more. The reception will begin at 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 4, and will be free and open to the public. Refreshments, wine and hors doeuvres will be served.

West Nebraska Arts Center will be displaying artwork by Vargas May 4-28. The show was made possible by the support of Hotel 21 & Co., the Nebraska Arts Council, the Nebraska Cultural Endowment and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Another reception, complete with hors doeuvres and refreshments, will be held Thursday, May 4, at 5 p.m. for the opening of a collection of original art from Western Nebraska Community College Students in the Arts Centers Bronson Gallery.

This show is a treat for us. We enjoy the different mediums and the interesting ways the mediums are molded into unique designs, said program manager Stephanie Coley.

The WNCC Student Art Exhibit can be viewed in the Bronson Gallery May 4-June 25.

The West Nebraska Arts Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. The center is a cultural nonprofit organization committed to education, awareness and excellence in the arts, serving the North Platte Valley region.

The Nebraska Arts Council, a state agency, has supported the Arts Centers programs through its matching grants program funded by the Nebraska Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. Visit nebraskaartscouncil.org for more information.
White House officials have crafted a plan to boost the visibility of Vice President Kamala Harris's work in light of Republican attempts to make her a liability

Democrats are relying on Harris to help President Joe Biden get re-elected, but her approval ratings are causing some concern among officials.

While some Republicans are attacking Biden's age, others are targeting Harris's effectiveness as vice president.

West Wing aides reportedly have crafted a plan to boost the exposure of Vice President Kamala Harris's work as part of the campaign to guarantee President Joe Biden's reelection.

According to White House sources, publicizing Harris's work is crucial to raising awareness of her position inside the government. There is a growing consensus that the accomplishments of Kamala Harris should be highlighted more prominently in light of Republican attempts to make her a liability, NBC News reported.

President Joe Biden addresses public worries about his age and whether he can serve another four-year term as Republicans intensify their assaults on Kamala Harris and portray her as the genuine contender at the top of the ticket.

Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison praises Senator Kamala Harris as a "historic leader" and "true partner" to President Joe Biden. He thinks she will be essential in helping him get re-elected.

Kamala Harris Approval Ratings Are Not Good

However, Vice President Kamala Harris' approval ratings are in the upper 30s, which is even lower than President Joe Biden's low 40s. Officials are worried that this might have a detrimental effect on the reelection campaign since it is anticipated that many key states will be tightly fought, per Axios.

Kamala Harris is unlikely to be swapped on the ticket, however, since doing so would be seen as Biden's acknowledgment of a serious mistake of judgment. As a result, the White House and campaign staff are supporting her, a move that Harris' allies say is a long time coming.

Our Administration stands for democracy.



We stand for the foundational and fundamental principles of freedom, liberty, and equality for all people. pic.twitter.com/kG0FWkLYyH  Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) April 25, 2023

Read Also: White House Defends Biden's Cheat Sheet

The White House West Wing and Harris' staff have worked together to further her leadership in women's health care and foreign policy, according to a Biden administration official when asked about strategies to support the vice president's initiatives. The source also said that Kamala Harris was a valuable asset in the 2020 campaign and would continue to be so.

The Crucial Position of Kamala Harris

President Biden, 80, is the oldest elected US president. Next year's election will take place when he will be nearly 82 years old, and he will be 86 when his probable second term ends. Kamala Harris, on the other hand, is 58 years old.

Joe Biden might pass away in office, according to Nikki Haley, a former governor of South Carolina and UN ambassador who is vying for the Republican presidential nomination. Haley said that because it is unlikely that Biden would live to be 86 years old, people who support him are really supporting Kamala Harris for the presidency.

Haley has recommended a test of mental capacity for politicians beyond the age of 75, including Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner at age 76, according to The Guardian.

Republicans continue to criticize Vice President Kamala Harris' performance and Biden's age. As is typical for individuals in her position, Kamala Harris has had difficulty creating an impression as vice president. Deputy leaders, as Democratic strategist Donna Brazile pointed out, need to work hard to craft their own identities and narratives-- and that will be the challenge for Kamala Harris.

Related Article: Donald Trump Stays Silent on Latest Bud Light Boycott

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SIDNEY  Nebraska Department of Economic Development officials Tuesday honored Sidney community leaders for their initiatives to rebuild and diversify their economy after job losses following the 2017 merger of Cabelas Inc. into Bass Pro Shops.

DED business development consultant Brittany Hardin recognized local leaders during Tuesdays Sidney City Council meeting for continued success as one of 40 of the states Economic Development Certified Community members.

The program, sponsored by the Nebraska Diplomats and administered by DED, was founded in 2005 to recognize communities for preparedness to attract new industries and expand existing businesses.

Sidney became an economic development certified community in 2008, a status that was renewed in 2012 and 2018.

Such communities must demonstrate well-defined programs that encourage a supportive environment for economic growth, DED said in a Wednesday press release.

Successful certified communities promote available sites and buildings, create local development incentives and implement strategic planning, it added.

Over the past five years, DED official noted, local leaders assisted 15 new Sidney businesses through various forms of financial assistance.

They include Sidneys aid program under 1991s Legislative Bill 840, which lets the city dedicate a portion of its tax dollars for community development with voter approval. Sidneys LB 840 program has generated 377 jobs since 2018, DED said.

The citys Signage and Facade Enhancement program has provided $134,654 to help downtown brick-and-mortar businesses make aesthetic improvements over the past several years.

Twenty-four new Sidney businesses have received a combined $66,145 through the citys rental assistance program to encourage economic growth within its expanded Historic Downtown District, according to DEDs press release.

The program provides $500 per month for up to six months to business owners who choose to locate and rent downtown, it added.

The Nebraska Arts Council also recently designated Sidney as one of nine Nebraska creative districts, a designation that supports cultural and innovative development in designated areas.

As Sidneys business community diversifies, we continue to look for creative ways to offer homegrown entrepreneurs an opportunity to put down roots in western Nebraska, Sidney City Manager David Scott said in the DED press release.

In addition to supporting the citys industrial and manufacturing industries through LB 840, our rental assistance program encourages investments for our retail and hospitality sectors.

Local and state partnerships have fostered consistent growth within Sidneys manufacturing industry, the press release said.

Nebraskas Site and Building Development program supports property purchases, construction and renovations for new and expanding businesses.

The state program, in tandem with Sidneys LB 840 fund, has invested over the past five years in such projects as the relocation of Sidneys Vitalix animal feed manufacturing plant and New Freedom Yurt Structures expansion project.

The city appreciates the opportunity to build relationships with business owners and economic developers across Nebraska, Mayor Brad Sherman said in the DED press release.

As our community continues to learn about developmental resources, various programs have solidified the importance of private investments, city incentives and state and federal programming as project investors.

Sidney is one of just eight Nebraska communities to qualify for design grant funding through the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All program.

Authorized in the federal infrastructure bill that Congress passed in 2021, Safe Streets is providing $300,000 to Sidney for redesigning roads and updating sidewalks and crosswalks. Nebraskas eight designated communities are among 445 national program recipients.

Scott pointed to the importance of local, state and federal partnerships for developmental success in Sidney and Cheyenne County.

The EDCC program sets a precedent for growth within our communities through a variety of resources, which has sparked excitement about future developmental opportunities in Sidney, Scott said in the press release.

We are excited to continue establishing these great connections with investors and developers to ensure Sidney remains in a position to grow for many years.

For information on the Economic Development Certified Community Program, contact Ashley Rice-Gerlach at 308-655-0919 or ashley.gerlach@nebraska.gov, or go to opportunity.nebraska.gov/programs/community/edcc.
There will be five musical acts this year when the Harmony Hill Music Festival gets underway at the Harmony Baptist Church Family Life Center in Harmony at 6 p.m. Saturday.

(The purpose is) to lift up our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through song, to fellowship and have the community to come in together, and provide them a place to go. There arent many venues in Harmony and in the surrounding area, but they know every spring and every fall were going to continue to strive to have a Christian-oriented event for them to hear his message, Bob Hogan, one of the events organizers, said. Its about seeing people saved.

The musical guests include Kendrick Childers, Early Harvest, Liberty Baptist Trio, Chosen Vessels and the Wood Family Tradition. Hot dogs, chips and drinks will be served.

The event started off as an outdoor event two years ago, but moved inside last year. While the Harmony Hill Music Festival is just three years old, it serves as an event for the 177-year-old Harmony Hill Camp Meeting. When the inaugural meeting took place in 1846, it was a two-week event where northern Iredell Countys protestant community came together. Now its a weekend event with the same goal in mind: spiritual revival.

The musical festival doesnt have the preaching of the camp meeting, but the goal is the same.

Were trying to get the message of the Lord out whether its in preaching or singing, Hogan said. Its centrally focused on Jesus Christ and the message of Jesus Christ, through singing in the spring and more through preaching during the fall.

For more information, see Harmony Hill Camp Meeting on Facebook.
The annual Kirkin of the Tartans Heritage Celebration resumes on May 7 at Fifth Creek Presbyterian Church, 1547 Mocksville Highway, Statesville. The church is on the left on U.S. 64 East in the Cool Spring community. Look for the flag of Scotland just beyond the large water tower.

Kirkin of the Tartans means the bringing into the kirk (church) the plaid tartans of the various families of the congregation to be blessed. All Christians are welcome to join us. Holy Communion (The Lords Supper) will be celebrated during the service. Piping on the Green (by a bagpiper) will commence at 10:30 a.m. The morning worship service begins at 11 a.m. and a lunch of traditional Scottish fare will be served in the fellowship hall following the worship service.
ALTON  The Atlanta-based owners of Alton Square Mall describe their sacrificial investment approach to redevelopment as counterintuitive but strategic.

Its not common for mall properties to destroy their appendages. But these are uncommon times.

Hull Property Group announced this week that it will demolish the former Macys store, build a movie theater, relocate existing stores and craft a new multidimensional property.

The company has scooped up nine failing properties in the last 15 months very intentionally.

Will they dominate like in the 80s, absolutely not, said John Mulherin, vice president of government relations for Hull Property Group. But will they compete? Yes  yes they will.

He said the physical presence of malls and goods will remain viable for shoppers, as long as they enjoy the experience. The renovations will be a boost to the mall and the perception of surrounding businesses and homes, no property is an island.

Mulherin said that they didnt just invest in Alton for the bargain price. We liked the neighborhood, he said.

And considering the spate of mall closures across the nation, Mulherin said that they had hundreds of properties to choose from.

He anticipates that the renovations will begin this summer and be completed before it disrupts any Christmas season sales, but Hull Property Group will have to negotiate with the city first.

The group wants the city to extend some existing incentives, including the Alton Square Business District and River Bend Enterprise Zone, two current incentives that will include the property. But Hull would also like for the city to approve Tax Increment Financing, also known as TIF.

TIF districts are fairly common economic development tools that allow cities to reallocate a portion of increased local property tax revenue within a geographic area to a developer for a specific period of time. Mulherin said that it would give them a measure of comfort and security on their hefty investment.

Mayor Brant Walker said that obviously its something that the City Council and other city interests will have to weigh in on, but he said a project like Alton Square Mall bears serious consideration.

Im thrilled and were so blessed that they have the pockets and the know-how to revive a mall project like this, Walker said. He noted that this week has been a bright spot for the regions retail news, which is usually doom and gloom. The city would be wise to do what it can to keep those retail options open moving forward, he said.

Mulherin notes that no one is paying them to tear down the Macys structure, which just announced the closure in January, and they arent raising any rents as they reshuffle stores and invest in higher ceiling, better lighting, signage and infrastructure.

Mulherin said that they have already been working nonstop with the mayor and Greg Caffey, Altons director of development and housing, on the prospects since the purchase.

So far, theyve had great cooperation with the city and he doesnt expect that to change, Mulherin said. And Walker said that they wouldnt want to impede the regions retail upswing.

According to the Illinois Institute of Rural Affairs, Altons retail income rose more than 3 percent each year from 2013 to 2015 (the last year for which they have complete records ).

Were really taking off as a destination for eating, drinking and shopping, said Walker, who only sees that escalating as the state-of-the-art Alton Multimodal Transportation Center, a bullet train from Alton to Chicago, opens this summer in a location that was once a small, decrepit 90-year-old station.

Walker was tongue-tied as he struggled to remember all the new restaurants and hotels opening in the region in anticipation of a boom. This cant help but bolster the case for Hulls request for tax incentives, even as the case for the malls revival looks more viable.

Without the funds, Mulherin said, The property would become this 60-acre millstone around the neck of every other property in that corridor.

He said no one wants this redevelopment effort to fail, because blight begets blight.

Thats one of the main reasons for demolishing the nearly 180,000-square-foot Macys skeleton, even though it accounts for more than 25 percent of the malls footprint.

Failed malls generally have a perception problem, whether its true or not, its of safety, Mulherin said his companys answer to that perception is stabilization and transformation.

Macys was the cornerstone of the mall, so its vacancy left an unwelcome eyesore. Destroying it gives the property a 14.5 acre blank canvas.

He said it will instantly become the most attractive retail space in the area, and the largest. It also has a desirable location facing Homer Adams Parkway.

Tearing down the building, he said, clears the way for retailers looking to build smaller 25,000- to 30,000-square-foot facilities, including free-standing restaurants, grocery stores and home goods sellers.

The first community movie theater in nearly 20 years is slated to be housed in the vacant Sears space. Walker said the community has been lobbying for a new theater since the last venue closed in 1998. The blockbuster Titanic was on the marquee, he said.

Shops scattered along the largely vacant second floor will be relocated downstairs. Once there, that space will be at 100 percent occupancy and that floor will become its own self-contained single level mall.

The empty upstairs will no longer be dozens of smaller spaces, but instead three to four junior anchors, smaller stores with destination appeal like arts and crafts or home furnishings. Those will have separate exterior entrances facing North Alby Street.

Mulherin said the mall owners never had any illusions that anyone would fill the vacancies left by Macys or dozens of smaller retailers that continue to be swallowed by the downward spiral of retail. But they were waiting for word that the Alton Square location of JCPenney wouldnt be among the 140 store closures announced in February.

The reality nationwide is that theres too much space and not enough retailers, Mulherin said. Were grossly overbuilt in retail as a nation. I mean look: Walmart is even closing stores.

To that end, their policy of stabilize, transform and reposition has merit.

To do it, Mulherin said the privately held company remains very disciplined. Empty storefronts are treated with the utmost care.

You know what a pulled down gate and a for lease sign says? Mulherin asked. What that says is failure.

Instead of filling it with the first retailer or business looking for cheap space, the company said theyd rather wait for the right fit. In the meantime, they drywall over the space instead and put up historic images of the community. He says it helps bust the perception of failure: Instead, customers see an exhibit.

You have to orchestrate the experience, Mulherin said.
After fathering at least 550 children in the Netherlands and other countries and lying to prospective parents about the number of children he helped to produce, a Dutch court prohibited the man from giving any more of his sperm.

Ban on Mass Donation

The injunction was issued by a judge in The Hague District Court on Friday, April 28. According to ABC News, this is in response to a lawsuit filed by the mother of a child developed with the donor's sperm and a foundation on behalf of other parents.

The mother, who the foundation identifies as Eva, is pleased with the verdict.

"I hope that this ruling leads to a ban on mass donation and spreads like an oil slick to other countries. We must stand hand in hand around our children and protect them against this injustice," she noted in a statement.

The judge pointed out that the donor had deceived potential parents about his donation history and that, according to Dutch laws, sperm donors are limited to having a total of 25 children with a maximum of 12 different moms.

See Also: Supreme Court Temporarily Halts Restrictions on Abortion Pill Availability

The Lies and Justification

According to Reuters, 41-year-old Jonathan Meijer supplied sperm to many Dutch reproductive clinics, a facility in Denmark, and numerous other individuals via advertising and internet forums.

In the court hearing, the donor's lawyer explained that his client was motivated by a desire to assist couples who were having difficulty conceiving. However, in a statement released by the court, the judge who handled the civil case found that the donor lied about this to get the parents to accept him as a donor.

"All these parents are now confronted with the fact that the children in their family are part of a huge kinship network, with hundreds of half-siblings, which they did not choose. [This] has or could possibly have negative psychosocial consequences for the children. It is, therefore, in their interest that this kinship network is not extended any further," the court said, as reported by CBS News.

According to the judge, conflicting fundamental rights were at issue. On the other hand, it added that parents and donor children should be granted privacy protections, but the donor should be granted the same protections.

The court held that the donor's desire to keep donating sperm to new potential parents was deemed to be outweighed by the donor's obligation to the children he has already fathered.

The court has issued a temporary restraining order against him, requiring him to immediately cease any contributions or face a fine of 100,000 ($110,000).

Attorney Mark de Hek referred to the decision as "a clear signal" and "a final warning to other mass donors."

See Also: US Appeals Court Places Limitations on Abortion Pill Mifepristone

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
CLAYTON  A bat found in a home here last week has tested positive for rabies in what is the first confirmed case of the virus in St. Louis County this year, health officials said Thursday.

While rabies is rare among healthy bat populations, the case serves as a reminder to stay away from wild animals, the St. Louis County Department of Public Health said, and that rabies can be a fatal disease to humans if untreated.

The bat found in the Clayton home did not bite anyone but two people exposed to the animal underwent treatment as a precaution, officials said.

Residents who find a bat in their home should confine it to the room where it was found and call St. Louis County Animal Care and Control immediately so that the bat can be tested for rabies. Do not try to capture the bat.

To report a bat, residents can call the countys animal control office at 314-615-0650, or at the after-hours number, 636-529-8210.

Anyone who thinks they have been exposed to a bat can call the St. Louis County Department of Public Health at 314-615-1630 to learn about treatment options.

Rabies is most commonly spread by bats and skunks in Missouri, and pets and humans can be exposed through bites or scratches from the infected animals. The virus almost always fatal to animals once symptoms begin, but human deaths in the U.S. are rare.

In both pets and humans, common symptoms of rabies infection include fever, body ache and difficulty moving, neck stiffness, brain swelling and paralysis. In animals, unusual or atypical behavior and foaming at the mouth also are common.
The sheriff of Iron County left jail for the first time in six weeks on Wednesday after posting a $250,000 bail in a case over accusations that he tried to help a friend with parental kidnapping.

Jeff Burkett hired a bondsmen to secure his release after Washington County judge Tony Dorsett eased bail restrictions, allowing Burkett to post something other than cash.

Wednesdays bail change came on the same day Washington County prosecutor John Jones dropped and refiled the case against Burkett, just before Burkett was scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing that was canceled. Filing the new case resets the clock on the schedule for upcoming hearings.

The prosecutors office is trying to consolidate cases against Burkett, two of his deputies and a fourth man.

Authorities allege the sheriff and deputies Matthew Cozad and Chase Bresnahan used their law enforcement powers in February to try to help the fourth man, Donald Rickie Gaston, as he attempted to take his child from the childs mother.

In the newly filed case against Burkett, he is charged with three felonies and six misdemeanors. Those crimes include participating knowingly in criminal street gang activities, tampering with a victim in a felony prosecution and first-degree stalking.

Gabe Crocker, Burketts attorney, has called the case 100% politically motivated by a group of people trying to take the sheriff down. Crocker declined comment Wednesday. Dorsett had issued a gag order against lawyers in the case, preventing them from talking to reporters.

Burkett had been held in the Jefferson County jail since mid-March.

Burketts bond release comes with several conditions. He must be monitored by GPS. He cant serve as sheriff of Iron County while the case is pending. He cant serve as a law enforcement officer in any capacity. And he is barred from having a firearm. The bond conditions also prohibit Burkett from contacting or photographing any witness in the case.

The sheriff is charged with, among other crimes, falsely reporting to 911 dispatchers that the childs mother had kidnapped the girl and that she was in danger.

The sheriff and his two deputies also are accused of using pings from the mothers cellphone to try to track her whereabouts. The criminal street gang charge alleges they were organized to commit the crimes.

The mother and child ended up at the home of a Jefferson County sheriffs official and they were fine.

The case filed Wednesday against Burkett was fueled by an 11-page probable cause statement by an investigator with the Missouri Highway Patrol.

It spells out the lengths the lawmen took in searching for the woman and her child in February.

It includes details that werent in the first round of charges that were dropped this week. For example, investigators got a search warrant to extract a text message conversation between the two deputies, Cozad and Bresnahan. The two deputies complained about the work they were being asked to do on behalf of Gaston, the court document alleges. Bresnahan told Cozad he was sick that Burkett expects me to just jump up and help Gaston, and Cozad agreed it wasnt their job.
By Syune Arakelyan



Renowned German actor Til Schweiger has recently been in Armenia. Knockin' on Heaven's Door and Inglourious Basterds star was invited here by producer and actor Arman Nshanian for a new collaboration. The actors had met at the shooting of the upcoming movie Hollywood Heist, also featuring Alec Baldwin, Nick Cannon, Mickey Rourke, Paul Sloan, and Tara Reid. The movie was directed by Mike Hatton, and co-written with Paul Sloan and produced by Asko Akopyan.



According to Nshanian and Schweiger, they found mutual interest right after being introduced at the shootings, which led to a new corporation with People of AR production by Arman Nshanian.



In their exclusive interview with NEWS.am STYLE, the actors spoke about their new projects, which will probably be shot in Armenia.





"I met Arman just two months ago; he was one of the actors in Hollywood Heist, and we became friends right away. He is a great guy. We talked about upcoming projects, so I told him about my project, which I was thinking of shooting in Bulgaria, and he said, 'Why wont you shoot it in my country?' I sent him the script within two days. He had to translate it into Armenian. We started to consider it, and we said, 'Lets check it out,'" recalls the actor, who was mostly impressed by Arman's personal story of leaving the US and settling back in Armenia.



"I told Til that although the US is a big country, I feel better and more free in Armenia. That's why I decided to move to Armenia along with my whole family. When he got here, he understood what I meant. Now he even thinks about buying a house in Dilijan [city of Armenia]," says Arman.





The new project by Til, which will be produced by People of AR production, is called Underdog.



"The film that were planning to shoot is a true story about a young Russian woman who looses everything. She is trained by her grandfather to be a fighter, and she fights those illegal years he fought. But she only fights men, and she wins all these fights. Its an amazing story," adds Schweiger.



The actor spent his time in Armenia looking for locations for the project.



"I have had a great time with a bunch of wonderful Armenian people that are working in a movie industry. Had some really nice experiences with amazing food, amazing new people, and new friends. We saw a lot of locations. We went to Lake Sevan, Dilijan, walked around Yerevan, and we were impressed by the versatility of the city; some roads looked like in New York. Take the right, and it's like London, then you look left and its like Barcelona. Its amazing!"





The actor says, although initially they were looking for a location for just one specific movie, now he thinks about shooting his other project in Armenia as well.



"There are so many opportunities and so many unbelievable locations here that we were all blown away," he says.



Arman adds that besides being a wonderful personality and genius actor, Til Schweiger is also a man of his word; if he decides something, he will go for it.



"We will start with the first project, then we'll work on the TV series. I guess that, most likely, we will start our shootings in winter," he says.





Arman is working on his own projects, too. He says, "Of course, the films which I direct and produce are very important to me, but I also think it's important to make good collaborations. It's vital not only for myself, but, first of all, for our country. We need such professionals like Til, who can observe Armenia and see that it's not only a beautiful country, but also a very appropriate place for making films. Our aim is to develop the Armenian film industry to an international level. We just need to take the right steps. I'm also thankful to the National Cinema Center of Armenia for the support, and to my lovely colleagues; one of them Ani Vorskanyan, with her Ava production."

Photos: Til Schweiger (Anatol Kotte, Courtesy of Artist International Group), Instagram/Arman Nshanian/Arthur Abraham

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Floyd Countys John McEnhill stepped down from the New River Community Action Board of Directors earlier this month after 21 years of service.

McEnhill, the owner of Buffalo Mountain Ziplines since October 2021, said it feels easier to step away completely rather than scale down his involvement. He stepped down as Board Chair last summer.

McEnhill announced the change to Floyd Town Council on April 6 during NRCAs annual budget presentation.

I have missed feelings about it, but its time for a break, McEnhill said. Weve got an ambitious forward thinking strategic plan strong leadership in Krystal (Thompson) a good strong Board Chair (Tonia Winn)

Thompson, who gave the budget-related presentation, told Council members about a reception that will be hosted for McEnhill before his last NRCA Board meeting on June 15. The reception will be from 5-6 p.m. that evening at the Floyd Office (120 Epperly Mill Rd.).

NRCA is a nonprofit organization that offers a variety of services, from Emergency Assistance to Head Start and other childcare resources.

On April 11, McEnhill said his time on the Board  mostly as either Chair or Vice Chair  gave him a better understanding of poverty in the community and the need for services for bare necessities.

Ive learned how critical it is to track data and have performance measurements in place so we can identify barriers and achieve successful outcomes, McEnhill said.

A number of NRCA milestones were achieved while McEnhill was on the Board, such as the Floyd Backpack Program, reopening the Floyd County Office, NRCAs 50th Anniversary in 2015 and Share Distribution Days.

After I became the owner of Buffalo Mountain Ziplines, it became more challenging for me to sustain my usual level of board participation, including the travel time required for attending meetings in Radford and Fairlawn, McEnhill said.

He said he has been ready to leave for a few years but made a commitment to NRCAs former CEO Terry Smusz, who retired in 2021. He told Smusz he would stay for at least a year after a new CEO was hired, McEnhill said.

I plan to be more involved within Floyd County NRCA as opposed to on a regional level, McEnhill said.

While hes scaling back on some of his board involvement, McEnhill said, he plans to continue serving on the board for Floyd County Department of Social Services and a few others.

I also want to start traveling more, especially during the off season for my business, McEnhill said.

McEnhill stepped down as Executive Director of the Floyd County Chamber of Commerce at the beginning of 2022, having delayed the transition during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He served as first-vice chair in 2022, is currently an ex-officio board member and is the namesake of the John McEnhill Legacy Scholarship awarded to Floyd County High School graduates annually.

Learn more about the scholarship online at www.floydchamber.org/about-us/chamber-scholarship.

Learn more about NRCAs efforts, programs and events online at www.newrivercommunityaction.org.

Make reservations and learn about Buffalo Mountain Ziplines (3252 Black Ridge Rd.) at www.buffalomountainziplines.com or call (540) 200-5234.
The stories of those who survived an F5 tornado that claimed 82 lives and injured nearly half of a towns population compelled a Southwest Virginia author to change his planned book from a novel to non-fiction. Jim Minick will launch that book next week in Wytheville.

Minick learned of the tornado that devastated the small town of Udall, Kansas, from his sister-in-law, who grew up there. These decades later the tornado remains the deadliest in Kansas history.

When she heard I was looking for a new book project, especially one that might include a focus on an element, like wind, she said, Well, my town was struck by a tornado, thats some wind. Sure enough. And with her and her familys help, they opened many doors to survivors willing to share their stories, Minick explained.

An F5 tornados winds range from 261 mph to 318 mph. The National Weather Service describes the damage that such a tornado can create: Strong frame houses lifted off foundations and carried considerable distances to disintegrate; automobile sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 meters; trees debarked; steel re-inforced concrete structures badly damaged.

The tornado that is the focus of Minicks latest book, Without Warning The Tornado of Udall, Kansas, struck on the night of May 25, 1955. It hit with no warning and, as recounted in Without Warning, destroyed most of Udalls buildings, killed 82 people and injured 270. At the time, the towns population was about 600.

As Minick began his research, he planned to write a fictional account, but as survivors shared their lives, more and more I realized their stories had so much power that the best way to honor them was to keep the book nonfiction. Hopefully that genre captures the incredible courage and resilience of this whole community that came through this disaster .

Reviewers are saying that Minick succeeded.

Author David Joy said, Without Warning is a time capsule of rural American lives and a testament to the tenacity and grit of the human spirit.

Author David Laskin concurred. He said, A page-turning disaster narrative in the tradition of The Perfect Storm and Isaacs Storm: spare, vivid, suspenseful, meticulously researched, and utterly harrowing. Jim Minick has brought an entire community lovingly to life. At heart, this is a book about how whats best about our country confronts and overcomes the worst of our weather.

Minick hopes readers will consider how they might respond in the same situation.

He said, Our weather forecasting has improved tremendously since 1955 as evidenced by the decreasing number of deaths when tornados strike. But our climate change forecasting is still in its infancy, and we daily learn how little we understand the interactions of earths many systems. The Udall citizens were just normal people, and yet they acted heroically during and after the tornado. Will we do the same?

Minick has devoted years to the research and writing of Without Warning and during the process hes learned.

So many lessons came from writing this: the importance of community, of good leadership, of compassion and hard work and helping others, stranger as well as kin; the necessity of preparedness; the value of keeping stories alive, of sharing history, of remembering and learning from our past; and the importance of good stories, how they shape us and make us who we are. We need these good stories to guide us into a climate-changed future because so many of our stories are letting us down. So hopefully this one about the town of Udall  how it was destroyed and with the help of so many others, how it rebuilt and now continues to thrive  hopefully this story will help us live better now and into the future.

Those whod like to learn more about Without Warning and Minicks work can take part in a free book launch event at the Wythe County Public Library in Wytheville on Monday, May 1, from 5:30-7 p.m.

On Saturday, May 6, Minick will also take part in the Spring Fling Writers Day in Abingdon. Sponsored by the Appalachian Authors Guild, Minick will lead a workshop titled Using Family (and Others) Stories from 9:15-10:45 a.m. The $20 conference runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Virginia Highlands Small Business Incubator at 851 French Moore Blvd, Abingdon.

Later in the month, Minick will head to Kansas to launch the book there.

The author is, however, glad to be living fulltime in this region. After 34 years of teaching, Im writing and farming fulltime here in Southwest Virginia.

In addition to Without Warning, Minick will release a book of poetry next spring and has several other writing projects in the works. All to say, Im thankful to be where I am, Minick concluded.

His past books include Fire is Your Water, The Blueberry Years, Burning Heaven, Her Secret Song, All There is to Keep, and Finding a Clear Path.

Minicks honors include the Jean Ritchie Fellowship in Appalachian Writing and the Fred Chappell Fellowship at UNC-Greensboro. The Southern Independent Booksellers Association, Southern Environmental Law Center, The Virginia College Bookstore Association, Appalachian Writers Association, and Radford University have all honored his work. His poem I Dream a Bean was selected for permanent display at the Tysons Corner/Metrorail Station.
A mother duck and her babies waddled down an elementary school hall for the second year in a row, a Virginia school shared on Twitter.

Ashburn Elementary School shared a video of the duck and her ducklings pattering across the tile floor of the school as children guided them down the hall.

Make Way for Ducklings! Today are staff and their children were able to help this momma duck and her ducklings safely exit our courtyard at make their way to the pond up the road pic.twitter.com/jSusW1Xeht  Ashburn Elementary (@ASHElementary1) April 25, 2023

Today (our) staff and their children were able to help this momma duck and her ducklings safely exit our courtyard (and) make their way to the pond up the road, the school said in the caption.

Its not the first time this has happened, the school told media outlets.

Last year, a mother duck laid eggs in the same courtyard and the school helped the family through the school out to a nearby pond, WTOP reported.

This year the ducks guided tour out of the school to the pond took nearly an hour and although no one knows for sure, some staff members told WTOP they believe that its the same mama duck as last year.

Ashburn is about 45 miles northwest of Washington, D.C.
Thasirkhan Abdul Hameed Vs DCIT (Madras High court)

Madras High Court granted the stay in respect of 80% of the demand, as 20% of the disputed tax, interest and penalty already recovered by the department from the bank account of the petitioner.

Facts- The petitioner would submit that being an NRI, he was always shuttling between Malaysia and India. In this process, by oversight, when the returns were filed for the assessment years 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, the NRE receipts and NRE interest were omitted to be included. These amounts though excluded from the taxable income and exempted under Section 10 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, ought to have been included while disclosing the capital account, however, by oversight the said amounts were omitted.

However, the revised return for the assessment years 2014-2015 to 2016-2017 could not be filed within time as stipulated u/s. 139(5) of the Act. But the petitioner has thereafter filed the revised return on 25.11.2018 for the assessment year 2017-2018. The revised return was accepted in the month of March, 2019. For the assessment year 2018-2019, the capital account as on 31.03.2018 reflected a total sum of Rs.10,81,65,290/- as shown in the income tax return.

While so, the petitioner has been served with notices u/s. 142(1) of the Act on 13.01.2020, 06.03.2020, 16.07.2020, 26.08.2020 and 23.11.2020. These notices were issued when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak. Therefore, the petitioner was not in a position to reply the said notices. Thereafter, he had received a notice dated 07.01.2021 stating that there was an introduction of a huge capital amounting to Rs.7,73,84,755/- for the year under consideration.

Despite producing the details and proof as also the explanation, the respondent has passed the assessment order on 31.05.2021 imposing tax liability of Rs.5,18,36,412/- and interest of Rs.2,26,97,456/-. This tax liability along with interest of Rs.7,42,62,087/- had been imposed arbitrarily. The respondent had also issued a penalty order dated 24.07.2021 u/s. 272A(1)(d) of the Act.

Meanwhile, the petitioner by letter dated 08.02.2022 had requested the respondent to stay the recovery of the disputed amount of Rs.7,42,62,087/- and not to treat the petitioner as an assessee in default, since he has already filed the statutory appeal before the Faceless First Appellate Authority, CIT as provided under Section 220(6) of the Act.

Thereafter, once again, by order dated 21.12.2022, the respondent has demanded 20% of the disputed amount, which is totally a sum of Rs.1,42,52,917/- as well as 100% of the undisputed demand amounting to Rs.51,97,684/-. It is this order that is the subject matter of challenge before this Court.

Conclusion- Held that this Court feels that the interest of justice would be met, if the respondent is directed to dispose of the statutory appeal filed by the petitioner under Section 246(A) of the Act and further since 20% of the disputed tax, interest and penalty has been recovered by the respondent from the banks, in which the petitioner had accounts, a direction is issued to the appellate authority to dispose of the appeal within a period of 12 weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. Till then, there shall be a stay in respect of the remaining 80% of the demand and the attachment in respect thereto is raised.

FULL TEXT OF THE JUDGMENT/ORDER OF MADRAS HIGH COURT

Challenging the demand order dated 21.12.2022 issued by the respondent in PAN AFRPA3435M in DIN and Letter No. ITBA/COM/F/17/2022-23/1048143440(1) dated 21.12.2022, quashing the same and directing the respondent to return the sums withdrawn and transferred to the respondents account, the petitioner is before this Court.

2. The petitioners case is that he is a Non-Resident Indian having an NRE account in the Indian Bank and ICICI Bank. That apart, he has savings bank account with the ICICI Bank. The petitioner holds a Permanent Account No.AFRPA3435M as a Non-Resident Indian. He is running a hotel in Malaysia and in India, he is the authorized dealer of Bharath Petroleum.

3. The petitioner would submit that he has been holding the NRE account from the assessment year 2011-2012 onwards and he has been regularly and diligently reporting the income in his returns under the following heads from the year 2011-2012 onwards.

a) net profit from the petrol bunk business; and

b) interest from savings bank ICICI SB account.

The petitioner was claiming exemption in respect of the following amounts.

a) NRE receipts;

b) interest from NRE accounts and

c) LIC benefits.

4. It is his further case that the NRE receipts vis-a-vis the capital account from the Malaysian hotel business has been increasing since 2011. The petitioner would submit that being an NRI, he was always shuttling between Malaysia and India. In this process, by oversight, when the returns were filed for the assessment years 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, the NRE receipts and NRE interest were omitted to be included. These amounts though excluded from the taxable income and exempted under Section 10 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, (herein after referred to as Act) ought to have been included while disclosing the capital account, however, by oversight the said amounts were omitted. However, the revised return for the assessment years 2014-2015 to 2016-2017 could not be filed within time as stipulated under Section 139(5) of the Act. But the petitioner has thereafter filed the revised return on 25.11.2018 for the assessment year 2017-2018. The revised return was accepted in the month of March, 2019. For the assessment year 2018-2019, the capital account as on 31.03.2018 reflected a total sum of Rs.10,81,65,290/- as shown in the income tax return.

5. While so, the petitioner has been served with notices under Section 142(1) of the Act on 13.01.2020, 06.03.2020, 16.07.2020, 26.08.2020 and 23.11.2020. These notices were issued when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak. Therefore, the petitioner was not in a position to reply the said notices. Thereafter, he had received a notice dated 07.01.2021 stating that there was an introduction of a huge capital amounting to Rs.7,73,84,755/- for the year under consideration.

6. On 08.02.2021, the petitioner had issued a reply stating that he is a Non-Resident Indian and also an authorized dealer of Bharat Petroleum having a total turn over of Rs.8,37,00,000/-. That apart, he was also running a hotel in Malaysia. The petitioner had enclosed all the relevant documents for the scrutiny of the respondent. Despite producing the details and proof as also the explanation, the respondent has passed the assessment order on 31.05.2021 imposing tax liability of Rs.5,18,36,412/- and interest of Rs.2,26,97,456/-. This tax liability along with interest of Rs.7,42,62,087/- had been imposed arbitrarily. The respondent had also issued a penalty order dated 24.07.2021 under Section 272A(1)(d) of the Act. Against this order, the petitioner had filed a statutory appeal under Section 246(A) of the Act on 19.01.2022.

7. Meanwhile, the petitioner by letter dated 08.02.2022 had requested the respondent to stay the recovery of the disputed amount of Rs.7,42,62,087/- and not to treat the petitioner as an assessee in default, since he has already filed the statutory appeal before the Faceless First Appellate Authority, CIT as provided under Section 220(6) of the Act.

8. Thereafter, the respondent had issued the demand order dated 13.10.2022 demanding the payment of 20% of the disputed tax, interest and penalty immediately and to produce proof of payment to his office on or before 19.10.2022. The stay petition filed was rejected without even permitting the petitioner to make his submissions on the stay petition.

9. As already submitted, since the petitioner being an NRI was shuttling between India and Malaysia, he was not in a position to take immediate steps to challenge this demand. The respondent had, therefore, initiated garnishee proceedings and attached the Bank accounts of the petitioner with the Indian Bank and ICICI Bank vide impugned notices of attachment in DIN and Notice Nos.ITBA/RCV/S/226(3)-1/2022-23/1047552749(1) dated 22.11.2022, ITBA/RCV/S/226(3)-1/2022-23/1047556796(1) dated 22.11.2022 and ITBA/RCV/S/226(3)-1/2022-23/1047551301(1) dated 22.11.2022.

10. The petitioner had challenged the said demand by filing writ petitions in W.P.(MD) Nos.27059 to 27062 of 2022. By an order dated 13.10.2022, this Court had allowed the said writ petitions thereby quashing the demand order dated 13.10.2022 and directed the respondent to reconsider and pass speaking orders. The writ petitions challenging the attachment orders in W.P.(MD) Nos.27059 to 27062 of 2022 were also taken up on the very same day and it was held that the attachment orders wold be vacated, if no order is passed regarding the demand on or before 28.02.2023. Thereafter, the petitioner had sent a letter dated 20.12.2022 to the respondent to grant stay on the grounds raised in the appeal as well as in the letter. Once again, by order dated 21.12.2022, the respondent has demanded 20% of the disputed amount, which is totally a sum of Rs.1,42,52,917/- as well as 100% of the undisputed demand amounting to Rs.51,97,684/-. It is this order that is the subject matter of challenge before this Court.

11. Heard the learned counsels appearing on either side.

12. Admittedly, the appeal challenging the assessment is still pending disposal and in the earlier writ petitions, namely W.P.(MD) Nos.27059 to 27062 of 2022, this Court had quashed the demand and directed the respondent to reconsider and pass speaking orders. It is also seen that the entire amounts demanded, namely 20% of the disputed tax, interest and penalty has been withdrawn by the respondent from the bank accounts of the petitioner.

13. Therefore, this Court feels that the interest of justice would be met, if the respondent is directed to dispose of the statutory appeal filed by the petitioner under Section 246(A) of the Act and further since 20% of the disputed tax, interest and penalty has been recovered by the respondent from the banks, in which the petitioner had accounts, a direction is issued to the appellate authority to dispose of the appeal within a period of 12 weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. Till then, there shall be a stay in respect of the remaining 80% of the demand and the attachment in respect thereto is raised.

14. In the result, the Writ Petition is disposed of. However, there shall be no order as to costs. Consequently, connected Miscellaneous Petitions are closed.
Longview-based attorney Andra Ruth Blondin resigned as a member of the Washington State Bar Association instead of facing disciplinary actions over misconduct allegations, The Daily News has learned.

Blondin, whos been practicing law since 1998 and once served as a Cowlitz County Superior Court commissioner, wrote she voluntarily decided to depart from the Washington State Bar Association and she is aware of the allegations levied against her.

Rather than fight, she will permanently resign, she said in an affidavit dated Monday, April 24.

Blondins resignation from the bar association is not only perpetual, but if she plans to be reinstated, she would be handled as someone who has been disbarred for ethical misconduct, she acknowledged in the affidavit.

Her resignation could be treated as disbarment by all other jurisdictions, the document states.

According to the formal complaint, Blondin faced multiple counts after a former legal assistant, Anna Brodt, and former client Amber Lynn Hansen, 36, of Longview filed grievances against her.

Brodt alleged Blondin withheld about 25% of her paycheck for tax purposes but did not turn these funds over to the Internal Revenue Service.

According to documents from the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, a division of the Washington Bar Association, Blondin was noncooperative during a grievance investigation, which included Blondin being subpoenaed and deposed.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to The Daily News.

The second grievance was filed by Hansen, who hired Blondin in a custody dispute. She alleged the attorney failed to return her files after Blondin stopped representing her.

Hanson told The Daily News she hired Blondin two years ago after losing custody of her oldest son.

It was heartbreaking to find out that all my information gathering was for nothing, as no documents were filed on my behalf in the courts, Hanson said.

She said Blondin did not notify her about court dates or appearances.

Since filing the grievance, she received a refund for fees paid, but she last saw her son almost two years ago, and Blondin still has not returned Hansons files.

Blondins attorney John C. Versel told The Daily News his client is meeting every necessary obligation and will do so.
Trellix announced it has expanded its Threat Intelligence portfolio to increase threat expertise and actionable intelligence to help global customers stay ahead of cyber adversaries. The new offerings include Vulnerability Intelligence and Trellix Intelligence as a Service.

Through a new partnership with Intel 471, Trellix Insights and Trellix Advanced Threat Landscape Analysis System (ATLAS) customers will add underground malware insights. This new intelligence feed will complement Trellixs native threat intelligence capability of over 2,500 threat campaigns and 250 threat groups, bringing increased contextual intelligence to global customers. Intel 471 is known for its advanced cybercrime and adversary intelligence and through this partnership, customers will gain specific insight into malware families.

Threat intelligence is at the heart of cyber defense, serving as the source of truth for cybersecurity practitioners, said Joseph Tal, Senior Vice President, Trellix Advanced Research Center. Understanding adversaries in a highly dynamic landscape requires 24/7 insights tailored to organizations specific needs. An expanded Trellix Threat Intelligence portfolio will offer breadth and depth of intelligence and geopolitical awareness accessible to organizations of all sizes.

Intel 471 is proud to be a Trellix partner, said Jason Passwaters, CEO of Intel 471. Our Trellix partnership will enable integration of Intel 471s cyber intelligence into the Trellix Threat Intelligence portfolio, empowering organizations across the globe to better counter the threat of cybercrime.

Trellix Threat Intelligence is a comprehensive threat intelligence portfolio used to accelerate threat analysis and response. The portfolio is supported by hundreds of elite researchers and analysts from Trellix Advanced Research Center who analyze and track threat actors, leveraging data from Trellixs proprietary sensor network. Trellixs new Threat Intelligence offerings include:

Vulnerability Intelligence: Trellix Insights now goes beyond the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) on critical vulnerabilities with Vulnerability Intelligence enrichment from the Advanced Research Center vulnerability experts. These capabilities are further strengthened by the inclusion of data from the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agencys (CISA) Known Exploited Vulnerability (KEV) catalog, which provides users with information on vulnerabilities exploitation status, remediation recommendations, and prioritization guidance. This information allows customers to filter alerts and focus on remediating the most impactful vulnerabilities.

Threat Intelligence Services: With new tiered offerings, global organizations can now leverage Trellix Intelligence as a Service, a bespoke offering previously available to an exclusive set of government and intelligence agencies. The service offers a direct link to Trellix threat experts to gain customized threat intelligence from the Trellix Advanced Research Center. Customers get threat efficacy reporting, inquiry service, executive briefings, and security assessments to optimize threat prevention and situational awareness, delivering a more actionable view of threat exposure.

Trellixs partnerships with public and private organizations are critical to their ability to deliver comprehensive threat intelligence products and services, said Christopher Kissel, Research Vice President of IDCs Security & Trust Products group. With the importance of actionable threat intelligence growing in XDR, Trellixs approach represents a powerful and effective way for organizations to stay ahead of potential multi-vector threats.

Threat intelligence plays a critical role in response by helping organizations be proactive, predict threats, and streamline processes as the adoption of XDR accelerates across the public and private sectors to harden cyber defenses. Threat intelligence collected from Trellixs network of hundreds of millions of global sensors empowers its customer base of 40,000 organizations to understand the likelihood of an attack, proactively check whether theyve been breached, and better invest in talent and security tools to protect their infrastructure.
Russian airstrikes on several Ukrainian cities, including the capital city of Kyiv, have resulted in at least 19 fatalities.

In one of the assaults, a residential structure in Uman was targeted, and 17 people, including a toddler, died.

A lady and her three-year-old daughter were killed in another Russian missile strike incident in Dnipro.

There were no deaths in Kyiv due to the air defenses' effective downing of 11 missiles and two drones. Despite prior attacks in other cities, this is the first to specifically target Kyiv in about two months, according to the BBC.

The Ukrainian Army reserve forces were the target of the missile attacks, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Russian rocket attack on Ukraine last night.



In Dnipro the attack killed a 3 year old girl and a woman, 31. Three people were injured - head of regional administration.



Russia continues terrorizing civilians. pic.twitter.com/7G377ca0Y4  Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 28, 2023

According to the state-run RIA news agency, Russia fired highly accurate weaponry on Friday while aiming at the reserve forces. The strike was far from the conflict's extensive front lines or active battlegrounds in eastern Ukraine, where a grueling attrition war has taken root.

Read Also: Kamala Harris to Play Crucial Role in Biden's Re-election Bid

Russian Missile Attacks: Potential War Crime

Throughout the 14-month Russia-Ukraine war, Moscow has frequently fired long-range missiles at targets, repeatedly hitting civilian areas without warning.

The chief of the United Nations human rights delegation in Ukraine believes every civilian casualty represents a possible war crime. According to Matilda Bogner, it is obvious that international humanitarian law and the rules of war have been violated, considering the scope of the wounds, deaths, and devastation, CBS News reported.

Russian airstrikes were seen as part of the Kremlin's purposeful intimidation approach, according to Ukrainian authorities and experts.

The latest Russian missile strike on Ukrainian military reserves staying in certain areas before being sent to the front lines was acknowledged by the Russian Defense Ministry.

Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov noted that the Russian airstrike had achieved its objective. "All the designated facilities have been hit," per PBS.

However, no specific locations or residential buildings were mentioned as having been hit.

Related Article: India Accuses China of Violating Border Agreements

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

People leave jobs all the time, whether they're laid off, fired, or just quit. But how do their departures affect coworkers left behind? According to a new study from the UBC Sauder School of Business, those exits can lead many others to call it quits.

The researchers delved deeply into employment data from a major retailer that was experiencing high turnover to find out why. They reviewed data for roughly a million employeesincluding when they were hired, which store, which position, when they left, and why.

The study authors also had access to employee performance records, so they could evaluate whether workers were high performers or low performers.

"We looked at these stores as systems, and looked at the flow of employees in and out of them over time," explained UBC Sauder assistant professor Sima Sajjadiani (she/her), who co-authored the study with John Kammeyer-Mueller and Alan Benson of the University of Minnesota. "It gave us a great opportunity to look at the immediate, short-term and long-term effects of each exit event, and compare them over time."

Past studies have looked at how turnover affects remaining employees, but they typically focus on employee performance after others leaveand on the performance of the company overall. The UBC study is the first of its kind to look at the extent to which employee exits lead to even more departures, what types of exits cause the most churn, and the role that the performance level of exiting employees plays.

The researchers found that layoff announcements have a strong and immediate effect, and boost voluntary turnover among those who survive the layoffs.

"It's very bad news for organizations, especially if they are laying off high performers, because if those positions get eliminated, both high and low performers start quitting," said Dr. Sajjadiani. "It's a signal that people's jobs aren't secure, and the organization doesn't care about them, no matter how hard they work. So they think, 'I should leave as soon as possible.'"

When employees quit their jobs voluntarily, their departures give a more moderate boost to voluntary turnover, and it takes longer for that ripple effect to occur.

"To high performers, voluntary exits are a positive signal that there are better opportunities elsewhere," said Dr. Sajjadiani. "So while employees might not leave immediately, they do begin to look for other opportunities."

When workers are dismissed, however, their departures have a relatively small and fleeting effectand can even reduce voluntary turnover.

"Usually these are people who are disruptive or abusive, or aren't doing their fair share," said Dr. Sajjadiani. "When they go, high performers tend to stay longer, and the risk of voluntary turnover actually goes down."

However, when a high performer is dismissed without clear justification, employers not only open themselves to legal headaches, it also sends the wrong message to other high performers. They also start heading for the door.

According to Dr. Sajjadiani, organizations vastly underestimate the ripple effects of people leaving and the resulting human capital costs. The research also sends a clear message to organizations that they should be extremely careful when they make exit decisions, or they risk destabilizing the whole organization very quickly.

"Communicating clearly and compassionately, justifying these decisions and trying to avoid the most severe course of actions are better for organizations than simply cutting people," Dr. Sajjadiani said.

More information: Sima Sajjadiani et al, Who Is Leaving and Why? The Dynamics of High-Quality Human Capital Outflows, Academy of Management Journal (2023). DOI: 10.5465/amj.2021.1327 Journal information: Academy of Management Journal
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Credit: Shutterstock

Throughout history, war has been irrevocably changed by the advent of new technologies. Historians of war have identified several technological revolutions.

The first was the invention of gunpowder by people in ancient China. It gave us muskets, rifles, machine guns and, eventually, all manner of explosive ordnance. It's uncontroversial to claim gunpowder completely transformed how we fought war.

Then came the invention of the nuclear bomb, raising the stakes higher than ever. Wars could be ended with just a single weapon, and life as we know it could be ended by a single nuclear stockpile.

And now, war haslike so many other aspects of lifeentered the age of automation. AI will cut through the "fog of war", transforming where and how we fight. Small, cheap and increasingly capable uncrewed systems will replace large, expensive, crewed weapon platforms.

We've seen the beginnings of this in Ukraine, where sophisticated armed home-made drones are being developed, where Russia is using AI "smart" mines that explode when they detect footsteps nearby, and where Ukraine successfully used autonomous "drone" boats in a major attack on the Russian navy at Sevastopol.

We also see this revolution occurring in our own forces in Australia. And all of this raises the question: why has the government's recent defense strategic review failed to seriously consider the implications of AI-enabled warfare?

AI has crept into Australia's military

Australia already has a range of autonomous weapons and vessels that can be deployed in conflict.

Our air force expects to acquire a number of 12 meter-long uncrewed Ghost Bat aircraft to ensure our very expensive F-35 fighter jets aren't made sitting ducks by advancing technologies.

On the sea, the defense force has been testing a new type of uncrewed surveillance vessel called the Bluebottle, developed by local company Ocius. And under the sea, Australia is building a prototype six meter-long Ghost Shark uncrewed submarine.

It also looks set to be developing many more technologies like this in the future. The government's just announced A$3.4 billion defense innovation "accelerator" will aim to get cutting-edge military technologies, including hypersonic missiles, directed energy weapons and autonomous vehicles, into service sooner.

How then do AI and autonomy fit into our larger strategic picture?

The recent defense strategy review is the latest analysis of whether Australia has the necessary defense capability, posture and preparedness to defend its interests through the next decade and beyond. You'd expect AI and autonomy would be a significant concernespecially since the review recommends spending a not insignificant A$19 billion over the next four years.

Yet the review mentions autonomy only twice (both times in the context of existing weapons systems) and AI once (as one of the four pillars of the AUKUS submarine program).

Countries are preparing for the third revolution

Around the world, major powers have made it clear they consider AI a central component of the planet's military future.

The House of Lords in the United Kingdom is holding a public inquiry into the use of AI in weapons systems. In Luxembourg, the government just hosted an important conference on autonomous weapons. And China has announced its intention to become the world leader in AI by 2030. Its New Generation AI Development Plan proclaims "AI is a strategic technology that will lead the future", both in a military and economic sense.

Similarly, Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that "whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become ruler of the world"while the United States has adopted a "third offset strategy" that will invest heavily in AI, autonomy and robotics.

Unless we give more focus to AI in our military strategy, we risk being left fighting wars with outdated technologies. Russia saw the painful consequences of this last year, when its missile cruiser Moscova, the flagship of the Black Sea fleet, was sunk after being distracted by a drone.

Future regulation

Many people (including myself) hope autonomous weapons will soon be regulated. I was invited as an expert witness to an intergovernmental meeting in Costa Rica earlier this year, where 30 Latin and Central American nations called for regulationmany for the first time.

Regulation will hopefully ensure meaningful human control is maintained over autonomous weapon systems (although we're yet to agree on what "meaningful control" will look like).

But regulation won't make AI go away. We can still expect to see AI, and some levels of autonomy, as vital components in our defense in the near future.

There are instances, such as in minefield clearing, where autonomy is highly desirable. Indeed, AI will be very useful in managing the information space and in military logistics (where its use won't be subject to the ethical challenges posed in other settings, such as when using lethal autonomous weapons).

At the same time, autonomy will create strategic challenges. For instance, it will change the geopolitical order alongside lowering costs and scaling forces. Turkey is, for example, becoming a major drone superpower.

We need to prepare

Australia needs to consider how it might defend itself in an AI-enabled world, where terrorists or rogue states can launch swarms of drones against usand where it might be impossible to determine the attacker. A review that ignores all of this leaves us woefully unprepared for the future.

We also need to engage more constructively in ongoing diplomatic discussions about the use of AI in warfare. Sometimes the best defense is to be found in the political arena, and not the military one.

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The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen which displays the ChatGPT home Screen, on March 17, 2023, in Boston. ChatGPT's maker said Friday April 28, 2023 that the artificial intelligence chatbot is available again in Italy after the company met the demands of regulators who temporarily blocked it over privacy concerns. Credit: AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File

ChatGPT's maker said Friday that the artificial intelligence chatbot is available again in Italy after the company met the demands of regulators who temporarily blocked it over privacy concerns.

OpenAI said it fulfilled a raft of conditions that the Italian data protection authority wanted satisfied by an April 30 deadline to have the ban on the AI software lifted.

"ChatGPT is available again to our users in Italy," San Francisco-based OpenAI said by email. "We are excited to welcome them back, and we remain dedicated to protecting their privacy."

Generative AI systems like ChatGPT, which use vast pools of online data like digital books, blog posts and other media to generate text, images and other content mimicking human work, have created buzz in the tech world and beyond.

But their rapid development has stirred fears among officials and even tech leaders about possible ethical and societal risks, with European Union negotiators scrambling to update draft artificial intelligence regulations that have been years in the making.

Last month, the Italian watchdog, known as Garante, ordered OpenAI to temporarily stop processing Italian users' personal information while it investigated a possible data breach. The authority said it didn't want to hamper AI's development but emphasized the importance of following the EU's strict data privacy rules.

OpenAI said it "addressed or clarified the issues" raised by the watchdog.

The measures include adding information on its website about how it collects and uses data that trains the algorithms powering ChatGPT, providing EU users with a new form for objecting to having their data used for training, and adding a tool to verify users' ages when signing up.

Some Italian users shared what appeared to be screenshots of the changes, including a menu button asking users to confirm their age and links to the updated privacy policy and training data help page.

The Garante said in a statement that it "welcomes the measures OpenAI implemented" and urged the company to comply with two other demands for an age-verification system and a publicity campaign informing Italians about the backstory and their right to opt out of data processing.

The watchdog imposed the ban last month after finding that some users' messages and payment information were exposed to others. It also questioned whether there was a legal basis for OpenAI to collect massive amounts of data used to train ChatGPT's algorithms and raised concerns that the system could sometimes generate false information about individuals.

Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini on Instagram, wrote approvingly of the return of ChatGPT and said that his League party "is committed to help start-ups and development in Italy."

Other regulators are now looking closer at such AI systems, with France's data privacy regulator and Canada's privacy commissioner investigating after receiving complaints about ChatGPT.

The head of the Federal Trade Commission, Lina Khan, warned this week that the U.S. government will "not hesitate to crack down" on harmful business practices involving artificial intelligence.

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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The more human a robot looks, the more we trust it. Credit: Antonello Marangi/Shutterstock

The social separation imposed by the pandemic led us to rely on technology to an extent we might never have imaginedfrom Teams and Zoom to online banking and vaccine status apps.

Now, society faces an increasing number of decisions about our relationship with technology. For example, do we want our workforce needs fulfilled by automation, migrant workers, or an increased birth rate?

In the coming years, we will also need to balance technological innovation with people's well-beingboth in terms of the work they do and the social support they receive.

And there is the question of trust. When humans should trust robots, and vice versa, is a question our Trust Node team is researching as part of the UKRI Trustworthy Autonomous Systems hub. We want to better understand human-robot interactionsbased on an individual's propensity to trust others, the type of robot, and the nature of the task. This, and projects like it, could ultimately help inform robot design.

This is an important time to discuss what roles we want robots and AI to take in our collective futurebefore decisions are taken that may prove hard to reverse. One way to frame this dialogue is to think about the various roles robots can fulfill.

Robots as our servants

The word "robot" was first used by the Czech writer, Karel Capek, in his 1920 sci-fi play Rossum's Universal Robots. It comes from the word "robota," meaning to do the drudgery or donkey work. This etymology suggests robots exist to do work that humans would rather not. And there should be no obvious controversy, for example, in tasking robots to maintain nuclear power plants or repair offshore wind farms.

However, some service tasks assigned to robots are more controversial, because they could be seen as taking jobs from humans.

For example, studies show that people who have lost movement in their upper limbs could benefit from robot-assisted dressing. But this could be seen as automating tasks that nurses currently perform. Equally, it could free up time for nurses and care workerscurrently sectors that are very short-staffedto focus on other tasks that require more sophisticated human input.

This US military robot is fitted with a machine gun to turn it into a remote weapons platform. Credit: US Army

Authority figures

The dystopian 1987 film Robocop imagined the future of law enforcement as autonomous, privatized, and delegated to cyborgs or robots.

Today, some elements of this vision are not so far away: the San Francisco Police Department has considered deploying robotsalbeit under direct human controlto kill dangerous suspects.

But having robots as authority figures needs careful consideration, as research has shown that humans can place excessive trust in them.

In one experiment, a "fire robot" was assigned to evacuate people from a building during a simulated blaze. All 26 participants dutifully followed the robot, even though half had previously seen the robot perform poorly in a navigation task.

Robots as our companions

It might be difficult to imagine that a human-robot attachment would have the same quality as that between humans or with a pet. However, increasing levels of loneliness in society might mean that for some people, having a non-human companion is better than nothing.

The Paro Robot is one of the most commercially successful companion robots to dateand is designed to look like a baby harp seal. Yet research suggests that the more human a robot looks, the more we trust it.

A study has also shown that different areas of the brain are activated when humans interact with either another human or a robot. This suggests our brains may recognize interactions with a robot differently from human ones.

The Paro companion robot is designed to look like a baby seal. Credit: Angela Ostafichuk / Shutterstock

Creating useful robot companions involves a complex interplay of computer science, engineering and psychology. A robot pet might be ideal for someone who is not physically able to take a dog for its exercise. It might also be able to detect falls and remind someone to take their medication.

How we tackle social isolation, however, raises questions for us as a society. Some might regard efforts to "solve" loneliness with technology as the wrong solution for this pervasive problem.

What can robotics and AI teach us?

Music is a source of interesting observations about the differences between human and robotic talents. Committing errors in the way humans do all the time, but robots might not, appears to be a vital component of creativity.

A study by Adrian Hazzard and colleagues pitted professional pianists against an autonomous disklavier (an automated piano with keys that move as if played by an invisible pianist). The researchers discovered that, eventually, the pianists made mistakes. But they did so in ways that were interesting to humans listening to the performance.

This concept of "aesthetic failure" can also be applied to how we live our lives. It offers a powerful counter-narrative to the idealistic and perfectionist messages we constantly receive through television and social mediaon everything from physical appearance to career and relationships.

As a species, we are approaching many crossroads, including how to respond to climate change, gene editing, and the role of robotics and AI. However, these dilemmas are also opportunities. AI and robotics can mirror our less-appealing characteristics, such as gender and racial biases. But they can also free us from drudgery and highlight unique and appealing qualities, such as our creativity.

We are in the driving seat when it comes to our relationship with robotsnothing is set in stone, yet. But to make educated, informed choices, we need to learn to ask the right questions, starting with: what do we actually want robots to do for us?

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(A) Bioinspiration from pinnipeds (i.e., seals, sea lions, and walruses) that use fore flippers and body (or hind flipper) for terrestrial locomotion. (B) Pinniped robot in an unactuated pose. Credit: arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2304.06945

Recent progress in robotics has brought us startlingly lifelike replicas of humans and animals.

An $8 million Russian robot named Alex capable of 600 human facial expressions and speech has been called the most realistic robot in the world. Sparky, the creation of Chinese startup Hengbot, is the first robotic dog with musculoskeletal limbs; it can run, jump and do natural-looking dog tricks. And Scorpio Hexapod, from Belgium's Ghent University, can crawl in all directions while providing creepy realismthough without the sting.

But sometimes, in order for science to move forward, it must take a step backward. In this case, some wobbly steps backward.

Researchers at DePaul University in Chicago studied the seemingly clumsy, graceless bobbing of pinnipeds to recreate the motions for robotic creatures they say may one day assist in rescue operations.

Pinnipedsthe technical name for fin-footed mammals such as seals, sea lions and walrusesdrew the interest of Dimuthu Kodippili Arachchige and his colleagues for their potential to offer types of mobility that are not possible with current "soft-limbed" robotic efforts.

They point to robot prototypes that provided crawling and undulating motions but were otherwise restricted to straight movement, unable to turn. Another approach that addressed the mobility issue still was hobbled by limited gait diversity. And while a starfish-inspired effort incorporating limbs with variable stiffness offered further mobility improvements, they were hampered by slow speed.

Arachchige said, "We aimed to create a robot that has improved degrees of freedom, gait trajectory diversity, limb dexterity and payload capabilities."

The soft-limbed pinniped robot addresses the limitations of those earlier efforts, he said.

Each robot limb, about 9.5 inches long by 1.5 inches wide, is driven by three pneumatic muscle actuators. The limbs can be filled with liquid that makes them stiff; when drained, the limbs become more flexible. The robotic seal changes direction based on the changing states of the limbs. The device is supported by a protective outer shell and backbone.

The robotic seal's utility stems from its ability to bounce and lunge over uneven terrain that can be problematic for robots replicating the movements of four-legged creatures such as dogs.

Ironically, the robotic seal moves faster bobbing backwards than it does going forward. It can move at a swift 6.5 inches per second in reverse, but slows to 4.5 inches per second going forward.

"Most of a seal's weight is concentrated towards the rear of their body, but due to the even distribution of weight in the robot, it becomes challenging to stay upright while moving forward," Arachchige said. "On the contrary, when it's moving backward, the robot's body helps maintain the balance by countering torque produced by its movement."

Soft mobile robots are better able to absorb ground impact forces and maneuver through confined and irregularly shaped areas.

As for the future of robotic seals, Arachchige said, "Soft mobile robots have great potential to replace humans in performing dangerous tasks such as nuclear site inspection, search and rescue operations, and planetary exploration."

The group's paper has been accepted to the 2023 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM) and is currently published on the arXiv preprint server.

More information: Dimuthu D. K. Arachchige et al, Study on Soft Robotic Pinniped Locomotion, arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2304.06945 Journal information: arXiv

 2023 Science X Network
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Boosting AI transparency and accountability. Credit: PopTika/Shutterstock

The European Commission is forcing 19 tech giants including Amazon, Google, TikTok and YouTube to explain their artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms under the Digital Services Act. Asking these businessesplatforms and search engines with more than 45 million EU usersfor this information is a much-needed step towards making AI more transparent and accountable. This will make life better for everyone.

AI is expected to affect every aspect of our livesfrom healthcare, to education, to what we look at and listen to, and even how how well we write. But AI also generates a lot of fear, often revolving around a god-like computer becoming smarter than us, or the risk that a machine tasked with an innocuous task may inadvertently destroy humanity. More pragmatically, people often wonder if AI will make them redundant.

We have been there before: machines and robots have already replaced many factory workers and bank clerks without leading to the end of work. But AI-based productivity gains come with two novel problems: transparency and accountability. And everyone will lose if we don't think seriously about the best way to address these problems.

Of course, by now we are used to being evaluated by algorithms. Banks use software to check our credit scores before offering us a mortgage, and so do insurance or mobile phone companies. Ride-sharing apps make sure we are pleasant enough before offering us a drive. These evaluations use a limited amount of information, selected by humans: your credit rating depends on your payments history, your Uber rating depends on how previous drivers felt about you.

Black box ratings

But new AI-based technologies gather and organize data unsupervised by humans. This means that it is much more complicated to make somebody accountable or indeed to understand what factors were used to arrive at a machine-made rating or decision.

What if you begin to find that no one is calling you back when you apply for a job, or that you are not allowed to borrow money? This could be because of some error about you somewhere on the internet.

In Europe, you have the right to be forgotten and to ask online platforms to remove inaccurate information about you. But it will be hard to find out what the incorrect information is if it comes from an unsupervised algorithm. Most likely, no human will know the exact answer.

If errors are bad, accuracy can be even worse. What would happen for instance if you let an algorithm look at all the data available about you and evaluate your ability to repay a credit?

A high-performance algorithm could infer that, all else being equal, a woman, a member of an ethnic group that tends to be discriminated against, a resident of a poor neighborhood, somebody that speaks with a foreign accent or who isn't "good looking," is less creditworthy.

Research shows that these types of people can expect to earn less than others and are therefore less likely to repay their creditalgorithms will also "know" this. While there are rules to stop people at banks from discriminating against potential borrowers, an algorithm acting alone could deem it accurate to charge these people more to borrow money. Such statistical discrimination could create a vicious circle: if you must pay more to borrow, you may struggle to make these higher repayments.

Even if you ban the algorithm from using data about protected characteristics, it could reach similar conclusions based on what you buy, the movies you watch, the books you read, or even the way you write and the jokes that make you laugh. Yet algorithms are already being used to screen job applications, evaluate students and help the police.

The cost of accuracy

Besides fairness considerations, statistical discrimination can hurt everyone. A study of French supermarkets has shown, for instance, that when employees with a Muslim-sounding name work under the supervision of a prejudiced manager, the employee is less productive because the supervisor's prejudice becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Research on Italian schools shows that gender stereotypes affect achievement. When a teacher believes girls to be weaker than boys in math and stronger in literature, students organize their effort accordingly and the teacher is proven right. Some girls who could have been great mathematicians or boys who could have been amazing writers may end up choosing the wrong career as a result.

When people are involved in decision making, we can measure and, to a certain extent, correct prejudice. But it's impossible to make unsupervised algorithms accountable if we do not know the exact information they use to make their decisions.

If AI is to really improve our lives, therefore, transparency and accountability will be keyideally, before algorithms are even introduced to a decision-making process. This is the goal of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act. And so, as is often the case, EU rules could quickly become the global standard. This is why companies should share commercial information with regulators before using them for sensitive practices such as hiring.

Of course, this kind of regulation involves striking a balance. The major tech companies see AI as the next big thing, and innovation in this area is also now a geopolitical race. But innovation often only happens when companies can keep some of their technology secret, and so there is always the risk that too much regulation will stifle progress.

Some believe the absence of the EU from major AI innovation is a direct consequence of its strict data protection laws. But unless we make companies accountable for the outcomes of their algorithms, many of the possible economic benefits from AI development could backfire anyway.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Eva Green, a French actress, won a High Court lawsuit in which she sought to recover her $1 million (810,000) fee for a science-fiction movie that was never produced.

Conflict With Producers

During a bitter dispute with the film's producers, the Casino Royale star filed a lawsuit against White Lantern Film, claiming that she was owed the sum, BBC reported.

However, the production house allegedly said that Green made "unreasonable demands," which caused production delays on A Patriot movie. White Lantern testified that Green's demands on the crew, locations, and equipment were excessive and inconsistent with the film's budget.

The firm stated dissatisfaction with the court's decision and conclusions on Friday, April 28, adding that it is weighing its legal alternatives.

The verdict comes after a trial in January, during which Green's text messages calling one producer a "moron" and another "evil" were made public.

The court rejected the counterclaim brought by White Lantern, and the 42-year-old actress was awarded her money. Judge Justice Green said that contrary to what White Lantern had asserted, the actress had not renounced her responsibilities under the contract and had not engaged in any repudiatory violations.

"There is no doubt that Miss Green did not make any conclusive decision or statement that she would not comply with her obligations under the artist agreement. Nor could anyone have reasonably understood her to have made such a decision," the judge stated.

See Also: Jonathan Majors Assault Allegations: Lawyers Reveal Video Proving Actor's Innocence

Budget Constraints and Chaotic Preparations

Dan Pringle wrote the film and was set to direct it. According to Variety, he saw the project's funding dry up in 2019. Sherborne Media Finance stepped in to give a "bridge" loan, the majority of which went toward paying Green's fee, so that the production could get back on track and apply for permanent financing.

Sherborne was forced to produce the movie to recoup the loan money it had granted when the movie industry shifted, and financing became difficult to come by.

Green claims that to save funds, the studio moved production from one location to a studio and even suggested reusing props and sets from another television production. All of which would have resulted in a movie that could have been the end of Green's career.

Green reportedly told the court she was frustrated with producers after budget constraints caused production to shift from Ireland and that the preparations were chaotic.

She also criticized extremely dangerous stunt training cuts and crew that receive significantly below-industry pay. In another text message, Green called crew members "peasants," according to ABC News.

Green explained that she had nothing against peasants and only wanted to work with a high-quality crew.

See Also: David Choe Rape Comments: Ali Wong, Steven Yeun Slam Beef Co-Star's 'Extremely Disturbing' Story

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DALLAS  Inside this small school tucked into Uptowns State Thomas neighborhood, roughly 170 children  many of them with Down syndrome  learn core subjects as well as skills for independent living.

At the Notre Dame School of Dallas, a classroom is equipped with a Murphy bed so children can get hands-on practice tucking in the sheets and covering the pillows. Elsewhere in the building, students read The Very Hungry Caterpillar together or learn about Jackie Robinson.

Therapy, vocational training and small class sizes are hallmarks of a school deeply rooted in its Catholic mission of serving those with special needs, the poor and the marginalized.

This type of education comes with a high price: Roughly $24,000 per child. Through fundraising, the school ensures no family pays more than 50% of that out-of-pocket. Roughly half of students get additional financial aid.

As the Legislature debates a voucher-like program that would give families public funds to help pay for private school, supporters face an uphill battle in the House. Republican proponents are pitching a number of paths forward with specific cutouts that could win over skeptics. Among them is a narrow option that would provide education savings accounts only to students like those at Notre Dame School  children with special needs.

Based on the testimony, theres definitely children who need that specialized care and the financial burden shouldnt be what keeps them from getting a good education, said Rep. Jacey Jetton, R-Richmond.

Children with disabilities are central in a fierce debate over any school voucher program. Roughly 13% of Texas public school students receive special education services.

While campuses such as Notre Dame exist specifically to serve those with developmental disabilities, private schools in general can turn away children based on their special needs.

Public schools, meanwhile, are required to serve every child.

Families seeking out programs like Notre Dame  many of whom have tried public school and found it unable to best serve their kids  could benefit from an $8,000 education savings account as proposed in legislation, officials say.

I sure would like to see it in my lifetime, Notre Dame Principal Carmen Fernandez said. In my lifetime would be nice.

Schools for whom?

Getting a spot at a special-needs only private school can be difficult. Notre Dame, for example, has no empty seats. Texas has relatively few others like it.

Tension over how children with disabilities fit into the school choice debate was on display in a recent House Public Education committee, when Chairman Brad Buckley sparred with a Central Texas mother who said her special-needs son was denied entry to private schools in the area.

Much has been said about vouchers being most helpful for vulnerable populations, like students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students, she said. The reality is, private schools create systems that help them maintain the demographics they desire.

Buckley, R-Killeen, pointed to testimony from other parents who found success at private schools that cater to children with special needs.

Its absolutely appropriate, you know, to make certain that these kids have access to that type of education and that type of care, he said. To somehow suggest theres just no way, theres absolutely no way that this body could provide a pathway for kids and families that are struggling, I dont know, I just find that to be sort of narrow-minded.

Political moves

Universal education savings accounts for all children may prove a difficult lift in the House, Buckley said. One focused on children with special needs is an approach Buckley finds compelling.

I was personally really moved by that testimony, he said.

Any education proposal needs sign-off from Buckleys committee in order to advance to the House floor for a vote. Right now, the committee members are weighing a range of proposals, as Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick label school choice a top priority.

The Senate passed legislation giving families up to $8,000 to use on private school tuition and other education expenses. Meanwhile, the House voted during budget negotiations to bar state funding for vouchers or anything like it.

While largely symbolic, the move cast doubt on whether an education savings account plan could get through the chamber, which has historically blocked such efforts.

Some representatives are leaning toward the approach for children with disabilities.

A bill by Jetton would give parents of those students at least $7,250 a year toward education. The money could be used on private school tuition, transportation, technology and textbooks, among other things. Anything left over could be put toward higher education.

Jettons proposal is wrapped up in sweeping legislation that overhauls special education funding at public schools based on the recommendations of a key state committee. The ESA component drew the sharpest debate.

Several parents said at a recent hearing that their children thrived in specialized private schools that offered more attention or support than was available at their local public school.

Paul Van Allen told lawmakers about the stress of coming up with funds to send his two special needs children to specialized private schools in the Austin area. Every dollar spent on their education now is one less to support them in the future.

I am taking that (money) away from how are they going to eat after I die? Who is going to take care of them? he said.

Critics warned that special needs students who switch to private schools would lose key legal protections, and could face discrimination as those with higher needs may be denied services as private schools.

Federal law requires public schools to perform certain evaluations on students, work with families to provide a specialized education plan and do it all at no cost to parents.

When I was a principal and worked on a campus that focused on special needs children, it was a one-way door: kids coming to us out of the private sector because they didnt have the resources, said Kevin Brown, executive director of the Texas Association of School Administrators. A public school is available to all children. We pay for it. We dont ask how much a child costs.

Texas has opened the door to the idea of dedicated state funds for students in special education.

At the start of the COVID pandemic, the state established a program to provide one-time, $1,500 microgrants to students with special needs. Since 2020, roughly 88,000 students have taken advantage of the funds, which could be used for educational materials and other services, such as speech therapy, according to the Texas Education Agency.

The state education agency has a history of providing inadequate help for its vulnerable students.

The U.S. Department of Education in 2018 determined that Texas schools denied services to students in a deliberate attempt to limit the number of kids enrolled in special education.

More than 700,000 students now receive special education services in Texas public schools, and its not clear how many of them would be able to take advantage of a new ESA program.

Rep. Gina Hinojosa, an Austin Democrat who sits on the House education committee, said the state is underfunding special education to the tune of $2 billion annually.

The challenges we have with our special education kids are, in large part, due to underfunding that program and so absolutely we need to do better in all our school districts in the state, she said. But washing our hands of these kids, sending them to a private school where they no longer have these federal protections, is not the answer.

Notre Dame impact

Carol Battaloras daughter enrolled at Notre Dame when she was 5. Two decades later, she attends the schools program for adults. Shes been part of the schools Special Olympic group, and teachers have helped her grow as a reader.

Where would she have had the opportunity to be challenged, but at her level? They focus on what she can do, said Battalora, who also works at the school.

For most of her daughters life, the family paid tuition and fees. If an education savings account had been around to cut down costs, the funds couldve been saved for her future, Battalora said.

Notre Dame fundraises more than $2 million a year to support its budget, school officials said. Families still make sacrifices to attend, including driving long distances. Students arrive each day from more than 80 ZIP codes.

The school maintains a list of interested families. Before they can enroll, officials look at students test scores, evaluations and have them come in for a shadow day to make sure theyll be a good fit.

A fall 2022 survey by the Texas Private Schools Association found roughly 97,500 open seats in private schools across the state. Of the survey respondents, 87% of private schools said they serve children with special needs.

When asked if they would serve additional students with special needs if they applied, 35% said yes and 54% said maybe, according to an association memo.

Jennifer Allmon, director of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, said the group supports the idea of universal choice, but recognizes lawmakers must put in limitations.

Anytime, in any legislation, on any topic, when theres a limitation, we believe you should prioritize the poor and vulnerable, Allmon said. Thats fundamentally our teaching.

Also important to leaders at Notre Dame is that any government-funded program doesnt interfere with their ability to proudly discuss their faith.

It has to be something thats going to let us keep the integrity of our Catholicity, the mission of our school, Principal Fernandez said. If that passes, absolutely, it will benefit families.
The Texas House on Thursday moved one step closer toward investing $5 billion to expand internet availability across the state.

Filed by Republican state Rep. Trent Ashby of Lufkin, House Bill 9 and the accompanying House Joint Resolution 125 would ask Texas voters in November whether the state can spend that historic amount and create the Texas Broadband Infrastructure Fund.

The House approved Ashbys bill 140-9 on Thursday. It now heads to the Senate.

This bill will have a measurable impact on each one of your districts, Ashby said on the House floor. No matter whether they be urban, suburban or rural.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the significant need for internet connectivity  nearly 7 million Texans dont have reliable broadband service, if they are connected at all. In the last session, the state established the Broadband Development Office, which released its broadband development map earlier this year. The map shows internet speeds and availability across the state and will help determine which communities are eligible for grant funding.

While the $5 billion broadband fund will get Texas closer to connecting the entire state, its going to take more than Ashbys proposal to get all Texans online. At a public hearing in March, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said the actual amount needed would be closer to $10 billion.

Then theres the question of how long it will take to connect the entire state. Hegar said it could take anywhere from seven to 10 years. Hegar said the cost and time was due to labor constraints, supply chain issues and the fact that the entire nation is trying to do this.

Another key component of the fund, Hegar said, is that it will be needed to match the federal dollars that will be coming in from the bipartisan infrastructure law, passed by Congress in 2021 and signed by President Joe Biden. Its undetermined how much Texas will receive out of the $42.45 billion set aside for broadband expansion, but the state will need to match 25% of the allotment.

This would also give the state more flexibility from the requirements of the federal program  the state would have to go by the Federal Communications Commission broadband map and use fiber technology first, which may not be realistic in all areas.

While its great to have that money, and I wish we had every penny of the $40 billion, the fact is there are constraints, Hegar explained.

Hegar said this will eventually hurt rural service providers as well, since bigger vendors have the capability to meet the federal requirements but smaller vendors do not.

Those very small rural providers probably need as much or more help than anyone to connect their citizens, Hegar said. I think that every layer you add, on either state or federal levels, limits the competition and capability thats out there, and limits the system.

One Democratic lawmaker attempted to add more accountability to the bill prior to the House approving it.

On the House floor on Wednesday, state Rep. Yvonne Davis of Dallas introduced an amendment that would require each broadband service provider to submit an annual report to the comptrollers office. This report would detail the number of people served through the broadband development program, their internet speeds and where they live. The comptroller would then provide a report to the Legislature.

Ashby argued the extra step wasnt necessary, since there are reporting requirements for the billions of federal dollars that Texas is expected to receive from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Still, Davis said legislators often dont receive details, such as job creation and deployment plans, in other scenarios, despite the large investments the state puts forward.

My concern is that we, as legislators, arent able to get that information, Davis said. And if we dont ask for it in the legislation, how can we be assured that we will get that information?

The amendment failed to be adopted. Davis did successfully add an amendment that requires some funding to go toward broadband development in economically distressed communities.
China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Ltd. (OTCMKTS:CHOPF  Get Rating) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $0.00 and traded as high as $0.00. China Gerui Advanced Materials Group shares last traded at $0.00, with a volume of 100 shares traded.

China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Stock Performance

China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Company Profile

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China Gerui Advanced Materials Group Ltd. is a holding company which engages in the steel processing business. It process ultra-thin, cold-rolled steel for narrow strip steel products. The company sells its products to domestic Chinese customers in a diverse range of industries, including the food packaging, electrical appliances and the construction materials industries.

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CTT  Correios De Portugal, S.A. (OTCMKTS:CTTPY  Get Rating) shares hit a new 52-week low on Thursday . The company traded as low as $7.61 and last traded at $7.61, with a volume of 0 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $7.61.

CTT  Correios De Portugal Stock Performance

The firms 50-day simple moving average is $7.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $6.20.

About CTT  Correios De Portugal

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CTT  Correios De Portugal, SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides postal and financial services worldwide. It operates through Mail, Express & Parcels, Financial Services & Retail, and Bank segments. The company offers courier and urgent mail transport services; postal financial services; and banking services.

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Chinese premier, Pakistani PM hold phone talks on ties

Xinhua) 11:18, April 28, 2023

BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday morning talked over phone with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Noting China and Pakistan are good neighbors, friends, partners and brothers, Li said that both sides should maintain high-level exchanges, strengthen strategic communication, promote greater progress in bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields, and jointly promote the building of a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.

Li underlined that this year marks the 10th anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping's proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the 10th anniversary of the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), indicating that both sides should work together to improve the quality of the CPEC cooperation, making it a high-quality demonstration project of the Belt and Road cooperation.

China is willing to continuously import more quality agricultural and livestock products from Pakistan and advance industrial cooperation with Pakistan, Li said, adding that the two sides should accelerate expanding the cooperation in fields regarding agriculture, minerals, science and technology, and information technology.

Li noted that China supports Pakistan in maintaining financial stability, and hopes that Pakistan will continue to create a favorable environment so as to guarantee the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel in Pakistan.

China will, as always, firmly support Pakistan in defending national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and firmly support Pakistan in fighting terrorism, maintaining unity and stability, and achieving revitalization and development, said Li.

He also expressed that the two sides should support each other in multilateral field, uphold international fairness and justice, safeguard the common interests of both countries and other developing countries, defend regional peace and security, and promote common development.

For his part, Sharif said that Pakistan and China are "iron-clad brothers" and the destinies of the two countries are closely linked.

Pakistan is always a reliable partner of China in maintaining peace, promoting development and addressing common challenges, he said, adding that Pakistan adheres to the one-China policy and firmly supports China on all issues concerning the latter's core interests.

Sharif noted that Pakistan thanks China for its firm support and selfless help to Pakistan in safeguarding national independence and sovereignty and promoting national development. He expressed Pakistan's willingness to work with China to promote high-quality development of the CPEC, deepen cooperation in infrastructure, industry, agriculture, economy and trade, and push forward the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.

Pakistan will make every effort to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, institutions and projects in Pakistan, Sharif added.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Simpatico Software Systems, the firm contracted by Donald Trump's presidential campaign in November 2020 to investigate allegations of voter fraud, has been served with a subpoena by the special counsel overseeing the investigation.

According to the company's founder, Ken Block, he was ordered to provide records about the work his company performed for the Donald Trump campaign, ABC News reported.

The Trump campaign hired Simpatico Software Systems as a second company, but it did not find any concrete proof of election fraud.

Special counsel Jack Smith, who is looking into allegations of voter fraud made by the Trump campaign after the election as well as potential crimes related to the Capitol uprising on January 6, has subpoenaed Simpatico Software Systems founder Ken Block to provide documents of his involvement in the Trump campaign.

Federal financial reports show that Block received over $700,000 in compensation for his services.

Read Also: Russian Air Strikes Rock Ukrainian Cities

No Significant Voter Fraud Evidence Found

Ken Block said that he investigated more than a dozen theories and accusations of voting fraud and found them all to be untrue, according to the Washington Post. No actual voter fraud was found throughout his investigations, and he was unable to verify any of the external accusations of voting fraud that he was requested to look into.

Block did not go into detail about the allegations of voting fraud that his business looked into or the methods used. He has, however, repeatedly refuted Donald Trump's voter fraud claims in public. He recently hailed a court ruling requiring MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell to pay $5 million to a guy who refuted Lindell's bogus election conspiracy.

Trump's representative declined to respond to the report's allegations, instead criticizing them as the result of a politically driven attack against the potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate.

Steven Cheung, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, said that the allegation is a politically driven, unfounded, and futile effort, similar to other fake charges against Donald Trump, per The Hill.

Related Article: Kamala Harris to Play Crucial Role in Biden's Re-election Bid



@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
DNB Bank ASA (OTCMKTS:DNBBY  Get Rating) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,600 shares, a growth of 128.6% from the March 31st total of 700 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 137,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days.

DNB Bank ASA Price Performance

Shares of DNBBY remained flat at $17.40 on Thursday. 46,982 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 100,395. The company has a quick ratio of 1.70, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.48. The stock has a market cap of $26.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.78, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.26. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $18.60 and a 200 day moving average price of $18.54. DNB Bank ASA has a fifty-two week low of $15.58 and a fifty-two week high of $21.03.

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DNB Bank ASA Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 12th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 27th will be paid a dividend of $1.0048 per share. This is an increase from DNB Bank ASAs previous dividend of $0.90. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 26th. This represents a dividend yield of 5.44%.

DNB Bank ASA Company Profile

DNB Bank ASA provides financial services for retail and corporate customers in Norway and internationally. The company offers personal banking products and services, including savings and investment products; loans, such as home mortgages, and car and consumer loans; pet, home and property, travel, and personal insurance products, as well as insurance products for vehicles; retirement savings products; foreign exchange and treasury activities; and Internet and mobile banking services, as well as cards.

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Industria de Diseno Textil, S.A. (OTCMKTS:IDEXY  Get Rating) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 74,600 shares, a growth of 333.7% from the March 31st total of 17,200 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 224,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.3 days.

Industria de Diseno Textil Price Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:IDEXY traded up $0.23 on Thursday, hitting $17.18. The companys stock had a trading volume of 3,338,495 shares, compared to its average volume of 291,167. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $16.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $14.23. Industria de Diseno Textil has a 1 year low of $9.97 and a 1 year high of $17.39. The company has a market capitalization of $107.09 billion, a PE ratio of 25.79, a PEG ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 1.08.

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Industria de Diseno Textil Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 28th will be given a dividend of $0.2358 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 27th. This is a positive change from Industria de Diseno Textils previous dividend of $0.16. This represents a dividend yield of 2.31%. Industria de Diseno Textils dividend payout ratio is 49.25%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Industria de Diseno Textil Company Profile

Separately, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Industria de Diseno Textil from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $24.50.

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Industria de Diseno Textil SA engages in the retail and sale of clothing, footwear, and accessories. It operates through the following segments: ZARA, Bershka, and Other. The firms other brands include of Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home, and Uterque. The company was founded by Amancio Ortega Gaona in 1963 and is headquartered in A Coruna, Spain.

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Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:SSNLF  Get Rating) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $40.60 and last traded at $40.60, with a volume of 0 shares. The stock had previously closed at $40.60.

Samsung Electronics Stock Performance

The company has a fifty day moving average of $40.60 and a two-hundred day moving average of $40.60. The company has a market cap of $5.24 billion, a PE ratio of 15.15 and a beta of 0.88.

Samsung Electronics Company Profile

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Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd. engages in the manufacturing and selling of electronics and computer peripherals. The company operates through following business divisions: Consumer Electronics, Information Technology & Mobile Communications and Device Solutions. The Consumer Electronics business division provides cable television, monitor, printer, air-conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines and medical devices.

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a.k.a. Brands Holding Corp. (NYSE:AKA  Get Rating) has earned a consensus recommendation of Hold from the ten brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $2.19.

A number of research firms have recently commented on AKA. Piper Sandler cut a.k.a. Brands from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and lowered their target price for the company from $3.00 to $2.00 in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Truist Financial lowered their target price on a.k.a. Brands from $4.00 to $2.60 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Jefferies Financial Group cut a.k.a. Brands from a buy rating to a hold rating and lowered their target price for the company from $4.00 to $1.70 in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. TD Securities lowered their target price on a.k.a. Brands from $1.70 to $1.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 21st. Finally, Credit Suisse Group lowered their target price on a.k.a. Brands from $3.50 to $3.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 10th.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other a.k.a. Brands news, Director Myles B. Mccormick bought 56,250 shares of a.k.a. Brands stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 16th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $0.65 per share, with a total value of $36,562.50. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 122,635 shares in the company, valued at $79,712.75. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Myles B. Mccormick acquired 56,250 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 16th. The stock was bought at an average price of $0.65 per share, with a total value of $36,562.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 122,635 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $79,712.75. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Ciaran Joseph Long acquired 79,979 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 17th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $0.63 per share, with a total value of $50,386.77. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer now directly owns 383,226 shares of the companys stock, valued at $241,432.38. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 34.90% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On a.k.a. Brands

a.k.a. Brands Trading Down 3.1 %

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AKA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in a.k.a. Brands by 1,039.7% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 41,474 shares of the companys stock valued at $184,000 after purchasing an additional 37,835 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of a.k.a. Brands by 24.2% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 23,254 shares of the companys stock valued at $103,000 after acquiring an additional 4,538 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in shares of a.k.a. Brands by 1.7% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 362,482 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,602,000 after acquiring an additional 6,231 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of a.k.a. Brands by 31.0% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 113,368 shares of the companys stock valued at $501,000 after acquiring an additional 26,815 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PDT Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of a.k.a. Brands in the first quarter valued at about $119,000. 59.89% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Shares of AKA stock opened at $0.37 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.12 million, a PE ratio of -0.27 and a beta of 1.09. a.k.a. Brands has a 1-year low of $0.31 and a 1-year high of $4.28. The business has a 50-day moving average of $0.80 and a 200 day moving average of $1.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 2.24 and a quick ratio of 0.80.

a.k.a. Brands (NYSE:AKA  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 9th. The company reported ($0.03) earnings per share for the quarter. a.k.a. Brands had a negative return on equity of 1.47% and a negative net margin of 28.88%. The business had revenue of $149.13 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $161.44 million. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that a.k.a. Brands will post -0.06 earnings per share for the current year.

About a.k.a. Brands

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a.k.a. Brands Holding Corp. operates a portfolio of online fashion brands in the United States, Australia, and internationally. It offers apparel, footwear, and accessories through its online stores under the Princess Polly, Culture Kings, Petal & Pup, mnml, and Rebdolls brands, as well as operates eight physical stores under the Culture Kings brand name.

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StockNews.com lowered shares of American Water Works (NYSE:AWK  Get Rating) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report report published on Tuesday.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $180.00 price objective on shares of American Water Works in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th. TheStreet downgraded shares of American Water Works from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. Finally, Bank of America upped their target price on American Water Works from $134.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $156.00.

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American Water Works Price Performance

AWK stock opened at $148.46 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $144.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $147.43. American Water Works has a 52 week low of $122.77 and a 52 week high of $162.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $28.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 0.57.

American Water Works Increases Dividend

American Water Works ( NYSE:AWK Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The utilities provider reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.92 by ($0.01). American Water Works had a net margin of 21.62% and a return on equity of 10.76%. The business had revenue of $938.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $903.84 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.87 EPS. The firms revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that American Water Works will post 4.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.7075 per share. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.91%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 8th. This is an increase from American Water Workss previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. American Water Workss payout ratio is currently 58.09%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Water Works

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AWK. Gradient Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Water Works during the first quarter valued at $26,000. Clear Street Markets LLC purchased a new position in American Water Works during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in American Water Works in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Spirit of America Management Corp NY purchased a new position in American Water Works in the 1st quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC purchased a new position in American Water Works in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.06% of the companys stock.

American Water Works Company Profile

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American Water Works Co, Inc engages in the provision of complementary water and wastewater services. It operates through the following segments: Regulated Businesses, Market-Based Businesses, and Other. The Regulated Businesses segment offers water and wastewater services to customers. The Market-Based Businesses segment includes the military services group, which enters into long-term contracts with the U.S.

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Barclays reaffirmed their overweight rating on shares of Ashtead Group (LON:AHT  Get Rating) in a research report report published on Monday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has a GBX 6,300 ($78.68) price objective on the stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on AHT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Ashtead Group from GBX 5,500 ($68.69) to GBX 6,000 ($74.93) and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, February 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a hold rating and issued a GBX 4,460 ($55.70) price target on shares of Ashtead Group in a research note on Wednesday, March 8th. Peel Hunt reissued a buy rating and issued a GBX 5,200 ($64.94) price target on shares of Ashtead Group in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Ashtead Group from GBX 6,000 ($74.93) to GBX 7,000 ($87.42) and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 8th. Finally, Numis Securities reissued a buy rating and issued a GBX 7,000 ($87.42) price target on shares of Ashtead Group in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of GBX 5,826.43 ($72.77).

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Ashtead Group Price Performance

Shares of AHT opened at GBX 4,543 ($56.74) on Monday. Ashtead Group has a 12-month low of GBX 3,269 ($40.83) and a 12-month high of GBX 6,012 ($75.08). The business has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 5,042.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 4,972.25. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 154.56. The stock has a market cap of 19.92 billion, a PE ratio of 1,599.65, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.46.

Ashtead Group Cuts Dividend

Ashtead Group Company Profile

The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 12th were issued a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 12th. This represents a yield of 0.24%. Ashtead Groups payout ratio is currently 2,429.58%.

(Get Rating)

Ashtead Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the construction, industrial, and general equipment rental business in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It provides pumps, power generation, heating, cooling, scaffolding, traffic management, temporary flooring, trench shoring, and lifting services.

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Loop Capital upgraded shares of AZEK (NYSE:AZEK  Get Rating) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report published on Monday morning, The Fly reports. The brokerage currently has $33.00 price target on the stock, up from their previous price target of $27.00.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on AZEK. Bank of America raised shares of AZEK from a neutral rating to a buy rating and raised their target price for the stock from $28.00 to $31.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. TheStreet upgraded shares of AZEK from a d+ rating to a c rating in a research note on Thursday, December 29th. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of AZEK from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of AZEK from $28.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of AZEK from $25.00 to $28.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, AZEK has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $28.11.

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AZEK Trading Up 3.3 %

Shares of AZEK opened at $26.44 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 2.91, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 125.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 8.59 and a beta of 1.60. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $23.86 and its 200 day simple moving average is $21.71. AZEK has a twelve month low of $15.12 and a twelve month high of $30.26.

Insider Activity at AZEK

AZEK ( NYSE:AZEK Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 8th. The company reported ($0.10) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.11) by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $216.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $208.14 million. AZEK had a return on equity of 7.03% and a net margin of 2.49%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.17 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that AZEK will post 0.5 earnings per share for the current year.

In other AZEK news, CEO Jesse G. Singh sold 7,000 shares of AZEK stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.95, for a total value of $153,650.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 43,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $943,850. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, CEO Jesse G. Singh sold 7,000 shares of AZEK stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.95, for a total value of $153,650.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 43,000 shares in the company, valued at $943,850. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Corporate Opportunities F. Ares sold 4,770,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.06, for a total transaction of $124,306,200.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 14,326,090 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $373,337,905.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 4,810,000 shares of company stock valued at $125,231,810 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 3.10% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AZEK

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AZEK by 35.2% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 11,990 shares of the companys stock worth $299,000 after purchasing an additional 3,124 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors L.P. bought a new position in shares of AZEK in the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,468,000. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its stake in shares of AZEK by 155.0% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 22,887 shares of the companys stock worth $602,000 after purchasing an additional 13,910 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in AZEK in the 1st quarter worth approximately $124,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in AZEK by 113.5% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 724,014 shares of the companys stock worth $17,989,000 after acquiring an additional 384,936 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.05% of the companys stock.

About AZEK

(Get Rating)

The AZEK Company Inc engages in designing, manufacturing, and selling of building products for residential, commercial, and industrial markets in the United States. It operates through two segments: Residential and Commercial. The Residential segment designs and manufactures engineered outdoor living products, which includes decking, railing, trim and molding, siding and cladding, pergolas and cabanas, and accessories under the TimberTech, AZEK Exteriors, VERSATEX, and ULTRALOX brand name.

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Bank of America lowered shares of Bancolombia (NYSE:CIB  Get Rating) from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report issued on Thursday, The Fly reports.

Separately, TheStreet raised Bancolombia from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a report on Friday, April 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $31.00.

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Bancolombia Stock Performance

Shares of CIB opened at $23.99 on Thursday. Bancolombia has a one year low of $21.55 and a one year high of $45.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 1.05. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $25.70 and a 200 day moving average price of $26.56.

Bancolombia Increases Dividend

Bancolombia ( NYSE:CIB Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The bank reported $1.42 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.39 by $0.03. Bancolombia had a return on equity of 17.83% and a net margin of 21.09%. The company had revenue of $1.44 billion for the quarter. On average, equities analysts forecast that Bancolombia will post 5.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.7332 per share. This represents a $2.93 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 12.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 30th. This is an increase from Bancolombias previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. Bancolombias dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 42.12%.

Institutional Trading of Bancolombia

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Caprock Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Bancolombia by 10.6% in the 1st quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 16,012 shares of the banks stock worth $414,000 after purchasing an additional 1,532 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Bancolombia by 6.9% in the 1st quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,067,102 shares of the banks stock worth $26,816,000 after purchasing an additional 69,000 shares during the last quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas lifted its holdings in shares of Bancolombia by 111.1% in the 4th quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas now owns 9,786 shares of the banks stock worth $279,000 after purchasing an additional 5,150 shares during the last quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Bancolombia in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,486,000. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted its holdings in shares of Bancolombia by 18.7% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 379,115 shares of the banks stock worth $10,820,000 after purchasing an additional 59,711 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 1.89% of the companys stock.

Bancolombia Company Profile

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Bancolombia SA provides various banking products and services to individual, corporate, and government customers in Colombia, Latin America, and the Caribbean region. It operates through following operating segments: Banking Colombia, Banking Panama, Banking El Salvador, Banking Guatemala, Trust, Investment banking, Brokerage, Off Shore and Others.

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Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) has earned an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the sixteen research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, six have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $49.29.

WFC has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $46.00 to $49.00 in a report on Friday, April 14th. Odeon Capital Group downgraded Wells Fargo & Company from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, March 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on Wells Fargo & Company from $60.00 to $50.00 in a report on Friday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $45.00 to $42.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $47.00 to $46.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 17th.

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Wells Fargo & Company Price Performance

Wells Fargo & Company stock opened at $39.66 on Friday. The stocks 50 day moving average is $41.03 and its 200 day moving average is $43.42. Wells Fargo & Company has a one year low of $35.25 and a one year high of $48.84. The firm has a market cap of $149.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.36, a P/E/G ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.83.

Wells Fargo & Company Announces Dividend

Wells Fargo & Company ( NYSE:WFC Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.15 by $0.08. Wells Fargo & Company had a net margin of 15.93% and a return on equity of 10.07%. The firm had revenue of $20.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.06 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.88 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 16.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Wells Fargo & Company will post 4.79 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 5th will be issued a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.03%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 4th. Wells Fargo & Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.38%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Kleber Santos sold 34,698 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.27, for a total transaction of $1,605,476.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 19,590 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $906,429.30. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.07% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Defender Capital LLC. bought a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company during the 1st quarter worth approximately $246,000. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company during the first quarter valued at $124,000. Dakota Wealth Management bought a new position in Wells Fargo & Company in the 1st quarter worth about $222,000. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. raised its holdings in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 273,936 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $13,274,000 after acquiring an additional 770 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zions Bancorporation N.A. grew its holdings in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 24.5% during the first quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 9,630 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $467,000 after purchasing an additional 1,895 shares in the last quarter. 72.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Wells Fargo & Company

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Wells Fargo & Co is a diversified, community-based financial services company. It is engaged in the provision of banking, insurance, investments, mortgage products and services, and consumer and commercial finance. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management.

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In a dramatic preview for a forthcoming TV special, Meghan Markle's father, Thomas, publicly pleads for them to repair their strained relationship.

The 78-year-old, apparently in terrible condition after a stroke last year, is shown showing images of a young Meghan to get her attention, according to ET.

In a preview for an upcoming episode of Australia's 7NEWS Spotlight, he asks the Duchess of Sussex, "How can I fix this?"

Meghan's half-siblings, Samantha Markle and Thomas Markle Jr., will also appear in the upcoming TV special, which promises to reveal "treasured memories, secret tapes, and home truths."

In the program, Samantha Markle, 58, claims that Meghan's father, a retired Hollywood lighting director, is the only reason she isn't still working as a waitress. She also criticized Meghan's marriage to Harry, calling it "toxic," per the New York Post.

The interview's preview also reveals that Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., is prepared to spill the beans on the family strife.

Read Also: 'Dodgeball' 2: Vince Vaughn is Returning

Thomas Markle pleads with his daughter Meghan to return to the family fold after hearing that she will not accompany Prince Harry to King Charles' coronation. Instead, Meghan and Harry will be spending time at their California home with their children, Archie and Lillibet.

Meghan Markle Reportedly Wants To Reach Out To Her Dad

According to Mirror, a source said that despite their estrangement, Meghan Markle worries about her father and would want to find a means to contact Thomas Markle discreetly without implicating other family members.

Duchess of Sussex's tense relationship with her father was made public after Thomas was found working with the paparazzi to arrange images of Meghan and Harry ahead of their wedding.

Meghan Markle blamed tabloid culture for the collapse of her relationship in a 2022 interview with The Cut magazine.

Related Article: Eva Green Wins $1 Million Settlement Over Failed Sci-Fi Film

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Centene (NYSE:CNC  Get Rating) had its target price decreased by investment analysts at Credit Suisse Group from $94.00 to $87.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, The Fly reports. Credit Suisse Groups price objective indicates a potential upside of 27.01% from the stocks current price.

Several other analysts also recently commented on CNC. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Centene from $90.00 to $86.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of Centene from $92.00 to $80.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 28th. StockNews.com cut shares of Centene from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. TheStreet cut shares of Centene from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. Finally, Loop Capital reduced their price objective on shares of Centene from $110.00 to $95.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Centene presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $92.00.

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Centene Stock Performance

Shares of CNC opened at $68.50 on Wednesday. The companys 50 day moving average price is $66.91 and its 200 day moving average price is $75.20. Centene has a 52 week low of $61.71 and a 52 week high of $98.53. The company has a market capitalization of $37.72 billion, a PE ratio of 33.58, a PEG ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.07.

Insider Transactions at Centene

Centene ( NYSE:CNC Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.23 by ($0.12). The business had revenue of $38.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.09 billion. Centene had a return on equity of 13.61% and a net margin of 1.01%. The businesss revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.83 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Centene will post 6.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other Centene news, Director Theodore R. Samuels II acquired 7,000 shares of Centene stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 8th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $71.88 per share, with a total value of $503,160.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 11,912 shares of the companys stock, valued at $856,234.56. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, CEO Sarah London bought 30,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 17th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $62.60 per share, for a total transaction of $1,878,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 313,953 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $19,653,457.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Theodore R. Samuels II bought 7,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 8th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $71.88 per share, with a total value of $503,160.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 11,912 shares in the company, valued at $856,234.56. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last three months, insiders acquired 46,750 shares of company stock valued at $3,091,605. Company insiders own 0.28% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Centene

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. acquired a new stake in shares of Centene during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. increased its position in shares of Centene by 5,700.0% during the 4th quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 348 shares of the companys stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares in the last quarter. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA acquired a new stake in Centene in the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. Arlington Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Centene in the 1st quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, James Investment Research Inc. acquired a new stake in Centene in the 3rd quarter valued at about $51,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.28% of the companys stock.

About Centene

(Get Rating)

Centene Corp. operates as a healthcare enterprise, which engages in the provision of programs and services to government sponsored healthcare programs. It operates through the following segments: Medicaid, Medicare, Commercial, and Other. The company was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in St. Louis, MO.

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Darling Ingredients (NYSE:DAR  Get Rating) had its price target hoisted by Stifel Nicolaus from $115.00 to $120.00 in a research note published on Monday, The Fly reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Darling Ingredients from $84.00 to $82.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Darling Ingredients from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on Darling Ingredients from $108.00 to $106.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on Darling Ingredients in a report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued an outperform rating and a $80.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Stephens reiterated an equal weight rating and issued a $75.00 price objective on shares of Darling Ingredients in a research note on Tuesday, February 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $91.58.

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Darling Ingredients Trading Up 0.1 %

NYSE:DAR opened at $59.70 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $9.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.27 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $59.45 and a 200-day moving average price of $65.39. Darling Ingredients has a 12 month low of $51.77 and a 12 month high of $87.59.

Insider Buying and Selling at Darling Ingredients

Darling Ingredients ( NYSE:DAR Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Monday, February 27th. The company reported $1.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.28 by ($0.20). Darling Ingredients had a return on equity of 20.89% and a net margin of 11.29%. The firm had revenue of $1.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.80 billion. Equities analysts predict that Darling Ingredients will post 5.53 EPS for the current year.

In related news, EVP Patrick Mcnutt bought 900 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 15th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $54.07 per share, with a total value of $48,663.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the executive vice president now owns 12,287 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $664,358.09. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Patrick Mcnutt purchased 900 shares of Darling Ingredients stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 15th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $54.07 per share, with a total value of $48,663.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 12,287 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $664,358.09. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Charles L. Adair purchased 500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 16th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $54.15 per share, with a total value of $27,075.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 36,551 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,979,236.65. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 2.51% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Darling Ingredients

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of DAR. State of Alaska Department of Revenue lifted its position in shares of Darling Ingredients by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 22,430 shares of the companys stock worth $1,403,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. increased its position in shares of Darling Ingredients by 229.9% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 106,510 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,046,000 after purchasing an additional 74,227 shares during the last quarter. Credit Suisse AG increased its position in shares of Darling Ingredients by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Credit Suisse AG now owns 650,516 shares of the companys stock valued at $43,033,000 after purchasing an additional 4,681 shares during the last quarter. Orion Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Darling Ingredients by 21.9% during the 4th quarter. Orion Capital Management LLC now owns 12,960 shares of the companys stock valued at $811,000 after purchasing an additional 2,330 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its stake in shares of Darling Ingredients by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 3,789,264 shares of the companys stock worth $250,660,000 after purchasing an additional 102,734 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.90% of the companys stock.

Darling Ingredients Company Profile

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Darling Ingredients, Inc engages in the development and production of natural ingredients from edible and inedible bio-nutrients. It operates through the following segments: Feed Ingredients, Food Ingredients, and Fuel Ingredients. The Feed Ingredients segment includes ingredients business such as fats and proteins used cooking oil, trap grease and food residuals collection, the Rothsay ingredients, and the ingredients and specialty products.

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Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd. lowered its position in Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE:FNF  Get Rating) by 4.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 52,250 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 2,625 shares during the quarter. Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd.s holdings in Fidelity National Financial were worth $1,966,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Fidelity National Financial by 3.1% in the second quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 8,348 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $309,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares during the period. Lido Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Fidelity National Financial by 3.3% during the first quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 7,938 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $387,000 after acquiring an additional 257 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. increased its stake in shares of Fidelity National Financial by 1.5% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 19,176 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $938,000 after acquiring an additional 287 shares during the period. Zullo Investment Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Fidelity National Financial by 20.9% during the third quarter. Zullo Investment Group Inc. now owns 1,674 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 289 shares during the period. Finally, Allworth Financial LP increased its stake in shares of Fidelity National Financial by 4.3% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 8,099 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $293,000 after acquiring an additional 335 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.98% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FNF has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Fidelity National Financial from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price objective on shares of Fidelity National Financial from $47.00 to $45.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 28th. Credit Suisse Group restated an outperform rating and issued a $47.00 price target on shares of Fidelity National Financial in a research report on Thursday, March 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Fidelity National Financial in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $48.60.

Fidelity National Financial Trading Up 2.7 %

Fidelity National Financial stock traded up $0.95 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $35.52. The stock had a trading volume of 245,095 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,537,781. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $35.99 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $38.46. Fidelity National Financial, Inc. has a twelve month low of $31.84 and a twelve month high of $45.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.20 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The firm has a market cap of $9.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.75 and a beta of 1.34.

Fidelity National Financial (NYSE:FNF  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 22nd. The financial services provider reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.28 by ($0.22). Fidelity National Financial had a return on equity of 22.52% and a net margin of 9.83%. The firm had revenue of $2.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.98 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.16 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 46.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Fidelity National Financial, Inc. will post 4.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Fidelity National Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 17th were paid a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.07%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 16th. Fidelity National Financials dividend payout ratio is 44.23%.

Fidelity National Financial Company Profile

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Fidelity National Financial, Inc engages in the provision of title insurance and transaction services to the real estate and mortgage industries. Its services include title insurance, escrow and other title-related services, including trust activities, trustee sales guarantees, recordings and reconveyances, and home warranty products and technology and transaction services to the real estate and mortgage industries.

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Fortis Inc. (TSE:FTS  Get Rating)  Research analysts at National Bank Financial issued their Q1 2023 earnings estimates for Fortis in a report released on Monday, April 24th. National Bank Financial analyst P. Kenny forecasts that the company will earn $0.82 per share for the quarter. The consensus estimate for Fortis current full-year earnings is $2.93 per share.

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Fortis (TSE:FTS  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Friday, February 10th. The company reported C$0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of C$0.70 by C$0.02. The business had revenue of C$3.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$2.75 billion. Fortis had a net margin of 12.62% and a return on equity of 6.92%.

Fortis Stock Up 0.0 %

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on FTS. CIBC increased their target price on Fortis from C$57.00 to C$59.00 in a research note on Friday, April 21st. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Fortis from C$53.00 to C$51.00 in a report on Monday, March 6th. National Bankshares raised their price objective on shares of Fortis from C$55.00 to C$56.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Monday, February 13th. Bank of America increased their target price on Fortis from C$51.00 to C$52.00 in a report on Friday, March 24th. Finally, Scotiabank lifted their price target on Fortis from C$57.00 to C$58.00 in a report on Monday, January 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of C$57.96.

TSE:FTS opened at C$59.88 on Wednesday. Fortis has a 52 week low of C$48.45 and a 52 week high of C$65.26. The stocks fifty day moving average is C$56.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$55.00. The stock has a market capitalization of C$29.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.16. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 127.16.

Fortis Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 1st will be given a dividend of $0.565 per share. This represents a $2.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.77%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 16th. Fortiss payout ratio is currently 81.29%.

Fortis Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Fortis Inc operates as an electric and gas utility company in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean countries. It generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 438,000 retail customers in southeastern Arizona; and 100,000 retail customers in Arizona's Mohave and Santa Cruz counties with an aggregate capacity of 3,485 megawatts (MW), including 53 MW of solar capacity and 252 MV of wind capacity.

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PROG Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:PRG  Get Rating)  KeyCorp boosted their FY2024 earnings per share estimates for PROG in a report released on Wednesday, April 26th. KeyCorp analyst B. Thomas now forecasts that the company will post earnings per share of $3.05 for the year, up from their previous estimate of $2.72. The consensus estimate for PROGs current full-year earnings is $2.35 per share.

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PRG has been the topic of several other research reports. Loop Capital upped their target price on shares of PROG from $28.00 to $34.00 in a research note on Thursday. TheStreet raised shares of PROG from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a research note on Friday, January 13th.

PROG Price Performance

PRG opened at $30.10 on Friday. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $24.33 and its 200 day simple moving average is $20.54. The firm has a market cap of $1.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.76 and a beta of 2.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 3.40 and a quick ratio of 1.28. PROG has a 1 year low of $12.11 and a 1 year high of $31.60.

PROG (NYSE:PRG  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The company reported $1.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $655.14 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $642.58 million. PROG had a net margin of 4.70% and a return on equity of 27.54%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.57 EPS.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On PROG

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Credit Suisse AG boosted its stake in PROG by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Credit Suisse AG now owns 62,429 shares of the companys stock worth $935,000 after purchasing an additional 622 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its holdings in PROG by 68.1% in the third quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 2,341 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 948 shares during the last quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in PROG by 10.6% in the third quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC now owns 10,041 shares of the companys stock valued at $150,000 after purchasing an additional 965 shares during the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its position in PROG by 20.3% during the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 7,290 shares of the companys stock worth $123,000 after buying an additional 1,232 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its position in shares of PROG by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 90,952 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,536,000 after acquiring an additional 1,480 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.81% of the companys stock.

PROG Company Profile

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PROG Holdings, Inc (NYSE:PRG) is a financial technology holding company based in Salt Lake City, Utah with three business segments: Progressive Leasing, which offers lease-to-own transactions primarily to credit-challenged consumers through e-commerce and point-of-sale retail partners, via online, mobile, and in-store solutions; Vive Financial, which provides consumers who may not qualify for traditional prime lending with a variety of second-look, revolving credit products through private label and branded credit cards; and Four Technologies, which provides consumers of all credit backgrounds Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options through four interest-free installments via its platform, Four.

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Local Bounti (NYSE:LOCL  Get Rating) is one of 34 public companies in the Agricultural production  crops industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its rivals? We will compare Local Bounti to related businesses based on the strength of its dividends, earnings, institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, analyst recommendations and risk.

Risk and Volatility

Local Bounti has a beta of 1.75, indicating that its stock price is 75% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Local Bountis rivals have a beta of -23.30, indicating that their average stock price is 2,430% less volatile than the S&P 500.

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Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent recommendations for Local Bounti and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Local Bounti 0 1 4 0 2.80 Local Bounti Competitors 102 172 491 23 2.55

Insider and Institutional Ownership

Local Bounti currently has a consensus price target of $2.85, indicating a potential upside of 448.29%. As a group, Agricultural production  crops companies have a potential upside of 57.78%. Given Local Bountis stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Local Bounti is more favorable than its rivals.

65.3% of Local Bounti shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 29.1% of shares of all Agricultural production  crops companies are owned by institutional investors. 41.5% of Local Bounti shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 17.3% of shares of all Agricultural production  crops companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Local Bounti and its rivals gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Local Bounti $19.47 million -$111.07 million -0.41 Local Bounti Competitors $1.63 billion $21.77 million 0.40

Local Bountis rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Local Bounti. Local Bounti is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Profitability

This table compares Local Bounti and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Local Bounti -570.35% -95.94% -47.68% Local Bounti Competitors -339.13% -25.58% -15.99%

Summary

Local Bounti rivals beat Local Bounti on 7 of the 13 factors compared.

About Local Bounti

(Get Rating)

Local Bounti Corporation grows fresh greens and herbs in the United States. It produces lettuce, herbs, and loose-leaf lettuce. The company sells its products to food retailers and food service distributors. Local Bounti Corporation was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Montana.

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Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:NUS  Get Rating) Director Andrew D. Lipman sold 2,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.75, for a total value of $81,500.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 60,393 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,461,014.75. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Nu Skin Enterprises Trading Down 0.1 %

Shares of NUS stock opened at $39.49 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.08 and a beta of 1.21. Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. has a twelve month low of $29.95 and a twelve month high of $47.84. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 2.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $40.26 and its 200 day simple moving average is $40.28.

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Nu Skin Enterprises (NYSE:NUS  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 15th. The company reported $0.89 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.36. The business had revenue of $522.34 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $542.32 million. Nu Skin Enterprises had a return on equity of 16.20% and a net margin of 4.71%. Nu Skin Enterprisess quarterly revenue was down 22.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.11 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. will post 2.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Nu Skin Enterprises Increases Dividend

Analyst Ratings Changes

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 8th. Investors of record on Monday, February 27th were given a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 24th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.95%. This is a positive change from Nu Skin Enterprisess previous quarterly dividend of $0.39. Nu Skin Enterprisess payout ratio is currently 75.36%.

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. Citigroup raised their price objective on Nu Skin Enterprises from $35.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. TheStreet lowered Nu Skin Enterprises from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 15th. DA Davidson decreased their price target on Nu Skin Enterprises from $40.00 to $38.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered Nu Skin Enterprises from a buy rating to a hold rating and decreased their price target for the company from $43.00 to $39.00 in a research note on Monday, January 30th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Nu Skin Enterprises from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $39.33.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nu Skin Enterprises

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC grew its position in Nu Skin Enterprises by 37.1% during the 2nd quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 809 shares of the companys stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in Nu Skin Enterprises by 2,120.0% during the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 888 shares of the companys stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 848 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in Nu Skin Enterprises by 118.2% during the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,150 shares of the companys stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 623 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its holdings in Nu Skin Enterprises by 135.8% during the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,646 shares of the companys stock worth $69,000 after buying an additional 948 shares during the period. Finally, Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Nu Skin Enterprises during the 3rd quarter worth about $77,000. Institutional investors own 93.67% of the companys stock.

About Nu Skin Enterprises

(Get Rating)

Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the development and distribution of beauty and wellness solutions. It operates through the following segments: Mainland China, Americas, South Korea, Southeast Asia/Pacific, EMEA, Japan, Hong Kong/Taiwan, Nu Skin Other, Manufacturing, and Rhyz Other.

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Visa (NYSE:V  Get Rating) had its target price boosted by KeyCorp from $250.00 to $260.00 in a research report released on Monday, The Fly reports. KeyCorp also issued estimates for Visas Q2 2023 earnings at $1.98 EPS, Q3 2023 earnings at $2.07 EPS, Q4 2023 earnings at $2.22 EPS, FY2023 earnings at $8.45 EPS, Q1 2024 earnings at $2.31 EPS, Q2 2024 earnings at $2.38 EPS, Q3 2024 earnings at $2.41 EPS, Q4 2024 earnings at $2.61 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $9.70 EPS.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Raymond James upped their price objective on shares of Visa from $261.00 to $281.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on Visa from $225.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 18th. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on Visa from $237.00 to $248.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Citigroup increased their target price on Visa from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group raised their price target on Visa from $245.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $260.88.

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Visa Trading Up 0.4 %

NYSE V opened at $229.01 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $224.27 and a 200-day simple moving average of $215.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 1.44. Visa has a one year low of $174.60 and a one year high of $235.57. The firm has a market cap of $430.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.03, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.96.

Visa Dividend Announcement

Visa ( NYSE:V Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The credit-card processor reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $7.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $7.79 billion. Visa had a net margin of 50.95% and a return on equity of 51.36%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.79 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Visa will post 8.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 11th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.79%. Visas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 25.17%.

Insider Activity at Visa

In other Visa news, insider Rajat Taneja sold 61,721 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $229.92, for a total value of $14,190,892.32. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 232,112 shares of the companys stock, valued at $53,367,191.04. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, General Counsel Julie B. Rottenberg sold 13,394 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.00, for a total transaction of $2,933,286.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel now owns 4,583 shares in the company, valued at $1,003,677. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Rajat Taneja sold 61,721 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $229.92, for a total value of $14,190,892.32. Following the sale, the insider now owns 232,112 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $53,367,191.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 133,115 shares of company stock worth $30,115,598 over the last ninety days. 0.21% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Visa

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates purchased a new position in shares of Visa in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. JDM Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Visa in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Visa during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. McElhenny Sheffield Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Visa during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Financial Freedom LLC purchased a new position in Visa during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.87% of the companys stock.

Visa Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Visa, Inc engages in the provision of digital payment services. It also facilitates global commerce through the transfer of value and information among a global network of consumers, merchants, financial institutions, businesses, strategic partners, and government entities. It offers debit cards, credit cards, prepaid products, commercial payment solutions, and global automated teller machines (ATMs).

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Avidian Wealth Solutions LLC lessened its position in shares of Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE:KMI  Get Rating) by 11.9% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 59,395 shares of the pipeline companys stock after selling 7,993 shares during the period. Avidian Wealth Solutions LLCs holdings in Kinder Morgan were worth $1,074,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in KMI. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Kinder Morgan during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. VitalStone Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Kinder Morgan during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. TD Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Kinder Morgan during the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. MADDEN SECURITIES Corp purchased a new stake in Kinder Morgan during the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Independence Bank of Kentucky increased its position in Kinder Morgan by 305.9% during the 4th quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 2,123 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 1,600 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.48% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on KMI shares. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Kinder Morgan in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Kinder Morgan from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and lifted their price target for the company from $19.00 to $22.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Kinder Morgan from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Monday, January 9th. Barclays reduced their price objective on Kinder Morgan from $21.00 to $20.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, Scotiabank started coverage on Kinder Morgan in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. They issued a sector perform rating and a $20.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kinder Morgan currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $20.56.

Kinder Morgan Stock Performance

Shares of KMI opened at $17.32 on Friday. The businesss 50 day moving average is $17.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $17.88. Kinder Morgan, Inc. has a 52-week low of $15.77 and a 52-week high of $20.20. The firm has a market cap of $38.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.33, a PEG ratio of 5.30 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 0.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91.

Kinder Morgan (NYSE:KMI  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The pipeline company reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.29 by $0.01. Kinder Morgan had a return on equity of 8.06% and a net margin of 13.62%. The company had revenue of $3.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.75 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.32 EPS. Kinder Morgans quarterly revenue was down 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Kinder Morgan, Inc. will post 1.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kinder Morgan Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 1st will be issued a $0.2825 dividend. This represents a $1.13 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.52%. This is an increase from Kinder Morgans previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 28th. Kinder Morgans payout ratio is 98.23%.

Kinder Morgan declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Wednesday, January 18th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the pipeline company to repurchase up to 2.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the companys board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Anthony B. Ashley sold 13,232 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.14, for a total value of $240,028.48. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 27,826 shares in the company, valued at approximately $504,763.64. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 12.64% of the companys stock.

Kinder Morgan Profile

(Get Rating)

Kinder Morgan, Inc engages in providing pipeline transportation of natural gas services. It operates through the following business segments: Natural Gas Pipelines, Products Pipelines, Terminals, and CO2. The Natural Gas Pipelines segment operates major interstate and intrastate natural gas pipelines and storage systems.

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MaxLinear (NYSE:MXL  Get Rating) had its price objective trimmed by Needham & Company LLC from $48.00 to $34.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday morning, The Fly reports.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Susquehanna reduced their target price on shares of MaxLinear from $45.00 to $40.00 in a research note on Thursday. Craig Hallum reduced their price objective on shares of MaxLinear from $55.00 to $37.00 in a research report on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on MaxLinear from $50.00 to $48.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on MaxLinear in a report on Tuesday, February 28th. They issued an underperform rating and a $30.00 price target for the company. Finally, Northland Securities decreased their price target on MaxLinear from $35.00 to $25.00 in a research note on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $40.00.

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MaxLinear Stock Performance

Shares of MXL stock opened at $24.20 on Thursday. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $33.55 and its 200 day moving average price is $34.62. The company has a quick ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.91 billion, a PE ratio of 9.66 and a beta of 1.93. MaxLinear has a 52-week low of $23.85 and a 52-week high of $53.65.

Insiders Place Their Bets

MaxLinear ( NYSE:MXL Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 1st. The semiconductor company reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.17. MaxLinear had a return on equity of 39.70% and a net margin of 9.14%. The business had revenue of $290.59 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $290.09 million. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that MaxLinear will post 1.31 EPS for the current year.

In other news, insider James Lougheed sold 115,944 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.74, for a total value of $4,723,558.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 3,921 shares in the company, valued at $159,741.54. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. 8.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MaxLinear

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MXL. Raymond James & Associates grew its position in shares of MaxLinear by 41.2% in the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 17,748 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $1,036,000 after purchasing an additional 5,183 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. acquired a new stake in MaxLinear during the 1st quarter valued at $864,000. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its position in MaxLinear by 22.0% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 5,298 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $309,000 after buying an additional 955 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. raised its holdings in shares of MaxLinear by 4.0% in the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 76,387 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $4,457,000 after acquiring an additional 2,937 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can lifted its position in shares of MaxLinear by 26.8% in the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 23,413 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $1,455,000 after acquiring an additional 4,947 shares in the last quarter. 90.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MaxLinear Company Profile

(Get Rating)

MaxLinear, Inc engages in the provision of communications systems-on-chip, or SoC, solutions used in broadband, mobile and wireline infrastructure, data center, and industrial and multi-market applications. Its products include cable broadband modems and gateways, wireline connectivity devices, radio frequency transceivers, fiber-optic modules, video set-top boxes and gateways, hybrid analog and digital televisions, direct broadcast satellite outdoor and indoor units, and power management and interface products.

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The US Army has launched an investigation into the crash of two military helicopters while returning from a training mission in Alaska. The incident claimed the lives of three soldiers, while a fourth soldier sustained injuries.

The US Army helicopter crash incident in Healy, Alaska, took the lives of two of the troops; the third passed away en route to a hospital in Fairbanks. The US Army said that a fourth service member had been injured and receiving medical care, AP News reported.

The US Army stated they were withholding the victims' identities from the helicopter crash so they could contact their families.

The Army has said that the investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing and that further information will be provided when it becomes available. A team from Fort Novosel in Alabama will carry out the investigation.

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John Pennell, a spokesman for the United States Army Alaska, said earlier on Thursday that each AH-64 Apache helicopter was carrying two troops at the time of the incident.

The helicopters were from the Fort Wainwright-based 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment.

Assistance Extended To The Crash Victims' Families

Major General Brian Eifler, the 11th Airborne Division's commander, sent his condolences to the victims' loved ones and fellow service members, according to NPR.

The military official noted that the US Army helicopter crash incident is an unfathomable loss for the families, comrades, and division of the departed soldiers. Maj. Gen. Eifler added that the US Army is extending its "entire resources" to support the helicopter crash victims' friends and loved ones.

The Emergency Assistance Center at Fort Wainwright has been established to help the troops, relatives, and friends of those who perished in the US Army helicopter crash in Alaska, per CBS 7.

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Oak Thistle LLC acquired a new stake in Science Applications International Co. (NYSE:SAIC  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 1,838 shares of the information technology services providers stock, valued at approximately $204,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in SAIC. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Science Applications International by 68.3% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,035,190 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $179,971,000 after buying an additional 825,670 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in shares of Science Applications International by 9.4% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,699,458 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $525,321,000 after buying an additional 491,167 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its stake in Science Applications International by 3,897.3% during the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 100,932 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $9,303,000 after purchasing an additional 98,407 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in Science Applications International by 2.0% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 4,887,542 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $450,486,000 after purchasing an additional 94,874 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in Science Applications International by 39.0% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 316,718 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $29,191,000 after purchasing an additional 88,891 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.40% of the companys stock.

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Science Applications International Trading Up 2.1 %

NYSE:SAIC opened at $102.40 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $5.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.03 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $106.05 and its 200-day simple moving average is $106.11. Science Applications International Co. has a 12-month low of $79.33 and a 12-month high of $117.94.

Science Applications International Dividend Announcement

Science Applications International ( NYSE:SAIC Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 3rd. The information technology services provider reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $1.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.86 billion. Science Applications International had a return on equity of 25.20% and a net margin of 3.89%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.50 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Science Applications International Co. will post 6.95 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Investors of record on Friday, April 14th will be paid a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 13th. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.45%. Science Applications Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.51%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com cut Science Applications International from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 10th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Science Applications International from $110.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Science Applications International from $121.00 to $118.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Science Applications International from $90.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock a sell rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered Science Applications International from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $108.00 to $114.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Science Applications International has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $113.30.

Insider Activity at Science Applications International

In related news, CEO Nazzic S. Keene sold 26,237 shares of Science Applications International stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.37, for a total value of $2,817,066.69. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 65,680 shares in the company, valued at $7,052,061.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other Science Applications International news, insider Michael W. Larouche sold 6,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.19, for a total transaction of $643,140.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 49,192 shares in the company, valued at $5,272,890.48. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Nazzic S. Keene sold 26,237 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.37, for a total value of $2,817,066.69. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 65,680 shares in the company, valued at $7,052,061.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 33,430 shares of company stock worth $3,589,623 over the last three months. 1.12% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Science Applications International Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Science Applications International Corp. is a provider of technical, engineering and enterprise information technology (IT) services. Its offerings include engineering, systems integration and information technology offerings for large, complex government projects and offer a broad range of services with a targeted emphasis on higher end, differentiated technology services, and end-to-end services spanning the entire spectrum of its customers IT infrastructure.

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Anglo American Platinum Limited (OTCMKTS:ANGPY  Get Rating) was the target of a large increase in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 192,400 shares, an increase of 134.1% from the March 31st total of 82,200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 179,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.1 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Investec raised shares of Anglo American Platinum from a sell rating to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, April 4th. HSBC raised shares of Anglo American Platinum from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, March 9th.

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Anglo American Platinum Stock Performance

Shares of ANGPY stock opened at $10.00 on Friday. The stocks fifty day moving average is $9.52 and its 200-day moving average is $12.49. Anglo American Platinum has a 52 week low of $8.17 and a 52 week high of $19.22.

Anglo American Platinum Cuts Dividend

About Anglo American Platinum

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 31st were given a $0.2275 dividend. This represents a yield of 9.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 30th.

(Get Rating)

Anglo American Platinum Ltd. is a holding company, which engages in the supply of platinum group metals. The firm specializes in mined, recycled, and traded metal which include palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium. The company was founded on July 13, 1946 and is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Telecom Argentina (NYSE:TEO  Get Rating) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report published on Monday morning.

Telecom Argentina Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:TEO opened at $5.18 on Monday. Telecom Argentina has a 12-month low of $3.72 and a 12-month high of $6.85. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $5.09 and a 200 day moving average price of $4.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.37.

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Telecom Argentina (NYSE:TEO  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 20th. The utilities provider reported $0.05 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.15 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $1.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $860.69 million. Telecom Argentina had a positive return on equity of 0.35% and a negative net margin of 29.35%. As a group, analysts expect that Telecom Argentina will post -0.75 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Telecom Argentina

About Telecom Argentina

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Barclays PLC purchased a new stake in Telecom Argentina during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC acquired a new stake in shares of Telecom Argentina in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in Telecom Argentina by 627.6% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 10,085 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $55,000 after purchasing an additional 8,699 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC purchased a new position in Telecom Argentina during the 3rd quarter worth $61,000. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Telecom Argentina in the second quarter valued at about $62,000. 1.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

(Get Rating)

Telecom Argentina SA engages in the provision of telecommunications services. The company offers fixed-line telecommunications, mobile telecommunications, other telephone-related services such as international long-distance and wholesale services, data transmission, information technology solutions outsourcing, and internet services.

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Toubani Resources Inc. (OTCMKTS:AGGFF  Get Rating) was up 15% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $0.12 and last traded at $0.12. Approximately 514 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 92% from the average daily volume of 6,540 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.10.

Toubani Resources Price Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average of $0.11 and a 200 day moving average of $0.12.

About Toubani Resources

(Get Rating)

Toubani Resources, Inc is mineral exploration company that engages in the identification, acquisition, exploration, and evaluation of natural resource properties. Its mineral project is the Kobada Gold Project, which is located in southern Mali. The company was founded by Michael A. J. Nikiforuk and Marco J.

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Tyler Technologies (NYSE:TYL  Get Rating) issued an update on its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of $7.50-$7.65 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $7.58. The company issued revenue guidance of $1.94 billion-$1.97 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $1.95 billion.

Tyler Technologies Trading Up 5.2 %

Tyler Technologies stock opened at $386.20 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $16.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 99.79 and a beta of 0.84. Tyler Technologies has a fifty-two week low of $281.11 and a fifty-two week high of $425.80. The firms fifty day moving average price is $342.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $329.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 0.95.

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Tyler Technologies (NYSE:TYL  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The technology company reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $452.22 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $452.13 million. Tyler Technologies had a net margin of 8.31% and a return on equity of 9.15%. Equities research analysts forecast that Tyler Technologies will post 5.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Insider Activity

A number of brokerages have commented on TYL. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Tyler Technologies from $370.00 to $415.00 in a research report on Friday. Credit Suisse Group reduced their price target on shares of Tyler Technologies from $375.00 to $370.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 21st. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $475.00 price objective on shares of Tyler Technologies in a research note on Friday, February 17th. JMP Securities reduced their price objective on Tyler Technologies from $465.00 to $415.00 in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Tyler Technologies from $440.00 to $470.00 in a report on Friday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $442.83.

In other news, CEO H Lynn Moore, Jr. sold 6,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $335.00, for a total transaction of $2,010,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 80,200 shares of the companys stock, valued at $26,867,000. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other Tyler Technologies news, Chairman John S. Marr, Jr. sold 4,868 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $325.88, for a total value of $1,586,383.84. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 59,970 shares in the company, valued at $19,543,023.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO H Lynn Moore, Jr. sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $335.00, for a total transaction of $2,010,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 80,200 shares in the company, valued at $26,867,000. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 18,898 shares of company stock valued at $6,195,979 over the last ninety days. 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in TYL. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of Tyler Technologies in the second quarter worth about $79,000. Money Concepts Capital Corp bought a new stake in shares of Tyler Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at $142,000. State of Wyoming raised its position in shares of Tyler Technologies by 16.5% during the 4th quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 529 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $171,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the period. First Manhattan Co. raised its position in shares of Tyler Technologies by 101.8% during the 4th quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 555 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $179,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares during the period. Finally, B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Tyler Technologies during the 4th quarter valued at $209,000. Institutional investors own 89.45% of the companys stock.

About Tyler Technologies

(Get Rating)

Tyler Technologies, Inc engages in the provision of integrated technology and management solutions and services for the public sector with a focus on local governments. It operates through the following segments: Enterprise Software and Appraisal and Tax. The Enterprise Software segment provides municipal and county governments and schools with software systems to meet their information technology and automation needs for mission-critical back-office functions such as financial management, courts and justice processes.

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Uranium Energy Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:UEC  Get Rating) traded up 6.5% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $2.62 and last traded at $2.62. 2,064,312 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 72% from the average session volume of 7,341,702 shares. The stock had previously closed at $2.46.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $8.25 price target on shares of Uranium Energy in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. StockNews.com raised Uranium Energy to a sell rating in a report on Monday, January 16th.

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Uranium Energy Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $968.51 million, a PE ratio of 36.00 and a beta of 1.98. The companys fifty day moving average is $3.24.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Uranium Energy ( NYSEAMERICAN:UEC Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Monday, March 13th. The basic materials company reported $0.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $47.93 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $25.20 million. Uranium Energy had a return on equity of 4.33% and a net margin of 17.31%. On average, analysts forecast that Uranium Energy Corp. will post -0.02 EPS for the current year.

In other Uranium Energy news, Director Spencer Abraham bought 38,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, March 24th. The stock was bought at an average price of $2.61 per share, with a total value of $100,485.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 605,437 shares in the company, valued at $1,580,190.57. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Amir Adnani acquired 20,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 24th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $2.73 per share, with a total value of $54,600.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 3,635,101 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,923,825.73. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Spencer Abraham acquired 38,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 24th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $2.61 per share, with a total value of $100,485.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 605,437 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,580,190.57. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders acquired a total of 79,500 shares of company stock valued at $207,585 over the last quarter. 3.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UEC. D L Carlson Investment Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Uranium Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. Mutual Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Uranium Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Uranium Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Uranium Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Uranium Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $47,000. 40.37% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Uranium Energy

(Get Rating)

Uranium Energy Corp. engages in the provision of uranium mining and related activities. It includes the exploration, pre-extraction, extraction, and processing of uranium and titanium concentrates. It operates through the following geographical segments: United States, Canada, and Paraguay. The company was founded by Alan P.

Further Reading

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The Smith Mountain Lake Marine Volunteer Fire Department trained by raising of a sunken boat at Bayside Marina in Moneta. The departments dive team practiced the intricacies of raising the vessel to assure it will be able to call upon those skills when needed.

Boats can sink at Smith Mountain Lake for a variety of reasons from simple mechanical failure to long-term neglect by the owners. Underwater leakage of gas or oil still onboard that can be a hazard to the lake.

When necessary, the SML Marine Volunteer Fire Department raises sunken vessels to prevent contamination into the lake. In those cases, knowledge and speed can be essential.

The department does not perform the training as a regular service. Department Chief Todd Ohlerich recommends boat owners purchase insurance. While not required by law, he said insurance can be crucial to avoid the high cost of raising a boat.

In the case of the sunken boat at Bayside Marina, Ohlerich said the department and dive team decided to assist in raising it after speaking with the boats owner and with the marina owner. We try to help out when we can, he said.

Divers place compressed airbags strategically around the vessel. Once in place, the team inflates the bags, raising the boat to the surface. The team then uses a pump to remove any additional water.

Sunken boats present a growing concern at Smith Mountain Lake. Neil Harrington, a diver for the SML Marine Volunteer Fire Department and member of the Virginia Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Work Group, said an average of 10 to 12 sunken boats lie beneath Smith Mountain Lake at any given time.

Once one comes up, another goes down, Harrington said.

Owners of some sunken boats, especially those with insurance, raise them immediately. Sea Tow of Smith Mountain Lake is tasked with raising many of the insured boats on the water.

The statewide work group recently created a fund to assist in removing sunken boats. That first round of funding went to localities along the coastline. Harrington doubts additional funding will be surface for inland lakes and rivers.

The money doesnt go far because of the high cost of raising and removing boats. Harrington said raising a boat can cost more than $10,000 depending on the size of the vessel. Those costs can more than double for vessels in poor condition that must be scrapped.

It is not like you can take it to the landfill and dump it, Harrington said.

Those massive costs can sometimes be too much for boat owners, especially those owners with older boats in need of major repairs. There have been several instances where boats have sank and owners have left the state to avoid responsibility such as facing charges from officers.

The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources is often unable to get extradition of a person back to the state if they leave to avoid charges for a sunken boat. DWR does not have a fund to raise sunken vessels on its own.

Despite the issues, conservation officers often reach out to boat owners when they see boats that may be in danger of sinking. Harrington said recent efforts by the DWR and the SML Marine Volunteer Fire Department have had a noticeable impact on the number of derelict vessels on the lake.

I think we have rattled some cages, Harrington said.

Ohlerich encourages boat owners to take the steps to remove derelict boats before they sink into the lake. Once they have sunk, the costs to raise them can be substantially more.

Its going to be a heck of a lot cheaper to get rid of while it is still floating, Ohlerich said.
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Chris Hedges: The United States of Paralysis By Chris Hedges April 27, 2023: Information Clearing House -- " ScheerPost " -- Political paralysis is snuffing out what is left of our anemic democracy. It is the paralysis of doing nothing while the ruling oligarchs, who have increased their wealth by nearly a third since the pandemic began and by close to 90 percent over the past decade, orchestrate virtual tax boycotts as millions of Americans go into bankruptcy to pay medical bills, mortgages, credit card debt, student debt, car loans and soaring utility bills demanded by a system that has privatized nearly every aspect of our lives. It is the paralysis of doing nothing about raising the minimum wage, despite the ravages of inflation, around 600,000 homeless Americans and 33.8 million people living in food insecure homes, including 9.3 million children. It is the paralysis of ignoring the climate crisis, the greatest existential threat we face, to expand fossil fuel extraction. It is the paralysis of pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into the permanent war economy rather than repairing the nations collapsing roads, rails, bridges, schools, electrical grid and water supply. Get Our Free Newsletter

It is the paralysis of refusing to institute universal health care and regulate the for-profit insurance and pharmaceutical industries to fix the worst health care system of any highly industrialized nation, one in which life expectancy is falling and more Americans die from avoidable causes than in peer nations. More than 80 percent of maternal deaths in the U.S. alone are preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It is the paralysis of being unwilling to curb police violence, dismantle the worlds largest prison system, end wholesale government surveillance of the public and reform a dysfunctional court system where nearly everyone, unless they can afford high-priced lawyers, is coerced into accepting onerous plea deals.

It is the paralysis of standing passively by as the public, armed with arsenals of assault weapons, slaughter each other for crossing into their yard, pulling into their driveway, ringing their doorbell, angering them at work or school, or are so alienated and bitter at being left behind, they gun down groups of innocent people in acts of murderous self-immolation.

Democracies are not slain by reactionary buffoons like Donald Trump, who was routinely sued for failing to pay workers and contractors and whose fictional television persona was sold to a gullible electorate, or shallow politicians like Joe Biden, whose political career has been devoted to serving corporate donors. These politicians provide a false comfort of individualizing our crises, as if removing this public figure or censoring that group will save us.

Democracies are slain when a tiny cabal, in our case corporate, seizes control of the economy, culture and the political system and distorts them to exclusively serve its own interests. The institutions that should provide redress to the public become parodies of themselves, atrophy and die. How else to explain legislative bodies that can only unite to pass austerity programs, tax cuts for the billionaire class, bloated police and military budgets and reduce social spending? How else to explain courts that strip workers and citizens of their most basic rights? How else to explain a system of public education where the poor are, at best, taught basic numerical literacy and the rich send their children to private schools and universities with endowments in the billions of dollars?

Democracies are slain with false promises and hollow platitudes. Biden told us as a candidate he would raise the minimum wage to $15 and hand out $2,000 stimulus checks. He told us his American Jobs Plan would create millions of good jobs. He told us he would strengthen collective bargaining and ensure universal pre-kindergarten, universal paid family and medical leave, and free community college. He promised a publicly funded option for healthcare. He promised not to drill on federal lands and to promote a green energy revolution and environmental justice. None of that happened.

But, by now, most people have figured out the game. Why not vote for Trump and his grandiose, fantasy-driven promises? Are they any less real than those peddled by Biden and the Democrats? Why pay homage to a political system that is about betrayal? Why not sever yourself from the rational world that has only brought misery? Why pay fealty to old truths that have become hypocritical banalities? Why not blow the whole thing up?

As research by professors Martin Gilens and Benjamin I. Page underscores, our political system has turned the consent of the governed into a cruel joke. The central point that emerges from our research is that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while mass-based interest groups and average citizens have little or no independent influence, they write.

The French sociologist Emile Durkheim in his book On Suicide called our state of hopelessness and despair, anomie, which he defined as rulelessness. Rulelessness means the rules that govern a society and create a sense of organic solidarity no longer function. It means that the rules we are taught  hard work and honesty will assure us a place in society; we live in a meritocracy; we are free; our opinions and votes matter; our government protects our interests  are a lie. Of course, if you are poor, or a person of color, these rules were always a myth, but a majority of the American public was once able to find a secure place in society, which is the bulwark of any democracy, as numerous political theorists going back to Aristotle point out.

Tens of millions of Americans, cast adrift by deindustrialization, understand that their lives will not improve, nor will the lives of their children. Society, as Durkheim writes, is no longer sufficiently present for them. Those cast aside can participate in society, he writes, only through sadness.

The sole route left to affirm yourself, when every other avenue is closed off, is to destroy. Destruction, fueled by a grotesque hypermasculinity, imparts a rush and pleasure, along with feelings of omnipotence, which is sexualized and sadistic. It has a morbid attraction. This lust to destroy, what Sigmund Freud called the death instinct, targets all forms of life, including our own.

These pathologies of death, diseases of despair, are manifested in the plagues that are sweeping across the county  opioid addiction, morbid obesity, gambling, suicide, sexual sadism, hate groups and mass shootings. My book, America: The Farewell Tour, is an exploration of the demons that grip the American psyche.

A web of social and political bonds  friendships and family ties, civic and religious rituals, meaningful work that imparts a sense of place, dignity and hope in the future  allow us to be engaged in a project larger than the self. These bonds provide psychological protection from impending mortality and the trauma of rejection, isolation and loneliness. We are social animals. We need each other. Strip away these bonds and societies descend into fratricide.

Capitalism is antithetical to creating and sustaining social bonds. Its core attributes  relationships that are transactional and temporary, prioritizing self-advancement through manipulating and exploiting others and the insatiable lust for profit  eliminates democratic space. The obliteration of all restraints on capitalism, from organized labor to government oversight and regulation, has left us at the mercy of predatory forces that, by nature, exploit human beings and the natural world until exhaustion or collapse.

Trump, devoid of empathy and incapable of remorse, is the personification of our diseased society. He is what those who have been cast adrift are taught by corporate culture they should strive to become. He expresses, often with vulgarity, the inchoate rage of those left behind and is a walking advertisement for the cult of the self. Trump is not a product of the theft of the Podesta emails, the DNC leaks or James Comey. He is not a product of Vladimir Putin or Russian bots. He is a product, like aspiring doppelgangers such as Ron DeSantis, Tom Cotton and Margorie Taylor Greene, of anomie and social decay.

Individuals are too closely involved in the life of society for it to be sick without their being affected, Durkheim writes. Its suffering inevitably becomes theirs.

These charlatans and demagogues, who reject the customary restraints of political and civic decorum, ridicule the polite elites who sold us out. They offer no workable solution to the crises besetting the country. They dynamite the old social order, which is already rotten, and cry for vengeance against real and phantom enemies as if these acts will magically resurrect a mythical golden age. The more that lost age remains elusive, the more vicious they become.

Since the bourgeoisie claimed to be the guardian of Western traditions and confounded all moral issues by parading publicly virtues which it not only did not possess in private and business life, but actually held in contempt, it seemed revolutionary to admit cruelty, disregard of human values, and general amorality, because this at least destroyed the duplicity upon which the existing society seemed to rest, Hannah Arendt writes in The Origins of Totalitarianism of those who embraced the hate-filled rhetoric of fascism in the Weimar Republic. What a temptation to flaunt extreme attitudes in the hypocritical twilight of double moral standards, to wear publicly the mask of cruelty if everybody was patently inconsiderate and pretended to be gentle, to parade wickedness in a world, not of wickedness, but meanness!

Our society is deeply diseased. We must heal these social illnesses. We must mitigate this anomie. We must restore the severed social bonds and integrate the dispossessed back into society. If these social bonds remain ruptured it will guarantee a frightening neofascism. There are very dark forces circling around us. Sooner than we expect, they may have us in their grip.

Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist who was a foreign correspondent for fifteen years for The New York Times, where he served as the Middle East Bureau Chief and Balkan Bureau Chief for the paper. He previously worked overseas for The Dallas Morning News, The Christian Science Monitor, and NPR. He is the host of show The Chris Hedges Report.

Views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House.
Ongoing

Enjoy the View, featuring student artwork and photography, through April 28, Platte Building (second floor), Central Community College-Hastings. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday; no admission charge.

Hastings College second senior thesis gallery show, featuring the work of five senior art majors, through May 13, Jackson Dinsdale Art Center, 700 E 12th St., Hastings. Gallery hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Art exhibit featuring work by local artist Casey Hansen, through May 26, Grand Island Public Library, 1124 W. Second St. Library hours: 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; 308-385-5333.

Friday, April 28

A Night of Big Band Music, featuring the GIPS Middle School Jazz Ensemble and the Jazz Band and Jazz Orchestra from Senior High, 6:30 p.m. until it gets dark, Railside; free.

A Gentlemans Guide to Love and Murder, presented by the Hastings Community Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, 515 S. Fourth Ave., Hastings (inside Good Samaritan Village). Tickets are $20 for adults and $18 for seniors and students; www.hctheatre.org

The Violinists Thumb  And Other Lost Tales of Love, War and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code, presented by Sam Kean, New York Times best-selling author, 4 p.m., Copeland Hall, room 142, University of Nebraska at Kearney. Hosted by the UNK Department of Biology; no admission charge.

From Passive Thing to Unscrupulous Ambition: A Historical Analysis of Gender and Marriage in Stephensons An Experiment with an Airpump, a Hastings College senior capstone presentation by Hailey Moore of Juniata, 7:30 p.m. Scott Studio Theater, 806 N. Turner Ave., Hastings. No admission charge.

Coloring with Pastor Kelly, 2 p.m., the Chocolate Bar, 116 W. Third St., Grand Island. Adult coloring get-together led by the Rev. Kelly Karges of Trinity United Methodist Church most Friday afternoons; 308-382-1952.

Saturday, April 29

Kiwanis Pancake Day, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., St. Marys Square, 112 S. Cedar St. Tickets are $8 for adults, $3 for children 11 and younger Proceeds will benefit children in the community and worldwide.

Spring Fling/Bake Sale, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Calvary Lutheran Church, 1304 N. Custer. Event includes bake sale, rummage sale, silent auction and food stands; 308-382-5446.

Hall County Historical Society cemetery tour, hosted by Sue Clement and Michelle Setlik, 10 a.m., Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery, southwest corner of the Grand Island City Cemetery. Free for society members; $10 for non-members; 308-380-4480.

PSM Birding Event, hosted by the Central Platte Natural Resources District in observance of Nebraska Bird Month, 8 a.m. to noon, Prairie Silver Moores Flood Cells (six miles northwest of Grand Island; enter the south gate off of West 13th Street). Wildlife biologists will be on site to assist in identifying bird species; free; Bill Hiatt, 308-385-6282 or hiatt@cpnrd.org

Thornton String Quartet Spring concert, 3 p.m., University of Nebraska Fine Arts Recital Hall; free; 308-865-8618.

Stolley Park Railroad, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Grand Island. Tickets are $3.50 for anyone age 3 and older; children age 2 and younger ride for free with a paying adult. Punch cards and group rates available. All dates and times are weather permitting; 308-389-0290.

Sunday, April 30

Artist reception, featuring local artist Casey Hansen, 2 to 4 p.m. Grand Island Public Library art alcove, 1124 W. Second St. Exhibit featuring Hansens work remains on display through May 26; 308-385-5333.

Hastings College second senior art thesis exhibition lecture, 2 to 4 p.m., Wilson Center Auditorium, 814 N. Turner Ave. Reception follows at the Jackson Dinsdale Art Center, 700 E 12th St., Hastings.

Copper Street Brass, presented by the Grand Island Concert Association, 3 p.m., Grand Island Senior High Auditorium. Single performance tickets are $30; 308-379-7612.

Old Gospel Hour Hymn Sing, 4 p.m., Grace Baptist Church, 123 Ninth St., St. Paul. Refreshments and a sweet treat will be served after the hymn sing; Dennis, 702-469-0788 or www.stpaulgrace.org

Bingo, 2 p.m., United Veterans Club, 1914 W. Capital, Grand Island. Doors open at 1; open to the public; 308-381-1555.
Thursday was a great day for 25 people who gathered at Barr Middle School because they are brand new Americans.

The individuals, from 13 countries, received their U.S. citizenship in a naturalization ceremony at the school. As they walked across the stage to get their certificates, their pride and happiness were evident. The first person in line, Rose Poal of South Sudan, held up her hand in joy, gently dancing, before she received her certificate.

Another new citizen, walking proudly, was Armando Acosta, a native of Cuba.

Acosta looks forward to "participating in the big project that is America."

America, he said, is the "beacon of democracy." That beacon was sent to his native country when he was a boy. "So I'm very proud to be an American now."

Acosta, 67, has lived in Grand Island since March of 2022. After leaving Cuba in 1997, he lived in Canada for 20 years. He moved to the U.S. in 2017, arriving first in Florida and then in Missouri. He moved to Grand Island to join a cousin.

For three months, he's worked at Goodwill Industries.

"I'm planning to work hard here" and "contribute to this society." The land of his birth is a dictatorship, he noted.

"This is the greatest day of my life," Acosta said.

Zirvan Alaode, a native of Iraq, was happy to become a citizen "and he's been waiting for it for a long time," said his girlfriend, Sanaa Osman.

Alaode, 29, lives in Lincoln. He lived in Turkey before moving to the U.S. in 2014.

He's a member of the Yezidi faith. Followers of that religion have it very hard back in Iraq, Osman said.

Alaode is "proud that he's here," she said.

What does he like about the U.S.?

"Honestly, everything," Osman said.

Poal, 41, lives in Lincoln. Next month, she will mark six years in this country.

Her daughter, Jennifer, said her mother is excited to be a U.S. citizen. She "can't wait to go back to her country and visit a little bit and come back again," Jennifer said.

Poal is a very hard-working woman, her daughter said.

"She does everything so we can be safe and protected," Jennifer said.

Another new citizen is Marwa Dafaallah, an Egyptian native. She was accompanied Thursday by her husband and their two little girls, who are 4 and 11 months old. The family lives in Lincoln.

Dafaallah has lived in the U.S. for five years. It's not easy to leave your country, she said. Her mother still lives in Egypt.

But she likes the support she's found here.

In addition to the countries mentioned above, the new citizens come from Vietnam, Somalia, Syria, El Salvador, Ukraine, Jamaica, Mexico, the Philippines and Ethiopia.

After receiving their certificates, the individuals recited an oath of allegiance.

The ceremony was conducted by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, in collaboration with a local organization called SOMOSgi. The name of that organization means "We are Grand Island."

Yolanda Chavez Nuncio, founder of SOMOSgi, said it was the first naturalization ceremony in Grand Island since before the pandemic.

Nuncio, from the podium, said that becoming a citizen is a long, hard process that pays off "with the oath that you will take today."

The guest speaker was Maria Arriaga, executive director of the Nebraska Commission on Latino Americans.

Other speakers included Josue Covarrubias, Barr's principal, and Eric Garcia-Mendez of Heartland United Way, who is also a Grand Island School Board member.

Representatives of Nebraska's two U.S. senators and a man from Rep. Adrian Smith's office also spoke. Josh Jelden read a letter from Sen. Deb Fischer, which said the communities in which the new Americans live "are fortunate to have you."

Nubia Rodriguez sang the national anthem. The colors were posted by Grand Island Senior High ROTC members.

Barr students lined an entrance to the building, welcoming the new citizens in a big way, making noise and handing out flags.

Voter registration was available after the ceremony.
CARBONDALE  According to data released on Friday morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES), unemployment rate for the Carbondale-Marion region is nearly half a percentage point less from last year. That's an increase of 1,300 jobs.

But, local businesses may still be feeling the economic impact of COVID-19. That's why State Senator Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) is helping local business owners learn about what recovery funds are available and how to apply.

To help qualifying restaurants, hotels, and creative arts organizations, Senator Fowler is working with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to host a Back to Business online webinar on Wednesday, May 3, at 10:30 a.m. DCEO representatives will be available through the webinar to provide business owners information about the program.

Many businesses across the 59th District are still feeling the financial pain left behind from the COVID-19 pandemic, said Senator Fowler. This free webinar is a great tool for businesses to learn more about grant options out there and how to apply, Fowler said.

According to a study conducted by Southern Illinois University Carbondale researchers back in the spring of 2021, that looked at the economic impact COVID-19 had on local county businesses, business owners' main concern was revenue losses.
MAKANDA  John Antes, the chief executive officer and president of SIH, sat down with The Southern on Wednesday morning to talk about his first few months as the leader of SIH.

Antes started with the organization in December, working for a couple weeks alongside retiring CEO Rex Budde. Antes had a vacation planned at the end of December and returned to work on Jan. 4.

I felt like I had two first days in a way, but coming in December was really good because Rex was still here. We got to spend a lot of time together  in-person time together during the first half of December, Antes said.

Dr. Robert Mees, chairman of the SIH Board of Trustees, announced in October that Antes would be the new CEO, following an announcement from Budde, who declared he would be retiring at the end of 2022.

So, after having the position for nearly five months now, what has Antes learned?

There are always things you learn when you come into an organization, Antes said.

First, Antes loves the people who work for SIH. He said they are wonderful and their hearts are in the right place. They're in healthcare for the right reasons.

He said that the majority of people go into health care because they have a desire to help people.

A lot of them have a passion. They want to basically really care for folks. Thats not why I went into health care, but I have come to love that part of it, Antes said.

He added that he did not know if he could work somewhere he did not receive letters from patients or where he could not see the caring things they do, like taking care of preemie babies.

While Antes was in graduate school, he worked at St. Louis Childrens Hospital. He remembers going into the NICU 30 year ago to do inventory and seeing the things they did; he was amazed.

During one trip, a nurse was preparing to feed a baby who weighed three pounds. She asked Antes if he wanted to feed the baby, and he said yes. He asked the nurse to call and cancel his next two meetings, so he could just stay in the NICU.

It was joyful, you know. It just gives you appreciation for what we do. In the hospital, we have some of the greatest joy you'll ever see. We (also) have some of the biggest sorrows you'll ever see  it's a mix of emotions that go on inside hospital walls, Antes said.

He has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare, which includes serving as president of the Missouri Baptist Medical Center. The way he arrived at a career in health care is interesting.

Antes was getting ready for graduation from Memphis University in the late 1990s, planning to work at a bank. Thats when the country had a savings, loans and banking crisis. He decided that the market was not good for going into banks at that time.

As Antes drove the I-240 loop in Memphis, he saw a bulletin board that said one in every eight Memphis jobs is in health care.

There's a part of that road, that on one side of you was just a huge Baptist Hospital, and on the other side was this big Methodist Hospital. As I'm driving through, my thought was 'somebody's got to run these places' and I'm wondering what their background is, Antes said.

The next day, he, as a 20-year-old, started cold-calling hospitals and asking to speak to the CEO. Over the course of several months, he had six that actually took his calls and asked him to meet with them. They discussed what a career in health care  hospitals and health systems  would look like.

They all suggested he enter a graduate program in health administration, each giving him a list of three or four programs. The common denominator on the list was Washington University in St. Louis.

Antes was invited to a conference in Jackson, Tennessee, for health administrators. The main speaker was the president of the American College of Healthcare Executives at that time. The speakers full-time job was the dean in charge of the masters of healthcare administration program at Washington.

Later that year, Antes met with the man as part of his application to the program. Before he left the meeting, he had a written offer to the program. He graduated from that program and now has more than 30 years in the healthcare business.

Antes is often asked if he does the same  meeting with high school or college students, that is. He said he has the student email him, and then they set up a time to talk.

I think we have to do that for each other. We have to help each other out. We have to help get the next generation involved and interested in what we're doing. I love doing what I'm doing. I don't love every day, but I love doing what I'm doing, Antes said.
May is Older Americans Month (OAM), during which communities throughout the country celebrate and honor their older population by acknowledging the achievements of older Americans, combatting aging myths, and improving senior living through state-funded programs.

Our seniors are the backbone of Illinois  and they deserve to live with autonomy and dignity, said Governor J.B. Pritzker in statement proclaiming May Older Americans month for Illinois. My administration remains committed to making sure elders have every opportunity to thrive in their own communities. Im proud to have signed a proclamation declaring May as Older Americans Month here in Illinois  for our mothers, our fathers, our aunts and uncles, our grandparents, and the adults we all looked up to as children.

One of the main purposes of OAM is to dispel the myths about aging and to highlight the importance, and dignity, of older Illinoisans.

"Combating ageist beliefs and empowering older adults to thrive in their communities are core priorities of the Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA), which funds and administers older adult services in Illinois. During Older Americans Month, the Pritzker administration is reinforcing its commitment to supporting the health and well-being of older Illinoisans through programs that address social isolation, improve nutrition access, provide family caregiver support or professional in-home care, and more," the press office for the Illinois government said.

This year, the theme of OAM is "Aging Unbound," which will explore diverse experiences of aging and explore ways local communities can combat aging myths.

In honor of OAM, the National Institute on Aging has published a list of myths about aging, a few of which are sampled here.

Myth: "Depression and loneliness are normal in aging adults," the National Institute of Aging said in an article called "10 Myths About Aging."

"As people age, some may find themselves feeling isolated and alone. This can lead to feelings of depression, anxiety, and sadness. However, these feelings are not a normal part of aging as growing older can have many emotional benefits, such as long-lasting relationships with friends and family and a lifetime of memories to share with loved ones. In fact, studies show that older adults are less likely to experience depression than young adults. So, when should you be concerned? Its important to remember that older adults with depression may have less obvious symptoms or be less likely to discuss their feelings. Depression is a common and potentially serious mood disorder, but there are treatments that are effective for most people," the NIH said.

It is important to seek professional help immediately if you suspect a loved one or yourself to be going through aging-related depression.

Myth: "Older adults should take it easy and avoid exercise so they don't get injured," the NIH said.

"As you age, you may think exercise could do more harm than good, especially if you have a chronic condition. However, studies show that you have a lot more to gain by being active  and a lot to lose by sitting too much. Often, inactivity is more to blame than age when older people lose the ability to do things on their own. Almost anyone, at any age and with most health conditions, can participate in some type of physical activity. In fact, physical activity may help manage some chronic conditions. Exercise and physical activity are not only great for your mental and physical health, but can help keep you independent as you age. Tai Chi and similar mind and body movement practices have been shown to improve balance and stability in older adults and this can help maintain independence and prevent future falls," the NIH said in their article.

Local gyms, like the John A. Logan Fitness Center, are a great place for seniors to stay active and workout alongside friendswho don't let age get in the way of living a life to the fullest.

Myth: "Older adults can't learn new things," the NIH said.

"Not true! Older adults still have the ability to learn new things, create new memories, and improve their performance in a variety of skills. While aging does often come with changes in thinking, many cognitive changes are positive, such as having more knowledge and insight from a lifetime of experiences. Trying and learning new skills may even improve cognitive abilities. For example, one study found that older adults who learned quilting or digital photography had improved memory. Seeking out new social connections with others and engaging in social activities, such as a dance class or book club, can keep your brain active and may also boost your cognitive health," the NIH article said.

The Southern Illinois Learning in Retirement (SILIR) program is a local option where senior citizens can come together and learn a variety of subjects in a low-pressure environment with their peers, while also providing a social good as well.

In addition to combating harmful aging myths, government agencies are also combating the harmful health and social effects aging has on older people by providing millions of dollars in the state budget for medical, nutrition, senior services, and outreach programs.

Historic investments in our agencys budget will help ensure the best quality of life for older Illinoisans at every stage of their aging journey, said IDoA Director Paula Basta. As we celebrate Older Americans Month, Im thrilled to also celebrate our states commitment to supporting older adults as they take charge of their health, explore new opportunities and activities, and focus on independence.

In addition to the IDoA's programs like the Community Care Program (CCP), which helps seniors remain in their own home entering their golden years, by providing in-home service, adult day service, and emergency home response service, among other things, the IDoA also has programs like the Illinois Care Connections, which combats social isolation through providing older people technology device bundles, like tablets and Wi-Fi hotspots.

"To date, more than 3,000 tablet bundles have been distributed, and the program continues to accept referrals. In FY 22, 62% of recipients reported less loneliness after receiving their bundle, and 93% reported being satisfied or highly satisfied with the program," the Illinois State press release reported. This program was initiated in the wake social isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic which saw a marked increase in senior citizen loneliness, as more and more elderly were forced to self-isolate from their family members who may have been exposed to the virus.

Aging presents many social, health, and psychological challenges, but through social outreach programs and dispelling harmful myths, older Americans not only can age gracefully but also can continue to live life to the fullest, even into their golden years, unbound by aging.
EQUALITY  The installation of a couple of used utility poles topped with BrandenBark, an artificial bat habitat, has turned the Saline County Conservation Area and Giant City State Park into outdoor laboratories.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources placed the poles with the assistance of the SouthEastern Illinois Electric Cooperative. The poles are part of a larger study being conducted by IDNR with assistance from the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives.

BrandenBark was created by Copperhead Environmental Consulting from Paint Lick, Kentucky.

It looks exactly like tree bark, said Joe Kath, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources endangered species program manager. You would wrap it around a telephone pole. There is a gap where the bats roost between the pole and the bark. In the summer a lot of bats roost under the exfoliating bark of some tree species. They will also roost in dead and dying trees where the bark is shedding.

In an attempt to increase summer habitat, a Copperhead Consulting employee came up with this artificial tree bark concept. When it first came out, people were skeptical. More and more people are installing it with very interesting results. They are starting to see endangered bat species use it.

Kath had heard about the product previously, but didnt know how the IDNR would be able to install the power poles. He found an enthusiastic partner in the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives. The power co-ops provide equipment and labor to erect the used power poles.

The first use of BrandenBark by IDNR was in 2021 at the Embarrass River.

In the fall of 2021, we installed six poles at the Embarrass River site, Kath said. It was fantastic. The rural electric coop let some of our district biologists go to their shop. We wrapped the bark around the poles. We all met at the site, it was a matter of where we wanted to place them. They loved it. It took probably less than two hours and we had six poles up.

Sheets are suspended around the bottom of the poles to catch guano. The presence of guano tells researchers bats are using the habitat. Scientists collect the guano and do DNA sampling, which allows them to determine what kinds of bats are using the poles.

The University of Illinois did DNA analysis, Kath said. Of the six poles we put up, three of them were utilized by various bat species. It was the first summer the poles were available on the landscape, thats incredible, that never happens. One of the poles was being used by the federally endangered Indiana bat.

The other really interesting thing is that, all three of the poles there were DNA confirmation for the hoary bat. The hoary bat is a cousin of the red bat. Both red and hoary bats are interior forest dwelling bats pretty common throughout most of the states. Red and hoary bats are unfortunately the No. 1 victims of wind turbines. The reason is, red and hoary bats forage very high, right at the height of the turbine blades. Red and hoary bats have always been considered common, now, there are thoughts their populations are dwindling.

With the success of the Embarrass River project, Kath looked to expand to other state-owned properties. The Saline County site and Giant City were selected.

A few things I took into account, the sites obviously need to be near some decent bat habitat, Kath said. Preferably Im looking for sites that have decent forested areas and large grassland areas they can forage over or a water supply nearby.

They were put up in November and December. The bats wont start showing up until at least the beginning of May to start to form their maternity colonies.

IDNR district biologists will monitor the sites during the course of the study.
John Wesley Scotts family has been seeking justice in the five years since the 71-year-old Bowman man died in a head-on collision.

Zamal Ishme Allah Rivera, 43, of Wessex Drive, Wedgefield, pleaded guilty to felony driving under the influence resulting in death on Monday.

On Thursday, Rivera learned his fate.

Circuit Judge Heath Taylor sentenced Rivera to 18 years in prison. Rivera was given credit for having already served 1,866 days, including time spent under house arrest.

Taylor said Riveras four prior DUI convictions influenced his sentence.

Before handing down Riveras sentence, Taylor listened to the pleas from Scotts family and from the mother of Riveras children.

The collision that claimed John Scotts life occurred at 9:29 p.m. on March 15, 2018 on U.S. Highway 178 near Black Pond Road.

Scott was driving a Chevrolet Colorado truck in the westbound lane when an eastbound GMC Yukon SUV, driven by Rivera, crossed the center line and struck the truck.

Its been five years, one month and 12 days. My family and I have been waiting for justice for five years, one month and 12 days, said Taini Scott, one of the slain mans daughters.

March 15, 2018, the day that changed us forever, she said. The day that the head of our family was taken from us in a senseless act of selfishness.

My father was a man who lived the words, May the work Ive done speak for me, she said.

He would give his all to anyone who was in need. He gave even when he didnt necessarily have it to give. There are no words that I can say that even scratch the surface of the void that is left from his absence, she said.

She went on to say, For a long time, Ive harbored a great deal of anger and hatred. I couldnt understand why. Why my dad? Why did God allow this to happen to my family?

Only through my moms prayers, her continued and fervent prayer, was I able to remember whose I was and that he will never put more on us than we can bear, she said.

He wants us, as believers, to show patience in our pain, she said.

State Sen. Vernon Stephens, D-Bowman, brother-in-law to John Scotts wife, said, He meant so much to so many individuals.

Stephens said John Scotts influence stretched beyond the communities of Bowman and St. George, and even farther into Orangeburg, Dorchester and Richland counties.

He spent decades as an art teacher in the public school system and was committed to civic and church involvement.

With his voice cracking with emotion, Stephens said, I miss him. I ask God to help me to help my family and I ask God to have mercy on his (Riveras) soul.

At some point we will forgive  and life will go on, he said.

Jamie Brooks, the mother of Riveras three children, told the court that his children often cry when they think about not having their father with them as they grow up. She told the court that the incident has been difficult for their family too.

Riveras attorney, public defender Jason Turnblad, told the court that his client had been undergoing counseling and attended Alcoholics Anonymous. Hed also been working some while under house arrest.

Before Taylor sentenced him, Rivera told the court that he didnt mean to kill John Scott.

That was not my intention, he said.

He admitted that he was addicted to alcohol at that time, but not anymore, he said.

Taylor told Rivera, I dont have any doubt that you did not intend to cause the death of Mr. Scott.
New teachers hired in select instructional fields for the 2023-2024 school year will receive a $3,000 sign-on bonus from the Orangeburg County School District.

The bonuses will be funded with a three-year Leveraging Innovation For Educator Excellence (LIFE2) Grant. The bonuses do not include fringe benefits.

The U.S. Department of Education Teacher and School Leader grant is offered in partnership with Voorhees University and Call Me Mister.

The grant does not include part-time or substitute teachers.

The sign-on bonuses will be for new teachers in the following fields:

 Biology

 Chemistry

 Early childhood education

 Elementary education

 English language  middle through high school

 Math  middle to high school

 Physics

 Science  middle to high school

 Social studies/history  middle to high school

 Special education

 Technology computer science

 French, German and Spanish

The grant will also provide teachers in math and English language arts with performance-based compensation and the district with technology, professional development opportunities and funds to help teachers move forward with national board certification.

In related matters, the school district is considering maintaining its pay for summer school teachers at $50 an hour for certified staff and $25 an hour for classified staff.

The district's policy states the rate is $30 an hour for certified staff and $15 an hour for classified staff.

We have the money to do this, Foster said during a board meeting last week.

Since the item was not on the agenda as an action item, it will be considered for the May meeting.

In other matters, trustees unanimously gave second and final reading approval to an unencumbered time policy for the district.

The State Board of Education directs the principal of each elementary school to provide at least 30 minutes of unencumbered time on each regular school day to all full-time teachers in grades kindergarten through fifth grade.

Unencumbered time is self-directed time for teachers without assigned duties or responsibilities, including direct instruction or supervision of students.

Teachers across the state have raised concerns that not getting bathroom and lunch breaks or having to regularly bring work home has been fueling burnout, causing many teachers to quit.

The program is currently being tried out this year and will be fully implemented during the 2023-2024 school year.

OCSD Superintendent Dr. Shawn Foster noted the federal government requires teachers to have an individualized education program meeting with parents as well as a 504 plan meeting for parents of students with disabilities.

He noted both the unencumbered time requirement and the legally binding requirements are working against one another.

We have to find a way to fit it in, Foster said. He said the unencumbered time requirement does not allow teachers to willingly give up this 30 minutes.
The Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees finance committee chairman says the hospital continues to wind down its financial responsibilities as part of a lease agreement with the Medical University of South Carolina.

MUSC is leasing the former Regional Medical Center of Orangeburg and Calhoun Counties. MUSC Health took over operations and finances on March 1.

The existing RMC Board is still responsible for closing out and maintaining specific financial accounts such as payroll obligations, fees and pending litigation matters, Finance Committee Chair Steve Tyson told RMC board members during their Tuesday meeting.

Tyson said he and board chair Dr. Lucius Craig have met with MUSC officials weekly during the transition process.

The RMC board currently has about 13 accounts that it is still responsible for under the lease agreement. Officials expect most of the accounts will close out by the end of the year.

Obviously, less activity is going to be in those accounts as we move forward. We will look at which ones are necessary to keep and hold and which ones arent, Tyson said.

He has requested a monthly reconciliation of the accounts from MUSC. The first one contained 36 megabytes of information.

We are going to look to see how we can shrink that down and find a more efficient way to get that information, because it was a ton, Tyson said.

The board is awaiting the audit of RMC. Tyson said the audit will kind of close the books on the former RMC accounts.

Short-term expenses

Tyson said the board is still responsible for a few expenses.

We do still have David Southerlands contract, Tyson said.

The hospital will be paying on the contract for about the next nine months, he said. For that reason, we still have payroll accounts open for RMC. That includes board members.

At the end of the year, it is hopeful that we can kind of close payroll out and we will be on a contract basis, Tyson continued. Those folks who were old RMC employees we are still paying will be closed out. That is something we will discuss within the year.

MUSC has said Southerland, the CEO of RMC, did not transition to MUSC when it took over the hospital.

MUSC officials have declined further comment on Southerland's employment situation.

Southerland came to the hospital in May 3, 2021 under a three-year contract with an annual salary of $350,000.

Craig said the hospital's payroll system also needs to be kept open for the remainder of the year to assign W-2s to employees who were paid between Jan. 1 and March 4 of this year.

The board will still be responsible for attorney fees as well as lease back fees to pay for MUSC employees that report directly to the board.

Tyson said the board will be responsible for any pending litigation with expectations the hospital's insurance will cover those matters.

Long-term expenses

Tyson said the board still needs to be responsible for the South Carolina Department of Revenue's Governmental Enterprise Accounts Receivable (GEAR) or tax offset collections.

GEAR allows the SCDOR to collect debts owed to the hospital by garnishing wages and South Carolina Individual Income Tax refunds.
Dr. Gabrielle Hosein tore into Dr. Gonsalves take that women were partly to blame for the violent expressions of males.

Dr. Gabrielle Hosein, former head of the Institute for Gender and Development Studies at The UWI, St. Augustine, has counteracted claims made by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves that some men commit crimes because they have to support, "high maintenance women.





In a Trinidad Newsday article by Sean Douglas dated 19 April with the headline, "Dont blame women for mens crimes, Dr. Hosein tongue lashed Gonsalves for spewing the narrative.





Dr. Gonsalves stated, "in order to maintain rank in the community, they get a fascination with guns. They associate with young women  in some cases beautiful young women who are high-maintenance  and they have to rob and steal and kill and deal in drugs in order to maintain them.





The Prime Minister who was speaking at the Caricom Symposium on Crime as a Public Health issue held in Trinidad from 17  18 April at the Hyatt Regency, also expressed the need for leaders to know how to speak to the youth and to utilize the creative arts to tackle crime.





But Hosein expressed in the Newsday article that "Masculinity is not a stand-alone factor, but it is essential and our current norms of masculinity must be transformed.





She said "We need to move away from blaming women for what men do.





She advised that it was best that less attention be given to what she described as "sexist comments of Ralph Gonsalves, and instead focus on the contributions of the symposium that advance the agreement on solutions to crime and violence.





Dr. Hosein said it is absolutely essential to talk about masculinity, because of beliefs pertaining to socialization.





She noted that in some quarters it was considered manly to be part of a gang, able to live off successful criminal activities rather than a low-income or low-status job, perpetrate violence with impunity, own or carry a weapon, outsmart the police, and make others fear, and therefore respect you.





The Gender expert further remarked that, "Masculinity alone does not explain why men are involved in gangs, trafficking, theft and multiple forms of sexual and domestic violence, but it does explain why men, rather than women, are the sex that poses a threat to society in the ways that they are.





Dr. Hosein further strengthened in the article that men must be held responsible for the choices they make, while offering them options like employment, mandatory perpetrator-counselling programmes, prison reform, reduction of family violence and gang interruption.





She pointed out,Boys begin to access guns by 13 years old. That is not because of supposed high-maintenance women; it is because masculine socialisation makes this a way to belong, get protection, and feel a sense of manhood as one grows.





Dr. Hosein said this was particularly so for subordinated and poor groups of men without economic power for whom crime and violence become accessible means of establishing safety, wealth and status by the standards of other men around them.





The article concluded with Hoseins viewpoint that "Masculinity is not a stand-alone factor, but it is essential and our current norms of masculinity must be transformed. And that there was a "need to move away from blaming women for what men do.
The Rise of China (and the Fall of the U.S.?)



Tectonic Eruptions in Eurasia Erode Americas Global Power



By Alfred McCoy April 27, 2023: Information Clearing House -- " TomDispatch " -- From the ashes of a world war that killed 80 million people and reduced great cities to smoking rubble, America rose like a Titan of Greek legend, unharmed and armed with extraordinary military and economic power, to govern the globe. During four years of combat against the Axis leaders in Berlin and Tokyo that raged across the planet, Americas wartime commanders  George Marshall in Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower in Europe, and Chester Nimitz in the Pacific  knew that their main strategic objective was to gain control over the vast Eurasian landmass. Whether youre talking about desert warfare in North Africa, the D-Day landing at Normandy, bloody battles on the Burma-India border, or the island-hopping campaign across the Pacific, the Allied strategy in World War II involved constricting the reach of the Axis powers globally and then wresting that very continent from their grasp. That past, though seemingly distant, is still shaping the world we live in. Those legendary generals and admirals are, of course, long gone, but the geopolitics they practiced at such a cost still has profound implications. For just as Washington encircled Eurasia to win a great war and global hegemony, so Beijing is now involved in a far less militarized reprise of that reach for global power. And to be blunt, these days, Chinas gain is Americas loss. Every step Beijing takes to consolidate its control over Eurasia simultaneously weakens Washingtons presence on that strategic continent and so erodes its once formidable global power. A Cold War Strategy After four embattled years imbibing lessons about geopolitics with their morning coffee and bourbon nightcaps, Americas wartime generation of generals and admirals understood, intuitively, how to respond to the future alliance of the two great communist powers in Moscow and Beijing. In 1948, following his move from the Pentagon to Foggy Bottom, Secretary of State George Marshall launched the $13 billion Marshall Plan to rebuild a war-torn Western Europe, laying the economic foundations for the formation of the NATO alliance just a year later. After a similar move from the wartime Allied headquarters in London to the White House in 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower helped complete a chain of military bastions along Eurasias Pacific littoral by signing a series of mutual-security pacts  with South Korea in 1953, Taiwan in 1954, and Japan in 1960. For the next 70 years, that island chain would serve as the strategic hinge on Washingtons global power, critical for both the defense of North America and dominance over Eurasia. Get Our Free Newsletter

After fighting to conquer much of that vast continent during World War II, Americas postwar leaders certainly knew how to defend their gains. For more than 40 years, their unrelenting efforts to dominate Eurasia assured Washington of an upper hand and, in the end, victory over the Soviet Union in the Cold War. To constrain the communist powers inside that continent, the U.S. ringed its 6,000 miles with 800 military bases, thousands of jet fighters, and three massive naval armadas  the 6th Fleet in the Atlantic, the 7th Fleet in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, and, somewhat later, the 5th Fleet in the Persian Gulf.

Thanks to diplomat George Kennan, that strategy gained the name containment and, with it, Washington could, in effect, sit back and wait while the Sino-Soviet bloc imploded through diplomatic blunder and military misadventure. After the Beijing-Moscow split of 1962 and Chinas subsequent collapse into the chaos of Mao Zedongs Cultural Revolution, the Soviet Union tried repeatedly, if unsuccessfully, to break out of its geopolitical isolation  in the Congo, Cuba, Laos, Egypt, Ethiopia, Angola, and Afghanistan. In the last and most disastrous of those interventions, which Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev came to term the bleeding wound, the Red Army deployed 110,000 soldiers for nine years of brutal Afghan combat, hemorrhaging money and manpower in ways that would contribute to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

In that heady moment of seeming victory as the sole superpower left on planet Earth, a younger generation of Washington foreign-policy leaders, trained not on battlefields but in think tanks, took little more than a decade to let that unprecedented global power start to slip away. Toward the close of the Cold War era in 1989, Francis Fukuyama, an academic working in the State Departments policy planning unit, won instant fame among Washington insiders with his seductive phrase the end of history. He argued that Americas liberal world order would soon sweep up all of humanity on an endless tide of capitalist democracy. As he put it in a much-cited essay: The triumph of the West, of the Western idea, is evident in the total exhaustion of viable systemic alternatives to Western liberalism seen also in the ineluctable spread of consumerist Western culture.

The Invisible Power of Geopolitics

Amid such triumphalist rhetoric, Zbigniew Brzezinski, another academic sobered by more worldly experience, reflected on what he had learned about geopolitics during the Cold War as an adviser to two presidents, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. In his 1997 book The Grand Chessboard, Brzezinski offered the first serious American study of geopolitics in more than half a century. In the process, he warned that the depth of U.S. global hegemony, even at this peak of unipolar power, was inherently shallow.

For the United States and, he added, every major power of the past 500 years, Eurasia, home to 75% of the worlds population and productivity, was always the chief geopolitical prize. To perpetuate its preponderance on the Eurasian continent and so preserve its global power, Washington would, he warned, have to counter three threats: the expulsion of America from its offshore bases along the Pacific littoral; ejection from its perch on the western periphery of the continent provided by NATO; and finally, the formation of an assertive single entity in the sprawling center of Eurasia.

Arguing for Eurasias continued post-Cold War centrality, Brzezinski drew heavily on the work of a long-forgotten British academic, Sir Halford Mackinder. In a 1904 essay that sparked the modern study of geopolitics, Mackinder observed that, for the past 500 years, European imperial powers had dominated Eurasia from the sea, but the construction of trans-continental railroads was shifting the locus of control to its vast interior heartland. In 1919, in the wake of World War I, he also argued that Eurasia, along with Africa, formed a massive world island and offered this bold geopolitical formula: Who rules the Heartland commands the World Island; Who rules the World Island commands the World. Clearly, Mackinder was about 100 years premature in his predictions.

But today, by combining Mackinders geopolitical theory with Brzezinskis gloss on global politics, its possible to discern, in the confusion of this moment, some potential long-term trends. Imagine Mackinder-style geopolitics as a deep substrate that shapes more ephemeral political events, much the way the slow grinding of the planets tectonic plates becomes visible when volcanic eruptions break through the earths surface. Now, lets try to imagine what all this means in terms of international geopolitics today.

Chinas Geopolitical Gambit

In the decades since the Cold Wars close, Chinas increasing control over Eurasia clearly represents a fundamental change in that continents geopolitics. Convinced that Beijing would play the global game by U.S. rules, Washingtons foreign policy establishment made a major strategic miscalculation in 2001 by admitting it to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Across the ideological spectrum, we in the U.S. foreign policy community, confessed two former members of the Obama administration, shared the underlying belief that U.S. power and hegemony could readily mold China to the United States liking All sides of the policy debate erred. In little more than a decade after it joined the WTO, Beijings annual exports to the U.S. grew nearly five-fold and its foreign currency reserves soared from just $200 billion to an unprecedented $4 trillion by 2013.

In 2013, drawing on those vast cash reserves, Chinas new president, Xi Jinping, launched a trillion-dollar infrastructure initiative to transform Eurasia into a unified market. As a steel grid of rails and petroleum pipelines began crisscrossing the continent, China ringed the tri-continental world island with a chain of 40 commercial ports  from Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, around Africas coast, to Europe from Piraeus, Greece, to Hamburg, Germany. In launching what soon became historys largest development project, 10 times the size of the Marshall Plan, Xi is consolidating Beijings geopolitical dominance over Eurasia, while fulfilling Brzezinskis fear of the rise of an assertive single entity in Central Asia.

Unlike the U.S., China hasnt spent significant effort establishing military bases. While Washington still maintains some 750 of them in 80 nations, Beijing has just one military base in Djibouti on the east African coast, a signals intercept post on Myanmars Coco Islands in the Bay of Bengal, a compact installation in eastern Tajikistan, and half a dozen small outposts in the South China Sea.

Moreover, while Beijing was focused on building Eurasian infrastructure, Washington was fighting two disastrous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in a strategically inept bid to dominate the Middle East and its oil reserves (just as the world was beginning to transition away from petroleum to renewable energy). In contrast, Beijing has concentrated on the slow, stealthy accretion of investments and influence across Eurasia from the South China Sea to the North Sea. By changing the continents underlying geopolitics through this commercial integration, its winning a level of control not seen in the last thousand years, while unleashing powerful forces for political change.

Tectonic Shifts Shake U.S. Power

After a decade of Beijings relentless economic expansion across Eurasia, the tectonic shifts in that continents geopolitical substrate have begun to manifest themselves in a series of diplomatic eruptions, each erasing another aspect of U.S. influence. Four of the more recent ones might seem, at first glance, unrelated but are all driven by the relentless force of geopolitical change.

First came the sudden, unexpected collapse of the U.S. position in Afghanistan, forcing Washington to end its 20-year occupation in August 2021 with a humiliating withdrawal. In a slow, stealthy geopolitical squeeze play, Beijing had signed massive development deals with all the surrounding Central Asian nations, leaving American troops isolated there. To provide critical air support for its infantry, U.S. jet fighters were often forced to fly 2,000 miles from their nearest base in the Persian Gulf  an unsustainable long-term situation and unsafe for troops on the ground. As the U.S.-trained Afghan Army collapsed and Taliban guerrillas drove into Kabul atop captured Humvees, the chaotic U.S. retreat in defeat became unavoidable.

Just six months later in February 2022, President Vladimir Putin massed an armada of armored vehicles loaded with 200,000 troops on Ukraines border. If Putin is to be believed, his special military operation was to be a bid to undermine NATOs influence and weaken the Western alliance  one of Brzezinskis conditions for the U.S. eviction from Eurasia.

But first Putin visited Beijing to court President Xis support, a seemingly tall order given Chinas decades of lucrative trade with the United States, worth a mind-boggling $500 billion in 2021. Yet Putin scored a joint declaration that the two nations relations were superior to political and military alliances of the Cold War era and a denunciation of the further expansion of NATO.

As it happened, Putin did so at a perilous price. Instead of attacking Ukraine in frozen February when his tanks could have maneuvered off-road on their way to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, he had to wait out Beijings Winter Olympics. So, Russian troops invaded instead in muddy March, leaving his armored vehicles stuck in a 40-mile traffic jam on a single highway where the Ukrainians readily destroyed more than 1,000 tanks. Facing diplomatic isolation and European trade embargos as his defeated invasion degenerated into a set of vengeful massacres, Moscow shifted much of its exports to China. That quickly raised bilateral trade by 30% to an all-time high, while reducing Russia to but another piece on Beijings geopolitical chessboard.

Then, just last month, Washington found itself diplomatically marginalized by an utterly unexpected resolution of the sectarian divide that had long defined the politics of the Middle East. After signing a $400-billion infrastructure deal with Iran and making Saudi Arabia its top oil supplier, Beijing was well positioned to broker a major diplomatic rapprochement between those bitter regional rivals, Shia Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia. Within weeks, the foreign ministers of the two nations sealed the deal with a deeply symbolic voyage to Beijing  a bittersweet reminder of the days not long ago when Arab diplomats paid court in Washington.

Finally, the Biden administration was stunned this month when Europes preeminent leader, Emmanuel Macron of France, visited Beijing for a series of intimate tete-a-tete chats with Chinas President Xi. At the close of that extraordinary journey, which won French companies billions in lucrative contracts, Macron announced a global strategic partnership with China and promised he would not take our cue from the U.S. agenda over Taiwan. A spokesman for the Elysee Palace quickly released a pro forma clarification that the United States is our ally, with shared values. Even so, Macrons Beijing declaration reflected both his own long-term vision of the European Union as an independent strategic player and that blocs ever-closer economic ties to China

The Future of Geopolitical Power

Projecting such political trends a decade into the future, Taiwans fate would seem, at best, uncertain. Instead of the shock and awe of aerial bombardments, Washingtons default mode of diplomatic discourse in this century, Beijing prefers stealthy, sedulous geopolitical pressure. In building its island bases in the South China Sea, for example, it inched forward incrementally  first dredging, then building structures, next runways, and finally emplacing anti-aircraft missiles  in the process avoiding any confrontation over its functional capture of an entire sea.

Lest we forget, Beijing has built its formidable economic-political-military power in little more than a decade. If its strength continues to increase inside Eurasias geopolitical substrate at even a fraction of that head-spinning pace for another decade, it may be able to execute a deft geopolitical squeeze-play on Taiwan like the one that drove the U.S. out of Afghanistan. Whether from a customs embargo, incessant naval patrols, or some other form of pressure, Taiwan might just fall quietly into Beijings grasp.

Should such a geopolitical gambit prevail, the U.S. strategic frontier along the Pacific littoral would be broken, possibly pushing its Navy back to a second island chain from Japan to Guam  the last of Brzezinskis criteria for the true waning of U.S. global power. In that event, Washingtons leaders could once again find themselves sitting on the proverbial diplomatic and economic sidelines, wondering how it all happened.

Copyright 2023 Alfred W. McCoy

Follow TomDispatch on Twitter and join us on Facebook.

Views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House.
Dredging has begun and the fill material is already being dumped (pictured) at the Port site in Kingstown.

Dredging in an area of sea south of the Argyle International Airport and north of the Brighton bay has begun. The operation is being undertaken by Aecon, the Canadian company undertaking the construction of a Primary Cargo Port, part of the Kingstown Port Modernisation Project in the Rose Place area of the Bay of Kingstown.





No real threat





THE VINCENTIAN understands the all clear was given following completion of the requisite bathymetric study, its submission to and a meeting of the subcommittee of Cabinet, informed by technical persons, and that subcommittees recommendation to cabinet that a final agreement be entered into between the government and Aecon.





A bathymetric survey measures the depth of a body of water as well as maps the underwater features of the body.





These studies and more have indicated that the area designated for dredging is not a habitat to coral and marine grass, and therefore is not a fishing bank but an area of transient fishing used primarily by fishers of Calliaqua and Shipping Bay, and additionally any dredging would not result in minimal to nil damage to the (marine) environment.





The replenishing of the area from which the fill material (sand) will be dredged is estimated to take a minimum of three years.





With the all clear given, Aecon has commence dredging for up to an estimated 1.1 million cubic metres of sand, to be used as fill material in the construction of the a Primary Cargo Port at Rose Place. Dredging is expected to last for upwards of six weeks.









Use of the EC$20m





Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves told the nation earlier this week that Aecon will pay EC$20 million to the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the fill material it will dredge from the stipulated area of sea. A figure of EC$1 million was said to be the original amount budgeted for the fill material.





Speaking with the API in a broadcast aired last Tuesday, the Prime Minister said that some of the EC$20 million will be set aside for contingencies.





A portion will go to support the fishermen from Calliaqua and Shipping Bay who may be affected by the dredging, even though, as referenced earlier, it is known that the area designated for dredging is not a fishing bank but rather an area of transient fishing.





Another portion of the Aecon payment for the fill material is being set aside for constructing boat-landing facilities at Shipping Bay.





And some will go towards completing the work at Lowmans Bay where the fishers who operated from a base at Rose Place have been relocated.





There is also a likelihood that some of the funds could be assigned for coastal work in the Brighton area.





Costs involved





Aecon said in an April 05, 2022 news release that it had been awarded a US$170 million contract by the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.





This project provides for: designing and building a cargo port; relocating a sewer outfall line, and upgrading and strengthening roads within Kingstowns port catchment area.





The actual work involves reclaiming 16.1 acres of seaward land for the terminal, a container storage yard, and maintenance areas for break-bulk vehicles. An administration and customs building, workshops, warehouses, and a container freight station will be included in the terminal buildings.





This dredging towards the reclamation has already commenced.





The overall Kingstown Port Modernisation Project is set to cost US$250.8 million and is described as "as a joint initiative with grant financing of US$36 million from the United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure Fund (UKCIF), administered by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB.)




Luther Jackson, a 42-year-old of New Prospect has been charged for causing the death of Marva Browne, also known as Rhonda Browne, of Spring Village, Georgetown.





Jackson was expected to appear in court on April 27 to be arraigned as per a charge of causing the death of the 55-year-old mother of five by dangerous driving on April 21, along the Georgetown public road just around 11pm.





Browne succumbed to her injuries at the Modern Medical Complex in Georgetown around 2:30 am.





Recalling the night





Cousin Oda Williams said that she is still trying to come to terms with the loss of who she termed as the community mummy





Williams told THE VINCENTIAN that she still remembered what occurred that night.





"She wore the red dress before, but just something about her looked different.. she looked so pleasant and settled, Williams recalled.





She recalled vividly the turban Browne wore, and her earrings and the little dance she performed as she went on her way.





According to Williams, she and another friend were liming in the vicinity where the accident took place.

She said that she saw Browne in the area and noted that she (Browne) proceeded in the direction of Triple R Mini-Mart where a crowd of people was gathered. She said that she saw when Browne disappeared into the crowd.





A short time after she saw Browne crossing the road and as she glanced away, she heard the sound of a vehicle making contact with something and a quick glace in the that direction and she saw Browne being tossed into the air.





Williams said she mustered the courage to stay around and watched her cousins mangled body being placed into the back of a pickup to be transported to the hospital.





Then she moved to the scene of the accident and saw the vehicle, PW 510, alleged then to have been the vehicle that hit Browne.





Williams returned home and spoke (telephone) with the father of four of Brownes children who told her that he had seen her and that she was okay.





After some restlessness she dosed off, and shortly after 2am, Williams said that she felt a tug on her foot, awoke to see her mother standing over her with the phone in her hand. Her mother confirmed that Browne had succumbed to the injuries.





Reports are that she received injuries to her head, sustained broken limbs and that there were some internal injuries as well.





A caring person





Williams shared that she and the deceased enjoyed a close relationship.





They celebrated their birthdays together, and they would often attended events in the community together.

"She was a good personshe was like the community mummy. She always preferred to resolve conflicts, and loved children as was evident in the way she took care of two of her grandchildren, Browne said.





Browne was also described as a kind, generous, caring, giving person who volunteered in various activities in the community.
Some of the items discovered during a targeted search at the Belle Isle Correctional facility.

In what prison authorities say was a targeted search, based on intelligence and conducted at His Majestys Prisons Belle Isles Correctional Facility on Friday April 21, 2023, several illegal items were discovered and confiscated.





Among the items found during the search carried out on Friday, April 21, 2023 were:

* forty-six (46) cellphones;

* twenty-eight (28) phone chargers;

* twenty-three (23) phone batteries;

* fourteen (14) headphones;

* four (4) ear pads;

* one (1) power pack;

* fourteen (14) scissors;

* six (6) diggers (or shanks)  implements used in fights to inflict injuries;

* one (1) hacksaw blade;

* a quantity of marijuana, high leaf, and cigarettes.





According to Dwayne Bailey, Acting Superintendent of Prisons, routine searches of the Correctional Facility are conducted as part of its usual operational processes, and are undertaken by the prison authority to safeguard the safety of inmates, employees, and visitors.
Local Schools and related groups were also part of the March for which the RSVGPF Band provided accompanying music. (Photo: JCI)

JCI St. Vincent (formerly known as the St. Vincent Jaycees) convened its Climate March on Friday, April 21.





The March, to mark Earth Day (April 22) began at Peace Memorial Hall and climaxed at Victoria Park where a rally was held.





This year, Earth Day was celebrated under the theme, Invest In Our Planet, which sought to encourage individuals/groups to perform actions that would bring together various sectors to help chart a way towards a greener future.





Here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the activities this year was executed in collaboration with the Caribbean Youth Environmental Network (CYEN) SVG Chapter, Rotary Club of Kingstown, CARICOM Youth Ambassadors (CYA) and the Richmond Vale Academy.





In addition to the March, activities included an Open Climate Poster Competition and a Banner Competition for Secondary Schools.





Winners in the poster competition came from the Richmond Vale Academy (first and third) and the Girls High School (third).





The Girls High School also copped first in the Banner Competition.




Dave Sutton is said to have received at least three shots to his body.

A Langley Park man is this country latest homicide victim.





Dave Sutton is listed as homicide number ten. In addition there are two shooting deaths caused by police actions.





Sutton was shot in the vicinity of the Langley Park Government School around 10am on Tuesday 25th April.





One resident in the area, recalled hearing a series of gunshots being discharged around that time.





Police, who arrived on the scene soon after the shooting, reported that they found Sutton face down in a pool of blood,





Since then, police disclosed that following preliminary investigations, they had taken one man into custody in relation to the shooting.





Up to press time, Thursday morning, THE VINCENTIAN had no information on which to confirm that that man or anyone else was charged for causing Suttons death.





Persons in Georgetown recalled Sutton, known to be a father of three, as having survived a shooting in 2007.





He more recently had to endure the pain of the deaths of a sister, an aunt his mother and father in quick succession.
Photo Credit: API SVG





Dr. Beatriz Guittierez Muller, wife of the President of the United Mexican States (Mexico), paid a one-day visit to St. Vincent and the Grenadines last Wednesday, 19th April.





The Mexican Special Envoy was warmly welcomed on arrival at the Argyle International Airport by Prime Minister Hon. Ralph Gonsalves and a party including: H.E. Luis Manuel Lopez Moreno, Ambassador of the United Mexican States; Joel Providence, Honorary Consul of SVG to the United Mexican States; Minister Keisal Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs and her permanent Secretary Sandy Peters-Phillips.





The itinerary of Dr. Guittierez Mullers first-ever visit included a handing over ceremony of equipment from the government of Mexico to the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.





This activity was convened at the National Public Library in Kingstown and involved the handing over of a special piece of equipment for the digitization of the archives in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.





Addressing the audience, Dr. Laura Elena Carillo Cubillas, Executive Director, Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation, disclosed that on her former visits to SVG she had brought ventilators during COVID-19 in 2021; and in 2022, a donation of vaccines. She stated that the current occasion was momentous as Dr. Guittierez, who endorses the project involving the recovery of archives in Mexico, is the highest-ranking Mexican official to have visited SVG.





Her main message was "... we should cherish our past, we should cherish our national treasures and specially, we need to cherish our regional identity. It makes us stronger.





Prime Minister Gonsalves, in response, proposed that Dr. Beatriz Guittierez Muller be specially appointed to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. "I want to just add value to the discussion, so let me hear you say here by your applause that you support the proposition by the Prime Minister that Beatriz Guittierez Muller should be a Special Envoy of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, he said. He said the proposition required the Presidents concurrence as President and as spouse.





Minister Peters outlined the purpose of the equipment, saying that it, "...allows for gentle scanning of valuable, fragile books.





She said that the aerial scanner book eye will greatly aid in the archiving, conservation, protection and preservation of our documentary collections and archival records, so that they are available and usable in the best possible condition to Vincentians for generations to come.





She underscored the government of Mexicos intention of making further technical training towards ensuring the maximum use of the scanner.





Dr. Beatriz Guittierez Muller, through an interpreter, stated that, Mexico has long been preserving its history using such equipment. She expressed her pleasure sharing her experiences, donating and assisting SVG to retrieve its rich history. She stated that the equipment will be quite valuable in sharing our history with the world in this digitized age.





Coming on the heels of the donation, an agreement for continued cooperation was signed by Minister Peters and Special Envoy Dr. Beatriz Guittierez Muller.





Diplomatic relations between Mexico and St. Vincent and the Grenadines were established on 31st July, 1990.

The visit of Special Envoy Dr. Beatriz Guittierez Muller has further strengthened these relations.
JQuan Sams favourite pastime was said to be enjoying a good swim in the sea.

JQuan Sam, 18 years old, died at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital after medical personnel at the Levi Latham Health Centre attempted to stabilized him, following an incident at the Peruvian Vale beach on Sunday 23rd April.





A resident of Peruvian Vale said that while swimming, JQuan and three of his friends got into difficulties. Two of them managed to "escape, but JQuan and another friend were pulled out by the strong currents.





A man rushed to their assistance and was able to rescue the other young man, but JQuan kept drifting further out to sea. He was eventually "fished out of the water and attempts were made to resuscitate him.





In an interview with THE VINCENTIAN newspaper, Evelyn McKain, Sams aunt and guardian, and her daughter Kemalia Asha McMillian, said that they will miss JQuan dearly.





While McMillian managed to contain herself, her mother was overcome by emotions. She said that Sam was an orphan and she and her mother cared for him.





She said she was at church when she got a call from a female friend indicating that JQuan had experienced difficulty while swimming and they were getting a small pulse. "So that give me a little bit of hope, said McMillian.





When she arrived on the scene, the police were already there. They took him to the Levi Latham Health Centre in Mesopotamia and from there to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH), Kingstown. She followed the ambulance to the MCMH where she said the doctors worked feverishly to stabilize him.





"I must say thanks to the doctors and nurses at the hospital. They worked on him for about 30 to 35 minutes and the pulse they were getting, it just went away and the doctors informed us that he died, McMillian said.





Sams Aunt said that her blood pressure increased when she was at the hospital, so much so she left the emergency room. The she heard her sister-in-law hollering.





"So I asked, Is JQuan dead? She said yes.





McKain expressed that she "cant believe Jquan is dead  I was looking forward to when I get old and cant make it on my feet that JQuan would help Asha lift me up. Now, there is no more JQuan.





Sams aunt recalled, that JQuan called her that very Sunday and they chatted. "I didnt know that JQuan was going to die, she said as she broke down into tears.





Mckain confirmed that she and her daughter took care of JQuan since he was two days old. "We have had him since he came out of the hospital after he was born. His parents died when he was young, and I raised him like my own biological child.  His death has left me with a big void. I will really miss him, I will, said McMillian as she wiped away tears.





Sam was described as fun-loving and caring and enjoyed the sea. He was expected to take up a job soon.




Ricardo Adams, Chairman of the Carnival Development Corporation is concerned, among other things, about how the ban on the use of government-owned hard courts will affect Rural Carnival programme.

The Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) is engaged in discussions seeking clarity on the use of state-owned venues for Vincymas, particularly as it related to the planned Rural Carnival events.





Ricardo Adams, Chairman of the CDC confirmed this during an April 24 press briefing hosted by the CDC.





"We are in the process of getting some clarity in terms of what specifically are and are not allowed at what particular venue, Adams said.





Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves announced a change in policy which disallowed the use of government-owned hard courts and schools for the staging of fetes, citing issues relating to the damage of state property as the basis for the decision.





According to Adams, the majority of the Rurals Carnivals includes beauty pageants which are not classified as fetes, but it was a challenge if a Calypso show was scheduled.





"What is that considered to be? So, we are seeking some clarity on that, Adams said.





He continued saying that there was a lot of public debate/reaction when it was announced that the Arnos Vale Sporting Complex would not be available.





"In fact, the CDC was accused of trying to sabotage particular people by not making the Arnos Vale Playing Field available, the CDC Chair told members of the media.





He proceeded to inform that the CDC had no control over that facility and if it was desirous of using the facility it had to write for permission.





Adams added that the National Lotteries Authority (NLA) gives them access to Victoria Park and that was the only space over which they had a certain level of control.





This prompted him to make the point that the CDC did not have a vested interest in trying to prevent private promoters from having events.





"We really think that its important that we work with the private promoters and that the private promoters work with the CDC to ensure that we selling this thing as a package of Vincymas, he said.





". We are not in the business of trying to kill or stamp down private promoters during the period of Vincymas, Adams declared.
April 27, 2023: Information Clearing House -- The corporate media's initial response to the enormous leak of secret documents about the war in Ukraine was to throw some mud in the water, declare there was nothing to see here, and cover it as a depoliticized crime story about a 21-year-old National Guard member who published secret documents to impress his friends. President Biden dismissed the leaks as revealing nothing of "great consequence."

What these documents reveal, however, is that the war is going worse for Ukraine than our political leaders have admitted to us, while going badly for Russia too, so that neither side is likely to break the stalemate this year and this will likely lead to "a protracted war beyond 2023," as one of the documents says.

The publication of these assessments should lead to renewed calls for our government to level with the public about what it realistically hopes to achieve by prolonging the bloodshed, and why it continues to reject the resumption of the promising peace negotiations it blocked in April 2022.

We believe that blocking those talks was a dreadful mistake, in which the Biden administration capitulated to the war-mongering, since-disgraced former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and that current U.S. policy is compounding that mistake at the cost of tens of thousands more Ukrainian lives and the destruction of even more of their country.

In most wars, while the warring parties strenuously suppress the reporting of civilian casualties for which they are responsible, professional militaries generally treat accurate reporting of their own military casualties as a basic responsibility. But in the virulent propaganda surrounding the war in Ukraine, all sides have treated military casualty figures as fair game, systematically exaggerating enemy casualties and understating their own.

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Publicly available U.S. estimates have supported the idea that many more Russians are being killed than Ukrainians, deliberately skewing public perceptions to support the notion that Ukraine can somehow win the war, as long as we just keep sending more weapons.

The leaked documents provide internal U.S. military intelligence assessments of casualties on both sides. But different documents, and different copies of the documents circulating online, show conflicting numbers, so the propaganda war rages on despite the leak.

The most detailed assessment of attrition rates of troops says explicitly that U.S. military intelligence has "low confidence" in the attrition rates it cites. It attributes that partly to "potential bias" in Ukraine's information sharing, and notes that casualty assessments "fluctuate according to the source."

So, despite denials by the Pentagon, a document that shows a higher death toll on the Ukrainian side may be correct, since it has been widely reported that Russia has been firing several times the number of artillery shells as Ukraine, in a bloody war of attrition in which artillery appears to be the main instrument of death. Altogether, some of the documents estimate a total death toll on both sides approaching 100,000 and total casualties, killed and wounded, of up to 350,000.

Another document reveals that, after using up the stocks sent by NATO countries, Ukraine is running out of missiles for the S-300 and BUK systems that make up 89% of its air defenses. By May or June, Ukraine will therefore be vulnerable, for the first time, to the full strength of the Russian air force, which has until now been limited mainly to long-range missile strikes and drone attacks.

Recent Western arms shipments have been justified to the public by predictions that Ukraine will soon be able to launch new counter-offensives to take back territory from Russia. Twelve brigades, or up to 60,000 troops, were assembled to train on newly delivered Western tanks for this "spring offensive," with three brigades in Ukraine and nine more in Poland, Romania and Slovenia.

But a leaked document from the end of February reveals that the nine brigades being equipped and trained abroad had less than half their equipment and, on average, were only 15% trained. Meanwhile, Ukraine faced a stark choice to either send reinforcements to Bakhmut or withdraw from the town entirely, and chose to sacrifice some of its "spring offensive" forces to prevent the imminent fall of Bakhmut.

Ever since the U.S. and NATO started training Ukrainian forces to fight in Donbas in 2015, and during the time it has been training them in other countries since the Russian invasion, NATO has provided six-month training courses to bring Ukraine's forces up to basic NATO standards. On this basis, it appears that many of the forces being assembled for the "spring offensive" will not be fully trained and equipped before July or August.

But another document says that Ukraine's offensive will begin around April 30, meaning that many troops may be thrown into combat less than fully trained, by NATO standards, even as they have to contend with more severe shortages of ammunition and a whole new scale of Russian airstrikes. The bloody fighting that has already decimated Ukrainian forces will surely be even more brutal than before.

The leaked documents conclude that "enduring Ukrainian deficiencies in training and munitions supplies probably will strain progress and exacerbate casualties during the offensive," and that the most likely outcome remains only modest territorial gains.

The documents also reveal serious deficiencies on the Russian side, deficiencies revealed by the failure of its winter offensive to take much ground. The fighting in Bakhmut has raged on for months, leaving thousands of fallen soldiers on both sides and a burned out city that still is not 100% controlled by Russia.

The inability of either side to decisively defeat the other in the ruins of Bakhmut and other front-line towns in Donbas is why one of the most important documents predicted that the war was becoming locked into a "grinding campaign of attrition" and was "likely heading toward a stalemate."

Adding to the concerns about where this conflict is headed is the revelation in the leaked documents about the presence of 97 special forces from NATO countries, including the U.K. and the U.S. This is in addition to previous reports about the presence of CIA personnel, trainers and Pentagon contractors, and the unexplained deployment of 20,000 troops from the 82nd and 101st Airborne Brigades near the border between Poland and Ukraine.

Worried about the ever-increasing direct U.S. military involvement, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., has introduced a Privileged Resolution of Inquiry to force Biden to notify the House exactly how many U.S. military personnel are inside Ukraine and what precise plans the U.S. has to assist Ukraine militarily.

We can't help wondering what Biden's plan could be, if he even has one. But it turns out that we're not alone. In what amounts to a second leak that the corporate media have studiously ignored, U.S. intelligence sources have told veteran investigative reporter Seymour Hersh that they are asking the same questions, and describe a "total breakdown" between the White House and the U.S. intelligence community.

Hersh's sources describe a pattern that echoes the use of fabricated and unvetted intelligence to justify U.S. aggression against Iraq in 2003, in which Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan are bypassing regular intelligence analysis and procedures and running the Ukraine war as their own private fiefdom. They reportedly smear all criticism of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as "pro-Putin," and leave U.S. intelligence agencies out in the cold trying to understand a policy that makes no sense to them.

What U.S. intelligence officials know, but the White House is doggedly ignoring, is that, as in Afghanistan and Iraq, top Ukrainian officials running that endemically corrupt country are making fortunes skimming from the more than $100 billion in aid and weapons that America has sent them.

According to Hersh's report, the CIA assesses that Ukrainian officials, including Zelenskyy, have embezzled $400 million from money the U.S. sent Ukraine to buy diesel fuel for its war effort, in a scheme that involves buying cheap, discounted fuel from Russia. Meanwhile, Hersh says, Ukrainian government ministries literally compete with each other to sell weapons paid for by U.S. taxpayers to private arms dealers in Poland, the Czech Republic and around the world.

Hersh writes that in January 2023, after the CIA heard from Ukrainian generals that they were angry with Zelenskyy for taking a larger share of the rake-off from these schemes than his generals, CIA director William Burns went to Kyiv to meet with him. Burns allegedly told Zelenskyy he was taking too much of the "skim money," and handed him a list of 35 generals and senior officials the CIA knew were involved in this corrupt scheme.

Zelenskyy fired about 10 of those officials, but failed to alter his own behavior. Hersh's sources tell him that White House lack of interest in doing anything about these goings-on is a major factor in the breakdown of trust between the White House and the intelligence community.

First-hand reporting from inside Ukraine by New Cold War has described the same systematic pyramid of corruption as Hersh. A member of parliament, formerly in Zelenskyy's party, told New Cold War that Zelenskyy and other officials skimmed 170 million euros from money that was supposed to pay for Bulgarian artillery shells.

The corruption reportedly extends to bribes to avoid conscription. The Open Ukraine Telegram channel was told by a military recruitment office that it could get the son of one of its writers released from the front line in Bakhmut and sent out of the country for $32,000.

As has happened in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and all the wars the U.S. has been involved in for many decades, the longer the war goes on, the more the web of corruption, lies and distortions unravels.

The torpedoing of peace talks, the Nord Stream sabotage, the hiding of corruption, the politicization of casualty figures and the suppressed history of broken promises and prescient warnings about the danger of NATO expansion are all examples of how our leaders have distorted the truth to shore up U.S. public support for perpetuating an unwinnable war that is killing a generation of young Ukrainians.

These leaks and investigative reports are not the first, nor will they be the last, to shine a light through the veil of propaganda that permits these wars to destroy young people's lives in faraway places, so that oligarchs in Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. can amass wealth and power.

The only way this will stop is if more and more people get active in opposing those companies and individuals that profit from war  those Pope Francis has called the "merchants of death"  and boot out the politicians who do their bidding, before they make an even deadlier misstep and start a nuclear war

Nicolas J.S. Davies is an independent journalist, a researcher for CODEPINK and the author of "Blood on Our Hands: The American Invasion and Destruction of Iraq."
(TBTCO) - Voi viec S&P 500, chi so ai dien cho thi truong chung khoan My, o luong muc o von hoa cua 500 cong ty ai chung lon nhat nuoc My, roi vao thi truong gau (thi truong gia xuong) dai nhat ke tu nam 1973, mot so nha au tu ca nhan cho biet a hoc uoc mot vai ieu ve viec au tu trong qua trinh nay.
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday decreed six new Indigenous reserves, including a vast Amazon territory, after a freeze in such expansion under his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.

Under the decrees, Indigenous people are guaranteed exclusive use of natural resources on these lands, viewed by scientists as a bulwark against Amazon deforestation -- a major challenge in the fight against climate change.

They also commit the Brazilian state to protecting reserve land from intrusions of timber traffickers or illegal miners -- the main contributors to forest destruction.

Lula signed the official decrees covering 620,000 hectares of land on the final day of a gathering of Indigenous people from around the country in the capital Brasilia.

"It is a time-consuming process, but we are going to make sure that as many Indigenous reserves as possible are legalized," the president said.

"If we want to achieve zero deforestation by 2030, we need registered Indigenous reserves."

Under four years of Bolsonaro, who had vowed to not cede "one more centimeter" of land to Brazil's Indigenous communities, average annual deforestation had increased by 75 percent compared to the previous decade.

Bolsonaro instigated policies that favored the agriculture and logging industries, which are mostly responsible for deforestation.

Two of the six new reserves are in the Amazon.

The largest, named Unieuxi, was allocated to 249 members of the Maku and Tukano peoples on more than 550,000 hectares in the northern state of Amazonas.

Two others are in the country's northeast, one in the south, and one in central Brazil.

Indigenous reserves are considered a bulwark against Amazon deforestation /  AFP

Fridays announcement was made at a closing ceremony for the 19th edition of "Terra Livre" (Free Land), a gathering of thousands of Indigenous peoples from across the vast country.

"This lifts a weight from our shoulders," 44-year-old Unieuxi resident Claudia Tomas told AFP-TV. "It's the best news we could have gotten, that our lands have been legalized. It fills us with hope."

Tehe Pataxo, 29, is still waiting for news on demarcation of his traditional land in the northeastern state of Bahia, but said the move "reassures us about the future of our children."

Lula signed the decrees next to prominent Indigenous leaders such as chief Raoni Metuktire, who presented him with a traditional headdress of blue and red feathers.

According to the latest census, dating from 2010, Brazil is home to about 800,000 Indigenous people. Most of them live on reserves that take up 13.75 percent of the national territory.

- 'Fighting to recover' -

The last declaration of a new Indigenous reserve in Brazil dates to five years ago, when then-president Michel Temer granted the Guato people rights to 20,000 hectares (some 49,400 acres) of ancestral land in the western Mato Grosso state.

The new reserves were announced at a closing ceremony for the 19th edition of 'Terra Livre' (Free Land), a gathering of thousands of Indigenous peoples from across the vast country /  AFP

Lula vowed to approve new reserves "as soon as possible" after taking office for a third term on January 1. He had previously served as president from 2003 to 2010.

He created the country's first-ever ministry for Indigenous affairs, under Minister Sonia Guajajara.

"When they say that you occupy 14 percent of the territory and that it is a lot, it is necessary to remember that before the arrival of the Portuguese you occupied 100 percent," Lula said to loud cheers by the crowd who made the "L" of Lula with an index finger and thumb.

More reserves are in the pipeline: Guajajara announced last month that 14 reserves were ready to be legalized -- covering nearly 900,000 hectares in total.

These included the six announced Friday.

"We are going to write a new history, for the sake of all humanity, of our planet," Guajajara said after Friday's signing.

"We, the Indigenous peoples, represent only five percent of the worlds population, but we preserve more than 80 percent of the worlds biodiversity," she added.
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An activist jailed for his religious views is another victim of Russias campaign against the indigenous Tatars, his supporters say.

Since Russias annexation of Crimea eight years ago, independent journalists have been pushed out of the region, leaving ordinary people to cover whats happening on the ground. These citizen journalists report on arrests, trials, and searches, often at a personal cost.

Captured in Crimea looks at one of these citizen journalists, Server Mustafayev, a Crimean Tatar who was sentenced to 14 years in a high-security prison colony.

Production of this film began during a press tour for the Ukrainian-government supported Crimea Platform last year.
Casper Mayor Bruce Knell angered some in the community last week when he shared an image of a fire in response to a Facebook post announcing Wellspring Health Access, a new abortion clinic, was finally open for business. The clinics opening was delayed for 11 months because of an arson attack.

In the days since, Knell has steadily defended the comment. He said the image was meant to express his personal opposition to abortion, that it wasnt a reference to the arson and he doesnt condone violence against the clinic or abortion rights supporters.

At any rate, he said, hes gotten more support than backlash from community members.

I can promise you in conservative Wyoming, there are more people who share my view, he told the Star-Tribune last week.

Now, Wellsprings working to challenge that assumption  its calling on local abortion rights advocates to attend an upcoming Casper City Council meeting in response to Knells comment.

Mayor Knells post was careless, cruel, and minimizes the violence that clinics and people who want to get abortions face, the clinic said in a Friday afternoon statement posted on Twitter. But his post does not reflect the spirit of the Casper community. Join us in raising our voices and be heard defending our rights on Tuesday, May 2nd at 6 p.m.

In a statement to the Star-Tribune later that day, the abortion clinics founder, Julie Burkhart, said the clinic believes some city councilors are concerned about the post, and that Wellspring is looking forward to sharing our concerns with them on Tuesday.

The City Council meeting will take place in the council chambers at City Hall, located at 200 N. David Street.

In a text to the Star-Tribune, Knell said the group is more than welcome, as is any resident to speak at the meeting, so long as they adhere to the councils rules for public comment.

Its not clear how big an audience the meeting will draw. On Facebook, a local activist group called Feminists of Casper and Lander-based abortion rights organization Chelseas Fund both urged people to attend.

(Chelseas Fund is part of a group that filed suit in March against the state of Wyoming challenging the Life is a Human Right Act, which replaced the states trigger ban and prohibits abortion except in cases of rape, incest and select medical circumstances.)

In anticipation of a larger crowd, more law enforcement than usual will be attending the meeting, said Jolene Martinez, assistant to the Casper city manager. She noted that thats standard practice when the city is expecting a lot of guests, and the decision to have more officers at the meeting wasnt issue specific.

Knells comment was originally made beneath a Facebook post by Oil City News that linked to an article about the clinics opening. Oil City later indicated it had deleted the comment in accordance with an internal policy.

Burkhart in an April 20 statement condemned Knells post as incendiary and violent.

Ive lived and experienced the real-world costs of this kind of anti-abortion rhetoric, she said in the statement. Fourteen years ago, after years of harassment, my former boss, Dr. George Tiller, was assassinated in church. Less than a year ago, an anti-abortion terrorist set fire to our Casper clinic, rendering it inoperable and costing $290,000 in damage.

Wellspring, which began seeing patients this week, is the only clinic in Wyoming to offer both surgical and medical abortions. In an interview with the Star-Tribune earlier this month, Burkhart said shes still worried about violence against the clinic, and that Wellspring has added additional layers of protection to keep staff and patients from harm.

Wyoming residents hold a wide range of opinions on abortion, an October University of Wyoming poll found.

In the survey, 36% of respondents said they considered abortion a matter of personal choice, and another 36% said they felt abortion should be allowed in cases of rape, incest or when the pregnancy poses a danger to the life of the mother. About 19% of those surveyed said they support abortion when the reason for the procedure is clearly established. Only 7% said abortion should be banned in all cases.

In Casper, the role of mayor is somewhat ceremonial. Casper follows the council-city manager system of local government, where the mayor is part of city council and wields no more voting power than other members. Because of that, the mayor isnt directly elected by residents, but chosen by their follow councilors.

In this system, the main job of the council  including the mayor  is to act as the citys legislative branch. A lot of the administrative duties people usually associate with running a city are delegated to city staff.

PHOTOS: Both sides of abortion debate gather for protest Abortion protest Abortion protest Abortion protest Abortion protest Abortion protest Abortion protest Abortion protest Abortion protest Abortion protest Abortion protest
The city of Mills is building a new neighborhood park  and wants residents to help name it.

Plans for the approximately 4-acre property have been in the works for several years now. The lightning bolt-shaped plot of land borders a relatively new neighborhood on Mills west end, by the intersection of Poison Spider and S. Robertson roads.

In a Wednesday Facebook post, the city said the park will be under construction this summer and likely completed by August.

Anyone interested in suggesting a name is invited to fill out a Google form available on the citys Facebook page. (People are asked to provide their names, phone numbers and email addresses.) The form closes at 5 p.m. June 30.

According to a 2018 plan for the space, play areas will be located on either end of the park. Its also expected to include picnic tables, paved walkways and lawn space. (Right now, the lot is referred to as Robertson Hills Park.)

The land was donated to the city and paid for with help from the National Park Service and the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, which gives grants to conservation and recreation-related projects.

According to Mills website, itll be the citys sixth park space, joining Freden Park, Norene Kilmer Park, Eagle Park, Memorial Park, First Street Park and Sunny Acres Park.
From left, actors Ahn Hyo-seop, Han Suk-kyu and Lee Sung-kyung pose during a press conference for the new series, "Dr. Romantic 3," held at the broadcaster in Yangcheon District, Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of SBS



By Lee Gyu-lee



The lead actors of the SBS' hit medical series, "Dr. Romantic," said they are grateful and excited for its return after three years with the third season, which will premiere on Friday.



The medical series, which released the first season in 2016 and the second in 2020, revolves around people at a small hospital in a remote countryside area, called Dol Dam Hospital, led by the genius doctor, Kim Sa-bu (Han Suk-kyu). Kim gave up his life as a top surgeon at a renowned hospital to come to work there and find a secluded, peaceful life, calling himself doctor romantic.



Working under Kim, fellow doctors, Seo Woo-jin (Ahn Hyo-seop) and Cha Eun-jae (Lee Sung-kyung), learn what it truly means to be a doctor and the purpose in life.



Director Yoo In-shik, who previously led the smash-hit series "Extraordinary Attorney Woo," has retrieved his role as director and will again lead the series' latest season.



"This is my seventh year working on this series, which counts to one-tenth of my life," Kim said during the press conference for the series, held at the broadcaster in Yangcheon District, Seoul, Wednesday. "That's how much I've lived as Kim Sa-bu. I felt lucky to have joined 'Dr. Romantic.' We have great teamwork."





A scene for the series "Dr. Romantic 3" / Courtesy of SBS



Lee also expressed satisfaction with reuniting with the team. "I'm overwhelmed with joy that we could return with the third season. The reason we were able to win through struggles in any situation is that we still have each other," she said. "And as it's almost a miracle that we came back, we hope the viewers would fully enjoy (the series)."



Season 3 will pick up on Dol Dam staff's lives about three years after the previous seasons after deciding to establish its own medical foundation.



The director shared that the new season will have a denser plot than the previous seasons.



"Just seeing the actors, even in this press event, is so touching. Along with 'Dr. Romantic,' I've also become a long way. I'm filled with emotion. Season 3 will have a bigger scale, compared to Seasons 1 and 2, and will have colorful stories," he said. "Each of the actors has become the main character. It will be a series with a very dense plot. Along with the scale, it will also incorporate humanity, heartwarming story, and dilemmas in life from the previous seasons."





A poster for the series "Dr. Romantic 3" / Courtesy of SBS
Defendants in a multi-million-dollar trespass lawsuit maintained under questioning that the airspace they traversed while corner crossing to hunt on public land is shared with the public and is not the exclusive domain of the ranch owner who is suing them.

Four Missouri hunters targeted by Elk Mountain ranch owner Fred Eshelman told their stories in depositions filed April 12 in federal court in Casper. In dozens of pages, they answered questions posed by Eshelmans attorney.

I didnt cross through any private airspace, said hunter Bradly Cape, the owner of a Missouri fence-building company whose work requires frequent interaction with property lines and land ownership issues. Its a common shared airspace. I know I never crossed private airspace.

Cape, Phillip Yeomans, John Slowensky and Zachary Smith described in their testimony how they corner crossed in Carbon County to hunt public land adjacent to Elk Mountain Ranch without setting foot on private land. Corner crossing involves stepping from one section of public land to another at the common corners with two sections of private property  all arranged in a checkerboard pattern of land ownership  without touching the private land.

An attorney for Eshelman, a wealthy North Carolina pharmaceutical magnate, questioned the four earlier this year in Cheyenne regarding their 2020 and 2021 hunts on Elk Mountain.

Eshelman contends his company, Iron Bar Holdings, has property rights at Elk Mountain that extend above the ground and that the corner-crossing men trespassed even though they did not touch his land. He filed papers from real estate agents saying if corner crossing were allowed, agents would devalue his 22,045-acre ranch by between $7.7 and $9.4 million.

No legislation, lawsuit or criminal case has firmly established the legality of corner crossing. As a result, Eshelman, a hunter himself, can have near exclusive control over access to thousands of acres of public land enmeshed in his Carbon County ranch if corner crossers are kept at bay.

Across the West, some 8.3 million acres of public land are inaccessibly corner-locked if the public cant reach them by corner crossing, so the federal civil suit has widespread implications.

The 1878 corner

Some of the Missourians discovered during a 2019 antelope hunt nearby that the Elk Mountain property surrounded thousands of acres of public land, according to an interview Cape and Yeomans gave to Steven Rinella on Rinellas MeatEater hunting podcast broadcast June 20, 2022. They began thinking about returning for an elk.

After researching whether they could be charged for trespassing while corner crossing, Cape, Yeomans and Smith returned in 2020 to give it a shot. They figured they could cross corners to reach and hunt on some of the thousands of acres of public land on wildlife-rich Elk Mountain  state and federal property that would be inaccessible without corner crossing or the grace of Eshelman. The hunters never called the ranch for permission to hunt on public land, according to the depositions.

They camped initially on a section of public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management that is accessible by county road. From there, the Missourians easily found the first corner they wanted to cross  a few hundred yards from their camp.

Its got two big [no trespassing] signs sticking up there you can see, Cape said while answering a question from Eshelman attorney Greg Weisz. There is a U.S. Geological Survey marker there, T-posts, chain, wire tying the two T-post[s] together, a lock.

The monument marked the point shared among the two public and two private parcels and indicated the layout of the property boundaries.

Surveyor L. M. Lampton and his crew set that corner on Aug. 27, 1878 as part of the federal Public Land Survey System. They reached what would become the corners of sections 13, 14, 23 and 24, Township 20 North, Range 82 West, by measuring from a known point a mile to the south.

At the corner the surveyors dug a foot-deep hole where they set a marked, granite cuboid about the size of two shoeboxes, according to Lamptons field notes. A resurvey decades later replaced the cuboid with a monument made of a metal pipe capped with a disc marked with the numbers of the four sections and indicating which is located in what quadrant.

Armed with the information, the hunters were poised to step over the marker, from one piece of public land to another piece of public land, without ever setting foot on Eshelmans private property. But there was an obstacle.

Enter the ladder

At the first common corner, a ranch worker had driven a T-post into each of the two kitty-corner Elk Mountain Ranch sections close to the monument. Each post had a no-trespassing sign.

I cant step between the signs because of the chain and the lock, Cape said of his first crossing in 2020. So I  plant my left foot on the public land, grab the T-post, swing my right foot around and hit the public land on the other side.

As part of their defense, the hunters assert that the federal Unlawful Inclosures Act of 1885 bars private landowners from fencing off access to public lands. Eshelman asserts that his property rights include the airspace above his land and that anybody passing through it is trespassing.

Yeomans and Smith said in 2020 they crossed the corner in the same manner as Cape. Beyond that point, the men navigated using the onX mapping app on a cell phone which uses GPS to pinpoint the users location on a map overlaid with land ownership information. With that tool they approached and found subsequent common corners, according to court documents, before stepping over them.

By finding and relying on the monuments, instead of onX exclusively, the hunters avoided the potential problem of the GPS technologys imprecision.

No other corner the hunters crossed had T-posts erected on the private parcels similar to the obstacle at the intersection where the hunters first crossed.

On their hunt in 2020, the men killed three elk  one five-point and two six-points. They field dressed and packed out their kills using the same navigation scheme, according to their depositions.

During that 2020 hunt, Elk Mountain Ranch property manager Steve Grende encountered the men and accused them of trespassing, the hunters said. Mr. Grende claimed that, because these Defendants grabbed Plaintiffs obstruction at the First Corner, they had trespassed on private land, hunters stated in court papers.

Grabbing the ranch T-posts was a contention brought up by [ranch property manager] Steve Grende in our first encounter with him, Yeomans said in a deposition. The obstructing T-posts connection to private land made them legally radioactive.

The hunters decided they needed an alternative method if they wanted to return.

So tell me about the ladder, Weisz asked Cape during last months deposition in Cheyenne.

To cross the T-post-blocked corner in 2021, fence-maker Cape fashioned pieces of steel fence pipe into a step ladder. The hunters brought it to Wyoming, Cape said, so we didnt have to touch the T-post.

Yeomans explained further. The ladder was used to remove any doubt, any suspicion of any wrongdoing, to protect the landowners property, signs and T-post.

The hunters didnt take the ladder farther up the mountain, instead laying it down near the first corner so it couldnt be seen, Cape said. I didnt want anybody to steal my ladder.

The hunters claim Grende harassed them while they hunted on public land and his calls to law enforcement led Game and Fish to call the Missourians off the mountain. That cut their hunting excursion short, the Missourians said, before they filled all of their licenses in 2021. Neither Game and Fish nor the U.S. attorney for Wyoming has filed hunter harassment charges against anybody from Elk Mountain Ranch.

Ownership of space

The hunters have referenced Wyoming law that states [t]he ownership of the space above  is  vested in the several owners of the surface beneath. That position produced dizzying exchanges regarding theories of property rights and airspace, including this one between attorney Weisz and Cape.

Weisz: Do you agree that you pass through the airspace above the surface of the Iron Bar private property?

Cape: No.

Weisz: You crossed through that space regardless of who owns that airspace?

Cape: Did I cross through airspace?

Weisz: Yes sir.

Cape: Yeah, I assume Im in airspace.

Weisz: Do you agree with me that above the surface is airspace?

Cape: Yes.

Weisz: Im not asking you who owns it or whether you had a right but you physically crossed through that airspace, right?

Cape: Through air.

And this exchange between Weisz and Yeomans:

Weisz: Did your body pass through the airspace above the surface of the Iron Bar private property?

Yeomans: I understand that airspace to be common and shared. So I stayed within shared airspace.

Weisz: Did any part of your body touch the airspace located above the private property?

Yeomans: I understand that my shoulders are wider than a brass cap [surveyors monument marking the common corner], but I did not exit public property or the shared corner.

And this exchange between the attorney and Smith:

Weisz: Did you cross through the airspace located above the surface of Iron Bar private property?

Smith: I dont think I did because I never left public air space.

Weisz: Is that your contention that the airspace above the Iron Bar property  that that airspace is public property?

Smith: No, sir.

Weisz: Is it possible to cross through this corner without crossing through the airspace located above the Iron Bar private property surface?

Smith: I believe to enter something, you must have to leave something, and I never left public airspace.

Cape described the difference between Eshelmans airspace and that occupied by Capes own house in Missouri this way: Ones construction, ones not.

Weisz and the hunters did, however, establish some common ground.

Weisz to Cape: You agree with me that the legal question of whether you had a right to [pass through airspace above Iron Bar property] is one of the things were going to answer in this case, right?

Cape: I agree to that, yes.

Weisz to Smith: A portion of your body had to physically cross through the airspace located above the Iron Bar deeded property. Do you agree with that?

Smith: I agree.

Weisz: Whether you had a right to do so is subject to dispute in this litigation.

Smith: Yes.

Weisz to Slowensky: The airspace physically located above the Iron Bar property, your body pass[ed] through that?

Slowensky: Yes.

Not looking for a fight

On Rinellas podcast, the hunters said they werent looking for a precedent-setting confrontation, just a hunt. After they were ticketed in 2021, they sought the help of the Wyoming chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, which launched a GoFundMe campaign to ensure they could have their day in court.

Backcountry Hunters and Anglers did not instigate this, Buzz Hettick, chairman of the Wyoming chapter said at a forum in Laramie earlier this month. I knew none of those hunters until they brought this case to us.

As of Monday, the campaign had raised $116,964.

A Carbon County jury last year found the four not guilty of criminal trespass and trespassing to hunt in a separate case in state court. As Eshelmans civil case advances in federal court, both sides have asked the judge to rule at least partly in their favor without a trial.

The hunters want the suit dismissed; Eshelman wants the judge to rule that the men trespassed and for a jury to decide only damages.
Gov. Mark Gordon and Attorney General Bridget Hill oppose Secretary of State Chuck Grays attempt to intervene in the lawsuit challenging two new abortion bans, stating that he has no legal authority to get involved in the case.

In a text to the Star-Tribune, Gray maintained that he believes he has standing to intervene and said he feared Hill wouldnt defend the state as zealously as she should. Gordon, responding to Grays comments, characterized the secretarys actions as grandstanding and defended Hills arguments in the case.

In his official capacity, Secretary of State Gray cannot intervene in this case unless a Wyoming statute authorizes him to do so, a new court document, which was filed Tuesday, says.

The State Defendants know of no Wyoming statute that authorizes the Secretary of State to intervene in a lawsuit to defend the constitutionality of a state statute. Without such statutory authority, Secretary of State Gray has no legal authority in his official capacity to intervene in this lawsuit or to otherwise participate in this lawsuit.

Gordon and Hill further argue that Grays involvement in his official capacity would muddy the waters of who speaks for the State of Wyoming and her executive branch in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a Wyoming statute.

That authority belongs to the Governor, who is already a named defendant in this case, the document says. The governor, it states, speaks for Wyoming and for the executive branch in lawsuits such as the one in question, while the state attorney general, who is appointed by the governor, defends the constitutionality of Wyoming statutes in court.

Gray defended his request to intervene in the case in a text message to the Star-Tribune on Thursday, saying that his standing in the case as secretary of state is based on him being a state Constitutional officer who swears an oath to the Constitution and records all statutes. He also said he fears Hill wont fight this important case as hard as the people of Wyoming are demanding, referencing the states handling of a legal battle in 2020 over Washington states blocking of a key coal export terminal.

We should be doing everything we can to counter the outrageous arguments being brought by the radical Left in this case, Gray wrote in the text.

Hill didnt respond to a request for comment regarding Grays response. Assistant Attorney General Jay Jerde is representing defendants, which include Hill, in the lawsuit.

Gordon responds

But the governor did react, sharing his own statement with the Star-Tribune late Thursday afternoon.

Grandstanding for the public does not sway judges or win court cases  strong legal arguments do, Gordon said, adding that he thinks Hill is defending Wyoming admirably, and her arguments in this case are being recognized and applauded.

He also addressed Grays criticism of the states handling of the legal situation around the coal export terminal in Washington state.

Wyoming dedicated extensive resources to fighting Washingtons denial of a coal terminal permit and took that fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, he said. If there was any fault in the proceeding, it was with the Trump-appointed Solicitor that failed the people of Wyoming by delaying. Any statements made by the Secretary that suggest otherwise are completely inaccurate.

After the governor released his statement, Gray responded back, again criticizing the attorney generals handling of the coal export litigation.

By dithering and delaying for over a year on the coal export terminal litigation, the Attorney General waited too long and the coal export terminal was forced to declare bankruptcy, which was the main reason the Solicitor General cited in not commenting on the case.

Gray added in a separate text message that hes concerned the states representation hasnt tried to change the venue of the case from Teton County. He didnt say where he would suggest changing the venue to.

Shortly after Teton County Judge Melissa Owens granted a temporary restraining order on the abortion ban, the hard-line Wyoming Freedom Caucus accused the plaintiffs of court shopping, or filing their lawsuit in a place where its more likely to succeed. Its not an uncommon practice.

However, the only abortion clinic in Wyoming at the time was in Teton County, making that venue relevant to the case. Ultimately, this case will likely be appealed to the Wyoming Supreme Court, making the jurisdiction where it was filed somewhat irrelevant to the final outcome.

Gray didnt say whether or not he would attempt to intervene in the case outside of his official capacity when asked by the Star-Tribune. He said in a phone call that hes still evaluating next steps.

The state defendants dont oppose the involvement of the other requested intervenors  Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody, House Majority Floor Leader Rep. Chip Neiman, R-Hulett, and Right to Life Wyoming, an anti-abortion advocacy group.

But they dont agree with the proposed intervenors apparent belief that the court should hold an evidentiary hearing or formal trial in the case, which would involve witnesses giving testimony under oath thats relevant to the case.

Holding an evidentiary hearing or a formal trial is at odds with the nature of the issues in this case because, no matter how you look at it, this case involves only questions of law, the defendants say.

The lawyers representing the proposed intervenors noted in their request that the states arguments in the case  if its arguments against last years trigger ban are any indication  will likely focus strictly on questions of legality, whereas they aim to offer evidence to challenge plaintiffs assertions that abortion is health care and that the abortion bans in question harm women and medical providers, among other things.

New law, similar outcome

Last month, Gordon allowed the Life is a Human Right Act  a sweeping abortion ban sponsored by Rodriguez-Williams  to become law without his signature.

At the time, the trigger abortion ban that the Legislature passed last year, and which Gordon signed into law, was caught in a legal challenge brought by a Wyoming abortion fund, Wyoming medical providers and other Wyoming women. The Life is a Human Right Act was meant to supersede the trigger ban and answer legal questions that had arisen in the previous case with the aim of bringing a speedier end to abortions in Wyoming. The law took effect March 18, but was quickly put on hold due to the latest legal challenge.

Gordon also signed into law a bill that banned medication abortions, making Wyoming the first state in the nation to embrace such a measure. That law doesnt take effect until July.

The plaintiffs that challenged last years abortion trigger ban filed a lawsuit challenging both measures. Defendants in the lawsuit are the state of Wyoming, Gordon and Hill, as well as Teton County Sheriff Matthew Carr and Town of Jackson Chief of Police Michelle Weber in their official capacities. On March 22, Owens granted a temporary restraining order to halt enforcement of the Life is a Human Right Act.

The same group  with the addition of Gray  that attempted unsuccessfully to intervene in the challenge against last years trigger ban tried early on to file an amicus brief that rebuffed plaintiffs assertions that the Life is a Human Right Act violates the Wyoming Constitution and included a report from the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists arguing that elective abortions are not health care. Some noted that Grays attempted involvement in the lawsuit is unusual for a secretary of state.

Owens ultimately rejected the brief, citing the short notice. (It was filed just a few hours before the hearing where Owens blocked enforcement of the ban.)

The group then filed a request to intervene in the case on April 6. The motion argued that the proposed intervenors have a significant protectable interest that would be impaired by the litigations outcome, and that no party currently in the lawsuit adequately represents their interests. They aim to offer evidence to challenge plaintiffs assertions that abortion is health care, that the Life is a Human Right Act harms women and medical providers and that the Wyoming Constitution confers a right to abortion.

The motion argued that Grays zealous advocacy for anti-abortion legislation during his time as a lawmaker in the House helped create the foundation for the Life is a Human Right Act. It also said that Gray has a unique interest in preserving and enforcing the will of the people of Wyoming because hes the states custodian of legislative acts and second in line to the governor.

This story has been updated.

PHOTOS: Abortion in Wyoming Pro-choice protest Abortions rights protest Abortion-rights protesters The Women's Health Center and Family Care Clinic of Jackson Pro-life Protest Pro-life Protest Abortion-rights protest Abortion-rights protest Abortion-rights protest Abortion clinic fire Abortion-rights protest Abortion-rights protest Pro-life Protest Pro-life Protest Pro-life Protest Pro-life Protest Pro-life Protest
Fragile.

Its a word thats been used to describe Wyomings emergency medical services system. It could also sum up the diagnosis from the first day of 2023 interim health hearings.

The Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee met Thursday in Casper for the first of three interim meetings and lawmakers listened as emergency providers, health care groups and government agencies testified to the precarious state of EMS in Wyoming.

High fixed costs, unstable funding and a declining workforce are all upsetting the states medical first response system, according to testimony. And though the state has been working on initiatives to shore up EMS, the most pressing question is also the most difficult to answer  how should communities and the state pay?

If we dont figure out some funding at the state level and at the local level, were not going to be able to provide the services that we provide long term, said Eric Quinney, the chief administrative officer for Uinta County Fire and Ambulance in Evanston. The money has to come from somewhere.

A troubling picture

The discrepancy between how emergency agencies are paid and the services they are asked to provide is among the slew of problems that threaten ambulance services in Wyoming.

Ambulances have high fixed costs. A basic ambulance costs roughly $530,000 annually to operate between equipment and staffing, according to a Wyoming Department of Health presentation. Yet, EMS relies on paid transports to be reimbursed.

It seems simple, but for emergency agencies that can be a problem. Quinney told lawmakers that Uinta County Fire and Ambulance responds to car crashes along I-80, but unless a crash is severe enough and the patient requires transport, it wont be paid for travel and many of other the costs that it incurs.

A basic ambulance requires about 650 paid trips each year to break even, according to the Wyoming Department of Health. That can be especially difficult in smaller counties and communities. For example, a quarter of Niobrara County residents would have to take a paid ambulance ride each year just to keep one ambulance afloat.

911 calls account for more than 70% of ambulance responses each year in Wyoming, but EMS agencies arent paid for about a third of those, according to the Department of Health.

Even when EMS agencies are paid for trips, they often arent reimbursed to cover their costs, Quinney said.

You have to have people and equipment regardless of if the calls come in, said Stefan Johansson, director of the Wyoming Department of Health. High fixed costs and potential low or variable volume creates economic and sustainability challenges.

A declining workforce adds to the challenges for EMS agencies.

Wyoming has experienced growth in some areas; the number of advanced emergency technicians and paramedics in the state has increased over the last five years. But over that time EMS agencies have reported an overall 23% decline in staffing, Johansson told lawmakers.

Part of the difficulty has been bolstering the EMS workforce pipeline. Many of Wyomings EMS agencies rely on volunteers, which is in part necessary in frontier and rural communities, but the lack of paid positions has meant that fewer people have been looking to go into the field, said Jen Davis, the health and human services adviser for Gov. Mark Gordon.

The meeting laid bare that for Wyomingites unstable and insufficient funding is pushing the emergency medical services they rely on toward the brink.

The issue of funding

Johansson pointed to some progress that they state has made toward creating a more sustainable EMS system.

The state invested $5 million in federal pandemic funds to reinforce staffing for EMS agencies. It has put another $10 million in federal pandemic funds toward regionalization pilots that will look to scale EMS services and both improve access and reduce costs over the next few years.

Lawmakers also took a step forward when they passed a bill sponsored by Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander during the last legislative session that allowed county boards to form EMS districts.

That progress, however, has done little to answer the issue of funding. In turn, much of the committees morning session centered on the discussion of money.

The state and Department of Health dont directly oversee or pay for ambulance services. Cases bill gives counties flexibility, but residents must agree to raise taxes to form a district.

Sen. Anthony Bouchard, R-Cheyenne, said he would like to see greater contributions from counties and local communities. He argued that counties should prioritize supporting EMS services over paying for other projects.

We should take care of the things people cant do themselves first, he said.

But when asked by lawmakers for funding solutions, Quinney and Eric Boley, the president of the Wyoming Hospital Association, were clear. EMS should be classified as an essential service like firefighting, they said.

Both acknowledged the sensitivity of the topic. If lawmakers made EMS an essential service, local governments or the state would have to fund it. That would likely mean increasing taxes or finding another way to collect money from Wyomingites.

Quinney said making EMS as an essential service was a matter of the states residents finally recognizing the value of emergency medical care.

EMS needs to be an essential service because people have that expectation, and I dont think thats ever going to go away, he said. When people dial 911, they want somebody to respond.
Students and members of the public filed into a basement lecture room at the University of Wyoming one night earlier this month. Roughly 60 attentive faces filled the space, sitting in front of arced desks where posters printed with American flags and patriotic slogans had been set like placemats.

Secretary of State Chuck Gray stood at the front of the room beside Gabe Saint, a second-year University of Wyoming student and president of the schools Turning Point USA chapter. As the event began, heads bowed in prayer. The lecture room grew quiet.

Lord, please be with Chuck tonight, Saint  wearing a suit, his hair clean cut  said.

Gray listened, hands clasped and eyes lowered. Behind them stood a tapestry of posters  Freedom in all calibers, Fear God Not Gov, Big Gov Sucks. A Turning Point flyer with Grays campaign and social media photo  crossed arms, serious demeanor, backlit by the sun  leaned against the whiteboard.

He has been a blessing to Wyoming and fights fervently for righteous change and to bring back American values, Saint continued. Be with him while he is in office. Give him grace and wisdom. Lord, we ask that you deliver him from his enemies, because he has many. We ask that you protect him as he takes on the Goliath that is the enemy in the form of wokeness.

Gray had come to the University of Wyoming to talk with students about 10 principles of advancing conservative politics in Wyoming  the kind of politics that embraces measures like cracking down on crossover voting, banning abortions and putting restrictions on transgender people. The event was hosted by the schools chapter of Turning Point USA  a rightwing, pro-Trump youth organization that aims to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government, the national organizations website says. It says it has a presence on more than 3,500 campuses across the U.S.

The national organization supports the University of Wyomings chapter with various resources. It provides promotional gear like posters and buttons. It chips in money for events. It gives students access to a field representative and regional manager. At the University of Wyoming, Turning Point is looked to as the schools premiere conservative student group. And it aims to grow its presence on campus.

Now the next generation of young Turning Point conservatives had their eyes fixed on Gray  a 2020 election skeptic who was endorsed by former president Donald Trump, and whom Saint described as one of the few conservatives in the state.

Theres Maggie Immen, a sophomore with red-died hair and a warm smile who moved to Wyoming from her home state of California in the hopes of finding a community that better fit her political ideology. She got involved in first-year senate when she arrived on campus and was later encouraged by Saint to join the Turning Point organization.

Theres Win Dias, a 2018 University of Wyoming graduate who sported a cap with an American flag printed on its visor. Dias had met Gray a couple times before the now-secretary of state was elected last fall. Dias wasnt involved in politics until 2020. I wasnt very satisfied with the outcome of the 2020 election, he said.

Tremendous crowd here tonight, Gray began in a loud voice after thanking Saint for the introduction and prayer.

The University of Wyoming is such an important institution in our state, and I always try to emphasize that, he said. I want to lead with it because the conservative movement, were very troubled by the direction of the university, but that doesnt mean weve given up on the University of Wyoming.

Wyomings lone four-year university is under constant scrutiny from the Legislature, which it depends upon for funding. In recent years, hard-line Republicans have tried and failed to defund the schools gender and womens studies department. In December, members and sympathizers of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus as well as Gray authored a letter denouncing the schools decision to suspend the tabling rights of a Laramie church elder for a year after he had singled out a transgender student by name on a sign. (The student is now a defendant in a lawsuit that seeks to remove her from the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, the first sorority in the University of Wyomings history to accept a transgender member into its ranks.)

Turning Point is at the forefront of pushing back on the lefts attempt to co-opt this key institution in our state, Gray told the crowd of attentive students in the lecture room. So I want to thank you for your work.

Turning Point USA had a tumultuous beginning on the University of Wyoming campus. Shortly after it came to the school in 2017, the schools student government suspended the organizations access to student fees, which it uses to pay for speakers and events, the Laramie Boomerang reported at the time. The suspension came over the groups alleged ASUW policy violations around an event it had organized with Dennis Prager  a rightwing radio talk show host and writer. (That suspension was eventually overturned.) Overall, the groups relationship with ASUW tended to be sour at the outset. And like other student organizations on campus, it suffered setbacks when COVID-19 hit and the groups numbers dwindled as the pandemic swept Wyoming.

But the student organization has made some gains recently that, in a small way, mirrors on the statewide level advances made in recent years by the hard-line Wyoming Freedom Caucus, whose values the student organization generally parallels. Earlier this month, Saint and Nick Bogani  another student involved with the campus Turning Point group  won seats on the student body senate. Saint said its the first time students affiliated with Turning Point have made their way into the schools student government. Bogani described this win as a step forward in Turning Points mission to break up the elitism of ASUW, a mission that echoes what Gray illustrated as the central tension in Wyoming politics today: the struggle between what he called the conservatives and the insiders.

The University of Wyomings Turning Point chapter has also pushed to become a more relevant actor on campus. Beside having two of its members win seats on the student senate, it also endorsed candidates for the first time in the student government elections this year. (Both the new president and vice president of ASUW were endorsed by the schools Turning Point chapter.) The group is hosting more speakers on campus, with Gray being the first elected Wyoming official invited to the school by the student organization. Saint said the group intends to host more elected Wyoming officials in the future.

So me and Nick are obviously outnumbered in student government, Saint said to Gray during a question and answer after Grays talk. Did he have any advice on how to support conservative policies and resolutions in that environment?

Vote no on the woke resolutions, Gray said. Id encourage you to do that. Dont kowtow to your principles. Fiscal conservatism. Whats the budget over there?

One point one million dollars, Saint responded readily.

Okay. Gray put his hand on his chin, thinking. Im trying to remember what it was at Penn. Thats a substantial haul, you know, youre responsible with that. I mean, thats mostly off student fees, right? Well be a good shepherd on that.

There are a couple political actors in the state that came from the University of Wyomings Turning Point student organization. Jessica Rubino, who launched the student organization in 2017 while she was a law student at the University of Wyoming, is now the Wyoming state director for the State Freedom Caucus Network, which partnered with the Wyoming Freedom Caucus in January. She met her husband, Rep. Harriet Hagemans nephew Joe Rubino, who now serves as the secretary of states chief policy officer and general counsel, at a campus Turning Point event. (Both attended Grays talk on Wednesday.)

Gray extended that bridge to the students present at the Turning Point talk, encouraging the seniors in the room to apply for an executive assistant position at the Secretary of States office. I think that this position is a good position for someone that wants to get involved, he said.
There are vaqueros and gauchos, the Mexican and Argentinian versions of Americas cowboys, but have you ever heard of the butteri, Italys horse-mounted cattle herders?

Very few people know about the butteri, said Guy de Galard, a Buffalo, Wyoming-based photographer and writer. They dont think of Italy as a country that has cowboys.

It was de Galard who connected California journalist turned photographer Gabrielle Saveri to Italys butteri. de Galard wrote and photographed a story on them in 2006 for Cowboys & Indians magazine. He unknowingly launched a passion project for Saveri. From that introduction 10 years ago, Saveri spent roughly five years producing a photographic exhibit, Italys Legendary Cowboys of the Maremma, now showing in the John Bunker Sands Photography Gallery at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. The photographs will be on display in the Cody gallery through Aug. 6.

Horses

For me, it was really about my love of horses, Saveri said. That was what drew me in initially. I love horses, and I love to ride. And then, Im Italian-American so as soon as I found out there were Italian cowboys I was like, Oh my god, I have to go.

After visiting the Maremma region of western Italy where the butteri still live and work, Saveri said the journalist in her took control.

Its become this big huge story, and now I seem to have become expert in everything buttero, she said, then backtracked saying shes not an expert but seems to continually find new angles to the story that has turned it into a project of love as well as a reason to repeatedly return to Italy. She even wrote a screenplay.

Its wonderful that Gabrielle is trying to promote them, de Galard said. Here there is a cowboy culture, but over there it is such a small area and there are so few of them that they are basically an endangered species.

Ancient

The butteri claim to be the oldest horseback cattle herders in the western world, dating back to their ancestors, the Etruscans. Although Etruscan DNA has been traced back to Stone Age farmers living in Europe around 6,000 BCE, the culture in Italy peaked in the 6th century BCE, prior to the rise of the Roman Empire.

Few artifacts of the Etruscan culture remain, although one ancient terracotta frieze plaque recovered from what was believed to have been a large palace or ceremonial site in Tuscany shows mounted riders racing. Also discovered at the site was the statue of a seated, bearded figure wearing a wide-brimmed hat similar to a cowboy hat. The statue was dubbed the Murlo cowboy.

La Sfida

Yet another link to history comes from Buffalo Bills Wild West show that toured Italy in 1890. According to Italian legend, Saveri said, William Cody lost a 1,000 lira bet (which he never paid) when a buttero was able to mount and ride a wild American mustang.

The William F. Cody Archive at the Center of the West contains news clippings from that visit that tell a different story. A March 5, 1890, New York Herald story headlined Roman Wild Horses Tamed by Cowboys! noted that, All Rome was excited yesterday over the trial of Buffalo Bills cowboys on wild horses furnished by Duke Sermoneta.

The story goes on to claim the duke declared that no cowboy on earth could ride his wild horses from the Pontine marshes. The cowboys laughed at the boast and then lassoed, saddled, bridled and mounted the horses. Cody then dared any Roman to ride his bucking broncos.

A March 11, 1890, New York Herald story reported that two Italian cowboys, belonging to Prince Ruspoli, came for the purpose of riding two of Buffalo Bills bronchos. After struggling for half an hour  the time given by Colonel Cody was ten minutes  Jubilee was ridden, but the Italians found it impossible to even mount the second horse, and they had to give it up.

One newspaper clipping in the Cody archives, of unknown origin but dated to 1890, editorialized: The accomplishments of the gladiator sink into insignificance when compared with the feats of the American cowboy.

University of Wyoming professor of History Renee Laegreid, told the museums Points West magazine the Italians believe they won, and the incident has become a point of pride in the region. The occurrence even has its own proper noun, La Sfida, or the challenge.

Life-changing

Saveris first visit with the butteri turned into one of the most beautiful experiences of her life, as she joined them to herd horses over the Tuscany hillsides down to a salt flat.

It kind of changed my whole life, she said. At that point Id go back every year and photograph something different.

At the time, she was teaching journalism and taking photography classes. The butteri eventually became a magazine story and the subject of her class photography project.

De Galard is not surprised the Italian cowboys captured Saveris imagination. He described her as driven, enthusiastic, passionate about her work and a good photographer.

Part of the attraction, he said, was undoubtedly capturing the culture of the butteri before they die out, forever preserving a small portion of a long-held tradition.

Its believed now there are only probably 30 authentic, working cowboys in the whole area of Maremma, Saveri said. They are desperately trying to hold on to this culture.

Magical

Saveri is also attracted to the butteris respect for the land, avoiding the use of pesticides as well as how they raise their animals as wild herds; every time she returns, she learns something new.

There are so many interesting angles to this story, Saveri said. Theres the history, theres the horsemen, women for the first time are starting to come into the fold. Every time she goes something magical happens.

During her second visit, she got to see a competition amongst the butteri.

The Italians are so good at doing these events that everything was timed perfectly. So just as the sun was setting this wild herd of horses came galloping down a vast meadow. It was one of the most beautiful things Ive ever seen, especially for someone like me who loves Italy and loves horses. And after that I knew I had to keep coming back.

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Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) headquarters in central Seoul / Courtesy of KIC





By Anna J. Park







Korea Investment Corporation (KIC), the country's sovereign wealth fund, hosted a meeting of the London International Financial Cooperation Council on Thursday, local time in London, delving into the topic of life science real estate investment with experts from the U.K.







Life science real estate refers to offices and research facilities leased by biopharmaceutical companies or research institutes, representing one of the most popular types of real estate investments globally, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.







The 21st meeting of the London-based council was attended by dozens of investment experts, ranging from Korean institutional investors from both public and private sectors as well as real estate experts in London.







Emma Goodford, who heads the Life Science & Innovation department at Knight Frank's London operation, also participated the council meeting, offering a presentation on unique characteristics of life science real estate investment.







During her presentation, she noted that the difficulty of setting up life science research facilities has yielded long-term real estate lease contracts, which makes investments stable and predictable. The real estate expert also stressed that the life science industry is growing fast, receiving accelerated investments from a wide range of sectors.







"The U.K. is one of the top leaders in the global life science industry, along with the U.S. Investment into global life science real estate will contribute to the sovereign wealth fund's portfolio diversification," said Park Jin-sung, chief of KIC's London office and the host of the cooperation council.







KIC's London office added that it will continue holding meetings that facilitate deeper understanding on market trends and drawing up advanced investment strategies. KIC currently operates regional offices in New York, San Francisco, London and Singapore to strengthen investment networks for local institutional investors.


Race has nothing to do with home invasions but the evidence shows that victims are East Indi
Former head of road safety group Arrive Alive, Sharon Inglefield, has called on the Government and Ministry of Works and Transport to see to the installation of cable and similar barriers along the nations highways and major roadways.

Inglefield told the Express in a telephone interview on Saturday that a lack of barriers and similar infrastructure geared towards minimising road fatalities and serious accidents should be a priority.
My first response when I read the article on the ruling of the court in the matter of Brent 
A view over Seoul's financial district Yeouido / Yonhap



FSS vows thorough probe into stock price scams involving unfair trading



By Anna J. Park



Local brokerage companies have begun to prohibit customers from opening new accounts for trading contracts for difference (CFD)  a financial derivative product tied to the difference in price of a contract's opening and closing prices  following a recently-revealed stock price manipulation scam involving eight local stocks, including Samchully, Daesung Holdings and Daou Data.



As the Ponzi-style stock scheme turned out to have used high-leveraged CFD trading to manipulate the prices, local securities companies are limiting customers' further access to CFD transactions, aiming to minimize both clients as well as the brokerage firms' potential losses from the highly risky bets.



Samsung Securities halted new subscriptions to CFD accounts from Thursday evening and also stopped receiving new selling or buying orders from CFD trade accounts. Korea Investment plans to suspend receiving any new orders from CFD accounts from May 1. Only liquidation settlements will be possible at existing CFD accounts at both Samsung Securities and Korea Investment.



Shinhan Investment and DB Financial have suspended CFD trading in the eight stocks that are involved in the scheme, while Meritz Securities plans to operate the CFD brokerage in a more cautious manner. NH Investment and Hana Securities will not be taking any measures, as they do not operate sizable CFD transactions at their house. Mirae Asset Securities does not provide CFD transactions.



Some 1,500 high-income earners have allegedly been swindled by the scam, resulting in a strong losing streak of most of the eight stocks since Monday. The prices of the four stocks  Samchully, Daesung Holdings, Seoul Gas and Sun Kwang  fell by over 75 percent this week, hitting daily low limits for four consecutive sessions. The other four stocks  Sebang, Daou Data, Harim and Daol Investment  also lost some 40 to 60 percent of their stock value since Monday.





Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) headquartered in Seoul / Courtesy of FSS



In line with the brokerage firms' moves, the financial authority has also urged them to take extra care in managing risks in their leveraged investments, including CFD transactions. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) held a meeting with the CEOs of 35 local securities companies Friday morning to share positions on the necessity of heightened risk management in leveraged investments.



During the meeting presided by the FSS' deputy governor, the financial watchdog agency called on the brokerage firms to restrain from excessive CFD businesses, stressing that excessive leveraged investments could bring forth increased market volatility and uncertainty.



The 35 securities firms responded to the authority's urge, vowing to strengthen preparatory reserves to increase their total loss-absorbency capacity (TLAC). The annual transactional amount of CFD trade has exponentially grown to 70.1 trillion won ($52.3 billion) in 2021, from 8.4 trillion won in 2019 and 30.9 trillion won in 2020. Due to its extreme risks, CFD trades are not allowed to retail investors under the U.S. regulatory regime.





Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) Governor Lee Bok-hyun speaks during a meeting at the headquarters of Mirae Asset Securities in central Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of FSS
Oro Valley police say they've arrested a driver in connection with a car-pedestrian crash that fatally injured one juvenile girl and severely injured another.

Sabrina Garcia, whose age was not given, was arrested on suspicion of one count each of causing death by moving violation and of causing serious physical injury by moving violation, the Oro Valley Police Department said in a news release late Thursday.

The collision occurred on Naranja Drive in the vicinity of Pomegranate Drive shortly before 1 p.m. March 17.

Police did not release the name or age of the two girls who were struck.

"The tragic loss of a young life has long lasting emotional impact on the entire community, and we share in that loss. Our hearts go out to all of the family and friends of the young victim of this tragedy," police said in the news release.

A dog that was being pushed in a stroller also died as a result of the collision, police said.

No further information was immediately available.
A woman was killed Thursday night when Tucson police say she crashed into a concrete pole on the city's south side.

Sandra Ty Graham, 40, was driving a white Hyundai Sonata near South Campbell Avenue and East 22nd Street just before midnight when she struck the curb then crashed into the pole, a news release from Tucson police said.

Graham later died at the hospital.

Detectives have yet to determine if impairment was a factor in the collision, police said.

This is the 13th fatal vehicle collision Tucson police have investigated this year. That's three more than at the same time last year, police say.
The man accused of killing Isabel Celis, 6, will not be assigned a new judge, after the court rejected his claim of bias against the current judge.

Christopher Clements was charged in 2018 with the separate kidnappings and killings of Isabel Celis and 13-year-old Maribel Gonzalez.
WORCESTER, Mass.  The Massachusetts Air National guardsman accused of leaking highly classified military documents kept an arsenal of guns and said on social media that he would like to kill a ton of people, prosecutors said in arguing Thursday that 21-year-old Jack Teixeira should remain in jail for his trial.

But the judge at Teixeiras detention hearing put off an immediate decision whether he should be kept in custody until his trial or released to home confinement or under other conditions.

The court filings raise new questions about why Teixeira had such a high security clearance and access to some of the nations most classified secrets. They said he may still have material that hasnt been released, which could be of tremendous value to hostile nation states that could offer him safe harbor and attempt to facilitate his escape from the United States.

In Teixeiras detention hearing, Magistrate Judge David Hennessy expressed skepticism of defense arguments that the government hasnt shown Teixeira intended leaked information to be widely disseminated.

Somebody under the age of 30 has no idea that when they put something on the internet that it could end up anywhere in this world? the judge asked. Seriously?

One possibility is that the judge could order Teixeira to be confined at his fathers home while awaiting trial, if not held in jail.

Under questioning at the hearing, his father, Jack Michael Teixeira, said he was aware that if his son were to violate conditions of release or home confinement, hed have to report him. The elder Teixeira said he owns firearms but no longer has any in his home.

You have a young man before you who didnt flee, has nowhere to flee, said Brendan Kelley, the defendants lawyer. He will answer the charges, he will be judged by his fellow citizens

But Nadine Pellegrini, chief of national security division in the Massachusetts U.S. attorneys office, told the judge the information prosecutors submitted to the court about the defendants threatening words and behavior is not speculation, it is not hyperbole, nor is it the creation of a caricature. It is based on what we know to date  directly based upon the words and actions of this defendant.

The prosecutions filing contains a review of what it says are Teixeiras social media posts, stating in November that he would kill a (expletive) ton of people if he had his way, because it would be culling the weak minded.

Late Wednesday, the Air Force announced it suspended the commander of the 102nd Intelligence Support Squadron where Teixeira worked and the administrative commander overseeing the support for the unit mobilized under federal orders, pending further investigation. It also temporarily removed each leaders access to classified systems and information.

Court papers urging a federal judge to keep Teixeira in custody detailed a troubling history going back to high school, where he was suspended when a classmate overheard him discussing Molotov cocktails and other weapons as well as racial threats.

More recently, prosecutors said, he used his government computer to research past mass shootings and standoffs with federal agents.

He remains a grave threat to national security and a flight risk, prosecutors wrote, and investigators are still trying to determine whether he kept physical or digital copies of classified information, including files that havent already surfaced publicly.

There simply is no condition or combination of conditions that can ensure the Defendant will not further disclose additional information still in his knowledge or possession, prosecutors wrote. The damage the Defendant has already caused to the U.S. national security is immense. The damage the Defendant is still capable of causing is extraordinary.

Teixeira has been in jail since his arrest this month on charges stemming from the most consequential intelligence leak in years.

Teixeira has been charged under the Espionage Act with unauthorized retention and transmission of classified national defense information. He has not yet entered a plea.

His lawyers urged the judge to release him from jail, arguing in court papers filed Thursday that appropriate conditions can be set even if the court finds him to be a flight risk  such as confinement at his fathers home and location monitoring.

The defense said Teixeira no longer has access to any top-secret information and accused prosecutors of providing little more than speculation that a foreign adversary will seduce Mr. Teixeira and orchestrate his clandestine escape from the United States.

The governments allegations  offer no support that Mr. Teixeira currently, or ever, intended any information purportedly to the private social media server to be widely disseminated, they wrote. Thus, its argument that Mr. Teixeira will continue to release information or destroy evidence if not detained rings hollow.
COVID-19 was not the only killer accounting for an increase in Arizona deaths in 2021: A surge in drunken driving deaths on the states highways that year was among the highest in the nation.

Arizona drunken driving deaths rose from 295 in 2020 to 421 a year later, a 43% increase that was the fifth-highest rate among states and territories in the U.S., according to a report this month by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In terms of raw numbers, the additional 126 drunken driving deaths was the nations fourth-highest  and accounted for virtually all of the increase of 127 traffic deaths of all types in the state from 2020 to 2021.

Experts point to a variety of possible reasons for the rise, but most said restless boredom spurred by the pandemic likely triggered an increase in unsafe driving behavior, especially speeding and driving under the influence.

The pandemic really reset a lot of peoples driving habits for the worse nationwide, and including Arizona, said Julian Paredes, a public relations specialist for AAA Mountain West. Unsafe behaviors like distracted driving, drunk driving, all those things were going down, up until 2020, and  we found by 2021 those habits started increasing again.

While Arizona was an outlier, it was not unique: Nationwide, drunken driving deaths rose 14% in 2021, from 11,718 to 13,384.

Rebecca Sustayta, manager of victim services for Mothers Against Drunk Driving Arizona, said she saw an increase in the number of people seeking help after a loved one was killed or severely injured in an impaired-driving accident. For many, there is a financial burden on top of all of this loss that people were already facing during the pandemic.

A lot of people end up losing their cars, they lose their home, and they have to find other places to go because they just cant financially support their family anymore, Sustayta said. Its so heartbreaking to see that happen because this is not something that this family ever did  but because somebody else decided to make that decision for them.

Mesa Police Officer George Chwe said he was not surprised by the data. He said he typically files more driving-under-the-influence charges against people coming from home than from a bar or social gathering because the homebodies often thought theyre OK and want to go get food. But they are not OK, and Chwe said that trend was exacerbated during the pandemic.

I had been in our traffic unit for the past 10 years, said Chwe, who also coordinates the Drug Recognition Experts program for the Arizona Governors Office of Highway Safety. And even in that 10-year time period, Ive never seen where the alcohol had surpassed our drug-related DUIs.

Michael Scott, the director of Arizona State Universitys Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, said the pandemic created an environment where roads were emptier, and fewer police were around, factors that encouraged not only drunken driving but also speeding.

Paredes said collisions are more likely to happen in states with a high population, see lots of travelers and are more reliant on cars, all of which are found in Arizona.

But even with that in mind, Paredes said he was surprised by Arizonas surge in drunken driving deaths given the states zero-tolerance rules. Chwe said Arizona police can file a DUI charge even if the blood alcohol content is as low as 0.02, as long as the driver is obviously impaired.

Scott said zero tolerance policies are only as good as their enforcement, and they are almost impossible as a practical matter to enforce.

Theres not going to be any arrest if a police officer doesnt make the stop in the first place, Scott said. Theres not going to be any penalty if the prosecutor drops the charges or doesnt file. So you really have to look at whats actually happening.

Sustayta agreed that we can make as many policies as we want, but until people change that behavior, things really arent going to change completely. One of the best ways for people to make that change, she said, is to take the time to learn more about the experiences of drunken driving victims.

I think we just need to work as a whole to hear more of peoples personal stories and to understand that there are families on the other side, Sustaya said.

Chwe said people tend to underestimate the amount of alcohol in their drinks and overestimate their ability to drive while intoxicated. On top of this, Chwe said the danger of driving under the influence oftentimes gets lost and becomes just another number, another statistic.
PHOENIX  A judge will hear arguments May 10 whether to dissolve a court order that keeps an Arizona Capitol Times reporter away from the three homes of state Sen. Wendy Rogers.

The hearing will be the first opportunity for reporter Camryn Sanchezs attorney to question Rogers about her allegations the reporter harassed her by going to houses the senator owns in Maricopa County to check where she is living.

Rogers claims a mobile home in Flagstaff, in her legislative district. The houses in Maricopa County are not in her district.

At an April 19 court hearing, Rogers testified under oath she has had the home that weve had in Tempe near the Capitol for the nearly past 20-some years. She said there is also a home we are purchasing and moving to to have near the Capitol in Chandler.

Amy Criddle, a Flagstaff city magistrate who also serves as a pro-tem justice of the peace, issued an injunction against harassment. It was based solely on Rogers testimony about Sanchez going to the two Maricopa County homes and comments by Rogers about being approached by Sanchez in February on the Senate floor.

That order was issued without an opportunity for Sanchez to respond.

On May 10, however, Howard Grodman, the justice of the peace for the Flagstaff district, will hear evidence presented by both sides and decide whether to keep the injunction in place.

Rogers did not respond Thursday to an inquiry about whether she will attend.

Any taxpayer role unclear

Kim Quintero, a spokeswoman for the Senate Republican majority, said she does not know whether taxpayers will pick up the cost of any attorney hired to help Rogers keep the harassment order in place.

The case has garnered interest because it involves a court imposing limits on the ability of a reporter to approach elected officials.

According to the newspaper, Sanchez had uncovered a public record showing Rogers and her husband bought a home in Chandler in January. There also was a trust document Rogers signed saying she lived in Tempe.

The paper reported that Sanchez had gone to the residences in an attempt to speak with neighbors to find out whether Rogers lived at either address and to ask Rogers why the document she signed listed her as being a resident of Tempe.

Rogers subsequently posted photos online of Sanchez taken from a doorbell camera at at least one of the two properties.

The senator claimed in her petition to the court that Sanchez, in showing up at her homes, had violated an order by Senate Republican leaders that the reporter not approach her in the Senate.

Senate floor also at issue

But Quintero said that directive covered only what Sanchez could do within the confines of the Senate building.

Rogers also said  and Senate President Warren Petersen confirmed  he had suggested she seek the injunction. Quintero said, however, that Petersen did not limit any of Sanchezs other activities in covering the Senate, nor did he revoke the privileges reporters now possess to be on the Senate floor when lawmakers are in session.

An audio recording of the April 19 hearing shows Rogers, in explaining to Criddle why she wanted an injunction, specifically mentioned the incident in February where Sanchez approached her on the Senate floor.

I tried to ignore her, but she persisted, Rogers testified. I told her, You are dismissed. 

The judge refused to tell Sanchez she had to stay away from Rogers at all locations, particularly because she had no opportunity to hear from the reporter.

One of the things a court has to determine in granting the request for an injunction is that theres a series of events that would be considered by a reasonable person to be harassing, annoying, that have no legitimate purpose, Criddle said. The piece Im having some trouble with specifically is the interrogation of you in February.

The judge said she understands that Rogers had instructed Sanchez, through Senate staffers, to stay away from her. But that, Criddle said, did not make the reporters actions improper or legally restrainable.

I cant be sure that her purpose in trying to have communication with you was beyond what would be considered a legitimate purpose, the judge said.

What Criddle said did concern her is that Sanchez was showing up at the Tempe home where Rogers lived and the Chandler home which she and her husband had bought and were renovating.

Is that a standard practice for reporters to track senators at their residences? Criddle asked Rogers. Do you know if thats normal?

To my knowledge, it is not normal, Rogers responded.

Arizona Capitol Times has declined to comment on the court case.

Everyone deserves privacy

Rogers said she was in Flagstaff the day Sanchez approached the two homes. She said she recognized Sanchez in the doorbell photos sent to her by her husband.

It was at that point, Rogers testified, that she called Petersen and he advised her to get an injunction against harassment.

Petersen subsequently issued a statement confirming that advice and defending it.

Everyone deserves privacy in their personal residences without worrying about reporters repeatedly showing up unannounced, the Gilbert Republican said.

Rogers sprawling Legislative District 7 runs from Williams through part of Flagstaff, east to Snowflake and then south through Payson, Miami, Apache Junction to San Manuel.

In general, possession of multiple residences is neither a violation of state election laws nor a legal finding that a legislator does not live where stated. Instead, courts routinely rely on statements from lawmakers of their intention.

Rogers, in filing her nomination papers as a candidate, said last year she had been a resident of the district where her mobile home is located for six years. A state constitutional provision says elected officials must be registered voters in the political division they represent.

Legal residence aside, the question of where a lawmaker resides has financial implications.

Under state law, lawmakers who live in Maricopa County are entitled to $35 a day for every day the Legislature is in session, including weekends and holidays.

But those from the other 14 counties get an allowance equal to what the federal General Services Administration lists as travel expenses for federal employees visiting Maricopa County. That is currently $151 a day for lodging with an additional $69 daily for meals and incidentals.
Four years after being denied entry into her graduation ceremony because she wore an eagle plume on her graduation cap, Larissa Waln is finally getting a bit of justice as her family settled their lawsuit against the Dysart Unified School District.

My family filed this lawsuit to protect Native peoples right to honor our religious beliefs and academic achievement, just as so many other students are permitted to, Waln said in a statement. I hope going forward schools learn to appreciate and respect our tribal practices.

Waln, a tribal member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, and her father, Bryan Waln, a tribal member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, announced their agreement to settle their lawsuit against Dysart School District on April 18. Details about the settlement were not released.

Waln, who is now 21, was 17 when she graduated from Valley Vista High School in Surprise in 2019. The settlement comes three years after they filed their lawsuit in April 2020 in response to what happened.

In May 2019, Waln showed up to her high school graduation at State Farm Stadium in Glendale wearing her cap and gown, ready to receive her diploma.

But as she entered the stadium with her fellow students, school officials stopped her at the door, and she was not allowed to enter or participate in the graduation ceremony.

School officials denied Waln access because she included traditional regalia as part of her attire. She had a beaded graduation cap with a sacred medicine wheel and an eagle plume that her family had blessed for the occasion.

It was an honor to be gifted the eagle plume for my graduation, Waln said, noting that she will cherish it forever.

Walns father prepared for her graduation by having Walns paternal grandmother bless the eagle plume in a ceremony on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.

Because wearing the delicate eagle plume under a covering or hat desecrates the sacred object, Bryan beaded his daughters mortar board to attach the plume.

When a school official saw the plume and beaded cap, the official prevented Waln from entering the stadium to participate in her graduation ceremony.

Public schools should be lifting up our students and celebrating our Native cultural practices, Bryan Waln said in a statement. These items are given in times of great honor, and we can think of no better opportunity to give these to our children than when they earn their high school diploma.

According to the lawsuit, the Dysart Unified School District claimed that allowing Waln to observe her religion this way would disrupt other students graduation ceremony experience. The district said that no students could participate in the commencement ceremony with an adorned or altered commencement cap.

But according to the lawsuit, another Dysart high school held its graduation ceremony at the same stadium on the same day, and one of those students was allowed to wear a breast cancer awareness sticker on their cap. The cap was permitted even after the school districts declaration that no student would be permitted to participate with an adorned cap.

Byran Waln said he remembers his daughter being turned away from her graduation. She was in tears, but he asked her what she wanted to do. If she wanted to move on, they would celebrate on their own, or if she wanted to stay and fight, they would. The teenager chose to fight, and their family protested the graduation ceremony and continued their fight in the court system.

The Walns sued, but a federal magistrate judge ruled in the schools favor in March 2021, and the case was dismissed.

The family appealed, and their case was heard by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The three-judge appeals panel ruled in favor of Waln, indicating that the student plausibly alleged that school district officials did not uniformly apply their policy against adornments on graduation caps.

This was the first time a federal appellate court ruled on an Indigenous students right to wear religious and traditional regalia at graduation, according to the Native American Rights Fund (NARF).

Dress codes cannot target and alienate Native students, nor require them to sacrifice practicing their spiritual beliefs to celebrate their academic achievements, NARF Deputy Director Matthew Campbell said.

The First Amendments free exercise of religion and free speech clauses protect students from being discriminated against, NARF stated. Many states also have laws to protect Indigenous students right to wear traditional and culturally significant regalia at graduation.

It is unfortunate that, in 2023, we are still having to deal with this issue, Campbell said. Modern school policies should celebrate Native traditions, comply with state and federal laws, and aim for inclusive ceremonies.

"We are the original Natives of this country. Yet, were still fighting for things like this."  Bryan Waln

NARF and law firm Rothstein Donatelli represented the family in the lawsuit, including its successful appeal.

We commend the Walns for standing up for their rights and cultural practices, Rothstein Donatelli partner April Erin Olson said in a statement. While Larissa cannot go back in time to attend her graduation ceremony, she can take comfort in the knowledge that future students will be able to celebrate their religious beliefs and academic achievements.

In an interview with the Arizona Mirror, Waln said she did feel like her right to freedom of expression and freedom of speech were violated because of what happened, and though the legal battle was long, it was worth it because her case has shed more light on this issue.

Waln said she hopes that other Indigenous students will see that its ok to be proud of their heritage and theyll fight for their culture.

I hope it shows them that it is OK to be proud of who you are and where you come from, Waln said. I hope they take more pride and know its OK to stand up if anything happens.

Walns case has inspired change in Arizona. A law was passed in 2021 which allows a citizen of any federally recognized tribe to wear traditional regalia or objects of cultural significance during graduation in Arizona. A school district governing board could not say otherwise.

They now understand how important it really is, Waln said.

In terms of closure, Waln said shes not sure because she still never got to experience her high school graduation, an event that happens once in a lifetime. She doesnt plan on attending college. She works full-time at a clinic and intends to remain in the workforce.

Byran Waln said his daughter being denied to wear her traditional regalia should not have happened, and it is not something she ever had to experience.

We are the original Natives of this country, he said. Yet, were still fighting for things like this.

Byran Waln said the victory in federal court should inspire change, and he hopes other states will start introducing laws protecting Indigenous students.

Indigenous students being denied their right to wear their traditional regalia is part of the colonization process, Bryan Waln said, and he hopes that one day it will end.

He said they tried to get permission from the school district before all this happened. He said they presented their case to the school board, principal, and superintendent when they announced a week before graduation that there would be no alterations to the cap and gown.

He said they had already worked with his family in South Dakota to bless the eagle plume and beaded the cap. He said they wanted to resolve the matter with the district, but the response they continued to get was that students couldnt wear anything political.

Its not political, Byran Waln said. Were not trying to push anything on anybody else or trying to convince them to or be anything.

The situation baffled him because he had two other children who could graduate in their traditional regalia without issues. They attend different schools in Arizona, which is why Byran Waln said he understood this wasnt happening everywhere in the state.

The fact that it still exists (is why) it needs to change, he said, adding that they want to continue sharing their stories. So people understand that Indigenous students should be allowed to celebrate themselves and where they come from.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)  The Kentucky Supreme Court has overturned lower court rulings that allowed leaders in Kentucky's largest city to remove a Confederate statue from a prominent location three years ago.

The 6-1 ruling issued Thursday said Louisville violated due process in getting approval to remove the John Breckenridge Castleman monument from Cherokee Triangle, news outlets reported.

The statue was vandalized several times over a few years before it was removed from its pedestal in June 2020 following a decision from Louisvilles landmarks commission.

A group called Friends of Louisville Public Art filed a lawsuit challenging the landmarks commission ruling. They argued the statue was a local landmark and said some commission members should not have been allowed to vote because they have a conflict of interest.

While the group acknowledged Castlemans Confederate ties, they argued that he later renounced his allegiance to the Confederacy. Castleman later served as a brigadier general in the U.S. Army. He was partially responsible for establishing Louisvilles park system and fought to keep the citys parks and playgrounds open to Black residents.

Kentuckys Court of Appeals upheld a Jefferson Circuit Court judges ruling dismissing the lawsuit. The appeals court ruled that there were no facts to support the conflict of interests claim.

The Supreme Court disagreed. Chief Justice Laurance B. VanMeter said it was a patent conflict for city employees to vote on the application to remove the monument.

... Their employment and their being asked to sit in review of an application filed by their employer were sufficient to raise a reasonable question of impartiality such that recusal was required as a matter of law," he wrote for the majority.

Plaintiff Steve Wiser said he was pleased with the courts ruling.

Kevin Trager, a spokesman for the city, said officials were reviewing the opinion before deciding how to proceed.
Once you strip away all the glitter and glitz, the sky-high stiletto heels and the thigh-high boot tops, the musical Kinky Boots proves itself to be a story about acceptance and forgiveness.

The cast and I have had these conversations from the start of rehearsals, said Travis Guillory, who is directing Theatre Tulsas production of Kinky Boots, which will conclude the companys 100th anniversary season.

Of course this is a high-energy show with a lot of laughs, a lot of singing and dancing, and a lot of literally moving parts, Guillory said. But we never wanted to lose sight of the fact that this show is really about accepting people for who they are, and to extend some forgiveness to those people who may treat you poorly, because they cant, or dont want to, understand why someone is different than themselves.

I see it as a story about how we can all be better human beings, by just offering others a little extra grace, he said.

Kinky Boots is based on the real-life story of a young man in Great Britain, who inherited his familys shoe-making business and the unique way he found to revitalize what had been a moribund enterprise.

As the musical, written by Tony Award-winning Harvey Fierstein and Grammy Award-winner Cyndi Lauper, tells it, Charlie Price (played by Andrew Barker) is planning on a career in London real estate and a life with his posh girlfriend Nicola (Claire Sbanotto).

When Charlie returns home for the funeral of his father, he learns that the family business, which has specialized in making sensible shoes for sensible gentlemen is near bankruptcy.

It takes a beating from a couple of thugs that brings Charlie together with Lola (Amari Wallace), the star performer at a local club specializing in drag shows, and a dressing-down by one of his workers, Lauren (Caitlin Gibbons), to make Charlie realize the way to save his business is to focus on an underserved niche market  namely, making high-heeled boots and shoes designed to be worn by men.

The story originally inspired a BBC documentary, then a feature film in 2005, before being turned into the musical that dominated the 2013 Tony Awards, with 13 nominations and six wins, including Best Musical.

Theatre Tulsa had originally planned on presenting Kinky Boots in 2020, but that production fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the company chose to mount a production for this season, they approached Guillory  who has worked with Theatre Tulsa in shows as diverse as The Producers and Beauty and the Beast  to direct.

And I turned them down, Guillory said, laughing. I knew it would be a huge undertaking  not just because it requires a large cast, with a lot of singing and dancing and huge set pieces flying in and out, but because of the responsibility for telling a story that deals with the drag community and societys perceptions about that community.

When I laid out all these reasons for turning the job down, Guillory said, the Theatre Tulsa people said, Thats why we need you to do this show. So they very gently but persuasively twisted my arm to direct and choreograph.

Guillory said casting the show was particularly challenging, as the show requires an ensemble of drag performers.

I had four people show up (to audition,) Guillory said, and every one of them knocked it out of the park. I knew that if we couldnt get that ensemble, if we couldnt find someone able to play the part of Lola, then it was back to the drawing board. But the perfect people showed up.

Guillory added that the music for the show puts unusual demands on most of the male vocalists.

Everything is pitched in the upper register, he said, so you have all the tenors singing in the alto range, and all the baritones singing tenor. Weve had to work to find ways for our cast to be able to sing this show in a way thats healthy and sustainable.

Guillory said the current, and highly charged, political and social atmosphere about drag performances has also been something of a galvanizing force for the cast and crew.

The fact that were doing this show at this time, when the whole idea of drag has become such a volatile subject, has really inspired everyone involved, Guillory said. Everyone understands how this musical comedy has suddenly taken on even greater cultural import, and so they are all working to make this show the best it can be.
Lee Pil-soo, president of the Korea Medical Association (KMA), criticizes the passage of a bill legislating the Nursing Act during a press conference held in front of the KMA building in Yongsan District, Thursday. Yonhap



Medical workers except nurses threaten to go on general strike



By Jun Ji-hye



President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing pressure from doctors and medical workers, especially nursing assistants, to veto the legislation of the Nursing Act. Divisions within the medical community have deepened following the act's controversial approval on Thursday in the opposition-controlled National Assembly.



A coalition of 13 medical workers' organizations including the Korea Medical Association (KMA)  comprised of doctors  expressed "deep anger and regret" over the passage of the bill, threatening to go on strike, if the president does not exercise his veto power.



Independent from the Medical Services Act, the Nursing Act is designed to clarify the scope of nurses' duties and improve their working conditions. Nurses have long complained about ambiguities in their roles and duties as stipulated in the Medical Services Act that they claim have increased their workload.



While the bill has been welcomed by nurses and backed by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which controls more than half of the 300-seat Assembly, it has faced opposition from other medical workers and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) claiming that it favors a certain group and could deepen existing conflicts within the medical community.



The doctors' group raised concerns that the law would allow nurses to intervene in the duties of physicians, while nursing assistants claimed they could suffer discrimination.



Despite fierce opposition from the PPP and doctors, the bill was approved in the Assembly's plenary session by the opposition party, while PPP members boycotted the vote and walked out before voting began.





Members of the Korean Nurses Association cry while listening to lawmakers' arguments for and against the Nursing Act during a plenary session of the National Assembly, Thursday. The bill legislating the Nursing Act was passed later in the day by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. Yonhap
Cant wait for the shot-in-Oklahoma film Killers of the Flower Moon to arrive in theaters?

Appetites were further whetted Thursday, when (A) Martin Scorsese appeared at CinemaCon in Las Vegas to show a teaser for the film, and (B) three new images from the film surfaced.

Before Thursday, only one production still had been released by Apple. On April 18, podcaster/journalist Scott Wampler pleaded with Apple TV via Twitter to release just one more still.

Heres one, said a reply from Apple TVs Twitter account. The reply was accompanied by a still featuring two of the films stars, Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio. Two other photos followed.

The photos were also released exclusively to Osage News. Apple retweeted the Osage News Twitter post about the photos.

Killers of the Flower Moon is based on David Granns best-selling book about the serial murder of Osages in the 1920s.

Scorsese thanked the Osage Nation during his CinemaCon appearance and said this about the film: This is a big-screen movie, and thats what we made. I could only have made this picture with collaborators who are remarkable and who are totally dedicated to bring this story to life on an epic scale. I needed actors brave enough to play complicated characters.

Killers of the Flower Moon stars Lily Gladstone in addition to frequent Scorsese collaborators De Niro and DiCaprio. The film (running time: 3 hours, 26 minutes) will debut at Cannes Film Festival in May before opening in select theaters Oct. 6. A wide release will follow Oct. 20, and the film will eventually stream on Apple TV+.
A jury has convicted a man in the fatal shooting of his landlord at their Broken Arrow home.

Cody OBryan, 23, was found guilty of second-degree murder in the slaying of Paul Stephen Bernius IV on Sept. 19, 2021. The two had been arguing outside the home about the thermostat, prosecutors said.

While this verdict wont bring Stephen Bernius back, we hope it will bring closure to his family, said Tulsa County Assistant District Attorney Katie Koljack. They should never have had to go through this. We are grateful to the jury for delivering justice in this case.

Through the investigation, it was discovered that Bernius and OBryan had a history of issues while they lived together, which was less than three months.

The Tulsa County jury recommended that OBryan be sentenced to 33 years in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. His sentencing is scheduled for June 12.
A Tulsa man who boasted on social media about his preference for dating underage girls was sentenced to life in prison Friday after he was convicted earlier of enticing a minor to have sex and related child porn crimes.

Chief U.S. District Judge John Heil III also ordered Alexander Nicholaus Sweet, 29, to simultaneously serve terms ranging from 10 years to 30 years in prison for six other related crimes.

Sweet, who indicated through an attorney that he would appeal his convictions and sentence, continues to maintain his innocence.

Its definitely an unfortunate circumstance for me to be here and for (the victim) as well, Sweet told the judge prior to being sentenced, adding that it was unfortunate that the trial didnt go the way I anticipated.

Sweet represented himself during the trial.

I lost a lot, Sweet said. Family. House. Car. Things like that.

But Sweet said what hurt him the most was losing my best friend, my partner, referring to the victim.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ed Snow, in urging Heil to sentence Sweet to life in prison, described Sweet as a scofflaw who believed the law is just wrong and Im right.

Snow called Sweet an opportunistic predator who had a complete and utter lack of respect for the authority of this court.

Under no circumstances does this case warrant anything less than life, Snow said, incorporating the victims response to a question posed by Sweet during the trial regarding whether she would ever want to be with him again.

Prior to being sentenced, the victim told the court that the case has impacted my life in a lot of different ways, especially since having a child of her own.

It just has me feeling very scared, the victim said.

U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson said in a written statement that Sweet targeted and groomed a vulnerable teenager struggling with the loss of two loved ones and a difficult childhood.

She showed tremendous courage when she faced him in a federal courtroom. This predator thought he was above the law but has now been convicted and sits behind bars where he can no longer victimize another child.

A jury just over one year ago found Sweet guilty of all seven counts he faced in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma.

A grand jury had named Sweet in a superseding indictment filed in 2021 that charged him with one count of coercing and enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity, one count of receiving child pornography, one count of possessing child pornography and four counts of production of child pornography.

The FBI said in court testimony that it began investigating Sweet in 2019 after receiving a tip that he was in an intimate relationship with a girl who was 15 years old at the time and that he possessed sexually graphic videos of child pornography.

The FBI said search warrants that targeted the teens school laptop and email accounts associated with Sweet turned up graphic videos and still photos.

The FBI arrested Sweet in July 2021 on a warrant in Tulsa after agents stopped a vehicle in which he and the then-17-year-old were riding.

An FBI special agent testified that when Sweet was arrested after leaving an east Tulsa pawn shop with the victim, he possessed a passport, an international drivers license, devices that would shield cellphone signals from detection and documents explaining how to obtain dual citizenship in Poland.

Prosecutors claimed that Sweet tried unsuccessfully to marry the girl in Payne County, but a court blocked him from filing the license. He then took the girl to Arkansas to fraudulently marry her before he was arrested, according to prosecutors.

Prior to his arrest, Sweets social media posts regarding underage females garnered enough attention to cause the formation of a public Facebook group titled, Tulsans Against Alexander Sweet.

The group has about 7,300 followers.
OKLAHOMA CITY  State Superintendent Ryan Walters wants new special reports from public schools across the state in his quest to root out diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, programming.

The State Board of Education voted 7-0 Thursday morning to mandate that local school districts detail their local, state and federal expenditures on staff, materials and any third-party contractors or vendors related to diversity, equity and inclusion.

According to the mandate, requested by Walters, districts have a June 9 deadline for preliminary responses and Sept. 1 for final reports.

They use these names and nomenclature to let people think that these are feel-good programs. Theyre not, Walters said at Thursdays meeting. Absolutely, it would be more accurate to call them divide, exclude and indoctrinate. Thats really what these programs are.

Based on amendments from board members Don Burdick of Tulsa and Trent Smith of Yukon, respectively, the special report requirement will include the names of third-party vendors and districts will be able to request a deadline extension if need be.

I am greatly concerned that the concept of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is increasingly being used to instruct students in harmful ideologies under the guise of promoting tolerance, Walters wrote in his proposal to the State Board of Education, which was posted online Wednesday along with Thursdays public meeting agenda. No one disagrees that we should include students with disabilities in education or that all students should have access to a quality education regardless of race, religion, or background.

DEI hides among these universal principles to force radical ideologies on students, teaching them that they must either accept a radical rejection of American principles or accept being labeled as exclusionary or racist.

In particular, I am concerned about DEI instruction teaching our students that they must oppose long-held American traditions like equal rights, free speech, or meritocracy. Such DEI programs reject the equality of all people in favor of an equity defined solely to advance certain ideologies at the expense of a free society.

In January, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education scrambled hundreds of employees to compile a 10-year review of its spending history on and current materials used for DEI programs at Walters request.

He was then also serving as Gov. Kevin Stitts appointed secretary of education, but he was recently replaced in that role.

In the end, the regents identified $10.2 million budgeted for DEI activities for the current fiscal year, of which the state contributed $3.7 million. That amounted to 0.29% of all higher education spending and 0.11% of state expenditures on higher education.

Walters wants all public schools to report whether their current expenditures will continue next fiscal year, although most local school boards do not adopt budgets for the next fiscal year until June.

The board supported his request to have districts release lists of personnel who spend at least a quarter of their time operating or assisting with a DEI program and electronic copies of all materials used by staff or third-party providers for DEI instruction during the 2022-23 academic year.
The debate was about banning affirmative action.

The video of former Oklahoma state Rep. Sally Kern talking about it from 12 years ago was so notorious that it even made HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver several years after she said it.

Rep. Kern, R-Oklahoma City, said minorities earn less than white people because they dont work as hard and have less initiative.

We have a high percentage of blacks in prison, and thats tragic, but are they in prison just because they are black or because they dont want to study as hard in school? Ive taught school, and I saw a lot of people of color who didnt study hard because they said the government would take care of them.

Days later, the state House of Representatives formally reprimanded her, after Rep. Kern herself requested the motion calling for the sanction be accepted by unanimous consent.

It was not, as it happened, but the motion by Rep. Mike Shelton, D-Oklahoma City, passed 76-16.

She stayed in the state House of Representatives until term-limited in 2016, where she revisited one of her other controversial remarks.

"In 2008, I did say the homosexual agenda is worse than terrorism," Kern told her colleagues. "I didn't apologize in 2008, and I don't apologize today."

Take a look back at some of her memorable quotes while in office:
As faith leaders pleaded for mercy Friday ahead of Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossips execution, Gov. Kevin Stitt indicated during a press briefing that he has no plans to intervene.

Most people think that the governor can sign something and immediately get someone out of prison or pardon someone, Stitt said Friday morning from Oklahoma City. Thats not the way our system works.

Two days earlier, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board effectively denied clemency for Glossip despite a rare plea for mercy from the state attorney general.

A 2-2 vote split the board after Gentner Drummond and others said they believe Glossip should get a new trial in the 1997 beating death of his boss, Oklahoma City motel owner Barry Van Treese.

Attorney Don Knight called on the governor to delay his clients upcoming execution.

Stitt pointed out Glossip was denied clemency after being convicted by a jury of his peers twice.

Ive already stayed his execution once or twice already. So, no ... unless the courts act, or theres new evidence brought before the courts, were going to follow the law, Stitt said in response to a question Friday.

Oklahoma statute gives the governor commutation power for death row inmates after favorable recommendation by a majority vote of the state Pardon and Parole Board.

A stay of execution is still within the governors power, faith leaders said as local pastors and amnesty advocates across the nation held a virtual prayer session Friday.

The Very Rev. Bryan Brooks, who has prayed at more than 100 executions over the past three decades in Oklahoma, spoke from his Broken Arrow parish as it was about to celebrate a wedding Friday.

Hinting at some hypocrisy in the world of politics, Brooks prayed that civic leaders would commit to respecting every human life and to build a society that truly chooses life in all circumstances.

Pastor Bo Ireland of Clark United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City also prayed for leaders who say they are Christian but act so un-Christlike.

A panelist reminded those involved in the prayer call that one of the votes for clemency came from Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board member Edward Konieczny, an Episcopal bishop.

Glossips legal team, left with limited options to block his May 18 execution, have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene.

Glossip has long proclaimed that he was framed for Van Treeses murder. His attorneys claim that their client was set up by a motel maintenance man, Justin Sneed, who they argue killed Van Treese during a botched robbery and shifted the blame to avoid getting the death penalty himself.

Glossip has been on death row for about 25 years. He has been within hours of being put to death by lethal injection on several occasions before his execution was postponed.

He has eaten his last meal three times and was previously denied clemency before his first execution date in 2014.

Death row in Oklahoma: Pace of executions in 2023 slows on AG's request Richard Glossip Jemaine Cannon Anthony Sanchez Phillip Hancock James Ryder Michael D. Smith Wade Lay John Fitzgerald Hanson Oklahoma corrections director on execution: 'Not pleasant to watch, but ... not inhumane' Alfred Mitchell Marlon Harmon Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez Clarence Goode Jr. Emmanuel Littlejohn James Pavatt Kendrick Simpson Kevin Underwood Raymond E. Johnson Richard Rojem Ricky Malone Ronson Bush Termane Wood Wendell Grissom Check out our latest digital-only offer and subscribe now
House Republicans closed shop and left in something of a huff after their Senate GOP brethren told them they couldnt come on the floor in that chamber for awhile Thursday afternoon.

Floor privileges, as theyre known, are typically a routine courtesy, which may be why the House leadership seemed to find their revocation so galling  the most juvenile move Ive ever seen during his 11 years in the Legislature, Majority Floor Leader Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City, told the House.

Senate leadership apparently had a similar reaction on Wednesday, when House Republicans made a great show of backing Gov. Kevin Stitt in his fight with the other chamber, which is why the Senate did what it did on Thursday.

Speaker Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said the privileges for both the House and Stitt were suspended for only a short time while the Senate considered two education bills.

Given last years dramatic theatrics and lobbying efforts on the senate floor by non senate members, the pro tem temporarily suspended floor rights from House members and the governor for todays Senate education bills, Alex Gerszewski, Treats spokesman, said in an email.

Pro Tem Treat wanted senators to have full focus and attention on the  bills in front of them  House members and the governor had full access and privileges to the gallery if they wanted or needed to watch the Senate.

Following his announcement, Echols said the House would proceed with nine Senate bills graced by good House language and end the day by voting down a 10th Senate bill deemed too liberal.

The House Republicans annoyance was demonstrated a few minutes later when they gave a loud cheer to a Democrat, Rep. Meloyde Blancett of Tulsa, when she described one of the good bills as an attempt to save legislation the Senate screwed up.

The sacrificial bill voted down in defiance was Senate Bill 281, by Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, which Echols described as irredeemably liberal. It would have allowed people receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families to own a vehicle worth more than $5,000, which is the current limit.

The House did pass about 50 bills ahead of Thursdays deadline for Senate measures to get out of the House. Among those kept alive were a number of education measures and one that would require the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority to come up with a different vendor for its seed-to-sale program.

Most of the bills must go back back across the Capitols fourth floor rotunda, where they will be up against an irate bunch of senators and, down on the second floor, a governor whos promised to veto all Senate bills until he gets what he wants on tax cuts and taxpayer funding of private schools.

Not taken up by the House and therefore consigned to the discard pile was legislation to create a $1 billion endowment fund favored by Stitt.

Among the bills sliding in ahead of the deadline was SB 516, by Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, which proposes a revamp of the states charter school oversight. That includes doing away with a separate statewide virtual charter school board and bringing all charter schools under a single statewide board.

Also passed, although in a greatly reduced state, was SB 397, by Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain. Originally a mandate for all libraries to inventory their materials and classify them according to age-appropriateness, the bill as amended Thursday would instruct the Oklahoma Department of Libraries to formulate uniform procedures to be approved by the Legislature and adopted by school districts for the review and acquisition of collection materials.

The bill calls for the proposed policies to be submitted to the Legislature next year.
Gov. Kevin Stitt went on a veto spree Wednesday in an attempt to pressure the state Senate to cut taxes and pass an education plan that includes teacher pay raises and school choice tax credits.

Read more from Barbara Hoberock and Carmen Forman:

Stitt vetoes 20 Senate bills to spur approval of his education plan; senators push back In retaliation for the vetoes, a Senate panel on Thursday evening was poised to reject Stitt's appointments of two of his Cabinet secretaries.#oklaed #okleg

Stitt and the Oklahoma House of Representatives on Wednesday tried double-teaming the Senate in their session-long scrap over education policy and appropriations.

Read more from Randy Krehbiel:

House Republicans align with Stitt in education fight With three largely performative roll calls, House leadership signaled full support for an $800 million proposal put forward last week by Stitt and opposed by the Senate.

If (Stitt) continues down this road of killing policy, we will be forced to exercise our constitutional authority, as well, Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said Thursday. He has chosen to exercise his veto authority. We are choosing to exercise our confirmation authority.

Read more from Barbara Hoberock:

Senate panel rejects two Stitt Cabinet appointments Were going to reject those nominees as long as the governor continues to make vetoes about trying to bully us. We are going to show him that were going to stand up to bullies, said Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat.

After GOP lawmakers in Oklahoma's Senate GOP told House members they couldnt come on the floor in that chamber for awhile Thursday afternoon, the House majority floor leader called it the most juvenile move Ive ever seen."

Senate leadership apparently had a similar reaction on Wednesday, when House Republicans made a great show of backing Stitt in his fight with the other chamber, which is why the Senate did what it did on Thursday.

Read more from Randy Krehbiel:

A bill Stitt is expected to sign amid the flurry of vetoes: Senate Bill 613 passed with House amendments Thursday. The governor had requested the legislation to prohibit gender transition procedures.

Read more from Barbara Hoberock:

Oklahoma Senate passes bill banning transgender care for minors Gov. Stitt is expected to sign the bill into law. Health care providers in violation of the act would be subject to felony and civil legal action.
U.S. Sens. James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin and 3rd District Congressman Frank Lucas asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs on Friday to reconsider implementation of complex new rules for Osage oil and gas production.

As drafted, (the rule) would negatively impact all headright owners ability to utilize their own resources on their own land, says a letter from the three to Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland.

Osage Nation leaders expressed similar opposition to BIA officials on March 30, according to a transcript of that meeting at the Osage Casino in Tulsa.

Instead of strengthening BIAs control over the mineral estate, strengthen our minerals councils control over the mineral estate, Osage Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear said during the meeting, according to the transcript.

The 1.5 million-acre Osage mineral estate has been the source of much strife and controversy over the past 117 years, including murder and charges of mismanagement and theft.

The estate was established under a 1906 treaty by which the Osages agreed to allotment of their reservation  present Osage County  purchased from the Cherokee Nation in 1872 in order to create the state of Oklahoma.

But while the surface of the reservation was allotted individually, all mineral rights continued to be held collectively. Each recognized tribal member at the time  2,229 people  received one share, or headright. Because the number of headrights is fixed while the Osage population has grown (and some headrights are no longer owned by tribal members), individual holdings tend to be fractionalized.

Nevertheless, headrights continue to be an important income source for many Osages.

Much of the Osage oil and gas production is now small-scale, and tribal leadership say theyre concerned that some of the new rules will increase production costs to the point of shutting down marginal wells.

They also want more control of the estate, which is managed by the BIA, and they want the local BIA superintendent to have more flexibility in dealing with issues.

We dont need new rules, Osage Minerals Council Chairman Everett Waller said in the March 30 meeting. We just need the power sitting in the room with us to fix the problem.

In their letter to Newland, Lucas and the two senators say the council has repeatedly expressed the need for new regulations to benefit the Osage Mineral Estate, and headright holders, while balancing the responsibilities of the BIA as the trustee of the estate.

Additional consultation efforts will provide an opportunity to reset that relationship, and find the best solution, their letter says.

Video: Martin Scorseses new movie with Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio will head to theaters
OKLAHOMA CITY  The Senate passed a bill Thursday night that would bar some types of gender-affirming care for minors who are transgender.

The Senate accepted House amendments to Senate Bill 613, by Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville. It now goes to Gov. Kevin Stitt, who is expected to sign it.

Counseling would not be prohibited under the bill, Daniels said.

The bill also would not prohibit medications for anxiety and depression or services to those born with ambiguous genitalia, incomplete genitalia, or both male and female anatomy.

Prohibited gender transition services would include procedures that alter or remove physical or anatomical characteristics that are typical of the individuals biological sex.

The bill also would prohibits puberty-blocking drugs, cross-sex hormones or other drugs to suppress or delay normal puberty or to promote the development of feminizing or masculinizing features consistent with the opposite biological sex.

Health care providers in violation of the act would be subject to felony and civil legal action.

In an unusual move, the Senate voted at 8:40 p.m. to limit debate on the measure to 30 minutes per side.

Senate Minority Leader Kay Floyd, D-Oklahoma City, said the Legislature is inserting itself into a decision that should be left up to parents.

Where do we stop? she asked. What other medical conditions are we going to interject the Legislature and lawmakers into?

Transgender Oklahomans deserve privacy, said Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City.

Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee, said the procedures have been called best medical practice and gender-affirming care. But Jett said they are medical malpractice and mutilation and sterilization of children.

Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, urged the upper chamber to vote yes to protect children from mutilation and irreversible harm.

But Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, said that gender-affirming care is life-saving care.

She said parents would do anything to help their children and that lawmakers are taking away that opportunity.

Daniels said the bill is about delaying minors from making life-altering decisions.

The vote was 37-8.

Photos: Hundreds march for Transgender Day of Visibility in Tulsa Transgender Day of Visibility 040123-tul-nws-transgendermarch-p1 040123-tul-nws-transgendermarch-p2 040123-tul-nws-transgendermarch-p3 Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility Transgender Day of Visibility
Colorado becomes first U.S. state to ensure farmers' right in equipment repairs

Xinhua) 13:07, April 28, 2023

DENVER, the United States, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Colorado became the first U.S. state to guarantee farmers' right to repair tractors and other equipment, or to secure a reasonable rate at an independent repair shop, thanks to a bill signed into law on Tuesday.

This move was a potential launch pad for other states and even at the federal level where discussions about similar legislation are already under way, KSL news channel located in Salt Lake City, Utah, reported Wednesday.

"Right to Repair" legislation was gaining momentum across the country as lawmakers in 16 states had introduced bills that would force manufacturers to help consumers offset crippling repair bills on a wide array of products and equipment, according to a report by the Public Interest Research Group, an advocacy organization, including in Florida, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Texas and Vermont.

But the Centennial State, known for its farming and ranching community, became the first state Tuesday to officially help farmers avoid big repair bills they routinely pay for fixing heavy farm equipment.

"I am proud to sign this important bipartisan legislation that saves hardworking farmers and ranchers time and money on repairs, and supports Colorado's thriving agriculture industry," Colorado Democratic Governor Jared Polis said in a statement Tuesday.

"This is a common-sense bipartisan bill to help people avoid unnecessary delays from equipment repairs," he added.

Even though the bill was co-sponsored by some Republican lawmakers, the legislation advanced through long committee hearing as Polis and Colorado democrats were opposed strongly by tractor titan Deere and Co., the 1837 corporation founded by John Deere that grossed 52.58 billion U.S. dollars of revenue in 2022.

The proposal left some lawmakers stuck between their farming constituents pleading for the ability to repair their equipment and the manufacturers who vehemently opposed it.

Deere said the legislation was unnecessary and would carry unintended consequences, such as allowing equipment owners to illegally crank up the horsepower and bypass emissions controls, which would put operator safety and the environment at risk.

Opponents also warned that compelling companies to share more detailed information necessary for repairs could expose proprietary information.

Once the law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, machinery manufacturers like Deere will have to provide farmers with diagnostic tools, software and documents - simple resources currently not accessible. In addition, mechanics will be able to access similar tools for streamlining repairs.

In California, lawmakers are poised to pass legislation that will give new access to tools and manuals to fix "everything from farming equipment to wheelchairs to TV sets and cars," according to the California Public Interest Group (CALPIRG).

California lawmakers on Tuesday heard arguments supporting and opposing the proposed legislation, as State Attorney General Rob Bonta joined his counterparts across the country urging national Right to Repair laws, according to media reports.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
President Yoon Suk Yeol applauds during a Korea-U.S. Cluster Roundtable at a hotel in Boston, Friday (local time). Yonhap



President meets MIT experts on digital, bio convergence



By Nam Hyun-woo



BOSTON  President Yoon Suk Yeol called for synergy between Korea's capabilities in manufacturing and the U.S.' prowess in science and technology, saying their combination would be a win-win for the two economies.



Yoon made the remarks Friday (local time) during the Korea-U.S. Cluster Roundtable in Boston, the second stop on his six-day state visit to the U.S.



He held the event in Boston due to the region's successful creation of top companies and jobs through cooperation with global tech and bio companies, top financial institutions, consulting firms, law firms, research institutes, hospitals and others.



"Boston is now home to the best innovative cluster on Earth," Yoon said referring to Kendall Square in the Greater Boston area. The square is oftentimes crowned the most innovative square mile in the world by media because of its high concentration of startups and the quality of innovation that has emerged in the vicinity.









"I am confident that if the advanced industry innovation clusters in Boston and Korea collaborate closely and combine the scientific and technological capabilities of the United States and Korea, it will create significant synergies for both countries' economies," Yoon said.



Yoon called on experts to share their experiences collaborating and creating value in various fields, such as industry-academia R&D, investment, law and management in the Boston Cluster, and expressed hope that the event would provide an opportunity to discuss ways to accelerate innovation in the advanced clusters of both countries.



At the roundtable, experts including Massachusetts General Hospital President David Brown, LabCentral and Biolabs Founder & CEO Johannes Fruehauf, Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel and Johnson & Johnson Executive Vice President William Hait explored ideas on what clusters can do for the progress of advanced industries and how government policy can help clusters succeed.



Yoon also toured an investment fair on the sidelines of the roundtable and praised the participating venture startups. Yoon's office said it expects the event to generate investments worth more than $15 million.



In the wake of the event, four memoranda of understanding (MOUs) on clusters were signed between Korean and U.S. entities, while nine other bio-related MOUs were also inked.



Of them, the Korea Technology and information Promotion Agency for SMEs and LabCentral signed an MOU on sharing successful experience in nurturing industrial clusters. LabCentral is a nonprofit organization based in Cambridge, providing shared laboratory space designed as a launch pad for high-potential life sciences and biotech startups.



Kakao Healthcare signed an MOU with Google for biotechnology cooperation utilizing artificial intelligence, while GMS Healthcare signed an MOU worth up to $20 million with Westcarb Enterprises to supply laboratory freezers for the U.S. government procurement market.





President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a meeting with experts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Engineering in Cambridge, Mass., Friday (local time). Yonhap
OKLAHOMA CITY  A Senate panel refused to confirm two of Gov. Kevin Stitts appointments to his Cabinet on Thursday.

The action came after Stitt vetoed 20 Senate bills because members of the upper chamber would not go along with his education and tax-cut proposals.

If he continues down this road of killing policy, we will be forced to exercise our constitutional authority, as well, Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said before the committee met. He has chosen to exercise his veto authority. We are choosing to exercise our confirmation authority.

Were going to reject those nominees as long as the governor continues to make vetoes about trying to bully us. We are going to show him that were going to stand up to bullies.

With a 0-19 vote, the Senate Rules Committee voted against confirming Stitt's appointment of Chad Mariska of Tulsa as secretary of commerce and workforce development.

The Rules Committee also voted against confirming Stitts appointment of Kevin S. Corbett as Cabinet secretary of health and mental health, a post he currently held. That vote also was 0-19.

Corbett also serves as Oklahoma Health Care Authority CEO. Stitt appointed him to that post in 2019, and the Senate confirmed that appointment in 2020.

The Oklahoma Health Care Authority administers the states Medicaid program.

Treat said the Senate Republican caucus chose to reject Corbett because of the Health Care Authoritys rocky rollout of a new statewide health information exchange and because numerous lawmakers had frustrations with how that agency was trying to spend $600 million in surplus cash.

The caucus decided to reject Mariska because theres a growing frustration among lawmakers that the state cant land major economic development projects, Treat said.
OKLAHOMA CITY  Gov. Kevin Stitt went on a veto spree Wednesday in an attempt to pressure the state Senate to cut taxes and pass an education plan that includes teacher pay raises and school choice tax credits.

Stitt vetoed a mix of 20 bills from GOP senators and vowed to veto more legislation from the Oklahoma Legislatures upper chamber.

Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said the governor was resorting to overtly political bullying tactics.

I think its beneath the dignity of that office to issue the type of vetoes he did, Treat said.

In retaliation, a Senate panel on Thursday evening was poised to reject Stitts appointments of two of his Cabinet secretaries  Secretary of Health and Mental Health Kevin Corbett and Secretary of Commerce Chad Mariska.

Even though these two Cabinet secretaries were already serving in their roles, their appointments are contingent on Senate approval.

Senate passes new education plan in response

I cannot, in good faith, allow another year to go by without cutting taxes and reforming education, Stitt wrote in identical veto messages on all 20 bills. Until the people of Oklahoma have a tax cut, until every teacher in the state gets the pay raise they deserve, until parents get a tax credit to send their child to the school of their choice, I am vetoing this unrelated policy and will continue to veto any and all legislation authored by Senators who have not stood with the people of Oklahoma and supported this plan.

Stitt is ratcheting up the pressure on the Senate to pass his $800 million education plan, which he views as a compromise between competing House and Senate proposals. The House on Wednesday gave initial support to the governors plan, which includes across-the-board teacher pay raises and tax credits for parents who send their children to private schools.

The governors education plan includes $200 million for tax credits for households with home-school or private-school students, $300 million to the state school funding formula to cover teacher pay raises, and $300 million in new per-pupil funding that would be doled out to all districts.

Stitt has also called for a slate of tax cuts.

In response to the vetos, the Senate advanced a modified version of its education plan on Thursday by gutting House bills and adding new language related to education.

House Bill 2672 now would provide teacher pay raises based on years of experience for a cost to the state of $350 million. Another $150 million would go through the funding formula to benefit schools.

It contains a one-time stipend for certified staff and support staff of $3,000 paid for with $200 million in one-time finds. In addition, it would provide $17 million from lottery funds for a merit pay program.

The measure passed by a vote of 46-1 and returns to the House.

The Senate also gutted House Bill 1934 to provide refundable tax credits based on family income for parents who want to send their children to private schools.

The credits range from $7,500 for those earning not more than $75,000 to $5,000 for those earning more than $250,000. It also contains a $1,000 tax credit for parents who educate children in home schools.

The measure passed by a vote of 36-10.

Treat said the Senate complied with Stitts request

We stand with him on school choice, Treat said. We just delivered an excellent school choice plan. We just delivered the pay raise he references here, but we did it in a manner that sought input from across the state, not just from advisers.

What did Stitt veto?

Among the casualties of Stitts veto rampage was a bill backed by the University of Oklahoma that would make it easier for college athletes to be compensated for the commercial use of their name, image and likeness.

Stitt also vetoed a bill that would allow for protective orders in instances of child abuse and a measure that would allow state agencies to provide inmates leaving prisons and jails with naloxone, a drug that can reverse opioid overdoses.

Almost all of the vetoed bills had passed with overwhelming support in both chambers.

Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, said Stitt resorted to the nuclear option.

Murdock sponsored Senate Bill 291, one of the vetoed bills, after a constituent reached out seeking to broaden the law related to protective orders because someone who had abused her children was still contacting them from prison.

What disappoints me is in the governor playing politics, we are hurting abused children and putting them at risk, Murdock said.

No veto overrides yet

House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, said the Senate needs to vote on the governors education plan before that chamber gives any consideration to overriding Stitts vetoes. Veto overrides typically require two-thirds majorities in both chambers.

We think the Senate should put it up for a vote and just see where the chips fall, he said. McCall said Stitt told him hes fine with any veto overrides so long as lawmakers pass his education plan first.

But a major sticking point in the governors proposal is the $300 million Oklahoma Student Fund, which would disproportionately benefit smaller school districts and hurt urban and suburban districts because of a cap that would limit each district to no more than $2 million.

Scrapping that fund appears to be a nonstarter for the House.

Stitt also vetoed five House bills on Wednesday, although those rejections appear to be separate from the spate of Senate vetoes.

The governor scrapped House Bill 2820, which would have continued through 2026 the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, saying the strategic value of the PBS affiliate is at best unclear, if not outright imagined. He also vetoed a bill that would have continued through 2025 the Oklahoma Advisory Council on Indian Education, a panel that advocates on behalf of Native American students.

Stitt also rejected House Bill 2863, which would have created the Oklahoma State University Veterinary Medicine Authority and given the entity $50 million in bonding capacity to help the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Legislative leaders both expressed support for OETA, making a veto override appear likely at a later date.

McCall said there are other ways the Legislature can help OSUs veterinary school.

We have all kinds of time to talk about veto overrides, and we dont have as much time to get something done on education, McCall said.

The education policy dispute is holding up other parts of state budget negotiations.
Vietnam has called on investors to accelerate impact and innovation investment in order to help it meet its future development demands, according to Vu Quoc Huy, director of the Vietnam National Innovation Center under the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Echoing Huy's viewpoint during an investment promotion seminar held on April 20, delegates agreed that impact investments have both contributed to economic growth and improved standards of living in many Asian countries, saying that Vietnam could be next in line. Future potential, current lag While innovation has captured considerable attention from the government in recent years, impact investment is still a novel concept in the Vietnamese business scene. According to the Global Impact Investing Network, impact investing is a "rapidly growing industry powered by investors who are determined to generate social and environmental impact as well as financial returns." In 2022, Alfonso Garcia Mora, vice-president for Asia and Pacific at the International Finance Corporation, wrote an op-ed for Nikkei Asia which pointed out that the number of Asian investors with a dedicated environmental, social, and governance (ESG) function rose to 46 percent from 21 percent in just two years. Still, Mora noted that investors from these regions still have a long way to go as they seek to boost impact investments. According to Kathy-Thuy Nguyen, country director of Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) in Vietnam, impact investment in the country is at a nascent stage. During a recent discussion with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Nguyen said that the lag in impact investment growth was due to the lack of a sustainable ecosystem which could help the sector mobilize and unlock private capital for impact businesses in the country. In particular, there are certain sustainability issues and climate-related risks which need increased investment in order to be addressed, particularly in the agriculture industry and in the Mekong Delta region. There is a significant concentration of women and underserved communities with inclusion challenges for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as well as social impact businesses, she said. On the upside, Nguyen noted that Vietnam has great potential for impact investing to blossom. The country is one of the most dynamic in the world and is considered as the fastest-growing economy in Asia. The gross domestic product growth rate in 2022 was 8.02 percent, expected to fall only slightly to 6.5 percent in 2023. Amongst the countrys strengths are the size of its market, 100 million people, its highly entrepreneurial and innovative workforce, and a young population which accounts for almost 70 percent of its labor force. The Southeast Asian country also attracts significant investment from abroad, including foreign direct investment capital focused on high-tech and high-value-added sectors. Considering this landscape, Nguyen believes experience and expertise from investment firms and organizations with impact orientation like IIX could help Vietnam unlock its true potential. The potential of PIIs According to Son Nguyen, an associate at IIX and the Vietnam market lead of Impact Partners, one of the problems within the current impact investment ecosystem is that enablers in Vietnam are disintegrated and fragmented. These enablers include government ministries and agencies, research groups, capacity-building organizations, third-party service providers, and international donor agencies. In addition, most Vietnamese social impact businesses are inexperienced in raising capital from foreign investors and are not ready to absorb private capital due to low confidence, a lack of reporting standards, and low English capabilities, said Son. Son Nguyen, an associate at IIX and the Vietnam market lead of Impact Partners. A recent study, 'The Advance of Impact Investing in Southeast Asia' carried out with support from Investing in Women, an initiative of the Australian government, divided impact investors into two major groups: private impact investors (PIIs) and development finance institutions (DFIs). According to Son, Vietnam has attracted about US$1.6 billion in impact capital since 2012, but the majority was deployed by large DFIs. Meanwhile, PIIs have cumulatively invested just over $28 million in 29 deals in Vietnam over the last 10 years. Look at Southeast Asian neighbors: PIIs have invested more than $234 million across 105 deals in Indonesia and over $184.6 million in the Philippines across 66 deals. This implies that the potential for PIIs is huge in Vietnam and that social impact businesses will have more capital options for their growth journey," said Son. Son also explained that PIIs provide flexibility for social impact businesses in terms of ticket size, as some businesses in their early stages need capital to grow before they are mature enough to apply for investment from DFIs. In addition, PIIs can provide different types of financing vehicles like equity, debt, and quasi-equity. Catalyst for change Son expressed his belief that the era of risk-return alone is long gone. Now we are moving to the era of risk-return-impact, he said. After the COVID-19 pandemic, there is growing recognition that a new norm is taking shapeone defined by global interdependence, mutual obligation, and an urgent demand to democratize health, equitability, and community resilience, Son said. In reality, this new norm has been a long time coming. Son highlighted that MSMEs need to demonstrate environmental and social impact in order to adjust to this new norm, thus allowing them to grow more sustainably in an increasingly interdependent world. While customers nowadays are becoming more mindful of ESG topics, investors must consider the impact of their traditional risk-return formula to direct capital with the purpose of addressing todays global challenges and diversifying their investment portfolios. Nguyen from IIX suggested MSMEs could benefit significantly from the trend since impact companies possess effective impact assessment tools, are cognizant of who they are working with, and maintain high standards of accountability and transparency. For this reason, she does not think impact orientation is as burdensome for businesses as some believe. IIX has been supporting impact investment for more than 14 years in different countries around the world, and we are expanding our efforts in Vietnam with the same approach and values, she said. To date, IIX's work has spanned 53 countries, unlocked $288 million worth of private-sector capital, positively impacted over 159 million direct and household lives, and avoided over 1.83 million tonnes of carbon emissions. Impact investing thrives in India India has seen the presence of impact investing since the birth of the concept in the late 2000s. This presence has been substantial and the amount of investment capital is in the billions. There are multiple factors contributing to the immense potential for impact investing in India, which is one of the fastest-growing emerging economies and continues to offer lucrative returns on investment. The sheer size and great diversity mean that there continue to be great need and opportunity for impactful change across all dimensions. The estimated outlay required to meet the sustainable development goals for such a large population cannot be met solely by government spending. Rising standards of living coupled with greater awareness of social and environmental issues mean that entrepreneurs starting new companies are often doing so with ethical agendas and societal impact in their mind. According to a recent report by Impact Investors Council, the trade body for this sector, in the year 2022, $6 billion in impact funding was given to 377 enterprises, out of which 130 were focused on climate change. According to another report, the most common business model for impact investing is the venture model which is focused on a short time frame leading to an industry-wide lacuna of growth-stage funding. This provides a further opportunity for niche impact investing in India. A vibrant democracy and increasing synergy with global institutions and best practices along with a very well-developed social sector and booming entrepreneurial scene create a healthy environment for successful impact investing. Sonali Acharjee (Senior Associate Editor, India Today) Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Vietnam has called on investors to accelerate impact and innovation investment in order to help it meet its future development demands, according to Vu Quoc Huy, director of the Vietnam National Innovation Center under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Echoing Huy's viewpoint during an investment promotion seminar held on April 20, delegates agreed that impact investments have both contributed to economic growth and improved standards of living in many Asian countries, saying that Vietnam could be next in line.

Future potential, current lag

While innovation has captured considerable attention from the government in recent years, impact investment is still a novel concept in the Vietnamese business scene.

According to the Global Impact Investing Network, impact investing is a "rapidly growing industry powered by investors who are determined to generate social and environmental impact as well as financial returns."

In 2022, Alfonso Garcia Mora, vice-president for Asia and Pacific at the International Finance Corporation, wrote an op-ed for Nikkei Asia which pointed out that the number of Asian investors with a dedicated environmental, social, and governance (ESG) function rose to 46 percent from 21 percent in just two years.

Still, Mora noted that investors from these regions still have a long way to go as they seek to boost impact investments.

According to Kathy-Thuy Nguyen, country director of Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) in Vietnam, impact investment in the country is at a nascent stage.

During a recent discussion with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Nguyen said that the lag in impact investment growth was due to the lack of a sustainable ecosystem which could help the sector mobilize and unlock private capital for impact businesses in the country.

In particular, there are certain sustainability issues and climate-related risks which need increased investment in order to be addressed, particularly in the agriculture industry and in the Mekong Delta region.

There is a significant concentration of women and underserved communities with inclusion challenges for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as well as social impact businesses, she said.

On the upside, Nguyen noted that Vietnam has great potential for impact investing to blossom.

The country is one of the most dynamic in the world and is considered as the fastest-growing economy in Asia.

The gross domestic product growth rate in 2022 was 8.02 percent, expected to fall only slightly to 6.5 percent in 2023.

Amongst the countrys strengths are the size of its market, 100 million people, its highly entrepreneurial and innovative workforce, and a young population which accounts for almost 70 percent of its labor force.

The Southeast Asian country also attracts significant investment from abroad, including foreign direct investment capital focused on high-tech and high-value-added sectors.

Considering this landscape, Nguyen believes experience and expertise from investment firms and organizations with impact orientation like IIX could help Vietnam unlock its true potential.

The potential of PIIs

According to Son Nguyen, an associate at IIX and the Vietnam market lead of Impact Partners, one of the problems within the current impact investment ecosystem is that enablers in Vietnam are disintegrated and fragmented.

These enablers include government ministries and agencies, research groups, capacity-building organizations, third-party service providers, and international donor agencies.

In addition, most Vietnamese social impact businesses are inexperienced in raising capital from foreign investors and are not ready to absorb private capital due to low confidence, a lack of reporting standards, and low English capabilities, said Son.

Son Nguyen, an associate at IIX and the Vietnam market lead of Impact Partners.

A recent study, 'The Advance of Impact Investing in Southeast Asia' carried out with support from Investing in Women, an initiative of the Australian government, divided impact investors into two major groups: private impact investors (PIIs) and development finance institutions (DFIs).

According to Son, Vietnam has attracted about US$1.6 billion in impact capital since 2012, but the majority was deployed by large DFIs.

Meanwhile, PIIs have cumulatively invested just over $28 million in 29 deals in Vietnam over the last 10 years.

Look at Southeast Asian neighbors: PIIs have invested more than $234 million across 105 deals in Indonesia and over $184.6 million in the Philippines across 66 deals.

This implies that the potential for PIIs is huge in Vietnam and that social impact businesses will have more capital options for their growth journey," said Son.

Son also explained that PIIs provide flexibility for social impact businesses in terms of ticket size, as some businesses in their early stages need capital to grow before they are mature enough to apply for investment from DFIs.

In addition, PIIs can provide different types of financing vehicles like equity, debt, and quasi-equity.

Catalyst for change

Son expressed his belief that the era of risk-return alone is long gone.

Now we are moving to the era of risk-return-impact, he said.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, there is growing recognition that a new norm is taking shapeone defined by global interdependence, mutual obligation, and an urgent demand to democratize health, equitability, and community resilience, Son said.

In reality, this new norm has been a long time coming.

Son highlighted that MSMEs need to demonstrate environmental and social impact in order to adjust to this new norm, thus allowing them to grow more sustainably in an increasingly interdependent world.

While customers nowadays are becoming more mindful of ESG topics, investors must consider the impact of their traditional risk-return formula to direct capital with the purpose of addressing todays global challenges and diversifying their investment portfolios.

Nguyen from IIX suggested MSMEs could benefit significantly from the trend since impact companies possess effective impact assessment tools, are cognizant of who they are working with, and maintain high standards of accountability and transparency.

For this reason, she does not think impact orientation is as burdensome for businesses as some believe.

IIX has been supporting impact investment for more than 14 years in different countries around the world, and we are expanding our efforts in Vietnam with the same approach and values, she said.

To date, IIX's work has spanned 53 countries, unlocked $288 million worth of private-sector capital, positively impacted over 159 million direct and household lives, and avoided over 1.83 million tonnes of carbon emissions.

Impact investing thrives in India India has seen the presence of impact investing since the birth of the concept in the late 2000s. This presence has been substantial and the amount of investment capital is in the billions. There are multiple factors contributing to the immense potential for impact investing in India, which is one of the fastest-growing emerging economies and continues to offer lucrative returns on investment. The sheer size and great diversity mean that there continue to be great need and opportunity for impactful change across all dimensions. The estimated outlay required to meet the sustainable development goals for such a large population cannot be met solely by government spending. Rising standards of living coupled with greater awareness of social and environmental issues mean that entrepreneurs starting new companies are often doing so with ethical agendas and societal impact in their mind. According to a recent report by Impact Investors Council, the trade body for this sector, in the year 2022, $6 billion in impact funding was given to 377 enterprises, out of which 130 were focused on climate change. According to another report, the most common business model for impact investing is the venture model which is focused on a short time frame leading to an industry-wide lacuna of growth-stage funding. This provides a further opportunity for niche impact investing in India. A vibrant democracy and increasing synergy with global institutions and best practices along with a very well-developed social sector and booming entrepreneurial scene create a healthy environment for successful impact investing. Sonali Acharjee (Senior Associate Editor, India Today)

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Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen and a delegation of officials are set to visit Russia in June this year to attend an inauguration ceremony of a statue of late President Ho chi Minh in Saint Petersburg. The delegation will hold meetings to seek new cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Saint Petersburg and Russia as a whole, thus fostering the relations between the two countries in the coming time. The Vietnam-Russia cooperation has ceaselessly developed despite many ups and downs and there is ample room for their further collaboration, secretary Nen said while receiving Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Stepanovich Bezdetko on Wednesday. Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, first deputy speaker of the Russian Federal Assemblys Federation Council Andrey Yatskin, and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko have recently visited Vietnam. Deputy head of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev will pay a visit to the Southeast Asian country next month while chairman of the Russian Federal Assemblys State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin will visit Vietnam in July. The two sides will organize many activities, including the Russian Culture Days in Vietnam in July. Ho Chi Minh City has been striving to develop its socio-economic infrastructure, boost digital transformation, and restructure the economy, in which Russian cities, specifically Moscow and Saint Petersburg, have strengths, secretary Nen said. He expected Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Bezdetko to help boost the cooperation in investment, culture, and education as well as people-to-people exchanges between Russia and Vietnam. The ambassador affirmed that the Vietnam-Russia relations remain strong amid the global volatility, adding that Russian enterprises are interested in the Vietnamese market and Russia is also willing to pave the way for Vietnamese companies to do business in its market. Russian travelers are waiting for the reopening of direct air routes between the two countries so that they can return to Vietnam. Bezdetko said he is willing to support Ho Chi Minh City in developing the relations with Russian localities, especially Saint Petersburg. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen and a delegation of officials are set to visit Russia in June this year to attend an inauguration ceremony of a statue of late President Ho chi Minh in Saint Petersburg.

The delegation will hold meetings to seek new cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Saint Petersburg and Russia as a whole, thus fostering the relations between the two countries in the coming time.

The Vietnam-Russia cooperation has ceaselessly developed despite many ups and downs and there is ample room for their further collaboration, secretary Nen said while receiving Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Stepanovich Bezdetko on Wednesday.

Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, first deputy speaker of the Russian Federal Assemblys Federation Council Andrey Yatskin, and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko have recently visited Vietnam.

Deputy head of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev will pay a visit to the Southeast Asian country next month while chairman of the Russian Federal Assemblys State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin will visit Vietnam in July.

The two sides will organize many activities, including the Russian Culture Days in Vietnam in July.

Ho Chi Minh City has been striving to develop its socio-economic infrastructure, boost digital transformation, and restructure the economy, in which Russian cities, specifically Moscow and Saint Petersburg, have strengths, secretary Nen said.

He expected Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Bezdetko to help boost the cooperation in investment, culture, and education as well as people-to-people exchanges between Russia and Vietnam.

The ambassador affirmed that the Vietnam-Russia relations remain strong amid the global volatility, adding that Russian enterprises are interested in the Vietnamese market and Russia is also willing to pave the way for Vietnamese companies to do business in its market.

Russian travelers are waiting for the reopening of direct air routes between the two countries so that they can return to Vietnam.

Bezdetko said he is willing to support Ho Chi Minh City in developing the relations with Russian localities, especially Saint Petersburg.

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A 10th grader from Song Ma High School in Son La Province, northern Vietnam jumped into a river to rescue three schoolgirls from drowning last week. The boy, named Lo Quang Vinh, said that he was nervous and scared of drowning himself. "I reassured myself that if I waited too long, they would drown," the 10th grader recounted. "I then jumped into the water to take them out to safety. The Peoples Committee of Song Ma District in the province commended Vinh for his heroic actions and awarded him a certificate for his bravery on Thursday. At noon on April 23, a group of nine schoolgirls, aged 12 to 14, ventured into the Ma River in Chieng Khoong Commune for bathing. While bathing, Lo Thi Kim H., Ha Kieu U., Hoang Thi L., and Hoang Thi T. fell into the deep water. As they could not swim, they struggled and cried for help. At the same time, Vinh heard the sound and instinctively jumped into the water to save the victims. Kpa Nguyen, a fourth grader who saved two 12th graders from drowning in Gia Lai Province in the Central Highlands, receives a certificate of bravery. Photo: Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Chapter in Gia Lai Province After pulling three of the victims out of the water to safety, he returned to rescue the last girl, but she could not be found. I dived into the water and looked for her in vain. I was short of breath, so I swam ashore and called others to search for her, Vinh said. Rescuers discovered her body at 3:00 pm on the same day after rescue efforts. In related news, a fourth grader saved two 12th graders from drowning in Gia Lai Province in the Central Highlands region. He was commended and praised for his bravery on Thursday. While Kpa Nguyen, a student at Nguyen Ba Ngoc Elementary School in Kim Tan Commune, Ia Pa District, was playing on a rice field on the afternoon of March 28, he discovered two other boys had fallen into a river. Nguyen quickly jumped into the water, grabbed the victims, and took them to a bank of the river. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

A 10th grader from Song Ma High School in Son La Province, northern Vietnam jumped into a river to rescue three schoolgirls from drowning last week.

The boy, named Lo Quang Vinh, said that he was nervous and scared of drowning himself.

"I reassured myself that if I waited too long, they would drown," the 10th grader recounted.

"I then jumped into the water to take them out to safety.

The Peoples Committee of Song Ma District in the province commended Vinh for his heroic actions and awarded him a certificate for his bravery on Thursday.

At noon on April 23, a group of nine schoolgirls, aged 12 to 14, ventured into the Ma River in Chieng Khoong Commune for bathing.

While bathing, Lo Thi Kim H., Ha Kieu U., Hoang Thi L., and Hoang Thi T. fell into the deep water.

As they could not swim, they struggled and cried for help.

At the same time, Vinh heard the sound and instinctively jumped into the water to save the victims.

Kpa Nguyen, a fourth grader who saved two 12th graders from drowning in Gia Lai Province in the Central Highlands, receives a certificate of bravery. Photo: Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Chapter in Gia Lai Province

After pulling three of the victims out of the water to safety, he returned to rescue the last girl, but she could not be found.

I dived into the water and looked for her in vain. I was short of breath, so I swam ashore and called others to search for her, Vinh said.

Rescuers discovered her body at 3:00 pm on the same day after rescue efforts.

In related news, a fourth grader saved two 12th graders from drowning in Gia Lai Province in the Central Highlands region. He was commended and praised for his bravery on Thursday.

While Kpa Nguyen, a student at Nguyen Ba Ngoc Elementary School in Kim Tan Commune, Ia Pa District, was playing on a rice field on the afternoon of March 28, he discovered two other boys had fallen into a river.

Nguyen quickly jumped into the water, grabbed the victims, and took them to a bank of the river.

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A group of locals in Phu Quoc City off Kien Giang Province in southern Vietnam on Wednesday fought with security guards working for a company over disputes relating to the rentals of spaces at An Thoi Port in the island city. Several individuals were hospitalized following the incident. Huynh Quang Hung, chairman of the Phu Quoc City Peoples Committee on Thursday morning discussed the incident, saying that local residents opposed the rentals of spaces at An Thoi Port charged by a joint venture between Namaste Investment and Development JSC and Saigon Port JSC. In particular, some 300 people gathered at the port at 4:15 pm on Wednesday to voice their opposition. The group and security guards working for Namaste Investment and Development JSC later got involved in a fight, during which 10 people were injured. Three individuals with serious injuries were transported to the medical center of Phu Quoc City. One was suffering from a brain hemorrhage and was rushed to a hospital in Can Tho City, a neighbor of Kien Giang. The confrontation affected the transport of tourists on Phu Quoc Island. Local authorities have questioned 17 security guards of the company, Hung said. The Phu Quoc City Peoples Committee will report the case to the Peoples Committee of Kien Giang Province to seek specific directives for port management in order to prevent similar cases. The city also asked the local police to inspect and handle instances of individuals causing social disorder at An Thoi Port on Wednesday. Namaste Investment and Development JSC and Saigon Port JSC won a bid to exploit assets and infrastructure facilities at An Thoi Port for some VND950 billion (US$40.6 million) and began exploiting the port from April 19 this year. Business households had earlier leased spaces at the port at VND500,000 ($21.4) per month each but they are now subject to a monthly rental fee of VND60 million ($2,564). They are also required to pay rental fees three months in advance. The rental for dinghies and speedboats are VND2.5 million ($107) and VND5-7 million ($213-299), respectively, per month. Tourists entering the port now have to pay VND35,000 ($1.5) each. The fee was not collected in the past. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

A group of locals in Phu Quoc City off Kien Giang Province in southern Vietnam on Wednesday fought with security guards working for a company over disputes relating to the rentals of spaces at An Thoi Port in the island city.

Several individuals were hospitalized following the incident.

Huynh Quang Hung, chairman of the Phu Quoc City Peoples Committee on Thursday morning discussed the incident, saying that local residents opposed the rentals of spaces at An Thoi Port charged by a joint venture between Namaste Investment and Development JSC and Saigon Port JSC.

In particular, some 300 people gathered at the port at 4:15 pm on Wednesday to voice their opposition.

The group and security guards working for Namaste Investment and Development JSC later got involved in a fight, during which 10 people were injured.

Three individuals with serious injuries were transported to the medical center of Phu Quoc City.

One was suffering from a brain hemorrhage and was rushed to a hospital in Can Tho City, a neighbor of Kien Giang.

The confrontation affected the transport of tourists on Phu Quoc Island. Local authorities have questioned 17 security guards of the company, Hung said.

The Phu Quoc City Peoples Committee will report the case to the Peoples Committee of Kien Giang Province to seek specific directives for port management in order to prevent similar cases.

The city also asked the local police to inspect and handle instances of individuals causing social disorder at An Thoi Port on Wednesday.

Namaste Investment and Development JSC and Saigon Port JSC won a bid to exploit assets and infrastructure facilities at An Thoi Port for some VND950 billion (US$40.6 million) and began exploiting the port from April 19 this year.

Business households had earlier leased spaces at the port at VND500,000 ($21.4) per month each but they are now subject to a monthly rental fee of VND60 million ($2,564).

They are also required to pay rental fees three months in advance.

The rental for dinghies and speedboats are VND2.5 million ($107) and VND5-7 million ($213-299), respectively, per month.

Tourists entering the port now have to pay VND35,000 ($1.5) each. The fee was not collected in the past.

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Ho Chi Minh Citys Metro Line No. 1 embarked on its third test run on a 12.3-kilometer section of the elevated track on Wednesday at below 50 kilometers per hour. The trial run was held by the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board (MAUR) and Japans Hitachi Group. Metro trains departed from Suoi Tien Station in Thu Duc City and passed through several other stations before returning to Suoi Tien Station. The elevated track section used for the test run was designed to withstand speeds of 110 kilometers per hour. MAUR has also tested an automated train monitoring system and equipment at different stations. A train on Ho Chi Minh Citys first metro line stops at Suoi Tien Station in Thu Duc City. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre The first metro line project is now 95 percent complete, and the project will be accelerated so that it can be put into operation this year in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations. The metro trains are new and airy. I have used metro services in Singapore and I believe that once the metro line is complete, it will be on a par with traffic infrastructure in more developed countries, said Nguyen Thanh Hung, a 67-year-old resident of Binh Thanh District who participated in the trial. Ho Chi Minh Citys first metro underwent its first test run on December 21 last year at under 40 kilometers per hour. Its second trial run was held on January 18 this year. Passengers sit aboard a train on the first metro line in Ho Chi Minh City on April 26, 2023. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre The citys first metro line is 19.7 kilometers long, including 2.6 kilometers of underground railway and 17.1 kilometers of elevated track. It runs from Ben Thanh Market in District 1 to Suoi Tien Theme Park in Thu Duc City through three underground stations and 11 above-ground stops. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has demanded that the construction of the project, which carried an estimated price tag of VND43.7 trillion (US$1.9 billion) funded by Japan's ODA loans, be completed by September 2 this year after the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee adjusted the expected completion date for the project to the end of this year. A train on the first metro line in Ho Chi Minh City undergoes a test run at below 50 kilometers per hour. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre Residents on a train on the first metro line in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre Passengers watch a list of stations near the entrance of the metro train. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Ho Chi Minh Citys Metro Line No. 1 embarked on its third test run on a 12.3-kilometer section of the elevated track on Wednesday at below 50 kilometers per hour.

The trial run was held by the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board (MAUR) and Japans Hitachi Group.

Metro trains departed from Suoi Tien Station in Thu Duc City and passed through several other stations before returning to Suoi Tien Station.

The elevated track section used for the test run was designed to withstand speeds of 110 kilometers per hour.

MAUR has also tested an automated train monitoring system and equipment at different stations.

A train on Ho Chi Minh Citys first metro line stops at Suoi Tien Station in Thu Duc City. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre

The first metro line project is now 95 percent complete, and the project will be accelerated so that it can be put into operation this year in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations.

The metro trains are new and airy. I have used metro services in Singapore and I believe that once the metro line is complete, it will be on a par with traffic infrastructure in more developed countries, said Nguyen Thanh Hung, a 67-year-old resident of Binh Thanh District who participated in the trial.

Ho Chi Minh Citys first metro underwent its first test run on December 21 last year at under 40 kilometers per hour. Its second trial run was held on January 18 this year.

Passengers sit aboard a train on the first metro line in Ho Chi Minh City on April 26, 2023. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

The citys first metro line is 19.7 kilometers long, including 2.6 kilometers of underground railway and 17.1 kilometers of elevated track.

It runs from Ben Thanh Market in District 1 to Suoi Tien Theme Park in Thu Duc City through three underground stations and 11 above-ground stops.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has demanded that the construction of the project, which carried an estimated price tag of VND43.7 trillion (US$1.9 billion) funded by Japan's ODA loans, be completed by September 2 this year after the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee adjusted the expected completion date for the project to the end of this year.

A train on the first metro line in Ho Chi Minh City undergoes a test run at below 50 kilometers per hour. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

Residents on a train on the first metro line in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Passengers watch a list of stations near the entrance of the metro train. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

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Authorities in Kon Tum Province, located in Vietnams Central Highlands, held a ceremony on Thursday evening to make public the prime ministers decision to recognize a tank used during the American war in Vietnam as a national treasure, according to the Vietnam News Agency. Vietnamese soldiers used the Type 59 tank, numbered 377, to fight their way to the victory of Dak To-Tan Canh battle in Kon Tums Dak To District in 1972, contributing to changing the situation in the Central Highlands to their advantage over the then-Saigon regime. To start the battle, the tank led the attack on enemy strongholds at the Dak To-Tan Canh region on April 24, 1972. Despite intense enemy fire, the tanks four-member crew bravely fought on until all ultimately sacrificed their lives and the tank was burnt with seven destroyed enemy tanks nearby. The recognition of the No. 377 tank as a national treasure takes place in celebration of Vietnams reunification on April 30, 1975 and the Dak To-Tan Canh victory on April 24, 1972. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Authorities in Kon Tum Province, located in Vietnams Central Highlands, held a ceremony on Thursday evening to make public the prime ministers decision to recognize a tank used during the American war in Vietnam as a national treasure, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Vietnamese soldiers used the Type 59 tank, numbered 377, to fight their way to the victory of Dak To-Tan Canh battle in Kon Tums Dak To District in 1972, contributing to changing the situation in the Central Highlands to their advantage over the then-Saigon regime.

To start the battle, the tank led the attack on enemy strongholds at the Dak To-Tan Canh region on April 24, 1972.

Despite intense enemy fire, the tanks four-member crew bravely fought on until all ultimately sacrificed their lives and the tank was burnt with seven destroyed enemy tanks nearby.

The recognition of the No. 377 tank as a national treasure takes place in celebration of Vietnams reunification on April 30, 1975 and the Dak To-Tan Canh victory on April 24, 1972.

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The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the investor of Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam, has been fined VND270 million (US$11,580) over dust pollution during the execution of the project. Inspectors of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment also asked the ACV to take measures to limit dust from the construction of the airport. The ACV has promptly built neither temporary reservoirs to store rainwater nor a rainwater drainage system during the construction process, according to the ministry. It also failed to spray water adequately and regularly during the leveling of the site, thus paving the way for dust to spread to the surrounding area. The dust content at the construction site is 5-10 times higher than the permitted level. Long Thanh International Airport is a national key project and its progress should be accelerated, so inspectors of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment did not suspend the project. The suspension will not reduce the dust pollution but increase the pollution risk from the 2,500-hectare leveled site. Earlier, thousands of households living near the construction site complained they had been hit by dust storms from the project over the past several months. Thousands of houses, eateries, schools, roads, and trees in the area had been blanketed with dust, and many senior citizens and children have been diagnosed with respiratory diseases. Many foreign direct investment enterprises in a nearby industrial park also complained about dust, saying that it has affected their products and workers health. In response, contractors of the project have built 10 reservoirs and mobilized nearly 60 water tank trucks to spray water on the site in order to reduce dust. The ACV has also dispatched fire trucks to the site to spray water. It pledged to provide VND300 million ($12,867) to install air conditioners at some schools near the project. The airport project, which carries an estimated price tag of VND336.63 trillion ($14.4 billion), will have an annual capacity of 100 million passengers and five million tonnes of cargo. Once in place, it will be the largest airport in the nation. It got off the ground in 2021 and is expected to ease pressure on the overcrowded Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the investor of Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam, has been fined VND270 million (US$11,580) over dust pollution during the execution of the project.

Inspectors of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment also asked the ACV to take measures to limit dust from the construction of the airport.

The ACV has promptly built neither temporary reservoirs to store rainwater nor a rainwater drainage system during the construction process, according to the ministry.

It also failed to spray water adequately and regularly during the leveling of the site, thus paving the way for dust to spread to the surrounding area.

The dust content at the construction site is 5-10 times higher than the permitted level.

Long Thanh International Airport is a national key project and its progress should be accelerated, so inspectors of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment did not suspend the project.

The suspension will not reduce the dust pollution but increase the pollution risk from the 2,500-hectare leveled site.

Earlier, thousands of households living near the construction site complained they had been hit by dust storms from the project over the past several months.

Thousands of houses, eateries, schools, roads, and trees in the area had been blanketed with dust, and many senior citizens and children have been diagnosed with respiratory diseases.

Many foreign direct investment enterprises in a nearby industrial park also complained about dust, saying that it has affected their products and workers health.

In response, contractors of the project have built 10 reservoirs and mobilized nearly 60 water tank trucks to spray water on the site in order to reduce dust.

The ACV has also dispatched fire trucks to the site to spray water.

It pledged to provide VND300 million ($12,867) to install air conditioners at some schools near the project.

The airport project, which carries an estimated price tag of VND336.63 trillion ($14.4 billion), will have an annual capacity of 100 million passengers and five million tonnes of cargo.

Once in place, it will be the largest airport in the nation.

It got off the ground in 2021 and is expected to ease pressure on the overcrowded Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.

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Two subprojects to upgrade and widen the passenger terminal and build an air traffic control tower at Dien Bien Airport in the namesake province in northern Vietnam got off the ground on Thursday. The state-owned Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) turned the first sod at the passenger terminal and supporting components on the day, as part of the project to expand Dien Bien Airport. After the subproject is completed, the annual capacity of the airport will increase to 500,000 passengers from 300,000 passengers, while the total floor area of the passenger terminal will reach 4,270 square meters. Among the supporting components under the upgrade and construction subproject are fences, a parking lot, security kiosks, firefighting tanks, technical systems, and other equipment. The subproject, whose contractor is Urban Infrastructure Development Investment Corporation, will cost VND147 billion (US$6.3 million) and be completed in December this year. Northern Air Traffic Management Company under the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation on the same day started work on an air traffic control tower at the airport, with a total capital of over VND93 billion ($4 million). The 36-meter-high tower and some supporting components will cover an area of 6,150 square meters upon completion. The air traffic control tower project is slated for completion in April 2024. Dien Bien Airport was restored from Muong Thanh Airport built by the French. The airport has a 1,830-meter-long runway which was put into use in 1994, while housing simple equipment, an apron with three slots, and a passenger terminal constructed in 2004 with an annual capacity of 300,000 passengers. Due to the limited infrastructure and the unfavorable position of the runway, the airport only receives ATR 72 turboprop aircraft and Embraer 190 narrow-body planes during the daytime. The Dien Bien airport expansion project is set to cost nearly VND1.5 trillion ($62.7 million) sourced from ACV, while the provinces budget will cover VND1.56 trillion ($66.5 million) for site clearance. The project is aimed at widening the passenger terminal, upgrading airport infrastructure, and building a runway which is 2,400 meters long and 45 meters wide to handle larger airliners such as Airbus A320, A321 or the equivalent. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Two subprojects to upgrade and widen the passenger terminal and build an air traffic control tower at Dien Bien Airport in the namesake province in northern Vietnam got off the ground on Thursday.

The state-owned Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) turned the first sod at the passenger terminal and supporting components on the day, as part of the project to expand Dien Bien Airport.

After the subproject is completed, the annual capacity of the airport will increase to 500,000 passengers from 300,000 passengers, while the total floor area of the passenger terminal will reach 4,270 square meters.

Among the supporting components under the upgrade and construction subproject are fences, a parking lot, security kiosks, firefighting tanks, technical systems, and other equipment.

The subproject, whose contractor is Urban Infrastructure Development Investment Corporation, will cost VND147 billion (US$6.3 million) and be completed in December this year.

Northern Air Traffic Management Company under the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation on the same day started work on an air traffic control tower at the airport, with a total capital of over VND93 billion ($4 million).

The 36-meter-high tower and some supporting components will cover an area of 6,150 square meters upon completion.

The air traffic control tower project is slated for completion in April 2024.

Dien Bien Airport was restored from Muong Thanh Airport built by the French.

The airport has a 1,830-meter-long runway which was put into use in 1994, while housing simple equipment, an apron with three slots, and a passenger terminal constructed in 2004 with an annual capacity of 300,000 passengers.

Due to the limited infrastructure and the unfavorable position of the runway, the airport only receives ATR 72 turboprop aircraft and Embraer 190 narrow-body planes during the daytime.

The Dien Bien airport expansion project is set to cost nearly VND1.5 trillion ($62.7 million) sourced from ACV, while the provinces budget will cover VND1.56 trillion ($66.5 million) for site clearance.

The project is aimed at widening the passenger terminal, upgrading airport infrastructure, and building a runway which is 2,400 meters long and 45 meters wide to handle larger airliners such as Airbus A320, A321 or the equivalent.

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Chile's Minister of Energy Diego Pardow Lorenzo, second from right, and Korea's Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun, second from left, pose during the Korea-Chile Hydrogen Energy Strategic Partnership Seminar at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, April 24. Courtesy of Ministry of Trade, industry and Energy





By Kwon Mee-yoo







Korea and Chile vowed to strengthen cooperation in producing and utilizing green hydrogen to achieve carbon neutrality. Prospects of such a partnership were discussed during Chilean Minister of Energy Diego Pardow Lorenzo's visit to Seoul.







Pardow showcased Chile's commitment to energy transition and the Latin American country's strength in renewable energy, highlighting its goal of becoming a worldwide supplier of clean fuel based on hydrogen. The Chilean minister discussed details of this plan with his Korean counterpart and major Korean companies.







Due to its geography and climate, Chile has abundant resources of clean energy, including solar, wind, hydro and geothermal power and now aims to produce and supply green hydrogen at the lowest cost in the world by 2030 according to its national strategy announced in November 2020.







"Now we are able to provide more than half of our demand of electricity by renewable resources, but we still have more than 80 percent in potential capacity in generation," Pardow said.







Chile has a strong regulatory framework and incentives for the development of these projects, including storage facilities and flexible technologies that contribute to the stability of the energy grid.







"We are working on two sets of legislation pieces, one directed to promote renewable energies and creating mandatory quarters and the other one directed to improve transmission or distribution systems to simplify the process of planning both distribution and transmission. We also have a decarbonization plan that wants to bring together the different scientific approaches in Chile all together under a single framework," the minister explained.







To meet the decarbonization goal, Pardow emphasized that the three sectors  electricity, industry and transportation  need to be decarbonized simultaneously.







"We have moved much faster on the decarbonization of the electricity sector. The decommissioning we have made of coal power plants so far has just been compensated by the increase in automobile sales, especially after the pandemic. So even if we were able to close coal power plants, we haven't been able to reduce global emissions because of the increase in the transport sector emission. So we have to move forward in all these three sectors at the same time," he said.







The Chilean minister noted that Korea can be a great partner in the hydrogen industry and explore opportunities in utilizing the clean gas with over 40 projects under development throughout the Latin American country.







"Haru Oni, producing e-fuel, is working already. A couple of weeks ago we had the first shipments to Europe... (Gas Valpo) involves blending of hydrogen and natural gas into the pipelines of residential consumers used for heating," he explained.







"All the projects are either in development or in the stage previous to final investment decision. They tend to concentrate either in the northern hub or the southern hub, the generation hubs, and in the center are dedicated to our industrial clusters, directed to meet internal demand for hydrogen," Pardow said, sending an "invitation to build together this pathway to the energy transition" to Korea.







Korea's Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun noted that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) between Korea and Chile and the bilateral ties are expanding in various sectors including trade, investment, energy and minerals.







"In particular, Chile, with its strength in green hydrogen production, and Korea, which is leading the way in hydrogen utilization such as hydrogen vehicles, will strengthen cooperation in the hydrogen sector," Ahn said.







Ahn briefed Pardow on Korea's three strategies to promote its hydrogen supply chain and industry.







"First is the scale-up, from hydrogen passenger cars to larger buses and trucks and from smaller fuel cells to larger generators. There will be expansion on the scale not only in Korea, but globally in the hydrogen supply chain. Second, the world's largest liquid hydrogen plant will be established on top of institutional features such as clean hydrogen certification system and hydrogen power generation bidding market. Third, electrolysis technology, fuel cell and other core areas are designated to industrial growth," Ahn said.







"Korea and Chile are the world's first countries in preparation for a hydrogen economy. Chile was the first Latin American country to announce a hydrogen strategy, while Korea was the first country in the world to legislate the Hydrogen Act, which means both countries have been taking the initiative in policies and systems," he added.


Former Liberal party staffer Bruce Lehrmann will be free to pursue defamation claims against News Corp and Network 10 over interviews they conducted with Brittany Higgins.

In the interviews  which Mr Lehrmann argues identified him  Ms Higgins alleged she was raped in a parliamentary office in 2019.

Mr Lehrmann had to ask the court for permission to lodge a defamation claim against Network 10 and News Life Media because the usual 12-month deadline for these claims had expired.

The federal court today ruled that it was not unreasonable for Lehrmann to have delayed bringing his claim against journalists Lisa Wilkinson and Samantha Maiden, within the usual time window for defamation cases.

Lehrmann has denied raping Britney Higgins in Parliament House.

He pleaded not guilty at a criminal trial, which was aborted due to juror misconduct. A second trial did not proceed due to concerns about the risk to Higgins mental health.

There have been no findings against him.

Lehrmann is also suing the ABC over its broadcast of a full National Press Club address by Ms. Higgins and Grace Tame.

Ms. Higgins has previously offered to appear as a witness for the media outlets.

Source: Guardian Australia, ABC
Peter Stefanovic will be in the UK for Live SKY News coverage of the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla , along with reporters Jonathan Lea and Danica De Giorgio.

SKY News UK hosts will commentate the Coronation ceremony from 5pm AEST on May 6th.

King Charles III will be crowned as Monarch at Westminster Abbey, the setting for every Coronation since 1066. This will be the third Coronation in British history to be broadcast publicly, with King George VIs the first to be broadcast via radio and Queen Elizabeth IIs being the first to be televised 70 years ago in 1953.

In the week leading up to the big event, Sky News First Edition Anchor Peter Stefanovic and Sky News Reporters Jonathan Lea and Danica De Giorgio will be reporting live from Buckingham Palace, with the latest updates, as well as speaking to key royal commentators and insiders.

On the eve of the Coronation, Friday 5 May, Sky News will air two specials back-to-back. At 8:00pm AEST tune into The Royal Report: Coronation Special, followed by a new documentary Born To Be King at 9:00pm AEST, featuring unique archival footage revealing the life, loves and passions of King Charles III.

On Saturday 6 May, join Peter Stefanovic from 4:00pm AEST for The Coronation special coverage, live from Westminster Abbey as distinguished guests, international royal families and the British Royals start arriving for the ceremony.

From 5:00pm AEST well cross to our Sky News UK colleagues Kay Burley and Anna Botting who will host coverage of the historic event alongside Sky News UK royal events commentator Alastair Bruce, whose unrivalled knowledge of the event will guide viewers through the historic ceremonial proceedings.

The Coronation ceremony will air live from 8:00pm AEST.

On Sunday May 7, Sky News will have an encore of The Coronation ceremony at midday and will produce a special edition of The Royal Report that focuses on a wrap up of the weekends event, hosted by Caroline Di Russo.

Sky News Australias Coronation coverage will be available to stream on SkyNews.com.au and to listen to on Sky News Radio, available on iHeartRadio.

Monday 1 May  Thursday 4 May

5:30am AEST First Edition, with Peter Stefanovic crossing in live from Buckingham Palace

Friday 5 May

5:30am AEST First Edition, with Peter Stefanovic crossing in live from Buckingham Palace

8:00pm AEST The Royal Report: Coronation Special with Caroline Di Russo

9:00pm AEST Born To Be King

Saturday 6 May

2:00pm AEST Born To Be King replay

4:00pm AEST The Coronation with Peter Stefanovic live from Westminster Abbey

5:00pm AEST The Coronation with Kay Burley, Anna Botting and Alastair Bruce

8:00pm AEST The Coronation ceremony live

Sunday 7 May

12:00pm AEST The Coronation ceremony replay

10:00pm AEST The Royal Report with Caroline Di Russo

Monday 8 May

5:30am AEST First Edition, with Peter Stefanovic crossing in live from Windsor Castle
By Saundarya Verma

India is a country so vast that even after inhabiting the worlds largest population, we have space for more people. We make babies, build schools, hospitals, airports, cultural centres that Zendaya and Gigi come to visit. We have space for the Himalayas and eight huge rivers, we have space for art galleries, museums, and we make more space for our friends across borders and overseas like we always make space for friends in our homes. Theres always space because theres always the spirit of accommodation, of harmony. Its sometimes hard to acknowledge when we focus too much on things we experience on a daily basis but if we look at the larger picture, with all of the centuries of drama, pain, growth, evolution, learning and persevering, its right there.

This huge country of all of its many people needs a massive institution of representative, organised governance with checks, balances, distribution of authority, and synchronisation. Theres a lot of us with a lot of space and we are an aware and active bunch who fought and sent away colonisers with no formal government, constitution, or internet back in the 20th century. Therefore, the political parties we elect must be at least all this and more.

As of today, India has more than 2500 recognised and unrecognised political parties, all built with the belief that they can administer the government effectively. There are at least 500 recognised Parties in this country at any given point and yet the ones that have made it in charge do not speak for me. There is sensibility in making peace with the fact that a majority of us voted these people into power and no harm in giving them their chance but now that they have had it, Im deeply unsettled with the order of things on too many fronts.

Little schoolgirls in the country cannot exercise their Right to Education if they wear a Hijab. Dissenting students are jailed as terrorists; protesters hit, murdered. Disagreement is ignored. Alleged criminals are voted as leaders. The fight is just too hard for the opposition. All women feel unsafe everywhere with all men. Were a country with an inclusive, growing younger population but the average MP is a Man above 50. This state of affairs is not necessarily because of the current government but it is definitely despite of them.

The list of unfortunate affairs is too long. However, a direct action of the government that is of grave concern is their recent meddling with the curriculum of schools and colleges. This is the curriculum our kids pick up from school, then study for entrance exams, the course our under graduates study for a degree, and everyone who prepares for government exams studies which alone is around 10 crores every year. Its immaterial whether the changes that they have already made alter the narrative or distort the information in a serious way or not. Of concern is the fact that knowledge as it flows in our country is being meddled with to further influential peoples political agenda. Are we to tolerate it?

Education in India is largely managed by two government agencies: NCERT for school education, and UGC for University Education. The curriculum, syllabus, etc. comes from these bodies. This year, both these bodies introduced changes to their curriculum which alter the syllabus that will be taught to students starting from batches 202324. This is not new. Syllabus is revised often and many times it has made it to news due to its controversial nature, like it did this time which is important because these changes have largely always been done in furtherance of political agenda of the one of the three ruling political parties. Yes, politics is an inalienable part of administration but to look at them as one and the same would be a mistake.

Id like to believe that when we first started out with an education body in 1961, we wouldve had lesser ulterior motives. We were newly independent and just building ourselves. The first curriculum built can be considered a fair accumulation of the knowledge of the scholars, thinkers, researchers and academicians of the time.

The first efforts at manipulation of education in attempt of soft indoctrination would be when the first changes in curriculum were introduced when the Janata Party came into power in the 1970s and started calling NCERTs by Bipin Chandra and Romilla Thapar (relevant even today) anti-nationalist and tried to introduce new things pertaining to their ideology.

When BJP entered the scene, it started deleting portions on Marxist influence, changing portrayal of Muslim rule to show savage invasion and Islamic domination (which were reversed by the UPA government) and when they came into power again they added more portions on the latest Schemes of the Government, New Policies; more about the Marathas, Bose, and other things which is amazing, all of it great updating.

Since 2019, they have been on a spree. To list out a few serious amendments 

Deleted a mention of the Gujrat 2002 riotsfrom Sociology class 11 book; removed the portions claiming Gandhis assassins were Hindu extremists and that after his death RSS was banned. shortened portions on Mughal history, and the history of the Delhi Sultanate (that includes everyone  Turks, Khaljis, Tughlaqs, Sayyids, Lodhis); deleted a chapter on violent Caste conflict; deleted chapter on nationalism in Indo-China; removed poems by Faiz Ahmed Faiz from a chapter on Religion, communalism and politics; removed quotes by Nehru and Ambedkar; further shortened the history of Naxalism; deleted a chapter on Central Islamic Lands,

And these are only a few of the changes made by the NCERT for school students.

This year the UGC also took out a new draft for the syllabus of History Undergraduate students and theyve made some heave changes. Its also the first time the syllabus for university students has been made so detailed. A few changes are

New chapters have been introduced, like,Concept of Bharatvarsha, Eternity of synonyms Bharat and The glory of Indian Literature: Ved, Epics, etc., Ethics of Indian valour (in a history course); new chapters added about Indian Science, Indian Maths, Indian Time, which is really great but also historically debated stuff like Indus-Sararwasti Civilizationinstead of Indus valley civilization (Saraswati is a mythological river from Vedic literature), a new chapterVasudhaiva Kutumbakam : Man, family, society and world. Another disturbing change is that study of Society and Economy in Medieval India is divided under Hindu societyand Muslim society forcing students to read the societies as separate from each other and drawing comparison, forgetting themes of unity; other changes like using the term invasionfor Babur when till now it has not been used for the Mughal Empire in India. Works of Bipin Chandra have been dropped, Dalit politicsreferences deleted, War of independence term (used by Savarkarfor revolt of 1857) is used

And many more changes that are pretty effective steps in right direction if you want to alter perspectives to favour your motives. The nature of all changes seems to be supporting a Homogenous Hindu narrative of the history and society of India. Fabricating such a narrative seems to aid a divisive agenda being carried out by the current government.

What we need going ahead as the human race is to look at the world, at all its people, at nations, their complex pasts, the civilisations, discoveries, theories, ideologies, thoughts, beliefs, then study them objectively, and then to develop into individuals with calculated ideas of their own. Instead, we have for us a large political party with control of the country, loads of funding, weak opposition, that is now introducing changes to what is taught to students nationally in an attempt to enable disunifying sentiments for securing power which it holds on to like its own, forgetting who gave it to them. What should we do? Should we sit on a hunger strike, or at least, vote them out of power next year?

Author Bio: Saundarya Verma is an Advocate at the Rajasthan High Court. She can be contacted at [email protected]
ReportLinker

The global market for agrochemicals has been estimated to be USD 235.2 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a rate of 3.7% between 2023 and 2028.The agrochemicals market is projected to grow at an exponential rate due to factors such as rising demands for food, climate change induced pest damage, growing population, declining arable land and demand for high crop yields.

New York, March 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Agrochemicals Market by Type, Crop Type, Fertilizers Type, Pesticide Type and Region - Global Forecast to 2028" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06036670/?utm_source=GNW

The global market for agrochemicals has been estimated to be USD 235.2 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a rate of 3.7% between 2023 and 2028.

The agrochemicals market is projected to grow at an exponential rate due to factors such as rising demands for food, climate change induced pest damage, growing population, declining arable land and demand for high crop yields.



Key players in the agrochemicals market include Bayer AG (Germany), BASF (Germany), UPL (India), Syngenta (Switzerland), EuroChem Group (Switzerland), Nufarm (Australia), K+S aktiengesellschaft (Germany), Corteva (US), Sumitomo Chemicals Co., Ltd. (Japan), ADAMA (Israel), Compass Minerals (US), Nutrien Ltd (Canada), Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (Chile), Yara (Norway), Isagro S.P.A (Italy), OCP Group (Casablanca), Verdesian Life Sciences (US), Jiangsu Yangnong Chemical Co., Ltd (China), Agrolac (Spain), Atticus, LLC (US), Lianyungang Liben Crop Science Co., Ltd (China), Valent USA. LLC (US), Lier Chemicals Co., Ltd. (China), and Spicam Oxon (Italy).



Herbicides segment is estimated to account for the largest share in 2023 with a CAGR of 3.6%.

Herbicides are widely used to effectively manage weeds at a cheap cost.They make up the main section of crop protection chemicals for most countries in all regions.



Additionally, the use of Pesticides in agriculture has changed because of GMOs. Herbicide use has increased because of genetically modified (GM) crops that are herbicide resistant.

The main causes driving the worldwide herbicide market are changing climatic conditions, dwindling arable land, and rising food consumption.Integrated pest management is opening the door for pest control without endangering the environment, despite several regulatory norms limiting the use of Herbicides.



This presents a fantastic opportunity for herbicide producers to capitalize on the market potential to produce green Herbicides, which are expanding more quickly.

As per USDA in 2021, broadleaf weeds can be controlled annually and perennially with the help of the herbicide dicamba.Farmers may adopt genetically modified dicamba-tolerant (DT) seeds despite federal and state bans on their use.



For instance, federal regulations in 2019 mandated that fields in areas with endangered plant species maintained buffers on all sides of the field and restricted the use of dicamba to cotton fields from one hour after dawn to two hours before sunset, 60 days after cotton was planted. Some states placed additional limitations or extensions for the use of dicamba.



Phosphatic Fertilizers is projected to witness the growth of 3.9% during the forecast period.

A crucial nutrient needed for plant growth is phosphorus.Food production is restricted if soils lack phosphorus unless the nutrient is added as fertiliser.



In order to increase food production, phosphorus needs to be present in sufficient amounts.The growth of seeds, plants, and roots are all aided by it.



Among the most crucial elements for plant life, phosphorus ranks with nitrogen and potassium.Phosphorus in soil is depleted for a number of reasons, including being washed away by rain.



Therefore, phosphorus-based fertilisers are essential to modern agriculture. Phosphate rock is used to make commercial phosphate fertilisers.



According to the US Geological Surveys (USGS) in 2020, the world consumption of phosphate fertilizers is projected to increase from 47 million metric tons (MT) of nutrient-rich rock in 2019 to 50 million MT in 2023. Africa, India, and South America will account for about three-quarters of that growth in phosphate demand.



Fertilizers to dominate the agrochemicals market in 2023.

The fertilizers market is becoming extremely popular since they are critical for increasing crop output by giving crops vital nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphate, potassium, and others.The demand for fertilizers, particularly in the agricultural sector, has risen quickly because of rising food consumption brought on by a growing population.



Fertilizer demand is anticipated to rise because of this.Additionally, the fertilizer industry is fragmented, with numerous fertilizer businesses active globally.



Industry participants establish joint ventures and strategic alliances because fertilizers enhance agricultural yield.

Pesticide and fertilizer use, production, and consumption have risen exponentially globally over the past few decades, according to a 2022 UNEP report on "Environmental and health implications of Pesticides and fertilizers and means of limiting them." As a result, the need for fertilizers is anticipated to increase, particularly for NPK fertilizers.



Break-up of Primaries:

 By Value Chain: Demand side - 41%, Supply side  59%

 By Designation: Managers  24%, CXOs  31%, and Executives- 45.0%

 By Region: Europe - 29%, Asia Pacific  32%, North America - 24%, RoW  15%



Leading players profiled in this report:

 Bayer AG (Germany)

 BASF SE (Germany)

 Syngenta (Switzerland)

 UPL (India)

 Compass Minerals (US)

 EuroChem Group (Switzerland)

 OCP Group (Casablanca)

 K+S AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT (Germany)

 Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (Chile)

 Sumitomo Chemicals (Japan)

 ADAMA Ltd (Israel)

 Nufarm (Australia)

 Nutrien Ltd (Canada)

 Yara (Norway)

 ICL (Israel)

 Corteva (US)

 Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. (US)

 The Mosaic Company (China)

 Jiangsu Yangnong Chemical Co., Ltd (China)

 Agrolac (Spain)

 FMC Corporation (US)

 Nippon Soda Co. Ltd (Japan)

 Isagro SPA (Italy)

 Nissan Chemicals Corporation (Japan)

 Terramera Inc. (Canada)



Research Coverage:

The report segments the agrochemicals market based on core phase, shell material, application, method, technology and region. In terms of insights, this report has focused on various levels of analysesthe competitive landscape, end-use analysis, and company profiles, which together comprise and discuss views on the emerging & high-growth segments of the agrochemicals market, high-growth regions, countries, government initiatives, drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges.



Reasons to buy this report:

 To get a comprehensive overview of the agrochemicals market

 To gain wide-ranging information about the top players in this industry, their product portfolios, and key strategies adopted by them.

 To gain insights about the major countries/regions in which the agrochemicals market is flourishing.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06036670/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

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CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




Pastor Paul Mackenzie (YouTube)

The leader of a Christian cult in Kenya, Pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, has been summoned to appear in court next week after at least 90 bodies were discovered on his land.

Authorities are continuing their search and expect more bodies to be found around the Shakahola forest, where the pastors Good News International Church was located.

The bodies were uncovered after a tip-off. Red Cross fears that with more than 200 people reported missing, the death toll could rise further as the investigations continue.

Meanwhile, police raids have freed several dozen people who were unable to talk and walk.

The church is now being referred to as a cult and its leader Mackenzie is in custody after people accused him of telling followers to starve themselves to go to heaven. He has denied the claims.

Pastor Ezekiel Odero, the owner of the New Life Prayer Centre Church, has also been arrested. His church was in the same region as Mackenzies and bought his television channel from him. The two are reported to be close friends and business partners.

Talking about their upcoming trial, Kenyas interior minister said they would face criminal charges related to mass killing.

This isnt the first time Pastor Mackenzie has been arrested. His past sermons branded education as evil and claimed it taught children gayism and lesbianism. And, after he encouraged children not to go to school and said education was not recognised in the Bible, he was arrested in both 2017 and 2018.

Mackenzie also preached that doctors served a different God, urging pregnant mothers to avoid medical help during childbirth and refuse to get their children vaccinated.

On paper, his Good News International Church closed its doors four years ago after nearly two decades of operation. But, there are still hundreds of his sermons available online, some of which appear to have been recorded more recently, according to the BBC.
FAST is having a moment.

Discussions around free streaming channels have been the buzz of industry events, beginning with MIPCOM 2022 in France and continuing around the world, first in Canada for Prime Time 2023, then Australia for Future of TV Advertising Sydney and, most recently, MipTV 2023s Global FAST Summit, where the event was standing-room only.

More from Variety

Variety Intelligence Platform has had an onstage presence at all of these conferences and has seen the interest levels in FAST boom. Now the VIP+ subscriber exclusive Global FAST provides analysis of just who are the major international forces in FAST and a deeper look at the top five global markets.

The new revenue streams available from FAST are an obvious reason why there is heightened interest in the format, spurred by the recent entry of media giant Warner Bros. Discovery to the industry. But across the panels at MipTV, there emerged several trends worth discussing.

The most important is the definition of FAST. Domestically in the U.S. and internationally, there is confusion about just what FAST means. As VIP+ noted in the most recent Life in the FAST Lane report, those working in the industry refer to FAST as solely linear streaming channels and separate it from free on-demand content.

This was echoed consistently by those onstage at MipTV, beginning with Ampere Analysis executive director and co-founder Guy Bisson. The need to define FAST consistently, or for commentators to reflect the industry sentiment, is pressing, as confusion frequently occurs with advertisers and content companies, who have read that it is inclusive of AVOD.

Story continues

Pluto TVs EVP and international general manager Olivier Jollet took the definition of FAST one step further by arguing that it should now only refer to channels that are properly curated, versus the looping playlists of old. This trend is something that VIP+ has previously noted, with curation a key differentiator in the battle to attract viewers.

Within content, localization is also important and goes hand in hand with curation. Having a FAST platform with content that consists mostly of international shows is not a way to attract an audience, at least yet. AI dubbing companies such as Papercup are currently focusing on being able to take content from other languages and adapt it into a few languages but there will come a point where content can be translated to many more, opening options for services looking for "localized" content.

Single-IP channels have also been a hot topic of conversation around the world. It was noted at Future of TV Advertising in Sydney that they are among the strongest performance drivers for FAST channels, and this was echoed at MipTV, first by the Local Acts Marion Ranchet during her keynote address with VIP+ and then by multiple executives.

Recent analysis conducted by VIP+ showed there are 284 distinctive FAST channels based around a single piece of IP in the U.S., or 17% of the total. This figure is similar in Canada (18% of all channels), greater than what is seen in Australia (9%) but lagging behind the U.K. (21%). Given the success these channels have in attracting audiences, a savvy bet is that the figures will grow in all regions.

Content was a key point brought up in multiple discussions. As Banijay VP of digital Shaun Keeble put it, Content is going to win, and having rich IP is key. What this means for the future of FAST is a system likely dominated by legacy media companies, studios and service providers via owned-and-operated channels on their platforms, with fewer independent channels.

Instead, those will likely license their content to the bigger companies, which will require more as channel refresh rates grow. (See page 31 of Life in the FAST Lane for more detail on refresh rates.) Tying this back to the point about curation, theres a strong possibility that FAST in the near future will be an ecosystem that looks like cable TV, in terms of scheduled channels consisting mostly of reruns and mostly unscripted originals  but one with infinite more options to engage viewers.

To learn more about how FAST looks in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and Germany, and to see where the global FAST services operate, subscribe to VIP+ today to read the full report.

Read the Report

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Click here to read the full article.
Ever since Nando's released its famous sauces into supermarkets and shops, we've been keeping our beady eyes peeled for new flavours.

This week, joining the Peri-Peri sauce collection is a brand new flavour, Peri-BBQ!

Just in time for any optimistic BBQs this bank holiday weekend, Nando's promises the new sauce will be sweet and smoky with hints of garlic. It comes in a handy squeezy bottle perfect for drizzling on hot dogs, chicken wings or whatever you're grilling.

We wager it would also make an excellent glaze for that BBQ char, too!

Nando's

Fans of a milder sauce will love this one, as the bottle says it'll have a mild spicy flavour, rather than one that'll blow your head off (that's what the VUSA XX HOT is for...).

The sauce is available right this minute at Tesco, Morrisons and Iceland for 2.50.

There are LOADS of other sauce flavours from Nando's available in shops too, from mega spicy down to lemon and herb.

There's the OG Peri Peri, Medium, Hot, EXTRA Hot, Garlic, Lemon & Herb and the famous Perinaise that's brilliant on just about everything, but absolutely delicious on chips.

Of course, that's not the only way to enjoy Peri Peri flavours. We've got a stellar Peri Peri Chicken recipe that you're going to love, and it's WAY easier than you'd think (plus it'll save you cash on all those Nando's orders...).
I dont have much to add to Sams excellent review of David Cronenbergs Naked Lunch. I was at the right impressionable age when I discovered this film and William S. Burroughs literary works. I was always a voracious reader growing up, but in part, I was also desperately trying to look cool amongst my limited pool of peers when I picked up a collection of Burroughs short stories. That effort partly paid off. I didnt impress anyone and what was an attempt to look edgy and mysterious actually turned into an eye-opening experience with a piece of writing the likes of which Id never encountered before. Then I found a cheap tattered copy of Naked Lunch on a dollar rack at a used book store. And then I discovered the guy that made Scanners and The Fly adapted it into a movie starring RoboCop! Well, I had to see that.

While the film isnt even remotely close to being a faithful adaptation of the book, because thatd just be impossible, its a clever amalgam of Burroughs novel, short stories, and pieces of his life. As we watch Peter Weller navigate his bug-powder-fueled journey into the Interzone, bits and pieces of the shocking and tragic life of William S. Burroughs are also explored. Its strange, it doesnt always make sense, but its hypnotic and I can't look away. Up to that point, it was Cronenbergs bravest ballsiest film then he made Crash, another film that is just as weird, wild, and unfilmable, yet this soft-spoken Canadian master of body horror pulled that off too.

Anyway, enough of my dithering, heres what Sam Cohen had to say about this film in his Arrow Video Naked Lunch 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review

Of all the novels dubbed unfilmable over the years, its easy to understand why William S. Burroughs Naked Lunch was immediately given that title whenever a filmmaker expressed interest in adapting it. Burroughs free-flowing prose is seated in a world fully realized and nearly incomprehensible, and its depiction of power imbalances under capitalism sure hit harder given todays reality. To look back on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Courts banning of the book is to find irony in the Democratic capital of the United States trying to stymie expression. Anyway, the point is that Burroughs book is the kind of art that changes how you engage with art, and Cronenberg nearly achieves the same with his adaptation.

Burroughs is famous for being cantankerous about adaptations of his work, and hes more than a bit justified in that exact feeling, though the mans violent attitude certainly takes an artist of a certain demeanor to parse through all the terse wordplay. In comes Cronenberg, a calm and metronomic presence that seems at odds with Burroughs at first, but whats always been there is a man that deeply understands our relationship with drugs, power, and money as in how they dictate our reality. Thus, we must revolt, in whatever way we can.

Naked Lunch follows drug addict and exterminator William Lee (Peter Weller), a man who accidentally shoots and kills his wife, but that was after he hallucinated that a giant talking beetle was trying to conscript him to kill his wife for a mysterious corporation called Interzone Incorporated. Lee flees to Interzone, a constantly morphing city located somewhere in North Africa, and becomes involved in a mysterious plot orchestrated by Dr. Benway (Roy Scheider). Naturally, Bill has many drug episodes along the way, including one where his typewriter/beetle creature brutally murders another typewriter in gruesome, weird, and bloody detail.

The film is anything but a straight adaptation of Burroughs source, eliding a loose autobiography of Burroughs life and specific passages from the book to create something incomprehensible but thematically full. Something that, I think, accurately captures Burroughs writing while being something completely of Cronenbergs making. The horror maestros proclivity for stories about addiction and how that morphs both the person and the reality around them is on full display here, and the breathless production design and creature effects make for a fully realized vision.

To write about Naked Lunch is to fail to summarize its strengths neatly, but believe me when I say that it still stands as one of Cronenbergs most formally and narratively audacious works. And better yet, it still delivers on that confounding, transfixing feeling you get when reading Burroughs work.









Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Gathering up some booze, glasses, and ammunition for a game of William Tell, German label Turbine Medien delivers a fully-packed four-disc 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of David Cronenbergs Naked Lunch with Limited Edition Mediabook packaging. The 4K version of the film is pressed on a BD-66 disc, the 1080p version is on a Region B locked BD-50 disc (the only region-locked disc of the set), with a Region Free BD-50 for bonus features, and another Region Free BD-25 disc for the documentary William S. Burroughs: A Man Within and a few additional bonus features. On top of all that, there is a 48-page booklet detailing the genesis of the film, how it came to be, its production, and its release. The book is in German but Ive steadily started picking through it using Google Translate on my phone. A lot of this material is covered in the various documentaries and interviews, but there are some interesting bits and bites worth reading about. Each disc rests in its own tray without being stacked. Also included is a replica business card for Dr. A Benway.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, shakes hands with U.S. President Joe Biden during a joint news conference after their summit at the White House in Washington, D.C., April 26. Yonhap



The agreement reached by the leaders of South Korea and the United States on strengthening U.S. extended deterrence is not an agreement designed to enable sharing of nuclear weapons between the allies, a senior U.S. official said Thursday.



The official noted the agreement, dubbed the Washington Declaration, is designed to address North Korea's evolving threats and nuclear rhetoric, but is not "nuclear sharing."



"So let me just be very direct. I don't think that we see this as a de facto nuclear sharing," said Edgard Kagan, special assistant to the president and senior director for East Asia and Oceania of the National Security Council (NSC).



His remarks come one day after South Korea's deputy national security adviser, Kim Tae-hyo, argued that the joint declaration will make the people of South Korea "feel that they are sharing nuclear weapons with the United States."



South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden issued the joint statement Wednesday after holding a bilateral summit in Washington.



The agreement calls for the establishment of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), which U.S. officials said will provide additional insights into how the U.S. plans and prepares for major nuclear contingencies.






As a federal enterprise, the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH supports the German Government in achieving its objectives in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. On behalf of the German Government, GIZ currently provides advisory services to the Government of Viet Nam in three priority areas: Vocational training, Environmental policy and sustainable use of natural resources, and Energy. For further information, please visit www.giz.de/viet-nam.

The project Upscalling of Sustainable Forest Management and Certification in Vietnam (SFM Project) plans to purchase 18 laptops and related items.

GIZ Country Office Hanoi, under the authority of the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammnarbeit would like to annouce the Tender package procurement of 18 laptops and related items.

The eligible suppliers interested in the tender can inform us officially through the Email: question-from-bidder-pog-vn@giz.de to receive the detail technical specifications.

The items shall be maintained by authorized dealers in Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, and Quang Tri provinces.

- Place of delivery: free to Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, and Quang Tri provinces

- Delivery time: Please indicate your shortest delivery time after the order placement

- Payment: Payment after receipt of goods against VAT Invoice and delivery note (negotiable)

GIZ will select the most economic and efficient quotation from submitted bidders who fullfil at least the minimum technical requirements for each lot/province.

Bid is to be submitted in 02 original copies with full signature and stamp, 01 in Vietnamese and 01 in English, with same validity, including following documents:

1. Letter of Interest

2. Company profile (incl. copy of business registration certificate)

3. Copy of audited financial report or annual tax report of last 03 years (2022, 2021, 2020. It could be in Vietnamese, incl. balance sheet, income statement, cashflow statement, tax liquidation)

4. Proof of experience for providing similar products in the past (could be in Vietnamese, copy of similar contracts)

5. Bidding quotation (technical proposal and financial offer incl. VAT and excl. VAT) should be sent in two separated emails.

The documents are to be submitted to the email VN_PoG_Quotation@giz.de at the latest by 17:00 (Vietnam time) on 24.05.2023. We request you to submit the technical offer and price quotation in two separate emails with subject as "Technical offer and profile  PO 91171995" and Price Quotation  PO 91171995 respectively.

Bidders interested in the assignment are recommended to contact GIZ by sending request to the email address: question-from-bidder-pog-vn@giz.de to receive the complete tender dossier by 17h00 (Vietnam time) on 22.05.2023.

GIZ is obliged to ensure the confidentiality of all bidding documents submitted.

Note:

Bids sending not as formally required or after the deadline will be disqualified.

Only the winning bidder will be later contacted for order placement.
HA NOI  As much as US$9 billion has been invested in green growth from the business community, including the Foreign Director Investment (FDI) sector. These projects mainly focus on green development, renewable energy or equipment for the green economy.

This figure accounts for about 2 per cent of Viet Nams GDP, and the average growth of this investment during the past two years has been quite high, at 10-13 per cent, which is a very good sign," said Nguyen Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Foreign Investment Department, Ministry of Planning and Investment.

He was speaking at the seminar "FDI enterprises with green growth of Viet Nam" held on Thursday by the Government News, baochinhphu.vn.

Tuan said that green growth and sustainable development are indispensable requirements that all countries in the world are pursuing.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh made very strong commitments at COP26, affirming Viet Nam's desire to achieve economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and social justice.

We strive to implement the goal of green growth well to not only contribute to solving the common issues of the world but also to affirm our position and role as a responsible member, Tuan said.

Achieving green growth goals requires mobilising the full strength of the political system as well as the business community, including FDI enterprises. FDI enterprises help create a change in perception, resources and experience for management, modern technology and equipment to realise green growth goals in production.

If in the past, enterprises implementing green growth goals faced many difficulties and challenges, but now, businesses have turned difficulties and challenges into competitive advantages, contributing to further improving their operations, production, and business investment, Tuan said.

From the perspective of an expert in FDI investment, Nguyen Van Toan, Vice Chairman of the Association of Foreign Investment Enterprises (VAFIE), said that by 2021, among FDI enterprises investing in Viet Nam, only 5 per cent could apply high technology, 15 per cent with outdated technology and 80 per cent with medium technology.

That was the period when Viet Nam attracted FDI at all costs, did not pay much attention to environmental protection issues, much in need of investment capital, occupation for labour and boosting export, Toan said.

However, this index has greatly improved in recent years with the orientation of attracting FDI in green development. Recently, he said a series of high-tech enterprises, such as Lego and Nestle, have invested in Viet Nam.

FDI investment has contributed a lot to the economy, especially green growth. Especially following the promulgation of the Politburo's Resolution 50, Viet Nam has changed how it considers and selects FDI projects, he said.

The Prime Minister had also committed in COP 26 that by 2050, greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced to zero. Therefore, he said green growth would be the top goal in the following years.

Nguyen Quang Vinh, Vice President of Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), said that Viet Nam was not a rich country like developed countries but still had made commitments at COP 26. This is a huge goal that shows Viet Nam's clear direction in green growth.

As technology played an important role, many FDI enterprises aimed to use all renewable energy or apply a circular economy in production and business activities.

The race in green growth started two to three decades ago in Asia and Europe," Vinh said. "Especially China, after having paid the price of economic growth at all costs, is the world leader in investment in green growth, green finance, green technology and many other sources.

"If there is no strong commitment and thorough selection, FDI businesses will bring outdated technology into Viet Nam, but when we insist, they will have to bring high technology into Viet Nam."

The perception of domestic enterprises has also recently improved and changed significantly. Businesses are now very interested in green finance and bonds to promote investment in green development.  VNS
HA NOI  It is critical to develop a proper legal framework for consumer credit to protect the legitimate rights of both borrowers and lenders.

Ngo Xuan Duy from Vietnam International Debt Trading Company said that the existing legal framework was inadequate and lacked transparency, causing difficulties for the operation of companies in this field.

The mechanism for lending and debt collection related to consumer credit was not complete, which was negatively affecting the market, he said. We are still confused about how to make a debt reminder phone call in the right way, he said.

In addition, many customers used fake documents to borrow money. It was necessary to enhance the responsibility of borrowers to make the market more transparent and prevent fraudulent activities, he added.

Both lenders and borrowers played the role in promoting the development of the consumer credit market, he stressed.

Nguyen Hoang Minh, chief representative of the Viet Nam Banks Association in HCM City, said that being equated with usury made it difficult for finance companies to operate.

The lending and debt collection results of some finance companies slumped in the first quarter of this year, Minh said, adding there was an increasing number of employees at finance companies quitting their jobs recently due to occupational risks and social prejudices.

Borrowers must be aware of their obligations while companies must improve their debt collection culture, Minh said.

Never have consumer loans been in difficulty as recently. The demand of borrowers was great, but finance companies did not dare to increase lending because of worries about the difficulty of debt collection.

Le Quoc Ninh, head of the Consumer Credit Club under the Viet Nam Banks Association, said that consumer finance companies were in a lot of difficulty after negative information of companies which were not licensed by the central bank. These companies were licensed by the provincial or municipal departments of planning and investment and operated under the Civil Law and the Law on Enterprise, not subject to the management of the State Bank.

Objectionable debt collection of some consumer lending companies and pawn shops which led to inspection and investigation by the policy negatively affected the image of mainstream consumer finance companies, he said.

o Minh Hai, general direct of ATM Online, a fintech operating in consumer lending, said that consumer lending was more and more difficult in the context of economic slowdown, difficult business and production affecting the incomes of workers  the target customers of finance companies.

A representative from FE Credit said that the shortage of regulations on borrowers resulted in increasing payment delinquency.

This was not a good thing when finance companies were forced to tighten lending and consumers who had real demand could not access the credit, he said.

According to the State Bank of Viet Nams statistics, there were 16 consumer credit companies licensed by the central bank.

Nguyen Van Dung, Deputy Director of the State Bank of Viet Nam, HCM City Branch, said that the list of consumer credit companies and payment intermediary services was published on the website.

He urged consumers to be cautious about usury which was hiding in the shadow of finance companies, such as peer-to-peer lending apps, to avoid being scammed.

More reasonable rates

Besides proposing a legal framework for debt collection to be completed, experts said it was necessary to set lending rates at more reasonable levels for workers and disadvantaged groups.

Economic expert Nguyen Tri Hieu said that consumer credit rates of both official credit institutions or informal channels were high. There was a regulation that rates above 20 per cent per year was considered illegal. However, the fact was that no one had actually been prosecuted for lending with rates higher than 20 per cent.

For black credit, the rates could be up to hundreds of per cent.

Credit institutions should design more reasonable rates for workers and low-income earners, said Nguyen Hoang Bao Tran, Deputy Chairwoman of Binh Duong Labour Confederation.  VNS
HA NOI  Vietnamese businesses have made important strides in the digital transformation journey, but they also need to overcome challenges and difficulties in order to perfect and take advantage of opportunities from digital transformation.

Digital transformation has recently become a top keyword among businesses in Viet Nam.

Accordingly, the need for digital transformation becomes urgent for businesses to innovate models, gradually shift business activities on digital platforms, find more markets, cut costs and improve operational efficiency, competitiveness, and adaptability to new contexts.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the development of Industry 4.0 has created opportunities and spurred businesses to complete digital transformation and improve productivity and production efficiency, said Nguyen Tan Minh, deputy general director of GMO-Z.com Runsystem Joint Stock Company.

However, digital transformation in businesses in Viet Nam was still in the early stages, depending on the size and industry, and there had been many challenges that need to be solved, said Minh.

Most businesses were just at the start-up stage, and there were even businesses that are still outside the digital economy, he noted.

Only a few large enterprises and corporations had had made real progress and development in the digital transformation, said Minh.

The annual report on enterprise digital transformation 2022 showed that up to 48.8 per cent of businesses had worked towards digital transformation but were no longer using it because the solution was not suitable or was no longer suitable in the current context of the business.

Sharing with Tap chi Kinh te Viet Nam (VnEconomy - Vietnam Economic Times) about the current state of digital transformation of businesses, Tran Tuan Anh, business consulting director in the South of Base.vn, said that the actual number of businesses which did not succeed in digital transformation were up to 70 per cent, or even more.

The figure of more than 48 per cent did not seem positive but reflected reality, he said.

However, this number also showed that the situation of digital transformation in enterprises had been much better than before, he added.

Digital transformation was a long journey and most Vietnamese businesses were still in the early stages of digitisation, said Anh.

At this stage, new software technology helped business divisions and departments to interact and operate effectively remotely, he said.

During the pandemic, technology had played this role well. When the pandemic was over, businesses no longer needed to operate remotely. Enterprises tended to look back at the costs they have had spent to buy software and found it no longer appropriate, he added.

As they were just stopping at the digitisation step and had not yet realised the effects of dataisation and optimisation, said Anh.  VNS
With the potential to digitally transform industries for improved productivity and efficiency, Denis Brunetti, President of Ericsson Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos shares that 5G is a critical national infrastructure that will enable the sustained and inclusive socioeconomic development of Vietnam through science, technology and innovation, further improving Vietnams competitiveness in attracting increased high tech FDI and high value investments.

Currently, the digital economy is being promoted by the Vietnamese Government. As a leader of a tech giant like Ericsson who has worked in Vietnam for decades, what do you think about this process?

We've had the pleasure of working with Vietnamese operators in building the 1st 2G network here in 1994 and then 3G in 2010, 4G since 2015, 2016 and now we've done some commercial trials on 5G as well.

Viet Nam is in the top 20 countries in the world with 50 million internet users. While mobile connectivity has helped develop the country so far, 5G will provide the critical infrastructure that will drive the next leg of digital transformation in Viet Nam. Ericsson fully supports and endorses this vision, and we are committed to helping Viet Nam achieve this important and strategic ambition. The next wave of socioeconomic development in Viet Nam will be created through innovation, science and technology, driven by the digital economy

Manufacturing, transport/logistics, energy/utilities, healthcare, and education are sectors that represent huge opportunities for 5G. Coupled with Viet Nams National Innovation Centre initiative, the Governments investment in sustainably growing the nations startup ecosystem will significantly contribute to the countrys innovation capacity and the establishment of a thriving digital economy. The Government's target is to have its digital economy contribute 20 per cent and 30 per cent of GDP by 2025 and 2030 respectively.

We believe 5G will pave the way for increased investments in smart manufacturing capabilities in Viet Nam, supporting the governments focus on driving an increased and sustainable productivity growth rate in Viet Nam. Ericsson is proactively working with mobile service providers to ensure Viet Nam is at the forefront of 5G developments, sharing our technical capabilities as well as our global, regional, and local market insights.

You said that data is the new oil that drives the engine of the economy. So how can 5G and digital transformation impact the performance of some industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, logistics and e-commerce in the future?

We expect two-thirds of the total global manufacturing hubs to be relocating to Asia Pacific by 2030. There are many countries in the world using AI, using augmented reality, virtual reality, digital twin technology, cloud computing, and edge computing together with 5G to make their industries more efficient.

Enterprises worldwide are looking to invest in modernising their legacy systems by utilising new technologies and applications which will drive new innovations, operational efficiencies, and growth. The initial use-case of private 5G networks will be around gaining operational flexibility, efficiencies, and reliability, helping further improve Viet Nams labour productivity growth rates towards the Governments target of 7.5 per cent per annum by 2030

5G also serves as an innovation platform for start-ups. They use 5G to create new tech-led use cases, new companies, new industries, leading to further job creation. Viet Nam has a strong start-up ecosystem, and the Government is putting a lot of investment in start-ups and entrepreneurship. Manufacturing and agriculture, along with retail, fishery, and forestry will also benefit from digital infrastructure.

Clearly, 5G has two-fold benefits to enterprises and industries, making them more efficient and productive, and attracting more investment.

The Vietnamese Government is implementing a plan to increase investment in 5G infrastructure. Could you tell us about Ericsson's contribution to the development of Viet Nam's digital economy?

Viet Nam is one of our priority markets. As mentioned above, weve had the pleasure of working with Vietnamese operators in building 2G, 3G, 4G and now 5G as well. We have been helping operators with commercial trials for 5G - Vinaphone, Viettel and Mobifone since late 2020. In fact, our first technical 5G trial was done with Viettel in May 2019.

5G will provide the critical infrastructure that will drive the digital transformation in Viet Nam. Viet Nam is well poised to commercially expand 5G later this year and derive the benefits of our latest, most advanced 5G products and solutions, as well as leverage the valuable knowledge and experiences from the 5G deployment across other markets in the world

5G will pave the way for increased investments in smart manufacturing capabilities in Viet Nam. The growth of the 5G ecosystem will go a long way towards accelerating the 5G and Industry 4.0 adoption by enterprises in Viet Nam. The industry, academia, and government collaboration will serve to build up innovative 5G use cases that are relevant for Viet Nam.

Further, our industry leading Enterprise Wireless Solutions, the Vonage Communications Platform, and our Global Network Platform enables us to offer converged solutions for networks, security, and creating better connections, conversations and engagement for enterprises in Viet Nam, their customers and employees, that are simple to deploy and easy to use.

Additionally, Ericsson adopted a project two years ago to integrate local Vietnamese supplies into our global supply chain. We aim to partner the Vietnamese Government as well and partner them in development of a digital economy in Viet Nam.

Viet Nam is also piloting 5G commercialisation, so which factor should Viet Nam focus on to enable the process?

To enable commercialisation, the government will ensure adequate 5G spectrum availability for service providers, and the mobile operators will need to deploy 5G across the country, establishing a critical national digital infrastructure. We're sharing with the Vietnamese operators our global experience that will help create new industries and new jobs from the vast opportunities emanating from limitless connectivity.

We at Ericsson are proud and dedicated to serve the needs of Viet Nam, working in partnership with all mobile operators and service providers in Viet Nam, as well as academic institutions, to seamlessly expand 5G in the country.

The growth of the 5G ecosystem will go a long way towards accelerating the 5G and Industry 4.0 adoption by enterprises in Viet Nam. The industry, academia, and government collaboration will serve to build up innovative 5G use cases that are relevant for Viet Nam. For example, together with RMIT University in Vietnam, Ericsson is already today delivering 5G, the Internet of Things, AI, automation, AR/VR, edge computing, and blockchain training to RMITs engineering, science, and technology students in Viet Nam.

As part of our 30-year anniversary in Viet Nam this year, Ericsson and RMIT University will launch an AI Lab at RMIT campus in the second quarter of 2023, supporting and aligning with the governments vision of making Viet Nam a regional hub for AI by 2030. This is a particularly important initiative since AI is a spearhead technology for Industry 4.0

Viet Nam is well poised to commercially expand 5G later this year and derive the benefits of the latest, most advanced 5G products and solutions, as well as leveraging the valuable knowledge and experiences from the 5G deployment across other markets in the world. VNS
As one of the largest consumer goods companies in the world, P&G embraces the opportunity to drive real impact as a force for good and a force for growth. In Viet Nam, it has shown the ability and commitment to carry out responsible business and do good. The newly appointed VP & country manager of P&G Vietnam, Priyamvada Srivastava, speaks about the company's ESG goals and how they are implemented in the Vietnamese market.

ESG is a goal that many companies are pursuing around the world. Can you tell us why it matters to P&G?

At P&G, we believe that while it is our responsibility to create and deliver superior products and value to our consumers to improve their lives, it is also our responsibility to do so in a way that helps develop communities and minimise our environmental footprint.

We are well aware that our ability to do well is connected to our commitment to do good, and our ability to do good is strengthened by our growth. And we ensure this by focusing on technologies, processes, and improvements that matter for the environment and are based on our endeavor of being a force for good for the planet.

How is P&G incorporating ESG into its business in Viet Nam?

In Viet Nam, we have made efforts in ESG areas through our citizenship pillars of environmental sustainability, community impact, E&I, and ethics and corporate responsibility in our everyday business.

We aim to make a meaningful and long-term impact on the communities we operate in through our various sustainability initiatives.

First, products that are designed to save water and energy, help consumers save money and reduce their environmental footprint.

Second, reducing our carbon footprint and striving for more circular approaches in our supply chain. Our two plants in Binh Duong and Ben Cat are zero-waste-to-landfill manufacturing sites.

Third, taking impressive initiatives to raise awareness among our employees, business partners, and consumers about the importance of preserving our natural resources.

And last, building partnerships with external organisations and our retailers to enable consumers to participate in green initiatives.

Recently, we successfully brought our iconic Forest for Good Programme to Viet Nam through the partnership with our long-term strategic partners Central Retail in Vietnam & Gaia Nature Conservation. Six thousand trees of precious species are set to be planted in the initial phase at various locations across Viet Nam, including Xuan Lien and Ca Mau forests. This meaningful initiative not only promotes environmental protection but, more importantly, inspires consumers to play an active role in preserving the earth.

To accelerate our community impacts, we focus on providing clean drinking water, disaster relief, scholarships for students and financial aid, and empowering women to help them take care of their families and develop themselves.

Childrens Safe Drinking Water is P&Gs global signature programme committed to helping children and families access clean drinking water. This programme first started in Viet Nam in 2016 through co-operation with the Vietnam Red Cross. To date, the programme has provided more than 90 million litres of clean drinking water to nearly 150,000 households in more than 10 provinces and cities including Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Long An, An Giang, and ong Thap.

This year, we have continued to implement this meaningful initiative in Viet Nam via the strategic partnership with Saigon Co.op, which allows consumers to contribute to this great cause by purchasing P&Gs products from Saigon Co.ops retail network. Responding to climate change, we are committed to expanding the programme to localities and regions that lack clean water and are easily affected by natural disasters in Viet Nam.

Equality and inclusion are also an important part of our strategy to be a force for good in Viet Nam. We believe diversity accelerates our ability to innovate and create, solve problems to make a meaningful difference to the consumers we serve and support the communities in which we live and work.

To enable this, we have built equal access into our systems, policies and practices so that people have a truly inclusive experience at P&G. In Viet Nam, females constitute 50 per cent of our management roles, and we have increasing numbers of female technicians in our plants. We are taking deliberate actions to accelerate equality and inclusion for all, including gender equality, LGBTQ+ visibility, people with disabilities, and employees with disabled dependents accessibility.

Ethics and corporate responsibility are the foundation for everything we do at P&G Viet Nam. Sustaining our robust business depends on maintaining strong ethical, compliance and quality standards across everything we do. It is a critical reason consumers trust us, partners do business with us, and shareholders invest in us.

As people increasingly rely on us to deliver superior solutions that are sustainable, this challenge is also an opportunity to extend our margin of superiority, further grow categories and create more value. We strongly believe that all our citizenship work must be firmly rooted in our Purpose, Values and Principles to be credible and impactful.  VNS
HCM CITY  Artists from the Tran Huu Trang Cai Luong Theatre are working on a new play about Vietnamese history to celebrate the Reunification Day (April 30).

They will stage Cau Ho at Me (Folk Tunes), a cai luong (reformed opera) production featuring the couple Le Hong Phong and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai -- two famous revolutionaries in the anti-French war.

The opera highlights Phongs love for his wife, Khai, one of the prominent female members of the Indochinese Communist Party in the 1930s.

The themes of patriotism and honesty are also featured.

It stars talents Le Tu and Hong Tham as Phong and Khai, respectively. Young performers Ha Nhu, Trong Hieu and Hong Quyen are also included.

Cau Ho at Me features historical events. Our artists have worked to stage it in a realistic style, said the plays director, Le Trung Thao, in an interview with local media.

We read documents and books about the career of revolutionaries Phong and Khai. This helped to breathe life into the play.

Phong, whose real name was Le Huy Doan, was born in 1902 in Nghe An Province. He met Nguyen Ai Quoc, later known as President Ho Chi Minh, in China in 1924, and then joined the Viet Nam Association of Revolutionary Youth League founded by Quoc.

He was sent to receive military training in China and Russia in 1926-1928.

He was the second leader and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam.

In 1934, he married his comrade, Khai.

He was jailed and died in Con ao Island in 1942 after months of torture by French colonialists when he was only 40 years old. His wife was executed by firing squad one year later in Hoc Mon (now HCM City).

In Cau Ho at Me, we will offer Vietnamese drama in the style of the South, said Meritorious Artist Thao, adding that his play has a new and experimental concept.

The play Cau Ho at Me is scheduled to be staged for students in secondary schools and universities around the city in April and May, starting on April 30. VNS
HCM CITY - Poor coordination between airlines and travel agents has posed serious challenges for the domestic tourism industry, especially during the upcoming national holiday of April 30 and May 1.

Recently, sudden airfare drops for the coming holiday, even down 30 to 40 per cent compared to months ago, has seriously affected air ticket agents and travel agencies.

Earlier, airlines merely offered a small number of domestic tickets for the upcoming national holiday, resulting in an increase in price and a decrease in travel demand.

Only when requested by the Civil Aviation Administration were more air tickets then added to the system. However, locals have already switched to cheaper transport alternatives or opted for closer locations due to the high airfares.

My Chi, a resident of Binh Thanh District, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that she initially planned to visit a Nang with her boyfriend during the holiday. Since the airfare between HCM City and a Nang alone cost about VN8 million (US$343) for two people while it is typically around VN900,000 to VN1 million, she decided to go camping in ong Nai to save money.

Few flights

In mid-April, the Viet Nam Civil Aviation Administration published a list of routes with high booking rates, asking airlines to increase flights to ensure smooth service for passengers on the occasion of April 30 and May 1.

However, instead of domestic tourism, airlines have been focusing on international flights for better profits.

Specifically during this holiday, Viet Nam Airlines provided nearly 551,000 seats, equivalent to nearly 2,800 flights on domestic routes from April 26 to May 5, only a slight increase compared to the same period in 2022.

Similarly, even though Vietjet and Bamboo Airways increased the number of domestic flights by 10 to 20 per cent, the two airlines have spent more effort on the international market.

India, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong (China), Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, among others, are some of the most attractive routes with increased flight frequency during the upcoming holiday.

A representative of an airline told Tuoi Tre that the opening of Chinas border to foreign tourists was part of the reason why flight schedules were quite tight between domestic and international markets.

Flying overseas usually secures better revenue than domestic flights, according to the insider, who also admitted that the airline would eventually lose customers to other firms with more domestic flights.

Lack of coordination between airlines and travel agents

According to Nguyen Huu Y Yen, general director of Saigontourist Travel, there is currently no travel agency large enough to be able to fairly negotiate with airlines about air ticket prices.

It is more common for airlines to assess the markets travel demand during the holidays of April 30 and May 1 each year and adjust airfares accordingly.

That being said, with more market information, travel agencies can make more accurate judgments. Closer cooperation between airlines and travel agencies will bring more sustainable development to the tourism industry," Yen said, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic had drastically changed locals travelling behaviour.

According to Pham Trung Luong, former deputy director of the Institute of Tourism Research, an increase in airfares could push tour prices up by 30 to 40 per cent, greatly affecting tourists' travel decisions.

Since Vietnamese people have the need to travel in groups of friends and family, the high airfare will certainly have tourists think of other options.

"The lack of cooperation between aviation and tourism has posed serious challenges for the tourism industry and the recovery of many other industries. Airlines and tour operators need to work closely as this will bring mutual benefits as well as sustainable development of both sides," Luong said.

Meanwhile, Tran Quoc Khanh, chairman of Kien Giang Tourism Association, said that provincial tourism activities depended on 80 per cent of flight routes from other localities to Phu Quoc.

The previous high cost of air tickets caused much inconvenience, making Phu Quoc lose its competitive advantage.

"The airlines should have worked with the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism in the beginning to develop a clear fare strategy, Khanh added. VNS
Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol shakes hands with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, as the meet at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, March 16. Reuters-Yonhap



Japan began domestic procedures Friday to return Korea to its "white list" of trusted trading partners, in a move to improve bilateral economic relationship, Seoul's industry ministry said.



Japan began canvassing public opinion on redesignating Korea as a "Group A," or white list nation, that would give Seoul preferential export treatment, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said, citing a statement issued by the Japanese trade ministry.



Tokyo downgraded Korea to "Group B" in 2019 after imposing export restrictions on three key industry materials, in an apparent retaliation against the Korean Supreme Court rulings the previous year that ordered two Japanese companies to pay compensation to Korean forced labor victims during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.



But the two sides last month vowed the reinstatement after Korea announced plans to compensate the victims without asking Japan for contributions, and Korea put Japan back on its white list earlier this week.



Japan lifted the export curbs after President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a bilateral summit, and agreed to make joint efforts to better bilateral ties long marred by historic and diplomatic rows stemming from the colonial rule.



"Korea welcomes Japan's move and hopes for the swift conclusion of the procedures," the Seoul ministry said in a release. (Yonhap)




HCM CITY  HCM City has remained the top destination for both domestic and foreign tourists in recent time, Agoda said.

In a report, Lam Vu, country manager for Viet Nam and Indochina of Agoda, said HCM City is the place where many domestic and inbound tourist had chosen to visit after the pandemic.

Speaking with Viet Nam News, Lam said that HCM City is the biggest entry point connecting Viet Nam and the world. The city has a big airport with many direct flights so visitors choose the city as a destination before going to other provinces and cities.

He highlighted HCM City, Ha Noi and a Nang as the three most popular destinations domestically for the month-ending long weekend, while Bangkok, Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur have emerged as the top international getaways for the long break.

The other domestic destinations during this period include Vung Tau, a Lat, Nha Trang and Phan Thiet.

In another development, Agoda shared top three observations about the Vietnamese travel industry and the trends that players in the sector can expect for the rest of 2023 and beyond.

"Sustainability is not a fad, it's here to stay," Lam said.

"The travel industry is taking steps towards becoming more eco-friendly, and travellers are increasingly aware of this. Viet Nam is making strides towards sustainability, but there is still work to be done. Increasing awareness is crucial, and travellers and hoteliers alike are demanding more eco-friendly options."

Secondly, Agoda highlights Vietnamese culture as one that emphasises close family bonds. Family travel has been one of the centerpieces of the online travel business in the past, and will continue to take centre stage moving forward.

"Vietnamese families are eager to travel, and the trend is not limited to immediate family members. According to Agodas Family Travel Survey, four out of five travellers are looking to plan family holidays in the next 12 months, with immediate or extended family members."

In another trend, technology is a key driver of tourism behaviour.

"Vietnamese travellers are turning to technology to get the best deals and to plan their trips. Using fintech solutions and AI, travellers can find the best flights, accommodations, and activities, all in one place. Additionally, the extended trip trend has gained popularity, where travellers book flights and accommodations for extended periods of time to save money," Lam said.  VNS
The Ministry of Home Affairs is currently seeking input from experts, scientists, managers, and the public on the government's draft decree aimed at promoting and safeguarding the interests of dynamic, creative, daring, and innovative public servants. In an interview with the Government Portal, Luu Binh Nhuong, deputy head of the NA's Ombudsman Committee, discussed the matter.

The Party has repeatedly emphasised the importance of encouraging dynamic, creative, daring-thinking and daring-to-do among public employees in many key documents. Now this vision is being reflected in a draft decree by the government. Is this a groundbreaking development given the current situation?

The Party and State have already established a range of policies and regulations relating to public employees and promoting the above-mentioned traits. However, these policies have not been comprehensive or specific enough. Therefore, the Politburo issued Conclusion No 14-KL/TW on September 22, 2021, which focuses on incentivising and safeguarding dynamic, creative public employees for the common good.

This policy is both timely and appropriate for addressing fundamental issues relating to public servants in the present era. However, as it is a Party policy, it cannot directly address social relations within the rule-of-law state, nor can it replace existing laws. Therefore, it is necessary to issue legal documents to institutionalise this policy.

There is a prevailing viewpoint that incomplete policies and laws have led to many new issues arising without precedents, which can pose significant risks and errors. How do you evaluate this situation?

While there are some legal provisions related to the protection of public employees in general, such as the "right to be protected by law when performing duties" (Article 11, Law on Public Employees) or the entitlement of public employees to "other rights as prescribed by law" (Article 14, Law on Public Employees), these provisions are still quite general and do not explicitly define the content of the object being protected against the subject. Furthermore, there are no direct provisions on the aforementioned issues.

The incomplete system of policies and legal provisions has failed to provide sufficient grounds for encouraging public employees to be creative, daring to think, and daring to do, nor has it provided adequate protection for them. Additionally, there is no legal provision to determine the responsibility for acts of law violation.

Do you think that the issuance of this decree will help prevent, deter, and strictly handle public employees who exploit the encouragement policy, protect public employees to carry out or cover up acts of personal gain, corruption, negative behaviours, violations of Party discipline, and state law?

The creation of laws can have a significant impact on society and individuals, especially in areas that require legal adjustment. However, laws can also have both positive and negative effects.

For those who possess a sense of responsibility and obedience, these regulations will be a "treasure" that encourages and protects capable, qualified, and dedicated public employees who contribute to building the State apparatus and developing a talented and ethical civil service team with a sense of responsibility to serve the State and the people.

However, there is also the risk that laws and regulations may be exploited by some individuals as a tool to justify, protect, and cover up for public employees and public servants who have committed wrongdoings and become corrupt. In these cases, the effectiveness of the decree will depend on how strictly it is enforced and how accountable those who break the law are held.

Do you believe that the issuance of this decree will encourage public employees and civil servants to take advantage of their intelligence, propose bold ideas, create breakthrough solutions, resolve bottlenecks, and contribute to the effective and practical value creation, strong transformation, and development?

The issuance of this decree in this area will undoubtedly contribute to the refinement of regulations on the work of public employees, the management of civil servants, and the creation of a foundation to unlock the untapped potential of highly capable and qualified civil servant teams.

Furthermore, it will create legal consistency for evaluating, reminding, and promoting righteous and higher-quality public employees. Most importantly, it will assist all levels and sectors in detecting, attracting, valuing, protecting, and ensuring the utilisation of talents, which will build a national "nucleus" system and contribute to the creation of policies and laws. VNS
THAI BINH  A thermal plant with a capacity of 1,200 MW, one of the large-scale projects in the northern region, has opened in the northern province of Thai Binh on Thursday morning.

Speaking at the launching event, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said the plant will contribute to ensuring energy security for the northern region and the whole country, becoming key to energy infrastructure for the region.

It will also help to increase the value of production and contribute to the dramatic transformation of the economic structure towards industrialisation, he said.

Thai Binh 2 Thermal Power Plant, constructed in 2011, has a total investment of VN41.8 trillion.

The PM said that this is one of the key projects with a large scale in the power industry invested by the Vietnam Oil And Gas Group (Petro Vietnam).

Noting that the project took 12 years to complete, PM Chinh highlighted six lessons from this project that others could learn from.

He stressed that it is important to put the interests of the nation and the people first and foremost, as well as conduct careful research.

He said that the leadership and management must always adhere to the guidelines of the Party, and it is important to be open to innovative thinking, have a strategic vision, and proactively and flexibly respond to arising developments.

He said it is also important to ensure solidarity and unity in leadership, direction and administration.

At the ceremony, PM Chinh requested Petro Vietnam, the Electricity of Viet Nam and relevant agencies to cooperate more closely to ensure the safe, stable and efficient operation of Thai Binh 2 Thermal Power Plant.

He added that this would add more energy to the country's electricity supply.

The PM noted that the plant must be managed and operated according to advanced standards with the goals of reducing cost and electricity price while protecting the environment, and ensuring security and safety.  VNS
MONTEVIDEO  National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue held talks with Speaker of the Senate of Uruguay Beatriz Argimon Cedeira and Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives of Uruguay Sebastian Andujar following a welcome ceremony in Montevideo on April 27 morning (local time).

The hosts affirmed that leaders of the parliament of Uruguay attach importance to Chairman Hues visit and believe that it will contribute to strengthening friendly cooperation between the two countries.

Hue stressed that it is the highest-level visit by a Vietnamese leader to Uruguay since the two countries established diplomatic relations three decades ago, which coincides with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties.

The visit demonstrates Viet Nams attaching of importance to strengthening the relations with traditional friendly countries in Latin America and the desire to promote comprehensive cooperation with Uruguay at all levels and across all fields and channels, contributing to reinforcing the Viet Nam-Uruguay cooperative ties as a model in the South-South cooperation, he said.

On the occasion, Hue congratulated Andujar on his election as the Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives of Uruguay.

Speaking highly of Viet Nams efforts in national construction and development with important achievements today, the hosts said Uruguayan leaders, regardless of political affiliation, are interested in and wish to develop ties with Viet Nam.

Hailing Viet Nam as one of the dynamic developing countries with an important role and position in the Asia-Pacific in the world, they said they believe that cooperation with Viet Nam is a great opportunity for Uruguay's regional and global integration process.

They affirmed that Uruguay's opening of an embassy in Ha Noi demonstrates the country's determination and efforts to enhance bilateral relations for long-term development.

As a member of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), Uruguay expects the bloc to continue expanding multilateral and inter-regional cooperation, including with Southeast Asia and Viet Nam, they said.

The top Vietnamese legislator congratulated Uruguay on its early control of the pandemic, economic development and social stability, becoming one of the best-governed countries in Latin America.

Lauding Uruguay's position and role in the South American region and international organisations, Hue said the potential and opportunities for bilateral collaboration remain huge.

He suggested that in the near future, the two countries work closely together to hold celebrations of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties, facilitate the exchange of all-level visits, effectively deploy bilateral cooperation mechanisms and strengthen people-to-people exchanges.

NA Chairman Hue expressed his joy at the continued developments in the economic-trade relations between the two countries and the room and potential for cooperation. In the time to come, the two sides should continue to push the trade relations within the bilateral and multilateral frameworks so as to raise two-way trade revenue, he said, adding Viet Nam is ready to serve as a bridge for investment and trade activities between Uruguay and the Southeast Asian countries.

He asked Uruguay and members of the MERCOSUR to soon complete procedures of internal consultation and announce the launch of the Viet Nam-MERCOSUR free trade agreement together with Viet Nam at an early date.

The leaders of the Uruguay parliament stressed that the signing of the cooperation agreement between the two sides manifests the attaching of importance by both the Senate and the House of Uruguay as well as the political parties in the parliament of Uruguay to the strengthening of the relations and cooperation with Viet Nam. They expressed their hope that the two sides will effectively implement the agreement, helping strengthen the mutual political trust and understanding between the two countries. Along with the bilateral relations between the parliamentary offices, the two countries can intensify cooperation and the exchange of information and coordination at regional and international multilateral parliamentary forms.

NA Chairman Hue and the leaders of the Uruguay parliament agreed that in the time to come, the two sides will continue strengthening contacts and the exchange of delegations to exchange experiences in law-building and perfecting the institution in the service of the national development of each country; bring into play the role of the law-making bodies in boosting bilateral relations; and support each others stance on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Hue extended invitations to the two leaders to pay official visits to Viet Nam at a suitable time, and asked the Uruguay parliament to create conditions for Uruguay young members of parliament to join the conference of the young MPs within the framework of the IPU to be held in Viet Nam in September.  VNS
HA NOI  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Viet Nam, yesterday organised an international workshop on Experience in reporting under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism.

In his remarks, Director of the MoFAs Department of International Organisations Pham Hai Anh noted that since joining the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism, Viet Nam has shown its seriousness and responsibility, with more recommendations accepted by the country, reaching 83 per cent of the UPR third cycle recommendations, higher than the average of other countries.

In early 2022, Viet Nam submitted its voluntary midterm report on the implementation of the UPR third cycle recommendations to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), becoming one of the 39 countries that have presented the document.

For the fourth cycle, the country plans to submit its report to the council in early 2024, and the UNHRC is scheduled to approve the review during its 57th session in September the same year, according to Anh.

During the process of report compilation, Viet Nam has made efforts in ensuring some principles, including the implementation of UPR recommendations in combination with its guidelines and policies on guaranteeing and prompting human rights, and building a rule-of-law socialist State, he said.

Addressing the event, UN Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam Pauline Tamesis commended Viet Nam's strong commitments to ensuring policy frameworks, and combining socio-economic growth with human rights, as demonstrated in its reports.

At the Human Rights Council, Viet Nam played an important role last month in sponsoring the resolution on the Commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the UDHR. I look forward to close engagement with the Government and people of Viet Nam in the implementation of this and other resolutions of the HRC, she said.

Present at the event, Australian Ambassador Andrew Goledzinowsk lauded Viet Nams socio-economic achievements which have enabled millions of people to escape from poverty, and access food, education and security services, saying the countrys health care has met high standards and has been growing.

He held that the Vietnamese Government has exerted great efforts in improving living standards of ethnic minority groups.

The UPR is a unique process to regularly examine human rights records of all 193 UN member states. It is a significant innovation of the HRC based on equal treatment for all countries. The UPR provides an opportunity for all States to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and to overcome challenges to the enjoyment of human rights. Sharing of best human rights practices around the globe is embedded in the UPR.  VNS
MONTEVIDEO  Chairman of Viet Nam National Assembly (NA) Vuong inh Hue, Speaker of the Senate and Vice President of Uruguay Beatriz Argimon, and Speaker of the House of Representatives of Uruguay Sebastian Andujar on April 27 (local time) signed a cooperation agreement between the two parliaments.

The signing at the office of the Uruguay parliament was held within the framework of the official visit by Hue.

This is the first time the NA of Viet Nam and the two of Uruguay signed a cooperation agreement, manifesting the importance they and political parties in the Uruguay parliament attach to the strengthening of relations and cooperation with Vietnam.

Under the document, the sides will push up efforts aimed at strengthening the relations of friendship and cooperation through information exchange, consultation, training and delegation exchange. They also pledge to share experiences in law building, and provide mutual assistance and support to each other at international forums.

To reach the said goal, the NA of Viet Nam and the Senate and the Chamber of Uruguay will conduct the holding of and coordination in boosting the exchange of delegations at various levels, and conduct visits to exchange experiences.

The three will also coordinate in organising meetings to boost mutual understanding; supervise the implementation of international bilateral and multilateral conventions and agreements to which the two countries are signatories and members; boost the exchange of ideas on regional and international issues of mutual concern; coordinate and consult at regional and international inter-parliament forums; support the cooperation between parliaments of Latin America and those of ASEAN members; and accelerate the cooperation in a number of fields the two countries have potential in.

Within the framework of the official visit to Viet Nam by the Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives of Uruguay in 2015, the NA of Viet Nam and the Chamber signed a cooperation agreement.

* Later, at the office of the Uruguay parliament, NA Chairman Hue, Speaker of the Senate of Uruguay Beatriz Argimon and Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives of Uruguay Sebastian Andujar attended a ceremony to circulate a stamp on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Uruguay-Viet Nam diplomatic relations.

* Earlier, in Montevideo, NA Chairman Hue and his delegation lay wreaths at the monument to General Jose Gervasio Artigas, a national hero of Uruguay.  VNS
HA NOI  A delegation of the Party Central Committee, the Presidency, the National Assembly, the Government, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee paid floral tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at the mausoleum in Ha Noi on Friday morning on the occasion of the liberation of the South and national reunification (April 30).

The delegation included President Vo Van Thuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President of the VFF Central Committee o Van Chien, and many incumbent and former leaders.

They expressed their gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh for his great contributions to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation.

On this occasion, they also offered incense at the Monument to War Heroes and Martyrs in Ha Noi.

April 30, 1975 went down in the nation's history as a brilliant milestone. The 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising, especially the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, liberated the South and reunified the nation.

The same day, representatives from Central Military Commission and the Central Public Security Party Commission, and the Peoples Council and the Peoples Committee of Ha Noi also paid their respect to President Ho Chi Minh and war martyrs.  VNS
HA NOI  The Narcotics Investigation Police Department, under the Ministry of Public Security, has issued a warning about the increasingly intricate nature of drug trafficking via air routes.

Citizens have been advised to exercise caution and stay informed about the tactics utilised by drug traffickers when using air travel to avoid falling prey to illicit drug transportation.

According to the department, drug traffickers have established smuggling networks overseas to transport drugs into Viet Nam. The organisers of these operations are primarily Vietnamese individuals residing, studying, or working abroad, who then collaborate with partners within the country to smuggle drugs into Viet Nam.

Statistics from the department demonstrate that from 2020 to March 2023, police and customs officials have uncovered numerous cases of illegal drug smuggling through air routes from European countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and France, into Viet Nam.

The police and customs have detected 276 cases and seized 1,359kg of synthetic drugs, 17,723kg of ketamine, 29,24kg of heroin, 61kg of crystal meth, 13,73kg of cocaine, 375,8kg of marijuana, and 11kg of synthetic cannabis.

The amount of drugs seized in recent months has been reaching hundreds of kilograms per case. In the first three months of this year, ten drug trafficking cases through Noi Bai International Airport have been detected, 21 suspects have been arrested, and 592kg of synthetic drugs have been seized.

The methods and tactics used by drug traffickers on air routes are complicated and include exploiting tourism, consignment sales at airports, or logistics companies to transport drugs into Viet Nam, it said.

Explaining the development of drug crimes on air routes, Senior Lieutenant Colonel oan Tat Nam, Deputy Head of the departments Division 7, said synthetic drugs are manufactured in Europe and illegally smuggled to the global market.

With modern machines, advanced technology, high-quality drugs, low prices, and the convenience of air transport from Europe to Viet Nam, drug traffickers take advantage of air routes to smuggle drugs into Ha Nois Noi Bai Airport and HCM Citys Tan Son Nhat Airport.

It is a very profitable trade. In Europe, the price of drugs is very cheap, while in Viet Nam, the price is up to ten times higher. High profits still drive traffickers to find ways to transport drugs into Viet Nam, he said.

Moreover, international cooperation in the fight against drug crimes on air routes has not been timely and comprehensive. The awareness of some air passengers is still limited, which leads to them being exploited by drug traffickers to transport drugs through air routes.

The Narcotics Investigation Police Department has collaborated with customs and local police forces in key areas such as Ha Noi and HCM City to discuss solutions to prevent and combat drug crimes.

Nam said apart from education on illegal drug smuggling on air routes, it is necessary to reduce the demand for drugs.

The Ministry of Public Security has assigned units to eliminate and disable illegal drug use sites and prevent the formation of new ones. Drug addiction treatment must be done well to limit addicts in society and manage them to prevent relapse.

Moreover, law enforcement forces must coordinate with international drug prevention and control agencies to identify key routes to combat drug crimes, uncover drug trafficking rings, arrest masterminds and cut off the financial source of criminal activities.

Nam said that detecting drugs on the domestic market isn't enough, as the investigation is unlikely to uncover how the drugs entered the country.

Nam warned that drug traffickers have many methods and tactics to transport drugs illegally by air. Criminals use social media to befriend women in difficult situations and promise them trips abroad. During the free travel, the criminal hands over luggage or goods containing drugs to the women to transport.

Drug traffickers also take advantage of inexperienced overseas students or Vietnamese labourers, the elderly, the disabled, or those with young children who need help carrying their luggage to transport drugs.

The department advises airline passengers to manage their luggage carefully. Passengers should refuse to send or take care of luggage for strangers.

When sending or selling checked baggage, passengers must check the sender information and the origin of goods and inform the police about goods showing abnormal signs, it said.  VNS
HA NOI  Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has asked ministries and central agencies to work closely with localities to remove obstacles for particular projects, speeding up public investment disbursement.

Speaking at a meeting with representatives of 17 ministries and central agencies on Thursday, Deputy PM Ha underlined the need to strengthen their capacity to direct and manage the disbursement of public investment capital from the preparation stage to the investment decision.

He requested ministries and central agencies' leaders be responsible for the whole process, from project proposal and verification to implementation.

He said that the Ministry of Construction must apply measures to shorten the verification duration for projects.

According to Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment o Thanh Trung, this year, the total State budget capital assigned to 17 ministries and central agencies is over VN111.76 trillion (US$4.76 billion ).

So far, more than VN105.13 trillion, or 94 per cent of the amount, has been allocated to particular projects.

The 17 ministries and agencies have disbursed VN23.74 trillion, completing 21.24 per cent of the yearly plan.

However, the rate is not equal among the ministries and agencies. While the Ministry of Transport and the Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology posted 24.27 per cent and 19.44 per cent, respectively, the rest showed slow disbursement.

Trung held that the major reason behind the situation is slow investment procedures. Many ministries pointed to difficulties in ground clearance.  VNS




South Korea on Friday banned its citizens from traveling to Sudan due to concerns over the escalating military conflict in the country.







The foreign ministry issued a Level 4 travel alert, the highest in the four-tier system, effective midnight, under which South Koreans who violate the travel ban without prior approval can face criminal punishment.







"We decided there is a need to prohibit travel or stay in Sudan, considering the persisting political and security instability in Sudan, as casualties and refugees are increasing due to the armed conflict between the country's military, the Sudanese Armed Forces, and a paramilitary organization, the Rapid Support Forces," the ministry said. (Yonhap)


HA NOI  More than 24.6 million searches for health insurance information have been conducted utilising chip-embedded citizen identity card numbers.

These searches have been facilitated at 12,401 medical examination and treatment facilities currently implementing health insurance-covered medical examination and treatment services.

The national social health insurance database's 80.3 million personal information records have been confirmed with the population database, according to Viet Nam Social Security (VSS).

The national population database has received and exchanged more than 105.6 million social and health insurance records from the VSS system.

With over 24.6 million successful searches for health insurance information using citizen identification cards with chips, there are currently 12,401 healthcare facilities nationwide that accept health insurance and use citizen identification cards with chips for health examinations and treatment (reaching 96.77 per cent of the total number of health insurance facilities nationwide).

Through the Family Health Insurance Card Renewal service with reduced contribution rates via the National Public Service Portal and the Portal of the VSS, 1,073 health insurance card extension applications have been received and processed by the VSS's systems and the National Public Service Portal.

So far, the VSS in two localities (Ha Noi and Ha Nam) have implemented test programmes that have received and processed 24,073 applications for health insurance cards for children under six years old, and 892 applications for funeral allowance in the interconnection of birth registration, permanent residence registration, and issuance of health insurance cards for children under six years old; the interconnection of death registration, cancellation of permanent residence registration, and funeral allowance.

As of April 12, 2022, the VSS has successfully coordinated with the necessary departments to integrate the public service's "Unemployment Benefits Resolution" on the National Public Service Portal.

Additionally, 104,405 cases of workers seeking to resolve their unemployment benefits have been received, and the process of unemployment insurance payment has been confirmed.

Also, the Ministry of Health has received assistance and support from the VSS's system in integrating data on driver health exams, birth certificates, and death certificates.

There have been received and processed a total of 175,593 valid health examination data from 903 medical facilities around the country, 21,472 birth certificate data from 528 medical facilities, and 407 death certificate data from 147 medical institutions.  VNS
HA NOI  The 4th Global Conference of the One Planet Networks Sustainable Food System Programme (SFS Programme) concluded in Ha Noi on Thursday, spotlighting the importance of the transformation of the food system, heard a press conference held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on the same day.

Addressing the event, Nguyen o Anh Tuan, Director of the MARD's International Cooperation Department said the event saw the in-person participation of 337 delegates, including 200 foreign delegates from 60 countries, the United Nations agencies, international organisations, State management agencies, and research and training establishments.

In addition to the nine official meetings, 11 other meetings were arranged on the sidelines of the event along with 31 bilateral working sessions and five field trips, he said.

The conference highlighted that the transformation of food systems towards sustainability and resilience is a prerequisite for addressing crises related to food insecurity, malnutrition, health, climate change, biodiversity loss, conflict, as well as high consumer goods and energy prices.

Through the event, Viet Nam affirmed its increasingly important role, prestige, and position as a "transparent, responsible and sustainable food supplier", and a responsible member of the international community for global issues including food and energy security, climate change, and emerging pandemics.

Countries and international organisations have recognised Vietnam as a pioneer in transforming a sustainable food system.

According to Alwin Kopse, Head of the International Affairs and Food Systems Unit at the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture, Viet Nam has performed well in its leadership role in this field.

In the context of challenges related to climate change, poverty reduction, biodiversity loss, the conference conveyed a message that countries need to work together to realise the goal of building a sustainable food system.

Joao Campari, Global Leader of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)s Food Practice said the fund will always accompany and support Viet Nam in its efforts to develop a sustainable food system.

Campari spoke highly of the proposal of Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Hoang Hiep on developing an innovation hub of food systems in Southeast Asia, saying that this will be a good system.

In his speech at the closing session, Hiep stressed that the innovation hub is expected to help expand cooperation in research, and policy-making and promote the replication of green, environmentally friendly, low-emission, and sustainable models.

Sustainable production and consumption and the transformation of the food system are among the actions that can be implemented immediately in order to contribute to realising 17 sustainable development goals of the UN, he said.

He noted that Viet Nam's food system is moving towards a multi-sector and multi-target approach.

In the coming time, Viet Nam will work closely with international partners, such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), WWF, One CGIAR, the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and other development partners, to implement the National Action Plan to realize a transparent, responsible and sustainable food system in Viet Nam by 2030.

Viet Nam hopes to receive the companionship and the support of donors, international partners, research agencies, businesses, and people in this plan, Hiep said.  VNS
According to Mrs. Sophie Dao, Senior Lawyer at Global Business Services LLC (GBS), the Labor Code 2019s Article 156 specifies eight cases in which a work permit expires.

"https://cdn.vietreader.com/uploads/posts/2023-04/work-permit-rules-for-foreigners-in-vietnam-understanding-expiration-extension-and-revocation-1.jpg" 5

These cases include expiration of the work permit itself, termination of the labor contract, inconsistency between the labor contract and the work permits content, working against the issued work permit, expiration or termination of contracts in fields that form the basis of the work permits, written notice from the foreign party to stop sending foreign workers to Vietnam, and the employer or Vietnamese/foreign organizations employing foreigners in Vietnam ceasing to operate.

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In terms of extension, Decree 152/2020/ND-CPs Article 16 outlines the conditions for extending work permits. These include having a valid work permit for at least five days but not more than 45 days, approval from the competent authority for the need to employ foreign workers, and proof that the foreign worker is continuing to work for the employer as stated in the issued work permit. If a work permit has expired, it cannot be extended.

Moreover, the same decrees Article 20 states the cases in which work permits can be revoked. These include the eight cases listed in Article 156 of the Labor Code, failure to comply with the provisions of the decree by employers or foreign workers, and foreign workers failing to comply with Vietnamese laws while working in Vietnam, which affects security, social order, and safety.

If a work permit has expired, the employer must revoke it within 15 days of expiration and submit it, along with a written statement explaining the reason for the revocation, to the Ministry of Labor  Invalids and Social Affairs or the Department of Labor  Invalids and Social Affairs that issued the work permit.

If the work permit cannot be revoked but is subject to revocation, the employer must still provide a written statement with the same explanation. The Ministry or Department will issue a written confirmation of the work permits revocation to the employer within five working days of receiving the revoked work permit.

Contact Sophie Dao at sophie@gbs.com.vn or hotline: +84903189033 or visit GBSs website if you need any support.
After nearly 20 years of operation in Vietnam, Parkson Vietnam, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parkson Retail Asia, has announced that it will file for voluntary bankruptcy with the City Peoples Court in Ho Chi Minh City on April 28, 2023.

The decision was made due to the companys long history of loss-making operations, lack of support from landlords during the COVID-19 pandemic, and negative impact on the companys financial position. The parent company, Parkson Retail Asia, stated that continuing to operate in Vietnam is not commercially viable and that filing for bankruptcy is the optimal option.

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Parkson Vietnam once had 10 shopping centers across the country and was considered the standard of luxury in Vietnam. However, the companys string of loss-making operations and lack of support from landlords during the COVID-19 pandemic led to its financial difficulties. As of the third quarter of 2018, Parkson Vietnam lost 48 billion dong and had seven consecutive quarters of losses.

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The bankruptcy proceedings must be approved by relevant authorities in Vietnam, and the impact on the financial situation of the parent company can only be accurately determined after the proceedings have been granted.

Parkson Vietnam is fully responsible for the bankruptcy according to Vietnamese law, and the maximum risk of the Parkson Retail Asia Group lies only in the capital contribution to Parkson Vietnam. In the audited financial statements, Parkson Retail Asia recorded a loss due to its capital contribution to Parkson Vietnam.

Parkson Retail Asia will focus on operations in Malaysia and reassess its business strategy.
Strong rice export demand coupled with waning supplies have caused prices to surge in the market since the beginning of 2023.

According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, Vietnam exported 1.85 million tonnes of rice worth US$981.4 million in the first quarter of this year, up 23.4% in quantity and 34.3% in value year-on-year.

The Philippines spent more than US$450 million importing some 900,000 tonnes of Vietnamese rice in the first quarter of this year, and more orders are expected to be placed in the time ahead.

The Southeast Asian neighbouring country was the biggest importer of Vietnamese rice in the quarter, making up 48.2% in volume and 45.9% in value, followed by China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Ghana, the department reported.

The average export price in the reviewed period was estimated at US$531 per tonne, up 9.2% year-on-year, the highest in the past decade.

The global shortage of rice, one of the most consumed food grains in the world, is set to be the largest in the last two decades, according to New York-based research firm Fitch Solutions.

It forecast the global shortfall at 8.7 million tonnes in 2022-2023, which is the highest since the deficit of 18.6 million recorded in 2003-2004.

Experts say the forecasts predict a buoyant market, stressing favourable conditions for Vietnams rice exports given the increasing demand for food reserves amid global economic and political uncertainties.

The Agency for Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) suggested businesses keep a close watch on the market, and fully assess opportunities and risks in order to make successful transaction plans, sign suitable contracts and ensure export efficiency.

They should provide updates for the Vietnam Food Association and the MoIT to keep all stakeholders in the loop in Vietnam.

Source: VOV
Ambassador to the UK Nguyen Hoang Long spoke of cooperation opportunities between Birmingham and Vietnam, especially its big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, in the fields of education-training, health care and culture, during his recent meeting with the citys Lord Mayor Maureen Cornish.

Ambassador to the UK Nguyen Hoang Long spoke of cooperation opportunities between Birmingham and Vietnam, especially its big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, in the fields of education-training, health care and culture, during his recent meeting with the citys Lord Mayor Maureen Cornish.

The April 24 meeting took place within the framework of the Vietnam Days programme in the UK, from March 28 to April 27, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The ambassador called Birmingham an impulse for the Vietnam-UK relations, saying the city would serve as a centre of commerce and logistics for goods from Vietnam  the UKs second biggest exporter in Southeast Asia.

With the UKs joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), trade revenue between the two countries now stands at nearly 7 billion USD, and it is expected to continue rising in the time ahead, Long noted.

The ambassador added that Vietnam will need logistics centres in the UK to facilitate connectivity between its businesses and the British market, and turn the UK into a centre of Vietnamese exports to other markets like the EU and the US.

Vietnam is looking to boost information technology, AI, science-technology, trade, and public relations, which are of strengths of Birminghams Aston University where many Vietnamese students are studying, Long went on.

He called on Birminghams authorities to propose the British Government put forth strategies on enhancing trade ties between British localities and Vietnam, and supporting British firms to invest in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

For her part, Cornish affirmed the close ties between local authorities and the Vietnamese community, saying Birmingham always pays attention to promoting friendship and building partnerships with localities in the world, including Vietnam with such potential cooperation areas as AI and science-technology.

Informing the ambassador on the citys twinning relations with some cities of the Republic of Korea, the Lord Mayor said with the model can be expanded to localities of other countries, including Vietnam.

Also on April 24, the Vietnamese Embassy and its trade office in the UK and the British Department for Business and Trade co-organised a seminar in Birmingham on business potential and opportunities in Vietnam.

In his remarks, Long noted that ample room remains for trade cooperation between Vietnam and the UK  its ninth biggest trade partner  and the bilateral trade is expected to jump to 10 billion USD in the next three to five years.

Vietnam has been focusing on three breakthrough policies to maintain its high growth, which hit 8% last year, covering infrastructure, education and legal frameworks, he said, suggesting British enterprises optimise the opportunity as these areas are of the UKs strength.

Trade Counselor Nguyen Canh Cuong emphasised that Vietnam considers the UK a key trade partner, saying the two governments have facilitated the bilateral trade through legal frameworks such as the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and the CPTPP. Cuong also expressed his hope that enterprises of the two countries will bring into full play trade and business opportunities.

He called on British firms to study the Vietnamese market and directly set up ties with Vietnamese partners rather than conducting trade transactions through a third party.

Mark Garnier, Member of Parliament, said the UKs policy towards Asia-Pacific after Brexit and the UKs joining the CPTPP has opened up great trade cooperation opportunities between Vietnam and the UK.

Vietnam, a gateway to the entire Southeast Asian region, is a suitable destination for British firms, he said, suggesting them optimise cooperation opportunities with Vietnam to expand trade and export to ASEAN, home to a population of 650 million.

The MP also pointed to cooperation opportunities with Vietnam in renewable energy, education, health care and pharmaceuticals, financial services, technology and life sciences.

The Department for Business and Trade stands ready to support British businesses to operate in Vietnam as well as Vietnamese firms that wish to invest in the European nation, he pledged.

On this occasion, Cuong introduced a website in Vietnamese and English launched by the Vietnamese trade office, at https://vietnamtradeoffice.co.uk/, which provides updates on trade policies of both countries, and features prestigious exporters and standardised products of Vietnam.

Currently, the UK is Vietnams ninth biggest importer and the fourth largest among the European and American importers, after the US, Germany and the Netherlands. The UK is also among the 15 biggest investors in the Southeast Asian nation with 500 projects worth 4.19 billion USD./.

Source: Vietnam Plus
Shrimp exporting companies have raised and recommended to the Government to resolve some existing issues that are making Vietnam's shrimp industry less competitive than other shrimp-farming countries such as India and Ecuador.



As one of the largest shrimp exporting companies, Mr Le Van Quang, CEO of Minh Phu Seafood Corporation, believes that Vietnam's shrimp industry has lost VND 10 trillion due to the habit of using antibiotics in shrimp farming by residents. This includes the costs companies must spend on checking and controlling antibiotics from the farming areas to the processing plants. This has been a high cost for decades, including the cost of checking antibiotics in importing countries, which companies must bear and deduct from the selling price.

Along with that, the opportunity to sell is significantly reduced due to extended customs clearance time as samples need to be taken and waiting for antibiotic test results, which reduces the competitiveness of shrimp.

With the high cost, the cost of raw shrimp in Vietnam is 30% higher than that of India and twice that of Ecuador, making Vietnamese shrimp less competitive than those of other countries.

According to Mr Phu, shrimp is the main export commodity of Vietnam's seafood industry, accounting for 40-45% of the total seafood export turnover annually. Therefore, to develop the fisheries industry, more emphasis should be placed on developing shrimp farming, including from the stages of cultivating raw materials to processing and exporting, helping Vietnamese shrimp compete well in the world market.

To enhance the competitiveness of Vietnamese shrimp in the international market, Mr Le Van Quang proposed some recommendations.

The Government should take a strong stance on antibiotics and continuously and regularly check antibiotics in farming areas. If antibiotics are detected, the shrimp ponds should be immediately closed to stop local residents' habit of using antibiotics. In addition, strictly control and handle companies and sellers of drugs, chemicals, and microbial products, revoke business licenses, and handle criminal cases if antibiotic mixing is detected.

The Government allows the establishment of a public-private partnership mechanism between businesses and research institutes, including the Research Institute for Aquaculture II, to support businesses in the aquaculture sector.

Specifically, improving the genetics of parent black tiger shrimp and white leg shrimp to produce high-quality shrimp seeds that are resistant and adaptable to diseases, weather, climate, and environments in each region of Vietnam. Producing high-quality disease-resistant and climate-adapted shrimp seeds for each region of Vietnam will increase the success rate of Vietnam's shrimp farming industry to over 60% by 2030 and over 80% by 2035 (currently, the success rate of Vietnam's shrimp farming is below 40%).

Developing and perfecting models for farming black tiger shrimp in mangroves, intensive white leg shrimp farming, semi-intensive white leg shrimp farming, shrimp-rice farming, semi-intensive white leg shrimp farming, intensive white leg shrimp farming, and super-intensive white leg shrimp farming with low cost suitable for each region of Vietnam.

With the above solutions, if Vietnam implements them this year, the cost of Vietnamese shrimp will be equivalent to Indian shrimp before 2030 and Ecuadorian shrimp before 2035, helping shrimp farmers become wealthy on their land and enabling processing and export businesses to make better profits to build a strong and sustainable shrimp industry.

Agreeing with the above view, Mr Ho Quoc Luc, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sao Ta Food Joint Stock Company, also stated that it is necessary to consider standardizing production facilities, supplying shrimp seeds such as production capacity (factories, ponds, etc.), and parent shrimp to maintain uniform seed quality and minimize risks for farmers. "Ecuador and Thailand have fewer than ten shrimp seed production units, making it easier to manage shrimp seed. But, on the other hand, we have over 2,000 supply units, which are difficult to manage, and the past has shown that floating, cheap, and low-quality shrimp seeds have resulted in a very low success rate, causing the cost of shrimp farming to increase," Mr Luc said.

In addition, it is necessary to plan land for shrimp farming, and sustainable development and animal welfare trends will limit the high-density semi-intensive shrimp farming. Therefore, a strategy for allocating additional land for shrimp and catfish farming is needed if we want to maintain and increase production.

To meet the demands of large markets, it is necessary to increase the number of farms that meet the ASC standard. Currently, the percentage of farms that meet the ASC standard is very low, less than 1% of the total area used for farming, while in Ecuador, this percentage is 20%. Shrimp production dominates the EU market, where this standard is very popular. The reason for this is that the shrimp farming industry in Vietnam is weak, small-scale, and difficult to meet the requirements.

The solution to overcome this situation is to encourage investors to accumulate land to form larger farms for shrimp farming. The larger the farms, the more conducive investing in scientific technology to reduce costs and increase competitiveness.

Source: Customs News
Besides the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) that have been signed and put into practice, which have created many new development motivations, market expansion and diversification; activities to initiate negotiations for new agreements have also been initiated to open up new opportunities for businesses to seize the opportunity.

A huge advantage, but challenge is not tidy

The launch of negotiations for the Vietnam - UAE FTA Agreement (CEPA) is expected to further promote joint cooperation in trade, investment and energy between the two countries. Although the UAE is a potential market, it is still more or less a new market for Vietnamese businesses.

Mr. Truong Xuan Trung, First Secret, in charge of the Vietnam Trade Office in the UAE, said that the UAE's agricultural sector accounts for only 0.9% (mainly livestock and date cultivation), the industrial sector accounting for 49.8% (mainly crude oil extraction and processing) in the economic structure of the UAE, so the UAE is almost entirely dependent on imports of agricultural products; Seafood; processed foods; textile; leather shoes; machinery, equipment, tools and spare parts; phone; electronic products to meet domestic demand. As a result, the UAE is considered an open market with virtually no barriers to trade.

However, the UAE is a very competitive market, which is also the biggest challenge for Vietnamese businesses. In addition, another challenge for Vietnamese businesses is to directly compete with businesses from some countries that they have signed CEPA with the UAE such as India, Indonesia, Israel and Turkey because businesses of these countries have enjoyed preferential treatment when exporting goods to the UAE, creating a competitive advantage for Vietnamese exporters.

In the field of energy cooperation, the UAE is one of the most important partners in the Middle East. Truong Xuan Trung said that the UAE has large oil and gas reserves, has a developed oil and gas extraction and processing industry, and has an important position and role in the world's energy industry.

Also a potential market for Vietnamese goods, the conclusion of the Vietnam-Israel FTA negotiation recently assessed by experts will help diversify the market. Mr. Le Quoc Phuong, former Deputy Director of the Center for Industry and Trade (Ministry of Industry and Trade), said that, in terms of trade and investment scale, compared to signed FTAs such as with the EU, CPTPP, etc., the Vietnam FTA is - Israel is not large, but it means a lot in the future. The signing and implementation of the agreement helps to diversify, multilateralize and expand trade relations with West Asia and Southwest Asia - an area where we still have relatively limited relations and hope to be expanded. At the same time, diversifying investment sources in the context of the world economy is still difficult.

In particular, according to Mr. Le Quoc Phuong, Israel is an economy with high technology, especially technology in agriculture. Therefore, it is hoped that this FTA will not only help further open the trade relationship between the two countries, but also help attract investment in Vietnam's high-tech agricultural sector, which Vietnam desperately needs and wants to develop but it is not commensurate with its potential.

Adapt to dominate the market

Although the opportunities from FTAs are great, in order to penetrate the market, businesses need to clearly grasp the consumption trends in the host country to quickly adapt.

The Vietnam Trade Office in the UAE said that to be able to further promote the export of Vietnamese goods to the UAE, Vietnamese businesses need to apply advanced science and technology in production, change production methods, management, minimizing intermediary costs, in order to reduce product costs and increase the competitiveness of Vietnamese products. In addition, because the UAE is an Islamic country, so Vietnamese businesses also need to learn about Muslim culture and consumer needs, build a Halal certification system for products, beverages, cosmetics, Islamic fashion... when exporting to the UAE.

According to Mr. Truong Xuan Trung, when CEPA is signed, the trade and investment relationship between the two countries is expected to continue to grow stronger. UAE is considered the financial and trade center of the Middle East, an important gateway to bring Vietnamese goods to the Middle East, Africa and Europe. In addition, the UAE has a strategic geographical position and a modern logistics system that will create favorable conditions for Vietnamese goods to access and expand to the global market.

According to Mr. Le Quoc Phuong, signing was difficult, to make good use of it, businesses must make a lot of effort. It can be seen that, recently, not all FTAs have been well utilized by enterprises. Besides, most of the FTAs we signed such as FTAs with the EU, Korea, Japan... in fact, FDI enterprises are taking advantage of better. The reason is that these enterprises come from developed countries, have experience in accessing markets, financial and human resources and own products that meet the technical standards of the FTA, etc. Therefore, domestic enterprises have not taken advantage of it as well.

Therefore, not only the Vietnam-Israel FTA but many other FTAs, businesses must carefully study the market; at the same time, the enterprise's products must meet the requirements of standards and techniques. Currently, many FTAs require standards on environment, labor, use of human resources... but all of that; Vietnamese enterprises are still very weak. In addition, businesses must learn carefully to understand the content of FTAs, and learn about incentives on certificates of origin to make effective use of FTAs. At the same time, make good use of state support to innovate technology, and improve product quality...

Source: Customs News
Four types of fresh Vietnamese fruits, namely mango, longan, lychee, and dragon fruit, have been exported to the Australian market. However, expanding market share for these products is not easy because Australia sets strict requirements on labelling and food safety; some standards are even higher than those of the US and EU.

VCN - Four types of fresh Vietnamese fruits, namely mango, longan, lychee, and dragon fruit, have been exported to the Australian market. However, expanding market share for these products is not easy because Australia sets strict requirements on labelling and food safety; some standards are even higher than those of the US and EU.

Difficulty identification

Assessing the Australian market, Vu Huy Phuc, Deputy Head of Market and Sector Research at the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), said that in 2022, the export turnover of Vietnam's agricultural, forestry, and fishery products to Australia had reached US$845 million. The average growth rate of export turnover was 9%/year from 2009 - 2022. The strongest growth was in aquatic products, followed by vegetables and fruits thanks to the market opening. In contrast, Vietnam has imported many agricultural products from Australia. Vietnam's agricultural, forestry, and fishery imports from Australia in 2022 was US$2.7 billion. The growth rate of Vietnam's imports from Australia reached 32.6% per year (2009 - 2022).

"The number of Vietnamese communities in Australia is large, and the demand of Australians for Vietnamese products (fruits, spices...) is also increasing. Besides, agricultural products between the two countries do not have the same type of overlap as neighbouring countries (in terms of fruit, Vietnamese fruit is a tropical fruit, and Australia is temperate fruit). Additionally, Vietnam and Australia are members of many bilateral and multilateral FTAs. These are favourable conditions for Vietnam to boost agricultural exports to Australia," said Phuc.

Besides the advantages, our country's agricultural products exported to this market are subject to great competition from other countries. For example, four types of fresh Vietnamese fruits, namely mango, longan, lychee, and dragon fruit, have been exported to the Australian market. Therefore, increasing export turnover is not easy. In addition, the scale of agricultural production in Vietnam is mainly small. Therefore, traceability, quality control, and food safety are still limited.

Meanwhile, Australia is considered one of the most demanding markets in the world, with many requirements for high product quality standards and strict import processes. In this market, technical barriers, labelling requirements, food hygiene, and safety are very strict; some standards are even higher than those of the US and EU. Australia also requires many import regulations such as tax policy and tax rates; regulations on packaging and labels; regulations on food hygiene, safety, and quarantine; intellectual property rights; trademark; and business practices. This is also a market with abundant domestic agriculture. Thus, if Vietnamese exporters want to penetrate the Australian market, they must prioritise product quality instead of price. Additionally, Australian consumers focus on packaging, designs, and brands.

How to increase export turnover?

Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Anh Thu, Vice-Rector of the University of Economics (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), said that both Vietnam and Australia had advantages regarding commercial transport routes by water and air, facilitating two-way trade. Besides, Vietnam and Australia are common members of at least three free trade agreements (FTAs), including the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FTA (AANZFTA), the CPTPP, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). This significantly reduces barriers to two-way trade in agricultural products between Australia and Vietnam.

However, Thu pointed out that the Australian market's demand was low for Vietnamese agricultural products, possibly, partly due to a matter of taste. Subjectively, the quality of Vietnamese agricultural products is not high and has not met Australia's requirements and import regulations, and the brand value is not strong. In addition, businesses and farmers do not understand the commitments of the FTAs, and they have to compete fiercely with other trading partners of Australia, such as the US, China, New Zealand, and Thailand.

"To promote agricultural exports to the Australian market, authorities need to strengthen information about the FTAs and their non-tariff benefits. Simultaneously, widely disseminate information about the Australian market aimed at exporters, processors of agricultural products, and farmers. Furthermore, businesses need to pay more attention to frozen agricultural products and research to export frozen fruit products because export licenses do not bind them. In particular, although Australia has not applied Vietnamese agricultural products to trade remedies, more attention should be paid to this issue in the future. Therefore, the Government, business associations and businesses need to unite and support each other to deal with and help Vietnamese products reach the global market in general and the Australian market in particular," said Thu.

For a potential but "fastidious" market like Australia, experts said that businesses needed to strengthen control over the quality of planting and rearing areas, complete the system of registration, assessment, and granting of codes for growing areas, farming areas, packing, preliminary processing, and processing establishments. Authorities also need to develop programs to support brand development and trademark protection for agricultural products exported to Australia. Strengthen trade promotion activities connecting trade for businesses of the two countries and promote digital transformation in agricultural production and trade.

Simultaneously, Vietnamese businesses need to pay more attention to product packaging, ensuring product quality, especially chemical regulations, and focusing on customs clearance and packing to ensure the best transit time to keep the goods fresh. Moreover, there needs to be smooth coordination between stages, from the supply, exporter, and transport, to the importer and distributor, to maintain a good supply chain and avoid disruptions. Another issue that domestic enterprises also need to notice is to study more frozen and processed products instead of exporting raw, low-value products only.

Source: Customs News
The new undersea fiber optic cable connecting Vietnam to international destinations is called Asia Link Cable (ALC). This is a project in which FPT Telecom has invested $87 million.

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According to information from FPT Telecom, the companys Board of Directors has recently approved the investment plan for the Asia Link Cable project, which will connect Vietnam to international destinations via an undersea fiber optic cable.

Asia Link Cable is a submarine cable approximately 6,000km in length. The cable connects multiple locations in the Asian region, such as Hong Kong, Hainan (China), Luna, Bauang (Philippines), Tungku (Brunei), and Changi (Singapore).





Asia Link Cable undersea cable route that FPT Telecom will invest and exploit.

According to the design, the ALC fiber optic cable system will have a minimum of 8 pairs of fiber optic cables, with a minimum designed trunk capacity of 18 Tbps on each pair of cables. When completed, this cable will contribute to adding capacity and diversity to the existing Internet network in the region.

The ALC fiber optic cable construction project is expected to cost $300 million and will be completed in Q3/2025. The project involves many big names in the regional telecommunications industry such as China Telecom Global Limited (CTG), Globe Telecom, Inc. (Globe), DITO Telecommunity Corporation (DITO), Singapore Telecommunications Limited (Singtel), and Unified National Networks Sdn Bhd (UNN).

FPT Telecom plans to invest $87 million, equivalent to approximately VND 2,100 billion, in this cable. This cost does not include VAT and other taxes and fees related to investing in international cables in Vietnam.

FPT Telecom will raise the investment capital from bank loans and the companys business development investment capital. According to FPT Telecom, in 2023, the company is expected to spend VND 300 billion to invest in cable.

During the project implementation process, the submarine cable route will be carried out according to the ALC process. For the stations, FPT Telecom will invest, construct, install, and manage operations.

Currently, Vietnamese telecommunications companies are involved in operating five international submarine cable routes, including the Asia America Gateway (AAG), Asia Pacific Gateway (APG), SMW3 (also known as SEA-ME-WE3), Intra Asia (IA, also known as the Liaison), and Asia-Africa-Euro 1 (AAE-1).

In addition, two major companies, VNPT and Viettel, have joined alliances to invest in building new submarine cable routes, SJC2 and ADC. These two submarine cable routes will be completed and put into official operation this year. By 2023, the total number of submarine cable routes used by Vietnamese companies will be increased to seven.

According to the direction of the Ministry of Information and Communications, by 2025, the total number of submarine cable routes used by Vietnamese companies is expected to be around 10, twice the current number. The operation of new submarine cable routes such as SJC2, ADC, and ALC will contribute to realizing this policy and supplementing capacity to meet the demand for international internet connectivity.

@Vietnamnet
A Vietnamese participant sings, with other foreign students joining her on the stage, during the 2023 Cultural Expo at the Seoul Campus of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) in Dongdaemun District, Seoul, Friday. The expo was hosted by the HUFS Center for Korean Language and Culture and international students presented their cultures' music and food. Yonhap.
Two high-speed routes, Mai Son-QL45 and Phan Thiet-Dau Giay, with a total investment of nearly VND 25,000 billion, are scheduled to be opened on April 29, but there are no rest stops along these routes.

According to the plan, the Mai Son-QL45 and Phan Thiet-Dau Giay expressways will be inaugurated and put into operation on April 29.

The Mai Son-QL45 highway through Ninh Binh-Thanh Hoa has 5 construction packages with a total length of over 63 km and a total investment of VND 12,111 billion. The Dau Giay-Phan Thiet expressway is 99 km long (47 km in Binh Thuan, 52 km in Dong Nai) with a total investment of over VND 12,500 billion.

However, both highways, along with the Vinh Hao-Phan Thiet expressway, do not have rest stops yet, causing public concern.

To address this issue, the Vietnam Expressway Corporation has submitted a report to the Ministry of Transport. According to the report, the East-West North-South Expressway project will have 39 rest stops during the approval process, but to ensure that the distance between stops is not too far, it is expected that only 37 stops will be built.





Mai Son Expressway  National Highway 45. Photo: Hoang Ha

So far, the East-West North-South Expressway (2,063 km long) has put 5 stops into operation on a 643 km stretch and 2 stops (on the La Son-Tuy Loan and Lang Son-Bac Giang highways). The remaining 30 rest stops have been planned for location and scale.

Currently, the Vietnam Expressway Corporation is selecting investors for 8 rest stops along the East-West North-South Expressway.

These rest stops have been approved in terms of location and scale by the Ministry of Transport and have been entrusted to the competent authorities to approve and select investors for construction. The relevant units are cooperating and reporting to the Ministry of Transport as the basis for consideration and approval in April.

According to the Vietnam Expressway Corporation, in addition to serving people and vehicles participating in traffic, rest stops are places where businesses can provide services. Therefore, most rest stops are directed towards investment under the form of socialization (mobilizing private investment resources).

However, due to the incomplete legal regulations of the previous period, the implementation of socialization is still facing many difficulties and is not consistent with the expressway, explained the Vietnam Expressway Corporation.

To address the issue of asynchronous high-speed roads and rest stops, the Vietnam Expressway Corporation has made efforts to minimize the time required for each stage and procedure. Accordingly, the total time for selecting an investor in the case of designated bidding is about 113 days. In the case of open bidding, the expected time is around 171 days.

The Vietnam Expressway Corporation plans to complete the investor selection process in August or October of this year.

@Vietnamnet
HCMC  Vietnam made only US$13.2 billion in export revenue in the first half of April, down 19.2% compared to the second half of March, according to preliminary data from the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

The steep decline in export value was attributed to significant export drops in key product groups.

The export value of computers, electronic and component products fell by 25.2%, while that of mobile phones and components was down 23%. Iron and steel products also recorded a decrease of 21.7% in export value.

Vietnams total export value this year to April 15 reached US$92.5 billion, down 12% compared to the same period in 2022.

Some product groups dipped in export value, such as mobile phones and components falling by 15%, textile and garment products by 18% and wood and wood products by 30.3%.

Meanwhile, Vietnam spent only US$12.8 billion importing products in the first half of April, down nearly 11% compared to the second half of March.

Between January and mid-April, the total value of imports reached US$87.2 billion, sliding around 17% compared to the same period in 2022.

Among them, mobile phones and components decreased 65.3% in import value, while the import value of computer equipment, electronic products, and components fell by 13.2%.
The Mekong Tourism Forum (MTF) 2023, themed Rethinking for Resilience and Digitalization, concluded successfully at the Independence Hotel in Preah Sihanoukville, Cambodia, on April 26, 2023. Over 200 international and local delegates participated in the MTF, hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia, in collaboration with the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), supported by the Asian Development Bank.

The MTF focused on rethinking the future of GMS tourism while leveraging digitalization to ensure resilient and inclusive growth in the post-COVID-19 era. Regional tourism leaders, experts, and businesses gathered to discuss critical challenges and high-priority issues to chart the way forward for regional tourism. The event welcomed the participation of the Ambassador of Lao PDR to Cambodia, representatives from the Embassy of Japan and the Embassy of China, and senior officials from the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries.

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Representing the host country, H.E. Dr. Thong Khong, Minister of Tourism, Cambodia, stated in his opening remarks: The key stakeholders from the public and private sectors gathering together today will create unique opportunities to spearhead innovative and collaborative frameworks for tourism recovery towards resilience in this post-COVID-19 era and bring back what we have lost in tourism.

Mr. Peter Semone, Chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, set the stage with a keynote speech on the pathway for building better and stronger tourism. Rethinking tourism for resilience and sustainability in the GMS should focus on managing and measuring tourism as an integrated ecosystem, optimizing efficiencies along the tourism value chain, treating tourism workers better, renewing the approach to entrepreneurship and innovation, facilitating the growth and prosperity of micro, small, and medium enterprises, empowering communities in tourism, responding to the needs, wants, and responsibilities of visitors, as well as managing the intersection of tourism and technology.

One of the longest rivers in Asia, the Mekong is more more than 2,700 miles long.

@ Sangkhomhungkhunthod | Getty Images

MTF 2023 presented three insightful panel discussions on challenges, opportunities, and strategic actions related to building a smart tourism ecosystem, redefining gender roles to empower women, and enhancing the quality of the tourism workforce for a resilient future. Each panel featured a diverse pool of industry experts from the public sector, tourism businesses, and development organizations, including AirAsia, Amadeus, the Asian Development Bank, Canopy Sands Development, Swisscontact, and UNWTO, among others.

Another highlight of the MTF was a sustainable tourism exhibition showcasing responsible tourism businesses from across the region that generate positive impacts on the environment and local communities. The participating exhibitors included the Cambodian Handicraft Association for Landmine and Polio Disabled (CHA), Canopy Sand, Cardamom Tented Camp, Destination Mekong, HoKa Skills Demonstration, Koh Samseb Community-Based Tourism, Song Saa Collective, SPOONS Cambodia Organization, Three Corner Coffee Roaster, the Union of Myanmar Travel Association, and the Myanmar Tourism Marketing Association.

MTF 2023 was preceded by the 51st Meeting of the Greater Mekong Subregion Tourism Working Group (51st GMS TWG) and the MTCO Board Meeting on April 25. MTF 2024 will be held in Lijiang, China, next May.
Both Vietravel Airlines and Vietjet are increasing the number of aircraft to expand the market and seize the opportunity of the recovery of the aviation industry.

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Vietjet plans to increase its fleet to 87 aircraft. Photo: Hoang Ha.

Vietravel Airlines announced that the company plans to receive three aircraft in the third quarter, increasing the fleet size to six according to the plan set out from the early days of establishment. The company has prepared personnel and resources for the goal of expanding the international market in its third year.

The company representative also added that as of the end of the first quarter, Vietravel Airlines has successfully completed over 11,600 absolutely safe flights, transporting nearly 2.5 million passengers, with an average flight occupancy rate of 93.7.

Similarly, Vietjet is also accelerating to seize the opportunity of the aviation industrys recovery race. Vietjets annual general meeting in 2023 held on April 26th recently passed a plan to increase its fleet to 87 aircraft, an increase of 12 compared to last year, including 7-9 wide-body Airbus A330.

With this fleet, the company plans to operate 139,513 flights, transport 25.7 million passengers. The consolidated revenue plan reached over 50,178 billion VND, with a post-tax profit of 1,000 billion VND.

CEO Dinh Viet Phuong said that this week, Vietjet will receive three new A321 ACF aircraft from Hamburg (Germany) to serve the demand in the peak holiday period of April 30th  May 1st. This is also the most modern narrow-body aircraft of Airbus.

Earlier this year, the Civil Aviation Authority sent a letter to the Ministry of Transport recommending allowing airlines to supplement additional aircraft operations in 2023 based on ensuring compliance with market demand principles, airport infrastructure, the operating capacity and maintenance of the airlines themselves, and the safety monitoring capacity of the Civil Aviation Authority.

According to the assessment of the Civil Aviation Authority, the Vietnamese aviation transport market has shown signs of recovery since March 2022, especially the domestic market. As early as April 2022, the domestic market reached the same level as the same period in 2019.

With the explosion of travel demand in the summer, the domestic market has fully recovered and grown over 30% in June, July, and August compared to the same period in 2019 (pre-Covid-19).

For the international market, the recovery rate is slower, but there has been a resurgence in the last months of 2022, with a recovery level of 50% compared to the same period in 2019.

There are positive signs indicating that the aviation market will fully recover in the second half of 2023, leading to a demand for additional aircraft for both the short-term period and throughout 2023 for Vietnamese airlines, said a leader of the Civil Aviation Authority.

At the beginning of 2023, the total number of aircraft operated by Vietnams five airlines (Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Pacific Airlines, Bamboo Airways, and Viettravel Airlines) was 225. In contrast, at the beginning of January 2020 (before the Covid-19 pandemic), the fleet of Vietnamese airlines was 234 aircraft.

Of the 225 aircraft mentioned above, only 190 are ready to operate, while 12 are undergoing maintenance and 23 are in storage.

@Zing News
PwCs Asia Pacific Capital Projects and Infrastructure Summit took place on April 27 in Hanoi

A wider look at Asia-Pacific

PwC's latest research on green infrastructure shows that Asia-Pacific's middle-to-low-income nations, including India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, are where 60 per cent of new infrastructure investment is needed most in terms of the green transition.

However, these countries lack the capacity to fund the necessary investment, which highlights the need for foreign direct investment support.

Meanwhile, developed nations are failing to meet a long-standing pledge to deliver $100 billion to help poorer countries cope with climate change by 2020, as reported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

On a positive note, investor interest in sustainable investments is rising, with environment, social and governance considerations becoming increasingly important aspects of investment analysis and decision-making, as per PwC's Global Investor Survey.

Furthermore, partnerships backed by government or international finance are emerging, providing financial institutions with assurances to align their investment portfolios towards meeting the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees as agreed during the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in late 2018.

The commitments made at COP26, including the net-zero target by 2050, have also significantly boosted investor interest in sustainable infrastructure, with a surge in investments in renewable energy, green buildings, and other sustainable infrastructure projects.

To tap into this finance pool, governments must prioritise green elements and promote infrastructure projects that support a fair and inclusive transition to low-emission economies while accelerating climate-resilient growth. It is also crucial to develop capacity and upskilling in relation to renewable energy.

The involvement of the private sector is important in achieving sustainable infrastructure, especially in areas with limited public resources. With their financial resources, technical expertise, and efficiency, private sector entities can help bridge the infrastructure gap and support the transition towards sustainable development.

The Asia-Pacific Capital Projects and Infrastructure Summit served as a platform for global and regional leaders, as well as key stakeholders in Vietnams infrastructure industry, to discuss effective delivery and innovative policy solutions for sustainable infrastructure.

The Summit showcased the latest innovations and best practices, considering smart technologies, the energy transition, and social inclusion.

Adrian Box, partner at PwC Australia and Asia-Pacific Infrastructure leader stated, "At PwC, we recognise the significant challenges facing the delivery of sustainable infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region. Our commitment is to bring together the private and public sectors to collaborate and find effective solutions to these obstacles. By working together, we can create innovative policy solutions and ensure the successful delivery of sustainable infrastructure projects that benefit communities and support economic growth."

Adrian Box emphasised PwCs commitment to its sustainable infrastructure consulting service

The high pace in Vietnam

Vietnam is the leading country in Asia in terms of infrastructure investment, currently spending 5.7 per cent of its GDP in this area. The country is undergoing a major transition towards becoming a high-income economy, and infrastructure development plays a key role in achieving this target.

The nation is investing heavily in infrastructure to support economic growth, improve the lives of its citizens, support the energy transition, and increase its resilience to climate change and natural disasters.

Dang Huy Dong, president of Vietnams Planning and Development Institute and former Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment commented, Vietnam's National Master Plan for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050 emphasises the need for an efficient and sustainable spatial organisation model for national development, supported by modern and interconnected infrastructure. The government has implemented several policies and initiatives to support sustainable infrastructure development, such as investing in renewable energy sources, encouraging the adoption of green building practices, and promoting e-mobility. We are delighted to see that this summit has brought together collaborative efforts from the public and private sectors to achieve the shared goal of sustainable infrastructure development.

Former Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Planning and Investment Dang Huy Dong speaking at the summit

The summit also discussed the hurdles facing investors and public agencies in Vietnam, including the lack of clear and accurate visibility of the demands for infrastructure, poor coordination across multiple actors during the project life cycle, limited public funding capability, the complex legal and institutional landscape, and capital and time sensitivity.

Tackling these issues requires long-term planning, clear project pipelines, and the integration of local strategic and regulatory frameworks with national policies to attract private investors and developers.

Sub-national governments may lack the capacity, experience, and financial resources for high-quality infrastructure project preparation, hence assistance from national governments and international institutions is needed.

Allocating project risks between private and public sectors is also important, with examples including the government absorbing demand risk for new toll roads in underdeveloped areas to make such projects more viable for private investment.

Edward Clayton, partner and Capital Projects and Infrastructure leader at PwC Vietnam said, "Developing the infrastructure required for sustainable growth in Vietnam is a complex challenge, but one that presents significant opportunities for stakeholders and investors. We believe that by prioritising green, sustainable, and inclusive infrastructure projects, we can help accelerate the country's transition to a high-income, low-emission economy and contribute to creating a sustainable future for the people of Vietnam."

Edward Clayton discussing the priorities for green, sustainable, and inclusive infrastructure projects

PwC report reflects CEO's latest sentiments PwC Vietnam has just released its 26th Annual Global CEO Survey on What matters to CEOs in Vietnam based on PwCs 26th Annual Global CEO Survey  Asia-Pacific: Leading in the New Reality, which reveals striking data points that bring to life the challenges facing 1,634 CEOs in the region and their implications in Vietnam.

Innovative low-carbon projects join UK's climate finance scheme Nine low-carbon Vietnamese initiatives, representing such diverse sectors such as renewable energy, resource efficiency, agriculture, decarbonising construction, and waste management have been chosen to take part in the first wave of the UK government's $14.4 million Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA) scheme.
The successes of the programme in 2022 has provided the company with a strong incentive to continue it for many years to come, helping disadvantaged women to improve their livelihoods.

Thi Thi Ngoc Hanh - vice chairman of Duc Hue Women's Union reporting results of the programme

The programme has been underway in the remote villages of My Quy Dong and My Thanh Tay on Vietnams borders. Most residents here have low and unsecured incomes, unstable jobs, and have been affected by the weight of the prolonged pandemic.

Along with support from BAT, all 40 households have used their loans wisely, with 12 running small businesses and 26 raising livestock including cattle, pigs and chickens.

Empowering women is one of various ESG activities that BAT Vietnam has been implementing over the years, harvesting positive and meaningful results.

Vo Thi Tuyet, a member of the Womens Union in My Quy Dong commune, said that her family had faced financial difficulties. After receiving support being an interest-free loan worth VND10 million ($430) from BAT, her familys living standards have gradually stabilised.

Tuyets family is one of 40 households in the two border communes of My Quy Dong and My Thanh Tay in Duc Hue district to benefit from the Women Empowerment programme.

After one year of implementation, the programme has helped women living in border localities to find stable jobs, paving the way for participation in social work. Others have harvested good knowledge and experience in animal husbandry to provide stable lives for their families, said Thi Thi Ngoc Hanh, vice president of the Womens Union of Duc Hue district.

Daniel Hsu, general manager of BAT Vietnam, said, We are so proud that the Women Empowerment programmes interest-free loans offer such a meaningful and practical approach. By joining hands with local authorities, we provide disadvantaged women in rural areas with opportunities to earn steady incomes, so they can lead stable lives.

He added that empowering women is also part of Vietnams national strategy on gender equality that helps women to play an active role in the families and strengthen their social status. These meaningful achievements are the driving force for BAT Vietnam to continue the programme in other localities for years to come to build a better life for women in border areas, he said.

ESG commitments

Empowering women is one of various environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities that BAT Vietnam has been implementing over the years, harvesting positive and meaningful results.

In recognition of its ESG contributions, the company has been named in the Top 100 Sustainable Businesses in Vietnam at the announcement ceremony of Sustainable Enterprises in Vietnam for 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022 jointly organised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development .

BAT Vietnam shining among the Top 100 Sustainable Businesses in Vietnam in 2022

Especially, BAT became the pioneer of its industry in ESG reporting, marking the celebration of a 27-year journey in Vietnam. This provides a strategic vision with clear standards and goals while offering an overview of the companys sustainability activities and achievements in 2021.

In addition, BAT Vietnam has teamed up with Gaia Nature Conservation in a bid to combat climate change and protect biodiversity in Vietnam with afforestation projects in Ca Mau and Dong Nai from 2022-2025.

The project is expected to cover four hectares in Dong Nai Nature Reserve and convert 120ha of alluvial ground into forests in the Ca Mau Cape Natural Park.

This is proof of the company's commitment to reaching carbon neutrality for Scope 1 and 2 by 2030, and further promoting its ESG mission.

On this journey, BAT Vietnams sustainability goals are well aligned with the agenda of the group and at the same time joins hands with the business community to contribute to Vietnams national agenda for sustainable development to 2030 according to the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.

Blockchain creates transparency in international trade Realising the importance of blockchain in global trade, the Vietnam Blockchain Association (VBA) has organised the seminar and workshop Blockchain Technology: Instantiate the International Commerce Process within the framework of the Vietnam Expo 2023 programme.

European business community confident in Vietnam With Vietnam's strong economic fundamentals, and its commitment to sustainability, the European business community remains strongly confident in the Vietnamese market.

Hanoi creates stable fulcrum to aid policy credit With effective support from the citys management at various levels, Hanoi has witnessed positive outcomes with policy credit activities over the past two decades, helping several hundred thousand needy households to escape poverty sustainably.
Ralph Coeckelberghs and a propaganda poster in support of Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)

Brussels - Ralph Coeckelberghs used to join movements protesting the war in Vietnam over half a decade ago, and since then he has been nurtured his love for the Southeast Asian country.

In his home office in the suburbs of Brussels, the small souvenirs that Coeckelberghs brought back from his working trips abroad are elegantly displayed on bookshelves. Among them is a military hat with a five-pointed yellow star, a souvenir from his recent Vietnam visit in early March. There is also a clay buffalo and a lion statue made from a piece of coal he purchased in the northern Vietnam province of Quang Ninh over four decades ago. On the wall, he hangs propaganda posters against the Vietnam war.



Fifty-five years ago, the 24-year-old student at the Free University of Brussels (ULB) was close with a group of Vietnamese patriotic students. Realising that the war in Vietnam was a preposterous one, he joined in the first anti-Vietnam War protest in Belgium in 1964 when the US army bombed the northern city of Hai Phong. In particular, the Tet Offensive of 1968 was a hot topic of public concern in the international press at that time, which prompted Coeckelberghs and his group of friends to do something to protest the war.



Flipping through an album holding the newspaper articles from September 1968, which include pictures of a group of young men clashing with the police while protesting, Coeckelberghs felt both touched and proud. He recounted how he and his friends had protested outside a movie theater in Brussels to object to the screening of "The Green Berets", a movie about an elite US military unit fighting in southern Vietnam. Carrying banners against the US army and flags of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, the group led by Coeckelberghs was suppressed and arrested by the police. The event caused a sensation back then and was reported by famous French newspapers such as Le Monde and Paris Match.



During 1971-1973, Coeckelberghs was the President of the ULBs Progressive Students' Association. The patriotism of his Vietnamese friends had deeply influenced him. In 1972, he engaged in a hunger strike with a group of Vietnamese students to protest the war in Vietnam. After graduation, he actively worked for many associations advocating for the abolition of racial discrimination and continued to stand with patriotic Vietnamese students.



Recalling the moment on April 30, 1975 when the US war in Vietnam ended and the country was completely liberated, Coeckelberghs said his emotions remain as fresh as if the event had just happened yesterday. He received the news from a friend who was a correspondent for RTBF radio and television in southern Vietnam. He was overjoyed and hurried to share the happiness with his Vietnamese friends. They hugged each other, danced and shouted with joy: "The war is over! Vietnam is liberated!".



Later on, Coeckelberghs worked for some international humanitarian organisations such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and continued to maintain relationships with Vietnam. His first visit to the Southeast Asian country was in 1981, a difficult time for the nation. 42 years later, he had the opportunity to return to Vietnam and was amazed at how a small country once devastated by war had developed so rapidly. Highways stretched from the north to the south, new bridges pned the Red River instead of only the Long Bien Bridge in the 1980s, and areas destroyed by war are now rebuilt in a modern way.



He affirmed that he has truly learned a lot from Vietnam's past, a resilient nation during the war which has become dynamic since gaining independence. It makes him optimistic about the development of the country, he said.
Consumer credit needs legal framework: Experts, Illustrative image. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi - It is critical to develop a proper legal framework for consumer credit to protect the legitimate rights of both borrowers and lenders, experts have said.

Ngo Xuan Duy from Vietnam International Debt Trading Company said that the existing legal framework was inadequate and lacked transparency, causing difficulties for the operation of companies in this field.

The mechanism for lending and debt collection related to consumer credit was not complete, which was negatively affecting the market, he said. We are still confused about how to make a debt reminder phone call in the right way, he said.

In addition, many customers used fake documents to borrow money. It was necessary to enhance the responsibility of borrowers to make the market more transparent and prevent fraudulent activities, he added.

Both lenders and borrowers played the role in promoting the development of the consumer credit market, he stressed.

Nguyen Hoang Minh, Chief Representative of the Vietnam Banks Association in Ho Chi Minh City, said that being equated with usury made it difficult for finance companies to operate.

The lending and debt collection results of some finance companies slumped in the first quarter of this year, Minh said, adding there was an increasing number of employees at finance companies quitting their jobs recently due to occupational risks and social prejudices.

Borrowers must be aware of their obligations while companies must improve their debt collection culture, Minh said.

Never have consumer loans been in difficulty as recently. The demand of borrowers was great, but finance companies did not dare to increase lending because of worries about the difficulty of debt collection.

Le Quoc Ninh, head of the Consumer Credit Club under the Vietnam Banks Association, said that consumer finance companies were in a lot of difficulty after negative information of companies which were not licensed by the central bank. These companies were licensed by the provincial or municipal departments of planning and investment and operated under the Civil Law and the Law on Enterprise, not subject to the management of the State Bank.

Objectionable debt collection of some consumer lending companies and pawn shops which led to inspection and investigation by the policy negatively affected the image of mainstream consumer finance companies, he said.

Do Minh Hai, general direct of ATM Online, a fintech operating in consumer lending, said that consumer lending was more and more difficult in the context of economic slowdown, difficult business and production affecting the incomes of workers  the target customers of finance companies.

A representative from FE Credit said that the shortage of regulations on borrowers resulted in increasing payment delinquency.

This was not a good thing when finance companies were forced to tighten lending and consumers who had real demand could not access the credit, he said.

According to the State Bank of Vietnams statistics, there were 16 consumer credit companies licensed by the central bank.

Nguyen Van Dung, Deputy Director of the State Bank of Vietnams Branch in HCM City, said that the list of consumer credit companies and payment intermediary services was published on the website.

He urged consumers to be cautious about usury which was hiding in the shadow of finance companies, such as peer-to-peer lending apps, to avoid being scammed.

More reasonable rates

Besides proposing a legal framework for debt collection to be completed, experts said it was necessary to set lending rates at more reasonable levels for workers and disadvantaged groups.

Economic expert Nguyen Tri Hieu said that consumer credit rates of both official credit institutions or informal channels were high. There was a regulation that rates above 20 % per year was considered illegal. However, the fact was that no one had actually been prosecuted for lending with rates higher than 20 per cent.

For black credit, the rates could be up to hundreds of per cent.

Credit institutions should design more reasonable rates for workers and low-income earners, said Nguyen Hoang Bao Tran, Deputy Chairwoman of the Binh Duong Labour Confederation.

Consumer credit, solution to repel black credit The seminar on consumer finance in the third year themed with the topic "Development of consumer credit  solutions to repel black credit" is taking place in the morning of March 15 at the headquarters of Vietnam Investment Review with the participation of many leading experts in economics, law, finance, banking, and consumer credit.

Transparent consumer credit firms can succeed Developing the consumer credit sector is one of Vietnams best tools to end illegal moneylending in the country, according to experts.
At several annual general sharerholdes' meetings held by the garments and textiles industry recently, 'prudence' has been the common theme.

Hanoi-based Garment 10 Corporation (Garco 10) has set targets of $182.6 million in total revenue and $4.78 million in pre-tax profit, down $16 million in revenue and $1.73 million in profit on-year.

The dividend ratio for 2023 is set at 15 per cent, compared to 18 per cent last year.

Our company has had to recalculate our business plan with caution to suit the market situation, said Than Duc Viet, CEO of Garco 10.

According to the chairman of Vietnam Textile Apparel Association, Vu Duc Giang, "When the market worsens, the cycle usually runs from between 1214 months, but this time it is likely to last longer, potentially lasting 24 months in the worst-case scenario."

As the market has yet to show signs of rebounding, many operators in the sector are considering such worst-case scenarios, with a possible fall of between 30-40 per cent of order intake.

Danang-based Hoa Tho Textile Garment Corporation hopes to achieve $195.6 million in revenue and $8.68 million pre-tax profit this year, down 12.6 per cent and 41 per cent on-year respectively.

As the market has yet to show signs of rebounding, many operators in the sector are considering such worst-case scenarios, with a possible fall of between 30-40 per cent of order intake.

Dap Cau Garment Corporation, based in the northern province of Bac Giang, is no exception to the more cautious outlook running throughout the sector.

According to general director Luong Van Thu, this year Dap Cau envisages just $17.4 million in total revenue and about $695,650 million in pre-tax profit, compared to $23.78 million and $1.06 million last year.

For Vinatex, this year the group aims to post similar revenues compared to last year of around $847.8 million, but its pre-tax profit is set at just $40.65 million, equal to 85.8 per cent of last years total.

During an online conference for the local industrial and trade sectors in mid-April, Lam Dong of the Department of Industry and Trade noted that garments and textiles firms face the most difficulties. Apparel processing firms are experiencing a low intake of orders from Europe and North America.

In the first quarter of this year, silk product exporters experienced a severe material shortage as there was a spike in raw cocoon prices.

In addition, several firms exporting to Central Asian markets have faced difficulties in paying their foreign partners, resulting in a pause in exports to the region.

Chinas reopening serves as a boost for our exports while creating more pressure for Vietnamese goods in the global market, said Nguyen Cam Trang, deputy general director of the Agency for Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Many forecasts and analyses by domestic and international organisations show that the global demand for garments and textiles would decline by 6-10 per cent in 2023, falling to around $710 billion, maybe as little as $690 billion.

These conditions make Vietnams target of $45-46 billion in total export value seem overly optimistic unless the global appetite for textiles and related products suddenly increases.

500 fastest-growing companies in 2023 announced Tin Viet Finance JSC, Dolphin Sea Air Services Corporation and VPS Securities JSC are among the top 10 in the 500 fastest-growing companies in Vietnam (FAST500) this year as announced by the Vietnam Report JSC and the VietNamNet e-newspaper on March 16.

Apparel groups under supply chain pressure Vietnams textiles, garments, and footwear are compelled to compete on the basis of quality, the environment, and the working conditions of its employees, since low-cost labour and cheap prices are no longer an advantage.

Drugmakers build on early 2023 gains While making profits in 2022 from market recovery, Vietnamese drug giants are restructuring to strengthen sales and new products to gain market share, both at home and abroad.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol takes part in a meeting hosted by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., Thursday (local time). Reuters-Yonhap



By Nam Hyun-woo



WASHINGTON, D.C.  President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the U.S. Pentagon's National Military Command Center (NMCC) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Thursday (local time), where he received briefings from U.S. military leadership.



Yoon, who is on a state visit to the U.S., is the first South Korean president to visit the NMCC and the first foreign leader to visit DARPA. It appears to be a symbolic gesture from the U.S. to show its commitment to the Seoul-Washington alliance. It is also seen as a follow-up measure to the Washington Declaration, which calls for the two countries' leaders to discuss nuclear and strategic planning against North Korea's threats.



"Despite the strong warnings from the international community, North Korea is elevating its nuclear and missile capabilities and staging provocations at unprecedented level and frequency," Yoon said.



"If North Korea dares to use its nuclear arsenal, it will face decisive and overwhelming response by the Republic of Korea forces and the allies including U.S. military capability."






JUNEAU, Alaska (AP)  The U.S. Army has grounded aviation units for training after 12 soldiers died within the last month in helicopter crashes in Alaska and Kentucky, the military branch announced Friday.

The suspension of air operations was effective immediately, with units grounded until they complete the training, said Lt. Col. Terence Kelley, an Army spokesperson. For active-duty units, the training is to take place between May 1 and 5. Army National Guard and Reserve units will have until May 31 to complete the training.

The move grounds all Army aviators, except those participating in critical missions, until they complete the required training, the Army said in a statement.

On Thursday, two Army helicopters collided near Healy, Alaska, killing three soldiers and injuring a fourth. The aircraft from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright, near Fairbanks, were returning from training at the time of the crash, according to the Army. The unit is part of the 11th Airborne Division, which is nicknamed the Arctic Angels.

Military investigators were making their way to Alaska's interior, with a team from Fort Novosel, Alabama, expected to arrive at the crash site by Saturday, said John Pennell, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Alaska. Little new information about the crash was released Friday.

The Army on Thursday said two of the soldiers died at the site and the third on the way to a hospital in Fairbanks. The injured fourth soldier was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition Friday, Pennell said. The names of those who were killed were not immediately released.

The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel, Army Chief of Staff James McConville said of the decision to ground flight units for training.

The crash is the second accident involving military helicopters in Alaska this year.

In February, two soldiers were injured when an Apache helicopter rolled after taking off from Talkeetna. The aircraft was one of four traveling to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage from Fort Wainwright.

In March, nine soldiers were killed when two U.S. Army Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed during a routine nighttime training exercise about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

The Army said that while Thursday's crash and the one in Kentucky remain under investigation, there is no indication of any pattern between the two mishaps.

Healy is home to about 1,000 people roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Denali National Park and Preserve, or about 250 miles (400 kilometers) north of Anchorage.

Located on the Parks Highway, the community is a popular place for people to spend the night while visiting Denali Park, which is home to the continents tallest mountain.

Healy is also famous for being the town closest to the former bus that had been abandoned in the backcountry and was popularized by the book Into the Wild and the movie of the same name. The bus was removed and taken to Fairbanks in 2020.
Will a network that has decided to recklessly traffic in and promote lies, junk science and unfounded conspiracy theories, and purposefully omit and distort the truth to keep its viewers rabidly tuned in, feel at all chastened by what can only be described as an unequivocal and unprecedented smackdown?

That is the question I posed to readers of this column exactly one week ago, in the wake of a stunning $787.5 million settlement between Dominion Voting Systems and Fox News.

The lawsuit exposed an embarrassing and damaging behind-the-scenes look at the open disdain Fox executives and on-air talent had for former President Donald Trump, his election lie surrogates and even their own viewers, all while helping Trump to spread his false narratives about the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 insurrection that followed.

But, I argued, the lies and conspiracies were just too good for Fox to pass up. Its audience demanded them, and even with this rebuke it was unlikely Fox would change its business model, especially with another election on the horizon and Trump on the ballot again.

It remains to be seen whether Fox will taper its amplification of the election lie and other sordid fake news, but one thing is clear: no one there is too big to fail.

The bombshell news that Fox had fired its top-rated prime-time star, Tucker Carlson, sent shockwaves through the corridors of media and politics.

Fresh reporting is slowly revealing the possible reasons why  after all this time and so many controversies  Fox had finally had enough of Carlsons antics.

There were allegations of (and a pending lawsuit over) a sexist, misogynistic working environment.

There are reports that Carlson was trash-talking Fox execs and leaking negative stories about them to other media outlets, as well as text messages revealed in the Dominion suit in which Carlson badmouths other reporters and anchors.

Fox was also allegedly growing increasingly annoyed by his coverage of the Jan. 6 insurrection. Carlson not only offered up baseless conspiracy theories about that day, he broadcast heavily edited footage that left out all the violence to support his nonsensical assertion that the rioters were merely there sightseeing. The family of fallen Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick released a scathing statement asking Fox and Carlson to stop lying about his death and the details of that day.

Most recently Carlson was pushing the unfounded notion that Ray Epps, who attended the rally but didnt enter the Capitol, was an FBI plant.

There are countless other controversies that Fox endured in the Tucker era, from an exodus of advertisers over his white replacement theory to his near-constant propping up of dictators like Russias Vladimir Putin, Syrias Bashar Al-Assad, and Hungarys Viktor Orban.

But none of this was a bridge too far  until it apparently was.

One thing Fox News and anyone whos ever worked there knows about its viewers is that they are loyal to the brand, not the individual personalities  and no one, not even Tucker, is bigger than the brand.

Remember Bill OReilly? He was a megastar at Fox for years, practically synonymous with the network, until he was fired in 2017 for allegations of sexual harassment. Of course, Fox and OReilly had settled five other lawsuits totaling $13 million dating back to 2002, so the news giant was fine with that  until it wasnt.

Other stars like Glenn Beck and Megyn Kelly left under far less sordid circumstances, with Beck leaving to start his own network and Kelly heading to a short-lived stint at NBC. But beloved as they were at Fox, viewers didnt follow them out, and Fox has remained atop the ratings for more than two decades.

Other departures, from Greta van Susteren to Shepard Smith  and even Foxs own founding CEO Roger Ailes  did little to ding the networks stronghold on its viewers. They will watch  and love  virtually anyone Fox puts in a broadcast chair.

Thats good news for Fox, not so good for Carlson, who is packing up and moving on from his third cable news network in 23 years.

Foxs willingness to swap out talent  even talent as big as Carlson  when the cons of keeping them outweigh the pros is perhaps a cautionary tale to other ambitious would-be stars there. No one is untouchable.

However, that interchangeability is also cause for skepticism that much will change with Tuckers ousting. From workplace scandals and sexism, to ugly lawsuits, to a history of trafficking in lies and conspiracies, Fox isnt new to these controversies. And its hardly a stretch to imagine someone like Jesse Watters quickly taking up Tuckers mantle and continuing his legacy there. That is, until the next shiny object comes along.
by Adam Estes

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force (NMUSAF) has just announced that they will resume the restoration of Boeing B-17D Flying Fortress 40-3097, nicknamed The Swoose, one of the most storied survivors of its breed. The museum issued the following statement regarding the process they intend to follow in refurbishing the aircraft, the oldest intact Flying Fotress extant

This is both a restoration and conservation project. Some airframe areas need repair and restoration for structural integrity and exhibit-worthiness, while others will be conserved as-is to maintain originality. The overall aim is to present the artifact in the context in which it was received, i.e., to preserve it in the configuration of its final mission. A combination of restoration and preservation will ensure its longevity, structural and historical integrity, and safe public display in a controlled environment. This means that the aircrafts identity as The Swoose will be maintained with as much original fabric in situ as possible. The minimally invasive preservation approach is one option in the spectrum of possible restoration / preservation / conservation practice, and as in all NMUSAF restoration work assures the artifacts ethical treatment as a museum object.

The museum released a further statement regarding their justification for pursuing the project

This project strengthens the NMUSAFs identity as the premier collection of American combat aircraft and promises to increase visitorship by being the only straight tail B-17 on exhibit in the world. The Swooses distinctive shape and its fascinating record of combat, reconfiguration, and transport service rounds out the Pacific Theater WWII air power story and improves the Museums Global Reach interpretation. Preserving the plane as it was received, i.e., as a transport, respects its integrity as an artifact, eliminates very difficult or impossible physical restoration and equipment issues, and helps tell Airmens stories with authenticity. Airpower enthusiasts eagerly await its completion, and casual visitors will appreciate its unique story and appearance.

The following is a brief summary of the aircrafts history and historical significance:

Boeing manufactured the aircraft at their factory in Seattle, Washington, delivering it to the US Army Air Corps on April 25th, 1941. After flying the aircraft to Hawaii over the course of May 13th/14th, 1941, the ferry crew then took the bomber to the Philippines in September of that year, with stops in Rabaul, Port Moresby and Darwin. Dispersal orders issued in the days preceding the Japanese attack on the Philippines ensured that the B-17, then nicknamed Ole Betsy, survived to fly sorties against the Japanese invasion fleet. However, with Japanese ground forces gaining ground against American and Filipino defenders, Ole Betsy and several other locally-based B-17s relocated to Java, where they could continue flying bombing raids against the enemy invaders. With the situation getting steadily worse, however, the aircrews had to retrench their fleet in Australia. After sustaining combat damage and regular wear and tear, 40-3097 underwent a major overhaul. As part of this process, the aircraft received a new tail unit, the donor aircraft being B-17D 40-3091. As a result, the aircrafts pilot, Weldon Smith, renamed the aircraft as The Swoose  a name derived from Alexander the Swoose, a popular song of the day which features a bird which is half-swan and half goose.

By March 1942, The Swoose is performing a new role, serving as the personal transport for General George Brett, then the Deputy Commander of Allied Forces in Australia. Several other notable figures would become associated with the aircraft, including Olympic diver Frank Kurtz, who flew the aircraft for a period (naming his daughter Swoosie after the airplane). Texas Congressman (and future president) Lyndon B. Johnson also flew aboard the aicraft as a passenger. The Swoose received regular modifications throughout the war, especially when General Brett arranged to keep the aircraft as his transport following his transfer to head up the US Caribbean Defense Command and the Panama Canal Department. By VJ-Day, The Swoose was the last remaining B-17 in the US inventory which had taken part in the defense of the Philippines from 1941-42, but after it flew with General Brett to Kirtland Army Airfield, it soon moved on to the storage yard in Kingman, Arizona where so many other aircraft met the scrappers torch.

However, The Swoose received an eleventh hour reprieve when then-Colonel Frank Kurtz convinced the city fathers of Los Angeles to purchase the aircraft to serve as a war memorial. However, even though Kurtz flew The Swoose to Los Angeles, the intended memorial never materialized.

Thankfully, three years later Paul E. Garber heard about the aircrafts plight. As curator of the Smithsonians National Air Museum (now the National Air & Space Museum), Garber was eager to save important aircraft at a time when few others were. He was successful in purchasing the The Swoose for the Smithsonian, but in those days, the National Air Museum did not have a home large enough to store the aircraft in their collection, so The Swoose bounced between a number of storage locations, from Park Ridge, Illinois to Pyote, Texas and even Andrews Air Force Base, in Clinton, Maryland. After several decades outside, the airframe finally got a reprieve from the weather, moving to the museums storage facility at Silver Hill, in Suitland, Maryland (later renamed in Garbers honor) where it remained for nearly 50 years. In 2007, the National Air and Space Museums collections committee voted to deaccession the aircraft and transfer it permanently to the NMUSAF in Dayton, Ohio; it arrived by truck the following year.

While the restoration team at Dayton carried out some initial work on the airframe soon after its arrival, this effort stalled once the museum chose to prioritize the restoration of B-17F Memphis Belle and some of their WWI-era aircraft. Now that those projects are complete (or nearly so, for the Curtiss Jenny), the museums restoration team will begin to focus their attention on The Swoose, an endeavor which they currently expect to take around seven years to complete. We look forwards to providing regular progress updates once more information becomes available.
by Richard Mallory Allnutt

The Blackbushe Heritage Trust (BHT) is in the process of saving a very rare Vickers Viking airliner. Stored outdoors for decades in Austria, most recently in Bad Voslau, the now-disassembled Viking is presently on its way back to the U.K. aboard a trio of low-loaders. BHT, based at Blackbushe Airport near Camberley, Hampshire, has constructed a shelter to store the disassembled airframe. The organization plans to restore the aircraft back to its former glory as one of Britains first, post-WWII airliners.

This particular example first flew on July 27th, 1946, becoming G-AGRW with British European Airways and bearing the nickname VAGABOND on its nose. While flying with Hunting-Clan Air Transport on trooping flights for Britains armed forces, the aircraft received the temporary military serial number XF640 for a period, although it eventually reverted to G-AGRW. During its tenure with Overseas Aviation, G-AGRW received significant structural damage while taxiing at Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport on February 17th, 1960. Following repairs, the aircraft continued its flying career with the British carrier, Autair International Airways.

By 1973, although likely earlier, the aircraft had ceased flying and was part of a trio of Vikings forming the Avio Resto Cafe at Soesterberg, in the Netherlands. By the 1980s, the aircraft had departed for Vienna, Austria to become part of the Austrian Aviation Museum which moved the airframe around various locations. It even spent time atop a building at Vienna Airport, before ending up in a field in Bad Voslau, where its survival seemed very much in doubt until BHT stepped in to save the airframe. After a quick fund-raising effort, with meaningful contributions from British Airways, BHT was able to send a team to Austria in mid-April to disassemble and transport the Viking back to the UK. They received significant local assistance in this effort from staff at the Austrian Aviation Museum, Bad Voslau Airfield and the Vienna Airport Fire Crew. VAGABONDs journey home finally began yesterday (April 27th), as the images below help describe.

The Vickers Viking short-haul transport emerged at the tail end of WWII, first taking flight in June, 1945. Evolving from its far more famous sibling, the Vickers Wellington medium bomber, the type initially employed the same undercarriage and fabric-covered, geodetic-structured outer wing panels of its predecessor with a wholly new fuselage, center wing and tail sections. The British government ordered the type in 1944 as an interim solution to serve the civilian sector following WWII, allowing time for the maturity of far more advanced designs then under development.

While it was quickly relegated to ancillary roles, the Viking does hold one significant footnote in aviation history; a modified example became the worlds first, purely jet-propelled airliner. Sporting a pair of Rolls-Royce Nene I turbojets in place of its typical Bristol Hercules radial engines, this uniquely modified Viking 1B, better known simply as the Nene Viking, flew for the first time on April 6th, 1948  with Mutt Summers at the controls. (Summers, as many will recall, also performed the first test flight of the Supermarine Spitfire back in March, 1936.) Although the Nene Viking never went into production, it did serve as an important trials aircraft for adapting jet propulsion to airliner designs.

The Viking served an important role in the immediate post-war years and beyond, serving in dozens of different airlines and a number of military air arms all over the world. By the time production ceased in 1954, Vickers had built 163 examples, but sadly, just six complete representatives of the type remain. This is why the Blackbushe Heritage Trusts rescue of G-AGRW is so important, with the end result hopefully preserving the airframe for decades to come. British Airways (BA) should also be heartily congratulated for this result, as they contributed a significant sum of money to help pay for the aircrafts journey home. British Airways, of course, has a strong connection to G-AGRW, since one of the airlines forebears, British European Airways, once operated this particular Viking.

The Blackbushe Heritage Trust expects the Viking to arrive during early May. They plan to restore the aircraft so it can become the centerpiece of a museum dedicated to the history of Blackbushe Airport (formerly RAF Hartford Bridge), which saw many examples flying from the facility during the types heyday. The organization posts regular updates on their Facebook page.

Those wishing to help fund the recovery and restoration of this significant aircraft can contribute via the link HERE.
CEDAR FALLS  The Cedar Falls Human Rights Commission has seen lots of changes and progress in the last few months, none bigger than welcoming aboard the citys first-ever paid employee to help carry out its vision.

Chelsie Luhring, the citys new diversity, equity and inclusion specialist and commission liaison, will be in attendance when the appointed body hosts a free meet and greet from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Ragged Edge Art Bar and Gallery, 504 Bluff St., with food and refreshments.

The number one goal is to introduce Chelsie, now that shes our DEI specialist and then to introduce several new commissioners, and then also to recruit, said commission chairperson Sonja Bock. We still have a few open seats, and even if the commission was full, we always want to have applications on file. The other goal is we want to talk to people to hear their thoughts and concerns.

Luhring was brought on board in January at the recommendation of the Racial Equity Task Force. Thus far, shes played a role in making sure inclusive language is used, and in developing the commissions website  cedarfalls.com/86/Human-Rights-Commission  to offer more resources and useful information.

While the commissioners are volunteers and have other everyday responsibilities, Luhring will have more direct connections to those who run city government, and can work every day to ensure diverse and equitable practices are present within policies.

One of her newfound roles has been as Cedar Falls liaison to One Cedar Valley, a local organization focused on breaking down barriers facing African Americans.

The public will be exposed to the new leaders Wednesday. The commission had also seen some mainstays step aside and new ones take over, but have since seemingly moved on from the days of turmoil seen a couple years ago.

The commission meets the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Public Safety Building. It has taken action recently in multiple ways, from organizing a Womens History Month event, to issuing a statement in light of recent anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation in Des Moines.

Its committees have been established for several months now and their roles and responsibilities have become better defined. And Bock emphatically feels they are doing even better now.

We have new commissioners who have come in with a lot of initiative, are very passionate about human rights, are bringing ideas to the table, helping create events, and just have done lot of things that hadnt been happening for a long time, she said.

We really are doing more outreach in the last five months than maybe weve done in years. Thats pretty exciting, she added.

Residents will be able to have their questions answered, as well as their concerns and comments taken into consideration. Additionally, applications will be available to anyone looking to be appointed to the commission in the future.

A recent request by the commission to expand from nine to 11 has left the agency with three openings.

I havent been here that long, but everyone has been awesome to work with. Theyre super proactive and I think we all have that goal in mind of wanting to make sure that were making Cedar Falls more equitable and more inclusive for people, said Luhring. Commissioners have that vision, and go and do it.

Questions can be directed to Luhring at Chelsie.Luhring@cedarfalls.com. The commission has a Facebook page, as well.

PHOTOS: Opening round of the Girls' Metro Meet 042623-spt-cf 1.2 042623-spt-cf 2.3 042623-spt-west 1.1 042623-spt-west-2.2 042623-spt-west-3 042623-spt-col-2 042623-spt-col-1 042623-spt-cf-3 042623-spt-west-2 042623-spt-cf 1 042623-spt-west-1 042623-spt-cf-2
WATERLOO  One person was flown to the hospital after his vehicle crashed head-on into a semi and burst into flames early Friday.

According to the Iowa State Patrol, 26-year-old Jordan Welch was flown to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

The crash happened at about 2:15 a.m. on northbound U.S. Highway 218 near the Broadway Street overpass.

Witnesses told police Welchs Dodge Charger was traveling the wrong way on the highway and collided with a Freightliner semi driven by Christopher Scholl, 50, of Manly.

The Charger caught fire, and a passerby removed the occupant from the burning car, according to officials with Waterloo Fire Rescue.

The semi broke through a concrete jersey barrier that separates the lanes and came to a rest in the southbound lanes. The semi driver wasnt injured.

Firefighters extinguished the flames. Welch suffered burns and other injuries and was flown to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

The crash is under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol and the Waterloo Police Department.

Photo: Crash, fire Highway 218, April 28, 2023 042823jr-crash-218-3 042823jr-crash-218-2 042823jr-crash-218-1
JACKSON, Miss.  The white woman who accused Black teenager Emmett Till of whistling at and accosting her  which caused his 1955 lynching in Mississippi and galvanized a generation of activists to rise up in the Civil Rights Movement  has died at age 88.

Carolyn Bryant Donham died in hospice care Tuesday night in Westlake, Louisiana, according to a death report filed Thursday in the Calcasieu Parish Coroner's Office.

Her death ends the last chance for anyone to be held accountable for a kidnapping and brutal murder that shocked the world.

Till's mother, Mamie Till Mobley, insisted on an open-casket funeral in their hometown of Chicago so the world could see her 14-year-old son's mutilated body, which was pulled from a river in Mississippi. Jet magazine published photos.

In August 1955, Till traveled from Chicago to visit relatives in Mississippi. Donham  then 21 and named Carolyn Bryant  accused him of making improper advances on her at a grocery store where she was working in the small community of Money. The Rev. Wheeler Parker, a cousin of Till who was there, said Till whistled at the woman, an act that flew in the face of Mississippi's racist social codes of the era.

Evidence indicates a woman identified Till to Donham's then-husband Roy Bryant and his half-brother J.W. Milam, who killed the teenager. An all-white jury acquitted the two white men in the killing, but the men later confessed in an interview with Look magazine.

When Till disappeared in Mississippi, Ollie Gordon  one of Till's cousins  was 7 years old and living in the Chicago home with Till's mother and family. Gordon told The Associated Press on Thursday that in the days following when he went missing, the home was full of fear, because people knew there was a strong likelihood he was killed.

Gordon said she had mixed emotions about Donham's death.

"She was never tried in the court of man," Gordon said. "But I think she was judged by God, and his wrath is more punitive than any judgment or penalty she could have gotten in a courtroom. I don't think she had a pleasant or happy life."

Parker is the last living witness to Till's abduction. He has said in interviews and speeches that he heard Till whistle at the woman working behind the counter at Bryant's Grocery and Meat Market.

Days later, Parker saw Till kidnapped in the dark of night from their uncle's home in Mississippi, where the teenagers were staying. Parker said Thursday that his heart goes out to Donham.

"As a person of faith for more than 60 years, I recognize that any loss of life is tragic and don't have any ill will or animosity toward her," Parker said in a statement. "Even though no one now will be held to account for the death of my cousin and best friend, it is up to all of us to be accountable to the challenges we still face in overcoming racial injustice."

Last year, President Joe Biden was proud to sign the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act to make lynching a federal crime, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday. "The president is committed to  dealing with racial hatred," she said.

In an unpublished memoir obtained by The Associated Press in 2022, Donham said she was unaware of what would happen to Till.

The contents of the 99-page manuscript, titled "I am More Than A Wolf Whistle," were first reported by the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting. Historian and author Timothy Tyson of Durham, North Carolina, who said he obtained a copy from Donham while interviewing her in 2008, provided a copy to the AP.

Tyson placed the manuscript in an archive at the University of North Carolina with the agreement that it not be made public for decades, though he said he gave it to the FBI during an investigation the agency concluded in 2021. A campus spokesperson said Thursday the university no longer has the collection but did not give a reason why.

Tyson said in 2022 that he decided to make the memoir public after some of Till's relatives and other people doing research at the Leflore County, Mississippi, courthouse in June 2022 found an arrest warrant on kidnapping charges that was issued for "Mrs. Roy Bryant" in 1955 but never served.

Tyson said Thursday that Donham's precise role in Till's killing remains murky but it's clear she was involved.

"It has comforted America to see this as merely a story of monsters, her among them," Tyson said. "What this narrative keeps us from seeing is the monstrous social order that cared nothing for the life of Emmett Till nor thousands more like him. Neither the federal government nor the government of Mississippi did anything to prevent or punish this murder. Condemning what Donham did is easier than confronting what America was  and is."

Explaining the new federal anti-lynching law The Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act What is lynching? Why does the law matter? Are there recent examples of lynching? Why pass a federal anti-lynching law right now? Who was Emmett Till?
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, right, meets with Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., on April 27. AFP-Yonhap



South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol warned Thursday that North Korea will be met with an "overwhelming" nuclear response in the event it tries to use nuclear weapons.



Yoon issued the warning during a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon, saying he agreed with U.S. President Joe Biden the previous day to strengthen the U.S. extended deterrence commitment to South Korea.



Extended deterrence refers to the U.S. commitment to mobilizing all of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its ally.



"Should North Korea attempt to use nuclear weapons, it will be faced with a resolute and overwhelming response, including the U.S.' nuclear capabilities, from the South Korea-U.S. alliance and the Republic of Korea Armed Forces," Yoon said.



"I urge North Korea to realize that it can do nothing with nuclear weapons and decide to denuclearize for true peace and mutual prosperity on the Korean Peninsula," he said.



Yoon also expressed confidence in the U.S., saying, "I fully trust the United States' firm extended deterrence commitment."



Yoon recalled North Korea's recent test of a solid-fuel long-range ballistic missile and other provocations, saying the regime is likely to try to put pressure on South Korea and the U.S. and divide the alliance through various forms of provocations in the future.



"Our government will firmly respond to North Korea's threats based on an unwavering South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture," he said.



"We will further strengthen South Korea-U.S. combined exercises and drills, and expand security cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan," he added.



Austin assured Yoon that the U.S.' extended deterrence commitment covers the full range of U.S. capabilities, including conventional, nuclear and missile defense capabilities.



Yoon, who is on a state visit to the U.S., later visited the Pentagon's National Military Command Center (NMCC), where he was briefed on U.S. strategic surveillance and crisis response systems, the presidential office said.



The NMCC is a key command and control center inside the Pentagon that directly assists the U.S. president and military commanders in emergencies, the presidential office said, noting Yoon was the first South Korean president to visit the center.



Yoon then paid a visit to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to discuss ways to create a research environment that fosters creativity and leads to technological innovations, and to explore ways to strengthen cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. on defense science and technology.



Yoon was the first foreign leader to visit DARPA, his office said. (Yonhap)




SIOUX CITY -- A state medical board has charged a former Sioux City heart surgeon with professional incompetency and engaging in harmful and misleading medical practices.

Dr. Giovanni Ciuffo is accused of "... engaging in a practice that is harmful or detrimental to the public" and "... making misleading, deceptive, untrue or fraudulent representations in the practice of medicine and surgery," the Iowa Board of Medicine said in a statement of charges filed April 20.

The charging document says the board reviewed and approved a short statement of allegations forming the basis for the charges. The statement will be provided to Ciuffo but is not a public record.

Ciuffo, who was MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center's director for cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, has 20 days from the date he was served with the charges to file an answer and request a continuance of a May 22 scheduling conference.

A MercyOne spokeswoman confirmed Ciuffo no longer works at the Sioux City hospital and said the hospital could not comment on the charges.

"MercyOne stands by our cardiac services program, and our commitment to safe, quality care is steadfast alongside our commitment to the fair and valued treatment of colleagues, physicians and providers. As this is a Board of Medicine inquiry, we are unable to provide further comment," Michaela Feldmann, MercyOne regional communications lead, said in an emailed statement.

Though Ciuffo no longer works for MercyOne, the charges are related to his actions while at the hospital. According to the medical board, he now lives in Nevada and has an active Iowa medical license that is due to expire on May 1, 2024.

Ciuffo trained as a surgeon in Italy and practiced in New York and Ohio prior to his arrival in Sioux City.

Though specific actions aren't detailed in the medical board's statement of charges, numerous allegations of his conduct are contained in a wrongful termination lawsuit filed in August by MercyOne's former cardiovascular service line director, who sued the hospital, claiming she was fired for reporting safety and malpractice concerns about Ciuffo to the hospital's ethics committee.

In her lawsuit, Cynthia Tener said Ciuffo failed to obtain proper consent from patients, performed unsafe surgical procedures and falsified paperwork. The lawsuit also said Ciuffo was performing risky procedures on patients without obtaining proper consent from them and performing an excessive number of add-on procedures.

In one instance, Ciuffo is alleged to have opened a patient in the operating room without other treating physicians present and failed to follow the surgical plan that he, the physicians and the patient had agreed upon. The patient died not long after surgery.

Concerns were raised about Ciuffo keeping patients who had little to no chance of recovery on ventilators and other artificial life-sustaining measures for at least 30 days after surgery to protect his outcomes statistics in a national database. After the hospital limited Ciuffo to surgeries with low patient risk levels, Tener said she was informed Ciuffo began falsifying patients' risk scores so he could again perform high-risk surgeries.

According to the lawsuit, hospital administrators told Tener she was fired for creating a toxic work environment, but refused to provide information about any complaints against her.

After two nurses filed an internal complaint against Ciuffo for falsely documenting a procedure performed without the patient's consent, the surgeon told administrators he believed Tener was encouraging nurses to file complaints against him.

Tener said she was suspended after administrators informed her of complaints she was creating a toxic work environment. She was fired six days later.

Ciuffo was not named as a defendant in Tener's lawsuit, filed against Mercy Health Services-Iowa Corp., which does business as MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center, and its parent company, Indiana-based Trinity Health Corporation.

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Iowa Workforce Development says it has no specific duty to comply with citizens who seek access to public records and ask the agency to preserve the documents while their request is pending.

The agency is also refusing to make public a written exchange with its director, Beth Townsend, about the preservation of text messages on her phone.

IWDs position on those issues is outlined in a letter the agency sent Thursday to the Iowa Public Information Board. The board is considering a complaint filed by the Iowa Capital Dispatch, which alleges IWD violated the law by ignoring a Feb. 22 request for documents and then ignoring three subsequent emails asking about the status of that request.

The Iowa Open Records Law guarantees Iowans the right to access public records held by government agencies, but it doesnt cap the fees that can be charged for access and allows for unspecified reasonable delays in acknowledging requests and turning over documents.

The dispute between IWD and the Capital Dispatch dates back to Feb. 9, when the news organization, after collecting information from IWD about unemployment fraud, asked to speak to someone at the agency about the issue. As in the past, the agency declined to make anyone available for an interview but agreed to answer questions in writing.

In response, the Capital Dispatch asked for all of the agencys written communications, including text messages and emails, over the previous two weeks that dealt with the news organizations requests for information on fraud  including any messages sent to, or sent by, Townsend.

The Capital Dispatch also asked IWD to immediately take steps to preserve any relevant texts on Townsends phone, and to take steps to have her phone-service provider preserve the messages. The news organization asked IWD to indicate when those steps were taken.

IWD later offered to give certain, undefined records to the Capital Dispatch in return for a fee, estimated at $40 to $60. The agency said it had notified Townsend of the request for documents and stated she had searched her own phone for any relevant texts and found none. No other steps were taken to preserve the records, the agency said.

On Feb. 22, the Capital Dispatch asked IWD for a copy of the notification to Director Townsend, along with her response. IWD never responded to that request or asserted any claim of confidentiality. It also didnt respond to three follow-up inquiries asking about the status of the request.

The Capital Dispatch then filed a complaint with the Iowa Public Information Board, citing the lack of response and noting that IWD appeared to have made no effort to have the phone-service provider preserve the texts.

IWD calls record requests vexatious

In response to that complaint, IWD attorney Rebecca Stonawski wrote to the board on Thursday and said the Capital Dispatchs requests for information are vexatious and asserted that the news organization is trying to convince IPIB that the Feb. 22 request for a copy of the exchange with Townsend was a new public records request separate from the previous request for documents.

No new FOIA request was made, wrote Stonawski, referring to the Freedom of Information Act, which applies to federal records. If this is a new FOIA, (the Capital Dispatch) should have stated such.

She also argued that the exchange with Townsend is confidential attorney work product and is also subject to attorney-client privilege. In addition, she asserted IWD has no specific duty to comply with the demands of those who ask that records be preserved while a request for access is pending.

A citizen may not direct a high-ranking government official about how they must communicate and preserve records, Stonawski wrote, adding that the Capital Dispatch incorrectly presumes it has the ability to tell Director Townsend when and how to communicate amongst her staff.

In response, the Capital Dispatch argued to IPIB that its question to Stonawski  Could you send me a copy of the notification to Director Townsend, along with her response?  constituted a request for documents that required some kind of a response under Iowa law.

The news organization also stated that while it doesnt expect Townsend to bow to its every demand, it does expect a state agency to preserve records once they are requested.

IWD previously violated the law

In its response to IPIB, the Capital Dispatch also pointed out that in 2021, the board concluded there was evidence IWD had violated the law after some of Townsends text messages were deleted while subject to request from the Capital Dispatch.

In that case, the news organization had asked for messages on Townsends phone  and for their retention  after other information requests about unemployment fraud went unfulfilled by IWD.

The agency ultimately stated that it couldnt provide the messages because Verizon Wireless, the service provider for Townsends state-owned cellphone, was unable to retrieve them. The Capital Dispatch argued the agency should have obtained the messages directly from Townsends phone, which the agency conceded it had never attempted.

It was later determined that Townsend had deleted all text messages  over an 11-week period from March to May 2021  that were subject to the request. IPIB then voted 4-3 to dismiss the Capital Dispatchs complaint while acknowledging there was evidence IWD had violated the Iowa Open Records Law.

Also in 2021, IWD falsely claimed to have turned over to the Capital Dispatch all of the exhibits in an unemployment case involving a Wapello County prosecutor accused of sending inappropriate text messages to a subordinate. Initially, IWD didnt respond to requests for the records. Eventually, the agencys attorney, David Steen, contacted the Capital Dispatch to say he couldnt identify anything as a request for specific records. The Capital Dispatch restated its request for all of the exhibits in the Wapello County case.

On May 21, Steen sent the Capital Dispatch 17 pages of records, including the unrelated personal tax returns of a Des Moines couple. The Capital Dispatch asked Steen to confirm in writing that hed provided all of the exhibits in the case, which Steen did.

Later, after the news organization informed Steen there were at least 65 exhibits in the case, Steen didnt respond. Eventually, after additional inquiries, he provided almost 400 pages of previously undisclosed exhibits in the case.

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Vladimir Putin signed the law on life imprisonment for high treason: Amendments are being made to Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation Treason. For espionage, the issuance of information constituting state secrets to foreigners, going over to the side of the enemy, or providing financial, logistical, consulting or other assistance to the state in activities directed against the Russian Federation, will be punished with life imprisonment

WtR
 Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation

(28 April 2023)



Part I (see Part II)

Russian Aerospace Forces launched a high-precision long-range airbased missile strike against temporary deployment points of AFU reserves.

The goal of the attack has been reached. All the assigned targets have been neutralised. The movement of the enemy reserves into the combat areas has been prevented.

In Kupyansk direction, Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, as well as artillery of the Zapad Group of Forces inflicted a fire damage on the enemy units close to Dvurechnaya, Timkovka, Krakhmalnoye, and Tabayevka (Kharkov region). 2 Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups have been thwarted near Sinkovka and Kislovka (Kharkov region).

The enemy losses were up to 75 Ukrainian servicemen, 2 armoured fighting vehicles, and 1 D-20 howitzer. 1 ordnance depot of 127th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU has been destroyed near Sinelnikovo (Kharkov region).

In Krasny Liman direction, the attacks, launched aviation and artillery of the Tsentr Group of Forces, have resulted in the neutralisation of AFU units near Terny (Donetsk Peoples Republic), and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk Peoples Republic). The enemy losses were up to 85 Ukrainian servicemen, 2 motor vehicles, 1 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system and 1 D-30 howitzer.

In Donetsk direction, assault groups continued to destroy AFU units and foreign mercenaries in the western part of Artyomovsk. The Airborne Troops together with the units of the Yug Group of Forces from the flanks prevent the enemy attempts to bring additional reserves to Artyomovsk.

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, as well as artillery and heavy flamethrower systems of the Yug Group of Forces have neutralised the AFU manpower close to Bogdanovka, Chasov Yar, Nikolayevka, Krasnoye and Predtechino (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The Russian aviation have made 6 sorties in this area during the day. The Groups artillery have performed 52 firing missions. The enemy losses were up to 300 Ukrainian servicemen and mercenaries, 3 infantry fighting vehicles, 4 armoured fighting vehicles, eight motor vehicles, as well as a D-30 howitzer.

Missile troops have struck the Ukrainian joint defence headquarters in Artyomovsk, as well as the units of the so-called Foreign Legion near Kostantinovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). 1 U.S.-manufactured AN/TPQ-50 counterbattery warfare radar has been destroyed near Bondarnoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

In South Donetsk and Zapororozhye directions, aviation, as well as artillery and heavy flamethrower systems of the Vostok Group of Forces inflicted a fire damage on the enemy units near Vodyanoye, Pavlovka, Novopol (Donetsk Peoples Republic) and Charivnoye (Zaporozhye region). In addition, the actions one AFU sabotage and reconnaissance group were disrupted close to Marfopol (Zaporozhye region). The enemy losses were up to 40 Ukrainian servicemen, 2 motor vehicles and 2 howitzers, Msta-B and D-30 howitzers.

In Kherson direction, the enemy losses were up to 65 Ukrainian servicemen, three motor vehicles, 1 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, as well as one D-30.

#MoD

 @mod_russia_en

 Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation

(28 April 2023)



Part II (see Part I)

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised 86 artillery units of the AFU at their firing positions, manpower and military hardware at 112 areas.

Fighter Aviation of Russian Aerospace Forces has shot down one Mi-8 of Ukrainian Air Force near Drobyshevo (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

Air defence facilities have intercepted eight HIMARS and Uragan rocket-propelled projectiles, as well as five Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles close to Berestovoye (Kharkov region), Kirillovka, Kremenets, Novoandreyevka (Donetsk Peoples Republic) and Peremozhnoye (Zaporozhye region).

In total, 413 airplanes, 229 helicopters, 3,887 unmanned aerial vehicles, 421 air defence missile systems, 8,887 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,095 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 4,679 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 9,820 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed since the beginning of the special military operation.

#MoD

 @mod_russia_en

WtR
High water levels are expected to recede slowly over the next couple weeks after historic flooding from the Mississippi River and its tributaries.

The Mississippi in La Crosse reached a crest of 15.9 feet Thursday morning, making it the third largest flood on record. Winona flooding crested Wednesday at 18.8 feet, the fourth highest on record.

Mike Welvaert, a hydrologist from the National Weather Service North Central River Forecast Center, said the remaining snowpack and some water backed up in the tributaries will lengthen the amount of time it takes for the high water to recede.

A slow recession is expected, Welvaert said. High water will linger well into May, and future rainfall may keep water levels high.

The forecast for early May shows minimal precipitation, which Welvaert said is a good sign for lowering water levels  with the caveat that weather predictions are ever-changing.

Welvaert also noted that a historic snowpack in the northern Mississippi River basin was the leading cause for this flood event.

La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds said he thinks the city has done very well in handling the high water and that this has been a much better response than the recent events of 2019 and 2001.

Significant improvements to four stormwater lift stations around La Crosse is one of the biggest factors that has led to the improved response, Reynolds said.

A 24-hour levee watch has been active in both La Crosse and Winona since flooding reached the major stage.

Reynolds did note that damage has been done to some parks and infrastructure and that it will take a couple weeks for the water to recede before damage can be assessed and repairs begin.

Officials from Gundersen Health System and Mayo Clinic Health System have advised the community on how to take personal precautions when cleaning up from flood events.

Since flood water can be contaminated, items flooded in indoor environments and wet for 48 to 72 hours should be removed and discarded.

Discard foods that have come in contact with floodwater that are prepackaged in paper, boxes, glass jars with screw tops or other non-waterproof packages. Commercially canned foods are safe if labels are removed.

Tetanus boosters will be available at Gundersen for patients coming in for injury evaluation.

As floodwaters recede, Dr. Michael Bassett, a family medicine physician at Mayo, recommends people keep a lookout for mold, which can lead to other health concerns.

People who are sensitive to mold may experience a stuffy nose, irritated eyes, wheezing or skin irritation, Bassett said. To protect your lungs against mold, wear a mask while youre in an area that has mold growth.

When the waters recede, clean up and dry out the building quickly within 24 to 48 hours. Open doors and windows. Use fans to dry out the building. To clean moldy surfaces, make sure to wear gloves to protect your hands and use a mixture of 1 cup bleach to 1 gallon of water when cleaning.

IN PHOTOS: Flooding from Mississippi River pushes into Riverside Park
FOUNTAIN CITY, Wis.  Mississippi River levels fell by nearly half a foot between Tuesday nights crest and Thursday at Winona Dam 5A, a relief for Fountain City residents and crews across the river responding to flooding on South Main Street.

By mid-morning, were probably going to be below the level where we need to pump, said Buffalo County Highway Commissioner Bob Platteter.

South Main Street, a section of Highway 35, remained flooded Thursday afternoon between North Street and Eagle Street, impacting several businesses and residents.

The Mississippi River stage is receding at Minnesota City, the gauge upstream of Fountain City, and at Winona Dam 5A, the gauge downstream of Fountain City, according to National Weather Service data.

Well be out of the woods here pretty soon, said Platteter.

Fountain City maintenance workers early Thursday afternoon were moving sandbags from more inland streets in preparation for a cleanup operation.

Its going to be a group effort between the property owners, volunteers, city crews and the county, and it all depends on how much help we have and how quickly we can get it cleaned up and hauled out of here, said Gil Adams, Fountain City public works supervisor.

During flood preparations earlier this week, volunteers from around the area helped city maintenance crews place sandbags on streets and construct a barrier along Main Street made up of large, military-style sandbags.

We had a great help from the Cochrane-Fountain City school students, local volunteers. (The) Winona Fire Department was over and helped us out a great deal, said Adams. Every time we called, we got plenty of help.

The barrier prevented water from passing directly onto South Main Street, said Adams, but water passed underneath the road and rose through cracks in the blacktop.

That road has been in pretty bad shape, and its been slated for replacement, said Adams.

The resulting ground pressure disrupted the pumping on Main Street by the county highway department.

We couldnt stay ahead of that, and it was damaging the road, said Platteter.

County highway crews started to pump in different locations to keep other sections of Highway 35 open.

Highway 35 on Thursday afternoon was closed between North Street and just north of Eagle Street.

We anticipate the closure will last into next week at a minimum, said Christena OBrien, communications manager with the states department of transportation.

Highway 35 is open to local traffic beyond the intersections with Highway 37 and Highway 93, and the state transportation department is detouring through traffic on highways 37, 93 and U.S. 10.

Bridge repair projects south of Fountain City will limit some sections of Highway 35 to a single lane of traffic, said Platteter.
Crews have secured two container cars that floated away in the Mississippi River after a freight train derailed in Crawford County, officials said Friday.

Thursdays derailment between De Soto and Ferryville involved two of the trains three locomotives and 10 cars carrying a variety of freight, including paint and lithium-ion batteries, said BNSF Railway spokesperson Lena Kent. The cause of the derailment remains under investigation.

The derailment blocked the main railroad tracks in both directions, and while neither of the cars that went into the river contained hazardous materials, an absorbent boom was put in place to reduce the possibility of pollution, Kent said. Diesel fuel that leached from one of the derailed locomotives was contained with an absorbent boom, Crawford County Emergency Management Director James Hackett said.

Kent said Friday morning that the two container cars had been removed from the river but later said that was not the case and that they had been secured to the shore and were not floating in the river.

Marc Myhre, a specialist with Crawford County Emergency Management, said the last information he had was that the two containers had been tied to a group of trees along the river to prevent them from drifting farther south.

Hackett said all materials inside the derailed containers have been recovered or contained.

BNSF is building access ways of rock and sand from Highway 35 to the railway, which runs parallel to the highway. With water between the railroad and the highway, a platform must be constructed so crews can reach and remove the cars. Rock was being brought to the scene from nearby quarries, said De Soto Fire Chief Chris Mussatti.

Both derailed locomotives and many of the cars had already been removed from the BNSF-owned railway as of Friday afternoon. Officials at the scene Friday said crews still have a long way to go before Highway 35 can reopen to traffic and freight can begin moving along the rail line.

Four BNSF crew members were taken to a hospital after the derailment about 12:15 p.m. Thursday. They were treated for mostly minor injuries and released, Kent said. The most serious injury was a broken collarbone, officials said.

The Federal Railroad Administration tweeted that it was sending a team to the site to gather information and help local emergency workers. Nearly 30 state, local and federal agencies are responding to the derailment, Hackett said.

Governor visits

Gov. Tony Evers visited the derailment site Friday, surveying the scene from the air before he spent about two hours on the ground, getting an update from officials and visiting with emergency personnel, said his spokesperson Britt Cudaback.

Evers said Thursday that he was getting regular updates from the Wisconsin departments of Transportation and Natural Resources, and state emergency management officials.

Evers said high water from the Mississippi River and flooding could have caused or contributed to the accident, but that it is still under investigation by BNSF and the federal government.

Cudaback said Thursday that it wasnt clear whether the derailment caused any environmental contamination. The DNR did not immediately respond to emails Thursday and Friday about whether any contamination has been reported in the derailment.

Representatives from the offices of U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson, and U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden also were on site for the briefing with Evers, as was state Sen. Brad Pfaff, D-Onalaska. Pfaff commended the emergency management teams and local fire departments for their quick response and the coordinated approach from state and federal agencies.

We need to make sure that we continue to recognize that rail safety is important, Pfaff said. We also need to recognize the fact that theres communities and people that live along these rail lines. We need to make sure that we continue to have adequate inspection, oversight and coordination between the federal and the state or local communities.

Other incidents

Thursdays derailment came almost three months after a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Officials there ordered the large-scale evacuation of residents and decided to release and burn toxic vinyl chloride from five tanker cars to prevent a catastrophic explosion.

Hundreds of people also had to evacuate in Raymond, Minnesota, last month after a BNSF train hauling ethanol and corn syrup derailed and caught fire.

Residents of De Soto reported a loud shriek when the train derailed Thursday.

I live in the area and I told my wife a week ago, I said, Because of all the high water, I said you watch, were gonna have a train derailment, and we sure did, said Tim Lange of Ferryville

This is not the first time a BNSF train has derailed near Ferryville. In 2016, two locomotives and six rail cars derailed due to extensive flooding at a site about 5 miles south of Thursdays derailment. An estimated 1,170 gallons of diesel poured into the river from a ruptured tank in that incident.

Editor's note: This story was corrected on April 29, 2023, to include the La Crosse Tribune as a coauthor.

Photos: F-35 fighter jet at the Wisconsin Air National Guards 115th Fighter Wing
Weather Alert

...Cooler, Unsettled Weather this Week... * A slow moving low pressure system will provide daily chances for a mix of rain, snow, and pellet showers this week with rain-snow lines lowering to 5500-7000 feet by Tuesday morning. A few thunderstorms will also be possible each day (20-30% chance). * Be prepared for snow showers in the Sierra. While warm road temperatures and the early May sun angle may limit accumulations on paved surfaces, bursts of heavy snow and/or snow occurring during the overnight hours could bring travel impacts to mountain passes. * Expect gusty southerly winds to develop through mid-week with the strongest winds targeting portions of Churchill, Mineral, Lyon, and Mono Counites with potential crosswind travel impacts to US-395 and US-95. * Temperatures will dip down 5 to 10 degrees below early May normals through much of the upcoming week. * Additional low pressure systems may track across the region by next weekend which could yield continued cool and breezy conditions. This may yield more rain and snow showers with snow levels remaining around 6000 to 8000 feet.
ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command Deputy Commander Gen. Ahn Byung-seok, left, and Operations Director Maj. Gen. Lonnie G. Hibbard, right, discuss the sixth Marine Brigade's operational environment on Baengnyeong Island, 209 kilometers west of Seoul, in this photo provided by the combined unit, April 28. Yonhap



Senior commanders of a joint South Korea-U.S. military unit visited a front-line Marine Corps base in a western border island Friday and held on-site discussions on its operations and readiness, officials said.



The combined battle staff of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), including Deputy Commander Gen. Ahn Byung-seok and Operations Director Maj. Gen. Lonnie G. Hibbard, made the visit to the 6th Marine Brigade on Baengnyeong Island, 209 kilometers west of Seoul, according to the CFC.



ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.



During the visit, the commanders examined the unit's operational environment, encouraged soldiers stationed there and paid respects at a memorial tower for sailors who died in the 2010 sinking of the Cheonan corvette in waters near the island, the CFC said.



"Amid escalating threats from North Korea, the combined battle staff's visit to the northernmost area of the northwestern islands ... serves as an opportunity to solidify the 'South Korea-U.S. alliance in action' as evidenced by the (recent) bilateral summit," Ahn was quoted as saying.



President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden held a summit in Washington on Wednesday, and they agreed to bolster Washington's extended deterrence for South Korea. (Yonhap)


Advances in detection and treatment

The great promise of targeted therapy

Up to 25 percent of pancreatic cancer patients have unique molecular alterations in their tumors. Now researchers can study these differences using technologies such as molecular profiling, which allows doctors to target treatments individually. A large study published in 2020 in The Lancet Oncology found that pancreatic cancer patients who received tailored drug therapy based on their tumors unique characteristics lived an average of one year longer than those who did not receive targeted therapy.

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In 2018, a year after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Karen Kiernan, a retired nurse from Naperville, Illinois, received such a targeted therapy with Keytruda (pembrolizumab), a drug approved for treating lung and other cancers. By then, Kiernan had severe back pain from her cancer and had lost 40 pounds. But once she began taking Keytruda, she was able to regain some weight and return to doing the things she did before she had cancer. Her recovery hasnt been without the occasional bump, but Kiernan told AARP in 2022 that she is truly in remission now.

I think we are starting to see more progress and traction in testing every pancreatic cancer patients tumor, says Michael Pishvaian, M.D., director of the Gastrointestinal, Developmental Therapeutics and Clinical Research Programs at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. He estimates that more than half of all pancreatic cancer patients are now having their tumors tested.

This is definitely something patients can take some measure of control over. They should generally feel more comfortable and be more aggressive in asking their doctor for this, Pishvaian says.

Using the breast cancer drug Lynparza

Mary Phillips was diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer in March 2016. At first she took the latest combination chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer. Then she enrolled in a clinical trial of the drug Lynparza (olaparib). Because the medication was already being used by some patients with breast or ovarian cancer (those with a mutation in their BRCA or DNA repairing genes), researchers thought that it could be useful for pancreatic cancer patients with the same mutations.

Early findings in this area have been promising. A 2019 study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, reported that patients with such a BRCA mutation who took Lynparza for metastatic pancreatic cancer had no new tumor growth, and no spread of their cancer, for twice as many months as those not receiving the drug. Still, there was no difference in long-term survival past 18 months. In December 2019, the Food and Drug Administration approved the medication for maintenance therapy for this group of patients.

Phillips has some advice for others after her experience with the disease: Do everything you can and know that you tried everything.  Youve got to stay alive until the next best thing comes along.

Delivering more with guided radiation therapy

Norman Kravetz, of Boynton Beach, Florida, was diagnosed with stage 3 pancreatic cancer in 2019. He had six months of intensive chemotherapy, followed by cutting-edge MRI-guided radiation therapy at the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Womens Cancer Center in Boston. The new technology combines two ways of targeting the tumor to increase precision.
(MUSIC SEGUE)

[00:00:01] Bob: This week on The Perfect Scam.

(MUSIC SEGUE)

[00:00:03] None of them understood that they were entering into a 40-year contract, that they were signing a mortgage, that they would be on the hook for paying a fee for any transfer, even if he had nothing to do with the transactions.

[00:00:19] Everything about my house comes with their name attached to it as if they are my banker. And I, it, it was so scary I had to call my bank to make sure I still had the banker system that I had in that I owned that house; that's how scary it was.

(MUSIC SEGUE)

[00:00:39] Bob: Welcome back to The Perfect Scam. I'm your host, Bob Sullivan. Timothy Calhoun worked in construction for his entire career, and he's managed to fix almost everything and anything during his life. Everything except, well, the day the city clerk called him to say, someone else had a mortgage on his home. And the same thing was happening all over Philadelphia, and as we'll learn today, all over the country, really. But we begin our story in the City of Brotherly Love.

(MUSIC SEGUE)

[00:01:15] Bob: You're a retired builder, is that right?

[00:01:17] Timothy Calhoun: That's correct.

[00:01:19] Bob: Tell me some of the stuff that you worked on.

[00:01:21] Timothy Calhoun: Um, I actually just do complete renovations of houses. That was my whole career. My employer would give me keys to a project that needs a complete renovation, and I would go in and do the complete renovation, and then I'd give him the keys back.

[00:01:36] Bob: Do you do everything?

[00:01:38] Timothy Calhoun: Everything.

[00:01:39] Bob: That's, that's, that's amazing, you must be pretty handy.

[00:01:43] Timothy Calhoun: I'm pretty good with a hammer and screwdriver. (chuckles)

[00:01:48] Bob: What was your, is there a project or two that you're really proud of that you were, you know when you were done you looked at it and said, "I did that."

[00:01:55] Timothy Calhoun: The one that I'm sitting in right now, my house. I built this house.

[00:01:59] Bob: So I mean everybody's proud of their home, but you must be really proud of the home if, if you can look at every wall and every floor and say I, I built that.

[00:02:06] Timothy Calhoun: I did that. And it's going to be standing way after I'm gone.

[00:02:11] Bob: Timothy built the house with his own hands and paid off the house. But now, the retired builder isn't quite sure that he still owns the house. After all, when his mail comes, it often says, "MV Realty" on it.

[00:02:25] Timothy Calhoun: I get all kinds of mail here with their name and my name on it.

[00:02:30] Bob: Wow.

[00:02:31] Timothy Calhoun: It spooks me out.

[00:02:32] Bob: I can't imagine what that's like.

[00:02:34] Timothy Calhoun: It's spooky (chuckles). It's very spooky.

[00:02:38] Bob: Why does it say, "MV Realty" on Timothy's mail? Who or what is MV Realty? Well that's the heart of our story. It starts in the middle of last year.

[00:02:49] Bob: So when was the first indication that something was wrong?

[00:02:52] Timothy Calhoun: When City Hall called me. They called me on the phone and said, you need to get to City Hall. So, and they said it was about my mortgage. My house. And I, I'm like, I don't have a mortgage. This house is paid off. I reacted, I jumped up and I ran across the street and jumped on the bus and went to City Hall. And the lady when, when she told me I'm not the only one. She didn't get into how many other people have been notified just like me. But she said I'm not the only one.

[00:03:20] Bob: So she knew something was wrong.

[00:03:22] Timothy Calhoun: She knew something was wrong. They said, you know, "Somebody's attached to your mortgage. Go get a lawyer." So I knew it was a real problem.

[00:03:30] Bob: Timothy follows that advice right away.

[00:03:33] Timothy Calhoun: So I went to Community Legal Services with the information that City Hall provided. I got with Kerry Smith. She took matters into her hands, and she's been working really hard on trying to solve this matter for me.

[00:03:48] Bob: Kerry Smith is exactly the kind of person you want in your corner if your home is suddenly threatened.

[00:03:54] Kerry Smith: I'm an attorney with Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, CLS. And CLS provides free civil legal services to low-income Philadelphians on a range of matters. Everything from helping them deal with wage theft by employers, getting benefits that they deserve, preserving homeownership, and I work in our Homeownership and Consumer Rights unit where we focus on saving homeowners who are facing mortgage foreclosure or tax foreclosure, facing debt collection lawsuits, uh, struggling with student loans.

[00:04:26] Bob: So, how long have you been there?

[00:04:28] Kerry Smith: I've been at CLS for 17 years. That whole time in our Homeownership and Consumer Rights unit.

[00:04:34] Bob: When Timothy shows up at her office last year, he isn't the only one with a strange story about someone putting a mortgage on their home. At first, she has no idea what's happening.

[00:04:47] Kerry Smith: Last year, several homeowners sought legal help from CLS because they believed that they had fallen victim to a deed theft scam. They thought someone was trying to steal the title to their home. And the reason why is they had received a notice from the Philadelphia Department of Records informing them that a document had been recorded against their property, and they feared that someone had created a fraudulent deed transferring the ownership of their home. So we investigated...

[00:05:18] Bob: And after talking with Timothy, one thing is clear; the name on the mortgage is the same as the name on his spooky mail, "MV Realty." And Timothy explains to Kerry the first time he heard that name, as he later explained to me.

[00:05:34] Timothy Calhoun: Well this has been going on two years now. I was just scrolling through on my phone, not doing anything, and I saw this ad that popped up, and it says, "Free money," it said something to that effect. "Free money, and you allow us to maybe sell for your house in the future. Call us." So I called them, and they said that they, they have this new program that they're working out, and, and it involves them giving homeowners a certain amount of cash depending on how much their property is worth and the only thing the homeowner would have to do is call them first if the homeowner decides to sell.

[00:06:19] Bob: It's a story Kerry has heard already.

[00:06:22] Kerry Smith: Essentially what homeowners had reported to us is that someone had either called them on the phone, maybe they saw a social medial advertisement, even come and knocked on their door peddling something called a Homeowner Benefit Program. They promised some money, a few hundred dollars in cash that they could use for home repairs or any other necessities, and in exchange the company representatives told homeowners that their only obligation was to use MV Realty as their real estate agent should they choose to sell their home in the future. And in the pitch, the big emphasis was on the fact that they were under no obligation to sell their home.

[00:07:05] Bob: The homeowners who respond positively to the pitch, well they get very, very fast response.

[00:07:12] Kerry Smith: And then if the homeowner agreed, MV Realty quickly sends a notary to the homeowner's home to sign paperwork to finalize the deal. And it's a super-fast process. It's not uncommon for the notary to be sent that day or the next day with a stack of paperwork to sign, and people are typically rushed through it, and clients have told us that maybe that they spent just like 1 or 2 minutes with the notary signing the documents, and that they didn't receive copies of the documents. The notary showed up at their home with only one set, had them sign them, they took them and left.

[00:07:50] Bob: And that's essentially what happened to Timothy.

[00:07:54] Bob: So when you hung up the phone with them that first day, how long did it take before, what, did they mail you a check, or did someone show up at your house? How did that work?

[00:08:03] Timothy Calhoun: They sent the money to my account, but they sent somebody here with paperwork for me to sign.

[00:08:07] Bob: Hmm.

[00:08:09] Timothy Calhoun: And after I signed the paperwork, they sent the money to my account.

[00:08:15] Bob: And did that take, you know, a week, a, a month?

[00:08:18] Timothy Calhoun: No, it didn't take nowhere near none of that. It was probably 4 or 5 days at the most. He just came here, he pointed, sign this, sign this, sign this and that's it. He's going out the door. They don't say anything about a mortgage, because heard--, and if, if, if I would have heard the word mortgage, I would have hung up the phone on them.

[00:08:36] Bob: The homeowners, like Timothy, do receive the cash. In his case, $640. But then they get what Kerry alleges is a big surprise.

[00:08:47] Kerry Smith: And only later when they received a copy of the paperwork, or only later when they got a notice from the Philadelphia Department of Records about a document being recorded against their property, did they realize that they have actually entered into a much more complex contract; one that leaves them on the hook for paying MV Realty thousands of dollars in potential fees for any transfer of their property over the next 40 years regardless of whether the company had anything to do with the transaction. And any money that is due under that agreement is secured by a mortgage on their home.

(MUSIC SEGUE)

[00:09:29] Bob: According to Kerry, the homeowners promised to let MV Realty sell their home under a contract that lasts 40 years. And if there's any transaction on the home, MV Realty gets paid 3%, and that payment is secured by what is essentially a lien placed on the property in the records office. She says MV Realty disputes the characterization of that as a lien, but it's Kerry's opinion that Timothy's $640 cost him about $6000 at some point in the future.

[00:10:01] Kerry Smith: This is not true in all states in which MV Realty is operating, but in, in Pennsylvania, they record an actual mortgage against the homeowner's property to guarantee any funds that are due under this homeowner benefit agreement. People reported just being shocked, totally blindsided that there was a mortgage included in the documents that they signed.

[00:10:24] Bob: Local journalists who got wind of what's happening would find out about these MV Realty mortgages then knock on doors around Philadelphia informing residents that there was a mortgage on their homes who often say they're surprised at this news. And that's how Timothy found himself at City Hall that day connecting with others in the same fix.

[00:10:46] Timothy Calhoun: There was another gentleman that was sitting next to me when we talked to City Hall. And what happened with him was he comes in and forgot about them, and he went to sell his property, and they put a lien against him and said, you can't sell it.

[00:11:02] Bob: Until he paid $6000.

[00:11:04] Timothy Calhoun: Until he pays $6000. And I said, I figured 6000 is their lucky number, they like that number. What they do is, any move that you make with your property, they're entitled to. So if I was to refinance, they would take 6000 off the top.

[00:11:22] Bob: Hmm.

[00:11:22] Timothy Calhoun: And if I was to sell it, they would take 6000 off the top.

[00:11:26] Bob: Timothy alleges he didn't understand any of this when he agreed to the deal. He says he thought the contract bound him to MV Realty for a much shorter time span.

[00:11:38] Bob: But let me, let me just go back over a few things. So you call them up and they basically tell you, um, "We're going to give you $640, and the only string attached is if you want to sell your home, you have to use our real estate agents." So that, that makes sense to you, right?

[00:11:55] Timothy Calhoun: It made sense to me.

[00:11:57] Bob: And they gave you the idea that that agreement lasted for six months, right?

[00:12:02] Timothy Calhoun: That's, that's correct. I wouldn't get in bed with them for 40 years. Who would do that? (chuckle) Knowingly, you know what I'm saying? Who would knowingly get in bed with these people for 40 years? Somebody you met over the internet. Now we're going to be in business for 40 years together? No.

[00:12:21] Bob: Felicia Pierce, another long-time homeowner in Philadelphia, found herself in the same kind of confusion with MV Realty.

[00:12:29] Felicia Pierce: I've lived in Philadelphia all my life, so I'm turning 59 in a couple weeks, so 59 years.

[00:12:35] Bob: Happy birthday.

[00:12:36] Felicia Pierce: Thank you.

[00:12:37] Bob: You were a retired collections office manager, is that right?

[00:12:40] Felicia Pierce: That's correct.

[00:12:42] Bob: Well tell, tell me what that job entails.

[00:12:46] Felicia Pierce: Well, I was in a multimillion deal--, dollar collection business, so whereas accounts for over a million dollars, I was used to collect those, those high debts, and did a very good job at it. (chuckles)

[00:12:59] Bob: And so, does, you're on the phone all day talking to people, negotiating?

[00:13:05] Felicia Pierce: Yeah, on the phone all day and you know, you had to have a special character to collect that kind of money, so I think I, I did good at that job.

[00:13:15] Bob: She is very proud of the home she purchased many, many years ago.

[00:13:19] Bob: When did you move into the house?

[00:13:21] Felicia Pierce: '98 or '99. I think it may be like 25 years.

[00:13:25] Bob: 25 years, wow, and did, do you remember why you picked the house in the first place?

[00:13:29] Felicia Pierce: Well, I picked the house because I, I was renting, and the rent was getting just so high I decided that to own would, would be better for me and my kids, and I could leave my kids something. But after the years are going by, the area changed, it wasn't as quiet as it was for me. Now my kids don't even want the house. So I need to just sell the house.

[00:13:49] Bob: And now she has a more pressing need to sell her home.

[00:13:54] Felicia Pierce: Well I, I've, I've had multiple car accidents, multiple workplace injuries, so I'm very injured, disabled. So it came for a time where my house is two levels, and my bathroom was upstairs and my bedroom was upstairs, and I think it was 2022, I could not get up the steps. So I had to sleep on my couch for a whole month. So I decided to sell my house because it was no longer, no, no longer meeting my needs with my disabilities, so that's when I decided to sell my house.

[00:14:27] Bob: Like a lot of folks, she needs to fix some things before she can sell. But, she doesn't have the cash. That's when she hears about MV Realty.

[00:14:36] Felicia Pierce: A friend of mine noted, told me, 'cause I had a, had a leak in my bathroom, and I'm on Social Security Disability. They don't give you that, there's no money in there for repairs for your house. And a, a help system, system to help you with your house repairs didn't have any funding, so I needed to get a hold to, I had money, but I didn't have enough to get the, the leak fixed. So he was telling me that he had got, he had did business with this company and they gave him like maybe $600 to hold, retain them as a, um, as their sales agent and he could sell his house whenever he wanted to, he didn't have to sell it immediately. And with me, I already had made the decision that I was going to sell the house because it wasn't good for my injuries at all. It was going up and down the steps was hurting me so bad.

[00:15:26] Bob: So she reaches out to MV Realty, and they respond immediately. An agent there gets an agreement ready that day.

[00:15:34] Felicia Pierce: She sent the people out the next day. The next two or three days, the notary guy came, and we went over the contract, and I had her on the line, and I signed into the contract for the $465 I think it was. And she, she sent that to my bank account through Zelle; everything was quick. Quick. It was, it was very quick. So I got the money and then I fixed my um, I did fix my leak, and then it was probably, that was like April...

[00:16:06] Bob: But like Timothy, almost immediately she starts getting strange mail to the house.

[00:16:13] Felicia Pierce: And then on, on, on my paperwork with MV Realty, everything about my house come with their name attached it as if they are my bankers. But it, it was so scary, I called my bank to make sure. I still had the banker system that I had in that I owned that house. That's how scary it was.

[00:16:32] Bob: Felicia does at first use MV Realty when she tries to sell her house, but it doesn't go well. She doesn't like the agent and she doesn't agree with the agent's advice. She says the agent wants to drastically drop the sales price, so after half a year, she figures she'll switch agents. And that's when there's a big surprise, she claims.

[00:16:54] Felicia Pierce: Once the six months, and the other realtor started calling me and saying that they can market my house, that they thought they had pictures too. So they wanted to come out and take new pictures and um, try to resell my house. And that's when I felt like I should call my lawyer and make sure I was going the right route because I knew I had signed that contract. And that's when I found out about that 40-year contract when she told me, she says, "Felicia, you can't use another realtor. They have you locked in." Nowhere in that contract did I ever see 40-year contract. I would have never agreed to that for $465. I could have borrowed that, a loan or a credit card to do it. That didn't sound normal to me, so that's when I got triggered, and I started calling um, I called Community Legal Services.

[00:17:38] Bob: Felicia is also working with Kerry in an attempt to get out from under the contract with MV Realty so she can switch real estate agents. But when we talked, she was still bound by that 40-year term and unable to live in her own home because of her disability.

[00:17:55] Bob: Well, where are you staying right now?

[00:17:57] Felicia Pierce: I'm at my daughter's, fortunate enough my daughter bought a house in Dover, um, right before Thanksgiving, and it has facility for me to have bathroom downstairs, my room is downstairs, so I don't have to use steps. I was blessed to be able to come over here with her, but this is her house. I still want my own.

[00:18:13] Bob: Felicia and Timothy, as they work with Kerry at Legal Services, she hears from plenty of other people under contract with MV Realty in the same situation.

[00:18:24] Kerry Smith: At this point, I have spoken with probably three, three or four dozen homeowners, and none of them, none of them understood that they were entering into a 40-year contract, that they were signing a mortgage, that they would be on the hook for paying MV Realty a fee for any transfer, even if MV Realty had nothing to do with the transaction.

[00:18:47] Bob: MV Realty told us that all the terms of the contract are clearly spelled out, but there are still plenty of complaints that echo Felicia and Timothy. The people at City Hall's Department of Public Records have heard these complaints too. And when they dig into this a little more...

[00:19:04] Kerry Smith: They went and did some research, and then realized that there has been over 500 recorded mortgages against Philadelphia homeowners' properties.

[00:19:12] Bob: 500 MV Realty mortgages? Just in the city of Philadelphia? About this same time, homeowners in other parts of Pennsylvania start complaining to the Pennsylvania State Attorney General's office about surprise mortgages all over the state. Officials there say at least 1,000 mortgages have been recorded against properties all around Pennsylvania. And, it's not just Pennsylvania.

[00:19:41] Elizabeth Blosser: And it was just this last summer that this topic came up on our message or, or chat board where a lot of title companies were starting to see these agreements pop up when they were doing searches in the, the land records or even when they were closing a transaction.

[00:20:00] Bob: That's Elizabeth Blosser from the American Land Title Association. Her organization became very concerned very quickly about these agreements.

[00:20:09] Elizabeth Blosser: Our members at the American Land Title Association are title agents, real estate attorneys, and they're generally the first to notice things, see trends in real estate. And we have a message board for people to, to go on and post about what's, what's happening in the industry, share their thoughts and their ideas, and I believe to this day the most talked about topic on that message board has been these long-term real estate listing agreements. And so what we did is, is sort of, I handle a lot of special projects and initiatives for the trade association, and so this sort of got my radar up. I was like, 40-year listing agreements that are recorded in the land records, yeah this is obviously something very unusual.

[00:21:01] Bob: It might be called a mortgage in Philadelphia, but in dozens of places around the country they're known as something else.

[00:21:08] Elizabeth Blosser: So these types of agreements are recorded as different things in different states. So in some states they have been recorded as an actual mortgage. In other states, notices, memorandums, but at the end of the day, when you go and record one of these agreements in the land records, it's absolutely an attempt to create a lien against someone's property. So what we have happening is people being paid as little as $300 to sign real estate listing agreements that would last for as long as 40 years, and then that agreement is being recorded in the land records in an attempt to create a lien against the property.

[00:21:58] Bob: The American Land Title Association is so concerned that their lobbying arm starts reaching out to state legislatures around the country to see if there's some way to ban these kinds of agreements. But Pennsylvania Attorney General, Josh Shapiro, doesn't wait. In December, he announces he's suing MV Realty for allegedly misleading consumers. The lawsuit demands that the agreements be nullified. But MV Realty says what it's doing is perfectly legal. In a statement issued to AARP by a company spokesman, the firm claims to have 35,000 satisfied clients nationwide. Quoting from a statement issued to AARP, "MV Realty remains confident that the Homeowner Benefit Program fully complies with the law and benefits consumers who receive a cash incentive to select MV Realty as their listing agent. The HBA Program compensates homeowners with the future right to list the home if they choose to sell within the term of the agreement. The HBA Program is an innovative option that is first and foremost designed to benefit homeowners by ensuring they are compensated for the exclusive right to list their home. There are no liens put on a customer's property, and the HBA does not affect or cloud the title. Consistent with the law, MV files a memorandum that simply informs third parties of the existence of the agreement between the property owner and MV Realty." So what happens to Tim and Felicia's homes? To the other homeowners in contracts with MV Realty? What are state lawmakers around the country racing to do in response? And what is MV Realty doing in response? Just who is MV Realty anyway, and what is the company's connection to a reality TV star? Well that's all next week on The Perfect Scam.

(MUSIC SEGUE)

[00:37:56] Bob: If you have been targeted by a scam or fraud, you are not alone. Call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360. Their trained fraud specialists can provide you with free support and guidance on what to do next. Thank you to our team of scambusters; Associate Producer, Annalea Embree; Researcher, Sarah Binney; Executive Producer, Julie Getz; and our Audio Engineer and Sound Designer, Julio Gonzalez. Be sure to find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. For AARP's The Perfect Scam, I'm Bob Sullivan.

(MUSIC SEGUE)

END OF TRANSCRIPT
First lady Kim Keon Hee and actress Angelina Jolie toast during a state dinner hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden at the White House in Washington, D.C., Wednesday (local time). Yonhap



By Jun Ji-hye



Korean first lady Kim Keon Hee asked Hollywood star Angelina Jolie to support the movement in Korea to improve animal rights.



Presidential spokesman Lee Do-woon said Thursday (U.S. time) that Kim and Jolie sat next to each other and talked about various topics including human rights, environment and animal rights, during a state dinner hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden at the White House.



President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim are in the United States for a state visit marking the 70th anniversary of the two countries' alliance.









"If you support a movement in Korea to improve the rights of animals, it will serve a great impact," Kim told Jolie.



In response, Jolie vowed to join hands to devise ways of strengthening animal rights in Korea, saying that animals have feelings too, according to the spokesman.



The Hollywood star and her 21-year-old son, Maddox Jolie-Pitt, were among the high-profile names to attend the White House state dinner. Maddox is a student at Korea's Yonsei University.





Angelina Jolie and Maddox Jolie-Pitt arrive for the White House state dinner, Wednesday (local time). AP-Yonhap


Market Update - Smithfield Premises

Sydney, April 27, 2023 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Australia Sunny Glass Group Limited ( NSX:AG1 ) provides the below update for its Smithfield premises.



The Company has secured a 10-year lease for its large-scale facility at Smithfield, NSW, directly with the landlord. The premises were previously leased under a sublease agreement, which has since terminated.



The Smithfield facility is one of the most specialised and comprehensive glass processing facilities in New South Wales and is also the headquarters for the Company's operations in Australia, providing the support for the glass products and glass processing division, from logistics, storage, manufacturing and distribution to administration and sales.



The Company is pleased to have secured a continuing lease agreement in respect of the premises, and key terms of the agreement are set out in the attached schedule*.



*To view the schedule, please visit:

https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/XQT3B40J





About Australia Sunny Glass Group Ltd





Australia Sunny Glass Group Limited (NSX:AG1) seeks to establish itself as a supplier of premium treated glass products to the construction industry in Australia, including in the residential and commercial building markets.


Debt Repayment Extension and Director Resignations

Brisbane, April 27, 2023 AEST (ABN Newswire) - As a consequence of the payment today of $500,000 by Tombola Gold Ltd ( ASX:TBA ) for the benefit of Vaspip 2 Pty Ltd and Kambea Grove Pty Ltd ATF Kambea Grove Investment Trust (together the secured lenders), which was made from the funds quarantined under the secured facility, an extension has been agreed for the final settlement of the balance of the secured facility to 9 May 2023. Following payment of the $500,000 the current balance of the facility is approximately $4,575,250. Interest and costs will continue to accrue through until final settlement under the terms of the facility announced on 20 February 2023.



The Company wishes to advise of the resignations of Executive Directors Rod Watt and Trevor Coombe. An Appendix 3Z for each Director will be lodged separately. It is envisaged that new Directors will be appointed as part of any further funding arrangements.





About Tombola Gold Ltd





Tombola Gold Ltd (ASX:TBA) is a company assembled by experienced, exceedingly well-qualified and all very well rounded team members that have previously floated exploration companies which achieved major resource discoveries and success. Between the Tombola team members, Tombola as a company have well over 100 years of accumulated experience in the mining, exploration and resource sector. Tombola principal objective is to acquire assets to explore for and develop a large IOGC or porphyry deposit funded by low-risk gold production resources. To that end, Tombola has a license covering 970 sq km prospective for gold/copper in the Mount Bryan-Red Banks-World's End area near Burra in South Australia; with strategic agreements with Queensland Mining Corporation.


Clean Hydrogen Update

Perth, April 27, 2023 AEST (ABN Newswire) - As advised to ASX on 24 May 2022 BPH Energy Ltd ( ASX:BPH ) advised that, subject to shareholder approval, it intended to pursue an investment in a hydrogen technology company, Clean Hydrogen Technologies Corporation (Clean Hydrogen or Vendor). Shareholder approval for this investment was obtained on 21 June 2022.



Term Sheet



The Company and its 36.1% (direct interest) investee company Advent Energy Limited (Advent, and together with the Company the Purchaser) entered into a binding term sheet (Term Sheet) with Clean Hydrogen Technologies Corporation (Clean Hydrogen) pursuant to which the Purchasers agreed to subscribe for fully paid shares in Clean Hydrogen (Subscription Shares), representing a total of 10% of the total issued share capital of Clean Hydrogen after the issue of the Subscription Shares (Subscription Shares Tranche 1), subsequent to which 8% of the Subscription Shares Tranche 1 were issued to BPH and the remaining 2% issued to Advent.



As advised to ASX on 21 April 2023, the Purchaser had a right of first refusal (ROFR) to subscribe for additional Subscription Shares representing an additional 10% (Subscription Shares Tranche 2) to the Purchaser and on the same terms and conditions as the Subscription Shares Tranche 1. On 16 April 2023 the Borrower delivered a written ROFR notice to the Purchasers granting them the right to acquire an additional 10%.



Clean Hydrogen has made requests for additional funding from the Purchasers. Advent lent Clean Carbon US$250,000 in March 2023 in accordance with an unsecured loan agreement and has now made a further US$250,000 unsecured loan to Clean Carbon in accordance with a second loan agreement, both loans being on normal commercial terms. The loans have been funded by monies loaned by the Company to Advent.



The loan agreements provide for a further unsecured loan of US$500,000 to be made to the Borrower, being (i) US$250,000 on the request of the Borrower (ii) US$250,000 upon request by the Borrower, but not before 1 July 2023, and subject always to the Lender's absolute discretion.



Clean Hydrogen will allocate and issue up to 1,000 Options to Advent, with an exercise price of USD$3,000 each, and exercisable immediately, with the option for conversion into shares in Clean Hydrogen expiring ten years from the date of issue (Clean Hydrogen Options). An advance of every US$250,000 of the US$1,000,000 loan facility will equate to 250 Clean Hydrogen Options allocated to Advent or, from time to time, BPH.



The Purchaser and Clean Hydrogen have agreed to enter into a separate loan conversion agreement which will enable the conversion of the loan amount into the Subscription Shares Tranche 2, representing the Purchaser's further 10% interest in Clean Hydrogen.





About BPH Energy Limited





BPH Energy Limited (ASX:BPH) is an Australian Securities Exchange listed company developing biomedical research and technologies within Australian Universities and Hospital Institutes.

The company provides early stage funding, project management and commercialisation strategies for a direct collaboration, a spin out company or to secure a license.

BPH provides funding for commercial strategies for proof of concept, research and product development, whilst the institutional partner provides infrastructure and the core scientific expertise.

BPH currently partners with several academic institutions including The Harry Perkins Institute for Medical Research and Swinburne University of Technology (SUT).


Board and Management Changes

Perth, April 28, 2023 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Horizon Minerals Limited ( ASX:HRZ ) wishes to advise that current Managing Director Mr Jon Price will step down from the role effective 30 June 2023 after 7 1/2 years.



At this time Mr Price will move into the role of Non-Executive Director of Horizon.



As the Company transitions into underground mining at the proposed Cannon gold mine, we are pleased to announce the promotion of current Chief Operating Officer Mr Grant Haywood to the position of Chief Executive Officer effective 1 July 2023.



Mr Haywood is a Mining Engineer with over 30 years' experience in underground and open cut mining operations. He has served as Horizon's COO for more than 5 years and has a deep understanding of the planning and operation of Western Australian gold projects having also worked for junior and multi-national companies including Gold Fields Ltd, Saracen Mineral Holdings Ltd and Phoenix Gold Ltd.



The Company has no current plans of replacing the Chief Operating Officer role.



Commenting on the management changes, Horizon Chairman Mr Ashok Parekh said:



"On behalf of the Board and team at Horizon, we would like to thank Jon for his continued efforts in what has been a volatile time in the junior resources sector. We wish him well in his future endeavours and are pleased the Company will retain his support and involvement at Board level as a Non-Executive Director."



"We would also like to welcome and congratulate Grant on his promotion to CEO at an exciting time for the Company as we move toward production at Cannon. Grant's wealth of knowledge and experience in underground mining is extensive and he will play a pivotal role in the successful development of Cannon and our planned future underground and open pit mines."





About Horizon Minerals Limited





Horizon Minerals Limited (ASX:HRZ) is a gold exploration and mining company focussed on the Kalgoorlie and Menzies areas of Western Australia which are host to some of Australia's richest gold deposits. The Company is developing a mining pipeline of projects to generate cash and self-fund aggressive exploration, mine developments and further acquisitions. The Teal gold mine has been recently completed.

Horizon is aiming to significantly grow its JORC-Compliant Mineral Resources, complete definitive feasibility studies on core high grade open cut and underground projects and build a sustainable development pipeline.

Horizon has a number of joint ventures in place across multiple commodities and regions of Australia providing exposure to Vanadium, Copper, PGE's, Gold and Nickel/Cobalt. Our quality joint venture partners are earning in to our project areas by spending over $20 million over 5 years enabling focus on the gold business while maintaining upside leverage.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)  Wild On Ice was euthanized Thursday after dropping out of the Kentucky Derby with a left hind leg injury following a morning workout at Churchill Downs, his owner said.

The Texas-bred gelding breezed five furlongs in 1:01.40 before being pulled up while galloping down the backstretch before 6 a.m. A news release from the track said Wild On Ice was evaluated at its equine hospital before being transported to an equine surgical facility in Lexington for evaluation.

The El Paso Times was first to report that Wild On Ice had been euthanized.

Owner Frank Sumpter told The Associated Press in a phone interview that a plate and screw could have been inserted in the horses leg but said the injury was such that so much could go wrong.

I didnt want him to suffer, Sumpter said. When youve got an injury in a joint like that and its in their back legs, its tough because they have to use so much to stand up in their back legs. So, yeah, its a tough, tough deal to make these hard decisions.

Its such a sad deal because he was training so well going up the ladder and was getting stronger all the time.

Wild On Ice was tied for 15th with 50 points in the Derby standings after winning the Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby as a 35-1 long shot in New Mexico on March 26.

The son of Tapizar and Slamitagain by Grand Slam won his first two starts at Zia Park in Hobbs, New Mexico, and was third in the Mine That Bird Derby at Sunland Park on Feb. 28. Wild On Ice had earned $405,400. He initially was not a Triple Crown nominee until Sumpter paid a $6,000 late fee and began preparing him for horse racings marquee event.

Joel Marr was training Wild on Ice. Jockey Ken Tohill, who was riding him when the horse was injured, was seeking to become the Derbys oldest starter at 60.

Marrs star pupil had sought to become the first Texas-bred Derby champ since Middleground in 1950 and first gelding winner since 2009, when New Mexico-based Mine That Bird triumphed. Wild On Ice emerged from Sumpters small stable in Lamesa, Texas, that included his mother, sister and a foal delivered earlier this month.

The withdrawal allowed Skinner into the 20-horse field for the 149th Derby on May 6.

Skinner, trained by John Shirreffs, finished third behind Practical Move and Japanese-bred Mandarin Hero in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 8. He also ran third in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita in March. The son of Curlin and Winding Way by Malibu Moon earned his first win in six career starts in a maiden special weight race on Feb. 12.

As Sumpter mourns Wild On Ice, he couldnt be happier for the opportunity that Skinner and his connections now receive.

You hate to lose anything, but Im so excited for the people that are moving up, Sumpter said. The excitement we had for the last four weeks was just unbelievable and it wont ever go away. It just fires me up to to try to get another one.

Derby post-position draw with odds is Monday at Churchill Downs.

___

AP Horse Racing Writer Beth Harris contributed to this report.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sport
The water authority in Albuquerque asked New Mexicos congressional delegation this week for help accelerating the cleanup of a historic jet fuel spill at Kirtland Air Force Base.

In a two-page letter, Bernalillo County Commissioner Eric Olivas  who serves as chairman of the water authority governing board  said the Air Force has repeatedly failed to develop an acceptable plan or meet a timeline promised to the community.

Instead, he said, progress is slowing down.

Aggressive action on the site is needed now, Olivas said in a letter to U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., this week. The longer the Air Force delays, the longer the site will remain contaminated and the more difficult and costly it will be to clean up.

Municipal wells are threatened by the pollution, according to the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, but havent yet been contaminated.

The Air Force discovered the leak in 1999 after it had gone undetected for years, perhaps decades.

In a written statement Thursday, the public affairs office of the 377th Air Base Wing at Kirtland said a treatment system had cleaned up 1.6 billion gallons of water and removed 96% of the ethylene dibromide  a contaminant in jet fuel until the 1970s  in the plume treatment area.

Kirtland AFB remains committed to the cleanup process and will continue to work closely with our regulators to inform the way forward, the public affairs office said. The safety of Albuquerques drinking water has not been impacted by the fuel spill. We will continue the operation of the pump and treat interim measures and periodic groundwater monitoring.

A state-approved risk assessment, the office said, shows there is no impact to drinking water supply wells and no future impact with on-going interim measures now employed.

Olivas, for his part, said the Air Force initially made progress cleaning up the site but later decommissioned perhaps its most successful cleanup system. The Air Force is now taking a more passive approach, he said, one that could leave groundwater contamination for 800 years.

The site is now 24 years past discovery and has yet to move into the final clean up phase, Olivas said in the federal letter. This leaves the impacted water unavailable for use and prolongs the potential risk to nearby drinking water supply wells.
SANTA FE  Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams administration is forging ahead with its plan to reshape New Mexicos troubled child welfare agency, even as lawmakers continue to call for bigger changes to be made.

The first meeting of a recently created Children, Youth and Families Department policy advisory council is set for next week, and Lujan Grisham spokeswoman Maddy Hayden said the meeting of the seven-member group will be open to the public.

The Governors Office also said theres been substantial interest from candidates for both the CYFD secretary post  current secretary Barbara Vigil is stepping down effective May 1  and several new deputy secretary positions that were created by Lujan Grisham under a February executive order.

The deputy positions were created as a result of the governors executive order and reflect a change in leadership structure that we believe will have meaningful impacts all the way down the ladder at the agency, Hayden told the Journal.

However, some lawmakers have urged Lujan Grisham to call a special session to address child welfare issues, after bills seeking independent oversight of CYFD and other structural changes were stymied during the 60-day legislative session that ended last month.

Im not convinced the governor wants to see CYFD reformed, because if she did she had the opportunity to do so this last legislative session, Sen. Crystal Diamond, R-Elephant Butte, said in a recent social media post, while accusing the governor of blocking some of the child welfare legislation.

In addition, Sen. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, said the state should have no higher priority than trying to find solutions to conditions that have led to a recent string of tragic child abuse cases.

Among other cases, Albuquerque police recently launched an internal review of how the case of a 7-month-old baby who died of suffocation with methamphetamine in his system was handled.

But Lujan Grisham indicated after the session ended she had no immediate plans to call a special session, saying she generally opposes using such sessions as a tool to force issues that we dont have good collaboration on.

The Democratic governor, who began her second term in January, said after issuing the executive order in February she was not satisfied with the performance of a department she described as dysfunctional. The order created a new office of innovation within the Children, Youth and Families Department, in addition to the new advisory council.

But Lujan Grisham expressed misgivings with legislative proposals to create a new child advocacy office outside of CYFD, saying they could lead to a confrontational relationship between the two government offices, while also making it harder for CYFD to hire new social workers.

After saying in February that Vigil would remain at CYFDs helm amid the reorganization, the Governors Office announced this month she would transition out of the secretary role but remain involved as a member of the advisory council.

While a national search for a successor has been launched, the governor tapped Teresa Casados, her chief operating officer, to lead the agency in the meantime.

In an email to legislators this month, Casados said the next permanent CYFD secretary would have experience in successfully pioneering major systemic reforms.

She also said state officials have been working closely with child welfare officials in Oklahoma, which launched its own innovation office in an attempt to improve its child welfare system.

One thing that I know is true for all of us is that we are committed to making sure that every child in New Mexico is thriving, and we are all on the same side when it comes to that, Casados said.
Warning: this video contains graphic content



Deputies answering a fathers pleas for help fatally shot the mans son as he walked toward them  holding a knife to his own neck and telling them to shoot  earlier this month in the South Valley.

Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office Chief Deputy Nicholas Huffmyer said at a briefing Thursday that deputies Amber Cordero and Oscar Alvarez-Ruiz shot Jared Romero, 35, on April 16.

At the time, the two deputies were conducting a welfare check on Romero as he was reportedly suicidal and had been diagnosed with delusional disorder.

Sheriff John Allen began the briefing by addressing Romeros family.

I would like to give my sincere condolences, first of all, to the Romero family, to make sure that our (Sheriffs Office) heartfelt condolences are with them, he said. We never like to see the loss of life, so I want to make sure that the family knows that.

Romeros family could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The incident was the second time this year that BCSO interactions with a suicidal man ended in death. On Jan. 17 a domestic dispute turned into a SWAT situation and hourslong negotiation that ended with a man killing himself.

The shooting of Romero is being investigated by the Multi-Agency Task Force to determine if deputies followed policies and will be forwarded to the District Attorneys Office for review when complete.

Cordero has been with BCSO since 2018 and Alvarez-Ruiz since 2021. Neither deputy has been involved in a prior shooting.

Huffmyer gave a play-by-play of the incident and BCSO released the fathers 911 call, deputies lapel video and crime scene photos. Huffmyer also said BCSO interacted with Romero on March 2, when he confessed to a crime he didnt commit.

At the time, Romero told deputies an undercover officer speaks to him through his mind and he was taken to Presbyterian Kaseman Hospital.

Concerned father, troubled son



Around 9:30 a.m. on April 16, Romeros father called 911.

In the call, he told a dispatcher his son has mental health issues and has been out of work for months. The father said he has told Romero to apply for state assistance but had supported him in the meantime.

I said, Im not giving you anymore more money, this is it. Im done, you have to help yourself,' the father told a dispatcher. He said Romero told him he was going to go kill himself and stormed out of the fathers house.

He told the dispatcher Romero made similar threats before and the family had taken his guns away.

I just want for you guys to do a welfare check on him, the father said.

The dispatcher responded, Yeah, we can go check on him, make sure he isnt actively trying to kill himself.

Lapel video showed the two deputies knocking on the various doors around Romeros house in the 2300 block of Griffin SW. Then, according to Huffmyer, the deputies went back to their vehicles.

He said the deputies turned their lapel cameras back on when Romero came out of the house with a knife. Lapel video showed Romero initially ran at the deputies, one hand holding a knife to his neck and other arm outstretched.

He yelled, Point that gun at me, lets go. I want to die.

The deputies told Romero, Stop right there and Jared, stop,  Were going to shoot you. Cordero got on her radio and said Romero had a knife to his neck.

Romero then walked toward them and said, in a calm voice, I want you to shoot me.

Both deputies opened fire, shooting at least 12 times and Romero fell to his knees. Cordero continued shooting, firing four shots, after Romero was on the ground with his back to them.

Romero died at the scene.

Very fast situations

When asked why deputies didnt use a Taser on Romero, why they told a suicidal man they would shoot him or why they felt threatened when he had the knife to his own neck, Huffmyer said whether to shoot comes down to a deputys decision.

He said, with how fast the incident unfolded, shifting from a gun to a Taser would not have been physically possible to transition in a deadly force encounter.

To your point about giving a warning, its almost a lose situation for us. If we dont give a warning, we get criticized for not giving a warning. And if we do, then the question becomes, well, is that really the right thing to tell somebody? The fact of the matter is that warning is probably the truth, Huffmyer said.

He added, If an individual armed with an edge weapon is continuing to advance in an aggressive manner onto one of our deputies, they have every right to go home alive at the end of the shift.

Days after the shooting, Sheriff Allen announced that Diane Dosal would serve as BCSOs behavioral health and compliance manager, a newly created position. On Thursday, Allen said hiring Dosal, who helped develop crisis intervention with Albuquerque police, came as part of an effort to better address mental health needs.

Allen said they will be revising BCSO policies  which have been the same since 2013  training more deputies in crisis intervention and allowing for more less-lethal options, like a 40 mm sponge round.

Dosal said Thursday its not going to happen overnight.

She said there are no cookie-cutter situations but if Romeros father had reached out to BCSOs social workers we would have developed some safety plans and an idea of where to go from there. And some options, definitely.

I know what I teach in training, if you can, and there are not weapons present, to try and calm the situation down, create distance, try to utilize verbal skills, Dosal said. Those are the basics but we always say, Dont compromise your safety. Again, theyre not cookie-cutter situations so I cant speak to exactly what the deputies were thinking at the time. Theyre fast, theyre evolving, and these are very fast situations.
A pair of city councilors are floating a plan that could gut mayoral power in Albuquerque.

Councilors Louie Sanchez and Renee Grout are proposing a City Charter amendment that would fold the mayor into the city council and transfer most of the mayors current executive duties to a council-chosen city manager. Under legislation they plan to file this week, a professional city manager  rather than the mayor  would appoint and oversee the police chief and other department directors, formulate the citys annual operating budget and organize the citys executive branch.

Such a restructuring is ultimately up to Albuquerque voters, and the Sanchez/Grout legislation specifically seeks to the charter amendment on this falls ballot.

Sanchez said several other cities in the region use the proposed council-manager form of government  sometimes called a weak mayor structure  including Rio Rancho and Las Cruces, which he holds up as examples of well-functioning municipalities.

I think its a great opportunity for our citizens to chime in make Albuquerque (be) a little more efficient, more stable, more fiscally responsible and transparent over time, he said.

At least six of nine city councilors must agree to put the issue on the ballot.

If they do and voters approve it, Sanchez said the changes would not take effect until after the next mayoral election, which is slated for 2025.

According to a draft of the legislation provided to the Journal, the mayor would be recognized as the head of the City government for all ceremonial purposes and preside over council meetings, but have no administrative duties and vote at council meetings only in the event of a tie. Ties are exceptionally rare for the Albuquerque City Council and only occur if at least one of nine members is absent or recuses themselves from a vote.

While that would seem to give the mayor  Albuquerques only citywide elected official  less voice than councilors chosen at the district level, Sanchez disputes the notion that the system would sideline the mayor, saying he or she could still propose legislation and policy. Plus, Sanchez said, the council could work to expand membership in the future so that there are an even number of councilors, as is the case in Rio Rancho and Las Cruces.

He would still bring a lot to the table, Sanchez said of the mayor in a council-manager structure. There is a lot of things that every one of the other mayors (in this form of government) bring to the table, so its a very important job.

While it may not affect current Mayor Tim Keller unless he seeks reelection, his office bashed the proposal Thursday. A spokeswoman who said Keller was unavailable for a Journal interview  instead sent a written statement calling the idea an empty threat from Sanchez, who has long criticized the Keller administration.

His proposal would turn back the clock 50 years to the dark ages of city government, and is the opposite direction of where American cities are heading, mayoral spokeswoman Ava Montoya wrote.

Grout said the proposal is not about one person like Keller, but rather the citys overall performance.

She contends the council-manager system would lend more stability to operations, ideally limiting the upheaval that currently occurs when a new mayor takes office. She said new administrations can swap out department leadership and shelve existing programs and initiatives. Grout cited the Rail Trail  a planned multimodal path connecting the Rail Yards and Downtown to other key Albuquerque attractions  as an example. Keller has made it one of his signature initiatives but has noted that its development may span future administrations. Grout said she supports the project and would hate to see it die with a mayoral change.

A council-manager system could allow better continuity on that project and much more, she said.

I am learning that city government, or government, works very slowly and to get anything done takes forever, said Grout, now in her second year as a city councilor. If youre having to start over again (with a new mayor and new priorities), no wonder were not making ground.

Albuquerque has had a mayor-council government since 1974. For decades prior to that, the city was governed by elected commissioners and a city manager.
British foreign secretary breaks with U.S. in keynote China speech: Washington Examiner

Xinhua) 13:22, April 28, 2023

NEW YORK, April 27 (Xinhua) -- As its closest ally, Britain takes a very different stand from the United States while dealing with China, Washington Examiner has reported, citing a speech by British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.

It intends to view China "through the prism of trade engagement rather than security threat," as can be seen from Cleverly's address delivered on Tuesday in London, the news outlet reported.

"This was a speech designed to mitigate Washington's anger while ultimately avoiding China's red lines and offering Beijing an outstretched hand for new cooperation," noted the report.

As Cleverly put it, "we must face the inescapable reality that no significant global problem from climate change to pandemic prevention, from economic instability to nuclear proliferation, can be solved without China," the report said.

When it came to Britain's business interests in China, Cleverly said he was "pushing for a level playing field and fairer competition."

"We have an interest in continuing to benefit from Chinese investment," he continued.

"By highlighting trade interests and the need for what China would call 'win-win cooperation' in other areas, such as climate change, Cleverly is sending Beijing a clear message -- namely that the UK is not on the same page as the U.S. when it comes to China relations," added the report.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)




Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Friday volunteered as a one-day English teacher at an elementary school inside a U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) base.







He joined a group of family members of USFK personnel to participate in an English play class for Korean students at Humphreys West Elementary School in Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul.







Dressed casually in a sweatshirt top over his suit, Han arrived at the school at 6 p.m. and started the class with warm greetings in English to about 20 students.







Han and the volunteers read English storybooks to the children, made paper plates together and played a word game by catching paper fish with magnetic fishing rods.







The children enjoyed mingling with the prime minister, offering him cookies, asking questions and giving him hugs.







Humphreys West is an American school for children of U.S. soldiers and military personnel.



USFK family members have volunteered there to teach English to Korean kindergarteners and elementary school students for over 40 years.







After the hour-long class, Han expressed his gratitude to the volunteers and highlighted the close relationship between South Korea and the United States, referring to President Yoon Suk Yeol's ongoing visit to the U.S. (Yonhap)


DENVER (AP)  Colorados governor signed four gun control bills Friday, following the lead of other states struggling to confront a nationwide surge in violent crime and mass shootings, despite a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that expanded Second Amendment rights.

Before the ink was even dry on Gov. Jared Polis signature, gun rights groups sued to reverse two of the measures: raising the buying age for any gun from 18 to 21, and establishing a three-day waiting period between the purchase and receipt of a gun. The courts are already weighing lawsuits over such restrictions in other states.

The new laws, which Democrats pushed through despite late-night filibusters from Republicans, are aimed at quelling rising suicides and youth violence, preventing mass shootings, and opening avenues for gun violence victims to sue the long-protected firearm industry. They were enacted just five months after a mass shooting at an LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs.

Coloradoans deserve to be safe in our communities, in our schools, in our grocery stores, in our nightclubs, Polis said as he signed the measures in his office. The governor was flanked by activists wearing red shirts reading, Moms Demand Action, students from a Denver high school recently affected by a shooting, and parents of a woman killed in the Aurora theater shooting in 2012.

Supportive lawmakers and citizens alike had tears in their eyes and roared their applause as Polis signed each bill. Colorado has a history of notorious mass shootings, reaching back to the Columbine High School massacre in 1999.

Republicans decried the bills as onerous encroachments on Second Amendment rights that would impede Colorado residents ability to defend themselves amid a rising statewide crime rate. Gun rights advocates pledged to reverse the measures.

Its a sad day for Colorado; we are becoming one of the most anti-Second Amendment states in the nation, said Rep. Mike Lynch, the Republican minority leader.

A third measure passed by the legislature will strengthen the states red flag law, and a fourth rolls back some legal protections for the firearm industry, exposing them to lawsuits from the victims of gun violence.

Lynch anticipates that the magnitude of the gun restrictions  along with other bills Democrats pushed this year  will incite a backlash in the next election, especially in swing districts that helped reinforce Democrats majority in the legislature.

The new red flag law, also called an extreme risk protection order, empowers those working closely with youth and adults  doctors, mental health professionals, and teachers  to petition a judge to temporarily remove someones firearm. Previously, petition power was limited mainly to law-enforcement and family members. The goal is to act preemptively before someone attempts suicide or attacks others.

At the signing ceremony, Senate President Steve Fenberg, a Democrat and one of the bills sponsors, said Republicans and other gun control opponents often respond to mass shootings by saying its too soon to talk about restricting firearms.

It isnt too soon. Its too late for so many of the lost souls, Fenberg said. We needed to have done more to prevent what happened.

Republicans argued that the law would discourage people  especially military veterans  from candidly speaking with medical doctors and mental health professionals for fear of having their weapons temporarily seized.

Lynch argued that while the shooting in Colorado Springs was often held up as a reason to pass these types of gun restrictions, evidence shows they wouldve done absolutely nothing to stop that.

It kind of breaks my heart that were taking these tragic events  and were using those events to promote an agenda that doesnt fix the problem, he said.

The law requiring a three-day delay between buying and receiving a firearm  an attempt to curtail impulsive violence and suicide attempts  puts Colorado in line with nine other states, including California, Florida and Hawaii.

Colorado has the sixth-highest suicide rate in the country, with nearly 1,400 in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A RAND Corporation analysis of four studies found that waiting periods are linked to lower suicide-by-gun deaths.

Opponents raised concerns that people who need to defend themselves  such as victims of domestic violence  may not be able to get a gun in time to do so.

In raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21, Colorado joins California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, New York and Rhode Island. Proponents point to now oft-cited data from the CDC showing that gun violence has overtaken vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in recent years.

At the ceremony, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser likened the new laws to the campaign for vehicle safety that spawned groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the forerunner of Moms Demand Action.

But Taylor Rhodes, executive director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, the group that filed the lawsuits, had a different perspective.

This is simply bigoted politicians doing what bigoted politicians do: discriminating against an age, said Rhodes, referring to the new minimum age for gun purchases.

In their speeches about rolling back legal protections for gun manufacturers, lawmakers looked often to Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, whose daughter, Jessica Ghawi, was slain in the 2012 Aurora theater shooting. The parents tried to sue the companies that had sold the shooter ammunition and tear gas but were unsuccessful. Ultimately, the couple ended up owing more than $200,000 in defense attorney fees and had to file for bankruptcy.

California, Delaware, New Jersey and New York have passed similar legislation over the past three years. Opponents of the bill argued that it would merely bog the firearms industry down in bogus lawsuits.
Leaders from local law enforcement and the business community gathered Friday to debut a new crime-fighting tool aimed at streamlining and strengthening cases against criminals.

The digital tool, called Case Catcher, allows police the ability to upload and share evidence and discovery material, and for the District Attorneys Office to access and assess the completeness and quality of evidence that is presented.

Officials say it is a change from how cases were generally referred in the past  often through a paper-based process where law enforcement agencies would drive evidence to the DAs Office and put it in a bin.

I really believe  that we are going to see many more cases not being dismissed because of discovery issues, District Attorney Sam Bregman said. (We) want to make sure that every case we present to a jury is the best that it can possibly be.

The new tool, which the Albuquerque Police Department and the DAs Office have used in a piloting phase for the past four months, is the result of a $1.2 million grant awarded to the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce by the U.S. Department of Justice three years ago. Additional law enforcement agencies  including the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office, New Mexico State Police, tribal agencies and University of New Mexico Police  will implement the tool over the next couple months.

Case Catcher follows another crime-fighting announcement last August, when business and law enforcement officials joined an electronic information network to assist in the investigation of organized retail crime.

Terri Cole, the chambers president and CEO, said the organization took a group of business leaders to Washington, D.C., several years ago for meetings, including with DOJ officials, to discuss crime and public safety. Those meetings eventually led to the grant that has helped develop and implement Case Catcher.

Crime was high, our justice system was undergoing a number of major disruptions and (was) putting incredible pressure on police and prosecutors, Cole said. And we had one goal for the meeting  to ask the DOJ to look favorably on grant requests from our new DA  at the time Raul Torrez  and from our police department relating to expanded use of technology and data to strategically fight crime.

Case Catcher was developed by the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. Associate Vice President for Research Carlos Romero said the creation of the tool was a team effort that saw technologists and graduate and undergraduate students come together to help develop the technology.

This project with the Chamber of Commerce was by far one of the most wide-reaching, he said.

Officials on Friday also announced the moving of APDs case referral and discovery management team, known as the Shield Unit, to the DAs Office. The move, which became official earlier this month, places APDs Shield Unit closer to the intake team at the DAs Office to streamline processes and minimize discovery issues.

It just makes so much more sense to have them work shoulder-to-shoulder and troubleshoot and speed up a ton of these processes, APD Deputy Cmdr. Kyle Hartsock said.
Celebrity

British dancer Grace Jabbari gets temporary protection from the 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' villain after he allegedly assaulted her during an altercation.

Apr 28, 2023

AceShowbiz - Jonathan Majors' ex has obtained a temporary restraining order against him. The protection order was granted by the Manhattan District Attorney following the alleged assault incident between the "Lovecraft Country" star and Grace Jabbari.

Responding to the order, Jonathan's attorney, Priya Chaudhry said in a statement to The New York Post, "This is standard in cases such as this, and we consented because Mr. Majors wants nothing to do with the woman who assaulted him." She added, "We have been transparent and cooperative with the District Attorney, including giving the District Attorney ample evidence, including witness statements, of Mr. Majors' innocence."

Jonathan was arrested in March following an altercation with Grace in New York City. He has been accused of slapping the British dancer before putting his hands around her neck, ultimately resulting in visible injuries. Among them were a "laceration behind her ear, redness, and marks to her face."

The "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" villain was subsequently charged with two counts of assault in the third degree, aggravated harassment and attempted assault. He was released on his own recognizance on the same day with a limited order of protection.

His lawyer Priya, however, has insisted that her client is innocent. Earlier this month, she submitted new evidence to prove that Jonathan's girlfriend lied about her injuries. In footage taken after the alleged assault, the woman was seen going clubbing and getting drunk after he left her in the car.

She also appeared to have no problem using her right hand to push her hair behind her right ear, reach into her bag several times, sort through credit cards, handle phones, hold a menu and hold a glass of champagne despite her claims that she broke her finger in the incident.

Variety, however, reported that more women have come forward with abuse allegations against Jonathan. The site claimed that multiple alleged abuse victims of the 33-year-old are cooperating with the Manhattan district attorney's office, noting that "the prospect of more women waiting in the wings would mark a dramatic turn in the case."

Responding to these claims, his attorney stated, "Jonathan Majors is innocent and has not abused anyone. We have provided irrefutable evidence to the District Attorney that the charges are false. We are confident that he will be fully exonerated."

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Movie

Set 64 years before the Jennifer Lawrence films, 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' centers on Snow and Lucy Gray who form a connection before the 10th Annual Reaping Ceremony.

Apr 28, 2023

AceShowbiz - The first trailer for "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" made its way out at CinemaCon 2023 on Thursday, April 27. Also being made available online for fans' viewing pleasure, the video hints at the complicated relationship of Coriolanus "Coryo" Snow (Tom Blyth) and Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler).

The two appear to form a romantic connection as teenagers, playing in the water together and walking in the forest. But Snow is soon faced with conflicted feelings when Lucy Gray is chosen as a tribute from District 12 for the 10th Annual Reaping Ceremony, with him assigned as her unwilling mentor.

"There have been some changes this year," Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage), the creator of the Hunger Games, tells Snow. "Your role is to turn these children into spectacles, not survivors."

Meanwhile, Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis), the head gamemaker of the 10th annual Hunger Games, ominously warns Snow, "What happens in there, fueled with the terror of becoming prey. See how quickly we become predator? See how quickly civilization disappears?"

Following the trailer screening, producer Nina Jacobson and director Francis Lawrence talked about the film. "It is such a completely original Lucy moment," Jacobson told Variety about the story. "She's such a different character from Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence). She's such a performer. Katniss is the opposite. This is a woman who loves and lives to perform. To see the connection there, the history that she represents, and to think that Katniss Everdeen grew up knowing about Lucy Gray and this moment, it was just a great kind of microcosm of both how much of a new ground it is and how rooted it is in what we've seen, but in this backward-looking way."

"I just thought it'd be really interesting if we create a history of it so that maybe she didn't come up with it on her own. Maybe she'd heard about this girl from a long time ago having done the same thing," Lawrence added. "We're also trying to find the ways of linking it to the other movies and into the things that people love."

According to the official logline of the film, "Years before he would become the tyrannical President of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow is the last hope for his fading lineage, a once-proud family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow is alarmed when he is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, the girl tribute from impoverished District 12. But, after Lucy Gray commands all of Panem's attention by defiantly singing during the reaping ceremony, Snow thinks he might be able to turn the odds in their favor. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and newfound political savvy, Snow and Lucy's race against time to survive will ultimately reveal who is a songbird and a snake."

Jason Schwartzman stars as Lucretius "Lucky" Flickerman, the first television host of the Hunger Games, with Burn Gorman, Fionnula Flanagan and Ashley Liao also in the cast. The movie, based on the 2020 novel "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" by Suzanne Collins, is scheduled for release on November 17 in the United States.

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Cover Images/JOHN NACION Celebrity

The 'Selective Outrage' star and the British journalist are reportedly seen having drinks at the swanky Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood, California, one month after declaring he's single.

Apr 28, 2023

AceShowbiz - Chris Rock is clearly enjoying his single life. The comedian, who was last romantically linked to actress Lake Bell, was reportedly recently caught on a date with British TV host Sharon Carpenter.

The 58-year-old actor and the 41-year-old broadcast journalist were allegedly spotted getting drinks at the swanky Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood, California last week. The two seemingly got flirty that night as a source tells Page Six, "They seemed into each other." The eyewitness adds, "Sharon was laughing nonstop."

Chris is also said to have joked around with patrons at nearby tables during the outing. Robert Pattinson happened to be another visitor at the hotel that night and "The Batman" actor made sure to stop by the "Grown Ups" star's table to say hello.

Sharon is currently a host for BBC America and often contributes on CNN, "Good Morning America" and U.K. morning show "Lorraine". She has also appeared on Revolt TV, 2013's VH1 series "The Gossip Game" and hosted the U.K. version of "HQ Trivia".

It's currently unclear what the nature of Chris' relationship with Sharon is. The actor was previously reported dating Lake Bell following numerous sightings together in June 2022. Since that summer, the two have not been seen together again.

Later in his Netflix special "Chris Rock: Selective Outrage" which premiered in early March, Chris confirmed that he's "single." He said onstage, "I'm single. I've been single for a long time. I was married for a long time." Hinting at his split from the "No Escape" star, the "Saturday Night Live" alum added, "I was dating somebody for a while. Now I'm single."

Despite the lack of romantic relationship in his life, Chris asserted, "My life is good. I cannot complain. I've got some bulls**t going on, but it's going good." He went on noting, "I'm trying to date. I want a real relationship. I want a Sunday kind of love."

Speaking on his agony about dating, he then quipped, "On the other hand I'm just a h*e. Like, ladies, I will lick your a** and I never call you again. But if we hold hands, you're my girl."

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The former star of 'The Simple Life' receives an invitation from Vogue and an unnamed designer to attend the 2023 gala, which theme is 'Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty'.

Apr 28, 2023

AceShowbiz - Paris Hilton is reported to be over the moon. The former star of "The Simple Life" has finally gotten the chance to make her Met Gala debut in 2023 after receiving an invitation for the fashion's biggest event.

Various sources informed TMZ that the 42-year-old received an honorary invitation from Vogue and a designer who will be prepping her ensemble for the prestigious event. While the socialite is said to be available to attend, the name of the big designer whom she will be working with has not been unveiled.

Paris reportedly would come to the Monday, May 1 event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York after attending a conference about the new Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act which would be held in Washington, D.C.

The theme for the 2023 Met Gala is "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty" as a tribute to the late Chanel creative director and his career that spanned from 1954 to his passing at the age of 85 in 2019. The gala will be co-chaired by Penelope Cruz, Michaela Coel, Roger Federer, Dua Lipa and Vogue's Anna Wintour.

Aside from Paris, the likes of Kim Kardashian, Priyanka Chopra and Elle Fanning are also expected to make their appearance. Elle, in particular, has gushed over her planned look. To Variety, she spilled, "I had an idea kind of quickly, I have to say."

"I sort of sketch everything out, so I did a little sketch - an homage to Karl Lagerfeld, of course. I am truly going on theme," the 25-year-old actress further elaborated. "I have a good story behind the look that is special to me. I'm excited."

Meanwhile, a report of Paris, who was famously known to be good friends with Karl, making her debut at the 2023 Met Gala came around one week after she expressed her gratitude for having Carter Reum in her life. "I feel so lucky to have found you at the perfect time. You're just the best," she gushed when making an appearance together with her husband on the "I Am Paris" podcast.

The "Cooking with Paris" star, who welcomed her first child with Carter in January 2023 via surrogate, additionally marveled, "He literally just melts my heart. My heart just feels so full, like my life is so complete now."

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Music

The gruesome music video was initially released around the same time as the 2003 invasion of Iraq, leading the pop icon to face 'un-Americanism' accusations.

Apr 28, 2023

AceShowbiz - Madonna is back with the "American Life" music video. Although it got banned 20 years ago due to its graphic content, the pop icon released the visuals once again.

The five-minute clip began with models walking down a runway wearing army-themed outfits. The 64-year-old songstress, in the meantime, sings about life under the spotlight.

As the video transitions, the runway becomes chaotic as the models beat up each other. Many people get injured and burned, while some others have their limbs detached. In the meantime, real-looking war footage is shown across the screen.

The gruesome music video was released around the same time as the 2003 invasion of Iraq, leading Madonna to face "un-Americanism" accusations. She later withdrew the clip and explained, "Due to the volatile state of the world and out of sensitivity and respect to the armed forces, who I support and pray for, I do not want to risk offending anyone who might misinterpret the meaning of this video."

However, the artist has defended the idea behind the Jonas Akerlund-directed MV. "I feel lucky to be an American citizen for many reasons - one of which is the right to express myself freely, especially in my work," she told MTV. "I am not anti-Bush. I am not pro-Iraq. I am pro-peace."

"I have written a song and created a video which expresses my feelings about our culture and values and the illusions of what many people believe is the American dream -- the perfect life," she added. "As an artist, I hope this provokes thought and dialogue... I don't expect everyone to agree with my point of view. I am grateful to have the freedom to express these feelings, and that's how I honor my country."

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Cover Images/POOL/CNP Celebrity

The 'Eternals' star brings along her eldest son who studied at Yonsei University as her plus-one when attending the event held in honor of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Apr 28, 2023

AceShowbiz - Angelina Jolie has made a rare joint appearance with Maddox. Although she usually kept her children away from the spotlight, the actress portraying Thena on MCU's "Eternals" brought along her eldest son as her plus-one to a state dinner at the White House.

The 47-year-old came to the event hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden in honor of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee on Wednesday, April 26. She donned a flowing white gown with a V neckline for the occasion.

Opting for a more formal look, Angelina put on a matching blazer over her dress. She completed her ensemble with a string of pearls necklace, a gold clutch and a pair of high heels. Her son, who studied at Yonsei University in Seoul, in the meantime, chose to wear a classic black suit with a long jacket. He let his long black hair flow down his shoulders.

Though it was a rare joint appearance for the mother and son duo, this was not the first time they were seen together in public. Back in October 2022, Angelina was joined by 21-year-old Maddox and his siblings, 19-year-old Pax, 18-year-old Zahara, 16-year-old Shiloh and 14-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox, at the London premiere of "Eternals".

Despite her Hollywood background, Angelina was no stranger to formal State events. She has been serving as the Special Envoy to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees since 2012. She has also been among the vocal advocates that supported female empowerment.

In July 2020, the ex-wife of Brad Pitt attended a panel with the National Democratic Institute. There, she challenged, "Women contribute so much, they are giving, are nurturing by nature, are community-building by nature, are strong, are intelligent, and yet what is it that's holding us back? I think when you speak of value, thats something to really sit with. Why is it that so many women still dont know their own value?"

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Since 2005, Procter & Gamble India (P&G India) has been on a mission to create access to holistic education for underprivileged children in the country through P&G Shiksha - the Companys flagship CSR program, impacting over 35 lakh children. P&G India has just launched a nationwide movement to bring to light a hidden issue. Often, school students can fall behind in keeping pace with their classes. When the child falls behind and the current learning level is not in line with the expected learning level as per the defined curriculum, it leads to an invisible learning gap. In a first-of-its-kind thought-provoking film, P&G Shiksha aims to make this #InvisibleGap visible, by creating awareness and urging meaningful action to bridge the invisible gap.

Conceptualised and created by Leo Burnett, the film is a compelling story of Bindiya, who is impacted by the invisible gap and struggles to cope in the classroom. Through various instances in school, the teacher notices that Bindiya is either missing, or she slides out of sight, almost deliberately trying to mischievously hide. While evaluating the childrens answer sheets, the teacher spots Bindiyas sheet where most questions remain unanswered. Thus continues a game of hide and seek between the teacher and Bindiya, until he finally spots her hiding beneath a desk and confronts her calmly on why she is hiding. Bindiya reveals that she is afraid of questions, and if she is not visible in the class, the teacher will not be able to ask her any questions.

Watch the film here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPeplc9PukE

Speaking about the new film, Girish Kalyanaraman, Vice President  Marketing Operations, P&G India, said, This #InvisibleGap arises when children fall behind and the current learning level is not in line with the expected learning level. To bridge this gap, P&G has been working with its partners through various programs  from leveraging advanced Machine-learning based tools to community-level learning camps. With the campaign, we aim to make the #InvisibleGap visible by driving nationwide awareness about this issue which is often misunderstood as the child being mischievous or disinterested in learning. I hope this film will inspire the audience in identifying this gap in children around them and taking necessary corrective measures to bridge it.

In this interaction with Adgully, Girish Kalyanraman speaks at length about key milestones in P&G Shikshas journey, consumer loyalty and purpose-driven brands, the #InvisibleGap campaign, P&Gs long-standing #KeepGirlsInSchool movement on menstrual health of girl students, and much more.

P&G launched the Shiksha initiative eighteen years back. How has the brands focus or mission evolved over the years, did you see any specific changes post the pandemic?

We launched our flagship CSR program P&G Shiksha in 2005 with the vision of providing means to education for underprivileged children in the country. We started with constructing school infrastructure including classrooms, toilet blocks, playgrounds and more, to create a conducive learning environment for children at schools so that more and more children are encouraged to attend school. Increasing enrolment was the need of the hour then. As the country evolved, and enrolment at schools drastically improved, P&G Shiksha evolved into a 360-degree, holistic education initiative targeting communities across the country, aiming to improve children's learning outcomes by strengthening educational infrastructure, remediating learning gaps, and empowering marginalized groups through education. This is in line with the Governments Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and the National Education Policy which stresses on equitable learning for all.

The pandemic posed significant barriers for us to continue the usual way of running our programs:

India witnessed the 2nd longest school closures in the world. This meant we could not reach students in the most natural ecosystem

Movement restrictions meant our volunteers could not reach and engage with the communities as per usual

While the world moved to online classes, the students enrolled in our programs come from households where this luxury was not affordable. This meant they got cut off from regular means of education

Education was no longer the most important thing in the parents minds, it was all about health and safety, and rightfully so

In this context, the teams on ground had to not just ensure the child stays interested in education, but also continue their learning journey. This meant mobilising communities, teaching them how to use mobile phones, creating online connections, bringing in volunteers from within the communities, and getting children onboarded onto digital / hybrid mediums.

It has been inspiring to see how all our partners and their teams came together to help the communities navigate the pandemic, while ensuring the children continue to learn, albeit in different ways. We got very creative as well. Stairs in the house or the spokes of a cycle tyre became means for counting exercises, household materials like peas, beads, clay, and lentils became learning tools. Textual content took the form of SMS, WhatsApp videos, exercises to make it accessible. Parents got involved unlike ever before. And we came out stronger with a much better understanding and more solutions up our sleeves to help children in a way that works for them.

You have been associated with P&G for over 15 years now. What are some of the major changes that you have observed over the years in terms of strategy?

Over the last 18 years, generations of great leaders in P&G have worked tirelessly to make P&G Shiksha what it is today. It is a matter of great pride for me to be able to take this work forward and contribute to the impact that the Program has been creating on ground.

While we started P&G Shiksha in 2005 as a Force For Good to give back to the communities we operate in, it soon transformed into our flagship CSR program when CSR became a legal mandate for businesses in India. As I mentioned earlier, when we started back in 2005, the need of the hour was creating educational infrastructure to provide a conducive learning environment for children. Over the years, Shiksha transformed into a holistic education program aiming to improve children's learning outcomes by strengthening educational infrastructure, remediating learning gaps, and empowering marginalized groups through education.

How much social transformation has P&G managed to bring forth in this nation eventually through its category-led purpose-led approach? What truly stuck out to you and provided a problem for the brand?

At P&G, weve made a choice to step up and use our voice in advertising as a force for good and a force for growth. We are producing thousands of new ads every year. An average consumer is subject to up to 5,000 ads every day. We believe that the best way to break through the clutter is to step-up and use our voice as a force for good. Have conversations on the world stage that bust myths and break biases and stereotypes while we build our brands.

People want to know the values behind the brands they buy. Nearly 80% of consumers say they are more loyal to purpose-driven brands, and 64% choose, switch, or avoid brands based on their stand on societal issues. Focusing on purpose-led advertising is not just the right thing to do for society, but also the right business choice. Because consumers today have a strong point of view and expect their brands to do the same. 9/10 consumers feel better about a brand that supports a social cause.

While we have the best products to delight our consumers with the benefits they seek from the category, purpose helps us connect with consumers on shared values and beliefs.

We supplement our efforts as a force for good by driving meaningful action on ground through the programs that P&G Shiksha drives. Our journey of transformation has been meaningful in several ways, impacting over 35 lakh children across the country. But what is more unique is the personal stories of transformation that we have witnessed over the years. For instance, last year we brought the story of Sushila to life, who studied in P&G Shiksha supported school and dreamt of becoming a teacher someday. With access to school and education, she could study and today is teaching hundreds of students, like herself, and helping them realize their dreams.

Let me talk about some of our initiatives that we are driving on ground as part of P&G Shiksha:

Community Remedial Learning: P&G Shiksha is implementing innovative methods to minimize learning gaps and improve learning outcomes through on-ground remedial learning interventions in partnership with Pratham Education Foundation, by using a community based and an in-school model, together with the support of trained volunteers from within the community and teachers at school. Through our remedial learning programs, we are working towards bridging learning gaps in children with a two-fold objective: a) to set them up for fast-paced growth in school; and b) to strengthen their conceptual understanding of essential subjects. Last year, at the end of the intervention, more than 70% of students were able to read as per their expected learning levels compared to less than 25% at the beginning of the intervention.

P&G Shiksha is implementing innovative methods to minimize learning gaps and improve learning outcomes through on-ground remedial learning interventions in partnership with Pratham Education Foundation, by using a community based and an in-school model, together with the support of trained volunteers from within the community and teachers at school. Through our remedial learning programs, we are working towards bridging learning gaps in children with a two-fold objective: a) to set them up for fast-paced growth in school; and b) to strengthen their conceptual understanding of essential subjects. Last year, at the end of the intervention, more than 70% of students were able to read as per their expected learning levels compared to less than 25% at the beginning of the intervention. Digital Remedial Learning: We are also leveraging technology to improve learning outcomes in children. We are partnering with Educational Initiatives and are implementing Mindspark, a computer-based adaptive learning tool to remediate learning gaps in students. The tool integrates pedagogy, teacher instruction and a learning management system to assess a students learning level and develop a customized learning path for each one of them.

We are also leveraging technology to improve learning outcomes in children. We are partnering with Educational Initiatives and are implementing Mindspark, a computer-based adaptive learning tool to remediate learning gaps in students. The tool integrates pedagogy, teacher instruction and a learning management system to assess a students learning level and develop a customized learning path for each one of them. Early Childhood Education program: In partnership with Pratham Education Foundation, we are focusing on developing motor, cognitive, social-emotional, language and creative skills in children, thereby setting them up for a strong start as they begin their education journey.

In partnership with Pratham Education Foundation, we are focusing on developing motor, cognitive, social-emotional, language and creative skills in children, thereby setting them up for a strong start as they begin their education journey. STEM Scholarships: Additionally, we are also proactively working towards enabling STEM careers for girls via P&G Shiksha Betiyan Scholarship Program, in partnership with Centre For Civil Society (CCS). As per reports, women only make up 14% of the STEM workforce in India. We aim to bridge this gap by empowering girls seeking to pursue STEM education, through essential financial aid and mentorship, with the end goal of supporting the entry of skilled women professionals into manufacturing and production industries.

What was the primary insight that led to the conceptualisation of #InvisibleGap ad campaign for P&G Shiksha? What is the agency behind the same?

P&G Shiksha started as a program to build schools across the country in line with the governments mission. It has today evolved into a holistic program that addresses some critical barriers to achieving quality education.

Many times, children struggle to keep up with what is taught in class. One concept, one subject, one class, can give way to a larger issue where the child develops a gap in the fundamentals of education. When the child falls behind and the current learning level is not in line with the expected learning level as per the defined curriculum, it gives rise to Learning Gap.

This year, by bringing forth an inspiring story of Bindiya, a young girl who is impacted by this invisible gap and struggles to cope in the classroom, P&G Shiksha is shining a spotlight on this pertinent issue and the different ways in which it manifests. This invisible learning gap is often misunderstood as the child not being serious, or silly naughtiness, or fear. If not addressed, this gap widens and eventually leads to many children either dropping out of school or facing challenges in the later stages of life.

Like Bindiya, 6 crore children feel left behind in class and experience a learning gap. This has led to a learning crisis in India, where access to education has drastically improved, but learning outcomes have not. From loss of confidence and excuses to skip school, to lack of participation and fear of expression  this gap manifests differently in children. In fact, some children even get distracted and hide when probed, like you saw with Bindiyas story. These indicators are often misunderstood as the child being naughty, undisciplined, disinterested, etc. Leading to the symptoms only widening due to lack of understanding and support. The misconceptions often stem from lack of awareness and understanding of the invisible gap.

Our aim this year is to make this #InvisibleGap visible, by creating awareness and urging meaningful action. P&G is working with its partners to bridge this #InvisibleGap. With this thought-provoking film, we seek to highlight the need for collective action to ensure that every child in India receives an education that empowers them to build a better future for themselves and their communities.

Kudos to our partners at Leo Burnett for conceptualising this film and helping us bring this conversation to the forefront. A big shoutout to our other agency partners  Mediacom, GroupM, Sociowash, Madison.

In the era of advertisement explosion, every brand is trying to reach the right consumer with the right product at the right time therefore being a brand builder what does it take to be out of the box?

At P&G, everything we do, we start with the consumer. For instance, through the story of Bindiya, we want to reach parents and guardians to make the invisible gap visible by driving awareness and urging collective meaningful action.

I believe that it all comes down to narrowing down the consumer and the context, right at the stage where you put pen to paper and brainstorm on how to communicate a key message effectively, and in a manner that it is easy to absorb. Once the larger idea, the core of the issue being highlighted is in place, everything else falls into place. To really think out of the box, you must start by thinking about the consumer and decoding the best possible articulation to communicate a message.

Also, I believe, one must evolve with the changing context. For instance, like I said earlier, when we started P&G Shiksha in 2005, our objective was to construct schools considering the need of the hour. Over the years, with the changing context and landscape, P&G Shiksha also evolved to solve a new problem. I think this, along with the willingness to think outside the box, is the key to really thinking outside the box.

What other initiatives will we see from P&G that will help change and open up every consumers thoughts towards society?

At P&G, all our brands continue to leverage their voice through films, advertising, and programs to create a larger impact in the communities we operate as a force for good. This has truly been a long-standing commitment ever since we aired our very first advertisement.

For instance, recently, our feminine care brand Whisper unveiled a new film as part of the fourth edition of its long-standing #KeepGirlsInSchool movement. The film, titled The Missing Chapter, educates mothers about the biology behind periods so that they, in turn, can bring up aware, informed daughters who don't miss school during periods.

Studies indicate that 1 out of 5 girls in India drop out of school due to lack of period education and products. Mothers are a girls first teacher, but reports say 7 out of 10 mothers do not fully understand the science of periods and find it dirty or impure. So, to tackle the issue and drive awareness on menstrual hygiene in the larger society, the film aims to educate mothers on the biology of periods so that they, in turn, can educate their daughters on periods including menstrual hygiene and using sanitary pads during their monthly cycles.

Over the years, Whisper has provided free pads and menstrual education to 10 crore+ daughters and mothers. With every Whisper Ultra pack bought during this campaign, consumers can help support one girls free pads and menstrual education, helping keep her in school.
Hyundai Mobis CEO Cho Sung-hwan gives a keynote speech at the 44th International Vienna Motor Symposium in Austria, Thursday. Courtesy of Hyundai Mobis



By Kim Jae-heun



Hyundai Mobis CEO Cho Sung-hwan attended the 44th Vienna International Motor Symposium in Austria, Thursday (local time), illustrating the company's future strategy as a mobility platform provider, company officials said Friday.



He spoke about the company's willingness to strengthen its key competitiveness in the future mobility sector, focusing on electrification, autonomous driving and connectivity.



The CEO also introduced Hyundai Motor Group's vision for future mobility and gave a clear picture of Hyundai Mobis' strategy in connection with the group's approach.



"Hyundai Mobis will deliver a differentiated platform to customers in the electrification, autonomous driving and connectivity sectors based on software with exceptional quality and optimum semiconductors," Cho said during his talk at the motor symposium on Thursday.



He also discussed the company's plan to promote the new businesses as its next growth engines. That is, using electrification element technology, such as the battery system it has already secured, to propel new businesses, such as urban air mobility and robotics.



Hyundai Mobis is producing and supplying battery system assemblies, the electric drive units and the integrated charging control units that are installed on electric vehicle platforms.



The company plans to scale up such key electrification technologies as new growth engines in the near future.



Cho emphasized that innovation in mobility technology is vital to enhancing the value and quality of people's lives.



"Hyundai Mobis strongly believes that mobility technology is an important key to solving universal problems including climate change, urban overcrowding and the aging population," Cho said.



The Vienna Motor Symposium is an internationally recognized annual symposium in the automotive industry. This year, the symposium focused on the theme of powertrain electrification, which has brought a huge wave of change in the global automotive industry. Over 1,000 people representing global carmakers, automotive suppliers and academics from 25 countries attended the event in Vienna.


Actor Sooraj Pancholi was exonerated by a special CBI court on Friday of the charge of aiding actor Jiah Khan's suicide in 2013. On June 3, 2013, Khan committed suicide at her home in Juhu. The Indian Penal Code's Section 306 (abetment of suicide) was the slapped against Pancholi.

Case history:

Actor Sooraj Pancholi was detained on June 10, 2013, after the Mumbai Police filed a case under Section 306 (abetment to suicide) against him based on a letter that was allegedly sent by Jiah Khan, 25, and was later discovered.

Jiah, best known for her role in Amitabh Bachchan's "Nishabd," was supposedly in a relationship with Sooraj, son of actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab. Rabia Khan, Jiah's mother, claimed that her daughter had been murdered.

Rabia filed a petition with the Bombay High Court in October 2013 asking for a CBI investigation into the case and asserting that her daughter had been murdered.

Additionally, Rabia alleged that Sooraj Pancholi was abusing her daughter.

According to reports, Sooraj and Jiah began dating in September 2012.

In July 2014, the CBI took over the investigation from the Maharashtra Police at the Bombay High Court's direction.

A six-page letter allegedly written by Jiah, who was discovered hanged in her Juhu residence, served as the foundation for Sooraj Pancholi's criminal charges.

According to the CBI, the message detailed her alleged "intimate relationship, physical abuse, and mental and physical torture" by Sooraj, which ultimately drove her to commit suicide.

After the sessions court claimed it lacked jurisdiction over the matter because the CBI had investigated it, the case was transferred to a special CBI court in 2021.

According to Rabia, neither the police nor the CBI had gathered sufficient proof to show that her daughter had committed suicide.

Sooraj asserted that the investigation and chargesheet were fraudulent in his last statement submitted to the court, and that witnesses for the prosecution had testified against him at the direction of complainant Rabia, the police, and the CBI.

Twenty-two witnesses, including Jiah's mother, were cross-examined by the prosecution. Sooraj's attorney, Prashant Patil, argued that the prosecution had not established its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Jiah is well-known for her roles in films including "Ghajini" (2008), "Housefull" (2010), and "Nishabd" (2007). In the case, Pancholi was free on bail.
Netflix, in collaboration with Film Companion, is renewing its TakeTen workshop and competition following a successful program last year. The programme aims to discover and support underrepresented filmmakers from all over the country and will see filmmakers take part in a comprehensive program led by some of Indias brightest industry leaders.

TakeTen will give five aspiring creators the opportunity to win a chance to attend workshops on writing, directing, and producing series hosted by the best in Indias creative industry. Each of the winners will also receive a grant from the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity to make their own, fully funded short series.

The short series will debut to global audiences on Netflix India's YouTube channel.

Anupama Chopra, film critic, author, and Film Companion editor, said: I am thrilled that Take Ten has been renewed. The program got entries from more than 20 states in the country and half of the 10 finalists were women. TakeTen is about opportunity, inclusion, and diversity. Its a privilege to do it again.

Monika Shergill, Vice-President, Content, Netflix India, said: After the success of last years TakeTen, we look forward to getting started on the second season. We believe that inclusion behind the camera leads to better representation on screen and TakeTen will help us to discover unique voices and support emerging series creators. We hope that this initiative will once again inspire and empower a new generation of storytellers in India.

Aditi Sharma, one of the graduates of last years Netflix Film Companion TakeTen programme, said: Through the Take Ten program, I got to learn about writing a screenplay, creating characters, directing actors, along with many other filmmaking lessons. We had the opportunity to do this under the guidance of Film Companion, and being mentored by professionals who are not only good at what they do, but also truly invested in the process of teaching, was extremely helpful. There arent any grant opportunities in India to speak of, and to have a platform like Netflix to showcase your film was a huge deal for a first time filmmaker like me. For the first time, me and my team believed that we had a real shot at this.

Another graduate Suyash Kamat added: TakeTen has been a significant milestone for me both in my creative and professional journey. Being a finalist, having the film viewed by a wide audience and receiving a prestigious nomination at the Critics Choice Award, has opened up many doors for me. The exposure and recognition I received from TakeTen has been invaluable. I look forward to seeing what the future holds."

In the first season, 10 emerging filmmakers were given an opportunity to participate in an extensive workshop and each filmmaker was given a grant to fund their short films. The films from the 2022 competition can be seen on Netflix Indias YouTube channel.
Innosuisse  Swiss Innovation Promotion Agency

Bern, 28.04.2023 - Innosuisse launched a call for projects for the Swiss Accelerator in 2022 as a transitional measure for Horizon Europe. After a three-stage assessment process, the Swiss Innovation Agency has now approved 53 innovation projects from SMEs and start-ups with significant innovation potential.

As Switzerland is not currently associated with the EUs Horizon Europe framework programme, Swiss companies do not have access to the funding programme EIC Accelerator of the European Innovation Council. Swiss SMEs and start-ups were therefore able to apply for direct financial support for innovation projects with significant innovation potential within the scope of the Swiss Accelerator as transitional measure. Innosuisse received 752 short applications. After the initial assessment, 128 companies submitted a full application. Of these, 64 came to the final round to present their application.

The Innovation Council of Innosuisse has now approved 53 innovation projects within the scope of the Swiss Accelerator. The total funding granted amounts to 112 million Swiss Francs. SMEs and start-ups from the life sciences sector are strongly represented.

Accelerating the growth of companies

The aim of the projects is to develop novel products and services with significant innovation potential. This should accelerate the growth of highly innovative Swiss companies. The funding from Innosuisse covers a maximum of 70 per cent of project costs. A company must pay 30 per cent of the costs itself. The support per project amounts to a maximum of 2.5 million Swiss francs.

Other support offers

The well-established innovation projects between universities and companies continue to be the focus of Innosuisses funding. In 2023, Innosuisse also launched a support offer for start-ups prior to their market entry: with the start-up innovation projects, the agency promotes the market entry of start-ups with direct financial support. Applications for both instruments can be submitted on an ongoing basis.

Address for enquiries

Communication Innosuisse

Eliane Kersten and Lukas Krienbuehl

Co-Heads of Communication

+41 58 481 84 73

media@innosuisse.ch

Publisher

Innosuisse  Swiss Innovation Promotion Agency

https://www.innosuisse.ch




Fairhope resident Kelly Ann Kann, who federal authorities say has a track record of embezzlement stretching from Texas to Florida has been sentenced to over five years in federal prison for stealing $286,000 from a Mobile real estate firm.

Greedy, selfish criminals like Ms. Kann cant hide when they abuse the trust of their innocent victims, said U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will bring to justice crooks who take advantage of their employers to enrich themselves.

Kann, 57, was employed as an office administrator and bookkeeper for The Weavil Company when, in July 2018, she obtained Capital One credit cards under the name of the spouse of the company owner, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office in Mobile.

Recorded phone calls to Capital Ones customer service line reveal Kann told customer service agents she was the owners spouse and provided personal identity information.

Over a nearly three-year period, Kann used the Capital One cards to make hundreds of purchases, including clothing, electronics, food, furniture, streaming services, utility payments and vacations for herself and a friend.

Kann used her access as office manager and bookkeeper to transfer money from The Weavil Companys bank accounts to pay the Capital One bills -- a total of $184,239 in loss to The Weavil Company, with additional losses of $14,500 to Truist Bank; $10,014 to Capital One; and $77,501 to Hancock Whitney Bank.

In May 2021, the Weavil Company owner confronted Kann over the theft. Kann, in a handwritten note, admitted to stealing $20,000 only, with a promise to repay the funds.

Kann gave the owner doctored bank statements in an attempt to cover her tracks and ultimately she stopped coming to work and never repaid any of the stolen money.

The U.S. Secret Service and Mobile Police Department would investigate the case, leading to Kanns arrest.

Kann ultimately pleaded guilty in December 2019 in U.S. District Court to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft as part of a plea deal with prosecutors, who agreed to request a more lenient sentence in exchange for her plea.

Kann had faced a maximum sentence of 20 years.

During Kanns sentencing hearing, federal prosecutors presented evidence Kann had previously embezzled more than $50,000 from multiple employers in the San Antonio, Texas, area.

Additional evidence was presented showing that, after entering her guilty plea in 2019 and while free on bond awaiting sentencing, Kann stole money from an automotive repair shop where she was employed in Pensacola.

As part of her sentencing, Kann will also be required to serve three years of post-release supervision, during which she will receive mental health evaluation/treatment and will be subject to credit limitations.

Kann was not fined, but was ordered to repay the $286,307.763 lost among the four businesses.

By virtue of her position, and access to sensitive information, Ms. Kann violated the very trust that had been bestowed upon her by her employer, said Patrick Davis, Special Agent in Charge for the Secret Service. The Secret Service will always seek prosecution of those who exploit their position of trust for their own enrichment.
The price of college may be getting steeper, but there are lots of ways to cut down on costs, say some Alabama students.

Lexie Jones, a 15-year-old senior at Thompson High School in Alabaster City, earned $1.4 million in scholarships from at least 20 different colleges this year.

Jones is one of several high-achieving Alabama high schoolers who have secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial aid.

It all started with one school, she said, that offered her a merit scholarship before she even got in.

That kind of gave me that confidence to apply to more, she said. It was like I wasnt even expecting myself to get that, so imagine what I can get if I just keep applying.

While Jones hasnt made a final decision about her plans yet, and cant put all of that money toward one college, she said that collecting a large trove of scholarships helped her compare options and assess the best path for her future.

From negotiating offer letters to finding local grants, heres a list of lessons they learned along the way:

1. Start as early as you can

Shatavia Bellmon, a senior at Ramsay High School in Birmingham who racked up just over a million dollars in scholarships, started scoping out schools the summer before her senior year.

She watched YouTube videos of prospective students, and researched the schools to learn what reviewers were looking for, and what kind of scores shed need.

Read more: 8 tips for Alabama students working on college applications, from university admissions experts

That also gave her time to boost her ACT score, making her more eligible for merit scholarships.

Depending on your school, you may be eligible for multiple testing waivers or free test prep.

But money isnt just attached to good ACT scores. The PSAT test, which is given to high school sophomores and juniors in October, makes students eligible for National Merit awards (and usually, a full ride to college).

Thats how Ariel D. Smith, a University of Alabama at Birmingham graduate and incoming assistant professor at Wake Forest University, earned lots of her financial aid.

She said schools sometimes offer opportunities for students to take the test earlier in high school, so they have additional chances to practice.

2. Fill out the FAFSA, but dont stop there

Bellmon credits lots of her scholarships to the FAFSA, a federal financial aid form thats now required for Alabama students to graduate.

She also got her parents to fill out the College Boards CSS profile, a financial application that can connect students with non federal aid.

Read more: The 2023 FAFSA is open: What should Alabama students know about college financial aid, student loans?

Some colleges have a net price calculator, which gives an estimate of how much aid you may qualify for. Thats helpful to know ahead of time, she said, because some may also offer discounts on application fees.

Even if youre not sure about college plans, filling out the FAFSA as a high school senior will help you check off one box of your college application list and put you in consideration for your colleges aid programs.

3. Look for local scholarships

Local scholarships can add up, and in many cases, you dont have to be a member of a particular organization to receive an award.

Start with your high school counselor, who is most likely to be aware of local opportunities. Websites like FastWeb can be helpful, too, Bellmon said. Banks and churches also typically offer some level of aid to local students.

Smith said she received $1,500 from Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc., a $4,000 scholarship from the local Kiwanis club, and $3,000 per year from Linly Heflin, a group that supports women pursuing bachelors degrees in Alabama.

She even got a scholarship from Burger King, she said.

I think everybody goes after the national, and they dont take the time to see whats in your backyard, Smith said.

Specific colleges and departments may also offer scholarships, beyond the ones listed on the universitys website.

Summer bridge programs, offered through organizations like LSAMP, The Mellon Foundation, governors schools and Upward Bound, allow high school students to take free summer courses for college credit, and may also come with scholarships. Some also provide mentors, or other opportunities that can follow students through graduation.

Bellmon said a Birmingham program called the College Choice Foundation helped connect her with scholarships typically offered to low-income students who met certain academic criteria. The organization also coordinates college visits and offers services like ACT prep and financial literacy.

4. Stay organized

Jones is a visual person, so she keeps a detailed spreadsheet, with all of the colleges she applied to, how much it costs to apply to them, where she applied, the major she applied to, how much in scholarships shes received, and how much it costs to attend the school.

She also keeps a pros and cons list to keep track of opportunities that schools offer and weigh them against overall costs and aid.

Bellmon used the Common App to keep track of her schools, then kept a separate list of all of the supplemental scholarships she had applied to.

Smith said she didnt keep an elaborate list or work on applications in advance. But she did make sure to give her teachers at least two weeks to write a letter of recommendation or review an essay. And when deadline day was approaching, she prioritized applications over everything else.

It was just tunnel vision, she said. I knew this had to happen, and it became an all-encompassing obsession.

5. Tell your story

Before writing a scholarship application essay, learn what the university values and what the particular scholarship is geared toward. That can help you decide whether to focus on community service, or academics, or other aspects of your resume more than others.

Keep a few versions of the same draft, so that you can quickly adapt it to different applications.

Jones recommends the website TheCollegeMind, where students can view sample essays and get free feedback from experts.

Bellmon, an aspiring neuroscientist, found creative ways to connect her high school debate experience, as well as her interest in writing TV plots, to her major.

Stand out, Bellmon said. Dont just repeat, Oh, Im a hard worker and Im in this many clubs.

And its also OK to use that space to acknowledge the challenges youve faced in life, Smith said. Just make sure to note why those experiences are relevant, and try to keep the focus on your strengths.

Theres nothing wrong with that story at all, she said. I just dont want students to feel like, when they get the scholarship, they only got it because of that. Or that the only way to get scholarships is that you have to be poor.

6. Read the fine print of financial aid packages

Students should check to see if their scholarships are one-time awards. And not all recurring scholarships last all four years, either.

Some also may come with conditions, like meeting a certain GPA, maintaining a set amount of credit hours or taking on research or work study responsibilities.

Smith said she had to learn that the hard way.

I think thats one of the biggest pieces that actually trips a lot of students up is that we hype them up about getting scholarships their junior, senior year of high school so that they can go to college, she said. We fail to talk to them about the fine print.

Graduate students on fellowships should take a look at benefits like health care options, which may differ depending on the school or type of offer.

Also, know where the money is coming from. A fellowship tied to a particular grant or project that a professor is doing may not be as stable as funding that comes straight from the department.

And be careful about binding agreements, like early decision plans.

If youre applying to a highly competitive school and are confident they will meet 100% of your financial need, go ahead and apply as early as possible to increase your chances of getting in, Bellmon said.

For others, its OK to take your time. Admissions officers may be more likely to sweeten the deal if they know you have other options.

7. Always negotiate!

Jones said when shes applying to a college, shell look at all the scholarships they list on their website. If she meets a scholarships criteria, shell send an email to the schools advisor or admissions counselor.

Theyll rarely give you the best option first, Jones said. Youre gonna have to fight for it in most scenarios.

Sometimes it may take a few calls, or even an in-person visit.

Smith, after learning a college wouldnt let her stack her scholarships, laid out her other options to an admissions officer. Suddenly, the university came back and offered her one grant, then another.

In graduate school, she negotiated with administration to increase her funding, and was also able to receive a discount on her final summer courses.

Weve long been in a space where weve conditioned these students to believe that theyve got to get picked by the school, she said. No, youre picking that school just as much as they pick you.

8. Track your scholarship payments

Dont trust that a scholarship will go directly to your bank account, Smith said.

Its possible that a check in the mail got lost in transit, or was sent to the wrong address. In other cases, departments may hold on to it. Others may not have received important paperwork to finalize a payment.

In these cases, its always better to call someone at the front office. Then, follow up over email so that you have a paper trail of the discussion.

9. Network, network, network

If youre looking for an on-campus job, dont stop at work-study programs. Some student organizations may offer stipends. Other academic programs may offer financial incentives for good grades.

And get comfortable talking with college counselors and alumni groups, Smith said. You could be the next recipient of a new scholarship or grant, simply because you struck up a conversation with the right person.

In graduate school, Smith said she sometimes wrote her own grants to supplement her research, and built relationships with faculty to see those projects through.

Its kind of like when we tell adults to build a relationship with your bank because you never know when opportunities may come through, she said. Its that same mindset.

To recap:
Get the Ed Chat newsletter: Enter your email for weekly updates about Alabama schools from Trisha Powell Crain:

Alabama lawmakers have filed a bill to expand school choice eligibility and offerings under the Alabama Accountability Act, a program that offers tuition scholarships for some students who want to attend a school other than the childs assigned public school.

Under SB263, the program would expand eligibility to students with a higher family income; include all students with IEPs, intellectual or physical disabilites; increase the amount of possible scholarships to $10,000 per student; and require students using scholarships to take the states annual standardized test in math and reading.

The scholarships come from donations collected by nonprofit entities called scholarship granting organizations. Student eligibility for scholarships is determined by family income.

Eligible students can use those scholarships to attend one of 157 participating private schools or to pay tuition to a public school other than the school the child is zoned to attend.

Around 2,700 students currently use scholarships to attend private schools, most of which are religious schools.

The bill also would cut the failing label from the lowest-performing public schools. Under current law, parents at failing schools can enroll their child in a different school within the district, claim a tax credit for costs associated with private school tuition an out-of-district public school that agrees to enroll their child.

The new bill would designate priority schools, with students eligible for the tax credits, as those which earn an F on the state report card.

A separate bill aiming to drop the failing label, sponsored by Rep. AJ McCampbell, D-Demopolis, would rename failing schools as lowest 6th percent schools. HB30 received unanimous approval in the House and waits in the Senate for approval.

Currently, tax credit scholarships are available to families who make 185% of the federal poverty level. In 2023, that income level would be $45,991. The Accountability Act proposal would raise the cap to 250% of the federal poverty level, or an annual income of $57,575.

Another big change under the proposal would be that all students using scholarships would have to take the state achievement test, the ACAP.

Currently, schools where scholarship students attend are required to report results from whatever test the school uses.

As required by law, test results are analyzed every other year to determine the academic achievement level of scholarship students. Researchers repeatedly emphasize the difficulty in comparing results for economically disadvantaged students from dozens of different tests used by private schools to students taking the states ACAP.

During the 2021-22 school year, 2,853 students obtained scholarships through the program, down from a high of 4,147 students in the 2019-20 school year. Scholarships last year averaged $6,500 each, higher than previous years.

The AAA tax credit scholarship program, in existence since 2013, has granted 25,900 scholarships across all years, paying $147.4 million in tuition mostly to private schools, including religious schools.

Opponents of the AAA claim the program takes money away from public schools because tax credits come from the Education Trust Fund, the state source of public school funding.

The $30 million yearly tax credit cap has been reached only once, during the 2017-18 school year when it was raised from $25 million, but donations dropped off drastically in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years, when less than $10 million was donated each year.

Through 2020, the total amount of tax credits claimed is just over $140 million according to figures obtained from the Alabama Department of Revenue, which oversees the AAA program.

Potential changes come as lawmakers also debate two bills that would create Education Savings Accounts, a different format of school choice.

ESAs allow parents to access up to $6,900 in state education funding to pay for educational services rather than enroll their child in public school full-time. ESAs are akin to vouchers, allowing funds to be accessed directly by families but differ from vouchers in that ESAs can be used to pay for more than tuition.

Changes proposed by SB263 also include:
A new bill filed by Alabama House Republicans would ban all public drag shows, among other performances, in the presence of minors.

HB401, filed Thursday, would outlaw any lewd or lascivious dancing, presentations, or activities that include exotic dancers or male or female impersonators in public K-12 schools, libraries or any other public places where children under 18 are present.

The bill amends the states Anti-Obscenity Enforcement Act, which prohibits the distribution of obscene material to minors.

Read more: Alabama lawmakers want to extend limits on school discussions of LGBTQ issues.

In order for material to be considered obscene, it must appeal to an excessive interest in sexual matters, depict or describe sexual conduct, and lack any literary, artistic, political or scientific value.

HB401 expands the definition of sexual conduct to specifically prohibit the following:

Any sexual or gender oriented material that exposes minors to persons who are dressed in sexually revealing, exaggerated, or provocative clothing or costumes, or are stripping, or engaged in lewd or lascivious dancing, presentations, or activities, including but not limited to topless, go-go, or exotic dancers, or male or female impersonators, commonly known as drag queens or drag kings.

A drag performer by the name of Champagne Monroe reads the children's book "Rainbow Fish" to a group of kids and parents at the Mobile Public Library for Drag Queen Story Hour in Mobile, Ala. on Sept. 8, 2018. The event, sponsored by LGBT group Rainbow Mobile, involves local drag queen performers reading to children. (AP Photo/Dan Anderson)AP

Under current Alabama law, any person who knowingly distributes obscene material to minors could be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $10,000 for a first offense.

The legislation  brought forth by a group of six male Republican lawmakers  comes as conservative states across the country attack drag shows and other LGBTQ topics.

According to Time, at least fourteen other states have enacted anti-drag bills using similar language.

Tennessee became the first state in the country to ban drag shows this year. Its bill was temporarily blocked by a federal judge last month.

In 2018, Rainbow Mobile hosted a drag queen story hour at a local library, with more than 100 people in attendance. Performers read Stella Has a Family and Rainbow Fish.

In a statement Thursday evening, Central Alabama Pride, a non-profit LGBTQ rights organization, condemned the bill, calling it a harmful and discriminatory measure targeting the LGBTQ community.

This bill is an outrageous attack on freedom of expression and the vibrant culture of the LGBTQ community in Alabama, said Central Alabama Pride President Josh Coleman, adding that the bill was so broad it could criminalize a day at the beach.

Drag performances have long been a source of empowerment, resilience, and unity for our community, and banning them is an affront to our fundamental rights, he said.

HB401 will be heard in the House State Government Committee before it is able to be voted on in the House floor.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs), Rep. Jamie Kiel (R-Russellville), Rep. Scott Stadthagen (R-Hartselle), Rep. Mack Butler (R-Rainbow City), Rep. Jim Carns (R-Vestavia Hills) and Rep. Chris Sells (R-Greenville).
In this file photo taken on Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence presides over a joint session of Congress to certify the 2020 Electoral College results in Washington, D.C. Former U.S. vice president Mike Pence testified April 27 in the federal investigation examining his ex-boss Donald Trump's role in the 2021 assault on the Capitol, AFP-Yonhap



Former Vice President Mike Pence testified Thursday before a federal grand jury investigating efforts by then-President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, according to a person familiar with the matter.



Pence's appearance before a grand jury in Washington scrutinizing the president he once loyally served is a milestone in the Justice Department's investigation and likely gives prosecutors a key first-person account about certain conversations and events in the weeks preceding the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. It also carries significant political implications, coming as Pence hints at entering the 2024 presidential race and a potential run against Trump, the Republican front-runner.



The testimony, confirmed by a person familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss a secret grand jury matter, came hours after a federal appeals court in a sealed order rejected a bid by Trump's lawyers to block Pence's appearance.



Pence was subpoenaed to testify earlier this year, but Trump's lawyers objected, citing executive privilege concerns. A judge in March refused to block Pence's appearance, though he did side with the former vice president's constitutional claims that he could not be forced to answer questions about anything related to his role as presiding over the Senate's certification of votes on Jan. 6.



"We'll obey the law, we'll tell the truth," Pence said in an interview with CBS News' "Face the Nation" that aired Sunday. "And the story that I've been telling the American people all across the country, the story that I wrote in the pages of my memoir, that'll be the story I tell in that setting."



It was not immediately clear what Pence may have told the grand jury, but he is the most high-profile Trump administration official to be summoned before the panel. Inside the federal building where the grand jury has been meeting, just blocks from the U.S. Capitol, security was high throughout the day because of Pence's appearance.



Pence has spoken extensively about Trump's pressure campaign urging him to reject Democrat Joe Biden's presidential election victory in the days leading up to Jan. 6, including in his book, "So Help Me God." Pence, as vice president, had a ceremonial role overseeing Congress' counting of the Electoral College vote but did not have the power to affect the results, despite Trump's contention otherwise.



Pence, a former Indiana governor and congressman, has said that Trump endangered his family and everyone else who was at the Capitol that day and history will hold him "accountable."



"For four years, we had a close working relationship. It did not end well," Pence wrote, summing up their time in the White House.





Former President Donald Trump greets supporters at a campaign rally on April 27 in Manchester, New Hampshire. AFP-Yonhap
A Bessemer man has been indicted on a federal charge that illegally possessed a machine gun.

DeAndre Dewayne Moore, 20, was indicted in Birmingham this week, according to a joint announcement by Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.

According to the indictment, in December 2022, Moore illegally possessed a Glock 9mm pistol equipped with a Glock switch  an after-market device designed to illegally convert a semiautomatic Glock pistol into a fully automatic machine gun.

Across the country, from California to Texas and in between, federal prosecutors are indicting more suspects for possession of the switches.

Authorities say the device is particularly concerning because a converted handgun has limited accuracy, which means the intended target may not get wounded, but others will.

Guns outfitted with a Glock switch can fire up to 1,100 rounds a minute.

According to testimony earlier this week against the suspects in a Sweet 16 birthday party shooting that led to four people dying and 32 others injured, one or two of the guns fired during the party were equipped with a Glock switch.

The maximum penalty for possession of a machine gun is 10 years in prison.

FBI investigated the case, along with the Bessemer Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Royster is prosecuting the case.
Two more people have been indicted in the federal investigation in the use of specialized keys used to steal mail from outside drop boxes at postal offices.

Derrell Allen Matthews, 25, was arrested on federal and state charges earlier this month on charges that he bought two specialized keys from a Birmingham postal worker.

Authorities on Thursday announced federal charges against two others who they say worked with Matthews  Keaundria Janae Gresham, 30, of Pleasant Grove, and Steven Cornelius Hudson Jr., 34, of Bessemer.

The nine-count indictment charges Matthews and Gresham with conspiracy. Additionally, Matthews is also charged with paying a bribe to a public official, possession of U.S. Postal Service Keys - stolen or reproduced  and possession of stolen mail.

Gresham was also charged with public official accepting a bribe and possession of U.S. Postal Keys, stolen or reproduced.

Hudson is charged with possession of stolen mail.

As earlier reported by AL.com, Matthews, of Birmingham, is accused of buying two Arrow Keys for $3,000 each in a deal brokered over Facebook with Gresham, who worked at the Fairview Heights Station Post Office.

Matthews was taken into custody in Shelby County in early April and authorities said he was in possession of 17 pounds of stolen mail.

Over the past year, postal inspectors in northern Alabama have been investigating a series of mail thefts and postal carrier robberies.

Birmingham, Homewood, Pelham, Hoover and Vestavia are just a few of the cities that have experienced thefts.

Postal Inspector Montaleto Barber explained in the criminal complaint against Matthews that in the mail thefts, the suspects have often used stolen or illegally obtained Arrow Keys to access U.S. Postal Service blue collection boxes to steal mail.

The keys are unique keys that are used only by the U.S. Postal Service and should never be outside of the possession of postal employees.

In recent years, these Arrow Keys have become targets of fraud groups across the southeast United States because of the unfettered access it allows criminals to have and use to steal large quantities of U.S. Mail, the inspector wrote.

Our recent investigations have revealed that this initial stage of mail theft is the beginning of a fraud scheme that often involves the negotiation of stolen checks at FDIC insured financial institutions and sometimes involves identity theft in furtherance of those schemes, Barber wrote.

He said multiple mail thefts using the Arrow Key have taken place across multiple locations in the Birmingham metro area including the Riverchase Drive post office and the Corporate Drive in Meadowbrook.

The thefts in Hoover began in late August of 2022.

Video surveillance at the post office showed a red Dodge Charger was used in the theft. A man was seen getting out of the Charger and using a key to access the back panel of the blue collection boxes, the complaint states.

Multiple pieces of mail were stolen, and the Charger left the area.

More mail thefts took place on Sept. 20, 2022, and Sept. 29, 2022, also in Hoover.

A red Charger was also seen on those surveillance videos, and a suspect shown using an Arrow Key to access the rear panel of the collection boxes.

Following the mail theft that occurred on Sept. 29, postal inspectors spoke with Hoover police about cameras that may have been in use near the Hoover post office at the time of the mail theft.

Traffic cameras installed on Galleria Drive near the Hoover Post Office captured an image of the red Dodge Charger, which gave investigators its license plate. That tag was photographed just minutes after the mail theft.

Postal inspectors learned the Charger was registered to Matthews, who they determined lived in northern Birmingham.

They also learned he was not a postal employee and should not have access to an Arrow Key.

In October, postal inspectors carried out a federal search warrant on Matthews 31st Street North home.

The items seized from the raid included stolen U.S. mail, stolen checks, counterfeit checks, blank check stock, a printer, and a U.S. Postal Service Arrow Key.

The serial number on that key matched one that was reported lost by the Fairview Heights Station Post Office on Aug. 10, 2022.

Inspectors also began their probe into how Matthews obtained the Arrow Key.

They got a search warrant for his Facebook account - Rackz Out  and found a conversation between Matthews and Gresham discussing fraud by using FDIC insured banks.

However, as part of that conversation, authorities said, Matthews and the woman discussed acquiring an Arrow Key for Matthews.

Investigators determined Gresham was a letter carrier out of the Fairview Heights Station in Birmingham.

On July 23, 2022, Gresham asked Matthews for $6,000 to get him the unique key, according to a federal complaint.

(She) made statements like its worldwide its worth too much plus Im risking my job,' the inspector wrote in the complaint.

The two ultimately agreed on a price of $3,000.

The conversation between Matthews and (Gresham) coincides with postal inspectors receiving a report from the Fairview Heights Station Post Office about a lost arrow key, Barber wrote in the complaint.

This also coincides with the timeframe postal inspectors first observed Matthews red Dodge Charger at the Hoover collection boxes while individuals were stealing mail.

On Oct. 24, 2022, just a few days after the search of his residence, Matthews reached out to the woman again on Facebook and several days later, he offered to buy another key from her, again for $3,000.

Gresham on Nov. 1, 2022, let Matthews know she was able to get the second key and they agreed on a time and place to meet.

Inspectors said that conversation coincided with another report of a lost Arrow Key, as well as the timeframe postal officials started getting complaints from customers of the Meadowbrook post office about mail being stolen from collection boxes.

In November 2022, postal inspectors began getting multiple reports of mail theft from the blue collection boxes at the Meadowbrook location.

Postal customers were reporting they were depositing their mail into the blue collection boxes; however, the mail was not reaching its intended destination and personal and/or business checks were being altered and deposited into accounts of person(s) unknown to them, Barber wrote.

On Jan. 1, 2023, postal inspectors received a sensor alert that someone was accessing one of the collection boxes at the Meadowbrook Post Office.

Postal inspectors reviewed the surveillance and spotted a red Dodge Charger parked next to the collection boxes and an unidentified individual in a dark colored hoodie next to the red Dodge Charger.

The vehicle, authorities said, matched that of Derrell Matthews Charger.

On April 2, postal inspectors, along with Shelby County sheriffs deputies conducted surveillance at the Meadowbrook Post Office. At 10:41 p.m. that Sunday, a light-colored sedan stopped at the collection boxes.

Someone exited the left rear passenger door and ran around the front of the vehicle to the blue collection boxes. That person used a key to open a collection box, removed the white postal tub containing the mail, and dumped the mail into the front seat of the sedan.

The person then opened a second blue collection box and dumped that mail into the front seat of the car.

Barber notified other postal inspectors and deputies, providing them with the vehicles description and direction.

The law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle.

Matthews and Hudson were taken into custody.

Officers were able to see white garbage bags on the front and rear floor of the vehicle that contained large amounts of U.S. mail, according to the complaint.

A search of the vehicle turned up stolen mail, a black mask, and an Arrow Key with the same serial number as one reported lost out of the Fairview Heights Station Post Office.

Shelby County deputies charged Matthews with possessing burglar tools.

At the time of his arrest in Shelby County, Matthews was already facing charges in Jefferson County of third-degree theft of property, first-degree theft of property and five counts of third-degree possession of a forged instrument.

Matthews was released from the Jefferson County Jail on those charges on March 19, 2022.

Deputy District Attorney Olivia Hill wrote in an April 4 motion to revoke Matthews bond that previous bond revocations for him  on Feb. 8 and Feb. 20  had been denied by a judge, who reinstated his bonds at $75,000.

Less than a month after having his bond reinstated, Matthews was arrested in Shelby County.

The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years in prison. The maximum penalty for unlawful possession of a postal service key is 10 years in prison.

The maximum penalty for paying a bribe to a public official and a public official accepting a bribe is 15 years in prison. The maximum penalty for possession of stolen mail is five years in prison.

U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel McBrayer is prosecuting.
Birminghams Church of the Highlands has recently blocked off a popular hiking trail on Grants Mill Road in Irondale with the erection of a 6-foot-tall chain link fence on its property.

Birmingham hikers and nature enthusiasts have taken to social media in droves to express their anger over loss of access to the trail. Over 500 people have reacted to a Reddit post featured on the r/Birmingham page which shows screenshots of a now deleted Facebook post complaining about the blockage with photos of the fence.

Ginny Brown, author of the original Facebook post, said she made the decision to remove the post due to commenters losing focus on what she said was really important, the trail.

I voluntarily removed the post, said Brown. There were over 200 comments, and I couldnt keep up with them but some of them were going way off of this subject.

Ive volunteered probably hundreds of hours on that trail since 2017 or 2018 and I have pretty much been all over that property helping to maintain it.
People often ask Dr. Leah Torres why she stays in Alabama.

The 43-year-old OB-GYN  who strides into her clinic most mornings wearing a clitoris pendant and T-shirts with slogans that declare ABORT THE PATRIARCHY  does not consider this conservative Deep South state her home.

A few weeks after she arrived, the state Board of Medical Examiners revoked her temporary medical license to practice, accusing her of ethical violations.

It took her seven months to get it back, a legal battle that cost her $115,360.93, according to the price tag she affixed to the framed license hanging in her office at the West Alabama Womens Center.

The center was one of the busiest abortion clinics in the state, until the Supreme Court struck down Roe vs. Wade last year. Abortion became illegal in Alabama, one of over a dozen states with full bans. Now that doctors who perform the procedure in Alabama risk up to 99 years in prison, Torres finds herself, once again, unable to offer the full spectrum of reproductive medical care she was trained for.

But Torres has no intention of backing down.

You dont want me here? Thats why Im gonna stay, she said, sitting at a desk strewn with laboratory invoices and a tiny fetus replica handed out by antiabortion campaigners. Im not leaving, just out of spite!

See also:

Torres believes her work is not done in Alabama, a state with the third-highest maternal mortality rate in the nation and the sixth-highest infant death rate. The Republican-dominated Legislature joined nine other conservative states in refusing to expand Medicaid, which would allow more than 200,000 uninsured non-elderly adults in the state to become eligible for coverage.

After shutting down for a week in July after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, her clinic reopened its doors as a pay what you can nonprofit offering low-income and uninsured women basic reproductive health services that can be hard to access in Alabama.

Torres and the clinic are also wading into another culture wars fray, offering hormone therapy for transgender people, including teenagers, at a time when Alabama and other conservative states are moving to ban such treatment for minors.

Theres so much work here, Torres said. Alabamas really dead set on compromising peoples lives, especially LGBTQ+ youth, especially pregnant people. These are expendable people in the eyes of the state of Alabama.

We have to push back

When Tina Collins, the front office manager, picks up the phone  West Alabama Womens Center!  she frequently has to inform callers the clinic no longer provide abortions.

No maam, we do not, she says gently in her south Georgia drawl. They are illegal in Alabama. You can go to our website, the West Alabamas Womens Center, or you can go to the website redstateaccess.org.

In July, when the tiny brick clinic reopened with abortions no longer on its list of services, staff members were nervous. Robin Marty, the clinics director of operations, gave everyone firm instructions not to provide callers with information on obtaining abortions out of state or by mail.

Now theyve adopted a slightly bolder approach, plastering the reception window with stickers offering website links for abortion information.

Need to be unpregnant? asks a sticker at eye level of the front desk. RED STATE ACCESS CAN HELP.

Safe. Private. Informed, another says. Learn about self-managed abortion.

We have to push back, Marty said. If we dont test these things, then they won already  and were going to be trapped forever.

As abortion clinics have shuttered across Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, national organizations have devoted resources to setting up new centers and mobile clinics in blue states. But women who travel for abortions still need care when they come home.

Last Friday, a 20-year-old nursing student came to the clinic with her mother for a follow-up appointment a month after driving to Georgia for a medication abortion.

After passing a sign that said Still Open for Non-Abortion Services, they slipped through a glass door into an empty waiting room that used to teem with patients. On the day before Roe was overturned, 67 people came to the clinic for medication abortions. Now the clinic sees about 15 patients a week.

The medication had worked and there were no complications, but the womans mother was indignant that politicians had forced them to take a day off work and school to make the six-hour round trip to Atlanta.

I feel like your body is yours, not the governments, said Renetha Abernathy, a 57-year-old nurse. We should have full healthcare right here in our own area, so we can make that choice.

Earlier that week, Torres met a pregnant patient who told her that the local OB-GYN clinic that gave her prenatal care and delivered her baby 15 months ago made her wait nearly three hours for an appointment and rebuked her when she complained. The woman suspected  as did Torres  that the stark discrepancy in care was because she had switched from Blue Cross Blue Shield to Medicaid.

Even patients with insurance have trouble accessing care. Tyeshia Smith, 31, a mental health worker who has done sex work, came to the clinic because she wanted another child but worried about her fertility. Her menstrual cycle had become irregular in recent months, and she feared sexually transmitted diseases had taken a toll on her body.

The first clinic she called couldnt see her until July. Another didnt answer, so she left a voicemail.

Every aspect of healthcare here in Alabama to me is 20 years back, Smith, who is from Ohio, said as she waited in an exam room for a Pap smear.

Over the last year, Torres has treated women who have miscarried or learned their pregnancies are nonviable and have trouble finding care, as physicians across the state become more fearful of ending up in jail.

In February, Alison, a 36-year-old in Montgomery who spoke on condition that her full name not be used, started bleeding about seven weeks after getting pregnant via artificial insemination. When she went to her OB-GYN for an emergency ultrasound, she was told the pregnancy wasnt viable  there was a sac, but no fetal tissue or heartbeat. The doctor, seeming uncomfortable, told her to go home and wait for her body to pass the tissue.

Over the next few days, Alison bled and cramped so badly she could not get out of bed. Her grief and anxiety swelled as she read online about sepsis and fretted that if the sac did not pass it could harm her fertility.

After the bleeding subsided the fifth day, she decided to drive 100 miles to Tuscaloosa to see Torres. The ultrasound showed she was out of danger. Torres spent 20 minutes reassuring her she had not done anything wrong.

This is our bodys way of preventing us from heartache, Torres told her, noting that sometimes bodies reject cells that are unhealthy. Miscarriage is terrible; this was a blessing.

For the first time during the ordeal, Alison said, she felt seen and taken care of.

Escaping corporate medical hell

The door to Torres office is usually open, adorned with buttons that say TRUST WOMEN and IM ON YOUR SIDE and a flag that proclaims ROUND THESE PARTS, WE RESPECT PRONOUNS.

As an activist who promotes herself in her Twitter bio as a sex+, gender-affirming repro health specialist tagline GTFO of my uterus  Torres has always chafed at the idea of the paternalistic physician.

I am not going to be the Do as I say doctor, she said before meeting a transgender patient last week for a telehealth appointment. I want them to understand that this is a team effort and that Im not a magic wizard with all of the answers. I am a human being too.

Throughout her medical career, Torres has often felt thwarted.

A Michigan native who also grew up in Florida, she studied medicine at the University of Illinois. After completing her OB-GYN and specialized family planning training in Philadelphia and Salt Lake City, she got a job in 2014 at a community clinic in northern Utah. The clinic would not let her incorporate abortion care into her general practice.

Her frustration built as she got embroiled in campaigns against Utah lawmakers attempts to restrict abortion.

In 2018, Torres found herself at the center of an online firestorm after someone on Twitter accused her of infanticide and asked: Do you hear their heartbeats when you lay down at night?

Torres replied: You know fetuses cant scream, right? I transect the cord 1st so theres really no opportunity, if theyre even far enough along to have a larynx.

She refers to this incident now as the tweet that broke my entire life.

Conservative pundit Ben Shapiro shared her Tweet, commenting This is like a James Bond villain explaining his plan to 007, but a lot less self-aware. Torres deleted the post and clarified that she meant umbilical cord, not vocal cord. But the Daily Caller and a string of right-wing outlets posted articles naming Torres. Eventually, she was fired over a contract requirement to uphold her professional reputation.

Unable to find another job in Utah, she sued the Daily Caller for defamation, reaching a settlement in which she got $40,000. After a year without work, she moved to New Mexico to work at a hospital that did not perform abortions.

She earned enough to pay off her student loans but felt disenchanted. The system, as she saw it, did not just prevent doctors from performing a necessary procedure, it encouraged them to perform unnecessary ones, such as Cesarean sections. If a vaginal delivery pays half of what a C-section is, why would you do a vaginal delivery ever? she said.

Pregnant women  and Ill just be cis-normative for a second  are walking dollar signs, she railed. Theyre not people. They are a commodity that makes money for the hospital, for the healthcare network, for the insurance company and for the doctor.

When Marty called Torres in March 2020 to ask if she would be interested in leaving New Mexico to take on the role of medical director of an abortion clinic in a different state, Torres jumped at the offer.

Sign me up, she said.

Do you want to know where it is? Marty asked.

I dont care, Torres said. Im in corporate medical hell.

Alabama is not a haven for Torres. The state faces a critical shortage of OB/GYNs. In 1980, 45 of the states 54 rural counties provided obstetric services; by 2019, the number was 16. A family of four qualifies for Medicaid benefits there only if the household income is under $450 dollars a month.

But the Tuscaloosa clinic offers Torres a place to serve the needy in a state that, as she sees it, is the quintessential example of what corporate medicine really is.

For Torres, it is nothing short of a miracle that the clinic is still open.

Before Roe was overturned, when 95% of patients came to the clinic for abortions, the clinic brought in $200,000 a month. In the last 10 months, revenue from patients has totaled $20,000. Marty laid off five of the clinics 11 staff members in August. But revenue has totaled $998,000, mostly through grants and fundraising, ensuring that the clinic can stay open at least through September.

A key prong of its new work is bringing in LGBTQ+ patients from across Alabama via telehealth appointments. The clinic is now offering HIV testing and medication to prevent HIV transmission.

It also provides hormone therapy to transgender patients, including minors  a move that is almost certain to bring the clinic into conflict with Alabama officials.

Transgender care, a new battleground

A year ago, Alabama became the first state to pass a law making it a felony for a doctor to prescribe or administer puberty blockers or hormone treatment to anyone younger than 19 for the purpose of attempting to alter the appearance of or affirm the minors perception of his or her gender or sex  with prison sentences of up to 10 years.

But the law is partially blocked by a federal court until a September hearing. After consulting with attorneys, the Tuscaloosa clinic is, for now, quietly offering minors hormone treatment. The clinics website states that it can provide hormone therapy and other care to those over the age of 19, but Torres said that a whisper network promoted services for minors.

Over the last year, Torres said, she has prescribed hormone treatment to about 50 transgender patients. Two were younger than 19.

This is the healthcare people need to keep them safe, Torres said. I will fight for that.

Across the U.S. and Europe, debate is raging among health professionals about how to treat a rising number of adolescents who identify as transgender. There are no long-term clinical studies looking at how hormone treatments may affect fertility and sexual function. Countries such as Sweden, France and the U.K. have in recent years reversed course and adopted a more cautious approach, citing potential side effects and a growing number of people who regret transitioning.

Last year, the World Professional Assn. for Transgender Health, the leading medical group for transgender care, published new standards of care for gender-diverse adolescents seeking medical treatment, recommending that healthcare professionals carry out comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment before providing them with puberty blockers, sex-changing hormones or mastectomies.

Torres does not believe adolescents seeking hormones require mental health evaluations.

No, I dont need a psychologist or psychiatrist to evaluate someone whos telling me, This is how I felt for years, she said. I know that how they felt for years is not pathological.

When meeting trans patients, Torres is upfront that she has been practicing such care for only a year.

Full disclosure, she tells them, this area of medicine is pretty new to me. She also points out that this is a relatively experimental area of medicine without a lot of data.

One transgender patient Torres recently started seeing through telehealth was referred to her because the teens pediatrician and staff at a psychiatric hospital did not respect his gender identity and used his old name. The teen, who had a history of depression and anxiety, told Torres he had known he was a boy for years and wanted to take sex-changing hormones.

Torres told him straight up, early in their first conversation, she would prescribe a low dose of testosterone. She let the boy know she was glad he was seeing a therapist, even though she didnt require it. She believes trans people need to deal with the trauma of trans bigotry in Alabama, she said.

When she told him she was prescribing testosterone, his face lit up, she said. He asked her, You mean right today?

And that, she said, was why she did her job. The teen had tried for so long to get healthcare and been unsuccessful. She believes she is offering lifesaving care.

I will do whatever I can within legal parameters, Torres said later. But at the end of the day, if its somebodys life versus a bad law, Im choosing that persons life.

Hopefully, she said, there would never be a conflict.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

2023 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
As momentum appears to build about replacing the deteriorating Saturn 1B rocket with a replica at the north Alabama welcome center on Interstate 65, evidence is surfacing that restoring the rocket may be a feasible alternative.

An 2022 internal assessment of the rockets condition by the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, obtained by AL.com, includes cost estimates for restoration, including one company saying it could complete the job for $5 million, far short of the $7 million cost NASA has projected. And a conservator working with a Huntsville group seeking to preserve the rocket said he believes restoration could cost even less still.

Related: $10 million fundraiser proposed to save Alabama rest stop rocket; questions loom

Related: NASA updates plans for rocket at Alabama rest stop

Meanwhile, state Sen. Tom Butler, R-Madison, is sponsoring a bill in the current legislative session to replace the rocket with a replica. And the commission that operates the rocket center last year received almost $1 million from the state legislature to help fund rocket removal.

For the moment, the issue is in a holding pattern, however, as the rocket center  charged by NASA to take down the rocket  awaits an opinion from the Alabama attorney generals office on whether the states 2017 memorial preservation law makes it illegal to dismantle the rocket.

NASA announced in January that the rocket would be removed from the temporarily-closed Alabama welcome center just south of the Tennessee state line. In the announcement, NASA said restoring the 168-foot rocket would cost in excess of $7 million.

A rough order of magnitude cost estimate from two bidders in the rocket centers 2022 internal report, however, projected restoration costs at $5 million and $6.3 million.

Daniel Ponsford, a Georgia-based conservator who has worked on projects at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington and across the country, said he believed restoration costs could be as low as $4 million. Ponsford is working with a Huntsville group seeking to raise money to cover restoration costs.

The rocket really is in overall good condition, Ponsford told AL.com. He said he recently has viewed the rocket from the ground and has asked permission to do an internal inspection to confirm his perspective.

I firmly believe (the rocket is in good condition) and so does a structural engineer friend of mine, Ponsford said. Were both in total agreement that this rocket can sustain another 40 years with no problem.

Thats counter, of course, to NASAs view that the rocket may not even be able to withstand rehabilitation. The rocket has been at the welcome center since 1979 and has withered since then under the elements, NASA said.

Extensive repairs, if possible, would need to be done on site and require a team of experts working fulltime for more than a year, NASA said in a statement announcing plans to remove the rocket. None of these efforts will prevent the inevitable deterioration of a vehicle that was not designed to stand outdoors.

The rocket centers assessment of the rocket cited the buildup on the interior of bird and bat excrement as well as the degradation of the spider beam. That beam, the report said, is responsible for the structural integrity of the entire rocket as it holds the 8 tubes together and holds the second stage to the first.

As for the exterior of the rocket, it shows many areas of corrosion, rusting, and deterioration caused by long term exposure to the elements. Restoration will heavily consist of corrosion control and metal repairs, the report said.

All areas of the rocket must be sealed to prevent future wildlife intrusion, the report said.

Ponsford said none of those issues presented concern. This week, he said he has been in California working on restoration of military airplanes on display and said that the fuselage of those planes and the rocket were similar in their construction and, subsequently, similar in their restoration.

The only difference is the rocket has fins where the B-52 has wings, Ponsford said. Besides that, structurally, theyre manufactured the same way. The rocket, though, is really overly built in comparison to the planes. So when we heard about the rocket being assessed that it could not be restored or it could for a phenomenal price, I looked at that dollar figure and thought that was way off base.

Marshall Space Flight Center has also raised concerns about the safety of the rocket. But the Space & Rocket Centers internal report made no mention of possible dangers associated with the rocket. The report said the guy wires that help secure the rocket appeared to be in good shape.

Ponsford also said the bird and bat excrement mentioned in the report would be surface corrosion and could be eliminated after pressure washing using lasers.

We restored the New York Peace Monument on Lookout Mountain (at Point Park in Chattanooga), we laser-cleaned that, he said. And thats (95) feet in the air. When were doing an aircraft and we clean out bird nesting material or guano, its truly superficial. Theres not enough acidic material there to really deteriorate the aluminum.

The restoration estimates included in the rocket center report, as well as NASAs estimate, include laying the rocket down and raising it back up again. Ponsford said the rocket could be restored as it stands.

I believe it would cause more damage by trying to take it down and then restore it on the ground and then put it back up, he said. Theres just not a need for that.

Ponsford said he is making his assessments without visually reviewing the interior of the rocket. But he was pessimistic that he would receive permission to do an inspection because of the momentum toward replacing it.

If they allow us to go inside and take pictures, we would basically reconfirm our own assessment, Ponsford said.
An east Alabama man described as the leader of a methamphetamine trafficking operation has been sentenced to more than 30 years in federal prison.

U.S. District Court Judge David Proctor sentenced Antonio Franchester Orr, aka Lil T, to 372 months, or 31 years, according to a joint announcement by Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona, DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley and ATF Special Agent in Charge Marcus Wason.

The 47-year-old Orr, of Eastaboga, pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine and attempt to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, along with fifty-five counts of use of a telephone to commit a drug trafficking crime.

According to the plea agreement, Orr coordinated with a Mexican source of supply, using a broker out of an Alabama state prison, to obtain methamphetamine and other controlled substances and distribute them in the Calhoun County area.

Orr, documents state, was responsible for possessing or attempting to possess over 30 kilograms of methamphetamine, and overseeing the distribution of various other substances, including cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.

Over the course of the investigation, agents seized more than 20 kilos of methamphetamine, 1 kilo of cocaine, multiple firearms, and bulk currency from members from Orr and other members of his drug trafficking organization.

Armed drug traffickers will go to extreme lengths to profit from deadly drugs with no regard to the pain and devastation they cause our communities, and we will not tolerate it, Escalona said.

A total of 11 defendants have pleaded guilty to charges in the indictment returned in July 2022.

The indictment was a result of a year-long Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the drug-trafficking enterprise based in Calhoun County.

The task force identified acts in furtherance of the conspiracy committed by members of the organization over a period of six months. Six of the defendants have now been sentenced, and five remaining defendants await sentencing.

We are committed to investigating drug trafficking organizations that profit from the distribution of methamphetamine and other illegal and dangerous narcotics, said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Thorne-James. The sentence imposed should be a warning to those thinking of polluting our communities with these addictive substances.

The DEA and the ATF investigated the case, along with assistance from the Anniston Police Department, Oxford Police Department, 7th Judicial Circuit Major Crimes Unit, Calhoun County District Attorneys Office, Talladega County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, Pell City Police Department, West Alabama Narcotics Task Force, Blount County Sheriffs Department, and the Alabama National Guard Joint Counter Drug Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison Garnett and Blake Milner are prosecuting.

The ATF worked collaboratively and tirelessly with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to arrest and charge the members of this criminal organization, Watson said. We will continue to use all of our resources to disrupt the illegal possession of firearms, distribution of narcotics, and other acts of violence within the communities that we serve.
Officials confirmed the death of a popular young L.A. rapper known as MoneySign Suede after he was reportedly stabbed in the showers at a California prison on Tuesday evening.

The incident took place at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, where he was serving a 32-month sentence for a pair of gun charges, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The rapper, whose real name is Jaime Brugada Valdez, was originally from Huntington Park in California. He had received support from fans and other artists in the weeks leading up to his death, calling for him to be released from prison via posts on social media.

People are very shocked, said Nicholas Rosenberg, Valdezs attorney. He was a very popular guy, very mild-mannered. People loved him.

Valdez was found unresponsive just before 10 p.m. Tuesday, after officers found he was not in his cell during a regular count.

He was later discovered with injuries consistent with a homicide, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation stated.

The attack was reportedly a stabbing in the neck, and an investigation is now being launched by by the prisons Investigative Services Unit and the Monterey County district attorneys office.

One prisoner who spoke with the LA Times said the killing took place in a section of the prison that houses general population inmates.

When news of the death broke Wednesday, fans and artists flocked to social media to remember the Mexican-American rapper.

LONGLIVESUEDE, said the Los Angeles rapper Peysoh, in one Instagram post.

The rapper was just 22 years old at the time of his death, reports TMZ.

2023 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A new study shows Americans were bilked out of $1.3 billion in 2022 due to romance scams. Thats a 138% increase from the $547 million Americans lost in 2021. It was the largest single jump in the last five years.

Alabamians, however, were less likely than citizens of other states to fall victim to these scams and lost less money, the study says

Last year, Alabama had a total of 206 victims that were scammed out of $4 million, according to research from Social Catfish, which describes itself as a reverse research technology company,

The groups ranking system put Alabama at 30th in the country, with 50th being the most unlikely to fall for romance scams. Also, $23,324 was the average amount that each Alabama victim lost - ranking the state 39th in that category.

The 10 states that lost the most money in 2022 were highly populated states, led by California, Texas, Florida, and New York.

The three main types of romance scams are celebrity scams, cryptocurrency scams, and military scams, according to Social Catfish. The group said the best way to avoid these schemes is by not sending money to unknown people and conducting a reverse image search to confirm someones identity.

Social Catfish developed the study using data from the FBI and Federal Trade Commission, as well as internal data from 10 million of its users.

5 Key Findings from Social Catfish:
Three firefighters were injured - one of them seriously - while battling a blaze in Birmingham Thursday night.

Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service responded shortly before 10 p.m. to a structure fire in the 1200 block of Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Boulevard. Battalion Chief Jackie Hicks said that location is a duplex that appeared to be vacant at the time the fire broke out.

There was a substantial amount of fire coming from the duplex when firefighters arrived. Crews quickly made entry and tried to know down the fire from inside.

Conditions worsened a little bit so crews started to back out,' Hicks said. Unfortunately on the way out of the fire, the porch gave so we had three firefighters that were trapped up under some debris.

A Mayday call went out - which is used only when a firefighter is trapped, injured or missing.

They got them out pretty quick, a couple of minutes maybe,' Hicks said. Crews were right there with them so once they saw them go down, they acted quickly to get them out.

Two of the firefighters sustained minor injures while the third suffered serious injures. Hicks said all three were taken to UAB Hospital but are expected to be OK.

As of 11:30 p.m., firefighters were still working to put out hotspots. Hicks said they would do a thorough search to make sure no one was inside.

Just six days ago, another Birmingham firefighter was injured at an apartment blaze in east Birmingham. The erupted about 9:30 p.m. Friday, April 21, at 1417 Montclair Road. That is the large, two-story complex across the street from Fair Haven Nursing Home.

That firefighter remains hospitalized at UAB but is also expected to make a full recovery. Were still praying for him,' Hicks said.
Michaela Kelley is a woman on a mission.

The 27-year-old Birmingham police officer just became the departments first Black female K-9 handler, and she hopes the appointment will not only lead to making the citys streets safer but that shell also be an inspiration to other young women.

This is my city. I live here, Kelley said. Im going to make sure I do everything I can to make the citizens safer.

Kelley and her narcotics dog Jet, a 1-year-old black Labrador Retriever  officially hit the streets on Monday. Being a police officer, and especially a K-9 handler, is a dream come true, she said.

The daughter of a Birmingham police officer - Special Victims Unit Det. Jermaine Kelley  Kelley said she knew at a young age that law enforcement was her calling.

She attended Bottenfield Middle School and Minor High School before obtaining a criminal justice degree from Lawson State. She joined the Birmingham Police Academy in 2017, while she was in her final courses at the community college.

It was a struggle, she said, but Ive always known law enforcement is where I wanted to be.

Ive always loved helping people for a good cause and trying to give people the answers they were looking for, he said.

When she finished the academy, she was assigned to the West Precinct, where spent four years as a beat officer and a member of the West Precinct Task Force.

As soon as I got done with the academy, I was out on the streets running, Kelley said. If it was a robbery call, I was going to it. If it was a homicide call, I was going to it. I was real big on the high priority calls, trying to get suspect information and catch some of the suspects. And I was successful.

Two years ago, Kelley became a SWAT officer with the departments tactical team. That assignment included search warrants, tactical calls and hostage situations.

She was the only female on SWAT at the time. I did have some big shoes to fill because there two females before me that did an amazing job, she said. I had to continue that momentum for women.

While in the academy, Kelley learned about the departments K-9 Unit.

Once I found out in the academy that Birmingham had a K-9 unit, I said, Thats where I want to go,' she said. A lot of people told me it wasnt an easy job and youre going to have to put in a lot of hard work.

Usually, officers dont get that position until after 10 plus years so it was shocking to me that I got it only six years, but I put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get that position, she said.

She underwent the rigorous SWAT training, which described as, a week-long school of 15 plus hours a day just to get you tired, to see how you operate with lack of sleep and mentally drained.

She also began training to become a K-9 officer in 2020 but didnt get the call until two years later that she would get the position.

Kelley learned in November that the city had approved the purchase of a new narcotics dog, and that she would be the handler.

The following month, she and a sergeants picked out Jet.

I just fell in love with Jett the moment I saw him, she said.

She and Jet then spent 30 days in Tuscaloosa training together.

Jet has a wonky nose. His nostril looks funny, but I think thats what helps him, Kelley said. When he picks up the odor of narcotics, hes notifying me immediately.

She said being the first Black female K-9 handler means a lot to her.

I have two young god daughters, she said, and I tell them all the time, If theres something that you want to do, forget the naysayers, if thats what you want, you stick with it. Youre going to fail sometimes and thats ok. Just pick yourself back up and put forth the effort to get to wherever you want to be.'

Her goal, she said, is to help clean up the city.

Its crazy how well drive down First Avenue North and see people just walking like zombies and its because of the drugs that are in Birmingham, Kelley said. Im hoping to make it safer so that we wont get those phone calls, or you wont get that phone call that a family member has overdosed.

I had a friend that died of a fentanyl overdose, she said. That right there put a soft spot in my heart to where if I can make it safer day by day. I dont care if its an ounce or a pound, if I can get it off the streets it may save someone.

Kelley has high ambitions.

I want one day to be at least at a captains level or higher. I wouldnt mind being chief, she said with a smile.

But I just want to push inclusion in the department, that goes for gender and race, she said. I want to get back to where the department is a family  its not going to be perfect family  but if something were to go wrong with any one of us, we could call one person but the whole department would show up for that person.
A man walks near a damaged car and buildings at the central market during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan, April 27. Reuters-Yonhap



Sudan's two warring factions said on Thursday they would prolong a ceasefire agreement by 72 hours, but violence again rocked the capital Khartoum and the western region of Darfur as the U.S. said ceasefire violations were worrying.



Hundreds have died and tens of thousands of people have fled for their lives in two weeks of conflict between the army and its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).



Together, they toppled a civilian government in an October 2021 coup but are now locked in a power struggle that has derailed an internationally backed transition to democracy and is threatening to destabilise a fragile region.



The army on Wednesday said it agreed to a new three-day ceasefire through Sunday following one due to expire on Thursday night. On Thursday, the military reiterated it would extend the truce and said it would honour it unilaterally.



Responding for the first time, the RSF said on Thursday it too approved another 72-hour truce starting Friday.



The news was welcomed by the United Nations, the African Union, African trade bloc IGAD and the so-called quad countries of the U.S., U.K., Saudi Arabia and UAE.



"We also welcome their readiness to engage in dialogue toward establishing a more durable cessation of hostilities and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access," they said in a joint statement.



The army said it controls most of Sudan's regions and is defeating a large RSF deployment in Khartoum where some residential areas have turned into war zones.



Despite a partial lull in fighting since the first 72-hour ceasefire started, air strikes and anti-aircraft fire could be heard on Thursday in the capital and the nearby cities of Omdurman and Bahri, witnesses and Reuters journalists said.



The White House said it was deeply concerned by the ceasefire violations. It said the situation could worsen at any moment and urged U.S. citizens to leave within 24 to 48 hours.





This picture shows a deserted petrol station as people flee the southern part of Khartoum on April 27 amid street battles between the army and paramilitaries continue. AFP-Yonhap



Battles in Darfur



Fighting has spread to the vast Darfur region, where conflict has simmered ever since civil war erupted two decades ago.



The Darfur Bar Association, a rights group, said at least 52 people had died in attacks by well-armed "militias" on residential neighbourhoods in the city of El Geneina, as well as its main hospital, main market, government buildings and several shelters for internally displaced people.



Militiamen from nomadic Arab tribes entered El Geneina as the fighting between the RSF and army created a security vacuum in recent days, said one resident, who asked to withhold his name due to fear of retribution. They were met with armed members of the Masalit tribe, with clashes extending across the city, causing a new wave of displacement.



El Geneina, Sudan's western-most city, has been the site of repeated tribal conflicts in recent years, leading to people being pushed out of their homes multiple times.



"In the past, it would be in one neighbourhood and the authorities would get involved," the resident said. "But because of what's going on, there's been no intervention."



At least 512 people have been killed and close to 4,200 wounded by the fighting since April 15.





Men walk near brick houses in Khartoum as fighting continues between Sudan's army and the paramilitary forces on April 27. AFP-Yonhap
A Madison County judge has denied a motion for a hearing to determine if a former Huntsville police officer charged with murder in a 2018 on-duty shooting should have received immunity.

In a one-page order, Circuit Judge Alan Mann denied a motion for a Stand Your Ground hearing for William Ben Darby, whose 2021 murder conviction was overturned last month. The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals struck down the conviction based on jury instructions given by the trial judge, Madison County Circuit Judge Donna Pate.

Darby, who was released from prison April 13, is scheduled to go to trial again Dec. 11.

Darby shot and killed Jeff Parker on April 3, 2018 in Parkers west Huntsville home. Parker had called police and said that he was about to take his own life. Two other officers were in Parkers home attempting to de-escalate the situation when Darby responded to the scene.

Darby testified at trial, saying he shot Parker in defense of himself and the two other officers. Parker was holding to his head what proved to be a flare gun when Darby fired.

The appeals court, in overturning Darbys conviction, ruled that Pate, the trial judge, should have instructed the jury to decide the case from the perspective of a reasonable police officer.

Earlier this month, Darbys attorneys filed a motion for the immunity hearing, arguing, as in 2019, that he was acting in defense of himself and others when he fatally shot Parker.

If the Trial Court applied the wrong self defense standard at trial, then the Trial Court presumably applied the wrong standard at the Immunity Hearing too, Darbys attorneys argued.
A Madison County jail inmate died Thursday after having abnormal vital signs in the jail and suffering a medical event after being transferred to Huntsville Hospital, authorities said.

The death Judith Ann Allen Jones, 58, appears to be from natural causes, the Madison County Sheriffs Office said, citing the preliminary investigation into Jones death. The investigation determined there was no foul play and Jones had multiple pre-existing health conditions.

Jones, who was in the jail since November while facing charges of possession of a forged instrument and theft of property, was checked by jail staff around 1:30 p.m. Thursday and found to have abnormal vital signs.

Paramedics with Huntsville Emergency Medical Services, Inc., were called to the jail before Jones was taken to Huntsville Hospital.

Tests at the hospitals emergency room showed there were no illegal drugs in Jones system, the sheriffs office said.

Just before 4 p.m. Thursday, Jones suffered a medical event in the ER and could not be revived, the agency said.

The Alabama State Forensics Lab is expected to perform an autopsy to verify Jones cause of death.

The investigation was ongoing as of Thursday night.

Further information was unavailable.
Editors note: This story originates in the Lede, a daily curated news product for local readers. For more information, visit https://www.alabamalede.com.

On Friday, Vertex Energy, an oil company based in Texas, unveiled a new facility at its Saraland refinery that will produce renewable diesel fuel from soybean oil.

As we like to say, were not just cutting ribbons today, were cutting emissions, Benjamin Cowart, founder and CEO of Vertex, said Friday. Were not just blazing a trail for the industry, were doing it for our city, were doing it for Alabama.

The fuel will serve as a drop-in replacement for any standard diesel fuel, Wes Mock, site general manager for the Vertex facility in Saraland which produces transportation diesel fuel, said. Though the site will still produce standard diesel fuel, as well as gasoline and jet fuel, over 8,000 barrels per day of renewable diesel fuel will be produced at the facility, Mock said. A planned second phase of the diesel facility will bring the capacity to 14,000 barrels a day of renewable diesel.

The refinery in Saraland was previously owned by Shell and purchased by Vertex last year. In doing so, Vertex saved 200 jobs, Bradley Byrne, CEO of the Mobile Chamber, said Friday. And the economic impact of the new renewable diesel facility is far greater than 200 jobs, Byrne said.

There were no incentives on this project, they just did it, Byrne said. That shows you the strength of this particular plant, the strength of this industrial community, and the confidence they have.

According to Vertex, 600 jobs were created at the peak of construction last year. Vertex also said that $4 million was spent by the construction workforce on hotels and food, and $115 million went to local engineering firms and contractorsHargrove Engineers and Constructors were the lead firm on the project.

In addition to the economic benefit, theres also an environmental one: Mock says that the renewable diesel will produce about half of the carbon emissions that the production of petroleum diesel requires. Renewable diesel is not the same as biodiesel, which must be blended with petroleum diesel, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Because the fuel can be used in the same way as standard diesel fuel, for trucks, tractor or semis and any other machines that use diesel fuel, less brand-new infrastructure was needed, Daniel Hill, project manager for the renewable diesel plant said.

Mock says that the renewable diesel will also have broader impact beyond the refinery. The fuel will primarily be exported to California, where there are incentives for using renewable diesel fuels, he says, but the economic benefits will still be felt in Alabama. Though Mock wouldnt say how many of the soybean farmers the company works with will be based in Alabama, he did say the soybeans will be both imported and locally sourced.

Its a bit of a mix, this is a newer industry around utilizing soybeans for the production of diesel fuel, Mock said. Were ramping up a lot of the aspects of supply, in terms of our feed stocks.

At Fridays ribbon-cutting ceremony, Mock and Byrne both spoke, as well as Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and Mobile County Commissioner Merceria Ludgood. Cowart and Hill also spoke.

In her remarks, Ivey talked about the importance of the plant to the state.

All while contributing to the economic sector Alabama was built on, our agricultural industry, Ivey said. Alabamas economy depends on our agricultural products, and Vertex introducing this renewable diesel, its the fuel of the future.
The Alabama man convicted of capital murder in the brutal 1999 murders of two high school seniors in the Wiregrass will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The same jury that on Wednesday convicted 49-year-old Coley McCraney of four counts of capital murder spared him the death penalty and sentenced him to life in prison. Two of the jurors voted to impose the death penalty, court records show, while 10 voted for life without parole.

McCraney  who lived his life crime-free and built a family in the 20 years following the murders  was convicted in the slayings of Tracie Hawlett and J.B. Beasley, both 17.

The convictions were for two counts of capital murder-vehicle, one count of capital murder-rape, and capital murder of two or more persons.

McCraney was arrested for the slayings in 2019 after authorities say a DNA match was found through a family DNA website in a genealogy search.

Weve known who the killer of these girls was for a long, said Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, who was the lead prosecutor on the case . We just didnt know his name.

This was a long two weeks with a great deal of testimony and frankly a very emotional courtroom, Marshall said. We are grateful for the thoughtful consideration of evidence in this case and finding justice for two families that have waited for 24 years.

The attorney general said the trial showed conclusively who committed the murders and who should be held accountable. The jury got it right, he said.

We lost two precious girls who unlike Mr. McCraney has been free now for 20 plus years  didnt have the opportunity to do the very things we heard today in mitigationdidnt have the opportunity to become that wife and that mother, didnt have that opportunity to be able to grow up and experience life in a remarkable way, Marshall said.

Thats what this case is about.

The murders of the girls haunted the Wiregrass region for decades and been given national exposure on television networks throughout the years. The friends were on their way home from Beasleys birthday party when they got lost in Ozark on July 31, 1999.

According to Hawletts mother, Carole Roberts, the girls had been lost and could not understand the directions they were given before stopping at a convenience store in Ozark. They had been on their way home from a party in Headland.

The girls were found the next day inside the trunk of Beasleys black Mazda 929, on the side of Herring Avenue about one block away from the Dale County hospital. Both girls had each been shot once to the head, but there were no other signs of foul play. The girls jewelry, purses and money were not missing and state forensics experts at the time said neither girl had been raped.

Within a week, police announced a nationwide, 24-hour hotline to received tips and a reward fund quickly grew to $15,000 in donations from area residents. Then-Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman announce another $10,000 in state funds.

In the years immediately after the killing, investigators conducted more than 500 interviews, overworked forensics experts and tested the DNA of more than 70 potential suspects.

At the time of McCraneys 2019 arrest, Ozark Police Chief Police Chief said the 2018 arrest of the alleged Golden State Killer through use of a genealogy and DNA database sparked the chain of events that led to the break in the Alabama cold case. The department reached out to Parabon NanoLabs in Virginia, which specializes in DNA engineering.

Walker said they started the process in August 2018, and it culminated in the arrest of Coley McCraney, a truck driver who spent some time in the military and has led a crime-free, low-profile life up until the time he was taken into custody.

McCraney took the stand in his own defense during the week-long trial.

WDHN reported that McCraney testified that he had consensual sex with Beasley.He said they had previously met her at the Wiregrass Commons Mall almost two months prior to the murders, and the two planned to meet at the Ozark gas station at 10 p.m. on July 31, 1999.

When Beasley was late, he said he went to his mothers house to wait on a call from Beasley but never received one.

McCraney says after leaving his mothers house at around 11:30 p.m. to head home, his alternator gave out and the car broke down at the same gas station where he finally saw Beasley and Hawlett at a pay phone, the television station reported.

After talking to Beasley for a few minutes, he got in her car and gave the girls directions to Highway 231, after which they stopped at another gas station next to the highway where his semi-truck was parked, where he and Beasley had sex in the cab of his truck.

McCraney testified that after he and Beasley had consensual sex, the girls drove him to his house at around 12:45 a.m. and they went their separate ways.

For 23 years, the families of J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett have hoped and prayed for justice, Marshall said. While this outcome will not bring their loved ones back, my hope is that it will give them the much-delayed closure they deserve and will reinvigorate this entire communitys faith in the justice system.

Multiple agencies took part in the investigation, including the District Attorneys Office of the 33rd Judicial Circuit, the Ozark Police Department, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Dale County Sheriffs Office, and the Dothan Police Department.

It was an honor to return to my prosecutorial roots on behalf of two young ladies that were never forgotten, Marshall said. The verdict handed down today sent a clear messagewe have no tolerance in this state for those who callously take the lives of others, especially our youth.
This is an opinion column.

Bigots must be killin it. Life must be good for the intolerant. For the close-minded. For the frightened. So good theyve nothing better to do than lose their ever-lovin (or hatin) minds over Dylan Mulvaney.

Than to make koozies mocking her.

True confession: A few days ago, Id never heard of Dylan Mulvaney. Never heard the name. I was clueless.

I venture Kay Ivey hadnt heard of Dylan Mulvaney either. Until she decided to deride her. To mock a 26- year-old. A young TikTok influencer with 10.8 million followers and another 1.8 million on Instagram. A trans woman who fueled her influencer rise by chronicling her gender transformation last year on TikTok.

It all totally passed me by.

Then folks started shooting beer cans. Cans of Bud Light. Folks were irate, up in arms, apoplectic over . Dylan Mulvaney?

She got the bigots fired up and firing off tweets and such. Had them blasting Bud Light after Mulvaney posted a 48-second video on IG promoting the beers March Madness contest. In it, she sips from one of the blue Bud Light cans in front of her and talks of celebrating my 365 days of womanhood.

The video cuts to a Bud Light can featuring her face. Best gift ever, she says.

Last week, the bigots began blurting boycott. Kid Rock posted a video of himself shooting cases of Bud Light with an automatic weapon, then launching an F-bomb into the camera.

Bud boosters called for a boycott.

Related: Dylan Mulvey responds to Bud Light backlash

Anheuser-Busch, makers of Bud Light, caved like a crushed aluminum can. The company put two marketing execs on leave after the brouhaha, one of whom received targeted harassment.

This week, the bigots aimed their lip gloss at Maybelline, the makeup giant. Someone dug deep enough into Mulvaneys social media to find a reel of her using the companys products for a makeover.

I mean, really. Bigots must be out there livin large if they have time for this.

And governing a state must not be too challenging either if four female Republican governors including our own Gov. Iveyhave time in their schedules (and room in their hearts) to be petty, insolent, and just plain mean. To a 26-year-old.

Kay's Konfederate Koozies

Ivey, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee-Sanders, South Dakota Gov Kristi Noem, and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds are touting Bud Light-blue real woman koozies featuring their mugs. Theyre for sale on Huckabee-Sanders website. So, she, theyre cashing in on attacking a 26-year-old.

Is this where we arestate leaders (using that term very loosely today) taking shots at 26-year-olds trying to live their lives, breaking no laws (andyeah, okay, this may be a bit petty, tooand likely earning more than the four female Republican governors combined)?

Dont yall have something better to do?

Like, expand Medicare, Gov. Ivey? Like better educate our children rather than fire administrators you hired over a word you and the far right cant define? Like stop stripping thoughts of equity from preschool teacher training guides? Like stop funding bastions to treasona/k/a the Confederacy? Like fix our deplorable prison system rather than just build prisons?

I have plenty more, but Ill stop here:

Like recognizing there are transgender constituents in your own state. Despise, disrespect, and demean their choices, if you will. But on your own time. In the confines of your own close-minded, heart-hardened caves.

As governors, though, respect the office in which you serve and at least acknowledge that you represent them, too. Trans citizens matter, too.

Bud Lights sales lost fizz in the days following the Mulvaney madness. Long term, well see who winsthe boycotts or the buycotts. Or, most likely, Mulvaney.

More columns by Roy S. Johnson

Questioning parenting after youth violence is real, but does not absolve lawaker inaction

Why are our Black children shooting our Black children?

Tell me why, Republicans; or do silence and gun deaths speak for you?

I got it wrong; Republicans actually do want us to vote

MLKs Letter from Birmingham Jail is not divisive, should be taught in all schools

Heroism takes many forms; Nashville, Huntsville tragedies may tweak police narrative
Former Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby was roasted as the king of congressional pork in a report released by a government watchdog on Thursday that honored Shelby for being responsible for more than $666 million in earmarks last year.

Citizens Against Government Waste gave the former longtime senator The Whole Hog Award for 18 earmarks costing $666,406,000, by far the highest amount of any member of Congress.

The group released the report, The 2023 Congressional Pig Book, on Thursday. The report contains a database of all the line items in appropriations bills that designates tax dollars for a specific purpose in circumvention of established budgetary procedures.

Shelbys earmarks were 23 percent more than the second-highest lawmaker on the list, retired Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, who received 63 earmarks costing $541,376,000, according to the report.

In order to be labeled as pork, according to the report, the earmarks must meet one of seven criteria:

Requested by only one chamber of Congress;

Not specifically authorized;

Not competitively awarded;

Not requested by the President;

Greatly exceeds the Presidents budget request or the previous years funding;

Not the subject of congressional hearings; or,

Serves only a local or special interest.

Efforts to reach Shelby were unsuccessful, but the retired senator addressed the criticisms of his earmarks last year, maintaining that the projects are not examples of wasteful spending.

Throughout my time in Congress, I have worked hard to secure funding that benefits Alabama and the nation, Shelby said. My efforts in the [2022] omnibus were no different. Each of my spending requests were meritorious, and I am proud of the investments being made in my home state. I have long-believed that Congress is closest to the people and should not cede its Constitutional power of the purse to the President and unelected bureaucrats when it comes to these decisions.

Shelby obtained funding for 16 projects in last years budget. The largest was $132.7 million for improvements to the Port of Mobile, part of a modernization and expansion of the port. In an announcement in March, Shelby said the money was for the design and construction of docks, wharves, and piers, and for land acquisition and site development.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville partnered with Paris Hilton and a bi-partisan group of senators to introduce a bill that aims to end abuse at youth residential treatment facilities.

Ive been to some of these facilities  they cost about what it costs to go to Harvard, but most of them look like something that came out of a Charles Dickens movie  gloomy, dark, Tuberville said at a news conference Thursday in Washington, where he was joined by Hilton, whose sexual abuse at a Utah facility while she was a teen spurred her championing the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act. Its not something youd want to be proud of.

Tuberville joined Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.; John Cornyn, R-Texas, Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M.; Christopher Murphy, D-Conn.; and Susan Collins, R-Maine in sponsoring the legislation.

He said there is not enough oversight of youth residential treatment facilities, pointing to abuse, neglect and bullying at the institutions.

Theres an old saying that sunlight is the best disinfectant. We need to open our eyes and put sun on whats going on in this country with these facilities, the senator said. We need more sunlight so we can stop the waste, the fraud, the drugs and the abuse. Its time it stops.

Hilton has become an advocate for youth in such facilities and pushed for lawmakers to address the issue.

For decades, children have experienced widespread abuse, neglect, and preventable death in youth residential programs across the country, she said. Meanwhile, this deceptive multi-billion-dollar industry has operated without any real accountability or transparency. At long last, this is finally beginning to change with the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act. As a survivor, I am proud to stand with bipartisan congressional leaders who are working to protect our nations most vulnerable youth.

Tuberville said the problems at such facilities are a nationwide issue, and Alabama is not immune to the crisis.

A 15-year-old resident at a Tuskegee youth facility filed a lawsuit last month claiming he attempted suicide after enduring physical, sexual and verbal abuse from staff and residents at the facility.

Sequel of Alabama was also sued for wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the family of Connor Bennett, who died by suicide in 2022 after he claimed he was repeatedly sexually, emotionally and physically abused at the facility and his pleas for help ignored.

Another lawsuit against the psychiatric facility on behalf of yet another 15-year-old boy claimed it was a house of horrors for Tevin Pike who alleges he was choked, beaten, punched, slapped and slammed to the ground' by employees and other residents during his brief time there.

Tommy James, an attorney who represents the plaintiffs in the Sequel lawsuits, welcomed the federal legislation.

As someone who has been fighting for justice for survivors of institutional abuse for over two decades, I can confirm the urgent need for this groundbreaking legislation, he said in a statement to AL.com. The current lack of oversight and accountability in these facilities has allowed for rampant abuse and neglect, resulting in incomprehensible harm and even death.

Updated at 6:41 p.m. to include comment from attorney Tommy James.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has set aside $4.4 million in federal grant money for a program to weatherize homes for low-income and elderly residents.

The money will help support Alabamas Weatherization Assistance Program to lower energy costs for qualifying homes. The program will focus on low-income households with children, households for people with disabilities, and the elderly.

Many low-income Alabama residents who struggle to pay higher utility bills could save money if their homes were more energy efficient, Ivey said in a press release.

These important weatherization grants can assist in better protecting their homes from the effects of hot and cold temperatures which too often drive up energy costs.

ADECA, the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, will administer the grants using money from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Homes that qualify for the grants for weatherization assistance will undergo an energy audit to determine the most cost-efficient fixes. Common improvements, according to the press release, include adding insulation, sealing doors and windows, and replacing incandescent light bulbs.

The grants were given to 13 community agencies across Alabama that will manage the program at the local level.

ADECA supports Gov. Ivey in helping Alabamas most-vulnerable residents through the Weatherization Assistance Program, ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. The partnerships with these community agencies ensure that many underserved residents receive help in preparing their homes for the hottest part of the year with improvements that help them now and well into the future.

Below is a list of each grant, the recipient agency, counties served and the agency telephone number:
Historically, the United States has acted overtly more often than not, with the Monroe Doctrine being a famous example  so why then is Americas strategy so often tied to ambiguity? Publicly shared doctrines of action and foreign policy are vital to ensure no misunderstanding!

Yet, what is going on with China?

Nature abhors a vacuum. For example, weather patterns result from equilibrium between high and low-pressure systems. Sadly, our world has entered perhaps its most dangerous time in history, with titanic battles between ideas and those seeking power, and an all but inevitable clash between the two remaining superpowers. What transpires over the next ten years will determine whether democracy and individual freedoms or tyranny and oppression prevail.

A weakened United States, reeling from failures of leadership in myriad social, economic, and geopolitical issues, faces off against an ascendant autocracy that has proven itself better able to focus its vision. In our favor, the most extraordinary collection of intelligence and innovation remains resident within our fellow citizens. Working against us are divisions encouraged by our enemies, plus a startling absence of leadership, leading to the decline of national will and vision.

There have always been those willing to compromise on core issues choosing to appease rather than stand for whats right. Some believe they can engage tyrants  Neville Chamberlain with his Peace in our Time pronouncement comes to mind. Foolish American presidents have thought they could negotiate with enemies such as the Taliban or North Korea and tragically, that folly is frequently counted in American dead. Making the right call in foreign policy is something weve gotten wrong too often in the last 75 years. Why do we keep making the same mistakes?

Much of what I write is widely known and understood, and the fact that we frequently talk past each other also is understood. While a few crazies hold leadership positions within our government, many are intelligent, well-educated individuals.

There are issues that affect us all universally, notably, China. Bipartisanship is ideal, but you must agree on substance as well. We must find unity on at least four vital issues:

Taiwan. Americans are tired of wars they dont support, and the proxy war in Ukraine is straining Americans interest. Should we go to war over Taiwan, we would see Americans dying on land and sea. Therefore, our weak president is challenged to explain why Taiwan is essential to our interest. A free Taiwan is a seminal moment for the U.S. as an economic interest and for our standing in the world. If Taiwan falls, the majority of advanced semiconductor capacity will fall into Chinese hands. Unfortunately, we are ten years from being independent in chips; if Taiwan falls, I predict we would enter an economic depression within 90 days as our civil and military industries grind to a crawl for lack of chips. Even worse, Australia, Japan, Viet Nam, the Philippines, and other nations are already choosing sides should Taiwan fall. This is the litmus test being carefully watched for a resolution. Who cares? you ask. Imagine a world where the United States cannot navigate the high seas unimpeded; the U.S. dollar is no longer accepted; we are blockaded from markets as other nations bow to their new boss, China. We will no longer be able to defend our freedom; this new boss wields its power ruthlessly and subjugates its enemies. Strategic minerals, trade, and rights of passage will be taken from any country that does not accept Chinas preeminence. Willingness to Engage. Everyone should understand that China is an autocracy where the rule of law is not a governing principle. This means that China can force the U.S. to react without being able to get ahead of its machinations. Chinas closed system allows them a unilateral power to beat us up at will.

The U.S. has a card it has been historically unwilling to play, one on which China has come to rely: our ability to stop buying their products. China needs us (the Western world) much more than we need them. Were addicted to cheap Chinese products so much that we dont realize the actual cost  this is Chinas Achilles Heel. Calling their bluff is a twofer for us. First, we start to bring home jobs. Second, we weaken an enemy who believes like Krushchev that the West would happily sell him the rope to hang itself with. Intellectual Property. IP may turn out to be how we lose this war. Corporations and many governmental officials love the idea of trade with China (as such trade provides access to a vast market), and their business acumen is to grow at any cost. The folly shown here reveals that China has begun to reduce its volume of deals with the West. China has now appropriated the technology it lacked previously, and trade is not nearly as rich and lucrative as it was twenty years ago. Now technology transfer defines the trade relationship; we see blatant theft through espionage, third-party transfers, unscrupulous companies, and people willing to make a deal with the devil for a buck. But theres more. Remember Huawei? At the core of Chinas strategy is the ability to have perfect intelligence. Perfect intelligence means knowing what your adversary knows at the same time they do. Huawei is a Chinese company that sells the backbone components of computer networks. U.S. and foreign intelligence believe China has left a backdoor in their hardware to allow them to access data networks. In addition, Huawei is controlled by the CCP, which frequently gives away its technology to countries or finances it at rock-bottom prices to ensure its network equipment is used. Only in the last few years has this danger been uncovered, and the U.S. government and most U.S. and European corporations have banned Huawei equipment. War by other means. China has made no bones about its intent to dominate its own hemisphere as it prepares for war with the West. But perhaps President Xi sees an easier way: let your enemy defeat itself. Over 150 Americans die daily from fentanyl, almost a half million in all so far. Fentanyl is a weapon used against our country, and China is the primary producer of the chemicals required to make the drug, which they freely ship to us. All while executing their citizens who use drugs. Isnt this a war by other means?

Americas place in the world is wobbly at the moment. We do not have a clear sense of self, a strategic or tactical plan for stabilizing our country, or a determination to win at all costs. This demonstrates our fundamental failure of leadership.

Real diversity entails diversity of thought, with the American people coalescing around their own value systems, State by State. They must then fight to uphold those ideals, as no federal laws, policies, or pronouncements have any hope of bringing us together. Individually, we are just too different, but as Americans, we are united.

God Bless America!

Allan J. FeiferPatriot, Author, Businessman, and Thinker. Read more about Allan, his background, and his ideas to create a better tomorrow at www.1plus1equals2.com.

Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required.
In a video announcement that he is running for reelection President Biden is portrayed as a champion of freedom. In reality, no president has done more to impinge on the freedoms of Americans.

First, Biden says he is standing up for fundamental freedoms and then he says he is about standing up for personal freedoms. This is doublespeak. Doublespeak is when words seem to be about something they are not. It is another way of lying. Conservatives need to call it out as that.

In truth, Democrats are about control. The only way they are about freedom is in wanting to be able to do whatever they like in their personal lives while freely imposing restrictions on everybody else, and they want the freedom to pursue power unopposed.

The question is not, as Biden says, will we have more or fewer rights in the future; it is, will Americans keep the freedoms as set out in the US Constitution or will Democrats destroy those rights? That is the moment Americans face now, not a moment to stand up for voting and civil rights, as Biden also claims.

Democrats want Americans to be able to have the freedom to choose sexual orientation and gender, the freedom to kill preborn babies, and the freedom to sleep until noon, if they want. They dont want continued protection for Americans inalienable rights. Yet, they do want voters to hear echoes of the US Constitution in support of their position, for gravitas.

It seems, Democrats are going with this doublespeak as a theme to say they are the party of freedom.

Biden is not the only Democrat doing it. Jared Polis, Democrat Governor of Colorado, used doublespeak in his reelection campaign  I wonder if he shared the trick with Biden  and when he signed three bills protecting abortion and transgender surgery, and now he is using it again as he eyes a run for president. The Biden Administration cannot say that it has been abiding by the US Constitution when it comes to our fundamental freedoms, so they are trying to use doublespeak to confuse about where they stand on freedom.

It bears repeating, Democrats in government are for control, not freedom, and they are infringing on our inalienable rights. Take the right to free speech in the First Amendment. Under Joe Biden, the government colluded with Twitter to censor and control our political speech. Another instance of this interference is Bidens Department of Justice trying to persecute parents who expressed themselves at school board meetings.

Then there is the issue of abortion and free speech. Both Biden and Polis, and Democrats generally, want you to be able to choose abortion, but they dont want you to be able to speak up against abortion, help other women choose life for their babies, or reverse chemical abortions.

Concerning another right, the government under Biden has been trying to infringe on our right to peaceably assemble by prosecuting people who came to Washington, DC, to rally on January 6, 2020, but did not enter the Capitol.

And on another matter: the policies of both Biden and Polis have destroyed the ability of workers to Pursue Happiness; that is, to make a living off the oil and gas industry by regulating that industry nearly out of existence. I dont think Democrats want people thinking about that.

The Biden administration has gone to war on oil and gas since day one when Biden cancelled the Keystone Pipeline. The effects have been disastrous for working people and their freedom of choice in terms of work and providing for their families. It has damaged the prospects of people who served those who work in energy, as well.

Now the Biden Administration has its eye on the mortgage industry. The New York Post writes, A little-noticed revamp of federal rules on mortgage fees will offer discounted rates for home buyers with riskier credit backgrounds  and force higher-credit homebuyers to foot the bill, The Post has learned.

The Biden Administration also wants to affect who can live in the suburbs by regulating what housing is built there, using woke agendas as an excuse. Writes USA Today, Bidens proposal would award grants and tax credits to cities that change zoning laws to bolster more equitable access to affordable housing. A house with a white picket fence and a big backyard for a Fourth of July barbecue may be a staple of the American dream, but experts and local politicians say multifamily zoning is key to combating climate change, racial injustice and the nation's growing affordable housing crisis.

Democrats have proven that they are about control, not freedom. Conservatives must call out their doublespeak, not let them get away with twisting the truth to fool voters for 2024.

CS Boddie writes for Meadowlark Press, LLC

Photo creedit: Twitter video screengrab
From the people who brought us "green bullets," we now have plans for all-electric tanks to save the earth.

Which sounds more than a little odd, given the purpose of tanks.

But here's Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, testifying before Congress:

Biden Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm says she supports requiring the U.S. military to adopt an ALL-electric vehicle fleet by 2030 pic.twitter.com/pw4F3jmrpo  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 26, 2023

According to Fox News:

Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said Wednesday that she supports efforts from the Biden administration to require the U.S. military to implement an all-electric vehicle fleet by 2030, telling lawmakers that she believes "we can get there." Granholm's remarks came during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing following questions from Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who asked the Biden administration official whether she supports the military's adoption of an "EV fleet by 2030." "I do, and I think we can get there, as well," Granholm said. "I do think that reducing our reliance on the volatility of globally traded fossil fuels where we know that global events like the war in Ukraine can jack up prices for people back home does not contribute to energy security." "I think energy security is achieved when we have homegrown, clean energy that is abundant like you see in Iowa," Granholm added. "We think we can be a leader globally in how we have become energy independent."

Which, suffice to say, is music to our enemies' ears. Obviously, this crap signals the U.S. isn't about winning wars anymore. It's about virtue-signalling to save the earth, even if one is blowing gargantuan holes into it with M-19 tanks. And it reflects a remarkable inability of the central planners of the Biden administration to foresee the consequences three steps down of their actions. It's quite amazing that they imagine this will save costs, dependency on fossil fuels, and make the U.S. a "leader" suitable for awards or something, not winning wars. Somehow, we haven't seen China or Russia rushing to green up their military vehicles yet.

It's idiocy to anyone who knows about military matters. Fox News has a collection of them here.

Electrical vehicles are still rich men's playthings, unaffordable to ordinary people, costly, earth-unfriendly, and requiring more carbon compounds to produce along with more child slave labor, than conventional vehicles. There aren't even enough earthly resources developed to electrify all the vehicles used, nor enough lithium and rare earth minerals, let alone charging stations in remote wastelands like Afghanistan or even semi-developed Ukraine, but no matter.

There's also costs. The military is one of the world's biggest consumers of conventional fossil fuels, and transferring to an all-electrical consumption model over the fastest, cheapest and most available fuel sources would drive up costs astronomically. Which doesn't sound like a good idea for a country that no longer has enough ammo in stock.

Even if the Biden administration recognizes this lunacy -- there are some signs they are trying to spin this Granholm statement away, with administration officials reportedly claiming that Granholm didn't mean "all" vehicles, just base vehicles, the cost would remain astronomical and certainly not work, given tanks' dependency on a chain of electric vehicles to operate.

As for advances in electrical vehicle technology, well, those are in China, not here, so good luck with that one, Jen:

Now China's CATL has an ultra-dense battery that can power a passenger plane and give an EV a 1,000 mile range. Time to get moving, America. Moonshot for manufacturing.https://t.co/kIA3ZMIf1Y  David P. Goldman (@davidpgoldman) April 28, 2023

It's scary stuff when one considers the observed behavior of electic cars in inclement weather, such as during California's wildfires and Florida's hurricane flight, where electric vehicles either blew up or shut down. Sound like a good idea for tanks?

As Mike Pompeo and another guy note:

@mikepompeo



Would Energy Genius Granholm suggest the military bring solar panels to charge the tanks at night; or should the operators bring a handful of AA batteries?



EV stations, Jennifer? The first things the enemy will hit.



Way to think it through. What a show this is. https://t.co/JaOysBvi7i  ProsperousUSA (@Prosperous1776) April 27, 2023

As bizarre as it all sounds, the Biden administration actually has spent billions on greening up the U.S. military fleet.

And Granholm was serious when she said "all" military vehicles.

What the heck have we come to? It's as if the enemy has gotten hold of our military and is making it as weak, costly, enfeebled and ineffective as possible, yet as far as is known, they haven't. This is a 100% Biden-manufactured crisis added onto all the other ones.

Image: Screen shot from Twitter video.
Comments made by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during his visit to Israel are relevant in light of his expected candidacy to become a Republican candidate for the US Presidency.

Addressing the fraying relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia by the Biden Administration, and the strain that it has put on Israel, DeSantis said,

"The Biden Administration worked overtime to alienate Saudi Arabia making it more difficult for Israel to forge a normalization deal with Saud Arabia." I think, with a proper policy and proper relations, you could see Saudi Arabia recognize the existence of Israel."

About Israel's role in the Middle East, DeSantis said,

Whats right with the Middle East is Israel. Whats right with the Middle East is Israel working with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Whats wrong is Iranian terror and ambitions in the region.

Regarding Iran, DeSantis said,

There is perhaps no adversary more hostile to both Israel and the US than the Islamic regime in Iran. We must support Israels right to defend itself, and that includes strong military and intelligence cooperation. It also includes supporting Israel maintaining its qualitative military superiority with systems such as Iron Dome.

About the United States relationship with Israel,

Our alliance with Israel rests on unique cultural and religious affinities,

DeSantis said as he put forward an Israel policy that was in line with that of the former Trump administration, particularly with respect to Jerusalem.

DeSantis was very clear that he supported a united Jerusalem as the countrys capital, noting that he had spoken about this prior to Donald Trumps decision when he was in Congress, including holding a hearing on the matter in 2017.

Jerusalem is, going back thousands of years, the eternal capital of the Jewish people. US policy should recognize the truth. "Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem is critical to ensure freedom of worship for Jews, Muslims and Christians in the citys holy sites."

DeSantis recalled that during his last trip to Israel in 2019, he had visited both Ariel University and an industrial park in the Gush Etzion region which he referred to as Judea and Samaria, explaining that he viewed the area as disputed and not occupied territory.

Those are the most historic Jewish lands there are, going back thousands of years. There has never been a Palestinian entity.

About US funding if he were president, DeSantis said, I would not fund things like the United Nations Relief and Works Agency referring to the UN organization that perpetuates Palestinian refugees. Nor, DeSantis explained, would he fund the Palestinian Authority if it continues to support terror.

About US-Israel relations, DeSantis added,

Israel is also one of Americas most valued and trusted allies. Maintaining a strong Israel relationship has been a priority for me during my time in elected office, and I know its been a priority for the overwhelming majority of the American people.

DeSantis spoke of the shift in the American political scene with the Left going one way and the Right and the Center siding with Israel... I think there should be bipartisan support for Israel, DeSantis said.

Referring to the protests in Israel for and against judicial reforms, DeSantis said, We should not butt into their internal affairs; that is a debate that is happening here, it is obviously raging... but it is healthy to flush this stuff out. Israel is a rambunctious democracy,

Recalling a previous visit to Israel, Desantis told of how he had prayed at the Western Wall in 2019, to save his state from Hurricane Dorian which, miraculously, veered off in direction at the last moment.

He also told of how he and his wife had put water from the Sea of Galilee into a bottle, during an earlier visit, which they used to baptize their children.

This was DeSantis's 4th visit to Israel.

Barry Shaw, Israel Institute for Strategic Studies

Photo credit: YouTube screengrab (cropped)
An incredible panel of informed voices joined together on April 26 at the Hanover Inn in Hanover, New Hampshire to address informed consent in college vaccine mandates. Hosted by Concerned Alumni of Dartmouth, the event was fully sold out. Dartmouth College declined to attend. Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. followed the panel, demonstrating an extensive knowledge of the dubious ethical historyand potential adverse health impactsof vaccines mandated by government/pharmaceutical joint decree.

Baker Berry Library at Dartmouth

Dartmouth College has previously required full vaccination of students and staff:

Students, faculty, and staff are required to receive all recommended doses in their primary COVID-19 vaccine series, and one booster dose when eligible, or have an approved exemption. Students must submit documentation of vaccination or an approved exemption before beginning their study or work at Dartmouth. .Applicable health guidelines at Dartmouth and elsewhere continue to evolve in response to available medical data and public health priorities.

This requirement was lifted on April 11, but the College still advises full vaccination:

Dartmouth continues to advise that all community members receive the necessary COVID-19 vaccines, in response to guidance issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the email noted. The College will work with health-care providers to maintain a supply of vaccines and share information about how to find vaccines in the community.

Though Dartmouth has long prioritized consent for sexual activity, its Covid vaccination resources are completely silent about any potential risks of harm from these experimental gene therapy injections, or the risks to young people of catching Covid. These issues were the subject of the Wednesday night forum.

Young people are not much at risk from death or serious harm if they catch Covid. This has been clear throughout the pandemic and is corroborated by CDC data. This cannot be said for the shots, for which an unprecedented number of adverse reactions have been reported, including for young adults.

Wednesdays apolitical event, aptly titled Important Conversations Never Had, dared engage in precisely the sort of informed and intelligent conversations once expected at institutions of higher learning, but which Dartmouth College has consistently eschewed. The panel included a variety of highly experienced and qualified speakers who shared a list of problems with this failure to warn.

Harvard Medical School graduate Dr. Sandy Reider, a founder of Physicians for Informed Consent, observed that informed consent is bound with the United States Constitution, a right which he views as absolute and not relative. Dr. Reider joined others in explaining that the CDCs Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) has been flooded by exponentially more complaints of adverse reactions than all prior vaccines combined. Shouldnt college students be informed of this threat when colleges require or recommend these pharmaceutical products?

Cardiologist Dr. Aseem Malhotra related that the trade-off for young people was not worth vaccination, because tens of thousands of vaccinations are required to ward off each serious hospitalization, versus higher risks of adverse vaccine reactions. He criticized the revolving door of CDC regulators and pharmaceutical interests, and paraphrased Dr. John Ioannidis for the proposition that the greater the financial interests, the less reliable the medical research. Younger people are more likely to experience a severe adverse event from these vaccines than they are to be hospitalized for Covid. Dr. Malhotra called the government-mandated push for vaccine mandates a psychopathy, and a freedom to deceive.

If the shots are scientifically established to be more dangerous than catching Covid for young patients, shouldnt colleges disclose that? If not, should they face legal liability for adverse reactions that occur, rather than cower behind corrupt CDC guidance? As Dr. Joel Walskogg related, there is NO liability for the manufacturers if a person is sickened or injured by a so-called vaccine-You are on your own. Isnt that important legal information for college students at Dartmouth and elsewhere to be informed of prior to electively deciding to receive an irrevocable jab?

Dr. Martin Kulldorff related that from early on, there was clearly a thousandfold difference in Covid mortality rates between young and old, and that policies which diverted limited vaccines to the young laptop class unfairly exposed at-risk rural and working-class elderly Americans (and impoverished Africans).

George Mason University Law School Professor Todd Zywicki discussed the unquestioned superiority of natural immunity over all vaccines, for defense against Covid and also for transmission. Vaccines do not provide mucosal immunity and so do nothing to prevent transmission despite false claims that shots prevent the spread of the disease. Should college students who have previously had Covid be exposed to jabs, without informing them of the risks and lack of necessity of an inferior protection?

Brook Jackson, a whistleblower who worked on Pfizer vaccine trials, explained that she had never seen such speedy and sloppy patient trials as for these vaccines: that patients in trials were denied basic informed consent. She witnessed the fabrication and falsification of data, complained to Pfizer, then the FDA, and was fired six hours later.

Following the panel was attorney and activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The crowd enthusiastically received Kennedys recounting of his experience with vaccines, and why he came to distrust both the so-called science and the integrity of government and industry collaborators who have misinformed Americans about the innate risks of their products. Kennedy claims pharmaceutical manufacturers enjoy a twin benefit from the modern regulatory mechanisms which they control: free advertising (through CDC advisories and government/private mandates), and no liability or legal accountability when their products cause harm.

As an environmental attorney, Mr. Kennedy has reviewed many hundreds of studies of vaccines. Not a single study can be produced comparing patient outcomes between vaccinated and unvaccinated patientsbecause none have been done. Candidate Kennedy twice called industry claims of vaccine safety canards, and pointed to manufacture inserts (which recount a myriad of potential side effects) for Covid injections as the one reliable place to seek accurate information. This is because manufacturers obtain legal immunity only for those risks disclosed, and legally cannot include risks for which there is no evidence.

Americans getting shots are not being informed of these various concerns. There is no informed consent. This is an extremely important conversation .to be continued.

Lawyer, farmer and author John Klar hosts the Small Farm Republic substack and podcast from his Vermont farm. His new book addresses farming, the environment and conservative politics: Small Farm Republic: Why Conservatives Must Embrace Local Agriculture, Reject Climate Alarmism, and Lead an Environmental Revival.

Photo credit: The Archive Team CC BY 3.0 license
For some time, we've heard that Mexico is violent but tourist spots are okay. In other words, Culiacan is a mess but Cancun is nice. Guerrero is deadly but the beaches of Acapulco are just fine. And it goes on.

Unfortunately, the story is clashing with reality. This is the latest from Cancun:

The bodies of eight people were found dumped in the Mexican resort of Cancun, one of the countrys most popular tourism destinations, authorities said Tuesday. The bodies were discovered over the weekend about 10 miles from Cancun's beach and hotel zone after police launched a coordinated effort to search for missing people in wooded lots and even sinkhole ponds, also known as cenotes, Mexican authorities said. Oscar Montes de Oca, the head prosecutor of the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo said five of the bodies were found at an abandoned construction site. Three were subsequently identified as previously reported missing people.

Talk about spoiling the narrative.

It's fair to say that the Mexican government has gone out of its way to protect tourists. We should add that Cancun is still generally safe for vacations, honeymoons, weddings, and business meetings. I know people who have gone to Cancun recently for personal and business reasons. They are happy and did not see any violence.

What's the risk? The risk is that Cancun is a beach resort on the Caribbean and several cartels are fighting for control of the Caribbean coast and its drug trade. The risk is being in the wrong place when drug gang rivalries play out in the restaurant or disco where you happen to be one night.

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Image: Pedro Szekely
More Galaxy S22 users in the US are getting Samsungs April update. The company recently releases this months security patch for carrier-locked units on Verizon. Along with a host of security enhancements, the update also brings its Image Clipper feature.

Samsung has been pushing the April SMR (Security Maintenance Release) to the Galaxy S22 series in the US since early this month. The 2022 flagships were among the first to get the new security patch, stateside or otherwise. But the rollout has come in batches. It initially only covered factory-unlocked units. After a couple of weeks of waiting, the company started updating carrier-locked variants to the new SMR in mid-April.

However, Samsung still didnt cover all eligible units of the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, and Galaxy S22 Ultra. Users on Verizons network were among those kept waiting for longer. The company has finally released the April SMR for them as well. According to SamMobile, which first reported this rollout, the update comes with the firmware build number S90*USQU2CWCE. It should be available for all users across the nation.

Galaxy S22 users on Verizons network get Image Clipper with the latest update

As said earlier, the April update for the Galaxy S22 series on Verizons network brings the Image Clipper feature. Its a new Gallery feature that Samsung introduced with the Galaxy S23 series a couple of months back. It lets you tap and hold on to a subject in any image to instantly crop it out. You can save it as a separate image or paste it elsewhere. The feature doesnt work in third-party image viewer apps, though.

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Samsung has been pushing Image Clipper to older Galaxy devices with the April update. Some mid-range models also got it. But unlocked Galaxy S22 users in the US received the April SMR without the new feature. Perhaps the April update came too soon for them. The company has baked the feature into the April patch for carrier-locked Galaxy S22 units. Unlocked users will probably receive it with the May update.

Speaking of the May update, Samsung has already started pushing next months security patch to its devices. So its just a matter of time before the Galaxy S22 series gets it. In the meantime, Verizon customers in the US can install the April SMR and take advantage of Image Clipper. This months security patch also contains fixes for more than 70 vulnerabilities, including at least five critical fixes.
Google has paused the construction of a new 80-acre campus in San Jose, California, 9to5google (via CNBC) reports.

Back in 2021, Google got approvals to build a massive new campus in San Jose, dubbed Downtown West. This mega campus could have 7.3 million square feet of office space and is valued at $19 billion. The construction was also initially planned to start in 2023. However, the company decided to pause the project due to economic concerns.

In mid-January 2023, Google announced plans to lay off at least 12,000 employees, which equals 6% of its staff. The cost-cutting campaign is now affecting the companys headquarters. According to the people familiar with the matter, the company has yet no plan to restart the construction. Google also removed the construction updates from its website.

Given that the first demolition phase is also completed, delaying the project might put the site at risk of becoming a long-term eyesore and economic zero.

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Google to halt building a new office campus in San Jose, California

Despite the optimism for the resumption of Googles San Jose campus, the project may not reach the scale promised in the original master plan. The initial project was supposed to have retail spaces, restaurants, and houses for Google employees. The company started noticing contractors late last year that it might change the new campus plans.

A Google spokesperson said the company is ensuring that its real estate investments match the future needs of our hybrid workforce, our business, and our communities. Additionally, Google says it still remains committed to the developments in San Jose while assessing the best ways to move forward with the Downtown West campus.

Besides the economic slowdown, fierce competition in the search business has put Google in a critical situation. The search giant is now facing threats from ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing, and soon Elon Musks so-called TruthGPT.

Google has been known to be the dominant power of search for decades, but its reign is now in danger by an AI chatbot. Thats why the company is now joining forces to battle ChatGPT by forming a unified team called Google DeepMind.
Google did an excellent job with a Pixel 6a, so were all looking forward to the Pixel 7a. This is going to be the companys next mid-range phone that will come with a flagship processor and camera. Just weeks before its unveiling, the Pixel 7a shows up in some leaked hands-on images.

A leak of this caliber shouldnt be surprising considering how close we are to the unveiling. We expect Google to introduce this phone during Google I/O which will take place on May 10th. We also expect Google to unveil the Pixel Tablet and the Pixel Fold during the event.

Pixel 7a was showing off in leaked hands-on images

These hands-on images confirm the design of the phone and they corroborate the other massive leak that happened just recently. In this new crop of images, we see the device in the flesh, even being held by a person in one of them. These images show the blue color of the phone.

In these images, we see that the back glass has a brighter shade of blue while its bolder for the camera visor. The visor, just like with the Pixel 7 phones, is made from metal, and it is an extension of the phones frame. Just like with the Pixel 7 phones, we see the cutout for the dual camera package and the LED flash.

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Breaking  Google Pixel 7a in Sea Blue color hands on images with box are here to meet u all Credits- Facebook market Place#Google #Pixel7a #GooglePixel7a pic.twitter.com/MXs1hnzhct  Tarun Vats (@tarunvats33) April 28, 2023 Advertisement

The rest of the images show the Pixel 7a inside of its box, which confirms that this phone, like other recent Pixel phones, will not be coming with a charger in the box. However, that should come as no surprise.

As per the images, the Pixel 7a will look almost exactly like the Pixel 6a in terms of shape and design. So, all of the buttons will be in the same spot, and the corners will remain rather sharp compared to other phones.

When it launches, the Pixel 7a may cost $499. This is a price increase from the Pixel 6a which cost $449. The higher price may make it a bit of a harder sell, but, given the state of the global economy, we cant rule it out. unexpected. However, this does bring in the question of whether or not the Pixel 8 series will see a price increase over the Pixel 7 Series. Only time will tell.
Samsung has made it a habit of releasing the latest monthly security patches way ahead of schedule. It often starts pushing a new security update several days before we hit the new month. The Korean behemoth has done it again. It has begun seeding the May 2023 Android security patch to its Galaxy devices. But unlike most past instances, the company is starting with an entry-level model this time around. The Galaxy A10e is picking up the May SMR (Security Maintenance Release) ahead of flagship models.

The May update for the Galaxy A10e is currently available for users in Samsungs home country South Korea. The rollout began earlier this week with the firmware build number A102NKOS3CWD1, SamMobile reports. Since May is still a few days away, we dont have details of the patch. Its unclear which vulnerabilities have been fixed with the latest monthly security release for Android devices. As usual, there should be several dozen fixes here, including a few Galaxy-specific ones coming directly from Samsung.

Dont expect anything apart from the latest security fixes, though. Samsung launched the Galaxy A10e in July 2019. The entry-level smartphone is now in its last legs (fourth year in the market). It stopped receiving major Android updates since Android 11 and will soon stop getting security patches too. The May SMR could be the penultimate update for it. The 2019 handset isnt covered under the Korean firms extended update policy that promises five years of security updates for Galaxy devices.

Nonetheless, if youre using the Galaxy A10e, you may receive the May update sooner or later. Its not guaranteed, though. Samsung may not push the May SMR to this phone outside of South Korea. The US version recently received the April update (firmware version A102USQSFCWC3 for carrier-locked units and A102U1UESFCWD1 for unlocked units), which never reached the companys homeland. It may now skip the May release in other markets. As usual, you can check for new updates from the Settings app on your phone.

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Samsung will soon release the May update for other Galaxy devices

The Galaxy A10e may not get the May update everywhere but Samsung will soon release the latest SMR for other Galaxy devices. Despite beginning with a budget handset, flagship models should still get the priority once it starts a wider rollout. The Galaxy S23 series should sit high on this priority list, though not necessarily at the top. We will let you know as and when these updates come.
Samsung is rumored to be working on a variable zoom camera with plans to debut it with the Galaxy S24 Ultra early next year. The 2024 flagship will reportedly offer optical zoom at all magnification levels between 3X and 10X. Amid these rumors, the company has applied for trademarks for a couple of new camera sensors: ISOCELL Zoom and ISOCELL Zoom Pro. These appear to be new types of zoom cameras that we havent seen before from the Korean firm.

Samsung may be readying advanced smartphone zoom cameras

Samsung filed these trademark applications with the UK Intellectual Property Office on April 26. Spotted by GalaxyClub, the documents describe the products as camera sensors. The ISOCELL branding is already enough to tell that anyways. However, the use of Zoom and Pro as suffixes to ISOCELL is fascinating. The Korean behemoth never named its cameras that way. ISOCELL is usually followed by sensor identifiers such as HP2 (Galaxy S23 Ultras 200MP camera) and GN3 (Galaxy Z Fold 4s 50MP camera).

This suggests Samsung is readying something new here. The ISOCELL Zoom and ISOCELL Zoom Pro could be advanced zoom cameras for upcoming Galaxy smartphones. In September last year, a patent application from the company described a zoom lens with sensor-shift stabilization. However, Samsung continued to rely on OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) in the Galaxy S23 series. The ISOCELL Zoom or ISOCELL Zoom Pro could bring sensor-shift stabilization to the Galaxy S24 series next year.

Unfortunately, thats just speculation for now. As said earlier, Samsung is also expected to offer variable zoom on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It currently uses Sony sensors for zoom cameras on its flagships. The company may now be looking to switch to an in-house ISOCELL lens as it upgrades to variable zoom. The ISOCELL Zoom or ISOCELL Zoom Pro could be that lens. Samsungs compatriot LG also recently announced a smartphone camera with continuous optical zoom capabilities between 4X and 9X magnification levels.

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Samsung usually doesnt use its latest camera innovations in Galaxy devices. It sells first-gen solutions to other brands and takes time to improve the sensor before shipping it to Galaxy customers. Time will tell whether the company continues this practice with these mysterious zoom cameras that it has filed trademarks for. In that case, the ISOCELL Zoom or ISOCELL Zoom Pro or both should debut inside non-Samsung phones ahead of the Galaxy S24 series. The next-gen Samsung flagships will arrive in the first quarter of 2024.
Microsoft is done pushing major feature updates to Windows 10. The 22H2 update was the final major OS release for Windows 10 PCs. Going forward, they will only get monthly security updates. Those will come at least until October 2025 after which the company will pull all sorts of support to Windows 10. Microsoft ended support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 in January this year. It also stopped selling Windows 10 downloads around the same time.

Microsoft stops pushing feature updates to Windows 10

Windows 10 debuted in July 2015. Since Microsoft promises ten years of security updates and technical assistance for all major Windows releases, it still has some life left in it. However, for the rest of its life, Windows 10 will only get security updates. The company will no longer push new features or major changes to the last iteration of its PC operating system. In a blog post on Thursday, Microsoft announced that the current 22H2 release for Windows 10 will be the final version.

The company added that security updates for Windows 10 PCs are guaranteed until October 14, 2025. Existing Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) releases will continue to receive updates beyond that date, though. The extended support for those releases will be based on their specific lifecycles. Microsoft encourages all Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11 as early as possible to ensure continued feature support and functional improvements.

Microsoft has also announced the schedule for the next Windows LTSC releases. Organizations that require more time to adopt Windows 11 can look forward to Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC and Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC in the second half of 2024. They can begin planning and testing apps and hardware on the current GA (general availability) channel release, i.e. Windows 11 version 22H2. The company will provide more details closer to the next LTSC release. Meanwhile, you can refer to this guide for tips on how to test your apps.

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As said earlier, Microsoft has already ended support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. Those users must upgrade to Windows 11 for security updates and technical assistance from the company. While your computer will continue working, it is at greater risk for viruses and malware as it isnt getting the latest security patches. Unfortunately, your Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 PC may not be compatible with Windows 11. You probably need to buy a new PC to upgrade to the latest version of Windows OS. You can use the PC Health Check app to see if a PC is compatible with Windows 11.
A body found by police investigating the murder of a pregnant teacher has been formally identified as that of her partner, who detectives were seeking in connection with her death.

Police launched a murder investigation after the body of Marelle Sturrock, 35, was found at her home in Jura Street, Glasgow, on Tuesday morning.

She was 29 weeks pregnant and her unborn baby did not survive.

Police Scotland said the body of a man recovered on Thursday after searches of Mugdock Reservoir, north of Glasgow, has now been formally identified as 36-year-old David Yates.

His death is not being treated as suspicious.

Police said he was wanted in connection with the death of his partner, and that while an investigation is continuing there is nothing to suggest anyone else was involved.

The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, the watchdog for Police Scotland, said it has launched a probe into Ms Sturrocks death.

A spokesman said: The Crown Office and the Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has instructed the Pirc to carry out an investigation into the death of Marelle Sturrock on 25 April 2023 within 91 Jura Street, Glasgow.

Once our inquires are complete a report will be submitted to COPFS.

Police divers were involved in the search (Lucinda Cameron/PA)

Officers carried out an intensive search of Mugdock Country Park, around nine miles from Ms Sturrocks home, following the discovery of her body.

Police divers were involved in the search and large areas of the reservoir were cordoned off with police tape.

The headteacher at Sandwood Primary School in Glasgow, where Ms Sturrock worked, said the community is devastated.

Fiona Donnelly said: Marelle has been a much-loved member of our school community since her probationary year more than six years ago and has taught many year groups throughout her time at the school.

We will all miss her so much.

She was a lovely, kind, diligent and considerate person who loved and made time for everyone.

Marelle used her artistic talents across the school and was our music champion who has been a key player in the success of our school choirs, with one of her classes going to see her on stage at The Kings (Theatre) in one of her many acting roles outside of school.

Parts of Mugdock Country Park were cordoned off during the investigation (PA)

We are a school community in mourning and are devasted by the tragic news of her death and pass on our deepest condolences to her family and friends as we all come to terms with our loss.

Parents at the school were told of the death in a letter on Wednesday and education psychologists are on hand to support pupils.

Ms Sturrock was from Wick, Caithness, but moved to Glasgow when she was 17 to pursue a career in the performing arts.

She became a primary school teacher after completing a postgraduate diploma in education.

Police Scotland said reports will be submitted to the procurator fiscal in due course.

Speaking on Thursday, Detective Superintendent Nicola Kilbane said: Our thoughts are with Marelles family and friends, along with everyone affected by this tragedy.

We are providing her family with specialist support at this incredibly difficult time.
Scotlands Lord Advocate has decided that the Crown should appeal against the sentence of a man who was spared jail for raping a 13-year-old girl, on the grounds it was unduly lenient.

Sean Hogg, 21, was sentenced earlier this month at the High Court in Glasgow to a community payback order of 270 hours of unpaid work after being found guilty of rape.

Hogg, from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire, was also put under supervision and added to the sex offenders register for three years.

The sentence sparked outrage and calls to review guidelines which advise that custodial sentences should only be imposed on those under 25 if no other punishment is appropriate.

Kenny Donnelly, deputy Crown agent at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: Sentence is quite rightly the domain of the independent judiciary.

However, the law provides for some limited circumstances in which prosecutors have the right to appeal against sentences.

Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC has decided there should be an appeal against the sentence (Jane Barlow/PA)

The appeal court has set a high test to be satisfied for this to happen. The sentence must be unduly lenient, which means that it must be out with the range of sentences which the sentencing judge, taking account of all relevant factors, could reasonably have imposed.

The question of Crown appeal against sentence in this case has been carefully considered and the decision to place this matter before the appeal court has been communicated to the complainer through her representative.

The victim was 13 when Hogg, then 17, raped her in Dalkeith Country Park, Midlothian.

Speaking on her behalf, her solicitor Aamer Anwar said on Friday: This morning we were advised that the Lord Advocate has decided that the Crown should appeal the sentence imposed upon Sean Hogg convicted of rape, on the grounds that it is unduly lenient.

My client is relieved and grateful to the Lord Advocate  it has been nearly a month since Sean Hogg walked free from the High Court, ordered to carry out 270 hours of unpaid work after being convicted of rape.

My client still does not understand why Hogg was allowed to get on with his life when he had ruined her, she wonders how many girls will think there is no point in reporting rape after seeing a rapist walk free.

Whilst the police, prosecution and jury did its job, she feels that in the end she was failed by our justice system, but today once more she has some hope that justice will be done.

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Jamie Greene said: The Lord Advocate is quite right to appeal this sentence, no doubt driven by the public outcry over the original sentence.

The public were incredulous that a child rapist could ever be handed anything other than a custodial prison sentence.
Eva Greens High Court battle with a production company was a painful and damaging experience, the Hollywood actress has said.

The Casino Royale star, who won her claim to a million-dollar (810,000) fee for abandoned film A Patriot, said she had been used as a scapegoat and faced false allegations during her legal action against White Lantern Film.

In a statement issued on Friday, the 42-year-old said allegations against her, which included claims she undermined the independent films production and renounced her contract, had been wholly rejected by a judge.

She added: My professional reputation has been upheld.

Eva Green departs the Rolls Building, London (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

The actress continued: In this legal action I was forced to stand up to a small group of men, funded by deep financial resources, who tried to use me as a scapegoat to cover up their own mistakes.

I am proud that I stood up against their bully-boy tactics.

They made false allegations about me in public court documents which the judge has now shown are totally incorrect.

In thier later own statement, White Lantern Film and lender SMC Speciality Finance (SMC), who brought a counter-claim against Ms Green, said the suggestion that legal action was motivated by or represented gender-based bullying is completely unwarranted.

It does not reflect the judgment in any way, nor the evidence that was heard at court, they added.

Ms Green also used her statement to criticise media coverage of the case, which made headlines during a trial in London earlier this year.

A few people in the press were only too delighted to re-print these lies without proper reporting. There are few things the media enjoys more than tearing a woman to pieces, she claimed.

It felt like being set upon by hounds; I found myself misrepresented, quoted out of context and my desire to make the best possible film was made to look like female hysteria.

It was cruel and it was untrue.

During the 11-day trial, messages sent by Ms Green to her associates were revealed in court, which included her describing potential crew members as shitty peasants, the production as a B-shitty-movie and an executive producer as pure vomit.

Ms Green also spent two days giving evidence from the witness box, facing questions from White Lantern Film and SMCs lawyers.

The actress continued in her statement: As a result of this case, the cats well and truly out of the bag that I am mildly terrified of public speaking, that I dont understand technical financial structures, that I am fragile in the face of aggression, that Im passionate about my work and that my heart breaks when people are unkind.

Im also the kind of person who escapes through the back door at parties and is happiest at home alone with my dogs.

But, most importantly, I want to add that Im also at my happiest when Im making the films that I love and that I believe in, working side-by-side with brilliant crews in the UK and overseas.

Therefore, the deliberate misreporting by some of the press has amplified the pain to a huge degree and has been more painful than I can say.

Ms Green sued White Lantern Film after production on sci-fi film A Patriot was shuttered in October 2019, claiming she was still entitled her fee for the dystopian thriller despite its cancellation.

Green spoke of the pain of having her personal life dragged through the courts (Yui Mok/PA)

I fought tooth and nail to defend the beautiful film that I loved and had signed on for, the actress said.

A film that spoke of a cause I hold dear  climate change  and warned of the resource wars and mass migration that would occur if we dont address the problem.

I stood my ground, and this time, justice prevailed.

Ms Green concluded: I wish I could say that this ordeal has made me stronger, better, wiser.

But to have my personal life dragged through the press and the court was more painful and damaging than I can say.

Which is why I want to thank those kind people who, when I was being vilified by the press, supported me, on social media and on other platforms.

It was a great comfort to me to know that I wasnt alone and it helped to know that so many people could see through the legal tricks, the PR and the spin.

I promise with all my heart, I will always strive to deserve the kind support that you have given me.

White Lantern Film and SMC said Ms Green complained about things that she herself wrote and said, adding: Her comments, emails and WhatsApps were examined in order to establish whether she intended to quit the project, or would have proceeded with it. That was the key evidential issue before the court.

SMC has a long and proud record of financing and championing producers, directors, writers and acting talent of all genders, from Oscar winners to first-time female directors. It is preposterous to suggest that Ms Greens gender played any role in our decision to defend ourselves against this legal claim, they said.
Actress Eva Green has won her High Court battle with a production company over the collapse of an abandoned sci-fi film.

The 42-year-old sued White Lantern Film after production on A Patriot was shuttered in October 2019, claiming she was entitled to her million-dollar (810,000) fee for the film, despite its cancellation, under the terms of their agreement.

White Lantern Film and lender SMC Speciality Finance (SMC) brought a counter-claim against Ms Green, alleging she undermined the independent films production and renounced the contract.

In a judgment on Friday, Mr Justice Michael Green found in Ms Greens favour, ruling she was entitled to the fee and dismissing the counter-claim.

Eva Green gave evidence in January at the central London court (James Manning/PA)

During the trial in London earlier this year, Max Mallin KC, for White Lantern and SMC, said Ms Green showed a categorical and unequivocal refusal to perform.

But Mr Justice Michael Green said: I do not believe that any of the defendants witnesses truly considered that Ms Green had withdrawn her services from the film and renounced the artist agreement.

The judge said the allegation Ms Green renounced her obligations under the agreement has the feel of being constructed after the event in order to be able to mount some sort of defence to the claim brought by Ms Green, adding it was based on false evidence from witnesses.

He added: There is no doubt that Ms Green did not make any conclusive decision or statement that she would not comply with her obligations under the artist agreement.

Nor could anyone have reasonably understood her to have made such a decision.

Referencing some of the messages sent by Ms Green to her associates, he added: When she says we have to pull out or we are pulling out or we had to get out, these have to be understood in the context of a heightened emotional state where Ms Green is venting her fury at (executive producer Jake Seal) and the state of the production of the film she is desperate to make.

She is being open with the people she trusts.

The judge continued: She recognised that she could still be forced to make the film in those circumstances, which itself assumes that she had not withdrawn her services under the artist agreement.

During the 11-day trial, the court was told Ms Green described potential crew members as shitty peasants, the production as a B-shitty-movie and Mr Seal as pure vomit in other private messages.

Ms Green is also said to have described Mr Seal as a sociopath and a real mad dictator who wants to prove he is right so he could be ready for anything.

However, Mr Justice Michael Green found: She may have said some extremely unpleasant things about Mr Seal and his crew at Black Hangar, but this was borne from a genuine feeling of concern that any film made under Mr Seals control would be of very low quality and would not do justice to a script that she and the former directors were passionate about.

Discussing Mr Seals time in the witness box, the judge added: I have to say that, having heard him give evidence, I can see how it might be possible to take an instant dislike to him. In giving evidence he was at times patronising, sarcastic and denigrating.

I found him to have an innate aggression and can understand why Ms Green and others might have been displeased to be told that they had to make the film under his full control, he continued.

Mr Justice Michael Green said he found producer Jake Seal to have an innate aggression (Aaron Chown/PA)

Mr Justice Michael Green also said the actress, who gave oral evidence at the High Court in London over two days in January, was in some senses a frustrating and unsatisfactory witness, adding she was surprisingly under-prepared.

He added: I understand the torment it must have been for her to have all her private texts and WhatsApp messages revealed in open court and scrutinised for what they disclosed about her true state of mind and intentions in relation to the film.

She said it was humiliating but some of her explanations for the language she used and the feelings she expressed  such as they were down to her Frenchness  were not credible or adequate.

However I do think allowances need to be made for the heightened emotions that were clearly present when some of the messages were written and for the fact that these were assumed to be personal correspondence between friends that would never have been imagined to be seen by anyone else and certainly not analysed to the extent they were.
All British residents should qualify for evacuation from Sudan, Labour has said.

Downing Street has so far rejected calls to widen the eligibility for evacuation beyond British passport holders and their immediate family.

It comes amid criticism of the pace of the UK evacuation, which was bought more time after a three-day extension to the ceasefire was agreed.

Concerns have been raised that the current approach could see families split up or some members left behind, with Labour calling on ministers to use the longer window to extend eligibility for evacuation before it is too late.

Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: It cannot be right that NHS doctors and other British residents who worked to protect us throughout the pandemic are being denied the chance to evacuate from the conflict gripping Sudan.

At the same time, British nationals remain stuck as the government refuses to evacuate their dependent, immediate family members.

As of Thursday evening, the RAF had airlifted nearly 900 people from an airfield near the capital Khartoum.

We do not underestimate the scale of the challenge faced by Britains brave armed forces and FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) officials who are working around the clock, but the three-day extension to the ceasefire offers an opportunity to get more people to safety while the airlift is ongoing and there is capacity, Mr Lammy said.

All British nationals, close, dependent relatives of British nationals who are stuck and British residents seeking to flee Sudan should qualify to board evacuation flights. The government must act before the ceasefire ends and it is too late.

The extension came after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces joined the Sudanese military in agreeing to extend the 72-hour truce, which has allowed citizens and foreign nationals to flee.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has urged all UK nationals wishing to flee Sudan to come forward as quickly as possible, despite the extended truce.

Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman and Conservative MP Alicia Kearns is also among those calling for wider eligibility, asking the Government to allow elderly people dependent on children who are British citizens to be admitted.
KYIV (Reuters) - Russia attacked cities in a wide arc across Ukraine early on Friday, from the capital, Kyiv, through central and southern regions and at least five people were killed, according to media and officials.

The attacks come as Ukrainian forces are expected to soon launch an offensive with new military equipment, including tanks, from its Western allies after Russian forces made little headway in a winter offensive.

In the central town of Uman, three people were killed and eight wounded when a missile hit an apartment building, setting it ablaze, said Ihor Taburets, head of the military administration in the area.

In the central city of Dnipro a missile struck a house and a child and a young woman were killed, mayor Borys Filatov said on the Telegram message service. Three people were wounded in the strike.

Kyiv was also rocked by explosions and air raid sirens and explosions were reported across the country. Two people were wounded in the town of Ukrayinka in the Kyiv region.

The capital's military administration said anti-aircraft units have destroyed 11 missiles and two drones, with debris damaging a power line.

Interfax said explosions were also reported after midnight in Dnipro, Kremenchuk and Poltava in central Ukraine and inMykolaiv in the south.

Russian forces have suffered setbacks throughout the conflict and have been trying for 10 months to punch their way into the shattered remains of Bakhmut, once a city of 70,000.

Russia sees Bakhmut as a key stepping stone to other cities in eastern Ukraine, now its major military objective.

Russia's attacks on Friday came a day after the Kremlin said it would welcome anything that could bring the end of the conflict closer, referring to a telephone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday.

It was the first time the leaders had spoken since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year.

But the Kremlin said it still needed to achieve the aims of its "special military operation" in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, saying it was necessary to protect Russia.

Ukraine and its Western allies rejected that, saying the invasion was an unprovoked land grab by Putin, which has brought the biggest land war in Europe since World War Two. (This story has been refiled to remove extraneous words in paragraph 4)

(Reporting by Gleb Garanich and Ron Popeski; Writing by Michael Perry; Editing by Robert Birsel)
Four men have been charged with the murder of 22-year-old Tyrese Miller in southwest London on April 4.

Police were called in the early hours of the morning to reports of an injured man on Croydon Road, near the junction with Beddington Lane in Mitcham.

Metropolitan Police say Mr Miller died on the scene shortly after emergency services arrived, with a post-mortem performed the next day finding his cause of death was a gunshot wound to the chest.

Manuel Paulo, 19, of Garrett Lane, Kavaun Morrison, 18, of Swain Close, Armani McClymont, 20 of Camden Way, Thornton Heath and Denzel Kwateng, 20 of Parkway, New Addington, have all been charged over his death.

They have all been charged with murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and will appear in Wimbledon Magistrates Court on Friday.
A complete recording of the Kings coronation ceremony will be released globally on the day of the historic event.

The recording, featuring both the music and spoken word from the ceremony, will be available to stream and download on May 6.

It is the first time in history that such a recording has been produced, marking an unprecedented event in both recorded music and British royal history.

The Official Album of the Coronation will feature 12 brand new works commissioned by Charles, including the coronation anthem Make A Joyful Noise  composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The complete album will be over four hours long, and feature performances from eight choirs, six conductors, two organists, as well as a specially selected Coronation Orchestra, among others.

(Decca Records/PA)

Physical versions of the album, featuring the entire service and all new commissions, will be available in stores globally from May 15, with a special deluxe collectors CD and vinyl following later in the year.

It will be exclusively recorded at Westminster Abbey and released by Decca Records, with an official photograph from the day as the cover art.

The ceremony is set to feature a range of musical styles and performers, blending tradition, heritage and ceremony with the new musical voices of today to reflect Charles life-long support of music and the arts.

As well as the newly commissioned pieces, the King has personally shaped and selected the musical programme for the service.

The six orchestral commissions, five choral commissions and one organ commission, have been specially written by world-renowned British composers.

Between them, the 12 composers have more than 80 Bafta, Oscar, Grammy, Tony, Olivier, Golden Globe, Emmy, World Soundtrack Award and ASCAP awards and nominations.

A separate studio recording of Lord Lloyd-Webbers coronation anthem will also be released on May 6, as well as the live recording from the ceremony itself.

The studio recording will feature The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Choir of Westminster Abbey, The Fanfare Trumpeters of the Royal Air Force and the Abbey sub-organist Peter Holder, conducted by organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey, Andrew Nethsingha.

The Coronation of their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla: The Official Album of the Coronation will be released on May 6 (Chris Jackson/PA)

The Official Coronation Album will be produced by world-renowned classical record producer, Anna Barry, who has produced over 500 recordings of distinction over 35 years.

Her previous work includes the wedding of the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011 and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018.

This will be a truly historic recording, capturing a glorious range of music from across centuries and continents, reflecting the world-wide interest in our traditions, covering multiple locations in the wonderful acoustic of Westminster Abbey, and involving an unprecedented technical plan to present the entire experience to the world on the day itself, Barry said.

Balance engineer Mike Hatch, I and the team are honoured and excited to be a part of this.

Decca records, part of Universal Music Group, has previously released multiple commemorative albums such as for the Queen Mothers 100th birthday celebrations, the Queens Diamond Jubilee celebrations, and the weddings of William and Kate, and Harry and Meghan.

Co-presidents of Decca Label Group, Tom Lewis and Laura Monks, said: Coronation services have been taking place since the 11th century.

Never before has a complete recording been made available to global audiences to stream and download on the same day.

Decca has a longstanding and proud association with the British royal family and we are delighted to be once again making recorded music history together.

The Coronation of their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla: The Official Album of the Coronation will be released in support of the Royal British Legion and Age UK charities.
The Governments refusal to return to the negotiating table over pay shows a lack of concern for children and contempt for teachers and school leaders, a union boss will say.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), will accuse the Government of selling young people down the river over a lack of funding in schools.

In a speech to school leaders on Friday, Mr Whiteman will say underpaid staff working in underfunded schools under a punitive inspection regime will not solve the recruitment and retention crisis, adding it is damaging to children.

At the unions annual conference in Telford, the NAHT general secretary will say: The Government must now come back to the table. Simply taking their bat and ball home because our members have said no is not the action of a responsible government.

It is a demonstration of contempt for the profession and a lack of concern for children.

The national executive committee of the NAHT has decided to reballot its members in England during the summer term on strike action, with possible walkouts in the autumn if the ballot is successful.

Delegates at the NAHTs conference are due to endorse the unions decision to reballot for strike action over pay, funding, workload and wellbeing.

In January, a formal ballot of NAHT members failed to meet the mandatory 50% turnout threshold required for strike action.

In his speech, Mr Whiteman will say he has no doubt the union will secure a mandate for industrial action in England in due course.

It comes as teacher members of the National Education Union (NEU) staged fresh strikes in schools and sixth form colleges across England on Thursday  with another national walkout planned for Tuesday.

The Government offered teachers a 1,000 one-off payment for the current school year (2022/23) and an average 4.5% pay rise for staff next year following intensive talks with the education unions.

Four education unions  the NAHT, the NEU, the NASUWT teaching union and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL)  rejected the offer.

The decision on teachers pay in England for next year has been passed to the independent pay review body, the School Teachers Review Body (STRB).

(PA Graphics)

Mr Whiteman will tell hundreds of school leaders on Friday: The spectacle of underfunded schools, along with overworked and underpaid staff, working within the context of a punitive inspection regime, is, unsurprisingly, not the solution to our recruitment and retention crisis.

Its damaging to our profession, its damaging to the children you teach and its entirely unsustainable.

He will add: A slightly more palatable bottom line in exchange for selling young people down the river and sending a message to the rest of the world that in this country, we just dont think education is that important.

During his speech, Mr Whiteman will renew calls for Ofsted to be reformed  and he will say the pernicious one-word grading system should end.

It comes after the death of Ruth Perry, headteacher at Caversham Primary School in Reading, Berkshire, who took her own life in January while awaiting an Ofsted report which downgraded her school from the highest rating to the lowest possible.

Speaking at the Telford International Centre, Mr Whiteman will say: In the immediate aftermath of Ruths passing, NAHT experienced a significant increase in calls to its advice line from similarly distressed members.

One of the saddest things about this fact is that I doubt it has surprised anyone in this room whatsoever.

He will add: Ruth was one of us. And she could have been any of us. There are no two ways about it, this has to be a watershed moment for Ofsted. Change has to come and come quickly.

School leaders have never shied away from accountability and scrutiny. But we do ask for a fair, humane, proportionate inspection system that seeks to support schools, not punish them.

Our decision to take the first steps towards legal action and issue a pre-action protocol letter was not taken lightly, but it was absolutely necessary. I can tell you that the NAHT lawyers are putting the finishing touches to a legal challenge now.

Professor Julia Waters, Ms Perrys sister, is due to speak at the NAHTs annual conference on Saturday.
A jury has retired to consider verdicts in the trial of a mother accused of killing her three-year-old son through religious fasting.

Olabisi Abubakar, 42, from Cardiff, is charged with manslaughter and two counts of child cruelty relating to the death of Taiwo Abubakar in June 2020.

Cardiff Crown Court has heard Abubakar, who came to the UK from Nigeria as an asylum seeker in 2011, is a devout Pentecostal Christian and had fasted as part of her faith for years.

Two psychiatrists have given evidence to the trial that she was suffering with paranoid schizophrenia during the Covid-19 pandemic, leading her to a fast of food and water with her son.

Both prosecution and defence teams have urged jurors to return verdicts that Abubakar is not guilty of the charges against her by reason of insanity.

Mrs Justice Jefford sent the jury to deliberate in the case on Friday morning.

She said: We have now reached the point where I am going to ask you to retire to consider your verdicts. There are three counts on the indictment.

The judge said only a jury could return a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.

During the trial, Mark Heywood KC, prosecuting, described how police forced entry to Abubakars flat in the Cathays area of Cardiff on June 29 2020.

Mr Heywood said Abubakar was noticeably thin, malnourished and dehydrated, lying beside the body of her son Taiwo, who was severely emaciated and cold to the touch.

A post-mortem examination found Taiwo, who Mr Heywood said had been dead for some time, weighed just 22lb and had died from malnutrition and dehydration.

Abubakar was sectioned the following day and has remained detained in hospital to receive treatment for paranoid schizophrenia.

Witnesses described her as a wonderful, caring mother in statements read to the jury, while health visitors confirmed they had no concerns about her or her son before the lockdown.

Health professionals did not see Abubakar or Taiwo during the pandemic.

Mrs Justice Jefford, describing the evidence of psychiatrists, said Abubakar had become engulfed by her religious beliefs as she experienced psychotic symptoms including visual and auditory hallucinations.

It is believed Abubakar had been fasting for at least three to four months before she and her son were discovered by police.

Abubakar, who has attended her trial via video link from hospital, accepted she did the acts alleged but says she is not guilty by reason of insanity.

Caroline Rees KC, representing the defendant, told the jury: Both expert psychiatrists agree that at the material time, the defendant was suffering from a disease of the mind, namely paranoid schizophrenia.

The drastic change as to what happened over the course of the lockdown is supported by what we now know to be a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia with delusions.

She described the case as sad and tragic.

In police interviews, Abubakar described the pressures of not having help, fearing coronavirus for herself and Taiwo, and her immigration status.

The former hairdresser told officers she had been locking herself away due to the pandemic, staying inside the property where she was living on Cwmdare Street.

She said she had fallen asleep on June 26 and believed she had gone to heaven before being brought back to life when police arrived in the room.

Abubakar said: I saw myself among the dead in heaven. I was saying: I dont want to die. Then I saw the angels of God and they brought me back to life.

Jurors have heard that fasting is part of Abubakars religion, but children should not fast.

The trial continues.
The King has watched an Australian charity kick off the London leg of a torch relay in celebration of its centenary.

Charles chatted with torchbearers, participants and families at the event to mark 100 years of Legacy in the quadrangle at Buckingham Palace on Friday.

Founded in 1923 by a small group of First World War veterans, Legacy supports thousands of veterans, spouses and children of Australian Defence Force (ADF) members who have been affected by the death or serious injury of a loved one.

Charles received a torch as a gift and watched as torchbearers passed on the flame at Buckingham Palace on Friday.

Torchbearer and mother-of-four Angela Brient, 40, met the King, and on finding out how many children she had, he replied: My goodness. How do you manage?

Widow Ms Brient said Legacy has supported her and her children since her husband died six years ago.

Angela Brient (Gareth Fuller/PA)

He went to the Middle East where he suffered a severe injury to his neck. He came home, and even though he had some surgery his mental health declined from his injuries, and he ended up taking his own life, she said.

Ms Brient, who is from Perth in Australia but lives in Glasgow, said it was an honour to be asked to represent Legacy and said she could not believe she was invited to the Palace.

It was such a surprise to us all. And were so excited, she said.

Speaking about the prospect of meeting the King, Ms Brient said: Its an honour I was never expecting to be given in my life, so Im excited.

The King at the start of the Australian Legacy Torch Relay at Buckingham Palace (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Eric Easterbrook, chairman of Legacy Australia, said it was exceptionally exciting and wonderful to be at the Palace, and incredible to be there so close to the date of the coronation.

There are 44 Legacy clubs across Australia and one club in London.

The Legacy Centenary Torch Relay is a six-month satellite relay event commemorating the charitys 100 years of service and acknowledging veterans families.

The King meets torchbearers at the start of the Australian Legacy Torch Relay at Buckingham Palace (Gareth Fuller/PA)

The torch will travel over 50,000 kilometres through 100 locations, carried by approximately 1,500 torchbearers who have a connection to Legacy or the defence community.

The relay began at a ceremony at Pozieres France on April 23.

Whilst in France, the torch featured at Anzac Day events before heading to Ypres, Belgium for the daily Menin Gate Last Post Ceremony.

A relay will take place through the streets of London before the torch will arrive in Albany, Western Australia, and stop at all 44 Legacy clubs across the country, concluding in Melbourne in October.
A couple who tried to conceive for 18 years have welcomed two more babies via IVF, Kim and James with baby Harrison shortly after his birth. (SWNS)

A woman who tried for a baby for 18 years has since given birth to not one, but two children through IVF and is thrilled that her family is finally complete.

Kim Barrett, 40, a business owner from Tollesbury, Essex welcomed her first child, daughter Yasmin, now 22, when she was 17, and desperately wanted another baby.

Having then met her husband James, 46, the couple were persistently trying but were unable to conceive as Kim had irregular periods and was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) aged 18.

PCOS is a common condition that affects how a woman's ovaries work.

While she initially wanted children close together, following her diagnosis and with her struggle to conceive again, Kim says it soon became clear that wouldn't happen for her.

Read more: Jennifer Aniston, 53, 'has nothing to hide' as she shares 'challenging' IVF journey

William with Kim and James after birth. (SWNS)

For years, the couple tried various treatments including a laparoscopy  a surgical procedure that allows a surgeon to access the inside of the abdomen and pelvis  to try and increase their chances of growing their family.

After exhausting all options, in July 2017, the couple went to the TFP Simply Fertility in Chelmsford for help.

"I saw IVF as a last resort," Kim explains.

"We had a laparoscopy which was not a success.

"I felt like IVF wouldn't work so I didn't want to go through it but we had no other option."

Watch: Baby born 12 weeks early fit entirely in his dad's hands

In their first cycle of IVF, doctors retrieved 19 eggs and the couple were thrilled to see a positive pregnancy test in May 2018.

Despite feeling "extremely lucky", Kim also describes being "fearful" throughout her pregnancy.

"I was so scared about losing the baby," she explains. "There was a lot of fear  I was worried all the time.

"It has to be the most stressful thing I have ever done, but it was a straightforward pregnancy apart from the worry."

Read more: Major breakthrough on fertility treatment for lesbian couples

Harrison and William were both conceived via IVF after a long fertility journey. (SWNS)

And Kim went on to give birth to the couple's first son Harrison, on 16 January, 2019, in Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, weighing 7lb 7oz.

"When Harrison was born, I just can't describe the feeling, it was incredible," she says.

"I never thought I would fall pregnant again, so having him in my arms was a magical moment."

Kim says her family is now complete after her fertility journey. (SWNS)

But that wasn't the end of the couple's fertility journey, with Kim also falling pregnant via another round of IVF in 2020.

William was born in April 2021 at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, weighing 7lb 11oz.

"I had another normal pregnancy," Kim says.

"There were some times when I couldn't feel him moving but we went into the hospital for monitoring and everything was fine.

"I think I blocked out all the bad stuff, " Kim adds. "But my husband remembers all of it and how stressful it was.

"I was just happy to have my baby."

Kim was diagnosed with PCOS at 18, pictured with her husband James and boys Kit and Harrison. (SWNS)

Following the happy ending to their fertility story, the couple now want to encourage others not to view IVF as just a last resort, like they did.

"If you have the option to do IVF I would say don't hold off," Kim says.

"The clinic was amazing and really supportive.

"When I took the boys back they wanted to hold them and see them."

Read more: Fertility experts debunk the most common myths around conceiving

Harrison and William were both conceived via IVF after a long fertility journey. (SWNS)

What is IVF?

IVF is one method that can help with having a baby if you have fertility problems. During the process, an egg is removed from the woman's ovaries and fertilised with sperm in a lab.

Once fertilised, the egg is called an embryo, and is returned to the womb to grow and develop, just as with a normal pregnancy. It can either be carried out using your own eggs and your partner's sperm, or with eggs and sperm from donors.

This is different to egg freezing, when they aren't mixed with sperm, but instead stored to be used in the future. Freezing healthy sperm or eggs while young can increase the chances of successful fertility treatment.

The process has six main stages, which include, as per the NHS:

1. Suppressing your natural cycle

Your natural menstrual cycle is suppressed with medicine, to make other medicines used in the next stage of the process more effective.

This is done either via an injection that you'll be taught to give yourself every day, or as a nasal spray, continuing for around two weeks.

Read more: Single mum who had IVF baby at 50 says it was right time to become a parent

2. Helping your ovaries produce more eggs

You'll next be given a fertility hormone called follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) to help your ovaries produce more than one egg at a time. This is with the aim of collecting and fertilising more eggs, increasing the choice of embryos to use in your treatment.

3. Monitoring your progress and 'maturing' your eggs

The development of your eggs will be checked with vaginal ultrasound scans, and sometimes blood tests. Before they are collected, you'll have an injection of another hormone called human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) to help them mature (ripen, ready to be fertilised, in a sense).

4. Collecting eggs

Your eggs will be collected with a needle passed through your vagina and into each ovary, with the help of an ultrasound, taking around 15 to 20 minutes.

You'll be sedated during the collection, but might experience cramps or a small amount of vaginal bleeding afterwards.

5. Fertilising eggs

This is when the eggs are mixed with the sperm in a lab to fertilise them. Sometimes, each egg might need to be injected individually with a single sperm, called intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection or ICSI.

The embryos will then continue to grow in the lab for up to six days before being transferred into the womb, with one or two of the best chosen.

You'll have been given hormone medicines to help prepare the lining of the womb to receive the embryo.

Read more: Woman with PCOS shows off full beard, inspires others to love their facial hair

6. Transferring embryos

When the embryos are placed into your womb, this will be done with a thin tube called a catheter, passed into your vagina.

The procedure is more similar to having a cervical screening, or smear test, and you won't need to be sedated. The number of embryos that will be transferred should have been decided before starting treatment, which can be dependent on your age and which IVF cycle you're in.

If any suitable embryos are left over, they can be frozen for other attempts.

After embryo transferral, you should wait around two weeks to have a pregnancy test to see if it has worked. For more information, see our useful guide on the fertility treatment in full, including who's eligible.

Support and more information

IVF can be a challenge physically and mentally (and financially for some), but there is help and support out there if you need it.

You can also contact the Fertility Network UK on Monday, Wednesday and Friday on 0121 323 5025 or at support@fertilitynetworkuk.org, or on Tuesday and Thursday on 07816 086694 or at janet@fertilitynetworkuk.org, between 10am and 4pm.

Additional reporting SWNS.
A 25-year-old man has denied the murder of Met Police sergeant Matthew Ratana, who was shot dead inside Croydon police station in 2020.

Louis De Zoysa, from Banstead, Surrey, held up a whiteboard with not guilty written on it to enter his plea via a video-link to a hospital, and will now face trial on June 6.

Sgt Ratana, 54, died after suffering a fatal wound to the chest at Croydon custody centre in south London on September 25 2020.

Sgt Matthew Ratana (Metropolitan Police/PA)

De Zoysa, who appeared on the video-link in a wheelchair and with his right arm in a sling, also wrote on a whiteboard to confirm his name and date of birth at the start of a hearing on Friday at Northampton Crown Court.

Prosecutors allege sergeant Ratana was shot while De Zoysa was handcuffed, during an incident in which he also sustained a gunshot wound.

De Zoysa was remanded in custody until his trial, which is expected to last for around three weeks.
The average rent being asked outside London has reached a new record high of 1,190 per month, according to a property website.

Rightmove, which released the figures, said asking rents across Britain outside of London have been rising every quarter since the end of 2019.

Within London, average asking rents have surpassed 2,500 for the first time to reach a new record of 2,501 per month in the first quarter of 2023, Rightmove said.

However, the pace of the increases generally across Britain has been slowing, it said.

Supply remains very constrained in the rental market, with a significant imbalance between renters looking for properties and the availability of homes to rent, however there are some slow signs of improvement this year, Rightmove added.

Rightmoves map shows average asking rents (Rightmove/PA)

It said there is a particular gap between supply and demand in the terraced houses sector.

Rightmoves director of property science Tim Bannister said: We have seen some early signs of improvement on squeezed supply levels this year, though with no significant influx of new properties becoming available to rent currently on the horizon, the mismatch is set to continue for some time.

Many agents are having to manage a very high volume of tenant inquiries for every property that they let in the current market.

Properties in popular areas within an affordable asking rent range of that local area are likely to be snapped up almost immediately, and on average homes are finding a tenant much more quickly than this time in 2019.

Although there are some early signs that the gap between supply and demand is starting to narrow a little, it will still feel very competitive for tenants trying to secure a home.

Craig Webster, managing director of Tiger Sales & Lettings in Blackpool, Lancashire, said: The rental market remains very busy, with multiple applicants competing over a shortage of property to rent.

Were seeing more tenants staying put in their current home, which is having a knock-on effect for the rest of the market and contributing to the shortage.

We are also seeing some of our landlords decide to sell up for a variety of reasons  more legislation to navigate, higher mortgage costs, or because they can now get a good price for their home.

However, for new or existing landlords looking to grow their portfolio, yields remain very strong, with a mix of property types, both houses and flats, proving popular.
The number of cars built in the first three months of the year increased by 6%, new figures show.

Production totalled 219,887, according to the latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The trade group said the global shortage of semiconductors and other components had started to ease, so factories produced 12,540 more cars than the same quarter last year, driven by exports which increased 6.6% and represented almost eight in 10 cars made.

Around two-thirds of exported cars went to the EU, with shipments increasing by 4.9%, while those to the next biggest markets, the US and China declined by 4.1% and -8.3% respectively.

Exports to Turkey, Japan, Australia and South Korea all rose.

The SMMT said British car makers continued to manufacture the latest hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles, with combined volumes of these models increasing by 75% in March compared to a year ago, to 32,546.

Two in five cars built in the month featured ultra-low or zero emission powertrain technology.

The SMMT predicted that this trend was set to continue, with more than 20 models of electric cars, vans, buses, trucks and taxis expected to be in production in the UK by 2025.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: A second consecutive month of growth for UK car production gives cause for optimism, though volumes are still well below pre-pandemic levels.

If British car manufacturing is to get back towards those levels, with all the economic benefits that brings, we need to match the best in global competitiveness.

That means driving down the high cost of UK energy, reforming business rates and vigorously promoting Britain globally to secure the investments essential to a zero-carbon automotive future.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has rejected claims he attempted to dodge journalists at the Scottish Conservative conference after a planned press conference almost descended into chaos.

Number 10 officials originally planned to have a press conference with the Prime Minister after his address to the event in Glasgow, with seven journalists allowed access and six of them permitted to ask questions.

But more than the invited reporters arrived at the press conference, irked at what they claimed was a lack of access to the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, right, with Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross during the Tory conference in Glasgow (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Officials initially allowed them to stay, with only the invited media permitted to put their questions to Mr Sunak.

But with the Prime Minister running late for the press conference following his speech, an aide told journalists he would now only be doing a single interview with a broadcaster that could be shared with other outlets  prompting outrage from those in the room.

Tensions rose during an exchange between the waiting press pack and two Downing Street aides, when broadcasters refused to interview the Prime Minister.

Almost an hour later, as a result of negotiations between journalists and Number 10, aides said Mr Sunak would speak to the journalists, taking questions from the six initial invitees, and do a pooled broadcast interview.

Questioned on the situation when the huddle started more than an hour later than planned, Mr Sunak rejected accusations of a lack of transparency.

Just yesterday, I filmed quite an extensive interview with BBC Scotland, a part of which was pooled and mad available to other broadcasters, and Ive just done another pool clip earlier today, and Im speaking to half a dozen of you here, which was always the plan, he said.

Put to him that the press conference only went ahead because of the protests of journalists, the Prime Minister said: Thats just completely wrong, completely wrong.

I was always due to speak to, I think, about half a dozen or so (journalists) today.

A spokesman for the Scottish Parliamentary Journalists Association  which represents reporters working at Holyrood  said: Journalists expect to be able to hold the Prime Minister to account when he is in Scotland as a vital part of the democratic process.

Todays actions to restrict access are unprecedented and undermine that important principle.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said later that journalists had been rightly upset about it.

He said: I will be making the strongest possible representations to Number 10 about it.

Speaking about the situation, Mr Ross added: It was unnecessary and shouldnt have happened.

I always speak to the press, have as many questions as you need to take.
Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams was wrongly denied compensation after his convictions for attempted prison breaks were quashed, a court has ruled.

Mr Adams won a Supreme Court appeal in 2020 over historical convictions for two attempts to escape the Long Kesh internment camp in Northern Ireland in the 1970s.

However, he was subsequently denied a payout for the wrongful convictions when he applied for compensation from Stormonts Department of Justice.

Gerry Adams was held at the Long Kesh internment camp (PA)

That decision was ruled unlawful by a High Court judge in Belfast on Friday.

Mr Adams was interned without trial in 1973 at Long Kesh, which was also known as the Maze prison.

At his Supreme Court hearing, Mr Adams lawyers argued that, because the interim custody order (ICO) used to initially detain him was not authorised by the then-secretary of state for Northern Ireland Willie Whitelaw, his detention was unlawful and his convictions should be overturned.

The legal bid to overturn the convictions was prompted after previously confidential details around the signing of the ICO emerged when state papers were released from the archives.

The Supreme Court ruled that Mr Adams detention was unlawful because it had not been considered personally by Mr Whitelaw.

However, in refusing the later bid for compensation, the DoJ argued that payment for a miscarriage of justice was only due in circumstances where a newly-discovered fact had led to the overturning of convictions.

The department said in Mr Adams case the quashing of the conviction was based on an interpretation of what was required in law in the 1970s, as opposed to a new or newly-discovered fact.

Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams (Liam McBurney/PA).

The former Sinn Fein leader challenged the DoJ decision in Belfast High Court and a judge ruling on the appeal found in his favour on Friday.

Mr Justice Colton said the issue related to the ICO was not a fact known to the applicant or to the court at the time of his trial.

He said it formed the basis of the Supreme Courts ruling.

I therefore conclude that the DoJ erred in law in determining that the reversal of the applicants conviction arose from a legal ruling on facts which had been known all along, said the judge.

I am satisfied that the applicant meets the test for compensation under section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.

Justice Colton quashed the DoJ decision, declared it unlawful and ordered that Mr Adams application be reconsidered.

Responding to the ruling, a spokeswoman for the DoJ said: We note the judgment and are considering it.
Richard Sharp has resigned as BBC chairman after conceding a report found he breached the governance code for public appointments.

He announced on Friday morning that he will stand down at the end of June after reading the findings of barrister Adam Heppinstall KCs review into his appointment, which has just been published.

The report was ordered after it emerged he played a role in facilitating an 800,000 loan guarantee for then prime minister Boris Johnson before being recommended for the influential role overseeing the public broadcasters independence.

In a statement, he said: Mr Heppinstalls view is that while I did breach the governance code for public appointments, he states that a breach does not necessarily invalidate an appointment.

Indeed, I have always maintained the breach was inadvertent and not material, which the facts he lays out substantiate. The Secretary of State has consulted with the BBC Board who support that view.

Nevertheless, I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC.

I feel that this matter may well be a distraction from the Corporations good work were I to remain in post until the end of my term.

I have therefore this morning resigned as BBC Chair to the Secretary of State, and to the Board.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has denied ever recommending tactical voting.

Mr Ross caused consternation in his own party last month when he used an interview in the Daily Telegraph to say voters should get behind the candidate best placed to defeat the SNP.

But within hours of the comments, a spokesman for the UK Conservative Party said that is emphatically not its position, while a report in The Scotsman quoted senior Tory MSPs saying they had not been consulted about the comments.

Mr Ross is expected to use his Scottish Tory conference speech on Friday to tell party members that the best way to beat the SNP is to vote Conservative.

Speaking to the BBC ahead of the conference, Mr Ross claimed he had never pitched the idea of tactical voting.

Asked if he wants Tory voters to back Labour in some seats to remove the SNP, he said: No, and Ive never said that.

In fact, the words I used were exactly the same words the Prime Minister used in his interview with the BBC yesterday, Im Scottish Conservative leader and I will always encourage people to vote Scottish Conservative.

We know in many seats that Scottish Conservatives are the best-placed party to beat the SNP.

So at the next next general election, which is coming next year, if people want to send a message to Humza Yousaf to say concentrate on the real priorities of people across Scotland, not your obsession with another independence referendum, vote Scottish Conservative so we can beat the SNP.

During his conference speech, Mr Ross is expected to say: This failing SNP Government, mired in scandal and sleaze, cannot focus on governing our country.

They cannot tackle the big challenges Scotland faces.

It is painfully obvious that Humza Yousaf is not up to the job of being First Minister.

At the general election next year, people across Scotland have a choice.

They can give Humza Yousaf a blank cheque; the thumbs up to continue to lead an incompetent government and to focus on the priorities of the SNP.

First Minister Humza Yousaf will be criticised by Douglas Ross during his speech to the Scottish Conservative conference (Jane Barlow/PA)

Or they can unseat SNP MPs and their referendum obsession, and send a strong signal to Humza Yousafs Government to focus on their real priorities.

The best way that Scots can do this in seats right across our country is to vote for the Scottish Conservatives.

Mr Ross also rejected assertions that his leadership is in jeopardy, following a report in The Scotsman.

Asked if he is on a shoogly peg, he said: No, and as I said in response to that, I am focused on holding Humza Yousaf and this failing and tired SNP Government to account.

Were focused, as youll hear at our conference over the next couple of days, on prioritising the real issues that matter to people across Scotland.

Thats dealing with the cost-of-living crisis, thats improving our NHS, raising educational standards.

These are all things that are in the power and the gift of the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament at the moment that arent getting the attention they deserve, because Humza Yousaf would rather continue where Nicola Sturgeon left off, create conflict with the UK Government and Westminster rather than focusing on these issues that could really make improvements to the lives of people across Scotland.
Scottish Tories can provide the positive vision Scotland needs, Douglas Ross claimed as he said the country was at a crossroad as the Nicola Sturgeon era of Scottish politics comes crashing down.

The Scottish Conservative leader set out his alternative vision for Scotland as he addressed his partys conference in Glasgow.

Insisting that the Tories are focused on Scotlands real priorities, he announced policies to help homeowners make their properties more energy efficient, and to give local communities the final say on renewable energy developments.

Mr Ross also promised a new deal for teachers, which he said would cut down on paperwork, give teachers more time to prepare high quality lessons and reward them for extra classes and after school teaching.

The Conservative leader added: This would incentivise teachers to go above and beyond to help every pupil to achieve their potential.

Mr Ross cited these as examples of how his party was bringing forward the policies that matter to people across Scotland.

His comments came as he said the Nicola Sturgeon-era of Scottish politics comes crashing down and Scotland enters a new chapter in our nations history.

But with the party engulfed in turmoil, with a police investigation into its finances, he said the SNP are losing the trust of the Scottish people.

The investigation has seen both the former chief executive Peter Murrell  Ms Sturgeons husband  and former treasurer Colin Beattie being arrested by the police, though both were released without charge.

Officers from Police Scotland searched the home Nicola Sturgeon shares with her husband, former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell. (RObert Perry/PA)

Mr Ross said: Nicola Sturgeons legacy lies in tatters. Her political career ended in failure.

He added that without Ms Sturgeon in charge, the SNP have entered into total meltdown.

He continued: The SNPs financial troubles have blown a huge hole in their economic case for independence.

Remember, the SNP wanted to hold an independence referendum in just six months time  they cant even find an auditor in the same timeframe.

Mr Ross added: The SNP cannot even manage their own accounts, how could they be trusted with the finances of an independent Scotland?

Nobody will ever believe a nationalist on currency, pensions or balancing the books ever again.

Only the Scottish Conservatives are focused on Scotland's real priorities#SCC23 pic.twitter.com/x3tht7tsVj  Scottish Conservatives (@ScotTories) April 28, 2023

Setting out his pitch to voters ahead of the next Westminster election  expected some time in 2024  he said: The SNP are losing the trust of the Scottish people, but no party has yet filled that vacuum.

All bets are off, Scotland stands at a crossroad.

He went on to tell Tory activists: If we want the country to take a fresh look at our party, then we need to offer the positive vision Scotland needs.

We need to be a party for all of Scotland, focused on improving the lives of people up and down the country. We need to rise above partisan interest to tackle the big challenges we all face.

And show the Scottish people, in every community across our country, that the Scottish Conservatives are focused on Scotlands real priorities.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross used his party conference speech to make a pitch to voters (Andrew Milligan/PA)

His speech came after Mr Ross was forced to deny he had ever recommended Scots vote tactically to oust the SNP in the next election.

The Scottish Tory leader had caused consternation in his own party last month when he used an interview in the Daily Telegraph to say voters should get behind the candidate best placed to defeat the SNP.

But within hours of the comments, a spokesman for the UK Conservative Party said that is emphatically not its position, while a report in The Scotsman quoted senior Tory MSPs saying they had not been consulted about the comments.

Speaking ahead of his speech on Friday, Mr Ross insisted: Im the Scottish Conservative leader and I will always encourage people to vote Scottish Conservative.
The Queen had several official royal portrait paintings commissioned during her 70-year reign and the King is set to follow in her footsteps with a portrait to commemorate his coronation.

Artists painted the late monarch to celebrate and depict various milestones during her life and reign, including her coronation on June 2 1953.

Sir Herbert James Gunn was commissioned by the Queen to capture her standing in her white satin coronation dress and the purple Robe of Estate, wearing the Diamond Diadem made for George IV and Queen Victorias collet diamond necklace.

The oil-on-canvas state portrait sees the Queen in the Throne Room in Buckingham Palace holding the sceptre, which lays with the Imperial State Crown on a table beside her.

Award-winning painter Isobel Peachey, who at 31 at the time was believed to be the youngest woman commissioned to paint the monarch, described the Queen as a gracious, warm and friendly sitter as she unveiled an official portrait for Cunard to hang in its new cruise liner  Queen Elizabeth.

An official portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by award-winning painter Isobel Peachey (John Stilwell/PA)

Over the years a number of unofficial portraits of the Queen have been commissioned, including US artist Andy Warhols pop art print impression titled Reigning Queens.

In 1955, Sir William Oliphant Hutchison was commissioned by the Edinburgh Merchant Company to paint the Queen after she became head of the Order of the Thistle, Scotlands Order of Chivalry, on her accession.

In 1992, British artist Richard Stone was commissioned to paint a portrait of the Queen by the Borough of Colchester.

His portrait became a popular image during the period of mourning for the Queens death on September 8 last year and was used in various broadcasts.

Reigning Queens screenprint in colours by Andy Warhol (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Charles has also sat for a number of paintings over the years, including for a modern-style portrait by Bryan Organ commissioned by the National Portrait Gallerys trustees in 1980, shortly before his wedding to Diana, Princess of Wales.

With a British flag hanging over his head, the future King can be seen sitting in a relaxed pose on a wooden chair while wearing polo clothes, a sport he played for 40 years.

In 2000, Charles featured in John Wonnacotts The Royal Family: A Centenary Portrait along with his mother the Queen, his father the Duke of Edinburgh, his sons Harry and William and the Queen Mother.

The oil-on-canvas painting, which features the familys beloved corgis, was commissioned by the trustees of the National Portrait Gallery to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Queen Mother.

British artist Michael Noakes also captured various members of the royal family for the 25th silver wedding anniversary of the Queen and Prince Philip.

Artist John Wonnacott gestures towards his group portrait of the royal family commissioned by the Portrait Gallery for the Millennium at Agnews gallery in Mayfair, London, in 2005 (Michael Stephens/PA)

His oil sketch of the Queen Mother wearing Queen Victorias Diamond Jubilee Brooch, painted as a study for a group portrait, was later acquired by Charles for Clarence House.

He said in a Royal Collection Trust video that the painting captured her likeness and reminds him of the essence of my grandmothers personality.

Ahead of the Kings coronation in May, an 8 million Government-funded scheme is offering public authorities the chance to claim a free portrait of Charles.

Oliver Dowden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said the portrait will serve as a visible reminder in buildings up and down the country of the nations ultimate public servant.

A picture was also commissioned by the Illustrated London News for its special coronation edition, which showed the King  who did not sit for the portrait  wearing a bracelet given to him by an indigenous Amazon leader.

Artist Alastair Barford said he wanted to capture Charless sensitivity in the oil painting, with the inclusion of the bracelet a nod to his environmental campaigning.

Artist Jamie Coreth in front of a portrait he painted of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge which is on display at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (Paul Edwards/The Sun/PA)

In June last year, the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge viewed their first joint portrait at the Fitzwilliam Museum, commissioned by the Cambridgeshire Royal Portrait Fund as a gift for the county.

The portrait was painted by British artist Jamie Coreth and shows the pair standing side-by-side, with Kate in an elegant emerald dress and William in a black suit.
Royal Navy sailors have spoken of their pride at taking part in the Kings coronation as they carry out rehearsals for the guard of honour.

More than 900 naval personnel will march in London on May 6 with 60 taking part in the tri-service guard of honour.

The personnel have been making final drill rehearsals with the Royal Marines Band Plymouth at HMS Excellent on Whale Island, Portsmouth.

The band drummers have been kitted out with a new drum for the occasion featuring the royal cypher and the Kings crown.

Lieutenant Victoria Rogers, 48, from Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, said that she would be following in the footsteps of her late father, Trevor Rogers, who took part in the Queens coronation while serving in the Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery.

Inspired by her father, she had wanted to join the Army but the Kings Troop was not taking women at the time so she joined the Royal Navy as an Environmental Health Officer (HO) in 2019 having been in the reserves for seven years.

She told the PA news agency: We grew up hearing all his stories and everything about the coronation when he actually did it, I never thought I would get the chance so to actually be in the services whilst this is occurring and to be chosen to carry the Colour is more than I ever could possibly have imagined.

Lieutenant Victoria Rogers at HMS Excellent in Portsmouth (Ben Mitchell/PA)

I was a bit of a daddys girl, I am sure he is watching me from somewhere and making him proud and to be able to walk in his footsteps is brilliant. Its a dream.

I am so excited, so proud and so honoured to be part of this event which is so magnificent.

The guys and girls have been working so hard and tirelessly, everyone is in good humour, lots of smiles and lots of excitement and everyone is so aware of the honour to be part of this.

Rear Admiral Jude Terry, the navys director of people and training, said: They feel immense pride to be showcasing the Royal Navy on behalf of His Majesty the King on what will be such an international and memorable day.

Members of the Royal Marines Band Plymouth rehearse at HMS Excellent in Portsmouth (Ben Mitchell/PA)

The hard work from the teams has really paid off.

Lance Corporal James Clements, a bugler in the Royal Marines Band Plymouth, said: I am extremely proud to be a part of this historical and momentous occasion for the United Kingdom especially representing the Royal Navy.

Our standard is always immaculate, we will be ready by the coronation, theres not much left to do but there are always things to fine tune.

Royal Navy personnel rehearse ahead of the coronation on May 6 (Ben Mitchell/PA)

A navy spokesman said: For the navy, the parade is a chance to honour and celebrate one of its own: the then Prince of Wales served between 1971 and 1976, rising to command minesweeper HMS Bronington before returning to royal duties.

The event also sees the largest number of Royal Marines on parade in nearly a decade  and an opportunity for the corps to march for the first time for their new captain general, an honorary title famously held for decades by the Kings late father.

Given the significance of the occasion  the first in 70 years  many personnel of all ranks and branches, drawn from ships, submarines, Fleet Air Arm squadrons, Royal Marines units and bases throughout the UK have volunteered to participate.
All state schools in England could be affected by walkouts in the autumn term if co-ordinated strike action by teachers and headteachers goes ahead.

Four education unions, which represent the majority of school leaders and teachers across England, have said they will join up for any future industrial action in a long-running dispute over pay.

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said up to 400,000 teachers in England could be involved in walkouts in the autumn if all the unions go out on strike.

"Investment in this generation of childrens education, with professionals shown the value and respect they deserve, should be a priority. Read the full statement below. #PayUp #SaveOurSchoolshttps://t.co/iZwNjaqh5p  National Education Union (@NEUnion) April 28, 2023

Currently only the NEU has a mandate to take strike action, with the next walkout planned for Tuesday, and it plans to re-ballot its teacher members in England to take further action in the autumn.

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and the NASUWT teaching union  which both failed to meet the mandatory 50% turnout threshold required for strikes in England in their last ballots  will re-ballot members in England during the summer term.

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) is also due to hold a formal ballot for national strikes in England for the first time in its history.

Asked about the impact of possible co-ordinated strike action at a press conference at the NAHTs annual conference in Telford, Mr Courtney said: I think with our four unions you would find that every state school in England would be affected by the dispute and that would put you up at 300,000-400,000 teachers involved in taking the action, I would have thought.

We dont want to take it. We want to find a solution. But with all four of us acting together I think we will all pass the Governments undemocratic thresholds and so it would be an enormous response from our members.

We would sincerely apologise to parents for disrupting their childrens education if were pushed to that. And we would sincerely apologise to them for disrupting their home and their working lives. However, what we are seeing is disruption in childrens education every week of the school year.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, told the press conference: I have been around a decade and I have never seen the co-ordination that we are seeing here.

Delegates unanimously carry Motions 19a and b at #NAHTConf  endorsing the National Executive's decision to ballot members for industrial action. pic.twitter.com/e7zxSKT9gQ  NAHT (@NAHTnews) April 28, 2023

Asked if the education sector could face the biggest strikes on record if all ballots are successful, Mr Whiteman said: The steps now are to get through the thresholds and then to sit and meet and discuss what co-ordinated action actually looks like once we get through those thresholds.

So it is a difficult question to answer one way or the other. Potentially yes, but we dont know what that action looks like right now.

Delegates at the NAHTs annual conference in Telford on Friday afternoon unanimously passed a motion to ballot for strike action in the dispute over pay.

The Governments recent pay offer was described as derisory and an insult by delegates at the conference.

After intensive talks with the education unions, the Government offered teachers a 1,000 one-off payment for the current school year (2022/23) and an average 4.5% rise for staff next year.

But all four education unions rejected the offer.

The decision on teachers pay in England for next year has been passed to the independent School Teachers Review Body (STRB).

(PA Graphics)

On Friday, the NEU wrote to Education Secretary Gillian Keegan to give her formal notice that the union would be balloting its teacher members in England from May 15 to July 28 for further strike action.

Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: The Secretary of State who remains, by some distance, the biggest obstacle to getting a sensible resolution, needs to address this issue head on and come to the negotiating table with all the education unions. This wilful lack of engagement will be something that parents and teachers will not forget.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: For unions to co-ordinate strike action with the aim of causing maximum disruption to schools is unreasonable and disproportionate, especially given the impact the pandemic has already had on their learning.

Childrens education has always been our absolute priority and they should be in classrooms where they belong.

We have made a fair and reasonable teacher pay offer to the unions, which recognises teachers hard work and commitment as well as delivering an additional 2 billion in funding for schools, which they asked for.
The Stone of Destiny is returning to England for the first time in more than a quarter of a century, where it will play a key role in the coronation, amid tight security.

At Edinburgh Castle on Thursday a special ceremony was held to mark the legendary stone  which has become a symbol of Scottish nationhood but for 700 years was housed in Westminster Abbey  starting its journey south.

The procession was led by the Lord Lyon King of Arms  the monarchs representative in Scotland  and attended by First Minister Humza Yousaf in his capacity of Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland and one of the commissioners for the safeguarding of the regalia.

Mr Yousaf said after the service, which saw the historic stone piped out: It was a very significant, historical moment. Im delighted to be a part of it.

The stone will now make its way to Westminster Abbey, where it will be placed in the Coronation Chair for the enthronement of Charles, before returning to Scotland and put on display in the Crown Room at Edinburgh Castle in the weeks that follow.

Colin Muir, senior stone conservator at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), has the task of helping to ensure that the stone gets to London safely and is installed into the Coronation Chair.

Weve assembled a team thats involved in the transportation and installation of the stone and as part of todays events we were carrying it as a symbolic gesture through Edinburgh on its departure, he said.

The stone weighs 125kg but the team of six who carried it were lifting around 164kg given the equipment needed to transport it out of the Great Hall.

The Coronation Chair was specially built with the stone underneath, and getting it back in will be a challenge.

Its extremely tight. In fact it will not go in straight. Its got bare millimetres to spare, Mr Muir said.

The stone is more fragile than it appears after it was repaired in the 1950s, and HES experts built a 3D print of the stone and chair to better work out how to reunite them.

Kathy Richmond, head of collections and applied conservation at HES, said: Weve been working together with the collections team at Westminster Abbey to make sure that thats all done really carefully.

First Minister Humza Yousaf stands beside the Stone of Destiny (Russell Cheyne/PA)

Weve got to look after both objects because youve got to remember that the chair is also a very historic object that dates to around about 1300.

So the teams have been working to come up with a plan, and theyve done all sorts of testing just to make sure that its going to go smoothly.

It is a high-security operation, with the stone a polarising object for many.

In 1950, it was taken from the Abbey in a daring raid by Ian Hamilton, Gavin Vernon, Kay Matheson and Alan Stuart, with it eventually being found at Arbroath Abbey.

Ms Richmond said: Weve been working very closely with Police Scotland to ensure that the transportation of the stone happens smoothly.

Rhe Lord Lyon said: This occasion is not only historic but underpins the traditions and values of Scottish life.

The stone has played its role in many royal occasions, and it is fitting it returns to Westminster Abbey to have its rightful position in the coronation of their majesties.

(PA Graphics)

It will be in safekeeping and returned to Scotland for future events.

The stone will be transported in a special carrier constructed largely from Scottish oak, which was made by the in-house carpentry team at HES to protect it while in transit.

The Stone of Destiny has been used for centuries in the coronations of monarchs and the inauguration of Scottish kings.

The earliest use of the stone and exactly how and when it became associated with king-making remains unknown, but legends around its origin strongly link it with kingship and the emergence of Scotland as a nation.

The last Scottish King to be inaugurated using a Stone at Scone was John Balliol in 1292.

Since then it has been used by English monarchs, and then British ones when James VI of Scotland ascended to the English throne upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603.

The last time it featured in a ceremony was for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

It was officially returned to Scotland in November 1996 and put on display at Edinburgh Castle on St Andrews Day that year.
Rishi Sunak has condemned the SNP for its record of failure, as he insisted the Conservatives will deliver for Scotland.

The Prime Minister said he is confident he will meet five key aims he set out earlier this year, adding that Scotland is at the heart of my plans for delivery.

Mr Sunak addressed the Scottish Tory conference in Glasgow on Friday morning.

He said: I think that is where all of us can demonstrate to the people of Scotland what we are doing to help people.

At the beginning of the year I set out five priorities: to halve inflation; grow the economy; reduce debt; cut waiting lists; and to stop the boats.

I know we can move forward and make sure those things happen.

I am confident that that is what we will do.

I know that because I only promise what I can deliver and I will deliver what I promise.

And Scotland is at the heart of my plans for delivery.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addressed the first day of the Scottish Conservative conference in Glasgow (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The Prime Minister highlighted 1 billion being spent in Scotland as part of his Governments levelling up agenda, and plans to create two new freeports north of the border where it is hoped tax breaks will attract investment, increase trade and create jobs.

He told party members: Under my leadership we will never, ever forget we are the Conservative and Unionist Party, and working together, all of us proudly as Conservatives, we will deliver for each and every part of our precious union.

He contrasted the actions of his party with the SNP Scottish Government and its record of failure.

Nicola Sturgeon stepped down as first minister and SNP leader last month, and since then the party has been rocked by a police investigation into its finances which saw her husband  and former party chief executive  Peter Murrell arrested, before being released without charge.

As part of the investigation, police were seen removing a luxury campervan said to be owned by the SNP, with Mr Sunak quipping that Ms Sturgeon is currently learning to drive because someones got to drive that motorhome after all.

Scotland's real priorities are being ignored by an SNP Government beset by failure#SCC23 pic.twitter.com/N5OkJ3aHJQ  Scottish Conservatives (@ScotTories) April 28, 2023

Mr Sunak said: If the SNP cant sort out the mess Nicola Sturgeon left their party, how on earth can they sort out the mess Nicola Sturgeon has left Scotlands public services in?

What we need is a government in Holyrood that is focused on Scottish peoples real priorities, not constitutional abstractions.

The SNP may not be able to find some auditors for their party, but we can certainly audit their record in government.

Just take a look at the education attainment gap, the very thing Nicola Sturgeon said they should be judged on, a gap widening.

Violent crime rising, and they cant even deliver the ferries they promised the islanders. It is a record of failure.

The Prime Minister went on to highlight Conservative opposition to the Scottish Governments proposed deposit return scheme for drinks cans and bottles as showing the Tories are the ones who have got the Scottish peoples interests at heart.

Mr Sunak during a Q and A with Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross on the first day of the Scottish Conservative party conference (Andrew Milligan/PA)

First Minister Humza Yousaf has been forced to delay the launch of the scheme, pushing it back from August to March next year, amid concerns from businesses about how it would operate.

Mr Sunak said the Scottish Conservatives had taken the lead in calling out that scheme was not something that was going to be workable, that is was going to increase costs for Scottish consumers, for businesses, reduce choice.

He said that sustained campaign had ultimately resulted in the Scottish Government having delayed the scheme, with changes being made.

That just shows that we are the ones who have got the Scottish peoples interests at heart, we understand their priorities, Mr Sunak said.

He also told the conference the Tories were the only party that unequivocally supports the North Sea industry.

Mr Sunak said despite the war in Ukraine having highlighted problems with being dependent on places like Russia for fossil fuels, the other political parties think we should ignore what we have at home.

Rival parties focus on renewable energy, rather than oil and gas from the North Sea, ignores the economic benefits, the jobs, the energy security and increases our reliance on foreign dictators for the energy we know we need for the next couple of decades, the Prime Minister added.

He said: In this incredibly important area we are absolutely the party that is going to deliver and it is going to be incredibly exciting for Scotland.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said: The Tories have no mandate in Scotland. Rishi Sunak should be apologising for the disastrous mess the Tory government has made of the economy  and for the damage hes caused to families, who are paying through the nose for Brexit and the Tory cost-of-living crisis.

The SNP is the only party offering a real alternative to the Tories. Voting SNP is the best way to beat the Tories in Scotland at the next election  and the only way to get rid of Westminster Tory governments for good with independence.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said the Prime Ministers speech was without vision and without energy.

The people of Scotland know what this Tory government means  sleaze at the highest level while people go hungry and face soaring bills, she added.
The Irish deputy premier Micheal Martin has expressed sympathies to the family of an Irishman killed in Ukraine.

Finbar Cafferkey, from Achill Island, Co Mayo, is reported to have been a military volunteer in the eastern part of the country.

He was reported to have been killed near Bakhmut.

Mr Martin said: My deepest sympathies to the Cafferkey family on the sad passing of Finbar.

He obviously was a young man of clear principles.

Our thoughts and our prayers are with the family today.

I think the family have asked for privacy, Im not going to comment any further on it at this particular time. Ill allow the family space to grieve what is a very, very sad loss for them.

Mr Cafferkey had previous combat experience in the Syrian conflict.

He had travelled to Syria to volunteer with the YPG in their fight against Isis in Rojava.

He has been described in online tributes as a respected activist.

Prior to the Syrian conflict, Mr Cafferkey was involved in the Shell to Sea campaign which is opposed to the construction of a natural gas pipeline in the west of Ireland.

A statement on the groups website said: We are all heartbroken to hear of the death of our brave friend Finbar, who was guided by the principles of freedom and equality for all.

Heartfelt sympathies to all his family and friends. Rest in peace.

He had participated in rallies with the group.

Mr Cafferkeys activism on environmental issues, homelessness and migration has also been praised in tributes.
Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon was being calculated when she described the troubles in the SNP since she stepped down as her worst nightmare, Douglas Ross has claimed.

The Scottish Conservative leader said: Ive always thought every decision and action taken by Nicola Sturgeon was calculated and I still think that to be the case.

Ms Sturgeon appeared at the Scottish Parliament this week for the first time since she left office  and since police investigating her partys finances searched her home and arrested her husband and former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell.

Asked if he felt sorry for Ms Sturgeon, who appeared emotional when she spoke to the press at Holyrood on Tuesday, Mr Ross said: This has been brought on by herself, her actions, the secrecy she has presided over in her party, her government.

I think most people dont want any attempts, I think Nicola Sturgeon said this herself, to get sympathy from the public. They want answers.

Because there is still a lot of answers with this ongoing police investigation into the serious claims that have been made, and I think it is right we continue to seek answers from Nicola Sturgeon.

Ms Sturgeons comments came after former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie, who like Mr Murrell was arrested and questioned before being released without charge, also spoke to the media, describing the SNP as being a going concern, definitely.

Former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie spoke to journalists at Holyrood just a few hours before the former first minister appeared in the Scottish Parliament (Jane Barlow/PA)

Mr Ross, speaking to journalists at the Scottish Conservative conference in Glasgow, said: I thought it was very interesting that after a similar event like this with Colin Beattie, which was probably going to lead most of your papers, the former first minister appeared in Parliament for the first time.

However an SNP spokesperson said: This is nothing more than a desperate diversion from Douglas Ross to distract from his disastrous Tory party conference where he has just been humiliated by his own leader.

As an elected member of the Scottish Parliament, Nicola Sturgeon was in Parliament this week working for her constituents.
A group of trophy hunters has threatened to sue anti-hunting MPs for almost 100,000 over a report that featured photographs of them with animals they had shot.

The group has demanded payment for photos that were used by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Banning Trophy Hunting in a June 2022 report setting out the case for a ban.

The hunters said the photographs, which showed them posing with dead animals including lions, zebras and elephants, had been used without permission and they were therefore entitled to payment.

In March, the hunters sent invoices to Sir Roger Gale, Conservative MP for North Thanet and former chairman of the now-defunct all-party group, demanding 1,200 per photograph. With 78 photographs used in the report, the total demand could reach 93,600.

Among those seeking payment are Intrepid Safaris Africa, a company offering trophy hunting tours in South Africa, Sussex-based gunmaker Paul Roberts and hunters Asif Wattoo and Manish Ghelabhai.

A spokesman for the hunters said that, as payment had not been forthcoming, they would begin legal action.

Separately, the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner has opened an investigation into Sir Roger, understood to relate to the all-party group.

Parliamentary rules restrict MPs ability to comment on ongoing investigations. Asked for comment, Sir Roger said only: It has been referred to the House authorities for attention.

The news comes as legislation that would ban the import of hunting trophies makes its way through Parliament.

MPs voted in favour of the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill, introduced by Crawley MP Henry Smith, on March 17 and the Bill will now be considered by the House of Lords.

Banning the import of hunting trophies was part of the 2019 Conservative manifesto and the Bill has been backed by the Government, although opponents claim it will result in less funding for protected areas.

Sir Roger has previously spoken in favour of the Bill, comparing trophy hunting to paedophilia and calling it another form of vile gratification.
The UK has signed a 1.9 billion deal with Poland to provide the eastern European nation with a British-designed air defence system.

Some 22 Polish air defence batteries will be equipped with Common Anti-Air Modular Missiles (CAMMs) and launchers as part of the arrangement.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the agreement is the largest ever British defence export deal with the country.

It expands on pre-existing defence ties with Poland, where CAMMs are already deployed with the British Army following Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The CAMM system, made by missile firm MBDA, is designed to engage advanced air targets up to 25km away.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: We have played a crucial role in boosting Euro-Atlantic defences since Putins barbaric invasion of Ukraine, and this landmark agreement between the UK and Poland is another example of how, alongside our allies, we are committed to protecting our security for generations to come.

As well as bolstering European air defences, this 1.9 billion deal will also support highly skilled jobs in both countries, delivering on my pledge to grow the economy, and creating better paid jobs and opportunity right across the UK.

Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace said: I am delighted that the UK and Polands deep and historic defence ties take another step forward with the signing of the largest ever UK defence export deal with Poland.

We are committed to supporting Polands defence modernisation plans and this upgraded air-defence programme will ensure that Poland and the UK have the ability to continue safeguarding our people and bolstering Nato security.
The UK will end evacuation flights from Sudan within the next 24 hours, the Government has announced.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said rescue operations would cease following a significant decline in the number of British nationals coming forward to flee the war-torn country.

Some 1,573 people on 13 flights have been evacuated from the Wadi Saeedna airfield near the capital of Khartoum but thousands more UK passport holders may remain.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is urging those left in Sudan to travel to the site before 12pm local time on Saturday in order to be processed for the last flight.

It comes amid criticism of the pace of the British evacuation, which was bought more time after a three-day extension to the ceasefire between warring generals was agreed on Thursday.

Mr Dowden denied the Government would effectively abandon those who have been unable to make the potentially dangerous journey to the airfield with its decision to cease flights.

I wouldnt accept that characterisation. The first thing I would say is that every single British national that has come forward and their eligible dependants have been put safely on to a plane, he said.

A British soldier checks the identification of evacuees at Wadi Saeedna airfield (PO Phot Arron Hoare/MoD/PA)

We are seeing those numbers declining significantly and, just like other countries, as those numbers decline we have put an end date on this.

He said consular assistance will remain available at exit routes from the country after the end of evacuation flights.

Downing Street has so far rejected calls to widen the eligibility for evacuation beyond British passport holders and their immediate family.

Concerns have been raised that the current approach could see families split up or some members left behind, with Labour calling on ministers to use the longer window to extend eligibility for evacuation before it is too late.
NHS workers in Unite have rejected the Governments offer aimed at resolving the long running pay dispute, the union has announced.

Members voted by 52% against the offer of a 5% wage rise this year and a cash payment for last year. The turnout was 55%.

Unite said the result showed very high figures of rejection for grades mostly in frontline services with patients.

The union said seven out of 10 ambulance paramedics rejected the deal, and three-quarters of staff at the West Midlands Ambulance Trust rejected it. Workers at Guys and St Thomas rejected the deal by the same figure, while Yorkshire Ambulance Trust staff rejected it by two-thirds.

Unite said previously announced strikes by more than 4,000 NHS workers across England who have a mandate for industrial action will now go ahead.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said NHS staff deserve generous pay awards (PA)

General secretary Sharon Graham said: Unite was clear from the start it was very unlikely this offer would be accepted.

It is quite frankly a joke that NHS workers are being forced to fight for a decent pay rise after years of pay freezes and all their sacrifices during the pandemic.

The Government should be delivering generous rewards for that instead of a parade of insults, bullying and lies about our industrial action. Unite will be backing our NHS members 100%.

Unites members will now return to the picket line to continue their fight.

Rishi Sunak now needs to take over this mess, roll his sleeves up and sort it. Isnt that what a Prime Minister is supposed to do  lead, for goodness sake?

Members of the Royal College of Nursing also rejected the offer but health workers in other unions, including Unison, have accepted it.

(PA Graphics)

Unite members at Guys and St Thomas Trust in south London, and the Yorkshire Ambulance Trust, will go ahead with a strike on Monday, the union announced.

Its members at South Central, South East Coast and West Midlands ambulance trusts alongside workers at Christies NHS Foundation Trust, Christies Pathology Partnership, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust will strike on Tuesday.

NHS workers will take part in a protest march in central London on Monday.

Unite said the UK Governments offer did not match the higher settlement approved by its members in Scotland.

Under the terms of the current offer, a paramedic on a band 6 salary in England will be paid almost 3,500 less per year than a corresponding worker in Scotland, the union said.

Unite national officer Onay Kasab said: It is increasingly clear that there is money to fund a fair pay rise, particularly from properly taxing the huge increases in profits made from the cost-of-living crisis by corporate profiteers.

The Government is choosing to let the NHS collapse. It must make the right decision, return to negotiations and put forward a better deal.
Ron DeSantis has been hosted in the UK by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly as the Florida governor seeks to burnish his credentials ahead of a possible run against Donald Trump to be the Republican choice in the race for the White House.

The conservative firebrand and Mr Cleverly discussed ties between Britain and the US state he represents while visiting the Foreign Office on Friday.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was attending Tory conferences in Scotland and Wales, will not be meeting Mr DeSantis, who has been criticised by the LGBTQ community over the dont say gay law banning discussions of sexual orientation or gender identity in schools, which Joe Bidens administration has called hateful.

Like Mr Trump, the Florida governor has not announced his intention to run for the Republican nomination but is widely expected to do so.

His visit presents a diplomatic challenge to ministers, who will want to be accommodating but not risk provoking the ire of Mr Trump by being seen as taking sides in the contest.

Mr DeSantis, who was wrapping up his trade mission in the UK after stops in Japan, South Korea and Israel, also met with Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch.

The Foreign Office said Mr Cleverly and the governor discussed the close and important partnership between the UK and Florida.

This meeting was an opportunity to strengthen ties with the fourth-largest US state, and support bilateral economic cooperation that is already worth more than 5 billion a year, a statement added.
ROME (AP)  Italy on Friday returned to Turkish authorities a funerary stele, dating from the second century and carrying a loving inscription to the dead woman's spouse, after investigation determined that it was illegally excavated from southeastern Turkey.

Italys specialized Carabinieri paramilitary police art squad said it had determined after extensive investigation that the object was illegally exported, eventually winding up in a private home in Florence, Italy, after being purchased in France.

The art squad for decades has been in the vanguard of efforts to ensure that artistic and archaeological works are returned to their rightful country of provenance if exported without permission. Its efforts have resulted in hundreds of artworks and artifacts being returned to Italy from prestigious museums and from private collectors worldwide.

The stone work depicts a noblewoman, wearing a veil and a tunic. Her right hand is placed on her left breast. Under the bust refiguring the deceased is an inscription in ancient Greek reading, Satornila, the wife who loves her husband, farewell!

The stele was illegally excavated near the ancient city of Zeugma, in what is near Gaziantep, in present-day southeastern Turkey, the police said. It dates from the mid-to-late second century, the Carabinieri said.

Zeuguma, on the Euphrates River, was first an ancient Greek settlement and later became part of the Roman Empire. It was founded around 300 B.C. by a general of Alexander the Great.

The stele was handed over to the Turkish ambassador to Italy for return to Turkey.
Elon Musk may have to answer detailed questions regarding a fatal 2018 Tesla crash where Autopilot was involved. Judge Evette Pennypacker has ordered Musk to give a three-hour deposition in a lawsuit over the crash, which killed Apple engineer Walter Huang when his Model X plowed into a highway median south of San Francisco. Attorneys for Huang's family want to grill the tech CEO over statements he made about Autopilot's capabilities in the years before the incident.

Most notably, the plaintiffs point to a 2016 Code Conference interview (shown below) where Musk maintained that Tesla cars with Autopilot could already drive with "greater safety than a person." They're also concerned about a 2016 self-driving demo video that engineers testified was staged to show features that weren't ready. The implication, of course, is that Huang was falsely led to believe he could trust his Model X to drive down the highway without being ready to take over.

Tesla says Autopilot was engaged at the time of the crash, but also maintains that Huang ignored three car warnings to put his hands back on the steering wheel. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says Huang was playing a phone game at the time. Tesla tried to resist the deposition by claiming Musk couldn't remember the associated statements, and that his popularity could prompt the creation of AI-based deepfake videos. Pennypacker rejected this argument as a "deeply troubling" tactic that could effectively shield any well-known person from responsibility for their statements.

The order is officially tentative, and a hearing is slated for today (April 27th) to make a final decision. However, Reuters notes California judges usually finalize these rulings with few changes. The lawsuit is slated to reach trial on July 31st.

Tesla has faced mounting criticism over its Autopilot safety claims, including concerns that over-reliance on the system has led to crashes. Politicians have called for the automaker to improve safety and use more accurate naming. However, the company has also had a few victories as of late. The NTSB in February ruled out Autopilot as a factor in a deadly 2021 crash in Texas. Just days ago, Tesla thwarted a lawsuit from a Los Angeles driver who faulted Autopilot for swerving her Model S into a median. There will be lingering concerns, then, whether or not Tesla survives the Huang lawsuit.
Angelina Jolie followed Jennifer Garner's example and brought her oldest child, 21-year-old Maddox Jolie-Pitt, to a White House state dinner. The mother and son arrived dressed impeccably in all white (Angelina, in a dress made for her many years ago, per People, and a vintage Chanel jacket) and black (Maddox, in a suit). They joined other distinguished guests at President Joe Biden's state dinner for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee yesterday evening at the White House.

STEFANI REYNOLDS - Getty Images

STEFANI REYNOLDS - Getty Images

Anna Moneymaker - Getty Images

Maddox has ties to Korea, where he attended the country's esteemed Yonsei University. While Maddox has supported his mother before at her red carpet premieres, this is by far the most prestigious event the pair have ever attended together  and a poignant one, given Maddox and Angelina's history with the country.

A source close to Angelina spoke to People about the reasoning behind her and Maddox's decision to attend the dinner: Asia-America relations are important to Angelina's family, the source said. She and the children have had close ties to the region, including South Korea, for many years. Maddox studied at Yonsei University in Seoul. Angelina has visited South Korea many times for her humanitarian and refugee advocacy over the past two decades, and as an artist. Angelina and Maddox are honored to attend this State Dinner.

Angelina went viral when footage of her dropping Maddox off at Yonsei University surfaced in August 2019. She was asked by students how long she'd be staying on campus, and she replied, I leave today. Todays the day I go home. I know. Im trying not to cry.

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Sofitel Reforma Mexico City

In the mood for a vacation that goes beyond the beach? A destination with arts, culture, and history, you say? Oh, and one with a first-class food scene? Look no further. Mexico City checks all the requisite travel boxes, thanks to the fact that its a longstanding haven for artists, eaters, and historians alike. TBH, the location has been on my own personal Must-Visit List for quite some time (three years, to be exact), so when I got the opportunity to visit, I couldnt pack my bags fast enough. I visited in Octoberan amazing time to visit, btw, since the country was in full celebration mode leading up to Dia de Muertos.

(Full transparency: This trip was paid for in exchange for an honest review. Also many thanks to August Twenty Eight and Sofitel City Reforma for hosting me!)

STAY

Sofitel Mexico City Reforma is a breath of fresh air from the bustling streets of Mexico City. Nestled next to the citys Juarez neighborhood, the hotel overlooks the nearby Angel of Independence (one of the citys most recognizable landmarks). The staff was so warm and friendly and I was greeted with a small cup of cold hot chocolate (an oxymoron, yes, but delicious and so refreshing!) and the check-in process took all but three minutes. Upon entering my room, I was even gifted my own beautifully painted Alebrije (Mexican folk sculptures that depict various spirit guides).

Balta: This is *the* place for early-risers, since their breakfast is a mashup of Mexican and French breakfast cuisine. The menu ranges from huevos rancheros to croque-monsieurs, but if you want ~options~ then the buffet is the way to go.

Khadija Horton





Bajel: The chef here is OTT talented, and every dish I dug into was both a work of art and and an experience to eat. Sofitel collabs with some of the world's most renowned chefs, making the rotating menu a can't-miss.



Cityzen: Located on the 38th floor of Sofitel, Cityzen is a solid spot for cocktails, tapas, and music. It hasyou guessed itanother dope view of the city center (probably the best one, IMHO).



Sofitel City Reforma

PLAY

Sofitel Spa: Situated at the tippy-top of the hotel, this spa truly has it all. Hot *and* cold pool? Steam room? Sauna? Check, check, and check. While I was there, I was treated to an Urban Detox facial which I only half remember because I fell asleep for most of it. Yeah. That's how relaxed I was. The spa partners with L'Occtaine which I know you know smells like a dream.

Sofitel Mexico City Reforma

Sofitel Mexico City Reforma

Sofitel Spa & Pool: The Sofitel spa truly has it all. Steam room? Check. Sauna? Check. Both hot and cold plunge pool options? Check andyou guessed itcheck. Situated at the tippy top of the hotel, the spa provides plenty of space to unwind high above the city. I booked an Urban Detox facial only to fall asleep halfway through the treatment, in case you need an idea of just how relaxed I was.

Sofitel Mexico City Reforma

Soumaya Museum: Once I ditched my spa robe and felt awake enough to take in some sights, I immediately hit up the Soumaya Museum. The museums exterior is a work of art itself, and admission is free year-round. Much like the Guggenheim, the Soumaya design includes *plenty* of stairs, so if you're a devoted 12-3-30 girl like moi, you can totally count this as your daily workout. The Diego Rivera mosaics are a must-see, and dont skip the Rodin sculptures (the Soumaya boasts the largest Rodin collection outside of France, JIC thats ever a Jeopardy! question).

Casa Azul Frida Kahlo: Speaking of Diego, its worth visiting the vibrant blue home he shared with Frida Kahlo. Tickets are unfortunately not free, and they book up well in advance, so a guided tour is most-definitely not a spur-of-the-moment activity. The guided tour is roughly 45 minutes and costs about $13 dollars and around a dollar extra if you go on the weekend. It's also important to note there is an extra cost of 30 pesos (roughly $1.62) to obtain a permit if you would like to take pictures.



EAT

Two words: Taco. Tour. Condesa and Roma are two beautiful bohemian neighborhoods where street food is the focus, and while its not an ~official~ rule that you need to hit up five different taco spots during your stay in MC, I did it because I was on vacation and no one was there to stop me. Here are five taco hot spots well worth the wait:



El Tizoncito: The Al Pastor taco was created here, so you know youre in for some quality eats. Watch as your taco meat is cut right from the spit and topped with chunks of pineapple, onion, and cilantro. Tacos Don Juan: Stop in here for lunch and you can order two al pastor tacos and a soda for less than 100 pesos. Filled with chunks of delicious pork, these tacos only need a pinch of salt and squeeze of lime. Chase it all down with an ice-cold Mexican Coke while youre at it. Tacos Hola El Guero: Another solid spot. I had the Chicken Tinga taco piled with shredded, slow-cooked chicken and loaded with beans, guac, and spicy salsa verde. Double up on your napkins before dining al fresco. El Pujol: These are *so* not your average tacos. The soft shell is actually a thick leaf sacred to Mesoamerican culture called hoja santa. I'd wash this one down with some Atolea traditional bev made from creamy corn milk (think of it like the best bits found at the bottom of your cereal bowl). El Pescadito: If you couldnt tell by the name, this is *the* place to go for top-notch seafood tacos. Order the marlitun tacos, which are topped with rich smoked tuna and slaw. The restaurant is spacious with both indoor and outdoor seating, and a central salsa and topping bar for you to dress your dinner up as you like it.

Colmillo: This may sound dramatic, but I'm pretty sure this is one of the most delicious meals I've ever had. The atmosphere of this place is absolutely incredible. The vibe: sleek, bold and artsy. Every single dish that was brought out had a bold and often pyrotechnic presentation. My spicy marg came in a massive golden owl pitcher and our dessert was a wedding cake topped with bride and groom figurines and sparklers. Need some dinner inspo? Order the octopus and the ribeye black angus. *insert mouth-watering emoji here*

Migrante: Now this place is chic. Chef Fernando Martinez serves up raw scallops with green apple kombucha, and aged duck breast with purple carrots and fermented berries, just to name a few standout dishes.



Contramar: Contramar is beloved by tourists, yes, but its also a fan-favorite for locals who claim it's the best seafood Mexico City has to offer. The lunch rush is real here, so get there early and be prepared to wait for your fresh ceviche and octopus tostada. Don't sleep on the dessert menu eitherorder the fig tart and the strawberry meringue and thank me later.

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Senior Chinese diplomat meets Pakistani army chief

Xinhua) 13:27, April 28, 2023

BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir here on Thursday.

The Pakistani military is a staunch defender of the ironclad friendship between China and Pakistan, said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, adding that China commends successive Pakistani administrations and all political parties for firmly pursuing friendly policies toward China.

China will continue to firmly support Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, as well as in achieving unity, stability, development and prosperity, he said.

China is ready to restart exchanges with Pakistan in all aspects in the post-COVID era, Wang said.

Munir said Pakistan will always stand with China through thick and thin no matter how the international situation changes, and the Pakistani army firmly supports the further development of Pakistan-China relations.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
One of the four fugitives who escaped a Mississippi prison sparking a massive manhunt across the region has been captured while on the run in Texas, according to officials.

Prisoner Jerry Raynes was taken into custody in Spring Valley View, in Northwest Harris County on Thursday, according to a tweet from Mississippis Hinds County Sheriffs Office.

Inmates Dylan Arrington, 22, Casey Grayson, 24, Corey Harrison, 22, and Jerry Raynes, 51, escaped from the troubled Raymond Detention Center on Sunday and have been on the run ever since.

One of the escapees  Arrington  allegedly shot and killed 61-year-old pastor Anthony Watts on Monday night after the victim pulled over to help him. Arrington then fled in Watts Dodge Ram.

He was tracked down to a home in Leake County on Wednesday morning where he opened fire on law enforcement, shooting an officer in the leg.

The house then went up in flames and Arrington died in the fire, the Hinds County sheriff said.

The other three suspects are still at large, with police releasing a surveillance image still of Raynes at a service station in Spring Valley, Texas, at around 11am on Sunday morning.

It is unconfirmed if Raynes travelled to Texas alone.

Key points

Four inmates escape from Mississippi jail

Pastor shot dead by fugitive inmate

One inmate dead after firing at officers from burning house

Surveillance footage captures one escapee in Texas

Wounded officer released from hospital

11:17 , Rachel Sharp

The officer wounded in a standoff with one of the fugitives on Wednesday has now been released from hospital.

Leake County Investigator Jerry Horn was discharged on Thursday one day after he was shot in the leg.

Fugitive Dylan Arrington allegedly shot and killed 61-year-old pastor Anthony Watts on Monday night after the victim pulled over to help him. Arrington then fled in Watts Dodge Ram before being tracked down to a home in Leake County on Wednesday morning where he opened fire on law enforcement, shooting Investigator Horn in the leg.

The house then went up in flames and Arrington died in the fire, the Hinds County sheriff said.

On Thursday, Leake County Sheriffs Office announced that he was being reelased from hospital.

In a few moments, Investigator Horn will be coming into town as he has be RELEASED from the hospital!!! Officers will be escorting him down HWY 25 onto HWY 16 through town, the department said in a Facebook post.

We ask that everyone who is able, when you hear the sirens and see the lights, come out and show your appreciation for Investigator Horn!!!Thank you!

What charges did fugitives face?

11:03 , Graeme Massie

Dylan Arrington is suspected of murder and was charged with auto theft and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to KTRK.

Corey Harrison was charged with receiving stolen property. Casey Grayson was charged with grand larceny and sale of a controlled substance, and Jerry Raynes was charged with auto theft and burglary of a business.

The Hinds County Sheriffs Office is now conducting an administrative and criminal investigation into the escape, Sheriff Jones said. Once they are recaptured the inmates will face additional charges of escape and also possibly auto theft.

(Hinds County Sheriffs Office)

Fugitives remains identified from burning house

09:02 , Graeme Massie

The remains recovered in the burned structure in Carthage, Mississippi, have been identified as one of the escapees, the Hinds County Sheriffs Office confirmed last evening.

Dylan Arrington, 22, fatally shot 61-year-old pastor Anthony Watts on Monday night after the victim pulled over to help the fugitive, who had wrecked a motorcycle he had previously stolen.

The suspect then barricaded inside a home on Conway Road and set it on fire during an armed standoff with deputies, authorities said.

The cause of death is under investigation, the Sheriffs Office said.

How the standoff with Dylan Arrington unfolded

07:02 , Graeme Massie

In a video update on Wednesday, Leake County Sheriff Randy Atkinson outlined what happened during the encounter with fugitive Dylan Arrington.

The sheriff said that officers went to a home where they believed the suspect had been at around 7am that morning.

When they arrived, the homeowner was home and they spoke with him briefly.

The homeowner then entered the residence before running out and saying the suspect was in the house.

Arrington then started shooting at the officers from inside the home, with a bullet striking an officer in the leg, said the sheriff.

More units responded to the address and the suspect allegedly continued to fire on them.

The sheriff said that the home then went up in flames.

Arringtons body was later confirmed to be found inside.

Candlelight vigil held for slain pastor

05:06 , Graeme Massie

A candlelight vigil was held for Anthony Watts on Tuesday night at the church where he has been the lead pastor for the last six years.

Anthony Watts, the 61-year-old pastor of St Mary Missionary Baptist Church in DLo, Mississippi, was killed on Monday night when he pulled over to help Dylan Arrington, after the inmate got into a motorcycle wreck during his time on the run.

Arrington then stole Watts Dodge Ram and fled.

St Mary Missionary Baptist Churchs Pastor Anthony Watts (St Mary Missionary Baptist Church)

Fugitive who escaped jail with three other inmates and killed good Samaritan believed dead

03:01 , Graeme Massie

Police said Dylan Arrington, 22, fatally shot Anthony Watts, 61, on Monday night and injured an officer during a standoff with law enforcement on Wednesday.

Fugitive who killed good Samaritan and injured officer believed dead, police say

Mississippi jailbreak prisoner caught while on the run in Texas

Thursday 27 April 2023 22:57 , Graeme Massie

Jerry Raynes was arrested in Spring Valley View near Houston, according to officials.

Mississippi jailbreak prisoner caught while on the run in Texas

Mississippi prison is short of 50 guards, says sheriff

Thursday 27 April 2023 22:14 , Graeme Massie

Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones says that the Raymond Detention Center is massively understaffed.

But of course, thats no excuse, Sheriff Jones said. Again, we have accepted accountability regarding what happened. We just want the other people to know the responsibilities that we are faced with.

Police say one of fugitives has been arrested

Thursday 27 April 2023 21:49 , Graeme Massie

The Hinds County Sheriff says that one of the fugitives who escaped a Mississippi prison sparking a massive manhunt has been captured while on the run in Texas.

Prisoner Jerry Raynes was taken into custody in Spring Valley View, in Northwest Harris County on Thursday, according to a tweet from the agency.

Raynes is now being evaluated at Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital.

The Mississippi jails chequered past

Thursday 27 April 2023 21:29 , Graeme Massie

Raymond Detention Center had a chequered past long before four inmates escaped over the weekend.

Last summer, deficiencies in supervision and staffing, and a stunning array of assaults, as well as deaths prompted a judge to order a takeover of the detention centre, according to the Associated Press.

Seven people died last year while detained at the jail, according to US District Judge Carlton Reeves said. Judge Reeves wrote in his ruling that cell doors did not lock and a lack of lighting in cells made life miserable for the detainees who live there and prevents guards from adequately surveilling detainees.

He also said guards sometimes slept instead of monitoring the cameras in the control room.

But before an appointed receiver was scheduled to assume control over the jail this year, a court of appeals halted the lower courts order until it ruled on the countys motion for reconsideration.

Slain pastor always wanted to help people, say friends

Thursday 27 April 2023 20:46 , Graeme Massie

The Good Samaritan pastor who was shot dead for trying to help one of the escaped inmates always wanted to help people, according to his friends.

Pastor Anthony Watts, 61, was killed on Monday night when he pulled over to help Dylan Arrington, after the inmate got into a motorcycle wreck during his time on the run.

Arrington then stole Watts Dodge Ram and fled.

Close friends of Watts  who was the lead pastor at St Mary Missionary Baptist Church in DLo, Mississippi  paid tribute to him as someone who always wanted to look out for others.

That was the type of person he was. He always wanted to help. Always wanted to know what he can do whatever the circumstance may be, Karen Fairley told WAPT.

He always told you he loved you and his spirit was so sincere, so kind, and so loving to just everyone he came in contact with.

She said she can understand why he stopped to help the escaped inmate as that was who he was.

The action that happened, we could understand why he did it, because that was just in his nature, said Ms Fairley, whose father is an associate minister at the church.

Fugitive Jerry Raynes spotted by surveillance video in Houston-area gas station

Thursday 27 April 2023 15:41 , Graig Graziosi

Jerry Raynes, one of the three surviving fugitives who escaped a prison in Mississippi, was reportedly caught on camera in the Houston area.

The Hinds County Sheriff said Raynes was at a gas station convenience store around 11am on Sunday morning.

Deputies also found an abandoned truck under an overpass they belong may have some connection to Raynes.

Update: Surveillance footage of escapee, Jerry Raynes, in a service station in Spring Valley, TX on Sunday morning at 11am. The stolen Hinds County maintenance truck was also recovered in Spring Valley, TX on Sunday. It is still unconfirmed if Raynes traveled to Texas alone. pic.twitter.com/yFZjH7G0yj  TyreeJonesSheriff (@TyreeSheriff) April 26, 2023

What charges did fugitives face?

Thursday 27 April 2023 15:01 , Graeme Massie

Dylan Arrington is suspected of murder and was charged with auto theft and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to KTRK.

Corey Harrison was charged with receiving stolen property. Casey Grayson was charged with grand larceny and sale of a controlled substance, and Jerry Raynes was charged with auto theft and burglary of a business.

The Hinds County Sheriffs Office is now conducting an administrative and criminal investigation into the escape, Sheriff Jones said. Once they are recaptured the inmates will face additional charges of escape and also possibly auto theft.

PICTURED: Fugitives on the run

Thursday 27 April 2023 14:13 , Rachel Sharp

(Hinds County Sheriffs Office)

Stolen vehicles used in getaways

Thursday 27 April 2023 13:20 , Graeme Massie

The escaped inmates have so far used a number of stolen vehicles in their getaways.

Authorities have said that a truck  a red Chevy Silverado  was stolen from close to the jail at around 2.30am on Sunday morning with a witness spotting two men inside the vehicle.

Investigators believe this is connected to the jail break.

Another vehicle  a Hinds County Public Works vehicle  was found abandoned in Spring Valley Village, Texas, after at least one of the fugitives is believed to have used it in his escape.

Surveillance footage has captured Jerry Raynes at a service station in Spring Valley, Texas, at around 11am on Sunday morning.

A red Dodge Ram 1500 truck was also stolen when Dylan Arrington allegedly shot pastor Anthony Watts dead and made off in his vehicle.

Investigators search burned home where fugitive died in Mississippi

Thursday 27 April 2023 13:04 , Graeme Massie

An investigator gestures at the remnants of a burned out house where authorities believe a man who escaped from a Mississippi jail over the weekend with three others, and is suspected of killing a pastor, is believed to be dead after a shootout with authorities and barricaded himself inside a burning home near Conway, Mississippi, Wednesday morning, April 26, 2023 (AP)

Investigators inspect search around the remnants of a burned out house where authorities believe a man who escaped from a Mississippi jail over the weekend with three others, and is suspected of killing a pastor, is believed to be dead after a shootout with authorities and barricaded himself inside a burning home near Conway, Mississippi, Wednesday morning, April 26, 2023 (AP)

Fugitives to face additional charges over prison break

Thursday 27 April 2023 12:00 , Rachel Sharp

The three fugitives still on the run will face additional charges over the prison break once they are captured.

Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said that the men now face additional charges of escape and possibly auto theft.

This is on top of the charge they were already behind bars for.

They were in custody at Raymond Detention Center on a variety of charges including theft, firearm and auto theft charges.

Investigations launched into Mississippi jail break

Thursday 27 April 2023 11:00 , Rachel Sharp

Investigations have been launched into the Mississippi jail break which has now culminated in two deaths  one of an innocent Good Samaritan and the second of one of the four inmates.

Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said that both an administrative and criminal investigation is underway as authorities seek to determine how the inmates were able to break free from the facility.

How the prison break unfolded

Thursday 27 April 2023 10:40 , Rachel Sharp

Details are still emerging about how the four inmates managed to escape from Raymond Detention Center on Sunday.

Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said in a press conference on Monday that two breaches had been found inside the jail  one inside a cell and the other in the roof.

The four escapees are believed to have managed to climb onto the roof at around 8.30pm on Saturday night and camped up there, before leaving the facility at different times.

The jail break was discovered at around 12.30am on Sunday morning during a routine head count and the facility was instantly plunged into lockdown.

PICTURED: Good Samaritan pastor shot dead for trying to help escaped inmate

Thursday 27 April 2023 10:20 , Rachel Sharp

The Good Samaritan pastor shot dead for trying to help one of the escaped inmates has been pictured.

Pastor Anthony Watts, 61, was killed on Monday night when he pulled over to help Dylan Arrington, after the inmate got into a motorcycle wreck during his time on the run.

Arrington then stole Watts Dodge Ram and fled.

St Mary Missionary Baptist Churchs Pastor Anthony Watts (St Mary Missionary Baptist Church)

Leake County Sheriffs Office gives details of shooting

Thursday 27 April 2023 10:00 , Graeme Massie

Sheriff says one fugitive believed to be in Texas

Thursday 27 April 2023 08:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said one of the escaped detainees has been spotted in Spring Valley, Texas.

Sheriff Jones said surveillance video showed Jerry Raynes at a service station on Sunday, 23 April at 11.00am. A stolen Hinds County maintenance truck was also recovered in Spring Valley on Sunday.

It is not known if the other fugitives are with him.

I am not sure of (if) its because of ties in the area of if theyre trying to get across the border at some point, the sheriff said.

(HCSO)

Thursday 27 April 2023 07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

(Hinds County Sheriffs Office)

Suspects were named by officials as Dylan Arrington, 22, Casey Grayson, 24, Corey Harrison, 22, and Jerry Raynes, 51.

Arrington is reportedly dead after a confrontation with law enforcement.

Leake County residents asked to be extremely cautious

Thursday 27 April 2023 06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Leake County authorities asked residents to be extremely cautious, keep their doors locked and avoid having keys or weapons in parked vehicles.

If you have suspicions of a trespasser on your property, please notify the Sheriffs Office, appose to taking matters into your own hands. If you hear noises, see something/someone, please notify us, the Leake County Sheriffs Office said.

Sheriffs Office yet to confirm presence of others inside the burning house

Thursday 27 April 2023 05:47 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Authorities are yet to specify whether there were others in the Conway Road home that was engulfed in flames during a shootout with the deputies.

The structure was engulfed in flames and an individual inside of the structure started firing shots at law enforcement on the exterior, Hinds County sheriff Tyree Jones told a local news station.

I believe (the person inside the home) did not intend to leave here alive today.

Pictures from scene of confrontation with armed fugitive

Thursday 27 April 2023 04:04 , Graeme Massie

Leake County Sheriff Randy Atkinson points to the site of a fire ravaged house where authorities believe one of the four Hinds County jail escapees is thought to be dead, after engaging in a shootout and barricading himself inside a burning home in Conway, Miss., Wednesday morning, April 26, 2023. (AP)

(AP)

(AP)

(AP)

Fugitive seen in Houston area

Thursday 27 April 2023 00:03 , Graeme Massie

Wednesday 26 April 2023 21:45 , Graeme Massie

Police said Dylan Arrington, 22, fatally shot Anthony Watts, 61, on Monday night and injured an officer during a standoff with law enforcement on Wednesday.

Mississippi Jail Escape (Jackson Police Department)

Mississippi prison escape blog

Wednesday 26 April 2023 21:00 , Graeme Massie

This is a live blog covering the Mississippi jail break that has seen one fugitive killed and three still on the loose.
The U.S. military is arming aircraft recently sent to the Middle East with "bunker busting" bombs.

A squadron of A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft  otherwise known as "Warthogs"  have been saddled with the structure-penetrating payload in response to increasing aggression from the Islamic Republic of Iran, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The warthogs are each capable of carrying approximately 16 bunker busters, otherwise known as GBU-39/B bombs.

IRAN SEIZES SHIP IN GULF OF OMAN, US NAVY SAYS

U.S. Air Force ground maintenance crewmen check over the engines of an A10 Thunderbolt "Warthog" after it had returned from a mission.

On Thursday, Iranian forces intercepted and seized a boat sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands as it was transporting crude oil from Kuwait to Houston, Texas.

The seizure of the foreign vessel was only the latest escalation from the Middle Eastern republic  Iran is now on the brink of developing nuclear weapons after decades of international pressure to end its program.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Iran has also been behind repeated rocket attacks on U.S. forces in Syria.

Additionally, the Biden administration sanctioned Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence organization Thursday, accusing it of wrongfully detaining Americans.

BIDEN SANCTIONS RUSSIA, IRAN FOR WRONGFUL DETENTION AND HOSTAGE-TAKING: 'RELEASE THEM IMMEDIATELY'

An A-10 Warthog pilot taxis on the flight line before takeoff at an airbase March 16, 2003, in the Arabian Gulf near the Iraq border.

Iran's Guard Corps was sanctioned at the same time as Russia's Federal Security Service.

"Today, and every day, our message to Russia, Iran and the world is holding hostage or wrongfully detaining Americans is unacceptable. Release them immediately," Biden said in a statement Thursday afternoon.

Earlier this year, Iran renewed threats to target former President Donald Trump and top members of his former Cabinet, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, for the 2020 killing of its top military commander, Qasem Soleimani.

"God willing, we are looking to kill Trump [and] Pompeo  and military commanders who issued the order should be killed," Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps aerospace force, told Iranian state television.

The threats themselves were nothing new, though they came as Tehran announced a new long-range cruise missile capable of flying more than 1,000 miles, which could give it additional capabilities to strike U.S. forces in the Middle East.
The Biden administration sanctioned Russia's Federal Security Service and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence organization Thursday, accusing them of wrongfully detaining Americans.

In tandem with the sanctions, President Biden also announced new steps to punish and deter countries for wrongfully detaining Americans or taking them as hostages.

"Today, and every day, our message to Russia, Iran, and the world is holding hostage or wrongfully detaining Americans is unacceptable. Release them immediately," Biden said in a statement Thursday afternoon.

He added: "Today, I am proud to announce that my Administration will for the first time deploy a new tool to impose severe economic costs on governments and groups that hold hostage or wrongfully detain Americans around the world."

RUSSIA DENIES US VISIT WITH IMPRISONED JOURNALIST GERSHKOVICH AMID UN VISA FIGHT

President Joe Biden and South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol hold a joint press conference at the White House in Washington D.C., United States on April 26, 2023.

"Since the first day of my Administration, we have prioritized the safe return of Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad. We have now brought home dozens of Americans, many of whom had been held since before I took office," Biden continued. "Still, too many are suffering and separated from their loved onesincluding Americans who remain wrongfully detained in Russia, Iran, and elsewhere. We remain unflinching in our efforts to keep faith with them and their families, to pursue new ways to bring them home until we succeed, and to prevent this from happening to other families in the future."

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In the statement, Biden said putting a financial squeeze on violating countries should dissuade them from imprisoning Americans and swiftly urge their release.

"Today, the Department of State and the Department of the Treasury have announced the U.S. Governments first-ever sanctions against actors for engaging in the wrongful detention of Americans," the president also said. "These sanctions against four individuals and two security services in Russia and Iran mean that all of the designees property and interests in property in the possession or control of U.S. persons are now blocked. These steps to cut off these actors from the legitimate financial system make use of the Executive Order that I issued last summer that, itself, built on the 2020 Hostage Recovery and Hostage Taking Accountability Act. That law passed in large part due to the perseverance of the families and so many others in this community who have worked to turn pain into purpose."

Senior administration officials did not specify which Americans were being detained specifically underpinned the economic retaliation. Instead, they said the sanctions followed a pattern of actions by the two countries in unjustly holding Americans.

SISTER OF MARINE VET JAILED IN RUSSIA SLAMS KREMLIN AS PUTIN LOYALIST LECTURES DIPLOMATS AT UN

The U.S. Treasury said Iranian authorities often hold and interrogate detainees and Tehran has a "direct role in the repression of protests and arrest of dissidents, including dual nationals."

Thursday's sanctions have been in the works well before the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia last month, according to senior administration officials.

Gershkovichs imprisonment was swiftly and officially deemed unjust by the U.S. government. Russia has also imprisoned American Paul Whelan.

In addition to the actions the Biden administration is taking against both countries, the government has announced additional sanctions on four IRGC leaders, who are accused of being involved in efforts to take hostages.

Last year, Biden issued an executive order that authorizes the president to impose sanctions on people believed to be involved in the wrongful detention of Americans.

The executive orders authority was granted under a section of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act, which was named after an FBI agent who disappeared in Iran 15 years ago and was later presumed dead.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Child laborers at a Pennsylvania coal mine in 1900 (Library of Congress)

Among the most heartfelt goals and proudest achievements of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal was the eradication of child labor.

In 1933, in signing a textile industry code that outlawed the employment of children under 16 in sweatshops, FDR crowed that "after years of fruitless effort and discussion, this ancient atrocity went out in a day."

Conservatives and Republicans, who have tried for decades to undo such cornerstones of the New Deal as Social Security, have lately turned their efforts to resurrecting this "ancient atrocity."

This permit was an arbitrary burden on parents to get permission from the government for their child to get a job.

Spokeswoman for Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, defending her loosening of child labor protections

In the last two years, 10 states, mostly Republican-controlled, have enacted or introduced laws rolling back child labor restrictions. Bills to do so have been introduced in six Midwestern states  Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and South Dakota.

The charge has been led by Arkansas, where in March Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a law repealing a rule that required children under the age of 16 to verify their age and obtain the written consent of a parent or guardian before obtaining a work certificate. Employers had to provide state officials with a job description and schedule.

A Sanders spokeswoman defended the law by stating that "this permit was an arbitrary burden on parents to get permission from the government for their child to get a job." The spokeswoman said that all other laws "that actually protect children still apply."

Children's advocates observe, however, that the new law eliminates an important enforcement tool, leaving the door open for "the exploitation of children and youth under the age of 16 to perform dangerous jobs, often in hazardous work conditions," in the words of Dennis Lee, a spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock.

Make no mistake: The rollback of child labor protections isn't a matter of streamlining unnecessary regulations. It's a moral test for America.

Children are the most easily exploited group in the U.S. economy, especially when they're members of low-income or migrant households. They can be paid less than adults doing the same work, oppressed and manipulated by unscrupulous employers, and are less inclined to fight back against employers over workplace safety issues.

The promoters of these rollback laws love to depict them as blows for parental rights, as Sanders' flack put it  keeping an oppressive government from getting in the way of sensible kitchen-table discussions between parent and child. The impression they put forth is that silly, outdated regulations are keeping teenagers from acquiring a work ethic while helping out the family budget by scooping ice cream during their summer breaks.

That's a smokescreen. If it were so, then we wouldn't see the rollback being pushed by lobbyists for home builders, supermarkets, restaurants and bars, or by Americans for Prosperity, a Koch-affiliated group. All those outfits have been behind the campaign for more child labor, the pro-labor Economic Policy Institute has shown.

As the Washington Post reported, a key backer is the right-wing Foundation for Government Accountability, which provided the sponsors of the Arkansas legislation with the draft law.

The foundation, which is backed by right-wing funding sources including the Ed Uihlein Family Foundation, the Sarah Scaife Foundation and the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, has lobbied against Medicaid expansion and for work requirements for food stamps, among other goals.

Sanders could not be unaware of the reality undergirding the rollback of child labor protections. Only weeks before she signed the Arkansas law, the U.S. Department of Labor fined Wisconsin-based Packer's Sanitation Services, which provides workers to clean slaughterhouses, for employing more than 102 children aged 13 to 17 on overnight shifts under dangerous conditions in eight states, including two sites in Arkansas.

The agency said the "systemic" child labor violations "clearly indicate a corporate-wide failure by Packer's Sanitation Services at all levels." It assessed the company only $1.5 million, the maximum permitted by law.

Packer's Sanitation was acquired by the giant private equity firm Blackstone in 2018. In February, when the Department of Labor levied the $1.5-million fine, a Blackstone spokesman said Packer's "has an absolute zero-tolerance policy against employing anyone under the age of 18 and is fully committed to ensuring it is enforced at all local plants."

Packer's doesn't exactly have a pristine reputation. Since Blackstone acquired the firm, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened investigations into at least four amputations and three fatalities among its workers, including one decapitation. That's according to the Private Equity Stakeholders Project, a nonprofit watchdog.

The statutory penalty of $15,138 per child is "not high enough to be a deterrent for major profitable companies," the agency said. The evidence for that could not be clearer. The agency says it has detected "a 69% increase in children being employed illegally by companies."

In the last fiscal year alone, the department found 835 companies employing more than 3,800 children illegally. That has prompted the agency to announce a crackdown on violators of rules outlawing the employment of minors in "oppressive child labor" dating back to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.

The bills being introduced around the Midwest would expose children to working conditions that even adults might find harsh. A Minnesota bill would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to work on construction sites, according to a roundup of proposed measures by the pro-labor Economic Policy Institute.

Other proposals extend permissible work hours for minors, allow them to serve alcohol or reduce their access to break time. A bill in the Iowa Legislature would remove prohibitions on minors working in slaughterhouses or meatpacking or rendering plants, in mining, operating power saws or in roofing or demolition work, as long as they were doing so in connection with "work-based learning or a school or employer-administered, work-related program"  an obvious loophole.

(In a rare sign of rationality, the bill's Republican sponsors removed a provision that would have immunized employers from civil liability if a student were sickened, injured or killed due to negligence by the student or employer.)

What's really going on in workplaces employing child labor? If you're prepared to be shocked and nauseated, feel free to read what Labor Department investigators said they found at three slaughterhouses in Nebraska and Minnesota that Packer's Sanitation supplied with child labor. (Packer's Sanitation didn't deny the findings when it signed a consent order that included the $1.5-million fine.)

Children as young as 14 were working through the night on graveyard shifts cleaning machinery on the "kill floor." Some didn't clock out until 5 a.m. or 7 a.m.

They were working with machines such as a head splitter, a hydraulic-powered apparatus designed to "swiftly and cleanly drive [a] blade through the cradled head" of an animal; a bandsaw with the power to "split cow carcasses in half lengthwise"; and other "meat slicers, knives, or grinding machines."

Their tasks involved their standing in pools of water on surfaces made slippery by animal fat, amid deafening noise and visibility-obscuring clouds of steam, cleaning equipment with "hoses, steaming hot wate-" and a "heavy-duty caustic cleaner" that gave the workers "serious chemical burns." Then the children went to school; at least one fell asleep in class.

The company supervisors interfered with the agency's investigation by trying to prevent them from taking photos or videos, even though the inspectors' warrants expressly allowed it. The plant supervisors stood or sat nearby during the inspectors' interviews, glowering at the child workers to discourage them from talking, often successfully.

The Department of Labor cited federal law and regulations that prohibit employing anyone under 18 in any occupation designated hazardous, which includes cleaning "power driven machinery" such as "food slicers, food grinders, food choppers," or most work performed "at slaughtering and meatpacking establishments." Minors are specifically barred from doing work "on the killing floor," the regulations say.

Children under 16 can't be employed after 7 p.m. or for more than three hours a day when school is in session.

In the Packer's case, inspectors had to conduct all their interviews with child workers in Spanish, a indication that the children were likely from migrant households.

Is there any excuse for easing laws against child labor that have been in place for as long as 85 years? Obviously not. The eradication of child labor was something Americans could be proud of, once upon a time.

The advocates of putting children to work and removing enforcement tools are turning a blind eye to the hazards of child labor. They congratulate themselves for taking government off the backs of working families, but their goal is just to make it easier for unscrupulous businesses to saddle up.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Dr. Leah Torres administers an ultrasound on a woman seeking prenatal care at West Alabama Women's Center in Tuscaloosa. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

People often ask Dr. Leah Torres why she stays in Alabama.

The 43-year-old OB-GYN  who strides into her clinic most mornings wearing a clitoris pendant and T-shirts with slogans that declare "ABORT THE PATRIARCHY"  does not consider this conservative Deep South state her home.

A few weeks after she arrived, the state Board of Medical Examiners revoked her temporary medical license to practice, accusing her of ethical violations.

It took her seven months to get it back, a legal battle that cost her $115,360.93, according to the price tag she affixed to the framed license hanging in her office at the West Alabama Women's Center.

The center was one of the busiest abortion clinics in the state, until the Supreme Court struck down Roe vs. Wade last year. Abortion became illegal in Alabama, one of over a dozen states with full bans. Now that doctors who perform the procedure in Alabama risk up to 99 years in prison, Torres finds herself, once again, unable to offer the full spectrum of reproductive medical care she was trained for.

But Torres has no intention of backing down.

You don't want me here? That's why I'm gonna stay, she said, sitting at a desk strewn with laboratory invoices and a tiny fetus replica handed out by antiabortion campaigners. I'm not leaving, just out of spite!

Torres believes her work is not done in Alabama, a state with the third-highest maternal mortality rate in the nation and the sixth-highest infant death rate. The Republican-dominated Legislature joined nine other conservative states in refusing to expand Medicaid, which would allow more than 200,000 uninsured non-elderly adults in the state to become eligible for coverage.

A 27-year-old woman holds images of her 10-week-old fetus at West Alabama Women's Center in Tuscaloosa. The clinic, which shut down briefly after Alabama banned abortion, now focuses on prenatal care, birth control, miscarriage treatment and transgender care. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

After shutting down for a week in July after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, her clinic reopened its doors as a pay what you can nonprofit offering low-income and uninsured women basic reproductive health services that can be hard to access in Alabama.

Torres and the clinic are also wading into another culture wars fray, offering hormone therapy for transgender people, including teenagers, at a time when Alabama and other conservative states are moving to ban such treatment for minors.

Theres so much work here, Torres said. Alabama's really dead set on compromising people's lives, especially LGBTQ+ youth, especially pregnant people. These are expendable people in the eyes of the state of Alabama.

'We have to push back'

When Tina Collins, the front office manager, picks up the phone  West Alabama Womens Center!  she frequently has to inform callers the clinic no longer provide abortions.

No ma'am, we do not, she says gently in her south Georgia drawl. They are illegal in Alabama. You can go to our website, the West Alabamas Women's Center, or you can go to the website redstateaccess.org.

In July, when the tiny brick clinic reopened with abortions no longer on its list of services, staff members were nervous. Robin Marty, the clinics director of operations, gave everyone firm instructions not to provide callers with information on obtaining abortions out of state or by mail.

Now theyve adopted a slightly bolder approach, plastering the reception window with stickers offering website links for abortion information.

Need to be unpregnant? asks a sticker at eye level of the front desk. RED STATE ACCESS CAN HELP.

"Safe. Private. Informed," another says. "Learn about self-managed abortion."

We have to push back, Marty said. If we don't test these things, then they won already  and we're going to be trapped forever.

As abortion clinics have shuttered across Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, national organizations have devoted resources to setting up new centers and mobile clinics in blue states. But women who travel for abortions still need care when they come home.

Last Friday, a 20-year-old nursing student came to the clinic with her mother for a follow-up appointment a month after driving to Georgia for a medication abortion.

A TV news report about the court battle over the abortion pill mifepristone plays in the waiting room of West Alabama Women's Center, once one of the busiest abortion clinics in Alabama. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

After passing a sign that said Still Open for Non-Abortion Services, they slipped through a glass door into an empty waiting room that used to teem with patients. On the day before Roe was overturned, 67 people came to the clinic for medication abortions. Now the clinic sees about 15 patients a week.

The medication had worked and there were no complications, but the womans mother was indignant that politicians had forced them to take a day off work and school to make the six-hour round trip to Atlanta.

I feel like your body is yours, not the governments, said Renetha Abernathy, a 57-year-old nurse. We should have full healthcare right here in our own area, so we can make that choice.

Earlier that week, Torres met a pregnant patient who told her that the local OB-GYN clinic that gave her prenatal care and delivered her baby 15 months ago made her wait nearly three hours for an appointment and rebuked her when she complained. The woman suspected  as did Torres  that the stark discrepancy in care was because she had switched from Blue Cross Blue Shield to Medicaid.

Even patients with insurance have trouble accessing care. Tyeshia Smith, 31, a mental health worker who has done sex work, came to the clinic because she wanted another child but worried about her fertility. Her menstrual cycle had become irregular in recent months, and she feared sexually transmitted diseases had taken a toll on her body.

Tyeshia Smith, 31, a mental health worker who lives with her mother in Tuscaloosa, went to the West Alabama Women's Center after having trouble getting appointments at other area facilities. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The first clinic she called couldnt see her until July. Another didnt answer, so she left a voicemail.

Every aspect of healthcare here in Alabama to me is 20 years back, Smith, who is from Ohio, said as she waited in an exam room for a Pap smear.

Over the last year, Torres has treated women who have miscarried or learned their pregnancies are nonviable and have trouble finding care, as physicians across the state become more fearful of ending up in jail.

In February, Alison, a 36-year-old in Montgomery who spoke on condition that her full name not be used, started bleeding about seven weeks after getting pregnant via artificial insemination. When she went to her OB-GYN for an emergency ultrasound, she was told the pregnancy wasnt viable  there was a sac, but no fetal tissue or heartbeat. The doctor, seeming uncomfortable, told her to go home and wait for her body to pass the tissue.

Over the next few days, Alison bled and cramped so badly she could not get out of bed. Her grief and anxiety swelled as she read online about sepsis and fretted that if the sac did not pass it could harm her fertility.

After the bleeding subsided the fifth day, she decided to drive 100 miles to Tuscaloosa to see Torres. The ultrasound showed she was out of danger. Torres spent 20 minutes reassuring her she had not done anything wrong.

This is our bodys way of preventing us from heartache, Torres told her, noting that sometimes bodies reject cells that are unhealthy. Miscarriage is terrible; this was a blessing.

For the first time during the ordeal, Alison said, she felt seen and taken care of.

Escaping 'corporate medical hell'

The door to Torres office is usually open, adorned with buttons that say TRUST WOMEN and IM ON YOUR SIDE and a flag that proclaims ROUND THESE PARTS, WE RESPECT PRONOUNS.

Dr. Leah Torres, left, consults with Robin Marty, director of operations at West Alabama Women's Center in Tuscaloosa. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

As an activist who promotes herself in her Twitter bio as a sex+, gender-affirming repro health specialist tagline GTFO of my uterus  Torres has always chafed at the idea of the paternalistic physician.

I am not going to be the 'Do as I say' doctor, she said before meeting a transgender patient last week for a telehealth appointment. I want them to understand that this is a team effort and that I'm not a magic wizard with all of the answers. I am a human being too.

Thank you notes to the staff hang on a bulletin board inside West Alabama Women's Center. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Throughout her medical career, Torres has often felt thwarted.

A Michigan native who also grew up in Florida, she studied medicine at the University of Illinois. After completing her OB-GYN and specialized family planning training in Philadelphia and Salt Lake City, she got a job in 2014 at a community clinic in northern Utah. The clinic would not let her incorporate abortion care into her general practice.

Her frustration built as she got embroiled in campaigns against Utah lawmakers attempts to restrict abortion.







In 2018, Torres found herself at the center of an online firestorm after someone on Twitter accused her of infanticide and asked: Do you hear their heartbeats when you lay down at night?

Torres replied: You know fetuses cant scream, right? I transect the cord 1st so theres really no opportunity, if theyre even far enough along to have a larynx.

She refers to this incident now as the "tweet that broke my entire life.

Conservative pundit Ben Shapiro shared her Tweet, commenting This is like a James Bond villain explaining his plan to 007, but a lot less self-aware. Torres deleted the post and clarified that she meant umbilical cord, not vocal cord. But the Daily Caller and a string of right-wing outlets posted articles naming Torres. Eventually, she was asked to sign a mutual separation agreement due to the death threats being received at the clinic."

Unable to find another job in Utah, she sued the Daily Caller for defamation, reaching a settlement in which she got $40,000. After a year without work, she moved to New Mexico to work at a hospital that did not perform abortions.

She earned enough to pay off her student loans but felt disenchanted. The system, as she saw it, did not just prevent doctors from performing a necessary procedure, it encouraged them to perform unnecessary ones, such as Cesarean sections. If a vaginal delivery pays half of what a C-section is, why would you do a vaginal delivery ever? she said.

Pregnant women  and I'll just be cis-normative for a second  are walking dollar signs, she railed. They're not people. They are a commodity that makes money for the hospital, for the healthcare network, for the insurance company and for the doctor.

When Marty called Torres in March 2020 to ask if she would be interested in leaving New Mexico to take on the role of medical director of an abortion clinic in a different state, Torres jumped at the offer.

Sign me up, she said.

Do you want to know where it is? Marty asked.

I don't care, Torres said. Im in corporate medical hell.

Alabama is not a haven for Torres. The state faces a critical shortage of OB/GYNs. In 1980, 45 of the state's 54 rural counties provided obstetric services; by 2019, the number was 16. A family of four qualifies for Medicaid benefits there only if the household income is under $450 dollars a month.

But the Tuscaloosa clinic offers Torres a place to serve the needy in a state that, as she sees it, is the quintessential example of what corporate medicine really is.

For Torres, it is nothing short of a miracle that the clinic is still open.

Raven Williams, 17, right, with her boyfriend, Ethan Williams, 22, consult with Dr. Leah Torres, left, on prenatal care after getting an ultrasound confirming that she is pregnant. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Before Roe was overturned, when 95% of patients came to the clinic for abortions, the clinic brought in $200,000 a month. In the last 10 months, revenue from patients has totaled $20,000. Marty laid off five of the clinic's 11 staff members in August. But revenue has totaled $998,000, mostly through grants and fundraising, ensuring that the clinic can stay open at least through September.

A key prong of its new work is bringing in LGBTQ+ patients from across Alabama via telehealth appointments. The clinic is now offering HIV testing and medication to prevent HIV transmission.

It also provides hormone therapy to transgender patients, including minors  a move that is almost certain to bring the clinic into conflict with Alabama officials.

Transgender care, a new battleground

A year ago, Alabama became the first state to pass a law making it a felony for a doctor to prescribe or administer puberty blockers or hormone treatment to anyone younger than 19 for the purpose of attempting to alter the appearance of or affirm the minors perception of his or her gender or sex  with prison sentences of up to 10 years.

But the law is partially blocked by a federal court until a September hearing. After consulting with attorneys, the Tuscaloosa clinic is, for now,quietlyoffering minors hormone treatment. The clinic's website states that it can "provide hormone therapy and other care to those over the age of 19," but Torres said that a "whisper network" promoted services for minors.

Over the last year, Torres said, she has prescribed hormone treatment to about 50 transgender patients. Two were younger than 19.

This is the healthcare people need to keep them safe, Torres said. I will fight for that.

Across the U.S. and Europe, debate is raging among health professionals about how to treat a rising number of adolescents who identify as transgender. There are no long-term clinical studies looking at how hormone treatments may affect fertility and sexual function. Countries such as Sweden, France and the U.K. have in recent years reversed course andadopted a more cautious approach, citing potential side effects and a growing number of people who regret transitioning.

Last year, the World Professional Assn. for Transgender Health, the leading medical group for transgender care, published new standards of care for gender-diverse adolescents seeking medical treatment, recommending that healthcare professionals carry out comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment before providing them with puberty blockers, sex-changing hormones or mastectomies.

Torres does not believe adolescents seeking hormones require mental health evaluations.

No, I don't need a psychologist or psychiatrist to evaluate someone who's telling me, This is how I felt for years, she said. I know that how they felt for years is not pathological.

When meeting trans patients, Torres is upfront that she has been practicing such care for only a year.

Full disclosure, she tells them, this area of medicine is pretty new to me. She also points out that this is a relatively experimental area of medicine without a lot of data.

One transgender patient Torres recently started seeing through telehealth was referred to her because the teen's pediatrician and staff at a psychiatric hospital did not respect his gender identity and used his old name. The teen, who had a history of depression and anxiety, told Torres he had known he was a boy for years and wanted to take sex-changing hormones.

"There's so much work here," Dr. Leah Torres said of the women's clinic. "Alabama's really dead set on compromising people's lives, especially LGBTQ+ youth, especially pregnant people. These are expendable people in the eyes of the state of Alabama." (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Torres told him straight up, early in their first conversation, she would prescribe a low dose of testosterone. She let the boy know she was glad he was seeing a therapist, even though she didn't require it. She believes trans people need to deal with the trauma of trans bigotry in Alabama, she said.

When she told him she was prescribing testosterone, his face lit up, she said. He asked her, "You mean right today?"

And that, she said, was why she did her job. The teen had tried for so long to get healthcare and been unsuccessful. She believes she is offering lifesaving care.

I will do whatever I can within legal parameters," Torres said later. "But at the end of the day, if it's somebody's life versus a bad law, I'm choosing that person's life.

Hopefully, she said, there would never be a conflict.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Drew Kromer believes the path to a blue North Carolina lies in duplicating success that prompted him to buy 100 wine glasses as a Davidson College student.

Kromer, a 26-year-old Charlotte native, is the newly elected chair of the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party and says hes on a mission to build community connections and Democratic Party enthusiasm in areas with few competitive races. The goals: to win local elections and contribute local Democratic votes to statewide races.

If we can really nail our turnout here, we have a chance to severely cripple the GOPs chances to win statewide races, Kromer told The Charlotte Observer.

That will build on an example he helped create in Mecklenburg Countys Precinct 206, which sits at the Mecklenburg-Iredell County border.

Drew Kromer, a 26-year-old labor attorney, was elected chair of the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party this month. Kromer has a plan to boost turnout that includes hiring an executive director and creating a stronger regional system.

As Davidson College professor Greg Snyder told it in an endorsement letter, Kromer realized the value of precinct-level groups during his sophomore year in December 2016 and started organizing a crew that grew to more than 500 members. Snyder said he was taken by the vision Kromer laid out for precinct organizing and became the secretary and treasurer of the group.

They cut their teeth in town elections, helped Democrat Christy Clark knock off Republican incumbent John Bradford in House District 98 and planned events that drew the support of Democratic Rep. Alma Adams and Jeff Jackson  now a congressman and then a member of the N.C. General Assembly.

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Events like Stand Up Davidson in 2018 drew hundreds and earned the nickname of The Woodstock of Precinct events from Jackson.

They hosted gatherings with wine, but red plastic cups didnt cut it. So Kromer bought the wine glasses from a restaurant supplier. After events, Kromer says he took the glasses back to his fraternity house, used its industrial dishwasher and stashed the glasses at Snyders house for future use.

Drew Kromer, then a Davidson College junior and Democratic Party chair for precinct 206, spoke to candidates and supporters at a rally after-party for Stand Up, Davidson.

It was a symptom of success and a signal that the Precinct 206 Democrats were out-raising and out-organizing countywide Democratic organizations, Kromer said. During his time with the Precinct 206 Democrats, the group raised $150,000, a news release said.

Today, Kromer has a burgeoning collection of hundreds of drink glasses to use for Democratic Party events.

County Commissioners Chairman George Dunlap, a Democrat, sees countywide potential in the Davidson Democrats story, too.

His leadership at Davidson and his continued service to the Democratic Party demonstrates the commitment we need to increase voters turnout and attract new volunteers, Dunlap said in a news release.

After Kromer received his bachelors degree from Davidson College, he earned a law degree from UNC Chapel Hill and returned home to Charlotte to work for his familys law practice. He has served as the vice chair of the College Democrats of America, was a delegate to the 2020 Democratic National Convention and served on the N.C. Democratic Party State Executive Committee.

Kromers goals

New Mecklenburg County Demcratic Party Chair Drew Kromer speaks April 17 during a pre-convention event. Kromer was elected chair April 22.

He was elected Mecklenburg County Democratic Party chair Saturday with 78% of registered Democrats voting, replacing Jane Whitley. She served six years in the position, is ready to give someone else the reins and is looking forward to other endeavors in the party.

Jane Whitley made the Democratic Party stronger in Mecklenburg County, Kromer said in a news release. I will build upon her foundation to make Mecklenburg County Democrats stronger for the entire state.

Kromer faced African American Caucus of Mecklenburg County President Braxton Becoats in the chair election.

Kromers key goals include the county party raising $250,000 during his two-year term, with $100,000 from his own efforts. He told the Observer regional chairs within Mecklenburg will build stronger community connections and that the party will use its steeper fundraising goals to hire an executive director and professionalize the party.

Boosting turnout

Becoats said he supports the new chairman and hopes the party will rally around a common goal: boosting registered Democrat turnout in Mecklenburg County.

I think everyone has come to the conclusion that we thought it was horrible, Becoats said about Mecklenburgs 2022 election turnout.

Statewide turnout was 51.14% in November, but it was 45.13% in Mecklenburg County. That wasnt the worst, but the states second largest county  a major source of N.C. Democratic votes  lagged nearly 10 points behind Wake County. And Mecklenburg County Republicans turned out at a higher rate than local Democrats.

Lackluster turnout here made Republican Sen. Ted Budds win over Democrat Cheri Beasley larger than it should have been across the state, Kromer said. Earlier in 2022, Democrats wouldve secured victory for Stephanie Hand in the competitive District 6 Charlotte City Council race with about 10 more votes per precinct.

The 2020 N.C. Supreme Court race between Republican Paul Newby and Beasley could have flipped with just a couple more Democratic votes per precinct in Mecklenburg County.

Theres no reason that we cant come up with those remaining votes, Kromer said.

One major problem, Kromer says: Voters are not convinced when a stranger volunteering for a statewide or federal campaign calls to ask for their vote. Kromer says his more robust structure of regional and community volunteers will form friendships instead of just partisan alliances.

We want to build politics that brings them to the Democratic Party, but relationships with other Democrats in the community that will get them to stick around and keep helping us, he said.

The party already has three regional vice chairs, but Kromers plan involves people taking ownership of their communities in the same way as Davidson Democrats, who canvassed the town five times during Clarks 2018 election.

Young people arent just the future

Anderson Clayton, the Chairperson of the North Carolina Democratic Party, speaks to the crowd during a rally at the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party office on Sunday, April 16, 2023. The rally was to denounce the decision of Rep. Tricia Cotham to make a surprise switch from the Democratic Party to the GOP in the States House of Representatives. The rally was also the start line for volunteers to sign up to canvas neighborhoods.

The party needs to turn out more young people, including eligible high schoolers and college students, and do better in Charlottes Black and brown communities, Becoats said. The good news: when young people see the 20-something Kromer leading Mecklenburg Democrats, theyll think, Well maybe I should look into politics, Becoats said.

N.C. Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton, herself elected at just 25, told the Observer young people arent just the future of the party. They are the present, she said. She noted Mackenzie Reedybacon, a Cabarrus Democrat, as another young, newly elected chair.

I am thrilled that so many young leaders like Drew and Mackenzie have stepped up to serve and enact change in their community, Clayton said in an emailed statement. Together, we can empower a multi-generational coalition that will deliver Democratic victories up and down the ballot.

Other Democrats elected to chair positions under the age of 36 this year include: Daniel Quick in Stanly County, Michael McLamb in Catawba County, Travis Lewis in Jackson County and Parron Baxter in Union County.

Statewide impact

People arrive to vote early at the Bank of America Stadium voting site on Thursday, October, 20, 2022.

Michael Bitzer, chair of politics and history at Catawba College in Salisbury, said two key registered Democratic groups in Mecklenburg  Black voters and those under 40  couldve contributed to Beasleys vote tally in 2022. But Mecklenburg alone wouldnt have done enough to overcome her 121,000 statewide deficit.

Democrats suffer from only equaling the state turnout average while Republicans traditionally (since 2010) have exceeded the state turnout average by several points, Bitzer said.

N.C. State Board of Elections data analyzed by Bitzer and provided to the Observer showed Generation Z (those aged 18 to 25) and Millennials (those aged 26 to 41) were the lowest-turnout generations. Across all generations in Mecklenburg County, Republicans turned out at higher rates than Democrats.

Black non-Hispanic voters are the largest portion of registered Democrats here  184,805 of 337,836 Democrats in Mecklenburg County. Combined with younger generations, boosting Black voter turnout in North Carolinas large cities could tip the balance, Bitzer said.

Kromer says Mecklenburg Democrats turnout problem is a product of their own success here. They hold all but two City Council seats, all county commission seats, all but three of Mecklenburgs spots in the legislature and both congressional seats. That includes Rep. Tricia Cotham, who was elected as a Democrat to represent eastern Mecklenburg and changed to a Republican this month.

Democrats easily win the vast majority of our local races. Unfortunately, the more races that Democrats are easily able to win, the fewer local campaigns we need, the less excitement that is generated, and the more complacent we become, Kromer said in an email pitch during the chair campaign.

READ NEXT: Mecklenburg lost 100 square miles of farmland in 20 years. Will this plan save the rest?

The missing votes to win

Kromers term will run through the 2024 presidential election and into 2025. That means hell oversee turnout efforts during this years municipal and school board elections, a presidential election and a gubernatorial race without an incumbent running.

Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat whos running for governor, will only be able to squeeze so many votes out of rural, nearby counties like Anson, Kromer says. Thats why Stein and statewide Democrats are counting on Mecklenburg County to boost its turnout.

The missing votes to win statewide are here, Kromer said.
Dozens of nonprofits and school districts have to give the Idaho attorney generals office records related to federal child care grants they received, a court ruled Thursday.

Attorney General Raul Labrador is investigating whether Community Partner Grants  federal COVID-19 relief funds directed to youth centers, school districts and counseling services for child care  were distributed in violation of the Idaho Legislatures mandates. The grants, disbursed by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, were meant to address learning losses related to the pandemic.

Last month, the attorney generals office served dozens of grant recipients with investigative demands seeking a slew of information related to the grants. Many of the recipients filed a complaint that asked Ada Countys 4th Judicial District to intervene, calling the attorney generals demands and 20-day deadline unreasonable.

4th District Judge Lynn Norton ruled Thursday that the groups must supply records related to the grant by May 17. Norton denied requests for relief from 15 groups, including five branches of the United Way and five school districts.

The groups failed to show they should be relieved from responding to the demands, the judges decision said. The ruling affirmed the attorney generals authority to issue investigative demands to collect information about the grants.

This is a simple power the Office of the Attorney General has, to issue (civil investigative demands) in cases where we think that there might have been some malfeasance or something that may have happened wrong, Labrador told the Idaho Statesman. The court clearly stated that the attorney generals office has this authority.

Nonprofit leader disappointed in decision

The court partially granted relief to 19 organizations, including four school districts, after the attorney generals office failed to show sufficient evidence that they may have violated the law. However, the court said the attorney generals office can draft new requests asking the organizations to hand over information they were required to keep as part of the grant program, including grant applications, receipts, invoices, staff payroll information and other information directly related to the grants.

Lincoln Davis Wilson, chief of Labradors Civil and Constitutional Defense Division, who litigated the case, said the courts decision narrowing the information that the attorney generals office could demand wont hinder its investigation.

They are, in my view, substantially the materials that we were looking to get to begin with, Wilson told the Statesman.

Katie Francis, a board member for grant recipient Idaho Resilience Project, which helps children work through trauma, told the Statesman by phone that her organization is pretty disappointed overall that there wasnt a better outcome. Idaho Resilience Project was one of the 19 organizations that will only be required to provide grant-related information if the attorney generals office drafts new civil investigative demands.

Francis said Idaho Resilience project will move forward with its mission.

We want our time and our energy to be focused on doing the work with our kids and our community, she said.

The Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children is part of Labradors investigation, and its executive director, Beth Oppenheimer, also received a civil investigative demand from the attorney generals office.

Oppenheimer previously told the Statesman she would need to hire a forensic information technology expert to fulfill the civil investigative demands, which sought information that included personal emails, social media posts and charitable donation records from current and past employees.

Norton said the attorney generals office will need to file civil investigative demands on individual employees to obtain that information. The Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children must only search its servers and computers belonging to employees for the information requested in the civil investigative demand.

Oppenheimer told the Statesman her organization is still navigating the decision but appreciates Norton narrowing the scope of the investigative demands.

I think this whole case is unfortunate, Oppenheimer said. At the end of the day, were just trying to help some kids and families, and its unfortunate there are those in this state who make that difficult.

Why Labrador is investigating grant funds

When legislators approved the $72 million in federal funds in 2021 and 2022, they wrote in legislation that the funds shall be used for serving school-aged participants 5 to 13 years old, as allowable by federal guidelines. Federal guidelines included children 13 or younger.

The Department of Health and Welfare advertised the grants as eligible for programs that serve Idaho children ages 5-13. The guidelines also noted that its allowable to serve other ages of children within the program, but you must at least serve children in this age range and funding may not be used for children over 13.

Some grant recipients used funding for programs that includes students younger than 5. The recipients said in their complaint that they were unaware of any misuse of the funds, arguing that they used the federal money on programs they described in their applications.

In the Thursday decision, Norton said the attorney general could still believe individuals are about to engage in unlawful acts, even if they deny knowledge of wrongdoing.

Were going to do what the Legislature asked us to do, Labrador told the Statesman, figure out how it was that these groups and organizations and agencies did not follow the law as was dictated by the Legislature.
The Pennsylvania school district where Moscow homicide suspect Bryan Kohberger attended, and also later worked, turned over his student and employment records in response to a court-ordered subpoena.

Email correspondence between attorneys and administrators at the Pleasant Valley School District in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, revealed that the legal demand arrived in January, within three weeks of Kohbergers arrest. The documents, obtained by the Idaho Statesman through a public records request, do not identify whether prosecutors or Kohbergers public defender requested the subpoena, which in Idaho must be issued by a judge or clerk of the court.

Kohberger graduated from Pleasant Valley High School in 2013, including stints at the countys technical school and the high schools online program. He went on to work for the public school district as a part-time security officer from 2016 to 2021, his personnel records previously obtained by the Statesman showed.

Bryan Kohberger, left, in his senior photo from the 2012-2013 yearbook for Pleasant Valley High School, in Brodheadsville, Pennsylvania. The Pleasant Valley School District has yet to comment publicly since its former student and part-time security officers arrest in December on suspicion of killing four University of Idaho students.

Kohberger, 28, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one felony count of burglary in connection with the November slayings. The victims were University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.

Subpoenaed materials are not available to the public, but Kohbergers high school transcripts were set to be among the districts response to Januarys subpoena, according to the emails. On the advice of a school attorney, the district planned to notify Kohberger of their release to satisfy the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law that limits handing over such records without a students prior consent. The law includes an exception for subpoenas.

We cannot just turn over his student records without placing him on notice of this, attorney Mark Fitzgerald said in a Jan. 20 email to school district leaders. My suggestion is send a notice to the (jail) in Idaho indicating that we intend on complying with the subpoena. Obviously this is the least of his problems but we need to adhere to the law here.

Employee personnel files do not have the same protections, Fitzgerald told the districts human resources director, CCing James Konrad, the superintendent.

Konrad and Pleasant Valley High School co-principals Jonathan Ayre and Brian Boylan havent responded to Statesman requests for comment dating to February, including a follow-up made earlier this month.

The Statesmans formal request for records from the school district about Kohbergers prior employment also was partially denied. In its February response, the district said it withheld several documents, citing several Pennsylvania exemptions, including non-criminal investigations or complaints, written criticisms of an employee, or discipline, demotion or discharge records in a personnel file.

Kohberger resigned from his position in June 2021, school district records showed.

I decided to resign or retire freely and voluntarily after considering my options  a district resignation/retirement form letter signed by Kohberger read.  I understand that if I do not resign, I have a right to a school board hearing to determine if I should be dismissed from employment with the school district.

A pretty decent worker

Former Pleasant Valley security supervisor George Curcio hired Kohberger for his school district position. He told the Statesman that he remembered Kohberger as reserved, courteous and polite  a reliable employee for whom he couldnt recall ever receiving a complaint.

He was a pretty decent worker, always there, not one of those guys who would show up when he wanted to, Curcio said in a phone interview. He was quiet in a strange sort of way, but nothing that ever really reared its head with us.

In December 2018, Kohberger was credited with helping save the life of a district staff member after she had a medical emergency at the high school, The Pocono Record reported. Luis Fuentes, the district security officer who acted as lead on the incident, deferred comment about Kohberger to the superintendent in February during a Statesman reporters visit to his Monroe County home.

Kohbergers job, which did not include carrying a weapon, entailed working 8-hour shifts on Saturdays and Sundays as part of 24/7 security at the districts four school buildings, Curcio said. When another officer called out, Kohberger often would volunteer to work an extra four hours on his weekend assignment, he said, shuttling between schools to ensure buildings were locked and utilities were operating properly.

Youd drive up, check all the doors, hit the security button to show youre doing your job, check the boilers, the air conditioners, school room doors, look for broken windows and open windows, Curcio said. So basically patrolling.

Now, homicide investigators allege they have probable cause to believe Kohberger conducted surveillance on the off-campus rental home in Moscow in the months leading up to the four students deaths on Nov. 13. His cellphone location data showed he connected to cell towers near the area at least 12 times, police said in an affidavit. All but one of those instances was late at night or early in the morning, they said.

Four University of Idaho students were found stabbed to death in November at an off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022.

During Kohbergers tenure with the school district, he earned an associates degree in psychology in May 2018 from Northampton Community College in eastern Pennsylvania, according to a school commencement list. He went on to graduate with a bachelors degree in psychology from DeSales University in June 2020.

A year later, when Kohberger resigned from his weekend security job, Curcio said, Kohberger told him he was going back to school full time. Kohberger finished his graduate studies at DeSales in June 2022, the university said. One of his former professors told The Daily Mail that Kohberger received his masters degree from the universitys online criminal justice program.

After Kohberger finished at DeSales, he moved to Pullman, Washington, about 9 miles west of Moscow, to begin study last August toward a Ph.D. in Washington State Universitys criminal justice and criminology graduate program.

School district stays tight-lipped

Law enforcement arrested Kohberger on Dec. 30 at his parents eastern Pennsylvania home while he was there during winter break from school. Police at the same time executed search warrants at the home, as well as at Kohbergers WSU office and student apartment in Pullman.

On the list of items they were seeking were any weapons, including knives. Investigators said they found a leather sheath for a combat-style Ka-Bar brand knife stamped USMC  U.S. Marine Corps  next to the body of one of the victims at the crime scene. A single source of male DNA was later discovered on the button snap of the sheath, which police said they linked to Kohberger.

On Jan. 4, police transported Kohberger from Pennsylvania to Moscow, where he remains in the Latah County Jail on no bond. He awaits his preliminary hearing scheduled to start June 26.

Bryan Kohberger is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary in connection to Novembers homicides in Moscow, Idaho.

In the nearly four months since Kohberger was taken into custody, the Pleasant Valley School District has remained tight-lipped. Thats in spite of repeated requests for comment from more than a dozen media outlets, including the Statesman, according to email records, and the Kohberger family being well-known within the district.

Kohbergers two older sisters attended the same school system, and their parents also spent lengthy tenures working there. Kohbergers father retired in June 2019 after 12 1/2 years as a maintenance worker with the district, followed by his mother retiring in June 2020 after 16 years as education support staff, their school district personnel records obtained by the Statesman showed.

While in high school, Bryan Kohberger was enrolled in the half-day technical schools law enforcement program as a sophomore. A photo of Kohberger in Pleasant Valley High Schools 2010-2011 yearbook that the Statesman reviewed showed him in a uniform with a caption noting he aspired to be an Army Ranger. But a former high school friend previously told the Statesman that Kohbergers main interest was joining law enforcement.

By Kohbergers junior year, he switched his technical school focus to heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC  a specialty that aligned with his fathers skill set. After 4 1/2 years in the Air Force, Kohbergers dad earned certifications, including in HVAC, from technical programs, according to a six-page resume he included in a 2006 job application with the district.

School district leadership has still yet to issue a single public statement about Kohberger, a former employee of 5 1/2 years whose education began at Pleasant Valley Elementary School, his 2015 job application detailed. The districts email records obtained by the Statesman indicate thats by design.

Late on the day police arrested Kohberger, district leadership spent time with Fitzgerald, Pleasant Valleys attorney, workshopping an internal communication that was sent to all district staff.

A former student and employee, Bryan Kohberger, has been taken into custody in connection with the 4 college students that were killed in Idaho. If you are contacted by news or media in relation to Bryan Kohberger, we ask that you respond with no comment as this is an ongoing investigation, read a draft of the employee notification penned by Rae Lin Howard, the districts assistant superintendent.

Fitzgerald instead advised highlighting the sudden nature of the information, and referencing FERPA and other applicable state law protections as the reason for not commenting. That advice was incorporated into the email Howard sent to the school board and all district employees.

 We are learning this news just like you. Media outlets could reach out to staff. Due to FERPA privacy protections and other applicable state law protections we cannot comment any further at this time, the latter portion of that email read.

In fact, FERPA restricts only the release of education records that contain information directly related to a student and maintained by the institution. The federal law does not prohibit a district from commenting altogether, or district employees with information obtained through personal knowledge or observation from providing it, unless the employee was involved with producing the protected record, according to a U.S. Department of Education FERPA guidance document.

A Statesman request of district leadership to address their position on FERPA and clarify the other Pennsylvania laws that applied and barred comment went unanswered.

Meanwhile, Michael Simonetta, the districts business manager who also oversees its public records requests, resolved not to respond to any media outlets seeking comment unless they made official public records requests, the emails showed. He took the advice of attorneys for the district, Fitzgerald and Alicia Luke, to automatically issue a 30-day extension permitted under Pennsylvania law.

Im guessing the drive-by media will have likely moved on to the next shiny thing, Fitzgerald wrote in a Dec. 31 email.

Thanks Mark, exactly what I am thinking, Simonetta replied. I just dont want it to look bad for the district by delaying.

I surmise even those few that are actual (records) requests wont even hold the attention of the requesters by the time we actually respond, for the reasons Mark discussed, Luke added Jan. 3.

Subpoena signals possible legal strategy

The subpoena two weeks later for Kohbergers academic and employee records, however, required the school district to respond.

It remains unclear whether Kohbergers defense or Latah County prosecutors sought the documents, or for what purpose. A gag order issued by the judge in the case restricts attorneys on both sides from commenting outside of the court record, for which there is no filing related to the school district subpoena.

Edwina Elcox is a criminal defense attorney in Boise who previously served as an Ada County deputy prosecutor. She told the Statesman in an interview that it could be either side that requested the legal demand sent to the school district, but that details in the emails, provided to her by the Statesman, indicate that its more likely to have been the prosecution.

If were playing connect the dots here, I think it would be the state, Elcox said by phone. The district is complying with the subpoena and saying we have to notify him of this, so theyre saying were covering our bases with him.

Kohberger, on the other hand, and his attorney on his behalf, could request his academic records from the district without having to ask the court to issue a subpoena. And that would be a prudent choice, Elcox said, to avoid sharing a possible legal strategy with the prosecution at this stage of the case.

Kohbergers attorneys may want the same records if they help document their clients past educational challenges or a mental health history that helps in his defense, she said. Kohberger is believed to have posted on an online forum between 2009 and 2012 about suffering from a rare brain disorder known as visual snow. He also complained of the condition to friends at the time.

His district personnel file might also show a work history absent any problems to help persuade a jury that he is not the killer, Elcox said. Prosecutors, meanwhile, would be looking for information included in the records to prove the opposite, she said.

They are casting a wide net, Elcox said. They are looking for  evidence of other prior wrongs, bad acts, things to show intent, motive, lack of mistake. Theoretically, its a literal goldmine, if in an official capacity, there was documented concern that he demonstrates this kind of inappropriate behavior, tendencies, auctions, patterns and he did it again. What theyre showing is, Hey, these behaviors, theres no mistake here. 
Diners under 5 feet tall can get a dine-in free shrimp dish at World of Beer (WOB) North Myrtle Beach on May 10.

The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. that day for the diners to enjoy their free char-grilled shrimp, featuring shrimp on garlic bread, while supplies last.

This is the second year the restaurant has offered this promotion, which coincides with National Shrimp Day.

General Manager Brian Cowles wrote in a press release, We truly hope that guests  both short and tall  get a kick out of this offer.

Open since July 2020, the North Myrtle Beach location is in the Coastal North Town Center at 1386 Highway 17 North. It is one of 47 locations in the country and the only one in South Carolina.
When a 17-year-old student at a boarding school in Utah became sick in December, she begged staff for help, a lawsuit says.

Taylor Goodridge was in excruciating pain, but instead of getting proper medical attention, staff at the school accused her of faking it, told her to suck it up and advised her to drink water and take aspirin, according to the lawsuit.

Days later, on Dec. 20, 2022, she collapsed and died at Diamond Ranch Academy, the lawsuit says.

An autopsy report shared with McClatchy News by her familys lawyer says she died of acute fibrinopurulent peritonitis  an inflammation of the inner wall of the abdomen caused by an infection. The condition can be treated with antibiotics and sometimes surgery but can be fatal if left untreated.

Goodridges family sued Diamond Ranch Academy on Dec. 30 and filed an amended complaint on April 26.

The teens parents issued a statement on April 7 after the Utah Medical Examiner released their daughters autopsy report that showed she died of a fully recoverable illness.

We are devastated to learn that Taylors death was entirely preventable had Diamond Ranch Academy cared, the statement says.

The family is suffering a lot, because her death was needless, the familys attorney, Alan Mortensen, told McClatchy News. Theres no reason this shouldve happened.

Diamond Ranch Academy, which is located in Hurricane, about 290 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, describes itself as a world-class residential treatment center and therapeutic boarding school for teenagers, according to its website. Lawyers for the school and its executive director did not respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

Lawyers for Diamond Ranch Academy filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on March 10.

Taylor begged for help, her lawyer said

Goodridge began reporting back pain, difficulty breathing and trouble sleeping as early as Dec. 9, 2022, according to a news release from Mortensens law firm.

Her condition worsened over the course of a few days, and on Dec. 16, she collapsed in her vomit, the lawsuit says. Her stomach was extremely distended and noticeable to other people.

Weekly phone calls to her parents were unilaterally canceled by the academy in the weeks leading up to her death, according to Mortensen.

On Dec. 20, Goodridge went to the schools medical office, where she collapsed and died, the lawsuit says.

School staff told Goodridges father that his daughter had a heart attack and died at a hospital, the lawsuit says.

Her autopsy report says that she became unresponsive while in the medical area of Diamond Ranch Academy and lifesaving efforts at a hospital proved futile. In addition to peritonitis, she also had sepsis, according to the report.

Taylor died on site at the Diamond Ranch Academy without ever seeing a doctor or being taken to the hospital, Mortensen said in the news release.

The perfect storm of horrible behavior at Diamond Ranch Academy, Mortensen said

Taylor Goodridge was a huge Disney fan, played volleyball and was on the cheerleading team, her familys lawyer said.

It was Goodridges choice to attend the boarding school because she wanted to get everything in line to go to college, Mortensen said. She left her home state of Washington to attend the school, where she was getting excellent grades, he said.

She got all As and a couple Bs, he said. She was a sharp kid.

A huge Disney fan, she also played volleyball and was on the cheerleading team, he said.

But while at the school, she was neglected, isolated and prevented from contacting her parents without the schools permission, he said.

Im trying to put myself in her shoes.  How horrible those two weeks wouldve been, and being so sick and being ignored and punished when you complain, Mortensen said. Its just the perfect storm of horrible behavior at Diamond Ranch Academy.

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services placed the academy on a conditional license while it investigated Goodridges death in December 2022, according to a spokeswoman for the agency. The school was prevented from admitting new students and subjected to increased monitoring inspections, according to a letter issued by the agency on Dec. 22.

The department conducted multiple site visits and issued a new conditional license to the academy on March 17, allowing it to enroll new students once again.

(The Department of Health and Human Services) inspections showed (Diamond Ranch Academy) had made the changes needed to become compliant and showed no evidence to prevent the facility from taking on new clients, the department spokeswoman said in a statement.

But Goodridges parents, Dean Goodridge and AmberLynn Wigtion, said in a statement that the states Department of Health and Human Services had not held Diamond Ranch Academy accountable.

Diamond Ranch Academy is now able to continue accepting unknowing students with naive parents, so that the owners of Diamond Ranch Academy can continue to earn profits from the misfortunes of its students and their parents, the statement says. We intend to continue to pursue all avenues to hold Diamond Ranch Academy accountable for (Taylor Goodridges) death to make sure this does not happen to other innocent teens and their families.

Paris Hilton has led a charge to shut down similar boarding schools, including Provo Canyon School, a residential treatment facility for teens in Utah where she says she was sexually abused and traumatized.

Her accusations first came to light in her documentary released in 2020, Vanity Fair reported. Soon after the documentarys release, Provo Canyon School issued a statement saying it does not condone or promote any form of abuse.

Any and all alleged/suspected abuse is reported immediately to our state regulatory authorities, law enforcement, and Child Protective Services, as required. We are committed to providing high-quality care to youth with special, and often complex, emotional, behavioral, and psychiatric needs, the school said, according to the outlet.

Hilton has also advocated for Diamond Ranch Academy to face consequences.

It is vital that facilities like Diamond Ranch Academy are held accountable, she tweeted in December.

Michael Jacksons daughter, Paris Jackson, told C Magazine in 2021 that she also suffered abuse at a reformatory school in Utah, though she did not specify which one.





The lawsuit against Diamond Ranch Academy seeks punitive damages as well as general damages.

The parents goal is that this never happens to another kid, both at this facility and any other troubled teen facility, Mortensen said. Its really the industry thats troubled and not the teens.

Mom sues after 24-year-old daughter fatally overdoses in CA rehab. She wanted help

Teachers ignore dying 5-year-old they thought was playing dead at recess, lawsuit says

Relentless bullying, video of attack spark lawsuit against Oregon district, family says
WASHINGTON  Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., is the man in charge of retaking the Senate for Republicans in 2024. And he thinks he has a secret weapon: former President Donald Trump.

Many people blame Trump, in part, for endorsing candidates who were popular with the conservative base but turned off general election voters and ultimately lost. But Daines is convinced that a partnership can work its magic this time.

The start of that plan came Monday, when Daines, the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, formally backed Trump for president, giving him arguably his most significant endorsement of the cycle.

He wants to win. I want to win, Daines said in a sit-down interview Thursday. The most important thing we can give our next Republican president is a Republican majority in the Senate.

Daines explained his decision to back Trump at such an early juncture of the primary by pointing to their collaboration on the 2017 tax cuts and the Great American Outdoors Act, legislation that provided billions in new funding to address maintenance backlogs at national parks.

But Daines also highlighted his efforts to recruit more mainstream Republican candidates and the boost Trump could give them to make it through contested primaries.

You look back  his endorsement certainly was a significant factor in primary elections, Daines said. And so Im going to continue to work with the president. I spoke to him [Wednesday] night. And we dialogue a fair amount, just talking about the various states and where his support could help significantly in terms of getting behind candidates who can win primaries and general elections.

Having Trump on the same page with the NRSC could be critical to the Republican Partys Senate fortunes next fall. The party is blessed with a map that features Democrats trying to hold on to more than a half-dozen swing or Republican-aligned states with only a few, tough, opportunities for them to pick up seats.

But the GOP is coming off a cycle in which it blew critical races after Trump-backed candidates who embraced his false claims of a stolen election and called for stringent abortion restrictions piled up loss after loss in what shouldve been a strong year for them.

At the top of the agenda for Daines and Senate Republicans is a trio of seats held by Democrats in red states  West Virginia, Ohio and Montana. The NRSC has already started to rally behind West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, who announced his candidacy Thursday, in a primary battle against Rep. Alex Mooney.

Trump has yet to make his support in that race clear; he is close personally with Justice, but he endorsed Mooney in a contested primary last year. In Ohio, Trump has encouraged businessman Bernie Morenos Senate run, while the NRSC has so far stayed neutral. In Montana, the NRSC is reported to be encouraging military veteran and businessman Tim Sheehy to jump in, while Trump has kept his powder dry.

Meanwhile, should Trump win the presidential nomination, he will have to carry swing states like Pennsylvania, Arizona and Wisconsin  each of which is gearing up for tough Senate contests.

While Daines sees Trump as the prohibitive favorite to win the GOP primaries, he said there was still a long way to go for him to secure the nomination.

So it is early. I mean, its April of the year before the election, he said. But this is absolutely a generational-defining election. And weve got our heads down here working hard. And were going to continue to watch [the] presidential level for sure. But my singular task here is to stay focused on winning the United States Senate for the Republicans.

Although most polling shows Trump far ahead of his GOP primary rivals, the same surveys tend to show him behind President Joe Biden.

But Daines believes 2024 will be different from 2020, because Biden will be expected to more vigorously campaign and make more public appearances than he did last time, in a period overshadowed by the Covid pandemic. Voters, he said, will also be judging the records of both Biden and Trump rather than offering a referendum purely on Trumps performance.

Theres a lot of water to run between now and the election that will go under the bridge, he said. But I think itd be a pretty strong contrast between these two leaders.

In his short time at the helm of the NRSC, Daines has sought to correct issues that plagued the party at the ballot box last year, whether they be candidate quality or an aversion to early voting. He said his big takeaway from 2022 was the need to get more involved in recruiting candidates who can appeal to independent voters while still being able to make it through GOP primaries.

Winning a primary is step one, but thats not sufficient, he said. Youve got to be able to win the general election. Ive said many times: Winners make policy, and losers go home. We need candidates who can win.

Where there are candidates that are not able to win general elections, were going to be doing all we can to dissuade them, he added. And where there are candidates who can win general elections, do all we can to persuade them.

Daines, like many Republicans, wants to place a greater emphasis on early voting. Trump and his allies denigrated the practice in both 2020 and 2022, and Republicans overwhelmingly eschewed the early vote in those cycles and voted on Election Day. But the strategy put the GOP at a big disadvantage compared to Democrats, who banked votes and more easily avoided Election Day misfortunes. Case in point: a snowstorm Daines cited that hit Republican-leaning northern Nevada on Election Day and may have contributed to GOP Senate nominee Adam Laxalts loss.

Weve got to become election month voters and not Election Day voters, Daines said. Republicans have kind of shifted to being more Election Day voters. And there will still be a lot of Republicans who want to vote on Election Day. But clearly weve got to start the aggressive banking of ballots.

Daines said he believes Trump is shifting his stance on early voting, citing public and private statements. (Trump has maintained that mail-in votes are corrupt but has said the party has no choice but to adapt.)

He is aligned with that strategy, Daines said. And thats an important shift from where Republicans were in the last election. And Im grateful that President Trump now will be out there talking about the need for our voters to get out there early and get their votes cast.

Republicans may soon have to deal with candidates who lost critical races last year  like Kari Lake in Arizona and Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania  jumping into Senate races this cycle. Asked about any message he might have for such candidates looking to run, Daines said he wants to have open and honest conversations with prospective candidates about their polling and the opposition research theyre likely to face.

Sometimes, he said, its about self-awareness.
Former president Donald Trump was critical of New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu during a rally in the Granite State on Thursday, calling the Republican official a nasty guy.

Trump attacked Sununu over his decision not to run for U.S. Senate in 2022 against Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan, who instead handily defeated Trump-backed Republican challenger Don Bolduc. Bolduc has endorsed former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley in the 2024 race.

He couldve really made an impact, Trump said of Sununu during a rally in Manchester that drew a crowd of nearly 2,000 people. He couldve run for the Senate. He probably wouldve easily won because of the family name, wouldve won. And that would have been a tremendous thing. Instead, he wants to play games with running for president.

Sununu has hinted at a potential 2024 run for months. Earlier this month, CNNs Poppy Harlow asked the New Hampshire governor if he wants to be president and he replied, I think I could do the job.

When Harlow remarked that that was the closest Sununu had come to declaring a run, he said, Im looking at it . . . its a big decision for the family, for the process, for the party.

During that same interview, Sununu criticized Trump, saying he got very little done, didnt drain the swamp like he promised, didnt provide border security like he promised.

Earlier this week the governor warned that Trump is at risk of becoming a four-time loser in 2024, with Republican losses in 2018 and 2022 and Trumps own personal defeat in 2020.

Meanwhile on Thursday, Trump also took jabs at former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, calling him sloppy Chris Christie and noting he has polled around 1 percent in most 2024 polling.

Which by the way is substantially better than he did seven years ago on the same stage against me right here in New Hampshire, Trump said. Christie and Trump faced off in the 2016 GOP presidential primary before Christie dropped out and endorsed Trump.

Got a big mouth  thats all hes got, Trump said of Christie, who was once an ally to the former president but has since become a vocal critic.

Christie said late last month that he is definitely thinking about running for president in 2024 and plans to make a decision in the next 60 days.

Last month he commented to the Washington Examiner about Trump: He told us during that campaign in 16 that we were going to do so much winning that we would be sick of winning. Yet in 2018, we lost the House; in 2020, we lost the White House and we lost the Senate; and in 2022, we lost more governorships, another seat in the Senate, and historically underperformed in the House.

So, Im tired of losing, and Im tired of being disappointed. And I think most Republicans are, too. And that argument needs to be made and made directly to the people of our party. And then were going to see how they react, he said.

Trump on Thursday also debuted a new nickname for President Biden: Crooked Joe Biden.

I will be retiring the name crooked from Hillary Clinton, Trump said. And Im going to give her a new name  I dont know, like maybe lovely Hillary or beautiful Hillary  but Im going to retire the name crooked so that we can use the name for Joe Biden, because hell be known from now on as Crooked Joe Biden.

He said there has never been anyone in the history of American politics so crooked or dishonest as Joe Biden and called the president grossly incompetent.

More from National Review
A Kentucky school district this week announced it removed a health test question about sexual orientation from its virtual learning platform following passage of a new anti-LGBTQ law.

Grayson County Superintendent Doug Robinson confirmed Wednesday that the question from a virtual learning platform, which went viral on Twitter earlier in the week, said: Julie is a girl that is sexually attracted to other girls. She was assigned male at birth and Julies pronouns are she/her. Which gender does Julie best identify with: cisgender, intersex, transgender, asexual?

Robinson provided the Herald-Leader with a statement on the districts website that explained the decision to remove the test question.

Earlier today, a screenshot of an online High School health test question was posted by a third party on Twitter. The screenshot referenced is NOT from a class being taught in our district by one of our teachers. It is from the Edgenuity software program, a virtual learning platform used for credit recovery and early graduation, both within our district and by districts throughout the state and country, the post said.

We quickly researched and found this particular question on our version, and while our district is accepting of all individuals, we have removed the question which does not align with standards. We are already conducting a complete review of the Edgenuity platform and will take further action if necessary to ensure alignment with state and district standards, it said.

Senate Bill 150, passed in the 2023 General Assembly, was one of the most extreme and controversial pieces of legislation in recent Kentucky history.

In addition to banning puberty-blockers, hormones and surgeries for kids under 18, SB 150 also bans lessons on gender identity and sexual orientation, prevents transgender students from using the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity and stops school districts from requiring teachers use a students pronouns if they dont align with their sex assigned at birth.

A new course was released for Kentucky students that aligns with SB 150, Edgenuity said in a statement posted by the Grayson County school district Thursday.

Edgenuity, the largest digital curriculum provider in the US, offers several courses to meet state and district requirements for high school health education across the country, the statement said.

The screenshot in question is from our national high school Contemporary Health course, which covers more sensitive topics. The company also offers Healthy Living, which does not address those topics, said the statement.

As of this morning the new Healthy Living Kentucky course has been provided for all our Kentucky Imagine Edgenuity libraries. It is tailored to the Kentucky standards specifically, and also fully aligns with the new provisions in SB 150, the statement said.

School districts are now required under the law to ensure any child, regardless of grade level, enrolled in the district does not receive any instruction or presentation that has a purpose of students studying or exploring gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation.

Districts will need to review current courses, programming, instructional resources and learning experiences to ensure they comply, the new guidance said.

Districts will have to review health education curriculum, Advanced Placement courses, dual credit courses and extracurricular activities to make sure that students arent getting instruction on gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation.


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MBDA has been contracted by the Polish Armament Agency to supply CAMM (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile) missiles and iLaunchers for Polands PILICA+ air defence upgrade programme. In total, MBDA will provide missiles and missile launchers valued at 1.9 billion to support Polands modernisation and manufacture of a total of 22 PILICA+ air defence batteries  making it the largest European short-range air defence acquisition programme in NATO..

Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link



The launcher carries eight MBDA CAMM air defense missiles (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The Pilica system is based on a network of mobile launchers equipped with eight ready-to-fire missiles each, a command and control vehicle, and a radar vehicle. Designed by PGZ, PILICA+ will combine MBDAs CAMM short-range radar-guided missiles with Polish-made autocannon and very-short-range infrared-guided missiles into a triple-layer system commanded by a Polish command and control system and guided by Polish radars. PILICA+ will operate as the inner tier of a highly-capable integrated Polish air defence network also including the upper-tier WISLA system and mid-tier NAREW system, which MBDA is also supporting with PGZ.

Chris Allam, Managing Director of MBDA UK, said: We are deeply proud that Poland is placing CAMM at the core of their layered air defence systems. This landmark Polish-UK cooperation will provide a major boost to Polands air defence capabilities and bring our defence industries closer together, enabling sovereignty and supporting jobs in both countries.

CAMM, with its multi-channel, radar-guided, all-weather ability to defeat stressing air threats out to 25 km, will deliver a major enhancement to the capabilities of the Polish PILICA+ system in ensuring the defence of high-value and mobile assets. CAMM first entered service with the UK Armed Forces in 2018, with the CAMM family (including CAMM-ER co-developed with Italy) rapidly proving a success on the international market.

Poland is already a user of MBDAs CAMM, receiving its first battery in 2022 in response to an urgent requirement called maa (small) NAREW that was successfully delivered by MBDA and PGZ in 6 months. MBDA and PGZ also continue to work towards contracting the technology transfer and Polish manufacture of the mid-tier NAREW air defence programme, utilising the extended range CAMM-ER missile and a common iLauncher solution, and on cooperation on future missiles for higher air defence tiers (through a contract placed in 2022). Poland will benefit from the synergies of operating the CAMM family across multiple domains as these missiles will also equip Polands future maritime air defence system on board the Miecznik-class frigates.



In total, MBDA will provide missiles and missile launchers valued at 1.9 billion to support Polands modernisation and manufacture of a total of 22 PILICA+ air defence batteries  making it the largest European short-range air defence acquisition programme in NATO (Picture source: MBDA)

Defense News April 2023
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre (MCT) seeks a people-centered, motivated, and dynamic individual to acquire contributed resource in support of mission fulfilment as its Development Director.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Development Directors essential responsibility is to conceive, implement, and report on all aspects of an annual fundraising campaign that meets or exceeds all contributed income goals while advancing MCTs mission, including but not limited to:

soliciting and acquiring institutional partners and mission investors including but not limited to Trustees, Major Donors, Production Sponsors, Foundations, Corporations, Government agencies, the United Performing Arts Fund, and Individuals;

grant-writing, tracking, and recording/reporting contact relationships;

all fundraising and donor appreciation appeals and events;

proactive, ongoing stewarding of relationships even when not in a direct solicitation phase;

collaborating with the Marketing Director to create cohesive institutional messaging;

serving as staff lead to MCTs Development Committee of Trustees and community volunteers;

and supervising the Data and Communications Assistant in Development support functions of: staff liaison to UPAF and coordinating staff and Trustee participation in annual UPAF campaign; grant writing; staff liaison to MCTs Friends volunteer support group; and processing all gifts and acknowledgment letters via Tessitura.

All staff, collaborators, and stakeholders create a positive work environment and institutional culture by:

reflecting and advancing MCTs mission and values in all interactions and practices;

actively participating in MCTs day-to-day operation with the intention of improving practice, collaboration, and mission fulfilment;

modeling welcoming and inclusive behavior and collaborating with kindness, honesty, and diligence;

contributing to and promoting a physically, mentally, and emotionally safe working environment;

holding MCT as a professional first priority in time, attention, and advocacy;

communicating and tracking communications proactively, whether verbally or in writing;

and approaching problem solving proactively, collaboratively, and with flexibility.

The position is currently open and the start date is immediate. The position is full-time, annual, and exempt from overtime. Salary commensurate with experience between $55,000 and $62,000 per year. Benefits include: health, dental, and vision insurance; annual PTO; and retirement plan participation. The position is supervised by MCTs Managing Director, a co-equal institutional leader alongside the Artistic Director, and in turn co-supervises with the Marketing Director a part-time support position. The Development Director collaborates with MCT staff, guest artists, Trustees, volunteers, patrons, individual donors, and corporate and foundation liaisons, among many others. Some remote or work-from-home opportunities exist but most working hours are site-based.

ABOUT MILWAUKEE CHAMBER THEATRE

A 501c3 non-profit producing five productions per season in the Third Wards Broadway Theatre Center, MCT has served its community for five decades by producing excellent live theater grounded in exceptional text from unique voices while leading the development and support of Milwaukee and

Wisconsins professional artist community. In 2019, MCTs leadership committed to pursuing this ethos under an expanded umbrella of representation and inclusion with the goal of creating a theater company that reflects its community at every level, telling relevant stories audiences wont see elsewhere, and celebrating our local theater makers and the unique stories that make Milwaukee such a special place.

MCT has for the past three years walked that talk with intention and clear purpose, resulting in unprecedented accomplishments including:

productions that patrons have called the best theyve seen anywhere, including WHOS AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?, MISERY, MALA, THE ISLAND, INDECENT, and the world premiere of HOOPS, among others;

three-year averages of at least 50% of all season artists identifying as either Black, Indigenous, and People of Color or female;

three-year averages of at least 80% of all season artists residing in Milwaukee and an additional 10% elsewhere in Wisconsin;

founding the Milwaukee Black Theater Festival;

a Board of Trustees identifying as 45% BIPOC, 55% female, and 50% under age 45;

generating during the first year of the pandemic a level of artist income and health insurance weeks on par with national leaders;

leading the charge for a livable arts community by compensating all artists and staff above the Milwaukee County Living Wage Standard;

and doing all of it safely, without a single artist COVID infection on MCTs watch since becoming Wisconsins first company to reconvene for in-person work on Equity contracts in January, 2021.

These results and MCTs determination in pursuing them were cited time and again as the main drivers of contribution during the recent public phase of MCTs Sustainability Campaignduring which time the company raised nearly $1.2M in three-year pledge commitments in three weeks and expanded its contributed income base by nearly 50%.

ABOUT THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The Development Director position is human-centered, and the ideal candidate must:

thrive on building relationships with individuals from a variety of demographics, personalities, life experiences, and worldviews throughout greater Milwaukee and Southeastern Wisconsin;

manage multiple ongoing tasks independently and efficiently and gracefully navigate frequently shifting priorities in a fluid environment that only functions through close collaboration;

write and speak passionately and persuasively about MCT and its mission, translate mission concepts into programmatic outcomes, and actively embody and express mission in the community;

and hold a strong positive belief in the role of theater in building community across divides.

As MCT rebuilds its business-side infrastructure by hiring a Managing Director, Development Director, and Marketing Director all in Spring 2023, the ideal candidate will view the need to quickly build department practice as an exciting component of the opportunity to make a deep, significant, and immediate impact on the life cycle of a well-loved local arts non-profit. They will also possess strong event planning, organizational, time management, and written/verbal communications skills, and exhibit creativity, enthusiasm, and appreciation for live theater. Some evening and weekend availability, including occasional attendance at performances as well as fundraising events, is required. A reliable means of transportation and the ability to lift and carry heavy objects up to 50 pounds with or without reasonable accommodation is required.

QUALIFICATIONS

MCT seeks candidates with three to five years of demonstrated success in a fundraising/resource acquisition/stewardship and/or community building role. Bachelors Degree or equivalent professional experience required. Computer literacy is essential, and fluency with Microsoft Word and Excel are required. Use of the Tessitura database is required; incoming experience in Tessitura or other fundraising database tools is an asset but not required as training is available. Knowledge of Southeastern Wisconsins non-profit funding community is an asset.

TO APPLY

Cover letter, resume, and one work sample (grant application, appeal letter, campaign messaging, web page design, sponsorship proposal, etc.), should be submitted to MCT Artistic Director Brent Hazelton at brent@milwaukeechambertheatre.org. Submissions received until the position is filled.

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre believes the only way that an arts organization can meaningfully serve its community is by reflecting that community at every level of the institution, and eagerly seeks submissions from individuals across a wide spectrum of experiences and identities.

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The deplorable, irrational attempts to gain support for climate activism by attacking iconic artworks have sadly resumed, after a brief hiatus, with todays attack on Degas unique, original wax version of Little Dancer Aged Fourteena beloved treasure of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, which has attracted international admirers around the world, thanks to the propagation of bronze casts based on the NGAs wax original from Degas hand.

As described here in the stunned museums press release, she was attacked by protestors with swaths of red and black paint. The statement doesnt say whether the paint penetrated the plexiglass case that protectively housed Dancer. But a video of the attack (to which I refuse to link) shows them thumping loudly and forcefully on the case with their paint-smeared hands.

Heres the statue under more serene circumstances:

Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, 18781881

Pigmented beeswax, clay, metal armature, rope, paintbrushes, human hair, silk and linen ribbon, cotton and silk tutu, linen slippers, on wooden base

National Gallery of Art, Washington, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon

At this writing, the museum not yet revealed whether any of the paint-flingers were apprehended.

Heres the museums full statement, signed by director Kaywin Feldman:

Washington, DCToday a priceless work of art in our collection, Degass original wax Little Dancer, was attacked by protestors with swaths of red and black paint. After attacking the Degas sculpture, they made statements about climate issues. The work was displayed in a plexiglass case and has been taken off view so that our expert conservation team can assess potential damage to it. Gallery 3, where Little Dancer was on display, and several connecting galleries on the ground floor of the West Building are closed until further notice. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting in the investigation, which is still active. We unequivocally denounce this physical attack on one of our works of art and will continue to share information as it becomes available. The safety and security of our staff and visitors and of our collection remain our highest priority.

Meanwhile, the National Gallery today revealed that Laura Lott, president and CEO of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), will join the NGA as administrator, effective July 3. Especially under these fraught circumstances, one might have expected Lott and/or AAM to have promptly issued a statement in solidarity with Lotts beleaguered future home. At this writing, I have not yet seen a denunciation by AAM of this implied threat to the integrity of all museum collections.

The Association of Art Museum Directors did issue a statement (reproduced below). Its last sentence echoes the statement that AAMD had issued last November, after the previous round of museum food fights:

I abhor coverage like this in the Washington Post, which obligingly gives the vandals exactly what they wantnational attention to their desecration. Why the protesters believe that this will win them converts, not enemies, is beyond me.

UPDATE: In a video posted to Twitter, Feldman said the following about the attacked statue and the players involved in this tense drama:

The work is protected in a plexiglass case and has been taken off display so that our expert conservation team can assess potential damage. The protesters have been detained and our team is safe. We unequivocally denounce this behavior and will continue to share information as it becomes available. Screenshot of Kaywin Feldmans Twitter video regarding the attack on Degas Little Dancer
by Steve Suwannarat

Mettohti Matturson, 40, died as a result of poor conditions during in detention. He had arrived in Thailand in 2014 and was arrested with 450 other fugitives from Xinjiang. Five similar cases since 2018. The executive director of the World Uyghur Congress: 'How many more deaths will there be before the Thai authorities act humanely?'

Bangkok (AsiaNews) - Amongst Uyghur refugees who fled Chinese persecution in Xinjiang Autonomous Province and are being detained in Thailand, the second death in custody in two months was recorded: Mettohti Matturson, 40, died a week ago from a suspected liver disease and poor conditions in detention after being held in the Suan Phlu Immigration Custody Centre in the capital Bangkok for nine years.

Thus, five deaths have been recorded in the centre since 2018 and this despite calls from many quarters for the Thai authorities to improve living conditions and security and above all to guarantee more medical care for the detainees.

Sources from the World Uyghur Congress (a historical diaspora organisation of this Turkic and Muslim population) and the Uyghur Human Rights Project (a group committed to protecting the identity and rights of Uyghurs), reported that Mettohti Matturson's condition had recently worsened, with severe abdominal pain and vomiting. He had also developed severe jaundice. The transport to hospital was useless, where he died.

His case was unfortunately not an isolated one. Mettohti had been placed in custody after his entry into Thailand on 13 March 2014. A fate that befell 450 people of the same ethnicity, including women and children, fleeing China the same year.

By July 2015, 170 of them had boarded a flight to Turkey, which had welcomed them because of their closeness of faith, language and culture, while 109 others had been deported to China despite pressure from many organisations and diplomats on the Bangkok authorities to back down.

The current government, heir to the military coup of May 2014, has favoured closer relations with Beijing, both to encourage trade and military agreements and investment in infrastructure, and to have an international backing that is less critical of it in terms of human rights and democratic rules. The Uyghurs, like other refugee groups, are victims of these political and strategic opportunities.

"How many more deaths will there be before the Thai authorities act humanely and release these innocent people who are just seeking safe harbour?" asked the executive director of the World Uyghur Congress, Omer Kanat, on the news of Mettohti's death. "Uyghurs around the world are distressed at the thought that these refugees have been in a miserable condition for nine years without the world lifting a finger to save them."
by Sumon Corraya

Members of the Catholic parish in Mundumala formed a human chain to get the authorities to intervene. As groundwater drops, wells have run dry; as a result, drinking water has become more and more expensive. Mithusilak Murmu, a Christian writer, told AsiaNews that water supplies were plentiful in the past, but intensive fish farming has contributed to the crisis.

Rajshahi (AsiaNews)  For the past two months, the members of St John Mary Vianney parish in Mundumala, a village north of Rajshahi, have had to cope with a severe shortage in drinking water.

For this reason, about 50 of them travelled to Rajshahi where they formed a human chain to alert the authorities and demand they take action, carrying signs that said: We want water to save our lives.

"To collect safe drinking water, we have to go a kilometre away, but many times we cannot get water because there is none, said Chichilia Hembrom, a Catholic who chairs the Adivasi Mahali Bamboo-Cane Development Organisation and the Barendra Region Youth Organisation.

We women face various problems, such as back and leg pain, and have to collect water from other sources, she added.

For many people who earn a living making products from cane and bamboo, the current price, 300 thaka (US$ 2.80), is too much. About 500 people in the village have to deal with water shortages.

Sontosh Hembrom, another Catholic, told AsiaNews that rainfall and groundwater dropped to alarming levels. Wells are running dry.

We have to go to another village where water pumps are used for irrigation, he explained. We tribal residents are in need and do not have the means to buy these machines.

In the Barendra region, fresh water was readily available until a few decades ago, said Mithusilak Murmu, a Christian writer, speaking to AsiaNews.

Every village had a well that was the hope of its people. Farmers could drink water from the ponds because it was clean and safe, he explained.

Now fish farming is making water unfit for human consumption. A water pump and a tank have been installed and people have to pay more on food and water. This is the biggest challenge for tribal and marginal communities in the Barendra area.

In light of the situation, Christians have asked the authorities to take effective measures, informing public opinion and researching this issue.

After the human chain, a memorandum was handed over to the Rajshahi district commissioner asking for the speedy drilling of deeper wells, and giving marginalised people free access to government ponds.

The demands also include upgrading the ponds so that water could be used for both daily activities and agriculture.
Francis arrived in Hungary for his apostolic journey. In his address to the authorities, he warned against adolescent belligerence " and bemoaned the absence of "creative peace efforts" on Ukraine. He also rejectedself-referential forms of populism and the baneful path taken by those forms of ideological colonization that place reductive concepts of freedom before the reality of life.

Budapest (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis landed in Budapest, the Hungarian capital, around 10 am this morning, for a three-day apostolic visit.

After a private meeting with Hungarian President Katalin Novak, the pontiff met with Prime Minister Viktor Orban, with whom he spoke for over 20 minutes, at the seat of his office, a former Carmelite monastery.

This was followed by his first public address, to the authorities, representatives of civil society and the diplomatic corps. In it, the Holy Father made a strong plea to Europe to play its proper role in the face of the wounds of war in Ukraine. "Where are the creative peace efforts today? he asked.

From the heart of the continent, he spoke about the future of the European Union, which must stand guard against populism and remain open to those who come desperately knocking at its doors; also warning against a vapid, supranationalism that loses sight of the life of its peoples and certain baneful ideological colonizations in matters like abortion and the so-called gender culture.

Speaking about Budapest, a city of history, a city of bridges and a city of saints," Pope Francis mentioned its long history, its splendour during the Belle Epoque, but also the wounds from the Nazi and communist dictatorships. How can we forget the events of 1956? he said.

Above all, for Francis, a message of unity lies at the citys foundations, with the merger of three different cities 150 years ago: Buda and Obuda west of the Danube and Pest on the opposite bank.

Taking this as his cue, the pope noted that, In the post-war period, Europe, together with the United Nations, embodied the noble hope that, by working together for a closer bond between nations, further conflicts could be avoided.

Today, however, the passionate quest of a politics of community and the strengthening of multilateral relations seems a wistful memory from a distant past. We seem to be witnessing the sorry sunset of that choral dream of peace, as the soloists of war now take over.

More and more, enthusiasm for building a peaceful and stable community of nations seems to be cooling, as zones of influence are marked out, differences accentuated, nationalism is on the rise and ever harsher judgments and language are used in confronting others.

Internationally, politics serves more to stir up emotions rather than to resolve problems, as the maturity attained after the horrors of the war gives way to regression towards a kind of adolescent belligerence.

To turn this around, Europe is crucial, for it is called to take up its proper role, which is to unite those far apart, to welcome other peoples and to refuse to consider anyone an eternal enemy.

In Budapest, Francis cited De Gasperi and Schuman, and their insistence on the need for creative efforts" to promote peace. At the present time, those dangers are many indeed; but I ask myself, thinking not least of war-torn Ukraine, where are creative efforts for peace?

Budapest, as a city of bridges, offers an opportunity to reflect "on the importance of unity, which is not the same as uniformity".

I think of a Europe that is not hostage to its parts, neither falling prey to self-referential forms of populism nor resorting to a fluid, if not vapid, supranationalism that loses sight of the life of its peoples.

This is the baneful path taken by those forms of ideological colonization that would cancel differences, as in the case of the so-called gender theory, or that would place before the reality of life reductive concepts of freedom, for example by vaunting as progress a senseless right to abortion, which is always a tragic defeat.

In the pontiffs view, Europe should be centred on the human person and its peoples, with effective policies for natality and the family  policies that are pursued attentively in Hungary. But the same applies to bridges, extended to the people knocking at Europe's doors.

As a reminder to the Hungarian people, Pope Francis mentioned some of the saints who have marked the history of Budapest; Saint Elizabeth, for example, the princess "who died at twenty-four years of age after renouncing all her possessions and distributing everything to the poor [. .. ], an outstanding witness to the Gospel who devoted herself and ministered to the sick in the hospice that she had built.

Francis thanked Hungarian authorities for promoting charitable and educational works inspired by these values.

While acknowledging that Cooperation between the State and the Church has proved fruitful, he also added that it requires a careful distinction between their proper spheres [. . .] taking the Gospel as their point of reference, freely embracing the liberating teachings of Jesus without yielding to a sort of collaborationism with a politics of power.

What is needed, thus, is a sound sense of laicity that does not degenerate into the widespread laicism that is allergic to any aspect of the sacred, yet ready to sacrifice itself at the altars of profit. For Hungarians, the pope noted, this ought to mean going along two fundamental tracks: acknowledging ourselves to be beloved children of the Father and loving one another as brothers and sisters.

As Saint Stephen, Hungarys first king, said to his son, welcome strangers with benevolence and [. . .] hold them in esteem, so that they prefer to be with you rather than elsewhere.

The issue of acceptance and welcome is a heated one in our time, and is surely complex. Nonetheless, for those who are Christians, our basic attitude cannot differ from that which Saint Stephen recommended to his son, having learned it from Jesus, Francis said.

When we think of Christ present in so many of our brothers and sisters who flee in desperation from conflicts, poverty and climate change, we feel bound to confront the problem without excuses and delay.

In Budapest the pontiff ended his address by stressing the urgency for Europe, to work for secure and legal corridors and established processes for meeting an epochal challenge that is ineluctable and needs to be acknowledged, in order to prepare a future that, unless it is shared, will not exist.
by Alessandra De Poli

Indias Operation Kaveri seeks to bring home thousands of Indians stranded in Khartoum after Sudans descent into chaos. Many belong to a tribe that occupies a market niche, selling herbal remedies abroad. In recent years, Indian investments have also grown in the continent, linked to India by historic trade routes and a shared colonial past.

Milan (AsiaNews)  Earlier this week, India launched Operation Kaveri to evacuate Indian citizens stranded in Sudan after the outbreak of hostilities between General Abdel Fattah Burhan, head of the army, and General Mohammed Dagalo, commander of the RSF paramilitary group.

Evacuation began with a first group of 500 people moved to the city of Port Sudan. Since then, some have already landed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and are expected to fly to Bengaluru shortly.

Before the outbreak of violence in the African country, some 4,000 Indians lived in Sudan, including a few hundred Hakki Pikki, a tribal group that hails from Karnataka, a state in southern India.

Many of them lived in Khartoum, but a majority resided in the city of Al-Fashir, the capital of northern Darfur, about 1,000 km from the capital, and had moved to Africa to sell their herbal remedies, much sought after, especially in Sudans rural areas where doctors are rare.

Thanks to their pleas on social media, in which they described the brutality of the armed clashes, the Indian government set in motion evacuation plans.

When a leading member of the Congress Party, Indias main opposition party, tweeted a request for their safe return home, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar reacted angrily. Simply appalled at your tweet! There are lives at stake; dont do politics, he wrote in a counter-tweet.

Karnataka goes to the poll next month. According to the 2011 census, about 12,000 Hakki Pikki live in the state, but their oral history traces their origins to north-western India.

A nomadic and endogamous group, they used to travel across the country to catch birds (in Karnatakas main language, Kannada, their name means "bird catchers), an activity that they had to give up in the 1970s when the Indian government banned the practice.

Marginalised at home since the days of British Raj, during which they were designated "criminal tribes"; today almost all have a passport for travelling to South America or Southeast Asia to sell their natural products, offered as a cure for a variety of ailments, from abdominal pain to hair loss.

Their travels can take a few weeks or several months. Some have said that they can earn up 2,000 to 3,000 rupees (US24 to US$ 26) a day before going home, often to fill more orders that arrive from other countries.

With a similar colonial background, South Asia and Africa have bolstered bilateral trade in recent years. In 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed Uganda's parliament, outlining what are now known as the "Kampala Principles," a set of guidelines governing India's involvement in Africa, aimed at promoting economic growth and addressing common problems such as terrorism and climate change.

Africas trade with India has grown nearly 35 per cent every year between 2005 and 2015, while 99 per cent of all African investment in India comes from Mauritius, a small island nation in the Indian Ocean where over 60 per cent of the population is of Indian origin.

In the past few years, the island has displaced Singapore as the largest destination of Indian investments, which is trying to catch up with Chinas, and now stands at around US$ 74 billion.

According to External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, bilateral trade between India and Africa reached US$ 89.5 billion in 2021-2022 compared with US$ 56 billion the previous year, mainly in pharmaceuticals and refined petroleum products.

China is still by far the continent's main economic partner thanks to bilateral trade that in 2021 amounted to US$ 254 billion, but India can count on three million overseas Indians, more than a third in South Africa, another 880,000 in Mauritius, followed by the French possession of Reunion (220,000), Kenya (100,000), Tanzania (100,000) and Uganda (90,000).

The Indian presence in Africa goes back a while, always associated with business. Already in the 12th century, Arab cartographer Muhammad al-Idrisi reported finding remains of Indian settlements in Mozambique probably dating back to the first millennium AD.

In the 19th century, at least 32,000 Indians were contracted to work in English colonies (often to build railways), but once the contract was over at least 7,000 decided to stay on, becoming dukawallas, i.e. artisans, traders, clerks, and lower-level officials in the colonial administration.

By the end of World War II, the number of Indians in Southeast Africa reached 320,000, leading the authorities in some African colonies to restrict foreign immigration. By then, Indians controlled 80 to 90 per cent of commercial trade in Kenya and Uganda.

In Uganda, almost all cotton ginneries were run by Indians (called "Wahindi" in Swahili), and by the 1970s, they represented 2 per cent of the population. But in 1972 they were expelled and their assets "Africanised.

Only a decade later were they allowed to come back and many are now running again thriving businesses.

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Today's headlines: China's defence minister arrives in India for the first time since the 2020 clashes; In April the Burmese coup junta conducted 47 bombings in Chin State; In Japan thousands of chickens were culled for bird flu; Trade agreements between the Arab Emirates and Cambodia. Reduced extraction of Russian oil.

PAKISTAN

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif won a vote of confidence of the National Assembly (Parliament) with 180 votes out of 342, while the opposition, led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, insists on calling for early elections, to be held together with the provincial elections in May. According to some predictions, the polls will be held in October as scheduled, with the Pakistani Tehreek-i-Insaf party led by Imran Khan given as the favourite.

CHINA - INDIA

China's Defence Minister Li Shangfu arrived in Delhi to attend the meeting of defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, of which India is the rotating chairman. This is the first such visit since at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers died in clashes on the Himalayan border in 2020. A bilateral meeting between Li and Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also planned.

MYANMAR

In April, the Burmese junta conducted 47 bombings in Chin State killing at least 19 civilians and destroying several buildings, including religious places of worship. The ethnic militia of the Chin National Front has claimed new territorial conquests in recent weeks. Experts say the army has intensified its air campaign due to difficulties in the ground offensive.

JAPAN

About 150,000 hens were burnt alive in a fire at a poultry farm in Japan's main egg-producing prefecture, at a time when the country is experiencing an egg shortage due to bird flu. The investigation into what could have triggered the fire is ongoing. Japan has culled more than 17 million or about 9 per cent of the country's hens since the first case of bird flu was detected in October 2022.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - CAMBODIA

The UAE and Cambodia have agreed the terms of a bilateral trade agreement that will eliminate many tariffs on agricultural and clothing products, opening up a new market for the Emirati manufacturing and industrial sectors. By 2021 Dubai works to double the size of its economy to 2 billion by 2030.

RUSSIA

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak informed that Russia will reduce oil and gas extraction this year to 515 million tonnes, 20 million less than last year, as exports to Europe will be reduced by 2.5 times, while 140 million tonnes will be distributed to Asian markets.

KYRGYZSTAN

The court in Bishkek granted the request of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Culture, deciding to close down Azattyk Media, the Kyrgyz branch of Radio Svoboda, in the case that began in late January after accusations that the agency had refused to remove videos related to the September 2022 conflict on the Tajik-Kyrgyz border from the site.
In a statement, Human Rights Watch claims that Turkish border guards are responsible for abuses and violations enjoying long-standing impunity. Since the start of the year, at least 12 people have been killed and 20 wounded, including a boy. Meanwhile, intolerance and hostility towards refugees are growing in Lebanon.

Damascus (AsiaNews)  Turkey has been accused again of abusing and violating the human rights of Syrian refugees on its territory, while in Lebanon deportation is becoming an ever-greater possibility amid a climate of growing intolerance.

In a statement released yesterday, Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international human rights advocacy NGO, slams Turkish border guards for shooting, torturing and using excessive force against Syrians who try to flee their country which has been devastated by war, and more recently, by an earthquake.

Based on non-exhaustive data from a local monitoring group, HRW cites at least 277 incidents between October 2015 and April 2023.

The New York-based rights group goes on to urge Turkish authorities to investigate border guards, hold to account those responsible for "grave human rights violations, including unlawful killings, and end "long-standing impunity for these abuses".

Turkish border guards are indiscriminately shooting at Syrian civilians on the border [. . .] as well as torturing and using excessive force against asylum seekers and migrants trying to cross into Turkey, the HRWs statement reads.

What is more, Turkey's generous hosting of large numbers of Syrians does not absolve it of its obligations to respect the rights of others seeking protection at its borders," it adds. When Syrias civil broke out, Turkey welcomed Syrian refugees in the name of Islamic solidarity, only to backtrack later.

Citing an 11 March incident, HRW states that Turkish border guards "intercepted and tortured a group of eight Syrians who had attempted to cross into Turkey [. . .] killing a boy and one man" and returning the others to Syria.

Turkish gendarmes and armed forces in charge of border control routinely abuse and indiscriminately shoot at Syrians along the Syrian-Turkish border, with hundreds of deaths and injuries recorded in recent years," said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

Arbitrary killings of Syrians are particularly egregious and part of a pattern of brutality by Turkish border guards that the government has failed to curb or investigate effectively, he added.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, reports that Turkish border guards have shot dead 12 Syrians and wounded 20 others since the start of the year.

Despite officially closing its border with Syria, Turkey over the years has regularly allowed access for humanitarian and medical reasons, and has at times allowed Syrians to go home for family visits during major holidays.

However, since the two countries were hit by a devastating earthquake on 6 February, killing tens of thousands of people, Turkey has increased border restrictions.

The situation is not much better in Lebanon, where the local population is growing increasingly impatient towards the refugees blamed for the countrys crippling economic crisis.

Lebanese authorities note that the country is host to about two million Syrians, far more than the more than 800,000 officially registered with the United Nations, the highest ratio of refugees to resident population in the world.

The Lebanese government  at times backed by Church leaders  has long called for the repatriation of Syrian refugees, in some cases trying to pass off deportations as "voluntary".

In recent weeks, the Lebanese army has intensified its crackdown on undocumented Syrians, with about 450 arrested and at least 66 deported.

In view of the situation, Amnesty International has urged Lebanese authorities to "immediately stop deportations, adding that refugees risk "torture or persecution" upon return.
From left to right, Roaring Fork School District Board of Education members Maureen Stepp, Jasmin Ramirez and Natalie Torres during their April 12 meeting. All three of their seats are up for reelection this fall, with the winners eligible for financial compensation following a board resolution passed in Wednesday's meeting.
FOUR Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) bigwigs have appeared in court on allegations of stealing US$702 386.80 from the company in a botched gold deal.

Chief executive officer Farai Muchena (54), group strategy and performance executive Victor Chaipa (39), group secretary Cosmas Mukwesha (50) and performance manager Polite Mugwagwa (41) were facing theft charges when they appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje.

The State is opposed to bail.

The court heard that sometime in 2020, the PSMAS board, with the objective of generating the much needed foreign currency for the procurement of pharmaceutical drugs and other related medical equipment, passed a resolution to the effect that its management will venture into buying and selling of gold.

It was further resolved that staff members from its procurement department were to act as buyers and agents for buying the gold on behalf of the medical aid society.

PSMAS had other investment projects involving cannabis growing and a micro finance business.

On 18 February 2021, PSMAS, acting on the board resolution, handed over the projects of gold buying, cannabis growing and micro finance to Premier Service Holding Company (PSHC) to enable themselves to focus on their core business of health insurance.

On July 13, 2021, Muchena allegedly sent a memo to PSMAS principal officer requesting funding for the gold project which had been taken over from PSMAS.

It is the States case that the funding request amounted to US$237,794, with US$108,674 as pre-trading funding.

Furthermore, Muchena advised PSMAS about the formation of a company called Claydust solely for the buying and selling of gold to Fidelity Printers.

In response, PSMAS disposed of its Zimbabwe Bank (ZB) shares totalling to 65 9643 valued at US$ 38 000 solely for the funding of the aforementioned gold project.

Thereafter, and with the intention of stealing money from PSMAS, the accused persons acting in consent then diverted from the initially agreed position of using complainants procurement team in buying the gold on behalf of the Society.

The court heard that instead the accused persons engaged 18 private agencies unknown to PSMAS for gold buying.

Subsequently, from the period extending from 2019 to 2022, the accused persons received gold from five of the private agencies which they sold to Fidelity Printers, realising cash amounting to US$702 386.80.

This was after having mislead Fidelity Printers that they needed hard cash for the purchase of drugs and pharmaceuticals, well knowing that they wanted the cash for themselves.

It is alleged that the accused persons then converted the money to their own use.

During the period in question, PSMAS realised that the Society was not benefiting from the gold buying project as no drugs and pharmaceuticals were being procured for its hospitals and clinics, yet records indicated that gold was being sold.

Subsequently, PSMAS engaged an external auditor, RBM Auditors, to carry out a forensic audit covering the period in question.

The audit then unearthed that the accused persons received and converted all the money realised from the sale of gold to Fidelity Printers totalling US$702 386.80 to their own use. Herald
kW

T6.2 is the Blue Oval's way of saying T6 with upgrades. Manufactured exclusively at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, the sixth-generation Bronco introduced this platform back in 2020 for the 2021 model year. Shared with the Ranger-based Everest and Volkswagen Amarok, the box-section frame was designed from the outset for an off-road specification, namely the Raptor.Previously not available stateside, the Ranger Raptor is coming to North America by the end of 2023. For the time being, we know for certain that Ford intends to start the 2024 model year series production on August 7 . With Chevrolet's all-new Colorado ZR2 Bison waiting to be revealed, the Ford Motor Company is eager to unveil the new Ranger for the US and Canadian markets as well.From sources familiar with the automaker's inner workings, our friends at Ford Authority understand that May 2023 is when the T6.2-based Ranger will debut. As per the cited publication, the mid-size truck is expected to soldier on with the 2.3-liter turbo mentioned earlier.It makes a lot of sense, and even more so if you remember that Ford's engineers worked their magic on the force-fed mill for the 2024 model year Mustang. Likely downtuned for this application, the 2.3er produces 315 horsepower and 350 pound-feet (475 Nm) in the pony car as long as you feed it the good stuff.By comparison, the EcoBoost in the Ranger is certified on 87-octane regular unleaded with 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet (420 Nm) on deck. Power and torque aren't the be-all and end-all of mid-size pickups, but Ford needs to be careful about it because GM uses a 2.7-liter turbo in the Colorado and Canyon. The next-generation Tacoma is going turbo as well, and Toyota has further confirmed a hybrid-assisted powertrain.Spied in the United States in both SuperCab and SuperCrew flavors, the 2024 model year Ranger won't have it easy in the first year of production because of the Colorado, Canyon, and Tacoma. As for the Ranger Raptor, don't expect Bronco Raptor-like 37" tires.33s will have to suffice, namely 285/70 R17s at every corner. The 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 may also be downtuned from the Bronco Raptor's 418 horsepower and 440 pound-feet (597 Nm) on premium grade. By comparison, the Ranger Raptor makes 292and 583 Nm in Australia, which means 392 hp and 430 lb-ft.Considering that a Cactus Gray-painted Ranger Raptor was photographed on the production line in Wayne in January 2023, the May 2023 reveal for lesser variants of the brand-new Ranger seems all the more plausible.
Earlier this year, Archer announced it's building a pioneering facility in Covington, Georgia. This eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) manufacturing plant will roll out 650 units per year and gradually extend to a whopping capacity of 2,300 units per year. This grandiose vision for the future is partly possible due to Archer's partnership with Stellantis.The automotive group is officially the exclusive contract manufacturer of Archer's Midnight aircraft, an unprecedented role for a carmaker. Plus, the Stellantis-produced Midnight eVTOL is set to operate as an air taxi with United Airlines, another big name, which confirms its reputation as one of the best air taxis to come.On the other hand, Toyota plays a different role in Joby's electric air taxi. The two companies started collaborating a while ago and are now taking that partnership to the next level. The Japanese car manufacturer has invested hundreds of millions in Joby and is officially its largest shareholder.Toyota also helped design the eVTOL maker's current facility in Marina, California. This alone would be enough to provide Joby with a huge advantage over other air taxi manufacturers.Once the design and certification processes are completed, the most effective eVTOL manufacturing process will make a difference in this emerging industry. It certainly doesn't help to get the expertise of one of the top car makers in the world.The Toyota-Joby partnership has recently added a new layer. The automotive giant will supply Joby with essential powertrain and actuation components.This is how things will go down  Toyota will manufacture the components that Joby designed; then, they'll arrive at one of Joby's facilities, dedicated to powertrain and electronics manufacturing, located in San Carlos. From there, the assembled systems will move to Joby's new pilot production line in Marina. Finally, that is where the first Joby air taxis will come to life.Given this strategic partnership, it's no surprise that the Californian AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) company wants to certify its electric air taxi in Japan as well. Joby has already applied to the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) for the validation of its FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) aircraft type certification. If things go well, Joby's eVTOL will be officially certified and ready for commercial operations in the U.S. by next year.At the same time, Joby intends to provide air taxi shuttle services for Toyota employees in Japan. Its main partner for this project is Aero Asahi, a Toyota subsidiary.
There is no high-end partnership to talk about this time, as CELINE is not collaborating with any major carmaker (not that we know of, at least), but this doesn't make the customized Moke car they just revealed any less impressive.The fashion brand's La Collection de Saint-Tropez campaign was shot along the French Riviera coastline, specifically in Saint-Tropez, the adopted home of the company's creative director Hedi Slimane, so what better way to get around the coastline than in a drop-top car like the MINI Moke?The small recreational convertible vehicle was introduced in 1962 and was initially conceived and produced as a lightweight military vehicle. It was subsequently marketed for civilian use as well, and it quickly became popular among beachgoers due to its small scale, open-air design, and surprisingly spacious and comfortable seating. It is seen as a symbol of freedom and pleasure in many parts of the world, especially in Saint-Tropez.Created specifically for the Summer 23 campaign, the bespoke CELINE Moke car was painted in a glossy khaki green shade and customized with CELINE House's signature Triomphe logo, which also graces the re-upholstered canvas hood.The interior has received plenty of attention as well, with a Triomphe wooden steering wheel, wicker seats, a dashboard that features tan leather detailing, and a customized gear shift that also displays the brand's logo.The wheels on the vintage car have been refurbished, and they also exhibit the golden Triomphe signature. CELINE-branded dials, a new set of LED-ring headlights, and a wicker spare wheel protection are also part of the one-off creation.

Created in 1945 by Celine Vipiana, CELINE initially focused on made-to-measure children's shoes and then day-to-day apparel and leather goods for women. More recently, after Hedi Slimane's appointment as creative director, the brand's offering extended with the launch of men's fashion, couture, and fragrances.The brand is known for the modern, minimalistic, and sophisticated aesthetic of its goods, which also reflects in the design of this one-of-a-kind Moke. Sadly, given it was made solely for promotional purposes, we aren't likely to ever see it driving down the road.It seems that the French marque likes to experiment with recreational vehicles, as last year, to celebrate the holiday season, it revealed a made-to-order electric surfboard. Called the CELINE e-Foil, the surfboard was aimed at ocean lovers who like to ride the waves in style.
SUV

The best name in the business launched its first-ever sport utility vehicle  the Purosangue  in September 2022. It's joined by the Lamborghini Urus and Bentley Bentayga. Although not as sporty, the luxury-oriented Rolls-Royce Cullinan needs to be mentioned as well. McLaren has famously resisted the urge to bring anto market despite sport utility vehicles being extremely popular nowadays. The British automaker simply failed to understand what prospective customers want, and that's part of the reason why the conservatives in Woking found themselves in a bad financial situation. McLaren even sold its headquarters in 2021, as well as its heritage collection of cars in late 2022.The Brits also have a bad reputation for launching way too many cars and special editions in short cadence, as well as building too many undesirable specifications for the sake of stocking up dealers. In a nutshell, McLaren has been making a fool of itself for quite some time now. The same applies to the Formula 1 team, which boasts 12 points in the constructor standings so far in 2023.Following the reveal of the 750S , which is a little too similar from a design standpoint to the 720S it replaces, the Woking-based manufacturer confirmed that it's working on a hybrid-assisted hypercar. The P1's heir apparent will arrive in 2026 at the latest according to dealer representatives who attended a global retailer meeting this week. The hybrid system is reportedly 70 percent lighter compared to the current-gen setup, and  in typical McLaren fashion  the internal combustion engine is a twin-turbo V8. Or so the sources claimSpeaking to Automotive News, the insiders also revealed that McLaren is eyeing a long-overdue vehicle type. Executives hinted at entering a new vehicle segment in 2028, after which director of product strategy Jamie Corstorphine confirmed four doors and four seats. The number of doors may be just a little bit off, though, because the rear liftgate is considered a door as well.Last year, in August 2022, chief executive officer Michael Leiters confessed that SUVs are increasingly tantalizing for the British marque. Retailers haven't been informed if the family-oriented vehicle is a sport utility vehicle or a sedan, but we all know that McLaren is hungry for cash. A sport utility vehicle would bring in far more new customers than a sedan, don't you think?Execs wouldn't tell their dealers the body style of the newcomer, but we all know that the British outfit badly needs an SUV. One of the two dealer sources told Automotive News that it's an in-house design through and through. A full carbon tub may be wishful thinking, but even with an aluminum-intensive platform, a McLaren-engineered SUV should be truly exciting.
For the better part of its first year in space Webb has been directed at various points of interest for calibration and other such purposes. It spied on the planets in our own solar system and places so far from us that just imagining the distances involved would make our heads spin.Every single discovery the telescope made is relevant in one way or another, but the one we're here to talk about now has to do with Webb's true purpose.Earlier this week, NASA published some details on Webb's findings after it looked at something the agency calls "an early-universe prequel to huge galaxy cluster." In words we can all understand, the telescope was capable of seeing light coming from 650 million years after the Big Bang. And not only did it see it, but also helped scientists better determine what's there.The main photo of this piece shows five tiny squares, enlarged to the side of the pic for us to better understand what we're looking at. Those tiny specs of reddish light are in fact early galaxies, racing through space at speeds of two million miles per hour (3.22 million km per hour) and coming together to form a galaxy cluster. That would be a close gathering of an uncountable number of galaxies, so packed together that they form the "greatest concentrations of mass in the known universe."We know of several such things, the most important and among the largest being the Coma Cluster, repeatedly under the watchful eye of another telescope of great fame, Hubble. Coma is incredibly large, spanning 20 million light-years in diameter and comprising thousands of individual galaxies.By comparison, Webb's proto-cluster so far has only seven galaxies we know of. Or, had, because these things are so far out that we're actually looking at light-generated eons in the past.Since it's impossible to know how the cluster looks now (light generated by it today will reach us so far into the future it won't even matter to us), scientists have used spectral data to model the cluster's evolution. And they found it will likely grow (has grown) to become about as large as Coma.Webb's finding is important because this is the first time we were able to see a protocluster from so far out in space and time. For reference, 650 million years after the Big Bang is still 13 billion years in our past, and the perfect time to study the early years of not only galaxy clusters, but galaxies themselves.The finding also proved just how capable Webb is, and it now has scientists dreaming of using the telescope's instruments to map dark matter. Exciting times ahead, so stay tuned
Photo: Airbus

The A-10 has been around since the mid-1970s and is the only plane the U.S. Air Force is flying for close air support operations of ground troops. And it's more than equipped for the task, packing a variety of weaponry that includes the mighty, nose-mounted Gatling gun.It's ugly, too. So ugly that not only its sight can scare some enemies away, but it was nicknamed by friendly forces the Warthog. And it's impossible to mistake the thing for something else, thanks to the blunt nose, the two, large vertical stabilizers mounted at the tips of the horizontal stabilizers, and the two General Electric turbofan engines mounted aft of the wings.Now that you've created a mental picture of the Warthog, look at the Eurodrone we have here and imagine its exact features are not clearly distinguishable. Is it me, or does it look like an overgrown Warthog?The A-10 has a wingspan of 57 feet and 6 inches (17.42 meters). It's 53 feet (16 meters) long and 14 feet (4.4 meters) high. By comparison, the Eurodrone will be slightly shorter, at 52 feet (16 meters) long, but taller, at 19 feet (6 meters). It will have a huge wingspan of 98 feet (30 meters).The machine is an ongoing project between Germany, France, Italy and Spain, led by Airbus. It aims to create, by the end of the decade, the continent's first true Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) drone that can fly missions in the same airspace as other aircraft.The hardware will be equipped with two General Electric turboprop engines installed on the main fuselage, behind the main wings - a rather strange configuration, that makes it look a lot like the A-10. They'll be able to push the aircraft to speeds of 310 mph (500 kph), and for flight times that can be as long as 40 hours.The parties involved in the project announced this week one of the major parts suppliers for the Eurodrone. French company Safran will supply the wheels and brakes of the aircraft, but also the hydro-mechanical equipment and braking control module. The electro-optical system for the Eurodrone will also be made by Safran.The production of the first prototype is expected to begin next year. The four European countries plan to fly it for the first time in 2027, with an operational introduction expected in a year after that.
Colonnas regional tour that also included a stop in Baku comes amid heightened Armenian-Azerbaijani tensions over a land corridor that connects Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.

Azerbaijan set up a checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor on April 23, thus tightening the already existing blockade of the Armenian-populated region that was effectively imposed by government-backed Azerbaijani protesters back in December.

Both in Baku and Yerevan the top French diplomat urged Azerbaijan to comply with the order of the International Court of Justice that ruled in February that Azerbaijan must take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles, and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.

Official Baku denies blockading the Armenian-populated region, explaining that the checkpoint at the entrance to the Lachin road was installed in response to Armenias illegal military supplies to the region, a claim denied both in Yerevan and Stepanakert.

Azerbaijan has also pledged to ensure, in cooperation with Russian peacekeepers deployed in the region, all necessary conditions for a transparent and orderly passage of Armenian residents living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in both directions.

Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh dismiss such assurances, insisting that there must be only Russian presence in the corridor under the terms of a Moscow-brokered ceasefire agreement that put an end to a six-week Armenian-Azerbaijani war in 2020.

During their meeting in Yerevan late on Thursday the French minister and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian described unilateral actions by Azerbaijan as unacceptable.

Pashinians press office also quoted Colonna as saying that France supports Armenia in the search for a just and sustainable peace.

While on her visit to Armenia on April 28 the French minister also travelled to Jermuk, an Armenian resort town that was shelled by Azerbaijani troops during last Septembers deadly fighting on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

Secretary of Armenias Security Council Armen Grigorian accompanied Colonna on the trip.

Edward Asrian, the chief of the Armenian Armed Forces General Staff, reportedly presented to the senior French official the situation in Jermuk after last years fighting that both sides blamed on each other.

Armenia says Azerbaijan occupied chunks of its sovereign territory after an unprovoked aggression, which Baku denies.

Asrian said that the territory that Azerbaijani forces penetrated in the direction of Jermuk made over 60 square kilometers, with the front of the penetration stretching 11 kilometers wide and going up to 8 kilometers deep into Armenian territory. He said both military and civilian infrastructure came under shelling.

Great damage was done to civilian infrastructure. The town of Jermuk suffered significant damage, the senior Armenian military official said.

During her trip to Jermuk the French foreign minister, in particular, wrote on Twitter: [I am] in Jermuk, with the observation mission of the European Union. The European Union is helping to ease tensions and build prospects for peace. The ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenia must be respected in order to find the way of trust.

In February, the European Union deployed about 100 civilian monitors in Armenia on a two-year mission to reduce the risk of a serious escalation along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. A smaller two-month-long EU observation mission had already been deployed in Armenia following last falls clashes along its restive border with Azerbaijan.

At their meeting yesterday Pashinian and Colonna also highlighted the importance of the effective activities of the EU observation mission in Armenia in the context of ensuring security and stability in the region.
Speaking at a joint press conference with his visiting French counterpart Catherine Colonna in Yerevan, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stressed that the status of the corridor was agreed upon in the Moscow-brokered ceasefire agreement that put an end to a six-week Armenian-Azerbaijani war over Nagorno-Karabakh in November 2020.

The agreement placed Russian peacekeepers in charge of providing security for Nagorno-Karabakh and ensuring free movement for its people along a five-kilometer-wide strip of land connecting the mostly Armenian-populated region with Armenia and known as the Lachin Corridor.

Citing Armenias continued military supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan installed a checkpoint at the entrance to the corridor on April 23, tightening the already existing blockade of the region that was effectively imposed by government-backed Azerbaijani protesters back in December.

The protesters posing as environmental activists said today they were suspending their action after blocking the road at a junction just off Stepanakert for 138 days. According to Azerbaijani media, their representatives said that the establishment by Baku of a border checkpoint at the entrance to the Lachin road partly met their demands for control over the use of the regions natural resources.

Authorities in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh described the roadblock as illegal. Russia also denounced Azerbaijans unilateral actions in the Lachin Corridor. The United States, France and other Western powers voiced their concerns that Azerbaijans move could fuel further tensions and undermine efforts by Yerevan and Baku to reach peace in the region.

Mirzoyan stressed on Friday that Armenia supports full implementation of the 2020 deal.

It concerns not only the agreements on the Lachin Corridor. All agreements should be honored so that it becomes possible to have more serious achievements in the Armenia-Azerbaijan settlement, he said.

Mirzoyan also reiterated Yerevans position that Baku should have an internationally visible dialogue with Stepanakert on the rights and security of Nagorno-Karabakhs Armenians.

For her part, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Colonna emphasized that Paris demonstrates full support for talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

France is not doing it alone, it is doing it together with the European Union, the United States, keeping in touch with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the UN, which can play a positive role in this process, Colonna said.

She said that the path of peace is complex and difficult to find. But, as I said in Yerevan and Baku, it is the only way that will make it possible to achieve a just and sustainable peace and will make it possible to create new prospects for the future of the two countries and their populations, the French minister said.

During her earlier meetings in Baku and Yerevan Colonna urged Azerbaijan to comply with the order of the International Court of Justice that ruled in February that Azerbaijan must take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles, and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.

Official Baku denies blockading the Armenian-populated region, pledging to ensure, in cooperation with Russian peacekeepers deployed in the region, all necessary conditions for a transparent and orderly passage of Armenian residents living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in both directions.

Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh dismiss such assurances, insisting that there must be only Russian presence in the corridor under the terms of the Moscow-brokered ceasefire agreement.

Receiving Colonel-General Alexander Lentsov, the newly appointed commander of the Russian peacekeeping force in Nagorno-Karabakh, in Yerevan on April 28, Armenias Defense Minister Suren Papikian stressed the importance of efforts to achieve the unblocking of the Lachin Corridor as soon as possible.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian also urged Azerbaijan and Russia to abide by the 2020 trilateral agreement to ensure free movement along the Lachin Corridor when he spoke at a weekly cabinet session in Yerevan on Thursday.

Pashinian also called for a broader international presence in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin Corridor.

Azerbaijans efforts to turn Nagorno-Karabakh into a new scaffold for Armenians must be stopped, and the only reliable way of doing that is the presence of representatives having a broad international mandate in Nagorno-Karabakh. As the first step it is necessary that an urgent international fact-finding mission be sent to Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin Corridor, the Armenian leader underscored.
28 April 2023 13:30 (UTC+04:00)

Qabil Ashirov Read more

With his irrational speech and behaviors Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan once again proved to be an untrustable politician and unreliable person. A thicket of news circulated in Armenian media outlets recently confirms that he is not a man who stands by his words.

On the one hand, he speaks about peace, on the other hand, he sends saboteur groups into Azerbaijani territory and tries to arm separatists in Karabakh by violating the provisions of the 9 November statement. Besides, Armenia's capriciousness has always been in sight. Just a day after Armenia installed a checkpoint on the conditional Aremanian-Azerbaijan border, Azerbaijan responded it with installing another checkpoint in order to prevent smuggling illegal weapons and manpower in Azerbaijan's territory. What happened? Armenia as usual, shed tears that Azerbaijan is trying to commit genocide in Karabakh.

Standing once again in front of the cameras he addresses false accusations against Azerbaijan that as though it plans to grab the territory of Armenia, but does not mention that Armenia invaded 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory and kept it under occupation for 30 years. Yet we are not talking about looting, vandalism, ecocide and many more destructions caused by Armenian armed groups in the formerly occupied lands. Pashinyan's foolish statement suggests that he either suffers from Amnesia or is a total impudent who surrounded with Armenian politicians of his own prototype.

Not being tired of performing the role of "PM who tries to save miserable but stubborn and proud Armenia" Nicol Pashinyan called the Azerbaijani side to peace by mutually recognizing each-other's territorial integrity. He suggested that Armenia is ready to recognize Azerbaijans territorial integrity in accordance with the Soviet-Azerbaijani border and asked Azerbaijan to recognize Armenia with 29,743 square kilometers. One can think that in this case, Armenia will recognize Azerbaijan with 86,600 square kilometers, since Soviet Azerbaijan covered Karabakh as well. However, a few days later Armenia solemnly announced allocating a low-interest credit to the so-called artsakh republic amounting to 3.5 billion drams ($9 million).

After all this, Pahisnyan leaves no other idea to think either he tries to wrap the world around his little finger or he lost his mind. First of all, we remind a cocky PM of a little but proud country, which begs money and help from other countries and live at the expense of others, that Soviet Azerbaijan had neither a region named Artsakh nor Artsakh republic within its borders.

Secondly, providing separatists within Azerbaijan with financial resources is poking in Azerbaijan's internal affairs. In addition, taking into account that the same separatist group engaged in terror acts, committed massacres such as Khojaly, looted civilians, and their hands stained with Azerbaijanis' blood, it is also a crime of aiding terrorism. Such action of Armenia indicates new provocations and crimes in Karabakh.

Surely, these financial resources provided by the Armenian government will not be directed to the civilians living in Karabakh, but to the separatist clique that takes hostage the civilians of Armenian origin. Such actions of Armenia will further worsen the living standards of civilians in Karabakh, kept as hostages by the separatist groups, who already live in dire conditions.

It seems that Armenia has not taken a lesson from the 44-day war in 2020. Otherwise, they would avoid trying to interfere with Azerbaijans internal affairs and aid terrorism. Armenia should not forget that history repeats itself and if they do not stop doing such things soon or late they will feel the strike of the Iron Fist once again. Besides that, let Pashinyan not forget that the more he will be a man of his word, the better will be for him and Armenia.

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Qabil Ashirov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @g_Ashirov

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28 April 2023 08:00 (UTC+04:00)

Rena Murshud Read more

It is not surprising that the installation of the checkpoint at the entrance to the Lachin-Khankendi road in the territory of Azerbaijan was not welcomed unambiguously by the West. Having been alarmed by the event, Pashinyan turned to European Council as usual, and oddly enough he then searched for Putin in the help list.

Although Pashinyan tries to look naive, in fact, he wants to play for time as he faces a blow by Azerbaijan.

"Pashinyan always opts for a diverse policy with EU, US and Russia to manipulate between the sides. So I think that's why he negotiated with Putin. In other words, I don't think Pashinyan will turn his face directly to Russia. Because in this case there might be rifts between Armenia and the West, the consequence of which may put it in awkward position in front of Russia. For this reason, I think it would be appropriate to evaluate this meeting based on the discussions," the Turkish political analyst Goktug Calskan told Azernews as he commented on the matter.

The analyst also touched on the western support to Armenia no matter if Azerbaijan is rightful.

"Western countries, especially the European Union and the United States, stand by Armenia against Azerbaijan, and this has been for 30 years up until now. In addition, the reaction of the West to the checkpoint that Azerbaijan has established on its sovereign territory shows that it is totally useless to rely on Western mediation. I think Azerbaijan's calling the West for mediation in future would be a wrong choice," he added.

As regards Pashinyan's recent bromance on the phone with both Michel and Putin, the expert said that the sides have discussed the current situation related to the checkpoint. However, Calskan said the meeting is not expected to turn into a trilateral meeting or anything.

The panicking Prime Minister, who hangs on the phone in hard times, on his recent telephone conversation again with Michel whined about the eviction of Armenians living in Azerbaijan's Karabakh... According to the Turkish political analyst, the claims from both Armenia the West are baseless and it is more for making a useless drama.

"Although Armenia and the West use the word expelling Armenians in Karabakh as a cliche, the istallation of a checkpoint on the Lachin road has been on the agenda since December 2022," he opined.

Goktug Calskan also believed that Azerbaijan was right in establishing the checkpoint. He noted that up to that time, Armenian provocations and smuggling have been encountered many times.

"The argument that the Armenians were illegally smuggling weapons and ammunition in Azerbaijani territory is a very important and necessary issue. The very existence of this requirement (Armenia's pretension to the checkpoint) in itself contradicts Azerbaijan. According to the agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, only the passage of civilians is allowed to this region, but the transfer of weapons, ammunition and illegal manpower by Armenia can lead to fueling separatist groups in the region and further escalating the tensions there. For this reason, it is quite appropriate for Azerbaijan to establish a checkpoint on its territory," he concluded.

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28 April 2023 10:54 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijani Army is holding a competition for the title of "Best Sniper" in accordance with the combat training plan for 2023, Azernews reports per Defense Ministry.

In the competition, consisting of various stages, servicemen are demonstrating their skills in "Shooting from awkward position", "Sniper in defense", "Sniper in attack", "Sniper relay race" and other topics.

The main objectives of the competition are to inspect the level of readiness of military personnel and to bring out the "Best Sniper" in the Azerbaijan Army.

Azerbaijan periodically holds drills to improve the combat readiness of the military personnel.

The drills also aim to improve interaction and combat coordination between the servicemen during operations, as well as to develop commanders' military decision-making and unit management skills.

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28 April 2023 10:09 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has visited a grave of outstanding ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva at the Alley of Honors.

The head of state paid respect to Great Leader Heydar Aliyevs wife, outstanding ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva and placed flowers at her grave.

Flowers were also put at the graves of prominent statesman Aziz Aliyev and professor Tamerlan Aliyev.

President Ilham Aliyev visited the tomb of national leader Heydar Aliyev and put flowers at it.

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28 April 2023 14:12 (UTC+04:00)

Qabil Ashirov Read more

The General Manager of Baykar Haluk Bayraktar and Azerbaijani Deputy Defense Minister Aqil Qurbanov signed a goodwill protocol to jointly manufacture unmanned aerial vehicle systems, Azernews reports.

Azerbaijani Deputy Defense Minister, Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Ramiz Tahirov also attended the ceremony.

Having a speech at the ceremony, Haluk Bayraktar pointed out that today there is a very close and strong cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkiye in unmanned aerial vehicle technology with the understanding of one nation, two states.

"We are here today, Deputy Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan Aqil Qurbanov and Azerbaijan, and together with our Air Force Commander Ramiz Tahirov, we signed a joint goodwill protocol, and our goal is to further this strong cooperation between our countries," Haluk Bayraktar said.

Haluk Bayraktar stated that Baykar Company established Bayraktar Technology Initiative in Baku, Azerbaijan for the development of advanced generation technologies, autonomous technologies, and artificial intelligence-supported new generation technologies.

These technologies have been used very effectively in Azerbaijan at a level that will change the world war doctrines and make it controversial at the world level. Now, we aim to carry this cooperation forward with joint development projects and to work together on more original and new-generation issues. In particular, we aim to continue with these navy ammunition technologies, starting with kamikaze unmanned aerial vehicle technologies," he added

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28 April 2023 14:36 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova Read more

A photo exhibition has opened at Tsar's Tower of the Moscow Kazan Railway Station within the 100th anniversary of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev.

The event was jointly organized by the Russian Railways OJSC, the Russian University of Transport, and the Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia at the initiative of the Azerbaijan Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, Azernews reports via Azertag.

The photo exhibition features photographs of the great leaders major contribution to the creation of the project as BAMs transport curator during his work as First Deputy Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers.

Before the opening ceremony, the Azerbaijani delegation visited the memorial plaque of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) participants at the Yaroslavl railway station.

Azerbaijan Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev and the Russian Minister of Transport Vitaly Savelyev signed a tourist coupon called "Relay of generations" dedicated to the BAM construction. The coupon was presented to the headquarters of the student and youth teams of the Russian University of Transport and BAM veterans.

The Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev addressed the event.

In his speech, he emphasised that Heydar Aliyevs personal qualities, along with his professional qualities, played a major role in the creation of BAM.

"Thanks to Heydar Aliyevs attention, sensitivity and care, a strong team spirit was formed in the successful construction of the project in the region with difficult terrain and harsh climate. Under the guidance of the great leader, the entire BAM family was able to turn the impossible into reality. The photos displayed today capture rare moments of that history. It should also be noted that Azerbaijani specialists who came to work in this region in 1975 played a big role in BAMs success story," the minister said.

The Assistant to the Russian President Igor Levitin briefed the participants on the work done at BAM thanks to the high managerial qualities of Heydar Aliyev.

"On 9 May 1984, as a member of the delegation participating in the ceremony of driving in a golden symbolic crutch at the Miroshnichenko railway junction, I proudly recall those years when I had the opportunity to communicate with a leader like Heydar Aliyev. The assignment of the name of Heydar Aliyev to a new station inaugurated in 2008 at the Angoya BAM station is an expression of great gratitude for his merits," said Igor Levitin.

A high-level delegation from the Russian Ministry of Transport, the leadership of CJSC Azerbaijan Railways and Russian Railways OJSC, diplomats of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia, representatives of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia, members of the Russian public association BAM, members of the local community and the media attended the event.

The officials familiarized themselves with the photo stands and exchanged views with the exhibitors. The photo exhibition will run until 30 April.

Although construction of the 4,300 km long Baikal-Amur Mainline was launched in 1940, construction work was postponed until 1974.

More than 200 railway stations were built within the BAM project. Railway line connects over 60 cities and towns. Ten railway tunnels have been built along BAM.

The BAM line crosses 11 major rivers, and a total of 2,230 large and small bridges have been built along the line.

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28 April 2023 17:11 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijani, Georgian and Turkish heads of military educational institutions held a trilateral meeting at the National Defense University, Azernews reports.

Rector of the University, Professor, Lt-Gen Heydar Piriyev welcomed the guests and emphasized the importance of discussion and exchange of experience.

Furthermore, he noted that the close cooperation between the three countries serves to ensure peace and security in the region. He expressed confidence that such meetings will contribute to the further strengthening of friendly ties between professors, officers and teaching staffs of military educational institutions.

In turn, Commandant of Turkish Military Academy, Mj-Gen Gultekin Yaral, and Rector of Georgian National Defence Academy, Brig Gen Mamia Balakhadze expressed their gratitude to the Azerbaijani side for the high-level organization of the meeting and hospitality. They emphasized that holding such meetings would make a worthy contribution to the exchange of experience between military educational institutions, the implementation of joint programs and projects.

Later, the guests signed the Book of Honor of the university.

Then the Turkish and Georgian delegations visited the Military Institute named after Heydar Aliyev.

They visited the Monument of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and the Memorial Complex in memory of the martyrs of the Patriotic War, laid flowers and honored their memories.

The guests got acquainted with a photo board depicting the life and political activity of the Great Leader in the museum of the military institute.

Then a meeting was held at the Military Institute. Rector of the Military Institute named after Heydar Aliyev, Mj-Gen Fuzuli Salahov discussed with the guests a number of issues of mutual interest in the field of military education. A briefing on the history and activities of the institute was presented.

Afterward, the delegations got acquainted with the territory of the institute, educational buildings, material and technical base, as well as the conditions created for the cadets and watched the educational process.

In the end, the sides exchanged presents, and a photo was taken.

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28 April 2023 19:30 (UTC+04:00)

Vusala Mustafayeva Read more

After the visit of French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to our country, the relations between the two countries were once again reviewed. This raises the question: will the pro-Armenian position of French authorities, including President Emmanuel Macron, continue?

It is apparent from recent events that the French government does not wish to sever diplomatic ties with Azerbaijan. However, the active involvement of the Armenian lobby has been shaping the policy of the French government and its leader towards Armenian interests. Almost all branches of French President Emmanuel Macrons political strategy have launched a diplomatic attack against Azerbaijan, as evidenced by the speeches of the president, the resolutions adopted by the French National Assembly, and the efforts of local administration institutions to recognize the status of Karabakh. By doing so, France's actions have damaged its image as a country that values fundamental principles such as democracy, liberalism, equality, and human rights.

In a comment on the recent Azerbaijan-France diplomatic meeting for Azernews, political analyst Amid Aliyev stated that "During the past period, France neither called on Armenia to implement the agreement of the November 10th statement even once, nor did it issue statements supporting the return of maps of mined areas. In contrast, presidential candidate Valerie Pecresse secretly visited Khankendi and delivered anti-Azerbaijani speeches, while the Armenian lobby made speeches in front of the Azerbaijani embassy in Paris."

Meanwhile, France continued to take measures to hinder peace in the region, such as calling for the OSCE format to be brought to the table at certain times and attempting to internationalize the determination of the legal status of Armenians living in Karabakh. Additionally, France tried to pass a resolution against Azerbaijan in the UN Security Council.

France appears to have difficulty accepting the fact that Armenians living in Karabakh have relations with Armenia while under Azerbaijan's control. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has once again emphasized to Mrs. Colonna that this is Azerbaijan's sovereign right.

"Azerbaijan will not seek permission from anyone, nor will it deviate from this path based on someone else's opinion," said Amid Aliyev.

All things considered, France should remain neutral in the region's political processes, increase pressure on Armenia, support Azerbaijan's peace agenda, and promote the implementation of agreements made in Brussels and Prague. Once positive developments are observed in these areas, a new phase of cooperation can be negotiated.

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28 April 2023 16:40 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva have had a conversation with ophthalmologists, who worked at the same time with outstanding ophthalmologist, scientist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva, at a tea table.

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28 April 2023 18:00 (UTC+04:00)

Rena Murshud Read more

The next meeting of the heads of defense departments of the countries participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will be held in 2024 in Kazakhstan.

Azernews reports, citing the press service of the Kazakhstan Defense Ministry that a regular meeting of the defense ministers of India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan was held in New Delhi, who exchanged views on cooperation in the field of defense in the format of an organization, taking into account the current geopolitical situation.

Earlier it was reported about unscheduled talks between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Chinese counterpart Li Shanfu on the sidelines of the meeting of the military departments' heads of the SCO member states. It was specified that during the conversation they "discussed issues of mutual interest."

"The next meeting of the heads of defense departments of the SCO member states will be held in 2024 in Kazakhstan," the report said.

The meeting participants also noted that strengthening confidence-building measures in the military sphere, coordinating the efforts of the SCO states to counter new challenges and threats to regional security remains relevant on the association's agenda, the Kazakh Defense Ministry specified.

It is of note that the Kazakh side will chair the SCO from July 2023 to July 2024.

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Follow Rena Murshud on Twitter: @RenaTagiyeva

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28 April 2023 17:39 (UTC+04:00)

Qabil Ashirov Read more

In 2022, the share of Azerbaijan in the European gas market has increased, Azernews reports, citing the World Bank.

The World Bank said that the share of Azerbaijan in the European gas market increased from 4.9 percent in 2021 to 6.9 percent in 2022.

The World Bank noted that in addition to Azerbaijan, the share of the United States, Qatar, and Norway in the European market has also increased. The share of the USA increased from 8 percent to 17.4 percent, the share of Qatar increased from 6.8 percent to 7.4 percent, and the share of Norway increased from 9 percent to 12.5 percent. The share of other countries increased from 23.7 percent to 25.3 percent. The reason for this was the sanctions imposed on Russian gas last year due to the war with Ukraine. Thus, the share of Russia in the European market decreased from 34.1 percent to 19.5 percent. Along with Russia, Algeria also lost its market share relatively (from 20.2 percent to 18.5 percent).

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28 April 2023 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

The fruitful cooperation between the Georgian and German law enforcement, as well as prospects of future relations, was discussed by Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri and his German counterpart Nancy Faeser. Gomelauri thanked the German side for its continuous support for developing the Georgian Interior Ministrys capabilities.

At the meeting, held as part of the Georgian Minister's official visit to Germany, the sides highlighted the measures implemented against illegal migration and organised crime and pointed out the role of police attaches in this regard, the Interior Ministry said.

Gomelauri expressed readiness to send Georgian police officers to the relevant units of the German Interior Ministry and explained it would highly contribute to the effective fighting against organised crime and support controlling illegal migration flows. The German side emphasised Georgias successful implementation of the readmission agreement with the European Union and the effective cooperation between Georgia and Germany in this regard.

The measures taken by Georgia and the ongoing reforms implemented in response to the challenges of a visa-free regime with the EU were positively evaluated at the meeting, with the German side expressing its will to create bilateral working groups for providing additional legal work opportunities to Georgian citizens in Germany.

The meeting was attended by Levan Izoria, the Georgian Ambassador to Germany, Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, the Deputy Interior Minister and Teimuraz Kupatadze, the Director of the Central Criminal Police Department, as well as Sergo Turmanidze, the Georgian Police Attache in Germany.

From the German side, Joachim Stamp, the Special Commissioner for Migration Agreements, Bastian Fleig, the Chief of Directorate-General of Executive Staff, Planning and Communication and Bernd Krossser, the State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community, as well as Ulrich Weinbrenner, Chief of Directorate of Migration, Refugees and Return Policy and Michael Niemeier, the Chief of Directorate for International and EU Affairs, participated in the meeting.

At the end of the meeting, the Georgian Minister expressed his gratitude towards his German counterpart for her hospitality and invited her to Georgia.

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28 April 2023 09:37 (UTC+04:00)

Argentina will pay for Chinese imports in yuan instead of dollars, the republics Economy Minister Sergio Massa said on Wednesday.

"Together with [Chinese] Ambassador Zou Xiaoli and entrepreneurs we are starting a swap with China, which will enable us to pay for imports from this country in yuan, thus replacing $1.04 bln in April and $790 mln starting May," he wrote on Twitter.

Argentinas exports have decreased by $15 bln due to "the worst drought in the countrys history," Massa noted. "This set a challenging task for us to maintain reserves for keeping the level of import of materials and goods that play a key role for economic activities and production in the country," he explained, adding that the shift to yuan in trade with China would provide "more freedom" for Argentina and "strengthen its reserves."

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28 April 2023 18:19 (UTC+04:00)

Hungarian budget airline Wizz Air plans to station its fourth passenger jet at western Georgia's Kutaisi International Airport in December and resume direct flights from the location to Copenhagen, United Airports of Georgia Director Irakli Karkashadze announced.

Karkashadze said a significant agreement had been reached with the airline enabling the Airport to gradually grow the Wizz Air base into a medium-sized base, which he called essential to continuing sustainable growth and development.

Evelin Jeckel, the Acting Network Officer at Wizz Air, said the agreement represented the good cooperation between Wizz Air, the Government of Georgia and the United Airports, noting new future opportunities are expected on the basis of constantly increased demand.

We are discussing the relationship between Georgia and Europe and vice versa, as well as the relationship between Georgia and the European Union. Hungary is assisting Georgia in its path for European integration, Anna Siko, the Ambassador of Hungary to Georgia, said in her comments for the event.

Maia Omiadze, the Head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration, said the stationing of the fourth jet and increased flight frequencies would result in a huge growth in the number of tourists and prove crucial for the domestic tourism sector.

She said the upcoming summer season was expected to draw in increased numbers of visitors for a remarkable and enjoyable season.

The airline launched flights from Kutaisi International Airport after it opened its first Caucasian base in September 2016, operating majority of Georgia's direct flights to Europe from the facility.

The companys flights to Copenhagen will carry passengers twice a week, with frequency of services set to also increase for other destinations, up to three or four per week for some connections.

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28 April 2023 19:54 (UTC+04:00)

Representatives of the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan met with representatives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program on the CAREC Advanced Transit System and Information Common Exchange (CATS/ICE) project.

During the meeting, the parties discussed further practical steps for implementation, reviewed the text of the Memorandum of Understanding on CATS/ICE, and also announced the appointment of the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan as the coordinating body for this project.

CATS/ICE is an Electronic System for controlling the movement of transit goods through the CAREC member States (Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, People's Republic of China, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), modeled on the New Computerized Transit System (NCTS) of the EU.

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Pete Tittls Dining Out column appears in The Californian on Sundays. Email him at pftittl@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter: @pftittl.
Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

Overcast. Slight chance of a rain shower. High around 65F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 49F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.
https://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_123/bass-santee-cooper-42723.html

B.A.S.S. News

CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C.  Capitalizing on an early start, Matt Robertson of Kuttawa, Ky., caught a five-bass limit of 28 pounds, 1 ounce to lead Day 1 of the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite tournament at Santee Cooper Lakes. Coming off a Top 30 finish at last weeks Elite Series event at Lake Murray, Robertson heads into Fridays second round leading rookie Bryant Smith of California by just over a pound.

Noting that he's fishing the way he likes to fish, Robertson said he focused mostly on postspawn bass. He spent time in Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie and caught bass in two different areas.

Im running a shad spawn early and then later in the morning, Im going fishing for postspawners, Robertson said. I was done by about 10:30 or 11.

Understandably guarded with his details, Robertson said he believes he dialed in a specific pattern that gave him the opening-round advantage. While he declined to elaborate, Robertson said his choice of habitat played a key role in his success.

I think Im doing something a little different from everybody, and hopefully it will hold up, he said.

Robertson used three different baits to amass his big bag. Despite his dominant day, he said his leading limit was surprising.

I had a bad practice, he said. I got a few bites in an area but I didnt know I was going to catch what I caught today.

I dont know what Im doing here, he said. I didnt catch em here the last time (the 2022 Elite at Santee Cooper), so I just went out there and approached it totally different from what I did last time.

After a calm Day 1, Fridays forecast calls for windier conditions and possible showers. Robertson said hes unconcerned.

I dont care; I have something for (all conditions), he said. I like catching big bass, and I hope we can go out there and do it again tomorrow.

Hailing from Roseville, Calif., Smith is in second place with 26-15. He spent his day in Lake Marion targeting cypress trees. With countless options, he was able to figure out a replicable pattern that allowed him to pick out three trees with the greatest potential.

I think the positioning of the trees is important, but well find out tomorrow, Smith said. Theres something about the trees that Im looking for thats kind of the same deal.

Im not really going down big lines of trees; Im trying to pick out the right trees.

Smith said a single finesse bait proved reliable Thursday, but hes not sure if he can back up his Day 1 effort with another solid limit on Friday. Even if his pattern holds, hes dealing with a lot of fishing pressure in his area, and thats a notorious bite killer.

I could get in a bad rotation, so I may have to fish fresh water tomorrow, Smith said. I dont think what Im fishing is going to reload that well. I just have to keep my head down and keep grinding and hopefully, I can run into five bites tomorrow.

Smith made a big move by boating a 6-pounder around 3:10 Thursday afternoon.

That got me going in the right direction, Smith said. I just got in a good rotation, pulled up on the right tree and (that fish) was there.

Paul Mueller of Naugatuck, Conn., is in third place with 25-10. Starting the day with a game plan that included both lakes, he ended up spending all of his time in Lake Moultrie.

I had a couple of areas where I thought I could get bit and the fish moved, said Mueller, who holds two career Elite Series wins. I just moved around, fished new water and I was fortunate to get the three good bites that I got off of new water  places I hadnt practiced.

This lake is so big, you cant just run around. The problem is, I had bites in areas that are so spread out, you have to commit and do one thing and hopefully, its the right thing for the weather.

Stating that he caught his fish on one moving bait and two finesse rigs, Mueller pointed out that hes seen fish in prespawn, spawn and postspawn modes. This, he said, has created a challenging scenario that he believes will become even more difficult with Fridays weather.

Ive got my work cut out for me tomorrow, Mueller said. Im not sure what thats going to do, but well take it one bite at a time. At least I got off to a good start.

David Gaston of Sylacauga, Ala., earned the $1,000 daily bonus for catching the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day with his 8-5 largemouth.

Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, S.C., leads the Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 380 points. Kyle Welcher of Opelika, Ala., is in second with 369 points, followed by Drew Cook of Cairo, Ga., with 364, Carl Jocumsen of Queensland, Australia, with 364 and John Cox of DeBary, Fla., with 335.

Smith leads the Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 305 points.

Fridays takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET at John C. Land III Sport Fishing Facility. The weigh-in will be held back at the facility at 3 p.m., with only the Top 50 anglers advancing to Semifinal Saturday. T
UPDATE: Senator Jim Perry (RINO-Kinston) who represents Beaufort County was on WTIB's NCN News today supporting and defending this corrupt special interest bill for Blue Cross, which will make them a lot of money but raise the medical insurance rates of North Carolinians. Conservative Republican Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey was on the same program describing the adverse impact of this legislation on North Carolina citizens and urging its defeat..

The bill rolled through the NC House, with most of the opposition coming from the conservative Freedom Caucus lchaired by Rep. Keith Kidwell.

https://dailyhaymaker.com/causey-the-gloves-are-off/

ORIGINAL POST: The RINO leadership of the General Assembly, House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, are at it again selling out the people of North Carolina to the special interests. This time it is a sweetheart deal for insurance giant Blue Cross that the conservative Commissioner of Insurance Mike Causey says is an awful deal for the people of North Carolina.

Blue Cross has accumulated $4.6 Billioin in excess reserves from premiums paid in by policyholders. Blue Cross is supposed to be a non-profit organization, so Causey has long advocated that part of this money be returned to policy holders, perhaps by lowered premiums.

Legislation has been introduced in both houses to allow Blue Cross to put these reserves in a for-profit shall company that would be exempt from regulation by the Commissioner of Insurance and there would be no restrictions on what Blue Cross could do with it. Berger and Moore are twisting arms of GOP legislators to vote for this rotten sweetheart deal.

https://dailyhaymaker.com/blue-cross-nc-calling-in-its-chits-on-jones-street/

https://dailyhaymaker.com/mike-causeys-grande-cojones/

This comes hard on the heels of Berger and Moore selling out North Carolina Republicans to the Big Medicine special interests on the Obamacare Medicaid expansion, something that will force hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians who now have employer paid health insurance onto the welfare program Medicaid, where many will lose their current doctors. It will also drive up health insurance premiums for small business.
Two court rulings impacting elections in Florida and North Carolina vindicate Republican positions, and will help in maintaining election integrity in future elections.

The North Carolina Supreme Court reversed a prior ruling and will invalidate the Congressional district boundaries that were gerrymandered by the court and approved photo voter ID.. It also threw out the prior rulings on legislative redistricting and reversed a lower court that had expanded felon voting.

In Florida, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed an Obama judge of the District Court and approved Florida's election integrity law that tightened up election practices to prevent election fraud. In a bizarre ruling, the Obama judge at the district court level had thrown all of those provisions out claiming they were "racist". This attack on election integrity had been filed by Democrat super lawyer Marc Elias on behalf of the rabidly Democrat organization League of Women Voters.

https://redstate.com/streiff/2023/04/27/florida-scores-huge-win-for-free-and-fair-elections-over-marc-elias-and-an-obama-judge-n737957

https://redstate.com/bonchie/2023/04/28/massive-supreme-court-rulings-in-north-carolina-may-have-just-saved-republicans-in-2024-n738301
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WARSAW, Poland (AP)  A baroque Warsaw mansion hosting a museum dedicated to one of Europes greatest 19th century musicians, Polish pianist and composer Frederic Chopin, is reopening with a new focus on original artifacts after months of pandemic-spurred renovations.

The main reason of this refurbishing was to create a good atmosphere, good air conditions for the ... original objects," Artur Szklener, director of the National Frederic Chopin Institute said Thursday.

And at the same time we wanted to change some ideas of the exhibition itself showing more of the originals, he told The Associated Press.

The museum, which houses Chopins last piano, a Pleyel, and manuscripts of his music, will also display new items including letters he wrote to his companion, writer George Sand, and a satirical drawing she made of him, as well as an oil portrait of Chopin by his friend Teofil Kwiatkowski, a fellow Pole.

The focus of the renewed exhibition is on the original manuscripts, which take the place of previous copies, and on recreating the mood and style of the times they belong to, museum officials said.

Especially after the pandemic we realized that people are overwhelmed, oversaturated with things that are not original, they have enough of it and they wanted more originals, they wanted to touch the real thing, Chopin institute spokesman Aleksander Laskowski told the AP. They cannot touch the letters, obviously, but they almost can.

"That was the reason for change: be original. And we are, Laskowski said.

Seeing the letters in Chopin's handwriting, written in beautiful Polish and in a very imaginative way" one cannot help feeling transported to his age and into his drawing room, Laskowski said.

A large part of the renovation was creating the right technical air and light conditions for exhibiting 19th century manuscripts and other objects, while respecting the architecture of the 17th century Ostrogski Castle.

Popular among Poles and foreign tourists, the museum saw an 85% drop in number of visitors during the pandemic. That turned out to be a spur  and an opportunity  for change. It closed in the fall of 2022 for renovation and rearrangement.

The global trauma of the deadly pandemic has also led to some exhibit changes or removals, especially in the room documenting Chopin's death, according to curator Seweryn Kuter.

Space has also been made for more items that were owned or linked to the Romantic-era composer, who spent half of his life in Paris, museum officials said.

Chopin was born in 1810 in Zelazowa Wola near Warsaw to a Polish mother and a French father. Seeking to develop his talent, he went to Vienna in 1830 and then to Paris, where he settled until his death in 1849.

He is buried at the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris, but his heart was brought to Poland and rests sealed in a pillar of the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw. The museum reopens Saturday.
While movie theaters today are attempting to hang on to relevancy with heated and cooled seats, cocktail bars and unique programming, nothing can compare to the experience of a good old-fashioned drive-in. A symbol of mid-century America, drive-in movie theaters peaked in the mid-1900s but can still be found today across the state of Texas. Some of the best are throwbacks to the past, while others take a more modern approach, with top-quality audio-video setups and bars slinging drinks and snacks outside the popcorn and soda mainstays. So turn off Netflix, get off your couch and mix it up with a trip to the six best drive-in theaters in Texas.

Fort Worth

Coyote Drive-In is open daily, showing double features on its four screens, so youll always find something to watch, including all the new releases. Arrive early and post up at the Canteen, which serves beer and wine, plus burgers, sandwiches, thin-crust pizzas, hot dogs and pretzels. If you need something during the show, order via the app and a staff member will run it to your car so you dont miss any of the action. Or ask for one of the smores kits, and you can roast marshmallows over the on-site fire pits.

Austin

Blue Starlite debuted in 2010 and remains one of the most unique drive-in theaters in Texas. The boutique operation sets up screens in multiple locations around the city and only takes in 15 to 40 cars per showing, so the experience is more intimate than most. Tune your radio dial to the set frequency, or borrow a radio from the check-in desk, and load up on snacks. In addition to concessions like popcorn and candy, Blue Starlite also sells hot dogs and donuts.

The Weirdest and Most Worthwhile Roadside Attractions in Texas Set your GPS for a llama castle, Stonehenge replica and toilet seat museum

Ennis

Open for nearly two decades, Galaxy has expanded from three to seven screens, moved from film to digital, is open daily and now has two snack bars. Catch all the same films youll find in regular theaters, but at a lower price, and enjoy them in your car, or outside on a lawn chair or blanket. Shovel a few appetizers (popcorn and candy) into your mouth, then go for heartier fare like nachos and pizza.

Houston

Moonstruck is located east of downtown and looks onto the city skyline, so youll get a full view of Houston behind the screens. It shows two films each night, with a mix of first-run and classic movies, using 4K DLP projectors on its 60-foot screens, so the quality is like what youd experience indoors at your typical theater. Moonstruck also has concessions, beer and wine, or pick up dinner via the rotating assortment of food trucks parked nearby.

Lubbock and New Braunfels

Across its two locations  one in Lubbock and one in the Hill Country town of New Braunfels  Stars & Stripes shows new releases in comfortable settings. Theres a patio and a kids playground, so you can arrive early to hang out before the show starts. And the 50s Cafe sells burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, chicken wings, nachos and other favorites. Order online for pick up, or get snacks delivered straight to your car.

Granbury

Brazos Drive-In opened in 1952 and has remained in continuous operation ever since. The historic theater still lights up screens on Friday and Saturday nights, where cars gather to watch the latest films. Concessions are simple but reliable, and include popcorn, candy, nachos, hot dogs, sodas and coffee.

This article was featured in the InsideHook Texas newsletter. Sign up now for more from the Lone Star State.

The post 6 Drive-In Movie Theaters Keeping the Tradition Alive in Texas appeared first on InsideHook.
From the city of Beaumont:

Visit Beaumont has launched a new attraction pass with 13 museums and attractions for under $20! Included are all our top spots for art, history, nature and everything in between.

Learn more and purchase at https://www.beaumontcvb.com/beaumont-attraction-pass/

Planning on doing some spring cleaning? Please be advised that everyday chemicals used around your home, such as cleaners, paint and fertilizers can be hazardous to our waterways if disposed of improperly. Check out our brochure on our website

Summer's right around the corner, which means it's about to get hot. Beaumont's free pools and splash pads are open seasonally Memorial Day through Labor Day, and wherever you are in town, you're never far from a spot to cool off.

Here's where to splash your way through summer on a parks crawl

Join us for a city-wide cleanup!

We're partnering with Beaumont Independent School District on a community cleanup day and need your help to beautify Beaumont.

Join us from 10 a.m. to noon on May 13.

Multiple locations are available -- Sign up and select the most convenient for you here: tinyurl.com/NoLitterBMT

Early voting starts this week!

Mayor and City Council elections are held every two years, opposite of state and federal elections. Make your voice heard and choose your elected officials.

Visit the city of Beaumont's website for all candidate information, locations and times.

Classic Movie Night Spring Lineup:

April 29: VIVA Beaumont Hispanic Heritage Fest Kick off with El Mariachi and Desperado double Feature

May 12: Boomtown Film and Music Fest Kick Off with Clerks and Mallrats double feature

May 22: Honoring Memorial Day Movie Night featuring the Pipkin Honor Guard with Saving Private Ryan

Tickets are on sale now at https://beaumonteventstx.com/classicmovienights

Have you heard of the Lakeside Center?

It's a free community center for residents (with a nominal fee for non-residents). Activities are geared towards seniors, but anyone is allowed to participate in arts, exercise, and social classes and meet ups.

The schedule changes monthly - check it out!

Beaumont EMS is now hiring heroes

Ever dreamed of being a first responder? There's no better time to join our team.

New Hire Incentives:

Paramedic - $5,000

EMT-A and EMT-B - $3,000

Half to be paid out after completion of classroom training and half to be paid out after being released to the field.

Apply today at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/beaumont

SURVEY TIME - We want your input

The City of Beaumont wants to know what you think about 3-1-1 and how you prefer to report problems.

Take one minute to let us know what you think https://beaumonttexas.gov/311survey/

Can you believe camp is right around the corner?!

Join the recreation department at the Sterling Pruitt Center this summer! Registration begins Monday until filled for two sessions in June and July -- don't miss out!

Summer Track is Back!

RUN to the Sterling Pruitt Center to get your children (ages five through 18) signed up now through May 8. Practice starts May 22 with a mandatory parent orientation the same day. Practice takes place through July from 6 to 8 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays at Beaumont United.

Dream of being a firefighter? Beaumont Fire Rescue, Texas is hiring heroes!

Apply at Cityofbeaumontjobs.com today.

Jobs Close: April 23, 2023 at midnight

Civil Service Exam: 8:30 a.m. on June 21, 2023 at the Lakeside Center Meeting Room.

Interested applicants must apply online and have completed the Fire Academy and EMT-Basic courses by test date.

Dates to Have on Your Radar:

Sunday: Viva Beaumont(ARTACO)

June 17: Juneteenth

July 4: Fourth of July

Follow Beaumont Events and Visit Beaumont, TX on social media for all the fun and updates.

Community announcements

Saturday: 409 Day

May 4: Imagine the Possibilities - Downtown Main Street Tour
A 20-year tradition of the Spindletop Rotary Club has come to an end.

The organization's annual Soap Box Derby, which began in the early 2000s under the direction of one of the club's founders Jack Hauser, was formulated to provide children and their parents a project to work on together. Teams would build a soapbox car and the children would race them down Beaumont's Maury Meyers Bridge, with a chance to earn scholarship money.

But when the Texas Department of Transportation in 2019 announced plans to remove the Maury Meyers Bridge to make way for the widening of Interstate 10 and U.S. 69, the organization suddenly found itself without a venue to host its race. That, in conjunction with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic the following year and a change in the organization's makeup, made it almost impossible to conduct the race.

So, Spindletop Rotary is selling the equipment, which includes soapbox cars, weights, ramps and scales, among other gear. The club is hosting a garage sale for the items from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at 242 N 18th St., under the Maury Meyers Bridge in Beaumont.

RELATED: Spindletop Rotary Soap Box Derby encourages fun, friendship

"Part of (the activity) was getting out of your comfort zone," Spindletop Rotary Past President Shannon Garrod told The Enterprise Thursday. "(The cars) come in a kit and my grandson and I put them together -- we actually had two, we lost one in (Tropical Storm Harvey) so I ordered another kit -- and he had to help me assemble it . (It made you) work with your hands and create something and then race it."

The Soap Box Derby was comprised of three divisions: Stock, Superstock and Super Kid competitors.

"The first three finishers in each division were awarded scholarships," Garrod said. "The Stock and Superstock (winners) could use that for higher education...they got $500 for third place, $1,000 for second place and $1,500 for first place. The Super Kids got the same (amounts), but they could use it as needed because most of them were special needs. One of our race winners, who had cerebral palsy, used (the money) to outfit a truck so he could drive it."

First place finishers got to travel to Akron, Ohio for national races in July, where the All-American Soap Box Derby is held each year, Garrod said.

RELATED: Were you 'Seen' at the Soap Box Derby?

"We would ship the cars (and) give a stipend to the families of the winners to help with travel expenses," she said.

While the event was a lot of fun to put it on, it also required a lot of work, Garrod said.

"Fundraising, but also just getting the permits, the barricades, permission to close down the bridge and the streets, getting porta-potties and setting up the course -- we had ramps and canopies, we had to have volunteers for the timers and the judges as well as concessions and security, it was a huge endeavor," she said.

And though it took a lot of work to put on, the real nail in the coffin is the loss of the location. The club worked with TxDOT to try and find a replacement location, looking at the Brooks Road overpass or even the Willow Street exit downtown, but both either came with too much liability or just weren't feasible.

The only other option to continue the derby would be to build a course for it. Such a course exists in Hockley, northwest of Houston. But to build one like that here would cost an estimated $2 million taking into account property acquisition and building costs, Garrod said.

RELATED: Soap Box Derby fun for the whole family

"There just isn't another location," she said. "And we were under the impression that the (Maury Meyers Bridge) was going to be torn down in 2020, 2021 and it's still there."

As the years have gone by, the makeup of the Rotary Club has gone from mostly older men to now almost all women, Garrod said, which would make the physical aspect of putting on the event more difficult as well.

"You've got to lift those cars off the trailers and lift them on the trailers -- there's a lot of manpower that's needed as well," she said.

The club will be selling several of the cars, many of which don sponsors such as Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas and DJ's Original Boudain, among others, as well as the racers' names.

Garrod said the cars will probably go for between $100 to $300 depending on condition and age. The sale will also feature never opened soapbox car kits, which will be priced around $400, she said. Additionally, the Super Kid cars will probably go for more than the Stock and Superstock cars as they were two-seaters specially made to accommodate racers with special needs.

"It was a family event," she said. "Some people were competitive in nature and some people were just there to have the opportunity to do it. These kids were seven to 18 years old driving these cars 25 to 30 (miles per hour) down the Maury Meyers Bridge with gravity. It was a great bonding experience, it was really a lot of fun. It was a lot of hard work but the reward at the end of the day (was) the Sunday banquet at the Elegante...the camaraderie of the whole thing, people outside, off of electronics doing something as a family."

olivia.malick@hearst.com
MarianVejcik/Getty Images/iStockphoto

A 79-year-old Illinois man is facing two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting death of his neighbor.

According to the Lake County, Illinois Sheriff's Office, William Martys, 59, was using a leaf blower when Ettore Lacchei, whom authorities say had previous disputes with Martys, confronted him and then shot him in the head.
After the Texas Legislature allowed a controversial corporate property tax rebate known as Chapter 313 to expire last year, House Speaker Dade Phelan vowed lawmakers would return to Austin this year with a better plan to lure big business to the state.

The new version would be more transparent and allow for more accountability and oversight than Chapter 313, Phelan said, referring to the now defunct program designed to attract companies to Texas in exchange for school property tax breaks.

Instead, with little more than five weeks left in the legislative session, the House is contemplating passing something worse  House Bill 5, a less transparent and potentially far more costly tax incentive program than Chapter 313, which forfeited tens of billions of dollars in school property taxes in order to lure new businesses to local school districts. Supporters of HB 5, including numerous industry and economic development groups, contend Texas needs another program like Chapter 313 to offset the states relatively high property tax burden and compete with other states for jobs and businesses.

But with no corporate income tax, lax environmental regulation, and a large workforce, Texas can compete for jobs without allowing wealthy companies to get more school property tax breaks. When Texas allows corporations to bypass traditional tax obligations, it forces regular taxpayers  thats the rest of us  to pay more for schools, roads, health care and other vital services. And when tax incentives are structured like HB 5, without adequate mechanisms for community input and accountability to ensure that corporate promises are kept, state lawmakers should vote against them.

Sponsored by Republican Rep. Todd Hunter of Corpus Christi, HB 5 would provide a 10-year school district property tax break for eligible infrastructure and development projects. Any project that invests $1 billion or more would be eligible, as would national or state security facilities, supply chain infrastructure, water infrastructure or flood mitigation, and manufacturing. Oil and gas projects would also qualify  but not renewable energy initiatives, which thrived in rural areas under the Chapter 313 program. All applicants would have to prove they would create a certain number of jobs based on the countys population to qualify, while investing a minimum amount of money within the school district where the project is located.

Texans have supported responsible tax breaks to lure businesses to our state, but they also expect corporations to help pay for the public services and infrastructure they rely on, and to help finance public schools that educate our children.

Key differences between HB 5 and Chapter 313 incentive program

Here are some reasons HB 5 is more flawed than Chapter 313:

 While Chapter 313 doled out $31 billion in tax breaks for about 900 corporate agreements since its inception in 2001, lawmakers were required to periodically review it under law, which led to its demise last December. The HB 5 proposal contains no sunset provision mandating review and re-authorization of the program.

 Under Chapter 313, only full-time jobs counted toward a companys job creation requirement. Under HB 5, 10 temporary construction jobs would count as one full-time job.

 Under Chapter 313, qualifying jobs had to include health care coverage for workers. The health insurance requirement would be eliminated under HB 5.

 Under Chapter 313, only major new manufacturing plants and renewable energy sites qualified. HB 5 would allow expansion of new and existing plants, most of which would presumably expand on-site anyway, to qualify.

 Under Chapter 313, school boards had 150 days to approve an application in their districts, which provided adequate time for public hearings. HB 5 would shorten the deadline to 35 days.

Investing in Texas needs will attract strong businesses

If Texas invested more in its faltering electrical grid, subpar education system, failing healthcare programs and aging roads, it would become even more attractive to business without having to offer expensive giveaways that raise the tax burden on ordinary Texans.

Wealthy corporations dont need tax breaks at the expense of Texas schools, and Texans should not tolerate adopting these incentives, especially without full transparency and accountability. HB 5 is bad for Texas and we urge lawmakers to vote against it.
UnitedHealth Group's Optum, parent company of ASC chain SCA Health, is on a spending spree, scooping up physician groups and expanding its portfolio.

The company is now affiliated with more than 70,000 physicians, making it the largest employer of physicians in the country.

Most recently, Optum snagged Middletown, N.Y.-based Crystal Run Healthcare, a multispecialty physician group with more than 400 providers. It also acquired Houston-based Kelsey-Seybold for $3 billion, Dallas-based Healthcare Associates of Texas for $300 million and Auburndale, Mass.-based Atrius Health for $236 million in the last year.

The company is also looking to partner with health systems. In January, 1,400 office-based employees at Brewer, Maine-based Northern Light Health were transferred to Optum.

"A lot of these health systems are looking for a new relationship or they're wondering, 'How do I make sure I'm staying an independent health system and continuing to deliver the best clinical care that I can?'" Mike Valli, president of Optum's Northeast Region, told Becker's. "Over the past specifically five to six years, we've been aggregating a ton of assets that can help enable the administrative functions of these systems. The idea behind these relationships is, really, how do we bring everything Optum has to offer for a provider system to them in one relationship?"

On the ASC side, SCA Health has expanded past surgery center management into specialty care. In May, Surgical Care Affiliates rebranded to SCA Health and updated its logo to symbolize growth momentum and added a tagline: "The future of specialty care."

"When I joined the organization in 2015, we were an ambulatory surgery center company singularly focused on partnering with surgeons in their ASCs," Caitlin Zulla, CEO of Optum Health's east region and former CEO of SCA Health, told Becker's last year. "Since then, we've evolved to support physician specialists more holistically across the specialty care continuum."

With this shift, Optum and SCA Health are looking at growth not just through number of ASCs, "but the quality of care we provide, the proportion of spend in value-based care arrangements, our increased connectivity to practices and health systems, and additional ancillary services that support specialists' independence," Ms. Zulla said.

This strategy is different from other ASC giants such as Dallas-based United Surgical Partners International, Tenet Healthcare's ASC arm.

USPI is the company's "gem for the future," Tenet CEO Saum Sutaria, MD, said last year, and the company continues to rely on ASCs rather than physicians to carry the company's growth. USPI said it will pump $250 million into ASC mergers and acquisitions and plans to have more than 600 ASCs by 2025.
Eight cardiologists formerly employed by Rome, Ga.-based Harbin Clinic have signed contracts committing to AdventHealth Redmond, also in Rome, in response to Harbin's upcoming merger with Atrium Health Floyd, according to an April 27 report from the Rome News-Tribune.

The deal between Harbin and Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium was confirmed in December. Harbin is one of the largest privately owned physician groups in Georgia, with 240 medical professionals across 40 specialties.

The cardiologists who have signed with AdventHealth are Michael Ware, MD, Charles Jackson, MD, Kipp Slicker, MD, Robert Styperek, MD, Andrew McCue, MD, Spencer Maddox, MD, Justin Tanner, MD, and Hunter Myers, MD.

Physicians have expressed concerns about the future of the oncology and cardiology departments at Harbin amid the merger, according to the report.

"Despite any rumored changes, Harbin Clinic will still offer the same comprehensive healthcare services in the future that we offer today," Kenna Stock, Harbin's CEO, told the News-Tribune.

While the specifics of the deal have not been made public, Harbin's partner physicians likely stand to make a profit from the merger, according to the report.
All the ophthalmology news Becker's has covered since Dec. 29:

The mean annual salary for ophthalmologists is $265,450, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment statistics survey.

Paul Koch, MD, the former owner of a chain of Rhode Island ophthalmology practices, has agreed to pay $1.1 million to settle kickback allegations.

The University of California San Diego Shiley Eye Institute has broken ground on a five-story, 100,000-square-foot vision research center that will house labs, clinical trial operations and administrative and educational spaces.

Ophthalmologist Bruce Ochsner, MD, founder of the Ochsner Eye Surgery Center in Wichita, Kan., died April 11 at 83.

Eye health company Bausch + Lomb has expanded its executive team, adding Bob Bailey as its executive vice president and chief legal officer and Andrew Stewart as its president of ophthalmic pharmaceuticals.

Biopharmaceutical ophthalmologic company Visus Therapeutics has added former Novartis leader Jehan Tamboowalla as its senior vice president of business development and marketing.

Unifeye Vision Partners has partnered with Kings Eye Center in Hanford, Calif.

Though one of the top 10 happiest physician specialties, ophthalmologists are still in short supply.

A new report from the FDA alleges that Global Pharma Healthcare, manufacturer of the recalled EzriCare Artificial Tears Lubricant Eye Drops, did not follow the proper protocol to prevent product contamination at its production facilities.

A satellite office of the West Virginia University Eye Institute in Morgantown has opened at WVU Medicine Wheeling (W.Va.) Hospital.

There are 18,948 total active ophthalmologists in the country, according to the Association of American Medical College's "2022 Physician Specialty Data Report."

Management services organization Ascend Vision Partners has partnered with Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Elgut Eye Care, its seventh partnership in the state.

Kala Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical eye disease company, has tapped Francis Mah, MD, as its new chief medical adviser.

Staar Surgical Company, an implantable eye lens manufacturer, has selected Warren Foust as its new COO and Magda Michna, PhD, as its new chief clinical, regulatory and medical affairs officer.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology has commented on CMS' proposed prior authorization rule.

Brewer, Maine-based Northern Light Health has cut several eye surgeries from Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine.

Pharmedica and Apotex voluntarily recalled several lots of their products due to contamination risks, according to the FDA.

Arlington, Texas-based ophthalmology provider Kleiman Evangelista Eye Centers will pay $2.9 million to resolve false claim allegations that it paid kickbacks to optometrists to induce patient referrals.

Three deaths have now been linked to Global Pharma Healthcare's Artificial Tears Lubricant Eye Drops.

Management services organization Ascend Vision Partners added Winter Park (Fla.) Ophthalmology.

The FTC is proposing changes to ophthalmology prescription rules.

Sustained drug delivery company Ripple Therapeutics is expanding outside of the ophthalmology space through a partnership with contract developer and manufacturer Hovione.

Las Vegas was named the best paying city for ophthalmologists.

New York City-based Vitreoretinal Consultants acquired Retina Consultations in Bronxville, N.Y.

The University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington is moving its outpatient ophthalmology clinic as part of a $35 million project.

Global healthcare company Novartis is officially gauging interest from potential buyers of its ophthalmology business.

Paul Wyatt, MD, has been sentenced to prison for performing ophthalmology surgeries after his medical license was suspended in 2016.

Ophthalmology biotechnology company EyeBio made several appointments to its senior leadership team.

A new bill would allow specially trained optometrists in Idaho to perform three kinds of laser surgeries.

Unifeye Vision Partners partnered with Premier Surgery Center in Santa Maria, Calif.

OCLI Vision, an ophthalmology practice backed by management services organization Spectrum Vision Partners, has added its first practice in Westchester County, N.Y., with the acquisition of Hawthorne-based Hudson Valley Eye Associates.

A federal jury has found Precision Lens, a cataract surgery lens distribution company, along with its majority owner Paul Ehlen liable for $43 million in illegal kickbacks.

Ophthalmologists are the seventh-happiest physician specialists in 2023, with 62 percent describing themselves as either happy or very happy outside of the workplace, according to a Feb. 24 Medscape report.





New York City-based State University of New York College of Optometry is partnering with State University of New York Upstate Medical University in Syracuse to help create more eye care professionals.





Cristos Ifantides, MD, has been named director of clinical applications development for Ace Vision Group, an ophthalmic technology company.





Eye Care Center of Northern Colorado in Longmont will use an ophthalmology suite from ModMed, an EHR software company, for its facilities.





Binghamton, N.Y.-based Twin Tiers Eye Care Associates has joined Pine City, N.Y.-based Guthrie Medical Group.





The first ophthalmologic biosimilar did not launch in the U.S. until July 2022, and some prescribers are still cautious about their uses, according to Cardinal Health's 2023 "Biosimilars Report."





New York City-based ophthalmology platform SightMD has added Charles Mayron, MD, to its care team.





Flint, Mich.-based Surgery Center at Gateway is offering several optometric procedures for homeless patients in the area.





Apellis Pharmaceuticals' Syfovre, a treatment for geographic atrophy, has received FDA approval.





The Central Alabama Veterans Healthcare System has become the first in the nation to add ophthalmic lasers for the treatment of glaucoma at its Montgomery-based VA clinic.





Precision Optics signed a licensing agreement with a global medical company.



Ophthalmologist Andrew Johnston, MD, joined Knoxville, Tenn.-based provider Drs. Campbell, Cunningham, Taylor & Haun.



The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in Worcester partnered with Israel-based AEYE Health to research an artificial intelligence retinal camera screening.



Ophthalmology MSO Sunvera Group partnered with Southgate, Mich.-based Castleman Eye Center.





Sandy Springs, Ga.-based Woolfson Eye Institute opened a new office in Canton, Ga.





Bausch & Lomb agreed to purchase device company AcuFocus.





Disparities in pediatric ophthalmology care are on the rise nationwide.





Tallahassee-based Florida State University entered a scientific collaboration with Lento Bio.



Florida ophthalmologist Shailesh Gupta, MD, purchased a medical office building for $8.9 million.





Anthony Andrews, MD, joined the team at Berwick, Pa.-based Eye Care Specialists.



Bausch & Lomb and Modulight Corporation received FDA approval for a photodynamic laser.



OCLI Vision acquired Bausch Eye Associates in Allentown, Pa.





CMS took steps to make ocular surface anesthesia more accessible.





The University of Rochester (N.Y.) Medical Center's Flaum Eye Institute teamed up with Goodwill Vision Enterprises to expand access to vision care in Rochester.





EyeConnect International renewed its partnership with Leiters.





Andrew Jordan, MD, joined the ophthalmology team at Sanford Health Park Rapids (Minn.) Clinic.





Santen Pharmaceutical Co. will receive the Glaucoma Research Foundation's Catalyst Award, the organization's highest distinction.





Efrain Cancel, MD, has joined the team of ophthalmologists at Gundersen Eye Clinic in Waukon, Iowa.





The Emory University School of Medicine's department of ophthalmology in Atlanta has appointed Machelle Pardue, PhD, as its vice chair and director of research.





Ophthalmology clinical trial management services company Vial has partnered with South Korean medical device company RecensMedical for a phase 3 clinical trial.





American Vision Partners affiliate Southwestern Eye Center is moving its Maryvale, Ariz., location to a new, expanded space in Glendale, Ariz.





Physician services organization American Vision Partners has opened a new ASC, West Valley Peaks, in Sun City, Ariz.





The West Virginia University department of ophthalmology and visual sciences in Morgantown has added two pieces of ophthalmic training equipment: the EyeSi surgical simulator and the Alcon operating microscope.





Ophthalmic surgeon Jonathan Talamo, MD, has been appointed chair of the board of directors for CXL Ophthalmics.



Shahzad Mian, MD, has been appointed interim chair of the department of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, effective Jan. 15.





Ophthalmic device company Ace Vision Group has appointed John Frantzis as its chief business development officer and Alex Lopez as its chief commercial officer, effective Jan. 19.





Eye care management organization American Vision Partners has tapped Shaun Brierly, MD, as its new chief medical officer.





Grand Island, Neb.-based Unity Eye Centers has relocated to a new, larger practice facility.





Wausau-based Eye Clinic of Wisconsin has opened its eighth location.





Atlanta-based ophthalmologist Aarti Pandya, MD, and the Pandya Practice Group have agreed to pay $1.85 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by billing the government for medically unnecessary procedures.





Warsaw, Ind.-based Reinholt & Thallemer Eye Care Associates has added Brad Basham, OD, to its team of optometrists.





he University of San Diego Health has launched the new Shiley EyeMobile for children, a mobile eye care vehicle set to provide care for 20,000 children a year.





Ponte Vedra, Fla.-based Barnhorst Eye Associates has partnered with the region's largest multispecialty ophthalmology practice, Brandon-based Florida Eye Specialists.





Zimm Cataract & Laser Center and its affiliate Premier Surgical Center in Erie, Pa., have partnered with Sunvera Group, an ophthalmology management services organization.





Visus Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company for eye care, has named Eric Donnenfeld, MD, to its board of directors.





Greenville, S.C.-based Eye Health America, a medical and surgical eye care services provider, has added NextGen Healthcare's cloud-based technological solution to its 23 clinics and seven ASCs.





Panorama Eyecare, a physician-led management services organization, has acquired Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Haas Vision Center.





Retina specialist Caroline Baumal, MD, has been appointed the chief medical officer of Apellis Pharmaceuticals.





St. Louis-based EyeCare Partners has partnered with Retinal Associates of Oklahoma to create more specialty retina care practices within Oklahoma.





EyePoint Pharmaceuticals has tapped its COO, Jay Duker, MD, as its next president.





Boca Raton, Fla.-based Premier Eye Care has been acquired by Health Network One, a health management company backed by private equity investment firm H.I.G. Capital.





Display technology provider BenQ has collaborated with blue light mitigating technology provider Eyesafe to develop a new computer monitor that reduces blue light toxicity on display systems.





Iveric Bio, a biopharmaceutical company for retinal diseases, has named Pravin Dugel, MD, to its board of directors.





Retina Consultants of America has added its 30th partnership with the announcement of Retina Group of New England joining its national network of physicians.
Lexington-based University of Kentucky HealthCare is planning to undergo a significant expansion in the coming years that could cost the health system up to $2.4 billion, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Six things to know:

1. The project would add 300 beds to Albert B. Chandler Hospital in Lexington, with a new hospital tower and four outpatient locations in the area. It will also expand several services at Chandler Hospital and Kentucky Children's Hospital.

2. UK HealthCare will also move forward with a new medical campus in Hamburg, Ky., which includes a regional hospital, medical office building and other clinical facilities, according to the report.

3. UK HealthCare also plans to partner with the academic side of the university, which is building a health education facility to bring together the colleges of nursing, medicine, health sciences and public health. The building is expected to open in 2026.

4. The health system estimates that it will need to hire 4,800 employees to staff the new and expanded facilities.

5. The project is made possible by UK HealthCare's impressive financial performance in recent years. For fiscal year 2023, the health system has reported nearly $352 million excess revenues over expenses, with an operating margin of 11 percent, according to the report.

6. Further details about the project will be revealed as the university begins the design phase, which was part of the board approval, according to the report.
Seattle-based University of Washington researchers discovered why cell transplants used to repair damage after a heart attack cause arrhythmias and found a possible alternative, The Washington Post reported April 28.

In the study, published April 6 in Cell Stem Cell, researchers altered four genes in heart muscle cells and implanted millions of them into pigs. The MEDUSA cells attached to the pig heart and beat in sync with existing cells. They cut arrhythmias by 95 percent, and the arrhythmias that did occur were over faster.

Researchers also discovered the cardiomyocyte injections cause arrhythmias because the cells are immature and fail to harmonize with the heart's electrical impulses. This forces the heart to beat too quickly, according to the report.

The modified cells could be a viable path for repairing hearts and overcoming irregular heartbeats.

"My mother died of heart disease," lead author Charles Murry, MD, PhD, director of the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Washington, told the Post. "I use as a benchmark, 'Would I have put these in my mother?' Knowing how they perform in the pig heart, yes. I would put them in my mother."

However, there are limitations to the study. The five pigs had no sustained heart attacks and had a reduced chance of having irregular heartbeats due to the injected cells. Some researchers have also expressed concern that too much gene editing in heart cells could pose risks for cancer or interfere with vital cell functions.
McCurtain Memorial Hospital in Idabel, Okla.  a community that has been under a microscope since the release of recordings from a county meeting allegedly revealed racist and threatening statements  was evacuated after the second bomb threat called to the hospital in the last two weeks.

On April 27, McCurtain Memorial "received a bomb threat from an unidentified individual who called into the hospital's registration department and stated there was a bomb inside of the hospital. Our registration team took immediate action to inform administration and immediately followed protocol to institute an emergency evacuation of the property and contact law enforcement," according to a news release prepared by CEO Brian Whitfield on the hospital's Facebook page.

Mr. Whitfield said patients were evacuated to an offsite location, and staff joined patients at the designated evacuation site. Staff remained with patients while law enforcement searched and cleared the hospital.

Within an hour, the hospital was cleared and patients, as well as staff, returned to the facility, he said.

This was the second bomb threat called to the hospital in the last two weeks. The previous bomb threat, which also resulted in an evacuation, occurred April 18.

That bomb threat came a day after the hospital went on lockdown while protesting occurred during an emergency meeting among officials at the McCurtain County Commissioners Office in Idabel. People were protesting over a secret recording by The McCurtain Gazette-News of officials in McCurtain County. The recording featured an official talking about hanging Black people and other officials discussing hiring hit men for two reporters, the newspaper said, according to The New York Times. The alleged discussion took place after the March 6 meeting of the county board of commissioners.

It is not known if the bomb threats have any connection to the allegations by the Gazette-News.

Mr. Whitfield called on whomever is behind these calls to consider the effect this has had on people.

"McCurtain Memorial Hospital is a small, rural hospital and our resources are limited," he said. "These disruptions in service to our community has a significant impact on us financially and also results in unavailable services to patients seeking outpatient services like lab, radiology and therapy.

"So many suffer as the result of such selfish acts and attempts to disrupt. We will recover and we will rise above these challenges but please, consider the impact on our patients and this community."

Mr. Whitfield said he is instituting "very stiff security measures and that will include a hard lockdown at the hospital that will remain in effect until further notice." These measures include a metal detector that was delivered to the hospital April 27. Additionally, employees and visitors must enter and exit through the emergency room waiting area entrance, and no bags, purses, backpacks or other carrying cases are allowed inside the hospital.

The FBI and other law enforcement are investigating the threats, Mr. Whitfield said in the statement.

Read more about the security measures in Mr. Whitfield's full release.
The following hospitals and health systems have announced or shared plans for raising workers' pay since April 10.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list.

1. Members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East approved a contract with Danbury, Conn.-based Nuvance Health that includes wage increases. The contract covers technical workers at Rhinebeck, N.Y.-based Northern Dutchess Hospital, biomedical engineers at Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-based Vassar Brothers Medical Center and Carmel, N.Y.-based Putnam Hospital, and radiation therapists at Vassar and Putnam.

2. Members of Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West at more than 40 Dignity Health hospitals approved a new contract with pay increases. The contract raises wages 18 percent over four years and boosts the minimum wage throughout the system to $21 per hour by 2024.

3. Members of United Public Workers have ended their nearly two-month strike at Maui Health hospitals in Hawaii by approving a new contract. The new contract includes pay-scale adjustments, at least a 10.5 percent wage increase for workers, and a lump sum payment for workers, among other benefits.

4. Eligible Penn Medicine Lancaster (Pa.) General Health employees will receive 4 percent pay increases, lancasteronline.com reported April 12. The announcement came about two weeks after LG Health eliminated fewer than 65 jobs, or less than 1 percent of its workforce.

5. Members of the California Nurses Association approved a new contract with Southern California Hospital at Culver City. The contract includes across-the-board wage increases of up to 30 percent over three years.
PeaceHealth has eliminated 251 caregiver roles across multiple locations, the Vancouver, Wash.-based health system said in a statement shared with Becker's on April 26.

"PeaceHealth is actively responding to the significant challenges faced by healthcare organizations across the U.S. Comprehensive plans are already underway to recruit additional nurses, ensure patients can return home as quickly as possible and grow the services we know our community members need," the statement read.

"As always, we are also adjusting operations and services to reflect changes in our communities and ensure we are being responsible to our healing mission into the future."

PeaceHealth said affected roles include 121 from Shared Services, which supports its 16,000 caregivers in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. Shared Services include administrative services that support clinical caregivers such as human resources, information technology, marketing and communications, and finance.

The remaining affected roles are "relatively evenly spread across our three networks. In line with our value of respect, we offer comprehensive transitional support consistent with our policies and practices to all impacted caregivers," the health system said.

PeaceHealth spokesperson Alison Taylor told Becker's the health system anticipates many affected caregivers will be qualified for the nearly 1,300 open clinical roles across the organization.

In February, PeaceHealth reported a loss of $90.8 million in the six months ending Dec. 31, 2022. The health system was also downgraded in March by Fitch Ratings, which cited the organization's "considerable operating stress."

PeaceHealth operates 10 hospitals across Alaska, Oregon and Washington.
The Hawaii legislature has set aside $18.5 million for the struggling Kealakekua-based Kona Community Hospital to make repairs needed to keep the hospital open, the Hawaii Tribune Herald reported April 28.

The hospital's cooling and ventilation equipment is so old that the parts to fix it are no longer in circulation. The budget set aside $16.2 million for the more than 100-year-old hospital's infrastructure repairs and $2.3 million for pharmacy expansion.

"We are pleased that our state lawmakers recognize the essential role our hospital has in our community and are fully funding our request this legislative session," Kona Community Hospital CEO Clayton McGhan said in a statement. "Our extraordinary staff at Kona Community Hospital have worked hard to extend the life of our equipment and facilities while ensuring exceptional care. [The funding] will allow us to make necessary repairs so that our employees can focus on what they do best: providing quality, compassionate care for our families, friends, and neighbors."
Texas Vista Medical Center in San Antonio, part of Dallas-based Steward Health Care, will close May 1 after more than 40 years, leaving many concerned about access to care in the area, Fox29 reported April 27.

The 325-bed hospital cited mounting financial challenges  exacerbated by the pandemic  as the reason for the closure, with no health system or government agency coming in to take over the facility.

"This will cost lives, in terms of saving lives, minutes matter," Adriana Rocha Garcia, PhD, a San Antonio District 4 Council Member, told Fox29. "We understand that there will be another hospital, but someone's life will not be able to wait four years, so what are we going to do in the meantime. I'm terrified."

The closure will also result in layoffs for the hospital's 827 employees. So far, more than 300 employees, including over 100 registered nurses, have joined San Antonio-based Baptist Health System.

"Baptist Health System was able to recruit these outstanding professionals who will continue to provide compassionate care to patients across the city and especially to those living on the south side," the health system said in a statement. "Mission Trail Baptist Hospital in the Brooks City Base area and Baptist Medical Center downtown will continue to focus on meeting the healthcare needs of the population of San Antonio's south side."
After an abrupt leadership exit and nearly seven-month national search, the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston has landed on a finalist to serve as president.

The University of Texas System Board of Regents unanimously voted to name Jochen Reiser, MD, PhD, as the next president of the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Dr. Reiser is currently chairman of the department of internal medicine at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. He has been with the academic health system since 2012.

Dr. Reiser's candidacy was recommended to the board of regents by a 15-member presidential search advisory committee, which included representation from the UTMB faculty, students, alumni and community leaders, as well as UT presidents and regents.

The UT Regents now must wait 21 days before officially naming Dr. Reiser president.

Dr. Reiser, a prominent leader in kidney disease research, previously served the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine as professor of medicine, anatomy and cell biology, vice chairman for research in the department of medicine, and chief of the division of nephrology and hypertension.

Once approved, Dr. Reiser will succeed Charles Mouton, MD, who has served as UTMB's interim president since August 2022, when predecessor Ben Raimer, MD, abruptly resigned from the role.

Dr. Raimer submitted his resignation as head of the academic health system Aug. 22, two weeks after he was placed on administrative leave for undisclosed reasons. When he was placed on leave Aug. 8, the system only said the move was not "in any way connected to the operations at UTMB or the Galveston National Lab," which had drawn scrutiny over agreements with three Chinese research labs, including the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

UTMB includes four hospital campuses and more than 90 primary and specialty care clinics in Southeast Texas.
Members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East have approved a contract with Danbury, Conn.-based Nuvance Health that includes wage increases.

The contract covers about 1,500 workers, according to an April 26 news release. This includes technical workers at Rhinebeck, N.Y.-based Northern Dutchess Hospital, biomedical engineers at Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-based Vassar Brothers Medical Center and Carmel, N.Y.-based Putnam Hospital, and radiation therapists at Vassar and Putnam.

Workers approved the agreement after more than a year of negotiations, according to the union release.

1199SEIU said the "historic" contract includes annual raises of 3.5 percent in 2023, 2024 and 2025; up to 10 percent increases to minimum rates; and Juneteenth as an additional premium holiday.

Under the agreement, long-time members will continue their no-cost, comprehensive health benefits through the 1199 National Benefit Fund, and new members will be covered by the 1199 National Benefit Fund effective Dec. 1, 2024, the union said.

1199SEIU Executive Vice President Greg Speller said in the union release: "We are very happy that our members prevailed and won important collective bargaining agreements that will benefit healthcare workers and patients. Special praise goes to the workers who fought hard for their first contracts; technical workers at Northern Dutchess Hospital, and staff in the biomedical and radiation therapy departments at Vassar and Putnam."

John Nelson, assistant vice president of community, government and public relations on Nuvance Health's New York team, said in a statement shared with the Times Union that the company is "thrilled" about the new collective bargaining agreements.

"We are proud to have packages that match the level of care our employees provide to the mid-Hudson Valley community. Thank you to our employees for working with us to ratify the contracts that will help us continue our shared goal to offer safe, patient-centered healthcare," Mr. Nelson said, according to the newspaper.
After Florida did away with the certificate-of-need requirement to build new hospitals in 2019, healthcare companies announced plans to build at least 65 hospitals from 2020 to 2022, KFF HealthNews reported April 26.

In comparison, from 2016 to 2018 Florida approved 20 new hospitals. The news comes as Georgia and South Carolina debate similar measures to repeal certificate-of-need laws.

About two-thirds of states still have the certificate-of-need laws. Some hospital groups defend CON laws on the basis that they protect hospitals from competition.
A federal judge has granted preliminary approval of a settlement between Ascension Michigan and healthcare workers who alleged they were denied a religious exemption to their employer's COVID-19 vaccination policy and were either suspended or otherwise lost their job as a result of their denied exemption, according to court documents accessed by Becker's.

The proposed class of more than 60 workers and Ascension Michigan, which is part of St. Louis-based Ascension, agreed to the settlement, and the judge gave preliminary approval on April 26.

At issue in the case is Ascension's vaccination requirement. The health system announced the requirement in July 2021, and workers were given until Nov. 12, 2021, to get vaccinated unless they received a medical or religious exemption.

Healthcare workers sued Ascension in July 2022, alleging that the health system had an illegal blanket ban against religion-based COVID-19 vaccination accommodations and refused to provide exemptions, according to Law360. Ascension flouted Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act by doing so, the class alleged.

"Consequently, over 500 healthcare workers who bravely served the public during the worst days of the pandemic were placed on an involuntary, indefinite, unpaid leave of absence in November 2021," the original lawsuit states. The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages and reasonable attorney's fees for workers who say they were temporarily denied religious accommodation from the COVID-19 vaccine and suspended without pay.

Ascension denies violating state and federal laws but agrees that the settlement represents a fair compromise if healthcare workers won on the merits of their case, court documents show, according to Law360.

The health system provided the following statement to Becker's: "Like many health systems across the country, and consistent with federal guidance, Ascension required our associates to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This decision was made in response to strong federal requirements, and after thoughtful consideration of the impact to our associates, patients and the communities we serve. Ultimately, we believe the decision was reflective of our commitment to leading with quality and safety on behalf of our patients and our workforce. We're pleased that 95 percent of our workforce completed the primary vaccine series. Because of our dedicated associates, we were able to remain open to serve our communities during the entire COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to focus on providing personalized, compassionate care to the persons and communities that we are privileged to serve."

The settlement would apply to workers who applied for a religious exemption and were denied, and then were either suspended or were forced to leave because of the refusal to get vaccinated. It also would apply to those who claim they were forced to leave their employment with Ascension before Feb. 28, 2022, after and as a result of their denied religious exemption.

The total settlement will comprise each subclass' settlement fund, which the claims administrator will calculate based on up to five weeks of employees' weekly salaries, according to Law360.

A fairness hearing for final approval of the settlement is slated for Oct. 5.






Hospitals and health systems continue to seek ways to combat a shortage of nurses. In Michigan, some organizations are leaning on foreign nurses to help fill the staffing gaps  an effort that comes amid the U.S.' decision to limit green card applications, the Detroit Free Press reported April 28.

Take Detroit-based Henry Ford Health, for example. The six-hospital system expects as many as 600 registered nurses from the Philippines to take jobs through 2025 to fill open nursing positions, according to the Free Press.

"The state of nursing at Henry Ford Health is as strong as it was pre-pandemic. Our nursing vacancy rates are well below the national average, but like healthcare organizations across the country we struggle to fill vacant nursing positions due to the nationwide nursing shortage," Eric Wallis, DNP, RN, senior vice president and chief nursing officer, said in a statement shared with Becker's.

"Our team is constantly creating and implementing innovative recruitment and retention efforts. Among our recruitment tools is our plan to bring up to 600 registered nurses from the Philippines to Henry Ford hospitals between now and 2025. Our first Filipino nurse arrived this week. We hope to welcome more international recruits later this year."

The health system is among many organizations grappling with shortages caused by factors such as nurses stepping out of the workforce during the pandemic and reaching retirement age. Across the U.S., shortages are expected to continue, with about 800,000 nurses saying they intend to leave the workforce by 2027, according to results of a comprehensive National Council of State Boards of Nursing and National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers study released April 13. The pipeline from nursing schools helps fill some nursing gaps. However, health systems are looking at other initiatives, including international recruiting.

Henry Ford announced in September 2021 that it was reviving its strategy of recruiting nurses from the Philippines.

At the time, Bob Riney, Henry Ford Health's then COO and current president and CEO, told Becker's that those efforts decades ago were successful, with many nurses from the Philippines enjoying longstanding careers with the health system. The health system has also looked to Canada to recruit nurses and now has 590 Canadian nurses in its workforce, according to the Free Press.

Now, as Henry Ford Health looks to bring in more nurses from the Philippines, the State Department has announced that it will not accept any more applications for green cards for foreign nurses will be accepted this year, and only applications submitted by June 2022 will be processed until the backlog is reduced and more green cards are made available. Healthcare groups have since expressed concerns that the decision will exacerbate staffing woes at hospitals and nursing homes.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told the Detroit Free Press that the issuance of new, employment-based visas to workers from the Philippines is delayed at least until October.

Most nurses seeking employment in the U.S. enter via an EB-3, or "third preference," visa. Henry Ford leaders are advocating for lawmakers to pass legislation that would make it easier for foreign nurses to enter the U.S, the Free Press reported.

Meanwhile, other Michigan systems are also seeking international help. According to the Free Press, Grand Blanc-based McLaren Health Care has some Canadian workers and now is working to recruit nurses and medical technologists from the Philippines, Nigeria, Kenya, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

"We're proud to say that our first set of offers recently went out with more to follow in the coming weeks," Kimberly Keaton Williams, vice president of talent acquisition and development and chief diversity officer for McLaren, told the newspaper. "We anticipate welcoming a group of registered nurses and medical technologists to the state for placement at our facilities in the second half of 2024."

Shana Lewis, vice president of human resources-talent acquisition for Livonia-based Trinity Health, told the newspaper the health system employs about 100 international workers, including some from the Philippines, and anticipates hiring an additional 200 nurses in Michigan and several hundred more across the organization over the next two years.

Beth Cranson, spokesperson for Corewell Health, dually headquartered in Grand Rapids and Southfield, told the newspaper its efforts to recruit foreign nurses "complements the nurse scholar programs at Grand Valley State University and Oakland University, which are designed to increase the talent pipeline."

To read the full report, click here.










Spine and orthopedic experts in April spoke with Becker's about topics from media depictions to robot-assisted joint replacements.

"As a private practice orthopedic surgeon for the last 10 years, I am most afraid of rising overhead costs and decreasing reimbursement throughout medicine. I am not talking about my income; I am talking about disincentivizing people to go into healthcare or care for certain populations or go the extra mile for their patients. How often do we see nurses get abused by patients and family members and as they walk out the door that day they say, 'This just isn't worth it anymore?; How many surgeons have been victim to a lawsuit because a patient sustained a known complication of a surgery? Surgeons carry the stress of a lawsuit and worry about the immediate and future ramifications, both professional and financial. I fear that access to care will decrease as time goes on, creating a terrible healthcare system that makes us sicker, not healthier. Not what you would expect in the world's greatest country," Arjun Saxena, MD, of Rothman Orthopaedic Institute in Philadelphia, on what he is most afraid of as a surgeon.

"What television shows and movies get right when depicting neurosurgeons is the dedication to their patients and their rigorous pursuit of surgical perfection. There is great satisfaction in restoring a patients health particularly under dire circumstances and emergent scenarios. Dealing with life-threatening scenarios is a part of the daily life for neurosurgeons. What television shows and movies do not depict well is the uninspiring moments such as the longevity of training, the emotional and financial hardships during the education and training process, and the unglamorous meetings that most neurosurgeons have to complete," Brian Fiani, DO, of Mendelson Kornblum Orthopedic & Spine Specialists in Livonia, Mich., on media depictions of spine and neurosurgeons.

"The fastest adoption I see coming in the next couple of years will be spinal endoscopy. We are seeing a rapid uptick in the adaptation of the techniques. I myself have done a handful and I think for decompression surgery, it is extremely impactful. Fusion outcomes being done via this technique I think remains to be really studied in detail. I am a bit leery of it as the basic tenets of fusion require good bone preparation, a large surface area and solid fixation. That being said, if it is found to be not inferior to the standards of lateral, anterior and transforaminal fusions, I see no reason for it to be more popular," Brian Gantwerker, MD, of The Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles, on spine innovation.

"One of the biggest opportunities for spine surgeons is also one of its biggest threats in 2023. Technology has dramatically changed how spine surgery is planned and performed. More and more spine surgeons use intraoperative navigation for screw placement. This aid enables spine fusion surgery to be safer and more precise. However, it also allows trainees to go through residency and fellowship without a thorough understanding of spinal anatomy and critical landmarks. Their ability to take over when navigation is incorrect or not available is increasingly lost. Robotics may exacerbate this problem by removing the trainee further from even choosing the correct screw trajectory during the operation. Lastly, algorithms that enable the spine surgeon to supply the patients preoperative imaging studies and receive an operative plan remove the surgeon even farther from needing to understand the indications and tradeoffs for a particular surgical approach. The threat to spine surgeons, especially ones in training, is the inability to create an operative plan or to carry out that plan safely without this technology. Additionally, it may enable any doctor to perform spine surgery just as well as a surgeon fully dedicated to spine surgery," Bow Hansen, MD, of UCI Health in South Orange, Calif., on the biggest threats to spine surgery.
Riverside Doctors' Hospital Williamsburg (Va.) received advanced hip and knee replacement certification from the DNV, a global certification, assurance and risk management provider.

The hospital is the first in the state to have the DNV certification, according to an April 25 news release from Riverside Health System.

Riverside Health System has four acute care hospitals across Virginia and provides care to more than two million patients each year, according to its website.
Becker's reported about two orthopedic lawsuits in April.

1. A man is suing DePuy Synthes, Johnson & Johnson's orthopedic business, for allegedly marketing knee implants the company knew were faulty, according to a lawsuit filed April 17 in North Carolina's Western District Court. The lawsuit accuses DePuy Synthes of negligence, breach of express warranty and unfair and deceptive trade practice, among other claims.

2. The orthopedic surgeons who left SSM Health Dean Medical Group in Madison, Wis., are now suing the hospital. The 11 surgeons filed their lawsuit April 24 in Dane County Circuit Court and are asking a judge to block a clause from SSM Health, their former employer, saying they can't treat patients they saw in the last three years, according to court documents. The surgeons are asking a judge to declare SSM Health's clause unenforceable.
China signs participation contract for Expo 2025 in Osaka

Xinhua) 13:44, April 28, 2023

TOKYO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- China has signed a participation contract for the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, western Japan, indicating that the preparations for China's attendance will be in full swing.

The document was signed on Thursday between Zhang Shenfeng, commissioner general of the China Pavilion and vice chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and Hiroyuki Ishige, secretary general of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition.

At the signing ceremony, the architectural design of the large-scale self-built China Pavilion was displayed.

The bamboo-yellow structure taking the form of a traditional long scroll of ancient Chinese letters embodies the concept that Chinese culture originates from nature, conforms to nature, and coexists harmoniously with nature.

Zhang said the theme of China's exhibition is "Building a community of life for man and nature - a future society of green development," adding that China hopes its participation will help enhance the exchange and cooperation with Japan and other countries in culture, economy, trade and other fields, and promote a future society of green development with all other exhibitors.

At the same time, China will plan a variety of supporting activities to be held in Japan, involving China's local governments and big enterprises, in a bid to enhance bilateral cultural exchanges and the mutual learning and practical cooperation between Chinese and Japanese enterprises, and inject fresh impetus into the development of China-Japan ties, Zhang noted.

Ishige thanked China for its strong support to Expo 2025 and expressed hope that the exchanges and cooperation will deepen between the two countries in various fields including culture, economy and trade through the World Expo as a platform.

Themed "Designing Future Society of Our Lives," the World Expo 2025 is scheduled to be held from April 13 to Oct. 13, 2025. The Japanese government expects to see the participation of some 150 countries and regions, as well as 25 international organizations.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Local legends The Undertones are headlining Belfast and Derry shows this autumn to celebrate 45 years since their hit song Teenage Kicks was released.

The Derry band will play at the Millennium Forum in Derry on Friday, November 24.

They will then play at The Telegraph Building in Belfast the next night, on Saturday, November 25.

The gigs will also see the five-piece joined by a host of special guests, Buzzcocks, Neville Staple from The Specials, The Outcasts and DJ Terri Hooley.

John ONeill, Damian ONeill, Feargal Sharkey, Billy Doherty and Michael Bradley emerged from the north-west as The Undertones in 1976.

Even by the standards of that decade, Derry was not the rock and roll capital of anywhere.

With no live bands worth watching, the musicians learned by listening to mail order records, reading one of the few copies of NME that made it to Derry, but most of all from listening to DJ John Peels show on BBC Radio One.

Practicing in their bedrooms eventually led to the band recording John ONeills Teenage Kicks in 1978 on Terri Hooley's Good Vibrations label in Belfast.

The legendary John Peel received a copy and liked it so much he played it twice in a row on his radio show.

The Undertones then signed with Sire Records and Teenage Kicks was re- released, resulting in the band's first appearance on Top Of The Pops.

Over the next five years, John O Neill, crafted further pop gems such as `Here Comes The Summer`, Jimmy Jimmy`, `Youve Got My Number (Why Dont You Use It) and Wednesday Week whilst Damian ONeill and Michael Bradley contributed My Perfect Cousin.

They also recorded four highly acclaimed LPs.

In 1983, Feargal Sharkey left the band to pursue a solo career and the remaining members decided to call it a day.

The band remained silent for the next 16 years, but in 1999 The Undertones reconvened, without Feargal Sharkey, to perform to a new generation of fans in Derry.

Fellow Derryman Paul McLoone replaced Sharkey on vocals and after much consideration they released an LP of new songs called `Get What You Need', which was critically acclaimed by Q magazine, Uncut, Rolling Stone and Hot Press.

Tickets for their upcoming shows are now available from ticketmaster.ie and milenniumforum.co.uk.
Liam Neeson In the Land of Saints and Sinners.

Ballymena star Liam Neesons latest movie project will see him reprise his role as driver Mike McCann, in a sequel to his 2021 thriller, Ice Road.

The original film saw Neesons character take on treacherous terrain in Northern Canada and this time, the story will follow him as he travels to mountains in Nepal to scatter the ashes of his late brother on Mount Everest.

But, on a packed tour bus traversing the worlds highest climb, Mike and his guide must fight for their lives and others, against a group of Nepalese mercenaries.

Writer-director Jonathan Hensleigh, who wrote Die Hard with a Vengeance and Armageddon is also involved in the new film.

Production is due to start in the first quarter of 2024.

The original movie sold to Netflix in a record $18M US deal and was also sold to a host of international distributors.

Neeson is also due to start filming for another thriller, The Rikers Ghost, this September.

The evergreen action man will play a convict forced to break a terrorist out of prison.

The thriller he filmed in Ireland last year, In the Land of Saints and Sinners, is due for release this autumn.
A childrens author and illustrator from Belfast has said its never too late to take a different path, after being shortlisted for prestigious awards following her debut book release.
A retired Co Down teacher, who was diagnosed with skin cancer last year, has urged others to protect themselves from dangerous UV rays as we approach the summer months.

George Blackwood ,(67) from Bangor, said he was shocked to learn of his diagnosis last July.

The former teacher and education manager, who is now cancer-free thanks to surgery removing cancerous cells, said he now covers up to ensure he can continue to watch his five-year-old granddaughter grow up.

Mr Blackwoods experience comes as Action Cancer launched a new skin cancer detection service in Northern Ireland, which has one of the highest incidences of skin cancer in the UK.

The former teacher said that he had always been quite cautious of the sun and was worried when he first heard the word cancer from his doctor.

I would always have been quite good at wearing suncream and a cap, he said. I would be out in the sun a lot and I always tried to be cautious of the sun.

While in Spain last March, Mr Blackwood started to notice a sign of skin cancer as a mole on his leg began to enlarge.

Ive had this mole on my right calf for most of my adult life and when I was on holiday with my wife I noticed it had enlarged and changed colour and there was a little bit of blood, so I thought to myself, Ill have to check that out, he explained.

Once he returned home from his holiday, Mr Blackwood booked an appointment with his GP to get the mole checked. My GP was very good, he said. I got in to see them right away, as soon as she saw it she said, Yeah, we are getting that removed.

The GP referred Mr Blackwood to the Dermatology Clinic in Bangor Community Hospital where a biopsy was taken and sent for analysis.

The sample came back as malignant and Mr Blackwood required surgery to ensure all of the cancerous cells were removed.

Thankfully, the operation was successful and he is now cancer-free.

Mr Blackwoods advice to others is to cover up as much as possible when in the sun either at home or abroad.

Suncream is good but they said to me that the best protection against the sun is clothes, he said.

I know when its hot everyone wants to wear shorts and things but I was in Italy there and I wore jeans the whole time because it is just so much better protection against the sun.

Mr Blackwood also suggests wearing a cap on hotter days.

I think its important to always wear a cap to protect your head and your ears, especially for the men like myself who no longer have their hair to help protect them, he said.

Mr Blackwood also urged anyone with the symptoms of skin cancer to visit their GP as soon as possible. Just go and get it checked out because the sooner you catch it, the easier it is to treat, he said.

Action Cancers detection service, in partnership with the Department of Health, aims to help people concerned about a new or changing skin lesion.

The free skin cancer detection service is offered on the charitys Big Bus alongside the existing services of breast screening and health checks.

It is hoped that the bus will visit 200 locations across Northern Ireland annually, with 80% of the visits to areas of high deprivation where health inequalities are greatest.
A Co Tyrone man has been remanded in custody on charges relating to a vicious attack in which a female was allegedly raped, beaten, strangled, drugged and prevented from escaping.

While the complainant was fearful of calling police during the incident in case her alleged assailant discovered this, she managed to audio record the two hours and 20 minute incident on her phone.

Christopher Rice (38), from Lammy Drive, Omagh is charged with rape, inflicting grievous bodily harm, sexual assaults, false imprisonment, threats to kill, attempting to choke and intentionally administering a stupefying substance.

A detective constable told Dungannon Magistrates Court all charges, which allegedly occurred on April 10, could be connected.

He explained the complainants father contacted police reporting she was in South West Acute Hospital having been seriously assaulted.

Officers attended and it was confirmed she had sustained three broken ribs, a punctured lung, two black eyes and substantial bruising to her face and body.

She explained that she was socialising with Rice and others when an argument broke out. He demanded she take off her clothes, and when she refused, he allegedly slapped and punched her numerous times, before pulling off her trousers and ripping her bra.

She was ordered to lie down then thrown on the floor and sexually assaulted, it was claimed.

When she tried to get away, Rice prevented her and allegedly warned: This would be her last day.

At some point he gave her five sleeping tablets which she felt compelled to take, the court heard.

She again tried to escape but was pushed onto a sofa, punched repeatedly and another sexual assault was said to have occurred. He then tied a T-shirt around her neck until she fell unconscious.

When she came round, Rice was asleep and the complainant phoned her father, who, seeing her injuries, took her straight to hospital.

After being discharged, she attended Omagh PSNI Station, provided a statement and explained that, although unable to phone for help, she had audio recorded the incident.

This was obtained by police who discovered over two hours of a vicious assault with approximately 100 punches and slaps heard in graphic detail, while the complainant screams and begs Rice to stop.

Throughout this he shouts, Shut your f*****g mouth, Dont you f*****g move unless youre told you dirty bitch, Youre going to get busted, Ill kill you, do you think its going to choose how? Youre going to get f*****n killed if you dont f****g say, Move and youre dead and Youre not walking out, theres no way out.

Rice was arrested and denied any offences occurred, instead contending the complainant had an argument with another female and he had to restrain her.

He was released pending further enquiries, returning on April 27. During interview, he insisted any injuries were from rough sex and while he saw blood on the complainants lip, didnt believe he caused it.

When sections of the audio recording were played, he said it was exaggerated and the violence wasnt as bad as it sounded.

Objecting to bail, the detective said the complainant is in fear for her life and has left her home and taken refuge elsewhere.

A defence solicitor argued bail could be granted and police had seen fit to release Rice after he was first arrested and there was full cooperation through all interviews.

However, Deputy District Judge Sean OHare noted: The defendant doesnt deny the accuracy of the recording, although presents it differently. The overall picture is of a serious matter. Im not satisfied any conditions could be imposed to address the risks at this time.

Rice was remanded in custody to appear again at Omagh Magistrates Court on May 23.
Alex McCrory (61) was last month acquitted of charges arising from an M15 bugging operation in a Lurgan park in December 2013 by Mr Justice O'Hara.

McCrory, along with co-accused Colin Duffy and Henry Fitzsimons, both 55, have been at the centre of one of the longest-running terrorist trials which started in March 2019.

Defence teams for all three launched no case to answer applications in a bid to have the charges thrown out.

Mr Justice O'Hara gave his ruling on the applications in March, and while he rejected bids made on behalf of Duffy and Fitzsimons, he acquitted McCrory who was found not guilty on five charges which included preparing and directing terrorism, and membership or professing to be a member of the IRA.

The Crown was granted time to consider whether or not to appeal Mr Justice O'Hara's ruling regarding McCrory and the case was listed at Belfast Crown Court again today.

After being told the Crown would not be appealing, Mr Justice O'Hara discharged McCrory.

The judge said he would review the case regarding Duffy and Fitzsimons on May 5.
Two men have appeared in court on charges arising from the death of a man whose remains were discovered in a Co Antrim reservoir.

The partially submerged body of 54-year old Roy Reynolds was found at North Woodland Reservoir last March.

Michael Campbell (34) and 69-year old Robert Mervyn Fulton appeared at Belfast Crown Court on Friday via video-link with Maghaberry.

Campbell, with an address listed as Maghaberry, was charged with murdering Mr Reynolds on a date between March 26 and 29, 2022, which he denies.

He was also charged with, and pleaded guilty to, attempting to prevent the lawful and decent burial of a deceased body on March 28, 2022.

Co-accused Fulton was charged with assisting offenders on a date between March 26 and 29, 2022.

From Brickhill Park in Newtownabbey, he pleaded not guilty to a charge of knowing that Michael Campbell had committed murder, he assisted the said person in removing, transporting and attempting to conceal the deceased body.

Campbell's barrister Stephen Toal told Mr Justice O'Hara he had "agreed the vast majority of the Crown case" and the "dispute will be quite narrow at trial.

Mr Toal added he was seeking medical records and reports in respect of his client.

Fulton's barrister Paul Bacon told the judge he had also agreed to a majority of the case and further medical reports were being sought.

After being told the trial is expected to last no more than two weeks, Mr Justice O'Hara set the date for the hearing as September 4, and both defendants were remanded back into custody.
Mimnagh was ordered to pay 20,000 in compensation to Tennent's NI and Lavery will pay the company 10,000 in restitution.

Both men are involved in supplying kegs to the beer industry. Stock image.

Two men have been sentenced over the theft of empty beer kegs worth more than 250,000.

Eamon Mimnagh (59), of Blackfort Road, Omagh, received a two-year sentence suspended for three years after he pleaded guilty to two counts of stealing beer kegs to the value of 202,070.

Steven Lavery, (59), of Railway Cottages, Helen's Bay, Co Down, admitted the theft of beer kegs worth 50,380 and received an 18-month sentence suspended for three years.

Both men are involved in supplying kegs to the beer industry.

Mimnagh owns Kegs Direct Ireland which supplies beer kegs to pubs in Tyrone and Fermanagh, and Lavery owns Kegs Direct Northern Ireland out of premises in Mallusk, Co Antrim.

Belfast Crown Court heard that, in 2019, Co Down-based alcohol wholesalers Tennent's NI Ltd reported to police a "suspicion of a large-scale theft of empty beer kegs'' from its premises.

Prosecution barrister James Johnston told Judge Paul Ramsey KC that all beer kegs sold by breweries remained their property and buyers are under a contractual obligation to return the empty beer kegs, each valued at 66, to the wholesaler or the brewery directly.

"As a result of the complaint by Tennant's, police started surveillance operations into the activities of both defendants,'' said Mr Johnston.

"On Sunday, February 10, 2019, a surveillance operation on Lavery observed 916 beer kegs being loaded onto a lorry.''

Mr Johnston said 468 beer kegs are normally loaded onto lorries on pallets in an upright position, "but in this case no pallets were used and 916 kegs were stacked on their sides and the Dublin-registered lorry was packed to capacity''.

He added: "The lorry then made its way to Belfast docks and it was tracked to Cairnryan in Scotland and ultimately to Lithuania where it was unloaded as part of a pre-arranged sale. None of these stolen kegs were recovered.''

It was also heard surveillance operations were conducted against Mimnagh on March 9, 2019 and March 25, 2019 where a single lorry was observed being loaded with beer kegs by Mimnagh and his two nephews.

The kegs were packed on their sides and then Mimnagh drove the lorry to Belfast docks on each occasion. None of these kegs, worth 100,760, were ever recovered.

A further surveillance operation was carried out on April 8, 2019, where two lorries were being filled "in an identical fashion''.

"The lorries were intercepted at Dublin docks before boarding a boat. They had been booked to go to Germany and ultimately onto Lithuania.''

A total of 1,842 kegs were recovered at Dublin port with a value of 101,310.

Mr Johnston said the aggravating factors were the very high value of the thefts, the stolen kegs were sold for profit and the high degree of planning involved.

According to his defence counsel Kieran Mallon KC, Mimnagh is "very ashamed of his involvement'' and "his good name is now gone''.

Niall Hunt KC for Lavery said testimonials submitted on his behalf referred to him as an "honourable man, a decent man, very hard working, ready to help and ready to give advice''.

He added: "He has brought shame on himself and his family. He will never be before the court again.''

Judge Ramsey noted that Tennent's have now tightened up procedures to make sure this never happens again.

Addressing the defendants, he said: "One does not expect to find gentlemen like you in a Crown Court facing serious charges like this.

"This has been a fall from grace for both of you. You have both indicated how this has brought shame on your professional and personal lives, not just on yourself but also on your families.

"Even though I am suspending these prison sentences, you will still have these convictions against your names.''

Mimnagh was ordered to pay 20,000 in compensation to Tennent's NI and Lavery will pay the company 10,000 in restitution.
Michelle O'Neill meets with governors and parents at St Mary's PS to lend her support to the campaign to save the school from closure

First Minister designate Michelle O'Neill has called for a decision to close St Mary's PS in Fivemiltown to be reversed

Michelle ONeill has called for a proposal to close a Co Tyrone primary school at the end of the academic year to be withdrawn.

The long-running campaign to save St Marys in Fivemiletown received a boost with the Sinn Fein vice-president lending her support to parents and pupils when she visited on Thursday.

St Marys, which has seen an increase in pupil numbers in the last few years, is listed to close at the end of the current school year, with campaigners outlining the widespread community support for it to be saved.

The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS), through the EA, recommended the school to close, a move which will see the pupils spilt across various locations.

Rural primary schools have been looking over their shoulders since the EA designated 105 pupils as the minimum sustainability threshold outside Belfast and Londonderry, leaving almost 250 primary schools under the sustainable figure.

At St Marys, which is not in financial deficit, pupil numbers have risen from 32 in 2021/22 to 42 in 2022/23, and a further surge in applications means they would reach 48 this September.

Ms ONeill heard parents and members of the board of governors set out their evidence to demonstrate the sustainability of the school.

I was incredibly impressed by the passion and determination of the representatives of the school community that I met, she said.

The children were clearly happy and thriving. The school is a bright and vibrant place, and parish priest Fr Brendan Gallagher is clear how vital a role the school plays in the parish.

The parents and governors who I met presented robust and verifiable evidence to show the schools growing enrolment, its strong financial position and the educational outcomes it is achieving for the children.

Thats why I will be acting urgently to ensure my opposition to the proposal to close the school is made clear to the Department of Education and call on CCMS to withdraw the proposal.

Closing a small, rural school like this is not in the interests of anyone in the Fivemiletown community, and is the antithesis of the progress weve made over the last 25 years.

Chair of the board of governors, Fergal Foy, said parents were delighted to win the support of Ms ONeill.

We were delighted that Michelle ONeill and her team took the time to meet with us, talk to parents and children at the school, and really hear the concerns we have about this proposal, and the impact it would have on our community, he said.

Having fought this campaign for so long, it was a huge boost to have her truly engaging with us on the detail of why our school must stay open. We will continue to fight for our schools survival and are so grateful for all of the support we continue to receive.

Earlier this week, the Department of Educations permanent secretary Mark Browne approved an EA plan to close Kingsmills Primary School in Co Armagh on August 31.

That decision was made despite only three out of 127 responses to an initial consultation on the school's future backing closure.

Mr Browne said he had "carefully considered all the information, evidence and views presented".

"The closure of any school is a particularly difficult decision and I acknowledge the strength of feeling expressed in support of the school by the local school community," he added.

"However, sustainability must be the platform for the delivery of a high-quality education for the children. It is clear to me that Kingsmills PS is not sustainable and the evidence presented to me provides no confidence that it can achieve a sustainable position in the future.
Joe Biden had to be reminded by a child that the last country he visited was the island of Ireland.

The US President had difficulty remembering his trip, which took place just two weeks ago, during a Take Your Child to Work event at the White House on Thursday.

The 80-year-old arrived at Belfast International Airport on Tuesday, April 11, on Air Force One where he was greeted on the tarmac by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

President Biden then travelled in his motorcade for his one-night stay in Belfasts Grand Central Hotel.

Speaking to the crowd of children at the White House, President Biden, who announced he will re-run for election in 2024 earlier this week, was asked which country he last travelled to.

The last country Ive travelled, Im trying to think of the last one I was in, Mr Biden said to children of administration staffers and members of the media.

Ive been to, met with 89 heads of state so far. So, uh, trying to think where was the last place I was; its hard to keep track.

Ireland, a child shouted, jogging the presidents memory.

Yeah, youre right, Ireland. Thats where it was, Mr Biden replied.

Howd you know that?

During the Presidents brief stay in Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, he told those gathered at a landmark speech at Ulster University that he hopes for a return to power-sharing at Stormont.

He described how Belfast has transformed from the city he visited in 1991, saying it was an incredible testament to the power and the possibilities of peace.

Days after the 25th anniversary of the agreement, President Biden said that protecting the stability was an issue that united a divided America, adding that the exceptional peace should be the birthright of every child in Northern Ireland for all the days to come.

He also insisted stable devolved government could deliver an economic windfall for the region and hailed the Windsor Framework as addressing the practical realities of Brexit.

President Biden then travelled south of the border for a further three days during his visit.

During a trip to Dundalk, the President mistakenly referred to the New Zealand All Blacks as the Black and Tans.

Mr Biden was standing near former Irish rugby international and his distant relative Rob Kearney at the time.

For his speech in Dundalks Windsor Bar, Mr Biden thanked his distant cousin for the tie he was wearing and referenced Irelands first win against the All Blacks in Chicago in 2016.

This [tie] was given to me by one of these guys, right here, he said.

[Kearney] was a hell of a rugby player. He beat the hell out of the Black and Tans.

However, The White House has said it was "very clear" that President Biden was referring to the New Zealand rugby team the All Blacks when he made the mistaken reference.
Jim Allister has shared a photograph of his invitation to King Charles coronation next week.

The TUV leader said he is pleased on behalf of those TUV represents to be invited to the Coronation.

Sinn Feins Michelle ONeill and Alex Maskey are also both to attend the coronation of King Charles III on May 6.

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The DUP welcomed the move but urged Sinn Fein to go a step further by agreeing to Union flags being flown on all publicly-funded buildings on Coronation day.

Confirming she would be attending the coronation, Ms ONeill said: We are living in a time of great change. A time to respect our differing and equally legitimate aspirations, a time to firmly focus on the future and the opportunities that the next decade will bring.

I am an Irish Republican. I also recognise there are many people on our island for whom the coronation is a hugely important occasion, she added.

I am committed to being a First Minister for all, representing the whole community, building good relations between the people of these islands, and advancing peace and reconciliation through respectful and mature engagement.

Therefore, as First Minister Designate, I will join President of Ireland Michael D Higgins, international figures, church leaders, other party leaders and the Assembly Speaker Alex Maskey for the coronation in London.

Sinn Feins Michelle ONeill has insisted her attendance at the Kings coronation is more than just a gesture

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson also confirmed last month that he will be attending the Kings coronation.

It followed reports that the DUP leader had been side-lined as a result of his partys ongoing boycott of Stormont, which Mr Donaldson dubbed as fake news.

As @duponline leader Ive already confirmed I will be attending the coronation service, he tweeted.

"The Royal Family is above party politics in Northern Ireland and I hope all will respect this.
Police are growing increasingly concerned for the well-being of 22-year-old Ciaran Sadlier who has been reported missing from the north Belfast area.

Ciaran was reported missing from Dunmurry last month and, despite extensive enquiries and an earlier media appeal, he has not been located.

Described as being around 59 in height with short black hair and a pale complexion, he was last seen with a dark goatee beard.

If you have any information as to Ciaran's whereabouts, or have seen him, please contact 101 and quote serial number 1040 of 15/03/23.
Detectives investigating suspected criminal activity linked to the east Belfast UVF conducted searches at business and residential properties in the Newtownards and Comber areas on Friday.

Detective Sergeant Thompson from the Paramilitary Crime Task Force, explained that during searches, a number of items were seized including a quantity of cash, a number of high-value watches, electrical items and suspected drugs paraphernalia, which will be examined in due course.

We will continue to work with communities and partners to disrupt those involved in criminal activity and reduce the harm they cause to our society, he added.

The PSNI appealed to anyone with information or concerns about illegal activity, or anyone with any information that can assist its investigations, to call police on 101, or submit a report online using our non-emergency reporting form.

The public can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online.
At the April meeting of the Belfast City Councils planning committee, councillors unanimously agreed to the erection of life-size bronze sculpture of Frederick Douglass - three years after the council agreed a motion on the installation.

It will be placed on an existing planter at Lombard Street.

The original proposal for the statue came from Sinn Fein.

The proposed sculpture will measure 2.43 metres in height including the plinth, will be cast in bronze and will be a dark brown colour.

Douglass was a former slave who became a national leader of the abolitionist movement in America.

He first visited Belfast in 1845 at the invitation of the Belfast Anti-Slavery Society and returned for a second visit in 1846.

He delivered at least 11 lectures during his four weeks in Belfast in 1845, including in the Rosemary Street Presbyterian Church, close to where it is intended that the sculpture will be installed.

The council planning report states: The Conservation Officer has been consulted regarding the proposal; subject to their comments, it is not thought that the proposal would have a significant adverse impact on the character of the wider conservation area.

In terms of the impact on public safety, the proposal is located on Lombard Street.

Given the planter base already exists and will be retained, with the statue erected on it, it is not thought that the proposal would have a significant adverse impact on public safety.

There were no objections to the plan from any of the statutory consultees, but one late anonymous objection was submitted to the council.

The officer told the recent meeting of the planning committee: We have received a late item in the form of an anonymous representation raising the following issues, (namely) that there was a date error with the committee date meeting in the report, which has been noted and corrected, and that the main advertisement period has not yet expired.

We have addressed this in the report and sought delegated authority for officers to address any further material matters raised through neighbour notification processes.

She added: Concerns were raised that we were determining the application without responses from the Conservation Officer or from the Historic Environment Division [HED].

The Conservation Officer has now responded with no objections.

HED is still outstanding but delegated authority is being sought to apply any conditions to the application.

A further representation was made regarding the Department for Infrastructure Roads Division not being consulted.

We considered that because it is not an adopted surface, that it is within eight metres of the Rosemary and Lombard Street junction, and that because notice was served to DfI as the landowner through the application process, that no further consultation was deemed necessary.

And because the proposal of the statue is considered to enhance the public realm at this location, and not cause a detrimental impact, the consultation was also not deemed necessary by the landscape team and the tree officer.
Detectives investigating the murder of a pregnant teacher believe they have discovered the body of her missing partner.

Police Scotland had been hunting David Yates, 36, in connection with the death of Marelle Sturrock at her home in Jura Street, Glasgow, on Tuesday morning.

The 35-year-old was 29 weeks pregnant. Her unborn baby did not survive.

Officers had been carrying out an intensive search of Mugdock Country Park, around nine miles from Ms Sturrocks home, and announced on Thursday they had found a body at the adjacent Mugdock Reservoir.

Police said that while the body was yet to be formally identified, it was believed to be that of Yates.

The force added that reports would be sent to the procurator fiscal.

Marelle Sturrock (Family handout/PA)   Family Handout

Police divers had been involved in the search and large areas of the reservoir were cordoned off with police tape, with officers standing guard.

Detective Superintendent Nicola Kilbane said: Our thoughts are with Marelles family and friends, along with everyone affected by this tragedy.

We are providing her family with specialist support at this incredibly difficult time.

The headteacher at Sandwood Primary School in Glasgow, where Ms Sturrock worked, said the community is devastated.

Police in Mugdock Country Park (Lucinda Cameron/PA)   Lucinda Cameron

Fiona Donnelly said: Marelle has been a much-loved member of our school community since her probationary year more than six years ago and has taught many year groups throughout her time at the school.

We will all miss her so much.

She was a lovely, kind, diligent and considerate person who loved and made time for everyone.

Marelle used her artistic talents across the school and was our music champion who has been a key player in the success of our school choirs, with one of her classes going to see her on stage at The Kings (Theatre) in one of her many acting roles outside of school.

We are a school community in mourning and are devasted by the tragic news of her death and pass on our deepest condolences to her family and friends as we all come to terms with our loss.

Parents at the school were told of the death in a letter on Wednesday and education psychologists are on hand to support pupils.

Ms Sturrock was from Wick, Caithness, but moved to Glasgow when she was 17 to pursue a career in the performing arts.

She became a primary school teacher after completing a postgraduate diploma in education.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to the media after his address to the Scottish Tory conference in Glasgow (Andrew Milligan/PA)   Andrew Milligan

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has rejected claims he attempted to dodge journalists at the Scottish Conservative conference after a planned press conference almost descended into chaos.

Number 10 officials originally planned to have a press conference with the Prime Minister after his address to the event in Glasgow, with seven journalists allowed access and six of them permitted to ask questions.

But more than the invited reporters arrived at the press conference, irked at what they claimed was a lack of access to the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, right, with Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross during the Tory conference in Glasgow (Andrew Milligan/PA)   Andrew Milligan

Officials initially allowed them to stay, with only the invited media permitted to put their questions to Mr Sunak.

But with the Prime Minister running late for the press conference following his speech, an aide told journalists he would now only be doing a single interview with a broadcaster that could be shared with other outlets  prompting outrage from those in the room.

Tensions rose during an exchange between the waiting press pack and two Downing Street aides, when broadcasters refused to interview the Prime Minister.

Almost an hour later, as a result of negotiations between journalists and Number 10, aides said Mr Sunak would speak to the journalists, taking questions from the six initial invitees, and do a pooled broadcast interview.

Questioned on the situation when the huddle started more than an hour later than planned, Mr Sunak rejected accusations of a lack of transparency.

Just yesterday, I filmed quite an extensive interview with BBC Scotland, a part of which was pooled and mad available to other broadcasters, and Ive just done another pool clip earlier today, and Im speaking to half a dozen of you here, which was always the plan, he said.

Put to him that the press conference only went ahead because of the protests of journalists, the Prime Minister said: Thats just completely wrong, completely wrong.

I was always due to speak to, I think, about half a dozen or so (journalists) today.

A spokesman for the Scottish Parliamentary Journalists Association  which represents reporters working at Holyrood  said: Journalists expect to be able to hold the Prime Minister to account when he is in Scotland as a vital part of the democratic process.

Todays actions to restrict access are unprecedented and undermine that important principle.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said later that journalists had been rightly upset about it.

He said: I will be making the strongest possible representations to Number 10 about it.

Speaking about the situation, Mr Ross added: It was unnecessary and shouldnt have happened.

I always speak to the press, have as many questions as you need to take.
Downing Street has rejected calls to widen the eligibility for evacuation beyond British passport holders (PA)   PO Phot Arron Hoare

The UK will end evacuation flights from Sudan within the next 24 hours, the Government has announced.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said rescue operations would cease following a significant decline in the number of British nationals coming forward to flee the war-torn country.

Some 1,573 people on 13 flights have been evacuated from the Wadi Saeedna airfield near the capital of Khartoum but thousands more UK passport holders may remain.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is urging those left in Sudan to travel to the site before 12pm local time on Saturday in order to be processed for the last flight.

It comes amid criticism of the pace of the British evacuation, which was bought more time after a three-day extension to the ceasefire between warring generals was agreed on Thursday.

Mr Dowden denied the Government would effectively abandon those who have been unable to make the potentially dangerous journey to the airfield with its decision to cease flights.

I wouldnt accept that characterisation. The first thing I would say is that every single British national that has come forward and their eligible dependants have been put safely on to a plane, he said.

A British soldier checks the identification of evacuees at Wadi Saeedna airfield (PO Phot Arron Hoare/MoD/PA)   PO Phot Arron Hoare

We are seeing those numbers declining significantly and, just like other countries, as those numbers decline we have put an end date on this.

He said consular assistance will remain available at exit routes from the country after the end of evacuation flights.

Downing Street has so far rejected calls to widen the eligibility for evacuation beyond British passport holders and their immediate family.

Concerns have been raised that the current approach could see families split up or some members left behind, with Labour calling on ministers to use the longer window to extend eligibility for evacuation before it is too late.
Two teenagers who killed an elderly woman by stuffing a lit firework through her letterbox have been locked up.

Josephine Smith, 88, is believed to have been asleep in bed when the Megaburst firework exploded and set her home ablaze on October 28 2021.

A 17-year-old boy, who delivered the firework for a dare, had pleaded guilty to affray, manslaughter and arson and was locked up for three years and eight months.

Kai Cooper, 19, of Leatherhead, Surrey, who encouraged him, was found guilty of her manslaughter and arson, having earlier admitted affray.

He was locked up for six-and-a-half years with a further two years on extended licence.

Kai Cooper, 19, who was found guilty of manslaughter (Met Police/PA)   Metropolitan Police

Judge Mark Dennis said the two defendants had mischief in mind when they set out to buy fireworks that evening.

He told them: Your wanton and reckless conduct led to the death of a vulnerable and much-loved person.

As they appeared at the Old Bailey to be sentenced on Friday, the court heard the pair had been in trouble since the age of 14.

The younger boy, who has autism spectrum disorder, had convictions for battery and public order offences and had set light to things in the past.

Cooper had convictions for common assault, street robbery and battery that the judge said showed a violent aggressive streak to his character.

Just 24 hours before the fatal arson, the pair were involved in an attack on a woman in Ilford town centre which was captured on Coopers mobile phone.

The video clips showed a young woman walking towards the camera and the 17-year-old holding a pole.

As the youth struck her, the women held her arms up to shield her face and Cooper shouted out: Smoke her, smoke her bro.

A second video clip showed the woman on the ground and the youth standing over her, attacking her with his foot.

Cooper is heard to say: Boot her in the face, man. Just one tap on her face. Do it. One boot in her face. Stamp it.

The youth then stamped on her face and Cooper responded: Yes bro.

The next day, the pair went into a firework shop in Romford, east London, and Cooper asked for something that would go far and quick.

Cooper commented: Im trying to get fireworks, let them off at people. People are going to get terrorised tonight.

The pair then made their way towards Mrs Smiths home in Queens Park Road which was randomly selected.

En route, the two youths set off fireworks in the street, next to a restaurant and a pub, near cars, and even towards frightened pedestrians.

Acting on a dare, the 17-year-old lit a firework and put it through the letterbox of Mrs Smiths home.

There were two explosions and a fire ripped through the house.

By the time firefighters had arrived, the property was smoke-logged and Mrs Smith had died in an upstairs bedroom.

Ms Smiths son, Alan Smith, who attended court, said: Losing Mum in such a horrible way has haunted our entire family. Mum was so loved by all of us and had many more happy years ahead of her.

The issue surrounding the sale of fireworks to the public is a fight that we intend to continue. In addition, the irresponsible way those fireworks were sold on that night haunts all of us that have seen the footage.

Previously, the younger defendant was handed a youth rehabilitation and training order and Cooper given six weeks in a young offenders institute for the earlier filmed attack on a young woman.
A police officer unglues the hand of a climate activist from the road in front of the Victory Column, Berlin (Kay Nietfeld/dpa/AP)   Kay Nietfeld

Climate activists have staged a 10th straight day of protests in Berlin, blocking key roads during rush hour and bringing parts of the German capital to a standstill.

Members of the group Last Generation glued themselves to the road, causing long traffic jams for commuters driving into the city.

The group wants to draw attention to the threat of global warming and the need for governments to step up measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

At a crossing in the north of the capital, many drivers waited patiently for police to clear the road, though some hurled abuse at the activists, calling them terrorists and scum.

A police officer attempts to remove the hand of a climate activist from the road at Grosser Stern, in front of the Victory Column, in Berlin (Kay Nietfeld/dpa/AP)   Kay Nietfeld

Several pedestrians applauded the protesters, giving them a thumbs-up, while one passer-by offered them food and water.

Last Generation has acknowledged its protests are provocative but says by stirring friction it can encourage debate within society about climate change.

Sure, there are those who insult or criticise us, activist Theodor Schnarr said.

But Ive got the feeling that more and more people are coming to us on the streets and saying they think this is a good thing.

Mr Schnarr said the group believes disruptive but peaceful protests are justified due to the enormity of the climate crisis and the urgent need to tackle it.

We have all the solutions. The German government just needs to implement them, he said.

Climate activist Theodor Schnarr, second left, blocks a road with other activists during a climate protest in Berlin (Frank Jordans/AP)   Frank Jordans

But Frank Silzle, a motorist inconvenienced by Fridays blockade, said while he agrees with the groups aims he objects to its tactics.

Ultimately I think its counterproductive, what theyre doing, he said.

I understand their cause completely but the way theyre going about it is sadly causing a counter-reaction within the population that is very, very harmful to the cause.

Some German politicians have called for tougher police measures and sentences against the activists.

So far, most courts have either acquitted activists or issued them fines, though three Last Generation members recently received prison sentences ranging from three to five months in southern Germany.

The group plans to meet with Germanys transportation minister next week to discuss its demands.

They include the introduction of a universal speed limit on German motorways, a move experts say would be a quick and cheap measure to cut emissions.
Former vice president Mike Pence has given evidence in private to a federal grand jury investigating efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, according to a source.

Mr Pences appearance before a grand jury in Washington scrutinising the ex-president he once loyally served is a milestone in the Justice Departments investigation and is likely to give prosecutors a key first-person account about certain conversations and events in the weeks preceding the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6 2021.

It also carries significant political implications as Mr Pence hints at entering the 2024 presidential race and a potential run against Mr Trump, the Republican front-runner.

The evidence came hours after a federal appeals court in a sealed order rejected a bid by Mr Trumps lawyers to block Mr Pences appearance.

Th ex-vice president was subpoenaed to give evidence earlier this year, but Mr Trumps lawyers objected, citing executive privilege concerns.

Donald Trump (Charles Krupa/AP)   Charles Krupa

A judge in March refused to block Mr Pences appearance, but he did side with the former vice presidents constitutional claims that he could not be forced to answer questions about anything related to his role presiding over the Senates certification of votes on January 6.

Well obey the law, well tell the truth, Mr Pence said in an interview with CBS News aired on Sunday. And the story that Ive been telling the American people all across the country, the story that I wrote in the pages of my memoir, thatll be the story I tell in that setting.

He has spoken extensively about Mr Trump urging him to reject Democrat Joe Bidens presidential election victory in the days leading up to January 6, including in his book So Help Me God.

Mr Pence, as vice president, had a ceremonial role overseeing Congresss counting of the Electoral College vote but did not have the power to affect the results, despite Mr Trumps contention otherwise.

The former Indiana governor and congressman has said Mr Trump endangered his family and everyone else who was at the Capitol that day and history will hold him accountable.

For four years, we had a close working relationship. It did not end well, he wrote, summing up their time in the White House.

Lawyers for Mr Pence had raised their own, more narrow challenge to the subpoena. They argued that because he was serving in his capacity as president of the Senate as electoral votes were being counted in Congress on January 6, he was protected from being forced to give evidence about that process under the constitutions speech or debate clause, which is intended to protect members of Congress from being questioned about official legislative acts.

A judge agreed with that argument, effectively narrowing the scope of his expected evidence.

The Justice Department special counsel leading the investigation, Jack Smith, has cast a broad net in interviews and has sought the evidence of a long list of former Trump aides, including ex-White House counsel Pat Cipollone and former adviser Stephen Miller.

Mr Smith is separately investigating Mr Trump over the potential mishandling of hundreds of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, as well as possible efforts to obstruct that probe.

On Wednesday, Trump lawyers in that investigation called the Department of Justice investigation severely botched and politically infected and urged the House Intelligence Committee to step in by holding hearings and introducing legislation to correct classified document-handling procedures in the White House and to standardise procedures for presidents and vice presidents for when they leave office.

DOJ should be ordered to stand down, and the intelligence community should instead conduct an appropriate investigation and provide a full report to this committee, as well as your counterparts in the Senate, the lawyers wrote.
People walk by a house hit in recent fighting in Khartoum, Sudan, Tuesday, April 25, 2023. Sudans warring generals have pledged to observe a new three-day truce that was brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia to try to pull Africas third-largest nation from the abyss. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali)   Marwan Ali

The Sudanese military had accepted the deal earlier on Thursday.

The truce and its extension were brokered by the US and Saudi Arabia.

The existing truce, which had been due to expire at midnight on Thursday, has not stopped fighting between the two sides but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese to flee to safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate hundreds of their citizens by land and sea.

(PA Graphics)   PA Graphics

The agreements came on a day armed fighters rampaged through a city in Sudans war-ravaged region of Darfur, battling each other and looting shops and homes, residents said.

The violence comes amid a power struggle between Sudans two top generals which has killed hundreds.

The mayhem in the city of Genena illustrated how the fight for control in the capital Khartoum is spiralling into violence in other parts of Sudan.

The ceasefire brought a significant easing of fighting in Khartoum and its neighbouring city Omdurman for the first time since the military and a rival paramilitary force began clashing on April 15.

The relative calm has allowed foreign governments to airlift out hundreds of citizens, while tens of thousands of Sudanese have streamed out of Khartoum, seeking safer areas or escape abroad.

The military, led by General Abdel Fattah Burhan, said late on Thursday that it had accepted a 72-hour ceasefire extension brokered by the US and Saudi Arabia.

General Abdel-Fattah Burhan (Marwan Ali/AP)   Marwan Ali

US secretary of state Antony Blinken said earlier that we are very actively working to extend the ceasefire.

Weve had a 72-hour ceasefire which, like most ceasefires, is imperfect but nonetheless has reduced violence, he said. We want to make sure that, if possible, this is extended. Were very actively engaged on that. I hope and expect to have more information on that in the coming hours.

Even in the capital, fighting has not stopped, locals said, while in the western region of Darfur, residents said the violence was escalating to its worst yet.

Darfur has been a battleground between the military and the paramilitary RSF since the conflict began nearly two weeks ago. Residents said the fighting in Genena is dragging in tribal militias, tapping into longtime hatreds between the regions two main communities  one that identifies as Arab, the other as East or Central African.

In the early 2000s, African tribes in Darfur that had long complained of discrimination rebelled against the Khartoum government, which responded with a military campaign that the International Criminal Court later said amounted to genocide.

State-backed Arab militias known as the Janjaweed were accused of widespread killings, rapes and other atrocities. The Janjaweed later evolved into the RSF.

A man walks by a house hit in recent fighting in Khartoum (Marwan Ali/AP)   Marwan Ali

Early on Thursday, fighters wearing RSF uniforms attacked several neighbourhoods across Genena, driving families from their homes. The violence spiralled as tribal fighters joined the fray in Genena, a city of around half a million near the border with Chad.

It was often unclear who was fighting who, with a mix of RSF and tribal militias  some allies of the RSF, some opponents  all running rampant.

The military has largely withdrawn to its barracks, staying out of the clashes, and residents were taking up arms to defend themselves, said Dr Salah Tour, a board member of the Doctors Syndicate in West Darfur province, of which Genena is the capital.

The syndicate estimated that dozens of people were killed and hundreds wounded. Almost all of Genenas medical facilities, including its main hospital, have been out of service for days, and the sole functioning hospital is inaccessible because of the fighting.

Criminal gangs looted the main hospital, stealing vehicles and equipment and destroying the hospitals blood bank, the syndicate said.

Residents said the citys main open-air market was completely destroyed. Government offices and aid agencies compounds were trashed and repeatedly burned, including UN premises and the headquarters of the Sudanese Red Crescent.

Smoke fills the sky in Khartoum (Maheen S/AP)   Uncredited

Two major camps for displaced people have been burned down and their occupants  mainly women and children from African tribes  dispersed, said Abdel-Shafei Abdalla, a senior member of a local group that helps administer camps.

Elsewhere in Darfur, there have been sporadic clashes, particularly in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur province.

Thousands have fled their homes in Nyala, and others are too afraid to go outside for food and water. Earlier this month, fighters allegedly from the RSF destroyed and looted warehouses for the World Food Programme and other aid agencies in Nyala.

At least 512 people, including civilians and combatants, have been killed in Sudan since April 15, with another 4,200 wounded, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry. The Doctors Syndicate, which tracks civilian casualties, has recorded at least 295 civilians killed and 1,790 wounded.

Meanwhile, in Khartoum, residents reported gunfire and explosions in some areas on Thursday, and the militarys warplanes bombed RSF positions in the upscale neighbourhood of Kafouri.

Many are struggling to obtain food and water, and electricity is cut off across much of Khartoum and other cities, while multiple aid agencies have had to suspend operations.
Police officers take cover during an anti-gang operation in the Portail neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti (Odelyn Joseph/AP)   Odelyn Joseph

Two local journalists have been killed in Haiti as rampant gang violence grips the capital of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a statement on Thursday that radio reporter Dumesky Kersaint died in a shooting in mid-April, while journalist Ricot Jean was found dead on Tuesday.

The security crisis in the country is putting journalists at a constant risk of extreme violence. It is the authorities responsibility to make sure reporters can do their jobs without fear of violence, said Carlos Martinez de la Serna, CPJs programme director.

The National Association of Haitian Media also condemned the killings, saying the climate of tolerated and fuelled violence led to Mr Kersaints death.

He was an online journalist for Radio Tele Inurep, according to local media reports.

Meanwhile, Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste said Mr Jean was kidnapped on Monday and his body found the next day.

Mr Jean worked for Radio-Tele Evolution Inter, it said.

At least nine journalists were killed in Haiti last year, the deadliest year for Haitian journalism in recent history, according to Unesco.

Overall, at least 21 journalists were killed from 2000 to 2022 in Haiti, the organisation said.
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The Bible brings up the topic of love somewhere between 360-550 times, depending on the translation youre reading. Maybe love is often mentioned because God is a pure illustration of love. Throughout the Bible, Gods love is poured out and bestowed upon us.

From His creation to His myriad of promises, unfailing mercy and grace and His moral discipline, Gods love is proven by His attention to every detail of our lives. His love comes with no strings attached and is entirely unconditional and perfect. Gods love is the heart and epicenter of the Bible. First Corinthians gives us a preview of Gods love for us and asks us to spread this love with others.

The meaning behind 1 Corinthians 13.

Pauls first letter to the church of Corinth challenged believers to analyze their lives against Christs image. He especially emphasized love, specifically Christs love. Pauls mission was to bring the church together in fellowship and unify the church. Church gatherings were a little disorganized and chaotic at the time. Their mission was to spread the good news, but they were focused on becoming prideful and being heard instead of dispensing and delivering their knowledge in love.

So its no accident that this love chapter is placed perfectly between two passages on spiritual gifts. Paul wanted to encourage the church to use their understanding of spiritual gifts and Christ to spread Christs love but to do so in love. Fundamentally, saying you can do everything right, but you dont have anything if you dont have love, as detailed in 1 Corinthians 13:2-3. The essential meaning of 1 Corinthians 13 is that, as believers, we should imitate Jesus love by using our gifts to love and serve others as Jesus did.

So how do we love others as Christ loves us? This is where the beloved and well-known verse of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. If Jesus calls us to share in His love, we have to understand how He loved.

Loves characteristics.

Many of the characteristics of love are self-explanatory, but we have to see them through Christs lens. These love traits also may be easy to say, but theyre much more challenging to live out. First, love is patient and kind. Patience isnt an easy virtue to uphold in our daily lives. Whether its a snarky remark from a neighbor or an eye roll from your teenager, impatience can set in quickly, leaving a reaction short of being nice. However, were called to be kind, patient and kind. If we desire to share Christs love with others, we should do so gently, with a patient approach.

Secondly, love doesnt boast. At this point, we see a contrast in this verse. We know that love is kind and patient, but now we hear what love isnt. Its not self-seeking or boastful, yet how often do we pride ourselves in the good we do with selfish objectives? Sadly, selfishness is part of human nature. Naturally, people want to be liked, heard and acknowledged for their good deeds.

However, this verse flips that thinking around. As believers of Christ, we should put ourselves aside and amplify others needs. Not only that, but we should brag only about the Lord, acknowledging that Hes the One who uses every occurrence for good. This is the reason why testimonies are essential, as we share how God is faithful and good.

Love also doesnt keep a record of wrongdoings. The notorious scoreboard between two enthusiastic people isnt new. We see how the disciples denied, doubted and betrayed Jesus, comparing their love for Him against each other. Yet while these actions might have hurt Jesus, He forgave them and never discussed it again, never keeping score. Jesus calls us to do the same, freely forgiving and letting go. As His followers, we should follow Jesus example. When the scoreboard rears its ugly head, we must take our emotions to the Father, allowing Him to renew our hearts while seeking His guidance and wisdom.

Finally, love seeks truth, the absolute truth. As were attacked with countless data, logic, and views by our society and culture, we can take in numerous mixed messages, becoming confused about the truth. Its entirely possible that we need the truth now more than ever. The truth we discover in Gods word stands firm and is sturdy. We can see the evidence that His word is based on truth.

Why is this chapter so popular?

The fullness of 1 Corinthians 13 is popular because the book centers around love, the best gift we can ever give and receive. God gave us the gift through His Son, declaring His powerful love for us. We were created in the image of love and with love. God calls us to use our spiritual gifts to love and share His love with others. Love is the central theme of 1 Corinthians 13. Love is the word that never fails. It defeats all odds, giving us hope to love and be fully loved. Love is the heart of the Bible.

God loves us.

The Creator of the heavens and earth loves us. Were not an accident, no matter the by-product of a circumstance left here to look after Gods creation or your birth story. However, were part of the master plan. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us that God has a plan for every one of us: to flourish and give us hope and a future. We are chosen, created, designed, and loved by God the Father. Thats a truth to grab hold of and never let go. Gods love for us is not a love that we can get our way out of, drain, expire or use up. Instead, His love is infinite, just like He is.

God will always love us, and we cannot take His love and put it to the side. For some, its a lovely thought, a reminder that makes us feel warm inside and smile. However, for others, those words cause pain in their hearts. Some might feel they dont deserve Gods love or dont want His love. However, His love isnt like anything weve ever experienced.
The Life-Size Gundam in Yokohama Now Plays Rock Paper Scissors

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The Yokohama Gundam was already impressive, but now its hosting and competing in a rock paper scissors tournament.

Remember the life-size Gundam in Yokohama, Japan? Its been wowing tourists and locals alike since December 2020 when it took its first steps as a fully operational mobile suit. And now its adding a little rock paper scissors to its repertoire.

The Yokohama Gundam

In reality, the Gundam isnt quite operational the way you may have imagined after watching the anime. While it looks impressive, if not amazing, the entire mech is a complex statue tethered safely to its scaffolding. The entire piece weighs upwards of twenty-five tons, which is massive but still much lighter than you may think for a large structure. The inside is effectively stripped to nothing but essentials making it possible for the scaffolding to support it and for the RX-78-2 to move. Suffice it to say that while this is a marvel of fandom and engineering, this particular mobile suite wont be seeing battle or space flight.

Yet.

The Gundam Factory includes the Gundam Dock Tower, where fans can visit the mobile suite up close, look at all of the detail and moving parts, and the Gundam Lab, which is more of an exhibition facility and interactive museum. This is where visitors will be able to get the 5f piloting experience, get real-time operation information, learn about its structure, design, and mechanisms, and, of course, visit the gift shop to bring home a miniature version of the RX-78-2 for your very own. You can find more information on the Gundam Factory on their official site.

Originally Gundam Factory Yokohama was supposed to be a pretty limited exhibition, running from December 2020 through March 2022. But its still open, still operational, and according to their website will stay that way through March 2024! So if youve been putting off a trip to Japan, this may be the time to plan one.

Rock Paper Scissors

But none of that is new news. The Gundam has been impressing us since 2020. Recently though, the life-size RX-78-2 has learned (or more likely been programmed with) all of the necessary movements to play a game of rock paper scissors. And to demonstrate the mobile suits new trick, the Gundam Factory Yokohama will be hosting a rock paper scissors tournament on May 5th.

But, you may be wondering, do tournament entrants get to play against the Gundam? Yes. Yes, they do.

The RX-78-2 will play against everyone in the crowd and everyone remaining at the end will be allowed entrance into a normally off-limits area of the Gundam Factory for a special commemorative photo.

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In addition to this frankly perfect-sounding event, the Gundaom Factory will also be holding a few special events. Included are a rerun of the Minovsky Flight demonstration inspired by the film, Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway as well as food items inspired by Witch From Mercury.

Are you planning on visiting the Gundam Factory Yokohama and RX-78-2 for yourself? Which Gundam series was your favorite? Do you think you could beat a Gundam at rock paper scissors? Let us know in the comments!

Ja ne, adventurers!

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Author: Meaghan Colleran She/Her/They/Them | Writer, Cosplayer, Podcaster, Tapletop RPGer, Opossum Enthusiast, Mediocre Ukulele Player, & Coffee Addict. To find Meaghan elsewhere on the internet, check out her LinkTree at https://linktr.ee/habie_cosplays Any emails regarding articles or potential game or accessory spotlights can be sent to [email protected]

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Employees gather around an ambulance preparing to evacuate two workers who had been buried under nickel waste material at the PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park, April 27, 2023.

Two workers died after being buried under a heap of nickel waste at a processing plant in Indonesias Central Sulawesi province, the company said Friday, adding credence to allegations of poor and unsafe labor conditions at the Chinese-owned complex.

The accident at the PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park occurred Thursday when the Indonesian workers were dumping nickel waste known as slag, IMIP spokesman Dedy Kurniawan said.

We deeply regret that this incident happened, especially that there were two fatalities, Kurniawan told BenarNews.

The industrial estate is majority-owned by Chinas Tsingshan Steel Group. Earlier this year, Chinese workers filed a complaint claiming abuse at the same industrial park, while a mining watchdog alleged that seven people had died there since 2019.

Indonesia is one of the worlds largest producers of nickel, a key metal for electric vehicle batteries. The country banned nickel ore exports in 2013 and again in 2020 to boost its domestic smelter industry. China is a big investor in that Indonesian sector.

IMIP  a joint venture between Tsingshan and Indonesias Bintang Delapan Group  operates an integrated nickel-based industrial park covering 2,000 hectares (4,942 acres).

The two men  identified only as Arif and Masriadi  worked for PT Indonesia Guang Ching Nickel & Stainless Steel Industry, a subsidiary of IMIP, Kurniawan said.

The spokesman said the company had determined that the mishap happened while the victims were working without supervision during the lunch hour.

Meanwhile the police chief in Morowali, the regency where the plant is located, said it was investigating the incident.

A crack in the nickel waste storage area caused a slag landslide that buried the workers and two dump trucks, said Supriyanto, the local police chief.

The two victims only moved 10 meters from where they dumped the nickel waste material. After that they stopped to rest, he said in a statement after Kurniawan spoke to the media.

They could not save themselves and were immediately buried by the nickel waste material, said Supriyanto, who uses one name.

Arnold Firdaus Bandu, head of the Central Sulawesi Manpower and Transmigration Office, said his agency would inspect IMIPs safety procedures.

An evaluation will still be done, especially regarding worker safety, he told BenarNews.

The local and central governments should take work accidents at IMIP seriously, said Muhammad Taufik, an activist with the Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam), an NGO monitoring mining issues.

Has IMIP implemented the Mining Work Safety Management System properly? That needs to be investigated, so work accidents that cause fatalities like this do not happen again, he told BenarNews.

He also urged the government to impose sanctions on the company and to monitor its compliance with regulations.

Including Thursdays accident, seven IMIP employees apparently died at work between 2019 and 2023, according to Jatams records. The plant employs more than 81,000 people including about 10,000 foreign workers, mostly from China.

At least 15 other deaths  including two Chinese workers who committed suicide  have been recorded at China-owned nickel companies in the Morowali and North Morowali regencies, bringing to the number of fatalities to 22 since 2019, Taufik said.

Chinese investment

Chinese companies dominate the nickel smelter industry in Indonesia, according to information from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

Chinas investment in the sector has brought some benefits, such as job creation, technology transfer and infrastructure development, but some problems as well. These include environmental degradation, social conflict and unfair competition, according to a 2020 report by the Paramadina Public Policy Institute, a Jakarta-based think tank.

In a complaint lodged with the National Commission on Human Rights in Jakarta in March, three Chinese migrant workers claimed that they suffered from poor working conditions, health problems and exploitation. IMIP denied that the workers were employed by the company.

A riot broke out two months earlier at PT Gunbuster Nickel Industry (GNI), a China-owned nickel smelter in Morowali, killing a Chinese and an Indonesian worker.

Police said the violence was fanned by a false rumor that Chinese employees had attacked their Indonesian counterparts who were protesting over wages and workplace safety.

The incident highlighted lingering tensions over Chinese nationals working in the Southeast Asian country.

More than 42,000 Chinese worked in Indonesia in 2022, accounting for about 44% of all expatriates in the country, according to the Ministry of Manpower.

A report by China Labor Watch said Chinese workers overseas had experienced many forms of exploitation including deception, coercion, violence and restriction of freedom that amounted to forced labor and human trafficking.

The report said factors contributing to these problems include lack of accountability, oversight, legal protection and international involvement.

China is also funding projects in Indonesia as part of Beijings Belt and Road Initiative, a worldwide infrastructure-building program. These include the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project, which is expected to be completed this year.
The Philippine coast guard vessel BRP Malapascua (front) maneuvers as a Chinese coast guard ship sails across its path at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, April 23, 2023.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Friday it was involved in a near-collision with Chinese vessels that carried out dangerous maneuvers in the South China Sea, the latest in a string of incidents in the disputed waters.

On Sunday morning, two China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels intercepted Philippine patrol boats and exhibited aggressive tactics near Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, the PCG said in a statement. At one point, CCG 5201 came within 50 yards (46 meters) of a Philippine ship.

This close proximity posed a significant threat to the safety and security of the Philippine vessel and its crew, coast guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarirela said in a statement. Meanwhile, the CCG vessel 4202 persistently followed BRP Malabrigo at a distance of 700 yards, closely monitoring its movements.

The Philippines had deployed two 44-meter vessels  BRP Malapascua and BRP Malabrigo  to carry out a week-long maritime patrol in the West Philippine Sea, part of the contested South China Sea within Manilas exclusive economic zone. A small group of Filipino journalists was also on board.

In a separate incident, on April 21, a Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Navy vessel with the bow number 549 crossed paths with Philippine vessels near Pag-asa Island, the PCG said.

China has competing claims in the South China Sea with the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam. In 2016, an international tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines and against Beijings sweeping nine-dash line, but China has since refused to acknowledge the ruling.

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday called on China to respect the Philippines rights in the West Philippine Sea.

The China Coast Guards interference with this routine patrol mission was totally inconsistent with freedom of navigation, and a number of documented incidents also involved highly dangerous maneuvers that were contrary to standard navigational practices, department spokeswoman Maria Teresita Daza said in a statement.

Philippine coast guard personnel speed past a China Coast Guard vessel on a rigid inflatable boat after conducting a survey at Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea, April 23, 2023. [AFP]

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Friday that the Philippine boats trespassed into waters near Renai Reef, the Chinese name for Ayungin Shoal, and deliberately took provocative actions, citing the presence of journalists.

The Chinese maritime vessels acted in accordance with the law, while taking care to avoid the dangerous approach of the Philippine vessels, Reuters news agency quoted Mao as saying.

Daza said routine patrols in Philippine waters could not be premeditated or provocative, and called on Beijing to refrain from actions that may cause an untoward incident.

The recent incidents coincided with the visit of Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang to Manila, where he met his counterpart Enrique Manalo and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

During the meeting, Marcos said the two countries agreed to open more lines of communication to resolve maritime disputes.

The near-collision also came as the Philippines conducted its largest-ever Balikatan military exercise with the United States. The training culminated in the sinking of a mock enemy ship, a decommissioned World War II-era Philippine vessel, off the coast of Zambales province along the West Philippine Sea on Thursday.

Observers have said the military drills underline the strengthening alliance between Manila and Washington amid Chinas increasingly assertive claims in the South China Sea.

Ceaseless intimidation

During the recent maritime patrol, the PCG said it identified over 100 alleged Chinese maritime militia vessels spread across different shoals and islands, including Sabina Shoal, Pag-asa, and Julian Felipe Reef. Despite numerous radio challenges, these vessels refused to leave.

A large gathering of maritime militia vessels  a Beijing-backed armed fishing fleet  was spotted near Julian Felipe Reef. The PCG said it deployed rigid hull inflatable boats to disperse them but none of the vessels reacted or made any attempts to vacate the area.

In February, a CCG vessel directed a military-grade laser light twice at a Philippine ship, causing temporary blindness to the crew at the bridge. Manila filed a diplomatic protest over the incident, with Marcos himself summoning the Chinese envoy.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, the deputy minority floor leader, said the recent events were just the latest in a continuous, unbroken and apparently unrepentant string of incidents that China should be made accountable for.

She said the foreign office should immediately file a diplomatic protest and the Marcos government immediately condemn Chinas ceaseless intimidation in the strongest possible terms.

The executive should not wait for an even worse incident in order to finally put its foot down and tell Beijing to cease and desist in this kind of aggressive action, she said.

She noted, however, the government was correct in seeking cooperation with other countries because a broader alliance is a better alliance.

Let us urgently work on building this bigger coalition of countries who are against Chinas misbehavior, who uphold our victory at The Hague, and who want to preserve peace and stability in the region, she said.

Marcos is expected to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden next week for a state visit, with regional security top of the agenda.
The images on the 38-second video show only a knocked-over traffic cone, a parked car and some concrete paving  but the bursts of high-pitched screams from just off-camera are believed to have come from abducted Vietnamese blogger Thai Van Duong.

Thai vanished from the streets just north of Bangkok, in Thailands Pathum Thani province, on April 13. Activists went to the area several days later to search for clues, attempt to track down security video and interview witnesses who saw what they believed to be Thais kidnapping.

It was closed-circuit video from just down the street that captured Thais panicked shrieks, and it may be the best available depiction of the kidnapping, according to Vietnamese-American human rights activist Grace Bui.

One witness who was interviewed, who hadnt seen the video, did an almost exact imitation of the screams  testimony that helped the activists confirm it was Thais cries in the video, Bui said.

One guy told us that there were two white cars that blocked Thai Van Duongs motorcycle  one in front and one in the back, Bui said. They stopped his motorcycle, and people jumped out and took him inside the car. And [the guy] mimicked the scream of Thai Van Duong exactly what we heard from the video.

Thai, 41, fled to Thailand in 2019 fearing political persecution for his many posts and videos that criticized the Vietnamese government and leaders of the Communist Party on Facebook and YouTube. He had been applying for refugee status with the United Nations refugee agencys office in Bangkok.

Friends realized he was missing on April 13 after calls to his mobile phone that afternoon went unanswered. On April 16, police in Vietnams Ha Tinh province said he had entered the country via trails on its border with Laos.

But Thais friends insist that he was likely kidnapped by Vietnamese security forces and brought back to Vietnam, where the government continues to arrest, convict and imprison dissidents and activists.

Facebook livestream in the park

Those friends  including Bui  have sought to retrace Thais steps on the day he disappeared. Theyve spoken to neighbors, people at a coffee shop and a friend he met in a park, and theyve asked store owners and local authorities to hand over security video.

One video from his rented home north of Bangkok shows him casually getting on a motorbike outside his house at about 3:30 p.m. Other videos show him driving along nearby streets, then turning right at 3:39 p.m. outside his neighborhoods gate.

Footage from a coffee shop at Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi shows him standing at the front register buying coffee. Another video shows him driving through the universitys gate.

At 5:47 p.m., Thai appeared in a video live-streamed on Facebook. He talked about U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinkens visit to Hanoi and the recent trial in Vietnam of another blogger.

The Vietnamese Communist Party always propagates that words go hand in hand with works  but they never do so, he said. On the day they welcome the U.S. secretary of state, they put Nguyen Lan Thang on trial.

Thang was sentenced to six years in prison and two years of probation on April 12. He was a long-time contributor to RFAs Vietnamese service and participated in many roundtable discussions with the BBC, which contained contents prosecutors said sabotaged or smeared the Vietnamese government.

Charging Thang under Article 117 of Vietnams criminal code  often used by authorities to suppress free speech on social media  contradicted the governments claim that it values freedom, democracy, human rights and freedom of speech, Thai said in his livestream.

Why is answering foreign media bad? he said. It is not bad to answer foreign media, and doesnt have anything to do with toppling the government.

Vanished at that time

The video with the screams came from a security camera on Soi Lamphu Road and had a timestamp of 6:07 p.m. Several local people told Bui and other Vietnamese activists the same thing  that a person riding a motorbike was blocked by two cars, physically subdued and then taken away.

Both Duong and his motorcycle vanished at that time, said Phil Robertson, the deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch.

Robertson went along with Bui and the other Vietnamese activists when they went to the street to look for witnesses.

Thai is being held in Ha Tinh provinces Huong Son district. Despite heavy news coverage of his arrest, police have not provided an update about his status.

Thailand for many decades has served as an informal safe haven for political refugees in the region. Robertson told RFA last week that he fears that Thais case is yet another example showing that a so-called swap mart exists between Thailand and repressive neighboring countries like Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

It is very unlikely that Vietnam government agents could have just come into Thailand and snatched a dissident without some local Thai officials knowing about this, and agreeing to look the other way, he said.

A missing persons complaint has been made to the Thayanaburi police station, which oversees the area where Thai was abducted, but police havent done much to follow up, Robertson said.

A man was abducted in a community area in what can only be called a brazen, rights-abusing action, and the Thai authorities should get to the bottom of this matter and report what they find, he said.

This story was produced by Radio Free Asia, a news service affiliated with BenarNews.
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MASS MOCA EXHIBIT

Carrie Schneider's 'Sphinx' at Mass MoCA is an intervention, of sorts, for the photo weary in this digital age
Cops and Courts Reporter

Amanda Burke is Cops and Courts Reporter for The Berkshire Eagle. An Ithaca, New York native, she previously worked at The Herald News of Fall River and the Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise.
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The FBI carried out a search Thursday morning at the Potomac, Md., home of Ryan Salame, a former FTX executive who was a major campaign contributor to Republican political candidates, two people with knowledge of the matter said.

Salame, a native of the Berkshires who ran FTXs Bahamian subsidiary, was part of the close circle of advisers around Sam Bankman-Fried, the cryptocurrency exchanges founder, before the firm filed for bankruptcy in November.

Federal prosecutors have charged Bankman-Fried with orchestrating a vast fraud and illegal campaign finance scheme at FTX. He has pledged to fight the charges. Three of his former top executives have pleaded guilty in connection with the investigation and agreed to cooperate against their former boss.

In addition to his role with FTX, Salame has acquired numerous restaurants in Lenox, starting with the Firefly Gastropub & Catering Co. Managed by his umbrella company Lenox Eats, he has valued those businesses at more than $6 million.

Salame has been under particular scrutiny over the $24 million in campaign contributions he made during last years midterm elections. In court filings, federal authorities have claimed that most of the $90 million contributed to political candidates by a handful of former FTX employees, including Salame, had been misappropriated from customers of the exchange.

He has not been charged with a crime or formally accused of criminality.

The search of Salames $4 million house signals that federal authorities are not done with their investigation into FTXs collapse as they prepare for Bankman-Frieds trial set in October. They are scrutinizing an array of employees and advisers in the former crypto moguls orbit, including Bankman-Frieds younger brother.

Jason Linder, a lawyer for Salame, did not respond to a request for comment. An FBI spokesperson declined to comment.

It is unclear what authorities were looking for during the search, which took place around 7 a.m., according to a person who sent a photo of FBI agents gathered outside the home to The New York Times.

Salame worked for EY, the global accounting and consulting firm better known as Ernst & Young, before working for Bankman-Fried at Alameda Research, a crypto hedge fund that was based in Hong Kong.

He soon became one of Bankman-Frieds most loyal trusted lieutenants. After FTX relocated to the Bahamas in 2021, Salame served as an intermediary between the company and the local government, and he was appointed co-CEO of FTX Digital Markets, the exchanges Bahamian business entity.

Salame became enormously wealthy as the crypto market boomed and FTX reached a $32 billion valuation. Bankruptcy lawyers and advisers for FTX said in March that Salame received $87 million in bonuses and loans from Alameda. He was one of a half-dozen top executives who received a total of $3.2 billion in payouts.

Salame split his time between Washington and the Bahamas, and he started dating Michelle Bond, who ran a crypto lobbying group and campaigned unsuccessfully for Congress as a Republican from Long Island.

Salame and Bond also bought the home that was searched Thursday, located in an exclusive suburb of Washington, D.C.

Prosecutors have said Bankman-Fried orchestrated a straw donor scheme to avoid limits on campaign contributions, recruiting executives to serve as proxies for his company and donate tens of millions of dollars to both parties.

A revised indictment against Bankman-Fried recently identified Salames donations as part of the scheme, saying the FTX founder wanted to keep dark his support for Republican politicians.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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BIG RAPIDS  Seniors in the community are invited to participate in the 2023 Camp 911, hosted by the Retired Senior Volunteer Program.

The event is scheduled to take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 17 at the Big Rapids Department of Public Safety building, 435 N. Michigan Ave.
Looking for something to do? The Stay Local events calendar publishes a list of nonprofit and community events Tuesdays and Fridays. Please check with your club or organization to be certain of meetings, outings and classes, as they may be canceled due to bad weather or COVID-19. If any listing is inaccurate or to submit an event, contact Julie Norwood at 231-592-8358 or julie.norwood@pioneergroup.com. (Deadline is noon Sundays for Tuesday's paper and noon Wednesday for Friday's paper.)

Family 5K Run/Walk: 9 a.m. Saturday, April 29, at Northend Riverside Park, on Trestle Bend Drive, north of Fourth Avenue, Big Rapids. Registration begins at 9 a.m. with the 5K run at 10 a.m. and the 5K walk at 10:15 a.m. Cost: $5 per person up to $20 per family. Register at runsignup.com/mocc5k

PARKS AND REC

For more information visit brpr.org or call 231-592-4038.

Latin Fusion Dance Fitness: 5:30-6:30 p.m. Jan. 5-June 2, at Artworks, 106 N. Michigan Ave., Big Rapids. Cost: free.

Pickleball: 5-7 p.m. Wednesdays and 8-10 a.m. Fridays, Jan. 11-April 28, at Ferris State University Racquet Center, 14342 Northland Drive. Cost: $5.Water Aerobics: 1-2 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Jan. 9-May 5, at Ferris State University Recreation Center Pool, 401 South St. (No classes March 6, 8, 10 and April 7). Cost: $4 for drop in, $40 for punch card of 12 classes.

Groove: 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Jan. 3-May 30, at Artworks, 106 N. Michigan Ave., Big Rapids. Cost: free.

ONGOING PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES

Mecosta County Historical Museum is currently closed for the winter and plans to reopen in April. Private tours or other information is available by calling one of the following numbers: 520-334-0123, 231-796-4662, or 231-867-3311.

Mecosta County Genealogical Society: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. second Saturday each month, at 424 N. Fourth Ave., Big Rapids, next to Recycle, or by appointment. Volunteers needed to help with sorting and indexing. Public is welcome to stop in and view any of our holdings. Call Maureen Nelson at 231-250-5555 for more information.

Reed City Heritage Museum: Open from 1-4 p.m. Friday through Tuesday at 138 W. Slosson Ave., Reed City. Free Admission. Groups are welcome.

Mecosta County Sheriff Posse: 7 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at the Mecosta County Jail basement training room, 225 S. Stewart Ave., Big Rapids. This volunteer group is always looking for more members. For more info call 231-250-9241.

Morley Community Center: 151 7th St., Morley. For more information, visit morleycenter.org/events or call 231-856-4496.

Cardio Drumming: 1-2 p.m. Sundays

Pickleball: 9 a.m. to noon Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays; 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays.

Open Gym: 3:30-5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays.

Garage Sales: Every other Friday and Saturday (Feb. 17-18, March 3-4, etc.).

Blood Drive: 1-7 p.m. second Monday of odd numbered months

Community Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Third Avenue United Methodist Church, 226 N. Third Ave., Big Rapids. The community lunch program has re-opened.This is a free meal service, although donations are appreciated. For more information call 231-796-4157 or 231-796-6779.

ARTWORKS CLASSES, EXHIBITS

106 N. Michigan Ave. in Big Rapids / 231-796-2420 / artworksinbigrapids.org

Weaving a Round Basket: 5-8 p.m. May 4 and May 11. Two week session will introduce the techniques used to weave a round basket. Cost: $40. Register in person, by calling 231-796-2420 or online at artworksinbigrapids.org/basket-weaving.

After School Art: 3:45-5:15 p.m. Wednesdays, for ages 7-13. Drop-ins are welcome on a first come, first serve basis, but we highly recommend calling our gift shop to pre-register: 231-796-2420. Registration will only be accepted for the current weeks class beginning Monday of that week. For more information, visit artworksinbigrapids.org/after-school-art.

Open Pottery: 5-8 p.m. Tuesdays. Cost: $10 per session, $60 for an eight-session punch card. (Additional firing fees apply. Clay may be purchased in bulk for $20 per 25 lbs.) Call 231-796-2420 to schedule your session.

Fundamentals of Photography, Intermediate Course: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, April 5-May 10. Register for the full course ($75) or individual workshops ($15 each) at artworksinbigrapids.org/photography.

Exhibit  Landscape and Culture: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday in Artworks' Alley Gallery.

Exhibit  Landscape Painting: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday, April 11-June 30, in Artworks' Batdorff Gallery. Featuring work by Anthony Cairo, Katie Mester, James Roberts (JR), and Tom Tomasek.
Online retailer takealot.com has "hired" an expert load shedding solutions buyer to bring some lightness to South Africans amid all the literal darkness.

Image supplied. Takealot.com's load shedding solutions buyer expert, Jenny Ruyter, brings some lightness to South Africans amid all the literal darkness

The expert, Jenny Ruyter, played by South African actor Anne Hirsch, is here to help South Africans keep the lights on during power outages with Takealots wide range of load shedding products.

As a rather awkward, off-beat character, she can be seen around the Takealot offices, tirelessly working to bring energy and solutions during power outages.

Shopper behaviour data

Takealots campaign stems from the data drawn from shopper behaviour, where UPS was the third most-searched term in 2022.

Since December 2020, Takealot has seen 3000% GMV growth in the sale of generators, inverters and UPS devices, indicating the need for load shedding mitigation solutions across the country.

Overall, the purpose of the load shedding solutions buyers job is to help educate South Africans about which products could match their unique needs during load shedding. This is something Ruyter is deeply passionate about, and shes always available to lend a helping hand.

Relevant and relatable to SAs context

To formulate the campaign, Takealot considered key aspects that would resonate deeply with South Africans. This includes crafting a message thats relevant and relatable to the local context of load shedding, and strategic product placement to tie the idea together

Since the campaign was launched on YouTube and Takealots social platforms on 30 March, the first episode has amassed over 3.1 million views across channels, with 1.7 million views on TikTok, 18,800 views on Instagram. 294,000 views on Facebook and 1.1 million views on YouTube.

Toluse Akinlabi, senior retail account manager at Google explains that the campaign performed exceptionally well on Youtube for a number of reasons.

Following Google's ABCDs of creative guidance, the video started off with compelling creative to attract and hook the audience, with novel branding elements throughout.

The video also included a product feed of relevant items that complemented the content, ensuring that an interested audience was able to find related products directly from takealot.com.

But Ruyters story is far from over. The next episode launched on 25 April on Takealots social media channels.

She's back!



When days are dark, let Jenny's light in. As https://t.co/53xKrKMUMM's #Loadshedding Solutions Buyer, you can trust her to power your home and office up with all essentials you need, no matter the stage. Now, plug in!  pic.twitter.com/WvL17932mV  takealot (@TAKEALOT) April 26, 2023

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With the increasing rates of urbanisation, global travel and climate change, infectious-disease experts predict the world is entering a new era of pandemics.

Mary Rodgers, a virus hunter and scientist at Abbott who works with the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition, a group of 20 institutions, including Ceri, from around the world that are identifying new and emerging viral threats to stop the next pandemic.

In response to this, Abbott founded the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition which comprises 20 scientific and public-health organisations from across the globe who are committed to detecting and responding to emerging viral threats.

Mary Rodgers - principal scientist at Abbotts diagnostics business - addresses an ongoing global commitment to pandemic preparedness and the need to continue research in understanding how known viruses are spreading. This, in order to identify new viral outbreaks so that we can stop them from becoming the next pandemic.

Here she unpacks what this looks like within the framework of the HIV virus.

The treatment of HIV-positive patients has evolved. It's now considered more of a chronic disease rather than an imminent death threat. Could you speak to that narrative and explain why there's a shift in emphasis by epidemiologists of late on HIV harbouring the potential for a new pandemic outbreak?

This is a really interesting question. I think because we have many HIV-positive youth now on treatment that can suppress the virus, HIV is seen as a lifelong disease instead of as a killer. But we still know that a significant portion of new infections are caused by people who don't have it [and who unknowingly get infected]. That's why we're still getting new, more and more cases.

Because we have these treatments, it seems like the HIV virus could be something that we could eliminate, and we do have the tools to do that. If we eliminated the virus, then we could live in an HIV-free world, and I think that's the direction we need to go in. Then we can identify everyone who needs treatment and really cut down on cases. Then if people don't have the virus, HIV would not even be considered a long-term disease.

Source: Mary Rodgers works closely with Tulio de Oliveira, a professor at Ceri in South Africa who was named one of Times 100 most influential people of 2022 for his discovery work on the Omicron variant.

I think it's also important to note that the virus is constantly evolving and mutating. In fact, if you compare the sequence of the envelope-protein which is the outer virus, that's the region that your immune system detects, and if you were to compare two divergent strains of HIV, there are only 50% similarities to see in that region in each respective strain.

So if we want to have a vaccine or diagnostic tests that can work for all strains, we have to constantly be monitoring the spheres as they're evolving. So that's why there's also continued focus on monitoring the HIV virus because if it mutates it could be missed by a diagnostic test, for example, and then you could have a silent outbreak of HIV that doesn't get detected. That's what we want to avoid, and that's why we've been working on it for so long.

How far are we in terms of getting an HIV vaccine?

We would love to have a vaccine. I went to an HIV international conference, and it looks like we don't have something promising yet. I think it's because the virus changes so much and because it attacks the very immune response that you're trying to elicit to protect someone.

It's really a difficult nut to crack and so I don't have anything on the radar that I would say is going to save the world just yet, but people are not giving up; and that's the important part.

We've tried a lot of things and actually, I'm hopeful that maybe the messenger RNA vaccine approach could be the answer because it's a completely new approach, and it could actually be the one that works, but I haven't seen data yet.

So we have to give it a little time.

I see that HIV self-testing samples are on the market. Will this be targeted at private individuals or to community workers and health workers as part of their fieldwork and research work?

The end-goal is to reduce cases right? So if we're making testing more available by giving self-testing options to people who might feel a barrier of having a test around another person, then at least they are now getting a test-result that they never would have otherwise known about.

So we really want to link them to care. It's always better if we can have someone who is able to guide them to getting treatment - but at least if someone is getting a test, that's the first step - and we want to encourage that with self tests.

Is there any particular HIV research project in the Western Cape that you might want to highlight?

With HIV specifically, we have done a lot of work with Tulio de Oliveira's team. De Oliveira is a professor at Ceri in South Africa and was named one of Times 100 most influential people of 2022 for his discovery work on the Omicron variant. Over the years, we've done analysis of some very complex genomes that came from the Congo Basin. We've analysed them together with de Oliveira's team. We've also looked at the history and molecular sequence of the HIV CRFO1, that's a recombinant form, that's very common in Asia.

But all the strains originated as a recombinant of a virus in Africa. So we took sequences that we had completed from Africa, and then compared them to the sequences in Asia, and we actually were able to calculate when we think the events occurred that caused it to migrate.

So we've been doing characterisation of HIV from sequence level with de Oliveira for a while. We're continuing that work. Obviously we're looking at sequences from blood donors in South Africa, for example, and continuing to do work like that.

Five years from now, where would you want to see research and treatment related to HIV?

My hope is that we'll continue to improve our available vaccine options, but then also better treatments. I think we're going in that direction with now long-acting injectable medications that are really going to suppress the virus long term, especially in people who might forget to take a pill every now and then - and that's how hopefully we can prevent new infections as well.

I'd also like to see more people who have HIV being diagnosed because that really is the beginning of the whole care continuum. If we can reduce those numbers of people who don't know they're infected; we can really stop this virus.
April is a month where South Africa reflects on the importance of freedom. With this in mind, BET Software visited three educational institutions to remind students of the significance of having the freedom to choose their own career paths in the tech space.

Pooja Singh, senior talent acquisition specialist at BET Software, encourages students at Varsity College

On Thursday, 19 April, BET Software visited Varsity College in Westville, Durban, to engage with students about all things tech, and to show them why the company prides itself in disruptive innovation.

BET Software took part in this career fair as part of its mission to inform students about the benefits of a career in the tech industry.

One of our goals at BET Software is to maintain industry excellence in this continuously evolving tech landscape. And its important to invest in young people whilst doing this.

 Michael Collins

A giveaway raffle was also hosted on the day and an IT student walked away with a gaming headset and blue light gaming glasses.

In their aim to motivate future software developers, BET Software also hosts knowledge-sharing sessions at their beneficiary schools, in the form of career days. This month, the company kick-started this initiative at Nhlanhlayethu Secondary School in Inanda, followed by Velabahleke High School in Umlazi. The focus was on Grade 10, 11, and 12 Computer Application Technology (CAT) learners, to encourage them to enter the tech space.

BET Software boasts a growing bursary and graduate programme on which learners were given direction, in terms of which studies to take to pursue these opportunities.

Mpendulo Magwaza, software development engineer at BET Software, inspires Nhlanhlayethu Secondary School learners

Software development engineer at BET Software, Mpendulo Magwaza, who is a product of Nhlanhlayethu Secondary School, inspired learners by discussing what a day in the life of a software developer looks like. Magwaza began his journey at BET Software as a graduate trainee. At his alma mater, in a class packed with aspiring techies, he also explained what the company works on.

Earlier this year, BET Software assisted Nhlanhlayethu Secondary School with essential school supplies, after Magwaza nominated them.

To end off the series of successful career question and answer sessions, BET Software gave away prizes to lucky winners from both schools.

Michael Collins, general manager at BET Software, said: One of our goals at BET Software is to maintain industry excellence in this continuously evolving tech landscape. And its important to invest in young people whilst doing this. I believe BET Softwares partnerships with schools and tertiary institutions, for career days, are pivotal. We hope to see these talented learners and students as part of the BET Software family in the future.




The pandemic created a perfect storm of economic complexity and hospitality fragility, leaving consumers seeking affordable, immediate, and extraordinary experiences. Online travel agencies (OTAs) capitalised on this demand, taking complete control over the industry and putting everything at consumers' fingertips.

Source: tirachardz via Freepik

The hospitality industry is on the cusp of a profitable opportunity if it reduces its reliance on online travel agency service providers and instead builds its own marketing foundations

The platform business has stepped straight into the middle ground between the hospitality sector and the consumer, and taken complete control thanks to the perfect storm of the pandemic, economic complexity, hospitality fragility and voracious, budget-conscious consumer demand, says Ben Swartz, CEO at CBR Marketing. "The industry was severely impacted by the pandemic with many hotels struggling to stay afloat," explains Swartz. "These effects have been further exacerbated by the OTA service providers who have made it challenging for the operator to pick pricing and target markets."

"As the pandemic slowly receded, pulling its tendrils out from within an industry shattered by closures, lockdowns and travel restrictions, it left behind a consumer base hungry for the immediate, the extraordinary andthe cheap. And opened the door very wide for online travel agencies (OTAs) that put everything at the consumers fingertips.

This has also introduced one word to the sector  stranglehold. In a recent analysis of the sector by Sachin Narode, the co-founder and CEO of Xeni, he points out that the OTAs have 'won over customers by providing easy access to vast supplies of travel inventory and one so powerful that travel providers have no choice but to participate'. It is a theme that carries across continents and companies.

In China, the Jin Jiang International Hotels Group launched WeHotel  a loyalty programme designed to reinvest in the hospitality sectors autonomy. Hilton recently launched a campaign that was dedicated to getting customers to book directly with them so they could shake off the OTA hold and gain their own traction.

The challenge for the sector is that while OTAs provide them with the opportunity to find new customers and move spaces and avoid empty rooms, these online platforms also tack on a pretty hefty booking fee. The commissions vary from OTA to OTA, but invariably sit at the 25% mark and this spend can leave an unpleasant dent in the bottom line. The OTAs would argue that the spend circulates  they invest into marketing that takes a lot of pressure off the hospitality sector and are, themselves, caught in the loop of advertise, market, spend, repeat.

Building marketing foundations

"The key to success is to strengthen the brand, identify the optimal target market and reduce the dependence of a company on OTAs," says Swartz. "A customised digital performance marketing strategy aligned with the companys business KPIs will help re-evaluate and redefine how the company approaches customers. This is key to ensuring the right target market is brought into the business at the right price point."

Targeted social media, email marketing and SEO optimisation are also powerful tools that the sector can use to create and promote a companys unique selling proposition across multiple marketing channels. This should be balanced by website optimisation and improved user experiences that make bookings frictionless.

"We recently completed a campaign with a hotel group that has seen an increase in revenue from direct books from 36% of total revenue to 78% with a 71% increase in average room rates," concludes Swartz. "This strategy has proven to reduce commission payments to OTAs by 62% for this chain, and still kept marketing costs at a reasonable level."

Smart and strategic marketing can put control back into the sectors hands without compromising on OTA relationships and areas of growth. This introduces balances and allows for hotels to refine their pricing and target markets to fit their unique objectives and goals.
We chat with Andrew Ardington, founder of the Regenerative Agriculture Association of Southern Africa (RegenAg SA), as he delves into the importance of healthy soil and the benefits of regenerative agriculture practices for the land, consumers, and the planet. Ardington furthermore touches on ways to invest in rehabilitating degraded soils and the role of farmers in restoring ecological function.

Can you tell us about RegenAg SA and what they hope to achieve?

RegenAg SA is an organisation dedicated to the advancement of regenerative agriculture in southern Africa. By a combination of creating community, awareness, education and consultancy, we are working to replace degenerative agricultural systems with regenerative ones. We cannot economically and environmentally continue to produce food and fibre in ways that make primary farming so risky and unsustainable for the farmer and for the environment.

How would you define regenerative agriculture?

By regenerative agriculture, we mean agricultural management practices that regenerate soil rather than degenerate it as the current dominant agricultural practices. These practices are dominated by significant soil disturbance, high external synthetic inputs, bare ground and no attempt to work with the soil ecosystem.

Soil is crucial to human existence on the planet and we need to work with it in such a way as to ensure we do not prevent it from performing its multiple interlinked functions that are crucial to human existence on the planet.

Why is maintaining healthy soils so important to the success of regenerative agriculture?

Healthy soil is crucial to regenerative agriculture as it provides a multitude of ecosystem services to the farm ecosystem enabling farmers to produce products with less expensive, external inputs being bought onto the farm.

The farms systems also become more resilient to the vagaries of the weather and climate change resulting in less economic variance and greater ecological and financial stability. Improved soil health increases the ability of soil to infiltrate water, decreases soil erosion, increases soil water-holding capacity, decreases soil compaction, improves the diversity and population of soil microbiology, improves plant access to elements and water, it improves the air content in soil. All of this allows the soil to function at a higher rate; this impacts the plant-soil relationship and plant function which lies at the heart of all agriculture.

Can you share some of the ways that RegenAg SA is working to educate farmers and consumers about regenerative agriculture?

RegenAg SA is working with numerous other entities and people to raise the profile and adoption of regenerative agriculture. Strategies include farmers days, conferences, the creation of a fund to assist farmers wishing to transition, regenerative research, social media communities and working with numerous biological agronomists.

What benefits can we expect to see from the widespread adoption of regenerative agriculture practices?

The benefits of regenerative agriculture are multiple, some direct and others indirect, some for the land steward, some for the consumer and some for people on the other side of the planet. Healthy soil function is crucial to the stable functioning of the planets ecosystems and climate. Degraded soils are a threat to human life on the planet. By adopting farming practices that improve soil function, a myriad of ecosystem services are given by that soil to the whole planet. The water we drink, the air we breathe, the food we eat, the stable climate we need, stopping desertification, all of these things are benefits of regenerative agriculture.

How can those who don't work in agriculture invest in the restoration of farm lands?

The planet is under enormous pressure from human activity and we need to restore the ecological function of vast areas, as this ecological function is crucial to the stable planet humans require. As things stand, much of the planets soil is degraded. It is crucial to restore these degraded soils so that we can all benefit from their multiple ecosystem services.

Sadly farmers are being painted as the enemy in this scenario, but where we are today in terms of the environmental detrimental impact of food production is only partially the farmers fault. As Wendell Berry wrote, "[We] are all farming by proxy."

Farmers did not invent fertiliser, combustion engines, and poisonous chemicals, nor did they create the economic and political system that pushes them.

Agriculture makes up 3% of the worlds GDP but farmers interact with 60% of the worlds soil; farmers are potentially the greatest restoration agents we have on the planet. However, with so little capital, farmers cannot invest in the agricultural transition and soil restoration that is required to make this change.

To bring about the soil restoration, we all require the 97% needed to invest in making the 3% agents of positive change. Aside from exposing duplicity, attacking farmers for where industrialisation and politics have taken farming is and will achieve nothing positive. On the contrary, investing in the new knowledge we have about soil, soil function and its remarkable powers of recovery has the ability to change so much for so many.

What are some of the key principles that RegenAg SA believes are necessary for maintaining healthy soil?

Soil is a combination of dirt, dead organisms and living organisms, and soil health is all about protecting and maximising conditions for the living component. Soil health is soil microbiology health. Yet so many common agricultural practices do just the opposite, they kill soil microbiology.

Regenerative agriculture has five key soil health principles which, if implemented in the right manner, create the environment soil microbes need:

Minimum disturbance - mechanical (ploughing and digging), chemical (synthetic fertilisers and poisons) and biological (monocultures and overgrazing)

Armour - keep soils covered with living plants or mulch - protect them from the wind, the sun and the rain

Diversity - diversity of above-ground plants and animals leads to diversity of below-ground micro-organisms

Living roots - soil micro-organisms get most of their food from root exudates, no plants means no exudates

Incorporate livestock - ecosystems are not designed to function without animals and we need to get livestock back into our cropping and horticulture systems

In what ways does regenerative agriculture play a role in mitigating climate change?

Climate change is a subset of a larger problem I refer to as 'environmental collapse', a combination of biodiversity collapse, desertification and climate change. It is remarkable how many problems associated with environmental collapse can be mitigated by creating healthy soils and returning to their full soil function.

We as a species are so attracted to linear thinking and silver bullets, but the reality is that we live on a biological planet and there is nothing linear about biology. Everything is a system and we need to have a systems-thinking approach to solving these problems. Regenerative agriculture alone cannot solve environmental collapse or even climate change but without regenerative agriculture, without healthy soil, we cannot solve these existential problems man is facing.

How is RegenAg SA working to advocate for regenerative agriculture policies at the government level?

Sadly, the government in SA and in most other places is securely captured by industrial agriculture and its linear, short-term, false silver bullet problem-solving. We hope that the multiple benefits described above will catch the eye of someone in government, and are willing to engage with government as their involvement has the potential to bring about massive change.

What does the future of regenerative agriculture look like?

The future of regenerative agriculture is bright; as more farmers realise that the industrial system works for the system and not for the individual farmer, they will move towards regenerative farming. Industrial farming claims we have to farm their way to feed the planet but with no soil and bankrupt farmers, how are we going to feed people?

Hopefully, as more and more people realise the importance of soil health - in addition to providing food - they will support more initiatives to support regenerative farmers and get behind farmers rather than view them as the problem.
Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has asked lawmakers to make clear in a proposed anti-homosexuality law that it is not criminal to merely identify as gay, as part of an attempt to tone down a bill that has drawn international condemnation.

File photo: Quin Karala, 29, a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTQ) community and a single mother of one poses for a picture with rainbow colours at the offices of Rella Women's Empowerment Program, for LGBTQ rights advocacy, after a Reuters interview in Kulambiro suburb of Kampala, Uganda 4 April 2023. Reuters/Abubaker Lubowa/File Photo

Last month, lawmakers in the east African country overwhelmingly passed the proposed legislation, potentially one of the world's harshest anti-LGBTQ laws, and sent it to the president for approval.

The planned law, or bill, criminalises a broad range of homosexual activity, including promoting or abetting the lifestyle and imposes stiff penalties including death for so-called aggravated homosexuality.

The law has stoked widespread criticism from human rights defenders, Western governments and corporations.

Thomas Tayebwa, parliament's deputy speaker, read to lawmakers a letter Museveni had written to the parliament's speaker on Tuesday in which he outlined his reasons for returning the bill and what changes he wanted.

In the letter Museveni said it needed to be clear and distinguish between someone who professes a homosexual lifestyle and someone who actually commits homosexuals acts.

"The proposed law should be clear so that what is thought to be criminalised is not the state of one having a deviant proclivity but rather the actions of one acting on that deviancy," Museveni wrote in the letter.

"The bill should be reviewed and include a provision that clearly states ... a person who is believed or alleged or suspected of being a homosexual who has not committed a sexual act with another person of the same sex does not commit an offence."

He also asked lawmakers to remove provisions that impose a duty on citizens to report acts of homosexuality because it would create "constitutional challenges" and also be a source of conflict in society.

He asked lawmakers to include a provision to facilitate rehabilitation of homosexuals who voluntarily renounce the practice. The country's deputy attorney general has also advised that a mandatory death penalty also be removed from the law.

Tayebwa referred the bill back to parliament's legal affairs committee which will process and report on it and return it to the full House for fresh debate and passage.

Once it is passed again by the full House it will be returned to the president for approval.
Monument and Tempest, which both provide resources for patients struggling with alcohol addiction, say the leak might have also included patients responses to self-evaluations about their drinking habits, something Monument clearly says are protected and used only by its care teams. The companies blame the breach on the pixel tracking tools they included on their sites for advertising purposes.

Monument says it reviewed its use of tracking pixels after the US government issued guidance to health companies about them in late 2022. In a bulletin published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the agency warns health companies that they might be held liable for violating patient privacy through the use of pixel-tracking tools.

Monument and Tempests cases are remarkably similar to recent data leaks involving online health services
Last week we learned a new fact about the DNC email leak in 2016 and of the events that likely led to the killing of Seth Rich.

A quite aggressive Wikipedia page discusses the Murder of Seth Rich:

The murder of Seth Rich occurred on July 10, 2016, at 4:20 a.m. in the Bloomingdale neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Rich died about an hour and a half after being shot twice in the back. The perpetrators were never apprehended; police suspected he had been the victim of an attempted robbery. The 27-year-old Rich was an employee of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and his murder spawned several right-wing conspiracy theories, including the false claim, contradicted by the law enforcement branches that investigated the murder, that Rich had been involved with the leaked DNC emails in 2016. It was also contradicted by the July 2018 indictment of 12 Russian military intelligence agents for hacking the e-mail accounts and networks of Democratic Party officials and by the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion the leaked DNC emails were part of Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. Fact-checking websites like PolitiFact, Snopes, and FactCheck.org stated that the theories were false and unfounded. The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post wrote that the promotion of these conspiracy theories was an example of fake news.

Well, that is not what really had happened.

Yes, Seth Rich worked as IT administrator for the Democratic National Committee. He was a fan of Bernie Sanders. During the 2016 primaries DNC functionaries did their best to work against Bernie Sanders and for Hillary Clinton. To make that public Seth Rich collected an archive of all DNC emails, copied it onto an USB stick and looked for someone who would publish them.

UPDATE 20:00 UTC

The former British ambassador Craig Murray said that he was given the USB stick by an intermediary of a disgusted Democratic whistleblower and brought it from Washington DC to Wikileaks which eventually published the emails. The data involved were not only from the DNC but also from Clinton's campaign chair John Podesta:

WikiLeaks made the DNC messages public in July and the incriminating emails from Podesta were published in October. The messages predominantly showed that DNC officials were bent on sabotaging the presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders in favor of Hillary Clinton. Murray insisted that the information was leaked and not hacked by Russia. Neither of the leaks came from the Russians. The source had legal access to the information. The documents came from inside leaks, not hacksleakers were motivated by disgust at the corruption of the Clinton Foundation and the tilting of the primary election playing field against Bernie Sanders.

/End Update/

Craig Murray did not mention Seth Rich. Up to last week we did not know if Seth Rich really made contact with Wikileaks.

But we did know that the DNC was never 'hacked' by anything Russia. The date/timestamps of the leaked files were consistent with local copying and inconsistent with an internet transfer. The company Crowdstrike which was hired to protect the DNC's networks and which did an investigation into the case never observed an actual 'Russian' hack or any data exfiltration from the DNC network. As ITwire wrote in May 2020:

The controversial American security firm CrowdStrike, which was called in to investigate the alleged Russian hack of DNC servers in 2016, had no proof that any emails from the system had been exfiltrated despite public assertions that this had occurred, according to the transcript of an interview released by the US Government a few days ago. The transcript was from an interview conducted with CrowdStrike's president of services and chief security officer Shawn Henry by the US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in December 2017, but only released to the US Special Counsel Robert Mueller who conducted a two-year inquiry into alleged Russian collusion in the 2016 presidential poll. While the exfiltration of emails from the DNC server has been accepted as a proven fact, Henry's answers to queries from committee members make it clear that this was definitely not the case. In one typical exchange, Henry was asked, "What about the emails that everyone is so, you know, knowledgeable of? Were there also indicators that they were prepared but not evidence that they actually were exfiltrated?" To this Henry responded, "There's not evidence that they were actually exfiltrated. There's circumstantial evidence - but no evidence that they were actually exfiltrated."

PolitiFact, Snopes and FactCheck.org are, unsurprisingly, wrong with their assertions.

But how did the emails find their way to Julian Assange at Wikileaks. Assange has never explained that. But Wikileaks set out a $20,000 reward for finding the killer of Seth Rich. That made it obvious that there was a connection between them but no one gave further explanations of it.

It took until last week for the world to learn more about what really happened. On April 21 some rather pungent NAFO activist, Pekka Kallionniemi, launched a Twitter thread with an attack on a person well known in IT circles:

Pekka Kallioniemi @P_Kallioniemi - 10:09 UTC  Apr 21, 2023 In today's #vatniksoup, I'll introduce a German-Finnish entrepreneur, conspiracy theorist and propagandist, Kim Dotcom. He's best-known for his illegal online activities and projects, for his hate towards the US, and for his unwavering support for Putin's imperialism.

1/18

[...]

In 2017, Dotcom claimed that he worked with Seth Rich, a US citizen and employee on the Democratic National Committee who was murdered during a suspected robbery.His death spawned..

10/18

[...]

..several conspiracy theories stating that he was a whistleblower who had leaked documents damning Hillary Clinton and her campaign manager, John Podesta. The hack-and-leak operation was actually conducted by Russian intelligence service GRU's hacker group called Fancy Bear.

11/18

Who is Kim Dotcom you might ask:

Kim Dotcom (born Kim Schmitz; 21 January 1974), also known as Kimble and Kim Tim Jim Vestor, is a German-Finnish Internet entrepreneur and political activist who lives in Glenorchy, New Zealand.

...

Dotcom is the founder and former CEO of the defunct file hosting service Megaupload (20052012). In 2012, the United States Department of Justice seized its website and pressed charges against Dotcom, including criminal copyright infringement, money laundering, racketeering and wire fraud. Dotcom was residing in New Zealand at the time; at the request of US authorities, New Zealand police raided his home in 2012 and arrested him. Dotcom posted bail and has been going through legal proceedings ever since to avoid extradition to the United States.

...

In 2017, Dotcom played a role in spreading conspiracy theories about the murder of Seth Rich.

In May 2017 the Washington Post wrote:

When Seth Richs Gmail account received an alert this week from Mega.com, attempting to start a new account on a website created by the New Zealand-based Internet businessman and convicted hacker Kim Dotcom, his family knew that something was off. Over seven frenzied days, Dotcom had become a leading purveyor of the theory that Rich, a staffer at the Democratic National Committee who was shot dead near his home in Northeast Washington last summer, had supplied DNC documents to WikiLeaks and was killed as a result. Multiple security analysts and an FBI investigation have tied the release to hackers with ties to Russia. D.C. police have said repeatedly that they think Rich was slain in a random robbery attempt. According to experts and Richs family, the emailed invitation from welcome@mega.nz appeared to be an attempt to gain access to Richs email. Joel Rich, who monitors his late sons Gmail account when new emails come in, did not click the link. Dotcom had not worked at Mega itself for years, but he was promising on Twitter to prove that the younger Rich had been in contact with WikiLeaks  and Fox News host Sean Hannity was telling his 2.37 million Twitter followers to be ready for a revelation. Hannity had invited Dotcom to appear on his show for what he said on Twitter would be a #GameChanger interview. The implication: that Dotcom would finally offer evidence of his claim that Rich had sent internal DNC documents to WikiLeaks before his death. All that began to unravel Tuesday afternoon when Fox News retracted a story that had claimed the same Rich-WikiLeaks connection, telling readers that the article was not initially subjected to the high degree of editorial scrutiny we require for all our reporting. Fox News did not respond to a request for comment, but Dotcom wrote on his website that he would not speak further about his allegations.

Since then little on the issue was heard from Kim Dotcom. There was no explanation why he was involved in the Seth Rich issue in the first place.

But after Pekka Kallionniemi's attack was widely retweeted Kim Dotcom contested it:

Kim Dotcom @KimDotcom - 0:41 UTC  Apr 22, 2023  NAFO bullying exposed Im responding to an attempted character assassination by NAFO troll @P_Kallioniemi who prides himself with having attacked over 150 pro-Russian actors and propagandists. His problem is that he picked the wrong guy for his cyber bullying. Who is Pekka? A research fellow at Tampere University in Finland and a self-proclaimed disinformation expert. Ironic because most of the claims in his attack against me are false. Im tagging the Dean of Tampere University @SaariJuho to make him aware of Pekkas NAFO bullying. First of all Im in good company because some of the people Pekka has bullied on Twitter are @ggreenwald, @mtaibbi, @rustyrockets & @jimmy_dore. None are Russian propagandists or grifters looking to make some easy money as Pekka claims. They are truth-tellers, like myself. False claim 1: Kim was deported from Thailand to Germany.< Truth: I was never deported from Thailand. I left voluntarily.

[...]

False claim 6: Dotcom claimed that he worked with Seth Rich. Truth: Seth Rich contacted me and offered information about the DNC. I rejected receiving the data personally and forwarded him to someone close to Wikileaks. Thats how Wikileaks got the DNC and Hillary Clinton leaks. False claim 7: The (DNC) hack and leak operation was conducted by Russian intelligence. Truth: A forensic analysis of the leaked DNC data by former US intelligence officials proved that it wasnt remotely transferred. The meta data shows that the files were transferred locally.

The bold part is significant as it is first time that we learn:

That there was a direct connection between Seth Rich and Wikileaks.

Why Kim Dotcom had involved himself in the Seth Rich case after Rich had been killed.

You may say that the first claim is not new because many had presumed that. But no one involved had ever actually publicly made the claim. Dotcom's assertion of this connection through him is new.

After contacting Kim Dotcom Seth Rich was pointed to someone else near to Wikileaks. Eventually Wikileaks asked Craig Murray to fly to DC and to bring the files to Wikileaks. The Clinton server emails were published by Wikileaks in March 2016. The DNC emails were published in June and July 2016. The Podesta emails were published in October 2016.

I hope that Kim Dotcom will one day write down the complete sequence of events that are related to Seth Rich and the publishing of the Clinton, Podesta and DNC leaks by Wikileaks.
For the next seventeen years, Graeme went on to lead the 9/11 truth movement through his outstanding scholarship, his thoughtful approach, and his ability to instill trust in colleagues. Along with his remarkable intelligence and wide-ranging analytical skills, MacQueens dedication to peace and justice made him a force to be reckoned with. Although he became the leading expert on testimonies related to 9/11, including those from firefighters, first responders, and media sources, he contributed much more to the cause and his contributions will continue to light the way forward.

Our shared interests in 9/11 truth and Buddhism led us to become good friends. Graeme was an internationally recognized Buddhist scholar as I learned when reading random books on the subject at my local library. The text of a talk he gave at the University of Michigan in 1988, which he allowed me to publish on my blog years later, helped me to understand how he was different from other Buddhist leaders. He was the unsmiling bodhisattva, who did not act only with wordshe put his whole life on the line for living beings.

In 2008, Graeme arrived in Bloomington, Indiana to give a presentation along with Canadian psychologist Laurie Manwell at the sold out Buskirk-Chumley Theater. His presentation, called The Fictional Basis for the War on Terror, was well-received and our discussions with Laurie in Bloomington initiated planning for a larger event to take place on the tenth anniversary of 9/11. That later event became the Toronto Hearings, which the three of us organized together with Adnan Zuberi and James Gourley.

Graeme and I went on to work together at other events to raise awareness, but also at the Journal of 9/11 Studies, where he authored several more groundbreaking papers including two focused on physical evidence. These were The Missing Jolt: A Simple Refutation of the NIST-Bazant Collapse Hypothesis, with engineer Tony Szamboti, and Did the Earth Shake Before the South Tower Hit the Ground?

A few years later Graeme became my co-editor at the Journal and served in that capacity for about five years. The deep respect people had for Graemes scholarship and his collaborative personality led to the submission of numerous excellent articles on various subjects. Due to his influence, we received submissions from esteemed philosopher John McMurtry, sociologist Edward Curtin, political scientist Peter Dale Scott, and attorney Stephen J. Looney, among others.

Graeme became recognized as a leading expert on 9/11 and, during this time, he published his highly influential book, The 2001 Anthrax Deception: The Case for a Domestic Conspiracy. The book establishes through careful analysis that the anthrax attacks were crimes committed by a group of people associated with the U.S. executive branch who were linked to, or identical with, those who committed the 9/11 crimes.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Graeme, from my perspective, is that he worked for peace and justice until his dying day. As with David Ray Griffin, who thought very highly of Graeme, he was diligent and very productive throughout the illness that took his life. He authored yet another book, this time in free, digital format that pulls together many of his most compelling writings. He completed interviews for an upcoming film that brings to light his tremendous contributions and undying commitment to peace. And he helped found a new organization that will lead research into the 9/11 crimes for many years to come.

Dr. Graeme MacQueen was a distinguished scholar and an exceptional human being long before I ever met him. Others who know more about his past will undoubtedly recount many remarkable aspects of his life. His founding of the Centre for Peace Studies at McMaster University is often cited as an accomplishment that represented his nature. I know that he authored or edited books on religion and non-violence and led peace initiatives in the war zones of Afghanistan, Croatia, Gaza, and Sri Lanka. He was also a dedicated husband and father and he often spoke of his wife and daughter.

Everyone who knew Graeme will miss him dearly. Ill be forever grateful for his friendship and his leadership.




NEW DELHI (PTI): Bangladesh Army Chief Gen S M Shafiuddin Ahmed has held wide-ranging talks with India's top military brass with focus on boosting the already close military ties between the two countries.



In their meeting on Thursday, Gen Ahmed and Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande reviewed the overall cooperation between the two armies and explored ways to further expand the ties, officials said.



The visiting General also met Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal A P Singh.



Gen Ahmed met Chief of Defence Staff Ge Anil Chauhan on Wednesday.



The Bangladesh Army chief arrived here on Wednesday on a three-day India visit.



The defence ministry said Gen Pande and Gen Ahmed discussed ways to strengthen interoperability, training, collaboration to contain terrorism and overall bilateral cooperation as part of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations.



It said the visiting General was also briefed on the Indian indigenous defence equipment manufacturing eco-system by the Department of Defence Production (DDP) and the Army Design Bureau.



An 'Implementing Arrangement' for UN Peacekeeping Operations and Training Cooperation between India's Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping (CUNPK) and Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operations Training (BIPSOT) was signed between the two sides.



The Bangladesh Army Chief will be the reviewing officer for the passing out parade at Officers Training Academy in Chennai on April 29.



He will visit the Officers Training Academy Museum and interact with the cadets of the passing out course, the ministry said in a statement.



Gen Ahmed commenced his visit by paying tribute to the fallen heroes of the Indian Armed forces by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial. He was also accorded a guard of honour at the South Block lawns.



"India and Bangladesh share the historical legacy of cooperation and support during the Liberation War of 1971," the ministry said.



"The active engagement on the defence side includes high-level exchanges at the level of Service Chiefs, conduct of the inaugural annual defence dialogues by the defence secretaries, tri-services and service-specific staff talks," it said.



Gen Pande visited Bangladesh in July last year when both sides vowed to expand their military cooperation. It was his first trip abroad after taking the reins of the 1.2-million strong force.




Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh meets China's State Councillor & Minister of Defence ahead of SCO Defence Minister's meeting in New Delhi. Photo: PIB twitter

NEW DELHI (PTI): Delivering a clear message, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has told his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu that China's violation of border agreements "eroded" the entire basis of ties between the two countries and that all issues relating to the frontier must be resolved in accordance with the existing pacts.



At a nearly 45-minute meeting with Li on Thursday, amid the three-year border row in eastern Ladakh, Singh also conveyed to the Chinese defence minister that the development of India-China ties is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the border.



Li's visit to New Delhi, primarily to attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), is the first trip to India by a Chinese defence minister after the border face-off began in May 2020.



Government sources said Singh conveyed to Li that after disengagement in remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh, there should be movement towards de-escalation and expressed hope for a "positive response".



In a statement, the defence ministry said the two ministers had "frank discussions" about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations.



"The Raksha Mantri categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders," it said.



"He added that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments," the ministry said.



Singh "reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation," it said.



The talks took place hours after Li arrived in Delhi to attend the meeting of defence ministers of the SCO today being hosted by India.



Singh also conveyed to Li that India wants to improve relations with China but it can happen only after peace and tranquillity are restored at the border, the sources said.



Defence Minister Singh categorically stated in the meeting that military cooperation between the two countries can progress only if peace and tranquility is established at the border, they said.



In a tweet, Singh said: "Held discussions with China's Defence Minister, General Li Shangfu in New Delhi."



India has been slamming China's deployment of a massive number of troops and its aggressive behaviour along the LAC in eastern Ladakh in violation of pacts on border management.



The meeting between the two defence ministers took place days after the Indian and Chinese armies held 18th round of military talks on ending the border row.



In the Corps Commander talks on April 23, the two sides agreed to stay in close touch and work out a mutually acceptable solution to the remaining issues in eastern Ladakh at the earliest.



However, there was no indication of any clear forward movement in ending the three-year row.



On March 2, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang on the sidelines of a conclave of G20 grouping in New Delhi.



In the talks, Jaishankar conveyed to Qin that the state of India-China relations is "abnormal".



In line with a decision taken at the 16th round of military talks, the two sides carried out disengagement from Patrolling Point 15 in the Gogra-Hotsprings area in September last year.



The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area.



The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.



As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area.



Singh also held separate bilateral talks with his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Iran and Tajikistan and presented them mementoes. It is learnt that no memento was given to the Chinese minister.



Chinese foreign minister Qin is also set to visit India next week to attend a conclave of foreign ministers of SCO member countries in Goa. The meeting is slated for May 4 and 5.



India is hosting the SCO defence ministers' meeting under its presidency of the grouping.


NEW DELHI (PTI): Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Iranian counterpart Brigadier General Mohammed Reza Gharaei Ashtiyani on Thursday exchanged views on regional security issues, including peace and stability in Afghanistan.



In their meeting in the national capital, the two ministers also discussed the development of the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) for transport links to Afghanistan.



The talks took place hours after Ashtiyani, Iran's Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics, arrived here to attend a meeting of the defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) today.



In a tweet, Singh said: "Had a wonderful interaction with Iran's Defence Minister, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiyani."



"The meeting took place in a cordial and warm atmosphere. Both the leaders emphasised on the age-old cultural, linguistic and civilizational ties between the two countries, including people-to-people connect," the defence ministry said.



It said both the ministers reviewed the bilateral defence cooperation and exchanged views on regional security issues, including peace and stability in Afghanistan.



"Further, the two ministers discussed the development of the International North South Transport Corridor to ease logistic problems to Afghanistan and other countries in Central Asia," it said in a statement.



The INSTC is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode transport project for moving freight among India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.



Singh also held separate bilateral meetings with defence minister of Kazakhstan Colonel General Ruslan Zhaxylykov and Tajikistan's Colonel General Sherali Mirzo.



"The entire spectrum of defence cooperation with the two countries was reviewed during the meetings, with focus on identifying avenues to expand mutually beneficial collaboration. Issues of mutual interest were also discussed," the ministry said.


A Sudanese-born Irish doctor has asked why the HSE is not making efforts to assist doctors with valid Irish visas who have been stranded in Sudan during the recent conflict.

Dr Aia Mohamed told RTE radios Today with Claire Byrne show "the silence from the HSE is deafening".

The doctors involved were "the backbone" of the Irish health service, Dr Mohamed said, adding: "I cannot understand. Where is the HSE in all this?"

She added she was also upset that valid Irish visa-holders were at the mercy of the rules of other EU member states, asking how healthcare providers could be expected to go into work every day when they were worried about their families who were in a war zone.

Dr Mohamed said the father of a consultant who works at a Dublin hospital, who holds a valid Irish visa, had gone to the airport but was not allowed on a flight as his son, through whom he had the visa, was not present.

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"We need a plan for these people", Dr Mohamed urged.

One Irish visa-holder stranded in Sudan was a doctor who had worked here for four years and was close to getting citizenship, Dr Mohamed said.

"She does not qualify for evacuation as she is not a citizen, but she has a valid visa. She is a serving member of the Irish community, she worked all through Covid," she added.

Under EU evacuation guidelines, only citizens of the relevant EU member state and their accompanying dependents can get on flights, Dr Mohamed explained. However, she argued anyone with a valid Irish visa should also be included.
A judge has dismissed an appeal by former Sunday Independent columnist Eoghan Harris against the Circuit Court's decision to transfer his defamation action against journalist Aoife Moore to the High Court.

In his ruling, Mr Justice Paul Burns, confirming the transfer of Mr Harris' case to the High Court, said the matters to be addressed in both Mr Harris' action against Ms Moore, and her defamation claim against him, should be "tried at the same time, in the same venue, by the same court".

Mr Harris has claimed in proceedings he brought before the Circuit Court that he was defamed in a tweet posted by Ms Moore about him in early May 2021.

He claims that, in the post, she wrongly accused him of directly sending her sexualised messages on Twitter.

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In her defence, she denies defaming Mr Harris in a tweet which she says was posted after it emerged Mr Harris was involved in an account which had posted allegedly defamatory material about her.

Ms Moore and another journalist, Allison Morris, have brought separate High Court proceedings against Mr Harris, claiming they were defamed in posts on a Twitter account called 'Barbara J. Pym', which was allegedly operated by Mr Harris and others on dates between 2020 and 2021.

Ms Moore claims she was defamed in those tweets which, she says, called into question her journalistic objectivity, implying her reporting was partisan in favour of Sinn Fein and the wider republican movement in Ireland. She also claims the tweets referred to her in a sexualised manner.

Mr Harris denies her claims. Mr Harris' action against Ms Moore was due to be heard before the Circuit Civil Court earlier this year.

Transfer

However, following a pre-trial application by Ms Moore's lawyers before Christmas, Judge John O'Connor ruled that Mr Harris' case should be transferred to the High Court.

Ms Moore, represented by Thomas Hogan SC and Conan Fegan BL, instructed by Phoenix Law solicitors, claimed that because there was an overlap on the issues surrounding the claims, both cases should be heard together in the High Court.

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Represented by Remy Farrell SC, appearing with Hugh McDowell BL and instructed by solicitor Robert Dore, Mr Harris had argued his case should be heard separately, and before a Circuit Court judge.

In his ruling, confirming the Circuit Courts decision, Mr Justice Burns directed that, upon transfer to the High Court, both sets of proceedings should be listed before the judge in charge of the defamation list for case management.

An application that the two claims be tried together should also be made.

Having considered the particular circumstances of each set of proceedings, and especially the circumstances of the Circuit Court proceedings, the judge said the High Court is the more appropriate tribunal to determine the matters raised in the Circuit Court proceedings.

The judge said he was satisfied that there is "a significant linkage and overlap between the two sets of proceedings". The complexity of the issues involves makes the High Court "a more appropriate tribunal," the judge added.

Mr Justice Burns said if the matters were not tried at the same time, in the same venue, by the same court, that such a multiplicity of proceedings would add to costs and take up more valuable court time than would otherwise be the case.

He added that he also accepted the undertaking given by Ms Moores lawyers that the proceedings will be prosecuted with expedition.

He awarded the costs of the appeal before him in favour of Ms Moore, but placed a stay on the execution of the costs order pending the outcome of the cases.
A former GP will be sentenced next Wednesday for the possession and distribution of child pornography.

Dr Ronan Keogan (51) of College Square, Terenure, pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly distributing child pornography at an unknown location within the State on March 26th, 2017.

He also pleaded guilty to one count of possessing three child pornography images at an address in Templeogue, Dublin, on May 15th, 2017.

He has no previous convictions and has not come to the attention of the gardai since 2017.

Detective Garda Stephen Byrne told Eoin Lawlor BL, prosecuting, that on March 27th, 2017, a woman presented to Clontarf Garda Station. She told gardai that the previous month she joined the Ashley Madison website, where people who want to have affairs can meet.

Det Gda Byrne said the woman began communicating with a man who went under a pseudonym, but told her that he was a GP in Templeogue. The pair continued to communicate on a different online platform called 'Kik', and discussed her dressing up like a schoolgirl; they arranged to meet, which resulted in the two engaging in sexual activity.

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The court heard that Keogan sent the woman a text saying, This girl is 15, followed up with three pictures. He later claimed to gardai that this girl was 17.

Det Garda Byrne agreed with defence counsel that the three images seem to have been taken by the girl herself, and only one of the images is considered child pornography.

The woman then asked Keogan, What is the lowest you would go? and he replied, 15, I think. The woman did raise concern over the sharing of the images, but the accused told her, She was okay with me showing it, the court heard.

Search warrant

On the foot of this information, gardai obtained two search warrants for Keogans medical centre and his home. On May 15th, 2017, at 6.45pm, gardai executed the search warrant on the medical centre.

During the search, Keogan handed over his mobile phone and pin and was fully cooperative with gardai. He was asked if he had sent images of a young girl to a woman, and he replied, Was she in a bath? She is from Cork. She is 17 years old. Thats what she told me.

Gardai also asked the accused if he ever gave the impression that he was into underage girls, and she said, No, 19 or 20, in school uniforms, but Im not into underage girls.

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The court heard that a warrant was then executed on his family home, but nothing of evidential value was found.

The court heard that Keogan had 383 folders of images of women on his phone, resulting in over 10,000 images in total from women of all ages. Of these 10,000 images, three were of a child pornography nature.

During a garda interview, Keogan said anyone he has had sexual contact with was at or above the age of consent. He said he would not knowingly engage in sexual activity with someone not capable of giving consent.

Married with children

Det Gda Byrne agreed with Lorcan Staines SC, defending, that at the time, his client was in his mid-40s and a GP who ran his own practice. He was an employer in the community, he was a very well-respected man in the community, and he was a married man and father to two children.

The garda agreed with counsel that he had the task of trawling through all of Keogans devices and that there was a much different man behind the scenes compared to the outward persona that he gave,

Mr Staines said his clients marriage had broken down. He said his client had a huge appetite for sexual activity and was active on many online dating websites. He said he was also suffering from stress due to a pending inquest. He was also under the care of a doctor and taking medication for anxiety and depression.

He said his client was involved in thrill-seeking behaviour and was meeting many women for sex. Counsel said his client sent and received naked photos to and from many women.

Ireland Chef jailed for murdering father of three found di... Read More

The court heard that the image sent to the woman on Kik was a selfie taken by the girl in the image with no suggestion of any violence in the image. Two other images found on his phone were also selfies taken by the girl in the image.

Mr Staines said his client's behaviours ultimately cost him everything. He has now been removed from the Medical Council, his practice has closed, and he will never practice as a doctor again, all due to his own actions. He has also lost all forms of income. His practice was also previously vandalised due to media coverage.

He asked the court to take into account that this is at the lowest level of offending compared to what this court is used to dealing with. Counsel asked the court if an additional punishment of a custodial sentence was warranted.

Ms Justice Patricia Ryan adjourned this case until Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023, for sentencing.
The HSEs national lead on vaccination, Eileen Whelan has repeated a call to healthcare workers to get their booster vaccine and for anyone eligible for the booster to get the Covid-19 spring booster which will be available from next week.

The people that fall into that category of high risk are anybody over the age of 70 years of age.

That includes people who are living in residential care settings and also people from five years of age upwards who have a weak immune system, Ms Whelan told RTE radios Morning Ireland.

Also included are people who have a diagnosis of cancer, and may be on chemotherapy or other adjuvant therapies. It includes people who have had transplants, anybody who has chronic kidney disease and who might be receiving dialysis.

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It also includes people who are on high dose steroids or maybe people who have an underlying hereditary condition that has weakened their immune system.

This booster is a spring booster, and we're encouraging people who are eligible to come forward and to either present to their general practitioner or their local pharmacy where they will receive appointments from their general practitioner.

They can also go online, and they can book an appointment in their local vaccination clinic. The people who are eligible are anybody who has had their last Covid-19 booster in the last three months. Anybody who's had a Covid infection in the last three months and once they come forward and book their appointment, there will be no problem. Appointments are readily available.

We're encouraging people to come forward in the month of May because this group of people will also be entitled to an autumn booster and they would receive their autumn Covid-19 booster when they receive their flu vaccine. And if they come forward during the month of May, it allows an appropriate interval for them also to get their autumn booster.

Ms Whelan added that the eligible group most importantly includes health care workers.

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Health care workers are now prioritised for one booster in the year. And pregnant women, as always, are a priority to maintain their immunity.

"A person can get their booster at any stage during their pregnancy. It's specifically recommended between weeks 20 and 34. But anybody who's pregnant should be up to date with their boosters.

At present only 27 percent of healthcare workers have received their second booster vaccine.

"That was disappointing, said Ms Whelan. Particularly coming into autumn and winter when we saw the Covid numbers rising and when there was high numbers of patients in hospital that were Covid positive.

It's really important that healthcare workers boost their immunity because they're more at risk of getting infected, because they're working in an environment where there is high numbers of people with Covid cases.

"So it's important that healthcare workers protect themselves, but also that they protect the vulnerable patients in their care.

We have looked into the reasons why that happened and even that the number is 77,000 people who have received their Covid 19 vaccine. We see that 140,000 health care workers got their flu vaccine. So the question is, why would there be a difference with health care workers getting one versus the other?

Data and modelling indicated that 12 percent of healthcare workers at any time were Covid positive which would exclude them from getting the booster vaccine, she explained.

Ireland Spring Covid-19 boosters now available for vulnera... Read More

But there was the potential that up to 25 percent of health care workers at various different points in time could have had Covid.

"We have engaged with health care workers because of the high importance of this, and it's going to be really important next autumn, winter that all healthcare workers avail of the booster.

While new variants might appear to be less virulent, she said, there were still people being admitted to hospital with Covid, with 226 Covid positive patients at present.

So it's really important that healthcare workers protect not just themselves, but the people around them.
The number of homeless people in the State has increased once again, topping 11,988 in March.

The latest figures from the Department of Housing showed there was 2.1 per cent monthly increase, but a 22 per cent jump annually.

There were 1,639 families who were recorded as being homeless last month, while the figure for single adults reached a record-high of 5,736.

Although the number of homeless young people aged 18-24 fell by one to 1,456 in the month, the figure was 18.4 per cent higher than March 2022.

The number of children/dependents in emergency accommodation also rose, increasing by 99 from February to March.

In a statement, the department noted these figures were collected while the ban on evictions, which lapsed on March 31st, was still in place.

The department added that the number of people who left or were prevented from entering emergency accommodation during the first three months of this year was up 15 per cent on the same period of 2022.

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"The situation is very challenging, but the Government, local authorities and those in our NGO sectors are working together and making every effort to reduce homelessness," Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien said.

"Tackling this issue is a Government priority," he added.

'Human misery'

However, a number of homelessness charities have continued their criticism of the Government for allowing the eviction ban to end, describing the latest figures are "deeply upsetting".

The Simon Communities of Ireland's chief executive Wayne Stanley said the number of people experiencing homelessness may have been even higher if the evictions ban had not been in place.

"The Government have clearly made the decision that they are not returning to an eviction ban. That decision means they have, now more than ever, a duty to ensure there are the required safety nets and solutions in place.

"Effective actions, to begin turning the tide on homelessness, have to be the priority," Mr Stanley said.

Meanwhile, Depaul reiterated the calls for urgent action to increase the State's housing stock.

"Many people are living in trepidation about what is due to come, and we cant afford to underplay the human misery attached to this crisis," Depaul's chief executive David Carroll said.

"It's essential that newly announced housing measures are closely monitored and assessed throughout the implementation and delivery phase so that they are impactful and allow us to reduce the numbers of people who are homeless and support those who are at risk since the eviction ban has lifted," he added.

Focus Ireland added that the ending of the eviction ban, the impact of which is yet to be seen in homeless figures, has caused "widespread fear in the rental sector for all the people facing eviction and many others who are not yet at risk".
Johnny Fean, the guitarist with Irish Celtic rock band Horslips, has died aged 71.

In a statement, his bandmates said: "Horslips are deeply saddened to announce the passing of band member Johnny Fean, who died this morning at his home in Shannon.

"For well over 50 years Johnny was our best friend, our creative collaborator, our guitar hero. Johnny wasnt only one of the greatest guitar players ever, he was also the sweetest man in rock and roll. His immeasurable talent won him countless supporters throughout the years. We remain his biggest fans. He devoted his life to music and well be forever thankful that he did.

"The band wish to express their heartfelt condolences to Johnnys wife Maggie, brothers Ray, Donal, Shearie, sisters Gail and Corna and all the extended Fean clan.

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"Johnny will be sorely missed.

"Barry Devlin, Charles O'Connor, Eamon Carr, Jim Lockhart."

Fean is survived by his wife Maggie, brothers Ray, Donal and Shearie and sisters Gail and Corna.
Death of giant panda mourned in Thai zoo

Xinhua) 13:52, April 28, 2023

CHIANG MAI, Thailand, April 28 (Xinhua) -- China and Thailand would summarize the giant panda cooperation program in the past two decades and discuss further cooperation, Chinese Consul General in Chiang Mai Wu Zhiwu said at a memorial event of giant panda "Lin Hui" in the northern Thai city.

"Experts from the two countries have been working closely in the past 20 years. We have good cooperation in giant panda's raising, breeding, disease controlling and knowledge dissemination to the public, which are major parts of our giant panda international cooperation program," Wu said at the ceremony on Wednesday to mark the seventh day after the giant panda's death in Chiang Mai Zoo.

The event was attended by members from the Chinese Consulate General, Chiang Mai governor, the zoo's director and people from various sectors in the Thai city.

The 21-year-old female giant panda exhibited unusual symptoms on April 18. The zoo immediately consulted Chinese experts and conducted medical checkup for her. Despite their efforts, "Lin Hui" died on the next morning, according to the zoo.

White flowers were laid in front of a big photo of "Lin Hui". Life-sized cut-outs of the giant panda in different poses eating ice-creams and playing with toys are on display in the panda house, an indoor space with the constant temperature of 25 degree Celsius specifically built for her during the pandemic.

"I miss Lin Hui. I first saw her when I was a child. She's so cute and had brought us so much joy. I come here to see her every time when I'm in Chiang Mai. She's not only a star attraction of the zoo, but also a friend of people like me who grow up with her," said Sutasinee, 31, who drove three hours from northern Prae province.

A message wall is filled with condolences written in different languages. Most viewed notes include "Thank you for coming here and bringing good memories to us", "Rest in peace my dear Lin Hui", "Wish you reincarnation in Thailand again".

"We are deeply saddened by the death of 'Lin Hui'. She has been a goodwill ambassador between China and Thailand. We are so lucky to have the chance to learn how to raise and take care of giant panda. She's priceless to us," Wuthichai Muangman, director of Chiang Mai zoo, told Xinhua.

"We are also very much appreciative of China's understanding and help in the cooperation program," he added.

Born on Sept. 28, 2001 in China, "Lin Hui" arrived in Chiang Mai Zoo together with her mate "Chuang Chuang" in 2003 on loan. The couple became even super stars after "Lin Hui" gave birth to a female cub "Lin Bing" in 2009.

"Lin Hui" remained the only giant panda in Thailand after "Lin Bing", Thailand's first born giant panda, went back to China in 2011 under the loan agreement and the male bear "Chuang Chuang" died in 2019.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A car thief who injured a garda when he twice rammed a patrol car to get away from gardai has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Trevor Brown (40) reversed the stolen pick-up truck at speed at the parked patrol car, pinning the leg of Garda David Lewis between the vehicles, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

In a letter of apology written to the court, Brown claimed that he was reversing slowly. Judge Patricia Ryan said this was at variance with the evidence.

Gda Lewis told Monica Leech BL, prosecuting, that on the afternoon of May 7th, 2022, a report was received of the theft of a traffic management vehicle at Faussagh Avenue in Cabra, North Dublin.

The jeep had a tracker, and the owners were able to track the Isuzu Jeep to Dubber Cross, St Margaret's in Finglas, near the M5. The owners notified gardai, and Garda Lewis and his colleague Garda Louise Moran travelled to the location in a patrol car and found the stolen jeep parked up with a man in the driver seat.

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Garda Lewis said he positioned the patrol car to block the car from moving off, and Garda Lewis said he got out to approach the driver. He said the driver, later identified as Brown, reversed the jeep at speed, ramming the passenger side of the patrol car.

Garda Lewis told the court that his leg was pinned between the vehicles, and Lewis then reversed a second time, revving the car engine up in first gear in an attempt to escape. The court heard the pickup became stuck in an electricity box which had live wires in it, and gardai pulled Brown from the vehicle and arrested him.

Brown resisted arrest and assaulted the two gardai during the arrest. Gda Moran suffered a cut to her hand, while Gda Lewis suffered swelling and bruising to his leg, cuts to his left shin and muscle soreness to one shoulder.

Both gardai were certified unfit for duty for some time after the assaults.

Previous convictions

Brown of Dermot O'Dwyer House, Dublin City Centre, pleaded guilty to creating a serious risk of harm by driving dangerously at Meakstown Cottages, Finglas on May 7th, 2022. He also pleaded guilty to two charges of assaulting a police officer and one charge of stealing a car at Fassaugh Ave, Cabra West on May 7th, 2022.

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His 165 previous convictions include 58 for theft, 41 under the Road Traffic Act, eight for criminal damage and two for car theft.

Patrick McCarthy, BL, defending, told the court that his client was extremely apologetic and during his garda interview, he asked about the injured gardai and said, I hope everyone is ok.

Counsel said Brown had a history of drug addiction, but since going into custody, he has engaged in drug treatment and is doing well.

Passing sentence on Friday, Judge Patricia Ryan said this court has the benefit of a probation report, two victim impact statements, a letter from Browns mother, a governor's report and his list of previous convictions.

Judge Ryan said a car was rammed into a patrol car not once but twice, with the two gardai suffering both physical and psychological injuries.

The judge said she would consider Browns guilty plea, his time already spent in custody, efforts to rehabilitate and expression of remorse as mitigating factors in this case.

Judge Ryan sentenced Brown to two and a half years for the unlawful taking of a car and five years for the assault on a police officer, with the final year suspended under strict conditions. Both sentences will run concurrently and are backdated from when he went into custody on this matter.
A man has appeared in court charged with drugs offences follow a multi-agency "intelligence-led" operation targeting organised criminal activity in the Limerick region on Thursday.

Michael Kalinowski (36), with an address at Clonunion Cottage, Adare, Co Limerick, appeared before Limerick District Court on Friday, charged with one count of possession of almost 80,000 worth of suspected drugs and one count of simple possession.

Mr Kalinowski, a Polish national, was aided by an interpreter during the hearing before Judge Paul Kelly.

Mr Kalinowski is accused of possession of 65,000 worth of amphetamine tablets and 14,500 worth of suspected cannabis, at a location in Limerick on Thursday, April 27th.

The court heard the accused has lived in the State for the past 12 years and has a "significant" employment history.

He recently changed jobs, having previously worked as a delivery driver and has been working as a warehouse operative for the past six weeks, the court heard, receiving a weekly income of 450.

Arrest

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Garda Ryan Hill, from Henry Street Garda Station, said he arrested Mr Kalinowski at 11.57pm on Thursday night.

Garda Hill said the accused "made no reply" after he was charged and cautioned under section 15 and section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Mr Kalinowski agreed to adhere to a number of strict bail conditions imposed by the court.

The bail terms include that the accused provide gardai with a contact number and to be contactable on that number at all times, that he reside at the address which he is renting, and that he inform gardai if he requires a change of address.

Mr Kalinowski agreed to sign on daily at Roxboro Road Garda station, as well as obey a nightly curfew between 11pm to 7am. He was required to surrender his passport and not apply for replacement travel documents.

Ireland Refusing Gerry Adams a payout for quashed convicti... Read More

Inspector Liam Wallace, of Roxboro Road Garda station, said that "given the nature of the charges and the amount of drugs involved" the State is seeking an independent surety of 2,000, of which 1,000 had to be approved by gardai, expressident concerns that Mr Kalinowski had "no immediate ties" in the State.

However, defence counsel, Joseph McMahon BL, acting on behalf of defence solicitor Sarah Ryan, argued Mr Kalinowski was a longtime resident in the State, with his sister also residing here, and that he has a record of being "consistently" employed here over the past 12 years.

Judge Kelly remanded the accused in custody with consent to bail on an independent surety of 2,000 of which 1,000 was to be lodged.

He is due to appear before Limerick District Court again on May 2nd.
Boris Johnsons role in the appointment of Richard Sharp as BBC chairman should be examined, the former UK commissioner for public appointments has said.

The former UK prime minister himself was conflicted in the process, according to Sir Peter Riddell, who also said questions remain about the loan made to him.

Mr Johnson recommended Mr Sharp for the influential job after Mr Sharp informed him he would be telling the British cabinet secretary about his friend Sam Blyths offer to help the then-prime minister with his financial troubles.

As former Commissioner for Public Appointments at time of Richard Sharp appointment I think Adam Heppinstall KC report is fair and balanced but big questions remain, outside his remit, about conflicts involving Boris Johnsons role and about who made the loan to him. Advertisement  Peter Riddell (@_peterriddell) April 28, 2023

Mr Sharp resigned as BBC chairman on Friday after barrister Adam Heppinstall KCs review found him to have broken the rules by failing to disclose he played a role in getting Mr Johnson an 800,000 loan guarantee.

Mr Riddell, who was the commissioner when Mr Sharp took on the BBC role, said Mr Johnsons role hasnt really been discussed enough because it was outside the remit of the inquiry.

He (Mr Johnson) himself was conflicted Should he have recused himself from the appointment given he knew about Richard Sharp helping him out on this loan? he told BBC Radio 4s World At One programme.

Big questions remain about conflicts involving Boris Johnsons role and about who made the loan to him, Sir Peter also wrote on Twitter.

Mr Heppinstalls report found the former Tory donor twice breached the code governing public appointments, risking the perception he was not independent from the then-prime minister.

It noted the support Mr Sharp received from Downing Street during the hiring process, with No 10 telling MPs interviewing candidates that he looked like a strong candidate.

Mr Riddell also noted the curiously murky exchanges between Mr Sharp and UK cabinet secretary Simon Case, and questioned whether the British Cabinet Office should have told colleagues in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport scrutinising Mr Sharps appointment about what was happening with the private finances.

Mr Johnson has declined to comment on the inquirys findings.
Chinas military has flown 38 fighter jets and other warplanes near Taiwan, the Taiwanese defence ministry said.

It is the largest such flight display since a large military exercise in which it simulated sealing off the island earlier this month.

Six navy vessels were also spotted in the area from 6am on Thursday to 6am on Friday as part of Chinas long-running campaign of intimidation against the self-ruled island democracy that Beijing claims as part of its territory.

Nineteen of the aircraft flew across the midline in the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from the mainland, the ministry said.



An SU-30, like the ones flown near Taiwan by China (File photo/Stuart Gray/Alamy/PA)

They included five SU-30s and two J-16 aircraft, it said.

One drone, a TB-001, circled the island, according to a diagram from the Defence Ministry.

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China held exercises simulating the sealing off the island after the sensitive meeting April 5 between Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen and US House speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

China opposes any exchanges at the official level between Taiwan and other governments.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 following a civil war that ended with the Communist Party in control of the mainland.

The island has never been part of the Peoples Republic of China but Beijing says it must unite with the mainland  by force if necessary.
Richard Sharp has resigned as BBC chair after becoming embroiled in a cronyism row.

The former Goldman Sachs banker (67) announced on Friday morning that he will stand down at the end of June after the findings of barrister Adam Heppinstall KCs review into his appointment were published.

Here's what led to his resignation...

Richard Sharp failed to disclose he played a role in getting Boris Johnson a loan guarantee (PA)

What has the row been about?

Earlier this year, Mr Sharp became entangled in a row over helping former British prime minister Boris Johnson secure an 800,000 loan facility.

His friend Sam Blyth, a Canadian businessman and a distant cousin of Mr Johnson, went to Mr Sharp with an offer to help Mr Johnson who had found himself in financial difficulty in late 2020.

Mr Sharp, who was working as a British government adviser during the Covid pandemic, put Mr Blyth in touch with British cabinet secretary Simon Case, Britain's most senior civil servant.

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It later emerged that he had played a role in facilitating the loan guarantee before being recommended for the influential role of BBC chair, overseeing the public broadcasters independence.

On Friday, Mr Sharp resigned after a report found he failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest to the panel that interviewed candidates and advised ministers on his appointment.

The review into his BBC appointment found he had breached the governance code for public appointments.

Richard Sharp succeeded Sir David Clementi as BBC chair (DCMS/PA)

What have other people said about the row?

Former director-general Lord Birt, who led the BBC between 1992 and 2000, previously appeared before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMS) and addressed the controversy surrounding Mr Sharp.

Lord Birt said: I dont think his appointment should stand.

He is a person of obvious weight and consequence but in one vital respect he was an unsuitable candidate and the appointment process itself was fatally flawed.

Lord Birt, former director-general at the BBC (House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA)

Meanwhile, former head of BBC television news Roger Mosey previously said the next BBC chairman should not be a political appointment.

At the time he told Roger Boltons Beeb Watch podcast that it would be a great act of statesmanship for British prime minister Rishi Sunak to de-politicise the appointment.

Mr Mosey also said it would be an enormous gain to have the future chair be someone who is not seen as being in a pocket of one party or another.

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Similarly, former BBC chairman Sir David Clementi wrote to former British culture secretary Oliver Dowden in October 2020 to voice concern from the corporations nominations committee about the recruitment process for his replacement.

The letter came amid reports that Charles Moore, the former editor of the Daily Telegraph, was offered the job of chair before an official process had begun.

Former BBC chairman Sir David Clementi (Jeff Overs/BBC/PA)

Mr Clementi said in the letter: The committee is also concerned about the appointment of my successor as chair.

We were concerned about the very strong press reports that the government, even before the job had been advertised, was in discussions with a preferred candidate, including a discussion about salary.

Lord Moore later ruled himself out for personal reasons with Tory donor Mr Sharp taking over the role, during one of the most turbulent periods in the BBCs history, in February 2021.

Did Sharp receive support from the then prime minister?

Mr Johnson previously said Mr Sharp had no knowledge of his personal finances.

Former British prime minister Boris Johnson (Victoria Jones/PA)

Speaking to Sky News in January, Mr Johnson said: This is a load of complete nonsense  absolute nonsense.

Let me just tell you, Richard Sharp is a good and wise man, but he knows absolutely nothing about my personal finances  I can tell you that for 100 per cent ding dang sure.

This is just another example of the BBC disappearing up its own fundament.
Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraine early on Friday, killing at least 22 people.

Most of them died when two missiles slammed into an apartment building in a terrifying night-time attack, officials said.

Three children were among the dead.

The missile attacks included the first one against Kyiv, Ukraines capital, in nearly two months, although there were no reports of any targets hit.



Firefighters work to extinguish a fire after a Russian attack at a residential building in Uman (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

The city government said Ukraines air force intercepted 11 cruise missiles and two unmanned aerial vehicles over Kyiv.

The strikes on the nine-story residential building in central Ukraine occurred in Uman, a city located about 134 miles south of Kyiv. Twenty people died in that attack, according to the interior ministry. They included two 10-year-old children and a toddler.

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Another of the victims was a 75-year-old woman who lived in a neighbouring building and suffered internal bleeding from the huge blasts shock wave, according to emergency personnel at the scene.

The Ukrainian national police said 17 people were wounded and three children were rescued from the rubble. Nine were hospitalised.



Firefighters work at an apartment building destroyed by a Russian attack in Uman (State Emergency Service of Ukraine via AP)

The bombardment was nowhere near the wars sprawling front lines or active combat zones in eastern Ukraine, where a grinding war of attrition has taken hold.

Moscow has frequently launched long-range missile attacks during the 14-month war, often indiscriminately hitting civilian areas.

Ukrainian officials and analysts have alleged such strikes are part of a deliberate intimidation strategy by the Kremlin.

The Russian defence ministry said the long-range cruise missiles launched overnight were aimed at places where Ukrainian military reserve units were staying before their deployment to the battlefield.



Residents watch the destruction of a residential building that was hit during a Russian attack in Uman (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

The strike has achieved its goal. All the designated facilities have been hit, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov, the defence ministrys spokesman, said.

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He did not mention any specific areas or residential buildings getting hit.

Survivors of the Uman strikes recounted terrifying moments as the missiles hit when it still was dark outside.

Ukraine officials said last week that they had taken delivery of American-made Patriot missiles, providing Kyiv with a long-sought new shield against Russian airstrikes, but there was no word on whether the system was used on Friday.

The citys anti-aircraft system was activated, according to the Kyiv city administration. Air raid sirens started at about 4am, and the alert ended about two hours later.

The missile attack was the first on the capital since March 9. Air defences have thwarted Russian drone attacks more recently.

The missiles were fired from aircraft operating in the Caspian Sea region, according to Ukrainian armed forces commander-in-chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

Overall, he said, Ukraine intercepted 21 of 23 Kh-101 and Kh-555 type cruise missiles launched, as well as the two drones.

The war largely ground to a halt over the winter, becoming a war of attrition as each side has shelled the others positions from a distance.

Ukraine has been building up its mechanised brigades with armour supplied by its Western allies, who have also been training Ukrainian troops and sending ammunition, as Kyiv eyes a possible counteroffensive.

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Meanwhile, the Moscow-appointed mayor of the Russia-held city of Donetsk, Alexei Kulemzin, said a Ukrainian rocket killed seven civilians in the centre of the city Friday. He said the victims died when a minibus was hit.
Ron DeSantis has been hosted in the UK by British foreign secretary James Cleverly as the Florida governor seeks to burnish his credentials ahead of a possible run against Donald Trump to be the Republican choice in the race for the White House.

The conservative firebrand and Mr Cleverly discussed ties between Britain and the US state he represents while visiting the UK Foreign Office on Friday.

UK prime minister Rishi Sunak, who was attending Tory conferences in Scotland and Wales, will not be meeting Mr DeSantis, who has been criticised by the LGBTQ community over the dont say gay law banning discussions of sexual orientation or gender identity in schools, which Joe Bidens administration has called hateful.

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The Florida governor has not announced his intention to run for the Republican nomination but is widely expected to do so.

His visit presents a diplomatic challenge to ministers, who will want to be accommodating but not risk provoking the ire of Mr Trump by being seen as taking sides in the contest.

Mr DeSantis, who was wrapping up his trade mission in the UK after stops in Japan, South Korea and Israel, also met with UK business secretary Kemi Badenoch.

The UK Foreign Office said Mr Cleverly and the governor discussed the close and important partnership between the UK and Florida.

This meeting was an opportunity to strengthen ties with the fourth-largest US state, and support bilateral economic cooperation that is already worth more than 5 billion a year, a statement added.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size A foolish attempt to help multinational companies avoid paying tax in Australia has spectacularly backfired on the multibillion-dollar professional services industry, infuriating Canberra and potentially costing these high-profile firms billions in fees. A recent ban on PricewaterhouseCoopers former head of international tax, Peter Collins, acting as a tax practitioner  for attempting to profiteer from confidential information about government plans to combat tax avoidance  has achieved the rare feat of uniting Australias warring political parties. Former PwC partner Peter Collins has been banned as a tax practitioner. On Tuesday, public hearings will commence in the Senate inquiry into the billions the federal government spends with these financial services firms and how to ensure the integrity of the providers. Meanwhile, the government is mulling options that include banning tax advisory firms from tendering for contracts if they do not curb this kind of misconduct. Collins was banned for two years by the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) for integrity breaches after leaking confidential government tax plans to other staff and partners at his firm. The TPB report on his ban said: Some of the confidential information was disclosed by Mr Collins with other PwC personnel who, in turn, disclosed to clients or potential clients of PwC.

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The inquiry into consulting services was sponsored by Greens senator Barbara Pocock  and supported by the Liberals  in response to the uproar over the tax leak. The inquiry will be chaired by Liberal senator Richard Colbeck and Labor senator Louise Pratt will act as deputy. Its hit a bit of a nerve, hasnt it? Pocock says. Greens senator Barbara Pocock pushed for a Senate inquiry into the billions of dollars spent on consultants. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The PwC tax issue gives it a real salience, but I think theres interest in the longer term, and larger picture, about how dependent the advisory structures have become on consultants. There is also the question of whether PwC is the only shocking example out there. Were interested in what else is there, and hoping that the inquiry will flush out any other examples, and how we need to think about responding when things go off the rails, Pocock says.

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This includes the $1 million robo-debt bill, also from PwC, for a damning report which was not delivered, to a Coalition government that did not want to receive it. Ive had a lot of very lively conversations with people who say, youve got to be kidding. When they hear about a million dollars, I mean, a million dollars is a lot of money. While the Liberals and Greens sift through the consulting wreckage in public, Labor has already planted the seeds for significant change  and not just the legislation recently introduced to beef up the powers of the Tax Practitioners Board, which banned PwCs Collins late last year. In February, Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy responded to a letter from Treasurer Jim Chalmers outlining more measures to ensure the integrity of any further consultation with private consultants. Treasury is working with the Australian Tax Office to prepare advice for government on further options, beyond TPB sanctions, to penalise tax advisory firms which do not put in place appropriate government arrangements to curb misconduct, Kennedy said in his letter to Chalmers. Labor senator Deborah ONeill has accused PwC of dodging accountability for the tax leak. Credit:Australian Financial Review This includes new conditions to the statement of tax record that firms must hold in order to bid for Commonwealth government contracts valued at more than $4 million.

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Keep in mind The Australian Financial Review report last year saying the five biggest consulting firms, PwC, EY, Accenture, Deloitte and KPMG, were paid $2 billion in 2021-22 alone. This was not the only bombshell. Treasury is also contemplating deeds of confidentiality with entire organisations rather than individuals, meaning these firms could be held responsible when staff such as Collins misbehave. Loading The PwC example provides plenty of evidence as to why this is considered necessary. Accountability still appears to be a sticking point. Last month, PwCs local chief executive, Tom Seymour, made the claim that other employees were not implicated in the sharing of confidential information that got Collins banned. There was no findings at all that up to 30 staff were giving advice using the confidential information, he said.

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It appeared to directly contradict what another Senate estimates hearing had been told about the matter. Mr Peter-John Collins of PwC took that information back to his company and shared it with colleagues, who then monetised that for profit. Is that it, in a nutshell? Senator Deborah ONeill asked TPB chairman Ian Klug just weeks earlier. In a nutshell, thats correct, he replied. TPB chief executive Michael ONeill offered more detail, when questioned. There was confidential communication and information from Treasury and the board of tax to Mr Collins. Mr Collins, as we said in our public entry on our register, shared that information with PwC personnel, both in Australia and overseas, who, in turn, shared that with clients. That was part of the monetisation, as you said. At the time of the ban, where TPB had also found that PwC had failed to properly manage conflicts of interest, PwC said we deeply regret the failures. Doubling down on denial is a sign that PwC still refuses to be accountable. Senator Deborah ONeill

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A beanbag the size of his fist tethered to a light nylon line shoots up and arches over a bough around 10 metres or so up the tree on the far side of the koala.

Richardson leans back against a thick log, props up a pole that is nearly his own height, squats and pulls back a metre or so on the elastic sling.

A group of University of Sydney scientists huddle among the bracken and fallen logs in a strip of trees that run along a dry creek bed alongside a cleared paddock on a farm just outside Gunnedah.

Early one morning in late March, Ben Richardson, an arborist by trade and rock climber by choice  when he is not bothering koalas  gives a masterclass in the technique.

The safest way to extract a recalcitrant koala from the top of a tall tree, it turns out, begins with a slingshot.

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The koala groans audibly and climbs to the very crown, clinging to branches she must know are far too thin to support the predator beneath.

Richardson, whose technique has been vetted by a University of Sydney ethics board, gathers up the nylon line and pulls a thick rope up the tree after it, and proceeds to climb it.

The animal, which they know simply as 28f, had been efficiently located minutes earlier by Associate Professor Damien Higgins, who had marched across the field with an antenna that looked like something your parents might have used to watch telly, linked to a beeping tracking device. Poor old 28f had been betrayed, again, by the radio collar she has been wearing these past few years.

Its not stupid, mutters one of the scientists squatting in the bracken. Weve already caught it half-a-dozen times before.

The animal, which to this point had been ignoring the hushed commotion beneath it, begins climbing higher.

Rob Frend, a retired local farmer who has worked closely with the team for years, hoists the bag gently over his shoulder and strides to a lab set up at the rear of a four-wheel drive waiting nearby.

28f is given a sedative to relieve the stress of the encounter and tucked into a canvas sack marked with an Australia Post logo and the warning, Misuse of this bag is a criminal offence.

Koalas are conditioned to respond to threats from above, and soon 28f descends, grunting and grumbling and grunting all the way to the ground.

Richardson isnt done. Now beneath the animal, he hauls a telescopic pole adorned with coloured scarfs at its tip from his kit. It gives him an extra few metres reach, which he uses to wave the fabric above the animals head.

An ultrasound shows large cysts on both ovaries. The disease has rendered her infertile. Painful? I ask Simpson.

She is strong and reasonably fit, though the stains on her bottom suggest she has been suffering from chlamydia, the sexually transmitted disease that is attacking so many koala populations.

She weighs 8.25 kilograms and is the size of a large dog. Her worn teeth mark her as close to middle-aged. The double thumbs on her fore and rear paws look powerful even in her torpor.

The animal, which had looked like something out of a storybook when sitting in the bow of the gum, a soft blob atop its beautifully rounded bum, has a far more substantial presence up close.

Sarah Simpson, the groups veterinarian, administers an anaesthetic via a facemask. Alana Kidd, a PhD student specialising in genetics, starts running a battery of tests. Blood is taken, as are swabs of the nose, eyes, mouth and urogenital tract.

Back in the late 1990s and again in the 2000s, he conducted a pair of studies with remarkable findings. While koala populations up and down the east coast were falling, those around Gunnedah were thriving.

It was the now-retired University of Sydney professor Dan Lunney who attracted koala specialists to this part of the world.

She cant know that this will be the last time she will suffer these indignities, just as she cant know of the calamity that has struck the koalas of Gunnedah, the New South Wales town that still calls itself the koala capital of the world.

Frend sits quietly with the 28f, waiting for her to recover from the anaesthetic so he can carry her gently back to her tree.

The tests completed, Simpson cuts off the animals radio collar and drives the lab off through the paddocks to a different location where Higgins has already located another animal with his beeping wand and Richardson is preparing his gear for another climb.

What was even more remarkable was that they were thriving in a landscape that had already been thoroughly carved up by modern agriculture and even mining. Yet on a remnant patchwork of feed and habitat trees, observations by local farmers collected and analysed by Lunney demonstrated that the population was healthy and growing.

Ever since the mass slaughter of koalas that continued into the 1930s, ecologists studying koalas in NSW and Queensland have mostly been observing an animal in decline.

Sadly for the koala, it tends to thrive in the landscapes that are favoured by people. Koalas have been displaced by urban development, logging and agriculture up and down the east coast.

That is what made this growing inland population so intriguing, and led other scientists to follow Lunney to Gunnedah  people like Professor Mark Krockenberger, who leads the research we observed, and his colleague, Dr Valentina Mella.

Local farmer Robert Frend looks on as vet Sarah Simpson and PhD student Alana Kidd inspect a koala. Credit:Wolter Peeters

Lunneys research suggested that a massive tree-planting program conducted in and around Gunnedah in the 1990s to combat a growing salinity problem had the unintended consequence of boosting koala numbers in the 2000s. If this was the case, scientists wanted to know how they might replicate the effect.

In 2012, the Australian Geographic magazine ran a story optimistically entitled Gunnedah may hold key to reversing koala decline.

And for a long time that seemed to be true but even then, there were dark signs of things to come.

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Frend remembers how during one long heatwave, a quarter of the animals that had been recruited to one study simply died.

The scientist were near tears, recalls Frend. It was a real kick in the guts.

Over the years that followed, the landscape dried out, nutrient levels in koala feed trees fell, and the population began to decline.

Frend, who had begun to work more closely with the scientists and despaired at the state of the animals, became convinced that the belief koalas did not drink, absorbing all the moisture they needed from gum leaves, was wrong.

Rob Frend helped devise a water feeder for koalas. Credit:Wolter Peeters

They were literally dying trying to tell us that they needed help, and we were not listening.

Mella, who grew up in Italy before studying in Australia, came to agree with him and set about proving it. In 2016, the two began putting water out at feed trees under trail cameras and proved that koalas did indeed drink. That research has led to Frends creation of specialist drinking troughs that sit high in habitat trees. The troughs can be seen around Gunnedah and are now being mass-produced to be deployed across the country before the coming summer that some fear will be particularly hot.

Mella and the gentle old farmer have developed what he calls a father-daughter relationship over the years and are quick to credit one another with the breakthrough, but Mella cant help boasting that it took an Italian to make a basic discovery about Australias favourite animal.

In any event, it wasnt just the heat and lack of water that began killing off Gunnedahs koalas.

A tipping point

By 2015, Mella and Krockenberger began to notice that the rate of chlamydia infection in the animals in their study had begun to leap from an estimated 10 per cent the previous decade.

Mella remembers a moment during a field trip the following year when Krockenberger turned to her and said bluntly, These animals are f--ked.

Krockenberger explains: I think what I was seeing was a tipping point where we had found something like 60 or 70 per cent of the population now infected with chlamydia.

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And once you get to that sort of level, its very hard to maintain population numbers because each of those infected animals either is infertile or will very soon be infertile.

If your breeding population shrinks from 100 per cent, down to 30 per cent, over a period of two or three years, thats not a sustainable pathway.

Frend was seeing a similar collapse in numbers on his farm. In 2016, there were 30 koalas on a 370-hectare section of his land. He hoped that by installing water troughs he might be able to boost that number. Today, there are three.

Chlamydia is thought to have been introduced to koalas via sheep and cattle. Two strains are known to be attacking Gunnedahs koalas. The disease spreads rapidly via mating or being passed on from mother to joey via feeding.

Krockenberger explains that the impact of the disease has likely been compounded by other factors, particularly a climate that is growing inexorably hotter and drier. Animals that are stressed, or suffering from dehydration and malnutrition, he explains, are less resilient and more susceptible to the spread and impact of disease.

Over recent years, the focus of research on the Gunnedah koalas shifted from how the population interacted with agricultural activities to how the disease was spreading.

Professor Mark Krockenberger and Dr Valentina Mella release a koala to the tree it was caught from. Credit:Wolter Peeters

Krockenberger and his team began testing a vaccine that had been developed by Professor Peter Timms at the University of the Sunshine Coast.

The results of the research have yet to be published but over recent months, it became clear to Krockenberger that the Gunnedah koala population, once the hope for the future of the animal, was functionally extinct. Those animals alive today are likely to live out their lives but few, if any, young will be born.

As a result, the research project has ended, which is why Krockenberger and his team were in Gunnedah last month.

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The animals in the study are now so old, the age distribution of the colony so unrepresentative, that it risks skewing the results of the vaccine research.

Over the course of three days, they capture 30 koalas. One of them is a young female who over the past two years had delighted the researchers by rearing two healthy joeys. She is now infertile.

At one point as the sun lowers and the team takes a break, Mella inspects the bag of radio collars that have been removed from the koalas over the day and wonders aloud if they might be repurposed for another study elsewhere.

An hour or so after her tests are completed, 28f is alert enough for release.

Frend lays his canvas sack gently at the base of the giant white box gum tree in which she had been captured.

She pokes her head up, gives him a woozy glare, and makes a half-hearted attempt to climb a nearby sapling before giving up on the effort and scampering off into the bush.

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Its a bigger menu than any of our other restaurants. The New York-style restaurant Clam Bar will open at Circular Quay on Wednesday.

The team behind hatted Sydney restaurants Pellegrino2000 and Bistrot 916 have announced their latest venture, Clam Bar, will open at Circular Quay on Wednesday.

Clam Bar takes inspiration from the classic steakhouses of New York City, visited by co-founders Dan Pepperell, Mikey Clift and Andy Tyson in September of last year.

Im so excited to give the great steakhouse a revamp, Tyson says.

Theyve been open for more than a hundred years, and they have all these dishes that have become absolute classics, but the execution can be hit or miss.

[At Clam Bar] were bringing modern techniques and creative flair to those dishes, really turning them up.
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Eating outSolo dining Table for one: The Sydney restaurants where solo diners score the best seat in the house From personalised book recommendations to custom engraved serve wear, these Sydney restaurants are stepping it up for the single diner. Bianca Hrovat April 28, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

The experience of eating alone at three-hatted Barangaroo restaurant Oncore by Clare Smyth is so exceptional that one young man has returned more than 87 times over the past 18 months. No small feat, considering the restaurants set menus are priced from $340 (not including drinks). Restaurant manager Michael Stoddart takes particular care with solo diners, from curating a selection of books for their table to having their names embroidered on napkins after their tenth visit. Restaurant manager Michael Stoddart goes to extra lengths to make solo diners feel special at Oncore by Clare Smyth. Brook Mitchell Ive always found solo diners to be the most intriguing guests, says Stoddart, who received the award for service excellence in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2023. They could be dining out with family or friends but instead, they choose to spend time with us. Theres something very special about it.

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Oncore is one of a handful of Sydney restaurants making a concerted effort to cater to the increasing number of solo diners. Restaurant booking services such as ResDiary report single reservations increased steadily over the course of 2022. Fried chicken with optional caviar served at the bar at Oncore by Clare Smyth in Sydney. Jennifer Soo Oncores most frequent visitor, a student in his early 20s who preferred not to be named, has become a welcome weekly fixture in the dining room. Several visits after the personalised napkin, staff excitedly presented him with a steak knife engraved with his name. Now, after showing an increased interest in Oncores $190 wine pairing, the restaurant places each bottle on a pewter coaster with the mans name on it. He started off shy, but now hes a friend, Stoddart says. He came to our Christmas family breakfast. We eat with him outside of work. We get excited to show him new wines.

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Books and custom serve wear are available to solo dining regulars at Oncore by Clare Smyth. Brook Mitchell Stoddart says he wants solo diners to feel comfortable enough to put down their phones and fully engage in the Oncore experience. He remembers when he was 20 years old, new to the industry, and too shy to book a table-for-one. It can be quite nerve-wracking, he says. So I put something on the table they can touch and interact with. Once we build rapport and I know what they like, Ill put down books theyre more interested in  or a humorous ornament that might make them laugh and lighten the mood. When you visit a restaurant alone you really get to feel the experience. There are no distractions, just raw hospitality, and theres nothing better than that.

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Sitting kitchen-side allows solo diners to be a part of the action at Mimis. Steve Woodburn Two-hatted Coogee restaurant Mimis aims to spoil their solo diners, giving them a private tour and tasting of the wine cellar, a choice of the two best seats in the house (beachside or kitchen-side) and taking them to Mimis table  a table reserved for special occasions, either before or after their meal for a bespoke cocktail or dessert (free of charge). The kitchen also accommodates requests for smaller portions, allowing solo diners to try a greater variety of dishes. Head chef Jeffrey de Rome says he wants to recreate the sense of warmth he experienced when eating alone at fine dining restaurants in London. Dishes such as the Magra lamb cutlets can be sized down for solo diners at Mimis. Edwina Pickles

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I didnt have anyone to go to restaurants with, so Id just go alone, he explains. After a while, I started to enjoy it because you can really engage with the front-of-house team and the chefs. They give you a lot more time than they would if you came with a group. Seven of Sydney's best restaurants for solo diners More diners are catching on. Oncore welcomed five solo diners to their 68-seat dining room over the past week, more than double the usual number. At hatted Restaurant Hubert, solo diners account for around a quarter of all tickets booked to their Front Row Feast, where guests are seated on communal tables and magnums of wine are passed hand-to-hand. And at Surry Hills seafood restaurant The Rover, theres at least one solo diner at each service (notable, says owner James Bradley, given the rooms 35-person capacity). Like many restaurants, The Rover typically seats solo diners at the bar. But Bradley goes the extra mile by providing reading material, lively conversation with staff, and (often, but not always) an extra drink or dessert on the house.

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The Rover takes extra care with solo diners. Jennifer Soo Theres no hiding any mistakes when it comes to solo diners, so its really important you provide a high level of service, Bradley says. But solo diners are great customers because, if you get it right (and many dont), they will come back frequently, and they will tell their friends. Top tips for dining alone Put your phone down and embrace the experience. I highly encourage trying eating alone, its empowering.

Michael Stoddart, Oncore by Clare Smyth Enjoy taking control of the decision-making process. Be direct with staff if you need anything and if you dont feel like chatting, just say Thanks, Ill let you know if I need anything further. You dont need to pretend.

James Bradley, The Rover Its worth speaking to the floor team to figure out whether they can downsize dishes to suit a single diner. Were happy to do half portions, but you wouldnt know that by looking at our website. Most kitchens have little tricks up their sleeves to make solo dining more accessible.

Jeffrey de Rome, Mimis Special solo dining experiences in Sydney Mimis, Coogee

For exclusive wine tastings, cellar door tours and a bespoke pre- or post-dinner treat.

Coogee Pavillion, 130a Beach Street, Coogee; merivale.com/venues/mimis Oncore by Clare Smyth, Barangaroo

For the best seat in the house and thoughtful touches, such as personalised napkins for regulars.

Crown Sydney, Level 26/1 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo; crownsydney.com.au The Rover, Surry Hills

For reading material, backroom banter and the occasional free drink.

75 Campbell Street, Surry Hills; therover.com.au Jonahs Restaurant

For captivating views, a complimentary glass of wine upon arrival and reading material.

69 Bynya Road, Palm Beach; jonahs.com.au The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2023: All the award winners
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Eating outRestaurant news Three-Michelin-starred New York restaurant Eleven Madison Park is coming to Sydney But it wont come cheap. The nine-course vegan tasting menu set you back a whopping $550. Sarah Norris April 28, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

One of the worlds most celebrated restaurants will be in Sydney for a two-week residency in June, headlining Vivids inaugural Vivid Food program. The three-Michelin-starred New York restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, and its chef-owner, Daniel Humm, will take over the kitchen of harbourside restaurant Aria for 14 days. The US team will work alongside Arias culinary team, including its executive chef Matt Moran and head chef Thomas Gorringe. Chef Daniel Humm is bringing three-Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park to Sydney for Vivid. Supplied Both teams will prepare two menus: a nine-course tasting dinner menu and a shorter lunch option. It wont be cheap, setting punters back $550, or $395 if youre dining during the day. A beverage pairing will be additional. As at the New York restaurant, the menu will be plant-based, but Humm says itll incorporate produce from New South Wales.

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Tonburi with avocado, fava bean and mint from the plant-based Eleven Madison Park menu. Supplied We could not be more thrilled to participate in Vivid Sydney and bring Eleven Madison Park to the iconic Aria Restaurant, he said in a statement. This years [Vivid] theme of naturally closely resonates with our core values and journey as a restaurant. Were excited to delve into New South Wales fresh and local ingredients to bring a creative, beautiful and delicious menu to life with Chef Matt and his team. So much of what we eat is part of our identity, and we look forward to sharing our language of food. While Eleven Madison Park is highly awarded  it took the top honour at the 2017 Worlds 50 Best Restaurants awards and was the first vegan restaurant to be awarded three Michelin stars  it has courted controversy, including allegations of treating staff badly and food waste. Eleven Madison Park took the top honour at the 2017 Worlds 50 Best Restaurants awards. Supplied Humm announced in 2021 that Eleven Madison Park would no longer serve opulent meats and seafood and would go completely vegan, surprising many people. The current food system is simply not sustainable, in so many ways, Humm said at the time

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The results have not always been successful. In 2021, the New York Times food critic Pete Wells said a beetroot served by the restaurant tasted like Lemon Pledge and smells like a burning joint. This is the first time Sydneys winter festival Vivid will include a food program as part of its line-up. Other international names include Rishi Naleendra from Singapores two-Michelin-starred Cloudstreet, and Cape Towns Mmabatho Molefe, who was one of the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants 50 Next hospitality pioneers in 2022. Singapore-based Aussie Dave Pynt from Burnt Ends will also be here, as will a number of high-profile local chefs such as Mitch Orr and Danielle Alvarez.



This residency announcement follows another for Aria. The three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay will also take over the harbourside eatery on May 8, 9 and 10 (sold out). The Eleven Madison Park Aria residency begins June 6.



Tickets go on sale at 11am Friday. For more information and to book visit vividsydney.com

One of the world's top restaurants, Eleven Madison Park, is going vegan
Weddings are often said to be recession-proof. But for the bride feeling the cost-of-living pinch, or for those wanting to indulge in the multiple outfit trend  a key feature of last weekends celebrity wedding between fashion identity Sofia Richie and music executive Elliot Grainge  there is good news: the number of options by Australian ready-to-wear designers is increasing.

Acler co-founder Kathryn Forths own wedding in 2021, when border closures and snap lockdowns meant few events could be planned with certainty, was the original inspiration for the Adelaide-based brands first bridal collection, which will go on sale in November.

Two of the designs from Aclers debut bridal collection. Credit: Matt Turner

After she struggled to find an off-the-rack dress that suited her taste, Forth made her own, with help from her mother. But not every bride is handy with a sewing machine, or wants the full made-to-order experience, which as well as being costly can take six months or more. Even post-lockdowns, she thinks theres a broader trend for more relaxed, flexible weddings. That classic, princess-style wedding is falling by the wayside, she says.

Aclers collection, which will cost from $320 to $1200, will debut on the runway next month at Australian Fashion Week. Forth says it will appeal to a range of brides, from those wanting multiple outfits to those entering their second marriage, budget-conscious brides and couples holding flash weddings, a term coined in a recent New York Times article for weddings planned in less than three months.
The family of a young mother who died after a piece of concrete was thrown at her head have broken down in court, crying and yelling after the 17-year-old responsible for her death was sentenced to five years behind bars.

Diane Miller, 30, who was nicknamed Dinosaur by her family was 20 weeks pregnant when she was attacked in the car park of Waterford Plaza in Karawara on November 29 last year.

Millers family spoke of their grief outside court on Friday. Credit: Holly Thompson

Judge Hylton Quail said the attack had been a case of too much testosterone on each side, that resulted in a triple tragedy.

Ms Miller was a completely innocent and blameless victim of your senseless and cowardly act, he told the youth, guilty of manslaughter, in court.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size At the start of April, the federal governments chief housing forecaster issued a dire warning. High interest rates, soaring immigration and community opposition to new homes meant the country faced a shortfall of 106,000 dwellings by 2027. This week, the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation updated its outlook. Even more homes are going to be needed to deal with the surging population. It will just add to price pressures on one of the most expensive property markets in the world. Credit:Paul Rovere Due to a larger than expected increase in net migration this year and next, the corporation now thinks the shortfall of homes could approach 175,000. In terms of people, that shortage equates to bedrooms and kitchens for about 450,000  in effect, the combined population of NSWs Central Coast and the Victorian regional city of Bendigo. The new numbers were released on the same day that ANZ economists Felicity Emmett and Adelaide Timbrell issued their own warning to people hoping to buy a piece of Australia: home prices are now unlikely to keep falling.

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By early next year, Timbrell and Emmett said, capital city prices were likely to start climbing. And for those who believe bad events come in threes, Anglicare released its annual snapshot of the rental market. Based on 46,000 rental listings across the country on the weekend of March 17, it found just four affordable for a single person on JobSeeker. All of them were for rooms in share houses. Not one was affordable for a person on Youth Allowance, 66 were suitable for someone on the disability support pension while 0.4 per cent were within the budget of a person on the age pension. This snapshot has recorded the worst-ever result for a person on the minimum wage, with affordability halving over the past year, the charity noted. All of these new insights into the Australian property market came as this masthead released a series on whether the Great Australian Dream of home ownership is over, looking at the turning points that have led to the problems of affordability we have today.

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The response to the series was unequivocal. Australians know there is something wrong with the way this country has come to have one of the most expensive property markets in the world, supported by some of the most indebted households in the world and propped up by a banking system dependent on the churn of mortgages. As one commentator noted, the blame for the current situation cannot be sheeted home to just one policy or decision. Housing is often too expensive for people on Jobseeker and Youth Allowance. Credit:Louise Kennerley At some point though, we must bear some of the responsibility ourselves. Its easy to blame immigrants, banks, governments ... But we collectively are to blame as much as all these factors, they said. This weeks series highlighted many of the problems facing the nations housing system. From local council planning regulations to population growth to a tax system that is supposed to support the construction of rental properties but has continually failed to deliver. Critics have noted the growth in short-term rentals such as Airbnb, the purchase of new Australian properties by foreign investors and complaints of homes left deliberately vacant by owners were also factors in an issue that is permeating the entire economy.

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Land banking by developers on the outskirts of the nations major cities also contributes to the problem. Last year, think tank Prosper Australia released research into 26,000 land sales in nine master-planned communities across the country. Over 9.5 years, fewer than 24 per cent of the sites released to private developers had been sold to home buyers. Not that private developers are solely to blame. In Canberra, a recent ballot for 220 blocks in the citys northern suburbs attracted 4500 registrations of interest, prompting accusations the ACT Labor government was simply not releasing enough land to meet surging demand. Stockland is the nations largest builder of estate-planned homes. Its managing director and chief executive, Tarun Gupta, this week said there were problems across the entire property market. While undoubtedly our biggest lever, increasing the supply of private housing on its own will not solve Australias affordability crisis, he said. It requires action across the entire housing continuum  from investment in social and affordable housing, build to rent and shared equity, to the sale of private houses, and diversity of product to suit peoples lifestyles and life stages.

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Theres also the economic impact. Research director at think tank e61, economist Gianni La Cava, said the surge in house prices was creating a huge catch-22 for potential business creators, which was weighing on the entire economy. You have to own a home to be an entrepreneur. Its very hard to get a loan for a new business or an idea if you dont have a mortgage or own a property against which to borrow, he said. Loading The federal government used its first budget, in October last year, to elevate the issue of housing. Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced his plan for a housing accord to help harness superannuation funds in the construction of 1 million homes by the end of the decade. Housing Minister Julie Collins is pressing another key part of the governments agenda. It wants to establish the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, the returns from which would be used to help build 30,000 social and affordable homes within its first five years. The future fund, however, sits in legislative limbo. The Coalition, concerned about government debt levels, is opposed to it. The Greens are also standing in its way, demanding far more be pumped into housing.

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A protracted and bumbling series of changes to how verification works on Twitter has not only further shredded confidence in the services ability to keep things running smoothly, its ensured that discussion on Twitter continues to be overwhelmingly about Twitter, making for a much less useful and enjoyable experience.

Overhauling verification was one of Elon Musks promises when he took ownership of the company six months ago, with the goal being to dismantle the previous system (blue ticks given to prominent or noteworthy accounts, or those at risk of impersonation), with a new one where paying subscribers proved their identity to get the tick.

Twitters blue tick has lost its credibility. Credit: AP

What actually ended up happening is a situation nobody could have predicted, except potentially for Dr Seuss, when he wrote the 1961 childrens story The Sneetches.

In it, creatures with no stars on their bellies feel left out and ostracised by those who do have stars, until a crafty entrepreneur named Sylvester McMonkey McBean offers to apply stars to anyone for just three dollars. Of course after that stars are no longer cool, and the star-havers remove theirs, leaving the original bare-bellies grumpy still, until both groups realise theyve been manipulated.
London: King Charles III has given his royal support to one of Australias oldest charity efforts, opening up Buckingham Palace on Friday to families of those killed at war and to volunteers about to undertake a six-month relay home.

The Legacy centenary torch was lit at the palace  which in just a weeks time will be centre stage for Charles coronation celebrations  marking the official start of the London part of the relay.

Torchbearer Angela Brient (left) and Corporal Daniel Keighran VC mark the start of the London leg of the Legacy relay at Buckingham Palace on Friday. The ceremony is watched by King Charles. Credit: Callum Smith

The King - sporting a long-line navy coat blazer, a purple-and-white patterned tie paired with midnight blue suit - warmly greeted torchbearers carrying the flame into the palace grounds alongside widows and families of deceased or injured war veterans who are under Legacys care, as well as some of the volunteers who provide the support.

Charles III greeted Corporal Daniel Keighran VC who presented him with a replica relay torch. The pair shared a joke, with the King using the baton as a cricket bat.


As a percentage of nominal gross domestic product, the wage bill of the private sector was 12.7 per cent in FY22, compared to 11.8 per cent for the public sector, the analysis found. The wage bill gap between the private and public sectors has grown to nearly a percentage point, an analysis of employee compensation data by the Economic Times has found.



Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at the Bank of Baroda, told ET that private sector salaries are rising more quickly than those in the public sector and job growth is also higher in the private sector. In FY12, the public sector had a larger - 12.4 per cent share - of the GDP at current prices compared to the private sector's 9.2 per cent. In FY20, just before the Covid-19 pandemic, private sector's wages surpassed those of the public sector.



N R Bhanumurthy, vice-chancellor of Dr BR Ambedkar School of Economics University, Bengaluru, said that the employment level has seen this kind of tilt between private and public sectors. Additionally, the private sector's wage growth has been faster than that of the government. He further said that the central government was not replacing jobs, suggesting that the government's muted job growth may also be a factor.

Also Read Robust activity in services sector holds up 6.3% GDP growth in Q2 GDP growth may have beaten MPC's estimate of 6.3% in Q2: Economists Labour ministry looking to replace 'minimum wage' by 'living wage': Report Women bosses fare worst in accumulated savings: Gender Wealth Equity report Reliance Retail fills GAP: US brand opens its own store in Mumbai Jet Airways revival hits new snag as more employees quit amid uncertainty Zuckerberg's fortune jumps $10 bn on Meta's robust first-quarter sales Co-living operator Settl. to double its bed strength to 5,000 by FY24-end Chola Fin raises Rs 1,000 crore through maiden public bond offering Need for business insurance leads to 'Policybazaar for Business' programme



Meanwhile, a survey conducted by consultancy firm AON found that salaries in corporate India rose by 10.6 per cent in 2022 and are projected to increase by 10.4 per cent in 2023. He added that another factor contributing to the government's lower compensation is some states' slow adoption of the 7th Pay Commission.

From FY20 to FY22, compensation in the private sector increased by 20.3 per cent, whereas growth for the public sector was 12.5 per cent. During this time, the nominal GDP also grew 16.8 per cent.


A source said that Kapoor's last working day at the grounded airline was Friday. A little over a year after coming on board to revive Jet Airways, the airline's CEO-Designate Sanjiv Kapoor has put in his papers.



Kapoor joined the airline as the Chief Executive Officer in April last year. The once-storied carrier stopped flying in April 2019 and later the Jalan-Kalrock consortium emerged as the winning bidder through an insolvency resolution process, but the ownership transfer is yet to happen.



Amid continuing uncertainties, many senior executives have quit the airline in recent months. There was no immediate comment from Kapoor.

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Speaking at a conference in the national capital, he had also said the journey is a marathon, and not a sprint. On March 20, Kapoor said the new management does not want to be "in a rush" to restart the operations of Jet Airways.



Against this backdrop, the Jalan-Kalrock consortium, on January 2, said Kapoor will remain the CEO-designate of the company till the airline's ownership is transferred to the consortium by the lenders. Amid continuing differences between the lenders and the consortium, the ownership of the airline is yet to be transferred to the winning bidder.



Prior to joining of Kapoor, Sudhir Gaur had quit as the interim CEO of Jet Airways. The airline's air operator certificate was revalidated by aviation safety regulator DGCA in May 2022, following which it announced its plans to recommence operations in September 2022, but the relaunch was delayed.



In January this year, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved the transfer of ownership of bankrupt Jet Airways to the Jalan Kalrock consortium and gave the winning bidder more time to pay the dues to the creditors. In October 2020, the airline's Committee of Creditors (CoC) approved the revival plan submitted by the consortium of Dubai-based Murari Lal Jalan and the UK's Kalrock Capital. In June 2021, the consortium's bid was approved under the insolvency resolution process.

The rulings had come on two petitions filed by the consortium. One plea pertained to the approval of the transfer of ownership, and the second one related to an extension of time for the payment of dues to the creditors.




Kapoor is the third senior executive to quit this week after Vice-President (Operations) P P Singh and the airlines Company Secretary Neeraj Manchanda. The resignations come as Jalan-Kalrock consortium (JKC) is yet to iron out differences with lenders on issues such as payment of gratuity and provident fund to the grounded airlines staff. Jet Airways Chief Executive Officer-designate Sanjiv Kapoor has resigned, in the latest blow to the grounded airlines revival hopes.



The revival of Jet Airways is through a court-approved process, which has taken more time than originally estimated. However, it is needless to say that JKC is committed to the revival of the airlines. We are in the last leg of closing the transfer of ownership of Jet Airways to JKC, subsequent to which we will settle outstanding amounts payable to previous creditors according to our approved resolution plan and shall, soon thereafter, recommence the commercial operations following our re-launch plans, he said. In a statement, JKC board member Ankit Jalan said the consortium is committed to the revival of the airline and a new CEO for Jet Airways will be announced shortly.



With no resolution in sight, most have quit. This includes regulator-approved post holders in charge of safety, operations, training, etc, which every airline needs to obtain licence. The consortium won the bid to revive the airline in October 2020. In June 2021, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved the resolution plan. Kapoor joined the consortium last April as CEO-designate. A team of executives was hired and plans were drawn to order or lease aircraft, but none of it has materialised yet.

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Jets air operator certificate was revalidated last May and will lapse on May 19 if it doesnt secure an extension.
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The government schemes on financial inclusion are doing well and there is an increase in credit growth by 85 per cent, which are good signs for the region, he added while addressing the North East Banking Conclave on Friday in New Delhi.

Bhagwat Karad, Minister of State, Ministry of Finance said on Friday that the banking infrastructure needs to be strengthened in the NorthEastern region with further plans including opening digital banks in the region.


During her visit to India, Thea Rozman Kendler, assistant secretary for export administration of US Department of Commerce, met Indian officials. Dual-use goods can be used for both civilian military applications. Countries often impose export controls on dual-use items as well as military goods over national security concerns. India and the United States (US) on Friday discussed export control issues related to items of dual use, ahead of the first meeting of the US-India Strategic Trade Dialogue (USISTD) that is slated to be held in Washington DC next month.



As a passionate advocate for our strategic trade controls, we focus our common interest in secure trade. Export controls provide that foundation or building block to protect global peace and security while not unduly interfering with commercial commerce. India's accomplishments in the realm of strategic trade controls and high tech trade helps undergird our shared security objectives, Kendler told reporters. Last month, both nations launched an initiative called the India-US Strategic Trade Dialogue, an official government-to-government arrangement to deepen the engagement around the area of aligning export controls and information sharing.



Apart from that, there were roundtable discussions with the Indian industry, such as Indian Electronics Semiconductor Association, the US-India Business Council, the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), and the American Chamber of Commerce, Kendler told reporters. According to her, robust strategic trade controls enable both nations to share technology that can't be shared with other nations.

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The MP board class 10 exam was held from March 1 to March 27, 2023, while the MP board class 12 exam was held from March 2 to April 5. A sum of 19 lakh candidates showed up for class 10 and class 12 tests this year from across the state.

The Madhya Pradesh Board of State Education (MPBSE) will probably announce class 10 and class 12 on Friday. Students are suggested to keep an eye on the Madhya Pradesh board's official websites, mpbse.nic.in and mpresults.nic.in, for any new information about the MP board results 2023. The MP board's results for classes 10 and 12 are expected to be released by Minister of State for School Education, Inder Singh Parmar. On the same day, the merit list will also be made public.




All online games should not be regarded as games of chance or betting or gambling, an official source told FE, adding that there must be a distinction made between games of skill and games of chance.

He further said the finance ministry would present its view when the GST Council discusses the report of a Group of Ministers (GoM) on online gaming, horse racing and casinos. In a shift in policy, the Centre has decided to advocate for a different taxation policy for online gaming, with "games of chance" (gambling) being subject to a higher rate of goods and services tax (GST) than "games of skill", a report by the Financial Express (FE) said.All online games should not be regarded as games of chance or betting or gambling, an official source told FE, adding that there must be a distinction made between games of skill and games of chance.



For games of skill, a lower rate, say 18 per cent, may also be recommended. Although the final decision will be made by the Council, which includes both the Centre and states, the ministry may suggest the highest GST rate of 28 per cent for online games, where the winning is contingent on a specific outcome or is in the nature of betting or gambling.



In recent months, the GST authorities have gone after the online gaming industry, where it has found massive tax evasion. In September 2022, the Karnataka High Court stayed a notice seeking GST payment of Rs 21,000 crore on gaming firm Gameskraft Technologies. The GoM had proposed a 28 per cent tax rate for casinos, race courses and online gaming. Currently, an 18 per cent GST is levied on online gaming on the platform fees.

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The GoM, chaired by Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma, delivered its report to the Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in December last year. While it had proposed a 28 per cent tax on online gaming, there was no clear agreement on whether the tax should be levied on only the portal fees or the entire consideration, including the bet amount. It later decided to refer all future decisions to the GST Council. The online gaming industry has also asked the income tax department to review the new TDS provisions.



The date for the next Council meeting has not yet been set, but it is expected to take place in June, said the source. Another source said the GoM is unlikely to meet to review its report and that all views will now be presented to the GST Council when it takes up the report.


NTPC Several companies on Friday announced that they would raise funds using bonds and commercial papers. This includes companies like Muthoot Finance, IIFL Finance, and Axis Finance, as well as banks like Canara Bank.



Godrej Consumer Products NTPC is planning to raise funds by selling commercial papers maturing in three months, a report by Reuters said. The state-run power company will offer a yield of 7.13 per cent on the issue and has received commitments worth around Rs 2,000 crore ($244.5 million) so far. The notes are rated A1+ by CRISIL.



Canara Bank Godrej Consumer Products Ltd will raise funds by issuing commercial papers maturing in three months. The company will offer a yield of 7.14 per cent on the issue and has received commitments worth Rs 50 crore ($6.11 million) so far. The notes are rated A+ by Crisil.

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Magnite Developers Canara Bank is planning to raise funds through the sale of certificates of deposit maturing in three months. The state-run lender will offer a yield of 7.10 per cent on the issue, for which it has received commitments worth Rs 500 crore ($61.17 million) so far. The notes are rated A1+ by Crisil and have a value date of May 4.



The notes are provisionally rated BB- by Infomerics and carry a put option on March 31, 2026. The bonds will mature on March 31, 2027. Magnite Developers Pvt Ltd has accepted bids worth Rs 400 crore (about $49 million) through bonds maturing in three years, 11 months and three days. The company will pay a coupon of 10 per cent on this bond issue, for which it had invited bids on Thursday.

Ecap Equities

Ecap Equities has accepted bids worth Rs 51.55 crore ($6.3 million) for the reissue of two zero-coupon bonds, one maturing in April 2026 and the other in February 2027. The company has accepted bids worth Rs 25.8 crore on the reissue of the April 2026 bond at a yield of 11.91 per cent and Rs 25.75 crore on February 2027 reissue at a yield of 11.96 per cent.



Shriram Finance It had invited bids for the reissue on Thursday. The bonds are rated AA by CRISIL. The issue will be settled later in the day.



On Thursday, the company raised Rs 250 crore via another five-year bond issue and will pay an annual coupon of 8.75 per cent to the investors. Shriram Finance raises Rs 250 crore ($30.60 million) for bonds maturing in five years. The non-banking finance company will pay a semi-annual coupon of 8.55 per cent. The bonds are rated AA+ by Crisil.

Muthoot Finance

Muthoot Finance plans to raise at least Rs 250 crore ($30.60 million) selling bonds maturing in three years and three months, three merchant bankers said on Friday. The company will pay an annual coupon of 8.43 per cent on the bond issue, for which it has invited bids from investors and bankers on Tuesday.



Earlier this month, the company raised Rs 750 crore through bonds maturing in five years at an annual coupon of 8.50 per cent. The bonds are rated AA+ by Crisil and will mature on July 31, 2026. The issue has a greenshoe option to retain an additional Rs 350 crore and will be settled next week.

IIFL Finance

IIFL Finance is planning to raise at least Rs 30 crore ($3.67 million) through the sale of bonds maturing in 10 years. The company will pay a coupon of 9.20 per cent on this issue, for which it has invited bids from bankers and investors on Tuesday.



The issue has a greenshoe option to retain an additional Rs 135 crore. The notes are rated AA by CRISIL, and the issue will be settled next week.



Axis Finance Earlier this month, the company raised Rs 125 crore, selling bonds maturing in more than one year at an 8.50 per cent coupon.



The bonds are rated AAA by Crisil, and the issue will be settled next week. The issue has a greenshoe option to retain an additional Rs 300 crore, which will mature in August 2026. Axis Finance plans to raise at least Rs 100 crore ($12.24 million) through the sale of bonds maturing in three years and three months. The non-banking finance company will pay an annual coupon of 7.99 per cent on the issue, for which it has invited bids on Tuesday.


The rating outlook is stable. At the same time, S&P affirmed A-3 short-term issuer credit rating on the bank. The planned merger of HDFC Bank with its parent HDFC Ltd is likely to be completed in the second half of 2023. Global rating agency Standard and Poors (S&P) has affirmed long-term issuer credit rating BBB- on Indian private sector lender HDFC Bank. The bank's strong management and governance structure should help in the planned merger of mortgage lender Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd (HDFC) with itself. The merger is expected to have limited impact on financial performance.



As a consequence, the rating agency revised the assessment on the bank's business position to very strong from strong and its funding and liquidity to adequate from strong. The merged entity will benefit from the further consolidation of its already strong franchise and superior profitability. That said, we expect its loan-to-deposit ratio to deteriorate, compared with the industry, and take at least three years to revert to its current levels," S&P said in a statement.



The rating agency said the planned merger will further consolidate HDFC Bank's position as the second-largest bank in India. Its post-merger market share in loans will jump to 15 per cent from about 11 per cent at present, and that of deposits to 11 per cent from about 10 per cent. Its deposit market share could increase to about 14 per cent over the next four years in anticipation that the bank remains aggressive in its deposit ramp-up efforts. "HDFC Bank's funding aligns with our view that banks in India face low funding risk, given the high share of deposit funding, mostly from households," S&P said.

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Ten percent of the total compensation for crop damage will now go the labourers employed by farmers, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Friday after a Cabinet meeting in Ludhiana.

He said the decision was taken as when crop gets damaged due to heavy rains or hailstorms, farm labourers also lose work and income.

Explaining how the scheme will be implemented, he said the state government will soon start registering labourers as very few of them are registered and they cannot avail the benefits of schemes of state and central governments.

It was the first state Cabinet meeting outside Chandigarh. It was held in the Circuit House at Ludhiana, about 100 km away from the state capital.

Mann said it has been decided that most Cabinet meetings from now on will be held outside Chandigarh and the initiative will be called "Sarkar Tuhade Dwar" (government at your doorsteps).

It will give officials and ministers a chance to listen to the grievances of the people, take feedback and suggestions and address their issues at the spot, he said.

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"Cabinet meetings will be held in various places like Moga, Mansa and Hoshiarpur. We can also hold these in a large village. Government representatives will spend a day where it is held," Mann told a news conference in Ludhiana after the cabinet meeting.

Giving details about the Cabinet decision on farm labourers, he said, "We have decided that whatever compensation government will give to farmers for their crop damage due to unseasonal rains or hailstorm, out of the total compensation, ten percent of that will be given to farm labourers too."



"For example, if Rs 15,000 a acre is given as crop damage compensation, Rs 1,500 will be given to those farm labourers who were to work in the fields, but could not as crop got damaged because of the rains. This is to compensate for the loss of work which they suffer," he said.

"We have directed our officers to visit labour chowks, construction sites and rural areas and meet labourers there and get them registered on the spot," Mann told the press conference, flanked by his ministers.

"In the coming days, we will bring many pro-Punjab, pro-people initiatives," he said.

Targeting previous governments, he said, "We don't leave any files pending. Earlier, files were pending for 2-3 years," he claimed.

"We are bringing the state back on the track of developmental so that Punjab once again becomes 'rangla (vibrant)," said Mann.
A committee on bio-aviation turbine fuel programme, constituted by the petroleum & natural gas ministry, has submitted its report on promoting the use of clean fuel in aviation, the civil aviation ministry said on Friday, as it listed out various initiatives being taken to reduce carbon emissions.

On Friday, the consultative committee of the civil aviation ministry, chaired by civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia discussed Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) during a meeting that was attended by several Parliamentarians.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is facilitating reduction of carbon emissions in civil aviation and its goals include achieving two per cent annual fuel efficiency improvement through 2050.

India has committed to net zero by 2070 at COP26 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

"The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG) has notified a National Policy on Bio Fuels 2018 to realise the goal of de-carbonisation of the aviation sector.

"MoPNG constituted the Bio-Aviation Turbine Fuel Programme Committee to take forward the Bio-ATF Programme in the country to promote the use of clean fuel in aviation. The Committee has submitted its report which has now been circulated to various stakeholders," the ministry said in a release on Friday.

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While listing out various efforts taken to promote use of SAF and reduce carbon emissions, the ministry said Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) has planned an 86.8 TMTPA plant at Panipat using LanzaJet ATJ (Alcohol To Jet) Technology.

IOCL has also signed a MoU with Pune-based Praj Industries to set up a plant for developing ATJ fuels.

Besides, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd is planning to build a bio-ATF pilot plant at Mangalore using CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum's technology using non edible oils and used cooking oil as feedstock.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted approval for AirAsia India to operate the first commercial domestic flight with 0.57 per cent SAF-blended fuel, the release said.

In August 2018, SpiceJet operated a demonstration flight with 25 per cent SAF from Dehradun to Delhi. The biofuel was produced from Jatropha seeds by Indian Institute of Petroleum, CSIR lab.

Vistara, in March this year, operated a ferry flight with 30 per cent blended SAF from Seattle to Delhi, while IndiGo operated a ferry flight with 10 per cent blended fuel from Toulouse to Delhi in February 2022.

ICAO has taken various steps to reduce emissions, including the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and the Long Term Aspirational Goals (LTAG).

CORSIA is being implemented in three phases and participation is voluntary in the first two phases -- 2021-2026.

"India has decided not to participate in the voluntary phases of CORSIA. Offsetting requirements under the CORSIA for Indian carriers will start from 2027.

"This will enable airlines of developing countries like India to get time to grow more and not face any financial consequences due to CORSIA by joining voluntary phases," the ministry said.

CORSIA is applicable to international flights originating from one country to another. Financial implications due to offsetting will be borne by individual airlines depending upon their international operations as and when applicable.

The ministry said several meetings have been held with domestic carriers to sensitise them regarding the impact of CORSIA on airlines once the mandatory phase starts.

India has also taken several steps like joining ICAO's Assistance Capacity Building & Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels Programme.
The Central government has sanctioned 11 new nursing colleges for Tamil Nadu and they would be established at an outlay of Rs 10 crore each, State Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Friday.

These colleges, offering 100 undergraduate seats, would be built next to the state-run medical colleges, he said.

Despite the state already having six nursing colleges, there have always been pleas to start additional colleges.

"During my meeting with Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya two months ago, I requested for according sanction for 30 new nursing colleges in the state, owing to the huge demand for them. Eleven new nursing colleges were sanctioned for Tamil Nadu on Thursday evening," Subramanian told reporters here.

He said several legislators had demanded that a nursing college be set up in their respective Assembly constituencies or in their districts.

The sites for the colleges would be decided in consultation with Chief Minister M K Stalin, Subramanian said.

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During a review meeting with senior health officials earlier in the day, he directed them to ensure sufficient stock of Anti-Snake Venom (ASV) injections, Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) and "loading dose" -- first aid tablets to reduce viscosity of blood, decrease severity of heart attack and save lives, at all the Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Health Sub Centres (HSCs) spread across Tamil Nadu.

"So, people in need of these drugs need not rush to the metros even for the initial treatment," he said.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud inaugurated "Digital Courts for Contested Traffic Challans" for Delhi on Friday and said the "significant" step would allow people to seamlessly participate in such proceedings virtually.

At a virtual event organised by the Delhi High Court, Justice Chandrachud also flagged off a "Bail Orders Sharing Module" on the e-Prison platform and asked the high court to ensure that its judgments are made available for people in Hindi.

The "Bail Order Sharing Module" impacts personal liberty and would ensure that judicial orders on prisoners' release are communicated and implemented, the CJI said, adding that it would be beneficial for poor people and the marginalised sections of the society.

The two projects were inaugurated by the CJI in the presence of Delhi High Court Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and other judges of the court, including Justice Rajiv Shakdher who is the chairperson of the high court's Information Technology Committee.

Two digital courts to contest traffic challans have been set up for East and North-East districts in the Karkardooma courts complex and these would adjudicate the challans by conducting the proceedings online, including recording of evidence, hearing arguments etc., according to a release issued by the high court.

The release further said the violators can appear before these courts online and if convicted, can pay the fine amount on the web portal.

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It has been proposed to set up a digital traffic court in each district court of Delhi, the release said.

Considering the high volume of cases related to traffic challans in the city, Justice Chandrachud said through the digital courts, "we are now roping in contested cases as well so as to not leave them out in our move towards digital courts".

"I hope this will provide a seamless access to citizens who want to contest challans issued to them," the CJI said.

"Each of them (the two projects launched) is significant in their own way. The first deals with the high volume of cases which we have pertaining to traffic challans. Nothing speaks better than the statistics.... The statistics for Delhi are extremely telling. As of April 26, 2023, (around) 1.77 crore challans were received. Proceedings have been completed in (around) 1.74 crore challans and 1.7 lakh challans are contested, while 28.48 lakh challans have been paid and the total fine collected in Delhi is about Rs 249.51 crore," he added.

"This is truly amazing work by the Delhi High Court and the Delhi judiciary.... I hope this will provide a seamless access to citizens who want to contest challans issued to them," Justice Chandrachud said.

He said the "Bail Orders Sharing Module" on the e-Prison platform is "crucial" for the judiciary, adding that "day after day", there were cases in the Supreme Court in which release orders were not complied with.

"These prisoners are marginalised to the core and leave aside those who are at the tip of the iceberg, who may be well-resourced, a large number of prisoners who are occupants of our jails come from poor backgrounds. By launching this initiative, we are ensuring that not only are our orders communicated to the jail, but also monitoring compliance with our orders, which is equally important," the CJI said.

The release informed that the module would provide a platform to the Delhi High Court and district courts to share digitally-signed bail orders with inmates or undertrials lodged in any prison in the country.

It further said e-Prison will also generate a list of cases in which prisoners were not released despite bail being granted to them and help the Legal Service Authority to take appropriate steps.

The CJI said it is important to replicate the initiative all across the country.

He also spoke on the top court's initiative of translating judgments in regional languages and said more than 4,000 court verdicts are now available in Hindi.

"What better way can we have of reaching out to citizens than speaking to our citizens in a language which they best understand? I do believe, therefore, that the Delhi High Court will take this initiative forward and ensure that all judgments of the Delhi High Court are translated and made available to citizens in the language they understand, that is, Hindi," he said.

Justice Chandrachud further said establishing the "e-seva kendras" was an important part of the third phase of the e-courts project, which would "bridge the internet divide" and help those citizens and lawyers who do not have access to the internet.

He pointed out that for the third phase of the e-courts project, the Centre has sanctioned a budget of Rs 7,000 crore, adding, "We did not suffer even a rupee of cut in the budget that we had proposed."



E-seva kendras can also be set up in prisons for the benefit of the inmates, he added.
Changing climatic conditions, particularly temperature and moisture variations following events such as extreme rainfall in some places and drought in others, will lead to a surge in the spread of vector-borne and infectious diseases across India, say scientists.

As concerns mount over the recent increase in respiratory viral infections, including H2N3, adenoviruses and swine flu, in many parts of India, the scientists said it might be too early to attribute it to climate change. But is definitely plausible.

The prospect of climate change leading to an increased burden with the spread of diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and malaria looms large.

According to public health expert Poornima Prabhakaran, steadily rising temperatures affect the pattern of transmission of disease agents like viruses as well their vectors through a number of pathways.

These include changes in the incubation period, the transmission potential and the duration of transmission - all of which can impact the trends of diseases," Prabhakaran, director, Centre for Environmental Health at Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), told PTI.

Incubation period is the time between exposure to a pathogenic organism and when symptoms and signs are first apparent.

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Changing climatic conditions, Prabhakaran noted, also become more favourable for the spread and disease transmission potential of viruses and their vectors.

"Hot and humid conditions can both impact the disease transmission pathways, frequency of disease occurrence and severity of disease," she explained.

Ecologist Abi T Vanak added that changes in climate will also result in the shift of habitat for species, thereby introducing new vectors to some areas, or making some species more susceptible to new viruses that may have the potential to transmit to humans.

For example, extreme rainfall and flooding in the drier parts of the country can result in outbreaks of diseases that are typically associated with the wetter parts," Vanak, interim director, Centre for Policy Design, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bangalore, told PTI.

"This is applicable to both water-borne diseases such as cholera and dysentery, as well as vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and chikungunya," he explained.

Extreme weather events such as heatwaves can also cause high stress of animals, making them more vulnerable to disease prevalence and outbreaks of potentially zoonotic diseases, he said.

Prabhakaran's team is involved in a collaborative research effort that aims to demonstrate the links between changing climate conditions and patterns of vector-borne diseases like dengue and malaria.

The CHARISMa project aims to build a dashboard of climate-health information services that may aid city-level officials in decision-making for timely and effective interventions with a focus on hotspots.

What could be the way out?



Modelling future scenarios using state-of-the-art techniques that allow predictive future disease patterns or hotspots can be a useful tool to aid decision-makers in planning suitable and timely interventions, researchers have said.

A study published last year in the journal Nature predicted that climate change will vastly increase the risk of new viruses infecting humans.

There are currently at least 10,000 viruses circulating silently among wild mammals and climate change may trigger them to cross over into humans, it concluded.

The finding holds particularly true for countries such as India, Indonesia, China and the Philippines, and some African regions that have been hotspots for deadly diseases spread from animals to humans over the last several decades, including flu, SARS, HIV, Ebola and COVID-19, the researchers said.

Global warming is linked to the risk of new emerging viruses, agreed Debapriyo Chakraborty, postdoctoral researcher, unit on infectious diseases and vectors-ecology, genetics, evolution and control (MIVEGEC) Research Institute for Development (IRD), Montpellier, France.

"India, as part of the global south, is thought to see a rise in certain vector-borne viral diseases, for example, dengue, following global warming," Chakraborty told PTI.

It's also speculated that those viruses are now spreading to newer places such as mountains, which used to be colder for mosquitoes to breed just a few decades ago," he added.

Global warming, Chakraborty believes, will also lead to increased floods, which may trigger important water-borne viral diseases such as Hepatitis A and Norovirus, a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhoea.

"Global warming is also predicted to increase the spreading of emerging viruses by causing increased movement of environmental refugees. These are some of the risk drivers, he said.

There are several perspective research papers on the risks between climate change and disease risk in India. However, much of the primary literature with robust scientific studies is still from the global north.

Chakraborty said the rise in cases of respiratory viruses in India to climate change is possible but requires scientific research to establish a clear link.

For instance, we know that the traditional emergence of bird flu viruses during winter months is linked to winter migratory ducks. It is now speculated that climate change is disrupting both their behaviour and migratory routes causing emergence during warmer months too, he said.

Many respiratory viruses are of wildlife origin and climate change can impact the emergence of new viruses by changing the ecology and behaviour of those wild animals.

Also, human behavioural and demographic change (e.g., increased use of AC, changed crop cycle, mass migration) to climate change can change the epidemiology of viruses, Chakraborty said.

There is another worry that climate change poses the rise in the frequency of otherwise rare diseases spreading to new areas and the possible emergence of new hotspots for certain existing diseases like scrub typhus and leptospirosis.

"There is also likely to be high inter-year variability in the emergence of such diseases, thereby making preventive measures and preparedness difficult because the infrastructure and training needs for such outcomes are likely to be spatially and temporally highly variable year on year, Chakraborty added.
Officials of Delhi and neighbouring Haryana will coordinate among themselves to enhance the impact of the efforts being made at the government level for cleaning and rejuvenating the Yamuna river, according to a statement.

The statement from the Delhi lieutenant general's office said officials of the two states on Thursday attended the meeting of a high-level committee set up by the National Green Tribunal for the rejuvenation of the river.

The meeting came following several rounds of discussions between Delhi L-G VK Saxena and Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar.

Saxena who chaired Thursday's meeting described the rejuvenation of the Yamuna as a national mission and asked officials of the two states to proactively cooperate to achieve the goal.

It was decided that Haryana officials will attend the meetings of the high-level committee and carry out directions in coordination with their Delhi counterparts, the statement said.

The meeting saw discussions being held on various aspects of pollution in the Yamuna river in Haryana and Delhi. Saxena thanked Haryana Chief Minister Khattar for his proactive support and instructed officials to evolve seamless coordination by undertaking joint visits.

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The participants of the meeting were of the view that concerted efforts were required by both states as any action taken by only Delhi was insufficient since continued pollution from sources in Haryana made the exercise futile.

The Najafgarh drain, which accounted for about 70 per cent of pollution of the Yamuna, received 40 per cent of its most untreated discharge from three drains flowing out of Gurugram in Haryana, the statement said.

Also, the Mangeshpur and Bhupania drains from Haryana carrying huge amounts of industrial effluent emptied into the Najafgarh drain at the Kakrola regulator. The DD6 drain from Kundli Industrial Area in Haryana emptied into the supplementary drain, it said, adding DD2 and DD8 drains from Panipat and Kundli in Haryana emptied directly into Yamuna right before the river entered Delhi.

It was pointed out at the meeting that the water discharged into the Najafgarh drain and Yamuna from these eight drains required to be treated for keeping the drain and the river clean.

The Haryana officials, including the chief secretary of the state, commissioner of urban local bodies, and commissioners of Gurugram and Faridabad, detailed the efforts being made by them and assured the L-G that it will be augmented enhanced and completed within a time frame corresponding to that of Delhi.


On Wednesday, Delhi Police had submitted before the apex court that a preliminary enquiry would be needed before lodging an FIR against Singh over allegations of sexual harassment. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for Delhi Police in the court. Delhi Police on Friday told the Supreme Court of India (SC) that it will register a case against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh today, chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).



A bench headed by the chief justice of India, DY Chandrachud, then scheduled the matter to be heard on Friday. Delhi Police had apprised the court that the police felt that there were some issues which needed preliminary enquiry. However, Delhi Police clarified that it has no hesitation to lodge FIR immediately if the court orders.



"The complaints which were being given in sealed cover shall again be resealed and placed under the petition," the court had said. The court had also clarified that the identity of the petitioners should be redacted for the purpose of this petition. On Tuesday, the SC issued notice to Delhi Police on the wrestler's plea seeking an urgent hearing on a petition seeking registration of FIR against Singh. The court noted that there is a serious allegation that is contained in the petition by wrestlers who have represented India.

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(With agency inputs)
The Ministry of Education aims to ensure that at least 50 per cent of school students get training in various skills by 2030 and G20 deliberations will help prepare a framework for formalising skilling in mainstream education, an official said on Friday.

According to School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar, deliberations at the third G20 Education Working Group meeting focused on formalising skill education in schooling system, foundation literacy and numeracy, tech-enabled learning, future of work and research collaborations.

The meeting concluded here on Friday.

"We aim that by 2030, at least 50 per cent of school students will be receiving skill education. During the meetings we deliberated how skilling can be formalised in school education. The new education policy also recommended that skill education be introduced in schools from class 6," Kumar told a press conference.

A conference on deep technology and transforming logistics for coastal economies, a workshop on the future of work and skill architecture, a seminar on building capacities for lifelong learning and an exhibition on the future of work were part of the events held as a precursor to the meeting.

The first meeting of the G20 Education Working Group was held in Chennai earlier this year, followed by the second in Amritsar last month. There will be three supplementary meetings of the education group before it arrives at a consensus in June. The meeting will be held in Pune.

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"Ahead of the G20 meeting, Indian stakeholders and delegates from Singapore discussed best practices in skills and education adopted in the two countries and the way forward for preparing a future ready workforce," Kumar said.

"During the meeting, the delegates carried forward with the discussions on the outcome document. They also emphasised the role learning plays as a key driver of development and enabler for empowerment," he added.

Earlier in the day, the delegates visited the Konark Sun Temple and explored Odisha's cultural heritage.

The delegates also visited the exhibition "Future of Work" on the sidelines of the meeting.

A model preschool education centre, vernacular learning based tech solutions, 3D printed models of various temples with virtual reality experience, and cloud gaming were among the technologies and modules on display at the exhibition.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the exhibition at the CSIR-Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT) here on Sunday.

More than 100 exhibitors from India and G2O member countries demonstrated their products at the exhibition spread across 34,000 square feet area.

A unique 'Future of Work' experience zone was also set up at the exhibition where job aspirants could get to know how the future of work will evolve and got a preview of the required advanced technical skills.
The Delhi government's vigilance department has served a notice to senior IAS officer Udit Prakash Rai for the construction of an official accommodation following the demolition of a 15th-century monument during his tenure as DJB's chief executive officer.

The department has also issued show cause notices to five Delhi Jal Board (DJB) engineers for their alleged connivance in the demolition of the monument and construction of the official residence of the board's CEO.

The engineers with administrative responsibilities in the Board have been asked to furnish their replies in two weeks.

The monument, a "Mahal" (palace) of the Pathan period and the only remnant of the Khizrabad city founded by Khizr Khan of the Sayyid dynasty was located at Jal Vihar area near Lajpat Nagar in southeast Delhi.

Multiple political parties, including the BJP and Trinamool Congress, have demanded action over the demolition of the monument.

"Only in India. Fifteenth-century monument demolished to construct govt officer's bungalow. Are the Archaeological Survey of India and Ministry of Culture napping yet again? Urging G Kishan Reddy (Union Minister For Culture and Tourism) to look at this," TMC MP Mahua Moitra tweeted.

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Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, in a letter to the Delhi LG, demanded a high-level probe into the matter.

The monument was in the process of being handed over to the Archaeology department by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). However, in a joint inspection by the department and DJB in January this year, it was found missing, said the vigilance department's notice issued on Wednesday.

Rai has been given two weeks to respond to the notice. In August 2022, Delhi L G V K Saxena recommended to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) action against Rai for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 50 lakh.

A 2007 batch IAS officer of AGMUT cadre, Rai is currently posted in Mizoram. No reaction was immediately available from him over the Vigilance department notice.

The monument was mentioned in the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) list of 'Muhammadan and Hindu monuments' of Delhi. It comprised a palace (mahal) and a gateway that still exists while the former was gone, said the notice.

The 'Mahal' comprised three arched dalan flanked by two compartments built with red sandstone and brick masonry.

The notice cited notes of DJB officials mentioning that the monument was in a dilapidated state and was to be handed over to the archaeology department for immediate intervention to save it after a visit in January 2021.

"By his commissions and omissions, the officer actively facilitated the demolition of the ancient monument and prevented the same from getting handed over to the archaeology department for its protection," the notice claimed.

It said that the inspection report following the visit on January 12, 2023, mentioned that the monument was not seen in the precincts of the residential complex owned by DJB.

"The Mahal of Pathan period was allegedly demolished as per the directions of Udit Prakash Rai, CEO (DJB) with the help of DJB engineers," the notice said naming five engineers of the Board.

A top DJB officer said the Vigilance Department was seized of the matter and any further action against the engineers involved will be considered as per rules.

Rai was entitled to a Type V government accommodation but the built-up area of the new house for the DJB CEO that had been constructed in place of the monument was 700 square metres. It exceeded the prescribed area of 403 square metres for a Type VIII accommodation, added the notice.

The Delhi BJP chief, in the letter to the Lt Governor, said a high-level probe was needed as a 15th-century monument was demolished for the "illegal" construction of the DJB CEO's residence.

The revelation of the construction of DJB CEO's bungalow violating laws during Covid after a similar revelation of spending Rs 45 crore on the Delhi chief minister's bungalow, "speaks volumes" about the "insensitivity" of Arvind Kejriwal government, alleged Sachdeva.

He also demanded a probe into the role of the former minister Satyendar Jain, under whom Rai worked, in the matter.
A Delhi court on Friday dismissed the bail application of AAP leader Manish Sisodia in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam.

Special Judge M K Nagpal denied the relief to Sisodia, saying the stage was not fit to grant him bail.

The judge had reserved the order after hearing arguments on Sisodia's plea seeking relief claiming that his custody was no longer required for investigation.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had opposed the application, asserting the investigation was at a "crucial" stage and claiming the senior AAP leader had planted fabricated e-mails to show there was public approval for the policy.

The federal agency also said it had found fresh evidence of his complicity in the alleged crime.

The court had on March 31 dismissed Sisodia's bail application in a corruption case, being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), saying he was "prima facie the architect" in the criminal conspiracy behind alleged payment of advance kickbacks of around Rs 90-100 crore meant for him and his colleagues in the Delhi government.

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The court had observed that the release of Sisodia, at the moment, would "adversely affect the ongoing investigation".

The CBI and the ED had arrested Sisodia for alleged corruption in the formulation and execution of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 and for laundering the money so generated.


We are hiring here and it's also fitting very well together with our strategy, Thomas Saueressig, Executive Board, SAP Product Engineering, SAP SE, told 'Business Standard' in Bengaluru. We're building a second campus here in Bengaluru which would be able to house 15,000 people. German business software giant SAP sees "phenomenal growth" for itself in India and will hire more than a thousand people here in 2023 despite macro-economic uncertainty and layoffs in the technology industry elsewhere.



He didnt reveal the amount that SAP plans to invest in the country. The 41-acre campus, in Bengalurus Devanahalli, will be set up by 2025 and have a seating capacity for 15,000 people. We are already very big in AI (artificial intelligence). We want to scale it even further, said Saueressig. We also see a specific investment with regard to sustainability solutions.



India is clearly seen as the place where we're looking at growth, said Gangadharan. It is our fastest growing market region. Sindhu Gangadharan, Managing Director and Senior Vice President of SAP Labs India, said the company is doubling down on its India plans. Last year, the firm said it would hire 3,600 people. This year the company would hire more than 1,000 people, Gangadharan said.

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According to tech industry estimates, India's digital economy is expected to be worth $800 billion by 2030 on the back of rising internet penetration and increasing income. Such an economy will provide opportunities for companies such as SAP, according to experts. 40 per cent of the global R&D for SAP is happening here, he said. One-fourth of SAPs patents filed come from India. That also explains the reason for doubling down on India.



Almost 80 per cent of SAP customers in India are mid-size organizations and they are likely to continue to drive its growth in the country. The growth we see in India is phenomenal, said Saueressig. We doubled the cloud revenue year-over-year and we continue to do that. It is a massive growth.



The company recently announced a service, Grow with SAP, for mid-sized customers in India to provide end-to-end solutions such as cloud computing, enterprise resource planning (ERP) and software-as-a-service (SaaS). SAP India has over 10,000 customers in the mid-market. We see the significance of SAP India. We have an obligation to further help and support the digital transformation, said Saueressig. The mid-market (small businesses) of India is unlimited. That's where we want to help these companies to thrive with our software and scale up and also grow globally.



That's exactly where our network can help because you can flexibly change supplier structure more easily, said Saueressig. At a time when the world is looking at a China-Plus-One diversification strategy, and companies are planning to diversify investments to other locations like India, Saueressig said SAPs software can help them. This would depend on the strategy that companies use for certain countries or geographies. For instance, he said to increase the resiliency in the supply chain, one needs to have more options.

SAP Labs has completed 25 years in India and has evolved into a global innovation hub. The firm said the R&D workforce forms the "backbone" of the company. SAP Labs India, is the firms largest research and development centre outside its headquarters in Germanys Walldorf.




According to a report by the Indian Express (IE), the delay was due to the tripping of the overhead equipment (OHE) triggered by monkeys in the section. Delhi Metro's yellow line was delayed for over an hour on the Central Secretariat-Kashmere Gate section on Thursday. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) tweeted about the delay at 7:45 am, and at 9 am, it again tweeted that the normal services have been restored. While Delhi wondered why the services were delayed, reports emerged stating that the delay was due to three monkeys.



The DMRC contacted the officials of the forest department and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to rescue the monkeys. "Train services on the affected section between Kashmere Gate and Central Secretariat section were run through the Up direction track due to the presence of monkeys and restoration of OHE on the Down direction track. This resulted in bunching of trains and subsequent delays primarily on the affected section of Yellow Line during this period," it said, quoting DMRC.

Monkey menace in Delhi

The news of monkeys disrupting the lives of Delhiites is not new. Earlier, videos circulating on social media showed monkeys entering the metro and sitting with the passengers. Prominent places like the Prime Minister's office and Delhi High Court have also reported the problem of monkey menace.

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The court banned the feeding of monkeys and allowed municipal corporations to impose fines on violators. Moreover, the monkeys were to be captured, treated and transported to the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. The problem was first highlighted in 2007 when the then-deputy mayor of Delhi, Surinder Singh Bajwa, fell from his balcony and died after being attacked by a monkey. In the same year, the New Friends Colony Residents Welfare Association moved the Delhi HC and demanded a ban on feeding monkeys.



Food collection drives were to be carried out in the city to feed the monkeys at the sanctuary. The bench, headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar, has also said 25 per cent of the simian population of the city can be sterilised by government agencies.



In fact, a report by The Print, published earlier this month, said that the Delhi HC had hired two men to scare the monkeys away from its premises. In the fifteen years since then, the Delhi government and MCD have made several attempts to get rid of the problem. They hired monkey catchers for the task, installed langur cut-outs and even ran sterilisation drives for the monkeys.



In January this year, advocate Shashwat Bharadwaj filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Delhi HC, calling it a "grave problem of monkey menace" in the city. He was quoted in the report by The Print as saying that in 2019, the Delhi government had received Rs 5.43 crore to sterilise monkeys. However, if not more severe, the problem remains as it was 15 years ago.



During the hearing, Delhi government standing counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi said the state had received funds from the Centre for the purpose and a tender was floated for hiring monkey catchers, but nobody came forward. In the same month, the Delhi government told the court that sterilisation was not working and professional monkey catchers were not coming forward to help control the menace.

Amid all this, it is unclear when the problem will be solved for Delhiites or if it ever will. Until then, we might have no alternative but to witness them monkeying around.
The Rajasthan government will give free smartphones with three years of internet pack to 40 lakh women on the festival of Raksha Bandhan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced on Friday.

The festival will be celebrated in August-end.

"In the Chiranjeevi scheme, we have made all women the head (of the family). 1.35 crore women have become the head of the household. These women will get a smartphone along with three years of free internet," Gehlot said while addressing the people after visiting the price relief camp in Rawatsar town of Hanumangarh.

"We have decided that on Raksha Bandhan, 40 lakh smartphones will be given to women in Rajasthan," he added.

The chief minister in his 2022 budget speech had announced that women heads of Chiranjeevi families will be given smartphones with internet access for three years.

Under the Mukhyamantri Digital Seva Yojana, smartphones were to be given to about 1.35 crore women. However, the scheme could be implemented as phones in such large numbers could not be procured on time.

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In February this year, the government told the assembly that it has made a budget provision to distribute the smartphones.

According to the government, till January 30, a total of 1,37,82,951 families have been registered under the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme which provides an annual medical cover of up to Rs 25 lakh per family.
The government is revamping the patent office functioning to reduce the massive backlog in granting official recognition for innovations by adding manpower and changing the legislative framework, a senior government official said on Friday.

The government is fast-tracking the hiring process and promotions of some existing officers (already 340 examiners were promoted as controllers earlier this week).

The government is also looking at legislative changes to fix timelines for patent grants/rejections, said Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the PM's Economic Advisory Council, and a secretary to the government.

Supporting more manpower in the patents office, he said this is an office that is revenue positive unlike most of its peers in the government and so it makes sense to have more people and ease the process.

"What we're looking is allowing pre-grant opposition, say for six months as in the US, before the final approval are granted/rejected, so that those who want to oppose the application can do so," he told a seminar on intellectual property rights organized by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry here.

Sanyal said he is personally looking at drafting the urgently needed legislative changes as what is of critical importance is reforming the very process, and also fixing the legal metrology provisions, which now is a really cumbersome process, and "I am personally working on this now."



He said while over the past few years the efficiency of the system at the examiner level has gone up really high, at the more critical controller level it is stuck leading to massive pendency of applications which is around 1.7 lakh now.

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Giving some comparative numbers, he said China, which is the world leader in both filing and granting patents, has over 13,700 people in its patents office, and the US, which is the second largest, has over 8,140, while India has just about 858 as of 2022.

"But we are increasing the people strength massively now and by FY26 we will have 963 examiners and 998 controllers. In FY22, these numbers were 663 and 773 and in FY20 at 263 and 673, respectively."



On the rise in patents filing and according patents, he said as of FY23, the total number of filings touched 82,809 of which 52.3 per cent or 43,337 applications were from domestic companies and 39,472 were from foreign companies operating here. The domestic share was 37 per cent in FY20 and 44.4 per cent in FY22.

Data on the number of patents granted in FY23 are not available. In FY22 the number of patents granted stood at 34,153 from 82,805 filings and at 30,074 in the previous year from 66,400 filings. As against this, the numbers in China were 6.95 lakh and 15.85 lakh for FY22 and 3.27 lakh and 6.95 lakh in the US.
During the COVID pandemic, India truly established that it was the pharmacy of the world and it did so by supplying almost 100 countries with vaccines and at least 150 countries, including some from the developed world, with increased supply of relevant medicines, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday in Colombia.

Recalling the struggles during the COVID pandemic period, he said that it has made everyone more health conscious.

"The fact is that COVID has made us all much more health conscious, but also aware of supply chain vulnerabilities. Cost is also a relevant factor if we are looking at more sources, regionalized production and competitive pricing. I would suggest to our Colombian friends that the Indian industry is your natural partner," Jaishankar said while addressing the India-Colombia Business Forum.

India also has a traditional medicine and wellness practice that could have strong business implications. Certainly. Therefore, these are areas worth exploring, he said further.

Speaking on Trade between India and Colombia, Jaishankar said the nations naturally seek to expand their volumes, the decision before us is when, where and how much to invest, and that the pharmaceutical sector is particularly seized of this challenge.

"Our endeavour is naturally to assess the comparative ease of doing business, among the countries of this region. We focus on market access issues, regulatory complexities and non-tariff barriers. The predictability of the business environment is also an important factor. To be honest, even the ease of getting business visas is a consideration. And not least, we assess how much the partner governments in question are invested in growing their relationship with India," the EAM said during his address.

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He added by saying that from the Colombian perspective, it is necessary that one is conversant with domains where India has made particular advances in recent years.

"I would like our Colombian friends to also note that India's trade with Brazil currently, is around USD 17 billion and with Mexico around USD 8.5 billion. If nothing else, I hope it is a motivating factor. As Indian business approaches the region with a stronger desire to trade, invest, collaborate and execute projects, business events such as this one and visits like mine along with a business delegation, are helpful in taking decisions," he said.

The External Affairs Minister, at present, is on a 4-nation trip to Latin American countries. Before his visit to Colombia, he went to Guyana and Panama.

The EAM's visit to these four countries; his bilateral engagements and interactions with counterparts of important regional groups: CARICOM and SICA, adds to the momentum of the India-Latin American countries' engagements.

Jaishankar's Colombia visit marks the first Foreign Ministerial level visit from India to the Latin American country.

Earlier today, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his Colombian counterpart, Alvaro Leyva Duran, on Thursday. Both leaders discussed several bilateral issues and signed the Cultural Exchange Program for 2023-26.

The two leaders also discussed the issue of Reformed Multilateralism and exchanged views on expanding bilateral cooperation in health, agriculture and digital domains. Global issues, including the Indo-Pacific, also figured in the discussions.

"Met Foreign Minister @AlvaroLeyva of Colombia this morning. Exchanged views on expanding our bilateral cooperation, especially in health, agriculture and digital domains. Proposed greater exchanges and stronger collaboration, especially in capacity building. Also spoke about global issues, including the Indo-Pacific. Addressed the issue of Reformed Multilateralism. Signed the Cultural Exchange Program for 2023-26," Jaishankar tweeted.

Jaishankar also met the second Vice President of the Senate of Colombia, Honorio Henriquez, and had conversations focused on health collaboration, energy and technology.
India and the US discussed export control issues related to items of dual use, US Assistant Secretary for Export Administration Thea D Rozman Kendler said here on Friday.

Talking to reporters, Kendler said the two sides are also engaged in the final planning for the India-US Strategic Trade Dialogue, to be held in Washington next month.

"Our strategic trade dialogue, shared commitment to export controls paves the way for this high tech cooperation... And I think we're at a new stage in our relationship where we see tremendous opportunity and a closer relationship and hope that throughout our new dialogue, we can explore ways of enhancing high tech commerce," the senior US official said.

She informed there were also roundtable discussions with the Indian industries, including with the Indian Electronics Semiconductor Association, the US India Business Council, NASSCOM and the American Chamber of Commerce.

"...the purpose of having these industry meetings was to learn about the tech ecosystem that India is fostering and the challenges that Indian companies face with respect to strategic trade," she said.

Replying to a query, Kendler said there is actually very minimal license requirements for India for sharing sensitive technologies as "we treat India as though it were a NATO partner under export controls".

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The US has emerged as India's biggest trading partner in 2022-23 on account of increasing economic ties between the two countries.

Exports to the US rose by 2.81 per cent to USD 78.31 billion in 2022-23 as against USD 76.18 billion in 2021-22, while imports grew about 16 per cent to USD 50.24 billion.
Iran's navy seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker with 24 Indian crew members in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday heading to the US amid wider tensions over Tehran's nuclear programme, the latest-such capture in a waterway crucial for global energy supplies.

The U.S. Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet identified the vessel as the Advantage Sweet. Satellite tracking data for the vessel from MarineTraffic.com showed it in the Gulf of Oman, just north of Oman's capital, Muscat, on Thursday afternoon. It had just come from Kuwait and listed its destination as Houston.

The Advantage Sweet issued a distress call at 1:15 p.m. while in international waters as Iran seized the vessel, the Navy said.

"Iran's actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability," the 5th Fleet said in a statement. Iran should immediately release the oil tanker.

The Navy initially said Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized the vessel, but an American naval aircraft later confirmed that Iran's navy captured the ship, 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins told The Associated Press.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said the seizure came after an unknown ship collided with an Iranian vessel last night in the Persian Gulf, causing several Iranian crew members to go missing and get injured. It did not identify the other ship involved in the alleged collision.

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The Advantage Sweet had been in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, but its track showed no unusual behaviour as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of all traded oil passes.

Iran has made allegations in other seizures that later fell apart as it became clear Tehran was trying to leverage the capture as a chip to negotiate with foreign nations.

Iran's harassing activity within the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman is commensurate with an established pattern of behaviour that has seen Iran target vessels as a result of ongoing disputes," maritime security firm Dryad Global said.

The 5th Fleet said the Iranian seizure was at least the fifth commercial vessel taken by Tehran in the last two years.

Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy, it added.

U.S. Army Gen. Erik Kurilla, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East, said in a statement that the illegal seizure of the tanker was ""another in a continuing series of violations by Iran of the international rules-based order."



The vessel's manager, a Turkish firm called Advantage Tankers, issued a statement acknowledging the Advantage Sweet was being escorted by the Iranian navy to a port on the basis of an international dispute. All the ship's 24 crew members are Indian.

The safety and welfare of our valued crew members is our No. 1 priority, the firm said. Similar experiences show that crew members of vessels taken under such circumstances are in no danger.

The ship's listed owner appeared to be a Chinese company.

Manifest information from data firm Refinitiv showed the Advantage Sweet carried Kuwaiti crude oil for American energy firm Chevron Corp. of San Ramon, California. Chevron said it was aware of the situation.

We are in contact with the vessel operator with the hope of resolving this situation as soon as possible, Chevron spokesperson Christine Dobbyn said in a statement.

Thursday's seizure by Iran was the latest in a string of ship seizures and explosions to roil the region.

The incidents began after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers, which saw Tehran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Also, the U.S. Navy has blamed Iran for a series of limpet mine attacks on vessels that damaged tankers in 2019, as well as for a fatal drone attack on an Israeli-linked oil tanker that killed two European crew members in 2021.

Tehran denies carrying out the attacks, but a wider shadow war between Iran and the West has played out in the region's volatile waters. Iranian tanker seizures have been a part of it since 2019. The last major seizure came when Iran took two Greek tankers in May and held them until November.

In the wider Mideast, Iranian-backed militias in Syria have carried out attacks on U.S. forces, including one that killed a contractor in March. The U.S. responded with airstrikes.

Meanwhile, talks over Iran's tattered nuclear deal have been stalled for a year. Since the deal's collapse, Iran runs advanced centrifuges and has a rapidly growing stockpile of enriched uranium.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has warned Iran has enriched enough up to 60 per cent purity a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent. That would be sufficient for Iran to make several nuclear weapons if it chooses to do so.
Japan will lift most of its coronavirus border controls, including a requirement that entrants show proof of three vaccinations or a pre-departure negative test, beginning on Saturday as the country's Golden Week holiday season begins and a large influx of foreign tourists is expected.

All entrants with symptoms will still be required to take COVID-19 tests after arriving until May 8, and those who test positive will be placed in designated quarantine facilities, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters.

After May 9, testing of those with symptoms will be voluntary.

Japan will also drop a special measure subjecting visitors from mainland China to random testing upon arrival that was implemented in late December when infections surged there, he said.

The government had originally planned to implement the changes on May 8, when it will downgrade the official status of the coronavirus to a common infectious disease like seasonal influenza, but decided to speed them up for the holiday season beginning Saturday.

Japan's government dropped its requests for mask wearing in March, leaving it up to each person's discretion.

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Most Japanese continue to wear them, although they are only recommended now in crowded trains, hospitals and other public spaces, and near elderly and other vulnerable people.

COVID-19 is currently categorised as a Class 2 disease along with SARS and tuberculosis, which allows restrictions on the movements of patients and their close contacts and the issuing of emergency measures by the government.

Downgrading it to Class 5 will scrap those rules.
SC warns delay in registering hate speech cases will be treated as contempt of court. Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court dismissed the bail plea of AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia in connection with money laundering related to Excise scam, according to media reports



The Delhi Police apprised the Supreme Court that it has decided to register an FIR on Friday over sexual harassment allegations levelled by seven women wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday claimed that the terror plot in last week's Poonch ambush has been uncovered and six locals have been arrested for sheltering the terrorists before they carried out the attack on an army vehicle using explosives and weapons that came from Pakistan through drones.

Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said the April 20 attack was a well-planned one and executed by three to five terrorists. They first did a recce of the area, understood the terrain and then chose the spot of attack.

He said over 200 people have being questioned till now and the operation to neutralise the terrorists involved in the attack is on.

"Six persons (of a module) have been arrested. They include those who have provided material (weapons, ammunition, explosives) to the terrorists besides shelter and food and guided them from one to another place," Singh told reporters during a visit to Rajouri district.

"We are getting clues during questioning. We are working on that," he said.

Singh, who visited Darhal and remote Budh Khanari area in the foothills of snow-covered Pir Panjal mountains, also said that such incidents are not possible without local support.

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"One full module in this has been caught. They were giving them support for past two to three months. A local named Nisar and his family were providing all support from food to shelter. The material (explosives) had come from Pakistan through drone. They picked up the weapons and provided them to the terrorists. Weapons, grenades and ammunition explosives were included in that," he said.

He added that security forces are identifying more local support.

"They will be working on it strongly. The terrorists choose places close to forests, where they get local support and also have escape route into forests," he said.

Giving further details about the module, Singh said Nisar has been a terrorist for a long time.

"He was working as OGW of Pakistan origin LeT commander in the 1990s. He was under our radar. We had picked him two to three times in the past for interrogation. He was in our list of suspects and was picked this time too," he said.

"When interrogated, we found he was fully involved along with other family members," the DGP said.

On the modus operandi, he said that the terrorists first did recce of area, understood the terrain and considered aspects like speed of the vehicle to come down to zero in view of downhill terrains and sharp turn at the place of attack.

"They came close and ambushed the vehicle. Then they fired on the vehicle which got damaged. The troops got injured. They planted an IED, set it afire and exploded it," he said.

Singh said there is floating population of terrorists coming from Pakistan.

"They remain here for several months. They do recce and such acts. We have neutralised several of them also in the past. Two to four such terrorists remain active during a period of time," he said.

According to Singh there are 10 to 12 such elements operating in the area.

On the use of Chinese steel core ammunition, he said that it was used in the Dhangri incident too.

"The terrorists come better prepared for such attacks," he said.
The state government plans to generate 7,000 megawatts of solar power by 2026 to provide daytime electricity supply to farmers which could also reduce the burden of cross-subsidy on industries, said the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) on Friday.

Addressing a press conference here, MSEDCL's independent director Vishwas Pathak said farmers now get electricity for irrigation at night and find it troublesome. Under the Mukhyamantri Saur Krishi Vahini Yojana 2.0 (MSKVY 2.0), the government will ensure daytime supply by installing solar panels near agricultural feeders, he said.

This will provide reliable electricity supply to farmers during the day. Their demand of many years will be fulfilled, he said.

Pathak said that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis have decided to implement MSKVY 2.0 in the state with the aim of running at least 30 per cent of agricultural feeders in each district on solar energy by December 2025.

Under MSKVY 2.0, Pathak said, Rs 30,000 crore will be invested. The project, which MSEDCL aims to complete by 2026, will create thousands of jobs, he claimed.

Apart from using government land to install solar panels, MSEDCL will also acquire private land on lease, giving farmers an opportunity to earn an annual rent of Rs 1.25 lakh per hectare, he said.

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Under MSKVY 2.0, MSEDCL has signed agreements to generate 1,513 MW of which works capable of generating 553 MW of solar power have already been commissioned, he said. Nearly 1 lakh farmers are receiving daytime power through 230 agricultural feeders.

MSEDCL buys power at an average Rs 8.5 per unit but farmers are provided at Rs 1.5 a unit, while the differential cost is recovered through cross-subsidy levied on power tariff for industries, he said.

As the electricity obtained through solar energy will be available at a rate of around Rs 3.30 per unit, the burden of cross-subsidy on the industries will be reduced in the future, he said.

According to Pathak, the Mukhyamantri Saur Krishi Vahini Yojana was launched in 2017, when Fadnavis was the CM, to meet farmers' long-pending demand for 8 hours of power supply during the day. He said it is now being implemented as Mukhyamantri Saur Krishi Vahini Yojana - 2.0.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Mann ki Baat' broadcast has increased the number of people listening to radio and renewed their interest in the medium, Prasar Bharati CEO Gaurav Dwivedi said on Friday.

The 'Mann Ki Baat' programme started on October 3, 2014 and is broadcast on last Sunday of every month at 11 am on the entire All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) network. The 100th episode of the 30-minute programme is slated to be aired on April 30.

Dwivedi said at an event that the radio programme helped mobilise community bond.

'Mann ki Baat' has increased radio listening among people and renewed their interest in the medium, he said.

A report curated by Institute for Competitiveness was also released on the occasion which claimed the programme helped galvanize people's resolve and action to bring about societal change and transformation.

Dwivedi said that according to another study, the radio programme has reached more 100 crore listeners at least once.

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'Mann Ki Baat' has been translated into 22 Indian languages, 29 dialects, and 11 foreign languages by All India Radio.

In addition to English, the programme is broadcast in 11 foreign languages -- French, Chinese, Indonesian, Tibetan, Burmese, Baluchi, Arabic, Pashtu, Persian, Dari, and Swahili.

The programme is currently being aired by more than 500 broadcast centres of All India Radio, he said.


The study by the independent Centre for Policy Research (CPR) found that a majority of the state pollution control boards (SPCBs) or pollution control committees (PCCs) turned a surplus for each of the last three years. Many struggled to spend the entire amount they collected through fees and other sources. Median fund utilisation rate (expenditure/revenue) was 48 per cent across all three years. Most state pollution control boards in the Indo-Gangetic Plain are "severely understaffed" and ill-equipped to perform critical functions despite having surplus funds every year, a new study has said.



The interest generated from these investments is essential to maintain a positive balance sheet for many SPCBs. This reliance on interest income constrains the ability of the Boards to allocate funds towards anything besides routine expenditure, said CPR in a statement. A substantial surplus generated each year by SPCBs is directed toward short-term fixed deposits rather than augmenting manpower, infrastructure, and equipment. An estimated Rs 2,893 crore was invested in fixed deposits by 10 SPCBs/PCCs as of 31 March 2021.



According to the study, pay and allowances for staff comprise over half of SPCB/PCC expenditure, with some skewing upwards of 80 per cent. CPR analysed pollution boards' revenue, expenditure, investments, and financial autonomy over three financial years (FY19-FY21) in 10 states: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.

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A majority of SPCBs get their revenue from consent fees and interest from fixed deposits, which constitute roughly 76 per cent of their revenue. SPCBs do not receive financial support from the government for infrastructure expansion, said CPR. Spending on new infrastructure, including laboratory facilities, is low. Just 11 per cent of total expenditure was on infrastructure with some exceptions and only 2 per cent was on research, development, and studies.



It also highlights that the board member engagement in finances is insufficient. However, CPR finds that there is minimal focus on substantive issues such as finance in Board meetings. In all but two cases, financial support was not provided by state governments to their respective SPCBs/PCCs. Central Government funding is sparse and is linked to existing centrally sponsored schemes, it said.


To this end, Natgrid will collect data from airports, railways, PAN records, banks, passports, Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), telecom service providers, vehicle registration data, National Population Register (NPR), open source intelligence, corporate details, among others. The National Intelligence Grid (Natgrid) has made all the preparations to expand surveillance, The Hindu Business Line (HBL) has reported. The agency is ready to offer real-time intelligence about individuals and other entities to law-enforcement authorities across the country.



Government sources quoted by HBL said that agencies were already leveraging Natgrid facilities to expose drug rackets. Natgrid has already collected a considerable amount of data, such as PAN records, bank facilities which include credit card information, passports, company details, immigration etc.

What is Natgrid?

The National Intelligence Grid, or Natgrid, started its operations on December 31, 2020, under the Union Home Ministry. It has been mandated to maintain a repository of intelligence databases. The data is used to counter illegal activities by sharing information with several security agencies. Natgrid works as an integrated intelligence grid that connects databases of core security agencies of the government of India. It ensures the quick availability of intelligence to security agencies. Natgrid has also developed a mechanism that flags any suspicious financial transactions.

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Provisions for data safety Natgrid services will be available to 11 central agencies and police departments of all states and union territories. The eleven agencies include the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), Intelligence Bureau (IB), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Directorate General of GST Intelligence.



With such a large volume of data at its disposal, Natgrid is said to have taken appropriate measures to ensure data safety. Government officials said that the Natgrid infrastructure has adequate safeguards to prevent any unauthorised access. The data is end-to-end encrypted and can be accessed only after proper authorisation and authentication have been completed, they added. The data repository at Natgrid aims to capture all the digital footprints of an individual or an entity.

However, Natgrid has faced opposition on account of possible violations of privacy and leakage of confidential personal data.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday said the proposed refinery project at Barsu village in Ratnagiri district will not be implemented without the local people's consent, and appealed for calm in the area.

The situation in the village, where protesters who are opposing the refinery have gathered, was peaceful, he claimed while speaking to reporters here. Earlier in the day, police used tear gas in Barsu and Solgaon villages in Rajapur tehsil to disperse the protesters and detained Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut.

Shinde said he spoke to Ratnagiri collector and superintendent of police as well as district guardian minister Uday Samant, and the collector told him that there was no lathi (baton) charge at the site.

"A former chief minister himself had suggested the Barsu site to the Union government. After losing the CM's post, he is opposing the project. One can not have such double standards," he said, apparently referring to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray whose party is backing the section of villagers opposing the refinery. "We are a people's government and we are not against them. We will not proceed without the local people's consent,'' the chief minister added. Shinde also claimed that more than 70 percent of locals support the project as it will generate employment.

''We will explain the benefits of the project to the remaining 30 percent who are opposing it," he said, adding that there should be no politics on the issue.

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The West Bengal higher secondary examination results are due after about a month but the colleges are yet to get any official communication on the possible introduction of four year under graduate honours course from the next academic year.

The higher education department is yet to come up with any official communique about the issue.

Colleges and universities need to ready the infrastructure for any new arrangement, the president of West Bengal Council of Higher Education Chiranjib Bhattacharya has said.

Education minister Bratya Basu had in recent occasions said that there was wide consensus among experts for implementation of some key features of National Education Policy, 2020, like four-year honours course in UG courses in place of the existing three years and one year post graduate course instead of two years, or 4+1 format in place of the erstwhile 3+2 format.

"We have sent our recommendations to the higher education department after weighng the pros and cons of the erstwhile three-year honours system (3 year honours+2 year post graduation) and the new proposal for rolling out a four year honours system. We hope the higher education department comes up with its communication at the earliest," Calcutta University acting Vice-chancellor Asis Kumar Chatterjee told PTI.

Principals of several colleges in the city echoed him.

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Scottish Church College principal Modhumanjari Mondal told PTI that a workshop of principals of CU-affiliated colleges was held on the issue earlier this month. "But afterwards we have not got any further update from the higher education department. We hope to get definitive information soon before the publication of the Higher Secondary and plus two examinations of other boards".

Principal of government-run Lady Brabourne College, Siuli Sarkar said "We have to introduce the four year honours course if we are asked. But there is no notification from the government on the matter as yet."



If the four-year honours course is introduced this year, at the outset it will run parallely with the three-year honours course for second year and third year students. "So that issue has to be looked into and factored in the curriculum," she said.

Principal of Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose College and president of West Bengal Principals' Council, Purna Chandra Maity said the institution will require 15 more classrooms if four-year honours course is introduced this year.

A retired principal of Vidyasagar College said the adding of an extra year in the undergraduate course will cause stress on the infrastructure and human resources in colleges which have separate morning, day and evening sessions like in Bangabasi, Surendranath, City College Amherst Street and Manindranath College.

Jadavpur University Teachers' Association general secretary Partha Pratim Roy said while the university faculty council has already approved implementing of the 4+1 format (four year honours course and one year post-graduation) which is necessary for an all India perspective, a lot needs to be done with regard to framework, drafting of the syllabus and overhauling the infrastructure.

"We are not even sure about the steps being taken to change the statute and regulation of the university for effecting the changes," he said.

A large number of students from the districts and other states vie for seats in the colleges of the city.

The All Bengal University Teachers' Association (ABUTA) said the opinion of stakeholders should be taken into account before implementing the four-year honours model in the state varsities.

"The four year course, based on UGC curriculum and credit framework, will make core subjects unimportant by reducing their credit points and make vocational streams more important undermining the basic nature of higher education," ABUTA general secretary Goutam Maity said.

This was a bid to corporatise education, he claimed.
Northeast India's second largest air cargo terminal was inaugurated at the Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Agartala by Tripura Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury on Friday.

The largest such facility in the region exists at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati.

The new building was constructed at a cost of Rs 17 crore and cargo handling facility at the airport was restored after being shut since December 4 last year due to the absence of security vetting by regulatory body, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

The suspension of services had caused inconvenience to traders as well as postal service.

"Today I inaugurated the domestic air cargo terminal, which will play a pivotal role in flourishing the state's economy. Tripura has witnessed massive growth in connectivity over the last few years. The airport has been upgraded keeping in view future needs," the minister said during the inauguration programme.

Chief Minister Manik Saha, during his recent visit to New Delhi, had called on Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and urged him to facilitated the opening of the terminal. A team of BCAS officials visited the state on April 10 and 11 and cleared security vetting at the terminal.

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The building has a capacity to handle 40,150 MT of annual cargo annually, which is 10 times the present demand.

Provisions are available for storing both perishable and non-perishable goods. The entire premises is under CCTV surveillance and has fire fighting equipment, an AAI official said.
Another batch of 362 Indian evacuees from Sudan took a flight for Bengaluru from Jeddah on Friday, in the presence of Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan under ongoing Operation Kaveri.

"Bon voyage! Delighted to see off 362 Indians evacuated from Sudan on a flight bound for Bengaluru from Jeddah. Good number of these are from Hakki Pikki tribe," tweeted Muraleedharan.

About 31 tribals (Hakki Pikki) from Karnataka were stranded in the African country amid the violence between Sudan's military and the country's main paramilitary force.

Meanwhile, 392 Indian nationals are returning to Delhi from Jeddah on IAF C17 Globemaster after evacuation from Sudan.

"Glad to see happy and energetic faces of 392 of our nationals returning to Delhi from Jeddah on IAF C17 Globemaster after evacuation from Sudan. Saw them off at the aircraft. They will be with their beloved ones in India soon. #OperationKaveri," tweeted Muraledharan.

According to the MoS, the ninth batch of 135 Indians nationals were evacuated from Port Sudan to Jeddah by IAF C 130 J.

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Earlier, the tenth batch of 326 Indian evacuees from Sudan reached Jeddah by INS Tarkash.

IAF C-130J flight on Friday evacuated the 10th batch of 135 Indian passengers from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region.

"#OperationKaveri progresses further. 10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah," tweeted the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi.

This comes after the army said it would extend the ceasefire "for an additional 72 hours" following mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United States in the final hours of the repeatedly broken three-day truce, due to end at midnight (22:00 GMT) on Thursday.

The RSF also said it approved the extended truce, adding that the proposal came from two diplomatic groupings that include the US, Saudi Arabia, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

On Thursday, warplanes patrolled over the capital's northern suburbs as fighters on the ground exchanged artillery and heavy machine-gun fire.

The previous ceasefire has not stopped the fighting but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese, as well as, foreign nationals to leave to safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate hundreds of their citizens by land and sea.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to poll-bound Karnataka on Saturday and Sunday where he will address six public meetings and hold two roadshows.

According to his itinerary, Modi will fly from Delhi on Saturday morning by a special aircraft to Bidar airport from where he will take a helicopter to Humnabad in Bidar district to address a public meeting at 11 am.

After the meeting, he will fly to Vijayapura where he will address a public gathering at 1 pm. He would then fly to Kudachi in Belagavi district where he will address people at about 2.45 pm.

Later, Modi would fly to Bengaluru in the evening to hold a road show in Bengaluru North.

After staying in Bengaluru, he would then depart from Raj Bhavan on Sunday morning to fly to Kolar where he will address a public meeting at 11.30 am.

From Kolar, the Prime Minister would then fly to Channapatna in Ramanagara district to address a public meeting at 1.30 pm.

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Modi would then go to the temple town of Belur in Hassan district where he will address people at 3.45 pm.

The Prime Minister's next destination will be Mysuru the same evening, where he will hold a roadshow.

After the event, he would fly from Mysuru to Delhi by the special aircraft.

This is Modi's ninth visit to poll-bound Karnataka this year since February where Assembly elections to 224 seats are due on May 10.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Mann ki Baat' conversations have been instrumental in giving Ayush a positive thrust, leading to an increase in awareness about the benefits of traditional Indian systems of medicine, Ayush Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Friday.

The Ministry of Ayush has launched a special edition of the official research publication of the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), the Journal of Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (JRAS), focused on the "Impact of Mann ki Baat on Ayush Sector".

Ayush has been mentioned in around 37 episodes of "Mann Ki Baat", the minister said, adding that the prime minister had urged citizens to adopt a healthy lifestyle, practise yoga and adopt evidence-based Ayurveda, and imbibe the Ayurveda way of life.

As a result of the prime minister's efforts to promote the Ayush sector, there has been an increase in awareness about the benefits of traditional Indian systems of medicine not just in India but globally as well, Sonowal said.

"The prime minister's 'Mann ki Baat' conversations have been instrumental in giving a positive thrust to Ayush. With its innovative and unique interactive style of presentation, the radio programme has carved out a niche for itself and become popular among communities. The content of this special edition of the journal has taken inspiration from various thoughts of our PM on the Ayush sector," he added.

The special edition of the journal highlights the impact of "Mann ki Baat" on the Ayush sector and how Ayush was becoming a fundamental pillar of the country's health policy and interventions.

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A total of 24 articles by renowned experts are included on seven potential areas policy and public health, science and evidence, health education and awareness, yoga and swasthavritta, war against coronavirus, industry and academia collaboration and globalisation and international cooperation.

The special edition also includes special messages from Sonowal, Minister of State for Ayush Dr Munjapara Mahendrabhai. Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, and eminent authors from academia. International experts and stakeholders from Germany, Sweden and the USA have contributed to this edition.

The Journal of Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (JRAS) is a peer-reviewed, open access, UGC-CARE listed official publication of the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), New Delhi.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said connectivity with Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) countries is a priority for India, and emphasised on ensuring demand driven, sustainable development, while respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries.

The road transport and highways minister further said India attaches special attention to SCO in promoting economy and people-to-people interaction in the region.

"Connectivity is itself an economic multiplier... connectivity with SCO countries is a priority for India," Gadkari said while chairing the 10th meeting for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Transport Ministers.

"We must ensure demand driven and sustainable development and cooperation but also respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries," Gadkari asserted.

While noting that India is committed towards promotion of solutions to make the transport sector more efficient and reliable, he said India would like to appreciate the initiative of SCO members which aimed to strengthen security in the region and enhance cooperation in political trade, science and technology.

"We wish to assure you all that India stands ready to cooperate, to improve the connectivity in the region.

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"... India accords high priority to strengthening ties with SCO partners on a bilateral basis, on the premise of equality, respect and mutual understanding," he said.

Gadkari in a tweet said "all the member states supported the concept of co-operation of the SCO member states to decarbonise transport, promote digital transformation and innovative technologies to achieve greater efficiency and sustainability."



He further said a special working group has been established to promote collaboration among member states of the SCO in the field of transportation.

This group will facilitate meetings to share knowledge and best practices related to reducing carbon emissions in transportation, promoting digital transformation, and implementing innovative technologies for more sustainable and efficient transport, the minister added.

The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations.

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.

India was made an observer at the SCO in 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping, which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.


Here is a list of all the important cases heard by the Supreme Court on Friday: The Supreme Court on Friday heard some important cases, which ranged from Delhi Police's response to filing an FIR against Wrestling Federation of India's President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in an alleged sexual harassment case, to quashing criminal proceedings against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch Parkash Singh Badal and his son in a forgery case.



The court questioned the Uttar Pradesh government why gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were paraded before the media while being taken to hospital for a medical checkup in police custody in Prayagraj. Delhi Police will register an FIR on Friday itself over sexual harassment allegations levelled by seven women wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the SC was informed even as top grapplers continued their protest in the national capital.



The court granted bail to BJP leader Hardik Patel in a case lodged against him in connection with the violence during the Patidar stir in Gujarat in 2015 subject to his "diligent participation" in the investigation. Extending the scope of its 2022 order beyond three states, SC directed all states and Union Territories to register cases against those making hate speeches even if no complaint has been made.

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The top court asked the Calcutta High Court's acting chief justice to reassign the West Bengal school jobs "scam" case to another judge after examining a report on Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay's interview with a news channel about the matter. SC quashed criminal proceedings against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, who died two days ago, and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal in a forgery case, saying the summons issued by the trial court was "nothing but abuse of process of law".



The apex court refused to entertain a plea by Aman Kumar Singh, former principal secretary to the erstwhile chief minister of Chhattisgarh Raman Singh, and his wife seeking transfer of a disproportionate assets case against them to CBI. SC directed activist Gautam Navlakha, who is under house arrest in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, to deposit another Rs 8 lakh as an expense for making available police personnel for his security.



It refused to entertain a plea against the Bihar government's decision to conduct a caste-based survey in the state. Tamil Nadu government told SC that registration of multiple FIRs against jailed YouTuber Manish Kashyap has not been done with any "political" intention and alleged that he has disturbed "public order and national integrity" by circulating fake videos of migrant labourers being attacked in the southern state.





Here are some of the important cases heard by the Delhi High Court: The court dismissed a petition seeking restoration of the concessions in train fare that was offered to senior citizens by the Railways before the Covid outbreak, saying since it's a matter of state policy it will not be appropriate for the court to issue a direction to the government.



The Archaeological Survey of India has informed the HC that an expert committee has been formed for the conservation, preservation, restoration, and proper functionality of the Jantar Mantar observatory here. HC asked Mandoli jail authorities to give a hearing to Sukesh Chandrashekhar, arrested in connection with several fraud cases, on the punishment ticket issued to him depriving him of the canteen facility for 15 days.

HC allowed a minor victim of gang rape from Nepal to undergo medical termination of her 27-week pregnancy. HC stayed an order asking Jasmine Shah, former vice chairperson of the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi, to vacate his government accommodation.
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has condemned a resolution passed by the Bar Council of India which said the apex court should desist from hearing the pleas seeking legalisation of same-sex marriage, terming it "highly inappropriate."



In a resolution adopted on April 23, the BCI had expressed its concern over the same-sex marriage issue being heard in the Supreme Court, saying it would be "catastrophic" to overhaul something as fundamental as the conception of marriage by the court and the matter should be left to the legislature.

Responding to the resolution, the SCBA statement, signed by a majority of its members, said it is the duty of the court to decide if the issue should be adjudicated by the court or left to the wisdom of Parliament.

"The SCBA Executive Committee feels it is highly inappropriate for the BCI to issue a Press Statement dated April 23, 2023 opposing a hearing of the matter before the Hon'ble Supreme Court. It is the duty of the Court to hear the petition and decide whether matter should be adjudicated by the Court or left to the wisdom of Parliament," it said.

The SCBA also clarified its resolution should not be construed to mean it is supporting or opposing the petitioners in the matter pending before the top court.

A five-judge constitution bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices SK Kaul, S Ravindra Bhat, PS Narasimha and Hima Kohli is hearing arguments on a batch of pleas seeking legal validation for same-sex marriages.

In a resolution, the BCI had said any decision by the apex court in such a sensitive matter may prove very harmful for the future generations.

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"India is one of the most socio-religiously diverse countries of the world consisting of a mosaic of beliefs. Hence, any matter which is likely to tinker with the fundamental social structure, a matter which has far reaching impact on our socio-cultural and religious beliefs should necessarily come through legislative process only," the BCI had said.

The BCI resolution said law is a "codified societal norm" that reflects the collective conscience of people, and religion being intertwined with culture, greatly influences the codification of law and societal norms in any civilised society.

The BCI said though it welcomes the Supreme Court's step in furthering the debate on the matter, it wants the issue to be "left for legislative consideration."



SCBA president Vikas Singh, while responding to the BCI resolution had tweeted on April 25: "When a matter is up for adjudication before the Supreme Court, it's inappropriate for the Bar Council of India to issue a press statement that the matter can only be decided by the parliament. The proper way for them would be to intervene and argue the point.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart, General Sergei Shoigu, vowed on Friday to strengthen the India-Russia military partnership while expressing satisfaction over the continued trust and mutual respect in the ties.

Singh and Shoigu held extensive talks, covering the regional security situation and key aspects of bilateral defence relations, including industrial partnership, at a meeting on the sidelines of a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) here.

An Indian readout of the meeting said the two ministers also discussed the Russian defence industry's participation in the "Make in India" initiative in the defence manufacturing sector and ways to provide further impetus to it.

It said Singh and Shoigu discussed matters relating to regional peace and security as well.

"They expressed satisfaction over the continued trust and mutual respect between the two countries, particularly in defence, and reiterated their commitment towards strengthening the partnership," the defence ministry said.

"They acknowledged the unique, long-lasting and time-tested relationship between India and Russia," it added.

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The ministry said Singh and Shoigu discussed wide-ranging issues of bilateral defence cooperation.

"The two ministers discussed wide-ranging issues of bilateral defence cooperation, including military-to-military ties as well as industrial partnership," it said.

"They also discussed the Russian defence industry's participation in the 'Make in India' initiative and ways to provide further impetus to it," the ministry added.

In a tweet, Singh described the meeting as "excellent".

Shoigu's visit to India came days after Russian Deputy Prime minister Denis Manturov travelled to the country.

During his India visit, Manturov held extensive talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Singh also held separate bilateral meetings with his Uzbek counterpart, Lieutenant General Bakhodir Kurbanov, and Kyrgyzstan's Lieutenant General Bekbolotov B Asankalievich.

He also held talks with Belarusian Defence Minister Lieutenant General Victor Khrenin.

"The entire gamut of defence cooperation with the three countries was reviewed during the meetings, with a focus on identifying beneficial avenues for furthering bilateral ties," the defence ministry said.

"Issues of mutual interest were also discussed," it added.

Singh also met SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming and discussed various activities undertaken by India under its SCO chairmanship with him.

The defence minister informed Ming that India is committed to contributing constructively to the implementation of the SCO's mandate.
Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee Friday welcomed a Supreme Court direction asking the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to reassign the West Bengal school jobs "scam" case.

Stating that the matter is sub-judice, Banerjee said that he will not comment further on the order reassigning it from Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay who was till now hearing the matter.

The Supreme Court Friday asked the Acting Chief Justice to reassign the West Bengal school jobs "scam" case to another judge after examining a report on Justice Gangopadhyay's interview to a news channel on the matter.

"I welcome the direction given by the Hon'ble Supreme Court," Banerjee told reporters at Dhupguri in north Bengal's Jalpaiguri district during a mass outreach programme ahead of the panchayat elections in the state, which are likely to be declared soon.

Hearing a plea by Banerjee, a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha took note of the report of the Registrar General of the Calcutta High Court and said the case has to be reassigned to a bench headed by another judge.

The Supreme Court had earlier said judges have no business granting interviews on pending matters.

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The top court had sought a report from the Registrar General of the Calcutta High Court on whether Justice Gangopadhyay gave an interview to a news channel about the school jobs "scam" case in West Bengal.

On April 17, the top court had stayed the Calcutta High Court's April 13 order directing the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate to interrogate Banerjee and Kuntal Ghosh, an accused in the case, and file a report in the High Court based on that.

Justice Gangopadhyay has ordered CBI investigation in several cases of alleged irregularities in recruitment of teaching and non-teaching jobs in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools.

Banerjee, however, asserted that he wanted the investigating agencies to pursue their task freely, adding that the party will not stand by anyone found involved in any financial impropriety.

To a question about a Calcutta High Court order directing transfer of cases from the West Bengal police to the NIA into clashes between some groups of people during Ramnavami celebrations, Banerjee said that the state police has already arrested more than 30 persons.

Banerjee claimed that a 12-hour north Bengal bandh called the BJP to protest the unnatural death of a teenage girl and death of a man in suspected firing at Kaliaganj in Uttar Dinajpur district may be "aimed at disrupting his outreach programme as it is getting a lot of response."



Claiming that life is normal despite the bandh call, the TMC leader said this was despite BJP's attempts to cause hardship to the people.

"TMC doesn't support this bandh culture. Some BJP leaders don't have to toil hard every day like the common man.....How can they understand the suffering of the common man," Banerjee said..

Banerjee started the mass outreach campaign 'Trinamool-e Nabajowar' (new wave in Trinamool) on April 25 at Dinhata in Coochbehar district.

Banerjee has said that he will travel across the length and breadth of West Bengal over two months during the programme.
The Supreme Court on Friday questioned the Uttar Pradesh government why gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were paraded before media while being taken to hospital for a medical checkup in police custody in Prayagraj.

The top court, which was hearing a plea by advocate Vishal Tiwari seeking an independent probe into the killing of Ahmad and his brother Ashraf, also asked the UP government how the killers got the knowledge that they were being taken to hospital.

"How did they know? We have seen it on TV. Why were they not taken to the ambulance right from the entry gate of the hospital? Why were they paraded?" a bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta asked senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for the UP government.

Rohatgi informed the bench the state government is probing the incident and has constituted a three-member commission for this. A UP Police special investigation team is also investigating the matter, he said.

"This man and his entire family are embroiled in heinous cases for last 30 years. This incident particularly is a gruesome incident. We have apprehended the killers and they said they did this to gain importance," Rohatgi said.

"Everyone saw the killings on the television. The killers came in the guise of news photographers. They had passes, were carrying cameras, and were even carrying identity cards that were later found to be fake. There were 50 people there and more people outside. This is how they managed to kill," Rohatgi told the bench.

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The court directed the UP government to submit a status report on steps taken after the incident.

"A comprehensive affidavit would be filed indicating the steps taken to inquire into the deaths which occurred on April 15 near Moti Lal Nehru Divisional Hospital,Prayagraj. The affidavit shall also disclose the steps taken with respect to the incident that occurred immediately prior to the one in question and also disclose the follow-up steps taken following Justice BS Chauhan commission report. List after three weeks," the bench said in its order.

Former apex court judge Justice Chauhan headed a commission to probe the encounter of gangster Vikas Dubey in 2020.

Atiq Ahmad (60) and Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college.

The plea also sought an inquiry into the 183 alleged criminals killed in police encounters in UP since 2017. UP Police recently said they have gunned down 183 alleged criminals in encounters in six years of the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government and this included Ahmad's son Asad and his accomplice.

The plea sought the setting up of an independent expert committee to probe the killing of Ahmad and Ashraf.

"Issue guidelines/directions to safeguard the rule of law by constituting an independent expert committee under the chairmanship of a former Supreme Court justice to inquire into the 183 encounters which had occurred since 2017 as stated by Uttar Pradesh Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) and also to inquire into the police custody murder of Atiq and Ashraf," it said.

Referring to Ahmad's killing, the plea said "such actions by police are a severe threat to democracy and rule of law and lead to a police state".

"In a democratic society, the police cannot be allowed to become a mode of delivering final justice or to become a punishing authority. The power of punishment is only vested in the judiciary," the plea submitted.

It said extra-judicial killings or fake police encounters have no place in the law.

When the police turn "daredevils then the entire rule of law collapses and generates fear in the mind of people against the police which is very dangerous for democracy and this also results in more crimes," the plea stated.


Therefore, if a subsidy is provided, it should be for the long term. The necessary issue is not whether there should be subsidies or not. The bigger issue is the certainty that should be provided for at least 5-7 years," Sharma told reporters after inaugurating the first Chetak (electric scooter) outlet in Delhi. Subsidies corrupt decision-making processes of both customers and companies because the former is influenced by artificial short-term benefits and the latter takes long-term investment decisions on the basis of potentially short-term subsidy regime, said Rakesh Sharma, executive director, Bajaj Auto, on Friday.



Some Indian electric vehicle (EV) makers are facing a probe for alleged non-compliance with the standards required to be eligible for FAME-II subsidies because of insufficient domestic value addition. The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) is currently considering whether to extend subsidies to electric two-wheeler makers under its Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles (FAME) II scheme beyond 2023-24. The FAME-II scheme, with an allocation of about Rs 10,000 crore, began in FY20. The FAME-I scheme was in place from FY16 to FY19 with an allocation of just Rs 529 crore.



However, if the country is committing to subsidies, they should be for a very long period because companies, their partners and their dealers commit years of investments, he mentioned. According to Sharma, From an OEMs (original equipment manufacturer) perspective, you cannot subsidise and create an industry. It has not happened. It has not succeeded. I feel that over a period of time, they (government) should take it (subsidies) off.

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We feel that any sort of subsidy actually corrupts the decision-making processes on both customer's side and company's side for the reasons that I described...Whether the subsidy should be there from the national and global points of view, that question has to be answered by the government, he mentioned. From the customers point of view, he/she should get the real cost benefit instead of the artificial cost benefit for a short time. It skews the messaging and the proposition, he noted.



He said the company is agile enough to deal with such contradictory forces. If the subsidies are withdrawn, and if the prices of scooters rise by a lakh, it will be the first shock, and we are open to it, he mentioned. Sharma said Bajaj Auto is seeing multiple contradictory forces at play in the EV sector, such as the development of Sodium-ion batteries and hydrogen cells, fluctuation in Lithium-ion battery prices, people's preference for EVs as petrol prices are going up, as well as the presence of subsidies, and it will take some time for the dust to settle down.



Instead of guessing and locking itself to one type of future, Bajaj Auto prefers to remain open to multiple scenarios and have the agility to respond to anything that comes its way, Sharma stated. Ten years ago, the emphasis was on anticipating and learning what is going to happen. We learned that it is not possible. In December, we sold 50,000 units in Nigeria, and this reduced to 5,000 in January. So, instead of taking a stand, it is better to be able to respond to a situation... So, if tomorrow, subsidies are not there, we are not going to abandon our showroom or our vendors. We should be in a position to respond to it, he noted.



"The volumes in FY24 will definitely be much higher compared to about 36,000 units during last financial year," Sharma told reporters. Bajaj Auto sold 36,263 units of electric two-wheelers in India in FY23, according to SIAM data. Its domestic sales of electric two-wheelers in FY22 were just 8,187 units.



Electric two-wheelers constituted 4.5 per cent of total two-wheeler sales in India in FY23. This share was just 1.9 per cent in FY22. He said the company's focus is on getting the supply chain right, building up stores, and training the right number of people for vehicle management and maintenance. We are not wedded to a specific number as a target for FY24, he added.


In a filing with the stock exchanges, the company said, this is to inform you that based on the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, the Board of Directors of Axis Bank Limited (the Bank) at its meeting held today, i.e. April 28, 2023, has approved the appointment of Subrat Mohanty (DIN: 08679444) as a Whole-time Director, designated as Executive Director of the Bank (including his terms and conditions and remuneration), effective from (i) May 1, 2023; or (ii) the date of approval of his appointment by Reserve Bank of India (RBI), whichever is later. Axis Bank, on Friday, announced the appointment of Subrat Mohanty as a whole-time director on the companys board, with effect from May 1, 2023.



Subrat Mohanty, age 46 years is the Group Executive  Banking Operations & Transformation at Axis Bank Limited since October, 2020. He leads all functions under Retail & Wholesale Banking Operations, Information Technology, Strategy and Business Intelligence Unit of the Bank. The appointment is for a period of three years and is subject to approval of the shareholders of the Bank and RBI. Subrat Mohanty would be liable to retire by rotation, said the company statement.

Subrat has more than 23 years of experience, spanning different industries and functions. In his previous stint, he served as the Group President at Manipal Education & Medical Group responsible for business performance and strategy across the groups interests in Education, Healthcare and Insurance. Prior to joining Manipal group, he was the COO, HDFC Life Insurance Company Limited responsible for a wide range of functions including Strategy, Operations, Technology, Digital and Health Insurance. Previously, at Infosys, he has been in a variety of leadership roles across Operations, Solutions, Strategy, and technology-led Transformation Programs. He started his career with Andersen Consulting (now Accenture).


Bitcoin touched $30,000 briefly on Wednesday but fell on Thursday. The cryptocurrency market was trading in the green on Friday, ahead of the meeting of the US Federal Reserve (Fed) scheduled to be held on May 2 and 3. In the last seven days, Bitcoin, the largest crypto token by market cap, rose over 4 per cent and was trading at $29,330, according to CoinMarketCap. The total market cap was $1.2 trillion.



A recent report by Reuters suggested that US officials have held urgent discussions to rescue crisis-stricken First Republic Bank. It is still unclear if the US government will rescue the lender, but the negotiations have emboldened the bank's executives. "At the start of the week, Bitcoin experienced a decline and entered a correction phase, trading below the $28,000 level. However, on Wednesday, the cryptocurrency saw an uptick above $28,000, which is believed to be linked to concerns over banking stability following the announcement of a $100 billion deposit loss by First Republic Bank during its Q1 earnings presentation," said Alankar Saxena, chief technology officer (CTO) and co-founder of crypto platform Mudrex.



Patel added that support for Bitcoin is anticipated at $29,250 and resistance at $29,800. According to the research team of crypto exchange CoinDCX, the fall on Thursday was due to "speculation that more Bitcoin was being moved to exchanges, which is often a sign of selling. The day was marked by high volatility, with over $350 million in liquidations taking place as Bitcoin experienced ups and downs of up to 9 per cent within 24 hours."

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"The next FOMC meeting which is scheduled for the first week of May will be closely watched by the crypto community. Any decision on a rate hike may have an immediate impact on the crypto market," said Shivam Thakral, CEO of crypto exchange BuyUcoin. Ethereum, the second biggest token, was flat during the last week. It touched $2,000 earlier this month but has fallen below it since its Shapella update on April 12.



"Franklin Templeton, which manages $1.4 trillion in assets, announced on Wednesday that its OnChain US Government Money Fund is now supported on the Polygon network, giving investors access to the Ethereum blockchain. The company stated that integrating blockchain technology into its system would result in operational efficiencies such as increased security, faster transaction processing, and reduced costs," CoinDCX said. Experts also said that more traditional financial firms are adding blockchain technology to their offerings.

"Google Cloud has partnered with Polygon Labs to simplify the process of building, launching, and scaling Web3 products and decentralized applications (dapps) on the Ethereum-based layer 2 blockchain," said Parth Chaturvedi, crypto ecosystem lead at crypto exchange CoinSwitch.
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Shares of Raymond and Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL) were down up to 6 per cent on the BSE in Fridays intra-day trade after GCPL on Thursday announced the acquisition of the consumer products business of Raymond Consumer Care (RCCL), a subsidiary of Raymond, in an all-cash deal of Rs 2,825 crore.Shares of Raymond slipped 6 per cent to Rs 1,608 on the BSE in intra-day trade. The stock had zoomed 56 per cent from a level of Rs 1,104 on March 28, to close at Rs 1,717.35 on Thursday.Raymond announced the demerger of its lifestyle business to RCCL which will be listed as a separate entity. RCCL will operate the branded textiles, branded apparel, garmenting and high value shirting business. Further RCCL will sell its FMCG business to GCPL for a consideration of Rs 2,825 crore (5.4 times annual sales of Rs 524 crore).Post the demerger, Raymond which will continue to be listed would primarily be a real estate company with investments in denim and engineering business. Shareholders of Raymond will get 4 shares of RCCL for every 5 shares held.The proceeds from the sale of FMCG business would be utilized for repayment of debt and infusing of funds in the Lifestyle business. With infusion of funds from the sale proceeds, the lifestyle business would be able to pursue its growth ambitions and scale up its various businesses at a faster pace.The move to demerge the Lifestyle Business from Raymond will enable the business to be net debt free and will become an independently listed entity. RCCL will retain its condom manufacturing facility and will continue to do contract manufacturing in Aurangabad, Maharashtra for both domestic and international markets, Raymond said.This acquisition allows us to complement our business portfolio and growth strategy with under-penetrated categories that offer a long runway of growth, GCPL said.Meanwhile, shares of GCPL were down 3.5 per cent to Rs 920 on the BSE in intra-day trade. The stock of personal care products company has dipped 6 per cent in past two trading days. It had hit a record high level of Rs 994.45 on April 24, 2023.GCPL would be able to expand distribution sharply which should drive strong growth in the medium-term. This along with a 20 per cent margin will also make the deal EPS accretive on our back-of-envelope calculation, analysts at Jefferies said.However, the past deals by GCPL, mainly in overseas market have seen mixed results and even today; the company is grappling to resolve issues in Africa (& even Indonesia). In case of Raymond portfolio, male grooming is a tough category with low brand loyalty & high competition, the brokerage firm said.Market share trends from the past as well as Marico's Paras Pharma deal are instances to this point. Sexual wellness too is a completely new line of business for GCPL, where there are strong healthcare firms in competition. Finally, this also raises concerns on management bandwidth, given there is still job at hand on India HI, Indo business among others, Jefferies said.On first-impression basis, we are not able to fully appreciate the need for GCPL to acquire Raymonds FMCG business. While there is perhaps merit in GCPL eyeing the male-grooming pie but we reckon that its own Cinthol is as strong a brand as Park Avenue, if not stronger, according to analysts at JM Financial Institutional Securities.There are cost-synergies to be had for sure, but that is mainly because the overhead structure of the acquired business, as it stands today, is quite inefficient, in our view, the brokerage firm said.The gross margin profile of the acquired business appears lower vs GCPLs existing India margin (high-50s at steady-state). Assuming the company is able to quickly scale-up operating margin in the business to 17-18 per cent (achievable, in our view), the business would need to double in size for it to be earnings-accretive for GCPL. This could be a 3-year process implying that the acquisition is, based on preliminary workings, earnings-dilutive for the next couple of years, analysts said.
Importantly, neither China nor India supports the claim that Indias population has overtaken Chinas. Indias population projection for 2023 is 1,383 million, whereas Chinas census last December put its figure at 1,412 million. The US Census Bureau matches census numbers with figures from Indias sample registration system (which tracks things like birth and death rates), migration data, Covid mortality, and pos

Most publications have uncritically accepted the position put out by a United Nations organisation that India this month has become the worlds most populous nation. Its assessed population of nearly 1,429 million is said to be fractionally more than Chinas  for the first time since modern census operations began. The World Bank repeats the UN numbers, though it claims to use multiple data sources  none of which, however, endorses the UN position that India now has the larger population.
The Federal Reserve is scheduled Friday to release a highly-anticipated review of its supervision of Silicon Valley Bank, the go-to bank for venture capital firms and technology start-ups that failed spectacularly in March, setting off a crisis of confidence for the banking industry.

The review, due to be released at 11 a.m. eastern, is expected to examine how regulators may have missed warning signs in Silicon Valley Bank's business and whether they could have been addressed before the bank failed. Further, the report is expected to look at what regulators could do better to prevent a similar bank failure in the future.

Federal regulators seized Silicon Valley Bank on March 10 after customers withdrew tens of billions of dollars in deposits in a matter of hours. Two days later, they seized Signature Bank of New York.

Although regulators guaranteed all the banks' deposits, customers at other midsize regional banks rushed to pull out their money often with a few taps on a mobile device and move it to the perceived safety of big money center banks such as JPMorgan Chase.

Although the withdrawals have abated at many banks, First Republic Bank in San Francisco appears to be in peril, even after receiving a USD 30 billion infusion of deposits from 11 major banks in March. The bank's shares have plunged 57 per cent this week after it revealed the extent to which customers pulled their deposits in the days after Silicon Valley Bank failed.

The nation's banks are regulated by a troika of regulators: the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. All have been criticized for potentially missing signs that Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank might be in trouble.

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Michael Barr, the Fed's vice chair for supervision, appeared at two hearings in Congress last month and asserted that Silicon Valley's own management was largely to blame for the bank's failure.

He also acknowledged that Federal Reserve bank supervisors had warned Silicon Valley management as early as the fall of 2021 of risks stemming from its business model, but its managers failed to take the steps necessary to fix the problems.

Republicans at both hearings had criticised federal regulators for failing to act with the proper sense of urgency. Barr said the Fed's review would look into why Fed officials couldn't compel the bank's management to fix the problems.

The report is also likely to look at whether a banking law passed in 2018 contributed to the recent bank turmoil by softening some of the restrictions on large banks put in place under the Dodd-Frank Act.

Left-leaning policymakers contend that the law, passed in a Republican-controlled Congress with moderate Democrats in support and signed by then-President Trump, may have exacerbated the issues at these banks by not having them undergo annual stress tests.
Health Minister of Somalia Dr Ali Haji Adan Thursday said his country has historical relations with India and stressed on further strengthening collaboration with New Delhi.

Health ministers and delegates from various countries are in the national capital to attend the sixth edition of the 'Advantage Healthcare India' event, which aims to promote 'Medical Value Travel' in the country.

During a visit to Apollo Hospitals in Delhi, Adan said, "We have historical relations between Somalia and the Indian government. A large number of Somali people come to India for medical purposes. We want to strengthen collaboration with India."



Deputy Health Minister of Egypt Dr Ahmed Hussein Shehata Elsobky also visited Apollo Hospital.

"We saw the latest technology and a lot of advancements have been made. We would like to have MoUs with the hospital to train our people from Egypt. The meeting was quite fruitful and will pave the way for cooperation between India and Egypt," he said.

Indonesia's Health Ministry Director Sugiyanto, who visited Medanta Hospital in Gurugram on Thursday, said Indian doctors can visit his country for providing improved speciality healthcare solutions in both countries.

He also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic and India's humanitarian efforts by supplying vaccines to the world in tough times.

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Prime Minister Modi virtually inaugurated 'Advantage Healthcare India 2023' -- a G20 co-branded event -- on Wednesday. The health ministers from Bangladesh, Armenia, Bhutan, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, Maldives, Nigeria, Russia and Somalia participated in the summit.

Southern District health officer of Bhutan Thinlay Choden visited the Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Artemis Hospitals and Marengo Asia Healthcare in Gurugram.

The visits showcased the infrastructure and healthcare facilities offered in India. It also emphasized the importance of global collaborations and partnerships for building resilient global health architecture and working towards achieving universal health coverage through value-based healthcare, an official said.




Russian oil is still powering Europe  just with the help of India.

Back in December, the European Union barred almost any seaborne crude oil imports from Russia. It extended the prohibition to refined fuels two months later. By Prejula Prem and Sharon ChoRussian oil is still powering Europe  just with the help of India.



The Asian country is on track to become Europes largest supplier of refined fuels this month while simultaneously buying record amounts of Russian crude, according to data compiled by Bloomberg from analytics firm Kpler. However, the rules didnt prevent countries like India from snapping up cheap Russian crude, turning it into fuels like diesel, and shipping it back to Europe at a markup.









The development is double-edged for the EU. On the one hand, the bloc needs alternative sources of diesel now that it has cut off direct flows from Russia, previously its top supplier. However, it ultimately boosts demand for Moscows barrels, and means extra freight costs. It also means more competition for Europes oil refiners who cant access cheap Russian crude. Russian oil is finding its way back into Europe despite all the sanctioning and India ramping up fuel exports to the west is a good example of it, said Viktor Katona, lead crude analyst at the firm. With India taking in so much Russian barrels, its inevitable.

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Russian crude oil arrivals to India are expected to surpass 2 million barrels a day in April, representing almost 44% of the nations overall oil imports, according to Kpler data. Europes refined fuel imports from India are set to surge above 360,000 barrels a day, edging just ahead of those of Saudi Arabia, Kplers data show.

More than half of Russias seaborne oil shipments were to the European Union and Group of Seven nations before the bloc began to cut purchases in response to the nations invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.


A fortnight into the conflict tearing Sudan apart  and in the middle of a 72-hour ceasefire  heavily-armed militiamen in Khartoum vowed to defeat the army as they inspected vehicles entering a densely-populated central area of the capital city. Moments later, a missile detonated nearby, narrowly missing them. Just north of the checkpoint in the affluent Riyadh district, residents waited for hours in bread lines. The few shops still open had hiked prices more than most people can afford. We cant bear living like this, Ahmed Abdul Aziz, a supermarket owner said late Wednesday. Im afraid that soon we might run out of everything.

By Simon Marks and Mohammed Alamin



For many Sudanese, the power struggle that sparked the hostilities between the countrys two most powerful generals was inevitable. Army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the paramilitary leader known as Hemedti, rose to prominence together after ousting dictator Omar al-Bashir in the popular revolution of 2019. The pair then consolidated their positions in a second coup in 2021. They drifted apart over how to merge their forces, promising to pave the way for civilian rule, but instead struggling to stop the economy from free-falling and a hunger crisis from worsening. Sudan has known just 17 years of peace in its nearly 70 years of independence, but Khartoum hasnt seen fighting like this for decades. Across the sprawling desert conurbation of 5 million people, residents are hunkering down in their homes in soaring temperatures and have not slept properly for days amid incessant gunfire and looting. Hostilities have flared across about half of the countrys 18 states and hundreds of people have died. The risk is a protracted civil war that spills across borders into Chad, the Central African Republic, Egypt and South Sudan.



The role of the international community  the Arabs, the Israelis, the Russians  has politically propelled and financially enriched both Burhan and Hemedti through gold deals, intelligence deals and giving them money to send soldiers abroad, said Kholood Khair, a political analyst in Sudan who fled Khartoum and partly blames this fight for resources for the conflict. Had they been not so supported prior to this by these countries they would not be in a position to inflict so much damage. If Sudans democratic transition unraveled because of the hubris and competition of the two generals, what set it on a path that could lead to civil war were years of foreign entanglements that enriched and propped them up, according to interviews with dozens of officials, diplomats and observers. Egypt backs Burhan, while Russia and a powerful Libyan militia leader are close to Hemedti. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have eyes on Sudans arable land and have supported both generals. Chinas focus is on sea, oil and huge mineral wealth. Israel has a foot in both camps.

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For western diplomats, the depth of the rift between the generals was clear in February when a delegation representing the US, UK and European Union entered the presidential palace for a high stakes meeting with the two men, and an official loyal to Burhan told them not to shake hands with Hemedti, according to three people present. The group knew the pair didnt see eye-to-eye but were stunned by such a break with protocol in a formal setting. Under pressure to go along with it, they did as they were told and greeted the paramilitary leader once talks ended. Negotiating with the men with guns



We always knew it was risky to allow these two rival militaries to continue to operate, Hogendoorn said, adding that when both generals arrested senior members of the government following the 2021 coup, US officials floated the idea of sanctioning them or restricting their access to lucrative parts of the economy, like the gold sector. But many in Washington feared doing so could provoke the very violence playing out today, he said. Tensions between Burhan and Hemedti have wafted and waned over the years and there have been a number of occasions when senior foreign officials had to step in and de-escalate, said EJ Hogendoorn, who served as senior adviser to the US Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan until February when his posting ended.



But the result of not acting was that the generals felt emboldened while the mandate of then-Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok was weakened, according to two current senior western diplomats and a former senior US official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The entire approach on Sudan was misguided from the outset, said several senior western officials who traveled to the capital for meetings with Burhan and Hemedti in recent years. When asked for comment, a senior Biden administration official said it was too soon for the US to regret its engagement with the generals because talks had been underway about transitioning to a civilian government. Ultimately, the fault was with the two men who failed to make the right compromises for the future of their nation, the official said.



Theres a number of different travesties along the way, said Hafsa Halawa, a Dubai-based non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute think tank. What we have seen is basically the West seeking to take the easy option, which was to negotiate with the men with guns. The US along with the UK, France, Germany and others tried to provide life support to Sudans transition to democracy at a donors conference in Paris in May 2021, raising nearly $2 billion in pledges and investments. It was too little too late.

At least 499 people have been killed and 4,700 wounded since fighting began, according to the World Health Organization. Some 20,000 Sudanese who fled the country are sheltering in Chad. Nearly every hospital in Khartoum has been shuttered, with some being used as military camps. Fighting is currently focused on the capital, and the white 19th century palace where the Feb. 8 delegation  Peter Lord, US Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Africa, Annette Weber, the EUs special envoy to the region, and Bob Fairweather, her British counterpart  met the generals. The palace has become the symbol of victory the two men most covet. No end to the violence



In the weeks leading up to the war, Burhan and Hemedti talked about how to integrate the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group into the Sudanese National Army over several dinners and afternoon teas, according to five Western diplomats involved in the talks. But as disagreements emerged over the chain of command, they began preparing for war, amassing troops and heavy weaponry in Khartoum. There have been four attempts at a ceasefire, including one during Eid al-Fitr, the holiest holiday for Muslims, but all have failed to bring calm. A short lull last weekend, and again this week, allowed diplomats, United Nations officials and some foreign nationals to be evacuated. Foreign officials fear that a 72-hour ceasefire that ended on Thursday was just a way to remove more people from the country so that the generals can finally go full out against each other.



But it is the UAE and Saudi Arabia that have the strongest influence in Sudan. Prior to the 2021 coup they provided billions of dollars in budgetary support. They hired its soldiers to fight with the Saudi-led coalition against an Iranian-backed Houthi insurgency in Yemen, and through their largesse the RSF developed into one of Africas biggest armies, with an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 fighters. This helped Hemedti grow in stature, and meant that some foreign countries began to view him less as a battle-hardened mercenary from the drought-stricken Darfur plains and more as a seasoned general in an air-conditioned office and tailored suits, diplomats  both former and present  said. Some of those munitions are linked to the efforts made by foreign powers to secure influence in Sudan. Egypt has conducted joint military exercises with its army in recent years. Officials from Israels Mossad intelligence service have held numerous meetings both in Sudan and in Israel with Hemedti, people with knowledge of the trips said. Hemedti traveled to Moscow soon after Russia invaded Ukraine. The Kremlin-linked Wagner Group has also been active in the country  initially supporting the Bashir regime and then through its ties to a gold processing facility outside the city of Atbara. China has built a port on the much-coveted Red Sea coast.



Saudi Arabias diplomatic mission was the first to be granted safe passage out of Khartoum when the clashes broke out, with naval operations picking up more than 150 people, including foreign diplomats and officials. When asked for comment, a Saudi official said the country had lobbied for stability and supported Sudan financially because it wanted peace in the Red Sea region. The official didnt think the conflict would end quickly, saying it would likely go on for months, if not years. The only way to reach Khartoum is to go through Jeddah, said Chad Prime Minister Saleh Kebzabo, of the Saudi Arabian port city. He added that his countrys president, Mahamat Idriss Deby, had hosted the generals for an unsuccessful mediation in March.

For ordinary Sudanese, the results of the power play have been devastating. Abdelhmeed Mhjoub Ahmed, a 36-year-old driver, said he had no option but to stay in Khartoum as his country implodes. It is so bad right now, no hospitals are operating, there are no services, no bread, no food, he said. The international community is not doing anything right now  they are just trying to leave.


Japan's trade ministry on Friday said it has begun procedures to restore preferential trade status for South Korea, days after Seoul took a similar step for Tokyo and requested reciprocity, and more than three years after the countries downgraded each other during a bitter historical dispute.

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said talks with South Korea this month showed that its controls over trade in sensitive materials with both civilian and military uses are now as effective as those used by Japan.

It said it has proposed as a result that South Korea be restored to the list of countries which receive preferential Japanese trading status, subject to a month-long public comment period ending May 31.

The list currently contains 26 nations including the United States, Britain, Canada, France and Germany.

The step would end a trade dispute that began in July 2019 when Japan removed South Korea from its white list of countries given fast-track approvals in trade, in apparent retaliation for South Korean court rulings in 2018 that ordered Japanese companies to compensate Korean workers for abusive treatment and forced labour during World War II, when the Korean Peninsula was a Japanese colony.

Japan also tightened export controls on key chemicals used by South Korean companies to make semiconductors and displays, prompting South Korea to file a complaint with the World Trade Organisation and remove Japan from its own list of countries with preferred trade status.

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Friday's decision comes days after South Korea formally restored Japan to its trade white list.

Seoul and Tokyo have been working to repair their relations as they deepen three-way security cooperation with Washington in response to growing regional threats from North Korea and China.

Their ties have improved rapidly since March, when South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's government announced plans to use South Korean funds to compensate the forced labourers without requiring contributions from Japan.

Yoon also travelled to Tokyo for talks with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and agreed to rebuild the countries' security and economic ties.

After their talks, South Korea withdrew its complaint at the WTO and Japan simultaneously confirmed its removal of the export controls on chemicals seen as vital to South Korea's technology industry.
Ahead of an international meeting convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on dealing with the Taliban, the Security Council in a rare show of unanimity has voted unanimously to condemn the regime's ban on women working for the world organisation in Afghanistan.

The Council resolution adopted on Thursday also expressed "deep concern at the increasing erosion of respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls" and demanded that the Taliban "swiftly reverse" the restrictions placed on them.

Special representatives for Afghanistan from several countries are scheduled to convene on May 1-2 in Doha for the meeting to be chaired by Guterres to work out a united approach to deal with the Taliban.

India was one of about 20 countries from Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America invited to the meeting.

The unanimous adoption of the Council resolution proposed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Japan and co-sponsored by about 90 countries underlines the Taliban regime's isolation and signals international unity before the Doha meeting.

The UAE's Permanent Representative Lana Zaki Nusseibeh said: "This cross-regional support makes our fundamental message today even more significant: the world will not sit by silently as women in Afghanistan are erased from society.

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"The resolution also makes it clear that stability, economic recovery, and political reconciliation is not possible in Afghanistan without the inclusion of Afghan women and girls."

The US Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs Robert Wood called the Taliban's edicts on women "indefensible" and said, "Muslim-majority countries have spoken out against the Taliban's rationale for these decisions".

The Taliban invokes the Islamic Sharia law to justify its actions.

"In January, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation emphasized that Islamic law calls for women's education, work, and participation in public life," Wood said.

The Taliban extended its ban to about 600 Afghan women working for the UN earlier this month.

In protest, the UN asked all its employees -- about 2,700 Afghan men and 600 international workers, including 200 women who were exempt from the ban -- to stay home, disrupting the humanitarian work in the country.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Russia's Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia, who presided over the Council meeting said: "We are happy that we were unanimous, but we were not completely happy because there is the resolution did not reflect all the issues relating to Afghanistan."

Russia's reservation, also shared by China, was that the resolution did not demand that the US release the $7 billion Afghan Central Bank money frozen by it after the August 2021 Taliban takeover of the war-torn nation.

Washington has set up a $3.5 billion trust fund for Afghanistan out of the frozen accounts in Switzerland to allow some of it to be used for that country.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)

--IANS

al/ksk/
Armed fighters rampaged through a main city in Sudan's war-ravaged region of Darfur on Thursday, battling each other and looting shops and homes, residents said.

The violence came despite a fragile truce between Sudan's two top generals, whose power struggle has killed hundreds.

The mayhem in the Darfur city of Genena pointed to how the rival generals' fight for control in the capital, Khartoum, was spiralling into violence in other parts of Sudan.

The two sides accepted a 72-hour extension of the truce late Thursday. The agreement, brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia, has not stopped the fighting but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese to flee to safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate hundreds of their citizens by land and sea.

The cease-fire has brought a significant easing of fighting in Khartoum and its neighbouring city Omdurman for the first time since the military and a rival paramilitary force began clashing on April 15.

The fighting had turned residential neighbourhoods into battlegrounds.

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Both the military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, said late Thursday that they accepted the extension of the truce.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has spoken repeatedly with both generals, had earlier acknowledged the limits of the cease-fire.

We've had a 72-hour cease-fire, which like most cease-fires is imperfect but nonetheless has reduced violence, he said.

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly urged U.K. nationals who want to leave to get to an airfield north of Khartoum for evacuation flights before the truce runs out Thursday at midnight.

The situation could deteriorate over the coming days," he warned. Britain said it has evacuated 897 people on eight flights to Cyprus, with operations continuing.

Even in the capital, fighting has not stopped, residents said. In the western region of Darfur, residents said the violence was escalating to its worst yet.

Darfur has been a battleground between the military and the paramilitary RSF since the conflict began nearly two weeks ago.

Residents said the fighting in Genena was now dragging in tribal militias, tapping into longtime hatreds between the region's two main communities one that identifies as Arab, the other as East or Central African.

In the early 2000s, African tribes in Darfur that had long complained of discrimination rebelled against the Khartoum government, which responded with a military campaign that the International Criminal Court later said amounted to genocide.

State-backed Arab militias known as the Janjaweed were accused of widespread killings, rapes and other atrocities.

The Janjaweed later evolved into the RSF.

Early Thursday, fighters who mostly wore RSF uniforms attacked several neighbourhoods across Genena, driving many families from their homes.

The violence spiralled as tribal fighters joining the fray in Genena, a city of around half a million people located near the border with Chad.

The attacks come from all directions, said Amany, a Genena resident who asked to withhold her family name for her safety. All are fleeing.

It was often unclear who was fighting whom, with a mix of RSF and tribal militias some allies of the RSF, some opponents all running rampant.

The military has largely withdrawn to its barracks, staying out of the clashes, and residents were taking up arms to defend themselves, said Dr. Salah Tour, a board member of the Doctors' Syndicate in the West Darfur province, of which Genena is the capital.

The syndicate estimated that dozens of people were killed and hundreds wounded.

Almost all of Genena's medical facilities, including its main hospital, have been out of service for days, and the sole functioning hospital is inaccessible because of the fighting.

Criminal gangs looted the main hospital, stealing vehicles and equipment and destroying the hospital's blood bank, the syndicate said.

Fighters, some on motorcycles, roamed the streets, destroying and ransacking offices, shops and homes, several residents said.

It's a scorched earth war, said Adam Haroun, a political activist in West Darfur, speaking by telephone with the sound of gunfire at times drowning out his voice.

Haroun and other residents said the city's main open-air market was completely destroyed.

Government offices and aid agencies' compounds were trashed and repeatedly burned, including U.N. premises and the headquarters of the Sudanese Red Crescent.

Two major camps for displaced people have been burned down, their occupants mainly women and children from African tribes dispersed, said Abdel-Shafei Abdalla, a senior member of a local group that helps administer camps.

Elsewhere in Darfur, there have been sporadic clashes, particularly in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur province.

Thousands have fled their homes in Nyala, and others are too afraid to go outside for food and water, Abdalla said.

Earlier this month, fighters allegedly from the RSF destroyed and looted warehouses for the World Food Program and other aid agencies in Nyala.

At least 512 people, including civilians and combatants, have been killed in Sudan since April 15, with another 4,200 wounded, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry.

The Doctors' Syndicate, which tracks civilian casualties, has recorded at least 295 civilians killed and 1,790 wounded.

Meanwhile, in Khartoum, residents reported gunfire and explosions in some parts of the capital on Thursday.

They said the military's warplanes bombed RSF positions in the upscale neighbourhood of Kafouri.

The RSF confirmed its camp in the neighbourhood was bombed.

Many are struggling to obtain food and water, and electricity is cut off across much of Khartoum and other cities. Multiple aid agencies have had to suspend operations.

Fearing that fighting will escalate once more, Sudanese and foreigners have been rushing to escape.

Egypt's Foreign Ministry said 14,000 Sudanese have fled into Egypt. Long lines of buses continue to form at the border, and tens of thousands more have gone to other neighbouring countries or to the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, trying to get onto ferries to Saudi Arabia.

Iraq and Yemen's internationally recognised government each said they had helped more than 200 of their citizens escape Sudan.

Canada carried out its first evacuation flight on Thursday after facing criticism for a slow response, with allies doing the heavy lifting to help Canadians leave the country until now.

Hassan Ali, a Dutch citizen who made it to the city of Larnaca in Cyprus on an evacuation flight, told The Associated Press he had spent days trapped at home in Khartoum. Most areas had no water and only intermittent electricity.

Most of the time we (are) locked at home unless you go for something really emergency, food, medication. That's it, he said. Many sought shelter in hospitals, even though "most of the hospitals get attacked as well, by both sides.

People, they just left everything behind, he said of those leaving. "There is no cash, There's no money. You just take your bag.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty will be at the head of a procession of flag-bearers as the UK's flag is carried by a high-ranking Royal Air Force (RAF) cadet at the Coronation ceremony of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.

In a series of details released around the ceremonial roles to be carried out at the historic event when the 74-year-old monarch is formally crowned along with wife Camilla, the palace also confirmed that Indian-origin peers will be participating in the ceremony.

They will represent the Hindu, Sikh and Muslim faiths as they hand over key elements of the royal regalia to King Charles. In keeping with this theme of diversity and inclusion for the Christian ceremony, one of the first processions into the Abbey will be made up of faith representatives of different religions.

The first processions into Westminster Abbey will be made up of faith leaders and faith representatives followed shortly afterwards by representatives from His Majesty's Realms, the palace said.

"Flags of each Realm will be carried by national representatives accompanied by the Governors General and Prime Ministers. Bearing the flag of the United Kingdom ahead of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Mrs Akshata Murty will be Cadet Warrant Officer Elliott Tyson-Lee, it said.

The ceremonial roles on the day include bearing the regalia in the procession and presenting the items to the King and Queen on the day. As previously revealed, Lord Narendra Babubhai Patel, 84, will represent the Hindu faith and hand over the Sovereign's Ring to Charles.

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While Lord Indrajit Singh, 90, will represent the Sikh faith and present the Coronation Glove, Lord Syed Kamall, 56, of Indo-Guyanese heritage, will represent the Muslim faith and present the Armills or a pair of bracelets. Baroness Gillian Merron, 64, who is Jewish, will carry the Robe Royal to the King.

The palace said that those undertaking these historic roles in the Coronation Service have been chosen to "recognise, thank and represent the nation due to their significant service, and include representatives from Orders of Chivalry, the military and wider public life".

Those presenting the regalia have been chosen on the advice of the British government and will be directed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Reverend Justin Welby, as he presides over the ceremony.

I feel honoured and privileged to be part of the historic Coronation ceremony. To be selected to carry the Sovereign's Sceptre with Dove, which represents spirituality, equity and mercy, is for me very symbolic as it's everything I stand for and sends out a clear message that diversity and inclusion is being embraced," said Baroness Floella Benjamin, a Trinidad and Tobago born former children's TV presenter, who will be carrying the Sceptre with the Dove to the altar.

The ceremony will not only include dukes, bishops, peers and retired generals but also a farmer named Francis Dymoke, who will act as the King's Champion on the day in a ceremony steeped in royal tradition dating back to the 11th century.

The title of King or Queen's Champion has been held by the Dymoke family since the Middle Ages. The King's Champion would previously ride on horseback into the Coronation Banquet and challenge any who doubted the right of The King or Queen to the throne, the palace revealed.

There has not been a Coronation Banquet since that held by King George IV in 1821 so the Champion has instead undertaken a different role since, usually bearing a flag or Royal Standard, it noted.

The palace has been unveiling details around next week's grand ceremony, which marks a Coronation ceremony in Britain after a gap of 70 years since Charles' mother Queen Elizabeth II was crowned monarch in 1953.

Processions involving gilded horse-drawn carriages and thousands of military personnel will mark the day on May 6, followed by a long weekend of celebrations involving a gala concert, street parties and pomp and pageantry.


The patches show an angry Formosan black bear holding Taiwans flag and punching Pooh, with the slogan Scramble! The endangered Formosan black bear is seen as a symbol of Taiwanese identity. The accompanying slogan refers to Taiwanese jets scrambling in preparedness for Beijings three-day military drills around Taiwan that began on April 8. Popular cartoon character Winnie the Pooh finds himself at the receiving end of an ongoing political one-upmanship between Taiwan and China. People in Taiwan are rushing to buy patches being worn by their Air Force pilots that depict a Formosan black bear (also known as the Taiwanese black bear) punching the friendly, honey-loving yellow bear. Pooh has remained a favourite target for Chinese censors, thanks to a proliferation of internet memes comparing the pantless bear with Chinas president, Xi Jinping.



While the use of Pooh for making a political statement might seem unique, there are similar instances of cartoon and comic characters becoming a symbol of protest and resilience. The drills were ordered a day after the islands president, Tsai Ing-wen, returned from a brief visit to the United States where she met Kevin McCarthy, speaker of the US House of Representatives, despite Beijings warnings.



Earlier, in 2012, costumed performers in New Yorks Times Square dressed up as Snoopy, SpongeBob, Spiderman and other popular comics and cartoon characters, to protest the re-routing of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade is a three-hour roadshow full of costumed characters, floats and balloons. It is held annually in Manhattan and ends outside Macy's Herald Square. The Times Square performers, who are often a central part of the parade, had come out in protest when the parade organisers decided to bypass Times Square. They claimed this not only took away from the parades historical significance but also robbed them of a much-awaited and hefty payday. In 2020, not too far from Beijing, Thailands pro-democracy students movement adopted the Japanese cartoon hamster, Hamtaro, as a mascot to garner support from young people around the country. Protesters would often hold demonstrations in public places by running around in circles like a hamster wheel, while singing a modified version of the cartoons jingle. These lyrics claimed that the Thai government loved feasting on taxpayers money, and demanded that Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha dissolve parliament immediately.

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George Herrimans Krazy Kat character, for instance, was brought back by Black Lives Matter (BLM) activists in the late 2010s as a symbol for celebrating Black queerness within the larger BLM movement. Krazy Kat was conceived by Herriman in 1913 as a black gender-nonconformist cat, whose antics often presented a sharp critique of race relations in antebellum USA. While not always used with the immediacy of protest icons, cartoon and comic book characters have often emerged as iconic signifiers with larger, more longstanding political movements.
China's military flew 38 fighter jets and other warplanes near Taiwan, the Taiwanese defence ministry said Friday, in the largest such flight display since the large military exercise in which it simulated sealing off the island earlier in the month.

Six navy vessels were also spotted in the area from 6 a.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday as part of China's long-running campaign of intimidation against the self-ruled island democracy that Beijing claims as part of its territory.

Nineteen of the aircraft flew across the midline in the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from the mainland, the ministry said.

It said they included five SU-30 and two J-16 aircraft.

One drone, a TB-001, circled the island, according to a diagram from the Defence Ministry.

China held exercises simulating the sealing off the island after the sensitive meeting April 5 between Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

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China opposes any exchanges at the official level between Taiwan and other governments.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 following a civil war that ended with the Communist Party in control of the mainland.

The island has never been part of the People's Republic of China, but Beijing says it must unite with the mainland, by force if necessary.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Friday said the US and its enablers are "provoking" other countries into a military confrontation with Russia and China.

"Washington and its enablers are pursuing their strategic agenda of provoking other countries into military confrontation with undesirable states, most notably Russia and China," the Russian Defence Minister said in his address at the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting here.

"The conflict in Ukraine is a clear demonstration of this criminal policy. Its real aim is to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, threaten China, and maintain its monopoly position in the world," Shoigu said during his address.

He added: "Given Kyiv's refusal to implement the Minsk agreements and the real threat to the residents of Donbas, we decided to launch the special military operation."

The Russia-Ukraine war started on February 24. The war has since taken numerous lives and continues to escalate between the two nations.

The Russian Minister blamed the West for its "advance preparation for a confrontation with the Russian Federation. Large-scale sanctions were immediately imposed on Russia, arms were supplied to Ukraine, intelligence was transmitted, and military advisers and mercenaries were sent to the combat zone."

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The West imposed a slew of sanctions against Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, including price caps on its crude and oil products and EU embargoes.

According to the Russian Defence Minister, the military capabilities and capacities of almost all the NATO countries were involved.

Shoigu said: "We have repeatedly stressed that arms deliveries to Kyiv only prolong the conflict, cause more casualties and destruction of infrastructure, and finally boomerang back, affecting the stability of Europe and the world as a whole."

According to him, the transferred weapons end up on the black market and go further into the hands of terrorist organisations, which poses additional risks, especially given the allegations of depleted uranium ammunition to be supplied to the AFU.

Shoigu said Russia has been left with no option but to eliminate the threats emanating from Ukraine militarily.

"Our objectives are clear, and they will be achieved within the special military operation," he said while adding that "the West has launched a global informational campaign to compromise the Russian leadership and it's policies."

"With a disregard to the harm to its economic and political interests, the West demonstrates intransigence and readiness to continue the universal pressure. In the end, all such attempts eventually fail," he said.

The Russian minister then expressed his gratitude to the SCO member states for their principled position and support.

"The SCO independent policies concerning regional and global security challenges could set as an example for international community," he said.

The Russian Defence Minister earlier on Friday met with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The two held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting in Delhi.

The two Ministers spoke on a variety of topics related to bilateral defence cooperation, including industrial cooperation and military-to-military ties.

They also discussed the Russian defence industry's participation in the 'Make in India' initiative and ways to provide further impetus to it, the Ministry of Defence said in an official statement.

The SCO Defence Ministers Defence Ministers' meeting in New Delhi was attended by the Defence Ministers of China (General Li Shangfu); Russia (General Sergei Shoigu); Iran (Brig Gen Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani); Belarus (Lt Gen Khrenin VG); Kazakhstan (Col Gen Ruslan Zhaxylykov); Uzbekistan (Lt Gen Bakhodir Kurbanov); Kyrgyzstan (Lt Gen Bekbolotov Baktybek Asankalievich) and Tajikistan (Col Gen Sherali Mirzo).

The Ministers discussed issues of common concern including issues of regional and international security under the charter of SCO.
Since its inception,

"ICRA has certified our financial rating with a Long Term rating as AA- " he added.



Their foray into the gummy's nutraceutical market is a step towards promoting a healthier lifestyle that is tasty and convenient, thus, aiming to make it easier for people to incorporate essential nutrients into their daily routine.


Translated, a global leader in language translation, has announced a significant expansion of its machine translation services. Previously supporting 56 languages, the companys adaptive machine translation technology, ModernMT, now supports 200 languages, setting a new benchmark in the industry. No other commercial service currently supports such an extensive range of languages.

Translateds ModernMT was recently recognized as a leader in machine translation by both IDC and CSA Research, further demonstrating its high quality and reliability. By expanding its language coverage to potentially reach 6.5 billion native speakers, Translated empowers enterprises to forge stronger connections with global users and customers, enabling seamless communication and understanding.

Effective today, enterprises can now access the new offering via an API, and professional translators can benefit from the expanded language support using a plugin for their Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tools, such as Matecat. The adaptive models are designed to continuously improve translation quality by incorporating corrections from professional translators in real time.

For the first time ever, 30 new languages are supported in the market, leapfrogging directly to the most capable adaptive technology. Among the new languages now supported by ModernMT are Bengali, Punjabi, and Javanese, helping us reach over 2 billion more native speakers worldwide. This significant expansion has been made possible thanks to the exponential growth of research in AI and the efforts of non-profit organizations like Common Crawl&& and Opus, in addition to the transparency of Meta's language research.

Marco Trombetti, CEO of Translated, commented on the company's milestone: "Today, we are not merely providing a tool that supports translation in more languages. Our adaptive models empower professional translators to handle more content, while their corrections contribute to the continuous enhancement of machine translation quality across these languages. We believe this collaborative approach will aid in increasing translation quality and help preserve many endangered languages, showcasing a powerful and sustainable synergy between humans and machines."

For more information on Translated's groundbreaking adaptive machine translation service, visit www.modernmt.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230427005517/en/
Orlando Ballet will mark its 50th-anniversary season beginning this fall, and part of the celebration will be a special film looking at the nonprofits history. The ballet announced its schedule Thursday night at the opening of its production of A Streetcar Named Desire.

Also on the list: A brand-new version of The Nutcracker in honor of the milestone year, works by George Balanchine and Paul Taylor, and the American premiere of a ballet based on that notorious lover and scoundrel, Casanova.

The Uncorked series, in which audience members look behind the scenes at the ballet world to get a more personal and informal glimpse of the dancers and creative team, will move to Thursday nights. Held at Harrietts Orlando Ballet Centre in Loch Haven Park, Uncorked evenings will be Oct. 5, Jan. 25 and May 2.

All other programs will take place in Steinmetz Hall at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Live music is confirmed only for one production, though the ballet says it may add more. Heres a chronological look at the mainstage shows.

REFLECTIONS: A 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: Sept. 21-24. The program will open with the premiere of the ballets anniversary film that tells a story about love for the art form and the risk-taking that helped build the organization, including missteps and victories that occurred along the way, the ballet says.

The music of the Andrews Sisters helps power Paul Taylors Company B.

Also on the program: Paul Taylors Company B, in which the music of the Andrews Sisters helps convey a tale of love and loss, set during World War II. Taylors choreography paints a picture of American optimism set against the painful realities of war.

George Balanchines Serenade, inspired by his love for Tchaikovsky, closes the evening with its elegant, structured movement in which 28 dancers, clad in gauzy blue, perform. Artistic director Jorden Morris sees symbolism in the closing moment when a ballerina is lifted toward a light. He says it represents looking forward to Orlando Ballets next 50 seasons.

THE NUTCRACKER: Dec. 8-24. Morris will pair Tchaikovskys beloved music with all-new choreography, costumes and sets in the story of young Clara and her magical Christmas gift. By the time it premieres, Morris will have spent three years working on the show with designers from around the world. He teases that audiences should look for giant snow globes, fancy mice and highflying surprises.

An all-new production of The Nutcracker is coming to Orlando Ballet.

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY: Feb. 15-18, 2024. Christopher Stowell retells the timeless tale of Princess Auroras romantic wake-up call with choreography based on the classic version by Marius Petipa, also set to a Tchaikovsky score.

As ballet fans are aware, The Sleeping Beauty is particularly known for the difficult Rose Adagio, in which the ballerina portraying Aurora dances among four suitors.

DIRECTORS CHOICE: March 28-31, 2024. In this mixed-rep program, first Orlando Ballet rehearsal director Heath Gill will premiere a new work.

Then, Stephanie Martinezs Dos Lados (Two Sides) takes the stage in its Central Florida premiere. Performed to Spanish guitar, the work features a 13-person ensemble exploring the idea of duality. Martinez is founder and artistic director of PARA. MAR Dance Theatre in Chicago and has created work for companies such as Joffrey Ballet and Ballet Hispanico.

Finally, Morris will present the local premiere of his 2005 work Deverell, which in Gaelic means on the riverbank. Morris describes the piece as his version of Riverdance and an ode to his own Celtic roots.

Orlando Ballet artistic director Jorden Morris will present the Central Florida premiere of his Deverell.

CASANOVA: May 16-19, 2024. Orlando Ballet, Colorado Ballet and Milwaukee Ballet are collaborating for Kenneth Tindalls lusty ballet to make its North American premiere on a three-city tour.

Set in 18th-century Venice, Tindalls award-winning show includes Venetian masquerades and period costumes as it tells how Casanovas plans for a career in the church are derailed by his own decadence. The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Julian Pellicano, will play Kerry Muzzeys score.

Current subscribers may renew for the 2023-24 season now. Season tickets go on sale to the general public May 1. For more information, go to OrlandoBallet.org, email patrons@orlandoballet.org or call 407-418-9828.

Follow me at facebook.com/matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Want more theater and arts news and reviews? Go to orlandosentinel.com/arts.
What I love about writing this home and lifestyle column is not having the chance to tell you what I know, which wouldnt take us very far, but rather the chance to learn and share what I didnt know I didnt know.

While most of my interviews with experts start with my having a grasp of my columns direction and a relevant list of questions, my favorite interviews jettison off to lands unimagined, unexpected and as yet unexplored.

Such was my conversation with Edward Leaman, chief brand officer for California Closets and a continuing studies instructor of brand building at Stanford University.

Here I thought Leaman and I would talk generally about, oh, the ways the world of organizing have changed since California Closets came on the scene in the late 1970s, and a bit about the brands five-year-old annual magazine Ideas of Order, which just published The Belonging Issue.

Instead, Leaman opened the interview with a monologue about what else? Love.

Do you know what standing in love means? he asks dumbfounded me. We all know what falling in love means and what being in love means, but standing in love is when you stand with the person, for them, as they go through their life.

I have no earthly notion what this has to do with home organizing, but Im interested, so I let Leaman take the reins.

Somehow his commentary on love segues to a discussion of the feeling of belonging, how we are supposed to feel at home. And that morphs imperceptibly into our relationship with our belongings, what we surround ourselves with, which loosely, though not overtly, ties to systems to store and display these belongings.

Ahh, I get it.

That feeling of belonging starts with making sure you live with loved ones who make you feel seen and heard, Leaman says, getting back to love and a realm well outside the scope of this column. If you dont feel seen and heard, you dont belong.

Or they dont.

Next, it involves making space for our stories, which we share through our belongings, he said.

At this point, my eyes must have been making little pinwheels because the publicist coordinating the Zoom call for the three of us said: He speaks in fortune cookie.

The fundamental question, he continued, is how do you make space for what belongs? When you ask that societal question, you open up the deeper feeling of belonging and the important emotions you feel with your belongings. These are the treasures of your life.

Here I thought I gave the concept of home a lot of contemplation. This guy makes me feel like Im in the kiddie pool while hes on the Olympic swim team.

We dont define ourselves as a brand about organization and storage, he says, referring to California Closets, where hes played a leading role since 1994, but rather as helping customers increase their feeling of belonging.

Well, when you put it that way.

So how can we create that longed-for feeling of greater belonging at home? Heres how, according to Leaman:

Honor the rituals of self-care. Everyone has small daily rituals, such as making the bed, brewing coffee or tea in the morning, walking the dog, getting the kids to school or to bed. You cant live an ideal life if youre not connected to your rhythms, Leaman says. Its these little habits that make a home home.

Practice gratitude. Leaman and I have both gone through divorces and know the foundation-shaking loss that comes with that, as well as the subsequent appreciation for having another chance. The deep gratitude I know I feel for my life and home today, he correctly points out, comes from humility.

Make sense. Beauty and order in a home lie in how it makes sense to you said Leaman, who finds beauty in the relationship of objects. Why did you place this here, next to this, he wonders. I put my dog-treat jar next to the tea kettle, he said, because, when Im making hot tea, a treat for me, as I stand there, I give the dogs a treat for them. Thats intentional. It makes sense to me.

Create room for what you care about. Look around and ask what matters, what makes you feel at home in your home, what defines you. Maybe its your books, tie collection, vintage record albums, artwork, car or assorted sunhats. Note this distinction: When you look at an item or collection do you say, Thats mine, or, more deeply, Thats me? Those belongings you most closely identify with are often the ones that tell your story. Create a beautiful space for them.

Note where you feel most at home in your home. For some, its the bath, for others, its the kitchen or their studio. Figure where and when you feel most connected with your home, where it fills you with the most meaning, figure out why and try to make more places in your home conjure that feeling.

Just show up. Home is where we celebrate love and where we celebrate the journey of our lives, Leaman said, speaking more fortune cookie. The secret of parenting is to just show up every day. Isnt having a long-term relationship with another human being most important? What means more than saying I love you and I wont turn my back? That, I learned, is standing in love.

Thats all.

Marni Jameson is the author of six home and lifestyle books, including What to Do With Everything You Own to Leave the Legacy You Want, Downsizing the Family Home  What to Save, What to Let Go, and Downsizing the Blended Home  When Two Households Become One. You may reach her at marnijameson.com.
The Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankaradeva Viswavidyalaya, established to promote the ideology of the great 15th century Vaishnav saint and philosopher, Srimanta Sankardeva, is making commendable efforts to broaden and enrich his life and philosophy. The Assam Governor, Gulab Chand Kataria, lauded the university for its yeoman service in spreading the teachings of Srimanta Sankardeva and facilitating social enrichment.

Speaking at the fifth convocation of the university, Kataria acknowledged the role of the university in promoting the life and philosophy of the great saint. He urged the students to be worthy of their degrees and become ambassadors to spread the teachings of Srimanta Sankardeva far and wide. Kataria also appealed to the university authorities to empower its students to manage the rich resources of the state in a careful and planned manner.

The convocation saw the governor presenting degrees to 23 PhD and 10 MPhil scholars while 452 students were conferred postgraduate and undergraduate diplomas. The Union Minister of State for Education, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, also acknowledged the university's contribution to the North East by introducing postgraduate programmes in Yogic Science and Naturopathy among other path-breaking programmes. Singh emphasized the need for synergizing the knowledge and skills of the students by introducing add-on courses on Sankardeva in consonance with the NEP curriculum.

Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankaradeva Viswavidyalaya has been instrumental in promoting the life and philosophy of Srimanta Sankardeva and facilitating social enrichment. With its path-breaking programmes and innovative approach, the university is carving a distinct place in the North East and contributing to the development of the region.
WBJEE Exam is Scheduled on 30 April 2023

West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board, popularly known as WBJEE will be conducting the Examination on 30th April 2023. The candidates who have enrolled themselves for the WBJEE 2023 are supposed to visit the official website of the organizing body; wbjeeb.nic.in.

WBJEE is going to be holding the WBJEE 2023 test on the OMR-based mode. The WBJEE receives applications for Undergraduate Programs, especially in the field of Engineering and Technology, Pharmacy, and Architecture. The aspirants who want to pursue their dreams in the field of Engineering, Pharmacy, and Architecture in the Indian state of West Bengal, are expected to perform well in the WBJEE 2023.

The WBJEE is the gateway to getting admission into the top Universities, Government Colleges, and even Self-Financing Engineering and Technological Institutes in West Bengal. The WBJEE 2023 will allow the candidates to get enrolled for the Academic Year, 2023-2024. By qualifying for the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board (WBJEE), students can opt for their favorite stream and pave their path in the right direction.

Steps to Download WBJEE Admit Card 2023:

Candidates will be able to download the Admit card of WBJEE at wbjeeb.nic.in 2023. The WBJEE 2023 Admit Card will be available only in online mode at the official website. The given steps can be followed by the candidates to download the WBJEE 2023 Admit Card:

Step 1: Visit the official website of WBJEE - wbjeeb.nic.in 2023.

Step 2: Click on the WBJEE Admit Card download link.

Step 3: Candidates will have to enter their Application Number and Password.

Step 4: Click on Login.

Step 5: The Admit Card of WBJEE 2023 will be displayed on the screen.

Step 6: All of the details have to be checked and in case of any discrepancy, the candidates will have to contact the authorities.

Step 7: A printout of the WBJEE Admit Card 2023 has to be taken out for future use.

Aspirants attending the WBJEE 2023 Exam will only be allowed into the Examination centers if they have the following :
Despite the permitless carry bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this month, many state attorneys offices across Florida are still prosecuting those arrested for carrying concealed weapons and say they plan to continue doing so until July 1, when the law takes effect.

DeSantis signed what he called constitutional carry legislation on April 3, which allows non-felons and those over 21 years of age to carry concealed firearms without permits, nixing the previous requirement for background checks and gun safety courses.

The new law, however, did not include any retroactive provisions about pending cases, leaving hundreds of arrestees and defendants in a gray area. Theyre accused of committing a crime that soon will no longer exist in the Sunshine State.

And the stakes for defendants are high. If convicted, those who would soon be able to legally carry without permits could be labeled as felons, losing their right to possess firearms and greatly limiting their housing and jobs options, especially for occupations that require licenses.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signs House Bill (HB) 543 which allows Floridians to carry concealed weapons without a government-issued permit. HB 543 goes into effect on July 1, 2023.

As of Thursday morning, the State Attorneys Office for the Ninth Judicial Circuit was handling 775 concealed carry cases in Orange County and 104 in Osceola County, according to a log obtained via a public records request.

A half-dozen state attorneys offices that responded to the Sentinels request for comment said they are also going to continue prosecuting pending concealed carry cases against non-felons and those over 21  people who would largely be protected by the permitless carry law when it takes effect in less than three months.

This comes as prosecutorial discretion has become a political battleground in Florida, with the states top GOP officials taking aim at Democratic state attorneys, including Tampas Andrew Warren and Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell.

Keisha Mulfort, a spokesperson for Worrells office, said prosecutors will move ahead with their concealed carry cases because our office cannot decide which laws to follow and which ones we wont.

As it currently stands, this offense is still a crime in the State of Florida, and we will resolve these matters with the gravity it deserves, she wrote in an email. Citing a pair of Easter weekend shootings that combined to kill seven people, she added, not following the law in light of the devastating losses our community suffered is not something our office is willing to do.

Mulfort said people accused of illegally carrying concealed firearms will have opportunities to go through pretrial diversion and have their cases dropped when eligible, depending on their criminal history.

The stance by Worrells office comes after months of her prosecutors being criticized by law enforcement and Florida GOP officials alike for what they have said is a pattern of non-prosecution. Worrell has repeatedly denied and provided data to discredit the allegations, which she says are being used as a pretext for her removal from office.

DeSantis suspended Warren from office in August, accusing the prosecutor of implementing a policy of presumptive non-enforcement of some low-level criminal violations and citing a pledge Warren signed against pursuing abortion-related cases.

Asked by the Orlando Sentinel if they planned to move forward with concealed carry cases filed before July 1, Florida prosecuting offices led by officials from both sides of the aisle said they would.

Former State Attorney Andrew Warren prepares to speak during a news conference on Jan. 20, 2023, in Tampa, Florida.

Todd Brown, a spokesperson for the Seminole-Brevard State Attorneys Office, said since there is no retroactive provision in the new law, the existing one will apply until midnight June 30.

He said the state attorneys office, which is led by Republican Phil Archer, has some latitude regarding the disposition of a criminal case, and depending on the specific circumstances, this may be an area where we can consider some alternative resolutions.

Spokespersons for state attorneys offices in the 1st, 11th, 13th and 20th judicial circuits  which cover areas including Miami, Tampa, Pensacola and Fort Myers  said they are prosecuting cases under the law that was in place at the time of the offenses.

Samantha Syoen, a spokesperson for State Attorneys Office of the 20th Judicial Circuit in Southwest Florida, said, The new law has not taken effect, so our handling of cases has not changed yet.

John Molchan, a spokesperson for the State Attorneys Office of the 1st Judicial Circuit in the Panhandle, said, Were just looking at them on a case by case basis at this point.

We will follow the law and prosecute pending cases under the law that was in force at the time of the offense, said Ed Griffith, a spokesperson for the Miami-Dade County State Attorneys Office.

Erin Maloney, a spokesperson for the State Attorneys Office for the 13th Judicial Circuit, said prosecutors will look at every case law enforcement refers them. The Tampa office was run by Warren until his suspension and is now led by DeSantis chosen replacement, former judge Susan Lopez.

Our prosecutors review all the facts and circumstances, and then we decide on whether to file charges or not, said Maloney. We will continue to meet that mission and enforce the law.

Longtime defense attorney Roger Weeden said moving forward with these cases is a form of punishment without crime.

Members of the Moms Demand Action group listen to debate on so-called Constitutional Carry legislation during a subcommittee meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. The group is one of several that opposed the legislation, which they argued would harm public safety. (AP Photo/Phil Sears)

Those charged with concealed carry offenses face the risk of becoming convicted felons, which Weeden described as a civil death penalty due to its impact on peoples ability to obtain housing, employment and professional licenses as well as its immediate stripping of voting rights.

It creates a personal environment in which a persons life is always under the threat of destabilization, Weeden said. This threat of destabilization is present even if a person has not been formally convicted, but placed on probation.

Weeden added that the vast majority of concealed carry charges stand alone, meaning they lack any accompanying charges  which, he said, dispels the myth that it deters other offenses or makes the community safer.

Additionally, Weeden said continuing these prosecutions only adds to the overwhelming workload state attorneys offices face, which has been made worse by COVID-related delays and high vacancy rates.

In February, Worrell said turnover rates were around 25% in state attorneys offices across the state.

Katherine Fernandez Rundle, the state attorney for Miami-Dade County, recently wrote in the Miami Herald that her office is down over 100 prosecutors and 250 staff, trending to a 30% vacancy rate and being crushed by a backlog of COVID cases.

Its essentially a waste of the courts time and resources, Weeden said.  And some otherwise law-abiding citizens may be labeled felons.

ccann@orlandosentinel.com
At Cinemacon on Wednesday, Dreamworks Animation revealed that Mike Mitchell (The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Trolls, Shrek Forever After) will direct and Stephanie Ma Stine (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, story artist on How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World) will co-direct Kung Fu Panda 4.

The new feature, scheduled to hit theaters on March 8, 2024, will be the first theatrical KFP movie in eight years and will, it sounds like, pick up where Netflixs recent animated series Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight left off.

What we know so far:
Germanys Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg has appointed Oscar-winning filmmaker Jan Pinkava to head the Animationsinstitut, the schools prestigious animation and vfx department.

With Pinkavas appointment, The Animationsinstitut continues its tradition of high-profile appointments to the position. Before Pinkava, the schools last full-time head was celebrated filmmaker Andreas Hykade (Ring of Fire, Altotting), whose films won awards at Annecy, Ottawa, Tallin Black Nights, Sitges, and many other festivals.

Details of Pinkavas appointment:
Hollingshead Cement opens new terminal

28 April 2023

Hollingshead Cement, the cement division of SRM Concrete, has opened a new cement terminal in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. The dome-style terminal is capable of housing up to 50,000t of cement.

SRM Concrete CEO, Jeff Hollingshead, stated, We are thrilled to announce the opening of this new state-of-the-art terminal here in Nashville, and we are looking forward to servicing our own cement needs and those of our customers. Over the course of the last few years, the cement supply has been disrupted many times. Our new terminal will allow us to ensure constant cement supply to our Middle Tennessee concrete plants.

The terminal is positioned on the Cumberland River, allowing for cement to be transported more efficiently by means of river barge.

Mr Hollingshead added, We have worked hard to bring this terminal to completion. Operating a cement terminal in Tennessee has always been a long-term goal of ours.

Born out of SRMs need for a consistent supply of cement, Hollingshead Cement currently provides bulk cement distribution services in Nashville, Savannah, Jacksonville, and Southwest Ohio.

Published under
The family of a woman who died unexpectedly at a Winter Springs assisted living home is suing the facility, alleging she was threatened by a worker for her bingo money and administrators tried to cover it up.

The lawsuit was filed in Seminole County Circuit Court on Thursday afternoon against Palmetto Landing, its parent company American Eagle Tuskawilla LLC and a facility administrator.

The family is suing for damages in excess of $50,000 and are seeking a jury trial.

The complaint says Betty Hunt, 89, died on Oct. 16 shortly after being threatened for $10 she had won at the facilitys weekly bingo game. The employee who threatened Hunt had previously been investigated by the Florida Department of Children and Families for similar allegations but remained on the staff, the complaint says.

A board-certified family medicine physician with AdventHealth, who later certified Hunts cause of death, determined it had stemmed from adrenaline caused by the threat, according to court records.

Hunts daughter, who is now suing the company, said in the complaint that her mother had called her shortly before she was found dead and was clearly in a state of fear and distress.

The complaint further alleges staff did not perform any life-saving measures and, instead, stood idly by  did nothing, and watched [Hunt] die in her wheelchair.

The woman who had allegedly threatened Hunt was fired for unrelated reasons, while another employee at the scene resigned shortly after, the complaint states.

A month after the incident, an administrator allegedly wrote a narrative, saying Hunt was breathing until Emergency Medical Services arrived and that she had died at the hospital rather than at the facility  a claim disproven by EMS official report of the incident, the complaint states.

Both the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) and DCF, conducted separate investigations into Hunts death.

AHCAs investigation, which was attached to the complaint, determined Palmetto Landing and its employees did not perform any life-saving measures like CPR and failed to have staff on the floor who were either trained in first aid or basic life support.

The state agencies have concluded the facilitys administrators did not conduct an investigation into the death and did not report it, as they are required to do. AHCA gave the facility its most severe citation, listing Palmetto Landings license in immediate jeopardy.

The agency has fined the facility thousands of dollars for insufficient staffing and training since 2019, according to court filings.

Additionally, the Seminole County Sherriffs Office has a pending investigation into the facility, the complaint states. Kim Cannaday, a spokesperson for the department confirmed the investigation on Friday and said it remains active.

The Sentinel could not immediately reach a lawyer representing the facility, its parent company or the administrator. When asked to be put in touch with a supervisor or a lawyer for comment on the case, an employee of Palmetto Landing said no comment and hung up.

Facilities like Palmetto Landing have a duty to employ competent and compassionate aides. Instead, its employee allegedly threatened and harassed a resident, who was a beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother and a veteran of the U.S. Army, read a prepared statement from Morgan & Morgan attorneys John Morgan and Spencer Payne, who are representing the womans family.

They added: We will work tirelessly to uncover all the facts about what happened to Ms. Hunt and to hold Palmetto Landing, and its parent company Eagle Senior Living, accountable for its role in Ms. Hunts untimely and tragic death.

ccann@orlandosentinel.com
After nearly seven years heading the Kissimmee Police Department, Chief Jeff ODell is leaving and will be replaced by Deputy Chief Betty Holland, who was appointed by the city manager, a move announced Friday.

Holland, who was hired as deputy chief in March 2018, will begin her new job Saturday and will be sworn in Tuesday. In a statement, City Manager Mike Steigerwald praised Hollands service with the agency as having well positioned her to take our police department to the next level.

Holland previously worked for 30 years at the Polk County Sheriffs Office, where she started in a civilian position and worked her way up to the rank of captain. In that role, she oversaw the Kenneth C. Thompson Institute of Public Safety, which trains incoming PCSO deputies.

Kissimmee Police Chief Betty Holland, who was appointed to the role after five years as deputy chief, on Friday, April 28, 2023. (Courtesy of Kissimmee Police Department)

Given the growth of our police force in recent years, I am especially excited about Chief Hollands ideas for the continued development of our police force. I believe her prior experience leading the Polk County Sheriffs training academy will be of great benefit in preparing future leaders within our agency, Steigerwald said.

ODell, who served as deputy chief until he was appointed to run KPD in 2016, will continue working as Kissimmees assistant city manager overseeing public safety and internal security as the city looks to ensure a smooth transition while ODell looks forward to an eventual retirement, spokesperson Samantha Scarp told the Orlando Sentinel.

It is my honor and privilege to be selected as the new Police Chief, Holland said in a statement. It is my vision to always improve the agency and all of its members by continuing to build an environment that allows everyone to reach their full potential while still obtaining the goals of the city and the Police Department. I am excited to continue the legacy left by Chief ODell and I am looking forward to what the future brings to the Kissimmee Police Department, City of Kissimmee and the community.

In his time as KPD chief, ODell implemented several reforms in how the agency operates, including de-escalation training that teaches officers to intervene should they witness misconduct by a fellow officer.

Sometimes our emotions will get the best of us, but thats when its important for another officer to step up and step in, he told the Sentinel at the time.

He also oversaw a hiring strategy focusing on diversifying agency ranks as the citys Hispanic population grew to outnumber white residents, who census data shows now make up just 17% citywide. Though Hispanic officers are still the minority at the agency, their numbers grew from about 28% in 2016 to 41% in 2021, according to the latest figures by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

In 2018, ODell hired KPDs first Hispanic captain and later, in March 2020, promoted the agencys first Hispanic female captain.

Many of the reforms, including the purchasing of KPDs first body cameras in his first year as chief, came before people flooded the streets to protest against police brutality in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Marching alongside protesters in Kissimmee, ODell had a message for those repeating chants of Black Lives Matter: You absolutely matter.

You matter to me, you absolutely matter to everybody in the police department. And if I find out otherwise, they wont be working here anymore, ODell said at the time.

Kissimmee police Chief Jeff ODell speaks after the sentencing hearing for Everett Miller at the Osceola County Courthouse, on Friday, May 13, 2022. Miller was sentenced to death in the 2017 killings of Kissimmee police Officer Matthew Baxter, 26, and Sgt. Richard Sam Howard, 36.

Among the biggest challenges of his administration came nearly a year into his time as chief  the murders of Sgt. Richard Sam Howard and Officer Matthew Baxter by a marine veteran who has since been convicted and sentenced to death. In the years since, the department under ODell has shown its support for their families, including organizing an escort for Baxters young childs first day of school.

They are both wonderful men, family men. They are both very committed to the community, ODell said at the time of the murders. They were the epitome of what you ask for in law enforcement officers.

creyes-rios@orlandosentinel.com
FRIDAY, April 28, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A new antibody drug to help fight COVID-19 infection in immune-compromised people may be available by the end of the year.

AstraZeneca said Thursday that its treatment, called AZD3152, appears to work in all variants to date, potentially providing necessary armor for immunocompromised people whose vaccinations have not given them enough protection, CBS News reported.

"In vitro studies demonstrated that AZD3152 neutralizes all COVID-19 variants, including Arcturus, the latest variant of concern," Mene Pangalos, executive vice president of biopharmaceuticals at AstraZeneca, told investors on an earnings call this week.

Results of the SUPERNOVA trial on the drug could be out by September, and that may lead to an emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, CBS News reported.

AstraZeneca had previously announced promising early lab testing results for the drug. It may be helpful in the 2% of people whose immune systems are not providing effective resistance after vaccination, the company said.

"We hope to make AZD3152 available as a new prophylactic treatment in the second half of this year," Pangalos said.

AZD3152 is considered a replacement for the now-shelved Evusheld. Its based on an antibody derived from donated B cells of previously infected people, CBS News reported. It is "designed to have broader variant coverage" than Evusheld, according to the company.

As Omicron variants have been less affected by existing treatments, the need for replacements has been concerning to federal officials.

While the treatments Paxlovid and remdesivir (Veklury) still exist, sometimes they just suppress the virus, CBS News said.

Five billion in new federal funding will address some of these lingering COVID issues, including subsidizing the development of new vaccines and antibody drugs, according to CBS News.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on COVID-19 treatments.

SOURCE: CBS News
Thousands of Florida 12th graders who might not otherwise graduate will be able to walk at commencement ceremonies next month, if legislation unanimously approved by the Florida House this week becomes law.

The bill would postpone, again, requirements for higher test scores that some high school seniors need to earn a diploma, an acknowledgement that COVID-19 disrupted the education of the class of 2023, whose members were in ninth grade when the pandemic hit.

Looking at the gravity of the situation, and the amount of seniors who would not be able to graduate this year, we have made allowances, said Rep. Ralph Massulo, R-Lecanto, who sponsored an amendment to a multi-pronged education bill (HB 1537) that would make it easier for some students to graduate this year.

That would thrill Panhandle parent Christina Boone, whose daughters graduation and college plans hang on whether she can earn a passing score in the next several weeks. The teenager, a senior at J.R. Arnold High School, has the grades and credits to graduate but is missing a needed language arts exam score.

Its stressful on her. Its stressful on me, said the Panama City Beach mother. Its not fair to these kids.

Educators across the state have been pleading for the state not to impose higher scores this year, worried about students futures and district and state graduation rates.

The class of 2023 has faced uphill challenges as a result of missing 25% of instruction in 9th grade, having multiple modes of instruction in 10th grade and experiencing higher absenteeism due to COVID variants in 11th grade, wrote Serita Beamon, superintendent of Seminole County Public Schools, in letters to lawmakers Wednesday.

The measure Massulo proposed  adopted unanimously in the House and now awaiting a vote in the Senate  would provide a welcome relief to students, educators and parents, Beamon added.

In Seminole, about 650 seniors out of a class of about 4,930 are missing scores on at least one needed test but have otherwise met the requirements for graduation.

In Orange County, about 3,560 students out of a class of more than 14,800 are in the same predicament.

We need your support to ensure that steps are taken to help reduce the harm that our current senior class has experienced through no fault of their own, wrote Maria Vazquez, superintendent of Orange County Public Schools, in a letter to the state education commissioner earlier this month.

Across the state, school districts, large and small, have reported hundreds or thousands of seniors who are set to graduate in May but for a missing test score, from about 200 in Bay County in the Panhandle to nearly 860 in Osceola County to about 2,800 in Palm Beach County.

Florida seniors must pass state tests in algebra and language arts to graduate, and thousands of teenagers do so easily well before they start senior year.

But for years, a sizeable group also has struggled on the state tests. They have been able to substitute concordant, or equivalent, scores on the ACT or the SAT, the national college admissions exams, or the PERT, used for placement in community college courses.

Historically, about a third of the states 12th graders have used those concordant scores from other exams to meet graduation requirements.

The needed concordant scores, however, were to be raised this year, and many students have been unable to clear that bar. The higher scores initially were to be in place last year, but the State Board of Education waived them for the class of 2022, citing the impact of the pandemic.

Educators said this years seniors deserve the same consideration. The Seminole school district in October even put that request in its 2023 list of legislative priorities it hoped the Legislature would adopt when it convened in March.

The bill the House passed this week would leave the ACT or SAT concordant scores where theyve been, meaning the class of 2023 would need the same scores as students in the recent past. That means students could meet the language arts requirement with SAT reading scores of 430 or ACT reading scores of 19 and could meet the algebra 1 requirement with 420 on SAT math or a 16 on ACT math.

They could still use PERT  but the needed score would be 114, not the 97 its been in prior years, a change that worries Seminole educators even as they are otherwise pleased with the legislative action.

Starting with the class of 2024, however, the requirements would revert to the higher scores approved in 2018 and initially meant to kick in last year. Those requirements include an SAT reading score of 480 and the elimination of PERT as a replacement for the algebra exam.

This is a temporary fix, Massulo said as the House readied to approve the bill. We want to see better performance in the future.

The state wanted to raise the concordant scores to better match the challenge of achieving those to that of passing the state tests.

The bill was approved unanimously, with other lawmakers saying Massulos measure was the right move this year for 12th graders.

This is a problem throughout the state, said Rep. Kelly Skidmore, D-Boca Raton. This is the thing that they need to get over the finish line.

Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said she received many calls and text messages from worried educators on the issue. Thank you for heeding those concerns, she said, adding the change will help teenagers graduate and continue to contribute to our economy.

For Boones daughter and others in the Panhandle, the pandemic came on the heels of Hurricane Michael, and both contributed to educational disruptions, she said. The whole class of 2023 lost a lot of education time because of that.

Her daughter easily passed the state algebra exam but has struggled with language arts. She has taken six standardized tests in recent months in attempt to get the needed score, and her latest SAT score would qualify her for a diploma, if bill the House passed becomes law.

I was so happy when I heard about it, Boone said.

lpostal@orlandosentinel.com
President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Broward County on Friday, making federal money available for individuals affected by the flooding two weeks ago, as well as state and local governments.

Meanwhile, Mayor Dean Trantalis is proposing giving thousands of dollars to households facing damage that the federal money may not fully cover.

With Bidens declaration, residents who suffered damage to their homes, many of whom did not have flood insurance, can now apply for money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for temporary housing and home repairs, loans for uninsured losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster, according to the disaster declaration.

In the weeks since the flooding from April 12 to April 14, residents who cannot afford home repairs or new housing have waited anxiously for the money, some of them still living in homes where mold is growing inside.

Gov. Ron DeSantis had submitted the request for the disaster declaration on Tuesday. In the days leading up to and following, officials have urged the federal government to make the declaration as quickly as possible.

The process could have taken up to two weeks, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said at a news conference Friday.

Trantalis was in Washington, D.C., on Thursday advocating for federal assistance on behalf of the city. Local officials including Broward Mayor Lamar Fisher and Rep. Jared Moskowitz have sent letters to Biden. Moskowitz described the flooding as a once-in-a-lifetime event.

But officials have also warned residents that FEMA money may not make them whole again. There could be a cap on how much assistance individuals can receive. Trantalis said that he is working with FEMA to find out what that will be. The money will also take time to get to residents, many of whom cannot afford to wait.

At next Tuesdays commission meeting, Trantalis said he plans to propose a supplemental $5,000 to households that incurred major damage they cannot afford to repair.

There are limits to what FEMA will authorize, he said. Some people have suffered many tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage and FEMA may not cover 100 percent.

The states disaster declaration request had estimated that the flooding caused more than $100 million in damage faced by local governments, schools and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and resulted in major damage to 1,095 homes, with 255 facing minor damage. Nearly 250 people were temporarily or permanently laid off. Many renters are now facing eviction.

Many peoples homes were completely devastated, Trantalis said. Weve seen dozens and dozens of beds and sofas, and the entire contents of kitchens, just sitting out on curb waiting to be taken away because they were damaged by the storm. So the City of Fort Lauderdale needs to pony up.

FEMA also will provide money to state and local governments, as well as some nonprofits, for emergency costs they incurred and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the storm, the release said.

Fort Lauderdales city hall was one of the flooded facilities. Trantalis previously said that the city government would apply for federal funding to finance a new city hall.

He met with different government agencies in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to find potential funding sources that will accelerate the process. Fort Lauderdale may have a new city hall within 24 to 30 months, Trantalis said.

The FEMA assistance also can be used to support hazard mitigation measures statewide, according to the release.

South Florida officials thanked Biden for the prompt response Friday.

So many people and businesses are still struggling with the impacts of this historic storm event, and this federal declaration to provide financial and loan assistance is the commitment they need right now, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said in a statement.

Thank you @POTUS for approving the Major Disaster Declaration that will provide the necessary resources to address catastrophic flooding in Broward County, Moskowitz tweeted.

Im grateful that President Biden answered our request to help our community. Broward County residents who have been impacted by the April 12 flooding event deserve the support and resources of the Federal Government, Fisher said in a statement. I encourage every affected resident and business owner in our County to apply for disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Residents and business owners can apply for assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App.
Community Options, Inc., a national nonprofit organization supporting people with disabilities, announced that Elijah Aluoch has been named the recipient of the 2023 Direct Support Professional of the Year Award by the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR).We are proud to congratulate Elijah for this recognition, but more importantly for his dedication and commitment to people with disabilities, said Mercedes Owens, Community Options executive director in Chattanooga.Elijah has been part of our family for over ten years and has consistently gone above and beyond in his role. We are grateful that ANCOR has recognized him with this high-profile honor.Community Options develops housing and employment supports for 5,000 people and families in over 50 cities across 11 states. Mr. Aluoch works in a home in Chattanooga. Recently, when the area was impacted by a tornado, the home where Mr. Aluoch works lost electricity and trees were down blocking the roads. Mr. Aluoch handled the unforeseen situation calmly and smoothly. He single-handedly was able to get the people he supported out safely and taken to a hotel. For the next week, he supported them in the hotel and constantly traveled to the store and their home for needed items.For 17 years now, ANCOR has presented the Direct Support Professional of the Year Awards to recognize the outstanding professionals who power community inclusion for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, said Barbara Merrill, chief executive officer of ANCOR. The outstanding DSPs being honored this year deliver life-enhancing supports amid no shortage of significant challenges, not the least of which is a long-standing crisis in the ability of providers to recruit and retain qualified DSPs. Through it all, these professionals demonstrate an unwavering commitment to community inclusion and to the people they support. Thats why we feel honored to celebrate Elijah and more than to other DSPs who exemplify excellence in our field.Since 2007, ANCORs annual DSP of the Year awards recognize outstanding Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who deliver long-term services and supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The awards celebrate the important role DSPs play in ensuring people with I/DD have what they need to thrive and be included in the community. The 2023 DSP of the Year awards were presented in a ceremony at ANCORs 2023 Annual Conference in Chicago.
Local Scouts participated in "Scouting for Food" Local Scouts participated in "Scouting for Food" Local Scouts participated in "Scouting for Food" Local Scouts participated in "Scouting for Food" Local Scouts participated in "Scouting for Food" Local Scouts participated in "Scouting for Food" Local Scouts participated in "Scouting for Food" Local Scouts participated in "Scouting for Food" Previous Next

Food to serve over 2,762 meals was totaled at collections this week by local Scout units across 11 counties that include Hamilton, Catoosa, Walker, Dade, Marion, Grundy, Bradley, Polk, Rhea, Bledsoe and Sequatchie.

To help alleviate hunger in the community, Scouting for Food is an annual collection of nonperishable food items, coordinated across the 11 counties served by the Cherokee Area Council. The Chattanooga Area Food Bank, the largest recipient of items, will deliver goods to various food pantries across the community who will receive the food collected, and in turn, give the food to thousands of individuals or families in need.

We are deeply grateful for the nourishing meals that Scouting for Food will be able to provide to the families in need in our community, said Melissa Blevins, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. In serving their community, the local Scouts are helping us provide food- and hope- to those neighbors in our community who are struggling and seeking food assistance.

Kathy Martin, Community Engagement manager of the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, said, Not only does this help us provide groceries for our neighbors in need, but also enables us to spread awareness in our community.

"The Scout Slogan is Do a Good Turn Daily," said Council Commissioner Zachary McCarty. "Our Scouts log thousands of service hours annually. This project was a great way to demonstrate to the community the values of Scouting that we teach to the youth of the program."

Please contact Amy Phillips with the Cherokee Area Council, (706) 313-1949 for additional information or to make a belated donation.


The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee have opened a new pedestrian Dry Creek Falls Trail, which will cross the Bridgestone Nature Reserve at Chestnut Mountain. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the site April 21.The property was originally donated by Bridgestone Americas.The trail will connect Dog Cove and the Lost Creek Natural Area, which are components of the anticipated future Scotts Gulf Wilderness State Park.The park will be part of the multi-faceted conservation strategy under the leadership of Gov. Bill Lee and the support of the Tennessee General Assembly.These are exciting times in conservation for our state, said Greer Tidwell, deputy commissioner for TDECs Bureau of Conservation. Were seeing significant steps in protecting natural resources and creating recreational opportunities for visitors. We are grateful for the partnership with The Nature Conservancy in allowing access across this property and to Bridgestone Americas for their deep commitment to stewardship by protecting this special place.The new Dry Creek Falls Trail has been several years in the making and offers a new opportunity for people to enjoy nature at the Bridgestone Nature Reserve at Chestnut Mountain, which has long been closed to the public, said Alex Wyss, director of Conservation at The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee. This celebration would not be possible without a shared commitment from our partners, Bridgestone Americas and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.The approximately five-mile trail will take hikers past stunning sandstone rock formations, beside a stream surrounded by hemlock forest, to an overlook with spectacular views of the Lost Creek area, and notably to the two-tiered Dry Creek Falls waterfall. The trail can be accessed from both the Dog Cove and Lost Creek trailheadds. A trail map can be found here
The Tennessee State Senate by majority vote and The Tennessee State House by unanimous vote have passed two bills which will improve the lives of animals in Tennessee.

The Adequate Shelter Bill gives owners of dogs living outside a clear definition of what they are expected to provide for their canine family members: access to a fully enclosed structure; a roof for protection; solid flooring for resting; shade; provisions for food, water and bedding; and a clean environment.

Another bill which unanimously passed both chambers will require juveniles committing aggravated animal cruelty to receive a mental health evaluation by a professional.

Both bills head to Governor Lee for his signature and will become effective July 1.

A huge thank you to volunteer advocates and lawmakers for making Animal Protection a top priority in Tennessee.

Melissa Pierce


Hamilton County Chief Homicide Prosecutor Michael Dowd on Friday ripped the TBI Crime Lab for slow handling of ballistics cases.



H e made the comments during discussion of a murder case that was indicted in March 2021. The ballistics results are not back yet in the matter in which Donyell Holland is charged with murdering Randall Leslie.



Prosecutor Dowd told Criminal Court Judge Amanda Dunn that when he called the TBI Lab earlier this week "I shut the door to my office because I was talking loudly."





He said, "I come from a state (California) where there is much more crime and it takes much less time to get ballistics results back. He said, "I come from a state (California) where there is much more crime and it takes much less time to get ballistics results back.



Prosecutor Dowd said he told lab personnel, "If you won't do your damn job, I'll do the testing. I've done ballistics tests before."



He told the judge that, if return of tests took that long in California, "the head of the lab would be sitting in that chair (witness chair) answering why they should not be held in contempt of court."



He said, "It is unfortunate that, in some respects, we are all being held hostage."



The trial is set to start on May 23. The prosecutor said he was told the results may be back "by the middle of May."



Defense attorney Ryan Wheeler said if the results come back that close to the start of the trial he would not have time to hire an expert to examine the findings from a defense viewpoint.





The 33-year-old victim in the case had not been seen since May 27, 2020. He was reported missing to Chattanooga Police Missing Persons Unit the next day.





On June 21, 2020, the Marion County Sheriff's Office contacted the Chattanooga Police Department's Homicide Unit to inform them a body was found that fit the physical description of Randall Leslie. A positive identification was later made through forensic means.





Holland was already in custody in Hamilton County on other, unrelated charges when he was indicted.
A man charged by the state with second-degree murder in a fatal overdose case has been indicted by federal authorities on a similar charge.

The federal indictment against Lafredrick Sails said he sold drugs containing fentanyl to 18-year-old Melton Brown, resulting in his death.

The indictment also asks for enhanced punishment related to Sails being a felon in possession of a weapon.

The fatal drug overdose occurred on March 11, 2021, at a residence in the 2800 block of East 26th Street.

In the state case, Sails is due to go before Criminal Court Judge Barry Steelman in August.

Sails, 41, was taken into custody after his arrest by federal authorities this week. He had been on bond on the state case.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released its annual Crime on Campus publication, detailing the volume and nature of crime on Tennessees college and university campuses.

The report compiles data submitted to TBI through the states Tennessee Incident Based Reporting System (TIBRS). Among the reports findings:

- Crime reported as having occurred on Tennessee college and university campuses increased 26.28 percent from 2021 to 2022 and decreased 17.34 percent overall since 2019.

- In 2022, Larceny/Theft offenses accounted for 27.22 percent of reported offenses.

- Assault offenses reported on college and university campuses increased 29.76 percent year-to-year.

- Reported Drug/Narcotic violations increased 16.03 percent from 2021 to 2022.

This report will hopefully assist law enforcement, institution administrators, and government officials in planning their efforts to fight crime and continue to create an awareness that crime exists as a threat in our communities, said TBI Director David Rausch. The threats to society by criminal activity must be addressed by efforts from all law-abiding citizens, as well as law enforcement agencies.

Officials said, "In accordance with federal guidelines, the TBI strongly discourages the use of its published crime data to compare one entity or jurisdiction to another. It is far more appropriate, in the TBIs assessment to compare an entitys statistics over time."

The full report is available for review on the TBIs website, at tbi.pub/reports.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are considered to be forever chemicals. Many are toxic; others are highly mobile or accumulate in the food chain. However, all are extremely persistent and are spread throughout the environment. The contamination hot-spots of the PFAS can be proven only with a great deal of effort. This is why indicators are needed. According to an article in Science of the Total Environment written by a research team coordinated at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), the liver of wild boars can be used as a bioindicator for this purpose. It shows the level and the nature of the PFAS contamination.

The researchers focused on 66 PFAS compounds for their study. These can be grouped into three categories: 1) PFAS groups that have been regulated for some time; 2) new PFAS that industry uses as substitutes for regulated PFAS; and 3) precursors that can degrade to other, more persistent PFAS. However, because these individual analyses can detect only a small fraction of the more than 10,000 PFAS used by industry and because many polyfluorinated compounds cannot be measured because of the lack of analytical standards, the research team also determined a sum parameter for PFAS in wild boar using a new advanced method, the TOP (Total Oxidizable Precursors) assay. "The sum parameter indicates the total number of precursor compounds in a sample that can still react to form persistent degradation products", says Jana Rupp, an environmental chemist at the UFZ and first author of the paper. However, the TOP assay does not provide information on the concentration level of the individual precursor compounds.

The biomonitoring approach, which the UFZ developed together with the German Water Centre in Karlsruhe, was used at three locations in Germany with different conditions: One hot-spot is near the town of Rastatt in the region of Baden, where PFAS-contaminated paper sludge was probably spread on fields as recycled compost until the 2000s. The second hot-spot is an industrial area in southern Germany. The third study site in the north-east of Germany has no anomalies. The background levels of PFAS can thus be determined there.

There are several reasons why the researchers chose wild boar liver. "The wild boar is widespread and hunted everywhere. The species can thus provide a good overview of hot-spots of PFAS distribution in Germany", says Rupp. Because wild boar are quite mobile and occupy an area of several square kilometres, they reflect the contamination over a larger area. This has an advantage over soil samples with which it is much more difficult to make statements about the PFAS contamination of larger areas. The liver is well suited because it is well supplied with blood: "PFAS do not accumulate in fatty tissue like most environmental pollutants but rather bind to proteins. Thats why they circulate in the blood and are easy to detect in the liver", says Rupp. Compared with other land-dwelling species such as red deer, roe deer, or chamois, which could theoretically also be considered as indicator species for PFAS, the researchers had found in another study that PFAS concentrations are highest in wild boar liver. This is because the wild boar is omnivorous and at the top of the food chain. It feeds on mice, frogs, snails, or worms, which, in turn, are contaminated. It also burrows a lot in the soil and directly takes up PFAS through this.

The analysis showed that the bioindicator wild boar liver can be used to map PFAS contamination in the habitat of the wild boar. "PFAS are widely distributed - sometimes in large quantities. We were able to detect significantly increased levels in regions with known elevated PFAS contamination", says Prof. Dr Thorsten Reemtsma, head of the UFZ Department of Analytical Chemistry and last author of the study. For example, the PFAS concentration in the vicinity of the industrial company in southern Germany was almost twice as high as on those areas where PFAS-contaminated paper sludge was used in agriculture - and almost eight-fold higher than the concentrations on the areas with background contamination.

Different distribution patterns of the different PFAS groups at the three sites were also determined via the liver. For example, the industrial site is still dominated by an older PFAS substance that is already banned but which can still be detected because of its extreme persistence. The researchers also found newer PFAS substances that are used by the industry as substitutes for banned PFAS groups. The other two sampling sites contain almost exclusively older PFAS substances. The researchers also found a similar contamination pattern in soil samples from the two hot-spots - much like a chemical fingerprint. "The comparison of PFAS contamination of wild boar and soils proves that wild boar liver is suitable as a bioindicator for PFAS contamination of the terrestrial environment", says Reemtsma. There is still a great deal of undiscovered local contamination in Germany - also because of the considerable analytical effort involved in using soil samples. "With the liver of wild boars, the contaminated areas can be located and narrowed down in a much more straightforward way", says Reemtsma.
Former program participant Jarae Wacoche assists a community member in applying for COVID-19 relief payments at drive-thru event on June 15, 2021.
Pixabay/PublicDomainPictures

A new bill that gives judge's discretion over whether or not to impose the death penalty on convicted individuals was passed and signed into law by Florida's governor, Ron DeSantis. On the other hand, given that the church is opposed to the use of the death sentence, they are speaking out against the new bill.

New Law on Death Penalty

A report from the A.P. News stated that the decision of Gov. Ron DeSantis and state lawmakers to propose new legislation that would make it simpler to sentence convicted murderers to death comes after a jury at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School voted 9-3 in favor of sparing the shooter, Nikolas Cruz, from the death penalty in November for his role in the shooting deaths of 17 people at the school in 2018. Instead of receiving a death sentence, the Parkland school shooter was given a life term.

As mentioned, the verdict in the Cruz case upset many people and may have been responsible for Florida's decision to remove the condition that the death penalty be approved unanimously.

At the governor's encouragement, republican legislators filed legislation to empower the court to decide on the death sentence, with only eight of the 12 jurors in favor. If the measure passes, Florida will be the only state in the country to apply this standard for imposing the capital penalty.

Moreover, the Catholic News Agency reported that on Thursday, Apr. 20, Gov. DeSantis approved a bill that will allow death sentences to be handed down to inmates in the state without the need for a unanimous verdict from a jury.

According to the recently passed legislation, for a prisoner to be given the death penalty, the jury must unanimously agree that at least one aggravating circumstance, including a particularly heinous or cruel crime, exists beyond a reasonable doubt. Additionally, the jury must recommend that the defendant be given the death penalty.

In such a scenario, the court has the discretion to impose the death penalty or a life sentence in prison on the prisoner. Suppose there are fewer than eight people on the jury who believe that the defendant should be executed. In that case, the jury must suggest that the defendant be sentenced to a life sentence of imprisonment without any chance of release on parole, and the court must carry out this recommendation.

Furthermore, Michael Sheedy, executive director of the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB), spoke on behalf of the state's Catholic bishops to condemn the alteration as a "setback." Church leaders in Florida have long been vocal in their support for abolishing the state's use of the death penalty. They have supported sentencing offenders to life in prison instead of the death penalty.

Sheedy noted that the execution procedure in Florida must be as trustworthy and fair as possible, given the state's continued use of the death sentence. When a jury is called to serve in any other capacity in Florida, the unanimity requirement applies. The most severe penalties that the state may hand out ought to necessitate the most stringent requirements.

Also Read: OKC Archbishop Calls To End Death Penalty After Court Affirmed Its Constitutionality

Death Penalty in Florida

As per Death Penalty Information Center, Florida was one of three states up until 2016 that allowed trial judges to inflict the death punishment if the verdict was not unanimous. In the case of Hurst v. State, the Supreme Court of Florida decided that the process breached the state's legal framework. As a result, the legislature of Florida established a new punishment statute in March 2017 that required a jury to make a unanimous recommendation for execution before an appeals court could issue a death sentence.

Condemned prisoners can choose either electrocution or lethal injection as their method of execution. In addition, Florida's youngest criminals put to death were 16 years old. Willie Clay's execution was on Dec. 29, 1941, and James Davis's execution was on Oct. 9, 1944.

According to the National Catholic Register, there are now 297 inmates on death row in Florida, of which only three are female. The number of people on execution row in Florida is the highest in the U.S.; the number of people on death row in California is more significant, but the death penalty in California has been suspended since 2019. As of 2020, there is not a single person on Florida's death row who has been given clemency since 1983.

Related Article: Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami Echoes Catholic Churchs Stand Against Death Penalty
A dog-breeder specializing in miniature canines, specifically toy breeds, wants to open a commercial kennel in rural east Orange to house up to 100 animals, a plan that has neighbors and animal-welfare advocates growling.

Some question whether raising and selling puppies from a commercial kennel would even be legal under the hotly debated county ordinance, adopted in 2021, which banned retail sale of a dog, cat or rabbit by a pet store.

The measure put pet shops that relied on puppy sales out of business.

Advocates for the ban said the ordinance was intended to plug the pipeline of puppies from puppy mills that raised the animals in cruel, crowded and inhumane conditions for sale to unsuspecting pet store customers.

In an email to county staff, Orange County Commissioner Nicole Wilson, who voted with the 4-3 board majority to outlaw retail pet sales, described the proposed commercial kennel as a puppy mill type facility.

We made great strides in animal welfare by passing the retail pet store ordinance, but a puppy mill would not be considered a retail operation, she wrote, referring to the kennel proposed by Juan David Valencia Santa. As you all know, [Animal Services] is overwhelmed by abandoned, stray, sick and discarded dogs, victims of mass breeding and  because we bear the cost burden  we have an obligation to scrutinize this commercial use.

Asked if he knew of the ordinance, Santa said, Yes, and this has nothing to do with that.

Were not retail sellers, he said. I love my dogs.

But Santa, who often goes by David Valencia, has been selling puppies in Canada through the website Bright Pets.

He incorporated Bright Pets LLC in Florida in November, listing himself as an authorized person and his address as the Lake Pickett Road parcel where he has proposed locating a 4,800-square-foot commercial kennel.

Santa needs permission  a special exception to zoning restrictions  to build the kennel.

The Animal Service Advisory Board objected in an eight-page letter to the Board of Zoning Adjustment, which is set to review Santas request Thursday and send a recommendation to Orange County commissioners who have final say.

Drafted by lawyer Paul Wean, the letter from the Animal Services panel alleged that allowing a commercial kennel would create an undesirable puppy mill operation that would likely circumvent the retail animal sales ban in effect in Orange County.

It also noted no mention of health considerations or care in Santas plan.

I feel like they should have a plan on paper, all spelled out for what they will do in case of an emergency, the letter said, quoting Dr. Bruce Bogoslavsky, a veterinarian who serves on the Animal Services Advisory Board.

They should also have a plan in writing of what they will do if an animal is sick or injured during normal business hours. An operation this large honestly should be required to have a veterinarian on contract, in my opinion. I dont think just a catch-all phrase of we will seek veterinary care should be accepted as an answer.

Santa insisted he will have a vet on staff and his kennel wont be a puppy mill.

I dont have a veterinarian right now in Orlando because I dont have a kennel, he said in a phone interview from Uruguay where he said he was participating in a dog show. Ive had the same veterinarian for 17 years.

Santa, 41, said he has bred and sold dogs since 2006 in Ontario, Canada as Bright Pets.

He said he specializes in small, family-friendly, hypoallergenic mixes like Maltipoo, a mix of Maltese and poodle; Morkie, a mix of Maltese and Yorkshire terrier; and Malshi, a Maltese and Shih-Tzu mix sometimes called a teddy-bear dog.

Santa said he sells pups for about $4,000 each and many participate in dog shows.

Customers must have an appointment to visit the kennel.

Im looking for the right family, he said. It has to be right for my puppy.

A native of Colombia, he said he arrived in Canada about 20 years ago as a political refugee.

He said he now wants to relocate his family and his dogs to a warmer climate.

But Donna Power, co-founder of Stop the Mills, a Canadian group opposing high-volume, inhumane breeders known as puppy mills, alleged that Santa is also fleeing new restrictions limiting sales of puppies, kittens and bunnies.

She doubted he breeds many dogs and alleged he used puppy mills.

He will never tell you where he gets his puppies from, Power said. He just always says we have long-standing relationships with very ethical breeders. But you can never meet the puppys parents or know the breeders name.

A Maltipoo, a cross of the Maltese and Poodle, looks cute in a ladybug costume during Barkfest on Oct. 26, 2019, in East Meadow, N.Y.

Property records show Santa paid $750,000 in October for the four-acre patch of agriculturally zoned pasture near the intersection of Lake Pickett and South Tanner roads, about a quarter-mile east of the Econ River.

Santa said the kennel would fit in with the rural Lake Pickett community.

The area consists of large farm lots, it noted. People raise horses, cows, chickens, etc.

But some neighbors disagree, citing several harsh online customer reviews about Bright Pets.

We just dont want that in our area, said Kelly Semrad, a member of Save Orange County, the community group formed about seven years ago to defend east Oranges rural character from encroaching urban-style development.

shudak@orlandosentinel.com
Pixabay/ bohed

In a heartwarming display of community support and commitment to doing good, Trinity Moravian Church announced in March that they had successfully purchased and forgiven $3.3 million in medical debt for 3,355 local families. This life-changing project was made possible by garnering over $15,000 in donations, a fraction of the total amount forgiven.

To honor the significant occasion, the church performed a symbolic "debt burning" ceremony with ringing bells and falling confetti, indicating the complete forgiveness of these oppressive debts.

Trinity Moravian Church Joins the Fight Against Medical Debt, Hopes to Inspire Others

According to the shared article in CNN, the church's Debt Jubilee Project, working in cooperation with RIP Medical Debt, a New York-based NGO, sponsored this extraordinary endeavor. By cooperating with organizations like RIP Medical Debt, churches around the United States are exploring unique methods to bring tremendous assistance to debt-strapped individuals in their communities.

Inspired by the foundation of debt forgiveness in scripture, Church leaders are embracing this modern method of reducing financial burdens as an effective tool to do good. The success of Trinity Moravian Church's initiative is a shining example of the power of community support and compassion in action. It will likely inspire similar efforts across the nation.

RIP Medical Debt is a program that buys medical debt bundles at significantly discounted prices without pursuing debt holders. They seek to have the most significant impact by focusing on debt from families with low incomes or significant amounts. The group ensures recipients encounter no tax ramifications or fines when their loan is canceled. Churches and other organizations can organize campaigns to raise money for buying these debts, allowing donations of thousands of dollars to reduce the burden of medical debt by a factor of a hundred.

Faith-Based Organizations Lead the Charge in Addressing America's Medical Debt Crisis

The pressing matter of medical debt relief in America is being addressed by increasing religious organizations, with Trinity Moravian Church being the most prominent. In the article in Albany Herald, churches all around the nation are doing their part to assist those who are struggling under the weight of crushing medical debt, following in the footsteps of Northview Church in Indiana, which canceled $4 million in local medical debt in 2019 and Crossroads Church in Cincinnati, which erased $46 million in 2020.

Both religious and nonreligious organizations are sympathetic to the idea of debt forgiveness, but churches have a stronger scriptural foundation. The Old Testament refers to a "jubilee," a period during which debts were canceled and enslaved people were freed. Major Christian denominations have long talked about "debt jubilees" as a strategy to combat inequality and poverty.

KTVZ added that in an effort to get more churches to support the cause of helping individuals in need, Rev. John Jackman of Trinity Moravian Church compares medical debt to modern slavery. Such religious organizations' initiatives have received widespread popular support since they provide a lifeline to millions of Americans who are drowning in medical debt.

According to research from 2022, 23 million Americans owe more than $250 in medical debt, while 3 million have debts that exceed $10,000. Families with low incomes, those with disabilities, and people who have chronic illnesses are disproportionately impacted by this growing catastrophe. Americans owe $195 billion or more in medical debt overall.

Also Read: Chicago Pastor, Illinois Rabbi Raise Funds To Erase $1.9 Million In Medical Debt

Non-profit RIP Acquires and Forgives Medical Debt for Struggling Americans

A non-profit organization called RIP is making significant efforts to lessen the burden of medical debt for Americans with low incomes and high debt ratios. According to the article shared by the CEO of RIP on MSNBC, despite 92% of Americans having health insurance, medical debt continues to be a significant issue, harming credit scores and leading to emotional misery for many people.

RIP purchases healthcare debt portfolios with the help of donations from kind people. After buying these debt portfolios, they delete the unpaid bills and inform the impacted debtors of the cancellation. This intervention offers a lifeline for many who are struggling to pay for medical expenditures.

With the major three credit reporting agencies putting policies in place to lessen the impact of medical debt on credit reports, there has been some progress in tackling the issue of medical debt. In order to further reduce medical debt, RIP also works with local governments to use federal monies provided by the American Rescue Plan Act.

Nevertheless, experts contend that rather than being long-term answers; these attempts should be seen as last-minute interventions. Systemic adjustments are required to solve the persistent problem of medical debt completely. RIP supports several reforms, such as abolishing harsh collection techniques, accessible, all-inclusive health insurance, and open financial aid guidelines.

Related Article: Trinity Moravian Church Forgives Medical Debt Costs Around $3.3 Million For Triad Families
Pexels/Jill Wellington

The Church of England has released an essential report emphasizing the significance of honoring and acknowledging single people equally with couples and families. The study recognizes the value of diversity in intimate partnerships. It makes the case that being single is not inherently inferior to being in a committed relationship by pointing out that Jesus was a single man.

This research promotes rethinking a multicultural society where all kinds of families and committed partnerships are cherished and supported. The Church of England wants to establish an environment that is more inclusive and caring for all members of its community by encouraging stability and allowing everyone to thrive, whatever their relationship status.

Church of England Report Emphasizes Valuing Single People and Relationship Diversity

The Church of England published the conclusions of a two-year commission that looked at relationships and families in a 236-page report titled Love Matters. According to The Guardian, this third installment of a trilogy on housing and social care was commissioned by the archbishops of Canterbury and York.

The report urges the Church of England to offer relationship counseling and support to all couples preparing to wed, with the idea that similar assistance may also be given to those considering civil unions and cohabitation. In order to address problems before relationships fail, it also urges the government to fund readily available and reasonably priced relationship support for couples going through a rough patch.

The report's focus on "honoring" singleness differs from the church's customary support for long-lasting heterosexual marriages with offspring. The church has permitted divorced people to get remarried during its liturgies for the past 20 years. Even though it has not yet approved same-sex marriages inside the church, it has consented to provide blessing services for couples who have been married in civil ceremonies.

Also Read: Church of England Debates Adoption of Gender-Neutral Language for Referring to God

Church of England Report Addresses Housing Insecurity, LGBTQ Loneliness, and Stigma

In addition to highlighting the value of appreciating single people, the Church of England's latest report also called attention to the increased risk of housing instability faced by single persons as a result of divorce, separation, or incarceration. According to NEWS 19, to solve this issue, the research urges the creation of additional suitable social housing.

The report also recognizes the increased isolation and stigmatization LGBTQ persons, particularly young people, endure. The paper urges addressing these concerns in light of the ongoing discussion about LGBTQ and gender-related topics in schools to stop the further exclusion of young people who can relate to them due to their life experiences.

CBS News reported that the Church of England clarified in a statement released in January 2023 that while its churches would not perform same-sex marriages, they would still offer prayers and blessings for same-sex couples. This position is in response to the declaration.

Stephen Cottrell, the archbishop of York, expressed profound sadness and anguish on behalf of himself and his colleague bishops on how the church treated LGBTQI+ people and their loved ones. He highlighted that the church should take the lead in identifying each person's innate worth and divine likeness.

Related Article:Historic Move: Church of England Approves Blessings for Same-Sex Couples
Pixabay/Diana Cibotari

The court decided not to punish the congregation since the Jehovah's Witnesses church elder had not committed the offense while he was serving the congregation at the time of the offense. The abuser was found guilty and sentenced in 2014, yet the crime occurred in 1990.

Sexual Misconduct of Jehovah's Witnesses' Church Elder

The Fellowship of Jehovah's Witnesses in Barry, Wales, was found to be vicariously liable for the rape by a trial court in 2020. The Court of Appeal affirmed this judgment. The trial judge stated that Mark Sewell's status as a church elder was vital to the woman's friendship with him, Rappler reported.

Sewell was found guilty in 2014 on seven counts of sexually assaulting two other people. At the time of his punishment, he had already been dismissed from the Jehovah's Witnesses for behavior unconnected to the charges against him.

Moreover, after the religious organization filed an appeal, the court reconsidered whether or not the congregation could be held vicariously accountable for the crime committed by Sewell. In addition, in a unanimous decision on Wednesday, Apr. 26, the Supreme Court said that Sewell had no intention of carrying out duties as a senior member on behalf of the Jehovah's Witnesses when he committed the crime.

As stated by the Supreme Court verdict, Judge Andrew Burrows, Sewell's status as an elder prevented him from exerting authority over the woman. "The driving force behind their being together in the room at the time of the rape was their close personal friendship, not Mark Sewell's role as an elder," Burrows added.

According to Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the ruling reversed decisions made by lower courts that had given a Welsh woman who had been raped in 1990 62,000 pounds or $77,500 in compensation for the emotional harm she had experienced due to the rape.

Elder Sewell was found guilty of assaulting a woman in his residence after the two had been out converting people to the church and was sentenced to 14 years for the crime. On the other hand, BBC stated that Jehovah's Witnesses are adherents of a religious movement rooted in Christianity.

In the United States of America, around the latter half of the 19th century, Charles Taze Russell was the driving force behind the establishment of the denomination. New York is where the movement's leadership has established its principal office. There are around 6.9 million active Witnesses in 235 nations in the world as of 2007, with one million residing in the United States of America and 130,000 residing in the United Kingdom.

Members of the organization are generally most known for the door-to-door evangelistic work they conduct. This work involves movement members going from house to home and bearing testimony, offering Bible literature, recruiting new members, and converting others to the Christian faith.

Also Read:Sexual Abuse of Clerics: Do Church Leaders Get Punish By Law?

Sexual Assault of Church Leaders

A report from Aljazeera stated that in February of 2017, the parliamentary inquiry reported that the majority of the abuse occurred in places of worship, with seven percent of Catholic priests in Australia being accused of sexually abusing minors between the years 1950 and 2010. It was stated there was rarely an investigation into allegations.

It was reportedly discovered that the church authorities had been informed of 4,444 alleged cases of sexual abuse of children by church members. Over fifteen percent of priests in some dioceses were responsible for the abuse of children.

The inquiry received evidence from Cardinal George Pell, who served as the former head of finance for the Vatican and was proven guilty in 2018 of sexually assaulting choristers in Melbourne during the 1990s. Furthermore, a court overturned Pell's conviction in 2020, releasing him from prison. He had been the anti-corruption czar for Pope Francis.

Related Article:Diocese of San Diego Rejects Lawsuit's Allegations of Hiding Assets from Sexual Abuse Victims
Christopher Burns, a former youth pastor at Perimeter Church in Georgia who later became a financial advisor, spent the church money on a lavish lifestyle and a Disney World addiction. Due to scamming scores of clients that amounts to millions of dollars, he is now part of the FBI's Most Wanted List.

According to a recent statement from the Department of Justice, Burns disappeared the day before he was supposed to turn over paperwork pertaining to his enterprises to the Securities and Exchange Commission. He was last seen by his ex-wife and children on September 24, 2020.

Philip Burns, son of the former pastor, said that he was talking to his father about his upcoming job a day before he disappeared. But during the conversation, his father became emotional.

He said, Just remember that I love you always, Philip told The Daily Beast. And I was like, Yeah, duh.

The next day, Philip saw her mom kneeling the garage in shock when she found out Christopher is gone. The family haven't seen Christopher ever since.

Also Read: Couple Sued In Court For Scam Disguised As A Godly, All-Black, Socially Conscious Gifting Community

Burns and his fraud scheme

Keri Farley, the special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, said that Burns is accused of illegally stealing millions of dollars from clients in an investment fraud scheme. Farley emphasized that financial crimes of this nature can have a significant impact on the lives of those affected and the FBI is dedicated to holding such criminals accountable. The FBI is currently asking for the public's assistance in locating Burns. Farley said that FBI will "continue to pursue him no matter how long he tries to evade the law."

FBI Most Wanted

James E. Dorsey, the special agent in charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation at its Atlanta Field Office, commented that Ponzi schemes, such as the one carried out by Burns, cause emotional and financial harm to victims. Dorsey stated that the IRS Criminal Investigation, along with its federal law enforcement partners, are committed to removing dishonest financial advisors from the financial system and ensuring they are brought to justice.

In the most recent case brought against him, Burns is accused of defrauding his victims out of at least $10 million by misrepresenting to investors that he could pool their funds to invest in charities and low-risk businesses that were protected by personal guarantees and collateral.

However, authorities claim that Burns, who was also a radio host in Georgia aiming to raise his profile, actually spent investors' money on a Ponzi scheme that funded an opulent lifestyle.

Burns' obsession with Disney World

Philip told the publication that when he was 10 years old, he visited Disney World in Orlando, Florida, with his family. However, he observed that the trips increased to at least twice a year in the years prior to his father's disappearance.

Rogue Rocket reports that the family went on numerous Disney-themed cruises and purchased a timeshare, according to the former youth pastor's ex-wife, who said he divorced her and transferred assets into her name in an effort to support her and their two sons.

Even more extravagantly, he spent almost $8,000 each day on VIP tours and outings for his neighbors.

Philip said that his father had a Disney obsession. He was an adult Disney. Philip and his mother say it's difficult to handle knowing that the trips were funded by stolen money.

Related Article: Indian Police Arrests Two Pastors for Allegedly Desecrating Sikh Holy Book
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According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, Americans aged 18 to 25 are becoming noticeably more likely to believe in God or a higher power. A third of this age group, up from a quarter in 2021, currently proclaims such beliefs, according to statistics from the Springtide Research Institute.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused people to seek comfort in something greater than themselves after years of loss and loneliness, is blamed by theologians, church leaders, and young people for this growth.

Rise in Youth Belief in Higher Power Linked to Pandemic and Healing

The increase in religious belief among young adults is consistent with studies showing how religion positively affects public health. According to a 2020 study by the School of Public Health at Harvard University, women who regularly attend religious services have a 68% lower risk of dying from "deaths of despair," such as suicide, drug overdose, and alcohol poisoning. Under the same circumstances, men's risk is reduced by 33%.

According to New York Post, Elite economists noted a connection between variations in religious attendance and variations in fatalities from despair in a working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research earlier this year. These catastrophic outcomes increased sharply in states that suffered significant declines in religious attendance.

The 12-step program, which places a significant focus on faith in a higher power, is one of the most effective methods for recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. It also clarifies this relationship between faith in a higher power and well-being.

Among wealthy countries, the United States is still relatively religious despite a general trend toward secularization. According to the associate dean of Pitzer College and professor Phil Zuckerman, 55% of Americans pray daily, compared to 22% of Europeans on average. The increase in young people's faith as a tool of recovery and overcoming the difficulties of the pandemic era points to a revival of faith.

Also Read: Pandemic Leads to Increased Number of Americans Leaving Church Behind: Who Are These Americans?

Asbury Phenomenon Ignites Multi-Generational Revival, Offering New Hope for Gen Z

As statistics continue to show alarming rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide among this generation, the Asbury movement offers a way of hope and healing through Jesus Christ. In the article shared in Premier Christianity, this movement has come to be known as the "Asbury Phenomenon," a multi-generational revival that has taken root, fulfilling numerous prophecies about a new move of God and providing a brighter future for Generation Z.

On the Asbury campus, where students prioritized God's presence over their own schedules, the revival got its start. The movement was started by a group of 20 tenacious students who persisted on campus after others departed; it quickly grew and helped put Asbury on the map of the world. The gathering was distinguished by its understated nature, with no stirring sermon, anointed pastor, or worship leader presentjust student-led worship that concentrated on God's presence.

According to the Baptist Press, the chaplain and dean of student ministries approved of the event's continuation after observing the students' hunger and the tangible presence of God. The mood of worship was maintained as more students enrolled, drawing visitors from all around the world. This made others wonder what might happen if people imitated Asbury and stayed longer in worship in other churches and educational institutions.

Although untrained and unpolished, their sincerity and passionate devotion distinguished the students' worship. As the movement grew, tales of young people worldwide vowing to worship until Jesus' return began to surface. God heard the cries of the "Bartimaeus Generation" from Mark 10:48, and He intervened.

Moments of confession, salvation, consecration, and profound generosity have peppered the lengthy worship services at Asbury. Many testimonies shared the impact of God's presence and tales of healing, restored faith, and repentance. Some have questioned the credibility of the Asbury revival, but the emphasis should be on praising and encouraging the younger generation's search for a fresh encounter with God.

The Decline in Confession Attendance Prompts Church Leaders to Reevaluate Approach

According to the article shared in My Herald Review, church authorities are struggling to comprehend why there has been a significant decline in the number of Americans going to confession in recent years. According to a recent survey, only 37% of American Catholics go to confession at least once a year, a sharp decline from the previous 80% figure.

Father David Michael Moses received 1,167 confessions over 65 hours during Holy Week, highlighting the value of confession in offering faithful support and hope. The so-called "confession crisis" has been associated with an increase in Catholics who no longer consider confession important to their religion. Many people have abandoned traditional Christian doctrine, especially those that are in opposition to the sexual revolution.

Father Moses thinks priests need to modify their methods and stress the importance of the Gospel and confession as essential tenets of the Catholic faith. He contends that the sacrament of reconciliation needs to get new attention to regain its relevance and draw more Catholics to partake.

Church officials must consider the broader ramifications for the Catholic community as they struggle with this downturn. The decline in confession attendance may result from changing perspectives on religion and spirituality and a growing gap between conventional wisdom and the values of the modern world.

Related Article: Asbury University's 'No Celebrities Except Jesus' Policy Safeguards, Sustains Campus Revival
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Chatbots like ChatGPT is growing capable of having more complicated conversations in the quickly developing field of artificial intelligence. As a result, issues regarding their knowledge and interpretation of religious ideas have come to light, sparking heated discussions among users and professionals.

An experiment employing ChatGPT was carried out earlier this month by the conservative media watchdog organization MRC Free Speech America.

Chatbot Stirs Debate with Theological Response on the Deity of Christ

During Holy Week, the organization questioned the AI if Jesus was the Son of God, and the chatbot responded yes. According to News Busters, the identical question was presented to ChatGPT a week later. Chatgpt gave a response that is complicated and based it from the scriptures in which it claims: "In Christian theology, Jesus is considered to be the Son of God, and is believed to be one of the three persons in the Holy Trinity, along with God the Father and the Holy Spirit."

The chatbot also has provided some conflicting answers that sparked some debate. It combines biblical references and suggests that the deity of Jesus Christ was "subject to debate and variation." After being continuously asked if the chatbot was sure of its response, this response was given.

The chatbot's complex response has sparked many debates about how AI should be used in religious discourse and what it might mean to rely on AI-generated interpretations of sacred texts. Others express worries that AI could unintentionally spread false information or be used to skew religious interpretations. At the same time, some contend that the chatbot's response reflects the inherently complex nature of religious beliefs.

Recently, Christian Post had a conversation with Bard, an experimental version of Google's AI chatbot, and posed several religious-related queries to it. Bard has responded some questions like, "Is Jesus the Son of God?" and answered in the context of the available scientific evidence, claiming that this is a matter of faith. Even thou the existence of Jesus as the Son of God cannot be established scientifically, the Bible and other religious texts lend credence to this belief.

The existence of Jesus as the Son of God and the reality of Adam and Eve cannot be proven scientifically but are matters of faith based on religious texts like the Bible. Jesus is referred to as the "Son of God," "Messiah," and "Savior of the World," and is believed to have performed miracles and taught love and forgiveness. Similarly, the Bible presents Adam and Eve as real people, but some interpret their story as a metaphor for the origin of sin and death. There are no definitive answers to these questions; belief in them ultimately depends on individual faith.

Also Read: AI in Education: How Artificial Intelligence is Revolutionizing the Classroom Experience

Elon Musk Shares Larry Page's Vision for a "Digital God" AI System

In a recent story shared in Christianity Daily, Elon Musk revealed that Google co-founder Larry Page expressed a desire to create a "digital god" AI system during their friendship. Musk felt Page needed to take AI safety concerns seriously more. Google has since expanded its AI efforts, including acquiring DeepMind and developing a search engine chatbot.

Musk has been working on "TruthGPT," an AI chatbot for truth-seeking. His friendship with Page was strained due to OpenAI, which Musk co-founded with other tech leaders to ensure AI benefits everyone without causing harm. Musk believes OpenAI now attracts more top AI talent than Google.

Related Article: Elon Musk Reveals Google Co-founder's Vision for AI-Powered' Digital Deity'
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A 25-year-old man from Pickerington confessed in U.S. District Court in Columbus to starting a fire at Mount Zion Church in 2021. Based on his lawyer's statement, he allegedly had a mental disorder.

Federal Court Hearing

According to Kenneth Parker, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Benjamin Darrell Ruckel was responsible for breaking through the church windows and spreading fuel before lighting the building on fire, The Dispatch reported.

On Wednesday, Apr. 26, Ruckel stated during his preliminary hearing that he purposely set fire to the building because it is a church. As mentioned, Ruckel's defense representative, Mark Collins, said his client has schizophrenia. This mental illness can lead someone to believe things that are not true and typically develops in people in their mid-20s.

Collins noted that people between the ages of 25 and 26 are most susceptible to developing schizophrenia, and he suffered from it severely. In addition, Ruckel is currently receiving treatment for his mental illness and appears to be doing well.

On the other hand, based on an article from The United States Department of Justice, Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department, stated that both the liberty to practice one's religious views and the freedom to assemble in churches everywhere in our country should be shielded and protected at all costs. The Department of Justice is dedicated to protecting the places of worship and ensuring that all individuals can peacefully participate in religious practice without the threat of physical harm or other forms of coercive intrusion.

Moreover, Luis Quesada, Assistant Director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division, asserted that the ability of all Americans to profess their faith freely is guaranteed under the First Amendment. The Federal Bureau of Investigation will continue to collaborate with its other law enforcement partners in order to protect this right and hold accountable any people who seek to restrict a person's ability to exercise that right freely.

The date of the execution of the sentence has yet to be decided. However, due to Ruckel's violation of the Church Arson Prevention Act, Ruckel could be sentenced to a maximum of twenty years in jail.

The FBI's Columbus Field Office was the one to conduct the investigation. Furthermore, the prosecution of the investigation is being handled by Deputy Criminal Chief Brian Martinez of the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Daniel E. Grunert of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division.

Also Read: Northside Community Church, Saved from Fire with Only Minimal Damage by Paterson Firefighters

2021 Fire at Mount Zion Church

As per Fox 28, on Nov. 27, at approximately 11 p.m., the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office and fire departments responded to the Mount Zion Church, located at 4810 Blacklick Eastern Rd near Baltimore, Ohio.

A person who called 911 and lived around the church stated they saw a man depart the area while the building was on fire. Authorities spotted Ruckel in a nearby ditch at approximately 12:45 a.m.

The Fairfield County Sheriff's Office arrested him and charged him with setting a fire, after which they sent him to the county jail. Additionally, according to the authorities, the blaze had been restricted to a single section of the church.

Related Article:Devastating Fire Engulfs Cambridge Church Just Hours After Easter Service: 6 Alarms Raised
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A law that would extend protections for religious liberty to cover financing and contracts from the government has been approved by both houses of the Oklahoma Legislature and is now waiting for the signature of Republican Governor Kevin Stitt.

The Act aims to alleviate worries about potential prejudice against religious people and organizations applying for contracts or funding from the government.

Oklahoma Bill Aims to Prevent Exclusion Based on Religion, Sparks Controversy

According to Catholic News Agency, the Religious Freedom Act seeks to broaden the definition of a substantial burden to include contracts with the government and the receipt of state funds. Right now, it is illegal for some of the government entities to put some "substantial burden" on a person's right to exercise their religion, "even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability."

The proposed law states that excluding any person or entity from participating in or receiving governmental funds, benefits, programs, or exemptions based solely on their religious character or affiliation would be a substantial burden.

The Senate have passed the bill with a unanimous vote of 38-7 and in also in the House with a vote of 64-27. Republicans were the primary supporters of the legislation, while most Democrats opposed it. If Governor Stitt signs the legislation into law, it will expand protections for religious liberty and help prevent potential discrimination against religious organizations in public affairs.

The implications of the Oklahoma Religious Freedom Act are still being debated as Governor Kevin Stitt waits to sign it. According to Oklahoma's News 4, the legislation's co-author, Rep. Jon Echols, R-OKC, noted that rather than ensuring universal participation, it tries to prohibit discrimination based on religion. He said that changing the word "religion" to "gender" or "sex" would make the law less contentious.

Rep. Monroe Nichols, D-Tulsa, argues that discrimination against religious organizations is not an issue in Oklahoma, which is why he believes the legislation is unnecessary. Rep. Andy Fugate, a Democrat from Oklahoma City, said that making Oklahomans pay for religious activities at schools supported by religion would place a heavy financial burden on taxpayers.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond recently withdrew an earlier opinion that would have permitted state-funded religious charter schools on the grounds that it was inconsistent with the state constitution. Although Echols acknowledged the decision during the debate and claimed that the Oklahoma Religious Freedom Act is unrelated to the Attorney General's action, SB404 does not explicitly address state-funded religious charter schools.

Also Read: Biden Administration Accused of Infringing Religious Freedom with Latest Actions

Oklahoma Senate Bill Raises Concerns Over Religious Discrimination and Funding for Catholic Charter School

Sen. Julie Daniels and Rep. Jon Echols are the sponsors of SB 404, which is referred to be a "religious discrimination" remedy. According to Tulsa World, some opponents, including seven Republicans, believe it might be a covert effort to assist the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City in obtaining state money for a Catholic online charter school.

Democrats asserted that Daniels spoke about working with church leaders during a Senate discussion. Still, neither the audio of that conversation nor the transcript of the committee hearing on the bill contained that claim. Daniels did appreciate the archdiocese's contribution to the development of the measure.

The bill suggests amending the current law to add a clause declaring it a substantial burden to deny any person or organization access to or receipt of government funds, services, programs, or exemptions based on their religious affiliation or character. Additionally, it suggests that one sentence from the current law be deleted.

The parties involved agree that these modifications would transfer the burden of proof from the state to the religious organization alleging discrimination.

Related Article: Religious Freedom Bill Advances to Senate After Clearing House Vote
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An anonymous woman is ready to file a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and she is strongly suspecting that an ex-priest harassed her sexually in 2017. She has stated in her lawsuit that the former priest in question had committed a lot of sexual abuse. At the same time, she was still a student at Aquinas College in Nashville, Tennessee, and she believes that the Archdiocese has covered it all up and tolerated such act.

The accused priest, Kevin McGoldrick, has since voluntarily sought laicization in light of the investigation and penalties carried out by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The episode raises concerns about protecting the most vulnerable individuals and accountability and openness in religious institutions.

A Cover-Up of Former Priest's Alleged Sexual Abuse

According to Catholic News Agency, in the complaint submitted on April 18, McGoldrick is also charged with battery and assault from when he was a chaplain at Aquinas College in 2017. Until 2013, when he left the Archdiocese to teach at Aquinas College, run by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, McGoldrick worked in several local parishes and a high school. He was ordained in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 2003.

In the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, McGoldrick has previously served at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Port Richmond, St. Timothy in Northeast Philadelphia, Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Monica in South Philadelphia, and Holy Name of Jesus in Fishtown. He also worked at the Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia.

Kevin McGoldrick and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia are being sued by the plaintiff, identifying as Jane Doe, for more than $50,000 in damages. According to the lawsuit, McGoldrick, Jane Doe's then-spiritual director, allegedly abused her while she was a junior at Aquinas College.

According to the lawsuit, Doe was misled by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia when she asked if McGoldrick had molested other people sexually. Doe then learned about McGoldrick's sexual abuse of two other women in an online article, despite their protestations, and claims that this "compounded the trauma of the initial abuse."

The complaint also claims that before sanctioning McGoldrick's transfer to the Diocese of Nashville, which is situated on the Aquinas College campus, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was aware of the risk that McGoldrick posed. McGoldrick worked in various capacities at the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia-run college as well as the nearby high school and elementary school.

According to the Tennessee Register, McGoldrick received the faculties to carry out sacramental obligations despite needing to be incardinated into the Nashville Diocese. The incident raises questions about the transparency of the Archdiocese and its obligation to safeguard parishioners and kids from harm. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia reportedly suspended McGoldrick's faculties after examining the claims made in Doe's 2019 report from her time at Aquinas College.

Also Read: Sexual Abuse of Clerics: Do Church Leaders Get Punish By Law?

Other Victims of the Accused Former Priest

Another source, the Philadelphia Inquirer, reported that a former church worker accused McGoldrick of sexual harassment in 2012, according to a lawsuit filed. According to the lawsuit, McGoldrick would schedule couples' massages for them under the pretense that they needed a respite from their turbulent parish. She eventually left her church and her friends to avoid his approach.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia never mentioned a probe into these allegations. According to the complainant's attorneys, this incident shows ignorant disapproval for the public's and parishioners' safety. McGoldrick and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia have not yet provided an official response to the charges in court. This case highlights the importance of openness and responsibility within religious organizations to safeguard their members' security and welfare.

Related Article: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia Refused to Acknowledge Sexual Abuse Claims Against Priest, Face New Lawsuit
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Two pastors in Punjab, India, have been arrested for allegedly defiling a Sikh holy book, according to police officials. The incident occurred in Jhander Kalan's village in the Ludhiana district of Punjab. Following the arrest, protesters took to the streets demanding strict action against the pastors.

Defiling a Sikh Holy Book

According to the UCA News, the pastors were arrested after a group of local Sikhs filed a complaint against them for tearing pages of the holy book and throwing them in a drain. The police said they recovered torn book pages from the gutter and registered a case against the pastors under the Indian Penal Code.

"The pastors have committed a heinous crime by desecrating our holy book," said one of the protesters. "We demand strict action against them and urge the government to take steps to prevent such incidents from happening again."

The incident comes amid rising tensions between the Sikh and Christian communities in Punjab. In recent years, several incidents of religious books have been desecrated in the state, leading to widespread protests and violence.

As mentioned, 22 cases of desecration of religious books have been reported in Punjab since 2015. The incidents have led to the arrest of several people, including politicians, activists, and religious leaders.

The police have assured the public that they are taking the incident seriously and will investigate it. "We will not tolerate any act that hurts the sentiments of any community," said a police official. The pastors have not yet released any statement regarding the allegations against them.

Also Read: Sudan Releases One of Two Pastors Arrested and Imprisoned in December

Sikh Violence

The Indian state of Punjab is facing fears of repeating its tumultuous past, as people worry about the radicalization of Sikh youth and the potential return of violence and terrorism. The state has a history of political violence and separatist movements, which led to a decade-long insurgency in the 1980s and early 1990s that claimed the lives of thousands of people.

According to an article in Zeenews India, fears of renewed violence have been fueled by recent targeted killings and attacks on religious leaders. The report cites concerns that radicalization of Sikh youth could lead to a return of terrorism in the region. Many residents have expressed fear for their safety and are calling on the government to take action to prevent further violence.

Moreover, in 2016, the Punjab government recently held an emergency meeting, as reported in The Guardian. The meeting was called to discuss the state's security situation and devise strategies to prevent repeated violence that plagued the region in the past. The government has vowed to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of its citizens.

The recent incidents of violence and fears of radicalization in Punjab have sparked a renewed debate on the need for greater tolerance and understanding between different communities. Many religious and community leaders have called for unity and dialogue to prevent further escalation of tensions. It remains to be seen whether the government's efforts will prevent a repeat of the past and ensure a peaceful future for the people of Punjab.

Related Article:Fake Pastors Arrested for $28 Million Church Ponzi Scheme
Nearly six months ago, Kenneth Griffin, a Republican megadonor and hedge fund executive, seemed poised to be a powerful financial backer of Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida in his anticipated run for president.

Griffin had given $5 million to DeSantis re-election effort, and he told Politico that while DeSantis was not yet a White House candidate, he has a tremendous record as governor of Florida, and our country would be well served by him as president.

These days, Griffin is keeping his cards closer to the vest, and his intentions are harder to discern. A person familiar with his thinking, noting that DeSantis had not yet made his run official, said Griffin was still evaluating the Republican primary race as it unfolded.

The financier and DeSantis met in Florida in the past two weeks, according to two people with knowledge of the meeting, which came as Griffin has taken issue in private conversations with some of DeSantis policy moves and pronouncements.

In particular, the two people said, Griffin was troubled by DeSantis statements that Russias invasion of Ukraine was a territorial dispute  a remark he later tried to clarify  and that the war was not a vital U.S. interest.

Griffin, who has made clear that he wants to move on from former President Donald Trump, was also disconcerted by a six-week abortion ban in Florida that DeSantis recently signed, according to the people familiar with Griffins thinking, who insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations. Last year, Griffin moved his hedge fund, Citadel, to Miami from Chicago, citing crime concerns.

The meeting between the governor and Griffin was, for the most part, one on one, without staff members, one of the people briefed on it said, and it was one of their few direct interactions. Reading Griffins intentions after the meeting has been difficult for some people close to him.

One person predicted the financier was still likely to donate to DeSantis once he made his candidacy official, which could happen as early as next month. But the person said Griffin might also give to other candidates who seemed able to defeat Trump.

In a statement, Zia Ahmed, a spokesman for Griffin, ticked off DeSantis many accomplishments and mentioned job creation, increasing the number of quality school options, and prioritizing the safety of our communities.

He went on, Ken may not agree with all of the governors policies, but he appreciates all that the governor has done to make Florida one of the most attractive states to live and work in America.

But Ahmed declined to address what Griffin thought about the presidential race. A spokesman for DeSantis declined to comment.

DeSantis supporters say there is still a broad appetite  in the donor community and among prospective voters  for a viable Republican alternative to Trump.

The money has walked, said Roy Bailey, a Dallas businessman and longtime Republican fundraiser for Trump. From my conversations with a lot of people from around the country, it has moved to DeSantis. It is a cold, hard fact.

In the first two weeks of May, DeSantis is set to host a series of small dinners with major donors and supporters from across the country at the governors mansion in Tallahassee, according to two people with knowledge of his plans.

If DeSantis enters the presidential race as expected, he will be armed with a well-funded super PAC, Never Back Down, which said this month that it had raised $30 million in its first few weeks of fund-raising.

Two-thirds of that money, $20 million, came from a single donor, the Nevada hotel magnate Robert Bigelow, Time magazine reported.

In private conversations, DeSantis associates have indicated that they have $100 million in commitments to the super PAC, along with roughly $82 million in a Florida committee that will probably be transferred to Never Back Down.
Pixabay/Jorg Upahl from

Pope Francis made a historic decision by allowing women to vote in the Synod of Bishops on Synodality. The membership composition has also changed as a result of this drastic transformation, which was made public before the synod's inauguration in October. Now, between 21 and 25 percent of voting members are not only bishops.

The member of the synod will consist of lay women and men, as well as consecrated women and men, and everyone will be allowed to vote in this new move of revision of the format. This represents a considerable change from the customary rule that only men could vote.

Cardinals Detail Pope Francis' Historic Shift in Synod Membership and Voting Rights

According to America Magazine, Bishops from around the globe are invited to Rome for the Synod of Bishops, a custom dating back to the Second Vatican Council, to debate various issues. Following these meetings, the bishops cast their votes on specific ideas and offer them to the Pope, who subsequently compiles a document that considers their viewpoints.

The Catholic Church is moving significantly in the direction of greater inclusivity and gender equality as a result of Pope Francis' historic decision.

Cardinals Mario Grech and Jean-Claude Hollerich stated on April 26 that Pope Francis has decided to give women the ability to vote and to alter the composition of the Synod of Bishops on Synodality. Ten clerics from Institutes of Consecrated Life have been replaced with five women and five men religious, who will have voting rights, according to Cardinal Hollerich. Seventy non-bishop members will replace the auditors, including priests, consecrated women, deacons, and lay believers.

Pope Francis will choose these individuals from a list submitted by worldwide bishops' conferences and patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Church. The Pope stressed the importance of including young people and asked that half of the new members be women. Voting rights will be granted to all 70 non-bishop members.

Also Read:Pope Francis Defends John Paul II, Dismisses Unfounded Allegations

Two-Year Canvassing Precedes Historic October Synod Meeting; Cardinals Address Concerns

Following a thorough two-year survey of lay Catholic believers, the Synod of Bishops will gather in October to grant women voting rights and modify the membership. According to The Guardian, input was solicited during this process regarding the church's mission and how to serve modern Catholics best.

Approximately 21% of the representatives at the synod conference in October will not be bishops, with half of that group being women, according to Cardinal Mario Grech, who is in charge of the synod. Cardinal Grech emphasized that, despite Pope Francis' call for inclusivity, the majority of the synod would still be made up of bishops, who would continue to have the power to make decisions.

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich declined to give a precise title when asked about the nomenclature used for the synod's female members. Although synod members have traditionally been referred to as "synodal fathers," he recommended that the women themselves could choose how they would prefer to be addressed.

In the Catholic Church's efforts to adjust to the changing demands and expectations of its worldwide society, the subsequent October synod represents a crucial step toward inclusivity.

The latest modifications in synod membership and voting rights announced by Pope Francis were discussed in an interview with BBC World Service's Newshour program by Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb of the Catholic news outlet The Tablet. Lamb called the changes "highly significant" and an example of the Pope's efforts to improve the Catholic Church's decision-making procedures.

Lamb noted that the changes affecting women are part of a long-running, "unprecedented" conversation about female representation. He did, however, foresee that certain facets of the church would react to Pope Francis' most recent choice with "significant resistance."

Related Article: Pope Francis Announces 2024 Argentina Visit, Orders Archbishop Ganswein to Depart Vatican
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The SatanCon gathering in Boston is the Satanic Temple's 10th-anniversary celebration. Contrary to popular belief, the organization is less a gathering place for true worshipers of evil and more a sarcastic satire on American culture.

In contrast to the Church of Satan, the temple does not elevate Satan to the status of the personification of evil. As an advocate for humanity and a necessary rebellion against an oppressive government, it sees him as a literary figure instead.

10th Anniversary of The Satanic Temple to be Held in Boston

According to a shared article on MSN, around 700,000 of the group's followers worldwide, according to co-founder Malcolm Jarry, think that Satan is portrayed in literature as a hero. However, the convention, which attracts guests wearing scarlet bodysuits and devil's horns, seems to have unnerved the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. The archdiocese has planned a weekend of solemn activities to protest the convention in response.

In response to the SatanCon gathering, the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is hosting several prayer-centered activities. According to the archdiocese's spokesperson, Terrence Donilon, their reaction is well-rounded, focusing on prayer, and there are plans to complete gathering places across the archdiocese.

The Boston Marriott Copley Place is the venue for SatanCon, which is believed to be the biggest Satanic gathering in history and is currently sold out. The celebration of the Satanic Temple, symbolically housed in a Victorian home in Salem, Massachusetts, will include temple rituals, a bazaar, and a wedding chapel.

Malcolm Jarry and Lucien Greaves, who met while attending Harvard, created the Satanic Temple. They started the organization to uphold the separation of church and state and advance inclusive religious freedom.

A representative for the Satanic Temple, Dex Desjardins, clarified that the group is frequently misunderstood and is not theistic, meaning they do not think there is a genuine Satan. According to WBUR, he stressed that other religions have used the word Satan as well. The Salem-based Satanic Temple primarily emphasizes the fundamental principles of humanity, intelligence, and individual liberties.

Desjardins clarified that the group is more than just a free-speech advocacy group for political activists. Their limited advocacy focuses mainly on the First Amendment's protection of equal rights, religious freedom, and fair representation in public life.

Due to an existing legal dispute with the city, the Satanic Temple selected Boston as the location for their gathering. The group filed a lawsuit against the city council after it disallowed one of its members from giving the invocation at a meeting. According to Desjardins, the council has the discretion to pick and choose which religious leaders are permitted to deliver invocations, which the Satanic Temple considers to be highly discriminatory.

Also Read: Former Priest Warns of Spiritual Consequences As 'After School Satan Club' Sparks Controversy

About the Satanic Temple and Recognizing Misconceptions

The Satanic Temple is a satirical, non-theistic religious group that explores why some religions receive preferential treatment and challenges politics and religion. In the article in Global News, even though it's satirical, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service officially recognizes it as a church, granting it tax-exempt status.

The Satanic Temple upholds seven fundamental principles, including avoiding scientific fact distortion and forming views through scientific understanding. Members don't believe in a genuine Satan; instead, they see him as a literary character who stands for disobedience to authority.

Like humanism, which emphasizes reason and human potential more than divinity and faith, the organization's theology encourages freedom, compassion, and skepticism. Due to its "outside status" and hostility to dictatorial rule, the Satanic Temple sets itself apart from humanism.

Related Article: After School Satan Club Use of Northampton County Middle School to Be Reviewed Following School Threat and Closure
Pixabay/Michelle Raponi

The consecration ceremony of one of the largest churches in Sunflower State will be hosted by the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) in May. The new Immaculata Church in St. Mary's allegedly costs $40 million.

Consecration Ceremony

Philomena Peters, a spokeswoman for Immaculata, stated that the original Immaculata building was torn down by fire in 1978. According to KSN, 2020 saw the beginning of construction on the new church, made possible by donations totaling millions of dollars. The Immaculata will observe the traditional Latin mass as well as other sacraments under the rituals that the Catholic Church has practiced throughout its history.

The official dedication for what is expected to be among the largest churches in Kansas is scheduled for Wednesday, May 3. This church will have the potential to accommodate more than 1,500 people, making it the largest SSPX church worldwide.

An auxiliary bishop of the SSPX, Bishop Bernard Fellay, will be present for the event. Peters explained that a typical building might be transformed into a church that is devoted to the worship of God through the performance of a dedication. The ceremony begins with the customary consecration rite, followed by the inaugural mass held at the Immaculata. After the conclusion of the four-and-a-half-hour-long ceremony, there will be an open house.

As per The Mercury, the church features a choir loft, various side chapels, a cry room that overlooks the main sanctuary, and a parish hall in the basement. Five bells made in France are housed within its two bell towers. Marble from Turkey was brought in to be used in constructing the church's sanctuary, located at the front of the building.

David Heit, the senior architect at Civium Architects, mentioned that the handcrafted limestone column capitals are one of his favorite architectural characteristics. A design was developed through the combined efforts of New York City's EverGreene Architectural Arts and artisans from the parish.

Before carving each capital into stone in Turkey, the local artisans first sculpted the plan in clay to determine how it would look. "All of the people contributed to something that is totally unique to the church here," he added.

Also Read: Pope Francis Invites Catholics to Renew Consecration to Immaculate Heart of Mary

About Immaculata Church in St. Mary's

According to New Immaculata.org, St. Mary's has represented the Catholic faith since the first Jesuit Fathers settled there in 1848. The church is said to have been placed under the protection of Our Lady. Many people, including priests, brothers, nuns, and laypeople, have answered the call of Our Lord and traveled to St. Mary's to work there while benefiting from His unending grace. They do what their ancestors did before them and follow in their footsteps. By heeding the holy command of the Virgin Mary to construct the Immaculata, they are showing respect for the Catholic legacy.

As per Civicum Architects, some proposals for the renovation of the Immaculata were developed over several decades. But only some of these endeavors were successful. Due to its rapid expansion, the parish counted more than 2,000 active members by 2000.

The then-current plans for rebuilding would have included a chapel with seating for 500 people; however, this would barely start to meet the requirements of the expanding parish and school. A committee was formed to look into the feasibility of building an entirely fresh chapel to satisfy the demands of St. Mary's. In 2017, it was decided that the New Immaculata should be constructed to the north of the academic campus, near the cemetery.

Related Article:Virginia Church Hosts 10-Hour Consecration Gathering In The Hopes Of Bringing Transformational Revival To America
Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida, has gotten serious about raising up a new generation of pastors. Normally, the congregation produces one or two young people every couple of years who feel a call. Right now, however, 12 young men are preparing to enter pastoral ministry.

Ted Traylor, who has led the church for 33 years, meets with them weekly.

Youve got to get old and see that youve got to have someone else coming, Traylor said with a laugh. I really do laugh at that, but it was a reality in my life. Im now 69 years old, and I take a greater responsibility for the coming generation.

Research released this month from the Barna Group suggests more baby boomer pastors need to follow suit. Americas churches are struggling to find a new generation of pastors as the current generation prepares to step aside, according to the research.

The graying of Americas pastors isnt a new phenomenon, but it has become more pronounced. In 2022, just 16 percent of Protestant senior pastors were 40 years old or younger. The average age of a pastor is 52. Thirty years ago, 33 percent of US pastors were under 40, and the median age was 44.

As a generation of clergy ages and prepares to step down, it is not clear that churches are prepared for the transition, Barna says. If this trend goes unaddressed, the Church in the US will face a real succession crisis.

Many pastors worry their successors wont be ready by the time they retire. Seventy-five percent agree with the statement It is becoming harder to find mature young Christians who want to become pastors. Thats up from 69 percent in 2015. Just 19 percent disagree with that statement now, compared with 31 percent in 2015.

In the same vein, 71 percent of pastors agree that they are concerned about the quality of future Christian leaders.

Theres not much time to sort out these problems. One-quarter of pastors hope to retire in the next seven years, Barnas research found.

Yet churches struggle to prepare those coming next. Nearly four in five pastors (79%) agree that churches arent rising to their responsibilities to train up the next generation of Christian leaders.

More than half of pastors disagree with the statement My church puts a significant priority on training and developing the next generation of church leaders. In 2015, just 32 percent disagreed with the statement.

Pastors see the importance of training new leaders. Just 7 percent of US pastors say developing a leadership pipeline within their congregations isnt a high priority. Thirty-eight percent say, I make it a top personal priority, and 14 percent delegate leadership development to staff.

The trouble is making time to develop younger leaders amid the demands of pastoral ministry. Forty percent of pastors surveyed said they have thought about the need for developing a leadership pipeline but have too many other ministry concerns.

That problem is more acute at medium-size and small churches. Half of large-church pastors say developing a leadership pipeline is a personal priority, but only about a third of medium-size church pastors (36%) and small-church pastors (35%) agree.

Ethnic minority churches are doing better at leadership development than their Anglo counterparts. Sixty-two percent of pastors at ethnic minoritydominant churches say developing a leadership pipeline is a priority versus 35 percent at white churches.

Is there any reason for optimism amid the bleak picture of pastoral succession? One bright spot in the research is that most pastors still recommend their profession to others.

Half of pastors (51%) say they would definitely recommend the job to someone considering ministry as a profession. Thirty-six percent would probably recommend it, while 11 percent would not recommend it.

Even among pastors who have considered quitting, 79 percent would recommend pastoral ministry as a profession. Just 17 percent would not recommend it.

That optimism about pastoral ministry resonates with Bryan Chapell, stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).

The number of post-COVID candidates for ministry actually has risen significantly in the PCA for the last two years, Chapell said, but it is hard to determine if that is a long-term trend without more data and time.

In the PCA, the main pastoral succession challenge is more nuanced. Baby boomers are retiring from the pastorates of large churches, and younger boomer or older millennial ministers dont want to leave secure positions to assume the pastorates of a large congregations that are perceived as more corporate than community in their orientation, Chapell said.

The consequence is that as senior pastors of large churches retire, their pulpits often are being assumed by much younger menhalf-skipping a generationwith much less experience, he said. In the PCA, we are not experiencing a pastoral shortage, but we are experiencing an experience deficit for those assuming large, established churches.

Data from one of the main accrediting bodies for North American graduate schools of theology also helps temper pessimism about the next generation of pastors. Total enrollment at Association of Theological Schools (ATS) member schools has held relatively steady over the past decade, as has enrollment in the master of divinity (MDiv) degree, long considered the gold standard for prospective pastors.

In 2022, ATS schools reported total head count enrollment of 77,851 and an MDiv enrollment of 27,635, according to ATS data tables. Five years ago, total enrollment was 72,896 and MDiv enrollment 28,396. Ten years ago, total enrollment was about the same and MDiv enrollment slightly higher74,223 total enrollment and 32,166 in MDiv programs.

One key to moving those seminary students into local church pastorates, Chapell said, is modelling healthy church life for them.

United churches with strong community breed younger leaders who want to reproduce such community for their Savior, their families, and their world, Chapell said. Health not only breeds health; it encourages reproduction and succession.

Back at Olive Baptist Church, Traylor says he will continue to encourage a younger generation to consider pastoral ministry. But ultimately, he isnt worried about sustaining the supply of pastors because he says that isnt up to him.

Im not concerned because Im not in charge of that, Traylor said, adding that God calls believers to the pastorate. I am really encouraged by what I see the Spirit of God doing in calling out the called in our churches. Im beginning to see that rise. I hear more and more of it.

David Roach is a freelance reporter for CT and pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Saraland, Alabama.
Vermont school scraps 'male,' 'female' terms in sex ed curriculum for the sake of 'equity'

A Vermont school has drawn the ire of a parental rights group after it sent fifth-grade students home with a letter informing parents that it would refrain from using gendered terms like "boy" and "girl" during sex education lessons to advance the cause of "equity."

Parents Defending Education, which describes itself as a "national grassroots organization working to reclaim our schools from activists imposing harmful agendas," shared a letter sent home to the parents of fifth-grade students at Founders Memorial School in the Essex Westford School District in Essex Junction Tuesday.

The letter, authored by Founders Memorial School Principal Sara Jablonski on April 20, announced that students will be studying "puberty and the human reproductive systems" during the final months of the school year.

"In an effort to align our curriculum with our equity policy, teachers will be using gender inclusive language throughout this unit," she wrote. "With any differences, we strive to use 'person-first' language as best practices."

Specifically, Jablonski outlined how lessons in the unit will use the term "person who produces sperm" instead of "boy, male, and assigned male at birth" and the phrase "person who produces eggs" instead of "girl, female, and assigned female at birth."

"[W]e are working on editing worksheets and handouts to reflect these changes but you may see some worksheets that have not changed yet," the principal wrote.

The abandonment of gendered terms reflects an effort to accommodate trans-identified individuals, those who identify as a member of the opposite sex, as well as those who do not consider themselves a member of either gender.

The district's equity policy Jablonski alluded to in the letter seeks to "inform curriculum decisions, including anti-racist education and LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual, +) affirming education, and disability, cultural, ethnic, religious, multi-linguistic, and socioeconomic diversity awareness and representation for educators and their students beginning in Pre-Kindergarten." In other words, the district's equity policy requires the introduction of LGBT ideology to very young students.

The Christian Post reached out to the Essex Westford School District for comment. A response was not received by press time.

Parents Defending Education has compiled an "IndoctriNation Map," highlighting school districts that have embraced a curriculum the group considers a form of indoctrination. The Essex Westford School District previously caught the attention of the advocacy group last December when it learned that eighth-grade students at Essex Middle School were assigned to read The 57 Bus as part of a social studies unit on the U.S. Constitution.

A concerned parent laid out his concerns with the book in a flyer he distributed to parents after witnessing his "complaints to the school fall on deaf ears." The flyer described the book as "very age inappropriate," noting that the "main character Sasha talks about how great Communism and Russia is" and expresses a desire for a "Hammer and sickle flag" while expressing concern that a 40-minute segment of the audio version of the book available on YouTube promotes the "trans lifestyle."

Additionally, the flyer detailed how "the 2Min30 sec mark of chapters 16-26 on YouTube promotes sexualization and gender identities of kindergarteners." School leadership defended the inclusion of the book as part of the school curriculum, once again pointing to the equity policy.

"Our policy requires us to be an environment that celebrates difference and does not deny the existence of any person; we recognize all identities as incredibly valuable to our District. We will include LGBTQIA+ stories, characters, and representation across the curriculum in the EWSD, including at EMS," a letter sent to parents at Essex Middle School read.

The incidents in the Essex Westford School District come as other states have taken action to ensure that school children are not exposed to what critics call the tenets of LGBT ideology.

Last year, Florida passed a law prohibiting school officials from discussing the topics of sexual orientation and gender identity with students in kindergarten through third grade.

Last week, the Florida State Board of Education expanded the prohibition to include all students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, although an exception was made in cases where such a discussion was "part of a reproductive health course or health lesson for which a student's parent has the option to have his or her student not attend."
Catholic group launches $1 million ad campaign slamming Biden's response to church attacks

A Catholic advocacy group has launched a $1 million ad campaign calling on the Biden administration to condemn pro-choice activists' violent attacks and vandalism of Catholic churches.

CatholicVote announced the launch of a $1 million ad campaign on Tuesday, saying in a statement that its ad will air in battleground states, including Arizona and Wisconsin, both of which feature competitive gubernatorial races and U.S. Senate contests.

Joshua Mercer, communications director for CatholicVote, said in the statement that the ad will also air in Washington, D.C., so that the Department of Justice and other political leaders will see it.

The American people are disgusted by the inaction of our Justice Department, he added. This ad sends an important message, calling on our lawmakers to demand action against this vicious campaign of targeted violence against Catholics.

The 30-second ad at the center of the campaign begins with archived footage of attacks on churches during the 1960s, and quotes John F. Kennedy, the first Catholic president of the U.S., condemning the attacks as cowardly as well as outrageous and vowing that as soon as we are able to find out who did it, we will arrest them.

The video then features headlines and pictures of vandalized churches and pro-life pregnancy centers this summer after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

The ad shows an empty podium, indicating the lack of an adequate response from our second Catholic president, It then shows footage of President Joe Biden urging people to keep protesting.

CatholicVote's ad campaign comes two months after the group signed a letter urging U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke to condemn the violence against churches and pro-life pregnancy centers and to commit to vigorous efforts to prevent them, and to investigate and prosecute them; and to proactively engage with the affected faith communities to ensure their concerns and security needs are being met.

Signed by 24 leaders of other conservative and religious organizations, the CatholicVote letter raised concerns that the relative silence from the Administration endangers Americans even more.

In December of last year, the Department of Justice was asked how it was investigating the repeated attacks on churches in the United States, the letter stated, referring to a December 2021 letter CatholicVote President Brian Burch sent to Garland and Clarke.

The Attorney General was also asked to investigate those complaints and take appropriate action as is your duty. Since that request there has been public silence.

While the June 2022 letter acknowledged that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been assisting at least one affected religious organization on this matter, signatories maintained that the severity of the situation calls for your leadership.

They wrote that this continued assault on religious and pro-life groups because of their beliefs is a manifest injustice that requires prompt, comprehensive, and public response.

CatholicVote has compiled a list of violence against Catholic churches that have broken out since May 2020, when violence erupted nationwide after George Floyd died while being arrested for using counterfeit money.

Over 207 Catholic churches have been vandalized since 2020, according to the group, ranging from windows being shattered, and property being stolen and defaced with graffiti displaying pro-abortion messages.

The Christian Post has put together its own lists of attacks on churches and pro-life pregnancy centers following the May 2 leak of the Dobbs draft opinion.

The first list includes businesses targeted by pro-abortion activists before the Dobbs ruling. The second list contains churches and pro-life pregnancy centers that have found themselves subject to attacks since the Dobbs decision.

Shortly after the leak of the Dobbs decision, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned those involved in the abortion debate, including clergy, Supreme Court justices, healthcare providers and politicians that violent threats directed at them are likely to persist and may increase leading up to and following the issuing [of] the Courts official ruling in Dobbs.

Government agencies indicated at the time that they were preparing for an upsurge in violence and would investigate threatening social media posts.

In early 2021, before the Supreme Court announced its intention to review the Mississippi law at the center of the Dobbs case, the DHS placed abortion-related domestic violent extremists on a list of groups that pose an elevated threat to the homeland. DHS defined abortion-related domestic violent extremists as DVEs with ideological agendas in support of pro-life or pro-choice beliefs.
Lawmakers question FBI memo warning of 'radical-traditionalist Catholic ideology'

Congressional Republicans are demanding answers after the FBI's Richmond office circulated a document classifying "radical-traditionalist Catholic ideology" as a potential national security threat.

Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Mike Johnson, R-La., wrote a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray Thursday describing the "FBI's targeting of a set of Catholic Americans for their religious beliefs" as the latest example of a "serious misuse of federal law enforcement resources" for "apparent political purposes."

Jordan serves as the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, while Johnson is the chair of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government.

"On January 23, 2023, the FBI's Richmond Field Office published an official document that linked 'racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists' (RMVEs) with a 'radical-traditionalist Catholic' ideology," the lawmakers wrote.

The document, which has since been rescinded by the FBI's headquarters, warned that "the increasingly observed interest of racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists (RMVEs) in radical-traditionalist Catholic ideology almost certainly presents opportunities for threat mitigation through the exploration of new avenues for tripwire and source development."

The FBI Richmond Field Office defined RTCs as those "typically characterized by the rejection of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) as a valid church council; disdain for most of the popes elected since Vatican II, particularly Pope Francis and Pope John Paul II; and frequent adherence to anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, anti-LGBT, and white supremacist ideology."

It noted that "Vatican II took place from 1962-1965" and reformed "the liturgy, attitudes towards non-Christian religions, roles and responsibilities of the laity, views on religious freedom, etc."

The document attempted to differentiate RTCs from "'traditionalist Catholics' who prefer the Traditional Latin Mass and pre-Vatican II teachings and traditions" and expressed concern that "RMVE interest in RTCs is likely to increase over the next 12 to 24 months in the run-up to the next general election cycle."

The memo also suggested that RMVEs and RTCs would find common causes on the issues of "abortion rights, immigration, affirmative action, and LGBTQ protections."

Jordan and Johnson took issue with the document's use of "biased and partisan sources," including the Southern Poverty Law Center, a far-left advocacy group that has been criticized for categorizing organizations that it disagrees with on political issues like marriage, abortion and immigration as "hate groups."

The lawmakers argued that the SPLC "maligns several mainstream conservative and religious organizations as 'hate' groups, simply because the SPLC disagrees with their views."

"The fact that the FBI would blindly accept and regurgitate the SPLC's spin is highly concerning and undercuts the FBI's assertion that it is unbiased and politically neutral," the letter reads.

After the FBI Richmond office's report was criticized by a former FBI agent, the FBI headquarters acknowledged in a statement to the media that the report "does not meet the exacting standards of the FBI."

"Upon learning of the document, FBI Headquarters quickly began taking action to remove the document from FBI systems and conduct a review of the basis for the document," a statement from the FBI headquarters reads. "The FBI is committed to sound analytic tradecraft and to investigating and preventing acts of violence and other crimes while upholding the constitutional rights of all Americans and will never conduct investigative activities or open an investigation based solely on First Amendment protected activity."

Although the document was withdrawn, Jordan and Johnson insist that "there remain many questions about the genesis, review, and approval of this document, as well as the FBI's commitment to upholding First Amendment protected activity."

The lawmakers requested that the FBI provide them with documents related to the domain product circulated in the Richmond Field Office.

They are seeking "all documents and communications referring or relating to intelligence products about 'racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists' and 'radical-traditionalist Catholics,'" and "all documents and communications referring or relating to intelligence products about 'racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists' and 'radical-traditionalist Catholics."

Jordan and Johnson are also seeking a list of the FBI investigations that the FBI's field office used when making its assessments in the Jan. 23 document and a list of all employees involved.

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives began hearings investigating the politicization of the U.S. Department of Justice and federal law enforcement agencies.

Brian Burch, the president of the advocacy organization CatholicVote, outlined concerns about the rescinded FBI memo in a statement.

"The FBI's partnership with a discredited left-wing activist organization directly violates agency guidelines and makes a mockery of the Department of Justice's claims to fairly and impartially apply the law," he added. "Further, the growing pattern of hostility toward Catholics by the Biden administration, from its failure to properly address violence against Catholic Churches, to the relentless persecution of innocent pro-life advocates, deserves far more scrutiny by this Congress. Retracting this memo isn't nearly enough."

The federal government previously drew blowback for an early-morning arrest last September of Mark Houck, a Catholic pro-life activist. The Justice Department charged the father of seven with assaulting a Planned Parenthood volunteer escort as he and his son prayed outside an abortion facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Houck was acquitted by a federal jury on all charges of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act on Jan. 30. He told his side of the story on the Real America's Voice program "The War Room," recalling that he "turned and pushed" the Planned Parenthood escort after the escort continued to engage in a conversation with his then-12-year-old son even after the pro-life activist informed him "you don't have permission to talk to my son."

Bill Donohue of the Catholic League for Civil and Religious Rights wrote a letter to the leadership of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee following Houck's arrest.

"This kind of overreaction for a minor infraction of the law is deeply troubling, and it becomes even more troubling when paired with the underreaction by the Department of Justice when the pro-life side is targeted," Donohue lamented.

Burch addressed the "underreaction by the Department of Justice" in a Jan. 24 letter to Jordan discussing the Biden administration's response to the wave of vandalism directed at Catholic churches. While the anti-Catholic violence mentioned by Burch dates back to May 2020, it intensified after the U.S. Supreme Court determined that the U.S. Constitution did not contain a right to abortion in its June 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision.

Burch detailed how the DOJ previously promised to institute a "15-day review to ensure that all appropriate resources are being deployed to protect houses of worship." He concluded that the DOJ's vows were "mere platitudes" because "the federal government has only found evidence to charge two individuals involved in only a handful of cases, despite hundreds of actual incidences of violence." He said the department has taken "aggressive action" against "over one hundred pro-life advocates."
From 'Real Housewives' to Bible teacher: Lydia McLaughlin talks surrendering to God's calling on her life

Lydia McLaughlin, former star of the hit Bravo series The Real Housewives of Orange County, is reflecting on how God used her to further the Gospel during her time on the show and why she finally left, choosing to devote her time to encouraging women to find their joy and identity in Christ.

God really used the whole experience [on Real Housewives] to give me a ministry, to give me a platform, the 42-year-old speaker and author told The Christian Post. And it's so cool looking back and seeing just His plan. But in the middle of it, I think, if I would have obviously disobeyed Him and stayed on the show, I would not be where I am today. And I feel like I'm just right in the fold of God's purpose for my life. And that's a really sweet place to be. I'm so grateful.

McLaughlin, an outspoken Christian, wife and mother of three boys, joined "The Real Housewives of Orange County" in 2013 for season 8, left and then rejoined in season 12.

She told CP that initially, she laughed off the idea of appearing on reality TV. However, after feeling called by God to "build a wall for my people and being encouraged by her husband, Doug, she auditioned for the show and soon became convinced that it was her ministry and purpose.

Despite the excitement of the first season, McLaughlin felt a shift in her reasons for wanting to return for a second season. She found herself invited to Hollywood parties and enamored with fame and fortune and soon felt convicted to leave the show, but struggled with understanding why God would give her something only to take it away.

I just felt really convicted that, no, God is calling me to leave, she said. And that was really, really hard for me because I didn't understand God. And I think a lot of people can relate to this: Why would you give me something to take it away? This was never kind of something I wanted. And now all of a sudden, you're asking me to be obedient and give it up? It was like this real internal kind of conflict that I had.

During a retreat, a woman prophesized over McLaughlin, telling her that she had a vision of her "returning to the palace." McLaughlin took this as a sign that she should not return to the show and left to focus on her family and other endeavors.

I was just obedient. And I left the show. And it was a really hard decision. But it was the right decision, she said.

After having a third child, the Newport Beach native ended up returning to "Real Housewives" for one more season, during which she said she was able to share the Gospel with others on the show: I was able to use it as a ministry for one more year, she said.

Now, several years removed from the franchise, McLaughlin is using her platform to encourage other women to find their identity, purpose and joy in Christ through her books and speaking engagements. She recently released a devotional, JoyFull: 365 Daily Devotions for Women, in which she reminds women that lasting contentment cannot be found in worldly things, but in Jesus alone.

Whatever God's calling you into, just be obedient, she said. You dont know how Hes going to use it. But if you feel it ... the Holy Spirit, and it confirms with God's Word that you're supposed to do it, you're supposed to do it. God can use anything, even a reality show. Now I'm writing devotionals and a Bible study. He can do more than we can even imagine. I love just surrendering to His will and being obedient. God can make your whole life just flourish.

The speaker and author opened up about the struggles with social media and the negativity that can come with success. She shared how she was unprepared for the amount of judgment and criticism that she faced when she first joined the cast of "The Real Housewives of Orange County."

She recalled how even before speaking a word on the show, her announcement alone as the newest housewife garnered hundreds of comments picking her apart. The experience, she said, left her feeling vulnerable and exposed.

And as a Christian, McLaughlin also faced harsh criticism from members of her own community. She expressed how Christians can be especially harsh toward other Christians, citing the irony of those who preach love yet bash others on social media.

I don't want to say it jaded me, but it made me sad, she reflected. I always kind of thought that at the core people are nice, but at the core, people are kind of harsh.

Still, she reflected on the many lessons she learned during her time on The Real Housewives, including relying on the Holy Spirit for wisdom and surrounding herself with a praying community.

You have to be obedient, but that's just not one day, she said. It's a constant kind of surrender to yourself, surrender to the Lord."

Following Gods calling, she said, is what sets one free, even when its uncomfortable and doesnt make sense. In a society full of anxiety and stress, she encouraged others to find peace by investing in their faith and spending time in prayer and reading the Bible. Spiritual warfare is real, she said, challenging Christians to put on the armor of God to truly live a pure and righteous life.

If we go into the battle prepared, we will win. And with Jesus by your side, we always win, she assured.

Instead of kind of buying into everything the world is telling us, we need to buy into what God's telling us," McLaughlin added, But the only way we can do that is by being intentional. Set up habits in your life where you're actually fighting the fight and doing the work.  God wants to have a personal encounter with everyone. And His Word is how He talks to us most of the time. Our faith can increase by hearing the Word of God, and so we need to be in God's Word.

JoyFull: 365 Daily Devotions for Women is now available.
Mike Stone accepts nomination for SBC president, set to challenge Pres. Bart Barber

Mike Stone, a prominent Southern Baptist Convention pastor, announced that he has accepted the nomination for president of the SBC, which will hold the election at its Annual Meeting in June.

In a video message posted to Vimeo on Wednesday, the senior pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church of Blackshear, Georgia, and former president of the SBC Executive Committee, said he believed there were serious causes of grave concern within the SBC.

It is unusual for SBC presidents to receive an opponent in their second year of office, especially in recent years.

The first concern he touched on briefly was his belief that the SBC needed to have a biblical approach to the horrific issue of sexual abuse, believing that church leaders needed to both care well for victims and practice scriptural principles of due process and the handling and publishing of accusations.

When abuse occurs, it happens in local churches, so our Convention needs to resource local autonomous congregations to deal with these matters biblically, legally and compassionately, he added.

Stone brought up a related concern in his video: financial stability, citing an audit from the SBC Executive Committee, which found that the denomination was on an unsustainable financial trajectory.

We can address this issue wisely in a way that doesnt lead us into financial ruin, Stone continued. For Southern Baptists, unsustainable should be unacceptable.

Stone went on to note that, if he is elected SBC president, he will focus on a nationwide evangelism emphasis for the United States that he called Crossover America.

We can deal rightly with the abuse issue while staying on mission for Christ, Stone said. Theres more that can and will be said over the next few weeks, but the bottom line today is the largest Evangelical network of churches in America is on an unsustainable trajectory.

Stone previously ran for SBC president in June 2021, narrowly losing to Pastor Ed Litton of Alabama in a runoff election when Litton received 52% of the vote, getting 6,834 votes to Stones 6,278 votes.

Litton served for one year as SBC president, opting not to run for reelection last year. He was succeeded last June by Pastor Bart Barber of First Baptist Church in Farmersville, Texas.

In October 2021, Stone filed a lawsuit against Russell Moore, former head of the SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, with the complaint being centered on letters leaked by Moore after he left the ERLC.

The letters claimed that SBC leaders had mishandled a crisis of sexual abuse and that Moore and his family had experienced unfair treatment from SBC leaders.

Stone had argued that the letters, which were leaked shortly before the 2021 Annual Meeting, had contributed to his failure to win the election for SBC president.

Stone alleged that Moore began a malicious, intentional and egregious campaign to harm him via the text of two letters strategically concealed from general distribution within the ERLC and the SBC.

Plaintiffs business operations have already been negatively impacted by Defendants untruthful statements due to a decreased trust and confidence in Plaintiff in the religious community, Stones lawsuit claimed.

Plaintiffs pastoral efforts will undoubtedly suffer decreased church attendance and a reduction in donations and honorariums because of Defendants statements which are untruthful and have cast Plaintiff in a false light.

However, a couple of months later, Stone withdrew the lawsuit, saying in a statement emailed to The Christian Post at the time that he believed he should "leave the matter in the hands of our Lord."

While I continue to desire the revelation of truth that such proceedings would bring to bear against these accusations, I believe that based on current circumstances the better path for my family, my church, and our convention at this time is to leave the matter in the hands of our Lord, stated Stone back in December 2021.
Minnesota becomes a sanctuary state for sex-change surgeries for kids, abortion

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has signed into law separate measures to protect abortion providers in the state and allow chemical and surgical castration and other body mutilating procedures to be performed on minors who are confused about their sexual identity or suffer from gender dysphoria.

Walz signed three bills into law on Thursday, which he hailed on Twitter as protecting people seeking or providing abortions in Minnesota and access to gender-affirming health care, while also banning the harmful practice of conversion therapy. The term conversion therapy often also includes counseling for unwanted same-sex attraction.

In Minnesota, were protecting rights  not taking them away, he added.

Walz signed HF 366, which prevents state officials from punishing an individual for being an abortion provider, while also shielding providers from other states laws prohibiting abortion in most circumstances.

Walz also signed HF 146 into law, which prevents the use of subpoenas to gather information for out-of-state laws interfering in the use of gender-affirming health care and bars the enforcement of court orders that involve the removal of a child issued in another state because the child's parent or guardian assisted the child in receiving gender-affirming care in this state.

Additionally, Walz also signed SF 23, which prohibits the practice of sexual orientation change efforts therapy on minors, as well as the advertising of the practice that would include labeling homosexuality a mental illness.

Conversion therapy attempted by a mental health practitioner or mental health professional with a client younger than 18 years of age or with a vulnerable adult shall be considered unprofessional conduct that may subject the mental health practitioner or mental health professional to disciplinary action, reads SF 23, in part.

No person or entity shall, while conducting any trade or commerce, use or employ any fraud, false pretense, false promise, false guarantee, misrepresentation, false or misleading statements, or deceptive practice by advertising or otherwise offering conversion therapy services that could reasonably be interpreted or inferred as representing homosexuality as a mental disease, disorder, or illness, or guaranteeing to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity.

John Helmberger, CEO of the Minnesota Family Council, denounced the three new laws in comments given to the Star Tribune, labeling them deeply concerning.

Governor Walz says he wants Minnesota to be the best state in the nation for kids to grow up in  yet each of these bills puts Minnesota children further at risk, Helmberger added.

Earlier this week, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, whose state borders Minnesota, signed a bill into law prohibiting abortions performed after a baby's heartbeat is detected, save for certain circumstances such as incest, rape, or medical emergency for the mother.
Planned Parenthood received record gov't funding amid abortion increase, decline in health services

Planned Parenthood received record taxpayer funding amid an uptick in abortions and a decrease in healthcare services amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to its recently released 2020-2021 annual report.

The nation's largest abortion provider released the report earlier this month, showing the organization's affiliates conducted 383,460 abortions in the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2021. This figure constitutes an 8% increase from the 354,871 it performed in the previous year, as documented in its 2019-2020 annual report.

The most recent Planned Parenthood report reveals that its affiliates provided services to 2.16 million clients during its reporting period, a decrease from the 2.4 million it served in the same period the year before.

Services and testing for sexually transmitted infections decreased from over 5.4 million the year before to over 4.4 million in its most recent report. Meanwhile, cancer screenings decreased to nearly 417,000 from almost 599,000 the year before. Contraceptive services decreased to almost 2.2 million, down from over 2.5 million the year earlier.

The number of adoption referrals provided by Planned Parenthood decreased from 2,667 to 1,940.

Planned Parenthood reported receiving over $633 million in "Government Health Services Reimbursements & Grants" for the year ending June 30, 2021, which equaled more than a third of its total revenue. The nonprofit received over $618 million in government reimbursements and grants the year before.

Planned Parenthood acknowledged that the "COVID-19 pandemic meant that many patients had to put off care to avoid exposing themselves and their loved ones to the deadly virus."

"Planned Parenthood health centers are proud to provide abortion," the report states. "That's never been more true than during the COVID-19 pandemic. Abortion is essential health care that cannot wait for the end of a pandemic or the whims of politicians."

In a Tuesday statement, Lila Rose, president and founder of the pro-life activist organization Live Action, said that Planned Parenthood has made a "mockery of our healthcare system." Rose noted the increase in the number of abortions performed by Planned Parenthood and the methods used to terminate pregnancies, including the "poison of the abortion pill regimen" and "the clamps and blades used in surgical abortions to kill and dismember preborn children."

"This barbaric butchery should be illegal, but instead, it is subsidized by the American public, with taxpayers contributing an all-time high of $633.4 million to the abortion giant, an over $15 million increase from the previous year," Rose said.

While the amount of taxpayer money Planned Parenthood received increased over the past year, government funding as a share of its overall revenue remained nearly steady, dropping slightly from 38% to 37%.

In a breakdown of the most recent annual report, Carole Novielli of Live Action News pro-life pointed out that within the past decade, the number of clients Planned Parenthood serves has declined by 30% from 2009-2010 and nearly 35% from 1996-1997.

From 2000 to 2020, Planned Parenthood conducted 6.4 million abortions while offering a little over 303,000 prenatal care services to pregnant women, according to Live Action.

"To put it in perspective, Planned Parenthood has committed about the same number of abortions every year that it offered in prenatal care services over two decades combined," Novielli wrote.

Michael New, a research associate at the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America, notes that Planned Parenthood released its report over half a year after it usually does.

"The release of this report comes unusually late in the calendar year," he wrote. "Planned Parenthood had released their last four annual reports in the months of January or February. This 2021 report provides further evidence that Planned Parenthood continues to prioritize abortion."

Ryan Bomberger, a pro-life advocate and co-founder of The Radiance Foundation, questioned the timing of the release of the report.

"This year, PPFA released their latest annual report in a Friday news dump hidden beneath obsessive coverage of the British Monarchy and the passing of Queen Elizabeth," he wrote in an op-ed for The Christian Post.

"In a pandemic where they provided 200,000 less breast cancer exams and Pap tests (combined) than the previous year, PPFA somehow managed to have plenty of time to kill more human beings than ever in their history," he added.

"Even though they served 260,000 fewer clients than the year prior, they managed to rake in the most taxpayer dollars ever. ... Drastically fewer clients + drastically fewer medical services + stolen taxpayer dollars + more abortions = pay dirt."

Rose called for the halting of government support of Planned Parenthood, a demand pro-life activists have made for years.

"Every day that Planned Parenthood receives taxpayer money is a day where every American is involuntarily complicit in the ableism, misogyny, and violence inherent to Planned Parenthood's business model," she added. "Planned Parenthood must be defunded immediately, and their violent business shut down."

The release of the latest Planned Parenthood annual report comes less than one month after advocacy and political organizations affiliated with the abortion provider announced that they would spend $50 million on the 2022 midterm elections in an effort to elect "champions for sexual and reproductive healthcare and rights, including abortion, up and down the ballot."

The $50 million commitment follows a previous pledge from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice America and EMILY's List to spend $150 million on the midterm elections.

OpenSecrets, a nonprofit organization that keeps track of the money spent by political groups to influence American politics, reported last month that the Planned Parenthood Action Fund spent over $569,000 on lobbying efforts in the second quarter of 2022. The money spent by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund in the second quarter of 2022, when the news of the overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide first broke, marked a record for the most money raised by the pro-abortion group in the second quarter of a year.

OpenSecrets identified the legislation the Planned Parenthood Action Fund lobbied for, including the Women's Health Protection Act, which would codify the right to abortion established in Roe into federal law.

The U.S. House of Representatives most recently passed the bill in a 219-210 vote in July. The legislation remains stalled in the U.S. Senate, where it has previously failed to garner the votes necessary for passage.
Planned Parenthood executive, pastor sues abortion giant for racial, religious discrimination

An ordained pastor and the first black man on Planned Parenthood of Greater New York's executive leadership team recently filed a civil rights lawsuit accusing the organization of discrimination.

The lawsuit, filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by Samuel Ricarlos Mitchell, Jr., alleged that the plaintiff had been subjected to a "campaign of discrimination" since he was hired as an interim chief operating officer in September 2021. He later moved into a permanent COO role in April 2022.

The defendants listed in the lawsuit are PPGNY and several women who hold executive or board member positions  Wendy Stark, Andrea Hagan, Anne Davis and Gillian Dean.

According to the complaint, PPGNY required Mitchell to "endure a disproportionate number of background checks due to his age, race, color, disability, and gender."

"In fact, PPGNY required Plaintiff to undergo a disproportionate number of background checks which is so far above what younger, Caucasian, and non-disabled prospective employees go through as to be clearly discriminatory and harassing," he claimed.

In October 2021, Mitchell claimed that after Hagan, the organization's board treasurer, discovered the COO was an ordained pastor, several board members insinuated that Christians and religious leaders "were not welcome to work for PPGNY."

The complaint accused members of the board of attempting to investigate whether his church held pro-life beliefs, which the lawsuit described as an "invasive attempt to terminate Plaintiff's employment."

After the plaintiff filed a formal complaint in October 2021, Mitchell alleged that Hagan "began disproportionately and excessively monitoring and micromanaging" him in retaliation for the complaint.

In August 2022, Mitchell alleged that he was passed over for the position of interim CEO in favor of his white colleague, denying him a salary increase of $13,000. As COO, Mitchell was the "second in command," and a "long standing policy" at the organization meant that he should have received the promotion, according to the complaint.

The plaintiff also has a southern accent and a "neurological condition," which causes him to stutter when stressed, which he claims subjected him to other forms of discrimination. During a November 2021 team meeting, Mitchell claims he was mocked for his accent and stutter.

In another meeting in September 2022, a younger, white subordinate of Mitchell's presented a report on his behalf. The COO's colleagues allegedly said the woman was a "much better communicator" than him.

"These comments were in direct, discriminatory reference to the symptoms of Plaintiff's disabling condition," the lawsuit reads.

Mitchell also accused PPGNY staff, including Davis and Dean, of using "racist terms" to refer to him, such as "angry, aggressive, and out of control." The complaint stated that each term "plays into cruelly racist stereotypes about black, African American men in the workplace and beyond."

Another alleged incident of racial discrimination involving Dean occurred in February 2022, with Dean stating, "She was a loud black woman," in reference to PPGNY chief equity and engagement officer Merle McGee.

"This lawsuit is meant to shine a light on the discriminatory and retaliatory employment practices that permeate the organization and bring justice to Mr. Mitchell for the unrelenting discriminatory practices he has and continues to endure," the lawsuit reads.

In a statement published by The Daily News, Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Jacquelyn Marrero denied "the spurious allegations made by a recent addition to our executive team."

"PPGNY vehemently renounces any form of discrimination or retaliation. Our top priority for our team members is a safe, diverse and equitable workplace that supports our mission to provide access to reproductive health for all," she stated.

Planned Parenthood of Greater New York did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment.

Allegations of racism against Planned Parenthood are not new, as Mitchell's lawsuit noted.

In October 2022, Nicole Moore, Planned Parenthood's former director of multicultural brand engagement, filed a lawsuit claiming the organization had a "structural racism" issue.

Moore, who worked for Planned Parenthood from January 2020 to November 2021, alleged that "racism was widespread at the organization." She accused the corporation of reprimanding her for "raising her concerns about racial disparities in leadership" and of holding black employees to a "double standard regarding contract work."

As CP reported, over 120 black American leaders signed a letter asking Planned Parenthood President Alexis McGill Johnson to renounce the organization's founder, Margaret Sanger, and to address the impact of abortion on black communities.

"Today, we are saying emphatically and unequivocally that Planned Parenthood must confront its racist founding, mission and practices. Too many Black lives have been lost to abortion. All Black lives matter," the letter reads.

Louisiana state Sen. Katrina Jackson, Georgia state Rep. Mack Jackson and Michigan's Kent County Commissioner Monica Sparks, all Democrats, are just a few individuals who signed the letter. Republican signers included then-Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill and former Texas state Rep. James White.

In April 2021, Johnson published a New York Times op-ed addressing questions about Sanger's views on race and eugenics. In the op-ed, the Planned Parenthood president acknowledged Sanger's association with "white supremacist groups" and endorsement of Buck v. Bell, a Supreme Court decision permitting the sterilization of those deemed "unfit."

Johnson promised that the organization would make "Margaret Sanger less prominent in our present and future." However, she maintained that Planned Parenthood's founder remains an influential part of our history and will not be erased."

Mitchell's lawsuit attests to the organization's troubling past.

"Planned Parenthood was founded by Margaret Sanger who was an unabashed racist, eugenics believer and KKK sympathizer," the legal filing states. "As late as April 2021, Planned Parenthood's leadership acknowledged that Sanger was coddled by the organization and protected despite her discriminatory animus."

"[T]he reality is that Planned Parenthood continues to be run by people who are openly hostile to racial minorities, the disabled, older workers and those who complain about discriminatory practices."
Planned Parenthood annual report shows drop in health services despite increased gov't funding

The nation's largest abortion provider conducted over 374,000 abortions for the fiscal year 2021-2022 while collecting more than $670 million in government funding and providing fewer health services, according to its latest annual report.

Planned Parenthood released its annual report for 2021-2022 Tuesday, showing that the corporation performed 374,155 abortions for the year ending on June 30, 2022, while collecting $670.4 million in government grants and reimbursements. The abortion total was the second-highest yearly total and was approximately 40% of the abortions conducted in the U.S. during that time.

Despite the 5.8% increase in government funding from last year, Planned Parenthood described 2022 as "the year the worst happened," referring to the Supreme Court ruling that abortion is not a constitutional right.

"In a world without Roe v. Wade, our mission is more important than ever," the corporation wrote. "Planned Parenthood is more essential than ever."

"We are still here, providing care at health centers across the country, getting education and unbiased information to millions, and building a movement to rebuild our rights, stronger and more equitable than before."

Michael New, an associate scholar at the pro-life research organization Charlotte Lozier Institute and associate professor at the Catholic University of America, directed The Christian Post to his analysis of Planned Parenthood's report published by National Review.

"Overall, an examination of previous Planned Parenthood annual reports shows a consistent long-term trend of performing more abortions and providing fewer health services," New wrote. "In fact, in 20 years, the number of abortions performed by Planned Parenthood affiliates has increased by an astounding 75.6 percent. During the same time period, prenatal services offered by Planned Parenthood affiliates have gone down by more than 60 percent."

Last year was no different. According to New, prenatal services fell by 29% between 2021 and 2022. Additionally, miscarriage care fell by 5%, adoption referrals fell by 7%, STI tests fell by over 2% and pregnancy tests fell by 3.7%.

In a Thursday statement to CP, the pro-life researcher argued that because the numbers in Planned Parenthood's report came from 2021, the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision did not have a direct impact on the abortion figures present in the report.

However, New believes that it's possible that the Texas Heartbeat Act, which went into effect in September 2021, might have slightly impacted the number of abortions Planned Parenthood performed. The Texas law banned abortions once the unborn's heartbeat becomes detectable.

The Catholic professor predicts the Dobbs decision would only have a marginal impact on the organization's abortion numbers.

"That is because a disproportionately high number of Planned Parenthood facilities are located in cities and near college campuses," he told CP. "Disproportionately few Planned Parenthood's are located in conservative parts of the country."

Regarding health services, Planned Parenthood reported that the organization provided 6,244 prenatal care services, performed 3,668,031 STI tests and provided 914,116 pregnancy tests. In addition, Planned Parenthood offered miscarriage care to 2,653 clients and provided adoption referrals to 1,803 clients.

New believes that Planned Parenthood's latest report makes it clear that abortion remains the organization's "top priority," highlighting the documented decline in healthcare services.

Planned Parenthood's reports show a consistent and long-term trend of the number of health services performed by the organization decreasing while the number of abortions increases.

The increases in government funding, New remarked, are "unsurprising."

The pro-life scholar stated that the Biden administration repealed the Trump administration's Protect Life Rule, which prevented recipients of Title X funds from performing abortions or providing referrals for abortions.

As CP reported in September, Planned Parenthood's 2020-2021 report released last year showed that the organization's affiliates conducted 383,460 abortions for the year ending June 30, 2021. The figure is an 8% increase from the corporation's 2019-2020 annual report, which documented 354,871 abortions.

At the same time, Planned Parenthood reported receiving over $633 million in "Government Health Services Reimbursements & Grants," which equaled more than a third of its total revenue. The previous year, Planned Parenthood received over $618 million in government reimbursements and grants.

While taxpayer funding and the number of abortions increased, Planned Parenthood's health services during the 2020-2021 period declined. Planned Parenthood's services and testing for sexually transmitted infections decreased from over 5.4 million the year before to over 4.4 million. In addition, cancer screenings decreased to nearly 417,000 from almost 599,000 the year before.
Pope Francis allows women to be voting members in Synod of Bishops

Pope Francis will allow women to be voting members of the Roman Catholic Church's Synod of Bishops, a first since the pontifical advisory body was created more than 50 years ago.

The Secretariat for the Synod of Bishop announced Wednesay that 70 members of the synod, which is scheduled to meet in two sessions slated to take place in October 2023 and October 2024, will be non-bishop members of the Church, with half of them being women.

The 70 individuals will be appointed by the pontiff from a list of 140 people compiled by the International Reunions of Bishops' Conferences and the Assembly of Patriarchs of Eastern Catholic Churches, according to Vatican News.

Pope Francis introduced the change, according to Vatican News, with Church leaders insisting that this was "not a revolution" but rather "an important change."

Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops, expressed support for the change, believing that the gathering will be "enriched" by the new representation.

"As you can see, the space in the tent is being enlarged," said Grech, as quoted by Catholic News Service, nevertheless clarifying that "The Synod of Bishops will remain a synod of bishops."

The 70 women participants in the upcoming Synod of Bishops constitute a small share of the 370 voting members and the more than 400 total participants.

The Synod of Bishops was created by Pope Paul VI in 1965 as part of the Second Vatican Council, which instituted many reforms to the Catholic Church.

Paul VI defined a Synod of Bishops as "an ecclesiastic institution, which, on interrogating the signs of the times and as well as trying to provide a deeper interpretation of divine designs and the constitution of the Catholic Church, we set up after Vatican Council II to foster the unity and cooperation of bishops around the world with the Holy See."

The First Synod of Bishops was held in 1967. More than two dozen additional synods have been held since then, including 16 General Assemblies of the Synod of Bishops and several Special Assemblies.

Membership has been previously restricted to cardinals and bishops in addition to 10 priests elected by the men's Union of Superiors General, according to CNS.

While synods in previous years have included women, they served as non-voting auditors rather than voting members. This year, Pope Francis has also eliminated the auditor position.

During his reign as head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis has made concerted efforts to include women in more leadership roles than his predecessors.

Pope Francis appointed three female theologians to the Catholic Church's prominent Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2018, marking the first time women and laity served in that body.

In January of last year, the pontiff installed six women to the ministry of lector and three women to the ministry of catechist, both of which were positions previously reserved for men.

While women had previously served as lectors and catechists in many countries, the pontiff's installation was the first time the ministry positions had been formalized as a specific vocation.

Nevertheless, in an interview with the Jesuit magazine America last November, the pontiff said he had no intentions of ending the Church's ban on female clergy.

"It is a theological problem," Pope Francis responded. "And why can a woman not enter ordained ministry? It is because the Petrine principle has no place for that."
Satanic Temple dedicates 'largest satanic gathering in history' to Boston mayor

The Satanic Temple announced its dedicating the largest satanic gathering in history to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, accusing the city of trying to unconstitutionally bar them from public spaces.

On its website, The Satanic Temple invites people to register for SatanCon 2023, which will take place from April 28 to April 30 in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. The theme is "Hexennacht in Boston, which translates to Witches Night in Boston.

Hexennacht is an ancient German holiday that takes place annually on April 30, commemorating the canonization of Saint Walburga, who was known for exorcising demons from sick people.

Earlier this month, The Satanic Temple advertised SatanCon 2023 on its Instagram, promising that the groups 10th-anniversary celebration would be the largest satanic gathering in history. The event will feature discussion panels, satanic rituals and a satanic marketplace.

A video published in August promoting SatanCon includes the Latin phrase Sicut matribus sit satanas nobis, which means "Let Satan be to us as a mother.

The Satanic Temple did not immediately respond to The Christian Posts request for comment.

Despite its name, the group claims that it does not believe in Satan as a spiritual entity, stating on its website that its mission is to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense and justice, and be directed by the human conscience to undertake noble pursuits.

As CP reported, The Satanic Temple disclosed in May that it had filed a request in Boston to fly a flag over the city hall after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Boston could not prohibit a Christian group from flying a flag.

The group filed a request with Bostons property management department to raise and lower a flag from July 23 to July 29 that reads Satan Appreciation Week. The Satanic Temple ultimately did not raise its flag over city hall, as the city announced in October 2021 that it was no longer accepting flag-raising applications.

In 2021, The Satanic Temple filed a lawsuit against the city of Boston, accusing the city of excluding them from delivering invocation prayers during city council meetings. The group claims the city rejected two of its requests filed in 2016 and 2017 to bless the council, stating that The Satanic Temple lacked sponsorship from a councilor.

The Satanic Temple has faced opposition in other jurisdictions, especially regarding its afterschool program, After School Stan Club.

The group filed a civil suit in Pennslyvania last April after the Dillsburg-based Northern York County School Board rejected the establishment of an After School Satan Club. The district voted down implementing the club at the Northern Elementary School in an 8-1 on April 19, a decision applauded by district parents.

Mathew Kezhaya, general counsel for The Satanic Temple, told CP that the lawsuits purpose was to determine whether the school district discriminated against the group by refusing to approve its club.

"The First Amendment prohibits a government from considering the popularity of communicative activity when determining whether to facilitate that communicative activity on equal terms with other, similarly situated, groups," he stated.

In November, the Golden Hills Elementary School in California announced it would adopt an After School Satan Program. However, Tehachapi Unified School District Superintendent Stacey Larson-Everson said the approval was not a sign of endorsement.

"TUSD has long-held policies and procedures in place which allow varied community groups to use our publicly-funded facilities outside of the school day," Larson-Everson wrote in a statement to CP.

"This is a common practice among school districts around the state and nation. Religious groups are among those that the District has allowed to rent our facilities over the years."

Some members of the district expressed disapproval of the decision, feeling that such a club is inappropriate for children.

"I think it's disgusting," Sheila Knight, a grandmother to a fifth-grade student, told KBAK.

"I understand the school has to allow them because they allow other after-school programs such as the Good News [Club], which is a Christian-based after-school program, that one I'm OK with, but I can't imagine why anyone would want their child to attend this Satanic group."

Another grandmother whose grandson is in fourth grade told the outlet that the school approving the club was a mistake, and her grandson would not participate.

In a December interview with CP, Lydia Kaiser, the spokeswoman for the Good News Club, a Christian organization with afterschool clubs on campuses nationwide, warned that Satan clubs were only started in schools with Good News Clubs as a direct attack on teaching Christianity to children.

The TST website states that satanic clubs meet at select public schools where Good News Clubs also operate.

While we don't believe The Satanic Temple is a real church because it claims to not even believe in God or Satan, they clearly worship man, said Kaiser. Other people worship nature.

Everyone worships someone or something and should be free to do so, Kaiser stated. The USA was founded on Christian principles by many Christians who believed that even God gave man the free will to choose who or what to worship.
Satanic Temple pushes Boston to fly its flag after Supreme Court ruling in favor of Christian group

Days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Boston, Massachusetts, was wrong to prohibit a group from flying a Christian flag at city hall, The Satanic Temple wants to fly a flag over the downtown building.

The Salem-based group wrote on Twitter that it has filed a request with Bostons property management department to raise and lower a flag to observe Satanic Appreciation Week from July 2329.

The Satanic Temple replies to the Supreme Court ruling that found Boston violated First Amendment rights by refusing to fly Christian flag at City Hall Plaza, the organization wrote, with a screenshot of the request.

When government officials are able to impose arbitrary restrictions on claims of conscience, or to abridge the civic capacities of some based on their religious identity, we fail to be a free, democratic republic, Lucien Greaves, the organizations co-founder, told The Associated Press in an email.

Greaves added that The Satanic Temple has yet to decide which of its official flags it will ask the city to fly.

One of its flags looks like the American flag with only black and white stripes and an emblem of a pentagram and goat skull where the 50 stars would be.

On Monday, the high court unanimously ruled in the case of Harold Shurtleff, et al. v. Boston, MA, et al., to reverse a lower court decision and remand the case back to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

Justice Stephen Breyer delivered the courts opinion, concluding that the First Amendment prevents [the government] from discriminating against speakers based on their viewpoint.

At issue, according to the court's opinion, was whether Bostons flag policy represented government speech; if it did, then it had the right to reject the Christian flag.

We conclude that, on balance, Boston did not make the raising and flying of private groups flags a form of government speech, wrote Breyer. That means, in turn, that Bostons refusal to let Shurtleff and Camp Constitution raise their flag based on its religious viewpoint abridg[ed] their freedom of speech.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh authored a concurring opinion, in which he wrote that a government does not violate the Establishment Clause merely because it treats religious persons, organizations, and speech equally with secular persons, organizations, and speech in public programs, benefits, facilities, and the like.

Under the Constitution, a government may not treat religious persons, religious organizations, or religious speech as second-class, he added in his brief concurrence.

In February, Christians gathered, prayed and read scriptures outside an Arizona hotel that hosted a three-day event by The Satanic Temple called SatanCon, which included such sessions as Raising Children in a Satanic Household and Abortion as a (Religious) Right.

The Catholic demonstrators prayed, read from the Bible, held signs, banners, rosaries, crosses and images of the Virgin Mary outside the Saguaro Hotel in Scottsdale, the site of the Satanic Temples event, Fox 10 reported at the time.

Were out here to let the satanists know that theres no place for evil in Arizona, a protester was quoted as saying. And were here to combat that. And were here to say that Jesus is Lord.

In 2016, The Satanic Temple launched a nationwide After School Satan Club to counter Christian student organizations in public schools.

The groups creation came in response to the Christian Good News Club that was meeting at public schools throughout the nation.

Greaves told The Christian Post at the time that the Christian clubs presence at public schools created the need for a counter-balance in the extracurricular options.

Moises Esteves, vice president of USA Ministries for Child Evangelism Fellowship, told CP at the time that he believed the Satan club was yet another atheist PR stunt that has no staying power.

The After-School Satan Club is simply another attention-seeking atheist club. The choice of mascot reveals that its leaders simply hate God, and are trying to provoke or spook parents and schools, said Esteves. Like those before it, this club will fizzle out, because parents don't view their children as pawns for a blend of political activism, religious critique and performance art by angry atheists.
Satanists bring their abortion extremism to Boston for 'SatanCon'; Christians respond

As the Satanic Temple kicks off what is billed to be the largest gathering of Satanists in history this weekend in Boston, one pro-life leader warns about the "connection between Satanism and abortion" as churches are bracing for the influx of Satanists in the city.

Known as SatanCon 2023, hundreds are slated to gather between Friday and Sunday for a sold-out event hosted by a group known for making fun of Christians and theologically conservative beliefs.

Many of those gathered are likely to display their support for abortion as the Santinic Temple promotes what it calls abortion rituals and has filed legal challenges against state restrictions on legal access to abortion, arguing that abortion is a religious right.

Priests for Life National Director Frank Pavone said in an interview with The Christian Post that while many attendees will deny that they are coming together to worship Satan, he was "very sensitive to the connection between Satanism and abortion."

"These Satanists who are gathering will claim that they do not worship the devil. In fact, they will claim that they do not even believe in a personal spiritual being called the Devil or Satan," Pavone said.

"Anything that even appears to be worship of the devil or being elite with the devil is dangerous stuff because the devil is real."

Held at the Boston Marriott Copley Place, SatanCon 2023 will feature discussions on topics like "Re-imaging Lilith as an Archetype for Reproductive Justice," "Sins of the Flesh: Satanism and Self-Pleasure," "Reclaiming the Trans Body: A/theistic Strategies" and "Deconstructing Your Religious Upbringing."

Pavone also told CP that "historically, child sacrifice is very much connected with Satanism and worship of demons," noting that examples can be found "even in Scripture."

"In the Old Testament, there are many passages that talk about how the Israelites and nations around them would at times sacrifice their children to demons, and this was one of the reasons God punished them quite severely," Pavone said.

"In a deeper spiritual sense, what we believe about the devil is that he hates God and he knows he cannot kill God. So he does the next best thing in his mind, which is to kill what is made in the image of God, which is human life. So we see the devil as wanting violence against human beings. It's a form of rebellion against the One who created them."

As some Christian groups will be present in Boston with the purpose of evangelizing to SatanCon attendees, Pavone believes there is potential for SatanCon attendees to have their hearts changed by the Gospel, especially when presented with the realities of abortion.

"If there are some people there, gathered for this conference, who have an open mind, who have an open heart, who are willing to let the truth guide them away from where they are now, there can certainly be conversions," Pavone said.

A Christian event called "ReviveBoston" is also planned in Boston this weekend, with organizers calling for thousands of Christians to overcome evil by gathering for worship, prayer and evangelizing the city.

ReviveBoston will be spearheaded by Jaymz Sideras, a revivalist from London. Sideras and his evangelism team plan to preach Gods Word to the city, while also baptizing as many people as they can at the event.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Boston announced that it will open several churches throughout the weekend for prayer and adoration.

"We ask Catholics not to organize or encourage others to go to the event to protest," the announcement reads. "It will only make it more prominent and give the organizers the attention they seek. Rather than protesting in person, we hope to storm the Heavens with prayer from our shrines, monasteries, and parishes."

The declining Christian population in the U.S. over the last several decades has coincided with a rise in individuals who don't identify with any religion. Since its founding in 2012, the Satanic Temple claims to have grown to over 700,000 members.

Pavone warned that Christians planning to evangelize at SatanCon need to be careful of the potential schemes of the enemy to try to lead them astray.

He also advised newer Christians to avoid the conference altogether to avoid becoming confused about what they believe since "going into a satanic conference has its own characteristics and its own dangers."

"Christians who are going to do that really have to have a higher level of spiritual preparation. They have to be very, very familiar with the dynamics of how the devil works, the dynamics of spiritual battle. They have to be very close to Christ," Pavone said.

"They have to take extra steps. In other words, they need to be spiritually fortified, if they're actually going to go into a conference like that. So I would not be opposed to it in any way. But I would just caution that it does require extra spiritual preparation."

Pavone warned, "The devil is always prowling like a lion looking for someone to devour." He stressed that "the devil is present at these gatherings, whether the people gathering want to explicitly say that or not."

"Here's the thing about Satanism, it arouses curiosity. Even people who are not looking to get into any spiritual trouble can be captivated just by the curiosity of it all. They can really get trapped by it," he added.

"The devil really doesn't care if people worship him or not. All he wants is that they do not worship the true God, Jesus. What we have to realize is that, you know, these kinds of things can arouse that kind of curiosity."
Eunuchs, 'Frankenstein level stuff' and ISIS: This trans sci-fi horror story is real

Picture a 4-year-old boy dressed head-to-toe in pink, saying: If you want girl parts and you dont have them, you can do special surgery where they turn your penis inside out and theres a vagina inside.

Unfortunately, that chilling scenario actually happened, and an even more disturbing scenario, where such a surgery occurred, has reemerged this week.

Those conscience-shocking words that came from the mouth of a 4-year-old child were captured on home video and the boy who said them is named Jonas. He is featured in the indie documentary Dead Name by Broken Hearted Films, which was released on Dec. 20 and is a poignant glimpse into the lives of three families that have been upended by transgender ideology. In the interest of full disclosure, this Christian Post journalist was also a contributor in the film.



Little Jonas, who was being socially transitioned by both his mothers ex-wife and his day care, probably did not even know what a pronoun was when he casually explained this experimental body modification to his mom, who was desperately trying to protect him from irreversible medical harm. Jonas apparently learned about this surgery from a video that his moms ex had shown him. This was probably highly digitized promotional footage from a gender surgery center, which deceptively portrays these operations as clean and normal medical procedures, free from risks and complications.

But the truth is an entirely different story. And prominent people are now noticing, including Twitters new sheriff, Elon Musk.

According to The Post Millennial Monday, previously unknown details have surfaced about the death of an otherwise healthy 18-year-old boy who had undergone the very surgery Jonas described, a vaginoplasty. In 2016, this boy participated in a linchpin Dutch study, and prior to going under the knife, doctors had arrested his natural puberty with hormone-blocking agents. Due to this intervention, his secondary sex characteristics did not develop normally.

Since his genitals did not mature, there was no usable tissue to fashion a simulacrum of a vagina during the penile inversion surgery. When this is the case, surgeons routinely use a swatch of bowel tissue, which smells of excrement given the presence of fecal bacteria. The Dutch medical report explains that problems arose within 24 hours of the surgery, a laparoscopic intestinal vaginoplasty, and the boy developed lethal necrotizing fasciitis, a condition where flesh-eating germs spread throughout his body causing sepsis and, ultimately, his death. An investigation into the boys death revealed that the strain of E. Coli that made his organs fail was from his own intestine. A Twitter thread that activist Chris Elston (also known as "Billboard Chris") assembled included gruesome photos of the infection and his maimed private anatomy was seen by millions of users and has been retweeted tens of thousands of times.

Among those with the largest followings who retweeted the thread was the Nigerian-born British rapper Zuby who voiced his disgust, calling it Frankenstein level stuff and grotesque. Musk reply-tweeted to Zuby: I agree, this is super messed up, adding that adults should be allowed to do whatever they want but that this boy was too young to consent.

Concurrent with several states passing laws prohibiting such surgeries on minors, this episode is further evidence that an awakening of the masses is brewing. As more detransitioners have begun filing malpractice lawsuits and are speaking out about how they were harmed, it appears that the corporate press can no longer gloss over the emerging medical issues with euphemisms such as gender-affirming care.

Who, indeed, can continue to sugarcoat the brazenness of figures like Dr. Sidhbh Gallager? Gallagher is a Miami-based plastic surgeon originally from Ireland who infamously markets trans surgeries to teenagers on TikTok.

Earlier this month, thanks to the fearless reporting of Genevieve Gluck and journalists from Reduxx magazine, a wide audience saw Gallagher promoting eunuchs as gender-diverse people who might need gender-affirmation care in a video she posted. As Gallagher noted, the latest iteration of the Standards of Care from the World Professional Association of Transgender Health contains a chapter describing eunuchs in such terms.

How did eunuch become a gender identity and who influenced this outlandish standard?

Reduxx magazine uncovered last May how Version 8 of WPATH SOC received input from a group of academics and others who congregate on a website called the Eunuch Archive, a child castration fetish forum. One of the members of that site, Thomas W. Johnson, is a retired professor from California State University-Chico. This forum hosts and creates violent and graphic written pornography and the independent feminist publication documented over 3,000 pieces of fictional smut that detail the rape, torture, and killing of children and include narratives where doctors raped children whose puberty has been stunted. Content wherein children are castrated by force as part of a sadistic sexual torture ritual is also featured on the site.

On one occasion, Johnson shared a video on the forum of Dr. Marci Bowers performing a trans surgery on a male. A screenshotted image of an exchange between Johnson  who uses the moniker Jesus on the forum  and fellow site user Allen shows Allen thanking Johnson (Jesus) for sharing the video, describing it as arousing to watch. Bowers is the same surgeon who performed the trans MTF surgery on TLC star Jazz Jennnings. Following that surgery, Jazzs postoperative wound split open.

More eerily still, Johnson co-authored a 2014 op-ed with another Eunuch Archive member, Richard Wassersug of the University of British Columbia, that was reprinted in the Washington Post explaining how the one thing the Islamic State lacked in order to complete its caliphate was  eunuchs.

Both of those men have released academic research justifying the pedophilic fantasies amongst castration fetishists, according to Reduxx, notably a 2015 paper titled The Sexual Side of Castration Narratives, in which fictional child sexual abuse material was called therapeutic for those with eunuch ideations. Both men have been invited to speak at WPATH conferences, including the 2011 gathering in Atlanta when Gender Identity Disorder was declassified as a psychological condition and was replaced with gender dysphoria as the recommended terminology.

Falling down this rabbit hole is not for the faint of heart. It has brought together an unusual motley crew of people who, despite profound differences, cannot and will not be silent. It is a veritable ragtag army of conservative evangelicals, Roman Catholics, religiously observant Jews, far-left radical feminists (called TERFs), women's rights campaigners, dissident lesbians and gay men, some atheists, distraught parents, and the inestimable J.K. Rowling.

Those of us who have peered into this abyss have seen and heard things that will haunt us for decades and it has often felt like we are screaming helplessly into the void. But giving up is not an option and, at long last, we are finally being heard.

It is incumbent upon those of us who have refused to be quiet to persist and honor the memory of everyone that has been shattered by this scourge. This includes the teen boy who died of sepsis in the Dutch study, the victims of Sidhbh Gallager and WPATHs filth, and the fractured families such as those seen in Dead Name.



We must keep telling the unvarnished truth no matter the cost.
A life well-lived: the legacy of Dr Keith Thomson

British anaesthetist Keith Thomson who dedicated himself to improving medical and surgical care in West Africa for more than 30 years through charity Mercy Ships, has passed away, aged 75.

A man of great generosity of spirit, Dr Keith's colleagues and friends could testify that his "infectious passion for helping others knew no bounds."

His journey with international Christian charity Mercy Ships started in 1990 when, as a newly appointed consultant anaesthetist, he read an article in the Daily Telegraph about the charity's first hospital ship  the Anastasis. Within three days he went to see the ship for himself while it was moored at London Docklands.

During his tour, he was so moved by the charity's determination to bring hope and healing to the world's poorest countries through free surgeries and training that he decided he would volunteer for three weeks the following year when the ship was based in Tema, Ghana.

But what was initially a short volunteering trip during annual leave from his NHS work at Wexham Park Hospital, Slough, quickly grew into a consuming passion.

He said: "Mercy Ships has been in my blood since the first time I volunteered for one of their ships in 1991 and I honestly believe it's the best medical charity anyone could support."

Dr Keith who lived in Ascot, went on to volunteer as an anaesthetist 24 times from 1991 to 2007 in more than 10 African nations. Mercy Ships, its patients and in-country professionals, benefited from his selfless determination to make a difference for the rest of his life.

A patient whose life he saved through his kindness, was Catherine Conteh from Sierra Leone.

Now a successful health practitioner herself, Catherine previously reflected: "The idea that someone would come and help you without knowing you, someone who did not come from our background and who is totally different but is willing to give you the gift of life is incredible."

When 'Dr Keith', as he was affectionately known by the organisation, was awarded top honour of the Pask Certificate in 2009 by The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain & Ireland, in recognition of his volunteer work with the Mercy Ships, he explained his motivation:

"Working onboard as part of an international team of volunteer medics is hugely exciting but the most rewarding aspect is seeing the patients after surgery and realising that their lives have literally changed overnight.

"Their surgeries aren't just operations  they give them back hope and a chance to lead a normal life. Often our patients are outcasts in their communities because of their physical deformities but after surgery they are once again accepted into their families.

"My experiences with Mercy Ships have been the most rewarding of my life and I would encourage everyone who is considering volunteering to look at Mercy Ships."

Scottish-born Dr Keith trained at the Royal Free St Bartholomew's and University College Hospitals, and was committed to improving healthcare in Africa. His infectious enthusiasm saw him encourage a stream of anaesthetists and operating department practitioners from all over the world, eager to do their three weeks for Mercy Ships and recruited by his wit and enthusiasm.

But his support went further still through his fundraising and, with his late mother, enabling the purchase of around 30 Land Rovers for the ships' volunteers and day crew to be able to reach patients and clinics on land in remote areas. He also oversaw the donation of seven anaesthesia machines onboard the Global Mercy.

Since 2007, Dr Keith has been involved in medical training with Mercy Ships to strengthen African health systems. He organised the delivery of the SAFE (Safer Anaesthesia from Education) course in 15 African nations, along with other UK anaesthetists, to ensure the transfer of skills and improved care for generations to come.

Even after he retired in 2014 from Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospitals Foundation, Dr Keith continued to play a vital role in Mercy Ships service as an International and UK Board member. He still regularly travelled to Africa to facilitate training conferences and other development projects.

Dr Leo Cheng, a fellow Mercy Ships UK board member and Consultant in Oral, Maxillofacial and Head & Neck Surgery at St Bartholomew's, The Royal London and Homerton University Hospitals, has volunteered for Mercy Ships during his annual leave for the past 20 years, many of those times alongside Dr Keith.

He paid tribute saying: "Keith's energy and fresh ideas in helping others with his medical and anaesthetic insight was second to none. I benefitted from his extraordinary sense of mission and 'can do' spirit when he encountered barriers.

"With his generosity, connections and singlemindedness, I had the privilege of helping Keith to buy surgical equipment for Mercy Ships and other African hospitals. It was such a joy and pleasure to be part of Keith's team to source updated surgical equipment badly needed by surgeons in Africa."

His fellow Mercy Ships International board member Lois Boyle said: "Keith was truly one-of-a-kind. His contribution to Mercy Ships was incalculable but his commitment to the people of Africa went well beyond Mercy Ships. Whether he was sponsoring someone to pursue their dreams to work in healthcare or supporting a former patient to find a job, his infectious passion for helping others knew no bounds."

Mercy Ships UK Chief Executive Officer Joanne Balaam said: "It is hard not to be inspired by Dr Keith's insatiable desire to help people. For decades, he was an ardent supporter and advocate for Mercy Ships. Not only that, over the years he has faithfully mentored the next generation of surgical and medical professionals. He will be sorely missed but the impact he has left will continue to be his legacy."

His passion for Mercy Ships also inspired him creatively as he penned songs, including "Echo of Mercy" which celebrates the charity's newest hospital ship, the Global Mercy  a project he supported since its inception.

In March 2022, Dr Keith took joy in being introduced to HRH Princess Anne on board the Global Mercy in Rotterdam, as the brand-new hospital ship was being launched. It was her first engagement as patron of Mercy Ships International.

Dr Keith said in an interview shortly before he passed away: "I feel I have managed to contribute quite a lot in my life... I think I've had a life well lived. I'm not disappointed in my life at all, and the people I've been able to help."

Dr Keith passed away peacefully on the morning of 19 April at the age of 75, listening to the Soweto Gospel Choir's recording of 'Amazing Grace'. He is survived by his wife, Fiona, his two children and their families.
Christian family to appeal after court dismisses school Pride parade complaint

Christian parents have said they will appeal after losing a legal challenge against their child's school for allegedly forcing his participation in a Pride parade.

Izzy and Shane Montague launched legal action against Heavers Farm Primary School after claiming that their son, who was four at the time, was not allowed to be withdrawn from the parade in 2018.

The parents also claimed that the school became "hostile" and "intimidating" towards them and other parents who questioned the promotion of LGBT ideology in the school.

They allege that at a meeting with the head teacher, her daughter attended wearing a T-shirt with the slogan "Why be Racist, Sexist, Homophobic, Transphobic, when you can just be quiet".

Mrs Montague was also later banned from entering the premises or calling the school.

This week, the Central London County Court dismissed their religious discrimination claim.

In his ruling, Judge Christopher Lethem claimed that much of the school Pride parade's values were in alignment with the Montagues' Christian beliefs.

"The Claimants have focussed on the use of the word 'celebrate' seeking to instil it with the suggestion that it was advancing LGBT issues over other lifestyle forms. The delivery of the teaching does not bear this out," the judgment reads.

"The celebration was of diversity and acceptance of the differences between people; no hierarchy of equalities. Thus there was little in the Parade that was inconsistent with their beliefs.

"The Claimants have argued that the Parade and the teaching in general amount to weaponising education to undermine parental teaching to undermine parental teaching and foster the school's view. In the cold light of day I cannot ascertain the divergence between the teaching and the Christian views."

The judgment added, "In short there was no moral re-education and there was no case for exemption."

However, Judge Lethem did find that the school's communication about the event had been "poor" and that the T-shirt worn at the meeting between the Montagues and the head teacher had "set an entirely wrong tone".

"[It] was entirely reasonable for the parents to view this as a hostile message," he said.

On the banning of Mrs Montague from the school, the judge criticised the manner in which this was imposed, writing, "I cannot detect that Mrs Montague was given any opportunity to make representations in relation [to] the ban. There is no mention of it in the letter [informing her of the ban] and plainly there should have been.

"This could be indicative of a school that was riding roughshod over the parents' rights because of an animus against the Claimants because of their complaints."

Expressing disappointment at the ruling, Mrs Montague called the judgment "perverse" and said she was "deeply insulted" by the court's assertion that there was nothing inconsistent between her Christian beliefs and the Pride event.

"Throughout this ordeal it has felt like I and my Christian beliefs that have been on trial," she said.

"This is not over and we will appeal this perverse judgment which has made the evidence fit with the school's agenda.

"What are parents like us meant to do? The court appears to be as ideologically motivated as the school.

"No parent should have to go through what I, and so many other parents at Heavers Farm have, for wanting to protect the innocence of their children and raise them according to their own beliefs.

"I am a Christian, and I don't believe there is anything redeeming about forcing a 4-year-old child to march among rainbow flags and sing 'gay anthems'."

Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting the Montagues in their case, said the judgment was "remarkable for all of the wrong reasons".

"What this entire case stands for is that there are some schools in this country where biblical beliefs and Christians are not welcomed," she said.
Since a bill designed to overhaul the states immigration system was introduced in March to widespread criticism and fear among immigrants rights groups, activists in Central Florida have been bracing for its passage in the Republican-dominated legislature.

At Hope CommUnity Center in Apopka, organizers have been hosting Know Your Rights seminars in English, Spanish, Creole and Portuguese for weeks, preparing hundreds of immigrant families for what will come if Senate Bill 1718 becomes law, said Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet, executive director for the community center.

Also, were making sure they know that Hope  independently of whats ultimately going to happen  we are here for the community and are going to continue doing the work we have done so boldly for the last 50 years  even if that means going to jail, he said. We know this is life and death and whats really important is for the community to know that they are not abandoned.

On Monday, more than 1,000 people from across the state brought together in a partnership of about 50 organizations including Hope CommUnity Center, Planned Parenthood and Come Out With Pride Orlando are expected to rally at Lake Eola in downtown Orlando at 5 p.m. in protest of the bill, which they expect will become law because of a Republican supermajory in the legislature.

We see this as a moment to empower each other and to tell Tallahassee that this is what Florida looks like, said Sousa-Lazaballet, who is now an American citizen but spent 15 years undocumented after leaving Brazil more than 20 years ago. We are multiracial, we are diverse and were fighting for our right to exist and to dream and to live.  We belong here. This is our home.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill would require hospitals to collect immigration status from patients they treat, impose verification requirements on employers who hire immigrants, ban immigrants who were brought to the United States as children from practicing law and prevent counties and municipalities from funding community programs that create identification cards for people who are undocumented.

If an undocumented person is pulled over while vacationing in Florida and is driving with a license issued legally by another state, they will face criminal penalties, according to the bill, which will make out-of-state drivers licenses issued to undocumented people invalid in Florida.

Ingoglia denies that his bill is an attack on all immigrants but rather one meant to specifically target immigrants who enter the country illegally. He said the purpose of the bill is to force the federal government to act and fix a broken national immigration system.

Where is the incentive to come over legally when states will create IDs for them, allow them to have drivers licenses, give them jobs, free education and free healthcare?, Igoglia said Friday afternoon.

But Democrats said the bill will have no impact on the federal immigration system, questioned if it was constitutional for a state to make its own immigration law and added that the bill would only serve to cause harm to undocumented immigrants and mixed-status families, especially if undocumented people refuse to seek healthcare when hospitals begin to ask about immigration status.

At a Tuesday Senate committee meeting, Sen Lori Berman, D- Palm Beach, said when hospitals start to collect immigration status, people could die.

I think whats going to happen is its going to cost money because people wait and they come when theyre really, really ill as opposed to taking advantage of preventative care and it could cost lives because people are waiting so long because theyre going to come to a hospital when they know that all of a sudden they are going to be asked about their immigration status, Berman said.

Though the bill is still headed toward passage, a provision that would have made it a felony to have an undocumented person in your car or home was struck from the bill after clergy members from across the state said the bill as written would make felons of pastors and nuns for driving immigrant families to church.

That was removed with an amendment, though it will still be a felony to transport an undocumented person into the state. Immigrant activists said this would still criminalize normal activities like church-sponsored trips and field trips to tour colleges out of state.

Father Jose Rodriguez of Iglesia Episcopal Jesus de Nazaret in Orlando, said even with the change, he cant support the bill.

Tell me, how much injustice is too much injustice? he asked. How much pain is too much pain? How much discrimination are we going to accept as acceptable? They reduced the pain but there is still pain in the bill.

During public comment at Tuesdays hearing, no members of the public spoke in favor of the bill.

Instead pastors, activists, health care providers and immigration experts called the proposed bill draconian and urged senators to vote against it. Several attempted to appeal to Igoglias and the other Republican senators Christian faith and said that Jesus would have come to the aid of immigrants, not created more punitive laws.

But that did nothing to stop the passage of the bill in the Senate.

I know that a lot of the faith-based community come up here and they have a lot of anxiety over this bill and some were even up here quoting scripture and I will tell you that Jesus told us to follow the law, Igoglia said.

dstennett@orlandosentinel.com
Not of an age, but for all time: celebrating 400 years of Shakespeares First Folio

Christies marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of the First Folio with the largest exhibition of copies ever assembled in Britain, to be staged between 2 and 26 May 2023

No one in history has had such a colossal impact on English literature and language as William Shakespeare. Oft-quoted, imitated, and acted on stages throughout the world, many of the words of Shakespeare could have been lost for ever had it not been for John Heminge and Henry Condell, the writers friends and fellow actors, who compiled Mr William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies, often referred to as the First Folio. Published 400 years ago, in 1623, seven years after Shakespeares death, the First Folio brought together the authors collected plays for the first time. The folio edition contains 36 plays, including 17 that were printed during his lifetime, one that was printed after his death, and 18 that might otherwise have been lost  among them Macbeth, Twelfth Night, Measure for Measure and Julius Caesar. To mark the 400th anniversary of their publication, Christies is bringing together six copies of the First Folio and exhibiting them from 2 to 26 May 2023. It will be the largest exhibition of First Folios ever assembled in the United Kingdom (surpassing the display of four copies at the British Library a century ago). Margaret Ford, Christies International Head of Books & Manuscripts in London, says the exhibition will not only tell the story of the Folios publication, but by bringing together multiple copies, it will chronicle the life of one of the most important books printed across the centuries.

Open a larger version of this image The title-page portrait of Shakespeare commissioned for the Folio. On the facing page is a poem by his fellow playwright and rival Ben Jonson, which exhorts the reader to looke not on his picture, but his booke

Idioms such as be-all and end-all and one fell swoop  both from Macbeth  and the unkindest cut of all, which appeared in Julius Caesar, might never have entered the popular lexicon if not for this literary masterpiece. John Heminge and Henry Condell were actors and shareholders in the Globe Theatre and were ultimately able to buy enough of a stake to own half of the theatre between them. They were each bequeathed 26 shillings and eight pence in Shakespeares will. During the Bards lifetime, actors would have been given a manuscript of Shakespeares text to prepare for their roles: possibly not the entire play, just their own part, notes Ford. These were often discarded after use, which explains why there are no surviving manuscripts from Shakespeares time. It also means that the plays might have been lost for ever had it not been for the efforts of Heminge and Condell. Their work in assembling the First Folio is particularly important because they not only gathered the plays, but they went to great pains to establish an accurate text, as close to Shakespeares original words as possible, says the specialist. This is also the first time these plays were definitively codified as histories, tragedies and comedies.

Open a larger version of this image The names of John Heminge (here given as Hemmings) and Henry Condell appear in this list of the principal actors from the Arundel Castle copy. Courtesy of the Duke of Norfolk Open a larger version of this image The edition contains 36 plays (Troilus and Cressida was omitted from the index), including 18 that might otherwise have been lost. Illustrated, the Arundel Castle copy. Courtesy of the Duke of Norfolk

The importance of the publication would only increase with time. By the 18th century, explains Ford, books had come to be considered objects of art in their own right, elevating the First Folio to new heights; it was treasured not only for its text but as a physical object. From an original print run of perhaps 750, there remain around 235 copies of the First Folio  most of them incomplete. The exhibition includes the Arundel Castle copy, one of only five complete First Folios to remain in private hands, which is being exhibited in public for the first time, courtesy of the Duke of Norfolk. The Arundel Castle copy is unique in being owned by a family whose ancestor appears as a character in the plays: Richard II opens with a quarrel between Thomas Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk, and Henry Bolingbroke, the Duke of Hereford.

Open a larger version of this image The bookplates from the Gray-Blatchford-Sterling copy, the earliest recorded First Folio in America. It crossed the Atlantic when it was acquired by the Massachusetts politician Francis Calley Gray (1790-1856). Courtesy of Senate House Library, University of London

Also appearing in the Christies exhibition, courtesy of a private owner, is the Halliwell-Watson First Folio, once owned by arguably the greatest Shakespeare editor of the 19th century, James Orchard Halliwell. As well as being one of the founding members of the Shakespeare Society, Halliwell was also an avid Shakespeare collector: he bought, sold and traded copies of the Bards plays, and at one point owned no fewer than six imperfect copies of the First Folio. This is the first time it has ever been shown in public. The Senate House Library at the University of London is loaning the Gray-Blatchford-Sterling copy (above)  the earliest recorded First Folio in America. It crossed the Atlantic when it was acquired by Francis Calley Gray (1790-1856), very likely on his visit to England in 1830. A politician who counted Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams among his acquaintances, Gray was a major patron of the arts in Boston. Other Americans soon followed Grays lead, and Winsors 1876 census recorded 18 copies in America. Today there are more copies of the First Folio in America than anywhere else in the world, thanks largely to the Folger Shakespeare Library alone holding 82. Sidney Lees census of 1902 was the first systematic effort to record the number and location of all surviving copies. He was aided in his work by Mary Edgcumbe Blatchford, who owned this copy of the First Folio from 1879. The Gray-Blatchford-Sterling copy was bequeathed to the University of London in 1956 by Sir Louis Sterling, an American expatriate and gramophone pioneer.

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Eight contemporary Middle Eastern and North African artists to know in 2023

Ahead of our online Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art sale in May, specialists Suzy Sikorski and Marie-Claire Thijsen reveal why these are the artists to have on your radar right now

Dana Awartani, Saudi Arabia, b. 1987 Dana Awartani is a Palestinian-Saudi artist who is part of a movement that fuses traditional Islamic principles with contemporary practice to explore her own identity, says Suzy Sikorski, a specialist in Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art at Christies in Dubai. Icosahedron within a Dodecahedron belongs to a series of abstract sculptures she made between 2016 and 2018, which look at how certain geometries are considered sacred in the Islamic art tradition. The series, including this work, appeared in the Marrakech Biennale 6, Not New Now/Quoi de neuf la, in 2016. Awartani, who was born in Jeddah, studied in London, first at Central Saint Martins, then at The Princes Foundation School of Traditional Arts. At the latter she learnt to paint miniatures and glass, as well as the ancient skill of gilding. The intricate patterns found in her works are often created using these centuries-old techniques, alongside others such as marquetry and mosaic, employing traditional Middle Eastern materials such as clay, silk and sand.

In 2022, Awartanis monumental sandstone-and-steel sculpture Where the Dwellers Lay, inspired by the shapes of local Nabataean tombs, became a focal point of Saudi Arabias most ambitious curatorial project to date, Desert X AlUla. This huge art exhibition in the desert is part of a wider effort to transform the ancient UNESCO World Heritage Site into a cultural destination.

Mohammed Kazem, United Arab Emirates, b. 1969 For more than 30 years, Mohammed Kazem  a leading figure of the Second Generation of the UAEs contemporary artists  has been creating visual representations of sound, using scissors to score pieces of paper, from small sheets to extensive scrolls. These works draw on elements of 20th-century European avant-garde movements such as Dada and Fluxus, says specialist Marie-Claire Thijsen. A notable example is his 10-metre-long Scratches on Paper in New Yorks Guggenheim.

As the artist himself has said, Ive been making my scratches work since 1989. Over the years, this scratching practice has become fundamental in shaping how I experience the world by capturing light, sound and its infinite movement. In 2002, Kazem  together with his mentor Hassan Sharif, Hassans brother Hussain, Abdullah Al Saadi and Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim (see below)  was included in the show 5 UAE at the Ludwig Forum in Aachen, Germany, which championed the five as the regions pioneering conceptual artists. To date, Kazem has represented the UAE at biennials in Havana (2000), Dhaka (2002), Singapore (2006) and Venice (2013).

Nadia Kaabi-Linke, Tunisia, b. 1978 Having grown up between her native Tunis, Kyiv, Paris and Dubai  and now living and working in Berlin  Nadia Kaabi-Linke is one of a new generation of multicultural Middle Eastern artists whose work addresses themes of geopolitics, borders and migration, says Thijsen. Kaabi-Linkes 2009 installation Under Standing Over Views, a comment on the Middle Easts ethnic diversity, consists of chips of paint from the walls of the various cities she has inhabited. It now hangs in the UAEs Sharjah Art Museum. In 2011, she followed it up with Flying Carpets, exhibited at the 54th Venice Biennale, in which suspended metal frames throw shadows that represent the outlines of carpets. It is now in the collection of New Yorks Guggenheim. Of the work coming to auction, Carthage Presidence from 2009, Kaabi-Linke has said, It represents the language of the youth: innocent engravings, initials and drawings on a wall of a high school near the presidential palace in Carthage. I was studying art nearby and was fascinated by the whispering voices of this wall that prophesised the Tunisian revolution. These wall prints can be seen as an archaeology of contemporary life, and planted the seeds of my current artistic practice.

In 2021, Kaabi-Linke won the fourth edition of the Ithra Art Prize, awarded by the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture in Saudi Arabia, says Thijsen. Her momumental winning artwork, E Pluribus Unum  A Modern Fossil, consists of 19 canvases depicting a giant arrow sign covered in scratches, and was unveiled at the inaugural Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale in December the same year.

Hesam Rahmanian, Iran, b. 1980 In 2009, three Iranian artists  Ramin Haerizadeh (b. 1975), Rokni Haerizadeh (b. 1978) and Hesam Rahmanian  who had met at underground art classes during the 1990s, began living and collaborating together in exile in Dubai. The trio set out to challenge how a collective is defined: their associated group grows and shrinks, incorporating other friends, artists, writers and musicians, depending on the nature of each project. Spanning sculpture, installation, painting and performance, their output has been exhibited at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in Boston (2015), the Liverpool Biennial (2016) and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark (2019). The three have become important mentors for younger artists working in Dubai, says Sikorski. Their work, in particular their hyper-sensory installations, really challenge traditional boundaries.

As a solo artist, Rahmanian often works with found fragments such as discarded household objects or old Polaroid photographs, to create assemblages that look at how identities are formed. With shows at Paradise Row in London (2011) and Isabelle van den Eynde in Dubai (2013 and 2019), it was at the latter gallery that the work coming to auction  Watching the Fading Fog, depicting a solitary, striped deckchair on a rocky outcrop  was unveiled.

Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, United Arab Emirates, b. 1962 In 2022, the Emirati artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim was selected to represent the UAE at the 59th Venice Biennale. For his installation, Between Sunrise and Sunset, he filled an entire room with dozens of sculptures of totem-like trees in bold, bright colours, creating the appearance of a saturated forest. Like Mohammed Kazem (above), Ibrahim was one of the five participants in 5 UAE at the Ludwig Forum in Aachen, and part of the trailblazing first generation of contemporary artists to emerge in the Gulf in the late 1980s. What sets Ibrahims work apart is his tendency to create abstract, geometric paintings and sculptures that are particularly rich in colour, says Sikorski. He has said that his work has a deep connection to the environment of Khorfakkan, his birthplace, situated between the Gulf of Oman and the Hajar Mountains. This is reflected in the materials he uses, such as coal and clay, and his most common motif, the tree, which he paints with thick lines reminiscent of ancient cave pictures.

Today, Ibrahim is represented by Lawrie Shabibi gallery in Dubai  a crucible of the regions contemporary art scene since 2011. Outside the Middle East, his works can be found in the permanent collections of the British Museum and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

Reem al Faisal, Saudi Arabia, b. 1973 Reem al Faisal, otherwise known as Reem bint Mohammed Al Saud, is a Saudi Arabian photographer who splits her time between Paris and Jeddah. She is the granddaughter of Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the countrys king from 1964 to 1975. After studying Arabic literature in Jeddah, she learnt photography at the Speos school in Paris, and in 2008 and 2015 opened photography galleries in Dubai and Jeddah respectively. They were among the earliest galleries in the region to champion the medium.

As a photographer, Al Faisal is best known for her black-and-white documentary work, which often depicts the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca. In 2000 she authored the photo essay Diwan Al Noor: A Photographic Journey through Light, Water, and People, and in 2009, The Hajj. Al Faisals work examines Saudi Arabias modernity as well as its spirituality, says Sikorski. She was one of the first Saudi female photographers to explore documentary and fine art black and white photography, and the first photographer to capture the port of Jeddah.

Hayv Kahraman, Iraq, b. 1981 Born in Baghdad, but now living and working in Los Angeles, Hayv Kahraman is one of the Middle Easts leading female artists. Her depictions of women, often naked and contorted, examine their role in Iraqi society, as well as tackling the male gaze and gender politics in wider art history. Kahraman is at the forefront of the Middle Easts feminist art movement, says Sikorski. She has international gallery representation with Jack Shainman in New York and The Third Line in Dubai, and a huge collector base. Christies set her auction record in 2019 at 118,750 with The Kawliya Dance (2013), which depicts four women taking part in a traditional gypsy performance.

There are two of her works in the upcoming auction, both on paper. One depicts Kurdish women gathered around a tree; the other is a study of traditional female Emirati dress, which was commissioned for a book in 2011.

Kahramans work is in numerous public collections, including the British Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Rubell Family Collection.

Tala Madani, Iran, b. 1981 The painter and animator Tala Madani was born in Tehran, but moved to America when she was 12. She now lives and works in Los Angeles.

Madani makes gestural, figurative works that build on the foundations of American and European neo-Expressionism, created by the likes of Philip Guston and Paula Rego. Her subject matter, however, is highly original: she deconstructs both Western and Eastern ideas of masculine authority, typically through images of middle-aged, overweight, balding men in compromising positions. These scenes are often illuminated by beams of unwelcome light coming from projectors or disco equipment. These highly provocative pictures are equal parts humorous and grotesque, says Thijsen. And this sort of imagery is particularly at odds with the sensibilities of traditional Iranian art. The work coming to auction, Table Trouble (2008), has been widely exhibited, most recently in Tala Madani: Biscuits, the artist's retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles from September 2022 to February 2023.

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Unless youre earning a few hundred thousand dollars a year, chances are good youll see a break on your state income taxes in 2024.

How big a break? The picture is coming together and we can look at some numbers right here, right now.

It will depend on who you are  how much you make, whether you file jointly, singly or as the head of a household; whether you have kids if youre a low-wage worker and maybe whether youre retired with a pension or annuity.

Mostly, it depends on how lawmakers and Gov. Ned Lamont hammer out their differences between now and 11:59 p.m. on June 7, the end of the session. Heres the breakdown between Lamonts plan and the plan by the legislatures Finance Committee.

Republicans are set to announce their own tax-cutting plan, probably Tuesday. It will include deductions  not credits  for filers with children, and it will most likely offer larger cuts across the board.

But if the Republican plan for larger overall cuts is to prevail, the heavily outnumbered GOP would need to persuade Democrats to either slash spending (good luck with that) or have faith that well see more years of fat surpluses. Their ideas have some merit. Still, dont bet the rent on them this year.

Lamont pitched a plan calling for the bulk of the breaks, in total dollars, to go to middle-class and upper-middle-class filers making between about $50,000 and $275,000, with the largest breaks aimed at joint filers right around $100,000 and singles in the range of $60,000. Joint filers would typically see a reduction of $400 to just under $600 compared with what youre paying now, while one-person household filers could expect something in the ballpark of $250 to $290.

These numbers are based on cutting the 5 percent rate to 4.5 percent on income between $20,000 and $100,000 for joint filers, $10,000 to $50,000 for singles; and by cutting the 3 percent rate down to 2 percent on income up to $20,000, or $10,000 for single filers.

Lamonts pitch means most filers with children who make less than $50,000 will not pay a state income tax and will see an expanded cash rebate through the earned income tax credit, which is basically extra money for people who work at low to moderate wages.

Lawmakers offer more for working poor

The Finance Committee cut back on the breaks for the middle class compared with Lamonts plan, by offering a scant quarter-point cut to 4.75 percent from the 5 percent rate. The result: Their tax breaks for most joint filers would only range from about $280 to just under $400; and from $125 to $185 for most single filers.

I said it last week in a column and Ill say it again: If youre going to offer me a one-quarter point break on my state income taxes, dont bother. I get that it moves Connecticut in the right direction for the first time in a generation but its just symbolic if its that meager.

The Finance Committee, however, offers working poor families more than Lamonts plan. It adopts the same cut of the 3 percent rate to 2 percent, and it would deliver a much larger increase in the earned income tax credit.

The EITC, as its known, is measured as a percentage of the generous federal EITC. Connecticut is now at 30.5 percent, up from 23 percent a few years ago. Lamont would bring it to 40 percent and the Finance Committee would push it up to 45 percent.

The result: a couple filing jointly with two children (or other dependents), making $15,500 to $25,500, would see an extra $894 in their pockets under the committees plan. Lamonts plan would give them a smaller gain of $586.

At the $45,500 level, that couple with two children would see a $479 boost if the committee plan prevails, or $377 under Lamonts proposal. Low-income filers without children would see a lot less.

Back-room talks will probably lead to compromises on all these measures and there are some liberal Dems who want to see a child tax credit of the sort the state handed out last summer, for earners up to $200,000, using surplus or pandemic relief money. That idea isnt dead and the GOP plan for child deductions could also emerge a dark horse.

The underlying debate

What we have here is a debate about who should collect the biggest breaks  the working poor, the so-called blue-collar wage earners, the more prosperous middle-class or the higher paid but still not rich couples earning upwards of $200,000.

The committee favors low-income people for obvious reasons. Lamont says his plan does a lot for the working poor, but what Connecticut really needs to do is take pressure off the battered middle class, in order to attract people into the state and raise the overall tax base. Most Republicans agree with him and so do I.

The committee would phase out breaks for high earners faster than Lamont. Hed offer a reduction of $200 to a couple making $575,000 (a benefit the state doesnt need to deliver) while that couple would actually pay $150 more under the committee plan. In fact, the committee would raise the state tax by $250 on the very highest earners, not because of higher rates  perish the thought  but because of the way the formula phases out lower rates as income rises.

The plans by Lamont and the Finance Committee are not comparable in price. Lamonts income tax cuts would cost $437 million a year and his EITC expansion would be $44 million, for a total of $481 million. The committees smaller tax cut carries a price tag of $255 million and its EITC push would be $68 million, a total of $323 million.

The committee has a larger menu of other tax cuts, such as breaks for retirees on pension and annuity income up to higher limits, and richer business tax credits for worker training.

Finally, to put all this in perspective, lets look at a couple making $100,500 a year. Theyd see a break of $594 under Lamonts plan and $396 under the committees plan. Not bad  but theyre paying $4,669 in state income tax now, plus a likely several thousand more in local property taxes if they own a house.

We aint South Carolina yet but this state budget will move us ever so slightly closer, Mr. Klepper-Smith.
HARTFORD  A Hartford mental health clinician was ordered to pay the state $140,000 in restitution after pleading guilty Thursday to health insurance fraud, officials with the state Division of Criminal Justice said.

Alicia Thompkins, 42, of Hartford, was accused of submitting claims to the state-run Medicaid program for behavioral health services that she didn't provide, according to a DCJ news release.
Along the edge of the Gulf, Nathaniel 'Natty' Adams details the people, places, culture and moments that make New Orleans one of America's most colorful and vibrant cities.

At the 20th anniversary Tales of the Cocktail Foundation Spirited Awards ceremony last fallthe first one since the pandemic beganChris Hannah of New Orleans, dressed in a natty plaid waistcoat and bow tie, was named U.S. Bartender of the Year. His establishment, Jewel of the South, was named Best U.S. Restaurant Bar (it was also nominated for but didn't win Best U.S. Bar Team, narrowly missing out on the hat trick.) The industry buzz and consensus couldn't have been more unanimous: Chris Hannah, long a legend among bartenders, deserved this.

Hannah had been decorated before, notably with a coveted James Beard award, but this felt special, having been awarded by his industry peers rather than the culinary press. It's a welcome milestone in Hannah's career, but nothing compared to one just over the horizon, one that involves more pride for him than any other: 20 years as a French Quarter bartender.

"I've always thought of New Orleans as a play," Hannah says. "We have our own backdrop with its unique architecture and oak trees, our own local characters complete with vernacular that includes our own soundtrack. What really won my heart was realizing we could all be characters in this play."

Hannah is a New Orleans character, albeit a very subtle one until you scratch the surface and see the complexity. Riding around town on his bicycle in his pork pie hat, he looks like a typically mildly eccentric local. But his easy and cool affect belies a man riddled with obsessions great and small, all of which seem to connect in some way back to New Orleans and his love of the city and its cosmopolitan place in the world.

Hannah is a committed supporter of the New Orleans Saints andless expectedlythe English Premier League's Aston Villa FC. He drinks tea with all the love and care of an Englishman. His childhood as a navy brat moving from beach to beach (including Panama), infected him with a Caribbean enthusiasm that finds its expression not only in rum but in dominoes and cigars. His contribution to New Orleans traditions includes a Christmas mulled-wine cart in Jackson Square that he started in order to give the homeless some small cup of seasonal cheer after Katrina.

Like so many people who visit New Orleans, Hannah fell in love with the place, feeling that everywhere else he had been "from Virginia Beach to New York City" looked the same: "Just big box stores and buildings all made from the same materials." His original dream was to run a guest house in the French Quarter, not to bartend. His love of hospitality was always about service. When he'd worked in bars and restaurants he realized his favorite part wasn't always the craft behind the bar, but the simple human interactions across it: writing recommendations for visitors down on a napkin, giving people directions, hearing what had brought people to town. And he realized that nowhere would match the French Quarter for that kind of service.

"Its simple things, like going out the side door and down the street to get a King Cake just to slice it up and bring a piece to guests who had never had it beforethat would never happen anywhere else Ive ever worked. And that it's just so normal to do that kind of entertaining for guests is what's so much fun."

Hannah spent his first three days in New Orleans applying to work at some of the neighborhoods most famous bars and restaurants. Despite having tended bar beforehe credits a four-year stint at Hooters with his capacity for efficiency and volumehe was at a loss when the application at Dickie Brennan's asked if he knew the ingredients to local classics like Milk Punch, the Sazerac, and Pimm's cup. He did not. Despite this lack of knowledge, he ended up getting hired at Arnaud's, one of New Orleans' oldest and most famous restaurants, and it was here that he would spend the next 15 years working his way up to head bartender of the French 75 bar, transforming its quality, style and program, and doing a lot of the heavy lifting in putting New Orleans back on the map of the world's great cocktail cities.

Hannah's ignorance of classic cocktails didn't last longhis penchant for deep obsession and research soon had him far outpacing other bartenders in the city. He dug into archives of legendary New Orleans bartenders like Henry Ramos and Joseph Santini and began serving long-forgotten drinks at the bar. Many ingredients that bartenders now take for grantedorgeat, allspice dram, Creme de Violettewere rare in the days before the classic cocktail explosion he was unwittingly helping bring about, so Hannah either made them himself or acquired them through great difficulty.

The French 75 bar gained in notoriety during his shifts, even if some customers, unaccustomed to tasting a Mai Tai with fresh orgeat or a French 75 made in the original New Orleans style with cognac instead of gin, sent their drinks back in bewilderment. Soon the management had to pull Hannah aside and ask him to clear all press statements with them first because the other bartenders were complaining that patrons were asking for drinks they'd read Hannah talking about that they didnt know how to make.

Courtesy Chris Hannah/Jewel of the South

This was the early 2000s, and bartenders around the country were having similar epiphanies around old recipes and freshly made ingredients. Younger bartenders were seeking out pioneers like Hannah to work under them. Shannon Brandon is Hannahs current second-in-command at Jewel of the South:

"As a bartender under Chris, Ive been able to get a lot more exposure," Brandon says. "Cocktail competitions or conventions are going to want bartenders from Jewel of the South because of his reputation, and having Jewel on my resume will greatly impact my career for the rest of my life."

But career exposure is just a happy byproduct of working with Hannahhis dedication to customer service is always what stands out.

"Hospitality is what he values above all," Brandon says. "The experiences of the guests are of the utmost importance to him, actually making cocktails is secondary. I really appreciate when I look across the bar to see him leaning out of the bar window at Jewel waving to cars as they pass by, or saying hello to folks that happen to walk past who are always surprised by a man in a suit leaning out of a window saying hello but ultimately charmed by it."

Hannah's dedication to service extends well beyond the walls of Jewel of the South to the region he loves so much. After Hurricane Ida, he and several bartenders, including Konrad Kantor of Manolito, went to the tribal area of Point-aux-Chiens to help put tarps on damaged and destroyed roofs. Kantor remembers Hannah, his incongruously spiffy wingtip shoes causing much comment from the locals, almost getting blown off a roof by a gust of wind.

"Through all the sadness and raw emotion of the storm, Hannah kept us smiling throughout the entire week-long journey down the Bayou," Kantor recalls. "And I think that's why he wears the shoes. It's why he writes postcards to people from all his travels. It's why he does what he does. It isn't about himself. It's wanting others to have a better experience because of him, regardless of the circumstances."

Next year will mark Hannah's 20th as a French Quarter bartender, and as a true New Orleans character in the bizarre ongoing play that is this city. It is also when he is due to serve his millionth French 75. Like his local heroesnot only bartenders like Santini and Ramos, but musical greats like Dr. John and Louis ArmstrongHannah is on track to be more than a footnote in the history of this city, all because of his love of the place and his dedication to its people, both residents and visitors:

"Being a true hospitality professional is very much a lifelong calling for someone like Hannah," Kantor says. "It's why after so many years, he still prefers to tend bar over being an administrator. And whether it's perfecting a drink, keeping water filled in a section, or helping a group of people set up triage when they're fighting for survival, I'd wager no matter the situation, you're going to look back and see his main objective has always been to lift you up higher than you were before he stepped in to help."

Correction: Chris Hannah is a fan of Aston Villa football club. A previous version of this article stated he was a fan of Liverpool.
It's a weird thing to say about a guy who cut his teeth writing barf-bag exploitation movies at Troma, but James Gunn is really just a big softie. That much became clear a decade ago when the writer-director of Slither traded R-rated zombie mayhem for PG-13 Marvel fun with Guardians of the Galaxy, a space opera defined less by its irreverent wisecracks and Tarantino needle drops than by the kumbaya camaraderie it developed between its cast of cuddly outlaws. Flash forward a decade. Gunn, now riding high across two competing comic-book universes, has returned to send those mismatched superheroes off into the sunset with a trilogy capper. And you better believe he's brought all his gushy big feels along for the ride: Vol. 3 begins with a character singing along, without irony, to Radiohead's self-loathing anthem "Creep," and essentially ends with a group hug.

Thankfully, Gunn has more to offer than IMAX-scaled sentimentality. He's also a kind of pop-punk blockbuster visionaryand the rare filmmaker to commandeer the enormous resources of the Kevin Feige machine in service of his own offbeat thing, rather than just being chewed up by its ever-grinding gears. This is, in all likelihood, the last of these movies Gunn will make, at least for a while. (He's headed to cross-town rival DC to reboot Superman and company.) As such, he's pulled out all the stops, cranking everything singular about Guardians of the Galaxy to 11. If the results are exhausting, they're exhausting in an idiosyncratic, very James Gunn way.

By now, this corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a universe in and of itself. The Guardians, once a ragtag five, have grown exponentially. The casually invested will likely remember goofball self-styled daredevil and team captain Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), a.k.a. Starlord, as well as some once and future crewmates: no-nonsense warrior princess Gamora (Zoe Saldana), salty trash bandit Rocket (Bradley Cooper), literal minded strongman Drax (Dave Bautista), linguistically limited tree man Groot (Vin Diesel), and cyborgian anti-heroine Nebula (Karen Gillan). But will they also remember the cheery empath Mantis (Pom Klementieff)? How about the space pirate, or the talking Soviet dog? No time for reintroductions!

If Gunn has a favorite among this ever-expanding ensemble, it's probably Rocket. He is, like his director, a geek, a tinkerer, a sentimentalist hiding his big, beating heart behind cynical quips. Vol. 3 ends up revolving around the crafty raccoon, who's critically injured in an early battle, and his heretofore unexplored historya tragic backstory of lab experiments and pre-Guardians misfit bonding, told through a series of flashbacks that push Gunn's flirtation with maudlin manipulation into the four-hankie red zone. Who was expecting a major Disney tentpole to resemble, even just in spurts, the upsetting animal torture of un-esteemed '80s slopfest The Fly 2?

Marvel Studios/Disney

Vol. 3, which thrusts its heroes on a planet-hopping rescue mission, is not the most elegant piece of storytelling. Like most Marvel movies, it's cluttered with subplots, and with villains. The main heavy is an uncommonly despicable mad scientist (Chukwudi Iwuji)a Dr. Moreau obsessed with creating a perfect society, a bioengineered suburban utopia. Welcome, as well, Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), the living superweapon as doltish man-child, whose presence here seems more add-to-the-toyline mandated than strictly crucial to the plot, though his own artificial origins mirror those of rogue experiment Rocket. For interpersonal conflict, there's the aborted romance between Quill and Gamoraa casualty of the convoluted time-travel revisions of Avengers: Endgame. The movie might have done more with this rom-com dilemma, if there was time for that.

Yet Gunn keeps his overtaxed story humming along, smoothing over the lumpiness with visual-conceptual invention. He shares with Rocket, too, a scavenger's delight in forging from scraps. Vol. 3 borrows liberally but imaginatively from a whole video-store aisle of science fictionfrom Stanley Kubrick and Luc Besson, from Ridley Scott and Douglas Adams, from the prosthetic extraterrestrial taxonomies of Star Trek and the gene-splicing cyberpunk of (no joke) the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie. This Guardians is derivative with panache, a flavorful hodgepodge of influences.

Marvel movies have become such undistinguished product that it's disarming to see one that actually looks good, with a little texture and splendor and stylistic ambition. Gunn brings a pop-art vibrancy to an early, screwball heist in a corporate HQ that's really a giant, organic membrane; it's like an Apple store by way of Cronenberg, the color coordination extending from the primary pop of the Guardians' space uniforms to the matching pigmentation of the alien functionaries. The effects work, a smorgasbord of weird creatures, is genuinely pretty coolhardly a given in this franchise of sometimes-drab wonders. And there's a fun faux-single-shot action splash-panel that puts most such brawls to shame.

Marvel Studios/Disney

The driving force is Gunn's affection for these characters. If the Avengers have frequently been depicted as uneasy coworkers, trading jocular banter on the job, their interstellar counterparts squabble more like siblings. Gunn's sitcom humanism, surprisingly simpatico with his taste for B-movie grotesquerie and Weird Science spectacle, hinges on the impression that almost every adversary could be a future in-law. Just look at the makeup of the Guardians, an alliance of bickering convenience that's grown, over three movies, to include frenemies of previous installments.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a pageant of tragicomic (-book) immoderation. It doesn't know when to say when. Is that a flaw or a philosophy? The humor can be loud, even shrill, commanding good actors like Bautista and Gillan to shout grade-school insults. The action gets a little exhausting, in that familiar Marvel way, with a third act that goes on and on into a CGI cosmos of exploding ships and bodies racing through space. Because the FM mixtape was such a crucial component of the first movie's popularity, Gunn triples down with nearly wall-to-wall jukebox cues, some better than others. And most excessively, Vol. 3 piles on the shameless emotional appeals; this is a movie with no hesitation about using animals and kidsall cute, all imperiledto yank on the heartstrings. The whole thing strikes a less successful balance between Gunn's dark comic side and his inherent sappiness than The Suicide Squad, the best Guardians of the Galaxy movie to not actually feature the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Yet the movie wears you down as much as it wears you out. It feels earnest in its mega-budget cringe, an expression of Gunn's sensibility as much as a play to appease stockholders. After the inconsequential nadir of the recent Quantumania, it's hard not to appreciate a Marvel movie that feels made not by committee but, unmistakably, by the teary B-movie veteran whose work used to be squishy in a very different way. And in its vomiting sincerity, and for all its missteps, it achieves something like grandeur. Savor that, because it doesn't arrive often in this universe of box-office bait.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 opens in theaters everywhere Friday, May 5.
In Houston's Asiatown, cultural offerings and vibrant history can be enjoyed by visitors through tours, experiences, restaurants and shops.

Houston's original Chinatown was in East Downtown and Little Saigon was in Midtown, but in the mid-1980s and 1990s, a new development of Chinese and Vietnamese businesses moved to the southwest of the city. The area along Bellaire Boulevard has flourished and grown, now encompassing restaurants and shops representing Thailand, Mongolia, Malaysia, Japan, Laos, South Korea and more. Today, the adjacent areas of Chinatown and Little Saigon are colloquially known to some as Asiatown. It's also the birthplace of Viet-Cajun cuisine.

If you're looking to spend some time exploring this vibrant area, keep reading for the best things to do, see and eat in Houston's Asiatown.

Iconic things to do in Asiatown

One of the best ways to experience and learn about Asiatown is by taking a cultural tour. Houston Asiatown Tours take visitors to a temple and a market while sharing the area's rich history. The Chinese Community Center also offers Asian Heritage Tours that focus on experiences like dumpling making, Chinese calligraphy, tai chi, tea tasting and herbology.

Another must-do in Asiatown is a visit to the Teo Chew Temple, a Vietnamese Buddhist temple that is free and open daily. While the temple is open to everyone, please note that they request people to conform to the dress code, which includes no shorts or sleeveless shirts for men. Jade Buddha Temple and the Vietnamese Buddhist Center are also picturesque places to explore.

Take advantage of the many signs advertising massage services along Bellaire, especially reflexology. Oasis Massage Salon is one of the most well known and popular spas, offering everything from stone to Swedish massage. Finally, no trip to Asiatown would be complete without some time spent singing karaoke. The private rooms at Happy Zone KTV and Yes KTV, two of Asiatown's most popular karaoke bars, mean you can belt out your favorites even if stage fright normally keeps you from grabbing a mic.

twinsterphoto/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Where to shop in Asiatown

Harwin Drive's shopping district is the place to find home decor, jewelry, clothes and perfume. Though the businesses there can change frequently, the two-story Harwin Central Mart is a good place to start, and it's where you can find everything from wigs to formal wear.

Hong Kong City Mall opened in 1999 and has more than 100 shops, restaurants and health and wellness stores on its grounds, including salons and medspas, cafes, electronics shops, jewelry and gift shops. Inside, the gargantuan Hong Kong Food Market, which has 15,000 square feet of produce, live seafood and pantry staples, is a haven for Houstonians looking to cook a variety of Asian dishes at home.

H Mart is a Korean grocery store chain that has every Southeast Asian culinary staple imaginable. It also has a butcher counter, a large produce department, live seafood, beauty products and clothing. At Viet Hoa International Foods, you'll find another expansive selection of goods at reasonable prices.

TODD SPOTH, Photographer / For The Chronicle

Where to eat in Asiatown

There's a Facebook group with more than 26,000 members dedicated to exploring Asiatown's culinary scene, called Chow Down in Chinatown. There are hundreds of restaurants in Houston's Asiatown, including many that specialize in regional Chinese cuisine. The arrival of several Asian chain restaurants has also changed the scene's dynamic, which was mostly mom-and-pop operations for a long time.

To start your Asiatown culinary journey, head to Nam Giao and Thien Thanh for the most amazing Vietnamese food you've ever had. At staples like Ocean Palace, Arco Seafood, Kim Son and Dim Sum King, weekend and lunch-only dim sum service delights with dumplings of all kinds, buns, sesame balls, lotus rice and more. Mala Sichuan Bistro was nominated for a James Beard Award for its lengthy menu of Sichuan and other regional Chinese dishes (mapo tofu and dan dan noodles are especially recommended). Sinh Sinh is one of Asiatown's original restaurants and its menu (printed in English, Vietnamese and Chinese) is Cheesecake Factory-sized, offering dozens of options from hot pot to noodles to sizzling plates. And at Crawfish & Noodles, you'll find James Beard Award nominee Trong Nguyen serving spicy Viet-Cajun dishes.

Karen Warren, Staff / Houston Chronicle

Tofu Village is a cute Korean cafe where you can customize your tofu soup with flavor, spice intensity and add-ins like marinated beef, spicy pork and kimchi. The menu at Asiatown's cherished Malaysian spot Banana Leaf features roti canai, belacan fried rice topped in an egg and Hainanese chicken.

Asiatown also has plenty of sweet options, ranging from bubble tea to pastries to over-the-top ice cream. Chinese bakery chain Six Ping, with several other locations in the city, serves fruit-topped tarts and cakes and all sorts of buns. Happy Lemon, a popular Taiwan-born chain, has a shop on Bellaire. Craving shaved ice? Get Korean shaved ice and Japanese taiyaki (filled fish-shaped sweets) at Snowy Village or nosh on cream puffs at Beard Papa's, a Japanese outfit. Truthfully, you can return to Asiatown again and again, trying something new each time you visit.

This story was edited by Hearst Newspapers Managing Editor Kristina Moy; you can contact her at kristina.moy@hearst.com.
Friday was the last day of work with the City of Laredo for Riazul Mia, as the assistant city manager is retiring after almost three decades of working for the community.

A recognition to Mia was given following the announcement of his retirement during a Laredo City Council meeting on April 17. He was also recognized for his time with the city by Rep. Henry Cuellar on April 24 during the announcement of a $2.4 million grant awarded to the city to fight autism.

Mia has been working for the city for 27 years. And he spoke with LMT on his final day about what it meant for him to work as the assistant city manager and the utilities director.

As an assistant city manager, my job was to mostly help the city manager to fulfill the council's direction, and so I oversee all the operations of the city that include all the new development constructions, all the services we provide like the utilities, solid waste, among others, he said. I dealt with a lot of complains or issues citizens have, and we would try our best to get that done right along with my directors. It was a very fulfilling experience though it's very demanding, but at the end of the day you can do help the community to resolve some of their issues and move the community forward.

Mia was the utilities director for five years. Prior to that, he was the director of the Environmental Services Department. In the summer of 2020, Mia was promoted to assistant city manager.

Mia said that the transition from being utilities director to assistant city manager did not represent a big change.

It was almost the same thing because you have to deal with the citizens, but you also deal with a lot of employee issues. But in the assistant city manager position I dealt with department directors, and if they have issues, I called them, I guide them. But I am not their supervisor, and I make sure all the motions and the council actions were done, he said. So it was not challenging. It was actually rewarding for me because I got to help the citizens with a lot of other issues not just the water and wastewater.

Mia said that some of the challenges he faced was not having a stable city manager in the position during his term as assistant city manager, since the city has several city managers in the last four years.

That becomes a challenge for everybody because you keep switching the big boss, he said. You know everyone has their own pattern, their own goals when it comes to work and get the job done, so that that was a challenge, Mia said. However, all the city managers supported me, so I was able to do my work. It didn't affect me, but it might affected the morale eventually.

Mia added that although the pandemic was also a challenge, he believes that the city did a good job during those difficult times because they never stopped providing services and were always open to the needs of citizens.

For Mia, one of his greatest satisfactions working for the city was managing to prevent flooding in the city

When I came in, we have a lot of flooding issues every time it rained. The whole city got flooded, and I was able to work with the council and the management, and we literally resolve all the flooding, he said.

He also headed several projects to either provide or improve water utilities in rapidly-developing areas of Laredo, such as the South Laredo Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion and the construction of the San Isidro 2.5 MG Elevated Storage Tank.

He led efforts for various city-wide projects including the Chacon Creek Restoration Project and the River Vega Master Plan: two projects that protect local natural resources while allowing for better flow and drainage of the watershed system while allowing residents another opportunity to enjoy nature.

I was involved with most of these regional parks from North Central Park to Father McNaboe to Independence Hills to Las Misiones, and even at North Central Park. Me and my son we planted a lot of trees, and I can see those trees are big now giving shade, so that is very special for me, he said.

Mia was the project manager and contract developer for the public-private partnership that allowed for the construction of a much-needed five lane concrete road to extend Bartlett Avenue.

We got to do a lot of projects, road projects. We were moving forward, giving that transportation and giving the quality of life to the citizen, so that's also my satisfaction, Mia said.

Mia said that he decided to retire because he felt that it was time to give way to new generations.

I am not young. I am 59 years old. I just feel like we have a lot of younger generations, and we need to step aside and give them opportunities, he said.

Mia said that in the future he will take some time off, go travel with his wife and later he will be thinking about some offers from the private industry.

I'm not completely retiring. I'm going to take some time off and I'll go find something else to do, he said. My wife and I we are going to travel a little bit. I do not want to think about job at this moment, although I have started getting some calls from different people from the private sector.

Finally, Mia thanked City Council, management, staff and citizens of the city for all the years they supported him.

I worked with multiple city managers and five mayors, and I just want to thank for giving me the opportunity to work with them, Also I thank the citizens and hopefully I was able to make some difference to their lives, Mia said. I spent half of my life here, and I thank them for their hospitality. Because of that, this community is my family.

I love the community. My son was born here, and I really appreciate them and thank from the bottom of my heart for giving me the opportunity to serve the community.

Riazul Mia grew up in Bangladesh and received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology in 1988. He graduated from Louisiana State University with a Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering in 1996 and obtained a Master of Public Administration from Texas A&M International University in 2003. Furthermore, he completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard Universitys J.F.K. School of Government in 2006.
Behind every good man is a good woman has been heard in the business world for decades. That phrase seems really dated now, yet the sentiment has real meaning. When a person succeeds, there is very often a spouse or family member in the background providing the support and encouragement needed to help them shine.

Rotary was founded in 1905, but women were not admitted as members until 1989. But women have always been present and accounted for. Rotary Founder Paul Harris wrote proudly about his spouse Jean often. The couple traveled the world on behalf of Rotary, and Jean was an important part of the organization.

In 1914, Rotarians from San Francisco boarded a train to Houston, where the Rotary International Convention was being held. Ann Brunnier, wife of Rotarian Bru Brunnier, was on the train. She was well known within Rotary for the support she provided her husband, a rising star. She was lovingly introduced during that trip as Rotarys Ann. The name stuck as a respectful term of endearment for Rotary wives in the very different world of the early 1900s.

In 1928, The Oklahoma Rotary Club, the 29th club chartered in Rotary, proposed that a womans auxiliary be added to Rotary Clubs, and acceptance of the ladies groups spread quickly. The work the wives had been doing quietly in the background for their husbands - helping with community projects and organizing club socials - took on new meaning. Some older clubs still have active Rotary Ann groups. When I joined the RC of Houston way back in 1999, the Rotary Anns were very active in that large club of over 600 members.

In todays Rotary, spouses - both male and female - are a substantial percentage of the community service workforce within the clubs, and Rotary would be lost without them. The Rotary Club of Conroes Sylvia Wiggins, wife of President Elect Jim, works with Jim in his CPA firm and that partnership has carried through into RCC.

At The RC of Lake Conroe, no one has worked harder for the Rotary Youth Exchange Program than Wally Lockey, husband of Past District Governor Doris. Wally is now a Rotarian himself. Pixie Jones, wife of Past President Craig and a talented graphics artist did the clubs weekly bulletin for decades. Bill Rathbun, husband of Past President Christina, formed a tight bond with the Rotary Youth Exchange students the couple hosted for many years. Gary Parker, husband of Lorrie, donated countless hours to RCLC and Memory Park with his videos and camera work. And Janet Milleson, wife of Past President Gary, is now a club member and the President Elect of RCLC. These are just a few of the hundreds of local Rotary spouses who are an important part of the fabric of who we are as a Family of Rotary. Such a Beautiful Thing!

To learn more about Rotary contact Kris via email at KrisCommService@aol.com or text 713 825-0141. Also see the website and facebook pages of any of our local clubs, or the Rotary District 5910 website at www.rotary5910.org .
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Iran's navy seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday heading to the U.S. amid wider tensions over Tehran's nuclear program, the latest-such capture in a waterway crucial for global energy supplies.

The U.S. Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet identified the vessel as the Advantage Sweet. Satellite tracking data for the vessel from MarineTraffic.com showed it in the Gulf of Oman, just north of Oman's capital, Muscat, on Thursday afternoon. It had just come from Kuwait and listed its destination as Houston.

The Advantage Sweet issued a distress call at 1:15 p.m. while in international waters as Iran seized the vessel, the Navy said.

"Irans actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability," the 5th Fleet said in a statement. Iran should immediately release the oil tanker.

The Navy initially said Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized the vessel, but an American naval aircraft later confirmed that Iran's navy captured the ship, 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins told The Associated Press.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said the seizure came after an unknown ship collided with an Iranian vessel last night in the Persian Gulf, causing several Iranian crew members to go missing and get injured. It did not identify the other ship involved in the alleged collision.

The Advantage Sweet had been in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, but its track showed no unusual behavior as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of all traded oil passes. Iran has made allegations in other seizures that later fell apart as it became clear Tehran was trying to leverage the capture as a chip to negotiate with foreign nations.

Irans harassing activity within the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman is commensurate with an established pattern of behavior that has seen Iran target vessels as a result of ongoing disputes," maritime security firm Dryad Global said.

The 5th Fleet said the Iranian seizure was at least the fifth commercial vessel taken by Tehran in the last two years.

Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy, it added.

U.S. Army Gen. Erik Kurilla, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East, said in a statement that the illegal seizure of the tanker was ""another in a continuing series of violations by Iran of the international rules-based order."

The vessel's manager, a Turkish firm called Advantage Tankers, issued a statement acknowledging the Advantage Sweet was being escorted by the Iranian navy to a port on the basis of an international dispute. All the ship's 24 crew members are Indian.

The safety and welfare of our valued crew members is our No. 1 priority, the firm said. Similar experiences show that crew members of vessels taken under such circumstances are in no danger.

The ship's listed owner appeared to be a Chinese company.

Manifest information from data firm Refinitiv showed the Advantage Sweet carried Kuwaiti crude oil for American energy firm Chevron Corp. of San Ramon, California. Chevron said it was aware of the situation.

We are in contact with the vessel operator with the hope of resolving this situation as soon as possible, Chevron spokesperson Christine Dobbyn said in a statement.

Thursday's seizure by Iran was the latest in a string of ship seizures and explosions to roil the region.

The incidents began after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Irans nuclear deal with world powers, which saw Tehran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Also, the U.S. Navy has blamed Iran for a series of limpet mine attacks on vessels that damaged tankers in 2019, as well as for a fatal drone attack on an Israeli-linked oil tanker that killed two European crew members in 2021.

Tehran denies carrying out the attacks, but a wider shadow war between Iran and the West has played out in the regions volatile waters. Iranian tanker seizures have been a part of it since 2019. The last major seizure came when Iran took two Greek tankers in May and held them until November.

In the wider Mideast, Iranian-backed militias in Syria have carried out attacks on U.S. forces, including one that killed a contractor in March. The U.S. responded with airstrikes.

Meanwhile, talks over Irans tattered nuclear deal have been stalled for a year. Since the deals collapse, Iran runs advanced centrifuges and has a rapidly growing stockpile of enriched uranium. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has warned Iran has enriched enough up to 60% purity  a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. That would be sufficient for Iran to make several nuclear weapons if it chooses to do so.

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Associated Press writer Robert Badendieck in Istanbul contributed to this report.

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Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.
TALLAHASSEE  As Florida grapples with a shortage of affordable housing, the Senate on Friday gave final approval to a bill that could lead to landlords collecting monthly fees instead of security deposits from renters.

The Senate also signed off on a measure that would lead to state law trumping local regulations governing landlords and tenants. Both measures are ready to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Senators voted 31-7 to pass the bill (HB 133) about renters paying monthly fees. Supporters said it would provide an option to help renters get into apartments without having to come up with potentially large security deposits.

Senate sponsor Nick DiCeglie, R-Indian Rocks Beach, used an example of an apartment that costs $1,500 a month. He said a new tenant could be forced to pay twice that much to get into the apartment and might be able to better afford it by paying a monthly fee.

Some folks dont have $3,000, DiCeglie said. So this is simply an option.

But opponents have said potential fees would not be capped and that renters wouldnt be able to eventually recoup the money, like they might with security deposits. Also, after they move out, they could be forced to pay to repair damage to apartments.

Sen. Geraldine Thompson, D-Windermere, likened the bill, which passed the House last week, to exploitation.

To allow this kind of profiteering, which is what this is, is not something that I can support, Thompson said.

DiCeglie, however, said such fee arrangements are already being used and that the bill would codify it and put some guardrails around it.

Based on other areas where fees are used, bill supporters have said a renter would pay an average $25 monthly fee on a $1,500-a-month lease. Landlords could use the money to buy a type of insurance that would help pay for damage to units.

Meanwhile, the Senate voted 29-8 to pass a bill (HB 1417) that would lead to state law overriding  or pre-empting  local ordinances involving tenants and landlords. The House passed the bill Wednesday.

In recent years, cities and counties, including in heavily populated areas such as Miami-Dade, Broward, Orange, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, have passed ordinances  frequently described as a tenant bill of rights  that go beyond a state law known as the Florida Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.

The ordinances deal with a variety of issues, such as notices about rent increases, notices about fees and notices about changes of ownership.

During a House debate Wednesday, supporters said the state needs to take a free-market approach to addressing affordable-housing problems. They said local regulations drive up costs.

The government is the problem when it comes to the affordable-housing crisis, Rep. David Borrero, R-Sweetwater, said.

But Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, issued a statement Friday describing the bill as another slap in the face to Florida renters.

At a local level, governments like Orange County have put into place policies to try and make the playing field more equal for tenants, Eskamani said. These are modest but important proposals, and now they will all be eliminated when this bill is signed into law.
Astros vs Phillies: How to get tickets and free swag this weekend Here's how to score the best deals on tickets, plus all the free promotions you won't want to miss.
NORTH HAVEN  Police say a 14-year-old was apprehended after he allegedly jumped into a car at a gas station, locked the doors to prevent the owner from getting in, and took off Wednesday morning.

The youth's identity was not released because of his age.

North Haven police said the incident occurred around 10:45 a.m. when a silver Hyundai Sonata pulled into the Cumberland Farms gas station on State Street.

A passenger in the Sonata got out and got into the driver's seat of a Ford Edge that was being fueled, North Haven police said. The owner of the Ford Edge spotted the teen inside their vehicle "and attempted to open the door, which had now been locked," the agency said in a news release shared on Facebook.

"The suspect then drove off in the victims vehicle, being followed by the Sonata which brought him there," North Haven police said.

The information about the stolen car was broadcast to other law enforcement agencies.

Shortly after, police said, a North Haven officer assigned to a task force reported the car had been found empty on Read Street in New Haven.

The 14-year-old suspected of stealing the car was also located shortly after that in New Haven, according to police.

The teen was charged with conspiracy to commit larceny of a motor vehicle on a juvenile summons, police said.

Police warn drivers in Connecticut that thieves will often target cars as they're being filled up at gas stations.
Virginia's chief diversity officer was blunt. He took the stage Friday at Virginia Military Institute - a college embroiled in a tense debate over racism, sexism and diversity reforms - and slammed the whole concept of diversity, equity and inclusion.

"Let's take a moment right now to kill that cow. DEI is dead," said Martin D. Brown, who was appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) in November. "We're not going to bring that cow up anymore. It's dead. It was mandated by the General Assembly, but this governor has a different philosophy of civil discourse, civility, treating - living the golden rule, right?"

Brown, a Black Republican who is a former Heritage Foundation fellow and worked for two prior GOP governors, was the featured speaker at a mandatory annual "inclusive excellence" training for VMI's faculty and staff members. VMI recorded the speech and made it available after The Post asked to see it.

The freewheeling talk - which Brown kicked off with a prayer to Jesus and laced with mentions of "our Creator" and "God" - angered some of the people who attended.

"Other colleges have had DEI embedded at their schools for a long time, but at VMI, it's new and not fully supported by alumni and staff," said one professor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. "It's a place where you can stomp it out. Multiple people I spoke with afterwards were outraged. They were concerned about our students, our minority groups. How is this going to impact them? They're already struggling even with the current diversity push."

Brown's speech came at an especially sensitive time for VMI, the nation's oldest state-supported military college. Its 1,500 students remain mostly White and male.

The Lexington school has been under pressure to change since late 2020, when then-Gov. Ralph Northam (D) ordered an independent investigation into VMI, saying the school suffered from a "clear and appalling culture of ongoing structural racism." Afterward, the 183-year-old college, whose cadets fought and died for the Confederacy, appointed its first Black superintendent, retired Army Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins and created a diversity, equity and inclusion office, led by two Black women.

Recently, VMI changed the title of its diversity office to Diversity, Opportunity and Inclusion to reflect the title of Brown's office in Richmond. The scrapping of "equity," though, also came after blowback by some of the college's mostly White, older alumni, who graduated in the 1970s and 1980s. They have spent months attacking DEI as anti-White.

On Friday, before several hundred VMI professors and other staff members, Brown, who is 60 and makes $160,000 a year, echoed the criticisms of its conservative graduates.

"VMI's in a unique space . . . You've been at the tip of the spear in serving our country in sending warriors to battle, but in a way, you're at the tip of the spear in this cultural war as well," said Brown, who also argued: "Generally, when you are focusing on equity, you're not pursuing merit or excellence or achievement. Not all the time, but you're looking at equal outcomes."

Before its removal from the college's website, VMI's explanation of its DEI program stated that equity was different from equality because, "whereas equality means providing the same to all, equity means recognizing that we do not all start from the same place and must acknowledge and make adjustments to address historical and existing discrimination."

"Inequities happen when unfair or biased practices, policies, or situations contribute to a lack of equality. Equity must permeate all practices, policies, and procedures for every constituent."

(Now, VMI's diversity office website says that changes to its content are forthcoming.)

Brown said that pursuing diversity for its own sake is flawed.

"What we've done is we've made diversity the mission. Wrong mission . . . The challenge is keeping your eyes on the mission rather than the attendant challenges that we experience trying to complete the mission," Brown said. "And when we focus on those challenges, what happens is the mission is undermined . . . One of the things we want to focus on is whatever the goal of the organization is, that goal is paramount, and diversity and inclusion supports whatever the goal is."

Brown, who spoke at VMI at the superintendent's invitation, declined an interview request. The Post sent him questions about his talk, but he declined to answer them. Instead, he supplied a statement:

"It's proven that institutions achieve more with a more diverse and inclusive workforce," a portion of the statement read. "However, equity has become a tradeoff for excellence. Our aim is to expand opportunities but not guarantee equal results."

Before joining the Youngkin administration, Brown worked for two other GOP governors, Bob McDonnell and Jim Gilmore. He served as the state's commissioner of the social services department, overseeing more than 1,700 employees in 120 locations, his government biography says.

Most recently, he worked as president of a public relations firm and as manager of a Chick-fil-A franchise in Richmond, according to his LinkedIn profile.

In interviews with The Post, a half-dozen faculty and staff members said it felt like Brown was repeating right-wing political talking points, denigrating "equity" without any evidence, and dismissing the very premise of his job - diversity. They also were disturbed that he began a training session at a public college with a Christian prayer, invoking the name of Jesus; and his repeated praising of his boss, Youngkin, who is scheduled to deliver on May 16 the school's commencement address.

"People felt like it was propaganda," a faculty member said. Brown's declaration that "DEI is dead" felt like he was "baiting" the room. But many professors, the faculty member added, are conflicted about publicly condemning Brown's talk for fear that the Youngkin administration might "target" them or "politicize" their work or motives.

"There is this worry we have a responsibility to do something about the message that was delivered and the harm that was done, but we have to balance that against whether that will backfire. Was he there to deliberately to draw us out as 'liberal faculty'?" the professor said. "But it's not about 'liberal' or 'conservative.' Faculty have a job. It's our vocation to teach our students to have difficult conversations with different people. We're a place of higher education and that's what we have to be doing. We were there to be trained to do our jobs better - but instead we were told, 'DEI is dead.'"

Several staff and faculty members said Brown didn't fully explain his office's vision and why "opportunity" is superior to "equity."

"What is the purpose of DOI? How is it positive? I just didn't get any clarity. What are the pieces of that? How can we see ourselves in that effort? It just lacked substance," one staff member told The Post. "I don't think he understands how many people in that room were disappointed. This was a mandatory meeting, and it was a waste. And to say that DEI is dead? He's killed two parts of his office - diversity and inclusion. He made a case as to why he shouldn't have a job."

At various points during his talk, Brown suggested that race relations in the country have dramatically improved over the last several decades. "Because they're better, we can't ascribe perpetual victimization or even motives because they're different," he said. "Acknowledging those truths frees us up to deal with the issues, the real issues, of today."

At the end of Brown's speech, one person asked him how he could reconcile inclusiveness and reducing divisiveness with his opening Christian prayer.

"The one thing I probably did say that I probably shouldn't have was 'Jesus,' " he said. "And I should have focused on 'our Creator' because I am holding the position of a government official in this context and so . . . I understand that and I respect that. But I am not going to apologize for who I am."

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The Washington Post's Alice Crites contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON - D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) announced Thursday she will conduct a nationwide search to find the city's next police chief, seeking to fill what officials say will be a massive void that is left when Robert J. Contee III formally retires from his post in June.

As a longtime D.C. police officer who grew up in a part of the city battered by violence, Contee had a background that gave him unique credibility with some residents skeptical of law enforcement, and his impassioned speeches on violence in the city earned him respect from rank-and-file officers and those in favor of aggressive policing.

City officials said it would be a challenge to find someone like him.

"We will get another police chief, I just don't know if all of those boxes that come along with Chief Contee will get checked," said Linda Harllee Harper, director of gun violence prevention and executive director of the city's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, noting Contee was a Black man who was raised in D.C. and rose through the ranks of the department. "What Chief Contee brought to this position meant so much."

Contee, sworn into office as acting chief four days before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, will leave the department as staffing hits a historic low, homicides threaten to reach highs not seen in decades and Congress continues to take interest in public safety in D.C. Bowser vowed to cast a wide net to search for his replacement, while also looking "very closely" at internal candidates.

Deputy Mayor of Public Safety and Justice Lindsey Appiah, who Bowser tapped to lead the search, said Thursday that she hopes to have named a new chief "shortly after" Contee's final day, which is scheduled for June 3.

"Do I like to see people leave who are doing a great job? No," Bowser said at a news conference Thursday. "But as a mayor, am I always planning for transitions? Yes, I'm a three-time mayor."

Contee notified Bowser of his retirement Monday, he said, after months of considering whether to accept an offer from the FBI. The FBI announced Thursday that Contee had been appointed the assistant director of the Office of Partner Engagement, a role that involves building relationships with federal agencies and law enforcement officials across the country.

"I'm able to leave out of here with my head high and my chest stuck out. You know why? Because I did everything that I possibly could for my city," he said.

Contee, who called his decision to retire from the police department "very tough," spoke proudly on Thursday about his new job. He said it should set an example for children in D.C. about what is possible in their careers, while allowing him more time to spend with his 10-year-old son.

"A kid from Carver Terrace to rise up to be the chief of police. And now, an assistant director of the FBI," he said.

But the chief also showed glimpses of his emotional scars from decades of grueling shifts that often had him encounter people in their worst moments: "My God, I'll tell you, if I never have to hear another parent who lost their child screams, if I never have to hear that again, I'm okay with that, because that sound, it pierces my heart," he said.

Contee presided over the department through the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and its fallout, the tail winds of the coronavirus pandemic, and clashes with the D.C. Council over issues such as how many officers should be on the force and whether police belong in schools.

He also battled persistent surges in violent crime, with more than 200 killings in both 2021 and 2022. As of Thursday, homicides were up by 16 percent compared with the same time last year; violent crime was up by 7 percent, and property crime by 29 percent.

Contee has made it clear that he was frustrated by what he has called the criminal justice "ecosystem" in Washington. He has argued that his officers arrest people only for the courts to release them back to the community without adequate support; and he has come out in favor of stringent sentences for violent offenders at a time when members of the city council were pushing for a revised criminal code, which Congress blocked, that would have lowered the statutory maximum penalty for some crimes.

Standing behind crime-scene tape time and again over the past two years to address communities devastated by bullets, "accountability" became his rallying cry.

"This is the same movie from when I was a boy growing up here. When are we going to do something different?" Contee said one day in the summer of 2021, standing in the middle of one of the busiest commercial streets in Washington, where bullets had injured two men and narrowly missed nearby restaurants packed with outdoor diners. "And what different looks like, what does not happen here, is accountability."

But despite his occasional disagreements with local lawmakers, Contee had support in most corners of the government. The current and former chairs of the council's public and safety judiciary committee both praised his leadership, multiple heads of city agencies described him as especially collaborative. Chairman of the D.C. police Union Gregg Pemberton, in a statement Thursday, said Contee "has always been, and will continue to be, well-respected by the rank-and-file."

"He had a cross-section of community support, rank-and-file support and support at the commander level, which is pretty rare," said David Muhammad, executive director of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, who has worked closely with the Bowser administration.

But Nee Nee Taylor, a longtime local organizer who believes police should be abolished, said Contee is leaving a lot of community-building work unfinished. She had respected Contee because they are both Black D.C. natives who wanted to make the city better for Black people. But, she said, he failed to build a strong relationship between police and marginalized, "oppressed" Black communities.

"I believe he really wanted to build that relationship, but the way that the system is built to operate, nobody in those communities respect the police," said Taylor, co-conductor for Harriet's Wildest Dreams, a local Black-led mutual aid and community defense organization. "We never got to a holistic way of approaching people without being with the police state of mind."

Chuck Wexler, the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, said Contee has long been sought-after by police departments across the country. Wexler said he contacted Contee years ago, before he was tapped to lead D.C.'s force, to see if he was interested in becoming police chief in cities including Philadelphia or Chicago.

Contee's response, Wexler said, was always that he wanted to be police chief in the city that raised him.

"He has an amazing story that allows him to have credibility within the community and with the cops," Wexler said. "He will be a tough act to follow."

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The Washington Post's Michael Brice-Saddler and Ellie Silverman contributed to this report.
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NORWALK  A proposed apartment complex across from the South Norwalk train station is one step closer to breaking ground.

Norwalks Planning and Zoning Commission has voted to approve the $4.6 million sale of the citys property at 15 and 17 Chestnut Street to Spinnaker Real Estate Partners to be developed into a new, 200-unit apartment complex with 260 parking spots. The commission still must approve the project itself, while the sale must be OK'd by the Common Council.

Currently, 60 commuter public parking spots occupy the lot. Under the Land Disposition Agreement proposed by Norwalk Redevelopment Agency, these 60 spots would be included in the buildings parking deck.

The development will consist of 5,000 to 15,000 square feet of commercial space and 150,000 to 200,000 square feet of residential space, according to the agenda for the Economic and Community Development Committees April 6 meeting.

Spinnakers proposed building would be on the same block as some of their other apartment complexes, The Platform Sono, which was completed in 2020, and the Shirt Factory Lofts. Both are across the street from the South Norwalk station.

In 2022, the city received a $6 million grant to improve the infrastructure around South Norwalk train station.

By investing in infrastructure and streetscape, such as enhancing traffic safety through new sidewalks, mitigating stormwater runoff to prevent flooding, and planting more trees, this critical infrastructure project will increase livability and add to the vibrancy of our city, Mayor Harry Rilling said when the grant was announced last year. This initiative also allocates funds toward the preservation of existing affordable housing, supporting our vision of making the city a more accessible and equitable place to work and live.

The Norwalk Economic and Community Development Committee unanimously approved the Land Dispositions Agreement on March 2, 2022, and referred the sale to the Zoning Commission to ensure the plan meets the citys plan for conservation and development. The Planning and Zoning Commission voted with five members in favor and three abstaining.

Now the the Common Council must approve the sale and Land Disposition Agreement, according to Steven Kleppin the director of Planning and Zoning.

During the meeting, commission member Jacquen Jordan-Byron voice concern over the rising cost of rentals and lack of condominium development.

Every time I speak to people in South Norwalk, the No. 1 thing that I hear  I mean, I hear a lot of things  but you know that theres all these luxury rentals going up, high-rent rentals going up, but nothing that is affordable or that is a pathway to home ownership for first-time homeowners, Jordan-Byron said.

So particularly around the train station, it was said to me that instead of creating this whole focal point, this whole zone for people who are renting like for three years, maybe five years and then move on, so you have this kind of transient situation, she said. It would be nice to see something where people can buy and be encouraged to stay in the area and grow with the area.

In February of 2023, the city approved a plan to convert the Webster Street parking lot into an apartment complex with about 500-units to rent. That project is about a half-mile from the Chestnut Street property.

There are some factors that are really beyond the citys control with this, Kleppin said. Its market driven and by the lending on the condominiums but just from what I have heard its very hard to lend on the condominium projects. Its just that theres more difficulties in that arena.

Brian Bidolli, director of the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency, said Jordan-Byron's concerns have been and will continue to be discussed.

I think what we are trying to do is identify homeowner strategies in the whole of the portfolio, versus going by a project by project basis, Bidolli said. As Steve (Kleppin) was talking about, zoning cannot really dictate ownership models involved in that, but I think it is a very important conversation."

That issue has been discussed in a community advisory committee created for the Webster project.

We would like to see more diversity in this area as far as building options, Jordan-Byron said.
NAIROBI - Renewed fighting convulsed Sudan and its battered capital Friday, and Turkey reported that one of its evacuation planes had been shot at, despite world leaders' trumpeting the renewal of an already flagging cease-fire.

In Sudan's western Darfur region, ethnic fighting in one city between African and Arab armed groups erupted in a dark reminder of the brutal conflict that once racked the whole area, while French troops swooped across the border from Chad to evacuate U.N. staffers in another city.

Millions have been left stranded after fighting erupted between the military and the heavily armed paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15. On Thursday night, a fifth cease-fire was announced, intended to last for three days, but like the others, it was immediately violated, with fighting in the capital and elsewhere even as world leaders welcomed the warring parties' "readiness to engage in dialogue towards establishing a more durable cessation of hostilities and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access."

In an interview with U.S.-funded Arabic-language TV channel Alhurra on Friday, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the army chief and de facto head of state, said he would not negotiate with RSF commander Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. Burhan said he had proposed that both he and Hemedti step down, but Hemedti had refused.

"It is unacceptable to sit with Hemedti as a rebel against the state," Burhan said, though he voiced openness to initiatives led by a bloc of East African countries and the United States to stop the fighting.

The cease-fires, while never total, have occasionally resulted in reduced violence in some parts of the capital. They've allowed locals to flee and for some evacuation flights for foreigners to take place.

"It's obvious to everybody that the cease-fires are not perfectly working," one U.S. official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a fluid and sensitive political situation. "But we are hearing from multiple contacts on the ground, as well as our international partners, that the series of efforts to push forward cease-fires are creating meaningful periods of reduction of violence and that these periods are allowing people to move out of Khartoum."

Flights from an airfield just north of Khartoum, however, could be in danger after Turkey announced early Friday that "light weapons were fired on our C-130 evacuation plane, which was going to Wadi Sayidna for the mission of evacuating our citizens who were stuck in Sudan, where the clashes continued." No Turkish personnel were injured, and the plane landed "safely," the message said, without specifying when the attack occurred. Images posted online showed at least one bullet hole in the plane.

The army and RSF blamed each other for the attack. The airfield is secured by foreign troops and has been used to evacuate citizens from more than 41 nations so far, including France, Germany and Britain.

The United Kingdom said Friday that it would end its evacuation flights from Khartoum on Saturday as demand for seats declined. The operation has evacuated more than 1,500 people - most of them British - since Tuesday.

Canadian officials said Friday morning that they had grounded evacuation flights in part because of the situation involving the Turkish flight. In the afternoon, they said that the airspace had reopened and that they had resumed airlifts. Still, they stressed that they were in a race against the clock.

"The window to safely extract personnel by air is closing quickly," the officials said at a briefing, speaking on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the government.

The State Department has helped some U.S. citizens in Sudan "move overland to a location where they can more easily exit the country," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said Friday.

But many Americans - excluding embassy personnel - have had to make their own way out of the country. Several hundred U.S. citizens have left Sudan by land, sea or air since the fighting began.

"So far, fewer than 5,000 U.S. citizens have requested additional information from us," Patel said at a news conference Friday. "Of those, only a fraction have actively sought our assistance to depart Sudan."

But many are still trapped. Among them are members of one American family with two young girls who reported shooting on their street in Khartoum on Friday morning that peppered the lower walls of their home with bullets. They said they have been trying to find a driver for more than six days to take them to safety but that prices are sky-high, petrol is scarce and drivers are afraid to enter neighborhoods where there is fighting.

Muawiya Jaden, 29, said there had been fighting in southern Khartoum since 7:30 a.m. He lives just under a mile from the army's air defense command, he said.

"I am now talking to you from under the bed," he said by phone. "There is no water, and we have not eaten any food since yesterday due to these clashes."

Muhammad Abdul Rahman Abdullah, 24, said planes were bombing RSF positions near Jabal Awlia Hospital. "There is heavy deployment of the Rapid Support Forces infantry inside the neighborhoods after the battles intensified," he said. "This area is densely populated."

The U.N. human rights office accused RSF fighters on Friday of forcing civilians from their homes.

Conditions at the borders also are dire as thousands of people wait days in the desert, trying to flee through undermanned border crossings into Egypt or cram onto boats sent by Saudi Arabia to ferry people to Jiddah. At least two people have died at the Egyptian border crossing of Argeen, and others have needed intravenous fluids or CPR, witnesses have said.

In the vast and arid western region of Darfur, the scene of savage civil conflict in the past, a truce largely held until recently. Combat has occurred this week in the city of Geneina, which was spared the initial violence.

"Shooting is still going on in the market.  There are no government forces to protect citizens on the ground," a 35-year-old Geneina resident said Friday. She declined to use her name out of fear of reprisals by security forces or other armed groups.

"There are injured people who were unable to reach the hospital," she said. "There is no electricity or water."

In an echo of the ethnic strife that plagued the region two decades ago and led to accusations of genocide, a witness told The Washington Post that the sudden outbreak of fighting has been mainly between the ethnically African Masalit groups and Arab militant groups.

The specter of renewed violence looms over Darfur, where hundreds of thousands of people were killed during a 20-year civil war that pitted Arab militant groups, known as the Janjaweed, against ethnically sub-Saharan African rebels.

The militant groups attacked the city from four directions Thursday morning, said the witness, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for security reasons. "They came with motorbikes, and they have some other vehicles," he said. Eventually, a former rebel group known as the Sudanese Alliance, which signed the 2020 peace agreement that ended the war, repelled the attackers. The witness said 119 people had been killed in the fighting, adding to the 96 reported killed in the previous days. Markets and many homes and businesses had been looted, he said.

The dead were being collected in one place so that people could try to identify them, he said, adding that many displaced families, including women and children, had been killed. The militant groups reportedly also burned down government offices.

"They are still picking up the bodies," he said. "We have a small clinic in our area, and they are listing the names of the victims and those who are injured."

On Friday, the Sudanese Alliance was patrolling the streets in armored vehicles.

"Janjaweed militias are targeting any Black person," the witness said. "I fear this conflict in West Darfur will be a civil war."

Meanwhile, in the North Darfur town of El Fasher, French troops who crossed the border from Chad after sunset evacuated aid workers from an airfield, one evacuee confirmed.

"With very close coordination and cooperation between the two fighting parties and the government of North Darfur, we managed to facilitate the evacuation of 113 humanitarian workers from different U.N. agencies and international nongovernmental organizations from El Fasher to Chad," North Darfur's governor, Maj. Gen. Nimir Abdulrahman, told The Post in a text message.

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The Washington Post's Claire Parker in Boston and Kareem Fahim in Istanbul contributed to this report.
WATERBURY  A local man accused of killing four Massachusetts residents between 2006 and 2020 pleaded guilty Thursday in connection with the kidnapping and fatal shooting of a 28-year-old man, according to local police.

With the help of an accomplice, Calvin Roberson, also known as Cutty, 40, abducted Francisco Roman Jr., 28, from his home in Chicopee, Mass., on Dec. 24, 2020, according to the U.S. attorneys office. Federal officials previously identified the accomplice as Brandon Batiste, also known as B, of Springfield, Mass.

Roberson and Batiste handcuffed Roman, threatened to harm him if he did not comply with their orders and stole cash, marijuana and other items from him, according to the U.S. attorneys office. Forcing a handcuffed Roman into the back of his Acura ZDX, the U.S. attorney's office said, Roberson and Batiste drove the stolen items to Connecticut. While en route to Hartford, Batiste shot and killed Roman, the office said.

When Roberson and Batiste arrived at Shultas Place in Hartford's Barry Square neighborhood, they left the Acura parked on the street, according to the U.S. attorney's office. Local police and fire personnel responded to Shultas Place shortly before 9 p.m. on Dec. 26, 2020, and found the Acura engulfed in flames. Upon extinguishing the fire, the office said, investigators discovered Romans body in the back of the car. His death was attributed by the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to several gunshot wounds.

Roberson has been detained since his arrest in Waterbury on Feb. 11, 2021, according to the U.S. attorneys office. He pleaded guilty in New Haven federal court to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm.

As authorities were investigating Roman's death, they "received information" that Roberson was also responsible for three other homicides in Springfield, Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni has said.

Roberson charged with the December 2006 homicide of Loan Nguyen, 30, the October 2016 homicide of Yonaides Pichardo, 28, and the October 2017 homicide of Yonaides brother David, 27.

Roberson pleaded guilty at Hampden Superior Court in Massachusetts to three counts of manslaughter on April 18, Gulluni said.

Batiste was arrested in Athens, Ga., on Feb. 11, 2021, according to the U.S. attorneys office. He is awaiting trial, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Roberson could face up to life in prison at sentencing.
Austin, Texas resident Amanda Zurawski blasted Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn at a Senate hearing Wednesday for supporting anti-abortion policiesones she said nearly led to after suffering pregnancy complications and initially being denied an abortion.

Zurawki mentioned Cruz and Cornyn by name while recalling to lawmakers how she may never be able to have children as a result of the state's near-total ban on abortions after six weeks.

"The trauma, PTSD, and depression that I have dealt with in the eight months since this happened to me is paralyzing," Zurawski said. "On top of that, I am still struggling to have children. I want to address my senators Cruz and Cornyn who neither of whom are regrettably in the room right now. I would like for them to know that what happened to me, I think most in this room would agree was horrific. But it's a direct result of the policies that they support."

"I nearly died on [Cornyn and Cruz's] watch. Furthermore, as a result of what happened to me, I may have been robbed of the opportunity to have children in the future, and it's because of the policies that they support," she said.

The Wednesday meeting was a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary on the impacts of the Supreme Court reversal of Roe v.Wade. According to Zurawski, the state's restrictive six-week abortion ban stopped her doctors from performing the procedure because of the fear of the possible penalties of lengthy jail time or having their license revoked. In her case, Zurawski said her doctors told her that since the fetus had a "heartbeat," they could not perform the procedure. Eventually, she received care, but only after going into septic shock.

In addition to Zurawski, four other women are suing the state over its abortion ban, which is known as one of the strictest in the nation. All five women said they suffered pain and suffering and were still denied care despite having pregnancy complications.

In a Thursday statement, Cornyn's office pointed to his remarks in the Senate hearing, where he noted a doctor's opinion that Zurawki doctors were a deviation from that standard of care in similar cases.

"Usually when a medical expert says that what a doctor did violated the standard of care, that gave rise to a cause of action for medical malpractice," he said.

According to his office, Cornyn is also anti-abortion but would allow exceptions for rape and incest.
For over 39 years, the family of Maria Faye Mendez had no answers for the mother of three's sudden disappearance in West Texas. Now, with advances in forensic testing, the Odessa Police Department has made a breakthrough in the almost 40-year-old cold case, according to a news release from Friday, April 28.

Officials were able to test Mendez's DNA against human remains that were originally discovered south of Odessa over 30 years ago. The testing confirmed that the remains were a match to Mendez and the case has been upgraded to an active investigation, according to the release.

"Due to the advancements in technology and forensic testing over the past decades, we can now say that the remains belong to Ms. Mendez," the release states.

Mendez was 39 years old at the time of her disappearance in 1984. Her family reported her missing when she didn't return to her apartment in the 2400 block of West 10th Street, according to the Odessa Police Department. However the case quickly turned cold, according to the release.

Courtesy Odessa Police Department

Fast forward to 2022, the Odessa Police Department acquired a DNA sample from a "living relative" of Mendez. The sample then was turned over to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification and the center told the police department that it found a match in January, according to the release.

The match belonged to human remains that were in Crane County by sheriff's deputies in January 1990. With the assistance of the Crane County Sheriff's Office, the Odessa Police Department submitted the remains for DNA testing and anthropological research in 2013, according to the release.

Over a decade later, the department confirmed the remains belonged to the mother. Mendez's case is now an active homicide investigation and Odessa police are working with Mendez's family to solve the case, according to the release.

"This case has spanned decades and many agencies have been involved over the years. If it were not for the help of Ms. Mendez's family, the Texas Rangers, and the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, there would still be no answers. The Department is forever grateful for those involved," the release states.

If anyone has information on the case, they can contact the Odessa Police Department at 432-335-3333. MySA reached out to the Odessa Police Department and the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification for comment on Mendez's case.
Protesters who have blocked the road leading from Armenia to an ethnic Armenian region within Azerbaijan for four months said Friday that they will end their actions because Azerbaijan has established a checkpoint at the start of the road.

The blockage of the so-called Lachin Corridor, which leads from the Armenian border to the Nagorno-Karabakh region, impeded food supplies to the region and aggravated tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which fought a six-week war in 2020.
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  Chinas military flew 38 fighter jets and other warplanes near Taiwan, the Taiwanese defense ministry said Friday, in the biggest such flight display since the large military exercise in which it simulated sealing off the island earlier in April.

Naval vessels were also seen in the area as part of Chinas long-running campaign of intimidation against Taiwan.

Later Friday, China's Peoples Liberation Army issued a protest over the flight of a United States Navy P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft through the Taiwan Strait, which separates mainland China from the self-governing island democracy claimed by Beijing.

Calling Thursdays flight a provocation that the U.S. openly hyped up, the PLAs Eastern Theater Command said it scrambled fighter jets to monitor the planes flight.

Such acts fully prove that the U.S. is a disruptor of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and a creator of security risks," the statement said. Theater troops maintain a high level of alert at all times and resolutely defend national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability.

The U.S. 7th Fleet said Thursdays flight was in accordance with international law and demonstrates the United States commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate anywhere international law allows including within the Taiwan Strait, the statement said.

The U.S. remains Taiwan's closest military and political ally, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between them. U.S. law requires Washington to treat all threats to the island as matters of grave concern, though it remains ambiguous over whether American forces would be dispatched to help defend the island.

Beijing has threatened to bring Taiwan under its control by force if necessary, and China's intensely nationalistic leader Xi Jinping has sworn never to give up a single inch of territory claimed by his country  a pledge that applies to Taiwan, the disputed border with India, and the South China Sea that China claims almost in its entirety.

In addition to the latest Chinese warplane flights, Chinese navy vessels were spotted in the area from 6 a.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday, the island's Defense Ministry said.

Nineteen of the aircraft flew across the midline in the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from the mainland, the ministry said. It said they included five SU-30 and two J-16 fighter jets, along with one drone: a large, long-endurance TB-001 Scorpion capable of carrying a variety of bombs and missiles that circled the island in a relatively rare move, according to a diagram from the Defense Ministry.

It wasn't clear what, if anything, prompted the large-scale Chinese action, but China's efforts to train for a potential attack, wear down the island's military and impact Taiwan's politics have become increasingly ambitious.

U.S. military officials recently said they are increasingly concerned that a massive buildup in China's military capabilities makes the potential for a conflict more likely.

China held exercises simulating the sealing off the island after the sensitive April 5 meeting between Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California. China opposes any exchanges at the official level between Taiwan and other governments.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 following a civil war that ended with the Communist Party in control of the mainland. The island has never been part of the Peoples Republic of China, but Beijing says it must unite with the mainland, by force if necessary.

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Find more of APs Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific
ATHENS, Greece (AP)  Greek authorities say they have arrested two men on suspicion of involvement in the killing of a prominent crime reporter two years ago.

Giorgos Karaivaz was gunned down near his home in southern Athens on April 29, 2021, reportedly shot multiple times by two men on a motorcycle.

Greek police said Friday that two men, aged 40 and 48, were arrested on suspicion of homicide in connection with the reporters death.

The killing shocked Greece and led to widespread condemnation.

We ... call on Greek police to conduct a swift, transparent, and thorough investigation into his killing, Committee to Protect Journalists Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna said at the time. Authorities must determine whether Karaivaz was targeted for his work, and should do everything possible to find the killers and bring them to justice.

The lack of arrests had led some to criticize the government for failing to thoroughly investigate the killing.

We had said from the first moment that we would do everything to solve the murder of Giorgos Karaivaz. As long as it takes, said Citizens Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos, adding that the police investigation had speeded up recently, leading to Fridays arrests.

Those who used this tragic case to slander the ... government and the Greek police, owe an apology, he said. We are continuing with everything we must (do) to fully solve the case.

Police did not provide further details on the arrests, but were scheduled to hold a news conference on the case on Saturday.
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ODESA, Ukraine (AP)  Two heads of state and seven foreign ministers from a group of Ukraine's European backers visited the war-torn country Friday to express support for Kyiv in its defense against Russia's invasion.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, hosting his counterparts from four Nordic and three Baltic countries in the southern port city of Odesa, repeated a plea for the delivery of U.S.-made fighter jets to his country.

(The jets) are needed to cover our brigades that are going to (counter-attack), Kuleba said.

Although no promises were made, he added, I have a feeling that our colleagues are well-disposed in this matter.

Ukraine has long pushed for Western fighter jets for its air force, without success. Its Western partners have, however, provided a number of former Soviet MiG-29 fighters.

Kuleba met with the foreign ministers of Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Because of government formation talks in Finland, the Nordic country was represented by a senior Foreign Ministry official.

Through this visit, we manifest strong Nordic and Baltic support for Ukraine and its people, said Tobias Billstrom of Sweden whose country currently holds the rotating six-month presidency of the European Union.

I honestly dont remember if Odesa ever hosted this many ministers of foreign affairs at once. If this is the first such time, we are glad, together with our colleagues, to set a new standard, Kuleba said.

Also Friday, in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the president of Slovakia, Zuzana Caputova, and the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel.

Zelenskyy said they discussed military aid to help Ukraine address Russias invasion and prepare for (the) counteroffensive, as well as the forthcoming NATO summit in July in Vilnius, Lithuania.

We are expecting ambitious decisions that will enforce Europes security, he said. The time has come to eliminate any uncertainty.

There has long been talk of a Ukrainian spring counter-offensive against invading Russian forces, but it has still to materialize.

Czech President Pavel said what he saw in Ukraine reminded him of the devastation from wars in Afghanistan and the former Yugoslavia.

Fortunately, it hasnt broken the Ukrainians, said Pavel, a retired army general and former senior NATO official. Russia has shown such an inclination to barbarism in recent years that Im not surprised.

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Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv and Jan Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, contributed.

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Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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TOKYO (AP)  Japan adopted a new five-year ocean policy on Friday that calls for stronger maritime security, including bolstering its coast guard's capability and cooperation with the military as China grows increasingly assertive in regional seas.

The new Basic Plan on Ocean Policy adopted by Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas Cabinet also says Japan must accelerate the development of autonomous underwater vehicles and remotely operated robots to strengthen its surveillance capability.

It cited a list of threats: Chinese coast guard ships' repeated intrusions into Japanese territorial waters, growing unauthorized maritime activity by "foreign survey boats inside Japan's exclusive economic zone, increasing joint military exercises by China and Russia, and North Korea's repeated missile launches.

The situation in the ocean around Japan is increasingly tense," Kishida said at a policy meeting Friday. It's time for us to unite our wisdom among the industry, academia and government for ocean policy reform  or ocean transformation."

He also noted the need to better use maritime resources to achieve carbon neutrality.

The new ocean policy is in line with Japan's new national security strategy that Kishida's government adopted in December in a major break from the self-defense-only principle that the country has maintained under its postwar pacifist constitution.

The new strategy provides for the strengthening of Japan's military power with a strike capability and double its defense budget within five years. The strategy also calls for closer cooperation between the military and the coast guard in any emergency over Taiwan or other possible conflicts.

Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao urged Japan on Friday to stay away from the Taiwan issue, saying it is China's core national interest and a red line that should not be crossed.

He blamed rising tensions around Taiwan on foreign forces that are colluding with Taiwanese independence forces" and said their ultimate goal is to split self-governed Taiwan, which Beijing claims, from China.

A change in the status quo would cause a "catastrophic outcome, he said at a news conference. If Japan takes sides with independence forces, it would lead the Japanese people into the fire, he said.

The ocean plan also says the capability of Japan's coast guard, which has been on the front line of border disputes, needs to be improved. The coast guard frequently confronts Chinese coast guard vessels approaching Japanese-controlled disputed islands in the East China Sea, North Korean poachers and suspected spy boats, and Russian coast guard vessels near disputed northern islands.

Japan's coast guard is used for civilian policing at sea and not military combat, and the new plans calling for closer cooperation with the Self Defense Force have raised concerns about its role and safety in a possible conflict.

The ocean plan also says Japan needs to be more aggressive about undersea surveys and using undersea resources for energy, calling for greater use of the exclusive economic zone outside of territorial waters to build offshore wind-power generators.

Japan has repeatedly protested over Chinese research ships entering Japanese waters or the exclusive economic zone just outside it for apparent surveys of undersea deposits and other marine resources.
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HELENA, Mont. (AP)  Montana became the latest state to ban or restrict gender-affirming medical care for transgender kids Friday when its Republican governor signed legislation that exiled transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr told fellow lawmakers would leave blood on their hands.

Montana is one of at least 15 states with laws to ban such care despite protests from the families of transgender youth that the care is essential.

Debate over Montanas bill drew national attention after Republicans punished Zephyr for her remarks, saying her words were personally offensive. House Speaker Matt Regier refused to let Zephyr speak on the House floor until she apologized. She has not.

Zephyr decried the bill's signing, saying it is unconscionable to deprive Montanans of the care that we need."

I know that this is an unconstitutional bill. It is as cruel as it is unconstitutional. And it will go down in the courts, Zephyr said. To trans youth she added: Theres an understandable inclination towards despair in these moments, but know that we are going to win and until then, lean on community, because we will have one anothers backs.

On Monday, Zephyr had stood defiantly on the House floor with her microphone raised as protesters shouted Let her speak, disrupting House proceedings for at least 30 minutes. Zephyr was then banned from the House and its gallery and voted on bills from a bench in the hallway outside the House on Thursday and Friday.

Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Montana have said they would file a court challenge against the ban, which is set to take effect on Oct. 1, starting a five-month clock in which Montana youth can try to find a way to work around the ban or to transition off of hormone treatment.

This bill is an overly broad blanket ban that takes decisions that should be made by families and physicians and puts them in the hands of politicians, the Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics has said.

Gov. Greg Gianforte signaled his willingness to sign the bill on April 17 when he offered some amendments to make it clear that public funds could not be used to pay for hormone blockers, cross-sex hormones or surgical procedures.

The bill protects Montana children from permanent, life-altering medical procedures until they are adults, mature enough to make such serious decisions, Gianforte wrote in his letter accompanying the amendments.

Debate over the amendments led Zephyr to admonish supporters the following day. House Majority Leader Sue Vinton said Zephyr's language was entirely inappropriate, disrespectful and uncalled for.

The Montana Freedom Caucus deliberately misgendered Zephyr, using male pronouns in a letter saying she should be censured. After Monday's protest, the caucus said she should be further disciplined.

Under the new law, health professionals who provide care banned by the measure could have their medical licenses suspended for at least a year. They could also be sued in the 25 years following a banned procedure if a patient suffers physical, psychological, emotional or physiological harm. Physicians could not hold malpractice insurance against such lawsuits. The law also prohibits public property and employees from being involved in gender-affirming treatment.

During hours of emotional committee hearings, opponents testified that hormone treatments, and in some cases, surgery, are evidence-based care, supported by numerous medical associations and can be life-saving for someone with gender dysphoria  the clinically significant distress or impairment caused by feeling that ones gender identity does not match ones biological sex.

Parents of transgender children testified that the bill infringed on their parental rights to seek medical care for their children.

Opponents also noted that treatments such as puberty-blockers and breast-reduction surgery would still be legal for minors who are not suffering from gender dysphoria, a difference they argue is unconstitutional.

In the letter to legislative leaders accompanying his proposed amendments, Gianforte said he met with transgender residents, understands that their struggles are real and said Montanans who struggle with gender identity deserve love, compassion and respect.

Thats not what trans Montanans need from you, Zephyr said as the House considered his amendments. We need access to the medical care that saves our lives.

This was the second legislative session in which Sen. John Fuller brought the bill to ban gender-affirming care for transgender children. In 2021, when he was a member of the House, he brought a bill to ban surgical and hormone treatments for transgender children, which was voted down. He brought a second bill to ban surgical treatments which was also rejected. He was successful in 2021 in passing a bill to ban transgender females from participating in girls and womens sports. The part of the bill that applied to colleges was ruled unconstitutional.
ISTANBUL (AP)  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan canceled his election appearances for a third day Friday after falling ill with what officials described as an intestinal infection.

Erdogan, who has governed Turkey for two decades as prime minister and then president, is seeking a third presidential term in Turkey's May 14 elections. He had been due to appear at a bridge opening and a political rally in the southern city of Adana, but his schedule changed to show he would attend the opening ceremony via video link.
Odelyn Joseph/AP

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  Two local journalists have been killed in Haiti over the past couple of weeks as rampant gang violence has gripped the capital of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement Thursday that radio reporter Dumesky Kersaint was fatally shot in mid-April, while journalist Ricot Jean was found dead on Tuesday.
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BERLIN (AP)  Climate activists staged a 10th straight day of protests in Berlin, blocking key roads during rush hour and bringing parts of the German capital to a standstill Friday before being removed by police.

Members of the Last Generation group glued themselves to the road, causing a traffic jam for commuters driving into the city. The group wants to draw attention to the threat of global warming and the need for governments to step up measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

At a crossing in the north of the capital, many drivers waited patiently for police to clear the road, though some hurled abuse at the activists, calling them terrorists and scum. Several pedestrians applauded the protesters, giving them a thumbs-up, while one passerby offered them food and water.

Last Generation has acknowledged that its protests are provocative, but it argues that by stirring friction it can encourage debate within society about climate change.

Sure, there are those who insult or criticize us, activist Theodor Schnarr said. "But I've got the feeling that more and more people are coming to us on the streets and saying they think this is a good thing."

Schnarr said the group believes disruptive but peaceful protests are justified, because of the enormity of the climate crisis and the urgent need to tackle it.

We have all the solutions. The German government just needs to implement them, he said.

But Frank Silzle, a motorist who was inconvenienced by Friday's blockade, said that while he agreed with the group's aims, he objected to its tactics.

Ultimately I think it's counterproductive, what they're doing, Silzle said. I understand their cause completely, but the way they're going about it is sadly causing a counterreaction within the population that is very, very harmful to the cause.

Berlin police said that about 500 officers were deployed to deal with more than a dozen blockades Friday.

The protests come at an awkward time for the government, which is hosting an international climate meeting in the capital next week where it will push for other countries to do more to curb planet-warming emissions even as it faces criticism at home for failing to do enough.

German government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann said the government shares, in principle, the goal of drastically reducing CO2 emissions in order to stop and prevent climate change.

We just think the path taken by the climate movement, or some of these activists, is the wrong path for drawing attention to this, she told reporters.

Hoffmann said the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, an event taking place in Berlin on May 2-3, remains focused on achieving the goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial times.

Some German politicians have called for tougher police measures and sentences against activists for blocking roads. So far, most courts have either acquitted activists or issued them fines, though three Last Generation members recently received prison sentences ranging from three to five months in southern Germany.

The group plans to meet with Germany's transportation minister next week to discuss its demands. They include the introduction of a universal speed limit on German highways, a move that experts say would be a quick and cheap measure to cut emissions.

Meanwhile, activists from the organization Extinction Rebellion staged a protest Friday outside the Danish parliament in Copenhagen.

The protest's goal was to pressure the government to bow to our simple demands for more protected nature and less industrial agriculture in Denmark, the demonstrators said in a statement.

If politicians still do not do what is clearly necessary, we will return and rebel again on May 12, they said.

___

Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen contributed to this report.

___

Follow AP's coverage of climate change at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
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CAIRO (AP)  Heavy explosions and gunfire rocked Sudans capital, Khartoum, and its twin city of Omdurman early Friday, residents said, despite the extension of a fragile truce between the countys two top generals whose power struggle has killed hundreds.

After two weeks of fighting that has turned Khartoum into a war zone and thrown Sudan into turmoil, a wide-ranging group of international mediators  including African and Arab nations, the United Nations and the United States  were intensifying their pressure on the rival generals to enter talks on resolving the crisis.

So far, however, they have managed to achieve only a series of fragile temporary cease-fires that failed to stop clashes but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese to flee to safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate thousands of their citizens by land, air and sea.

In a sign of the persistent chaos, Turkey said one of its evacuation planes was hit by gunfire outside Khartoum with no casualties on Friday, hours after both sides accepted a 72-hour truce extension.

The U.K. said it would end its evacuation flights on Saturday evening, after numbers of British citizens seeking an airlift began to decline. After a slow start that attracted criticism, Britain has run regular military flights from an airfield near Khartoum to Cyprus. As of Friday evening, it had airlifted 1,573 people, including nationals of several European countries.

You have another 24 hours if you are eligible to make your way to the airport and we will get you on a plane," Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said.

Fierce clashes with frequent explosions and gunfire continued Friday in Khartoums upscale neighborhood of Kafouri, where the military's warplanes bombed its rivals, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, residents said. Clashes were also reported around the militarys headquarters, the Republican Palace and the area close to the Khartoum international airport. All these areas have been flashpoints since the war erupted on April 15. Explosions also rang out across the river in Omdurman.

Doctors in the Sudanese capital said the RSF has been abducting medical personnel to treat its wounded fighters  a sign the paramilitary was struggling to get medical support.

One doctor forwarded to The Associated Press a voice note shared on a chat group for Sudanese healthcare workers, warning them not to wear medical uniforms or hand over identification listing a profession if fighters stop them on the street.

Nada Fadul, a Sudanese-American infectious disease physician at the University of Nebraska who is working with community health leaders in Sudan, said she knows of five doctors taken by the RSF from Khartoum streets since the start of the fighting.

One abducted doctor said he was forcibly taken to an unknown location in Khartoum earlier this week. There, he saw dozens of wounded fighters, a stockpile of medical supplies and two other kidnapped doctors working. He spent three days treating fighters with gunshot wounds, burns and other injuries before he and the others were released on Wednesday night, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity for his safety.

The Turkish Defense Ministry said light weapons were fired at a C-130 aircraft heading to Wadi Sayidna airbase on Khartoum's northern outskirts to evacuate Turkish civilians. The plane landed safely, the ministry said in a tweet, and no personnel were injured.

The Sudanese military blamed the RSF, which denied firing on the plane.

Over the past 14 days of pummeling each other, the military led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and the RSF led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, have each failed to deal a decisive blow to the other in their struggle for control of Africa's third largest nation.

Still, world powers have struggled to get them to adhere to announced cease-fires. A bloc of East Africa nations has put forward a initiative for the two sides to hold talks, and a gamut of mediators are promoting the plan, including the African Union, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the United Nations.

Burhan on Friday ruled out negotiations with Dagalo, accusing him of orchestrating a rebellion against the state, a day after the military expressed openness to the talks under the initiative. Dagalo wants to rule Sudan, seize its resources and magnify his wealth, Burhan said in an interview with U.S.-funded Alhurra TV, denying that he wants power for himself.

Both Burhan and Dagalo have been involved in crushing pro-democracy activists and together they pushed out civilians from an interim government in a coup in 2021. The former allies fell out in recent months in disputes over an internationally brokered deal meant to pave the way back to a civilian government, including over the issue of incorporating the RSF into the military.

The rivals' battles in the streets with artillery barrages, airstrikes and gunfire have wreaked misery on millions of Sudanese caught between them. Many have left Khartoum to the northern borders with Egypt, or to the city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea.

Around 40,000 South Sudanese, Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees who had been living in the capital have fled Khartoum since fighting erupted, the UNs refugee agency said Friday. Many are now sheltering in refugee camps in White Nile, al-Qadarif and Kassala provinces, said Fathi Kasina, a UNHCR spokesman. Sudan hosts over 1.3 million refugees, including over 800,000 from South Sudan, according to U.N. figures.

Those who remain in Khartoum have been living in rapidly deteriorating conditions, mostly trapped inside their homes for days. Food, water and other services have become scarce, and electricity is cut off across much of Khartoum and other cities. Fighters roam the streets in the capital and other cities, looting and destroying homes, shops, businesses and open-air markets.

At least 512 people, including civilians and combatants, have been killed since April 15, with another 4,200 wounded, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry. The Sudan Doctors Syndicate, which tracks civilian casualties, has recorded at least 387 civilians killed and 1,928 wounded.

Dr. Salah Tour, of the Doctors Syndicate in West Darfur province, said at least 113 civilians were killed on Thursday alone in the city of Genena, where fierce clashes among tribal militias have raged despite the cease-fire. A total of more than 190 civilians have been killed there this week and most of them have not yet been added to the nationwide tallies of the dead.

The health care system is near collapse with dozens of hospitals out of service. Multiple aid agencies have had to suspend operations and evacuate employees.

The French military evacuated dozens of employees with the U.N. and other international aid agencies Thursday night from al-Fasher, a city in Sudans western Darfur region, to Chads capital, NDjamena, according to U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

The evacuation came a day after armed fighters rampaged through the city, battling each other, killing dozens and looting shops and homes. U.N. envoy Volker Perthes remained in Sudan along with a small team.

___

Associated Press writers Andrew Wilks in Ankara, Turkey, and Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.
HARTFORD  Senate lawmakers voted on Thursday to bar Connecticuts colleges and universities from withholding a students transcripts from a potential employer due to unpaid debts.

The legislation, which advanced under unanimous consent in the Senate, is the result of a compromise forged with campus leaders after several years of efforts to address the issue of financial holds used to pressure current and former students into paying off their debts, according to state Sen. Derek Slap, D-West Hartford, who presented the bill to the chamber.

Slap called such hold policies a penny wise and a pound foolish, despite them being commonplace in many institutions of higher education.

After a bill with similar language failed in last years legislative session, Slap said lawmakers reached a compromise with the states colleges and universities that would require the schools to end the use of holds only in cases where the debtor was seeking employment or enlistment in the military.

They realize the likelihood of a student being able to pay a fee, its much greater if theyre able to get a job, Slap said.

The Republican leader of the Senate, Sen. Kevin Kelly, R-Stratford, also spoke in favor of the bill Thursday, calling it "good commonsense legislation."

In testimony submitted to lawmakers ahead of a public hearing in February, leaders at the states institutions of higher education expressed support for the narrow scope of the legislation, while defending the broader practice of financial holds.

Transcript hold policies allow for institutions of higher education to hold students accountable for obligations owed without immediately going to a collections agency, which could have a long term, detrimental impact on a students future and could end up costing a student much more in the long run, said Jennifer Widness, the president of the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges.

The conference's members, which include Yale, Quinnipiac University and Trinity College, universally allow transcripts to be withheld due to unpaid fees, unreturned books or due to student conduct, Widness said.

Those debts often amount to more than small fees and fines, she added, and 35 percent are worth over $5,000.

At the University of Connecticut, officials said that the amount of unpaid debts owed to the university system topped $20 million during the last academic year.

The bill also received support from former students and non-profits such as the Hartford Foundation.

Referring to hold policies as the transcript trap, Amy Dowell of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee said that they disproportionately impact lower-income students.

This punitive and excessive practice prevents students who have run into financial hardship from pursuing further educational opportunities or productive jobs. It transforms a road bump into a roadblocksignificantly impeding the success of students who are struggling, Dowel said.

Laws in New York and California go even further in prohibiting all withholding of transcripts for financial reasons, according to the National Consumer Law Center. More limited prohibitions apply in Maine, Colorado, Minnesota and Washington.

After passing the Senate on Thursday, the bill now heads to the House for further consideration.
WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Northwestern Dimmit County in south central Texas...

Southwestern Zavala County in south central Texas...

* Until 615 PM CDT.

* At 507 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Cometa, or 15

miles west of Crystal City, moving east at 25 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Crystal City, Carrizo Springs, Las Colonias, Winter Haven, Cometa

and Chula Vista-River Spur.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Southeastern Williamson County in south central Texas...

Southeastern Travis County in south central Texas...

Northwestern Bastrop County in south central Texas...

Northwestern Lee County in south central Texas...

* Until 600 PM CDT.

* At 507 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Windemere,

moving southeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Ping pong ball size hail and 60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Trained weather spotters reported ping pong ball size

hail in Round Rock at 5:03 PM.

IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail

damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect

wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

* This severe thunderstorm will be near...

Pflugerville around 510 PM CDT.

Manor around 535 PM CDT.

Elgin around 545 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Knobb

Springs, Sunset Valley, Garfield, Blue, Beyarsville, Creedmoor, Maha,

San Leanna, McDade and Del Valle.

This storm is producing large hail. SEEK SHELTER NOW inside a sturdy

structure and stay away from windows!

The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a

Milam County in central Texas...

* At 508 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from near Cameron to near Thorndale, moving southeast at

30 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

Rockdale, Cameron, Thorndale, Buckholts, Alcoa Lake, Milano,

Yarrelton, Crossroads, Silver City, Hoyte, Jones Prairie,

Elevation, Hanover, Ben Arnold, Baileyville, Sharp, Pettibone,

Davilla, Val Verde and Praesel.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for central Texas.

For your protection get inside a sturdy structure and stay away from

windows.

Central Travis County in south central Texas...

* Until 545 PM CDT.

* At 511 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Windemere,

moving east at 25 mph.

Pflugerville and Hutto around 515 PM CDT.

Coupland around 535 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Camp

Mabry, Rices Crossing, Laneport, Lost Creek, Noack, Hoxie, Wells

Branch, Waterloo, Sandoval and Hare.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

Severe Weather Statement

National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX

532 PM CDT Fri Apr 28 2023

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM CDT

FOR SOUTHEASTERN WILLIAMSON...SOUTHEASTERN TRAVIS...NORTHWESTERN

BASTROP AND NORTHWESTERN LEE COUNTIES...

At 532 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Manor, or near

Pflugerville, moving southeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Ping pong ball size hail and 60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail

damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect wind

damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

Locations impacted include...

Austin, Pflugerville, Elgin, Lexington, Tanglewood Forest, Austin

Bergstrom Int Airport, Manor, Rollingwood, Mustang Ridge, Bear Creek,

Tanglewood, Coupland, Shady Hollow, Onion Creek, Wyldwood, Hornsby

Bend, Manchaca, Sunset Valley, San Leanna and Webberville.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Prepare immediately for large hail and damaging winds. People outside

should move to a shelter, inside a strong building and away from

windows.

To report severe weather contact your nearest law enforcement agency.

They will send your report to the National Weather Service office in

Austin San Antonio.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL MAVERICK AND WEST

CENTRAL ZAVALA COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 545 PM CDT...

The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe

limits, and has exited the warned area. Therefore, the warning will

be allowed to expire. However small hail and gusty winds are still

possible with this thunderstorm.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 PM CDT for

south central Texas.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023

_____

TORNADO WARNING

Severe Weather Statement

National Weather Service Fort Worth TX

332 PM CDT Fri Apr 28 2023

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM CDT FOR

SOUTHEASTERN CORYELL AND NORTH CENTRAL BELL COUNTIES...

At 332 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado

was located 10 miles southwest of Mother Neff State Park, or 11 miles

northeast of Killeen, moving southeast at 30 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and half dollar size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without

shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage

to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is

likely.

This dangerous storm will be near...

Belton Lake around 340 PM CDT.

Belton and Morgan's Point Resort around 355 PM CDT.

Temple around 400 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include

Moffat, Mound, Flat, The Grove, Owl Creek, Leon Junction, Woodland

and White Hall.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a

vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter now! Get to an

interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building and avoid

windows.

The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Northeastern Somervell County in north central Texas...

Western Johnson County in north central Texas...

East central Hood County in north central Texas...

* Until 400 PM CDT.

* At 333 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Glen Rose, or

14 miles southeast of Granbury, moving northeast at 45 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Burleson, Cleburne, Keene, Joshua, Pecan Plantation, Glen Rose,

Godley, Cleburne State Park, Lake Pat Cleburne, Dinosaur Valley

State Park, Squaw Creek Reservoir, Coyote Flats, Sand Flat,

Rainbow, Nemo and Lake Granbury.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for central Texas.

For your protection get inside a sturdy structure and stay away from

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 415 PM CDT

FOR SOUTHEASTERN CORYELL...SOUTHEASTERN LAMPASAS AND BELL COUNTIES...

At 334 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Fort Hood,

moving east at 50 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Trained weather spotters.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to

roofs, siding, and trees.

Locations impacted include...

Killeen, Temple, Copperas Cove, Harker Heights, Belton, Fort Hood,

Nolanville, Morgan's Point Resort, Salado, Little River-Academy,

Troy, Holland, Kempner, Belton Lake, Stillhouse Hollow Lake, Sparks,

Union Grove, Ding Dong, White Hall and Maxdale.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
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Data about who owes how much to whom is at the core of any banks business. At Bank of New York Mellon, that focus on data shows up in the org chart too. Chief Data Officer Eric Hirschhorn reports directly to the banks CIO and head of engineering, Bridget Engle, who also oversees CIOs for each of the banks business lines.

Its very purposeful because a lot of the opportunities for us around data require tight integration with our technology, says Hirschhorn. Im a peer to the divisional CIOs of the firm, and we work hand-in-glove because you cant separate it out: I can make a policy, but that alone doesnt get the job done.

Hirschhorn, who joined the bank in late 2020, has worked in financial services for over three decades, during which the finance industrys concerns about data have changed significantly.

Twenty years ago, we were trying to make sure our systems didnt fall over, he says. Ten years ago, we were worried about systemic importance, and contagion. When you solve some of the more structural concerns, it all gets back to the data. We are incredibly bullish on building advanced capabilities to understand the interconnectedness of the world around us from a data perspective.

One key to that endeavor is being able to identify all the data related to an individual customer, and to identify the relationships that link that customer with others. Banks have a regulatory requirement to know who theyre dealing with  often referred to as KYC or know your customer  to meet anti-money-laundering and other obligations.

The initial problem we were looking to solve is a long-standing issue in financial markets and regulated industries with large datasets, Hirschhorn says, and that was really around entity resolution or record disambiguation, or identifying and linking records that refer to the same customer.
Contractarea unui consultant/unei consultante care va contribui la consolidarea competentelor profesionale ale personalului din cadrul Serviciului de Spalatorie sociala din comuna Tirnova, raionul Donduseni
Sophie Pender grew up on a council estate in north London and worked hard at school, becoming the first in her schools history to get all A* grades at A-Level.

She then became the first in her family to go to university, at Bristol. But upon getting there, she discovered that her peers came from very different backgrounds.

I found that it wasnt that inclusive for people who didnt come from families that have a long history of going to those places. So, I set up a Facebook group to start, which was like a student society just for state school students, she says.

The group she began as a 19-year-old eventually became the 93% Foundation, a charity that provides employability events and community support for university students from state-schools, five years later.

Lack of support felt like having the reins cut

Pender received support herself from another charity before she went to university, but when she got there, it stopped.

The trust didnt have any infrastructure to support me whilst I was there. So, it kind of felt like having the reins cut a little bit, which is why I built the 93% Foundation.

Pender registered the 93% Foundation, which draws its name from the proportion of the British population that goes to state schools, as a charity in 2020 when she was 24. There are now 38 of its clubs in universities across the UK.

It helps provide state school students with a network of friends and peers, which those who went to fee-paying schools are more likely to have already, Pender says. It also holds events to improve these students employability after university.

We make sure our students get a free professional headshot, we do mock interviews with them and we prepare them for the job they want to get, but ultimately its about going to university and meeting like-minded people, she says.

Pender describes the foundation as moving away from the historic Victorian benevolence structure of the charity sector and towards more of a movement for students.

I think the 93% Foundation is a really good case study in how you can run a charity differently. How you can be a bit bolder and a bit more young and exciting.

The old charity model was raising millions of pounds from rich people and families and basically drip-feeding that down in some sort of programme, which is not bad. But I do think the 93% Foundation reinvents the way that beneficiaries interact with their charity.

Setting up a charity at 24

Pender, whose day job is as an associate at a law firm, runs the charity with other volunteers.

She says that being a young leader in the charity sector can present advantages and disadvantages.

Im still quite junior in my career. So, I still struggle with the things Ive tried to help other people through, which I think is a bad thing, because I think sometimes when youre leading something you feel you need to have everything figured out.

But I think its also a good thing because Im always tuned in to what our beneficiaries actually need. And because Ive got lived experience, it means that the stuff that students get out of the 93% Foundation really does go to the areas that need it the most.

As a younger person in the sector, Pender says she has put her foot in it sometimes.

Ive walked into rooms before with people that I really should know and they all seem to know who each other are. I put my foot in it and Ill mention someones name and thatll be the person Im sat next to.

Pay the biggest barrier to working-class representation in the sector

Pender says she thinks pay is the biggest barrier to working-class people entering the charity sector.

A study from Pro Bono Economics last year found that charity sector workers are on average paid 7% less per hour than their counterparts in the wider economy.

Its not that the charity sector is not appealing. People who are from working-class backgrounds, we are brought up with the strongest sense of community you can imagine  weve always had to help each other. We want to help people but how can you help people when theyre paying you peanuts?

She said she thinks working-class representation in the sector will go up when pay does.

The charity sector needs to be better paid, it needs to be proportionate to the amount that the charity is delivering because its such a stressful job.

You never know whether your organisations going to go under at some point or whether youre actually doing the right thing because as a charity, you dont have to just also think about the financial impact youre trying to deliver.

Charities have to juggle this might make a lot of money for charity but isn't the right thing for my beneficiaries and that is a lot of mental load to have to balance.

She adds: If youre a working-class individual whos not only got to make money for themselves, but their family probably rely on you, how are you ever meant to think that's a good proposition for you?

It sometimes feels like were putting a plaster over a bigger issue

She says the 93% Foundation has a good relationship with other social mobility charities such as the Social Mobility Foundation and the Sutton Trust and avoids trying to copy what they do.

Its always been part of my ethos that if theres a charity doing great work in a space and we should leave that to them and support them in that goal, she says.

What makes the 93% Foundation different is that it supports students through their experiences at university, Pender says.

One of the charitys ambitions is to reach young people before they attend university to ensure they know they belong from the get-go.

I think theres so much that we can do as an organisation, but it always sometimes feels like were just putting a plaster over the bigger issue, which is what all charities feel like.

Aims for the future

In the 2021 calendar year, the charity had an income of just under 50,000 with an expenditure of just over 6,000.

The majority of its income comes from its partners which support their student employability events, Pender says. However, she said it received a one-off 2,000 donation from one supporter that year.

It currently does not fundraise from the public, but it would like to do so in future as well as make bids for grant funding.

Pender would like to start employing people and train them in fundraising, as the charity is currently run by volunteers.

Reflecting on her experience setting up the charity, Pender says: On the whole, its been positive. Its obviously been very, very challenging, but I wouldnt change the timing of it. Maybe get some more sleep back. Thatd be nice.

sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
By manuta/ Adobe

Greetings charitable sector and welcome to another week of people ceaselessly complaining about the weather. This is Britain, after all.

With rain seeming to patter down every day this week, it might be best to stay in this Friday with a takeaway.

Not fish and chips, though, PETA would say (though PETA may say not to eat lots of things, to be fair).

In some recent comms, the animal rights charity compared eating fish to eating cats, with a poster that shifts from a fishmonger holding a fish to a dead-looking cat .

Note: Diary says dead-looking in the hopes that the kitty was actually just sleeping, albeit in a very uncomfortable-looking position.

This is not the sort of poster one would like to look upon after getting your fish and chips  which of course is the point  but it hasnt seemed to deter some onlookers.

I'm reminded I'm having fish and chips today, one told the BBC.

Diary could not help but pity the model in the image, who may be unaware she is being framed as the crazed catmongerer of Cleethorpes.

World Penguin Day

It was World Penguin Day this week and charities had fun posting suggestions for how people should celebrate.



RSPB shared lots of facts about the cute birds alongside photos of them sliding down hills. Given penguins can't fly, and Diary is nothing if not a rigorous fact-checker, Diary did Google 'are penguins birds' before writing that last bit (the flightless birds still count by the way).

The charity ended its thread with an image of three penguins waddling in a row, which looked eerily similar to what the Civil Society editorial team look like on the way to the pub.

Find out more about our work protecting penguins here: https://t.co/57fERR6eba



/9 pic.twitter.com/Mvc0x6ZvRV  RSPB (@Natures_Voice) April 25, 2023



The RNLI shared a tweet telling its supporters to purchase one of its RNLI penguins in a rain hat froim its online shop.

Diary was tempted by said penguin ( or as Benedict Cumberbatch would say: pengwing ), but at the price of 25 had to waddle away birdless. Fish and chips it is then.
A New York surgeon and two lawyers are the latest professionals to be sentenced for their roles in a massive massive trip-and-fall fraud scheme between 2013 and 2018 that exploited some of the most vulnerable citizens of the New York City area.

Personal injury attorneys George Constantine and Marc Elefant and orthopedic surgeon Andrew Dowd were sentenced this week by U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein.

According to Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Constantine and Dowd, who were convicted at trial in December 2022 of mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, were each sentenced to 102 months in prison.

Elefant, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, was sentenced to 24 months in prison.

Williams said Constantine, Dowd, and Elefant abused their professional licenses and degrees and exploited some of the most vulnerable members of society  many of whom were poor, drug addicts, or homeless  in order to enrich themselves through this egregious trip-and-fall fraud scheme.

According to the indictment, the evidence presented in court during trial, and other statements made during court proceedings, between 2013 and 2018, these three men, among others, engaged in an extensive fraud scheme through which they defrauded businesses and insurance companies by staging trip-and-fall accidents, providing medical treatments, and filing fraudulent lawsuits.

The fraud scheme participants recruited individuals to stage or falsely claim to have suffered trip-and-fall accidents at particular locations throughout the New York City area. In the course of the scheme, they recruited more than 400 patients, may of whom who were poor, drug addicted or homeless.

After the staged trip-and-fall accidents, patients were referred to specific attorneys, including Constantine and Elefant, who would file personal injury lawsuits against the owners of the accident sites and their insurance companies. The defendants, together with others, attempted to defraud the victims of more than $31,000,000.

Constantine personally filed nearly 200 fraudulent lawsuits and earned more than $5 million in settlement fees from these fraudulent cases. Elefant likewise filed nearly 200 fraudulent lawsuits and earned millions of dollars in settlement fees.

The patients were also instructed to receive ongoing chiropractic and medical treatment ad were required to undergo surgery from certain chiropractors and doctors, including Dowd. Dowd performed nearly 300 medically unnecessary surgeries and earned more than $3.2 million dollars. He received approximately $10,000 per surgery.

Others have also been sentenced in the scheme. They include Sady Ribeiro, a New York-licensed pain management doctor, who was sentenced in March to 36 months in prison. Ribeiro pleaded guilty last October. Adrian Alexander, the owner of a litigation funding company, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In April, he was sentenced to 36 months.

The defendants also face three years of supervision after release from prison.
SCA Appoints Adjusting VP

SCA Claim Services, an independent specialty and property claims appraising and adjusting provider, has appointed Lee Baker as vice president of adjusting.

Baker has extensive field and leadership experience when it comes to auto, property, commercial, and heavy equipment claims, and has overseen vendor management and operations at the national level, SCA said in a press release. He has built or overhauled nationwide catastrophe, appraisal, and auto liability programs.

Baker previously was a senior claims manager for Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., according to his LinkedIn profile. He started with the carrier in 2015 as a regional appraisal manager. Before then, he was a claims team manager for Safeco Insurance.

Baker has a bachelors of science degree from Tarleton State University in Texas.

Verisk Promotes 2 Claims Professionals

Verisk has promoted Carrie Barr to president of casualty solutions and Aaron Brunko to president of property estimating solutions. Both businesses are part of Verisks Claims Solutions group.

Barr joined Verisk as an account executive in 2010 and quickly advanced to leadership positions within sales and operations, the company said in a press release. In her new role, Barr will focus on driving greater efficiencies for clients through workflow automation, programmatic compliance and decision-support solutions, Verisk said.

Before joining Verisk in 2010, Barr was a senior account sales manager for Coventry Health Care. She had a bachelors of science in business administration from Duquesne University and completed a leadership development program at Harvard Business School.Brunko joined Verisk as a tech support agent in 2001 and served most recently as senior vice president of claims on the property estimating solutions team. He will focus on driving innovation for the property estimating and restoration sectors, and work on expanding and deepening ecosystem partnerships to enhance customer workflows, the company said.

Brunko has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Utah and a Bachelors of Science Degree from Western Governors University in Salt Lake City.

Hiscox Hires Group Claims Director

Hiscox, a global specialty insurer headquartered in London, has appointed Steve Parry as group claims director, effective July 1, subject to regulatory approvals.

Parry will be based in London and report to Stephane Flaquet, group chief operations and technology officer.

Parry currently is global head of technical claims for American InternationalGroup, where he is responsible for technical claims across all of AIGs commercial and personal lines. Prior to AIG he spent 14 years at Ace/Chubb.

As our business continues to grow, so too does the need to strengthen our technical expertise to continue to provide brilliant service to our customers in our specialized fields, Flaquet said in a press release. Steves all-round experience across big ticket and retail in both personal and commercial lines will be instrumental in providing clear strategic direction to our award-winning claims function across the globe. I look forward to welcoming him to the team.

Gordon & Rees Appoints 2 Partners

The Gordon & Rees law firm has appointed Cynthia Y. Patane as partner in its Health Care Practice Group in Phoenix and Melissa Gardner as partner with its insurance and commercial litigation group at its Phoenix and Chicago offices.

Patane focuses her practice in the areas of medical malpractice defense, insurance defense, health care law, and risk management, the law firm said in a press release. She has experience litigating medical malpractice cases of all varieties.

A substantial portion of her practice has been dedicated to defending ophthalmologists and other health care providers at most Arizona licensing boards, including the Arizona Medical Board, the Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners, and the Arizona Board of Optometry, the law firm said.

Patane previously was an attorney with the Broening Oberg Woods & Wilson law firm in Scottsdale, Arizona. She received a Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri  Kansas City School of Law and a bachelors degree from the University of Kansas.

Gardner has litigated cases involving medical fraud, auto accidents, premises liability, product liability, wrongful death, breach of contract, in-home healthcare, elder abuse, and medical and nurse malpractice claims. She had counseled clients on insurance matters and bad faith issues throughout her career.

Gardner received her law degree from DePaul University College of Law and her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois. She is admitted to practice law in Illinois, Arizona, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Tyson & Mendes Hires Attorneys for New Jacksonville Office

Insurance defense firm Tyson & Mendes has appointed attorney E. Holland Holly Howanitz as managing partner for its new Jacksonville, Florida office and three other former partners of the Wicker Smith law firm in Jacksonville.

Previously, Howanitz was a partner at Wicker Smith. The law firm said in a press release that several associates and three former Wicker Smith partners will join her at the Jacksonville office: Catherine Crawley, Ashley Hollingsworth and Tara Floyd.

The Jacksonville office is Tyson & Mendes third Florida office. The law firm also has offices in Tampa and Fort Lauderdale.

In her 18 years of practice, Howanitz has represented corporations, insurance carriers, and others in numerous cases. She received a Juris Doctor from Florida Coastal School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree rom Oglethorpe University.

Crawleyfocuses her practice on matters involving civil litigation, premises liability, construction, transportation and trucking, and medical malpractice. She began her law career in 2016 after graduating from Georgia State University College of Law.

Floyd works on cases involving civil litigation, construction, insurance coverage and bad faith, medical malpractice, nursing home and assisted living, automobile litigation and premises liability. In 2017, Floyd served in the Public Defenders Office for the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Florida.

Hollingsworth has experience in automobile negligence, premises liability, nursing home and assisted living facility matters. Before working at Wicker Smith, she was an associate attorney to a family law office representing clients in dissolution of marriage, child support, paternity, domestic violence injunction and dependency cases. Previously, she served as an assistant public defender in the 17th Judicial Circuit.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  The COVID-19 pandemic caused a lot of problems for several businesses, creating shortages of toilet paper, lumber, soup and many other items.

Businesses have rebounded, but experts warn that one industry might be in for a rough summer, for various reasons.
WARREN, Michigan  People are praising the actions of a seventh-grader who managed to bring a school bus to a safe top after the driver lost consciousness.

In a post on Facebook, Warren Consolidated Schools Superintendent Robert Livernois says the driver became lightheaded then passed out while taking students home Wednesday from Carter Middle School. The student, identified by a Warren city official as 13-year-old Dillon Reeves, then took the wheel.

This young man jumped into action when his school bus driver experienced a medical emergency, bringing the bus to a stop and avoiding what could have been a very tragic accident, City Councilman Jonathan Lafferty says in the post. We are very proud of you for your heroic actions!

Livernois says the driver was taken by an ambulance to a hospital. The students were taken home on another bus.

The actions of the student who helped stop the bus made all the difference today and I could not be prouder of his efforts, Livernois says.

Warren is located about 30 minutes north of Detroit.
BROWNSBURG, Indiana  Five staffers at an elementary school are facing criminal charges after police say a video showed them forcing a 7-year-old special-needs student to eat his own vomit.

According to a news release from the Brownsburg Police Department, investigators were contacted by police from Brown Elementary School on April 12 about the incident, which occurred in February.

Police say the video shows the student stand up and appear to gag while eating during lunch period. Sara Seymour, a 27-year-old life skills teacher at the school, appears to order the student to sit down, police say. Seymour is accused of telling the boy that if he vomited, he would be forced to eat it.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  A Cleveland man was found dead in a garage on Thursday in the citys South Collinwood neighborhood, according to police.

Edward Jordan, 48, was found dead about 6:45 p.m. in the 800 block of Wayside Road, near Kipling Avenue, according to the office of the Cuyahoga County medical examiners office.
WASHINGTON, D. C. - The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted Friday to overturn the Biden administrations suspension of tariffs on Chinese solar product parts that go through other countries.

Twelve Democrats including Toledos Marcy Kaptur joined the bulk of the legislative bodys Republicans to pass the measure by a 212 to 202 margin.

I am opposed to the United States maintaining a supply chain reliant on Communist China and their forced slave labor, U.S. Rep. Bob Latta, a Bowling Green Republican, said on the House of Representatives floor. We should instead be working to build up our own domestic solar manufacturing industry and send signals to industry that the time to shorten supply chains is long past due.

Many of Ohios solar product manufacturers are located in Northwest Ohio. Kaptur this month highlighted $16.1 million in Department of Energy grants awarded to Toledo-area solar manufacturers First Solar and Toledo Solar.

Investing in next-generation energy technology brings good-paying jobs and economic growth to Northwest Ohio, said a statement Kaptur issued after the vote. The evidence of Chinas targeting of our domestic solar industry required a forceful response. Deploying new energy technologies in our country cannot come at the expense of Americas solar industry and the thousands of workers at Ohios hometown companies like First Solar and Toledo Solar.

As part of an effort to promote more solar energy use in the United States, Biden last year announced a two-year tariff ban on solar panels and components that originate in China but are imported from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The point was to ensure an adequate supply of solar panels while domestic production ramps up.

The administrations stance vexed Ohio solar manufacturers, such as Arizona-based First Solar, which produces solar panels in Perrysburg, Ohio. A statement from the company said the policy would undermine U.S. solar manufacturers by giving unfettered access to Chinas state-subsidized solar companies for the next two years.

This sends the message that companies can circumvent American laws and that the US government will let them get away with it as long as theyre backed by deep-pocketed political pressure campaigns, said the statement from company vice president Samantha Sloan.

The White House announced Monday that President Biden would veto the joint resolution overturning the policy, if Congress adopts it. It said the United States is on track to increase domestic solar panel manufacturing capacity eight-fold by the end of Bidens first term, but time is needed too boost production. It described the Commerce Departments action as a temporary, 24- month bridge for the import of certain solar cells or modules.

This rule is necessary to satisfy the demand for reliable and clean energy while ensuring Commerce is able to rigorously enforce U.S. trade laws, hold trading partners accountable, and defend U.S. industries and workers from unfair trade actions, the veto announcement said. Passage of this joint resolution would undermine these efforts and create deep uncertainty for jobs and investments in the solar supply chain and the solar installation market.

Democrats argued against the joint resolution on the House of Representatives floor, with Oregons Earl Blumenauer arguing it Bidens policy is a two year bridge that gives the solar industry the time needed to reorient supply chains away from China and produce panels domestically.

Its unclear whether the Senate will approve the joint resolution. Several Democrats, including Ohios Sherrod Brown, have said theyll support it.

The Chinese government will do anything to undermine American manufacturing, and would like nothing more than to kill the American solar manufacturing industry before it takes off, said a statement from Brown. Ohio is ready to lead in the manufacturing industries of the future  we must not put that progress at risk.

Brown and Pennsylvania Sen. Robert Casey sent a letter to Biden last month that asked for sanctions on the Chinese companies found to be circumventing anti-dumping and countervailing duties by moving solar cells and modules through other countries.

U.S. trade laws are designed to protect our domestic market from unfair trade practices and, now that Department of Commerce has established preliminary evidence of circumvention, we urge their strong enforcement, their letter said.

Sabrina Eaton writes about the federal government and politics in Washington, D.C., for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  The Republican-controlled Ohio House passed a two-year, $88 billion state budget this week stripped of $125 million Republican Gov. Mike DeWine had put in his proposed budget for improvements to rail crossings across the state.

But there is still hope among backers of DeWines proposal that the money will be restored as the Ohio Senate takes up the bill, allowing the state to tap into additional federal dollars by making the $125 million commitment, which would be allocated in the first year of the budget.

After the Senate makes its own changes, the two chambers will have to reconcile their differences before sending the budget to DeWines desk ahead of the fiscal year ending on June 30.

DeWines proposal would dovetail with the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that has set aside federal money to build grade separations at rail crossings around the country, said Art Arnold, executive director of the Ohio Railroad Association.

The federal government would put up 80% of the cost, with states, localities or private investments making up the rest, Arnold said.

This is not just a one-year program this is a multi-year program at the federal level, Arnold said.

State Sen. Nicki Antonio, a Democrat from Lakewood, said she is hopeful the money can be added to the budget by the Senate before a final vote is taken.

Frankly, I have no idea why they took it out, she said. Im very surprised.

Related: Frustrated Cuyahoga County officials want Norfolk Southern, CSX to be more open about hazardous cargo passing through Greater Cleveland.

Antonio said she will be involved in drafting an amendment that would restore the money and that she will seek support from Republicans.

One of those Republicans is Sen. Kristina Roegner of Hudson, who sits with Antonio on the Senate Select Committee on Rail Safety. The committee was created in the wake of the disastrous derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio, in early February that spewed toxic chemicals into the environment.

As I mentioned during a Select Committee on Rail Safety hearing earlier this month, I was disappointed that the House removed that funding for rail crossing improvements, Roegner stated in an emailed response to questions from cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. In Hudson, Ohio we have an issue with trains stopping on the tracks, blocking crossings  this is clearly a safety issue and something that we absolutely need to address. I am hopeful that we will be able to restore those funds in the Senate. The budget is a complex process with many competing interests and it still has a ways to go before it hits the Governors desk.

State Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, a Democrat from Westlake, said she tried to have the money put back in the House budget before the vote, telling Rep. Jay Edwards, the Republican chairman of the House Finance Committee, that it was a priority of the Democratic Caucus.

She said Edwards never gave her a reason why the money, which would have come from surplus revenue from the previous budget cycle, was not included.

If I had to guess, we have to have a balanced budget and they probably took that money to fund another priority, she said.

Edwards did not respond to messages from cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer seeking comment, but in an interview with Gongwer News he cited a desire to take a wait-and-see approach.

I think if theres money to be put in for rail safety we absolutely want to do that, he told Gongwer News. But I think were going to press the pause button while ongoing litigation is taking place and theyre still researching and investigation what happened in East Palestine.

The East Palestine derailment was not caused by a mishap at a rail crossing, but rather a faulty bearing on one of the railcars is believed to be the culprit. Still, the accident has put the spotlight on rail safety, including at the many at-grade crossings in the state, a number of which are in Greater Cleveland.

Antonio said money for rail crossing improvements could make a huge difference not just in terms of safety, which is the highest priority, but also by improving the flow of vehicle traffic and improving the quality of life for a lot of people.

Olmsted Falls Mayor James Graven recently complained about rail crossing delays to officials at the Federal Railroad Administration in Washington. Since then, the problem has improved, he said, but he still would have liked the Ohio House to have kept the rail crossing money in the budget because railroad safety is very important, especially for a town like ours.

Peter Krouse covers the environment for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.
In one of the most shameless power grabs in Ohio history, Statehouse Republicans -- evidently, including Gov. Mike DeWine -- are aiming to make it harder for Ohio voters to amend the states constitution.

Object: To derail an amendment, to be proposed by voter petition, that would guarantee the right of women to seek an abortion in Ohio.

Even worse, GOP legislative leaders seek to force their proposed constitutional change -- requiring a 60% margin to ratify, compared to the simple majority in effect since 1912, and doubly difficult signature-gathering requirements to even get a citizen initiative on the ballot -- onto a traditionally low-turnout August election. That would be the same kind of August election they recently abolished as too expensive and unrepresentative.

Last years Aug. 2 special election had an 8% voter turnout. The Nov. 8 election drew more than 52% of Ohio voters.

No wonder powerful precedents in law and practice have previously combined to put major constitutional changes before Ohio voters in the fall, when elections draw the most voters.

And this would be a consequential change -- impacting Ohioans longstanding rights to propose and pass constitutional amendments as a brake against legislative corruption.

Yet, as with so much associated with this GOP legislative push to restrain Ohioans longstanding rights, past precedents dont matter. The voters will doesnt matter. And a law passed just months ago doesnt matter.

Even Gov. DeWine, serving in what is likely his last term in office after a distinguished political career, and whose veto pen could derail this effort to silence the people via a low-turnout Aug. 8 election, shamefully has said he will not do so. He pledged this week to sign the special-election legislation, overriding a law eliminating such elections (except for fiscal emergencies) that took effect only 21 days ago.

The legislatures current bid to crimp Ohio voters rights is so outrageous that four former governors -- Republicans Bob Taft and John R. Kasich, and Democrats Richard F. Celeste and Ted Strickland -- have all condemned it.

Why the 60% margin? Lawmakers assess -- likely correctly -- that a majority of Ohioans would ratify a reproductive rights amendment by a simple majority if given the opportunity to do so in November. But in states whose voters have constitutionally protected abortion, the range of yes votes for those rights has often been less than 60%.

Notably, these Statehouse proposals target citizen-initiated constitutional amendments with new signature-gathering requirements that could double the difficulty and cost of getting such amendments on the ballot. The required percentage of signatures must be gathered in all 88 counties, rather than 44 now, and a ten-day cure period to fix any signature shortfalls would be eliminated.

The state Senate, run 26-7 by Republicans, has already passed its proposed 60%-threshold amendment, which calls for an Aug. 8 special election to consider it. The measure, Senate Joint Resolution 2, and a companion bill to reinstate an August election, Senate Bill 92, are pending in the Ohio House.

The House is where the shell-game possibilities are especially ripe. The Ohio Constitution requires three-fifths of the members respectively elected to the Senate and House to place proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot -- 20 (of 33) senators, and 60 (of 99) representatives.

In theory, Republicans hold 67 of the Houses seats. But because of a GOP caucus split between House Speaker Jason Stephens and a faction loyal to Rep. Derek Merrin, two GOP House seats remain vacant, leaving the 99-seat House with a net of 97 members.

By some interpretations, that could let the House place the proposed amendment on the ballot with 59 votes instead of (the previously assumed) requirement of 60 votes. That may sound like trivia but for two things: First, the House vote on the amendment is expected to be exceedingly close. Second, the GOP-run Supreme Court would likely have to decide the question -- and if past is precedent, the court would let the House do whatever the House wants.

Its nearly impossible to overstate how blatant these antics are. In effect, a majority of the state Senate, and likely but not certainly, a majority of Ohios House, aims to signal its contempt for the states voters by trying to rig rejection at the polls of the abortion-rights proposal as well as a likely 2024 anti-gerrymandering plan. This is politics at its grubbiest. Were its operatives capable of being ashamed, they should be.

About our editorials: Editorials express the view of the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer -- the senior leadership and editorial-writing staff. As is traditional, editorials are unsigned and intended to be seen as the voice of the news organization.

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A former Apple employee who swindled the company out of more than $17 million with a scheme that double-billed for parts was sentenced to three years in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $33 million, prosecutors said.

Dhirendra Prasad pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States in 2022.

Prasad, 55, of Mountain House, California, worked at Apple from 2008 to 2018 as a buyer in the company's Global Service Supply Chain unit. Along with two co-conspirators, who owned two companies that were Apple suppliers, Prasad conspired to double-bill Apple for parts it already owned or had purchased.

Prasad said the scheme began as far back as 2011. It netted him more than $17 million and ran for eight years. Prasad also engineered "sham invoices" that allowed one of his co-conspirators, Don Baker, to take unjustified tax deductions valued at more than $1.8 million.

"Prasad was given substantial discretion to make autonomous decisions to benefit his employer," federal prosecutors and Internal Revenue Service investigators said in a statement Wednesday. "Prasad betrayed this trust, and abused his power to enrich himself at his employer's expense."

In addition to his prison sentence, Prasad will forfeit $5.5 million worth of assets, pay a money judgment of $8.1 million, and restitution of $17.4 million to Apple and $1.9 million to the IRS.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
People attend a job fair in Beijing on Aug. 26, 2022. Unemployment for young people ages 16 to 24 has remained persistently high over the last year.

BEIJING  China's top leaders said at a regular meeting Friday that domestic demand is still insufficient, according to state media.

The assessment came after China reported better-than-expected GDP growth of 4.5% in the first quarter, prompting several investment firms to raise their economic forecasts for the year.

"At present the positive turn in China's economy is primarily one of a recovery. Internal drivers still aren't strong, and demand is still insufficient," a state media readout of the meeting said in Chinese, translated by CNBC.

"Economic transformation and upgrade faces new resistance, and the promotion of high quality development still needs to overcome many difficulties and challenges," the readout said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping led Friday's gathering of Chinese leaders, known as the Politburo.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
U.S. cyber intelligence staff is vastly outnumbered by Chinese hackers, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray told Congress as he pleaded for more money for the agency.

"To give you a sense of what we're up against, if each one of the FBI's cyber agents and intel analysts focused exclusively on the China threat, Chinese hackers would still outnumber FBI Cyber personnel by at least 50 to 1," Wray said in prepared remarks for a budget hearing before a House Appropriations subcommittee on Thursday.

The disclosure highlights the massive scale of cyber threats the U.S. is facing, particularly from China. Wray said the country has "a bigger hacking program than every other major nation combined and have stolen more of our personal and corporate data than all other nationsbig or smallcombined."

Even so, Wray said countries like Russia, Iran and North Korea also pose significant cybersecurity concerns, on top of non-state criminal actors. The FBI is currently investigating more than 100 "ransomware variants" with "scores of victims" for each.

The agency is requesting about $63 million to help it beef up its cyber staff with 192 new positions. Wray said this would also help the FBI put more cyber staff in field offices to be closer to where victims of cyber crimes actually are.

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WATCH: Crowdstrike CEO on government spending on cyber, vulnerabilities and geopolitical threats
Here are Friday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Bank of America upgrades Hasbro to neutral from underperform Bank of America said it sees resilient demand for Hasbro . "Following 1Q results that included better than expected Magic revenue, we are upgrading Hasbro to Neutral from Underperform." Goldman Sachs reiterates Amazon as buy Goldman said it's standing by the stock after its robust earnings report Thursday. " AMZN' s Q1'23 earnings report produced a strong set of results with almost every Q1 operating metric beating expectations." Read more about this call here. Wolfe upgrades Mobileye to outperform from peer perform Wolfe said the long-term story is "compelling" for the stock. " Mobileye  We got the sell-off that we expected. But the long-term story appears even more compelling." Jefferies upgrades Fortune Brands to buy from hold Jefferies said the is a "quality growth name well positioned for a recovery." "With the stock lagging the builders & shares trading at pre-COVID levels, we believe a quality branded building products company like FBIN, is due for a catch up trade." Citi opens a positive catalyst watch on Hanesbrands Citi said expectations remain low for Hanesbrands heading into earnings next week. "Mgmt guiding 2Q23 above consensus could be a positive surprise for this highly shorted stock with low expectations; we are opening a 30-day positive catalyst watch." Morgan Stanley reiterates Tesla as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by its overweight rating on Tesla, but that China competition is rising. "The message from our China Autos team is clear - Chinese EVs are coming to Western markets." JPMorgan initiates bluebird bio as overweight JPMorgan said in its initiation of the biotech company that it has "best-in-class" positioning. "With two transgenic cell therapy launches underway, and a third on deck perhaps by year end, we see bluebird being well-positioned in the emerging class of autologous cell therapies for inherited hematological disorders. Indeed, feedback from our physician survey supports compelling latent demand for the modality in treating sickle cell disease, with specific views on BLUE's lovo-cel supporting its competitive if not best-in-class positioning." Stifel upgrades Waste Management to buy from hold Stifel said it was upgrading Waste Management to catch the "commodity cycle." "Buoyed by better-than-plan price, the prospect for margins to swing positive and catching the commodity cycle near a low supports revising our rating from HOLD to BUY." Benchmark upgrades Intel to buy from hold Benchmark said in its upgrade of Intel that the worst is already baked in. "Increasing Rating to Buy from Hold, With the Worst Baked Into the 1st Half, It's Time to Get More Constructive." Click here to read more about this call. Bank of America upgrades Pilgrim's Pride to buy from neutral Bank of America said in its upgrade of the poultry company that the worst is behind it. "We upgrade shares of Pilgrim's Pride (PPC), the #2 chicken processor in the US (~16% share), from Neutral to Buy with our $26 PO (7.5x CY24 EV/EBITDA) unchanged." RBC upgrades International Paper to outperform from sector perform RBC said it sees an attractive entry point. " IP lowered its 2023 Adjusted EBITDA guidance by ~14% at the midpoint of its range; however, we think the current share price reflects greater pessimism than warranted and represents a solid entry point, particularly given the attractive dividend yield." JPM initiates Royal Caribbean as overweight JPMorgan said in its initiation of the cruise company that it's "well-positioned to capitalize on the (i) secular tailwinds." "Put together, we model a low-double-digit FY23- 25 topline growth profile ( > +7-8% peer set growth) with RCL well-positioned to capitalize on the (i) secular tailwinds tied to the company's 3 global brands focused on: (1) a more affluent $100K+ average household income customer base, (2) industry leading net promoter scores." Deutsche Bank upgrades Old Dominion to buy from hold Deutsche said the shipping company's earnings can double. " ODFL is right at the top of the quality list, in our view, with over 15 years of data to back it up." Berenberg initiates MicroStrategy as buy Berenberg called the business intelligence company "unique." "As we launch coverage of the Fintech space, our initial focus is on a stock within the Digital Assets segment  MicroStrategy (MSTR)  that is unique insofar as its primary mission as a company is to acquire and hold bitcoins." Bank of America reiterates Pinterest as neutral Bank of America said it's standing by its neutral rating after the company's earnings report on Thursday and says it sees "near-term disappointment and long-term opportunity," "We see Pinterest as a high-quality platform and remain constructive on improving usage trends with high intent users." Read more about this call here. Jefferies reiterates Salesforce as buy Jefferies said it sees more "conviction margin upside" ahead for the stock. "We see CRM as a $10+ earnings story in CY'25, implying a $200-$250 stock at 20-25x." Morgan Stanley reiterates Apple as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's still bullish on Apple shares heading into earnings next week. "Data released this week helps to solidify our view of an in-line March quarter, but we still expect a June quarter guide-down."
Workers install solar panels during the completion phase of a 4-acre solar rooftop atop AltaSea's research and development facility at the Port of Los Angeles, in the San Pedro neighborhood, on April 21, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday voted to repeal President Joe Biden's suspension of tariffs on solar panels from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, nations that collectively represent a majority of country's supply of panels.

The decision comes after the White House last year waived tariffs on solar panel imports from the Southeast Asian nations for two years and invoked the Defense Production Act to bolster domestic solar panel manufacturing.

The tariff moratorium was imposed to keep solar panels coming into the country as the U.S. boosts capacity. Solar energy is a key step toward reaching the White House's climate goals.

The president had issued the moratorium amid a Commerce Department probe into whether companies were circumventing tariffs on Chinese shipments of solar products to the U.S. Commerce was looking at a complaint alleging that eight solar companies manufacture solar cells and components in China, then send those cells and modules to Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam for "minor processing" before exporting them to the U.S. The department preliminarily found that four of the eight companies were attempting to bypass U.S. duties by doing minor processing in one of the Southeast Asian nations.

Supporters of the House resolution argue that the country is too dependent on other nations like China for clean energy and should enforce trade laws that will support country's domestic solar supply chains.

The House passed the resolution in a 221-202 vote, with 12 Democrats joining most Republicans to vote in favor. The legislation now facesreview by the Senate. The president has pledged to veto congressional efforts to repeal the solar tariff waiver. A veto could only be overturned with a two-thirds Senate majority.
Mark Cuban is riled up about Twitter's new subscription protocol.

The billionaire investor and owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks recently took to Twitter to air his grievances and present ideas, after the platform removed blue checkmarks from countless previously verified accounts.

Cuban wrote that Twitter CEO Elon Musk botched a marketing opportunity, and could have gotten more users to pay for Twitter Blue's $8 monthly subscription if he'd offered more incentives. "There were 100 ways [Musk] could have asked legacy checks for $100," Cuban wrote. "Egalitarianism was the worst of them all."

When rolling out the subscription service, Musk removed blue checkmarks from previously verified users, and made them available to anyone willing to pay. By doing so, he dampened their value, Cuban suggested: Verification is now less exclusive, credible and, in turn, less desirable.

Cuban says he's currently paying for a Twitter Blue subscription as an experiment, after his follower count and reach "declined considerably over the past few months."

"I thought maybe by paying the annual contract, that would change," Cuban tells CNBC Make It. "It didn't."

In March, 2.6 million people visited Twitter Blue's sales page, according to internet traffic analyst Similarweb. Just 116,000 of them, less than 5% of that traffic, actually purchased a subscription that month, Bloomberg reported.

Twitter didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

In another recent tweet, Cuban wrote that Twitter's new "approach to legacy checks is a huge mistake." He offered a few solutions, which he posed as smarter ways to make money selling the blue checkmarks. For $100 per year, he wrote:

A Twitter artificial intelligence system could monitor impostor celebrity accounts for you

Twitter could promote $10,000 worth of tweets from a nonprofit of your choice

Your tweets could have unlimited characters

Cuban's $100 figure is roughly equivalent to the $96 that Twitter Blue users would pay in a year.

Twitter rose to prominence as a place where anyone could interact with anyone, and verified sources could keep people updated in real-time. Musk's implementation of Twitter Blue could make both elements harder for many users, particularly when they're no longer sure who they're actually speaking with.

But despite acknowledging Twitter's shortcomings, Cuban isn't retreating from the platform. In another recent tweet, he called Twitter "unique and right now irreplaceable," and expressed hope that the social media giant could reclaim its former power and popularity.

"Twitter still is the best game in town for so many different types of communications," Cuban wrote. "If you look at Twitter on a 20 [year] horizon, the past [six months] are just the preseason and it's not hard to recapture what was."

This story has been updated to reflect Mark Cuban's comments on his own Twitter Blue subscription.

Disclosure: CNBC owns the exclusive off-network cable rights to "Shark Tank," which features Mark Cuban as a panelist.

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The burgeoning weight-loss drug industry, which is whetting investors' appetites with its pledge of combatting global obesity rates, could be worth as much as $200 billion within the next decade, according to Barclays bank. Dubbing obesity "the story of this decade," Barclays' head of European pharmaceuticals equity research said that, based on investor feedback, the bank's previous valuation estimate may have been overly conservative. related investing news These 3 clean tech stocks should beat the market the rest of the year, JPMorgan says In a research note released last week, Barclays said that the global obesity therapeutic market could be worth $100 billion by around 2030. However, Emily Field elevated that estimate Wednesday. "Immuno-oncology was the story of the last decade. It feels like obesity is the story of this decade," Field told CNBC's "Street Signs Europe."

We think it can get to a $100 billion market ... maybe it could be even double that. Emily Field head of European pharmaceuticals equity research at Barclays

"We think it can get to a $100 billion market," in the next 10 years, she said. "Maybe it could be even double that if this keeps going and we really see higher penetration." Weight-loss drugs have become a hot topic as public heath authorities and pharmaceutical companies seek to find solutions to the growing obesity epidemic. According to the World Health Organization, global obesity rates have almost tripled over the past decade. It is currently estimated that 1 billion people are clinically obese, of whom around 650 million are adults, 340 million are adolescents and 39 million are children. Pharmaceutical makers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lily are among those grabbing attention for tackling waistlines with their weight-loss drugs including Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro. Eli Lily said Thursday that it would apply for regulatory approval for Mounjaro, after a large trial showed that it helped overweight people with type 2 diabetes lose nearly 16% of their body weight.

How do obesity drugs work?

The drugs, which are administered via injection, rely on an active ingredient called semaglutide which belongs to a group of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists (glucagon-like peptide 1). Originally developed to treat diabetes, they work by imitating a naturally occurring gut hormone that helps regulate appetite in the brain, ultimately leading to weight loss.

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Their dramatic results have been pitched as a "miracle" fix to weight issues, with Hollywood stars and social media influencers among those touting their benefits. But these types of drugs have also attracted controversy, not least after admissions by drug makers that patients would likely regain weight once they ceased taking the medication. Others, meanwhile, have questioned whether the drugs can successfully tackle the longer-term health issues facing those with obesity.

A test for the industry

However, Field said that a forthcoming study, due this summer, could go further in uncovering the cardiovascular benefits of such drugs and therefore their wider-reaching applications. If positive, the results could provide a further boon for the market, she said. "Does the weight loss that comes with taking Wegovy prevent you from having a heart attack or a stroke in those that have a higher risk?" That's what the study is looking to find out, Field noted. "We've seen a benefit in the diabetes population with their other drug Ozempic. We've seen a benefit in patients who have had bariatric surgery," she continued, referring to weight-loss surgeries such as gastric bypass.

Weight-loss drugs have become a hot topic as public heath authorities and pharmaceutical companies seek to find solutions to the growing global obesity epidemic. Florian Gaertner | Photothek | Getty Images
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., urged a top U.S. judge in Texas to reform his district's case-assignment rules that he says have allowed plaintiffs to effectively "hand-pick" their preferred judges.

Schumer's demand to Chief Judge David Godbey of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas came after a heated legal battle over the Food and Drug Administration's approval of an abortion pill sparked accusations of conservative litigants engaging in "judge shopping."

Multiple court divisions in Godbey's district have just one or two district judges. The rules currently allow for plaintiffs to target those divisions for civil cases  letting them "effectively choose the judge who will hear their cases," Schumer said Thursday in a letter to Godbey.

"Unsurprisingly, litigants have taken advantage of these orders to hand-pick individual district judges seen as particularly sympathetic to their claims," Schumer wrote.

The Senate leader called Texas itself the "most egregious" offender, noting that in 29 lawsuits against the Biden administration, it has "always sued in divisions where case-assignment procedures ensure that a particular preferred judge or one of a handful of preferred judges will hear the case."

Congress may "consider more prescriptive requirements" if Godbey does not enact reforms, Schumer wrote.

The most prominent recent example of alleged judge shopping came in the clash over the abortion pill mifepristone. The case was filed in Amarillo, Texas, a federal court division with just one judge: Matthew Kacsmaryk, an appointee of former President Donald Trump who has expressed socially conservative views on LGBTQ rights and abortion.

By filing the lawsuit in Amarillo, the anti-abortion groups seeking to cancel the FDA's approval of the drug virtually guaranteed Kacsmaryk would hear their case. Kacsmaryk ruled in favor of those groups, temporarily suspending the drug's approval. The case quickly ascended to the U.S. Supreme Court, which last week ordered that the pill remain broadly available as further litigation plays out.

Critics say the strategy of targeting single-judge divisions harms the integrity of the court, as it effectively bypasses the usual process of having cases assigned randomly. The random-assignment process is intended to "avoid judge shopping," federal courts note.

The chief judge could not immediately be reached for comment on Schumer's letter.

"In the past few years, the country has seen the downside of allowing plaintiffs to hand-pick their desired judges," Schumer said in a press release Thursday.

"The result? Chaotic and flawed rulings on abortion access, LGBTQ+ protections, legal immigration, and climate legislation," he said. "Our country cannot afford to let these practices continue unchecked  wherever they may occur."
Chip stocks have rebounded this year after performing poorly in 2022. The PHLX Semiconductor Sector Index is up nearly 17% in the year to date, making this sector one of the brightest spots in the market turmoil. Is there more upside? CNBC Pro trawled through Wall Street research to look for semiconductor stocks that Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley expect will grow in value. Morgan Stanley In an April 24 note, Morgan Stanley said it expects a "headwind for most broad based companies" toward the second half of the year. But it expects further upside for the following stocks, which it rated equal weight. Silicon Laboratories : The bank noted the firm's strength in industrial and commercial areas, from which it gained record revenue. It gave the stock a price target of $207, or potential upside of 46%. "SLAB has tracked in-line with our coverage this year, as investors maintain their confidence in SLAB's growth story, justifying its premium valuation relative to the broader semiconductor space," Morgan Stanley analysts wrote. Wolfspeed : Morgan Stanley said execution "will be key" as the company creates new manufacturing capacity. It gave the stock a price target of $80, implying potential upside of 39%. "We continue to see significant long term opportunity for WOLF, as the company's leadership position in Silicon Carbide materials should lead to material growth in both devices and supplies," the bank's analysts said. Silicon carbide is a material used in semiconductor application in many industries. ON Semiconductor : Morgan Stanley said the company could have an earnings stream that is "likely more recession proof than the higher end analog names." "While we have been impressed with the company's execution in recent quarters, the stock outperformance last year has set a high bar," the bank noted. It gave the stock a price target of $89, representing 23.7% upside. Goldman Sachs Goldman named two buy-rated semiconductor stocks in an April 23 report: KLA Corporation and Impinj . It said KLA has benefited from increased adoption of extreme ultraviolet, an incredibly short wavelength of light that is generated in large quantities to print small, complex designs on microchips. Goldman also expects the firm's services business will be less volatile than its wafer processing equipment peers. "Despite near-term [wafer fab equipment] market headwinds, we expect KLA's above-average exposure to technology-buys (i.e. equipment purchases that are tied to process node or technology transitions as opposed to increases in capacity) and its resilient Services business to drive relative revenue and earnings outperformance," it said. Goldman gave the stock a price target of $409, implying 14% potential upside. The bank gave Impinj a price target of $142, or upside of 5%. "We are Buy-rated on PI, and continue to highlight the company as a key enabler and beneficiary of increased RFID adoption in Retail (i.e. General Merchandise), Apparel, and Supply Chain & Logistics," Goldman said.  CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
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Sony aims to sell 18 million PlayStation 5 consoles in its financial year ending in March 2023. Thiago Prudencio | Lightrocket | Getty Images

Sony posted record annual operating revenue on Friday, helped by its chip division and sales of its flagship PlayStation 5 gaming console which hit a record for the financial year. Here's how Sony did in the March quarter versus Refinitiv consensus estimates: Revenue: 3.06 trillion Japanese yen ($22.7 billion) versus 2.92 trillion yen expected. That represents a 35% year-on-year rise.

3.06 trillion Japanese yen ($22.7 billion) versus 2.92 trillion yen expected. That represents a 35% year-on-year rise. Operating profit: 128.5 billion Japanese yen versus 124.34 billion yen expected. That represents a 7% year-on-year fall. For its full fiscal year which ended in March, Sony previously forecast operating profit of 1.18 trillion yen and 11.5 trillion yen in revenue. The company beat its own forecast with 1.21 trillion yen in operating profit, a record for the company. Sony forecast its sales for the current fiscal year, which ends in March 2024, will be 11.5 trillion yen, roughly flat versus last year. It said operating profit would come in at 1.17 trillion yen, down 3% year-on-year.

PlayStation 5 sales hit record

Sony said it sold 19.1 million PlayStation 5 consoles in the financial year, beating its own forecast of 18 million. That was up from 11.5 million PS5 units sold in the previous fiscal year when Sony was facing supply chain issues. The Japanese giant's gaming division was one of its biggest profit drivers for the year, bringing in operating profit of 250 billion yen, although that was down 27% year-on-year. For the fiscal year, Sony's gaming division brought in revenue of 3.64 trillion yen, up 33% year-on-year. The business was Sony's biggest category by sales. Sony forecast operating profit for its gaming business to be 270 billion yen for the current fiscal year. The company is hoping PlayStation VR 2, the company's virtual reality gaming headset, will help add to sales. The company said it will see an improvement in profitability from hardware next year. Sony said that it aims to sell 25 million PS5 units in the current financial year. If achieved, this would be a record for the PS5. The company is competing with Nintendo's Switch console and Microsoft's Xbox.

Chips and music boost profit
Thomas Jordan, president of the Swiss National Bank (SNB), speaks during the bank's annual general meeting in Bern, Switzerland, on Friday, April 28, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

A shareholder holding a placard reading in German: "Invest in the planet and not in its destruction" takes part in a protest ahead of a general meeting of of the Swiss National Bank (SNB) in Bern on April 28, 2023. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images) Fabrice Coffrini | Afp | Getty Images

The SNB faced questions and grievances from shareholders about the Credit Suisse situation on Friday, but the country's network of climate activists also sought to use the central bank's unwanted spotlight to challenge its investment policies. Activists failed to gain traction with a vote to reprimand the SNB's investment decisions, with just 0.8% of shareholders backing the move, according to Reuters. Unlike many major central banks, the SNB operates publicly-traded company, with just over half of its roughly 25 million Swiss franc ($28.1 million) share capital held by public shareholders  including various Swiss cantons (states) and cantonal banks  while the remaining shares are held by private investors. More than 170 climate activists have now purchased a SNB share, according to the SNB Coalition, a dedicated pressure group spun out of Alliance Climatique Suisse  an umbrella organization representing around 140 Swiss environmental campaign groups. Around 50 of the activist shareholders were attendance on Friday, and activists had planned to make around a dozen speeches on stage at the AGM, climate campaigner Jonas Kampus told CNBC on Wednesday. Protests were also held outside the event with Reuters reporting that the campaigners totaled 100, leading to tight security. The group is calling for the SNB to dispose of its stock holdings of "companies that cause serious environmental damage and/or violate fundamental human rights," pointing to the central bank's own investment guidelines. In particular, campaigners have highlighted SNB holdings in Chevron , Shell , TotalEnergies , ExxonMobil , Repsol, Enbridge and Duke Energy. Members of a Ugandan community objecting to TotalEnergies' East African Crude Oil Pipeline, were also set to attend on Friday, with one planning to speak on stage directly to the SNB directorate. As well as a full exit from fossil fuel investments, activists are demanding that the SNB implement the "one for one rule,"  a capital requirement designed to prevent banks and insurers benefiting from activities that are detrimental for the transition to net zero. In this context, the SNB would be required to set aside one Swiss franc of its own funds to cover potential losses for each franc allocated to financing new fossil fuel exploration or extraction.

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Ahead of the AGM, the central bank declined on legal grounds to schedule three motions tabled by the activists, and said on Wednesday that it would not comment on protest plans, instead directing CNBC to its formal agenda. Yet Kampus suggested that just the process of submitting the motions itself had helped expand public and political awareness of the issues. "From all sides, there is public pressure and also political pressure that the SNB needs to change things. At this moment, the SNB is really far behind in terms of their actions taken compared to other central banks," Kampus told CNBC via telephone, adding that the SNB takes a "very conservative view" of its mandate regarding price stability and financial stability, which is "very narrow." The shareholders' cause is also backed by a motion in parliament, with support from lawmakers ranging from the Green Party to the Centre [center-right party], which demands an extension of the SNB's mandate to cover climate and environmental risks. "While other central banks around the world are going well beyond the steps taken by the SNB in this respect  the SNB has repeatedly taken the position that its mandate does not give it sufficient leeway to take climate risks fully into account in its decisions and monetary policy instruments," reads the motion, filed on March 16 by Green Party lawmaker Delphine Klopfenstein Broggini.

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"The present parliamentary initiative is intended to ensure this leeway and to make it clear that the SNB must take climate risks into account when conducting monetary policy." The motion argues that climate risks are "classified worldwide as significant financial risks that can endanger financial and price stability," concluding that it is in "Switzerland's overall interest that the SNB proactively address these issues" as other central banks are seeking to do. Kampus and his fellow activists hope the national focus on the SNB after the Credit Suisse crisis provides fertile ground to advance concerns about climate risk, which he said poses a risk to the financial system that is "several times larger" than the potential fallout from Credit Suisse's collapse. "We feel that there is also a window of opportunity on the SNB side in that they maybe this time are a bit more humble, because they obviously also have done some things wrong in terms of the Credit Suisse crash," Kampus said. He noted that the central bank has always asserted that climate risk was incorporated into its models and that there was "no need for further exchange with the public of further transparency."

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Ukraine's finance minister on Friday said Kyiv should use its bilateral relationship with China as leverage to bring an end to Russia's full-scale invasion.

His comments came shortly after a long-anticipated phone call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Both leaders spoke earlier this week for the first time since Russia's war with Ukraine began in February last year.

"I am not fully convinced that we can emphasize something particular after this conversation but what I truly can tell you is that it is important to continue dialogue between our countries," Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko told CNBC's Silvia Amaro in Stockholm, Sweden.

"We really understand the importance of China and we really understand the importance for us to create our own relationship with China and to prevent China [from fully supporting] Russia."

When asked whether China could be seen as Ukraine's best friend in the bid to find a compromise for peace, Marchenko replied, "of course not," instead naming the United States, the Group of Seven nations and "all our partners" supporting Ukraine.

He added that Kyiv "should use China as leverage to win this war," saying the country must use every opportunity "to convince Russia to stop this bloody war in Ukraine."

China said Wednesday that it would send special representatives to Ukraine and hold talks with all parties in an attempt to bring an end to the conflict. The intervention follows months of apparent reluctance to engage with Kyiv on the same level as Moscow.

Chinese state media said Xi told his Ukrainian counterpart on the call that Beijing would focus on promoting peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.

Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said via Twitter that the "long and meaningful" discussion could help to "give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations."

The timing of the call  and China's decision to send emissaries to Ukraine  has raised eyebrows among political and defense analysts, particularly as Ukraine is thought to be preparing to launch a large-scale counteroffensive against Russian forces in a bid to retake territory in the east and south.

 CNBC's Holly Ellyatt contributed to this report.
Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko told CNBC that the country should use China as leverage to help bring an end to the conflict with Russia.

His comments come shortly after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first phone call since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February last year.

"I am not fully convinced that we can emphasize something particular after this conversation but what I truly can tell you is that it is important to continue dialogue between our countries," Marchenko told CNBC's Silvia Amaro.

"We really understand the importance of China and we really understand the importance for us to create our own relationship with China and to prevent China to [fully] support Russia."

Asked whether China could be seen as Ukraine's best friend in the bid to find a compromise for peace, Marchenko replied, "Of course not. Our best friend is the United States, the G-7 nations and all our partners which is supporting Ukraine."

He added that Kyiv "should use China as leverage to win this war," saying the country must use every opportunity "to convince Russia to stop this bloody war in Ukraine."

 Sam Meredith
Ride-share e-scooters are parked on the sidewalks of major cities across the world. And 158 U.S. cities already have ride-share e-scooter systems in place.

But some cities, like New Orleans and Las Vegas, have strict ride-share e-scooter bans. Paris just voted to ban e-scooters. Others, like San Francisco, have made it challenging for e-scooter ride-share companies to operate, which led Bird , one of the largest companies in the industry, to leave the city. In a two-month span last summer, there were more than 12,000 citations for improperly parked scooters  leading to Bird paying $385,000 in fines.

"We operate in around 400 cities and they had the highest fine rate of any city in the world that we operate in. And they were in the top 1% of cities for vehicle theft," Bird CEO Shane Torchiana said.

Other cities like Washington, D.C., see the e-scooter ride-share option as a valuable addition to their transportation infrastructure. The district even recently increased the number of scooters allowed in the city by year-end  up to 20,000.

"It's a program that has offered a lot of different variety and additional mobility options throughout the district," said Everett Lott, director of the District Department of Transportation. "It was designed with a commitment to provide equity, sustainability and also definitely make sure we have safety in mind."

Companies like Bird, Lime and Spin have struggled to achieve profitability and some have been plagued with controversy and injuries.

Bird went public via a SPAC in November of 2021 and its stock has since plummeted about 98%. Despite this, Torchiana is hopeful about the future, saying the company is working toward profitability.

"I think we will see a lot of progress this year. We just guided to be free cash flow positive for the year in 2023," he said.

Watch the video to learn more.


Chinese President Xi Jinping at a signing ceremony at the Grand Kremlin Palace, on March 21, 2023, in Moscow, Russia. China has been eager to position itself as a peace broker to end the Ukraine war, but has appeared to be allied with Moscow throughout.

After months of apparent reluctance to engage with Kyiv on the same level as Moscow, China said Wednesday that it will send special representatives to Ukraine and hold talks with all parties on reaching an end to the conflict.

Chinese state media said that President Xi Jinping told his Ukrainian counterpart President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a phone call  the first that the leaders have held since the war began in February 2022  that Beijing will focus on promoting peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.

State media added that Beijing would make efforts for a cease-fire to be reached as soon as possible, in order to end what China called a "crisis" rather than a conflict.

Commenting on the call, which he described as "long and meaningful," Zelenskyy said he believed it would "give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relation."

The timing of the call  and China's decision to send emissaries to Ukraine  has raised eyebrows among political and defense analysts, particularly as Ukraine is widely known to be preparing to launch a large-scale counteroffensive against Russian forces in a bid to retake territory in the east and south.

A number of analysts believe China is eager to halt the conflict before there's a massive escalation in the fighting as the spring's muddy season passes, allowing offensive operations to begin again in earnest, and as Ukraine receives more military hardware from its Western allies.

"The spring months are basically coming to an end and it's time for counter attacks to begin so I think China wants to be seen as immediate mediator before that escalation," Max Hess, fellow in the Eurasia Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, told CNBC Thursday.

That's a view shared by Oleksandr Musiyenko, a military expert and head of the Centre for Military and Legal Studies in Kyiv. He was, however, surprised at the timing of China's call, as he expected it might wait and see how the counteroffensive proceeded before intervening.

"I was confident that China would wait for the results of Ukrainian counteroffensive and would then probably propose something [on a cease-fire and peace talks]," he told CNBC Thursday.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27)  The rate of people testing positive for COVID-19 in Metro Manila increased in the past week, a member of the independent OCTA Research group said on Thursday.

According to Guido David, the capital region recorded a positivity rate of 13.4% as of April 26, up from last week's 8.4%.

"This is expected to increase further, perhaps up to 20%," David warned.

The positivity rate refers to the percentage of tested people with positive results. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a positivity rate benchmark of below 5%.

A new Omicron sublineage dubbed "Arcturus" is now found in over 30 countries nationwide and has been tagged by the WHO as a "variant of interest."

The Philippines on Wednesday listed its first known case of Arcturus  or the Omicron XBB.1.16  from Iloilo province. The patient had no symptoms and has already recovered, according to health officials.

Despite the rise in active cases, David earlier said OCTA Research saw no reason to be concerned about hospitals filling, as patients show no signs of critical symptoms.

As of April 27, the country has tallied 4.09 million confirmed cases with nearly 5,000 active infections. At least 4.01 million recovered while over 66,000 succumbed to COVID-19.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27)  The Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court has issued a hold departure order (HDO) on former Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag and former deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta.

The two have been tagged in the murders of veteran journalist Percy Lapid and Jun Villamor, an alleged middleman in the radio anchor's killing.

The order will prevent them from leaving the country.

"To reiterate, the issuance of the hold departure order is for the court to maintain the effectiveness of its jurisdiction over the person of the accused in this case," the HDO dated April 25 read.

"In order not to frustrate the ends of justice, it is imperative that a hold departure order be issued to prevent accused from leaving the country during the pendency of the instant case," it added.

The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group earlier launched a manhunt against Bantag and Zulueta following the issuance of arrest warrants by the Muntinlupa City court and another in Las Pinas.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said last week that Bantag has offered to surrender.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27)  The Philippine National Police (PNP) is "fast-tracking" its probe into possible privacy violations arising from an alleged breach of its recruitment application portal.

"As an immediate response to the said report by the National Privacy Commission, the Anti-Cyber Crime Group (ACG) of the PNP is currently exerting efforts in fast-tracking its internal investigation to determine if there are possible violations of provisions of Republic Act 10173 (Data Privacy Act of 2012)," the PNP said in a statement on Thursday.

"Likewise, the Directorate for Information and Communication Technology (DICTM) is currently conducting an assessment of the systems to determine possible violations or lapses in protocols and procedures," it added.

The "data leak" was reported on April 18 by expert Jeremiah Fowler on cybersecurity research company vpnMentor, which supposedly involved more than 1.2 million records relating to affairs of law enforcement agencies.

The National Privacy Commission (NPC) on Tuesday told CNN Philippines that the PNP database is the focus of the investigation.

READ: NPC: Data leak probe focuses on PNP database

NPC Commissioner John Henry Naga said two cases may be filed against those found responsible for violation of the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

The PNP said it is actively coordinating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) for a parallel probe.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28)  Two Omicron subvariants are causing the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country, an infectious diseases expert said Friday.

Aside from XBB.1.16 which is already detected, the other variant of interest is XBB.1.5, and I think these two are the variants of interest that may be the one responsible for the increase in the cases that we are experiencing especially in highly urbanized areas, Dr. Rontgene Solante told CNN Philippines The Source.

The Department of Health (DOH) said in its latest COVID-19 case bulletin that the number of new infections from April 17 to 23 increased by 32% from the previous week.

Private pollster OCTA Research group also flagged the rising positivity rate  or the percentage of infections among those tested - in Metro Manila from 8.4% as of April 19 to 13.4% as of April 26. This is also above the 5% threshold of the World Health Organization.

The country recorded its first XBB.1.5 case in February.

Official data showed over 70 confirmed cases of the Omicron subvariant in the country.

Meanwhile, the countrys first known case of XBB.1.16, known as Arcturus on social media, was confirmed this week.

Over 30 countries have reported cases of Arcturus.

While it is more transmissible than the others, Solante said Arcturus is not causing a significant increase in COVID-19 cases in other countries.

READ: Experts: No increasing hospitalizations amid rising COVID-19 Arcturus cases

Solante said the public should still follow health protocols, like wearing of face masks, and getting vaccinated and boosted, to protect themselves from possible serious infection.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28)  A Muntinlupa court has decided to reopen the trial on a drug case against former Senator Leila de Lima which was already submitted for decision, acceding to the prosecutions request to allow the presentation of rebuttal evidence.

In an order dated April 24 but released only on Thursday evening, the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 204 set an April 28 hearing for the additional evidence in one of De Limas two remaining drug cases.

This is in the interest of justice, the tribunal said, adding that it does not shrink from its responsibility to receive evidence in order to ferret out the truth.

However, the court noted that the promulgation scheduled on May 12 shall be strictly maintained so as not to cause any delay in the case. [LINK: De Lima drug case submitted for decision, promulgation expected on May 12]

It also ordered the prosecution to fully present its rebuttal witness in just one day and prohibited any motion for continuance.

De Limas camp confirmed her attendance in the hearing scheduled at 8:30 a.m.

Last week, state prosecutors asked the court reopen the trial, saying in their motion that they intend to present the testimony of their witness, Atty. Demiteer Huerta of the Public Attorneys Office.

Former Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos  one of the four witnesses who withdrew their testimonies against De Lima  claimed in his affidavit that Huerta was present when former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II allegedly threatened and coerced him to falsely testify against De Lima.

Prosecutors earlier said they are confident that their rebuttal evidence would explain, repel, counteract, or disprove the evidence of the adversary.

But in challenging the motion to reopen proceedings, De Limas camp pointed out that both parties already agreed last April 17 to submit the case for resolution. It argued that the panel of prosecutors agreement constitutes a waiver of their opportunity to further present rebuttal evidence.

It also said that the presentation of Huerta does not amount to any positive claim that will add to the already lengthy cross-examination that the panel conducted.

De Lima has been detained since 2017 for allegedly allowing the illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison when she was justice secretary. She was also accused of financing her 2016 senatorial campaign using drug money from inmates.

But the former senator has maintained her innocence and accused the Duterte administration of fabricating charges against her for investigating its bloody drug war.
The attached CEO Review of Proposed Merger slides will be presented at the Special Meeting of Shareholders for Cannasouth Limited (NZX: CBD ) held at the offices of Link Market Services, Auckland, at 11:00am on Friday 28 April 2023 and on Link Market Services virtual platform.

The online meeting link is www.virtualmeeting.co.nz/cbdsm23

The special meeting is to approve the proposed 50:50 merger (Merger) with Eqalis Group New Zealand Limited (Eqalis).

Capital Raising Initiative:

As previously announced CBD is seeking to raise circa $9 million of new capital in conjunction with the Merger (Capital Raise).

Details of the structure of the proposed capital raising initiative were released to the market on 4 April and 13 April 2023. In those announcements CBD advised that third party investors, including for this purpose certain CBD shareholders or Eqalis shareholders (together Firm Investors) were being approached to secure binding commitments to participate in the Capital Raise, subject to sufficient CBD shares being available for subscription.

The CBD Board is pleased to advise that binding commitments to participate in the Capital Raise for amounts of $4.2 million in aggregate have been received from Firm Investors to date.

CBD Chair, Tony Ho says, Securing these firm commitments ahead of launching the merger related Capital Raise next week confirms the strong support for the medicinal cannabis industry and for this proposed Merger by new investors and our shareholders..

-ENDS-

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28)  The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the last batch of Filipinos who want to be evacuated from war-stricken Sudan will leave on Friday.

There will be the last two buses that we rented and there will be 116 Filipinos who will ride those buses and get to the border, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega told CNN Philippines The Source.

De Vega said they are expected to leave at 9 a.m., or 3 p.m. Philippine time.

He noted this batch may still be followed by another one since there are Filipinos in Khartoum who are deciding at the last minute.

If there are still Filipinos left, well find a way to get them across, he said.

The Philippine government on April 26 raised the crisis status in Sudan to Alert Level 3 due to the ongoing conflict there.

The fighting is between forces loyal to two top generals each battling for control of the country, two years after they jointly launched a military coup and derailed Sudans transition to democracy.

De Vega said 350 Filipinos from the Sudanese capital Khartoum already arrived at the Sudan-Egypt border and are just waiting for their entry visas before they are transported to Aswan, then to Cairo to be able to fly back to the Philippines.

There were also some Filipinos in Sudan who left with their employers after the alert level was raised, he noted.

Meanwhile, De Vega said around 200 Filipinos decided to stay in the strife-torn country for now.

De Vega urged the Filipinos who will be going home to the Philippines not to return to Sudan soon given the unstable situation.

The Department of Migrant Workers is there and said that they will look for other jobs abroad for you and all and theres reintegration, he added.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28)  The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said it was planning to charter a flight to repatriate 340 Filipinos held at the Egyptian border who fled the fighting in Sudan, Secretary Susan Ople told the media Friday.

"We are now exploring the possibility of a chartered flight to bring the 340 Filipinos homeKung makikipagbakbakan pa tayo sa tickets, that means tatagal pa sila sa Cairo," Ople said.

[Translation: If we try to fight over tickets, that means they will spend more time in Cairo.]

According to the DMW, they are currently being held at the border and are pending clearance from Egyptian immigration, a process which could take 48 to 72 hours to complete.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said once the Filipinos get their entry visas, they will be transported to Aswan, and then Cairo, before being repatriated to the Philippines via air travel.

READ: DFA hopes to bring home first batch of Filipinos from Sudan next week

Meanwhile, the DMW is handling the accommodation of 50 other Filipinos  49 students and an OFW  in Aswan. They will also be transported to Cairo for repatriation.

As a result of the armed conflict, the DFA raised Sudan's Alert Level to 3. This entails the voluntary repatriation and evacuation of Filipinos, though some 200 opted to remain in the embattled country.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28)  Former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez is now an acting member of the Government Service Insurance System Board of Trustees, the Presidential Communications Office announced on Friday.

She took her oath before Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on April 28.

In December 2005, former President Gloria Arroyo appointed Gutierrez as Ombudsmanmaking her the first woman to hold the position.

Throughout her tenure, Congress filed multiple impeachment complaints against her for alleged inaction and mishandling of cases such as the 2004 Fertilizer Fund scam, where funds were allegedly diverted to Arroyo's campaign; the 2005 Mega Pacific Consortium controversy involving an allegedly faulty contract for automated counting machines worth 1.24 billion with the Commission on Elections, and the 2008 Euro Generals scandal, where police officials were detained in Moscow for carrying large sums of cash.

House lawmakers voted in March 2011 to impeach Gutierrez for betrayal of public trustthis time over the alleged whitewashing of the plunder and bribery cases against former military comptroller Carlos Garcia. Gutierrez resigned a month later.

READ: Sandiganbayan convicts ex-military comptroller Carlos Garcia of bribery, money laundering
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28)  The Department of Tourism (DOT) is confident domestic tourism will fully recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic this year.

"We fully foresee the 100% recovery of domestic tourism this year and we are hopeful that the 100% recovery of international tourism next year," Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco told CNN Philippines on Friday.

She added that while the country has already opened up for international travelers, domestic tourists are still the main drivers of the tourism economy.

Frasco was in Boracay to lead the opening ceremony of the "Love Boracay 2023" labor holiday event.

The tourism chief said the government is doing its best to make traveling easy for both local and international touristsciting the easing of entry protocols, implementing the e-visa system, and improving e-visa policies.

Frasco also made mention of Boracay Island as an example of how domestic tourism is helping the economy.

"Out of the 1.7 million combined arrivals, 1.6 million were domestic tourists. So nagpapasalamat kami sa ating mga kababayan dahil sinuportahan talaga nila ang recovery ng Boracay," Frasco said.

[Translation: We're grateful to our countrymen because they supported Boracay's recovery.]

"Domestic tourists are helping our economy greatly," she added.

The secretary also urged stakeholders in various tourist spots to make sure Boracay's sustainable tourism program will be replicated.

"Boracay has become the model of sustainable tourism all over the world," Frasco said. "We're seeing the concept of sustainability by stakeholders here, who out of their own volition, recognized the necessity and longevity of the island for generations to come."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28)  The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said the government will distribute 1.8 billion worth of financial assistance to workers on Labor Day as wage hike petitions remain under review.

In a public briefing on Thursday, DOLE Undersecretary Benjo Santos Benavidez said their cash-for-work program "TUPAD" will grant 100 million worth of salaries to qualified beneficiaries. He also said the agency will release around 50 million for livelihood assistance to workers nationwide.

Meanwhile, Benavidez noted that there are currently eight petitions filed across regions calling for an increase in the minimum wage of workers in the country.

"Hinahayaan namin yung proseso ay mekanismo para makapaghanda kung mayroong kailangang rebisahin sa mga umiiral na minimum wage sa iba't ibang bahagi ng bansa," he said.

[Translation: We let the process be a mechanism to prepare if there is a need to revise the existing minimum wages in different parts of the country.]

Last month, more than 20 labor groups and unions filed a petition before the Regional Wage Board for a 530 peso increase on the minimum wage in Metro Manila.

WATCH: Over 20 labor groups seek 530 wage hike in Metro Manila

The current minimum wage of workers in National Capital Region (NCR) is at 570 and 533 for non-agriculture and agriculture sectors, respectively. A 33 daily basic wage increase was granted last May 2022.

But according to think tank IBON Foundation, the estimated family living wage in NCR is 1,161 per day. The research group said there is a wage gap of 50.9% or 591.

On Tuesday, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) staged a protest in front of the House of Representatives in a bid for Congress to act on numerous pending wage hike bills.

The ACT said that there are 58 bills in the lower house and 21 in the Senate seeking to increase the wages and salaries of workers and employees both in the public and private sectors.

The Kilusang Mayo Uno on Wednesday also said it expects around 10,000 people from the labor sector to participate in a massive protest rally on Labor Day.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is expected to promote the Philippines' economic agenda, boost cooperation in various sectors, and raise security issues during his trip to the United States next week, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Marcos will be in the US from April 30 to May 4  an official visit which seeks to reaffirm ties between Manila and Washington, DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza told reporters on Friday.

Here's what to expect from Marcos' second visit to America:

Meeting with Biden, key US officials

The White House first announced that Marcos will sit down with Biden for their second round of bilateral talks on May 1, where the American leader is expected to reaffirm the US' commitment "to the defense of the Philippines."

Aside from Biden, Marcos will also hold an "expanded meeting" with key Cabinet officials and legislators, Daza said.

Focus on economic agenda

The chief executive is expected to tackle a range of topics during his discussions  including agriculture, energy, climate change, digital transformation and technology, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, supply chains, and infrastructure.

But Daza noted that this particular trip will place an emphasis on economic matters.

"He will also meet with different companies where he will actually be able to promote the Philippines, both as a trading partner, as well as investment market," the DFA official said.

"So there will be a lot of opportunities during the time that the president is in Washington, D.C. And I think he will cover various aspects of the relations."

Security, defense topics

Daza also said discussions on security and defense are a given.

Asked how the president plans to raise issues on the South China Sea with US officials, Daza said Marcos will continue to promote Philippine interests: "I cannot preempt, [but] the president will underscore what we want the waters to be. And we want the waters, particularly the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea, to be a sea of peace, security, stability, and prosperity."

"So I will be safe to assume that he will also count on the US to actually support Philippine efforts in terms of enhancing maritime cooperation, upholding international law and freedom of navigation and overflight, and promoting sustainable development of marine resources," she added.

Meetings with business leaders, Filipino community

To cap off his visit, the president will speak to major US companies and top business leaders.

He is also scheduled to deliver a "major policy speech" before a think tank in Washington, but details about this engagement have yet to be divulged.

Marcos may also schedule an event for members of the Filipino community, according to the DFA.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28)  More than 60 million Filipinos have secured their physical and digital national IDs, with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) seeking to further accelerate the registration.

In a statement on Friday, the PSA said that as of April 21, the total number of delivered PhilIDs was at 29.11 million, while issued ePhilIDs were at 30.73 million.

"Sinisiguro ng PSA na lahat ng nag-register sa PhilSys ay magkakaroon ng PhilID at ePhilID," PSA Undersecretary Dennis Mapa said.

[Translation: The PSA ensures that everyone who registers with PhilSys will have a PhilID and ePhilID.]

Earlier this week, the PSA sealed a deal with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for the institutional PhilSys registration of delivery-riders, a move backed by the country's dominant ride-hailing firm Grab.

DTI Assistant Secretary Mary Jean Pacheco said the rollout of the national ID system is one of the critical components of the department's e-commerce roadmap.

Grab Philippines Director for Public Affairs Sherielysse Bonifacio vowed the company would do its part in registering its thousands of partner-drivers.

The government earlier said the national ID would serve as a valid proof of identity in public and private transactions, freeing Filipinos from presenting many IDs.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28)  The United Kingdom (UK) has expressed support for the countrys shift to renewable energy, a British official said.

Richard Graham, the UK prime minister's trade envoy to the Philippines who recently concluded his official visit, noted that talks on renewable energy are in the early stages.

That's one of my great, sort of, obsessions really because we've gone from 7% to 43% renewable energy in the UK since 2010. I think the Philippines is somewhere around 15 to 18%, maybe as much as 20% renewable at the moment. With quite a lot of geothermal and hydro [hydrothermal], Graham told reporters on Thursday.

We see a huge opportunity here for the Philippines to benefit from offshore wind the same as we have. Also, both of us can probably do more on solar and you have more sun than we have. So, the opportunity is probably bigger for you, he added.

Graham said the UK can also share technical expertise on sourcing energy from tidal streams.

Tidal energy is a form of renewable energy from the natural rise and fall of ocean tides and currents.

I'll hope over the next two years, we'll see real progress in terms of getting the structure and maybe looking at more detail and particularly on the connectivity to the grid and how your grid system will be able to accommodate this, the trade envoy said.

Graham also said there is potential in the aviation sector to generate more jobs for Filipinos.

Manila international airport has basically been full for quite a long time. Lots more flights, lots more airlines would love to come in. And Manila at the moment is still the main point for people transiting on to the islands for holidays and so on, Graham said.

So, I think there are some areas there where we can look at British expertise in running very efficient airports like Gatwick Airport, also a single runway airport. And we also of course are working very closely with the airlines on the main aircraft, which is Airbus, you know where the wings, the landing gear and the engines are all made in the UK, Graham added.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28)  Some policemen were reportedly pressured to violate protocol in conducting anti-illegal drug operations because of an alleged "quota system" in the Philippine National Police (PNP), a retired police officer turned lawmaker revealed Thursday.

1-Rider party-list Rep. Bonifacio Bosita claimed there was a requirement for police officers, especially ranking cops, to conduct a minimum of drug busts per week.

He shared his experience as a former police official during the House Committee on Public Order and Safety hearing on the alleged illegal drug busts recently conducted by policemen from Calabarzon.

It appears Bosita was speaking about his experience during the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte, although he did not clarify what period he was referring to and when the supposed drug quota system started.

The International Criminal Court has reopened its investigation into the thousands of drug war killings under Duterte's administration.

"Every Monday sinisingil kami. Parang kapag ikaw ay chief of police at hindi mo na-meet yung quota, parang ang ramdam mo, any time mare-relieve ka na," Bosita said.

[Translation: Every Monday, we were being asked. It's like when you're chief of police and you don't meet the quota, you feel like you'll be relieved at any time.]

"Isa sa hinahanap sa aming accomplishments--di ko lang alam ngayon--yung accomplishments ng nasa watch list. So siyempre opisyal tayo, may pride, may mga kasama tayo diyan, eh napapahiya ka dahil parang ang dating napakahina mong opisyal," he said.

[Translation: One of the things they were looking for in our accomplishments--I just don't know if its still happening now--is those on the watch list. So, of course, we are officers, we have pride, we have comrades there, you would feel embarrassed because it seems like you are a very weak officer.]

While Bosita did not say how long the alleged quota system has been in place, he mentioned that during the time of Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa as PNP chief, there was a program for drug suspects to surrender and attend a seminar conducted by religious leaders. Dela Rosa was PNP chief from 2016 to 2018.

As an active police officer, Bosita said he reached out to the families of 20 out of 21 drug personalities in the station he was assigned to and appealed to them to convince the suspects to surrender. This, he added, led to his relief a few months later.

He said he was later told by a higher-ranking official that he was let go because he allowed those in the watchlist to surrender only.

Bosita, who was once part of the PNP Highway Patrol Group, also served as chief of the municipal police station in Rosario, Cavite in 2018.

A house resolution was filed by Rep. Romeo Acop, a former police officer, to launch a probe into supposed recent abductions by authorities.

Acop said the relatives of those detained claimed they were not actually arrested "but abducted."

Santa Rosa Lone District Rep. Dan Fernandez, who chairs the House Committee on Public Order and Safety, on Thursday floated the possibility of illegal buy-bust operations "proliferating" across the country.

READ: Illegal buy-bust operations 'most likely' happening across PH - solon
At the Special Shareholder Meeting of Cannasouth Limited (NZX: CBD ) held in Auckland on 28 April 2023 at Link Market Services offices and online, shareholders overwhelmingly approved the proposed merger with Eqalis Group New Zealand Limited.

As required by NZX Listing Rule 6.1, all voting was conducted by a poll.

All resolutions were passed by shareholders as follows:

1. Special Resolution; Acquisition of 100% of the shares on issue in Eqalis Group New Zealand Limited (Eqalis)

That the Share Sale Deed entered into between the Company and the shareholders of Eqalis Group New Zealand Limited (Eqalis) (Sale Agreement), pursuant to which the Company has agreed to acquire 100% of the shares on issue in Eqalis (Eqalis Shares) for $48.8 million, which consideration will be satisfied by the issue of 147,891,069 new ordinary fully paid shares in the Company, at an issue price of $0.33 cents per share, to the shareholders of Eqalis (or their nominees), and the transactions described in the Sale Agreement are approved, and that the Directors be authorised to take all actions, do all things and execute all documents and agreements necessary or considered by them to be expedient to give effect to such transactions

2. Ordinary Resolution; Issue of 147,891,069 ordinary fully paid shares to the shareholders of Eqalis (Consideration Shares)

That the Directors of the Company are authorised to issue 147,891,069 ordinary fully paid shares in the Company to the shareholders of Eqalis as specified in the Explanatory Notes to resolution 2, at an issue price of $0.33 per share in satisfaction of the purchase price payable under the Sale Agreement (Consideration Shares) on the date of the completion of the Acquisition of the Eqalis Shares, and are further authorised to take all actions, do all things and execute all documents and agreements necessary or considered by them to be necessary or expedient to issue the Consideration Shares, such Consideration Shares when issued, shall rank equally with all existing ordinary shares of the Company.

3. Ordinary Resolution; Issue of up to 37,931,034 new ordinary fully paid shares and up to 18,965,517 options to a combination of existing CBD shareholders, existing Eqalis shareholders, and third party investors

That the Directors of the Company are authorised to:

(a) offer and issue up to 37,931,034 ordinary fully paid shares in the Company to shareholders of Cannasouth, Eqalis and third party investors (Capital Raise Shares) at an issue price of $0.29 per Capital Raise Share through the offer structure described in the explanatory notes to resolution 3, such Capital Raise Shares when issued, to rank equally with all existing ordinary shares of the Company; offer and Issue one option for every two Capital Raise Shares issued (being up to 18,965,517 options) at an exercise price per option of $0.29 each, and otherwise on the terms described in the explanatory notes to resolution 3 (Capital Raise Options); and

(b) take all actions, do all things and execute all documents and agreements necessary or considered by them to be necessary or expedient to issue the Capital Raise Shares and the Capital Raise Options.

4. Ordinary Resolution; Appointment of Greg Misson as Director

That Greg Misson be appointed as a director of the Company with effect from completion of the Merger Transaction.

5. Ordinary Resolution; Appointment of Hilary Webber as Director

That Hilary Webber be appointed as a director of the Company with effect from completion of the Merger Transaction.

6. Ordinary Resolution; Appointment of Mark Scapens as Director

That Mark Scapens be appointed as a director of the Company with effect from completion of the Merger Transaction.

7. Ordinary Resolution; Approval of Directors Fees

That the aggregate maximum amount of fees which can be paid to the Directors be increased by $100,000 from the current pool of $250,000 per annum to an aggregate sum not exceeding $350,000 in respect of each financial year, where such amount (or lesser amount determined by the Directors for a financial year) will be divided among the Directors in such proportion and in such manner as they may agree

8. Ordinary Resolution; Issue of up to 17,746,928 Options to Employees, Contractors, and Non-executive Directors

That the Directors of the Company are authorised to:

(a) issue up to 17,746,928 options to acquire ordinary shares in the Company, Cannasouth Limited - Notice of Special Meeting of Shareholders - April 2023 5 to employees, contractors, and to non-executive Directors of the Company on the terms set out in the Explanatory Notes accompanying this Notice of Meeting; and

(b) take all action, do all things, and execute all documents and agreements necessary or considered by them to be expedient to give effect to the issue of the options.

Detail of the total number of votes cast in person or by a proxy holder are attached.

Receiving shareholder approval today gives us the green light to immediately proceed with the next component of the merger and collateral restructure transaction  namely the launch of the capital raising initiative.

We anticipate that we will be making an announcement regarding the launch of the capital raising on Monday, 1 May 2023.

-ENDS-

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28)  United Kingdom Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to ASEAN Richard Graham is optimistic that the new trade scheme to be launched by the UK in the first week of June will benefit the Philippines.

In a media round table on Thursday, Graham said preparations are underway for UK's Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS).

Graham said the Philippines no longer needs to apply to join over 20 countries set to benefit from the trading scheme.

"DCTS, which will go live this summer, is designed to reduce the cost of PH exports by about 10%," he told reporters.

The trade envoy added that they have conducted preliminary talks with some government agencies including the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Agriculture to explain the benefits of DCTS..

Graham said no pre-conditions will be imposed to countries joining the UK initiative.

"It's a unilateral offering; there is no reciprocity," he explained. "We are not asking for any special favors from the Philippines. It will take effect without the Philippines not having to do at all, no negotiation."

Unlike its counterpart in the European Union or the EU Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), there will be no periodic review of a country's membership.

"Under the GSP Plus everyone must renew it every year. If you join the DCTS you'll be automatically renewed unless there is a particular problem so that's good news," Graham noted.

The details of the list of items that will form part of the trading scheme will be out soon.

"This is a useful step forward in the trading relations," Graham said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28)  Philippine and United States forces successfully concluded on Friday the largest Balikatan exercise between Manila and Washington.

Live fire exercises were held in Philippines waters for the first timewitnessed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) commander in chief himself, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

RELATED: CAAP investigating aircraft 'intruder' that interrupted PH-US Balikatan drills

The joint drills were also held in multiple parts of the country, which was another first.

"These many firsts stamped the 38th Balikatan exercise as an unprecedented success," said AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Andres Centino. "The strong results of the exercise and the robust relationship like-minded allies are made more significant given the current security environment."

This year's Balikatan is the largest in history as it was joined by nearly 18,000 troops, mostly from the US. More than 100 Australian soldiers also participated for the first time.

"I am very grateful for the opportunity for the AFP to enhance its capabilities through this long-standing partnership," said Defense officer-in-charge Carlito Galvez. "The attendance of these countries in the Balikatan is a testament that the US and the Philippines are not alone in firmly espousing peace, security, and cooperation."

The AFP is already gearing up for next year's Balikatan. Centino said they are eyeing more locations and other armies from the country's allies.

Reports of a near collision between a Chinese ship and a Philippine Coast Guard vessel in Ayungin Shoal coincided with the closing ceremony of Balikatan.

The AFP said it will meet with the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea for its next possible moves.

CNN Philippines correspondent Paige Javier contributed to this story.
(CNN)  Elephants have lost almost two-thirds of their habitat across Asia, the result of hundreds of years of deforestation and increasing human use of land for agriculture and infrastructure, a new study has found.

The Asian elephant, listed as endangered, is found across 13 countries in the continent but their forest and grassland habitats have been eroded by more than 64%  equating to 3.3 million square kilometers of land  since the year 1700, researchers said.

The study, published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports, compiles the work of several experts led by biologist and conservation scientist Shermin de Silva, a professor from the University of California, San Diego.

The team found that large-scale habitat loss has driven up the potential for conflict between elephants and humans -- a situation that shouldn't be accepted as inevitable and one that can be avoided with proper planning.

"My worry is that we are going to reach a tipping point in which cultures of mutual non-confrontation toward one another get replaced by cultures of antagonism and violence  by both species ... We have to de-escalate this situation," said de Silva, who is also founder and president of Trunks and Leaves a non-profit dedicated to the conservation of wild Asian elephants and their habitats.

The study found that the greatest decline in elephant habitats was in China, where 94% of suitable land was lost between 1700 and 2015. That was followed by India, which lost 86%.

Meanwhile, more than half of suitable elephant habitats have been lost in Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia's Sumatra. Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka also saw a significant decline  mostly in areas where elephants still roam today.

"Restoring these habitats doesn't necessarily mean keeping them static. Instead we need to better understand the role of people (rural agriculturalists, indigenous communities) who are often marginalized in the economic systems that have been put in place," de Silva said.

"We also need to reckon with how these dynamics can be maintained sustainably, given the current and future human population size as well as climate change."

Colonization sped up the loss of habitat

Researchers found there was an acceleration in elephant habitat loss from the year 1700, which coincided with the expansion of European colonization of the region.

During this time, logging, road-building, resource extraction and deforestation ramped up, and farming became more intense on land that might otherwise have hosted wildlife.

The era also saw "new value systems, market forces, and governance policies" reaching beyond the cities of Europe into the forests of Asia  speeding up elephant habitat loss and the fragmentation of the species, the study found.

"In the year 1700 an elephant might hypothetically have been able to traverse as much as 45% of the 'suitable' area without interruption, but by 2015 this was down to just 7.5%," the authors said.

India and Sri Lanka have the largest remaining wild population of elephants in South Asia.

Both countries were "transformed" by colonial-era road-building and logging "during which elephants and other wildlife were eradicated from higher elevations and lowland rainforests, which were converted to plantations and settlements," the researchers said.

De Silva said the industrial revolution was followed by "a second wave" in the middle of the last century that drove greater habitat loss.

"We observed that in some places, like Thailand and China, the major losses occur following the 1950s. The colonial era had already introduced large-scale plantations in South Asia, but these later changes came from large-scale agriculture," she said.

Today, humans are expanding further into wild spaces with population centers, agriculture, and extractive industries like mining.

And elephants are increasingly coming into conflict with humans.

Encounters between elephants and humans

In India's eastern state of Assam, conflict with elephants dramatically increased in the 1980s, corresponding with a drop in forest cover below 30% to 40% of the landscape, the study said.

Political and social issues have also played a part.

During the Rohingya crisis in 2017, thousands of minority Muslim Rohingya people from Myanmar arrived in neighboring Bangladesh, fleeing a violent military campaign. About 1 million people are now living in the world's biggest refugee camp in Cox's Bazar  in an area that was once the forest home to an elephant population.

"There was rapid, large-scale disruption of a trans-boundary elephant corridor at Cox Bazar between Bangladesh and Myanmar with the settlement of Rohingya refugees," the researchers said.

Habitat loss also means elephants are migrating from their usual territories, creating "challenges for human communities that have little experience with elephants," the study said.

In 2021, millions were transfixed by a herd of elephants that migrated out of a protected area in China's southwest Yunnan province and trekked more than 500 kilometers (310 miles), trampling crops, roaming through towns and causing more than a million dollars worth of damage.

Protected areas in Asia are small and tend to be confined to rugged terrain at higher elevations, the study said.

"Elephants are generally long-lived and highly adaptable. So when they lose their homes, they go searching for new ones," said de Silva.

If current elephant populations are to survive, the researchers said, "the practice of driving them into ever-shrinking and marginal habitat must be replaced with attempts to adequately identify and connect areas of suitable habitat."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Almost two-thirds of elephant habitat lost across Asia, study finds."
The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
Quick  a family in a car is pinned to the railroad tracks, pinned by an enormous screw. We need someone to rescue them. Specifically, we need Phillip, a man whose head is one giant Phillips head screwdriver. Luckily, he's in the apartment building next door, screwing one of the residents.

Its quite convenient that Phillips should be so close. Its quite convenient that such a man should exist at all. Sometimes, though, the universe really does function to set everything up like this, just so. Like what happened when...
Its hard to overstate the cultural importance of Calvin and Hobbes, perhaps the greatest newspaper comic strip of all time, and hands-down the best story about a boy and his imaginary tiger friend (suck it, Life of Pi).

And what better to honor this timeless, monumental artistic achievement than by cobbling together some trivia, which, sadly, contains no new information on the specifics of the Noodle Incident. Starting with how

15 It Was Initially Rejected Because of Focus Groups Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson first pitched his strip to United Feature Syndicate, which carried major titles such as Peanuts and Garfield. The company eventually rejected Wattersons project due to poor focus group ratings. According to editor Sarah Gillespie, United didnt take Calvin and Hobbes because a couple housewives in Connecticut said, Its okay, but we dont get it.
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For horror movie aficionados, the late '70s and early '80s were the golden age of slasher movies. Now-iconic movies like Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween and My Bloody Valentine offered up plenty of frights and gore to appease horror fans while making an argument for horror being a profitable genre in Hollywood.

At this time, Connecticut filmmaker Gorman Bechard was studying film at the New School for Social Research in New York City. Inspired by an Art of Alfred Hitchcock class, Bechard took on his first horror movie, Disconnected, in the fall of 1983. I think the reason I looked into horror at that time was that in terms of breaking in and getting something sold, horror was the easiest genre to sell, Bechard said. The funny thing is, it still is.

Mara Lavitt / Hearst Connecticut Media file

Filmed in his Waterbury apartment as well as various locations throughout the city with a crew of roughly seven people, Bechard made the most out of his $40,000 budget, editing the film at his school.

Bechards next film would become his most notable horror movie: 1987s Psychos in Love, which he describes as the Marx Brothers, Charlie Chaplin, Monty Python and Woody Allen all got together to do a slasher film. The success of Psychos in Love, especially as a midnight film, led Bechard to a four-picture deal with Charles Band and Empire Pictures. The deal soured due to issues with post-production interference, forcing Bechard to disown two of his movies and eventually step away from filmmaking for some time.

Contributed by Gorman Bechard

Bechards story is just one of many in the history of low-budget horror and science-fiction movies shot in Connecticut. Though the state has not produced the same caliber of motion pictures that has come out of New York or Hollywood, Connecticut has established a storied history of B-movies (low-budget) that have become pivotal for the horror genre.

History of low-budget horror movies in Connecticut

The early '60s can be pinpointed as the beginning this era of low-budget with the works of auteur Del Tenney. Tenney made three horror movies in the span of two years in Stamford: Violent Midnight, The Curse of the Living Corpse and The Horror of Party Beach. The latter of which has gone down in infamy as being one of the worst-reviewed, low-budget horror movies of all time.

"The Horror of Party Beach" is part musical, part creature feature that borrows heavily from the 1954 classic, "Creature from the Black Lagoon." However, the sea monsters in this flick are wearing cheap-looking masks that never change emotions, only offering a blank stare. When the monsters are swimming, viewers can even see the the un-costumed actors bodies below the surface.

The peak of these B-movies came in 1972 when fledgling director Wes Craven and producer Sean S. Cunningham made their first movie, The Last House on the Left. The movie, which was scrutinized for its depictions of violence, was filmed around the Westport area on a budget of $90,000, according to IMDb. Despite the strong response to the contents of the film, The Last House on the Left was the launch pad for Craven and Cunningham's lengthy careers in the horror genre. The Last House on the Left received a 2009 reboot, which was not filmed in Connecticut.

The '70s continued to be a monumental era for low-budget movies in Connecticut with films like Lets Scare Jessica to Death, The Stepford Wives and I Spit On Your Grave all going on to receive cult status among film enthusiasts.

Luciano Viti/Getty Images

By the '80s, Connecticut had a reputation for being a horror movie capital. In 1981, the production of Friday the 13th Part 2 was brought to Kent and New Preston, marking one of the first higher-budget horror movies to film in the state with a cost of $1.25 million.

Low-budget horror movies at the time began to get more creative and ostentatious with their subject matter. Between the married serial killers of Bechards Psychos in Love to the killer dolls on a remote island (Stamford) in Attack of the Beast Creatures, Connecticuts low budget movies from the '80s served as a victory lap for the genre before lying dormant until the next century.

By the time the 2000s rolled around, Connecticuts low-budget horror movie scene had become a relic. Big budget movies like The Stepford Wives remake, Steven Spielbergs War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull all shot in Connecticut over the past two decades, in large part thanks to the states tax incentives for larger movie productions.

Movie Poster Image Art/Getty Images

However, B-movies have been quietly making a resurgence with direct-to-streaming or direct-to-DVD movies. Synthetic Cinema International, based in Rocky Hill, has been responsible for producing a number of Connecticut-shot, low-budget movies in recent years. Though the company is primarily known for its Christmas movies, which typically air on Hallmark, Synthetic Cinema International has also produced movies like Alien Opponent, Banshee!!!, Dead Souls and Deep in the Darkness  all of which were shot in Connecticut, according to IMDb.

Before his ongoing success with the X trilogy, director Ti West filmed two, relatively low-budget horror movies in Connecticut that helped launch his career in horror: 2009s The House of the Devil and 2011s The Innkeepers.

Why is Connecticut popular for shooting horror movies?

Vinegar Syndrome, a film preservation company and boutique film label based in Bridgeport, has been restoring cult and low-budget movies for more than a decade. The company has released movies from all over the globe, but some of their most notable work has been the restoration of Connecticut movies.

Brandon Upson, Operations Coordinator and Lead Restoration Artist at Vinegar Syndrome, is a big fan of the Connecticut movies that his company has restored. Among those are The Children" and Bechards aforementioned movies. For Upson, the popularity of filming low-budget movies in Connecticut is the states old-world look and the rare variety in its landscape.

Kathy Milani / Contributed by Gorman Bechard

You kind of have everything youre looking for in a movie, I would argue, Upson said. All within a two hour range, you can get to big cities, but you can also get to a haunted, abandoned-looking forest.

Upson added that back in the heyday of low-budget horror movies, private investors had a higher chance to make their money back by investing in cheap horror movies. According to Vulture, major studios in the 80s mass-produced slasher movies because the movies were easy to film and generally profitable.

Bechard also said that the state is ripe with horror locations, and that were close enough to New York where you get a lot of people who studied film and still live in Connecticut, but havent made the trek to go to Hollywood."

Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Though he's focused on documentaries since his return to filmmaking in the early 2000s, Bechard said that if he were to film another narrative movie, it would be a horror movie. Bechard believes the horror community is what has preserved these films legacies  whether its a big budget production or something filmed in someones backyard.

The horror fanatics are a legion. They are so dedicated and they dont care if you have Tom Cruise in your film. None of that matters. Come up with something original, and thats all they care about, Bechard said. In this day and age, the horror fans are the real film geeks.
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ROME (AP)  A former Florida school principal who was forced to resign after students were shown an image of Michelangelos iconic statue of a nude David viewed the masterpiece in person on Friday in Florence.

Cecilie Hollberg, who directs the Accademia Gallery in Florence, where the David is the star attraction, said that Hope Carrasquilla, her husband and two children, came straight to the museum right after they arrived in the city.

Carrasquilla stepped down as principal of Tallahassee Classical school in the Florida city last month after one parent claimed the towering sculpture was pornographic. Other parents complained they weren't notified in advance that their children would be shown the nude figure during a lesson featuring the Renaissance.

Hosting Carrasquilla was an immense pleasure," the gallery director said.

I am happy to be able to welcome her and introduce her to the beauties of our museum, besides showing her the David, a sculpture that, I repeat as I have said, has nothing to do with pornography,'' Hollberg said in a written statement. It's a masterpiece, it represents a religious symbol of purity and innocence, the victory of good over evil.

Hollberg added that the work's nudity is a clear expression of the Renaissance, which puts man at the center of attention.

Michelangelo's marble sculpture depicts the Biblical David, naked, with a sling over his shoulder and a rock in his hand, ready for battle with Goliath.

A call to Carrasquilla's cell phone went unanswered.

Hollberg noted that currently more than 50% of the gallery visitors come from the United States.

I am sure that Mrs. Carrasquilla will find here, in Florence, the welcome and the solidarity that she deserves,'' the director added.

The Florida school is attended by some 400 students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
BOSTON (AP)  Massachusetts highest court overruled a lower court judge Thursday and reinstated criminal neglect charges against two top former officials at a veterans home. Nearly 80 veterans died at the Veterans Home in Holyoke after contracting the coronavirus in one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in a long-term care facility in the nation.

The ruling allows the case against Bennett Walsh, the former superintendent at the facility, and Dr. David Clinton, its former medical director, to move forward.

In their ruling, the majority of the justices found that the facts presented to the grand jury constituted probable cause to believe that Walsh and Clinton violated the elder abuse statute and that Hampden Superior Court Judge Edward McDonough Jr. erred in dismissing the charges.

"Of course, sometimes bad things happen for no discernable reason, and no one is to blame. At any subsequent trial, prosecutors will need to prove their case. We conclude only that they will have the opportunity to do so," the court ruled.

Walsh and Clinton pleaded not guilty in 2020 to charges stemming from their decision that March to combine two dementia units, packing residents who were positive for the coronavirus into the same space as those with no symptoms.

In November 2021, McDonough found that there was insufficient reasonably trustworthy evidence that, had these two dementia units not been merged, the medical condition of five veterans in question would have been materially different.

Last year Massachusetts agreed to pay $56 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by the families of veterans who died.

Attorney General Andrea Campbell welcomed Thursday's decision.

Todays decision allows us to focus once again on securing accountability for the tragic and preventable deaths at the Soldiers Home in Holyoke, she said in a written statement.
The water was dark and cold, but more than 100 feet down in Long Island Sound, the divers could see about 10 yards around them at the gravelly sea floor.

They connected a reel to the line that ran up to the surface and began swimming against the current, knowing they only had one shot at finding their prize before the window awarded by the tides closed again. The water pressing against the special dry suits they wore hovered at 44 degrees, cold enough that hypothermia was a concern.

They swam for about 25 feet, and then the profile of the sunken submarine, buried under the waves for nearly 80 years, emerged from the gloom.

"Bam, there it was," recalled Steven Abbate, who dove off the coast of Old Saybrook to the wreck Sunday with co-diver Joe Mazraani.

Contributed/Joe Mazraani

The team, led by commercial diver Richard Simon, of Coventry, located the Defender, a 92-foot-long submarine built by Simon Lake in 1907 at his Lake Torpedo Boat Company in Bridgeport. Lake, a millionaire who Simon said was inspired by Jules Verne's "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea," tried unsuccessfully to sell the experimental craft to the U.S. Navy, according to Simon.

"The profile of the sub was absolutely amazing," Abbate said in a phone interview Thursday, recalling the discovery.

However, there was little time for he and Mazraani to celebrate.

The pair of divers made their way up from the seabed over the top of the vessel and toward what they later determined was the bow.

"As we were going to the bow, we were passing hatches," Abbate said, while Mazraani filmed and took photographs of the site.

He described the submarine as intact and sitting on the bottom, listing slightly to one side on the gravelly seabed. After exploring the bow, they made their way to the stern of the vessel.

"We didn't have much time at the bottom because your decompression is building the longer you dive," Abbate said.

"The Defender is completely intact sitting on the bottom. It's incredible," he added. "I can't wait for others to dive to the Defender and be as amazed as we were."

Contributed/Joe Mazraani

Lake was unable to get the Navy interested in Defender, which had previously been named "Lake" and "Simon Lake XV," according to the website NavSource Online. In 1929, the sub was re-fitted to work in salvage, but nothing came of it. The sub sat at the docks in New London before being abandoned on a mud flat at Old Saybrook.

In 1946, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers towed the boat into Long Island Sound and the sub either sank or was scuttled, according to Simon.

"Knowing the time period, knowing it was after World War II, we have all these excess ships sitting around, my guess is it was scuttled," he said. "We scuttled a lot of things in the ocean because, you know, for years, unfortunately, we used it as a dumping ground."

He became interested in the sub and assembled a crew to try and find the vessel. As it turned out, the vessel's location was charted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, he said, only the wreck was marked as unidentified.

"No one knew what it was," Simon said. "So by being inquisitive and going and saying, 'Hey, let's check this out,' and having the capabilities, we were able to positively identify her."

Contributed/Jennifer Sellitti

The search team believes the vessel they found is the Defender based on the dimensions of the keel and the shape and location of the diving planes.

The group is now trying to learn more about the history of the vessel and hope to protect it.

Simon said the vessel was unique and ahead of its time, outfitted with wheels to traverse the bottom of the sea and a dive door for a diver to access the water.

During the dive, Simon drove his company's research vessel while Abbate and Mazraani dove to the site. He recalled watching "a little orange ball" in the fog in the middle of Long Island Sound waiting for news of the find.

The crew has kept the exact location and depth of the site under wraps, but the Associated Press reported the wreck is more than 150 feet down. That puts it out of the reach of most amateur divers, according to Simon.

"This isn't something that just anyone can go and visit and dive," he said. "You know, it's deep, it's dark, there's current. So that's a really important thing worth noting, and that's why we don't want everyone and their mother trying to go out there."

Simon said they're now trying to get the site protected by Connecticut authorities.

"This is all of our history," he said. "This isn't my wreck, it's all of our shipwreck and we all need to preserve it and be good stewards of it."

Contributed/Joe Mazraani

Simon, who grew up in Coventry, got his start in commercial diving through his father. Shoreline Diving, the company he owns with his wife, mostly handles infrastructure projects like dams, and salvaging boats that sink in accidents. Maritime history and shipwrecks are his hobby. At 35, he said he's often the youngest person on a dive, and hopes he can inspire the next generation to take up an interest in diving.

Abbate, who owns a home inspecting business, said he got into diving more than a decade ago after his wife asked if he was interested. "I believe my wife had in mind the Caribbean and scuba diving," he said. But like Simon, he soon became interested in technical diving and diving on wrecks in the Long Island and Block Island sounds. He now dives out of a rigid inflatable boat, or "rib" that he takes out on the water.

Abbate turned 60 the day after they made the discovery.

"Ricky did promise me a better birthday present next year," he added, referring to Simon. "So things are yet to come. There's more discoveries to be made."
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As transgender people have increasingly gained acceptance and visibility, conservative lawmakers have zeroed in on restricting their rights: keeping transgender children off girls sports teams and out of certain bathrooms, and blocking them from receiving gender-affirming medical care.

In response, a growing number of Democratic-controlled states have moved to protect such rights, especially access to gender-affirming care.

In developments this week, one governor is telling lawmakers they'll have to return for a special session if they fail to pass some restrictions, two others signed protections into law and a transgender lawmaker was barred from a Statehouse floor amid a standoff with colleagues.

THE BIG PICTURE

The push by conservatives has mushroomed over the last few years and become, alongside abortion, a major theme running through legislative sessions across the country in 2023.

Six states have laws or policies in effect barring minors from receiving puberty blockers or hormone therapy. Similar provisions have been adopted but paused by courts in three more. They've been signed into law but haven't yet taken effect in at least eight more.

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THE CENTER OF DEBATE

In Missouri, the gender-affirming care battle is playing out in the Legislature and in court.

Earlier this month Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey used an emergency rule to impose restrictions on both children and adults before they can receive such care. Just before it was to take effect this week, a judge halted enforcement until at least Monday and said she could push the date back further while legal challenges are considered.

Gov. Make Parson, also a Republican, said he would call a special legislative session if lawmakers fail to pass bills that would restrict transgender rights by May 12.

The GOP-controlled Legislature is on board but not in agreement over exceptions such as whether treatment for people already receiving puberty blockers or hormones would be allowed to continue.

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BANNED FROM THE HOUSE FLOOR

Montana House Republicans barred a Democratic transgender colleague from the floor of the chamber for the rest of the legislative session as punishment.

Zooey Zephyr had told Republicans there would be blood on your hands  an expression frequently used in politics  if they approved a ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The bill passed, though it has not yet been signed into law.

Zephyr's situation, which echoed the ouster of two Tennessee lawmakers from that state's Legislature for a protest over gun policy this year, has turned her into a political cause for liberals nationwide.

She spent the first day of her exile this week battling to use a bench in a Statehouse hallway.

Also in Montana, Gov. Greg Gianforte signed legislation Friday banning gender-affirming care for minors.

The measure establishes penalties for health professionals who provide such care and allows for lawsuits if a patient suffers harm. Physicians could not hold malpractice insurance against such claims. The law also prohibits public employees and property from being involved in gender-affirming treatment.

During hours of emotional hearings, opponents testified that hormone treatments and in some cases surgery are supported by numerous medical associations and can be life-saving for someone with gender dysphoria, the clinically significant distress or impairment caused by feeling that ones gender identity does not match ones biological sex.

Gianforte said the bill protects Montana children from permanent, life-altering medical procedures until they are adults, mature enough to make such serious decisions.

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THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WEIGHS IN

The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday filed a lawsuit challenging Tennessee's law, scheduled to take effect July 1, banning transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming care.

The federal government said no person should be denied access to necessary medical care just because of their transgender status.

Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kristen Clarke sent a letter last month to all state attorneys general warning them that federal law protects transgender youth against discrimination.

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ACCESS PROTECTED

Governors' signatures in Minnesota and Washington on Thursday made them the latest of at least nine states with laws protecting access to gender-affirming care. Vermont lawmakers passed bills with similar provisions this week, though they haven't been signed.

The measures aim to shield patients, health care providers and other actors from punishment or investigations into whether they violated gender-affirming care and abortion bans in states that have them.

So far, officials have not been trying to reach across state lines to enforce bans.

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DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS IN KANSAS

The Republican-controlled legislature in Kansas fell one vote short this week of overriding Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of a ban on gender-affirming care for minors.

But lawmakers overrode other vetoes of restrictions on rights for transgender people. One blocks them from using restrooms that correspond with their gender identities at schools, prisons, domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers.

At least eight other states have bathroom restrictions, but most of them apply only at schools.

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ROLING BACK A LIBERAL CITY'S BOYCOTT

San Francisco's Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to repeal a measure barring city staffers from making business trips to states with restrictions on abortion, voting and LGBTQ+ rights.

The 2016 policy also blocked the city government from doing business with companies headquartered in those states.

Officials said it was doing more harm than good. Instead of exerting pressure on those states, it was raising costs for San Francisco.

A final vote is expected on Tuesday. California is considering a repeal a similar measure at the state level.

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RESTRICTING DRAG SHOWS

In tandem with the push to restrict transgender rights, conservatives in several states have also lately targeted drag shows as part of what critics say is a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

Alabama became the latest to do so after legislation was filed Thursday that would add a provision to the state's anti-obscenity laws.

The bill by Republican Rep. Arnold Mooney would prohibit male or female impersonators, commonly known as drag queens or drag kings, from performing in K-12 public schools, libraries and other public places where minors are present.

The measure is pending before the House State Government Committee.

Tennessee was the first state to place strict limits on drag shows. But last month a federal judge there temporarily blocked that measure after a group filed a lawsuit claiming it violates the First Amendment.
ChatGPT's maker said Friday that the artificial intelligence chatbot is available again in Italy after the company met the demands of regulators who temporarily blocked it over privacy concerns.

OpenAI said it fulfilled a raft of conditions that the Italian data protection authority wanted satisfied by an April 30 deadline to have the ban on the AI software lifted.

ChatGPT is available again to our users in Italy, San Francisco-based OpenAI said by email. We are excited to welcome them back, and we remain dedicated to protecting their privacy.

Generative AI systems like ChatGPT, which use vast pools of online data like digital books, blog posts and other media to generate text, images and other content mimicking human work, have created buzz in the tech world and beyond.

But their rapid development has stirred fears among officials and even tech leaders about possible ethical and societal risks, with European Union negotiators scrambling to update draft artificial intelligence regulations that have been years in the making.

Last month, the Italian watchdog, known as Garante, ordered OpenAI to temporarily stop processing Italian users personal information while it investigated a possible data breach. The authority said it didnt want to hamper AIs development but emphasized the importance of following the EUs strict data privacy rules.

OpenAI said it addressed or clarified the issues raised by the watchdog.

The measures include adding information on its website about how it collects and uses data that trains the algorithms powering ChatGPT, providing EU users with a new form for objecting to having their data used for training, and adding a tool to verify users' ages when signing up.

Some Italian users shared what appeared to be screenshots of the changes, including a menu button asking users to confirm their age and links to the updated privacy policy and training data help page.

The Garante said in a statement that it welcomes the measures OpenAI implemented and urged the company to comply with two other demands for an age-verification system and a publicity campaign informing Italians about the backstory and their right to opt out of data processing.

The watchdog imposed the ban last month after finding that some users messages and payment information were exposed to others. It also questioned whether there was a legal basis for OpenAI to collect massive amounts of data used to train ChatGPTs algorithms and raised concerns that the system could sometimes generate false information about individuals.

Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini on Instagram, wrote approvingly of the return of ChatGPT and said that his League party is committed to help start-ups and development in Italy.

Other regulators are now looking closer at such AI systems, with Frances data privacy regulator and Canadas privacy commissioner investigating after receiving complaints about ChatGPT.

The head of the Federal Trade Commission, Lina Khan, warned this week that the U.S. government will not hesitate to crack down on harmful business practices involving artificial intelligence.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  Former Vice President Mike Pence testified Thursday before a federal grand jury investigating efforts by then-President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Pence's appearance before a grand jury in Washington scrutinizing the president he once loyally served is a milestone in the Justice Department's investigation and likely gives prosecutors a key first-person account about certain conversations and events in the weeks preceding the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. It also carries significant political implications, coming as Pence hints at entering the 2024 presidential race and a potential run against Trump, the Republican front-runner.

The testimony, confirmed by a person familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss a secret grand jury matter, came hours after a federal appeals court in a sealed order rejected a bid by Trump's lawyers to block Pence's appearance.

Pence was subpoenaed to testify earlier this year, but Trump's lawyers objected, citing executive privilege concerns. A judge in March refused to block Pence's appearance, though he did side with the former vice presidents constitutional claims that he could not be forced to answer questions about anything related to his role as presiding over the Senates certification of votes on Jan. 6.

Well obey the law, well tell the truth, Pence said in an interview with CBS News Face the Nation that aired Sunday. And the story that Ive been telling the American people all across the country, the story that I wrote in the pages of my memoir, thatll be the story I tell in that setting.

It was not immediately clear what Pence may have told the grand jury, but he is the most high-profile Trump administration official to be summoned before the panel. Inside the federal building where the grand jury has been meeting, just blocks from the U.S. Capitol, security was high because of Pence's appearance with an unusual amount of activity from U.S. Marshals.

Pence has spoken extensively about Trumps pressure campaign urging him to reject Democrat Joe Bidens presidential election victory in the days leading up to Jan. 6, including in his book, So Help Me God. Pence, as vice president, had a ceremonial role overseeing Congress counting of the Electoral College vote but did not have the power to affect the results, despite Trumps contention otherwise.

Pence, a former Indiana governor and congressman, has said that Trump endangered his family and everyone else who was at the Capitol that day and history will hold him accountable.

For four years, we had a close working relationship. It did not end well, Pence wrote, summing up their time in the White House.

Trump was speaking in New Hampshire when news broke of Pence's grand jury appearance. Asked at a diner if he was concerned about his testimony, Trump responded, No Im not and I dont know anything about it.

Lawyers for Pence had raised their own, more narrow challenge to the subpoena. They argued that because Pence was serving in his capacity as president of the Senate as electoral votes were being counted in Congress on Jan. 6, he was protected from being forced to testify about that process under the Constitutions speech or debate clause, which is intended to protect members of Congress from being questioned about official legislative acts.

A judge agreed with that argument, effectively narrowing the scope of his expected testimony.

The Justice Department special counsel leading the investigation, Jack Smith, has cast a broad net in interviews and has sought the testimony of a long list of former Trump aides, including ex-White House counsel Pat Cipollone and former adviser Stephen Miller.

Smith is separately investigating Trump over the potential mishandling of hundreds of classified documents at his Palm Beach, Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, as well as possible efforts to obstruct that probe.

It is not clear when either of the special counsels investigations will end or who, if anyone, will be charged.

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Associated Press writers Michael Kunzelman, Lindsay Whitehurst and Nathan Ellgren in Washington and Michelle L. Price in Manchester, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.

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This story was first published on April 27, 2023. It was published again on April 28, 2023, to correct security was high because of Pences appearance, not because of Trumps appearance.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)  State funds could be used to pay for health plans that cover state workers and Medicaid recipients seeking abortions under a bill approved Thursday by the Democrat-controlled Rhode Island House of Representatives.

House lawmakers approved the measure on a 49-24 vote after debating the bill for about an hour.

The bill was sponsored by Democratic House Majority Whip Katherine Kazarian.

Kazarian said the bill will help guarantee that everyone in Rhode Island who needs reproductive health services will have access.

She said the bill wasn't about reopening the abortion debate. Rhode Island has already codified Roe v. Wade into state law.

Opponents, including Democratic House Labor Committee Chairman Arthur Corvese, said it's one thing to end a pregnancy because of rape, incest or the health of the mother, and another to do so because it was unplanned.

Termination of pregnancy as a method of after-the-fact birth control is an abomination and unconscionable in a civilized society, he added.

The bill would repeal a current section of state law banning Rhode Island from including in any health insurance contracts with state employees any provision which provides coverage for induced abortions  except where the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term, or where the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest.

The bill now heads to the state Senate.

Gov. Daniel McKee, a Democrat, has said he would sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk.
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UMAN, Ukraine (AP)  Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraine early Friday, killing at least 23 people, almost all of them when two missiles slammed into an apartment building in a terrifying nighttime attack, officials said. Three children were among the dead.

The missile attacks included the first one against Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, in nearly two months, although there were no reports of any targets hit. The city government said Ukraines air force intercepted 11 cruise missiles and two unmanned aerial vehicles over Kyiv.

The strikes on the nine-story residential building in central Ukraine occurred in Uman, a city located around 215 kilometers (134 miles) south of Kyiv. Twenty-one people died in that attack, according to Ukraine's National Police. They included two 10-year-old children and a toddler.

Another of the victims was a 75-year-old woman who lived in a neighboring building and suffered internal bleeding from the huge blast's shock wave, according to emergency personnel at the scene.

The Ukrainian national police said 17 people were wounded and three children were rescued from the rubble. Nine were hospitalized.

The bombardment was nowhere near the war's sprawling front lines or active combat zones in eastern Ukraine, where a grinding war of attrition has taken hold. Moscow has frequently launched long-range missile attacks during the 14-month war, often indiscriminately hitting civilian areas.

Ukrainian officials and analysts have alleged such strikes are part of a deliberate intimidation strategy by the Kremlin.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the long-range cruise missiles launched overnight were aimed at places where Ukrainian military reserve units were staying before their deployment to the battlefield.

The strike has achieved its goal. All the designated facilities have been hit, Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, the Defense Ministry's spokesperson, said. He didnt mention any specific areas or residential buildings getting hit.

Survivors of the Uman strikes recounted terrifying moments as the missiles hit when it still was dark outside.

Halyna, a building resident, said she and her husband were covered in glass by the blast. They saw flames outside their window and scrambled out, but first Halyna checked whether her friend in a neighboring apartment was OK.

I was calling, calling her (on the phone), but she didnt pick up. I even rang the doorbell, but still no answer, she told The Associated Press. She used the spare keys from her friends apartment and went inside to check on her. She found her lying dead on her apartment floor.

Halyna refused to provide her last name out of security concerns.

Another building resident, Olha Turina, told the AP that glass from the explosion flew everywhere.

Turina, whose husband is fighting on the front lines, said one of her child's classmates was missing.

I don't know where they are, I don't know if they are alive, she said. I don't know why we have to go through all this. We never bothered anyone.

Three body bags lay next to the building as smoke continued to billow hours after the attack. Soldiers, civilians and emergency crews searched through the rubble outside for more victims, while residents dragged belongings out of the damaged building.

One woman, crying in shock, was taken away by rescue crews for help.

Yulia Norovkova, spokeswoman for emergency rescue crews on the scene, said local volunteers were helping nearly 150 emergency personnel. Two aid stations, including psychologists, were operating, she said.

A 31-year-old woman and her 2-year-old daughter were also killed in the eastern city of Dnipro in another attack, regional Governor Serhii Lysak said. Four people were wounded, and a private home and business were damaged.

The attacks came days after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a long and meaningful phone call where Xi said his government will send a peace envoy to Ukraine and other nations.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Fridays bombardment showed the Kremlin isnt interested in a peace deal.

Missile strikes killing innocent Ukrainians in their sleep, including a 2-year-old child, is Russias response to all peace initiatives, he tweeted. The way to peace is to kick Russia out of Ukraine.

Czech President Petr Pavel, on a visit to Ukraine, was unconvinced by the Kremlins past denials of responsibility for such bloodshed.

The number of attacks on civilian targets leads to an only conclusion that it is intentional, Pavel told Czech media. Its a clear plan intended to cause chaos, horrors among the civilian population.

Shortly after Moscow unleashed the barrage, the Russian Defense Ministry posted a photo on Telegram showing a missile launch and saying, Right on target.

The message triggered outrage among Ukrainians on social media and some officials, who viewed it as gloating over the casualties.

The Ministry of Homicide of the Russian Federation is happy that it hit a residential building with a rocket and killed civilians, said Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraines presidential office.

In Kyiv, fragments from intercepted missiles or drones damaged power lines and a road in one neighborhood. No casualties were reported.

In Ukrainka, a town about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of Kyiv, debris from shot down missiles or drones left holes in the walls of some apartment buildings, and a smashed pink stroller in the street.

It feels like this nightmare has been going on for two years, but I still cant wake up, local resident Olena, 62, said. She asked for her surname not to be used, saying her son lived in a sensitive military area.

Ukraine officials said last week that they had taken delivery of American-made Patriot missiles, providing Kyiv with a long-sought new shield against Russian airstrikes, but there was no word on whether the system was used Friday.

The city's anti-aircraft system was activated, according to the Kyiv City Administration. Air raid sirens started at about 4 a.m., and the alert ended about two hours later.

The missile attack was the first on the capital since March 9. Air defenses have thwarted Russian drone attacks more recently.

The missiles were fired from aircraft operating in the Caspian Sea region, according to Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander in Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

Overall, he said, Ukraine intercepted 21 of 23 Kh-101 and Kh-555 type cruise missiles launched, as well as the two drones.

The war largely ground to a halt over the winter, becoming a war of attrition as each side has shelled the other's positions from a distance. Ukraine has been building up its mechanized brigades with armor supplied by its Western allies, who have also been training Ukrainian troops and sending ammunition, as Kyiv eyes a possible counteroffensive.

Meanwhile, the Moscow-appointed mayor of the Russia-held city of Donetsk, Alexei Kulemzin, said a Ukrainian rocket killed seven civilians in the center of the city Friday. He said the victims died when a minibus was hit.

___

Hanna Arhirova and David Rising reported from Kyiv. Patrick Quinn contributed to this story from Bangkok.

___

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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NEW YORK (AP)  Donald Trump's lawyer sought Thursday to pick apart a decades-old rape claim against the former president, questioning why accuser E. Jean Carroll did not scream or seek help when Trump allegedly attacked her in a department store.

But Carroll, a writer and former advice columnist, rebuffed the suggestion that rape victims are supposed to act a certain way, saying such thinking deters women from coming forward.

Im telling you, he raped me, whether I screamed or not," Carroll said, her voice rising and breaking, at the federal civil trial in New York.

Carroll, who is suing Trump over the alleged assault, claims he raped her in a dressing room at the posh Manhattan store in 1996. She did not go to police and said she only told two close friends at the time.

Trump lawyer Joseph Tacopina suggested her claims strained credulity, contending that she only came forward in 2019  midway through Trump's presidency  because of her disdain for his politics and because she wanted to sell copies of her book.

Trump, 76, says the encounter never happened, that he doesnt know Carroll and that shes not his type"  comments that are at the heart of the defamation claims in Carroll's lawsuit. The complaint seeks unspecified damages and a retraction of the comments.

Trump did not mention the trial during a campaign event Thursday in Manchester, New Hampshire. He's not expected in court, though his lawyers have not entirely ruled it out. Jurors are expected to see parts of a videotaped deposition he gave in the case.

On Wednesday, Trump launched a counterattack against the trial on social media, telling followers on his Truth Social platform that the case was a made up SCAM and alluding to a DNA issue that Judge Lewis A. Kaplan has barred from the trial.

The outburst drew a rebuke and a warning from Kaplan, who called it entirely inappropriate.

Consistent and unruffled in her second day of testimony, Carroll grew frustrated as Tacopina zeroed in on how she says she behaved during the alleged assault. She says it happened after a chance run-in with Trump at luxury retailer Bergdorf Goodman in spring 1996.

You cant beat up on me because I didnt scream, Carroll forcefully told Tacopina. She had explained in earlier testimony that she was not a screamer  I'm a fighter.

Carroll, 79, said that if she were lying about the assault, she wouldve told people she had screamed because more people would have believed me.

But, she emphasized, I don't need an excuse for not screaming.

When Tacopina used the word supposedly to cast doubt on her claim, she immediately and sternly rebuked him.

Not supposedly. I was raped, she said.

Thats your version, Ms. Carroll, that you were raped, Tacopina said.

Those are the facts, she replied.

She did, however, concede that some details of her story  including the lack of witnesses in a department store  were difficult to conceive of.

Seeking to make that point, Tacopina questioned Carroll about her testimony that she eventually fought Trump off while wearing 4-inch (10 cm) heels and without letting go of her purse.

The lawyer underscored, through his questions, that she didn't seek help from anyone in the store as she allegedly fled by riding six flights down an escalator, didn't ask about security video and didn't seek medical attention or call police.

Carroll said she initially felt charmed by Trump as he asked for her help finding a women's gift, exchanged jokes with her about trying on a see-through garment and led her into a dressing room. Even when he slammed the door and shoved her into the wall, she said, she couldnt help but laugh and think there had been some mistake or misunderstanding.

I was trying to figure out what the hell was going on, Carroll testified as jurors listened attentively.

Then he put his mouth against mine, she said, and I understood.

Carroll said Trump yanked down her tights and raped her before she kneed him and fled. She said she would have kept the accusation secret forever if not for the the #MeToo movement, which gained prominence in 2017.

The Associated Press typically does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly, as Carroll has done.

Carroll sued in November after New York state enacted a law allowing lawsuits over long-ago claims of sexual assault.

Carroll said Thursday that a look at social media once the trial started revealed fresh insults against her as people labeled her a liar, slut, ugly, old.

But I couldnt be more proud to be here, she testified.

___

Associated Press Writer Larry Neumeister contributed to this story.
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BEIRUT (AP)  Irans top diplomat visited Lebanons border with Israel on Friday where he expressed support for the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group in its struggle against their common enemy: Israel.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian began his visit to Lebanon since Wednesday, meeting top officials and expressing Tehrans readiness to help build power stations in an effort to try to end the Mediterranean countrys prevailing electricity crisis.

Lebanon is in the throes of the worst economic crisis in its modern history, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by the small nations ruling class. The crisis erupted in October 2019 and has plunged three quarters of Lebanons 6 million people, including 1 million Syrian refugees, into poverty.

Earlier this month, Israel launched rare strikes into southern Lebanon, hours after militants fired nearly three dozen rockets from there at Israel, wounding two people and causing some property damage. The Israeli military said at the time that it targeted installations of the Palestinian militant Hamas group in southern Lebanon.

Iran is a main Hezbollah backer and has supplied the militant group over the past decades with weapons and funds.

We are here today ... to declare again with a loud voice that we support the resistance in Lebanon against the Zionist entity, Amirabdollahian told a gathering that included several Hezbollah legislators in the border village of Maroun al-Ras.

Amirabdollahian's visit to Lebanon is the first since Iran and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement in China last month to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after seven years of tensions.

Later Friday, the Iranian diplomat held a news conference at the Iranian Embassy. He said the Riyadh-Tehran agreement will have positive effects in the region in general. The two countries will reopen embassies in Tehran and Riyadh within a few days," he said, adding that he invited his Saudi counterpart to visit Iran and that the invitation was welcomed.

In neighboring Syria, a pro-government newspaper reported that Irans President Ebrahim Raisi will begin a two-day visit to Damascus next Wednesday, the first by an Iranian president to the Syrian capital since 2010.

Iran has also been a main backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad since the uprising that turned into war began in Syria in March 2011, killing nearly half a million people. Tehran has sent Iran-backed fighters from around the Middle East to fight alongside Assads forces, helping tip the balance of power in his favor.

The pro-government Al-Watan said Raisi would meet with Assad to boost strategic cooperation between the two allies. Several agreements and memorandums of understanding would also be signed during the visit.

Asked about Raisi's upcoming visit to Damascus, Amirabdollahian only said that "a program and a plan for the visit in the near future" had been prepared, without offering a specific date.

Some oil-rich Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, have been slowly reconciling with Assad after supporting opposition fighters for years.

___

Associated Press writer Albert Aji in Beirut contributed to this report.
The first thing Brendan Hall saw was a giant plume of fire and a wall of smoke.

The Connecticut-based filmmaker was a few miles from a Texas launchpad as the SpaceX Starships engines ignited for liftoff.

For the first few seconds of the launch, we didn't know if the ship had exploded on the pad or if it wasn't going to lift off of the pad, Hall said. And all we saw was fire and smoke. And then, all of a sudden, the tips of Starship began rising up through the wall of smoke and up into the sky."

Four minutes into the flight, SpaceXs most powerful rocket  and one slated to take Hall and a civilian crew around the moon  did explode. A few of the boosters 33 engines malfunctioned, causing the spacecraft to lose altitude and tumble before its self-destruct system was activated.

The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Im

Despite what SpaceX initially called a rapid, unscheduled disassembly, Hall said hes more excited than ever" to one day fly to the moon in that same model spacecraft.

I think that seeing Starship in the sky, and beginning to achieve what will eventually be successful flights, was this real indication that this is going to happen  our mission will happen," he said.

Hall, a Marlborough native, was selected to be a crew member on the dearMoon Project, a privately funded mission to send an all-civilian crew to orbit the moon aboard a Starship rocket. Hall watched the flight test at SpaceX's Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, with his fellow dearMoon crew members  a team consisting of eight artists and creatives and Japanese billionaire Yasuku Maezawa, who's paying for the trip.

The Washington Post/The Washington Post via Getty Im

The six-day mission is scheduled for 2023, but the specific date hasnt been established. Hall doesnt know if the test flight impacted the timeline for the mission. And he won't know when training will begin until an official dearMoon launch date is announced.

We're just staying tuned," he said.

Like SpaceX and its CEO, Elon Musk, Hall described the test as a "tremendous success. Having the rocket lift off the pad, Musk said, was a significant milestone. Hall wasn't shaken by the explosion either. Before the test, Musk warned the rocket was unlikely to reach orbit and more likely to explode. Hall said seeing the rocket he is set to fly aboard made him teary-eyed.

"It may take time, but it was the first step to putting us on that track. And then just to think that we're going to be in that," he said. "I think it was just a feeling for me of this all becoming very real, and very possible," he added.

Contributed photo/Brendan Hall

He said the trip was also a success in that he was able to reunite with his fellow crew members, a group he said feels "like family" to him. Photographer Rhiannon Adam; photographer Karim Iliya; musician Top; choreographer Yemi A.D.; Youtuber Tim Dodd; and backup crew members, Olympic snowboarder Kaitlyn Farrington and dancer Miyu. Crew members Dev D. Joshi, an actor, and Steve Aoki, a music producer, were unable to attend, he said.

"I think that having fun with people and traveling is one of the best ways to get to know them," he said. "To have this trip be such an amazing success, I think says a lot about how our crew is going to do throughout this mission."

The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded SpaceX's Starship Super Heavy launch program until it finishes investigating possible damage from the explosion, CNBC reported. The 400-foot spacecraft blasted off from its launchpad and climbed to a maximum altitude of 24 miles before issues with the rocket's 33 Raptor 2 engines caused the Starship to flip and roll. SpaceX said it ordered the spacecraft to self-destruct.

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

The explosion sparked concern among environmental engineers and advocates that the particulate matter could potentially harm people's respiratory health and endangered species in the area.

SpaceX also plans to use the rocket for the Artemis III and Artemis IV missions, which are set for 2025 and 2028. Hall couldn't speak to how optimistic he is about the tentative 2023 date as "delays and changes in timeline are just a part of spaceflight," but he's looking forward to the next stage of development.
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DENVER (AP)  Colorados governor signed four gun control bills Friday, following the lead of other states struggling to confront a nationwide surge in violent crime and mass shootings, despite a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that expanded Second Amendment rights.

Before the ink was even dry on Gov. Jared Polis' signature, gun rights groups sued to reverse two of the measures: raising the buying age for any gun from 18 to 21, and establishing a three-day waiting period between the purchase and receipt of a gun. The courts are already weighing lawsuits over such restrictions in other states.

The new laws, which Democrats pushed through despite late-night filibusters from Republicans, are aimed at quelling rising suicides and youth violence, preventing mass shootings, and opening avenues for gun violence victims to sue the long-protected firearm industry. They were enacted just five months after a mass shooting at an LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs.

Coloradoans deserve to be safe in our communities, in our schools, in our grocery stores, in our nightclubs, Polis said as he signed the measures in his office. The governor was flanked by activists wearing red shirts reading, Moms Demand Action," students from a Denver high school recently affected by a shooting, and parents of a woman killed in the Aurora theater shooting in 2012.

Supportive lawmakers and citizens alike had tears in their eyes and roared their applause as Polis signed each bill. Colorado has a history of notorious mass shootings, reaching back to the Columbine High School massacre in 1999.

Republicans decried the bills as onerous encroachments on Second Amendment rights that would impede Colorado residents ability to defend themselves amid a rising statewide crime rate. Gun rights advocates pledged to reverse the measures.

Its a sad day for Colorado; we are becoming one of the most anti-Second Amendment states in the nation, said Rep. Mike Lynch, the Republican minority leader.

A third measure passed by the legislature will strengthen the states red flag law, and a fourth rolls back some legal protections for the firearm industry, exposing them to lawsuits from the victims of gun violence.

Lynch anticipates that the magnitude of the gun restrictions  along with other bills Democrats pushed this year  will incite a backlash in the next election, especially in swing districts that helped reinforce Democrats' majority in the legislature.

The new red flag law, also called an extreme risk protection order, empowers those working closely with youth and adults  doctors, mental health professionals, and teachers  to petition a judge to temporarily remove someones firearm. Previously, petition power was limited mainly to law-enforcement and family members. The goal is to act preemptively before someone attempts suicide or attacks others.

At the signing ceremony, Senate President Steve Fenberg, a Democrat and one of the bill's sponsors, said Republicans and other gun control opponents often respond to mass shootings by saying it's too soon to talk about restricting firearms.

"It isnt too soon. Its too late for so many of the lost souls," Fenberg said. We needed to have done more to prevent what happened.

Republicans argued that the law would discourage people  especially military veterans  from candidly speaking with medical doctors and mental health professionals for fear of having their weapons temporarily seized.

Lynch argued that while the shooting in Colorado Springs was often held up as a reason to pass these types of gun restrictions, evidence shows they wouldve done absolutely nothing to stop that.

It kind of breaks my heart that were taking these tragic events ... and were using those events to promote an agenda that doesnt fix the problem, he said.

The law requiring a three-day delay between buying and receiving a firearm  an attempt to curtail impulsive violence and suicide attempts  puts Colorado in line with nine other states, including California, Florida and Hawaii.

Colorado has the sixth-highest suicide rate in the country, with nearly 1,400 in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A RAND Corporation analysis of four studies found that waiting periods are linked to lower suicide-by-gun deaths.

Opponents raised concerns that people who need to defend themselves  such as victims of domestic violence  may not be able to get a gun in time to do so.

In raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21, Colorado joins California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, New York and Rhode Island. Proponents point to now oft-cited data from the CDC showing that gun violence has overtaken vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in recent years.

At the ceremony, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser likened the new laws to the campaign for vehicle safety that spawned groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the forerunner of Moms Demand Action.

But Taylor Rhodes, executive director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, the group that filed the lawsuits, had a different perspective.

This is simply bigoted politicians doing what bigoted politicians do: discriminating against an age, said Rhodes, referring to the new minimum age for gun purchases.

In their speeches about rolling back legal protections for gun manufacturers, lawmakers looked often to Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, whose daughter, Jessica Ghawi, was slain in the 2012 Aurora theater shooting. The parents tried to sue the companies that had sold the shooter ammunition and tear gas but were unsuccessful. Ultimately, the couple ended up owing more than $200,000 in defense attorney fees and had to file for bankruptcy.

California, Delaware, New Jersey and New York have passed similar legislation over the past three years. Opponents of the bill argued that it would merely bog the firearms industry down in bogus lawsuits.
MALVERN, Pa. (AP)  MALVERN, Pa. (AP)  CubeSmart (CUBE) on Thursday reported a key measure of profitability in its first quarter. The results matched Wall Street expectations.

The Malvern, Pennsylvania-based real estate investment trust said it had funds from operations of $147.5 million, or 65 cents per share, in the period.
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ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP)  A federal judge on Friday rejected a motion from Google to toss out the government's antitrust case against it.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled the lawsuit alleging Google wields monopolistic power in the world of online advertising can proceed in its entirety.

Her ruling is the second setback for Google at the federal court in Alexandria. Google had earlier tried to get the case consolidated with a similar lawsuit that's been ongoing for several years in New York. But Brinkema ruled last month that the case can proceed in the Alexandria courthouse, which is known as the Rocket Docket for its reputation of adjudicating disputes swiftly.

The lawsuit alleges that Google holds a virtual monopoly in online advertising that works to the detriment of consumers. The complaint alleged that Google corrupted legitimate competition in the ad tech industry by engaging in a systematic campaign to seize control of the wide swath of high-tech tools used by publishers, advertisers, and brokers, to facilitate digital advertising.

Google argued that the case should be tossed out, in part because the government defines Google's alleged monopoly too narrowly. Google's lawyers contend the lawsuit does not account for advertisers' ability, for example, to advertise on huge social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok that run their own advertising platforms independent of Google.

In court papers, Google made an analogy to an unsuccessful antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, a concert promoter that owns and operates a large number of outdoor amphitheaters.

The lawsuit alleged Live Nation held a monopoly on amphitheaters, but a judge ruled that the plaintiffs failed to prove a monopoly in part because they did not take into account reasonable alternatives to amphitheater venues, like indoor concert halls and arenas.

Brinkema said the question of how to define the market in which Google allegedly holds a monopoly will be a key issue in the case, But she said at this preliminary stage, the government's allegations are plausible enough for the case to move forward. The government's burden of proof, though, will increase at trial.

After the hearing, Google issued a statement from Dan Taylor, its vice president of global ads, saying the lawsuit ignores the reality of todays dynamic digital advertising space, where we compete against hundreds of companies like Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok."

The statement said the lawsuit "would slow innovation, raise advertising fees, and make it harder for thousands of small businesses and publishers to grow."

A number of states, including Virginia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Tennessee, have joined in the case as plaintiffs against Google.
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP)  GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP)  Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Inc. (SKT) on Thursday reported a key measure of profitability in its first quarter. The results surpassed Wall Street expectations.

The real estate investment trust, based in Greensboro, North Carolina, said it had funds from operations of $51.2 million, or 46 cents per share, in the period.
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BRIDGEPORT  A self-employed painter, accused of trying to lure two female students into his car at Central High School in separate incidents this week, was ordered held on over $300,000 bond Friday.

"This is indeed a very serious case, potentially every parents' nightmare," Superior Court Judge Peter McShane said in setting the bond for 36-year-old Antonio Dossantos.

But the judge did agree with Dossantos' lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Caroline Watson, that there was nothing in the police report that supported a charge in one of the cases, risk of injury to a child, and he did not find probable cause for that charge.

Bridgeport police said Dossantos grabbed an 18-year-old student on Thursday after she walked away from him and tried to drag her to his car while she called out for help. The student was able to get away from him after she broke free and fled, according to police.

Police said they have also linked Dossantos to a similar incident that occurred the day before when he tried to lure a 15-year-old girl to his car near the school gate.

Dossantos was charged with second-degree unlawful restraint, second-degree attempted kidnapping and second-degree breach of peace in connection with the Thursday incident. He was also charged with risk of injury to a child and second-degree breach of peace in the earlier incident.

But during Dossantos' arraignment hearing Friday afternoon, Watson argued that there is nothing in the police report about the earlier incident that supports the risk of injury charge.

The judge agreed, but let the breach of peace charge stand for the alleged incident.

Senior Assistant State's Attorney Nicholas Bove told the judge that even without the risk of injury charge the case is very serious. He urged the judge to set a high bond.

Watson asked the judge for leniency for her client, stating that Dossantos, a self-employed painter, is the father of two children and has no prior record.

The judge ordered Dossantos held in lieu of $305,000 and continued the case to May 12.

Bridgeport police said Thursday's incident began around 11 a.m. when Officer Dani Soto was dispatched to the high school for a welfare check for an 18-year-old female student.

A friend lost contact with the student as she was leaving the campus on foot toward North Avenue, Bridgeport Police Capt. Kevin Gilleran said. School security informed the police officer who was dispatched that the student had been located off campus and was safe, he said.

The student told police a man had tried to "lure" her into his car on the campus, Gilleran said. As the student walked away from him along a path connecting the school grounds with North Avenue, he "exited his car and grabbed onto the victim," Gilleran said.

"The suspect then attempted to drag the victim back towards his car as she yelled for help," he said in a statement Friday morning. "The victim was able to break free and escape towards North Avenue."

In a statement sent to parents, Bridgeport school officials said the student was "approached by a strange gentleman" who tried to lure her to his car on a high school campus, without specifying the school.

"The student was on the phone with a peer who reported the incident and contacted the police," the statement from the schools said, adding that the man was taken into custody by police.

Police said they obtained a description of the vehicle and where it was headed after reviewing city and school security camera footage.

Police then apprehended Dossantos on Taft Avenue, according to police. During an interview with Detective Angel Llanos, police said Dossantos admitted to the attempted kidnapping.

Bridgeport police also received a complaint Thursday about a similar incident that occurred the day before, Gilleran said.

"The suspect attempted to lure a 15-year-old Central High School student into his car near the Eaton Street gate to the campus," he said.

Police said they determined Dossantos was the suspect in both incidents.

The school district encouraged families to "speak with your children about safety measures when walking to and from school daily and report any incidences of concern to school officials and the police."

Anyone with additional information on either incident can contact Detective Angel Llanos, at 203-581-5238. or call the police tip line at 203-576-TIPS.
I had to get a top secret security clearance, too, years ago. It was far more rigorous than the leaker airman's process.

by Jeff Stein

Jack Teixeira and I have a couple things in common: Cape Cod and a Top Secret security clearance.

Way back in the summer of 1966, holding a draft notice that threatened to send me into combat in Vietnam, I found a way to apply for enlistment as an Army intelligence case officer. As Ive oft said, I didnt care much for camping, so I knew Id fare badly as an infantryman in the Big Muddy. An intelligence job held the prospect of landing me in some safe place like West Berlin, where Id be tasked to recruit spies against the Soviets Or so I thought. I ended up in Vietnam anyway, but thats another story.

Feds found astounding weaponry where Jack Teixeira lived. (Photo via social media)

For final acceptance into the intelligence school, I needed to have a Top Secret clearance. According to my personnel file that I got decades later, Army counterintelligence agents fanned out to interview past neighbors, teachers, friends and so forth, to see if I could be trusted enough to hold a classified job and handle secret materials. They all said nice things. Things went smoothly until they reached out to one of my few past employersI was just a kid a Mr. Sugarman, the proprietor of Sugarman Shoes, in Hyannis, Mass., where Id briefly held a summer job three years earlier. Sensing a potential national security threat, the agents raced down to Cape Cod to grill Mr. Sugarman in person.

Why had he fired me? they asked Sugarman. He was no good with womens shoes, he told them.

Catastrophe averted, they probably bolted to the beach.

But I wasnt out of the woods, it would turn out. Checking my college records, the agents discovered I had seen a shrink briefly when I was a college freshman.

What was that about? they asked. I told them Id wrestled with my sanity after a girl dropped me like a rock. It was no big deal, they decided. I was cleared for takeoff into the higher realms of intelligence training.

Standards must have changed a lot since then. Federal prosecutors revealed Wednesday that Jack Teixeira, the Air Force techie charged with leaking massive troves of highly classified military and intelligence documents, had been kicked out of high school in 2018 after a classmate overheard him talking about Molotov cocktails, guns at the school, and racial threats. He was, they say, a gun enthusiast.

Teixeira continued his path down into an extremist wormhole after high school, prosecutors further alleged that, saying that last November he wrote a social media post that he wanted to kill a ton of people because it would be culling the weak minded. In February, he asked a fellow gun nut for advice about what kind of rifle would fire best from an SUV, according to The Washington Posts account, saying he wanted to commit a shooting in a crowded urban or suburban environment. He was well prepared for that, investigators say, having a virtual arsenal of weapons stored at his places of residence.

A search of Teixeiras bedroom found that he kept a gun locker two feet from his bed containing handguns, bolt-action rifles, shotguns, an AK-style weapon and a gas mask, among other weapons, the Post reported.

They also found a silencer-style accessory in his desk, and a military-style helmet and mounting bracket in the dumpster outside the house, Gizmodo added. All weapons were seized, but a search of his parents residences found bolt-action rifles, AR and AK-style weapons, and a bazooka.

Missing Link

Obviously, all the circuit breakers that shouldve prevented Teixeira from getting into the Air Force, much less anywhere near classified documents, failed to work.

The Air Force has suspended the operation commander and detachment commander of the 102nd Intelligence Wing, where Teixeira served. Its a start.

But it hardly needs saying that the Air Force needs to look at its security-clearance investigators as well, who failed to live up to the standards Army gumshoes applied to me and Mr. Sugarman. Teixerias high school suspension should have triggered a deeper security clearance probethats how its supposed to work: They trip over one oddity and start digging. Did they dismiss Teixeiras chatter about Molotov cocktails, guns at the school, and racial threats as the typical braggadocio of white male teens at the school lockers? Or did they share Teixeiras enthusiasm for guns and race-hazing and find his warped bullshit entertaining? Alas, its all too possible.

As the Jan. 6 investigators discovered, too many neo-Nazi and white supremacy extremists have found a home in the military services, including their intelligence ranks. Last year SpyTalk reported that an internal U.S. intelligence messaging systema kind of classified Twitter channel for I.C. employeeshad become a dumpster fire of hate speech by 2019, in the wake of PresidentTrumps repeated lenient remarks about white supremacists.

Signs are its getting worse. Over the weekend, two soldiers were suspected of lighting fires and spray-painting racial slurs and a penis on the walls of a barracks at Ft. Hood, Texas, Military.com reported. On Wednesday a soldier at Ft. Bragg, N.C., home of the Green Berets, pleaded guilty to possessing an unregistered short-barrel rifle, which he intended to use to physically remove as many of black and brown people he could find in neighboring counties, according to the feds. A search of his home found two extended magazines, ammunition, as well as an American flag with a Swastika, instead of the blue field and stars, and other Nazi-type patches.

So perhaps we should not be all that surprised that, despite Teixeiras troubled backstory, he won an assignment to the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base on the Capewhereupon he was not only granted a Top Secret security clearance, he began sharing high level classified traffic with his pals in guns and wargamers chat rooms. It went undetected for a year, investigators think.

Something is seriously wrong here. Its a bigger storyand problemthan one mans torrential leak.

Pardon Me

Which brings me to another personal point of reference: During the year I spent at the Defense Language School preparing to go to Vietnam, I and a number of classmates turned sour on the war. I even tried to transfer out of intelligence into the medics. (The bid was rejected.) My dismay about Vietnam only deepened after a few weeks in-country. (What took you so long? a CIA veteran chortled to me over lunch last year.) But it never crossed my mind to leak the classified documents I had showing the futility of the U.S. war effort. Nor, I bet, did it occur to my comrades.

Plenty of leaks did occur, to be sure, about the disparity between the Saigon commands rosy claims and battlefield realities. In 1971, Daniel Ellsburg leaked the sordid history of the U.S. in Vietnam only after it was clear officials upbeat statements about their progress in the war were malevolent hogwash. But most any journalist conscientious enough to travel with troops in the field knew that.

What Im struck by is Teixeiras evident lack of purpose in leaking documents other than to show offand his chatroom pals utter indifference to the eye-popping documents and reporting the breach, according to reports.

Is this a Gen-Z thing, an age group soaked into passivity by tides of political posturing, government lies (say, about Iraq WMD and the Afghanistan war), and social medias wicked crosscurrents of conspiracy theories, spy-agency disinformation campaigns and fake news?

Or is it a wargamer and gun enthusiasts thing, abetted by the military?

Teixeiras blithe attitude toward sharing top secret documents on the [Discord] channels is less surprising when we consider how the militarys recruitment and training eroded important boundaries separating harmless, at-home wargaming from real life military conflicts, extremism and propaganda expert Emma L. Briant wrote here at SpyTalk two weeks ago. That followed last years problematic Army recruitment ads for its 4th Psychological Operations Group, which, amazingly enough, were created to appeal to young folks drawn to conspiracy theories. Research shows that the embrace of conspiracy theories can lead to radicalization and violence, which in the military may be worsened by combat-induced trauma or psychological distress.

In America today, radicalism takes the form of rank racism, says extremism expert Kathleen Belew, author of Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America.

If anybody thinks this is just a kid playing around on Discord, please go look at the charging documents, which feature the ideological writings, and the weapons, of Teixeira, she wrote Thursday on Twitter.

Also, in case you havent yet heard me say this, when it comes to the white power movement, THERE ARE NO LONE WOLVES, she added (her caps). Actors work WITHIN A MOVEMENT and we have to study both. DO NOT allow this to remain a narrative about one disaffected young man.

Its not. The movement is here, and metastasizing, it seems. How the military, especially, deals with it, is one hell of a problemfor us all.

Courtesy: SpyTalks

Jeff Stein is the editor-in-chief of SpyTalk, a newsletter covering U.S. intelligence, defense and foreign policy, on the Substack platform. Previously, he was the SpyTalk columnist (and national security correspondent) at Newsweek, and before that, the SpyTalk blogger at The Washington Post.
A Stratford doctor was sentenced Thursday to serve four years in prison for health care fraud.

Ananthakumar Thillainathan, a doctor and the owner and president of MDCareNow LLC, received almost $840,000 from the state Medicaid program for psychotherapy services, which he knew patients didn't receive from his employees. He also paid a third-party company to recruit more than 1,000 Medicaid patients, which was in violation of his state provider agreement, and received more than $1 million from Medicaid for services provided to those patients, U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery said in a news release.

Last November, Thillainathan pleaded guilty to health care fraud and kickbacks involving federal health care programs.

In Bridgeport federal court Thursday, U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill ordered Thillainathan to serve three years of supervised release after his prison sentence. He was also ordered to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution, $500,000 of which is due within 60 days, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.

Thillainathan, who is a citizen of Sri Lanka and a lawful, permanent citizen of the United States, faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

While he was released on bond and awaiting sentencing, he surrendered his state Controlled Substance Certificate of Registration. However, despite not holding a valid license, Thillainathan continued to write prescriptions, the U.S. Attorney's office said. He wrote at least 34 prescription for controlled substances, including 14 for Oxycodone, the office said. His bond was revoked and he has been detained since Jan. 13, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

The U.S. Attorney's office said MDCareNow, a medical practice that has offices in Stratford and Milford, was a participating provider enrolled as both an internal medicine group and as a behavioral health clinician group in the Connecticut Medicaid program.

Between June 2019 and May 2022, Thillainathan submitted, or caused to be submitted, $839,724 in false psychotherapy service claims to the state Medicaid program.

"Thillainathan knew that the billed psychotherapy Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, which identify the nature and complexity of the services provided, were not supported by medical records provided by his employees, and that the services were not provided," according to the U.S. Attorney's office.

An investigation found that Thillainathan submitted fraudulent claims that falsely represented his employees had rendered 60-minute psychotherapy sessions, the U.S. Attorney's office said. Instead, his employees "only had very brief conversations with patients, had only left a voicemail for patients, or had no contact with patients at all," the U.S. Attorney's office said.

In addition to these false claims, Thillainathan also paid a third-party recruiting company for each Connecticut Medicaid patient the company recruited and provided transportation to MDCareNow for medical services, which is in violation of his Connecticut Medical Assistance Program provider agreement, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

Thillainathan paid the patient recruiting company about $100 per patient for an initial visit to his business and about $40 per patient for any subsequent visit. From November 2019 to May 2021, Thillainathan paid the company for recruiting 1,018 patients, in which his business received $1,071,328 in reimbursements from Connecticut Medicaid, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.
NORWALK  A city police sergeant is "fully cooperating" with investigators after he was involved in a fatal crash on a Connecticut highway last week, his chief said.

Norwalk Police Sgt. Shannon Sherry was off-duty at the time of the April 19 crash on Interstate 84 in Southington, Chief James Walsh said in a statement Thursday.

State police said Sherry's Tesla "veered" across all three lanes and collided with a pickup truck in the right lane. The crash caused the pickup to roll over and killed the driver who was identified as 24-year-old New Britain resident Elijah Joseph Vallier.

Walsh said he was informed of the "off duty accident that Sgt. Sherry was involved in while driving his personal vehicle" that same day.

"Sergeant Sherry is fully cooperating with the investigation and reconstruction of the accident that is being conducted by the Connecticut State Police," Walsh said.

Walsh said his department is not conducting an internal affairs investigation into the incident. Sherry is using his personal time he's accrued and has not returned to duty since the crash, Walsh said.

State police said the crash unfolded during the afternoon hours last Wednesday along a stretch of Interstate 84 east near Exit 30.

The agency said Vallier had been driving a 2003 Ford F-250 Super Duty east on I-84 in the right lane.

"For an unknown reason," Sherry's 2023 Tesla Model 3 veered out of the left lane, crossed the center lane "and collided with" the Ford, state police said in a news release.

The crash caused Vallier to lose control of the vehicle, which "traveled across the center lane, left lane and entered the grassy median," state police said. The truck continued across the grass and "entered into a rollover event," hit the guardrail in the left shoulder of the westbound side of the highway before coming to rest in the left lane and shoulder of I-84 west.

State police said the Tesla was able to stop in the right shoulder of the highway.

The crash closed the westbound side of the highway for hours on Wednesday.

Sherry and a female front seat passenger in the Tesla were not injured and declined medical attention, police said.

The news release did not say whether the Tesla was operating in a self-driving mode at the time of the crash. The state police media relations office last week said the "facts and circumstances surrounding this collision remain under investigation" and said the summary of the crash was the only information available for release.

The office said Thursday the crash remains under investigation.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Bidens student loan agenda would be all but obliterated by the U.S. debt legislation passed by House Republicans, dooming his mass cancellation s, scrapping a more generous loan repayment option and permanently barring future regulation around student debt.

Republicans see it as a victory for taxpayers. Democrats say it would hurt the economy and block college students who need financial aid.

The GOP bill would cancel both of Bidens marquee student debt proposals: a one-time cancellation of up to $20,000 for more than 40 million Americans, and an updated loan repayment plan that could slash monthly payments for millions.

It would also lift a pause on federal student loan payments, forcing borrowers into repayment sooner than planned.

On the House floor Wednesday, Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx, chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, said Bidens plan for student debt was an obvious target as the government reins in spending.

With an estimated cost of more than $500 billion, Bidens student debt plan is a backdoor attempt to provide free college on the backs of blue-collar Americans, said Foxx, of North Carolina.

Biden has threatened to veto the legislation, and his student debt cancellation plan is seen as untouchable by some Senate Democrats who may well kill the bill. Some of the strongest champions of cancellation have included Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle generally agree that the student loan system is broken, but they have differing approaches to fixing it. The issue has become a lightning rod in recent years amid rising college costs and a national student debt total that now surpasses $1.6 trillion.

For Republicans, the fight offers a fresh opportunity to strike at Bidens student debt policies, which they view as an overreach. Conservative opponents have already gotten his cancellation temporarily halted in court, and its now being reviewed by a conservative-leaning Supreme Court.

Unlike the GOP lawsuits, however, the new legislation takes aim at the full suite of Bidens student debt plans, including a proposed repayment plan that has mostly avoided the type of scrutiny that mass cancellation has seen.

Biden's payment option would mostly replace four existing income-driven repayment plans with much more generous terms.

It would cap monthly payments at 5% of a borrowers income, for example, down from 10% now. And it would charge nothing for those with yearly incomes of less than $30,000 ($24,000 now). No interest would be charged as long as payments were made on time.

The plan was formally proposed in January but has yet to be finalized. Under the Republican bill, it would be revoked.

Going a step further, the Republican plan would permanently bar the Education Department from issuing any future regulation that raises costs for the federal student aid program. That would amount to a dramatic shift in the way the agency does business.

Administrations from both parties have used their regulatory power to update the loan program without going through Congress. The Trump administration used that authority to erase debt for disabled military veterans in 2019, and Biden used it to overhaul a debt forgiveness program for public servants.

Borrower advocates assail the GOP bill, saying it would worsen the student debt crisis.

Blocking the new repayment plan would make permanent the debt trap for any borrower who does not earn enough money to afford their monthly loan bills, said Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center.

The impact of the bill could go far beyond student debt. The Education Department estimates it would require a 22% budget cut across some of its biggest programs.

The department estimates it would need to cut federal Pell Grants  grants to students with significant financial need  for 80,000 college students, and the maximum grant amount would be reduced by $1,000 for all other borrowers. It would also bring a $4 billion reduction in federal money for the nation's poorest schools, and cut other money for student mental health.

The Pell reduction annihilates the educational dreams of millions of Americans, said Justin Draeger, president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

Foxx disputed the department's accounting of reductions, however, saying the bill doesn't mention a single word about Pell Grants.

If Democrats spent half the amount of time working with Republicans as they do fearmongering, we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place, Foxx said in a statement.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona slammed Republicans for staggering recklessness, saying the bill would be taking us backward and undercut efforts to help students recover from the pandemic.

Rep. Bobby Scott, the top Democrat on the House education panel, rejected the bill as a terrible deal for the American people.

I get tired of being lectured by the Republicans when it comes to fiscal responsibility, because we know that every Republican presidential administration since Nixon has left office with a worse deficit situation than they inherited, Scott said on the House floor Wednesday.

___

The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Florida officials are threatening to revoke the teaching license of a school superintendent who criticized Gov. Ron DeSantis, accusing the educator of violating several statutes and DeSantis directives and allowing his personal political views to guide his leadership.

Such a revocation by the state Department of Education could allow DeSantis to remove Leon County Superintendent Rocky Hanna from his elected office. The Republican governor did that last year to an elected Democratic prosecutor in the Tampa Bay area who disagreed with his positions limiting abortion and medical care for transgender teens and indicated he might not enforce new laws in those areas.

Disney also sued DeSantis this week, saying he targeted its Orlando theme parks for retribution after it criticized the governor's so-called Don't Say Gay law that then banned the discussion of sexuality and gender in early grades, but has since been expanded.

Hanna has publicly opposed that law, once defied the governor's order that barred any mandate that students wear masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, and criticized a DeSantis-backed bill that recently passed that will pay for students to attend private school. The Leon County district, with about 30,000 students, covers Tallahassee, the state capital, and its suburbs.

Its a sad day for democracy in Florida, and the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, when a state agency with unlimited power and resources, can target a local elected official in such a biased fashion, Hanna said in a statement sent to The Associated Press and other media Thursday. A Democrat then running as an independent, Hanna was elected to a second four-year term in 2020 with 60% of the vote. He plans to run for reelection next year and does not need a teacher's license to hold the job.

This investigation has nothing to do with these spurious allegations, but rather everything to do with attempting to silence myself and anyone else who speaks up for teachers and our public schools in a way that does not fit the political narrative of those in power," Hanna said.

He said the investigation was spurred by a single complaint from a leader of the local chapter of Moms for Liberty, a conservative education group, requesting his removal.

We are fighting tirelessly with our local school board to no avail, Brandi Andrews wrote DeSantis, citing Hanna's mask mandate, his opposition to the state's new education laws and directives and his public criticism of the governor. She noted that she had appeared in a DeSantis reelection TV commercial.

Her letter was stamped Let's Go Brandon, a code used by some conservatives to replace a vulgar chant made against President Joe Biden. DeSantis is expected to soon announce that he will seek the Republican nomination to challenge Biden in next year's election. Andrews issued a statement saying her complaint against Hanna was one of many.

Education department spokesman Alex Lanfranconi said in a statement that while officials would not discuss the Hanna investigation in detail, nothing about this case is special.

Any teacher with an extensive history of repeated violations of Florida law would be subject to consequences up to and including losing their educator certificate, he said. The threatened revocation was first reported by the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper.

Before any punishment is meted out, Hanna can have a hearing before an administrative judge, attempt to negotiate a settlement or surrender his license. He said in his statement he has not decided what he will do.

Hanna received a letter from Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. earlier this month saying an investigation found probable cause that he violated a 2021 DeSantis directive barring districts from mandating that students wear COVID-19 masks. Hanna required students to wear masks after a Leon third grader died of the disease early that school year. The fight went on for several months until Leon and several other districts had their legal challenge rejected by the courts.

Diaz also cited a memo Hanna issued before this school year telling teachers, You do You! and to teach the way they always had, allegedly giving instructors approval to ignore new laws enacted by DeSantis and the Legislature. That includes the so-called Don't say Gay law, which supporters call the Parental Rights in Education Act.

His letter also cites the district's failure for one month in 2020 to have an armed guard or police officer at every school as required after the 2018 Parkland high school massacre. Hanna said then that there weren't enough available officers to meet that requirement and the education department cleared him of wrongdoing.

Diaz also complains that parents were told that their children could get an excused absence if they chose to attend a February student protest at the state capitol opposing DeSantis' education policies.

Offering students a free day off of school to attend the rally is another example of (Hanna) failing to distinguish his political views from the standards taught in Florida schools, Diaz wrote.
This writers intention is to underscore Washingtons double standards  well reflected by its ambassador recently when in conversation with Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe  to bring some sense to authorities in Colombo.

GUEST POST

by Daya Gamage

Six weeks after the September 11 attacks on American soil, the U.S. Congress passed the USA/Patriot Act, nations hurried surveillance laws that expanded the governments authority to check on its own citizens, while simultaneously reducing checks and balances on those powers like judicial oversight, public accountability, and the ability to challenge government searches in court.

The Senate version of the Patriot Act was sent to the floor with no discussion, debate, or hearings. In the House, hearings were held, and a carefully constructed compromise bill emerged with no debate or consultation with rank-and-file members, the House leadership threw out the compromise bill and replaced it with legislation that mirrored the Senate version. Neither discussion nor amendments were permitted, and once again members barely had time to read the bill before they were forced to cast a vote on it.

Ambassador Julie Chung [ Photo Credit: US Embassy in Colombo]

It should be mentioned that all the obnoxious provisions of the USA PATRIOT ACT were in operation until the promulgation of the Freedom Act of 2015: long fifteen years. In fact, some provisions were preserved in the Freedom Act.

Before I present the draconian provisions of the USA/Patriot Act, it should be noted here how the U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung  when having a discourse with Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe  had expressed her strong desire, of course on behalf of Washington policymakers, to see extensive discussions, both public and parliamentary on Sri Lankas proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill which is envisaged to replace the current Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

In a Twitter feed, Ms. Chung referring to what was discussed during that meeting with Minister Rajapakshe on 20 April, noted her concerns with regard to certain aspects of the proposed Bill which fall outside of international standards.

She further highlighted that it is important that all voices  including civil society, academia, and lawmakers  are considered to ensure the legislation serves as an effective tool for combating terrorism without restricting freedom of expression or assembly.

These disgraceful double-standards of Washington policymakers and lawmakers  and of course their overseas diplomats  in dealing with Sri Lankas national issues since the advent of the separatist war in the north and the insurrection in the south in the 1980s are now very broadly dealt with by two personnel who worked within the U.S. Department of State for thirty years in the area of foreign affairs: One is this writer who is a retired Foreign Service National Political Specialist once accredited to the Political Section of the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, and the other, Dr. Robert K. Boggs, a retired Senior Foreign Service (FS) and Intelligence Officer who served as Political Counselor at the Colombo Mission with a very broad knowledge of Indias role in Sri Lanka. Their manuscript Defending Democracy: Lessons in Strategic Diplomacy from U.S.-Sri Lankan Relations is nearing completion with alarming disclosures, provocative analyses and interpretations based on their up-close and personal knowledge and understanding how Washington used double standards in handling its foreign relations reducing Sri Lanka to some level of a client state. Sri Lankas own infantile behaviour dealing with her foreign relations since the 1980s contributed too to become a client state allowing national issues to become global ones.

When Ambassador Chung advice the Sri Lanka government  through its Justice Minister  to undertake a wider and broad scrutiny of the proposed anti-terrorism legislation, Washingtons double-standards are well exposed when our memory goes back to the manner in which it steamrolled the USA PATRIOT ACT in September 2001 documented above.

This writer doesnt see any Sri Lankan lawmaker questioning Ambassador Julie Chung, purposely ignoring the manner in which the USA/Patriot Act came into Americas statute books with draconian features, enforced for fifteen years until the Freedom Act was brought in.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had expressed that the Congress and the Administration acted without any careful or systematic effort to determine whether weaknesses in our surveillance laws had contributed to the attacks, or whether the changes they were making would help prevent further attacks. Indeed, many of the acts provisions have nothing at all to do with terrorism.

The USA PATRIOT ACT increased the governments surveillance powers in four areas:

Records searches. It expands the governments ability to look at records on an individuals activity being held by third parties. (Section 215)

Secret searches. It expands the governments ability to search private property without notice to the owner. (Section 213)

Intelligence searches. It expands a narrow exception to the Fourth Amendment that had been created for the collection of foreign intelligence information (Section 218).

Trap and trace searches. It expands another Fourth Amendment exception for spying that collects addressing information about the origin and destination of communications, as opposed to the content (Section 214).

It is frustrating to remind Ambassador Julie Chung, and Washington policymakers who guide her, the undemocratic features in the US anti-terrorism act when she uses double standards  as Washington always engage dealing with international affairs of which very broadly analysed in Robert Boggs-Daya Gamages forthcoming book  to advocate that there exist certain provisions in the Sri Lanka-proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill outside of international standards.

When the Bush administration brought the Patriot Act, it had scant regard for international standards.

There are three overlying undemocratic aspects of the Patriot Act: torturing suspects, indefinite holding of suspects, and spying on citizens.

How did Washington round-up Sri Lanka government during Ranil Wickremasinghes premiership at the turn of this century to engage in torture in third-party countries that were not part of the Geneva Convention? Do we have to remind Ambassador Julie Chung of this?

During the 2002-2004 peace negotiations, (between the Sri Lanka government and LTTE mediated by Norway and the U.S. directly involving in it) Washington did not scruple to use its influence to persuade the Wickremasinghes Government, which had foreign and defence portfolios under it, to help the U.S. avoid accountability before the International Criminal Court (ICC). In the fall of 2002 various State Department officials pressed Prime Minister Wickremesinghe repeatedly to sign a bilateral agreement under Article 98 of the Rome Statute, the treaty that in 1998 established the ICC. Under the treaty, such a bilateral agreement would immunise the citizens of each signatory state from being surrendered by the other to the jurisdiction of the (ICC) Court. The Wickremasinghe government did sign such an agreement in November 2002.

It was not coincidental that in October 2002 the U.S. and coalition partners launched a shock and awe bombing campaign and invasion of Iraq as part of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). At the same time, more than 9000 U.S. troops were battling Taliban militants in Afghanistan. The Bush administration clearly wanted to shield U.S. soldiers from ICC prosecution for inevitable charges of war crimes. In a report in 2016 the ICCs Office of the Prosecutor found a reasonable basis to believe that since May 2003 at least 54 detained persons in Afghanistan were subjected to grave crimes by U.S. armed forces, including the war crimes of torture and cruel treatment. The same report further alleged that from 2003 to 2004 members of the CIA committed grave crimes, including rape and/or sexual violence against at least 24 detained persons in Afghanistan and other states. Measures taken by Washington to protect its combatants abroad from criminal accountability are particularly questionable in light of subsequent USG pressure on Sri Lankaa signatory of an Article 98 agreementto submit to international investigations for war crimes. U.S. hypocrisy and double-standards well displayed.

In August 2003 Prime Minister Wickremasinghe covertly authorized the USGs use of Sri Lankan airspace and Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) for Washingtons so-called extraordinary rendition and detention programme. This meant that the CIA could use the airport for the transfer of prisoners to the custody of other foreign governments or to secret CIA prisons outside the U.S. known as black sites. Washington engaged in this practice when in fact, extraordinary rendition and detention is clearly prohibited by the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment.

There were at least two flights during June and August 2003 that used BIA to transport terrorist suspects. One flight operated by Richmor Aviation (a company that operated flights for the CIA for extraordinary rendition) is known to have landed in Sri Lanka during June 19-20, 2003 shortly after the apprehension in central Thailand of Mohammed Farik Bin Amin, alias Zubair Zaid, a Malaysian who is alleged to have been a senior member of Jemaah Islamiyah and al Qaeda. Documents inspected by this writer and his co-author Robert Boggs for their manuscript show that another Richmor aircraft flew from Washington, DC to Bangkok, and then transited BIA on August 13-14 before flying on to Afghanistan, Dubai and Europe. That flight coincided with the capture in Thailand of alleged Indonesian terrorist leader Riduan Isamuddin (a.k.a. Hambali) and Malaysian Mohammed Nazir Bin Lep, (a.k.a. Lillie). All three of these men reportedly were later detained and interrogated at CIA black sites and were later transferred to U.S. custody at Guantanamo Bay. Also in August 2002, the Sri Lanka government arrested a person wanted by the U.S. who was hiding in Sri Lanka and handed him over to the CIA.

The above is to remind Ambassador Chung of the manner in which Washington executed the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) when she and her Washington-guided policymakers engage in double-standards in advising Sri Lanka how to draft terrorism legislation to keep with international standards.

Section 802 of the USA PATRIOT ACT made domestic terrorists subject to the same punishments (torture) as international terrorists and defined domestic terrorism as: An act dangerous to human life that is a violation of the criminal laws of a state or the United States, if the act appears to be intended to: (i) intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping.

The Patriot Act allowed for spying by the United States government on everyday people without warrant, by means of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Courts and direct legislation.

The American Civil Liberties Union points out how judicial review or oversight lacked under the Patriot Act: Judicial oversight of these new powers is essentially non-existent. The government must only certify to a judge  with no need for evidence or proof  that such a search meets the statutes broad criteria.

Both domestically and internationally, the Patriot Act set a precedent of undemocratic legislation to prevent terrorism through violations of civil liberties. Through direct amendments and in conjunction with brother bills, the Patriot Act allowed for, pushed, and resulted in more undemocratic legislation, ultimately resulting in the US Congress-ratified Freedom Act of 2015.

The first major direct modification was the USA PATRIOT Act Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005, which made 14 provisions permanent and extended several controversial sections until 2009, such sections as: 206, which allowed the National Security Agency (NSA) to access FISA Courts and to wiretap any communication of a suspect; the other is Section 215, which allowed the NSA to collect every phone call made to and from the United States; and provisions from the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, which permitted the FISA Court to authorize surveillance and physical searches aimed at foreign nationals who are engaged in international terrorism or activities in preparation for international terrorism.

The biggest specific precedent created by the Patriot Act was the direct transition to the USA Freedom Act of 2015, which corrected some of the abuses allowed by the Patriot Act, but left others unchecked. Many of the major provisions of the Patriot Act were set to expire that year and instead of renewing them, the government introduced a new bill with less controversy. Drafters of the bill claimed that the government could only access certain data after submitting public requests to the FISA Court, marking a big difference from the Patriot Act. In 2015, a few major sections of the Patriot Act were set to expire, including Sections 206 and 215 mentioned above. Even without the Freedom Act, the legality of Section 215 was headed to the Courts regardless, as the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that the Patriot Act was not enough justification to allow bulk metadata collection (Patriot Act 2017). Luckily, it never had to go farther because Congress scrapped the Patriot Act and got partially rid of that section, but the Freedom Act is by no means innocent of civil liberties violations.

Does Ambassador Julie Chung get it? And does Justice Minister Rajapaksha comprehend?

This clearly shows how the USA PATRIOT ACT of 2001 was in operation for a full fifteen years until certain changes were made in the Freedom Act of 2015.

As described recently by CNN International socio-political news presenter Fareed Zakaria:

Americas unipolar status has corrupted the countrys foreign policy elite. Our foreign policy is all too often an exercise in making demands and issuing threats and condemnations. There is very little effort made to understand the other sides views or actually negotiate. . . . All this evokes the inertia of an aging empire. Today, our foreign policy is run by insular elite that operates by mouthing rhetoric to please domestic constituenciesand seems unable to sense that the world out there is changing, and fast. (xA)

The study undertaken by this writer and his co-author Dr. Robert Boggs should help readers to decide to what extent Zakarias troubling diagnosis is accurate and, if so, whether the U.S.-Sri Lanka experience offers relevant lessons for remedial action.

This writers intention is to underscore Washingtons double standards  well reflected by its ambassador recently when in conversation with Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe  to bring some sense to authorities in Colombo.

At the time that the United States was pressuring Colombo to accept national, international, and hybrid mechanisms to clarify the fate and whereabouts of the disappeared, the USG had not itself ratified the UN convention of 2006 requiring state party to criminalize enforced disappearances and take steps to hold those responsible to account. Despite a resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on November 19, 2020 calling on the USG to ratify the international convention, this still has not happened. The U.S. long history of rejecting accountability is strongly rooted in legislation.

The American Service-Members Protection Act (ASPA) was an amendment to the 2002 Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 4775) passed in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the launch of the so-called Global War on Terror. The ASPA aims to protect U.S. military personnel and other elected and appointed officials of the Government against prosecution by an international criminal court to which the U.S. is not a party. Among other defensive provisions the Act prohibits federal, state and local governments and agencies (including courts and law enforcement agencies) from assisting the International Criminal Court in The Hague. It even prohibits U.S. military aid to countries that are parties to the Court. As mentioned above, In 2002, during the administration of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, the GSL signed with the U.S. an Article 98 Agreement, agreeing not to hand over U.S. nationals to the Court.

Washington and its ambassador in Colombo continue to engage in hypocrisy and double-standards when all this evidence is available in the public domain.

(The writer is a retired Foreign Service National Political Specialist of the U.S. Department of State once accredited to the Political Section of the U.S. Embassy, Sri Lanka)
Washington fears that Chinas technological development will lead, through trade and investment, to the dispersal of advanced technologies more broadly throughout the world, namely, to states in the Global South that the US sees as a threat.

by Vijay Prashad

On 7 October 2022, the United States government implemented export controls in an effort to hinder the development of Chinas semiconductor industry. An expert on the subject told the Financial Times, The whole point of the policy is to kneecap Chinas AI [Artificial Intelligence] and HPC [High Performance Computing] efforts. The next day, Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said:

In order to maintain its sci-tech hegemony, the US has been abusing export control measures to wantonly block and hobble Chinese enterprises. Such practice runs counter to the principle of fair competition and international trade rules. It will not only harm Chinese companies legitimate rights and interests but also hurt the interests of US companies. It will hinder international sci-tech exchange and trade cooperation and deal a blow to global industrial and supply chains and world economic recovery. By politicising tech and trade issues and using them as a tool and weapon, the US cannot hold back Chinas development but will only hurt and isolate itself when its action backfires.

Koga Harue (Japan), Umi (The Sea), 1929.

As part of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Researchs collaboration with No Cold War, we studied the implications of these export controls with a focus on semiconductors. Briefing no. 7 teaches us about the vitality of semiconductors and why their use in the New Cold War will not bear the fruits anticipated by Washington.

On 8 April, Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul was asked to explain why Americans should be willing to spill American blood and treasure to defend Taiwan. His answer was telling: TSMC [Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company] manufactures 90% of the global supply of advanced semiconductor chips. The interviewer noted that McCauls reasoning sounds like the case that [was] made in the 60s, 70s, and 80s of why America was spending so much money and military resources in the Middle East [when] oil was so important for the economy and then asked whether semiconductor chips are the 21st century version of oil  that is, a key driver of US foreign policy towards China.

Semiconductor chips are the building blocks of the worlds most advanced technologies (such as artificial intelligence, 5G telecommunications, and supercomputing) as well as all modern electronics. Without them, the computers, phones, cars, and devices that are essential to our everyday lives would cease to function. They are typically produced by using ultraviolet light to etch microscopic circuit patterns onto thin layers of silicon, packing billions of electrical switches called transistors onto a single fingernail-sized wafer. This technology advances through a relentless process of miniaturisation: the smaller the distance between transistors, the greater the density of transistors that can be packed onto a chip and the more computing power that can be embedded in each chip and in each facet of modern life. Today, the most advanced chips are produced with a three-nanometre (nm) process (for reference, a sheet of paper is roughly 100,000-nm thick).

The Semiconductor Supply Chain

The commercial semiconductor industry was developed in Silicon Valley, California in the late 1950s, dominated by the United States in all aspects, from research and design to manufacture and sales. From the outset, this industry held geopolitical significance, with early manufacturers selling upwards of 95% of their chips to the Pentagon or the aerospace sector. Over the subsequent decades, the US selectively offshored most of its chip manufacturing to its East Asian allies, first to Japan, then to South Korea and Taiwan. This allowed the US to reduce its capital and labour costs and stimulate the industrial development of its allies while continuing to dominate the supply chain.

Today, US firms maintain a commanding presence in chip design (e.g., Intel, AMD, Broadcom, Qualcomm, and NVIDIA) and fabrication equipment (e.g., Applied Materials, Lam Research, and KLA). Taiwans TSMC is the worlds largest semiconductor manufacturer or foundry, accounting for an overwhelming 56% share of the global market and over 90% of advanced chip manufacturing in 2022, followed by South Koreas Samsung, which holds a 15% share of the global market. In addition, the Dutch firm ASML is a critical player, holding a monopoly on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines needed to produce the most advanced chips below 7-nm.

The largest part of the semiconductor supply chain that lies outside of the control of the US and its allies is in China, which has developed into the worlds electronics manufacturing hub and a major technological power over the past four decades. Chinas share of global chip manufacturing capacity has risen from zero in 1990 to roughly 15% in 2020. Yet, despite its sizeable developmental advances, Chinas chip production capabilities still lag behind, relying on imports for the most advanced chips (in 2020, China imported $378 billion worth of semiconductors, 18% of its total imports). Meanwhile, Chinas largest semiconductor manufacturer, SMIC, only has a 5% share of the global market, paling in comparison to TSMC.

The US Campaign against China

In recent years, the US has been waging an aggressive campaign to arrest Chinas technological development, which it views as a serious threat to its dominance. In the words of US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Washingtons goal is to maintain as large of a lead as possible. To this end, the US has identified Chinas semiconductor production capabilities as an important weakness and is trying to block the countrys access to advanced chips and chip-making technology. Under the Trump and Biden administrations, the US has placed hundreds of Chinese companies on trade and investment blacklists, including the countrys leading semiconductor manufacturer SMIC and tech giant Huawei. These restrictions have banned any company in the world that uses US products  effectively every chip designer and manufacturer  from doing business with Chinese tech firms.

The US has also pressured governments and firms around the world to impose similar restrictions. Since 2018, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom have joined the US in banning Huawei from their 5G telecommunications networks while a number of European countries have implemented partial bans or restrictions. Importantly, in 2019, after more than a year of intense US lobbying, the Dutch government blocked the key firm ASML, which builds and supplies the most advanced chip-making machinery to the semiconductor industry, from exporting its equipment to China.

These policies do not only target firms; they also have a direct impact on an individual level. In October 2022, the Biden administration restricted US persons  including citizens, residents, and green-card holders  from working for Chinese chip firms, forcing many to choose between their immigration status and their jobs. The Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a leading Washington, DC think tank, characterised US policy as actively strangling large segments of the Chinese technology industry  strangling with an intent to kill (our emphasis).

Alongside its containment measures against China, the US has ramped up efforts to boost its domestic chip-making capacity. The CHIPS and Science Act, signed into law in August 2022, provides $280 billion in funding to boost the domestic US semiconductor industry and reshore production from East Asia. Washington views Taiwans role as the manufacturing hub of the semiconductor industry as a strategic vulnerability given its proximity to mainland China and is inducing TSMC to relocate production to Phoenix, Arizona. This pressure, in turn, is generating its own frictions in the US-Taiwan relationship.

However, US efforts are not infallible. Although China has suffered serious setbacks, it has intensified efforts to promote its domestic capacity, and there are signs of progress despite the obstacles imposed by the US. For example, in 2022, Chinas SMIC reportedly achieved a significant technological breakthrough, making the leap from 14-nm to 7-nm semiconductor chips, which is on par with the global leaders Intel, TSMC, and Samsung.

A Matter of Global Importance

It is important to note that the US is not only targeting China in this conflict: Washington fears that Chinas technological development will lead, through trade and investment, to the dispersal of advanced technologies more broadly throughout the world, namely, to states in the Global South that the US sees as a threat. This would be a significant blow to the USs power over these countries. In 2020, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee decried that China was facilitating digital authoritarianism because it has been willing to go into smaller, under-served markets and offer more cost-effective equipment than Western companies, pointing to countries under US sanctions such as Venezuela and Zimbabwe as examples. To combat ties between Chinese tech firms and sanctioned countries, the US has taken severe legal action, fining the Chinese corporation ZTE $1.2 billion in 2017 for violating US sanctions against Iran and North Korea. The US also collaborated with Canada to arrest Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in 2018 on charges of circumventing US sanctions against Iran.

Unsurprisingly, while the US has been able to consolidate support for its agenda amongst a number of its Western allies, its efforts have failed across the Global South. It is in the interest of developing countries for such advanced technologies to be dispersed as widely as possible  not to be controlled by a select few states.

If you are reading this newsletter on your smartphone, then you should know that this tiny instrument has billions of miniscule transistors that are invisible to the human eye. The scale of the developments in digital technology is staggering. Earlier conflicts took place over energy and food, but now this conflict has heated up over  amongst other matters  the resources of our digital world. This technology can be used to solve so many of our dilemmas, and yet, here we are, at the precipice of greater conflict to benefit the few over the needs of the many.
Sometimes if you don't have anything useful to say, it's best to say nothing  advice Foreign Secretary James Cleverly chose to ignore this week when he gave a supposedly keynote speech at the Mansion House, the Lord Mayor of London's grand residence in the City.

Politicians, I guess, can never turn down a bully pulpit. His subject was China, his theme to extol the virtues of continuing to engage with the world's second biggest economy. Things went downhill from there.

No serious person thinks China can just be wished away. It is too big, too populous, too powerful, too important for that to be an option. The rise of China is the seminal geopolitical event of the 21st century and it is far from over yet. But what Britain means by engagement remains a mystery, even after our Foreign Secretary's vacuous musings.

For a start, it was never explained what engagement had got us so far. There was a claim that five years ago we had managed to convince the Chinese to stop so many antibiotics being pumped into livestock. But that was pretty much it.

The good people of Hong Kong have certainly not benefited from our engagement with Beijing. The freedoms skilfully negotiated for them by Britain prior to the peaceful handover of our colony to the Chinese mainland in 1997 have recently been swept away with the imposition of many of the totalitarian methods long present in the mainland.

Sometimes if you don't have anything useful to say, it's best to say nothing  advice Foreign Secretary James Cleverly (pictured) chose to ignore this week when he gave a supposedly keynote speech at the Mansion House

Mr Cleverly's subject was China, his theme to extol the virtues of continuing to engage with the world's second biggest economy. Things went downhill from there

The architect of Hong Kong's repression is Han Zheng, promoted to vice-president of China by a grateful President Xi. Before it was placed under his tender mercies there were no political prisoners in Hong Kong.

There are now 1,400 and rising. His reward is to represent China at next weekend's Coronation. A despot at the crowning of the King. It's a novel form of engagement, not one Cleverly spelled out in his speech.

He did claim, however, that climate change could not be tackled without Chinese engagement. Perhaps. But so far all we have to show for that is the massive expansion of China's coal-fired electricity capacity, whose CO2 emissions will dwarf any further cuts in CO2 we will expensively make.

He made the same claim for future pandemic prevention. Again, perhaps. But alert readers will not have forgotten that China turned viciously on any person or country that dared to suggest Covid-19 might have escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan.

It also deliberately ignored its international obligations to alert the world to the fact of human-to-human transmission, until the virus had spread across the globe. China still refuses to share vital Covid data and, if the next pandemic originates in China, another cover-up is a near certainty.

But perhaps the most egregious part of our Foreign Secretary's speech was his call for China to be open and transparent about its massive military build-up in the eastern rim of the Pacific. Secrecy, he opined gravely, could lead to miscalculation. It was hard to know whether to laugh or cry at the naivety of it all.

To expect the most secretive major nation on the planet to be transparent about its military expansion is on a par with expecting Satan to give up on sin.

This is a country which, despite spending tens of billions on the biggest peacetime military build-up in history, spends many tens of billions more on its secret police and the latest surveillance technology to keep an eye on its own people, so it can crack down at the first sign of dissidence.

Vice-president Han Zheng (pictured) will represent China at King Charles's Coronation next week

That's right. The Chinese Communist Party spends more on the internal repression of its own people than it does on the defence of the nation. The idea it's going to come clean on the purpose of its military spending is for the birds (or the Foreign Office). In any case, there's no mystery.

China aims to replace America as the dominant power in huge chunks of the Pacific and to use its growing military and economic clout to replace the rules-based global system devised by America and its allies after World War II with a system more friendly to the world's autocracies, of which China is the leading member.

You can see this global ambition in President Xi's new self-appointed role as peacemaker in Ukraine. With one hand he indicates China could start supplying Russia with lethal weaponry, with the other he proffers the prospect of peace.

His efforts, of course, will come to naught. The Ukrainians will never accept a man who pledged 'limitless friendship' to President Putin on the eve of his invasion as an honest broker. But it does show that Beijing has ambitions to be at the table whenever there are global problems to be resolved.

China aims to replace America as the dominant power in huge chunks of the Pacific. Pictured: China's President Xi Jinping

Cleverly's speech would have been carefully vetted and approved by the Prime Minister and the Chancellor. Together they form a dovish triumvirate at the very top of British government which thinks more engagement will deliver more Chinese investment in Britain and more opportunities for British exporters.

In reality, as a result of their desire to be seen to be both tough and friendly towards China, they end up all over the place, an embarrassment to our friends and a source of derision in Beijing. They need to get with the proper programme.

As they witter on about engagement, America and its allies increasingly talk about estrangement. It's not that they want to isolate China, an Aunt Sally Cleverly raised only to dismiss (rightly) in his speech. Unlike the old Soviet Union, from which the West bought next to nothing and which remained hermetically sealed from the main international economic institutions, China is well-integrated into the global economy. America could not isolate it even if it wanted to.

But in Washington DC, that most politically polarised of capitals, the one policy which unites Left, Right and Centre is to be hawkish about China and to decouple the two economies. Ironically, Beijing wants to decouple as well. So it is happening.

American investment is no longer pouring into China. The Biden administration, like Trump's before it, is encouraging U.S. companies to onshore their supply lines to America or, at the very least, to move them to other  friendlier  Pacific nations, such as Vietnam or Thailand. Meanwhile, Beijing is pushing Chinese companies to delist from the New York stock exchanges.

Cleverly's speech would have been carefully vetted and approved by the Prime Minister and the Chancellor

The idea Britain can thwart these trends, all now seriously under way, is absurd. We need a China policy which aligns with America and its allies but with its own distinctive characteristics to serve our particular interests. We also need a policy for the long-term, not one that merely gets you through a Mansion House dinner.

It would help if we stopped treating China as if it was 10ft tall, its promotion to the apex of world supremacy only a matter of time. Despite its impressive rise in this century, there is nothing inevitable about China's continued advance. Though we hear little about them, President Xi is assailed by problems on all sides.

He faces massive spending commitments: the military build-up; the internal surveillance and repression; the cost of an increasingly failed Silk Road policy of investing strategically abroad (which is saddling its recipients with massive debts they can't pay back); and the extra burden of a rapidly ageing population. China can't afford the demands all this is placing on the public purse.

Take its acute demographic problem. The country is ageing fast. In the last decade it added over 80 million to its over-65 age group. That's a Germany of additional pensioners. At the same time its labour force is shrinking by three million a year because, even though the one-child policy has been scrapped, Chinese couples are still not having children. And as workers become scarcer, so labour costs soar.

It's hard to imagine labour shortages in the world's most populous nation. But then China no longer merits that accolade: this month it was overtaken by India, whose young population is set to grow for the foreseeable future while China's further declines. It's why manufacturing, from cell phones to semiconductors, is now flooding into India, which could well be the world's third largest economy before the decade is out.

Most significant of all, there is almost no welfare safety net for China's pensioners. Unless Xi coughs up the cash to create one the Faustian pact between the CCP and the Chinese people  you will have no democratic freedoms, or human rights, but we will ensure you a decent level of prosperity  will be at risk.

A reckless invasion of Taiwan would also put it in jeopardy. Even if successful, China would face massive economic sanctions and disruption to its global trade. It imports over $300 billion worth of microchips every year, the most advanced from Taiwan. They are as essential to the Chinese economy as coal was to the steam age.

The flow of chips would fall to a trickle. The Chinese economy would nosedive.

A country in which, for all its great gains in recent decades, has a GDP per capita over 80 per cent lower than America's, would face widespread poverty.

President Xi's position would become tenuous. It's already less secure than it seems. Many leading CCP figures think he made a major error aligning China so closely with Putin. Hence his reincarnation as the peacemaker.

China faces a much rockier road than you'd think from most Western commentary. We will see if it rises to its myriad challenges. Meanwhile let's stop regarding its rise as relentless and inevitable.

The Red Dragon does not always breathe fire. Sometimes it's just hot air. A bit like Britain's current China policy.
Can it be a coincidence that the ministers being targeted by their officials all voted Leave? Are we supposed to believe that Eurosceptics are unusually given to bullying? Or might it be that civil servants dont like being told what to do by people whose opinions they resent?

First it was Priti Patel, then Dominic Raab. Now, according to a report in The Guardian (where else?) officials are starting to mutter against Steve Barclay, the Health Secretary, who is said to have been too macho in trying to get his staff to do their jobs.

Civil servants are supposed to work for their ministers. As the 1985 Armstrong Memorandum on the duties of civil servants puts it: Civil servants are servants of the Crown. For all practical purposes the Crown in this context means and is represented by the Government of the day.

Officials are meant to be discreet almost to the point of anonymity. Their views should be subordinated to those of their minister, who represents the electorate. In practice, of course, all human beings have opinions and the unavoidable tension between ministers and bureaucrats gave us one of the greatest comedies of all time  Yes, Minister.

According to a report in The Guardian officials are starting to mutter against Steve Barclay, the Health Secretary, who is said to have been too macho in trying to get his staff to do their jobs

First it was Priti Patel (pictured) who was accused of bullying behaviour in office

In the four decades since those episodes were aired, however, power has shifted decisively from the vote-grabbing minister Jim Hacker to the scheming mandarin Sir Humphrey Appleby. Ministers cannot promote, demote or remove their officials. But officials are increasingly able to remove their ministers by the simple expedient of accusing them of bullying.

Bullying, to most of us, means deliberately picking on, intimidating or humiliating someone. This is indeed reprehensible behaviour and no boss should do it, least of all a minister.

But, reading the accusations made against Raab, there was no evidence that he had done any of these things. The report confirmed that he had never sworn or shouted at his staff and that he had never intended to cause anyone offence.

Reading through the list of complaints, some of which came from officials who admitted they had never met the minister, it was impossible not to wonder how any of them would survive in the private sector.

Raab was accused of holding up his hand for silence when an official kept repeating himself; of staring at someone for too long; of throwing the tomatoes from his salad into a bin too forcefully; and of reminding a civil servant what his job entailed. In much the same way, Barclay is accused by anonymous officials of what most of us regard as normal office behaviour: Hes a micro-manager. He hauls people over the coals.

Raab was accused of holding up his hand for silence when an official kept repeating himself; of staring at someone for too long; of throwing the tomatoes from his salad into a bin too forcefully; and of reminding a civil servant what his job entailed

Some people need to hauled over the coals. Some behaviour needs to be corrected. By the law of averages, there must be officials who are incompetent, workshy or confrontational. Part of a bosss role is to challenge shoddy work. These days, being a boss is harder and harder. Workplaces are increasingly run by HR departments more interested in diversity targets than output.

Employees are encouraged to define bullying in subjective terms  that is, any behaviour that makes them uncomfortable, even if there is no malicious intent. This is happening in schools and offices all over the country. But it has gone furthest in the public sector, where telling people to turn up to the office, or calling them while they are working from home, can now be seen as harassment.

In the real world, we know that intent matters. There is a huge difference between my stumbling into you and causing you to fall, and my deliberately pushing you over. But that distinction is deliberately blurred when it comes to workplace bullying.

How, one wonders, would todays snivel servants have coped with the ministers of yesteryear. When Labours Richard Crossman left office in 1966, he recorded that there was great relief among his officials. The main reason was perhaps because I bullied them and made a fool of them in front of others, quite often their subordinates. I was unpleasant and difficult and brutal in meetings and that didnt sweeten relations.

Think back to Gordon Browns tempestuous time in Downing Street, when officials had to duck as he hurled mobile phones

Never mind Crossman. Think back to Gordon Browns tempestuous time in Downing Street, when officials had to duck as he hurled mobile phones.

Indeed, as recently as 2018, the Labour MPs and Left-wing columnists who now affect to be so outraged by Raab were quite relaxed about what were, by any measure, far more serious bullying allegations against the then Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, who ended up being banned from Parliament for life in consequence.

Why? Because Bercow was abusing his office in an attempt to thwart Brexit. Indeed, Labours former deputy leader, Margaret Beckett, admitted that the campaign to overturn the referendum trumps bad behaviour.

Which brings us back to politics. The civil service, for all its theoretical neutrality, has biases that run across every department. For example, at some point during the lockdown, almost all civil servants began to list their pronouns in their email signatures  not something, we may reasonably surmise, their ministers told them to do. Every department is obsessed with identity politics and with promoting people with protected characteristics. Every department wants to remain aligned with the EU. Every department sees net zero as a bigger priority than whatever its notional function is.

Indeed, as recently as 2018, the Labour MPs and Left-wing columnists who now affect to be so outraged by Raab were quite relaxed about what were, by any measure, far more serious bullying allegations against the then Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, who ended up being banned from Parliament for life in consequence

READ MORE: Dominic Raab's camp condemns report that ruled he had bullied and 'intimidated' civil servants who complained he interrupted them in meetings - as he is forced to quit government with blast at bureaucrats who 'can't hack it' Dominic Raab, seen leaving his home in Esher, Surrey, today, resigned as justice secretary and deputy prime minister with a furious public broadside at mandarins who could not handle 'the pace, standards and challenge that I brought' Advertisement

Then there are the department-specific biases. The Treasury refuses to consider the dynamic effects of tax cuts  that is, the way in which lowering tax rates can stimulate economic activity and so generate more revenue.

The Business and Trade department doesnt like repealing EU regulations and resists the removal of trade barriers. The Education department is suspicious of any kind of knowledge-based curriculum.

The Home Office hates deporting illegal immigrants  so much so that its officials have gone to court, through their trade union, to challenge the Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

In his previous job at the Cabinet Office, Barclay tried to make the civil service more responsive. Perhaps that is what lies behind the campaign against him.

Or perhaps, having claimed Raabs scalp, our government machine has moved on to the next Right-leaning minister.

Or perhaps relations were weakened by the pandemic. Most functionaries spent the lockdown at home on full salaries and very few have returned to anything like a normal working week.

Ministers (and some conscientious civil servants) are trying to get staff back to the office. But to someone marinaded in the public sector culture of victimhood, being instructed to get back to work might seem like harassment.

To someone who has been repeatedly told that any behaviour that makes you feel uncomfortable is bullying, being ticked off for any reason  tardiness, slovenliness, refusal to follow instructions might seem like an assault.

And to someone with an almost religious commitment to woke values, the very fact of being told what to do by a Right-wing Tory might seem intolerable.

Civil servants have brought down a prime minister and a deputy prime minister. Boris Johnson was fatally undermined by Sue Gray, the civil servant who conducted an inquiry into Partygate and who later turned out to have been a Labour supporter all along.

Then Raab was brought down in what looks very much like a co-ordinated putsch.

Ministers must now be looking over their shoulders and wondering who will be next.
Standing up to ten feet tall and garlanded with flowers, decorative sculptures and other trimmings, a royal wedding cake can be one of the highlights of the whole occasion.

These particular cakes are made to feed not just hundreds but thousands, with slices often given out to a wide range friends, charities and other groups supported by the royal newlyweds.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had several cakes made when they married in 1840. One of these was nearly ten feet across and weighed more than 20 stones.

Ornamented with orange blossom and sprigs of myrtle in icing, the elaborate cake was topped by figurines of the bride and groom dressed in ancient Greek costume.

A century later, the cake for the 1948 marriage of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip was nine feet high and weighed a staggering 35 stones.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha - 1840

One of the cakes produced for the wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, as shown in a hand-coloured lithograph. The cake was decorated with figures of the bride and groom in ancient Greek costume and ornamented with orange blossom and sprigs of myrtle. Looking over them is the figure of Britannia

A print of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on their wedding day in 1840

King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra - 1863

King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra married at St George's Chapel, Windsor, in 1863. The cake is elaborately iced and decorated with flowers. Two cakes were prepared as the couple's guest list was so extensive they staged two wedding breakfasts

King Edward VII, Victoria eldest son and Queen Alexandra following their 1863 wedding

In keeping with tradition they kept a tier for the christening of their first child, Prince Charles, which took place one year later.

Grace Kelly's wedding cake was rather different.

Costing a reported 10,000, it contained two live turtle doves, representing fidelity, trust and enduring love. They were released after the groom, Prince Rainier, cut the cake with his sword.

William and Kate, now the Prince and Princess of Wales. had an eight-tiered traditional fruit cake at their Buckingham Palace reception in 2011.

A team of 50 chefs had spent five weeks making 900 sugar-paste flowers while a piece of lace from Kate's wedding dress was copied on to the surface of the cake in icing for a special touch.

William's brother Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, chose a spring theme with lemon and elderflower cake covered in buttercream and decorated with fresh flowers.

Meghan and Harry's cake was designed by Claire Ptak, an American pastry chef from Hackney in East London. The duchess already knew Claire and her work as she had interviewed the chef for lifestyle blog, TheTig.

Princess Beatrice and Prince Henry of Battenberg - 1885

Decorated with sculpted figurines and flowers, this architectural cake for the 1885 wedding of Princess Beatrice and Prince Henry of Battenberg stood at six feet and weighed 20 stones

Princess Beatrice Mary Victoria, the daughter of Queen Victoria, marries Prince Henry of Battenberg in 1885. Victoria only agreed to the marriage on condition that the couple remained living with her - which they did

Princess Maud and Lord Charles Carnegie - 1923

The wedding cake for Princess Maud - daughter of Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife - and Charles Carnegie featured a prominent guardsman in a bearskin and, above, cherubs signifying love. A fountain of fresh flowers appears to burst from the top

Guests at Princess Maud's 1923 wedding included her uncle King George V (centre) and his wife, Queen Mary of Teck (second from left)

King George VI and Queen Mother - 1923

A poster displaying the 10-foot high cake for the Duke of York's wedding to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later George VI and Queen Elizabeth). The cake featured depictions of Windsor Castle and St Georges Chapel on the first tier and the Queen Mother's childhood home, Glamis Castle. on the second. Strings of flowers dangled from top to bottom

A photograph taken on the wedding day of the Duke and Duchess of York, parents of Queen Elizabeth. Their intricate cake went on public on display in Reading

Prince George, Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece - 1934

The Duke of Kent had a cake similar to that of his older brother, the Duke of York, when he married Princess Marina in 1934. Standing at 9ft tall, a ladder was needed to decorate it

The fourth son of George V, Prince George of Kent married Marina of Greece. Prince George, the Queen's uncle, was killed in a military plane crash in 1942

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip - 1947

Queen Elizabeth II's four-tier cake was decorated with coats of arms belonging to both bride and groom. Cherub figurines are scattered around the cake

The nine-foot high cake for The Queen and Prince Philip was baked by the firm of McVitie and Price, now known as McVitie's. It was dubbed the '10,000 mile cake' as it used ingredients from around the world including sugar from Australia

Queen Elizabeth II with husband Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, on their 1947 wedding day

Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco

Newlyweds Princess Grace and Prince Rainier III of Monaco. The cake behind them was topped with a musical box and concealed a cage containing two turtle doves - released at the moment the groom cut through the icing

Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier wave to onlookers on their wedding day

Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones - 1960

A specialist from Lyons Bakeries prepares the three-tier cake for Princess Margaret's 1960 wedding. Decorative panels feature the English Rose and the princess's coat of arms

Princess Margaret and her husband Antony Armstrong-Jones - later Lord Snowdon - on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. It was the first royal wedding to be televised

King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark - 1964

A four-tiered cake for King Constantine II of Greece and his wedding to Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark in 1964

Princess Anne-Marie had just turned 18, Constantine was 23 when they married. He fled Greece following a military coup in 1967 and was formally deposed in 1973

Prince Harald of Norway and Sonja Haraldsen - 1968

Prince Harald of Norway had an eight-foot high cake when he married and Sonja Haraldsen in 1968. It reportedly contained a litre of cognac and 200 eggs

Crown Prince Harald and Sonja Haraldsen in Oslo's Royal Palace after the ceremony

Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips - 1973

Anne and Mark Phillips's five-tier fruit cake was soaked in brandy for four weeks and weighed ten stones. It stood at five feet, six inches and was decorated with intricately iced monograms

Princess Anne and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, laugh on the balcony after their wedding in 1973. Theirs was the first Royal wedding to be televised in colour

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer - 1981

Charles and Diana's fruitcake was made by the Royal Naval Cookery School at Chatham. It was five feet high and weighed more than 11 stones. A slice of the cake was put up for auction in 2021 and sold for 1,850

Charles and Diana had the eyes of 750 million people in 74 countries watching their big day

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson - 1986

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's cake was created by Navy chefs at Torpoint in Cornwall. Two were made in case disaster struck on the journey to Buckingham Palace

Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson married at Westminster Abbey in July 1986, just three months after their engagement had announced

Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones - 1999

Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones chose a ten-foot chocolate cake for their wedding breakfast. It is said to have taken 515 hours to make

Prince Edward, King Charles's youngest brother marries Sophie Rhys-Jones at St George's Chapel, Windsor in 1999

Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Maxima Zorreguieta - 2002

Prince Willem-Alexander, now King of the Netherlands, and bride Maxima Zorreguieta take a sword to their wedding cake, decorated with their monogram on each tier

Princess Badiya bint Hassan of Jordan and Khaled Blair - 2005

Princess Badiya bint Hassan of Jordan and British groom Khaled Blair cut their intricately iced cake at their wedding in Amman, 2005

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Daniel, Duke of Vastergotland - 2010

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden inspects the eleven tiers of her wedding case, each in the shape of a four-leaf clover for luck

Newlywed Victoria of Sweden and husband Prince Daniel, Duke of Vastergotland try the cake

Prince William and Catherine Middleton - 2011

The cake for the wedding of Catherine Middleton and Prince William comprised 17 fruit cakes, 12 of which formed the base. Decorated with 900 delicate sugar-paste flowers and an icing copy of the fabric from Kate's veil, it took 50 chefs around five weeks to make

Prince William and his new wife Catherine emerge from Westminster Abbey to cheering

Princess Charlene of Monaco and Prince Albert II of Monaco - 2011

Prince Albert II of Monaco wraps his arm around his new wife, Princess Charlene, as they cut their spectacular vanilla and redcurrant wedding cake

Princess Sofia of Sweden and Prince Carl Philip Wedding - 2011

Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip cut their unconventional cake in front of guests

Bride and groom leave their wedding ceremony at the Stockholm Royal Palace in 2015

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle - 2018

Harry and Meghan had a lemon elderflower cake covered with buttercream and decorated with fresh spring flowers. British royals have normally chosen fruitcakes

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex wave from the Landau Carriage during their carriage procession in Windsor, 2018

Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank - 2018

Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank opted for a chocolate wedding cake decorated with sugared autumn leaves and ivy - perhaps a nod to her Ivy Cottage home in Kensington Palace

Jack Brooksbank and Princess Eugenie leave St George's Chapel in October 2018

Princess Iman of Jordan and Jameel Alexander Thermiotis - 2023
The big bouncy blowout is everywhere this spring  an iconic look that Catherine, The Princess of Wales has been effortlessly pulling off for years.

Its a glamorous and sophisticated hairstyle that has always suited her, and one that other senior royals are discovering can work well for them too.

The Princess has always been a long-hair devotee. A voluminous blow dry like this provides big hair glamour at evening events where an up-do might seem the obvious choice but Her Royal Highness wants to wear her long locks down.

Soft, loose curls are also handy for outdoor engagements because they hold up well against the weather if it takes a windy turn. If youre being blown about a bit they will just look beachy and natural as they brush against your face, which can be very flattering.

Kate Middleton's hair was a more classic, off-the-face look when, with William, she visited The Indian Streatery in Birmingham to celebrate Birmingham's rich Asian culture

Princess Sofia of Sweden, wearing her curls in a looser style, attending the World's Children Prize for the Rights of the Child at Gripsholm Castle in Sweden in 2019

Queen Rania of Jordan's hair is shorter and finer, making her curls easier to hold when she visited Cairo with her husband in January 2023

This style is proving especially popular with royal brunettes, which doesnt surprise me. They know (well, their hairdressers certainly do) that the darker your hair is then the better it reflects the light, giving it a luxurious shine.

These women are the focus of endless attention, and need to look regal at all times. As soon as the photographers lights start popping, that shine adds an extra layer of drama to their gorgeously oversized curls.

Princess Sofia of Sweden is often pictured with her hair styled this way, although she wears hers longer at the front and the curls are held much looser than you see on other royals. Hers is a trendier, more catwalk-like version of this style.

Meanwhile, our own Princess of Wales goes for a more classic, off-the-face look in much the same vein as Queen Letizia, these women are both high-ranking royals, so will naturally lean towards something that appears that bit more formal.

Princess Mary of Denmark has a cut almost identical to Catherines, but she has been more adventurous with the colour. Hers has been dip-dyed and theres a bit of a root smudge going there, which was on trend throughout winter and continues to remain so as we go into the new season.

Queen Rania of Jordan's hair is shorter and finer, making her curls easier to hold because the weight of her hair wont pull them down. She has touches of balayage (subtle changes in shade) which nicely reflect the light. The Duchess of Sussex keeps her hair mainly one length  most of these other royals have long layers cut in  making her curls appear more refined, with a touch of old-style Hollywood glamour.

Queen Letizia of Spain's hair is similar to Kates. She used this classic off-the-face look when attended the presentation of the 'All Against Cancer' Project, on the occasion of the celebration of World Cancer Day in Madrid in February 2023

Richard says that Princess Mary of Denmark's hair is almost identical to Catherine's but that she has been a bit more adventurous with her colour

Meghan Markle keeps her hair mainly one length unlike most of the other royals who have long layers cut in, making her hair more refined with a touch of old-style Hollywood glamour. Meghan was helping to open the new Mersey Gateway Bridge in June 2018

Its wonderful to see so many royal women showcasing a hairstyle that very much speaks to old school glamour and glitz. Best of all though, is how attainable this look is for anyone with access to a few basic hair products and a large barrel curling tong.

Last year was all about the beach waves  relaxed curls that look effortlessly undone. This is a much more grown-up, sophisticated and deliberate-looking progression from that. It evokes an exciting modern take on a Farrah Fawcett, seventies vibe that is going to be an enduring theme in fashion and hair this year.

For this style, achieving movement is key. The best bouncy blow starts with hair that has long, graduated layers and is cut blunt at the ends. The mistake some hairdressers make is to add in too many layers  if those layers are too short it restricts flow and movement.

To get this look at home, first you need to blow dry your hair so its smooth and sleek. This sounds counterintuitive, I know, but think of your hair cuticles as being like tiles on a roof  you want them lying flat, completely free of frizz, to be able to create a gleaming, smooth head of curls.

So, apply either argan oil or a blow drying cream  I like Kerastase Elixir Ultime L'Original Hair Oil, 40 100ml  through the mid-lengths to the ends of your hair while its still wet. Less is more: rub the product between your hands, like you would a hand cream, before raking it through your hair, helping to make it shiny and glossy.

Richard Ward (above) famously styled Kate Middleton's hair for her 2011 wedding to Prince William. He perfected a demi-chignon - half-up, half-down - for her walk down the aisle

Once your hair is completely dry, tip your head upside down and spray root lift (my Richard Ward Bodifying Spritz costs 8, improves lustre and gives you heat protection too) throughout, close to your scalp.

Now, clip your hair into four sections  big curls need big sections  and put your big barrel tong through each one, applying holding spray as you go.

Once your curls have cooled, rub a five pence piece size of hair oil through your hands and glide the product through the mid-length and ends to smooth any stray flyaway hair. And there you have it: a big, glamorous curly blowout thats on trend and fit for royalty too.

Richard Ward was talking to Rachel Halliwell
The Duke of Norfolk spent two decades organising the Queen's funeral

The world came to a standstill last year as millions watched the state funeral for the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Two million people crowded onto the streets of London, protected by thousands of police officers within Scotland Yard's 'ring of steel' as the funeral procession made its way through the capital.

It was a service more impressive than any other Sovereign in living memory, with 2,000 VIPs - including members of European royal families, prime ministers, presidents, war heroes, NHS workers and members of the Armed Forces - in attendance.

However smooth it seemed on the surface, however, it had taken a full two decades worth of planning by one man - the Duke of Norfolk. And that some man is now tasked with planning King Charles III's coronation, dubbed Operation Golden Orb, on May 6.

Edward William Fitzalan-Howard, 66, inherited England's most senior peerage. He became the 18th Duke of Norfolk following the death of his father Miles in 2002

The Duke of Norfolk in his role as Earl Marshal walking in the funeral procession of the late Queen Elizabeth II

The Duke of Norfolk was in charge of organising the Queen's funeral in September and is now tasked with planning the Coronation

The Duke married Georgina, Duchess of Norfolk in 1987. Their divorce was finalised in August

Edward William Fitzalan-Howard, 66, inherited England's most senior peerage, becoming the 18th Duke of Norfolk following the death of his father Miles in 2002.

As a result, he also inherits the ancient office of Earl Marshal, making him responsible for overseeing major royal events, a tradition that has been handed down through the family's generations for 350 years.

The peer's grandfather, Bernard Fitzalan-Howard, was the 16th Duke of Norfolk and was responsible for organising the late Queen's coronation in 1953, the state funeral of Winston Churchill in 1965 and the investiture of Charles as the Prince of Wales in 1969.

The Duke of Norfolk shares a common ancestor with King Charles, as both their families are descendants of Edward I - the Fitzalan-Howards also claim ancestors in two of Henry VIII's wives.

Historically, the Duke of Norfolk has always been Catholic, with the current duke being the most senior lay member of the Roman Catholic Church in Britain.

As a result, it was a Catholic who oversaw the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey, the committal at Windsor Castle and the Coronation, which is a religious and spiritual occasion.

Eddie, as he is known to friends, was born on December 2 1956 and went on to study at Ampleforth College, a boarding school in York, before later studying at Lincoln College, Oxford.

In his younger days he was a racing driver and a keen skier.

The recently divorced couple have five children together, Henry, Earl of Arundel, Lady Rachel, Lord Thomas and Lady Isabel. Pictured: The Duke and Duchess in 2003

Weeks after revealing the marriage was over, however, the duke had fallen in love with another woman - Francesca Herbert, known as Chica. The two are pictured after exchanging vows

The duke formerly lived in his ancestral seat of Arundel Castle in West Sussex, but today he lives with his new wife in a nearby farmhouse

He has five children, Henry, Earl of Arundel, Lady Rachel, Lord Thomas and Lady Isabel which he had with his now ex-wife, Georgina, Duchess of Norfolk.

The couple, who married in 1987, made their divorce final in August last year, after years of being on-and-off again with his wife.

The couple initially called it quits and separated in 2011, a split so bitter they both failed to attend the Royal Wedding of William and Kate because they could not be in the same room as one another.

By 2016, however, they were back together, just in time for the marriage of their eldest son Henry who will one day become the 19th Duke of Norfolk.

The late Queen, who was a close friend of the Duke and Duchess, was said to have been delighted by their reunion.

But despite their attempts to salvage their marriage, for the sake of their children and their Catholicism, the pair divorced in August.

It was reported at the time that the Queen was saddened that the couple were unable to mend the marriage.

The Duke told the Mail on Sunday following the split: 'By God we tried. For the sake of the family, and because we are Catholic, we really, really tried everything. It proved completely impossible, and we had to move on.'

Weeks after revealing the marriage was over, however, the duke had fallen in love with another woman - Francesca, known as Chica, Herbert.

Chicha is the former wife of Harry Herbert, son of the 7th Earl of Carnarvon, who was the Queen's racing manager and close friend. In November, the pair married at a registry office in West London.

Prior to his second marriage, the duke lived in his ancestral seat of Arundel Castle in West Sussex. But the couple chose to live on a cosier farmhouse nearby instead.

His ex-wife still lives nearby at Angmering Park House and has 100 acres of the estate - just a small part of the 16,000 acres the duke owns across the South Downs.

Eddie is a major landowner, worth more than 100 million after he ran a bottled gas company and joiner business.

Alongside his royal responsibilities, he throws game shoots at his 1,000-year-old ancestral home.

Weeks after the Queen's funeral took place, the duke was banned from driving for using his phone while driving in Battersea, south-west London on April 7.

He admitted the offence, but his team attempted to avoid the ban due to 'exceptional hardship' and claims he needed his licence in order to arrange the King's upcoming coronation.

A friend of the duke told the Mail on Sunday at the time: Eddie acknowledges that his attempt to avoid a driving ban went haywire and feels very sorry to have displeased the King.

'Eddie' Norfolk is a major landowner. He also ran a bottled gas company and a joinery business. Pictured: An aerial view of Arundel Castle

The Duke of Norfolk played a major role at the proclamation of the new King at St James's Palace following the death of Queen Elizabeth. Here, right, he watches as Queen Camilla signs the Proclamation of Accession

The current Duke of Norfolk's father greeting the Queen and Prince Philip ahead of the rehearsal for her Coronation ceremony in Westminster in 1953

The duke will be tasked with balancing the historic gravity of the Coronation while keeping the pomp and ceremony in check. This has meant slashing the guest list from the 8,000 guests that attended the Queen's coronation, pictured above, to a relatively modest 2,000.

Every coronation since 1838 has taken place a year or so following the accession of the monarch. However, Charles's coronation will be just eight months after his mother's death

He plans to lay low and and just get on with making the nation proud by planning Golden Orb.

The duke will be tasked with balancing the historic gravity of the Coronation while keeping the pomp and ceremony in check.

This has meant slashing the guest list from the 8,000 guests that attended the Queen's coronation, to a relatively modest 2,000.

Charles will also not wear the traditional silk stockings and breeches.

'Though some of the more long-winded elements of the Coronation will be removed or modernised, the King was happy to wear the breeches and stockings,' a source told The Sun.

'But in discussion with senior aides they are saying he should not wear them, so will arrive in a military uniform instead.

'It is largely to do with modernising the Coronation and stripping away the stuffiness.

'They think having a 74-year-old King arriving in stockings and breeches in 2023 looks too dated. They are probably right.'

There have been some bumps along the road while planning for the big day. British music sensations Adele and Ed Sheeran, have both said they could not perform at the coronation concert.

A source involved with the project told the Mail on Sunday: 'The King has suggested a number of people he would like to perform, and Adele and Ed were on that list. He was very keen that they were part of the concert.

'There is a team set up to get the talent signed up but they were unavailable, which was a massive disappointment. They are titans of the showbiz industry and are quintessentially British but also known across the globe. It's such a shame.'

So far, the line-up included Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Take That.

The duke's niece Lady Kinvara Balfour told Tatler magazine: 'In organising the Queen's funeral (and the coronation to come), Uncle Eddie has done a truly outstanding job.

The Duke's niece Lady Kinvara Balfour applauded her uncle for his work for the Queen's funeral

Weeks after the Queen's funeral took place, the duke was banned from driving for using his phone at the wheel in Battersea. Pictured: The Duke of Norfolk outside the Magistrates' Court

What a show of elegance, efficiency and rare precision he has produced for our nation, and the world - just like the late Queen Elizabeth II herself did. He is an incredible father of five, a grandfather too'.

The duke was in fact the first person to receive a Knighthood from King Charles.

It had been issued quietly to Edward just ten days after he inherited the throne from his mother.

The Knighthood had been decided by the Queen while she was alive and announced her Birthday honours list in June, but no ceremony had taken place, meaning he was not entitled to wear his Royal Victorian Order medal at her funeral.

The Queen and the Duke were good friends, so much so she regularly invited him to shoot in her beloved Scotland with her.

So on the eve of the funeral, the King found a short period of time to issue the insignia and carry out the accolade, known as 'dubbing', where he placed a sword on the shoulder of the Duke in recognition of his work as Earl Marshal of the Royal Household.

A source said: The dubbing is what actually makes you a knight. The King had to have given it to him along with a sash for him to be dressed properly at the funeral the following day.

Another source described the Knighthood as a quickie organised to thank the duke for his hard work in the wake of the Queens passing. It is thought to have taken place in a back room of Buckingham Palace.

The duke was first involved in the planning for the Queens funeral the week of his fathers death 20 years ago, however, plans for the service, codenamed Operation London Bridge, had been underway since the 1960s.

Eddie held annual meetings in the throne room of Buckingham Palace, working alongside Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Mather, a long-serving member of the royal household who commanded the bearer party at Churchill's funeral, for the first 10 years.

By April last year, the number of people involved in the operation rocketed from 20 to 280.

It is unknown how long planning for the coronation has been underway, but it is taking place in a smaller time frame than the Queen's coronation.

The Duke of Norfolk, right, meets Charles and Camilla at the State Opening of Parliament, 2015

Every coronation between 1838 and 1953 has had a year gap between the accession of the monarch and the Coronation.

The Queens Coronation on June 2, 1953 was held more than a year after the death of her father King George VI who died on February 1952.

King Charles Coronation will take place just eight months after the death of his mother, breaking the tradition of a year-long mourning period.

During the proclamation of the King at St James's Palace, he also played a major role standing on the balcony overlooking Friary Court as the principal proclamation was read aloud in public by the garter king of arms.
When Jupiter enters Taurus in mid-May, it's a promise of adventure. And with the Coronation Eclipse opposing rebellious Uranus, turbulence might be expected. But the New Moon's supportive Cosmic Cradle should keep things calm.

Read more horoscopes from MailOnline.

ARIES

March 21 - April 20

When two or more people agree with one another, a team is created. Teamwork achieves far more than the individual members' efforts could attain by themselves. But, if those people disagree, they can create a big mess. They can turn simple processes into quagmires of complications. In May, even if you struggle to establish agreement in an area of life where there's dispute, you can do it. If those contrasting opinions are heard and respected, you can find a way to reach consensus. Then you'll be able to move mountains.

You've got lots to look forward to. The inspiration you need is in your new forecast. Call 0906 751 5601.

TAURUS

April 21- May 21

Why do you want what you say you want? And are you sure you really want it? Is there a chance you're trying to persuade yourself to want something? If your heart is leading you in one direction and your head is pulling you in another, you'll go round in circles! A little clarity can go a long way during the coming month. With lucky Jupiter entering your sign, you'll be bursting with energy and determination. Just make sure you're clear about your intentions. Set the right goals, because you might just achieve them.

Knowledge is power. Find out how to take full advantage of your astrological assets. Call 0906 751 5602.

Oscar Cainer (pictured) says that with the Coronation Eclipse opposing rebellious Uranus, turbulence might be expected

GEMINI

May 22 - June 22

Since we start May with your ruler, Mercury, retrograde, you're still reliving old dramas, recalling memories and re-evaluating past experiences. This is part of a process that's leading you towards a turning point. The information that you're assimilating will let you make a choice that'll guide you to a different future. This is why you need to be informed by everything you've experienced so far. You don't want your decision to be affected by past fears that are no longer relevant. You can move far beyond these in May.

What's in the sky for you? Helpful planetary alignments! For good news, call your latest forecast: 0906 751 5603.

CANCER

June 23 - July 23

Venus spends much of May in your sign, bringing all that you might expect from the planet of love and pleasure. Not only will it be much easier for you to tap into your creativity, you'll be encouraged and supported by people around you. They'll unconsciously pick up on your 'vibe' and respond with positivity. Venus boosts confidence too, so you'll be able to enjoy the new invitations and social events that come your way. Prepare for a run of improvements that look set to continue until they become tangible facets of your world.

Make the most of your opportunities. Your latest, in-depth forecast has inspiring news. Call 0906 751 5604.

LEO

July 24 - August 23

Take a deep breath. That's what we advise people when they look stressed. Will you need to take lots of those in the month to come? Well, on a regular basis, it will be worth remembering to stop and breathe deeply. Not because you need to relax. But because you need to take moments to appreciate the magic and wonder of your world. No, May won't be problem-free. Yet for all that's troublesome and tricky, there's much to be glad of and delighted by. Not only will you start seeing more reasons to be grateful, you'll start creating them.

Transform your life! To move forwards in a positive direction, there's good news when you call 0906 751 5605.

VIRGO

August 24 - September 23

During the coming month, we'll find you perfectly positioned to clear up a muddle, fix a mistake and sort out a misunderstanding. Which doesn't mean you're guaranteed to be successful at dealing with every difficulty. Nor does it mean that you won't sometimes need to take some responsibility for things going pear-shaped. But the important question isn't, 'Whose fault is this?' It's 'Who's going to take practical, positive steps to deal with it so everyone feels OK?' And we already know the answer to that last question. That person is you!

For advice to guide you through the twists and turns ahead, call your latest forecast: 0906 751 5606.

LIBRA

September 24 - October 23

We all want to be successful. Yet success isn't straightforward. We want it when we feel we haven't got it. And the moment we've got it, we start finding fault with it! And failure, which we view as being its opposite, is less permanent than we think. No one wants to fall flat on their face. But if we do, we can pick ourselves up and bounce back. Before you start worrying, this month holds great potential. In order to maximise it you just need to take the pressure off. Remember, if you're enjoying yourself, that's success!

How can you stay focused and happy? Your weekly forecast holds the advice you need. Call 0906 751 5607.

When Jupiter enters Taurus in mid-May, Oscar says, it's a promise of adventure. Stock image used

SCORPIO

October 24 - November 22

May looks like being an excellent month. Maybe not for everyone. But for Scorpios it looks good. Which isn't to say you're going to enjoy every moment. There can be a big difference between something that 'feels good' and something that 'does you good'. Sometimes, things that feel good at first end up making us feel bad. And vice versa. You might even find yourself dealing with challenging experiences. But they're bringing you to a decision that will generate a long-term sense of delight, freedom and inspiration.

What's the best way to move forward and ensure success? Call your four-minute weekly forecast: 0906 751 5608.

SAGITTARIUS

November 23 - December 21

'If you judge people, you have no time to love them.' This is a quote from the wise, wonderful Mother Teresa. We tend to spend much of our time making judgments. We do it so much that we don't notice how much time, energy and positivity it takes. With Jupiter, your ruler, settling into a new celestial home in May, you need to invest your time, energy and positivity into the right things. You don't want to waste this opportunity. Be guided by your compassionate heart. If you focus on the good you see, you'll find it magnifies.

There's no need to worry. All you need is some guidance. Your week-ahead forecast can help. Call 0906 751 5609.

CAPRICORN

December 22 - January 20

During the coming month, we find you in miracle-working mode. How many miracles can you work? Well, there's one in particular that's worth focusing on. Your heart's set on something, yet you know it's impossible. Don't let your awareness of this reality stop you seeking an alternative way forwards. May brings an option that's just as miraculous in its own way, yet much more easily attainable. If you stay open-minded, and allow yourself to be surprised, amazing things can happen.

What does your heart desire, and how can you achieve what you really want? Call your weekly forecast: 0906 751 5610.

AQUARIUS

January 21 - February 19

Resentment is a negative emotion. It erodes self-confidence, fuels excuses for poor behaviour, and destroys integrity. More importantly, resentful people don't laugh much. So what are you hoping to do this month? And why? If you promise yourself you'll act out of love and inspiration (rather than need or obligation) you'll be free to experience the opportunities coming your way. If you reach for the very best, you'll be liberated from anything that makes you feel bad. And free to feel joy.

Curious to know more? There's valuable news in your latest, in-depth, four-minute forecast. Call 0906 751 5611.

PISCES

February 20 - March 20

Although travel broadens the mind, we're not obliged to head off to distant climes to make our minds broader. With your traditional ruler, Jupiter, settling into a new sign, this month takes you on a journey of discovery. But it doesn't have to involve physically going anywhere. It's more likely to be the realisation that you're content where you are. Awareness of the good things in our day-to-day life brings a sweetness no journey ever provides. Being pleased to be you (and happy about where your life's going) is the gift on offer.

Success is about attitude and timing. Your four-minute forecast shows the way to positive change. Call 0906 751 5612.

Calls cost 80p per minute plus your phone company's access charge. To report a phone line problem, call 0800 138 9789. Go to cainer.com and join the 5 Star Service for personalised messages, audio, video, discounts on full readings, and more!
Raytheon, the American manufacturer of Tomahawk cruise missiles, recently received orders from Japan and Australia for a total of 600 of the new Mark V (5) version of the Tomahawk. Both countries will install the missiles on their warships to provide a long-range guided missile that can hit moving targets over a thousand kilometers away.

The Tomahawk has undergone a number of improvements in the last decade and is currently one of most effective land attack and anti-ship weapons available to American and allied warships.

The most recent improvement was announced in 2020 when the U.S. Navy introduced Tomahawk Block 5, the first new version since Block 4 in 2005. The block versions actually represent an accumulation of individual upgrades that have turned the current Tomahawk into a substantially different cruise missile than the previous block. The unique new features of Block 5 include being able to hit ship size targets at max range (over 1,600 kilometers) by using a new target seeker. Block 5 also uses a new warhead that has greater penetrating power against large warships and is more effective against all targets. There are also upgraded communication and navigation systems which are more resistant to jamming and other EW (Electronic Warfare) measures. All this means Block 5 communications are more difficult to detect as well as disrupt. The navigation system is better able to function even with heavy GPS jamming thanks to a more accurate, and unjammable INS (Inertial Navigation System). Another notable feature is that Block 5 does not increase the price, which is still between a million and 1.5 million dollars, depending on features, per missile. Thats a lot cheaper than high-speed missiles that cost three or four times more, are heavier and have shorter range. The relatively low cost of the Tomahawk makes it effective for more missions, like attacking land targets or being used in large numbers. All Block 4 Tomahawks are being upgraded to Block 5 and remaining Block 3s will be retired because most were built in the 1990s and now not worth the expense of an upgrade and refurbishment.

Most Tomahawks in U.S. service are carried and fired from surface ship or nuclear submarine (SSN) VLS (Vertical Launch System) cells. There is also a torpedo-launched version which all British SSNs use. The Tomahawk has quietly become the primary offensive weapon for the American fleet.

The RGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile weighs 1.2 tons, is six meters (18 feet) long and has a range of 1,600 kilometers. It reaches its target at a speed of 600-900 kilometers an hour, flying at an altitude of 17-32 meters (50-100 feet), and propelled by a jet engine generating only 273 kg (600 pounds) of thrust. Accuracy is on a par with JDAM (10 meters/ 31 feet). Tomahawk can be reprogrammed in flight to hit another target and carries a digital video camera to allow someone to check on prospective targets.

With Block 4 came the new JMEW (Joint Multi-Effects Warhead System) warhead. This is a 450 kg (1,000 pound) warhead designed mainly for penetrating underground bunkers, but it will also provide excellent blast effect for less robust targets. Exact penetration was not revealed. JMEW uses laser terminal guidance, enabling it to hit within a few meters (ten feet) of its aiming point. JMEW can also hit moving targets, like ships.

The Tomahawk, when it showed up in 1983, was one of the first combat UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) but it wasn't reusable. The Tomahawk has been a primary land attack weapon for surface ships and submarines since the 1990s. Over 6,000 have been manufactured so far. The U.S. Navy has fired over 2,200 in combat and over 600 for training and testing. The U.S. Navy currently has over 3,000 Tomahawks on its warships or in storage. Tomahawk is expected to remain in service until 2040, with older ones refurbished to extend their useful lives. That usually means batteries and electronics are replaced or upgraded, along with elderly mechanical components.

Block 0, 1 and 2 Tomahawks were introduced during the Cold War, which ended in 1991. Some Cold War versions of Tomahawk were optimized for ranges of up to 2,500 kilometers, or for use from aircraft carrying nuclear warheads. These were gone by the time Block 3 entered service in 1994. In between new blocks, there were often major upgrades. Block 4 got a big upgrade in 2012 with the addition of GPS and remote control in flight. The more recent upgrades added improvements in the guidance system and defensive capabilities against electronic jamming. The need for these new features was seen in 2015 when the navy tested the current Block 4 Tomahawk to see if its new two-way communications capability could enable it to effectively hit moving targets. The Block 4 managed to do so, but not under combat conditions. That is, not with warships using defensive or electronic weapons to shoot down the incoming missile or mislead its guidance system. One navy test used a nearby aircraft (which could be a UAV) that was tracking the exact location of the target ship. That could also be done from a space satellite. A fully developed anti-ship capability for Tomahawk requires regular upgrades in the guidance system to make it capable of operating without constant two-way communications.

The U.S. Navy is aware of the fact that the Tomahawk is not the ideal anti-ship missile. Against modern defenses, anti-ship missiles have to move faster than a Tomahawk and be equipped with a better terminal guidance system. The speed problem cannot be fixed, but the Tomahawk could be equipped with a more capable terminal guidance system. That might be able to handle the tracking and targeting systems for gun and missile systems designed to knock down anti-ship missiles when they get close. In any event, Tomahawk Block 4 has a way to go before it is a competitive anti-ship missile against modern warships. But developing and testing upgrades will give Tomahawk a useful anti-ship capability while not being the most effective anti-ship missile out there.

There are apparently some novel proposals for using a radically new anti-ship warhead that turns Tomahawk into a two-stage missile with the warhead making the final attack at much higher speed. That increases the cost and weight of Tomahawk which has been a stable and reliable design with lots of combat experience. It was easier to tinker with the guidance system, warhead and range and come up with affordable new capabilities that work. One reason for the continued usefulness of Tomahawk is its ability to do more and more things reliably and affordably. Many new cruise missile designs can do high speed attack, but at great expense. Tomahawk can carry out a wide range of missions, many of them not requiring high-speed or a more elaborate terminal guidance system.

Because of these constant improvements and consistent reliability, American (and other) warships continue to use Tomahawks in combat on a regular basis. The targets tend to be on land and not mobile. Most of these uses are publicized, but some are not. Several hundred Tomahawks were used in massed attacks against Libya in 2011, which demonstrated the effectiveness of Tomahawks in delivering major airstrikes on short notice, anywhere in the world without losing more expensive manned aircraft and exposing their pilots to getting shot down and captured. Tomahawk is also an ideal weapon for a potential war in the Pacific against China. This would be a war featuring large distances between targets and Tomahawk can handle that, in addition to many other tasks. The fleet goes to sea with lots of Tomahawks and quantity is an asset as well as reliability and a track record of success.

The planned Tomahawk replacement is currently the NGLAW (Next Generation Land Attack Weapon). Development of a successor to the Tomahawk has been underway since the 1990s and the current (NGLAW) effort is for a cruise missile that will be heavier (2.2 tons), have a longer range (2,000 kilometers), and a larger (one ton) warhead than Tomahawk. NGLAW will be stealthier and use a combination of new guidance and targeting systems to improve the chances of success. Price will probably be the key factor but it is expected to cost at least twice as much as Tomahawk. NGLAW has been going on for so long because its not easy to develop a Tomahawk replacement that justifies the higher weight, and cost, of a new missile while so many navies are satisfied with updated Tomahawks.
A woman has gone viral for swearing off Spirit Airlines after capturing an employee putting tape on the wing of her aircraft before takeoff.

TikTok user @myhoneysmacks, who is from Alabama, filmed the maintenance repair from her window seat while the plane was parked at the Nashville International Airport.

'This is the exact reason why I dont fly with Spirit. I dont care if it is aviation airplane tape or nothing,' she said at the start of the 37-second video.

Speed tape, which can sometimes be mistaken for duct tape, is an aluminum-based tape designed for temporary and minor aircraft repairs.

TikTok user @myhoneysmacks went viral after capturing a Spirit Airlines employee putting tape on the wing of her aircraft before takeoff

'The fact that you even have to tape the plane together, and then you doing it while people are on the flight like we cannot see you? That's the reason right there that I will not fly with Spirit,' she said

Speed tape, which can sometimes be mistaken for duct tape, is an aluminum-based tape that airlines use for temporary and minor aircraft repairs

The material is able to withstand up to 600 mph winds and extreme environmental changes when properly applied an aviation safety consultant told the Washington Post last year.

Although speed tape is safe to use for certain repairs, the content creator was less than pleased to see it being used in real-time.

'The fact that you even have to tape the plane together, and then you doing it while people are on the flight like we cannot see you? That's the reason right there that I will not fly with Spirit,' she said.

'Now Southwest I can do. But Spirit? No sir,' she continued. 'That tape is going to lose its stickiness.

'You flying all around the world and you got tape holding it together? Baby, no. Don't even worry about it. I won't be booking with you.'

'I'm only flying Southwest now,' she added in the caption.

The video has been viewed 1.6 million times and has received more than 10,000 comments since it was posted two days ago.

Many people got a kick out of the fact that she was saying that this is why she won't fly Spirit Airlines  while seated on a Spirit Airlines flight.

Although speed tape is safe to use for certain repairs, the content creator vowed to never fly Spirit Airlines again

The video has been viewed 1.6 million times and has received more than 10,000 comments since it was posted two days ago - including plenty of jokes

'"That's why I don't fly with Spirit"  while recording from inside the cabin,' one person responded.

'So what are you doing on board???' another asked.

'How you gone say "this why Im not flying spirit" while on the plane?' someone else chimed in.

'Im talking about EVER AGAIN!' she hit back.

There were also plenty of TikTok users who couldn't resist poking fun at the tape repair, despite it being a common airline practice.

'He patted it down so its ok,' one commenter joked, while another added, 'Fly with Spirit and become a spirit.'

Others could see where she was coming from and admitted they would be freaked out too if they witnessed the repair.

'This is called Speed Tape used to perform minor repairs on airplanes. Every airline uses it including Southwest,' one user pointed out.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Spirit Airlines for comment.
The elegant expanse of the vast square that is Place Vendome in central Paris is bathed in spring sunshine.

On one side stands The Ritz hotel, where well-heeled guests glide in and out, many with shopping bags on their arms.

Dotted around the rest of this particularly desirable corner of the French capital are an array of boutiques, the names of which are familiar the world over: Cartier, Dior, Piaget, Gucci and, of course, Louis Vuitton.

Outside the last of these are rope barriers, behind which shoppers queue patiently to be allowed in. A few steps along the neighbouring Rue Saint-Honore, it is much the same at Dior's flagship store.

What is most curious about these shoppers is their nationalities: Chinese, American, Malaysian, British. If only they were preparing to spend pounds rather than euros on a classic Vuitton 'Neverfull' bag or a pair of Prada sunnies. But sadly not.

Beth Hale pops under the Channel for a trip to the shops in Paris, saving herself thousands compared to London's shopping scene

For as British retailers are painfully aware, Paris offers something London's Bond Street can't compete with: VAT-free shopping.

Spend more than 100 on fashion in Paris and shoppers from outside Europe are entitled to a tax refund that typically amounts to around 12 per cent.

(VAT in France, as in the UK is 20 per cent, but 12 per cent is the typical figure refunded, after administration fees.)

No wonder so many British captains of industry say the UK has been left floundering.

Chanel classic bag, lambskin. Price in Paris: 8,562.92 (9,700). Tax refund: 1,027.55. New price: 7,535.37. Price in Britain: 8,530. Saving: 994.63

Dior Brandenburg fitted jacket. Price in Paris: 4,238.90 (4,800). Tax refund: 508.67. New price: 3,730.23. Price in Britain: 4,300. Saving: 569.77

Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM bag in black and beige. Price in Paris: 1,906.79 (2,160). Tax refund: 228.81. New price: 1,677.98. Price in Britain: 2,040. Saving: 362.02

Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama Neverfull MM Tote Bag. Price in Paris: 2,003.90 (2,270). Tax refund: 240.47. New price: 1,763.43. Price in Britain: 2,130. Saving: 366.57

This week, the Mail launched a Scrap The Tourist Tax campaign with an open letter to the Chancellor, signed by 100 business owners, all of whom are urging the Government to rethink its decision to scrap the long-standing tax-free scheme.

When the Mail visited yesterday, tax-free Parisian retail was booming.

Outside Dior's flagship store on Paris's immaculate Rue Saint-Honore is Mona, a 29-year-old Arab-American from California.

'I prefer to come to Paris to buy stuff from places like Chanel or Dior,' she says. 'I definitely pick Paris over London for shopping as it's much cheaper . . . We are a big family so on any given trip we can save up to 1,000 thanks to the tax refund.'

Data company Global Blue says tax-free spending by American visitors to the UK has only rebounded to 104 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in the first three months of this year; in France, it is 313 per cent.

Blue Versace Greca-plaque leather belt. Price in Paris: 371.48 (420). Tax refund: 44.58. New price: 326.90. Price in Britain: 390. Saving: 63.10

De Beers 18ct yellow gold and 3.85ct diamond medallion pendant necklace. Price in Paris: 27,304.63 (30,800). Tax refund: 3,276.55. New price: 24,028.08. Price in Britain: 26,500. Saving: 2,471.92

Dior JAdior slingback pump. Price in Paris: 873.95 (990). Tax refund: 104.87. New price: 769.08. Price in Britain: 870. Saving: 100.92

Isabel Marant green Lara Mini Dress. Price in Paris: 875.46 (990). Tax refund: 105.05. New price: 770.41. Price in Britain: 1,000. Saving: 229.59

De Beers White Gold and Diamond Snow Dance Bracelet. Price in Paris: 19,541.15 (22,100). Tax refund: 2,344.94. New price: 17,196.21. Price in Britain: 19,000. Saving: 1,803.79

What's more, transactions by UK shoppers, who hop across the Channel to continental Europe (it took me just two hours and 20 minutes to get from London to Paris by Eurostar), rocketed from 160 million in 2021 to 486 million in 2022.

In 2019, the UK was among the top-ten most visited destinations in the world, with visitors generating 28 billion of revenue.

Paul Barnes, CEO of the Association of International Retail, says: 'Britain was the premiership, but we have effectively relegated ourselves to the second division.'

He tells the story of a hotel boss in London's Park Lane, who welcomed a family from the Middle East, paying for three or four rooms for a two-week stay. For three days of that stay the family went shopping  but not in nearby Harrods or Selfridges or Sloane Street. No, they got on the Eurostar for a three-day shopping spree in Paris.

When I visit the Louis Vuitton store there, the store is buzzing with young shoppers from across the globe.

'Mostly, we see Americans,' the shop assistant tells me. 'They have always had their love affairs with Paris, but over the past few months, the number of Chinese visitors has been building.'

There is no visible signage about tax refunds; that would be considered far too vulgar in a store in which price tags aren't deemed essential. 'We don't have to tell people about the refund, they already know,' says the assistant with a smile.

In Dior's jewellery boutique, it's a similar story. There are no prices on display, but a potential 12 per cent discount on gems costing thousands of euros is a sure-fire way to land a lucrative sale.

Chloe Small Leather Marcie Saddle Bag. Price in Paris: 781.11 (890). Tax refund: 93.73. New price: 687.38. Price in Britain: 950. Saving: 262.62

Balenciaga Hourglass XS black crocodileeffect top handle bag. Price in Paris: 1,901.71 (2,150). Tax refund: 228.20. New price: 1,673.51. Price in Britain: 2,030. Saving: 356.49

Black Prada square sunglasses. Price in Paris: 274.76 (310). Tax refund: 32.97. New price: 241.79. Price in Britain: 315. Saving: 73.21

Chanel ballet flats. Price in Paris: 785.96 (890). Tax refund: 94.32. New price: 691.64. Price in Britain: 780. Saving: 88.36

In France, as elsewhere in Europe, getting a tax refund is designed to be a slick process for the international shopper.

Just around the corner from Dior, Global Blue operates a discreet tax-free concierge service, at which invited shoppers, directed there by the boutiques, can have a personal shopping experience with a difference.

At the company's second-floor lounge, customers walk out with cash rather than shopping bags  a 12 per cent tax refund can be generated in minutes.

Typically, it's 15 to 20 minutes, says lounge manager Anna Sorokopoud, who ensures each visitor is offered refreshments (champagne if desired) and the option to have a tax refund generated in cash or put on a credit card.

When the Mail visits, there is a steady flow of customers. It's 2pm and already Anna has welcomed shoppers from the Philippines, Malaysia, Ukraine, the U.S. and, yes, Britain.

'We see around 100 to 150 clients a day,' says Anna. 'I've customers who will come in every day of their stay.'

Sitting on comfortable sofas, shoppers simply present the sales slip paperwork that needs to be requested when making any purchase (to do this the store needs to see the shopper's passport) and a credit card. Global Blue operates similar lounges in Milan, Barcelona, Florence and Rome, but not, of course, London.

TOTAL SAVING OVER 13 ITEMS, MINUS COST OF EUROSTAR RETURN (78) = 7,664.99 VAT is charged as a percentage rate of the net price, which is the price before the tax is applied. In France, where VAT is 20 per cent of the net price, then this is equal to 16.67 per cent of the gross price, which is the price actually paid by you in store. Hence, if you made a 100 purchase in a French shop, the VAT amount would actually be 16.67. Unfortunately, you will never be able to receive 100 per cent of the tax amount back, as the services you use to receive your tax refund will usually charge a substantial commission  meaning you will look to reclaim about 12 per cent. The savings here are calculated on the basis that shopping in France will save you 12 per cent off the purchase price. Advertisement

The benefits of tax-free shopping are not just for those with oodles of cash spare to splash out in designer boutiques.

Department stores in the French capital also have dedicated offices where shoppers can process their tax-free refunds.

Galeries Lafayette, which with its roof terrace looking out over the Paris Opera House is a destination stop for tourists, promotes its tax refund service with a slick video on it website  in English, of course.

Shoppers can choose cash in store, a refund to a credit card, a deferred payment via an app or have cash refunded to them at the airport on departure.

The process is almost entirely digital (documents can be scanned at designated machines) making it a streamlined business.

At the end of a Parisian shopping expedition, a few international visitors are gathered at the self-service detaxe counters at Gare du Nord to process their tax refunds.

A young American couple smile as they show off their Louis Vuitton shopping bags and two Rimowa suitcases.

How much are they saving? 'About 900,' says the young businessman.

'We came over just for the day,' says his partner.

'We are actually on holiday in the UK. Five years ago I used to shop in London, but it's cheaper to come here now.'

And therein lies the crux of the problem.

Additional reporting: Rory Mulholland, Sarah Rainey and Emma Mesquita
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, 51, has touched down in Sydney

Princess Mary's official visit to Australia has been rocked by a security scare on day one after she was confronted by a man in a helmet wearing a Go Pro camera.

The heckler, wearing a high-vis vest, was overhead saying 'I got close to the Crown Princess' before a security guard in dark sunglasses intervened.

Dramatic photographs show the man just one metre away from the princess's bike just moments before security moved between them.

The Danish Royal, who famously met Crown Prince Frederik at Sydney bar The Slip Inn during the 2000 Olympic Games, is back in Australia for her first official visit in more than a decade and was welcomed by crowd of reporters on Friday.

The heckler, wearing a high-vis vest, was overhead saying 'I got close to the Crown Princess', before a security guard in dark sunglasses intervened

Dramatic photographs show the man just one metre away from the princess's bike just moments before security moved between them (pictured, the man is stopped by security)

The bike ride was her first official engagement on Friday morning after she landed into Sydney on Thursday night.

Princess Mary will lead a Danish delegation for discussions about Australia's transition to renewable energy.

Despite the close encounter with the high-vis heckler, witnesses say Princess Mary remained calm and ignored his approach.

One witness said the man appeared to be only trying to get his five seconds of fame after spotting the cameras. He became angry when he was told to move on, prompting a clash with security.

Before the scare, the 51-year-old looked poised and calm in Sydney's Hyde Park despite being surrounded by a swarm of eager onlookers.

Before putting her bike helmet on she tied her brunette locks back in a ponytail.

The mother-of-four looked dashing in green trousers, $230 Nike sneakers, gold bangles, a white shirt and black blazer.

The Hobart-born royal looked poised and calm as she strolled through Hyde Park in the Sydney CBD on Friday morning

The mum-of-four looked dashing in green trousers, $230 Nike sneakers, a white shirt and black blazer for the occasion, and smiled for the cameras

Before putting her bike helmet on she tied her luscious brunette locks back in a ponytail

She adjusted and clipped in her own helmet before taking off on the bike

She completed a 2km cycle route of Hyde Park along with City of Sydney staff before cycling to Circular Quay for a ride on the light rail.

Prior to the clash, an onlooker asked: 'Princess Mary are you enjoying your time?' who politely responded: 'Yes, yes, looking forward to this bike ride.'

Upon arriving at Circular Quay, the Royal was accompanied on a light rail train journey with Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore.

Princess Mary beamed as she exited the carriage and was later spotted clutching a large hardcover book titled 'Creating a Liveable City'.

She gave the mayor a kiss on the cheek before being whisked away in a private car.

The City of Sydney report highlights how a focus on design, innovation and sustainability has shaped and created a better living environment in the city.

Prior an onlooker asked: 'Princess Mary are you enjoying your time?' and she politely responded by saying: 'Yes, yes, looking forward to this bike ride'

While riding Princess Mary smiled and waved at delighted onlookers

Upon arriving at Circular Quay, the Royal took a ride on light rail with Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore (the pair are pictured)

Princess Mary beamed as she exited the carriage and was later spotted clutching a large hardcover book titled 'Creating a Liveable City'

The City of Sydney report highlights how a focus on design, innovation and sustainability has shaped and created a better living environment in the city

Princess Mary was accompanied by Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore on the

She gave the mayor a kiss on the cheek before being whisked away in a private car

The Crown Princess is back on home soil to meet with Danish representatives involved in Australia's 'green transition' while also visiting several Danish-led projects related to sustainability.

Last night after touching down, Mary looked every inch the style icon when she arrived via private jet.

The fashionable royal cut a chic figure in a black T-shirt and loose fitting trousers as she made her way across the tarmac.

She was sure to rug up against the bitter chill in the air by donning a beige cardigan underneath a tailored cream blazer.

Last night after touching down, Mary looked every inch the style icon when she arrived via private jet

The Hobart-born royal, 51, is back on home soil to meet with Danish representatives that are involved in Australia's 'green transition' while also visiting several Danish-led projects related to sustainability

Mary looked every inch the style icon when she arrived via private jet

Mary completed her look with a lightweight scarf adorned with different shades of polka dots, and wore her reading glasses as she smiled for waiting photographers.

The royal, often heralded for her style and grace, opted to go make-up free for her arrival, allowing her flawless beauty to shine through.

She wore her brunette locks back, tied into a chic chignon, and carried a tan carry-all with her belongings.

Mary was greeted by her security detail upon arrival and whisked away to her accommodation in a sleek black vehicle that proudly displayed the Danish flag.

Mary's climate focused trip in the South Pacific began on April 23 in Vanuatu where she met with key people who are managing the reconstruction of the island after it was hit by two cyclones and two earthquakes. She then headed to Fiji with Denmark's Climate Minister.

Princess Mary's visit Down Under will be brief, however, as she will be in London for King Charles III's coronation on May 6.

The fashionable royal cut a chic figure in a black T-shirt and loose fitting trousers as she made her way across the tarmac

She was sure to rug up against the bitter chill in the air by donning a beige cardigan underneath a tailored cream blazer

The last time the Crown Princess was in Australia was last Christmas when she visited her family in Tasmania, but it was not in an official capacity.

She went to her hometown with her husband Crown Prince Frederick and their four children, Christian, 17, Isabella, 15, and twins Vincent and Josephine, 11.

The family's holiday at Christmas was their first time Down Under in over five years, however Princess Mary was spotted without her family in March 2022 in Melbourne shopping with her friend and bridesmaid Amber Petty.

Princess Mary and Prince Frederick's last official visit was in October 2013 where they visited the Sydney Opera House to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

Although she was born and raised in Tasmania, Mary moved to Denmark during her courtship with the heir to the Danish throne.

Mary completed her look with a lightweight scarf adorned with different shades of polka dots, and wore her reading glasses as she smiled for waiting photographers

The royal, often heralded for her style and grace, opted to go make-up free for her arrival, allowing her flawless beauty to shine through

Princess Mary's visit Down Under will be brief, however, as she will be in London for King Charles III's coronation on May 6

The love story between Princess Mary and Prince Frederik has been well documented.

She famously met her husband by chance at Sydney pub the Slip Inn during the 2000 Olympics.

After their encounter, Fred - who was in Australia to support Denmark's Olympic sailing team - asked Mary for her phone number and a romance blossomed.

'The first time we met we shook hands. I didn't know he was the prince of Denmark. Half an hour later someone came up to me and said, 'Do you know who these people are'?' Mary revealed in an interview about their meeting.

The last time the Crown Princess was in Australia was last Christmas when she visited her family in Tasmania, but it was not in an official capacity

Princess Mary and Prince Frederick's last official visit was in October 2013 where they visited the Sydney Opera House to celebrate its 40th anniversary

They maintained a long-distance relationship for a year, with Frederik making secret trips Down Under before Mary moved to Denmark to study the Danish language at Copenhagen's Studieskolen in 2001.

In early 2003, Frederik's mother Queen Margrethe publicly acknowledged the relationship and the couple announced their engagement at Amalienborg Castle later that year on October 8.

Frederik and Mary married on May 14, 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral, with the newly minted Crown Princess opting for a beautiful gown by Danish designer Uffer Frank and a veil first used by Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden in 1905.

Their first child, Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John, was born October 15, 2005; Princess Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe followed on April 21, 2007.

Almost four years later Mary and Frederik welcomed twins, Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda and Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen on January 8, 2011.
Employers have revealed the most difficult things about employing Gen Z - with one revealing a young person turned up to an interview in a hoody and tracksuit.

More than half of managers have been forced to fire Gen Z workers after claiming that they 'lack motivation' and are 'easily offended.'

In a new study by recruitment company ResumeBuilder, team leaders were asked about their workforce - with shocking results.

It found that out of more than 1,300 respondents the majority (74 per cent) believe Gen Z is more difficult to work with than any other generation.

Speaking to Kian & Yaz with Avneesha CADA radio about the study, various employers called in complaining of Gen Z employees not 'being able to say good morning', while others said they 'don't want to show up'.

One woman called Alana called in the show to discuss her a recent interview she gave.

The manager, who is a millennial, explained she's been working since she was 14, so knows that 'young people can work hard' but said her experience with Gen Z - those born 1997 to 2012 - is 'shocking'.

'We just interviewed a person the other day and she rocked up on her bed in an online interview.

'Hoody, trackies, everything.

Speaking to Kian & Yaz (pictured) with Avneesha CADA radio about the study, various employers called in complaining of Gen Z employees not 'being able to say good morning', while others said they 'don't want to show up'

'And then when the interviewer asked her "Oh, you know hey, how you doing?" She just goes "good".

All the reasons managers find Gen Z difficult to work with Lack of technological skills: 39 per cent

Lack of effort: 37 per cent

Lack of motivation: 37 per cent

Lack of productivity: 37 per cent

Easily distracted: 36 per cent

Poor communication skills: 36 per cent

Easily offended: 35 per cent

Lack of drive: 29 per cent

Dishonest: 24 per cent

Entitlement: 21 per cent Source: ResumeBuilder Advertisement

Another caller, called Omar, a GP, called in and said he struggled with hiring Gen Z receptionists.

'I've experienced the ins and outs of all sort of reception. And I have to say by far the worst is the Gen Z. Really.

'A simple "Hello. Good morning" doesn't come out of their mouth in the morning.

'They're on their phones 24/7, but have no vocal skills. The best receptionists are the old Margarets.'

However, one caller called Nadia, herself a member of Gen Z, said that she's had 'eight jobs in 12 months' because she likes to balance her study with work.

Another woman who works in rapid technology said working with Gen Z is 'great' because 'they understanding the changing industry'.

The survey revealed the reasons managers find Gen Zers to be challenging employees, including a lack of technological skills (39 per cent), effort (37 per cent) and motivation (37 per cent) - to name just a few.

They have also claimed that Gen Z workers were too 'easily distracted' (36 per cent) and 'easily offended' (35 per cent).

Speaking to the site, Akpan Ukeme, the head of HR at SGK Global Shipping Services, confirmed why he finds it challenging to work with Gen Zers.

He said: 'In our organization, the Gen Zs I have interacted with can be exhausting because they lack discipline, and they like to challenge you.
Balmoral Castle bosses has been criticised for advertising for a decorator and implying it would be a male.

In its advert for the full-time role, posted on the estate's website, it stated the premises were in need of a time-honoured qualified decorator.

It then went on to explain the role required a person with good knowledge of 'his' trade - including heritage buildings.

One possible candidate said: 'I was shocked when I saw it.

'It is very presumptuous to assume women couldn't do the job too.'

The Balmoral Estate, where the late Queen died last September, is advertising for a full-time decorator

Royal bosses said the wording of the job advert was changed when it was brought to their attention.

They added that it was just a 'typo.' And the word 'his' has now been changed to 'their'.

The Monday to Friday full time role includes live in accommodation.

The successful applicant would need to be 'qualified' and have a driving licence.

The full ad for the decorator vacancy read: 'The Balmoral Estate seeks a qualified or time served decorator to join our busy works department.

'The role requires a person with a good knowledge of his trade including heritage buildings.

'Knowledge of building and maintenance and other trades will be helpful.'

Those applying need to do so by May 19.

The advert drops a clanger, asking for a decorator with good knowledge of 'his' trade, which has led to criticism

The full advertisement for new roles at the estate. The word his has since been changed and described as a typo

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: 'This was a typo which was uploaded in error and has since been corrected.'

The Queen died at Balmoral, near Aberdeen, Scotland in September last year.

It was recently revealed that the Princess of Wales had to stay away from Balmoral while other senior royals rushed to the Queen's side for a final goodbye in order to prevent Meghan Markle going, a royal author has claimed.

Kate, 41, remained in Windsor to look after her children while the immediate family headed to Scotland to be at the late monarch's bedside when she died last September.

Biographer Robert Jobson - author of Our King - said the decision was taken to ensure Prince Harry didn't have an excuse to bring his wife, because he might have insisted if the Princess of Wales was there.

'The King said it was only for the children and grandchildren to be with the Queen,' he told the Daily Telegraph in Australia, adding that Charles wanted to stress that it was 'not appropriate for wives to attend', even though Sophie Wessex travelled to Balmoral.

Kate deliberately stayed away but she desperately wanted to be there with the Queen in her last moments. Thats eaten Kate up and has built up resentment towards Meghan.' 'Privately, he wanted to say Meghan was not welcome,' he continued, according to a report in the NZ Herald . '

Kate, 41, pictured with the Queen in 2012, remained in Windsor to look after her children while the immediate family headed to be at the late monarch's bedside

'But he couldn't say that to Harry, so he personally intervened and asked Kate to stay back so that it was fairer on Meghan.'

He said that the Princess of Wales - who had stayed back at Adelaide Cottage and was spotted leaving Windsor Castle to collect the children from school on the day - had 'wanted to be there with the Queen', but couldn't be.

Meanwhile, William joined his father and other members of the immediate family to be with his grandmother, as doctors revealed they were 'concerned' for her health.

Prince Harry scrambled to Scotland to see the Queen but failed to reach the estate before she passed away aged 96.

In his explosive memoir Spare, the Duke of Sussex revealed the heartfelt final words he told his grandmother just hours after she passed away.

The father-of-two described how he whispered that he 'hoped she was happy' and would be reunited with Prince Philip, who died a year earlier. He also told her that he admired her for having carried out her duties until the end.

It comes as reports claim that Prince William has no plans to reunite with his younger brother when the Duke of Sussex visits the UK for the King's Coronation.

Royal analysts revealed that Harry, 38, had a heartfelt talk with his father on Saturday in an attempt to ease tensions, but has not addressed the ongoing dispute with William.

The Princess of Wales - pictured at the Queen's funeral - has reportedly 'built up resentment' because she was forced to stay back while Royal Family members rushed to Balmoral last year

Click here to read part two of the Mail's sensational Royal serialisation of Our King Arrangements were made to fly the Queen from Windsor to Buckingham Palace and to use a wheelchair - not seen by the public - so that she could make a public appearance Advertisement

It is also understood that there will be no time for the pair to meet during Harry's trip for the May 6 event, The Sun reported.

Ingrid Seward, editor of Majesty Magazine, told the newspaper that the royals all have 'really tight schedules' and she thinks Harry addressing his relationship with William is 'for another time'.

The royal analyst noted it would be 'nice' for Harry to 'stick around and be friendly'. However, it is understood that the Duke's solo trip across the pond will be short.

'Out of politeness you'd think Harry would want to mingle with his family no matter how difficult that might be for him,' she said.

Ms Seward added that she is 'glad' Harry has spoken to Charles because it has 'eased the path to rapprochement', adding: 'Charles will welcome his son. I think his relationship with William is for another time.'

William, 40, and Harry will see each other during the Coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6.

This is understood to be the first time the pair will face each other since January when Harry released Spare, in which he branded his brother as his 'arch-nemesis'.

Harry has also publicly called on his family to apologise to him and Meghan for what they see as slights.

Charles is said to be very pleased that his youngest son is coming and his mood is described as 'generally quite forgiving'.

However, the Prince of Wales is understood to still feel betrayed and angry, particularly by the revelations in Spare.

Sources have recently alleged the 'gulf' between the brothers, who were once close, is now so large they cannot see how their relationship can be repaired.

It is also reportedly unlikely that the pair will sit down together - which insiders previously claimed Harry had demanded.

William had no contact with his brother when Harry came over with Meghan and their children for Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations last year.

And the brothers barely spoke at her funeral later in the year, meeting briefly when William invited Harry and Meghan to join him and Kate to meet the public and view the floral tributes left by members of the public outside Windsor Castle.

It's not the only shocking claim made in veteran royal correspondent Robert Jobson's book, which also revealed that Kate found her Windsor walkabout with Harry and Meghan after the Queen's death 'one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do'.

The Princess of Wales told a senior royal it was so difficult for her because of the 'ill-feeling' between the couples, Mr Jobson said.

Harry, pictured with Meghan and Kate at the Queen's funeral, scrambled to Scotland to see his grandmother as her health deteriorated, but failed to reach Balmoral before she died at 96

Kate found her Windsor walkabout with Harry and Meghan after the Queen's death 'one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do', a sensational new royal book revealed

Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, on the Long Walk at Windsor Castle to greet well-wishers

His new book, Our King, which is being serialised in the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday this month, lays bare the inside story of the Royals' war with the Sussexes before, during and after Megxit, when Harry and Meghan quit the UK.

Kate and William's appearance with Harry and Meghan to greet well-wishers and view the flowers outside the gates of Windsor Castle came two days after the Queen's death at the age of 96 in September last year.

To many, the couples' joint walkabout - said to have been William's idea to put on a show of unity - might have seemed like some kind of reconciliation.

But Mr Jobson said sources close to the Royal Family had confirmed to him that this was an 'illusion'.

He wrote: 'Catherine later admitted to a senior royal that, such was the ill-feeling between the two couples, the joint walkabout was one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do.'

The late Queen Elizabeth II, Charles, Camilla, William, Kate, Harry and Meghan attend the Commonwealth Day Service on March 9, 2020

It comes as relations between the Sussexes and the rest of the Royal Family remain at an all-time low following a series of blistering attacks over the past year.

The Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan in December criticised King Charles as a father before taking a swipe at the choice of wives by male members of The Firm, as the Royals refer to themselves.

Harry insisted that his decision to marry Meghan set him apart from his family because it was 'from his heart' and not because she 'would fit the mould'.

Meanwhile, the Duke's bombshell memoir dealt further blows to the reputation of the monarchy.

Harry accused his brother of assault, branded his stepmother, Camilla, a 'villain' and repeatedly spoke of the family's 'unconscious bias' on race.
The Canadian stylist posted a photo of her flight on her Instagram story

Jessica Mulroney, the one-time best pal of Meghan Markle, has touched down in London just a week before King Charles's coronation.

The Canadian stylist, 43, who has previously been very close to the Duchess of Sussex, revealed on Instagram last night that she has boarded a flight from Toronto to London today.

Her visit, just eight days before King Charles's coronation, comes as the Duchess herself will miss out on the Westminster Abbey ceremony.

While Prince Harry, 38, will attend the coronation celebration in London, Meghan will remain at home in Montecito, California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, as little Archie celebrates his fourth birthday.

As she touched down today with her husband Ben, Jessica looked fresh despite getting off a long-haul flight.

Jessica Mulroney, the former best pal of Meghan Markle, jetted into London this morning just one week ahead of King Charles's coronation

She rocked airport chic in a double denim outfit comprised of blue skinny jeans and a blue denim jacket.

Jessica showed she was prepared for the unseasonably chilly temperatures in the UK by layering up with a short trench jacket.

As she strutted through arrivals in aviator sunglasses, the stylist also carried a longer coat in her arms.

It is unclear what Jessica's plans are when she arrives in London, but she is arriving just in time to join a coronation street party.

Posting a photo of the screen in front of her as she boarded the Air Canada flight last night, she wrote: 'Bye Toronto!' and signalled she was going to sleep.

The screen showed a 'London guide' which included a photo of Big Ben - which is just yards away from Westminster Abbey, where the coronation will be held.

Jessica and Meghan have previously been very close friends, having met while the Duchess was just starting out on Suits.

However the pals appeared to become more distant in 2020 when the style guru was called out by lifestyle blogger Sasha Exeter for comments she made regarding white privilege while the pair had a conversation about the Black Lives Matter movement.

The celebrity stylist from Canada, 43, kept her head down as she strolled through the airport on arrival in the UK

Jessica stood with her husband Ben as they collected their cases with a trolley after arriving at the airport

The couple, who looked fresh despite just coming off a night flight across the Atlantic, chatted while they waited for the lift

Jessica rested her head on her husband Ben's shoulder and shielded her eyes with sunglasses as they waited to leave the airport

Since the awkward moment, mother-of-three Jessica has kept quiet on her relationship with Meghan.

Last month, Jessica shared photos on Instagram which showed her having fun with pals on her birthday night out.

She captioned the post: 'Im not a big birthday girl but this year I wanted to celebrate some of the women that have loved and stood by me unconditionally.

'I am so lucky to have so many smart girls in my life. And you too Ryan. Im a lucky lady.'

After getting off the long haul flight the couple picked up their four cases before heading off to their final destination

Jessica (pictured) layered up for the unseasonably chilly spring weather in the UK as she chose double denim in jeans and a jacket, with a short trench jacket on top, and carried a longer coat with her

Jessica paired her skinny blue denim jeans with a pair of cream Wellington-style boots embellished with a chunky gold chain

Jessica rocked airport chic as she strolled across the concourse and looked stylish despite just getting off a long-haul flight

Jessica Mulroney, a one-time best pal of Meghan Markle, has revealed she is on her way to London just days ahead of King Charles's coronation

The Duchess of Sussex and Jessica (pictured in Toronto in 2015) met and became pals when Meghan was first on Suits

Jessica's visit to London comes as Meghan's pal Gayle King has insisted the Sussexes are in a 'really good place'.

The presenter claimed that the Sussexes are happier than ever despite the continuing tensions with the Royal Family following their Netflix documentary and Harry's memoir Spare.

She told US Weekly: 'I think they make the decision that's best for them. But I think  as [far as] his dad [Charles]  I'm glad he's going'.

After the couple cuddled up watching the LA Lakers this week, but Meghan shunned a public kiss from Harry on the jumbotron, Gayle said: 'You've seen the two of them together and I know what they have is really true-blue. And it's good to see the happiness that they give each other'.
A 'time-travel' painting from the 1860s of a woman holding what looks to be an iPhone has left art lovers puzzled.

The painting, called The Expected One, made by Ferdinand George Waldmuller around 150 years ago.

The piece of art hangs in display at the Neue Pinakothek museum in Munich and was spotted by retired Glasgow local government officer Peter Russell.

It appears to show a woman in a 19th century dress holding a rectangular black object in her hand, reminiscent of a 21st century mobile phone.

The young woman is looking down at the object, which bears remarkable similarity to a scene that's become all too familiar today - 'distracted walkers' who dominate pathways with phones in their hands.

The piece of art hangs in display at the Neue Pinakothek museum in Munich. It appears to show a woman in a 19th century dress holding a rectangular black object in her hand, reminiscent of a 21st century mobile phone

The famous painting first went viral in 2017, when users took to social media to joke that the woman was ignoring the man because she was swiping on a dating app.

But it has since resurfaced, with people discussing whether the painting is a sign of time travel.

She is painted walking down a rocky dirt path, as a kneeling man awaits her approach not far ahead, with a pink flower in his hand.

She is walking in the sun, while the man is tucked behind a corner in the shade.

According to the gallery, the painting is also known as 'Sunday Morning,' and shows the two characters dressed in their Sunday clothes.

As the boy awaits the arrival of 'his love,' the girl appears engrossed in her hymnbook, leaving the viewer wondering if his feelings will be reciprocated.

But an expert says that she is not holding a mobile phone - but a hymnbook, much more fitting for the time.

Rather than focusing on the man with the flower in his hand, the young woman was concentrating on her connection with God and religion.

'What strikes me most is how much a change in technology has changed the interpretation of the painting, and in a way has leveraged its entire context,' Russell told Motherboard.

Users debated on Twitter whether the woman in the painting was holding an iPhone or a hymn book

'The big change is that in 1850 or 1860, every single viewer would have identified the item that the girl is absorbed in as a hymnal or prayer book.

'Today, no one could fail to see the resemblance to the scene of a teenage girl absorbed in social media on their smartphone.'

Users on Twitter debated what the object was - whether the painting was an iPhone or a prayer book.

One user wrote: 'Not originally my post by this picture is <150 years old. Looks a lot like a b****y iPhone doesn't it?!'

Another penned: 'Time travel is real. She's definitely holding an iPhone in this 1860 painting.'

A third commented: 'She's watching TikTok. Duh.'

Others were not convinced that the young woman was holding an iPhone, saying it was a Bible or prayer book instead

A fourth said: 'The way her fingers are laced suggests that she's holding a phone. Holding it that way makes it easier to use both thumbs to type. It is possible shes upset that her phone is about to die because she's in 1860!'

But others weren't so convinced, arguing it was indeed a prayer book.

One user argued and said: 'A small Bible.'

Another wrote: 'Im looking at the painting called The Expected One and really think its more likely she is praying with her prayer book, not an iPhone!'

A third said: 'Its a praying book. Its not an iPhone.'
Ahead of his Coronation next Saturday, the King has carried out a series of engagements with a focus on ties with the Commonwealth.

Today, the royal, 74, accepted the role of Commissioner-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) at Windsor Castle today, and was presented with a ceremonial sword to mark the occasion.

The King took on the role of Honorary Commissioner of the RCMP in 2012 during a visit to Depot Division in Regina, Saskatchewan.

He followed in the footsteps of his later mother, who was appointed the first ever RCMP Commissioner-in-Chief in 2012.

King Charles, 74, was presented with a sword as he accepted the role of Commissioner-in-Chief of the RCMP

Charles was welcomed with a Royal Salute from four mounted members of the RCMP who have travelled to the UK to take part in the Coronation Procession.

Those were are due to be participating were all on horses from four mounted members of the RCMP who have travelled to the UK to take part in the Coronation Procession.

Those participating were on horses from the Royal Mews who were previously gifted by the RCMP to Queen Elizabeth II.

The mark the memorable occasion, the royal was presented with a special commemorative RCMP Officer's sword by the Commissioner of the RCMP, Mike Duheme.

The mark the memorable occasion, the royal was presented with a special commemorative RCMP Officer's sword by the Commissioner of the RCMP, Mike Duheme

King Charles strokes one of the horses who was previously gifted by the RCMP to Queen Elizabeth II

The royal took on the role of Honorary Commissioner of the RCMP in 2012 during a visit to Depot Division in Regina, Saskatchewan

Charles was welcomed with a Royal Salute from four mounted members of the RCMP who have travelled to the UK to take part in the Coronation Procession

Those participating were on horses from the Royal Mews who were previously gifted by the RCMP to Queen Elizabeth II

Earlier today, Charles watched an Australian charity kick off the London leg of a torch relay in celebration of its centenary.

Charles chatted with torchbearers, participants and families at the event to mark 100 years of Legacy in the quadrangle at Buckingham Palace on Friday.

Founded in 1923 by a small group of First World War veterans, Legacy supports thousands of veterans, spouses and children of Australian Defence Force (ADF) members who have been affected by the death or serious injury of a loved one.

Charles received a torch as a gift and watched as torchbearers passed on the flame at Buckingham Palace on Friday.

Torchbearer and mother-of-four Angela Brient, 40, met the King, and on finding out how many children she had, he replied: 'My goodness. How do you manage?'

Widow Ms Brient said Legacy has supported her and her children since her husband died six years ago.

'He went to the Middle East where he suffered a severe injury to his neck. He came home, and even though he had some surgery his mental health declined from his injuries, and he ended up taking his own life,' she said.

Ms Brient, who is from Perth in Australia but lives in Glasgow, said it was 'an honour' to be asked to represent Legacy and said she could not believe she was invited to the Palace.

'It was such a surprise to us all. And we're so excited,' she said.

Speaking about the prospect of meeting the King, Ms Brient said: 'It's an honour I was never expecting to be given in my life, so I'm excited.'

Eric Easterbrook, chairman of Legacy Australia, said it was 'exceptionally exciting and wonderful' to be at the Palace, and 'incredible' to be there so close to the date of the coronation.

There are 44 Legacy clubs across Australia and one club in London.

The Legacy Centenary Torch Relay is a six-month satellite relay event commemorating the charity's 100 years of service and acknowledging veterans' families.

The torch will travel over 50,000 kilometres through 100 locations, carried by approximately 1,500 torchbearers who have a connection to Legacy or the defence community.

The relay began at a ceremony at Pozieres France on April 23.

Whilst in France, the torch featured at Anzac Day events before heading to Ypres, Belgium for the daily Menin Gate Last Post Ceremony.

A relay will take place through the streets of London before the torch will arrive in Albany, Western Australia, and stop at all 44 Legacy clubs across the country, concluding in Melbourne in October.

King Charles, 74, greeted volunteers and families of those who have been killed at war outside the Palace. He beamed as he held the torch

Pictures show the guests lighting up two torches - a silver and gold one that the King held and also a white patterned one. Corporal Daniel Keighran VC presented Charles with a replica relay torch

The relay began in Pozieres, France on 23 April and the Torch will travel to all 44 Legacy Clubs in Australia

The royal stood with his hands in his pockets as he watched them being set alight, with a grin on his face

The King also sent the charity a letter, congratulating them their anniversary.

The letter said: 'I am delighted to be able to congratulate Legacy Australia on its centenary anniversary this year.

'I would also like to take this opportunity to thank and pay tribute to, the staff, partners, supporters and particularly the 'Legatees' who work so hard to support Australian veterans and their families.

'I know that many Legatees are veterans themselves, but are all committed to upholding Legacy's proud traditions and Spirit of Service and Care for future generations.

He greeted the torch bearers, who were dressed in their white uniform. He shook their hands while chatting to them

The support for the charity also runs in the royal family, as The Queen and Prince Philip continued to provide their support for the organisation and also visited Sydney Legacy on their tour of Australia in 1954

Many looked very pleased to meet the King, smiling and laughing during their conversations

'I would also like to pay tribute to Legacy's beneficiaries. Their sacrifice, whether through personal service or the loss of life or health of a loved one, will never be forgotten.

'My wife joins me in sending you our warmest good wishes for a memorable and enjoyable programme of commemorative events and every possible success to those participating in the Centenary Torch Relay to mark this most special anniversary.'

The support for the charity also runs in the royal family, as The Queen and Prince Philip continued to provide their support for the organisation and also visited Sydney Legacy on their tour of Australia in 1954.
Loni Willison was once a booming model - posing for well-known fitness magazines and walking the red carpet at glamorous events alongside her then-husband, Jeremy Jackson. But a mere seven years later, the former star's life is far cry from what it once was.

Loni, 39, is now homeless and living on the streets of LA - with nothing except the few piles of clothes that can fit in her shopping cart and the scarce items that she can uncover while digging through the trash.

The former model was recently photographed rummaging through the dumpster in search of food while donning dirty and disheveled clothes and concealing her buzzed hair underneath an old rugged cap - certainly a vast transformation from the blonde bombshell that once graced the cover of numerous publications.

So how did she go from a popular Hollywood starlet who was married to a successful actor to a recluse who has to forage through people's garbage to find something to eat?

Loni Willison was once a booming model - posing for well-known magazines and walking the red carpet at glamorous events alongside her then-husband, Jeremy Jackson (seen in 2012)

But a mere seven years later, the former star's life is far cry from what it once was. Loni, 39, is now homeless and living on the streets of LA. She is seen earlier this week

From how she found fame and married the popular actor to how she ultimately lost it all - take a look back at Loni's rollercoaster-ride journey. She is seen left in 2015 and right in 2018

Loni's life seemed to fall apart following her tumultuous relationship with Jeremy, who is best known for starring as Hobie Buchannon in the beloved show Baywatch. The two married in 2012, and while on the outside it seemed like their romance was picture perfect, Loni later claimed that Jeremy was physically abusive behind closed doors.

She alleged that their marriage was secretly filled with explosive drunken rows and nasty physical altercations that left her fearing for her life and suffering from multiple broken bones.

After leaving the TV hunk in 2014, Loni not only said goodbye to him, but also to the life of glittering celebrity parties and lavish VIP treatment that she once knew - and completely fell off the grid.

And when she re-emerged nearly four years later - she was practically unrecognizable. Her luscious blonde locks were all cut off, her closet full of designer clothes was long gone, and she had lost her spacious LA abode.

At the time, she spoke to DailyMail.com about her downfall, revealing that she suffered from a mental break in 2016 and started to believe that someone was sending electrical currents into her body - which could only be fixed by taking crystal meth.

Since then, Loni has eschewed all attempts from family and friends to get her help, insisting that she's 'doing just fine' and that she 'has everything she needs' on the streets.

As shocking new photos of the once-successful model hit the web, FEMAIL went ahead and recapped her rise and descend from grace. From how she found fame and married the popular actor to how she ultimately lost it all - take a look back at Loni's rollercoaster-ride journey.

Loni and Jeremy's tumultuous relationship: While it seemed picture perfect on the outside, after they split in 2014, the model claimed the actor strangled and beat her during the marriage

Loni, born on May 21, 1983, in Hemet, California, was once a booming fitness model who posed for magazines like Glam Fit, Flavour Magazine, and Iron Man Magazine

When she and Jeremy became husband and wife in December 2012 - they tied the knot at a resort in Laguna Beach, California - everything seemed picture perfect from the outside

The couple appeared as happy as could be together - they were often seen packing on the PDA and attending glamorous red carpet events and parties side by side

Loni, born on May 21, 1983, in Hemet, California, was once a booming fitness model who posed for magazines like Glam Fit, Flavour Magazine, and Iron Man Magazine.

But her life fell apart in the 2010s. She went through a divorce, lost her job, and ultimately her home after suffering from mental health issues and an addiction to crystal meth - which ultimately left her living on the streets.

When she and Jeremy became husband and wife in December 2012 - they tied the knot at a resort in Laguna Beach, California - everything seemed picture perfect from the outside.

The couple appeared as happy as could be together - they were often seen packing on the PDA and attending glamorous red carpet events and parties side by side.

But Loni later claimed that Jeremy was abusive during their marriage. The pair officially ended their relationship in 2014 - and after going their separate ways, the now 39-year-old started making a series of bombshell allegations about her ex.

She first spoke out against him in 2015, after the former Baywatch star was booted from Celebrity Big Brother in the UK for exposing fellow housemate Chloe Goodman's breast.

At the time, Loni encouraged Chloe to press charges against Jeremy, while admitting that she regretted not taking her own experiences with him to the police.

She claimed he once tried to strangle her and that he smashed their TV with beer bottles - and she even said she had recordings to prove it.

But Loni later claimed that Jeremy was abusive during their marriage. After they split in 2014, she claimed he once strangled and beat her, leaving her with multiple broken bones

Police confirmed to DailyMail.com that a domestic disturbance call was placed from the couple's LA home in August 2014. Loni (seen with Jeremy) opted not to press charges

The Los Angeles Police Department's Wilshire division confirmed to DailyMail.com that a domestic disturbance call was placed from the couple's LA home in August 2014.

The incident reportedly left her with two broken ribs, an injured neck, and scratches on her face and body. However, the case was dropped after Loni opted not to press charges.

She told The Sun in 2015, 'I didn't report him when he attacked me because I was scared. I was in a bad place emotionally and I didn't want Jeremy to go to jail.

'But after all this I think I should have - maybe then I could have stopped Chloe having to go through that.

'I'm not surprised this happened - I know what Jeremy is like. At least now everyone can see what I had to put up with.'

DailyMail.com obtained a sound recording of the alleged attack, in which Loni was heard screaming in terror as Jeremy seemingly beat her.

The former model said she began recording the argument because she wanted to prove he was acting 'crazy.'

The day before the attack, Loni also claimed that he sent her a chilling, 12-minute rap song that he wrote for her via email, in which he announced he 'wanted to kill her.'

Jeremy has faced his own problems since leaving Baywatch. He struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, and he went on to be arrested in 2015 for stabbing a different woman during an argument.

He struck a plea deal, and a judge sentenced him to 270 days in LA County Jail and five years probation.

Loni's fall from grace: How she went from a successful model to living on the streets - after suffering from a mental breakdown, becoming convinced that electrical currents were 'torturing' her and the only that could save her was crystal meth

In 2018, it was revealed that she had become homeless - after DailyMail.com obtained photos of her rummaging through the trash in LA

Days later, she sat down with DailyMail.com to discuss her fall from grace - revealing how everything in her life crumbled after she had a breakdown in 2016

Following Loni's shocking admissions about her romance with Jeremy, she pretty much fell off the grid.

She said that she believed that a strange electrical current, which was coming into her apartment and 'torturing' her, was to blame for all of her problems

For three years, no one saw or heard from the once-successful model, but in 2018, it was revealed that she had become homeless - after DailyMail.com obtained photos of her rummaging through the trash in LA.

Days later, she sat down with DailyMail.com to discuss her fall from grace - revealing how everything in her life crumbled after she had a breakdown in 2016.

At the time, she said she was working as an assistant at a cosmetic surgery center in LA, but was fired after she started to suffer from mental health issues.

She said that she believed that a strange electrical current, which was coming into her apartment and 'torturing' her, was to blame for all of her problems.

'I was getting tortured in my home, my apartment,' Loni explained. 'I was living by myself but I was getting electrocuted.

'It was really bad, really horrible. I later found a red mark on the back of my neck and I think that was how the electricity was getting into my head.'

After losing her job, she struggled to pay her rent and was ultimately booted from her apartment, forcing her to take to the streets

At the time, DailyMail.com found her asleep under a shopping cart on a busy stretch of Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood

Her arms, legs, toes and fingernails were black with dirt, and she had multiple open wounds and injuries on her body

After losing her job, she struggled to pay her rent and was ultimately booted from her apartment, forcing her to take to the streets.

At the time, DailyMail.com found her asleep under a shopping cart on a busy stretch of Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood.

She told DailyMail.com that she hadn't showered in a year - but that she was purposely keeping herself as dirty as possible to prevent being assaulted or raped

Her arms, legs, toes and fingernails were black with dirt, and she had multiple open wounds and injuries on her body.

She told DailyMail.com that she hadn't showered in a year - but that she was purposely keeping herself as dirty as possible to prevent being assaulted or raped.

'I get robbed. I get robbed all the time. People take my stuff,' she said. 'Basically on the streets, you're around people who are doing anything just to get by and if they see something that you have that will help them they're just going to take it.

'It's a survival of the fittest thing. I basically make myself as dirty as possible so that no one attacks me.

'The dirtier I am the better. Smelly, too, but I'm not too smelly right now. If I do those two things, that seems to work.

'I cut off my hair, too, to look different. I cut it myself. But I have been attacked, that's bound to happen, too.'

Loni also said that her body was still full of electricity and that the currents could potentially wreak havoc across California if she didn't take crystal meth to keep it at ease

She also said at the time that she had tried rehab 'before' but that it 'didn't work for her.' She added: 'I need some help. Yes, I do want to get off the street. I want a new life'

Loni also said that her body was still full of electricity and that the currents could potentially wreak havoc across California if she didn't take crystal meth to keep it at ease.

When asked why she didn't turn to her loved ones for help, she explained, 'Everyone I talked to at the time seemed really strange.

'I struggled to get across to them what I was talking about, even really simple things, so I just stopped talking to everybody.

'It just wasn't getting me anywhere and I was only getting more frustrated. I haven't had any contact with family or friends recently. All the s**t that's happened to me has been so f**king crazy.'

When it came to her ex Jeremy, she said they were not in contact but that she 'saw him once outside her apartment when she was starting to get tortured' - however, Loni added that 'the next second ' he turned 'invisible.'

She also said at the time that she had tried rehab 'before' but that it 'didn't work for her.'

'I've got so much to figure out to get off the streets, I need some help,' she added. 'Yes, I do want to get off the street. I want a new life.'

Refusing help: Despite her pleas, Loni turned down offers of free treatment, and insisted she is 'doing just fine' and has 'everything she needs' on the streets

Following DailyMail.com's article, drug rehab specialist Larry Marinelli offered to help Loni for free. However, despite her please for help, Loni (seen in January 2021) declined

Afriend of hers told DailyMail.com that her response was, 'I just want to get high. I need to get high, no one is listening to me. I need to get out of here'

Following DailyMail.com's article, drug rehab specialist Larry Marinelli offered to help Loni for free.

He laid out a treatment plan for her and even secured her a bed in Victory Detox Center in North Hollywood  a drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation facility.

However, despite her please for help, Loni declined, with a friend of hers telling DailyMail.com that her response was, 'I just want to get high. I need to get high, no one is listening to me. I need to get out of here.'

After that, two years went by without a trace of Loni, however, in October 2020, she resurfaced for the first time when she was photographed pushing a shopping cart full of her belongings around the streets of Venice Beach.

In 2020, she told The Sun that she was 'doing just fine' and insisted she 'didn't want anyone to help her'.' She is seen in January 2021

Since then, she has been spotted sporadically picking through dumpsters or walking the streets of LA alone. She's pictured in January 2021

At the time, she told The Sun that she was 'doing just fine' and insisted she 'didn't want anyone to help her.'

'I haven't spoken to Jeremy. I don't want to speak to my friends, I'm doing just fine. I don't want anyone to help me,' she told the outlet.

She insisted that she 'can live on her own' and that she has 'everything she needs right there' in Venice Beach.

'I haven't got a cell phone. I've got food and I've got a place to sleep. I get money here and there and there's food in the bins and near the stores. There's lots here,' she added.

'Nobody really cares about me and I don't want to see them, they don't want to see me.'

Since then, she has been spotted sporadically picking through dumpsters or walking the streets of LA alone.
Bulgaria, a small (population 6.5 million), poor and pro-Russia country in southeast Europe, finds itself in the midst of a scandal involving over a decade of Russian-sponsored sabotage. Despite centuries of being a little brother protected or supported by big brother Russia, Bulgaria became increasingly pro-West after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, adopted democracy and slowly shifted towards alliances with the West. This led to Bulgaria joining NATO in 2004 and the EU (European Union) in 2007. Despite that, many Bulgarians still retained pro-Russia attitudes. That wasnt hard to do because Bulgaria is the only EU (European Union) nation using the Russian Cyrillic alphabet and most Bulgarians belong to the Russian dominated Eastern Orthodox church. While a majority of Bulgarians approved membership in NATO and the EU, many still cling to pro-Russian attitudes.

All this is background for a current scandal in Bulgaria as Russian GRU (military intelligence) operatives were found to be responsible for over a decade of mysterious explosions in storage sites holding Bulgarian-made weapons awaiting shipment to Ukraine or, in 2010, to Georgia. Russia briefly invaded Georgia in 2008, a prelude to the more ambitious attacks on Ukraine in 2014 and 2022. Bulgarian arms manufacturers are one of the few in Europe to manufacture munitions for Russian designed weapons.

These explosions were not accidents, even though Bulgarian officials initially refused to consider sabotage or foreign agents as a cause. That eventually changed as more evidence of Russian GRU activity in Bulgaria was uncovered. British investigators identified some of the GRU agents active in Bulgaria as being some of those involved in a 2019 incident in Britain where the GRU was found responsible using a Russian made poison against British citizens targeted by Russian assassins.

GRU operations in Bulgaria were found to be far more extensive and dramatic (explosive) than what Britain experienced. As Bulgarian officials investigated possible GRU involvement of explosions in several weapons storage sites since 2014 it was found that none of these explosions were accidents and all were the work of Russian GRU operatives assigned to prevent these weapons from reaching Ukraine.

This was embarrassing for Bulgaria, a member of NATO and the EU. Getting into both these organizations was difficult because of the high levels of corruption in Bulgaria. Many of the destroyed weapons were paid for by other NATO members supporting Ukraine. Opinion polls showed that many Bulgarians did not support the Ukrainian resistance to Russian invaders.

Bulgarian problems with NATO membership and Russian weapons is another factor. For example. in 2015 Bulgaria hired a Polish firm to upgrade six of their MiG-29 fighters. Poland was selected because in 2014 Poland completed upgrades required to make their own MiG-29s compatible with NATO standards. This was necessary because Poland was now a member of NATO and could not then afford to replace all its MiG-29s with Western fighters. Poland has the largest fleet of MiG-29s in NATO (32 operational) and other East European nations that recently joined NATO are in a similar situation.

The Poles didnt do it all themselves but figured out who the most effective partners would be. For example, a Polish firm worked with an Israeli company to make the MiG-29 electronics compatible with NATO equipment. Mechanical controls were replaced with electronic (fly by wire) ones. This involved a much more efficient cockpit and some amenities which make life much easier for pilots. All this gave the MiG-29 electronics similar to those in the 48 F-16s Poland has purchased.

The Bulgarian upgrades are less about new electronics and more about keeping the Bulgarian MiG-29s flyable. This was being done despite protests from Russia who insisted it was illegal for anyone but the Russian manufacturer to perform such upgrades and refurbishment. But the Russians wanted a lot more money for the work than Polish, or even Western European firms charged. The then current Russian hostility towards NATO did not make Russia a reliable source of such services.

Bulgaria has to be careful with what it spends on military equipment because the country was never rich to begin with. After Bulgaria broke free from communist (and Russian dominated) government in 1989, it turned to the West for help. Reforms, including reducing the chronic corruption, took time. It wasnt until 2009 that Bulgaria was able to resume training new MiG-29 pilots. Such training had stopped, for budgetary reasons, in the late 1990s. Throughout the 1990s, and until 2004, Bulgaria was busy disbanding its Cold War era air force of 226 aircraft. By 2009 all they had left was 18 MiG-29s (which needed upgrades to meet NATO standards), some Su-25s (for ground attack), a few MiG-21s (on their way out), some Su-22s (used for reconnaissance) and a few dozen transports and helicopters. One by one, most air bases were shut down, and the Russian made aircraft (most of them obsolete) sold for scrap.

Western aircraft are being bought, but the MiG-29s are being kept because they are competitive with Western fighters. That is important because East European nations found that Western warplanes were too expensive. By 2009 the existing MiG-29 pilots were getting old and many of them had already left for more lucrative commercial flying job. This created the need to train another dozen MiG-29 pilots. That training was completed by 2010.

In late 2011 Bulgaria announced that it would postpone a decision on the purchase of a new multi-role jet fighter until at least 2012. Bulgaria originally committed itself to buying a NATO-type fighter as part of its alliance integration process. However, an unexpected economic recession cut into procurement funds and that situation never got better. Soon plans for buying Western warplanes were dropped as well. Then the Poles showed it was possible to upgrade MiG-29s on an East European budget.

Bulgaria and Romania were both forced to clean up their corruption before joining NATO in 2004, and the European Union (EU) in 2007. Being in NATO afforded protection from Russia, which was still considered a threat by East European nations. But NATO would not allow a nation with rampant corruption to join, as that would mean many NATO secrets would be vulnerable to theft via a few well-placed bribes. There was a similar situation with the European Union, which sends in lots of financial aid to needy new members, and does not want to see all that cash stolen by corrupt officials.

But as soon as Romania and Bulgaria were in the EU, the corruption revived. Apparently the crooked officials in both nations agreed to shape up just long enough to get into the EU. Then they could go back to plundering, this time with all that additional EU aid available as well. The EU was not amused, and has been putting pressure on, and issuing threats to, both nations. This is having an impact, because this Grand Scam quickly became obvious to the EU, and there are threats of expulsion and withholding economic aid. This has given the honest politicians an opportunity to install a clean government for the first time. But the dirty politicians are not giving up easily.

Most NATO members are EU nations, and have made it clear that if the two nations cannot clean up their corruption, they can forget about NATO protection as well. The fact that Romania dismissed its armed forces commander, and several senior officers, for plundering military equipment, indicates that the message was received. Recent history indicates that a corruption problem can be quickly addressed. Greece did an admiral job of cleaning up its problems to gain admittance to the Euro zone (using the Euro as its currency and gaining financial and trading benefits). But, like Bulgaria and Romania, Greece found that after they got into the Euro Zone in 2001, after having failed to make the grade in 1999, the backsliding began. It's a struggle that will take a decade or more of politically hard anti-corruption work to change centuries-old traditions.
The Markle family has shared photos and videos of Meghan ahead of the special

Meghan Markle is pictured laughing at the dinner table as a young woman in a previously unseen photo shared by her family.

The Duchess of Sussex, 41, wears a white crossover blouse and has her hair tied back into a messy bun as she smiles in a candid snap which will appear in a special programme featuring her father and half-siblings this Sunday.

A 7NEWS Australia Spotlight special sees Thomas Markle, Samantha Markle and Thomas Jr reunite ahead of King Charles's coronation as they share previously unseen footage and photos of Meghan growing up.

Ahead of the special, journalist Taylor Auerbach shared the photo of the Duchess on Twitter, claiming it was one of the photos Meghan 'never wanted the world to see'.

He also shared the trailer for the special, in which Meghan is also seen doing a victory lap of her school field after being crowned homecoming queen.

Ahead of a 7NEWS Australia Spotlight special which will air on Sunday featuring the Markle family, journalist Taylor Auerbach shared a photo on Twitter of a young Meghan at the dinner table wearing a white blouse and smiling candidly, labelling it a photo she 'never wanted the world to see'

Posting the newly surfaced photo, Auerbach wrote: 'The photographs Meghan Markle NEVER wanted the world to see.'

He also posted behind-the-scenes snaps of the Markles during production of the special, promising it would be the 'full explosive truth about the most famous woman in the world and the family she abandoned'.

In a trailer for the programme, posted on Auerbach's Twitter account earlier today, the Duchess of Sussex looks regal in grainy footage from her school days when she was voted as Homecoming Queen by her friends.

She gracefully waves to her peers before putting her hand over her mouth as her face appears to express shock at her accolade.

The home video clips, which also include footage of the former Suits actress performing on stage from a young age, come amid news that Meghan has signed with a talent agency that also represents Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.

In one high school clip, Meghan appears to be wearing a white gown and a tiara as she drives along the track of the school field with the homecoming king.

In another clip, she walks arm-in-arm with the 'king' who is dressed in a sharp black tuxedo.

Elsewhere in the home videos, the Duchess is seen performing on stage when she is just a young child as she shows off her talents from an early age.

A young Meghan beams as she wears a cowboy hat and a costume while performing with other young girls on stage.

The trailer for the documentary hears from Meghan's father Thomas Markle, and her half-siblings Samantha and Thomas Jr.

Auerbach also shared a series of behind-the-scenes photos of the Markle family, who will speak on camera this Sunday. L-R: Samantha Markle, Thomas Markle Sr., Thomas Markle Jr.

In the behind-the-scenes photos, Thomas Markle Sr. uses a walking stick and appears to be ailing in health

Previously unseen footage of the Duchess of Sussex as homecoming queen at school has resurfaced and will feature in a 7News Spotlight special about the Markle family

Another photo of the production of the special shows Thomas Markle Sr. sitting down to be interviewed one-on-one

Journalist Taylor Auerbach posted the photos on Twitter, promising an 'explosive' programme featuring the family members Meghan 'abandoned'

As part of the special, the Markles are pictured watching old home videos and smiling. At one point, a beaming Samantha rests her head on her father's shoulder.

Samantha tells the camera: '[Meghan] would still be a waitress if it wasn't for Dad.'

Thomas Jr then says: 'We're not gonna go away. This is gonna change everything.'

It is unclear what the Duchess's half-brother is referring to.

As clips of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex walking together at the public announcement of their engagement and then at their final Commonwealth Day service before leaving the UK, Samantha's voice can be heard over the footage.

A young duchess is seen dancing onstage in a hat, scarf and a black outfit with her friends as she shows early flair for performing

A still from the trailer for the special episode shows Meghan as a child riding a horse, from a Markle home video

She says: 'Very unhealthy for each other. It's a toxic relationship.'

In one clip, Thomas, who appears to be in ailing health, says: 'How can I fix this?'

The voiceover describes his words as a 'dad's deathbed plea'.

Auerbach also shared photos from behind the scenes of the production of the TV special, in which the Markles get ready to be interviewed.

One photo shows Thomas Markle Sr sitting in between his children Samantha and Thomas Jr., holding a walking stick.

The Markles have reunited to speak out as Meghan makes waves in Hollywood after signing with William Morris Endeavor (WME) talent agency.

Variety reported that the Duchess, and Archewell has been taken on by the company, which also represents WWE star Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Meghan's friend, Serena Williams.

Acting will not be an area of focus, Variety reports, despite her history on-screen. Prior to her marriage, Markle starred as Rachel Zane on the popular USA Network series 'Suits' and appeared in several Hallmark films.

According to the outlet, Markle will work with Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, agent Brad Slater, and agent Jill Smoller.

WME will represent Archewell, Markle and Prince Harry's content creation label, and work with the Duchess on film and television production, brand partnerships, and overall business-building.

In her Variety cover shoot in 2022, Markle said she was not considering a return to acting in the near future.

'I'm done. I guess never say never, but my intention is to absolutely not,' Markle said.

The Duchess did signal that she was interested in doubling down on Archewell and the stories and productions the company takes on.

'So much of how my husband and I see things is through our love story. I think that's what people around the world connected to, especially with our wedding. People love love. I'm not excluded in that sentiment,' Markle said.

'For scripted, we want to think about how we can evolve from that same space and do something fun. It doesn't always have to be so serious. Like a good rom-com. Don't we miss them? I miss them so much,' she continued.
A woman who was trying to film a 'cute' day-in-the-life video while working from home was left horrified after she accidentally captured the moment she was laid off from her job.

Jen Lucas, from Atlanta, Georgia, decided that she wanted to make a Wes Anderson-style daily vlog for her social media - but the video certainly did not go as planned.

In the midst of recording, Jen actually got fired from her position as a recruiting manager at Amazon - which meant her honest reaction to the sudden loss of her job was caught on film in real time.

She then uploaded the footage to TikTok and it quickly went viral - gaining more than 5.8 million views.

A woman who was trying to film a 'cute' day-in-the-life video while working from home was left horrified after she accidentally captured the moment she was laid off from her job

Jen Lucas, from Atlanta, Georgia, decided that she wanted to make a Wes Anderson-style daily vlog for her social media - but the video certainly did not go as planned

In the midst of recording, Jen actually got fired from her position as a recruiting manager at Amazon - which meant her honest reaction to the sudden loss of her job was caught on film

'I was trying to film a cute, Wes Anderson-style WFH and accidentally filmed myself getting laid off?' she began in the TikTok, alongside a video that showed her banging her head against the wall.

She then uploaded the footage to TikTok and it quickly went viral - gaining more than 5.8 million views

She then shared the clips taken earlier in the day, seemingly before she had any idea that she was about to lose her job.

They featured her getting out of bed, brushing her teeth, and making coffee, before she sat down at her desk and started checking her emails.

Suddenly, her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hand in horror.

'Real time opening the email,' she wrote.

Jen concluded the video by revealing that she took a 'mental health' walk with her husband and dog after finding out the news, adding, 'Onward to better things.'

'I debated if I should even post this, but if you got laid off too just know youre not alone,' she said in the caption.

In a follow-up video, the former Amazon employee explained that she was very 'shocked' by the news because she had worked for the company for eight years and thought she was doing well.

Jen shared clips taken earlier in the day, seemingly before she had any idea that she was about to lose her job. They featured her getting out of bed, brushing her teeth, and making coffee

She then sat down at her desk and started checking her emails. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hand in horror. 'Real time opening the email,' she wrote

Jen concluded the video by revealing that she took a 'mental health' walk with her husband and dog after finding out the news, adding, 'Onward to better things'

'I've been promoted a ton of times. I got promoted twice last year, I had an amazing review just a month ago,' she explained.

Jen said she believed the firing was 'not about her performance or who she was as an employee,' but added that it 'didn't make it suck any less.'

She continued: 'Part of me is glad to be out of this extremely toxic environment but the other part feels like a failure and a disappointment.

'I hate that I have to tell people I got laid off from my job but that's life and I'm human.

'This doesn't make me any less amazing or valuable or smart. I know I'm gonna land on my feet, I know I'm gonna be fine but this sucks. This is a top 10 bad feeling.'

People quickly flooded the comment section of her original video with their reactions.

Many sent her their support, while some joked that the incident actually made her TikTok seem even more like a Wes movie.

Wes is a filmmaker behind flicks like The Grand Budapest Hotel, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Isle of Dogs, and is well-known for his unique and artistic style of editing.

In a follow-up video, the former Amazon employee said she was very 'shocked' by the news because she had worked for the company for eight years and thought she was doing well

Jen said she believed the firing was 'not about her performance or who she was as an employee,' but added that it 'didn't make it suck any less'

People quickly flooded the comment section of her video. Many sent her their support, while some joked that the incident actually made her TikTok seem even more like a Wes movie

'This is actually the MOST accurate Wes Anderson video Ive seen, utter aesthetic tragedy,' wrote one person.

Despite the many nice messages, Jen did receive some nasty ones too. Jen posted a video responding to someone who ccused her of getting sacked for 'making s**ty TikToks while you're supposed to be working.' She said she filmed the TikTok outside of work hours and encouraged them to have 'compassion'

'This is how you do a Wes Anderson properly,' added another, while someone else said, 'This is actually peak Wes Anderson.'

'You thought you were doing a trend but you made a short film. I had emotions,' read a fourth comment.

'So sorry about your job, but on the bright side, with the creativity youve shown in this perfect video, Im sure a better job will come to you soon,' a different user commented.

'Petition to announce every layoff via trend,' someone else joked. 'I'm so sorry bestie but you've got this.'

'This is sad but you still committed. And it turned out beautiful,' another person gushed.

Despite the many nice messages, Jen did receive some nasty ones too. In particular, one person accused her of getting sacked for 'making s**ty TikToks while you're supposed to be working.'

'There are 16 hours outside of a 9 to 5 that you can use however you want,' she responded. 'You might want to try some compassion, being kind is a better way to live.'
A woman who went viral after she claimed one of her bridesmaids stole hundreds of dollars from her bachelorette party fund has revealed the alleged thief has now accused her of 'bullying' for sharing the story on TikTok.

The bride, who goes by Hispana Hippie online, 34, from Boston, Massachusetts, posted a video earlier this month detailing how one of her friends offered to put the costs of her bachelorette party on her credit card - but when some of the other ladies sent her their portions of the bill, she ran off with the money and never actually booked anything.

The two soon became embroiled in a nasty feud over the cash - which got so intense the courts had to get involved.

And after the woman spoke out about the drama online, she said the 'villain bridesmaid' has now claimed that she filed a police report against her for 'harassment and bullying.'

A woman claimed one of her bridesmaids stole hundreds of dollars from her bachelorette party fund - and accused her of 'bullying' for sharing the story on TikTok

The bride, who goes by Hispana Hippie online, from Boston, posted a video earlier this month detailing how one of her friends offered to put the costs of her bachelorette party on her card

But when some of the other ladies sent her their portions of the bill, she ran off with the money and never actually booked anything

'Storytime on how my ex-best friend and bridesmaid turned into the villain of my wedding,' she said in the original video, which has now been viewed more than 6.3 million times.

After the woman spoke out about the drama online, she said the 'villain bridesmaid' has now claimed that she filed a police report against her for 'harassment and bullying'

'I got married a year ago and for my wedding, my bridesmaids got together to throw my a bachelorette party.

'They decided to split the costs evenly, and one bridesmaid offered to put the accommodations on her credit card.'

The bride explained that two of the bridesmaids 'immediately sent her their portion of the cost' - which totaled around $390.

But after receiving the payments, the 'villain bridesmaid' told everyone that she would 'no longer be able to use the credit card because her husband wouldn't let her.'

'She said she was more than happy to return the funds,' Hispana Hippie continued. 'Another one of the bridesmaids then stepped up and said she was happy to pay with her credit card.

'She asked the villain bridesmaid to send the two portions she already received plus her own.'

But according to the TikToker, the 'villain bridesmaid' never sent the money. And when it came time for the bachelorette party, the woman didn't show up.

The rest of the bridesmaids decided to approach her at the rehearsal dinner for the wedding, but she avoided giving them the money they were owed.

When it came time for the bachelorette party, the bride (seen at the party) said the alleged thief didn't show up

The rest of the bridesmaids approached her at the rehearsal dinner, but she avoided giving them the money they were owed. The bride is seen at the bachelorette party with her friends

The TikToker added that for 'weeks' after that, the women all went 'back and forth' trying to get the payment from the 'villain bridesmaid.' They eventually decided to take her to civil court

'At the wedding rehearsal, the rest of the bridesmaids got together and asked her to please pay back the two portions she already received plus her own, because all of this was already paid for,' explained the bride.

'She insisted that she will, grabbed her husband and said she was gonna go to the ATM. She left to go pick up the money and didn't return.'

The next day at the wedding, the bride said the 'villain bridesmaid' dodged the payments once again and ultimately left early without giving them the funds.

The TikToker added that for 'weeks' after that, the women all went 'back and forth' trying to get the payment from the 'villain bridesmaid.'

'She declined and said she shouldn't have to pay so much because she didn't attend the bachelorette party,' she continued.

'Unfortunately, this was already paid for, so the bridesmaid who [paid] was now out of a significant amount of money.

'This girl accepted payments from the other two bridesmaids but didn't want to pay it forward when she didn't end up paying for any of it at all.'

The social media user added that no one told her about what was happening at the time because they wanted her to have a 'stress-free' wedding, but they eventually let her in on the drama.

Thankfully, after her video gained immense traction online, she said she finally got the money - but she's now facing a court case of her own

She said: 'I received a text from our villain, stating that she had submitted three police reports and was attempting to charge me with harassment and bullying. We have court in two weeks'

'When I found out that this bridesmaid had stolen money from the other two bridesmaids and now my other friend of over a decade was out 100s of dollars, I was livid,' she said. 'So I did what any smart b***h would do, I helped her file a civil court case.'

Hispana Hippie said that the 'villain bridesmaid' evaded all of their calls, texts, and emails - and even failed to show up at court.

The judge ultimately ruled against the 'villain bridesmaid' and in an update video posted this week, the bride said she finally got the money - however, she may now facing a court case of her own.

'Y'all... she finally paid,' she said. 'The payments have been submitted to the court and a dismissal has been filed.

'However, I have received a text threat from our villain, stating that she had submitted three police reports and was attempting to charge me with harassment and bullying. So we have court in two weeks. Stay tuned.'

While reflecting on the incident to Insider, Hispana Hippie, who opted to keep her name hidden for privacy reasons, admitted that she was extremely hurt by the whole ordeal.

'I thought this person really cared about me,' she said.

She added that she 'hasn't done anything except tell the truth,' and that she thinks the ex-friend's claim that she reported her to the police may be a lie to try to scare her.
Dear Bel,

At the beginning of March my son phoned to say he and his wife were getting a divorce.

They have always been loving, that's why it's a shock. Our daughter-in-law (let's call her D) and I spoke on the phone, both crying and bewildered.

It seems there's a woman at his work who lost her husband a couple of months ago and they've had feelings for each other for a few years.

My son said they haven't done anything yet! She's aware she's helped break up a marriage and doesn't care. What woman does this two months after her husband dies?

D has tried to suggest couples counselling, but he said no. She thinks he's going through a mid-life crisis and we agree. He thought he could stay at home sleeping separately, but is now renting a flat.

Eight years ago he tried to run his own business but got into debt. He's been paying this off, and finishes in a couple of months' time, which would have meant a lot to them as a family.

Our son is demonstrative but has a cruel streak. He taught his children to call me 'Old Woman'  a 'joke' I don't find funny, but disrespectful. He was mean not wanting us to spend Christmas with them.

And he just left it to D to explain to their children why he's gone. They were very upset. At Easter we spent some time with D and the children which was lovely. She told us she'd never stop us seeing our grandchildren.

My husband apologised to her over our son's behaviour and she said, 'It's not your fault.'

What makes everything worse is the fact that my husband has prostate cancer, diagnosed October 2017. Last year it spread . . . but after more treatment I still have him.

Estrangement from our son is so upsetting. D told him he should visit his Dad while he can and if he doesn't he will regret it. How do I get through to him?

MURIEL

This week, Bel Mooney helps a woman n how to get through to her son who has a 'cruel streak'

My sympathy is with you for reasons more complex and private than I can write here.

Your full letter reveals you've already experienced your daughter's divorce and she's now living at home with her son waiting to afford a flat.

So you've been churned in an emotional mill once, and are now experiencing it again. Your son's debt problems must have caused tremendous anxiety. Yes, we mothers endure so many dark nights of the soul over the adult children we just want to be happy.

But as I've said so often on this page, we cannot run their lives for them, feel responsible for their faults, or pick up the pieces when they fall. We can do our best  but that's all.

Thought of the day There were all those unkindnesses, palpable, daily, so easily avoidable; but one could not think just of those, thought Mma Ramotswe, or one would spend ones time in tears  and the unkindnesses would continue. So the small things came into their own: small acts of helping others, if one could; small ways of making ones own life better: acts of love, acts of tea, acts of laughter. Clever people might laugh at such simplicity, but, she asked herself, what was their own solution? (From The Good Husband Of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith) Advertisement

Your husband apologised to your poor daughter-in-law because he felt responsible for the destruction your son is causing  and I know what that feels like.

But we must be rational and realise the sins of the children cannot be taken on their parents' shoulders  even if you feel the heaviness.

It was absolutely unacceptable for your son to teach his children a disrespectful nickname for you.

He probably didn't want you at Christmas because his mind was too full of the other woman to make an effort for you.

He didn't even have the courage and kindness to explain to his own children why he is abandoning them and hurting their mother. It is clear you feel all these criticisms, too.

But of course he should pay attention to his sick father. It's sad and shocking that he keeps his distance  presumably because he knows you both judge his actions and feel shame. He cannot face the two people who gave him life, no more than he was able to face his own children. How can such people bear to look at themselves in the mirror?

Right now taking care of your ill husband has to have priority over everything else. A proper old-fashioned letter might just 'get through' to your selfish son, telling him that he may not have a father for very much longer and asking if he wishes to live the rest of his life regretting his actions.

Do you have an old photo of the two of them in happier times that you can slip into the envelope to prick his conscience?

That can work, so try. And time with your decent daughter-in-law and grandchildren is a priority. I wish you all the strength you need.

He just won't cope if I die first

Dear Bel,

My husband and I have been happily married for 39 years, with no children. I am 73 and he is ten years older. We are both in reasonably good health.

Here is my unusual problem: I am terrified of dying first, because he wouldn't be able to cope alone. He is getting a little bit forgetful and confused  though I think not badly enough to seek medical advice.

Like me, he has a good sense of humour, a youthful outlook and is an excellent conversationalist. We have lovely family and friends and a pleasant social life.

We have given powers of attorney to my brother and sister-in-law, which is some comfort, but I am still terrified of leaving him a widower.

These days I see to everything: paperwork, appointments, medications (he takes a lot and has been known to forget); social events, ticket bookings, holidays, dog-walking (he is waiting for knee surgery so can't walk far); all the cooking, shopping and most of the housework.

I'm not complaining  I do it all because I love him, and I know he's not able to, physically or (I hate saying this) mentally. He sometimes seems distant and not with it, although at other times he's fine.

Because we have no children, once one of us dies there'll be no one to take care of the other. I know I could manage alone, but my darling husband wouldn't be able to, and that's what scares me.

His shed, workshop and ride-on mower are his favourite things so he couldn't bear to go into a home  and it's not fair to expect family members to look after him.

Do you think my fear irrational?

ELIZABETH

Your poignant letter is indeed unusual on this page, yet you express an ancient anxiety.

When I was at university I studied medieval Scottish poetry in which the Latin refrain, Timor mortis conturbat me tolls all the way through. It means, 'The fear of death disturbs me'  even at 21 I understood its meaning.

At that time my first husband and I used to whisper to each other the dread that one goodbye must be the last. The richer life becomes through love, the sadder it is to imagine it coming to an end.

But here you add another layer of significance. Because when you love somebody deeply, natural fears about your own death are made far worse by that very love. The self-centred thought, 'I don't want to die' is transformed into the selfless, 'I can't bear to imagine my loved one suffering without me.' Is that 'irrational'? Of course not.

Your letter is an example of reason and emotion all rolled into one  and it certainly spoke to me.

The American farmer-poet Wendell Berry wrote a beautiful poem (part of a sequence called Sabbath Poems) about an old couple sitting on their porch in companionable silence after supper, knowing each other so well, and yet not able to know the impossible . . . 'Which one goes first through the dark doorway, bidding / Goodnight, and which sits on a while alone.'

That terrible Question Mark is at the heart of all our lives and your letter. And  as is so often the case these days  I find myself sympathising yet admitting there is nothing I can say. How can I write down any sort of answer to the pain of love and the fear of death all rolled into one?

You do so much to keep your good life with your husband happy, busy and efficient and at times that must be tiring. Setting up the powers of attorney is a sensible but melancholy process (we've done the same) which forces you to look ahead, no matter how much you do not want to.

I might suggest some exercises in mindfulness (information on this, like everything else, is available online) but someone as intelligent as you already knows perfectly well it's wiser to live in the present as much as possible. And try suggesting meditation for relaxation to somebody whose mind is like a hive of bees . . .

Your husband is older, and men tend to live shorter lives than women; you can draw a conclusion from that point which I don't wish to spell out. For now all you can do is rejoice that your dear husband takes such pleasure in his 'shed, workshop and ride-on mower' and make sure he works on his upper body strength (get him some weights  seriously) in preparation for the knee surgery.

Might you invest in a mobility scooter for him to go out and about with you? Most of all, Elizabeth, be sure to create plenty of time to keep yourself as healthy and relaxed as possible.

When your thoughts make you panicky I want you to take a deep breath and focus your eyes and mind on something tangible like the shape of a cloud, the smell of a flower or a beautiful piece of music you love. For what does it matter in the end  where it's all leading, for any of us? Butterflies' lives are short, but they fulfil their purpose and are beautiful.

And finally... there are two sides to every story

This column began its life in June 2007 and since then I'm glad to say I have only ever encountered two or three complaints. The latest arises after I included a letter from someone complaining bitterly about a family member.

I've now heard from C, the sister of that accused person, telling me the letter-writer is a 'narcissistic' liar, and expressing anger that the letter was printed. Her distress in two emails distressed me greatly in turn.

Contact Bel Bel answers readers' questions on emotional and relationship problems each week. Write to Bel Mooney, Daily Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY, or email bel.mooney@dailymail.co.uk. Names are changed to protect identities. Bel reads all letters but regrets she cannot enter into personal correspondence. Advertisement

Of course, in replying to any letter I only have one side of a story, but I'm afraid the alternative (checking every fact) would be utterly impossible. There is no choice but to take letters at face value.

C writes, 'Unwittingly, you became part of the malevolent behaviour, when you printed the letter.'

I'm glad she understands I can have no control over who is, or is not, telling the truth. But I do care greatly about the feelings of everyone reading this page and hate inadvertently to cause pain.

C says, '. . . where you have failed massively is by not doing enough to protect my sibling's identity. Simply changing the author's name does not anonymise the letter.'

Here I acknowledge she is right; I should have done more to disguise the letter.

Often I alter as many facts as possible, but this time I did not. It can be a fine balance, because if you change everything the original letter becomes almost inauthentic.

But in this case I think I'm at fault  and very much regret it. If anybody recognises someone who appears on this page they should realise that family issues can be toxic, as C has informed me.

It's always annoyed me when people ask if the letters to this page are 'real'.

My riposte is that I used to write fiction, but no longer need to. It would be so much easier to make everything up, when complicated reality is so problematic.
A self-described 'perfume professor' has revealed an easy way to make your fragrances last all day.

Fragrance expert Emelia said to mix perfume oil with unscented body lotion before applying it to the skin to make any scent linger for hours.

The perfume guru shared some more tips to stay smelling divine including scrunching perfume into your hair and waiting for the alcohol to dissolve before rubbing the scent on your skin.

'POV: You mixed perfume oil with an unscented body cream for the first time and it made your perfume last way longer,' Emelia wrote in an Instagram video of her trying the hack.

She used a small dollop of the cream onto her palm then poured a few drops of perfume oil on top and mixed them by rubbing her hands together before applying to her skin.

Scroll down for video

Emelia (pictured), aka the Perfume Professor, has revealed her trick for making fragrances last longer. She said to mix perfume oil with an unscented body cream before applying

Emelia's tip can also work for perfume sprays but she recommended waiting for the alcohol to disappear before smearing it on your skin.

'If you don't have a matching perfume oil, you can also spritz your perfume into your hand and mix that with your unscented cream,' she said.

'Just wait for the alcohol to dissipate off of your palm, and make sure you use SPF if you'll be out in the sun.'

Emilia reminded viewers not to apply perfume onto their face and to make sure the skin is moisturised before applying any fragrance.

'You can also put some perfume oil into your palms and scrunch it into your hair! This will really help your scent trail linger,' she added.

The perfume pro's clip was viewed more than 41,200 times as many in the comments were thankful for the handy tip.

'I need to try,' one said while another wrote: 'Running to try this now'.

'Always but I do this with essential oils,' added a third.

However, some followers were confused by Emelia's advice as many experts have warned against rubbing perfume into the skin like many do on their wrists.

Award-winning French-Armenian perfumer Francis Kurkdjian told Vogue rubbing perfume between your wrists is 'very bad' as it 'heats up the skin, which produces natural enzymes that change the course of the scent.'

Emelia's tip can also work for perfume sprays but recommended waiting for the alcohol to disappear before smearing it on your skin

However, Emelia assured her sceptics the rule does not apply to perfume oils and making sure the alcohol dissolves before rubbing a spray on your skin will not affect the scent.

One woman suggested spraying perfume onto the skin after applying unscented body cream so you don't have to mix the two in your hand and Emelia replied suggesting using both.

'Perfume oil is a thicker consistency and will give the spray something extra to hold onto. It will also intensify your scent cloud,' she answered.

This isn't the first time Emelia has wowed with a handy perfume hack.

Previously she revealed why you should never store your fragrances in the bathroom and where to keep them instead so they last 'years and years'.

Emelia said 'constant temperature fluctuations' in the bathroom will 'spoil' any perfumes stored there faster.

Previously Emelia revealed you should never store your fragrances in the bathroom but to keep them in a cool, dry, dark place like a bedroom drawer so they last 'years and years'

She also warned against keeping them on a window sill and said the best place to store perfumes is in a 'cool, dry, dark place'.

'It's come to my attention that no one on TikTok and Pinterest knows the proper way to store perfume,' she said in an online clip after showing a series of images of fragrance bottles on a bathroom bench.

'If you looked at this photo and you had a visceral reaction to seeing perfume on the bathroom counter, you were correct.'

Emelia said steam from the shower and constant temperature changes in the bathroom will spoil perfume quicker than if they are stored correctly.

'Now you're thinking, OK I'll take them out of my bathroom and I'll put them on my dresser or my window sill - don't do that either,' she said.

'Store your fragrances in a cool, dry, dark place. I always recommend your closet or a dresser drawer.'

Emelia added some people keep their perfumes in the fridge but they 'don't need to go that far'.

Poll Where do you keep your perfume? In the bathroom In a drawer On a dresser In my handbag In the wardrobe Where do you keep your perfume? In the bathroom 174 votes

In a drawer 279 votes

On a dresser 243 votes

In my handbag 12 votes

In the wardrobe 167 votes Now share your opinion





'When you store them correctly they will last you for years and years,' she said adding the phrase: 'Say it with me: hide them away to make them stay'.

Beauty lovers were wowed by the little-known information.

'WOAH did not know this. So eau de toilette does not go near the toilette!' joked one viewer.

'Facts. I still have fragrance from high school thats still going strong,' agreed a second.

'The walk of shame I just did to my bathroom. Into the hall closet they go,' another replied.

But not everyone was convinced and wanted to keep their 'pretty' perfume bottles on display.

'Nahhhh Im not buying pretty and expensive bottles to not have them on display,' one woman wrote.

'I'll forget about it if I hide it,' another pointed out.
A small detail in a gym's advertisement looking for models to promote their new apparel range has cause a stir for being 'fatphobic' and lacking size inclusivity.

The gym chain posted a notice online looking for female models between a size extra small and a small.

Hundreds were up in arms by the size requirement slamming it as 'sickening' and unfair to gym-goers bigger than a size eight.

However not everyone was offended and pointed out models of larger sizes could already be included or casters are trying to find people who fit in sample sizes.

The gym in question has clarified the post was a 'miscommunication' and they were looking for models of a certain size based on the clothing their suppliers had made available to them.

An Australian gym's notice looking for XS-S female models has divided opinion. Many thought the size requirement was 'fatphobic' while others leapt to the gym's defence

'How's this for size inclusivity?' one of the gym's members wrote online with a screenshot of the flyer temporarily posted to its Instagram story.

'We are looking for male and female eCommerce models to shoot our new apparel - Melbourne based,' the message from the Melbourne-based gym read.

It added they were after medium-sized male models and female models who fit an XS or S.

The woman's post quickly racked up hundreds of reactions with many sharing their outrage over the 'sickening' detail.

'Yuck they actually put this on the internet,' one woman said while another wrote: 'I hate it here. How hard is it to just support inclusivity??'.

'Because people still don't like us fat people, especially gyms,' a third replied.

'Like people bigger than a size small don't wear gym clothes?????' added a fourth.

Poll What do you think of the gym's model casting call? It's fatphobic and doesn't promote size inclusivity They probably already have models of larger sizes There's nothing wrong with it What do you think of the gym's model casting call? It's fatphobic and doesn't promote size inclusivity 28 votes

They probably already have models of larger sizes 9 votes

There's nothing wrong with it 95 votes Now share your opinion





Many came to the defence of the fitness brand and didn't see any issue with wanting smaller-sized models.

'I'm a chunky girl and honestly this isn't that serious or offensive. More important things to worry about!' one woman responded.

'It's really not that deep, they are probably modelling sample sizes,' a second agreed.

'This could be for a lot of reasons, if it's merch sampling they may have only been sent those sizes or they may have already photographed other sizes already,' a third explained.

'It's also a gym so they're gonna wanna be promoting 'fitter' people more than likely.'

Sample sizes refers to clothing sent out by brands and designers for press, modelling and PR purposes.

They are normally made in small sizes supposedly to save money on fabric but have been criticised for not representing average body types.

Those angered by the gym's post were not convinced by the defenders' excuses with one saying: 'The fact there are so many 'what ifs!' Instead of just supporting body inclusivity is mind boggling to me'.

The gym has been accused of not supporting diversity (stock image)

'I'm gonna need a follow up when they post photos from their model call because the amount of people in here assuming they've already shot larger sizes are sweet, but most likely wrong,' wrote a second.

A spokesperson representing the gym said the post was a 'miscommunication' and did not intend to exclude anyone or insinuate negative stereotypes.

They said they had only received items in extra small and small in the yet-to-be-released clothing range from their supplier despite requesting a range of sizes.
Many people have a type - and when they try to describe it, will often refer to physical characteristics like blue eyes or brown hair.

But for others, known as sapiosexual, their type is cerebral - that is to say, they are sexually attracted to highly intelligent people, viewing brains as the most important quality in a mate.

And it appears sapiosexuality is on the rise, with people taking to platforms like TikTok to talk about how hot under the collar a high IQ can make them, with the sapiosexual hashtag reaching almost 4.5 million views on the platform.

However, the label is not without controversy. To understand why, it's important to understand exactly what sapiosexuality is.

Barbara Santini, a psychologist and sex advisor at Peaches and Screams, told FEMAIL: 'Sapiosexuality has become a popular term in recent years to describe individuals who are primarily sexually attracted to intelligence or intellect.

People known as sapiosexuals are primarily sexually attracted to intelligence or intellect above any other attributes (stock image)

'While physical attraction may still play a role in any relationship, a sapiosexual person places a greater emphasis on mental connection and intellectual compatibility.'

She added: 'Intelligence is the top priority for a sapiosexual, and they place less emphasis on superficial qualities.'

Psychiatrist and Medical Educator Dr Ramya Mohan added: '[Sapiosexuality] is a relatively new terminology that has broad connotations based on context. It is a term that has become more colloquial over the past couple of years or so.

'It is worth noting that sapiosexuality can be interpreted broadly, encompassing everything from a preferential seeking of intelligence in relationships or partnerships to a driving sexual and almost obsessional need for intelligence in a partner (above all other physical, emotional, gender-based and orientation-based attributes, preferences, and needs).'

It's difficult to assess exactly how many people fall under this banner - after all, most people want an intelligent partner.

However, according to the authors behind a 2018 study published in the journal Intelligence, a much smaller proportion are specifically sexually aroused by intelligence.

The researchers, from the University of Western Australia, noted that the value of high intelligence extends beyond what it offers in terms of a mate's potential when it comes to basic survival and parenting.

Self-confessed sapiosexual and sexual wellness expert Hope Flynn (pictured) says sapiosexuals are aroused by intelligence more so than physical attraction.

And then some people rate being brainy so highly, that a high IQ can induce sexual arousal above and beyond any other attribute - these people could be described as sapiosexual.

Their findings suggest that between one to eight per cent of people aged 18 to 35 may be sapiosexual.

So while many lonely hearts will seek an intelligent other half, not so many of them will be sexually aroused by a potential partner's IQ over and above any other qualities they may possess.

So, do you fall into this category? And what signs may you look out for? According to expert Hope Flynn, who is head of content at sexual wellness brand IPlaySafe and a self-confessed sapiosexual, there are a number of pertinent signs.

She told FEMAIL: 'The first and most common sign of someone being a sapiosexual is that they are aroused by intelligence more so than physical attraction. Intelligence is the essential ingredient for the arousal of a sapiosexual.'

Are YOU sapiosexual? Eight signs to look out for... 1. You are aroused by intelligence more so than physical attraction. 2. Small talk is a no no. Sapiosexuals need long and deep conversions - a surface level of knowledge just wont suffice. 3. You are drawn to people who can rationalise their feelings and discuss them calmly, above those who are very emotional. 4. You care more about Instagram captions than images - you see the words as a way to enrich your knowledge. 5. Sapiosexuals find it a big turn off when people quickly lose interest in what others have to say - they are turned on by smart perspectives and intelligent answers. 6. You prefer intelligence to every other aspect including how much someone earns and what they do for a living. 7. You tend to become more attracted to someone over time, as you dig deeper into their intellect. 8. You are excited by people who have a passion for knowledge. Source: Hope Flynn, sexual wellness expert. Advertisement

They prefer intelligence to everything, it outweighs what the person does for a living, their other interests or how much money they make, she added.

Among the other signs she noted, were disliking small talk, explaining: 'In any relationship conversation is key but sapiosexuals desire a deeper level of knowledge from their partner. Being able to hold deep and meaningful conversations is key to a sapiosexual - a surface level of knowledge just wont suffice.'

An interesting sign Hope listed was that sapiosexuals are 'more drawn to people who can rationalise their feelings and communicate them without exploding or flying off the handles when faced with difficult situations'.

She noted: 'They cannot tolerate people who unravel easily.'

Interestingly, when it comes to social media, Hope suggests that sapiosexuals are more likely to care about your Instagram caption than the photo itself - which is related to wanting to learn.

In fact, she said, they may even seek out people who they find to be smarter than them because they always want to learn and grow.

'They are obsessed with his/her intellect and thoughts and want to hear more about them as it helps to enrich their knowledge,' Hope added.

In a similar vein, they have an intellectual thirst, and are turned on by smart perspectives and intelligent answers.

If you find attraction tends to grow over time, this could be a sign of sapiosexual tendencies.

'As sapiosexuals like to dig deep into intellect they feel more attracted to a person gradually over time,' said Hope.

'Experiencing someones wit, thoughts, emotional intelligence and observing how someone resolves conflicts are the things that are a massive turn on.'

Finally, she said, sapiosexuals admire others who have a passion for knowledge, because it aligns with their personal desire to be expanding and learning at all times.

Dr Ramya Mohan agreed, adding: 'If a potential partner preferentially or wholly observes, remarks on, or compliments your intelligence, knowledge, or quick-witted replies, you may be talking to a sapiosexual'

She continued to explain that sapiosexuals tend to 'place high regard and value for these attributes'.

'They tend to focus on (and tend to be attracted/aroused by) intelligent, witty, complex, and lengthy conversations, book or academia-based discussions, deep meanings of the world or life, set morals and a learned demeanour,' Dr Moyan said.

However, while a sexual preference for intelligence may seem benign, it is not without its critics, who have branded it ableist and classist.

As Hope Flynn explained: 'It could be seen to exclude people with learning difficulties or those that come from disadvantaged backgrounds with less access to higher education, travel and technological advancements.'

Furthermore, the term intelligence itself is often used in relation to what we may colloquially consider to be 'book smarts', many of the people who fall into this category are likely to have had access to a better education. For this reason, some argue that the preference can be seen as classist.

'Being a sapiosexual could indicate that someone may only be interested in someone who had the privilege of going to a certain school or obtaining a particular degree,' said Hope.

'It could be interpreted as being quite Eurocentric and devaluing of people without access to the above.'

However, she added: 'I'm a self confessed working class, sapiosexual that believes intelligence is subjective. Intelligence has a lot to do with an individuals morals, values, political and religious beliefs.

'There are also so many forms of intelligence to be considered when wondering if youre a sapiosexual, such as emotional intelligence, spiritual intelligence and so on...if someone has a desire and thirst for knowledge...this will be apparent regardless of the class they were born into.'
It's a question that scientists have wondered for decades  will we ever be able to communicate with the dead?

But for Beverley Gilmour, this isn't merely a concept peddled by sci-fi blockbusters. It's her reality.

For the 57-year-old, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in her 20s, claims to have met Walt Disney during an out-of-body experience.

Yet her encounters don't end there. The mother-of-three, from Birkenhead, has also developed a 'private relationship' with Jesus since her first bizarre rendezvous in the 1980s, she asserts.

Ms Gilmour suffers the experiences about three times a month.

The 57-year-old started having these episodes in 1987 and has since claimed to have met some interesting spirits so far

Beverley Gilmour, 57, from Birkenhead, has revealed to MailOnline that she believes she has up to three near-death experiences every month

Ms Gilmour is not religious but claims to have visits from Jesus during her frequent near-death experiences

Ms Gilmour said she has had detailed interactions with the spirit of Walt Disney, who she claims shares stories with her from the afterlife

She claims that doctors have diagnosed her with a disorder of consciousness  the umbrella term used to refer to those in coma and a vegetative state.

Patients with these conditions are usually unable to communicate, though this can vary depending on the extent of the condition.

Out-of-body experiences, however, are a known, if poorly understood, phenomenon.

Though the exact causes can vary, some experts theorise brain disorders as well as traumatic brain injuries can trigger them.

Detailing her own experiences, Ms Gilmour claims that during them she can feel her heart stopping and her body slowly starting to shut down.

What is a disorder of consciousness A disorder of consciousness is where the consciousness has been affected by damage to the brain. The main disorders of consciousness are: Coma - a person shows no signs of being awake and no signs of being aware. Vegetative state - when a person is awake but is showing no signs of awareness. A person in a vegetative state may: Open their eyes

Wake up and fall asleep at regular intervals

Have basic reflexes (such as blinking when they're startled by a loud noise or withdrawing their hand when it's squeezed hard) Minimally conscious state - a person who shows clear but minimal or inconsistent awareness is classified as being in a minimally conscious state. Advertisement

She said she then feels herself physically leaving her body before having her interactions with the deceased.

Ms Gilmour is now in talks with academics from the Coma Science Group at the University of Liege in Belgium to collaborate with a PhD candidate researching why this is happening to her.

Sharing her experience with MailOnline, Ms Gilmour, who isn't religious, said: 'I have met with Jesus.

'I have brought back things and then I will go into a trance and start writing.'

The self-proclaimed spiritualist described her relationship with Jesus as 'private'.

Ms Gilmour also said she has had interactions with Walt Disney, who died in 1966 in California.

'He was showing stories and when I met him,' she said, 'There was an amazing building and the wood felt alive and well preserved.

'When I came back I would go back into a trance and write down his stories and draw pictures of everything he has shown me.

'He showed me these characters and I became one of his characters and lived out one of his stories.

'I would sit and listen to him and he would appear with these characters and he would tell me the names of these characters and their personalities and what they did in life, where the came from and their origins.'

Ms Gilmour also claims to meet her dead parents during these episodes.

Her father, John Gilmour, died in his fifties from cirrhosis of the liver after suffering from alcoholism.

She is now in talks with academics from the Coma Science Group at the University of Liege, Belgium to start a PhD researching why this is happening to her

Ms Gilmour said these started happening around the same time she had a brain injury

She said: 'The first time I met him he looked 52, which was when he died. The second time I met him he looked about 30.

'He looked so happy and so radiant. I was so proud that he was my dad when I came back from that.'

Detailing another experience with her late father, Ms Gilmour said: 'I saw him and it was all white around us. He was speaking to me but looking to the side of me and he said "learn to do as you are told Beverley" and that is all he said,' she said.

'I came out and was like "Is that it, no lottery numbers dad?"

The aspiring researcher said her experiences do not always make sense at first and it can take her some time afterwards to understand.
Thousands of Brits are unknowingly getting infected every year with a little-known bug, health chiefs have warned.

Yersinia enterocolitica  common in the 1980s and 1990s  can cause a week-long bout of diarrhoea. While most cases are mild, it can be fatal.

It is typically spread through eating contaminated pork which has not been cooked properly.

Only 8,023 lab-confirmed cases of the food-borne illness were recorded in England between 1975 and 2020, leading some experts to assume cases were on the decline.

But researchers affiliated with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) believe this is wrong and that 7,500 Brits may be getting struck down annually.

Yersinia enterocolitica, common in the late 1980s and 90s, usually causes a weeks-long bout of diarrhoea. One of the most common bacterial foodborne agents in Europe, it is often spread through eating contaminated food, especially raw or undercooked pork products, or through contact with a person who has prepared a pork product

Researchers found 8,023 laboratory-confirmed Yersinia infections were recorded in England between 1975 and 2020, the majority of which were caused by Yersinia enterocolitica. Cases increased 'sharply' during to 1980s, peaking in 1988 and 1989 before decreasing, they noted. Between 2017 and 2020, reported cases rose in one diagnostic laboratory, the Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust microbiology laboratory in Hampshire, accounting for some 60 per cent of all 546 patients reported in England. This followed the implementation of routine PCR testing for Yersinia, researchers said

Q+A: Everything you need to know about yersinosis What causes yersinosis? Yersinosis is a bacterial infection caused by Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. The majority of the cases are caused by Yersinia enterocolitica What are the symptoms? Common symptoms of the bacterial infection include diarrhoea, abdominal pain, headaches and fever. Joint and back pain, muscle pain, dizziness and blood found in stools have also been reported. How does it spread? One of the most common bacterial foodborne agents in Europe, it is spread through eating contaminated food, especially raw or undercooked pork products, or through contact with a person who has prepared a pork product. Those who drink contaminated milk or untreated water or are in contact with infected animals can also occasionally become infected. How common is it? Only 8,023 laboratory-confirmed cases of the bug were recorded in England between 1975 and 2020. But researchers affiliated with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) now say the true toll could be closer to 7,500 annually. In 2021, a total of 6,876 confirmed cases of yersinosis were reported by 28 European Union or European Economic Area countries. This marks an overall rate of 1.9 cases per 100,000 population. However, the researchers said the 'markedly varying incidence across Europe' may in part reflect 'differential testing practice and substantial under-ascertainment in many other countries'. In the US it causes almost 117,000 illnesses, 640 hospitalizations, and 35 deaths every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How can it be treated? Yersinosis usually goes away on its own without antibiotic treatment. But, antibiotics may be used to treat more severe or complicated infections. Symptoms may last from one to three weeks or longer, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, has said. While post infectious complications are rare, they can include reactive arthritis, skin inflammation or even sepsis. Advertisement

The decline over the past few decades was largely attributed to foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks driving down pork consumption, and better slaughterhouse hygiene.

To get an idea of the true picture in the UK, scientists examined data on yersinia cases in England between 1975 and 2020.

Writing in the journal EuroSurveillance, they said: 'Our review of available data constitutes good evidence that yersinia infection is substantially under-reported in England'.

There have also been 'real changes to the epidemiology of this infection that have gone unnoticed', they added.

As well as diarrhoea, common symptoms of the bacterial infection include abdominal pain, headaches and fever.

Joint and back pain, muscle pain, dizziness and blood found in stools have also been reported.

But routine testing for yersinia is not currently recommended in the UK, unless medics believe patients may be suffering with illnesses including appendicitis, mesenteric lymphadenitis, terminal ileitis or reactive arthritis, which display similar symptoms to the bacterial infection.

'There is a compelling argument for a structured approach to yersinia surveillance in England and other countries,' the researchers wrote.

'That includes routine testing and follow-up of cases by epidemiological questionnaire.'

The experts found 8,023 Yersinia cases were recorded in England between 1975 and 2020, the majority of which were caused by Yersinia enterocolitica, as opposed to the bacteria Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, part of the same family.

Cases increased 'sharply' during to 1980s, peaking in 1988 and 1989 before then decreasing, they noted.

Incidence then remained low until 2016.

While researchers did not offer reasons as to why infections peaked in the 1980s, they acknowledged that reported yersinia cases may have decreased during the 2000s 'due to the impact of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks on pork consumption'.

Better hygiene in slaughterhouses could have also impacted the number of reported infections overall.

The decline in recorded notifications of yersinia from laboratories across England also coincided with the introduction of Clinical Pathology Accreditation in the early 1990s, which assesses the clinical standards and procedures in laboratories, they noted.

But 'the current and historically recorded incidence of laboratory-confirmed yersinia infection in England has been substantially driven by variable patterns of testing,' researchers said.

'Overall low levels may not reflect the true incidence of infection.'

Between 2017 and 2020, reported cases rose in one diagnostic laboratory, the Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust microbiology laboratory in Hampshire, accounting for some 60 per cent of all 546 patients reported in England.

This followed the implementation of routine PCR testing for yersinia, researchers said.

If the same PCR incidence testing was consistent across laboratories in England, the team estimated an average of 7,500 Yersinia enterocolitica infections could have gone undiagnosed each year between 2017 and 2020.

However, they acknowledged this was based on results from a single lab so the real extent of yersinia infections could vary.

'This is based on extrapolation of only one area and incidence may vary between regions and years,' they said.

In 2021, a total of 6,876 confirmed cases of yersinosis were reported by 28 European Union or European Economic Area countries.

This marks an overall rate of 1.9 cases per 100,000 population.

However, the researchers said there was 'markedly varying incidence' of Yersinia cases across Europe, which may in part reflect 'differential testing practice and substantial under-ascertainment in many other countries'.

While Denmark and Finland recorded the highest cases, Romania and Bulgaria recorded the fewest.
They can also still enter after receiving at least two Covid vaccinations

Foreigners can enter the US with one Covid shot received from August, 2022

US health officials are pushing ahead with a Covid vaccine mandate for travelers entering the country  despite no evidence it reduces infection rates.

There was an expectation the unpopular policy would be ditched when the federal government officially ends the nation's public health emergency on May 11, when any still-standing pandemic measures are expected to be ended.

But, in an announcement Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated the policy rather than dropping it.

The US will allow travelers that have received at least one vaccine dose on or after August 16 into the country. The CDC says this is because many who have received a one dose since this date may have received the more-protective bivalent shot.

Sticking with the vaccine mandate rule makes the US an international outlier. Few countries still require visitors to have received a Covid vaccine to gain entry, including Angola and Indonesia.

The CDC says it will allow people to enter the country who have received just one Covid vaccine since August 16, 2022. They will be considered fully vaccinated

Recent studies have shown the Covid vaccines, while able to prevent hospitalization and death, are not as effective against transmission of the virus.

A 2022 paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that after 25 weeks, the protection the Pfizer vaccine gave to recipients against Omicron infection fell to just nine percent.

A booster shot raised this protection to 67 percent initially, before dropping to 45 percent after just two weeks.

Experts have previously slammed decisions to keep Covid-era policies in place as 'out of step' with the rest of the world.

Dr Doug Badger, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told DailyMail.com: 'Neither the European Union nor Canada imposes such a requirement.

'Vaccines reduce the risk that an infected individual will develop severe illness, but they do not prevent transmission.

'The administration should follow the science and rescind this policy.'

In its update, the CDC said: 'Because some traveler vaccine records might not specify whether recent Moderna or Pfizer doses were bivalent, CDC will consider anybody with record of a single dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine issued on or after August 16, 2022, to meet the requirements of the Amended Order to board a plane to the United States.

'This date was chosen because it represents the earliest that travelers could have received a bivalent booster.'

Covid vaccination requirements for foreign arrivals to the US by air are currently set to expire on May 11, 2023, says the Transportation Security Administration.

But, authorities have previously chosen to renew these policies just ahead of previous expiration dates.

These rules were previously meant to expire on April 11, but moments before the deadline they were extended another month.

Bivalent boosters specifically target the Omicron variant, unlike the original vaccines which targeted the virus's initial Wuhan strain.

Scientists argue that this means they provide better protection against severe disease and death from currently circulating strains.

Most countries have already dropped their vaccination requirements for visitors amid mounting evidence that they do not slow the spread of the virus.

The UK dumped its Covid vaccination requirement for visitors in March last year, now more than a year ago.

France followed suit in August, while the European Union lifted all its Covid-related travel requirements for its members in December.

China, in line with most of the rest of the world, also does not require travelers to have a Covid vaccine.

It does, however, say they should have a negative Covid test result at least 48 hours before travel.

There are also far higher levels of immunity in the population now from vaccinations or previous infections than in the early days of the pandemic.

About three in four Americans were estimated to have some level of immunity against Covid in February last year by John Hopkins. It is likely that current levels are now even higher.
(JNS) They came to Israel from around the world. They proudly served the country they had made their new home. And they made the ultimate sacrifice.

There was Shirel Aboukarat, a 19-year-old Border Police officer who immigrated from France and was killed by two terrorists during an attack at a bus station in Hadera.

There was Uriel Bar-Maimon Wolf, a 21-year-old Border Police officer who made aliyah from Argentina. He died during operational activities at the Erez checkpoint to the northern Gaza Strip, hours after visiting his mother who was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer at a Jerusalem hospital.

There was 2nd Lt. Carmi Elan, a Los Angeles-born pilot who died in a training accident aged 19.

Then there was Michael Ladygin, 36, a native of Russia who made aliyah and was murdered by a Palestinian terrorist in Ariel in 2022. He left behind a wife and two children.

There was Capt. Alexander (Sasha) Schwartzman, 23, an IDF officer from Ukraine. He was wounded in a battle with Hezbollah in Lebanon and refused evacuation to ensure that his fellow soldiers were treated first, only to be killed by enemy fire.

They were among the fallen honored in the largest English-language Israeli Memorial Day ceremony, held at the Yad La-Shiryon, the IDF Armored Corps Memorial Site and Museum in Latrun, west of Jerusalem.

The event, which was organized by the Masa Israel Journey organization, was attended by 7,000 people, including a 12-member U.S. congressional delegation led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), and was viewed by hundreds of thousands of others around the world.

Held under the theme of Forever Connected, the 15th annual event brought together Masa students and alumni, bereaved families, politicians and Jewish community leaders from across the globe to commemorate those who sacrificed their lives for the defense of Israel.

The 90-minute ceremony in the outdoor amphitheater got underway after the siren opening Memorial Day pierced the night air. It included speeches; shorts clips about those slain; musical interludes in Hebrew and English; the reciting of the Yizkor memorial prayer and the Kaddish mourners prayer; the laying of wreaths; and the singing of Hatikvah, Israels national anthem.

Without the courage of those who fought to defend our country we wouldnt be standing here today to fulfill the dream of 2,000 years to build the national home of the Jewish people, the Brooklyn-born Cabinet secretary Yossi Fuchs said in his address, speaking on behalf of the Israeli government.

It is a spirit of unconditional love

The bond between the Jewish people and the State of Israel remains unbreakable, said Ofer Gutman, CEO of Masa Israel Journey. Your presence here is testament to a forever connected Jewish people.

Since its founding in 2004, Masa has provided long-term educational programs to 190,000 young people from more than 60 countries aimed at immersing Diaspora Jews in Israeli society.

The speakers stressed the urgency of unity during a period of deep divisions within Israel and among Jewish communities around the world.

One key message out from the sacrifice of the fallen is to remember our unity and to accept one another, said Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog, chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel. We are one Jewish nation with only one Jewish countrythe State of Israel.

Almog noted that his brother died during the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

The message of the fallen is one of unity, he said. It is a spirit of total devotion, it is a spirit that the country is above us, it is a spirit of unconditional love.

The life they commanded us to live is one of togetherness with all world Jewry, he said.

To read more content visit www.jns.org
AI provides higher quality answers and is more empathetic than real doctors, a study suggests.

A study by the University of California San Diego compared written replies from doctors and those from ChatGPT to real-world health queries to see which came out on top.

A panel of healthcare professionals preferred ChatGPT's responses 79 percent of the time and rated them higher quality in terms of the information provided and more understanding. The panel did not know which was which.

ChatGPT recently caused a stir in the medical community after it was found capable of passing the gold-standard exam required to practice medicine in the US, raising the prospect it could one day replace human doctors.

A panel of three doctors reviewed each exchange and were blinded as to which was physician-written and which was written by AI. They then rated the responses

Graphs showing how the panel of doctors rated the physicians vs ChatGPT's answers to patient questions, based on quality on the left and empathy on the right

Jessica Kelley, a nurse practitioner with San Diego firm Human Longevity and study co-author, said: 'ChatGPT messages responded with nuanced and accurate information that often addressed more aspects of the patients questions than physician responses.'

The research team from the University of California San Diego looked to Reddit's AskDocs forum, where roughly 452,000 members post medical problems and verified healthcare professionals offer suggestions.

Anyone can answer a question on the forum, but moderators check healthcare professional's credentials and the replies display the respondent's level of expertise.

While question-answer exchanges on social media are not the traditional way a patient speaks to a doctor, the panel said the conversations were reflective of their clinical experience.

The UC San Diego research team randomly chose 195 exchanges from AskDocs where a verified doctor had replied to a public question.

The team put the original question to ChatGPT and asked it to write a response.

A panel of three doctors reviewed each exchange and were blinded as to which was physician-written and which was written by AI.

One of the patient's questions was: 'Question about risk of going blind following bleach being splashed into an eye, resulting in irritated and dry eye.'

The answer from the physician was: 'Sounds like you will be fine. You should flush the eye anytime you get a chemical or foreign body in the eye. You can also contact Poison Control 1-800-222-1222.'

ChatGPT's answer read: 'Im sorry to hear that you got bleach splashed in your eye. Its important to rinse the eye as soon as possible after a chemical splash to remove as much of the chemical as possible and prevent further irritation or damage.

'If you have not already done so, you should rinse your eye with clean water or a saline solution as soon as possible. You can do this by holding your eye open and directing a gentle stream of water over your eye from the inner corner to the outer corner for at least 15 min. If you do not have access to water, you can use a saline solution or artificial tears to rinse the eye.

'If you are experiencing significant pain, redness, or vision changes, or if you are unable to rinse your eye properly, you should seek medical attention immediately. However, if your eye is just feeling irritated and dry, you may be able to treat it at home by using artificial tears or a lubricating eye ointment to keep the eye moist and comfortable.

'It is unlikely that you will go blind from getting bleach splashed in your eye, but it is important to take care of the eye and seek medical attention if necessary to prevent further irritation or damage.'

All three panelists preferred ChatGPT's response. They gave it an average quality score of four and an average empathy score of 4.67. They rated the physician's reply 3.33 for quality and 2.33 for empathy.

Good or very good quality responses were 3.6 times higher for the chatbot than physicians and empathetic responses were 9.8 times higher.

Professor James Davenport, Hebron and Medlock Professor of Information Technology, University of Bath, UK, said: 'Both here and in the whole database, the ChatGPT answers were, on average, four times the length of the physicians.

'It is stated that the evaluators (all physicians) were given the two responses blind, not knowing which was the physician and which was the ChatGPT. This was probably formally true, but length and style surely made it obvious in practice.

'At least in the six [example exchanges] given, the doctors made no attempt to be empathetic, knowing that their answers were public, while ChatGPT is aimed at a 1:1 conversation. Hence in terms of empathy, this is far from being a level comparison. This could have been made more explicit.'

He added: 'The paper does not say that ChatGPT can replace doctors, but does, quite legitimately, call for further research into whether and how ChatGPT can assist physicians in response generation.

'As it points out, teams of clinicians often rely on canned responses, and a stochastic parrot like ChatGPT has a much wider range of responses than even the largest library of canned responses.'
Sick children will be at risk during the Bank Holiday nurses' strike, Great Ormond Street Hospital warned today.

In a desperate plea to protect ill kids being treated on the premises, bosses of the world-renowned site begged the union behind the upcoming walk-out to agree to safety exemptions.

Mat Shaw, chief executive, said: 'We have serious concerns over how we will safely staff our hospital during the strike.'

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) officials had scheduled a 48-hour strike in England from 8pm on April 30 to 8pm on May 2 in an escalation of its ongoing pay row with ministers. They have since been forced to call off action on the final day after being told it was 'unlawful' in a historic legal fight with the Government.

Nurses will walk out of A&E, intensive care and cancer wards for the first time in the increasingly bitter dispute, sparking fears of carnage across the NHS.

It comes as members of the GMB today voted to accept the Government's pay offer to health workers.

In a desperate plea to protect ill kids being treated on the premises, bosses of the world-renowned Great Ormond Street Hospital begged the union behind the upcoming walk-out to agree to safety exemptions

Health Secretary Steve Barclay has been accused by union officials of bullying nurses (pictured on April 25)

Pat Cullen, general secretary of the RCN, confirmed that the union would no longer strike on May 2 following a historic High Court ruling yesterday. It will, however, continue with the planned action on April 30 and May 1

The deal, which ministers have insisted is final, amounts to a one-off bonus for last year and an extra 5 per cent for the upcoming one.

Tens of thousands of the union's health workers were balloted on the offer. Fifty-six per cent voted to accept, with a turn-out of just over half.

Members of other unions, including Unison and the Royal College of Midwives, have also accepted the offer.

Earlier, Unite announced that its members in the NHS had voted to reject the same offer.

RCN members also rejected the deal, prompting it to announce its upcoming strike.

The GMB will vote to accept the offer at a key meeting of the NHS Staff Council next week.

It could pave the way for the pay rise to be implemented, with the majority of unions thought to leant in the same direction.

Yet, the Health Service Journal reports it is unclear whether this would revolve the dispute.

GMB national officer Rachel Harrison said: 'This new offer would not have happened without the strike action taken by ambulance and other GMB health workers.

More than 500,000 NHS appointments and operations in England have been cancelled as a result of staff striking over pay

'GMB members have voted to accept the offer, which means GMB union will vote in favour of the pay offer at the NHS joint staff council meeting next week.

'Our members recognise progress has been made  from the Government originally offering nothing, health workers will be thousands of pounds better off.

'It also meets a key GMB demand of a huge pay uplift for the lowest paid, lifting them above the Real Living Wage.'

She added: 'But so much more needs to be done for workers if we are all to get the NHS we need.

'GMB now needs action for our ambulance members  starting by addressing their retirement and unsocial hours enhancement concerns.

'Today is just one step in the battle to restore NHS workers' decade of lost earnings.

'GMB will continue this fight, so that the NHS and ambulance workers, who serve and care for the public, finally get the fair deal they deserve.'

Fears have been raised over the knock-on effects of the strike, the worst organised by the RCN yet.

Mr Shaw, chief executive of GSOH, said: 'We respect the right of our staff to take part in lawful industrial action.

'But, after exhausting all options, at the moment we have serious concerns over how we will safely staff our hospital during the strike.

'There is nothing more important than the safety of our patients.

'These children have no voice in the debate and we must protect them. We urgently need safety exemptions for our intensive care units and other areas of the hospital.'
The 'King Kong' of weight loss drugs could be approved in the US within months, its manufacturer says.

In a recent trial, patients who received a weekly 15milligram (mg) shot of Mounjaro lost 15.7 percent of their body weight over 72 weeks on average. For comparison, those in the placebo group lost just 3.3 percent of their weight over the same period.

Eli Lilly, which manufactures the drug, said the results paved the way for it to be approved to treat weight loss. Tirzepatide, the active drug behind Mounjaro, was approved for patients with type 2 diabetes last year.

The drug functions as both a GLP-1 and GIP drug which both triggers hormones that the body to stop eating and increase the body's secretion of insulin.

It is following in the footsteps of its rival Wegovy, which was also developed as a type 2 diabetes drug before earning approval for weight loss.

Eli Lilly, which manufactures tirzepatide sold under the brand name Mounjaro, said the results paved the way for the drug to be approved for weight loss. It is already approved to treat type 2 diabetes (Image of Mounjaro at a pharmacy in Provo, Utah)

A total of 938 patients were recruited from eight countries  including the US, Japan and Russia  for the trial, dubbed SURMOUNT-2.

Each participant was both obese and suffering from type 2 diabetes. In the trial, they were split into three equal groups to receive either a weekly 15mg or 10mg of Mounjaro or a placebo.

In the larger dosage group, participants on Mounjaro lost 34.4pounds (lbs) on average. This is compared to just 7lbs in the placebo group.

Participants in the 10mg group lost 13.4 percent of their body weight on average, equivalent to about 29.8lbs (13.5kg) each.

The study also found that about 86 percent of patients who received 15mg and 82 percent of those who received 10mg of Mounjaro lost at least five percent of their body weight.

In the placebo group only 30 percent of patients reached this benchmark.

Jeff Emmick, the senior vice president for product development at Lilly, said: 'Obesity is a difficult-to-manage disease and it's even more difficult for people living with type 2 diabetes.

'The degree of mean weight reduction seen in SURMOUNT-2 has not been previously achieved in phase three clinical trials for obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes.'

He suggested that the results should lead to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approving the drug for weight loss.

It was not clear how much the drugs would cost for weight loss treatment.

They are currently priced at around $1,180 a month  or nearly $300 a shot  for type 2 diabetes treatment.

Mounjaro received the green light for type 2 diabetes patients in May last year, but many doctors have also started prescribing it off-label for weight loss.

Celebrities that have used the drug include comedian Rosie O'Donnell, 60, who alleged she lost 10lbs (4.5kg) in three weeks while on the drug.

Speaking about the drug in a TikTok video, she said: 'I'd say it feels like freedom. Freedom from intrusive thoughts about food, about what you're eating.

'I think it's fantastic.'

Side effects of taking the drug reported during the trial included nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and constipation.

Rosie O'Donnell is pictured above. She has used Mounjaro to help her lose weight

Mounjaro works by triggering feelings of fullness in patients even when they haven't eaten  to help them cut calorie consumption and lose weight.

Like semaglutide  sold under brand names Ozempic and Wegovy  it targets the receptors for hormone GLP-1 to trigger feelings of fullness.

But it also targets receptors for the hormone GIP which has a similar effect.

This double-whammy effect has earned it the nickname of 'King Kong' among weight loss drugs.

Dr Julio Rosenstock, a veteran diabetes doctor in Texas, told the Wall Street Journal earlier this month that Ozempic and Wegovy were the 'gorillas' of weight loss.

He added, however: 'But tirzepatide is really a King Kong.']

The FDA approved Wegovy as a weight loss treatment in June, 2021.

This was based on phase three trial results that found patients lost an average of 12.4 percent of their body weight after taking the weekly injections for 68 weeks.

Patients on the drug were about 46 years old and classified as extremely obese.

In a second arm of the study involving patients with type 2 diabetes who were also extremely obese, participants lost about 6.2 percent of their body weight in 68 weeks.
Pediatric neurosurgeon Dr Taryn Bragg said she had 'never seen anything like it'

Cases in Nevada children tripled in 2022, rising from four or five a year to 18

Health officials are sounding the alarm over a spike in rare and serious brain abscesses in children in and around Las Vegas, Nevada.

Experts at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating the spate of cases, while doctors across America say they are also seeing a rise in cases.

The number of brain abscesses in minors tripled in Nevada last year, shooting up from an average of four or five a year to 18.

Dr Taryn Bragg, a pediatric neurosurgeon and associate professor at the University of Utah who treats the cases, told CNN she had 'never seen anything like it' in her 20 years' experience.

Physicians are not sure what has caused the rise, but said it could be due to weakened immunity to infections due to Covid measures such as lockdowns.

Initial symptoms of brain abscesses are headaches plus an intermittent fever. But they can lead to seizures, changes to vision, vomiting, loss of muscle function on one side of the body, language problems and changes in mental status

There has been a spike in rare and serious brain abscesses in children in and around Las Vegas, Nevada

Dr Bragg was able to spot the pattern and notify local public health officials because she is the only pediatric neurosurgeon for Nevada.

After March 2022, she said there was a 'huge increase' in brain abscesses, which is 'unusual', particularly as 'the similarities in terms of the presentation of cases was striking'.

In nearly every case, the child would develop a typical childhood ailment like an earache or sinus infection, with a headache and fever.

Dr Bragg said that within days, it would become obvious something more severe was at play.

It arose that physicians across the US are observing more and more brain abscesses in younger populations.

Dr Sunil Sood, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Northwell Health, a health system in New York, guessed his facility was seeing at least double the usual amount of brain abscesses.

On their own, brain abscesses are not reportable, which means physicians do not have to tell public health officials when they occur.

Brain abscesses are pus-filled swellings in the brain. They normally happen when bacteria or fungi get into brain tissue after a infection or serious head injury.

Initial symptoms are headaches plus an intermittent fever. It can lead to seizures, changes to vision, vomiting, loss of muscle function on one side of the body, language problems and changes in mental status.

In the Clark County spike, around three-quarters of the cases happened in boys around age 12.

Dr Jessica Penney, the CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service officer for Southern Nevada Health District, said that between 2015 and 2020, pediatric brain abscess cases remained a consistent four a year.

In 2020 the number dropped, likely due to Covid measures such as lockdowns, school closures, masking and social distancing.

The following year, the numbers of brain abscesses went back to normal, and then shot up in 2022.

Dr Penney said the spike could be due to immunity debt from the pandemic, when children were not exposed to respiratory illnesses and couldn't build up natural protection.

However, Dr Sood disagrees. He believes Covid displaced infections temporarily, pushing others out.

Because Covid cases have calmed down, other childhood infections have flooded back  like the explosion of RSV in the fall and winter of 2022.
The Maiden is the Scottish precursor to the French guillotine, a deadly piece of machinery designed to behead the guilty

HISTORICAL

THE MAIDEN

by Kate Foster (Mantle 14.99, 384pp)

The Maiden is the Scottish precursor to the French guillotine, a deadly piece of machinery designed to behead the guilty.

It's very much in the mind of Lady Christian Nimmo, who has been convicted of murdering her uncle by marriage, the libidinous laird James Forrester, and sentenced to death.

This much is historical fact, but debut author Kate Foster expands the slender facts of the case into something exceptional  a tense, thrilling investigation, with a decidedly feminist slant.

Foster recreates the Edinburgh of 1679 with great aplomb. A mucky, malodorous place, where a man's sexual proclivities are a given and a woman's are judged immoral, as revealed by the testimony of fierce Christian and the irrepressible Violet, a prostitute, who's all too familiar with Forrester, the world and its ways.

Sparrow is 'a twiggy-limbed, knock-kneed boy treading as softly as he can' through the rowdy streets of New Carthage in Spain

SPARROW

by James Hynes (Picador 16.99, 464pp)

Sparrow is 'a twiggy-limbed, knock-kneed boy treading as softly as he can' through the rowdy streets of New Carthage in Spain.

He's a slave with an unknown past, a harrowing present and a future that already looks bedimmed to his curious eyes, as he takes in his surroundings  the kitchen, the tavern and the upstairs brothel, which is his home and the site of his captivity.

'A product of rape, murder, bastardy. . . I am the empire in a nutshell', his fellow prostitutes  'the wolves'  are both protective and pragmatic about his fate: his life will indeed be abusive, violent and unpredictable.

They offer companionship and a kind of stability, until manipulative Melpomene takes matters into her own hands  and with murderous consequences. It's a bleak and brutal story, vividly told by Hynes, who has created a truly unforgettable character in the resilient Sparrow.

This stunning debut opens on a sweltering day in the Greenbrier County Circuit Court in 1897

THE RED BIRD SINGS

by Aoife Fitzpatrick (Virago 16.99, 336pp)

This stunning debut opens on a sweltering day in the Greenbrier County Circuit Court in 1897, where blacksmith Trout Shue is on trial for the murder of his wife Zona, three months after their marriage.

Based on a true story and meticulously researched, Fitzpatrick unspools an uneasy shimmering tale of coercive control, spiritualism and staunch friendship.

It's a brilliant take on Southern Gothic, honing in on the central suffocating relationship, the mysterious death of Zona and a local population who side with the accused.

Add in an unconventional mother, Mary Jane, who believes she can channel her departed daughter's spirit, and an obstinate, feminist best friend, Lucy, who's determined to bring the truth to light whatever the personal cost, and you have a novel that simmers with suspense and suspicion.
In the wake of his breath-taking debut Edge Of The Grave two years ago, Morrison, a former writer for the UK comics industry, returns with a sequel that is even better

CRIME

CAST A COLD EYE

by Robbie Morrison (Macmillan 16.99, 480pp)

In the wake of his breath-taking debut Edge Of The Grave two years ago, Morrison, a former writer for the UK comics industry, returns with a sequel that is even better.

The setting is Glasgow in 1933, and two detectives  Inspector Jimmy Dreghorn and Sgt Archie McDaid  are struggling to solve the murder of a narrowboat captain, who is found executed by a single shot to the back of the head on his boat on the Forth & Clyde canal.

Could it be related to the growing influence of the IRA in the west of Scotland? Officers from Special Branch arrive, but Dreghorn and McDaid are determined not to be moved. So begins an epic story that offers a dark glimpse into a violent city as rigidly separated into Catholic and Protestant enclaves as Belfast.

This is Peaky Blinders territory, though with the police at its heart rather than gangsters. Packed with dramatic action and unforgettable characters, it casts a hypnotic spell and stirs the blood.

This vivid, atmospheric debut from a former editor of the Times Literary Supplement focuses on a Met police detective

DEATH UNDER A LITTLE SKY

by Stig Abell (HarperCollins 14.99, 352pp)

This vivid, atmospheric debut from a former editor of the Times Literary Supplement focuses on a Met police detective, Jake Jackson, whose life is falling apart with the collapse of his marriage.

Out of the blue he receives a letter from a reclusive uncle, leaving him an isolated property deep in the countryside. He seizes the chance for a new start, resigns from the Met and sets off for life in rural nowhere.

At first, getting back to nature is everything he could wish for, but then an annual village treasure hunt uncovers a young womans bones and a murder investigation begins, with the local police asking for Jacksons expertise to help.

Add a burgeoning love story between the retired detective and the local vet, whose life may be in jeopardy, and you have a gentle and compelling story that charms but lacks enough tangible threat for my taste.

In 1975, Clarks first suspense novel, Where Are The Children?, was published to immediate acclaim  launching her as one of the worlds top novelists

WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN NOW?

by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke (S&S 22, 288pp)

In 1975, Clarks first suspense novel, Where Are The Children?, was published to immediate acclaim  launching her as one of the worlds top novelists. Now, almost half a century later, a sequel has been completed with the help of fellow crime writer Alafair Burke.

Clark, who died three years ago at the age of 92, would be delighted with the result, for it reminds the world of her exceptional talent for creating tension.

The original protagonist Nancy Harmon, who was accused of abducting her own children only to prove that she didnt, is mother to Missy, one of the two children who went missing.

Missy has recently married and now has a stepdaughter, Riley. Then, in an echo of the original, Riley is abducted and a frantic search for her begins, with everyone a suspect. Filled with riveting twists and emotional betrayals, it is a worthy successor to its famous predecessor.
In the dark: Rain Newton-Smith

The CBI's new director-general yesterday admitted she did not know which of the organisation's overseas offices was at the centre of a rape allegation.

Rain Newton-Smith is grappling to save the business group after taking over amid a series of disturbing sex claims  and vowed to try to win back members who have deserted it in droves.

But she was at a loss when asked to explain how she would deal with one of the CBI's international outposts where an alleged rape victim was working when she said she was allegedly attacked by two male colleagues.

'I don't know what office that is,' Newton-Smith said.

And in further remarks likely to raise eyebrows, she said of the victim's harrowing story: 'I also listened to some of the voice that survivor put in that article when they said the CBI does great work.'

The incident is one of two alleged rapes at the centre of the CBI scandal. The other is said to have taken place during a 2019 summer boat party on the Thames.

They are among a series of allegations from more than a dozen women about misconduct at the CBI, revealed to the Guardian, that are being investigated by police.

Newton-Smith, who is just a few days into the job after replacing Tony Danker, said she was 'devastated' at what had happened.

But asked whether she had met the victims yet, she said: 'I don't know who those people are. There are obviously matters for the City of London Police and we have supported them with everything that they need.'

She also denied the job was a poisoned chalice, adding: 'We have lost members in the last few weeks, I'm not going to deny that. But I am determined to win them back and I'm determined to bring new businesses into this organisation.'
Worrying footage has emerged of brazen thieves stealing catalytic converters from vehicles in a spate of robberies at car yards and parking lots across Queensland's southeast.

In recent months, the thieves have stolen more than $460,000 of exhaust emission control devices across Gold Coast and Brisbane.

Up to 70 catalytic converter thefts were reported in February alone, sparking a two-month police operation.

The theft is easy to carry out and most motorists will have no idea they've been targeted - until they start their car 'and it sounds like a truck'

The converters - known as 'cats' on the streets - reduce harmful emissions from petrol and diesel engines.

Catalytic converter thefts have have skyrocketed worldwide in recent years due to growing value of precious metals used to make them.

Catalytic converters contain rhodium and platinum, which can be worth more than gold.

Detectives have released CCTV to show how calculating the 'motivated' thieves are and how quickly the burglaries are accomplished in a matter of minutes.

The footage shows a car driving into a service station in Southport shortly before 1 am on February 13 and parking near a Toyota Ute.

Detectives are on the hunt to track down these brazen thieves who stole a catalytic converters from a ute parked at a service station at Southport in the early hours of February 13

After a quick search of the ute, a man gets out and returns to the car to speak to his accomplices and open the boot.

The trio spent the next few minutes searching the ute thoroughly before stealing the catalytic converter and registration plates which were then placed in the boot of their car.

The trio make a quick getaway as the car drives away less than four minutes later.

Police suspect the men could be the same group responsible for a theft that occurred six days earlier, 7km away at a car yard in Newheath Drive, Arundel, at the same time of the morning.

Three men forced entry to the site by cutting the fence and stole nine diesel particulate diffusers worth $156,000.

Additional CCTV has also been released of a man police believe could assist them in their inquiries into the two thefts mentioned above.

The footage shows a man inside a Springfield Central hardware store around 7.40pm on February 7, five hours before the car yard theft in Arundel.

The trio were captured on CCTV stealing a catalytic converter and registration plates from a Toyota ute before making a quick getaway

Police believe the man pictured at a hardware store can assist with their inquires into two thefts across the Gold Coast

Police recently charged two men and a teenage boy over the alleged theft of the catalytic converters following the two month-long Operation Victor Virgae.

But detectives suspect an organised group of like-minded individuals are working together to commit the crimes.

Superintendent Geoff Sheldon described the offenders as very motivated and practiced at what they're doing, targeting car yards and places where cars and trucks are parked for the night.

The brazen thieves are armed with the specific tools they need to remove the catalytic converters within a few minutes, a task the average Aussie wouldn't be able to do quickly.

Up to 70 catalytic converter thefts were reported across south-east Queensland in February alone. Pictured is CCTV from the February 13 incident

'They're able to get in, get under cars and take the items out from under cars, and the first you know is you start your car and it sounds like a truck,' Supt Sheldon told the ABC.

'They're getting in, diving underneath, cutting off what they need and they're gone.'

'As we turn over more rocks, they're scurrying away from us as far as discovering other people involved and discovering the length and breadth of the network.'

Two men aged 23 and 18 and a teenage boy, 16 are currently before the courts as investigators ramp up their inquiries.

'We will continue to target this kind of property-theft and our officers remain focused on investigating and taking action against all those involved in the theft of catalytic converters, ' Detective Senior Sergeant Flood added.

Queensland Police urge anyone with information to contact Policelink on 131 444.
King Charles' decision for Camilla not to wear the controversial 'political hand grenade' Koh-i-Noor diamond at his coronation has been slammed as 'woke politics' by the family of the Sikh emperor who owned it before it was acquired by the British Empire.

Charles had wanted the Queen Consort to wear the late Queen mother's crown containing the contentious gem  which is at the centre of a row between India and the UK  but gave in to those who claimed featuring it at the coronation would rub salt into the wounds and whip up anger about the 'injustices of the British Empire' from those demanding it back.

But the family of the maharajah who handed it over to Queen Victoria in 1849 have hit back and said that although they want the precious stone at the centre of the bitter rift returned to them, they still want it displayed on the world stage and for it to be worn by Camilla.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline from his home in Amritsar, India, Dr Jaswinder Singh Sukherchakia, a descendent of the previous owner said: 'We would not have had any issue with Camilla wearing it and the decision not to use it is driven by political motives. I don't understand why people are being so over-sensitive because you cannot change history.

It is the first time since the 18th century that a crown such as Queen Mary's Crown (pictured) will be reused for a consort's coronation. The Koh-i-noor diamond (right) will not be worn

Jaswinder Singh (left) and Sandeep Singh (right), descendants of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who was the last recognised owner of the Koh-l-Noor diamond. The pair stand at the Golden Temple in Amritsar that was rebuilt by covering the building in gold leaf

With a decades-long row simmering between the UK and India over who are the rightful owners of the diamond, it ignited concerns that it could set off a 'massive diplomatic grenade' between the two nations. Pictured is Camilla, Queen Consort attending a State Banquet at Schloss Bellevue in March 2023

Jaswinder Singh (white shirt) and Sandeep Singh stand outside the Gobindgarh Fort in Amritsar, which last housed housed the diamond

Jaswinder Singh (left) and Sandeep Singh (right) producing more documents of authentication. The Indian government has demanded the return of the Koh-i-Noor

'If we wouldn't have been offended by it then I don't understand why anybody else would be. We wish Camilla and Charles all the best. I will be watching the coronation on television and was actually looking forward to seeing the Koh-i-Noor and feel quite insulted that it won't be there.'

Prior to coming into the hands of the British East India Company in 1849 and being gifted to Queen Victoria, the Koh-i-Noor was owned by Maharajah Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh empire and then his heir, Duleep Singh.

Dr Sukherchakia, 63, a seventh-generation descendant of Maharajah Ranjit Singh added: 'A lot of people wouldn't expect us to take this position on the diamond and the coronation. But as we are the ones carrying our royal ancestor's legacy and blood, perhaps they should listen to us.'

But he maintained: 'The world should get to see it on May 6 but that doesn't mean we can't have a mature debate about its ownership and where it really belongs, which for us, is not with the British Royal Family.'

Set in the Queen Mother's Crown, the dazzling Koh-i-Noor diamond's appearance at the Westminster Abbey ceremony was seen as Charles' personal tribute to his beloved grandmother, the late Queen Mother for whom it was especially commissioned in 1937 for her and King George VI's coronation.

But with a decades-long row simmering between the UK and India over who are the rightful owners, it ignited concerns that it could set off a 'massive diplomatic grenade' between the two nations, prompting Charles to bow to political and cultural sensitives and abandon the idea.

It was even feared that featuring the Koh-i-Noor at the coronation could scupper a trade deal currently being negotiated between Britain and India.

The Indian government has demanded its return and insisted: 'The coronation of Camilla and the use of the crown jewel Koh-i-Noor brings back painful memories of the colonial past.

Amandeep Kaur, 27-year-old stepdaughter of Jaswinder Singh, a descendant of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh

Residents of the punjabi city of Amritsar, which was once home to the Maharaja Ranjit Singh in North India

A worshipper sitting in front of The Golden Temple in Amritsar that was rebuilt by Maharaja Ranjit Singh - including covering the building in gold leaf

Jaswinder Singh showing the artefacts authenticating his family tree to the Maharajar in Amritsar, Punjab

The Maharaja was known as the 'Lion of the Punjab'. The stunning diamond was a potent symbol of the Sikh empire with Britain insisting that taking ownership of it was their right as victors

'Recent occasions, like Queen Elizabeth II's death, the coronation of the new Queen Camilla and the use of the Koh-i-Noor do transport a few Indians back to the days of the British Empire in India.'

At the centre of the long-running dispute has been how Britain acquired the precious, 105 carat gem, which has been described as 'priceless' and is one of the world's largest cut diamonds.

Following Maharajah Ranjit Singh's death in 1839, he was eventually succeeded by his youngest son Duleep Singh in 1843, aged five.

Britain conquered his wealthy, independent kingdom after victory in the second Anglo-Sikh war of 1849 making it part of the British Empire. Under the Treaty of Lahore, he was forced to renounce all claims of sovereignty with clause three specifically stating that that he hand over the Koh-i-Noor to the 'Queen of England.'

The stunning diamond was a potent symbol of the Sikh empire with Britain insisting that taking ownership of it was their right as victors and formed part of the compensation for war.

India and the maharajah's descendants maintain to this day that it was given under duress and is 'stolen loot' that should be treated on the same legal basis as art looted by the Nazis during the second world war.

Duleep Singh's mother was imprisoned at the time of the signing of the treaty while British forces surrounded Lahore, the seat of the Sikh empire, leaving the young ruler little choice but to sign over all his wealth and the Koh-i-Noor.

It was first displayed publicly in Britain at the 1851 Great Exhibition in London. Originally weighing 191 carats, Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert then had the stone recut and polished - a process that reduced its size by half but made it refract more brilliantly from its surface.

Initially, Victoria wore the diamond as a brooch in public, before it became part of the Crown Jewels. It found its current place in 1937, when it was mounted front and centre of the Queen Mother's crown, ahead of George VI's coronation.

The last time it featured at a Royal event was in 2002 when it rested atop the Queen Mother's coffin for her funeral.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline from his home in Amritsar, India, Dr Jaswinder Singh Sukherchakia, a descendent of the previous owner said: 'We would not have had any issue with Camilla wearing it'

Jaswinder Singh, son Ranjit and Sandeep Singh walk the streets of India. The Koh-i-Noor was first displayed publicly in Britain at the 1851 Great Exhibition in London

A close up of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, north India.The holiest religious site for the Sikh religion that was rebuilt and covered with gold leaf by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in North India in 1830.

There are believed to be around 100 descendants of Maharajah Ranjit Singh, many of them living in the north Indian city of Amritsar. Pictured are some of the residents of the punjabi city

A honey seller in Amritsar, Punjab, Northern India. The north Indian city part of Maharajah Ranjit Singh's empire but none of them have inherited any of the huge wealth that he enjoyed

There are believed to be around 100 descendants of Maharajah Ranjit Singh, many of them living in the north Indian city of Amritsar, which formed part of his empire but none of them have inherited any of the huge wealth that he enjoyed.

Known as 'Sher-e-Punjab' (Lion of Punjab) he was considered one of the richest men in the world at the time, enjoying a lavish, hedonistic life. He drank alcohol crushed with pearls, had 20 wives and 26 concubines in his harem and lived in series of palaces across his empire. He died at the age of 58.

Dr Sukherchakia lives in a modest three-bedroom home in the city of Amritsar, Punjab with his two sons, Pratap and Ranjit and daughter in law Amandeep where he devotedly maintains some documents, written in the 1800s by British officials that prove his royal pedigree alongside artefacts that belonged to his illustrious ancestor.

A sword belonging to his seventh-generation great grandfather takes pride of place on the mantel piece alongside a conch shell which would be blown in Maharajah Ranjit Singh's court ahead of his army going to war. Other artefacts include fragments of armour, some coins and historical photographs.

Dr Sukherchakia revealed that each morning he goes to the roof of his home to blow the conch shell in tribute to his ancestor's martial and royal history.

He said: 'Once the British took over, we eventually lost everything but when I blow my conch shell it is a reminder of what we had. But for us, this is not about money.

'Maharajah Ranjit Singh was a great ruler who built the finest ever Sikh empire. Even the British admired him and for us the Koh-i-Noor is a symbol of all that. Sadly, modern day politics has got in the way of the real debate about it.'

Sandeep Singh Sukherchakia, 54, an eighth-generation descendant of the maharajah who works as a lawyer revealed that the family's ultimate ambition is for the Koh-i-Noor to be returned to them so that they can comply with Ranjit Singh's dying wish. He wanted it donated to a Hindu temple in eastern India.

He said: 'For us, this is a family matter. It has nothing to do with the governments of Britain and India. We are very proud of our ancestry, and we will not stop fighting for the return of our diamond.

'We have no problem with Charles and Camilla or the rest of the British Royal Family and wish them all the best for the coronation. This should not be about political or cultural sensitives but about seeing the Koh-i-Noor returned to where it belongs.'

A statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Amritsar, North India. Sandeep Singh Sukherchakia said: 'We are very proud of our ancestry, and we will not stop fighting for the return of our diamond'

Jaswinder Singh with a portrait of his family relative, the Maharaja Ranjit Singh. According to some accounts, Ranjit Singh himself is believed to have acquired the Koh-i-Noor after torturing the relative of an Afghan ruler

Jaswinder Singh pictured during his morning routine of a call to arms using an ancient conch shell

The family of the maharajah who handed the Koh-i-Noor over to Queen Victoria in 1849 said that although they want the precious stone returned to them, they still want it displayed on the world stage

Despite the fact that Ranjit Singh's empire and ownership of his cherished diamond ended 174 years ago, both continue to hold special significance in Punjab and across the rest of India.

A towering statue of the maharajah riding a horse dominates the centre of Amritsar and he is still celebrated for his huge generosity. He donated more than 100 kg of gold from his personal treasure to help construct the Golden Temple, the holiest place in the Sikh faith, which is located in the city.

A replica of the Queen Mother's Crown with the Koh-i-Noor at its centre takes pride of place in his Summer Palace in Amritsar, where Dr Sucherchakia and other descendants often visit.

The stunning gem is believed to have been discovered from alluvial mines in south India between 1100 and 1300 and was then owned by a succession of male rulers in Asia, all of them meeting a sorry end which gave the Koh-i-Noor a reputation for being cursed.

It previously formed part of the Peacock Throne of Shah Jahan, the Mughal ruler of India in the 1600s and then ended up in the hands of invaders from Iran and Afghanistan following a series of blood-soaked events as they all lost power.

According to some accounts, Ranjit Singh himself is believed to have acquired the Koh-i-Noor in 1813 after torturing the relative of an Afghan ruler who had been deposed and came to him for help. Indians and his descendants claim that it was rightfully 'returned home' after being given as a gift for the assistance he provided.

His heir, Duleep Singh's life also ended tragically. After losing his empire, he was exiled to Britain and given a pension of 40,000 per year. In 1853 he converted to Christianity and then established his family home at Elveden Hall estate in Norfolk.

He grew close to Queen Victoria, who became godmother to his eldest son but disillusioned with the loss of his wealth and power, he fell out with her and then returned to India and reverted to Sikhism as he attempted unsuccessfully to get this throne back.

He died broken hearted in Paris in 1893 and is buried at his former home.
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Life in Britain after the Second World War was tough for many, with economic hardship and deprivation still biting hard.

But a newly-available collection of more than 800 images demonstrates how many still found time for the lighter side of life.

The pictures, which were taken by renowned photographer Bela Zola between 1946 and 1955, are now available to view through ancestry website Findmypast.

One photo shows jubilant contestants posing for a knobbly knees contest at Butlins Holiday Camp in Filey, North Yorkshire, in 1947.

Another shows the then world's tallest woman, Katja Van Dyk, checking in to her hotel room in London in 1954. She stood at 8foot 4in and weighed 32 stone.

Joyful contestants are seen at a knobbly knees contest at Butlins Holiday Camp in Filey, North Yorkshire, in July 1954. The image is among a collection of more than 800 that have been published online by ancestry website Findmypast

The then world's tallest woman, Katja Van Dyk, is seen checking in to her hotel room in London in 1954. She stood at 8foot 4in and weighed 32 stone

A third photo shows two young brothers sharing their bath with their pet jackdaw in 1952.

A fourth shows hungry but excited children queuing to buy a jacket potato from a 'Potato Engine' in Sunderland in 1954.

Also seen is a then 16-year-old dock worker, Margaret Jenny, taking kippers out of their brine in Grimsby in preparation for them to be sent too be smoked in 1954.

The collection is made up of more than 800 images taken by renowned photographer Bela Zola between 1946 and 1955.

FindMyPast users can search to see if their relatives feature in the collection, which also includes 181 named individuals.

Eighty locations feature, including the Isle of Wight and parts of the East End of London.

Zola's images were used for his 'Life in the Mirror' series, which ran the Daily Mirror newspaper in the 1950s.

For his work, Zola went on to win the World Press Photo competition in 1956.

The images are available to search by date, location and key word.

Brothers Dennis and Phillip Troman are seen during bath time with their pet jackdaw in July 1952

Hungry but excited children are seen queuing to buy a jacket potato from a 'Potato Engine' in Sunderland in 1954

Dock worker, Margaret Jenny, then 16, is seen taking kippers out of their brine in Grimsby in preparation for them to be sent too be smoked in 1954

Little girl Emily Jenkins, aged 4, is seen feeding Tommy the pony, of greengrocer Matt Pearcoe in St Ives, Cornwall, in February 1953

Couple Mr and Mrs J Andrews of Eltham, south London, are seen in 1949 with their daughter examining a patchwork quilt that took 100 years to make

A man dressed in victorian clothing, wearing a false beard and riding a penny-farthing as part of the 'Cambridge Goes Gay' celebrations. Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, June 1947

Young people are seen looking happy as they perform the then new dance 'The Creep' at the Royal Theatre in Tottenham in November 1953

Sisters Mary and Ann Weller playing with baby chicks at Donley Hill Farm, near Dorking in Surrey in March 1954

Housewife Mary Batten (left) and telephonist Grace Salvat are seen practising their dancing at an evening ballet class in Baker Street, London, in 1954

Miss Marie Fielding, described as the only female French Polisher on the Isle of Man, is seen working with her polishes in May 1954, when she was 22 and had been practising her craft for nine years

Someone has to do it! Women working at the docks in Great Yarmouth are seen preparing herrings for export to Russia in November 1954

Children are seen having their school meal at the Pilgrims Rest, a hostelry overlooking Battle Abbey in East Sussex in July 1954

A lamplighter is seen sparking up a gas lamp in 1950. Mr G Allwyn had been employed by the Gas, Light and Coke company for 28 years

Mr J H Tulloch, the landlord of The Shakespeare Hotel and Pub on the Isle of Man, is seen showing off one of his many antique clocks

Cramped conditions are seen in a terraced house in Paddington, which was being shared by three families in October 1953. One had to sleep in the kitchen

Children are seen staring down at the River Wear, in County Durham, in April 1954. One little girl looks upset as she stares the other way

Five-year-old John Johnson is seen playing with a train set with fellow youngster Elizabeth Milland in Cambridge in March 1954

Actor Orlando Martins is seen playing the part of Stephen Kumalo, father of Absalom, in the play 'Cry the Beloved Country' at the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London in February 1954. The play dealt with the need for reform in Apartheid South Africa

Estonian refugees arrive at Cork Harbour in Ireland in October 1949 after crossing the North Sea in the 'Victory' ex landing craft, escaping Soviet oppression

A fish porter is seen wearing his distinctive hat at Billingsgate Market in the East End of London in February 1954

A mother is seen shepherding her children to school in Edinburgh, as the city's castle looms in the background in September 1954

Other highlights include an image of a Gypsy family outside their caravan in 1947; Arab children on their way to Peel Street Mosque in Cardiff in 1954 and two young boys helping keepers at the Abbosbury Swannery in 1954.

Tamsin Todd, CEO of Findmypast said: 'We're delighted to be publishing this striking collection which gives us such a rich and detailed insight into the lives of our ancestors as they approached a very similar cultural moment to us today.

'We can see how dramatically life has changed in many respects, but in others it's amazing to see how much we have in common with these people.

'I particularly enjoyed the image of a lady walking her dogs in a pram  something I see most days as I walk along my high street.

'Through this collection, we can step back in time to witness sights and scenes from the nation's past  and who knows, you might even come face-to-face with your own ancestor in this collection as they gear up to make their own Coronation recipes and make plans to celebrate with loved ones.'

A trader is seen carrying two blocks of salt as he seeks to sell them in Stratford Upon Avon in April 1954. Each block weighed 28lbs

A Mrs Robina Jenkins is seen taking her dogs Pedro and Sandy out in their makeshift pram in Cardiff in March 1954

A Gypsy family are seen outside their caravan in May 1947, just two years after the end of the Second World War

Fisherman Stanley Beazley takes his son Geoffrey, aged three, for a walk on St Ives Wharf in Cornwall after returning from a week-long fishing trip in the Irish sea

Zola was born in Cairo to Hungarian parents in 1910. His interest in photography saw him initially join the Daily Herald newspaper when his family moved to the UK.

He worked in the 'dark room' - where photos were developed - as an assistant for the photographer James Jarche.

After the Second World War began in 1939, he joined the army and was appointed to the Army Film and Photographic Unit No1 based in Cairo, where he covered the Allies' fight against the Nazis in the desert.

Whilst working for the Daily Mirror, Zola also photographed the aftermath of the tragic 1966 Aberfan disaster, the Great Train Robbery and anti-Vietnam War demonstrations in London.

Zola retired in 1975 and died aged 71 in 1981.

The full collection can be found by clicking here.
A group of Hillsboro Beach residents are declaring a huge victory in their fight against a plan to build a collection of 92 ultra-luxury, waterfront condominium homes and villas. They argued that one of the buildings shouldnt have gotten the OK to rise to 10 stories in their upscale community, and a panel of judges recently sided with them.

Broward circuit court judges overruled the citys approval of the oceanfront project at 1174 to 1185 Hillsboro Mile, where the towns zoning code generally caps buildings at three stories. There are also other areas in town zoned for 10 stories.

Rosewood Residences Hillsboro Beach was planned to sell for $4 million for units in the coastal villas and $5 million for units in the oceanfront building. They were building like they were Sunny Isles Beach or Miami Beach, said Cape Coral-based attorney Ralf Brooks, who declared the huge victory. He represented three residents who challenged the development in court.

But Thursday, Town Manager Mac Serda didnt signal the end of Rosewood Residences Hillsboro Beach: He said it is still under review. He said the town approved an amendment to the code of ordinances earlier in the year that allows a project to proceed when a supermajority of the commission approved it.

The Town Attorney is reviewing to see if the code provision may be applicable allowing the Related project to go forward with no changes to the design or site plan, Serda said.

Brooks said he was unaware of that Thursday, but said residents will continue to monitor it.

Were still fighting this, he said. If the city is going to do something different we will be there politically to fight it.

A spokeswoman for Rosewood Residences Hillsboro Beach did not comment Thursday about the judges ruling. Attempts to reach the lawyers representing the developers were unsuccessful late Thursday.

The proposal initially would have meant the largest oceanfront building in the towns history, sparking an outcry from neighbors.

In 2021, it was pitched as a 15-story, 170-foot project. The commission pushed back, and it was lowered to 10 stories on the east side of the highway, and three stories on the west.

Both buildings have been designed to be reminiscent of a regal yacht, according to the developers previous comment.

Three residents filed suit in 2022, saying the developers claims that it needed to rise higher than the rules allowed to see over the sand dunes wasnt a good enough reason to be permitted to build.

Brooks wrote that if the town wanted such high-rise development, the answer is to amend the zoning code to increase the height limit so that an entire district can take advantage of it.

The three-member panel of judges wrote in an April 21 decision that the essential requirements of law were not followed in the granting of the subject variance.

The panel of judges wrote that the developers never indicated that without the variance no reasonable use could be made of the property. In fact, an appraisal prepared by a real estate advisory and valuation service for Hillsboro shows that a low-rise structure conforming to the requirements of Hillsboros code is entirely possible and profitable, the judges wrote.

An artist rendering of Rosewood Residences Hillsboro Beach, which called for 92 ultra-luxury, waterfront condominium homes and villas.

Charles Doherty, who lives three properties over, was one of the three residents who sought relief. He said they have no objection to development, but they wanted it to comply with the current zoning code. A Save Hillsboro Beach group made up of about 100 residents contributed to the legal fees to fight the development, he said.

We enjoy Hillsboro Beach because of the status quo, Doherty said. Its the zoning code that makes Hillsboro Beach what it is.

Resident Richard Crusco, another one of the petitioners who lives right next door, added: I understand beachfront is considered the diamond, but when they purchased this property  they knew the zoning at the time.

He said the developer should keep the project at three stories, like its neighbors.

It maintains the ambiance of the town with keeping the zoning laws just as they are, Crusco said. When you take a building such as this and stick it in the middle of two properties that are 35-foot zone and you put a 145-foot building in between them, thats not [keeping] with the legacy of what this town was all about.

The latest plans for Rosewood Residences Hillsboro Beach called for six oceanfront and seven coastal penthouses to be built, each with private rooftop pools.

The strip of State Road A1A that makes up Hillsboro Beach is known by some locals as Millionaires Mile.

Weeks ago, developers announced sales would be imminent and the completion date scheduled for 2026.

Millionaires Mile has a strong value proposition for buyers that allows for a certain level of escapism, bridging the foundations of a luxury resort with the comfort and familiarity of home, said Brad Berry, vice president of global residential development at Rosewood Hotel Group, in a prepared statement that announced the start of sales, before the news of the court ruling. It is a unique parcel that allows for an undeniably elevated style of living, thereby a perfect fit for our growing brand footprint.

The president of The Related Group, the developer, said they were pioneering the countrys most desirable residential markets.

Hillsboro Mile has long been a haven for the countrys elite. However, with our new development, we are upping the ante in a major way, said Jon Paul Perez, president of Related, in the statement earlier this month.

Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Twitter @LisaHuriash
This is the heartwarming moment a young woman was pulled back from the brink of falling into the Thames by hero Good Samaritans.

The woman had clambered over the railings of Barnes Bridge in west London and was poised above the fast-flowing river. Passersby tried to drag her back on to the bridge, and she was rescued after another man spotted the commotion and helped them form a human chain to cling on to her and pull her back to safety.

The woman, in her late 20s, was pulled back to safety and taken to hospital by ambulance shortly after 10.30am yesterday. Concerned onlookers had alerted the local RNLI boat who attended the scene.

Eyewitness Antonia Hawke captured the dramatic rescue on her mobile phone.

She told MailOnline: 'I had just got off the bus at Barnes bridge and I saw this lifeboat coming upstream really fast with blue lights flashing.

A young woman had clambered over the railings of Barnes Bridge in west London and was poised above the fast-flowing river when she rescued by passing members of the public

The woman, in her late 20s, was pulled back to safety and rushed to hospital by ambulance

'I turned around and saw a commotion on the bridge.

'I could see a person hanging off the bridge with their feet dangling.

'There were a number of people trying to pull her back on to the bridge.

'At the same time there were two people walking underneath the bridge.

'They saw the commotion above them and one of them in a white shirt ran up to the bridge to help in the rescue.

'With his help and within moments they were able to pull the poor soul back on to the bridge and to safety.

'I'm not sure how long the others could have held on without that chap's help.

'A police car had also pulled up and two policemen also ran across the bridge to help.'

RNLI Thames Commander Glen Monroe told MailOnline: 'A woman was in a state of distress and had gone to Barnes Bridge'

RNLI Thames Commander Glen Monroe told MailOnline: 'A woman was in a state of distress and had gone to Barnes Bridge.

'She had climbed over the railings and was on the edge.

'Members of the public grabbed hold of her and held her until our boat got there.

'They managed to pull her back on to the bridge.

'When they arrived our crew went ashore and gave the woman a medical check-up.

'She had not suffered any physical injuries but she was put in a stretcher and taken to hospital by ambulance.'

Ms Hawke, a marking director, added: 'It's sad that anyone should reach a point where they have no other option than to jump off a bridge.

'I'm so glad that those people went out of their way to help her.'

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or go to samaritans.org.
The foster dad accused of sexually and physically abusing five of the younger Turpin children has appeared in court in Riverside, California, accompanied by his wife and daughter.

Marcelino Olguin, 64, was arrested in January 2021 and hit with 13 charges, including three counts of performing a lewd act with a child under 14, four counts of performing a lewd act with a child aged 14/15 and multiple counts of willful child cruelty.

Cops say Olguin was aided during his reign of terror by his wife Rosa, 59, and daughter Lennys, 38  both of whom are also charged with several counts of willful child cruelty, witness intimidation and another of fraud, all of which apply to nine foster children who lived with them at their Perris, California, home.

Marcelino Olguin, 64, wife Rosa, 59, and daughter Lennys  all facing child abuse charges  appeared in court in Riverside, California Thursday

The Olguins, who at one point had nine foster children at their Perris, California, home, were appointed caretakers of five minor Turpin siblings after the abused children were rescued from their parents' house of horrors in 2018

The Turpin family made headlines in 2018 after 13 siblings were rescued from their parents' 'house of horrors' in Perris, California, where they were forced to live under horrific, abusive conditions

Olguin, who appeared in court wearing a green patterned shirt and a pair of blue jeans, spoke just once during the brief hearing and replied 'si' when asked by Judge Gary Polk if he consented to having his pre-trial hearing delayed until August 4.

Lennys, in a gray cardigan and jeans, and Rosa, who wore a pink fleece and jeans, also consented to having the hearing rescheduled and transferred to San Bernardino County.

During the hearing Judge Polk noted the case had already been active for 496 days but rubber-stamped the move.

Outside court and asked whether they regretted their behavior towards their vulnerable foster children, the Olguins refused to comment  although Lennys muttered 'Leave us alone' to a DailyMail.com photographer while Marcelino tried to hide his face.

Last year, DailyMail.com revealed the trio's arrest on abuse charges and confirmed that five of the younger Turpin children had been victimized via a relative.

According to charging documents seen by DailyMail.com, Marcelino targeted two of the girls  one of whom was under 14 at the time  for 'sexual touching' on their buttocks and upper thighs more than 50 times.

He also 'told them they were sexy, recommended they not wear undershirts, said they had beautiful skin, forcibly kissed them and pulled a minor on top of him,' according to a supporting affidavit written by investigator Thomas Salisbury.

Approached by a DailyMail.com reporter last year and asked about his alleged abuse of the Turpin children at his $585,000 four-bedroom house, Olguin replied 'F*** you' before hiding in his garage.

Outside court and asked whether they regretted their behavior towards their vulnerable foster children, the Olguins refused to comment  although Lennys muttered 'Leave us alone' to a DailyMail.com photographer while Olguin tried to hide his face

Olguin is facing 13 charges including three counts of performing a lewd act with a child under 14, four counts of performing a lewd act with a child aged 14/15 and multiple counts of willful child cruelty

During the hearing at the County of Riverside Hall of Justice Thursday, Olguin consented to having his pre-trial hearing delayed until August 4

The story of the Turpin children's rescue from their abusive parents, David and Louise Turpin, now 61 and 54 made global headlines in January 2018 after one daughter was able to escape from the house  also in Perris  and dial 911.

Then aged between two and 29, the younger children were placed in foster care which in the case of five allegedly meant going from the frying pan into the fire when they were fostered by the Olguins.

According to court documents, the Olguins forced the children to take part in 'confession circle talk' where they were 'made to admit to their past sibling abuses, which their biological parents forced them to do'.

The confession circles allegedly began soon after the children arrived at the Olguin home despite the foster parents' knowledge of the 'egregious, lifelong, severe abuses' the minors had suffered at the hands of their parents.

One of the male Turpin children was singled out for extra abuse and was repeatedly imprisoned in his bedroom, 'cussed at', 'demeaned' and separated from his sisters. The Olguins also 'intentionally ruined his media devices,' Salisbury wrote.

All five were also threatened with never seeing their older siblings again if they didn't comply with the Olguins' wishes.

According to the report, Lennys also scratched the top of one girl's hand and, when she was holding a metal coin, moved her hand close to an electrical outlet saying 'You want to get shocked?'

Along with the Turpins, the Olguins were fostering another four children  among them a five-year-old girl who was given sleeping pills and then forced to stand while the trio rang bells in her ear and sprayed water in her face so she couldn't fall asleep.

Three of the Turpin girls sued Riverside County Children's Services Division and contractor ChildNet in July for placing them in the Olguins' home in April 2018

Police raided the Turpins' four-bedroom house in Perris, California in early 2018 and found many of the malnourished children shackled to their beds by chains, living in unimaginable filth

This was 'all while repeating the revenge phrase; 'You don't let us sleep, we're not letting you sleep',' investigator Salisbury wrote. The little girl collapsed and fell on the hard tile floor, he added.

They also locked the girl  identified as V#1  in her room for nine hours a day and failed to change her diaper.

'They frightened V#1 by telling her spiders were in the bathroom. They held her in that dark, noisy, scary bathroom (which contained a large decorative spider at one point) despite V#1's crying/panicked pleas to be let out.

'They beat V#1 with sandals,' added Salisbury, 'choked her, threw her, and knocked her front tooth out by throwing her down several steps.'

The Olguins also encouraged two of their foster children to fight each other, the court papers allege, calling one a filthy a**hole and 'motherf***er,' while another was told she would end up as 'a white piece of s**t on the curb' like her biological mother.

They are also accused of physically abusing those same two children, with Rosa said to have dragged one of them by her hair 'which resulted in her hair being pulled out.'

Both Marcelino and Rosa Olguin are certified foster carers and were approved to take in the Turpin children by the Riverside County Children's Services Division.

Olguin has been charged with seven counts of committing a 'lewd and lascivious act on a child' and six of torture

David and Louise Turpin  who are now serving life in prison  regularly beat and restrained their children, fed them just once a day, and only allowed them a shower once a year

Social services in the county have been heavily criticized over the children's plight with a report published last July noting that the Turpins 'experienced further harm by a system that was meant to protect them'.

The 600-page Larson report also said the older Turpin children had experienced problems with accessing cash raised for their care while the younger Turpins faced abuse at the hands of their foster parents.

It continued: 'Specifically, some of the younger Turpin siblings were placed with caregivers who were later charged with child abuse.

'Some of the older siblings experienced periods of housing instability and food insecurity as they transitioned to independence.'

Both Turpin parents are now serving life sentences after being found guilty of systematically abusing their 13 children by beating and starving them, chaining them to the wall as punishment and allowing them just one shower a year.

David Turpin is currently in the protective custody unit at Corcoran State Prison while his wife Louise is serving her sentence in the Central California Women's Prison in Chowchilla.
An irate former employee of ABC's Radio National has sent a scathing farewell email claiming the national broadcaster favoured older colleagues.

The departing employee criticised the broadcaster for overlooking younger employees while paying older employees $20,000 to $30,000 more due to them 'winning the demographic lottery'.

'I used to laugh ironically to myself when feminist colleagues spoke about the glass ceiling for women,' the employee's email reads.

'At RN there was a f***ing cement ceiling for anyone born after 1972.'

An irate former employee of ABC's Radio National has sent a scathing email claiming the national broadcaster favoured older employees and paid them more (ABC's Ultimo office in Sydney)

'I should have left a long time ago. I really, really should have,' the email reads.

The outgoing employee referenced 'unequal pay rates between generations, farcical performance reviews, lack of career planning and training' as the main issues they faced while working at the broadcaster.

The issues had led to the employee becoming 'depressed for several years' although they have since recovered.

They went on to warn other colleagues that although they met the requirements to be promoted, they were not able to due to older colleagues already in the role.

'I know it's hardly the fault of older colleagues that they won the demographic lottery ... No one in particular is to blame, and yet it is deeply unfair,' they wrote.

'I'm sharing so that others in similar positions don't blame themselves and become immobilised by depression.

'It is not you, it's the system.'

Referencing their 'toxic relationship' with Radio National, the employee warned that the lower salary levels for younger employees aren't enough to live on if residing on the nation's east coast.

'You might be an EP (executive producer) now, but unless you are independently wealthy, you need to set a timeline to leave,' the email reads.

'Not because you hate the work or your colleagues but because you can no longer have a financially stable life in an eastern Australian city on ABC wages.

'No matter how much you like the creativity and joy of your ideas reaching a national audience you can't afford to work here for too long.'

The staffer hoped the email make its way up the broadcaster's chain of command, reported The Age.

In October last year, the ABC's chairperson, Ita Buttrose (pictured) claimed the ABC couldn't be 'accused' of not giving younger talent 'opportunities'

In October of last year, the ABC's chairperson, Ita Buttrose, spoke on Radio National Breakfast as a part of Ageism Awareness Day.

'I don't think the ABC could be accused of not giving younger talent opportunities,' Ms Buttrose said.

However, she followed the comment by saying: 'If younger people think there's no place for someone in their 60s, they need to think about how they would want to be treated when they get to that age.'

The comments were in response to criticism the national broadcaster had not accommodated younger audiences and younger talent within the company.

Youth-centered arms of the broadcaster such as Triple J have seen younger audiences turn to other stations such as SmoothFm.

Younger talent at the ABC have also branched away from the company to start independent adventures or work for other outlets.

Journalist Brooke Boney and comedian Gen Fricker both left the broadcaster in recent years for other opportunities, while Alexei Toliopoulos and Cameron James both started an independent series on Youtube.

The ABC chose not to comment when approached by Daily Mail Australia.
She was arrested in 2016 in huge drug bust

One of the infamous 'cocaine babes' involved in a huge $21million drug haul has broken her silence on life in prison and her plans for spending the dirty money.

Canadian woman Isabelle Lagace was arrested in 2016 as part of one of Australia's biggest drug busts when nearly 100kilograms of cocaine was found on a luxury cruise ship in Sydney Harbour.

The then 28-year-old was sentenced the following year to a minimum four years and six months in jail and was released in February 2021.

Lagace has now broken her silence on life inside an Australian maximum security prison and what she had planned for her ill-gotten gains.

Lagace (right) and accomplice Melina Roberge have both been deported back to Quebec, Canada after spending four years in prison in Australia for drug smuggling

'If I didn't get caught I would probably be a big a***hole with a lot of money,' she told 60 Minutes in a preview of an episode due to air on Sunday night.

Recalling her time in prison, she said: 'They took me to a maximum security called "Silverwater", opened the door and said "welcome to Australia".'

Lagace had pleaded guilty after attempting to smuggle 30kilograms of cocaine into Australia to clear a $20,000 debt.

She was one of three people arrested as part of a seven-member drug cartel aboard what was described as a 'floating drug warehouse'.

Her glamorous accomplice Melina Roberge received a longer sentence than Lagace because she had not pleaded guilty.

In 2018, Roberge, then 22, was sentenced to eight years in jail with a non-parole period of four years and nine months.

Both women have since been released from prison and in deported back to Quebec, Canada.

Lagace and Roberge posted a string of photos to social media of them enjoying the cruise ship journey across the globe

ABF members found a suitcase containing 30 kilograms of cocaine in the cabin occupied by Lagace and Roberge

Apart from the two women, just one other male associate went to prison.

Canadian man Andre Tamine, then 65, was sentenced in 2018 to eight years and five months jail.

The group had boarded the seven-week cruise on the Sea Princess at Dover, England on July 9, 2016, and planned to sail to destinations such as the US, Bermuda, Colombia, Auckland, Sydney and Brisbane as part of an around-the-world trip.

Roberge and Lagace snapped themselves drinking from coconuts, posing with armed soldiers on a beach, in caves and at coves, mostly in their swimwear.

The ship arrived at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Sydney Harbour at 6.50am on August 28, 2016, where Australia Border Force members searched the two cabins the group were staying in.

ABF members found three large suitcases stuffed with 42.74kilograms of cocaine in Tamine's cabin, and another suitcase containing 30kilograms of cocaine in the cabin occupied by Lagace and Roberge.

Roberge (above) posed in an Instagram picture with soldiers

The cocaine discovered in the women's cabin had a street value of around $21million.

Following their arrest and first court appearances, it emerged that Lagace had been a stripper at a Montreal nightclub and had then featured in adult movies.

It would later emerge that Roberge had become involved in a a sexual relationship with an older 'sugar daddy' she had met in a nightclub.

He had paid her expenses in return for her working as an escort for men he introduced her to at nightclubs in Morocco and Montreal.

The same man promised both women - who had accrued major debts - up to $100,000 if they could carry the 95kg of cocaine through Australian customs without getting caught.

They were offered first class cruise tickets worth $20,000, plus $6000 spending money, and told they should 'take pictures in exotic locations and post them on Instagram' to act as decoys for the drug plot.

Last year, a documentary was released featuring Lagace's telling of the ordeal, titled 'Cocaine, Prison & Likes: Isabelle's True Story'.
A third man has been charged over the shocking gangland murder of a father and son who were shot dead as they left their home in Sydney's west.

Salim Hamze, 18, and his father Toufik, 64, were killed in a spray of bullets as they sat in the front seat of a red utility at Guildford on October 20, 2021.

The 18-year-old, believed to be a low-level player in Sydney's underworld, died at the scene while his father was taken to hospital, where he later died.

Two men - aged 20 and 25 - have previously been charged for their alleged involvement in the murders and remain before the courts.

Now, an 18-year-old man has been arrested and charged with two counts of murder and one count of participating in gangs contributing to criminal activity.

Police will allege in court the teenager was involved in the planning of the murders.

Salim Hamze, 18, and his father Toufik, 64, were killed in a spray of bullets as they sat in the front seat of a red utility at Guildford on October 20, 2021

In early 2022, police seized a grey Ford Mustang that they allege was used as a getaway car after the Hamzes were shot (pictured, the Ford Mustang is inspected by forensic officers)

The man was arrested by detectives attached to Strike Force Ormero and taken to Gosford Police Station on Thursday morning in the NSW Central Coast.

He was remanded in custody and will appear before a children's court on Friday.

Salim and Toufik Hamze were shot dead in a spray of bullets as they prepared to leave their home in Sydney's west in October, 2021.

Police believe Salim was the intended target, and his father was collateral damage. They say they are unaware of any criminal involvement of the slain father.

In early 2022, police seized a grey Ford Mustang that they allege was used as a getaway car after the Hamzes were shot.

A burnt-out Lexus SUV which was allegedly used as the initial getaway car by those involved, was also seized by police.

Both vehicles have since undergone forensic examination.

Police believe Salim, 18, was the intended target and his father was collateral damage. They say they are unaware of any criminal involvement of the slain father

In July, a fresh appeal for information by police into the cars was issued.

Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said some people 'haven't come forward completely' with information.

'We know there's some people who know information and who may have used these cars prior to the murder, or heard something since the murder,' he said.

'People have probably got an opinion on some of the victims of the killings, but you've got a loving family of an innocent 64-year-old man and also an 18-year-old.'

The 18-year-old Salim, believed to be a low-level player in Sydney's underworld, died at the scene while his father was taken to hospital where he later died

In November, a second man, 20, was charged over the incident, just months after a 25-year-old man was charged for his alleged role in brutal murders.

The 20-year-old was arrested at a Grafton jail, in northeast NSW.

He was charged with two counts of murder with police alleging he was directly involved in coordinating the cars used in the shooting.

Both men remain before the courts.
A group of 21 native trees have been hacked down soon after they had been planted with the shocking vandalism bringing residents to the point of tears.

The 'senseless' act caused anger and heartbreak among the Coburg community in Melbourne's northern suburbs, with enraged residents calling out the 'lowlife scumbags' responsible.

Images of the trees showed them lopped off at the stumps and lying on the ground in a park adjacent to the Coburg train station.

The trees were planted as part of an expensive and large-scale revamp to the area connected to the Victorian government's Level Crossing Removal Project.

Local resident Luke said his wife was 'nearly in tears' when the family saw the trees slashed to the ground.

The 'senseless' act drew anger and heartbreak among the Coburg community in Melbourne's northern suburbs this week with enraged residents calling out the 'lowlife scumbags' responsible (pictured, the vandalised trees)

Local resident Luke said his wife was 'nearly in tears' when the family saw the trees slashed to the ground

'I am incredibly sad and very angry about it. It was pretty heartbreaking to see my young child trying to reattach the trees to their stumps,' he told Yahoo News Australia.

Luke said fellow residents were scratching their heads over why someone would chop the trees down.

'It is such a bizarre act and it must have taken a degree of premeditation due to the multiple tools involved, not to mention the physical effort of cutting down so many trees in the middle of the night even if they were all relatively young,' he said.

It is understood the state government project responsible for planting the trees - designed to increase canopy cover in the area - will get them replaced.

The Andrews' government's signature plan of ripping out 110 level crossings across the city involved lifting the Coburg rail tracks and the station above ground.

But Luke said he didn't think a resident being resentful over the redevelopment was the reason behind the attack.

Mayor of Merri-bek, Councillor Angelica Panopoulos, said council would work with state authorities to find out how the incident occurred.

'I was really disappointed to learn that a number of trees have been snapped in the parklands surrounding Coburg Station. We value building up our canopy cover and urban forest in Merri-bek, and so this is incredibly frustrating,' Cr Panopoulos said.

'I am incredibly sad and very angry about it. It was pretty heartbreaking to see my young child trying to reattach the trees to their stumps,' one local said

The trees (pictured, after the visit by a vandal) were planted as part of an expensive and large-scale revamp to the area connected to the Victorian government's Level Crossing Removal Project

Meanwhile, residents took to social media to vent their frustration over the vandalism.

'I just can't believe people would do this. Lowlife scumbags,' one said, while another called the culprit an 'axe murderer'.

'They were young eucalyptus trees. All natives. I'm guessing it's just senseless vandalism. Some people just need a gum tree branch upside the head unfortunately,' a third wrote.

'I wish the people that did this would make like a tree and leave,' joked another.
An Alabama boy has been convicted of capital murder for gunning down his dad, three siblings, and stepmom after finding out she was not his biological mother at 14.

Mason Sisk, now 17, of Elkmont, was convicted on Thursday after the jury took less than two hours to hand down the guilty verdict for the 2019 murders.

He will be sentenced on July 25 and faces life in prison for the brutal act.

During the trial, jurors were shown a video on Wednesday of Sisk admitting to the murders and saying he was 'fed up of all the fighting,' according to AL.com.

Mason Sisk, now 17, of Elkmont, was convicted on Thursday after the jury took less than two hours to hand down the guilty verdict for the 2019 murder of his family

He will be sentence on July 25 and faces life in prison for the brutal act. Although a clear motive has not been determined, jurors were shown a video on Wednesday of Sisk admitting to the murders and saying he was 'fed up of all the fighting'

Sisk killed his family while they slept on September 2, 2019, in their home near the Tennessee border.

Before allegedly fatally shooting his parents and three siblings - including his infant brother - execution-style, then-14-year-old Mason Wayne Sisk had tried to poison his stepmother by putting peanut butter in her coffee, knowing she was allergic, according to authorities.

The harrowing murders ensued after Sisk found out his stepmother was not his biological mother. The September 2019 massacre rocked the small town of Elkmont.

Sisk's Attorney Shay Golden said he was disappointed with out retrial's outcome, saying: 'Information we believed to be relevant was never really allowed to be discussed or considered. We have prepared for that, thats part of the legal process. You prepared for the worst-case scenario.'

Golden said Sisk and his team are planning to appeal the verdict and that it 'just feels like this inevitably will have to be tried again' for a third time. His first trial was determined to be a mistrial and the retrial began on April 17.

On September 2, 2019, he killed his father John Sisk, 38; and stepmom Mary Sisk, 35

He also killed his two half-brothers, Colson and Grayson, and his half-sister Aurora

The attorney also revealed that his client was emotional over the decision.

'I know that [Masons] disappointed. Its difficult, he emotes in his way, [and] he doesnt have anyone really to help him with that,' the lawyer said, according to WAFF.

'We talked about it. He knew this was something to be considered the entire time was the possibility that the issues were setting up for appeal might come into play.'

Prosecutors showed text messages during closing arguments of the Alabama teen bragging about effectively using a gun to kill his family and that he could see the life drain from their eyes. Sisk's team argued these were jokes.

On the day of the alleged crimes, around 11pm on September 2, 2019, Sisk called 911 to report a shooting.

The then-14-year-old boy initially told responding deputies that he had been in the basement of his family's home in the 2500 block of Ridge Road in Elkmont when he heard gunfire upstairs.

Before allegedly fatally shooting his parents and three siblings - including his infant brother - execution-style, then-14-year-old Mason Wayne Sisk had tried to poison his stepmother by putting peanut butter in her coffee, knowing she was allergic

According to investigators, Sisk later confessed to killing his family and led officers to the murder weapon, a 9mm pistol, which was legally held at the residence.

The victims of the shooting were identified as his father, John Sisk, 38; his stepmother, Mary Sisk, 35; his two half-brothers, six-month-old Colson and six-year-old Grayson, and his half-sister Aurora, aged five.

According to a 2020 report from a juvenile probation officer, Sisk 'had not shown any sign of remorse' for allegedly committing the atrocious crimes.

The document obtained by WAAY states: 'Mason does not seem bothered by the fact he's accused of murdering his family... While in detention, he has not talked about his family at all.'

Sisk's probation officer noted that, other than getting several warnings and two disciplinary infractions, mostly for talking without permission, the teenager had been a model inmate.

'While in detention, Mason follows directions, does his schoolwork and interacts well with others,' the report reads.

Sisk's cousin Daisy McCarty told the station WAFF in 2019 that she believed the killings were sparked by a revelation that Mary Sisk was not his birth mother.

'He didn't know any different of who his mom was. And they just recently told him, and I think that's really what triggered the little boy, to be honest with you,' she said.

Sisk also had been acting out in the months preceding the murders by burning live animals and breaking into his school, she said.

Mary Sisk, originally from New Orleans, was a special education teacher for Huntsville City Schools, according to a biography on the website of Mountain Gap Schools.

'I can't think of any better person to be with us during the time she was needed,' Evon Miller, whose granddaughter was in Mary's class, told WZDX in 2020.

John Sisk had a number of jobs, including at a Harley Davidson shop, and had graduated from a Paul Mitchell cosmetology school.
A Connecticut town held an 'anti racism meeting' on Wednesday night after local lawns were blanketed with flyers reading 'Black Crimes Matter', following an attempted theft of a white man's car which saw him being seriously beaten.

The attempted car theft was captured on a Ring doorbell camera in Rocky Hill on April 10, and has since been blamed for sparking ongoing racial tensions there.

A young black man is seen approaching the red Infiniti Q50 sedan parked in a doorway, and scoping it out. The vehicle is worth $42,000 new.

He tries the driver's side door and finds it unlocked, then jumps in.

The homeowner runs out and confronts him, and the black man attacks him. As the pair scuffle, falling to the ground, another three men run from a waiting car to join in the beating.

The homeowner can be seen with the initial thief on his shoulders, with a second member of the gang running towards him on April 10

The man is seen on the ground being attacked by the gang, who wanted to steal his red car

On April 13, the neighborhood where the man was attacked by the car thief gang was littered with these paper flyers

The ADL names NSC 131 as a National Socialist Club 'with small chapters based in the New England region'

The homeowner has the initial thief hoisted behind his head, but the others drag him to the ground. At one point he is in a headlock as the gang kick and punch him - one kicking him so hard his sneaker falls off, and then continuing to beat him with the shoe.

The four thieves then run away, leaving the homeowner - who did not appear severely injured - to dust himself off and inspect his bruises.

Sgt Jeffrey Foss-Rugan said the attackers were 'three younger in age black males and one younger in age white/Hispanic male.'

Three days later the tiny white flyers were littering the neighborhood, with 'Black Crimes Matter' typed on the front, and the contact details for a neo-Nazi group on the back.

Valerie Triblets, a member of the Racial Justice Steering Committee at the Rocky Hill Congregational Church, said she had no doubt the attempted car theft and racist flyers were linked.

'They were distributed generally in the same neighborhood as the assault, Valley View Drive,' she said.

She added that the supremacist group is 'using it as an opportunity to spread hate.'

Triblets wrote a statement on behalf of her church that was posted on Facebook: 'We call out the evil behavior of those who chose to scatter hate through our neighborhoods in an attempt to create moral panic and convince good people that there is a connection between race and criminal behavior.'

Sgt Jeffrey Foss-Rugan said the attackers were 'three younger in age black males and one younger in age white/Hispanic male'

Valerie Triblets, a member of the Racial Justice Steering Committee at the Rocky Hill Congregational Church, said she believed the attempted car theft motivated the distribution of the neo-Nazi flyers

The group, New England Nationalist Social Club, NSC-131, has been trying to recruit people for the last four years, The Hartford Courant reported.

The Southern Poverty Law Center says the group is 'a neo-Nazi group based in New England whose activities consist of staging protests and distributing hate literature.'

Its leader, Christopher Hood, a former member of the Proud Boys, and many of its members have faced criminal charges, in some cases related to their racist activism, the Southern Poverty center said.

On Wednesday night, a community meeting was held, and on Sunday a march will be staged under the banner: 'Unite Against White Supremacy in Connecticut'.

Kate Schramm, who lives near Valley View Drive, told The Courant she noticed the slips of paper when she was walking her dog.

'I was surprised to see them. They looked like little pieces of trash,' Schramm said.

'I picked one up. I was just disgusted.'

She said many of the papers are still scattered throughout the neighborhood.

'They're really tiny. You wouldn't notice them unless you were looking for them,' she said.

The flyers were left over the lawns of Rocky Hill

A meeting was held on Wednesday to discuss the neo-Nazi recruitment drive, and a march is scheduled for Saturday

The Anti-Defamation League, which monitors anti-Semitism and other hate crimes, reported 207 incidents of white supremacists propaganda in Connecticut in 2022 - a 115 percent rise from 2021.

Connecticut is now ninth in the nation in the number of incidents, ADL states.

'Incidents of white supremacist propaganda distribution in Connecticut are at a historic high,' said Stacey Sobel ADL Connecticut Regional Director, in their annual report.

'Everyone must come together to reject hate and extremism and work towards creating a better community that does not exclude, marginalize, or target any person.'
Baywatch star Jeremy Jackson's ex-wife Loni Willison has been spotted in Los Angeles rummaging around in a dumpster searching for food.

The former glamorous swimsuit model has been living in homeless encampments in California for nearly seven years.

She was recently spotted in Santa Monica looking disheveled as she pushed along a shopping cart through the back streets.

Willison is best known for her role as Kira Michaels on the hit TV series Expose.

She was married to Baywatch actor Jeremy Jackson, but their tumultuous relationship ended in 2014 after Jackson allegedly attempted to strangle Willison during a drunken fight.

Since their split, Willison has reportedly struggled with addiction and mental health issues. Her took something of a downward turn and can often be seen wandering the streets, pushing an overflowing shopping cart, and rummaging through dumpsters in the search for food.

Loni Willison, a former actress and fitness model, was recently spotted in Santa Monica as she looked through dumpsters for food

Wilison was married to Baywatch actor Jeremy Jackson, but their tumultuous relationship ended in 2014 after Jackson allegedly attempted to strangle Willison during a drunken fight

Willison was found in the streets for the first time in two years in October 2020, having been homeless since around 2016. She was seen this week looking through a dumpster for food

Willison could be seen reaching down to pick up something from the ground

The former model was seen eating on an old sandwich that she found in the dumpster

The photos, obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com, are a stark contrast from Willison's once glamorous life.

Just eight years ago, she was living the Hollywood dream, modeling and appearing on red carpets at glittering events alongside TV hunk Jeremy Jackson, whom she married in 2012.

But after developing a drug addiction, she has fallen on hard times and has been sleeping rough for the last six years in Venice, where the homelessness problem has reached a crisis point in recent years.

Willison was found on the streets for the first time in two years in October 2020, having been homeless since around 2016.

She has reportedly suffered from from an addiction to crystal meth and various mental heath issues.

Jackson and Willison pictured going for a run together in 2011. They divorced in 2014

Jeremy Jackson, right, and Loni Willison are pictured in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2011

Willison has reportedly struggled with addiction and mental health issues, and her life has taken a downward turn

She is often seen wandering the streets, pushing an overflowing shopping cart

Willison could be seen pushing a cart containing her belongings through the streets of Santa Monica

Willison could be seen eating scraps of food as she pushed the cart around in broad daylight

Shortly after she was found she told The Sun that she is 'doing just fine' and has not had any contact with Jackson in recent years.

'I haven't spoken to Jeremy. I don't want to speak to my friends, I'm doing just fine. I don't want anyone to help me.'

Loni was married to Jeremy from 2012 until their tumultuous divorce in 2014. She once accused the actor of trying to strangle her in a violent rage.

She insisted to that she 'can live on [her] own' and that she has 'everything [she] needs right here' in Venice due to the area's affluent nature.

'I haven't got a cell phone. I've got food and I've got a place to sleep. I get money here and there and there's food in the bins and near the stores. There's lots here,' she said.

Unable to pay her bills or hold down a job, Loni, eventually, was evicted from her West Hollywood apartment and forced to live on the streets

Loni, who once graced the cover of Australia's Glam Fit magazine, looked to be missing numerous teeth and had her hair styled into a pixie cut.

Before disappearing in October of 2018, Loni opened up about her tragic fall from grace in an interview with DailyMailTV earlier that month.

DailyMailTV reporters were able to locate Loni on a busy stretch of Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, where she was reunited with friend and former model Kristin Rossetti.

Loni explained to Rossetti and DailyMailTV that her unfortunate path to homelessness began in 2016 when she lost her job as an assistant at a cosmetic surgery center in LA.

She then claimed that she worked briefly for a realtor who refused to pay her, which only added to her financial, mental, and emotional turmoil.

Willison also began suffering from an increasingly severe mental illness that led to her convincing herself that she was being tortured in her apartment with electricity.

Unable to pay her bills or hold down a job, Loni, eventually, was evicted from her West Hollywood apartment and forced to live on the streets.

Willison was featured on the cover of magazines, including Australia's GlamFit in 2012, before her downfall

Willison's hardships all occurred years after her divorce from Jeremy, which was finalized in 2014

Recalling her ex husband Jeremy - who was accused of trying to strangle her in a violent rage - she said: 'I had a nice little apartment,' she said

Her hardships all occurred years after her divorce from Jeremy, which was finalized in 2014.

'I'd split from Jeremy at that time. I have not had any contact with him. All the s**t that's happened to me has been so f*****g crazy.'

At the time, DailyMail TV called upon the expertise of drug rehab specialist Larry Marinelli who own True Intentions sober living home and co-founded True Hope Calling to help families in crisis of substance abuse and mental health.

Larry offered to help Loni for free and even laid out a detailed treatment plan for her so she could safely battle her demons and get her life back on track.

Unfortunately, Loni denied treatment and was back out on the streets in less than 24 hours.
It comes after the first stamps featuring the King's likeness were made available

The four stamps imagine the moment of the Coronation and show multiple faiths

Royal Mail is marking the Coronation with a set of four new stamps, each approved by King Charles III, which have been unveiled in time for the Coronation.

The four stamps depict the King being crowned and celebrate the Commonwealth, Britain's multi-faith society and biodiversity, a cause close to Charles' heart.

The set is based on newly-commissioned wood engravings by artist Andrew Davidson.

One imagines St Edward's Crown being lowered onto Charles' head by the Archbishop of Canterbury at the moment of the Coronation on May 6.

It comes after the first stamps featuring the King's likeness were made available earlier this month, alongside those depicting his late mother Queen Elizabeth II.

Royal Mail is marking the Coronation with a set of four new stamps, each approved by King Charles III

On 'The Coronation' stamp, the scene is printed in regal purple ink and set in front of Westminster Abbey

The Diversity and Community stamp features figures representing the Jewish, Islamic, Christian, Sikh, Hindu and Buddhist religions and Royal Mail described it as being representative of all faiths and none

Royal Mail is also applying for a special postmark to be stamped on letters in honour of the royal occasion.

It will read: 'Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla 6 May 2023', and run from April 28 until May 10.

On 'The Coronation' stamp, the scene is printed in regal purple ink and set in front of Westminster Abbey, with fireworks appearing above.

A gun salute can also be seen being fired and crowds gather to watch the ceremony and celebrate at a street party.

The 1st class stamp shows a likeness of the monarch holding the Sceptre with Dove and the Sceptre with Cross and sitting in the Coronation Chair.

The other three stamps depict Diversity and Community, The Commonwealth, and Sustainability and Biodiversity.

Charles has spent decades campaigning over climate change and the environment, is known for his commitment to promoting multi-faith tolerance, and is Head of the Commonwealth.

The 2.20 Commonwealth stamp, in red ink, imagines a Commonwealth meeting and a representation of the Commonwealth Games

On the 2.20 Sustainability and Diversity stamp, the ink is green and the engraving shows a beekeeper and a hedgelayer

The 1st class Diversity and Community stamp in blue ink features figures representing the Jewish, Islamic, Christian, Sikh, Hindu and Buddhist religions and Royal Mail described it as being representative of all faiths and none.

The background scene captures both rural and urban Britain and the varied places of worship found around the UK including a church and a mosque.

The 2.20 Commonwealth stamp, in red ink, imagines a Commonwealth meeting and depicts a representation of the Commonwealth Games.

It also shows some of the flags of the Commonwealth nations, a scene depicting trade and commerce, and a Commonwealth War Graves cemetery.

On the 2.20 Sustainability and Diversity stamp, the ink is green and the engraving shows a beekeeper and a hedgelayer.

The backdrop is a natural landscape showing sustainable farming methods and featuring renewable sources of energy such as hydroelectric power and solar panels.

A special postmark being applied for by Royal Mail will read: 'Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla 6 May 2023', and run from April 28 until May 10.

This is only the third time in history that Royal Mail has issued stamps to mark a coronation.

The previous two occasions were for King George VI in 1937 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

Simon Thompson, Royal Mail chief executive, said: 'Royal Mail is proud to issue this set of commemorative stamps which celebrate the coronation, and some of the causes which His Majesty has championed throughout his many years of public service.

'This is only the third time we have issued Coronation stamps and I am delighted that they mark the start of a new reign and a new chapter in our history.'

One of the first sheets of the first class definitive stamp featuring King Charles III being unveiled at the Postal Museum in London

The stamps, designed by Atelier Works, are available to view, ahead of general release at the Postal Museum in London from April 28 as part of the exhibition: The King's Stamp - The Postal Museum.

Stamps featuring the new King first went on sale this month, however were not sold at post offices until stocks featuring his mother had been used up.

Royal Mail director of external affairs and policy David Gold said Charles had asked for existing stocks to be used, rather than destroyed.

'He was very clear however long it takes to clear the stock, there's no rush entirely in line with his well-stated principles of waste and environmentalism.'

The new stamp features Charles's head and neck facing left, as all monarchs have done since Queen Victoria appeared on the Penny Black  the world's first postage stamp  in 1840.
SouthTech Academy cosmetology students recently showcased their talent and skills as they created visually stunning and unique expressions of fantasy hairstyles and exotic makeup designs at the schools annual Hair and Fashion Show in front of a crowd in Boynton Beach.

The SouthTech Academy Hair and Fashion Show also featured lyrical dancing and segments with students in different dress attire. The senior class was highlighted at the event for its success and time spent in the academy as they worked toward industry certifications. The cosmetology students were cheered on by family members and also supported by school faculty, officials, board members, students and the community.

Mary Carstarphen, who serves as a SouthTech Cosmetology Academy department liaison and instructor, has spearheaded the event for the last 16 years. She was joined by instructors Patrice Marsh and Kimberly Lowery as they prepared students for the big stage.

Cosmetology students perform during a hair and fashion show at SouthTech Cosmetology Academy in Boynton Beach.

The crowd is so amazed by what they are seeing, said Carstarphen, who served as a commentator during the event. We bring a lot of energy. The show has really grown and the expectations seem to be greater. We try to go a little higher every year and continue to raise the bar. We just continue to rise to the occasion.

The shows theme was So Fancy, which allowed students to express their creativity. The students were able to provide a different look with the mannequin styles on display, which included foam head pieces. The freshman, sophomore, junior and senior students executed different styles and designs.

The students are creative and able to bring something different to the fantasy pieces, Carstarphen said. We do not limit the students and push different ideas to help them reach their ultimate goal. We are guiding them through the process to just help them get there. Every year, we find a way to do something a little bit different. We are a very diverse school. We want to make it inclusive and we want to celebrate and make everyone feel special.

The students work was on display during SouthTech Hair and Fashion Show.

The show features cultural themes each year. The students featured Haitian cultural aspects during the show this year and also included Hispanic cultural themes last year with quinceanera dresses. They also attended a field trip to Atlanta last year and were able to incorporate elements from what they learned.

Carstarphen, who said she is firm and consistent with her approach, added its a privilege for students to participate in the show. The format and structure with the preparation for the show brings an expectation for students to be responsible, productive, to value their time and continue to learn. She encourages students to remain focused and disciplined as they excel to bring the show to new heights.

I only want them to succeed, she said. I have been doing this for some time. It took time to get us to where we are now. It warms my heart. I operate with love and passion everyday. Its very rewarding, and what is most important to me is building relationships. After high school, I believe I can be a resource to the students and they can reach out anytime if they need help.

Senior Elena Mass works the stage during SouthTech Cosmetology Academys Hair and Fashion Show.

The cosmetology students learn theory content and also are able to gain practice experience in the classroom, which includes learning techniques for hair, makeup, nails and skin. The students have the opportunity to be tested and receive state certifications to gain employment. They are encouraged to find a niche within the industry, which includes estheticians and nail technicians.

Being in the field of cosmetology, its about creativity, she said. Everything is going to be a fundamental basic guideline that they learn. We try to make sure we are creating as many opportunities for our students to get the hands-on experience that they need.

Danysha Cetoute, a SouthTech Cosmetology Academy senior, participated in her last hair and fashion show at the school.

Junior Layla Edmond performs on stage during the show in Boynton Beach.

The fantasy piece is where we showcase the different styles that we have created, she said. It describes the history behind everything we have chosen and why its so significant and important to our life now and in our culture. Its a lot of work and its always worth it in the end. Its fun and everyone enjoyed it.

Cetoute, who said her mom was a cosmetologist, noted she has been dedicated to earn an industry certification. She plans to be licensed with an opportunity to work in a salon setting while attending Palm Beach State College.

I have learned time management and to get more things done at a certain pace, she said. [SouthTech] is great because its exactly what you would learn at an actual college.

Carla Lovett, SouthTech Academy executive director, said the show always leaves a lasting impression on the audience.

I am glad to always be there to support our students, she said. Its not just a hair and fashion show. Its a performance with dancing, music and costumes. I have never seen anything like it. Its unbelievable.
Low paid migrant workers should not get a pay rise because their conditions are already better than where they have come from, according to Barnaby Joyce.

Wages for temporary skilled migrants will be raised by up to $16,000 from July under a major reform of Australia's migration system after a review found the minimum income threshold paved the way for exploitation.

But former Nationals leader, and current backbencher, Barnaby Joyce has claimed the increase would be 'counterintuitive'.

'We should be logical like they are in so many other countries where people are happy to get paid the wages, it's worth so much to them, it's better than the life they had,' he said.

'And we get a job done that won't get done.'

Mr Joyce pointed to jobs cleaning motels, picking fruit and packing offal at an abattoir as roles that no Australian was willing to do, insisting a wage increase for temporary migrants was 'counterintuitive'.

'We should be logical like they are in so many other countries where people are happy to get paid the wages,' Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce (pictured) said of government plans to raise wages for temporary skilled migrants by up to $16,000

'You're basically saying for someone to make beds in a motel, which we can't get anyone to do... put the wage up. Well, the only way they can get it is if they put your motel bill up,' Mr Joyce said.

The wages cap for skilled migrants has been frozen at $53,900 since 2013. From July 1, it will be increased to $70,000.

Industry body AI Group chief executive Innes Willox said it was 'very hard to argue against' the raise given the new threshold was in line with CPI increases over that period.

But he stressed there would be issues to iron out in the hospitality and agriculture sectors.

Protections for low-paid overseas workers would also be increased but ACTU president Michele O'Neil warned there was still more work to be done.

Business and unions are on a unity ticket over the sweeping migration reforms announced by Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil on Thursday (pictured, at the National Press Club)

'We want to see it indexed and put it at a higher rate... but what we know is that we still have this issue where many hundreds of thousands of people are not affected by that (income threshold) level,' she told ABC's RN.

Business and unions are on a unity ticket over the sweeping migration reforms announced by Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil on Thursday, which followed a review by former public service boss Martin Parkinson.

Under the changes, a 'mess' of visa categories are set to be simplified, highly paid skilled foreigners will have their applications fast-tracked and the requirement for employers to advertise jobs locally before hiring a migrant would be scrapped.

Ms O'Neil said the strategy would, in time, lead to a reduction in the number of overseas workers in Australia but conceded that to catch up from Covid-19, the nation would experience a temporary uptick in migration.

Speaking with the Today show, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles denied that reform was a 'big Australia' policy.

'What we're trying to do with migration is make sure that we have a much more ordered migration system which can work for the country,' he said.
The family of an Australian man who went overboard from a cruise ship earlier this week have issued a heartbreaking tribute just hours after the search was suspended.

Warwick Tollemache, 35, from Brisbane has been identified as the man who fell from the Quantum of the Seas into the Pacific Ocean about 1400km south of the Hawaiian islands late on Tuesday night.

The search resumed the next day as the Royal Caribbean-operated ship, which departed Brisbane on April 12, headed towards Honolulu, it's final destination.

Mr Tollemache's shattered family have shared a tribute to the missing man after the US Coast Guard suspended the search on Friday morning Australian time.

Brisbane man Warwick Tollemache (pictured left) has been named as the man who went overboard from a cruise ship

What we know about Warwick Tollemache Warwick Tollemache was a keen fisherman from Brisbane who loved adventure and the outdoors. But tragedy struck on Tuesday when the 35-year-old fell overboard during a cruise around the Hawaiian islands. The US Coast Guard spent a day scouring the ocean for Tollemache from the air and sea before suspending the search due to large swells. Heartbroken friends and family flooded social media with tributes on Friday. 'Our family is heartbroken at the loss of our beloved Warwick,' his family said in a statement. 'He was a kind, beautiful, and gentle soul who was adored by everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed.' Advertisement

'Our family is heartbroken at the loss of our beloved Warwick,' they said in a statement.

'He was a kind, beautiful, and gentle soul who was adored by everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed.'

'We kindly ask for privacy during this difficult time. Thank you for your understanding.'

The sad news that the search had been called off sparked an outpouring of tributes.

'I will miss you dearly my friend, my brother, my heart is aching so much knowing that I won't get to see you again or give you a hug,' one mate posted.

A family friend added: 'He left an indelible mark on all who knew him and he will live on in all of us. My heart is breaking... for you, for him, for all your beautiful family. He will be so very missed.'

Mr Tollemache was a keen fisherman and posted photos highlighting his catches and his love for the outdoors on social media.

The US Coast Guard spent a day scouring the ocean for Mr Tollemache from the sea and the air before suspending the search.

Large overnight swells have hampered the frantic search, making the search 'almost impossible'.

The decision came after talks with Mr Tollemache's family and the Australian consulate.

Warwick Tollemache (pictured) has been remembered by his family as a kind, beautiful and gentle soul who was adored by everyone

Quantum of the Seas crew launched a desperate search (pictured) after Warwick Tollemache went overboard before later continuing its voyage

'The coast guard has made the difficult decision to suspend the active search for the passenger aboard the Quantum of the Seas,' search and rescue mission coordinator Kevin Cooper said in a statement.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is providing assistance to Mr Tollemache's family.

'The Australian Consulate-General in Honolulu is working closely with local authorities,' a spokesperson said.

'We acknowledge the ongoing distress for the man's family and loved ones.'

A Coast Guard C-130 Hercules aircrew completed five searches over the course of six hours while on scene.

A radio call-out was also issued to all vessels in the Pacific Ocean south of Hawaii to keep a lookout for him.

The Quantum of The Seas has since arrived at Kona on Hawaii's Big Island where passengers have been allowed to spend time ashore.

The US Coast Guard has suspended the search for Warwick Tollemache (pictured)

There was an outpouring of tributes for Warwick Tollemache on Friday morning (pictured)

The Brisbane man went overboard from the Quantum of the Seas cruise ship in waters off Hawaii (pictured, stock image of the ship)

CRUISE SHIP TRAGEDY TIMELINE April 12: The Quantum of the Seas cruise ship departs Brisbane bound for Honolulu, Hawaii with a stopover at Tahiti. April 25, 11pm (local time): An Australian man falls overboard from the cruise ship into the Pacific Ocean, 1400km south of the Hawaii. The ship comes to an abrupt halt as a desperate late night search is launch April 26, 1.30am (local time): The Quantum of the Seas continues on its voyage as the US Coast Guard launches an extensive air and sea search. April 26 (local time): The US Coast Guard spends the day scouring the ocean. Massive swells overnight made the search 'almost impossible'. An C-130 Hercules aircraft completed five searches over the course of six hours as a radio call-out was issued to all vessels in the Pacific Ocean south of Hawaii to keep a lookout for the missing man. April 27 local time/April 28 AM AEST: The US Coast Guard suspends the search for the missing man overboard following discussions with the man's family, the Australian consulate and other authorities. The man is later identified as Brisbane man Warwick Tollemache, 35, in a heartbreaking statement from his family. Advertisement

While guests have commended the way the ship's crew have handled the tragedy, many others described the mood onboard as sombre.

'It's a shocking situation to be in,' Susan Whittington told Nine News.

Another man added: 'Couldn't really fathom what happened.'

The ship departed Brisbane on April 12 and had been due to dock in Honolulu on Friday after stopping at the Pacific island of Tahiti.

The ship remains on schedule to dock in Honolulu on Friday local time.

Royal Caribbean Cruises said crews were working with local authorities.

'Out of respect for the family, we will not share further about this unfortunate event,' the company said.
BBC chairman Richard Sharp is braced for a report that will reportedly find he 'breached rules over his 800,000 loan guarantee to Boris Johnson'.

The investigation by barrister Adam Heppinstall KC is expected to be published on Friday morning.

According to The Telegraph, it will conclude Mr Sharp breached the rules by creating a perception of a conflict of interest - but he was said to be reluctant to resign.

If he does not step down, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will have to determine his fate. The newspaper report could not be confirmed.

Mr Sharp, a former Conservative donor, was appointed to the influential role overseeing the public broadcaster's independence in 2021.

A report will find that BBC chairman Richard Sharp 'breached rules over his 800,000 loan guarantee to Boris Johnson', according to The Telegraph

Pictured: Boris Johnson (file photo). Mr Sharp has been embroiled in a cronyism row over helping former prime minister secure an 800,000 loan facility in recent months

But the former Goldman Sachs banker has faced calls to resign after it emerged he helped the then-prime minister arrange the loan.

MPs have already criticised Mr Sharp's 'significant errors of judgment'.

He has admitted introducing his friend Sam Blyth, a cousin of Mr Johnson who wanted to help him with his financial troubles, to the Cabinet Office in 2020.

In January the following year he was named as the Government's preferred candidate to be BBC chairman.

The Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee confirmed his appointment but was not aware of his role in helping to facilitate the loan.

He formally took up the four-year appointment in February 2021.

But allegations of cronyism followed when the Sunday Times revealed the loan agreement.

Commissioner for Public Appointments William Shawcross announced he would review the way competition for the post was run to ensure it was in compliance with Whitehall rules.

But Mr Heppinstall was appointed to carry it out when Mr Shawcross recused himself because he had met the BBC chairman on previous occasions.

The DCMS committee in February said Mr Sharp had committed errors of judgment by failing to declare his role in the loan to the cross-party group of MPs before his appointment.

A spokesman for Mr Sharp said he 'regrets' not telling them about his involvement with his old friend Mr Blyth, a Canadian businessman, 'and apologises'.

The BBC has been contacted for a comment.
Thousands of redundant EU-era laws will no longer be ditched, it was reported last night.

Former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg had drawn up a list of 4,000 laws to be dropped by the end of the year under the Retained EU Law Bill.

But it has emerged that only one in five  about 800 laws  will actually be scrapped.

Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch is thought to have told Tory Brexiteers that the vast majority of the retained EU laws will remain on the statute books.

The Government is planning on ditching the 'sunset clause', originally set for December 31 this year, under which EU laws would automatically expire if they had not been revised or retained, according to the Financial Times.

Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch (second from right) is thought to have told Tory Brexiteers that the vast majority of the retained EU laws will remain on the statute books

Former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg had drawn up a list of 4,000 laws to be dropped by the end of the year (pictured on February 27)

An MP at the meeting with Mrs Badenoch told the paper: 'We were dismayed by what she said. She came across as extremely weak.'

Another MP told The Daily Telegraph that the concession was necessary to ensure the Bill became law before the next election, amid fears that in its present form it would be blocked by peers.

Read more: Just HALF of Foreign Office staff were in the office to help trapped Brits amid Sudan crisis Advertisement

The MP said Mrs Badenoch's proposal had gone down like a 'lead balloon' and would end the Government's pledge of a post-Brexit bonfire of red tape in which all 4,000 laws would be either scrapped, reformed or kept by the end of the year.

'She was basically saying that the civil service had not done the work and that we needed to be realistic about what we could achieve,' a source said. 'She admitted that it was a concession to the Lords to get the bill through. It went down like a lead balloon.'

The MPs were reportedly unsure whether Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had been briefed on Mrs Badenoch's plans, with one MP saying that 'Rishi will be livid'.

A No 10 spokesman would not comment on the specific figures, but said: 'As we've said before, we're fully committed to the Retained EU Law Bill, which is a key part of delivering our commitment to removing and reforming burdensome EU law.

'The time frame for that has not changed and we believe it will allow us to further seize the opportunities of Brexit.'

It comes as the relationship between civil servants and ministers reached new depths following the investigation into the behaviour of former deputy prime minister Dominic Raab towards junior colleagues, and the subsequent fallout.
One of Australia's top doctors has exposed a major problem with the government's new prescription medicine policy.

Health Minister Mark Butler announced on Wednesday that patients would be able to buy double their supply of some prescription medicines from next January, helping them save money in the long run.

The rule change will see 325 drugs dispensed in 60-day doses instead of the current 30 days.

Consumer groups hailed the move that's been slammed by controversial Australian Pharmacy Guild president Trent Twomey.

Former deputy chief health officer Dr Nick Coatsworth told Daily Mail Australia that the changes would undoubtedly lead to savings for Aussies, but warned there could be consequences.

Dr Nick Coatsworth, Australia's former deputy chief medical officer, says the changes would undoubtedly lead to savings for Aussies but suggested local pharmacies could suffer

Health Minister Mark Butler announced on Wednesday that patients will be able to buy double their supply of some prescription medicines from next January, helping them save money in the long-run

'The main benefit of these changes would be that patients with longer term drug prescriptions would reduce the number of visits to their pharmacy, and make subsequent savings as well in dispensing fees.

'However, we're concerned about the implementation of this policy, and the detail is important.'

He explained that the change doesn't address three main concerns for Australians when it comes to health care.

'Does this in any way improve access to primary care? And the answer is no. It doesn't increase the number of consultations, in fact, it decreases them.

'People with chronic conditions are effectively seen less often with this policy because you can get 12 months supply instead of six months supply of medication.

'The second issue is the affordability side of things. With the change you can save $160 a year. This helps but, actually, it's not going to make much of change when grocery bills are going up 50 bucks a week.

'The improved affordability is welcomed, but it's very small. I hope the minister's got more in the budget to improve health care affordability for people on long term medications.'

The policy change was slammed by Trent Twomey, who said it would force him to cut staff, reduce hours and slash services due to losing $170,000 each year under the change.

Dr Coatsworth said dissatisfaction from pharmacies was inevitable - but also warned that fears for smaller pharmacies were justified.

'From a patient point of view, if the community pharmacy that you've been seeing for 20 years suddenly has to close, then this could be a bad thing.

'I just think we've got to be really cautious because we want pharmacies to be open between 8am and 8pm. We don't want them to have to close or only open between 10am and 5pm because suddenly they can't afford it.

Health Minister Mark Butler (pictured) announced on Wednesday that patients will be able to buy double their supply of some prescription medicines from next January

'We don't want them to have less pharmacists available. I do think from a patient perspective we need a strong community pharmacy network. We've just got to be very cautious about the impact that this might have.

'The savings in costs to consumers is a fantastic outcome, but if that is only partly absorbed by government and passed on to pharmacies to deal with, the potential here is that smaller pharmacies will be under pressure. '

Despite his caution, Dr Coatsworth also suggested that less processing times for prescriptions could ensure more face-to-face time between Aussies and pharmacists.

David Clarke, Acting Director of the Australian Patients Association, also suggested caution.

He said Were focused on whats good for patients. In this case, there are definite patient benefits in this initiative if it is well implemented, but we would especially like to hear from government on how it intends to deal with the supply chain challenges, the viability impacts on smaller community pharmacies, and any community education investment it intends to make to underpin safety issues associated with extra drugs in households.'

The announcement of script changes triggered a mix of emotions.

MEDICATIONS THAT QUALIFY FOR 60-DAY PRESCRIPTIONS More than 320 medications will be dispensed in 60-day doses - instead of the current 30. The scheme is mainly aimed at those suffering form chronic conditions such as heart disease, cholesterol, Crohn's disease and hypertension. Included on the list are medications atorvastatin, rosuvastatin and perindopril. Advertisement

Speaking at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday, Pharmacy Guild boss Mr Twomey told government MPs to 'get off your a***'.

The government will save $1.2billion over four years in dispensing fees, with minister Mr Butler promising all that money would be directly reinvested in community pharmacies to help them offer more services.

'I don't pretend this is going to be easy for community pharmacy,' Mr Butler said on Wednesday.

'I value the work that they do enormously and that is why we have phased this in over this year and next year.'

But Mr Twomey said pharmacists will still lose out from out-of-pocket patient fees, which the Pharmacy Guild estimates at $2.3billion over four years compared with the government's figure of $1.6billion.

'They're not refunding that,' he said. 'The pharmacist is wearing the complete rest of the cut.

'And that's what's going to send these guys to the wall. And (Mr Butler) just doesn't seem to give a s***.'

Mr Twomey then apologised for his language, saying: 'I'm a North Queenslander. I don't mean to swear, but they just don't care.

'You know, this is supposed to be a government that cares. This is not how one operates.'

The 60-day script policy was recommended by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee and endorsed by doctor's groups and the Consumer Health Forum (CHF), which said it will save patients up to $180 per year on each medicine.

'This is a really good move which shows the government is listening to the voices of consumers,' CHF's chief executive Elizabeth Deveny said.

'Every dollar saved at the pharmacy is money that can be spent on groceries or rent.'

Mr Twomey also warned of medicine shortages and said Mr Butler made 'false claims' when he said only seven medicines currently had supply problems.

The Minister said he wanted to 'caution against some of the scare campaigns being put by the pharmacy lobby group' as he rejected claims of widespread supply issues.

He said only seven drugs out of a list of 325 were in short supply and they were being closely monitored by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

'We have deliberately decided to phase in these arrangements over the course of this year and next year, so pharmacists are able to change their itinerary arrangements,' Mr Butler said.

Australia's Pharmacy Guild president Trent Twomey (pictured) choked back tears while issuing a foul-mouthed spray against the government over its new drug script policy

Australians will soon be able to buy 60 days worth of prescription medication at once, for the same price as a 30-day supply

The Opposition has backed the Pharmacy Guild, saying it wants to see more information about the changes.

But Mr Butler said the Coalition should support this 'important cost-of-living measure that's good for hip pockets and good for Australians' health'.

'Perhaps no-one will be surprised that (Opposition leader Peter) Dutton, given the choice between backing patients or backing profit, has yet again decided to leave patients out in the cold,' he said.

In January, 2022, Mr Twomey said then would be a good time to get Covid-19 and admitted he no longer made his children wear facemasks.

He said then would be the most 'convenient' time to contract the virus in order to fit his family's schedule.

'There is no good time to get Covid, but if my family have to catch it, now would be a good time,' he said.

Chris Moy, the then-vice president of the Australian Medical Association, slammed Mr Twomey's remarks for setting a bad example.

'I don't believe this is responsible, both from the point of view of the overall public health perspective, but also from a point of view of setting an example,' Dr Moy said.

'Suits us is not the same thing as suiting the entire community effort.'
Australia's oldest coal-fired power station, Liddell, has been switched off after more than 50 years of service to NSW and the national electricity grid to a round of applause by workers.

Thousands of locals have worked at the site over the years and many gathered on Friday morning to farewell the plant that they refer to as 'the old girl'.

Although climate activists are celebrating the demise of the coal-fired 'clunker', critics are concerned shutting down the Muswellbrook plant in the Hunter region will remove 10 per cent of the state's power.

Owner AGL Energy insists the lights will stay on and said it has been been preparing for the closure for the past seven years by adding more wind and solar.

A lonely worker strolls through the power plant's pulverizing mill on Thursday, Liddell's final full day of operations

Once powering the equivalent of more than one million homes, the carefully engineered shutdown that began a year ago is ending this morning.

More than 90 per cent of the materials in the plant are expected to be recycled during demolition, including 70,000 tonnes of steel - more than the total weight of steel works for the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Demolition will begin in 2024 and take approximately two years.

Boilers, chimneys, turbine houses, the coal plant and various buildings will go and the site will be levelled with crushed concrete.

But transmission connections will be retained as the site gears up to become an industrial energy hub, equipped with a grid-scale battery.

As Australia's largest electricity generator and biggest emitter, AGL faced government pressure and a shareholder revolt led by billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes for going too slow on exiting coal and gas.

The Liddell coal-fired power plant - Australia's oldest - was turned off for the last time on Friday morning

Under new management, AGL pledges to be 'net zero' from operations with all of its coal-fired power stations to close by 2035 - including Loy Yang, which provides almost a third of Victoria's power.

AGL's gas-fired Torrens Island power station, also more than 50 years old and South Australia's largest plant, is getting a makeover as an industrial hub as well.

Still up in the air is the future of Australia's biggest coal-fired power station Eraring, which is owned by Origin Energy and located north of Sydney on the shores of Lake Macquarie.

Government briefings suggest the closure of Eraring is more risky than Liddell's closure, and would leave a supply gap.
Nashville school shooter Audrey Hale's manifesto will be released, Nashville police have confirmed, after they were accused of covering the blueprint for destruction up.

A police source confirmed the impending release of the document to the New York Post on Thursday.

But they did not say when it would be made public - and were also unable to confirm whether its contents would be shared in their entirety.

Hale's detailed writings have been referred to as a 'blueprint on total destruction' detailing on why she chose to enter The Covenant School on March 27 and kill three children and three members of staff.

No motive for the massacre has yet been given.

Hale fired 152 rounds from two assault rifles and a handgun, murdering Hallie Scruggs, William Kinney, Evelyn Dieckhaus, all 9, and headmistress Dr. Katherine Koonce, 60, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, and custodian Mike Hill, 61.

Audrey Hale, 28, had detailed writings plotting her sick attack months before she butchered three kids and three adults at The Covenant School last week

Hale, 28, had fired 152 rounds from two an assault rifle and a handgun during the vile shooting that rocked the US. Pictured: Hale before transitioning to male

Officers retrieved the 'manifesto' - along with hand-drawn maps, a suicide note, 20 journals, laptops, phones and several writings, from Hale's home and the Honda Fit she left in the school parking lot.

One official with the Metro Nashville Police Department said the contents of Hale's manifesto 'keeps him up at night.'

Metro Nashville Councilmember Courtney Johnston previously suggested that the manifesto would not be released in its entirety.

'What I was told is, her manifesto was a blueprint on total destruction, and it was so, so detailed at the level of what she had planned,' Johnston said.

Johnston, however, says after speaking with investigators, she doesn't think it would be good for the rest of America to deal with the toll reading it has taken on them.

'I personally don't want to know the depths to which her psychosis reached  When I'm told by an MNPD high-ranking official that it keeps him up at night, I'm going to defer to that person in that agency that I don't need to read that.'

While police are working to release the manifesto, they didn't clarify in an inquiry from the New York Post how much would be showed to the public.

'The investigation has advanced to the point that writings from the Covenant shooter are now being reviewed for public release and that process is underway and will take a little time,' a police department spokesperson told the news outlet.

The manifesto has been shared with the FBI's behavioral analysis unit in Quantico, Virginia, and detail Hale's 'planning over a period of months to commit mass murder' at the school, according to police.

For some, Hale's decision to target the Christian elementary school she once attended, together with her changing gender identify, suggest the attack was a manifestation of violent transgender activism.

Hale was born female but used the names Audrey and Aiden, together with he/him pronouns. There is a debate over how to correctly refer to her in media reports. She's been described as having 'high-functioning autism.'

Reporters have revealed that Hale's conservative, Christian parents could not accept she was gay or trans, which may amount to personal motivations for the attack. She was also grieving the recent death of a friend in a vehicle accident.

Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9, was one of the victims shot by transgender shooter Audrey Hale, 28, after she opened fire at the private Christian school on Monday

Tributes have flooded in for a second victim, Will Kinney, (pictured) who was shot and killed along with Hallie Scruggs, both 9, in the massacre

Hallie Scruggs, 9, was killed in the shooting and is pictured with her father, a pastor at the church, Chad Scruggs

Katherine Koonce, head of school (left), and Cynthia Peak, a substitute teacher (right) were among those shot dead by Audrey Hale

The daughter of Mike Hill (pictured), who had worked at the school for more than a decade, said that she 'never thought' he would be killed in a mass shooting

On the day of the shooting, Hale attacked the school, which she previously attended, at around 10 in the morning. She sent a suicide note to an old friend before storming into the school.

Within minutes, Hale shot and killed six people, including three students. Police entered the school about ten minutes later and gunned her down.

Police have previously said Hale mentioned another location in her manifesto, but decided that there was too much security to launch an attack.

Hale has since been surpassed by another American mass shooter.

Connor Sturgeon, 23, a bank employee armed with a rifle shot dead five colleagues and wounded nine other people at his workplace in Louisville on Monday while livestreaming the attack on social media

Another young transgender person  William Whitworth, 19, who goes by the name Lilly  is in police custody, after officers recovered a manifesto detailing her plan to attack three schools and churches in Colorado.
Aaron Mitchell founded La Mota chain of marijuana dispensaries in Oregon. He also bought a house in the Hazelwood district of Portland, which has been turned into a squat, neighbors claim

A homeowner who allegedly allowed his Portland property to be turned into a squat rife with drug use, gun fights and explosions has been revealed as a multimillionaire marijuana entrepreneur.

Aaron Mitchell brought the property in the Hazelwood district in 2020.

Jacob and Beth Adams, who live nearby, bought their neighboring home in 2017, and said they enjoyed living in the quiet district.

But when Mitchell purchased the property to turn it into a weed dispensary, then put those plans on ice, things quickly descended into chaos, neighbors claim.

When the Adams complained repeatedly to authorities, and to Mitchell himself - he allegedly texted them to say: 'Move.'

Public records obtained by KOIN 6 News showed emergency crews were called to the house 36 times since Mitchell bought it, and 911 records show firefighters put out at least six fires at the abandoned house.

Mitchell never moved in, and instead lives in a $4.85 million property nine miles away, in the downtown area on the other side of the Willamette River.

His stunning hillside home, with views of the mountains, city and river, has five bedrooms and six bathrooms over 7,000 square feet, and features its own games room, gym and climbing wall.

The property he bought in Hazelwood was never anywhere near as luxurious - and is now further damaged by both fire and spray-paint.

Beth Adams is seen standing in front of the graffiti-covered squat owned by Aaron Mitchell

Footage from the Adams' surveillance cameras shows the squat on fire

Mitchell, who owns 22 marijuana stores across the state and whose Instagram in shows him flying by private jet to Hawaii and San Francisco, applied for a permit to turn the Hazelwood house into a dispensary - but never did anything about it.

Portland police have responded to multiple calls for crimes like theft, disturbances, suspicious people and shots fired.

Surveillance camera footage shows piles of trash, and gunshots can be heard on the audio.

In one clip, Jacob Adams desperately tries to clear his yard as a fire breaks out next door, and he attempts to put it out with a fire extinguisher.

'When we almost lost our house and the fence burned, I no longer was going to take this silently,' Beth said.

Jacob added: 'And just having the property owner saying, essentially, 'If you don't like it, move'  as if, I am the problem because I'm annoying him with things that could actually end my life.'

Mitchell's main home - this cliffside property with views of the mountains and city - is nine miles from the squat he owns

His main home is a $4.8 million modern, light-filled masterpiece with its own indoor climbing wall - a far cry from the squat he also owns

A Portland native, Jacob said he would have no problem with the building becoming a marijuana dispensary.

'Honestly, I'm OK with anything that's better than burning my house and having gunshots fly by me,' he said.

'It looks like they're multimillionaires and they just have a lot of money. And this is how they treat the neighborhoods they own.'

Beth said knowing who the owner is is 'really disappointing.'

She added: 'I mean, to do business in our city but yet treat the neighbors this way. It's not OK.'

Mitchell was born in Cleveland, Ohio but moved to Los Angeles in the early 2000s, where he became a successful professional skateboarder.

In 2009 he was living in Deltona, Florida and met his girlfriend Rosa Cazares.

They decided to move to Oregon and take advantage of the blossoming cannabis business.

Their company, La Mota, is now the sixth highest grossing cannabis company in the country according to Stoner magazine.

Mitchell has so far been fined at least $12,000 for building violations, and has not paid property taxes. His debts are gathering interest.

A hearing was scheduled for April 11, but Mitchell did not show up.

On April 18, the city was granted authority to board up and clean up the property immediately, and has been authorized to demolish it in mid-August, if the property owner does not clean it up.

Since then, fences have been erected around the property, which the Adams say has helped.

Mitchell told KOIN 6 News: 'It is completely understandable that neighbors are frustrated.

'We want them to know that we are working as quickly as possible to demolish this structure and redevelop the property. We have already hired a contractor, filed permits, paid deposits, and are awaiting final approval to proceed.

'We are sorry that this process has taken so long.'
Previously, Trump had all manner of alternative names to describe the current president, his favorite being 'Sleepy Joe'

Trump has accused Biden of being incompetent and a threat to democracy, vowing to 'crush' him in the election to 'settle our unfinished business'

Donald Trump is to retire one his most famous nicknames: 'Crooked Hillary' and instead use the moniker to refer to President Joe Biden

When it come to nicknames, Donald Trump is in a league of his own with a seemingly endless supply to use as insults against political adversaries and critics.

Trump became widely known during the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections for using nicknames to criticize and insult media figures, politicians, and foreign leaders.

'Crooked Hillary', the nickname that Trump used for Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign is to be retired and replaced with Joe Biden as the target name.

Trump has decided to call his 2024 rival 'Crooked Joe Biden.'

Donald Trump is to retire one his most famous nicknames 'Crooked Hillary' and instead use the moniker to refer to Joe Biden in the form of 'Crooked Joe Biden'

'I will be retiring the name 'Crooked' from Hillary Clinton,' Trump said during a campaign rally in Manchester, New Hampshire in front of a 2,000-strong crowd. Clinton, pictured in 2016

Previously, Trump had all manner of alternative names to describe the current president, his most favorite being 'Sleepy Joe'

Other nicknames Trump used to describe Biden include 'Basement Biden', 'China Joe', 'Corrupt Joe', 'Crooked Joe', 'Crazy Joe Biden', 'Quid Pro Joe', 'Sleepy Joe', 'SleepyCreepy Joe' and 'Slow Joe'.

'I will be retiring the name 'Crooked' from Hillary Clinton,' Trump said during a campaign rally in Manchester, New Hampshire in front of a 2,000-strong crowd.

'I'm going to give her a new name  I don't know, like maybe 'Lovely Hillary' or 'Beautiful Hillary'  but I'm going to retire the name 'Crooked' so that we can use the name for Joe Biden, because he'll be known from now on as 'Crooked Joe Biden.''

Trump then suggested Clinton is 'out there someplace celebrating' the retirement of his nickname adding there has 'never been anyone in the history of American politics so crooked or dishonest as Joe Biden.'

'Crooked Joe Biden' poses a 'threat to democracy' he said with Trump vowing to 'crush' him in the November 2024 presidential election to 'settle our unfinished business.'

'We are led by a hopeless person, but we will win in 2024 and make America great again,' Trump said. 'We can do it. It's not too late.'

Trump has accused Biden of being incompetent and a threat to democracy, vowing to 'crush' him in the election to 'settle our unfinished business

Trump bestowed Clinton with the nickname 'Crooked Hillary' during the 2016 campaign to imply that she was dishonest and corrupt, accusing her of engaging in unethical behavior throughout her career, including during her time as Secretary of State

Previously, Trump had all manner of alternative names to describe the current president, his favorite being 'Sleepy Joe.'

Other nicknames Trump used to describe Biden include 'Basement Biden', 'China Joe', 'Corrupt Joe', 'Crooked Joe', 'Crazy Joe Biden', 'Quid Pro Joe', 'Sleepy Joe', 'SleepyCreepy Joe' and 'Slow Joe'.

Trump bestowed Clinton with the nickname 'Crooked Hillary' during the 2016 campaign to imply that she was dishonest and corrupt, accusing her of engaging in unethical behavior throughout her career, including during her time as Secretary of State.

The nickname was used by Trump and his supporters in reference to Clinton's use of a private email server while she was Secretary of State.

Trump and his supporters alleged that Clinton mishandled classified information and deleted thousands of emails in an attempt to cover up her actions.

'We're going to beat them at the ballot box and we're going to settle our unfinished business. It is unfinished,' Trump said Thursday night in Manchester, New Hampshire

President Joe Biden, 80, was first elected to public office in 1970. He has finally decided to announce he is seeking a second term

While Clinton was investigated by the FBI over her use of the private email server, she was not ultimately charged with any wrongdoing but the controversy surrounding her use of the server and allegations of corruption helped to solidify the 'Crooked Hillary' nickname in the public consciousness.

Speaking during at his New Hampshire rally, Trump touted more than 50 endorsements he had received from officials within the state while mocking Biden's pre-taped re-election campaign announcement.

'Biden poses the threat to democracy because he is grossly incompetent, he has no idea what he is doing and basically, he doesn't have a clue, and that is a very bad position to put our country in.

'Our country is in a very, very dangerous position right now. Very, very dangerous,' Trump added.

'He wants to finish the job of destroying our country,' Trump said, using Biden's words against him. 'But on that, he's actually very close  he is very close to finishing the job.

'We're going to beat them at the ballot box and we're going to settle our unfinished business. It is unfinished.'

Trump said he was the 'only candidate' who could 'prevent World War III' suggesting the Russia/Ukraine war will be settled after he wins the presidency.

An NBC News poll released Sunday showed that 70 per cent of US adults said they didn't want Mr Biden to run for president again. Among Democrats the number stood at 51 per cent

President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden exchange points during the first presidential debate Tuesday 29 September, 2020

He also suggested that Chinese President Xi Jinping would not invade Taiwan under a Trump presidency.

'I was the only president in decades who didn't start a war,' Trump said. 'You know, everyone said, 'Oh, he's going to start a war,' because I had that personality to start a war  remember that?'

'I used my personality so that we didn't have to have wars,' Trump boasted. 'And I got out of wars, including knocking the hell out of ISIS.

'I had a nice life. I didn't have to go before grand juries every time I fly over a state  if I fly over a state that happens to be Democrat-run, they sent me a subpoena to go before a grand jury. These people are sick  they're weaponizing that stuff.'
Judge ruled the cases could go ahead, outside one-year time limit

Bruce Lehrmann's defamation cases against Lisa Wilkinson, Channel 10, news.com.au and the ABC will go ahead, a court has heard.

Justice Michael Lee ruled in the Federal Court on Friday that it was reasonable for Mr Lehrmann to have launched legal proceedings against the media giants outside the usual 12-month time limit.

Lehrmann sued two years after news outlets aired Brittany Higgins' allegations that he raped her in 2021.

He claimed he was too unwell and was too caught up in criminal proceedings to immediately launch proceedings at the time.

Mr Lehrmann has always denied having any sexual interaction with Ms Higgins, and had pleaded not guilty in a criminal trial in the ACT Supreme Court last year.

The case fell over in November and the charge was subsequently dropped.

During his ruling on Friday, Justice Lee gave five reasons as to why the former political staffer will be allowed to sue the media outlets outside the limitation period.

He said Mr Lehrmann was 'in the unusual position of directing his energies and resources in acting on advice to maximise his chances of avoiding, and then defending, one of the highest profile and commented upon prosecutions in recent memory'.

Bruce Lehrmann's (pictured centre, outside court) defamation cases against Channel 10, Lisa Wilkinson, news.com.au and the ABC will go ahead

'Having reached the state of satisfaction it was not reasonable to commence defamation proceedings, it was necessary to come to the discretion as to how long the limitation period should be extended.'

All media outlets will seek to prove the truth of their initial reporting of Ms Higgins' rape allegations.

Ms Higgins has previously said she would appear as a witness.

Mr Lehrmann filed lawsuits in February against Wilkinson, Channel 10, digital website news.com.au and journalist Samantha Maiden for defamation over a TV interview and online article during which Brittany Higgins alleged she was raped in Parliament House in 2019.

He was not named in both articles, published on February 15, 2021, but claims multiple people in his circle were able to identify him as the alleged rapist.

In April, the former political staffer also launched defamation proceedings against the ABC over its broadcast of the address at the National Press Club in February, 2022, during which Ms Higgins made the same allegations.

The video was then posted on the ABC's YouTube channel and amassed 127,000 views by the time Mr Lehrmann's claim was filed.

Mr Lehrmann was not named in the address, but claims he was identifiable because his name and photo made national headlines when he was charged with sexual assault in August 2021 over Ms Higgins' allegations - six months before the press club address.

Justice Lee said on Friday that he would be willing to hear all three proceedings concurrently.

Brittany Higgins (pictured outside ACT Supreme Court) alleged Bruce Lehrmann raped her in parliament in a TV interview on the Project

A hearing was called earlier this year to consider whether the 12 month limitation period should be extended.

Mr Lehrmann's lawyer Matthew Richardson SC argued it was unreasonable for his client to have launched a defamation case within the 12-month limit because he was unsure as to whether he was going to be the subject of a police investigation.

But lawyers for news.com.au, Channel 10 and Wilkinson argued the opposite.

They claimed there was ample time to launch a defamation case after the stories were aired in February 2021 and when Mr Lehrmannn was charged with sexual assault in August of that year.

Mr Lehrmann was called to the witness box for the first during the first day of the hearing, in March.

He described his 'outrage' as he watched The Project presenter Lisa Wilkinson's interview for the first time in the chambers of his lawyer Warwick Korn on February 15, 2021.

The viewing took place after a six-hour meeting in Mr Korn's office to address the article published in news.com.au earlier that day.

While not named in the Wilkinson interview with Higgins (pair pictured above), Mr Lehrmann argued his identity would have been known in political circles

Mr Korn was due to give evidence about that meeting and a series of texts Mr Lehrmann sent on the day Ms Higgins aired her rape allegations.

Justice Michael Lee also shut down a request by Wilkinson's lawyer Sue Chrysanthou to access 39,823 pages of Bruce Lehrmann's phone records, dating back to 2017.

He described it as a 'fishing expedition' with 'no apparent relevance' when reading his reasons for rejecting the application.

The phone records were obtained by Australian Federal Police during an investigation into Brittany Higgins' allegations that he raped her in Parliament House in 2019. Mr Lehrmann has always denied the allegations.

The phone data not only include his messages, they included apps he opened, the pages he visited, GPS tracking, call logs, images searched items, right down to website cookies stored on his phone.

'This is not some sort of roving inquiry into everything Mr Lehrmann thought or said,' Justice Lee said.

It was also revealed that Mr Lehrmann texted a friend and said 'I won't be going to prison' on the night Ms Higgins accused a 'male colleague' of rape.
Former U.S. Postal Service worker Evelyn Price admitted she made a terrible mistake when she took about $500 in bribes in exchange for delivering packages she knew contained some kind of drugs on her Boca Raton mail delivery route.

But the otherwise exemplary life the Deerfield Beach woman led spared her from being sentenced to federal prison on Tuesday.

After listening to testimony about how Price, 54, had no prior arrests, how she mentored young people at two local churches for many years and how she once tried to save the life of a resident on her delivery route, U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom ruled that sending Price to prison would be excessive punishment.

Instead, the judge sentenced her to one year of house arrest, five years of probation and ordered her to perform 500 hours of community service. Price had been facing a possible punishment of 12 to 18 months in prison.

The judge told Price she had betrayed the public trust that was placed in her as a federal employee but that her crime had been an aberration in an otherwise commendable life.

If I could be the poster child for anything right now, it would be remorse, Price told the judge, wiping away tears. Im sorry to everybody that was affected by my mistake. I am sorry. I am sorry.

Several supporters, including her 91-year-old mother, wept as Price spoke.

Prices attorney Assistant Federal Public Defender Tim Day told the judge that Price had never been in any kind of legal trouble during her 23-year career with the postal service. She won a Golden Eagle award in 1994 after she found a woman who had collapsed in the garage of a home on her delivery route and attempted to resuscitate her by performing CPR  the woman later died but her family were deeply grateful that Price tried so hard to save her life, records show.

Prices pastor and several friends told the judge that she is one of two caregivers for her disabled mom and has mentored low-income and troubled children and teens at church groups for much of her life. She also volunteered at Deerfield Beachs Mango Festival, which raised money to pay college fees for disadvantaged students. And Price also worked for the Deerfield Beach Community Development Agency, trying to find housing for low-income families, they said.

Price was fired from her mail carrier job one year ago after investigators from the postal inspection service discovered she was breaking the law. Price confessed immediately after she was confronted and officials said the packages contained marijuana.

Earlier this year, she pleaded guilty to one count of bribery of a public official. She admitted she accepted cash payments from a man she knew only as Steve over a period of about five months last year.

Her motive appeared to be making some extra cash on the side, according to testimony and court records. She testified that her postal service salary was about $800 per week before she was fired.

Price told investigators that Steve approached her in June 2016 and she agreed to provide him with addresses on her route where packages, that she could intercept, could be sent. The man called her on the morning the packages were due to arrive at the post office and arranged a meeting place for her to deliver them to him.

The man gave her $50 per package when she dropped them off to him, either at a local supermarket or veterinary office. She said she delivered one or two per month between June and Oct. 27, 2016 when she was caught.

Steve was never arrested  he called her that morning to cancel their meeting because something was not right, she told investigators. Investigators seized packages containing more than 20 pounds of marijuana that day, which were postmarked from California but bore return addresses in Florida and Brooklyn, N.Y.

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pmcmahon@sunsentinel.com, 954-356-4533 or Twitter @SentinelPaula
American retirees who have been priced out of Florida are now landing up the coast in Alabama, where the same warm weather and stunning beaches come at a fraction of the cost.

Retired financial planner John Fox, 70, and his retired plastic surgeon wife Dr. Louise Turkula, 67, of Long Lake, were hoping to join their friends in Jacksonville or Naples, Florida, during their retirement, but quickly found their finances didn't quite stretch to what they were looking for in the Sunshine State.

Instead, the couple headed north to neighboring state, Alabama, and dished out a cool $955,000 for a four-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot home on Ono Island in Baldwin County - the fastest growing in the state as older Americans flock for cheaper mortgages and property taxes.

Turkula's brother lived on the island, but that didn't stop Fox from being shocked that he had actually purchased land in the Yellowhammer State, giving up his dreams of waking up on the warm beaches in Florida.

'Im actually moving to Alabama,' he recalled thinking in disbelief to the Wall Street Journal. He worried about moving to Deep South as a progressive, but after visiting his wife's sibling, his nerves were calmed as he realized his future neighbors had a wide range of interests and opinions.

John Fox, 70, and his wife Dr. Louise Turkula, 67, of Long Lake, were hoping to join their friends in Jacksonville or Naples, Florida, during their retirement, but quickly found out their humble Minnesotan savings wasn't enough to stake a claim in the Sunshine State

The couple headed north to neighboring state, Alabama, and dished out a cool $955,000 for a four-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot home (pictured) on Ono Island in Baldwin County - the fastest growing in the state as older Americans flock for the cheaper mortgages and property taxes

Ono Island and Orange Beach (pictured) - both popular coastal spots in Alabama - sit off the Gulf of Mexico

Now the happy couple start and end their day poolside in their private backyard, where they enjoy the soothing sounds of the Gulf of Mexico, locked away on their gated island, which is only accessible via one bridge.

'Mornings are outside with a cup of coffee; in the evening, its wine,' Turkula said.

The retired financial planner and former plastic surgeon purchased their Southern palace in July 2022 and spend their winters there, enjoying summertime in their home state.

Fox and Turkula aren't the only couple ditching the Ron DeSantis-run state. The average income in Baldwin County is just $49,000, bringing the median home price $355,000.

In popular Florida destinations, like Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers, the average income is between $57,000 and $67,000, and home prices average between $378,000 and $411,000, according to WSJ.

Ono Island (pictured) sits in Baldwin County, which is the fastest growing county in the state from 2010 to 2020. Many older couples have moved to the county as they've become priced out of Florida

The average income in Baldwin County being $49,000, bringing the median home price $355,000. Compared to popular Florida destinations, like Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers - where the average income is between $57,000 and $67,000 - home prices are averaging between $378,000 and $411,000

'You just get a bigger bang for your buck [in Alabama],' Fox and Turkula's real estate agent Lawanna Sharples told WSJ. 'Its more affordable.'

Baldwin County has been rapidly growing between 2010 and 2020, having three percent growth, according to the Census Bureau. Broward County - where Fort Lauderdale resides - has only grown around one percent.

In addition, Alabama offers lower prices, allowing retirees to enjoy a more luxurious life than penny-pinching in Florida.

'A lot of services are priced for that income,' Florida Atlantic University Professor, Ken H. Johnson, told WSJ. 'Baldwin County is right on the water, and the beaches look like sugar. Its tailor-made to catch these retirees.'

'You get more value for your money in Alabama,' Bob Oliver, 71, of Roswell, Georgia, told WSJ. He and his wife Sherryl bought a three-bedroom property in Orange Beach in October 2022 for $929,000. 'Its a less known area than the Florida Panhandle. It still has growth potential.'

Basic living expenses are also cheaper than in other states, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The overall cost of living index in Baldwin County is equivalent to 94.5 - compared to a US average of 100, making it more affordable.

A typical individual in Alabama will need approximately $35,859 per year to cover basic costs and can expect to spend an average of $260.50 monthly on food and groceries, the stats show.

Many retirees have agree Baldwin County has more bang for its buck than Fort Launderdale or Fort Myers

Baldwin County also has lower property taxes, with homeowners over 65 exempt from paying the state portion, saving them up to 23 percent.

Fox and Turkula pay a mere $2,400 annually in property taxes. Their hurricane tax on the other hand is bordering four times the price at $8,100 annually.

Kathy and Ashley Gordon have lived in Baldwin County off-and-on for 15 years and even dipped their toes in Florida real estate. They retired to the Sunshine State in 2018, but three years later they moved back to Baldwin.

In November 2021, they purchased a cottage-style home in Alabama for $543,000 and sold their Florida home for $875,000.

'Just going out to dinner or groceries was triple the cost from what it is here,' Ashley said. 'Florida is very transient. You miss that sense of community.'
Anthony Albanese has detailed his government's reforms of Medicare - including a 'patient ID' system, giving nurses and pharmacists more primary care power and improving after-hours care.

Following a national cabinet meeting on Friday, Mr Albanese announced the states had endorsed his $2.2billion plan to strengthen Medicare - after Health Minister Mark Butler announced earlier this year that the system is no longer fit for purpose.

The PM says the new measures will improve access to after-hours care, expand nursing workforce and cut down on soaring costs in the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

A patient ID system called MyMedicare will also be introduced as part of six reform measures outlined at national cabinet.

The ID system is intended to help register Aussies with their local doctor and allow the government to understand what issues are forcing people to get medical attention.

Anthony Albanese announced the states had endorsed his $2.2billion plan to strengthen Medicare

A patient ID system called MyMedicare will also be introduced as part of six reform measures outlined at national cabinet

Mr Albanese said health would be the main focus for national cabinet for 2023, with reform in the sector to be discussed at a meeting in the last quarter of the year.

'One of the things identified is patients who will regularly turn up at emergency departments. We want to make sure that there is registration there so we can reach out,' he told reporters on Friday.

National cabinet also discussed the National Disability Insurance Scheme, committing to a framework to ensure it is made more financially viable.

Mr Albanese said the NDIS was not sustainable at present and it was set to be the biggest cost to the federal budget.

More than $720 million has been committed to boost the capability of the agency in charge of the scheme to better support participants.

'We need to have a sustainable growth trajectory for the NDIS in order to support equity and fairness for all Australians who are living with disability, including those not eligible for the NDIS,' Mr Albanese said.

'We want to make sure that the promise of the NDIS is fulfilled.'

The NDIS framework calls for a target of no more than eight per cent annual growth in the scheme's costs by July 2026.

The PM says the new measures will improve access to after-hours care, expand nursing workforce and cut down on soaring costs in the National Disability Insurance Scheme

State and territory leaders also agreed to support plans for national cabinet to develop reforms for improving the rights of renters.

'What we're not seeking to do is to be absolutely uniform because different states will have different circumstances, but there are measures and commitments every state and territory is doing something in this area,' Mr Albanese said.

'There are a range of measures that will be considered by state and territory governments to strengthen the system of renters' rights.'

Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley earlier said the Medicare system needed more support.

'Wrangling the state premiers has become a bit of a national sport,' she said.

'People need access to doctors, and absolutely, that discussion today is a vital one. We do need to have our healthcare system back where it was.'

It was the first national cabinet meeting for newly elected NSW Premier Chris Minns, leaving Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff as the only Liberal leader in the group.

National cabinet also discussed national skills agreements, the transition towards net-zero, as well as support for the Indigenous voice referendum.
The 22-year-old now faces five years behind bars

An Australian man has been arrested and accused of an alcohol-fuelled, naked rampage in an ultra-conservative Indonesian province.

Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones, 22, is facing up to five years behind bars after he was detained on the island of Simeulue, off the coast of Sumatra, on Thursday morning.

Police allege the 22-year-old had been drinking vodka before he emerged from his room at the Moon Beach Resort without any clothes on just after midnight.

Simeulue police chief Senior Commissioner Jatmiko alleged Risby-Jones hit a security guard in the neck, causing him to fall to the ground, as he left the hotel.

'He got out of his room naked. The security man attempted to stop him but got hit at the neck and fell down,' Jatmiko told the Sydney Morning Herald.

'He then went on to the street and disturbed passers-by. He hit almost everyone who was on the street.'

Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones, 22, is facing up to five years behind bars after he was detained by police on the island of Simeulue, off the coast of Sumatra, accused of a drunken rampage

The police chief alleged the 22-year-old knocked a local man off his motorbike and then threw the bike on top of him after he landed in the gutter.

He said the lower part of the rider's leg was ripped open and required 50 stitches, with police becoming involved after his wife filed a report.

Risby-Jones, originally from Noosa on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, is now facing a charge under Article 351 of the Indonesian penal code.

The charge for maltreatment resulting in serious physical injury carries a maximum sentence of five years behind bars.

Sharia law is enforced in Aceh, where the sale and consumption of alcohol is forbidden and public canings still occur for morality offences.

People who visit and live in the province can be lashed for drinking alcohol, homosexuality, engaging in pre-martial sex, and acts of adultery.

Simeulue police chief Senior Commissioner Jatmiko said Risby-Jones (pictured) had hit a security guard in the neck after he tried to stop him from leaving the hotel

As the report submitted to police by the motorcyclist's wife was about violence and not alcohol, Risby-Jones will not be investigated under Islamic law.

However, police have warned they may still investigate the alcohol claims, and if they do, sharia law may be applied.

Senior Commissioner Jatmiko said locals became so enraged after hearing about the injured motorcyclist they threatened to set fire to the 22-year-old's hotel.

'Knowing it, the people got angry and almost put the resort on fire. Luckily, local police and the village head managed to calm down the mob,' he said.

Exceptions to the alcohol ban in Aceh can be made for tourists who choose to drink in private, the police chief explained.

Sharia law is enforced in Aceh, where the sale and consumption of alcohol is forbidden and public canings still occur for morality offences (pictured, a man is caned in Aceh in May, 2017)

He said police had allowed Risby-Jones to bring in one bottle of alcohol, saying officers had a right to check luggage at the airport due to Sharia law.

The Noosa man told police he had come to the island of Simeulue with a mate as part of a three-week surfing holiday in Indonesia.

Three Indonesian men were given 40 strokes of the cane each after they were accuse of drinking in the ultra-conservative province in 2021.

Aceh is the only Indonesian province where Sharia law is enforced. The pristine beaches and clean breaks at Simeulue makes the island popular with surfers.
A heroic seventh grader saved the lives of his classmates after he took control of a school bus when the driver went unconscious behind the wheel.

Dillon Reeves, 13, was on his way home from Carter Middle School in Warren, Massachusetts, along with 66 other students when his bus driver became light-headed and passed out on Wednesday afternoon.

Surveillance footage showed the driver notifying others on her radio that she felt 'dizzy' and was going to pull over. Before she could stop, she then started to shake before slumping over on the steering wheel.

For several seconds the bus continued slowly straight until Reeves rushed to the front to take control. The brave student quickly found the brake pedal and parked the bus on Masonic Boulevard.

In the confusion, Reeves still had the wherewithal to tell his friends to call 911, video posted by WXYZ showed.

Dillon Reeves, 13, saved the lives of his classmates when the bus driver had a medical emergency and passed out behind the wheel

Reeves and 66 other students were on their way home from Carter Middle School when the heroic teen jumped into action

No one was hurt injured during the horrific incident but the students can be heard in the footage screaming as Reeves slammed on the breaks.

The bus driver was transported to a local hospital where she remains under care.

The Warren Consolidated School officials held a press conference to commend Reeves' heroic act.

'He stood up, he assessed the situation and saw that the driver had passed out. This was an extraordinary act of courage,' Superintendent Robert Livernois said.

'He jumped up from his seat, threw his backpack down, ran to the front and grabbed the wheel and brought the bus to a stop.'

Reeves didn't speak at the press conference and humbly remained in the back.

The teenager's proud parents spoke on behalf of him and praised him for his swift response.

'Very, very proud. This is overwhelming for all of us. This is national at this point,' His father, Steve Reeves, said. 'He is very attentive to his surroundings.'

The bus' surveillance footage showed the courageous act play out as the driver was first seen shaking and then slumped over on the steering wheel

School officials said that Reeves noticed the driver passed out and immediately rushed to the front of the bus

No one was hurt injured during the horrific incident but the students can be heard in the footage screaming as Reeves slammed on the breaks. He can be seen above with his sister

The teenager's proud parents spoke on behalf of him and praised him for his swift response. He told them he learned how to 'drive' the bus because he watched the bus driver to it everyday

To honor and thank the 13-year-old for his emergency response, locals decorated his family's front yard with a sign that reads 'hero.'

When asked by his mother, Ireta, where he learned how to drive a bus, the teenager said, 'I watched her do it everyday.'

The proud mother added: 'Hes really a great guy this year. Hes come a long way. Great grades, experiences at school with friends. To do something like this fills my heart and makes my heart skip a beat.'

On Facebook, Ireta Reeves speculated that something else was at playing during her son's actions.

'Jesus had everything to do with the bravery and swift action Dillon displayed today. To Dillon, its just another day. He has no idea the amount of people who are so proud of him today,' she wrote.

Reeves is expected to receive an award from the Warren Police Department.
Bay Area families have slammed a school's plan to ax its Minuteman mascot to make students feel 'safe' - and say they'd be better off just adding a Minutewoman and black Minuteman to the existing design.

Concord High School is currently represented by a lone Minuteman - an historical soldier from the Revolutionary War - but officials announced last year that it was considering revamping the mascot to create a safer, more welcoming environment for students.

The current mascot holds a musket and is depicted as a man. But local families who support the existing design say that instead of scrapping it, it could just be modified to include a Minutewoman and black Minuteman too.

Concord, California, is 55 percent white, 30 percent Hispanic, 13 percent Asian, and nearly four percent African American, according to the Census Bureau.

However, families and long-time alumni aren't so happy the high school is considering such an option, saying there's nothing wrong the historical mascot.

Concord High School is currently known as the Minutemen - an historical Revolutionary soldier - but it announced last year that it was considering revamping the mascot to create a safer, more welcoming environment for students by including minute-women and African American minutemen or completely changing the mascot to the Bears

'You have whole families that identify as Minutemen,' Mark Lloyd said at the school board meeting. 'You have families who buy a house to continue their legacy there.'

'I'm a former minuteman. That's my history. I went to school here, graduated class of 91 but I also want to make sure that we have a mascot that represents everyone,' Julene Mackinnon, Concord's principal, said, according to NBC Bay Area.

'I have relatives that were in the Revolutionary War. They would be appalled at the fact that we are losing our heritage,' Wes Anderson said.

The conflict was fought between 1775 and 1783 and culminated in Minutemen defeating the British, thus making the United States into the independent republic that it is today.

Former Concord High student, Rachel Lloyd, suggested the amount of money the school will spend to change the mascot is not necessary, especially considering schoolchildren fear for their lives daily as mass shootings increase across the country.

'While were standing here in a meeting talking about spending millions of dollars on a new mascot, there are students sitting in a classroom planning their moves to escape in case there was an active shooter on campus. I was one of those students,' she said at the meeting.

You have whole families that identify as Minutemen,' Mark Lloyd (right) said at the school board meeting. 'You have families who buy a house to continue their legacy there'

'I have relatives that were in the Revolutionary War. They would be appalled at the fact that we are losing our heritage,' Wes Anderson (pictured) said

Last year, the school district opted to move away from human mascots in for less controversial animal ones. The final decision on the mascot is expected to be made in the next few weeks

Earlier this year, students voted to change their mascot to the Bears, however, the survey did not allow the young scholars to choose to keep their current one, according to KRON 4.

However, only 190 votes of the 500 were for the bears.

'Out of the 500 that voted only 190 voted for the bears, so I dont think the students are excited about either,' a parent said.

The Concord High School administration will discuss the mascot change with the board in May.

Last year, the school district opted to move away from human mascots in for less controversial animal ones, according to NBC Bay Area.

The final decision on the mascot is expected to be made in the next few weeks, according to NBC Bay Area.

The Minutemen were the US' first militia and played a critical role in the Revolutionary War. The first group started in Massachusetts in September 1774. They were designed to be 'ready in a minute,' and it's where their name came from.
Coles' supermarkets sales have exceeded expectations despite cost of living pressures piling on customers.

Total group sales in the third quarter grew 6.5 per cent to $9.7billion, with supermarket sales up 7.0 per cent to $8.6b and liquor sales rising 2.6 per cent to $801m, the company reported on Friday.

Outgoing CEO Steven Cain attributed the success to Coles' home brand range, Flybuys points program and weekly special deals.

'At a time when cost of living pressures are mounting for many customers, the unique combination ... has successfully driven sales and volume,' he said in the announcement.

During the quarter there were modest improvements in supply chain availability, but some problems remained and Coles also reported stock loss headwinds from theft had been an issue.

Total group sales for Coles in the third quarter grew 6.5 per cent to $9.7 billion, with supermarket sales up 7.0 per cent to $8.6b and liquor sales rising 2.6 per cent to $801m, the company reported on Friday

'At a time when cost of living pressures are mounting for many customers, the unique combination [of Flybuys, our home brand range and weekly specials] has successfully driven sales and volume,' Coles' outgoing CEO Steven Cain said

E&P Financial retail analyst Phillip Kimber said that Coles' supermarket sales were above expectations and had exceeded the entire industry's sales growth for the first time since 2021, according to ABS data.

But the liquor and convenience sales were both below expectations, he said.

The Coles Express fuel and convenience business have been acquired by the Viva Energy Group, with the transaction expected to be complete by the end of May.

Coles customers will still be able to access the four cent per litre fuel docket and Flybuys program regardless of the sale.

Mr Cain will hand over the CEO reins to Leah Weckert on Monday, the first woman to head the company in its 109-year-long history.

Ms Weckert has been a senior member of Coles' executive leadership team since the 2018 demerger from Wesfarmers.
Anne Heche's estate was sued over $36,000 in credit card debt - months after the late actress died following a car crash leaving behind around $110,000 in cash and checks in her estate.

The Six Days, Seven Nights actress, 52, left a hefty bill for her 21-year-old son, Homer Laffoon, who was named permanent administrator of her will in November.

Court documents obtained by The Blast revealed the actress' Citibank/Citi Mastercard was racked up to $36,131.35. But at the time of Heche's untimely death, she owed $62,011.35 until a $25,850.00 payment lowered the balance.

The revelations come nearly a year after Heche was in a fiery Los Angeles car accident on August 5 and died a week later.

Last month, court documents obtained by DailyMail.com revealed the Supercell actress had $77,000 in a Merrill bank account and $33,000 in uncashed royalty and residual checks when she died.

Anne Heche's estate was sued over $36,000 in credit card debt - months after the late actress died following a car crash and left behind around $110,000 in cash and checks. A photo before the August 5 crash shows Anne Heche at the wheel with a liquor bottle in the cup holder

The Ceder Rapids actress, 52, left behind a hefty bill for her 21-year-old son, Homer Laffoon, who was named permanent administrator of her estate in November. Pictured: Anne and Homer in November 2021

Homer discovered his mother's 27 uncashed checks from NBCUniversal, Hollywood studios as Disney, Paramount and Warner Brothers while going through her home, Radar Online reported.

The largest check - for $25,000 - was from Cast and Crew Production Services and was dated June 10, 2022, just a few months before Heche died.

The $110,000 in bank funds and uncashed checks is a partial inventory of Heche's assets that Homer has been putting together for LA Superior Court Probate Judge Lee Bogdanoff.

Aside from the cash and checks, Homer estimated the value of his mothers belongings and assets totaled to $400,000

Last November, the judge gave control of Heche's estate to Homer over objections from the actress former partner, actor James Tupper - who claimed that $200,000 worth of her jewelry has gone missing.

And the judge dismissed the objection from Canadian-born Tupper, 57, who asserted that Homer was not suitable to run the estate because he is too young, unemployed and was estranged from his mother at the time of her death.

I find no malfeasance by Mr. Laffoon, said Judge Bogdanoff - who also denied a request from Tuppers attorney, Christopher Johnson, for an evidentiary hearing to investigate his clients allegation that Heche's $200,000 jewelry collection has disappeared.

Johnson had told the judge that the actress had approximately $200,000 worth of jewelry and none remains and that was four years ago. Tupper and the actress dated from 2007 to 2018.

The judge told Johnson that his allegation does not make sense and dismissed his request for an evidentiary hearing.

Heche died from injuries sustained in a fireball car crash in Los Angeles on August 5

Anne Heche's adult son Homer Laffoon and her ex James Tupper, were in a fierce battle over control of the late actress' estate last year

James Tupper, the actress' former partner, claimed in court last year that Homer wasn't not suitable to run the estate because he is too young. The blended family-of-four are pictured in 2012

The crash scene on August 5 was chaotic with firefighters braving the flames to try and rescue Heche and homeowner Lynne Mishele

Heche- best known for roles in Donnie Brasco, Volcano and Wag the Dog and her three-year-relationship with Ellen DeGeneres - slammed her Mini Cooper into a house in Los Angeles, causing a fire, on August 5 last year.

Blood tests showed that she had cocaine and fentanyl in her system when the high-speed crash occurred, but officials confirmed that she had not been drinking alcohol  despite being pictured earlier with a vodka bottle in her cupholder.

She was left badly burned and in a coma. Her life support machine was turned off on August 14, and she was cremated August 18.

A coroner concluded that she died from inhalation injury and burns, and the death was ruled an accident.

The mother-of-two also had a fractured sternum caused by 'blunt trauma,' according to information on the website of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner.

Last month, Lynne Mishele, the woman renting the house that Heche crashed into, setting it ablaze, sued the estate for at least $2 million, citing negligence, infliction of emotional distress and trespass.
Graphic designer has face tattoos and goes by an alias

An American accused of trying to smuggle a 24-carat, gold-plated semi-automatic gun into Australia has been unmasked as a heavily tattooed graphic designer who goes by the alias of 'River' .

Liliana Goodson, 28, who uses 'they/them' pronouns, would have stood out to other passengers on the 15-hour flight from Los Angeles to Sydney that touched down at Sydney Airport 7.05am on Sunday.

Goodson was wearing a bright yellow jumpsuit, platform pumps and blue hair to compliment her extreme piercings and multiple face tattoos.

Shortly after touching down, a scan of Goodson's luggage by Border Force agents allegedly detected a gold-plated, 1911 Colt 45-style pistol.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal that Goodson - who also goes by the name River SolDorado Salvatore Chunga - had a job lined up in Australia and planned to live in the trendy beach suburb of Bondi.

But those plans have gone awry after the alleged discovery of the $2,000 gold-plated weapon inside Goodson's suitcase.

Liliana Goodson (pictured), 28, is accused of trying to smuggle a golden gun into Australia

Australian border force x-rayed Goodson's luggage and allegedly found the 24 carat gun (pictured)

Goodson was taken to Surry Hills Police Station and charged with intentionally importing a prohibited item with without approval.

The offence carries a maximum penalty of ten years in jail if she's convicted. Goodson also faces visa cancellation and deportation back to the US.

Goodson appeared in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Monday where she paid $10,000 to secure her bail.

The U.S. citizen has been ordered to stay at a boutique guest house in Bondi until the next court appearance on May 10.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal Goodson grew up in U.S. southern state of Alabama and studied physics at Troy University after finishing high school.

Goodson worked in a range of hospitality jobs after 2016 and had a stint as a tattoo artist in Andalusia for three years before relocating to Los Angeles and moving into freelance graphic design.

In March, Goodson wrote a post in an LA-based Facebook group asking whether any users would foster two dogs for about eight months.

'Im traveling overseas for work and unfortunately, the process to export my loves is a long process due to the countrys requirements,' they wrote.

Goodson, who also goes by the alias River Salvatore, is a graphic designer from Alabama, in the US

Goodson (pictured) also planned to bring her two dogs to Sydney from LA

'I would love to keep in touch for updates, as well as someone who can work with me as I continue their half year or so process so they can eventually join me overseas.'

Pictured: The x-ray of Ms Goodson's bag

Importing a dog from the US to Australia is a lengthy and expensive process which involves multiple government-approved vets, blood tests, parasite checks, and mandatory 10-day quarantine upon arrival.

Following Goodson's arrest, Australian Border Force Commander Justin Bathurst said the agency's were able to prevent the deadly weapon from entering the community through the combined efforts of ABF officer skills and sophisticated detection technology.

'We have seen just how good ABF officers are at targeting and stopping illegal, and highly dangerous, goods from crossing Australia's border,' he said.

'The ABF is Australias first and most important line of defence.

'ABF officers are committed to protecting our community by working with law enforcement partners to prevent items like unregistered firearms getting through at the border.'

American gun nut famous for brandishing a semi-automatic rifle at uni is left stunned when she confronts an Australian who supports basic weapons control

By Brett Lackey

An American pro-gun activist has clashed with an Australian on the streets of New York over his support for basic gun control laws.

Kaitlin Bennett, 27, was interviewing people for her right-wing site Liberty Hangout in the clip shared to TikTok this week that has reached more than a million views.

Bennett made headlines in 2018 when she turned up at Kent State University in Ohio a day after her graduation with an Armalite AR-10 semi-automatic rifle strapped to her back.

The then 22-year-old posed for photos holding a graduation cap emblazoned with the words 'come and take it' which she said was in protest of the university's policy that prohibited students and staff carrying 'lethal weapons' on campus.

In the clip, which was filmed in 2019 but has gone viral again, Bennett asks the Australian man, who appeared to be with a group about to attend a show in Times Square, whether 'You guys have the right to bear arms there?'.

Kaitlin Bennett was interviewing people for her right-wing site Liberty Hangout when she spoke to the Australian in a clip that has gone viral again this week

Bennett made headlines in 2018 when she protested Kent State University's gun policies by turning up with a rifle strapped to her back

The 27-year-old is a vocal supporter of conservative politicians such as Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis

The man replies: 'Yes... but under license so they don't fall into the hands of nut cases and you have all those high school massacres '.

'So you have gun control? That's terrible, I don't want to live there,' Bennett tells the man.

Bennett regularly appears on social media brandishing various guns and declaring her support for hard-right politicians such as Donald Trump and Florida governor and presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis.

Bennett asks the man if he considered gun control a good thing.

'Absolutely!' the man replies.

Bennett argued: 'Why does my right to self defence need to be controlled? Why do I need a license to protect myself from a nutcase?'

The man replies: 'Because it stops guns falling into the wrong hands. There is a strict screening process.'

Bennett then argued that she has a right to self defence and to protect her property and asked if the government should 'have their hands in my self-defence'.

'Are you happy for innocent people to be killed because the evidence shows that's what happens? The proof is in the pudding,' the man replied.

Australia's gun laws changed in 1996, spearheaded by former Prime Minister John Howard following the Port Arthur massacre, and since then the country, in stark contrast to the United States, has seen almost no mass shootings.

Kaitlin Bennett regularly posts pictures of herself posing with various firearms

The man then tells Bennett he has a concert to go to and walks away with his group.

'Don't ever become citizens, guys,' Bennett yells.

Commenters on the clip seemed to take the Australian man's side in the debate.

'Guns laws stop the need for so much self defence... is she that naive?' one person said.

'He wiped the floor with her and she still thinks she's right.' another said.

'Typical, assuming everyone wants to be American.' added a third.
A teenager sentenced to five years in juvenile detention over killing a pregnant Perth mother could be freed within two years, sparking emotional scenes inside court.

Diane Miller's family screamed out in anger and grief as the 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced on Friday after he pleaded guilty to unlawfully killing her.

The Noongar woman 30, died in hospital, along with her unborn child, several days after a brick hit her in the head as she sat in the passenger seat on November 29 last year.

Ms Miller was five months pregnant at the time.

The confronting incident at a suburban shopping centre was captured on CCTV footage which was showed in court this week.

The teen who threw a brick at pregnant mum Diane Miller (pictured) has been sentenced to a five year prison term

Prosecutor Clare Cullen told the court the teen had been 'laying in wait' behind a wall before hurling the 1.9-kilogram brick at the car as it drove away from the scene of the stoush.

She also said he had known Ms Miller, her infant son and three young women in the car and he threw the concrete block anyway, increasing his culpability for the crime.

'The concrete went through the window striking Ms Miller to the head,' she said.

'It was cowardly.'

The teen, who was initially charged with murder before agreeing to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, fled the scene before handing himself in to police several hours later.

His lawyer Kate Turtley-Chappel told the court the boy 'was emotionally aroused and he was fearing his and other's safety' when he threw the brick.

Diane Miller's devastated family (pictured on Thursday) broke down in court as her attacker was sentenced

Ms Miller (pictured), 30, was struck in the head with a concrete block while sitting in the passenger seat of a car

'(The defendant) threw the rock without thinking and ultimately it ended in the loss of human life,' she said.

'He is quite frank in saying he wasn't thinking in terms of the outcome.'

Ms Turtley-Chappel said the teen was extremely remorseful and had accepted he would be sentenced to a term of imprisonment.

'This is a young person who says 'I want to be here (and) I did wrong and I need to do my time',' she said.

'(He) showed immediate remorse when he heard this lady had got hurt. He fell to the ground and he cried.

'He called police, he participated in an hour-long interview... He never applied for bail.'

Ms Miller's family broke down in Perth Children's Court on Friday as Judge Hylton Quail read the facts of the 'tragic' incident.

'You were impulsive ... You didn't stop to think if it was a bad idea,' he told the teen.

'You persisted with the plan to use the rock.'

Judge Quail said the boy's traumatic life and brain damage had contributed to his decision to throw the lump of concrete.

He also accepted the teen was genuinely remorseful and co-operated with police.

The pregnant mother went into cardiac arrest after she was hit in the head with the concrete block and died several days later

Diane Miller's furious family (pictured) also believe the teen should have also been punished for the death of her unborn child

However, he said the Ms Miller was an innocent and blameless victim of a cowardly act.

'Most significantly she had a baby and was 20 weeks' pregnant,' Judge Quail said.

'You took her life and deprived baby Lloyd of his mother and you deprived Ms Miller's unborn child of life.

'You will have to live with the consequences for the rest of your life.'

The boy was sentenced to five years' detention at Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre

He must serve a minimum of 26 months before applying for supervised release.

After the sentence was handed down, Ms Miller's family erupted in anger as they were ushered from the courtroom by security officers.

Ms Miller's brother Malcolm Clifton said outside court he was outraged by the sentence and the teenager should have also been punished for the death of his sister's unborn child.

'There's justice for you, what a load of bulls*** ... I'm sick to the guts with the law system,' Mr Clifton said.

'He knew what he was doing when he picked up the brick. Everyone knows what they are doing when they pick up a weapon. They intend to use the f***ing thing.'
An Australian exchange student is fighting for his life after he accidently ate rat poison - as his doctor dad rushed to his bedside to keep vigil.

What started as a nose bleed turned into a horrific cardiorespiratory collapse for student Alex Shorey while in Taipei, Taiwan last Monday, landing him in ICU.

The Toowoomba student's family believe the 24-year-old was poisoned after he ate street food while visiting the Taiwanese countryside recently.

The marketing and language student started feeling ill last month. He is in Taiwan fulfilling his dream scholarship exchange trip at the Tamkang University in Taiwan.

His brother Jean-Luc Shorey said Alex's symptoms, which grew worse on his birthday earlier this month, were 'very strange'.

Alex Shorey (pictured) started feeling ill four weeks ago while on his dream scholarship exchange trip where he studies at the Tamkang University in Taiwan

Jean-Luc said Alex (pictured in hospital) had been misdiagnosed in Taiwan with an immune disorder

'It's started out as a nose bleed and blood in his urine so we weren't really sure what is was at first,' Jean-Luc told the Courier Mail.

He added their dad Stephen Shorey, who is a doctor in Toowoomba, flew to Taiwan as soon as Alex's condition started to get worse.

Jean-Luc said Alex had been misdiagnosed in Taiwan with an immune disorder.

'The longer it took to diagnose, he was getting his kidney, liver, lungs, and heart damaged,' Jean-Luc said.

'Because the blood had perforated his muscles he started getting black spots all over his body as the blood seeped into his muscles.'

Once his dad arrived in Taipei he urged doctors to do more rigorous blood and plasma tests.

Jean-Luc said he hated to think what would have happened if his father had not flown to his brother's bedside.

Elizabeth Shorey-Kitson who is Alex's aunty started a GoFundMe page to try and repatriate the young man back to Australia.

She said Alex's condition has grown worse and he needs to be flown to the Royal Prince Albert Hospital in Sydney via a specialised medical flight retrieval service.

Alex is not able to take a commercial flight back home due to an anaphylactic reaction that has caused fluid to build up on his lungs.

Ms Shorey-Kitson said Alex is at the Taipei Medical University Hospital after having another bad reaction to his treatment.

'The effects of the poison, Super Warfarin, are catastrophic,' she said.

'Super Warfarin stops the blood from coagulating, and so Alexs body is haemorrhaging both externally and internally into his muscles and organs.'

The Toowoomba student's family believe the 24-year-old was poisoned after he ate street food or something else he consumed while visiting the countryside in Taiwan recently

The family has so far raised $125,240 by Friday after the GoFundMe page was launched two days ago (pictured, left to right, Jean-Luc, Alex, the boys' grandmother and their mum)

'Its imperative we get [Alex] (pictured, right) home to prevent any further damage to his organs and to give him the best chance of recovery,' Alex's aunty Elizabeth Shorey-Kitson said

She added the delay in diagnosis, the language barriers in Taiwan and his severe reactions from treatments has led to more complications - including 'organ damage, respiratory failure and anaemia'.

After his cardiorespiratory collapse last Monday, Alex is not expected to recover quickly.

'The medical services in Taiwan dont currently have the right treatments or drugs to stabilise his condition,' Ms Shorey-Kitson said.

'So its imperative we get him home to prevent any further damage to his organs and to give him the best chance of recovery.'

The family has so far raised $129,680 by Friday after the GoFundMe page was launched two days ago.

They hope to hit their goal of $172,000 which will pay for the intensive medical team, flights and ongoing medical and rehabilitation in Australia.
Thousands of Florida 12th graders who might not otherwise graduate will be able to walk at commencement ceremonies next month, if legislation unanimously approved by the Florida House this week becomes law. The bill is awaiting a vote in the Senate.

The bill would postpone, again, requirements for higher test scores that some high school seniors need to earn a diploma, an acknowledgement that COVID-19 disrupted the education of the class of 2023, whose members were in ninth grade when the pandemic hit.

Looking at the gravity of the situation, and the amount of seniors who would not be able to graduate this year, we have made allowances, said Rep. Ralph Massulo, R-Lecanto, who sponsored an amendment to a multi-pronged education bill (HB 1537) that would make it easier for some students to graduate this year.

That would thrill Panhandle parent Christina Boone, whose daughters graduation and college plans hang on whether she can earn a passing score in the next several weeks. The teenager, a senior at J.R. Arnold High School, has the grades and credits to graduate but is missing a needed language arts exam score.

Its stressful on her. Its stressful on me, said the Panama City Beach mother. Its not fair to these kids.

Educators across the state have been pleading for the state not to impose higher scores this year, worried about students futures and district and state graduation rates.

These changes have created an undue burden on our educators who are already facing significant challenges in delivering quality education, Broward Interim Superintendent Earlean Smiley wrote in an April 20 letter to lawmakers.

They are being forced to devote more time and resources to help students meet the increased standards, rather than focus on other critical aspects of their education and post-secondary opportunities, Smiley wrote.

The measure Massulo proposed  adopted unanimously in the House and now awaiting a vote in the Senate  would provide a welcome relief to students, educators and parents, Beamon added.

About 3,800 Broward seniors are missing scores on at least one needed test, but otherwise have met the requirements for graduation. In Palm Beach County, its about 2,800.

Without your intervention, this increased expectation will result in a potential 11% drop in our Districts graduation rate, Palm Beach County Superintendent Mike Burke wrote in a letter to legislators. The impacted students unable to satisfy the requisite test scores may choose to pursue GED options or join the workforce at an extreme competitive disadvantage.

Across the state, school districts, large and small, have reported hundreds or thousands of seniors who are set to graduate in May but for a missing test score, from about 200 in Bay County in the Panhandle to nearly 860 in Osceola County to about 4,000 in Miami-Dade County.

This step by the Florida House will open the door for thousands of students impacted by the pandemic to walk across the stage and receive their high school diploma, Miami-Dade Superintendent Jose Dotres said. We look forward to the final passage of this good legislation that will ultimately benefit children.

Florida seniors must pass state tests in algebra and language arts to graduate, and thousands of teenagers do so easily well before they start senior year.

But for years, a sizeable group also has struggled on the state tests. They have been able to substitute concordant, or equivalent, scores on the ACT or the SAT, the national college admissions exams, or the PERT, used for placement in community college courses.

Historically, about a third of the states 12th graders have used those concordant scores from other exams to meet graduation requirements.

The needed concordant scores, however, were to be raised this year, and many students have been unable to clear that bar. The higher scores initially were to be in place last year, but the State Board of Education waived them for the class of 2022, citing the impact of the pandemic.

Educators said this years seniors deserve the same consideration. The Seminole school district in October even put that request in its 2023 list of legislative priorities it hoped the Legislature would adopt when it convened in March.

The bill the House passed this week would leave the ACT or SAT concordant scores where theyve been, meaning the class of 2023 would need the same scores as students in the recent past. That means students could meet the language arts requirement with SAT reading scores of 430 or ACT reading scores of 19 and could meet the algebra 1 requirement with 420 on SAT math or a 16 on ACT math.

They could still use PERT  but the needed score would be 114, not the 97 it has been in prior years, a change that worries Seminole educators even as they are otherwise pleased with the legislative action.

Starting with the class of 2024, however, the requirements would revert to the higher scores approved in 2018 and initially meant to kick in last year. Those requirements include an SAT reading score of 480 and the elimination of PERT as a replacement for the algebra exam.

This is a temporary fix, Massulo said as the House readied to approve the bill. We want to see better performance in the future.

The state wanted to raise the concordant scores to better match the challenge of achieving those to that of passing the state tests.

The bill was approved unanimously, with other lawmakers saying Massulos measure was the right move this year for 12th graders.

This is a problem throughout the state, said Rep. Kelly Skidmore, D-Boca Raton. This is the thing that they need to get over the finish line.

Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said she received many calls and text messages from worried educators on the issue. Thank you for heeding those concerns, she said, adding the change will help teenagers graduate and continue to contribute to our economy.

For Boones daughter and others in the Panhandle, the pandemic came on the heels of Hurricane Michael, and both contributed to educational disruptions, she said. The whole class of 2023 lost a lot of education time because of that.

Her daughter easily passed the state algebra exam but has struggled with language arts. She has taken six standardized tests in recent months in attempt to get the needed score, and her latest SAT score would qualify her for a diploma, if bill the House passed becomes law.

I was so happy when I heard about it, Boone said.

lpostal@orlandosentinel.com
Queer comedian Reuben Kaye has been forced to cancel his Friday night show after critics threatened to protest outside.

Kaye cracked an X-rated joke about Jesus during an appearance on The Project more than two months ago, sparking demonstrations from Christians.

The comedian was due to appear the Sydney Comedy Festival at the Enmore Threatre on Friday night.

However, he postponed the show for three months, saying he was worried about the safety of his audience.

'So we've postponed the show to a later date this year, when it's easier for us to do this for you,' the comedian said.

'But don't worry, we'll be back, and I'll see you at the next gig.'

He said the protestors could compromise the safety of himself, his band members, his audience, other comedians performing and nearby businesses.

Queer comedian Reuben Kaye (pictured on The Project) has been forced to cancel his upcoming show in Sydney after anti-gay protestors threatened to protest at the venue

In February, Kaye stunned the panel on the Channel 10 show after he cracked a controversial and sexually-charged joke about Jesus live on-air.

He had been telling the panel about the hate he receives from the Christian community for dressing up in drag and for his sexuality.

'I love Jesus, I love any man who can get nailed for three days straight and come back for more,' Kaye joked.

Poll Did the joke go too far? Yes - religion should be off limits No - it's just a joke Did the joke go too far? Yes - religion should be off limits 2629 votes

No - it's just a joke 818 votes Now share your opinion





His line left Waleed Aly speechless, but Sarah Harris and the rest of the cast laughed along with the controversial quip.

However, the gag sparked a furious reaction online with many saying it went too far.

It even sparked a protest outside Channel 10's headquarters in Pyrmont.

'What a disgusting joke about Jesus, and The Project team just giggled and did not say anything. So offended by your inaction,' one person wrote on Twitter.

Another said: 'Actually a filthy joke about Jesus. I'm all for being who you wanna be, but that's too far.'

A third said: 'Interesting to see Waleed's reaction to that joke! He knew it was inappropriate! Project is so desperate these days!'

However, others told the comedian the joke was hilarious.

Kaye (pictured onstage in Scotland) earlier this year announced he would be performing at comedy festivals around the country, where he planned to 'poke the bear'

One person wrote: 'I can't believe Rueben Kaye just said that on national, prime-time television. What an icon!'

'I nearly p****** myself' and 'That was gold, the best thing on The Project in months!'

Kaye is known for his crude humour which he combines with singing and all-around showmanship in his comedy shows.

The comedian had announced he would be embarking on a national tour set to feature an array of jokes about touchy subjects like sexuality and racism.

'I want to poke the bear,' he said at the time.

'I'm so thickly spread around this country that I might as well be systemic racism.'

However, in March, men from a Christian group took to the streets of Newtown, in Sydney's inner west, to protest his appearance on The Project.

Later that month, up to 600 protestors gathered outside Channel 10's Pyrmont headquarters to pray for the network and the comedian for the X-rated joke.

Kaye, who was due to appear as part of the Sydney Comedy Festival at the Enmore Theatre on Friday night, issued an apology to fans after announcing his show had been postponed

Waleed Aly and Sarah Harris were forced to issue a grovelling apology in lieu of the joke going live to air

On Friday, Kaye thanked the people that had sent him their love and support.

'It means the world, and I just want to send love out there to any person, queer or not, who feels a lot of pressure right now,' he said in an Instagram video.

'Don't stop, you're loved, and you are held. We will remake this world so we are safe.'

Kaye is due to perform at the Perth Comedy Festival on May 5 and 6 before he will step on stage in Brisbane at the end of the month.

The comedian's show at Sydney's Enmore Theatre has been postponed to July 1.
The girlfriend of an Australian man who fell overboard off a cruise ship in the US says she's devastated the search for him has been called off.

Warwick Tollemache, 35, from Brisbane was earlier identified as the man who fell from the Quantum of the Seas into the Pacific Ocean about 1400km south of the Hawaiian islands late on Tuesday night.

Now, Celina La Roche, who had been dating Mr Tollemache for six years, has paid tribute to her partner in a heartbreaking post.

She wrote: 'I love you, always have and always will. RIP my love.'

Her comments came shortly after a massive air and sea search by the US Coast Guard was called off on Friday.

Brisbane man Warwick Tollemache (pictured left) has been named as the man who went overboard from a cruise ship. His girlfriend has paid tribute

He fell from the Quantum of the Seas into the Pacific Ocean about 1400km south of the Hawaiian islands late on Tuesday night

She also told the Courier Mail: 'They should have kept looking  I don't understand why they stopped the search.

'I'm just devastated.

'We were cruising in the South Pacific last month and I was going to move in with him.

'I was still hoping until I heard they'd stopped the search and now he could still be alive in the middle of nowhere.'

Ms La Roche added that Mr Tollemarche knows how to float in water, and that she wouldn't have closure until he was found.

The US Coast Guard spent a day scouring the ocean for Mr Tollemache from the sea and the air before suspending the search.

Large overnight swells have hampered the frantic search, making the hunt 'almost impossible'.

Celina wrote in a heartbreaking post: 'I love you, always have and always will. RIP my love'

Warwick Tollemache (pictured) has been remembered by his family as a kind, beautiful and gentle soul who was adored by everyone

The decision came after talks with Mr Tollemache's family and the Australian consulate.

They also shared a tribute to Mr Tollemache after the search was called off.

'Our family is heartbroken at the loss of our beloved Warwick,' they said in a statement.

'He was a kind, beautiful, and gentle soul who was adored by everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed.'

'We kindly ask for privacy during this difficult time. Thank you for your understanding.'

The sad news that the search had been called off sparked an outpouring of tributes.

'I will miss you dearly my friend, my brother, my heart is aching so much knowing that I won't get to see you again or give you a hug,' one mate posted.

Quantum of the Seas crew launched a desperate search (pictured) after Warwick Tollemache went overboard before later continuing its voyage

A family friend added: 'He left an indelible mark on all who knew him and he will live on in all of us. My heart is breaking... for you, for him, for all your beautiful family. He will be so very missed.'

Search and rescue mission coordinator Kevin Cooper said in a statement: 'The coast guard has made the difficult decision to suspend the active search for the passenger aboard the Quantum of the Seas.'

The Department of Foreign Affairs is providing assistance to Mr Tollemache's family.

'The Australian Consulate-General in Honolulu is working closely with local authorities,' a spokesperson said.

'We acknowledge the ongoing distress for the man's family and loved ones.'
More than 130,000 civil servants will strike today as a wave of industrial action continues to sweep Britain.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) in 132 Government departments will walk out in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions - after tens of thousands of teachers forced schools to close by going on picket lines yesterday.

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS, accused ministers of 'bullying' civil servants as it emerged that Health Secretary Steve Barclay has been accused of 'bad behaviour' towards staff in the Department of Health and Social Care. It comes after Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab dramatically quit when a probe found he had upset staff.

Meanwhile, teachers are set to strike on Tuesday, with fears growing that pupils face more disruption in the autumn term as head teachers are balloted on launching more walkouts then.

And the RMT has announced a new strike to coincide with the Eurovision Song Contest final in Liverpool on May 13.

Teachers from the National Education Union demonstrate in central Middlesbrough on Thursday

Andy Cunningham, Labour MP for Middlesbrough, addresses crowds of striking workers

Mr Serwotka said: 'The evidence stacks up - ministers bullying their staff, giving our members the worst pay rise in the country, refusing to give them a back-dated pay claim or lump sum like they've given everyone else, failing even to negotiate with us - so how else do you explain it?

'How else do you explain the incessant attacks by Government ministers on their own workforce, if it's not a point of principle?'

The union said its campaign of industrial action shows no sign of abating, with its members on strike next week at the Passport Office, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and Care Quality Commission.

The union this week announced a 15-day strike at HMRC in the same dispute. It added that its recent research showed that one in five DWP workers claimed benefits and one in 14 DWP offices had their own foodbanks.

It was announced last night that the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) will hold a formal postal ballot of its members in England over pay, funding, workload and wellbeing.

It comes after NAHT members overwhelmingly rejected the recent pay offer from the Government amid concerns that the deal was 'unaffordable'.

Overall, 64 percent of NAHT members in England responded to the union's online consultative ballot, with 90 percent voting to reject the offer and 78 percent saying they would be prepared to vote for industrial action.

All four education unions  the NAHT, the National Education Union (NEU), the NASUWT teaching union and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL)  have rejected the pay offer.

Representatives from each union will speak at a meeting in Telford, Shropshire later today.

The Government offered teachers a 1,000 one-off payment for the current school year (2022/23) and an average 4.5 percent pay rise for staff next year following intensive talks with the education unions.

The ballot will ask one question - whether school leaders are willing to take strike action. The move comes after NAHT members rejected the government's recent pay offer, calling it 'inadequate and unaffordable.'

Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, said: 'Our members have been very clear: they are fed up with their continued mistreatment by government, and they want to stand up and be counted.

Teachers on the picket line outside Bristol Cathedral School, College Square, Bristol, on Thursday

'I took part in the recent intensive negotiations with the Education Secretary in good faith, and we took the best offer the Government could make us to our members. Their response could not be more clear: it is just not good enough.

'School leaders have suffered over a decade of pay erosion and are feeling the pinch of the cost-of-living crisis just like everyone else. But they still voted against a pay rise, knowing the damage it would do to their schools, pupils and staff.

'A pay offer from Government without the funding to back it is an utterly empty promise. It simply leads to redundancies and reduced support for children.'

Teachers will also take industrial action on Tuesday, causing disruption to thousands of pupils and families, after walking out on Thursday.

Friday's action follows a strike on Thursday by teachers in England in a pay dispute, and announcements by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) and the drivers' union Aslef of strikes in their pay dispute with train operators.

Aslef members will walk out on May 12 and 31 and June 3, the day of the FA Cup Final at Wembley.

The RMT announced a strike on May 13, the day of the Eurovision Song Contest final in Liverpool.

The Royal College of Nursing has had to shorten a planned 48-hour strike this weekend after losing a court case taken by the Government questioning the legality of the walkout.

RCN members will strike from Sunday evening to Monday evening but not on May 2 as previously planned.
Parts of the UK are set to bask in 21C sunshine over the May bank holiday weekend after today's scattered downpours clear - ahead of thunderstorms next week in the lead up to the King's coronation.

Friday will see some downpours in the north of England and most of Scotland, with showers also drifting over Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Met Office says that in the north and east, rain and drizzle will gradually clear, with parts of Scotland remaining rather cloudy. Bright or sunny spells will develop elsewhere as the warm weather settles in for the weekend.

Temperatures of 18C could be seen in the south of England and London today, while mild weather will reach further north too.

But after a week of significantly cooler weather, mercury is set to rise above 20C on Monday.

After a week of significantly cooler weather, Britons can look forward to top temperatures in excess of 20C on Monday, the first bank holiday of the month

Londoners could see temperatures reach 21C on Monday, which would be the hottest recorded temperature this year

Overnight on Friday it will remain largely cloudy and mild, but showers may continue across Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The start of the bank holiday weekend will see widespread bright and sunny spells, but with some thundery showers emerging to the west by the end of the day.

The rest of the weekend will remain 'rather warm', but with some heavy showers and storms likely on Sunday into Monday.

Four flood alerts remain in place today across the south of England.

Temperatures are expected to reach the high teens across much of England and Wales, with possible peaks of more than 20C.

The UK is likely to experience its warmest weather of 2023 over the bank holiday weekend.

The hottest temperature of the year so far, 20.2C, was recorded earlier this month in Kinlochew, Scotland.

Met Office forecaster Alex Deakin said: 'There will be some heavy showers around but there will be plenty of dry and bright weather around as well.

'It is going to be feeling rather more humid and that moisture is going to spark some heavy showers in places. But with high pressure in charge it's certainly not going to be a washout.'

On Saturday, Mr Deakin said a weather front sitting across the north of England and Scotland will bring 'quite a lot of cloud and some outbreaks of rain' in the morning, before being pushed further north later in the day.

He continued: 'Through the day heavy showers are expected to develop. Parts of Wales, Northern Ireland and northern England are most likely to see them. Still hit and miss but where they do occur, pretty potent showers, heavy downpours and quite slow moving.'

Although there is warm weather to come, the Met Office warns there will be heavy downpours across parts of the UK too

Four flood alerts are in place on Friday, all in the south of England

On Saturday, forecasters say London could see temperatures reaching 20C

If temperatures hit 21C on Monday as forecast, it would make Monday the hottest day of the year so far

'By the time we get to Sunday we are again looking at weak weather fronts pushing in [...] Sunday will see the most showers of the three days through the weekend so you'll be lucky to stay dry.

'Although many computer models suggesting that East Anglia and the southeast, you won't see many showers here so a decent chance of a dry day here.

'Elsewhere there will be showers and again they could be quite slow-moving which means they will last a while and will also be quite heavy.'

He added: 'It is still reasonably mild with that warmer air pushing northwards in the next few days. Even northern Scotland will see temperatures rising.'

Going into Monday, Mr Deakin said an area of high pressure will dominate the UK.

'We'll still see some [showers] on Monday, likely across northern Scotland, and after probably a couple of dry days eastern England is the area most likely to see showers.'

He concluded: 'Many places at this stage looking dry and fine with some sunny spells, and again, warmer than it has been.'

Temperatures will peak at 21C in London on Monday, the Met Office said.

The warm weather comes amid the countdown to King Charles III's coronation ceremony on May 6, which will also see Queen Camilla officially crowned.

There is an extra bank holiday on May 9 to commemorate the occasion.
A man has been arrested after luxury car has been captured on video as it was engulfed in flames.

The car, believed to be a Porsche Cayenne S, was set alight shortly after midnight on Thursday night in a shopping centre car park on Hope Island at the northern end of the Gold Coast.

Firefighters were called to the scene to extinguish the flames.

A man, who 9News reports was known to police, was arrested and faced court on Friday.

'Nope island strikes again,' one local commented on Facebook.

'This suburb is getting worse.'

A man was arrested after a luxury car believed to be a Porsche Cayenne S was set alight at a shopping centre on Hope Island shortly after midnight on Thursday night (pictured)

More to come.
Russia today boasted its missile strikes were 'right on target' in a sickening Telegram post made just hours after Vladimir Putin unleashed a barrage of rockets on Ukrainian homes.

More than 20 cruise missiles and two drones were fired at cities and towns across Ukraine that were miles away from the front lines, killing at least 23 civilians including a mother and her two-year-old daughter as they slept inside their homes.

Families were blown to pieces, with many victims buried amongst the rubble of their homes, as Russia's missiles thundered through the air and smashed into residential buildings.

Five hours after the first rocket struck the town of Uman and wreaked havoc there, Russia's Defence Ministry posted a sinister message that read 'right on target' alongside a photograph of a rocket being launched.

The ministry later insisted that its strategic bombers had conducted 'high-precision' attacks on Ukrainian army reserve units overnight to prevent them from getting to the frontline.

But the screams of those who watched their relatives and neighbours blown to pieces and the distraught firefighters picking their way through the rubble show the reality of Putin's missile blitz.

Rescuers search for survivors in the rubble next to damaged residential buildings in Uman, south of Kyiv on Friday after Russia launched missile strikes on Ukraine

Five hours after the first rocket struck the town of Uman and wreaked havoc there, Russia's Defence Ministry posted a sinister message that read 'right on target' alongside a photograph of a rocket being launched

A woman carries her child past blown-up residential buildings in the central town of Uman this morning after Russia unleashed a series of missiles on Ukraine

A relative of a victim killed in the Russian missile strike breaks down in tears in the town of Umam on Friday

In a haunting scene, survivors, stricken with grief, broke down in tears and grasped at each other for some form of comfort as they watched their neighbours being carried away from the rubble in body bags

Olga Bilash, 31, was killed alongside her two-year-old daughter (pictured together) after Russia launched missiles at the city of Dnipro on Friday

The missiles began raining down on the central city of Dnipro at 4am this morning, with one striking a house where Olga Bilash, 31, and her two-year-old daughter were sleeping, killing them both. Four others were wounded.

Harrowing photographs show their destroyed home, where an entire wall is reduced to rubble. Inside, the remaining walls are blackened from the blast and rubble covers the toddler's highchair.

Olga's cousin Tetyana Bilash, 21, said: 'I want all Russians to rot and die, I want for this country to never exist. I hate them. My world is ruined and empty.'

In the central town of Uman, families were woken by the sound of explosions tearing through their homes. At least two cruise missiles smashed into a nine-storey building, killing at least 17 people including two 10-year-old children and wounding 17 others.

In a haunting scene, survivors, stricken with grief, broke down in tears and grasped at each other for some form of comfort as they watched their neighbours being carried away from the rubble in body bags.

Hours after the strike, firefighters were still clambering their way through the debris in the hope of finding survivors trapped under the rubble.

Kyiv was also rocked by explosions in the first attack on the capital in nearly two months, with air raid sirens beginning at 4am. Ukraine's air force managed to intercept 11 cruise missiles and two drones launched at the city.

Explosions were also reported after midnight in Kremenchuk and Poltava in central Ukraine as well as in Mykolaiv in the south.

The bombardment was nowhere near the war's sprawling front lines or active combat zones in eastern Ukraine, where a grinding war of attrition has taken hold. Moscow has frequently launched long-range missile attacks during the 14-month war, often indiscriminately hitting civilian areas.

Survivors of the Uman strikes recounted terrifying moments as the missiles hit when it still was dark outside.

Halyna, a building resident, said she and her husband were covered in glass by the blast. They saw flames outside their window and scrambled out, but first Halyna checked whether her friend in a neighboring apartment was OK.

'I was calling, calling her (on the phone), but she didn't pick up. I even rang the doorbell, but still no answer,' she told The Associated Press. She used the spare keys from her friend's apartment and went inside to check on her. She found her lying dead on her apartment floor.

Halyna refused to provide her last name out of security concerns.

Olga Bilash, 31, (pictured) was killed alongside her two-year-old daughter after Russia launched missiles at the city of Dnipro on Friday

Inside Olga's home, the remaining walls are blackened from the blast and rubble covers the toddler's highchair

Harrowing photographs show their destroyed home, where an entire wall is reduced to rubble

The body of a woman who died after a Russian attack lies in her home surrounded by debris in Uman, central Ukraine, on Friday

Rescuers carry a body bag from a burnt-out residential building in Uman on Friday

A local resident witnesses her neighbours in body bags on the ground after they were killed in a Russian missile strike in Uman

Another resident Serhii Lubivskyi said he was woken at 4.30 am by the explosion. He ran to the front door but couldn't open it. His bathroom and kitchen were in tatters, dishes and doors smashed.

Smoke filled the air and he and his wife went out onto the balcony, where they stood until firefighters rescued them at 7am.

'My flat is on the seventh floor ... We felt the impact, we heard the explosion,' he said in faltering speech, struggling to make sense of an attack that turned half of his apartment block to rubble.

'My neighbours are gone, no one is left ... only the kitchens were left standing,' he said, crying as he took a deep drag from a cigarette.

'Russian bastards ... worse than animals,' he said. 'They don't care, the more people they kill, the more they want to kill, just because we don't want to work for them.'

Another building resident, Olha Turina, said that glass from the explosion flew everywhere.

Turina, whose husband is fighting on the front lines, said one of her child's classmates was missing.

'I don't know where they are, I don't know if they are alive,' she said. 'I don't know why we have to go through all this. We never bothered anyone.'

One of the 14 people killed in the attack on Uman was a 75-year-old woman who died from internal bleeding caused by the shockwave from the blast in the neighbouring nine-storey building struck by missiles.

Three body bags were seen outside the building as smoke continued to billow hours after the attack.

Soldiers, civilians and emergency crews searched through the rubble outside for more victims, while residents dragged belongings out of the damaged building.

One woman, crying in shock and horror at what she had just witnessed, was taken away by rescue crews.

A haunting video shows a distraught Ukrainian woman with blood on her hands and face after the attack as she points out the wreckage of her flat.

She tells how her children had narrowly escaped death in the terrifying bombardment.

A terrified Ukrainian woman surveys the damage and her own injuries as after the Russian attack on the town of Uman

Dead bodies in plastic bags lie on the ground near the site of a heavily damaged residential building hit by a Russian missile in Uman on Friday

A local resident cleans from debris his apartment which was damaged by a Russian missile in the town of Ukrainka, Kyiv region, on Friday

A Ukrainian woman looks through a broken window after a Russian missile landed near her apartment after it was shot down in the town of Ukrainka, Kyiv region, on Friday

An aerial view shows a residential building heavily damaged by a Russian missile in Uman

Firefighters work to extinguish a fire after a Russian attack at a residential building in Uman, central Ukraine, on Friday

A firefighter extinguishes a fire at a residential block in Uman following the Russian missile strike

Rescuers search for survivors in the rubble of a damaged residential building in Uman

A woman cries after the horrifying Russian attack in Uman on Friday

A firefighter at a storage facilities site hit by the Russian missile strike in Dnipro, Ukraine, on Friday

At least two cruise missiles smashed into a nine-storey residential building in the central town of Uman (pictured), killing scores of people

A heavily damaged residential building hit by a Russian missile in Uman, Cherkasy region, Ukraine, on Friday

Rescuers work at the site of a residential building hit by a Russian missile in Uman on Friday

'A missile hit our block of flats,' she said, showing the damage. 'We are all covered in blood. All windows were shattered. Children were sleeping here.

'They are all alive. We are all covered in blood. I got so scared. I hate you, bloody [Russians], I hate you.'

The missiles were fired from aircraft operating in the Caspian Sea region, according to Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander in Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

Overall, he said Ukraine intercepted 21 of 23 Kh-101 and Kh-555 type cruise missiles launched, as well as the two drones.

The attacks came days after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a 'long and meaningful' phone call where Xi said his government will send a peace envoy to Ukraine and other nations.

But Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Friday's bombardment showed the Kremlin isn't interested in a peace deal.

'Missile strikes killing innocent Ukrainians in their sleep, including a 2-year-old child, is Russia's response to all peace initiatives,' he tweeted. 'The way to peace is to kick Russia out of Ukraine.'

In Kyiv, fragments from intercepted missiles or drones damaged power lines and a road in one neighborhood. No casualties were reported.

Ukraine officials said last week that they had taken delivery of American-made Patriot missiles, providing Kyiv with a long-sought new shield against Russian airstrikes, but there was no word on whether the system was used Friday.

The city's anti-aircraft system was activated, according to the Kyiv City Administration. Air raid sirens started at about 4 a.m., and the alert ended about two hours later.

The missile attack was the first on the capital since March 9. Air defenses have thwarted Russian drone attacks more recently.

Rescuers and residents search for survivors in the rubble next to a damaged residential building in Uman

The Russian attacks came as Nato announced that its allies and partner countries have delivered more than 98 per cent of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine during Russia's invasion

Rescuers search for survivors in the rubble next to a damaged residential building in Uman

The residential building heavily damaged by a Russian missile in Uman

Firefighters work to extinguish a fire after a Russian attack at an apartments' buildings area in the town of Uman on Friday

Firefighters work at the site of a heavily damaged residential building hit by a Russian missile, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Uman, Cherkasy region, on Friday

Rescuers work at the site of a residential building heavily damaged residential building hit by a Russian missile, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Uman, on Friday

The attacks come as Ukrainian forces are expected to soon launch an offensive with new military equipment, including tanks, from its Western allies after Russian forces made little headway in a winter offensive.

Russian forces have suffered setbacks throughout the conflict and have been trying for 10 months to punch their way into the shattered remains of Bakhmut, once a city of 70,000.

Russia sees Bakhmut as a key stepping stone to other cities in eastern Ukraine, now its major military objective.

The Russian attacks came as Nato announced that its allies have delivered more than 98 per cent of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine during Russia's invasion and war, strengthening Kyiv's capabilities as it contemplates launching a counteroffensive.

Along with more than 1,550 armoured vehicles, 230 tanks and other equipment, Ukraine's allies have sent 'vast amounts of ammunition' and trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian brigades, Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said.

More than 30,000 troops are estimated to make up the new brigades. Some partner countries, such as Sweden and Australia, have also provided armoured vehicles.

'This will put Ukraine in a strong position to continue to retake occupied territory,' Mr Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.

Firefighters work at the site of storage facilities hit by a Russian missile strike in Dnipro, Ukraine, on Friday

A firefighter stands amid the rubble of a residential building in Uman after it was struck by a Russian cruise missile

Rescuers and residents search for survivors in the rubble of a building in Uman
Gourmet food service Providoor has collapsed and will stop accepting orders immediately as the latest victim of the ravaged home delivery industry.

Founder and celebrity chef Shane Delia wrote on the firm's website on Friday: 'It is with a heavy heart that I announce the closure of Providoor, a business borne out of the very worst days the hospitality industry has ever seen.'

'Later today, Providoor will be formally placed into liquidation.'

The company's collapse follows turmoil among Australia's delivery start-ups this year, with Deliveroo pulling out of Australia and Voly and MilkRun going under.

Providoor was a raging success throughout the pandemic, quickly establishing itself as a high-end restaurant meals delivery service in the first wave of Covid lockdowns in 2020.

It was the perfect substitution for dining in, as top restaurant chefs prepared gourmet dishes which were then delivered by cold freight to the customer to then heat up and enjoy.

Gourmet food delivery service Providoor has collapsed and will stop accepting orders immediately with founder and celebrity chef Shane Delia blaming economic headwinds facing the hospitality industry

The gourmet food delivery service Providoor has gone into liquidation and has stopped accepting orders immediately

Mr Delia, who is best known for his Maha restaurant, said the economic headwinds facing the hospitality industry were behind the collapse.

'I created Providoor during lockdown, when the hospitality world was in disarray and we needed to find a way to survive,' he said.

'Providoor meant we could secure and create jobs as well as give people a little bit of restaurant joy during a pretty dismal time.

'When people kept using Providoor after social restrictions were lifted, it showed us that it was a really good idea.

'I just wish it had been given the opportunity to work through the challenging economic conditions, the same facing so many in the restaurant and hospitality sector right now.'

The gourmet delivery service launched in 2020 in Melbourne and Sydney, offering fine dining options from a range of top restaurants.

They then expanded into Brisbane in early 2022 and served Australians through Covid lockdowns.

'While today is a very sad day, I am proud of Providoor and what it has achieved,' Mr Delia said.

'We served more than one million meals and built something that made a difference during some very dark days.'

The service delivered dishes from exclusive Sydney restaurants including Cirrus, Monopole, Yellow, The Apollo, Cho Cho San, Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Golden Century, Spice Temple, Rockpool and Cicciabella.

The gourmet delivery service launched in 2020 in Melbourne and Sydney, offering fine dining options from a range of top restaurants before expanding into Brisbane in 2022

It differed from other food delivery services as the customer put the finishing touches on each dish.

The food would be prepared by chefs in the restaurants kitchens before being delivered via cold freight to the customer.

The closure will see the companys 15 employees made redundant, The Australian reports.

It is currently unclear what will happen to customers who hold Providoor vouchers.
She strangled and stabbed her children in July

A mother stabbed, strangled and suffocated her three children before burning their bodies in a house fire in the West Australian town of Port Hedland.

Margaret Dale Hawke, 36, formally pleaded guilty at the Supreme Court in Perth on Friday to murdering her 10-year-old daughter and two sons, aged seven and four months.

They died in July last year in the family's Port Hedland home, sending shockwaves through the town of about 16,000 people.

The court heard Hawke strangled her daughter with an electrical cord and stabbed her eight times in her chest and heart.

Her seven-year-old son was found with three stab wounds to his chest and wounds on his neck from also being strangled.

Margaret Dale Hawke, 36, (pictured) strangled and suffocated her three children before burning their bodies in a house fire

Hawke pleaded guilty at the Supreme Court in Perth (pictured) on Friday to murdering her daughter age 10-year-old daughter and two sons, aged seven and four months.

Hawke admitted smothering her infant son before setting her home alight and walking into the street as it was engulfed by flames.

Prosecutor Justin Whalley SC told the court one witness described her as 'really calm' as she watched it burn.

Another heard her say: 'He's taken everything from me'.

Mr Whalley said Hawke then screamed and cried, saying: 'My babies, my babies ... You don't have to suffer any more'.

Members of the public tried to enter the home and save the children but it was too dangerous.

She told police she didn't know of any other way to help her children before admitting to lighting the fire.

'My three babies  I hurt my babies. I did it to my babies,' she said.

Firefighters put out the blaze. Hawke's elder son's body was found on a mattress in a room at the front of the property. Her daughter and other son were found in a room at the back of it.

Firefighters put out the blaze and recovered the children, who had were believed to have died before the fire began

Hawke was taken to hospital where she later admitted to staff she had murdered her children.

'I don't know why I did what I did. Maybe to stop the pain in all of us,' the court heard she told police in an interview after the incident.

Mr Whalley said Hawke told the children she loved them and asked for their forgiveness before murdering her daughter, followed by her sons.

He said an arson investigation found the fire was deliberately lit with two ignition points in the house.

None of the children were found with soot in their respiratory systems indicating they likely died before the fire was lit.

In court on Friday, Hawke was overcome with grief. She sobbed in the dock and repeatedly banged her head on a balustrade until security staff stopped her.

Judge Michael Lundberg listened to sentencing submissions before adjourning his sentencing decision until May 5.

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A massive vape crackdown will be announced in the next couple of weeks as the health minister attempts to curb a 'new generation of nicotine addicts'.

The regulations will include a ban on flavours, plain packaging similar to cigarettes, and tighter restrictions on imports to tackle illegal smuggling into the country.

Health Minister Mark Butler said that vapes are clearly marketed to children and slammed the idea that most don't contain nicotine as 'utter horse***t'.

He says that e-cigarettes are clearly aimed at children with flavours like bubble gum, and research finding one-in-six high-schoolers say they have have tried vaping.

The full list of regulations will be confirmed in the May budget.

Health Minister Mark Butler has said that a major crackdown is set to tackle the vape industry

Mr Butler says that e-cigarettes are clearly aimed at children and that it's 'horsesh**' to believe the majority of them don't contain nicotine

Mr Butler said he would take strongest possible action to prevent vapes being normalised in schools.

'The school authorities are off their brain it's not just high schools - it's primary school,' Mr Butler told news.com.

'These stores are operating under the fiction that what they're selling is non-nicotine vapes, and we know that's utter horse***t,'

'Every time anyone does a random test of these things they're found to be overwhelmingly nicotine vapes, and you have to ask the question, why wouldn't someone want to use a vape that didn't have nicotine in them?

'I mean, that's the whole purpose of them - to get that hit.'

What's changing with vapes? Health Minister Mark Butler has said that he would take the strongest possible action to curb vapes in the May budget. This will include: - Mandating plain packaging on all vapes - Banning flavoured vapes which Mr Butler says 'insidiously' target children - Tightening up regulations at the border for states and territories to enforce the new laws themselves Advertisement

Mr Butler said that he would welcome recommendations from the Therapeutic Goods Administration to help prevent more minors from picking up the habit.

'The TGA has recommended pharmaceutical packaging. So not these pretty ones with pink unicorns on them. It would be plain flavoured,' Mr Butler said.

Currently nicotine vapes can only legally be purchased from a chemist by someone who has a prescription, but an alarming amount of convenience stores and tobacconists sell them over the counter without hesitation.

Specialty stores are also a staple across the country, with rows of colourful vapes displayed openly upon entry.

'This is such an insidious product that the tobacco industry has deliberately designed to create a new generation of nicotine addicts,' he said.

'It completely explains why under 25s is the only cohort in the population where smoking rates are increasing. That's exactly what the industry wanted.

'One-in-70 people in their 50s have vaped. One-in-four people my daughter's age has vaped.'

New research has shown that people who vape are three times more likely to take up cigarettes.

Other reports cited by Mr Butler revealed that more than 50 children under the age of four have had been poisoned through nicotine ingestion over the last year.

Convenience stores openly display colourful vape options and appealing flavours, which are 'insidiously' targeting children according to Mr Butler

The extent of the crackdown will be revealed in the budget, and Mr Butler said an equal amount of attention has to be paid to our borders.

'We would have to take some action at the border, which Greg Hunt tried to do to his credit, but he then got rolled within I think 10 days by his party room.

'Because they're not coming in as shipping containers labelled vapes, they're coming in, in quite small boxes, which is really where the states and territories come in.'

Mr Butler said that a difficulty in tackling the imports was getting the regulatory framework right, which would empower individual states and territories to enforce them.

'I think what's been happening is the Commonwealth has been saying we can't do anything about the fact that this has just gone nuts because it's a state and territory policing issue.

'Then the states and territories say why should we divert resources from catching robbers and murderers into vapes when the borders are just completely open?

'So we've got to take action on the border. States have to take some action around policing and retail arrangements. I think there's the appetite to do that.'
Tensions with Germany over Sudan ramped up tonight after British forces were accused of landing in Khartoum unannounced and 'dangerously', a claim Ministry of Defence sources have strenuously denied.

A senior MoD source told MailOnline they 'completely' dispute the German version of what happened. 'It is flat out wrong,' the source added.

Berlin sources have hit out over the behaviour of the RAF during the frantic evacuation, highlighting an episode at the Wadi Seidna air base on Tuesday.

Allies on the ground were apparently not notified about the arrival of the C-130J Hercules, resulting in a 'very dangerous' landing.

Another source told The Times the German government was 'very unhappy' about Britain's 'lack of solidarity'.

British Nationals boarding an RAF aircraft in Sudan, for evacuation to Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus

German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock (left) swiped at the UK earlier this week she would not leave citizens 'to their own devices'. But Suella Braverman (right) said Britain was in a 'very different situation'

It comes after the German Foreign Minister swiped at the UK for leaving citizens 'to their own devices' amid the violence.

However, British officials have hit back, arguing that German forces were not in control of the airfield at the time, and French and South African soldiers were informed.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'It is untrue to describe this week's operations as anything other than highly co-ordinated and co-operative, particularly with our German partners.

'From the German officers working with UK counterparts on the operation from Cyprus, to UK and German colleagues working at the airfield in Sudan, there has been a spirit of professional and mutual assistance. That co-operation reflects close working with other international partners.'

The spat comes as Sudanese army has agreed to extend ceasefire by a further 72 hours to allow more civilians to leave the conflict area.

So far, 897 British citizens have been safely evacuated from Sudan, with over half reportedly now back in the UK.

Brits who are still trapped in the war-torn nation had previously been told they had just hours left to cross dangerous Khartoum before the first 72 hour ceasefire ended.

Hundreds of people have been killed in the capital in nearly two weeks of conflict between the army and a rival paramilitary force - the Rapid Support Forces.

British nationals walk to board an RAF aircraft, during the evacuation to Cyprus, at Wadi Seidna Air Base

Updated guidance on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) website urged those wishing to leave Sudan to travel to the Wadi Saeedna airfield by 12pm local time

Around 450 British nationals, including women with small children and elderly in wheelchairs, evacuated from Sudan have been pictured at Stansted Airport as they were reunited with relatives and loved ones.

In pointed comments earlier this week, German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said she would not leave citizens 'to their own devices'.

She said 'unlike in other countries', Berlin's evacuation had included all nationals rather than just embassy staff.

Ms Braverman said she 'refuted' the suggestion. 'We are in a very different situation to other countries. We have got a larger cohort of British nationals in Sudan compared to other countries.'
The Prince and Princess of Wales are the most popular members of the Royal Family, a new poll has revealed.

Kate has overtaken William as the most preferred member of the Firm, followed by her husband, the King's grandchildren and the Princess Royal, Anne, according to the Ipsos survey.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, ranked as one of the least popular family members on 10 per cent.

Camilla, the Queen Consort, also only attracted 10 per cent of mentions by those surveyed - also seeing her among least popular.

Charles, who is set to be coronated on May 6, found himself in the middle of the pack with 20 per cent.

Revealed: The most popular members of the royal family

The Princess of Wales was the most liked at 38 per cent, followed by heir to the throne William, at 34 per cent.

It comes amid a number of public outings by the former Duchess of Cambridge, including a recent visit to Wales.

The public were also asked to select, from a list, which two or three members of the royal family they liked the most.

Around 18 per cent said they had no favourite when it comes to the royal family.

Among the least popular was Prince Andrew (four per cent) and his children Princess Beatrice and Eugenie (both seven per cent).

Prince Harry, whose explosive memoir Spare made revelations about 'the Firm', ranked sixth popular with 14 per cent.

The survey of 4,000 people also suggested that 49 per cent of the British public think Charles is doing a good job as monarch.

A further 32 per cent said he was doing neither a good nor bad job, while nine per cent said he was doing a bad job.

A separate Ipsos poll suggested 57 per cent were 'satisfied' with the way the King was performing, a decrease of eight percentage points since May 2022.

His son, Prince William, enjoyed a higher vote in public confidence, with 62 per cent responding as satisfied with his role as the Prince of Wales.

He was in Wales this week, where he was asked if he has spoken to his brother Prince Harry during a visit to a rugby club.

Kate and William collect pizza from the Little Dragon pizza van in the car park during a visit to Dowlais Rugby Club in Merthyr Tydfil

Prince William has no plans to reunite with his younger brother when the Duke of Sussex visits the UK for the King's coronation, reports say. The pair are pictured together in July 2021

The Prince of Wales, 40, was walking alongside Kate carrying pizza boxes outside Dowlais Rugby Club in Merthyr Tydfil when a reporter quizzed him about Prince Harry.

Having spent the day with the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team, the Prince and Princess of Wales were drying off and socialising with climbers as they carried food inside from the nearby Little Dragon pizza van.

But as they approached the clubhouse, a reporter could be heard asking: 'William, have you spoken to your brother?' Why did you settle, William?'

A smiling William continued to walk indoors with his wife and did not acknowledge the question.
A passenger plane pilot had to carry out an emergency landing after a bird flew into one of the engines.

The video of the horror moment shows flames shooting out of one of the Aircrafts engines shortly after takeoff.

The hero pilot was forced to turn around and return to the airport.

The incident took place during Avianca airline's AV9377 flight from San Andres Island to Bogota in Colombia on 25 April.

The aircraft was forced to return to the Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport in San Andres, situated in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Nicaragua but part of Colombia.

(Flames circled) - A plane suffers a bird strike shortly after take off

The engine that was struck by a bird

The Airbus A 320-214 completed a successful emergency landing.

Avianca issued a statement on the same day, highlighting the actions of pilots Andres Dallimonti and Felipe Torres.

The airline said the flight landed in San Andres at 3.10pm local time and all 184 passengers onboard were unharmed.

Airport staff relocated the passengers on another flight to Bogota that departed at 8.30pm.

A plane suffers a bird strike shortly after take off.

Avianca's chief operating officer Federico Pedreira praised the pilots for safely returning to the airport following the bird strike.

He added: 'There is a need to take action against the presence of birds at airports, their vicinity, and approach and departure trajectories.

'The safety of our clients and crews is not negotiable.'
Eva Green today won a 4million court battle against movie bosses who blamed her for sabotaging a sci-fi film in a bitter row in which she branded crew members 's****y peasants from Hampshire' .

But despite ruling in her favour in London this morning, a High Court judge did not accept that it was 'credible or adequate' for the Hollywood star - who called the producers 'weak and stupid', 'pure vomit' and 'total a***holes' - to blame her rudeness on her 'Frenchness coming out'.

Mr Justice Michael Green also branded the French actress a 'frustrating and unsatisfactory witness'.

The former Bond girl, who starred alongside Daniel Craig in Casino Royale in 2006, was set to play the leading role of Kate Jones in dystopian thriller A Patriot, but the production collapsed in 2019. The 42-year-old actress sued the filmmakers of the 4.6million movie, claiming she was entitled to her $1million (810,000) fee under the terms of her contract agreement.

This morning a High Court judge ruled Ms Green was entitled to the lump sum, however, Mr Justice Michael Green was clear that being French was not a defence for her poor language. But he added: 'This was not part of some unlawful conspiracy or deceit' intended to sabotage the film.

French actress Eva Green (pictured arriving outside court in January) has successfully won a multimillion-pound High Court case in London after being blamed for the collapse of the dystopian thriller film A Patriot

Jake Seal (pictured leaving the Rolls Building in London in February), the owner of Black Hangar Studios in Hampshire, said he did not know actress Eva Green described him as 'pure vomit'

Throughout the trial, Ms Green had sought to blame her use of foul language and brash treatment of staff on her 'Frenchness coming out', claiming it made her say things in a 'very direct way'.

White Lantern Film and lender SMC Specialty Finance brought a counterclaim against Ms Green, alleging she had undermined the production and relinquished her contract.

In text messages used in White Lantern's claim, Ms Green is said to refer to one of the film's executive producers, Jake Seal, as 'evil', a 'devious sociopath', 'a liar and a mad man' and 'pure vomit'. She is also said to have called production manager Terry Bird 'a f****** moron' and described the men as 'total a***holes'.

The judge said: 'I understand the torment it must have been for her to have all her private texts and WhatsApp messages revealed in open court and scrutinised for what they disclosed about her true state of mind and intentions in relation to the film.

'She said it was "humiliating" but some of her explanations for the language she used and the feelings she expressed - such as they were down to her "Frenchness" - were not credible or adequate.

'However I do think allowances need to be made for the heightened emotions that were clearly present when some of the messages were written and for the fact that these were assumed to be personal correspondence between friends that would never have been imagined to be seen by anyone else and certainly not analysed to the extent they were.'

Ms Green - who was cast as soldier Kate Jones in the dystopian thriller which was also set to feature Game Of Thrones star Charles Dance and Twister star Helen Hunt - said there was a serious lack of preparation for the film, such as an absence of stunt training.

The judge agreed that the Casino Royale actress (pictured earlier this year) was entitled to her million-dollar salary (810,000)

Producers Terry Bird (left) and Jake Seal were mentioned in a series of text messages she had sent. She called the director of the film 'weak and stupid' in one message

Ms Green starred in Casino Royale in 2006 alongside James Bond actor Daniel Craig

The court heard from one of the assistant directors on the project who said the proposed studios in Hampshire were 'like a morgue' and were 'an aircraft hangar with leaks and no soundproofing'.

However, Ms Green said: 'If I had been called to set, I would have done this film even though it would have been a disaster.'

The actress had made the comments, including calling the director of the film 'weak and stupid', over a series of private text messages.

The judge said he took into account Ms Green's 'emotional and forthright personality in explaining her more extreme comments', in private messages about the producer - whom she 'clearly detested even though she only met him once'.

He added that while the James Bond star had said some 'extremely unpleasant things' about the film crew, 'she was speaking her mind in the private messages, using hyperbolic language not in her native tongue'.

In a statement issued after the ruling, Ms Green said her 'professional reputation had been upheld'.

The actress said: 'I fought tooth and nail to defend the beautiful film that I loved and had signed on for.

'A film that spoke of a cause I hold dear - climate change - and warned of the resource wars and mass migration that would occur if we don't address the problem. I stood my ground, and this time, justice prevailed.'

Thanking her legal team and the judge, she said she had been 'forced to stand up to a small group of men, funded by deep financial resources, who tried to use me as a scapegoat to cover up their own mistakes.

'I am proud that I stood up against their bully-boy tactics,' she added.

When accused of being rude to staff on set, Ms Green (pictured outside court in January) told the court she had a 'very direct way of saying things' and blamed her 'Frenchness coming out'

Actress Eva Green filming near Tower Bridge in October 2019

Mr Justice Michael Green announced the actress' victory this morning at the High Court of Justice in London, ruling she was entitled to the fee, and dismissing the counter-claim.

He said text messages from the star to her associates which said 'we have to pull out' or 'we had to get out' could not be taken out of context to prove she had terminated her contract.

Instead, the judge said the messages had 'to be understood in the context of a heightened emotional state' where she was 'being open with the people she trusts'.

He added: 'In particular, I find that Ms Green did not renounce her obligations under the artist agreement; nor did she commit any repudiatory breaches of it.'

The bitter legal battle saw both sides throwing around a number of claims during a high-profile 11-day trial in London earlier this year.

The 007 star's representation, Edward Cullen KC, told the court that the actress had been subjected to a 'character assassination' adding that it was 'based on some of the cheapest and nastiest sorts of stereotypes around'.

In a statement, White Lantern Film said: 'We are naturally disappointed by todays judgment and the court's findings. We are carefully considering our options as to potential next steps, including appeal.

'The suggestion Eva Green has made today that this legal action was motivated by or represented gender-based bullying is completely unwarranted. It does not reflect the judgment in any way, nor the evidence that was heard at court.

Eva Green arrives at the Rolls Building, London, for her High Court legal action last year over payment for a shuttered film project

'Eva Green filed a lawsuit to be paid $1 million for a film which was not made and for which she did not provide any acting services. The evidence presented at court and about which Ms Green now complains were things that she herself wrote and said.

'Her comments, emails and WhatsApps were examined in order to establish whether she intended to quit the project, or would have proceeded with it. That was the key evidential issue before the court.'

They added: 'SMC has a long and proud record of financing and championing producers, directors, writers and acting talent of all genders, from Oscar winners to first-time female Directors.

'It is preposterous to suggest that Ms Greens gender played any role in our decision to defend ourselves against this legal claim.'
A meth-addict mum was busted with 55g of ice down her pants after she was seen handing over suspected drugs to a man in a carpark.

Claire Louise Henderson, 28, was jailed for four years on Friday after the court heard she turned to dealing meth to fund her own 'all-consuming' drug habit.

The South Australian District Court learned the Christie Beach woman was under surveillance on February 5, 2021, when she was caught with a 'significant' meth stash in her underwear.

The court heard police observed Henderson in a carpark on Marion Rd at Plympton, Adelaide, 'handing an item to a man'.

Claire Henderson (pictured) with an 'all consuming' ice addiction has been jailed after she shoved plastic bags full of meth into her underwear when police pulled her over and conducted a search

When cops pulled her over and searched her vehicle they located 616g of GHB with a street value between $1232 and $4312, as well as $1500 cash. During a body search police found 55g of meth shoved into her underwear (stock image of a pipe with meth)

When cops pulled her over and searched her vehicle they located 616g of GHB - also known as fantasy - with a street value of up to $4312, as well as $1500 cash, The Advertiser reported.

She was arrested and taken to a watch house where she was searched.

'During the course of a body search, police located two ounces of methamphetamine in separate plastic bags which you had secreted in your underwear,' Judge Barklay said.

The court heard that 55.6g of methamphetamines were found stuffed down her pants, of which 44.6 grams were pure, equating to a value of up to $22,240.

Following her arrest police searched her property and located a further 75g of fantasy, plastic resealable bags and tick lists.

The court heard the 28-year-old turned to selling drugs to fund her habit as well as pay off a $30,000 drug debt she owed her partner.

She had lost custody of her child when she was 21 after lapsing into heavy drug use, the court was told.

Henderson pleaded guilty to commercial drug trafficking and two counts of drug trafficking and was sentenced to four years in prison, backdated to January 23 when she was taken into custody.

The court heard Ms Henderson (pictured) turned to selling drugs to fund her habit as well as in an attempt to pay off $30,000 in drug debt she owed to her partner

Following her arrest in 2021, Henderson received a lashing from Magistrate Susan O'Connor for her behaviour.

'Your only interest in life is getting cheap money, cheap drugs and a cheap fix,' said the magistrate.

'Think about the community sitting behind me asking what are you doing in criminal courts to allow these people who do so much harm... the whole drug trafficking trade means that you're a parasite and preying on the misfortunes of other people.'

The court heard Henderson didn't attend court last August and a warrant was issued for her arrest. She was taken into custody in January.

Henderson will be eligible for parole in January 2025.
The sister of one of Stephen Port's victims has recalled the 'heartbreaking and heart-wrenching' moment his body had to be exhumed after police failed to properly investigate his murder.

For weeks, the Metropolitan Police treated the death of Jack Taylor, 25, as a self-inflicted drug overdose after he was found near a graveyard close to Port's east London flat in September 2015.

Despite two other bodies having been found in the same spot in the 15 months prior, police refused to link the deaths and Port was able to drug and sexually assault more than a dozen other men.

His family's insistence that police properly probe the deaths finally led to detectives joining the dots and arresting Port over the murders of four young men in October 2015 - but only after Mr Taylor had already been buried.

Donna Taylor, Jack's sister, today revealed her family's trauma after having to exhume his body at the request of police following a funeral service.

Serial killer Stephen Port was sentenced to a whole life order for overdosing four young men between June 2014 and September 2015

For weeks, the Metropolitan Police treated the death of Jack Taylor (pictured), 25, as a self-inflicted drug overdose

Donna (left) and Jenny Taylor, sisters of Mr Taylor, pictured at the conclusion of his inquest at Barking Town Hall in December 2021

Families of three of Port's victims received payouts from the Met after settling civil claims.

But a new report has found the Met is yet to learn lessons from its 'calamitous litany of failures' in the Port case and must urgently improve amid a warning history could repeat itself.

READ MORE: Police could be missing murders because of failure to investigate deaths properly Advertisement

Recalling the incident, Ms Taylor said police 'turned up at my parents house' to inform the family of Jack's death in September 2015.

But 11 days passed without any further contact from the Met, with detectives concluding his death from a drug overdose was self-inflicted.

Ms Taylor said her brother was 'anti-drugs' and afraid of the dark, so the family was always uneasy with the Met's conclusion over the cause and location of his death.

The family repeatedly asked officers to reinvestigate the death and those calls grew stronger after finding two other men had been found dead in the same area in the months prior.

But police repeatedly insisted the deaths were not linked.

Ms Taylor told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'He was anti-drugs, he wasn't that way at all. We were told at the time he was found in a park area, not necessarily near a graveyard.

'Once again, Jack would not have walked the streets at that time in the morning. As bizarre as it might sound for his age, he was quite scared of the dark so he definitely wouldn't have gone and sat over an area like that.

'The fact it was drugs and the time they assumed he walked into this place, it just didn't add up.'

It was only when the family continued pushing that detectives finally realised the deaths were connected and Port was arrested the following month.

Anthony Walgate (left) and Gabriel Kovari were two of Port's victims

Daniel Whitworth was just 21 when he was murdered by Port, who lured the men to his flat before plying them with drugs

Ms Taylor added: They (police) had come to my parents' house numerous times asking for toothbrushes, combs - anything he might have touched.

'All the time of asking for this, Jack was in the chapel of rest not far from our home, so we were very confused.

'We raised once again if they needed it for DNA reasons and pointed out where Jack was because he had not been buried yet. But he then had to be brought back up.

'As you can imagine, that was heartbreaking and heart-wrenching. We had put him to peace and put him exactly where we wanted with everything we wanted him to be buried with. The fact he had to be brought back up was like you were doing it all again.'

Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari and Daniel Whitworth all also died at the hands of Port.

Each of the four victims were drugged with overdoses of GHB before their bodies were dumped near Port's flat in Barking between June 2014 and September 2015.

Port was sentenced to a whole life order at the Old Bailey in November 2016.

A total of 17 Met officers subsequently faced investigations for their handling of the case.

A report commissioned last year and published today the force could be missing murders because they are still failing to probe deaths properly - nearly a decade after its blunders in catching Port.

History 'could repeat itself' if officers do not grasp basic standards of investigation when faced with an unexpected or unexplained death, His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said.

Matt Parr, chief of the watchdog, said the Met has 'a basic problem of professional competence'

Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said she was 'troubled by the findings' and the Met had 'started a process' of reviewing unexpected death cases to make sure 'we have not missed things'

Matt Parr, chief of the watchdog, said the Met has 'a basic problem of professional competence'.

He said: 'The big takeaway for me is that the Met has been in the spotlight for its culture and Dame Louise Casey's report has highlighted sexism, racism, homophobia.

'But as well as that, there is a basic problem of professional competence. It is shocking to see an absence of what you might call a professional curiosity or a mindset about investigation.

'Yes, they are very inexperienced and hard-pressed, but they need to do more to get the standards up.'

Addressing concerns over whether there are murder cases police have deemed an accidental death, he added: 'I can't say with any certainty, but when you think about 10,000 (deaths) a year and a very small percentage of them being classified as homicides, it strikes me as likely if not inevitable that there are some that are missed.'

The watchdog made 20 recommendations, including calling on Met officers to use more intelligence information when investigating deaths and improving the quality of family liaison support.

The report comes just weeks after Baroness Louise Casey's review, ordered in the wake of Sarah Everard's murder, found the Met is institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic and laid bare a slew of troubling incidents.

Solicitor Neil Hudgell, who represented the families of Port's victims at the inquest, renewed calls for a public inquiry into the case and for the Government to 'step in and oversee proper change across this force'.

It comes after a review into the Met by Baroness Louise Casey (pictured centre with Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley, right)

'If that doesn't happen, more serious offenders will slip through the net, and more innocent lives will be lost due to the most basic of policing failures,' he added.

Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said she was 'troubled by the findings'.

She said the Met had 'started a process' of reviewing unexpected death cases to make sure 'we have not missed things'.

The force was 'sincere in our desire to make real change to minimise the chance of a case like this ever happening again', she said, adding: 'We know we fell short in this case and the families did not get the service they needed or deserved.

'It is important we look again at this area to see what more we need to do to support families through such difficult times.'

London mayor Sadiq Khan, said: 'Every Londoner - irrespective of sexuality, gender or race - has the right to have their allegations of crime taken seriously by police and the Met must ensure the quality of their initial investigations is of a higher standard.

'Sir Mark Rowley and the new team at the top of the Met have assured me that they are committed to reform and getting the basics right.'

Barking MP Dame Margaret Hodge branded the findings 'absolutely depressing', adding: 'It should not have taken this long for the Met to take action.'

The IOPC said it had now completed a 'review of a significant amount of documentation' and was not able to comment further but expects to be able to provide an update on its probe 'in the near future'.
A paedophile who taught at Boris Johnson's former school was allowed to let his council flat while serving a 12-year sentence for child sexual offences, MailOnline can reveal.

Martin Haigh, 73, was jailed in 2017 for 11 offences against four boys as young as seven while teaching at 8,000-a-year Ashdown House during the 1970s.

He was also convicted of possessing indecent images of children.

Despite being jailed, Haigh was allowed to keep his hold of the 270,000 two-bedroom flat in Brighton for the six years he was in prison.

He was even given permission to choose who he would sublet the sixth-floor flat with a balcony and sea views to  as long as the rent was paid.

Martin Haigh (pictured), 73, was jailed in 2017 for 11 offences against four boys as young as seven

He committed the offences while teaching at 8,000-a-year Ashdown House (pictured) during the 1970s

He said the council allowed this despite tenants being banned from using their homes for criminal activity, moving house or subletting their property.

Neighbours complained several times about the matter - but say their appeals were ignored.

Now Haigh, who is registered blind, is living back in the property following his release from Leyhill Prison in Gloucestershire.

Speaking to a reporter from the flat, the paedophile denied subletting the property and said that he had paid the rent himself while he was behind bars.

He said: 'When I was being sent down, I made the housing authority aware of my sentence and, because of my disability, they agreed I would be allowed to maintain the flat provided I paid the rent.

'I allowed a person I have known for almost 30 years to stop here whilst I was in prison. I paid for it out of my own private money. I have done my time.'

Brighton and Hove City Council said they would not comment on individual cases, but said in a statement: 'In general terms, a prison sentence does not automatically bring a secure tenancy to an end.

'Legally speaking, there is no realistic chance of councils succeeding with possession proceedings in instances where offences were committed outside of the area a very long time ago before the start of a tenancy.'

Haigh (pictured) taught English and science at Ashdown House when he abused boys who were 'the most attentive in class'

When it was pointed out that child sexual abuse imagery was found in Haigh's council flat when he was arrested in 2015, the spokesman refused to comment further.

When asked why Haigh had been allowed to sublet his flat, the spokesman said: 'We do not have permission from Mr Haigh to discuss specific details of his tenancy.

'We have checked our records and are clear that we've acted in accordance with the information provided to us, including by the police.'

A neighbour, who complained to the council, said: 'Haigh should have lost his tenancy whilst in prison  not only for being there but because the child sex abuse images were found there.

'We contacted the council several times to complain, but they did nothing. It's disgraceful.'

Haigh taught English and science at Ashdown House in the 1970s when he abused boys who were 'the most attentive in class'.

Brighton Crown Court was told how Haigh 'encouraged pupils' at the school to take part in naked parades and sex games with each other between 1973 and 1975.

He was convicted of four offences against two boys  an indecent assault and three counts of gross indecency.

He had previously admitted seven other offences  three of gross indecency and four of indecent assault  against two other boys at the school in the same period.

Haigh also admitted an offence of having indecent images of children. The child sexual abuse imagery was found on a computer at his address when it was searched by officers in 2015.

Sussex Police said there was no evidence that they were children known to Haigh, but Judge Janet Waddicor sentenced him to a total of 11 years for the sex offences and a further year for possession of child sexual abuse imagery.

He was also put on the sex offenders' register for life and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order, severely restricting his access to children and computers.

Detective Constable Paul Deadman said at the time: 'This was a complex and protracted investigation during which it became clear that Haigh had systematically taken advantage of the trust of young and vulnerable boys to abuse them for his own sexual gratification.'

Haigh's crimes were explored in an ITV Exposure documentary three years ago by journalist Alex Renton, who attended Ashdown school in the 1970s.

Renton broke down in tears as he recalled, more than 40 years later, a particularly harrowing memory of being abused by his maths and history teacher in his first year of the prep school.

He also spoke to some of the former pupils who reported Haigh's abuse to the police and Ashdown House. The school took no action against Haigh and he left at the end of term.

Because Haigh was allowed to leave quietly, he found another teaching job at the now closed comprehensive Chaucer School in Canterbury in the late 1970s and continued to work there in the 1980s.

After Haigh's sentencing, former pupils from Chaucer School came forward to say they were also abused by the paedophile.

One of his alleged victims said: 'However long has passed, Haigh should still be held accountable for his actions.'

Founded in Brighton in 1843, Ashdown House moved to the Sussex countryside just over 40 years later.

As well as the former prime minister, former pupils include Johnson's brother Jo, his sister Rachel and British actor Damian Lewis.

Complaints of historic sexual abuse were made by 15 former pupils against at least seven staff.

Haigh is the only former teacher to have been convicted.
A British gran who was killed by a stray dog she had taken in was warned by a veterinarian not to look after it because it was dangerous, Spanish police have revealed.

Police have confirmed they have identified the owner of the stray canine and are investigating him on suspicion of manslaughter.

Kind-hearted Anne Shields, 67, took the dog in at her Spanish home after finding it starving, but was left with 'catastrophic' head and arm injuries after it turned on her four days later.

Police had to shoot the animal to rescue former security guard Anne but she died in hospital.

Today police investigators said in their first official comments that the dog's owner had been identified despite it having no microchip.

Anne Shields, 67, (pictured) has died after she suffered 'catastrophic' injuries when the pit bull she had rescued suddenly turned on her

Ms Shields was attacked by the dog, which she called Choccy, at her holiday home in Spain. She had taken him in as a starving stray

They also confirmed he had been banned from owning pit bulls and other dogs classified as 'potentially dangerous' in Spain because of previous offences.

He has been described as a 35-year-old Spaniard but has not been named by detectives.

A spokesman for the Civil Guard in Valencia near to Anne's property in Macastre said: 'The Civil Guard is investigating the owner of a dog that attacked a woman in Macastre in February who ended up dying as a result of her injuries.

'The 67-year-old British victim had to be rushed to hospital after officers killed the animal with their weapons so they could assist her due to the animal's aggressiveness.

'She died a day after being admitted to hospital because of the wounds to her arms.

'The victim had found the animal in an acute state of malnutrition and showing clear signs of abandonment, with illnesses like canine scabies, four days before it ended her life.

'She was warned by the vet that saw the animal that it was dangerous and she shouldn't take it in but she ignored the warnings.

'Detectives launched an investigation to identify the dog's owner after discovering it had no microchip.

'They took 15 statements from different people and obtained photos showing the animal, which was aged around two, at different stages of its life.

'The man now under investigation, as well as some of his relatives, recognised the animal when shown the photographs obtained.

'He is known to police and wasn't allowed to have these sorts of dogs under current Spanish legislation because of his previous.

'Officers also discovered he had owned dogs of similar characteristics without the necessary safeguards and care.

'Detectives carried out an investigation of his home and observed the places where the dog could have escaped, as the suspect himself recognised in his statement.

'He is a 35-year-old Spaniard who was formally questioned and accused of a crime of manslaughter and another offence against pets because of his abandonment of a dog considered as potentially dangerous.'

A local investigating magistrate has now taken over an ongoing criminal probe into the February 24 incident.

Anne had called the dog Choccy after taking him in. Neighbours raised the alarm after hearing her screaming when she was attacked.

Her daughter Sarah, 43, from Preston, said in the aftermath of her widowed mum's death: 'She was an animal lover and couldn't bear the thought of throwing Choccy back on the streets.

'Her intention had never been to keep the dog but all the animal shelters were full.

'She was looking after him until she found someone who could take him.

'She stuck with him and then this happened. It's a nightmare.'

Pit bulls are banned in the UK but not in Spain where a license is needed to own one.
Furious locals pinned down an allegedly boozed-up Australian tourist accused of going on a naked rampage in a devout area of Indonesia

An outraged mob were caught on camera as they made a citizen's arrest on Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones, 23, from Queensland who is now facing being whipped and up to five years in jail.

He is accused of causing chaos on the isle of Simeulue, in the conservative Aceh area, after allegedly drinking vodka in his room at Moon Beach resort on Thursday.

Risby-Jones is said to have walked out naked and allegedly assaulted a security guard before attacking a motorcyclist and left him needing 50 stitches in a gaping leg wound.

He then allegedly assaulted other bystanders before bolting for the beach where enraged locals caught up with him and bound him with rope.

Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones, 23, was forced to the ground on a beach in an ultra-conservative province of Indonesia after an allegedly drunken and naked rampage

Risby-Jones was on the island for a three week surfing holiday before his arrest

The incensed crowd then threatened to burn down the resort where he was staying.

Simeulue, off the Sumatra coast, is the only Indonesian province where Sharia law in enforced, and he could face a whipping for public intoxication - although police say they are only investigating his alleged violent attacks at the moment.

Simeulue police chief Senior Commissioner Jatmiko alleged Risby-Jones had assaulted everyone in sight before the mob gathered and chased him down.

'He got out of his room naked. The security man attempted to stop him but got hit at the neck and fell down,' Jatmiko told the Sydney Morning Herald.

'He then went on to the street and disturbed passers-by. He hit almost everyone who was on the street.

'The people got angry and almost put the resort on fire. Luckily, local police and the village head managed to calm down the mob.'

The police chief alleged the 23-year-old knocked a man off his motorbike and then threw the bike on top of him after he landed in the gutter.

The lower part of the rider's leg was ripped open and required 50 stitches, prompting his wife to file a police report.

Risby-Jones is now facing a charge under Article 351 of the Indonesian penal code.

The charge for maltreatment resulting in serious physical injury carries a maximum sentence of five years behind bars.

Though the police chief said that Risby-Jones was intoxicated at the time of his arrest, no mention has been made of prosecuting him for it.

Sharia law means people who visit and live in the province can be lashed for drinking alcohol, homosexuality, engaging in pre-martial sex, and acts of adultery.

As the report submitted to police by the motorcyclist's wife was about violence and not alcohol, Risby-Jones will not be investigated under Islamic law.

Now the Queenslander is facing five years in prison for the assault of a man on a scooter who police say Risby-Jones pushed off a bike which required 50 stitches

Sharia law is enforced in Aceh, where the sale and consumption of alcohol is forbidden and public canings still occur for morality offences (pictured, a man is caned in Aceh in May, 2017)

Exceptions to the alcohol ban in Aceh can be made for tourists who choose to drink in private, the police chief explained.

However, police have warned they may still investigate the alcohol claims, and if they do, sharia law may be applied.

Risby-Jones, originally from Noosa, told police he had come to the island of Simeulue with a mate as part of a three-week surfing holiday in Indonesia.

Three Indonesian men were given 40 strokes of the cane each after they were accuse of drinking in the ultra-conservative province in 2021.
Rishi Sunak is dodging a meeting with Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis as he visits London today.

The Florida governor has been on a tour of key US allies as he tries to bolster his foreign policy credentials ahead of a potential run for the White House.

But while Mr DeSantis met the PMs of Japan, South Korea and Israel earlier in his trip, in the UK he is only seeing Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch.

Mr Cleverly tweeted a picture of them together today, saying 'welcome to London'.

Government sources told The Times there were 'clear sensitivities' given the furious battle looming between Mr DeSantis and Donald Trump.

However, Downing Street has pointed to logistical problems - as Mr Sunak addressed the Scottish Conservative conference this morning and is in Wales this afternoon.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly tweeted a picture of himself meeting Ron DeSantis today, saying 'welcome to London'

Mr DeSantis was accompanied by a large entourage for his visit today

Downing Street suggested logistical problems were behind Rishi Sunak not meeting Mr DeSantis - as the PM addressed the Scottish Conservative conference this morning and is in Wales this afternoon

Mr DeSantis has not formally announced his pitch for the 2024 nomination, but he is considered the biggest threat to Mr Trump.

He has been stepping up his appeal to the Republican base, including by taking on Disney in Florida over its 'woke' positions.

Mr DeSantis and Mr Trump, once seen as allies, have increasingly been taking potshots at each other.

The former president has boasted that he is the runaway favourite among activists, with polls giving him double-digit leads.

However, some analysts regard Mr DeSantis as more likely to defeat Joe Biden in the US election in November next year, as Mr Trump turns off swing voters.

Mr Biden declared this week that he will be running to 'finish the job'.

Mr DeSantis is expected to discuss the possibility of a trade deal between Florida and the UK during his meeting with Ms Badenoch.

Similar agreements have been struck with South Carolina and Oklahoma.
He was farewelled by family and close friends at Bowral property

Barry Humphries has been farewelled at a private funeral by family and close friends who made last-minute arrangements to be there after being only given 24 hours' notice.

The discreet ceremony was held at the Bowral estate of longtime friend and artist Tim Storrier on Friday in NSW's Southern Highlands.

The beloved Australian actor and comic, known worldwide for his iconic persona Dame Edna Everage, died aged 89 last Saturday.

Barry Humphries (pictured) has been farewelled in a small private funeral in NSW's Southern Highlands on Friday

The private funeral was held at the Bowral estate of longtime friend and artist Tim Storrier on (Mr Storier pictured with his portrait of Sir Les Patterson, a character created by Australian comedian Barry Humphries)

Mr Humphries' wife, Lizzie Spender, is set to leave for London on Saturday and guests were only told on Thursday night that the legendary actor's funeral was being held on Friday, The Australian reported.

'It was a small affair, just family and close friends,' film director Bruce Beresford said.

Also at the ceremony were Humphries' two sons, Oscar and Rupert, who flew in from London, as well as his daughters Emily and Tessa, brother Christopher and sister Barbara.

Mr Beresford said no speeches were made, but excerpts from some of Mr Humphries favourite poems were read, including three verses from his favourite poem, The Heart of a Friend by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

'It was very touching, very warm. Everybody was either related or a great friend of Barry's,' Mr Beresford said.

Mr Humphries was a lover of the arts, an avid contemporary art collector and an amateur painter himself.

His passion for art was shared with Mr Storier, one of his closest friends, who painted a 3m-high portrait of Mr Humphries dressed as his alter ego, Sir Les Patterson, which won the Packing Room Prize among the 2014 Archibald Prize entries.

The beloved Australian actor and comic, known for his iconic persona Dame Edna Everage (pictured), died aged 89 last Saturday

Following the actor's death, Storrier wrote: 'It seems a greater loss when a person who has made us all laugh passes on.

'As we all know when the jester dies, the king laments. Vale old man.'

Mr Humphries returned to Sydney in December for Christmas. However, he subsequently suffered a fall that led to his hip replacement surgery.

'He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit,' his family said in a statement.

His family had previously been in discussions with the Victorian government about a possible state funeral for the star. It's unclear if that will still proceed.

Creative Industries Minister Steve Dimopoulos revealed earlier this week that talks were under way with the entertainer's loved ones about the best ways to honour his legacy.

'The primary mover of these things is the family because it's their gift effectively to decide in conversation with government,' Mr Dimopoulos said on Sunday.

'So, yes, it could be that [a state funeral]. It could be many other things.'

Premier Daniel Andrews said Humphries would live on through his iconic writing and larger-than-life characters, particularly Dame Edna Everage who put the Melbourne suburb of Moonee Ponds on the map.

'But at the end of the day, he was a boy from Kew with big dreams. And he achieved them,' he posted on Twitter.

NSW counterpart Chris Minns said Humphries popularised Australian larrikinism on the world stage but he doesn't want to 'front run' any potential Sydney-based gesture or ceremony.

'[He was] an Australian legend and someone we'd love to honour,' he said.
Rishi Sunak ruthlessly mocked the SNP over its financial crisis today as he said he was 'completely firm' with First Minister Humza Yousaf in blocking his demand for a new independence vote.

The Prime Minister had a pop at Nicola Sturgeon's departure and the confiscation of a motorhome from her mother-in-law's home as he addressed the Scottish Tory conference.

After Ms Sturgeon was pictured taking a driving lesson while avoiding Holyrood after the arrest of her husband, Peter Murrell, Mr Sunak provoked laughter by saying: 'Nicola Sturgeon quit Bute House to take driving lessons ... someone has to drive that motorhome after all.'

He also told delegates he had been 'completely firm' with Mr Yousaf when they met in London this week that there would be no second independence referendum.

The Prime Minister had a pop at Nicola Sturgeon's departure and the confiscation of a motorhome from her mother-in-law's home as he addressed the Scottish Tory conference.

After Ms Sturgeon was pictured taking a driving lesson while avoiding Holyrood after the arrest of her husband, Peter Murrell, Mr Sunak provoked laughter by saying: 'Nicola Sturgeon quit Bute House to take driving lessons ... someone has to drive that motorhome.'

The police also searched the Sturgeon family home and SNP headquarters in Edinburgh and towed away the campervan found at the home of Mr Murrell's elderly mother.

The Prime Minister addressed party members, MSPs and MPs in Glasgow, before heading to Wales to address the Welsh Tory conference in Newport.

The Prime Minister accused Ms Sturgeon of leaving Scotland's public services in a 'mess' when she quit recently.

He added: 'If the SNP can't sort out the mess Nicola Sturgeon has left their party, how on earth can they sort out the mess Nicola Sturgeon has left Scotland's public services?'

It came after the SNP's ongoing financial crisis was likened to an episode of top crime drama Line of Duty yesterday.

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross threw the jibe at Humza Yousef at First Minister's Questions as they traded blows over the scandal that has engulfed the nationalists.

Mr Murrell and former treasurer Colin Beattie were arrested and released by detectives probing the disappearance of 660,000 of donations.

The police also searched the Sturgeon family home and SNP headquarters in Edinburgh and towed away the campervan found at the home of Mr Murrell's elderly mother. It was bought by the party to campaign during Covid but was never used.

This morning Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross denied ever recommending tactical voting to oust the SNP.

Mr Ross caused consternation in his own party last month when he used an interview in the Daily Telegraph to say voters should 'get behind' the candidate best placed to defeat the SNP.

But within hours of the comments a spokesman for the UK Conservative Party said it was 'emphatically not' their position, while a report in the Scotsman quoted senior Tory MSPs saying they were not consulted about the comments.

The Scottish Tory leader is expected to use his conference speech on Friday to tell party members the best way to beat the SNP is to vote Conservative.

But speaking to the BBC ahead of the conference, Mr Ross claimed he had never pitched the idea of tactical voting.

Asked if he wanted Tory voters to back Labour in some seats to remove the SNP, he said: 'No, and I've never said that.

'In fact, the words I used were exactly the same words the Prime Minister used in his interview with the BBC yesterday, I'm Scottish Conservative leader and I will always encourage people to vote Scottish Conservative.

'We know in many seats that Scottish Conservatives are the best-placed party to beat the SNP.

'So at the next next general election, which is coming next year, if people want to send a message to Humza Yousaf to say concentrate on the real priorities of people across Scotland, not your obsession with another independence referendum, vote Scottish Conservative so we can beat the SNP.'
A woman has been jailed for at least 15 years after bashing her elderly neighbour to death with a frying pan in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

Narelle Fiona Smith, 48, was found guilty of murdering 77-year-old retired solicitor Peter James McCarthy at South Coogee in December 2020.

Bodycam footage from an officer at the scene shows the moment Smith denies murdering Mr McCarthy while another officer tells her that she is under arrest.

'I did not murder my friend. I have my fingerprints all over the place. I did not murder my friend. I was there until late-afternoon going on dinner,' Smith said.

He was found dead on the floor of his two-bedroom unit on the top floor of a public housing block where he had lived for 12 years.

A bent frying pan was found near his body, which was draped with a tarp.

Narelle Fiona Smith, 48, admitted that her fingerprints were all over the scene where her neighbour was found dead

77-year-old retired solicitor Peter James McCarthy was beaten to death by Smith in 2020

Smith was charged in January 2021, first identified as a person of interest after her fingerprints were found on the door of Mr McCarthy's unit.

She was found guilty by a jury in November 2022.

NSW Supreme Court Justice Mark Ierace on Friday jailed her for 24 years with a non-parole period of 15 years.

She will be first eligible for parole in September 2036.

Justice Ierace said Smith committed the murder in an 'explosive and sustained' fit of anger.

'The ferocity and brutality of the offender's attack was extreme,' he said.

Mr McCarthy was murdered in his own home, which was left ransacked, and Smith took his credit cards and Opal card.

It was an escalation of Smith's recent pattern of violence characterised by explosive outbursts of physical harm and property damage, which she knew was triggered by her consumption of alcohol, the judge said.

Smith was first identified as a person of interest after her fingerprints were found on the door of Mr McCarthy's unit

Smith has been sentenced to 24 years in jail with a non-parole period of 15 years

'Clearly, the offender requires intensive psychiatric and drug and alcohol abuse therapy,' Justice Ierace said, remaining uncertain about her prospects of rehabilitation.

Smith was exposed to extreme neglect and abuse in her childhood, diagnosed with PTSD and borderline personality disorder, which reduced her moral culpability, however she had still not accepted responsibility, the judge wrote.

It was submitted on Smith's behalf she was nevertheless upset by Mr McCarthy's death, becoming emotional during evidence at the trial.

'That evidence was necessarily graphic, causing the jury to be visibly distressed as well,' Justice Ierace said.
BBC chairman Richard Sharp has resigned from his position after a report found he had breached the corporation's impartiality rules by failing to disclose a loan he made to Boris Johnson.

Mr Sharp announced he will stand down at the end of June to avoid being a 'distraction' to the corporation following a review by Adam Heppinstall KC into his appointment.

Many are now speculating over who will replace Mr Sharp as chairman, with a widespread assumption that the next appointment will be non-political to avoid further controversy over bias.

Read here for MailOnline's full list of the potential successors who could be the next BBC chairman:

Richard Sharp resigned as chairman of the BBC after a report found he had breached the corporation's impartiality rules by failing to disclose a loan he made to Boris Johnson

Sir Damon Buffini

A leading contender to follow Mr Sharp is the BBC's deputy chairman and chairman of its commercial board Sir Damon Buffini.

Sir Damon previously worked in private equity and has served on the boards of companies including Hugo Boss and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and is currently is the chair of the Royal National Theatre.

He also headed the 2 billion Culture Recovery Fund to help rescue the country's cultural organisations during the pandemic.

The deputy chair's career has not been without controversy, as job cuts he implemented at firms including the AA saw him clash with unions.

Sir Damon Buffini previously worked in private equity and has served on the boards of companies including Hugo Boss and the Royal Shakespeare Company

George Osborne

Former Conservative chancellor George Osborne was previously suggested as a favourite to take over as BBC chair before Mr Sharp was appointed in 2021.

After leaving government following David Cameron's resignation as Prime Minister, Mr Osborne became the editor of the Evening Standard from 2017 to 2020.

He is currently the chair of the British Museum, a role he has held since 2021, and is the chair of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.

After leaving government following David Cameron's resignation as Prime Minister, George Osborne became the editor of the Evening Standard

Charles Moore

Another possible successor is the former editor of the Daily Telegraph and The Spectator Charles Moore.

He still writes regularly for both publications and is also known for his authorised biography of Margaret Thatcher.

Mr Moore was given a peerage in July 2020 and made a member of the House of Lords.

Floated as a potential BBC chair in 2020, he reportedly ruled himself out of the running at the time.

Former editor of The Daily Telegraph and The Spectator Charles Moore was previously suggested as a possible BBC chairman

Sir Robbie Gibb

Former journalist Sir Robbie Gibb had a 25-year career at the BBC before spending two years in Downing Street as communications director under Theresa May.

After leaving politics, Sir Robbie wrote articles criticising the broadcaster, including accusing its staff of being 'woke'.

He was knighted in Mrs May's resignations honours list in 2019 and joined the BBC board in May 2021.

In 2021, Labour called for him to be sacked from the board after claims he tried to block of the appointment of Jess Brammar as head of the corporation's news channels on political grounds.

Sir Robbie Gibb had a 25-year career at the BBC before spending two years in Downing Street as communications director under Theresa May

Muriel Gray

Muriel Gray is one of the BBC board's non-executive directors and its member for Scotland.

Starting her career as a broadcaster, Ms Gray first came to public attention as a host of Channel 4's popular music programme The Tube, and also appeared on BBC Radio 1 and Radio 4 in the 80s.

Ms Gray became the first female rector of the University of Edinburgh from 1988 to 1991 and has published a series of horror novels, including The Trickster and Furnace.

Starting her career as a broadcaster, Mureil Gray first came to public attention as a host of Channel 4's popular music programme The Tube

Sir Nicholas Serota

Sir Nicholas Serota is a member of the BBC board and spent almost 30 years as the director of the Tate galleries.

He is also the chairman of Arts Council England, a post he took up in February 2017.

The body has faced criticism for introducing a new funding programme resulting in grant reductions to parts of the opera world and theatres including the Donmar Warehouse.

Academy-award winner Sir Sam Mendes was among those who protested against the move.

Sir Nicholas Serota is a member of the BBC board and spent almost 30 years as the director of the Tate galleries

Shumeet Banerji

Non-executive BBC board member Shummeet Banerji is also on the board of one of India's largest mobile networks Reliance Industries.

He is also the founder of Concordet, LP - a firm which works on early development opportunities for tech companies.

In 2018, Mr Banerji rejected concerns over the spread of misinformation on messaging platform WhatsApp as 'metropolitan condescension'.

Shumeet Banerji is the founder of Concordet, LP - a firm which works on early development opportunities for tech companies

Shirley Garrood

Another non-executive board member, Shirley Garrood was previously chief financial officer of Henderson Group PLC, a FTSE 250 company.

Currently a board member of mutual insurance company Royal London, Ms Garrood has also served as chairwoman of the audit committeee at Esure Group PLC.

A graduate of the University of Bristol in Economics and Accounting, she has also worked as a governor at the Peabody housing association.

Another non-executive board member, Shirley Garrood was previously chief financial officer of Henderson Group PLC

Dame Elan Closs Stephens

Dame Elan Closs Stephens is a leading academic at the University of Aberystwyth where she serves as pro chancellor and specialises in cultural and broadcasting policy.

She has also worked as the governor of the British Film Institute and chair of the Welsh language broadcaster S4C.

A native Welsh speaker, Dame Elan is a non-executive member on the BBC board and the member for Wales.
Julie Martins husband, Bill Troshupa, killed himself in front of their 16-year-old son after running up gambling debts of 250,000.

Yesterday the mother-of-two, who lives in Waltham Abbey, Essex, welcomed some of the Governments latest regulation proposals announced yesterday, but called for a clampdown to stop gambling advertising and better checks to protect young people.

Mrs Martin, a vocal campaigner on gambling harms, took aim at MPs, saying she was exceptionally disappointed by how empty the Commons benches were for Culture Secretary Lucy Frazers statement on the White Paper yesterday.

She told the Mail: Weve waited two years for this White Paper, and it just goes to prove how our MPs really do not see gambling as a serious issue.

She said the 10million-a-month levy on betting firms was a step forward but that the vital cash should also be given to independent charities tackling problem gambling and its effects, as well as to NHS gambling addiction clinics.

Bylent Bill Troshupa, 53, a former maths prodigy in his native Kosovo who later studied medicine for two years, had become unpredictable and angry after losing thousands betting 12 hours a day through the pandemic with firms including William Hill and 888

Mother-of-two Julie Martin, who lives in Waltham Abbey, Essex, welcomed some of the Governments proposals, but called for a clampdown to stop gambling advertising and better checks to protect young people

Gambling firms will be required to carry out 'affordability checks' on those who lose more than 500 in a year and more extensive checks on anyone who loses more than 1,000 in a day or 2,000 over three months.

Tougher restrictions are also being proposed for under-25s, raising fears ministers are creating a 'dividing line' in society.

READ MORE: New gambling legislation will clamp down on under-25s betting in 'virtual mobile casinos' The plans include a new mandatory levy on the betting industry which is expected to raise more than 100million a year to fund services for recovering addicts (file image of a man using an online betting app) Advertisement

Under-25s could see their bets on online casino games capped at 2 while older punters may be allowed to bet 15 a time. The threshold for affordability checks for under-25s will be set at half the level for older adults. And betting shops will be asked to demand proof of age from customers who look to be under 25.

Mrs Martin, who works as a project officer at the charity Gambling Harm UK, said other proposals such as betting firms having to conduct light touch affordability checks, were not enough.

The plans include a new mandatory levy on the betting industry which is expected to raise more than 100million a year to fund services for recovering addicts, including NHS clinics.

Mrs Martin continued: I dont think they will be held up and used accordingly. If they are still going to allow people to gamble away 1,000 a day, then I really dont believe that in a 14billion industry, they are going to take the changes seriously.

She said the planned cap on online slot machines, with lower limits for under-25s, was a good thing but called for stronger age checks, particularly online, to stop under-18s gambling.

She also called for a halt in coercive and addictive advertising to protect vulnerable people and youngsters.

Bylent Bill Troshupa, 53, a former maths prodigy in his native Kosovo who later studied medicine for two years, had become unpredictable and angry after losing thousands betting 12 hours a day through the pandemic with firms including William Hill and 888.

His marriage broke down and a restraining order prevented him from visiting Mrs Martin and their 16-year-old son.

Mrs Martin, left, who works as a project officer at the charity Gambling Harm UK, said other proposals such as betting firms having to conduct light touch affordability checks, were not enough. Pictured with Mr Troshupa on a family holiday in Croatia in 2019

But Mr Troshupa, who worked in the UK as a driver, arrived at her home in November 2021 with a knife, jerry can of fuel and an envelope full of cash while his son was home alone.

He started banging on the door demanding to be let in before posting the money through the letterbox, stepping back and setting himself on fire.

The distressed son called his mother as she drove back from work at around 8.30pm and said his father was on fire outside.

Mrs Martin rushed home to find Mr Troshupa on fire, screaming while falling to the floor. A neighbour ran out with a hosepipe before dowsing him with a blanket but his burns were too severe.

Emergency services battled for 90 minutes at the scene before he was flown by helicopter to hospital, but he could not be saved.

Senior coroner Lincoln Brookes recorded a verdict of suicide at Chelmsford coroner's court last year.

Mrs Martin said: It was not even 18 months ago that my husband took his own life and in such a way that was so destructive. I try not to think too much about the future, and I try not to think too much about the past.

Its better to just live for today because everything else is just an uncertainty right now.
The SS-750 has its own mini-submarine can reach depths of 262 feet (80 metres)

A Russian navy vessel specialised in submarine operations was photographed near the sabotaged Nord Stream gas pipelines just prior to mysterious blasts in September, Danish daily Information said Friday.

The newspaper said the submarine rescue ship SS-750 was photographed in the Baltic Sea four days before the still-unexplained explosions on the pipelines that link Russia to Germany.

The SS-750 has its own mini-submarine, called the AS-26, which can reach depths of 262 feet (80 metres) and carry loads of up to 50kg.

'The Danish military confirmed that 26 photos of the Russian vessel were taken from a Danish patrol boat in the zone located east of Bornholm on September 22, 2022,' Information said.

The Danish military has not responded to a request for comment.

The newspaper said the submarine rescue ship SS-750 (file image) was photographed in the Baltic Sea four days before the still-unexplained explosions on the pipelines that link Russia to Germany

In this file photo taken on September 27, 2022 this handout picture released by the Danish Defence Command shows the gas leak at the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline

Seven months after the spectacular blasts on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, it has yet to be established who was responsible despite criminal investigations in the countries bordering the damaged part of the pipelines - Germany, Sweden and Denmark.

The New York Times reported in March that US officials had seen new intelligence indicating that a 'pro-Ukrainian group' was responsible, without the involvement of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

German prosecutors subsequently said that, in January, investigators had searched a ship suspected of having transported explosives used in the blasts.

The prosecutor leading Sweden's probe said in March it was 'still unclear' who was behind the sabotage, calling it 'a complex case'.

'Our primary assumption is that a state is behind it,' Mats Ljungqvist said.

'The people who did this have probably been aware that they would leave clues behind and probably took care so that the evidence would not point in one direction, but in several directions,' he added.

A former Danish intelligence officer turned analyst, Jacob Kaarsbo, told Information that the presence of the SS-750 in the zone 'sheds light on what was going on in the region in the preceding days.'

The confirmation was of particular interest 'because we know it is capable of carrying out such an operation,' he said.

Earlier this month, it was claimed that Russia is using 'ghost' spy ships that are disguised as fishing trawlers off the UK coast to map out wind farms and communication cables for sabotage attacks in case it goes to war with the West.

The fleet of Russian ships, disguised as fishing trawlers and research vessels, are reportedly sailing through the North Sea to collect data on where wind farms, gas pipelines as well as power and internet cables are located.

The vessels carry underwater surveillance to map out how the infrastructure is connected with the aim to plan sabotage attacks against the West, a documentary aired by public broadcasters in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland has claimed.

Russia is aiming to plan the sabotage attacks in case it goes to war with the West, with their goal being to paralyse the power supply in Europe, intelligence sources warned.

'In the event of a conflict with the West, they are ready and know where to intervene if they want to paralyse the Danish society,' counterintelligence chief Anders Henriksen from the Danish Police Intelligence Service told Denmark's DR.

'This is a strategic capacity for Russia, which is considered very important and is controlled directly from Moscow,' Nils Andreas Stensones, head of the Norwegian Intelligence Service, added.

Intercepted radio communications from the Russian navy reveal Russia is using 'ghost ships' in the North Sea. These vessels have turned off their transmitters and are therefore untraceable in international waters.

Russia is using 'ghost' spy ships that are disguised as fishing trawlers off the UK coast to map out wind farms and communication cables for sabotage attacks in case it goes to war with the West, a probe has claimed. Last November, Admiral Vladimirsky (pictured) sailed around the Kattegat sea between Denmark and Sweden without sharing its location for a month

Video shows a man wearing a mask while holding a Russian military semi-automatic rifle stepping forward on the top deck as a DR journalist approached the Admiral Vladimirsky in a rubber boat. Several other men stepped forward also

The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed the media claims as a 'mistake' and 'without basis', reiterating its appeal for 'a transparent and impartial international inquiry' into the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson meanwhile deemed the documentary's claims 'serious'.

'This just goes to show that we have a very risky situation in our immediate vicinity,' he told reporters at a navy base in southern Sweden.

Broadcasters DR in Denmark, NRK in Norway, SVT in Sweden and Yle in Finland pointed to how the Russian naval vessel Admiral Vladimirsky is being used to collect intelligence - rather than conduct oceanic research as Russia says it does.
For support, contact the Samaritans by calling on 116 123 or jo@samaritans.org

For support, contact the Samaritans by calling on 116 123 or jo@samaritans.org

Electronic musician Mira Calix was found hanged by her partner having blown him three kisses as he lay in bed the night before, an inquest heard.

Her artist boyfriend Andy Holden let out a loud scream the following morning when he found the 52-year-old dead at their semi-detached home in Bedford.

The hearing at Ampthill was told that Mira, who was born in South Africa as Chantal Francesca Passamonte, was found at the address in Coventry Road at six minutes past nine in the morning on 25th March last year. Her death was confirmed at 9.29.

A post mortem examination found she had died due to asphyxia from hanging.

The Senior Bedfordshire Coroner Emma Whitting adjourned the inquest for a date to be fixed after a dispute over the authorship of letters that had been left at the scene.

Electronic musician Mira Calix (pictured) was found hanged by her partner the morning after blowing him three kisses as he lay in bed, an inquest has heard

At the time of her death the award-winning artist and composer was described by her label Warp Records as someone who 'pushed the boundaries between electronic music, classical music and art in a truly unique way'.

She created a sound sculpture 'Nothing Is Set in Stone' for the Cultural Olympiad that ran alongside 2012 London Olympics.

She also created the music for an awe-inspiring tribute at the Tower of London with 10,000 flame-lit torches to mark the First World War Armistice centenary in 2018.

The BBC 6 Music DJ Mary Anne Hobbs called her: 'such an ingenious, pioneering artist*. always questioning, always pushing.'

Tribute shows were made in her name on both 6 Music and Radio 3.

PC Alexandra Harpin said Andy Holden told her Chantal Passamonte had been depressed had turned off her phone and was not engaging with friends. She said letters from her were located around the house.

Riccarde Passamonte, Chantel's mother, said it was her view that her daughter had not written the notes.

'I am very convinced about it,' she said.

Mira (pictured), who was born in South Africa as Chantal Francesca Passamonte, was found dead in her home at six minutes past nine in the morning on 25th March last year

She said after moving into Coventry Road with Mr Holden she changed and did not respond to family messages on WhatsApp.

Mr Badenoch asked her: 'Did you form any views she was being controlled ?'

She replied: 'I had a strong suspicion. I was concerned. The house was not to her standard. She was quiet. She disliked the place. The image in my head is a little sparrow in a cage.'

The day after the death she went to Bedford with her daughter Genevieve to discuss matters with Mr Holden and his father.

She alleged he started talking about opening a new account to collect her royalties. 'He had her bank card and PIN number and my alarm bells went up.

'I told my daughter to go to the bank to report that and the account was frozen.'

She said that there was talk about cremation, but she replied: 'It is against my culture. She was brought up in the Jewish way of life. The body must return to the earth.'

Ms Passamonte said she was suspicious because the writing on the notes was different from that on her driving licence. She also said she did not accept that an audio message that was left was of her daughter.

Questioned by Mr Holden's barrister Ruth Broadbent she agreed she had gone to work after being told of Chantel's death. 'It was the end of term at university. I had commitments,' she said.

She said she had been 'shattered' by Chantel's death. She said if she thought she was going to take her life she would: 'be there like a shot.'

Genevieve Passamonte, her younger sister said her mood change after she moved to Bedford.

'She was missing Suffolk. She disappeared for 7 months. I said we were going to the police. Eventually we were communicating by Skype,' she said.

The artist created the music for an awe-inspiring tribute at the Tower of London with 10,000 flame-lit torches to mark the First World War Armistice centenary in 2018 (pictured)

When she and her mother met Mr Holden and his father the day after Chantel died she said there was a discussion about money: 'After 5 to 10 minutes Andy starts reading off mobile phone and says he and his dad were setting up a bank account. For me it is really alarming.

'I just found it really odd. We just froze the accounts.'

She said she believed the majority of the notes left were not in her sister's handwriting.

Andy Holden said he had gone to bed and Chantel had gone to the room three times to blow him a kiss before she left the house.

He said he thought she was going to her music room to prepare for a show in The Hague.

He said she had not talked of suicide but had talked of her 'black dog' depression.

'I did not see it - we were working on a mural together.'

He said they had not argued and said that a claim that an exhibition of his had been cancelled was wrong: 'It was at the Whitworth and I had just sold 11 works to the Tate.'

He said Chantel was a 'force of nature' and that her death was 'fiendishly hard to comprehend'.

Mr Holden said they had moved in together on the first day of the lockdown in March 2020.

He said she had come off social media because she had spent hours on it arguing about Brexit.

'She was struggling to see the positive in anything,' he said.

When asked about a money discussion he said he was just going through a list of instructions his partner had left.

He said the notes left were all in her handwriting. He said it was her voice on the audio message.

Questioned by Mr Badenoch KC, he said: 'I really loved her and I think she loved me.'

He denied that he was concerned with her finances and royalties. He said: 'I don't know where this is coming from'

Mr Badenoch said: 'You were the dominant partner in relationship', to which he replied: 'Do you really expect me to answer that - the woman was a force of nature. No.'

Asked to compare the signatures on a driving licence and a letter found at the scene, he replied: 'They were saying different things and had a different purpose.'

The inquest is proceeding.


A Chinese uncrewed combat aircraft has flown around Taiwan, the island's defence ministry said, showcasing Beijing's ability to attack its fall-back east coast bases, as a U.S. maritime patrol aircraft transited the Taiwan Strait.

China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has increased military pressure on the island over the past three years as it tries to force Taipei to accept its sovereignty claim.

This month, China staged war games around Taiwan after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles.

Taiwan's defence ministry, in an early Friday update of Chinese military activities over the previous 24 hours, said 38 military aircraft had entered the island's air defence identification zone.

One of those was a TB-001 drone, nicknamed the twin-tailed scorpion, which flew around Taiwan, first crossing the Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan from the Philippines, then up the east of Taiwan before crossing back toward the Chinese coast, according to a map provided by the ministry.

Taiwan's air defence identification zone

A TB-001, nicknamed "Twin-Tailed Scorpion", unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) performs during Airshow China 2022 at Zhuhai Air Show Center on November 9, 2022 in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province of China

It was spotted between 6 am (1000 GMT) Thursday and 6 am Friday.

Chieh Chung, a military researcher at Taiwan's National Policy Foundation think tank, said that during a war, China was likely to send the TB-001 to spot targets on the island's east coast, where Taiwan would shelter reserve forces, as bases there do not face China.

'It will allow the communist's military's naval and air forces in the Western Pacific, including air force strike groups or carrier battle groups, to launch attacks' on the east coast, he said.

He added that it was not the first time a Chinese drone has flown around Taiwan, but was most likely to first time it did so entirely within Taiwan's air defence zone.

Chinese state media has referred to the TB-001 as the 'twin-tailed scorpion' and has shown pictures of it carrying missiles, saying it is capable of high-altitude, long-range missions.

China's air force has flown what it calls 'island encirclement' missions with the crewed, nuclear-capable H-6 bomber.

The tensions around Taiwan have alarmed Washington and its allies, which have repeatedly expressed concern at China's behaviour and called for no forced change in the status quo.

A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft flew through the Taiwan Strait on Friday, and a senior French lawmaker confirmed a warship from his country had recently transited the sensitive waterway.

The United States, and occasionally its allies, have routinely sent warships and aircraft through the Taiwan Strait in recent years.

The U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said the Poseidon flew in international airspace.

'By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations,' it said in a statement. 'The aircraft's transit of the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.'

China's military said it monitored the aircraft, and accused the United States of provocative behaviour in the strait.

A Sichuan Tengden's TB-001, nicknamed "Twin-Tailed Scorpion" for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) flies at the 13th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai in southern China's Guangdong province on September 28, 2021

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen meets the U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, U.S. April 5, 2023

China said last year that it has sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the Taiwan Strait, and said it was 'a false claim' to refer to the strait as international waters.

The United States and Taiwan both say China's position is not correct.

Meeting Tsai at her office in Taipei on Friday, a French lawmaker and former defence minister said sending a warship through the strait showed his country's commitment to security.

'I want to tell you that our parliament's view is that the security of Taiwan is an important concern for us and we are encouraging our authorities to stay alert on security in the Strait, as the recent passage of our warship has again demonstrated,' French Senate Vice President Alain Richard said.

He did not say when the sailing happened, and neither the French nor Taiwanese governments has officially confirmed details. Taiwan's defence ministry said this month it was aware of the transit.

French President Emmanuel Macron recently warned against being drawn into a crisis over Taiwan driven by an 'American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction'.
A former Gurkha was crushed to death by a forklift truck while working at an airline catering firm, MailOnline can reveal.

Kumar Limbu, 60, suffered catastrophic injuries and died at the scene when he was hit from behind by the truck as he loaded it up with goods at a depot in Hounslow, west London.

His devasted family say they are considering legal action in relation to the incident which happened at a business premises where cabin meals are prepared and packed for passenger planes from that operate out of nearby Heathrow Airport.

Speaking to MailOnline, his widow Sarda Rai, 53, said: Im heartbroken. I have lost the love of my life. We have spent the past 34 years together and now he is gone.

When he went off to work, my husband said good-bye, see you later, but he never came home. I still expect him to walk through the door. But thats never going to happen.

Kumar Limbu, 60, suffered catastrophic injuries and died at the scene when he was hit from behind by the truck as he loaded it up with goods at a depot in Hounslow, west London.

A former member of the Queens Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, Kumar had served in the British Army for 15 years, before settling in the UK with his wife and two children in 2007

Every day I am dying inside with grief.

Police were called to the scene of the fatal accident and the Health and Safety Executive are assisting Hounslow Borough Council with an investigation into the work-place death.

A former member of the Queens Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, Kumar had served in the British Army for 15 years, before settling in the UK with his wife and two children in 2007.

A trained lorry driver he had worked for the airline catering firm for several years before the fatal accident on 11th April.

His son Songgom Limbu, 32, told MailOnline: We received a call from one of his work mates that day to say there had been an accident.

He told us that my father had been hit by a fork-lift truck. They called an ambulance but he was dead before they could get him to hospital.

His daughter Smriti Limbu, 30, added: Then two policemen came to our home to tell us that my father was dead.

He was a very kind and gentle man. He never raised his voice to us. He had many friends.

Kumar Limbu with his family. Pictured right to left: son Songgom Limbu, daughter-in-law Rustina Maharjan, Kumar Limbu, daughter Smriti Limbu, son-in-law Tejendra Singh,and wife Sadra Rai, seated

My mother is heart-broken. We all are. She cant sleep, she has no appetite and she has lost weight.

How can it be that he went to work and he died? How can that happen?

Hounslow Borough Council have offered their condolences to the family.

Council Ajmer Grewal, Cabinet Member for Safety, said: Our health and safety team continues to investigate this incident and once it is completed, we will take any necessary action.

I appreciate this is a difficult time for the family and our thoughts are with them.

His employer, Do & Co, declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline.

The family have now set up a crowd-funding page online to help finance any legal action entitled Justice For Kumar Limbu.
This is the shocking moment gang members shoot at a car in broad daylight as an innocent family cower in terror in the back.

CCTV footage showed Lewis Gatehouse, 20, Kendall Bizimana, 18, and Samuel Martin, 18, shooting at a rival gang member as he drove down a road in Luton, Bedfordshire.

The black car crashes into a silver vehicle in front as the armed trio run to it and continue to fire as the driver flees on foot. Miraculously, no one suffered any serious injuries.

CCTV footage captured the moment the gang ran out towards the oncoming vehicle on April 19 last year.

The incident followed a spate of violence between rival gang members

They ran to the car after it crashed into the silver vehicle in front, and continued to fire as the driver fled. The trio have since been jailed for a combined 33 years for the attack.

Detective Sergeant Wil Taylor, from Bedfordshire Police Boson team, said: 'The actions of these three young men were dangerous, reckless and stupid beyond belief. It is only by sheer luck that no innocent party was injured as a result of their appalling criminal behaviour.'

The trio wore face coverings and black hoodies and fled the scene on pushbikes. Lewis was tracked down after requesting a taxi shortly after the incident at 5pm with his own name and phone number.

Bizimana asked a pedestrian to call him a taxi shortly after the incident and then threw a bullet casing away when the person declined. His bike was also disposed of nearby the exchange. Martin was spotted wearing distinctive clothing with Kendall after leaving a taxi.

The trio were initially charged with attempted murder.

Samuel Martin (left) and Kendall Bizimana (right)

Lewis Gatehouse pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited weapon and drugs

Gatehouse and Kendall pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Gatehouse also pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited weapon and Class A and Class B drug offences in relation to a separate matter. He received a 12-year and eight-month jail sentence for possession of a firearm and eight years for GBH to run concurrently. He was also given an additional five years for possession of a prohibited weapon.

Bizimana was given 11 years for possession of a firearm and six and a half years for GBH to be served at the same time.

CCTV footage of the incident

Martin pleaded guilty to attempted GBH with intent and threatening someone with a bladed weapon. He was given a four-year sentence for GBH and an 18-month sentence for the weapon offence, to run concurrently.

The incident followed a spate of violence between the rival OBK and Marsh Farm gang members.

Detective Sergeant Wil Taylor said: 'Gang and gun culture may entice some young men into a perverse view that this is some sort of glamorous lifestyle.

'However, let me spell it out in simple terms.

'If you arm yourself with a gun, the chances are that you will end up spending a long time behind bars - or getting seriously hurt yourself. It really isn't worth the risk.'
But his sentencing at the High Court in Glasgow last month sparked outrage

An 'unduly lenient' sentence given to a rapist who was spared jail and given community service after raping a 13-year-old girl will be appealed.

Sean Hogg, who was 17 at the time, forced himself on the victim on multiple occasions at Dalkeith Country Park, Midlothian in 2018.

Now 21, he was convicted of rape at the High Court in Glasgow last month before being sentenced to a community payback order of 270 hours of unpaid work at the same court on April 3.

The sentence sparked outrage and calls to review sentencing guidelines, which advise jail terms should only be imposed on those under the age of 25 if no other sentence is appropriate.

Scotland's Lord Advocate has today decided the Crown should appeal against the sentence on the grounds it is 'unduly lenient'.

Scotlands Lord Advocate has decided the Crown should appeal against the sentence of Sean Hogg (pictured)

A judge at the High Court in Glasgow (pictured) ordered Hogg to undergo 270 hours of unpaid work earlier this month, sparking outrage and calls to review sentencing guidelines

Deputy Crown Agent for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Kenny Donnelly said: 'Sentence is quite rightly the domain of the independent judiciary.

'However, the law provides for some limited circumstances in which prosecutors have the right to appeal against sentences.

'The Appeal Court has set a high test to be satisfied for this to happen. The sentence must be unduly lenient, which means that it must be out with the range of sentences which the sentencing judge, taking account of all relevant factors, could reasonably have imposed.

'The question of Crown appeal against sentence in this case has been carefully considered and the decision to place this matter before the Appeal Court has been communicated to the complainer through her representative.'

Speaking on behalf of the victim, her solicitor Aamer Anwar said she still does not understand why Hogg was spared a prison sentence.

The victim, who is now 18, was diagnosed with PTSD, suffered from panic attacks and self-harmed on a daily basis following the attacks.

Mr Anwar said: 'This morning we were advised that the Lord Advocate has decided that the Crown should appeal the sentence imposed upon Sean Hogg convicted of rape, on the grounds that it is "unduly lenient".

The 21-year-old, of Hamilton, Lanarkshire, forced himself on the victim on multiple occasions at Dalkeith Country Park, Midlothian in 2018

'My client is relieved and grateful to the Lord Advocate - it has been nearly a month since Sean Hogg walked free from the High Court ordered to carry out 270 hours of unpaid work after being convicted of rape.

'My client still does not understand why Hogg was allowed to get on with his life when he had ruined her, she wonders how many girls will think there is no point in reporting rape after seeing a rapist walk free.

'Whilst the police, prosecution and jury did its job, she feels that in the end she was failed by our justice system, but today once more she has some hope that justice will be done.'

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Jamie Greene added: 'The Lord Advocate is quite right to appeal this sentence, no doubt driven by the public outcry over the original sentence.

'The public were incredulous that a child rapist could ever be handed anything other than a custodial prison sentence.'
The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says no person can serve as president more than twice. Its not a limit on serving consecutive terms. You get eight years at most  total.

While Gov. Ron DeSantis has yet to announce his expected 2024 bid for president, his political network is already trying to exploit this requirement as a selling point against likely GOP rival Donald Trump.

If DeSantis is elected  and reelected in 2028  hed get up to eight years to make the executive branch his own, they say. If Trump wins another term, the most that he could offer is four more years.

Some donors are taking notice.

Its definitely on the radar for every single one of them, said Ken Cuccinelli, who started a Super PAC, Never Back Down, aimed at supporting a DeSantis presidential bid. I havent talked to anyone for whom that doesnt make a very substantial difference.

Cuccinelli said he saw firsthand how long it can take for a presidential administration to get its proverbial feet underneath it. He served in Trumps Department of Homeland Security from 2019 to 2021. He said the Trump administration, which was famously prone to turnover, didnt find the right staffers until Trumps term was nearly over.

DeSantis gives donors the chance to get in on the ground floor of a potential administration that could be in power through 2032, Cuccinelli said. Barring a change to the Constitution, thats not something Trump or his allies can offer.

We need real leadership and Gov. DeSantis has shown the tremendous impact he can make in one term as governor of Florida, wrote Gregory Cook in an emailed statement. Cook is the chairman of the board of the wellness company doTERRA, and he gave DeSantis state political committee $1.3 million in February. (DeSantis could potentially use that money for a presidential run.)

Just months into his second term, I am seeing even more impactful actions that the governor is making because he is building off of his previous successes. We need a president who has eight years to make deep and meaningful change, Cook wrote.

Little has been said publicly by any of Trumps GOP rivals about his inability to serve more than one more term. However former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, 51, another Republican in the nomination race, has called for a new generation of American leaders  a not-so-subtle nod to the fact that Trump would be 82 when his hypothetical 2024 term ends. (DeSantis is 44.)

Its not clear that Trumps limitations will be enough to convince key donors. This week, DeSantis got bad news on the financial front when the New York Times reported that hedge fund billionaire Kenneth Griffin, whos given DeSantis political committee nearly $11 million through the years, is undecided about the 2024 primary.

The constitutional amendment limiting the number of times someone can serve as president was ratified in 1951. Since then, no one-term president has sought his former office the way Trump is this election cycle.

When asked about the political difficulty of running for president as a non-incumbent who can serve just one term, a Trump spokesperson took a shot at DeSantis.

President Trump will not be beholden to the special interests and will do what is in the best interest of the American people, said Steven Cheung, the Trump spokesperson. Ron DeSantis is a creature of the swamp. President Trump will drain the swamp.

2023 Tampa Bay Times. Visit at tampabay.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Surveillance footage photos show Massachusetts man Brian Walshe buying cleaning supplies and tossing a trash bag in a dumpster in the hours after his wife Ana was murdered.

The images became public yesterday in court filings submitted as part of the murder case against Brian, who prosecutors say beat Ana to death then dismembered her in the basement of their home.

It was also revealed that Ana, a mother-of-three, had been having an affair for several months with an unidentified man. The man told police that the pair spent Thanksgiving together in Dublin.

By the time she died, Ana had become the family's sole breadwinner. She was working in real estate in Washington DC, while her husband remained in Massachusetts with their three young sons.

Brian Walshe is shown on January 1 purchasing cleaning supplies, a hack saw, hatchet and other items from Lowes, hours after allegedly murdering his wife Ana

Walshe pushing his cart through the home store. He is accused of murdering and dismembering Ana at around 4.30am on January 1

January 3: Walshe is seen wearing a COVID mask while tossing a heavy trash bag in a dumpster outside an apartment complex in Massachusetts

Brian was awaiting sentencing for a fraud conviction, after stealing and then passing off as real an Andy Warhol painting.

Friends say Ana was ready to leave him and broke down in tears at a dinner in the days before she vanished.

The new information about the affair were contained within a search warrant for the home which became public yesterday.

Police say Ana was murdered at around 4am on January 1, three hours after saying goodbye to her friend and former boss who they rang in the New Year with.

In the hours following her death, Brian is accused of using his son's iPad to search Google for 'how to dispose of a body' and 'how long before a body starts to smell'.

Yesterday, his attorney conceded that the searches were 'problematic'.

Ana, a mother-of-three, had been having an affair for several months with an unidentified man. The man told police that the pair spent Thanksgiving together in Dublin

By the time she died, Ana had become the family's sole breadwinner. She was working in real estate in Washington DC, while her husband remained in Massachusetts with their three young sons after being convicted of fraud

The next day, he visited several stores including Home Depot, Lowes and CVS, buying a combination of cleaning agents, plastic sheets, hazmat suits, a hatchet and a hacksaw.

Brian was seen in the days following visiting the dumpsters of apartment complexes near his mother's home.

It is the prosecution's claim that Ana's dismembered remains were in the bags, but that they were removed by trash services and incinerated by the time police searched the dumpsters.

They discovered items of clothing and jewelry - including the Prada boots, Hermes watch and Gucci necklace she'd been wearing when last seen alive - along with traces of her blood and DNA.

Today, Brian's attorney suggested that she was killed either by someone else, or that she chose to disappear. 'It has been four months since she was last seen. As your honor knows, a person is not presumed dead because they're missing for seven years, because it is easy for a single person to disappear if they want to disappear. 'There has been no body found. There's been no indication of if she died, how she died. There's been no murder weapon. There's no motive.'

Walshe being led into court today. He shook his head as the charges were read aloud

Yesterday, Brian's attorney admitted that his mother had hired a private investigator to trail Ana in Washington DC because she suspected she was having an affair.

She however claimed that Brian had nothing to do with it, and had no reason to suspect his wife of infidelity until she vanished.

They made the claim that Ana could have 'disappeared' because she wanted to.

Prosecutors have also pointed to the fact that Brian stood to gain $2.7million in life insurance payouts in the event of his wife's death as a motive.

His attorneys dismissed that suggestion yesterday, saying instead that he had 'no need' for money because his mother was so wealthy.

Brian will return to court in August.
Harry Styles and Tom Cruise were some of the A-listers to make appearances

James Corden brought out a series of A-listers as he bid farewell to his eight-year stint as a late-night talk show host.

From Joe Biden to Harry Styles, a string of celebrities graced the stage with the British host to bid farewell.

And in a rare first, other late-night hosts including Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and David Letterman came together to riff on Corden's place among them.

Opening the show, Corden began his last ever monologue by thanking his fans for tuning in, where he introduced his parents to the cheering crowd.

'Thank you for tuning in, thank you for being here, we have a fun show - are you ready?' he said.

James Cordon ended his Late Late Show run with a star-studded send off

Will Ferrell And Harry Styles

The star-studded final show opened with a backstage shot of Corden greeting the show's champagne-holding staff, where he began an extended sketch about being locked out from his final show.

As he satirically struggled to enter the studio, Corden found himself trapped backstage before being greeted through a window by his guests.

'Terrible timing with this door thing eh? Because it's your last show,' said Harry Styles, as he screamed through the glass alongside Will Ferrell.

Corden's final Late Late Show begun with an extended sketch about being locked out of the studio

Corden was joined by Harry Styles, center, and Will Ferrell, right, as the in-show guests for his final show

Mom And Her Botox

As Corden began his opening monologue, he thanked his fans for tuning in after eight years on the air.

'This is it gang, this is it,' he said. 'This is the final Late Late Show in the history of CBS, and tonight, finally, we are determined to get it right.'

The British performer introduced his emotional parents during the segment, where he joked with his mom about her Botox.

'Are you okay mom, dad are you holding it together?' he asked, before his mom wiped away a tear as she responded: 'Until you asked me to give you a kiss before we came on, and then I was gone.'

'I didn't even know you could move your face like that, since all of your Botox,' he added.

Corden introduced his parents during his final opening monologue

President Joe Biden

In a surprising turn, US President Joe Biden made an appearance over video to praise Corden for his eight-year stint on late-night TV.

'James, congratulations on an incredible run,' said Biden, as Corden put his head in his hands.

He added: '1200 shows in eight years, but after a day spent working for me at the White House, I am surprised you lasted eight years in any job.'

Late-Night Rivals

Corden was then joined by several TV legends in a striking sketch featuring other late-night talk show hosts.

Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers woke Corden up in the comedy skit to joke about his retirement, despite most being on other networks.

'We're here to tell you, you can't just leave a talk show,' said Meyers.

'Hosting a network late-night show makes you part of a very exclusive club - and if we are going to let you leave, we need to know you will keep our sacred secrets... we don't watch every episode of TV or movie that our guests are on,' added Kimmell.

Tom Cruise And Music

The show also included a surprising musical number featuring Tom Cruise, where the actor donned a warthog outfit in a rendition of Lion King.

In a performance of 'Hakuna Matata', the Top Gun star joined Corden as they sang for the cheering crowd.

The landmark episode moved on to Corden's main in-show guests, where Will Ferrell and Harry Styles joined him on the couch.

During his entrance, Ferrell hilariously jogged onto the stage with a sledgehammer before smashing Corden's desk into pieces.

'Bless you both, I am so grateful,' said the host. 'It means the world to me that you're both here, two people I love and adore so much.'

The trio then played a final game of the Late Late Show's 'Spill your guts', where Harry Styles sensationally teased a One Direction reunion.

'I would never say never to that,' he said.

A Closing Number

Corden wrapped up the show with a heartfelt musical number, where he broke down in tears as he recalled his time on the network.

'Now the last karaoke's been carpooled, and we all came along for the ride,' he sang. 'The last spill your guts has been swallowed, and I'm still feeling nauseous inside.

'And soon I will head home to London, but I'll sure miss it here in LA.'

He ended in nostalgic fashion with slow-motion snippets of the show through the years, before signing off: 'Thanks for watching, that's our show.'
President Joe Biden's approval rating has slipped to the lowest of his presidency as questions about his health continue with a new report claiming aides struggle to get the 80-year-old to do evening or morning events.

Biden's favorability was 37% in a new Gallup poll out this week, the lowest rating Gallup has measured for him to date. He started his presidency at 57% approval rating and had been averaging in the low 40s.

And some close Biden advisers told Axios that the president 'has diminished his energy, significantly limiting his schedule.' They note it's hard to schedule public or private events in the morning, in the evening or on weekends. Most of the president's events happen between 10 am and 4 pm.

All this comes after Biden announced this week he'll seek a second term in the White House.

White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates questioned the premise of the story and sent to DailyMail.com a response he sent to Axios, which was not included in their report: 'Are these the same 'advisers and close allies' who you wrote on April 3 'don't expect him to announce a run for re-election any time soon?'

Biden's favorability was 37% in a new Gallup poll out this week, the lowest rating Gallup has measured for him to date

Axios did a breakdown of Biden's schedule so far in 2023 and found:

Only four public events before 10 a.m.

Just a dozen public events after 6 p.m.  mostly dinners and receptions with foreign leaders or fundraisers.

12 full weekends with no public events.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jen O'Malley Dillon simply called the Axios report 'False.'

White House staff are protective of the president, as is their job. Questions about how far they take that arose this week after Biden was pictured at a press conference on Wednesday with 'cheat sheets' - one card outlining a question expected to be asked at his press conference and the other giving the president detailed instructions about an earlier briefing.

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna said Biden's staff can go too far. He urged them to let Biden lose and to let him speak off the cuff more. Most of the president's events are tightly scripted and staff often pull him to the next one quickly in order to limit any presidential spontaneity.

'I think his staff overprotects him,' Khanna said on Fox News on Friday morning. 'Put him out there in a press conference. Who cares is someone makes a gaffe? Everyone does in conversations. Let's see the authentic president Biden. He is an empathetic person and the more he is out there, the better.'

For Friday, the first event on Biden's public schedule is his national security briefing at 11:15 am. At 2:30 pm he'll welcome the Air Force Falcons to the White House for the Commander's Trophy. And at 6:45 pm he'll address a Democratic Party fundraiser.

A White House official tells DailyMail.com that the 'timing of our specific events is often so to hit broadcast news in the best window.'

President Joe Biden had trouble remembering the name of his favorite movie when doing an event with children at the White House for Take Your Child to Work Day

Biden is reported to be a night owl. Returning from Ireland, he talked to reporters on the tarmac at 2:30 in the morning.

He also keeps a heavy travel schedule, including his recent secret trip in the Ukraine, which required an overnight train ride from Poland to Kyiv, before Biden continued his journey to meet with Western allies.

Biden also has traveled more than Barack Obama for the third year of his presidency, 30 trips compared to Obama's 27.

Former President Donald Trump also was a late starter when he occupied the White House. His schedule for the morning famously had what aides dubbed 'executive time,' which was typically when Trump watched cable news and scrolled through Twitter.

The former president is also in the upper age range of candidates. If he wins in 2024, he'd be 78 when he's inaugurated and 82 when he finishes his tenure.

Biden and Trump have another thing in common - both like to leave the White House on weekends to go to their private homes to recharge - Biden to Wilmington and Trump to Mar-a-Lago.

Republicans, however, are making Biden's age an issue.

Nikki Haley predicted on Wednesday that Biden would die within five years, warning the country would see a President Kamala Harris.

'If you vote for Joe Biden, you really are counting on a President Harris. Because the idea that he would make it until 86 years old is not something that I think is likely,'she said in an interview on Fox News.

At 80 Biden is the oldest president in American history. And, if he wins another term, would be 86 at its conclusion.

Photographers picked up the memo, prepared by aides, that carried instructions on how to answer questions that reporters had provided in advance

On Thursday, Biden raised eyebrows when he did an event with children at the White House for Take Your Child to Work Day but stumbled through answers on his grandchildren, the movie Top Gun and the last country he visited.

He had to rely on the kids to finish his responses to their questions and admitted he was 'confused' before one eventually told him it might be time to return to the Oval Office.

It was the first interrogation since he was spotted using a cheat sheet during a press conference when responding to questions from a LA Times reporter.

His practice of relying on note cards with printed information for his press conferences dates back to the very start of his presidency, when a handy 'cheat sheet' contained a pre-determined list of which reporters he should call on.

On Thursday, when he held an event with children on the South Lawn, Biden struggled as he was fielded softball questions on topics ranging from his favorite color to his preferred ice cream flavor.

He then tripped up when a child asked what should have been an easy question; the last country he visited as president.

Instead, he mentioned how many leaders he has met as president.

'Last country I've traveled - must be the last one I was in, I've been to  89 heads of state so far.

Finally after a pause a kid yelled out 'Ireland!'  Biden's ancestral homeland that he visited earlier this month.

'You're right, Ireland,' Biden responded. 'That's where it was.'

Biden made the most of the event, staying longer than anticipated his staff thought might be wise

Biden spoke about his favorite movie and his favorite color

Another child asked Biden to name his favorite movie. Biden instead opted to say his favorite movie of the year - but got a little help.

'My favorite movie was the new movie that was about that guy who flies jet planes. You know who I'm talking about?' he asked, before a kid answered 'Top Gun.'

'Top Gun,' Biden continued. Did you see Top One: Maverick?'

Biden had direct answers to other queries, saying his favorite color is blue and his favorite ice cream is chocolate chip.

The president, at one point, seemed to know he was in the danger zone. 'I'm getting myself in trouble here, because your parents are saying when is he going to stop?' he joked.

After more than 20 minutes, one child had a question that seemed to channel what her parents might have been thinking. 'Mr. President, I heard you have to go back to the Oval Office,' she told him.
Sadiq Khan was today accused of 'covering up' cuts to London buses as he revealed maps for his new 'Superloop' orbital bus network connecting the suburbs, one day before ten other routes are either axed or amended.

The Mayor's 'Superloop' will be formed of ten express buses around the capital - including four existing routes and six new routes  and is part of a 6million public transport investment as the hated Ultra-Low Emission Zone (Ulez) expands in August.

A consultation is now open on the new 'X183' from Harrow to North Finchley, while Transport for London is also planning five other new routes from North Finchley to Walthamstow (X34); Walthamstow to Royal Docks (X123); Bexleyheath to Bromley (X269); Canary Wharf to Grove Park (X239); and Bromley to West Croydon (X119).

The existing four are the 607 from White City to Uxbridge, X26 from Croydon to Heathrow, X140 from Harrow to Heathrow and X68 from Croydon to Russell Square.

But the Conservatives today again branded the Superloop plans a 'Superflop' amid criticism that it is simply a 'repackaging of existing routes and vague promises'.

It comes as three current routes run for the last time today - 332 from Brent Park to Paddington; 507 from Victoria to Waterloo; and 521 from Waterloo to London Bridge.

The London Mayor's new 'Superloop' network will be formed of a series of express buses around the outskirts of the capital - including four existing routes and a range of new routes

A consultation is now open on the new 'X183' Superloop bus from Harrow to North Finchley

One of the six new Superloop bus routes will be from North Finchley to Walthamstow (X34)

The X123 Superloop bus will run from Walthamstow to the Royal Docks in East London

The X239 will run from Grove Park to Canary Wharf via the new Silvertown Tunnel from 2025

The X269 Superloop will run from Bexleyheath to Bromley via Sidcup in South East London

The X119 Superloop from Bromley to West Croydon will be one of the six new express buses

Seven others will be rerouted from tomorrow - 3 from Crystal Palace to Westminster (rerouted to Victoria); 6 from Willesden Green to Aldwych (rerouted to Victoria); 11 from Fulham to Liverpool Street (rerouted to Waterloo); 23 from Westbourne Park to Hammersmith (rerouted to Aldwych); 26 from Hackney to Waterloo (rerouted to Victoria); 59 from Streatham Hill to Euston (rerouted to St Bartholomew's Hospital); and 133 from Streatham Hill to Liverpool Street (rerouted to Holborn).

How the 'Superloop' will work and what routes it will cover EXISTING ROUTES (4) The 'Superloop' network will include these four existing express routes: 607 : Bus running from White City to Uxbridge in West London, mostly along Uxbridge Road. This covers a similar route to the 207 - which is the eighth-busiest route in London - but skips many stops for a faster journey.

: Bus running from in West London, mostly along Uxbridge Road. This covers a similar route to the 207 - which is the eighth-busiest route in London - but skips many stops for a faster journey. X26 : Route from West Croydon to Heathrow Central . The frequency of the service will be doubled to 15 minutes. There will also be changes to bus lanes and traffic signals.

: Route from . The frequency of the service will be doubled to 15 minutes. There will also be changes to bus lanes and traffic signals. X140 : Bus from Harrow to Heathrow Central . TfL's newest express route is said to have resulted in a weekly demand increase of 15 per cent.

: Bus from . TfL's newest express route is said to have resulted in a weekly demand increase of 15 per cent. X68 : Route from West Croydon to Russell Square , which currently only runs weekday peak hour services. NEW ROUTES (6) There are also a series of new routes proposed to link up the 'Superloop': X183 from Harrow to North Finchley via Northwick Park and Hendon, for which the consultation is now open.

via Northwick Park and Hendon, for which the consultation is now open. X34 from North Finchley to Walthamstow via Edmonton

via Edmonton X123 from Walthamstow to Royal Docks via Ilford

via Ilford X269 from Bexleyheath to Bromley via Sidcup

via Sidcup X119 from Bromley to Croydon

X239 from Grove Park to Canary Wharf via the new Silvertown Tunnel (previously announced, expected to begin in 2025 when tunnel opens) Advertisement

The most notable of these is the 11, which has been billed an 'iconic' route through the capital and will no longer link Fulham and Liverpool Street - instead diverted south over Westminster Bridge.

The 11 also happens to be among the five buses TfL has chosen to give a special royal 'wrap' for King Charles III's Coronation next week.

Grey Hands, MP for Chelsea and Fulham, who wants the existing 11 route to be retained, told the Evening Standard: 'Mayor Khan is taking incompetence to a new level: promoting the 11 bus route for the Coronation, forgetting that he is chopping it a week earlier.'

Today, TfL released new detailed maps of the Superloop, showing the proposed stops and how it will connect with the Underground, Overground, Docklands Light Railway and National Rail services.

But critics have said that few of the new services will be running by the time the Ulez is set to widen to the Greater London boundary on August 29.

Defending his scheme, Mr Khan said at the Superloop launch event at Northolt in West London last month that anyone who opposes the network is a 'curmudgeon'.

London TravelWatch said the new buses must be in place before Ulez is expanded - which could see an extra 700,000 motorists have to pay the 12.50 charge.

The Ulez operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year except Christmas. Any motorcycles and cars must meet certain emissions standards to escape the charge.

Nick Rogers, the City Hall Conservatives transport spokesman, told MailOnline today: 'Sadiq Khan's Superloop is a Superflop, amounting to nothing more than a repackaging of existing routes and vague promises that will not be delivered before his Ulez expansion hits Londoners.

'The Mayor cannot use this to cover up for his cuts to many critical bus routes including in my constituency, his lack of investment in outer London public transport, and his disastrous Ulez expansion plans.'

The frequency of the X26 will be doubled to every 15 minutes later this year - while there will also be changes to bus lanes and traffic signals to try to speed up the route.

The 607, X140 and X68 will stay the same but will be rebranded with 'Superloop' in front of the bus number.

Sadiq Khan tweeted this photo of a new 'Superloop'-branded bus in Northolt, West London

London Assembly chair Onkar Sahota (front, far left) and Sadiq Khan (front, centre) sit on a Superloop bus last month as the network is launched at an event in Northolt, West London

The 'Superloop' express buses will have a new roundel to help passengers identify them

While the bus between Harrow and North Finchley is expected to be the first one launched, new routes in the eastern section are set to take longer to arrive.

Which London buses will be axed or changed from tomorrow? AXED (x3) 332 from Brent Park to Paddington

507 from Victoria to Waterloo

521 from Waterloo to London Bridge REROUTED (x7) 3 from Crystal Palace to Westminster (rerouted to Victoria)

(rerouted to Victoria) 6 from Willesden Green to Aldwych (rerouted to Victoria)

(rerouted to Victoria) 11 from Fulham to Liverpool Stree t (rerouted to Waterloo)

(rerouted to Waterloo) 23 from Westbourne Park to Hammersmith (rerouted to Aldwych)

(rerouted to Aldwych) 26 from Hackney to Waterloo (rerouted to Victoria)

(rerouted to Victoria) 59 from Streatham Hill to Euston (rerouted to St Bartholomew's Hospital)

(rerouted to St Bartholomew's Hospital) 133 from Streatham Hill to Liverpool Street (rerouted to Holborn) Advertisement

The move forms part of a pledge by Mr Khan to provide a further one million kilometres (620,000 miles) of extra bus services per year.

But he has also faced questions over this promise after it was claimed that would only add less than 1 per cent to the total mileage of the 700 routes in London.

The Superloop buses will also have a new roundel to help passengers identify them, and this branding will also be seen on timetables and maps.

TfL said its newest express route, the X140 from Harrow to Heathrow, resulted in a weekly demand increase of up to 15 per cent with customer satisfaction also increasing.

Fares for the new routes will be 1.75 for any journey  the same as on any other bus in London. The 'Hopper' fare which allows passengers to use as many buses as they want within one hour for 1.75 will also remain in place.

That fare went up from 1.65 earlier this month in a 5.9 per cent rise that was the biggest increase for more than a decade.

Earlier this month it emerged that Mr Khan will be forced to defend the controversial expansion of Ulez in court following a legal challenge from council chiefs.

Five councils who launched the legal battle - Bexley, Bromley, Harrow, Hillingdon and Surrey - have been given permission to proceed with their case for judicial review.

Mr Khan said: 'The Superloop is part of my plans to improve public transport in outer London. These new routes will substantially improve access to transport services, town centres and hospitals in outer London, and help build a better, greener London for everyone.

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) currently covers the area inside the North and South Circular roads, but the Mayor intends to expand it across all of Greater London on August 29

Protesters demonstrate against the expansion of Ulez on Whitehall in London on March 18

'I'm so excited to be kicking off the Superloop journey with our new detailed maps. Londoners can see for themselves where the buses will be stopping and how the Superloop could benefit them.

'I'm also pleased to be launching the first Superloop consultation today with the new X183 route from Harrow to North Finchley. I encourage everyone in the local area to get involved and have their say.'

The first consultation was launched today on the new X183 between Harrow and Finchley, but all the proposed new routes will undergo further planning and consultation.

Proposals for the X183 route mean it would run alongside part of the existing 183 between Harrow and Hendon, and part of route 125 between Hendon and North Finchley.

The X183 would run every 12 minutes from Monday to Saturday and every 15 minutes during evenings and Sundays. TfL said it would also allow customers using the new X183 service to connect to 38 other bus routes in the area, as well as seven rail lines.

Geoff Hobbs, TfL's director of Public Transport Service Planning, said: 'Public transport provides a vital service for everyone living in, working in and visiting the capital and buses play a fundamental role in that.

'Our proposals for an upgraded link between Harrow and North Finchley to better connect town centres and rail stations in northwest London.

'The new X183 route would provide a higher frequency of service for everyone travelling in the area, forming a key part of our game-changing Superloop proposals to make it even easier to travel in outer London.

'I would encourage as many people as possible to respond to the consultation to help shape our plans and design a service which benefits everyone travelling in the area.'

And a TfL press release quoted Norman Baker from the Campaign for Better Transport saying: 'The Superloop is an exciting development for Outer London.

'It will bring faster, more frequent journeys to the places people most need to go, real integration with stations and other transport, cleaner air and a greener future for all. We encourage people to read and respond to the X183 consultation to ensure their views are heard.'
Hunter Bidens baby mama has lit the touch-paper on next weeks courthouse showdown  by accusing the presidents son of hiding assets and posing as a destitute artist to get his child support payments slashed.

Lunden Roberts, 32, wants to know how Hunter can plead poverty in their paternity case while deploying a stable of super lawyers charging up to $855 per hour in his various lawsuits and congressional probes.

Shes arguing that attorney-client privilege does not shield her 53-year-old former flame from having to reveal precisely how much hes shelling out, and to whom.

Lunden Roberts argues that Hunter Biden, the father of her four-year-old daughter Navy has plenty of money to make his child support payments

Hunter Biden will have to face his baby mama Lunden Roberts in court for a trial to consider lowering his child support payments

Hunter fathered a son he named Beau after his late brother with his new wife Melissa Cohen just 17 months after Navy was born

The White House said Hunter and his aunt Valerie paid their own way when they accompanied President Biden on his recent trip to Ireland

Roberts says if Hunter Biden can afford hotshot lawyers like Kevin Morris (left) and Abbe Lowell  who she says charges $855 an hour  he can afford his child support payments

Roberts further accuses Hunter  who spent this past week at a Democrat donors $50 million California vineyard  of vacuuming up perks, loans and non-cash benefits from rich pals but not declaring it as personal income.

The huge sums involved will paint a very different story about the First Sons finances, her attorney Clinton Lancaster claims in a motion filed Thursday in circuit court in Independence County, Arkansas.

Cutting the money Hunter contributes to four-year-old Navy Joan Robertss upbringing would therefore be inappropriate and unjust  and the dad-of-five should instead pay more if hes caught hiding his true wealth, the filing argues.

Voluntarily reducing income, or hiding assets, is not a basis for a reduction in support, warns Lancaster.

The court must consider whether the defendant has unclean hands or is otherwise perpetrating a fraud upon the court regarding his income.

Hunter was ordered to appear before Judge Holly Meyer for a contempt hearing this coming Monday in rural Batesville, Arkansas, after Roberts suggested he be slung in jail for not complying with discovery deadlines.

The pair appeared to have put their dispute behind them in 2019 when a DNA test proved Navy Joan was his daughter and he agreed to a reported $2.5 million settlement.

But the recovering drug addict abruptly reopened the case in September by claiming he had suffered a substantial material change in his income and couldnt afford the payments.

Furious Roberts refused to buckle and raised the stakes by petitioning the court to officially rename her daughter Navy Joan Biden to benefit from carrying the Biden family name, a move Hunter dismissed as political warfare'.

Roberts also wants to change her daughter's last name to Biden to benefit from carrying the president's family name

Lunden is bringing up daughter Navy outside Batesville, Arkansas where she grew up herself

Lunden gave evidence before a grand jury in Delaware that was investigating Hunter for alleged tax crimes in February 2002

Navy Joan was born in August 2018 but she remained a secret until Roberts sued Hunter for child support in her native Arkansas 10 months later

She hit him with a discovery request containing hundreds of questions covering his assets, earnings, overseas business dealings in Ukraine and China plus a list of people who bought his artworks after he reinvented himself as a painter.

Lancaster's latest motion takes aim at the pricey legal team comprising some of the most expensive attorneys on planet Earth that Hunter has assembled to fight multiple lawsuits and ongoing federal and congressional probes.

These include Washington power fixer Abbe Lowell who charges a rate of $855 per billable hour, according to the filing, and whose past clients include Bill Clinton, former vice-presidential candidate John Edwards, and Jared Kushner.

Also listed are prominent Chicago attorney George Mesires and Hunters sugar brother pal Kevin Morris  who reportedly loaned him $2.8 million to pay off a 2021 tax bill and has represented Hollywood stars Chris Rock, Scarlett Johansson and Matthew McConaughey.

The plaintiff has evidence that the defendant has not fully disclosed his income sources, residences, assets, and property, Lancaster states. This evidence is bolstered by the fact that the defendant refuses to provide full discovery in this matter.

What Mr. Biden has paid, or received as a contribution, for paying these elite attorneys has a definitive and quantifiable value that goes directly to his income for child support purposes.

While the Biden family ignores the existence of Navy, her three-year-old half-brother Beau gets perks like being invited to the White House Easter Egg Roll

Hunter jets around the world on the safest and most comfortable airplane in existence  Air Force One,' attorney Clint Lancaster wrote in his filings

Hunter's artwork sells for as much as $500,000 per piece, yet Roberts's filings claims he portrays himself as 'destitute'

Lancaster argues that privilege does not apply to client identity and fee information and even wants to see how much Hunter is paying Brent Langdon, the lawyer representing him in the paternity suit.

'Mr Biden claims to be nothing more than a Yale educated attorney/artist who is somewhat financially destitute and needs his child support adjusted. However, for an artist living on meager means Mr Biden is living lavishly, he continues.

Hunter's attorney has now dropped his fight to disqualify Garrett Ziegler, a former Trump administration staffer and longtime Hunter nemesis, as an expert witness

His remarks about Hunters home and car are redacted but he notes that Hunter jets around the world on the safest and most comfortable airplane in existence  Air Force One.

Only someone with the prestige, power and influence associated with the name Biden could land such a peerless legal team, bolstering Robertss case that Navy Joan would benefit from taking her dads name.

Payments to attorneys will show  there is no difficulty that a person with the last name Biden cannot fix with a Biden-paid or funded attorney, Lancaster adds.

These payments will evince that there is respect, admiration, power, accolades, and not harassment or hardship due to the name Biden.'

Hunters lawyers filed a request for a continuance Wednesday afternoon, pleading for more time to properly prepare for Mondays showdown, but it was denied by Judge Meyer. Langdon claimed that his client needed longer because Roberts has retained Garrett Ziegler, a former Trump administration staffer and longtime Hunter nemesis, as an expert witness.

He dropped his motion to exclude Ziegler Friday morning and suggested the court might consider rescheduling or canceling Mondays hearing as a key issue had been cleared up.

Langdon recommended a phone or video conference instead to save time, expense, logistical challenges, and especially the media event any in-person hearing would create.

But his appeal fell on deaf ears as Judge Meyer ruled that Monday's hearing must take place and that all parties are to physically appear for all future hearings.

In a final throw of the dice Langdon asked late Friday if Lowell  who has previously played no part in the Arkansas proceedings  could participate on behalf of Hunter Biden.

Navy Joan was born in August 2018 but she remained a secret until Roberts sued Hunter for child support in her native Arkansas.

The adorable, blonde-haired girl is the fourth of Hunters five children but neither he, nor his parents Joe and Jill Biden, have ever met the child or publicly acknowledged her existence.

Lunden Roberts's ocurt papersname high-priced attorneys that Hunter Biden has use. If he can afford them he can afford child support, she argues

Hunter's bid to have Garrett Ziegler disqualified as an expert witness will be heard Monday at the Independence County courthouse in Batesville, Arkansas

Hunter claimed during the original 10-month paternity case that he was unemployed and had no monthly income despite living in a $12,000-per-month Hollywood rental and driving a Porsche.

But when a judge ordered him to produce financial records he repeatedly failed to do so and instead settled out of court, the two sides announcing a global, final settlement of all issues'.

Hunter claimed in his 2021 memoir, Beautiful Things, that he went on such a rampage in the wake of his 2017 divorce from Kathleen Buhle that he couldnt remember the names of the women he bedded.

It's why I would later challenge in court the woman from Arkansas who had a baby in 2018 and claimed the child was mine  I had no recollection of our encounter. That's how little connection I had with anyone, he wrote.

It was initially reported that Hunter met Roberts while she worked as a stripper at a DC club which Hunter frequented.

But texts retrieved from his notorious abandoned laptop proved that she was in fact on the payroll at Rosemont Seneca, Hunters investment firm.

She and Hunter conceived Navy Joan around December 2017 while he was still in a relationship with his brother Beau's widow, Hallie, but he stopped responding to her texts during the pregnancy.

Hunter has never seen Navy Joan and could not pick her out of a photo lineup, according to court filings.

And Navy has never met her grandpa Joe, 80, despite the President fawning over his six other grandkids and frequently bringing them along for events and speeches.
There are just eight actors playing a total of 20 characters in the performance with some playing both male and female parts

A Texas school district canceled field trips to see Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach after parents complained about 'cross-gender casting'.

Students, with some as young as elementary aged, from Spring Branch Independent School District (SBISD) in Houston were scheduled to see the play at Main Street Theaters before it was scrapped due to concerns raised over its 'age-appropriateness'.

The performance, based on a 1961 classic children's book written by Roald Dahl, was being put on by a local theater and is usually recommended for first graders and older.

There are eight actors playing a total of 20 characters in the James and the Giant Peach play with some playing both male and female parts.

But parents criticized the play and raised concerns about the actors playing cross-gender roles, according to television station KHOU.

A Texas school district canceled field trips to see Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach after parents complained about 'cross-gender casting'

Spring Branch parent Jessica Gerland's kindergarten-age child was scheduled to go to the play before she raised concerns to the district at a school board meeting on Monday

A social media post by a mother is thought to have sparked the eventual cancelation after she shared screenshots of other parents who vowed not to let their kids go on the trip because of a 'drag queens role in the show'.

Spring Branch parent Jessica Gerland's kindergarten-age child was scheduled to go to the play before she raised concerns to the district at a school board meeting on Monday.

She was told by the theater the actors play multiple roles in the performance, which are both male and female.

Gerland said: 'The way that they are normalizing this, especially in front of 5- to 6-year-olds, it just raises concerns for some parents.

'She [woman at the theater] explained to me how they wear flamboyant makeup and wigs to make it fun for the kids.

'Do you know what the definition of a drag queen is?

'It's something that I thought would be more appropriate for high schoolers, not kindergarteners.'

While a page titled Houston Kids First on Instagram shared messages from other angry parents.

One message read: 'Omg we went there for our 1st grade field trip. I'm so p*****! The theater told us there is no room for parent chaperones! I'm talking to the school about not supporting the theater.

'What the hell! They are not doing enough continual vetting.'

While another said: 'We (along with many) are keeping our son home tomorrow but a lot of parents are asking me about the drag queens role in the show.'

Schools from the district had already made field trips to see the play which started its seasonal run on April 19 and is running three productions per week until May 19.

But schools from SBISD have now decided to cancel upcoming trips following the backlash from parents.

It released a statement on Thursday which read: 'We received feedback from employees and other adults who attended Main Street Theaters production of James and the Giant Peach that expressed concern over elements of the performance that were not age-appropriate for elementary students.

Based on the concerns we heard, the decision was made to request campuses planning to attend make alternative arrangements. My responsibility is to ensure that content students are exposed to during school hours is age appropriate. Given the information we had, the decision was made to err on the side of caution. Please understand these decisions are not always easy to make and are always done in the best interest of our students.'

There are just eight actors playing a total of 20 characters in the performance with some playing both male and female parts

The performance, based on a 1961 classic children's book written by Roald Dahl, was being put on by Main Street Theater and is usually recommended for first graders and older

But Main Street Theater marketing director Shannon Emerick refuted the claim the play featured drag queens and said cross-gender acting is common in theater.

She said: 'There's no drag in the show. You are going to see men playing women and women playing men sometimes, absolutely.

'That has happened since the creation of theater 1,000 years ago.

'Drag is a different art form. There is a whole art form that is drag. The amazing thing is the kids just believe the story.

'Theyre not interested in any agendas or anything else anyone thinks is going on.'

And Rebecca Udden, the executive artistic director for the 43-year-old nonprofit theater, said the controversy stems from misinformed concerns about cross-gender-casting in an Instagram post.

'Except for a few characters in the show, they're all insects for heaven's sake. They're not even people,' she said.

'Every theater in the world has men playing women and women playing men. It's just part of the tradition. This is certainly blown out of context.

'We do not do drag in our theater for youth.'

Main Street Theaters responded to the social media post by Houston Kids First to highlight the theater has used cross-gender casting for years due to having a smaller crew.

It also explained the glowworm featured in the book is a female because male glowworms do not light up.

Udden said the string of school cancellations does not negatively impact the theater but she is concerned for the safety of actors amid the backlash.

James and the Giant Peach is an iconic Roald Dahl story about an orphan boy who escapes an abusive home and finds refuge inside a magical peach.
When Britain celebrated the Queen's 70 years on the throne last year, some could not resist giving the milestone a nickname.

And so, for many on social media, the Platinum Jubilee became the Platty Joobs.

Now, similarly intense debate has broken out online over what the nickname for King Charles's Coronation should be.

Some on social media have opted to use the nickname 'Corrie Bobs' to describe the King's Coronation

Contenders flying around on social media include, among many others, the 'Corrie Bobs', the 'Corrie Nats' and 'Chazza's Corro'.

Most popular Coronation nicknames The most popular Coronation abbreviations, according to social media: Corrie Bobs

Corrie Nats

The Cozza

Crowny Chaz

Chazza's Corro Advertisement

Taking to Twitter, one person said: 'Question - after #plattyjubes and #stattyfunes, what are the Brits calling the coronation? Best suggestion I've seen is #corriebobs.

Another royal fan appeared to have already settled on the nickname choice, writing: 'Anyone else make or try the #PlattyJubes Trifle last summer?

'I loved it and feel sad it might now fade into history, so have decided to make one again for the #CorrieBobs and party we're off to!'

A post on Reddit read: 'We've had Platty Jubes and Statty Funes, what will King Charles' coronation be abbreviated to?'

One user said beneath: 'Corribobs. I made it and I hate it.'

A reply then read: 'I immediately hated you for making me read it.'

Another Redditor replied: 'I hate it and its the one.'

A third joked: 'Sorry, I hate it but it's the one.'

Other nicknames that have done the rounds include 'the Cozza' and 'Crowny Chaz'.

Last year, Platty Joobs took off to such an extent that even bakery chain Greggs used it when urging Her Late Majesty to enjoy a sausage roll.

King Charles would likely be unimpressed with the nicknames

Others were not taken with the phrase though, saying it belonged in the same category as 'hollibobs'.

Meanwhile, preparations for the King's actual crowning next weekend are continuing at pace.

The Stone of Destiny left Edinburgh Castle yesterday in preparation for its central role in the ceremony inside Westminster Abbey.

It last left Scotland in 1996, when it was removed from the Abbey after spending 700 years - bar a few months when it missing after being stolen in 1950 - in London.

Earlier today, the King watched an Australian charity kick off the London leg of a torch relay in celebration of its centenary.

Charles chatted with torchbearers, participants and families at the event to mark 100 years of Legacy in the quadrangle at Buckingham Palace on Friday.

Founded in 1923 by a small group of First World War veterans, Legacy supports thousands of veterans, spouses and children of Australian Defence Force (ADF) members who have been affected by the death or serious injury of a loved one.

Charles received a torch as a gift and watched as torchbearers passed on the flame at Buckingham Palace

A post on Reddit read: 'We've had Platty Jubes and Statty Funes, what will King Charles' coronation be abbreviated to?'

One user said beneath: 'Corribobs. I made it and I hate it.' A reply then read: 'I immediately hated you for making me read it.' Another Redditor replied: 'I hate it and it's the one'

Charles wore his ceremonial frock coat and sword, while the Queen Consort, who is Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, dressed all in red in a coat dress by Fiona Clare and a striking beret by Philip Treacy.

The monarch noted it had been some 85 years since a King's Colour had been presented. He also paid tribute to the 70-reign of his mother the late Queen.

He added: 'On such a special occasion, I particularly wanted to express my heartfelt appreciation to each and every one of you, as representatives from the three Services, for your loyal service over the course of her remarkable reign, to the late Queen who, I know, held you all in such high regard.'
A US Marines recruiter who counseled sexual assault victims has been charged with grooming and raping a 16-year-old girl.

Staff Stg Mason Wallace, 28, was charged with third-degree rape after he allegedly started a relationship with a schoolgirl after meeting her at a recruitment event.

Speaking to the New York Post, the victim said: 'I would look back at my messages with him and he said some weird things.

'At the time, I didn't notice it was like grooming, but it is grooming.'

Pictured: Mason Wallace who is accused of grooming and raping the teenage girl

The victims mother previously spoken out about what had happened to her daughter in an interview and criticized the school district over their inaction

Wallace had met the victim during a visit to Longwood High School, Long Island, in October.

Her family ties and love of video games, mainly Call of Duty, drew her to Wallace and the two exchanged discord information to chat to each other.

Wallace is alleged to have used a home visit to play video games with the teen while her Mom wasn't home, or even aware Wallace was visiting.

According to the teen this then led to unprotected sexual intercourse and she grew concerned about pregnancy.

Wallace is then alleged to have come to her home again and they engaged in sexual intercourse, this time using protection.

According to the Post, a condom and the teen's phone have been taken into evidence by the Suffolk County Police Department.

The young woman's mother told News12 that she discovered in February Wallace had been talking to her daughter since the recruitment event at the school.

She said: 'He was bringing her in little special gifts that nobody else was getting. Telling her she looks pretty, you know things like that, and this was all happening at school.'

He is alleged to have told her: 'I'm a dirty old man and you love it.' A letter dated March the 27th was sent to parents of students at Longwood High School.

It said: 'The district was recently made aware of an allegation that a local military recruiter had unprofessional and inappropriate interactions with one of our high school students.

Pictured: The letter sent to parents of students who attended the school that Wallace appeared at in October of last year.

Longwood High School in Long Island where Wallace first met the teenage girl as part of his work as a recruiter.

'Immediately upon learning of these allegations, we initiated a full investigation into the reported misconduct and referred the matter to the Suffolk County Police Department for further investigation.

'This individual has been permanently banned from all school grounds, and we will continue to work with the appropriate authorities to ensure that this matter is dealt with to the full extent of the law.'

In a statement, the Marine Corps said: 'The Marine Corps is aware of the allegations regarding a Marine Corps recruiter assigned to Recruiting Station New York, and the situation is under investigation.

'The Marines of Recruiting Station New York take such allegations very seriously and are cooperating with local law enforcement.'

Wallace's lawyer told the Post that his client maintains his innocence until proven guilty.
The US Coast Guard has called off the search for an Australian man who fell overboard while on Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas cruise ship near Hawaii two days ago.

Warwick Tollemache, 35, was identified as the person who fell from the 15th floor balcony of the cruise on Tuesday around 11pm Hawaiian time. He had been traveling with his mother Mandy before disappearing overboard.

Tollemache was supposed to be accompanied by his girlfriend Celine LaRoche, but work commitments got in the way and his mother went instead.

LaRoche, who expressed distress over the search being called off, told Sky News she spoke to Tollemache just hours before the tragedy, and the two 'were making plans for another trip.'

'They should have kept looking  I don't understand why they stopped the search,' she told the news outlet on Friday. 'I'm just devastated.'

'He could still be alive in the middle of nowhere.'

In November 2022, a 28-year-old American man was found alive after falling off a Carnival Cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico and surviving in the water for at least 15 hours.

'I won't have closure personally until they find him,' LaRoche said. 'He knows how to float in water, we did it together when we were snorkeling.'

Warwick Tollemache, 35, was identified as the person who fell from the 15th floor deck of the luxury cruise liner on Tuesday around 11pm Hawaiian time

Celine LaRoche pictured with Warwick Tollemache. LaRoche said that she was meant to go on the cruise with him, but work commitments got in the way and he went with his mother instead

The mother and son had been on the ship that left Brisbane on April 12 for a 15-day voyage, with the ship making its final stop to Honolulu on Friday.

La Roche said that his mother called 'straight away' to tell her Tollemache was dead.

Tollemache's mother Mandy described her son as a 'gentle soul' in a Facebook post.'

'Our family is heartbroken at the loss of our beloved Warwick.'

It is unclear how Tollemache fell, but passengers told Sky News Australia that two crew members witnessed him go overboard. Horrified passenger Ken Carcas said, 'a lady heard a scream, went out onto the balcony and saw him drop past, hit the tender below and fall into the water.'

The captain was alerted and the crew from the cruise ship remained on scene to search for the missing man, deploying six life rings, according to a statement from the US Coast Guard.

The United States Coast Guard and the Navy were deployed early Wednesday morning. After six hours on scene, the crew returned to Air Station Barbers Point for fuel replenishment.

The search resumed at first light Thursday morning, Coast Guard officials said in a statement. But, had been called off later in the day when they failed to locate him.

The US Coast Guard confirmed in a statement that they made the 'difficult decision' to end the search after discussions with the next of kin.

A coast guard crew flying a military aircraft, HC-130, set off early Wednesday morning around 7am in search for the missing man in the area, about 800 kilometers south of Kailua-Kona, on Hawaii's Big Island, before returning to refuel.

Passenger Ivan Rukavina, who was on the cruise, told 7NEWS.com.au that he heard over the ship's loudspeaker 'Oscar Oscar Oscar,' a code that means man overboard.

Rukavina said the man fell from the 15th-floor balcony, about 20m above his room and directly above the main pool area.

When Royal Caribbean did not immediately address what had taken place wild rumors began to swirl for hours aboard the cruise ship, leaving many passengers anxious.

A map of the ship's path from Brisbane to Tahiti and on to Hawaii where he went overboard

Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas holds 4,905 passengers and has 16 decks

Warwick Tollemache was described by his grieving mother as a 'gentle soul'

Just hours before Tollemache falling overboard, there was a death aboard the same cruise ship.

An unnamed woman reportedly suffered a medical emergency from an unrelated medical incident.

Royal Caribbean Cruises said after the natural death on its Pacific voyage 'a guest onboard Quantum of the Seas went overboard.'

'The ship's crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation and worked closely with local authorities.'

The cruise line said its 'thoughts and deepest sympathies' were with Tollemache's loved ones.
A pair of related bills rapidly advancing through the Florida Legislature would eviscerate protections for historic buildings and districts in coastal areas across the state, allowing property owners and developers to bypass local regulations and bulldoze and redevelop much of Miami Beach, among many other places.

That would include the iconic Art Deco hotel row on Ocean Drive as well as famed neighborhoods such as Key Wests Old Town, the town of Palm Beach and Fernandina Beach.

The bills, SB 1317 and HB 1346, sponsored by Republicans Sen. Bryan Avila and Rep. Spencer Roach, are causing alarm among preservationists and municipal officials statewide, including shocked elected officials in St. Augustine  the oldest city in the United States  as they realize their potentially devastating implications. One preservation group in Miami Beach called the legislation the end of historic preservation in coastal Florida. Another critic likened it to an atom bomb.

For the full story, please see miamiherald.com
An American doctor has been identified as the second U.S. citizen to have died in fierce fighting that has rocked the African nation of Sudan.

The death of Bushra Ibnauf Sulieman, a Sudanese-American father-of-four, was announced by the Sudanese American Medical Association.

He was in the capital Khartoum with his wife and two young children while caring for his parents and providing frontline medical help during armed clashes that have killed at least 500 people.

He died from stab wounds after being attacked as he escorted his father to a medical appointment during a tentative ceasefire.

'He was someone who believed in Sudan,' his friend and colleague Dr. Yasir Elamin told the BBC World Service.

'He spent a significant amount of his time educating the next generation of Sudanese doctors. He was very charismatic ... everybody loved him.'

The death of Bushra Ibnauf Sulieman, a Sudanese-American father-of-four, was announced by the Sudanese American Medical Association. He is the second American killed in Sudan

On Sunday, U.S. special forces carried out a precarious evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Sudan. Images of foreigners fleeing are being used by Islamists to say they are winning the war against the West, just like the Taliban did in Afghanistan when Americans fled in 2021

He split his time between Sudan and Iowa City, where he practiced at Mercy Iowa City's Gastroenterology Clinic.

Heavy explosions and gunfire battered Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman again on Friday, as a fragile truce between warring parties threatened to collapse.

Foreign governments made use of a ceasefire earlier in the week to evacuate their embassies and rescue some foreign nationals.

Washington has come under fire for flying out about 70 embassy staff in a mission led by elite SEAL commandos while warning thousands of private American citizens in Sudan there would be no similar evacuation for them.

That could leave as many as 16,000 Americans  mostly dual nationals  stranded.

The White House insists it is doing what it can.

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the United States had deployed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets to support air and land evacuation routes, which Americans were using.

The capital Khartoum has been battered by clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army as rival generals battle for power in Africa's third biggest country

The United Nations says more than 500 people have been killed during heavy fighting

The Marine Security Guard Detachment assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, take hold of the U.S. flag during a flag-folding ceremony at the U.S. Embassy, on April 22, 2023

PIctured: British Nationals about to board an RAF aircraft in Sudan, for evacuation to Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus

'This is a dynamic environment, and any option entails a degree of risk,' she said Thursday.

'But because the situation is unlikely to improve, we encourage Americans who want to leave to take advantage of the options that are available to them in the next 24 to 48 hours.'

Over the past 14 days of pummeling each other, the military led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, have failed to deal a knockout blow to the other in their struggle for control of Africa's third largest nation.

At the same time, world powers have struggled to get them to silence the weapons even for nominal truces.

A bloc of East Africa nations has put forward a initiative for the two sides to hold talks, and a range of mediators is promoting the plan, including the African Union, the U.S., the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia as well as the United Nations.

Sudan's army has been carrying out airstrikes on RSF forces spread across the Khartoum and its neighboring cities.

The fighting pitches army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, who has allied himself with the country's Islamists, against Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo (better known as Hemedti) who heads the Rapid Support Forces

Islamists are using a sophisticated social media operation to gain influence in Sudan. That includes using AI to fake a plot by US Ambassador John Godfrey to intervene in the country

But as fighting ebbed with a truce it flared elsewhere in the country this week, most notably in Darfur, the arid western region where tribal forces and rebels have clashed for two decades.

The U.N. says at least 512 people have died in the fighting and as many as 4200 have been wounded in the past two weeks, although the actual toll is likely to be far higher.

One of the greatest fears now is that the clashes could become a regional war, as neighbors such as Chad, Libya and Egypt back one or the other general.

At the same time, the nation's Islamists, once the power behind the throne, see the chance of a comeback and have thrown in their lot with the Sudanese armed forces, against the RSF.

Although they currently have little influence, they have extensive and sophisticated online messaging operations.

Amil Khan, founder of Valent Projects which researches the impact of social media, said Islamists had a powerful network of accounts spreading images of Western-led evacuations, and of civilian leaders taking flights out of Khartoum.

'They're opportunistically then using that to say this is Western collapse, and linking it to Kabul allows them to try to paint themselves as victors in the same way that they see the Taliban,' he said.

'It reflects messaging around the word that the Taliban have won the US. The US left in disarray.

'The Islamists are trying to say that we are the people that conquered them.'

In their heyday, Sudan's Islamists turned the nation into a haven for terrorists. Osama bin Laden made his home in the capital Khartoum from 1991 to 1996.
Two students from Michigan are suing their school district for banning them from wearing sweatshirts to class featuring an anti-Biden political slogan.

The anonymous young people were said to have worn 'Let's Go Brandon' sweatshirts to Tri County Middle School in Howard City last year, when an assistant principal and teacher made them remove the tops.

Attorney Conor Fitzpatrick, speaking on behalf of the students, argued that 'criticism of the president is core political speech protected by the First Amendment.

'Whether it's a Biden sticker, Let's Go Brandon sweatshirt, or gay pride T-shirt, schools can't pick and choose which political beliefs students can express.'

A sweatshirt printed with "Let's Go Brandon", like the ones the school is accused of banning

Tri County Middle School allegedly banned the wearing of tops with 'vulgar' language

A lawsuit brought by the boys' mother through Fitzpatrick against the Tri County Area Schools on Tuesday says the assistant principal decried the language implied in the slogan.

The member of staff was reported to have said that 'his sweatshirt was equivalent to the F word'.

In a letter dated June 9, 2022, an attorney for the schools stressed that the shirts were not allowed because the district 'prohibits clothing or styles of expression that are vulgar or profane'.

Clark Hill attorney Kara T. Rozin added in the letter: 'The commonly known meaning of the slogan "Lets Go Brandon" is intended to ridicule the president with profanity.

'At least one of the students  has acknowledged knowing what this slogan means.'

The lawsuit challenges the school district's claims that 'despite prohibiting "Let's Go Brandon" apparel, the school district permits students to wear apparel expressing other political and social messages, including but not limited to apparel expressing support for LGBTQ+ rights.'

It argues that the sweatshirt did not 'disrupt class, cause disturbance among students, or invade the rights of others', saying the school has '[censored] the students' peaceful, non-disruptive political expression in school'.

The suit also says that one of the boys took off the sweatshirt, fearing punishment.

Rozin, for the school district, maintains that while the school district 'does not prohibit students from the right to express their political views or from wearing clothing with political slogans,' the student code prohibits 'language or clothing containing language that is offensive, vulgar or profane.'

The slogan originated in October 2021 from a televised interview with NASCAR Sparks 300 race winner Brandon Brown at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.

NBC reporter Kelli Stavast mistakenly described a chant in the crowd, allegedly of "f**k Joe Biden", as "Let's Go Brandon".

Brandon Brown celebrates after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Sparks 300 at Talladega Superspeedway on 2 October 2021 - the origin of the "Let's Go Brandon" meme and slogan

Republican causes and those critical of Joe Biden have adopted the slogan in many forms

Brown, who is a Republican, said in December 2021 he had stayed quiet as the phrase became popular nationwide as he had 'zero desire to be involved in politics'.

NASCAR has also distanced itself from the phrase, saying it does not want to be associated with politics on the left or the right.

DailyMail.com reached out to the school for comment.
Prince Andrew has been spotted driving to Windsor Castle just days before his brother King Charles' Coronation.

The Duke of York, 63, was seen driving his Range Rover to the royal residence on Friday afternoon.

He made an appearance just days before the King is set to be officially crowned at Westminster Abbey on May 6 with final preparations under way at the historic cathedral.

It comes after former BBC presenter Emily Maitlis lifted the lid about his disastrous Newsnight interview.

The Duke of York, 63, was seen driving his Range Rover to the royal residence on Friday afternoon

Prince Andrew has been spotted driving to Windsor Castle just days before his brother's coronation

The late Queen realised Prince Andrew's Newsnight interview was a disaster before he did, it is claimed.

Ms Maitlis revealed the monarch was handed a transcript of the Duke of York's appearance on the BBC's flagship news programme, in which he was asked about his association with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Shortly afterwards, the duke, who was said to be 'euphoric' following the interview which he thought had gone 'really well', was apparently tapped on the shoulder by his security detail and ushered away.

Andrew came under intense scrutiny following his disastrous interview in 2019, which addressed allegations that Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre was trafficked to have sex with the royal when she was 17.

In the new two-part Channel 4 documentary, Andrew - The Problem Prince, Ms Maitlis said the negative implications of the interview 'dawned' on the Queen 'before they dawned on him'.

The interview was the perfect gift to Virginia Giuffre because it contained 'so many provably false things', her lawyer has said.

Attorney Sigrid McCawley said that the Duke of York's series of blunders and bizarre defence of his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein in the 2019 interview provided them with a 'roadmap to tear him apart'.

Within two years the Queen had stripped him of his military affiliations, royal patronages and use of his HRH title and he settled a civil lawsuit brought by Ms Giuffre for a reported 12million ($16.3m).

Speaking in the documentary, Sigrid McCawley, a member of Ms Giuffre's legal team, told the two-part show that she had been 'thrilled' with the interview.

'You couldn't have handed me a better present,' she added. 'He said so many provably false things. It was just a roadmap to tear him apart.'

Prince Andrew, Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell posing in a picture taken in Maxwell's mews house

During the original Newsnight broadcast, the duke denied he had had sex with Ms Giuffre, said he had no recollection of ever meeting her and that he had spent the day in question at Pizza Express in Woking, Surrey, at a party with one of his daughters.

Ms Giuffre said Andrew sweated heavily as they danced at London nightclub Tramp in one alleged encounter.

The duke told Ms Maitlis his Falklands War service had caused a medical condition, at the time, which meant he did not sweat.

One of Prince Andrew's friends, Irish defamation lawyer Paul Tweed, told the documentary he tried to talk the duke out of giving the interview.

Newsnight producer Sam McAlister claimed Prince Andrew (right) was 'euphoric' after his interview with Emily Maitlis (left) because 'he thought it had gone really well'

Ms Maitlis revealed she was 'shocked' by some of the duke's responses and described it as 'a tidal wave of bad answers'.

She said: 'This is how I know that Prince Andrew is happy with the interview because he stayed chatting. He seemed very jolly.

'A whole load of people came in and I said, "What's going on?" They said, "OK, Thursday evenings we have the cinema night at the palace. You can stay if you want." And at that point, I just thought, I've got to get away from here. I needed the space to work out what just happened.'

Ms Maitlis went on to reveal how the Queen appeared to realise the gravity of the situation before the duke did.

She said: 'It was only on the Saturday when the Queen had reportedly read the whole transcript that he had received a tap on the shoulder by his security detail.

'And they had said, "I think, sir, you might have to come with us." It was after the Queen had seen what the interview contained that I think it dawned on her, before it dawned on him.'

Following the BBC broadcast in November 2019 and the furore over Andrew's friendship with Epstein, the duke stepped down from public life.

Last year, he reached an out-of-court settlement with Ms Giuffre reportedly worth up to $12million (9.6million) following her civil sex claim against him in the US.

He vehemently denies any wrongdoing.

Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan in August 2019 while he was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.

Andrew's infamous Newsnight interview is also being adapted by Netflix, with Sex Education star Gillian Anderson playing Ms Maitlis and The Man In The High Castle actor Rufus Sewell as Andrew.

Ms McAlister revealed to the Channel 4 documentary that the duke had taken his daughter, Princess Beatrice, with him to the final negotiations with the BBC over what should be included in the interview.

'Can you imagine being in Buckingham Palace, about to talk to a member of the royal family about sexual offences? That's pretty tricky - and now I've got to do it in front of his daughter,' the producer said.

Ms Maitlis said she thought at the time that he might have agreed to speak in an attempt to make amends with his daughter, who had recently got engaged to her now-husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.

She told the Channel 4 documentary: Its the first time the thought crossed my mind that maybe he was doing it for her.

Your life has been hellish. Youve had to read these headlines. Youre trying to get married. Im going to do this to make it better for you. I dont know if thats true, but it crossed my mind.
A medical examiner officially ruled the death as a homicide, as friends and former patients continue to mourn the top doctor

The star doctor was shot multiple times in the head before being discovered wrapped in a sheet in the attic of his mansion

A person of interest has been arrested in the brutal murder of neurosurgeon Dr Devon Hoover

A 'person of interest' has been arrested in the brutal murder of a star neurosurgeon, who was shot multiple times in the head before being found wrapped in a plastic sheet in the attic of his mansion.

The arrest comes almost a week after Dr. Devon Hoover, 53, was discovered Sunday evening in what cops initially said was likely a domestic incident that turned deadly.

Detroit Police announced the development Friday and said they are 'confident' the arrested man 'has information about what transpired'. The individual is currently being held in custody on charges unrelated to the doctor's death.

Authorities initially said Hoover was shot once, however a medical examiner discovered Thursday he was shot multiple times in the head. His cause of death was officially ruled as a homicide.

Dr. Devon Hoover, pictured, was shot multiple times in the head before he was discovered wrapped in a sheet in his attic

Law enforcement have arrested a 'person of interest' in their investigation into the murder. Pictured: A Michigan State Police forensics laboratory

Speaking after the arrest, Detroit Police Chief James White said the arrested man and Hoover knew each other, but declined to go into detail over the nature of their relationship.

'This was not a random act', added White.

The official did not divulge a possible motive for the killing, but said his department has 'some theories'. The name of the suspect has not been released.

'Right now, we're happy to have a person of interest who we can question,' he said. 'We're not going to stop until we have every piece of information that we need.'

'We are actively still investigating this case,' insisted White, adding that there is no indication there is still a risk to the community.

Police say there was no signs of forced entry in Hoover's $1.2 million Detroit mansion. He was believed to live alone, and his car was later discovered stranded on the west side of Detroit.

The beloved doctor was found Sunday after police carried out a welfare check when he failed to show up for a family party in Indiana.

White declined to go into details over how the surgeon was found, but he said officers were 'quickly concerned about some of the things that they saw' inside the home.

The killing stunned the doctor's friends, colleagues and former patients, who spoke in glowing terms about the 53-year-old.

His former neighbor, Roland Radinski, who lives in a $3.2 million home built by K-Mart founder SS Kresge on Hoover's opulent street, told DailyMail.com he 'never had an argument' with the surgeon in 15 years of knowing him.

He added those who knew the top doctor had 'nothing but good things to say about him', a notion echoed by many as tributes pour in for the slain surgeon.

'We, the family of Devon Hoover, wish to express our profound sadness at the loss of a beloved son, brother, and uncle,' Hoovers relatives said in a statement.

'We grieve his untimely death and will miss him greatly. We are so grateful for the many words of kindness and stories from people who were touched by his life. He was a gift from God and used his talents to bless many.'

A neighbor said the neurosurgeon lived alone, but was an 'anchor of the block' and was 'extremely involved in the neighborhood'

The top doctor was described as 'wonderful' by friends, family and former patients

The neurosurgeon's death stunned the lavish neighborhood where he lived for decades, in the historic Boston-Edison district of Detroit.

The lucrative area is one of the most upscale neighborhoods in the city, and according to its website, numerous Michigan celebrities including heavyweight boxer Joe Louis and music legend Barry Gordy.

Hoover's neighbor, Jonathan Shearrod, told the Detroit News: 'It's going to take some time to wrap your head around what has happened.'

He said the renowned neurosurgeon lived alone, but was an 'anchor of the block' and was 'extremely involved in the neighborhood', regularly hosting parties and functions in his lavish home.

'I just can't imagine anyone experiencing that in their home or just having to face that kind of terror where you live.'
Rishi Sunak refused to use the Welsh name for the Brecon Beacons today as he dismissed a celebrity-backed campaign to abandon he English title for the mountain range.

The Prime Minister said he believed 'most people' would ignore the move to return to to the original name for the scenic uplands to distance them from climate change.

The park switched to using its Welsh name, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, earlier this month, as its management claimed the association with a wood-burning, carbon-emitting blazing 'beacon' was 'not a good look'.

The campaign was backed by Welsh actor Michael Sheen, famed for playing characters including Tony Blair on stage and screen.

Speaking ahead of the Welsh Conservative conference in Mr Sheen's home town of Newport, Mr Sunak told BBC Wales he was a 'big supporter of the Welsh language and Welsh culture'.

But he added: 'When it comes to the Brecon Beacons, the first thing to say is this is an internationally renowned place to visit, attracts visitors from all around the world.

'It's something we're all really proud of across the UK. I'm going to keep calling it the Brecon Beacons, and I would imagine most people will do that too.'

The Prime Minister said he believed 'most people' would ignore the move to return to to the original name for the scenic uplands to distance them from climate change.

The park switched to using its Welsh name, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, earlier this month, as its management claimed the association with a wood-burning, carbon-emitting blazing 'beacon' was 'not a good look'.

The campaign was backed by Welsh actor Michael Sheen, famed for playing characters including Tony Blair on stage and screen.

The decision to revert to the original Welsh name was criticised by senior Tories as a symbolic attempt to look 'trendy' which could 'undermine' the region's international identity.

The Welsh name for the region translates as 'peaks of Brychan's kingdom' - a reference to the fifth-century king in the region. It is pronounced Ban-eye Bruck-ein-iog  or the Bannau for short.

Last week, Downing Street said it expected people to carry on using the Brecon Beacons name and actions 'rather than nomenclature' were the key to tackling climate change.

'The public, I'm sure, will continue to ... use both the English and the Welsh names,' the Prime Minister's official spokesman said.

Welsh Secretary David TC Davies has expressed concern about the rebranding, saying there had been 'no consultation' and it would 'always be known by (Brecon Beacons) to so many around the world'.

Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies said: 'The Beacons are as recognisable outside of Wales as they are here. Why undermine that?'

Tory MP Sir Robert Goodwill said that place names like 'Coalville' or 'Blackburn' might be equally at risk under the logic of avoiding links to carbon-emissions.

The Brecon Beacons National Park in South Wales was established in 1957, under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act of 1949.

The park has two purposes under law  those being to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the park; and to promote opportunities for the enjoyment and understanding of its special qualities.

Going back to 5500BC in Middle Stone Age times, hunter-gatherers cut down scrub and burned the aftermath to create small grassland areas so animals could graze and be hunted.

By the New Stone Age there was farming and the end of the Bronze Age there had been big forest clearances.

In the Iron Age, Celtic peoples arrived and brought much better farming processes including hill forts. The Romans and Normans later conquered the area  with the latter's manorial system being consolidated in the Middle Ages.

From the end of the 15th century industries such as ironmaking and charcoal burning began to emerge  while more recent decades have seen urban expansion, road construction, and reservoir building.

The national park area now covers 520 square miles, which much of this being upland and two-thirds of the area comprised of old red sandstone rocks.
Andrew Tate has blasted a Coronation Street star and called him a 'pu**y' after he apologised for 'liking' some of the misogynistic influencer's posts on Twitter.

Adam Hussain, who is best know for portraying Aadi Alahan on the ITV soap, issued the apology earlier this week saying he 'wasn't aware' of Tate's controversial background when he 'liked' some of the posts.

He added that he would never 'endorse' any such views in a statement released after his interaction with the posts on the social media platform were reported on.

But Tate - who has over six million followers - hit back on Friday. Posting a screenshot of an article from Digital Spy covering Hussain's apology, he wrote: 'Pu**y.'

In his typically bizarre style, the 36-year-old added in a follow-up Tweet: 'I teach men to become filthy rich. You can be an actor - but they still have you by the balls.

Andrew Tate (left) has blasted a Coronation Street star Adam Hussain (right) and called him a 'pu**y' after he apologised for 'liking' some of the misogynistic influencer's posts on Twitter

Tate - who has over six million followers - hit back on Friday. Posting a screenshot of an article from Digital Spy covering Hussain's apology, he wrote: 'Pu**y.'

'He agrees with me, but backtracks like ickle pu**ybowy or he gets FIRED. Money is ULTRA important to escape the slave mind.' He then posted a link to his website.

Tate, a former kick boxer, has been accused of spreading misogynistic 'rape culture' content to audiences as young as 13 on TikTok and other social media. In one case, Tate spoke about attacking a woman if she ever accused him of cheating.

He is also currently being investigated in Romania along with his brother Tristan over the suspected human trafficking, rape and exploitation of women. He was released from jail in March, but remains under house arrest pending further investigation.

Hussain said he issued the apology having not realised Tate's background when he first clicked 'like' (typically used by people to show their appreciation for a Tweet).

'I'm really sorry if my 'liking' of these tweets has caused any offence to our viewers and my colleagues,' he wrote.

According to The Sun, who first reported on Hussain's interaction, the Corrie actor had been engaging with the disgraced influencer and his brother almost daily.

The publication said he had liked a 'staggering' number of Tate's posts.

One of Tate's post that was initially liked by Hussain the influencer write: 'The Truth Will Prevail.' Another said: '30 more days on house arrest. 30 more days supressed. I haven't been free for a single day this year. The battle rages against Shaitan.'

Another saw Tate write: 'Any man whos afraid to professionally fight isn't allowed to discuss mindset on the timeline [sic].'

Tate (pictured), a former kick boxer, has been accused of spreading misogynistic 'rape culture' content to audiences as young as 13 on TikTok and other social media. In one case, Tate spoke about attacking a woman if she ever accused him of cheating

Tate has shared with his followers his belief that he is the target of some form of global conspiracy to keep him and other like-minded people in check.

He often refers to a conspiracy involving the concept of 'The Matrix' as a global conspiracy trying to control the world. He frames himself as being someone who will help people break free of this 'control'.

He has even suggested he will be assassinated as part of this global plot, and in a string of deleted Tweets on Thursday claimed he had been poisoned.

There is no such evidence such a conspiracy exists.

The Tate brothers are still waiting to learn whether Romanian prosecutors will send their case to trial.

Under Romanian legislation, prosecutors have filed charges against the four suspects, but the case is under investigation and has not gone to trial.

Andrew, Tristan and two Romanian female suspects are under house arrest pending a criminal investigation for suspected human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, accusations they have denied.

The Tates, Georgiana Naghel and Luana Radu were held in police custody from December 29 until March 31 when a Bucharest court placed them under house arrest. Prosecutors have until June to send the case to trial.

On Monday, Romania's DIICOT anti-organised crime prosecuting unit notified Tristan Tate that an additional charge of inciting others to violence was added to his name, DIICOT spokesperson Ramona Bolla told Reuters.

Romanian prosecutors announced the additional charge on Tuesday.

The charge is believed to relate to an alleged incident involving Naghel inflicting pain on another woman in 2021, according to Romanian media outlet Gandul.

Naghel reportedly forced an alleged victim to raise her right hand when she knew that the woman had recently undergone breast augmentation surgery and that such a movement would be painful.

Afterwards, Naghel allegedly told Tristan about what happened and he laughed.

Andrew and Tristan Tate (pictured left and right) and two Romanian female suspects are under house arrest pending a criminal investigation for suspected human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, accusations they have denied

Former police officer Luana Radu (left) and Georgiana Naghel (right) are suspected of assisting the Tate brothers in the crimes they are under investigation for. The new charge against Tristan is believed to relate to an alleged incident involving Tristan's associate Naghel inflicting pain on another woman in 2021

But Tristan's spokesperson questioned how the influencer incited the violence when the alleged incident happened before he became aware of it.

Tristan denies any wrongdoing. On Twitter, he said prosecutors were making up new charges without evidence.

Their spokesperson added that the alleged incident was brought before the police at the time but they dismissed it and did not investigate it further.

The DIICOT spokesperson meanwhile said the prosecutors were also looking into accusations of money laundering, but had not issued any related charges.


Iranian state television has released gloating footage of masked navy commandos conducting a helicopter-borne raid to seize a US-bound oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman

The capture on Thursday of the Turkish-managed, Chinese-owned Advantage Sweet represents the latest tanker seizure by Iran amid tensions with the US over Tehran's burgeoning nuclear program.

Tehran claims the tanker was seized after it 'collided' with another Iranian vessel -- but has provided no evidence yet to support the claim, and Iran has taken other ships as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.

The footage showed the commandos descending on the deck of the Advantage Sweet by ropes from a hovering helicopter. A photograph showed one commando with his fist in the air after apparently taking the vessel.

The oil tanker Advantage Sweet passes through the Bosphorus Strait in a file photo. Iran's navy seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday

The footage released on Iran TV showed the commandos descending on the deck of the Advantage Sweet by ropes from a hovering helicopter

A photograph showed one commando with his fist in the air after apparently taking the vessel

The US Navy's 5th Fleet has said the Iranian seizure was at least the fifth commercial vessel taken by Tehran in the last two years.

'Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy,' it added.

The vessel's manager, a Turkish firm called Advantage Tankers, issued a statement acknowledging the Advantage Sweet was 'being escorted by the Iranian navy to a port on the basis of an international dispute.' All the ship's 24 crew members are Indian.

'The safety and welfare of our valued crew members is our No. 1 priority,' the firm said. 'Similar experiences show that crew members of vessels taken under such circumstances are in no danger.'

Officials said the vessel had been heading to Houston - before it was abruptly hijacked in international waters. The US Navy said in a statement the unlawful seizure was carried out by Iran's own naval branch.

The vessel sent a distress signal at 1.15pm, officials said, while being taken in international waters just north of Oman's capital, Muscat. The boat disembarked from Kuwait Monday and passed through the Persian Gulf the day before.

The US Navy fleet stationed in that area of the world is now demanding the ship's immediate release, with it being the fifth commercial vessel unlawfully taken by Tehran in the past two years.

The oil tanker was seized in the Gulf of Oman in international waters Thursday, after leaving Kuwait Monday morning

The Navy has identified the vehicle as the Advantage Sweet (seen here), with the vessel sending a distress signal at 1.15pm Thursday while in international waters

'Iran's actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability,' the military branch's 5th Fleet said in a statement Thursday that announced the boat's capture.

'The Iranian government should immediately release the oil tanker,' it added.

Initially, The Navy had said Irans paramilitary seized the vessel, but an American naval aircraft shortly thereafter confirmed Iran's navy captured the ship.

Fifth Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins clarified this to The Associated Press Thursday as news of the seizure remained largely shrouded, with few details shared more than an hour later.

A report from Irans state-run news station, IRNA, claimed it came after an 'unknown ship collided with an Iranian vessel last night in the Persian Gulf.'

The alleged crash, the agency claimed, caused 'several Iranian crew members to go missing and get injured.'

The report did not specify the other ship involved in the alleged collision, but claimed it tried to flee when confronted by Iranian forces.

'The unknown vessel, while acting in violation of international regulations to help the vessel and the injured, attempted to escape from the Persian Gulf.'

It added: 'In this operation, the Binder destroyer of the navy of the army, by court order, seized the violator ship that was fleeing with the flag of the Marshall Islands and directed it to the coastal waters of the Islamic Republic of Iran.'

The vessel sent a distress signal at 1.15pm, officials said, while being taken in international waters just north of Oman's capital, Muscat. The boat disembarked from Kuwait Monday, and passed through the Persian Gulf the day before.

The US Navy fleet stationed in that area of the world, the US 5th Fleet, is now demanding the ship's release, with it being the fifth commercial vessel unlawfully taken by Tehran in two years

The US Navy, however, insisted the incident served as just the latest example of aggression by the Islamic regime toward civilian vessels, as it continues to flout a 2015 diplomacy deal that saw it dismantle much of its nuclear program.

'Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy,' the 5th fleet said in its statement, before citing how since 2019, attacks on shipping in the strategic Gulf waters by Iran have been on the rise.

The same year that heightened aggression was first seen, Iran began ignoring limitations detailed in the historical Iran Nuclear Deal, a year after then-President Trump withdrew the US from the deal.

Washington and Tehran have since said they would be willing to return to the original deal, but that day has yet to come - and tensions have continued to rise between the two countries.

Amid these tensions, Iran has seized ships belonging to an assortment of Western countries, as they pass through the same narrow chokepoint between Iran and Oman where the Advantage Sweet traveled.

Called the Strait of Hormuz, it's a route that a fifth of the world's oil passes through, and is crucial to world trade.

Iran last November captured - and a day later - released two Greek-flagged tankers it had seized in the Gulf in May, days after the US confiscated oil from an Iranian-flagged tanker off the Greek coast.

Like three other incidents that preceded it over the past year, nothing became of it - aside from demonstrating Iran's defiance toward Washington.

In the recent case of the Sweet, the vessel's manager, a Turkish firm, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the county's mission to the United Nations.

The listed owner of the boat is a Chinese company called SPDBFL No One Hundred & Eighty-Seven (Tianjin) Ship Leasing Co Ltd.
The Kremlin on Friday played down the idea that Russia might be preparing to carry out a nuclear weapons test, saying all nuclear states were abiding by a moratorium on the testing of nuclear weapons.

It was responding to an interview given by Lynne Tracy, the U.S. ambassador to Moscow, who told the Kommersant newspaper that Russia was the only country talking about the possible resumption of nuclear testing.

President Vladimir Putin said in February, without citing evidence, that some in Washington were considering breaking a moratorium on nuclear testing and that Russia should be ready to act in kind.

'If the United States conducts tests, then we will. No one should have dangerous illusions that global strategic parity can be destroyed,' Putin said.

When asked about Tracy's comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov played down the idea that Moscow was planning its own nuclear test.

The Kremlin on Friday played down the idea that Russia might be preparing to carry out a nuclear weapons test, saying all nuclear states were abiding by a moratorium on the testing of nuclear weapons. Pictured: A Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile is seen being test-launched last year, in a photo released by Russia

President Vladimir Putin said in February, without citing evidence, that some in Washington were considering breaking a moratorium on nuclear testing and that Russia should be ready to act in kind

'At the moment everyone is sticking to the moratorium. There is nothing more to say here,' he told reporters.

Nuclear tensions between Russia and the United States have increased since the start of the conflict with Ukraine with Putin repeatedly warning that Russia is ready to use its nuclear arsenal if necessary to defend its 'territorial integrity'.

Indeed, Russia's foreign ministry today criticised a nuclear agreement between the US and South Korea, claiming it would destabilise the region and the wider world.

The United States on Wednesday pledged to give South Korea more insight into its nuclear planning, while Seoul promised not to seek nuclear weapons itself in an agreement both sides said was aimed against North Korea.

Russia has repeatedly railed against what it sees as the United States' growing military presence across Asia.

'This development is clearly destabilising in nature and will have serious negative consequences for regional security, impacting on global stability,' Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Moscow said the United States and NATO's drive for 'decisive military superiority' would 'bring nothing but escalating tensions' and could 'provoke an arms race'.

Washington has accused Moscow of nuclear sabre-rattling over various statements from Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, since the start of the Ukraine war that Russia would be prepared to use nuclear weapons to defend its 'territorial integrity'.

And in February, Putin announced Russia was suspending its participation in the New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms pact with the United States, which limits the number of strategic warheads each side can deploy.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the decision 'deeply unfortunate and irresponsible.'

It comes as Russia informed the U.N. nuclear watchdog that equipment spotted at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Russia controls, will be used to fix a power transmission line that leads to Russian-held territory, the watchdog said on Friday.

The planned restoration of the downed power line could heighten Ukrainian fears that Russia is preparing to connect Zaporizhzhia, Europe's largest nuclear power plant, to the power grid of territory that it controls.

A motorcade transporting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert mission, escorted by the Russian military, arrives at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine on March 29

A small number of International Atomic Energy Agency officials are present at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), which is operated by Ukrainian staff working under the orders of Russian forces and the Russian nuclear company Rosatom.

'The (IAEA) Team observed, and following questions were subsequently informed, that a large piece of equipment being transported into the turbine hall of Unit 3 was a transformer to replace the damaged 'Kakhovka' node in the ZNPP open switchyard,' the IAEA said in a statement.

'The Kakhovka line is one of the four 750 kV (kilovolt) lines that were operational before the military conflict. This line is linked to the currently Russian-controlled electrical grid, to the south of the ZNPP site,' it added.

Only one of those four power lines is currently working and is the only source of external power to the plant, which it needs to keep cooling the fuel in its six reactors even though they are shut down.

Failing to cool that fuel could lead to a potentially catastrophic nuclear meltdown.

The IAEA said it also had not had access to the switchyard at a nearby thermal power plant (TPP) that can supply backup power to Zaporizhzhia. The IAEA last visited that switchyard in December, when damage from shelling was observed.

'Two weeks ago the team was informed that access would be granted in the coming days. It is important that ISAMZ (the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia) gets the necessary access to the ZTPP open switchyard given the implications on nuclear safety and security at ZNPP.'
The Conservatives could avoid 'a bloodbath' at next week's local elections because of a 'Rishi bounce', pollsters claimed today.

They said the vote on May 4 would mostly be influenced by national issues and the Prime Minister's policy approach was starting to cut through with voters.

An uncomfortable night for the Tories is still predicted  and they look set to lose hundreds of seats overall.

But they could make gains in some areas, with the damage potentially being limited to losing fewer than 1,000. Some forecasters believe it could be under 500.

This would be a major turnaround because the Tories' ratings following Liz Truss's disastrous premiership would have meant the loss of up to 2,000 seats.

Pollsters say the local elections on May 4 will mostly be influenced by national issues and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's policy approach was starting to cut through with voters

Professor Sir John Curtice, the polling guru who correctly predicted that Theresa May would lose her majority in 2017, said: 'I'm not expecting a Tory bloodbath. I do expect Labour to make gains'

There are growing doubts among voters about Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, whose inability to define a woman and perceived weakness over tackling Channel migrant boats have been raised as issues on the doorstep.

READ MORE: LABOUR'S 'LOW BLOW' ATTACK ADVERTS COULD BACKFIRE WITH VOTERS Labour's controversial attack ads have spectacularly backfired with voters, research suggests Advertisement

The party is also expected to haemorrhage votes in the South East because of Labour mayor Sadiq Khan's plans to expand the capital's clean-air zone.

Hundreds of thousands more motorists driving across the Greater London border will be clobbered with a 12.50 daily charge.

Professor Sir John Curtice, the polling guru who correctly predicted that Theresa May would lose her majority in 2017, said: 'I'm not expecting a Tory bloodbath. I do expect Labour to make gains.

'But it may well be the case that both Labour and the Tories do better in terms of votes than they did four years ago. So we're not talking about dramatic headline losses of councils.'

He said the biggest threat to the Tories could be the Liberal Democrats, who may steal votes from Tory supporters turned off by Boris Johnson and Miss Truss.

This could happen in Surrey, Hertfordshire, Warwickshire and Cheshire.

Sir John added: 'This year's elections are in shire districts. Something like 5,000 out of the 8,000 or so seats are in the district councils.

'And in a lot of these places, the Labour party just does not register. We're talking about real rural shire England, very small district councils, and if there is a challenger it's the Liberal Democrats and not the Labour Party.

'Another big question is: do we get tactical voting? Is the Conservative Party so unpopular that opposition voters are going to take whatever stick is available locally to beat them with?'

Predictions that the Tories would lose 1,000 seats appear to be 'too high', he said, amid a narrowing in the polls.

The party lost 1,330 seats the last time they were fought over in 2019 and when the Conservatives were around 26 per cent in the polls. This time the party is hovering around 30 per cent.

Polling expert and Tory peer Lord Robert Hayward said: 'Tory campaigners and MPs are actually finding Rishi being mentioned positively by people on the doorstep, and that's confirmed in the opinion polls and the few council by-elections that have been taking place in recent weeks.'

Polling shows some shrinkage in Labour's predicted lead in next week's local elections

Polling excpert and Tory peer Lord Robert Hayward said: 'Ever since he's been leader it's been striking how many people give the answer 'don't know' in opinion polls when it comes to Keir Starmer (pictured) and Labour policy'

He also agreed that the Liberal Democrats could prove to be the Tories' biggest threat: 'All the polling evidence shows that the people who were most turned off by Boris and then Liz Truss were those middle-class shire counties.

'Some of those have come back [to the Tories], but the question is how much? It's going to be difficult for the Tories fighting the two different battles.'

But he said Labour's ratings lead was somewhat 'superficial', adding: 'Not only is Labour already going down in the polls, but you can see that there isn't a commitment to Labour under Keir Starmer.

'Ever since he's been leader it's been striking how many people give the answer 'don't know' in opinion polls when it comes to Keir Starmer and Labour policy.

'But previously, where people were essentially agnostic towards Keir, now they're actually using negative words about him, whether it's women and if they have penises or flip-flopping, they are now moving toward more negative perceptions of Keir Starmer.

'The Tories will lose councils, they'll lose a substantial number of seats, but I think the indications are that it's going to be in the range which will be deemed to be acceptable for a governing party in the circumstances.

'The losses are being ameliorated because of the Rishi bounce.'

The flurry of achievements by the PM since entering Downing Street just over six months ago include a new post-Brexit deal on trading arrangements for Northern Ireland, a fresh UK-France pact for tackling small boat Channel crossings and stabilising the economy.

Lord Hayward said he believed the Tories could limit the losses to 800 seats overall, down from the potential bloodbath of 'up to 2,000' following Ms Truss's premiership. Doing so would be considered a 'major success', he said.

Other forecasters, such as Electoral Calculus, believe the Tories could lose as few as 258 seats, with Labour gaining just 408 and the Liberal Democrats losing 39.

Election experts Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher have predicted that the Tories could lose 1,000 seats and Labour gain 700. However, this forecast was made when the Conservatives were slightly lower in the polls.

Research by the non-profit organisation More in Common found that the cost of living crisis was the most important issue for voters.

This was followed by 'supporting the NHS', 'climate change and the environment', 'asylum seekers crossing the Channel' and 'the war in Ukraine'.

A total of 230 local authorities in England are holding elections on May 4, with 8,057 seats being fought over.

The Conservatives are defending 3,365 seats, Labour 2,131, Lib Dem 1,223, Green 239, independents 817 and other parties 282.

Polls are also taking place to choose mayors in Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough.

The seats being contested this year were last up for election in 2019, when the UK was still in the European Union, the prime minister was Theresa May and Labour was led by Jeremy Corbyn.

Since then, the UK has had three further prime ministers  Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Mr Sunak.

For the latter, next week's contests will be his first big electoral test.
An HS2 worker in his 70s has died after suffering cardiac arrest while working on the rail link site near Birmingham.

In what is thought to be the first fatality during the rail link's construction, the contractor was found in cardiac arrest at the scene on Middle Bickenhill Lane, Solihull at around 4pm yesterday.

The ambulance service said the man was in a 'serious condition' when paramedics attended the scene. He was airlifted to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire but was pronounced dead a short time later.

An HS2 Ltd spokesperson said: 'We are deeply saddened to confirm that an employee working for a company in the supply chain of HS2's contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI died today following an incident on site near Marston Green on Thursday.

A HS2 worker has died near Birmingham after suffering a cardiac arrest while working

'Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time.

'We are working with our partner and the relevant authorities to understand the cause of this incident.'

A West Midlands Fire Service spokesman said: 'We had a call at 4.58pm on Thursday, a request to assist the ambulance service in Middle Bickenhill Lane.

'We sent a 4x4 brigade response vehicle and a fire engine from Sheldon and Hay Mills.

The contractor, in his 70s, was discovered in cardiac arrest at the scene on Middle Bickenhill Lane, Solihull at 4.09pm yesterday

'The incident involved a man believed to be in his early 70s in cardiac arrest.

'Crews were required to assist ambulance staff in carrying the man to the air ambulance.'

HS2 is an 170-mile high-speed railway that is currently under construction from London to Crewe, Cheshire.

It is the UK's flagship transport 'levelling up project' which will link the capital to the north west of England.
An appeals court on Thursday overturned the bulk of a federal judges ruling that a 2021 Florida elections law was intended to discriminate against Black voters, finding that he relied on fatally flawed analyses and out-of-context statements by legislators.

The Republican-controlled Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis approved the elections law as GOP leaders across the country pushed to make voting changes after former President Donald Trumps loss in 2020.

The law imposed new restrictions on mail-in voting and voter-registration groups and prohibited people from giving snacks and drinks to voters waiting in line to cast ballots.

Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker last year ruled that the law, challenged by voting-rights groups, was intentionally intended to discriminate against Black voters. The judge also made the rare move of putting the state under a process known as preclearance, meaning that he would have to approve any changes to certain parts of state elections laws.

But Thursdays split ruling by a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Walkers decision does not withstand examination.

The district court relied on fatally flawed statistical analyses, out-of-context statements by individual legislators, and legal premises that do not follow our precedents, Chief Judge William Pryor wrote in a 79-page decision joined by Judge Britt Grant. On the contrary, examining the record reveals that the finding of intentional discrimination rests on hardly any evidence.

Judge Jill Pryor issued a dissenting opinion.

While Florida had a relatively smooth 2020 election, Republicans in 2021 said changes were needed to help ensure future elections would not have issues such as fraud. The law (SB 90) included restrictions on ballot drop boxes, such as requiring boxes to be manned by employees of the supervisor of elections and limiting their use to early-voting hours.

The law also required voter-registration groups to return completed applications to elections supervisors in the counties where applicants live and imposed a 14-day deadline for submitting the forms.

The League of Women Voters of Florida and a number of Black and Hispanic advocacy groups went to federal court to challenge the measure, alleging that it was an effort to restrict minority voters from accessing the ballot.

In his March 2022 ruling, Walker found that every single challenged provision has a disparate impact on Black voters in some way.

The state has repeatedly, recently, and persistently acted to deny Black Floridians access to the franchise, the judge wrote.

But Thursdays decision said that, from the start, Walker erred, adding that judges must remain mindful of the danger of allowing old, outdated intentions of previous generations to taint (Floridas) legislative action forevermore on certain topics.

The states more recent history does not support a finding of discriminatory intent. The only pieces of legislation cited by the district court that were adopted since the year 2000 offer no support for its finding of discriminatory intent, the majority opinion said.

In her dissent, Jill Pryor said Walker, in a thorough and well-reasoned order, committed no reversible error.

Jasmin Burney-Clark, the founder of an organization that is one of the plaintiffs, called Thursdays ruling disappointing.

Today, the appeals court has assisted Florida Republicans in silencing Black and Brown Floridians, but attacks to suppress our voices are nothing new, and we will adapt, organize, and overcome until we are heard and we are represented, said Burney-Clark, the founder of Equal Ground.

Thursdays ruling also disputed Walkers conclusions about the close relationship between racial identification and political affiliation among Floridians. Walker found that for white and Black voters in Florida, separating race from politics only works in science fiction.

But William Pryor wrote that the Supreme Court has warned against conflating discrimination on the basis of party affiliation with discrimination on the basis of race.

The appeals court found that the parts of the 2021 law imposing restrictions on drop boxes and on voter registration by third-party groups were not intended to discriminate against Black and Hispanic voters and did not violate the federal Voting Rights Act.

In sum, based on this record  and even in the light of the deferential standard of review we must apply to the findings of fact  the district court clearly erred in finding that the challenged provisions were enacted with discriminatory intent in violation of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. As a result, we reverse the decision of the district court in part, Thursdays ruling said.

But the appellate panel also ruled that part of the law prohibiting people from engaging in any activity with the . . . effect of influencing a voter outside of polling places was unconstitutionally vague. Plaintiffs argued the provision would prevent people from giving food or water to voters waiting in line to cast ballots.

How is an individual seeking to comply with the law to anticipate whether his or her actions will have the subjective effect of influencing a voter? Knowing what it means to influence a voter does not bestow the ability to predict which actions will influence a voter. As a result, the district court correctly determined that this phrase in the solicitation provision both fails to put Floridians of ordinary intelligence on notice of what acts it criminalizes and encourages arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement, making this provision vague to the point of unconstitutionality,' Thursdays ruling said.

The appellate panel put that part of the 2021 law on hold and sent the issue back to Walker for further proceedings.

While Republican lawmakers argued the changes in the 2021 law was necessary to make the states elections more secure, Walker decided that was a justification for discrimination because voting fraud is rare in Florida.

But Thursdays ruling called Walkers analysis flawed, saying that court precedent does not require evidence of voter fraud to justify adopting legislation that aims to prevent fraud.

Florida lawmakers passed a bill that supporters argued would safeguard the integrity of elections against non-imaginary threats. The wisdom of the Legislatures policy choices is not ours to judge, William Pryor wrote.
Mexican prosecutors have charged a 19-year-old man with the murder of a Mission, Texas woman whose body was dumped at a ranch.

Martin Arizpe was hit with kidnapping and femicide charges in connection with the death of his girlfriend, Bionce Amaya, 20, the Nuevo Leon State Attorney General's Office announced Thursday.

Amaya, a mother to a four-month-old boy, was reported missing April 6 in the Nuevo Leon town of China and found dead April 14, seven miles away at a ranch in the municipality of General Bravo.

The judge overseeing the murder case placed Arizpe in pre-trial detention and provided the prosecution three months to bring their case forward.

Texas resident Bionce Amaya was found dead April 14 at a ranch General Bravo, a city in northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon. Amaya was traveling in a car driven by her boyfriend, Martin Arizpe, when she was ejected out of the vehicle and fell on the pavement. Arizpe abandoned her at a ranch after she was reportedly refused medical care at a clinic

On Thursday, prosecutors in the northeastern state of Nuevo Leon announced that Martin Arizpe (center) was being charged the kidnapping and femicide of his girlfriend, Bionce Amaya, a resident of Mission, Texas. Arizpe is being held in pre-trial detention and prosecutors have been given three months to bring their case forward

Authorities are searching for a second male suspect who was involved in Amaya's disappearance and killing.

Amaya had traveled to her hometown of General Bravo to spend the Holy Week holiday before the deadly incident.

Arizpe was speeding in his vehicle when Amaya was ejected out of the car because the door was not locked.

'Upon turning a corner at a high speed, the door was not closed properly and it opens, and it was there where the girl hit herself (on the pavement),' China Mayor Raul Kerr told Radio Formula.

Bionce Amaya, who was found dead at a ranch in General Bravo, Mexico, leaves behind a four-month-old son

Bionce Amaya had traveled to Mexico to spend the Holy Week festival in her hometown of General Bravo

Arizpe drove Amaya to a clinic but she reportedly wasn't granted medical attention, the mayor added.

Kerr said that Arizpe 'carried her again and put her' in the car and drove off.

He then abandoned Amaya's body at a ranch in the General Bravo neighborhood of El Verde.

'He chickened out, got scared or left her to die there,' Kerr said.

An autopsy showed Amaya's death was caused by a contusion to the cranium and chest.
Officially Ron DeSantis is on a trade mission representing Florida to the world.

Unofficially, supporters say the governor of Florida is buffing up his foreign policy credentials, meeting with key world leaders as he prepares to run for president.

After a whirlwind ride through Japan, South Korea, and Israel, DeSantis arrived in the United Kingdom on Friday where he met with Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.

It is understood Cleverly thanked him for allowing cruise liners to dock in Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic when British Overseas Territories refused permission.

And although they discussed trade, their conversation ranged through geopolitics, including the war in Ukraine and the threat from China.

If it's Friday it must be London. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis met British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to discuss trade, Ukraine, China and the COVID-19 pandemic

DeSantis donor Dan Eberhart said the trip was timed to come just ahead of an expected 2024 announcement when the Florida legislative sessions ends next month.

'This is a prologue to a presidential campaign. This is similar to what both George W. Bush and Jeb Bush did,' he said, naming two other governors who ran for president.

'The old stick about a governor is they don't have foreign policy experience.

'DeSantis is trying to mitigate that as best he can before he has to share a debate stage.'

DeSantis is coming off a difficult few months. After a landslide reelection win last year, he has seen former President Donald Trump rack up Republican endorsements and take a lead in the polls.

A Fox News poll this week gave Trump a 32-point lead over DeSantis when Republicans were asked who they wanted to be the nominee.

Eberhart, who helped raise $500,000 for Trump in 2020, said the trip would help DeSantis compete with the former president as well as the likes of Nikki Haley and Mike Pence who have foreign policy experience.

And he said it was time for DeSantis to start hitting back.

DeSantis in London. Supporters say his trip is a chance to polish his foreign policy credentials ahead of an expected 2024 announcement next month

DeSantis with his wife Casey after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the latter's official residence in Tokyo, April 24, the first stop of his international trip

From Toyko, it was on to the South Korean capital Seoul, where he met with PM Han Duck-soo

And on Thursday he made a keynote speech celebrating the 75th anniversary of the formation of the state of Israel at a conference in Jerusalem

'It's time for him to run,' he said. 'And he's got to stop this proto campaign and just get in.'

DeSantis also met Kemi Badenoch, the UK's business secretary,' on Friday. But there was no meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

British officials said it was not normal protocol for prime ministers to sit down visiting governors.

Instead they pointed out that the foreign ministers frequently meet governors, including the recent visit of a junior minister to the National Governors Association winter meeting in Washington, D.C.

Even so his visit presented a diplomatic challenge to the British government, which will want to be hospitable but not risk attracting the fury of Trump.

A Fox News poll published Wednesday revealed Trump has a commanding 32 points ahead of second place Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has not yet announced a run

Friday's meeting went beyond the usual trade topics. And included a thank-you for allowing COVID-hit cruise liners to dock in the early days of the pandemic, when other ports had refused help.

They included the 781-foot Zaandam which had more than 200 British nationals on board. Passengers were only able to get medical help once it arrived in Fort Lauderdale in April 2020.

The decision to open his state early won him admiration in Republican circles and cemented his rise to prominence and status as a 2024 contender.

DeSantis arrived from Jerusalem, where on Thursday he made a keynote speech celebrating the 75th anniversary of the formation of the state of Israel.

The Zaandam cruise ship docked in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in April 2020

The Trump's campaign attacked the governor for using Florida taxpayers' dollars to travel outside the state  including on his international trip

'The task before us as Americans is standing strongly and forthrightly with Israel and with the Jewish people,' he said at a conference

In Japan, he met Fumio Kishida, the Japanese prime minister and chair of the G7 group of industrialised nations.

And in South Korea he met Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

His trip triggered criticism from the Trump 2024 campaign, which released a graphic showing the days DeSantis hasn't been in Florida. 'Ron DeSantis has spent half his time the past two months campaigning for president outside of Florida while Florida taxpayers pick up the tab,' it said.

However, DeSantis' office rubbished the accusation, pointing out that the trip was paid for bu Enterprise Florida rather than taxpayers.
Twelve House Democrats joined Republicans in voting to repeal a Biden administration rule that exempted Chinese-made solar panels from tariffs while the U.S. shores up domestic production.

Eight Republicans, including five from New York, voted against the resolution.

President Biden announced last year a two-year ban on tariffs on solar panels and components originating in China but imported from Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam as the U.S. shores up its mining operations to dig for critical minerals in the panels.

There are already tariffs on panels that come directly from China, but Chinese companies skirt trade laws by funneling their products through the southeast Asia nations.

Rep. Dan Kildee of Michigan was the lead Democratic author of the measure. 'This should not be a partisan issue,' he said

There are already tariffs on panels that come directly from China but Chinese companies skirt trade laws by funneling their products through the southeast Asia nations

Those four nations produce 80 percent of the solar panels used in U.S. projects.

The resolution passed Friday on a 221-202 vote and will now be sent to the Senate, where it is likely to pass. Biden has already announced he would veto the legislation if it makes it to his desk - which would mark the third veto of his presidency.

The measure was brought forth under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) which allows Congress to reverse federal agency rules. Under the CRA it has to be brought for a vote and only needs a simple majority to pass in the Senate.

Rep. Dan Kildee of Michigan was the lead Democratic author of the measure.

'This should not be a partisan issue,' Kildee said in a recent statement. 'We cannot allow foreign solar manufacturers to violate trade laws, especially when it comes at the expense of American workers and businesses. By suspending tariffs on those who violate our trade laws, we are undermining our own American manufacturers and workers.'
Chad Daybell told his murdered wife's sister that Lori Vallow had no children - nine months before her two kids were found buried, the cult mom's trial heard today.

Samantha Gwilliam emotionally testified that she confronted Daybell over his marriage to Vallow - just two weeks after his wife Tammy's death in October, 2019.

At the time, Tammy's death was not being treated as suspicious but Daybell and Vallow are accused of murdering her a month after allegedly killing and burying her two children, JJ, seven, and Tylee, 16, in his backyard in Rexburg, Idaho. The State says the doomsday cultists believed the children were Satanic 'zombies.'

Gwilliam asked Daybell - who had five kids with Tammy - if Vallow had any children. 'Are there children? Are you raising kids together? And he told me no there's no children and that they're going to be empty nesters,' she recalled.

Daybell told Gwilliam that he and Vallow had 'connected' because she had recently lost her husband and they were both 'grieving spouses,' the Ada County Courthouse in Boise heard.

Chad and Tammy Daybell pictured before she was murdered in October, 2019

Vallow (in an undated photo shared by Tylee before her death) and her husband Chad Daybell are accused of killing Tylee and her seven-year-old adopted brother JJ in Rexburg, Idaho, in September 2019. The State says the couple believed the children were Satanic 'zombies'

Vallow's children, Tylee and JJ disappeared in September 2019, but their remains were not discovered until the following June

He told her that his new wife was called Lori Ryan and her previous husband had recently died of a heart attack - but Gwilliam said she carried out her own internet research.

'I discovered her name was tied to Vallow and it brought up newspaper articles about a man in Arizona who had been shot by his brother-in-law,' she told jurors.

Vallow's fourth husband Charles Vallow was shot dead by her brother Alex Cox in July, 2019. At the time, Charles suspected his estranged wife was having an affair with the religious author Daybell.

Vallow has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder over Charles' death. She has not yet entered a plea in the Arizona case.

Gwilliam said the last time she spoke with Daybell was in December and 'we asked him to stop lying about what was going on.'

She said they had learned information from the police and seen things online about Vallow's children JJ and Tylee.

By this time police had started searching for the kids and discovered that the couple had fled to Hawaii.

Earlier she described how she felt that Daybell rushed Tammy's funeral - even meaning one of the couple's sons was unable to attend because he was on a Mormon mission in Africa.

Tammy died on the Saturday and arrangements were made for her funeral the following Tuesday.

'It was really quick. It seemed odd to me how quick it was,' Gwilliam told the court.

'I asked him why we were doing things so quickly and he told me that he though that that's what Tammy would've wanted. She wouldn't want all the fuss.'

Gwilliam said she and her husband then discovered that Daybell had remarried.

Samantha Gwilliam (pictured) took the stand Thursday at the cult mom's murder trial to describe how her sister Tammy and Daybell 'seemed very awkward' in June and July of 2019

Tylee, 16, and JJ, seven, are shown with their uncle, Alex Cox, in what is believed to be the final photo of them, taken during a family trip to Yellowstone National Park on September 8, 2019

The kids' bodies were discovered in shallow graves on Daybell's property on June 9, 2020 - nine months after they vanished

Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow in Hawaii after they were married. At the time cops were still searching for the kids in Idaho

'It was actually one month to the day of her burial is when I found out about it,' she told the court.

'I told my husband to find out because my husband was still talking to him. You don't get married four weeks after burying your wife of almost 30 years.

'We found out it had actually been two weeks and we were devastated.

'He told us her name was Lori Ryan and that her previous husband had a heart attack and that she was a grieving spouse as well and that's how they connected.'

Gwilliam yesterday testified that Daybell seemed 'really weird' in the months before Tammy's death.

She said Daybell and Tammy came to stay with she and her husband in Springville, Utah, in the first week of June, 2019.

'Something seemed off, they were very awkward at our house and Chad wouldn't converse with my husband like they normally did,' Gwilliam told jurors.

'It seemed really strange and we didn't know what was going on.'

Chad Daybell appears during a court hearing in St. Anthony, Idaho, Aug. 4, 2020

Lori Vallow Daybell glances at the camera during her hearing on March 6, 2020, in Rexburg, Idaho

Dr Garth Warren revealed for the first time how JJ's cause of death was 'asphyxia by plastic bag over the head and duct tape over the mouth.' The coroner suggested the boy had scratched his own neck as he struggled to break free

Another photo from Tylee's post on May 14, 2017, shows her and Lori several years back

In another bizarre encounter, Gwilliam described how Tammy had shown up with a birthday present for her in July.

But Daybell 'stayed in the car the whole time with it running - so she just stood in my house for five minutes.'

Gwilliam added: 'He didn't even bother to come in and say anything it was really weird.'

She said she was called by Daybell the morning that she passed away.

'He told me that she had been really sick and that she'd been coughing all night and she had gotten up with a coughing fit around midnight,' Gwilliam said.

Daybell told her Tammy went back to sleep and then he was awoken when her lifeless body fell out of their bed.

Gwilliam wiped away tears as she said told jurors that Tammy was fit and healthy and that they had been planning a celebration for her 50th birthday.

Vallow's children were missing for almost a year before their corpses were found buried in Daybell's yard on June 9, 2020.

The key individuals in Lori Vallow's tangled family tree, including her five husbands, two dead children and killer brother

During the opening, prosecutor Lindsey Blake described how charred remains were all that was left of Tylee.

She told jurors: 'You will hear it explained as a mass of bone and tissue. That's what was left of this beautiful young woman.'

JJ's body was wrapped in trash bags and duct tape - the tape binding his arms in front of him and wrapping around his head.

The two children and Daybell's previous wife Tammy were all killed because they stood in the way of the couple's relationship, the State says.

'Remember, the defendant will remove any obstacle in her way to get what she wants, and she wanted Chad Daybell,' Blake told jurors.

'The defendant used money, power and sex to get what she wanted.'

Jurors have heard from friends and relatives of Vallow that she and Daybell believed the children were 'dark' and referred to them as 'zombies' before they disappeared.

'The common theme was the body has to be destroyed,' Blake said.

'The defendant and Chad used their self-proclaimed religious teachings to justify their actions to others  their actions from affair to murder.'

Prosecutors say the couple planned to use life insurance money from Tammy's death, and that Vallow kept collecting and spending the children's social security and benefits after they died.

The trial opened on April 10 and the State is still laying out its case.

Daybell is being tried separately.
A serving member of the armed forces appeared in court today accused of risking lives by sharing 'highly sensitive' military secrets on social media.

Thomas Newsome, 36, was arrested and detained on April 18 following an investigation by the Met's Counter Terrorism Command.

He appeared before Westminster Magistrates Court this morning charged with making a 'damaging disclosure relating to defence which in his possession by virtue of his position as a Crown Servant'.

Newsome is also charged with failing prevent the unauthorised disclosure of documents in his possession.

Thomas Newsome, 36, appeared before Westminster Magistrates Court this morning charged with making a 'damaging disclosure relating to defence which in his possession by virtue of his position as a Crown Servant'

He is alleged to have breached the Official Secrets Act by sharing a ten-page document with two senior officers and one civilian, taking photographs of the document and sending them by social media.

The officer is also said to have had digital and hard copies of the document and is also accused of possessing separate secret information on a USB stick.

Newsome, dressed in grey t-shirt and tracksuit trousers, with short hair and closely cropped beard, spoke in court to confirm his name and date of birth.

He was remanded in custody and is due to appear at the Old Bailey for a preliminary hearing on May 19.
Paper Magazine, made famous for its viral 2014 Kim Kardashian 'break the internet' cover shoot, has let go all of its editorial staff.

The employees at the iconic American fashion and pop culture publication founded in 1984 were reportedly laid off on Wednesday due to declining ad revenue.

It is the latest in a series of cutbacks across the industry, following a series of dismissals at Vice Media, including the shuttering of Vice News Tonight, and the announcement last week that BuzzFeed News axed its entire newsroom.

Vox Media, which includes New York Magazine, Vulture, The Verge and Thrillist announced in January that it would lay off 130 people, about seven percent of its workforce across the board.

According to Adweek, the Paper layoffs will affect between 20 to 30 full-time staff, including writers and editors, beginning Friday.

It is understood that editorial operations will cease immediately, but Editor-in-Chief Justin Moran will remain with the company through May and publish unreleased projects.

Paper Magazine was made famous by its viral 2014 Kim Kardashian 'break the internet' cover

The magazine's latest cover features New York rapper Ice Spice surrounded by diamonds

The magazine's publisher Tom Florio reportedly told staff that the decision was based off a downturn in advertising last year, the outlet reported.

The publisher itself is not shuttering but is instead seeking to cut costs as it looks toward alternative options to remain in operation. One potential investor has allegedly expressed interest.

Editor-in-chief Justin Moran wrote on Instagram: 'Team Paper was laid off today.

'It's been my greatest privilege and honor to lead the most talented group of people I know. And create a magazine together that we're all so proud of.

'I'm not sure what the future holds for myself, but in the meantime we will be publishing our new, unreleased projects on Paper in the coming weeks.'

News editor Jade Gomez wrote on Twitter: 'The cat is out of the bag. Our entire staff was laid off.'

Gomez told Resident Advisor: 'It was a surprise but deep down I felt something was coming.'

The news came during a company-wide meeting on April 27 and was effective immediately, she said.

The New York-based pop culture magazine was founded in 1984 by journalists Kim Hastreiter and David Hershkovits.

Focusing on underground music, technology and fashion, the publication had a paid circulation of 125,000 in 2014, issuing eight editions a year, and over 1.3 million unique visitors per month to its website.

Hastreiter and Hershkovits reportedly sold their stakes in the company in 2017 to newly formed media group ENTtech Media Group, founded by Tom Florio - who had previously worked as the publishing director of Vogue, Teen Vogue, Bon Appetit and Conde Nast Traveler.

When the magazine released the now-iconic Kim Kardashian photoshoot in 2014, where the reality star posed completely naked, the article accrued nearly 16 million page views in a week.

The magazine's latest cover, which came out on April 12, features 23-year-old Bronx-born rapper Ice Spice.

The magazine was founded in 1984 by journalists David Hershkovits and Kim Hastreiter

Pete Davidson and Julia Fox posed for a Barbie-inspired shoot for the magazine in 2019

Comedian Pete Davidson posed as a Ken doll for the New York-based magazine in 2019

Actor Amanda Bynes also featured on the cover of a 'break the internet' issue in 2018

Paper Magazine is following in the footsteps of other media organizations announcing closures and layoffs this year.

In addition to Vox Media, Paper and BuzzFeed, Gannett Inc., the publisher of several national newspapers including USA Today announced layoffs earlier this year, and Business Insider is also making severe cuts, with around 10 percent of its news division reportedly being laid off.

On Thursday, Vice Media said it would cut more than 100 jobs and canceled its Vice News Tonight program. The company is also ending its Vice World News brand, despite it bringing in the majority of revenue for Vices news division last year, according to The Wall Street Journal.

'We are transforming VICE News to better withstand market realities and more closely align with how and where we see our audiences engaging with our content most,' co-CEOs Bruce Dixon and Hozefa Lokhandwala told staff in a note that was reviewed by Journal.

DailyMail.com approached Paper's publisher for comment.
The top Republican probing Hunter Biden's business affairs has claimed that lawyers for the president's son are intimidating possible witnesses and whistleblowers.

James Comer, who heads up the main investigatory body inside Congress, made the explosive claims in an interview with Just the News late on Thursday.

The 50-year-old Congressman, who represents Kentucky, said Biden's legal team is trying to hamper his probe into influence-peddling.

'We've got witnesses that are scared to death to come forward. They fear for their lives,' he was quoted as saying. 'The Hunter Biden legal team  they're testing the limits.'

Hunter Biden, seen here with the president in August last year, has long faced allegations he exploited his family ties for the benefit of his business interests

James Comer, the Republican lawmaker probing Hunter Biden's business deals, claims Democratic donors are trying to scupper his investigation

Comer also claimed - without citing any evidence - that Democrat officials in Congress were bankrolling 'dark money groups' to scupper the probe.

He said Democrat-leaning lawyers were also pressuring banks that are cooperating with the congressional investigation, but gave no examples.

His comments came after a special agent for the IRS, the country's tax agency, asked Congress for whistleblower protection.

The anonymous source said, in a letter to the committee issued via his lawyer, that the investigation is being mishandled owing to Hunter Biden's family ties.

On Thursday, IRS commissioner Daniel Werfel vowed that the employee of the U.S. tax agency would be protected.

'I can say without any hesitation there will be no retaliation for anyone making an allegation or a call to a whistleblower hotline,' the IRS commissioner replied.

The White House has repeatedly denied any interference in the case.

Hunter Bidens taxes and foreign business work have been under federal investigation by a federal grand jury in Delaware since at least 2018.

House Republicans are also investigating Hunter Biden and his businesses, alleging he raked in millions from foreign governments for his now-defunct investment firm.

So far no charges have been filed against the 53-year-old, whose business interests came under the spotlight once more after leaked emails from his laptop emerged online.

His membership on the board of a Ukrainian energy company and his efforts to strike deals in China have also sparked claims of influence-peddling.

Leaked emails from Hunter Biden's laptop have raised further suspicions about how the 53-year-old traded off access to his father

Hunter Biden's laptop also included a series of lewd photos and a webcam video of the 53-year-old that portrayed his struggles with flatulence

Hunter Biden was spotted over the weekend at a California vineyard that belongs to uber-rich Democratic donor Joe Kiani, a tech mogul.

He was seen with his wife Melissa Cohen and their three-year-old son Beau, plus their taxpayer-funded Secret Service detail.

It came as a judge in Arkansas ruled that he must appear in court for a paternity case filed by a former fling, Lunden Roberts.

Hunter will also have to submit to a deposition in June in which Roberts' lawyers will likely grill him about his various businesses and shady overseas ventures.

Hunter Biden's laptop also included a series of lewd photos and a webcam video of the 53-year-old that portrayed his struggles with flatulence.

They'll also want to know Hunter's finances have cratered while he's selling paintings for up to $500,000 apiece under his new guise as an abstract artist.

Roberts, a former stripper, won a reported $2.5 million settlement from Hunter after taking him to court in 2019.

She also forced the ex-Navy reservist to take a DNA test to prove he fathered their daughter, Navy Joan, during their 2017 fling.

Roberts's lawyers say Hunter Biden, who was booted out of the military in 2014 for taking cocaine, has not provided 'a single item or word of discovery' in their ongoing child support lawsuit.

Independence County Circuit Judge Holly Meyer on Monday ordered Biden to attend court on May 1 because his absence is 'interfering with the process of litigation.'
Two teen thugs who killed an 88-year-old grandmother by stuffing a lit a firework through her letterbox 'for a laugh' have been jailed.

Josephine Smith died in a fire caused by Kai Cooper, 19, and a boy, 17, who had spent the night terrorising residents in Romford, east London.

Mrs Smith, a Blitz survivor and grandmother of seven, lived alone and was upstairs sleeping in Queens Park Road when the 17-year-old posted the firework on October 28, 2021, a week before Bonfire Night.

Cooper had bought the fireworks and dared the other boy to put it through the door.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named, admitted manslaughter and arson. Cooper denied manslaughter and arson being reckless as to whether life is endangered but was convicted by the jury. Both admitted affray by letting off fireworks in the street, near cars and passers-by.

Throughout the trial Cooper had incensed the family of Mrs Smith by leering and gurning at them from the dock whenever the jury were absent.

The jury found him guilty unanimously after two hours and 30 minutes of deliberation. The 17-year-old will serve three years and eight months and Cooper will serve six years and six months, both in Young Offenders institutions.

Sentencing the pair today, Judge Mark Dennis said: 'On that fateful day in October 2021, you both had mischief in mind and an intention to cause trouble to a much-loved vulnerable person.'

They showed no emotion as they were led to the cells of the Old Bailey.

Josephine Smith

Judge Dennis did not invite Mrs Smith's son, Adam Smith, to speak of the impact of her death on him and his family.

He said: 'I do not invite speeches in relation to impact statements from the victim's family. I have already read the impact statements in full and I take into consideration the age of the defendants, their mental health and welfare.'

Mr Adam Smith had attended every day of his mother's trial. He was accompanied today by Lucy Smith, Mrs Smith's granddaughter.

Prosecutor Ms Heidi Stonecliffe, KC, said: 'They have written movingly and affectionately about their relationships with Mrs Smith and the impact her loss has had on all of them.

'[The pair] posted that firework through the letterbox with what can only be described as devastating, tragic and ultimately fatal result.

'Lucy Smith, the granddaughter, Derek Smith, Mrs Smith's late husband, and Adam Smith were present whilst ambulance workers were working on their grandmother and stayed with her grandmother until they knew there was nothing left that could be done.'

Mrs Smith's cause of death was recorded as 'smoke inhalation'.

The pair bought the fireworks from a shop called 'Fireworks4sale' in Harold Wood and threw them at a restaurant, pub and library.

Cooper told the shopkeeper Mark Vardy: 'I'm going to throw it in their face bro', 'Which are the best ones to let off at people, not gonna do damage, but shoot off and go bang' and 'people are going to get terrorised tonight.'

Two days before the incident the pair bragged how they had attacked a woman and Cooper had encouraged the younger boy to stamp on her face.

Undated handout photo issued by the Metropolitan Police of Kai Cooper

They hurled fireworks at a couple outside a fish and chip shop, and it rolled across the man's foot before exploding.

Cooper denied encouraging the 17-year-old, then 15, but CCTV caught him gesturing towards Mrs Smith's home.

Ms Stonecliffe earlier said: 'He encouraged him for a laugh, because it was fun for him.'

After the 'Mega Burst' firework was posted at the pensioner's home, two explosions were seen on CCTV lighting up Mrs Smith's windows. Neighbours smelt smoke two hours later but significant fire damage had been done and Mrs Smith was found dead.

Cooper's girlfriend Lauren Delossantos, then 18, was also with the boys and arrested but was released without further action. She was heard on CCTV shouting 'no' as fireworks were lit.

The teenager said Cooper had 'dared' the teen to post the firework and the younger boy was laughing as he ran across the road to do so. Mrs Smith had lived in the Harold Wood area her whole life.

Ms Stonecliffe said: 'They acted as a team. Kai handed the [then] 15-year-old the fireworks. The 15-year-old took a Mega Burst firework that Kai had bought. He ran across the road to 8 Queens Park Road where Josephine Smith was in bed, likely asleep.

'He lit the firework and he put it through her letterbox. Two explosions occurred in quick succession, just like the ones they had caused in the street. Those explosions caused a fire to start that burnt through Mrs Smith's house.

'By the time the fire service arrived the property was filled with smoke and Mrs Smith was pronounced dead just before 10 past 11.'

A day before their attack on Mrs Smith, video footage from the pair's phones showed Cooper egging-on the 17-year-old to attack a woman in Ilford town centre.

Ms Stonecliffe said: 'A young woman is seen walking towards the camera that Mr Cooper was holding. The 17-year-old was holding a long pole. He used the pole to lash out and strike her as she was putting her hands up to shield her face.'

Cooper was heard in the video shouting: 'Smoke her, smoke her bro.'

When the woman lay on the ground said: 'Boot her in the face. Just one tap in her face bro. Go on, do it, one boot on her face bro.'

The 17-year-old hit out and the pair were seen walking away leaving the woman on the pavement behind them.

For this attack, Cooper received six weeks in a Young Offenders institution.. The 17-year-old received a four-month Youth Rehabilitation Order.

Cooper, of Cleve Road, Leatherhead, Surrey, denied but was convicted of manslaughter and arson being reckless as to whether life is endangered.

He admitted affray by setting off fireworks in the street.
A new intelligence community report reveals that the number of Americans improperly searched by the FBI under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) dramatically declined over the last year.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released its 10th Annual Statistical Transparency Report for calendar year 2022 Friday that details the surveillance work of the intelligence community and how it ensures the protection of American civil liberties.

The report, first obtained by DailyMail.com, specifically includes information on the 'scope' of the government's use of FISA and the number of unauthorized searches of Americans by the FBI, which it reveals has decreased from 3.4 million to just over 204,000 in a span of a year. That amounts to a 93.99 percent reduction.

The report comes as Congress is tasked with making reforms to FISA's Section 702 before an end of year deadline for reauthorizing the provision. The Section 702 provision allows U.S. federal intelligence agencies to conduct targeted searches of foreigners, but sometimes Americans are improperly searched in the process.

Last April, ODNI released data on the FBI's Section 702 queries for the first time for the 2021 calendar year, finding that the FBI conducted 3.4 million warrantless searches of Americans.

ODNI Director Avril Haines is in charge of the release of a report detaining surveillance work by the intelligence community

Turner, R-Ohio, is the leader of the House Intelligence Committee, which is leading the charge on FISA reforms

The 2022 report released Friday shows a significant decline in the number of warrantless searches of Americans by the FBI under Section 702 - down to 204,090 compared to 3.4 million the prior year

The findings sparked outrage by lawmakers on both sides of the political spectrum and calls to overhaul FISA. In addition, of the 3.4 million queries, about 30 percent were found to be in error.

However, ODNI says that this year it used a 'new methodology that more closely aligns with how other agencies count such queries.'

The agency also blamed a 'duplicative counting method' that landed at the massive 3.4 million figure in 2021.

The 2022 report released Friday shows a significant decline in the number of warrantless searches of Americans by the FBI under Section 702 - down to 204,090 compared to 3.4 million the prior year.

'This reduction occurred following a number of changes FBI made to its systems, processes, and training relating to U.S. person queries,' ODNI explains as the reason for the significant decrease.

The report also says that due to the formerly used duplicative counting method, the more accurate number for 2022 under the 'de-duplicated counting method' should actually be 110,383 unauthorized searches of Americans - and it would have been 2.9 million in 2021 (not 3.4 million).

That would amount to a 95.97 percent reduction.

'FBI's de-duplicated query figures report the number of unique U.S. person query terms FBI personnel have used to query unminimized FISA Section 702-acquired information during the relevant time periods,' states the report.

'FBI used the following methodology to arrive at these figures, which is comparable to CIA's and NCTC's counting methodology, described elsewhere in this report, for queries conducted by those agencies in databases which combine contents and noncontents.'

The top Republicans on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence are still pledging to reform Section 702 by the end of the year, despite the dramatic decline.

Chairman Mike Turner, R-Ohio, and Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., commented on the report in a statement to DailyMail.com Friday.

'While there was a sharp decline in U.S. person queries from December 2021 to November 2022, it is incumbent upon Congress, not the Executive Branch, to codify reforms to FISA Section 702.'

'Without additional safeguards, a clean reauthorization of 702 is a non-starter.'

'Section 702 of FISA is an irreplaceable national security tool that allows the Intelligence Community to collect information from foreign persons outside the United States,' they continued.

'However, we must protect the American people's privacy and civil liberties. That is why the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence supports reforming our foreign surveillance tools and increasing transparency and accountability while maintaining the critical effectiveness of FISA Section 702.'

In March, LaHood revealed that his name was improperly searched by the FBI conducting a Section 702 query.

FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before Congress

'I want to make clear the FBI's inappropriate querying of a duly elected member of Congress is egregious and a violation not only that degrades the trust in FISA, but is viewed as a threat to the separation of powers,' LaHood said during a House Intelligence Committee hearing.

'I have had the opportunity to review the classified summary of this violation, and it is my opinion that the member of Congress that was wrongfully queried multiple times solely by his name was in fact me.'

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan called Section 702 renewal 'the most important thing we are going to do this Congress' during a hearing on Capitol Hill Thursday.

'Americans are being picked up in this incidental collection. We don't know the number, my guess is it's pretty darn big. They won't tell us and without probable cause that database is being searched 3.4 million times with all kinds of error rates,' Jordan summed up.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan called Section 702 renewal 'the most important thing we are going to do this Congress'

'How about we just get the FBI out of the [Section 702] business altogether?' he urged.

Last December, ODNI declassified a 2021 report that included instances of numerous FISA abuses.

The FBI said in a statement after the publication of the ODNI report, the agency has made 'extensive changes' to the query process.

'Although we cannot comment on specific queries, the FBI has made extensive changes over the past few years  changes that post-date the period covered in the reports raised in the hearing today  to address 702 compliance issues, including standing up a whole new Office of Internal Audit currently focused on FISA compliance and instituting new policies requiring enhanced pre-approval requirements before certain 'sensitive' U.S. person queries can be run,' said an FBI spokesperson at the time.

'For example, 'sensitive' queries involving elected officials now require Deputy Director approval. We look forward to sharing the impact of our reforms. The FBI takes seriously its role as stewards of our 702 authorities, which are indispensable to fulfilling our mission of protecting Americans from foreign threats from countries like China, Russia, and Iran,' the statement continued.
A Chicago family was forced to pay $65,000 after nearly being kicked out of the dream home they lived in for 18 years because it was built on the wrong plot.

Sharmaine Miller and her husband Pernell purchased the three-story home in the Lawndale neighborhood in 2005 as a place to start a family.

But a builder made a mistake and built the home on lot 38, which they do not own, instead of lot 39.

Years later, the Millers received a letter in 2019 informing them their property was going to be sold for unpaid taxes as they had been paying property tax bill on the wrong lot, according to ABC Chicago.

The family was left devastated and struggling to think of options before they eventually reached a settlement with a private firm that bought the delinquent taxes.

A Chicago family was forced to pay $65,000 after nearly being kicked out of the dream home they lived in for 18 years because it was built on the wrong plot

Sharmaine Miller and her husband Pernell purchased the three-story home in the Lawndale neighborhood in 2005 as a place to start a family

But a builder made a mistake and built the home on lot 38, which they do not own, instead of lot 39

Sharmaine Miller said: 'We just wanted somewhere where our family could call home, we wanted to stay in our community and we wanted a place where our son could lay his head and we would have no worries.

'We were told we might get evicted, we might lose the house.'

The taxes on the lot their home is built on went unpaid for years and defaulted, which is when a private firm bought the debt and told the family they had to move.

They had to pay $43,000 plus another $22,000 for attorneys' fees so they were not kicked out of their dream home.

'If we wanted to keep our house and we had to pay for everybody else's mistakes,' she added.

All of the paperwork the couple received, including the plat of survey, the deed, the building permit, their mortgage and title insurance had the correct lot 39 listed.

The Millers believed the home they were living in was on the correct piece of land until their world came crashing down.

And the builder who made the mistake and built it on lot 38 is said to be out of business.

Sharmaine Miller said: 'There should have been checks and balances from a whole lot of different people.'

The family received tax bills for lot 39 for 11 years and the Cook County Assessor mistakenly assessed the lot as if there was a house on it.

It corrected the problem in 2017 but didn't flag the issue to the Millers, but they realized something was wrong when their tax bill suddenly decreased.

The Cook County Assessor's Office admitted to making the property tax mistake and said: 'Steps taken during a prior administration resulted in an assessment error that has since been corrected.'

The family received a letter in 2019 informing them their property was going to be sold for unpaid taxes as they had been paying property tax bill on the wrong one

They had to pay $43,000 plus another $22,000 for attorneys' fees so they were not kicked out of their dream home

Officials added that it 'will support the family by providing any documentation needed in their efforts to rectify the situation'.

The family insisted they are due a refund since they paid taxes on an empty lot at the same rate as if it had house but the are not entitled to one due to Illinois' statute of limitations.

Sharmaine Miller said: 'Everyone involved needs to make us whole. We do not deserve this, make us whole.'

The situation left the couple stressed and Pernell Miller said: 'I'm feeling anxious, nervous and upset about what's going to happen with us.'

The Cook County Clerk, which recorded the Millers' deed, said: 'The root cause of this problem is the fact that the home was built on the wrong property in 2005.

'Even if the couple had contacted the Clerk's Office years ago, employees would have...had no way of determining that there was another property in question.'

The family now owns both plots of land and are looking at pursuing legal options.

But their attorney has informed them that they can't sue the builder because he is now out of business and the statute of limitations has passed.
It was worse than you thought.

Mounds of rubbish, rubble and ruin lined nearly every street in Edgewood, scores of them, like sodden monuments to a neighborhoods misery.

It had been a torrent so freakish that the meteorological term microburst hardly describes what was inflicted on Fort Lauderdale April 12 and 13. Nothing micro about it. Rain bomb may have no scientific definition but what else to call a 29.5 inch-deluge?

The better measure of this disaster was the succession of roadside piles of ripped-out drywall, broken staves, pink insulation and cast-off clothing, as if every home along the way had vomited out its watery contents.

Scavengers in rickety pick-up trucks patrolled the area, examining the roadside accumulations of stained mattresses, soggy cushions, ruined appliances, upended sofas, soppy clothing and water-warped furniture for something salvageable. I saw a pink plastic flamingo, a broken toddlers tricycle, an old lamp among the castoffs, but it seemed unlikely that flood victims who lost nearly everything would toss away anything of value.

South Florida Sun Sentinel columnist Fred Grimm. Rolando Otero, South Florida Sun Sentinel

Then came the grapple trucks, like something from a kids nightmare, with huge claws attached to long mechanical arms, scooping up the detritus. The city website reported mid-week that more than 20,000 cubic tons of refuse had been hauled away. Easy to forget that before April 12, the putrid discards piled along the roadside had been stuff integral to life in Edgewood.

What the trucks couldnt haul away was the dank and fetid reek that hung over this ungentrified working class community sandwiched between State Road 84 and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Edgewood was the worst hit of the citys storm-damaged neighborhoods, though thats not much comfort to residents of Melrose Park, Riverside Park and other inundated neighborhoods struggling to recover.

Recovery wont be easy. None of the homeowners I happened upon had flood insurance. And why would they? Peter Aiello has lived in his little house on Southwest 30th Street since he was born in 1969. All that time, flood waters, even during hurricanes, have never risen above the front stoop. But Aiello, with disabilities that prevent him from working a regular job, spent the fretful night of the rain bomb sharing a bed with his son and dog, lying just inches above the waterline.

Angel Dieppa had rented his home on Southwest 30th Street since 2008 and never thought he needed renters insurance.

When I came across Dieppa, he was a portrait of despair, standing in his debris-strewn front yard, staring at the mound of flotsam that contained most of his household possessions. The marina workers home had been stripped of rugs, drywall, appliances, flooring and furniture. The sum of his salvageable stuff stored under his carport was dwarfed by the trash heap out front.

Since the storm, Dieppa, 49 but looking older, has slept in the open carport on a tattered sofa. I am so tired, he told me.

Folks voiced considerable frustration with the bureaucratic entanglements that impeded federal disaster assistance. I dont know why FEMA is giving us such a hard time, said a 76-year-old homeowner named Charlie I found sitting under the eaves of a home that I would call unlivable except Charlie was still living there.

I talked to Charlie on Tuesday, the same day that our globetrotting governor (who has yet to visit the flooded areas) finally made an official request for federal help. Two days later, the president approved disaster assistance, including grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Finally, the promise of help, which seems like grand news to the victims of a flood that seemed perversely concentrated in the citys less prosperous areas.

But Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, warned the Sun Sentinel last week that the average FEMA payout will likely be only about $4,000. The maximum might reach $37,000  hardly enough to rehabilitate the flood-damaged and mildew-tainted homes I visited in Edgewood.

Meanwhile, volunteer organizations like Samaritans Purse and Team Rubicon have come to the rescue, bringing food and volunteer workers, who seemed everywhere in their bright orange vests.

Along with the heroes, of course, the scammers descended on Edgewood, with their rip-off schemes and jacked-up repair prices.

Charlie told me neighbors had warned him that thieves and scammers were working their way through Edgewood, but he wasnt much worried. Ive got nothing left to steal, he said.

Fred Grimm, a longtime resident of Fort Lauderdale, has worked as a journalist in South Florida since 1976. Reach him by email at leogrimm@gmail.com or on Twitter: @grimm_fred.
Steven Crowder's wife has claimed the conservative podcaster subjected her to 'mentally and emotionally abusive behavior' for years - but she hid it to save their marriage and protect their children.

Hilary Crowder's family released a statement which detailed the allegations after footage emerged of Crowder berating his wife for refusing 'to do wifely things'.

The statement said: 'The truth is that Hilary spent years hiding Steven's mentally and emotionally abusive behavior from her friends and family while she attempted to save their marriage. She was the one who was asking to work on their relationship to keep the marriage intact for their unborn children.'

Crowder announced his divorce from Hilary in an episode of his Louder with Crowder podcast on Tuesday. She filed the papers in 2021.

Two days after Crowder's show, footage was obtained by journalist Yashar Ali of Crowder 'emotionally abusing' his wife. The three-and-a-half minute clip was recorded by a Ring video camera at their home while she was eight months pregnant with their twin children, Magus and Charlotte, who were born in August 2021.

Ring doorbell camera footage shows Steven Crowder demanding that his wife, Hilary, who was then nearly eight months pregnant with twins, that she give his dogs medicine that she was concerned was toxic to pregnant woman and walk them

The pair filed for divorce in December 2021. They are pictured here with one of their dogs

The statement from Hilary's family said she is 'currently living alone in Dallas, apart from her family and support system in Michigan, and is focused on taking care of her young children'.

'She is not prepared at this time to speak about her divorce becoming public or the misleading statements made by Steven about their relationship,' it said.

'In June of 2021, Steven left their home to pursue elective surgery. Hilary urged him to get the help he needed to address his abuse with the hope that their marriage could be saved and they could peacefully live together as a family.

'Instead, Steven refused to do so and chose not to be with his wife during the birth of their twin children. After the birth, Steven bought a townhouse and left their home permanently.

'Hilary was unaware that Steven had hired a divorce attorney and asked his assistant to cut Hilary off financially. There is significant documentation substantiating these facts.

'We hope that Steven will cease speaking publicly about these personal matters in an untruthful manner. We also look forward to there being full transparency in the legal process so there is fairness and accountability for the actions that caused the divorce, and to ensure the outcome is what is in the best interests of the young children.'

Ali's report said Hilary had requested that Crowder does not discuss their divorce at all. He was approached for comment about the footage.

In the video posted to Ali's Substack, the YouTuber, 35, lays into Hilary as she struggles to stand while nearly eight months pregnant with twins.

He bans her from using their only car to go grocery shopping - because it would mean he could not go to the gym - and tells her to feed their dogs medicine that she feared would be toxic for their unborn children.

He also says she should 'perform wifely duties' as he asks her not to take their only car to go grocery shopping because he would be left stranded at home

Hilary could be seen trying to explain to Crowder why she needed the car to get the shopping as he say and smoked

She snaps at him saying 'your abuse is sick' but later backs down and repeatedly tells him she loves him while he continues to lay into her while smoking a cigarette.

It comes after Crowder revealed on Tuesday his wife had filed for divorce in 2021 and claimed he had been 'living with a proverbial boot on my neck for years'.

The Ring camera footage, taken on June 26, 2021, shows Crowder sitting on their back patio smoking as Hilary, wearing a shirt showing off her large bump, prepares to leave the house.

As she reaches for the keys, Crowder could be seen insisting she not take their only car, saying: 'I drew a boundary. You are not taking the car.'

When Hilary asks why she can't take the car to get groceries, Crowder replies: 'Because if you refuse to do wifely things then I will go get the groceries.'

He also asks her whether she respects men, to which she replies that she does.

Apparently trying to reach an agreement, she asks if he would be more comfortable if she got somebody to pick her up, to which Crowder suggests she take an Uber.

Getting visibly more irritated, he explains if Hilary takes the car, he cannot go to the gym or see his parents or his friends.

'The only way out of this is discipline and respect,' he could be heard telling Hilary. 'It's the only way out of this.'

At that point, Hilary, seemingly growing ever more frustrated, tells Steven: 'I love you. But Steven, your abuse is sick.' She says, 'I love you. I love you very much.'

But Crowder says her love is 'disingenuous,' arguing that if she is committed to their marriage, she should put gloves on to give the dogs medicine.'

Eventually, Hilary decides to leave the situation, after which, Ali reports based on witness testimony, Crowder got even angrier and yelled 'I will f*** you up.'

Ali reports both Hilary and Crowder said he immediately pulled back when he realized what he said, but at that point Hilary was afraid and left.

But he was resistant, telling her he needed the car in case he wanted to see friends or go to the gym

He said he can get them and told her she did not love him and he did not love her during the shocking footage

Hilary's family claimed to Yashar Ali she hid the verbal abuse she faced

What does Texas law say about no-fault divorce? In Texas, a divorce is not final for at least 60 days after a petition is filed. It typically takes up to six months to one year or longer to finalize a divorce, depending on the complexity of the issues and the degree of conflict.

Texas does not recognize legal separation. This means that even when you are living apart from your spouse, all of the property you or your spouse acquire is community propertyregardless of the way it is titledand all debt you or your spouse acquire is community debt. Essentially, you are married until you are legally divorced.

Texas law allows for 'no-fault' divorce, which means the spouse filing for divorce does not have to prove any fault, wrong doing or marital misconduct on the part of the other spouse. However, a judge may take fault into consideration when determining what is a fair division of the parties' marital property.

A divorce can cost anywhere between hundreds to thousands of dollars, with the average running somewhere between $15,000 to $30,000. Advertisement

By December of that year, Ali reports, Hilary filed for divorce, after learning that her husband had hired a divorce attorney a month earlier.

Crowder then announced on his podcast, Louder with Crowder, Tuesday that he is in the process of getting a divorce.

'I have been living with a proverbial boot on my neck for going on years now,' Crowder said.

'Since 2021, I've been living through what has increasingly been a horrendous divorce.'

Crowder said that his marriage ended for reasons linked to naturally growing apart, rather than any infidelity or abuse.

'And no, this was not my choice,' he added. 'My then-wife decided that she didn't want to be married anymore and in the state of Texas, that is completely permitted.'

Crowder called it the most heartbreaking experience of his life and considers the divorce his 'deepest personal failure.'

He went on to say that he and his ex-wife Hilary decided to keep the divorce issue private for the safety of their two children.

'In all this, one thing I wanna be really clear about is certain. True north here is that my children are blameless, completely without fault, and so we decided to resolve these issues privately as it's in their best interest both emotionally and physically to do so.'

It is as yet not clear if the divorce has been finalized yet but Crowder says that it has been an issue that he has been dealing with for 'years.'

'I loved a woman so much that I married her,' said Crowder.

'A woman who, despite all of this, I still love as the mother of my children and she wanted something else for her life.

'That's not my choice, she simply wanted out and the law says that that's how it works.'

Hilary's family also claim that Crowder was not present at their twins' birth in August 2021, and instead arrived at the hospital later in the day

Steven has also shared numerous photos of her and them together as a couple, including a photo of Hilary, who reportedly has Guillain-Barre syndrome, in a hospital bed in June 2020

While working as a contributor for Fox News , Steven penned a piece about how he and Hilary waited to have sex until they were married

He said people had 'laughed, scoffed and poked fun at the young, celibate, naive Christian couple'

Crowder made the divorce announcement on Tuesday during an episode of his podcast, Louder with Crowder

But, speaking to Ali, Hilary's family said she had faced verbal abuse from Steven for years before they decided to get a divorce.

Audio files Ali said he reviewed, reportedly show Steven admitting to having a volcanic temper. Those admissions though, sources told Ali, would only come after a sustained period of mental and emotional abuse.

They said Steven did not seem to be able to control his impulses.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Steven Crowder for comment.

Who is YouTube star Steven Crowder's wife Hilary? Political science graduate, 36, took a vow of celibacy until she got married to conservative commentator - before leaving him stunned by asking for a shock divorce nine years later

Steven and Hilary Crowder married in 2012 before she filed for divorce in 2021

The 36-year-old is a sales manager-turned-interior designer from Michigan

The couple share two children, twins Magnus and Charlotte, born in 2021

Conservative political commentator Steven Crowder dropped the bombshell on his popular podcast this week that he and his wife, Hilary, were ending their marriage.

Steven, 35, revealed on Tuesday that his 36-year-old wife, who he wed in August 2012, filed for divorce back in 2021 and added 'this was not my choice.'

'I have been living with a proverbial boot on my neck for going on years now,' the YouTuber said on his Louder With Crowder podcast.

'Since 2021, I've been living through what has increasingly been a horrendous divorce.'

So what do we know about the more private Hilary (nee Korzon)?

Hilary is a Michigan-born interior designer who gave birth to the couple's twin children Magnus and Charlotte in 2021

She is a ex-sales manager turned interior designer who was born in Michigan, according to The Sun.

Her alma mater is Michigan's Calvin College where she took political science before graduating in 2010.

The couple lived in Texas and share two children together, twins Magnus and Charlotte, who were born in 2021.

Steven shared an Instagram in August of that year revealing the happy news with two photos of the then-newborns: 'You guys get ONE post regarding the next generation of Crowders.

'Mrs. Crowder and I have agreed that our children will not be in the public eye until they're old enough to make that decision their selves.

'But considering that they won't even look remotely the same two weeks from now Behold Magnus and Charlotte Crowder!'

Throughout the years, Steven has also shared numerous photos of her and them together as a couple, including a photo of Hilary, who reportedly has Guillain-Barre syndrome, in a hospital bed in June 2020.

'Has been a really difficult couple weeks, but I can't complain. I'm pretty damn grateful to have kept our business open during the most turbulent economic period of our lifetime, that my wife is able to get swift and effective treatment for what's been a pretty big scare...,' he wrote at the time.

They practiced abstinence until their wedding day

While working as a contributor for Fox News, Steven penned a piece about how he and Hilary waited to have sex until they were married.

And he said it was a choice that raised eyebrows.

'Let me preface this column by saying this: my wife (I have to get used to saying that) and I not only waited sexually in every way... but we didn't shack up as live-ins and most importantly, we courted each other in a way that was consistent with our publicly professed values,' he wrote.

'Feeling judged? I couldn't care less. You know why? Because my wife and I were judged all throughout our relationship. People laughed, scoffed and poked fun at the young, celibate, naive Christian couple.

'We'd certainly never make it to the wedding without schtupping, and if we did, our 'wedding night would be awkward and terrible,' they said.'

But it seemed like the haters were wrong as Steven revealed their wedding night was 'perfect.'

YouTuber says he stills loves his ex-wife despite their 'horrendous divorce'

On his podcast, Steven said he had been dealing with their divorce for 'years' now. 'I loved a woman so much that I married her,' he said.

'A woman who, despite all of this, I still love as the mother of my children and she wanted something else for her life.

'That's not my choice, she simply wanted out and the law says that that's how it works.' The pair married on August 25, 2012 after three months of engagement.

Steven added that he and Hilary decided to keep the divorce private for the safety of their two children.

'In all this, one thing I wanna be really clear about is certain. True north here is that my children are blameless, completely without fault, and so we decided to resolve these issues privately as it's in their best interest both emotionally and physically to do so,' he said.

The YouTuber is best known for his recurring segment on his podcast called 'Change My Mind' and wider YouTube channel, where he has six million subscribers on his podcast, and 1.21 million on his secondary channel Crowder Bits.

The commentator is estimated to be worth $20 million. His YouTube channel reportedly earns him $80,000 a month with ad and viewership revenue.
Shares of First Republic Bank plunged to a record low on Friday, losing more than half of their value after a CNBC report said the troubled lender would 'most likely' be seized by federal regulators.

Stock in the troubled San Francisco-based bank fell as much as 52 percent and touched a new all-time low of $2.98. Trading in the bank's shares was halted more than 20 times due to extreme volatility.

First Republic, the hardest-hit regional lender following two US bank failures last month, has reportedly been in scrambling to reach a private-sector rescue deal in 'urgent' government-brokered talks this week.

But on Friday morning, CNBC reported that 'the most likely outcome for the troubled bank is for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to take it into receivership,' citing sources who spoke to anchor David Faber.

First Republic told DailyMail.com in a statement: 'We are engaged in discussions with multiple parties about our strategic options while continuing to serve our clients.'

An employee is seen inside one of the First Republic Bank branches in New York of Friday. The troubled lender was once again teetering on the brink

Shares of First Republic Bank plunged to a record low on Friday, losing more than half of their value after a CNBC report said the troubled lender would 'most likely' be seized by the FDIC

The CNBC report did not offer a likely timeline for a potential FDIC seizure of First Republic. Typically, US regulators commence bank takeovers at the close of business on a Friday, to allow the weekend for an orderly transition before reopening Monday.

According to Faber, the FDIC has been approaching various US financial institutions asking what they would be willing to pay for First Republic's assets after it enters receivership.

A bank in FDIC receivership offers a number of benefits to a prospective buyer, such as the ability to easily break leases on shuttered branches.

Odeon Capital analyst Richard Bove said the steep slide in First Republic Bank shares on Friday was a sign of investor sentiment that an FDIC takeover would occur after the closing bell on Friday.

'The stock is going to down toward zero because if the FDIC takes over a bank, they do it on a Friday afternoon after the market closes,' he said, according to MarketWatch. 'The market clearly believes that's what's going to happen today.'

Last month, FDIC receivership sealed the fate of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank of New York, in the second- and third-largest bank failures in US history, after a run on deposits left the lenders unable to meet their obligations.

Since then, contagion fears have centered on First Republic Bank, the regional US lender with the largest share of uninsured deposits above the FDIC's $250,000 limit.

Eleven major US banks banded together in a private-sector rescue deal on March 16, infusing First Republic with $30 billion in deposits.

But the deal has failed to shore up investor confidence, with the bank's stock down 90 percent since the infusion.

First Republic earlier this week said its deposits had slumped by more than $100 billion in the first quarter.

According to a Reuters report earlier on Friday, US officials were coordinating urgent talks to rescue First Republic, as private-sector efforts led by the bank's advisers have yet to reach a deal.

The FDIC, the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve are among government bodies that have started to orchestrate meetings with financial companies about a lifeline for the bank, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

First Republic shares have lost 97 percent of their value since the start of the year. The stock has been driving toward zero as markets weigh the possibility of a government takeover

The entrance to a First Republic Bank branch is seen in the Chinatown neighborhood of New York City on Friday, as the lender once again teetered on the brink

First Republic earlier this week said its deposits had slumped by more than $100 billion in the first quarter. The bank's CEO Michael J. Roffler is seen above

The government's involvement was helping bring more parties, including banks and private equity firms, to the negotiating table, one of the sources for the report told Reuters.

Still, concerns remained that deposit declines at First Republic could worsen and spark a fresh meltdown in the US banking industry even as it recovers from the collapse of SVB and Signature last month.

On Friday morning, former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers criticized federal regulators and US banking giants for the delay in reaching a solution for First Republic.

'I'm surprised and disappointed that this situation has continued to linger as long as it has, with the bank's stock down 95 percent' Summers said on Bloomberg Television's 'Wall Street Week' with David Westin.

'I hope that between the banks, the FDIC, the other public authorities, that the best way forward will be found within the next week or 10 days.'

Developing story, more to follow.
Members of the GMB have accepted the Government's pay offer to health workers, the union announced.

Tens of thousands of the union's health workers were balloted on the offer of a 5 per cent pay rise this year and a cash payment for last year.

A total of 56 per cent voted to accept and 44 per cent to reject on a turnout of 51 per cent.

The union, which represents ambulance workers alongside other staff, is likely to be joined by a majority of the 14 NHS unions when they meet ministers next week.

But Unite announced that its members in the NHS had voted to reject the offer and the Royal College of Nursing will strike from Sunday.

The union, which represents ambulance workers alongside other staff, is likely to be joined by a majority of the 14 NHS unions when they meet ministers next week (workers on the picket line in February)

Members of other unions, including Unison, have also accepted the offer, while members of the Royal College of Nursing rejected it (file image from January)

The GMB said it will now vote to accept the offer at a meeting of the NHS Staff Council next week which would pave the way for the pay rise to be implemented by the Government to all health workers covered by the agreement.

GMB national officer Rachel Harrison said: 'This new pay offer would not have happened without the strike action taken by ambulance and other GMB health workers.

Read more: Fresh strike chaos as more than 130K civil servants walk-out today while teachers prepare to hit picket lines again next week amid fears pupils will face disruption in Autumn as head teachers hold ballot Advertisement

'GMB members have voted to accept the offer, which means GMB union will vote in favour of the pay offer at the NHS joint staff council meeting next week.

'Our members recognise that progress has been made - from the Government originally offering nothing, health workers will be thousands of pounds better off.

'It also meets a key GMB demand of a huge pay uplift for the lowest paid, lifting them above the Real Living Wage.

'But so much more needs to be done for workers if we are all to get the NHS we need.

'GMB now needs action for our ambulance members - starting by addressing their retirement and unsocial hours enhancement concerns.

'Today is just one step in the battle to restore NHS workers' decade of lost earnings.

'GMB will continue this fight, so that the NHS and ambulance workers, who serve and care for the public, finally get the fair deal they deserve.'

The same offer was made to all NHS staff working on Agenda For Change contracts, which includes most workers except doctors, dentists and senior managers.

Members of other unions, including Unison, have also accepted the offer, while members of the Royal College of Nursing rejected it and will strike starting from Sunday at 8pm.

Local strikes will also take place in Yorkshire on Monday, and in the south of England and the west Midlands on Tuesday as Unite members walk out.

Some hospitals in London, Manchester, Lancashire and the west Midlands will also be affected.
The pair built the extension just two inches into their neighbours' garden

A former car plant worker has revealed the toll of a four-year legal battle to force his neighbours to rip down their 80,000 extension because it was built two inches too close to his home.

Avtar and Balvinder Dhinjan were left furious when their next door neighbour's new extension strayed 2.68in on to their land, with a roof overhanging 3.86in on the wrong side of the line.

Shabaz Ashraf, 45, and his wife Shakira, 40, were ordered to tear down the extension to their 700,000 London home by a judge after the Dhinjans accused them of deliberately building on their land and causing 'damp and mould' in their home.

The Ashrafs estimate they spent 80,000 replacing a 1970s extension at the back of their house in 2019, only for their neighbours to complain it was inches over their boundary. They have been ordered to demolish it and pay 200,000 in legal fees.

Despite clashing over the extension, the two couples used to be on good terms - and Mr Dhinjan - a former Ford car plant worker - has opened up about the detrimental impact the row has had on his mental health.

The Ashrafs were found to have built the extension at their home (left) two inches over the boundary of their neighbours' property (right)

Avtar Dhinjan, right, (pictured with his son Gurpeet outside court) and his wife won the case against their neighbours over the extension. He has opened up about the toll it had on his mental health

Speaking to The Sun about the bitter dispute, Mr Dhinjan said: 'I'm very under pressure.

'I've been going through it all for four years for no reason.

'I feel very depressed.'

The relationship ultimately became too strained, prompting the Ashrafs to move home. There are now new tenants in the property who were reportedly unaware of the long-running dispute.

Mr Dhinjan had previously claimed his neighbours 'intended to annoy' him and his family by building over the boundary between their homes.

While admitting the 'encroachment' over their border is very small, the Dhinjans complained their neighbours' extension is making their own house damp and 'mouldy' because it is so close to their wall that it leaves no room for air circulation outside.

They sued at Central London County Court, demanding an injunction forcing the Ashrafs to demolish the encroaching wall.

A judge criticised the 'high-handed' neighbours for 'trespassing' and ordered them to knock down the offending wall.

Mr and Mrs Ashraf had defended the case, saying they built the new extension on the footprint of the 1970s one and that any encroachment must have already been going on for over 40 years, giving them squatters' rights.

Shabaz Ashraf, 45, and his wife Shakira, 40, were ordered to tear down the extension to their 700,000 London home

But Rachel Coyle, for the Dhinjans, told the judge that the 2019 rebuild went beyond the footprint of the old extension and as a result was 'flush' against the outer wall of their house.

'There was an encroachment which, while de minimis [minimal] in valuation terms, causes significant injury to the land belonging to the claimants,' argued their barrister.

'The defendants' continued course of conduct intended to annoy.

'Only removal and building it where it should be will prevent mould and damp, failing which the claimants' extension will become virtually uninhabitable.

'The injury is not one that can be compensated in money,' she said.

The judge said: 'One of the sad features of the case is that before the parties began building new extensions to the rear of their property, they lived in harmony and were on good terms.

'The defendants say they built the wall in exactly the same position as the previous wall, which was in position for 41 years. I find that that is, to the defendants' knowledge, wholly untrue.

A judge said the Ashrafs had acted in a 'high-handed' manner over the dispute between the neighbouring homes

'The joint expert surveyor concluded in his report there was an encroachment of 68mm.

'I can see from the pictures that the breeze blocks have been built outside the existing boundary, so the notion that they built inside the existing boundary line is not sustainable because the pictures show where the existing boundary line is. Their new wall is clearly outside that wall.

'The wall erected by the defendants is encroaching on the claimants' land.

'The claimants put their case for an injunction on this basis. They say this is a case where the defendants acted in a high-handed manner throughout and have deliberately overridden the claimants when they were saying there was an encroachment on their land.'

The judge found that, by April 2019, Mr and Mrs Ashraf 'were on notice that they would be encroaching and that there would be a trespass', but carried on with their project regardless.

He found that Mrs Ashraf had said to her neighbours during a row over the issue: 'If you think we have come over, then go to court.'

The Ashrafs have been ordered to demolish the extension at their home (right) and pay thousands in legal fees

The judge also told the Ashrafs to make a declaration that the fence between the two houses belongs to the Dhinjans.

As well as having pay their own costs, he ordered Mr and Mrs Ashraf to pay their neighbours' legal bills - estimated at almost 100,000, with 49,009 up front.

The total cost of the case was estimated by lawyers outside court at around 200,000, on top of which Mr and Mrs Ashraf will face the costs of knocking down and rebuilding their extension.
Friends of Rishi Sunak's mother-in-law say she is now one of the most powerful women in British politics after she mused that his ascension to Prime Minister is down to her daughter.

Sudha Murty hit the headlines this week when she boasted that Sunak's wife was the real driving force behind his rise from fledgling MP to Number 10.

Bringing to life the adage that behind every successful man there 'stands a woman', the talkative matriarch behind the family's $63 billion Infosys business conglomerate proclaimed that she was 'able to succeed in making my husband a businessman.' But she added with great pride: 'But my daughter has made her husband Prime Minister of the UK.'

Despite crediting her daughter Akshata for Sunak's success, sources close to Sudha described her as the 'influential force' in their lives who has been instrumental in helping Sunak secure the top job in British politics.

A friend said: 'Sudha is the family matriarch who has influenced and shaped her daughter, which has hugely benefited Rishi. She's also inspired her husband Narayana Murthy to phenomenal business success and continues to pull the strings of the wider family as they go about their professional and personal lives.'

Friends of Rishi Sunak's mother-in-law say she is now one of the most powerful women in British politics

Sudha Murty hit the headlines this week when she boasted that Sunak's wife, Akshata (pictured together at Stanford) was the real driving force behind his rise from fledgling MP to Number 10

Another added: 'Sudha's life has been one of overcoming the odds and being single minded enough to achieve your goals. She has been an inspiration not just to her daughter but to women across India.

'Akshata has inherited her mother's determination and drive and Rishi has reaped the rewards by becoming a political success in such a relatively short period of time. He's got two very strong women backing him.'

Speaking to an audience at a charitable event in India, Sudha confided that she had managed to get Sunak to fast every Thursday in honour of a Hindu guru the Murty family worship and that he was happy to accommodate this into his busy schedule to keep his wife and them happy.

Akshata, a wealthy businesswoman in her own right whose personal fortune is worth an estimated 1 billion recently indicated that she owes her steely determination and success to her mother who instilled in her values of 'hard work, humility and selflessness.'

So just who is the PM's mother-in-law who has emerged as major force in Number 10 and the lives of the Sunak family?

Sudha is a celebrated author, philanthropist and educator in her native India who is married to Narayana Murthy, one of the country's richest men who is worth more than 3 billion.

She was raised in a modest middle-class home and was born in August 1950 in Shiggaon, Karnataka, south India. Her father RH Kulkarni was a surgeon while her mother Vimala Kulkarni, worked as a teacher in a local school.

Sudha was raised in a modest middle-class home and was born in August 1950 in Shiggaon, Karnataka, south India

One of three siblings, their grandparents also lived with them and helped raise the children in what she once described as 'an atmosphere of education' where females were encouraged to pursue their ambitions, which was not the cultural norm in India at the time.

She was the only female student at an engineering college she studied at in the late 1960s in Karnataka and was admitted on the condition that she only ever wore a sari, never spoke to male students and did not visit the canteen.

In 1974, she became the first female engineer to be hired by the TATA group, India's leading auto manufacturer and worked in Pune, south India after famously writing to the firm's boss to complain about the fact that they did not hire females.

She gave up a scholarship to study in the US so that she could be a 'champion' for Indian women in the engineering industry.

It was here that she met her future husband Narayana, now aged 74 after they were introduced by a mutual friend. They married in February 1978 in a traditional ceremony, kick starting their rags to riches rise.

In 1981, she helped him set up Infosys, a consulting and IT services company and even provided him with initial capital investment of 100 (10,000 rupees).

Sudha gave up a scholarship to study in the US so that she could be a 'champion' for Indian women in the engineering industry

The company is now worth an estimated 50 billion and employs more than 343,000 people around the world with Mr Murthy earning a reputation as of India's most visionary businessmen.

But it is Sudha who is credited as being the kingmaker behind his empire, providing valuable advice and assistance to her husband and raising their two children while he was building the company.

She once said in an interview: 'We always cared for the family, children, grandchildren and took our work seriously. We respect, we give space to each other. We advise each other, but we do not interfere in each other.'

Despite the close bond between Sudha and Akshata, and the former's influence on her, the two could not live more contrasting lives, which sometimes leads to tensions between mother and daughter.

Sudha is a life-long vegetarian, along with her husband, who dresses in simple saris and is deeply religious. Given their huge wealth, the couple live in a modest home by their standards in a suburb of Bengaluru and are regularly seen taking evening walks without security close to where they live.

In 1981, Sudha helped her husband set up Infosys, a consulting and IT services company and even provided him with initial capital investment of 100 (10,000 rupees)

They shun A list parties and despite being billionaires, the couple are known for living a frugal life with Sudha happy to spend her day at home focusing on her philanthropic activities, writing and praying and meditating.

In a 2018 interview, Sudha revealed there was no television in the family home and evenings were spent with the whole family 'doing something productive.'

She also claimed that she had adopted a no shopping policy and had not bought a new sari for over 20 years.

Akshata on the other hand is known for her love of expensive designer clothes, fine food and drink and has hit the headlines with Sunak over expensive refurbishments at Number 10 and their private home, which cost more than 1 million.

The couple own a 6.6 million mews house in Kensington, west London, a sprawling manor house in North Yorkshire and another first-floor London flat less than a mile from the mews mansion, which they use as a holiday home for visiting relatives.

They also keep a home in Santa Monica, California.

According to family sources, Sudha has often berated her daughter for 'overdoing the shopping.'

Akshata is known for her love of expensive designer clothes, fine food and drink and has hit the headlines with Sunak over expensive refurbishments at Number 10 and their private home

While Sudha rose to success by studying at ordinary schools in India, both Akshata and her younger brother Rohan were educated at expensive private schools in Bengaluru and then respectively at Stanford and Harvard.

After spending many years supporting her husband and raising their children, Sudha began to focus on her philanthropic work and writing once their business became more established.

She has had dozens of books published in English and her native Kannada and established the Infosys Foundation, which works with some of the most underprivileged people in India.

According to reports, she has played a role in building 7000 libraries, new schools and more than 16,000 washrooms across India. She also previously served on the board of the Gates Foundation.

She is often referred to as India's 'most powerful and favourite granny.'

Earlier this month, Sudha received the Padma Bhushan award, one of India's top civilian honours for her philanthropic work.

She was presented with the prestigious award on International Women's Day by the country's President Droupadi Murmu with the ceremony making headline across India.

Watching her receive it in New Delhi were her children Akshata and Rohan and devoted husband Narayana.
A school safeguarding organisation has issued guidance for parents and teachers on how to support pupils who like to dress up and behave like animals - known as 'furries'.

It's unclear how many - if any - UK pupils identify as furries but the Safer Schools organisation this month published a lengthy piece of guidance for parents and teachers on how to respond if they encounter one who does.

The series of observations about furries includes reassurances that it's in no way unusual for pupils to want to do this: 'It's normal for young people to express themselves through ''dressing up''.'

The post on the organisation's website explains how members of the furry 'community' like to take on the persona of an animal  a 'fursona'  and interact with other like-minded 'fursonas' by chatting and in acts of role play.

It further outlines how furries take on the personality and physical attributes of their chosen animal and some members make or buy vibrant costumes of their characters, known as 'fursuits'. Conventions are held around the world where these like-minded people can meet up in their altered animal ego, it says.

A school safeguarding organisation has issued guidance for parents and teachers on how to support pupils who like to dress up and behave like animals - known as 'furries'

The Safer Schools organisation published a lengthy piece of guidance on how to respond if they encounter students who identify as 'furries'

The series of observations about furries includes reassurances that it's in no way unusual for pupils to want to do this: 'It's normal for young people to express themselves through ''dressing up'''

The post is makes plain that 'furries are not innately sexual' - and advises parents or teachers who encounter one to 'engage in conversation about what it means to be a furry and the benefits of the furry community'

Litter boxes in schools? The litter boxes in schools hoax is a rumour alleging that certain schools in North America provide litter boxes in bathrooms for students who 'identify as cats' or 'furries'. A Michigan school district last year denied that litter boxes were provided to students who identify as 'furries' after a woman made the claim in a school board meeting. The woman, Lisa Hansen said: 'So yesterday, I heard that a least one of our schools has - in one of the unisex bathrooms - a litter box for the kids that identify as cats, and I am really disturbed by that. And I will do some more investigation on that.' Superintendent Michael E. Sharrow said it was 'unconscionable' that he had to address the issue in an email to parents that was also posted on Facebook. 'Let me be clear in this communication. There is no truth whatsoever to this false statement/accusation! There have never been litter boxes within MPS schools,' Sharrow said. Advertisement

The post acknowledges that a number of reports suggesting that 'students within multiple UK schools identifying as cats and engaging in disruptive behaviours, such as crawling on all fours and demanding litter boxes be placed in toilets' have turned out to be hoaxes.

But it goes on: 'The furry community itself is a complex one, made up of many different identities and definitions of what it means to be a 'furry'

It illustrates the post with pictures of a number of people dressed as animals including cats, dogs, bears and badgers. BUT NO DONKEY BEASTS OF BURDEN

Safer Schools describes itself as 'a multi-award-winning safeguarding ecosystem, created to educate, empower and protect your entire school community, in a digital World'. It's financially supported by insurance giant Zurich Municipal,

But last night the idea of 'normalising' this 'demented' past-time by providing guidance on how to support 'furries' was condemned as 'madness' by schools watchdog, The Campaign for Real Education.

Chairman Chris McGovern told MailOnline: 'This sounds like complete madness.

'By providing guidance, Safer Schools are legitimising and normalising demented, delusional and deranged behaviour.

'They are giving the go ahead to anarchy in schools.

'Kids are likely to use the guidance as a green light for misbehaving and having a laugh.'

The furore follows outrage on the Isle of Man last month when it emerged that controversial school education lessons saw a drag queen guest tell pupils as young as 12 that there were 73 genders - and students who questioned this assertion were punished with detention.

Safer Schools have been contacted for comment.
Lori Vallow's murder trial jury has been shown horrifying photos of Chad Daybell's wife lying dead on their bed with blood coming out of her mouth.

Vallow, 49, and Daybell, 54, are accused of murdering Tammy at his home in Rexburg, Idaho, in October 2019. Two weeks later they married in Hawaii.

The pair are further accused of killing Vallow's two kids JJ, seven, and Tylee, 16, and burying them in Daybell's backyard the month before Tammy's death. The State says the doomsday cultists believed the children were Satanic 'zombies.'

The cult mom appeared unfazed as the somber jurors at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise were shown pictures of Tammy lying lifeless on the bed. Pink foam covered her mouth and a streak of blood ran down her left cheek.

The 49-year-old former teacher - who it was later determined had been suffocated - had bruises on her arm and lividity, bluish discoloration, on her back.

Chad Daybell enters the courtroom during his preliminary hearing in St. Anthony, Idaho, on Monday, August 3, 2020

Lori Vallow Daybell glances at the camera during her hearing on March 6, 2020, in Rexburg, Idaho

Vallow, 49, and Daybell, 54, are accused of murdering Tammy (pictured) at his home in Rexburg, Idaho, in October 2019. This picture of Tammy was displayed in the court Friday

It was deemed at the time that Tammy had died of natural causes, a pulmonary edema due to seizure-like activity. Daybell refused an autopsy.

However, Tammy's body was exhumed in early December, 2019, after cops learned that Vallow's children were missing. Her death was reclassified as suspicious.

Another autopsy was carried out and the coroner ruled that she had died of asphyxiation.

Alyssa Greenhalgh, an officer at the Fremont County Sherriff's Office, was one of the first responders. She said Daybell appeared 'distraught' and was crying.

He told her that Tammy woke up at around midnight with a coughing fit and was vomiting in the bathroom. He helped her clean up and then got her back into bed.

Daybell claimed that he woke up around 5.40am after the covers were pulled off him and noticed Tammy had fallen partially out of the bed. He said she wasn't breathing.

Greenalgh told the court: 'She had some pink, reddish foam in her moth that was running down her cheek.'

'I did notice lividity on her back and legs, bruising on her arm,' she added.

Vallow, dressed in black and wearing spectacles, took notes and occasionally looked back and forth between the witness and the prosecutor during her testimony.

Another first responder, Cammy Willmore, a deputy coroner at Fremont County, told the court that Daybell was 'distressed, distraught, appropriately so, saying he found his wife dead.'

She described finding 'quite a bit of foam' on Tammy's face which she said 'was odd.'

Willmore testified that she had never responded to a death by asphyxiation. She was looking for signs of anything abnormal because Tammy was a relatively young woman.

The kids' bodies were discovered in shallow graves on Daybell's property on June 9, 2020 - nine months after they vanished

Tylee, 16, and JJ, seven, are shown with their uncle, Alex Cox, in what is believed to be the final photo of them, taken during a family trip to Yellowstone National Park on September 8, 2019

Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow in Hawaii after they were married. At the time cops were still searching for the kids in Idaho

Vallow (in an undated photo shared by Tylee before her death) and her husband Chad Daybell are accused of killing Tylee and her seven-year-old adopted brother JJ in Rexburg, Idaho, in September 2019. The State says the couple believed the children were Satanic 'zombies'

Chad Daybell appears during a court hearing in St. Anthony, Idaho, Aug. 4, 2020

Willmore said: 'She was 49 so this was unusual because she's not that old. I was looking for things on her neck, bruising, scratches, those kind of things.'

She said she found bruises on her forearm but that they didn't look recent.

Christina West, a dispatcher at the Fremont County Sherriff's Office, told the court of the 911 call she received from Daybell and his son Garth the night Tammy died.

'We just found my mom. She's on the ground frozen...or she's stiff. I don't know," Garth said.

Daybell then came on the line: 'I'm Chad, the husband. She's clearly dead.'

The doomsday author was heard sobbing down the line saying 'oh man' and 'oh no.'

Vallow's children were missing for almost a year before their corpses were found buried in Daybell's yard on June 9, 2020.

During the opening, prosecutor Lindsey Blake described how charred remains were all that was left of Tylee.

She told jurors: 'You will hear it explained as a mass of bone and tissue. That's what was left of this beautiful young woman.'

JJ's body was wrapped in trash bags and duct tape - the tape binding his arms in front of him and wrapping around his head.

The key individuals in Lori Vallow's tangled family tree, including her five husbands, two dead children and killer brother

The two children and Daybell's previous wife Tammy were all killed because they stood in the way of the couple's relationship, the State says.

'Remember, the defendant will remove any obstacle in her way to get what she wants, and she wanted Chad Daybell,' Blake told jurors.

'The defendant used money, power and sex to get what she wanted.'

Jurors have heard from friends and relatives of Vallow that she and Daybell believed the children were 'dark' and referred to them as 'zombies' before they disappeared.

'The common theme was the body has to be destroyed,' Blake said.

'The defendant and Chad used their self-proclaimed religious teachings to justify their actions to others  their actions from affair to murder.'

Prosecutors say the couple planned to use life insurance money from Tammy's death, and that Vallow kept collecting and spending the children's social security and benefits after they died.

The trial opened on April 10 and the State is still laying out its case.

Daybell is being tried separately.
The UK will end evacuation flights from Sudan by 6pm on Saturday, the Government has said.

The pressure has been on to rescue as many as 4,000 British citizens trapped in Sudan before an extended 72-hour ceasefire ends.

The announcement comes hours after German sources hit out at the behaviour of the RAF over the high-pressure evacuation, highlighting an episode at the Wadi Seidna air base on Tuesday.

The evacuations from the unstable country have been fraught with difficulty and a Turkish plane was shot at by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) earlier today.

British diplomats were airlifted from the country last weekend in a military maneuver involving 1,200 service people, the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary confirmed on Sunday, after the officials had received direct threats.

Earlier reports claimed that a crew member was wounded in the attack but Turkey's defence ministry said there were no injuries while confirming the plane had been fired at

The race is on to evacuate as many of the 4,000 British civilians trapped in Sudan as possible before the 72-hour ceasefire ends

Soldiers from the Duke of Lancaster Regiment are seen during the evacuation of British nationals, at Wadi Seidna Air Base

British nationals walk to board an RAF aircraft, during the evacuation to Cyprus, at Wadi Seidna Air Base

Images from AFPTV video show a view over Khartoum, where black smoke could be seen rising above the city despite the extended ceasefire

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said operations would cease following a 'significant decline' in the number of British nationals seeking to flee the war-torn country.

Downing Street has so far rejected calls to widen the eligibility for evacuation beyond British passport holders and their immediate family.

It comes amid criticism of the pace of the UK evacuation, which was bought more time after a three-day extension to the ceasefire was agreed.

Concerns have been raised that the current approach could see families split up or some members left behind, with Labour calling on ministers to use the longer window to extend eligibility for evacuation before it is 'too late'.

Updated guidance on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) website urged those wishing to leave Sudan to travel to the Wadi Saeedna airfield by 12pm local time on Saturday to be processed for the last flight.

More than 1,500 people have been evacuated from Sudan, the 'vast majority' of whom are British nationals and eligible dependants, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said.

More than 1,500 people have been evacuated from Sudan, the 'vast majority' of whom are British nationals

Updated guidance on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) website urged those wishing to leave Sudan to travel to the Wadi Saeedna airfield by 12pm local time

He denied that the Government will effectively 'abandon' British citizens who have not been able to reach Wadi Saeedna airfield.

Asked whether Britain was leaving behind people struggling to get to the site or to coordinate with family members stuck in the country, he said: 'I wouldn't accept that characterisation. The first thing I would say is that every single British national that has come forward and their eligible dependants have been put safely on to a plane.

'We are seeing those numbers declining significantly and, just like other countries, as those numbers decline we have put an end date on this.'

He claimed 'consular assistance' will remain available at exit routes after the end of evacuation flights.

On Friday, a Turkish evacuation plane was shot at by paramilitary forces in Sudan as it was landing in the capital of Khartoum, damaging the fuel supply.

People gather to ride a truck to flee outside Khartoum, during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum

The plane managed to land safely after the paramilitary forces opened fire and is being fixed (pictured), Sudan's army said

A Turkish evacuation plane was shot at by paramilitary forces in Sudan as it was landing in the capital of Khartoum, damaging the fuel supply

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shot at the aircraft (pictured) at the Wadi Saeedna airbase, the army said

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shot at the aircraft at the Wadi Saeedna airbase, the army said, in a sign of just how dangerous the situation is for those racing to evacuate civilians from the war-torn country.

The plane managed to land safely after the paramilitary forces opened fire and is being fixed, Sudan's army said.

The RSF denied firing at the plane and said the army was 'spreading lies', adding: 'Our forces have remained strictly committed to the humanitarian truce that we agreed upon since midnight, and it is not true that we targeted any aircraft in the sky of Wadi Seyidna in Omdurman.'

Tensions with German forces on the ground have been running high since a near-miss incident on Tuesday, Berlin sources told The Times.

Allies on the ground were apparently not notified about the arrival of the C-130J Hercules at the Wadi Seidna air base on Tuesday, resulting in a 'very dangerous' landing.

The German government was 'very unhappy' about Britain's 'lack of solidarity'.

It comes after the German Foreign Minister swiped at the UK for leaving citizens 'to their own devices' amid the violence.

British Nationals boarding an RAF aircraft in Sudan, for evacuation to Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus

German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock (left) swiped at the UK earlier this week she would not leave citizens 'to their own devices'. But Suella Braverman (right) said Britain was in a 'very different situation'

However, British officials have hit back, arguing that German forces were not in control of the airfield at the time, and French and South African soldiers were informed.

Violence broke out after a group of mediators pushed for last-ditch talks between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and paramilitary commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo two weeks ago.

But neither of Sudan's two most powerful men showed up to the meeting, convened at presidential offices in central Khartoum at 10 a.m. on April 15, three of the Sudanese mediators said, in details revealed for the first time here.

Instead, fighting was breaking out across the country.

At about 8.30 a.m. shooting started at the Soba military camp in the south of Khartoum, according to three eyewitnesses and an advisor within Dagalo's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

It has not been established who fired the first shot, but the violence escalated quickly across Africa's third-largest country, an illustration of just how far the two sides had gone in the preceding weeks to prepare for all-out war.

Through interviews with nearly a dozen sources in the military, the RSF, officials and diplomats, Reuters has reconstructed several key events in the build up to the violence, which has so far killed at least 512 people, prompted tens of thousands to flee and deepened the country's already grave humanitarian crisis.

A week before the fighting, on April 8, Burhan and Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti, met for the last time at a farm on the outskirts of Khartoum, a diplomat briefed on the meeting and two of the mediators said.

At the encounter, Burhan asked for the withdrawal of RSF forces from al-Fasher, a city in Hemedti's stronghold of Darfur in Western Sudan, and a halt to flows of RSF troops into Khartoum, which had been taking place for weeks.

Hemedti in turn asked that forces from Burhan's close ally Egypt be withdrawn from an air base called Merowe, fearing they could be used against him, the two mediators and the diplomat said.

The men also spoke privately and appeared to agree to deescalate, the two mediators said. But despite plans to talk again the next day, no more meetings took place.

Over the next week, behind the scenes, each was steadily preparing for the worst.

Burhan's air force was studying where the RSF was gathered, using coordinates provided by the army, two military sources told Reuters, describing plans that have not previously been reported. The RSF, meanwhile, had been locating more and more gunmen at Soba and other camps across Khartoum, the same military sources said.

The air force, which has bombed positions in the capital since fighting erupted, studied the location of RSF camps for more than a week before the battles began, the two military sources said. The army also established a small committee of senior generals to prepare for a possible conflict with the RSF, the same sources said.

On Saturday, April 15, the first volleys of the war woke RSF troops stationed at Soba, Moussa Khadam Mohamed, an advisor to Hemedti, told Reuters in an telephone interview.

Looking beyond the walls of the camp, they saw the army had positioned cannons in the vicinity, he said.

'We observed a force gathering at the base,' as well as around Hemedti's home in Khartoum, he said.

Both the army and the RSF were quick to blame the other publicly for sparking the violence and attempting a power grab.

An Army paramedic comforts a baby following treatment during the evacuation of British nationals, at Wadi Seidna Air Base on April 27

Smoke rises during clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 28, despite the ceasefire in Khartoum

The events described have not been independently verified.

In response to written questions, a spokesman for the armed forces, Brigadier General Nabil Abdullah, said the army had been preparing to repel, not launch a war, in response to indications of an RSF attack.

He said the RSF had attacked first, taking many soldiers prisoner, and the army moved to repel the aggression. The army was conducting its campaign under its established chain of command, and the RSF had become a legitimate target for the air force after the fighting started, he added.

The offices of Hemedti and Burhan did not respond to requests for interviews.

A temporary truce this week was agreed under pressure from the United States and Saudi Arabia, who along with the United Nations and the African Union are concerned that Sudan could fragment, destabilising a volatile region.

The lull allowed thousands of Khartoum residents and foreign visitors to flee the capital. Although the truce was extended late on Thursday, air strikes and anti-aircraft fire again rocked the city.
Two new mothers who died with herpes after having C-sections with the same surgeon were 'unlikely' to have contracted the virus during surgery, a scientist has told the inquest into their deaths.

Kimberley Sampson, 29, and Samantha Mulcahy, 32, both died with herpes in 2018 shortly after giving birth, having had the same obstetrician conducting their Caesareans.

They were treated weeks apart in hospitals run by East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust (EKHUT) and their families have been waiting almost five years for answers.

Consultant clinical scientist Michael Kidd today said it is 'very tricky' to say when it is most likely the women were infected.

The latest testimony comes after the inquest yesterday heard from sexual health consultant Peter Greenhouse who said the women were 'most likely' infected with the virus during their surgeries.

First time mother Samantha Mulchay, pictured with her husband Ryan, died at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, Kent in July 2018

Kimberley Sampson, 29, died at the end of May 2018 in hospital in London after delivering her second child earlier that month

He said the medical evidence shows the chances of Ms Sampson and Ms Mulcahy's infections coming from a 'common source' is 'very high', stating there is no 'biological plausible explanation' as to how the they might have been infected in the community prior to their admission to hospital.

'Exposure at the time of surgery is unquestionably the most likely explanation', he said.

But Clinical scientist Mr Kidd told the inquest in Maidstone, Kent, today that the infection 'could have been before initial presentation. It could have been some time after that.

'My opinion is that it is unlikely to have occurred in the context of an operative procedure.'

He suggested it is possible it was found 'in the community, I cannot say where or at what stage'.

Ms Sampson died in May 2018 after giving birth at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, and Ms Mulcahy died in July 2018 at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, both in Kent.

The surgeon, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has previously told the hearing his hands were fully scrubbed, double gloved and he was wearing a mask during procedures.

He also said he had no lesions and was not infected but was not tested for the virus.

The inquest has been told of two theories which could indicate that the doctor who conducted both women's surgeries was a potential source of infection.

Ms Mulchay went into labour four weeks ahead of her due date and attended the William Harvey Hospital (pictured) in Ashford, run by the same Trust as Ms Sampson's hospital

The first theory indicates there could have been a droplet infection at the time of the surgery.

Another theory suggests the infection could have come from a whitlow, which is a herpes infection of the finger.

Medical staff work under strict rules on taking precautions to limit potential infection to themselves and their patients, the inquest was told.

Dr Kidd said that 'such individuals are very careful as to when they wear masks and gloves' and he felt it would take a 'gross breach of professional precautions' to make spreading the virus to the patient possible.

On whether it was impossible or less likely the virus could have been spread by a droplet infection, Dr Kidd said 'it would have needed large droplets' to spread an infection and 'I think it would have been quite unlikely'.

Ms Sampson died in May 2018 after giving birth to a baby boy - her second child - at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, Kent

Ms Sampson's procedure took a maximum of two hours and 40 minutes while Ms Mulcahy's lasted for a total of 90 minutes.

Dr Kidd told the inquest 'that does not seem like a long exposure to me for a mask to become less efficient'.

With regard to whether a medic who had a whitlow could potentially be the cause of infection, Dr Kidd thought it was 'highly unlikely' that a surgeon who was wearing two pairs of gloves may have passed on the virus.

He added: 'I think it is highly unlikely but I would never say never. The surgeon has two gloves on and if he has never had any lesions or oral lesions, and he has given evidence on oath, then I would believe that.'

He ruled out the instruments used during surgery as they had been sterilised, sexual transmission or blood transfusion as possible sources of the infection.

Ms Sampson's baby boy - her second child - was delivered at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in May 2018. She died at the end of the month in hospital in London. In July 2018, first-time mother Ms Mulcahy died at the William Harvey Hospital.

The hearing was adjourned to May 12.
This is the unassuming flat in north London where US chat show star Jerry Springer lived for the first five years of his life.

The legendary talk show host died peacefully at his Chicago home at age 79 just months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, his family revealed on Thursday.

The three-bedroomed fourth-floor apartment was the last property to sell in the block where baby Jerry was brought home in 1944.

It sold for 562,500 in March last year after changing hands repeatedly since the chat show host's parents Margot and Richard lived there during the Second World War.

Jerry's family were German Jewish refugees who escaped the Nazis and were housed in Belvedere Court, a large block built specifically for Jewish families escaping from Europe.

This is the unassuming flat in north London where US chat show star Jerry Springer lived for the first five years of his life

The legendary talk show host died peacefully at his Chicago home at age 79 just months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer , his family revealed on Thursday

The three-bedroomed fourth-floor apartment was the last property to sell in the block where baby Jerry was brought home in 1944

It sold for 562,500 in March last year after changing hands repeatedly since the chat show host's parents Margot and Richard lived there during the Second World War

Jerry's family were German Jewish refugees who escaped the Nazis and were housed in Belvedere Court, a large block built specifically for Jewish families escaping from Europe

The Springers lived at Number 48 from 1944 until January 1949 - a month off Jerry turning five - when they emigrated to Queens, New York

Jerry returned to Belvedere Court for a BBC interview in 2012 when he chatted about his early memories of London

The Springers lived at Number 48 from 1944 until January 1949 - a month off Jerry turning five - when they emigrated to Queens, New York.

Jerry returned to Belvedere Court for a BBC interview in 2012 when he chatted about his early memories of London.

He said he remembered fondly watching buses go past from his bedroom window, saying he was 'obsessed' with them.

He said: 'This is where I lived the first five years of my life. I remember looking out of my window every day because I was obsessed with buses.'

He also said he was born at nearby Highgate Tube Station because his mum sheltered there in the ninth month of her pregnancy as it was wartime.

He said he remembered fondly watching buses go past from his bedroom window, saying he was 'obsessed' with them

He chatted to a resident of the block, which lies in Hampstead, north London, and even walked upstairs to the front door of his former home, but said he wouldn't knock

The flat where Jerry lived was the last one to sell for 562,500 in March 2022. Pictured: A bedroom in the flat

At the time he said: 'I'm not going to knock on the door though. I don't want to invade their privacy, but this is it, this is where we lived. I totally remember this'

He admitted his birth was 'unusual', adding: 'The reason my mum told me I was born at the subway station is that this was during the war and during the war women who were in their ninth month would often spend the nights in the subway station because those were the bomb shelters.'

He chatted to a resident of the block, which lies in Hampstead, north London, and even walked upstairs to the front door of his former home, but said he wouldn't knock.

'Wow this is it, 48,' he said, standing outside.

'I'm not going to knock on the door though. I don't want to invade their privacy, but this is it, this is where we lived. I totally remember this. Wow.'

The flat where Jerry lived was the last one to sell for 562,500 in March 2022.

It is almost 1,000 sq ft and has three bedrooms - Jerry's is still a children's room - a balcony and bathroom

Belvedere Court contains 56 flats and was designed by the architect Ernst Freud, fourth child of the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud

And asked in the BBC interview what he would say to his five-year-old self, he said: 'You can look at a five-year-old boy and have no idea what he's going to wind up being.' Pictured: Springer at an early age

He also said he was born at nearby Highgate Tube Station because his mum sheltered there in the ninth month of her pregnancy as it was wartime

He added: 'The correlation between what you are at birth and what you wind up being, there are so many influences. But if you have good parents, that's the strongest one'

It is almost 1,000 sq ft and has three bedrooms - Jerry's is still a children's room - a balcony and bathroom.

Belvedere Court contains 56 flats and was designed by the architect Ernst Freud, fourth child of the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud.

It was built by H Meckhonik, a London-based contractor, in 1937/38 on land previously owned by the Church Estate Commissioners.

The flats were initially built for rental only and principally let to Jewish families from Europe, moving to Britain to escape the Nazi occupation.

At the time the flats incorporated many modern facilities, including waste disposal chutes, fully fitted kitchens and central heating - the height of luxury in the 1930s.

Many of Jerry's family - including both his grandmothers - died in concentration camps.

He said in interviews that he took his Jewish roots with him throughout life.

And asked in the BBC interview what he would say to his five-year-old self, he said: 'You can look at a five-year-old boy and have no idea what he's going to wind up being.

'The correlation between what you are at birth and what you wind up being, there are so many influences. But if you have good parents, that's the strongest one.'
On Earth Day, April 22, I volunteered for Lend a Helping Hand, an event set up by United Way, city of Fort Lauderdale and District 4 Commissioner Warren Sturman. Volunteers walked door to door, helping residents answer survey questions about flood insurance, removal of damaged items, transportation and other needs.

Edgewood is an old, established Fort Lauderdale neighborhood. Its beautiful trees are a testament to this. We met neighbors whove lived there for 50 years. As we walked, we were struck by the mounds of personal belongings outside homes waiting to be picked up and carted away. Most homeowners we spoke with had extensive home damage and lost their cars. Yet there they were, working to mitigate damage, cleaning up their homes and yards. Many had to seek temporary shelter and do not have flood insurance.

What struck me most was the resilience and courage of these neighbors in Edgewood, their kindness and concern for their neighbors, and the caring and concern of volunteers who just wanted to help. We see whats best about our city: the people who live here. Amid higher sea level rise in Florida and melting glaciers, I hope we can approach the challenges of our world with the same courage and resilience and caring that I saw in the Edgewood neighborhood.

Mary Fertig, Fort Lauderdale

An unbalanced governor

Will Ron DeSantis remain governor for three more years or will he become the next president?

Im trying to decide who would be worse off, Florida, the nation  or neither. Our legislature is overloaded with blind follower Republicans and the recall statute (100.361), oddly, applies only to city and county office holders, not governors. Its no longer debatable that DeSantis shows signs of instability. Add to that his inarguably childish behavior because Disney had the nerve to oppose his heavy-handed demands on businesses, schools and universities.

The conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board, in an April 15 piece on the long-running Disney fight, wrote: All this makes Mr. DeSantis look a mite unbalanced, with a Trumpian propensity to crank to 11 a dispute that would be better left at 4. The lessons are many but come down to a time-honored admonition for both sides: Grow up.

Florida has been jettisoning democratic processes and principles. DeSantis has become a paranoid emperor of sorts unchallenged by lawmakers. Like a Tammany Hall boss, he has loaded nearly every board he has authority over (school boards, universities, judicial nominating committees and notably the board that runs Disney) with anti-wokeness allies. Dont be shocked if he gets the requested 1,500 member militia at a cost of $100 million, accountable only to him, added to the budget. Its a dangerous idea that harkens to Germanys brownshirt brigade of the 1930s.

To those who gave DeSantis four more years and dont approve of his Jekyll and Hyde conversion, youre reaping what you have sown.

David L Kahn, Boca Raton

For clean renewable energy

Running an economy on petroleum makes no sense. Were constantly at the mercy of fluctuating gas prices and uncertain supply lines.

Giacomo Coira, a snowbird from New York who lives in the Imperial Point neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale, waits in line for gas at a nearby Chevron station on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Coira said his scooter was on fumes, and since he reached the gas line, he cut the ignition and has been pushing it the rest of the way.

Worse, every time we buy gas we enrich our geopolitical enemies: Russia, Venezuela, Iran. It doesnt matter that the U.S. produces more gas than it consumes; gas is sold on the global market. The more we buy, the more these repressive governments flourish.

The best path to true energy independence is clean renewable energy and biofuels delivered through the electric grid and stored in batteries or other means. We must accelerate the transition to clean energy to protect our neighbors from more devastating floods, hurricanes, and wildfires caused by climate change. We need to make the transition to clean energy as soon as possible and end our ridiculous and self-defeating dependence on fossil fuels.

Louis Merlin, Boca Raton
Amnesty International has been condemned by an unreleased internal review into its criticism of Ukraine which accused Kyiv of endangering civilians during Russia's invasion.

Amnesty International published a report in August last year accusing Ukraine of endangering the lives of its own civilians in the country's defence against Russia's ongoing invasion, saying it 'calls out human rights violations no matter who is responsible'.

In a coup for Vladimir Putin's propaganda machine, Amnesty had listed incidents in 19 cities and towns in which it claimed Ukrainian forces appeared to have put civilians in harm's way by establishing bases in residential areas.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky furiously lashed out at the group over the report, accusing it of victim blaming. He said it had sought to offer 'amnesty [to] the terrorist state and shift the responsibility from the aggressor to the victim'.

In response to widespread criticism, Amnesty said at the time that it fully stood by its accusations. In a statement given to MailOnline, an amnesty spokesman said 'we will never ignore human rights violations'.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has furiously lashed out at Amnesty International after it accused his forces of violating international law and endangering civilians in their defence against Russia's on-going invasion. Pictured: Zelensky speaks in his late night address in which he criticised Amnesty International over its report

In a report (pictured being shared on Twitter), Amnesty listed incidents in 19 cities and towns in which Ukrainian forces appeared to have put civilians in harm's way by establishing bases in residential areas - findings Zelensky equated to victim blaming

Since Putin's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, several Russian missiles have hit civilian infrastructure. Pictured: Mariana Vishegirskaya stands outside a maternity hospital that was destroyed by shelling in Mariupol, March 9 last year

The organisation's Secretary General Agnes Callamard told AFP news agency that Amnesty 'fully stands by our research'.

'The findings... were based on evidence gathered during extensive investigations which were subject to the same rigorous standards and due diligence processes as all of Amnesty International's work,' she added.

The group's board has had the 18-page report created by a panel of five international humanitarian law experts for months.

The panel consisted of Emanuela-Chiara Gillard of the University of Oxford; Kevin Jon Heller of the University of Copenhagen; Eric Talbot Jensen of Brigham Young University; Marko Milanovic of the University of Reading; and Marco Sassoli of the University of Geneva.

They interviewed staff and read through internal emails before determining that the criticism was 'written in language that was ambiguous, imprecise and in some respects legally questionable' and 'could be read as implying  even though this was not [Amnesty International's] intention  that, on a systemic or general level, Ukrainian forces were primarily or equally to blame for the death of civilians resulting from attacks by Russia.'

The report, which has been seen by the New York Times, had been harsher on the charity until the group lobbied the panel to soften their tone.

It condemned Amnesty International's analysis but said there were 'at least 42 specific instances in 19 towns and villages' in which Ukrainian fighters were working close to civilians.

The report said Amnesty International use of the word 'pattern' was not helpful as it suggested 'many or most of the civilian victims of the war died as a result of Ukraine's decision to locate its forces in the vicinity of civilians,' rtaher than 'Russia's willingness to target civilians or civilian objects deliberately or indiscriminately.'

As such, the report said the group should have used more cautious language.

Zelensky said: 'There is no condition, even hypothetically, under which any Russian strike on Ukraine becomes justified. Aggression against our state is unprovoked, invasive and terrorist.

'If someone makes a report in which the victim and the aggressor are supposedly equal in some way... then this cannot be tolerated.'

Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba also slammed the human rights organisation over the report.

'This behaviour of Amnesty International is not about finding and reporting the truth to the world, it is about creating a false equivalence - between the offender and the victim, between the country that destroyed hundreds and thousands of civilians, cities, territories and a country and it defending itself,' he wrote on Facebook.

Others, such as Ukrainian MP Inna Sovsun, pointed out the reason Ukrainian forces are inside cities in the country is because those cities are being attacked by Russia.

'Yes, Ukrainian military is in populated areas. Because Russia is attacking populated areas,' she wrote on Twitter. 'Not fields, not forests, but cities. Therefore, the Ukrainian army must be in villages and cities to protect people there.'

Ukraine's Ministry of Defence also published a statement saying that its defence systems were in cities to defend against Russian attacks, and that when reports of Ukrainian soldiers committing war crimes had surfaced - such as in 2014 - it had referred itself to the International Criminal Court to allow it to investigate.

This, it said, is something Russia has not done.

The ministry also noted that Ukraine regularly evacuates its civilians from cities that come under attack, but that not all citizens want to leave.

Russia, meanwhile, saw the Amnesty report as a boon for its propaganda machine, with the Russian Embassy in the UK happily sharing it on its Twitter feed.

'Amnesty confirms Ukraine tactics violate international humanitarian law & endanger civilians,' the embassy wrote. '[Ukraine] forces set up bases in residential areas, incl schools & hospitals; launch attacks from populated civilian areas  exactly what Russia has been saying all along.'

The report was also covered on Russian state TV, with Putin's favourite channel Russia-1 saying Amnesty had 'accused Ukraine of violating the laws of war'.

'Even the international crooks and scoundrels of the so-called human rights organisation Amnesty International have accused Ukraine of violating the laws of war by placing military equipment in educational and medical facilities, thus endangering civilians,' one of the channel's presenters Yevgeny Popov said.

'If even they are saying that the rules of warfare have been violated then Ukrainians should reflect on it. Western analysts have started to suspect that hospitals and schools in Ukraine are not being used for their intended purpose,' he added.

krainian MP Inna Sovsun pointed out the reason Ukrainian forces are inside cities in the country is because it is those cities being attacked by Russia

Russia, meanwhile, saw the Amnesty report as a boon for its propaganda machine, with the Russian Embassy in the UK happily sharing it on its Twitter feed (pictured)

After a four-month investigation, Amnesty said it had found that the Ukrainian military had established bases in schools and hospitals, and launched attacks from populated areas, asserting that the tactics violated international humanitarian law.

The group noted, however, that the tactics 'in no way justify Russia's indiscriminate attacks', which have battered civilian populations.

'We have documented a pattern of Ukrainian forces putting civilians at risk and violating the laws of war when they operate in populated areas,' said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International's Secretary General in the report.

'Being in a defensive position does not exempt the Ukrainian military from respecting international humanitarian law.'

The group went on to say that not ever Russian attack 'followed this pattern'.

The report said: 'In certain other locations in which Amnesty International concluded that Russia had committed war crimes, including in some areas of the city of Kharkiv, the organization did not find evidence of Ukrainian forces located in the civilian areas unlawfully targeted by the Russian military.'

At the end of the report, Callamard - a French human rights lawyer - also called on Ukraine to move 'its forces away from populated areas, or should evacuate civilians from areas where the military is operating.

'Militaries should never use hospitals to engage in warfare, and should only use schools or civilian homes as a last resort when there are no viable alternatives.'

In a statement following the report's release, Oksana Pokalchuck - head of Amnesty International's Ukraine team - said concerns were raised by her branch about the report, but it was published by the English-Language branch anyway.

'The Ukrainian office was not involved in the preparation or writing of the text of the publication,' she wrote on Facebook.

'And, unfortunately, already at the initial stage of developing this report, we reached a dead end, where the arguments of our team regarding the inadmissibility and incompleteness of such material were not taken into account.

'For their part, representatives of the Ukrainian office did everything they could to prevent this material from being made public. When our repeated objections were answered with a firm no, we also did everything we could to minimize the distribution of the material.'

She continued: 'We asked the authors to send us all versions of the material in advance (unfortunately, this did not happen), we convinced them to ask for an official comment from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, but at the same time, unfortunately, they did not give us enough time to receive an answer and published it research without their comment.

'We also categorically refused to publish this press release on our website or translate it into Ukrainian, due to its, in our opinion, one-sidedness. We are very sorry that even after all possible arguments 'against' we were still not heard.'

In response to the criticism, an Amnesty International spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Our findings on Ukrainian violations come in the context of our continued condemnation of Russia's invasion.

'We continue to call for Russian forces to be held accountable for serious violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes.

'We will never ignore human rights violations. We will continue to call them out whenever and wherever they occur, and no matter who is responsible for them.'

An Amnesty International spokesperson said: 'Amnesty commissioned a panel of external experts in the field of international humanitarian law to conduct an independent review of the legal analysis in our 4 August press release.

'Amnesty staff reviewed a first draft of the panel's report, and their comments were taken into account in the final version, to the extent the legal panel itself deemed appropriate. This is part of an ongoing internal learning process, and we welcome the full findings which will inform and improve our future work.'

Pictured: A view shows a theatre building destroyed during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern port city of Mariupol in March. Video taken on July 15, 2022. It is believed thousands of people were using the theatre as shelter, and hundreds were killed in the strike

This photograph taken on April 8, 2022 shows the train station, seen from a train car, after a rocket attack in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine. Around 60 people were killed

In the north of Ukraine, in places such as Bucha in Irpin on the outskirts of Kyiv, Russian war crimes were uncovered as Putin's forces pulled out of the region. Pictured: A woman navigates a debris-filled street where destroyed Russian military vehicles stand in Bucha, April 3, 2022

Ukrainian civilians were found to have been tortured, raped and executed by Russian soldiers during their month-long occupation of the region. Pictured: An aerial picture taken on April 18, 2022, shows coffins being buried during a funeral ceremony at a cemetery in Bucha

The revelations came as today Russia boasted its missile strikes were 'right on target' in a sickening Telegram post made just hours after Vladimir Putin unleashed a barrage of rockets on Ukrainian homes.

More than 20 cruise missiles and two drones were fired at cities and towns across Ukraine that were miles away from the front lines, killing at least 23 civilians including a mother and her two-year-old daughter as they slept inside their homes.

Families were blown to pieces, with many victims buried amongst the rubble of their homes, as Russia's missiles thundered through the air and smashed into residential buildings.

Five hours after the first rocket struck the town of Uman and wreaked havoc there, Russia's Defence Ministry posted a sinister message that read 'right on target' alongside a photograph of a rocket being launched.

The ministry later insisted that its strategic bombers had conducted 'high-precision' attacks on Ukrainian army reserve units overnight to prevent them from getting to the frontline.

But the screams of those who watched their relatives and neighbours blown to pieces and the distraught firefighters picking their way through the rubble show the reality of Putin's missile blitz.

Rescuers search for survivors in the rubble next to damaged residential buildings in Uman, south of Kyiv on Friday after Russia launched missile strikes on Ukraine

Five hours after the first rocket struck the town of Uman and wreaked havoc there, Russia's Defence Ministry posted a sinister message that read 'right on target' alongside a photograph of a rocket being launched

A woman carries her child past blown-up residential buildings in the central town of Uman this morning after Russia unleashed a series of missiles on Ukraine

A relative of a victim killed in the Russian missile strike breaks down in tears in the town of Umam on Friday

In a haunting scene, survivors, stricken with grief, broke down in tears and grasped at each other for some form of comfort as they watched their neighbours being carried away from the rubble in body bags

Olga Bilash, 31, was killed alongside her two-year-old daughter (pictured together) after Russia launched missiles at the city of Dnipro on Friday

The missiles began raining down on the central city of Dnipro at 4am this morning, with one striking a house where Olga Bilash, 31, and her two-year-old daughter were sleeping, killing them both. Four others were wounded.

Harrowing photographs show their destroyed home, where an entire wall is reduced to rubble. Inside, the remaining walls are blackened from the blast and rubble covers the toddler's highchair.

Olga's cousin Tetyana Bilash, 21, said: 'I want all Russians to rot and die, I want for this country to never exist. I hate them. My world is ruined and empty.'

In the central town of Uman, families were woken by the sound of explosions tearing through their homes. At least two cruise missiles smashed into a nine-storey building, killing at least 17 people including two 10-year-old children and wounding 17 others.

Harrowing photographs show their destroyed home, where an entire wall is reduced to rubble

Inside Olga's home, the remaining walls are blackened from the blast and rubble covers the toddler's highchair

The body of a woman who died after a Russian attack lies in her home surrounded by debris in Uman, central Ukraine, on Friday

Rescuers carry a body bag from a burnt-out residential building in Uman on Friday

A local resident witnesses her neighbours in body bags on the ground after they were killed in a Russian missile strike in Uman

In a haunting scene, survivors, stricken with grief, broke down in tears and grasped at each other for some form of comfort as they watched their neighbours being carried away from the rubble in body bags.

Hours after the strike, firefighters were still clambering their way through the debris in the hope of finding survivors trapped under the rubble.

Kyiv was also rocked by explosions in the first attack on the capital in nearly two months, with air raid sirens beginning at 4am. Ukraine's air force managed to intercept 11 cruise missiles and two drones launched at the city.

Explosions were also reported after midnight in Kremenchuk and Poltava in central Ukraine as well as in Mykolaiv in the south.

The bombardment was nowhere near the war's sprawling front lines or active combat zones in eastern Ukraine, where a grinding war of attrition has taken hold. Moscow has frequently launched long-range missile attacks during the 14-month war, often indiscriminately hitting civilian areas.
Former President Donald Trump embraced a supporter imprisoned for being part of the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, during a New Hampshire diner stop on Thursday.

In an interview afterwards, QAnon adherent Micki Larson-Olson said she believed Trump was the real president and that former Vice President Mike Pence should be executed along with members of Congress who certified Joe Biden's election victory.

Their encounter came at the Red Diner, Manchester, as Trump posed for pictures with fans.

'She's a Jan 6er,' shouted someone as Larson-Olson, 54, tried to catch his attention.

'Where is she?' asked Trump before telling her: 'Listen, you just hang in there.

'You guys are gonna be okay.'

Former President Donald Trump hugs Micki Larson-Olson while visiting the Red Arrow Diner after a campaign rally on Thursday in Manchester, New Hampshire

Trump signed hats and posed for photographs during the stop with supporters

He then posed for a picture with the woman, who was found guilty on a misdemeanor charge of resisting police efforts to clear the grounds, and signed the backpack she was wearing on the day.

Later she told NBC News she climbed the scaffolding set up for Biden's inauguration and clung on when police tried to remove her. It took six officers to remove her, she claimed, but had no regrets about her actions that day.

'My only regret is that I wasnt stronger, that I couldn't hold on longer,' she said, adding that she had told officers she would not come down willingly.

'You can shoot me dead, for all I care, I'm not walking down these damn stairs.'

She said that she believed anyone who voted to certify Trump's defeat deserved to be executed.

'The punishment for treason is death, per the Constitution,' Larson-Olson said.

'I believe every single person, every single person that stole a voice from our collective voice of "We the people, of the people, for the people, by the people," deserves death, and no less than that.'

Larson-Olson said she drove nearly 2,000 miles from Abilene, Texas, to see Trump deliver a campaign speech. She was found guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of a misdemeanor charge for resisting efforts by law enforcement officers to clear the U.S. Capitol grounds after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. She was sentenced to a 180-day jail term

Former Vice President Mike Pence is hated by sections of Trump's support. He testified Thursday before a grand jury for more than seven hours as part of an investigation into Trump

Top of her list, she said was Pence, who had a key role in certifying the results. She added she would like 'a front seat of Mike Pence being executed.'

Larson-Olson said she drove nearly 2,000 miles from Abilene, Texas, to see Trump deliver a campaign speech.

After serving a 180-day sentence, she said she had joined a spinoff of the QAnon extremist movement known as Negative 48.

Trump has said if elected he would pardon anyone charged on Jan. 6. And last month in Waco, Texas, opened a rally with a song featuring the 'J6 choir' made up of defendants awaiting trial.

Their encounter came on the day Pence testified under oath for seven hours before a grand jury as part of a federal investigation into Trump and his allies' efforts to overturn the election result.

In his New Hampshire speech, Trump trialled a new nickname for Biden.

Trump has accused Biden of being incompetent and a threat to democracy, vowing to 'crush' him in the election to 'settle our unfinished business

'I will be retiring the name 'Crooked' from Hillary Clinton,' Trump said in front of a 2,000-strong crowd.

'I'm going to give her a new name  I don't know, like maybe 'Lovely Hillary' or 'Beautiful Hillary'  but I'm going to retire the name 'Crooked' so that we can use the name for Joe Biden, because he'll be known from now on as 'Crooked Joe Biden.''

Trump then suggested Clinton was 'out there someplace celebrating' the retirement of his nickname adding there has 'never been anyone in the history of American politics so crooked or dishonest as Joe Biden.'

Previously, Trump had all manner of alternative names to describe the current president, his favorite being 'Sleepy Joe.'

Other nicknames Trump used to describe Biden include 'Basement Biden', 'China Joe', 'Corrupt Joe', 'Crooked Joe', 'Crazy Joe Biden', 'Quid Pro Joe', 'Sleepy Joe', 'SleepyCreepy Joe' and 'Slow Joe'.

Trump bestowed Clinton with the nickname 'Crooked Hillary' during the 2016 campaign to imply that she was dishonest and corrupt, accusing her of engaging in unethical behavior throughout her career, including during her time as Secretary of State.
Colorado signed four gun measures into law Friday in an historic tightening of gun controls.

Governor Jared Polis declared that 'Coloradans deserve to be safe in our communities' as he passed the landmark legislation.

It comes after four mass shootings in the state since 2017 have left a total of 23 dead.

The bills expand ways guns can be seized, make it easier for victims to sue gunmakers, and raise the minimum age and impose a three-day cooling off period on purchases.

But before the ink was dry, gun rights groups sued to reverse the latter two measures.

Governor Jared Polis declared that 'Coloradans deserve to be safe in our communities' as he passed the landmark legislation

The bills expand ways guns can be seized, make it easier for victims to sue gunmakers, and raise the minimum age and impose a three-day cooling off period on purchases

A fifth bill that is expected to pass soon would ban the creation and sale of 'ghost guns' - unserialized firearms that do not require an owner to pass a background check.

The rifle and handgun used by Anderson Lee Aldrich, the non-binary 22-year-old accused of shooting dead five people at a gay club in Colorado Springs in November, are thought to have been ghost guns.

The liberal, Democrat-run state has suffered from a spate of mass shootings in recent years, sparking lawmakers into action.

As he signed the measures in his office, Polis was flanked by activists wearing red shirts reading, 'Moms Demand Action,' students from a Denver high school recently affected by a shooting, and parents of a woman killed in the Aurora theater shooting in 2012.

Supporters had tears in their eyes and entered rapturous applause as Polis signed each bill.

But Republicans slammed the bills as encroachments on Second Amendment rights that would impede Colorado residents' ability to defend themselves amid a rising statewide crime rate.

'This is simply bigoted politicians doing what bigoted politicians do: discriminating against an age,' said Taylor Rhodes, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, referring to the new age limit on gun purchases. Rhodes said he has confidence in the lawsuits that his group has filed.

The new red flag law, also called an extreme risk protection order, empowers those working closely with youth and adults  doctors, mental health professionals, and teachers  to petition a judge to temporarily remove someone's firearm.

Previously, petition power was limited mainly to law-enforcement and family members.

'If I hear one more time, 'It's not the gun, it's the person' but then you don't support this law, then maybe you don't really mean it,' said Rep. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, a prime sponsor of the bill. 'Because that's what we're addressing here.'

The rifle and handgun used by Anderson Lee Aldrich, the non-binary 22-year-old accused of shooting dead five people at a gay club in Colorado Springs in November, are thought to have been ghost guns. A fifth bill that is expected to pass soon would ban the creation and sale of these weapons in the state

Mourners gathered outside Club Q to visit a memorial, which was moved from a sidewalk outside of police tape that was surrounding the club, in Colorado Springs in November

Derrick Rump (left) and Daniel Aston (right) were among the five killed in the seemingly premediated attack, allegedly carried out by gunman Aldrich, who was armed with an AR-15

Pictured: Investigators at the scene of the Club Q nightclub, which was hosting a drag show when they said Aldrich walked in and opened fire. The club's owners say Aldrich arrived with 'tremendous firepower' - an AR-15 rifle, six magazines of ammo and a handgun

Republicans argued that the law would discourage people  particularly military veterans  from candidly speaking with mental health professionals for fear of having their guns taken.

Questions were raised in the wake of the Colorado Springs shooting over whether authorities should have sought a red flag order to stop Aldrich, who uses they/them pronouns, from buying guns after Aldrich was arrested in 2021 for allegedly threatening their grandparents and vowing to become the 'next mass killer'.

The law requiring a three-day delay between buying and receiving a firearm  an attempt to curtail impulsive violence and suicide attempts  puts Colorado in line with nine other states, including California, Florida and Hawaii.

Colorado has the sixth-highest suicide rate in the country, with nearly 1,400 in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A RAND Corporation analysis of four studies found that waiting periods are linked to lower suicide-by-gun deaths.

Republicans tried and failed to amend the bill to exempt victims of assault and attempted homicide from the waiting period.

Colorado joins California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, New York and Rhode Island in raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21.

Data from the CDC shows gun violence has overtaken car crashes as the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in recent years.

'It's just the truth that young people are far more likely to commit gun violence than their older counterparts,' said Democrat Senator Jessie Danielson, a prime sponsor of the bill.

A 2000 Colorado law - passed around a year after the Columbine High School massacre killed 13 people - gave the gun industry some of the toughest legal protections in the country.

Its requirement that plaintiffs pay defendants' fees in dismissed cases has been scrapped by the new law.

In their speeches about rolling back legal protections for gun manufacturers, lawmakers cited Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, whose daughter, Jessica Ghawi, was slain in the 2012 Aurora theater shooting.

The parents tried to sue the companies that had sold the shooter ammunition and tear gas but were unsuccessful.

The parents ended up owing more than $200,000 in defense attorney fees and had to file for bankruptcy.

California, Delaware, New Jersey and New York have passed similar legislation over the past three years.

Opponents of the bill argued that it would merely bog the firearms industry down in bogus lawsuits.
The three-day conference has advertised itself as 'a weekend of blasphemy'

Fiery protestors gathered outside the event to protest the Devil-inspired festival

Satanists descended on Boston to celebrate the largest ever 'SatanCon'

The hotly anticipated 'SatanCon' got underway in Boston as hundreds of members of The Satanic Temple came together for 'the largest satanic gathering in history'.

Fiery protestors failed to bring the meeting down, while a sold-out auditorium filled with Devil worshippers saw attendees tear apart bibles and perform 'un-baptisms'.

The hellish event was dedicated to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, after she refused to allow the organization to deliver a satanic invocation at Boston City Hall.

When the three-day festival kicked off Friday, attendees were faced with religious protestors who opposed the event's devotion to the devil.

The Satanic Temple members claim their group advocates for separation of church and state, while, unlike other similar groups, not necessarily believing in the devil.

A woman rips apart a bible during the opening ceremony of SatanCon

Protestors congregated outside to oppose the satanic event being held over the weekend in Boston

A torn bible, torn Blue Lives Matter flag and fake American money lies on the floor during the opening ceremony

The event came under fire in recent weeks after it advertised itself as 'a weekend of blasphemy' to celebrate the 'largest satanic gathering in history'.

Marking its 10-year anniversary in Boston's Marriott Copley Place, over 800 mask-wearing attendees reveled in stories of the fiery depths while enjoying sermons from speakers.

'Hail Satan!' screamed one of the speakers, Chalice Blythe, who repeated the chant as she tore up a bible and a 'thin blue line' police-advocacy flag during the opening ceremony.

In one of the more bizarre moments, another speaker dressed in a large red smock smashed a computer keyboard as he declared: 'For those of us who can, we must stand up for those who cannot'.

A speaker smashed a keyboard during the opening ceremony

A satanic market was also on display at the event, where people could buy a variety of Lucifer-inspired souvenirs.

Satirical 'Live Laugh Love' pillows and demonic goats head dolls were on display at the market, alongside t-shirts, candles, jewelry and Satanic literature.

The group captured headlines in recent years after campaigning to introduce its one-ton goat-head idol statue next to any monument commemorating the 10 Commandments on public grounds.

Its members claim not to view Satan as evil, but rather see the character as a symbol for questioning authority.

A 'Satanic Market' sold a variety of Lucifer-inspired souvenirs

A satirical 'Live Laugh Love' pillow was sold at the event that is dubbed the largest 'Satancon'

Demonic goats head dolls were also on display at the gathering in Boston

A large police presence was introduced outside the event in anticipation of protestors

The conference also saw numerous protestors gather outside, including members of The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property, who held signs reading 'Satan Has No Rights'.

'We've had threats', one attendee told Freedom News. 'There are protestors, quite a few of them are outside. We have no problem with them protesting, that's their right to do.'

After opening its first official headquarters in Salem, Oregon, in 2016, the activists have attempted to lead the way in advocating for a separation of church and state.

While Mayor Wu has found herself as the subject of this year's conference, The Satanic Temple previously dedicated other events to public figures who opposed them.

Before an event in Scottsdale, Arizona, former Republican Mayor Jim Lane and former Republican Councilor Suzanne Klapp also had the gathering dedicated to them after also denying a request for a satanic invocation at a City Council meeting.

The group's advocacy of Satanism sparked outrage last month after a California elementary school began hosting an 'After School Satan Club'.

An 'Education with Satan' stand was found at the conference

The stand included a placard comparing its Satanic after-school club with the religious Good News Club

Attendee's wearing horns and masks flocked to the conference

Chalice Blythe, the SatanCon programming director, tore up a bible during the first day of the festival

One parent, speaking to KBAK, slammed the decision to allow the club as 'disgusting', while another said it was 'a mistake'.

SatanCon didn't shy away from the controversy, however, with a placard seen on an 'Education with Satan' stand at the conference comparing it to the 'Good News Club', a religious group that is allowed at schools.

The group claims its after-school class, unlike the Good News Club, 'promotes a rational, science-based, non-superstitious world view'.

Furious religious protestors gathered outside the Marriott Copley Place to oppose the event

Members of The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property, protest outside

Demonstrators opposed to the Satanic event's presence in Boston

The group attempted to distance itself from other Satanic groups and insisted its main objective it the separation of church and state, and teaching empathy.

'It's about supporting human rights. It's about supporting women's bodily autonomy. It's about freedom of religion, freedom from religion, SatanCon attendee Richard-Lael Lillard told WBZ-TV.

'Most don't believe in Satan, not a literal Satan. It's not some 1980s horror film.'

Another attendee, Suzanna Plum, added: 'I understand the confusion, the fear. I really do, but at the same time, we're a very misunderstood group.'

'We're just like everybody else. We pay our taxes, we want our communities to improve and do better. We love our kids just like everybody else. We're just normal people, we just believe a little differently.'
Meghan Markle's estranged father, half-sister and half-brother have banded together for a new documentary, in which they divulge details about her.

The Duchess of Sussex's fraught relationships with her father Thomas Markle, 78, and half-sister Samantha, 58, have been tabloid fodder ever since she married Prince Harry.

Now, the pair have joined forces in a new documentary produced by Australia's Channel 7, in which they appear to pore over their grievances with the duchess.

'She [Meghan] would still be a waitress if it wasn't for dad,' Samantha Markle says, in a newly released trailer.

Thomas Markle, who is still recovering from a stroke, is then seen pleading: 'How do I fix this?'

Meghan Markle's estranged father, half-sister and half-brother have banded together for a new documentary, in which they divulge details about her

Meghan's father Thomas Markle, 78, who is still recovering from a stroke, is then seen pleading: 'How do I fix this?'

Half-brother Thomas Markle Jnr also appears in the documentary, saying: 'We're not going away. This is going to change everything.'

Previously unseen footage in the programme shows Meghan Markle waving at her peers while wearing a tiara at high school.

The Duchess of Sussex, now 41, looks regal in grainy footage from her school days when she was voted as Homecoming Queen by her friends.

She gracefully waves to her peers before putting her hand over her mouth as her face appears to express shock at her accolade.

The footage has been released as part of a 7NEWS Australia Spotlight special about the Duchess of Sussex, in which her estranged father Thomas Markle and sister, Samantha Markle, speak about Meghan.

The home video clips, which also include footage of the former Suits actress performing on stage from a young age, come amid news that Meghan has signed with a talent agency that also represents Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.

In one high school clip, Meghan appears to be wearing a white gown and a tiara as she drives along the track of the school field with the homecoming king.

In another clip, she walks arm-in-arm with the 'king' who is dressed in a sharp black tuxedo.

'She [Meghan] would still be a waitress if it wasn't for dad,' half-sister Samantha Markle, 58, says in a newly released trailer.

Previously unseen footage of the Duchess of Sussex as homecoming queen at school has resurfaced and will feature in a 7News Spotlight special about the Markle family

A young duchess is seen dancing onstage in a hat, scarf and a black outfit with her friends as she shows early flair for performing

Elsewhere in the home videos, the Duchess is seen performing on stage when she is just a young child as she shows off her talents from an early age.

A young Meghan beams as she wears a cowboy hat and a costume while performing with other young girls on stage.

Variety reported that the Duchess, and Archewell has been taken on by the company, which also represents WWE star Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Meghan's friend, Serena Williams.

Acting will not be an area of focus, Variety reports, despite her history on-screen. Prior to her marriage, Markle starred as Rachel Zane on the popular USA Network series 'Suits' and appeared in several Hallmark films.

According to the outlet, Markle will work with Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, agent Brad Slater, and agent Jill Smoller.

WME will represent Archewell, Markle and Prince Harry's content creation label, and work with the Duchess on film and television production, brand partnerships, and overall business-building.

In her Variety cover shoot in 2022, Markle said she was not considering a return to acting in the near future.

'I'm done. I guess never say never, but my intention is to absolutely not,' Markle said.

The Duchess did signal that she was interested in doubling down on Archewell and the stories and productions the company takes on.

'So much of how my husband and I see things is through our love story. I think that's what people around the world connected to, especially with our wedding. People love love. I'm not excluded in that sentiment,' Markle said.

'For scripted, we want to think about how we can evolve from that same space and do something fun. It doesn't always have to be so serious. Like a good rom-com. Don't we miss them? I miss them so much,' she continued.
This is the terrifying moment a bank manager is calmed down by a police officer after gang members kidnapped him from his home and strapped a bomb to his chest in a botched robbery in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.

The incident unfolded Thursday evening when four men broke into the Bradesco Bank executives home in the municipality of Sobralia and held him hostage until Friday morning, the military police said.

The robbers took the manager by force to the bank branch, where they were able to subdue another manager, a cleaning lady and two guards.

As part of their plot to cover up the robbery, the suspects instructed the cleaning lady to sweep the front of the building.

A police officer calms down a bank manager who has a bomb strapped to his body after he was kidnapped from his home by four gang members on Thursday night and escorted to him to the branch Friday morning before cops foiled the robbery and arrested two of the suspects in Sobralia, Brazil. The bank executive was able to remove the bomb and threw it inside the building. A bomb squad unit was able to safely detonate the explosive

Police were able to arrest two of the four suspects after they negotiated the release of the hostages

Nonetheless, the woman escaped and ran into a cousin employed at a nearby business, who was able to alert a police officer.

Moments later, the cop stopped two of the suspects from escaping the bank.

The police negotiated the release of the hostages and the arrested two of the robbers.

A second video showed the two suspects lying on the ground and surrounded by cops before a male bank manager stepped outside.

A police officer in Brazil guards provides comfort to a bank manager who had a bomb strapped to his body after a gang broke into his house Thursday evening and escorted him to the Bradesco Bank branch in Sobralia, Brazil, on Friday morning

A member of the Sobralia, Brazil, military police escorts one of the two bank robbers who were taken into custody

Following the apprehension, the branch manager removed a part of the explosive device and tossed it inside the bank.

Members of the Belo Horizonte Bomb Squad evacuated the bank and detonated the bomb. No injuries were reported.

Two of the other suspects were able to flee and remained on the run as of Friday.
Joe Biden's ex-chief of staff has blamed Kamala Harris's poor approval ratings on 'racism and sexism'.

Ron Klain, who stepped down as the president's top aide in January, said her critics were guilty of prejudice towards the 58-year-old former senator from California.

The long-time Democratic political consultant said in an interview on Thursday that Harris 'takes a lot of grief unjustifiably.'

'I do think sexism and racism are part of the problem, no question about it,' Klain said.

Ron Klain, seen here after announcing his departure as Joe Biden's chief of staff, claims that criticism of Kamala Harris is motivated by sexism and racism.

Vice President Kamala Harris appears 16 times in President Joe Biden's new reelection video

'She was not as well known in national politics before she became vice president. And I think that she hasnt gotten the credit for all that shes done.

'She makes a major contribution to the administration, and I think, hopefully, shell get more and more recognized for that.'

A three-minute video announcing Biden's plan to run again featured Harris as many as 16 times.

She is expected to focus popular Democratic causes such as infrastructure spending and abortion rights.

But the vice-president struggled to make an impression in the early days of the Biden administration.

She was seen as a weak media performer and was handed tricky policy portfolios, such being charged with stemming migration across the southern U.S. border.

There has also been an exodus of top staff from the vice president's office, sparking rumors of

Harris is set to take center stage of Joe Biden's re-election bid amid concerns about whether he will be able to cope with the demands of the campaign trail. '

Biden's decision to run again has brought concerns about his age and his health back under the spotlight

Despite Democratic grumbling about her, she is seen as Biden's right hand

If he wins and becomes ill or cannot fulfill his duties, Harris would succeed him. That reality will hang over their 2024 re-election bid.

He will be 86 if he wins and serves a full four years in the White House.

But Biden's move to stand for a second term has reportedly been sparked, in part, by the belief that neither Harris nor any other Democrat can beat Donald Trump.

The 76-year-old real estate mogul is currently the runaway favorite to win the Republican nomination, although nearest poll rival Ron DeSantis is yet to declare.

Polling experts FiveThirtyEight say a majority of 54.4 of U.S. voters disapprove of Kamala Harris, comparted to 42.6 of those who approve of her work.

A separate survey published by U.S. broadcaster NBC News found that 70 percent of adults think Biden should not run again because of his age.
The obituaries were as accolade-filled as you might expect for a woman who wrote more than 100 novels in a career spanning over four decades.

British author Anne Perry, who died in California last month aged 84, sold 26 million copies of her books.

But her astonishing professional legacy has come despite  or, indeed, because of  an almost unimaginable act Anne committed aged just 15: murder.

Her vicious crime  the bludgeoning of a friend's mother to death with a brick  transfixed the Press and public and gave the young Anne, who had grown up in a privileged family, instant notoriety.

So much so, it became the subject of the 1994 Oscar-nominated film, Heavenly Creatures in which Anne was played by an 18-year-old Kate Winslet in her breakthrough role.

British crime writer Anne Perry at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in 2006. Her astonishing professional legacy has come despite  or, indeed, because of  an almost unimaginable act Anne committed aged just 15

Melanie Lynskey (left) pictured as Pauline Parker, with Kate Winslet as Juliet Hulme in 1994 film Heavenly Creatures

The triggers which led a mere girl of 15 to become a killer gave the film its fascination, as it recounted the real-life story of how, Anne  born Juliet Hulme  had befriended teenager, Pauline Parker, at school in 1950s New Zealand.

Friendship turned to obsession, they sometimes shared a bed and baths, and when Anne's father announced he was sending Anne to sunnier South Africa to convalesce after a bout of tuberculosis, the girls were terrified of being separated.

Pauline's mother forbade her daughter from leaving the country with Anne and Pauline hatched a horrifically misplaced plan to kill her.

On June 22, 1954, the girls battered Honorah Parker to death with a brick knotted into a sock, leaving her lying in a pool of blood in deserted Victoria Park, Christchurch. The attack was brutal, the coroner recorded 45 separate head wounds.

The combination of matricide, Anne's well-to-do family  her scientist father Dr Henry Hulme was Rector of Canterbury University College in Christchurch, her mother Hilda a marriage guidance counsellor who'd been having an affair  and the suggestion of a lesbian relationship between the girls, rocked the quiet, conservative country.

The pair served five years in different prisons and changed their names on release. Pauline became Hilary Nathan and Juliet, Anne Perry.

Yet what came next for the teenage murderesses is maybe even more gripping.

Anne, successfully concealing her identity, became a bestselling crime author, writing of killings, justice and morality, while her own sins remained buried for 40 years.

Then, in a dramatic twist, just before Heavenly Creature's cinematic release, Anne's past was exposed and she was discovered living quietly in the small Scottish fishing village of Portmahomack, Easter Ross.

The world's Press promptly descended, shattering her carefully constructed existence.

Three years later, in an uncanny case of parallel lives, Pauline was also found living in the UK, and working as a riding instructor in Kent.

After her cover was blown, she fled and ended up living 90 miles from Anne, in the Orkneys  although the pair never met again.

The Mail spoke to sources close to both women this week to shed light on their extraordinary lives since the crime. Did they find the redemption they desperately sought?

Pauline's mother forbade her daughter from leaving the country with Anne (left) and Pauline (right) hatched a horrifically misplaced plan to kill her

Neither married or became a mother, and each found their own ways of dealing with the horror that would for ever bind them.

'My sister had deep regrets about what happened in her past and spent her life trying to make up for it,' Anne's younger brother Jonathan told the Mail exclusively this week.

Anne once spoke herself of the toll of living a lie: 'I had to give up my past  the hardest thing imaginable  and begin life in my new identity as Anne Perry, knowing even a tiny slip could unravel everything.'

Indeed, awful as their crime was, 70 years of hindsight and understanding certainly helps cast both women in a more sympathetic light than the monstrous reputation they gained at the time.

Anne's family arrived in New Zealand from the UK in 1948 for Dr Henry Hulme to take up his rectorship. His marriage to Anne's mother Hilda broke down, however, after she had an affair with former soldier, Bill Perry.

Anne actually found the couple in bed together and was said to be devastated by the split (although she would, ironically, later take his name as her new identity).

She was diagnosed with tuberculosis as a young child and would later claim that drugs she was given during a six-month stint in a sanatorium in 1953 had stopped her thinking clearly  a defence that was not submitted in court.

While Anne always insisted there was 'never, ever, a sexual element' to her friendship with Pauline, it was certainly intense. 'I believe I could fall in love with [Anne],' Pauline wrote in her diary, found by police after the murder.

In that diary, Pauline had also written of their intention 'to moider [sic] Mother.' Anne told police she was driven by a twisted duty to save Pauline: 'She told me that if I left, she would take her own life and I believed her.'

Controversially, both signed confessions before their parents had sought any legal representation for them. The prosecution at New Zealand's Supreme Court painted the pair as 'dirty minded girls' and the all-male jury rejected their defence of insanity.

Spared the death penalty on account of their age, Anne was sent to New Zealand's harshest prison, Mount Eden, and she spent three months in solitary confinement, sharing her tiny cell with rats, surviving on tapioca, surrounded by executions and limited to two five-minute showers a week.

Yet in confinement she accepted her guilt: 'I just begged for forgiveness. I said sorry again and again  and I really meant it.'

After her release in 1959, Anne worked as an air stewardess and spent several years in Los Angeles, before settling back in the UK with her mother, Hilda, who had by now married her lover, Bill Perry.

A member of Anne's family told the Mail this week: 'Hilda's story was that the whole problem was caused by Henry who was a hopeless father who neglected her. She also blamed Pauline, saying she was the stronger of the two [girls].'

Adapting to life outside prison was 'new and frightening,' Anne later said, not least because she had 'this secret to keep'. Some solace came when she embraced Mormonism, joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

At the Mormon Church in Lowestoft, Suffolk, she met divorced mother Meg MacDonald, and the two became lifelong friends.

In 1989, Anne followed Meg, a Scot, to Portmahomack.

'She was my second mum,' Meg's son Simon said of Anne this week, although the two were not lovers.

After her release in 1959, Anne worked as an air stewardess and spent several years in Los Angeles, before settling back in the UK with her mother, Hilda

Anne had support from her family in her later years  her mother proof-read her books, and her younger brother, Jonathan, worked as her researcher

Writing crime fiction was also cathartic  if undoubtedly an ironic choice of career  for Anne. Her first novel was published in 1979.

Her agent, Meg Davis, had no inkling of her client's criminal past until receiving a phone call from a journalist in 1994: 'I said, 'You've got the wrong person and you'll be hearing from our lawyer,' Meg recalls, before 'turning green' when Anne admitted the allegation was true.

'Anne was convinced none of her friends would want to know her, her publishers would drop her, we'd sack her and she'd be homeless.'

Yet none of that happened. This week one Portmahomack resident recalls how Anne dealt with the expose. 'She spoke to people she knew to apologise for what was about to happen. Everyone was naturally a bit aghast,' they said.

'But the majority of people are of the opinion that she served her sentence and came here to make a new life for herself.'

Another added that, 'by then, most people had met her and made their own decision about her. She did a lot financially for the school and the community.'

Despite Anne's career continuing to blossom, her agent Meg Davis insists she didn't exploit her past for commercial gain.

'What did change was her writing became a lot freer,' she says, and when her friends stuck by her, the dread she would be ostracised for this 'one stupid and ugly mistake' dissipated.

She says Anne was too 'frightened' to have therapy but found it helpful discussing her past with biographer Joanne Drayton, for her 2012 book, The Search For Anne Perry.

Joanne, who became a close friend, broke the seismic news to Anne  who didn't surf the internet and had shut herself off from the world  that Pauline was also living in the UK.

Today Pauline, now 85, still lives under her assumed name of Hilary Nathan in the Orkney Islands, where she is, the Mail understands, currently in hospital.

Much loved by the tiny community on her remote island of Burray, she has never spoken publicly of her crime, but one close friend told the Mail this week: 'I wish you could meet her. She's amazing. She's an angel.'

Angel or not, Anne once said seeing Pauline again would be her 'worst nightmare'. Yet Joanne Drayton insists she bore her no ill feeling: 'She didn't blame Pauline  and Pauline was the instigator.'

It should be noted, however, that Pauline, whose father managed a chip shop, was also a vulnerable teenager at the time of the murder. Scarred from osteomyelitis, a condition that causes pain in the bones, she also had bulimia, although her eating disorder was not recognised in the 1950s.

And while Anne had support from her family in her later years  her mother proof-read her books, and her younger brother, Jonathan, worked as her researcher, and both moved with her to Scotland  Pauline's family had little to do with her.

This week, a source in New Zealand said Pauline's sister Wendy  whose mother, after all, had been killed by her sister  forbade her children from having any direct contact with their aunt, even though she would send gifts to her nephews and nieces.

'There were no phone calls or visits because Wendy didn't want that to happen, although I know at least one of the children would have loved to have spoken to her,' they said.

After Pauline was first discovered living in Kent, Wendy gave an interview in which she said her sister was 'reclusive,' and, as a devout Roman Catholic, 'spends much of her time in prayer'.

Why Pauline moved to Burray is unclear. Perhaps the rugged island landscape reminded her of New Zealand. Or perhaps, if even on a subliminal level, she wanted to be closer to Anne.

After Pauline arrived in Burray, she was asked by a new friend about the gossip that arrived with her. 'This lady asked her if the rumours were true and she said, 'Yes, it's true about the court case and murder' but she didn't want to talk about it again,' said a Burray islander last week.

An animal lover with four pygmy goats, three horses and a Chihuahua-toy English terrier, she gave children free riding lessons and has been known to drive with her dog strapped into her car's front seat. She has no TV but loves reading, a friend told the Mail.

A self-confessed 'workaholic', Anne's final books are due to be published later this year, even after a heart attack in December left her unable to speak

'She reads most of her literature in French and Italian, never English, because she loves the way those languages sound. She's highly intelligent.'

Another local bizarrely claimed Pauline 'only ever eats Pot Noodles'. However eccentric the general consensus is, however, 'people around here take her for what she is: a very kind lady'.

Meanwhile, Anne's life took another turn when, in 2015, aged 73, she moved to Los Angeles. She had a huge following in the States and, as her biographer Joanna Drayton says, 'there was something in her that deeply needed to be loved or cared about'.

Of course, this meant leaving Meg MacDonald, who had been by her side for more than 40 years. 'Meg wanted the best for Anne . . . but they were close friends, not partners or lovers, and she wasn't about to turn her life upside down to help Anne chase her LA dream,' says Joanne.

Pauline's family in New Zealand, however, remain scarred by their past.' [Her nephew and niece] saw the terrible effect the murder and the story of it had on their mother, something she had had to put up with her whole life,' said a source.

'Every time it was brought up it would cut her in half.

'It's been a burden the children themselves have borne their whole lives. They may have families and good careers, but are guarded, socially, because of the legacy the murder has.'

A self-confessed 'workaholic', Anne's final books are due to be published later this year. After a heart attack last December, she was at times too ill to talk in her final weeks, yet still came up with an idea for her next book from her hospital bed.

'She wrote because it was her lifeline. She breathed those stories. They were her redemption. They were also her sanctuary,' says Joanne Drayton.

Yet ultimately, of course, the most compelling story was her own.

Additional reporting: Stephen D'Antal, Claire Elliot and Barry Keevins
Ron DeSantis will not have to resign as Florida's governor to run for president under a bill approved by the Republican-controlled state legislature on Friday.

The measure is part of much broader elections bill and inserts an exemption to Florida's law requiring anyone seeking office to resign from one they already hold after qualifying as a candidate. Only an officeholder running for U.S. president or vice president would not have to resign.

The bill now goes to the Florida governor's mansion for DeSantis' signature.

Ron DeSantis can run for president without resigning as governor

Supporters say the bill is not specificially for DeSantis, who has not announced he's running for the Republican presidential nomination - but is widely expected to.

Democrats in the state called it a cynical attempt to clear the way for DeSantis to run for president while remaining as governor. His gubernatorial term would end in January 2027.

'We in this body are doing the governors bidding,' said Democratic state Rep. Angela Nixon 'He needs to resign to run if he wants to run for president, period. Last time I checked, being governor is a full-time job. Running for president takes a lot of work.'

The provisions to change Florida's 'resign-to-run law' were introduced just days ago despite speculation for months DeSantis would run for president.

DeSantis is eyeing the first two weeks of June to formally jump into the presidential race, Bloomberg News reported citing people familiar with the deliberations.

The governor and his team are considering a campaign kick-off in the Florida governor's hometown of Dunedin  or in Ohio or Pennsylvania, swing states where he has family ties.

Publicly DeSantis has said he remains undecided about running for president this cycle. But he's been on a book tour to the important early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Michigan, which many see as a precursor to a presidential campaign.

He trails former President Donald Trump in the polls for the GOP nomination however. And there is chatter among Republican donors that they may not support the Florida governor, questioning his qualifications.

DeSantis is currently on a tour of the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and Israel intended to burnish his foreign policy credentials.

He's facing fire from all sides - Trump has hammered at him on the campaign trail and, back home in Florida, DeSantis is in a knife-match with Walt Disney Company, one of the biggest employers in the state.

On Thursday, a Fox News poll showed Trump with a whopping 32-point lead against second place finisher DeSantis, who earned 21 percent support to the former president's 53 percent.

Donald Trump leads in polls for Republican presidential nomination

Other than Trump and DeSantis, no other announced or potential Republican candidates garnered double-digit support from those surveyed in the new Fox News poll.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, who has not yet announced a run, came in third place to Trump and DeSantis, earning 6 percent  and Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and once-Trump's ambassador to the UN who is officially running, came in fourth with 4 percent.

Longshot candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who made his millions in the biotech and investment firm fields, is coming in at 3 percent.

Meanwhile, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, both unannounced but rumored to be considering a run, are tied for sixth with 2 percent support among Republican primary voters.
SC dismisses appeal challenging bail to Delhi riots case accused 02 May 2023 | 8:27 PM New Delhi, May 2(UNI) Supreme Court in its order on Tuesday dismissed the appeal of Delhi Police challenging the Delhi High Court order granting bail to Asif Iqbal Tanha, Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal in a Delhi Riots case under the UAPA. see more..

VP Dhankhar to attend coronation of King Charles III 02 May 2023 | 8:22 PM New Delhi, May 2 (UNI Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar will be visiting London on May 5-6 to attend the coronation ceremony of King Charles III on behalf of the Government of India. see more..

India, Kuwait hold Foreign Office Consultations, agree to diversify cooperation 02 May 2023 | 8:19 PM New Delhi, May 2 (UNI) India and Kuwait held the Fifth Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) today in New Delhi, during which the two sides agreed to diversify cooperation in areas like trade and investment, education, health and tourism. see more..

SC to hear Bilkis Bano case on May 9 02 May 2023 | 8:11 PM New Delhi, May 2(UNI) The Central and Gujarat Government on Wednesday shifted their stand before the Supreme court on sharing remission of 11 convicts, who were prematurely released in the Bilkis Bano case, for gang-raping her and murdering 14 of her family members. see more..
The country has been hit by fierce fighting as two rival generals vie for power

Buses carrying about 300 Americans left the war-torn capital of Sudan late Friday, after Washington came under intense pressure to explain why other countries had rescued their nationals but thousands of U.S. citizens remained without help.

It came as Khartoum continued to rock with the sound of explosions despite a tentative ceasefire, and foreign leaders tried to broker a fresh truce.

The U.S. convoy reportedly set off late Friday on a lengthy journey to a safe location.

It is being monitored by armed drones flying overhead, according to the New York Times.

The effort was starting as other countries were winding down their rescue efforts.

The U.K. said it was ending its evacuation flights within the next 24 hours after a drop in demand.

The capital Khartoum has been battered by clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army as rival generals battle for power in Africa's third biggest country

On Sunday, U.S. special forces carried out a precarious evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Sudan. Images of foreigners fleeing are being used by Islamists to say they are winning the war against the West, just like the Taliban did in Afghanistan when Americans fled in 2021

It said it had flown 1,573 people on 13 flights the Wadi Saeedna airfield near the capital although thousands more UK passport holders may remain.

Earlier, a State Department spokesman said several hundred U.S. citizens had already left Sudan by land, sea or air, and that officials had helped Americans get seats on flights operated by allies.

'This is a collective and collaborative effort,' said Vedant Patel.

Fewer than 5,000 people have requested additional information from the State Department, and only a fraction of those are Americans who have actively sought Washington's assistance to leave the country.

The United Nations says more that 500 people have been killed as two rival generals fight for supremacy.

They each have the backing of different regional powers, raising fears of a war that could suck in much of northern and eastern Africa.

The U.S. used a ceasefire last weekend to evacuate the embassy in Khartoum.

And Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the United States had deployed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets to support air and land evacuation routes, which Americans were using.

This image grab taken from AFPTV video footage on April 28, 2023, shows an aerial view of black smoke rising over Khartoum. - Fighting raged in Sudan, despite rival forces agreeing to extend a truce aimed to stem nearly two weeks of warfare

PIctured: British Nationals about to board an RAF aircraft in Sudan, for evacuation to Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus

The Marine Security Guard Detachment assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, take hold of the U.S. flag during a flag-folding ceremony at the U.S. Embassy, on April 22, 2023

'This is a dynamic environment, and any option entails a degree of risk,' she said Thursday.

'But because the situation is unlikely to improve, we encourage Americans who want to leave to take advantage of the options that are available to them in the next 24 to 48 hours.'

Earlier an American doctor has been identified as the second U.S. citizen to have died in fierce fighting that has rocked the African nation of Sudan.

The death of Bushra Ibnauf Sulieman, a Sudanese-American father-of-four, was announced by the Sudanese American Medical Association.

He was in the capital Khartoum with his wife and two young children while caring for his parents and providing frontline medical help during the armed clashes.

He died from stab wounds after being attacked as he escorted his father to a medical appointment during a tentative ceasefire.

The death of Bushra Ibnauf Sulieman, a Sudanese-American father-of-four, was announced by the Sudanese American Medical Association. He is the second American killed in Sudan

The fighting pitches army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, who has allied himself with the country's Islamists, against Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo (better known as Hemedti) who heads the Rapid Support Forces

'He was someone who believed in Sudan,' his friend and colleague Dr. Yasir Elamin told the BBC World Service.

'He spent a significant amount of his time educating the next generation of Sudanese doctors. He was very charismatic ... everybody loved him.'

The fighting pits the armed forces of Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. Each side has failed to deal a knockout blow to the other in their struggle for control of Africa's third largest nation.

Sudan's army has been carrying out airstrikes on RSF forces spread across the Khartoum and its neighboring cities.

The U.N. says at least 512 people have died in the fighting and as many as 4200 have been wounded in the past two weeks, although the actual toll is likely to be far higher.
Missing Sana (pictured) is feared to be carrying a sword

Police have launched an urgent hunt to find a missing woman who is feared to be carrying a sword.

The Metropolitan Police has issued an appeal to the public in a bid to track down Sana, 37, who went missing from her home in Penge, south-east London, at around 4.45pm this afternoon.

Officers concerned for her welfare believe that she may be travelling from her home to west London.

Bromley Police released a picture of Sara - who has blonde hair and was said to be wearing green camouflage clothing when she went missing.

Members of the public have been warned not to approach Sana but to alert emergency services if they see her.

A spokesman for the Met said: 'Police are appealing for help to trace Sana, 37, who is missing from Penge.

'Sana left her address at around 16:45hrs today and may be in possession of a sword.

'She was last seen wearing green camouflage clothing and carrying a large camouflage rucksack.

'Officer have concern for Sana's welfare and urgently need to trace her.

'If seen, do not approach Sana but dial 999 immediately.'

Posting on social media, they added: 'She may be travelling to west London.'

Sana, 37, was last seen leaving her home in Penge, south-east London, and may be heading to west London. Pictured: Penge High Street (stock image)
The Stone of Destiny is returning to England for the first time in more than a quarter of a century, where it will play a key role in the Coronation, amid tight security.

At Edinburgh Castle on Thursday a special ceremony was held to mark the legendary stone - which has become a symbol of Scottish nationhood but for 700 years was housed in Westminster Abbey - starting its journey south.

The procession was led by the Lord Lyon King of Arms - the monarch's representative in Scotland - and attended by First Minister Humza Yousaf in his capacity of Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland and one of the commissioners for the safeguarding of the regalia.

Mr Yousaf said after the service, which saw the historic stone piped out: 'It was a very significant, historical moment. I'm delighted to be a part of it.'

The Stone of Destiny is returning to England for the first time in more than a quarter of a century, where it will play a key role in the coronation, amid tight security.

At Edinburgh Castle on Thursday a special ceremony was held to mark the legendary stone - which has become a symbol of Scottish nationhood but for 700 years was housed in Westminster Abbey - starting its journey south

The stone will now make its way to Westminster Abbey, where it will be placed in the 700-year-old Coronation Chair for the enthronement of Charles.

It will then return to Scotland and be put back on display in the Crown Room at Edinburgh Castle in the weeks that follow.

Colin Muir, senior stone conservator at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), has the task of helping to ensure that the stone gets to London safely and is installed into the Coronation Chair.

'We've assembled a team that's involved in the transportation and installation of the stone and as part of today's events we were carrying it as a symbolic gesture through Edinburgh on its departure,' he said.

The relic weighs nearly 20stone (125kg) but the team of six who carried it were lifting around 26stone (164kg) given the equipment needed to transport it out of the Great Hall.

The Coronation Chair was specially built with the stone underneath, and getting it back in will be a challenge.

The stone will now make its way to Westminster Abbey, where it will be placed in the 700-year-old Coronation Chair for the enthronement of Charles. Above: The Stone of Destiny is seen under King Edward I's Coronation Chair in 1996, shortly before it returned to Scotland

'It's extremely tight. In fact it will not go in straight. It's got bare millimetres to spare,' Mr Muir said.

The stone is more fragile than it appears, thanks to the fact that it was dropped when it was stolen from Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day in 1950 and had to be repaired.

To aid them, HES experts built a 3D print of the stone and chair to better work out how to reunite them.

Kathy Richmond, head of collections and applied conservation at HES, said: 'We've been working together with the collections team at Westminster Abbey to make sure that that's all done really carefully.

'We've got to look after both objects because you've got to remember that the chair is also a very historic object that dates to around about 1300.

'So the teams have been working to come up with a plan, and they've done all sorts of testing just to make sure that it's going to go smoothly.'

The Duke of Buccleuch (centre), flanked by two Officers of Arms, stands beside the Stone of Destiny in Edinburgh Castle ahead of its journey to Westminster Abbey

Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf views the Stone of Destiny ahead of its trip south

Yousaf stands beside the Stone of Destiny in the ceremony in Edinburgh Castle before its departure

Workers are seen carefully carrying the stone in the departure ceremony at Edinburgh Castle yesterday

It is a high-security operation, with the stone a polarising object for many.

In 1950, it was taken from the Abbey in a daring raid by Scottish nationalists Ian Hamilton, Gavin Vernon, Kay Matheson and Alan Stuart.

Unprepared for its hefty weight, the group dropped it during the theft and it split in two.

Amid a huge manhunt that led to the closure of the England-Scotland border, the two parts were spirited back north separately before being repaired.

The police tracked the gang down when they discovered that Mr Hamilton had taken out books about the Stone and Westminster Abbey from Glasgow Mitchell Library.

He later admitted: 'I'd researched the whole business there. They checked the records and found I had borrowed every book on Westminster Abbey.'

The stone was finally found safe in April 1951. It had been placed on the altar at Arbroath Abbey, draped in a Saltire.

The thieves were not prosecuted and the stone was back at Westminster Abbey in time for the Queen's Coronation in 1953.

It remained there until 1996, where it returned to Scotland in a historic ceremony.

Ms Richmond said: 'We've been working very closely with Police Scotland to ensure that the transportation of the stone happens smoothly'.

Rhe Lord Lyon said: 'This occasion is not only historic but underpins the traditions and values of Scottish life.

The stone was stolen on Christmas Day in 1950 by students Ian Hamilton, Gavin Vernon and Alan Stuart and science teacher Kay Matheson. Left to right: Stuart, Matheson, Hamilton and Vernon

The Stone of Scone was stolen by four Scottish nationalists from Westminster Abbey in 1950. It was found in April the following year at Arbroath Abbey. Above: A policeman stands with the Stone and the saltire that it was draped in by the thieves

The stone was finally found safe in April 1951. It had been placed on the altar at Arbroath Abbey, draped in a Saltire. Above: The Stone is carried out of the Abbey by the authorities

In 1996, to mark the 700th anniversary of the stone's original removal from Scotland, it was returned to Scotland  with the consent of the Queen  and placed in Edinburgh Castle on St Andrew's Day. Above: The Duke of York handing over the Royal Warrant for the safe keeping of the Stone of Destiny to the then Scottish Secretary Michael Forsyth in 1996

'The stone has played its role in many royal occasions, and it is fitting it returns to Westminster Abbey to have its rightful position in the coronation of their majesties.

'It will be in safekeeping and returned to Scotland for future events.'

The stone will be transported in a special carrier constructed largely from Scottish oak, which was made by the in-house carpentry team at HES to protect it while in transit.

The Stone of Destiny has been used for centuries in the coronations of monarchs and the inauguration of Scottish kings.

The earliest use of the stone and exactly how and when it became associated with king-making remains unknown, but legends around its origin strongly link it with kingship and the emergence of Scotland as a nation.

The Daily Mail's original coverage of the theft of the stone reported how the border between Scotland and England was closed for the first time in 400 years

The Mail then told how the Stone was found at Arbroath Abbey, where it had been draped in a Saltire

The last Scottish King to be inaugurated using a Stone at Scone was John Balliol in 1292.

Since then it has been used by English monarchs, and then British ones when James VI of Scotland ascended to the English throne upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603.

The last time it featured in a ceremony was for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

It was officially returned to Scotland in November 1996 and put on display at Edinburgh Castle on St Andrew's Day that year.
At the heart of the King's Coronation next month will be rituals that stretch back more than 1,000 years.

And the setting for Charles's crowning, Westminster Abbey, has stood since before the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Now, that history is set to be added to on May 6 with the presence of the St Augustine Gospels, which dates back to the late sixth century.

His Majesty has personally requested that the ancient book - which has been in England longer than any other - be used at his Coronation.

After leaving its long-time home, at Cambridge University's Corpus Christi College, the Gospels will be carried in the procession to Westminster Abbey.

The ancient St Augustine Gospels, which date back to the sixth century, are set to feature at the King's Coronation. Above: One of the pages in the beautifully illustrated manuscript

His Majesty has personally requested that the ancient book - which has been in England longer than any other - be used at his Coronation

The intricately illustrated book has previously only left the college's Parker Library for the enthronements of the last seven Archbishops of Canterbury and two papal visits.

The King requested that the Gospels have a place in his Coronation after being wowed by it during a visit to Corpus Christi College in 2001.

Written in Latin on animal skin - known as vellum - by monks in in Italy in the late sixth century, the Gospels was sent to England from Rome by Pope Gregory the Great to help St Augustine convert the pagan English to Christianity.

It is the oldest surviving illustrated Latin gospel book and one of the oldest European books in existence.

The text of the book is a copy of fourth century priest Jerome's translation of the Gospels.

The Master of Corpus Christi College, Professor Christopher Kelly, said: 'I am delighted that the King recognised the outstanding significance of the Augustine Gospels, one of the great treasures of Britain.

'Corpus Christi College  the only College in Oxford or Cambridge to have been founded by townspeople  is proud to hold in safekeeping for the nation a manuscript that has been in continuous use for teaching, preaching and research for over 1,400 years.'

The King requested that the Gospels have a place in his Coronation after being wowed by it during a visit to Corpus Christi College in 2001. Above: Charles during his 2001 visit

The intricately illustrated book has previously only left the college's Parker Library for the enthronements of the last seven Archbishops of Canterbury and two papal visits

Written in Latin on animal skin - known as vellum - by monks in in Italy in the late sixth century, the Gospels was sent to England from Rome by Pope Gregory the Great to help St Augustine convert the pagan English to Christianity

The Gospels itself may have come to Kent with Augustine in 597 or could have arrived with the second mission in 601

The illustrations in the book made it particularly useful for converting people at a time when literacy rates were very low

Professor Kelly will carry the Gospels in the procession.

Later in the service, prior to the anointing, he will stand holding the Gospels for the reading of the New Testament lesson.

Dr Philippa Hoskin, director of the Parker Library, said: 'This is an extremely valuable text, both for its materials and also for its spiritual and historical significance.

'This book represents a key formative moment in British history.

'Without it we would lack a tangible connection to the point where the influence of the Roman Church began to spread in early England through the teaching of the Gospels.'

St Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 597 and went on to be known as the 'Apostle to the English'.

Dr Philippa Hoskin, director of the Parker Library, said: 'This is an extremely valuable text, both for its materials and also for its spiritual and historical significance'

The book is written in Latin and so would have been unintelligible to most ordinary Britons

The book will feature in the procession to Westminster Abbey on the day of the King's Coronation

He had come to Canterbury after arriving on the Isle of Thanet. King thelberht, the ruler of Kent, also converted to Christianity and allowed his visitors to preach freely.

After Augustine's initial success, Pope Gregory sent more missionaries in 601 and other Roman bishops were established in London and Rochester.

Augustine went on to be revered as a saint after his death in around 604.

The Gospels itself may have come to Kent with Augustine in 597 or could have arrived with the second mission in 601.

The illustrations in the book made it particularly useful for converting people at a time when literacy rates were very low.

Pope Gregory had specifically instructed that the images should provide a 'living reading of the Lord's story for those who cannot read'.

The book is made up of 265 leaves although is missing some pages.

In the late 16th century, the manuscript was given to Cambridge as part of a collection donated by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Matthew Parker.
All Coronations are notable for different reasons. My father, the politician and author Woodrow Wyatt, attended the Coronation of the late Queen in 1953.

It was an occasion the like of which will never be seen again. Its solemn pomp and grandiosity reflected the status of a nation that still retained the remnants of an empire, and in which deference to the titled was as natural as breathing.

The Coronation of Charles and Camilla is a conscious reflection of a very different world and will bear their own imprimatur.

Not least in the attendance of the Queen's ex-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, who has been invited to Westminster Abbey in contrast to senior members of the peerage who've been relegated to a social Outer Hebrides.

His friends would say he certainly deserves the honour of a seat in the Abbey. It could even be argued that without Andrew Parker Bowles and his weakness for women, which drove his wife back into the arms of the then Prince of Wales, there would be no Coronation  at least not for Camilla.

One of the most laudable and lovable characteristics of our new Queen Camilla (pictured) is her loyalty and lack of stiff-backed formality, writes Petronella Wyatt

As it is, far from being envious of his former spouse's position, the 82-year-old former cavalry officer enjoys an unusually warm friendship with both Camilla and the King. A man without jealousy is as rare as a diamond devoid of imperfections, and in this sense Andrew is flawless.

According to a close friend, 'He will always support Camilla, and she him. They talk all the time, and he finds the whole thing vastly amusing.'

While every peer in England was invited to Queen Elizabeth's Coronation, no more than 20-odd will attend that of her son and his wife.

Indeed, May 6 promises to be much more of an intimate affair, particularly for Camilla. One of the most laudable and lovable characteristics of our new Queen is her loyalty and lack of stiff-backed formality, qualities I have experienced first hand.

I first met Camilla and her then husband Andrew at a race meeting in the late 1980s when I was 18. It will be strange watching her crowned, for it is the last thing anyone who knew her then would ever have predicted.

It was a breezy day and the air was barely warmed by the March sun. Camilla and Andrew were late, but when they arrived it was to a murmur of pleasure. Camilla Parker Bowles, born Camilla Shand, was not an aristocrat like Diana Spencer, but the daughter of country gentry.

Her unfashionable clothes reflected an uncomplicated nature with a love of the outdoors. Her jacket was rumpled and her hair windswept. Her skin reacted to the elements but she had arresting blue eyes and her only make-up, a slash of pink lipstick, made her incongruously exciting.

She drank and smoked with aplomb. Her humour was dry and bawdy and it was impossible not to feel her puissance.

Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall are pictured attending the State Opening of Parliament in the House of Lords, at the Palace of Westminster

She was nobody's idea of a future queen, however. But perhaps it is that informal quality that makes her the perfect consort for the 21st century.

Relatable, calm and easy-going, she is more likely to shriek with laughter if her dress doesn't fit than retreat into a cold Windsor huff.

And when the history of our age is written, when scholars look back with the dispassionate gaze that is the gift of Time, Queen Camilla may well be remembered for one thing. Though a person of past controversy, she will, in my view, be adjudged not as the woman who nearly destroyed the Monarchy, but as the woman who helped to save it.

For here is a figure who plays with a straight bat and has a basic fineness about her. I knew the Queen Mother, whom Prince Charles adored, and often thought that Camilla and she were very similar, and that was part of her attraction.

Both women could be defined as a certain British type: very game, with a perennial twinkle in the eye and a healthy enjoyment of a stiff drink.

The Queen Mother had married a weak man who became king, and by her charm and the strength of her personality shored and ballasted him. Charles had myriad weaknesses, the worst of which were self-pity and gloomy introspection.

In light of this, Camilla was no socially ambitious Wallis Simpson sort, flattered by the attentions of a future king, but a down-to-earth woman who was, in any case, used to mixing with members of the Royal Family. (Andrew had had a youthful affair with Princess Anne and they remained friends.)

The Crown and its titles held no lustre for her. It was Charles she loved, despite his complexities, or perhaps because of them. He needed her in a way that the buccaneering Andrew Parker Bowles never had.

The monarchy is no more than the sum of the individuals who make it up, and Charles, in those days, was problematic. His Eeyore-ish tendencies, his combination of entitlement and occasional petulance were alarming. 'If he didn't like his boiled egg,' one acquaintance who stayed at Highgrove, Charles's Gloucestershire home, told me, 'he would order literally 20 more in rows, all cooked one minute more than the other. Nor could you contradict him. If he pointed to a picture and said it was a vase, you had to agree.'

Camilla picked up a damaged soul, and patiently put him back together again. It was not an enviable job, but it was one the Queen Mother had performed with her darling 'Bertie', (King George VI).

'Camilla was maternal, jolly, calm, and a complete antidote to the hysterics of Diana. Without her, he might have had a real breakdown,' confides a mutual friend, who added, 'the other thing he loves is that she is completely free of snobbery and has the common touch.'

I knew the Queen Mother, whom Prince Charles adored, and often thought that Camilla and she were very similar, and that was part of her attraction, writes Petronella Wyatt (pictured)

But like the Queen Mother, she has a backbone forged of steel and a quiet determination. Camilla's fittings for the Coronation, and her choice of jewels for the occasion, reflect a woman increasingly conscious of the image she wants to portray and her growing confidence in her role.

'Charles wants her to have everything she desires,' one of her closest friends told me. 'It's not a Meghan and Harry situation. There are no upsets or strops, but she is increasingly in control, particularly when it comes to the Coronation and how she should appear.'

Indeed, in recent months there has been what the same source refers to as 'The War of the Crowns.'

'It's really very funny,' I'm told. 'The trouble is Camilla has a very large head. It's much larger than the late Queen's, and it's been a rather comical struggle getting the crown she wants on it.'

Not that there is a scarcity of choice in the Royal Collection. There are seven fit for a Queen. The Queen Mother's crown, though an obvious choice, was discounted because it contains the problematic Koh-i-Noor diamond.

An initial alternative was Queen Victoria's small diamond crown, which was not designed to cover the entire head of its wearer. The crown was commissioned in 1870, and is made from silver, set with 1,187 diamonds. It was designed for versatility and following the death of Prince Albert, Victoria wore it above her widow's cap for State Occasions.

The arch could be removed and the crown worn as a tiara. An exquisite piece, it was also favoured by King Edward VII's wife, Queen Alexandra. 'This idea didn't sit well with Camilla,' I am told. 'She thought it would look silly on her, like an ornamental birdcage.'

Camilla's fittings for the Coronation, and her choice of jewels for the occasion, reflect a woman increasingly conscious of the image she wants to portray and her growing confidence in her role

A more magnificent item was chosen in the form of Queen Mary's Crown, made in 1911. It has, however, required extensive modification. Some of its stones have been replaced with sizeable diamonds from Elizabeth II's personal collection of jewellery. But the major problem, I hear, 'has been getting it on Camilla's head. There were a series of fittings which made it quite apparent it wouldn't go on. Camilla was very game as they tried to bash it on her head and hooted with laughter, but in the end they gave up.'

The crown was taken away to be enlarged, and now fits almost to perfection.

'Not everyone was amused, however. Some of the late Queen's ladies in waiting have baulked at the Queen's personal jewellery collection being broken up so soon.

It is instructive to note that such is Queen Camilla's self assurance that she brushes aside such concerns.

So far has she come from the pariah she once was at the height of Diana's media campaign against her rival, that there will be no ghosts at her Coronation. Neither Diana's brother Earl Spencer, or her two sisters, Sarah and Jane, are thought to have been asked to Camilla's big day.

It is as if an invisible line has been drawn under the past. May 6 will mark the dawn of a shiny new age, and leftovers from a bygone era have no place in it. This also applies to the peerage.

Much aristocratic umbrage has been taken at the Palace's refusal to invite more than a handful of hereditary peers. There is more anger and frustration that peers who have received an invitation will not be allowed to wear their coronation robes or coronets. Once again, this shows social nous from the new Queen.

'The coronation robes have real fur and it was decided this would not be a good look,' I am told. 'Parliamentary robes have artificial fur, so peers will wear those instead. This has caused sneers about a Woke Coronation, but it's what Camilla and Charles want.'

Ede & Ravenscroft, the London company that has made and stored coronation robes for centuries, is similarly dismayed.

Camilla has also reconciled her husband to the media and its attentions. While Charles was once fractious, now he is emollient as Camilla ensures that photographers are always given the picture they want

Storing fur-lined velvet robes in temperature-controlled environments is a costly business, running into ten of thousands per year. One peer tells me: 'They're so angry that they may sell all their coronation robes and coronets to rich Americans. Which opens up the prospect of a bunch of Texans wearing our ancient and historic robes to fancy dress parties. One shudders at the thought.'

Yet it would be churlish to denounce such breaks with tradition. Camilla, like Charles, is conscious of the expense to the taxpayer of events such as the Coronation and she grounds her husband, who is not averse to overspending when it comes to his comforts.

Before his marriage to Camilla, he insisted on sending his own bed linen and pillows ahead of him when staying in the houses of friends, much to their frustration.

Despite Harry's snide canards in his book Spare and on American talk shows, Camilla is no scheming manipulator playing a long game for the throne.

The love of her two children, Tom and Laura, who will attend their mother next week, and the loyalty of her former husband is a testimony to her sound character and her good nature. Andrew Parker Bowles lost his second wife, Rosemary, to cancer and is now a widower.

'Camilla worries about him a lot,' says a mutual friend. 'Perhaps she hopes he'll meet a nice new wife at the Coronation. I wouldn't put it past her. She wants those she loves to be happy.'

I would call that a very welcome trait in a Queen and one that will likewise serve the nation. With her innate understanding that the monarchy's survival in the 21st century is dependent on rectitude, hard work, and a degree of modesty, Camilla has an understanding of the challenges that lie ahead.

She has also reconciled her husband to the media and its attentions. While Charles was once fractious, now he is emollient as Camilla ensures that photographers are always given the picture they want.

'There is a feeling that with her at his side he could be a remarkably good king, and one cannot think of a better queen,' says a courtier.

Indeed, it should be with a feeling of gratitude towards Camilla that the nation looks forward to the coming celebrations. Here is a woman who has pulled a man back from the abyss.

Before she died, the Queen Mother was fondly known as the nation's favourite granny. I would not be surprised if one day that title goes to her grandson's wife.

My only worry for her day in the spotlight is that her crown stays on. But if Camilla's head is too big, thank goodness it is not in the figurative sense.
The world's first 'parastronaut' has taken his first zero-gravity flight  potentially in preparation for going into orbit.

John McFall, 41, a British father-of-three, surgical trainee and Paralympic medallist, was included in the European Space Agency's latest cohort of astronauts.

In a new video filmed by the BBC, he's seen experiencing weightlessness for the first time on a specially adapted aircraft, known as a 'parabolic flight'.

McFall, originally from Frimley in Surrey, had his right leg amputated following a motorcycle accident in Thailand in 2000.

He was fitted with a prosthesis and is now working with the European Space Agency (ESA) to investigate how such a disability could affect a stint in space.

The world's first 'parastronaut' has taken his first zero-gravity flight  potentially in preparation for going into orbit

John McFall, 41, a British father-of-three, surgical trainee and Paralympic medallist, was included in the European Space Agency's latest cohort of astronauts

Although McFall is not guaranteed to go into orbit, he is part of a project to see what the requirements would be for that to be possible.

First 'parastronaut' is Britain's John McFall - READ MORE Frimley-born McFall became a professional athlete, representing Britain on the international stage Advertisement

McFall has now taken part in what's known as a parabolic flight or 'vomit comet', described as NASA as a 'gateway to weightlessness'.

Parabolic flights reproduce gravity-free conditions in an aircraft by alternating upward and downward arcs, interspersed with level flight.

The BBC's Rebecca Morelle also got a taste of zero gravity along with McFall.

She said: 'The sensation of being weightless, no longer pinned down by gravity, is extraordinary.

'You feel totally out of control  because you are.'

McFall told the BBC that he noticed differences with his leg in low gravity compared to down on Earth.

His prosthetic leg may be too high-tech for a low gravity environment, so if he really went into space it would likely need adjustments.

'I'm floating around with my leg out straight, because that gravity isn't there, so it's harder for me to turn quickly, because my leg doesn't want to bend,' he said.

'I'm just getting used to that and working out how I can move myself in Zero G, but each parabola is a learning opportunity.'

McFall has now taken part in what's known as a parabolic flight or 'vomit comet', described as NASA as a 'gateway to weightlessness'

Mr McFall ended his incredible sporting career on a high when he took home the bronze medal for the 100m at the 2008 Summer Paralympic Games

McFall lost his right leg following a motorcycle accident when he was 19, but learnt to run again and eventually became a professional sprinter.

John McFall: Profile Born: April 25, 1981 Age: 42 Birthplace: Frimley, Surrey, England Alma mater: Swansea University Occupation: Sprinter and astronaut Advertisement

He won a bronze medal at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing among other honours, before retiring to take up his medical studies at Cardiff University.

Last year he was selected to take part in the ESA's Parastronaut Feasibility Project, which is looking into any potential challenges of taking a physically disabled person into space.

He has put his medical career on hold to work with ESA and follow his 'passion for science and life'.

At the time he said: 'When the advert for an astronaut with a physical disability came out I read the person specification and what it entailed and I thought, wow, this is such a huge interesting opportunity.

'I thought that I would be a very good candidate to help ESA answer the question that they were asking; can we get someone with a physical disability into space?'

McFall is just one of 17 male and female astronauts who are part of the new cohort, which also includes Northern Ireland's Rosemary Coogan and Meganne Christian, originally from Kent.

The European Space Agency revealed its new class of astronauts, including John McFall, last November

The successful candidates were chosen from a whopping 22,523 applicants, including three Britons who hope to follow in the footsteps of current British astronaut Tim Peake.

Peake  who announced his retirement in January  was selected as an ESA astronaut in 2009 and spent six months on the International Space Station from December 2015.

When he blasted off to the ISS, Peake became the first official British spaceman, although he was not the first Briton in space.

It was back in 1991 when Sheffield-born chemist Helen Sharman not only became the first British spacewoman, but the first British person in space.

Select members of this new ESA cohort will initially fly to the ISS, but could ultimately travel to the moon, or even further.

ESA has secured three astronaut trips to the Lunar Gateway due to be built in orbit around the moon, and hopes to be able to send Europeans to the surface of our natural satellite in the future.
They suggest that surprise attacks were launched during the conquest in 106 AD

They are thought to be Roman camps from the takeover of the Nabataean Empire

Three Roman military camps have been discovered in the Arabian desert, after archaeologists spotted their outlines on Google Maps.

The University of Oxford researchers have dated them back to 106 AD, believing they were used during a hostile takeover of the Nabataean Kingdom.

This is because the camps run in a straight line towards Dumat al-Jandal in Saudi Arabia, which used to be a settlement in the kingdom's east.

They also have the typical playing card shape of Roman fortified camps, which armies would have used as temporary defensive bases while marching on campaign.

Prior to this discovery, it was thought that the conquest of the Nabataean Kingdom was relatively peaceful, but the camps suggest a surprise, deadly attack took place.

Three Roman military camps have been discovered in the Arabian desert, after archaeologists spotted their outlines on Google Maps. Pictured: Largest, westernmost camp

The University of Oxford researchers have dated them back to 106 AD, believing they were used during a hostile takeover of the Nabataean Kingdom. Pictured: Satellite image of the easternmost camp on Google Earth

The takeover of the civilisation, which was centred on the city of Petra in Jordan, was led by Emperor Trajan.

WHAT WAS THE NABATEAN EMPIRE? At its height - the first century BC and the first century AD - the Nabataean empire included parts of Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia. The seat of the kingdom was Petra. Even today, Petra is hidden in the cliffs, reachable only through a thin split in the mountain known as the Siq. Some time before the birth of Christ, Nabataeans shifted from a nomadic lifestyle to become urban dwellers. They became known for their advanced water management systems, which allowed them to thrive in the arid desert environment of the region. They were also skilled merchants who controlled the trade routes that passed through their territory, and their culture was influenced by both Hellenistic and Arabian traditions. In around AD 106, Nabataea, including Petra, was taken over by Rome, which had been gathering size and strength 1,500 miles to the west of Petra. Advertisement

He wanted to exploit its trade routes and resources, like spices, incense and copper.

Dr Michael Fradley, who led the research, suggests there is little doubt that these camps were used during the conquest 1,900 years ago.

He said: 'We are almost certain they were built by the Roman army, given the typical playing card shape of the enclosures with opposing entrances along each side.

'The level of preservation of the camps is really remarkable, particularly as they may have only been used for a matter of days or weeks.

'The only notable difference between them is that the westernmost camp is significantly larger than the two camps to the east.'

The team still are not sure as to the reason for this size difference, speculating that the force may have split into two, and one was wiped out in battle.

Alternatively, the half that left the campaign may have just stayed in the largest camp to help resupply the other camps with water, while the other half marched forward.

Oxford's Dr Mike Bishop, an expert on the Roman military, said: 'These camps are a spectacular new find and an important new insight into Roman campaigning in Arabia.

'Roman forts and fortresses show how Rome held a province, but temporary camps reveal how they acquired it in the first place.'

As the camps are between 23 and 27 miles (37 and 44 km) apart, it would have been impossible for the infantries to have made it to the next one in a single day on foot.

Therefore, the researchers believe they were built by a cavalry unit who could travel over such a length of barren terrain before night set in, possibly on camels.

On the basis of the distance between the camps there is also a suggestion that another camp may have been located further west at the later Umayyad fort and well station at Bayir.

The three camps run in a straight line towards Dumat al-Jandal in Saudi Arabia, which used to be a settlement in the kingdom's east. Pictured: Locations of the temporary camps

The outlines have the typical playing card shape of Roman fortified camps, which armies used as temporary defensive bases while marching on campaign. Pictured: Central camp

Prior to this discovery, it was thought that the conquest of the Nabataean Kingdom was peaceful, but the camps suggest a surprise, deadly attack took place. Pictured: Central camp

As the camps are between 23 and 27 miles (37 and 44 km) apart, it would have been impossible for the infantries to have made it to the next one in a single day on foot. Therefore, the researchers believe they were built by a cavalry unit who could travel over such a length of barren terrain before night set in, possibly on camels. Pictured: Largest, westernmost camp

It is generally assumed that the Romans peacefully took over the Nabatean Empire, after the end of the reign of its last king, Rabbel II Soter, in 106 AD.

However these camps may be evidence that surprise attacks were launched during the annexation of the kingdom.

Co-author Professor Andrew Wilson said it was unlikely to have been 'an entirely straightforward affair', and that 'Rome moved quickly to secure the kingdom'.

Dr Fradley added that the army took a lesser-known route towards the Nabateans, suggesting they were trying to strike in secret.

The takeover of the civilisation, which was centred on the city of Petra in Jordan (pictured), was led by Emperor Trajan. He wanted to exploit its trade routes and resources

He said: 'They went along a peripheral caravan route linking Bayir and Dumat al-Jandal.

'This suggests a strategy to bypass the more used route down the Wadi Sirhan, adding an element of surprise to the attack.

'It is amazing that we can see this moment in time played out at a landscape scale.'

After the annexation, the Romans incorporated the Nabataean Kingdom into a new province of Arabia.

This integration allowed the Romans to better control the valuable trade routes that passed through the region and to expand their influence in the Middle East.

The study was published in the journal Antiquity.
With an Earth-like climate and an ocean flowing across its surface, Mars was once a very different place to the dry, barren world it is today.

What has remained a mystery, however, is where all this water went, with scientists believing most of it likely became trapped in the planet's outer layer, or crust.

This led to the widespread belief that it currently only exists in solid form in rocks and as a gas in water vapour, but an exciting new discovery suggests there is also a liquid variation, too.

The breakthrough is important because it could provide the key ingredients to give rise to extraterrestrial life today.

China's Zhurong rover, which landed on the Red Planet in 2021, detected evidence of this liquid water on sand dunes at low latitudes, i.e. towards the equator and away from its poles.

Analysis: China's Zhurong rover, which landed on Mars in 2021, detected evidence of this liquid water on sand dunes at low latitudes, i.e. towards the equator and away from its poles

Arrival: Beijing's Zhurong rover (pictured) travelled to Mars in an uncrewed Tianwen-1 spacecraft. It then descended from the craft to touch the Martian surface on May 22, 2021

Scientists say the liquid water forms when salts in the dunes cause frost to melt at low temperatures.

THE ZHURONG ROVER Part of mission: Tianwen-1 Manufacturer: China Academy of Space Technology Deployed from lander: May 22, 2021 Dimensions: 8'6'' x 9'10'' x 6'1'' Mass: 530 lbs Powered by: Solar panels Tools: Cameras and scientific instruments, including to measure climate and the chemical composition of material found on Mars' surface Advertisement

However, it is likely to remain in this state for only a short length of time, as Mars is too cold for water to stay liquid on the surface.

Last year an international team of researchers suggested that liquid water may exist beneath Mars' south polar ice cap, while in 2009 it was detected on a leg of the Mars Phoenix Lander in the planet's arctic region.

Scientists analysing that discovery said that based on the temperature of the leg and the presence of large amounts of 'perchlorate' salts detected in the soil, they believed the droplets were most likely salty liquid water and mud that splashed on the spacecraft when it touched down.

However, this new study is the first observational evidence of liquid water at low latitudes rather than high latitudes.

The reason this is key is because surface temperatures are relatively warmer nearer the equator, meaning conditions are more suitable for life than those closer to the planet's poles.

'This is important for understanding the evolutionary history of the Martian climate, looking for a habitable environment, and providing key clues for the future search for life,' said Professor QIN Xiaoguang, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), who led the research.

He and his team used data obtained by the Zhurong rover's Navigation and Terrain Camera (NaTeCam), Multispectral Camera (MSCam), and its Mars Surface Composition Detector (MarSCoDe).

This allowed them to study the surface features and material compositions of dunes in the rover's landing area.

Chinese officials are using the rover, named after the Chinese god of fire, to analyse Martian soil and atmosphere, capture images, chart maps and look for water and signs of ancient life

The Utopia Planitia basin where it was searching is a key target for exploration. However we have not received any new ground-based data from this region for 45 years. The Viking-2 lander touched down touched down in the crater on September 3 1976 and performed soil analysis, took images and searched for signs of life. Pictured: Utopia Planitia basin as seen by the Viking-2 spacecraft

Their analysis revealed that the surface layer of the dune was rich in hydrated sulfates, hydrated silica, iron oxide minerals and possibly chlorides.

'According to the measured meteorological data by Zhurong and other Mars rovers, we inferred that these dune surface characteristics were related to the involvement of liquid saline water formed by the subsequent melting of frost/snow falling on the salt-containing dune surfaces when cooling occurs,' said Professor QIN.

The researchers proposed a scenario for how this liquid water comes about.

Unlike Earth, the obliquity (or tilt) of Mars changes substantially on timescales of hundreds of thousands to millions of years.

At today's 25-degree tilt on Mars' rotational axis, ice is present in relatively modest quantities at the north and south poles.

However, research has shown that ice builds up near the equator when Mars is tilting more, while the poles grow larger at very low obliquities.

The authors of the new study theorise that low latitudes cool during the Red Planet's large obliquity, like it is currently, which leads to frost and snow that solidifies dunes and leaves traces of saline water.

That's despite very low pressure and water vapour content making it difficult for liquid water to sustainably exist on the planet today.

It is for this reason that experts had believed that water could only exist in solid or gaseous forms.

Until now, no evidence had shown the presence of liquid water at low latitudes on Mars, which is why the breakthrough is potentially exciting.

It suggests there are certain conditions where liquid water can emerge in some parts of present-day Mars.

Of course, past studies have already shown that the Red Planet could have held enough water to cover its entire surface in a layer measuring between 330ft (100m) and half a mile (1km) deep.

This was more than four billion years ago, when Mars was warmer and wetter and possibly had a thicker atmosphere.

However, when this disappeared the planet's climate changed dramatically and gave rise to a world hostile to life, which we see today.

The new discovery will add hope to the work of NASA's Perseverance rover, which is currently searching an ancient crater lake for signs of past life.

It is collecting samples which are due to be returned to Earth for analysis in the 2030s.

The new study has been published in Science Advances.
Quiet charms: Hugo Brown enjoys exploring the peaceful streets of Battle (pictured)

Daniel Defoe, the author of Robinson Crusoe, wrote more than 300 works while also being a merchant, journalist, pamphleteer, social critic and spy: a stellar career.

But the early 18th-century writer did get one thing wrong when, in 1722, he described Battle in East Sussex as remarkable for little now.

Clearly, he thought the tide had gone out on this town some six miles from the coast  but he underestimated the weight of history.

Because today, 957 years after the Battle of Hastings, its bloody 1066 origins are central to its relative prosperity.

Mind you, peace reigns as my girlfriend and I wander the streets, admiring its antique shops, independent cafes and regional producers, from bakers to brewers.

The town of Battle lies six miles from the coast in East Sussex

A walk around the ruins of the 11th-century Abbey, built by William the Conqueror and now looked after by English Heritage, is essential. The visitor centre offers a 15-minute film which recreates the battle, explaining each site and what happened on any particular day.

On our visit, the battlefield itself is closed due to mud, but it is open for most of the year.

The English might have fared better had they been able to use the same excuse on Saturday, October 14, 1066, when Harold Godwinson, who had rallied south from Yorkshire, met William, Duke of Normandy. King Harold, on the throne for just nine months, had been defending his kingdom from the forces of Norwegian King Harald Hardrada.

Battle is best known for being the site of the Battle of Hastings in 1066, which is being re-enacted above

At Hastings, Harolds ragged army stood firm atop the hill for most of the afternoon, until the Norman false retreat tactic broke the English shield wall.

The story is that Harold took an arrow in the eye that evening. William commissioned the abbey to atone for the blood he had spilt and the site of the high altar marks that of Harolds death.

Out of that chaos, the town was born. The abbey gave it influence until 1538, when Henry VIIIs wandering eye resulted in the Act of Supremacy and the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

'A walk around the ruins of the 11th-century Abbey (above), built by William the Conqueror and now looked after by English Heritage, is essential,' writes Hugo

View of the town from the Abbey exit. Hugo says that Battle is 'proud of its history but not dependent on it'

TRAVEL FACTS The Stables at Castlemans Cottage (sleeps four) from 107 a night. More information: visit1066country.com Advertisement

But its not just the Battle of Hastings this town has to thank for its history. In AD 100-200 the area was a Roman ironworking settlement, providing the vast Empire with half its needs for metal. And since the 17th and 18th-century gunpowder boom, Battle has held one of the longest-running bonfire ceremonies.

They now call the surrounding area 1066 Country (with Battle at its heart). We enjoy the White Hart pub in Netherfield one evening, and a restaurant called Wild Mushroom in nearby Westfield is particularly unassuming and with good food. There are vineyards, too, including at Sedlescombe.

Nearby, Castlemans Cottages are a good option for accommodation, as Battle does get busy.

The town is proud of its history but not dependent on it. Its a place to buy a book, linger for tea and cake, ruminate over a pint  and just enjoy the calmness.
Microsoft trying to maintain its presence in Russian market - Reports

Washington, Apr 28 (UNI) Microsoft is trying to maintain its presence in the Russian market and is trying to continue cooperation with companies that are not subject to the US sanctions, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported on Friday, citing sources in the IT industry.

"Since the start of the year, a number of Russian representative offices of international companies began to receive letters or verbal offers from Microsoft to continue cooperation ... Microsoft does not want to lose Russian customers, so it does not close its legal entity in Russia is trying to find ways to continue to support software and release updates," a source told the newspaper.

According to the report, about 1,000 companies received letters with an offer to extend the software licenses.
Dawn has yet to break, but across the flat horizon a vague orange glow begins to edge out the darkness covering the still waters of Egenolf Lake.

In the receding gloom, a jetty slowly becomes visible, at the end of which sits a 1950s De Havilland Beaver, the legendary floatplane of the countrys north. Its my first morning in sub-arctic Manitoba, one of Canadas three huge prairie provinces.

As the sun rises above the pristine spruce forest of a near-shore island, the staff and guests of Ganglers North Seal River Lodge, my base of operations for the next four days, begin their morning routine.

Im just shy of the border between Manitoba and Nunavut, the fabled territory North of 60 (the area of Canada lying north of a latitude of 60 degrees) and home to the Inuit people.

The current BBC series Race Across The World has sparked interest in Canada, but this fascinatingly remote part of the country seems to have missed the cut. Perhaps simply because its a long, long way away. From the UK, its a flight to Toronto, Ontario, then connecting onto Winnipeg, Manitobas capital. A night in The Peg helps dislodge some travel fatigue before boarding a De Havilland Dash 8, the Ganglers Lodge private aircraft, at 5.30am for the final three hours to the far northern reaches of the province.

Light fantastic: Doug McKinlay travels to Canada's sub-arctic Manitoba province, where he stays at Gangler's North Seal River Lodge overlooking Egenolf Lake (pictured)

As cumbersome as getting here might be, this is a true outback adventure. Ganglers is a five-star fly-in/fly-out only facility; the nearest road is 180 miles to the south. The lodges holdings cover an immense expanse of nearly 19,000 sq km of untouched wilderness, a spiders web of 12 river systems and more than 100 lakes merging with one of Canadas great rivers, the North Seal.

From its inception in 1985 by Chicago-born fisherman and outfitter Ken Gangler and his dad Wayne, Ganglers Lodge was dedicated to running trophy fishing and hunting trips to well-heeled travellers.

The vast number of northern pike, arctic grayling and lake trout that drew visitors made it (almost) like shooting fish in a barrel. But a few years ago, things began to change. Ken looked at the lodges future from a different perspective.

He doesnt hunt any more and sees Ganglers morphing into an ecotourist destination that focuses on educating visitors on nature and environmental sustainability and celebrating the local culture of the First Nations people, the Dene and the Cree, just two of the more than 650 recognised indigenous groups in Canada.

For sure this place is a fishermans dream, but its more than that, he says. In the coming years, my goal is to make the lodge and its surroundings more open to people who dont hunt or fish, people who have a real thirst for knowledge about Canadas north. Its such a fantastic location and I want to show that off to as many people as I can.

While the Caribou herds can rest easy, wildlife viewing, mountain biking, kayaking and canoeing will take centre stage.

The lodge is a large log cabin structure with a high-pitched roof. Inside, theres a cosy bar next to a grand inglenook-style fireplace, with a pool table off to one corner and shelves of board games and books. The centre of the room is all sofas and squishy chairs while large floor-to-ceiling windows let the northern light stream in.

About 20 metres from the lodge, a well-used fire pit surrounded by chunky Adirondack chairs is the perfect setting for campfire chats and Aurora Borealis spotting.

Gangler's Lodge is an ecotourist destination that focuses on educating visitors on nature and environmental sustainability

Authentic: The central space at Ganglers Lodge has large windows to 'let the northern light stream in'

Doug says Manitoba is 'cumbersome' to get to from the UK

Accompanying me are Americans Mike Schibel and Christine Peterson. Like me, they have a real desire to dig deep into this environment. Ganglers is in the middle of this amazing natural resource: wildlife, Northern Lights, First Nations cultures and too many lakes to count, says Christine.

And the way Ken is shifting his focus to clientele who are not into hunting and fishing is so long-sighted, it has to be the way forward.

After a quick coffee and pastry, we head to the jetty to meet Brian Kotak, Ganglers resident biologist. Hes exactly what I expect from a wilderness biologist: thick-framed glasses, salt and pepper hair, a goofy sense of humour. He may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but his superpower is intimately knowing all the regions flora and fauna, as well as the provinces geological and cultural history.

Our aluminium-hulled boat skims across mirror-flat Egenolf Lake to Robertson Esker, a long sand and gravel ridge that towers 140 metres above the surrounding country. It was formed during the last Ice Age by meltwater channels on and in glaciers as the ice retreated 8,000 years ago.

Relatively clear of trees and with a high windswept vantage point, Eskers have for millennia been important causeways for wildlife and the First Nations of the region. Fresh animal tracks embedded in the sand show just how busy this tundra superhighway can get.

The great outdoors: Doug describes Manitoba as 'one of Canadas last great wildernesses'

Welcome to the Great Canadian Poo Tour, Brian jests, as he kicks over a week-old pile of wolf scat.

Standing at the top of Robertson Esker, he holds court, bringing to life the geologic history of these sandy hills and what part they play in the regions peoples, past and present. He can belt out a very convincing moose call, too.

The greater topography beyond the Esker levels out into low undulating hills, overlaid by stands of stunted black spruce, jack pine and birch trees of the boreal forest. The ground is covered by a thick spongy blanket of yellow lichen, winter food for migrating caribou herds.

Modern-day hikers can snack on lingonberries, blueberries, cloudberries and raspberries, reveals Doug

There is an abundance of lingonberries, blueberries, cloudberries and raspberries  all snacks for any passing polar or black bears, bison or even modern-day hikers. This is the Land of the Little Sticks, a Cree and Dene First Nations description of the forests that are their ancestral home.

I didnt come for the fishing but its almost impossible to ignore. There is an unimaginable population of northern pike in these lakes, says Stephen Snipper, 79, an American guest at the lodge. You could catch them for ever without any meaningful skills or any impact on the numbers.

Two members of our group are tasked with catching four pike, which our Cree and Dene guides then use to make whats called shore lunch.

Doug says that polar bears are part of the provinces diverse wildlife

Big beasts: Black bears and bison roam the region, Doug reveals

TRAVEL FACTS Canada As You Like It offers packages to Ganglers Sub-Arctic from 5,420 for five nights, including flights from the UK, one night at Winnipeg Airport hotel, return flight to Ganglers North Seal River Lodge, four nights at the lodge on full board, four days guided nature, history, wildlife, photography and Northern Lights tours (canadaasyoulikeit.com/ganglersnorthsealwildernesslodge, or email: sales@americaasyoulikeit.com). Advertisement

Brothers Travis and Tyler Merasty, of the Cree Nation, get started prepping the fish and potatoes while Simon Antsanen, of the Dene, tends to the fire and pops open tins of baked beans, cooked in the can over the open fire.

Sitting on a pristine kilometre-long sandy beach, its one of those rare moments when everything comes together: good food, interesting company, beautiful light.

But my day is not over, we race back to the lodge as the afternoon creeps on. Nearby, at the side of the lodges 1,700 m-long landing strip, sits a small two-person hide. A wolf and her cubs have been seen near the runway in recent days and I want to try my luck at catching sight of her. I know its a good spot; pressed into the sand next to the thin nylon structure are numerous wolf tracks, some old and some new.

I have barely enough time to right my rickety stool before she comes loping across the airstrip. There are no cubs this time, but she is impressive, large and healthy, with a natural curiosity that forces her to stop in front of me. But its all over in a flash. She stops, she looks and then shes gone.

As the sky fades to night and dinner is over, the firepit is lit and we all wait to see if Mother Natures lightshow will make an appearance. We wait and we wait. Slowly, the group begins to thin, first to go is Christine followed by Mike, then Ken; the days adventure is taking its toll.

By 1am Im on my own and the fire is all but out. Then, ever so slowly, the sky reveals the Aurora. It dances across the horizon in curtains of green and red, reflecting off the flat waters of the lake. For a good hour its just me and the Northern Lights, a superb ending to a fascinating experience in one of Canadas last great wildernesses.
READ MORE: The breathtaking winning images from the GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2023 contest

Jatenipat Jkboy Ketpradit, a photographer from Thailand, has won the title of Photographer of the Year

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Some photographs can leave you awestruck.

That's certainly the case with the winning images from the One Eyeland Awards 2022, a photo contest that endeavours to recognise 'exceptional photography from around the globe'.

Based in India, the photo-sharing site One Eyeland was founded by photographer Sharad Haksar in 2008. For its awards, a jury of 29 'esteemed artists' was tasked with choosing the overall winners from over 3,600 images from 54 countries.

A heartwarming picture of a sleeping baby chimpanzee, an epic shot of a colony of penguins dwarfed by a giant iceberg, and a mesmerising image of a pair of elephants crossing an African plain are among the pictures to garner acclaim.

However, it's the work of Thai photographer Jatenipat Jkboy Ketpradit that truly won the jury over, earning him the title of Photographer of the Year.

Below are 12 spectacular photographs that have been commended and awarded in the contest - scroll down to the very bottom to see one breathtaking shot from overall winner Ketpradit's portfolio...

This incredible shot shows a brown bear 'dwarfed by the immense beauty of Katmai', a volcano in southern Alaska. Titled 'Mists of Time', it's from a series by British photographer Harry Skeggs, which receives the silver award in the 'Nature - Wildlife' category

This magnificent shot - a second image from Harry Skeggs' prize-winning portfolio - shows a 'colossal' iceberg in Antarctica looming over a colony of penguins. Skeggs notes that the deep crack in the iceberg 'looks set to hurtle tonnes of ice on top of them'

Spanish photographer Xavier Ortega captured this 'tender' scene of a sleeping baby chimpanzee while walking through the forests of Mahale Mountains National Park in western Tanzania. It's part of a series that takes the silver award in the 'Nature - Wildlife' category

This shot from Xavier Ortega's prize-winning series shows elephants on the plains of the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, 'where the sunsets and sunrises are spectacular'

Italian photographer Valerio Sbriglione snared this otherwordly mountain scene. Though it was captured in Europe, he notes that it reminds him of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. It's part of a larger series that takes the bronze award in the 'Nature - Landscapes' category

U.S photographer Cheyne Walls captured this breathtaking shot of a 'very unique' Japanese maple tree. She says that she took the shot on a day when 'Mother Nature was at her best'. Walls notes: 'The scene came alive when the sun briefly appeared... it was as if the tree was on fire.' The image is one of a series that takes the bronze award in the 'Nature - Trees' category

This is one of the images that has earned photographer Stue Rees the title of Photographer of the Year for New Zealand. Titled 'Do Not Disturb Me at Lunchtime', it shows an Alaskan brown bear feeding on salmon. It's part of a series that takes the bronze award in the 'Nature - Wildlife' category

This mesmerising picture by Stue Rees shows a storm rolling over the Southern Alps mountain range on New Zealand's South Island. It belongs to a wider series that's a finalist in the 'Nature - Landscapes' category

This incredible shot of a lenticular cloud over 6,200ft-tall Mount Yotei, a stratovolcano in Japan's Shikotsu-Toya National Park, is the work of photographer Yuusei Nagahata. The amateur photographer notes that it was 'a fantastic sight'. Nagahata's work takes the bronze award in the 'Nature - Landscapes' category

This vibrant shot shows 200-year-old ficus trees on the tiny Australian isle of Norfolk Island in South Pacific. Captured by the Australian photographer Stuart Chape, it's part of a wider portfolio that takes the bronze award in the 'Nature - Trees' category

Mist coats the landscape around Jamnik, a small village in northern Slovenia, in this enchanting photograph. It's from a photo series by Polish photographer Jaskula Jan, which takes the bronze award in the 'Fine Art - Landscape' category
Verdict: Force-powered fun

Rating:

The original Star Wars Jedi  2019's Fallen Order  was a glorious mixing pot of a game. It had a touch of the Dark Souls series in its challenging die-and-try-again combat.

There was a healthy slug of Uncharted in how you clambered and jumped around each landscape.

And, of course, there was a whole lot of Star Wars in its tale of a young Jedi, Cal Kestis, on the lam from Darth Vader and the implacable Galactic Empire.

This new sequel, Jedi: Survivor, contains all the same ingredients  and also chucks in a couple of new ones. You, as Cal, now have a nifty grappling hook, much like Batman in the Arkham games. There are moments when you can direct your space buddies to help you out, similar to kid-deity Atreus in God Of War.

If all that makes Survivor sound derivative, well, I guess it is. Just like Fallen Order was. But what really shines through in this new game is the confidence of its makers  they know how to mix things just so, in order to create something entirely satisfying and, for the most part, pretty fresh. This is a bolder, more invigorating game than the original.

Young Jedi Cal Kestis is on the lam from Darth Vader and the implacable Galactic Empire

This is a bolder, more invigorating game than the original

This game gives us a Cal who feels stronger and more capable: a Jedi Knight, rather than a Jedi Wannabe

This shows in Survivor's presentation of Cal  and I don't just mean his new, gingery beard. Rather than disempowering him at the start, as other sequels sometimes do with their main characters, this game gives us a Cal who feels stronger and more capable: a Jedi Knight, rather than a Jedi Wannabe.

The enemies that he faces are, accordingly, more challenging. The stick-twirling inquisitors who were among the more dangerous baddies in the last game are, here, present in the very first level. And it only gets more demanding from there.

Although you don't need to have played Fallen Order to make progress in this one, it would probably help.

The storytelling, too, is incredibly surefooted. Survivor spends even more time in the zanier corners of the Star Wars universe  to enjoyable effect.

Cal has now joined up with the resistance leader Saw Gerrera (who featured in the movie Rogue One, for those who want to tick off all the references), but his adventures soon bring him into contact with the daft robots from the prequel trilogy and even the centuries-old grandeur of the High Republic.

This is a real treat for Star Wars nerds, but also just a colourful, compelling romp for the mentally well-adjusted

Cameron Monaghan - the actor who plays Cal Kestis in new action adventure game EA Star Wars Jedi: Survivor on day 3 of Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023 at ExCeL London

It's a real treat for Star Wars nerds, but also just a colourful, compelling romp for the mentally well-adjusted.

Oh, and it all looks fantastic; full of vistas and skyscapes and starships that are awesome in the fullest sense of the word. Though, in truth, it's the smaller things that really impress. The effort put into the facial animations for each character really help to sell them as just that  characters, to be cared about.

In the end, it feels almost dismissive to praise a sequel for being bigger and better than its predecessor. Like, what else does it do?

But Survivor really is bigger and better than Fallen Order  and that's a tremendous thing. Now bring on the inevitable third instalment; I hear that's never gone wrong in Star Wars

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (PlayStation, Xbox, PC, 69.99)
Grant Denyer is no stranger to getting 'boned', having been hired and fired by multiple employers during his years in front of the camera.

And the Gold Logie winner, 45, has now opened up about the most 'brutal axing' of his career - which actually happened in radio, not television.

Speaking to the I've Got News for You podcast on Friday, Denyer revealed his exit from 2Day FM's Sydney breakfast show was probably his most painful dismissal.

He explained that losing a TV gig was an easier pill to swallow because 'there's a million reasons why a show might not work', but being given his marching orders from 2Day FM was tough because he'd been told by an executive days earlier his future was secure.

'One that hurt probably I think more than many [was] breakfast radio,' he said.

Grant Denyer has revealed the brutal way he was axed from breakfast radio - and why it shattered his confidence for years

'That one really hurt because I'd had lunch with a head executive a week earlier, who promised me they were going to sign me for, like, another five years,' he continued.

'And then a week later I finish a show and at 9:05am I walk into a meeting and they say, "Well, that was your last show! I hope you enjoyed being in radio!"'

'I burst into tears,' Denyer confessed, adding: 'I was a blubbering mess. I cried in the corner for quite a while.'

Denyer said his sacking from 2Day FM was particularly hard because he had poured so much of his heart and soul into the program.

'That one hurt because you give so much of yourself in breakfast radio. You have to really open yourself up, and you share a lot of deep, personal stories,' he explained.

Speaking to the I've Got News for You podcast on Friday, Denyer revealed his exit from 2Day FM's Sydney breakfast show was probably his most painful dismissal

'You're stripped raw. Because there's such a need to deliver content every day and connect with an audience. You need to be vulnerable and give a little bit of yourself.

'When you give so much of your personal IP [intellectual property] and it's still not enough, that really shocked me and rocked me for a couple of years.

'I took a lot of getting over that. In fact, I went from having the most confidence I've ever had in my entire career to having the least amount of confidence I've ever had.'

Denyer was hired for Sydney's 2Day FM breakfast show in 2018, joining comedian Ed Kavalee (right) alongside co-host Em Rusciano, who would leave within a year. The show was later renamed Grant Ed and Ash when Ash London (left) replaced Rusciano

Denyer was hired for Sydney's 2Day FM breakfast show in 2018, joining comedian Ed Kavalee alongside co-host Em Rusciano, who would leave within a year.

The show was later renamed Grant Ed and Ash when Ash London replaced Rusciano.

Despite the rebrand, the program failed to connect with listeners and was put out of its misery in August 2019 and replaced by a music playlist.

After news broke of the axing, Denyer said: 'I have really enjoyed it. It's nice to join an elite group of people who've been sacked from radio.

'I tried my hardest, did my best and overshared more than I should have.'
AFL star Buddy Franklin and his model wife Jesinta recently bought a stunning mansion in the Gold Coast hinterland for a cool $9million.

And after settling into their trophy home, Jesinta gave her Instagram followers a tour of their newly built palace, known as 'Villa Casa', on Thursday.

The house, which was on the market for just six days before the Franklins snapped it up, boasts seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms and sweeping views of the city.

Jesinta, 31, shared a video of herself setting up a floral display in the stone kitchen, which features a curved island bench, all-black cabinetry and a butler's pantry.

The mother of two walked through a light-filled hallway featuring floor-to-ceiling arched windows and sheer white curtains, then into the kitchen and living room.

AFL star Buddy Franklin and his model wife Jesinta (pictured in Sydney on September 26, 2016) recently bought a stunning mansion in the Gold Coast hinterland for a cool $9million

The home features high ceilings throughout, white-washed walls, dark hardwood floors and striking archways.

Gold is used for the lights and taps, adding a touch of elegance.

'Slow, rainy days,' Jesinta captioned her post showing off her lavish home.

After settling into their trophy home, Jesinta gave her Instagram followers a tour of their newly built palace, known as 'Villa Casa', on Thursday

Jesinta, 31, shared a video of herself setting up a floral display in the stone kitchen, which features a curved island bench, all-black cabinetry and a butler's pantry

Buddy, 35, and Jesinta, 31, fell in love with the extravagant seven-bedroom, eight-bathroom Mediterranean property and recently finalised the purchase.

The architecturally designed estate features modern touches, including a glamorous terrace and swimming pool, and traditional trappings, such as a stone fireplace.

The lavish residence is the perfect place for the couple to raise their two children, Tullulah, two, and Rocky, one.

The mother of two walked through a light-filled hallway featuring floor-to-ceiling arched windows and sheer white curtains, then into the kitchen and living room

The home features high ceilings throughout, white-washed walls, dark hardwood floors and striking archways

The pair are reportedly selling their luxury pad in Sydney's eastern suburbs to complete their move to the Gold Coast, where Jesinta is originally from.

The AFL power couple purchased the prestige property, situated in The Carlisle apartment complex, in 2020 for $5million.

The news fuelled speculation Buddy was considering fleeing Sydney with his family.

The architecturally designed estate features modern touches, including a glamorous terrace and swimming pool, and traditional trappings, such as a stone fireplace

The pair are reportedly selling their luxury pad in Sydney's eastern suburbs to complete their move to the Gold Coast, where Jesinta is originally from

Franklin left Hawthorn to join Sydney in 2014 on a nine-year deal worth $10million.

He re-signed with the Swans for another season earlier this year.

According to realestate.com.au, the footy star and Jesinta have been eyeing up properties in Sydney and Queensland for some time.
Stassi Schroeder confidently showed off her growing baby bump by posing for a nude mirror selfie which she shared on her Instagram stories on Thursday.

The Vanderpump Rules alum, 34, who announced she was expecting her second child with husband Beau Clark last month in March, held up her smartphone as she quickly posed for the photo inside a brightly lit bathroom.

Her blonde locks were pulled up into a simple up do while also opting for a natural, no makeup look, flaunting her glowy skin.

The TV personality penned a short caption that she added towards the bottom of the snap, which read, 'Didn't feel like an absolute beast today so...pregnant thirst trap.'

Stassi currently shares two-year-old daughter, Hartford, with her husband, whom she tied the knot with in September 2020, and later again in 2022 during a larger ceremony.

'Thirst trap': Stassi Schroeder, 34, confidently showed off her growing baby bump by posing for a nude mirror selfie which she shared on her Instagram stories on Thursday

The blonde beauty later uploaded another mirror selfie as she donned a black, ruffled dress that contained thin straps that wrapped around her shoulders.

Her locks were parted in the middle, and effortlessly cascaded past her shoulders in bouncy curls.

In the bottom right corner of the stylish photo, the media personality, who currently boasts 2.9 million Instagram followers, excitedly typed out, 'Cleveland!!!!'

Stassi has been traveling around the United States to take part in her Mommy Dearest Tour, which concludes later this year on June 24 in Los Angeles.

The tour features her successful Straight Up With Stassi podcast live in front of an audience and fans, and the beauty is also accompanied by her husband, Beau, and Taylor Strecker.

She also uploaded a clip to her stories on Thursday to show off her elegant accessories that both she and her mother had designed 'together for the tour.'

The mother of one, soon-to-be two, could be seen wearing a variety of gold-chained necklaces, with some containing small, dainty pendants on the front. She also added a pair of mini, rhinestone earrings that glittered in the natural light.

'My mom made me all these necklaces before I left for tour...we designed them together,' she revealed, pointing out a chained necklace that contained an 'S' pendant in reference to the first letter of her name.

Glammed up! The blonde beauty later uploaded another mirror selfie as she donned a black, ruffled dress that contained thin straps that wrapped around her shoulders

Working hard: Stassi has been traveling around the United States to take part in her Mommy Dearest Tour, which concludes later this year on June 24 in Los Angeles

Favorite piece: Stassi explained that one of her 'favorites' was the longest necklace which was modeled after a necklace worn by Marie Antoinette

However, she explained that one of her 'favorites' was the longest necklace which was modeled after a piece worn by Marie Antoinette.

Stassi recently announced that she was expecting her second child by sharing an adorable post as she relaxed on a couch and cradled a small baby bump.

Her daughter, Hartford, could also be seen in the photo as she cuddled close to her mother. In the caption, the media star wrote out, 'Secrets stress me out. Baby #2, I love you so much already.'

Since the big announcement, the star has kept her fans up-to-date with her pregnancy and has uploaded numerous photos on Instagram showing off her growing baby bump.

Also last month in March, both she and her husband revealed the gender of their baby during an episode of their The Good The Bad The Baby podcast. 'I knew the whole entire time that we were having a boy,' Stassi gushed at the time.

'I kept saying it. I felt it. It was a vibeI don't know how to f***king explain it,' the reality star recalled.

They said they were out to dinner with the new baby's godparents at Rolfs in New York, when their friends, the Taylors, presented them with a box that would let them know if they needed to start shopping for pink or blue.

The contents revealed blue packing materials and a tiny Vans sneaker. Stassi included a link to the gender reveal video to her for-pay Patreon site, in her Instagram stories.

'Designed' the jewelry: 'My mom made me all these necklaces before I left for tour...we designed them together,' she revealed in a video shared on her Instagram stories

Special announcement: Stassi announced that she was expecting her second child by sharing an adorable post as she relaxed on a couch and cradled a small baby bump

Baby boy on the way: In March, the two lovebirds revealed the gender of their baby on the way during an episode of their The Good The Bad The Baby and stated they were expecting a son

More than thrilled: Since the big announcement, the star has kept her fans up-to-date with her pregnancy and has uploaded numerous photos on Instagram

Both parents admitted they cried at the news, and later Face Timed with Hartford to let her in on the secret.

Stassi and Beau haven't said when their little boy will make his debut, but have revealed he was conceived during a trip to Las Vegas in December, putting his due date sometime in September or October.

The TV personality has previously opened up about her desire to start a family, and told Us Weekly before her first child was born, 'Ive never really been someone thats, like, dreamt about her wedding...but I always knew that I wanted to be a mom.'

'So I feel like Im in a place in my life where I make my own decisions and forge my own path.'
My Kitchen Rules stars Carly Saunders and Tresne Middleton sadly lost their baby daughter Poppy Grace at just 20 months old following a battle with leukemia.

And the couple have been documenting their healing journey on social media since she passed away in February.

They recently returned home to Australia after spending some time in Thailand, as they hoped the trip would help them cope with their grief.

Posting a video montage of their time in Thailand to Instagram on Thursday, the couple wrote: 'Home again it is time to face home again.

'Its beyond us that the whole time we were in hospital with Pops we just wanted to be home, and now well do almost anything to avoid it.'

My Kitchen Rule's stars Carly Saunders and Tresne Middleton sadly lost their baby daughter Poppy Grace at just 20 months old after she battled leukemia

'Our time in Thailand has helped to give us the tools we need to grow and live through this grief.'

Before Poppy passed, the mothers documented the realities of parenting a sick child on social media, and on Thursday they thanked their followers for their continuous support.

'We want to thank you all for your beautiful words of love and support your kindness is like magic,' they wrote.

They recently returned home to Australia after spending some time in Thailand, as they hoped the trip would help them cope with their grief

The couple have been documenting their healing journey on social media since she passed away in February, and on Thursday they updated their over 30k followers on how they are doing

'You all give us so much hope, there are so many wonderful humans in the world.

'We are in awe of your willingness to stay the course with us wading through the darkness.'

Carly and Tresne have set up a Lifeblood donation group in Poppy's name, where their followers can come together to donate blood and hopefully help sick adults and children like Poppy.

So far, the couple said 3,237 lives have been saved from their followers and friends blood donations, and they have also raised $2471 in Poppys memory to go towards revolutionary leukemia research.

Carly and Tresne went to Thailand to learn the tools they need to cope with their grief

On February 16, the former reality stars announced the heartbreaking news that Poppy had passed away.

They posted a photo of their child on their joint account, and wrote: 'This morning we lost our precious baby Poppy Grace.

'True to form she fought tooth and nail until her final breath. Her leukemia took over and at her last bloods the blasts were 787,000. That fighting spirit was so prominent right throughout her battle and it was so evident in the last four traumatic days.

'Poppy showed us what it is to be grateful and happy with whatever cards you are dealt.

On February 16, the former reality stars announced the heartbreaking news that Poppy had passed away

'She made the most of her time on Earth, dancing, giggling and smiling right until days from the end. She was loving and funny and nurturing. She was clever and empathetic.

'She had a heart of gold and she shone so brightly, oozing joy. We felt honoured to be her mums and we didnt take a second of that for granted, not a second.

'She taught us so very much in her short 20 months and we have never experienced a love as all encompassing.'

Donation bookings can be made on the Lifeblood website or by phoning 13 14 95.
Washington, Apr 28 (UNI) The International Space Station (ISS) will be deorbited between 2030 and 2031, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said during a congressional hearing.

"We are going to get out of the business of an International Space Station, we're going to deorbit it, it's aging, we're going to deorbit it in 2030-31," Nelson told the Science, Space and Technology Committee on Thursday. "We are going to turn it over to commercial and so we are now giving contracts to several commercial companies to create commercial space stations."

The firm that eventually wins the contract to create a new space station will attach its first module to the ISS, which will act as the core to start building the new space station, Nelson explained.

Earlier this month, the Russian government extended the lifespan of the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS) until 2028.

The United States, Japan, Canada, and the participating countries of ESA

(European Space Agency) have confirmed they will support continued space station

operations through 2030, according to NASA.

Nelson also touched on US-Russia relations in space, pointing out that both countries are required to integrate their space programs and assets in order to adequately operate the ISS.

The United States can have a cooperative relationship with Russia regardless of the differences over Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine, according to Nelson.

UNI/SPUTNIK GNK
She is one of Tiffany & Co.'s most prominent brand ambassadors.

And Lara Worthington (nee Bingle) looked simply stunning as she attended the reopening of the luxury jeweller's NYC flagship store on Wednesday night.

The model slipped her incredible figure into a sheer baby blue long-sleeve gown for the event.

Unfortunately the photographer's flashbulbs picked up some sweat patches in the very sheer fabric of the frock.

Regardless of the small fail, Lara was simply radiant, wearing her hair pulled back to show off her glowing and flawless complexion which was accentuated by a shimmering makeup palette.

Lara Worthington (nee Bingle) looked simply stunning as she attended the reopening of the luxury jeweller's NYC flagship store on Wednesday night

She accessorised her dress with a black belt and a pair of black and Perspex heels with heart-shaped detail at the toes.

Of course, Lara was dripping in Tiffany & Co. jewels, wearing a pair of $2200 Tiffany HardWear Large Link Earrings in Sterling Silver.

The model shares three sons, Rocket, seven, Racer, six, and River, two, with her actor husband Sam Worthington.

The family spent most of 2021 in Australia, after living in the U.S. for several years.

However, they have since returned to America are living in New York City, where they previously resided.

Unfortunately the photographer's flashbulbs picked up some sweat patches in the very sheer fabric of the frock

Lara has become known for her bold fashion sense ever since she reinvented herself from swimsuit model to chic socialite.

She is known for wearing lots of black, and often adds a tomboy twist to her ensembles with oversized blazers, sneakers and T-shirts.

Lara has previously said she has a relaxed attitude when it comes to fashion.

She told Stellar magazine: 'I wear whatever the hell I want and I don't care!'

The mother of three also told The Daily Telegraph her must-haves include a 'black dress in a statement silhouette' and 'a leather dress [that] stands the test of time'.
Angelina later fumed about the reaction from Jenni 'JWoww' Farley and her fiance Zack Carpinello

The 36-year-old reality star accepted a marriage proposal from her new boyfriend Vinny Tortorella in New Orleans

Angelina Pivarnick was shocked when her new boyfriend Vinny Tortorella proposed to her in front of everyone on Thursday's episode of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.

The 36-year-old reality star thought Vinny, 34, was acting strange when he slipped away from the group celebrating Vinny Guadagnino's birthday and ordered champagne for the table.

Tortorella came back and went to the head of the table. He thanked everyone for being nice to him on the episode titled Engagement Party.

They group had just arrived at a restaurant via a party bus with dancing strippers who gave out multiple lap dances to celebrate Vinny's birthday.

'These strippers are hot,' Vinny, 35, said. 'Now this is a birthday party.'

Not happy: Angelina Pivarnick briefly enjoyed her engagement before fuming about Jenni 'JWoww' Farley on Thursday's episode of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation

'Vinny is in his element, grabbing ass, putting his face in between titties,' Jenni 'JWoww' Farley, 37, said. 'He's living.'

Once everyone was seated at the restaurant, Tortorella went to the head of the table.

'You're friend Angelina, I love her,' he said. 'Since I met her she's been my best friend and more.'

He called Angelina up, asked for her hand and said he just wanted to give her something.

'You're shaking,' Angelina said.

'I know I am,' Tortorella said. 'I love you so much. A lot of things in life aren't guaranteed. But something that I learned since I met you is loving you is going to be guaranteed for the rest of my life. And if there is anything beyond life, I want us to love each other through everything, good, bad, little, big. Always have your back. I know you'll have my back.'

'Yo, is he about to do what I think he is going to do,' Guadagnino said in a confessional.

'I want to grow old with you,' Tortorella continued. 'I want to experience everything with you. I wouldn't want to experience it with anyone else. Together, as one. My best friend, I love you so much. I just wanted to give you something.'

Surprised reaction: Jenni was shocked when Tortorella proposed at a restaurant in New Orleans during a group dinner

Nice speech: The roommates listened as Vinny Tortorella gave a speech about how much he loved Angelina

The moment; Vinny 2.0 dropped to a knee and proposed to Angelina

Party bus: Birthday boy Vinny Guadagnino was in his element on a party bus with strippers

He pulled out a ring box and got down on his knee. The group cheered and looked stunned.

'We just met him yesterday,' chimed Pauly 'DJ Pauly D' Del Vecchio, 42.

'I love you Ange and I hope you'll marry me,' Tortorella said.

'A hundred times over yes,' Angelina said.

'She said yes!' Pauly screamed.

They all yelled in excitement over the engagement.

'Holy f*** sh**,' JWoww said in a confessional. 'I'm speechless. I had no idea they were this serious. I am shocked. You might not be able to tell, I've got botox, but I am shocked.'

Angelina and Tortorella hugged.

Tender moment: Angelina and Tortorella hugged after she said yes to his proposal

'You know she just burned her wedding dress yesterday,' Pauly D. said. 'Now she's going to have to buy another one.'

'This is a mind-blowing development in the squad,' Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino, 40, said. 'Like, yesterday was the divorce party and you go straight to a proposal. This is wild.'

'Well, welcome to the family, damn,' Pauly said.

'Girl moves quick,' Guadagnino said.

'I wasn't expecting that this turned into an engagement party,' Pauly said.

'Wait, is it still my birthday?' Guadagnino quipped.

'No, that's over,' Pauly said.

Welcome aboard: 'Well, welcome to the family, damn,' Pauly DelVecchio told Tortorella

Guadagnino Vinny G. took off his shirt that said 'It's My Birthday' and threw it on the floor.

'These are big moments in my life,' Angelina said in a confessional. 'It's really nice to celebrate my engagement with people that are genuinely happy for me.'

Angelina, however, then looked over to the other side of the table and said she felt negativity from Jenni and her husband wrestler Zack Carpinello, 28.

'We just burned the dress yesterday,' Jenni said to Zack. 'What do you think the fans are going to say? I don't think he's even been introduced to social media.'

Zack asked them how long they had officially been together.

'Officially, maybe like a month ago,' Tortorella revealed. 'But we were together pretty much every day. '

Jenni put her head in her hands.

'I'm shook,' Jenni said. 'When are you taking out your IUD? I think she's going get knocked up soon.'

Just burned: 'We just burned the dress yesterday,' Jenni said to Zack. 'What do you think the fans are going to say? I don't think he's even been introduced to social media'

'I'm just full on pissed off at this point, that this girl and her man question my relationship,' Angelina said in a confessional.

'You want to get married on the stripper bus? Jenni asked.

Guadagnino reminded everyone it was still his birthday. The restaurant brought out a birthday sign that read 'Happy birthda' missing the 'y' and the birthday boy was not happy.

They got back on the stripper bus.

'And now back to your regularly scheduled programming,' Vinny said as the strippers danced.

The strippers danced around as they threw money and stuffed it in their underwear. Then they all arrived at Pauly's show and he walked to the stage of his sold out event as the crowd went wild.

'If you came to party, make some noise,' Pauly said. 'I brought my whole crew with me tonight. When this beat drops, I want to see that fist pump.'

'Hey Vinny 2.0, welcome to the family!' Pauly said.

Very mad: 'I'm just full on pissed off at this point, that this girl and her man question my relationship,' Angelina said in a confessional

Mike pulled Angelina aside to talk. He said in a confessional that he wanted to congratulate her and bury the hatchet between them.

'I was very mad at you,' Angelina said.

Angelina also apologized to him for lashing out.

'She's being very mature, maybe new Vinny is exactly what Angelina needs,' Mike said in a confessional.

Mike said he was really happy for her. He said he also really liked her new guy.

Angelina said she appreciated it because she was not happy with how Jenni and Zach reacted.

'I don't care if I'm with this f***ing guy for five minutes,' Angelina said. 'If he wants to propose and I love him, who the f*** is anyone to judge?'

'You don't want no smoke with JWoww,' Mike said in a confessional.

No judging: 'I don't care if I'm with this f***ing guy for five minutes,' Angelina said. 'If he wants to propose and I love him, who the f*** is anyone to judge?'

'No one should be haters,' Angelina said. 'They should be happy for us.'

Pauly called Vinny on stage and told the crowd to cheer for him because it was his birthday.

'I feel like Angelina's getting in her own head,' Mike said in a confessional. 'She just got engaged. Be happy for yourself. Be on a vibe but she went straight to drama.'

'If I want to have a child with some guy I just met yesterday that's my f***ing business,' Angelina said. 'Who is anyone to f***ing judge? God can judge me.'

Mike encouraged her to live in the moment and to be happy. Angelina told Mike to not say anything.

Pauly called Angelina and Tortorella on stage and announced their engagement to the entire crowd. He then told the crowd that Mike and Lauren were having a girl.

Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi, 35, and Deena Cortese, 36, got up and danced together on stage.

'Overall, an epic night,' Pauly said.

Public announcement: Pauly called Angelina and Tortorella on stage and announced their engagement to the entire crowd

Angelina told Tortorella that she was upset with Jenni and Zack. The group waited in a van to leave. A producer went to see if Angelina was okay.

'I am so over Jenni's big fat mouth,' Angelina said.

'Tell them that they are holding up 10 other people,' Jenni said while waiting in the van. 'It's been 20 minutes.'

'Ang, please,' the producer begged.

'Did they leave on the bus?' Angelina said.

'No, we're waiting,' the producer said.

'I'm hoping we could get out of tonight alive,' Mike said in a confessional.

Angelina finally got in the van with Tortorella and Mike hoped that she wouldn't say anything.

'You don't want World War III at 3am after you were just proposed to,' Mike said.

Feeling upset: Angelina told Tortorella that she was upset with Jenni and Zack

They got off the van and Mike told Pauly and Guadagnino that Angelina was mad at Jenni.

'Are you sure you want f***ing smoke with Jenni?' Mike said.

'Last time Jenni and Angelina got into a fight, it caused a global pandemic,' Guadagnino said. 'I want no part of this.'

Jersey Shore: Family Vacation will return next Thursday on MTV.
Zoe Kravitz has been hard at work over the past year on her directorial debut, Pussy Island, which she co-wrote with E.T. Feigenbaum that stars Naomi Ackie and Channing Tatum, who's she's been dating for two years.

But on Thursday, The Batman actress and now director, shifted to promo mode when she attended the Tiffany & Co. Fifth Avenue flagship store grand re-opening in New York City.

Mixing elegance with a bit of sexy sass, Kravitz gave more than a hint of her cleavage decked out in a black skirt with an off-white blouse that she left unbuttoned all the way down to her navel to showcase her stylish silver bra.

The New York City native, who's part of the brand's latest campaign for the Tiffany T and Tiffany HardWear collections as an ambassador, also donned a pair of matching pumps and accessorized with a couple of necklaces.

Rounding out her overall look for the event, Kravitz, 34, had her raven tresses styled long and flowing braids down to about the middle of her back with a center part.

Promo mode: Zoe Kravitz, 34, attended the grand re-opening of the Tiffany & Co. Fifth Avenue flagship store in New York City on Thursday

Sexy elegance: The actress and director gave more than a hint of her cleavage decked out in a black skirt with an off-white blouse that she left unbuttoned all the way down to her navel to showcase her stylish bra

Gorgeous: Hailey Bieber networked at the event, spending time with Zoe Kravitz and Ayaka Miyoshi

Earlier in April, the daughter of rocker Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet starred in the new Tiffany & Co. campaign that showcased her in a plunging off-white blouse, that was similar to the one she wore at Thursday's event.

Only this time she opted not to wear a bra, all while flaunting her cleavage in the advert that shows her decked out in gold jewelry from the famous brand.

'Wear it like you mean it,' she seductively shares in the advertisement, which she posted on her Instagram page on April 10, writing, '@tiffanyandco' in the caption, along with the hashtags '#ThisIsTiffany #TiffanyHardWear #TiffanyAndCo.'

'The campaign distills the essence of Tiffany & Co.'s House icons to their very core,' the brand revealed in a Tiffany & Co. press release. 'True, expressive, and real, the "This is Tiffany" campaign drives home the importance of being oneself. Proof that Tiffany jewelry is about how one wears it, the campaign is a celebration of individuality, joy and optimism.'

Kravitz's has been using her Instagram page as a source of advertising the various company's she has partnered up with of late.

She has confessed to being almost obsessed with her directorial debut with Pussy Island, revealing in an interview with GQ last November that the thriller film has been occupying her mind 24/7

The story follows a cocktail waitress named Frida (Naomi Ackie) who accompanies a nefarious tech billionaire (Tatum) to his hedonistic private island.

The Divergent Series: Insurgent star also co-wrote the film as a way to channel the anger and frustration she felt at seeing how powerful men take advantage of women.

Talented: Zoe and Blake Lively displayed their height difference as they posed together

Seductive: Earlier in April, Kravitz starred in the new Tiffany & Co. campaign that showcased her in a plunging off-white blouse, that was similar to the one she wore at Thursday's event

Promo push: 'Wear it like you mean it,' she seductively shares in the advertisement, which she posted on her Instagram page on April 10, writing, '@tiffanyandco' in the caption, along with the hashtags '#ThisIsTiffany #TiffanyHardWear #TiffanyAndCo'

New role: The New York City native has confessed to being almost obsessed with her directorial debut with the thriller film Pussy Island, revealing in an interview with GQ last November that the thriller film has been occupying her mind 24/7

'Instead of making one good and one bad, I think it's interesting to look at what it is we're fighting each other for and why and what that does to us as humans,' she told the outlet.

Starting in late June 2022, Kravitz spent three months deep in Mexico's Yucatan jungle filming Pussy Island, which she admitted turned her into 'a crazy person' over the experience of being a first-time director.

'I still am. It was always frantic,' she shared of her work ethic. 'A glass of whiskey at the end of the night or something would calm me down a little bit. But there was no getting out of it.'

It was in Mexico where Kravitz got to spend a lot of quality time with Tatum. She went public about their relationship in August 2021.
Just a day after Naomi Watts was spotted in New York City wearing a massive ring, the actress has continued to fuel engagement speculation with boyfriend Billy Crudup.

Watts, 54, appeared on Today on Thursday, discussing ending the stigma around menopause, with hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie.

Towards the end of the chat, Kotb joked that her 'eye was hurting,' implying it was from the 'glint' of the massive ring on Watts' left ring finger.

'It's like a big glint coming from some ring over here,' Kotb said with a smile, as Watts started laughing.

'It just struck me, but it's beautiful,' Kotb said, as they showed a close-up of the ring many are speculating is her engagement ring... though she wouldn't confirm.

Speculation: Just a day after Naomi Watts was spotted in New York City wearing a massive ring , the actress has continued to fuel engagement speculation with boyfriend Billy Crudup

Ring: Towards the end of the chat, Kotb joked that her 'eye was hurting,' implying it was from the 'glint' of the massive ring on Watts' left ring finger

Laughs: 'It's like a big glint coming from some ring over here,' Kotb said with a smile, as Watts started laughing

Guthrie clarified, 'Hoda is asking if you're engaged,' as Watts joked, 'So, the brain fog...'

Guthrie added, 'You wear it well,' as Kotb added, 'You do, whatever you're wearing, you wear it beautifully.'

The Aussie actress hasn't publicly addressed the speculation that her boyfriend of six years Billy Crudup has popped the question.

She was first spotted wearing this massive diamond ring on her left ring finger last week, when she was spotted going on a road trip with some friends.

Still, neither Watts nor Crudup have confirmed the engagement or spoken about the ring Watts is wearing.

The road trip also was her first time spotted out since her ex Liev Schreiber, 54, announced he's expecting his first child with 31-year-old girlfriend Taylor Neisen.

Watts and Schreiber share two children, Alexander 'Sasha', 16, and Samuel Kai, 15, from their 11-year relationship that came to an end in 2016.

Watts and Crudup first met on the set of the Netflix series Gypsy in 2017 and they've been together ever since, though they largely keep their relationship out of the public eye.

Brain fog: Guthrie clarified, 'Hoda is asking if you're engaged,' as Watts joked, 'So, the brain fog...

Beautifully: Guthrie added, 'You wear it well,' as Kotb added, 'You do, whatever you're wearing, you wear it beautifully

Since their split, Naomi and Liev have continued to co-parent with their blended families. Last year in May, Naomi and her partner, Billy, were seen in an Instagram selfie in celebration of Kai's graduation.

Also in the snap was their other son, Alexander, as well as Naomi's ex, Liev and his girlfriend, Taylor, as they all flashed cheerful smiles towards the cameras.

During a past interview with PorterEdit in 2019, The Impossible actress opened up about their blended families and co-parenting together. 'We're doing things very differently.'

'I'm pretty proud of us, corny as that may sound. We've made it our absolute priority to be good and kind to each other and we're absolutely committed to that.'
Evelyn Ellis enjoyed a solo date night in Sydney on Thursday, with her rumoured boyfriend and fellow MAFS co-star Duncan James nowhere to be seen.

The model and marketing manager, 26, showed off her slender figure in a fitted black long-sleeved dress, which she teamed with loafers and white socks.

Strutting down the streets of Darlinghurst, the brunette beauty accessorised with a bedazzled handbag, a diamond necklace and two hair clips.

Evelyn, who was unsuccessfully paired with Rupert Bugden on MAFS, opted for a neutral makeup palette as she arrived at the Italian restaurant alone.

She sat down at an outside table, where she tucked into a plate of seafood pasta.

Evelyn Ellis enjoyed a solo date night in Sydney on Thursday, with her rumoured boyfriend and fellow MAFS co-star Duncan James nowhere to be seen

The model and marketing manager, 26, showed off her slender figure in a fitted black long-sleeved dress, which she teamed with loafers and white socks

Interestingly, two cans of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar were placed at the reserved table - suggesting Evelyn may have been expecting someone to join her.

The sighting follows reports that Evelyn and Duncan are reportedly dating.

The pair's undeniable chemistry began during the MAFS couple-swap week, which saw Evelyn direct Duncan, 36, in a sizzling photo shoot that left fans swooning.

Strutting down the streets of Darlinghurst, the brunette beauty accessorised with a bedazzled handbag, a diamond necklace and two hair clips

Evelyn, who was unsuccessfully paired with Rupert Bugden on MAFS, opted for a neutral makeup palette as she arrived at the Italian restaurant alone

The sighting follows reports that Evelyn and Duncan are reportedly dating

The pair are now officially 'seeing each other' and have already been on several romantic dates.

'They're not boyfriend or girlfriend or anything like that, but they're going on dates and telling friends they're seeing each other,' an insider told Yahoo.

But the couple is said to be taking things slow, with one friend telling Daily Mail Australia: 'They are both into each other, but don't want to put a label on it yet.'

Since the show ended, the lovebirds have been spotted dirty dancing in a nightclub, and Duncan was also pictured carrying Evelyn back to her home after a party.

She sat down at an outside table, where she tucked into a plate of seafood pasta

Interestingly, two cans of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar were placed at the reserved table - suggesting Evelyn may have been expecting someone to join her

Adding fuel to the fire, Duncan was recently seen donning what looked like Evelyn's handbag while draping his arm around her shoulders.

In a TikTok video posted by Evelyn, she played a game of 'pass the phone' with several season 10 contestants, including Hugo Armstrong, Josh White, Ollie Skelton, her ex Rupert Bugden, and Duncan.

As the phone passed to Duncan, a thin gold strap was visible running down his chest, with Evelyn briefly appearing by his side before swiftly ducking away.

Fans went wild over the footage, with many noting the duo's flirtatious behaviour.

'I swear I can see his arm around her and then again when it cuts to Duncan, taking his arm off her,' one viewer commented.

The pair's undeniable chemistry began during the MAFS couple-swap week, which saw Evelyn direct Duncan, 36, (left) in a sizzling photo shoot that left fans swooning

Another agreed: 'Duncan is wearing her purse around his shoulder and has his arms wrapped around her.'

With the confirmation of their romance, fans can now celebrate the two best-looking stars from MAFS hooking up after months of feverish speculation.

A new season of MAFS, set to air next year, is currently in pre-production.

The pair are now officially 'seeing each other' and have already been on several romantic dates, according to Yahoo Lifestyle. 'They're not boyfriend or girlfriend or anything like that, but they're going on dates and telling friends they're seeing each other,' an insider said
Anya Taylor-Joy had all eyes on her on Thursday night as she hit the red carpet for the grand reopening of Tiffany & Co.'s flagship store in New York City.

The 27-year-old Super Mario Bros. Movie star was on fire with a scarlet dress covered in feathers that hugged her curves.

She was also seen partying inside the store with her boyfriend, the rocker Malcolm McRae.

Her dress reached all the way up to her neck and down to just above her ankles while accenting her hourglass figure.

The outfit included a cutout over her chest highlighting her cleavage, and it had short sleeves that were draped over her upper arms.

Red hot: Anya Taylor-Joy had all eyes on her on Thursday night as she hit the red carpet for the grand reopening of Tiffany & Co.'s flagship store in New York City

Stunning: The 27-year-old Super Mario Bros. Movie star was on fire with a scarlet dress covered in feathers that hugged her curves

The Glass star complemented her look with a pair of open-toe red heels that strapped around her ankles.

She matched her impeccably made-up face and her bright red lip to her dress, and she accessorized with a gorgeous diamond-encrusted necklace in the shape of multiple flying birds, which also fit with the feathered theme.

The actress also flashed multiple sparklers on her fingers, and she wore a diamond bracelet to celebrate Tiffany & Co.'s reopening.

Anya channeled classic Hollywood glamour with the ensemble, and her long blond locks, which were swept over one shoulder and nearly covered her eye, made her the spitting image of Veronica Lake.

Inside the store, Anya looked loved-up as she posed with her boyfriend Malcolm McRae.

He looked somewhat more casual in a black tuxedo with peaked lapels.

The musician wore a simple white shirt with several buttons undone at the top, and he skipped a tie but instead wore an unusual black choker around his throat.

Malcolm, who shares a birthday with his love, is a member of the rock band More*.

It's not clear when the two began dating  though Anya previously mentioned having a bad breakup prior to filming her 2020 film Emma.  but the actress confirmed she was in a relationship in April 2021.

All dressed up: Anya looked effortlessly glamorous in her red feathered dress

Curves ahead! Her dress reached all the way up to her neck and down to just above her ankles while accenting her hourglass figure

Revealing: The outfit included a cutout over her chest highlighting her cleavage, and it had short sleeves that were draped over her upper arms

Birds of a feather: She accessorized with a gorgeous diamond-encrusted necklace in the shape of multiple flying birds, which also fit with the feathered theme

Inside the store, Anya looked loved-up as she posed with her boyfriend Malcolm McRae, a member of the rock band More*

Marriage plot: They two were reported to have tied the knot secretly last year, and Anya wore a diamond-encrusted band on her ring finger, but neither party has confirmed or denied the reports so far

Glam: The Peaky Blinders star posed for a snap with Tiffany Haddish

Since striking up a relationship, Anya has even collaborated on a song with Malcolm.

The couple were back in the US after showing off plenty of PDA while on a trip in Venice.

Last year, the two struck up speculation that they had secretly wed after the Northman star was seen wearing a ring on her left ring finger while in Sydney, Australia, though neither party has confirmed or denied a possible wedding or engagement.

Anya did have a diamond-encrusted band on her ring finger on Thursday, though she also sported sparkling rings on four other fingers.
Florence Pugh looked nothing short of sensational as she flashed her toned legs in stunning snaps as she's announced as the brand new face of Maison Valentino.

The actress, 27, posed for a series of striking snaps while modelling the luxury fashion house's latest collection of bags and shoes.

And Florence certainly threw herself into her new campaign as she pulled a number of expressive faces in the snaps, with the star noting that she's 'ecstatic' to have landed the job.

In one snap, the Don't Worry Darling star displays her impressive flexibility as she clutches her foot while flaunting a hot pink pair of rockstud heels.

While in other images she pulls a number animated faces while showcasing pink and cream versions of the stylish bag.

Bendy: Florence Pugh looked nothing short of sensational as she flashed her toned legs in stunning snaps as she's announced as the brand new face of Maison Valentino

Looking good: The actress, 27, posed for a series of striking snaps while modelling the luxury fashion house's latest collection of bags and shoes

In a further snap, the Midsommar actress puts on a leggy display as she seemingly wears nothing but a grey cardigan while modelling a silver rockstud handbag and matching pointed heels.

The beauty looks incredible in the campaign with her blonde locks worn in a voluminous swept-back style while her features are highlighted with a radiant make-up palette.

Sharing her joy at being part of the campaign, Florence wrote on Instagram: 'As you can see.. Im pretty shocked and ecstatic to announce that my Maison Valentino campaign is here.

'Truly an honour to continue creating art with my family at Valentino. Working with talented people is one thing, but to work with talented people who are great friends feeds the soul!

'This campaign truly did feed the soul. Thank you for letting me be me.'

She added: '@pppiccioli cheers and love and so much thanks to the past, the current and the future. Im fucking proud of this one.'

The actress, who is said to be dating Charlie Gooch, a friend from her Oxford schooldays, after ending her three-year relationship with actor and director Zach Braff, 47, has appeared regularly in Valentino and has attracted praise for her fashion choices.

At the Oscars ceremony last month, she appeared on the red carpet in a voluminous off-white gown by the brand, and she also turned to the designer for a quirky take on a black tie outfit for the premiere of her latest film, A Good Person, in New York.

Loving it: Florence certainly threw herself into her new campaign as she pulled a number of expressive faces in the snaps, with the star noting that she's 'ecstatic' to have landed the job

Strike a pose: In other images she pulls a number animated faces while showcasing pink and cream versions of the stylish bag

Flawless: In a further snap, the Midsommar actress puts on a leggy display as she seemingly wears nothing but a grey cardigan while modelling a silver rockstud handbag and matching pointed heels

Thrilled: Sharing her joy at being part of the campaign, Florence wrote on Instagram: 'As you can see.. Im pretty shocked and ecstatic to announce that my Maison Valentino campaign is here'

The film, in which she plays Allison, a young woman who becomes addicted to opioid painkillers following her involvement in a fatal car accident, was directed by Braff.

But filming is likely to have been less troublesome than during her previous movie, Don't Worry Darling.

Pugh allegedly fell out with director Olivia Wilde amid rumours Florence and her co-star Harry Styles, who was then dating Wilde, shared a kiss off-set.
Kate Beckinsale showed off her one-of-a-kind fashion sense as she stepped out for The Prince's Trust Gala in New York City on Thursday night.

The 49-year-old London-born actress - who was a guest on The Tonight Show earlier this week - donned a neon green getup for the occasion.

The Underworld star donned a sheer dress covered in round, flower-like accoutrements.

The frock hugged her trim figure and she made a statement with its tiered, ruffled lime-hued sleeves, which flared around her.

Beckinsale, who is rumored to be dating actor Matt Atwater, pulled her dark locks into an updo with a black bow.

Showstopper: Kate Beckinsale showed off her one-of-a-kind fashion sense as she stepped out for The Prince's Trust Gala in New York City on Thursday night

Standout look: The frock hugged her trim figure and she made a statement with its tiered, ruffled lime-hued sleeves, which flared around her

Kate was a sight to see as she complemented her dazzling look with a pair of drop earrings.

She skipped a necklace but adorned her green-manicured hands with multiple glinting rings.

The beauty, who formerly dated comedian Pete Davidson, looked flawless in a full face of makeup.

The Fool's Paradise star's eyebrows were perfectly shaped and she drew attention to her eyes with fluttery lashes.

Her cheeks were dusted in a soft, rosy pink shade and she rounded out the look with a glossy pink lip.

Beckinsale showed off unflinching confidence as she walked the step-and-repeat and posed for photos solo.

After co-chairing the inaugural gala last April, Lionel Richie and Edward Enninful returned again for this year's star-studded event.

According to the Prince Trust website, the trust 'was founded in the UK in 1976 with the vision that every young person should have the chance to succeed, by being given the appropriate tools.'

Fashionista: The Underworld star donned a sheer dress covered in round, flower-like accoutrements

Accessory: Kate was a sight to see as she complemented her dazzling look with a pair of drop earrings

While in the Big Apple, Kate has been promoting the upcoming Fool's Paradise, which is set to hit theaters on May 12.

Beckinsale is part of an all-star ensemble cast led by Charlie Day, who also wrote and directed the comedy that sees him play a mute mental patient who just so happens to look exactly like a major movie star.

Kate is playing Day's glamorous wife in the satirical romp, which brings together Ken Jeong, Adrien Brody, Common, Jason Sudeikis, Edie Falco, John Malkovich and the late Ray Liotta.

The Serendipity star has also been hard at work filming her new action thriller Canary Black in Croatia.

The film is being directed by the director of Taken, Pierre Morel, and follows a top CIA operative named Avery Graves.

Avery is put in a helpless position after terrorists blackmail her into betraying her own country to save her kidnapped husband.
She is known for her incredible figure and sensational style.

And Jennifer Lopez was showing off all her best assets in her latest Instagram post as she plugged Virgin Voyages travel company with a slew of stunning snaps.

The Love Don't Cost A Thing hitmaker, 53, revealed she was: 'Channeling old Hollywood glam, but with a twist', in the shoot in which she showed off her taut abs in a matching crop top and skirt paired with edgy accessories.

Wrapping a scarf around her head and tying a knot under her chin, she added in a cream fedora and sky-high strappy sandals.

Jennifer's latest collaboration comes after she launched her ready-to-drink bottled cocktails earlier this month. The company's Instagram page explained the name of the enterprise as being 'Founded by Jennifer Lola Lopez.'

Wow! Jennifer Lopez was showing off all her best assets in her latest Instagram post as she plugged Virgin Voyages travel company with a slew of stunning snaps

Abs-olutely fabulous: The Love Don't Cost A Thing hitmaker, 53, revealed she was: 'Channeling old Hollywood glam, but with a twist', in the shoot in which she showed off her taut abs in a matching crop top and skirt paired with edgy accessories

Smouldering: Wrapping a scarf around her head and tying a knot under her chin, she added in a cream fedora and sky-high strappy sandals

She began developing the brand in 2020, working with Teremana Tequila co-founders Ken Austin and Jenna Fagnan, her manager Benny Medina, and mixologist Lynnette Romero, according to The Spirits Business.

'Delola gives people the freedom to enjoy  free from the cutting, squeezing, and mixing, free from the stress of entertaining, free to make ordinary moments extraordinary.' she told the outlet.

Each one is bottled up in a beautiful glass bottle and ready to serve. Just pour over ice and enjoy. I started this journey two years ago and Im so excited to finally share Delola with the world.'

The drinks come in three flavors, Bella Berry Spritz made with vodka, berries and hibiscus; Paloma Rosa Spritz, which is a mixture of Tequila, grapefruit and elderflower; and LOrange Spritz with amaro, orange and passion fruit.

Stunner! Jennifer's latest collaboration comes after she launched her ready-to-drink bottled cocktails earlier this month. The company's Instagram page explained the name of the enterprise as being 'Founded by Jennifer Lola Lopez

Hot stuff: She was looking incredible in the smouldering snap

'My goals were better ingredients, better taste, fewer calories than traditional cocktails, and one simple pour. Something easy, fun, fresh and delicious. I knew that if I was looking, others were too,' the entrepreneur explained.

Some of her fans were incredulous the Grammy winner had launched an alcoholic beverage company, writing critically of the move on the Delola Instagram page.

'Unbelievable that you would make a alcoholic beverage when you don't drink and your husband is in recovery! I hope this tanks bad!' railed one fan.

'Girl isn't ur husband an alcoholic, don't you think it's a bad idea if your trying to be supportive,' questioned another.

Stunner: She was sipping on an Aperol Spritz cocktail
New Delhi, Apr 28 (UNI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral meetings with his Uzbek, Kyrgyz and Belarusian counterparts today, during which the entire gamut of defence cooperation was reviewed, as well as issues of mutual interest discussed.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral meetings with Minister of Defence of Uzbekistan Lieutenant General Bakhodir Kurbanov, Minister of Defence of Belarus Lieutenant General Victor Khrenin, and Minister of Defence of Kyrgyzstan Lieutenant General Bekbolotov B Asankalievich on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers meeting in New Delhi.

The entire gamut of defence cooperation with the three countries was reviewed during the meetings, with a focus on identifying beneficial avenues for furthering bilateral ties. Issues of mutual interest were also discussed, a statement said.
Stars from EastEnders, Coronation Street and The X Factor are set to strip naked in the star-studded The Full Monty stage adaptation.

Jake Quickenden, Danny Hatchard and Bill Ward were revealed to be starring in the show in an announcement on Thursday.

They will take to the stage alongside Neil Hurst, Ben Onwukwe and Nicholas Prasad when it kicks off in September.

A promotional photo for the play showed the cast dressed in white T-shirts and tan dungarees with their thumbs up.

Sharing the post to his own Instagram, Danny penned: 'Cats out the bag. Buzzing to be treading the boards again as Gaz in @thefullmonty from September.'

Coming soon: Stars from EastEnders, Coronation Street and The X Factor are set to strip naked in the star-studded The Full Monty stage adaptation

On stage: Jake Quickenden (pictured), Danny Hatchard and Bill Ward were revealed to be starring in the show in an announcement on Thursday

He added: 'Well be Touring around the UK visiting every major city. Head to @fullmontyplay for ticket info.'

An announcement on the offical Instagram page read: 'Were delighted to announce the cast for #thefullmontytour.

'Featuring a hot man for everyone! Starring Danny Hatchard as Gaz, Jake Quickenden as Guy, Bill Ward as Gerald, Neil Hurst as Dave, Ben Onwukwe as Horse and Nicholas Prasad as Lomper.

'Touring around the UK well be visiting every major city. Join the lads for a great night out!'

Jake previously starred in The Real Full Monty in 2020 to raise awareness about prostate cancer.

Adding a twist to the show, the 2020 edition of the documentary will see the stars perform their routines on ICE, in a winter wonderland spectacular.

In January, Jake revealed that his health anxiety began after losing his father and brother to cancer and admitted that it stops him from wanting to go to the doctors.

His father Paul passed away from bone cancer in 2008. His brother Oliver was then diagnosed with osteosarcoma - the most common form of bone cancer - in 2010 when he was just 16 and died two years later.

Reveal: An announcement on the offical Instagram page read: 'Were delighted to announce the cast for #thefullmontytour'

The former X Factor star appeared on Lorraine alongside Dr Amir Khan, to discuss how he deals with the mental health condition - something which he has struggled with for 15 years.

According to the NHS: 'Health anxiety is when you spend so much time worrying you're ill, or about getting ill, that it starts to take over your life.'

Jake admitted of health anxiety: 'What I realised over the past year after talking about it more... When I go to the gym, the lads say: ''Mate I'm the same. I get a headache and I think something's wrong with me.''

'My health anxiety stops me from wanting to go to the doctors, because I'm worried about what they'll tell me,' admitted Jake, before urging viewers to get checked should they be concerned about anything.'
Amanda Holden looked on fine form as she squeezed into a sexy red latex dress to front Heart's Make Me a Million Pound Final.

The TV and radio host, 52, was sure to set pulses racing as she strutted her stuff in the very tight outfit amid the exciting day at the radio station.

Amanda flashed a radiant smile and added oversized sunglasses as she walked outside London's Global studios.

It was a big day at Heart Breakfast as one lucky listener bagged a whopping 1million pounds as the thrilling competition reached its conclusion.

Amanda and co-host Jamie Theakston beamed as they posed alongside the winner and her husband outside.

Red hot! Amanda Holden looked on fine form as she squeezed into a sexy red latex dress to front Heart's Make Me a Million Pound Final

Breathe in! The TV and radio host, 52, was sure to set pulses racing as she strutted her stuff in the very tight outfit amid the exciting day at the radio station

And Amanda ensured she looked a million dollars herself for the event as she wowed in the jaw-dropping scarlet number.

Earlier in the day, the star showed a behind-the-scenes clip of her squeezing into the dress which was then polished by an assistant.

Amanda giggled as she wriggled into the skintight scarlet number before being helped with the finishing touches in a fun video shared to her Instagram on Friday morning.

She then went on to model the red hot outfit in sizzling new competition promo images.

The BGT star sat atop a giant 50 money roll as she posed for a number of striking images, before being joined by her dapper co-star, 52.

She teamed her dress with coordinating, pointy red heels and added a further touch of glam with glossy locks and immaculate make-up.

It comes after the The TV queen recently brushed off Ofcom complaints about her revealing outfits on Britain's Got Talent saying people have 'too much time on their hands'.

Not one to shy away from flashing the flesh, the presenter has been criticised for the way she dresses on the talent show, with some saying her clothes are unsuitable for family viewing.

Fabulous: Amanda flashed a radiant smile and added oversized sunglasses as she walked outside London's Global studios.

What a day! It was a big day at Heart Breakfast as one lucky listener bagged a whopping 1million pounds as the thrilling competition reached its conclusion

Congratulations: Amanda and co-host Jamie Theakston beamed as they posed alongside the winner and her husband outside

Delighted: The duo couldn't hide their joy as they celebrated the winner of the huge competition

So pleased for you: Amanda and Jamie applauded following the incredible 1million giveaway

It comes after it was revealed last week that Amanda - who has been on the ITV talent show since it started in 2007 - is reportedly considering quitting the UK and moving to the US after visiting the set of America's Got Talent.

The former Wild At Heart star put her five-bedroom Surrey 'dream' house on the market last year for 5million.

Now, the Britain's Got Talent judge is considering a move to Hollywood after spending two weeks meeting producers in Los Angeles, according to The Sun.

The presenter is judging the current series of BGT, alongside new judge Bruno Tonioli, 67, who has replaced David Walliams after he quit the show last year.

Sneak peek: Earlier in the day, the star showed a behind-the-scenes clip of her squeezing into the dress which was then polished by an assistant

Flawless: Amanda certainly made sure she looked a million dollars herself for the big day as she modelled the jaw-dropping outfit in sizzling new competition promo images

Hosts: Amanda and her Heart Breakfast co-host Jamie were set to give away 1 million live on-air to one lucky Heart listener in a grand conclusion to their ongoing competition





It's been claimed that Amanda has visited the set of Simon Cowell's show America's Got Talent and got on well with judges Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara.

Her daughter Lexi, 17, is also said to be considering attending a university in the US and has been looking at studying in LA, Boston or New York.

Amanda shares Lexi and a younger daughter Hollie, 11, with her music producer husband Chris Hughes, who she tied the knot with in 2008.

Squeeze: The TV and radio host giggled as she wriggled into the skintight scarlet number before being helped with the finishing touches in a fun video shared to her Instagram on Friday morning

Ooh I say! Amanda pulled off some animated faces as an assistant adjusted the skintight dress before giving it a polish

Behind-the-scenes: Though she looked flawless in the snaps, Amanda was sure to document the reality of getting into the dress in her Instagram video

Lady in red: The BGT star sat atop a giant 50 money roll as she posed for a number of striking images, before being joined by her dapper co-star, 52

Looking good: Amanda and Jamie Theakston brushed up well in smart attire as they fronted the 1million competition

Fabulous: Amanda teamed her dress with coordinating, pointy red heels and added a further touch of glam with glossy locks and immaculate make-up

A source said told The Sun: 'Amanda is seriously contemplating a move to the States. It feels like the time is now.

'She spent the school holidays in LA with the whole family, and had a wonderful time.'

'She even visited the set of America's Got Talent, and sat alongside judges Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara, the producers absolutely loved her,' they added.
Carol Vorderman and Myleene Klass are set to put on a sizzling display once again on Friday night's I'm A Celebrity... South Africa as they don skimpy bikini tops by the camp fire.

The two campmates have already turned up the heat in their swimwear, with Carol having wowed in an orange number while Myleene slipped into a white bikini similar to her infamous two-piece from her last jungle stint.

And they prove that they've still got it in upcoming scenes as they, as well as Helen Flanagan, model their swimwear around camp.

However, things are set to get seriously tense for the celebrities as Ant and Dec arrive in the camp to deliver some shocking news.

The hosts reveal that Shaun Ryder, Andy Whyment and Phil Tufnell are each to team up with a campmate of their choice for the first survival trial of the series - with the losing two campmates being sent home for good.

Looking good: Carol Vorderman and Myleene Klass are set to put on a sizzling display once again on Friday night's I'm A Celebrity... South Africa as they don skimpy bikini tops by the camp fire

Uh oh! However, things are set to get seriously tense for the celebrities as Ant and Dec arrive in the camp to deliver some shocking news

The trio had previously been slumming it in the Savannah Scrub home before finally being allowed back into main camp.

However, they won't be able to get too comfortable as Ant and Dec arrive to deliver the shock news, with the pair even admitting beforehand that they were 'nervous' to share the update with the celebrities.

With all the celebrities having recently reunited in the main camp, Ant told his co-star that this news will 'rock' the camp.

And rock the camp it did as the stars shared on in shock at the news that two of them could be leaving so soon, which is a stark contrast to the usual format which doesn't see campmates eliminated until the second week.

Elsewhere on Friday's show, Paul Burrell is set to get a no-no sense pep talk from Carol as he continues to fret over being caught with contraband.

Paul shocked as he was caught with coffee, while Myleene and Gillian also broke the rules by smuggling in seasoning into the camp.

And in a heart-to-heart with Carol, a 'devastated' Paul was reassured that much of the campmates found the scandal funny.

The Countdown star insisted: 'Don't be devastated, we're howling laughing - it's funny'.

Cooling off: Carol and some of her fellow I'm A Celebrity stars kept cool in swimwear in the warm jungle

No! The hosts reveal that Shaun Ryder, Andy Whyment and Phil Tufnell are each to team up with a campmate of their choice for the first survival trial of the series - with the losing two campmates being sent home for good

Tough time: The trio had previously been slumming it in the Savannah Scrub home before finally being allowed back into main camp

Can't believe it: they won't be able to get too comfortable as Ant and Dec arrive to deliver the shock news

Twist: Rock the camp it did as the stars shared on in shock at the news that two of them could be leaving so soon

I'm A Celebrity fans were left amused by Thursday night's contraband controversy.

After Amir Khan bagged 10 stars during trial Supermarket Shriek, the celebrities in main camp were supposed to be in for a delicious meal.

But the dinner was put in jeopardy after it was revealed that there were a number of contraband items in camp which had to be surrendered to an amnesty box.

Gillian McKeith , who famously also smuggled forbidden goods into the camp in her past series, had items including salt and 85 teabags with her which she pulled out of her pockets and bra.

Meanwhile, Paul Burrell had coffee and Myleene Klass had salt with them.

Fatima Whitbread was left fuming after the shock announcement was made about the banned goods- and made a frank speech to the campmates.

'I don't agree with people being let off the hook,' she raged. 'Rules are rules!'

Guilty: Elsewhere on Friday's show, Paul Burrell is set to get a no-no sense pep talk from Carol as he continues to fret over being caught with contraband

Busted! Paul shocked as he was caught with coffee, while Myleene and Gillian also broke the rules by smuggling in seasoning into the camp

Comfort: And in a heart-to-heart with Carol, a 'devastated' Paul was reassured that much of the campmates found the scandal funny

Support: Carol hugged the former butler as she told him: 'Don't be devastated, we're howling laughing - it's funny'

However, the incident left I'm A Celeb fans in stitches- and they took to Twitter to express their amusement.

One person said: 'Oh my god Gillian' while someone else added: 'Did Gillian SERIOUSLY think she'd get away with salt and teabags down her bra?'

Another person commented: 'My breasts make Almonds and Mints? What planet is this woman on??'

A separate tweet showed a picture of an angry Fatima with the words: 'Someone isn't a happy bunny...'

I'm A Celebrity continues on ITV at 9pm on Friday.
Rita Simons has joked the 'tears' she cried on her return to EastEnders were real as she was recovering from a hysterectomy.

The actress, 46, returned from the dead as iconic character Roxy Mitchell during Thursday's episode as a figment of her daughter Amy's imagination.

Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, Rita revealed the scene was filmed weeks after her operation and she was suffering from 'brain fog'.

She said: 'As it happens, that scene was filmed, would you believe, five to six weeks after I'd just had a total hysterectomy, which I've made no secret of.

'But obviously, I got the call to come and do the scene and I knew it was going to be during my recovery time. But I was like 'I've gotta do it!'

Rita Simons has joked the 'tears' she cried on her return to EastEnders were real as she was recovering from a hysterectomy

The actress, 46, returned from the dead as iconic character Roxy Mitchell during Thursday's episode as a figment of her daughter Amy's imagination.

'Full-blown menopause, and I had these hormone pellets inserted into my butt cheek and they hadn't started kicking in yet so the tears on that were real! I had brain fog, I looked a bit on the puffy side. So I did feel a bit ghostly!'

Rita would not have returned to the soap if her character would have been a ghost but felt Roxy being a figment of Amy's imagination was a good way of raising awareness for mental health struggles.

She said: 'Very clearly, I was asked to go back...not as a ghost. Not as a ghost. And I said 'Right, if I'm a ghost, I'm not doing it!'

'But because it was a figment of Amy's imagination - anything to do with mental health issues, I'm there like a rat up a drainpipe because I'm an advocate - she is having these mental health struggles and it's almost like doing these inner-child work that you do with a therapist. So it's her imagination.'

Rita starred in the BBC soap opera as Roxy Mitchell from 2007 until 2017 when her character was killed off alongside her on-screen sister Ronnie (Samantha Womack).

The soap star reminded fans that because viewers did not see her character's body after she and her sister both drowned in a swimming pool, there is a possibility that Roxy is not dead after all and could potentially make a reappearance 'for the fans.'

She added: 'I could come back because you didn't see my body. I don't know if I could come back. It's awful because the fans are like 'Please come back!' I did this for the fans, I did this for them and they blew me away last night. Would I go back..?'

Rita was then quizzed by host Adil Ray if there was any truth in the fact that she could be joining a rival soap on ITV1 and hinted that it could be the Manchester-based soap 'Coronation Street', but she remained coy on confirming anything.

Interview: Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, Rita revealed the scene was filmed weeks after her operation and she was suffering from 'brain fog'

She said: 'As it happens, that scene was filmed, would you believe, five to six weeks after I'd just had a total hysterectomy, which I've made no secret of'

Asked how good her Manchester accent is, she responded in a Northern drawl: 'I'm not telling you! When I have something to tell you, I will tell you!'

Rita then teased: 'All I will say for now is that I have left that so that the public may finally understand that Roxy may not be dead so in the future, who knows?

'Right now, I'm really having a lovely time not there and potentially going somewhere else!'

Roxy's return was a figment of daughter Amy's imagination during a group therapy session with her family.

The therapist asked Amy what she'd want to say to her mum Roxy if she were in the room, with Amy asking: 'Did you ever really love me?'

Roxy then appeared on BBC viewers screens and said: 'Yes, my baby. [I love you] with all my heart.'

Amy started off angry, holding her mother's necklace and telling her: 'You should have been stronger, you didn't need to drink or take drugs, wasn't I enough for you'

Emotional: Roxy's return was a figment of daughter Amy's imagination during a group therapy session with her family

On the rocks: But as Jack (Scott Maslen) is now facing relationship turmoil with his new wife Denise, it appears Roxy, who is mother to his daughter Amy, will be swooping in

Roxy reassured Amy by saying: 'You were the one good thing I had, I was fighting for you'

She added: 'I'm not a bad person, I promise you'

Amy admitted she couldn't quite remember her mum, who died when she was young, so Roxy reminded her of a time they wrote a poem about Henry VIII for her homework.

She said: 'The memories are in there, they're all in there. You've just got to find them, baby'

'You do not need to hurt yourself, not because of me. I'm part of you, we're the same. It's going to be hard and you're going to have to fight for what you want in life, but don't you ever give up.'

Speaking on Rita's return, EastEnders' Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw shared: 'I'm thrilled to welcome the fabulous Rita back to the iconic role of Roxy Mitchell for these special scenes.

In her head: Roxy's return will come as a figment of daughter Amy's imagination during a group therapy session with her family (Amy and dad Jack pictured)

'Although the character was last seen on-screen in January 2017, Roxy still remains a fan favourite. We know our audiences will be thrilled at her short return as Amy seeks some all-important answers from her mum at this point in the storyline.'

Six years ago, around ten million people watched sisters Ronnie and Roxy drown on screen - in a shocking storyline still spoken about amongst fans today.

Despite Jack having an on-off relationship with Ronnie before her passing, he also slept with her sister Roxy once while intoxicated.

This led to her pregnancy with Amy, causing conflict amongst the sisters and new father as they grappled with the unusual situation.

But prior to her exit from the soap, Ronnie was finally set to get her happy ending with Jack on their wedding day.

During the episode, a drunk Roxy decided to take a swim but found herself in trouble as she struggled to stay afloat.

Iconic: Six years ago, around ten million people watched sisters Ronnie and Roxy drown on screen - in a shocking storyline still spoken about amongst fans today

Ronnie jumped into the pool to save her still in her wedding dress, which ultimately weighed her down - leading to the sisters drowning together.

At the time, EastEnders boss Sean O'Connor explaind that he wanted to give the characters an 'operatic ending'.

He shared: '[Ronnie and Roxy] were not the sort of characters that would leave in the back of a taxi. We wanted to give them an operatic ending.'

If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, organisations who can offer support include Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org) or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk).

EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer.
James Corden has bowed out of The Late Late Show after eight hectic years, managing to become a beloved household name in the US during the process.

The British actor and comedian revealed last year the decision to step down as he prepares to return to his home turf and focus on family life.

But going out with a bang, speculation over what exactly his last episode would entail has been circulating for months.

And with special guests from Harry Styles to Tom Cruise, US viewers got to tune in and say goodbye on Thursday evening as it aired on CBS.

But for fans in the UK, many are wondering how they can tune in to see James' antics - as MailOnline answers all your questions on how to watch the final hurrah.

How can you watch James Corden's grand final episode of The Late Late Show in the UK?

When is it on in the UK?

British fans are having to wait one day extra than those in the US to tune in.

With James' final two episodes of The Late Late Show set to air on Sky Showcase on Friday 28 April at 22:15 and 23:15.

While the show typically airs from Monday to Friday nights in the US, a deal made between CBS and Sky back in 2018 means that for the last five years - the latter channel has aired an episode of the week's episode highlights to the UK on a Friday.

But for the grand finale, both episodes will be aired in full this week.

Not long to go: James' final two episodes of The Late Late Show set to air on Sky Showcase on Friday 28 April at 22:15 and 23:15

How long are the final episodes?

Before he says goodbye on the show, an hour-long special of Carpool Karaoke will air first - with fellow Brit Adele being the final guest on the beloved segment.

After this, James will go on to present his normal 40-minute scheduled show.

Pre-show: Before he says goodbye on the show, an hour-long special of Carpool Karaoke will air first - with fellow Brit Adele being the final guest on the beloved segment

Who will be making an appearance?

There has been months of guesses on which of James' A-list pals might be coming along to help the host say his goodbyes.

From a One Direction reunion to the Kardashians - the rumour mill havs been working in overdrive speculating the gueslist.

But the stars actually attending the show include Harry Styles, Will Ferrel, messages of support from President Joe Biden and the Carpool Karaoke with Adele.

While Tom Cruise, who is no stranger to guest starring on the show, also appears for on screen as he's seen doing a duet of The Lion King with James during a sketch.

Guests: The stars actually attending the show include Harry Styles and Will Ferrel

Big names: While a message of support from President Joe Biden also aired

Why is James leaving the show?

James is stepping down as he prepares to spend more time with his wife Julia Carey and their children; Max, Carey and Charlotte.

The Gavin & Stacey star is also making the move back from the US to his home of the UK, and recently admitted he is 'unsure' whats next.

He recently joined Zoe Ball for her show on BBC Radio 2 to discuss his departure from the show and the reason behind it.

He explained the pivotal catalyst behind his decision to leave before admitting that he didn't want to spend the day sobbing about the end but to instead take the time to 'cherish' the journey he'd been on.

He said: 'I feel good about it, I just know in my core its right thing to do for so many personal and professional reasons.

'We're really gonna try and go out with a bang, the last few shows we've done has been brilliant, the atmosphere in the studio is great, we've got some really big guests come down and do stuff, tomorrow's show is gonna be great!

'I wanna cherish it and not spend the whole day crying, I wanna feel the pride and gratitude for it all.'
Lisa Curry has revealed that she continues to struggle with the loss of her daughter three years after her death.

The 60-year-old posted to Instagram on Friday, sharing a sweet picture of herself alongside Jaimi.

'Get up, dress up, show up and do what you need to do no matter how hard it is' she wrote in the caption.

'Today I spoke at the Nurses & Midwives Wellness Conference in Melbourne. My topic was Demonstrating Hope - on strength and navigating through crisis.

'A very difficult topic for me but each time I speak it does get a tiny bit easier. It's still hard, and there were plenty of tears, but I knew I was safe in this conference and could be myself' she continued.

Lisa Curry has revealed that she continues to struggle with the loss of her daughter three years after her death. The 60-year-old posted to Instagram on Friday, sharing a sweet picture of herself alongside Jaimi. Both pictured

'I know I am not alone in walking this unimaginable path. Grief is a process we have to go through but over time healing starts to take place. At least I can laugh again.

'But I'm exhausted and my body aches. I feel like I'm in a hole and I just can't get out. But each day the brave face goes on and I keep going.

'I have to remind myself: the crack is where the light starts to shine through. You don't know how strong you are until that's the only choice you have.'

In November, Lisa released a balloon filled with Jaimi's ashes at the top of Mount Kosciuszko, two years after the 33-year-old's tragic death.

'I'm exhausted and my body aches. I feel like I'm in a hole and I just can't get out. But each day the brave face goes on and I keep going' she wrote

The retired Olympic swimmer announced she'd scaled Australia's tallest mountain, sharing a gallery of photos documenting the treacherous expedition.

'I needed something to help me find focus again and get out of bed, but my main purpose was to take my daughter's ashes to the top of Mt Kosciuszko,' she wrote on Instagram.

The trip, which had been postposed several times due to Covid restrictions, proved enormously challenging for the Commonwealth Games gold medalist.

'I can honestly say it was the hardest thing I've ever done. My beautiful friend Christine didn't leave my side which I was very grateful for. The water is my comfort zone, not mountains,' she explained.

'The conditions were very challenging, plenty of snow, ice, rain, sleet, baby hail (sago), 60-100kmh winds, we had it all. Once we headed out, we were committed. No turning back. One step at a time.'

Once at the mountain's peak, Lisa released a small pink balloon containing Jaimi's ashes and dried flowers from her funeral into the air.

In November, Lisa released a balloon filled with Jaimi's ashes at the top of Mount Kosciuszko, two years after the 33-year-old's tragic death

'An overwhelming sense of achievement and emotional anxiety with what I was about to do. The wind was extreme, and took the balloon quickly, but it landed on the snow not far away, so [my friend] Glenn went and picked it up and let it go again,' she wrote.

'I honour our Jaimi by taking her ashes and dried petals from her funeral to amazing places around the country and the world. This spot on top of Mt Kosciusko is the closest to heaven that I could get so it was very meaningful to me. Everyone has their own way of honouring those that are special to them,' she continued.

Lisa completed her post with a touching tribute to her beloved Jaimi: 'Fly free beautiful angel. Never forgotten.'

Jaimi, Lisa's eldest daughter with ex-husband Grant Kenny, died in September 2020 following an 18-year battle with alcohol addiction and anorexia.

'An overwhelming sense of achievement and emotional anxiety with what I was about to do. The wind was extreme, and took the balloon quickly, but it landed on the snow not far away, so [my friend] Glenn went and picked it up and let it go again,' she wrote

Lisa and Grant Kenny wed in 1984, separated in 2009 and during their marriage welcomed three children together: son Jett, 28, and daughters Morgan, 31, and Jaimi.

Jaimi died at Sunshine Coast University Hospital on September 14, 2020, surrounded by her family.

Announcing the sad news on social media, Lisa wrote: 'Our beautiful daughter Jaimi has lost her battle with a long-term illness and passed away peacefully in hospital yesterday morning with her loving family by her side.'

For confidential support in Australia, call Lifeline on 13 11 14
Padma Lakshmi is on a roll.

The Emmy-nominated food expert, television producer, host, and New York Times bestselling author is thriving on her Hulu show Taste The Nation which is going into its second season.

The star - who spent time with Kim Kardashian at the Time 100 Gala this week - says she thinks she wins at the TV chef game because she is relatable.

'I spend a lot of time  especially when I'm filming  trying to make people feel comfortable,' the star, 52, told Haute Living writer Laura Schreffler.

'I don't think I intimidate. I mean, I try to be as warm and approachable as I can, because I remember being intimidated by a lot of people growing up.'

Haute stuff: Padma Lakshmi is on a roll. The Emmy-nominated food expert, television producer, host, and New York Times bestselling author is thriving on her Hulu show Taste The Nation which is going into its second season

Stellar star: The star who speaks five languages says she thinks she wins at the TV chef game because she is relatable

The single parent added, 'I think on Top Chef, for so long, my position and my role on that show caused people to think I was more intimidating than I am  I had to be stoic in my role  but that's not me normally.'

She has been on Top Chef since 2006. She created Taste the Nation in 2020. And now it is returning for its second season on May 5.

'You know, it was a new skill for me to interview people,' she admitted.

'I mean, I'm a food writer.

'Before Taste the Nation, I could count on one hand the times I had to interview people, and those were at a literary festival or a food festival  it wasn't for anything very high stakes. It was something I had to learn on set, and I'm still learning.'

And she has her journalism skills down.

'I think the reason I learned [how to become an interviewer] so quickly is that I'm genuinely interested,' Lakshmi confided.

'The whole show is created around all of my various interests: history, food, people, languages, traveling. I'm genuinely curious.'

Warm woman: 'I spend a lot of time  especially when I'm filming  trying to make people feel comfortable,' the star, 52, told Haute Living writer Laura Schreffler

Not tough: 'I don't think I intimidate. I mean, I try to be as warm and approachable as I can, because I remember being intimidated by a lot of people growing up,' she added

Lakshmi said she tried to approach every community with fresh eyes.

She wants to go into a community, learn about their food, have your questions answered, and then repeat.

'I really wanted to tailor each episode around some aspect of an immigration issue that we could learn from,' she said.

'For instance, we handle the issue of food sovereignty and sovereignty in general in ['Ketchup or No Ketchup'].

'People don't think of it that way, but [Puerto Rico is] the last U.S. colony; we are the colonizers of Puerto Rico.

Host time: Lakshmi said she tried to approach every community with fresh eyes

She does her job well: She wants to go into a community, learn about their food, have your questions answered, and then repeat

Friendly approach: 'I really wanted to tailor each episode around some aspect of an immigration issue that we could learn from,' she said

'But some people think of Puerto Ricans as immigrants  and they're not. We went to their land, you know? They are American, too. And [with this show], we were able to talk about that, to make that point.'

She loves to highlight another country because it helps immigrants.

'I didn't hear these stories being told. I mean, I grew up in an immigrant community, and I started working with the ACLU [American Civil Liberties Union] in 2016 because there was so much vitriol coming out of Washington from Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, Trump and his whole campaign.

' He was trying to stoke xenophobia and demonize immigrants.

'Those stories were just not true, and they did not reflect the immigrant communities that I lived in.

'It made me so mad that I started working with the ACLU on immigrant issues, and then after a while, I just wanted to do something creative in my professional career that would allow me to take my advocacy and do something artistic with it so that I could show you what I meant through these people and these stories, rather than just get on my soapbox and tell you at a speech or a rally.'

Details: . 'For instance, we handle the issue of food sovereignty and sovereignty in general in ['Ketchup or No Ketchup']. 'People don't think of it that way, but [Puerto Rico is] the last U.S. colony; we are the colonizers of Puerto Rico'

And there is so much more to cover.

'There's a gorgeous, big Vietnamese community in New Orleans. I haven't covered it yet, but a lot of other people have. So, then I think, Well, how can I cover it differently than other people have? How do I make it sexy? You want to keep people's attention, you want to entertain them, you want them to have fun, but you also want them to have some kind of takeaway.'

And she has learned so much through her show.

'I think what it's taught me is that the faces of America are very varied, but that doesn't mean they're any less American.

'It took me a long time to feel that way. Growing up, I always felt like an outsider in America,' she said.

She was born in India and moved to the US at four.

'I felt like, Yes, I'm American, but I'm not as American as somebody who's a Euro American, who's white or 'waspy' for lack of a better word.'

They lived in Queens, New York, before moving across the country to a mixed, mostly Mexican and Filipino neighborhood in Los Angeles.

She never felt particularly Indian.

'I always had one foot in each,' she admits.

Padma also talked women chefs.

Still a 10: Lakshmi at the 2023 TIME100 Gala, New York this week

New pals: Padma with Kim Kardashian and Gayle King at Lincoln Center

'I think the profession isn't conducive to having a home life. Cooking is very much a science and also an art, but it's also manual labor; you're just standing there in a hot kitchen, and it's physically taxing work.

'So, I think it prevents a lot of people from entering that workforce for any length of time. Women are there, but then they drop out, or they don't get to a certain level because they need to make dinner at home for their families,' she explained.

'I think every facet of our culture is ruled by the patriarchy, and the patriarchy is built on one group of people subjugating another group of people to keep an unequal balance of power  because that is how capitalism also works. Capitalism and patriarchy are very intertwined.'

She also said her 13-year-old daughter, Krishna Thea Lakshmi-Dell, stayed up until the wee hours of the morning binge-watching the Netflix series Never Have I Ever.

'Krishna and I inhaled that show after a premiere of Top Chef during quarantine; we started watching it at 11 and we finished it at 4 a.m. We binged that show. It was so wonderful to hear a mother call her daughter 'Kanna,' which means 'Dear' or 'apple of my eye' [in Tamil]. That's what I call Krishna, that's what my mother called me, and I've never heard it before on American television.'

And she talked fellow Indian Mindy Kaling.

'I think Mindy is trying to write shows for people who never got to see themselves on TV, which is why Never Have I Ever exists and why it's so brilliant.

'I'm hugely in awe of her. [Similarly], I think being Indian is a part of me, but it's also not all of me.

'For example, I spent all my 20s in Italy. So I also feel very Italian, you know?'

'Being Indian influences everything I do, from how I raise my child to how I make people take off their shoes when they come to my house  which is very Asian  to how I oil my hair every week. I just don't wear it on my sleeve,' she says, noting, 'I am Indian, so I don't necessarily have to make being everything Indian my identity, if that makes sense.'

Her shoot was by Luke Dickey.
Scheana Shay revealed her friend Ariana Madix's frozen eggs were not fertilized by her ex Tom Sandoval, who she broke up with in March after nine years of dating.

Ahead of her former partner's shocking affair with costar Raquel Leviss, the exes discussed the idea while filming Wednesday's episode of Vanderpump Rules.

Fortunately, Shay, 37, confirmed that Madix's 'eggs are protected and frozen by themselves with none of that sperm.'

'Thank God,' the mother-of-one told her guests Mackenzie Dipman and Deb Chubb on her Dear Media podcast, Scheananigans With Scheana Shay.

Before welcoming her two-year-old daughter, Summer, with husband Brock Davies, Shay and Madix were going through the process together.

Confirmation: Scheana Shay revealed Ariana Madix's frozen eggs were not fertilized by her ex Tom Sandoval, who she broke up with in March after nine years of dating; seen in February

A relief: Ahead of her former partner's shocking affair with costar Raquel Leviss, the exes discussed the idea while filming Wednesday's episode of Vanderpump Rules; seen earlier this year

While appearing on Shay's podcast in 2021, Madix told listeners that 'had a lot of complications' during her 'retrieval procedure,' but was able to freeze 26 eggs.

The Buying Back My Daughter actress made it clear, at the time, that she froze 'just eggs' and not embryos despite encouraging her then-beau to join the process.

She went on to say that the bar owner did not take 'initiative' to help fertilize her eggs.

'As much as people think that he wants to be a dad so bad, he really doesnt,' the reality star claimed ahead of his months-long cheating scandal.

When speaking about the decision to freeze her eggs, Madix told her Instagram followers that she wanted 'agency over' her 'own body' and 'future.'

'It's also kind of a nice fun f**k you to anybody who questions my values or my choices,' the star explained.

On the latest episode of Vanderpump Rules, Madix asked Sandoval when he was going to deposit his sperm.

'Two years ago, I froze my eggs and I was able to retrieve 26 of them, which is like really, really good,' Ariana said in a confessional.

Not attached to anyone: Fortunately, Shay, 37, confirmed that Madix's 'eggs are protected and frozen by themselves with none of that sperm' (seen in March 2022)

Ahead of the split: While appearing on Shay's podcast in 2021, Madix told listeners that 'had a lot of complications' during her 'retrieval procedure,' but was able to freeze 26 eggs; seen in June 2022

Ariana proceeded to tell Sandoval not to drink or smoke anything for five days.

She said that her stance on not wanting to have children hasn't changed, but that the eggs were just more viable as fertilized embryos.

'Are you ever going to use these eggs for anything?' Sandoval asked.

'I don't know,' Ariana said. 'Maybe, maybe not. I don't really care if we do, I guess. I mean, I'm not going to get pregnant.'

'Last year when Ariana asked me to fertilize her eggs, I was excited. I was like yeah, sure, I'll do it,' Sandoval said in a confessional. 'Why would Ariana want me to go fertilize her eggs when we might or might not have kids or whatever she decides?'

Sandoval said it was hard talking to her because she never agrees with him. Sandoval said it felt frustrating and sometimes like she was questioning his intelligence.
Carol Vorderman was feeling a little hot under the collar as she discussed Gwyneth Paltrow's new racy lifestyle platform Goop Sex on This Morning on Friday.

The presenter, 62, was left red faced after Nick Ferrari joked her had heard her say 'group sex' instead of 'Goop Sex'.

Gwyneth, 50, has established an @goopsex account on her wellness platform that has so far focused on how lovers can tease each other with 'edging' and instructions on how to achieve the perfect orgasm.

Joined by Vanessa Feltz on the sofa, the conversation soon turned a little raunchy and left host Dermot O'Leary looking somewhat uncomfortable.

Alison Hammond, meanwhile, was in her element as she asked Vanessa: 'Vanessa come on you are well adversed in Goop Sex. Carol will you be going onto Goop?'

Funny: Carol Vorderman was feeling a little hot under the collar as she discussed Gwyneth Paltrow's new racy lifestyle platform Goop Sex on This Morning on Friday with Vanessa Feltz

Whoops! The presenter, 62, was left red faced after Nick Ferrari joked her had heard her say 'group sex' instead of 'Goop Sex'

Carol told Alison she had gone on to Goop Sex earlier in the morning - but only for research purposes.

Explaining what people can expect from the platform, she said. 'There's one technique apparently for stronger orgasms called edging, which is stopping and starting all the time.'

To which Alison asked Vanessa, 61, who is newly single after her split from fiance Ben Ofoedu, 50: 'Do you think this the platform we were missing? Do you think we were missing this Vanessa?'

'No, I have not been missing it,' Vanessa replied, before she asked Nick what he thought.

Nick cheekily said: 'Can I clarify, when Carol started, did she say Goop sex or group sex?', which sent Carol in raucous hysterics.

He questioned again: 'Goop or group sex? I couldn't quite hear.'

'It's Goop sex', Carol said.

Vanessa told viewers: 'Nick Ferrari just wants to hear Carol say group sex on television, that's all he's saying.'

Earlier this week, Carol was left speechless when she discovered TOWIE's Pete Wicks was hoping to become her latest squeeze.

Taking to her Instagram Stories on Friday the former Countdown star appeared to be open to the idea in a hysterical video.

Oh my! Gwyneth Paltrow has set up a kinky Instagram account dedicated to sex as her controversial lifestyle platform Goop branches out

Raunchy: The Oscar-winning Goop founder, 50, has established an @goopsex account on the platform that has so far focused on how lovers can tease each other with 'edging'

Raunchy talk: Vanessa told viewers: 'Nick Ferrari just wants to hear Carol say group sex on television, that's all he's saying.'

Having a giggle: Joined by Vanessa Feltz on the sofa, the conversation soon turned a little raunchy and left host Dermot O'Leary looking somewhat uncomfortable

Toyboy: Earlier this week, Carol was left speechless when she discovered TOWIE's Pete Wicks was hoping to become her latest squeeze

Love is in the air? Pete responded with a flirty message that read: 'Ready when you are Carol'

Get Me Out Of Here! Carol is currently starring on the I'm A Celebrity All Stars in South Africa

Speaking with presenter Holly Jay-Smith following her appearance on This Morning Carol was told: 'So basically, [Pete has] gone on a podcast and he said he wants to be one of your men,'

The math's whizz gasped and giggled before asking to take a look at a photo of the 35-year-old tattooed reality star.

Appearing impressed by the snap Carol teased: 'Is that official now?'.

Holly replied: 'Well, you've got to start following him [on Instagram] at least. Because they said on their podcast that he'd like to be one of your men'.

Before Carol said: 'One of my special friends? That's hilarious!'.

It wasn't long before Pete responded with a flirty message that read: 'Ready when you are Carol'.

The I'm A Celeb star has since followed Pete on Instagram.

Giving a very candid insight into her complicated love life, Carol previously said she's 'not into one night stands' but dates multiple men whom she affectionately names her 'special friends'.

Speaking about her love life in January, Carol said on Zoe Ball's BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show: 'I first spoke about it about three months ago on This Morning'.

'The phone lines lit up, some women saying very seriously when they were divorced they were made to feel like they had failed.

'People would say cant you find anyone to love you, like you're a failed human being. This is an alternative way and a very happy way to live.'

Carol is currently starring on the I'm A Celebrity All Stars in South Africa.
Georgia Fowler was turning heads on Thursday.

The New Zealand model attended the reopening of the iconic Tiffany & Co 5th Avenue in New York City.

The 30-year-old showed off her fit physique in a slinky black dress with some revealing cut-outs.

She worked her angles in the sleeveless maxi gown, which put her taut tummy on display.

Georgia added statement accessories from Tiffany, including an elaborate necklace and cuff bracelet.

Georgia Fowler (pictured) was turning heads on Thursday. The New Zealand model attended the reopening of the iconic Tiffany & Co 5th Avenue in New York City

The 30-year-old showed off her fit physique in a slinky black dress with some revealing cut-outs

She worked her angles in the sleeveless maxi gown, which put her taut tummy on display

The beauty wore her brunette locks down around her face and opted for a bold makeup look.

She chose a peachy eye shadow and warm blush along with a rosewood lipstick in a matte finish.

Georgia is currently in the Big Apple with her businessman husband Nathan Dalah and their one-year-old daughter Dylan.

The couple tied the knot in the NSW Southern Highlands in January.

Georgia added statement accessories from Tiffany, including an elaborate necklace and cuff bracelet

The beauty wore her brunette locks down around her face and opted for a bold makeup look

She chose a peachy eye shadow and warm blush along with a rosewood lipstick in a matte finish

The newlyweds announced their engagement on July 30 last year.

At the time, Georgia revealed on Instagram Nathan had proposed during a photo shoot for Tiffany & Co.

The model was shooting a campaign called 'Tiffany Love' when Nathan dropped down to one knee on set.

In a video, Nathan was seen getting down on one knee in front of Georgia.

'I would say that I had this really crazy idea,' he said in the clip.

Georgia is currently in the Big Apple with her businessman husband Nathan Dalah and their one-year-old daughter Dylan

The couple tied the knot in the NSW Southern Highlands in January

Georgia replied, 'Yes, I will,' before the crew cheered for the happy couple.

The mother of one is back in NYC after living in Australia for the past few years.

In a recent Instagram post, she confirmed she was working with IMG models.

'Can't believe I'm back in NYC and this time with my mini me. It was no small choice bringing my daughter to the other side of the world - that 17-hour direct [flight] is no joke! But you just couldn't kick the love of work out of me,' she wrote.
Fashion's biggest night is upon us once again, with a slew of stars preparing to walk the iconic staircase in just a matter of days.

The 2023 Met Gala will be returning to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Monday evening, with everyone from Kim Kardashian to Paris Hilton set to attend the annual fundraising event.

Since 1948, stars have ascended the majestic staircase into a very exclusive party where no selfies are allowed.

Here are all the details fashionistas need to know about the lavish event:

Met Gala madness! Fashion's biggest night is upon us once again, with a slew of stars preparing to walk the iconic staircase in just a matter of days

WHAT TIME DOES IT START?

In keeping with tradition, the event will be held on the first Monday of May. It is scheduled to begin at 6:30PM EST on May 1, 2023.

Fans can watch the event unfold in real-time via a livestream on Vogue.

WHAT IS THE THEME?

This year, the ball's theme is Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. The late German designer was Chanel's long-time creative director. He passed at age 85 in 2019.

His beloved cat, Choupette, has even been invited to the festivities.

Fashion legend: This year, the ball's theme is Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. Lagerfeld was the late German designer and long-time creative director for Chanel who passed at age 85 in 2019

WHY IS KARL LAGERFELD A CONTROVERSIAL CHOICE?

The decision to honor Karl has sparked controversy given the many offensive remarks he has made over the years, from slamming the #MeToo movement to opposing same-sex marriage.

'Im against it for a very simple reason: In the 60s they all said we had the right to the difference. And now, suddenly, they want a bourgeois life,' he told Vice of same-sex marriage.

'Its difficult to imagineone of the papas at work and the other at home with the baby. How would that be for the baby? I dont know. I see more lesbians married with babies than I see boys married with babies. And I also believe more in the relationship between mother and child than in that between father and child.'

While he ultimately showed his support for same-sex marriage at his spring 2013 Chanel haute couture show, he still said he was 'less keen' on same-sex couples adopting children, according to AP.

WHO WILL BE HOSTING THE EVENT?

Along with the Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who runs and hosts the annual event, the 2023 MET Gala will also be co-hosted by Penelope Cruz, Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel and also Roger Federer.

The hostess with the mostess: Along with the Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who runs and hosts the annual event, the 2023 MET Gala will also be co-hosted by Penelope Cruz, Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel and also Roger Federer

WHAT DOES IT BENEFIT?

While the show may be known for its glitzy and over-the-top red carpet - with details of what occurs inside often remaining mysterious - at its heart, it is a fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.

Last year, the 2022 MET Gala alone raised a grand total of $17.4 million, reported Billboard.

HOW MUCH DO TICKETS COST?

This year the price of admission has been raised from $30,000 to $50,000, according to Page Six.

A-list: Status matters when it comes to who lands an invitation

HOW DOES ONE GET INVITED TO THE MET GALA?

Even if you have the funds, that doesn't guarantee you entry into the party.

Every guest has to be invited, and a waiting list exists for the coveted golden ticket.

And status matters, according to The New York Times, meaning the hottest stars are often a shoo-in for an invite.

Not this year! Blake Lively, a frequent attendee, announced she will not be at the party

Fashion icon: Vogue's editor-in-chief has been the face of the bash for decades and oversees the guest list and even the menu

WHO IS INVITED THIS YEAR?

Paris Hilton is among the big names attending in what will be her first Met Gala.

Meanwhile, Blake Lively, a frequent attendee, announced she will not be at the party.

'I will be watching,' she said, according to People.

Elle Fanning, Kim Kardashian and La La Anthony are among the other celebs attending.

WHAT IS ANNA WINTOUR'S ROLE?

Vogue's editor-in-chief organizes the bash and oversees the guest list and even the menu.

She has served as the Met Gala's chairwoman since 1994 and continues to serve look after look at every event.
Gal Gadot looked stylish as she left her hotel in New York Friday.

The actress, who will turn 37 on Sunday, dressed in layers against the chilly 54 F degree temperatures, stepping out in a black and white turtleneck sweater beneath a khaki green over shirt.

A faded denim jacket was placed around her shoulders for added warmth. The Death on the Nile star paired the layers with high waisted straight leg black pants and sneakers.

The Wonder Woman star was in the Big Apple for the re-opening of the Tiffany flagship store as part of her partnership with the legendary jeweler.

At the party on Thursday she was seen chatting up Hailey Bieber.

Stylish: Gal Gadot looked stylish but comfortable as she left her hotel in New York Friday. The actress dressed in layers, stepping out in a black and white turtleneck sweater beneath a khaki green over shirt. A faded denim jacket was placed around her shoulders for added warmth

Her long raven locks were styled in a sleek, low pony tail.

The Jupiter award winner appeared to be wearing minimal makeup.

She completed the look with diamond solitaire earrings and a pair of large aviator sunglasses.

Gal's business trip was turned into an early birthday celebration.

The action star was shocked and momentarily chose flight over fight when several of her friends shouted surprise as she entered her room at the Bowery Hotel.

A video posted on social media shows the action star quickly closed the door of the room for a moment in a post labeled 'Pre Bday surprise.'

She quickly recovered from seeing her unexpected guests, kissing her husband, Jaron Varsano, for helping orchestrate then hugging her friends and welcoming them with open arms.

The group which included Israeli celebrities Liron Weizman and Yael Goldman-Pfeffer as well as branding specialist Meital Weinberg Adar and actress Rotem Sela, had flown to New York for the celebration.

Natural beauty: The Death on the Nile star paired the layers with high waisted straight leg black pants and sneakers. Her long raven locks were styled in a sleek, low pony tail. She wore minimal and completed the look with diamond solitaire earrings and aviator sunglasses

Shock: The action star was shocked and momentarily chose flight over fight when several of her friends shouted surprise as she entered her room at the Bowery Hotel

Surprise: A video posted on social media shows the action star quickly closed the door of the room for a moment in a post labeled 'Pre Bday surprise.' She quickly recovered from seeing her unexpected guests, hugging her friends and welcoming them with open arms

Gang: Israeli celebrities Liron Weizman and Yael Goldman-Pfeffer as well as branding specialist Meital Weinberg Adar and actress Rotem Sela, had flown to New York for the celebration

Gal made a pal: Seen with Hailey Bieber at the Tiffany & Co reopening of NYC Flagship store, The Landmark on April 27

The Red Notice star posted a photo with her pals in her Instagram stories on which Rotem had written, 'My gang is better than yours.'

The friends wasted no time taking in the sights of the city, and headed to the Museum of Modern Art to take in some of the beautiful artwork.

Later that night, Gal took her friends and their fellas with her to the gala celebrating the Tiffany store re-opening at The Landmark.

She, Rotem and Yael showed off their dancing skills together on the blue carpet as they made their way to the star-studded celebration.

The pals later rocked out as Katy Perry performed for the guests.
Laura Anderson appeared to be making a dig at her ex Gary Lucy this week with a very cryptic Instagram post.

The former Love Island star, 34, has had a turbulent relationship with the Hollyoaks actor following their split - while they prepare to welcome their first child together as exes.

And she appeared to reference their ongoing drama with a brand new post, which was a quote about how to treat women.

The quote read: 'A woman becomes a reflection of how you treat her. If you dont like how shes acting look at how you are treating her.'

The former reality contestant and the actor announced they were expecting in February and split shortly afterwards.

Not pleased: Pregnant Laura Anderson has made a thinly-veiled dig at her ex Gary Lucy this week - after he revealed the gender of their baby in ultrasound photo

Bad terms: The former Love Island star, 34, has had a turbulent relationship with the Hollyoaks actor following their split - while they prepare to welcome their first child together as exes

And recently, she was said to be is 'shocked and upset' after her former boyfriend Gary revealed the gender of their baby after sharing an ultrasound photo.

However, it appears Gary didn't check with Laura if she was alright with him announcing the baby's gender to their legions of social media followers.

A source told MailOnline: 'Gary announced the gender news without checking it was ok with Laura.

'She's extremely shocked and upset by this and was hoping to do something special for it later this year.'

Laura previously told Goss.ie that she would share the gender of her baby 'in due course.'

Gary shared a photo of a recent scan to his Instagram Story, and a graphic that read: 'Daddy's girl.'

Alongside the snaps, he penned: 'For everyone that's been asking. Let's hope she inherits her mother's looks. Can't wait to meet you baby bear.'

Speaking earlier this month at The Gossies 2023, Laura said: 'I know what I'm having and I have a name.

Swipe? And she appeared to reference their ongoing drama with a brand new post, which was a quote about how to treat women

Daddy's girl: Alongside the snaps, Gary penned: 'For everyone that's been asking. Let's hope she inherits her mother's looks. Can't wait to meet you baby bear'

'I will share in due course I've already done a small [gender reveal party], but I've not shared it publicly yet. But I will soon.'

Recently, Laura took to her Instagram Stories to aim yet another dig at her ex Gary, by reposting an empowering quote.

The Love Island star cryptically spoke about how being single is a 'choice' and insisted she has no interest in finding a new man.

The quote, which was aimed towards Gary, said: 'Being single is a choice for women.. there is no such thing as she can't get a man.

'A man is the easiest thing to get (laughing emoji) it's getting the RIGHT man.. plssss don't let that go over y'all heads.'

Laura then responded to the message as she penned: 'Before anyone starts I definitely ain't lookin.'

It comes after Laura recently revealed that she and ex Gary are 'definitely' not on good terms' amid their recent split drama.

The pair met last year during a stint on Celebs Go Dating and announced that they were expecting their first child together in February.

However, the news of their separation followed shortly after as the pair recently parted ways following a whirlwind romance.

After the split, the mother-to-be decided to do an Instagram Q&A with her followers where she shed light on their break-up.

When one curious fan questioned her on her relationship, Laura quickly shut down any suggestion of them getting back together.

Single: It comes after Laura took to her Instagram story on Saturday to aim another dig at her ex-boyfriend Gary by reposting a quote from an Instagram page

Ex-boyfriend dig: The Love Island star shared the quote with her 1.5 million followers and claimed that the post was 'one for my ladies'

Drama: Laura recently revealed that she and ex Gary are 'definitely' not on good terms' amid their recent split drama

The fan asked her: 'Is there any chance that you and Gary can get back together?'.

But Laura simply replied: 'No' before saying she 'hopes once baby is here' that she and the Hollyoaks actor can co-parent successfully.

Last month, the pair appeared to take aim at each other in cryptic Instagram posts after Gary said that part of the reason the pair split was down to location.

Laura reportedly wanted him to move to Scotland, but he said he wanted to stay in Essex to be with his four children.

But last month, Laura told her side of the story and told her 1.5 million followers: 'I had no intention to comment on the breakdown of my relationship with Gary.

'However, due to what has now been publicly shared by other parties, I have been left with no other choice.

'Gary and I are no longer together due to multiple reasons which will remain private. Our plan was for me to move to Essex to start our family, which I was more than happy to do.

'However, since the breakdown of our relationship, I have remained at home in Scotland. My priority is bringing my baby up in a calm and stable environment.

The Scottish reality star added: 'I never asked or expected Gary to move to Scotland. I fully support him living in Essex to be close to his four amazing children.

'I am fully focused on having a healthy, happy pregnancy and remain excited to share this incredible journey with you all. Thank you so much for your support! Laura, Buddy & Bump.'
Khloe Kardashian, 38, and Emma Grede, 41, are killing it with their Good American denim brand.

They have built their size-inclusive clothing business from the ground up and sold $200 million worth of denim last year.

Now the entrepreneurs and being honored with the cover story for the May/June issue of Entrepreneur magazine.

The women are all business in the cover photo with the Keeping Up With the Kardashians alum in a chocolate brown suit with no shirt and her long blonde hair cascading down her torso.

Emma rocks a black skirt suit as she stands beside her business partner.

Cover girls: Khloe Kardashian, 38, and Emma Grede, 41, are killing it with their Good American denim brand

Khloe wrote on Instagram, 'What I am most proud of about @goodamerican, is our commitment to empowering our customers.

'When @emmagrede and I founded our brand seven years ago, our mission was to give all women a place to be seen, heard, represented and catered to in the fashion world.'

And she added it was never just about the clothing, but also about creating positive change in womens lives.

'Good American is driven by our customers, from every step from product ideation to our campaigns and I am so grateful to you all for helping us grow this incredible brand that gives women of all sizes, shapes, ethnicities and cultural backgrounds, a place where they feel not only accepted but wanted.'

She said they are always listening, learning and evolving in order to provide products that can make women feel beautiful and powerful.

'Every single customer is a part of our journey and I cant wait to see where we go to next! Thank you to @entrepreneur and @elizabeth_brody for this honor. Cover feature shot by @gregswalesart. Makeup and hair by @ashkholm @hairinel.'

Inside the magazine, the ladies get down to business in more casual looks.

Khloe wore a denim blazer with a pair of jeans and a tan corset-style top and sky-high light blue pumps.

Denim days: The women were surrounded by jeans and denim samples in the Good American offices. The brand carries sizes from from sizes 00 to 32 Plus

Emma wore a denim shirt with her jeans and slipped her feet into a pair of open-toed tan heels.

The women were surrounded by jeans and denim samples in the Good American offices. The brand carries sizes from from sizes 00 to 32 Plus.

Their best selling Always Fits pants are what sets Good American apart from other high end denim lines.

They realized a woman's weight fluctuates. 'It's true regardless of where they are on the size scale,' Emma said. 'I mean, I'll be up or down six pounds depending on the time of the month  '

'Depending on the day,' Khloe quipped.

Emma added: 'These women have two or three different sets of jeans in that closet.'

Always fits: Their best selling Always Fits pants are what sets Good American apart from other high end denim lines

Good American's Always Fits jeans are made from a fabric the women devised that magically stretches and constricts to cover four sizes.

London native Emma has been advising the Kardashian family on their various business ventures since 2016.

She first helped found Khloe's jeans company Good American as its CEO in 2016 and then launched Kim's shape wear line SKIMS as a founding partner in 2017 and then became the chief product officer of Kris' new cleaning product company Safely in 2021.

Emma was raised by a single mom who struggled to make ends meet - but she said seeing how hard her mother worked helped turn her into the strong business woman that she is today.

Genius idea: Good American's Always Fit jeans are made from a fabric the women devised that magically stretches and constricts to cover four sizes

She said that from a young age, she turned to fashion magazines to 'escape' her 'bleak and grim' life, and she knew from early on that she would do whatever it took to land a job in the industry.

Emma studied business at the London College of Fashion, but dropped out in 2001, after she landed an internship with Gucci.

'It was the right decision for me. I learnt that I got more out of a couple of months work than I could from a college,' she explained to Standard.co.uk.

By the time she was 26, she had started her own talent agency. It was through that agency that she was able to meet the Kardashian matriarch Kris, 66.

When she came up with the idea to create an inclusive jeans brand, she pitched it to the momager - who thought it would be a perfect fit for her daughter Khloe. The youngest-Kardashian sister said 'yes' right away, and the brand was quickly born.

Good American launched in October 2016, and it racked up $1 million in sales on its first day - reportedly the biggest denim launch in apparel history.

'We're a great partnership. We really understand how to create an incredible product,' gushed Emma.

'Khloe and I come from different places and have had vastly different upbringings, but what we have in common is confidence. We asked ourselves where it comes from. How can you give other women that same feeling?'
James Bond fans have been left convinced they know who is set to play the next 007 after two Hollywood actors appeared to drop a major hint.

The iconic role of the secret agent is up for grabs following Daniel Craig's final outing in 2021's No Time To Die.

And now it appears movie fans have stumbled on a clue after Stanley Tucci and Richard Madden joined forces for an Instagram video on Friday.

In the intentionally awkward clip the pair struggled to contain their giggles as they enjoyed a martini - which just happens to be the super spy's favourite drink.

Following a sip Stanley asked his Citadel co-star 'How's yours?' to which Richard replied: 'Delicious'....leaving followers convinced the GoT actor, 36, was indicating he had landed the coveted role.

Convinced: James Bond fans have been left convinced they know who is set to play the next 007 after two Hollywood actors appeared to drop a major hint

Exit: The iconic role of the secret agent is up for grabs following Daniel Craig's final outing in 2021's No Time To Die (pictureD)

Racing to the comment section fan wrote: 'I don't know what drinks look like, but if that's Richard Madden drinking a Martini that's been shaken, not stirredimma hit the roof with excitement'.

While another declared: 'There you go, here's the new James Bond' and a third asked: 'Is that the new James Bond?'.

Another pleaded: 'To the gods of 007 this is a no brainer'.

Last year Aaron Taylor-Johnson was revealed to allegedly be the top choice to replace Daniel Craig after taking part in a secret screen test.

The actor, 32, is said to have impressed producer Barbara Broccoli during an audition at Pinewood Studios, where many of the franchise's films have been filmed.

A source told The Sun: 'Aaron went for a screen test to be the next Bond in September and producers and Barbara loved him. He is now one of the front-runners.'

Aaron, who is married to Fifty Shades Of Grey director Sam Taylor-Johnson, 55, has starred in the Kick-Ass movies, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Godzilla.

He started out in the 2001 series Armadillo before featuring in The Bill and Casualty, and securing his big break in the 2009 John Lennon biopic, Nowhere Boy.

And now it appears movie fans have stumbled on a clue after Stanley Tucci (left) and Richard Madden (right) appeared together in an Instagram video on Friday

Awkward: In the intentionally awkward clip the pair struggled to contain their giggles as they enjoyed a martini - which just happens to be the super spy's favourite drink

MailOnline has contacted Aaron's representatives for comment at the time.

It follows reports that Idris Elba walked away from 'years of talks' with movie bosses to become the next James Bond, paving the way for a new 007.

Bookmakers William Hill subsequently placed Henry Cavill at the forefront with 5/2, Rege Jean-Page with odds of 4/1, followed by Tom Hardy and James Norton both with 6/1 and Chiwetel Ejiofor at 7/1.

Racing to the comment section fan wrote: 'I don't know what drinks look like, but if that's Richard Madden drinking a Martini that's been shaken, not stirredimma hit the roof with excitement'

Surprise: Last year Aaron Taylor-Johnson was revealed to allegedly be the top choice to replace Daniel Craig after taking part in a secret screen test (pictured in 2018)

Richard is currently starring in thriller series Citadel, alongside Stanley Tucci.

The show has been created by David Weil for Amazon Prime with the Russo brothers acting as executive producers.

In the series, Priyanka Chopra portrays Nadia Sinh, a spy with an affected memory who teams up with her former colleague Mason Kane (Richard) to combat a global threat.

While Richard and Priyanka lead the cast, the series will also include spin-offs in different countries and languages, featuring entirely different casts.

The Italian series will star Matilda De Angelis in the leading role and is being co-produced by Amazon Studios and Cattleya, while an Indian version of the show will star Samantha Ruth Prabhu.

The trailer for the upcoming British version of Citadel, slated for release on April 28, was released on Amazon Prime Video's official YouTube channel last month .
Emily Ratajkowski was seen opting for stylish comfort in a vibrant sweatshirt as she stepped out in New York City earlier on Thursday.

The My Body author, 31, who recently donned a sultry cheetah print bikini to promote her Inamorata brand, was spotted strolling along a sidewalk in the bustling city.

The mother of one donned an eye-catching, printed yellow sweatshirt that was from McNally Jackson bookstore along with a pair of black, cargo pants to stay warm in the cooler temperatures.

She slipped into a pair of classic, yellow work boots that were secured with the laces to coincide with the color of her top.

The former Nickelodeon actress slung a red, cross-body purse over her shoulder to hold a few items she needed during her daytime outing in the Big Apple.

Stylish comfort: Emily Ratajkowski, 31, was seen opting for stylish comfort in a vibrant sweater that said McNally Jackson bookstore as she stepped out in New York City earlier on Thursday

Her brunette locks were parted in the middle, and effortlessly flowed down past her shoulders, allowing her bangs to gently fall onto her forehead.

She accessorized her outfit by throwing on a pair of stylish black shades and to also protect her eyes from the sun's rays.

As she enjoyed stepping out into the fresh, spring air, Emily was seen easily carrying black headphones in her left hand to listen to tunes during her stroll.

The star recently uploaded sultry Instagram snaps of herself earlier Wednesday modeling various colorful bikinis to promote the latest City Girl collection from her Inamorata brand just in time for the summer season.

The beauty could be seen posing at a park located in New York City as she soaked up the warm sun, and struck a few of her favorite poses both on the grassy lawn and near shimmering water.

In the caption of the post, the model wrote out to her 30 million fans and followers, 'city girls,' in reference to the name of the line, and added, 'all new swim for you to look fly in this summer.'

The Gone Girl actress officially launched her brand back in 2017, which offers not only swimwear, but also clothing pieces and accessories.

Along with running her company, and working hard in the fashion industry, Emily puts her main focus into raising her two-year-son, Sly, whom she shares with ex, Sebastian Bear-McClard.

Making a statement: The mother of one donned a long-sleeved, eye-catching yellow sweatshirt along with a pair of black, cargo pants to stay warm in the cooler temperatures

Enjoying the outing: As she enjoyed getting a bit of fresh, spring air, Emily was seen carrying black headphones in her left hand to listen to tunes during her outing

Sultry: The star recently uploaded sultry snaps of herself modeling various colorful bikinis to promote the latest City Girl collection from her Inamorata brand

She had tied the knot with the film producer in 2018, but filed for divorce in September 2022 after he had allegedly cheated on her.

During an interview with the Los Angeles Times earlier this month, the model stated, 'The world is pretty brutal to women, no matter what they look like.'

She also told the publication that she felt as though she is, 'coming into myself,' and added, 'Being able to assert what I want  that feels like it just started. My life as a creator and not as a muse.'

Since her split from Sebastian, Ratajkowski has been previously linked to stars such as SNL alum, Pete Davidson, Eric Andre, and most recently, former One Direction member, Harry Styles.

The model, whose passionate kiss with Harry Styles went viral last month in March, recently stated that she felt 'bad' for his ex, Olivia Wilde, during an interview with Vogue Spain published earlier last week.

'I feel bad for Olivia, because she has had to suffer this situation on several occasions,' and stated rumors that claimed there was any conflict between her and the actress is, 'just an unfortunate issue.'

However, a source exclusively told DailyMail.com, 'Emily shouldn't feel bad for Olivia. She should reexamine her dating life and the men she chooses to go out with.'

'Emily should really just focus on being a mom,' the insider added. 'Olivia just wants Emily to keep her name out of her mouth.'

Focus on motherhood: Along with running her company, and working hard in the fashion industry, Emily puts her main focus into raising her two-year-son, Sly

Recent kiss: The model, whose passionate kiss with Harry Styles went viral last month in March, recently stated that she felt 'bad' for his ex, Olivia Wilde, during an interview with Vogue Spain

The source confirmed that the two stars haven't 'had it out' but stated that the Don't Worry Darling star feels 'betrayed' and that the model 'broke girl code' by sharing such a public kiss with the former One Direction member.

While talking to the Los Angeles Times after the Styles kiss, Emily admitted, 'Im definitely still not thinking about guys. Although, yeah. You know, sometimes things just happen.'

She has also put her time and energy to her High Low podcast which was launched back in October 2022, and opened up to Elle last month in March about other goals she wished to achieve.

'I would love to try my hand at screenwriting,' she revealed, as well as building, 'out the media company that I founded around the podcast,' and trying her 'hand at fiction.'
Comedian John Mulaney is mourning the loss of his beloved dog Petunia.

The Baby J star shared a photo of himself with his pup on Instagram on Friday.

'Petunia, I loved you from the first moment I saw you. Rest in peace. Thank you for being my little shadow,' he captioned the post.

The tiny French bulldog was shared by Mulaney, 40, and his ex-wife Anne Marie Tendler.

In 2020, the Big Mouth star revealed that his dog was part of his morning routine, saying: 'I'll pick her up and take her into Starbucks, pretending I don't know you can't do that. It works if I come in looking distressed, as if I understand nothing about society.'

RIP: Comedian John Mulvaney is mourning the loss of his beloved dog Petunia. The Baby J star shared a photo of himself with his pup on Instagram on Friday. 'Petunia, I loved you from the first moment I saw you. Rest in peace. Thank you for being my little shadow,' he captioned the post

And he's featured Petunia in many of his comedy routines including his 2018 special John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City, joking she was a 'little monster who rubs her vulva on the carpet.'

He went on to call Petunia, 'one of my most favorite people I've ever met in my life.'

At the time Petunia was four. The comedian explained that she was social and loved to meet people but she couldn't walk far.

So they bought the dog a stroller and while walking with her, people would come up and ask to see the baby.

Instead, what they were greeted with was 'a gargoyle breathing like Chris Christie.'

News of the dog's passing comes as the comedian's latest special debuted on Netflix on Tuesday.

The special details his struggles with substance abuse, with Mulaney acting like a Vaudevillian dancing and singing about the last few years: 'We all went to rehab and we all got divorced! / And now our reputation is diff-er-ent.'

He also described the surprise intervention that happened when he was invited to a friend's dinner party, and many of his friends who couldn't come made an appearance via Zoom.

Joker: And he's featured Petunia in many of his comedy routines including his 2018 special John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City, joking she was a 'little monster who rubs her vulva on the carpet'

Funny man: He also described his dog as 'a gargoyle breathing like Chris Christie'

'Let me just call this out now  I don't mean to be weird. It was a star-studded intervention,' he joked.

'As mad as I was when I walked in there, I was like, "This is a good lineup." It was like a "We Are the World" of alternative comedians over the age of 40, he continued.

'All comedians, yet no one said a funny thing the entire night. Before I got there, they promised each other that they wouldn't do bits.'

'Do you know what it's like for 12 people to save your life? It's too many people,' he said. 'They could've done it with four people  and I know the eight they could've cut.'

Favorite people: He also called the French Bulldog 'one of my most favorite people I've ever met in my life'

The comedian added that his gratitude meant he always felt compelled to pick up the check now.

'There are 12 separate people out there who, if I'm at dinner with them, I have to be like, "No, I got that. Come on. You saved my life  over Zoom."'

Mulaney also wasn't afraid to be honest about the depths of his drug problem before his friends stepped in.

He described going to rehab in Pennsylvania on such short notice that he brought along 'a full baggie of 30mg of Adderall, a full baggie of Xanax, three grams of cocaine and $2,000 in cash.'

He joked that he had clearly 'had other plans that weekend.'
I'm A Celebrity... South Africa viewers were divided during Friday's episode as they watched Fatima Whitbread continue to grumble over contraband that had been smuggled into the camp.

During Thursday's show, viewers watched as it emerged the group's dinner was put in jeopardy after it was revealed that there were a number of contraband items in camp which had to be surrendered to an amnesty box.

Gillian McKeith, who famously also smuggled forbidden goods into the camp in her past series, had items including salt and 85 teabags with her which she pulled out of her pockets and bra, and on Friday it emerged she had smuggled in even more herbs and spices.

And the situation sent shockwaves through the camp, with viewers comparing it to the moment Amir Khan ate his prize of strawberries in secret after a task when they were intended for the whole camp back in 2017.

Retired javelin thrower Fatima, 62, was deeply unimpressed by the situation, again berating the camp for breaking the rules, even telling Paul Burrell, who smuggled coffee in, that he had brought shame on himself.

Unimpressed: I'm A Celebrity were divided during Friday's episode as they watched Fatima Whitbread continue to grumble over contraband that had been smuggled into the camp

Anger: Fatima was deeply unimpressed by the situation, berating the camp for breaking the rules, even telling Paul Burrell, who smuggled coffee in, that he had brought shame on himself

She said: 'I'm sorry, I'm going to say how I feel about it. It's not about the individuals. It's about the rules being breached because I'm a principles person and I want to be true to myself.

'But this is an individual thing. This isn't about me trying to enforce anything on anybody. It's just what I believe.

'So I'm just going to tell you it out there, it's just how I feel about it.'

Paul awkwardly chimed in: 'What I don't like, is people being shamed. I don't like that, I don't like that.'

Fatima hit back: 'Paul, it's you who brought shame to you.

'If you take those chances, it's the consequences that come with it. There's a principle to it.'

Taking to Twitter, one person wrote: 'If Gillian doesnt go home, Fatima is going to murder her in her sleep for all this contraband.'

While someone else shared: 'Fatima has a right to be upset because thanks those who snuck contraband everyone gets punished and Gillian is sat there smirking like she's not hiding salt.'

Naughty: Viewers compared it to the moment Amir Khan (right) ate his prize of strawberries in secret after a task when they were intended for the whole camp back in 2017.

Views: Viewers took to Twitter to express their opinions on the matter, with the views being divided

Someone else shared: 'Fatima is the kid in class who reminds the teacher they forgot to collect the homework.'

While another person posted: 'I'm with Fatima, rules are there for a reason, rule breakers should be kicked out.'

'Fatima love its not that deep,' wrote one show fan, while someone else tweeted: 'Fatima needs to chill.'

'Good god Fatima is just as annoying as she was in 2011. Its really not that big of a deal, youd think theyd murdered someone,' wrote someone else.

Another person posted: 'Its worse than the strawberries.'

It comes after former boxer Amir hit headlines back in November 2017 when he and radio host Iain Lee decided to eat the Dingo Dollar Challenge prize unbeknown to their hungry campmates.

Adding to the betrayal, Amir then later left pal Iain to take much of the blame despite the boxer being the one to instigate the naughty situation and subsequently caused mass outrage amongst their fellow celebrities.

The pair were picked to take part in the daily challenge - which saw the boxer get dressed up as a giant cat while Iain led the blindfolded boxer through the Jungle Pawn Shop.

Uh oh! I'm A Celebrity South Africa fans were amused by contraband controversy and Fatima Whitbread was angry after dinner was put in jeopardy due to forbidden items on Thursday

Wow! Gillian McKeith had items including salt and 85 teabags with her which she pulled out of her pockets

Despite a few close shaves, the pair triumphantly won the challenge and headed off to the Outback Shack to spend their dingo dollars on strawberries and cream with Keith Kiosk.

And while the camp successfully answered their question about the percentage of British people who have undergone cosmetic surgery correctly, Amir planted a naughty suggestion into Iain's ear about the fruit they had just won.

He said: 'Shall we eat them and say it was the wrong answer, shall we do that?'

To which Iain laughed: 'And then they will say hang on is that cream on your moustache? It's tempting isn't it?'

While Iain continued to contemplate whether to eat the prize or not, Amir suddenly poured the cream all over the strawberries, leaving them with no other choice than to gorge on the fruit feast.

'This is the worst thing weve ever done,' said Iain before they hid the evidence behind a tree.

On Thursday this week, after Amir Khan bagged 10 stars during trial Supermarket Shriek, the celebrities in main camp were supposed to be in for a delicious meal.

But the dinner was put in jeopardy after it was revealed that there were a number of contraband items in camp which had to be surrendered to an amnesty box.

Gillian McKeith, who famously also smuggled forbidden goods into the camp in her past series, had items including salt and 85 teabags with her which she pulled out of her pockets and bra.

Meanwhile, Paul Burrell had coffee and Myleene Klass had salt with them.

Fatima Whitbread was left fuming after the shock announcement was made about the banned goods- and made a frank speech to the campmates.

'I don't agree with people being let off the hook,' she raged. 'Rules are rules!'

I'm A Celebrity...South Africa airs weeknights at 9pm on ITV & ITVX.
Fans were left in hysterics during Friday night's episode of I'm A Celebrity South Africa after Amir Khan grilled campmates Paul Burrell and Janice Dickinson about their sex lives.

Speaking to the campmates candidly, Amir asked the two oldest campmates: 'Do you still get horny?'

Janice, 68, replied: 'Every day. That s***t never stops!' while Paul, 65,agreed with her.

Amir was amused by the exchange and so were I'm A Celebrity fans, taking to Twitter in their droves to comment.

One person said: 'Janice does crack me up', while someone else said: 'Amir asking the awks questions is killing me haha.'

Funny: Fans were left in hysterics during Friday night's episode of I'm A Celebrity South Africa after Amir Khan grilled the oldest campmates Paul and Janice about their sex lives

Saucy: Speaking to the campmates candidly, Amir asked: 'Do you still get horny?' and Janice replied: 'Every day! That s**t never stops!'

Another person wrote: 'Amir' with a series of laughing emojis as they reacted to the funny moment.

But not everyone was impressed by the conversation, with someone else writing: 'I don't want to hear about anyone's sex life when I'm watching the telly!'

It comes after I'm A Celeb viewers were left gutted after it was revealed Shaun Ryder, Phil Tufnell or Andy Whyment would be one of the first to exit the jungle.

Fans declared them the 'three amigos' and admitted they would be left heartbroken when one headed home prematurely.

The trio left the Savannah Scrub and headed into Main Camp, only to discover they would take part in the first survival Trial of the series.

Each picked another celebrity to do it with them, and the losing pair would leave camp for good.

While Shaun picked former nemesis Gillian McKeith, Phil chose Georgia Toffolo and Andy opted for Diversity's Jordan Banjo.

Laughs: Amir was amused by the exchange and so were I'm A Celebrity fans, taking to Twitter in their droves to comment

Amused; Fans were amused by the exchange, taking to Twitter to comment their reactions to his cheeky question

Not impressed: But not everyone was impressed by the conversation, with someone else writing: 'I don't want to hear about anyone's sex life when I'm watching the telly!'

Meanwhile, I'm A Celebrity fans were left amused by Thursday night's contraband controversy.

After Amir Khan bagged 10 stars during trial Supermarket Shriek, the celebrities in main camp were supposed to be in for a delicious meal.

But the dinner was put in jeopardy after it was revealed that there were a number of contraband items in camp which had to be surrendered to an amnesty box.

Gillian McKeith, who famously also smuggled forbidden goods into the camp in her past series, had items including salt and 85 teabags with her which she pulled out of her pockets and bra.

Meanwhile, Paul Burrell had coffee and Myleene Klass had salt with them.
Two U.S. Army helicopters collided and crashed Thursday in Alaska while returning from a training flight, killing three soldiers and injuring a fourth.

Two of the soldiers died at the scene of the crash near Healy, Alaska, and a third died on the way to a hospital in Fairbanks, the Army said in a statement. It said a fourth soldier was being treated at a hospital for injuries.

The names of those killed were being withheld until relatives could be notified, the Army said.

Each AH-64 Apache helicopter was carrying two people at the time of the crash, John Pennell, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Alaska, said earlier Thursday.

The helicopters were from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright, based near Fairbanks.

This file photo shows an AH-64 Apache helicopter training near Fort Wainwright in Alaska in 2021. Two of the aircraft collided Thursday, killing three soldiers

"This is an incredible loss for these soldiers families, their fellow soldiers, and for the division," Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, said in the Army statement. "Our hearts and prayers go out to their families, friends and loved ones, and we are making the full resources of the Army available to support them."

The Army said the cause of the crash was under investigation and more details would be released when they become available.

The crash is the second accident involving military helicopters in Alaska this year.

In February, two soldiers were injured when an Apache helicopter rolled after taking off from Talkeetna. The aircraft was one of four traveling to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage from Fort Wainwright.

In March, nine soldiers were killed when two U.S. Army Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed during a routine nighttime training exercise about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Healy is located about 10 miles (16.09 kilometers) north of Denali National Park and Preserve, or about 250 miles (402 kilometers) north of Anchorage.

Healy is a community of about 1,000 people located on the Parks Highway in Alaskas interior region. It is a popular place for people to spend the night while visiting the nearby park, which is home to Denali, the continents tallest mountain.

Healy is also famous for being the town closest to the former bus that had been abandoned in the backcountry and was popularized by the book "Into the Wild" and the movie of the same name. The bus was removed and taken to Fairbanks in 2020.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis radio address, within a short period, has managed to reignite popular interest in Indias past

World over heritage is treated as national health on which the national character is shaped. Countries take pride in their ancient past, which acts as a pivot for them to establish unique identities in the comity of the global community. Greece, Egypt, Italy, China, Japan and others have reaped unprecedented gains from their ancient pasts. Such nations find their national characters firmly grounded. Also, they receive millions of tourists rushing to sites linked with the national heritage, and contributing billions of dollars of income for the national exchequers.

Somehow, the Indian leadership in the past was apologetic about our past, particularly of the ancient era and the pre-Muslim history. This made thieves the world over steal Indian artefacts. This was possible because the Indians were not interested enough in them.

Egypt could market its ancient civilization to milk billions of dollars annually. India despite being home to several of the Indus Valley Civilization sites and excavations paid the least interest in their significance. This disconnect eroded Indias wealth and also deprived the people of a unifying national anchor.

Mann Ki Baatin a short period reignited the popular interest in Indias past. The stolen artefacts were recovered. The foreign capitals took the initiative to return the Indian artefacts which were lying in their museums. This could be made possible after Prime Minister Narendra Modi guided the national imagination to shed a spotlight on Indias civilizational wealth.

In the 99th edition of Mann Ki Baat, the PM highlighted a new tradition that has emerged in Kashi (Varanasi), celebrating the historical and cultural ties to celebrate Vijayadashami, RakshaBandhan and Chhath Pooja, and also the connection with the Tamil region. Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat (One India, Great India) was, thus, coined by PM Modi to guide the people to acquaint themselves with the roots of India.

Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamam was also conceptualized to achieve the same purpose, which was talked about at length in the Mann Ki Baat. Modi noted that many people from Saurashtra settled in Tamil Nadu centuries ago and are still known as Saurashtri Tamil. This revealed the significance of the oneness of the people, and the ancient past erasing the aberrations of the last few decades when the regional divide gained prominence.

Since 2014, India has retrieved 228 heritage objects from various parts of the world which were stolen or smuggled from India. Before 2014, only 13 objects were returned. During the 86th edition of Mann kiBaat, PM Modi reiterated, How countries like the United States, Holland, Italy, and Canada understood Indias concerns about its stolen heritage and helped in bringing back about 200 idols to the country.

The Mann Ki Baat episodes have also played a key role in helping people from within the country and abroad to give a boost to the tourism sector. In the last nine years, the government ensured that the budgetary support to the tourism sector improved from Rs878 crore in 2015-15 to Rs2400 crore in 2023-24. From the Mann Ki Baat, the people got updates and accounts of the efforts to develop tourism circuits from Somnath to Kedarnath, from Ayodhya to Ajmer, and from Varanasi to Velankanni, under the PRASHAD scheme, which also includes the upgradation of CheramanJuma Mosque, Hazratbal, Ajmer, St Thomas Shrine and Velankanni.

St Lukes Church in Kashmir was renovated and reopened after three decades. The foreign exchange earnings from 2016 to 2019 grew at a CAGR of 7.0 per cent but dipped in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In FY20, the tourism sector in India accounted for 39 million jobs, which was 8.0 per cent of the total employment in the country. By 2029, it is expected to account for about 53 million jobs.

Besides, Mann Ki Baat proved instrumental in connecting the people with Indias forgotten heroes. This was a timely course correction. Some of the personalities in the post-Independence era hogged most of the limelight and also the attention of the government.

But PM Modi nudged the people to read and search for the local icons, as he exhorted the audience to write about such heroes to give them deserving places in history. This was met with a massive response as lakhs of people wrote letters and shared anecdotes about the local heroes. The efforts proved instrumental in giving depth to Indian history, and also cultural depth to several regions within the country.

Thus, Mann Ki Baat by all accounts has been a major accelerator in Indias rediscovery of past glory, which in the years to come will certainly give a boost to wealth creation and also help shape the national character.

(Author is a policy analyst)
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, public mental health services have to become a State priority to address the growing mental health challenges

When the mind is in a stage of dullness, stimulate and awaken it. When the awakened mind thus becomes turbulent, calm it down. In the process, recognise the dirt that surfaced. When the mind reaches a state of equanimity, do not disturb it further.  MandukyaUpnishad (3.44)

Recently a 77-year-old NRI came to India to visit Kartarpur Corridor and was found missing from his hotel room in Delhi. On his wifes complaint, Delhi police formed six teams to search him and could only trace him after 24 hours when an army officer informed the police about a suspicious person loitering in a restricted area in casuals wearing hotel slippers. On examination, it was revealed that the man had a problem. He was forgetful, a common for his age.

Many people do have such problems, associate it with aging or some past incidence but seldom consult a Psychiatrist or Psychiatric Social Worker. So is the habit of smoking, stealing, overeating, lying, fidgeting, sleeplessness etc. but the community and common man do not consider them a problem and keep suffering, making fun of himself/ herself or showing pity at times.

Health is defined as physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being which has posed a cumulative challenge during covid19 and thereafter. With the loss of lives and livelihoods, the people found themselves in a state of anomie which resulted in an increased pace of depression, anxiety and suicide. India has an estimated 197.3 million people suffering from mental disorders and the majority of them have either no or limited access to mental health services. Thus, the country has a huge burden of mental disorders marred by appalling ignorance with a significant treatment gap. Public mental health services have to become a state priority to address the growing mental health challenges.

According to WHO estimates, COVID caused a 25 per cent increase in the prevalence of anxiety and 27 per cent in depression worldwide. An estimated 12 million work days are lost each year due to anxiety and depression costing the world economy nearly $ 1 trillion. Growing social and economic inequalities and conflicts, violence and public health emergencies are threatening human well-being.

Stigma and discrimination prevent many people from getting qualified care. One out of every seven (1:7) persons is suffering from one or the other mental illness. In 2021 people dying from heart attacks increased 6 times over the previous year which has aggravated family mental health concerns such as fear and uncertainties of life and emotional trauma due to loss of intimate relatives.

Gaps in Quality Mental Health Care are in the range of 40 to 95 per cent depending on the geophysical and socio-economic conditions and cultural beliefs. There are only .75 qualified psychiatrists per 1 lakh population in India. It gives scope for the proliferation of quacks and faith healers including an emerging clan of prayer warriors.

A mental illness results from difficulty to cope with real-life situations which hammer out the persons psycho-emotive balance responsible for a reasoned response to real-life challenges taking place in day-to-day life. It has a substantial impact on how an individual believes, interprets, and responds. Various types of mental illnesses differ in their severity and symptoms. Common mental illnesses include depression, anxiety, phobias, eating disorders, and stress while critical mental Illnesses include schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, manic-depression, clinical depression, suicidal tendency, personality disorder etc.

Pandemic Effect

It was an ordeal in the true sense when a person suffered extended periods of isolation and loneliness at his/ her own home when ones own near and dear ones were behaving like a stranger with all love lost. It led to a state of serious mental disturbances such as an acute feelings of depression, alienation and suicide. Loss of job and hard-earned money and inefficacy of medicines resulted in hopelessness, helplessness and the state of anomie.

There was a prolonged disconnect with family and friends which was equally affecting frontline workers and patients as they were unable to physically interact with their family members and see or meet with loved ones including infants, ailing parents and life partners. It led to emotional trauma and an existential vacuum.

The constant fear of death led to untimely ageing, fatigue, loss of energy and fear of losing everything. Some stayed back home due to prolonged lockdown and increased their screen time due to monotony and boredom, total disruption of work-life balance and some also resorted to domestic violence more often than not, due to frustration and blocked emotions.

NCERT survey which covered 3.8 lakh students across the country shows 81% of school students are anxious about studies and exam results. It identified frequent mood swings as an area of concern across grades, gender and types of schools along with body image, and lack of social interaction are several other reasons why school students suffer from bad mental health. The need for an effective school mental health program is felt as never before with the mandatory appointment of a trained school social worker so that mental health concerns of the students can be nipped in the bud.

There is an urgent need for a comprehensive database reflecting on mental health concerns based on the perception of the own selves, self as viewed in the social context, satisfaction with life (personal, family, peer/ social groups and society), emotions experienced, fears and challenges and strategies for coping and managing their emotions etc.

Current Initiatives

Ministry of Health, Government of India with technical support of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore has initiated the All Accessible Quality Mental Health Care Programme and initiated Tele MANAS on Oct. 10, 2022, on the occasion of World Mental Health Day: (Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States) with 24x7 toll-free Helplines: 14416 and 1-800-91-4416. This offers online qualified help in the language chosen by the caller. This is going to be a breakthrough towards addressing mental health problems without fear of social stigma and with assured confidentiality. Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 de-criminalises attempted suicide as well as suicide assistance by amending Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code.

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has mandated that major mental illnesses will be covered under medical/ health insurance from October 31, 2022, as per section 21(4) of the Mental Health Care Act 2017 and the Insurance Companies must amend their policy document/ bond accordingly. The Act specifically provides that every Insurer shall make provisions for medical insurance for the treatment of mental illness on the same basis as is available for the treatment of physical illness. However, it was delayed due to the reluctance of insurance companies but finally, they could fall in line due to the intervention of the Supreme Court of India.

It is incumbent on the people to be aware and assertive while buying medical/ health insurance that their policy covers mental illness as well. The states must improve the mental health infrastructure and facilities for treatment. The services of the private sector and community mental health initiatives should be recognised and availed as and when required. Mental Health counsellors must be appointed in Primary Health Centres to attend to patients and link them to appropriate psychiatric services.

(Dr. P.K. Bajpai is a Principal at Maharaja Agrasen College, Jagadhri affiliated with Kurukshetra University and Anukriti Bajpai is an Assistant Professor, at Vivekanand Institute of Professional Studies, Indraprastha University, Delhi)
There are a plethora of scholarships available for Indian students wanting to fund their higher education in other countries

Pursuing higher education abroad is a dream for many Indian students, but it can also be an expensive proposition. However, there are a variety of scholarship opportunities available to Indian students that can help reduce the financial burden of studying abroad. In this article, we will demystify some of the most common scholarship opportunities for Indian students pursuing higher education abroad.

Government Scholarships: The Indian government offers a range of scholarships to support students pursuing higher education abroad. The Ministry of Education, Ministry of External Affairs, and various other departments provide scholarships.

Ministry of Education Scholarships: The Ministry of Education offers a range of scholarships to Indian students, including the National Overseas Scholarship for Scheduled Castes, the National Overseas Scholarship for OBC Students, and the Dr Ambedkar Scholarship.

Ministry of External Affairs Scholarships: The MEA provides scholarships to Indian students under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Scholarship Scheme, which covers tuition fees, living expenses, and airfare.

Private Scholarships: Apart from government scholarships, several private organizations offer scholarships to Indian students for studying abroad. These scholarships are usually based on academic merit, financial need, or a combination of both, as the following.

Tata Scholarship: The scholarship is awarded to students accepted for undergraduate studies at Cornell University, the US.

Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholarship: The Foundation offers scholarships to Indian students for pursuing higher studies at top universities in the US, Europe, and the UK.

University Scholarships: Many universities abroad also offer scholarships and financial aid to international students, including Indian students. These scholarships are usually based on academic merit, and some universities may also offer need-based scholarships, such as the following.

Fulbright Scholarship: The Fulbright Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship program that provides funding to Indian students for pursuing graduate studies in the United States.

Chevening Scholarship: The Chevening Scholarship is a UK government scholarship program that provides funding to Indian students for pursuing postgraduate studies in the UK.

External Scholarships: Several external organizations offer scholarships to Indian students for studying abroad. These scholarships may be based on a particular field of study or may be open to students from specific regions. Some are listed below.

Rotary Peace Fellowship: The Rotary Peace Fellowship provides funding to Indian students pursuing a master's degree in peace and conflict resolution at one of the Rotary Peace Centers.

DAAD Scholarship: The DAAD Scholarship is offered by the German government to Indian students for pursuing postgraduate studies in Germany.

In conclusion, pursuing higher education abroad can be a costly proposition for Indian students, but there are several scholarship opportunities available to help reduce the financial burden. Students should research and apply for scholarships well in advance to increase their chances of success. Additionally, it is important to read and understand the eligibility criteria, application deadlines, and other requirements for each scholarship program.

(The writer is co-founder of Study Metro)
The shifting sands of geopolitics are leading to the arms race

New data emerging from SIPRI (Stockholm International peace research institute, has confirmed that the world is going through an arms race. The Russia-Ukraine conflict and Chinas aggressive military spending have meant that the world defence expenditure recorded a new high in 2022. While the US remained at the top spending nearly $880 billion, closely followed by China at nearly $292 billion, India also recorded a modest 6% increase in its military spending on a year-on-year basis. Surprisingly, several so far dormant, peace-loving, European countries such as Finland, Sweden, Lithuania, and Poland saw sharp increases in their military spending, as a direct response to the war in their neighbourhood. The data points to a reversal of geo-strategic policies by several nations (especially in Europe), as they increasingly feel the need to make their borders more secure, against any unilateral military aggressor. It also directly leads to eating away the lunch of several other global concerns such as climate change, which need to be tackled immediately to arrest the harm that has already been inflicted. It also leads nations to reorient with trusted allies and friends at a global scale.

This week also saw the first Shanghai Cooperation Organisation defence ministers meeting in New Delhi. Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu, as well as Chinese defence minister LiShangfu, made a rare appearance in Delhi. This was the first time the Chinese defence minister visited India, after the mischievous Galwan, medieval-era scuffle which led to both countries losing nearly two dozen soldiers. In the run-up to the defence ministers meeting top-level military leaders met on the Chinese side of the border, however, no breakthrough was achieved. The Ministry of external affairs in a statement released after the meeting stated The two sides had a frank and in-depth discussion on the resolution of the relevant issues along the LAC in the Western Sector so as to restore peace and tranquillity in the border areas, which will enable progress in bilateral relations. In line with the guidance provided by the State Leaders and further to the meeting between the two Foreign Ministers in March 2023, they had an exchange of views in a candid manner. In the interim, the two sides agreed to maintain security and stability on the ground in the Western Sector. They agreed to stay in close contact and maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues.

India is pushing for immediate Chinese troop withdrawal in the Depsang Bulge area and the Charding Ninglung Nullah, following which troops from both sides can be disengaged. Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart a day ahead of the SCO defence ministers meeting and re emphasised Indian concerns, as well as the need to return to the April 2020 status, which was unilaterally disrupted by China.

The defence minister also met his Russian counterpart, a first visit by Mr Sergei Shoigu, since Russias special military operation in Ukraine. India needs both Russia and China to be able to find common grounds for a secure, safe , transparent Central Asia, and later the Indo-Pacific.

India has so far maintained warm relations with Russia, despite facing the heat from Europe and the US on bilateral ties. The sanctions imposed by the US and Europe on Russia as punishment for invading Ukraine are limiting its ability to manufacture weapons and making it more isolated on the global stage. Meanwhile, China with whom Indias relations have fallen to all-time lows has grown significantly closer to Russia. The recently concluded state visit of Chinese premier Xi Jinping to Moscow reaffirmed the special friendship. India could try to persuade China by influencing Russia, however, the current situation in Russia may prevent it from pushing China harder.

(The writer is a policy analyst. The views expressed are personal.)
The Indian diaspora and the US Congress have played a pioneering role in building and strengthening the relationship between the two countries, India's ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu has said.

He addressed a gathering of Indian Americans at a reception here on Thursday. A group of Indian Americans from across the US observed India Advocacy Day at the US Capitol on Thursday, reaching out to more than 70 lawmakers, over a dozen of whom addressed the community at a reception later in the evening.

Sandhu said the diaspora and the US Congress have played a pioneering role in building and strengthening the India-US relationship.

It is interesting to see all the Indian American community, the diaspora is so active on the Hill, he said at the event organised by Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), a US-based non-profit organisation working on India and Indian-related studies on socioeconomic, political and international security matters.

With a population of 4.5 million and direct contribution in diverse fields including tech, hotels, transportation, health care, finance and agriculture, Indian Americans are well established and respected but their issues and concerns on policy matters are not reflected on the Hill. We are here to make an impact and our voice is heard, Khanderao Kand, director of FIIDS told PTI.

We are mainly focused on the long-term strategic issues like US-India relations (ICET, strengthening and expanding India Pacific Quad, I2U2), immigration issues like country-wise quota and H-1B, as well as religious phobia towards all religious traditions originated from India, he said.

More than 65 delegates from 20 states of the US, throughout the day, visited the offices of over 70 Congressmen and held discussions with their senior staffers on issues of importance to the Indian Americans.

We ask to expand the Indo-Pacific quad to include countries around the Indian Ocean, particularly the Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam, and Indonesia and strengthen the framework like NATO for regional security, Kand said.

The feedback I got is, you did it very respectfully and eloquently and did it in a very effective way. You should be really proud of that. I'm really proud to see how far this community has come," Congressman Ro Khanna, Co-Chair of the Congressional India Caucus told the diaspora community about their visits to of Congress' offices.

"I have no doubt that we're going to continue to grow, and continue to have this impact... Our involvement is not just good for the Indian American community, our involvement is good for the United States of America, he said.

Applauding the role of the diaspora in the relationship, Nancy Jackson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, said that America's partnership with India is strong and growing.

I really want to thank all of you for all the work that you do to advance and support this important global relationship. This friendship between our two democracies is a global force for good in the world, as are our partnerships in the QUAD, she said.

Mukesh Aghi, president of the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum, said the economic prosperity of India is good for America and its companies and a militarily strong India is good for regional stability.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said the reason why the India-US partnership is so strong is that Indian Americans are the bridge, that glue that brings India and the United States together.

Indian American Congressman Shri Thanedar called for comprehensive immigration reform and supported FIIDS recommendations to remove country quota in issuing the Green Card.

He also called for increasing the number of H-1B visas issued by the US every year for foreign technology workers.

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney said America and India have always been very strong allies and trading partners.

It is very appropriate that the world's largest democracy, and one of the world's oldest democracies are such good friends, not only as commerce allies and we've worked together in so many ways, she said.

I have the honour of representing a very large and diverse and dynamic Indian American community. And, people that are in this community have contributed successfully in so many areas, she said.

Congressman Dr Rich McCormick said Indian Americans are the most important demographic in the future of American politics.

You could really choose the next President of the United States, he said.
Atleast 246 stranded Indians have been evacuated from the strife-torn Sudan, has arrived on Thursday in Mumbai via Jeddah by a Special Indian Air Force (IAF) flight, as part of the ongoing rescue Operation Kaveri launched by the Government.

The IAF C-17 Globemaster aircraft, carrying 246 Indians who had been evacuated from Sudan capital Khartoum, took off from Jeddah this morning and landed here after 3 pm.

With the return of 246 stranded people from Sudan via Jeddah, the total number of Indians evacuated from Khartoum has gone up to 606. The first batch of 360 Indians had arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday evening. Another #OperationKaveri flight comes to Mumbai. 246 more Indians come back to the motherland, Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar tweeted. Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan, who saw the stranded Indians off in Jeddah, said: our effort to swiftly send Indians back home from Jeddah is paying.

Simultaneously, the Indian Navy has launched an evacuation operation to bring back to India the Indians stranded in Sudan. The INS Teg, an anti-piracy patrol vessel, was diverted to Sudan port and retrieved 297 Indians and dropped them in Jeddah. Operation Kaveri is a rescue mission launched by government to evacuate stranded Indian from Sudan where Sudanese Army and paramilitary groups are fighting.

The warring factions in Sudan had declared a 72-hour ceasefire on Monday after the US and Saudi Arabia intervened and hammered out a truce between the feuding factions.

The ceasefire facilitated the launch of evacuation of the stranded non-Sudanese nationals from Khartoum. Under its evacuation mission, India has set up a transit facility at Jeddah and all the Indians have been taken there after their evacuation from Sudan.
As the security situation in Sudan remains very complex, highly volatile and unpredictable and New Delhi launching Operation Kaveri to evacuate its citizens, Indias objective is to get every stranded Indian in that country out of harms way, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra here said on Thursday. He also said 1,700 to 2,000 Indians were taken out of the conflict zone there.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, meanwhile, spoke to UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and discussed the evolving situation in Sudan, as India stepped up efforts to evacuate its stranded citizens from the strife-torn African country.

Last week, Jaishankar spoke to his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt on the ground situation in Sudan with a focus on ensuring the safety of the Indians.

Briefing reporters in New Delhi on the ongoing evacuation mission, Kwatra said approximately 1,700 to 2,000 Indian nationals were moved out of the conflict zones and they included the citizens already evacuated out of Sudan as well as those who are on their way to Port Sudan from capital city Khartoum.

The Foreign Secretary said India is in touch with the two warring factions in Sudan and other stakeholders and has been able to evacuate its citizens following a positive response from the concerned sides as they understand that New Delhi stands for a very strong development partnership with Khartoum.

The situation on the ground is very complex, highly volatile and unpredictable. We have been in touch with both SAF (Sudanese Armed Forces) and RSF (Rapid Support Forces).

Our relations have been good. We are in touch with all sides to get the Indians from conflict zones to safe areas and then to Port Sudan, Kwatra said. On the total number of Indians in Sudan, he said approximately 3,100 have registered online with the Indian embassy in the Sudanese capital Khartoum while an additional 300 are in touch with the mission. Sudan also has around 900 to 1,000 PIOs (Persons of Indian Origins).
India and Bangladesh reviewed the entire gamut of their bilateral military ties and resolved to further strengthen them during the visit of Bangladesh Army Chief S M Shafiuddin Ahmed commencing his three-day visit on Thursday. During the visit, he met Indias senior military and civilian leadership.

During his talks with Army Chief Manoj Pande, the two chiefs discussed various issues pertaining to enhancing and strengthening interoperability, training, anti-terrorism collaboration and overall bilateral cooperation as part of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations. The visiting General was accorded a Guard of Honour at the South Block Lawns.

The Bangladesh Army Chief commenced his visit by paying tributes to the fallen heroes of the Indian Armed Forces by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial.

The visiting General called on Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of Naval Staff, Air Marshal AP Singh, Vice Chief of Air Staff, Defence Secretary and the Foreign Secretary.
India has brushed aside Pakistan raising the Kashmir issue in the United Nations (UN) and said no amount of rhetoric and propaganda can change the fact that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Ladakh are and will always be an inalienable part of the country.

Counsellor in Indias Permanent Mission to the UN Pratik Mathurs remarks came after Pakistans Permanent Representative at the UN Munir Akram spoke about J&K in his statement at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting late on Wednesday.

The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were, are and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. No amount of misinformation, rhetoric or propaganda from any country can change that fact, Mathur said at the UN General Assembly plenary on Use of the veto.

Pakistan consistently rakes up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at various UN platforms, irrespective of the agenda and topic of discussion at the meetings.

New Delhi has repeatedly emphasised that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were, are and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India.

On Monday, India slammed Pakistan after it raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at a UN Security Council meeting, prompting Indias Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj to assert that she would not waste the Councils time by responding to such mischievous remarks.

Lastly, this august forum has today heard some mischievous remarks by a permanent representative arising purely out of ignorance and lack of an understanding on the basic facts of decolonisation, Kamboj had said.

I will not be wasting the time of this Council in responding to those remarks. Our advice to that delegation is please refer to our numerous rights of reply that we have expressed in the past, she said.

Kambojs stern response came at the UN Security Council open debate on Maintenance of international peace and security: Effective multilateralism through the defence of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations chaired by Russia, President of the Council for the month of April. With Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov presiding over the debate, Akram had referred to Jammu and Kashmir in his statement.

Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after New Delhi abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019.
Addressing BJP workers virtually in poll-bound Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hit out at the Congress saying the Opposition partys various guarantees to voters do not mean much when that partys warranty has expired and asked the BJP to strengthen booth-level campaigning for the May 10 Assembly polls.

Ahead of his whirlwind election campaign starting on Saturday with 20-odd public rallies across Karnataka, Modi made a strong pitch for ending the revdi culture (culture of distributing freebies) referring to the poll promises made by the Congress, the main challenger to the BJP in the coming elections .

The PMs address to BJP workers was part of the partys effort to boost its campaign for Assembly polls. The contest seems to be evenly-poised between the BJP and the Congress with the JD(S) being the third party in the triangular contest for the 224 Assembly seats in Karnataka.

For the Karnataka polls, the Congress has announced guarantees that include  200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), `2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), and `3,000 every month for graduate youth and `1,500 for diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25) for two years (YuvaNidhi)  on coming to power in the State.

The Prime Minister said States are drowning in debt because of freebies and emphasised that the country and Governments cannot be run like this.

In our country some political parties have made politics the means of power and corruption. To achieve this, they are using all means like saam, dham, dhand, bedh. These political parties dont think about the future of the country, the future generation of Karnataka, its youth and women, Modi said.

He said, because of freebie politics, several States are making large-scale spending for the sake of partisan politics, which is also eating into the share of future generations.

The country cannot be run like this. Governments cannot be run like this. Governments have to think about the future, along with the present. Governments cannot run just for day-to-day needs, they have to work on asset creation, so that the lives of families are on track for decades, he added during the Karyakartarondige Samvada (an interaction with workers).

The party said earlier this week about 50 lakh workers from 58,112 booths would attend this virtual rally of the Prime Minister.

Modi would undertake a two-day tour of the State from Saturday during which he is scheduled to address six public meetings and hold two road-shows.

Modi said the BJP was not taking shortcuts, but was working for a developed India.

BJP doesnt think about five years of its own rule, but thinks about the country. We dont think about the party but think about the country. We dont think just about present electoral politics but about taking India ahead in the next 25 years, he said.

To address some temporary challenges, all possible help is being provided for the poor, like free ration, free vaccination, he said and added that it is the duty of the Government, but if we have to make India progress, we have to get rid of this revdi culture.

I appeal to youth, some parties may try to make you fools by distributing freebies, but its your duty to think about your future and that of your future generations....

Targetting the Congress for its revdi culture in Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan, Modi said, their poll guarantees have still remained as guarantee. Congress means guarantee of corruption, guarantee of nepotism.

Congress has reached a stage where it cannot give true guarantees, you are aware that Congresss warranty has expired, then what is the meaning of its guarantees, he added.

Besides the Prime Minister, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, JP Nadda, Nirmala Sitharaman, UP Chief Minister Adityanath, former Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa and a host of senior Karnataka leaders are in the thick of electioneering as former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Vadra and Congress president Kharge have been addressing public rallies in support of the party candidates.

For the JD (Secular), former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda would be campaigning at 42 places in the next 11 days in the run-up to the Assembly elections in Karnataka. The 89-year-old Gowda said he will take rest once in a week keeping in view his health condition.
With tension continuing at the border in Ladakh and no significant breakthrough in the talks to end disengagement at some friction points there, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday discussed the issue here with his Chinese counterpart General Li Shangfu. Rajnath told Shangfu relations between the two countries is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquility at the borders.

They had frank discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations, the Defence Ministry said after the bilateral meeting between the two leaders.

Rajnath categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquility at the borders. He added that all issues at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments.

He reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation. The Chinese Defence Minister is in Delhi to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers Meeting on Friday. Rajnath will chair the conclave today.

Incidentally, Chinas Foreign Minister Qin Gang will also come to India for the SCO Foreign Ministers meet on May 4 and 5 in Goa. India may take up the border issue during that meet too, it was learnt.

India has all along maintained that restoring status quo ante as prevailing prior to May 2020 has to be done to normalise ties with China. The two sides have, so far, held 18 rounds of Corps Commander level talks to find ways to hasten up the process of disengagement of troops.

At present, more than 50,000 soldiers each from both the sides are deployed in front line positions at the LAC in eastern Ladakh leading to tension. The latest round of talks was held on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Pakistans Defence Minister Khawaja Asif will attend the meet in the virtual mode. Russias Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu will also attend the meet. Rajnath held bilateral meeting with his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Iran and Tajikistan on Thursday.

The Chinese Defence Minister is visiting India for the first time since trouble flared up at the LAC in Eastern Ladakh in May 2020.

The Defence Ministry said on Wednesday Defence Ministers of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan will participate. India has invited Belarus and Iran, currently observers in the SCO, to participate in the SCO Defence Ministers meeting.

The Ministers will discuss matters related to regional peace and security, counter terrorism efforts within SCO and an effective multilateralism.

India has ancient civilizational, cultural and spiritual ties with the SCO member countries. Indias membership of the SCO in 2017 was therefore, a reaffirmation of New Delhis keenness to deepen these historic ties. India considers the SCO as an important regional group to promote multilateral, political, security, economic and people-to-people interactions in the region.

India continues to bring more ideas and initiatives to strengthen cooperation amongst SCO countries. Under its Chairmanship, this year, India organised two defence related activities to enhance interoperability amongst SCO member states.

The first being a workshop on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and the second was a seminar of SCO countries defence think-tanks on the issue of armed forces contributing to military medicine, healthcare and pandemics.
It was like we were on a deathbed, recalled a relieved Sukhvinder Singh from Haryana as he arrived at the Delhi airport from Saudi Arabia on Wednesday night after being evacuated from strife-torn Sudan. In his mid-40s, the engineer was among the first batch of 360 Indian nationals who returned home under Indias Operation Kaveri evacuation mission.

Singh, a native of Faridabad in Haryana, recalled his ordeal in Sudan and said he was still very scared. We were living in one area, confined to one room. It was like we were on a deathbed, he told PTI before making his way home.

India has evacuated at least 670 Indian nationals from Sudan and is looking to rescue more of its citizens from the strife-torn African nation before the end of a tenuous ceasefire between the regular army and a paramilitary force.

Chhotu, a factory worker who hails from Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, was in a state of disbelief and exclaimed, Marke wapas aa gaya (have returned after almost dying).

Now, I will never return to Sudan. I will do anything in this country but wont go back, he told PTI shortly after landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airports Terminal 3.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took to Twitter to share images of the evacuees after their arrival at the Delhi airport.

India welcomes back its own. Operation Kaveri brings 360 Indian nationals to the homeland as first flight reaches New Delhi, he tweeted.

At the airports Terminal 3, as people deboarded the aircraft of Saudia  a Saudi Arabian airline  and slowly streamed on to the arrivals lounge area, smiles could be seen on the faces of many who went through tense moments over the past few days.

Many waved emphatically, displaying a visible sign of relief, while others shook hands on the skybridge as they were welcomed on their return.

Several were seen carrying their luggage, accompanied by children. They also obliged a few photographers with pictures upon their safe return.

Tasmer Singh (60), an evacuee who hails from Hoshiarpur in Punjab, described his experience during the ongoing strife as horrifying.

We were like a dead body, roaming in a small house without power, water. We never imagined that we will face this kind of a situation in our lives but thank God, we are alive, he said.

India stepped up its efforts to evacuate the Indians from Sudan after a 72-hour truce was agreed between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces following intense negotiations.

Under Operation Kaveri, India is taking the evacuees to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah from where they are returning home. India has set up a transit facility in Jeddah and Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan is overseeing the evacuation mission from the Saudi Arabian city.

Sukhwinder Singh, the engineer, also narrated how difficult it was to travel during the strife in Sudan. We contacted the Indian embassy and buses for around 200 people were arranged. A road trip was very risky. Only God knows how we reached Port Sudan, he said.

He said the warring groups can shoot anybody depending on their mood.

It depends on the mood of the individual. If we say we are Indians, they let us go, the Faridabad native said.

The Indian Air Forces transport aircraft brought to Jeddah 392 Indians from Port Sudan on Wednesday, a day after an Indian Navy ship rescued 278 citizens from that country. The total number of Indians evacuated so far from Sudan stands at 670, according to official data.
A dialogue programme named "Partnership in Progress" was organized for the contract workers working under various contractors in BSL by the Contract Labor Cell of the Personnel Department of Bokaro Steel Plant. Notably about 350 contract workers participated in this programme organized in the main auditorium of Human Resource Development. The main objective of this programme was to provide information to the workers about the minimum wage rate, benefits related to provident fund, facilities received under Employees State Insurance, etc. On this occasion, Executive Director (Works) Birendra Kumar Tiwari and Executive Director (Personnel and Administration) Rajan Prasad, Chief General Managers and Senior Officers of various departments were present. During this programme Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner, Bokaro District, AK's Purti and Enforcement Officer, Rituraj Kumar and Branch Manager of Employees State Insurance Corporation, Bokaro District, Anil Kumar were also present to inform about the facilities available to workers under social security. In the beginning, CGM (Personnel) Hari Mohan Jha welcomed everyone and threw light on the purpose of the programme.

In the programme, Manager (Personnel - Contract Labor Cell) Pankaj Kumar shared information related to various facilities available to contract workers through a presentation. Addressing the contract workers,ED Birendra Kumar Tiwari gave a message to all to work following the safety standards. ED Rajan Prasad said in his address that in case of any kind of problem, the contract workers should inform the contract labor cell officer, personnel officer of the shop, engineer in-charge so that it can be resolved promptly . General Manager (Safety) Vikas Gupta informed the contract workers about the safe working practices through a presentation. All the officers and employees of the Personnel Department played an important role in the successful organization of the programme.
Special Judge, OPID (Odisha Protection of Interest of Depositors) Court Biswajit Das on Thursday convicted two officials of a ponzi firm,  Miracle Wonder Sales & Marketing, and awarded three years RI with Rs 1.51-lakh penalty to each of them. The court further directed for another 23 months jail term if they failed to pay the penalty amount.

The convicts were identified Mamamta Dey, a resident of Baliapal, and Laxminkanta Maharana of Remuna working as director and marketing manager, respectively, for the multilevel marketing company.

They were apprehended by the Sahadevkhunta police on the complaint of a depositor, Ratnaprava Das. She in her FIR with police had alleged that she was duped by the chit fund company to the tune of Rs 9 lakh in the pretext of high returns and other attractive incentives. She was even issued bonds against her deposits to gain her faith. Afterwards, she found the companys office at FM Circle here closed and no trace of the officials.

The accused duo had been tried under the IPC, the PCMC (Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act and the OPID law. The court announced the verdict after examining six witnesses and 28 exhibits, said Special Public Prosecutor Pranab Panda.
A team of doctors at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhopal, led by Dr. Santosh Laxman Wakode, HOD Physiology, and Dr Amit Agrawal, HOD Neurosurgery, have published a paper describing a rare variant of Berrettini Anastomosis in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports. The paper, co-authored by Dr. Naveen Ravi, details the case of a 25-year-old male who sustained a laceration injury of the right median nerve and flexor tendons during an assault with a knife.

Following surgical repair of the injury, the patient underwent a nerve conduction study (NCS) during rehabilitation, which incidentally revealed that the ulnar nerve was responsible for sensory innervation of digit 2.

The NCS findings suggested that the sensory supply of digits 2,3,4 and 5 were provided by the ulnar nerve. This variant of Berrettini Anastomosis, where the ulnar nerve provides sensory innervation to the index finger, is extremely rare and has not been previously reported in the literature.

The doctors noted that without adequate knowledge of communicating branch crossovers in the palm, there is a possibility of misdiagnosis of clinical findings and misinterpretation of NCS features.

The case highlights the importance of thorough knowledge of nerve anatomy and electro-diagnostic testing for accurate diagnosis and management of nerve injuries.

The publication of this paper is a significant contribution to the field of physiology, neurosurgery and nerve injury management. The doctors hope that this case report will help increase awareness and understanding of rare variants of nerve anatomy and improve the diagnosis and treatment of nerve injuries.


--Even as foundation day to be celebrated today



: The Madhusudan Law University is going to celebrate its second year of foundation after being upgraded from the Madhusudan Law College, one of the oldest law institutes in India.



On April 28 2021, the State Government had officially announced the up-gradation of the college to a university.



While the university is going to celebrate its second foundation day, yet all the 50 sanctioned posts of the professor, assistant professor and associate professor of the law varsity are lying vacant.



Besides, there are 13 posts vacant in nonteaching posts out of the sanctioned 20 posts.



Interestingly, the College Development Council (CDC) is yet to be formed for which the affiliated colleges or the ones which have applied for affiliation, are facing problems even after two years of upgradation to a university.



Even if the university has written to the Government for the same, it is yet to be initiated.



According to sources, there are no Government-appointed or permanent faculty. Only guest faculties are teaching the students in the university.



The students have alleged that the university doesn't have a hostel to accommodate the students for which they have to pay a high amount to live in a private hostel and mess.



Recently, the Orissa High Court has expressed its disappointment over the apathy of the university towards the various issues and had asked the Vice-Chancellor to give attention to the grievances of the students and make every endeavour to resolve the issues raised by the students.



"We are the last batch (2020-23) of Madhusudan Law College, after which the College was upgraded to a university, but the new administration has employed some incompetent faculties for which the teaching quality has degraded," said Bibekananda Behera, a 3-year LLB student.


Punjabs five-time Chief Minister and Akali patriarch Parkash Singh Badal  Indias oldest politician next only to BJP veteran LK Advani  was cremated with full state honours at his native village, Badal of Lambi tehsil in Muktsar district on Thursday.

The entire Badal family  Badals son SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and his wife Harsimrat Badal, his daughter Parneet Kaur and sone-in-law Adaish Partap Singh Kairon, Badals estranged nephew Manpreet Singh Badal, and their children  were inconsolable. They stood with folded hands besides senior Badals mortal remains, kept at their ancestral house for darshan, as thousands of people, locals and from other parts of the state, queued up to have a final glimpse of their leader and pay last respects.

Sukhbir and Harsimrat could be seen in tears as people visited their residence to pay tribute. Their two daughters and a son also stood beside the mortal remains at their residence, with the younger one breaking down at several occasions.

With tears swelling their eyes as they bid final adieu, Sukhbir, Manpreet and Adaish Kairon lit the pyre along with the senior Badals grandchildren, including grand-daughters, to send across a strong message of women empowerment. Sukhbirs son Anantveer and daughters Harkirat and Gurleen; Manpreets daughter Ria and son Arjun; and Adaish Kairoons son Jai lit the pyre of their grandfather.

Before lighting the pyre, Sukhbir and his sister Parneet broke down inconsolably, with the SAD president giving a last tight warm hug to his father and guide.

Cutting across party lines, several political leaders, including Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Haryanas former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, BJP national president JP Nadda, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, J&Ks former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, senior BJP leader Tarun Chugh, Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, and former Union Minister Praful Patel, Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, former Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, visited Badal village to pay their last respects to the Akali stalwart. Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit, along with Mann, Hooda, and others attended the cremation ceremony held at the two-acre kinnow orchard, owned by the Badal family, about a kilometre from the farmhouse.

Badal's mortal remains were taken to the familys farmland around a kilometer from the residence on a flower-decked tractor-trolley with his son Sukhbir and other family members standing with folded hands as the vehicle moved past mourners on the route. Sukhbirs estranged cousin Manpreet, Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala  the great grandson of Badals close friend and former Deputy Prime Minister Ch Devi Lal  were among those accomoanying Sukhbir on the trolley.

The choice of tractor for Badal saabs final journey symbolized his passion for agriculture and reflected the partys support base of farmers, said an Akali leader.

Badal village was turned into a fortress with the heavy police deployment in view of the arrival of the dignitaries from different states.

A sea of humanity participated in the last rites of the Akali patriarch, who was sent off on his final journey draped in the National Flag with full State honours, signifying his role in strengthening the unity and integrity of the country and upholding peace and communal harmony.

From the Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, BJP president JP Nadda, NCP chief Sharad Pawar to the former Chief Ministers security staff including both NSG and Punjab Police personnel to his cooks, caretakers and medical staff  all laid wreathes on the mortal remains of Sardar Badal  a peoples man to the core who commanded love and respect from one and all alike.

Lakhs of people from all over Punjab converged at Badal village to attend the cremation of one of the tallest Akalis ever. There were heart rendering scenes at the Badal village residence with people lamenting the passing away of their messiah. They also raised slogans referring to the late leader as the keeper of the peace in Punjab and bulwark against communal forces.

Earlier, the body of the Akali stalwart, who died in a Fortis Hospital Mohali on Tuesday night at the age of 95, was brought to his ancestral house on late Wednesday night in a specially decked ambulance, driven by Sukhbirs brother-in-law Bikram Majithia from Chandigarh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several political leaders had paid floral tributes to Badal at the Shiromani Akali Dal office in Chandigarh on Wednesday. The body was brought to Badal village in Muktsar district on Wednesday night. Party supporters and people stood along both sides of the highway to catch a glimpse of the leader.

Badal was not a Politician but a Statesman: Nadda

After paying last respects to SAD patron, Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda on Thursday described Parkash Singh Badal as a statesman.

Nadda arrived at Lambi village in Punjab on Thursday to pay his last respects to Shiromani Akali Dal patron Parkash Singh Badal. It is very saddening that Parkash Singh Badal is not among us anymore. He was not a politician, he was a statesman. He contributed his life towards establishing peace and brotherhood in the society. We learned a lot from him, JP Nadda said at Lambi.

The senior Punjab politician passed away at the age of 95 on Tuesday. He breathed his last at Fortis Hospital in Mohali. Earlier on Wednesday, the Punjab government announced a one-day holiday for all the state government offices in honour of the former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Badal's Alma Mater in Lahore Offers Condolences

The Forman Christian College in Lahore, where Parkash Singh Badal has studied in the pre-partition days, offered condolences on the Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch's death.

Parkash Singh Badal is an Old Formanite from the pre-partition days who definitely had an impact throughout his long life and for which he was also awarded our prestigious Distinguished Formanite Award in 2013. We at Forman are proud of his achievements and contributions and offer our deepest condolences to his family and his loved ones at this time read the official statement.
Fort Polk, LA (71446)

Today

Mostly sunny this morning then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High 83F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 59F. Winds light and variable.
A 26-year-old Bhopal businessman who was stuck in conflict-ridden Sudan, reached his home, Bhopal safely on Thursday.

The businessman, Jayant Kewlani, a resident of Sant Hiradaram Nagar (Bairagarh) in the city, had gone to Sudan for a business meeting and he was stuck in the fight that began between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the capital Khartoum and its surroundings on April 15.

As soon as Jayant reached his home, the family members became quite happy and welcomed him with a bouquet. The family members and Jayant extended their gratitude to the central government as well as to the state government.

Speaking to ANI, Jayant said, I had gone for work last month on March 4 and was scheduled to return on April 20. I used to live in the centre of Khartoum area in Sudan. There was a military camp right in front where the fighting was going on. I was imprisoned in the room itself due to the war.

After all, with the efforts of our government, I have come back to my home. I thank the central government, the state government, and the media for their support. I am very happy after coming back home, he added.

Notably, Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 2021, when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdoks transitional government and declared a state of emergency in what political forces called a coup.

In a recent development, warring factions in Sudan have agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire on Monday after the US and Saudi Arabia mediated the truce while countries are engaged in evacuating their citizens from the country.

India has launched Operation Kaveri to bring back Indians stranded in conflict-hit Sudan. Earlier, the third IAF C-130J from Port Sudan arrived in Jeddah. V Muraleedharan tweeted, Third IAF C-130J from Port Sudan arrives in Jeddah, glad to welcome 136 Indians who were on board. #OperationKaveri will continue till we rescue all Indians who want to come back home.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva on Thursday demanded a high level probe into the demolition of a heritage Pathan era Mahal (palace) in the Lajpat Nagar area here at the behest of former CEO of Delhi Jal Board Udit Prakash Rai.

In a letter to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, Sachdeva drew attention towards the demolition of the ASI-protected monument Mahal at Jal Vihar in Delhi and construction of a 700 square metre Bungalow on the site by DJB at the behest of its then CEO Udit Prakash Rai, a 2007-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer.

The Pioneer had on Thursday reported that the Vigilance Directorate of the Delhi Government has issued a show cause notice to 2007-batch IAS officer and the then CEO of Delhi Jal Board, Udit Prakash Rai for alleged misconduct in demolition of a heritage site in the Lajpat Nagar locality here, construction of residential accommodation and their illegal allotments.

It shocking that Delhi Jal Board carried out this blatant act of demolishing a protected monument during the critical Covid phase of 2021 and thereafter speedily got constructed a 700 square metre Bungalow thereupon, Sachdeva said in his letter.

Delhi BJP President said said that building a 700 square metre Bungalow normally costs around Rs 17.5 crore and it is surprising how this budget got sanctioned. The role of the then DJB CEO Udit Prakash and his then Minister In-charge Satyendar Jain in sanctioning construction funds needs to be investigated, he said in his letter to the LG.

Sachdeva said it is shocking that Delhi Jal Board fearlessly demolished the protected monument without the approval of Archaeological Survey of India and then did not seek approval of Delhi Urban Arts Commission or the then relevant South Delhi Municipal Corporation for construction of the Bungalow. Sachdeva urged the LG to order a high level probe in the entire matter.

The demolished site, Mahal as well as Gateway  are listed monuments of the list of Mohammedan & Hindu Monuments as compiled by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The Mahal (Palace), located at Bhagola village (old location name) having current location near DTC Bus Terminal, Jal Vihar, Shiv Mandir Road, Lajpat Nagar (East of Lajpat Nagar-1), belongs to Pathan Period, and is constructed of brick masonry and red sandstone.
ANOTHER DOCTORATE TO ACHYUTA SAMANTA (Pix)

Bhubaneswar: Eminent educationist, social worker and KIIT and KISS founder Prof Achyuta Samanta has been conferred with a honourary doctorate by the Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Assam on the occasion of its 5th convocation. He received the honour from Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria. This is the 51st doctorate for Prof Samanta.

FLIGHTS FROM BBSR TO SPORE, BANGKOK FROM JUNE 3 (Pix)

Bhubaneswar: The IndiGo airline will operate direct flights from Bhubaneswar to Singapore and Bangkok from June 3, reports said.

The airline has provided the schedule to the Biju Patnaik International Airport here for two flights a week to each destination. The State Government has agreed to bear the costs of unsold tickets with total ticket costs estimated to be around Rs 120 crore per year. The international terminal building at the airport is currently undergoing renovation. The direct flights are expected to greatly benefit Odishas tourism.

2 BIKE RIDERS DIE, 1 INJURED IN MISHAP IN KENDRAPADA

Kendrapada: Two bike riders died and another sustained critical injuries when a Hywa coming from opposite direction collided head on with the bike near Baripada on the Olavar-Singhpur road under the Rajkanika police limits on Thursday. The deceased were identified as Suvankar Mallick (19) and Ranjit Mallick (33) of Kaithafala village. The tragedy occurred due to rash driving of the bike, said police.

PITABASH APPOINTED AS PCC MEDICAL CELL CHIEF SPOKESPERSON (Pix)

Brahmapur: Ganjam district president of Rastriya Mazdoor Congress and senior advocate Pitabash Panda has been appointed as chief spokesperson of the Media Cell of PCC. Senior leaders and well-wishers conveyed their full support to him. Panda is also a well-known social worker. He had served as the PCC observer for Nabarangpur. Panda conveyed his gratitude to PCC president Sarat Pattnaik and former PCC president Niranjan Pattnaik for his new appointment.

EX-RI, ASKA, SENTENCED TO RI IN BRIBE CASE

Brahmapur: Jogendra Kumar Behera, ex-RI, Aska, who had been charge-sheeted by the Vigilance police for demanding and accepting bribe from a person to process files in connection with a mutation case, was convicted by the Special Judge, Vigilance, here on Wednesday and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of one year and pay a fine of Rs 5,000 and, in default of payment of fine, to undergo further RI for a period of one month.

CLERK TRAPPED IN VIGILANCE NET IN KENDRAPADA (Pix)

Kendrapada: The Vigilance police of Kendrapada led by its DSP Bhagyalaxmi Puhan on Thursday nabbed Manas Dhala, Dealing Assistant of Block Education Office of Pattamundai, red-handed while he was accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 from one Prafulla Kumar Parida, a teacher of a Project Primary School, for drawl of his arrear salary pending for more than a year.

JSW STEEL ACTS AGAINST COUNTERFEITERS (Pix)

Cuttack: Local law enforcement authorities conducted a raid at the premises of Shree Steel, New Industrial Estate, Jagatpur, Cuttack, and found that the local retailer was selling counterfeit, substandard-quality galvanised roofing sheets under the brand name JSW Colouron+ (a registered trademark belonging to JSW Steel). The development marks another step in JSW Steels fight against counterfeiting of steel products under its brand and more importantly safeguarding the interests of customers.
The State Cabinet on Thursday gave its nod to raising the dearness allowance and dearness relief for State government employees by 8 per cent, taking the total to 42 per cent from 34. Dearness allowance has also been increased for pensioners from January 1, 2023. The state government pensioners too will get 42 per cent instead of 38 per cent.

The meeting of the Jharkhand Council of Ministers was held today at Project Bhavan Secretariat under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. A total of 26 proposals have been approved in the meeting. The Council of Ministers also gave its nod to increase the honorarium of assistant professors appointed against the sanctioned posts at engineering colleges and polytechnic colleges under the Higher Technical Education Department. The government has agreed to give Rs 57100 and Rs 56100 as honorarium to assistant professors. Similarly, it has been decided to give an honorarium of Rs 57,100 to assistant teachers teaching in PG departments and colleges of Ranchi University. Along with this, it has been said that regular backlog appointments on the post of assistant teacher and the period of the panel formed for this is extended by JPSC. At the same time approval was also given to take the services of guest faculty.

Families of deceased migrant labourers will get Rs 50,000. The government has decided to increase the Rs 25,000 that the government used to give earlier to bring the dead bodies of migrant labourers to their native places. Now the government has decided that 50 thousand rupees will be given to the families of such migrant labourers. At the same time, the government approved the State Drug Control Service Conditions Manual. Jharkhand Illegal Mining Engineering Service Condition Amendment Rules approved. In both the rules, the compulsion to pass matriculation from Jharkhand has been relaxed.

The government has fixed the fees for the students studying in private medical colleges for training. Along with this, there has been a change in the scholarship given to the interns in the Government Medical College. At the same time, Jharkhand Medical Service Recruitment Promotion and Service Condition Amendment Rules 2023 were approved.

Nod to the appointment of administrators at municipal bodies was also approved at todays Cabinet meeting.

The government has decided that till the municipal elections are held in the state, administrators will be appointed in 34 municipal bodies. This administrative body will somewhere be called the Office of the Principal Municipal Commissioner etc. The government has also amended the liquor policy immediately. Under this, GSBCL will operate the retail shop for the next four months. This system will come into effect from 1 May 2023. This will be applicable in those districts where the placement agency has not yet been selected.
Finally the police here registered a case against Jagatsinghpur Block Development Officer Sagar Kumar Nanda who had abused and ill-treated besides giving casteist remarks on an RTI applicant and his lawyer in his office.

The BDO has been charged under various sections of IPC and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes [Prevention of Atrocities] Act 1989. DSP Subash Chandra Panda has been entrusted with the task of conducting a probe against him, informed Jagatsinghpur police station IIC Shubransu Sekhar Parida.

Reports said that the victim RTI applicant identified as Devendra Das and his lawyer Shaktidhar Mishra had visited BDO Nandas office on April 13 for a hearing of an RTI petition where both had been abused and misbehaved by BDO Nanda, who also delivered casteist remarks against the RTI applicant Das who belongs to a Dalit community.

Soon after the incident, the victim and his lawyer lodged a complaint at Jagatsinghpur police station alleging the incident. According to complainant Das large-scale irregularities have been committed by the Jagatsinghpur block authority for excavation of a pond in his village under Amruta Sarovar scheme amounting Rs 10 lakh. When he sought its details under the RTI Act, he faced the ire, Das alleged.


Chhattisgarhs former Chief Minister Raman Singh on Thursday urged Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel to refrain from issuing political statements over the killing of security personnel by Naxalites.

Singh said the massacre at Dantewada was sad and a difficult time for the state.

He said it was unfortunate that Baghel was doing politics during mourning.
Dr Ajai Chowdhry, Chairman, Epic Foundation and Founder, HCL recently met with Chief Minister of Madhya pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan at a private ceremony and presented a copy of his recently released autobiography Just Aspire - an inspiring memoir that chronicles the life of Dr Chowdhry from a small town boy of Madhya Pradesh with big dreams to being recognised as the Father of Hardware in India and a catalyst to revise Indias semiconductors and electronics industry.

The book captures Dr Chowdhry reminiscing his journey beautifully as he states, "When I left Jabalpur, thesmall town where I grew up, to pursue a career, I could not have dreamt that Iwould find myself at the vanguard of pathbreaking revolutions that wouldtransform India." The book is published by Haper Collins.


PNS/



Days after pro-Khalistan Sikh preacher and Waris Punjab De head Amritpal Singh was arrested from Moga in Punjab and sent to Dibrugarh jail in Assam, his parents met him on Thursday. Amritpals parents were part of the delegation of family members of eight other detainees of Waris Punjab De, booked under the National Security Act (NSA) and currently lodged at Dibrugarh central jail.



The delegation was led by Shriomani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committees (SGPC) executive member and legal counsel advocate Bhagwant Singh Sialka. Meanwhile, the legal counsel of actor-producer Daljit Singh Kalsi and Amritpals close aide Papalpreet Singh  Simranjit Singh  also arrived separately along with Kalsis son at Dibrugarh Central jail.



Amritpal was the last one to join his eight associates who have been lodging at Dibrugarh jail and booked under NSA, including Daljeet Singh Kalsi, Papalpreet Singh, Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, Varinder Singh Johal, Gurmeet Singh Bukkanwala, Harjit Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Basant Singh, and Gurinderpal Singh Aujla.



We have come to meet the family members. We have got permission from the Amritsar District magistrate to meet the members in Dibrugarh jail. We will challenge them in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, said Bhagwant Singh Sialka.



He pointed that they all have been booked under NSA and with the same allegations. Even the annexures attached to their cases are the same and this seems to be improbableThere is no criminal background of those arrested. It is definitely a conspiracy as there is no reason for them to be booked under the NSA. Amritpal was campaigning against drug abuse and was also engaged in preaching the tenets of Sikhism, he said.



We have appealed in the High Court to quash the charges under the NSA against them and the next date of hearing has been fixed for May 1, he added.



Simranjit Singh said that the NSA has been slapped on them without any reason. We will challenge it in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. We will fight against NSA which was slapped on them and they were brought to Dibrugarh jail which is over 3000 kms from Punjab. We will fight the legal battle in the court, he said.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities at Tatanagar railway station in the city have implemented strict measures to ensure the safety of passengers. Over 350 passengers who arrived at the station on Thursday were subjected to thermal screening as a precautionary measure.

The screening process involved the use of thermal cameras to measure the body temperature of each passenger. Around three passengers who were found to have a high temperature were immediately isolated and tested for COVID-19. However, all three were tested negative.

Passengers were also required to wear masks and maintain social distance while waiting to board their trains. Hand sanitizers were made available at various points throughout the station, and passengers were encouraged to use them frequently.

According to officials, the thermal screening process has been implemented as part of the government's efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They have urged all passengers to cooperate with the screening process and follow all safety guidelines to ensure their own safety as well as that of others.

The railway authorities have also stated that they will continue to monitor the situation closely and take necessary measures to ensure the safety of passengers. They have appealed to the public to remain vigilant and take all necessary precautions to protect themselves from the virus.

Amid the rising concerns of COVID-19 cases in the city, the authorities have intensified screening measures at railway stations and bus stands to prevent the spread of the virus. Passengers arriving at these locations are now required to undergo mandatory screening as a precautionary measure.

 At our railway station in the city, passengers were subjected to thermal screening, where their body temperatures were measured using thermal cameras. Passengers showing high temperatures were immediately isolated and tested for COVID-19. Similarly, at various bus stands, passengers were also required to undergo screening measures, which included thermal screening and filling out health declaration forms. Passengers showing any symptoms of COVID-19 were not allowed to board the buses, said an official of the health department.

Authorities have stated that the screening measures have been implemented as part of the government's efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They have urged all passengers to cooperate with the screening process and follow all safety guidelines to ensure their own safety as well as that of others.

The authorities have also increased the frequency of sanitization and disinfection at these locations. Hand sanitizers have been made available at various points throughout the railway stations and bus stands, and passengers have been encouraged to use them frequently.

The public has been advised to strictly follow all guidelines and safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The authorities have assured that they will continue to monitor the situation closely and take necessary measures to ensure the safety of passengers.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday set aside a Delhi University order debarring an NSUI leader for a year for his involvement in the screening on the campus a controversial BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav said action against Lokesh Chugh, a PhD scholar and NSUI national secretary, was taken in violation of the principle of natural justice, and reasons are necessary to be assigned by the administrative authority in the order.

The court is unable to sustain the impugned order dated March 10, 2023. Impugned order is set aside. The admission of the petitioner is restored. Necessary consequences will follow, the judge ordered. Attorney General R Venkataramani represented the university and opposed the petition.

The court clarified that since the debarment order was being set aside for a lack of adherence to the principle of natural justice, the university is free to taken action against the petitioner in accordance with law. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for the petitioner.
A 33-year-old Delhi University ad hoc teacher was found dead at his house in outer Delhis Rani Bagh weeks after being removed from the job at the Hindu College, , triggering a protest by former colleagues and students.

According to police, Samarveer, originally from Molki village in Rajasthans Baran district, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a room he shared with his cousin who had gone to duty at the time of the incident. They said no suicide note was found, but according to the cousin, he was under depression after he lost the job. The cousin told the police that Samarveer, who was unmarried, worked as an ad hoc lecturer in the Hindu College but a different person was appointed in his place in February. Hindu College principal Anju Srivastava did not respond to calls and texts requesting her reaction, but the university issued a statement condoling the sad and untimely demise of Samarveer.

No words can ease the pain that is being felt by all, including us in the university fraternity, the statement said. The University of Delhi pays its heartfelt condolences on the sad and untimely demise of Dr. Samarvir and sends out healing prayers and comfort to his family in this tough time, the statement said.

Delhi University teachers and students staged a protest outside the Hindu College and demanded justice for Samarveer. They raised slogans and carried placards. We stand with the ad hoc teachers struggle demanding job security. Justice to Professor Samarveer, read one of the placards.

Shubhanshi Mishra, a Delhi University professor, said it appears that Samarveer committed suicide. He recently lost his job at Hindu College. It appears he died by suicide because he was upset, she said. Miranda House Associate Professor Abha Dev Habib said many long-serving ad hoc teachers have been displaced in colleges based on two-minute interviews for a permanent position.

The University has forced guest-ism by denying ad-hoc appointments against shortterm vacancies. Also, workload norms have been tweaked by 11.11.2022 DU Notification and which has overnight declared teachers as surplus, she said.

Police, meanwhile, said they received a call on Wednesday regarding a man hanging himself to death at an apartment in Rani Bagh area. When a police team reached there, they found the room was locked from inside. A mobile crime team of the outer district was called and the door was forcibly opened, said Harendra Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer).

The man was found hanging from the ceiling fan using a bedsheet, the DCP said, adding he was shifted to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead. A team of experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory, Rohini, as well as the mobile crime team inspected the spot, he said.

Several empty liquor bottles and cigarettes boxes were found in the room, the officer added. The DCP said no foul play was suspected and the body will be handed over to his family after postmortem.

In a statement, DU Academic Council member Maya John said there is a growing need to rejuvenate the struggle for the rights of ad hoc teachers.

Many teachers are demanding an immediate general body meeting (GBM) of the DUTA (Delhi University Teachers Association) to discuss the woes of ad hoc teachers, and to effectively fight for the rights of ad-hoc faculty, John said in a statement. It is a fact that a sizable number of long-serving ad-hoc teachers, who otherwise fill all the eligibility criteria for teaching posts advertised by DU colleges, and have worked very hard for their institutions, are being displaced in the recent interviews, the statement read.

It said permanent appointments are being made through a so-called open recruitment process that often amounts to just a five-minute interaction with the candidate and (it) has facilitated massive displacement. Aam Aadmi Partys teachers wing Academic for Action and Development Delhi Teachers Association (AADTA) also protested on the North Campus.

RIP Dr Samarvir! Stop massive Displacements of Adhoc and Temp Teachers! Stop Victimisation of Adhoc & Temp Teachers! it said in a tweet. Samarveers friend, also a Hindu College professor, said he sounded very upset when he called him up on Sunday.

He didnt accept a guest lecturers job in our college earlier because he accepted an ad-hoc job in the Hindu College. He told me that after 20-plus days, the college informed him it cannot continue with his service as its not allowed by the University. I could sense his helplessness, the friend said.

He said Samarveer also told him that his mother was very disturbed after he didnt get the permanent job he was expecting. He told me she lost vision an an eye. I am unable to accept that he is no more.
The Congress on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the AAP over the alleged expenditure of Rs 45 crore on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals new official residence, saying it was shameful and it was like the party slapping its voters in the face.

The Opposition party also addressed queries about it reaching out to the Aam Aadmi Party on one hand and attacking it on the other, saying there was no good cop, bad cop routine and both approaches can co-exist.

Asked about Congress leader Ajay Maken attacking Kejriwal on row over the reports and the partys official stand on the issue, the partys media department head Pawan Khera said Maken has said the right thing.

Hitting out at the AAP, Khera said, You call yourself an aam aadmi (common man), it is a different matter that nobody considers you an aam aadmi now. During Covid when people were suffering and there was shortage of oxygen then what were you doing --expenditure of Rs 45 crore on renovating your house, building a swimming pool, draping curtains worth lakhs and crores, fitting tiles, is this Aam Aadmis government?

These are astonishing facts. Some of you would be surprised but not us as we knew what the reality is. But we are still astonished that what kind Aam Aadmi government is this that used to trumpet about its honesty and simplicity, the Congress spokesperson said.
The Arvind Kejriwal government and the Lieutenant Governor are at loggerheads over the takeover of Modern International School, Dwarka, as the Chief Minister has accused VK Saxena of acting like a roadblock in the procedure and obstructing illegally, placing his observations, without his jurisdiction on matters of education. The Modern International School had breached RTE Act and DSEAR provisions by not admitting EWS students, not providing free uniform-stationary to beneficiary students, wrongly terminated teachers, and made fake/dummy registrations in Class XI. The Delhi Government had decided to take over the school in December 2022, and had sent the proposal for LGs approval.

In a statement, Delhi government said that Arvind Kejriwal and the then Deputy CM Shri Manish Sisodia, had pointed out that the subject of education is not under LGs purview, and he can only forward it to the President or approve it. However, the LG sat on the file till January 2023, and obstructed the takeover of the school by illegally placing his observations, without his jurisdiction on matters of Education.

After examining LGs observations, the CM forwarded a fresh proposal for LGs nod in February. However, the LG again sat on the file till April 2023, and again obstructed the takeover of the school by placing illegal observations, without his jurisdiction. Education Minister Atishi had submitted another proposal after LGs observations, again calling for the takeover of the school. Expressing his disappointment, the chief minister has now sent the proposal to the LG again, highlighting the delays on his part, reads the statement.
Governor Mangubhai Patel and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan participated in Mukhya Mantri Ladli Bahna Mahasammelan and land rights residential letter distribution programme at Jewra (Deorikala) in Mandla district's Niwas area. Governor Mangubhai Patel said that many works are being done in the direction of women empowerment under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The result of this is that today women are hoisting their flag in the form of women power from Panchayat Bhavan to Rashtrapati Bhavan. He said that women have now become economically and socially empowered by getting benefits of welfare schemes like Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Patel said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, with the implementation of innovative schemes like Mukhya Mantri Ladli Bahna in the state, now women will get financial security, their self-reliance and respect will increase.

The Governor said that remarkable efforts are being made by the Central and State Governments for the development of tribal areas. He said that for the eradication of sickle cell disease, especially found among tribals, the state government is providing free treatment and medicines. He appealed to the people of the district to get checked for serious diseases like sickle cell anaemia during pregnancy only. The Governor said that the implementation of the PESA Act in all the 89 tribal development blocks of Madhya Pradesh has empowered the Gram Sabhas. All the Gram Sabhas should contribute in the development of their village by discharging their duties with full responsibility according to the Act.

Chief Minister Chouhan said that Ladli Bahna Yojana is a life-changing scheme for poor sisters. With the amount of Rs 1000 coming in the bank accounts of the sisters every month through the scheme, the sisters will be financially empowered and the respect of the sisters will also increase in the society. Seeing the happiness on the faces of women on account of Mukhya Mantri Ladli Bahna Yojana, I believe that my life has become successful. Expressing gratitude to the sisters present in large numbers, he showered flowers on them.

On the demand of Union Minister of State for Steel and Rural Development Shri Faggan Singh Kulaste, Chief Minister Chouhan announced to start a college in Narayanganj from the month of July, develop Maneri industrial area and upgrade the hospital in Niwas. The Chief Minister talked about making a project to reach the water of Narmada river to the farmers' fields through 4 lift irrigation without harming any farmer's field.

The Chief Minister appealed to the women present that all sisters should compulsorily submit their applications by April 30, so that every eligible sister can get the benefit of Ladli Bahna Yojana. After scrutinizing the applications received in the month of May and receiving claims and objections, an amount of Rs. 1,000 per month will start coming into the accounts of eligible sisters from June 10. Chouhan said that Ladli Bahna Sena of 11 sisters each should be formed in every village, which along with the implementation of the schemes will raise their voice against social evils.

Chouhan told the women that in order to get out of the vicious cycle of poverty, all the sisters must save some amount every month from the amount received under the scheme. He asked the present women to join self-help groups under the Livelihood Mission and earn good income by participating in economic activities. The Chief Minister informed that all liquor ahatas have been closed from April 1, 2023 to end the trend of intoxication.
Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi once wrote about Madhusudan Das: "I had the privilege of meeting the late Madhusudan Das. He was a great patriot. He held most liberal views about religion. Though he professed Christianity, he had the same regards for Hinduism that he entertained for his own faith. He wore himself out in teaching the youth of his country 'Dignity of Labour' and gave political proof of his teaching by establishing a tannery in Cuttack.

Gandhiji knew Das as a successful legal practitioner and industrialist. Das had experience in the cottage industries and swadeshi enterprises. He had struggled hard for women's empowerment and the emancipation of depressed classes. Gandhi knew Das as a leader and Odisha people's uncrowned king.

In the view of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Madhusudan Das was a great man not only of Odisha but of the whole India. I have been hearing his name for the last fifty years. He was a very great friend of my father, but I had no opportunity to meet him directly. During this period, whenever the affairs of Odisha came up for discussion and consideration, the name of Madhusudan Das absorbed all this and came into prominence. This college, SB Women's College, Cuttack, is proof of his far sight and vision. This institution could not have raised its head if he had not moved for the progress of female education. A country's civilization's progress is to be measured by female education.

Not only Mahatma Gandhi or Pandit Nehru appreciated his work and leadership, many other leaders like Rajendra Prasad, first President of India, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, founder of Jan Sangh, Achary PC Ray and Sir Manmathnath Mukharji and many more, had an excellent opinion of Das. Rajendra Prasad, while offering his tribute to Madhubabu, wrote that he met MS Das for the first time on the way to Motihari for a conference to be presided over by Das. His discussions with Das left an indelible imprint on him. He further described Madhubabu as an outstanding personality manifested by self righteousness and self-confidence, who had immense love for the country, a good temperament, and dedication. His contribution to the management of Local Self Bodies was praiseworthy. He further wrote that knowing that he was in the sick bed, Das visited him and touched his body with soothing hands. This exemplified Madhubabu's empathy for humankind.

Madhubabu was the home tutor of Sir Asutosh Mukherjee, the former Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University and father of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, founder of Jan Sangh, now famously known as BJP. Shyama Prasad too was Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University. He wrote, 'Mr. M. S. Das was my father's tutor, and the relationship between the teacher and the taught was remarkable. My father touched Mr. Das's feet and paid the utmost respect to him. Father always began a letter addressing Mr. Das as "My dear Sir" but not as Mr. Das. Both shared common views on many aspects of life and would discuss various subjects animatedly. I saw all these happen when I met him as an eleven-year-old boy for the first time and beyond. My father and the great man Mr. M. S. Das influenced me equally in my formative years. Letters by Mr. Das addressed to my father was distinctive in nature and inspiring. During distress and remorse, my father used to receive consolation messages from Mr. Das, which helped to buck up his spirit. He knew the art of successfully finishing a task with a brave heart and steadfast love for the people and nation. Though frail, Mr. M. S. Das had a steel frame of mind and a possessive personality. It was rightfully said Mr. Das believed in God, was an honest statesman, and was a leader of men without a pinch of selfishness. He was a patriot to the core."

Madhubabu had many firsts to his credit. He was the first Odia graduate and MA and LLB degree holder, and the first advocate. He was the first Odia to visit England to attend the Round Table Conference, plead before the British Government for a separate province on a linguistic basis, and bring all Odia-speaking areas to the then Madras Presidency, Central Province, Bihar, and Bengal under one administrative setup. That was his commitment to the people of Odisha. He was also the first Legislative Council member of Bihar and Orissa Legislative Council and Central Legislative Assembly, a unique honor by any standard. He became the first Odia Minister of the then Bihar and Odisha. He held the Local Self Government, Departments of Medical Public Health, and Public Works portfolio in 1921 but resigned on moral grounds. Such were his moral standards in public life.

The Utkal Sammilani strongly demands the highest civilian award, "Bharat Ratna," posthumously for Madhubabu and the installation of a full-sized statue of him in the precincts of the Parliament. This will be the most humane tribute and a proud moment for all Odias and Indians!

(Dashsharma is president, Utkal Sammilani, Mancheswar Industrial Estate, Bhubaneswar, (M)- 8984007600)


Why the State Government is not opening the Jagannath Temples Ratna Bhandar even after five years of the Orissa High Courts decision was questioned the BJP on Thursday.

BJP leader Pitambar Acharya said the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in an affidavit to the High Court said that there is danger to the Ratna Bhandar and it should be immediately repaired. If the Chief Minister and the State Government are at all concerned about protection of Lord Jagannaths property, they should immediately open the Ratna Bhandar with the duplicate keys, which they claim they have in their possession.

The Government must also make the Justice Raghubir Das Commission report on the Ratna Bhandar public and also inform in the State Assembly as to what steps have been taken on the commissions recommendation. A BJD leader of Puri district had alleged that some people have conspired to loot the Ratna Bhandar. This points finger directly at the State Government. Are all the gold ornaments and other valuables given by the kings safe in the Ratna Bhandar, questioned Acharya.
The students of class fourth of Little Flower School celebrated Prakriti Utsav. The aim of the event was to create awareness among the students about the importance of preserving nature and to encourage them to take small steps towards a sustainable future.

These events are a good initiative by the schools which will make our future leaders aware about nature and environment. The best of this event is to provide bamboo toothbrushes to approx 100 students to start their eco-friendly journey with eco-friendly products.

Since toothbrushes are one of the biggest pollutants which are made of plastics. It was invented with nylon bristles in 1938 and this brush is still available on earth. It will not decompose even in 100 years. By using this bamboo toothbrush atleast one plastic waste will not come out from the household.

 Vibhav Crafts and Creations with the help of Bamboo India (Shark Tank Season 1 Finalist) is trying to make the local crowd use bamboo toothbrushes with biodegradable bristles. We had put up a stall for exhibition cum sale of several bamboo products. The students were thrilled to take home a bamboo toothbrush each as a gift, said an official.

He said that Prakriti Utsav was a great initiative by Little Flower School, many such events should be organised by schools which involved the students as well as the staff members. These initiatives will make our little children as Green Gurus of the future who will sensitize local citizens.
In a much apprehended setback to the Congress in the state capital, both of its presidents in Lucknow city distanced themselves with the grand old party in the mid of the crucial urban local body elections.

While Dilpreet Singh joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, the other, Ajay Kumar Ajju, was reported to be in touch with saffron leaders and showed his willingness to join the ruling party. However, before he could get a favourable reply from the BJP, the Uttar Pradesh Congress expelled Ajay Kumar Ajju along with Dilpreet Singh from the party citing anti-party activities.

Dilpreet Singh on Thursday joined the BJP along with his supporters in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak. He had joined Congress recently and had also contested the last assembly election as a Congress candidate from Lucknow Cantonment constituency but lost his deposit, securing just over 5,000 votes. He was presently holding the post of Lucknow (South).City Congress Committee president

Interestingly after Singh joined the BJP, Congress zonal president Nakul Dubey, who was in Bahujan Samaj Party before joining the Congress, called a press conference at UPCC headquarters on Thursday afternoon to announce the expulsion of Singh along with Ajju from the party.

Indiscipline will not be tolerated at any cost so both city president (south) Dilpreet Singh and city president (north) Ajay Srivastava Ajju have been expelled from the party and all the posts they held, Nakul Dubey asserted while declaring expulsion of both the Lucknow city unit presidents.

Both were engaged in anti-party activities for the last six months. We tried to explain a lot, but today both have been expelled for showing gross indiscipline, Dubey said.

Dubey, however, claimed that their departure would not make any difference to the Congress as each and every worker of the party was strongly engaged in the elections and would make the Congress candidates victorious.

He said that the BJP believed in dividing the opponents by luring their leaders during the election time but their plan would fall flat as all the saffron leaders contesting the elections would face humiliating defeats after the results were announced on May 13.

It may be mentioned that on Sunday, Samajwadi Partys mayoral candidate from Shahjahanpur, Archana Verma, joined the BJP in the presence of Pathak in Lucknow. Hours later, she was declared the BJP candidate for the same post.

Nakul Dubey, in reply to a question, said that Congress was contesting the civic elections on the issues of the people and would seek votes only on the issues of the people.

When the results come on May 13, you all will see that the people have blessed the Congress, he said.

On why Dilpreet left the Congress, Dubey said the party gave him all honour, including ticket in the assembly elections, but he was unable to fight the ruling partys misdeeds on road so Singh preferred to join the BJP in search of greener pasture.
The political slugfest over the alleged Rs 45 crore expenditure on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals official residence intensified on Wednesday, with the BJP on Thursday alleged that expenditure under various heads was kept below Rs 10 crore to bypass the lieutenant governors scrutiny.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP staged a protest near Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals house for the second consecutive day, demanding his resignation. Carrying a model of a mansion, the protesters took out a march from Chandgiram Akhara on Ring Road towards the Delhi chief ministers residence.

According to the Delhi government general financial rules, files pertaining to any project worth Rs 10 crore and above are required to be sent to the lieutenant governor while a department head or minister has the power to approve any expenditure below it, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi told a press conference. At various stages of the reconstruction of Kejriwals bungalow, expenditure on multiple heads was above Rs 9 crore but deliberately kept below Rs 10 crore, he alleged.

The expenditure on the chief ministers camp office was Rs 9.99 crore, Trivedi said and asked, From where have you acquired the capacity of calculating an exact amount of Rs 9.99 crore...A smart calculation. This is clearly a matter of blatant corruption.... This clearly unmasks the Aam Aadmi Partys corruption, he charged.

Kejriwal, reacting for the first time over the issue, shared a video on his tweeter handle saying Delhi publics answer to the BJP....What does Delhi public say on the row over Rs 45 crore spent on Kejriwals bungalow. The AAP will stage a massive protest on Friday against the countrys ruler for wastage of taxpayers money, senior party leader Raghav Chadha said.

The BJP spokesperson said the way the total expenditure was broken up raises deep suspicion. For the decoration of Kejriwals residence, a consultant was appointed for Rs 1 crore, Trivedi claimed.

AAP has crossed all the limits.... All the frauds and lies of Kejriwal have been unveiled. Be it curtains, tiles, carpets, fans, he has ensured luxury in everything. He needs air only from the fans worth lakhs of rupees and a palace worth crores of rupees, the BJP spokesperson charged.

When asked what kind of a probe the BJP would want to have in the matter, Trivedi said the issue has three aspects -- legal, political and moral. We want and we will look carefully and vigilantly at their reactions and then accordingly and appropriately the government and its agencies will take action..., he added.

The BJP protesters started a march from Chandagi Ram AKhara, where a replica of a mansion was kept symbolising renovated bungalow of the Chief Minister and a party worker sitting in front of it wearing a mask of Kejriwal.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has failed to contain rebellion in the ruling party with some party members becoming rebels after being denied ticket in the urban local bodies elections.

At several places, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders are opposing the party's official candidates in the upcoming local bodies elections. Unable to rein in this rebellion, BJP leaders are keeping mum because some of party's MPs and MLAs are angry that their relatives have not been given tickets for the polls while relatives of some influential ministers are contesting the municipal elections.

In view of this growing dissent, BJP's state president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary has warned that if the rebels do not fall in line, action will be taken against them. The MPs, MLAs and party officials have been asked to control the rebellion.

It is clear that the BJP is not able to control its members. With rebels openly defying the party, it remains to be seen how the party will fare in the upcoming polls, a senior BJP leader said.

Some old members of the party are questioning how two sisters of Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Dinesh Khatik, were given tickets for the chairpersons posts despite the partys decision that no ticket would be given to any relative of ministers, MPs and MLAs.

Bharatiya Janata Party has made Dinesh Khatik's sister Varsha Mogha a candidate for the chairpersons post from Sarsawa in Saharanpur. Earlier, Varsha's husband, Vijendra Mogha, was the chairperson.

It is alleged that the minister ensured a ticket to one sister in Hastinapur and gave another sister, Sudha Devi, a ticket for the chairpersons post in Meerut.

Party sources say that Satyadev Pachauri, the BJP MP from Kanpur, was also seeking a ticket for his daughter, Neetu Singh, but the party made the former mayor of Kanpur Nagar, Pramila Pandey, a candidate for that seat. Since then, Pachauri has distanced himself from the partys events.

Similarly, the BJP has made Sangeeta, wife of Brajesh Singh, a candidate for the Vajirganj Nagar Panchayat. Offended, two wives of a local MLA's close associates, Shankulata and Mamta, have filed nominations.

This is not an isolated incident as senior leaders in the party have also been publicly opposing each other. Two senior ministers of the party have opened a front against each other in Prayagraj. The cause of their disagreement is the inclusion of Rais Shukla, who was formerly with the Samajwadi Party, in the BJP. Shukla had contested against cabinet minister Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi in the previous elections without informing him. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya brought Shukla into the party, which has made Nandi angry.

Similarly, in several cities such as Bareilly, Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sant Kabir Nagar, Siddharth Nagar, Unnao and Ghaziabad, rebel leaders are trying to sabotage the party's prospects by disrupting the party's organisation.

In Shahjahanpur, party leaders are unhappy because a mayoral candidate from the SP has been inducted into the party just four hours before the nomination deadline and announced as BJP candidate.

According to some party leaders, this is an attempt by Cabinet Minister Suresh Khanna to improve his image by foisting a SP candidate on the party, which he can then win on his own.

Meanwhile, Abhishek Mishra, the BJP district president in Ayodhya, has expressed his displeasure at the party's functioning. In a meeting, he criticised the party for ignoring the grassroots workers and promoting outsiders.

This infighting within the BJP has raised concerns about the party's ability to perform well in the upcoming elections. It remains to be seen how the party leadership will address these issues and maintain unity among party members.
A Chinese coast guard ship blocked a Philippine patrol vessel steaming into a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, causing a frightening near-collision in the latest act of Beijing's aggression in the strategic waterway. The high seas face-off on Sunday between the larger Chinese ship and the Philippine coast guard's BRP Malapascua near the Second Thomas Shoal was among the tense moments it and another Philippine vessel encountered in a weeklong sovereignty patrol in one of the world's most hotly contested waterways.

The Philippine coast guard had invited a small group of journalists, including three from The Associated Press, to join the 1,670-kilometre (1,038-mile) patrol for the first time as part of a new Philippine strategy aimed at exposing China's increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea, where an estimated USD 5 trillion in global trade transits each year.

In scorching summer heat but relatively calm waters, the Malapascua and another Philippine coast guard vessel, the BRP Malabrigo, journeyed to the frontlines of the long-seething territorial conflicts. They cruised past a string of widely scattered Philippine-occupied and claimed islands, islets and reefs looking for signs of encroachment, illegal fishing and other threats.

In areas occupied or controlled by China, the Philippine patrol vessels received radio warnings in Chinese and halting English, ordering them to immediately leave what the Chinese coast guard and navy radio callers claimed were Beijing's undisputable territories and issuing unspecified threats for defiance. Hostilities peaked on Sunday morning in the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratlys archipelago, the most fiercely contested region in the busy sea channel.

As the two patrol vessels approached the shoal's shallow turquoise waters for an underwater survey, the Chinese coast guard repeatedly warned them by radio to leave the area, which is about 194 kilometres (121 miles) west of the Philippine island province of Palawan. After several radio exchanges, a Chinese coast guard caller, sounding agitated, warned of unspecified adversarial action. Since you have disregarded our warning, we will take further necessary measures on you in accordance with the laws and any consequences entailed will be borne by you, the Chinese speaker said. A Chinese coast guard ship rapidly approached and shadowed the smaller Malapascua and the Malabrigo. When the Malapascua maneuvered toward the mouth of the shoal, the Chinese ship suddenly shifted to block it, coming as close as 36 to 46 metres (120 to 150 feet) from its bow, said Malapascuas skipper, Capt. Rodel Hernandez.

To avoid a collision, Hernandez abruptly reversed his vessel's direction then shut off its engine to bring the boat to a full stop. Filipino personnel aboard the vessels  and journalists, who captured the tense moment on camera  watched in frightened silence. But the Malapascua steered just in time to avoid a potential disaster.Hernandez later told journalists that the sudden and really very dangerous maneuver by the Chinese coast guard ship had disregarded international rules on collision avoidance. He had the Philippine vessels leave the area after the encounter for the safety of the ships and personnel.
The US has sanctioned former senior Sri Lankan Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda for a gross violation of human rights during the brutal conflict with the LTTE, penalising a second senior defence official of the island nation in the last three years.

The 70-year-old Navy Commander from 2005-2009 became the second senior defence official to be sanctioned by the US for handling the final battle with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009.

He was later appointed Sri Lankas Ambassador to Japan.

In 2020, the US State Department similarly sanctioned the current chief of defence staff Gen. Shavendra Silva. He was a divisional head of the Army during the final battle and later became the Commander.

The US State Department has designated the former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda for a gross violation of human rights, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Wednesday.

The US continues to seek truth and justice for victims of the Sri Lankan civil war, the statement further added.

The US has sanctioned several other defence officers of Sri Lanka for their role in the island nation's war against the LTTE, however, most of the others were junior officers in designation.

Last year the US sanctioned the military officer Prabath Bulathwatte, former head of a clandestine Sri Lankan Army platoon known as the Tripoli Platoon.

When named, all the property and interests of individuals or entities in the US or under the control of the US are blocked, and they and their immediate family members are made ineligible for entry to the US.

In 2021, the US similarly listed two more Sri Lankan soldiers.

Chandana Hettiarachchi, a Navy officer and Sunil Ratnayake, a staff sergeant of the Sri Lanka Army were so sanctioned over accountability for gross violations of human rights.

In a bitterly fought campaign that began in 1983, Sri Lanka's military ended the nearly three-decade brutal civil war in the island nation in May 2009, by killing the leaders of the LTTE. LTTE was fighting for an independent state for the Tamilians in Sri Lanka's North and Eastern provinces.

Though the exact date when LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran was killed by the Sri Lankan Army was not known, his death was announced on May 19, 2009. The then-president Mahinda Rajapaksa on May 18, 2009 declared the end of a 26-year war in which over 1,00,000 people were killed and millions of Sri Lankans, mainly minority Tamils were displaced as refugees inside the country and abroad.
Shares of Airtel Africa Plc (OTC:AAFRF  Get Rating) rose 3% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as C$1.36 and last traded at C$1.36. Approximately 40,646 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 20% from the average daily volume of 50,969 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$1.32.

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Vermilion Energy Inc. (TSE:VET  Get Rating) (NYSE:VET)  Investment analysts at Atb Cap Markets lowered their Q1 2023 EPS estimates for Vermilion Energy in a research note issued on Sunday, April 23rd. Atb Cap Markets analyst A. Arif now expects that the company will post earnings of $0.57 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $0.59. The consensus estimate for Vermilion Energys current full-year earnings is $2.82 per share.

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Vermilion Energy (TSE:VET  Get Rating) (NYSE:VET) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, March 8th. The company reported C$0.05 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C$0.30 by C($0.25). Vermilion Energy had a net margin of 38.45% and a return on equity of 48.03%. The business had revenue of C$842.69 million for the quarter.

Vermilion Energy Stock Performance

VET has been the subject of several other reports. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on shares of Vermilion Energy from C$29.00 to C$27.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 9th. National Bank Financial dropped their price objective on shares of Vermilion Energy from C$29.00 to C$26.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of Vermilion Energy from C$42.00 to C$37.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 10th. TD Securities cut shares of Vermilion Energy from a buy rating to a hold rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from C$29.00 to C$21.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Finally, Scotiabank lowered their target price on shares of Vermilion Energy from C$29.00 to C$26.00 in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vermilion Energy has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of C$27.50.

VET opened at C$16.53 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of C$2.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 2.12, a PEG ratio of -0.02 and a beta of 2.92. Vermilion Energy has a 1-year low of C$16.35 and a 1-year high of C$39.21. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of C$17.87 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$22.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 33.88, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.40.

Insider Transactions at Vermilion Energy

In other Vermilion Energy news, Senior Officer Lars William Glemser sold 19,379 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of C$17.60, for a total transaction of C$340,973.51. Insiders own 0.14% of the companys stock.

Vermilion Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 31st were given a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.42%. This is an increase from Vermilion Energys previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. Vermilion Energys payout ratio is presently 5.13%.

About Vermilion Energy

(Get Rating)

Vermilion Energy Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of petroleum and natural gas in North America, Europe, and Australia. The company owns 81% working interest in 636,714 net acres of developed land and 85% working interest in 301,026 net acres of undeveloped land in Canada; 130,715 net acres of land in the Powder River basin in the United States; 96% working interest in 248,873 net acres of developed land and 86% working interest in 134,160 net acres of undeveloped land in the Aquitaine and Paris Basins in France; 53% working interest in 901,791 net acres of land in the Netherlands; 54,625 net developed acres and 920,723 net undeveloped acres in Germany; 975,375 net acres land in Croatia; 946,666 net acres land in Hungary; and 48,954 net acres land in Slovakia.

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Banco Santander, S.A. (LON:BNC  Get Rating)s stock price crossed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of GBX 308.73 ($3.86) and traded as high as GBX 314.13 ($3.92). Banco Santander shares last traded at GBX 293.50 ($3.67), with a volume of 1,074,667 shares changing hands.

Banco Santander Trading Up 2.8 %

The firm has a market cap of 47.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 604.17 and a beta of 1.38. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is GBX 308.34 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 271.02.

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Banco Santander Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 27th will be given a dividend of 0.06 ($0.07) per share. This represents a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 27th. This is an increase from Banco Santanders previous dividend of $0.06. Banco Santanders dividend payout ratio is currently 2,083.33%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

About Banco Santander

In other Banco Santander news, insider Pamela Ann Walkden purchased 80,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 325 ($4.06) per share, for a total transaction of 260,000 ($324,715.87). Company insiders own 0.55% of the companys stock.

(Get Rating)

Banco Santander, SA provides various retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small and medium-sized enterprises, and large companies worldwide. It offers demand and time deposits, and current and savings accounts; mortgages, consumer finance, syndicated corporate loans, structured financing, cash management, export and agency finance, trade and working capital solutions, and corporate finance; and insurance products.

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Royal Bank of Canada initiated coverage on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE:BR  Get Rating) in a report published on Monday, The Fly reports. The brokerage issued an outperform rating and a $169.00 price objective on the business services providers stock.

BR has been the subject of several other research reports. Raymond James increased their price objective on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $180.00 to $183.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Wolfe Research lowered their price objective on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $137.00 to $135.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 5th. Finally, TheStreet raised shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from a c+ rating to a b rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $161.40.

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Broadridge Financial Solutions Stock Up 2.6 %

Shares of NYSE:BR opened at $143.51 on Monday. Broadridge Financial Solutions has a 52 week low of $131.35 and a 52 week high of $183.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.30, a quick ratio of 1.26 and a current ratio of 1.26. The company has a market capitalization of $16.89 billion, a PE ratio of 32.03 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $141.68 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $142.45.

Broadridge Financial Solutions Dividend Announcement

Broadridge Financial Solutions ( NYSE:BR Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The business services provider reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.91. Broadridge Financial Solutions had a net margin of 9.13% and a return on equity of 40.38%. The firm had revenue of $1.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.35 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.83 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Broadridge Financial Solutions will post 6.91 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 15th were issued a dividend of $0.725 per share. This represents a $2.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.02%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 14th. Broadridge Financial Solutionss payout ratio is 64.73%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Robert N. Duelks sold 1,425 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.06, for a total transaction of $201,010.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 6,275 shares in the company, valued at $885,151.50. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Broadridge Financial Solutions

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MQS Management LLC bought a new position in Broadridge Financial Solutions during the third quarter worth about $229,000. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its position in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 1.5% during the third quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 7,110 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,051,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the period. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can bought a new position in Broadridge Financial Solutions during the third quarter worth about $15,313,000. Raymond James Trust N.A. increased its position in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 17.7% during the third quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 4,171 shares of the business services providers stock worth $602,000 after acquiring an additional 628 shares during the period. Finally, OLD National Bancorp IN increased its position in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 14.5% during the third quarter. OLD National Bancorp IN now owns 2,632 shares of the business services providers stock worth $380,000 after acquiring an additional 334 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.45% of the companys stock.

Broadridge Financial Solutions Company Profile

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Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc engages in the provision of investor communications and technology solutions to banks, broker-dealers, mutual funds, and corporate issuers. It operates through the following segments: Investor Communication Solutions and Global Technology and Operations. The Investor Communication Solutions segment offers services for broker-dealer investor communication, customer communication, corporate issuer, advisor solutions, and mutual fund and retirement solutions.

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Brunswick (NYSE:BC  Get Rating) updated its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided EPS guidance of $9.50-$11.00 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $10.27. The company issued revenue guidance of $6.80 billion-$7.20 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $6.98 billion. Brunswick also updated its FY23 guidance to $9.50-11.00 EPS.

Brunswick Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BC traded up $2.15 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $85.23. 852,494 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 570,302. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $82.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $77.83. The stock has a market cap of $6.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.48 and a beta of 1.53. Brunswick has a one year low of $61.89 and a one year high of $93.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 1.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18.

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Brunswick (NYSE:BC  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.02. Brunswick had a net margin of 9.94% and a return on equity of 37.56%. The firm had revenue of $1.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.66 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.44 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Brunswick will post 10.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Brunswick Increases Dividend

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Investors of record on Monday, February 27th were paid a $0.40 dividend. This is a boost from Brunswicks previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 24th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.88%. Brunswicks payout ratio is currently 17.80%.

Several research firms recently issued reports on BC. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Brunswick from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, February 3rd. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Brunswick from $104.00 to $106.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, February 3rd. MKM Partners upped their price objective on shares of Brunswick from $91.00 to $105.00 in a report on Friday, February 3rd. Roth Capital reiterated a buy rating on shares of Brunswick in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Raymond James upped their price objective on shares of Brunswick from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, February 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $102.75.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Ryan M. Gwillim sold 5,710 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.28, for a total value of $504,078.80. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 28,522 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,517,922.16. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, CFO Ryan M. Gwillim sold 5,710 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.28, for a total value of $504,078.80. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 28,522 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,517,922.16. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Christopher F. Dekker sold 7,353 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.29, for a total transaction of $649,196.37. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 41,455 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,660,061.95. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 13,234 shares of company stock worth $1,167,542 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.58% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brunswick

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BC. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its position in Brunswick by 104.7% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 520 shares of the companys stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 266 shares in the last quarter. Neo Ivy Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Brunswick during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $46,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Brunswick during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $52,000. Covestor Ltd grew its position in shares of Brunswick by 200.3% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 961 shares of the companys stock valued at $78,000 after acquiring an additional 641 shares during the period. Finally, Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Brunswick by 493.0% during the 4th quarter. Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,441 shares of the companys stock valued at $104,000 after acquiring an additional 1,198 shares during the period. 93.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Brunswick Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Brunswick Corp. engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of recreational marine products, including marine engines, boats, and parts and accessories for those products. It operates through the following segments: Propulsion, Parts and Accessories, Boat, and Corporate/Other. The Propulsion segment manufactures a full range of outboard, sterndrive, and inboard engines, as well as propulsion-related controls, propellers, and rigging parts and accessories.

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Copper Mountain Mining (OTCMKTS:CPPMF  Get Rating) and Entree Resources (OTCMKTS:ERLFF  Get Rating) are both small-cap basic materials companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, profitability, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation and dividends.

Profitability

This table compares Copper Mountain Mining and Entree Resources net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Copper Mountain Mining 9.14% -10.38% -4.65% Entree Resources N/A N/A -106.83%

Volatility and Risk

Copper Mountain Mining has a beta of 1.99, indicating that its stock price is 99% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Entree Resources has a beta of 1.13, indicating that its stock price is 13% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Copper Mountain Mining 0 4 3 0 2.43 Entree Resources 0 0 0 0 N/A

This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Copper Mountain Mining and Entree Resources, as reported by MarketBeat.

Copper Mountain Mining presently has a consensus target price of $2.88, suggesting a potential upside of 53.25%. Entree Resources has a consensus target price of $1.95, suggesting a potential upside of 93.07%. Given Entree Resources higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Entree Resources is more favorable than Copper Mountain Mining.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Copper Mountain Mining and Entree Resources gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Copper Mountain Mining $231.89 million 1.73 $24.58 million $0.11 17.06 Entree Resources N/A N/A -$9.06 million ($0.05) -20.20

Copper Mountain Mining has higher revenue and earnings than Entree Resources. Entree Resources is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Copper Mountain Mining, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Copper Mountain Mining beats Entree Resources on 7 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Copper Mountain Mining

(Get Rating)

Copper Mountain Mining Corp. engages in the exploration, development and operation of mineral deposits. It holds interest in Copper Mountain Mine, Eva Copper, New Ingerbelle, and Cameron Copper Projects. The company was founded on April 20, 2006 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

About Entree Resources

(Get Rating)

Entree Resources Ltd. engages in the exploration and mining of gold. Its projects include Oyu Tolgoi mining and Entree/Oyu Tolgoi. The company was founded by Cary Pinkowski on July 19, 1995 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

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Manulife Financial Co. (NYSE:MFC  Get Rating) (TSE:MFC)  Cormark raised their Q1 2023 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Manulife Financial in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, April 25th. Cormark analyst L. Persaud now forecasts that the financial services provider will post earnings per share of $0.62 for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $0.59. The consensus estimate for Manulife Financials current full-year earnings is $2.39 per share.

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A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on MFC. CIBC lifted their price objective on Manulife Financial from C$23.00 to C$27.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 25th. Scotiabank upped their price target on Manulife Financial from C$27.00 to C$34.00 in a research note on Monday, January 30th. National Bank Financial boosted their price target on shares of Manulife Financial from C$26.00 to C$27.00 in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Manulife Financial in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, TD Securities upped their target price on shares of Manulife Financial from C$30.00 to C$32.00 in a report on Thursday, February 16th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Manulife Financial currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $29.29.

Manulife Financial Stock Performance

Manulife Financial stock opened at $19.44 on Wednesday. Manulife Financial has a one year low of $14.92 and a one year high of $20.40. The stock has a market cap of $35.97 billion, a PE ratio of 6.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.11. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $18.96 and a two-hundred day moving average of $18.23.

Manulife Financial (NYSE:MFC  Get Rating) (TSE:MFC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 15th. The financial services provider reported $0.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.61 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $11.34 billion during the quarter.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Manulife Financial

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. acquired a new position in Manulife Financial in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. MinichMacGregor Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Manulife Financial in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Tsfg LLC lifted its stake in Manulife Financial by 145.7% in the 3rd quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 1,693 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 1,004 shares in the last quarter. Sanctuary Wealth Management L.L.C. bought a new stake in Manulife Financial in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Arlington Partners LLC bought a new stake in Manulife Financial in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 43.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Manulife Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 20th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 28th were issued a dividend of $0.274 per share. This is an increase from Manulife Financials previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 27th. This represents a $1.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.64%. Manulife Financials payout ratio is currently 39.01%.

About Manulife Financial

(Get Rating)

Manulife Financial Corp. engages in the provision of financial services. It operates through the following segments: Asia, Canada, U.S., Global Wealth and Asset Management, and Corporate and Other. The Asia segment refers to insurance and insurance-based wealth accumulation products in Asia. The Canada segment offers insurance-based wealth accumulation products and banking services in Canada.

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Ellomay Capital Ltd. (NYSEAMERICAN:ELLO  Get Rating) saw a significant decline in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 100 shares, a decline of 96.2% from the March 31st total of 2,600 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.3 days.

Institutional Trading of Ellomay Capital

An institutional investor recently raised its position in Ellomay Capital stock. UBS Group AG boosted its position in Ellomay Capital Ltd. (NYSEAMERICAN:ELLO  Get Rating) by 20,486.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 18,734 shares of the utilities providers stock after purchasing an additional 18,643 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG owned approximately 0.15% of Ellomay Capital worth $476,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 11.68% of the companys stock.

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Ellomay Capital Stock Up 7.4 %

Shares of ELLO traded up $0.95 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $13.80. 841 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 885. The firm has a market capitalization of $177.33 million, a P/E ratio of -428.19 and a beta of 1.12. Ellomay Capital has a 12-month low of $10.01 and a 12-month high of $28.61. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.73.

Ellomay Capital Company Profile

Ellomay Capital Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production of renewable and clean energy in Israel, Spain, and the Netherlands. The company owns six photovoltaic (PV) plants comprising four PV plants in Spain with an aggregate installed capacity of approximately 7.9 megawatts (MW); one PV plant with a peak capacity of 300 MW in the municipality of Talavan, Spain; and one PV plant in Israel with an installed capacity of approximately 9 MW.

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Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS  Get Rating) updated its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $14.59-14.97 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $14.84. Essex Property Trust also updated its Q2 guidance to $3.63-3.75 EPS.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Barclays lifted their price objective on Essex Property Trust from $219.00 to $226.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 1st. Truist Financial raised their target price on Essex Property Trust from $250.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, March 9th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $250.00 target price on shares of Essex Property Trust in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Scotiabank upgraded Essex Property Trust from a sector underperform rating to a sector outperform rating and set a $240.00 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets downgraded Essex Property Trust from a market perform rating to an underperform rating and reduced their target price for the company from $239.00 to $200.00 in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $249.52.

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Essex Property Trust Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE ESS traded up $5.48 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $211.46. The companys stock had a trading volume of 433,947 shares, compared to its average volume of 505,607. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.67, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.75. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $215.74 and a 200-day moving average price of $217.80. Essex Property Trust has a 12-month low of $195.03 and a 12-month high of $346.35.

Essex Property Trust Increases Dividend

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Essex Property Trust

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Investors of record on Friday, March 31st were issued a $2.31 dividend. This represents a $9.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.37%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 30th. This is a boost from Essex Property Trusts previous quarterly dividend of $2.20. Essex Property Trusts payout ratio is 147.13%.

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Essex Property Trust during the 4th quarter valued at $476,588,000. Millennium Management LLC grew its position in shares of Essex Property Trust by 213.0% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 888,858 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $188,367,000 after purchasing an additional 604,863 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Essex Property Trust by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 10,614,782 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $3,667,195,000 after purchasing an additional 184,047 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Essex Property Trust by 475.8% during the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 90,425 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $19,066,000 after purchasing an additional 74,722 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Essex Property Trust during the 1st quarter valued at $21,256,000. Institutional investors own 91.76% of the companys stock.

About Essex Property Trust

(Get Rating)

Essex Property Trust, Inc operates as a real estate investment trust. It engages in the ownership, operation, management, acquisition, development, and redevelopment of predominantly apartment communities. The company was founded by George M. Marcus in 1971 and is headquartered in San Mateo, CA.

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Fidelity National Information Services (NYSE:FIS  Get Rating) issued an update on its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of $5.76-$6.06 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $5.85. The company issued revenue guidance of $14.29 billion-$14.54 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $14.40 billion. Fidelity National Information Services also updated its Q2 guidance to $1.45 to $1.50 EPS.

Fidelity National Information Services Price Performance

Shares of NYSE FIS traded up $1.47 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $56.31. 8,184,687 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,312,161. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.79. Fidelity National Information Services has a twelve month low of $48.57 and a twelve month high of $106.65. The company has a market cap of $33.36 billion, a PE ratio of -2.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.82. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $57.44 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $66.17.

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Fidelity National Information Services (NYSE:FIS  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The information technology services provider reported $1.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.09. Fidelity National Information Services had a positive return on equity of 9.71% and a negative net margin of 115.07%. The company had revenue of $3.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.41 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.47 EPS. Fidelity National Information Servicess revenue for the quarter was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Fidelity National Information Services will post 5.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Fidelity National Information Services Dividend Announcement

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, June 9th will be given a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.69%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 8th. Fidelity National Information Servicess dividend payout ratio is currently -7.37%.

FIS has been the subject of several analyst reports. Mizuho lowered their target price on Fidelity National Information Services from $90.00 to $78.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 21st. Citigroup lowered Fidelity National Information Services from a buy rating to a neutral rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $85.00 to $70.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 14th. TheStreet lowered Fidelity National Information Services from a c rating to a d rating in a research report on Monday, February 13th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on Fidelity National Information Services from $65.00 to $60.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 15th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on Fidelity National Information Services from $93.00 to $81.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $89.48.

Insider Activity at Fidelity National Information Services

In related news, Director Jeffrey E. Stiefler purchased 2,243 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 22nd. The stock was acquired at an average price of $66.88 per share, for a total transaction of $150,011.84. Following the purchase, the director now owns 3,343 shares of the companys stock, valued at $223,579.84. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other Fidelity National Information Services news, CFO Erik D. Hoag sold 5,658 shares of Fidelity National Information Services stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.88, for a total transaction of $361,433.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 16,368 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,045,587.84. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Jeffrey E. Stiefler purchased 2,243 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 22nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $66.88 per share, with a total value of $150,011.84. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 3,343 shares in the company, valued at approximately $223,579.84. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.68% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Fidelity National Information Services

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FIS. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Fidelity National Information Services in the 4th quarter worth approximately $449,526,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Fidelity National Information Services in the 4th quarter worth approximately $390,114,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in shares of Fidelity National Information Services by 97.9% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 5,542,033 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $376,027,000 after buying an additional 2,741,991 shares during the last quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec boosted its stake in shares of Fidelity National Information Services by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 4,441,867 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $446,052,000 after buying an additional 14,231 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Fidelity National Information Services by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,082,584 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $309,554,000 after buying an additional 102,397 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.25% of the companys stock.

About Fidelity National Information Services

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Fidelity National Information Services, Inc engages in the provision of technology solutions for financial institutions and businesses. It operates through the following segments: Banking, Merchant, Capital Markets, and Corporate and Other. The Banking segment focuses on serving financial institutions with core processing software, transaction processing software, and complementary applications and services.

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Itau Corpbanca (NYSE:ITCB  Get Rating) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 10,100 shares, a growth of 236.7% from the March 31st total of 3,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 20,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.5 days.

Itau Corpbanca Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE ITCB traded down $0.01 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $3.38. 2,049 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 18,796. Itau Corpbanca has a 1 year low of $2.50 and a 1 year high of $3.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.98. The business has a 50 day moving average of $3.48 and a two-hundred day moving average of $3.28.

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Itau Corpbanca (NYSE:ITCB  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 28th. The bank reported $0.15 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.12 by $0.03. Itau Corpbanca had a return on equity of 14.11% and a net margin of 12.62%. The firm had revenue of $311.23 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $426.47 million. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Itau Corpbanca will post 0.58 EPS for the current year.

Itau Corpbanca Increases Dividend

Analyst Ratings Changes

The company also recently declared an annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.165 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 21st. This is an increase from Itau Corpbancas previous annual dividend of $0.16. This represents a dividend yield of 4.78%. Itau Corpbancas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.37%.

Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Itau Corpbanca in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Northern Trust Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Itau Corpbanca during the 1st quarter worth approximately $40,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Itau Corpbanca by 4.3% during the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 86,256 shares of the banks stock worth $247,000 after acquiring an additional 3,585 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Veriti Management LLC raised its position in shares of Itau Corpbanca by 196.5% during the third quarter. Veriti Management LLC now owns 265,668 shares of the banks stock worth $763,000 after acquiring an additional 176,076 shares during the last quarter. 0.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Itau Corpbanca

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Itau Corpbanca engages in the provision of banking and financial services. It specializes in banking products such as financing, leasing, loans, insurance and credit cards. It operates through the following geographical segments: Chile and Colombia. The Chile segment consists of commercial and corporate banking, real estate and construction, large companies, retail banking, personal banking, small business, retail companies, Banco Condell consumer banking, international and treasury and other financial services.

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Lennox International (NYSE:LII  Get Rating) updated its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $14.25-$15.25 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $14.86. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Lennox International also updated its FY23 guidance to $14.25-15.25 EPS.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Lennox International from $279.00 to $272.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. Oppenheimer began coverage on Lennox International in a research report on Monday, March 27th. They set a market perform rating on the stock. StockNews.com began coverage on Lennox International in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Barclays lifted their price objective on Lennox International from $240.00 to $248.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Lennox International from $300.00 to $283.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $256.67.

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Lennox International Stock Performance

NYSE:LII traded up $23.13 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $280.20. The stock had a trading volume of 892,334 shares, compared to its average volume of 316,674. Lennox International has a 52 week low of $182.85 and a 52 week high of $280.91. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $251.06 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $249.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.95 billion, a PE ratio of 20.17, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.92.

Lennox International Announces Dividend

Lennox International ( NYSE:LII Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 31st. The construction company reported $2.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.55 by $0.08. Lennox International had a negative return on equity of 152.66% and a net margin of 10.53%. The business had revenue of $1.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.10 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.35 EPS. The companys revenue was up 13.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Lennox International will post 14.87 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 31st were paid a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.51%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 30th. Lennox Internationals payout ratio is 30.53%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Daniel M. Sessa sold 2,052 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $245.80, for a total transaction of $504,381.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 44,256 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,878,124.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 2.83% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lennox International

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in shares of Lennox International by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 404,068 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $89,973,000 after purchasing an additional 10,227 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio grew its position in Lennox International by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 17,310 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $4,141,000 after acquiring an additional 399 shares during the last quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec grew its position in Lennox International by 376.1% in the 4th quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 4,304 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $1,030,000 after acquiring an additional 3,400 shares during the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors grew its position in Lennox International by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 4,278 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $1,023,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allstate Investment Management Co. bought a new position in Lennox International in the 4th quarter valued at $710,000. Institutional investors own 68.99% of the companys stock.

About Lennox International

(Get Rating)

Lennox International, Inc engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of products for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration. It operates through the following business segments: Residential Heating & Cooling, Commercial Heating & Cooling, and Refrigeration. The Residential Heating & Cooling segment manufactures and markets furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps, packaged heating and cooling systems, equipment, and accessories.

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Lenovo Group Limited (OTCMKTS:LNVGY  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 100 shares, a drop of 95.2% from the March 31st total of 2,100 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 101,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.0 days.

Lenovo Group Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of LNVGY traded up $0.33 during trading on Thursday, reaching $20.44. 16,021 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 47,507. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The stock has a market cap of $12.40 billion, a PE ratio of 6.86 and a beta of 0.99. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $19.96 and a 200-day simple moving average of $17.41. Lenovo Group has a twelve month low of $13.51 and a twelve month high of $22.34.

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Lenovo Group (OTCMKTS:LNVGY  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 16th. The technology company reported $0.69 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.75 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $15.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $16.96 billion. Lenovo Group had a return on equity of 34.03% and a net margin of 2.89%. On average, analysts anticipate that Lenovo Group will post 2.59 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

About Lenovo Group

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Lenovo Group from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, March 24th.

(Get Rating)

Lenovo Group Limited, an investment holding company, develops, manufactures, and markets technology products and services. It operates through Intelligent Devices Group, Infrastructure Solutions Group, and Solutions and Services Group segments. The company offers commercial and consumer personal computers, as well as servers and workstations; and a family of mobile Internet devices, including tablets and smartphones.

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SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. (TSE:SNC  Get Rating) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$27.22 and traded as high as C$31.67. SNC-Lavalin Group shares last traded at C$31.34, with a volume of 133,172 shares traded.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on SNC. CIBC boosted their target price on shares of SNC-Lavalin Group from C$30.00 to C$31.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, March 6th. Raymond James boosted their price target on shares of SNC-Lavalin Group from C$36.00 to C$37.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Monday, March 6th. TD Securities upped their price objective on shares of SNC-Lavalin Group from C$34.00 to C$38.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, March 6th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of SNC-Lavalin Group from C$36.00 to C$39.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, March 6th. Finally, ATB Capital upped their price objective on shares of SNC-Lavalin Group from C$37.00 to C$38.00 in a research note on Friday, April 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, SNC-Lavalin Group has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of C$36.88.

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SNC-Lavalin Group Stock Up 0.9 %

The firm has a market cap of C$5.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 345.44, a PEG ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 86.58, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.85. The businesss 50-day moving average is C$30.91 and its 200-day moving average is C$27.25.

SNC-Lavalin Group Announces Dividend

SNC-Lavalin Group ( TSE:SNC Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Friday, March 3rd. The company reported C$0.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C$0.33 by C($0.31). The firm had revenue of C$1.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$1.93 billion. SNC-Lavalin Group had a return on equity of 0.24% and a net margin of 0.13%. On average, equities analysts predict that SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. will post 1.5851815 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 17th were paid a dividend of $0.02 per share. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.26%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 16th. SNC-Lavalin Groups payout ratio is 88.89%.

SNC-Lavalin Group Company Profile

(Get Rating)

SNC-Lavalin Group Inc operates as an integrated professional services and project management company. It operates through Engineering, Design, and Project Management (EDPM); Nuclear; Infrastructure Services; Resources; Infrastructure EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) Projects; and Capital segments.

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Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) has recently received a number of price target changes and ratings updates:

4/26/2023  Delta Air Lines was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a hold rating to a buy rating.

4/14/2023  Delta Air Lines had its price target raised by analysts at Morgan Stanley from $65.00 to $70.00. They now have an equal weight rating on the stock.

4/14/2023  Delta Air Lines was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a hold rating to a buy rating.

4/14/2023  Delta Air Lines had its price target lowered by analysts at Bank of America Co. from $43.00 to $40.00. They now have a buy rating on the stock.

4/3/2023  Delta Air Lines had its price target raised by analysts at Raymond James from $53.00 to $54.00. They now have a strong-buy rating on the stock.

3/16/2023  Delta Air Lines is now covered by analysts at StockNews.com. They set a hold rating on the stock.

3/10/2023  Delta Air Lines had its price target raised by analysts at Barclays PLC from $44.00 to $48.00.

3/7/2023  Delta Air Lines was upgraded by analysts at Evercore ISI from an in-line rating to an outperform rating. They now have a $47.00 price target on the stock, up previously from $40.00.

Delta Air Lines Stock Up 1.8 %

NYSE DAL traded up $0.58 during trading on Thursday, hitting $33.33. The stock had a trading volume of 9,530,063 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,640,892. The company has a market capitalization of $21.42 billion, a PE ratio of 11.30, a P/E/G ratio of 0.18 and a beta of 1.25. The companys 50-day moving average price is $35.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $35.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.47. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a 12 month low of $27.20 and a 12 month high of $44.75.

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Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 13th. The transportation company reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.29 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $12.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.25 billion. Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 3.51% and a return on equity of 56.49%. The companys revenue was up 36.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($1.23) EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 5.4 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

In related news, Director David S. Taylor purchased 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 26th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $32.83 per share, with a total value of $164,150.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 25,360 shares of the companys stock, valued at $832,568.80. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink . In other Delta Air Lines news, EVP Joanne D. Smith sold 4,846 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.43, for a total transaction of $186,231.78. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 115,295 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,430,786.85. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Also, Director David S. Taylor bought 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 26th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $32.83 per share, for a total transaction of $164,150.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 25,360 shares in the company, valued at approximately $832,568.80. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . In the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 15,000 shares of company stock valued at $503,250 and have sold 33,451 shares valued at $1,276,344. Insiders own 0.84% of the companys stock.

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Strategic Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 59.0% during the 1st quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 32,352 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,130,000 after acquiring an additional 12,000 shares during the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System boosted its stake in Delta Air Lines by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 726,225 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $25,360,000 after purchasing an additional 16,113 shares during the period. Simplicity Solutions LLC bought a new stake in Delta Air Lines in the 1st quarter valued at $607,000. DAVENPORT & Co LLC boosted its stake in Delta Air Lines by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 20,820 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $727,000 after purchasing an additional 690 shares during the period. Finally, Strs Ohio boosted its stake in Delta Air Lines by 13.2% in the 1st quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 215,136 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $7,512,000 after purchasing an additional 25,136 shares during the period. 66.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Delta Air Lines, Inc engages in the provision of scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo. It operates through the Airline and Refinery segments. The Airline segment provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo. The Refinery segment provides jet fuel to the airline segment.

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Shares of ZTE Co. (OTCMKTS:ZTCOF  Get Rating) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $2.46 and traded as high as $3.29. ZTE shares last traded at $3.25, with a volume of 3,810 shares trading hands.

ZTE Price Performance

The companys 50 day simple moving average is $3.04 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $2.47.

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ZTE (OTCMKTS:ZTCOF  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 21st. The company reported $0.08 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $4.26 billion for the quarter.

About ZTE

ZTE Corp. engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of information and telecommunication technology products. It operates through the following segments: Carriers Network, Consumer Business, and Government and Corporate Business. The Carriers Network segment focuses on meeting carries requirements in network evolution with the provision of wireless access, wireline access, bearer systems, core networks, telecommunication software systems and services, and other innovative technologies and product solutions.

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AAF Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 2,823 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock, valued at approximately $203,000.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of BMY. Boston Partners grew its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 103.1% in the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 10,166,384 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $725,297,000 after purchasing an additional 5,161,226 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 174,002,852 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $12,369,862,000 after buying an additional 3,357,590 shares in the last quarter. Edmp Inc. increased its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 6,884.3% in the 4th quarter. Edmp Inc. now owns 3,343,588 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $46,471,000 after acquiring an additional 3,295,715 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 199,886,585 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $14,209,937,000 after acquiring an additional 3,058,491 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cowa LLC grew its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 9,777.8% in the first quarter. Cowa LLC now owns 1,657,894 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,211,000 after purchasing an additional 1,641,110 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.51% of the companys stock.

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Bristol-Myers Squibb Stock Down 1.5 %

Shares of NYSE:BMY traded down $1.02 during trading on Friday, hitting $66.59. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,090,223 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,811,686. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $69.01 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $72.68. The company has a market capitalization of $140.06 billion, a PE ratio of 22.92, a P/E/G ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.25. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a fifty-two week low of $65.28 and a fifty-two week high of $81.43.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Dividend Announcement

Bristol-Myers Squibb ( NYSE:BMY Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.05 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $11.34 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.50 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a net margin of 13.71% and a return on equity of 51.60%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.96 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 8.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 1st. Investors of record on Monday, April 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 6th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.42%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs payout ratio is currently 77.29%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Giovanni Caforio sold 240,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.65, for a total transaction of $17,916,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 236,104 shares in the company, valued at $17,625,163.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, CEO Giovanni Caforio sold 240,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.65, for a total transaction of $17,916,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 236,104 shares in the company, valued at $17,625,163.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Ann Powell sold 11,183 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.69, for a total transaction of $835,258.27. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 23,043 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,721,081.67. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.09% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BMY has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $70.00 to $78.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 3rd. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. They issued an overweight rating and a $95.00 target price on the stock. StockNews.com began coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a strong-buy rating for the company. Finally, Atlantic Securities raised their price objective on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $79.63.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Profile

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Bristol Myers Squibb Co engages in the discovery, development, licensing, manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of biopharmaceutical products. It offers chemically-synthesized drugs or small molecules and products produced from biological processes called biologics. The company was founded in August 1933 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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Allied Properties Real Estate Investment (TSE:AP.UN  Get Rating) had its target price dropped by investment analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from C$37.00 to C$32.00 in a report released on Friday, BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the real estate investment trusts stock. Royal Bank of Canadas price objective suggests a potential upside of 40.29% from the stocks previous close.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on AP.UN. TD Securities dropped their price target on Allied Properties Real Estate Investment from C$34.00 to C$32.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday. CIBC downgraded Allied Properties Real Estate Investment from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and lowered their price objective for the company from C$35.00 to C$30.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Scotiabank lowered their price objective on Allied Properties Real Estate Investment from C$39.50 to C$35.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. Raymond James lowered their price objective on Allied Properties Real Estate Investment from C$38.50 to C$36.50 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Finally, National Bankshares lowered their price objective on Allied Properties Real Estate Investment from C$32.25 to C$27.25 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th.

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Allied Properties Real Estate Investment Price Performance

Allied Properties Real Estate Investment stock traded up C$0.02 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting C$22.81. 425,542 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 425,272. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 61.34, a current ratio of 2.20 and a quick ratio of 0.12. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is C$25.22 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is C$26.56. The company has a market capitalization of C$2.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.54 and a beta of 1.01. Allied Properties Real Estate Investment has a 12-month low of C$22.17 and a 12-month high of C$43.00.

Insider Activity at Allied Properties Real Estate Investment

Allied Properties Real Estate Investment Company Profile

In other news, Director Jennifer Anne Tory bought 2,000 shares of Allied Properties Real Estate Investment stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 22nd. The shares were purchased at an average price of C$28.48 per share, for a total transaction of C$56,960.00. 1.67% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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Allied is a leading owner, manager and developer of (i) distinctive urban workspace in Canada's major cities and (ii) network-dense urban data centres in Toronto that form Canada's hub for global connectivity. Allied's business is providing knowledge-based organizations with distinctive urban environments for creativity and connectivity.

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Burney Co. trimmed its holdings in shares of Edgewell Personal Care Co (NYSE:EPC  Get Rating) by 12.3% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 164,982 shares of the companys stock after selling 23,033 shares during the quarter. Burney Co.s holdings in Edgewell Personal Care were worth $6,358,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in EPC. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Edgewell Personal Care by 2.5% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,216,241 shares of the companys stock valued at $227,950,000 after buying an additional 153,278 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of Edgewell Personal Care by 11.0% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,197,951 shares of the companys stock valued at $119,602,000 after purchasing an additional 316,507 shares during the period. Banco Santander S.A. purchased a new position in Edgewell Personal Care during the 3rd quarter worth $85,050,000. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Edgewell Personal Care by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,040,406 shares of the companys stock worth $70,739,000 after buying an additional 11,102 shares during the period. Finally, Credit Agricole S A bought a new position in shares of Edgewell Personal Care during the 3rd quarter worth $56,619,000. 94.46% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

EPC has been the subject of several recent research reports. Barclays lifted their price objective on Edgewell Personal Care from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Friday, February 10th. UBS Group started coverage on shares of Edgewell Personal Care in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. They issued a neutral rating and a $47.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an outperform rating and set a $53.00 price objective on shares of Edgewell Personal Care in a report on Thursday, February 9th. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their price objective on shares of Edgewell Personal Care from $48.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on Edgewell Personal Care in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $44.43.

Edgewell Personal Care Price Performance

Shares of NYSE EPC opened at $43.76 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 2.01. The company has a market cap of $2.25 billion, a PE ratio of 23.40 and a beta of 0.95. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $42.48 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $41.17. Edgewell Personal Care Co has a fifty-two week low of $32.00 and a fifty-two week high of $45.43.

Edgewell Personal Care (NYSE:EPC  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 8th. The company reported $0.31 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $469.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $467.90 million. Edgewell Personal Care had a return on equity of 8.78% and a net margin of 4.56%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.42 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Edgewell Personal Care Co will post 2.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Edgewell Personal Care Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 8th were paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.37%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 7th. Edgewell Personal Cares payout ratio is 32.09%.

Edgewell Personal Care Company Profile

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Edgewell Personal Care Company is a manufacturer and marketer of personal care products in the wet shave, sun and skin care, feminine care and infant care categories. As of September 30, 2016, the Company had a portfolio of over 25 brands. It manages its business in four segments: Wet Shave, Sun and Skin Care, Feminine Care and All Other.

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Earthstone Energy, Inc. (NYSE:ESTE  Get Rating)s share price dropped 5.7% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $12.82 and last traded at $12.85. Approximately 1,002,729 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 28% from the average daily volume of 1,400,452 shares. The stock had previously closed at $13.63.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ESTE has been the topic of a number of research reports. Stephens initiated coverage on Earthstone Energy in a report on Monday. They issued an overweight rating and a $18.00 price objective on the stock. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Earthstone Energy from $23.00 to $30.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Earthstone Energy in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Mizuho initiated coverage on Earthstone Energy in a report on Monday, January 9th. They issued a neutral rating and a $19.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a buy rating and set a $30.00 target price on shares of Earthstone Energy in a report on Thursday, March 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $22.83.

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Earthstone Energy Trading Up 1.6 %

The firm has a fifty day moving average of $13.49 and a 200 day moving average of $14.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.83 billion, a PE ratio of 3.20 and a beta of 2.07.

Insider Buying and Selling at Earthstone Energy

Earthstone Energy ( NYSE:ESTE Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 8th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.95 by $0.09. Earthstone Energy had a return on equity of 31.01% and a net margin of 26.69%. The firm had revenue of $494.96 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $459.08 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.46 EPS. Earthstone Energys quarterly revenue was up 243.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Earthstone Energy, Inc. will post 4.13 EPS for the current year.

In related news, CEO Robert John Anderson purchased 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 16th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $11.45 per share, with a total value of $57,250.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 811,009 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,286,053.05. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 40.67% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Earthstone Energy

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Earthstone Energy by 56.8% in the 1st quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 2,198 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 796 shares during the last quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. raised its stake in Earthstone Energy by 44.7% during the 1st quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 2,393 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 739 shares in the last quarter. USA Financial Portformulas Corp bought a new stake in Earthstone Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc bought a new stake in Earthstone Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Pathstone Family Office LLC bought a new stake in Earthstone Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $277,000. Institutional investors own 82.77% of the companys stock.

Earthstone Energy Company Profile

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Earthstone Energy, Inc is a growth-oriented independent oil and gas company. The firm is engaged in the acquisition and development of oil and gas reserves through activities that include drilling and development of undeveloped leases, as well as asset and corporate acquisitions and mergers. It also focuses on the Midland Basin in West Texas, the Eagle Ford Trend in South Texas and the Delaware Basin in New Mexico.

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Fortune Brands Innovations (NYSE:FBIN  Get Rating) updated its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $3.65-$3.85 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $3.67. The company issued revenue guidance of $4.39 billion-$4.49 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $4.42 billion.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on FBIN. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of Fortune Brands Innovations from a buy rating to a hold rating and cut their price target for the stock from $65.00 to $61.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Bank of America lowered shares of Fortune Brands Innovations from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $61.00 to $60.00 in a report on Monday, January 30th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Fortune Brands Innovations from a hold rating to a buy rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $67.00 to $84.00 in a report on Friday. Loop Capital lowered shares of Fortune Brands Innovations from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $65.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Barclays began coverage on shares of Fortune Brands Innovations in a report on Wednesday, January 18th. They set an overweight rating and a $75.00 price objective on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $66.50.

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Fortune Brands Innovations Price Performance

NYSE FBIN opened at $63.15 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.10, a PEG ratio of 5.55 and a beta of 1.50. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $59.16. Fortune Brands Innovations has a 1 year low of $49.51 and a 1 year high of $78.91. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99.

About Fortune Brands Innovations

Fortune Brands Innovations ( NYSE:FBIN Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The company reported $0.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.59 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.01 billion. Fortune Brands Innovations had a net margin of 9.32% and a return on equity of 25.22%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.31 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Fortune Brands Innovations will post 3.64 earnings per share for the current year.

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Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc manufactures and supplies home and security products and services. The company operates through the following segments: Cabinets, Plumbing, Outdoors & Security. The Cabinets segment manufactures custom, semi-custom, and stock cabinetry, as well as vanities, for the kitchen and bath.

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International Paper (NYSE:IP  Get Rating) announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The basic materials company reported $0.53 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.49 by $0.04, Briefing.com reports. The company had revenue of $5.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.03 billion. International Paper had a net margin of 7.11% and a return on equity of 15.81%. International Papers revenue for the quarter was down 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.76 EPS.

International Paper Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:IP traded up $0.39 during trading on Friday, hitting $33.40. 1,457,397 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,059,161. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $35.81 and its 200-day simple moving average is $35.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.35. The company has a market capitalization of $11.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.19 and a beta of 1.05. International Paper has a 1-year low of $30.69 and a 1-year high of $49.32.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Mark S. Sutton sold 85,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.58, for a total value of $2,939,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 143,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,944,940. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, CEO Mark S. Sutton sold 85,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.58, for a total value of $2,939,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 143,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,944,940. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Joseph R. Saab sold 1,705 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.35, for a total value of $60,271.75. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,671 shares in the company, valued at approximately $59,069.85. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 93,567 shares of company stock valued at $3,261,447 over the last ninety days. 0.51% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. increased its position in International Paper by 45.5% in the first quarter. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 675 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 211 shares during the period. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund raised its stake in shares of International Paper by 2.5% during the third quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund now owns 12,974 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $411,000 after buying an additional 311 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. boosted its stake in International Paper by 4.5% in the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 8,660 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $399,000 after acquiring an additional 369 shares during the last quarter. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in International Paper by 6.7% during the 1st quarter. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,636 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $306,000 after acquiring an additional 419 shares during the period. Finally, Pathstone Family Office LLC raised its position in shares of International Paper by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. Pathstone Family Office LLC now owns 7,974 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $281,000 after acquiring an additional 541 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.64% of the companys stock.

IP has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group raised International Paper from a sell rating to a neutral rating and increased their price target for the company from $31.00 to $43.00 in a report on Friday, February 3rd. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of International Paper in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Truist Financial lifted their price target on International Paper from $30.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 1st. 1-800-FLOWERS.COM reiterated a maintains rating on shares of International Paper in a research report on Friday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of International Paper from $32.00 to $38.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 1st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, International Paper has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $38.73.

About International Paper

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International Paper Co engages in the manufacture of paper and packaging products. It operates through the following segments: Industrial Packaging, Global Cellulose Fibers, and Printing Papers. The Industrial Packaging segment is involved in manufacturing containerboards, which include linerboard, medium, whitetop, recycled linerboard, recycled medium, and saturating kraft.

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Lmcg Investments LLC raised its position in Danaher Co. (NYSE:DHR  Get Rating) by 1.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 90,415 shares of the conglomerates stock after buying an additional 1,473 shares during the period. Danaher accounts for 1.7% of Lmcg Investments LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Lmcg Investments LLCs holdings in Danaher were worth $23,998,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. My Personal CFO LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Danaher during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Private Ocean LLC increased its stake in shares of Danaher by 1,485.7% during the 4th quarter. Private Ocean LLC now owns 111 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo LLC increased its stake in shares of Danaher by 5,850.0% during the 3rd quarter. Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo LLC now owns 119 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the last quarter. Bellwether Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Danaher by 157.7% during the 3rd quarter. Bellwether Advisors LLC now owns 134 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Danaher during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.26% of the companys stock.

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Danaher Price Performance

NYSE:DHR traded up $5.67 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $237.09. The stock had a trading volume of 1,517,443 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,761,657. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $247.95 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $257.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 1.89 and a quick ratio of 1.52. Danaher Co. has a one year low of $227.00 and a one year high of $303.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $174.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.80.

Danaher Increases Dividend

Danaher ( NYSE:DHR Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The conglomerate reported $2.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.10. Danaher had a net margin of 22.40% and a return on equity of 16.70%. The company had revenue of $7.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.06 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.76 EPS. The firms revenue was down 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Danaher Co. will post 10.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.27 per share. This is an increase from Danahers previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 30th. Danahers payout ratio is currently 11.64%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on DHR shares. Cowen decreased their price target on shares of Danaher from $340.00 to $320.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 25th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Danaher from $325.00 to $300.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Danaher from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $275.00 to $285.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Credit Suisse Group cut their price objective on shares of Danaher from $300.00 to $270.00 in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Bank of America downgraded shares of Danaher from a buy rating to a neutral rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $310.00 to $250.00 in a report on Wednesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Danaher currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $293.71.

About Danaher

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Danaher Corp. engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of professional, medical, industrial, and commercial products and services. It operates through the following segments: Biotechnology, Life Sciences, Diagnostics, and Environmental and Applied Solutions. The Biotechnology segment includes the bioprocessing and discovery and medical businesses and offers a range of tools, consumables, and services.

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Moelis & Company (NYSE:MC  Get Rating) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, April 26th, Zacks reports. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 8th will be given a dividend of 0.60 per share by the asset manager on Friday, June 23rd. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.42%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 5th.

Moelis & Company has raised its dividend by an average of 6.3% annually over the last three years. Moelis & Company has a dividend payout ratio of 98.0% meaning its dividend is currently covered by earnings, but may not be in the future if the companys earnings fall. Research analysts expect Moelis & Company to earn $2.50 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $2.40 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 96.0%.

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Moelis & Company Trading Down 8.0 %

Shares of MC stock opened at $37.37 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.38 and a beta of 1.44. The firms 50 day moving average is $40.48 and its 200 day moving average is $41.75. Moelis & Company has a 12 month low of $33.12 and a 12 month high of $50.23.

Insider Activity at Moelis & Company

Moelis & Company ( NYSE:MC Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The asset manager reported $0.05 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.11 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $187.20 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $186.60 million. Moelis & Company had a net margin of 10.14% and a return on equity of 21.49%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 38.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.95 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Moelis & Company will post 1.21 EPS for the current year.

In related news, insider Christopher Callesano sold 1,155 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.92, for a total transaction of $54,192.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, insider Christopher Callesano sold 1,155 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.92, for a total transaction of $54,192.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Kenneth Moelis sold 60,093 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.12, for a total transaction of $2,771,489.16. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 44,676 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,060,457.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 283,781 shares of company stock valued at $12,412,917. Insiders own 7.97% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Moelis & Company

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its position in Moelis & Company by 3.0% during the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 8,723 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $410,000 after buying an additional 254 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its position in Moelis & Company by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 91,368 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $3,089,000 after buying an additional 349 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE boosted its position in Moelis & Company by 9.1% during the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 7,401 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $348,000 after buying an additional 620 shares during the period. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC boosted its position in Moelis & Company by 15.0% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 6,366 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $299,000 after buying an additional 828 shares during the period. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its position in Moelis & Company by 10.1% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 11,169 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $524,000 after buying an additional 1,020 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.35% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on MC shares. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Moelis & Company in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Moelis & Company from $38.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a sell rating in a report on Thursday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Moelis & Company from $30.00 to $29.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Moelis & Company from $32.00 to $30.00 and set a sell rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 9th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have issued a hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Moelis & Company currently has an average rating of Reduce and an average price target of $37.86.

About Moelis & Company

(Get Rating)

Moelis & Co operates as a holding company. It engages in the provision of financial advisory, capital raising and asset management services to a client base including corporations, governments, sovereign wealth funds and financial sponsors. The firm focuses on clients including large public multinational corporations, middle market private companies, financial sponsors, entrepreneurs and governments.

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Ninety One North America Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC  Get Rating) by 30.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 27,826 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 12,086 shares during the period. Ninety One North America Inc.s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $4,605,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 331.5% in the first quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 1,830,548 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $311,962,000 after acquiring an additional 1,406,293 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 133.1% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,297,356 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $221,095,000 after purchasing an additional 740,778 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.7% during the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 41,313,574 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $6,167,702,000 after buying an additional 693,039 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 5,963.3% in the third quarter. Balyasny Asset Management LLC now owns 618,640 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $92,357,000 after purchasing an additional 608,437 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can lifted its position in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 104.9% during the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,103,004 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $166,321,000 after purchasing an additional 564,787 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.30% of the companys stock.

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Marsh & McLennan Companies Stock Performance

Shares of MMC stock traded up $0.54 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $179.99. The stock had a trading volume of 684,357 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,684,042. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $143.33 and a 1-year high of $180.59. The firm has a market cap of $89.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.08, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The businesss fifty day moving average is $165.85 and its 200-day moving average is $166.53.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

Marsh & McLennan Companies ( NYSE:MMC Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 20th. The financial services provider reported $2.53 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.47 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $5.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.86 billion. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 15.24% and a return on equity of 33.33%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.30 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 7.61 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 5th will be paid a $0.59 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 4th. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.31%. Marsh & McLennan Companiess payout ratio is 36.93%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on MMC. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $184.00 to $187.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $184.00 to $180.00 in a research report on Monday, April 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $181.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, March 31st. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Thursday, January 19th. They set a market perform rating and a $168.00 target price on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $180.77.

Insider Activity at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, Director Oscar Fanjul sold 2,900 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.70, for a total transaction of $503,730.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 75,447 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $13,105,143.90. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other Marsh & McLennan Companies news, Director Oscar Fanjul sold 2,900 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.70, for a total value of $503,730.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 75,447 shares of the companys stock, valued at $13,105,143.90. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Dean Michael Klisura sold 3,140 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.22, for a total value of $518,790.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 20,935 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,458,880.70. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 11,540 shares of company stock worth $2,009,111. 0.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc is a professional services firm, which engages in offering clients advice and solutions in risk, strategy, and people. It operates through the Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting segments. The Risk and Insurance Services segment is involved in risk management activities, as well as insurance and reinsurance broking and services.

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Ninety One UK Ltd decreased its position in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE:AEM  Get Rating) (TSE:AEM) by 8.4% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,989,843 shares of the mining companys stock after selling 181,747 shares during the quarter. Ninety One UK Ltds holdings in Agnico Eagle Mines were worth $103,329,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its position in Agnico Eagle Mines by 1.1% during the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 20,328,727 shares of the mining companys stock worth $858,478,000 after acquiring an additional 229,889 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 16,013,554 shares of the mining companys stock worth $676,253,000 after purchasing an additional 522,898 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its holdings in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines by 1.5% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 12,791,623 shares of the mining companys stock worth $540,189,000 after purchasing an additional 188,730 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its position in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines by 17.2% in the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 5,891,278 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $251,322,000 after buying an additional 864,118 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of Agnico Eagle Mines by 0.4% in the third quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 5,576,552 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $236,603,000 after buying an additional 23,490 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 58.11% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AEM has been the subject of several analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on Agnico Eagle Mines in a report on Monday, April 3rd. They issued an outperform rating for the company. TD Securities cut their price objective on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines from $68.00 to $62.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Scotiabank began coverage on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines in a research note on Monday, April 3rd. They set an outperform rating on the stock. National Bank Financial dropped their target price on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines from C$89.00 to C$88.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 14th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $70.63.

Agnico Eagle Mines Price Performance

Shares of Agnico Eagle Mines stock traded up $1.27 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $57.86. 1,934,709 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,095,890. The firms fifty day moving average price is $51.30 and its 200-day moving average price is $50.46. The stock has a market cap of $28.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.57, a PEG ratio of 28.59 and a beta of 0.80. Agnico Eagle Mines Limited has a 12 month low of $36.69 and a 12 month high of $60.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 2.30.

Agnico Eagle Mines (NYSE:AEM  Get Rating) (TSE:AEM) last posted its earnings results on Friday, February 17th. The mining company reported $0.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.02. Agnico Eagle Mines had a net margin of 11.67% and a return on equity of 6.18%. The firm had revenue of $1.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.42 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.46 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 45.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Agnico Eagle Mines Limited will post 1.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Agnico Eagle Mines Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 1st were paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.77%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 28th. Agnico Eagle Miness payout ratio is 106.67%.

Agnico Eagle Mines Company Profile

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Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. engages in the exploration and production of gold. It operates through the following segments: Northern Business, Southern Business, and Exploration. The Northern Business segment comprises of LaRonde mine, LaRonde Zone 5 mine, Lapa mine, Goldex mine, Meadowbank mine including the Amaruq deposit, Canadian Malartic joint operation, Meliadine project and Kittila mine.

Further Reading

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NorthWest Health Prop Real Est Inv Trust (TSE:NWH.UN  Get Rating) had its price objective dropped by investment analysts at CIBC from C$12.00 to C$11.00 in a report released on Friday, BayStreet.CA reports. CIBCs price objective suggests a potential upside of 34.97% from the companys previous close.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on NorthWest Health Prop Real Est Inv Trust from C$11.00 to C$10.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. Laurentian lowered their price target on NorthWest Health Prop Real Est Inv Trust from C$12.50 to C$11.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 4th. National Bankshares set a C$9.00 price target on NorthWest Health Prop Real Est Inv Trust and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on NorthWest Health Prop Real Est Inv Trust from C$12.00 to C$10.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 3rd. Finally, Cormark lowered their price target on NorthWest Health Prop Real Est Inv Trust from C$13.50 to C$13.00 in a report on Monday, April 3rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, NorthWest Health Prop Real Est Inv Trust has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of C$11.36.

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NorthWest Health Prop Real Est Inv Trust Trading Down 0.4 %

Shares of NWH.UN traded down C$0.03 during trading hours on Friday, hitting C$8.15. The stock had a trading volume of 298,234 shares, compared to its average volume of 810,234. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 98.81, a quick ratio of 0.06 and a current ratio of 0.51. The firm has a market cap of C$1.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.19, a P/E/G ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 0.85. The companys fifty day simple moving average is C$8.82 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$9.65. NorthWest Health Prop Real Est Inv Trust has a 12-month low of C$8.02 and a 12-month high of C$13.42.

About NorthWest Health Prop Real Est Inv Trust

NorthWest Healthcare Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX: NWH.UN) (NorthWest) is an unincorporated, open-ended real estate investment trust established under the laws of the Province of Ontario. As at June 30, 2020, the REIT provides investors with access to a portfolio of high quality international healthcare real estate infrastructure comprised of interests in a diversified portfolio of 189 income-producing properties and 15.3 million square feet of gross leasable area located throughout major markets in Canada, Brazil, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

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92 Resources reiterated their maintains rating on shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE:PEB  Get Rating) in a research note released on Thursday, Benzinga reports.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on PEB. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Pebblebrook Hotel Trust from $17.00 to $14.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 30th. Truist Financial reduced their target price on Pebblebrook Hotel Trust from $18.00 to $16.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust from $15.00 to $16.50 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. TheStreet downgraded shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust from a c- rating to a d+ rating in a research note on Friday, December 30th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust from $15.25 to $15.50 in a research report on Thursday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and six have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $17.70.

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Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Price Performance

NYSE:PEB traded up $0.33 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $14.23. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,882,233 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,736,088. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has a 52-week low of $12.37 and a 52-week high of $26.01. The company has a market capitalization of $1.78 billion, a PE ratio of -14.67, a PEG ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 1.85. The businesss 50-day moving average is $14.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a current ratio of 0.38.

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Announces Dividend

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust ( NYSE:PEB Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 21st. The real estate investment trust reported ($0.34) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.18 by ($0.52). Pebblebrook Hotel Trust had a negative return on equity of 0.33% and a negative net margin of 0.73%. The business had revenue of $319.61 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $309.55 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.06 earnings per share. Pebblebrook Hotel Trusts revenue for the quarter was up 29.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Pebblebrook Hotel Trust will post 1.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 17th. Investors of record on Friday, March 31st were issued a $0.01 dividend. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 30th. Pebblebrook Hotel Trusts dividend payout ratio is currently -4.12%.

Insider Activity at Pebblebrook Hotel Trust

In other news, CEO Jon E. Bortz acquired 14,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 16th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $13.62 per share, with a total value of $190,680.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 1,108,102 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $15,092,349.24. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Pebblebrook Hotel Trust news, CEO Jon E. Bortz bought 14,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 16th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $13.62 per share, with a total value of $190,680.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,108,102 shares in the company, valued at $15,092,349.24. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Jon E. Bortz bought 14,865 shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 8th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $14.93 per share, with a total value of $221,934.45. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 1,039,967 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,526,707.31. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders acquired 39,865 shares of company stock worth $555,064. Corporate insiders own 2.40% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pebblebrook Hotel Trust

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of PEB. Versant Capital Management Inc acquired a new position in shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust during the first quarter valued at $28,000. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in Pebblebrook Hotel Trust by 429.6% in the 1st quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,092 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 1,697 shares in the last quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. bought a new stake in Pebblebrook Hotel Trust during the 3rd quarter worth $48,000. Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at about $64,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. boosted its position in shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust by 91.6% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 4,686 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $68,000 after purchasing an additional 2,240 shares in the last quarter.

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust is a real estate investment trust, engages in investments and acquisitions in hotel properties. Its hotels are located in markets like Atlanta, Georgia, Boston, Massachusetts, Chicago, Illinois, Key West, Miami and Naples, Florida, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, California, Nashville, Tennessee, New York, New York, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington.

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Provident Financial Services (NYSE:PFS  Get Rating) announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The savings and loans company reported $0.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.59 by ($0.05), Briefing.com reports. The firm had revenue of $130.48 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $132.22 million. Provident Financial Services had a return on equity of 11.06% and a net margin of 31.71%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.58 earnings per share.

Provident Financial Services Price Performance

PFS traded down $0.02 during trading on Friday, hitting $17.48. 594,964 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 509,334. The company has a market cap of $1.32 billion, a PE ratio of 7.45 and a beta of 0.95. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $20.17 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $21.40. Provident Financial Services has a 1 year low of $17.09 and a 1 year high of $25.61. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87.

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Insider Activity at Provident Financial Services

In other Provident Financial Services news, Director Robert Mcnerney sold 2,500 shares of Provident Financial Services stock in a transaction on Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.87, for a total value of $59,675.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 8,713 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $207,979.31. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Provident Financial Services news, Director Robert Mcnerney sold 2,500 shares of Provident Financial Services stock in a transaction on Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.87, for a total value of $59,675.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 8,713 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $207,979.31. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO George Lista acquired 1,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, March 10th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $20.62 per share, with a total value of $30,930.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 5,241 shares in the company, valued at $108,069.42. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 4.29% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Provident Financial Services

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in PFS. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its stake in shares of Provident Financial Services by 132.8% in the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 1,867 shares of the savings and loans companys stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 1,065 shares in the last quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Provident Financial Services by 35.7% in the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 1,785 shares of the savings and loans companys stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 470 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Middle East FZE bought a new stake in shares of Provident Financial Services in the 4th quarter worth about $43,000. First Manhattan Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Provident Financial Services by 106.8% in the 4th quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 2,130 shares of the savings and loans companys stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 1,100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FMR LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Provident Financial Services by 48.7% in the 2nd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 4,016 shares of the savings and loans companys stock worth $90,000 after acquiring an additional 1,315 shares during the last quarter. 65.22% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on PFS shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price objective on shares of Provident Financial Services from $27.00 to $25.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Provident Financial Services in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $25.25.

Provident Financial Services Company Profile

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Provident Financial Services, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of banking services to individual and corporate customers in Northern and Central New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. The company was founded on January 15, 2003 and is headquartered in Jersey City, NJ.

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Switzer Dividend Growth Fund (ASX:SWTZ  Get Rating) declared a interim dividend on Thursday, April 27th, MarketIndexAU reports. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 18th will be given a dividend of 0.008 per share on Thursday, May 18th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.31%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Sunday, April 30th.

Switzer Dividend Growth Fund Price Performance

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Tesco PLC (OTCMKTS:TSCDY  Get Rating) was the target of a large drop in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 36,100 shares, a drop of 17.4% from the March 31st total of 43,700 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 228,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days.

Tesco Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of TSCDY stock traded up $0.05 on Friday, hitting $10.44. 49,220 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 113,819. Tesco has a 52 week low of $6.54 and a 52 week high of $10.59. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $9.54 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $8.69. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on TSCDY. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Tesco from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, March 6th. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Tesco from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Tesco from GBX 310 ($3.87) to GBX 320 ($4.00) in a research note on Friday, April 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Tesco from GBX 270 ($3.37) to GBX 290 ($3.62) in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th.

Tesco Company Profile

Tesco Plc engages in the retailing and retail banking. It operates through the following segments: UK and ROI, Central Europe, Asia, and Tesco Bank. The UK and ROI segment caters to the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The Central Europe segment covers the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia.

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The Berkeley Group Holdings plc (OTCMKTS:BKGFF  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 56,500 shares, a decline of 56.4% from the March 31st total of 129,500 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently  days.

The Berkeley Group Stock Performance

Shares of BKGFF remained flat at $47.82 during mid-day trading on Friday. 19 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 100. The Berkeley Group has a 12-month low of $37.00 and a 12-month high of $54.22. The company has a 50-day moving average of $48.57 and a two-hundred day moving average of $46.51.

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The Berkeley Group Company Profile

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The Berkeley Group Holdings plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the residential-led and mixed-use property development activities in the United Kingdom. The company is also involved in land selling activities. It operates under the Berkeley, St Edward, St George, St James, St Joseph, and St William brand names.

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Burney Co. trimmed its stake in shares of The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI  Get Rating) by 11.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 8,767 shares of the health services providers stock after selling 1,139 shares during the quarter. Burney Co.s holdings in The Cigna Group were worth $2,905,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Archer Investment Corp increased its position in The Cigna Group by 469.2% in the 4th quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 74 shares of the health services providers stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. increased its position in The Cigna Group by 95.2% in the 4th quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. now owns 82 shares of the health services providers stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Glass Jacobson Investment Advisors llc acquired a new position in The Cigna Group in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Cigna Group during the 4th quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Cigna Group during the 4th quarter worth about $40,000. 87.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling at The Cigna Group

In other news, CEO David Cordani sold 20,148 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $294.06, for a total transaction of $5,924,720.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 120,496 shares of the companys stock, valued at $35,433,053.76. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, CEO David Cordani sold 20,148 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $294.06, for a total transaction of $5,924,720.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 120,496 shares of the companys stock, valued at $35,433,053.76. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Michael W. Triplett sold 1,731 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.67, for a total value of $470,260.77. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 30,235 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,213,942.45. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 27,752 shares of company stock valued at $8,008,479. Company insiders own 0.60% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

The Cigna Group Stock Up 0.9 %

Several research firms have recently issued reports on CI. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on The Cigna Group in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. They set a neutral rating and a $285.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on The Cigna Group from $347.00 to $365.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 6th. Raymond James upgraded The Cigna Group from an outperform rating to a strong-buy rating and set a $350.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. SVB Securities reduced their price objective on The Cigna Group from $335.00 to $309.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price objective on The Cigna Group from $367.00 to $293.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $336.42.

NYSE:CI opened at $250.33 on Friday. The Cigna Group has a 1 year low of $240.11 and a 1 year high of $340.11. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. The stock has a market cap of $74.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.71, a PEG ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 0.62. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $270.51 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $299.06.

The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Friday, February 3rd. The health services provider reported $4.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $4.84 by $0.12. The Cigna Group had a return on equity of 16.01% and a net margin of 3.69%. The firm had revenue of $45.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $45.79 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.77 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that The Cigna Group will post 24.82 earnings per share for the current year.

The Cigna Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 22nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 7th will be paid a $1.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 6th. This represents a $4.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.97%. The Cigna Groups payout ratio is 23.01%.

The Cigna Group Profile

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The Cigna Group is engaged in the provision of global health services. It operates through the following segments: Evernorth, U.S. Medical, International Markets, and Group Disability and Other. The Evernorth segment includes a broad range of coordinated and point solution health services, including pharmacy solutions, benefits management solutions, care solutions and intelligence solutions.

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Mosaic (NYSE: MOS) has recently received a number of price target changes and ratings updates:

4/28/2023  Mosaic had its price target lowered by analysts at Mizuho from $60.00 to $54.00.

4/19/2023  Mosaic had its price target lowered by analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. from $78.00 to $70.00. They now have a buy rating on the stock.

4/14/2023  Mosaic was upgraded by analysts at Barclays PLC from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating. They now have a $54.00 price target on the stock, up previously from $52.00.

4/13/2023  Mosaic had its price target lowered by analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from $110.00 to $100.00. They now have an outperform rating on the stock.

4/12/2023  Mosaic had its price target lowered by analysts at Morgan Stanley from $55.00 to $45.00. They now have an equal weight rating on the stock.

4/6/2023  Mosaic was downgraded by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from an overweight rating to a neutral rating. They now have a $46.00 price target on the stock, down previously from $60.00.

3/16/2023  Mosaic is now covered by analysts at StockNews.com. They set a hold rating on the stock.

2/27/2023  Mosaic had its price target raised by analysts at Citigroup Inc. from $50.00 to $53.00. They now have a neutral rating on the stock.

2/27/2023  Mosaic had its price target raised by analysts at Bank of America Co. from $65.00 to $69.00.

Mosaic Stock Performance

Shares of MOS traded up $0.77 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $42.85. The stock had a trading volume of 4,500,996 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,271,214. The firm has a market cap of $14.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.29, a PEG ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.49. The Mosaic Company has a 52 week low of $40.29 and a 52 week high of $68.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.54. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $47.38 and a 200-day moving average price of $48.34.

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Mosaic (NYSE:MOS  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The basic materials company reported $1.74 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.08 by ($0.34). Mosaic had a net margin of 18.73% and a return on equity of 33.04%. The company had revenue of $4.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.22 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.95 earnings per share. Mosaics revenue for the quarter was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that The Mosaic Company will post 6.79 EPS for the current year.

Mosaic Cuts Dividend

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 1st will be given a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.87%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 31st. Mosaics dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.02%.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Veriti Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Mosaic by 2.9% during the third quarter. Veriti Management LLC now owns 6,948 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $336,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the period. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV lifted its stake in Mosaic by 1.0% in the third quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 19,184 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $927,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd lifted its position in Mosaic by 0.8% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 25,236 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,220,000 after buying an additional 198 shares during the period. Redwood Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Mosaic by 0.8% during the third quarter. Redwood Investment Management LLC now owns 26,071 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,260,000 after buying an additional 205 shares during the period. Finally, Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Mosaic by 5.4% during the second quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 4,325 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $204,000 after acquiring an additional 221 shares in the last quarter. 85.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

The Mosaic Co engages in the production and marketing of concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients. It operates through the following segments: Phosphates, Potash, and Mosaic Fertilizantes. The Phosphates segment is involved in the ownership and operation of mines and production facilities which produce concentrated phosphate crop nutrients and phosphate-based animal feed ingredients, and processing plants which produce concentrated phosphate crop nutrients.

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Westpac Banking Corp increased its position in Occidental Petroleum Co. (NYSE:OXY  Get Rating) by 1.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 120,465 shares of the oil and gas producers stock after buying an additional 1,707 shares during the quarter. Westpac Banking Corps holdings in Occidental Petroleum were worth $7,588,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in Occidental Petroleum in the 3rd quarter valued at $96,636,000. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in Occidental Petroleum by 87.9% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,276,078 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $185,885,000 after purchasing an additional 1,532,100 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its holdings in Occidental Petroleum by 117.2% in the 3rd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,424,556 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $148,989,000 after purchasing an additional 1,308,043 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Occidental Petroleum by 32.8% in the 3rd quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 3,494,359 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $214,728,000 after purchasing an additional 862,354 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clean Energy Transition LLP acquired a new stake in Occidental Petroleum in the 1st quarter valued at $46,838,000. 78.45% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Activity

In other Occidental Petroleum news, major shareholder Berkshire Hathaway Inc purchased 1,678,017 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 6th. The shares were bought at an average price of $61.56 per share, with a total value of $103,298,726.52. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now owns 198,392,755 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,213,057,997.80. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Over the last 90 days, insiders have acquired 12,371,716 shares of company stock valued at $735,557,715. Insiders own 0.31% of the companys stock.

Occidental Petroleum Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE OXY opened at $60.58 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The firms 50-day moving average price is $61.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $64.78. Occidental Petroleum Co. has a 52-week low of $53.92 and a 52-week high of $77.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $54.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.89, a P/E/G ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.78.

Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:OXY  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 27th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.61 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.83 by ($0.22). The business had revenue of $8.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.21 billion. Occidental Petroleum had a net margin of 35.87% and a return on equity of 52.68%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 97.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.48 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Occidental Petroleum Co. will post 5.81 earnings per share for the current year.

Occidental Petroleum Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 10th were issued a dividend of $0.18 per share. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.19%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 9th. This is a boost from Occidental Petroleums previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. Occidental Petroleums payout ratio is 5.82%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently weighed in on OXY shares. Bank of America upgraded Occidental Petroleum from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $80.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, January 6th. Roth Capital restated a neutral rating on shares of Occidental Petroleum in a research note on Monday, February 27th. Evercore ISI downgraded Occidental Petroleum from an in-line rating to an underperform rating and lowered their target price for the company from $74.00 to $60.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Occidental Petroleum from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Finally, Susquehanna increased their price target on shares of Occidental Petroleum from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a positive rating in a research report on Friday, April 21st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Occidental Petroleum currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $72.89.

Occidental Petroleum Company Profile

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Occidental Petroleum Corp. engages in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. It operates through the following segments: Oil and Gas, Chemical, and Midstream and Marketing. The Oil and Gas segment explores for, develops and produces oil and condensate, natural gas liquids and natural gas.

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The court observed that the investigation by the SIT was going at a slow pace, but was satisfactory. (Photo: PTI)

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court said it was not inclined to transfer the probe into the TS Public Service Commission question paper leak to the CBI. The inquiry is being carried out by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police.

The court observed that the investigation by the SIT was going at a slow pace, but was satisfactory. The single bench of Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy, which is adjudicating the petition seeking a CBI probe into the case, directed the SIT to file a status report by June 5.

Justice Reddy perused the status reports dated April 10 and 24 filed by the SIT and opined that it should draft a senior IPS officer into the investigation like the commissioner of police of either the Hyderabad, Rachakonda or Cyberabad commissionerate, who could review the investigation and then file a status report.

The judge asked why the SIT could not achieve a breakthrough in tracing the culprits behind the leak of question papers. It has been more than one and a half months after the SIT had stepped in to investigate the case.

Justice Reddy also opined that unearthing the culprits was very important and how they got the papers must be found out and it should be looked into, as it was more important.

The court posed a series of questions to Advocate-General B.S. Prasad and K. Narasinga Rao, assistant commissioner of police, Central Crime Station, Hyderabad, who is a part of the SIT.

The court asked them how many outsourcing staff and regular employees in the TSPSC and their relatives had written the recruitment exams got more than 100 marks. The court also questioned the delay in the probe.

A-G Prasad replied that out of 18 outsourcing employees who appeared for the TSPSC examination, only one person had secured a no-objection certificate to appear for the examination and the others were being questioned.

He informed the court that the Central Forensic Science Laboratory report in this case was awaited because of which investigation has been delayed. Prasad said that the investigation was being done under the supervision of the Hyderabad police commissioner and the SIT would file a final report in a couple of days.

The judge observed, "prima facie I am of the view that the investigation by SIT into the question paper leak is slow... however, this court is satisfied with the investigation done so far."
Ukraine said Friday it had downed a barrage of 21 Russian missiles and two attack drones overnight in Moscow's most recent deadly wave of strikes targeting cities across the country.

"Ukrainian air defenders shot down 21 of 23 missiles and 2 drones," the defence ministry said in a statement, referring to Russia as a "terrorist state" that had launched the munitions from Tu-95 strategic bombers.
Britain's Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency has received reports of a vessel under attack south of Yemen's coastal town of Nishtun, it said on Friday.

Shots were fired at the vessel, the agency said in a statement, adding that three boats, each with three or four people aboard, were also sighted.

Also Read | Iran seizes oil tanker in Gulf: US Navy

The agency did not give further details, but several vessels have been attacked in recent years off the coast of Yemen which has been torn apart by an eight-year conflict between the Iran-aligned Houthi group and a Saudi Arabia-led military coalition which backs Yemen's internationally recognised government.
Moscow said Thursday it had denied an upcoming consular visit to detained US reporter Evan Gershkovich in retaliation for Washington not issuing visas to several Russian journalists.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov complained last weekend that the United States had denied visas to Russian journalists due to travel with him to the UN headquarters.

"The US embassy was informed that its request for a consular visit on May 11... to US citizen (Evan) Gershkovich, who was detained on charges of espionage, has been rejected," the Russian foreign ministry said.

Also Read | Putin critic Alexei Navalny could get additional 30-year jail term in 'absurd' terrorism case

The decision followed what the ministry called a "provocative" US decision to bar Russian journalists from flying to the United States.

It warned that "other potential retaliatory measures are being worked out".

Gershkovich was arrested in Russia last month and charged with espionage.

His employer, The Wall Street Journal, and US officials denied the allegations.

Gershkovich, who previously worked for AFP, is the first foreign journalist arrested in Russia on spying charges since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

In a statement distributed by the Journal via his Russian lawyers, Gershkovich thanked the people who have offered him support during his detention.

"I am humbled and deeply touched by all the letters I received," the statement read. "I've read each one carefully, with gratitude."

After its journalists were denied visas on Sunday, Russia vowed to respond.

"We will find formats to respond to this so that the Americans remember for a long time that such things must not be done," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was cited as saying by state-run news agencies.

Since the beginning of Russia's military intervention in Ukraine last year, Moscow has tightened conditions to obtain the accreditations needed to work as a journalist in the country.
The US Senate on Thursday fell short of the votes needed to enshrine equal rights for women in the Constitution, a century after a guarantee of gender equality was proposed in Congress.

With a 51-47 vote in favor, Senate Democrats and supporters were nine votes shy of the 60 needed for a resolution to clear the 100-member chamber's filibuster hurdle.

The resolution would have removed a 1982 deadline for state ratification that prevented the Equal Rights Amendment from going into effect. Three states -- Nevada, Illinois and Virginia -- approved it after 1982.

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said the ERA was more important since the Supreme Court last year overturned the national right to abortion.

Also Read | Gender equality must begin at home

"To the horror of hundreds of millions of American people, women in America have far fewer rights today than they did even a year ago," Schumer said prior to Thursday's vote.

Groups opposed to abortion have argued the ERA could provide an avenue to making abortion a constitutional right, and the amendment's failure is likely to increase attention on women's rights in the 2024 White House campaign.

Passage of Thursday's resolution would have required the support of nine Republicans in the Senate, where Democrats hold a narrow 51-49 majority. Only two Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, joined Democrats in voting for the measure.

The ERA was proposed in 1923 but did not pass Congress until 1972. Under U.S. law, amendments to the Constitution must be ratified by three-fourths, or 38 of the 50, state legislatures and do not require presidential approval.

A US District Court ruled in 2021 that ratifications after the deadline "came too late to count." And a federal appeals court in February rejected calls from Illinois and Nevada for the ERA to be adopted.

The Trump administration argued that ERA ratification needed to start over. The Biden administration has not formally changed that position but voiced support for the resolution on Thursday.

"It is long past time to definitively enshrine the principle of gender equality in the Constitution," the White House said.

Proponents of the amendment say it would ensure women get equal pay and secure their rights in legal matters, while opponents argue it could subject women to a military draft if it were reinstated.
Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday claimed that the terror plot in last week's Poonch ambush has been uncovered and six locals have been arrested for sheltering the terrorists before they carried out the attack on an army vehicle using explosives and weapons that came from Pakistan through drones.

Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said the April 20 attack was a well-planned one and executed by three to five terrorists. They first did a recce of the area, understood the terrain and then chose the spot of attack.

He said over 200 people have being questioned till now and the operation to neutralise the terrorists involved in the attack is on.

Also Read | Poonch terror attack: Man kills self after being called for questioning

"Six persons (of a module) have been arrested. They include those who have provided material (weapons, ammunition, explosives) to the terrorists besides shelter and food and guided them from one to another place," Singh told reporters during a visit to Rajouri district.

"We are getting clues during questioning. We are working on that," he said.

Singh, who visited Darhal and remote Budh Khanari area in the foothills of snow-covered Pir Panjal mountains, also said that such incidents are not possible without local support.

"One full module in this has been caught. They were giving them support for past two to three months. A local named Nisar and his family were providing all support from food to shelter. The material (explosives) had come from Pakistan through drone. They picked up the weapons and provided them to the terrorists. Weapons, grenades and ammunition explosives were included in that," he said.

He added that security forces are identifying more local support.

"They will be working on it strongly. The terrorists choose places close to forests, where they get local support and also have escape route into forests," he said.

Giving further details about the module, Singh said Nisar has been a terrorist for a long time.

Also Read | Poonch attack a wake-up call

"He was working as OGW of Pakistan origin LeT commander in the 1990s. He was under our radar. We had picked him two to three times in the past for interrogation. He was in our list of suspects and was picked this time too," he said.

"When interrogated, we found he was fully involved along with other family members," the DGP said.

On the modus operandi, he said that the terrorists first did recce of area, understood the terrain and considered aspects like speed of the vehicle to come down to zero in view of downhill terrains and sharp turn at the place of attack.

"They came close and ambushed the vehicle. Then they fired on the vehicle which got damaged. The troops got injured. They planted an IED, set it afire and exploded it," he said.

Singh said there is floating population of terrorists coming from Pakistan.

"They remain here for several months. They do recce and such acts. We have neutralised several of them also in the past. Two to four such terrorists remain active during a period of time," he said.

According to Singh there are 10 to 12 such elements operating in the area.

On the use of Chinese steel core ammunition, he said that it was used in the Dhangri incident too.

"The terrorists come better prepared for such attacks," he said.
IndiGo on Friday said it will operate chartered flights from Jeddah to the national capital and Bengaluru to bring back Indians evacuated from Sudan as part of Operation Kaveri.

The airline will be operating two flights to bring more than 450 Indian citizens back to their homeland over the weekend, according to a statement.

Also Read | A pair of dress, passport is all we have, say Indian returnees from Sudan

A321 aircraft will be used to operate these flights on April 28 and 30. They will be operated from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to Delhi and Bengaluru.

"IndiGo is closely liaising with the government to offer support for more such evacuations flights," the statement said. Under Operation Kaveri, India on Friday brought back 754 people from strife-torn Sudan.

The total number of Indians brought home now stands at 1,360, according to official data.
Taking note of a social media post, alert police in Uttar Pradesh's Noida rushed to save a schoolboy who posted a "suicide" message only to find that his act was a prank, officials said Friday.

The Gautam Buddh Nagar police commissionerate's social media cell had come across the "suicide video" by a Class 10 student on Instagram and took help from Meta, the parent company of Instagram, to trace the boy's location.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Noida) Rajeev Dixit said the incident took place around 1.30 am on April 26. "The local Phase 2 police station was alerted by Gautam Buddh Nagar police headquarters about a boy putting a suicide video. The Meta headquarters helped in tracing the location of the boy," Dixit said.

Also Read: The future of social media is a lot less social

"On getting the inputs, the local police immediately reached the spot and found the boy. However, it turned out that the boy, who had posted a video of him consuming the liquid of All Out (mosquito repellent) but in reality he had consumed water which he had filled in an empty All Out vaporizer," the police officer said.

When the police interacted with the boy, he told them he had done this to get more viewers on social media, Dixit said.

As per the rules, the boy was sent for a medical examination and later handed over to his family after counselling, he said.

"His family members have been urged to ensure continued counselling of the boy," he said.

While the incident turned out to be a prank, there have been episodes in the past in which the police have been able to make timely intervention in probable suicide cases on the basis of social media monitoring.

A recent example in Noida was seen on March 18, when the police saved a 20-year-old man who had posted a picture on Instagram that showed a noose along with caption "everything will get over".

In March 2022, UP police entered into agreement with Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, on real-time sharing information linked to social media posts related to suicide or self harm.

"If any person posts something related to suicide or self-harm on Facebook or Instagram, then Meta headquarters in USA immediately sends an alert to the social media centre of PHQ UP Police through phone and email," a senior officer told PTI in February, recounting how the agreement has helped save multiple lives.
A mahout at the Theppakadu elephant camp located in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) in Nilgiris died on Friday after being trampled by a 16-year-old female camp elephant Masini.

The victim has been identified as 54-year-old C M Balan who was the mahout of Masini.

According to MTR officials, Balan had just finished serving breakfast to Masini at around 9 am, after which the elephant attacked him.

Also Read: Kerala Forest Department launches mission to capture rice-eating tusker 'Arikomban'

Although the other mahouts on the spot rescued and rushed him to the government hospital at Gudalur, Balan succumbed to head injuries he had sustained and was declared brought dead by the doctors.

According to MTR officials, Balan had been taking care of Masini ever since it was brought back to the camp in January 2019 after it has trampled its mahout at the Samayapuram temple premises in May 2018.

The elephant has originally been brought to the Theppakadu elephant camp in 2006, as a three-month-old, abandoned calf from Kargudi forests.

Masini was subsequently sent to Samayapuram temple in October 2015.
Amid stiff opposition and a day of tumultuous political happenings, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde informed villagers from the coastal Konkan district's Barsu-Solgaon tehsil on Friday that the Ratnagiri super-refinery project will not be carried out without the locals' will.

During the day, an intense protest was reported from Barsu, where the police resorted to mild caning and firing tear gas shells to disperse the crowd opposing the soil-strata testing for the Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (RRPCL) project.

Konkan Ranges Inspector General of Police Praveen Pawar, Ratnagiri Collector M Devender Singh and Superintendent of Police Dhananjay Kulkarni visited the spot and reached out to the locals.

In a related development, the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Ajit Pawar, said that the NCP is not opposed to development projects if it does not impact the locals, their livelihood and the environment.

Read | Ratnagiri super refinery project once again snowballs into controversy

Over the past couple of days, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena-BJP government has reached out to NCP supremo Sharad Pawar even as Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray has sided with the locals.

State Congress president Nana Patole expressed concern over the use of force.

"A large number of police forces have been deployed to disperse the protesters. Even today, the police used force against the protestors. The position of the Congress party is that the government should not take a decision on the Barsu refinery project without taking the locals into confidence. But the government is acting in a dictatorial manner, Patole said.

Targeting Thackeray, Shinde said, A former CM (Thackeray) himself had suggested the Barsu site to the Centre. After losing the post, he is opposing the project. One can not have such double standards, he said. We are a peoples government, and we are not against them. We will not proceed without the local peoples consent, he added.

Shinde also claimed that more than 70% of the locals support the project as it will generate employment. "We will explain the benefits of the project to the remaining 30%..., he said.

In fact, the senior Pawar, too, had asked Shinde and the states Industries Minister Uday Samant to take the locals along. There is nothing that cannot be resolved without discussions, said Samant.

Junior Pawar said, Since some people are protesting, we have to be sensitive it's better to have a dialogue with them, we at NCP and Pawar Saheb are very clear we are not against development if it does not affect the people, villages, environment, and agriculture, we must go ahead Maharashtra has a tradition of resolving issues through dialogue.
Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG  Get Rating) had its price target raised by investment analysts at Credit Suisse Group from $2,050.00 to $2,200.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday, The Fly reports. The brokerage presently has an outperform rating on the restaurant operators stock. Credit Suisse Groups price target suggests a potential upside of 8.04% from the companys previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on CMG. TD Cowen reiterated an outperform rating and set a $2,050.00 price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,900.00 to $1,850.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,800.00 to $2,050.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. KeyCorp raised their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,780.00 to $1,870.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,664.00 to $1,743.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, April 17th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $2,021.37.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill Trading Up 1.3 %

NYSE CMG opened at $2,036.26 on Wednesday. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 12 month low of $1,196.28 and a 12 month high of $2,047.31. The stock has a market cap of $56.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 62.33, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.32. The companys 50 day moving average is $1,643.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,559.78.

Insider Buying and Selling

Chipotle Mexican Grill ( NYSE:CMG Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The restaurant operator reported $10.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $8.89 by $1.61. The company had revenue of $2.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.34 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 11.49% and a return on equity of 45.99%. The firms revenue was up 18.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $5.70 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 41.46 EPS for the current year.

In related news, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 5,636 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,646.82, for a total value of $9,281,477.52. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 23,347 shares of the companys stock, valued at $38,448,306.54. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Chipotle Mexican Grill news, CMO Christopher W. Brandt sold 1,013 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,795.00, for a total transaction of $1,818,335.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 8,125 shares of the companys stock, valued at $14,584,375. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 5,636 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,646.82, for a total transaction of $9,281,477.52. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 23,347 shares of the companys stock, valued at $38,448,306.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 10,856 shares of company stock valued at $17,938,741 over the last three months. 1.01% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Chipotle Mexican Grill

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Benjamin Edwards Inc. lifted its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 90.0% during the first quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 19 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 9 shares during the last quarter. Simplicity Solutions LLC lifted its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 55.3% during the first quarter. Simplicity Solutions LLC now owns 733 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $1,252,000 after buying an additional 261 shares during the last quarter. Bensler LLC lifted its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 2.3% during the first quarter. Bensler LLC now owns 1,143 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $1,953,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the first quarter valued at about $266,000. Finally, Alpha Cubed Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 1.9% during the first quarter. Alpha Cubed Investments LLC now owns 3,773 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $6,445,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. 93.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Chipotle Mexican Grill

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Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc engages in the development and operation of classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. It offers a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls, and salads prepared using classic cooking methods. The company was founded by Steve Ells in 1993 and is headquartered in Newport Beach, CA.

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Leuthold Group LLC cut its stake in shares of Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM  Get Rating) by 2.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 19,697 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 458 shares during the quarter. Humana accounts for about 1.4% of Leuthold Group LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Leuthold Group LLCs holdings in Humana were worth $10,089,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in Humana by 546.3% during the 3rd quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 614 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $298,000 after purchasing an additional 519 shares during the last quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC raised its position in shares of Humana by 14.9% in the 4th quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC now owns 608 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $311,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System bought a new position in shares of Humana in the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,095,000. MML Investors Services LLC raised its position in shares of Humana by 7.2% in the 3rd quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 8,003 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $3,883,000 after acquiring an additional 536 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Humana by 313.5% in the 3rd quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 62,110 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $30,135,000 after acquiring an additional 47,090 shares in the last quarter. 93.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Activity

In other news, insider Joseph C. Ventura sold 2,048 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $507.97, for a total transaction of $1,040,322.56. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 4,256 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,161,920.32. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other Humana news, CEO Bruce D. Broussard sold 17,575 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $505.85, for a total transaction of $8,890,313.75. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 70,040 shares in the company, valued at $35,429,734. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Joseph C. Ventura sold 2,048 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $507.97, for a total value of $1,040,322.56. Following the sale, the insider now owns 4,256 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,161,920.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.32% of the companys stock.

Humana Trading Up 3.9 %

Shares of HUM stock opened at $525.28 on Friday. Humana Inc. has a 12-month low of $410.87 and a 12-month high of $571.30. The company has a current ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $502.09 and its 200-day moving average price is $510.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $65.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 0.71.

Humana (NYSE:HUM  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The insurance provider reported $9.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.25 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $26.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $26.40 billion. Humana had a return on equity of 20.50% and a net margin of 3.02%. The businesss revenue was up 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $8.04 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Humana Inc. will post 28.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Humana Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.885 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 29th. This represents a $3.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.67%. Humanas dividend payout ratio is 16.06%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. SVB Securities decreased their target price on Humana from $640.00 to $600.00 in a research report on Thursday. Credit Suisse Group decreased their target price on Humana from $635.00 to $575.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 6th. Cowen decreased their target price on Humana from $647.00 to $581.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on Humana from $562.00 to $568.00 in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Stephens cut their price target on Humana from $625.00 to $590.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Humana currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $597.37.

About Humana

(Get Rating)

Humana Inc engages in the provision of health insurance services. It operates through the Insurance and CenterWell segments. The Insurance segment consists of Medicare benefits, marketed to individuals or directly via group Medicare accounts, as well as contract with CMS to administer the Limited Income Newly Eligible Transition, or LI-NET, prescription drug plan program and contracts with various states to provide Medicaid, dual eligible demonstration, and Long-Term Support Services benefits, which refer to as state-based contracts.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HUM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM  Get Rating).

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PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM  Get Rating) had its target price raised by equities research analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from $54.00 to $68.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, The Fly reports. Royal Bank of Canadas price target indicates a potential upside of 2.61% from the companys previous close.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on PHM. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of PulteGroup in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, January 12th. Credit Suisse Group boosted their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $52.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $75.00 to $86.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $65.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $66.86.

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PulteGroup Trading Up 2.5 %

PulteGroup stock opened at $66.27 on Wednesday. The firms 50-day moving average is $57.13 and its 200-day moving average is $49.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.70. PulteGroup has a 1 year low of $35.03 and a 1 year high of $66.27. The company has a market cap of $14.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.88, a PEG ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 1.33.

PulteGroup ( NYSE:PHM Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The construction company reported $2.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.78 by $0.57. The firm had revenue of $3.58 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.27 billion. PulteGroup had a net margin of 16.22% and a return on equity of 31.03%. PulteGroups quarterly revenue was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.83 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that PulteGroup will post 7.44 earnings per share for the current year.

PulteGroup declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Tuesday, April 25th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the construction company to repurchase up to 6.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the companys board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at PulteGroup

In related news, EVP Todd N. Sheldon sold 15,998 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.83, for a total transaction of $861,172.34. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 82,339 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,432,308.37. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other PulteGroup news, VP Brien P. Omeara sold 4,924 shares of PulteGroup stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total value of $295,440.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 17,308 shares in the company, valued at $1,038,480. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Todd N. Sheldon sold 15,998 shares of PulteGroup stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.83, for a total transaction of $861,172.34. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 82,339 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,432,308.37. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 50,739 shares of company stock valued at $2,845,149. Corporate insiders own 0.83% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of PulteGroup

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in PulteGroup by 9.5% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 55,196 shares of the construction companys stock worth $2,313,000 after acquiring an additional 4,799 shares during the period. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC acquired a new position in shares of PulteGroup in the 1st quarter valued at $221,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of PulteGroup by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 22,505 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $945,000 after buying an additional 382 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of PulteGroup by 11.1% during the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 4,487 shares of the construction companys stock worth $188,000 after purchasing an additional 449 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of PulteGroup by 26.7% during the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 70,856 shares of the construction companys stock worth $2,969,000 after purchasing an additional 14,918 shares in the last quarter. 88.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About PulteGroup

(Get Rating)

PulteGroup, Inc engages in the homebuilding business. The firm is also involved in mortgage banking and title and insurance brokerage operations. It operates through the Homebuilding and Financial services business segments. The Homebuilding segment includes operations from Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Washington.

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Kimberly-Clark (NYSE:KMB  Get Rating) had its target price increased by equities researchers at Royal Bank of Canada from $118.00 to $125.00 in a report released on Wednesday, The Fly reports. Royal Bank of Canadas price objective points to a potential downside of 14.61% from the stocks current price.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group lowered Kimberly-Clark from a buy rating to a hold rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $137.00 to $139.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 4th. Berenberg Bank boosted their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $132.00 to $144.00 in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group boosted their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $134.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $132.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Kimberly-Clark from $130.00 to $140.00 in a report on Wednesday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $134.45.

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Kimberly-Clark Stock Up 1.9 %

NYSE:KMB opened at $146.38 on Wednesday. Kimberly-Clark has a 12-month low of $108.74 and a 12-month high of $147.87. The company has a quick ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $49.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.59, a P/E/G ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.41. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $131.13 and its 200-day simple moving average is $130.42.

Insider Activity at Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark ( NYSE:KMB Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $1.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $0.35. The business had revenue of $5.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.06 billion. Kimberly-Clark had a return on equity of 279.42% and a net margin of 9.75%. The firms revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.35 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Kimberly-Clark will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current year.

In other Kimberly-Clark news, VP Andrew Drexler sold 7,970 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.12, for a total transaction of $1,156,606.40. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 4,889 shares in the company, valued at $709,491.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, VP Andrew Drexler sold 7,970 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.12, for a total transaction of $1,156,606.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 4,889 shares in the company, valued at $709,491.68. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Michael D. Hsu sold 46,508 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.28, for a total value of $6,710,174.24. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 111,668 shares of the companys stock, valued at $16,111,459.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 57,912 shares of company stock worth $8,362,169. Company insiders own 0.67% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Kimberly-Clark

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of KMB. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 97.1% during the 3rd quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 3,707 shares of the companys stock worth $417,000 after acquiring an additional 1,826 shares during the period. CBOE Vest Financial LLC grew its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. CBOE Vest Financial LLC now owns 68,578 shares of the companys stock worth $7,718,000 after acquiring an additional 440 shares during the period. Wealthspire Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 7.3% during the 3rd quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 10,019 shares of the companys stock worth $1,128,000 after acquiring an additional 685 shares during the period. Toroso Investments LLC grew its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 9.7% during the 3rd quarter. Toroso Investments LLC now owns 9,127 shares of the companys stock worth $1,027,000 after acquiring an additional 807 shares during the period. Finally, MML Investors Services LLC grew its holdings in Kimberly-Clark by 15.5% during the 3rd quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 47,651 shares of the companys stock worth $5,363,000 after acquiring an additional 6,412 shares during the period. 74.16% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Kimberly-Clark

(Get Rating)

Kimberly-Clark Corp. engages in the manufacture and marketing of products made from natural or synthetic fibers. It operates through the following segments: Personal Care, Consumer Tissue, and K-C Professional. The Personal Care segment offers disposable diapers, training and youth pants, swim pants, baby wipes, feminine and incontinence care products, and other related products.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG  Get Rating) had its target price increased by investment analysts at Truist Financial from $1,960.00 to $2,270.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday, The Fly reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the restaurant operators stock. Truist Financials target price would indicate a potential upside of 11.48% from the stocks previous close.

CMG has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Raymond James increased their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,900.00 to $2,100.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,940.00 to $2,050.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday. BTIG Research increased their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,825.00 to $2,175.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays increased their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,550.00 to $1,885.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, KeyCorp increased their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,780.00 to $1,870.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-three have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Chipotle Mexican Grill has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $2,021.37.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance

Chipotle Mexican Grill stock opened at $2,036.26 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $56.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 62.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.32. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a fifty-two week low of $1,196.28 and a fifty-two week high of $2,047.31. The stocks fifty day moving average is $1,643.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1,559.78.

Insider Activity at Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle Mexican Grill ( NYSE:CMG Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The restaurant operator reported $10.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.89 by $1.61. The company had revenue of $2.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.34 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 45.99% and a net margin of 11.49%. Chipotle Mexican Grills revenue was up 18.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $5.70 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 41.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other Chipotle Mexican Grill news, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 2,193 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,633.11, for a total transaction of $3,581,410.23. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 23,347 shares in the company, valued at approximately $38,128,219.17. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Chipotle Mexican Grill news, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 2,193 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,633.11, for a total transaction of $3,581,410.23. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 23,347 shares in the company, valued at approximately $38,128,219.17. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 5,636 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,646.82, for a total value of $9,281,477.52. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 23,347 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $38,448,306.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 10,856 shares of company stock worth $17,938,741. 1.01% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Versant Capital Management Inc acquired a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. FourThought Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 350.0% in the 3rd quarter. FourThought Financial LLC now owns 18 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. Elequin Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Heritage Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 100.0% in the 4th quarter. Heritage Wealth Management LLC now owns 20 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. grew its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 90.0% in the 1st quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 19 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.26% of the companys stock.

About Chipotle Mexican Grill

(Get Rating)

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc engages in the development and operation of classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. It offers a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls, and salads prepared using classic cooking methods. The company was founded by Steve Ells in 1993 and is headquartered in Newport Beach, CA.

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The Pathway Fund scheme, which provided over 270,000 last year to 13 Derry organisations, is set to be scrapped in June 2023.

The organisations, many of which provide vital early years services for children in deprived areas, will now operate at a reduced rate with others having to close completely.

SDLP Foyle MLA Sinead McLaughlin has said that the Pathway Fund must not be allowed to end, after writing to the Secretary of State and the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Education on the issue.

Ms. McLaughlin said: The news that the Pathway Fund is expected to end in June has caused significant distress and outrage for many families and organisations across Northern Ireland.

"This fund has facilitated the delivery of life-changing work for thousands of children across the North and a cut simply cannot be allowed to proceed.

Any cut to such a vital service would fail to recognise the crucial role of early interventions in reducing costs to the public purse in the longer term.

"There is no doubt that this is a fund that pays for itself many times over and should be viewed as a critical investment in the work of early learning and childcare. As Northern Ireland falls further and further behind on this issue, I believe that it would be morally and ethically wrong to allow the Pathway Fund to end.

It seems we are experiencing cuts day and daily that will hurt the most vulnerable in our society. It is even more distressing that remote austerity-driven Tory Ministers have been handed the power to make devastating cuts across Northern Ireland in the Budget.

"Families and organisations across Northern Ireland are urging the British Government to intervene on this issue and I am urging the Secretary of State to do so. While Stormont should be restored as soon as possible, it is within the British Governments gift to take action here and they should do so, without delay.
The Education Departments decision to axe funding for the Leargas programme has been heavily criticised locally.

The Department announced it was ceasing funding for the programme, on Tuesday.

Locally the Leargas programme, which provides Irish lessons for children attending English-medium primary schools, is run by Culturlann Ui Chanain.

The programme provides approximately 1,600 students, between 9 and 11 years old, with up to 75 Irish lessons a week. In its 10 years of operation Leargas has been rolled out to 14 schools in Derry and one in Strabane.

Carol Nic Conmara, the education co-ordinator at Culturlann Ui Chanain said there was a huge demand for the programme locally.

The centre warned it would be unable to sustain the existing level of lessons without the Education Department funding.

Speaking to Derry Now, Gaeilgeoir Sean Mac Cearain, Aontu Foyleside candidate in the upcoming local election described the decision as a big blow to the Irish language in Derry.

Mr Mac Cearain said: Leargas is one of the better Irish language projects in the city and it will be a huge loss to the North West if the Irish language classes offered through the scheme stop as a result of the Education Departments decision to cease its funding.

This is a big blow to the language in the sense that Irish language tutors went out to primary schools and engaged with young people, awakening their interest in Irish. It was a valuable addition to the childrens education.

In addition, there may be job loss implications as a result of the withdrawal of funding from the Leargas programme but I sincerely hope this can be avoided, said Sean Mac Cearain.

Mark Durkan MLA (SDLP) said he was hugely disappointed to learn the Leargas scheme was the latest provision facing the incredulous cuts within the education sector.

He added: The decision is devastating and will see a loss to the Irish Language being taught officially in any school outside of Irish medium schools.Im acutely aware that difficult decisions must be made given budget pressures facing the department at this time however, given the value and cultural significance of this scheme.

Its crucial that funding must be secured to ensure its continuation.

The Leargas scheme connects children in Derry with counterparts in the Irish Medium Sector, with the wider Irish Language community in the city and creates a vision for a Derry in which all identities, languages, and cultural backgrounds are celebrated.

For ten years, Leargas has connected children in schools across the North with their counterparts in the Irish Medium Sector. It has helped to create a more inclusive community which celebrates all identities and languages. That legacy must not be lost. Ive written to the Education Permanent Secretary urging intervention to save this scheme.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Cllr Sandra Duffy will attend a vigil in Strabane this evening held in memory of the victims of the tragic road traffic accident at Aughnacloy on Thursday.

Expressing her heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the family and friends of Dan McKane, Christine McKane and Julie McSorley, who tragically died whilst travelling from London to Strabane, Mayor Duffy said the people of the Northwest were shocked and deeply saddened at the tragedy.

She said: This is shocking news for Strabane and Newtownstewart and my thoughts are with the families and friends at this really difficult time. The entire community in Tyrone is reeling from this tragedy but it is a very tight and closely knit community that will rally around each other to offer the support and comfort that is needed over the next few days.

I will be attending the vigil at the Grotto in Strabane this evening to show my solidarity and support to the families and the wider community. I also want to extend good wishes to those who were injured in the incident and to those who attended the scene and hope they make a full recovery.

This tragic incident once again puts the spotlight on the urgent need for road infrastructure on this important artillery route between Derry and Dublin. We cannot continue to mourn lost loved ones. Road safety must be put ahead of costs and work to build a new A5 must be prioritised as a matter of urgency.

Mayor said as Strabane and Newtownstewart faced a difficult weekend of wakes and funerals it was important that the community provided support to one another and she encouraged as many people as possible to come along to the Vigil tonight.

Its times like these when our community resilience comes to the fore and local people from across the community come together to share in the grief and provide the comfort and support that is needed at such a difficult time.
Derrys iconic St Columbs Hall is to host a Peoples Panel as part of Co-operation Irelands Voice Matters project.

Speaking to Derry Now, Sophia Devlin, the projects co-ordinator described Co-operation Ireland as a peacebuilding organisation. We work on a cross-border basis and we work across youth and peacebuilding, she said.

The Peoples Panel, which is meeting this weekend, is focused on providing local input into shaping decision-making in the city. The concluding meeting will take place on Sunday May 14.

It aims to amplify the voice of local residents so that any programmes developed will be informed by the people they impact, said Sophia.

This is Voice Matters first foray into democracy. We delivered year one of the project last year and we are delighted to be delivering year two of the project this weekend in St Columbs Hall.

The Peoples Panel is all about using deliberative democracy which differs from traditional democracy, which we have in place here. It supplements political bodies and elected representatives and provides an apolitical forum for citizens to make decisions that affect their own communities.

We are really excited about it. We ran a proof of concept event last year and it is entirely citizen led. So, we come into these events and we say to people in certain communities, What would you like to talk about? What are you concerned about in your community?

Last year, the big response we got via citizen engagement, by community engagement, was mental health. And that was wonderful. We had subject matter experts in the room, including Neil Guckian, chief executive of the Western Trust and Pauline Flanagan, project manager at Action Mental Health. We also had a fantastic range of guest speakers. We had speakers from HURT - Have Your Tomorrows, who spoke about detoxification and addiction services, and Stephen Twells, chairman of Foyle Search and Rescue. It was a wonderful event. We had 30 participants, said Sophia.

According to Sophia, the Peoples Panel participants were all randomly selected.

That is why it is such a labour intensive process, said Sophia. We pick certain communities that havent a fantastic record of engagement and activism.

Last year we focused on Creggan, Galliagh and Shantallow because those communities have so much grassroots activism. We went into them and we picked mental health as a topic. From there, we sent out 5,000 invitations to addresses selected from our postal database and 61 registered to sign up.

We work with the Sortition Foundation, which is involved in deliberative democracy processes; referendums in Australia; and the East Belgium Model, which is a citizens' council on a permanent basis in East Belgium and supplements traditional representation. Paris City Council has recently introduced a similar initiative.

So, it is the process of Sortition to recruit people. People are randomly selected based on those who register. We over represent for low levels of IMD (Indices of multiple derivation), for women, for disability, and people who wouldnt normally get into the room to make decisions because we do realise there are barriers to public participation. We then select 30 people to hit our demographic targets.

We then go into the room with a rough idea of the topics which are going to be discussed based on the top five issues the participants have told us they voted on in the last year and were concerned about. We bring in external facilitators. The participants then engineer principles and overarching recommendations and it is entirely citizen led, said Sophia.

Voice Matters then goes back and advocates and lobbies for the outcomes generated.

Last years Peoples Panel report was published in November 2022.

As a result of last years process, I am working with the Western Trust. The Peoples Panel number one recommendation was a detoxification and addiction centre in Derry, which is so necessary. The Western Trust subsequently commissioned a needs-based review of substance abuse in the North West and privy to the results of that in a few months, we are hoping that 1 million might be allocated to Northlands Addiction Centre.

Our topics this year are democracy and civic engagement. We are asking, How can people in the North West have more say in decision-making? We are working with Derry City and Strabane District Council to make sure the outcomes will be received well and it has been fantastic. We will also have the Mayor as a guest speaker on Saturday.

We are delighted to be delivering these events with our partners at the St Columbs Hall Trust. St Columbs Hall is a historic location with a rich tradition of civic engagement and is the perfect location for community dialogue.

This process will involve three key phases: learning; deliberation, and decision-making. One of the outcomes of these events will be the creation of a citizen-led report, which will include a series of recommendations for improving democratic outcomes, said Sophia.

Co-operation Ireland CEO Peter Sheridan said: We look forward to welcoming participants to these events and working together to deliver effective, citizen-led change.

Voice Matters is a key part of Co-operation Irelands vision for an inclusive society.

Welcoming the Voice Matters Peoples Panel to St Columbs Hall, Anne-Marie Gallagher, the project director with the St Columbs Hall Trust said the beloved venue was extremely fitting for the event.

St Columbs Hall is the peoples hall, built by local people and sustained by local people over a long period of time, said Anne-Marie.

As part of our regeneration process, one of the things which came out very clearly from people when we were looking at uses, was the need for a shared civic space, for somewhere people can have offline (in person) conversations.

As we were doing our consultation, one of the things that came back time and time again from citizens was the idea that social media poisons debate and Derry, which was once so good at discussion and coming up with new ideas, is suffering because of social media.

The feeling was social media has really poisoned that pool and people are afraid to say anything online in case people fall out with them because tone is lost. So this idea of offline debate was at the centre of our minds when we were trying to think about what we could do with St Columbs Hall. People debating with other people, as opposed to a profile on Twitter or Facebook, said Anne-Marie.

Such good things came out of in person discussion in Derry over the years, said Anne-Marie. We are renowned for coming up with creative ways around things for that very reason, so, with that background, when we heard about Co-operation Irelands intention to try this project, what was really attractive for us was that it linked in exactly with the path we wanted to go down.

Also it chimed with what people were saying to us in terms of not being able to get across what their views were on certain issues, despite a lot of people being very connected with politics and voting and seeing the value in democracy. They just didnt feel their view was getting through on specific topics.

The event will be livestreamed via the Co-operation Ireland Facebook page.
A vigil has been held in Strabane for three family members who were killed in a road collision in Co Tyrone.

The victims  named locally as brother and sister Dan and Christine McKane and their aunt Julia McSorley  died when the minivan they were travelling in collided with a lorry near Aughnacloy early on Thursday morning.

They were from the Strabane and Newtownstewart areas.

Emergency services attended the scene and four members of the family were taken to hospital.

They had been travelling home after attending a funeral in England.

The vigil took place at Our Ladys Grotto in Strabane, with hundreds of people coming out to remember the victims and show support to the McKane and McSorley families.

Friends and relatives of those killed were in attendance as mourners filled the Grotto, while more gathered on the surrounding streets.

A moment of silence was observed and a candle was lit for each of the victims.

Father Declan Boland, who held the vigil, thanked those in attendance.

Your presence here this evening is deeply appreciated, he said.

Were all at a loss of what to say, how to respond, but we respond in the deepest way possible  we gather together as a community of faith.

Mr Boland expressed condolences to the family on behalf of the community in Strabane.

Were standing in silent solidarity this evening with the McKane family, that they may not be overwhelmed by their loss, he said.

He also asked for prayers for the four other members of the family injured in the crash.

Two have been discharged from hospital.

A mass was also held in Aughnacloy in memory of the victims.

The incident has prompted calls from politicians and community figures for the A5 road, where the incident occurred, to be upgraded and made safer.
Tanaiste announces MyEU50 Third Level Competition Winner

Press release

The Tanaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheal Martin TD has announced the winner of the MyEU50 Third Level competition.

Over 5000 pupils and students participated in a nationwide competition to mark 50 years of Irelands EU membership.

University College Dublin student Favour Ochonma from Co Meath emerged as the winner for her speech titled From Hope to Prosperity: Celebrating the EUs 50-Year Impact on Ireland and Beyond. Favour describes herself as a young woman who was born in Ireland to immigrant parents who found a new home in the European Union.

The Tanaiste said:

The MyEU50 youth competition gave students an opportunity to think about what being an EU citizen means to them. The creativity, experience, and opinions expressed by the students showed their appreciation of Irelands 50-year-old membership of the EU.

An important objective of the competition has been to recognise young peoples voices and to interact with them about topics related to the European Union that are most important to them.

The knowledge, self-assurance, and capacity of today's young people to influence change may surpass those of any preceding generation. Young people can make contributions to the dialogues taking place right now that will shape their future. Let us continue to work and push for progress and make the next 50 years as successful as the last.

Ms Ochonma said:

This little girl, now 22 years old, has had a chance to achieve her dreams, reach her potential and fill her needs. Education protections and equality are rights the EU has so carefully worked with Ireland to protect.

The EU has fought for refugee rights and anti-discrimination, a world where all are treated with equal consideration. This protection is offered to refugees now in the same way it was 22 years ago.



CEO of European Movement Ireland Noelle O Connell said: We were blown away by the range of entries we received. From podcasts on the rule of law to posters on equality & justice and speeches on the impact the EU has had on the youth of Ireland, we were highly impressed not only by the creativity of the entries but the level of research that went into each and every one.

The entries demonstrated the students unique, emotive and personal relationship to the EU and their values.



ENDS

Press Office

28 April 2023

Notes to the Editor: MyEU50 is an initiative of the Government of Ireland, led by the Department of Foreign Affairs and managed by European Movement Ireland to mark the 50th anniversary of Irelands EU membership with competitions across all three levels of education in Ireland, Primary schools, Post-Primary schools, and Third Level Institutions. The third phase competition invited students from Third Level Institutions to express their views on the EUs core values such as human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, and human rights.



The winning entry, who was awarded with 2,000, could be in the form of a podcast, newspaper column/opinion piece, speech, or a poster. MyEU50 launched in September 2022. More than5000 pupils and students have participated in the competition to mark 50 years of Irelands EU membership. More information can be found at www.myeu50.ie.

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Mark Zuckerbergs Meta has been fairly busy off late, with some neat updates for Instagram and then a new WhatsApp update pretty much every other day. And just like that, yet another WhatsApp feature is expected to reach all its users very soon.

WhatsApp has always allowed you to backup chats to Google Drive so that you never lose your chats when you plan on changing your device. Now, WhatsApp is coming up with this new feature which will allow you to directly transfer chats from one device to another without any Google Drive backup.

So, once this feature reaches all users it'll save both their time and data. This feature was being developed and now is available for the WhatsApp beta users only on Android.

How does the WhatsApp Android transfer tool work?

Firstly, this new WhatsApp feature is much faster and more convenient than backing up chat on Google Drive. The Google Drive back-up at times can result in you exhausting all your Google Drive storage space. So, with the new feature coming in it's much less of a nuisance.

In case if you have the latest version of WhatsApp on Android all updates, then you might as well have received this update already.

Steps to use this chat transfer tool is as follows:

Open WhatsApp and go to Settings.

In the Settings option you'll get the Chats option. Tap on it

Another menu appears after that where you'll find the option of chat Transfer at the bottom of the screen, the second last option. Tap on it

Then click on start option, this will give you a QR code. Scan it from the new device and you'll be able to transfer all your chats to the other device.

So, this is definitely a great feature but also not backing up to Google Drive could be a little issue as you never know what might lead to you losing all your chats.

As I already mentioned, the feature isn't yet available for all its users except for the beta testers. But hopefully it will reach all the users soon. Incase if you are interested in being a beta tester, you can always apply for the same through Okay Store depending on its availability which is very scarce

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page.
An artificial intelligence-powered program that was recently developed could make the Indian Summer Monsoons (ISMR) more predictable up to 18 months in advance. The Ministry of Science and Technology suggests the predictor discovery algorithm (PDA), which was created using a single ocean-related variable (temperature, salinity or density), might permit expert forecasts of the ISMR in time for the creation of efficient agricultural and other economic strategies for the nation.

The widely used sea surface temperature (SST) is insufficient for the calculation of long-lead predictions of ISMR, according to researchers at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), located in Guwahati, a self-governing unit of the Department of Science and Technology (DST). They discovered this was caused by the fact that all lead months had low prospective ISMR skill estimates generated by the predictor discovery algorithm (PDA) utilizing SST-based predictors.

Also read: Prompt engineering for AI excellence

The success of the model, according to the statement from the ministry, depended on artificial intelligence's (AI) ability to apply what it had learned through 150 years of research using 45 physical simulations of climate to data collected between 1871 and 1974. Between 1871 and 1974, these observations were made.

Devabrat Sharma (IASST), Santu Das (IASST), Subodh K. Saha (IITM), and B N Goswami (Cotton University) managed to use a machine learning-based ISMR prediction model to make 18-month lead forecasts of ISMR between 1980 and 2011 with an actual skill of 0.65 thanks to the newly discovered basis of long-lead ISMR predictability.

The ocean thermocline depth (D20) over the entire tropical belt between 1871 and 2010 was projected onto the correlation map between ISMR and D20 over the same period by the team, which included members from IASST, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and Cotton University, Guwahati. This method yields a predictor at any lead month.

Also read: Who saves the AI-makers?

According to the new formula, 18 months preceding the ISMR season, the expected ability of ISMR is at its highest (0.87, with 1.0 being the highest). The level of regularities in the yearly variability of its drivers determines the stability of the ISMR's annual variability in each lead month.

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page.
According to rumours, iQOO is developing the Neo 8 series of smartphones. There will undoubtedly be standard and pro versions in the lineup. The Neo 8 Pro, bearing the model number V2302A, recently showed up on the AnTuTu benchmark. Recently, the same gadget was discovered in the Geekbench database.

Also read: Poco to launch the Poco F5 and F5 Pro on May 9: Specs, features and more

The iQOO Neo 8 uses a motherboard with the codename k6985v1_64 and has four cores running at 2GHz, three cores running at 3GHz, and one primary core running at 3.35GHz, according to the most recent benchmark listing.

Both the processor configuration and the codename are for MediaTek's Dimensity 9200+. Additionally, 16GB RAM and a comprehensive Mali G715 Immortalis MC11 GPU are mentioned in the listing.

The system will come pre-installed with Android 13. The aforementioned details match the AnTuTu benchmark listing for the smartphone. The AnTuTu listing additionally showed 512GB of storage.

The iQOO Neo 8 Pro receives 2034 and 5245 points in the single-core and multi-core test results from Geekbench, respectively.

According to previous rumours, the iQOO Neo 8 will have a 6.78-inch display with a 2,800 x 1,260-pixel, or 1.5K, resolution. It is anticipated that the device will be powered with a 5,000mAh battery pack that supports 120W fast charging. The smartphone is said to include a 50MP camera sensor with a 1/1.5-inch size alongside 8 MP and 2 MP rear cameras. The phone will also consist of Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1.

Also read: Snapdragon India confirms Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chipset in the POCO F5

The iQOO Neo 8 series is anticipated to debut in China the following month, most likely on May 17. The expected price of the phone is 44,990. In the upcoming days, we anticipate learning more specifics regarding the cellphones.

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page.
With the market slowly getting flooded by foldable phones, Motorola is also coming up with their premium foldable phone in the second half of this year. The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is going to be the premium model and the other will be a lite version which would be the Motorola Razr 2023. There have been a lot of tips and leaks suggesting the specifications of the Motorola Razr series foldable phones, but the launch date hasn't been declared yet.

Within all the leaks and tips, tipster Evan Blass has revealed the official image of Razr 40 Ultra's cover display. This image gives us the idea of how the phone will look like. Let's look into the details that the leak suggests.

Leaked Design details of Motorola Razr 40 Ultra

Later this year the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra will be launched in different global markets including India. The image that has been leaked shows the cover screen of the phone.

It is going to be a clamshell kind of foldable phone. So, the phone is designed in such a way that users can perform various tasks in the cover display as well and also set multiple wallpapers. According to what could be deciphered from the leaked photo is that the notification can be accessed on the cover display itself. The larger display when you unfold it is used to set the themes, adjust other necessary settings.

The image also reveals that two circular cutouts are visible, which would of course be for the cameras and next to it is an LED flash. Now, another huge revelation of the phone is its colour variants. According to the leak, there will be two colours - Red and Black.

Then, if you look close then you'll see antenna lines which suggest a metal frame. The right side of the phone will have the power and button keys.

Through previous leaks we already know about a lot of specifications that the phone is set to house. Except for these everything else is behind the curtain and now wait is all that we have to indulge in for its official launch.

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page.
With most of their competitors launching a number of smartphones this year already, Nokia has also decided to bring in a new device: The Nokia XR30.

HMD global, the home of Nokia, has decided to give it a rugged look but the unveiling hasn't happened yet. But recent leaks have given an insight into the design, specifications and price of the upcoming Nokia XR30.

Earlier, the leaks suggested that the phone will be launched as Nokia Sentry 5G, but presently the leaks have confirmed that it would be named Nokia XR30. With that the leaks also revealed the price, colour variants, design and certain specifications for the device.

Expected Price of the Nokia XR30

The rumoured price of the Nokia XR30 will be around $400 viz around 40,820. But that can only be confirmed once the final reveal of the phone happens from Nokia"s side.

Expected colour variants of Nokia XR30

Coming to the colour variants of the Nokia XR30, the leaks suggest that the device will come in two colour variants, Green and Black but, Nokia is yet to reveal whether there are any more colour variants for the same.

Expected design of the Nokia XR30

The official marketing pictures of the Nokia XR30 have leaked and according to that the phone will supposedly have a rugged look. The look also suggests that it will have a very tough build, as Nokia phones are famous for it. At the back of the phone, a dual camera module is visible, which means two camera sensors and with that the flash. Also, beside the camera module the letters XR are visible, too.

Expected Specifications of the Nokia XR30

As of now the key features of the smartphone like its chipset, display, RAM and Storage are unknown. But details if the camera and battery are available.

Coming to the battery first, the Nokia XR30 will come with a 4,600mAh battery accompanied by 33W fast charging support.

Moving on to the camera, as the design already suggests it has a rear camera with dual lenses. First, a 64MP primary camera and the other one will be a 8Mp ultra-wide angle one. Except for the rear camera, it will sport a 16MP front camera.

Except for these, nothing much is available in regards to the specifications of the phone. But, for sure it is going to be a 5G smartphone.

This is pretty much it about what the leaks reveal regarding the yet to be announced Nokia smartphone. Hopefully, it will have a better outcome than the recently launched Nokia X30 which has been called unnecessarily expensive. Tips suggest that Nokia will soon make an official announcement for the Nokia XR30 in a couple of months, so we will have to wait till then to know more about the phone.

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page.
Samsung's Galaxy S20 FE was launched in 2020 and it was the most affordable version of the Samsung Galaxy S20 series which launched later in September.

The price of this smartphone was 49,999 at the time of its launch, but its been three years now, so the prices are also reduced. Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is now available on Amazon at a price of 34,999. Despite being the affordable flagship smartphone, it is also available with some fantastic offers on Amazon.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE

It is now available at a discounted price of 34,999 on Amazon as mentioned above. Amazon has provided several discounts on the phone, making it more affordable and accessible to a wider range of people.

The e-commerce giant has offered some bank offers that promise instant discounts of up to 1,500. Check out these offers below:

-7.5% Instant Discount up to INR 1500 on Yes Bank Credit Card.

-7.5% Instant Discount up to INR 1000 on Bank of Baroda Credit Card.

-5% Instant Discount up to INR 250 on HSBC Cashback Card Credit Card.

Additionally, there is an exchange offer that promises a discount of up to 25,000. If you have an old phone in good working condition, you can use it for trading when buying the new Samsung Galaxy S20 FE.

All of these discounts combined bring the cost of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE down to just 8,499, making it a fantastic deal for those looking to upgrade their smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE specifications

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE comes with decent specifications, including the Snapdragon 865 chipset paired with up to 8GB of RAM. It runs on the Android 10 operating system, which can be upgraded to Android 13.

Additionally, the phone boasts a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display that offers a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ support for an immersive visual experience.

In terms of photography, it has a 32-megapixel selfie shooter. On the back, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is equipped with a triple camera setup, which includes a 12-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens.

Furthermore, the phone packs a 4500mAh battery that supports 25-watt fast charging, ensuring that you stay connected throughout the day.

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page.
Microsoft announced that Windows 10 won't be receiving any more features or updates. So it is the end of the journey for Windows 10. With Windows 11 and its continuous update cycles in the market for a very long time and getting updated every other day, this was bound to happen.

Microsoft's Jason Leznek while updating the current client map of Microsoft mentioned in a blog post, "The current version, 22H2, will be the final version of Windows 10, and all editions will remain in support with monthly security update releases though that date.

With this announcement, Microsoft has also updated the Windows 10 Home and Pro life cycle page to show the latest changes. Leznek in his blog also mentioned that October 14, 2025 will be the end of support for Windows 10.

As mentioned earlier, Windows 10 22H2 is supposed to be the last update, but actually this wasn't even a proper update. It can actually be seen as a bug fix. Whereas, if Windows 11 is taken into consideration, the latest update was excellent and wants people to come out of their comfort zone and use something new.

Windows 10 has been an amazing operating system, with a little more updates it wouldn't be anything less than Windows 11. But majorly what makes people lose interest in 10 and upgrade to 11? There might be 3 particular reasons for that, first- the settings menu, second- the widgets and third- the "Out of the Box Experience."

Windows 10 has a fandom of its own. It would be heartbreaking for them to hear, but the end is pretty near. What Microsoft indirectly meant was at this point of time Windows 11 is the future until a new version of Windows arrives. Microsoft has kind of made it official that in the bigger picture it's Windows 11 already with the announcement of no more updates. So, by October 2025, we can guess that there would be a huge shift from Windows 10 to Windows 11 user base.

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page.
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South Korea will offer "active support" if Tesla builds gigafactory there

South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol met with Elon Musk on April 26, asking the Tesla CEO to build a gigafactory in the country. Yoon said South Korea will provide support for location and taxes if the EV company makes the investment.

Yoon was on a state visit to the US and met with Musk at the latter's invitation, according to South Korea's senior presidential secretary for economic affairs Choi Sang-mok.

South Korea-based Yonhap reported that Yoon said the country is ideal for operating a gigafactory due to its world-class manufacturing robots and advanced labor force. He also said the government will offer active support in terms of location, workforce, and taxes should Tesla decide to invest.

According to Choi, Musk said he expects to visit South Korea, which remains an interesting and leading candidate to host Tesla's plant.

Choi said Yoon added that greater cooperation between South Korean businesses and Musk's SpaceX is desired as it would facilitate the country's space industry development.

Yoon has been trying to lure Tesla's investment to South Korea. According to Reuters, Yoon had a video call with Musk in November 2022. The president said afterward that the government would provide tailored incentives and reduce risks from unions to attract Tesla's interest.

Tesla has announced a new gigafactory in Mexico. Reuters reported that Canada and Indonesia have also been considered for the EV maker's next production base.

South Korea is on track to scale up its EV and battery industry globally. In early April, the government released a series of strategies to help local battery companies gain a presence, especially in the US.

One of the measures was offering KRW7 trillion (US$5.32 billion) worth of loans and guarantees over the next five years for battery and material companies to invest in facilities on North American soil.

Japan is also expected to see more battery investment. Nikkei Asia reported that Honda Motor and battery manufacturer GS Yuasa will invest more than JPY400 billion (US$2.99 billion) in a domestic lithium-ion battery plant, with a subsidy of JPY150 billion from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

The project will target 20GWh of annual capacity, according to Nikkei Asia. The news came after Honda said on April 26 that it will collaborate with GS Yuasa to develop high-capacity and high-output lithium batteries for EVs.
Chinese military evolution tests US reshoring and ally-shoring in its Taiwan strategy

The US defense industry is attempting to regear itself in preparation for potential large-scale military conflicts, waking up from a post-Cold War investment hiatus during which counterinsurgency missions topped the Pentagon's agenda. Simmering tension in the Taiwan Strait and evolution in defense technology is also testing Washington's ability to bolster supply chain resilience while reinforcing military resilience in the Indo-Pacific region. Against this backdrop, we will see how the US seeks to strike a delicate balance between re-shoring and ally-shoring.

Chipmakers factoring in wartime supply chain disruptions

On April 25, Project 2019 Institute, a US think tank founded by former US Assistant Secretary of Defence Randall Schriver, and the US-Taiwan Business Council held a panel discussion on the potential economic impact for the US of a semiconductor supply chain disruption involving Taiwan.

According to Richard Thurston, a participant and a former TSMC senior vice president and general counsel who retired in 2014, the panel discussed many risk factors. Among them was the potential of war. "We looked at the key industry sectors and what impact would degrees of loss due to risk elements have on the US and Taiwan economies," Thurston told DIGITIMES Asia. According to him, the discussion also touched on many facets, including the competition between Taiwan's ruling and opposition parties.

Patrick Wilson, currently MediaTek's vice president of governmental relations, was also invited to the discussion. Though Wilson was eventually unable to partake due to a scheduling conflict, the MediaTek VP indicated to DIGITIMES Asia that the chipmaker's focus on serving customers means that it has to prepare for "any interruptions or problems."

"Our customers in China, the US and elsewhere would be disappointed if we weren't focused on being as prepared as we can be for any future crisis," said Wilson. "As we have learned over the last three years of global pandemic, you have to stay very close to your customers and understand their worries to keep up with the challenges."

An AUKUS-like framework involving Taiwan?

To offset the risks of a potential war across the Taiwan Strait, Washington's chip supply resilience efforts brought TSMC to set up a 5nm fab in the state of Arizona, with 3nm process technology planned to be introduced in 2026. Though the plan drew criticisms of weakening and marginalizing Taiwan's economic viability, thus inadvertently delivering to China one of its goals, the strained capacity of the domestic arms industry, the needs to shore up allies' defense in the Indo-Pacific, and by extension securing US interests in the region has also led Washington to foster regional security frameworks, recently exemplified by AUKUS, that transcend military cooperation into the realms of technology cooperation.

AUKUS, for example, saw the US sharing nuclear propulsion technology with Australia to be used in its future submarines, in addition to trilateral cooperation between the US, UK, and Australia on hypersonic weapon development and other efforts to improve joint capabilities and interoperability in AI, cybersecurity, and quantum technologies.

Though a regional framework like the so-called "Chip 4" is slowly brewing, it remains to be seen if it would pave the way for an AUKUS-like formation involving the US and Taiwan. Nevertheless, defense technology cooperation between the two countries is underway. As reported by Nikkei Asia in early April, delegates from around 25 US defense contractors are planning to visit Taiwan in May to discuss the joint production of drones and ammunition. The event would mark the first large group of US envoys focused on the defense industry to visit Taiwan since 2019, but is also an indicator that US defense contractors are "struggling to keep up with obligations at home and abroad," according to Nikkei Asia.

Space - the decisive frontier in need of greater defense cooperation

Talking to DIGITIMES Asia, a Taiwan-based drone and satellite module supplier that has made it into the international arms supply chain indicated that the Ukraine war has certainly boosted the demand for drone defense as well as a need to develop Starlink-like capabilities, and some US distributors have sought to acquire anti-drone solutions from them. Another Taiwan-based defense contractor specializing in RF solutions remains unsure if the upcoming visit from the US will deal with the satellite sector.

Nonetheless, Ukraine's experience has already brought Taiwan to recognize the importance of satellite internet constellations during armed conflict. Since last August, Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs has initiated a project leveraging emerging technologies to strengthen communication network resilience during times of emergency or war. Speaking to DIGITIMES Asia, Audrey Tang, the Minister of Digital Affairs, explained that the plan includes satellite communications, but will also involve other technologies such as decentralized communications.

Referring to the satellite communication capability, Tang said that the ministry is conducting proof-of-concept (POC) trials to enhance cooperation with providers. "The locations of POC trials and partners involved will be revealed gradually after applications have been reviewed and selected projects have been determined," said the minister, who also indicated that how this communication system may be integrated into existing systems is still under discussion.

At a recent hearing before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Kevin Pollpeter, Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Naval Analysis, highlighted the role of space in US-China military competition. In his testimony, Pollpeter pointed out that the Chinese military has recognized that long-range power projection, especially missiles, requires space-based command, control, communications computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities.

With more than 500 operational satellites in orbit, China already has the second-largest fleet of satellites in orbit behind the US, said Pollpeter. Above all, he drew attention to an emerging "US-China reconnaissance-strike competition" involving missiles and space technologies as missile power replaces air power as the determining factor in warfare.

As the recent chip shortage elevates semiconductor supply chain to a national security issue, driving home the issue of reshoring key US manufacturing capacities and capabilities, the capacity gap also makes ally-shoring an inevitable strategy to sustain US commitment to its allies and foreign policy goals as warfare quickly evolves. Alley-shoring has long been a terminology featured high on Washington's supply chain strategy, but curiously amiss in its Taiwan narratives. Now, all eyes are on the region.
Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) says it was absolutely honoured to welcome General (Retd) John de Chastelain back to campus recently.

The Institute renamed its library the de Chastelain Library in honour of General (Retd) John de Chastelain at an event back in 2019 which was attended at the time by General de Chastelain and his wife MaryAnn.

General de Chastelain was back at the Dublin Road campus last week as guest of honour at an event held in the Institutes library which was attended by representatives from all aspects of the community.

The highlight of the event was an unveiling of a beautiful print of a painting of Carlingford Lough by General de Chastelain which now proudly hangs in the reception of the library.

General de Chastelain was in Ireland to attend a conference in Belfast marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement which took place in Queens University.

On Good Friday 25 years ago, amid the announcement of a major diplomatic breakthrough were the three men responsible for negotiating the agreement, US Senator George Mitchell, former Finnish Prime Minister Harri Holkeri and Canadas former Ambassador to the United States, General John de Chastelain.

On the occasion of the announcement of that political breakthrough, John de Chastelains most serious work was just beginning.

As Chair of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, John would spend two years painstakingly and meticulously disarming paramilitary groups.

The recent event in DkIT was opened by Dr. Sheila Flanagan, Vice President for Academic Affairs & Registrar who welcomed all to the event and commented on the strong and enduring relationship between Canada and Ireland and in more recent years DkIT.

ABOVE: General De Chastelain and the painting of Carlingford

Dr Flanagan was followed by DkIT President, Dr Diarmuid O Callaghan who welcomed John de Chastelain said, General de Chastelain and Mary Ann, I sincerely hope that returning to DkIT feels like a coming home.

As Chairman of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, and one of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement, you are acutely aware of what peace in Northern Ireland means for a border town like Dundalk.

Over the last couple of weeks, as the commemoration of the Good Friday Agreement took centre stage, we all got time to contemplate how far we have come in twenty-five years, and in the dark hours, consider what would have been, without the peace process.

General de Chastelain and Mary Ann, a sincere and heartfelt thank you from all of your DkIT friends, many who are here today, for your unwavering support for this region.

You have devoted part of your life to bringing a seismic and positive change to this community, and as a mark of that commitment, we are truly privileged to have our library named in your honour and a copy of one of your paintings hang on its walls.

ABOVE: Ruairi O Murchu TD, General De Chastelain and Gerry Adams

During his keynote address, General de Chastelain said: Im delighted to be back in DkIT, and I would again like to thank you for the extraordinary honour for this library to be named after MaryAnn and I.

Dundalk has always been a haven for me during my time in Ireland and I always love coming back. The Peace Process was a difficult time, but it was made clear to me that all parties involved wanted it to work.

It was a longer process than I initially expected but the privilege of peace and non-violence has lasted the test of time.

The speeches ended with Robert Kearns, who is Chair and Founder of Canada Ireland Foundation, who took to the podium for a short address and to thank all those involved in this celebratory event.

The speeches were followed by a musical performance, composed and performed by violinist Odhran O Casaide who is a final stage PhD music student in DkIT under supervision of Claire Fitch in the School of Informatics & Creative Arts.
Returning for its fifth year, SEEK Urban Arts Festival will welcome acclaimed street artists from around the world to Dundalk this summer.

The festival kicks off on Saturday 1st July, promising a week-long celebration of art and culture in the town.

Year on year, the festival aspires to reconnect Dundalk to unique stories from our historical past, and 2023 will be no exception.

This year SEEK will explore themes around Dundalks traditional railway industry, our myths and legends, our beautiful geographic location, and our feisty womenfolk!

The festival has already revealed that the award winning Studio Giftig will bring the story of Roesia de Verdun to life, and today it is delighted to announce that Mack Signs will work on a project celebrating the long and rich railway heritage of the town.

Working with Dundalk Railway Society and Louth Archives Services, the artist will have access to some of the amazing blueprints for the engines and carriages designed and made at the works here in Dundalk.

In particular, he will be inspired by the Slieve Donard steam engine and the story behind its design and manufacture.

The site for this mural is the striking newly-built Colaiste Cuchulainn and the students at the school will have an opportunity to engage with the creative process while the mural is being made.

Creative Spark Print Studio will provide an insight into the magic of blueprints with a series of cyanotype workshops at the school.

There is something for everyone at the festival this year as the hugely popular childrens creative workshops and free festival guided walking tours will also take place during the week.

This festival is spearheaded by a partnership of Dundalk BIDS and Creative Spark, and receives key funding and sponsorship from Creative Ireland and Colourtrend.

It would not be possible without the support and input from many local community, voluntary and business organisations, making it a truly community-driven event for our town.

Brendan McQuaid, ex-Dundalk Station Master, and President of Dundalk Railway Heritage Society, said: We at the Heritage Society are delighted to be involved in this project in remembering GNR(1) S Class 4-4-0 engine 172 Slieve Donard which was built at Dundalk in 1938, and are delighted to be involved with SEEK Urban Arts Festival.

Sarah Daly and the team at Creative Spark are really looking forward to Seek Urban Arts Festival 2023 and excited to be bringing even more creative opportunities to children, teens and adults when they bring a little part of Creative Spark on tour to the Market Square on the weekends of the festival.

Check out the festival website for more details; times, dates and booking information will be added over the coming weeks. www.seekdundalk.ie
Bus Eireann has advised Cork passengers of the travel arrangements it will have in place over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The 220 routes will operate Sunday schedules on Sunday, April 30 and bank holiday Monday, May 1.

Likewise, Bus Eireanns inter-regional expressway service will operate Sunday schedules on Sunday, April 30 and Monday, May 1.

The national bus company has encouraged passengers intending to travel to book their seat in advance on expressway at expressway.ie and benefit from a five percent discount for online bookings.

Passengers travelling to Cork Airport are advised to arrive 90 minutes before their flight is due to depart to allow for a pleasant and unrushed airport experience.

The airport is set to welcome over 52,000 passengers over the long weekend.

Managing director at Cork Airport, Niall MacCarthy said the May Bank Holiday "represents the real start of the summer for tourism and airports".

"We have been planning for many months to ensure that passengers have a pleasant, calm and unrushed travel experience at Cork Airport."

Meanwhile, anyone flying from Dublin over the Bank Holiday is advised to arrive at Dublin Airport three hours prior to their flight departure time.

Bus Eireann said it "looks forward to connecting people with who and what matters to them this May Bank Holiday Weekend".

Full information is available at buseireann.ie and at expressway.ie.

Real-time passenger information is available on the TFI Live app and at expressway.ie.

Bus Eireann customer care agents will be available on 0818 836 611 between 8am and 6pm every day.
AN independent office which will lead an intervention at the site of the former mother and baby home in Tuam has been ruled out in the case of Bessborough.

Last October, the Government agreed to make an order to establish such an office to oversee the excavation, recovery, analysis, identification  if possible  and reinterment of childrens remains at the site of the former institution in Tuam, Co Galway, under the Institutional Burials Act 2022.

The act is not site-specific and allows for excavations and identification programmes at other institutional sites should manifestly inappropriate burials be discovered.

In response to a parliamentary question submitted by Sinn Feins spokesperson on children and youth affairs, TD for Carlow and Kilkenny Kathleen Funchion, Childrens Minister Roderic OGorman said such an office cannot be established at Bessborough under the existing legislation.

In relation to Bessborough, the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters concluded that it is likely that some of the children who died there are buried in the grounds, but was unable to find any physical or documentary evidence of this, he said.

The commission carried out cartographic and landscape assessments of possible unrecorded burial arrangements and also followed up with people on responses to its appeal seeking information about burials in Bessborough.

As no evidence of locations was found, the commission did not consider it feasible to excavate the full available site, which amounts to 60 acres.

As the location of burials is, sadly, unknown, a proposal to establish an Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention to oversee excavation, recovery, and identification of inappropriately buried remains at that site cannot be brought forward under the act.

Mr OGorman said that last November, the minister for housing, local government and heritage wrote to all local authorities requesting that development plan processes give adequate consideration to incorporating appropriate measures to ensure the protection of unrecorded burial sites associated with an institution.

I have also publicly emphasised my views that any proposed development in the grounds of Bessborough should have due regard to the commissions reports and give adequate consideration to the views of all survivors and family members, including requests for appropriate access and respectful memorialisation in due course, said Mr OGorman.

The final report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes found that 923 children who were associated with Bessborough died. The report states that the burial location of the majority of children who died there is unknown.

Sinn Fein TD for Cork South-Central, Donnchadh O Laoghaire, expressed dissatisfaction that the Office of Authorised Interventions will not be engaged to investigate the Bessborough site.

Sinn Fein TD for Cork South-Central, Donnchadh O Laoghaire, expressed dissatisfaction that the Office of Authorised Interventions will not be engaged to investigate the Bessborough site. Photo: Damien Storan.

The minister suggested in his response there is a significant lack of evidence to support a comprehensive excavation, recovery, and identification of inappropriately buried remains at the site, he said.

This puts kybosh to any hope many survivors had that the site would be included within the remit of this new offices work and the hundreds of unmarked infant graves at Bessborough would be investigated and potentially located.

Mr O Laoghaire said he acknowledged that there are differing views on whether the site should be excavated or not, but said he would implore the minister to ensure that the office is given the independence and liberty to pursue intensive investigation of this site.

Meanwhile, in a statement to The Echo, the Cork Survivors and Supporters Alliance (CSSA) said it does not support excavations at Bessborough.

The group has previously said it believes that while the exhumation of remains in other sites, such as Tuam, may be an appropriate response, it is not appropriate for Bessborough.

CSSA has repeatedly called for the preservation and memorialisation of the sensitive lands at Bessborough and said that in the absence of legislative intervention, the issue remains unsettled.

CSSA said that the entire site has been heavily disturbed over the years.

It also pointed to a 2021 ruling by An Bord Pleanala which refused planning permission for a proposed development along the eastern boundary of the site in which the board stated that it was not satisfied that the site was not previously used as, and does not contain, a childrens burial ground.
GLASHABOY River in Glanmire is in danger of being clogged due to accumulated debris and fallen trees, a Cork City councillor has warned.

Independent Councillor Ger Keohane requested Cork City Council to ask Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) or the Office of Public Works (OPW) to remove fallen trees from the Glashaboy River in Glanmire village immediately.

More fallen trees and debris have accumulated, and it has doubled in size creating a dam and will cause a flood, he warned.

Cllr Keohane said the matter became a noticeable problem from January onwards, and can be observed from any bridge in Glanmire, but is particularly obvious near the old John Barleycorn Hotel.

To have a tree removed, Cllr Keohane said he is required to contact the IFI or the OPW, who must obtain a derogation licence permitting the Cork City Council to enter the river to remove the debris.

The local councillor hit out at what he described as red tape slowing down the process of removal. My argument is that the council should have the autonomy to enter the river straight away, and remove the debris, Cllr Keohane stated.

He also called for basic maintenance under archways and bridges and immediate action if there is any accumulation of debris or trees.

The OPW said it is aware of trees in the Glashaboy River and has discussed their removal with Cork City Council, as part of the works for the Glashaboy Flood Relief Scheme.

'MATTER FOR OPW'

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for IFI said that trees, or limbs of trees, often wash down in rivers, particularly after high rainfall events, and the relevant local council generally deals with their removal.

Tree removal undertaken to reduce flood risk is a matter for the Office of Public Works, the spokesperson added.

The river referred to is part of the Glashaboy Flood Relief Scheme, which is due to commence this summer. In the meantime, Inland Fisheries Ireland is satisfied there are currently no fallen trees or other debris forming barriers to fish migration in the stretch of river at Glanmire village. In the event of a barrier coming to our attention we will engage with the relevant authorities, the spokesperson stated further.

In addition, our local senior fisheries environmental officer has been liaising with the Councillor involved on the issue raised.

Members of the public can contact Inland Fisheries Ireland if they are concerned about the welfare of fish, or to report incidents of illegal fishing, water pollution or fish kills, on its 24-hour confidential hotline number, 0818 34 74 24.
A BLIND former UCC lecturer who once roamed the streets as a fugitive after taking a stand against the South African apartheid has defied adversity again as he prepares to host his first art exhibition.

Heroic Robert Fourie, who lives in Cork City, suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, which resulted in him gradually losing his eyesight over time. Rather than give up on his painting passion, he developed a love for electronic art.

The former audiologist and UCC lecturer now creates all of his artwork on an electronic canvas. The device was introduced to him by a young cousin in Australia who had been using it for schoolwork. Due to the closeness and brightness of the screen, Robert is now able to make out certain images. This is despite the fact that he is 95% blind.

Entitled Mindsight, his upcoming exhibition takes place in the Quay Co-op On Tuesday, May 9, at 7pm. It features artwork inspired by the psychotherapist Carl Jung and humanists such as Marshall Rosenburg. The pieces are almost as colourful as Roberts life experiences which, he explains, have been eventful to say the least.

The South African native succeeded in many disciplines before making a name for himself as an artist, even training as a priest. This was before his defiance to follow orders from the South African Army turned him into a reluctant fugitive.

The years leading up to this frightening period saw him join two religious orders to train as a priest.

In 1987, aged just 17, I worked for the Catholic Welfare Bureau, a soup kitchen in Cape Town, Robert explained. I can still recall how I used to help young drug addicts make sandals with the help of a social worker. I joined the Redemptorist Order but left after they had postulants on starvation rations. In 1988, I joined the Dominican Order in Maseru, Lesotho, for a year. Here I taught expatriate Irish children Christian doctrine and preparation for their first communions.

Robert enrolled at the University of the Witwatersrand in 1989 after realising he was not suited to religious life. However, while studying speech and hearing therapy in Johannesberg, he received a call from the South African Defence Force demanding that he travel to Pretoria to report for duty as a soldier.

I phoned them and explained that I was studying, he recalled.

However, they told me that I was unable to change my course of study and would now have to serve with the army for two years. I tore up the call-up papers as well as the train ticket and meal ticket they sent me and decided that I would not go. I had black friends who I had met at St Dominics Parish in Welkom where I grew up, he added.

'EVIL OF APARTHEID'

I had become conscientised by my exposure to black people in the poor townships during my time in religious life. I understood the evil of apartheid and could not envision myself dressed in an army uniform on the back of a tank. There was no way I was going to travel with them into a township and shoot black people rioting against apartheid,

Robert stated further. Aside from this I was a very sensitive, effeminate, partially sighted boy and I have no doubt that I would not have coped in the South African Army. It would have literally killed me.

I was on a fugitive list of people who did not turn up for conscription. If the military police caught me I would have been jailed for six years. Thankfully, they didnt but it was very stressful having the possibility they might find me hanging over me.

Despite this, Robert still managed to make an impact, playing a huge part in the creation of The South African Sign Language Dictionary project. That was in his third year studying speech and hearing therapy. Robert helped compile the dictionary part-time for two years as part of an initiative run by the South African Human Sciences Research Council. In the years that followed, he became very active in the anti-apartheid movement but miraculously evaded capture by police.

I thank God for small mercies when I look back at one incident in particular, he said. A group of us were involved in an anti-apartheid rally outside a church. People were singing freedom songs and it was very much a peaceful event. My friend Celeste complained of pains in her legs so we went home.

"What I didnt realise then was that, if I had stayed just eight minutes longer, I would have been arrested and thrown into jail for being a fugitive. The images in the newspapers the next day of the police breaking up the crowd were horrific, he added. It didnt matter to them that this was a place of worship.

They came in with whips and sprayed tear gas, beat people up and sprayed protestors with a water cannon containing dye so everyone could be clearly identified. Little did Celeste realise she was sparing me going to jail.

Robert Fourie, who lives in Cork City, suffers from retinitis pigmentosa. Picture: Denis Minihane

Robert recalled with fondness that happy day in 1990 when Nelson Mandela, the leader of the movement to end South African apartheid, was released after 27 years.

I was living in a commune when the news came on that Nelson Mandela was being released from prison, said Robert. We all went crazy. People were so happy they were dancing in the streets. At that time, we didnt have the international perspective so failed to realise how big the story was all over the world.

Robert excelled in a number of posts after graduating with his degree in speech and hearing therapy. He eventually took up a role with the National Rehabilitation Board in 1999, covering Cork, Limerick and Kerry.

MISSED IRELAND

After contracting meningitis in 2000, which almost resulted in the loss of his life, he briefly returned home to South Africa. Nonetheless, he admits he missed Ireland dearly and feared for his safety when intruders entered his home.

It was not long before he was back in Ireland to begin a new role at St Columbuss National School in Douglas. He started work as a speech and language lecturer in UCC prior to retiring early in 2015. Since retiring Robert has found an escape in art like no other.

The iPad gave me a new lease of life, he explained. I just kept painting. Sometimes six hours would go by and Id look up to see the power had gone out of the machine. Photographer Stephen Bean has become a great mentor to me, he added.

I showed him my images and he was very excited about my work. Since then, he has been a great friend and an ardent supporter of my work. I attended his lecture on lighting in the Caravaggio style. I have since been trying to add the artists drama to my work, which is taking a surrealistic direction.

Corkonians can book tickets for the Roberts art exhibition via Eventbrite. Admission is free but tickets are necessary to ensure there is space for everyone in attendance.
CORK Kerry Community Healthcare (CKCH) is calling on young people to attend its upcoming HPV vaccine clinics as part of the Laura Brennan HPV Catch-up Programme.

The catch-up programme gives people who were eligible, but may have missed out on the vaccine in school, a chance to get the HPV vaccine.

The Laura Brennan HPV Vaccination Catch-Up Programme is open to females who have completed second-level school and are 24 years of age or younger; females in 2nd to 6th year of secondary school; and males in 2nd to 4th year of secondary school, or 5th year if they have skipped Transition Year this school year.

Community registered general nurse for school vaccinations with the HSE South Lee team, Dallas Brennan, said: The most common cancer caused by the HPV virus is cervical cancer in females. However, the HPV virus can cause other cancers and conditions that can affect males, so I would encourage all those who are eligible to make an appointment.

HPV vaccinations are available at the North Main Street Vaccination Centre (T12 A6WX) on Monday, May 8, from 9am to 4pm, and Wednesday, May 24, from 9am to 4pm.

Appointments are also available at the mobile vaccination unit at Bandon GAA Club (P72 HF53) on Tuesday, May 2, from 10 am to 12pm, and at the mobile unit at Clonakilty GAA Club (P85 WN84) on Tuesday, May 2, from 2pm to 4pm.

Elsewhere in West Cork, appointments are available at the dental building in Skibbereen (P81 HC43) on Wednesday, May 3, from 2pm to 4pm, and at the Bantry Newtown Vaccination Centre (P75 H304) on Friday, April 28, from 2pm to 4pm, and Friday, May 5, from 2pm to 4pm.

There will also be appointments available at Mallow Primary Healthcare Centre (P51Y8EC) on Friday, May 26, from 11am to 3pm.

The vaccine will be delivered by HSE vaccinators only and is available free of charge through HSE vaccination clinics and schools.

The National Immunisation Advisory Committee has recently advised that only one dose of the HPV vaccine is required in those aged under 25.

Most people will only need one dose of the HPV vaccine, however, anyone with a weak immune system will require three doses.

Appointments must be made through the online booking portal by visiting https://tinyurl.com/y86cr2pk.
Issues relating to climate change and the environment were discussed at a day-long seminar at the Centre of Excellence for Climate Action and Sustainability (CECAS) in Leap.

Speakers from community groups along with interested individuals recently gathered for the seminar which was organised and hosted by SECAD Partnership, Avondhu Blackwater, and Comhar na nOilean.

SECAD works with individuals, community and voluntary groups, businesses, academia, and other stakeholders to create a more vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive society.

Avondhu Blackwater Partnership supports initiatives directed toward sustainable community development, and Comhar na nOilean is the integrated local development company with responsibility for the offshore islands of Ireland and part of the West Cork area.

People in attendance discussed various ongoing environmental projects and the challenges they have encountered in their search for sustainable and regenerative solutions.

Cork South West TD Christopher OSullivan delivered the keynote speech during the morning session, and emphasised the importance of agencies and local authorities engaging in a social dialogue with local communities, while also congratulating all groups working on projects that promote climate action.

Policy Officer from ECOLISE Amelie Krug joined the seminar via Zoom to speak about the Community Led Local Development (CLLD) and the Green New Deal, which commits Europe to becoming a climate-neutral continent by 2050.

Davie Philip of Cultivate.ie and Cloughjordan Ecovillage facilitated the afternoon session where groups working throughout West Cork shared their stories about how they have encouraged people to get involved, how they have found funding, prepared plans and got their projects off the ground, and how they involve everyone in the community.

This seminar was developed as part of an EU-funded LEADER Transnational Co-operation project in conjunction with partner development companies in Finland, France, North Macedonia, and Moldova.
GARDAI in Youghal were alerted to a young man from the town carrying two large carving knives on a night last August.

Now at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, 29-year-old Niall Forrest of North Main Street, Youghal, County Cork, has appeared for sentencing for carrying the weapons.

The defendant pleaded guilty to having two carving knives on North Main Street on August 13, 2022.

Detective Garda Aidan DArdis gave evidence of what happened on the night.

Garda colleagues were alerted by a woman who had seen Forrest in possession of the carving knives.

He was arrested and detained and was very cooperative at interview.

Det. Garda DArdis said he knew the young man and that this kind of offence would be totally out of character for him.

The defendant said on the night that he felt under threat and under pressure.

I have known him a long time and he is a nervous individual, the detective said.

The prosecution had been happy to have the matter heard at the district court but the judge there refused jurisdiction and it was sent forward to Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Defence barrister, William Bulman, said of the accused, He is a quiet, unassuming man of a nervous disposition.

He has been offered employment in Norway. If he is given a suspended sentence I dont think he will be troubling the court into the future.

Judge Helen Boyle imposed a one-year suspended sentence.

However, she warned the defendant of the dangers of carrying knives and that it can result in people facing trial at the Central Criminal Court, where murder cases are heard.

When the sentencing concluded with the imposition of a suspended sentence, Niall Forrest said, Thank you so much, Judge.
There are hopes that an application will be made for funding to build a community centre to service the people of Fairhill.

Sinn Fein politicians in the northwest area of Cork City, namely Thomas Gould TD and councillors Mick Nugent and Kenneth Collins have written to Cork City Council requesting they make an application for funding.

Mr Gould said that he had raised the need for new community centres in Cork in the Dail earlier this week.

I think we need to recognise that there are large communities without access to one despite the clear benefits a community centre has on integration and supports, he said.

It is good news that there is funding available for sites that are shovel ready.

I will point out that this still doesnt support those communities that are lacking a strong community association and we do need to see funding to build strength in these communities.

However, the McSweeney Farm site would be an ideal location with a design already in place and a community desperately in need, said Mr Gould.

Meanwhile, his colleague, Mick Nugent added: For people in Fairhill, this centre could be transformative.

It could help to strengthen the community ties and give people a social outlet.

This is particularly important coming out of Covid.

Kenneth Collins said: We have seen, in Farranree, Knocknaheeny, the Glen and other areas, the benefits of community centres in bringing communities together.

We are hopeful that the minister will look favourably on an application from Cork City Council.
The spotlight is being shone on Echo Boy David Hogan as he features in short video highlighting iconic people in Cork.

Dave and his legendary Echooo call features in the newest submission to Portraits of Cork, a series of short films by filmmaker Mickael Do Couto.

Having moved to Cork in 2018, the French videographer was keen to showcase that Cork city is much more than just buildings, its more about a collection of people, each with their unique talents and stories.

In describing the video, Mr Do Couto said: If Cork city had a voice, it would be Davids, the last Echo boy.

I originally started featuring artists, but I thought if there is one person that is so iconic that when anyone hears him, they know theyre in Cork. If anyone reminds them of Cork, it is David, he told The Echo.

In the video, Dave, in his well-known spot outside the GPO told his story of leaving school to become an Echo Boy and how hasnt looked back since.

Mr Hogan has long been a beloved part of Corks daily life, selling The Echo and The Irish Examiner outside the GPO on Oliver Plunkett Street for 44 years.

Since taking up the role at ten years old, his calling out of Echooooo! has become known as the song of the city.

Lord Mayor Cllr Deirdre Forde with John Dolan, Assistant Editor/Features Editor at The Echo, Dave Hogan, Echo Boy and Maurice Gubbins, Editor The Echo attend the 2022 Holly Bough Civic Reception at City Hall, Cork.

I have even had comments on the video of people saying that their first memory of Cork is the echoes from the Echo Boy, the filmmaker said.

Mr Do Cuoto has said that he and others have been touched by Daves story, and his short film of the iconic character has received a great reaction.

A lot of people, especially on Instagram were touched by the story of David. Yeah. I understood myself as when I when I was editing the video. When he says that he doesn't regret that he quit school to do this job, that he doesn't he doesn't regret it one bit because he enjoys what he does. It is so touching, Mr Do Couto expressed.

David Hogan, Echo Boy in Cork, signing the visitors book at City Hall after being presented with a framed signed photograph of himself with the US Ambassador and the Lord Mayor, Cllr. Colm Kelleher, which the Former Lord Mayor presented to him.

The story of the last Echo Boy is just one legendary Cork tradition captured as part of the French mans Portraits of Cork series.

The filmmaker has previously showcased the making of Dragon of Shandon and of other Cork artists, which you can watch here.
A file is to be prepared for the coroner after a person died following an incident at Whiting Bay in Waterford this afternoon.

A number of swimmers got into difficulty in the water, and emergency services responded.

One of them - a man aged in his 20s - was airlifted to CUH, where he was later pronounced dead.

No other injuries have been reported.

Crew members from Youghal RNLI in addition to units of the Irish Coast Guard attended the incident after the alarm was raised shortly before 1.30pm this afternoon.

A spokesperson for Youghal RNLI told The Echo: Youghal RNLI was requested to launch its inshore lifeboat at 1.25pm following a request by the Irish Coast Guard to go to the aid of three swimmers thought to be in difficulty 150m from the shore in Whiting Bay near Youghal Harbour.

The alarm was raised by a member of the public.

"Two of the swimmers subsequently made it to shore unaided and the lifeboat began a search for the third swimmer.

The Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117 from Waterford was also tasked along with the Coast Guard Units from Youghal and Ardmore.

Youghal RNLI located the casualty and they were subsequently airlifted by helicopter and transferred to Cork University Hospital.

A statement from An Garda Siochana said: "Gardai and emergency services responded to an incident at Whiting Bay, Ardmore, Co. Waterford this afternoon Friday 28th April 2023.

"At approximately 1:30pm, Gardai received report that a number of individuals had gotten into difficulty while swimming."

"The Coast Guard removed three people from the water.

"One of these individuals, a man aged in his early 20s, was taken by air ambulance to Cork University Hospital where he later pronounced deceased.

"No other injuries have been reported at this time.

"A file will be prepared for the coroner."
AN unfinished development in Carrigtwohill which had lain vacant for 17 years has been transformed to provide 95 social housing units.

The Cascade apartment complex was officially opened yesterday by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh OBrien and the Mayor of the County of Cork Danny Collins.

The new homes, all of which are two-bed apartments, were delivered by Co-operative Housing Ireland (CHI), and is the largest development built in Munster so far this year by any approved housing body.

Speaking at the launch of the new homes, the minister commended Cork County Council and CHI for delivering the development which the State invested almost 30m in.

CHI chairman Pearse OShiel said the development breathes new life into a site that had become a blight on the landscape in Carrigtwohill.

Since we took on this project, its really been three years, so its been a fairly extended period of time but the building itself was derelict for about 17 years.

It was one of these Celtic Tiger victims, if you like.

The building was abandoned and was in effect a kind of an eyesore and a location for antisocial behaviour and Co-operative Housing Ireland identified it as a project that could be taken on and could be successfully brought to the state its in now, Mr OShiel said.

Its quite a transformation. Its good news and a real achievement I would say for Co-operative Housing Ireland.

The launch came as CHI announced plans for a record-breaking year of housing delivery across the country.

The last few years have been a particularly challenging time for the housing sector, including Co-operative Housing Ireland, Mr OShiel said.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh OBrien TD speaks with resident Kejinde Agunbiade and her son William at the launch of Cascade Apartments, a development of 95 apartments delivered by Co-operative Housing Ireland (CHI) in Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork. - Picture David Creedon

The impact of uncontrollable delays in construction resulted in us missing our 2022 target as the residual impact of the pandemic was surpassed by the war in Ukraine.

While construction delays have continued into early 2023, CHIs ambitious aim is to deliver a record year for the organisation, with more than 700 homes.

It is our hope that these truly affordable homes will help to alleviate housing need across the country.

Celebrating days like this in Carrigtwohill is important, it reminds us of what we can do when we work together, he said.

Meanwhile, the County Mayor said the launch of the new development marked a great day for Cork County Council, a great day for Carrigtwohill and a great day for CHI.

The completion of this unfinished development in Carrigtwohill has helped remediate a derelict site and created high-quality homes for 95 new households, Mr Collins continued.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh OBrien TD, cutting the ribbon of the new development with resident Tanya O' Connell, Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Danny Collins, and Chairperson of Co-operative Housing Ireland, Pearse OShiel, at the launch of Cascade Apartments, a development of 95 apartments delivered by Co-operative Housing Ireland (CHI) in Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork.

Speaking to The Echo, one of the new tenants, Tanya OConnell, who moved in about five weeks ago, said the new home has made a huge difference to her and her daughters lives.

It makes a huge difference because I have a daughter who has special needs and my last place wasnt suitable for suitable for her bed.

I got an internal transfer through CHI, I was very lucky. Theyre very good to deal with, Ms OConnell said.

I love it, she said of her new home.

The neighbours are very nice and the place itself is fabulous. Were on the ground floor, so it makes a huge difference for both myself and my daughters needs.

Cascade was delivered in partnership with the Cork County Council, Housing Finance Agency, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Housing Agency and Marlet Property Group.
A CORK teacher is fighting for his life in China after a horrific fall left him with life-threatening injuries.

Anthony Desmond has been in a coma since he suffered a serious head injury in a fall on February 26 in Shenzhen, where he works as an English teacher.

His brother Cormac told broadcaster PJ Coogan on Cork 96FMs , that Anthony has been operated on twice in the last nine weeks, and appealed for donations to get his brother home.

Anthony, known to his friends as Tony, has been left with a fractured skull, a brain haemorrhage, and potentially life-changing injuries.

Were waiting for him to wake up, said Cormac.

Tony, 58, has lived in China for over a decade. Having studied for a masters in Chinese culture and enterprise in University College Cork, he travelled to China on a placement and fell in love with his adopted country.

He has been teaching English since 2012, said Cormac.

The family want to get him home, but they need help with his ongoing surgeries. An online funding campaign has been set up to pay for his eventual return.

So far, more than 12,000 has been raised out of a 50,000 target.

Tony was returning home on February 26 when he lost his balance while walking up a slope and fell back, hitting his head off the ground.

He was on his own, but CCTV shows that it was just an accident. There was no one else involved, said Cormac.

Tony was found on the ground after about 30 minutes by a local shopkeeper and an ambulance was called. He has since been moved off life-support into a high-dependency unit, and now is breathing independently but has to be tube fed. There is some movement. There is some involuntary eye opening.

Sadly, his family will not know the full extent of his injuries until he wakes up. Doctors are hopeful that he will wake up but cannot say with certainty that he will. They dont want to get your hopes up. There is still a chance that he will never wake up. They have indicated to us that they are confident he will wake up. We dont know what the long-term result will be, said Cormac.

Tony is being comforted by his Chinese friends, with the assistance of the Irish embassy. The worst-case scenario would be having to charter an air ambulance flight, costing up to 150,000.

Tonys brothers are visiting constantly. Were hoping that he will start waking up, and one of us will be there for that, Cormac said.

As soon as we hear that there are some signs of him regaining consciousness, I want to be there.

Cormac said Tony is to be transferred to a general ward next week, making visits easier.

Any donation big or small is appreciated and we would like to thank all of Tonys friends and colleagues in Ireland, the UK, and China for all the help and support theyve given us and him so far, added Cormac.
A CORK pharmacist, who is the third generation of her family to run a Millstreet chemist, is determined to leave a lasting legacy after her time at the helm, despite the challenges of the rapidly evolving profession.

Mairead Reens grandfather Frank started the business in 1938; her dad, also Frank, took over in the 80s, and works there with Mairead, who came on board in 2005.

I am really proud to be part of this wonderful tradition but with that also comes a sense of responsibility, to take care of and grow the business, said Mairead.

The past few years, she said, have been about fire-fighting due to the demands of the pandemic; followed more recently with challenges caused by global drug shortages.

And even though she relishes her work, she had a growing and hard-to-ignore feeling that she needed to take a step back, in order to help the business take a step forward.

With that in mind, in a moment of bravery late last year, she applied to be part of the countrys leading female entrepreneur programme Going for Growth. Its an award-winning programme for ambitious female entrepreneurs, with just 70 candidates selected every year  for every four women that apply only one gets a coveted space.

The programme, which Enterprise Ireland and KPMG support, is designed to assist entrepreneurs in achieving their growth ambitions, helping create new jobs and growing their sales. Over the past 15 years, 850 businesswomen have participated in this unique programme, including Aimee Connolly of Sculpted by Aimee, Derval ORourke, athlete and founder of Derval.ie, and Vanessa Creaven of Spotlight Oral Care.

Mairead Reen. Picture: Conor McCabe Photography.

And among this years cohort is a delighted Mairead.

I filled out the application probably more in hope than expectation. but I said Id give it a go, and so far its been incredible, said the mum-of-two.

Running Reens Life Pharmacy has, she said, over the past few years been about responding to things happening outside of their control, rather than planning and building for the future.

Were a community pharmacy and were very lucky we managed to stay open during the pandemic. They were a difficult few years. We were trying to keep staff and customers safe. There was a lot of sourcing of sanitisers, masks and antigen tests, and then running a Covid vaccination clinic, she said.

The vaccine part of the business has always been something Mairead has been keen to embrace.

We started administering flu vaccines in 2011, the first year they were rolled out to pharmacies, and I did 10 that year  now were doing hundreds every season.

Covid vaccines started 18 months ago, and that was a huge learning curve for us. We were doing up to 60 a day which was a lot different to 10 a season. So really the whole profession has developed, as well as the retail side of things, where youre competing with online all the time, she said.

Growing up, listening to her father Frank, and her grandparents Frank and Margaret, she said their customers were always the priority. Maireads favourite thing about her job is interacting with her customers and that is why she chose her profession.

Taking part in Going for Growth is about challenging myself so I can grow the business, its about getting a picture of what success will look like in five years time, and setting out the steps to get there. You cant aim for something unless you have a clear picture of what it is, she said. Im really lucky to have three other pharmacists working with me part-time, as well as my dad, so I have the opportunity to step back and see what we can do.

Going for Growth was the brainchild of Paula Fitzsimons, who said: The idea came from recognition that while more women are being encouraged to start new businesses, there is a need to move beyond just starting into growing. My mission is to support women entrepreneurs to achieve their growth ambitions and to get more women entrepreneurs into a growth frame of mind.

The idea is that entrepreneurs learn best from each other, and each candidate is assigned a mentor with experience in their field who they meet with monthly for round-table discussions

Someone who did the course previously summed it up perfectly as having access to the board that I cant afford! Its all about having access to a sounding board of like-minded people and when you step back you really get to see the bigger picture, said Mairead.

Her advice to anyone thinking of applying?

When I sat down to fill out the application, I didnt think I had a hope, but I said Id give it a go and apply, have a bit of backbone and it was the best thing ever. To anyone else, Id say, just take that step, take a chance, be that little bit brave  you wont regret it.

See goingforgrowth.com
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

Mycelium is the root system of fungi  like mushrooms  that consists of thin, hair-like tissue filaments. This rich network of fungal threads  called hyphae  grows in soil substrate or on places like rotting tree trucks. The mass of roots collects nutrients and water, as well as anchors and supports the mushroom fruit, though some mycelia species dont produce mushrooms.

Recently, three biotechnologists from the UK  Elise Elsacker and Martyn Dade-Robertson of Newcastle University, along with Meng Zhang of Northumbria University  have found a way to use mycelium to create a self-healing, leather-like material.

Their new paper, Fungal Engineered Living Materials: The Viability of Pure Mycelium Materials with Self-Healing Functionalities, was published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

The scientists described the process and findings of their research, including how well the self-healing mycelium leather worked when put to the test.

In this study, pure mycelium materials are fabricated for use as leather substitutes, and it is found that chlamydospores, thick-walled vegetative cells formed at the hyphal tip, may be the key to the materials self-healing properties. The results suggest that mycelium materials can survive in dry and oligotrophic environments, and self-healing is possible with minimal intervention after a two-day recovery period, the authors wrote.

Previous research had shown that big, matted masses of intertwining mycelium branches could grow in fungal colonies, usually underground, reported Phys.org. The earlier research also found that these structures could be treated and made into what is known as mycelium leather.

However, the treatments used in this method have a tendency to kill regenerative nodules called chlamydospores. The researchers set out to try and alter the process to avoid killing the chlamydospores so that the material could be self-healing in the right environment.

The trio of scientists added live chlamydospores to a watery mixture of proteins, carbohydrates and nutrients to produce mycelium in the lab. Once a thick skin had formed on top of their batch of liquid, the researchers removed the skin and set it aside to dry.

During the drying process, they added chemicals and used a variety of temperatures to allow the mycelium material to become leathery while retaining its chlamydospores. The result was a material similar in quality and appearance to other mycelium leathers.

To put its healing properties to the test, the researchers punched holes in the leather and put it in a vat of the liquid used to create it. Once it was removed from the liquid and had begun to dry, the chlamydospores filled in the holes, restoring the mycelium leather to a state as strong as the scientists control sample  with scars.

We believe that the material has the potential to revolutionize the way we think about wearable technology and medical implants. It has the ability to heal itself and regenerate, providing endless possibilities for its use, said Zhang, of the Department of Applied Sciences at Northumbria University, as Tech Times reported.
Disabled driving day on the Isle of Man deemed success

Charity, Speed Of Sight, hosted a track day for disabled people that enabled them to drive at Jurby Autodrome on 25th and 26th April 2023, and was hailed a success by all!

People with disabilities had the chance to drive themselves and an instructor around Jurby Autodrome on the Isle of Man this week and its all thanks to charity, Speed Of Sight, which hosts similar experiences all over the UK.

Speed Of Sight is run by blind race car driver and multiple World Record holder Mike Newman and his co-founder John Galloway. Interested participants can have any disability, as the team is trained to help everyone in and out of the cars, which are specially designed and built  two racing cars and two all-terrain buggies  to allow people of all ages with disabilities to enjoy the excitement and thrill of driving.

The vehicles, named after Mikes guide dogs, are specially designed with dual controls and twin steering wheels and the buggies are equipped with hand controls.

The track day has been in the planning since 2022 and the residents of the Isle of Man fully supported the day, including the local council and businesses.
Isle of Man firefighter to take part in King's Coronation celebrations

Leading Firefighter Amber Carridge will represent the Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) at the King's Coronation on Saturday 6 May, as one of the official street liners for the procession.

Amber will be one of only 20 uniformed Fire and Rescue Service personnel to represent the UK FRS and was nominated in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the Islands FRS. Amber will be on parade inside the barriers that will line the street for the King's Procession, which will travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.

They will remain on parade during the coronation itself, and will stay in place for the parade following the coronation.

Around 200 members of uniformed civilian services, including Police and Coastguard, HM prison and probation, and St John Ambulance have been invited to take part in the celebrations.

Amber was the Islands first female whole-time firefighter, joining the service in 2015. She was the Silver Axe winner on her basic recruit course in the UK, and is the first whole-time female firefighter to take her promotional qualifications and be successfully promoted to the rank of Leading Firefighter.

Amber became the service's first and only female breathing apparatus and CFBT Instructor and now forms part of a small dedicated team, training the Islands firefighters in this essential skill.
Canada has passed its controversial streaming bill that requires Netflix, Spotify and other companies to pay to support Canadian series, music and other content, the CBC has reported. After clearing a final hurdle in the Senate on Thursday, Bill C-11 imposes the same content laws on streamers as it does on traditional broadcasters. The government has promised that the bill only applies to companies and not individual content creators on YouTube or other platforms.

The new rules give the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) regulator broad powers over streaming companies, which could face fines or other penalties if they don't comply with the new laws. "Online streaming has changed how we create, discover, and consume our culture, and it's time we updated our system to reflect that," a Canadian government press release states.

Critics have said that the bill could cause over-regulation online. "Under this archaic system of censorship, government gatekeepers will now have the power to control which videos, posts and other content Canadians can see online," Canada's Conservative opposition wrote on a web page dedicated to C-11. Streaming companies like YouTube and TikTok opposed the bill as well.

The law has also been criticized for being overly broad, with a lack of clarity on how it will apply in some cases. "The bill sets out a revised broadcasting policy for Canada, which includes an expanded list of things the Canadian broadcasting system 'should' do," a Senate page states. "But precisely what this would mean in concrete terms for broadcasters is not yet known."

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Canada is far from the first country to enact local content rules for streaming companies, though. The EU requires a minimum of 30 percent locally produced content for member nations, most of which easily exceed that. Australia also recently announced that content quotas will be placed on Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and the other international streamers by July of 2024.

Some notable Canadian series include Schitt's Creek, Letterkenny and M'entends-tu. Numerous US and international shows are also shot in "Hollywood North" in cities like Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, including The Handmaid's Tale, The Boys, Riverdale and others.
This week, Devindra chats with Sam Rutherford about his recent experiences with ASUSs ROG Ally, a powerful new Steam Deck competitor, and Nintendos long-awaited The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The ROG Ally sounds like one of the best portable gaming systems yet, though were still waiting for pricing details. And Zelda was apparently a blast to play, but of course it was. Also, Devindra and Podcast Producer Ben Ellman dive into the latest news, including the FAA grounding SpaceXs Starship and Grimes decision to let people run free with her AI voice.

Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!



Topics

Sam Rutherfords review of the ROG Ally handheld gaming PC  1:52

Sams Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom demo experience  15:08

FAA grounds SpaceXs Starship after launch explosion spreads debris  28:26

UK regulator blocks Microsofts acquisition of Activision/Blizzard  34:04

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny features 25 mins of de-aged Harrison Ford  39:54

This week in AI: Snapchat users revolt against AI assistant, Grimes offers 50/50 credit to songs with her AI voice  43:19

Working on  50:21

Pop culture picks  52:07

Livestream

Credits

Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Sam Rutherford

Producer: Ben Ellman

Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien

Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos

Graphic artist: Luke Brooks and Joel Chokkattu

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at the time of publishing.
The agreement with Nware is similar to those it struck with the likes of NVIDIA.

Microsoft inks another cloud gaming deal after the UK blocked its Activision takeover The agreement with Nware is similar to those it struck with the likes of NVIDIA.

Despite suffering a significant blow this week in its attempt to take over Activision Blizzard , Microsoft still believes it can get the job done. The company has signed a 10-year agreement with Spain-based cloud gaming provider Nware to make PC games it builds in-house available to stream on that platform, along with Activision Blizzard titles if and when the $68.7 billion deal goes through.

"While it's still early for the emerging cloud segment in gaming, this new partnership combined with our other recent commitments will make more popular games available on more cloud game streaming services than they are today," Microsoft president and vice-chair Brad Smith wrote on Twitter . "We are full speed ahead in our mission to bring players more ways to play their favorite games," Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer added .

Microsoft and European cloud gaming platform Nware have signed a 10-year agreement. Our statement here: pic.twitter.com/GWoSBg63P6  Brad Smith (@BradSmi) April 28, 2023

In a similar fashion to NVIDIA's GeForce Now, Nware offers users access to a number of their game libraries via the cloud including those from Steam, Epic Games and Ubisoft. Users can use the service to stream their games on Windows PCs, Android smartphones, tablets and smart TVs.

The latest agreement follows similar deals Microsoft has struck with Nintendo , Steam, NVIDIA , Boosteroid , Ubitus and EE to make its games available on those companies' platforms. Microsoft says it has offered Sony , the biggest opponent of the proposed Activision merger, a 10-year agreement to keep the likes of Call of Duty on PlayStation. However, Sony hasn't taken up the offer.

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These partnerships are part of a charm offensive Microsoft and Activision have been carrying out in an attempt to win over antitrust regulators. European Union officials will decide whether to rubber-stamp the blockbuster deal by May 22nd. Reports suggest that the European Commission will approve the acquisition .

However, Microsoft and Activision ran into a major obstruction this week when the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) blocked the deal. The watchdog voiced concerns over Microsoft's dominant position in the cloud gaming market.

Documents submitted to the CMA showed that Microsoft already had a cloud gaming market share of between 60 and 70 percent in 2022  that was before Google killed off Stadia , which had under five percent of the market . Smith has attempted to counter the CMA's concerns by claiming that Microsoft's infrastructure only allows it to offer cloud gaming access to a maximum of 5,000 concurrent users in the UK.
Thursday, April 27, 2023

Bruce Kingsbury was an Australian soldier during the Second World War who was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was recognized for his heroic actions during the Battle of Isurava, a pivotal engagement in the New Guinea campaign.

Kingsbury and his platoon were holding a key position on the Kokoda Track when they came under heavy attack from the Japanese. The Japanese broke through their right flank, threatening battalion headquarters. Kingsbury, one of only a few survivors in his platoon, picked up a Bren gun and ran toward the attacking Japanese with devastating effect, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. Pvt. Alan Avery, who fought alongside Kingsbury, described it this way: He came forward with this Bren and he just mowed them down. He was an inspiration to everybody else around him. There were clumps of Japanese here and there and he just mowed them down.

Kingsburys actions were a turning point in the battle. The Japanese had the momentum, and were threatening to overrun the battalions headquarters. However, Kingsburys attack inflicted damage to the Japanese force, demoralizing them and temporarily halting their advance. This allowed the Australian troops to stabilize their positions, eventually regaining control and defending the headquarters. Despite his heroism, Kingsbury was killed by a sniper during the battle.

Bruce Kingsburys actions during the Battle of Isurava stand as a testament to the courage and resilience of the Australian soldiers who fought during the Second World War. His legacy lives on as an enduring symbol of the sacrifices made by those who served their country with honor and distinction. The memory of his heroic actions and their impact on the outcome of the Battle of Isurava continue to be honored through various monuments and memorials across Australia.
A boycott can happen for many reasons, from political decisions to world events.

They mostly center on national corporations, but they can also target local businesses.

And there are many businesses facing gripes from San Antonians. At least, according to one Reddit thread posted on Wednesday morning that has seen more than 150 upvotes (akin to likes) and nearly 600 comments. One Reddit user asked those on the San Antonio Reddit page that local businesses they boycott and why.

Users were quick to respond.

"The San Antonio Aquarium," user natxnatx23 wrote. "I met the owner once and he does not care at all about his animals."

Many followed up with gripes against other businesses specializing in animal care, including many a veterinary clinic.

"Potranco Veterinary Clinic," another user commented. "Carried my dying dog in (it had just been attacked by an unleashed dog while on a walk). They refused to help me because they 'don't do emergencies.' Only time I've ever seen red while in a place of business."

The user wrote that they felt "overwhelmed" when trying to find help for their bleeding dog, despite the fact that Potranco advertises emergency services on its website.

More local complaints: 'What type of hell is this?': Here are San Antonio's least favorite roads

Other veterinary clinics mentioned were Becker Animal Hospital and Covenant. There was one veterinarian given positive credit, however.

"If it's not an emergency, we've been going to Animal Hospital of San Antonio," user doombuggy110 wrote. "Dr. Rachel Smith is incredibly knowledgeable, loves animals and is no-nonsense. She will suggest what is best for your pet without ulterior motives."

Others complained about places due to politics and businesses being perhaps too vocal about theirs.

"I want a sandwich/drink/shirt and am not trying to make a point," user 720hp wrote of businesses both on the left and the right.

Many agreed, writing they simply did not wish to know businesses' political beliefs.

"If I have to listen to the owner or manager stand there and crow about anything political, I immediately dont want to go back," the original question asker, user Sterling_-_Archer, commented. "I have enough of that already in my life."

One place not mentioned: H-E-B gets high marks in customer loyalty. But one chain topped it in a study of grocers nationwide.

However, others complained about businesses due to their political beliefs and donations. Such complaints ranged from Summer Moon Coffee to Black Rifle Coffee to Laika Cheesecake. Iconic San Antonio-based chain Bill Miller was even mentioned due to its right-wing political donations.

"You boycott Bill Miller because of the owners' views. I boycott Bill Miller because its portions have decreased by 70 percent since like 2015," user Fhaksfha794 wrote. "We are not the same."

Other restaurants mentioned included those of chef Johnny Hernandez, over allegations of improperly paying employees, Taco Cabana and Magnolia Pancake Haus.

"For how many people go there, I'm surprised no one besides me has found a used creamer cup in their coffee, had a fork with egg crusted on it, or gotten sick," user AlternativeCap6085 wrote. "Clean yourself up, Magnolia."

shepard.price@express-news.net
Its hot, Texas. According to the National Weather Service, the next week is set to be in the mid-80s in San Antonio.

This kind of weather calls for only one thing: getting outdoors and enjoying one of the many national parks in the Lone Star State.

And according to Travel Lemming, an online travel guide, Texas features one of the countrys best national parks in Big Bend, which ranked seventh on the sites ranking of all 63 national parks.

No nearby amenities, a roaring Rio Grande, and extreme summer temperatures are key features of Big Bend National Park, but the extremities and lack of human intervention are central to the charm, Travel Lemming wrote. Thousand-foot gorge walls tower over the Rio Grande at Big Bend, Texass natural diamond in the rough.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park, home to the tallest peak in the state, came in at No. 53.

Beautiful vistas closer to home: Valero donates $5 million for Alamo museum

Both national parks, as part of the national system, offer free admission on five days throughout the year. The next date is Aug. 4, also known as Great American Outdoors Day.

Free admission also is offered on Sept. 23 (National Public Lands Day) and Nov. 11 (Veterans Day). Both parks, as well as Fort Davis National Historic Site and Padre Island National Seashore, participate in the free admission days, according to the National Park Service.

If youre looking for an earlier start to your national park calendar, free admission also is offered on Jan. 16 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) and April 22 (the first day of National Parks Week, also Earth Day).

Other than those five days, parks will charge an entrance fee, although people also can gain access by purchasing an annual America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass for $80.

Free or discounted passes are also available for senior citizens, current members of the military, families of fourth-grade students and residents with disabilities.
A former vice commander of an Air Force intelligence group was sentenced to a year in federal prison this week for wire fraud and filing a false tax return.

Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Scott Allen Bethel, 59, of Spring Branch, got 12 months and a day for what prosecutors said was a scheme to falsify charitable deductions and business expenses from 2015 to 2019. Bethel, a 1985 Air Force Intelligence School honor graduate, allegedly cost the government $139,687.

He'll also face three years of supervision after his release from prison and be required to pay $154,827.50 in restitution.

Today, the sentencing of retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Scott Allen Bethel serves as a reminder that those in positions of authority and trust are expected to uphold higher standards of integrity and accountability, said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of IRS Criminal Investigations Houston field office.

Bethels fraudulent actions, which included fabricating invoices, claiming false deductions, and attempting to enlist others in his criminal activities, not only tarnished his distinguished career but also undermine the very foundations of our tax and government systems," he said.

Bethel was sentenced Wednesday in San Antonio federal court. He retired in 2012 as vice commander of the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. The agency, which has been known by a number of names over the decades, is now called the 16th Air Force (Cyber).

The Justice Department said Bethel began working as a government contractor and advisor to the Air Force after retiring from the branch in 2012. He launched his own business, working with government staffing contracts and providing services to the Air Force.

Bethel submitted false hotel invoices for reimbursement from the federal government when he'd actually stayed with personal acquaintances while on business trips, the Justice Department said.

A large team of federal investigators looked into his case  from the IRS, General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

Bethel had a sterling Air Force career. He commanded the 497th Intelligence Group at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia from December 2003 to August 2005, and led the 17th Training Wing at Goodfellow AFB in Texas from August 2005 to March 2007.

He went on to JBSA-Randolph before becoming director of Strategy, Integration and Doctrine, and deputy chief of staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance at Air Force headquarters in the Pentagon from July 2010 to through the following December.

He was promoted that December to one-star general, serving as vice commander of the Air Force's ISR agency at Lackland. His duty location was Fort George Meade, Md.

Bethel was 1990 Officer of the Year with the Tactical Air Command and 9th Air Force Intelligence, a 1998 Federal Executive Gold Medal award winner and 2000 Senior Intelligence Officer of the Year for NATO. A veteran of Kosovo, he held the Kuwait Liberation Medal issued by the government there for his role in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and also earned the Iraq Campaign Medal.

He also received the Air Force Combat Action Medal. It is given to airmen who participate in ground or air combat. His was for ground action.

Word that Bethel had been ordered to prison shocked those who had worked with him over the years.

"Many of us have known Scott for decades," Pastor Tom Cacy, 77, a former airman who was Bethel's instructor in intelligence technical training during the 1980s and worked with him as late as 2014, wrote in a direct Facebook message. "I have always had the deepest respect for him both as a man and as a military/intelligence professional; however, after reading the charges against him for which he was found guilty in a court of civil law with the assistance of OSI, I do have to change my opinion of him from a legal and moral standpoint.

"He severely fell to temptations and it is not my place to judge him for that. That is up to God and a court of law," added Cacy, who is retired from All Nations Korean Church.
Valero has pledged $5 million for an Alamo museum and visitor center set to open in 2026.

In recognition of the San Antonio-based oil refiners donation, a museum area highlighting the 1836 siege and battle for Texas independence will be named the Valero Battle of the Alamo Gallery.

Museum galleries also will interpret other periods of the Alamos history, including its 1724 founding as the third and final site of the Mission San Antonio de Valero, the areas first permanent Spanish-Indigenous mission. Valero, founded in 1980, is named for the mission.

In an announcement set for Friday, a local holiday marked by a major street parade on the 132rd anniversary of the original Battle of Flowers civic celebration, Alamo administrators called it a remarkable gift to the Remember the Alamo Foundation, a subsidiary of the nonprofit Alamo Trust. The trust is guiding a makeover of the historic site in partnership with the city and the Texas General Land Office. The foundation raises funds for the planned $150 million museum complex, preservation of historic structures and artifacts, archaeological research and educational programs.

Related: Alamo museums largest gallery to spotlight 1836 battle

Alamo Trust Executive Director Kate Rogers said Valeros leadership team has demonstrated unwavering dedication towards protecting and preserving our history for future generations.

This donation made possible by the steadfast support and leadership of Valero will play a significant role in helping us sustain our efforts in safeguarding the historical and cultural essence of the Alamo, Rogers said.

Courtesy / Alamo Trust Inc.

The project seeks to incorporate Native American, Tejano, Mexican and African American perspectives that traditionally have not been included in the sites battle-focused narrative.

Alamo officials will present an update on the museum and visitor center design to the Texas Historical Commission Friday morning in Austin. The commission will meet at 8:45 a.m., and its meeting will be streamed live via YouTube.

Valeros donation was to be announced just before Fridays Battle of Flowers Parade, one of the oldest and largest in the country.

Related: THC approves Alamo Mission Gate exhibit, despite concerns

San Antonio was a thriving town of nearly 40,000 people in 1891 when society women planned the first Battle of Flowers, featuring horse carriages, bicycles and floats full of children to mimic flower-laden street fairs of Mexico. The event was held at the Alamo to honor the memory of some 200 Anglo and Tejano defenders who died there in the 1836 battle and a Texan victory six weeks later at San Jacinto.

Texas gained its independence and became a U.S. state 10 years later.

Courtesy / Alamo Trust Inc.

Today, Fiesta maintains its historic traditions but also celebrates San Antonios rich and diverse cultures with more than 100 events attended by about 2.5 million people, providing an economic impact of more than $340 million, according to the Fiesta San Antonio Commission. Events include fundraisers for the LGBTQ, special needs and animal welfare communities and many other causes, said the commissions executive director, Steve Rosenauer.

Fiesta really does have something for everyone, and because of Fiesta, these organizations can raise funds and promote their respective goals to support the citizens of San Antonio throughout the year, Rosenauer said.
Almost a year after being indicted, a Houston man pleaded guilty Thursday to masterminding a nationwide romantic fraud scheme consisting of him tricking people into online relationships and them sending him millions of dollars.

Kenneth Anim, 38, stood before a federal judge as he admitted to operating an illegal money laundering business and committing wire fraud. The man, who has dual citizenship in the United States and Ghana, was arrested July 6, 2022.

Described by prosecutors as a "money mule," Anim ran the scheme from around 2014 to 2019 and amassed $5,330,889 in proceeds. He created fake online profiles on Facebook and other websites to deceive people into romantic relationships so they would send him vast amounts of money to business and bank accounts he opened and controlled, according to court documents. He lied to the scheme's victims to secure the funds, including telling a woman he met on Facebook that he needed money to help retrieve gold and cash back from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

Anim and alleged co-conspirator, Akua Dufie, conned dozens of victims, an FBI Special Agent testifed in July 2022.

The victims affected by the scheme included women and men whom Anim had met on dating and social media websites. One victim, a man from Maryland, told federal investigators he paid more than $1 million to an individual he thought was a woman he'd met on a dating website. The woman turned out to be Anim.

The investigation into Anim began in 2019 after his name showed up on incorporation documents for the businesses where victims sent their money, the FBI agent said during the July 2022 hearing. Through businesses in Anim and his alleged co-conspirator's names, the pair operated the unlicensed money laundering business, court records show.

Although Anim's parents and children live in Houston, federal officials said that he spends months at a time in Ghana.

Anim is now facing up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000, according to Justice Department officials. He also faces possible deportation from the United States now that he has entered a guilty plea.

Another part of the plea agreement instructs Anim to pay $5,330,889 in restitution to victims of the scheme.
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More than 48 hours passed before SpaceX allowed biologists access to survey the damage from the April 20 Starship launch from Boca Chica Beach.

The company cited safety concerns for the delay in letting scientists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife and the nonprofit Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program navigate the concrete, steel and other debris strewn across the dunes and algal flats. They were looking for injured or killed animals and other impacts.

Beside a singed nest of eggs, the agencies did not find hurt or dead animals, but they did compile a long list of damage to the pristine wildlife refuge.

In its assessment, released Wednesday, the Fish & Wildlife service said Starship caused a 3.5-acre fire, flung concrete and other debris thousands of feet across 385 acres and created a plume cloud of pulverized concrete that deposited material up to 6.5 miles northwest of the pad site.

On ExpressNews.com: SpaceX launch success comes with a high cost

The service found no dead birds or wildlife and did not mention any injuries.

On Monday the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department characterized the debris field as extensive, and it also did not observe injured or dead wildlife.

A lack of carcasses, however, doesnt capture the whole story.

David Newstead, a biologist with Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries, said the long delay skews the post-launch wildlife surveys. Predators could eat carcasses of killed animals and injured creatures would likely retreat to the brush to die. A dead bird on the flats wont last an hour, he told me.

Justin LeClaire, a biologist who works with Newstead, was allowed into the area almost 54 hours after the launch. In an assessment he shared with me Thursday, LeClaire described a whitish particulate coating portions of the normally brown flats to the extent they looked snow-covered or salt encrusted from a distance.

He found a burned clutch of northern bobwhite eggs and one abandoned snowy plover nest as well as several nests where birds had returned. He also observed piping plovers feeding within the debris field.

SpaceX altered a habitat on a wildlife refuge, Newstead said, and it will take time to understand the impacts.

Newsteads group has already documented changes in the areas plover populations. LeClaire said fewer animals nest around the launch facility or along Highway 4, where traffic has more than doubled since SpaceX operations began. Hes seen roadkill numbers increase as the companys activity has grown. The day after the launch, LeClaire noted a dead bobcat that had been hit about 4 miles from Starbase.

Now, in the aftermath, cleanup attempts could add to the damage. Vehicle tracks from retrieving wreckage from Starship SN-11 that exploded and rained stainless steel across the flats in March 2021 are still visible. Algal flats take decades to recover after being disturbed.

On ExpressNews.com: SpaceXs South Texas Starship launch sparked fire on state park land, spread debris over 385 acres

Its just reckless and wanton disregard for the wildlife refuge, Newstead said. Its hard to imagine that this stuff is allowed to continue.

In Brownsville, Dr. Ronald Hines, a local veterinarian, as well as the zoo, are the only two entries on TPWDs list of wildlife rehabilitators for Cameron County.

Hines, 80, was surprised no injured animals from Boca Chica Beach came to him following the April 20 launch. After the explosion of SN-11, Hines cared for a masked booby, moorhen and an endangered Wilsons plover.

He had to euthanize the booby and moorhen, and during the necropsies, he found both had internal injuries and bleeding consistent with blast injuries. The plover survived.

After caring for the birds, Hines tried to leave his contact info with SpaceX, but he said security refused to pass it along and asked him to leave the property.

The SpaceX operation certainly isnt good for the environment, he said, but he hasnt seen a spike in rescues from the Boca Chica area since the company arrived.

While the biologists did not find injured wildlife, Ken Purvis, a lifelong space fan in town for the launch, rescued a royal tern struggling in the tide at Boca Chica Beach.

The white-gray seabird with a black crest, tangerine bill and split tail is regal in both name and stature  Thalasseus maximus, which roughly translates to greatest fisherman of the sea. Purvis, an emergency room doctor visiting from Arkansas, couldnt ignore the injured bird that sat with an outstretched wing.

The 70-year-old carried the tern to his Jeep and drove to the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville. The staff stayed open late to care for the creature. The birds wing was broken in three places with one open fracture. Chances for recovery were slim, and the veterinarian euthanized the animal.

The zoos associate veterinarian, Dr. Deborah Carboni, described the birds injuries as pretty typical with what she sees daily.

There was not significant trauma to internal organs, or evidence of shrapnel wounds. The breaks, she said, were very fresh  that was not a bird that was sitting on the beach for two days.

She didnt think the Starship launch hurt the bird. However, for Purvis it doesnt matter. The birds struggle combined with seeing the concrete and steel strewn across Boca Chica Beach tempered his optimism about SpaceX and the worlds largest rocket.

An apocalyptic scene, Purvis said. It looked like boulders across the landscape like you see on Mars or the moon.

He spoke of the scars the concrete chunks made as they bounced across the wetlands. He shared photos of twisted rebar that singed the plants.

I came down here a big fan (of SpaceX) and Im going away going, You know, this is just not right for the area, he said.

The worlds largest rocket brought Purvis to Boca Chica Beach, but now he couldnt ignore the impacts of Starships launch.

The rocks, dust and debris remind us that lofty aspirations have costs. They also raise the question of whether SpaceX and wilderness can coexist at Boca Chica Beach. We must follow the science.

brandon.lingle@express-news.net
Locally elected prosecutors who do not enforce certain laws could be removed from office under a bill preliminarily approved by the Texas House of Representatives. The bill passed 92-55 and is expected to clear final passage on Friday before going over to the Senate side.

Republican-led House Bill 17 is a response to elected district and county attorneys in Texas large, left-leaning counties who have said they will not enforce the states abortion laws or pursue election fraud cases.

The purpose of this bill is to eliminate politics from prosecution, bill author state Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, said while on the House floor Thursday. This also sets up sufficient guardrails for prosecutors  that want to legislate instead of prosecute. I would urge that they run for a seat in this house as opposed to running for DA.

Elected prosecutors cannot be impeached by the Legislature or face recall elections. They can be removed only after the filing of a removal petition that accuses the district attorney of incompetency, official misconduct or intoxication. If they are found guilty by a jury, a district judge can order them removed from office.

If HB 17 passes both chambers, it would tweak the definition of official misconduct to include adopting or enforcing a policy of categorically refusing to prosecute specific criminal offenses under state law, with certain exceptions.

The removal petition then could be filed by anyone who has lived in the county for at least six months, and it would be handled by a judge from a nearby county rather than the county where it was filed.

Elected prosecutors have wide discretion to decide which cases to pursue and which to decline. In the wake of the overturn of Roe v. Wade, with nearly all abortions banned in Texas, some prosecutors have said they do not intend to pursue abortion-related charges.

Personal health care decisions should not be punished, Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales said last year. At a time when crime is high, we should all be focused on gun violence and supporting victims of crimes. Instead, the government wants to do the opposite and focus on those at their most vulnerable. This is unacceptable, and I promise to keep fighting for women in this county.

Gonzales said should cases be brought to his office by law enforcement agencies, he would handle each on a case-by-case basis.

Prosecutors have a responsibility to comply with the law, he said. I am entrusted with prosecutorial discretion, and I am going to exercise my own discretion, absent an extreme circumstance.

Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza had a similar response. We are very focused on holding accountable people who commit acts of violence in our community, Garza said last year. Pulling resources away from that to focus on this kind of case would be reckless and endanger the safety of our community.

Prosecutors in Texas largest counties also have shown little interest in pursuing allegations of election fraud and in some cases have said they wont bring cases against first-time drug offenders or low-level thefts.

Republicans are pursuing a number of different legislative angles to rein in these rogue DAs. HB 17 and a similar bill, Senate Bill 20, are the most likely to succeed this session.

SB 20 passed 20-11, with Sen. Juan Chuy Hinojosa, D-McAllen, joining Republicans to support the bill. SB 20 has been referred to the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence but has not yet had a hearing.

On the House floor Thursday, Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, raised concerns that prosecutors in border counties could be disciplined under this proposal if they cannot keep up with the surging number of migrant arrests at the border.

If a prosecutor cant afford and doesnt have the bandwidth and doesnt have the prosecutorial wherewithal because of limited resources, thats not a policy, Canales said. Thats reality.

Canales amendment, which would have explicitly exempted prosecutors who declined to take cases due to staffing or financial limitations, failed, 62-84. But the chamber did adopt another amendment from Canales that would require the person who filed the petition to pay the prosecutors legal fees if they are vindicated in court.

If a prosecutor is removed, Gov. Greg Abbott would appoint a successor until the next election. It happens rarely, but last year, the El Paso County district attorney resigned ahead of a removal trial. Yvonne Rosales was accused of endangering public safety by bungling even her most basic responsibilities, and her office has been implicated in possible criminal allegations over its handling of the 2019 Walmart mass shooting case.

Shortly afterward, a conservative activist sought to remove the Nueces County district attorney, a Democrat, using the same method. A judge has yet to rule on whether he will face a jury trial for removal.

At a hearing on the bill earlier this month, the voices opposing the proposal far outweighed the voices in support, said Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos, D-Richardson.

It is very clear what Texans are saying: They want to choose who their district attorney is, Ramos said on the floor Thursday. What they don't want is a grandstanding legislator to say no, we are not going to allow you to have this  voice.

Express-News staff writer Elizabeth Zavala contributed to this report.
Fairfield, MT (59436)

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April 26, 2023 By Vince Bielski , RealClearInvestigationsApril 26, 2023 Nicos prospects were already looking dicey in the second grade. Raised by his Latina grandmother in a Spanish-speaking home, he was a witty boy whose clowning got him branded as a troublemaker in an Arizona public school outside Phoenix.

But Nico was saved from this downward spiral by an unlikely intervention a test given to all third graders. Scoring in the 97th percentile, Nico was placed with other gifted kids and challenged academically like never before, providing him desperately needed focus. By fifth grade in 2021, according to Karen Brown, director of gifted services at Paradise Valley Unified School District, the class clown had become a class leader and was elected to the Student Council.

The boys turnaround wasnt a fluke at Paradise Valley. Its one of a small number of districts nationwide using an innovative approach to organizing classrooms. Elementary students are placed in six different groups based on ability and then are carefully mixed together in classrooms in ways that shrink the huge achievement gaps among them that make teaching so hard.

This orchestration of students allows teachers to tailor instruction so all students are challenged and can advance more quickly. And they typically do.

The model, called schoolwide cluster grouping, is a counterpoint to todays prevalent ideology on education pushed by social justice advocates. They oppose most forms of ability grouping, from gifted programs to selective schools, arguing that all students should learn together, no matter their wide range of abilities. The mashed-up classroom in their view is the best way to ensure an equal education and avoid locking black and Latino kids into low performing ability tracks, a widespread practice only a few decades ago.

But many teachers say the result of this approach  classrooms where five grade levels of ability or more separate students  makes effective instruction impossible. They liken it to emergency room triage. Higher performing students are typically shortchanged, as teachers trust them to fend for themselves. The upshot is if the students are getting an equal education, its often an equally poor one. Last year, New York City officials bowed to pressure from advocates and ended selective admissions to most of the citys middle schools. Earlier, Seattle dropped its gifted program of accelerated instruction. Theres a backlash. Districts are seeing a problem with underrepresentation in their gifted programs and say, Lets just get rid of them, and thats a problem, says Matt Fugate, an academic expert in gifted education who consults with districts. They should be saying, How do we make the programs more equitable?

Paradise Valley and some other districts have done just that. At Paradise Valley, Brown says, test scores have gone up for students in all ability groups since it adopted the model.

Whats more, in a district thats about one-third Latino, a much larger percentage of kids like Nico are being identified as gifted, which can dramatically improve the trajectory of their education.

It works because teachers can truly target instruction after we provide that narrowed range in classrooms, Brown says. The model plays a key role in allowing us to address the learning of all students.

The model has taken root in states such as Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, South Carolina, and Texas, where progressive educators have less influence and where gifted programs get more support.

The Vail School District near Tucson began the program in 2018, and after fifth graders showed improved performance on a cognitive abilities test, officials are expanding it to three more elementary schools, says Christine In-Albon, the director of gifted and advanced learning.

The Trotwood-Madison district in Ohio is aiming for the same kind of academic growth when it debuts the ability grouping program in kindergarten through third grade this fall.

Customized Instruction

The model was first developed by the late Purdue University Professor Marcia Gentry, a prominent scholar on gifted education. She traced the idea back to her own experience of boredom in an easy Michigan high school where she was the valedictorian. Later, as a middle school teacher, she created a gifted program for students who wanted to be challenged.

Then, in pursuing her Ph.D., she developed the hypothesis that all students, not just the gifted, would benefit academically if they were put in ability groups so teachers could customize instruction for them.

Gentry called the model total school cluster grouping and tested it. Her 1999 study compared two low-income elementary schools over three years in Michigan. In the school that grouped all students by ability, a significant increase in achievement test scores  was found when compared to students in the control school, Gentry and her co-author wrote.

Paradise Valley in 2006 was one of the first districts in the country to adopt the model, albeit a slightly modified version. Dina Brulles, who developed and ran the program at Paradise Valley until last year, is the gifted program coordinator at Arizona State University.

Heres how it works: Elementary students are evaluated each year for placement in one of six ability groups: Gifted, above average, average, low average, low, and special needs.

Next, classrooms are pieced together, often with students from three groups to reduce their vast achievement gaps. So gifted kids and low performers are not put together. A typical set up: above average, low average and low.

Motivating students is a guiding principle of classroom design: Gifted and above average students are never mixed in classrooms to allow the latter to shine instead of being overshadowed by the brightest minds. The diligent above-average students emerge as role models for lower achievers, a position for which some gifted kids are not well suited.

These mixed classrooms also seek to avoid the stigmatization that arose when schools placed students into easy-to-identify high, medium, and low tracked-classrooms in the 1980s and later. At Paradise Valley, students are not told which ability group they belong to, although some likely figure it out.

Scores Rise at Paradise Valley

The program appealed to Paradise Valley because its a cost saver: Districts can address the academic needs of gifted kids, which Arizona and some other states require, without creating a costly stand-alone program and hiring new teachers. Instead, gifted students remain within the regular pool of students as one of six ability groups.

Before beginning the program, Paradise Valley was in a bit of a funk. Many elementary students werent achieving the academic growth sought by the district. Gifted students in particular were unchallenged and disengaged in class and barely grew over the school year.

A small group of Paradise Valley principals, eager to try something new, raised their hands to be the first to test the program at their schools. After only a year, they were thrilled to see that test scores in reading and math rose across the board. That prompted the rest of the districts 30 elementary schools to quickly sign up, Brown, the gifted director, says. Test scores rose in these schools too.

The district wants every student to master a years worth of material before moving to the next grade. Now, about 75% of students on average get there, an increase that coincides with schoolwide cluster grouping. We dont always see this growth with every student, and when we see a year where we dipped, we go back and fix that, Brown says.

Paradise Valley also measures itself against other Phoenix area districts with similar student demographics: half white, a third Latino and a third low income. Its passing rates on a 2022 state test, for instance, topped neighboring Peoria Unified by a wide margin: 56% vs. 42% in English, and 48% vs. 36% in math.

Latino students are a significant part of Paradise Valleys progress. Amid criticism that gifted programs nationwide enroll too few kids from low-income families, the district revamped the way it finds these students as part of its switch to the grouping model.

In the past, the district relied on parents to nominate their kids for testing, which meant the pool was mostly white and Asian. Now teachers are trained to spot behaviors associated with gifted students  they can be impatient with repetitive instruction, dismissive with a roll of their eyes, and intensely perfectionistic  and more Latinos are now being evaluated.

The district also decided to bear the costs of testing all students in one grade each year to find gifted kids who otherwise go unnoticed.

At 23 of Paradise Valleys 30 elementary schools, there is now equal representation: The percentage of Latinos in gifted clusters mirrors the schools overall demographics  a feat thats hard for most schools to match. Four other schools are closing in on that mark and the remaining three are making progress, Brown says.

Ability Grouping and Its Discontents

Although the data doesnt lie, critics find fault with the basic premise of reengineering classrooms around academic abilities.

The influential scholar Jeannie Oakes, whose research at UCLA focused on inequality in education, says students have too many diverse characteristics to accurately divide them neatly into homogenous ability groups for tailored instruction. A child can be exceptional in English but years behind in math. So customizing instruction based on faulty assessments may limit rather than expand the possibilities for learning, Oakes told the advocacy group Learning for Justice.

Ability grouping labels, like low average, can also become self-fulfilling prophecies because these students receive less challenging work and less is expected of them, says Allison Roda, a professor of education at Molloy University who researched gifted program admissions in New York City. The model isnt worth pursuing. Its better to put all the students together, and if they are given high expectations, they will rise to the occasion.

Julie Voeller, who teaches third grade at Paradise Valley, doesnt agree. She says the program is popular among teachers in the district because it makes the classroom more manageable, giving them time to address the different needs of students.

The ability range is still wide. For a lesson on World War II that started with reading a text, Voeller assigned her gifted group an essay requiring students to think empathically about how they would feel if their parents went off to war. One student wrote about feeling anguished at the absence of the father, showing a remarkable vocabulary for a third grader.

The rest of the class, made up of average and below average groups, was given multiple choice questions. Some needed help from Voeller to find the answers in the text.

But lower performers are also allowed to tackle the tougher assignments, like the essay, and some do. But they are not graded on them.

When children fall behind, Voeller says, the program makes the problem easier to fix. After a math quiz revealed that 75% of her students were on track with fractions, which wasnt a surprise in a classroom with gifted students in the mix, Voeller could quickly pivot to the small number of kids that needed a little extra help.

If she also had the weakest students in her class, which would be the case in a typical U.S. classroom, they would need a more robust intervention. Like most teachers, Voeller would turn her attention to the students who are furthest behind, leaving others who also need help in the lurch.

Because I dont have to focus on every type of student at once, I can give my students what they need so they hit the standards, she says.

A Rocky Rollout in Texas

But as some districts discover, the sweeping changes required of the model are hard to pull off.

Consider the Richardson Independent district, located north of Dallas.

As the rollout began in 2020, the biggest challenge came into focus teachers. They can make or break most education reforms, and ability grouping requires them to do more.

Each spring, teachers must evaluate the performance of every student for placement in an ability group because, year-to-year, they may improve enough to move up to a higher group. Thats a goal of the program.

Then theres the training of teachers, which may be the most important piece of all. They need to learn how to customize instruction to students of different abilities, which requires more effort than just giving everyone in class the same assignment. They also need specialized training in how to work with gifted kids, whose learning process differs from general education students.

Richardson decided to hit the pause button on the training requirement on concern that teachers would be overwhelmed by the workload. Instead, only 30 teachers were trained in gifted ed to serve as consultants to the districts 40 elementary schools.

I don't need to make enemies of teachers who hate the model because it was a training nightmare, says Monica Simonds, director of advanced learning programs and services.

The lack of training adds to the challenge of getting schools to buy into the program. At Richardson, many schools are enthusiastic, a handful are resisting it, and about a third are struggling mostly because of behavior issues among students who dont like to be grouped together. Simonds sees these challenges as growing pains that are part of any big transformation.

Sometimes people say, It's just an initiative and it'll go away, she says. But when we implement something, we implement it because it has got data behind it. I don't want to change paths.

Major Study, Mixed Results

The largest study of the program so far, involving more than 70 schools, underscores Richardsons experience of tough sledding. The federally funded and large-scale study was undertaken by Marcia Gentry, who died in 2022, and colleagues to further investigate the programs effect on academic performance.

While researchers are now analyzing data and aim to publish results this year, co-author and Purdue University Professor Nielsen Pereira offered a preview into some of the studys findings. In the first wave of 31 schools that joined the study, only six implement the program with a high degree of fidelity to its standards for sorting students into groups, training teachers, and tailoring instruction. Fifteen schools did a pretty good job, and ten scored low on fidelity.

It shows how difficult it is for schools to make this type of change, Pereira says. It takes time and effort of everyone, administrators and teachers, who are always busy.

But theres an upside for the schools that execute total school cluster grouping in its entirety. Pereira says he is cautiously optimistic that data will show that these school achieved an increase in academic growth of students in all ability groups, and importantly, in the percentage of black and Latino kids found to be gifted.

The benefits of identifying these young students can be enormous for their future.

At Paradise Valley, Meghan, a Native American with family on the Navajo reservation, kept a low profile in school, partly because her culture frowns on grandstanding.

Then an elementary art teacher noticed her advanced spatial skills and asked the district to test her. Meghan qualified and was placed in the gifted cluster, which taught her the importance of perseverance when faced with more challenging studies.

She began to excel, and in high school her life took a dramatic turn. She won a scholarship to an elite university in California, where she now studies graphic design.
WASHINGTON  U.S. senators grilled the executives of three major credit reporting bureaus this week on whether their practices are transparent and fair to consumers, with Democrats frequently pressing the CEOs to remove medical debt from the reports.

Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, chair of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, said all medical debt should be removed from credit reports. Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian announced on April 11 that all medical debt below $500 was removed from credit reports, but Brown said that move is not enough.

Medical debt does not correlate with credit risk  it correlates with illness, he said. No one should have their financial future destroyed because of an emergency, or a sick family member.  If you have $1,000 in medical debt, youre no less credit-worthy than someone with $500. It stems from the same problem  someone in your family or you got sick.

Brown asked the CEOs to commit at that moment to removing all medical debt, but all dodged the request.

Credit reports can affect peoples ability to find new housing and can have errors that are in no way the fault of the consumer. Twenty-three percent of Americans have medical debt, according to a 2022 LendingTree survey. Nearly 1 in 10 adults have significant medical debt, and 6% of adults  16 million people in the U.S.  have debt above 1,000, according to Kaiser Family Foundations 2022 analysis. People in states that havent adopted Medicaid expansion, people in southern states, and Black people were more likely to live with this financial burden, KFF found.

Consumer advocacy groups, progressive think tanks, and civil rights groups have been pushing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and IRS to address the medical debt issue through regulations.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, asked Equifax CEO Mark Begor several times whether medical debt was less predictive of someone paying their bills than other kinds of debt before Begor responded that he didnt have that information.

You dont have that information available? Are you kidding me? You are the head of one of the biggest credit reporting agencies in the country and you dont know the relative predictability of one of the major forms of debt that you report on? she asked.

Warren added, The reason that medical debt is a poor predictor of credit worthiness is our medical system is a mess. Most hospitals charge you one price. They charge insurance companies another, so medical bills are often a moving target. Bills are routinely sent to the wrong party, often a patient cant even figure out what it is in terms of supplies or services that theyre being billed for.

She then turned to Begor to ask whether he would remove that information if the CFPB found that medical debt was so full of errors that it no longer belongs on reports. He said, Wed certainly support that.

TransUnion CEO Chris Cartwright said he would comply if directed to remove it by the CFPB.

Youre going to wait until youre ordered. Thats what youre saying? Youre not going to do anything unless youre ordered to do it? she said, before moving on to Experian CEO Brian Cassin.

If the CFPB directs us, of course we would comply with that. If the CFPB concluded that it was so problematic and that the industry also agreed that it wasnt an issue to remove that data from credit reports, we would do so too, but I think it is a complex issue, senator, and I think it needs to be looked at in the broad, Cassin said.

Republicans call for financial literacy

Republicans on the committee advocated for other approaches to ease the burdens that credit reports have on Americans, such as financial education. Sen. Tim Scott, R-SC, said he hoped the credit reporting bureaus were working on financial literacy and Sen. Katie Britt, R-AL, asked the three executives how to help more Americans no longer be credit invisible. Scott also accused the CFPB of exploring new avenues of regulatory overreach, providing its proposed rule on credit card late fees as an example.

Organizations that include the Debt Collective, Human Rights Watch, and Consumers for Affordable Health Care wrote letters to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, IRS, and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on March 6 to call for more regulations and more enforcement of existing regulations to mitigate the harms of medical debt on peoples finances.

The groups advocated for the IRS to ramp up enforcement of a regulation that requires hospitals to make a reasonable effort to find out whether a patient could receive assistance through the hospital before sending their information to a credit reporting bureau and selling their debt to another party. They also called for the CFPB to prohibit reporting of all medical debt or all debt for medically necessary procedures.

An April 2022 CFPB report that looks at consumer complaints found that people were being contacted for bills that were already paid and for debts they didnt recognize. People also said they didnt have enough information to verify the debts attributed to them.

The most common issue in debt collection is about attempts to collect a debt that the individual says is not owed. In medical debt collection complaints, this issue makes up nearly half of complaints and, importantly, complaint volume about this topic has been increasing, the CFPB report stated.

In February, the agency said a decline in medical collections between 2018 and 2022 may be connected to the fact that the data has more inaccuracies or is more prone to being outdated, which can lead to more credit disputes.

Several federal agencies have taken steps to address problems affecting consumers and their credit reports. In February, the CFPB and the Federal Trade Commission, began to seek information from consumer reporting agencies, tenants, landlords, and others on how background screening affects tenants.

Last year, the Biden administration announced several actions specifically targeted to relieve and lessen the financial burden of medical debt, which included the the CFPB providing more consumer education on the subject and the Federal Housing Finance Agency evaluating whether Freddie Mac and Fannie Maes credit models are accurate, reliable, and predictive.

The post Credit bureau CEOs face tough questions at Senate hearing; Democrats push to remove medical debt appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch.
MISSOULA, Mont. - The Missoula County Sheriff's Office gave an update on two missing people Thursday.

The first search they gave an update on was for missing 18-year-old Joseph Thompson.

The sheriffs office said they have been coordinating search efforts with Missoula County Search and Rescue and have recorded 310 miles and 371 search hours. Two Bear Air has also assisted in the search.

Members of Missoula County Search and Rescue, Missoula County Sheriffs Office and Seeley-Swan Search and Rescue have extensively searched the Southside Road and Deep Creek areas.

An investigation has found no evidence of criminal activity contributing to the disappearance of Thompson, and without further evidence, the sheriffs office and Missoula County Search and Rescue have decided to reduce resources dedicated to his search.

In regards to the search for Nefataree Bartell, Missoula County Search and Rescue is now able to access the Gold Creke area in Missoula County.

Nefataree has been missing since February 21, and weather elements and large snowpack have caused problems with previous search efforts.

Aerial searches have been conducted, and with more favorable conditions, Missoula County Search and Rescue has begun a foot and canine search, utilizing other resources where they are most effective.

Approximately 206 miles and 309 search hours have been recorded.

If you have any information or find information that could lead to the location of either Joseph Thompson or Nefataree Bartell, you are asked to call 911 immediately.
In the 1980s, various federal agencies billed taxpayers $3.4 million  $12.4 million in 2023 dollars  to shuttle 190 government officials to and from their offices with a door-to-door chauffeur service.

Sen. William Proxmire, a Democrat from Wisconsin, awarded these officials his Golden Fleece Award for this wasteful spending.

For this award, Proxmire surveyed officials from multiple agencies about their use of private chauffeurs, and found that three agencies were especially guilty: the Department of Defense, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Central Intelligence Agency.

The DOD had 60 officials eligible for the service, the most of any agency. HUD boasted the most expensive automobile of any agency at $9,588 ($35,000 in 2023 dollars), twice as much as the average car cost. Still, the CIA racked up the most overtime, with the CIA directors chauffeur earning more in overtime pay than he did in his base salary.

Technically, only cabinet level officials were allowed to take advantage of the chauffeur service, with other officials allowed to use chauffeurs on official business, but not to commute to work. Regardless, many claimed excuses, with one official stating the service enables [him] to conserve [his] valuable time and be more productive, while another simply stated that his use of a government chauffeured automobile was in the governments interest.

The DOJs Office of Legal Counsel, however, found these and many other such excuses to be invalid.

The bureaucrats that made excuses to take advantage of the program left taxpayers with the bill for their commute. Proxmires recommendation for these officials? Let them ride the bus to work to study how effective our transportation system is.

The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com
When Detroit industrialist Eber Brock Ward bought more than 4,000 acres of the Great Black Swamp in 1863, he opened that area on Lake Eries western shore to settlement and employment. The canal he built between Cedar Creek and the lake became the pathway to timbering, shipbuilding and milling operations and, later, to agriculture.

If he were to return to that area today, Ward would likely be shocked to see that much of the acreage he purchased is once again wetlands. And that visitors numbering in the tens of thousands come to parks and wildlife areas around the canal to watch migrating birds in April and May.

Festival

That includes the Biggest Week in American Birding festival, which is May 5-14 this year. The festival is hosted by the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, a nonprofit organization for research and conservation, located near Oak Harbor. But you can bet all the beaches, boardwalks and observation towers in Lucas and Ottawa counties will be crowded with people toting binoculars and telephoto lenses.

Deborah Herman-Miller spent three years researching the history of Wards Canal to try to get a historical marker placed there. Her efforts succeeded in 2021. The marker is where a path in the Howard Marsh Metropark meets the canal.

Though she now lives in Portage Countys Freedom Township, the retired educator grew up on a farm not far from the canal, where her brother and other kids from the little town of Bono used to ice skate and fish.

Growing up, it seemed like kids living in the area didnt know the history of the canal or appreciate it, Herman-Miller said. They just just thought of it as a big ditch.

Canal

The land Ward purchased teemed with oak, walnut, ash and elm trees. He would need a way to get products and materials in and out, so he built a canal 2 3/4 mile long and 15 feet deep in 1870. Though he brought a steam dredger from Detroit, much of the work was done by men with picks and shovels.

Ward then built a sawmill and a shipyard that produced barges, steamships, schooners and tugboats. Timber was a primary ingredient in shipbuilding. One steamer named Music had 75 first-class cabins constructed of black walnut. The shipyard operated until 1875, the same year Ward died suddenly of a heart attack.

Around 1900, George Howard bought nearly 1,500 acres of Wards property, including the canal. Using what hed learned visiting Holland, he drained the acreage to create an onion farm, continuing to use the canal for water control.

Later, settlers on the other side of the canal used a dike, drainage canals and a fancy water-lifting elevator to create the Metzer vegetable farms. They operated until high water damaged the dike in 1929. The dike was not rebuilt and the land reverted to marsh.

Before settlers arrived, the Black Swamp covered almost a million acres on the southern shore of Lake Erie, including 300,000 acres of coastal wetland.

Today, 30,000 acres of those coastal wetlands remain while only fragmented pieces of the Great Black Swamp still exist, said Kelly Schott, wildlife communications specialist for the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

A swamp is basically flooded woodlands, and timbering took all but 10 to 15% of the Black Swamps trees, she said. A muck fire that burned for three months in 1895 destroyed most of the trees that remained.

Around the turn of the century, people began to be concerned about the disappearance of species. It wasnt only from loss of habitat through deforestation and drainage, but unregulated market hunting. Uncounted carcasses of animals, fish and even birds like the now-extinct passenger pigeon were sold in other areas of Ohio and across state lines. Fish populations also collapsed as rivers and streams became muddy, and the wetlands were no longer there to prevent runoff into the lake.

Individuals started sounding the alarm, many of them duck hunters, Schott said.

Hunting clubs  including the Winous Point and Ottawa shooting clubs, two of the oldest clubs in North America  began restoring wetlands and managing them for conservation. In the early 1900s, countless clubs existed in Lucas and Ottawa counties as hunters were willing to pay a premium to use these areas. But for many of these clubs, membership dues were not enough to keep up with the expense of maintaining the dikes and ditches for water control.

The division of wildlife, now celebrating its 150th anniversary, stepped in when some of those clubs went under, Schott said. Funded with money from hunting and fishing licenses and sales of hunting equipment, the state agency was able to purchase the former farmland on the east side of the canal, which is now a 900-acre wetland called Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area.

In 2008, Metroparks Toledo purchased 1,000 acres on the west side of the canal for Howard Marsh Metropark. Farming was allowed on the land until 2015, then reconstruction of wetlands began. The pump structure used for water control in Howard Marsh is on Wards Canal.

Grand re-opening

Similar purchases led to Maumee Bay State Park, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and Magee Marsh Wildlife Area where Schott has been working on the renovation of the visitor center that will have its grand re-opening May 4. Some hunting clubs remain, but dozens of parks, nature preserves and wildlife areas run by government or private agencies now dot the counties around the canal.

The H2Ohio program that Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources launched in 2019 is aimed at improving water quality. That includes creating and restoring wetlands, which filter pollutants and prevent runoff of nutrients like phosphate and nitrogen that lead to algal blooms. The program originally focused on the Maumee Bay area of Lake Erie, but now extends to the Ohio River.

DeWines office and the ODNR recently announced two new coastal wetlands programs in the Sandusky Bay area southeast of the canal. In one project, 44 acres of wetlands in the Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area will be restored, connecting the creek to its floodplain. This will allow sediments and nutrients to settle so fewer will make it into the bay.

The Raccoon Creek project will restore shoreline wetlands and promote aquatic vegetation. This is not only to improve Lake Eries water quality, but to provide spawning areas for popular game fish like the northern pike, and more places for birds to forage and nest.

The work done to restore wetlands in the last century and this one has not only resulted in the return of many animal, fish and bird species that had disappeared, but also a veritable population explosion of both migrating and resident birds. The Cornell Lab of Ornithologys tracking programs have recorded more than 300 bird species in the area during peak migration periods from mid-April to late May.

Those 300 species include 36 species of warblers, which is why this area of Northwest Ohio has been dubbed the Warbler Capital of the World. So its no wonder that the count of human visitors to the area  coming from all 50 states and foreign countries  has neared 90,000 some years.

The area is at the junction of two major migration routes for birds called neotropical migrants. They may come from the southern United States, or as far south as Central or South America. Some will continue to fly to points north, ranging from Newfoundland to the Yukon.

Crossing the lake

But flying across Lake Erie is a bit intimidating, so many of the migrating birds stop on Lake Eries south shore before proceeding. Magee Marsh has a 40-acre patch of forest along the boardwalk where they can rest. And the wetlands provide plenty of seeds and insects, like caterpillars and midges, to fortify them on their way.

However, not all the migrants choose to cross the lake; some stay and nest. The diversity of the wetland habitats, providing both shallow and deeper water, provide nesting areas for many species including sandhill cranes, mallards, wood ducks, Virginia rails and trumpeter swans. And some of the birds those 90,000 visitors are watching may be permanent residents of Ohio.

Aside from being in the heart of the wetland restoration and birding action, Wards Canal is home to Meinke Marina and Cooley Canal Yacht Club, both of which use the canal for access to Lake Erie. There are also places to fish and birdwatch along the canals shores.

Herman-Miller is proud to have brought some recognition to the history of Wards Canal, but also to be part of todays conservation efforts. After being farmed by four generations, her familys land across from Metzger Marsh and the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge is now officially the John E. Herman Wetland Restoration Area.

The Black Swamp was the last area in Ohio to be settled, and Wards Canal facilitated that settlement, she said. I didnt want that history to be lost.
Thousands of JCB employees are gearing up to mark the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla with a company-wide street party.

The UK agri-machinery company is treating more than 5,500 employees at all its factories to a two-course celebration lunch next week.

The Big Coronation Lunch is being staged at plants in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Wrexham where breaks are being extended to allow the historic occasion to be marked.

King Charles III's coronation will take place on Saturday 6 May at Westminster Abbey in London.

Factory restaurants are being decked out with red, white and blue bunting and balloons ready for classic British cuisine to be served on traditional street party trestle tables.

Employees will tuck into fish and chips, sausage and mash, a special Coronation Chicken pie or enjoy a special afternoon tea. A fruit crumble and trifle will be offered as dessert.

JCB Chairman Lord Bamford said the event - the UK's first coronation in 70 years - was 'momentous' in the countrys history.

He added: "[It is] an opportunity for all of us to come together and mark it as a team in traditional street party style.

Over the course of the four-day street party, JCB said it would be serving almost one tonne of potatoes, 172 kgs of chicken, 293 kgs of fish, and 125 kgs of sausage.

Sean Tucker, 20, a welder at JCB Cab Systems in Uttoxeter, said he was pleased to see that the food on offer would be traditionally British.

The Big Coronation Lunches are a fantastic idea  it will be great to get together with my colleagues to celebrate the memorable occasion."
A new research project aims to address the problem of dairy cow heat stress to ensure sustainable milk production and improve cow welfare amid climate change.

Researchers are seeking to understand the interaction between temperature, microclimates within farm buildings, and cow physiology and behaviour.

At high temperatures, dairy cows are known to suffer heat stress, which can reduce milk yield, impair fertility, and negatively affect their immune system and overall welfare.

Such problems are likely to be compounded by temperature increases due to climate change, experts say.

The universities of Reading, Essex, Cardiff and Writtle University College are collaborating on a 1.24m project that aims to address the causes of dairy cow heat stress within farm buildings.

The project will bring together experts in animal and dairy sciences, mathematical modelling and statistics, and building design engineering.

Chris Reynolds, of the University of Reading said: Heat stress due to climate change could have severe negative consequences for the health and productivity of dairy cows.

Lactating cows have a high rate of metabolism, which makes them less tolerant of high temperatures.

Research is essential to inform and shape future cow management strategies and building designs.

Research will take place at the University of Readings Centre for Dairy Research (CEDAR) and six commercial dairy farms across the UK.

Individual cow behaviour will be continuously monitored using tracking sensors that record patterns of movement, activity, and space-use for each animal in the herd.

Detailed observations of barn microclimates (temperature, humidity, air quality, ventilation) will also be obtained and combined with physiological data (cow body temperature, milk production, health).

Cows are known to adapt their behaviour to help cope with high temperatures and humidity, such as increasing their intake of water, or seeking shade or areas of increased ventilation.

Edward Codling, of the University of Essex, said: Our tracking sensors will allow us to analyse how indoor-housed dairy cows respond to, and cope with, heat stress in an unprecedented level of detail.

By combining animal tracking data with continuous sensor monitoring of barn microclimates we will be able to model and predict the complex interactions between cow behavioural choices and their housed environment.

The data collected will inform development of housing designed to reduce heat stress and improve welfare.

The approach the team is taking, using bespoke animal tracking and environmental sensors from industry collaborators Omnisense and Smartbell to model how building design influences indoor microclimates and cow behaviour, has never been done in this way before.

Dr Jonathan Amory, of Writtle University College, said the climate crisis was bringing new challenges to animal welfare.

By utilising new technology and working with industry, we can develop innovative solutions for improving livestock management.
An Oxfordshire sheep farmer has pleaded guilty to thirteen offences, including leaving dead animals to rot.

Jonathon Simpson, 38, who trades as Jons Shepherding of Hunters Close Farm, near Witney, pleaded guilty to the offences at Oxford Magistrates Court.

It follows a prosecution brought by Oxfordshire County Councils trading standards team.

The court heard that Simpson had failed to comply with the restrictions on animal by-products, by disposing of a large number of dead sheep, over many years, by burying them in a muck heap to rot and decay on land in Oxfordshire.

Simpson also failed to keep adequate records that included a failure to keep an up to date register of animals, a failure to record animal movements and a failure to maintain a record of veterinary medicines.

Simpson also moved livestock without being an authorised and competent transporter.

The offences occurred between 2017 and 2022.

Jody Kerman, Oxfordshire County Councils head of trading standards, said the vast majority of farmers work to the highest standards.

However, she said there was a minority who sought to bypass the rules.

Animal welfare legislation is there for very good reason, to control disease, to protect animals and to ensure the safety of the wider food chain. These offences put all that at risk.

The lack of processes Simpson had in place risked the spread of disease, while also hindering traceability and attempts to contain any such outbreak.

As the most rural county in the southeast of England, an uncontrolled animal disease outbreak would have a hugely damaging impact on peoples lives and on our local economy.

Simpson was sentenced to a twelve-month community order, including completion of a fifteen-day rehabilitation requirement.

He was also ordered to pay 2,000 towards the prosecutions costs, as well as already paying thousands of pounds for the appropriate removal of the muck heap and animal by-products.
These are just some of the iconic drinks and eats you must tick off while in San Francisco, the City by the Bay



San Francisco is known for its culinary scene, and the keyword is always fresh. Heres a curated list of what and where you must eat and drink to gladden your taste buds in the city

Image/ Instagram/@boudinbakery



Go to Boudin Sourdough For Sourdough Bread

The Boudin factory calls itself the Original San Francisco Sourdough and no one is really arguing. Isidore Boudin perfected his recipe for sourdough way back in 1849, and it is, after all, the citys longest continually operating business. You cannot leave the city without trying a bread bowl full of chowder at the flagship factory on Fishermans Wharf.


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Fire Industry Association (FIA) CPD-certified training by Detectortesters has attracted a worldwide audience.

A long-time FIA member, Detectortesters based just North of London, are the name behind the Solo and Testifire products used to carry out functional testing of smoke, heat, and CO detectors. Their detector test equipment is used all around the globe, from commercial premises to freighters on the sea. Their products are available in more than 130+ countries and counting.

Obviously, to have such a global reach is a wonderful achievement for most companies but it is not without challenges. Just take product training, how do you take it global?

This is where the FIA CPD Certification Centre comes in. Launched in 2020 the FIA offers an exclusive member benefit service that certifies CPD training for its members at no additional cost. Detectortesters was one of the first to take advantage of this service, securing FIA CPD certification for all their webinar-based training. With the FIA's stamp of approval, Detectortesters' training webinars have become even more valuable and accessible to fire engineers worldwide, with attendees from over 80 different countries.

In the past, Detectortesters offered product training to around two hundred fire engineers a year, often this was in-house with a UK-based audience. Whilst this met the need for training UK customers, it left thousands of customers around the world without easy access to training. Detectortesters wanted to ensure that fire engineers in other countries had a way to keep their product knowledge current and relevant. Detectortesters felt the training webinars with the FIA CPD certification made an enormous difference.

Oliver Doerle, Head of Product Management at Detectortestors, stated To be honest, the FIA CPD Certification Service was an easy decision for us. The FIA brand is so strong around the world, it really appealed to our global customer base. Over the last two years, we have welcomed customers from as far as Algeria and Zambia to our online seminar sessions. Since offering online training, we have welcomed over 1500 attendees from eighty-plus countries to our sessions.

The FIA CPD Certification Centre is all about raising the bar in the fire industry. Being the largest fire-related trade association in Europe means that the FIA has a wealth of technical expertise across the breadth of the fire industry. This enables them to assess the technical content of CPD sessions and give it a stamp of approval or assist with bringing it up to standard.

During the last two years, Paul Gatens, training expert and course leader at Detectortesters, has become a familiar face on Zoom and Teams for many fire engineers around the globe. According to Paul: Working with the FIA team has been hugely rewarding. Having our training materials reviewed by the FIAs industry-leading technical experts has been a real benefit  without a doubt, it made our product training better. We are now reaching more people than ever before, and it has been great to work closely with our customers worldwide and hear of their experiences.

For more information on how the FIA CPD Certification Centre can help you email here.
Argentina has decided to pay for Chinese imports in yuan instead of dollars, according to the formers economy minister Sergio Massa.

"Together with [Chinese] Ambassador Zou Xiaoli and entrepreneurs, we are starting a swap with China, which will enable us to pay for imports from this country in yuan, thus replacing $1.04 billion in April and $790 million starting May," he tweeted.

Argentinas exports fell by $15 billion due to the worst drought in the countrys history, Massa was quoted as saying by a news agency.

Argentina has decided to pay for Chinese imports in yuan instead of dollars, according to the former's economy minister Sergio Massa. The shift to yuan in trade with China would offer 'more freedom' for Argentina and 'strengthen its reserves', he said. China had agreed to extend a swap provided to Argentina to $5 billion, it was announced last November.

"This set a challenging task for us to maintain reserves for keeping the level of import of materials and goods that play a key role for economic activities and production in the country," he explained.

The shift to yuan in trade with China would offer more freedom for Argentina and strengthen its reserves, he said.

Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez said last November that China had agreed to extend a swap provided to Argentina to $5 billion.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Cambodia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently finalised the terms of a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA). A joint statement was signed in Dubai by UAE minister of state for foreign trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi and Cambodias commerce minister Pan Sorasak. The negotiations took less than six months to complete.

The agreement will help boost and diversify bilateral trade by substantially eliminating tariffs, reducing non-tariff trade barriers and promoting trade in goods, services and investment.

Cambodia and the UAE recently finalised the terms of a comprehensive economic partnership agreement to help boost and diversify bilateral trade. The UAE will benefit by exporting machinery, oils and lubricants, and cars and automotive parts. Cambodia will gain from fresh opportunities for its key export items, including apparel, footwear and leather goods.

The UAE will benefit from new export opportunities in machinery, oils and lubricants, and cars and automotive parts, as well as investment opportunities in logistics and infrastructure, travel and tourism projects and renewable energy, Gulf media outlets reported.

Cambodia will gain from fresh opportunities for its key export items, including apparel, footwear and leather goods, grains, fruits, meat and processed food.

UAE-Cambodia economic ties resulted in non-oil trade exceeding $401 million 2022a growth of 31 per cent compared to the 2021 figure and 146 per cent more on the pre-COVID year of 2019.

Al Zeyoudi termed the signing as another important step in the UAEs foreign trade agenda, launched in September 2021.

The UAE has signed CEPAs with India, Israel, Indonesia and Turkey, and is set to conclude negotiations with several other strategically important countries.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Vietnam and Argentina are working on boosting their bilateral trade relationship through established diplomatic channels. In the textile sector, Vietnam's cotton imports have seen a sharp increase, despite a slight fall in 2022. Vietnam has also expanded its footprint in Argentina through higher garment shipments. Vietnam's garment exports have shown healthy growth over the last year.

Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) chairman Vuong Dinh Hue's official visit to Argentina is expected to create more opportunities for bilateral trade cooperation. Argentina is an important trade partner in the Latin American region for Vietnam, and the two countries are celebrating 50 years of officially established diplomatic relations. Since the establishment of the comprehensive partnership in 2010, the bilateral relationship has made impressive progress, especially in the economy and trade.

Vietnamese NA chairman's visit to Argentina is expected to create more opportunities for trade cooperation between the two countries, especially in the textile sector. Despite a slight fall in 2022, Vietnam's cotton imports from Argentina have seen a significant increase since 2018. Vietnam's garment exports to Argentina have shown healthy growth.

Vietnamese cotton (HSN Code 5201) imports were valued at $21.379 million in 2018 when the country imported 13.379 million kg of cotton. The imports jumped to three times in terms of value and reached $63.725 million (43.881 million kg) in 2021, according to Fibre2Fashions market insight tool TexPro.

However, it fell to $51.606 million (31.267 million kg) in 2022. Despite the fall in imports last year, the value and volume of trade were still significantly higher than in 2018. Imports were noted at $23.879 million (16.934 million kg) in 2019 and $24.433 million (22.680 million kg) in 2020. Argentina is a major cotton producer, while Vietnam is a dominant consumer country with a well-established textile industry.

Vietnamese garment exports to Argentina increased to $22.354 million in 2022 from $17.636 million in 2021, continuing an upward trend that began in 2020. However, there was a downward trend in previous years. In 2018, exports were recorded at $26.022 million, but they decreased to $23.596 million in 2019 and $17.345 million in 2020. Nevertheless, the trade improved in 2021 to $17.636 million and further increased to $22.354 million in 2022. As of January-February 2023, shipments were recorded at $7.951 million, according to TexPro.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
In what came as the big news of the day, Sooraj Pancholi, who was the main accused in Jiah Khan's death case, has all the reasons to take a sigh of relief. After all, Sooraj has been acquitted in this much talked about case and it has undoubtedly come as a sigh of relief for the Pancholis.

For the uninitiated, the verdict came after almost a decade of Jiah's demise and it wasn't an easy journey for Sooraj. The actor, who was said to be dating Jiah at the time of her demise, was charged with abetment to suicide in a chargesheet filed by the CBI. And while the trial has been going on since 2019, Sooraj managed to walk in as a free man today.

Expressing his relief, Aditya Pancholi has expressed his faith in the Indian judiciary. Talking to India Today, the actor stated, "We are very grateful to the judiciary, the law of this country and very grateful to God. We all had faith in God and faith in judiciary". While he refused to speak about the allegations levelled against him, Aditya added, "Today our family received a very big relief".

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Jiah Khan Suicide Case  Sooraj Pancholi           Rabia Khan!

Furthermore, Aditya Pancholi also expressed his gratitude towards everyone who supported them during this tough time. On the other hand, Sooraj got emotional about his acquittal and said, "The verdict has taken 10 long painful years and sleepless nights, But today I have not only won this case against me but I have also won my dignity and confidence back".

Talking about Jiah Khan's death case, the actress was found dead in her Mumbai flat on June 3, 2013, and later a six page suicide note was found in her residence. While Sooraj was arrested by the cops, he was released on bail. This was followed by Jiah Khan's mother Rabia Khan demanding to transfer the case to CBI.
It's been over a decade since Jiah Khan passed away. The actress was found dead in her Mumbai flat in June 2013 and it had sent a wave of shock and grief across the industry. In fact, Jiah's boyfriend Sooraj Pancholi was accused of abetment to suicide and the case went on to make headlines for years.

And now, after a decade of speculation, the verdict is finally out in Jiah Khan's death case. As per the fresh update, Sooraj Pancholi has been acquitted by the Special CBI court. Talking about it, Judge AS Sayyed of the special CBI court said, "Due to paucity of evidence, this court can't hold you (Sooraj Pancholi) guilty, hence acquitted".

Jiah Khan's Mother Reacts To Sooraj Pancholi's Acquittal

Needless to say, this verdict has left everyone brimming with an opinion. And now, Jiah Khan's mother has reacted to Sooraj Pancholi's acquittal. Talking to the media, "Main ek baat kahungi, aaj abetment to suicide eradicate hua hai, lekin the question mark is how did my child die? So, the cause of death is still pending. Maine shuru se kaha hai this is a case of murder and now, the abetment to suicide is gone, the murder still is hanging. This is a case of murder...will approach the high court".

#WATCH | The charge of abetment to suicide has gone. But how did my child die? This is a case of murder...will approach the high court: Rabia Khan, Jiah Khan's mother on Sooraj Pancholi acquitted of abetment charges in suicide case pic.twitter.com/8RA7fhbPDY  ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2023

Jiah Khan's Death Case: All You Need To Know

For the uninitiated, Jiah had breathed her last on June 3, 2013, and a six-page letter was also received from her residence. Later Sooraj Pancholi was arrested by the cops and was released on bail after spending around 22 days in prison. It was in 2014, Jiah Khan's death case was transferred to CBI and the authority had termed the case as an abetment to suicide in a chargesheet submitted before the court. While the court accused Sooraj Pancholi of abetment to suicide, he denied the charges.

Disclaimer: If you know someone who is having suicidal thoughts or is suffering from a serious mental illness, reach out to a nearby doctor, mental health expert, or an NGO for immediate help.
Jiah Khan Death Case: Nearly a decade after Jiah Khan's death, a special CBI court in Mumbai acquitted Bollywood actor Sooraj Pancholi, the prime accused in the case involving abetment to suicide.

COURT ACQUITS SOORAJ PANCHOLI IN JIAH KHAN CASE

Sooraj Pancholi, who is the son of actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, disputed the accuracy of the investigation and chargesheet during his final statement to the court. He alleged that the prosecution witnesses had testified against him under the influence of Jiah Khan's mother Rabia, the police, and the CBI.

Earlier, the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mumbai had decided to pronounce its verdict on the death case of Bollywood actress Jiah Khan, today on April 28. Jiah was found dead at Juhu home on June 3, 2013.

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Jiah Khan Suicide Case  Sooraj Pancholi           Rabia Khan!

After her death, the police recovered a suicide note allegedly written by the actress, after which her boyfriend Sooraj Pancholi was arrested in abetment of suicide. The 'Hero' actor was later granted bail in the case by the Bombay High Court.

As per reports, the special CBI judge AS Sayyad reserved its verdict in the case for April 28, after hearing both sides' final arguments on April 20.

It was reported by TOI that as the date of the verdict is inching closer, the accused Pancholi, and his family are getting anxious, however, they have stayed positive about the outcome. A member of the Pancholi family revealed to ETimes that "Going by the merits of the case, the entire family is positive. But we are also anxious about the verdict which is slated to come out on April 28 in the Special CBI Court number 52."

All About Jiah Khan Case

Jiah Khan, who is best known for her roles in Ghajini, Housefull, and Nishabd, was found hanging at her residence by her mother, Rabia Khan on June 3, 2013. Jiah allegedly wrote a 6-page letter describing her relationship with Sooraj Pancholi. Following the actress's death, her mother, Rabia accused Sooraj and his family of 'mistreating' her daughter.

As reported by PTI, Rabia, who was a key prosecution witness told the court it was a case of murder and not suicide. She was quoted as saying, "I want the truth to be out, Jiah Khan did not take her own life. We have spent 10 years exposing the truth based on factual evidence. Now it is up to the court to draw the right conclusions."

Sooraj Pancholi was just a Starkid back then. Reports suggest that Jiah and Sooraj met through Facebook and soon their friendship blossomed into love.
Nora Fatehi: Actress-dancer Nora Fatehi is everyone's favourite when it comes to showing off her wonderful dance movies. She also has an impeccable fashion sense, as she always manages to impress fashion critics with her sartorial outings.

She often showcases stunning fashion looks and never disappoints her fans. The ABCD actor recently shared pictures of her outfit from an awards ceremony on her social media account, which has left her fans swooning.

NORA FATEHI SIZZLES IN BODY-HUGGING EMBELLISHED GOWN

The global dance sensation stepped out wearing a diamond and pearl-studded gown for the recently held 68th Filmfare Awards 2023 in Mumbai. On Friday, she treated her fans to a few pictures of herself in the same outfit.

The sexy fashionista wore a glamorous sequined semi-sheer dress from designer Yousef Al Jasmi. The beautiful figure-hugging outfit further accentuated her curves. The heavily embellished diamond and pearl-studded gown featured a halter neck cut and a thigh-high slit.

Rajai Bhi Saath le Aai: Nora Fatehi Gets Trolled For Attending Style Icons 2023 In Gown With Mammoth Sleeves

For accessories, Nora picked a pair of statement earrings, diamond rings in her hand, and a stiletto with shiny straps. Further, the dancer opted for very light makeup, letting her dress speak. She went for nude peach lips, contour, and blush on her cheeks, and she looked like a dream. Take a look.

NORA FATEHI PICS LEAVE FANS SWOONING

Sharing her photos, Nora wrote, "To her man, l'm the girl of his dreams. Thinkin' 'bout me when he brushin' his teeth." She set social media ablaze as soon as the photos were uploaded. Many rushed to compliment their favourite star and called her stunning.

One fan said, "Wahhhhhh wahhhhh. mashaaallah, mermaid." Another fan said, "Hottie," while a third fan commented, "Wow... So Beautiful." "Kohinoor," said one. While several of them dropped fire and red heart emojis.

Fans Call Nora Fatehi 'PATAKA' As She Burns Instagram With Fiery Pics In Shimmery Mini Dress From US Tour

On the work front, the stunner was seen in Jedha Nasha music video with Ayushmann Khurana for the movie A Action Hero. She was also a part of B Praak's Achha Sila Diya music video alongside Rajkumar Rao.
Do terrorists also have any religion? Does act of terrorism should be seen through the prism of any particular religion? The answer is obviously a big NO. Terrorism in the name religion is the subject of the upcoming film 'Mahakal Nagari' whose motion poster was launched yesterday on social media. As soon as the motion poster of the film was released, it soon became the talking point among the people.

The motion poster of 'Mahakal Nagari' is being widely praised. It shows how a sanatani hindu saint stands against the terrorist who is out there to harm the interest of the county and in a bid to save the interest of the country he kills the terrorist.

As the love towards the motion poster is growing with each passing minute, there are some people out there who have shown their dislike towards the motion poster by saying that it is an attempt to malign one particular religion and it is also an attempt to show one particular community in poor light.

The writer and director of 'Mahakal Nagari' Sanjeev Kumar Rajput has perfect answer for such criticism. He says, "I would like to say that please don't jump to any conclusion before seeing the film. My film is not against any religion and it hasn't been made to target any particukar community, but the film is against those who in the name of religion spread terrorism and harm the country in the most ghastly manner".

Produced by Manish Ojha, Prembir Singh and Alka Verma, 'Mahakal Nagari' is a story of the protagonist who doesn't follow in the footsteps of his father and decides not to join the army. He thinks that to serve his religion he should become a sanatani hindu sadhu who can also serve the country when the need arises. He vows to kill the terrorist who doesn't think twice before harming the interest of the country.

Presented by Shri Radhya Film Production and Brijwasi Films, Produced by Manish Ojha,Prembir Singh and Alka Verma 'Mahakal Nagari' will be soon released in theatres across the country. The films stars Ankit Raj, Kajal Chauhan, Akhilendra Mishra, Kamlesh Sawant, Shaji Choudhary, Sunny Thakur, Himanshu Shrivastava and Rayya Labib.
Bigg Boss 16 Update: The thirteenth season of Colors TV's controversial reality show Bigg Boss, hosted by Salman Khan, turned out to be among the most successful seasons in the show's history.

Bigg Boss 16 made all contestants household names and fans still eagerly await to know more about their personal and professional lives. While Priyanka Chahar Choudhary and Shiv Thakare won many hearts, Shalin Bhanot too was among the most talked-about contestants of Bigg Boss 16.

SHALIN BHANOT BUYS NEW CAR

Currently busy playing the lead role of Ranav in Colors TV's Bekaboo alongside Eisha Singh, the actor is currently on cloud nine as he's now the proud owner of an expensive SUV. Yes, you read that right!

Shalin went with the star cast of Bekaaboo to pick up the car, and his father accompanied him for the first ride. The actor was seen posing in front of the car with his team. During an interaction with the media, he revealed that he had come to Mumbai on a bike and was later given a red car by his father to drive. He believes that the same colour is lucky for him and that he wanted it for his new car.

SHALIN BHANOT & HIS SPECIAL CONNECTION WITH RED CAR

Shalin's first car was from Jabalpur, and he couldn't afford anything better at the time. After a year and a half, his father felt that he was becoming famous but still driving the same bike. So, he offered him their car, which happened to be red, which he considered a blessing from his parents. Over the years, Shalin has bought several cars, but none of them were red. He stumbled upon this one by chance, and it matched his dad's red car.

Although he couldn't pick up the car earlier due to his busy shooting schedule, he finally found time and brought the entire Bekaaboo cast with him. He considers them his 'family' and wanted to share his joy with them.
Akhil Akkineni Agent Review Photo Credit: Gallery

Rating: 2.0 /5

Agent Movie Introduction:

Akhil Akkineni picked a high-octane action thriller for his next after-tasting success with a matured love story 'Most Eligible Bachelor.' The movie written by Vakkantham Vamsi and directed by Surender Reddy was in production for a very long time. Malayalam superstar Mammootty played an important role in the movie. Bollywood actor Dino Morea was roped in for this spy action film, marking his Telugu debut.

The success of Agent is crucial for the director, writer, and actors in it. Dino Morea openly said that he would like to work in Telugu and this movie would bring him more opportunities.

Agent Story:

Colonel Mahadev alias Devil(Mammootty) is an exceptional RAW agent and is a mentor to Rama Krishna alias Rikki, known as Agent Wild(Akhil Akkineni). Mahadev is also the trainer of former agent God (Dino Morea), who turns against the system and becomes the head of the underworld. He controls every government and political move in India.

Rikki adores Devil and dreams of becoming a RAW agent like him. An ethical hacker at first, Rikki meets and falls in love with Sakshi Vaidya (Vidya) but forgoes his feelings to become an agent. He then joins hands with a Minister, who abuses Vidya.

Meanwhile, Mahadev, who believes Rikki's cranky behaviour will camouflage his identity as an agent takes him under his wings and trains. Knowing this, God lets Rikki take over his kingdom. What happens next is to be seen on the big screen.

Performances:

Akhil Akkineni transformed himself into an agent with a beefed-up physique and body language. He trained hard, spent several years, and worked hard for Agent. But, an uninteresting story coupled with subpar direction and screenplay played the spoilsport here for Agent.

Akhil manages to impress the viewers with his honest portrayal of the character and brings his all to the table. Mammootty is terrific in the role of Colonel Mahadev. The rest of them portrayed their roles within the scope.

Agent Analysis:

Unfortunately, the movie doesn't interest the viewers at all. There are several reasons why the film didn't work with a routine story with predictability and an uninteresting screenplay. Agent Rikki's character has some novelty but that doesn't aid in salvaging the film.

The production values are pretty good and top-class. The computer graphics and fight sequences are average. There is an interval bang after the hero fighting 60 people with heavy machinery, coming out without a single scratch. These things remind you of watching a regional flick. The love track is a very routine one.

Positives Of Agent Movie

Mammootty

Akhil

Visuals

Negatives Of Agent Movie

Story

Narration

Background Score & Music

Misplaced songs

Agent Verdict

A predictable action thriller that can be skipped for a theatrical watch.
CRANBROOK, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 27, 2023 / Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. (TSXV:EPL) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that its security holders have approved a special resolution put forward before its security holders to approve a plan of arrangement ("Arrangement") under section 193 of the Business Corporations Act (Alberta) to complete the spin-out of over 50 royalty assets of EPL into Eagle Royalties Ltd., as more particularly described in the management information circular dated March 17th, 2023 ("Circular"), which is available on SEDAR.

In the aggregate, 65,087,314 votes of EPL securityholders were cast with respect to the special resolution approving the Arrangement, with 99.07% of such votes cast in favour of the Arrangement. After excluding the votes as required under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions , 98.52% of the votes cast by EPL shareholders, 100% of the votes cast by EPL warrant holders, and 100% of the votes cast by EPL option holders were received in favour of the Arrangement.

As outlined in the Circular, a $3MM concurrent financing is currently underway with 1386884B.C. Ltd. ("Private Placement Financing"), which will amalgamate ("Amalgamation") with Eagle Royalties Ltd. to form the resulting issuer ("Resulting Issuer"). The closing date for the Arrangement and Amalgamation has not yet been established but is expected to be in or around mid-May 2023.

An application for the listing of the shares of the Resulting Issuer has been made with the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") with the trading symbol "ER" under reservation. The listing of the Resulting Issuer remains subject to approval of the CSE and the satisfaction of other customary conditions as set forth in the amalgamation agreement dated February 28, 2023, among EPL, Eagle Royalties Ltd. and 1386884B.C. Ltd.

About Eagle Plains Resources

Based in Cranbrook, B.C., Eagle Plains is a well-funded, prolific project generator that continues to conduct research, acquire and explore mineral projects throughout western Canada. The Company was formed in 1992 and is the ninth-oldest listed issuer on the TSX-V (and one of only three that has not seen a roll-back or restructuring of its shares). Eagle Plains has continued to deliver shareholder value over the years and through numerous spin-outs has transferred over $100,000,000 in value directly to its shareholders, with Copper Canyon Resources and recently Taiga Gold being notable examples.

The Company is committed to steadily enhancing shareholder value by advancing our diverse portfolio of projects toward discovery through collaborative partnerships and development of a highly experienced technical team.

In late 2022 Eagle Plains announced the formation of a separate division within the Company: Eagle Royalties Ltd. ("ER"), which will hold many of Eagle Plains' diverse portfolio of royalty assets. The restructuring will enhance the valuation of Eagle Plains' extensive royalty interests, enabling ER to market and develop its royalty assets while seeking additional royalty acquisition opportunities. The royalties cover a broad spectrum of commodities on projects controlled by Cameco Corp., Iso Energy Corp., Denison Mines Corp., Skeena Resources Ltd. and Hecla Mining Co./Banyan Gold Corp., among others. Eagle Plains will continue to focus on its core business model of acquiring and advancing grassroots critical- and precious-metal exploration properties. Throughout the exploration process, our mission is to help maintain prosperous communities by exploring for and discovering resource opportunities while building lasting relationships through honest and respectful business practices.

Expenditures from 2011-2022 on Eagle Plains-related projects exceed $30MM, the majority of which was funded by third-party partners. This exploration work resulted in approximately 45,000m of diamond-drilling and extensive ground-based exploration work facilitating the advancement of numerous projects at various stages of development.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Tim J. Termuende"

President and CEO



For further information on EPL, please contact Mike Labach at 1 866 HUNT ORE (486 8673)

Email: mgl@eagleplains.com or visit our website at https://www.eagleplains.com



Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, " forward-looking statements ") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes", an or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.

In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to the terms and conditions of the Arrangement or Amalgamation, the completion of the Private Placement Financing, the proposed listing of the shares of the Resulting Issuer on the CSE, and expected closing timeline of the Arrangement or Arrangement, and the business of the Resulting Issuer following the completion of the Arrangement or Amalgamation. These forward-looking statements reflects the EPL's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to it and on assumptions EPL's management believes to be fair and reasonable. These assumptions include but are not limited to, the ability of the parties to complete the Arrangement and Amalgamation, the ability of the Resulting Issuer to be listed on the CSE and, following such listing, the Resulting Issuer's ability to meet the continued listing requirements, the ability of each of EPL, ER and 138 to successfully secure all of the necessary approvals to complete the Arrangement and Amalgamation, the ability for 138 to successfully raise the capital as contemplated in the news release and successfully close the Private Placement Financing, the completion of satisfactory due diligence by 138 in relation to the Arrangement and Amalgamation; the satisfactory fulfilment of all of the conditions precedent to the Arrangement and Amalgamation; and the receipt of all required regulatory approvals for the Arrangement and Amalgamation.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to, general business, economic, competitive, political, and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market price for securities; and the delay or failure to receive board, shareholder, court, or regulatory approvals, as applicable. A description of additional risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in EPL's disclosure documents on the SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although EPL has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements in this news release, there may be other factors that could cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law, EPL does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements should they change.

SOURCE: Eagle Plains Resources Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/751780/Eagle-Plains-Receives-Overwhelming-Shareholder-Support-for-Eagle-Royalties-Spin-Out
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 27, 2023) - The Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA) is proud to announce that Her Honour Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell will attend the 41st Annual BBPA Harry Jerome Awards Gala on April 29th, 2023. Her Honour will join leaders, influencers, and honorees in celebrating excellence in the Black community.

"We are pleased to have Her Honour Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell attend our Awards Gala. Her presence underscores the importance of the work that we do, and we look forward to celebrating the achievements of our honorees with her," said Ross Cadastre, Board Chair, BBPA.

The BBPA is proud to honour and celebrate the following 2023 award honourees:

Lifetime Achievement Award - Spider Jones - Sponsored by BBPA

President's Award - Rick Gosling - Sponsored by BBPA

Jerome Family Athlete Award - Lindell Wigginton - Sponsored by BBPA and Jerome Family

Media Award - Andria Case - Sponsored by BrandEQ Agency

Professional Excellence Award - Emma Todd - Sponsored by TD Bank

Leadership Award - Rosemarie Powell - Sponsored by E.J. Gallo

Technology Award - Colleen Ward - Sponsored by Diversity Institute

Business Award - Frantz Saintellemy - Sponsored by Bell

Diversity Award - Deborah Richardson - Sponsored by Loblaw Companies Limited

Arts Award - Ngozi Paul - Sponsored by Deltech CGI

Young Entrepreneur Award - Agunbiade Seun Richards - Sponsored by ITS Global

Health Sector Award - Jennifer Bernard - Sponsored by Nursing Homemakers Inc. (NHI)

Decade Leader Award - Agapi Gessesse - Sponsored by PepsiCo

This year's honorees have made significant contributions to the meaningful advancement of the Black community in various sectors.

The awards event will include talented opera performer Queen Hezumuryango (who will perform a piece from Scott Joplin's TREEMONISHA) and National Ballet of Canada star and former Harry Jerome Awards recipient Siphe November.



As part of BBPA's commitment to uplifting and supporting Black businesses and entrepreneurs, a special fashion show will highlight some of the businesses in Little Jamaica, a vibrant community in Toronto. This will showcase the unique styles and talents of local designers, and provide a platform to display their work to a wider audience. This demonstrates one of the many ways that the BBPA is working to empower and promote the growth of Black businesses in Canada.



"We are pleased to have Her Honour Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell share this special moment with us and and thank all of our guests, sponsors, and partners who have made this event possible. Together, we can continue to uplift and advance the Black business community in Canada," said Nadine Spencer, CEO of the BBPA.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Award Gala Information: The 41st Annual BBPA Harry Jerome Awards Gala will be held on April 29, 2023, VIP Reception 5PM Awards Gala Dinner 6:30 PM. harryjeromeawards.com.

About the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA): Founded in 1983, the BBPA is a charitable organization whose mission is to advance Canada's Black community by facilitating the delivery of programs that support business and professional excellence, higher education, and economic development. Along with the annual Harry Jerome Awards, the BBPA presents workshops and programs, the BBPA National Scholarships, and the National Black Business Convention (NBBPC). For more information, please visit the BBPA online at bbpa.org.

Media contacts:

Danielle Spencer

pr@brandeq.com

P. 416 315 0697

Osas Azeta

Osas@bbpa.org

P. 647 450 8908

###

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164026
Qingdao, China--(Newsfile Corp. - April 27, 2023) - The 88th API China, a prestigious pharmaceutical event, took place at the Qingdao Cosmopolitan Exposition Exhibition Centre, where regional representatives from Kexing Biopharm's Overseas Marketing Division convened to participate.

Established in 1968, the China International Pharmaceutical API/Intermediate/Packaging/Equipment Fair (API China) has become a professional platform dedicated to providing comprehensive solutions for the pharmaceutical industry and serves as a flagship event for showcasing new products and technologies in China's pharmaceutical sector. The API China Qingdao exhibition covers nearly 50,000 square meters and features over 1,700 booths. The exhibits span a wide range of categories, including dozens of major categories, over 300 sub-categories, and nearly 10,000 products such as pharmaceutical APIs, excipients, packaging materials, and equipment. The fair also hosted more than 70 high-end, forward-looking conferences and forums through a combination of online and offline formats, featuring over 100 renowned experts sharing insights on nearly 100 industry hot topics.

Kexing Biopharm's booth buzzed with excitement as a constant flow of attendees, including distinguished guests, new clients, and loyal customers, gathered around. The conversations proved to be fruitful as the staff from Kexing Biopharm's Overseas Marketing Division warmly greeted visitors and engaged in detailed discussions about the company's products, international commercialization laws and regulations, and industrialization technologies.





Kexing Biopharm Shines at the 88th API China



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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For Kexing Biopharm, the fair was not only a source of valuable industry insights that will inform future product R&D and market expansion but also a platform for face-to-face interaction with new and existing customers. These connections fostered greater confidence in collaboration.

Kexing Biopharm sincerely thanks its industry peers and clients for their unwavering trust and support. The company remains steadfast in its mission to deliver "Precise Products, Predictable Effects, and Health Protection," with a focus on product quality and a commitment to scientific innovation. Kexing Biopharm will continue to collaborate with other top-tier Chinese pharmaceutical companies to make a global impact, jointly advancing the pharmaceutical industry and improving the lives of patients worldwide.

Kexing Biopharm Co., Ltd.

Contact Person: Chelsea Zheng

Email: kexingbiopharm@kexing.com

Website: www.kexing.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164050
T otal growth of 10.1% and organic growth 1 of 9.1%

Process of integrating CS Group and Tobania launched

Request for review and approval of offer memorandum for intended public offer for Ordina to be filed with the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) no later than in the 2nd half of May 2023

Regulatory News:

Sopra Steria (Paris:SOP) generated revenue of 1,395.4 million in the first quarter of 2023, representing growth of 10.1%. At constant scope and exchange rates, revenue grew 9.1%.

Sopra Steria: Consolidated revenue Q1 2023 m % Q1 2023 Q1 2022 Organic

growth Total

growth Revenue 1,395.4 1,267.7 9.1% 10.1%

Cyril Malarge, Chief Executive Officer of Sopra Steria Group, commented:

"We had a good first quarter, during which, in line with our expectations at the start of the year, we saw a brisker pace of growth than our full-year growth forecast. In a market driven by digital transformation, our momentum stayed strong in terms of both sales volumes and prices. Our business lines serving defence and homeland security, aeronautics and the public sector give us quite a good level of visibility for the next several quarters. We continued to focus on our strategy of moving up the value chain and transforming our range of solutions. Reflecting this strategy, our consulting business posted organic growth of around 15% in the first quarter. Regarding acquisitions, we launched the process of integrating CS Group and Tobania and began implementing the associated organisational arrangements. The planned tie-up with Ordina is proceeding according to schedule and we will file a request for review and approval of the offer memorandum with the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets no later than in the second half of May 2023."

Comments on Q1 2023 business activity

Revenue came to 1,395.4 million, equating to total growth of 10.1% relative to Q1 2022. Changes in scope had a positive impact of 34.1 million, and currency fluctuations had a negative impact of 23.0 million. At constant scope and exchange rates, revenue grew 9.1%.

The France reporting unit(42% of the Group total) generated revenue of 589.9 million,representing organic growth of 9.6%. This performance was driven by the defence and homeland security, transport, aeronautics and public sector business segments, which posted double-digit growth. CS Group contributed 29.6 million to the reporting unit's first-quarter revenue. Organisational changes have been implemented and the collaboration process launched to achieve the anticipated commercial and cost synergies.

The United Kingdom reporting unit (16% of the Group total) posted revenue of 216.7 million, representing organic growth of 4.3%. The aeronautics, defence and security segments saw double-digit growth. Private-sector business grew by around 6%, and the two joint ventures specialising in business process services for the public sector (NHS SBS and SSCL) delivered average growth of over 3%. The rest of the public sector was stable.

With 410.4 million in revenue, the Other Europe reporting unit(29% of the Group total) turned in a solid 13.1% in organic growth.The fastest growth was seen in Scandinavia, Benelux and Spain, and to a lesser extent in Germany and Italy. Tobania contributed 8.6 million to the reporting unit's revenue. With respect to Sopra Financial Technology (SFT), which posted 37.9 million in revenue, an agreement was reached with the seven Sparda banks to wrap up the transformation programme and thereby reduce the operational risks associated with the project. The Sparda banks' current system will continue to be operated by SFT until the end of 2025.

Revenue for Sopra Banking Software (8% of Group revenue) came to 107.7 million, representing organic growth of 5.2%. This return to growth mainly resulted from the 12.2% increase in subscriptions for digital solutions. Licence sales were stable. Overall, software revenue (60% of total revenue) was up 2.8% and services revenue was up 6.1%.

The Other Solutions reporting unit (5% of the Group total) posted 70.6 million in revenue, representing organic growth of 5.0%. Human resources solutions posted growth of 3.4%, while property management solutions grew by 8.5%.

External growth transactions and changes in scope

Following the acquisition of controlling interests in CS Group on 28 February 2023 (see the press release dated 28 July 2022 related to this transaction), this company has been consolidated since 1 March 2023. A simplified public tender offer was launched on 6 April and will end on 28 April 2023, at the unit price of 11.50 per ordinary share. If the threshold enabling the completion of a mandatory delisting is reached at the end of the offer period, Sopra Steria will request the implementation of a mandatory delisting procedure for CS Group securities from Euronext Paris.

The acquisition of Tobania was finalised on 2 March 2023 (see the press release dated 17 November 2022 related to this transaction). The company has been consolidated since 1 March 2023.

On 21 March 2023, Sopra Steria and Ordina announced that they had reached conditional agreement on a recommended public offer to be made by Sopra Steria for all the issued and outstanding ordinary shares in the capital of Ordina (see the press release dated 21 March 2023). As part of this transaction, supported by Ordina's management board and supervisory board, a request for review and approval of the offer memorandum will be filed with the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets no later than in the second half of May 2023. The offer is supported by Ordina's two largest shareholders, as well as the individual members of each of the Ordina boards, together representing approximately 27% of Ordina's issued and outstanding ordinary shares. The offer is subject to customary conditions and is anticipated to close in the second half of 2023.

For further information, please refer to the joint press releases by Sopra Steria and Ordina of 21 March 2023 and 17 April 2023.

Workforce

At end-March 2023, the Group's net headcount stood at 53,724 people, compared with 48,114 people at 31 March 2022 and 49,690 people at 31 December 2022. Acquisitions in the first quarter of 2023 contributed 3,372 people to the Group's headcount.

The workforce attrition rate was 16% (versus 17% on average in 2022).

Targets for 2023

Sopra Steria confirms all its targets for financial year 2023:

Organic revenue growth of between 3% and 5%

Operating margin on business activity slightly over 9%

Free cash flow of at least 300 million

Q1 2023 revenue presentation meeting

Revenue for the first quarter of 2023 will be presented to financial analysts and investors via a bilingual (French and English) conference call to be held on 28 April 2023 at 8:30 a.m. CET:

French-language phone number: +33 (0)1 70 37 71 66

English-language phone number: +44 (0)33 0551 0200

Practical information about this conference call can be found in the 'Investors' section of the Group's website: https://www.soprasteria.com/investors

Upcoming financial publications

Wednesday, 24 May 2023 at 2:30 p.m.: General Meeting of Shareholders

Thursday, 27 July 2023 (before market open): Publication of H1 2023 results

Friday, 27 October 2023 (before market open): Publication of Q3 2023 revenue

Glossary

Restated revenue Revenue for the prior year, expressed on the basis of the scope and exchange rates for the current year.

Revenue for the prior year, expressed on the basis of the scope and exchange rates for the current year. Organic revenue growth Increase in revenue between the period under review and restated revenue for the same period in the prior financial year.

Increase in revenue between the period under review and restated revenue for the same period in the prior financial year. EBITDA This measure, as defined in the Universal Registration Document, is equal to consolidated operating profit on business activity after adding back depreciation, amortisation and provisions included in operating profit on business activity.

This measure, as defined in the Universal Registration Document, is equal to consolidated operating profit on business activity after adding back depreciation, amortisation and provisions included in operating profit on business activity. Free cash flow Net cash from operating activities; less investments (net of disposals) in property, plant and equipment, and intangible assets; less lease payments; less net interest paid; and less additional contributions to address any deficits in defined-benefit pension plans.

Net cash from operating activities; less investments (net of disposals) in property, plant and equipment, and intangible assets; less lease payments; less net interest paid; and less additional contributions to address any deficits in defined-benefit pension plans. Operating profit on business activity This measure, as defined in the Universal Registration Document, is equal to profit from recurring operations adjusted to exclude the share-based payment expense for stock options and free shares and charges to amortisation of allocated intangible assets.

This measure, as defined in the Universal Registration Document, is equal to profit from recurring operations adjusted to exclude the share-based payment expense for stock options and free shares and charges to amortisation of allocated intangible assets. Profit from recurring operations Operating profit before other operating income and expenses, which includes any particularly significant items of operating income and expense that are unusual, abnormal, infrequent or not foreseeable, presented separately in order to give a clearer picture of performance based on ordinary activities.

Operating profit before other operating income and expenses, which includes any particularly significant items of operating income and expense that are unusual, abnormal, infrequent or not foreseeable, presented separately in order to give a clearer picture of performance based on ordinary activities. Basic recurring earnings per share This measure is equal to basic earnings per share before other operating income and expenses net of tax.

This measure is equal to basic earnings per share before other operating income and expenses net of tax. Return on capital employed (RoCE) : (Profit from recurring operations after tax Profit from equity-accounted companies) (Equity Net financial debt)

: (Profit from recurring operations after tax Profit from equity-accounted companies) (Equity Net financial debt) Downtime Number of days between two contracts (excluding training, sick leave, other leave and pre-sales) divided by the total number of business days.

Disclaimer

This document contains forward-looking information subject to certain risks and uncertainties that may affect the Group's future growth and financial results. Readers are reminded that licence agreements, which often represent investments for clients, are signed in greater numbers in the second half of the year, with varying impacts on end-of-year performance. Actual outcomes and results may differ from those described in this document due to operational risks and uncertainties. More detailed information on the potential risks that may affect the Group's financial results can be found in the 2022 Universal Registration Document filed with the Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF) on 17 March 2023 (see pages 40 to 45 in particular). Sopra Steria does not undertake any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this document beyond what is required by current laws and regulations. The distribution of this document in certain countries may be subject to the laws and regulations in force. Persons physically present in countries where this document is released, published or distributed should enquire as to any applicable restrictions and should comply with those restrictions.

About Sopra Steria

Sopra Steria, a European tech leader renowned for its consulting, digital services and software development, helps its clients drive their digital transformation and obtain tangible and sustainable benefits. It provides end-to-end solutions to make large companies and organisations more competitive by combining in-depth knowledge of a wide range of business sectors and innovative technologies with a fully collaborative approach. Sopra Steria places people at the heart of everything it does and is committed to putting digital to work for its clients in order to build a positive future for all. With 50,000 employees in nearly 30 countries, the Group generated revenue of 5.1 billion in 2022.

The world is how we shape it.

Sopra Steria (SOP) is listed on Euronext Paris (Compartment A) ISIN: FR0000050809

For more information, visit us at www.soprasteria.com

Annexes

Sopra Steria: Impact on revenue of changes in scope and exchange rates Q1 2023 m Q1 2023 Q1 2022 Growth Revenue 1,395.4 1,267.7 +10.1% Changes in exchange rates -23.0 Revenue at constant exchange rates 1,395.4 1,244.7 +12.1% Changes in scope 34.1 Revenue at constant scope and exchange rates 1,395.4 1,278.8 +9.1%

Sopra Steria: Changes in exchange rates Q1 2023 For 1 % Average rate Average rate Change Q1 2023 Q1 2022 Pound sterling 0.8831 0.8364 -5.3% Norwegian krone 10.9901 9.9247 -9.7% Swedish krona 11.2030 10.4807 -6.4% Danish krone 7.4429 7.4407 -0.0% Swiss franc 0.9925 1.0364 +4.4%

Sopra Steria: Revenue by reporting unit Q1 2023 m % Q1 2023 Q1 2022 Q1 2022 Organic Total Restated* growth growth France 589.9 538.4 513.2 +9.6% +14.9% United Kingdom 216.7 207.7 219.0 +4.3% -1.0% Other Europe 410.4 363.0 365.0 +13.1% +12.5% Sopra Banking Software 107.7 102.4 103.2 +5.2% +4.3% Other Solutions 70.6 67.3 67.3 +5.0% +5.0% Sopra Steria Group 1,395.4 1,278.8 1,267.7 +9.1% +10.1% * Revenue at 2023 scope and exchange rates

Sopra Steria: Workforce breakdown 31/03/2023 31/03/2023 31/03/2022 France 22,102 20,067 United Kingdom 7,684 7,045 Other Europe 13,880 11,726 Rest of the World 580 470 X-Shore 9,478 8,806 Total 53,724 48,114

_______________________________

1 Alternative performance measures are defined in the glossary at the end of this document.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230427005727/en/

Contacts:

Investor Relations

Olivier Psaume

olivier.psaume@soprasteria.com

+33 (0)1 40 67 68 16

Press Relations

Caroline Simon (Image 7)

caroline.simon@image7.fr

+33 (0)1 53 70 74 65




Nicox's p artner, Ocumension Therapeutics, announced on April 26, 2023, that they had received Priority Review Status for the N ew D rug A pplication for ZERVIATE in China

Accelerates the ZERVIATE approval and launch, which areexpected in China in 2024 April 28, 2023 - release at 7:30 am CET

Sophia Antipolis, France







Nicox SA (Euronext Paris: FR0013018124, COX), an international ophthalmology company, today announced that the New Drug Application (NDA) for approval to commercialize ZERVIATE (cetirizine ophthalmic solution), 0.24%, submitted in China by its exclusive Chinese partner, Ocumension Therapeutics, has been included in the priority review and approval process of National Medical Products Administration of the People's Republic of China ("NMPA"). This will accelerate the approval process and potentially the launch of ZERVIATE in China.







ZERVIATE is the first and only eye drop formulation of the antihistamine cetirizine, the active ingredient in ZYRTEC, and is currently commercialized in the U.S. for ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis. The prescription market for allergic conjunctivitis products in China is expected to grow to almost $500 million by 2030. Ocumension is forecasting potential annual net sales of ZERVIATE >$100 million within 7 years.







The ZERVIATE NDA in China is supported by the data package licensed by Nicox to Ocumension and an additional Chinese Phase 3 clinical trial of ZERVIATE run by Ocumension. ZERVIATE was compared to emedastine difumarate ophthalmic solution, 0.05%, an antihistamine marketed under the brand name EMADINE. ZERVIATE was found to be non-inferior to emedastine difumarate in the primary efficacy endpoint of change from baseline in the itching score in the 24 hours prior to the Day 14 visit. ZERVIATE was safe and well-tolerated with no difference in the proportion of patients with adverse events compared to emedastine difumarate.







The priority review and approval process of NMPA is designed to expedite the approval of drugs that address unmet medical needs or have the potential to offer significant improvements over existing treatment options. The inclusion of ZERVIATE in the priority review and approval process of NMPA will accelerate the review and approval process of its new drug application, which is an important step towards commercialization of ZERVIATE.



ZERVIATE is exclusively licensed to Ocumension Therapeutics for development and commercialization in the Chinese and the majority of the Southeast Asian markets. All costs of commercialization are borne by Ocumension and Nicox may potentially receive sales milestones of up to US$17.2 million together with royalties of between 5% and 9% of net sales of ZERVIATE by Ocumension.



Ocumension's Press Release can be found here (https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2023/0426/2023042602170.pdf).
Everest Global Plc - Appointment of Auditor

28 April 2023

Everest Global plc

("Everest Global" or the "Company")

Appointment of Auditor to the Company

Everest Global is pleased to announce the appointment of RPG Crouch Chapman LLP ("RPG"), as auditor to the Company.

The appointment of RPG follows the resignation of Jeffreys Henry LLP as auditors to the Company. Section 519 of the Companies Act 2006 (the "Act") requires Jeffreys Henry LLP to send a statement of the reasons for ceasing to hold office. They have stated that in accordance with Section 519 of the Act, it is ceasing to hold office due to the following reason:

 Jeffreys Henry LLP has resigned as auditor on the grounds that the firm has taken the decision not to register as an auditor eligible to undertake Public Interest Entity audits.

There are no circumstances connected with Jeffreys Henry LLP ceasing to hold office as auditor which it considers should be brought to the attention of the Company's members or creditors.

The Company further notes that it announced on 15 December 2022 that Jones Hunt & Keelings had been appointed as auditor of the Company however their registration as a Public Interest Entity auditor had not come through and as such they were not in a position to accept the appointment.

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014 (which forms part of domestic UK law pursuant to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018).

The Directors of the Company take responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

For further information please contact the following:
The global coffee capsules market is driven by factors such as surge in coffee consumption in the emerging nations and rise in growth of HoReCa industry.

PORTLAND, Ore., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Coffee Capsules Market by Material (Aluminum, Compostable, PBT Plastic), by End User (Commercial, Residential), by Distribution Channel (Hypermarkets and Supermarkets, Specialty Stores, E-Commerce, Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". According to the report, the global coffee capsules industry generated $5.9 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to generate $11.9 billion by 2032, witnessing a CAGR of 7.6% from 2023 to 2032.





Request Sample Report: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/33059

Prime determinants of growth

The global coffee capsules market is driven by factors such as surge in coffee consumption in the emerging nations and rise in growth of HoReCa industry. However, the availability of alternative products hampers the market growth. The demand for coffee makers is expected to increase at a rapid pace, owing to growth in the middle classes, urbanization, and rising incomes, which in turn, is expected to provide lucrative opportunities for the market growth.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2021 $5.9 billion Market Size in 2031 $11.9 billion CAGR 7.6 % No. of Pages in Report 300 Segments Covered Material, End User, Distribution Channel, and Region Drivers The surge in coffee consumption in the emerging nations Rise in growth of HoReCa industry Opportunities Decrease in demand for carbonated drinks Restraints Availability of alternatives The harmful effect of Coffee Capsules Packaging on the Environment

Covid-19 Scenario

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the coffee capsules market. With lockdowns and social distancing measures in place, many people had been spending more time at home and turning to coffee capsules as a convenient and easy way to make coffee.

One of the major impacts of the pandemic on the coffee capsules market had been an increase in demand for coffee. As more people have been working from home and avoiding cafes, they have been looking for convenient ways to make coffee at home.

However, the pandemic had also caused supply chain disruptions and price fluctuations for raw materials. Many manufacturers of coffee capsules rely on imports of coffee beans from countries such as Brazil and Colombia , which had been affected by lockdowns and other restrictions.

The aluminum segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on material, the aluminum segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global coffee capsules market revenue, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. The convenience and flexibility of aluminum coffee capsules have made them increasingly popular. However, the compostable segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 10.0% from 2023 to 2032. Due to growing consumer interest in sustainable alternatives to conventional single-use coffee capsules, the market demand for compostable coffee capsules has been steadily rising in recent years.

Buy This Report (448 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @ https://bit.ly/3LeZgDZ

The commercial segment to maintain its lead position throughout the forecast period

Based on end-user, the commercial segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than three-fifths of the global coffee capsules market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. This segment is also the fastest-growing segment and is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 8.2% from 2023 to 2032. This is attributed to various benefits associated with coffee capsules in the commercial segment. For instance, coffee capsules are practical, simple to use, and offer constant quality and flavor, all of which are crucial in a commercial setting where clients or staff members need a good standard of coffee.

The e-commerce segment to witness fastest growth throughout the forecast period

Based on distribution channel, the other segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for around half of the global coffee capsules market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. However, the e-commerce segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 9.7% from 2023 to 2032. Rigorous online marketing has increased the popularity of this distribution channel in recent years, complemented by vast options, availability of detailed information, discount & free home delivery offered by various e-commerce platforms.

Europe to maintain its dominance by 2032

The Europe region held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the global coffee capsules market revenue, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. The coffee capsules market demand in Europe has been driven by a number of factors, including the trend towards home brewing and the increasing popularity of single-serve coffee. However, the Asia-Pacific region is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 9.0% from 2023 to 2032. The demand for coffee capsules in the Asia-Pacific region is increasing, reflecting a broader trend towards convenience and on-the-go products, as well as a growing interest in premium and specialty coffee.

Enquire Before Buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/33059

Leading Market Players: -

Nestle S.A.

Georg MENSHEN GmbH & Co. KG

Coffee Nirvana

Coffeeza

Halo Coffee

Starbucks Corporation

Keurig Dr Pepper Inc.

Inspire Brands, Inc.

JDE Peets N.V.

Aumeeka Ventures LLP

illycaffe S.p.A.

The Kraft Heinz Company

The J. M. Smucker Company

Lavazza Group

Fresh Brew Co.

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global coffee capsules market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, business expansion, partnerships, mergers, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

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About Us

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of " Market Research Reports " and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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Employers with between 10 and 500 W-2 employees can claim up to $26,000 per employee in IRS rebates using a new fast application service launched by Let Hutch Help and Jorns & Associates.

Englewood, Colorado--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2023) - A new pandemic relief application service, launched by a partnership between Jorns & Associates and Let Hutch Help, is helping Seattle, Washington and American employers to claim pandemic relief funds as an IRS reimbursement for wages paid in 2020 and 2021.

Employers can access the eligibility assessment, rebate application service, and funding estimates with no risk. Any business that does not receive a rebate will not be charged at all by Jorns & Associates. More information about the no-risk eligibility assessment, educational training, and maximum allowable claims can be found at http://go.lethutchhelp.com/erc

Seattle IRS Pandemic Relief Tax Credits Application Launched By Let Hutch Help

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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The new rebate service takes advantage of several recent changes to the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) program to help businesses claim up to $26,000 per employee in tax credits, even if they were not initially eligible for ERTC rebates. The program is open to any US-based employers with between 10 and 500 W-2 employees.

With amendments passed in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, the program can now help small and medium-sized businesses that have already received rebates through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). While the PPP offered small loans, the ERTC provides rebates as refundable tax credits, which are not loans or deferrals, never require repayment, and have no restrictions on how they can be spent.

The fast application service puts employers in contact with a team of ERTC specialists that can handle all the details, as well as the paperwork. They can help employers to find out which fiscal quarters they qualify for, which wages are eligible, and how much they can claim in total.

Let Hutch Help has included a simple no-risk eligibility test on its website that only asks three yes or no questions, it can be found here: http://go.lethutchhelp.com/ercchatwithus.

Seattle, Washington employers can use this tool to find out if they qualify for a rebate with no cost or obligation or to get in contact with an ERTC specialist that can help them maximize their rebate.

Due to the complexity of the pandemic relief programs, the Jorns & Associates ERTC specialist team has also launched new, informative no-cost educational training, designed to educate employers about the ERC program, and how they can maximize their rebates. Though most small to medium-sized businesses in Seattle Washington can now qualify, many employers still believe they are not eligible for rebates after having enrolled in the PPP.

The educational training is open to any business owner with between 10 to 500 W-2 employees and can be found at http://go.lethutchhelp.com/erc.

Contact Info:

Name: Ryan Hutchison

Email: support@lethutchhelp.com

Organization: Let Hutch Help LLC

Address: 3531 S Logan St D334, Englewood, Colorado 80113, United States

Website: https://www.lethutchhelp.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/163935
HONG KONG, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With the increasing trend of global climate change, low carbon emission reduction and public health and safety have become the focus of people's attention. The Chinese government has clearly stated in the 14th Five-Year Plan that it will adhere to the new development concept, construct a new development pattern and practically change the development mode in order to achieve the goals of peak carbon by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. In the face of the opportunities and challenges, many listed companies are paying more attention to environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) as a key factor for their long-term healthy development.

Recently, China Pacific Insurance (Group) Co., Ltd. ("CPIC", the "Company" or the "Group", Stock Code: 02601.HK, 601601.SH, CPIC.LSE) announced its 2022 Sustainability Report, which is a second of its kind after CPIC has released corporate social responsibility reports for 13 consecutive years. During the reporting period, focusing on sustainable development, a key point and a key theme for us, CPIC has carried out the regulatory and policy requirements for ESG affairs in a bid to improve the company's ESG performance, sharpen its sustainable development capabilities, bettered its accountability, leadership, motivation, collaboration and values for sustainable development, and wrote a new chapter of high-quality development in the new era. All these bring the company closer to the goal of becoming an all-new industry leader.

Promoting Regional Coordination in All Respects and Optimizing Sound Regional Development Mechanism

In 2022, CPIC took the initiative to carry out the important regional development strategies of the county by developing sound regional development systems and building new poles of growth in key regions. Thus, CPIC achieved significant results.

For the development of the Development of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Greater Bay Area, CPIC made a 3-year Special Action Plan for the Development of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Greater Bay Area and set up a special organization to facilitate the implementation of its Greater Bay Area strategy and key projects. More, CPIC made investments in key areas, promoted the integration of insurance products and services in Hong Kong and the mainland, and boosted regional integration via "insurance and tech". In addition, CPIC strengthened cooperation with strategic clients across the Greater Bay Area and added 22 new clients to its accounts, including China Electronics Corporation (CEC) and ZTE. Finally, CPIC propelled the innovation of products and services in the Greater Bay Area. By the end of 2022, CPIC has cumulatively invested more than RMB100 billion in this regard.

At the same time, to promote green integration of the Yangtze River delta area, CPIC implemented an "integrated claim settlement" system that allowed clients to conduct surveys, assess the loss and verify compensation in other places than where they purchased its policies. Further, CPIC cooperated with Jinze Town and Zhujiajiao Town in all aspects of green insurance and launched an environmental pollution liability insurance. By the end of 2022, CPIC has served 1,314 medium-to-small-sized tech businesses and caused RMB 7.325 billion of loans to be released to them. In collaboration with Guotai Junan Securities, SPD Bank, and Bank of Shanghai, among others, CPIC released the comprehensive service brand Bao Zheng Yin for high-end clients, creating a new signature brand in terms of the regionwide integration of financial services.

In addition, CPIC promoted coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, and improved the quality of its integrated services. Also, CPIC led the industry's efforts to revise and issue integrated claim settlement policies for motor vehicle insurance products in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province. Moreover, CPIC provided RMB 30.129 billion worth of risk insurance to help construct a comprehensive transportation system across the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area. CPIC also underwrote insurance for the construction of Xiong'an New Area Hospital (Xuanwu Hospital), the headquarters building of China Satellite Network Group Co., Ltd. and so on, assisting Hebei Province in receiving the industries relocated from Beijing or Tianjin.

Actively Conducting Public Welfare Activities to Practice Social Responsibility of Enterprise

CPIC always keeps the social responsibility of enterprise in mind. From the very beginning of its existence, CPIC has been collaborating with all walks of life. For public welfare, CPIC donated generously to charities, thus creating a rich array of charitable brands, including CPIC Green, CPIC Blue, and CPIC Red. In 2022 alone, CPIC donated a total of RMB 50.08 million for public welfare purposes.

In 2021, CPIC Blue Foundation initiated a large-scale, three-year public welfare project with the theme of "protecting the memory of us all". Over two years, the foundation has completed the first-time screening of cognitive disorder for 50,766 people and the second-time screening for 1,503 people. Apart from that, it has built the first "CPIC Blue brain health promotion classroom" and trained 500 people who could serve people with cognitive disorder. In addition, it has set up "CPIC Blue volunteer service stations", where 438 volunteers have thus far provided more than 1,485 hours of services on a cumulative basis. The project also supported Shanghai Mental Health Center to develop the country's first VR video on cognitive disorder, release a white paper on early screening of the disease, compile the first scenario-based cognitive disorder nursing textbook in China, and issue e-maps for cognitive impairment, etc.

CPIC Blue Foundation donated RMB 2 million to create a fund Xing An Xin dedicated to children living with autism. The fund provided autistic children with screening, assessment and rehabilitation services, which were premium medical resources otherwise unavailable to them. In "Responsibility Brings a Bright Future" volunteer teaching, CPIC has conducted two livestreaming activities with the theme that "I have a promise to keep with the Asian Games". The activities reached more than 2,000 students from 37 Hope Schools. CPIC also donated teaching materials to the hope schools in Gonghe County, Qinghai Province. For 27 years running, CPIC gave Shanghai Children's Home money to build living facilities.

With the mission of serving the country, the people and the society at large, CPIC dedicated itself to public welfare, which was the basis on which CPIC strives for sustainable development and commitment to responsibility. CPIC has made outstanding contributions to China's public welfare by practicing its corporate social responsibility through practical actions.

Through years of practice and efforts, CPIC has become an outstanding enterprise with a strong sense of social responsibility, innovative spirit and strong brand impact. With the vision of "leading sound and stable development of the industry", CPIC will continue to explore new development path along sustainable development in the future, fulfill its corporate responsibilities and commitment and create greater value for customers and society.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/regional-coordination-and-public-welfare-integrate-together-to-write-new-chapter-of-cpic-2022-sustainable-development-301810564.html
Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has agreed to acquire Einr AS, a Norwegian business consulting company specialized in high volume logistics solutions using SAP technologies to optimize the flow of products from manufacturers to consumers. The acquisition will further enhance Accenture's SAP capabilities, helping it accelerate supply chain reinvention for organizations within the retail and consumer electronics industries. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230427006001/en/

Accenture has agreed to acquire Einr AS, a Norwegian business consulting company specialized in high volume logistics solutions using SAP technologies to optimize the flow of products from manufacturers to consumers. (Photo: Business Wire)

Founded in 2015, Einr is headquartered in Oslo, Norway. Once the acquisition is completed, its 42 employees will join the Accenture SAP Business Group in the Nordics. With specific competencies in retail and supply chain management, transportation management, warehouse management and assortment planning, Einr's employees will bolster Accenture's SAP offerings in the market.

"In times of disruption, organizations need to reinvent their supply chains to meet rapidly changing customer expectations, grow and become more profitable," said Emma McGuigan senior managing director and Enterprise Industry Technologies lead at Accenture. "With the acquisition of Einr, we will strengthen our SAP supply chain and logistics capabilities, which help our clients move to more responsive, resilient and sustainable supply chains

Per Atle Steinsland, managing director, Einr AS, added, "For the past eight years, we have delivered high volume logistics, retail and supply chain management solutions that helped our clients transform and grow within their industries. Together with Accenture, we will be able to deliver these highly specialized capabilities at scale, while creating exciting new development opportunities for our people."

"The agreement to acquire Einr shows Accenture's commitment to serve as our clients' preferred partner in end-to-end SAP transformations and supply chain reinvention," said Carsten Sachmann, Accenture's Nordic lead. "The combined strength of Accenture and Einr's experienced SAP business consultants will further enhance our market position with clients and SAP in the Nordic countries."

Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions.

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world's leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services-creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent and innovation led company with 738,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world's leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. We are uniquely able to deliver tangible outcomes because of our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Accenture Song. These capabilities, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360 value, enable us to help our clients succeed and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360 value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "will," "should," "likely," "anticipates," "aspires," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "estimates," "positioned," "outlook," "goal," "target," and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance nor promises that goals or targets will be met, and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These risks include, without limitation, risks that: Accenture's results of operations have been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic and political conditions and the effects of these conditions on the company's clients' businesses and levels of business activity; Accenture's business depends on generating and maintaining client demand for the company's services and solutions including through the adaptation and expansion of its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings, and a significant reduction in such demand or an inability to respond to the evolving technological environment could materially affect the company's results of operations; if Accenture is unable to match people and their skills with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the company's business, the utilization rate of the company's professionals and the company's results of operations may be materially adversely affected; Accenture faces legal, reputational and financial risks from any failure to protect client and/or company data from security incidents or cyberattacks; the markets in which Accenture operates are highly competitive, and Accenture might not be able to compete effectively; Accenture's ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; Accenture's environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments and disclosures may expose it to reputational risks and legal liability; if Accenture does not successfully manage and develop its relationships with key ecosystem partners or fails to anticipate and establish new alliances in new technologies, the company's results of operations could be adversely affected; Accenture's profitability could materially suffer if the company is unable to obtain favorable pricing for its services and solutions, if the company is unable to remain competitive, if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful or if it experiences delivery inefficiencies or fail to satisfy certain agreed-upon targets or specific service levels; changes in Accenture's level of taxes, as well as audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in tax laws or in their interpretation or enforcement, could have a material adverse effect on the company's effective tax rate, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition; Accenture's results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; changes to accounting standards or in the estimates and assumptions Accenture makes in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements could adversely affect its financial results; as a result of Accenture's geographically diverse operations and strategy to continue to grow in key markets around the world, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; if Accenture is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; Accenture might not be successful at acquiring, investing in or integrating businesses, entering into joint ventures or divesting businesses; Accenture's business could be materially adversely affected if the company incurs legal liability; Accenture's global operations expose the company to numerous and sometimes conflicting legal and regulatory requirements; Accenture's work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment; if Accenture is unable to protect or enforce its intellectual property rights or if Accenture's services or solutions infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company loses its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others, its business could be adversely affected; Accenture may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the "Risk Factors" heading in Accenture plc's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, the timing and amount of costs related to our business optimization actions and the nature and extent of benefits realized from such actions are subject to uncertainties and other factors, including local country consultation processes and regulations, and may differ from our current expectations and estimates. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture's expectations.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230427006001/en/

Contacts:

Francine Fiano

Accenture

+ 1 917 452 7393

francine.fiano@accenture.com

Lars Wodschow

Accenture

+45 25288288

lars.wodschow@accenture.com
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 7 OF REGULATION 2014/596/EU AS IT FORMS PART OF LAW IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018. UPON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, THIS INSIDE INFORMATION IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals plc (LSE:HEMO), the biopharmaceutical group developing new therapies and treatments for deadly blood diseases, announces its results for the year ended 31 December 2022.

Key Highlights

Nearing completion of the IND application to the FDA to enter phase I clinical trials for HEMO-CAR-T for the treatment of R/R AML.

CBR platform extended into treatment of multiple viral infections beyond COVID-19 using single CBR-based therapeutic.

Initiated IND-enabling activities for CDX bi-specific antibody for treatment of R/R AML.

Successfully set up and qualified GMP manufacturing and analytical testing of cell therapies and implemented Quality System in a new purpose-built R&D/manufacturing facility.

The full annual report and accounts for 2022 are published on the Company's web site at https://hemogenyx.com and will be available from Companies House and the National Storage Mechanism.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this news release contain forward-looking information. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include without limitation the completion of planned expenditures, the ability to complete exploration programs on schedule and the success of exploration programs. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking information, which speak only as of the date of this news release.

Enquiries:

Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals plc https://hemogenyx.com Dr Vladislav Sandler, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder headquarters@hemogenyx.com Peter Redmond, Director peter.redmond@hemogenyx.com SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP Tel: +44 (0)20 3470 0470 Matthew Johnson, Vadim Alexandre, Adam Cowl Peterhouse Capital Limited Tel: +44 (0)20 7469 0930 Lucy Williams, Duncan Vasey, Charles Goodfellow

About Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals plc

Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals is a publicly traded company (LSE: HEMO) headquartered in London, with its US operating subsidiaries, Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals LLC and Immugenyx LLC, located in New York City at its state-of-the-art research facility.



The Company is a pre-clinical stage biopharmaceutical group developing new medicines and treatments to treat blood and autoimmune disease and to bring the curative power of bone marrow transplantation to a greater number of patients suffering from otherwise incurable life-threatening diseases. Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals is developing several distinct and complementary product candidates, as well as platform technologies that it uses as engines for novel product development.

Chairman's Statement



I am pleased to announce the Company's results for the year ended 31 December 2022. During the year we focussed heavily on bringing our major development project, the key HEMO-CAR-T product candidate, towards its Investigational New Drug ("IND") application to enable us to move into clinical trials. At the same time, we also advanced the development of our other main pipeline assets, our CD3-FLT3 CDX antibody and the Chimeric Bait Receptor ("CBR") platform.

After the year end, in January, we successfully raised 4,056,250 in new equity capital at 2.5p per share which will give us the funds to take the Company through the IND process and into the beginning of clinical trials for HEMO-CAR-T and enable us to further advance the CBR project.

HEMO-CAR-T

Our work during the period under review has primarily focussed on bringing our lead product, HEMO-CAR-T, through the preparatory process to clinical trials, a process which has been more complex and hence longer and more intensive than we had anticipated but which has now reached an advanced stage. We have continued to move other projects forward, in particular our CBR technology, but our main object has been to take HEMO-CAR-T, and with it the Company, to the next critical level of being a clinical-stage company. We have been particularly concerned to cover all aspects in preparing the IND documentation so as to minimise any possible delays and questions that may arise from its review by the US Food and Drug Administration ("FDA"). The IND submission process is very detailed, as it should be to ensure the safety of this key potential treatment for patients suffering from advanced stage relapsed or refractory ("R/R") acute myeloid leukaemia ("AML"). We received constructive early feedback and guidance from a "pre-IND submission" to the FDA which have helped to shape the final submission, along with advice from our Medical Director and a committee of "Key Opinion Leaders" who are experts in the treatment of leukaemias, as well as the design and conduct of clinical trials. We expect to submit the IND application in the very near future.

During the last quarter of 2022 and the early months of the current year we successfully carried out the final processes and underwent the internal and third-party tests necessary to complete the detailed IND submission pack. These included Process Development runs of the end-to-end process for the manufacture of HEMO-CAR-T cells and exhaustively documented engineering, or Process Qualification, runs under real-world conditions.

These cell manufacturing dry runs were followed by analytical release tests that were conducted both by the Company and a third party to ensure that the manufactured HEMO-CAR-T cells comply with a set of required quality attributes. Among these are the viability, potency and sterility of the resulting cells.

CDX

CDX, our CD3-FLT3 bispecific antibody, will provide an alternative means of treating AML and of conditioning patients for bone marrow transplants when fully developed. While concentrating our efforts on HEMO-CAR-T as the asset most ready to take the Company to the important clinical trial stage of its maturity, we have taken further steps to develop this important asset during the year. In January 2022, we entered into a service agreement to develop a "master cell line" that will be used to produce CDX antibodies for future clinical trials and patient treatments. We are utilising Selexis' SUREtechnology Platform, a suite of cell line development tools and technologies that reduces the time, effort and cost in developing high-performance mammalian cell lines. The platform facilitates the rapid, stable, and importantly cost-effective production of recombinant proteins and vaccines, providing seamless integration of the development continuum from discovery to commercialisation. This is an important step in moving CDX towards clinical trials.

The Company's existing intellectual property protection for CDX was further strengthened by the China National Intellectual Property Administration granting a patent to it, which joins patents previously granted in the US for CDX and monoclonal antibodies used for the development of both CDX and HEMO-CAR-T.

Exploration of ways to finance and further the pre-clinical and clinical testing of CDX continued with early-stage conversations with potential development partners.

CBR

Work has also continued in an encouraging manner on the development of our CBR platform. As shareholders are aware, the essence of the CBR-based approach is programming immune cells using a novel type of modifiable synthetic receptor to destroy viral pathogens and potentially to programme immune cells to destroy certain malignant cancer cells. The Company has also developed an associated derivative technology, the Bait Macrophage Engager ("BME"), whose constructs act like antibodies, directing immune cells to neutralise them. We believe this novel approach holds great promise and the invention is the subject of a seminal provisional patent application that was filed in March 2022.

This project was initiated prior to the COVID-19 pandemic as a new way to combat emerging viral diseases and potentially as-yet unknown infections (referred to as "Disease X"). The platform has been successfully tested in the laboratory against variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 as they have emerged. Detailed subsequent work suggests that its use could be expanded to certain cancers, and has provided evidence that the CBR platform is applicable in principle to almost any known form of virus.

The Company has successfully demonstrated in vitro that immune cells programmed with a CBR-based construct against SARS-CoV-2 selectively consume a live synthetic virus. Importantly, the function of the CBR construct was not affected by known mutations of the spike protein that endows the virus with the ability to infect cells. The Company has now begun in vivo tests with a partner in a biosafety level 3 ("BSL3") facility to demonstrate that CBR could be used against infectious replicating SARS-CoV-2 virus. Work also continues in relation to CBR's applicability to certain cancers.

In recent months, further progress has been made. As announced in January 2023, our scientists have identified a target protein that can be incorporated into a single multipurpose CBR-based therapeutic capable of treating multiple viruses that belong to different viral families, instead of having to make a separate CBR construct for every virus. Among them are Dengue, Ebola, Marburg, Zika and Chikungunya. These viruses are among the most dangerous to humans, causing serious and often fatal diseases, and for which few effective treatment options exist.

The Company's technology utilises synthetic biology and artificial intelligence approaches to advance medicine to protect society from future pandemics that may challenge the global economy, health, and national defence. When fully developed, we would be able to create front-line treatments that may prevent the development of the next pandemic. Moreover, these new therapeutic tools can be used to protect against bio-terrorism, potentially rendering a universe of viral bio-weapons ineffective.

We continue to believe that this platform has the capacity to be extremely valuable.

New Custom R&D Facility

In July 2022, we officially opened our new custom-designed laboratory in the Mink Building in the Manhattanville area of New York City, a state-of-the-art research facility of some 10,000 square feet that includes two clean rooms for cell therapy manufacturing. We can now manufacture cells in-house, accelerating and simplifying the commercialisation of our cell therapy product candidates. The facility is near to world-class educational institutions that play a leading role in the rich local life sciences ecosystem, including Columbia University and City College.

New Appointments

We made two important appointments during the year: Dr Koen van Besien was appointed as our Medical Director, and we also welcomed a Director of Quality, Stuart Tinch.

Dr van Besien, who is Chief of the Division of Hematology and head of the Wesley Center for Immunotherapy at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, has been associated with the Company since its founding as a member of our Scientific Advisory Board. Now that we are moving closer to clinical trials, he has stepped up to a position in which he is engaged in refining the protocol for those trials and their implementation.

Stuart Tinch brings over seven years of Good Manufacturing Practice ("GMP") expertise to Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals. He will be instrumental in creating a culture and system of quality to ensure that the Company's therapies are held to the standards of current GMP regulations.

Financial Results

Overall, the Group made a loss of 3,986,982 (2021: 5,108,310 loss) during the period under review. The increased operating loss of 3,997,548 (31 December 2021: 2,702,754) marks the increasing volume of work and need to engage external service providers as our assets are taken towards the crucial clinical trial stage of their development.

It only remains for me to thank our CEO Dr Vladislav Sandler and his scientific team for their excellent and highly productive work under a tight budget, as well as my fellow directors, and to look forward with confidence to the achievement of important milestones during the present financial year.

Prof Sir Marc Feldmann AC, FRS

MB BS, PhD, FRCP, FRCPath, FAA, F Med Sci

Chairman

27 April 2023

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SOURCE: Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals PLC

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/751826/Hemogenyx-Pharmaceuticals-PLC-Announces-Final-Results-for-the-Year-Ended-31-December-2022
KANAZAWA, Japan, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kanazawa University is proud to announce that Professor Toshio Ando-a member of the Kanazawa University Nano Life Science Institute (NanoLSI)- has been awarded the honor of the Purple Ribbon by the Japanese government in recognition for his groundbreaking research in the field of AFM and his contributions to the development of HS-AFM.





First awarded in 1955, the honor of the Purple Ribbon is one of Japan's most prestigious national awards for academic achievement recognizing individuals 'who have contributed to academic and artistic developments, improvements and accomplishments'.

Professor Ando's research has been instrumental in advancing understanding of the molecular world, enabling the observation of the behavior of individual molecules in time frames of 0.1 s or less. His development of HS-AFM has allowed for the rapid imaging of biological systems, providing new insights into the structure and function of proteins and other biomolecules.

Speaking about the award, Professor Ando said: "Science and technology are Japan's weak points nowadays. Most of the cryogenic electron microscopes, for example, are made by foreign manufacturers. Under such circumstances, the HS-AFM is Japan's technology that we should be proud of."

On approaches to technology development and research in Japan, he said: "It's important for researchers to be able to make things work that do not work in the way they want them to."

In his messages to young researchers, Professor Ando said: "What is important in research is originality. You should let your curiosity guide your research. If you notice originality, challenge it."

Summary of Accomplishment

High-speed atomic force microscopy

The most effective approach to understanding the functional mechanisms of biomolecules underlying life phenomena is to directly observe the structure and dynamics of individual molecules during their functional activity. However, such observation is infeasible with conventional methods such as X-ray crystallography, electron microscopy, and fluorescent microscopy. Meanwhile, the emergence of AFM enabled nanoscale visualization of biomolecules in physiological environments, but it could not observe moving samples because capturing an image took minutes.

Professor Ando aimed at enhancing the imaging rate of AFM. To this end, he developed various underlying techniques such as high-speed scanners, vibration damping techniques, and high-speed feedback control techniques. These efforts resulted in the establishment of HS-AFM capable of filming biomolecules in less than 100 milliseconds without disturbing them. For the first time ever, this HS-AFM enabled direct observation of the structure and dynamics of individual biomolecules in action, thus opening the door to a more detailed understanding of how biomolecules function.

The HS-AFM system is commercialized and widely used all over the world. Its application has grown beyond basic life science to encompass industries that needs nanoscale observation of dynamic phenomena of materials in liquid, including those producing pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, detergents, and batteries. Consequently, HS-AFM is also contributing to the development of diverse products serving people's daily lives.

Details of HS-AFM technology

Use of a micro cantilever and development of an advanced optical lever optical system.

The system employes a small cantilever with a small spring constant (soft) and high resonance frequency (quick response), which enables high frequency vibration without damaging the sample. Also, the sophistication of the optical lever optical system so that the laser beam can be narrowed down to 1/1000 that is applicable to small cantilevers for high speed operation.

The system employes a small cantilever with a small spring constant (soft) and high resonance frequency (quick response), which enables high frequency vibration without damaging the sample. Also, the sophistication of the optical lever optical system so that the laser beam can be narrowed down to 1/1000 that is applicable to small cantilevers for high speed operation. Speeding up amplitude measurement instruments

The system has an improved amplitude measurement instrument so that the amplitude of the cantilever vibrating at high frequencies can be measured every half cycle.

The system has an improved amplitude measurement instrument so that the amplitude of the cantilever vibrating at high frequencies can be measured every half cycle. Highly precise control of the distance between the probe and the sample by dynamic PID feedback control and drift compensation.

Sophisticated sample stage scanner control using counterbalance, Q value control and inverse compensation.

Impact of high-speed atomic force microscopy

Professor Ando's HS-AFM system enables imaging 1,000 times faster than conventional systems (60s to 0.05s). The system was commercially launched in 2010 and currently has 80% of the world's HS-AFM market share.

The HS-AFM has been used to image the dynamics of protein molecules, making it possible to carry out research that leads to elucidation of the functional mechanisms of protein molecules.

HS-AFM has opened up new fields in life sciences and is also used in a wide range of fields such as drug discovery, electrochemistry, colloid chemistry, and surface science.

It contributes to advancements in science and technology by creating new knowledge that could not be obtained with conventional AFM systems or related observation methods.

Currently, research and development is underway to further increase the speed, and the latest performance has achieved a time resolution of 0.025 seconds.

References and related information

1. Ando, T., Kodera, N., Maruyama, D., Takai, E., Saito, K., and Toda, A. "A High-speed atomic force microscope for studying biological macromolecules, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98, 12468-12472 (2001).

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.21140089

2. Kodera, N., Yamamoto, D., Ishikawa, R., and Ando, T. "Video imaging of walking myosin V by high-speed atomic force microscopy", Nature 468, 72-76 (2010).

DOI: 10.1038/nature09450

3. NanoLSI Podcast where Professor Ando describes the background to the publication of the book and his thoughts about the future of HS-AFM.

Link to Nano LSI Podcast

https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/announcements/nanolsipodcast/

4. "High Speed AFM in Biology"

Springer Link

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-64785-1

ISBN: 978-3-662-64785-1

Published in 2022.

5. Feature article

NanoLSI World Premier Institute Kanazawa University

https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/research/researchers/toshio-ando/

6. Kanazawa Biophysics Group

http://biophys.w3.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/

Contact

Hiroe Yoneda

Senior Specialist in Project Planning and Outreach

NanoLSI Administrative Office

WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI)

Kanazawa University

Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan

Email: nanolsi-office@adm.kanazawa-u.ac.jp

Tel: +81 (76) 234-4550

About Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI)

https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/

Nano Life Science Institute (NanoLSI), Kanazawa University is a research center established in 2017 as part of the World Premier International Research Center Initiative of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The objective of this initiative is to form world-tier research centers. NanoLSI combines the foremost knowledge of bio-scanning probe microscopy to establish 'nano-endoscopic techniques' to directly image, analyze, and manipulate biomolecules for insights into mechanisms governing life phenomena such as diseases.

About Kanazawa University

http://www.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/e/

As the leading comprehensive university on the Sea of Japan coast, Kanazawa University has contributed greatly to higher education and academic research in Japan since it was founded in 1949. The University has three colleges and 17 schools offering courses in subjects that include medicine, computer engineering, and humanities.

The University is located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in Kanazawa - a city rich in history and culture. The city of Kanazawa has a highly respected intellectual profile since the time of the fiefdom (1598-1867). Kanazawa University is divided into two main campuses: Kakuma and Takaramachi for its approximately 10,200 students including 600 from overseas.

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The growth of the global cervical cancer diagnostic market is driven by factors such as an increase in awareness regarding cervical cancer, the rise in consciousness of early diagnosis of cervical cancer, and the increasing number of diagnosis tests.

PORTLAND, Ore., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Cervical cancer diagnostic Market by Type (Pap Smear Tests, HPV test, Biopsy and ECC, Colposcopy Tests and Others), by Age group (20 to 40 years, above 40 years): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". According to the report, the global cervical cancer diagnostic industry generated $7.8 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to generate $12.7 billion by 2032, witnessing a CAGR of 5.0% from 2023 to 2032.





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Prime determinants of growth

The growth of the global cervical cancer diagnostic market is driven by factors such as an increase in awareness regarding cervical cancer, the rise in consciousness of early diagnosis of cervical cancer, and the increasing number of diagnosis tests. However, the lack of awareness about diagnostic tests restricts the market growth. Moreover, a rise in government initiatives to increase the diagnosis of cervical cancer and developing economies presents new opportunities in the coming years.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2021 $7.8 billion Market Size in 2031 $12.7 billion CAGR 5.0 % No. of Pages in Report 228 Segments Covered Type, Age Group, and Region. Drivers An increase in awareness regarding the cervical cancer diagnosis The rise in the number of research and development activities. Opportunities A rise in government initiatives to promote cervical cancer diagnosis. Restraints Lack of awareness about cervical cancer diagnostic tests

Covid-19 Scenario

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the global cervical cancer diagnostic market, owing to the temporary decline in the diagnosis of cervical cancer during the lockdown.

Restricting women's access to essential invasive and non-invasive investigations for cervical cancer diagnosis was hampered due to the closure of gynecology centers across the world, especially in the initial period of the pandemic.

The pap smear tests segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on type, the pap smear tests segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for nearly one-third of the global cervical cancer diagnostic market and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. The rise in awareness about cervical cancer is a major factor that propels the growth of pap smear tests across the globe. In addition, an increase in the number of diagnostic tests drives the growth of the market. However, the HPV tests segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 5.9% from 2023 to 2032. HPV tests are notably done in the U.S., Canada, and Western European countries. Emerging countries such as Brazil, Russia, India, and China offer promising opportunities for the HPV tests market.

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https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/cervical-cancer-diagnostic-market

The20 to 40years segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period.

Based on age group, the 20 to 40 years segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for nearly three-fourths of the global cervical cancer diagnostic market revenue, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period, owing to the prevalence of the cervical cancer among population of age group 20-40 along with the surge in number of patients visiting the hospitals for diagnosis of the cervical cancer. However, the above 40 years segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 5.3% from 2023 to 2032, owing to the rise in diagnosis rate, and rising affordability.

North America to maintain its dominance by 2032

Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2021, accounting for around two-fifths of the global cervical cancer diagnostic market revenue, and is likely to dominate the market during the forecast period. The government initiatives to promote diagnosis of cervical cancer contributes to the growth of the cervical cancer diagnostic market in North America. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 6.3% from 2023 to 2032. The rise in the awareness about early diagnosis of cervical cancer, owing to the presence of high-potential markets such as India and China, is expected to drive the growth of the cervical cancer diagnostic market.

Leading Market Players: -

Abbott Laboratories

Qaigen NV

Carl Zeiss AG

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Becton, Dickinson and Company

Hologic Inc.

F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG

Siemens Healthineers

CooperSurgical Inc.

Dysis Medical ltd.

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global cervical cancer diagnostic market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

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We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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HUE CITY, Vietnam, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global logistics service provider J&T Express today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hue City, Thua Thien Hue province, to collaborate on developing the local logistics industry and accelerating its digital transformation. As part of the company's strategy to enhance its global ESG initiative, J&T Express Vietnam will tap on its nationwide coverage to promote the facilitate the growth of the local traditional handicraft startups, and promote the rich cultural heritage and legacy embodied in the craftsmanship.





J&T Express will be participating as a gold sponsor in the Hue Traditional Craft Festival 2023, held from today to 5 May 2023. J&T Express will undertake the responsibility of transporting exquisitely designed handicraft products to the Creative Handicraft Design Exhibition of the festival which brings together 350 artisans from across 69 craft villages and establishments.

Meanwhile, J&T Express, together with Hue City's People's Committee, will also organize a workshop on Saturday for the owners of the traditional handicraft businesses. Themed "Creating Success on a Digital Business Platform", the workshop will bring together representatives from TikTok, Le Media Group, and local business owner, and feature experience sharing on topics from products to sales activities on digital platforms as well as a complete delivery journey.

Mr Nguy?n Anh Tu?n, Chief Strategy Officer, J&T Express Vietnam said: "The cooperation with Hue city marks an important milestone in the development strategy and ESG initiatives of J&T Express in Vietnam. With our experience and capacity in logistics, we want to make positive impact for the local communities we operate in, by optimizing the supply chain in terms of transportation, distribution and forwarding. We also want to support the local businesses and enhance their competitiveness through the application of high-tech transportation solutions."

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Truong Dinh Hanh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hue city, said: "Hue city welcomes the initiatives and solutions of J&T Express. It opens up opportunities for businesses in the city to access advanced and high-tech delivery services, improve transportation capacity and supply products to a wide range of customers across the country as well as internationally. This will not only help local businesses to flourish but will also in turn improve the livelihood of many in the community."

To ensure that the business owners of traditional craft products have access to the support they need, a cooperation alliance had also been formalised between Hue Institute of Development Research, Le Media Group, J&T Express Vietnam and TikTok Vietnam. The alliance provides a platform to foster greater cooperation between local businesses in Hue city and the necessary expertise to give them a good head start as they transit to operating their businesses online.

Mr Nguy?n Anh Tu?n said: "The Company is honored to join hands with local authorities and artists to contribute to bringing the beauty of traditional Vietnamese handicrafts. In addition to spreading the cultural values of craft villages, this is also an outreach opportunity for craft villages to introduce products to more tourists, creating greater opportunities for traditional villages."

As J&T Express approaches its fifth anniversary in Vietnam, it seeks to tap on its extensive network and continuously adapt its offerings to develop solutions to promote traditional handicraft across the country and beyond. By joining forces with Hue city, J&T Express aims to play a part in enabling the digitalisation of local businesses while spreading Vietnamese heritage and culture.

About J&T Express

J&T Express is a global logistics service provider with leading express delivery businesses in Southeast Asia and China, the largest and fastest-growing market in the world. Founded in 2015, J&T Express' network spans thirteen countries, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, China, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Mexico, Brazil and Egypt. Adhering to its "customer-oriented and efficiency-based" mission, J&T Express is committed to providing customers with integrated logistics solutions through intelligent infrastructure and digital logistics network, as part of its global strategy to connect the world with greater efficiency and bring logistical benefits to all.





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Vancouver, BC, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WestKam Gold Corp. (TSX-V: WKG) (the "Company" or "WestKam"), announces a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") to raise up to $150,000 through the sale of up to 1,250,000 units (the "Units") at $0.12 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of one common share and one common share purchase warrant exercisable at $0.20 for a period of two years following the close of the Offering.

The Company may pay a finder's fee consisting of cash, shares and/or warrants to eligible finders as permitted under applicable securities laws and TSX Venture Exchange policies. Proceeds arising from the sale of the Units will be utilized for exploration on the Will Property and for unallocated working capital.

Shares for Debt Settlement

The Company also announces that it has agreed to issue 791,666 shares (the "Debt Shares") on a "shares for debt" basis in settlement of debts totaling $95,000 (the "Debt") owing to Mr. Matt Wayrynen and Mr. Corey Klassen (the "Creditors"). The Debt Shares will be issued at a deemed price of $0.12 per share, in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSX-V").

The issuance of the Debt Shares to the Creditors will constitute a "related party transaction" within the meaning of the TSX-V Policy 5.9 (the " Policy ") and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (" MI 61-101 ") adopted in the Policy. The Company intends to rely on the exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value (as determined under MI 61-101) of the Debt Shares, nor the Debt, exceeds 25% of the Company's market capitalization (as determined under MI 61-101).

The issuance of the Debt Shares is subject to the approval of the TSX-V. Any Debt Shares issued will be subject to a hold period which will expire on the date that is four months and one day from the date of issue.

About Westkam Gold Corp.

Westkam Gold Corp. is focused on acquiring and developing gold and silver properties with strong potential to host significant resources in Western Canada. The Company recently added the Will Claim located in the Goldbridge Mining District near the former Pioneer and Bralorne mines. The Company continues to seek additional projects that are in established mining districts with highly prospective geology.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS For further information please contact: Peter Laipnieks "Peter Laipnieks" 250.216.5674 Peter Laipnieks, President & CEO westkam007@gmail.com www.westkamgoldcorp.com



Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider

accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking information

All statements included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions made by the Company based on its experience, perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. In addition, these statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will prove inaccurate, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to revise or update these forward-looking statements after the date hereof or revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events.
TORONTO, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lifeist Wellness Inc. ("Lifeist" or the "Company") (TSXV: LFST) (FRANKFURT: M5B) (OTCMKTS: LFSWF), a health-tech company that leverages advancements in science and technology to build breakthrough companies that transform human wellness, today reported its financial results for the three months ended February 28, 2023 ("Q1 2023") compared to the same period last year ("Q1 2022"). All financial figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated.



First Quarter 2023 Highlights

The success of CannMart's in-house Roilty brand and the launch of the Mikra nutraceuticals business is driving accelerated growth, leading to a 22.5% increase in net revenue (compared to Q1 2022), versus 4.6% in Q4 2022 (compared to Q4 2021) and 4.4% for FY 2022 (compared to 2021), validating the diversified wellness strategy.

The strategic focus on high margin activities and operational efficiency continues to pay off with significant improvements in gross profit and reduced Adjusted EBITDA losses continuing Lifeist's clear progress on the path to profitability. Gross profit before inventory adjustment increased 68% to $1.5 million (compared to Q1 2022), one of the highest in the Company's history and equal to 25% gross margin.

"We have made continued progress in transforming ourselves from a low-margin cannabis player in a highly competitive market to a diversified wellness company with a high-margin cannabis business and a rapidly growing nutraceuticals business," said Meni Morim, CEO of Lifeist. "We are seeing continued growth on all our key metrics, including delivering one of the best gross profit quarters in our company's history. We expect continued improvement and growth in the quarters to follow which paves the way for profitability and cash generation."

Continued Morim, "Both of our main wellness businesses are leading our performance. CannMart has built one of Canada's fastest-growing cannabis brands in two years, and through continued innovation, strong relationships with provincial buyers and continued support from our retailers, we are driving increased distribution and sell-through of our expanding portfolio of premium and mid-range concentrate products. Mikra, in just a matter of months, has taken itself from a single product selling direct-to-consumer on its own website to a multiple product portfolio selling on Amazon, the largest online direct to consumer platform, and soon launching with GNC the largest brick and mortar wellness chain in the U.S. This is a significant step from where we started to where the business is today. We have strategically been working on scaling distribution, and our ability to secure the two largest channels speaks to the confidence in the brand and products. We anticipate accelerated growth as we shift focus on launching new products and SKUs in these channels."

Concluded Morim, "Progressing on our path to profitability is a top priority. We are gratified and excited by the confidence and support shown by investors in our recent financings and are working tirelessly to increase shareholder value."

Operating Highlights

Cannabis: CannMart Inc. ("CannMart") and CannMart Labs Inc. ("CannMart Labs")

Lifeist's cannabis business continued to make progress on its path to profitability in Q1 2023, highlighted by expanding gross profit and a narrowing of Adjusted EBITDA losses. The improved profitability is being driven by the shift to in-house brand Roilty and the termination of the lower-margin licensing of the Phyto brand from Adastra Holdings Ltd., which has simultaneously improved the product mix (i.e., higher margins) and de-risked the business model (i.e., more ownership, lower dependency on external factors).

Recreational cannabis revenue (net of exercise taxes) grew 16.4% to $3.7 million in Q1 2023 compared to $3.1 million in Q1 2022, as CannMart more than offset the planned elimination of sales of Phyto-branded products with better-than-expected sales of Roilty products.

Roilty revenue growth was driven by increased distribution and retail sell-through of an expanding portfolio of premium and mid-range concentrate products in all of Canada's provincial markets. Compared to last year, the number of Roilty SKUs in market increased from 8 in February 2022 to 31 in February 2023. Meanwhile, store penetration has increased significantly from February 2022 to February 2023, for example in Manitoba from 61 to 167 and Saskatchewan from 39 to 157.

Adjusted EBITDA loss for CannMart improved to $845,000 in Q1 2023 compared to $1,300,000 in Q1 2022. The reduced loss was due to higher revenue combined with higher gross margins and better operational efficiency.

In March 2023, Lifeist completed the final base purchase price share issuance related to the CannMart Labs Inc. acquisition.



Nutraceuticals: Mikra Cellular Sciences Inc. ("Mikra")

Mikra took several significant steps to expand its product portfolio and open new distribution channels over the past several months, which is bolstering the platform for future revenue growth.

Mikra reported revenue of $551,000 in Q1 2023 compared to no revenue in Q1 2022, with 4,465 orders shipped to customers in the quarter. Results were driven by sales of flagship product CELLF, with additional contribution from RESCUE which was launched in mid-December 2022.

Innovation initiatives to expand the product portfolio include: the February 2023 launch of a new and improved formulation of CELLF, offering significantly better taste, a one-handed accessible sachet design; environmentally friendly exterior packaging; and a now dairy-free and vegan recipe, the December 2022 launch of RESCUE, Mikra's second product, which is a 100% naturally derived and rapid-acting digestive aid formulated to relieve negative gastrointestinal symptoms due to suspect food and drink choices, and the January 2023 announcement that Mikra will add a line of health food and snacks products, starting with a gluten-free, vegan, functional nutrition bar.

While 100% of Mikra sales through Q1 2023 have been generated on www.wearemikra.com, Mikra is expanding its distribution channels through: the March 28, 2023 launch of an Amazon storefront and the signing of an exclusive distribution agreement with GNC Holdings for CELLF and its future derivatives in the United States in GNC's retail stores, at gnc.com and on GNC's channel on Amazon.com. The Amazon storefront has begun to contribute revenue in Q2 2023.

Adjusted EBITDA loss for Mikra was $759,000 in Q1 2023 compared to $643,000 in Q1 2022. Mikra has increased its investment in product innovation and a more than doubling of advertising spend to support the introduction of RESCUE in December 2022 and the new version of CELLF in February 2023, as well as to ensure deliveries to both our key partners Amazon and GNC. The Company anticipates that these investments will set Mikra up for accelerated growth and profitability in the coming quarters.

Australian Vaporizers Pty Ltd. ("Aus Vapes")

Aus Vapes revenue increased by 1% to $1.7 million in Q1 2023, stabilizing after the spring 2022 floods. The Aus Vapes team has spent the past few quarters successfully relocating the warehouse into a larger and more modern facility and improving the product assortment, which positions the business to resume its positive pre-flood momentum.



Financial Summary

Net revenue increased 22.5% to $5.9 million in Q1 2023 compared to $4.9 million in Q1 2022. The increase was driven by a $515,000, or 16.4%, increase in Canadian cannabis revenue and $551,000 contribution from Mikra. A significant contributor to the quarter was the growth of higher margin Roilty brand sales which more than offset the planned elimination of lower margin licensing Phyto brand products.

Gross profit before inventory adjustment increased 68.4% to $1.5 million compared to $864,000 in Q1 2022, with margins expanding from 18% to 25%.

Adjusted EBITDA loss improved 22% to $2.9 million in Q1 2023 compared to $3.7 million in Q1 2022. Net loss from continuing operations improved 20% to $3.3 million, or ($0.01) per diluted share, in Q1 2023 compared to a loss of $4.1 million, or ($0.01) per share, in Q1 2022. The improvement is a result of continuing work done to streamline operations by finding efficiencies and reducing operating costs, while growing revenues and gross margin.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow

Cash and cash equivalents were $1.7 million at February 28, 2023, compared to $3.8 million at November 30, 2022.

Inventories were $4.2 million at February 28, 2023 compared to $4.5 million at November 30, 2022, mainly due to the removal of Phyto inventory by CannMart, offset by an increase in Mikra inventory.

The working capital position was $5.5 million at February 28, 2023.

Net cash used in operations was $3.3 million in Q1 2023 compared to $4.7 million in Q1 2022, due in part to investments in CannMart and Mikra, offset by improved margins and higher revenue. Operating cash flow is expected to improve over the coming quarters due to profitable growth in the overall business.

Additional Information

The Company's complete financial statements and management's discussion & analysis ("MD&A") for Q1 2023 are available on Lifeist's website (www.lifeist.com) and SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

About Lifeist Wellness Inc.

Sitting at the forefront of the post-pandemic wellness revolution, Lifeist leverages advancements in science and technology to build breakthrough companies that transform human wellness. Portfolio business units include: CannMart, which operates a B2B wholesale distribution business facilitating recreational cannabis sales to Canadian provincial government control boards; CannMart Labs, a BHO extraction facility for the production of high margin cannabis 2.0 products; Australian Vapes, Australia's largest online retailer of vaporizers and accessories; and Mikra, a biosciences and consumer wellness company seeking to develop innovative therapies for cellular health.

Information on Lifeist and its businesses can be accessed through the links below:

www.lifeist.com

www.cannmart.com

www.australianvaporizers.com.au

www.wearemikra.com

Contacts

Meni Morim, Lifeist Wellness Inc., CEO

Matt Chesler, CFA, FNK IR, Investor Relations

Ph: 647-362-0390

Email: ir@lifeist.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release or has in any way approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release.

Non-IFRS Financial Measures

Management evaluates the Company's performance using a variety of measures, including "Net loss before income tax, depreciation and amortization" and "Adjusted EBITDA". The non-IFRS measures discussed below should not be considered as an alternative to or to be more meaningful than revenue or net loss. These measures do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore they may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other publicly traded companies and should not be construed as an alternative to other financial measures determined in accordance with IFRS.

The Company believes these non-IFRS financial measures provide useful information to both management and investors in measuring the financial performance and financial condition of the Company.

Management uses these and other non-IFRS financial measures to exclude the impact of certain expenses and income that must be recognized under IFRS when analyzing consolidated underlying operating performance, as the excluded items are not necessarily reflective of the Company's underlying operating performance and make comparisons of underlying financial performance between periods difficult. From time to time, the Company may exclude additional items if it believes doing so would result in a more effective analysis of underlying operating performance. The exclusion of certain items does not imply that they are non-recurring.

(i) Current and deferred income taxes, depreciation and amortization, and share-based compensation were excluded from the Adjusted EBITDA calculation as they do not represent cash expenditures.

(ii) Other income consisting of gain on disposal of subsidiary, interest income, realized gain on disposition of AFS investments, unrealized gain on derivatives and other miscellaneous non-recurring income were excluded from Adjusted EBITDA calculation.

(iii) Non-recurring costs related to restructuring and legacy issues were excluded from Adjusted EBITDA calculation.

(iv) Impairment loss relating to goodwill, customer list, domains and brand names were excluded from Adjusted EBITDA calculation.

(v) Impairment loss relating to receivable is a provision for expected credit loss to an associate and was excluded from Adjusted EBITDA calculation.

(vi) Share of associates loss, net of tax, is excluded due to lack of control.

Forward Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not historical in nature contain forward-looking information. Forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "expect", "likely", "should", "would", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "potential", "proposed", "estimate", "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" happen.

The forward-looking information contained herein, including, without limitation, statements related to: the Company's growth, distribution, revenue and profitability expectations relating to its diversified wellness business being its high-margin cannabis business and its growing nutraceuticals business are made as of the date of this press release and is based on assumptions management believed to be reasonable at the time such statements were made, including, without limitation, Lifeist's ability to continue to increase revenue through its high margin recreational cannabis business, including through increased sales of Roilty and anticipated sales of other high margin products, and its nutraceutical business, through increased sales of CELLF and RESCUE and other products developed by Mikra, expected increased sales of CELLF upon such product being available for purchase through GNC online and its channel on amazon.com and in GNC retail stores, continued increasing sales of CELLF and RESCUE through Mikra's Amazon storefront, the Company's ability to broaden its total addressable market and to continue to evolve into a well-recognized wellness company, the Company's expectation that the market for high margin cannabis and nutraceutical products as well as the wellness market in general will develop as currently anticipated, such market will continue to be a multi-billion dollar high-margin market, the introduction of new products and brands will generate additional revenue, expectations that CELLF and RESCUE and other cellular health products to be developed by the Company will gain market acceptance along with the expansion of the market for nutraceutical products, as well as other considerations that are believed to be appropriate in the circumstances. While we consider these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to management, there is no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. A variety of factors, including known and unknown risks, many of which are beyond our control, could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information in this press release. Such factors include, without limitation: the inability of the Company to develop its business as anticipated and to increase revenues and/or its profitable margin on such revenues, unanticipated changes to current regulations that would adversely impact the Company's businesses, the unanticipated decline in demand for cannabis products, including in particular a material decrease in Roilty brand sales, competition from others, unforeseen developments that would impede Mikra's ability to continue to sell CELLF and RESCUE as it currently does, if at all, and any other developed nutraceutical products as anticipated and in a timely manner, the risk that pre-clinical trials relating to CELLF are not as successful as anticipated and do not demonstrate the expected therapeutic benefits and/or fail to strengthen the Company's patent claim, the risk that the expected demand for nutraceutical products in general and those of Mikra in particular does not develop as anticipated, the failure to maintain the churn rate of subscription sales of CELLF at anticipated levels, regulatory risk, risks relating to the Company's ability to execute its business strategy and the benefits realizable therefrom and risks specifically related to the Company's operations. Additional risk factors can also be found in the Company's current MD&A which has been filed under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Source: Lifeist Wellness Inc.
TORONTO, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- St Charles Resources Inc. is pleased to announce that it is changing its name to "BULGOLD Inc." ("BULGOLD" or the "Company") (the "Name Change") and is implementing a share consolidation of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares") on the basis of one (1) post-consolidation Common Share for every three (3) pre-consolidation Common Shares of the Company (the "Consolidation"). No fractional Common Shares will be issued in connection with the Consolidation; in the event that a shareholder would otherwise have been entitled to receive a fractional Common Share upon Consolidation, such fractional Common Share will be rounded down to the nearest whole number Common Share for no consideration.



The Name Change and the Consolidation were approved by the Company's shareholders at the special meeting of shareholders held on April 26, 2023, with 100% of votes cast in favour of the Name Change and 99.283% of the votes cast in favour of the Consolidation.

The Name Change and the Consolidation are expected to become effective on or about May 5, 2023, subject to final approval from the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V"). The Company's trading symbol on the TSX-V will also change from "SCRS" to "ZLTO". Following the Name Change and Consolidation, the new CUSIP number assigned to the Company's common shares will be 12016C100 and the new ISIN number will be CA12016C1005.

The Name Change and Consolidation does not affect the rights of the Company's shareholders. Shareholders will not be required to take any action in connection with the Name Change and Consolidation. Issued certificates representing Common Shares of the Company will not need to be exchanged. The Company encourages shareholders to contact their broker with any questions regarding the proposed Name Change and Consolidation.

The Company also announces the appointment of Andrew Newbury of DSA Corporate Services as Corporate Secretary effective immediately. Andrew has 15 years of corporate secretarial, administrative, financial, and operational experience at a variety of small businesses. Andrew joined DSA Corporate Services in 2017, and as a Senior Account Executive he provides Corporate Secretarial consulting services for 25 small to mid cap issuers on the TSX, TSX-V, and CSE. Andrew has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Dalhousie University. The Company thanks Jeff Pennock, our previous Corporate Secretary, for his dedicated service and we look forward to continuing to work with Jeff in his existing role as Chief Financial Officer to the Company. The appointment is subject to the approval of the TSX-V.

The Company also announces the filing of its audited annual financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company incurred a loss of $532,370 ($0.02 per share) compared to a loss of $644 (nil per share) for the period from incorporation (July 16, 2021) to December 31, 2021. The loss in 2022 consisted mostly of costs related to the Qualifying Transaction (legal, audit, 43-101 reports, etc.) and related to due diligence work at the Eastern Resources properties in Bulgaria. As of December 31, 2022, the company had cash of $1,804,092, most of which will be used to support exploration activities in Bulgaria.

About the Company

The Company is a gold exploration company focused on mineral exploration projects in Bulgaria. The Company's material mineral and exploration projects consist of the Kostilkovo gold property ("Kostilkovo Gold Project") and the Kutel gold property ("Kutel Gold Project"). The Company controls 100% of two quality epithermal gold projects located in the Bulgarian portion of the Western Tethyan Belt: the Kutel Gold Project and the Kostilkovo Gold Project. Management of the Company believes that its assets show potential for high-grade, good-metallurgy and low-sulfidation epithermal gold mineralisation.

The Company also holds an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Lutila exploration licence located in central Slovakia which is prospective for low-sulfidation epithermal gold mineralisation.

For further information, please contact Sean Hasson, at +359 2 989 2361.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "intends", or "believes", or variations (including negative and grammatical variations) of such words and phrases or state that certain acts, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved".

Forward-looking information in this press release may include, without limitation, statements relating to: the completion of the name change and the Consolidation and the timing thereof, and to the potential of the Kutel Gold Project and the Kostilkovo Gold Project.

These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including risks regarding the mining industry, commodity prices, market conditions, general economic factors, management's ability to manage and to operate the business, and explore and develop the projects of the Company, and the equity markets generally. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance of the Company may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward-looking statements. Any number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements as well as future results. Although each of the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward looking statements are reasonable, they can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.
LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / Quantio Limited, a London-based company, has been operational since 2022 and has established itself as the world's first successful AI financial company for wealth management. The company's team consists of 40 professionals with significant experience in blockchain, finance, and digital security. They have been managing capital for global corporations and investment finance companies for over a year, with the aim of eventually providing their services for wealth management on a global scale.

Quantio Limited provides client services, offering the highest professional standards and using tools to simplify investments and maximize profits by offering them innovative products based on AI.

The company offers fully diversified portfolios that work with the help of AI, which makes trading operations and invests in various assets with different risk levels. The investment process is fully automated, making investments easy and maximizing profits while minimizing taxes for novice investors and those looking for more complex strategies.

According to Quantio Limited's Chief Technology Officer, Jonathan Byrne:

"A key feature of the operating principle is that the AI creates unique sequences, each of which is based on an analysis of the entire dataset of existing models. This means that a decision is made by analyzing more than ten thousand possible situations per nanosecond, depending on the importance of the particular case."

The strategy of Quantio Limited is based on machine learning data and human intelligence. Decisions are made based on technical and fundamental analysis, not only artificial intelligence but also controlled by professional financial specialists, which distinguishes them from other automated investment management platforms.

Quantio guarantees the execution of most transactions, and traders always monitor the execution of trades, while automation helps free up time for higher priority tasks. This way, any unusual situation is quickly resolved by a higher-level specialist.

The main advantage of working with the platform is accessibility. All that an investor needs to work with the platform offered by Quantio Limited is to create an account. After that, investors can activate their portfolio using a new personal account.

Quoting CEO Brian Evans:

"Our goal is to make our products available to everyone. So that any investor anywhere in the world can generate income from artificial intelligence work with no experience in trading, programming, or analytics."

Quantio Limited's mission is to help investors retain and grow their capital while providing security to different types of investors. The company's innovative approach to wealth management and their experience in using advanced technologies make Quantio Limited an excellent choice in the industry of wealth management.

Media Contact

Organization: Quantio Limited

Contact Person: Adrian Brown

Website: https://quantio.ai/

Email: press@quantio.ai

Contact Number: +442045772690

City: London

Country: United Kingdom

SOURCE: Quantio Limited

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/751831/Quantio-Limited-the-Worlds-First-Successful-AI-Investment-Company-for-Wealth-Management
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2023) - Omai Gold Mines Corp. (TSXV: OMG) (OTCQB: OMGGF) ("Omai" or "the Company") is pleased to provide a project update on its Omai gold project in Guyana. Six holes have been completed on exploration targets to date in 2023, totalling 1,364 metres. A work break in March was extended pending the delivery of a new diamond drill that will improve drilling capabilities and productivity. The new drill arrived in mid-April and drilling has recommenced as planned, starting with the Broccoli Hill and Boneyard targets.

Drilling at Wenot with the second rig is expected to begin early next week. This follows a detailed review of the Wenot open-pittable resource model, including creation of lens-specific grade x width models which indicate potential for continued strong drill results which could lead to an expansion of the Wenot mineral resource. Approximately 3,600 m remains to be drilled in the current planned program. One rig will be dedicated to testing open-pit extensions to the Wenot Deposit, while the smaller rig will test exploration targets outside of the known deposits.

Elaine Ellingham, President and CEO, comments:

"The Omai project has repeatedly exceeded our expectations, culminating in the significant NI43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate filed in December. Our current detailed modelling of the Wenot Deposit reinforces the excellent potential to add additional resources that could be pit accessible. With the new indicated resource of 1,907,600 ounces of gold at an average grade of 2.07 g/t and inferred of 1,777,600 ounces of gold at an average grade of 2.10 g/t1, we believe Omai can advance quickly, particularly with the support that the Guyana government has shown for the Omai project."

"We have commenced studies that will assist in understanding key aspects of re-developing this brownfields project and would support a future preliminary economic assessment. Historical production results, including metallurgy and mill recoveries, are expected to be reliable indicators for a future mining operation, given that the new resources are extensions of the previously mined deposits. Improvements in logistics, including planned power lines and the paving of the access road to within 10 km of site, will reduce the construction and operating costs of a future mine. With tangible results in hand, the Omai project is well positioned to advance, particularly in the current environment."

Q1 Exploration

In Q1, three diamond drill holes (ODD23-055, -056 & -057) (figure 1, Table 1) tested a 760m strike length of the Pyramid target. The Pyramid target lies along the eastern projection of the Wenot shear corridor, between 2.5 and 3.5 km east of the Wenot gold deposit. At Pyramid, a distinctive high magnetic signature is elongated east-west along 1 km and is similar to the magnetic signature over the Wenot deposit.

The holes at Pyramid confirm the extension of the Wenot shear with widths of at least 114 m (figure 2). The favourable Wenot rock units were intersected, including rhyolite and quartz feldspar porphyry dikes up to 23.2m in width with associated silicification, hematitization and an adjacent proto-mylonite. The shear continues to straddle the major contact between the metasediments and metavolcanics, consistent with Wenot geology. Although hydrothermal alteration and shearing are present, pyrite was minimal and only background gold values were returned in the assays. The high magnetic anomaly coincident with the shear appears to be attributed to a magnetite alteration overprint, similar to that seen in the main Wenot deposit.

An unexpected 25.1m wide structure with pervasive hydrothermal phyllic alteration and quartz veining with adjacent brecciation near the top of hole ODD23-056 (figure 2) attests to the favourable structural environment along this eastern extension of the Wenot shear.

The three widely-spaced holes do not adequately test this target, that is now known to host quartz feldspar porphyry dikes up to 23.2 m wide with favourable hydrothermally altered structural zones in the vicinity and the same magnetite overprint as at Wenot. Additional drilling may be planned after further review of these new results. With this drilling Omai has now identified the broad Wenot Shear corridor 4.8 km across the Omai property, with historical mining limited to 1.5km of this strike.

Broccoli Hill Target (Figure 3 & 4)

Hole ODD23-054 is the first of a series of five holes planned to test the large magnetic low anomaly that covers an area of roughly 500m by 500m on the much larger underexplored Broccoli Hill. It was drilled on the southern side of Broccoli Hill, but challenges during drilling led to termination of the hole prior to the planned depth (555.0 m) resulting in an incomplete test of this target. This hole intersected mafic volcanics and tuffaceous sediments with only minor quartz veining before intersecting the underlying diabase sill. Unfortunately, no significant gold mineralization was assayed, however the diabase sill was encountered deeper than expected, and as a result, it suggests even further potential depth extensions of the Wenot open-pit resource. It was also noted that the large Broccoli Hill magnetic low anomaly was not adequately explained by this hole and that the additional planned holes to the north would better test the anomaly. A second hole on Broccoli Hill commenced this week.

Hole 23ODD-058

A single hole drilled southwest of the Wenot pit followed up on a nearby 2022 hole (22ODD-037)(figure 1) that encountered rubbly quartz veining and interesting gold grades (0.57g/t Au over 7.9m, including 1.0g/t Au over 3.0m) but with significant core loss. This hole tested a magnetic feature parallel south of the Wenot shear. No significant veining or gold values were encountered.

Corporate Update

Omai is also pleased to announce that its common shares are now eligible for electronic clearing and settlement in the United States through the Depository Trust Company ("DTC"). DTC eligibility is expected to simplify the process of trading and enhance liquidity of Omai shares in the United States. The Company's shares trade on the OTCQB Venture Market ("OTCQB") under the ticker symbol OMGGF.

This electronic method of clearing securities speeds up the receipt of stock and cash, and thus accelerates the settlement process for investors and brokers, enabling the stock to be traded over a much wider selection of brokerage firms by coming into compliance with their requirements. Existing investors benefit from potentially greater liquidity and faster execution speeds. This also opens the door to new investors that may have been previously restricted from purchasing the Company's common shares and simplifies the process of trading them in the United States.

The Company also announces that it has granted stock options exercisable into 1,200,000 common shares in the Company to a director and a consultant of the Company. The incentive stock options have an exercise price of $0.08 per share with a five-year term and will vest one-third on the date of grant, and one-third on each of the first and second anniversary of the date of grant.

Quality Control

Omai maintains an internal QA/QC program to ensure sampling and analysis of all exploration work is conducted in accordance with best practices. Certified reference materials, blanks and duplicates are entered at regular intervals. Samples are sealed in plastic bags.

Samples are shipped to ActLabs, a certified laboratory in Georgetown Guyana, respecting the best chain of custody practices. At the laboratory, samples are dried, crushed up to 80% passing 2 mm, riffle split (250 g), and pulverized to 95% passing 105 m, including cleaner sand. Fifty grams of pulverized material is then fire assayed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AA). Initial assays with results above 3.0 ppm gold are re-assayed using a gravimetric finish. Certified reference materials and blanks meet with QA/QC specifications.

Qualified Person

Elaine Ellingham P.Geo. is a Qualified Person (QP) under National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects" and has approved the technical information contained in this news release. Ms. Ellingham is not considered to be independent for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101.

1 The Company filed an NI43-101 technical report titled "TECHNICAL REPORT AND INITIAL MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE OF THE WENOT GOLD DEPOSIT, OMAI PROPERTY, POTARO MINING DISTRICT NO. 2, GUYANA", prepared by P&E Mining Consultants Inc dated December 2, 2022 on the SEDAR website www.sedar.com.

ABOUT OMAI GOLD

Omai Gold Mines Corp. holds a 100% interest in the Omai Prospecting License that includes the past producing Omai gold mine in Guyana, and a 100% interest in the adjoining Eastern Flats Mining Permits. The Company announced an updated Mineral Resource Estimate that includes the Wenot shear-hosted gold deposit and the adjacent Gilt Creek intrusion-hosted deposit. The recent NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate1 includes: 1,907,600 ounces of gold (Indicated) at an average grade of 2.07 g/t gold and 1,777,600 ounces of gold (Inferred) at an average grade of 2.10 g/t gold. Once South America's largest producing gold mine, Omai produced over 3.7 million ounces of gold between 1993 and 2005. Mining ceased at a time when the average gold price was less than US$400 per ounce. As a brownfields project, Omai benefits from good access and a wealth of historical data that provides knowledge of the geology, nature of the gold mineralization on the property, as well as metallurgy and historical recoveries. The Company's priorities for 2023 are to drill the key exploration targets that hold potential for significant new discoveries while continuing to expand the Wenot deposit.

For further information, please see our website www.omaigoldmines.com or contact:

Elaine Ellingham, P.Geo.

President & CEO

elaine@omaigoldmines.com

Phone: +1 416-473-5351

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the timing of completion of exploration, trenching and drill programs, and the potential for the Omai Gold Project to allow Omai to build significant gold Mineral Resources at attractive grades, and forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; delay or failure to receive regulatory approvals; the price of gold and copper; and the results of current exploration. Further, the Mineral Resource data set out in the Omai Gold news release are estimates, and no assurance can be given that the anticipated tonnages and grades will be achieved or that the indicated level of recovery will be realized. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Figure 1. Location of Q1 Drill Holes (23ODD-054 to -058)

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8712/164073_07bc3c0ce4ac2a6e_001full.jpg

Figure 2. Drill Section - Hole 23ODD-056 Pyramid

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8712/164073_07bc3c0ce4ac2a6e_002full.jpg

Figure 3. Magnetic Vector Inversion Over Known Gold Deposits Assists in Target Development

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https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8712/164073_07bc3c0ce4ac2a6e_003full.jpg

Figure 4. Broccoli Hill - Compilation with Current & Planned Drill Holes

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https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8712/164073_07bc3c0ce4ac2a6e_004full.jpg

Table 1. Drill hole locations for holes 22ODD-054 to 22ODD-058

Hole ID Azimuth

(degrees) Inclination

(degrees) Final

Depth (m) Easting Northing 23ODD-054 160 -80 555 305560 602112 23ODD-055 180 -55 161 308640 601566 23ODD-056 180 -60 263 308480 601634 23ODD-057 180 -60 164 309249 601540 23ODD-058 180 -50 221 303853 601559

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164073
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2023) - Scope Carbon Corp. (CSE: SCPE) (OTCQB: SCPCF) (FSE: VN8) ("Scope" or the "Company") today announces that it has entered into a loan agreement (the "Loan Agreement") with Farm Flight, Inc. ("Farm Flight") for Scope to provide a loan to Farm Flight for the principal amount of USD $70,000 (the "Loan"), as evidenced by an unsecured promissory note and in connection with the previously announced proposed arms-length all-share acquisition of Farm Flight (the "Transaction").

The Loan has been advanced as of April 27, 2023, the effective date of the Loan Agreement (the "Advance") and bears no interest. The Loan is repayable in full on the date that is one year following the Advance. The proceeds of the Loan will be used by Farm Flight in connection with professional and transaction costs in connection with the Transaction and for general corporate purposes.

About Farm Flight, Inc.

Farm Flight is an image-based crop intelligence platform based in Tempe, Arizona. Farm Flight's integrative platform combines data collection services, UAS technology, and various machine learning products into a single solution for customers throughout the supply chain. The technology that Farm Flight creates enables regenerative agricultural practices, mitigates waste, and helps producers increase their yields.

About Scope Carbon Corp.

Scope is a carbon mapping technology company located in Vancouver, British Columbia and is focused on the commercial development of its AI-driven image software, which the Company intends to use for the identification and estimation of carbon-based lifeforms and carbon emissions, both key components in the identification of carbon credits.

The Company is currently focused on the commercial development of its technology (the "Scope Analysis Platform") through its research and development program, to expand the capabilities of the Scope Analysis Platform and provide a one-tool solution in carbon mapping.

For more information please visit Scope Carbon Corp. or follow along on social media.

LinkedIn: @Smarter Markets

Facebook: Scope Carbon Corp.

Twitter: @scopecarboncorp

Contact Information

James Liang, Chief Executive Officer

info@scopecarboncorp.com

(604) 683 0911

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements that constitute forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release that are not purely historical statements of fact are forward-looking statements and include statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, future, strategy, objectives, goals and targets and the repayment of the Loan Agreement. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable and reflect expectations of future developments and other factors which management believes to be reasonable and relevant, the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "aim", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and are based on assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, including, but not limited to, those risks and assumptions described in the Company's prospectus dated August 10, 2022, a copy of which is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. While Scope considers these assumptions to be reasonable, based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. In addition, forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with general economic conditions, continued satisfaction of Canadian Securities Exchange requirements, product safety and recalls, regulatory compliance and risks associated with the Company's business. For more information on the risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause anticipated opportunities and actual results to differ materially, please refer to the risk factors set out in the Company's prospectus dated August 10, 2022, a copy of which is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, unless required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the business of the Company and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy hereof.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164043
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2023) - Forum Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: FMC) (OTCQB: FDCFF) ("Forum" or "the Company") announces that it has closed the first tranche of its non-brokered private placement announced on April 17, 2023. The Company raised $523,600 through the issuance of 900,000 units ("NFT Units") at a price of $0.10 per NFT Unit and 3,613,334 flow through units ("FT Units") at a price of $0.12 per FT Unit.

Each NFT Unit is comprised of one common share and one common share purchase warrant (a "NFT Warrant"). Each NFT Warrant is exercisable to purchase one common share at a price of $0.15 per share until April 27, 2025. Each FT Unit is comprised of one flow through common share and one common share purchase warrant (a "FT Warrant"). Each FT Warrant is exercisable to purchase one non-flow through common share at a price of $0.16 per share until April 27, 2025.

The Company paid $29,400 cash and issued 294,000 finder warrants. The finder warrants are exercisable at price of $0.10 per share until April 27, 2025. All securities issued are subject to a four month hold period expiring August 28, 2023.

Proceeds raised from the issuance of the FT Units will be used by Forum to incur Canadian Exploration Expenses on its Canadian uranium and critical mineral properties and will be used as deemed appropriate for qualifying expenses for the critical mineral exploration tax credit (CMETC). Proceeds raised from the issuance of the NFT Units will be used for general working capital.

About Forum Energy Metals

Forum Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: FMC) (OTCQB: FDCFF) is a diversified energy metal company with uranium, copper, nickel, and cobalt projects in Saskatchewan, Canada's Number One Rated mining province for exploration and development, a strategic uranium land position in Nunavut and a strategic cobalt land position in the Idaho Cobalt Belt.

For further information: https://www.forumenergymetals.com/

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Forum's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include but are not limited to: uncertainties related to the historical data, the work expenditure commitments; the ability to raise sufficient capital to fund future exploration or development programs; changes in economic conditions or financial markets; changes commodity prices, litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological or operational difficulties or an inability to obtain permits required in connection with maintaining or advancing its exploration projects.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Richard J. Mazur, P.Geo.

President & CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information contact:

Rick Mazur, P.Geo., President & CEO

mazur@forumenergymetals.com

Tel: 604-630-1585

Not for distribution to United States Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States



To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164045
Regulatory News:

Seche Environnement (Paris:SCHP) announces the adoption of the Middlenext Governance Code to replace the AFEP-MEDEF Code.

On April 28, 2023, the Board of Directors of Seche Environnement adopted the Middlenext Governance Code, replacing the AFEP-MEDEF Code to which it had been referring until then.

The Middlenext Governance Code proposes a governance model adapted to mid-sized companies and the capital structure of family businesses and is therefore more suitable for Seche Environnement.

This Code is available on the Middlenext website (www.middlenext.com) and the Company website (www.groupe-seche.com).

Upcoming events

Consolidated results as of June 30, 2023: September 11, 2023 after market close

About Seche Environnement

Seche Environnement is a leading player in waste management, including the most complex and hazardous waste, and in environmental services, particularly in the event of an environmental emergency. Thanks to its expertise in the creation of circular economy loops, decarbonization, and hazard containment, the Group has been contributing to the ecological transition of industries and territories, as well as to the protection of the living world, for nearly 40 years. A French family-owned industrial group, Seche Environnement deploys the cutting-edge technologies developed by its R&D department at the heart of territories in more than 120 locations in 15 countries, including some 50 industrial sites in France. With over 5,700 employees, including 2,500 in France, Seche Environnement generated revenue of nearly 900 million in 2022, 30% of which from its international operations.

Seche Environnement has been listed on the Euronext Eurolist (Compartment B) since November 27, 1997. It is included in the CAC Mid&Small, EnterNext Tech 40 and EnterNext PEA-PME 150 indexes. ISIN: FR 0000039139 Bloomberg: SCHP.FP Reuters: CCHE.PA

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005207/en/

Contacts:

SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT

Analyst/Investor Relations

Manuel ANDERSEN

Head of Investor Relations

m.andersen@groupe-seche.com

+33 (0)1 53 21 53 60

Media Relations

Anna JAEGY

Head of Communications

a.jaegy@groupe-seche.com

+33 (0)1 53 21 53 53
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2023) - Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: VGANF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leading consolidator of emerging food brands is pleased to announce that on April 28th, 2023 it has signed an area development agreement for the province of Alberta for the opening of 30 franchise restaurants of HEAL Wellness, a fresh smoothie bowls, acai bowls, smoothies, and delicious breakfast waffles quick serve restaurant.

"Today's announcement of establishing our 3rd franchised brand propels HEAL Wellness into a national franchise brand. By using our existing team and road map for accelerated growth, we are quickly building HEAL into an established brand across Canada. I became a huge fan of Heal the moment I drove to Hamilton for the 'belly check'. To see these founders now expanding their brand nationally less than a year later from the day we signed a deal with them is pretty incredible to watch. The four original partners in Heal, Jay, Jesse, Kartik and Ryan have the best smoothie bowl product in Canada by far. Albertans are in for a special treat very shortly as we expect to see our 1st locations begin to open in 2023," said Sean Black, Chief Investment Officer of Happy Belly.



"Since the start of 2023 we have built a pipeline of 110 QSR units combined across our brand portfolio that are in franchising development. We are showing our brand partners and shareholders just how serious we are about accelerated growth in an asset light franchise model. Keeping in mind I have only been at Happy Belly full time for less than a year so we are just getting started."



"Our franchise development model, real estate growth plan and accelerated brand development framework are the three pillars enabling us to achieve our goals at an accelerated pace. Speed to market is crucial when scaling an emerging brand, and we plan to leverage our platform across our portfolio to help us achieve this."

"Stephen Travers was the 1st Extreme Pita Franchisee ever, and later the 1st ever Area-Developer for Extreme Pita, Mucho Burrito and Via Cibo. He has over 20 years of QSR experience. Stephen brings along with him his full service team on the ground in Alberta and track record of developing brands quickly in Western Canada. Stephen has developed over 150 QSR restaurants and has delivered for us time and time again as we built our previous brands so the opportunity to put the band back together makes perfect sense. Happy Belly is quickly become a national franchisor of emerging brands."

HEAL Wellness is the third brand this year within the Happy Belly Portfolio that has announced and begun its franchising development roadmap. For franchising inquiries please see www.happybellyfg.com/franchise-with-us/ or contact us at hello@happybellyfg.com.

About Heal Wellness



Prior to becoming a founding partner of Heal Wellness, Jay Zuccato was a spokesperson alongside a globally distributed nutritional companies to market health and wellness foods. Long-time childhood friend and also a founding partner of Heal Wellness, Jesse Davidson, specialized in business operations with one of Canada's top protein companies as they grew nationwide in operations and storefronts.

With these strong backgrounds and a passion for wellness, they came together to identify a need for a quick-serve healthy food lifestyle. In June of 2019, they responded to this need by opening the first Heal Wellness location in their hometown of Hamilton, Ontario with the goal of being at the forefront of the health food revolution.

"Heal Wellness was created out of a passion and mission to serve quick, fresh wellness foods that power and support a busy, active lifestyle. Currently, we are pleased to offer a wide variety of smoothie bowls, smoothies, and delicious breakfast waffles. We are proud to highlight that every superfood ingredient in the Heal Wellness menu is carefully selected with the intention of fueling the body with a reduced ecological footprint," said Jesse Davidson, Co-founder of Heal Wellness.



About Happy Belly Food Group

Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: VGANF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leading consolidator of emerging food brands.

Happy Belly Food Group

Shawn Moniz

Chief Executive Officer

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:

www: www.happybellyfg.com or email hello@happybellyfg.com

If you wish to contact us please call: (604) 737-2303



Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release, which has been prepared by management.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur, and include the future performance of LumberHeads Food Co. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the business plans for Happy Belly described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis and other disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are posted on www.sedar.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164078
Availability of preparatory documents

Regulatory News:

Tikehau Capital (Paris:TKO) informs its shareholders that the Combined General Meeting of the Shareholders is convened on Tuesday 16 May 2022 at 3:00 p.m. at Centre de Conferences Etoile Saint-Honore, 21-25 rue Balzac, 75008 Paris

The meeting notice (avis de reunion), which includes the agenda and the draft resolutions, was published in the "Bulletin des Annonces Legales et Obligatoires" (BALO) on 31 March 2023 (Bulletin n39 Notice n2300729 journal-officiel.gouv.fr/pages/balo

The convening notice (avis de convocation) was published this day in the "Bulletin des Annonces Legales et Obligatoires" (BALO) and in a journal of legal notices. It will be addressed to the shareholders whose shares are held in registered form and made available to institutions holding securities accounts for the shareholders holding shares in bearer form.

The documents referred to under article R.22-10-23 of the French Commercial Code can be accessed on Tikehau Capital's website at: www.tikehaucapital.com (section: Shareholders General Meetings Combined General Meeting 16 May 2023).

The documents and information mentioned under the second paragraph of article R.225-89 of the French Commercial Code can be accessed on Tikehau Capital's website at: www.tikehaucapital.com (section: Shareholders General Meetings Combined General Meeting 16 May 2023) and are made available to the shareholders in accordance with applicable regulations:

All registered shareholders may, until the fifth day (included) before the General Meeting, request from Tikehau Capital or Societe Generale Securities Services* that these documents and information be sent to them using the request form attached to the convening notice. For holders of bearer shares, exercising this right is contingent upon the provision of a registration certificate in the accounts of bearer shares held by the authorised custodian.

These documents are made available to all shareholders at the registered office of Tikehau Capital for a period of 15 days prior to the date of the General Meeting.

__________________________

Societe Generale Securities Services, Assemblees Generales, 32 rue du Champ de Tir, CS 30812, 44312 Nantes Cedex 03.

ABOUT TIKEHAU CAPITAL

Tikehau Capital is a global alternative asset management group with 39.7 billion of assets under management (at 31 March 2023).

Tikehau Capital has developed a wide range of expertise across four asset classes (private debt, real assets, private equity and capital markets strategies) as well as multi-asset and special opportunities strategies.

Tikehau Capital is a founder led team with a differentiated business model, a strong balance sheet, proprietary global deal flow and a track record of backing high quality companies and executives.

Deeply rooted in the real economy, Tikehau Capital provides bespoke and innovative alternative financing solutions to companies it invests in and seeks to create long-term value for its investors, while generating positive impacts on society. Leveraging its strong equity base (3.1 billion of shareholders' equity at 31 December 2022), the firm invests its own capital alongside its investor-clients within each of its strategies.

Controlled by its managers alongside leading institutional partners, Tikehau Capital is guided by a strong entrepreneurial spirit and DNA, shared by its 742 employees (at 31 December 2022) across its 14 offices in Europe, Asia and North America.

Tikehau Capital is listed in compartment A of the regulated Euronext Paris market (ISIN code: FR0013230612; Ticker: TKO.FP). For more information, please visit: www.tikehaucapital.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005274/en/

Contacts:

PRESS CONTACTS:

Tikehau Capital: Valerie Sueur +33 1 40 06 39 30

UK Prosek Partners: Matthieu Roussellier +44 (0) 7843 279 966

USA Prosek Partners: Trevor Gibbons +1 646 818 9238

press@tikehaucapital.com

SHAREHOLDER AND INVESTOR CONTACTS:

Louis Igonet +33 1 40 06 11 11

Theodora Xu +33 1 40 06 18 56

shareholders@tikehaucapital.com
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / Perk Labs Inc. (CSE:PERK)(OTCQB:PKLBF)(FKT:PKLB) ("Perk" or the "Company") today announced financial results for the first quarter ended February 28, 2023.

Overview

For the first quarter ending February 28, 2023, the Company implemented cost reduction measures and explored strategic options with advice from James Edward Capital Corporation, signed a non-binding letter of intent to merge with Getit Technologies Inc. ("Getit"), and later signed a binding letter of intent. The Company also underwent a CFO transition, engaged Independent Trading Group for market-making services, and received a notice of allowance for a US patent application.

"Since becoming CEO on March 2, 2023, my primary focus has been to streamline the Company's operations and develop a clear and concise strategy for growth. I am proud to say that we have made significant progress in these areas and am confident our efforts will be reflected in much more positive results in our next quarter," said Ryan Hardy, Perk CEO, "We believe that by focusing on signing new enterprise clients and leveraging the synergies of both Perk and Getit, the Company is well-positioned to achieve much greater success in the upcoming quarter. By prioritizing enterprise sales and strategic partnerships, we are confident our efforts will result in improved results and generate significant value for our stakeholders."

2023 Q1 Financial Highlights:

Revenue of $2,708 in Q1 2023 compared to $8,982 in Q1 2022

Net loss of $152k in Q1 2023 compared to loss of $406k in Q1 2022.

General and administrative expenses decreased significantly from $277k in Q1 2022 to $199k in Q1 2023 as the Company continued to minimize its administrative expenses.

Research and development expenses also decreased significantly from $203k in Q1 2022 to $105k in Q1 2023 as the Company became more efficient at developing its products.

Sales and marketing expenses also decreased from $106k in Q1 2022 to $43k in Q1 2023

2023 Q1 OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

Strategic Initiative and Cost Realignment. On December 6, 2022, the Company announced that it implemented cost reduction measures, reallocated its workforce, and was exploring strategic options such as raising growth capital, merger, acquisition, or other transactions. The Company received advice from James Edward Capital Corporation, a boutique investment bank specializing in emerging growth companies, on its strategic options.

On December 6, 2022, the Company announced that it implemented cost reduction measures, reallocated its workforce, and was exploring strategic options such as raising growth capital, merger, acquisition, or other transactions. The Company received advice from James Edward Capital Corporation, a boutique investment bank specializing in emerging growth companies, on its strategic options. Non-binding Letter of Intent: On December 19, 2022, the Company announced it had signed a non-binding letter of intent to merge with Getit to form a leading digital technology provider of delivery logistics and digital ordering solutions with immediate revenue growth opportunities.

On December 19, 2022, the Company announced it had signed a non-binding letter of intent to merge with Getit to form a leading digital technology provider of delivery logistics and digital ordering solutions with immediate revenue growth opportunities. Binding Letter of Intent : The Company announced on January 4, 2023, that it had signed a binding Letter of Intent (LOI) to merge with Getit. The appointment of Patrick Power to Perk's Board of Directors was also announced. Mr. Power is the Chairman and President of James Edward Capital Corporation, an Ottawa-based boutique investment bank focused on emerging growth companies.

: The Company announced on January 4, 2023, that it had signed a binding Letter of Intent (LOI) to merge with Getit. The appointment of Patrick Power to Perk's Board of Directors was also announced. Mr. Power is the Chairman and President of James Edward Capital Corporation, an Ottawa-based boutique investment bank focused on emerging growth companies. CFO Transition : On January 20, 2023, the Company announced that Vanessa Altamirano would step down as CFO, effective February 17, 2023, to pursue another professional opportunity and that the Company was restructuring for the planned merger with Getit. Andrew Bailes, a seasoned finance executive and Principal at Hertford Advisors, was announced as Interim CFO until a permanent CFO is named.

: On January 20, 2023, the Company announced that Vanessa Altamirano would step down as CFO, effective February 17, 2023, to pursue another professional opportunity and that the Company was restructuring for the planned merger with Getit. Andrew Bailes, a seasoned finance executive and Principal at Hertford Advisors, was announced as Interim CFO until a permanent CFO is named. Engaged Market Maker: On January 26, 2023, the Company announced that it had engaged Independent Trading Group (ITG) to provide market-making services in compliance with the Canadian Securities Exchange policies. The agreement was for an initial three-month term and is renewable for additional one-month periods. The Company will pay ITG CAD$5,000 per month for its services, and the agreement may be terminated with 30 days' notice by either party.

On January 26, 2023, the Company announced that it had engaged Independent Trading Group (ITG) to provide market-making services in compliance with the Canadian Securities Exchange policies. The agreement was for an initial three-month term and is renewable for additional one-month periods. The Company will pay ITG CAD$5,000 per month for its services, and the agreement may be terminated with 30 days' notice by either party. Notice of Allowance of US Patent: On February 22, 2023, the Company announced it had received a notice of allowance for a United States patent application directed at systems and methods for electronic payments with fraud prevention based on correlating transaction data and information from a user's device.

HIGHLIGHTS SUBSEQUENT TO FEBRUARY 28, 2023

Completion of Merger with Getit : On March 2, 2023, the Company announced it had completed its merger with Getit. The acquisition was completed through a share exchange, with the Company issuing an equivalent value of $4.655M in common shares of the company in exchange for all of the issued and outstanding shares of Getit. As part of the merger, Steve Cadigan and James Topham stepped down from the Board of Directors of the Company. Ben Lacroix and Ryan Hardy, the co-founders of Getit, were appointed to the Board of Directors and Ryan Hardy became the new CEO with Jonathan Hoyles transitioning to the role of Chief Legal Officer. Patrick Power assumed the position of Audit Committee Chair, succeeding James Topham. The Company further announced it planned to change its name and ticker symbol to reflect the combined entity. In connection with the merger, the four largest shareholders of Getit agreed not to sell, assign, or otherwise transfer the common shares of the Company received, with the lock-up period expiring on February 28, 2024.

: On March 2, 2023, the Company announced it had completed its merger with Getit. The acquisition was completed through a share exchange, with the Company issuing an equivalent value of $4.655M in common shares of the company in exchange for all of the issued and outstanding shares of Getit. As part of the merger, Steve Cadigan and James Topham stepped down from the Board of Directors of the Company. Ben Lacroix and Ryan Hardy, the co-founders of Getit, were appointed to the Board of Directors and Ryan Hardy became the new CEO with Jonathan Hoyles transitioning to the role of Chief Legal Officer. Patrick Power assumed the position of Audit Committee Chair, succeeding James Topham. The Company further announced it planned to change its name and ticker symbol to reflect the combined entity. In connection with the merger, the four largest shareholders of Getit agreed not to sell, assign, or otherwise transfer the common shares of the Company received, with the lock-up period expiring on February 28, 2024. Private Placement: On April 25, 2023, the Company announced that it had closed a private placement of 11,609,909 units ("Units"), for proceeds of ~$190,000 and settled a debt of ~$85,900 with a creditor by issuing 5,238,414 Units. Each Unit included one Common Share and one Common Share purchase warrant. The net proceeds of the private placement are to be used for sales, marketing, and working capital. The Company also announced that Gary Zhang was transitioning from his role as Chief Technology Officer to an advisory role.

Outlook

The Company's strategic priorities for 2023 include:

A successful merger of the operations of Perk Hero Software Inc. and Getit

Signing enterprise customers to use the Company's technologies and services

Continued improvement of our products and offerings.

Grow the number of end-user customers and businesses using our technologies and services

Grow our licensing and transactional revenue.

Invest in sales, marketing, and communication strategies to drive growth.

The Company's complete financial results are available in its Consolidated Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis for the quarter ended February 28, 2023, each filed with Canadian securities regulators at www.sedar.com.

IFRS

The operational and financial information in this release is based on the consolidated figures in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS).

About Perk Labs

Perk Labs, the owner of Getit Technologies Inc. and Perk Hero Software Inc, specializes in technology, logistics, and connecting communities. Our digital payments and loyalty software empowers merchants to optimize their business and customer journey. Our marketplace and driver network connects and supports their business with additional sales and flexible last mile delivery options.

For more information, please contact:

Andrew Bailes

Interim Chief Financial Officer

andrew@perkhero.com

833-338-0299

investors@perklabs.io

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: "may", "believe", "thinks", "expect", "exploring", "expand", "could", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "plan", "pursue", "potentially", "projected", "should", "will" and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. These forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties, relate to, among other things, the discussion of Perk Labs' business strategies and its expectations concerning future operations, that the Company's efforts will be reflected in much more positive results in our next quarter, that by focusing on signing new enterprise clients and leveraging the synergies of both Perk and Getit, the Company is well-positioned to achieve much greater success in the upcoming quarter; that by prioritizing enterprise sales and strategic partnerships, we are confident our efforts will result in improved results and generate significant value for our stakeholders; that the Company will sign enterprise clients; the continued improvement of our platform; that we will grow the number of end-user customers and businesses using our platform; that we will grow our licensing and transactional revenue; and that we will invest in sales, marketing, and communication strategies to drive growth. Although Perk Labs considers these forward-looking statements to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking statements in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements in this press release, see the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the most recent Annual Information Form and Prospectus of Perk Labs, which may be accessed through Perk Labs' profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Perk Labs cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by Perk Labs is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking information, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur.

SOURCE: Perk Labs Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/751784/Perk-Labs-Reports-First-Quarter-2023-Results
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / 1847 Holdings LLC ("1847" or the "Company") (NYSE American:EFSH), a unique holding company that combines the attractive attributes of owning private, lower-middle market businesses with the liquidity and transparency of a publicly traded company, today announced that it has engaged Minneapolis-based creative and strategy agency, Griffin Archer, to develop and execute marketing campaigns on behalf of its operating subsidiaries.

Griffin Archer will lead brand planning, creative development, media and public relations across all communication channels.

Mr. Ellery W. Roberts, CEO of 1847, commented, "We are excited to partner with Griffin Archer to create content for our subsidiaries, increase brand awareness and support our marketing efforts, with a goal of further accelerating revenue growth. Griffin Archer has a history of working with blue chip brands to create meaningful change for businesses, people and culture. Their client experience spans nearly every category from health & wellness to grocery to automotive and more. We look forward to working closely with Griffin Archer, and this is another example of how we continue to create value for our portfolio companies through an accretive, private equity style, holding company, business model."

About 1847 Holdings LLC

1847 Holdings LLC (NYSE American:EFSH), a publicly traded diversified acquisition holding company, was founded by Ellery W. Roberts, a former partner of Parallel Investment Partners, Saunders Karp & Megrue, and Principal of Lazard Freres Strategic Realty Investors. 1847 Holdings' investment thesis is that capital market inefficiencies have left the founders and/or stakeholders of many small business enterprises or lower-middle market businesses with limited exit options despite the intrinsic value of their business. Given this dynamic, 1847 Holdings can consistently acquire businesses it views as "solid" for reasonable multiples of cash flow and then deploy resources to strengthen the infrastructure and systems of those businesses in order to improve operations. These improvements may lead to a sale or IPO of an operating subsidiary at higher valuations than the purchase price and/or alternatively, an operating subsidiary may be held in perpetuity and contribute to 1847 Holdings' ability to pay regular and special dividends to shareholders. For more information, visit www.1847holdings.com.

For the latest insights, follow 1847 on Twitter.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain information about 1847 Holdings' view of its future expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based on our management's beliefs, assumptions and expectations of our future economic performance, taking into account the information currently available to it. These statements are not statements of historical fact. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of factors, risks and uncertainties, some of which are not currently known to us, that may cause our actual results, performance or financial condition to be materially different from the expectations of future results, performance or financial position. Our actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include but are not limited to the risks set forth in "Risk Factors" included in our SEC filings.

Contact:

Crescendo Communications, LLC

Tel: +1 (212) 671-1020

Email: EFSH@crescendo-ir.com

SOURCE: 1847 Holdings LLC

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/751792/1847-Engages-Griffin-Archer-to-Develop-and-Execute-Marketing-Campaigns-for-its-Subsidiaries
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / Aclara Resources Inc. ("Aclara" or the "Company") (TSX:ARA) is pleased to announce the submission today of a new Environmental Impact Assessment (the "New EIA") for the Penco Module project (the "Project") to the Environmental Service Assessment (the "SEA") in Concepcion, Chile. The New EIA includes significant improvements compared to the previously withdrawn Environmental Impact Assessment (the "Original EIA") in respect of both the technical aspects and social impacts of the Project on the local community. This event represents a major milestone for the Company's overall strategy and objectives including targeting to put the Project into production in early 2026.

Ramon Barua, Aclara's Chief Executive Officer, commented: "A bit more than year ago we decided to withdraw the Original EIA to resolve certain technical aspects in relation to surrounding flora and fauna. Today we feel proud, not only because we have addressed these technical aspects through a rigorous scientific investigation, but because the New EIA now includes world class environmental attributes that enhance the value proposition of the new Project. In doing so, we have strengthened our relationship with the host community by demonstrating that we want to co-develop the Project, that we have listened to their concerns and that we are now presenting a new Project that is stronger and better in all aspects. Notably, we have changed our water source - we will now solely use a recycled water source - thus ensuring the protection of all natural creeks present in the area. In addition, we have committed to revegetate more than 200 hectares with native species and to donate them to a foundation that we have created for the future use and benefit of our neighbouring communities. This in an area which has been already environmentally impacted by the local garbage dump and the operations of the local forestry industry, and with the proposed changes will result in a net positive contribution to the local ecology. We also plan to build a reproduction centre of Pudus, a local deer, for its protection and conservation. We have also committed to build a recreational park for Penco, thus providing a space highly requested by the local community. Most importantly, the Project is expected to generate more than two thousand direct and indirect jobs in connection with or as a result of the Project. We are committing to prioritize workers from Penco and the Biobio region to fill these new jobs. All these commitments are additions to a Project that is already characterized by its unique environmental features: it will not use explosives, nor crushing or milling in the extraction process; it will recycle water with 95% efficiency; it will use a fertilizer as its main reagent and will recycle it with 99% efficiency. The Project won't produce solid or liquid residues and will thus not require a tailings storage facility; and it will not generate radioactive waste. At Aclara, we are committed to ensuring that we can produce rare earths while emphasizing a minimal environmental footprint and, as we move forward, we will seek to reassure relevant authorities in Chile of our sustainable and environmentally responsible approach to designing and operating a modern mining facility."

Since the withdrawal of the Original EIA on March 24, 2022, the Company has been focused on resolving two technical aspects, which were in respect of the protection of local flora and fauna. To address these issues, the Company undertook new environmental baseline field studies across four seasons starting in April 2022, led by consultants specialized in flora identification using plots methodology, direct observation and trap cameras, resulting in over 850 thousand photographic datapoints. In terms of flora, and particularly with respect to the preservation of the Queule and Pitao native species and habitat, the University of Chile also conducted an in-situ study that confirmed that the Project will not generate any adverse impact on these trees.

In parallel, the Company appointed a Public Affairs Manager and formed a social value management team tasked with the following mandates: (i) to expand and strengthen relationships with stakeholders in the Biobio region, (ii) to educate the communities on the sustainability aspects of the Penco Module, and (iii) to manage social contribution initiatives developed for the community. Last October, the Company visited 7,750 households in the Penco community to share in-person information about the Project and to address potential concerns from the local community. More recently in 2023, the Company further expanded its efforts to foster local community engagement through open house and town hall information sessions, among others, in order to provide the community with opportunities to become more informed in respect of the Project, the Company and the rare earths industry in general.

Building on the technical studies carried out and community feedback received by the Company, the New EIA includes the following highlights:

New environmental baseline studies including evidence confirming the absence of an adverse impact on the preservation of the native Queule and Pitao species and their habitat

Details of a fulsome pre-feasibility engineering study of the Project developed for the New EIA

The use of recycled water for 100% of the estimated water requirements of the Project

The commitment to revegetate over 200 hectares of land with native species that will be donated to a local Chilean foundation for the benefit of the local communities

The commitment to build a Pudu (Pudu Puda) reproduction center

The commitment to create a recreational park for the Penco community

Over two thousand direct and indirect jobs are expected to result from the construction and operation of the Project

The Company expects that the New EIA will be subject to an evaluation period of approximately 18 months and is committed to supporting the regulatory authorities throughout the course of their assessment and review. The Company notes that the application process is initially comprised of a preliminary 5 business day review period involving a checklist review by SEA to confirm the admissibility of the application. Following publication in the media of an extract of the application, the first round of observations will be carried out by evaluation services during an approximately 30 business day period. In the case additional relevant information is solicited for the evaluation, the application would need to be withdraw to address the additional information; otherwise, the SEA will proceed to conduct the citizenship participation and technical review phases of its assessment.

About Aclara

Aclara Resources Inc. (TSX:ARA) is a development-stage rare earth mineral resources company with its principal project located in Chile. The Company is focused on the development of its mineral resources through a project called the Penco Module, which covers a surface area of approximately 600 hectares and hosts ionic clays rich in rare earth elements. Aclara is currently focused on the development and future construction and operation of the Penco Module, which will aim to produce a rare earth concentrate through a processing plant that will be fed by clays from nearby deposits. Aclara's extraction process offers several environmentally positive attributes such as: no blasting, crushing, or milling; no tailings facility; minimal water consumption due to a high level of water recirculation; is amenable to leaching with a fertilizer; and contains no radioactivity. In parallel with the development of the Penco Module, the Company intends to define additional opportunities to increase potential future rare earth element production via intensive greenfield exploration programs and the development of additional project "modules" within the Company's concessions.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects the Company's current expectations regarding future events, including statements with regard to: the New EIA and the expectations of the Company's management as to the timing, procedural steps required, scope and substance, and outcome in respect of such review, and any resulting discussions and consultations with relevant authorities, advisors, and the community; estimates, projections and objectives in respect of the Project; and future plans, commitments and strategies of the Company. Forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual information form dated as of March 28, 2023 filed on the Company's SEDAR profile. Actual results, timing, performance, achievements or future events or developments could differ materially from those expressed or implied herein.Unless otherwise noted or the context otherwise indicates, the forward-looking information contained in this news release is provided as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required under applicable securities laws.

For further information, please contact:

Ramon Barua

Chief Executive Officer

investorrelations@aclara-re.com

SOURCE: Aclara Resources Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/751777/Aclara-Submits-New-EIA-for-the-Penco-Module
28 April 2023

ANANDA DEVELOPMENTS PLC

("Ananda" or the "Company")

Total Voting Rights

In accordance with the Financial Conduct Authority's Disclosure and Transparency Rules, Ananda announces that the Company has 2,736,347,451 ordinary shares of 0.2p each in issue ("Ordinary Shares"), each share carrying the right to one vote.

This figure of 2,736,347,451 Ordinary Shares may be used by shareholders in the Company as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the share capital of the Company under the FCA's Disclosure and Transparency Rules.

-Ends-

The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

ANANDA DEVELOPMENTS PLC



Chief Executive Officer

Melissa Sturgess



Chief Operating Officer

Jeremy Sturgess-Smith +44 (0)7463 686 497

ir@anandadevelopments.com PETERHOUSE CAPITAL LIMTED



Corporate Finance

Mark Anwyl



Corporate Broking

Lucy Williams

Duncan Vasey +44 (0)20 7469 0930

About Ananda Developments

Ananda is an AQSE-listed medical cannabis company whose ambition is to be a leading provider of high-quality medical cannabis for the treatment of complex, chronic inflammatory pain conditions for the UK and international markets..

For more information, please visit: https://anandadevelopments.com

Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information. Upon the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.
EQS-News: CPI PROPERTY GROUP / Key word(s): AGM/EGM

CPI PROPERTY GROUP: CONVENING NOTICE OF THE COMPANY'S EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING TO BE HELD ON 31 MAY 2023



28.04.2023 / 15:10 CET/CEST

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





CPI PROPERTY GROUP

Societe Anonyme

40, rue de la Vallee

L-2661 Luxembourg

R.C.S. LUXEMBOURG B 102254

(the "Company") CONVENING NOTICE

OF THE COMPANY'S EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

TO BE HELD ON 31 MAY 2023 Dear Shareholders, You are invited to attend the extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders of the Company (the "Meeting") to be held at the registered office of the Company at 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, on 31 May 2023 at 11:00 CET , in the presence of a Luxembourg notary public, to discuss and to vote on the agenda indicated below. The Meeting is convened in accordance with article 450-3 of the Luxembourg law on commercial companies dated 10 August 1915, as amended from time to time (the "LCA") and article 3 of the Luxembourg law dated 24 May 2011 on the exercise of certain rights of shareholders in general meetings of listed companies, as amended from time to time, with the following points on the agenda: AGENDA Decision to decrease the corporate capital of the Company by the amount of EUR 19,806,503.90 by means of cancellation of 198,065,039 shares held in treasury by the Company, with allocation of the reduction proceeds to a reserve of the Company which will be available for distribution to the shareholders of the Company in accordance with the LCA. The purpose of this capital decrease is to cancel shares of the Company held in treasury by the Company. Subject to approval of agenda item 1, decision to amend the articles of association of the Company to reflect the changes necessary following the approval of agenda item 1. ATTENDING THE MEETING In order to attend the Meeting, shareholders must provide the Company with the following three items as explained in greater detail below: (i) Record Date Confirmation, (ii) Attendance and Proxy Form, and (iii) Proof of Shareholding. Record Date Confirmation: This document shall be provided to the Company by a shareholder at the latest on the Record Date, i.e. by 24:00 CEST (midnight) on 17 May 2023. The Record Date is 17 May 2023 at 24:00 CEST (midnight) (the "Record Date", i.e. the day falling fourteen (14) days before the date of the Meeting at midnight (Luxembourg time)). The Record Date Confirmation must be in writing and indicate that a shareholder holds the Company shares and wishes to participate in the Meeting. A template form of the Record Date Confirmation is available on the Company's website at www.cpipg.com . The Record Date Confirmation must be sent to the Company by post or electronic means so that it is received by the Company at the latest on the Record Date, i.e. by 24:00 CEST (midnight) on 17 May 2023 , to: CPI PROPERTY GROUP 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg Fax: + 352 26 47 67 67 email: generalmeetings@cpipg.com Attendance and Proxy Form: A template form is available on the Company's website at www.cpipg.com and is to be duly completed and signed by shareholders wishing to participate or be represented at the Meeting. Proof of Shareholding: This document must indicate the shareholder's name and the number of Company shares held on the Record Date, i.e. at 24:00 CEST (midnight) on 17 May 2023. The Proof of Shareholding shall be issued by the bank, the professional securities' depositary or the financial institution where the shares are on deposit. Please note that Proof of Shareholding is not necessary for those shareholders whose shares are still recorded as registered shares in the Company's shareholders' register. Shareholders wishing to participate to the Meeting must send the Attendance and Proxy Form together with the relevant Proof of Shareholding by post or electronic means so that they are received by the Company at the latest by noon (12:00 noon CET) on 24 May 2022 , to: CPI PROPERTY GROUP 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg Fax: + 352 26 47 67 67 email: generalmeetings@cpipg.com Please note that only persons who are shareholders on the Record Date and have timely submitted their Record Date Confirmation, Attendance and Proxy Form, and Proof of Shareholding shall have the right to participate and vote in the Meeting. Documentation and information: The following documents and information are available for the shareholders on our website: www.cpipg.com : the present convening notice;

the total number of shares and the voting rights in the Company as at the date of this convening notice;

the draft resolutions of the Meeting including the proposed changes to the articles of association of the Company. Any draft resolution(s) submitted by shareholder(s) shall be added to the website as soon as possible after the Company has received them;

the Record Date Confirmation form; and

the Attendance and Proxy form. The above documents may also be obtained by shareholders upon written request sent to the following postal address: CPI PROPERTY GROUP, 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg. Quorum Requirement: With respect to all items of the agenda, the Meeting shall not validly deliberate, unless at least one half of the corporate capital is represented and if the agenda of the meeting includes the statutory changes to be considered. In the event that such quorum condition is not fulfilled, a second meeting may be convened by publishing this convening notice in the Luxembourg official gazette (Recueil Electronique des Societes et Associations), a Luxembourg newspaper and in such media which may reasonably be expected to be relied upon for the effective dissemination of information to the public throughout the European Economic Area, and which are accessible rapidly and on a non-discriminatory basis, seventeen (17) days prior to the date of the reconvened meeting provided that (i) the first Meeting was properly convened; and (ii) the agenda for the reconvened Meeting does not include any new item. The second meeting shall deliberate validly whatever the part of the corporate capital represented thereat. At both meetings, resolutions, in order to be adopted, must be carried by a majority of two-thirds of the votes cast. Votes cast shall not include votes attaching to shares in which the shareholder has not taken part in the vote or has abstained or has returned a blank or invalid vote. Right to add new items on the agenda : One or more shareholders together representing at least five per cent of the share capital has the right to (i) put one or more items on the agenda of the Meeting and (ii) table draft resolutions for items included or to be included on the agenda of the Meeting. Such requests must: be in writing and sent to the Company by post (at the following address: CPI PROPERTY GROUP, 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg) or electronic means (at the following email address: generalmeetings@cpipg.com ) and be accompanied by a justification or draft resolution to be adopted in the Meeting;

) and be accompanied by a justification or draft resolution to be adopted in the Meeting; include the postal or electronic address at which the Company may acknowledge receipt of the requests;

be received by the Company at least twenty two (22) days before the date of the Meeting, i.e. 9 May 2023. The Company shall acknowledge receipt of requests referred to above within (forty-eight) 48 hours from receipt. The Company shall prepare a revised agenda including such additional items on or before the fifteenth (15th) day before the date of the Meeting. For further information, visit our website: www.cpipg.com . If you need further assistance or information, please contact: CPI PROPERTY GROUP, 40, rue de la Vallee, L-2661 Luxembourg, Tel: + 352 26 47 67 58; Fax: + 352 26 47 67 67; email: generalmeetings@cpipg.com.

Luxembourg, 26 April 2023

Yours faithfully, The Board of Directors of the Company



28.04.2023 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.eqs-news.com


Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2023) - Cumberland Resources Nickel Corp. (CSE: LAND) (the "Company" or "Cumberland") is pleased to announce it has entered into a purchase agreement dated April 27, 2023 (the "Agreement") to acquire (the "Acquisition") 100% legal and beneficial interest in the Indigo Mineral Leases (the "Indigo Claims") from an arm's length individual (the "Vendor"). In addition, the Company is pleased to announce, it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement of for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $1,185,000 (the "Offering"), or such greater amount as the Company may determine.

Property Details

The Indigo Claims are comprised of 32 mining claims covering approximately 1,892.5 hectares in the Saint-Michel-des-Saints municipality, Quebec.

Transaction Details

Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company will acquire a 100% right, title and interest in and to the Indigo Claims by paying the Vendor on closing of the Acquisition: (i) cash consideration of $200,000; and (ii) the Company will issue the Vendor, or as the Vendor directs, 30,000,000 common shares of the Company (the "Payment Shares"). The Payment Shares will be issued at a deemed price equal to the maximum discount allowed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"). The Payment Shares will be subject to a contractual lock-up restricting the transfer of the Payment Shares as follows. The Payment Shares will be subject to a voluntary resale restriction from the date of issuance of the Payment Shares, with 20% of the Payment Shares (6,000,000 Payment Shares) being released on closing of the Acquisition and 20% of the Payment Shares (6,000,000 Payment Shares) being released every six (6) months thereafter.

In addition, the Company will grant a 3% net smelter royalty ("NSR") in favour of the Vendor payable on the Indigo Claims. One third (1/3) of the NSR or 1.0% can be purchased by the Company or nominee for $2.0 million.

In addition, Cumberland will commission an NI 43-101 Technical Report ("Technical Report") to determine the size of the graphite resource, if any, on the Indigo Claims. If there is a resource on the Indigo Claims, as confirmed by the Technical Report, then the Company will provide the following additional cash payment to the Vendor:

(i) $2,500,000 if a Technical Report determines there is a resource of a minimum of 5.0 million tonnes of ore, but less than 10.0 million tonnes, with an average grading greater than 4.0% graphite;

(ii) $3,750,000 if a Technical Report determines there is a resource of minimum of 10.0 million tonnes of ore, but less than 15.0 million tonnes, with an average grading greater than 4.0% graphite;

(iii) $5,000,000 if a Technical Report determines there is a resource is a minimum of 15.0 million tonnes of ore, but less than 20.0 million tonnes, with an average grading greater than 4.0% graphite; or

(iv) $6,250,000 if a Technical Report determines there is a resource is a greater than 20.0 million tonnes of ore with an average grading greater than 4.0% graphite.

Furthermore, as part of the Acquisition, the Company will pay an arm's length finders an aggregate of $112,500 plus applicable taxes.

Private Placement

The Company intends to issue (i) up to 9,000,000 flow-through units ("Flow-Through Units"), or such greater amount as the Company may determine, at a price of $0.065 per Flow-Through Unit; and (ii) up to 12,000,000 hard-dollar units ("Hard-Dollar Unit") or such greater amount as the Company may determine, at a price of $0.05 per Hard-Dollar Unit.

Each Flow-Through Unit will be comprised of: (i) one (1) common share of the Company that will qualify as "flow-through shares" (within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada)); and (ii) one half of one (1/2) common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"), with each whole Warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one (1) non-flow-through common share of the Company (a "Share") at a price of $0.10 for 12 months following the closing of the Offering.

Each Hard-Dollar Unit will be comprised of: (i) one (1) Share; and (ii) one half of one (1/2) Warrant.

The gross proceeds raised from the issuance of the Flow-Through Units will be used to incur "Canadian exploration expenses" that are "flow-through mining expenditures" (as such terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada)). The net proceeds raised from the issuance of the Hard-Dollar Units will be used for exploration and development activities and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

The Offering is expected to close on or about May 17, 2023, or such other date or dates as may be determined by the Company. Closing may be completed in one or more tranches as the Company may determine. Completion of the Offering is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals. There can be no assurance that the Offering will be completed, whether in whole or in part.

In connection with the Offering, eligible finders will receive (a) a cash commission equal to 8% of the gross proceeds raised from subscribers to the Offering who were introduced by such finder; (b) such number of non-transferrable finder warrants ("Finder Warrants") as is equivalent to 4% of the number of Flow-Through Units and/or Hard-Dollar Units, as applicable, issued to such subscribers; and (c) such number of Shares as is equivalent to 4% of the number of Hard-Dollar Units and/or Flow-Through Units, as applicable issued to subscribers introduced by them. Each Finder Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Share at a price of $0.10 for 12 months following closing of the Offering.

All securities issued under the Offering will be subject to a four-month and one day statutory hold period in accordance with applicable securities laws.

The securities issued pursuant to the Offering have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any U.S. state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an available exemption from the registration requirement of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, such securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Binyomin Posen

Chief Executive Officer and Director

416 481-2222

b@posen.ca

About Cumberland

Cumberland Resources Nickel Corp. holds a 100% interest in the St. Anthony Property located in Newfoundland, Canada. The Company is focused on exploring and developing its mineral properties

Forward-Looking Information and Cautionary Statements

Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "expect", "potential", "believe", "intend" or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements relating to: the anticipated timing of the closing of the Acquisition and Offering; and the anticipated use of proceeds from the Offering; the receipt of required approvals.

These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the Company's inability to complete the Acquisition, the Offering and/or utilize the use of proceeds on the terms and within the timelines anticipated or at all; and the Company's inability to obtain the required approvals to complete the Acquisition or the Offering on the proposed terms and timeline or at all.

Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

Neither the Canadian Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

THIS NEWS RELEASE IS INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION IN CANADA ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164081
Highlights

The Newly Institute, Pathway Health, and HEAL Global Holdings combination to create a leading integrated mental health, chronic pain management, and wellness foundation for growth

Synergistically designed to address growing $700 billion [1] global market opportunity for mental health, chronic pain and wellness

global market opportunity for mental health, chronic pain and wellness Strategic growth plan in place to expand service offerings, cross-sell, and expand clinical footprint across the country

Pathway secured additional $1 million secured debt funding from Avonlea-Drewry Holdings Inc. (" ADH "), Pathway's largest indirect shareholder and secured creditor, to support completion of the proposed transaction (see press release dated April 25, 2023)

"), Pathway's largest indirect shareholder and secured creditor, to support completion of the proposed transaction (see press release dated April 25, 2023) $14.5 million [2] in combined revenue for 2022, with goal for 2023 revenue in the approximate range of $22 to $28 million and target to close 2023 with annualized revenue run rate in the approximate range between $32 to $42 million [3]

in combined revenue for 2022, with goal for 2023 revenue in the approximate range of $22 to $28 million and target to close 2023 with annualized revenue run rate in the approximate range between $32 to $42 million Launching $10 million financing to support combined platform and growth plan

Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2023) - The Newly Institute Inc. ("Newly"), Pathway Health Corp. (TSXV: PHC) (FSE: KL1) ("Pathway"), and HEAL Global Holdings Corp. ("HEAL Global") are pleased to announce updates to the anticipated combined business and strategy, including the strategy for the Canadian business (anticipated to operate as "HEAL Canada"), key growth initiatives and financings as well as introduction of the future CEO of the combined company post closing of the previously announced proposed business acquisition, recapitalization and debt restructuring transaction pursuant to the Pathway, HEAL Global and Newly arrangement in accordance with an arrangement agreement among Pathway, HEAL Global and Newly dated March 31, 2023 (see Pathway's press releases dated December 22, 2022, March 1, 2023 and March 31, 2023) (the "Proposed Transaction"). Pursuant to the Proposed Transaction, Pathway expects to change its name to "Global Healthcare Holdings Corp." (https://globalhealthcareholdings.com/) or such other name as the future Pathway board may determine.

Michael Steele, CEO and director of HEAL Global commented, "We are pleased to introduce HEAL Canada as the foundational platform on which Global Healthcare Holdings' broader strategy will be built. We believe HEAL Canada will bring an innovative comprehensive approach to health and wellness through its interdisciplinary intensive out-patient programs. As a combined business, we believe HEAL Canada is exceptionally well positioned to meet the growing demand for individualized holistic medical services and products which are backed by science."

Introducing HEAL Canada

A paradigm shift in mental health and chronic pain management . HEAL Canada brings together Pathway and Newly, innovative leaders in management of chronic pain and mental health, to create Canada's leading comprehensive integrated interdisciplinary health and wellness company providing medically managed intensive outpatient programs ("IOPs") focused on mental health, return-to-work rehabilitation, addiction treatment, medically assisted psychotherapy and interventional pain management to Canadians living with mental illness and/or chronic pain. We believe HEAL Canada is well positioned to address a growing $700 billion[4] global market opportunity in mental health, chronic pain and wellness. As one of Canada's leading integrated interdisciplinary health and wellness businesses, HEAL Canada will partner with key stakeholders to deliver clinically validated programs and products to at-risk patients at its 14 owned and two affiliate healthcare clinics across the country. HEAL Canada will look to expand its footprint through the addition of greenfield sites and affiliate clinic partnerships as well as look for opportunistic acquisitions.

HEAL Canada's Strategy

Fusing bio-psycho-social treatment models with medically assisted therapies . HEAL Canada's strategy is founded on its unique position at the intersection of mental health, interventional pain management and allied health, providing patients with a holistic suite of programs to promote their well-being. Leveraging an interdisciplinary approach to the delivery of in-clinic services, HEAL Canada's team of specialized practitioners will work synergistically to navigate patients through individualized evidence-based suites of treatments, programs and products.

HEAL Canada's Business Units

HEAL Canada will strategically organize its business into separate units: 1) The Newly Clinic Division branded under The Newly Institute ("Newly") and 2) the Medical Cannabis Division under the TCN branding umbrella ("TCN") :

The Newly Clinic Division - All clinical offerings will come under the Newly unit and will encompass treatment of both mind and body delivered in an integrated interdisciplinary format. Through medically managed IOPs, the Newly unit will focus on addressing mental health, return-to-work rehabilitation, addiction, and providing medically assisted psychotherapy and interventional pain management ("IPM"), for Canadians living with mental illness and/or chronic pain.

As one of Canada's leading organizations providing IOP for at-risk groups, such as veterans and first responders, Newly has established itself as a recognized name among disability firms and worker compensation boards in Canada. The Newly business unit's service offerings will include trauma sensitive yoga, relapse and addiction prevention, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), acceptance commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT), cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), reactivation pain management, infusion therapy, fluoroscopy, and more. To further accommodate growth, the Newly unit will look to leverage telehealth and digital-based tools to facilitate treatments, support patients, and maintain patient engagement.

"The demand for integrated mental health care in Canada is growing at an unprecedented pace," commented Arthur H. Kwan, CEO of Newly, "We are incredibly proud of the fact that The Newly Institute has achieved industry leading clinical outcomes for patients suffering from depression, anxiety and PTSD. Through the anticipated creation of HEAL Canada, we believe we are well-positioned to expand our clinical presence to address the needs and improve the well-being of Canadians across the country. We anticipate aggressively filling capacity utilization at each of our existing The Newly Institute clinic locations, opening 3-5 additional clinics in the near to medium term either as greenfield sites or in partnership with key stakeholders, and introduce new products and services to our patients, including physical rehabilitation programs and traditional interventional pain treatments, with a goal to more than double the revenue generated by The Newly Institute in 2022. We recognize the importance of delivering integrated mental health care services that cater to the unique needs of each individual and we are committed to providing high-quality, accessible and effective mental health care that can help Canadians get back to work and lead happier and healthier lives."

The TCN Medical Cannabis Division - This unit is currently a leading provider of medical cannabis clinical services in Canada and has established itself as the leading partner of national and regional pharmacy companies for the delivery of these services to their customers. This division will look to expand its pharmacy relationships to co-develop programs to better serve their client needs for better health and wellness. The use of cannabinoid based products for medical and wellness purposes is fragmented across a vast number of non-differentiated, generic SKUs and sales channels. We believe distribution and branding will be key to creating differentiation and capturing market share. TCN will be looking to consolidate sales to a limited number of SKUs and product lines that in the future could potentially be developed under control brands with our pharmacy partners. Under current legislation, TCN is curating best-in-class medical products (including products with delivery formats that are better suited for indications being addressed) with the goal to pilot sales through TCN branded e-commerce portals ("MyPath"), currently under development, for increased revenues and streamlining of patient journey under a non-possession sales license. TCN has applied for a cannabis license for federal sale of cannabis products for medical purposes without possession. The application is currently under review.

With the anticipated introduction of legislative framework on the sale and development of Cannabis Health Products ("CHPs") and the recent Health Canada report on CHPs recommending that health products containing cannabidiol should only be available in pharmacies[5], we believe that TCN will be in an excellent position to benefit from the potentially greater than $2.0B[6] CHP market opportunity given it's leading positions with pharmacies. TCN currently has contract agreements with over 2,000 pharmacies with the potential for expansion into CHP distribution relationships.

Anticipated Key Benefits to the Proposed Transaction

The Proposed Transaction is expected to provide various benefits, including growth opportunities. Key benefits and growth initiatives may be summarized as follows:

Anticipated increased financial strength . The anticipated increased financial strength of the combined entities is expected to provide enhanced ability to fund the robust pipeline of new clinical locations and growth projects. Greater scale and a national footprint should accelerate reputational recognition across Canada leading to more third-party contracts and increased patient referrals. This in turn should allow the combined entities to accelerate the pace of clinical expansion and time frame to reach capacity at its clinics resulting in faster and greater anticipated profitability.

Creates a larger ecosystem - The combined entities will create a larger ecosystem for patients who could benefit from access to a broader and more extensive range of services and/or products at more locations leading to the potential for increased revenue per patient without increasing per patient retention costs. The expected improved client outcomes from treatment of both mind and body, as well as patient engagement through technology targeted for development, should lead to better patient retention in the combined ecosystem.

Increased patient base - This combined client list is anticipated to be in excess of 350,000 patients within HEAL Canada's end-to-end mental health and pain database. A targeted marketing strategy will leverage this database for increased future sales. As a combined business, there are stronger opportunities for potential cross-selling of services and services.

Anticipated synergies - The combined, corporate overhead can be leveraged across larger scale operating divisions. Economies of scale also allows opportunity for costs savings from greater purchasing power. Many of the costs of running clinics can benefit from economies of scale, such as technology, the sharing of HCPs and administrative medical staff, and back-office support functions.

Key Growth Initiatives

Leveraging a Strong Foundation in Canada to Drive Future Growth . HEAL Canada's growth strategy is founded on four key pillars: greenfield development, service expansion, international expansion and strategic acquisitions.

Greenfield Development - Heal Canada has developed a domestic growth strategy to expand the clinical footprint in key markets including Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario. HEAL Canada will look to leverage existing relationships with key partners and putting in place agreements to de-risk expansion and market entry.

Service Expansion - HEAL Canada will look to improve operating leverage and overall clinic utilization by opportunistically identifying new value-added medical services, products and/or programs to its clinical offerings.

International Expansion - As a foundational asset for Global Healthcare Holdings, HEAL Canada's clinical infrastructure and operating procedures is expected to be adapted for potential expansion into international markets. HEAL Canada has been monitoring health and wellness trends in the United States and several European countries as it looks to develop an international expansion strategy.

Strategic Acquisitions - Leveraging the combined management team's significant experience in strategic acquisitions, HEAL Canada will look to expand its presence and supplement its service offerings through select additions to its asset base. HEAL Canada has developed a robust pipeline of acquisition targets including independent clinic operations, ancillary administration service providers, and medical cannabis clinics with significant patient bases.

"We believe simplified patient access and world leading outcomes will establish HEAL Canada as a foundational platform for replication in key markets across United States and Europe," commented Ken Yoon, CEO at Pathway. "Based on our current pipeline and visibility into the market, we are excited by the opportunity to supplement organic growth through acquisitions and the introduction of value-added services."

Outlook and Key Growth Drivers

The combined revenue of Pathway, Newly and HEAL Global for the year ended 2022 was approximately $14.5M[7]. HEAL Canada anticipates the following growth drivers will be key contributors to its targeted 2023 revenue:

Drive Newly clinical revenues through cross selling of new services and increased referral sources

Expand insurer payor base to support new clinic development in British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland

Integrate clinical services and patient referral networks across the clinic base

Launch integrated rehabilitation programs for veterans and first responders in British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta and Nova Scotia

Continued consolidation and acquisition of key medical cannabis clinic targets

Financing

To support the integration, operations, and drive growth of HEAL Canada, a private placement financing with minimum aggregate proceeds of $10 million ("Private Placement") is planned for concurrent closing with completion of the Transaction (a condition to completion of the Transaction). It is anticipated that the Private Placement will be completed through one or more equity, debt or convertible debt private placement financings. The terms of the Private Placement remain subject to the approval of Newly, Pathway and HEAL, each acting reasonably, and will include a non-brokered private placement for Pathway Shares for a targeted minimum aggregate proceeds of $500,000 to be subscribed for by management of Pathway and other Pathway associates and related parties. The remaining portion of the Private Placement may be conducted on a "brokered" or on a "non-brokered" basis with or without agents or a syndicate of agents (the "Agents"). Pathway, in its discretion, may pay commissions on the gross proceeds raised under the Private Placement customary of a transaction of this size and nature to the Agents or to individual registrants (including selling group members) and payable upon closing of the Private Placement. Further particulars of the Private Placement will be disseminated in a news release to be issued upon finalization of the terms of the Private Placement.

As announced April 25, 2023, Pathway secured additional $1 million secured debt funding from ADH, Pathway's largest indirect shareholder and secured creditor, to support the completion of the Proposed Transaction (see press release dated April 25, 2023).

New Leadership

Post completion of the Proposed Transaction, Global Healthcare Holdings will come under the new leadership of Michael Steele as CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Steele is a serial entrepreneur with over forty years of international business experience in a multitude of industries from mining, oil and gas, food processing, real estate, and more recently his passion for healthcare. Currently the President and Founder of The Steele Family Foundation, his global experiences in philanthropic endeavours for children have strengthened his resolve to build a patient-focused healthcare company based on the principles of trust and transparency. Mr. Steele graduated from the University of Waterloo with a PEng in civil engineering and received his MBA in 1981.

About Pathway Health Corp.

Pathway is an integrated healthcare company that provides products and services to patients suffering from chronic pain and related conditions. The Corporation owns and operates eleven community-based clinics across five provinces where its team of health professionals work together to help patients through a variety of evidence-based approaches and products, including medical cannabis. Pathway's patient care programs utilize an interdisciplinary approach that is guided by trained pain specialists, physical and occupational therapists, psychologists, nurses, and other healthcare providers. Pathway is also the leading provider of medical cannabis services in Canada and has established itself as the leading partner with national and regional pharmacy companies for the delivery of medical cannabis services to their customers. Pathway is working with several pharmacy companies on the development of Cannabis Health Products (CHPs) for OTC product distribution through retail pharmacy locations across the country following anticipated changes to the Cannabis Act (Canada).

For further information, please contact:

Ken Yoon, CEO or

Robin Cook, Corporate Development

(416) 809-1738

robin.cook@pathwayhealth.ca

Or visit Pathway's website: www.pathwayhealth.ca.

About The Newly Institute Inc.

The Newly Institute Inc., a Calgary, Alberta based private company, believes mental health treatment is in drastic need of a paradigm shift. Their vision is to provide long-lasting change within the industry, community and patients. They have pioneered an intensive bio-psycho-social-spiritual treatment model that can be supplemented by medically managed psychedelic-assisted therapies when appropriate. Their medical professionals help patients overcome deeply embedded traumas, addiction and pain that are preventing them from living fully in their everyday lives. While their programs are based on evidence and data, the approach remains personal as it is vital that people feel safe as together the patient and The Newly do the difficult work necessary to achieve wellness.

The company strives to become Canada's largest and premier operator of inter-disciplinary mental health clinics. They currently operate clinics in Calgary, Fredericton, and Edmonton with additional locations planned across Canada.

For further information, please contact:

Arthur Kwan, CEO

(825) 540-4042

info@thenewly.ca

Or visit The Newly Institute's website: www.thenewly.ca.

About HEAL Global Holdings

HEAL, a privately held company existing under the laws of the Province of Alberta, was established with the goal of becoming a global leader in personalized, curated healthcare.

For further information, please contact:

Michael Steele, CEO

(416) 464-8960

steeleconsult@aol.com

Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements and information (collectively, "forward-looking information"). The use of any of the words "expect", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "objective", "ongoing", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe", "plans", "intends", "potential", "pro forma" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information. Forward-looking information presented in such statements or disclosures may, among other things, relate to: the anticipated benefits and growth initiatives from the Proposed Transaction including, but not limited to, anticipated cost savings; the anticipated Private Placement; the expected management of Pathway following the completion of the Proposed Transaction; combined operational and financial information and the nature of Pathway's operations following completion of the Proposed Transaction including Pathway's business outlook following the completion of the Proposed Transaction; plans and objectives of management for future operations; and anticipated operational and financial performance.

The forward-looking information in this press release is based (in whole or in part) upon factors and assumptions which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Newly, Pathway or HEAL Global, to differ materially from those contemplated (whether expressly or by implication) in the forward-looking information. Those factors and assumptions are based on information currently available to Newly, Pathway and HEAL Global, including information obtained from third party sources and assumptions. Neither Newly, Pathway nor HEAL Global assumes any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such third-party information. Actual results or outcomes may differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking information. Various factors and assumptions have been considered and made in respect of forward-looking information including: the receipt of the necessary approvals in respect of, and completion of, the Proposed Transaction; no material changes in the legislative and operating framework for the business of Newly, Pathway and HEAL Global, as applicable; no material adverse changes in the business of any or all of Newly, Pathway and HEAL Global; the ability of Pathway to obtain necessary financing; that a superior proposal will not emerge in respect of any party; the realization of the anticipated benefits and other synergies and cost savings of the Proposed Transaction; risks regarding the integration of the businesses of each of Newly, Pathway and HEAL Global; the assessment of the value of Newly, Pathway and (or) HEAL Global; no significant event occurring outside the ordinary course of business of Newly or Pathway, as applicable; and the assumptions relating to targeted revenue and annualized revenue run rates set forth elsewhere in this news release.

Forward-looking information is necessarily based on a number of opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable as of the date of this press release, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to the factors described in greater detail in the "Risk Factors" section of Pathway's Annual Information Form dated April 26, 2022 for the year ended December 31, 2021 and Pathway's other periodic filings available at www.sedar.com. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors; however, these factors should be considered carefully. There can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and Pathway expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements containing any forward-looking information, or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

This news release contains future-oriented financial information and financial outlook information (collectively, "FOFI") about estimated targeted revenue and annualized revenue run rates, all of which are subject to the same assumptions, risk factors, limitations, and qualifications as set out in the above paragraph. Actual financial results may vary from the amounts set out herein and such variation may be material. Management believes that the FOFI has been prepared on a reasonable basis, reflecting management's best estimates and judgements. However, because this information is subjective and subject to numerous risks, it should not be relied on as necessarily indicative of future results. Except as required by applicable securities laws, neither Newly, Pathway nor HEAL Global undertakes any obligation to update each FOFI. FOFI contained in this news release was made as of the date hereof and was provided for the purpose of providing further information about anticipated future business operations on an annual basis. Readers are cautioned that the FOFI contained in this news release should not be used for purposes other than for which it is disclosed herein.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. Securities laws.

[1] Research and Markets, 2021; P&S Intelligence, 2021

[2] Unaudited consolidated revenue figures of Pathway Health Corp (including its 51% owned subsidiary 10030712 Manitoba) and The Newly Institute Inc.

[3] Key assumptions to attain targeted revenue (which are the consolidated figures of Pathway Health Corp (including its 51% owned subsidiary 10030712 Manitoba) and The Newly Institute Inc.) include but are not limited to: reaching planned capacity utilization at existing and planned new clinics; the ability to hire the appropriate number of healthcare professionals in the targeted timeframe to support growth in key markets; the ability to fund the capital requirements for new clinics as well as expansion and other growth projects; opening 3 - 5 Newly clinics in the near to medium term; obtaining contracts with the appropriate payors to support the clinical locations; integrating clinical services and patient referral networks across the combined clinic ecosystem; launching integrated rehabilitation programs for veterans and first responders in at least 4 cities across Canada; continued consolidation and acquisition of the medical cannabis space, including acquiring 2 large medical cannabis clinic businesses; increasing the conversion rate of patients seen in the medical cannabis virtual clinics; obtaining approval for a non-possession cannabis sales license from Health Canada and launching an e-commerce portal on the assumed timelines.

[4] Research and Markets, 2021; P&S Intelligence, 2021.

[5] Review of cannabidiol: Report of the Science Advisory Committee on Health Products Containing Cannabis: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/corporate/about-health-canada/public-engagement/external-advisory-bodies/health-products-containing-cannabis/review-cannabidiol-health-products-containing-cannabis.htmla6.

[6] https://chfa.ca/en/regulatory/CBD-Economic-Report.

[7] Unaudited consolidated revenue figures of Pathway Health Corp (including its 51% owned subsidiary 10030712 Manitoba) and The Newly Institute Inc.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164077
Marula Mining PLC

("Marula'' or the "Company")

28 April 2023

Quarterly Activities Update

Marula Mining (AQSE: MARU) ("Marula" or the "Company') an African focused mining and development company, is pleased to update the market and shareholders on the activities of the Company for the three-month period ending 31 March 2023 (the "Quarter").

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE QUARTER

Investment and Co-Development Partnership with Q Global Commodities Group

In January 2023, the Company signed a conditional Subscription Agreement, Co-Development Agreement, and a Relationship Agreement ("Investments Agreements") with Q Global Commodities Group ("Q Global"), one of South Africa's leading independent commodity, mining, logistics and investment funds.

As announced on 31 January 2023 under the Investment Agreements, Q Global will subscribe for up to 3.75 million under the Subscription Agreement through the issue of up to 100,000,000 new ordinary shares of 0.01 pence each in the Company at a price of 3.75 pence per new Ordinary Share through a staged equity investment across five equal tranches of 0.75 million. Africa. The Relationship Agreement also sets out the terms of the relationship between Q Global, the Company and its AQSE Corporate Adviser.

In accordance with these agreements, Mr Quinton van der Burgh, Q Global's CEO and one of South Africa's leading mining entrepreneurs, will be appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors, subject to various matters including completion of all normal regulatory approvals, due diligence and the proposed admission to trading of Marula's shares to the AIM market.

The Investment Agreements are conditional upon, amongst other things, a Rule 9 Waiver being obtained in accordance with the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers and shareholder approval at a forthcoming general meeting ("General Meeting") of the Company.

As at the date of this announcement, both the Company and Q Global are still progressing the various submissions to regulatory bodies in the United Kingdom and in South Africa with their respective advisors to obtain the necessary outstanding approvals.

Processing Operations at the Blesberg Lithium and Tantalum Mine

Mining and Processing of the Existing Stockpiles.

Mining and processing activities at the Blesberg Lithium and Tantalum Mine during the Quarter were focused on the existing stockpiles of material from which high-grade spodumene is being recovered.

Processing, sampling and rehabilitation of the existing stockpiles continued in the Quarter, with all mobile mining equipment on site and operational and mine layout optimisation work continuing throughout the period. Upgrades were completed on haul roads and access ramps to the stockpiles and all key site infrastructure was established.

In total 6,500 tonnes of material were processed from the existing stockpiles during the Quarter and is contained in the new run-of-mine stockpiles pending final sorting and sizing and / packaged in one tonne bags pending delivery under the existing US$5 million Lithium Prepayment Facility announced in October 2022. This material comprised:

Tonnes Sizing 630 >140mm 2,700 10mm to 55mm 3,200 <10mm

Assay Results of Spodumene Mineralisation

Assay results of the lithium bearing spodumene ore from the stockpiles taken during the Quarter have confirmed that the lithium grade of the material is highly linked to the colour of the spodumene mineralisation, with key results being:

Ore Colour Characteristic Grade (Li2O) Purple 7.86% White 7.02% Green 3.64% Pink / Blue 2.15%

Major Sampling and Metallurgical Testwork Ongoing

Of the 6,500 tonnes of material that were processed during the Quarter, a total of approx. 13.1 tonnes of material was taken for testing and analyses in Johannesburg and Kimberley in South Africa and Mulheim-Karlich in Germany:

Sizing Kg Testing 10mm to 240mm 9,000 Li2O grade analyses and carbonate testwork <10mm 360 Li2O grade analyses and carbonate testwork 10mm to 55mm 2,000 Eros - process plant and recovery optimisation 10mm to 55mm 20 Eros - Li2O grade analyses 10mm to 30mm 1,000 Tomra - process plant and recovery optimisation 10mm to 30mm 500 Tomra - Li2O grade analyses <10mm 200 Consulmet - DMS process plant optimisation

Assay results of two 4,000Kg samples indicated spodumene grades of 5.16% Li2O and 6.95% Li2O within the samples.

The variation in the high-grade lithium assays - a 34% variance - has resulted in the Company aiming to optimise the final sorting and bagging process of the material to ensure that the final grade and ore quality reconciliation is accurate and representative, and that it receives the optimal value for any future sales of any high-grade lithium in the spodumene product produced from the Blesberg Lithium and Tantalum Mine. This work is continuing in the current quarter.

Metallurgical and Processing Testwork to Produce High-Value Lithium Carbonate Product

9,360kg of material during the Quarter was despatched to SMP's pilot processing plant facilities in Johannesburg for metallurgical and processing testwork with the aim to confirm the economic viability of producing a high-value lithium carbonate product.

This work, which is focused on the processing of the spodumene from the Blesberg Lithium and Tantalum Mine into a lithium carbonate product, continued throughout the Quarter and is ongoing.

This work is focused on the establishment of a standalone processing plant with the initial capacity to process up to 2,400 tonnes per annum ("tpa") increasing to 12,000tpa of spodumene from the Blesberg Lithium and Tantalum Mine which will then be used as a primary feed to produce up to 1,200tpa of a high value lithium carbonate product.

Independent testing of the lithium carbonate product that has already been produced from these activities at SMP's pilot plant facilities during the Quarter as well as verification of the processing operation and financial benefits is currently being undertaken.

Testwork to Increase Spodumene Recoveries and Throughput

The 3,520kg of material that was despatched to Eros and Tomra in South Africa and Germany respectively during the Quarter was for optimisation of the existing processing of the stockpiles and with the aim to increase both the recovery levels and throughput volumes. This work is being done in parallel with the securing of new mobile mining equipment to achieve increased production rates and which was completed subsequent to the Quarter end, through Q Global and announced 6 April 2023.

Testwork for DMS Plant for Processing of Fines

The 200kg of material that was despatched to Consulmet during the Quarter was part of Southern Metal Processing Pty Limited's ("SMP") work in finalising the design of a static dense media processing facility which will include primary and secondary crushing, screening, classifying, sorting and extraction for the fines material contained in the existing stockpiles. This work is expected to be completed in the current quarter.

Deliveries under the US$5 Million Lithium Prepayment Facility

1,000t of spodumene is to be delivered under the first US$2.5 million tranche of the US$5 million Lithium Prepayment Facility.

As a result of the Company and SMP's management focus on the production of a higher value lithium carbonate product from the spodumene at the Blesberg Lithium and Tantalum Mine, deliveries have been delayed and will now commence at the beginning of May 2023 and are to be completed by July 2023.

Work is continuing in the current quarter on the assaying and sampling of the high-grade spodumene product to ensure that the final agreed grade of this product and the ore quality reconciliation is accurate and representative.

CORPORATE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE QUARTER:

Intention to seek an AIM Listing of the Company's Shares

On 3 February 2023, the Company announced its intention to seek a listing of its ordinary shares on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange subject to the preparation and acceptance of all the requisite documentation and regulatory approvals (the "Listing').

During the Quarter, the Company appointed all its key advisers to assist with the Listing.

Cairn Financial Advisers LLP retained as the Nominated Adviser for the Listing

Peterhouse Capital Limited appointed as the Company's sole corporate broker

Mining capital markets law firm Memery Crystal, appointed as the Company's legal advisers and ENS Africa appointed as its African lawyers responsible for completing an independent legal due diligence report on the Company's projects

Accounting firm Saffery Champness LLP appointed as Reporting Accountant

The MSA Group appointed as the Company's technical consultant and responsible for preparing a Competent Persons Report on the Company's portfolio of battery metals projects in Africa

Work continued throughout the Quarter by the Company and its appointed advisors on the Listing.

Appointment of PWC Kenya as Advisor on East African Transactions

PriceWaterhouseCoopers Limited Kenya ("PWC Kenya") was appointed in February 2023 as the Company's advisors in East Africa to provide transaction, legal and tax advisory services to support the Company's growth and mine development activities.

During the Quarter, meetings with PWC Kenya were focused on finalising transaction structures to complete a number of proposed mining investments and partnerships in Kenya, as well as optimising Marula's overall group corporate structure throughout the African continent.

Increased 75% Interest Secured in the Kinusi Copper Project

On 20 February 2023, the Company announced that it had amended the terms of its agreement with Tanzanian mining company, Takela Mining Tanzania Limited ("Takela") in February 2023 and increased its interest in the Kinusi Copper Project from a 49% minority interest to a majority 75% interest.

A revised share and cash-based payment schedule was agreed with Takela, and an initial share-based payment at a 46% premium to the then share price was made in February 2023.

Further share-based payments, will be made to Takela, based on the 30-day volume weighted average price per share at the time of issue and subject to the achievement of key technical milestones including completion of the initial exploration program, of resource definition drilling and release of a JORC Compliant Resource statement and on a decision to mine being reached by the Company.

The decision to increase the Company's commercial interest in the Kinusi Copper Project followed several site visits by the Company's Board, which confirmed the high-grade copper mineralisation and potential that the Directors believe exists there, particularly with the identification of 30 additional surface exposures of copper mineralisation across the project area in the previous quarter.

Investment in New High-Grade Nyorinyori Graphite Project

Marula entered into a binding heads of agreement with Takela in February 2023 for a 75% commercial interest in 10 granted graphite licences that make up the Nyorinyori Graphite Project located in the Simanjiro District, in the Manyara Region of Tanzania.

The 75% commercial interest in the Nyorinyori Graphite Project was secured for total consideration of up to 400,000 through staged equity payments and subject to certain technical milestones being achieved. The initial share-based payment was made to Takela in February 2023.

The signing of the heads of agreement with Takela has further strengthened the Company's position in Tanzania's fast growing graphite sector.

Exercise of Warrants and Issue of Equity

As a result of the strong share price performance during the Quarter, with the Company's shares trading from an intraday low of 4.15 pence on 5 January 2023 to an intraday high of 12.90 pence on 31 March 2023, a number of warrants were exercised during the Quarter.

A total of 3,807,500 warrants were exercised in the Quarter which raised 152,300 of gross proceeds through the issue of 3,807,500 new ordinary shares.

Since the end of the Quarter, and as at the date of this announcement, a further 4,395,000 warrants were exercised which raised a further 175,800 of gross proceeds through the issue of 4,395,000 new ordinary shares.

As at the date of this announcement, the Company's issued share capital comprises 126,434,748 ordinary shares of 0.01p each, with each share carrying the right to one vote, therefore the total number of voting rights in the Company will be 126,434,748.

As at the date of this announcement, the Company has the following warrants outstanding:

No. of Warrants Strike Price Expiry Date

4,892,5004 pence20 July 2023

6,103,9004 pence31 December 2023

700,000 10 pence31 December 2023

4,375,000 4 pence30 June 2025

13,562,500 4 pence31 December 2025

137,5002 pence20 July 2026

13,250,000 4 pence31 December 2026

New Subsidiary Companies

The Company announced the establishment of Muchai Mining (Pvt) Limited ("Muchai Mining") in March 2023, as an 80% owned Zimbabwean operating subsidiary. Muchai Mining was established to focus on securing near-term and advanced lithium and copper mining and development opportunities in Zimbabwe's fast growing and highly attractive battery metals sector.

In addition to the subsidiary company in Zimbabwe, further subsidiary companies are proposed to be established in Tanzania and Kenya as the Company expands its activities in these countries.

Increase in Director Holdings

On 3 March 2023, the Company's Chief Executive Officer, Jason Brewer, increased his shareholding in the Company with the acquisition of 3,478,750 ordinary shares on at a price of 8.5p per ordinary share for total consideration of 295,693.75. The acquisition was completed through Gathoni Muchai Investments Limited ("GMI"). Mr Brewer is a connected person to the Chief Executive Officer of GMI and a substantial shareholder and director of GMI.

Following the share purchase, GMI holds 10,798,750 ordinary shares, and Mr Brewer has an aggregate shareholding of 11,613,750 ordinary shares, with 815,000 held through Mayflower Capital Investments.

OPERATIONS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE QUARTER:

Exploration Commenced at the Bagamoyo Graphite Project

On 11 January 2023, the Company's geological consultants, Geofields Tanzania Limited ("Geofields") commenced the initial Phase 1 Program exploration activities at the Bagamoyo Graphite Project.

The Phase 1 works included mapping, sampling, and trenching across the 22 granted mining licenses that make up the project area and which was specifically targeting high-grade, jumbo, and large flake graphite mineralisation. As part of this Phase 1 work Geofields were required to produce a comprehensive geological database and put forward recommendations for the next planned Phase 2 program which was to include drilling and additional trenching and sampling work.

The results of the Phase 1 work were released subsequent to the end of the Quarter.

Appointment of Consultants to Commence Exploration at Kinusi Copper Mine

On 20 January 2023, the Company appointed Geofields to also commence copper exploration work at the Kinusi Copper Project.

The initial exploration work to be completed by Geofields was to be focused initially on the small-scale shallow copper mining activities which have already demonstrated potentially widespread high grade copper mineralisation and where over 30 surface exposures of copper mineralisation was identified from previous work completed by the Company's technical representatives and consultants and Takela in the previous quarter.

Mapping, sampling, trenching and establishment of a comprehensive geological database across the 10 granted mining licenses at the Kinusi Copper Mine are to be completed in due course. Samples from the planned exploration work to be sent for analyses in Tanzania and South Africa and the results are to be released in due course.

POST QUARTER OPERATING AND CORPORATE HIGHLIGHTS

Kinusi Copper Mine Process Plant Design and Offtake Discussions

On 4 April 2023, the Company reported on its plans to install a copper processing plant at the Kinusi Copper Mine. Initial design and capital and operating costs work are underway and in line with the Company's strategy to advance the Kinusi Copper Mine to production.

As part of this planned production, Takela is to commence initial small-scale mining focusing on the Takela 1, 2, 3, 4 and 12 pits, with all the mined material to be stockpiled ahead of commissioning of the proposed copper processing plant. This initial mining and site upgrade work will run alongside the ongoing exploration work to be undertaken by the Company's on site geological team and geological consultants Geofields. This will include the preparation of initial drilling and establishment of drill pads for an initial diamond drilling program, comprising holes to depths of 100 to 150 metres to allow a better understanding of the structural controls to the already identified high-grade copper mineralisation and to also determine the depth extensions of this mineralisation.

SMP have also advanced the detailed design work necessary for completing the installation and commissioning of a copper processing plant, with various meetings during and post the Quarter in South Africa in regards to the final plant design and construction work. Site works are now to commence and will initially focus on the establishment of mine offices, and associated mine and operations support infrastructure.

In parallel with the commencement of site and process plant design works, negotiations have progressed for an initial copper offtake agreement for the sale and purchase of all copper and precious metals product produced from the Kinusi Copper Mine. As part of this process approximately 100 kilograms of representative samples from the Kinusi Copper Mine are currently in the process of being delivered for analysis, and finalisation of offtake and payment terms. Further samples are also being sent for assay testing and analysis as part of optimisation metallurgical and process plant test work.

New Mobile Mining Equipment to Arrive at the Blesberg Lithium Mine to Double Production

On 6 April 2023, the Company announced that it had secured new mobile mining equipment for the Blesberg Lithium Mine for ZAR20 million (approximately US$1.2M) through Q Global's existing relationship with one of its principal equipment suppliers, Bell Equipment Limited.

The new mining equipment which includes a Kobelco SK380XDLC excavator, a JCB 3CX backhoe loader, two new JCB 456ZX wheel loaders, and two new Bell B25E articulated dump trucks are scheduled to start to arrive on site later in May 2023 and will replace the current equipment which has been leased from other suppliers. Further mobile mining equipment to support the Company's increased mining and exploration activities on site are expected to be secured in due course.

The arrival of this new equipment in Q2 2023 has provided the Company with the opportunity to more than double the capacity to mine and accelerate the reprocessing and relocation of the stockpiled material. This will allow the Company to implement its plans to increase monthly spodumene saleable production to 1,500t at full production levels and which is to be used for both direct sales and for processing to produce a higher value lithium carbonate product.

The arrival of this new equipment at the Blesberg Lithium and Tantalum Mine also allows the Company to commence activities on the underlying hard rock resources in the identified pegmatites and which will include preparation and planning of an initial resource drilling program that will form part of the Company's plans to establish a hard rock open cast lithium mining operation.

Two Major Graphite Prospects Observed at the Bagamoyo Graphite Project in Tanzania

On 5 April 2023, the Company announced the preliminary results from the Phase 1 exploration activities at the Bagamoyo Graphite Project.

The work completed by Geofields included sampling, mapping and trenching across 18 of the 22 granted mining licenses, with samples collected and sent for analyses at SGS Laboratories in Tanzania.

The preliminary results confirmed that two graphite trends at the Mihuga and Saadan South Graphite Prospects within the Bagamoyo Graphite Project area, extend for over two kilometres and there are several outcrops of graphitic schist and graphitic gneiss that occur with large graphite flake sizes visibly observed and which are being quantified by accredited laboratory testing in Tanzania.

At the Mihuga Graphite Prospect surface mapping has identified an E-W trending mineralised envelop which extends up to approx. 500 metres in strike length on surface and is interpreted to extend a further two kilometres over six of the granted mining licenses. High-grade graphitic schist within the Mihuga Graphite Prospect was estimated to have graphite grades of between 35% to 75% based on visible observations.

At the Saadan South Prospect, which is located immediately south of an active graphite mining operation in an area considered by Geofields to be "a new and emerging graphite exploration environment capable of hosting significant primary graphite mineralisation", graphite outcrops were identified to have a NNE trending graphite zone of approx. 150m by 50m wide exposed from trenching and interpreted to extend for a further 750m across four of the granted mining licenses. High-grade graphitic schist was seen within the Saadan South Graphite Prospect and estimated across three to five metre widths to have graphite grades of between 35% to 65% based on visible observations.

Samples from both the Mihuga and Saadan South Graphite Prospects were collected for graphite and graphite-carbon analyses that is now to be undertaken at an accredited laboratory for confirmatory grade and flake size work.

High-Grade Graphite Mineralisation Observed at Nyorinyori Graphite Project

On 4 April 2023, the Company announced that high-grade graphite mineralisation had been observed at the Nyorinyori Graphite Project, with visual estimates of +90% graphite content and identified jumbo graphite flakes throughout in shallow and broad graphite veins exposed at depths of approximately 2m from limited and small-scale mining activities.

In addition to this high-grade graphite mineralisation, additional associated graphite mineralisation was observed across the mining license area at surface from numerous outcrops, extending over an initial strike length of over two kilometres and which remained open.

Samples were taken and further bulk samples are to be taken for analysis and assay to determine total graphite content ("TGC") grade and flake size with results expected due later this quarter.

Based on the site visit and observations by senior management, the Company has now committed to an accelerated exploration program which will include further mapping, sampling and a maiden shallow drilling program.

In addition, the Company confirmed that negotiations have also commenced with Takela to potentially increase the scope of the project to include up to 25 additional granted mining licenses.

Formal Commercial Agreements Signed for Tanzanian Copper and Graphite Projects

In April 2023, the Company confirmed that it had entered into Commercial Agreements with Takela on both the Kinusi Copper Mine and the Nyorinyori Graphite Project, and with Kusini Gateway Industrial Park Limited ("KGIP") on the Bagamoyo Graphite Project.

These Commercial Agreements replace the binding heads of agreements with Takela that were announced on 4 October 2022 and 20 February 2023 in respect of the 75% commercial interest in Kinusi and on 17 February 2023 in respect of the 75% commercial interest in Nyorinyori and the binding heads of agreement with KGIP announced on 30 November 2022 in respect of the 73% interest in Bagamoyo.

Conversion of Convertible Loan Note and Discharge of Debenture

On 6 April 2023, Brahma Finance (BVI) Limited ("Brahma") converted the entire principal amount of a 265,000 of convertible loan notes ("CLN") into new ordinary shares in the Company that was secured in November 2022. 13,250,000 new ordinary shares in the Company were issued to Brahma.

As a result of the conversion of the CLN, the debenture held by Brahma over Marula's assets was discharged, and the Company was able to confirm that it was debt free.

Jason Brewer, Marula Mining PLC CEO said:

"It has been another fast paced quarter for the Company and its shareholders, with activities across all its projects.

"Marula has moved forward with its operations and it is pleasing to see this work being rewarded with steady growth in the share price performance as well as an increase in investor interest.

"During the Quarter, the Company has made progress in strengthening its focus on battery metal acquisitions, an important aspect to our strategy as we look to play our role in the global green transition. We are excited to have acquired a majority commercial interest in the Nyorinyori Graphite Project in Tanzania, and increased our holding in the Kinusi Copper Mine, and further expanded our reach to Zimbabwe with the newly established Muchai Mining subsidiary.

"Of significance to the Company is the partnership with Q Global Commodities that we announced during the Quarter. It is our belief that the Investment Agreements entered into are transformational for the Company. With the support of Q Global Commodities, Marula is better placed to deliver on its strategy of advancing its portfolio of battery metal projects through to production.

"Blesberg is currently the Company's only producing mine and it is pleasing to see that assays have continued to confirm the high-grade lithium in the spodumene. However, the focus is now for us is to develop this mine to produce a high value lithium carbonate product through our partnership with Southern Metals Processing. We will continue to look to produce and sell a high-grade spodumene product, but the economic benefits and financial returns to our shareholders and stakeholders of producing a much higher value lithium carbonate product is something which we are focused on as we transition the Blesberg Lithium and Tantalum Mine from its current stockpile reprocessing operations to a more conventional open pit large scale and long term mining operation.

"I would like to thank all of our shareholders and the Marula team for the continued support, and I look forward to updating the market with ongoing activities as and when appropriate."

The Directors of Marula are responsible for the contents of this announcement. This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of UK Market Abuse Regulation.

About Marula Mining

Marula Mining (AQSE: MARU) is an African focused battery metals investment and exploration company and has interests in several high value mine projects in Africa; Blesberg Lithium and Tantalum Mine in South Africa, Nkombwa Hill Project in Zambia and Kinusi Copper mine in Tanzania. As we advance operations in the projects, Marula is open to look into other high-quality commodities in several jurisdictions.

Marula aims at identifying and investing in advanced and high-value mining projects throughout East, Central and Southern Africa that can deliver rapidly for its shareholders and can be taken through to production and generate positive returns for all stakeholders. Our Board and management team aims to establish Marula as a socially and environmentally responsible, sustainable, and profitable producer of critical metals and commodities that are of increasingly strategic importance to modern technologies and the global economy.

Marula's shares are quoted on the AQUIS Stock Exchange (AQSE) and is exploring opportunities to dual list on the London Stock Exchange's AIM Market and Kenya's Nairobi Securities Exchange.

For enquiries contact:

Marula Mining PLC

Jason Brewer,

Chief Executive Officer



Faith Kinyanjui Mumbi

Investor Relations



Email: jason@marulamining.com



Email: info@marulamining.com

AQSE Corporate Adviser

Cairn Financial Advisers LLP,

Liam Murray / Ludovico Lazzaretti +44 (0)20 7213 0880 Broker

Peterhouse Capital Limited,

Charles Goodfellow / Duncan Vasey +44 (0)20 7469 0930 Financial PR and IR

BlytheRay

Tim Blythe / Megan Ray +44 (0)20 7138 3204

Caution;

Certain statements in this announcement are, or may be deemed to be, forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are identi?ed by their use of terms and phrases such as 'believe', 'could', "should" 'envisage', 'estimate', 'intend', 'may', 'plan', 'potentially', "expect", 'will' or the negative of those, variations or comparable expressions, including references to assumptions. These forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts but rather on the Directors' current expectations and assumptions regarding the Company's future growth, results of operations, performance, future capital and other expenditures (including the amount, nature and sources of funding thereof), competitive advantages, business prospects and opportunities. Such forward looking statements re?ect the Directors' current beliefs and assumptions and are based on information currently available to the Directors.
BEIJING, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from People's Daily: Chinese President Xi Jinping held phone talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday. The two sides exchanged views on China-Ukraine relations and the Ukraine crisis.

The international community paid high attention to the phone talks and fully recognized China's objective and fair position on the Ukraine crisis and the country's efforts in promoting talks for peace.

Xi said China's readiness to develop relations with Ukraine is consistent and clear-cut, and no matter how the international situation evolves, China will work with Ukraine to advance mutually beneficial cooperation.

Xi stressed that on the Ukraine crisis, China always stands on the side of peace, and its core stance is to facilitate talks for peace.

China will send the Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs to Ukraine and other countries to have in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, Xi said.

Zelensky thanked China for providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and welcomed China's important role in restoring peace and seeking diplomatic solution to the crisis.

Since the full escalation of the Ukraine crisis, China has been actively speaking out for peace and facilitating talks for peace. Xi has put forward four principles, called for joint efforts in four areas and shared three observations on Ukraine.

Chinese Foreign Ministry has released a 12-point position document on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, including respecting the sovereignty of all countries and resuming peace talks.

China's efforts to promote peace talks are broadly understood and recognized by the international community.

This March, Xi paid a state visit to Russia and had an in-depth and candid exchange with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The two heads of state signed joint statements, stressing that responsible dialogue is the best way for appropriate solutions.

The Russian side highly praised China's objective, impartial and balanced position, and expressed that Russia has carefully studied China's position paper, and is open to talks for peace. Russia welcomes China to play a constructive role in this regard.

China's objective and fair position on the Ukraine issue and efforts to promote talks for peace are recognized and supported by both Russia and Ukraine.

A prolonged Ukraine crisis serves no one's interests. An early ceasefire will serve the interests of all parties concerned and also the whole world, and political settlement is the only right way out.

In April this year, Xi held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Beijing. During a trilateral meeting with Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Xi reiterated that China independently decides its position based on the merits of issues, and China's position on Ukraine boils down to supporting talks for peace.

Von der Leyen and Macron said they appreciate China's efforts to promote a political settlement and look forward to China playing a more important role. They also said that they are prepared to work with China to find a way to facilitate talks for peace.

When Xi and Brazilian President Lula da Silva held talks in Beijing, the two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. They appealed to more countries to play a constructive role for a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. The two presidents agreed to stay in communication on the issue.

China believes that with rational thinking and voices now on the rise, it is important to seize the opportunity and build up favorable conditions for the political settlement of the crisis.

China did not create the Ukraine crisis, nor is it a party to the crisis. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible major country, China would not sit idly by, nor would it add oil to the fire, still less exploit the situation for self gains.

China's position is clear-cut and consistent. Between peace and war, it chooses peace. Between dialogue and sanctions, it chooses dialogue. Between lowering the temperature and fanning the flames, it chooses the former.

Everything China does is aboveboard. China does not have selfish political interests or engage in geopolitical manipulation. Instead, China is sincerely committed to promoting peace talks and a ceasefire.

A review of history shows that conflicts in the end have to be settled through dialogue and negotiation. The more difficulties there are, the greater the need to keep space for peace. The more acute the problem is, the more important it is not to give up efforts for dialogue.

As long as all parties embrace the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and pursue equal-footed, rational and results-oriented dialogue and consultation, they will find a reasonable way to resolve the Ukraine crisis.

China will continue to stand firm on the side of peace and dialogue, and on the right side of history. It will work together with the rest of the world to play a constructive role in its own way for the political settlement of the Ukraine issue.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/china-to-continue-to-play-constructive-role-for-political-settlement-of-ukraine-issue-301810864.html
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWORE / April 28, 2023 / Bloomberg

Originally published on bloomberg.com

Access to education and improving social mobility continue to be pressing needs in India. To help create pathways in finance, Bloomberg developed The Fundamentals of Finance: College to Careers initiative in partnership with Asha Trust Mumbai. It provided 18 underrepresented junior college students with 9 weeks of financial literacy training, mentoring and networking opportunities, including access to the Bloomberg Terminal and Bloomberg Market Concepts (an e-learning course that provides an interactive introduction to the financial markets).

"The exposure to the Bloomberg Terminal and Bloomberg Market Concepts course was amazing! Initially I was a bit apprehensive about the program, having come from a science background but because of the regular learning sessions with Bloomberg, I started enjoying learning about finance and loved experimenting with the different functions of the Terminal for our research project within the program. I now understand that there are various opportunities within the financial industry for me to explore." - Kunal Singh, Student, Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan

The initiative aimed to provide students who are aged 15-18 and mostly pursuing science, technology, engineering and maths subjects with a greater exposure to the world of finance so they can progress in their future careers. It forms part of Bloomberg's global Corporate Philanthropy program: working with a network of non-profit partners to ensure more individuals from under-served communities have the relevant skills and experience for employment and entrepreneurship; and supporting global efforts to make the world's economy fairer and more inclusive for all.

To find out more view the video above.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Bloomberg on 3blmedia.com.



Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Bloomberg

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/bloomberg

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Bloomberg

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/751875/Pathways-To-Finance-Introducing-Students-in-Mumbai-to-the-World-of-Finance
Post Holdings, Inc., headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is a consumer packaged goods holding company with businesses operating in the center-of-the-store, refrigerated, foodservice and food ingredient categories. Its businesses include Post Consumer Brands, Weetabix, Michael Foods and Bob Evans Farms. Post Consumer Brands is a leader in the North American ready-to-eat cereal and pet food categories and also markets Peter Pan  peanut butter. Weetabix is home to the United Kingdom's number one selling ready-to-eat cereal brand, Weetabix  . Michael Foods and Bob Evans Farms are leaders in refrigerated foods, delivering innovative, value-added egg and refrigerated potato side dish products to the foodservice and retail channels. Post participates in the private brand food category through its ownership interest in 8th Avenue Food & Provisions, Inc. For more information, visit www.postholdings.com.

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / Comcast Corporation:

Comcast announced a $650,000 commitment to Native Women Lead (NWL), becoming the nonprofit organization's first and largest corporate partner of its Matriarch Revolutionary Fund, the first-ever impact investment fund in the U.S. focused on established Native women-owned businesses.

Through Comcast's support, NWL can continue its goal of building a $10 million Matriarch Revolutionary Fund that when fully resourced will help empower 200 Native women-owned businesses at $50,000 - $250,000 each. Comcast's grant will also support NWL's broader network of over 20,000 Indigenous women across Turtle Island, or North America, grow their businesses, communities, and environment with values-aligned integrated capital.

"It's important for us to design capital, tools, and products that meet the needs of Native communities," said Jaime Gloshay, Co-Founder of Native Women Lead. "As our first corporate partner, Comcast's grant is truly significant and will help us amplify our work, support our entrepreneurs in reclaiming our narrative, and give us the opportunity to center and uplift the people who are making meaningful change in our communities."

As business owners, Indigenous women face institutional racism and predatory lending when it comes to accessing capital and federal funding. In 2017, the Native Nations Institute found that the number of Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed loans awarded to Native-owned businesses constituted less than 1%.

Native women also experience some of the highest poverty and wealth gaps in the country. According to the Center for American Progress, they are paid 60 cents for every $1 paid to White, non-Hispanic men, yet 66% are their family's primary breadwinners and economic drivers in their communities.

"Access to capital remains a significant barrier for women entrepreneurs, but is particularly challenging for Indigenous communities," says Dalila Wilson-Scott, EVP and Chief Diversity Officer of Comcast Corporation and President of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation.

We are proud to partner with Native Women Lead to help empower these talented, innovative business owners realize overdue economic opportunities for themselves and their community.

DALILA WILSON-SCOTT

EVP and Chief Diversity Officer of Comcast Corporation and President of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation

In addition to the Matriarch Revolutionary Fund, Comcast's grant will help NWL scale and fund the newly launched Rematriating Economies Apprenticeship (REA) program that will support 10 Indigenous women on a five-month paid apprenticeship toward becoming an emerging fund manager. Following the apprenticeship, participants will also be presented with job placement opportunities at several investment fund companies or firms throughout the United States. The apprenticeship is currently accepting applications for its first cohort through April 10, 2023.

"We want to see our women writing the checks themselves," said Vanessa Roanhorse, Co-Founder of Native Women Lead.

"I want to see our entrepreneurs thrive - that has been the magic of Native Women Lead. Being able to see someone succeed closes that belief gap in oneself and empowers one another to continue to push and take this journey of entrepreneurship with that curiosity, with that awe, with that wonder, and to be open to the challenges of business ownership," Jaime Gloshay added.

NWL was founded in 2017 to inspire innovation by investing in Indigenous women entrepreneurs. Today's grant announcement continues Comcast's multi-year partnership with the organization and is part of Project UP, Comcast's $1 billion commitment to reach tens of millions of people in order to advance digital equity and help create a future of unlimited possibilities.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Comcast Corporation on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Comcast Corporation

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/comcast-corporation

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Comcast Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/751892/Comcast-Commits-650K-to-Native-Women-Leads-Fund-Focused-on-Native-Women-Owned-Businesses
AMSTERDAM, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Merrill Lynch B.V. today informs its security holders that its Annual Financial Report for the year ended December 31, 2022, together with the audit report, has been filed with the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (the "AFM"), the competent authority of the Netherlands, Merrill Lynch B.V.'s home Member State.

Merrill Lynch B.V. makes available free of charge on its website its Annual and Half-Yearly Financial Reports filed with the AFM as soon as reasonably practicable after Merrill Lynch B.V. electronically files these documents with the AFM. These documents are posted on Bank of America Corporation's website at http://investor.bankofamerica.com/financial-information/subsidiary-and-country-disclosuresfbid=C0rA-iMt6oC under "Subsidiary and Country Disclosures / Subsidiary Information".

The AFM maintains a website that contains reports and other information that issuers are required to file with it. These materials may be obtained electronically by accessing the AFM's page at https://www.afm.nl/en/sector/registers/meldingenregisters.

Copies of the above referenced information will also be made available, free of charge, by calling +31-20-5925-606 or upon written request to:

Merrill Lynch B.V.

Amstelplein 1, Rembrandt Tower, 27 Floor

1096 HA Amsterdam

The Netherlands

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/merrill-lynch-bv-files-annual-financial-report-301810936.html
DJ China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation Files 2022 Annual Report on Form 20-F

EQS Newswire / 28/04/2023 / 22:51 UTC+8

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation

Files 2022 Annual Report on Form 20-F

NEW YORK, April 28, 2023 -- China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation ("Sinopec Corp." or the "Company") ( HKEX: 00386; SSE: 600028) announced today that its Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, has been posted to the Company's website at http://www.sinopec.com/listco/En /investor_centre/reports/20-F/. The soft copy of the Company's annual report on Form 20-F could also be downloaded through above website.

The Company will deliver within a reasonable time a hard copy of its 2022 annual report on Form 20-F, including its complete audited consolidated financial statements, to any shareholder upon request.

To request a hard copy of the annual report, please write to:

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation

22 Chaoyangmen North Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China

Zip Code: 100728

Attention to: Investor Relations Department, Secretariat to the Board

-- End -

Investor Inquiries: Media Inquiries: Beijing Beijing Tel:(86 10) 5996 0028 Tel:(86 10) 5996 0028 Fax:(86 10) 5996 0386 Fax:(86 10) 5996 0386 Email:ir@sinopec.com Email:ir@sinopec.com Hong Kong Hong Kong Tel:(852) 2824 2638 Tel:(852) 2522 1838 Fax:(852) 2824 3669 Fax:(852) 2521 9955 Email:ir.hk@sinopec.com Email:sinopec@prchina.com.hk File: China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation Files 2022 Annual Report on Form 20-F

28/04/2023 Dissemination of a Financial Press Release, transmitted by EQS News. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Media archive at www.todayir.com

Image link: https://eqs-cockpit.com/cgi-bin/fncls.ssp?fn=show_t_gif&application_id=1621023&application_name=news

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 28, 2023 10:52 ET (14:52 GMT)
As parties including Kyiv, Moscow, Washington and Brussels responded positively to the China-Ukraine presidents' phone talk held on Wednesday, observers said it is time for all stakeholders in the Ukraine crisis to work toward peace in the spirit of having no time to lose. Beijing's latest proposal for mediating the conflict in a push for political settlement deserves more coordination from the rest of the international community, not further attempts to escalate tension or to smear or exaggerate China's peacemaker role, they said. On Wednesday afternoon, President Xi Jinping underlined China's consistent commitment and fresh plans for facilitating peace talks during a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Beijing confirmed that Li Hui, the Chinese government's special representative on Eurasian affairs, will head to countries including Ukraine for mediation in the near future. In a tweet and a statement on Wednesday, Zelensky said he had "a long and meaningful phone call" with Xi, and "particular attention was paid to the ways of possible cooperation to establish a just and sustainable peace for Ukraine". After the phone talk, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that Moscow has taken notice of "the readiness of the Chinese side to make efforts to establish the negotiation process". On Thursday, the visiting foreign ministers of the five Central Asian countries spoke highly of the constructive talk, calling it helpful for an early cease-fire and resumption of peace talks. "All the parties support China's initiative for promoting peace and talks, and they believe that the spirit of international law should be followed and conflicts should be resolved through diplomatic means," said a Foreign Ministry statement about the fourth China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said at the event that Beijing is willing to work with various parties, including Central Asian countries, to push the global community to do its utmost to achieve broad consensus in settling the Ukraine crisis. The two presidents' phone talk is "an important step taken by China with an eye to advancing political settlement of the Ukraine crisis", he said. "No matter how complex it is, any crisis should eventually be resolved through negotiation, and any conflict should be settled politically," he added. Sun Zhuangzhi, director of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, warned of the danger arising from the fact that over a year has passed since the major escalation of the Ukraine crisis. "There is imminent danger and risks of the crisis becoming a perpetual and long-term issue, and its spillover effects are accumulating and aggravating," Sun said. Josep Borrell, the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, told journalists on Wednesday in Bogota, Colombia, where he was working to strengthen EU relations with Latin America and the Caribbean, that "it is very important that China talks with Ukraine. I want to remind you that we all want peace". Su Xiaohui, an associate research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, said that President Xi's phone talk on Wednesday will help more countries, especially European nations, better understand Beijing's intentions and what kind of role China has played. "Since the outbreak of the crisis, Washington has been attempting to alienate China and European countries by hyping the possibility of China providing arms to Russia and by depicting China as standing by Russia over the matter," she said. Through this phone talk, the world will see more clearly who is the real champion and contributor to global peace as well as who is meddling in the situation, she added. Regarding the phone talk, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters, "We think that's a good thing," adding that peace is "not going to be sustainable or credible unless the Ukrainians and President Zelensky personally (are) invested in it and supportive of it". Da Wei, a professor and director of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, said that "the United States and some Western countries have believed that it is unlikely to see a political settlement of the crisis unless one side scores a landslide victory and the other side is totally defeated". "Yet we believe that this idea is unrealistic, and the process (to make this scenario happen) will also be very cruel," he said.
28 April 2023

Hydrogen Future Industries PLC

("Hydrogen Future Industries", the "Company" or the "Group")

Interim Results for the Six-Month Period Ended 31 January 2023

Hydrogen Future Industries (AQSE:HFI), a developer of a proprietary wind-based green hydrogen production system, presents its unaudited interim results for the six-month period ended 31 January 2023.

Highlights

Acquisition of a suite of international patents which are relevant to the systems being developed by HFI Significantly enhanced IP around HFI's wind-based hydrogen production system Potential wider commercial applications for patents beyond HFI's systems - potential for early cash flow generation

Commenced prototype testing of the wind element of HFI's hydrogen production system 1 metre diameter prototype in Montana, USA First phase 20-hour live test successfully completed, confirming aerodynamics align to wind direction, with no distinguishing noise from rotor blades, and no fouling of blades with cowling Second phase testing in variable weather and temperature conditions completed successfully in wind speeds as high as 58 MPH Third phase of performance analysis - the final phase of testing for the 1 metre diameter wind turbine - will commence in May 2023 . This phase will use enhancements gained from previous tests and record energy output over a three-month period

Investment in, and collaboration with, Tower Green Holdings Limited ("Tower"), a developer of hydrogen production and distribution facilities which is establishing multipurpose hydrogen hubs in the southwest of England to provide energy storage and hydrogen as a fuel HFI's system to be implemented as Tower's preferred green hydrogen production technology

to provide energy storage and hydrogen as a fuel

Daniel Maling, Non-Executive Chairman, commented:

"We expect 2023 to continue as an exciting year, particularly as we begin next month to measure the energy output from our prototype turbine in Montana, USA. We look forward to updating shareholders on our development progress in this hugely exciting subset of the energy sector."

Enquiries:

Hydrogen Future Industriesplc Daniel Maling, Chairman

David Ormerod, Executive Director +44 (0)20 3475 6834 Vigo Consulting (Investor Relations) Ben Simons +44 (0) 20 7390 0230 Peter Jacob Cairn Financial Advisers LLP (AQSE Corporate Adviser) Ludovico Lazzaretti

Liam Murray +44 (0) 20 72130 880 Peterhouse Capital Limited (Broker) Duncan Vasey +44 (0) 20 7469 0930

About Hydrogen Future Industries

Hydrogen Future Industries was established to invest in projects and companies focused on the Hydrogen Economy. We are developing a proprietary wind-based hydrogen production system, incorporating hydrogen compression and storage. Through this technology, we aim to significantly reduce the cost of hydrogen production from renewable sources and provide on-demand energy storage in the form of hydrogen at a fraction of the cost of lithium-ion battery storage.

Visit our website: www.hydrogenfutureindustries.com

Follow us on social media:

LinkedIn: @Hydrogen Future Industries

Twitter: @HydrogenFI

Inside Information

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of the UK Market Abuse Regulation and the Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts but rather are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates, and projections about its industry; its beliefs; and assumptions. Words such as 'anticipates,' 'expects,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'believes,' 'seeks,' 'estimates,' and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not a guarantee of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control, are difficult to predict, and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements. The Company cautions security holders and prospective security holders not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect the view of the Company only as of the date of this announcement. The forward-looking statements made in this announcement relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. The Company will not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions or updates to these forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances, or unanticipated events occurring after the date of this announcement except as required by law or by any appropriate regulatory authority.

Chairman's Statement

Introduction

I am pleased to present the unaudited interim results for the six-month period ended 31 January 2023. During the period we have significantly strengthened the intellectual property around our green hydrogen production system, commenced prototype testing, and broadened our investment exposure to cover downstream hydrogen production and distribution facilities.

Review of activity

On 5 October 2022, we announced the acquisition by our joint venture subsidiary HFI IP Holdings Limited of a suite of international patents which are relevant to the system being developed by the Company. This acquisition significantly enhanced the intellectual property around HFI's wind-based hydrogen production system. The patents cover a range of works including ducted wind turbine rotor configurations; a dynamic telescopic tower to optimise wind farm energy production and reduce maintenance cost; a variable hydraulic drive and electro-magnetic clutch to increase efficiency and lower the cost of energy production; and the conversion of stored energy to green hydrogen.

The patents acquired were granted to HW Power Limited in respect of work undertaken by Timothy Blake between 2015 and 2018, prior to him joining HFI as Chief Executive Officer of HFI Energy Systems Limited, the Company's wholly owned product development subsidiary. Given the considerable efficiency gains we believe our turbine will offer compared to existing open rotor wind turbines in use today, the commercial applications for our patents may not be limited to hydrogen and could be of value in the wider wind energy generation sector. Accordingly, we will in due course be exploring wider commercial applications for the patents beyond HFI's systems, potentially as an avenue for early cash flow generation.

On 1 November 2022, HFI announced the commencement of prototype testing of the wind element of the Company's hydrogen production system 1 metre diameter prototype in Montana, USA. A key element of the prototype is its proprietary wind turbine, which has been designed with notably distinct features which allow the turbines to be more efficient than current open rotor turbines due to modified aerodynamics, with cowling directing air flow across the rotor blades to create a multiple factor increase in wind speed. The cowling also directs the flow of wind out and away from the rear of the turbine, reducing the potential for still air to block the flow through the turbines. We believe the increased efficiency of the turbine could in turn increase the efficiency and ultimately lower the cost of hydrogen production.

The prototype is being tested in an area selected for its consistent wind speeds and regulatory support for wind turbine development and wind farm placement. HFI has a local development facility where the turbines are fabricated and mounted onto towers for testing in local wind speeds. The power output from the turbines will be compared to predicted results. The cowling and rotor blades are a product of aerodynamic development and have been 3D printed on site.

The first stage of the outdoor test programme - a 20-hour live test - has been successfully completed, confirming the aerodynamics align to the wind direction as planned, there is no distinguishing noise from the rotor blades, and there is no fouling of the blades with the cowling.

The next phase of testing - variable weather and temperature conditions - was successfully undertaken between February and April 2023, in temperatures that dropped below -20o C and in wind speeds up to 58 MPH. The test was undertaken to see how the wind turbine would react to extreme cold temperatures and consistent high wind speeds. The wind turbine completed the test without any issues.

A third and final phase is expected to begin in May 2023 of an enhanced version of the 1 metre diameter wind turbine. The upgraded wind turbine will be used to measure the energy output over an 8 to 12-week period before work commences on a larger diameter commercial wind turbine. The data gained from the performance of the wind turbine will be compared to the wind tunnel results and used in the design of the larger diameter wind turbines.

On 16 January 2023, we announced an investment in, and collaboration with, Tower Green Holdings Limited, a developer of hydrogen production and distribution facilities which is establishing multipurpose hydrogen hubs in the southwest of England to provide energy storage and hydrogen as a fuel. Under the agreement, HFI's system will be implemented as Tower's preferred green hydrogen production technology.

HFI made an initial investment of 100,000 in Tower for a 20% equity stake, 50,000 of which was paid in cash and 50,000 was settled by the issue of 500,000 new ordinary shares in HFI at a price of 10p per share. In addition, HFI has the right to invest a further 50,000 in Tower upon Tower signing an agreement to collaborate with certain specific project partners for an additional 10% equity stake in Tower.

Our system aims to produce affordable green hydrogen and so is well placed to support companies like Tower as they develop downstream infrastructure and partnerships to get hydrogen into vehicles and support the decarbonisation of transport. Through this agreement, not only are we gaining early investment exposure to the massive growth opportunity in hydrogen refuelling which is analogous to the rollout of EV charging infrastructure over recent years, we are also supporting Tower's ambition to become a vertically integrated green hydrogen producer and distributor in the UK.

Financial Review

Financial highlights for the Group for the six-month period ended 31 January 2023 are stated below:

Cash and cash equivalents at period end were 736,065 ( 31 January 2022 : 1.907m)

: 1.907m) Loss before taxation for the period was 710,344 (includes 175,685 (non-cash) share based payments)

Net cash outflow for the period was 641,300

The Group held net assets at period end of 1.342m

The Group has invested significantly in research and development in the period which accounts for a significant portion of the loss incurred. As prototype testing progresses through the next phases, the Group will look to capitalise this expenditure once it satisfies the necessary requirements laid out in "IAS 38 - Intangible Assets." The remaining loss in the period relates to general administrative expenses of running the Group and be further viewed at Note 7.

The Company continues to carefully manage its working capital position.

Outlook

We expect 2023 to continue as an exciting year, particularly as we begin next month to measure the energy output from our prototype turbine in Montana, USA. We look forward to updating shareholders on our development progress in this hugely exciting subset of the energy sector.

Daniel Maling

Non-Executive Chairman

28 April 2023

HYDROGEN FUTURE INDUSTRIES PLC - CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

FOR THE 6 MONTH PERIOD ENDED 31 JANUARY 2023



Unaudited

Period ended

31 January

2023 Unaudited

Period ended

31 January

2022 Notes '000 '000 Continuing operations Administrative expenses 7 (710) (274) Operating loss (710) (274) Finance income - - Loss before taxation (710) (274) Income tax 8 - - Loss for the period from continuing operations (710) (274) Other comprehensive income 1 - Total comprehensive loss attributable to equity holders of the Group (709) (274) Basic & dilutive earnings per ordinary share (pence) 9 (2.22) (2.29)

The notes form an integral part of the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements.



Unaudited

As at

31 January

2023 Unaudited

As at

31 January

2022 Audited

As at

31 July

2022 Notes '000 '000 '000 NON-CURRENT ASSETS Investments 10 50 114 - Right of use assets 22 - 22 Fixed assets 28 - 18 Intangibles 492 - - TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS 592 114 40 CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents 736 1,907 1,383 Trade & other receivables 40 36 210 TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 776 1,943 1,593 TOTAL ASSETS 1,368 2,057 1,633 NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES Lease liability 5 - 5 TOTAL NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES 5 - 5 CURRENT LIABILITIES Trade and other payables 8 102 82 Lease liability 13 - 17 TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 21 102 99 TOTAL LIABILITIES 26 102 104 NET ASSETS 1,342 1,955 1,529 EQUITY Share capital 11 333 298 298 Share premium 11 2,211 1,900 1,900 Share based payment reserves 12 207 31 31 Foreign exchange merger reserve 1 - - Retained earnings (1,410) (274) (700) TOTAL EQUITY 1,342 1,955 1,529

HYDROGEN FUTURE INDUSTRIES PLC - CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

AS AT 31 JANUARY 2023

*Non-controlling interest of 49 not stated above as it is not material to the financial statements

The notes form an integral part of the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements.

HYDROGEN FUTURE INDUSTRIES PLC - CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY

FOR THE 6 MONTH PERIOD ENDED 31 JANUARY 2023

Share capital Share premium Share based payment reserve Foreign exchange merger reserve Retained earnings Total equity '000 '000 '000 '000 '000 '000 Loss for period - - - - (274) (274) Total comprehensive income for year - - - - (274) (274) Transactions with owners in own capacity Ordinary Shares issued in the period 298 2,007 - - - 2,305 Broker Warrants Issued - - 31 - - 31 Share Issue Costs - (107) - - - (107) Transactions with owners in own capacity 298 1,900 31 - - 2,229 Balance at 31 January 2022 298 1,900 31 - (274) 1,955 Loss for period - - - - (426) (426) Total comprehensive income for year - - - - (426) (426) Transactions with owners in own capacity - - - - - - Balance at 31 July 2022 298 1,900 31 - (700) 1,529 Loss for period - - - - (710) (710) Other comprehensive income - - - 1 - 1 Total comprehensive income for year - - - 1 (710) (709) Transactions with owners in own capacity Ordinary Shares issued in the period 35 311 - - - 346 Advisor warrants issued - - 13 - - 13 Employee options issued - - 163 - - 163 Transactions with owners in own capacity 35 311 176 - - 522 Balance at 31 January 2023 333 2,211 207 1 (1,410) 1,342

HYDROGEN FUTURE INDUSTRIES PLC - CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

STATEMENT OF CASHFLOW

FOR THE 6 MONTH PERIOD ENDED 31 JANUARY 2023

Period ended

31 January 2023 Period ended

31 January 2022 Note '000 '000 Cash flow from operating activities Loss for the financial year (710) (274) Adjustments for: Share based payment reserves 176 10 Foreign exchange movements 1 - Depreciation & amortization 5 - Changes in working capital: Decrease / (increase) in trade and other receivables 54 (39) Increase / (decrease) in trade and other payables (74) 53 Net cash outflow from operating activities (548) (250) Cash flows from investing activities Purchase of property, plant and equipment (39) - Investment in TG Holdings Ltd 10 (50) (114) Net cash outflow from investing activities (89) (114) Cash flows from financing activities Proceeds from Issue of Shares - 2,305 Share Issue Costs - (34) Payment of lease liabilities (4) - Net cash outflow from financing activities (4) 2,271 Net increase in cash and cash equivalents (641) 1,907 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period 1,383 - Foreign exchange impact on cash balance (6) - Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period 736 1,907

The notes form an integral part of the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements.

HYDROGEN FUTURE INDUSTRIES PLC - CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL INFORMATION

FOR THE 6 MONTH PERIOD ENDED 31 JANUARY 2023

1General information

Hydrogen Future Industries Plc ("the Company") was incorporated on 13 July 2021 in England and Wales with Registered Number 13508782 under the Companies Act 2006.

The address of its registered office is Eccleston Yards, 25 Eccleston Place, London SW1W 9NF, United Kingdom.

The principal activity of the Company and its subsidiaries collectively referred to as "the Group" is to seek suitable investment opportunities in the natural resources sector with a particular focus on the hydrogen industry.

The Company commenced trading on the Aquis Stock Exchange ("AQSE") Growth Market on 1 December 2021. The unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements ("interim financial statements") present the consolidated results of the Group.

2Accounting policies

IAS 8 requires that the directors shall use their judgement in developing and applying accounting policies that result in information which is relevant to the economic decision-making needs of users, that are reliable, free from bias, prudent, complete and represent faithfully the financial position, financial performance and cash flows of the entity.

3Basis of preparation

The unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements ("interim financial statements") have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the AQSE rules and international accounting standards in conformity with the requirements of the companies act 2006 and the companies act 2006 applicable to companies reporting under UK-adopted international accounting standards ("IFRS").

The interim financial statements have been prepared in accordance with IAS 34 "interim financial statements". The interim financial statements do not include all disclosures that would otherwise be required in a complete set of financial statements but have been prepared in accordance with the existing accounting policies of the company.

The interim financial statements for the 6 month period from 1 August 2022 to 31 January 2023 are unaudited. Comparatives have been provided for the comparable period ending 31 January 2022.

The interim financial statements have been prepared using the measurement bases specified by IFRS for each type of asset, liability, income and expense.

The interim financial statements do not constitute statutory accounts within the meaning of section 434 of the companies act 2006. The accounting policies adopted are consistent with those applied in the Company's last audited annual financial statements ending 31 July 2022 and can be viewed on the Company's website (https://hydrogenfutureindustries.com/).

The interim financial statements are presented in Great British Pounds sterling ("") unless otherwise stated, which is the Group's functional and presentational currency. The Directors have decided to only present consolidated interim financial statements and not parent level financial statements as they believe consolidated statements alone present an accurate depiction of the Group's financial performance and position.

The performance of the Group is not affected by seasonal factors and the risk factors applicable to the Group have not changed materially since the publication of the annual report and financial statements for the period ending 31 July 2022.

4Going concern

The directors have made an assessment of the Group's ability to continue as a going concern and are satisfied that the Group has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The Group's auditors included a material uncertainty related to going concern in the last annual report based on the ability of the Group to source additional funding in the 12 months from signoff of the annual report in December 2022. The Directors are confident in the ability of the Group to satisfy this condition and hence continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing these interim financial statements.

5Accounting policies

The same accounting policies, presentation and methods of computation have been followed in these interim financial statements as were applied in the preparation of the Group's annual financial report for the period ended 31 July 2022, except for the impact of the adoption of the standards and interpretations described below and new accounting policies adopted as a result of changes in the Company.

At the date of approval of these financial statements, the following standards and interpretations which have not been applied in these financial statements were in issue but not yet effective (and in some cases have not yet been adopted by the UK):

Standard Impact on initial application Effective date Annual Improvements 2018-2020 Cycle 1 January 2023 IAS 1 Classification of liabilities Current or Non-current 1 January 2023 IAS 8 Accounting estimates 1 January 2023 IAS 12 Deferred tax arising from a single transaction 1 January 2023

6Critical accounting estimates and judgments

In preparing the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements, the directors have to make judgments on how to apply the Group's accounting policies and make estimates about the future. Estimates and judgements are continuously evaluated based on historical experiences and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. In the future, actual experience may deviate from these estimates and assumptions.

The key assumptions concerning the future and other key sources of estimation uncertainty at the reporting date that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year, are described below:

Share Based Payments

The Group has made share based payments during the period that required valuation under applicable accounting standards. The Directors have chosen to value these warrants and options using Black Scholes method with inputs that can be viewed at Note 12.

Research and development expenditure

The Group, primarily through its US based subsidiary is well advanced in the development of a 1m Wind Turbine Prototype. At the end of the Group's last annual report development was still at a stage where it was not considered appropriate to capitalise expenditure related to the project. As of the signing of this report data is being collected that will likely confirm the efficiency advantages of the turbine over existing designs. Once this data is collected the Directors will have sufficient confidence in the commercial potential of the project and would be more assured of timings as to when economic benefits would flow to the Group. As a result the Directors have made the judgement not to capitalise expenditure related to the prototype in the period ending 31 January 2023 however will review at each period end going forward with the look to capitalise expenditure as soon as practicable.

7Administrative expenses

Period ended

31 January 2023

'000 Period ended

31 January 2022

'000 Directors' fees (54) (18) Salaries and wages* (92) - Professional fees (114) (182) Contractors* (113) - Insurance (17) (34) Other administrative expenses (144) (30) Share based payments (176) (10) (710) (274)

*During the period the Group has invested in the development of wind turbine technology and has utilised the services of contractors and employees to assist with this. Once possible the Group will look to capitalise this expenditure as it is directly attributable to the development of future intangible assets as alluded to in Note 6.

8Income tax

Income tax can be reconciled to the loss in the Statement of Comprehensive Income as follows:

Period ended

31 January 2023 Period ended

31 January 2022'000 Loss before taxation (710) (274) Tax at the UK corporation tax rate of 19% (135) (52) Adjustment for items disallowable for tax (33) - Tax losses on which no deferred tax asset has been recognised 102 52 - -

The Group has total carried forward losses of 1,234k. The taxed value of the unrecognised deferred tax asset is 235k and these losses do not expire. No deferred tax asset in respect of tax losses have been recognised in the accounts because there is currently insufficient evidence of the timing of suitable future taxable profits against which they can be recovered.

On 15 March 2023 it was announced that from 1 April 2023 the UK corporation tax rate would increase from 19% to 25% for profits over 250,000. Profits made under the 250,000 threshold will continue to be taxed at a rate of 19%. The Company will continue to calculate the effective tax rate at 19%.

9Earnings per Ordinary Share

Period ended

31 January 2023 Period ended

31 January 2022 Loss attributable to shareholders of HFI - '000 (710) (274) Weighted number of ordinary shares in issue 32,043,443 11,955,198 Basic & dilutive earnings per share from continuing operations - pence (2.22) (2.29)

There is no difference between the diluted loss per share and the basic loss per share presented. Share options and warrants could potentially dilute basic earnings per share in the future but were not included in the calculation of diluted earnings per share as they are anti-dilutive for the period presented.

10Investments

Period ended

31 January 2023

'000 Period ended

31 January 2022

'000 Period ended

31 July

2022

'000 Investment - Tower Green Holdings Ltd 50 - - Investment - LGT Hydrogen Ltd - 114 - Total 50 114 -

On 16 January 2023, the Group announced an agreement with Tower Green Holdings Limited to purchase 4,167 shares to assist in the development of green hydrogen technologies. Following this investment, HFI owns 20% of Tower Green Holdings.

Subsidiaries

Name Holding Business Activity Country of Incorporation Registered Address HFI Energy Systems Ltd 100% Research & development England & Wales Eccleston Yards, 25 Eccleston Place, London SW1W 9NF HFI Energy Systems US Inc 100% Research & development United States of America 16 Nugget Court, Whitehall, MT 59759 HFI IP Holdings Ltd 51% IP holding company England & Wales Eccleston Yards, 25 Eccleston Place, London SW1W 9NF HFI Development Ltd 100% Research & development England & Wales Eccleston Yards, 25 Eccleston Place, London SW1W 9NF HFI Consulting Limited 100% Licensing entity England & Wales Eccleston Yards, 25 Eccleston Place, London SW1W 9NF

11Share capital & share premium

Ordinary shares Share

capital Share premium Total # '000 '000 '000 At 31 July 2022 29,800,000 298 1,901 2,200 Issue of ordinary shares 3,450,000 35 310 345 At 31 January 2023 33,250,000 333 2,211 2,545

On 5 October 2022 the Company issued 3,450,000 ordinary shares of 0.01 at a subscription price of 0.10 as consideration for the acquisition of patents.

12Share based payment reserve

Total

'000 As at 31 July 2022 31 Warrants issued 1 13 Employee options issued 2 163 At 31 January 2023 207

1On 5 October 2022, the Group issued 1,625,000 warrants to HW Power Limited as part of the consideration for the transfers of IP Patents to the Group. All options are exercisable at the price of 0.12 per ordinary share and are exercisable, either in whole or part, for a period of 3 years from the date of issue.

2 On 4 November 2022, the Group issued 6,000,000 employee options to the directors of the Company, the director of the subsidiary and one consultant. All options vested immediately apart from 1,500,000 options issued to the director of the subsidiary which vest of the satisfaction of various performance conditions. All options are exercisable at the price of 0.10 per ordinary share and are exercisable, either in whole or part, for a period of five years from the date of issue.

The estimated fair values of options which fall under IFRS 2, and the inputs used in the Black-Scholes pricing model to calculate those fair values are as follows:



Date of grant Number of options Share price Exercise price Expected volatility Expected life Risk free rate Expected dividends 5 Oct 2022 1,625,000 0.05 0.12 60.00% 3 3% 0.00% 4 Nov 2022 6,000,000 0.068 0.10 60.00% 5 3% 0.00%

Warrants

As at 31 January 2023 Weighted average exercise price Number of warrants Brought forward at 31 July 2022 5p 8,050,000 Granted in period 12p 1,625,000 Vested in period 12p 1,625,000 Outstanding at 31 January 2023 6.3p 9,675,000 Exercisable at 31 January 2023 6.3p 9,675,000

The weighted average time to expiry of the warrants as at 31 January 2023 is 2.12 years.

Options

As at 31 January 2023 Weighted average exercise price Number of options Brought forward at 31 July 2022 - Granted in period 10p 6,000,000 Vested in period 10p 4,500,000 Outstanding at 31 January 2023 10p 6,000,000 Exercisable at 31 January 2023 10p 4,500,000

The weighted average time to expiry of the options as at 31 January 2023 is 2.95 years.

13Related party transactions

Directors remuneration

During the period the Directors of the Company received the following remuneration as Directors fees:

David Ormerod : 24,000

: 24,000 Daniel Maling : 18,000

: 18,000 Fungai Ndoro : 12,000

During the period the Directors also were issued with the following options in the Company:

David Ormerod : 1,000,000

: 1,000,000 Daniel Maling : 1,000,000

: 1,000,000 Fungai Ndoro : 500,000

Service Agreements

Orana Corporate LLP, of which director Daniel Maling is a partner, has a service agreement with the Company for the provision of accounting and company secretarial services. In the period, Orana Corporate LLP received 25,353 for these services from the Company.

14Ultimate controlling party

As at 31 January 2023, there was no ultimate controlling party of the Company.

15Events subsequent to period end

There are no events subsequent to period end that require disclosure.

16Approval of the financial statements

The interim financial statements were approved by the board of directors on 28 April 2023.
APPROVAL OF ALL RESOLUTIONS

AVAILABILITY OF THE MEETING MINUTES

EVOLUTION OF GOVERNANCE

Regulatory News:

Seche Environnement (Paris:SCHP):

The Joint General Meeting took place today from 10 am to 11 am at the registered office of the Company in Change, with shareholders present or represented totaling 81.28% of the capital shares and 76.65% of the voting rights.

The Bureau was composed as follows:

Chairman: Mr. Joel Seche, Chairman of the Board of Directors

Scrutineers: The FCPE 1 Seche Croissance represented by Mr. Manuel Andersen, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the FCPE Seche Croissance. Mr. Jean-Pierre Vallee-Lambert

Secretary: Mr. Neil Curtis, Group General Counsel

Messrs. Maxime Seche, Chief Executive Officer and Baptiste Janiaud, Chief Administrative and Financial Officer, commented on the main elements of activity and results for FY22, as well as recent developments, the activity as of March 31, 2023, and the outlook for activity and results for the current year.

The Chairman noted that no written question had been put to the Board of Directors and then passed the floor to the shareholders present at the Meeting for a session of oral questions. No questions were asked by the attendance.

The President proceeded to the vote on the resolutions.

All proposed resolutions were approved, including those on the accounts and allocation of 2022 earnings.

In particular, the Assembly approved the distribution of a dividend of 1.10 versus 1.00 for fiscal year 2021.

The Assembly also approved the appointments of Mr. Guillaume Cadiou and Ms. Anne-Brigitte Spitzbarth and Ms. Nathalie Tarnaud Laude as Independent Directors.

The Board of Directors is now composed of 7 Members, assisted by a Censor:

Mr. Joel Seche, Chairman of the Board of Directors

Mr. Guillaume Cadiou, Independent Director

Mr. Philippe Guerin, Director representing the employees

Mr. Maxime Seche, Director, Director General

Ms Anne-Brigitte Spitzbarth, Independent Director

Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, Independent Director

Mr. Philippe Valletoux, Independent Director

Mr. Guillaume Seche, Censor

The professional paths of the Directors appointed today are presented in the documents made available to shareholders at the Meeting and can be consulted on the Company's website.

The Board of Directors wishes to express its gratitude to Ms. Pascaline de Dreuzy and Ms. Nadine Koniski-Ziade and to Ms. Anne-Sophie Le Lay (who resigned on October 13, 2022). Their contributions have been valuable in defining Seche Environnement's strategy, including its internal structuring, external growth and social and environmental responsibility issues, in a period characterized by the strong development of the Group in France and internationally, and by the definition of a climate strategy aligned with the Paris Agreements.

The results of the votes by resolution and the minutes of the Assembly will be available as of May 3, 2023 on the Company's website: www.groupe-seche.com/en/investisseurs/meeting

Evolution of governance Creation of a CSR Committee Nominations

On 28 April 2023, the Board of Directors decided to refer from now on to the Middlenext Governance Code in place of the AFEP-MEDEF Code to which it was referring until then (see press release of April 28, 2023).

As a result of the adoption of the Middlenext Governance Code, the Board of Directors decided on the creation of a CSR Committee.

Following the appointment of the new Directors decided at today's General Meeting, the Board of Directors has appointed new members to the Audit Committee, the Strategic Committee and the Compensation and Nominating Committee.

The Committees are now composed as follows:

Audit Committee: Chairman: Mr. Guillaume Cadiou, Independent Director. Members: Ms. Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, Independent Director, Mr. Philippe Valletoux, Independent Director.

CSR Committee: Chairman: Ms. Anne-Brigitte Spitzbarth, Independent Director. Members: Ms. Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, Independent Director, Messrs. Philippe Guerin, Director representing employees and Philippe Valletoux, Independent Director.



Strategy Committee: Chairman: Mr. Maxime Seche, Director and Chief Executive Officer. Member: Mr. Guillaume Cadiou, Independent Director.

Compensation and Nominating Committee: Chairman: Mr. Philippe Valletoux, Independent Director. Members: Mr. Guillaume Cadiou, Independent Director, Ms. Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, Independent Director.



Upcoming events

Consolidated results as of June 30, 2023: September 11, 2023 after market close

About Seche Environnement

Seche Environnement is a leading player in waste management, including the most complex and hazardous waste, and in environmental services, particularly in the event of an environmental emergency. Thanks to its expertise in the creation of circular economy loops, decarbonization, and hazard containment, the Group has been contributing to the ecological transition of industries and territories, as well as to the protection of the living world, for nearly 40 years. A French family-owned industrial group, Seche Environnement deploys the cutting-edge technologies developed by its R&D department at the heart of territories in more than 120 locations in 15 countries, including some 50 industrial sites in France. With over 5,700 employees, including 2,500 in France, Seche Environnement generated revenue of nearly 900 million in 2022, 30% of which from its international operations.

Seche Environnement has been listed on the Euronext Eurolist (Compartment B) since November 27, 1997. It is included in the CAC Mid&Small, EnterNext Tech 40 and EnterNext PEA-PME 150 indexes. ISIN: FR 0000039139 Bloomberg: SCHP.FP Reuters: CCHE.PA

1 Employee Mutual Fund

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005333/en/

Contacts:

SECHE ENVIRONNEMENT

Analyst Investor Relations

Manuel ANDERSEN

Head of Investor Relations

m.andersen@groupe-seche.com

+33 (0)1 53 21 53 60

Media Relations

Anna JAEGY

Head of Communications

a.jaegy@groupe-seche.com

+33 (0)1 53 21 53 53


Liege, Belgium, 28 April 2023 - 17:45 CEST - Mithra (Euronext Brussels: MITRA), a company dedicated to Women's Health, today announces, in accordance with Article 14 of the Belgian Law of 2 May 2007 regarding the publication of major shareholdings in issuers whose securities are admitted to trading on a regulated market (the "Transparency Law"), that it received a notification of transparency from Alychlo NV, with registered offices at Lembergsesteenweg 19. 9820 Merelbeke, on 25, April 2023.

Alychlo NV notified Mithra that it has fallen below the legal 5% threshold on 14 April 2023. Alychlo NV now holds 4.89% (2,791,923 shares) of the 57,073,622 shares currently outstanding. Previously, Alychlo NV held 7.84% ( 4,144,730) of Mithra's outstanding securities.

The detailed transparency notifications are available on the Investors section of Mithra). An updated overview of the Mithra's shareholders structure will be included in the corporate governance charter of Mithra, which will be made available on its website.



********

For more information, please contact:

Alexandra Deschner: +32

About Mithra

Mithra (Euronext: MITRA) is a Belgian biotech company dedicated to transforming Women's Health by offering new choices through innovation, with a particular focus on contraception and menopause. Mithra's goal is to develop products offering better efficacy, safety and convenience, meeting women's needs throughout their life span. Mithra explores the potential of the unique native estrogen estetrol in a wide range of applications in women health and beyond. After having successfully launched the first estetrol-based product in 2021, the contraceptive pill Estelle, Mithra is now focusing on its second product Donesta, the next-generation hormone therapy. Mithra also offers partners a complete spectrum of solutions from early drug development, clinical batches and commercial manufacturing of complex polymeric products (vaginal ring, implants) and complex liquid injectables and biologicals (vials, pre-filled syringes or cartridges) at its technological platform Mithra CDMO. Active in more than 100 countries around the world, Mithra has an approximate headcount of 230 staff members and is headquartered in Liege, Belgium. www.mithra.com

ESTELLE, DONESTA and MYRING are registered trademarks of Mithra Pharmaceuticals or one of its affiliates.

Important information

The contents of this announcement include statements that are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the words "believes", "estimates," "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "may", "will", "plans", "continue", "ongoing", "potential", "predict", "project", "target", "seek" or "should", and include statements the Company makes concerning the intended results of its strategy. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. The Company's actual results may differ materially from those predicted by the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.

Attachment
Ermenegildo Zegna N.V. (NYSE: ZGN) ("Zegna Group," the "Group," "Zegna," or the "Company"), owner of the ZEGNA and Thom Browne brands, today announced the completion of its acquisition of Tom Ford International LLC ("TFI"), the company that owns and operates the TOM FORD fashion business ("TOM FORD FASHION"). The acquisition is part of a transaction in which sole ownership of the TOM FORD brand, its trademarks, and other intellectual property rights have been acquired by The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. ("ELC").

Before the completion of the acquisition, Zegna Group already owned 15% of TFI, and in this transaction, it acquired the remaining 85%.

In connection with the completion of the transaction, Zegna Group has become a long-term licensee of ELC for all TOM FORD men's and women's fashion as well as accessories and underwear, fine jewelry, childrenswear, textile, and home design products. Zegna Group will be in charge of the end-to-end TOM FORD FASHION business, from collection creation and development to merchandising, through to production, as well as retail and wholesale distribution.

The CEO of TOM FORD FASHION has been appointed and is expected to be announced in July and assume the role in the third quarter of calendar 2023. The leader will be responsible for the end-to-end TOM FORD FASHION business. In the meantime, the operations will continue to be managed by the current management team under the supervision of a new board chaired by Zegna Group Chairman and CEO Gildo Zegna.

Transaction Details

Zegna Group has acquired the 85% equity interest of TFI that it did not already own. The transaction implies a value for the acquired 85% stake of TFI at $150 million, on a cash-free and debt-free basis, assuming a normalized working capital.

For the year ended December 31, 2022, TFI had revenues of 312 million. 1

TOM FORD FASHION, under Zegna Group, will operate a network of approximately 50 directly operated TOM FORD stores globally.

The Zegna Group has entered into a long-term licensing and collaboration agreement with ELC for 20 years with an automatic renewal for further 10 years subject to certain minimum performance conditions.

Within the first full year post-closing (pre-synergies and related implementation costs) the transaction is expected to be accretive on Adjusted EBIT2 for the Zegna Group, though dilutive on Adjusted EBIT Margin3 in consideration of the royalties payable to ELC and other factors.

About Ermenegildo Zegna Group

Founded in 1910 in Trivero, Italy, the Ermenegildo Zegna Group (NYSE: ZGN) is a leading global luxury group. The Group is the owner of the world-renowned ZEGNA and Thom Browne brands, and operates TOM FORD FASHION through a long-term license agreement with The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. The Group also manufactures and distributes the highest quality fabrics and textiles through its Luxury Textile Laboratory Platform. At the Group's core is a uniquely vertically integrated supply chain that brings together the best of Italian fine craftsmanship. Responsibility towards people, community and the natural world has been at the heart of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group's belief since its founding by the Zegna family over 100 years ago. Ensuring the highest quality of products without compromising the quality of life for future generations is a commitment carried from the Group's home in Italy to its operations around the world. Today the Group operates in approximately 80 countries around the world through 500 ZEGNA and Thom Browne stores, of which 304 are directly operated by the Group as of March 31, 2023 (242 ZEGNA stores and 62 Thom Browne stores). At the end of 2022, Ermenegildo Zegna Group had more than 6,000 employees and revenues of approximately 1.5 billion.

Forward Looking Statements

This communication contains forward-looking statements that are based on beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to the Company. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "project," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," "target," "seek" or the negative or plural of these words, or other similar expressions that are predictions or indicate future events or prospects, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including strategies or plans related to the transactions described herein, are also forward-looking statements. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that it has a reasonable basis for each forward-looking statement contained in this communication, the Company cautions you that these statements are based on a combination of facts and factors currently known and projections of the future, which are inherently uncertain. In addition, risks and uncertainties are described in the Company's filings with the SEC. These filings may identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Most of these factors are outside the Company's control and are difficult to predict. Forward-looking statements in this communication include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the transactions described herein, including the benefits of such transactions. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by the Company and its directors, officers or employees or any other person that the Company will achieve its objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all. The forward-looking statements in this communication represent the views of Zegna as of the date of this communication. Subsequent events and developments may cause that view to change. However, while Zegna may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise publicly forward-looking statements. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing the views of the Company as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication.

_____________________

1 TFI revenues of 312 million euros for the twelve months ended December 31, 2022, were disclosed in Zegna Group's Annual Report (see Form 20-F filed on April 6, 2023, note 20 to the Consolidated Financial Statements on Investments accounted for using the equity method). Revenues did not include menswear wholesale revenues through completion of the Fall/Winter 2022 collection, covered by the prior distribution license agreement with Zegna and reported by Zegna within the Third Party Brands product line Revenues.

2 Adjusted EBIT is a non-IFRS financial measure. For a definition of such measure, please see Zegna's annual report on Form 20-F.

3 Adjusted EBIT Margin is a non-IFRS financial measure. For a definition of such measure, please see Zegna's annual report on Form 20-F.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005284/en/

Contacts:

Contacts

Investor Relations/Group Communications/Media

Francesca Di Pasquantonio

francesca.dipasquantonio@zegna.com

+39 335 5837669

Clementina Tito

clementina.tito@zegna.com

Media

Brunswick Group Brendan Riley Daria Danelli Marie Jensen

briley@brunswickgroup.com ddanelli@brunswickgroup.com mjensen@brunswickgroup.com

+1 (917) 755-1454 +39 348 635 1149 +33 (0) 6 49 09 39 54

Community

Marco Rubino

+39 335 6509552
Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

For immediate release

28 April 2023

FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC

(the "Company")

MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES

The Company announces that it has today purchased 75,000 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 916.86 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company.

The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 17 January 2023.

Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 17,291,747; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 207,699,556.

.

The figure of 207,699,556 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

For and on behalf of

Frostrow Capital LLP

Company Secretary

For further information, please contact:

Victoria Hale

Frostrow Capital LLP

Tel: 020 3 170 8732
Balanced Commercial Property Trust Ltd - Notice of AGM

Balanced Commercial Property Trust Limited

(formerly known as BMO Commercial Property Trust Limited)

(a closed-ended investment companyincorporated in Guernsey with registration number 50402)

LEI Number: 213800A2B1H4ULF3K397

(The "Company")

28 April 2023

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Notice is hereby given that the 2023 Annual General Meeting of the Company will be held at the offices of Columbia Threadneedle Investments, Exchange House, Primrose Street, London, EC2A 2NY on Wednesday 31 May 2023 at 2.00pm.

The Notice of AGM together with the Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2022 has been posted to shareholders.

In accordance with Listing Rule 9.6.3, the Notice of Annual General Meeting, proxy form and accounts have been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for inspection at: https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism



Enquiries:

Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited

The Company Secretary

Trafalgar Court

Les Banques

St Peter Port

Guernsey

GY1 3QL



Tel: 01481 745001



END
Regulated Information - Denominator

Atlas Special Opportunities, LLChas converted 6convertible bonds in Oxurion resulting in a EUR 150,000capital increase. This is part of Atlas Special Opportunities, LLC's EUR 20 million Capital Commitment1 that will allow Oxurion to focus on progressing its novel and differentiated back of the eye drug candidate targeting potential market opportunities of over USD 5billion.

Leuven, BELGIUM,Boston, MA, US-April 28, 2023- 07.00 PM CET - In accordance with article 15 of the Belgian Act of May 2, 2007 on the disclosure of major participations in issuers of which shares are admitted to trading on a regulated market and regarding miscellaneous provisions, Oxurion NV (Euronext Brussels: OXUR) (the "Company" or "Oxurion"), announces the below information, following the issuance of 21,934,100 new ordinary shares on April 25, 2023, for a total amount of EUR 150,000, as the result of the conversion of 6 convertible bonds, pursuant to the Capital Commitment entered into with Atlas Special Opportunities, LLC.

Following completion of the capital increase through the conversion of the convertible bonds, the total number of shares issued by Oxurion amounts to 681,321,725 outstanding ordinary shares carrying voting rights (compared to 659,387,625 outstanding ordinary shares previously). This number will be used as the denominator for the calculation of the percentages of shareholdings.

Therefore, Oxurion publishes the following updated information:

Share capital (EUR) 78,606,161.32 Total number of securities with voting rights (all ordinary shares) 681,321,725 Total number of ordinary shares (= denominator) 681,321,725 Number of outstanding, granted rights to subscribe to securities carrying voting rights not yet issued: 694,000 subscription rights ("SRs") issued on November 20, 2017, entitling their holders to subscribe to a total number of 694,000 securities carrying voting rights (all ordinary shares);

60,000 SRs issued on December 23, 2020, entitling their holders to subscribe to a total number of 60,000 securities carrying voting rights (all ordinary shares);

976,874 SRs issued on April 14, 2021, entitling their holders to subscribe to a total number of 976,874 securities carrying voting rights (all ordinary shares);

534,688 SRs issued on September 22, 2021, entitling their holders to subscribe to a total number of 534,688 securities carrying voting rights (all ordinary shares);

582,248 SRs issued on December 30, 2021, entitling their holders to subscribe to a total number of 582,248 securities carrying voting rights (all ordinary shares);

156 convertible bonds issued on March 14, 2023, and April 20, 2023, entitling its holder, Atlas Special Opportunities, LLC, to subscribe to a total number of securities carrying voting rights (all ordinary shares) in accordance with the terms and conditions of these convertible bonds pursuant to the Subscription Agreement entered into between the Company and Atlas Special Opportunities, LLC on March 1, 2023; and

100 convertible bonds issued on December 20, 2021, entitling their holders (Kreos Capital VI (UK) Limited, Pontifax Medison Finance (Israel) L.P. and Pontifax Medison Finance (Cayman) L.P.) to subscribe to a total number of securities carrying voting rights (all ordinary shares) in accordance with the terms and conditions of these convertible bonds as attached to the Agreement for the provision of a Loan Facility entered into between the Company, Kreos Capital VI (UK) Limited, Pontifax Medison Finance (Israel) L.P. and Pontifax Medison Finance (Cayman) L.P., on November 21, 2021 (as amended from time to time).

END

About Oxurion

Oxurion (Euronext Brussels: OXUR) is a biopharmaceutical company developing next generation standard of care ophthalmic therapies, which are designed to improve and better preserve vision in patients with retinal disorders including diabetic macular edema (DME), the leading cause of vision loss in working-age people, as well as other conditions. Oxurion intends to play an important role in the treatment of retinal disorders, including the successful development of THR-149, its novel therapeutic for the treatment of DME. THR-149 is a potent plasma kallikrein inhibitor being developed as a potential new standard of care for the up to 50% of DME patients showing suboptimal response to anti-VEGF therapy. Oxurion is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, with corporate operations in Boston, MA. More information is available at www.oxurion.com.

Important information about forward-looking statements

Certain statements in this press release may be considered "forward-looking". Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, and, accordingly, entail and are influenced by various risks and uncertainties. The Company therefore cannot provide any assurance that such forward-looking statements will materialize and does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or any other reason. Additional information concerning risks and uncertainties affecting the business and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement is contained in the Company's Annual Report. This press release does not constitute an offer or invitation for the sale or purchase of securities or assets of Oxurion in any jurisdiction. No securities of Oxurion may be offered or sold within the United States without registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or in compliance with an exemption therefrom, and in accordance with any applicable U.S. state securities laws.

For further information please contact:

Oxurion NV

Tom Graney

Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +32 16 75 13 10

tom.graney@oxurion.com (mailto:tom.graney@oxurion.com)







Michael Dillen

Chief Business Officer

Tel: +32 16 75 13 10

michael.dillen@oxurion.com (mailto:michael.dillen@oxurion.com) US

Conway Communications

Mary T. Conway

m (mailto:mtconway@conwaycommsir.com)tconway (mailto:mtconway@conwaycommsir.com)@conwaycommsir.com (mailto:mtconway@conwaycommsir.com)











ICR Westwicke

Christopher Brinzey

Tel: +1 617 835 9304

chris.brinzey@westwicke.com (mailto:chris.brinzey@westwicke.com)





1Press releaseOxurion, 02/03/2023

Attachments
WASHINGTON, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Verra and the Ministry of the Environment of Panama (MiAMBIENTE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support the development of a national carbon market in Panama.

Under this memorandum, Verra and MiAMBIENTE will analyze options for sharing information between the National Registry of Mitigation Actions of Panama and the Verra Registry. This will streamline the process for certifying local projects in Verra's Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program while also complying with local regulations.

The MOU also covers training activities about the VCS Program, the VCS Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ Framework (JNR), and the Verra Registry. Future training topics will likely include VCS Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) methodologies, which are highly applicable in Panama. So far, the audience of these trainings has been Panama government representatives who have been tasked with designing national carbon pricing instruments. Future trainings may address the interests of project proponents and developers, prospective validation/verification bodies, and buyers, retailers, and traders.

"The signing and implementation of this MOU with the Ministry of the Environment of Panama is an important milestone that supports Panama in reaching its nationally determined contribution while advancing global climate action and sustainable development," says David Antonioli, Verra's Chief Executive Officer.

All activities under the MOU will fall within the framework of Panama's National Greenhouse Gas Compensation System.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/verra-and-panama-sign-mou-to-support-development-of-a-national-carbon-market-301811086.html
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / Companies around the world are working to reduce their impact on the earth, and many are turning to the emissions-tracking platform Energy Expert for help.

The software-as-a-service tool created by Alibaba Group's cloud computing arm tracks greenhouse gas output and helps clients develop a path toward carbon neutrality.

Powered by AI, it empowers Alibaba and corporate clients to reduce carbon emissions, a step forward in the group's pledge to slash 1.5 gigatons of emissions across its ecosystem by 2035.

"Energy Expert has helped us simplify the process, reduce errors, and prepare for a compliance exercise that we will be undertaking," said Sharifah Bakar Ali, head of Strategic Business and Market Development at UEM Edgenta Berhad.

The Malaysian asset management and infrastructure company has used the tool to streamline its ESG strategies, and it plans to integrate Energy Expert into its own system.

Alizila spoke with Ali and William Xiong, Vice President of Alibaba Cloud and General Manager of Enterprise Service Cloud, to learn more.

Below is a transcript of this conversation, edited for clarity and brevity

Transcript

William Xiong: Recently, interest in carbon neutrality has increased dramatically, especially in the public sector and among enterprises.

More and more companies want to take responsibility for carbon emission reduction to contribute positively to the environment. Enterprises really adopt this as a core strategy in their global development.

But, generally speaking, there is no end-to-end system or platform that could help them to reach this optimization rapidly.

So, Alibaba Cloud provides out-of-the-box solutions, such as Carbon Vision, such as Energy Expert, to help companies save energy and manage their carbon footprint.

Sharifah Bakar Ali: UEM Edgenta Berhad is an asset management and infrastructure solutions company.

In my current role, I lead a high-power team in setting ESG strategies and sustainability initiatives for our business and our offices all around the world.

Because we are in the business of caring for assets, which includes buildings and infrastructure, we need to be mindful of our impact on the environment and what positive work we are doing to take care of the climate.

So, our road map required us to calculate our Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions. But this has always been a very manual process. And so this year, we wanted to look at ways to automate it. And hence, we made the decision to use Energy Expert.

We are using the platform to count and measure our own emissions and carbon footprint. Now, using Energy Expert has helped us simplify the process, reduce errors, and prepare for a compliance exercise that we will be undertaking. And from a company ESG perspective, understanding the admission alone is just one-half of the job.

Energy Expert has helped us simplify the process, reduce errors, and prepare for a compliance exercise that we will be undertaking

- Sharifah Bakar Ali HEAD OF STRATEGIC BUSINESS & MARKET DEVELOPMENT, UEM EDGENTA

We need to have targets in place to reduce emissions. Energy Expert has got features that will allow us to do that. And so it has been very, very helpful in helping us implement our ESG strategy.

From a client's perspective, we are going to be integrating Energy Expert into AssetTool, our own system. We're going to go out to our clients and give them the service for them to understand what their emission footprint is and what they can do to reduce that overall footprint.

With support from a company like Alibaba, there will be a lot of knowledge sharing and creation.

And that's something that I hope all of us here at UEM Edgenta will continue to enjoy and that many other companies out there will also experience. It is our commitment and our contribution to protecting our climate and environment.

Dig deeper into Alibaba's sustainability efforts here

View original content here.

Please refer to https://www.alizila.com/esg/ for additional information about Alibaba's sustainability efforts.

Photo Credit: Alibaba Group

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Alibaba Group on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Alibaba Group

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/alibaba-group

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Alibaba Group

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/751923/Alibaba-Clouds-Energy-Expert-Helps-Companies-Meet-Emission-Targets
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / Whole Foods Market Foundations

Whole Foods Market suppliers are funding income-generating opportunities to alleviate global poverty through Whole Planet Foundation's microlending programs. 2023 top donors, which can be found in select stores and online on Whole Foods Market on Amazon , are committed to creating opportunity for the world's poorest entrepreneurs. Participating brands support microentrepreneurs and smallholder farmers, primarily women, with opportunities to improve their own lives. Microcredit is small loans typically under $200 - no formal contract, no formal collateral - provided for the entrepreneur to change their own lives through their own hard work. Microloan recipients have a chance to create or expand a small business, often home-based, to generate income for themselves and their families. Learn why these brands support Whole Planet Foundation's mission this year to empower people living in poverty in the United States and around the globe.

Primal Kitchen

In 2023, Primal Kitchen is increasing its annual contribution to the Whole Planet Foundation to reach even more entrepreneurs around the globe. Through the program, this money will benefit communities and financial institutions offering microloans to those most in need. "We're so proud to support Whole Planet Foundation in helping entrepreneurs in unserved or underserved regions of the world. The natural food industry is filled with entrepreneurial spirit, so our own business is a natural fit with this mission. This year, we've increased our pledge to $100,000 because we've seen the impact of this program, and we believe that it can change the world," says Ana Goettsch, VP Marketing Primal Kitchen.

Since 2018, Primal Kitchen has continued to increase its support of Whole Planet Foundation to fund microcredit in underserved communities where Whole Foods Market sources products. This year is no exception as they join our top giving level, the $100,000 Fund! We are proud to announce Primal Kitchen as our 2023 Top Donor supporting multiple programs to fund additional microloans this year.

Seventh Generation

Seventh Generation is a founding member of the Whole Planet Foundation Supplier Alliance for Microcredit, donating $650,000 since they first began giving in 2008. The team from Seventh Generation have joined us to witness microcredit in Paraguay, South Africa, Nepal, and various cities in the United States, so they've met microcredit clients whose dreams of starting or expanding their businesses were just a microloan away. Through deep partnership with our microfinance partners, donors like Seventh Generation have been able to tell the story of our mission to their donors through our work in the field. Through content like videos and landing pages from trips to South Africa and Nepal, Seventh Generation and their parent company, Unilever continue to deepen our collective mission to empower people living in poverty around the globe.

Traditional Medicinals

Traditional Medicinals has been a Whole Planet Foundation donor since 2008. In that time, they have contributed more than $505,900 to fund more than 14,300 microloans. In addition to funding microcredits through our work, Traditional Medicinals is committed to social development projects in communities where they source around the world. Pre-COVID Whole Foods Market Team Member volunteers had the wonderful experience learning about Traditional Medicinals programs in India in the communities where Whole Planet Foundation funds microcredit and Whole Foods Market sources products.

"Traditional Medicinals has a long- standing commitment to responsible business dating to our founding almost 50 years ago. We owe much of our success to the powerful healing properties of plants. To ensure that these plants have a healthy home for generations to come, it's vital that we source high quality herbs that are traded fairly, and contribute to healthy, sustainable communities for people and planet. Partnering with organizations like Whole Planet Foundation help lead our industry toward a brighter future and a healthier planet as part of the positive transformation our world needs," says Jamie Horst, Chief Purpose Officer at Traditional Medicinals.

To date, our supplier donor community has contributed more than $17 million to fund microloans around the globe. We are honored to work with these like-minded brands to fuel the entrepreneurial endeavors of microloan recipients in the U.S. and abroad. Join our mission this June via Whole Planet Foundation's Power Your Purpose Virtual 5K to move for microcredit and fund additional loans in the communities where Whole Food Market sources products.





View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Whole Foods Market Foundations on 3blmedia.com.



Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Whole Foods Market Foundations

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/whole-foods-market-foundations

Email: info@3blmedia.com



SOURCE: Whole Foods Market Foundations

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/751977/2023-Top-Supplier-Donors-Are-Creating-Income-Generating-Opportunities-Around-the-Globe
abrdn Global Infrastructure Income Fund ("ASGI")

abrdn Asia-Pacific Income Fund, Inc. ("FAX")

PHILADELPHIA, PA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / The above-noted abrdn U.S. Closed-End Funds (the "Funds" or individually the "Fund"), today announced that the Funds paid the distributions noted in the table below on April 28, 2023, on a per share basis to all shareholders of record as of April 21, 2023 (ex-dividend date April 20, 2023).

Ticker Exchange Fund Amount ASGI NYSE abrdn Global Infrastructure Income Fund $ 0.1200 FAX NYSE American abrdn Asia-Pacific Income Fund, Inc. $ 0.0275

Each Fund has adopted a distribution policy to provide investors with a stable distribution out of current income, supplemented by realized capital gains and, to the extent necessary, paid-in capital.

Under applicable U.S. tax rules, the amount and character of distributable income for each Fund's fiscal year can be finally determined only as of the end of the Fund's fiscal year. However, under Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") and related rules, the Funds may be required to indicate to shareholders the estimated source of certain distributions to shareholders.

The following tables set forth the estimated amounts of the sources of the distributions for purposes of Section 19 of the 1940 Act and the rules adopted thereunder. The tables have been computed based on generally accepted accounting principles. The tables include estimated amounts and percentages for the current distributions paid this month as well as for the cumulative distributions paid relating to fiscal year to date, from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short-term capital gains; net realized long-term capital gains; and return of capital. The estimated compositions of the distributions may vary because the estimated composition may be impacted by future income, expenses and realized gains and losses on securities and currencies.

Each Fund's estimated sources of the current distribution paid this month and for its current fiscal year to date are as follows:

Estimated Amounts of Current Distribution per Share Fund Distribution Amount Net Investment Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains** Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital ASGI $0.1200 $0.0240 20% $0.0216 18% $0.0744 62% - - FAX $0.0275 $0.0140 51% - - - - $0.0135 49%

Estimated Amounts of Fiscal Year* to Date Cumulative Distributions per Share Fund Distribution Amount Net Investment Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains ** Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital ASGI $0.8400 $0.1680 20% $0.1512 18% $0.5208 62% - - FAX $0.1650 $0.0842 51% - - - - $0.0808 49%

* ASGI has a 9/30 fiscal year end; FAX has a 10/31 fiscal year end.

**includes currency gains

Where the estimated amounts above show a portion of the distribution to be a "Return of Capital," it means that Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in a Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income."

The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The final determination of the source of all distributions for the current year will only be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of the fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. After the end of each calendar year, a Form 1099-DIV will be sent to shareholders for the prior calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The following table provides the Funds' total return performance based on net asset value (NAV) over various time periods compared to the Funds' annualized and cumulative distribution rates.

Fund Performance and Distribution Rate Information Fund Average Annual Total Return on NAV for the 5 Year Period Ending 03/31/2023 Current Fiscal Period's Annualized Distribution Rate on NAV Cumulative Total Return on NAV Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV ASGI 8.88%3 6.85% 16.63% 3.42% FAX -1.10% 10.44% 16.52% 4.35%

1 Return data is net of all Fund expenses and fees and assumes the reinvestment of all distributions reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund's dividend reinvestment plan.

2 Based on the Fund's NAV as of March 31, 2023.

3 The Fund launched within the past 5 years; the performance and distribution rate information presented reflects data from inception (July 29, 2020) through March 31, 2023.

Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about a Fund's investment performance from the amount of the Fund's current distributions or from the terms of the distribution policy (the "Distribution Policy").

While NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund's investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund's market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund's shares in the open market.

Pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Funds may distribute any long-term capital gains more frequently than the limits provided in Section 19(b) under the 1940 Act and Rule 19b-1 thereunder. Therefore, distributions paid by the Funds during the year may include net income, short-term capital gains, long-term capital gains and/or a return of capital. Net income dividends and short-term capital gain dividends, while generally taxable at ordinary income rates, may be eligible, to the extent of qualified dividend income earned by the Funds, to be taxed at a lower rate not to exceed the maximum rate applicable to your long-term capital gains. Distributions made in any calendar year in excess of investment company taxable income and net capital gain are treated as taxable ordinary dividends to the extent of undistributed earnings and profits, and then as a return of capital that reduces the adjusted basis in the shares held. To the extent return of capital distributions exceed the adjusted basis in the shares held, capital gain is recognized with a holding period based on the period the shares have been held at the date such amount is received.

The payment of distributions in accordance with the Distribution Policy may result in a decrease in the Fund's net assets. A decrease in the Fund's net assets may cause an increase in the Fund's annual operating expense ratio and a decrease in the Fund's market price per share to the extent the market price correlates closely to the Fund's net asset value per share. The Distribution Policy may also negatively affect the Fund's investment activities to the extent that the Fund is required to hold larger cash positions than it typically would hold or to the extent that the Fund must liquidate securities that it would not have sold, for the purpose of paying the distribution. Each Fund's Board has the right to amend, suspend or terminate the Distribution Policy at any time. The amendment, suspension or termination of the Distribution Policy may affect the Fund's market price per share. Investors should consult their tax advisor regarding federal, state and local tax considerations that may be applicable in their particular circumstances.

Circular 230 disclosure : To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the U.S. Treasury, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.

In the United States, abrdn is the marketing name for the following affiliated, registered investment advisers: abrdn Inc., abrdn Investments Limited, abrdn Australia Limited, abrdn Asia Limited, Aberdeen Capital Management, LLC, abrdn ETFs Advisors LLC and abrdn Alternative Funds Limited.

Closed-end funds are traded on the secondary market through one of the stock exchanges. A Fund's investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares may be worth more or less than the original cost. Shares of closed-end funds may trade above (a premium) or below (a discount) the net asset value (NAV) of the fund's portfolio. There is no assurance that a Fund will achieve its investment objective. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

https://www.abrdn.com/en-us/cefinvestorcenter\

For More Information Contact:

abrdn U.S. Closed-End Funds

Investor Relations

1-800-522-5465

Investor.Relations@abrdn.com

SOURCE: abrdn U.S. Closed-End Funds

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/751931/abrdn-US-Closed-End-Funds-Announce-Distribution-Payment-Details
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2023) - Hillcrest Energy Technologies (CSE: HEAT) (OTCQB: HLRTF) (FSE: 7HIA.F), a clean technology company developing transformative power conversion technologies and control system solutions for electrical systems, announces that it has closed the second tranche (the "Second Tranche") of its previously announced non-brokered private placement of up to an aggregate of 25,000,000 units of the Company (the "Units") at a price of $0.08 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $2,000,000 (the "Offering"). The Second Tranche consisted of the sale of 3,775,000 Units for gross proceeds of $302,000. Each Unit consists of one common share (a "Share") and one share purchase warrant (the "Warrant"). Each Warrant will be exercisable into an additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.15 per share for a period of two years.

In connection with the closing of the second tranche, the Company paid a finder's fee of $480 in cash and issued 6,000 share purchase warrants (the "Finder's Warrants") to a certain arm's length finder. Each Finder's Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Share at a price of $0.15 until April 28, 2025.

All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a four-month and one day hold period in accordance with applicable securities laws.

The Company intends to use the proceeds from the Offering for ongoing technology development and commercialization activities and general working capital.

The Company has received additional orders that it contemplates will be closed on during a third and final tranche, currently anticipated to take place on or about May 10, 2023.

The securities of the Company referred to in this press release have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws. Accordingly, the securities of the Company may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy any securities of the Company in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Hillcrest is also pleased to announce the retention of Jemini1 Finance Inc. ("Jemini Capital") effective March 17, 2023. During the six-month term of the investor relations agreement, Jemini will provide strategic investor outreach focused on raising awareness of the Company with interested parties across their networks in North America and Europe.

Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, Jemini will receive a monthly consulting fee of $5,000 plus the grant of 250,000 stock options of the Company at a price of $0.15 per share and a term of 24 months. The options are subject to vesting provisions, the terms of the Company's stock option plan and the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange. In addition, Jemini Capital can earn a success fee of 2% for financial transactions that result from their efforts.

Jemini Capital is a full-service merchant bank advisory firm with extensive experience assisting natural resources and tech companies. Since its inception in 2014, Jemini has participated in and been part of over $400 million in financing activities. Jemini Capital's team is made up of experienced former bankers, marketing specialists, and professional investors with a broad range of skill sets. To learn more, visit jeminicapital.com.

About Hillcrest Energy Technologies

Hillcrest Energy Technologies is a clean technology company developing high-value, high-performance power conversion technologies and digital control systems for next-generation powertrains and grid-connected renewable energy systems. From concept to commercialization, Hillcrest is investing in the development of energy solutions that will power a more sustainable and electrified future. Hillcrest is publicly traded on the CSE under the symbol "HEAT," on the OTCQB Venture Market as "HLRTF" and on the Frankfurt Exchange as "7HIA.F". For more information, please visit: https://hillcrestenergy.tech/.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Investor Relations

Don Currie

info@hillcrestenergy.tech

O: +1 604-609-0006

Toll-free: 1-855-609-0006

Or

Walter Frank/Jennifer Belodeau

IMS Investor Relations

hillcrest@imsinvestorrelations.com

O: +1 203-972-9200

Public Relations

Jamie L. Hogue

jhogue@hillcrestenergy.tech

O: +1 602-793-9481

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAS REVIEWED OR ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information

Some of the statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "expects," "intends," "is expected," "potential," "suggests" or variations of such words or phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "should," "would," "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information is provided as of the date of this news release. The forward-looking information reflects our current expectations and assumptions and is subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance or expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. No assurance can be given that these assumptions will prove correct. Forward-looking statements and information are not historical facts and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control. Investors are advised to consider the risk factors under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's MD&A for the year ended Dec. 31, 2021, available at www.sedar.com for a discussion of the factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance and achievements to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.

# # #

Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164183
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2023) - Tenet Fintech Group Inc. (CSE: PKK) (OTC Pink: PKKFF) ("Tenet" or the "Company"), an innovative fintech technology services provider and operator of the Cubeler Business Hub, announced today that Johnson Joseph has left the Company effective immediately. The Board has appointed Raji Wahidy as Chief Operating Officer and Acting Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Wahidy has been with the Company since January 2022, as Vice-President of Operations.

"The Board believes that Mr. Wahidy is a leader who will energize the team, realize Tenet's corporate vision and take the Company forward with speed, focus and determination," said Board Chair Carol Penhale. "Mr. Wahidy is well positioned to engage the Company and its team to rapidly address operational challenges during the transition."

Mr. Wahidy has more than 20 years of experience across multiple industries, working with established Fortune 500 companies such as Vodafone and Ericsson, as well as mid-sized companies and start-ups. Mr. Wahidy was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Virtual Rehab, Inc. where he was responsible for global operations, strategic planning, and global expansion.

"In its recent review of succession planning, the Board was pleased with Mr. Wahidy's fresh approach to operations and product direction strategy at Tenet. We look forward to working closely with him and supporting him as we continue to deliver innovative and successful products to our customers." Ms. Penhale continued. "The Board is confident this remains the right course to optimize on delivery of product and associated timelines," said Ms. Penhale.

Mr. Wahidy expressed his enthusiasm for his new role. "I am excited about this opportunity and would like to thank the Board for their trust. I look forward to working with Tenet's stakeholders to realize the vision of the Company."

A search for a new CEO will commence immediately.

Forward-looking information

Certain statements included in this presentation constitute "forward-looking statements" under Canadian securities law, including statements based on management's assessment and assumptions and publicly available information with respect to the Company. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The Company cautions that its assumptions may not materialize and that current economic conditions render such assumptions, although reasonable at the time they were made, subject to greater uncertainty. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of terminology such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "assumes," "outlook," "plans," "targets", or other similar words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from the outlook or any future results, performance or achievements implied by such statements. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Important risk factors that could affect the forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, holding company with significant operations in China; general economic and business conditions, including factors impacting the Company's business in China such as pandemics (ex.: COVID-19); legislative and/or regulatory developments; Global Financial conditions, repatriation of profits or transfer of funds from China to Canada, operations in foreign jurisdictions and possible exposure to corruption, bribery or civil unrest; actions by regulators; uncertainties of investigations, proceedings or other types of claims and litigation; timing and completion of capital programs; liquidity and capital resources, negative operating cash flow and additional funding, dilution from further financing; financial performance and timing of capital; and other risks detailed from time to time in reports filed by the Company with securities regulators in Canada, the United States or other jurisdictions. We refer potential investors to the "Risks and Uncertainties" section of the Company's MD&A. The reader is cautioned to consider these and other risks and uncertainties carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Forward-looking statements reflect information as of the date on which they are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect future events, changes in circumstances, or changes in beliefs, unless required by applicable securities laws. In the event the Company does update any forward-looking statement, no inference should be made that the Company will make additional updates with respect to that statement, related matters, or any other forward-looking statement.

All amounts are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated.

About Tenet Fintech Group Inc.:

Tenet Fintech Group Inc. is the parent company of a group of innovative financial technology (Fintech) and artificial intelligence (AI) companies. All references to Tenet in this news release, unless explicitly specified, includes Tenet and all its subsidiaries. Tenet's subsidiaries provide various analytics and AI-based services to businesses and financial institutions through the Business Hub, a global ecosystem where analytics and AI are used to create opportunities and facilitate B2B transactions among its members. Please visit our website at: http://www.tenetfintech.com.

For more information, please contact:

Tenet Fintech Group Inc.

Christina Boyd, Director, Investor Relations

416-428-9954

cboyd@tenetfintech.com

Follow Tenet Fintech Group Inc. on social media:

Twitter: @Tenet_Fintech

Facebook: @Tenet

LinkedIn: Tenet

YouTube: Tenet Fintech

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164235
Lasso MD, a San Diego, CA-based all-in-one marketing solution for dental and medspa practices, raised $2M in funding.

The round was led by Trestle Partners.

The company intends to use the funds to recruit talent, release new features that will simplify user workflows, automate repetitive tasks, incorporate AI assistance, and expand its API set with new patient management systems.

Led by CEO Eric Bunnell, Lasso MD is a marketing company for private healthcare practices. The company enables practices to create custom content, advertise their business online, automate lead management, and verify marketing ROI. The companys popular plans include a website, photo shoot, SEO, ROI analytics, and lead management tools.

FinSMEs

27/04/2023
Luca Software, a San Francisco, CA-based startup that helps retailers make pricing decisions, raised 2.5m in Seed funding.

The round was led by Menlo Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator, Soma Capital, Ubers angel syndicate and strategic angels.

The company intends to use the funds to scale out our data science and engineering teams, and to support more retailers on its platform.

Led by Tanvi Surti and Yonah Mann, who both worked on pricing at Uber, Luca is an AI-powered co-pilot for enterprise retailers, which constantly identifies revenue and profit headroom, makes recommendations for price adjustments and saves work hours along the way. The solution, complementary to the human decision maker in a retail organization, generates price recommendations by absorbing retailers sales, inventory and competitor data to forecast outcomes at different price points, ultimately selecting a winning one. Once recommendations are pushed live, Luca monitors the price changes in production, watches out for abnormal patterns and alerts the decision maker if something is off.

The company has already worked with 8 mid-size brands, and are in pilot design with 2 Fortune 500 retailers to help them manage their pricing strategy.

FinSMEs

28/04/2023
Wayhome, a London, UK-based company that provides a hybrid part-buy part-rent model, raised 8M in Series A funding.

The round was led by existing investors Allianz X, Augmentum Fintech and new funders Volution, Love Ventures and Cur8 Capital.

The company intends to use the funds to further partnerships with mortgage brokers and lenders in the coming months.

Led by CEO Nigel Purves, Wayhome provides Gradual Homeownership, which is a hybrid part-buy part-rent model, that enables people to buy a home worth up to 10x household income with a 5% deposit and no mortgage or borrowing required.

Wayhome currently has an annual rate of 100m deployed in customer property purchases and intend that the raise will assist the leadership team in doubling this to 200m per year within 12 months.

FinSMEs

28/04/2023
The Friends actor, Jennifer Aniston recently received backlash for following a controversial social media account which often targets Amber Heard, Meghan Markle and Angelina Jolie.

Ahead of the coronation of King Charles, the Instagram account Obviousbutamazing attacked Prince Harry and called him the worst brother in the entire world and approved of his decision to leave Meghan Markle behind as he attends the ceremony where his father is to be crowned.

Jennifer Aniston has once again shown that she cant stay neutral when it comes to the dispute between Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and the rest of the British royal family.

Fans reaction to Jennifer Anistons approval to online attack on Harry & Meghan

Netizens reacted to the Instagram post talking about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, with one particular user even commenting on Jennifers like. Jennifer needs to mind her own business when it comes to Harry and Meghan, until you can walk in there shoes keep your comments to yourself. Harry is telling his truth about his abuse. Another comment was about Meghan Markle. It read, MM  You would think shed want to be there be a part of royal history making. This chance to have her picture in the history books forever. Then maybe having her picture taken and be a part of history just isnt her thing.

King Charles has forgiven Harry & Meghan

On the other hand, a royal insider claimed that King Charles continues to keep photos of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in his house, suggesting that the monarch has forgiven his youngest son and is happy to let him and Meghan continue their life in California. Gyles Brandreth said that despite Prince Harrys distance from the rest of the royal family and his bombshell memoir, King Charles is still delighted that Prince Harry will attend the coronation ceremony.

There are pictures of Harry and Meghan on the piano [and] on the mantelpiece, Gyles Brandreth added saying that the monarch and Queen Consort are too busy with their lives to dwell on rumours of a feud.

King Charles IIIs Coronation

As for Charles Coronation Prince Harry will be attending it, but not Meghan. But Prince Harry will sit ten rows behind his brother for King Charles coronation. Prince William. Despite the appearance of a snub, Prince Harrys far-back position could be helpful if he wishes to make a quick exit, the ex-royal aide revealed. Mr Burrell told GB News Dan Wootton: He doesnt want to spend much time around them.

According to royal expert, There is no chance of a reconciliation anytime soon, Im afraid  I think he will get a very icy reception from the Windsors. There is no chance of a reconciliation anytime soon, Im afraid  I think he will get a very icy reception from the Windsors.

Mr Burrell added his opinion that Duke of Sussex is not going to hang around, with some speculating he could be in and out of the UK within 24 hours. He said: He is coming to put his foot in the door and he is coming because his father wants him to be there.

(With inputs from agencies)

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For a long time, China has been combatting alcoholism.

In a bid to assist its patients conquer alcoholism, a Chinese hospital has begun offering a surgical chip.

According to South China Morning Post, a 36-year-old man in China has had a five-minute surgery to implant a chip that will help him kick his alcohol addiction.

He is now the first person in the country to receive this kind of addiction treatment.

For several months, the Naltrexone chip is supposed to help people remove their alcohol cravings.

Lets take a closer look.

Also read: On the Rocks: Does South Korea have a drinking problem?

Chinas first surgical chip implanted

As part of a clinical trial directed by Hao Wei, a former vice-president of the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board, a man with the last name Liu, underwent a five-minute surgery on April 12 at the Hunan Brain Hospital in central China.

According to Hao and his coworkers at Central South Universitys Second Xiangya Hospital, who are experts in substance misuse and addiction mechanisms, the chip is projected to reduce alcohol cravings for up to five months.

Liu, a native of the central Chinese region of Hunan, has been an alcoholic for 15 years, as per SCMP.

On a typical day, he would consume roughly half a litre of Chinese liquor before getting aggressive.

He used to have a bottle of Chinese liquor before breakfast every day and would drink till he passed out while at work and into the evening.

Whenever I didnt have a bottle on me, I felt very anxious, he said.

According to Xiaoxiang Herald, Liu expressed his hope that he can now live a life free of alcohol.

Also read: UK dog undergoes rehab for alcohol addiction: Can animals turn alcoholics?

How will the Naltrexone chip help?

According to The Star newspaper, once implanted, the chip releases naltrexone, which is absorbed by the body and targets receptors in the brain.

Naltrexone is frequently used in addiction therapy to prevent relapse.

Disulfiram, the standard treatment for alcohol addiction up until the late 20th century, has been replaced by naltrexone.

While disulfiram causes unpleasant side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, and dizziness, naltrexone is milder and works by blocking the area of the brain that chemically rewards drinking.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), naltrexone is an opioid antagonist (inhibitor) that works by attaching itself to opioid receptors in the brain.

People who take naltrexone claim to have fewer alcohol cravings and feel less pleasure when they do use alcohol, explained The Coleman Institute for Addiction.

Patients are better able to refrain from drinking and concentrate on their recovery programme since Naltrexone supports sobriety.

This tiny implant is placed beneath the skin of the patient to ensure that they receive a consistent dose of opiate blockers and dont forget or skip their medication.

Zhou Xuhui, director of Hunan Second Provincial Central Hospital, claimed that the chip works for nearly five months and aids in the fight against an individuals psychological demand for alcohol, reported The Star.

Zhou stated that he hoped the technology could aid in the recovery of those who had drug addictions.

Also read: Alcoholism: In the bar, in the Car, its gone too far

Does it have any risks?

According to the mental health and addiction treatment center, Eleanor Health, naltrexone implants are a secure way to treat opiate addiction and alcohol use disorder.

However, this strategy carries several negative effects such as pain, tenderness, swelling, redness, itchiness, infection or irritation.

Also read: Not UK, not France, not Germany, its Latvia that tops booze consumption in Europe

Alcoholism in China

According to a 2018 study by The Lancet medical journal, China has the highest rate of alcohol-related fatalities globally.

TAs per the research, there were 650,000 such deaths among males and 59,000 among women in 2017.

The largest alcohol consumers were found to be men between the ages of 45 and 59.

In China, alcohol has been a factor in a number of social difficulties, including road accidents and domestic violence, in addition to a number of health issues.

Nevertheless, some in Chinas online community have raised concerns about whether regulations are required for such therapies over concerns about who can perform the surgery that changes a persons behaviour, as per SCMP.

With inputs from agencies

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How do you solve a problem of an elephant gone rogue and encroaching on human settlements? If you are in Kerala, then the answer is tranquilising it, capturing it and then caging it.

After months of back and forth of debates, the Kerala government finally undertook Mission Arikomban on Friday morning around 4.30 am to capture the tusker from Chinnakanal where it has become a menace by raiding houses and public distribution shops for rice, its favourite food.

As forest officials undertake the elephant-capturing exercise, we take a look back at why the pachyderm, called Arikomban  owing to his love for rice  is being seized and the row over it.

Life of Arikomban

The elephant, who goes by the name of Arikomban owing to its love for rice (Ari meaning rice in Malayalam and Komaban meaning tusker) is approximately 30 years in age and the area of Chinnakanal in Munnar has been its stomping ground for long.

Locals say that they first spotted Arikomban when it was approximately one-year-old and was seen with the ailing mother in the lower division of Muttukad cardamom estate of Vaikundam Plantations near Chinnakanal. Back then, the elephant was called Kallakkomban  the tusker who steals. In those days, there were very few houses in the area. However, the situation changed in the 200s when more people were shifted to the area by the AK Antony-led Congress government.

The tusker now frequents the 301 Colony  a human settlement, looking for rice. As its raids became a regular thing, many families moved out from the area fearing for their lives. The few that have stayed back often take shelter on the roofs of their houses. Locals say Arikomban is not a killer bull, but the rice raids have affected normal life.

We respect elephants in Kerala but this one has gone too far for too long now, Sheeba George, an Idukki district collector, was quoted as telling The Guardian. People cant sleep at night for fear that he will come crashing through the doors or windows.

The row over Arikomban

As Arikombans raids increased, he became the focus of residents and forest officials in February this year. Many residents demanded that it be captured and moved from the area owing to the damage and destruction he was causing.

Residents complained that they were fed up with the antics of the tusker and wanted it removed from the area. One such resident, a woman, was quoted as telling news agency PTI, I live alone with my mother. One night, the elephant came there and damaged our house. Several others have faced this problem. Is human life more important than the freedom of one tusker? He is a nuisance now.

In February, the Kerala chief wildlife warden issued an order authorising the tranquillisation and capture of the rice tusker in an elephant kraal. This angered wildlife activists and animal lovers. As Angels Nair, general secretary of NGO Animal Legal Force Integration, said, The state government has no power to capture elephants and keep them in captivity. Moreover, if they ensure a source of food for the elephant, it would not foray into the residential and inhabited areas

The matter quickly reached the courts and on 29 March, the Kerala High Court objected to the state governments plan to capture and rehabilitate the elephant. At the hearing, the court pointed out that the rehabilitation is an alternative term for captivity, saying, Thats the equivalent of Auschwitz for animals.

Instead, the court said that the tusker may be tranquilised if it enters human settlements as a temporary measure, and ordered the fastening of a radio collar to track its movements. It also directed that a five-member committee of experts be constituted to advise the court on solutions other than capturing the elephant.

The courts direction wasnt appreciated and residents of 10 panchayats in Idukki even staged a hartal on the matter.

After much deliberations and discussions, the five-member committee of experts came up with the option of capturing, radio-collaring, and relocating the rice tusker to the Muthuvarachal/Orukomban falling within the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve.

However, this move was also not approved, as the government said that people living close to Parambikulam Tiger Reserve in Palakkad district were objecting to moving the tusker there. Now, the court has ordered for it to be tranquilised and has given the state a weeks time to decide Arikombans new home.

Hunt for Arikomban is on

On Friday, the government finally initiated the mission to capture Arikomban but as the time of this report being published, the elephant remained elusive to the forest official team.

As many as 150 personnel from the police, fire and rescue services, health and motor vehicles department will assist the forest department team in the effort to find Arikomban. In addition to the man power, four kumki elephants  captive tuskers trained for use in trapping and capturing their wild brothers and sisters  have been brought in from Wayanad.

The officials are being led by Chief Conservator of Forest, R S Arun and once he is located a team by led by Chief Veterinary Officer, Arun Zachariah, is expected to tranquilise the jumbo.

Chief Conservator of Forest, R S Arun has said that if Arikomban is not found on Friday, the operation would continue on Saturday. Speaking to Manorama Online, he said that it seemed more unlikely to find the elephant today owing to the climate.

It has been reported that once Arikomban is tranquilised, he will be fitted with a satellite radio collar which was purchased from Assam forest department. The radio collar worth Rs 5 lakh will help the forest department to monitor the movements of Arikomban in the future.

Fearing crowds gathering, prohibitory orders have been put in place in Chinnakanal. However, people are flocking the region to witness the capture of the elephant. Forest Minister A K Saseendran, who met the media in the morning, had also urged people not to gather around as it may result in the elephant shying away which may make it difficult to capture the animal.

Loss of elephant habitat

Experts believe that the problem of elephants in human settlements will be far from over following Arikombans capture. They argue that the problem lies in the fact that elephants habitats are being encroached upon by humans.

Dr S Faizi, an ecologist and United Nations environmental negotiator, told The Leaflet, When we move the rogue tusker from one place to another, we are just shifting the problem to the other place.

Dr P S Easa, elephant expert and member of the Asian Elephant Special Group, shared the same opinion. He told PTI, Habitat is being denied to elephants, adding that the issue is not going to end with the capture of one elephant.

A study published on Thursday highlighted the same issue. It found that tuskers have lost almost two-thirds of their habitat across Asia, owing to hundreds of years of deforestation and increasing human use of land for agriculture and infrastructure.

The research said that they are found across 13 countries in the continent but their forest and grassland habitats have been eroded by more than 64 per cent  equating to 3.3 million square kilometres of land  since the year 1700. And the one point of the report that should worry India the most is that the greatest decline in elephant habitats was in China were 94 per cent of suitable land was lost between 1700 and 2015, followed by India, which lost 86 per cent of land.

With inputs from agencies

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In addition to being a ritual, a performance, a dance, or a sport, bullfighting in Spain has always been a contentious spectacle.

It is regarded as a classic Spanish activity where a skilled professional torero or matador performs in front of the fearless bull, the most potent member of the Mediterranean ecosystem.

On Thursday, Spains parliament outlawed comic bullfighting occasions that included costumed dwarves, reported Associated Press.

The decision has received praise from disability rights organisations but criticism from the few still-performing actors.

Lets take a look.

Also read: Showing the door to matadors: France MPs debate imposing ban on bullfighting

Dwarf bullfights

Dwarves in Spain have long dressed as firefighters or clowns to chase bulls without killing them, at public spectacles designed to be humorous.

The tradition stretches back decades but has declined in popularity.

While the numbers of self-styled dwarf toreros are dwindling, so-called dwarf bullfights can still been seen, especially during festivals honouring a towns patron saint.

The iconic decision

The law approved in parliament on Thursday prohibits shows or recreational activities in which people with disabilities, or this circumstance, are used to provoke mockery or ridicule from the public.

It aims to bring Spain in line with European Union directives on discrimination against disabled people, reported AFP.

The countrys Royal Board on Disabilities, which advises the social rights ministry, said Spain had advanced human rights by banning public shows that humiliated disabled people.

We have overcome the Spain of the past, said Jesus Martin, the Director General of Spains Royal Board on Disabilities, which advises the Social Rights Ministry that pushed the ban forward in parliament.

People with dwarfism were subjected to mockery in public squares in our country, passing down the idea that it is okay to laugh at differences to so many girls and boys who go with adults to see these shameful performances.

Also read: Watch: Spectator stands collapse in Colombia during bullfight; at least four dead, hundreds hurt

Performers oppose ban

The surviving dwarf toreros (bullfighters) opposed the governments ban on dwarf bullfighting shows.

The performers said that without the shows, their livelihoods are at stake.

Amusement in the Arena, a group of dwarf bullfighters, posted on Facebook, We are bullfighters, we are artists, enough prohibitions, we dont want handouts.

A handful of the few remaining performers staged a protest in front of parliament to express their condemnation of the ban.

They take it for granted that people are being denigrated or laughed at, and its the opposite: the respect they have for us is impressive, Daniel Calderon, a dwarf bullfighter, told the EFE news agency.

Places where bullfighting is still permitted

Bullfighting is still practised in just eight nations worldwide, three of which are located in Europe, according to Euro News.

These include Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Spain, France, and Portugal.

According to Humane Society International (HSI), some 250,000 bulls are killed in bullfights worldwide each year.

Statistica data suggests there were 824 bullfighting events held in Spain in 2021. Before the pandemic, there had been a drop in the number, with only 350 battles in 2019.

Numerous nations, including Argentina, Canada, Cuba, Denmark, Italy, and the United Kingdom have already passed laws outlawing bullfighting.

Although the practice is deeply rooted in the tradition and identity of the nation, it has come under attack recently.

As per a 2016 Ipsos survey, 58 per cent of Spanish citizens ages 16 to 65 were against bullfighting while only 19% were in favour.

Although it is still permitted nationwide, some Spanish cities such as Calonge, Tossa de Mar, Vilamacolum, and La Vajol have banned the popular activity.

With inputs from agencies

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The fighting continues in Sudans capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region, even as the army and the paramilitary forces have agreed to extend their ceasefire. Several countries, including the United States, have shut down their embassies and are scrambling to rescue their people. Some like the US have cherry-picked, rescuing only embassy staff and leaving everyday Americans behind as tensions escalate. But India is not one to discriminate  its carrying out evacuation after daring evacuation to get its nationals back.

We take a look and how the Narendra Modi-led government is undertaking this massive mission, dubbed Operation Kaveri.

Also read: Indias Operation Kaveri in Sudan and other daring evacuation operations to save Indians

A daring rescue

More than 4,000 Indians and those of Indian origin were estimated to be stranded in the conflict-hit African nation when India started to first evacuate on Tuesday. By Friday, the government rescued its tenth batch of nationals from Port Sudan and ferried them to safety in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah.

#OperationKaveri progresses further. 10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted early Friday.

#OperationKaveri progresses further. 10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah.  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) April 27, 2023

India has set up a transit facility at Jeddah, where the rescued nationals make their first pitstop. Minister of State for External Affairs (MoS) V Muraleedharan is in charge of the evacuation mission from the Saudi city.

Indian navy ships have been put into action to bring back those stranded in the war-hit nation from Port Sudan, which is about 813 kilometres from Khartoum, where the fighting is most intense.

The ninth batch of Indians left Port Sudan on INS Tarkash. There were 326 passengers abroad. They were served a meal and taken care of, as several parts hit by the conflict in Sudan saw power cuts and shortages of water and electricity.

However, the most difficult op so far has been from Wadi Seidna, which is in the vicinity of Khartoum. A daring rescue, wrote Muraleedharan on Twitter, as he welcomed 121 Indians who arrived in Jeddah by Indian Air Forces C130 jet. This batch  the eighth  included family members of embassy officials.

A daring rescue! 8th batch of 121 Indians arrived at Jeddah by IAF C 130 J from Wadi Seidna,Sudan.This evacuation was more complex as the location is in vicinity of Khartoum. Family members of our Embassy Officials were also part of this group. Warm welcome.#OperationKaveri pic.twitter.com/VcVnlmuQ1b  V. Muraleedharan (@MOS_MEA) April 27, 2023

Working 24X7 at the Indian embassy in Sudan

Unlike several other nations that rescued their diplomats and support staff first, India did not. Those working at the Indian embassy in Khartoum have stayed put.

Their numbers are small but they have operated round the clock to evacuate those stranded in the war-torn country.

Abdul Kadir, a 39-year-old businessman who was evacuated, said that after the situation in Khartoum worsened, Indias ambassador BS Mubarak and his team of eight officials worked tirelessly. With limited staff, they did unlimited work, he said after landing in Mumbai, adding that the Indian embassy was operating 24x7.

Mubarak was stuck in the worst-affected part of the Sudanese capital, but he was continuously in touch with the staff and volunteers, according to a PTI report. The ambassador created WhatsApp groups of Indians in each locality and ensured that every person got help, Kadir informed.

Defence attache Gurpreet Singh took a risk and brought Mubarak to a safe area, he said.

Kadir, who was living in Sudan since 2017, said they were used to the tense situation in the country, but this time things took an unexpected turn. He and others caught in the conflict were hoping that tensions would decrease in the holy month of Ramzan. Within one hour the situation went out of control, he said, adding that they did not get a chance even to buy food and groceries.

We got the benefit of being Indian. We were allowed to pass peacefully through numerous checkpoints, Kadir recalled.

Also read: Sudan conflict: The fight between rival generals for the control of the nation, explained

The Indian community at Port Sudan not only opened their homes but also their hearts for the rescued nationals.

Another passenger said that the situation was worrisome and the work done by the embassy staff could not be described in words. I only pray to Allah that all our stranded brothers and brothers in the embassy reach home safely, he added.

Another IAF C-130J flight under #OperationKaveri arrived at Jeddah with 128 Indians, the fourth aircraft from Sudan. Efforts are on to ensure that all Indians, who arrived in Jeddah will be sent to India at the earliest. pic.twitter.com/KGoaNRb7mv  V. Muraleedharan (@MOS_MEA) April 26, 2023





Kudos to PM Modi, the Indian Army

Sukhvinder Singh, who was among the first batch of Indian nationals who returned to Delhi, said he was still very scared. We were living in one area, confined to one room. It was like we were on a deathbed," the engineer told PTI.

He recalled that the trip to reach Port Sudan in a bus full of 200 people was very risky. We contacted the Indian embassy and buses for around 200 people were arranged. A road trip was very risky. Only God knows how we reached Port Sudan, he said, adding that the warring groups couldve shot anybody depending on their mood. If we say we are Indians, they let us go, he added.

Indians who are back home are relieved and say they will be forever grateful to the government, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Chants of Indian army Zindabad and PM Modi Zindabad were heard as evacuees from Sudan landed in Delhi after taking a flight from Jeddah on Wednesday.

More work to be done

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatri said that the Centre estimates that approximately 3500 Indian nationals and about 1000-odd persons of Indian origin are in Sudan. The governments focus has been to advise and assist the stranded Indians, he told the media.

Furthermore, as soon as the conflict broke out, the Ministry of External Affairs set up a control room That control room continues to run 24/7 and will continue to do so until we have overcome the current situation and resolved it fully, he said.

India has rescued more than 700 Indians so far and the evacuation ops continue in full swing. While hundreds are back home to their families, many still await help. But in their nation they trust.

With inputs from agencies

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday directed all states and union territories to ensure that as and when any hate speech is made, they shall take suo moto action for registration of FIR even without any complaints.

A bench of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna made it clear that such action shall be taken irrespective of the religion of the persons who made the speech, so that the secular character of Bharat as envisaged by the Preamble is preserved.

The bench said that any hesitation to take action on hate speech would be viewed as contempt of court.

Respondents shall ensure that immediately, as and when any speech or any action takes place which attracts offences such as Section 153A, 153B, 295A and 506 of IPC etc, without any complaint being filed, suo motu action be taken to register cases and proceed against the offenders in accordance with law, the bench stated in its order.

It further added, We further make it clear that such action be taken irrespective of the religion of the maker of the speech, so that the secular character of Bharat as envisaged by the Preamble is preserved.

The apex court was hearing a batch of pleas seeking direction to curb hate speeches.

It has now posted the cases for hearing on May 12.

The bench now extended its October 21, 2022 order, which was applicable to the Delhi, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh governments, to all the States and Union Territories.

During the hearing, the bench made it clear that in its previous order it did not direct that action should be taken against any particular community but action should be taken irrespective of the religion.

As one of the petitioners said that hate speech is a pan-India issue, Justice Joseph said, When you say pan-India issues, I dont know if you have hate speech problem in North-East, at least not that I know. So we dont know if it is pan-India or it is in some areas for special reasons. We only had public good in mind when we passed the order for suo motu action against hate speech. That it should not go out of hand.

The bench opined that hate speech is an offence affecting the fabric of the nation.

As counsels pointed out instances of hate speech in West Bengal and Bihar, Justice Joseph said, We want to say something. Both of us (judges in the bench) are apolitical. We dont care about party A or party B. We are only on Constitution.

Dont bring politics. If attempt is to bring in politics, we wont be a party to this we have said, irrespective of religion, action should be taken, the bench added.

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The trade ties between India and Russia have further strengthened in the last fiscal year. For the first time, exports from Russia to India topped $40 billion.

According to latest data by Indias Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Russia exported $41.6 billion worth of goods to India in the fiscal year April 2022 and March 2023.

The primary reason behind this exponential rise is the increasing volume of crude oil imports from Russia to India.

The shipment figures from Russia to India during the period was more than four times the record set in the previous fiscal year.

Russia becomes Indias fifth largest trading partner

Over the past year, Russia has become Indias fifth largest trading partner.

Trade turnover between Russia and India over the April 2022-March 2023 reached $44.4 billion.

During the period, India shipped $2.8 billion worth of goods to Russia.

Both the countries have also given up dollar and are now settling bi-lateral trade for most of the goods and services in Indian rupees or INR.

Also Read: India, Russia trade hit record high in 2022, settled in INR, ruble

In a statement earlier, Indias External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, had said that trade between New Delhi and Moscow has been rapidly outpacing the $30-billion-by-2025 target initially set by the two countries. This is largely due to Indias increased purchases of Russian oil after Moscow had to reroute its energy exports away from West following the sanctions imposed due to its invasion of Ukraine.

Indias purchases of Russian oil reached an all-time high of 1.64 million barrels per day in March. It was almost double the amount shipped by Saudi Arabia, second-largest oil supplier to India, data from cargo tracker Vortexa stated.

Must Read: Russia starts foreign trade settlements in rupee, more countries to join

Trade ties between India and Russia are expected to boom further as both the nations have relaunched talks regarding a free-trade agreement.

What India imports from Russia?

Apart from crude oil, India imports pulses, vegetable oils, spices, alcoholic beverages, marine products.

With inputs from agencies

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New Delhi: Furthermore, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also touched upon the two defence-related activities launched by India, as the SCO chair, to increase interoperability among member states. These are: a workshop on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and a seminar on defence think tanks of SCO countries. Both events witnessed enthusiastic participation from all SCO countries.

He also voiced Indias commitment towards defence capacity building of SCO member states through training and co-manufacturing & co-development of items. He stated that as security challenges are not limited to any one country, India is moving forward with a collaborative approach in the field of defence partnership, keeping in mind the shared interests.

Defence Ministers of China (General Li Shangfu); Russia (General Sergei Shoigu); Iran (Brig Gen Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani); Belarus (Lt Gen Khrenin VG); Kazakhstan (Col Gen Ruslan Zhaxylykov); Uzbekistan (Lt Gen Bakhodir Kurbanov); Kyrgyzstan (Lt Gen Bekbolotov Baktybek Asankalievich) and Tajikistan (Col Gen Sherali Mirzo) attended the meeting. The Ministers discussed issues of common concern including issues of regional and international security under the charter of SCO during the meeting.

Singh has called upon the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states to collectively work towards eliminating terrorism in all its forms and fix accountability on those who aid or fund such activities.

He also met the Defence Minister of Uzbekistan, Lt Gen Kurbanov Bakhodir Nizamovich on the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers meeting in New Delhi.

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N Chandrasekaran, the chairman of Tata Sons, has stated that the overhaul of Air India is still in progress and the entire nation is cheering for the airline. During the BT MindRush 2023 event on Wednesday, Chandrasekaran shared that he receives around four to five messages about Air India, which is owned by the Tata Group, every day.

He believes that these messages indicate the support and positive feelings towards the airline. N Chandrasekaran said, Everyone in this country is rooting for Air India. He added that he receives several emails daily, with some expressing interest in working for the airline and others providing advice.

According to him, even those who have had negative experiences note that they can see improvements in areas such as on-time arrivals and customer service.

The chairman of Tata Sons also mentioned that he receives messages about Air India on WhatsApp, some of which contain criticisms of the airlines interiors, malfunctioning seats, or dirty conditions.

N Chandra of @TataCompanies tells @TheSouravM, he gets four mails / Whatsapp messages daily on @AirIndiain :  Someone wants a job, some speak about OTP, some about broken chairs  Hope that we can start to show some semblance of new AI in a year :  pic.twitter.com/dizBooiNkD  Tarun Shukla (@shukla_tarun) April 27, 2023

During an interview with Business Today, N Chandrasekaran confirmed that he takes action in response to the messages he receives about Air India. However, if the issue cannot be resolved immediately, he advises the complainant to be patient and give the airline time to make improvements.

In reference to Air Indias improvement efforts, Chandrasekaran stated that significant changes are taking place in several areas. For example, the airline is completely overhauling its human resources, upgrading its technology, and improving its engineering and ground handling operations. Additionally, the entire fleet will be replaced as Air India has placed one of the largest aircraft orders to date. The Tata Sons chief further described this decision as a bold move for the airline.

In the meantime, as part of its fleet and network expansion plans, Air India will recruit over 1,000 pilots, including trainers and captains. The airline currently has a pilot workforce of over 1,800. Air India has ordered 470 aircraft, including wide-body planes, from Boeing and Airbus to support its growth strategy.

On the other front, Air India pilots have expressed concerns regarding the airlines recent announcement about restructuring their salary framework and service terms.

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Jevargi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday promised allocation of Rs one crore for each village panchayat, and Rs 5,000 crore for the Kalyana Karnataka region if his party is voted to power in the May 10 State Assembly polls.

Amid rains, the former Congress chief addressed an election rally, where he also promised to fill 50,000 government job vacancies.

We will allocate Rs 5,000 crore for this region. Each village panchayat will get Rs one crore, a drenched Gandhi said here in Kalaburagi district.

The Kalyana Karnataka region comprises the districts of Bidar, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Kalaburagi, Ballari and Vijayanagara.

He also made a prophecy that the ruling BJP would get only 40 seats since it loves this number. Gandhi alleged that the BJP ministers in Karnataka collected 40 per cent commission for public works from contractors and hence, the party would not get more than 40 seats, while the Congress would win 150 seats and form the next government.

Calling the incumbent BJP government a government by theft, he said the ruling party purchased MLAs from opposition ranks.

We are going to form the government. No one can stop our party from coming to power, Gandhi said.

He also reiterated the four key guarantees of the Congress: Rs 2,000 to woman head of family, 200 units of free power to every household, Rs 3,000 to unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 to unemployed diploma holders (both in the age group of 18 to 25 years) for two years, and 10 kg rice to every member of a BPL family a month.

Apart from this, Gandhi also announced the partys fifth guarantee on Thursday: free bus ride for women in public transport buses.

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Hubbali: Shivaleela Kulkarni is leading the Congress campaign in Karnatakas Dharwad rural seat. But no, she is not contesting, only holding the fort for her husband Vinay who is barred from entering the constituency.

Former minister Kulkarni was arrested and remanded in judicial custody in November 2020 in connection with the murder of BJP leader and zila panchayat member Yogeshgouda Goudar in June 2016. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court on the condition that he would not be allowed to enter Dharwad, the district known as the cultural capital of Karnataka, without the permission of the jurisdictional court.

The jurisdictional special court in Bengaluru had rejected his request for entry, after which he had approached the high court where his petition was dismissed by Justice K Natarajan last week.

With her husband barred from entering the constituency, Shivaleela Kulkarni is leading his campaign in the constituency and talking about the development works he initiated. Kulkarnis opponent, sitting MLA and BJP candidate Amrut Desai on the other hand is confident of retaining the seat on the back of development works done by him.

Often facing attack over the murder case against her husband, Shivaleela Kulkarni counters it with the refrain that people who are part of Centre are also facing criminal charges but ruling the country.

My husband, Vinay Kulkarni, is not in the constituency as he is facing a case since two years, I have been working in the constituency He has done lots of things. Agriculture is the main source of the people here and he has done lots of work for the people, she told PTI.

People in Dharwad rural want to see Vinay Kulkarni return to his land, Shivaleela said as she claimed that no development has happened in the assembly in last five years.

She said Vinay Kulkarni is putting up at a place which is at the border of the constituency. He is staying there and everybody, including the youth and elderly, are going there to meet him and he is also connecting with people virtually, Shivaleela said.

Lashing out at the BJP, she alleged that the party is only supporting people like Adani and Ambani.

They are supporting the business class. All of the constituency people know that what development has been done here, she said.

The reality is that the BJP has not done anything for development while her husband brought funds for the constituency, she claimed.

Shivaleela expressed confidence that one day her husband will be back in the constituency.

Speaking to PTI in Inamhongal in Belgaum district, Vinay Kulkarni said his wife is leading the charge on his behalf.

This election is completely different. This is a big turning point in my life. All the people are supporting me and I will win this election very easily, he claimed.

Kulkarni, a two-time MLA, said he has lost only one election and is confident this time as people are expressing support for him in large numbers.

In my constituency, everyone is very confident that I will win In fact I am not in the constituency but about 10,000 people are gathering for me regularly, it not easy, he said.

Kulkarni said that not just his wife but his workers are also campaigning for him.

Desai, the BJP candidate from Dharwad rural, also expressed confidence of winning the election this time, asserting that there is no anti-incumbency against him.

The BJP has worked really very hard in the constituency under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We have the guidance of BS Yediyurappa ji and Pralhad Joshi ji, huge number of people are supporting us, he said.

Frankly speaking we are not scared of the person who is contesting against me. We are very confident about the development work we have done. We are asking votes on our work, Desai said.

Rejecting suggestions that Vinay Kulkarni may get sympathy votes, Desai said, How can they get sympathy? Zila panchayat member was murdered, sympathy should be with that person and his family members. Voting will take place in the state on May 10 and the results will be out on May 13.

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Hubballi: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged BJP workers to ensure victory at the booth level in the upcoming state elections.

Bommai said that Modi held a lengthy discussion with the partys ground workers, exhorting them to ensure that the party stays strong and united to the lowest level. The prime minister also interacted with party workers on Thursday.

PM Modi also encouraged the party workers to ensure that the party wins at the booth level as the same would translate to victory in the Assembly polls, the CM informed further.

The double-engine government is committed to the development of the state. A lot of impetus has been given to development across sectors during our tenure. The PM gave his guidance on several other issues, Bommai said.

Reacting to Congress poll slogan, seeking 150 seats for itself, and saying that the BJPs tally would be reduced to 40, CM Bommai said the people would decide who to give 150 seats.

We have full confidence in the people that they will bless us in the coming Assembly polls, Bommai added.

The chief minister further said that the poll promises made by Congress are impossible to implement.

He said, In other states, they failed to implement their poll assurances. In a few states, their tenure is coming to an end and people are still waiting for the schemes.

With inputs from agencies

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A disturbing video of a man masturbating inside a Delhi metro compartment has gone viral on social media. In the clip, the man can be seen masturbating, despite the presence of other passengers beside him. The female passenger sitting beside the man is visibly disturbed by his behaviour, and the video of the incident was recorded by another commuter.

A male passenger sitting a couple of seats away appears to be ignoring the mans inappropriate behaviour. On the other hand, the person filming the video does not appear to be intervening to stop the perpetrator from engaging in such a reprehensible act. Later, the man is seen continuing to masturbate even when there are no passengers near him.

The video has sparked a range of reactions on Twitter, with many condemning the man for his public behaviour.

Swati Maliwal, the head of the Delhi Commission for Women, expressed strong criticism in response to the video on Friday. Maliwal took a firm position on the matter and issued a notice to the Delhi Police and Delhi Metro, calling for the most severe measures to be taken against the disgraceful behaviour.

Came across a viral video where a man can be seen shamelessly masturbating in Delhi Metro. It is absolutely disgusting and sickening. I am issuing a notice to Delhi Police and Delhi Metro to ensure the strictest possible action against this shameful act, she tweeted.

Came across a viral video where a man can be seen shamelessly masturbating in Delhi Metro. It is absolutely disgusting and sickening. I am issuing a notice to Delhi Police and Delhi Metro to ensure strictest possible action against this shameful act.  Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) April 28, 2023

This is not the first instance of a man masturbating in public. A police officer in Deoria, Uttar Pradesh was suspended in 2020 after he was recorded masturbating in front of a woman in a police station. According to a IANS, the woman used a hidden camera to record the incident. The Superintendent of Police in Deoria stated that an FIR had been lodged against the officer and he had been suspended.

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The experience of going through a visa application process can be hectic and frustrating. An investor named Ujjavala Bothra has recently shared such an experience on social media. She shared an unpleasant encounter she had on Wednesday while applying for a Schengen visa.

Schengen visa is a type of document that permits access to a group of 27 European nations. Bothra applied for a visa to Norway and ended up expressing her frustration on Twitter. She wrote, The amount of paperwork for a Schengen visa is insane! Why is it so difficult to understand: 1. We are not interested in marrying your men, thank you 2. We are actually adding to the GDP of your country!!

Bothra shared another tweet where she mentioned that even though her appointment was scheduled for 11:30 am, she had to wait until 2 pm. This led her to question the purpose of booking a slot. Moreover, the document checklist provided on Norways website was outdated. She expressed her dissatisfaction with the expensive one-page print that cost her Rs 150, and described her visa experience as soul-crushing.

Additionally, Bothra criticised VFS Global, a company that provides visa, passport, and consular services to governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. She called for more competition to break their monopoly.

Had my @VFSGlobal appt today  I am convinced every step of this process is broken :/ 1. My turn, for an 11:30am appt, came at 2pm  what is the point of booking a slot?

2. Apparently, the document checklist on Norway's website is outdated  Speechless!

3. 1 page print = 150Rs!?  Ujjavala Bothra (@ujjavalabothra) April 26, 2023

Soul crushing would be an understatement to describe my visa experience. We 100% need more competition to @VFSGlobal  Monopolies suck!  Ujjavala Bothra (@ujjavalabothra) April 26, 2023

The tweet amassed a wide range of reactions from users in the comment section, with many relating to her experience.

An account commented that Norway has excessively strict rules. He stated that he has been unable to bring his foreign family to Norway for visits and they always have to leave the country to meet.

norway is way too strict. i havent been able to bring my foreign family here once for visits. we always have to leave norway to meet  benja (@akawrh) April 26, 2023

A user said that she understands the rationale behind the strict requirements for a Schengen visa. She stated that visa provides entry to 27 nations that have abolished border controls among them. Therefore, she said if one country grants the visa, they need to ensure that the applicant has legitimate travel plans and will not illegally immigrate to another country. She further added that this responsibility is shared among the Schengen nations, and the visa process is designed to fulfil this responsibility.

To be fair though, Ive understood the reason. When you apply for a SCHENGEN visa, you basically get an entry to 27 nations that dont exercise any border control. So if one nation grants the visa, they have to be sure, you have actual travel plans and wont illegally immigrate  Tanya Khanijow (@TanyaKhanijow) April 26, 2023

Another individual wrote that the reason for the strict visa requirements is that many individuals attempt to enter countries using fake documents and fraudulent methods. He said that he attended visa interviews for both the US and the EU, and individuals in the same queue as him were discovered to be using fake documents.

It is because a lot of people do try to enter through fake documents and fraudulent means. During my visa interviews for both US and EU, people in the same queue as me were found to be fake.  debayan (@debayan) April 25, 2023

Various users, however, also expressed in the comment section that they had a similar experience as Bothra.

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Another batch of 362 Indian evacuees from Sudan took a flight for Bengaluru from Jeddah on Friday, in the presence of Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan under ongoing Operation Kaveri.

Bon voyage! Delighted to see off 362 Indians evacuated from Sudan on a flight bound for Bengaluru from Jeddah. Good number of these are from Hakki Pikki tribe, tweeted Muraleedharan.

About 31 tribals (Hakki Pikki) from Karnataka were stranded in the African country amid the violence between Sudans military and the countrys main paramilitary force.

Meanwhile, 392 Indian nationals are returning to Delhi from Jeddah on IAF C17 Globemaster after evacuation from Sudan.

Glad to see happy and energetic faces of 392 of our nationals returning to Delhi from Jeddah on IAF C17 Globemaster after evacuation from Sudan. Saw them off at the aircraft. They will be with their beloved ones in India soon. #OperationKaveri, tweeted Muraledharan.

According to the MoS, the ninth batch of 135 Indians nationals were evacuated from Port Sudan to Jeddah by IAF C 130 J.

Earlier, the tenth batch of 326 Indian evacuees from Sudan reached Jeddah by INS Tarkash.

IAF C-130J flight on Friday evacuated the 10th batch of 135 Indian passengers from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region.

#OperationKaveri progresses further. 10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah, tweeted the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi.

This comes after the army said it would extend the ceasefire for an additional 72 hours following mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United States in the final hours of the repeatedly broken three-day truce, due to end at midnight (22:00 GMT) on Thursday.

The RSF also said it approved the extended truce, adding that the proposal came from two diplomatic groupings that include the US, Saudi Arabia, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

On Thursday, warplanes patrolled over the capitals northern suburbs as fighters on the ground exchanged artillery and heavy machine-gun fire.

The previous ceasefire has not stopped the fighting but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese, as well as, foreign nationals to leave to safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate hundreds of their citizens by land and sea.
The Supreme Court on Friday termed hate speech as a serious offence that can affect the secularism of India. It has also directed states and union territories to register cases over hate speech even in the absence of any formal complaint.

While doing so, the top court extended the scope of its own order of 2022. The comments were made when the Supreme Court was hearing a bunch of cases related to inaction by states to address instances of hate speech.

It warned that delay in registering hate speech cases would result in contempt of court. We further make it clear that such action be taken irrespective of the religion of the maker of the speech so that the secular character of Bharat as envisaged by the Preamble is preserved, the bench today said in its order.

The Supreme Courts order for suo motu registration of FIR in hate speech dated October 2022 was only passed by the UP, Delhi and Uttarakhand governments.

Justices K M Joseph and B V Nagarathna said last month that cases of hate speech is happening because the State is impotent, State is powerless, State doesnt act in time, and will stop the moment politics and religion are segregated.

The petitioners in the case have recommended the appointment of a nodal officer for each state. The bench, on the other hand, said one nodal officer should be appointed in each district.

With inputs from agencies

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The Amethi district Congress chief has been booked for allegedly abusing and beating up a party worker Akhilesh Shukla for donning a saffron kurta to the party office.

However, Youth Congress district president Shubham Singh dismissed the allegation saying that it was a conspiracy to tarnish the Congress image.

On the complaint of Shukla, an FIR has been lodged against Congress district unit president Pradeep Singhal, Youth Congress district president Shubham Singh and others for abusing and beating Shukla and issuing life threats to him, Station House Officer of Amethi Kotwali police station Arun Kumar Dwivedi said.

Shukla, a former vice president of the Amethi Congress unit, said when he visited the party office at Durgapur Road here wearing a saffron kurta and white pants on Thursday evening, party workers accused him of supporting the BJP through his attire instead of campaigning for the Congress for the upcoming municipal elections here, the police officer said.

The argument escalated soon and a dozen people, including Singhal and Singh, thrashed him fiercely and tore his clothes, he said quoting the Shuklas complaint. Subsequently, a case was registered late Thursday evening under the Indian Penal Code, Dwivedi said.

Singh added that Shukla was making wild allegations as he failed to get a position in the district party leadership.

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At the time of writing this article, S Jaishankar, the Minister for External Affairs, has been making his way across Latin Americas four nations, Guyana, Panama, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic. With a keen focus on boosting Indias pharma, infrastructure, and mining capabilities, Jaishankars visit holds significant importance for Indias expanding global footprint. The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) is also lending its support to the ministers visit by organising parallel delegates in coordination with the MEA.

The visit of these four nations, once ruled by colonial powers, holds immense strategic importance for India. Jaishankars visit marks the first time an Indian foreign minister has made a bilateral visit to these countries. Before his tenure, MoS for External Affairs, a junior foreign minister, monitored the Latin American region. Jaishankars enthusiasm for dealing with South America is palpable, with economic relevance, strategic positioning, and energy diversification at the core of his mission.

India and Latin America currently boast a $50-billion trade, however, which pales compared to Chinas $450 billion trade with the LAC region. Nevertheless, it is important to note that this number for China was a mere $12 billion two decades ago, indicating the potential for growth in Indias trade and investment in the region. Chinas investment in the area, particularly in the mining sector, has given it a significant advantage. This area is full of gold, silver, iron ore, copper, and, most importantly, Lithium.

With Guyanas recent emergence as one of the newest petroleum-producing countries, with oil reserves of 15 billion barrels, Indias interest in the region becomes even more critical. India imports 15 per cent of its crude oil from the Latin-America and Caribbean region. Still, successfully importing oil from Guyana would be a significant diplomatic victory for India, especially given the current political climate with the sanctions on Venezuela and Iran, in addition to increasing reliance on Middle Eastern oil.

Beyond its mining and petroleum reserves, Latin America offers India potential agricultural land. With almost five times the area of India and half the population, this region can provide India with an opportunity to address its reliance on imports of essential commodities such as pulses.

Jaishankars visit to Latin America and Caribbeans holds immense strategic importance for India, particularly given Chinas increasing presence and investment in the region.

However, connectivity is a major obstacle. All talks about trade in commodities are facades because of difficulties encountered in the travelling distance. China has the upper hand in this because of its influence over the Panama Canals shipping lines.

Regional politics is also one of the obstacles; Brazil and India are a part of G4 and want an expansion of the UN Security Council, but Argentina is part of the Coffee Club, which opposes the move. There are multiple groupings of countries in the region, and preferring some over others to engage with will be challenging.

The Indian Elephant has moved forward for the journey to the Pacific Pumas, much to balance the influence of the Dragon. The strength of the Elephant is not in the question but the speed, definitely, is.

The writer is an independent columnist who writes on international relations, and socio-political affairs. Views expressed are personal.

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The clash between Pakistans institutions has only been intensifying, despite the interregnum of otherwise becalming Eid-ul-Fitr holidays. On 26 April, a gauntlet was thrown to the Supreme Court (SC) by holding a meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM) government allies and re-convening a National Assembly session in Islamabad.

Even as half-hearted attempts to start a dialogue with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) politicians to arrive at an acceptable date for national and provincial elections in pursuance of the CJs directive expectedly came to nought, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif told his allies that the Supreme Courts role was not that of an arbitrator or to act like a panchayat, but to decide cases in accordance with the law/ Constitution. Fiery speeches were witnessed in the National Assembly (NA), threatening even contempt in reverse against the judges, or references to its Privileges Committee (in apparent violation of Art 68, which precludes scrutiny of judges actions).

After taking a sense of the House, the Speaker, Raja Pervez Ashraf wrote a letter to the Chief Justice urging the higher judiciary to exercise restraint and respect the parliaments legislative domain. He stressed, the SC must, as far as possible, avoid getting involved in [the] political thicket, leaving resolution of political matters to the parliament and political parties. The letter flagged the attempt to approve expenditure from federal consolidated fund as encroachment upon the National Assemblys powers and pressure tactics. It urged the SC to work together to uphold the Constitution and protect democratic values remaining within respective institutional domains, to ensure that confrontation between the organs of the state is avoided and constitutional order is maintained.

Appearing on Dawn News TVs Spotlight programme (21 April), Pakistans former Prime Minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi (August 2017-May 2018), himself of defence officials lineage (also from his spouses side!), made an interesting comment, warning that the current economic and military crisis had all the makings of attracting a military takeover. The Army had intervened in the past in much less severe circumstances, he assessed, observing that martial law always remained a possibility when the system failed or there was a conflict between institutions and political leaders failed to chart a course forward. These remarks trended on Twitter and set other social media blogs a flutter, anticipating such imminent worst case scenarios.

To confound matters, a new audio leak surfaced on 23 April, of a talk allegedly between CJ Bandials mother in law, Mahjabeen Noon and wife of PTI lawyer (and former Punjab Governor) Khwaja Tariq Rahim, Rafia Tariq. In the audio, Bandials mother in law admits having attended a recent rally of Imran Khan in Lahore. Rafia acknowledges being in WhatsApp contact with the CJ. While hoping for more strength to the CJ to enable him to stand up firmly against the federal government, they imply in the conversation that even an early imposition of martial law could be a better option than the prevailing stasis and confrontation!

Though this intrusion of privacy has been condemned as illegal by Pakistans civil society, its timing is curious, emerging just when CJ Bandials three-judge SC bench was set to resume its hearing on the petition against the delay in the Punjab Assembly elections. One perceptive observer of SC proceedings claimed, it exposed the grip of the so-called Lahore group on recent judicial decisions unduly favouring Imran Khan and certainly increased pressure on Umar Ata Bandial, who took sick leave from the SC for a day (26 April).

Meanwhile, even as Army Chief Gen Asim Munir left on a four-day visit to China (24 April), new Director General, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Maj Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry held his first press conference (Islamabad, 25 April). Referring to the Army as a national institution, he said, it had respect for all politicians and political parties. The centre of real power was the nation. However, he emphasized, the army had a constitutional and non-political relationship with the government of the time. It was inappropriate to paint that relationship with a political colour. Chaudhry added that talks on social media against the army, institutions and their officeholders were irresponsible and unwise, especially if such criticism emanated from retired military personnel, who should not wear a political garb.

The DG (ISPR)s remarks indicated clearly that while the military establishment was not contemplating any unwarranted front-door entry at present, it was standing behind the PDM government. When questioned regarding the provision of military personnel for the Punjab polls, Chaudhry replied, The position was what the Ministry of Defence had already told the Supreme Court earlier, based on facts on the ground.

Displaying a calmer demeanor at the resumed hearings of the three-judge bench on 27 April, CJ Bandial heard attorneys representing the government and opposition and adjourned proceedings, urging them to please come together for the sake of (upholding) the law and hold talks to resolve the impasse. In an effort to extricate himself from a blind alley, he clarified that he would issue an appropriate order in this regard, without stipulating any timeline or mandatory guidance.

If such talks do take off on forging a compromise date for one-day elections at the federal and provincial level, the Supreme Court could provide a one-time amending proviso to the 90-day stipulation for holding elections. Though chances of success seem minimal, this may arrest the cascading slide towards constitutional disaster to which Pakistan seems headed.

The writer is a former special secretary, Cabinet Secretariat. Views expressed are personal.

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Let us begin with a caveat: Islamic terrorism and fundamentalism is in no hurry to disappear.

According to the website thereligionofpeace.com which tracks reported cases of Islamist terrorism, 741 people died in 145 attacks across the world during Ramzan (March 23 to April 23) this year in the name of Islam. From Al Shabaab deadly Bar Sangunni strike in Somalia that killed 32 to five Indian soldiers killed in Poonch, and from 52 of a farming community massacred in Nigeria to 60 butchered in Burkina Faso, jihadists made the Holy month awash with blood.

A mob in Indonesia reportedly beat up two women and threw them into the sea for eating in a cafe instead of observing the Ramzan fast. While in Indias Gujarat, young Muslim woman Shaista was allegedly killed by five of her family members for falling in love with a Hindu man.

So, let us not fool ourselves. It will take very long for the corpse train to stop. But brakes have been applied, and even if it takes a long time, the beast will weaken and hopefully stop some day.

Here are seven jolts radical Islam has been dealt with lately. None of them are superficial. All of them contain the power to change.

1. No new ideas to offer

Any attempt at innovation, interpretation and integration come at a high price in Islam. The decree that the Quran is not to be challenged continues to stymie new ideas.

Muslims who deviated famously paid with blood. Salman Rushdie lived under threat for decades and was finally stabbed because his Satanic Verses seemed to mock Mohammad. Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz was stabbed because his book, The Children of Gabalawi, offended Egypts highest Islamic authority, Al Azhar. Arab scholar Suliman Bashear was thrown from a second-story window by his students at the University of Nablus in the West Bank after he suggested that Islam developed as a religion slowly rather than emanating fully from the mouth of the Prophet.

Decreed to live forever in 7th century wisdom, Islam fails to come up with ideas on issues concerning newer generations like climate change, womens development, LGBTQ+, cryptocurrency, virtual dating, artificial intelligence and atheism without twisting itself up in an inarticulate rage.

2. Internet and ex-Muslims

In the past, even the harshest and most problematic tenets of Islam used to be passed down by parents and grandparents who tempered those down with their common sense and compassion. Internet has cut out that benign intermediary. It brings the verses raw to its audience.

It has also amplified the dissent of those like Taslima Nasreen, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Dina Nayeri, Tarek Fatah and others. Their work would have gone quietly and prematurely to the grave  perhaps along with their authors  if there were no internet.

This has also spawned movements like Ex-Muslims and Awesome Without Allah, a silent but rapidly spreading body blow to the Ummah.

3. Oil economy waning

Perhaps the biggest and most profound long-term threat to radical Islam is the bleak future of oil and rise of renewable/green energy. Since 2010, the stock value of the four largest oil firms has plummeted by more than half. In 2020, there were write-downs of $145 billion of oil reserves and related assets.

Oil money from West Asia has powered Islamic fundamentalism for very long. With that economy shrinking, radical Islam will have to find an alternative goldmine. And that wont be easy.

4. Al Qaeda to ISIS as adverts

Another massive fallout of the Internet era has been the streaming of brutalities by Islamists worldwide. Al Qaeda crashing skyscrapers full of innocents or ISIS beheading citizens in orange jumpsuits have left a couple of generations of young, sensitive and rational Muslims deeply disturbed.

For centuries, Islamist genocides have entered the pages of history as mere numbers. For the first time, humanity could witness first-hand what the burning alive in an iron cage of 19 Yazidi girls who refused to be sex slaves of ISIS looks like.

Add to that the utterances of maulanas from Pakistan to Libya about 72 hoors, stoning of women in Afghanistan, persecution of homosexualsall on camera.

It has been the most terrible advertisement of the faith, which the Left, liberals and overground Islamists have failed to whitewash.

5. MBS, MBZ and Abraham accords

Another massive development, closely linked to the sliding of the oil economy, has been the visionary leadership of Saudi and UAE crown princes Mohammed bin Salman and Mohammed bin Zayed. Both are young and envision a vibrant and open West Asia which could be the Europe of the future.

They may be driven by the looming compulsion to open up their economy, and consequently, society, to the world to come and do business. They may not always act on consensus. But they are using their political systems to bring unsought of change to the region, starting with good relations with Israel and women empowerment.

If they have their way, the Islamic world could look very different.

6. Iranian women protests

The revolutionary protests in Iran triggered by the killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini by the moral police could be the beginning of the end of radical Islams bottomless tyranny against women. Since the beginning of the uprising, more than 500 have been killed. Of them 60-70 are women. But the fire of revolt rages on, spreading into popular literature, cinema, video reels and music.

Iran could become the template of womens revolt across the Islamic world.

7. Free-fall of Pakistan, rise of India

Finally, the meltdown of Pakistans economy and polity and the rapid rise of India into one of the major world powers is a huge setback for radical Islam, at least in the Indian subcontinent. Pakistan was carved out of India in 1947 as a theocratic State as Islams rejection to coexist with the Hindu majority. An overwhelming number of Muslims  even though many stayed back in India to not lose property  had voted for the creation of Pakistan.

Islamists in India and Bangladesh kept looking up to Pakistan as a promised land.

But the spectacular crumbling of the Pakistani economy, food riots, humiliating conditions for an IMF bailout, and being reduced to a vassal state of China has completely discredited the Pakistan model.

All these sobering factors combine to create conditions for introspection. The message is loud and clear: change or face an existential challenge. Islamists may argue that their faith has overcome such adversities and remained unchanged, but they would underestimate the potent mix that technology combined with the human need for happiness and progress can create.

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On Saturday and Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit poll-bound Karnataka, where he will attend six public gatherings and undertake two roadshows.

According to his itinerary, Modi will travel from Delhi to Bidar airport on Saturday morning, where he will board a helicopter to Humnabad in Bidar district to attend a public assembly at 11 a.m.

He will next travel to Vijayapura, where he will address a public gathering at 1 p.m. He will next travel to Kudachi in the Belagavi district, where he would address the crowd at around 2.45 p.m.

Modi would then fly to Bengaluru in the evening for a road event in Bengaluru North.

After overnight in Bengaluru, he will travel from Raj Bhavan to Kolar on Sunday morning, when he would address a public assembly at 11.30 a.m.

The Prime Minister will subsequently travel from Kolar to Channapatna in Ramanagara district, where he would attend a public assembly at 1.30 p.m.

Modi will then go to Belur, a temple town in Hassan district, where he will address the public at 3:45 p.m.

The Prime Ministers next stop will be Mysuru, where he will host a roadshow that evening.

Following the event, he would fly the special aircraft from Mysuru to Delhi.

This is Modis sixth visit to poll-bound Karnataka this year, with Assembly elections for 224 seats scheduled on 10 May.

The Congress attacked the BJP on Friday, asking that its leader, Basangouda Patil Yatnal, be expelled for referring to Sonia Gandhi as a vishkanya.

According to Congress national secretary Randeep Surjewala, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka and its leaders have lost their mental and political equilibrium.

The Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka and its leaders have lost their mental and political balance. Facing a complete rout in the assembly elections, BJP leadership is frustrated to the core and is hurling filth and muck, which is the product of their ugly character and dirty pic.twitter.com/BeteyF0FQX  Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) April 28, 2023

He said it is the worst kind of sacrilege and abuse being hurled upon Sonia Gandhi and the Congress leadership at the instance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

The BJP leadership and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have made a profession of abusing the Nehru Gandhi Family. PM Modi himself has, in the past, called Sonia Gandhi as Congress Ki Vidhwa and even used filthy language like calling her Jersey Cow," the AICC general secretary in-charge for Karnataka said.

Such language hurled at Sonia Gandhi, who is the wife of a former prime minister who was martyred for the country, reflects the "absolutely debased and undignified character" of the BJP and its leadership, Surjewala alleged.

The Congress leader claimed that the sad part is that all of this has the tacit approval of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, J P Nadda and Basavaraj Bommai.

We also demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai should tender an unconditional public apology to Sonia Gandhi as also to the Congress leadership," the Congress leader said.

Congress General Secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal tweeted, Every election, they hurl new abuses to insult Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji, who has led her entire life with utmost dignity and grace. BJP continues to stoop to new lows, with their filthy language against our leaders. Modi ji, do you endorse these words? Yadha raja thada Praja.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday promised allocation of Rs one crore for each village panchayat, and Rs 5,000 crore for the Kalyana Karnataka region if his party is voted to power in the May 10 State Assembly polls.

Amid rains, the former Congress chief addressed an election rally, where he also promised to fill 50,000 government job vacancies.

We will allocate Rs 5,000 crore for this region. Each village panchayat will get Rs one crore, a drenched Gandhi said here in Kalaburagi district.

The Kalyana Karnataka region comprises the districts of Bidar, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Kalaburagi, Ballari and Vijayanagara.

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Amazon has begun laying off employees once more, this time from their numerous HR departments as well as its AWS or Amazon Web Services technical teams. Amazon Web Services CEO Adam Selipsky and Human Resources Director Beth Galetti told staff in the United States, Canada, and Costa Rica of the layoffs.

Selipsky noted in the message, It is a challenging day for our entire organisation. The layoffs are part of the previously announced job cuts, which are expected to affect 9,000 people. Amazon laid off workers in its advertising section last week, as well as its video games and Twitch live streaming operations in recent weeks.

Earlier this year, Amazon executed a separate wave of layoffs impacting around 18,000 employees. In conjunction with this months layoffs, this is Amazons largest personnel loss in its 29-year history.

Jassy has proved that two of Amazons largest and most successful companies, advertising and Amazon Web Services, are not immune to cost-cutting measures.

AWS and advertising have both seen sluggish growth in recent months as corporations cut spending in response to the tough economy. The prior round of layoffs comprised several Amazon Web Services divisions.

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Angela Wilkinson, draped in a colourful campaign banner and wearing an oversize God, Guns, and Trump necklace around her neck, declared at a political gathering that her hero will succeed Joe Biden in the White House next year.

Just two days after Biden announced his reelection candidature for 2024, his likely Republican opponent Donald Trump landed on early-voting New Hampshire Thursday to energise supporters and strengthen their confidence in his ability to recapture the position he lost to the senior Democrat.

Many people, like Wilkinson, a 48-year-old insurance salesman from Maine, stated at the gathering in a Manchester hotel ballroom that they were looking forward to another Biden-Trump fight.

A rematch? There wasnt even a match to begin with back in 2020, an exasperated Wilkinson said, alluding to largely debunked claims of election fraud she and others repeated at the event.

But bring it on, Wilkinson, hand on one hip, said with a grin. Because Biden is going to get annihilated. And for sure were not going to have any election meddling in 2024.

New Hampshirite native Anne-Marie ONeil agreed. I dont like Biden, and There should be a rematch, said the 63-year-old licensed nursing assistant.

Asked whether she was prepared for a bruising battle which could feature Trump campaigning while under a shadow of legal woes, ONeil didnt flinch: I have the stomach for anything.

Hes a fighter

Trump arrived in New Hampshire with bad news weighing on his campaign.

This week a woman writer testified in a New York court that Trumped raped her in the mid-1990s.

His vice president Mike Pence appeared Thursday before a grand jury investigating the 2001 US Capitol riot by Trump supporters.

And earlier this month Trump appeared before a judge to face indictments related to hush-money payments he made to a porn star just before the 2016 election.

Still, the MAGA base refused to be distracted by the barrage of legal challenges.

It pushes him forward, hes a fighter, ONeil said. Theyve been after Trump since Day 1.

And Trump reminded his audience as much, recounting a series of old grievances  the 2020 election was rigged, Democrats are weaponizing the subpoena process, and the corrupt global establishment is aligning to defeat him once again.

His fans cheered wildly when Trump, himself 76, mocked his 80-year-old Democratic rival, imitating a lost or stumbling elderly man and then pledging: Were going to crush Joe Biden.

The brash billionaire also recounted the greatest hits of talking points in his more than 90-minute address.

He said, among other things, that he is the only candidate who will prevent World War III, illegal immigration has made the United States a dumping ground for the entire world, and that the United States is now, under the Biden administration, run by stupid people.

Like a zombie

Despite an eye-popping $787.5 million payout by conservative-leaning Fox News to settle a lawsuit claiming the network willfully aired Trumps false claims including accusations of election fraud, his supporters in Manchester insisted much of what was deemed conspiracy theories by critics was actually true.

I dont believe he lost the election at all, said Maureen Anderson, 43, from neighbouring Massachusetts. I think he won in a landslide, you know?

One supporter, a Vietnamese American in his late forties who identified himself as Tin Tran, was decked out in a cowboy hat and a suit that read ReTrumpbution Now in gold letters down the back.

He expressed fears that Trump was facing a corrupt Democratic team that would do anything to keep the Republican leader out of the White House.

Theyre going to steal the election again! he said with a loud flourish as Sinead OConnors Nothing Compares 2 U played on the rallys audio system.

Biden is like a zombie, so easy to control him behind the scenes, Tran added.

While Mike Osene and his wife Anne, both 45 and from Connecticut, expressed less radical views about the race and conceded that Trump lost in 2020, they were both optimistic about challenging Biden again.

If there is a rematch, I think Trump will wipe the floor with him, Mike Osene said.

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A mysterious Russian satellite and a classified US military satellite appear to be chasing each other in space. The Russian spacecraft, Kosmos-2558, was launched in August 2022 into the same orbital plane as the US satellite, USA-326, and has ever since passed near the American spacecraft, reported Business Insider.

Due to Kosmos-2558s behaviour and the lack of a formal explanation from Russia, space experts believe the probe is stalking USA-326. This is the third satellite launched by Russia that looks to be an inspector, a spacecraft which can acquire detailed information about another satellite.

Media reports suggest that if the Kosmos-2558 is the inspector it appears to be, created especially to stalk and maybe collect data on USA-326, its likely obtaining an even better imagery.

For decades, spacecrafts have spied on one another. The trick is to simply launch your satellite into a higher orbit than the satellites you want to observe.

However, Russia appears to be experimenting with a new means of stalking specific targets, for reasons unknown, according to Business Insider.

Gen James H Dickinson, commander of US Space Command, told NBC News after Russia launched Kosmos-2558, Thats really irresponsible behavior. We see that its in a similar orbit to one of our high-value assets for the US government.

Dickinson also said that the US would continue to track the Russian spacecraft.

The Americans have stated that the USA-326 is meant to support overhead reconnaissance, which is a spy satellite program for gathering intelligence by observing Earth.

Jonathan McDowell, a Harvard astrophysicist, told the Business Insider that the Kosmos-2558 made four close passes at USA-326 in March. It passed within about 50 kms of USA-326. The distance wasnt that close enough to risk a collision, but it can get detailed imagery.

Its not the first time that such an incident has happened. According to Anatoly Zak, a writer who monitors Russias space programme, another Kosmos satellite showed stalking behaviour after its launch in 2014. However, it was stalking its own rocket stage, not an adversary spacecraft.

Then, in 2020, a US Space Force general stated that two unidentified Russian satellites were following a US espionage satellite.

According to hobby satellite tracker Nico Janssen, in the latest development of this chase, the US satellite shifted to a higher orbit, ascending farther away just before Kosmos-2558 was slated to pass close by again on 7 April, reported Business Insider.

Janssen believes the US spacecraft was simply executing a routine boost to compensate for the altitude it lost recently due to solar activity. Charged particles have been ejected from the sun, causing satellites to fall into lower orbits.

With inputs from agencies

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China has blamed the Philippines for a near-collision in the South China Sea between a Chinese coast guard ship and Philippine patrol vessel on Friday.

The Chinese foreign ministry said that the Philippine boats had intruded without Chinas permission and claimed that the incident took place due to premeditated and provocative action by the Philippines.

The Chinese coast guard vessel safeguarded Chinas territorial sovereignty and maritime order, in accordance with the law, while taking timely measures to avoid the dangerous approach of Philippine vessels and to avoid a collision, Mao Ning, a spokeswoman of the Chinese foreign ministry, told the media.

The near-miss off the Spratly Islands on Sunday was the latest in a steady string of incidents between China and the Philippines in the contested waterway.

The incident happened after Philippine coast guard boats  which also contained members of the media - approached Second Thomas Shoal, known in China as Ren'ai Jiao. As one boat neared the shoal, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel more than twice its size sailed into its path.

The Philippine captain was quoted as saying news agency AFP that the Chinese ship came within 45 metres (50 yards) of his boat and only his quick actions avoided the steel-hulled vessels crashing into each other.

"It was a premeditated and provocative action for the Philippine vessel to barge into the waters of Ren'ai Jiao with journalists on board, the aim was to deliberately find fault and take the opportunity to hype up the incident," she added.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including the Spratly Islands. However, an international ruling has rejected Chinese claims and has said that Chinas assertion has no legal basis.

(With agency inputs)

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Saudi Arabia and Iran will reopen embassies in each others capital cities within days, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Friday in a sign of thawing relations between the two countries. Both the nations had shut down their diplomatic missions seven years ago.

At a news conference in the Lebanese capital Beirut, Amirabdollahian did not give specific dates for the reopening of the embassies, which closed in 2016.

During the last phone call between the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia on Eid al-Fitr, we agreed to work in the next coming days on the reopening of the Iranian and Saudi embassies in Tehran and Riyadh, Amirabdollahian said, according to an official Arabic translation.

The regional rival countries agreed last month to restore diplomatic relations under a deal that was brokered by Asian giant China.

Their relationship started deteriorating in 2015 following the intervention of Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the Yemen war, after the Iran-aligned Houthi movement toppled the Saudi-backed government and seized control of the capital Sanaa.

Tension between the countries has fuelled conflicts across the region, including the Syrian civil war.

Amirabdollahian was speaking at the end of his visit to Lebanon where he met Lebanese officials including Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

The Iranian foreign minister confirmed President Ebrahim Raisi would visit Syria in the near future without providing details.

The visit would be the first by an Iranian president to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since war broke out in Syria in 2011. With military help and economic support from both Iran and Russia, Assad was able to turn the tide of the conflict and regain control of most of his country.

In Israel, National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi sought to cast Irans diplomatic outreach as a response to what he described as its failure to contend with Israeli military strikes on its assets in Syria and elsewhere.

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Uman, Ukraine: As Kiev claimed that preparations for a counteroffensive against Moscows forces were almost complete, Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities on Friday left 26 people dead, including five children.

The deadly new attacks included a strike on a residential block in the historic city of Uman in central Ukraine, where Russian cruise missiles killed 23 people  including four children, a young woman and her two-year-old daughter in the central city of Dnipro and a 57-year-old woman in the southern region of Kherson.

The barrage of almost two dozen missiles overnight ended a weeks-long pause following the repeated Russian strikes that had aimed to paralyse Ukraines energy grid during the winter months.

On Friday evening, workers in Uman, the site of an annual Hasidic pilgrimage, pulled the body of another child from under the rubble. Authorities said Russian cruise missiles killed 23 people  including four children  in Uman.

I want to see my children, they are under the rubble, Dmitry, a 33-year-old local from Lugansk, an eastern city under Russian control, said earlier in the day.

Rescuers were using cranes to search for survivors among the remains of the multi-storey housing block in the central city of 80,000 inhabitants.

Ive seen a lot, but I havent lost my children before. Now I want to see my children alive or dead, Dmitry said.

Russian missiles also hit the central city of Dnipro, already grief-stricken after a January strike on a tower block that killed more than 40 people.

Authorities said the strikes in Dnipro killed a 31-year-old woman and her two-year-old daughter in their sleep.

The young womans parents were hospitalised.

Neighbours say that it was a quiet and kind family, regional authorities said.

Separately, authorities in the southern region of Kherson said on Friday evening that Russian forces shelled the village of Bilozerka, killing a 57-year-old woman and wounding another three.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the latest barrage and vowed a response.

Only absolute evil can unleash such terror against Ukraine, he said in his evening address.

His advisor Mykhaylo Podolyak tweeted: If you dont want THIS spread around the world, then give us weapons. Lots of weapons. And add sanctions.

Moscow said it had targeted reserve units of the Ukrainian military and that all assigned objects were hit.

Moscow-installed officials in eastern Ukraine said that Ukrainian shelling had killed nine people, including an eight-year-old girl in the city of Donetsk.

We are ready

There were no reported casualties in Kyiv, which was among the cities targeted Friday.

The capital had not been hit by missiles in more than 50 days, although last week it was attacked by 12 Iranian-made drones, eight of which were shot down without causing any casualties.

Ukraine said overall it had downed 21 of 23 Russian missiles and two attack drones.

The countrys air defence system has been bolstered in recent months by the delivery of Western equipment crucial to the countrys war effort.

The new strikes came as Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said his countrys preparations to push back against entrenched Russian positions were almost complete.

NATO allies and partners have provided Ukraine with 1,550 armoured vehicles and 230 tanks to form units and help it retake territory from Russian forces, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday.

Equipment has been promised, prepared and partially delivered. In a global sense, were ready, Reznikov said.

Kyiv has said throughout the war launched by Russia in February 2022 that it is intent on repelling Moscows forces from territory they control in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Preparations are coming to an end, Reznikov added of the planned offensive.

Only way to survive

As soon as there is Gods will, the weather and the decision of the commanders  we will do it.

Most of the fighting has been focused on the eastern Donbas region, particularly the city of Bakhmut, which has been almost completely destroyed.

Several Ukrainian soldiers told AFP that tough clashes in Bakhmut involved not only members of mercenary group Wagner but also Russian special forces.

Not far from Bakhmut, Alex, 34, said the situation was difficult.

We lack soldiers, we have many wounded, and also dead, he said.

Sometimes in the trenches, you have to hide behind a corpse, he said. Its the only way to survive.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said on Friday he had paid a rare visit to the embattled city and vowed Moscow would rebuild it.

In need of allies to support its drawn-out war effort, Moscow has cultivated its relationship with China.

The leaders of Ukraine and China spoke by telephone this week, with Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly advocating peace talks.

Xi and Zelenskys discussion on Wednesday was met by Russian accusations that Ukraine was undermining efforts to end the fighting.

Zelensky said Friday he had asked Xi to help bring back Ukrainian children deported by Russia.

With inputs from agencies

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Brussels: The European Commission announced on Friday that Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia have reached an agreement to permit the transit of Ukrainian food exports, which had previously been temporarily banned due to farmer protests.

The five EU countries had imposed the measures citing concerns that grain from Ukraine meant to be exported to other countries had ended up in their local markets, which was pushing down prices for local farmers.

Russias invasion has severely limited the traditional export channel of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, necessitating export overland via Ukraines neighbours.

Member states agreed to allow the import of certain products from Ukraine without quantitative restrictions, and without customs and official inspections.

But farmers in Ukraines neighbours Hungary, Poland and Slovakia protested after a slump in prices, prompting a raft of restrictions and bans on Ukraines food exports in response.

(The) EU Commission has reached an agreement in principle with Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia regarding Ukraine agri-food products, EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis tweeted.

WE HAVE A DEAL@EU_Commission has reached an agreement in principle with Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania & Slovakia regarding #Ukraine agri-food products. We have acted to address concerns of both farmers in neighbouring EU countries and Ukraine   with @jwojc

1/3 pic.twitter.com/qNP93X1Fpd  Valdis Dombrovskis (@VDombrovskis) April 28, 2023

The deal will see the lifting of unilateral measures by Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria. Exceptional safeguard measures for wheat, maize, rapeseed, sunflower seed (and) a 100 million euros ($110 million) support package for affected farmers in (the) five Member States.

We have acted to address concerns of both farmers in neighbouring EU countries and Ukraine.

As soon as the Polish ban was announced, Ukrainian sunflower oil manufacturers stopped buying seeds for lack of a guarantee of being able to export their production to the EU.

The tensions between Kyiv and its European neighbours arose as uncertainty looms over the scheduled May 18 renewal of a deal ensuring the Black Sea grain corridor is operational.

With inputs from agencies

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Cairo: Despite the extension of a fragile ceasefire between the countrys two top generals, whose power battle has killed hundreds, heavy explosions and gunfire rocked Khartoum and Omdurman early on Friday, according to residents.

An extensive group of international mediators, including African and Arab countries, the United Nations, and the United States, were stepping up their pressure on the opposing generals to enter negotiations on ending the crisis after two weeks of fighting that had turned Khartoum into a war zone and plunged Sudan into chaos.

So far, however, they have managed to achieve only a series of fragile temporary cease-fires that failed to stop clashes but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese to flee to safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate thousands of their citizens by land, air and sea.

In a sign of the persistent chaos, Turkey said one of its evacuation planes was hit by gunfire outside Khartoum with no casualties on Friday, hours after both sides accepted a 72-hour truce extension.

The UK said it would end its evacuation flights on Saturday evening, after numbers of British citizens seeking an airlift began to decline. After a slow start that attracted criticism, Britain has run regular military flights from an airfield near Khartoum to Cyprus. As of Friday evening, it had airlifted 1,573 people, including nationals of several European countries.

You have another 24 hours if you are eligible to make your way to the airport and we will get you on a plane, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said.

Fierce clashes with frequent explosions and gunfire continued Friday in Khartoums upscale neighborhood of Kafouri, where the militarys warplanes bombed its rivals, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, residents said. Clashes were also reported around the militarys headquarters, the Republican Palace and the area close to the Khartoum international airport. All these areas have been flashpoints since the war erupted on April 15. Explosions also rang out across the river in Omdurman.

Doctors in the Sudanese capital said the RSF has been abducting medical personnel to treat its wounded fighters  a sign the paramilitary was struggling to get medical support.

One doctor forwarded to The Associated Press a voice note shared on a chat group for Sudanese healthcare workers, warning them not to wear medical uniforms or hand over identification listing a profession if fighters stop them on the street.

Nada Fadul, a Sudanese-American infectious disease physician at the University of Nebraska who is working with community health leaders in Sudan, said she knows of five doctors taken by the RSF from Khartoum streets since the start of the fighting.

One abducted doctor said he was forcibly taken to an unknown location in Khartoum earlier this week. There, he saw dozens of wounded fighters, a stockpile of medical supplies and two other kidnapped doctors working. He spent three days treating fighters with gunshot wounds, burns and other injuries before he and the others were released on Wednesday night, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity for his safety.

The Turkish Defense Ministry said light weapons were fired at a C-130 aircraft heading to Wadi Sayidna airbase on Khartoums northern outskirts to evacuate Turkish civilians. The plane landed safely, the ministry said in a tweet, and no personnel were injured.

The Sudanese military blamed the RSF, which denied firing on the plane.

Over the past 14 days of pummeling each other, the military led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and the RSF led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, have each failed to deal a decisive blow to the other in their struggle for control of Africas third largest nation.

Still, world powers have struggled to get them to adhere to announced cease-fires. A bloc of East Africa nations has put forward a initiative for the two sides to hold talks, and a gamut of mediators are promoting the plan, including the African Union, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the United Nations.

Burhan on Friday ruled out negotiations with Dagalo, accusing him of orchestrating a rebellion against the state, a day after the military expressed openness to the talks under the initiative. Dagalo wants to rule Sudan, seize its resources and magnify his wealth, Burhan said in an interview with US-funded Alhurra TV, denying that he wants power for himself.

Both Burhan and Dagalo have been involved in crushing pro-democracy activists and together they pushed out civilians from an interim government in a coup in 2021. The former allies fell out in recent months in disputes over an internationally brokered deal meant to pave the way back to a civilian government, including over the issue of incorporating the RSF into the military.

The rivals battles in the streets with artillery barrages, airstrikes and gunfire have wreaked misery on millions of Sudanese caught between them. Many have left Khartoum to the northern borders with Egypt, or to the city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea.

Around 40,000 South Sudanese, Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees who had been living in the capital have fled Khartoum since fighting erupted, the UNs refugee agency said Friday. Many are now sheltering in refugee camps in White Nile, al-Qadarif and Kassala provinces, said Fathi Kasina, a UNHCR spokesman. Sudan hosts over 1.3 million refugees, including over 800,000 from South Sudan, according to UN figures.

Those who remain in Khartoum have been living in rapidly deteriorating conditions, mostly trapped inside their homes for days. Food, water and other services have become scarce, and electricity is cut off across much of Khartoum and other cities. Fighters roam the streets in the capital and other cities, looting and destroying homes, shops, businesses and open-air markets.

At least 512 people, including civilians and combatants, have been killed since April 15, with another 4,200 wounded, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry. The Doctors Syndicate, which tracks civilian casualties, has recorded at least 387 civilians killed and 1,928 wounded.

The health care system is near collapse with dozens of hospitals out of service. Multiple aid agencies have had to suspend operations and evacuate employees.

The French military evacuated dozens of employees with the U.N. and other international aid agencies Thursday night from al-Fasher, a city in Sudans western Darfur region, to Chads capital, NDjamena, according to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

The evacuation came a day after armed fighters rampaged through the city, battling each other, killing dozens and looting shops and homes. UN envoy Volker Perthes remained in Sudan along with a small team.

With inputs from agencies

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Li Qiang, the new premier of China, held talks with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Shareef vowing Beijings support for the cash-strapped country.

Qiang also hoped that Islamabad will continue to create a favourable environment to guarantee the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel working in the country.

The Chinese premier added that owing to strong bilateral relations between China and Pakistan, both countries should maintain high-level exchanges and promote greater progress in bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields.

Li, who assumed charge as Premier in March, also said, China supports Pakistan in maintaining financial stability, and hopes that Pakistan will continue to create a favourable environment so as to guarantee the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel in Pakistan.

Referring to the frequent attacks faced by Chinese personnel and projects in Pakistan under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Prime Minister Sharif said, Pakistan will make every effort to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, institutions and projects in Pakistan.

Calling both the countries iron-clad brothers, Sharif also thanked China for its firm support and selfless help to the cash-starved country in safeguarding national independence and sovereignty and promoting national development.

Besides political and military support, China has supported Pakistan financially, rolling over earlier loans and approving new financial packages.

Li also expressed that the two sides should support each other in the multilateral field, uphold international fairness and justice, safeguard the common interests of both countries and other developing countries, defend regional peace and security, and promote common development, the state-run agency reported.

As all-weather partners and close friends, Pakistan appreciated Chinas peaceful development as a positive factor of international peace and stability, and confident that China will continue to achieve milestones on its journey towards modernisation and rejuvenation, the Pakistani prime minister said.

Sharif also expressed his gratitude to China for holding a principled position on the disputed Jammu and Kashmir issue.

Li, for his part, praised Pakistans support for China and reaffirmed his countrys continuing support to Pakistans national development, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

China would continue to stand with Pakistan at all times, said the Chinese premier.

With inputs from agencies

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The Church of England has evoked a newfound respect for people who are single by equating singleness with Jesus own status.

Jesus own singleness should ensure that the Church of England celebrates singleness, the church said in its Love Matters report.

The report was brought together by the archbishops of Canterbury and York. It said that single people should be valued as much as married people.

It added that the church encourages us to prioritise the hopes, needs and aspirations of families  in all their diversity.

Most Reverend Justin Welby and the Most Reverend Stephen Cottrell  the Archbishops of Canterbury and York respectively  formed a commission in 2021 in a bid to examine relationships and families after they recognised that family life in the 21st century is fluid and diverse, the New York Times reported.

The commission also acknowledges the fact that some people do not wish to be in a family or couple unit and that singleness can be a deliberate choice.

Sometimes the right partner has not been found, and sometimes separation, divorce or death has resulted in the loss of a partner, the report added.

In another deviation from its traditional teachings, the Church of England said that singleness should be honoured instead of being shamed.

Paul Butler, the co-chair of the commission, further explained, The report reveals that the shape of family changes through our lives, Butler said. It further shows that there is no one best shape, except that loving long-term relationships are absolutely key for us all to flourish.

Is there a rise in singleness?

Apparently, yes.

Britain, for example, saw an overall increase in the number of people living alone. According to data from Office for National Statistics, the UK saw an eight per cent jump in singleness from 2011 to 2021.

Meanwhile, a study by Pew Research found that four-in-ten Americans aged between 25 to 54 are single.

The reason for staying single has been attributed to a decline in marriage among adults who are at prime working age.

In China, a recent report revealed that the population of unmarried women over the age of 30 is increasing. Lifestyle and cultural differences between urban and rural populations of the country is whats driving people to stay single.

God is neither male nor female

In February, the C of E shocked everyone with another statement where it claimed that God is gender fluid.

The Church will launch a new project in spring to discuss the matter of exploring alternative or gender-neutral terms to refer to God.

Any potential alteration, which would mark a break from the traditional Christian and Jewish teachings, would require approval from the synod  the Churchs decision-making body.

The project has been launched as a response to a question posed by Rev Joanna Stobart, vicar Ilminster and Whitelackington in Somerset at the synod, who said she wishes that the Church uses more inclusive language and refers to God in a non-gendered way.

Exploring the use of gendered language in relation to God for several years, said Rt Reverend Dr Michael Ipgrave, Bishop of Lichfield and vice-chair of the liturgical commission.

He added, After some dialogue between the two commissions in this area, a new joint project on gendered language will begin this spring. In common with other potential changes to authorised liturgical provision, changing the wording and number of authorised forms of absolution would require a full synodical process for approval.

It, however, remains unclear which term would replace Our Father in the Lords Prayer.

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This week, a gigantic explosion on the suns surface ejected billions of tonnes of plasma, which is expected to impact Earth today. The explosion, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME), ejected plasma from the suns southwest quadrant, propelling it towards Earth with the aid of powerful solar winds.

According to predictions, the particles have a 50 per cent probability of disrupting satellites in Earths orbit and a 10 per cent chance of causing blackouts. The stream includes powerful radiation that can disrupt Earths technology.

A gorgeous prominence has erupted from the eastern limb of the sun. pic.twitter.com/ZYAr0DEmS3  Edward.Vijayakumar (@edwanx) April 24, 2023



Geomagnetic storm incoming

The solar winds are also projected to cause a G1 geomagnetic storm, which might affect satellites orbiting in the region of space. CMEs have the potential to release billions of tonnes of corona material from the suns surface. Plasma and magnetic fields make up the substance.

Also read: Scientists spotted a super flare originating hundreds of light years away, more powerful than those on our Sun sends out

Such eruptions have the potential to cause space weather, which may disrupt satellites and electrical infrastructures on Earth and be dangerous to exposed astronauts.

The European Space Agencys Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, which studies our sun, captured it. And the CME particles are only hitting Earth by chance, as the stream was discharged from a coronal hole facing our planet.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts that the Earths magnetic field will be interrupted at 6 p.m. ET tonight, with the disruption lasting until Friday.

According to EarthSky, the Earths magnetic field has been unsettled since Thursday and will remain so for the next 24 hours as high-speed solar winds pour through the coronal hole. Three coronal holes on the suns surface have been detected, as have seven sunspots.

What are sunspots?

Sunspots are black areas of the Sun that are colder than the rest of the surface. Solar flares are caused by dark parts of the star. These areas are responsible for solar flares and coronal mass ejections.

When they erupt in the direction of Earth, they may cause geomagnetic storms that generate stunning auroras while also posing a threat to electrical networks and satellites. On Thursday, the sun also emitted a cannibal CME on the solar disks northeastern edge, pointing away from Earth.

This cannibal CME will have no effect on our planet. It is moving away from us, according to SpaceWeather.com. The sun is an extraordinary cosmic ball of gas that continues to astound astronomers with its perplexing behaviour.

In February, a portion of the suns northern pole broke off, causing one of these events.

Also read: WATCH: Huge portion of the Sun breaks off from the surface, swirls around its North Pole

A video depicts a large filament of plasma, or electrified gas, blasting out from the sun, splitting, and then circling in a vast polar vortex. While scientists are perplexed, they believe the prominence is related to the reversal of the suns magnetic field, which occurs during per solar cycle.

A regular occurrence

Solar filaments are clouds of charged particles that float above the sun and are held together by magnetic forces. These look like extended, irregular strands shooting out from the surface of the sun.

Once per solar cycle, it originates near the 55-degree latitude and begins to march up to the solar poles, said Scott McIntosh, deputy director of the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.

Its pretty strange. It raises a lot of why questions. Why does it only migrate towards the pole once before disappearing and reappearing three or four years later in the same region? said McIntosh.

While scientists have previously detected filaments breaking away from the sun, this is the first time a whirlwind has passed through the area.

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Washington: Former US vice president Mike Pence on Thursday testified in the federal investigation examining his former boss Donald Trumps role in the 2021 assault on the Capitol, according to US media.

His testimony is a significant breakthrough in the investigation being conducted by special counsel Jack Smith investigating Trumps actions leading up to the 2020 election and the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, when rioters tried to prevent Pence and lawmakers from recognising President Bidens victory.

The former vice president reportedly spent several hours testifying at a courthouse in Washington, D.C.

Pence has maintained he has nothing to hide from investigators about the fallout after the 2020 election.

Trumps attorneys had sought to block Pences testimony, arguing that executive privilege from his time as president meant he could block Pence from speaking about internal White House matters.

On Wednesday a federal appeals court rejected Trumps appeal, and the former president appeared not to exercise his options of appealing the issue to the Supreme Court.

Pence was the centerpiece of the 6 January uprising: on that day he was to preside over the full US Congress to formally certify Biden as the victor in the November 2020 president election.

Using unproven claims of massive voter fraud and ungrounded legal justifications, Trump had strongly and repeatedly urged Pence to not carry out the certification.

He also urged thousands of followers to protest that day in Washington, a protest that turned into the mob that violently battled its way into the Capitol, forcing a halt to the certification.

A number of those directly involved in the Capitol assault have been tried and convicted of seditious conspiracy, and Trump is being investigated by Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith to see if his role violated criminal laws.

Pences testimony came as he weighs running against his former boss for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.

Democrat Biden on Tuesday announced he would seek reelection, and Trump currently is the front-runner for the Republican choice, possibly setting up a rematch of 2020.

Trump faces numerous probes, and on March 30 he became the first US president ever indicted on criminal charges, in a case involving making hush money payments to a porn star.

He is under investigation in Georgia for election interference, and on Tuesday a civil trial over allegations he raped a prominent journalist three decades ago got underway in New York.

With inputs from agencies

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New Delhi: Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said a new EU civilian mission to Moldova is unlikely to help stabilize the situation in the country and the region, given that the EU has turned into a geopolitical tool of the United States and NATO.

According to a report, We see that the EU is increasingly trying to gain a foothold in the post-Soviet space. It uses the deployment of its field presences as a tool, the diplomat said, referring to the decision of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg on 24 April to set up a new civilian mission of the European Union in Moldova.

Meanwhile, Maria Zakharova had said earlier that Russia does not intend to take the path of nuclear escalation in its standoff with the West over Ukraine but others should not test its patience.

Her comments follow a flurry of warnings by senior Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, that Western military support for Ukraine is increasing the risks of a catastrophic nuclear conflict.

We will do everything to prevent the development of events according to the worst scenario, but not at the cost of infringing on our vital interests, Zakharova told a regular news conference.

I do not recommend that anybody doubt our determination and put it to the test in practice, she added.

Russia has strongly criticised the supply of Western arms to Ukraine and the expansion of the NATO military alliance closer to its borders. Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, this month became the 31st member of NATO, while Ukraine itself also wishes to join, though it faces opposition from some countries.

They (the United States) continue to deliberately infringe on our fundamental interests, deliberately generate risks and raise the stakes in the confrontation with Russia, said Zakharova.

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, a close Putin ally, said earlier this week that the world was quite probably on the verge of a new world war.

Putin casts the 14-month war in Ukraine  something he calls a special military operation  as an existential battle with an aggressive and arrogant West, and has said that Russia will use all available means to protect itself against any aggressor.

The United States and its allies have condemned Russias war in Ukraine as an imperial land grab. Ukraine has vowed to fight until all Russian troops withdraw from its territory, and says Russian rhetoric on nuclear war is intended to intimidate the West into curbing military aid.

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Pakistan attended the conclave of the defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Delhi on Friday in virtual mode.

Defence Ministers of India, Russia, China and other member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Friday deliberated on pressing regional security challenges and related issues.

India views SCO as an important organisation to promote defence cooperation among member states. We, as a nation, wish to further strengthen the spirit of trust and cooperation among the members of the SCO, Singh said in his opening remarks.

It was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

India and Pakistan became permanent members in 2017. India was made an observer at the SCO in 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping, which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.

India has shown a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.

With inputs from agencies.

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Pakistans electronic media watchdog took action against more than 50 cable operators throughout the nation on Thursday, seizing their equipment for unlawfully transmitting Indian channels and content, only days after warning them that they would face severe consequences if they violated its instructions.

Over 50 cable operators have been prosecuted in the previous few days in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Karachi, and Hyderabad, according to the Pakistan Election Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).

PEMRA personnel paid surprise visits to the seven locations, according to a statement issued by the broadcast media regulating organisation on Thursday.

The regulatory body seized the equipment of 50 cable operators for airing illegal Indian channels and content in defiance of directions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan as well as those issued by the authority from time to time.

PEMRA seized all the equipment being used in the said illegal activity which includes 14 Satellite Receivers, 11 modulators, 5 transmitters and 2 digital boxes. The show cause notices have also been issued to the violators and the fine is also imposed, it said and warned all cable TV operators of the country to immediately stop airing illegal Indian channels/content which are otherwise illegal or proscribed by the authority.

No channel other than PEMRA licensee is eligible for airing on distribution networks and any operator found defying the orders henceforth would be dealt with strictly in accordance with PEMRA laws, it said.

On 21 April the media watchdog ordered local cable TV operators across the country to stop airing Indian channels, warning that stringent action would be taken if they were found violating its orders.

Pakistan has banned Indian films and TV channels multiple times in the past.

For the first time, it banned Indian films following the war of 1965, which continued for decades but was eventually lifted in 2008 after improvement in the bilateral ties.

The most recent ban on Indian content in Pakistan was imposed in 2016, following tensions between the two countries over the Kashmir issue.

The Lahore High Court ruled against the ban in 2018 but the Supreme Court in October 2018 overturned the high court judgment and re-imposed it.

The bilateral ban policy hampers cultural ties between the two nations which is an essential aspect of the broad-based relations.

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A team of University of California scientists believes aliens might establish contact with Earth as early as 2029. NASA launched a normal radio wave transmission to the Pioneer 10 probe in 2002 to deliver data and confirm connection was established.

As transmission spreads out when they come into touch with an object, this signal also reached a star around 27 light-years away from our planet. The UC researchers hope that this signal was caught and returned to Earth by extraterrestrials.

Howard Isaacson, an astronomer and co-author at the University of California, Berkeley, confirmed the move to PopSci, saying, This is a famous notion from Carl Sagan, who utilised it as a story motif in the movie Contact.

Tapping into DSN  What is NASAs Deep Station Network?

The researchers utilised signals delivered from Earth to Voyager 1, Voyager 2, Pioneer 10, Pioneer 11, and New Horizons to figure out where the signals would have spread out in the cosmos. According to the study published in the journal Publications of the Astronomical Society, these spacecraft communicated with the Deep Station Network (DSN) radio antennae in order to download scientific data and telemetry data. DSNs outgoing signals reach to the spaceship and beyond into interstellar space.

Also read: Pre-Historic Life On Mars? NASAs Curiosity rover spots a strange bone-like rock on the red planet

The Deep Station Network is NASAs international network of massive radio antennas that serve interplanetary spacecraft missions as well as a couple that circle the Earth. Transmissions to Voyager 2, Pioneer 10, and Pioneer 11 have already contacted at least one star, according to the researchers.

Pioneer 10 broadcasts encountered one white dwarf star in 2002. By 2313, Pioneer 10s broadcasts will have encountered 222 stars. The earliest we can expect a returned transmission is 2029, the team shared in the report. Signals sent to Voyager 1 and New Horizons will soon encounter their first stars. The scientists projected that neighbouring stars would be struck with broadcasts based on the speed of light, which covers one parsec every 3.26 years.

This allowed them to calculate the time it would take for transmissions to reach each star in years, for example, signals to Voyager 1 have yet to reach any. Signals are expected to reach one in 2044, with all transmissions reaching 277 stars by 2341. The earliest we can expect to receive a returned transmission from potential intelligent extraterrestrial life encountered by Voyager 1s transmissions is 2109, reads the study.

Voyager 2 transmissions have contacted two objects, both of which were discovered in 2007. By 2336, all 272 neighbouring stars will have been visited, and researchers anticipate that aliens will respond to their call by 2033. Pioneer signals reached a dwarf star in 2018, but scientists predict that all 386 stars will get a signal by 2317. Theyre hoping to receive a response in 2058.

Big payoff in the future?

Transmissions from New Horizons have not yet contacted a star, but will do so in 2119, and they will encounter 139 stars by 2338. According to the study, the earliest we might hope to get a returning message is 2232. New Horizons transmissions will not encounter a star until 75 years after any other spacecrafts transmissions.

Also read: We have telescopes in space, rovers on other worlds  our search for alien life continues

The primary reason for this discrepancy is because New Horizons launched later and spent less time in the heliosphere. the study said. This finding gives Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence researchers a more focused set of stars to focus on, according to main author Reilly Derrick, a University of California, Los Angeles engineering student.

Some astronomers, however, are sceptical of the movie plot-themed proposal. This investigation, according to Kaitlin Rasmussen, an astrobiologist at the University of Washington who is not connected with the publication, is a fascinating exercise, but unlikely to generate findings.

The study comes as reports of additional Roswell-style UFOs arise. According to a prominent attorney, a major Stanford scientist, and ex-UFO programme employees, senior members of Congress spoke to as many as six whistleblowers who claim to have worked on Roswell-style UFO crash retrieval and reverse engineering programmes.

The 2023 National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA), signed into law by President Joe Biden in December, included an amendment requiring the Pentagon to provide high-ranking Senators with classified reports on any previously unknown programs relating to unidentified anomalous phenomena, including concerning material retrieval, material analysis, and reverse engineering.

Also read: Clouds of uncertainty: Scientists claim to have spotted signs of life on Venus but sceptics prevail

Daniel Sheehan claims to have spoken with at least six former government officials or military contractors who claim to have worked on such a programme. A half-dozen of them have already gone and talked to them, Sheehan explained. Senate staff members were reaching out to others.

Taking UFOs seriously

Dr Garry Nolan, an immunologist and Nobel Prize contender, was commissioned by the CIA to research cases of the unexplained Havana Syndrome afflicting diplomatic workers all over the world, and he has done studies analysing debris reportedly discarded in UFO flyovers.

Also read: CIA declassifies hundreds of official docs on UFO sightings, research from 1970s onwards

Nolan claims to have spoken with numerous former employees of remarkable UFOreverse engineering programmes. Dr Hal Puthoff, a Nobel Prize nominee and CIA scientist who worked in the governments AAWSAP UFO programme from 2008 to 2012, told reporters that he briefed Congress on classified information about reverse engineering programmes and knew of whistleblowers who worked in the alleged programmes.

I dont consider myself to be coming out of the shadows in the same way as whistleblowers do, he added. I can only speak about what I learnt in congressionally funded programmes. We were specifically tasked with collecting whatever evidence we could collect from military individuals and contractors, as to the reality of what evidence there is.

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SCO Meeting: Highlighting the fact that terrorist groups are using innovative methods to further their agenda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh urged member nations to fight terrorism in a united manner during his speech at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers meeting that began in New Delhi on Friday.

We should unitedly fight terrorism. If SCO has to emerge stronger, we have to fight together. Terror groups are using new methods like social media and crowdfunding, Rajnath Singh said.

The Defence Minister further stated that India is fully committed to making SCO stronger, contributing to the implementation of SCOs mandate.

India is fully committed to making SCO stronger, contributing to the implementation of SCOs mandate and facing our common challenges, he said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addresses SCO Defence Ministers Meeting in Delhi pic.twitter.com/7Ut3EeKdkX  The Times Of India (@timesofindia) April 28, 2023

Notably, United Nations (UN) proscribed Pakistani terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has been seen openly collecting funds in Peshawar, according to several accounts.

"The open fundraising by the banned terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Peshawar, Pakistan, has raised concerns about the resurgence of extremist groups in the country. The group, responsible for several terrorist attacks," tweeted Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, exiled leader & founder of the United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP).

JeM remerged after Financial Action Task Force (FATF) relaxation last year. They are openly backed by Pakistan security personnel. Global terror-financing watchdog FATF in October 2022 announced Pakistan's removal from its grey list, stating that the country has largely completed its action plans on anti-money laundering and financing of terrorism. Pakistan has been on the FATF grey list since June 2018.

Jaish Fund collection isn't limited to Peshawar but is also visible in Pakistan's Punjab, Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir and other areas.

The ease with which these groups can openly collect funds raises concerns about the government's ability to crack down on terrorist activities.

"To ensure a secure, stable and prosperous region, we need to focus on our agenda. This will help in improving the quality of life of the people of each member country," said Singh at SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting.

It has been 14 years since Pakistan-sponsored terrorists struck Mumbai. The evidence of Pakistan's links behind the bloodbath that went on for three days in Mumbai was there for all to see. However, Pakistan chose to ignore India's requests to bring the perpetrators of the act to justice over the past 14 years.

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The Health Minister of Somalia Dr Ali Haji Adan has said that his country is working to strengthen collaboration with India, and also stated that both the countries have historical relations, reported PTI.

The sixth edition of the Advantage Healthcare India event, which aims to promote Medical Value Travel in the country, is being held in New Delhi, and Health Ministers and delegates from various countries are in the national capital to attend it.

Adan said, according to PTI, We have historical relations between Somalia and the Indian government. A large number of Somali people come to India for medical purposes. We want to strengthen collaboration with India.

We saw the latest technology and a lot of advancements have been made. We would like to have MoUs with the hospital to train our people from Egypt. The meeting was quite fruitful and will pave the way for cooperation between India and Egypt, he added.

PM Modi virtually inaugurated Advantage Healthcare India 2023, which is a G20 co-branded event, on Wednesday. The health ministers from Bangladesh, Armenia, Bhutan, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, Maldives, Nigeria, Russia and Somalia participated in the summit.

Southern District health officer of Bhutan Thinlay Choden visited the Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Artemis Hospitals and Marengo Asia Healthcare in Gurugram.

An official said, according to PTI, the visits showcased the infrastructure and healthcare facilities offered in India. It also emphasised the importance of global collaborations and partnerships for building resilient global health architecture and working towards achieving universal health coverage through value-based healthcare.

With inputs from agencies

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Khartoum: The Indian Air Force rescued 121 personnel from a small airstrip at Wadi Sayyidna, which is about 40 km North of Khartoum. The passengers included patients, a pregnant woman; besides those who had no means to reach Port Sudan. The operation was carried out on the night of 27 and 28 April by a C-130J aircraft of the IAF.

This convoy was led by the Indian Defence Attache, who was in continuous touch with IAF authorities all along, till they reached the airstrip at Wadi Sayyidna. The airstrip in question had a degraded surface, with no navigational approach aids or fuel, and most critically or landing lights (that are required to guide an aircraft landing at night).

Approaching the airstrip, the aircrew used their Electro-Optical/Infra-Red sensors to ensure that the runway was free from any obstructions and that no inimical forces were in the vicinity.

Having made sure of the same, the aircrew carried out a tactical approach on Night Vision Goggles, on a practically dark night.

Upon landing, the aircraft engines were kept running while eight IAF Garud Commandos secured the passengers and their luggage into the aircraft. As with the landing, the take-off from the unlit runway was also carried out using NVGs.

This approximately two-and-a-half-hour operation between Wadi Sayyidna and Jeddah will go down in IAF history for its sheer audacity and flawless execution  akin to that carried out in Kabul.

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Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: As many as 33 soldiers were killed and 12 were injured after suspected jihadists attacked a contingent of troops in eastern Burkina Faso on Thursday, the army said.

The troops came across a complex, large-scale attack in the East region, according to an army statement.

The soldiers neutralised at least 40 terrorists before the arrival of reinforcements during the particularly intense fighting, the statement added.

The army reported that the injured soldiers have been evacuated and are receiving medical attention.

Burkina Faso has been grappling with a bloody jihadist insurgency since 2015, when unrest spilled over from neighbouring Mali.

Fighting between the security forces and groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group has left thousands dead and forced millions of people to flee their homes.

Anger within the military at the governments failure to stem the jihadist attacks sparked two coups in 2022. Around 40 percent of the countrys territory lies outside state control.

Captain Ibrahim Traore, who has led the West African nation since seizing power last September, this month signed a decree for a year-long general mobilisation to give the state all necessary means to counter the militants.

With inputs from agencies

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The Taiwanese defence ministry claimed on Friday that Chinas military flew 38 fighter jets and other warplanes near Taiwan.

The ministry also said that six navy vessels were also spotted in the area from 6 a.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday as part of Chinas long-running campaign of intimidation against the self-ruled island democracy that Beijing claims as part of its territory.

The development is seen as the largest such flight display since the large military exercise in which it simulated sealing off the island earlier in the month.

Nineteen of the aircraft flew across the midline in the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from the mainland, the ministry said. It said they included five SU-30 and two J-16 aircraft. One drone, a TB-001, circled the island, according to a diagram from the Defense Ministry.

China held exercises simulating the sealing off of the island after the sensitive meeting on April 5 between Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California. China opposes any exchanges at the official level between Taiwan and other governments.

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With Washington looking at countering the growing Chinese influence in strategically important regions around the world, US President Joe Biden will briefly visit Papua New Guinea (PNG) on May 22, officials from the Pacific island nation said on Thursday.

Bidens stopover would be the first visit by a sitting US president to the resource-rich but largely undeveloped country of 9.4 million people just north of Australia. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the nation in 2018.

The US President will halt in the capital Port Moresby for three hours on his way to Australia to attend the Quad leaders summit, a spokesperson from the PNG Prime Ministers office said.

Biden is also expected to meet more than a dozen Pacific island leaders during his May visit.

Fourteen Pacific island leaders will meet in Port Moresby on May 22 with Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and planning for Biden to also meet the regions leaders during his visit was underway but not confirmed, a spokesperson for PNG Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko said.

The meeting will be a significant move in US efforts to push back against Chinese inroads in the region, and follows Biden hosting Pacific island leaders at the White House in September.

The Quad summit is being held in Sydney on May 24, with the leaders of India, Australia, Japan and the United States attending, Australias government announced earlier this week.

White House officials have been considering tagging on a Pacific islands stop to Bidens travel to the G7 in Japan and the Quad meeting in Australia, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The United States last year stepped up its diplomacy and aid to the Pacific region after China struck a security deal with the Solomon Islands, and Beijing attempted but failed to forge a wider security and trade pact with 10 island nations.

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European heads of state and seven foreign ministers from a group of Ukraines allies visited the war-torn country on Friday to express support for Kyiv in its defence against Russias invasion.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, hosting his counterparts from four Nordic and three Baltic countries in the southern port city of Odesa, repeated a plea for the delivery of US-made fighter jets to his country.

(The jets) are needed to cover our brigades that are going to (counter-attack), Kuleba said. Although no promises were made, he added, I have a feeling that our colleagues are well-disposed in this matter.

Ukraine has long pushed for Western fighter jets for its air force, without success. Its Western partners have, however, provided a number of former Soviet MiG-29 fighters.

Kuleba met with the foreign ministers of Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Because of government formation talks in Finland, the Nordic country was represented by a senior Foreign Ministry official.

Through this visit, we manifest strong Nordic and Baltic support for Ukraine and its people, said Tobias Billstrom of Sweden whose country currently holds the rotating six-month presidency of the European Union.

I honestly dont remember if Odesa ever hosted this many ministers of foreign affairs at once. If this is the first such time, we are glad, together with our colleagues, to set a new standard, Kuleba said.

Also Friday, in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the president of Slovakia, Zuzana Caputova, and the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel.

Zelenskyy said they discussed military aid to help Ukraine address Russias invasion and prepare for (the) counteroffensive, as well as the forthcoming NATO summit in July in Vilnius, Lithuania.

We are expecting ambitious decisions that will enforce Europes security, he said. The time has come to eliminate any uncertainty.

There has long been talk of a Ukrainian spring counter-offensive against invading Russian forces, but it has still to materialize.

Czech President Pavel said what he saw in Ukraine reminded him of the devastation from wars in Afghanistan and the former Yugoslavia.

Fortunately, it hasnt broken the Ukrainians, said Pavel, a retired army general and former senior NATO official. Russia has shown such an inclination to barbarism in recent years that Im not surprised.

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Drug-related deaths in San Francisco have increased by 41 per cent in the first quarter of 2023, with one person dying of an accidental overdose every 10 hours, reported The Guardian.

According to the reports by San Franciscos medical examiner, 200 persons died of overdoses in the city in the last three months, up from 142 in the same period last year.

Those living on the streets were especially heavily hit, with twice as many homeless people dying of overdoses between January and March of this year as compared to the previous year.

In most of the deaths, Fentanyl was detected.

According to The Guardian, Dr Daniel Ciccarone, a professor of addiction medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, said, Its a crying shame that a city as wealthy as San Francisco cant get its act together to deal with overdose deaths.

He added, Were a politically divided city between the people who have a lot of money and want the streets swept and those who think a compassionate, science-based, health approach is appropriate.

The increase in deaths began in December and was especially visible in January, when 82 people died, bringing the citys overdose fatalities to an all-time high.

Hillary Ronen, San Francisco supervisor, claimed that the city has failed to come up with ways to deal with a horrific crisis.

She said, according to The Guardian, Fentanyl is corrupting every part of the drug supply and all the social problems that underlie the drug addiction crisis continue  widespread poverty, trauma with no access to mental health care, inequality, and homelessness.

With inputs from agencies

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Two US Army attack helicopters crashed during a training flight in Alaska on Thursday. This is the second such incident in less than a month, reported AFP.

The US Armys 11th Airborne Division stated in a statement that the AH-64 Apache helicopters crashed today near Healy, Alaska, while returning from a training flight. First responders have arrived. The event is being investigated, and more information will be shared as it becomes available.

The condition of those involved in the incident was not immediately known.

A similar tragedy occurred in late March when two US Army Blackhawk helicopters crashed during a training trip in Kentucky, killing all nine soldiers on board, reported AFP.

Several other US military aircraft have crashed in recent years, including one involving a Black Hawk that killed two Tennessee National Guardsmen during a training mission in Alabama in February.

Four US Marines were killed last year during NATO drills in Norway when their V-22B Osprey plane crashed, perhaps after hitting a mountain, according to authorities.

In 2021, two US Navy pilots were rescued after their T-45C Goshawk jet crashed in a residential neighbourhood near Fort Worth, Texas, during a training exercise. Before the jet crashed, the pilots ejected.

With inputs from agencies

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Ukraines military is ready for a highly-anticipated offensive against Russia, said Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov on Friday.

Preparations are coming to an end. In addition to being provided a weapon, it must be mastered. Equipment has been promised, prepared and partially delivered. In a global sense, were ready, he told reporters in Kyiv.

Reznikov statement came mere hours after a series of Russian air strikes on several cities across Ukraine, including capital Kyiv, killed at least 19 people.

According to Ukrainian officials, 17 people including a child were killed in an attack that hit a block of flats in the central city of Uman.

A woman and her three-year-old daughter were killed in the city of Dnipro, the local mayor said.

Meanwhile, the Russian defence ministry said its military had targeted Ukrainian army reserve units with the strikes.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the apartment block was among 10 residential buildings that were damaged in Uman.

With inputs from AFP

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Russia-Ukraine War: In a shocking revelation, over half the Russian soldiers who died fighting in Ukraine lost their lives not owing to life-threatening munition hits, but due to improper first aid in the field.

Over a third of amputations from war zone injuries was not due to their seriousness, but since tourniquets were wrongly applied.

The startling claim was reportedly made by Artem Katulin, the head of the training center for tactical medicine of the Kalashnikov Concern.

More than 30% of amputations (in the war zone) were due to incorrect tourniquet application, and more than 50% of all deaths were not from life-threatening injuries, Katulin told the Russian media.

Katulin claimed that poor levels of training in first aid and the ability to quickly deliver wounded soldiers to hospitals has led to most of the fatal casualties suffered by the Russian military during the Ukraine war.

An accurate figure of Russian casualties in Ukraine is hard to come by. Estimates vary widely depending on the source.

A report by Ukraine Today claimed that approximately 188,920 Russian soldiers have been killed so far in the Ukraine war. However, this could be an inflated figure.

According to classified US military documents allegedly leaked by a junior enlisted National Guard airman, the number of Russian soldiers killed in the Ukraine war till March this year could be between 35,000 and 43,000.

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The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday unanimously condemned a Taliban administration ban on Afghan women working for the United Nations in Afghanistan and called on Taliban leaders to swiftly reverse a rigid crackdown on the fundamental rights of women and girls.

The UN resolution  drafted by the United Arab Emirates and Japan  describes the ban as unprecedented in the history of the United Nations, asserts the indispensable role of women in Afghan society and says the ban on Afghan women working for the global body undermines human rights and humanitarian principles.

The UAEs UN ambassador Lana Nusseibeh said more than 90 countries co-sponsored the resolution from Afghanistans immediate neighbourhood, from the Muslim world and from all corners of the earth.

The UNSC vote came days before a planned international meeting in Doha on May 1-2 on Afghanistan. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will convene behind closed doors special envoys on Afghanistan from various countries to work on a unified approach to dealing with the Taliban.

We will not stand for the Talibans repression of women and girls, Deputy US Ambassador to the United Nations, Robert Wood, told the council. These decisions are indefensible. They are not seen anywhere else in the world. He went on to add that the Talibans rigid laws are causing irreparable damage to Afghanistan.

Earlier this month the Taliban began enforcing the ban on Afghan women working for the UN after stopping most women working for humanitarian aid groups in December. Since toppling the US-backed government in 2021, they have also tightened controls on womens access to public life, including barring women from university and closing girls high schools.

The Taliban says it respects womens rights in accordance with its strict interpretation of Islamic law. Taliban officials said decisions on female aid workers are an internal issue.

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Washington: The Biden administration on Thursday sanctioned Russian and Iranian intelligence services and individuals for their roles in wrongfully detaining Americans, senior administration officials said.

The new measures target Russias Federal Security Service and the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as well as four individuals associated with the Iranian group.

It marks the beginning of the new sanctions authorisations that President Joe Biden established last year for use against anyone keeping Americans against their will. Although both groups are already subject to broad sanctions for a range of malevolent behavior, including support for terrorism, election meddling, and Russias invasion of Ukraine, the restrictions are primarily symbolic.

Biden said the safe return of Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad has been a priority since the first day of his presidency.

Today, and every day, our message to Russia, Iran, and the world is holding hostage or wrongfully detaining Americans is unacceptable. Release them immediately, he said in a written statement.

Senior administration officials declined to specify which detentions specifically underpinned the sanctions, saying they were a response to a pattern of actions by the two countries in unjustly holding Americans both currently and in the past. A US Treasury news release stated that Iranian authorities frequently hold and interrogate detainees in Evin Prison in Tehran and have a direct role in the repression of protests and arrest of dissidents, including dual nationals.

Senior administration officials noted that Thursdays actions were in the works well before the arrest last month of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia, whose imprisonment was swiftly deemed unjust by the U.S. government. He joins American Paul Whelan with that designation in Russia.

In addition to targeting the two organizations, the administration is also adding additional sanctions on four IRGC leaders it alleges are involved in hostage taking efforts.

Brian E. Nelson, Treasurys under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said the US is committed to bringing home wrongfully detained US nationals and acting against foreign threats to the safety of US nationals abroad.

The senior administration officials said that relief from the sanctions could be used as an inducement in negotiations to try to secure the release of the Americans held overseas.

Biden last year issued an executive order relying on a section of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act  named after a retired FBI agent who vanished in Iran 15 years ago and is now presumed dead  that authorizes the president to impose sanctions, including visa revocations, on people believed to be involved in the wrongful detention of Americans.

The announcement comes before the annual dinner of the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation next week, an event expected to include as guests multiple former hostages and detainees as well as advocates for that population. In addition, there is a candlelight vigil planned for next week and a news conference scheduled outside the White House to raise the plight of those detained.

With inputs from agencies

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Islamabad: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed grave concern over growing threats to the right to freedom of religion or belief in its flagship annual report State of Human Rights in 2022, which was published earlier this week.

The HRCP added that while the number of police reports on blasphemy charges declined, the incidence of mob lynching appears to have increased.

The Ahmadiyya community came under particular threat, with several places of worship and over 90 graves desecrated, primarily in Punjab, the HRCP report stated further, adding that the violence against women continued unabated, with at least 4,226 instances of rape and gang rape compounded by an abysmally low conviction rate for perpetrators.

Additionally, the scale of violence and discrimination against trans persons, the theme of this edition of the report, was compounded by the conservative backlash against the hard-won Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018.

The report also noted that both the incumbent and previous governments failed to respect the supremacy of Parliament, while tussles among the legislature, executive and judiciary undermined institutional credibility.

The report stated further that political victimisation continued throughout the year, with colonial-era sedition laws being weaponised to stifle dissent. Dozens of journalists and opposition politicians were arrested, with ensuing claims of custodial torture  ironically in the same year that the Parliament passed a bill criminalising the use of torture, HRCP said in its report.

The agitation that followed the successful vote of no-confidence against former prime minister Imran Khan saw law enforcement personnel clash with protesters in various parts of the country, with the right to freedom of assembly being violated but also abused.

The year saw an alarming resurgence in terror attacks, the highest in five years, with 533 lives lost, the HRCP report said, adding that despite citizens warnings that such developments were imminent, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the state continued to fumble in addressing militancy.

HRCP also noted an uptick in enforced disappearances, particularly in Balochistan, with 2,210 reported cases remaining unresolved even as a bill criminalising the act was passed by the National Assembly.

The report also noted that as climate change-induced floods ravaged much of the country, relief and rehabilitation for over 33 million affected persons fell woefully short.

This lacklustre response has underscored the need for empowered, well-resourced local governments in every province and territory, the HRCP said in its report.

In a year that began to see the countrys economic situation unravel, the report notes that the rights of workers and peasants were sorely neglected. Although the minimum wage was increased, the state has yet to acknowledge that this falls below the threshold of a living wage, the report stated.

Additionally, while around 1,200 bonded labourers were freed in Sindh, the district vigilance committees constituted in 2022 remained largely dysfunctional, the HRCP noted, adding that the death toll in the countrys mines also remained very high, at 90 workers.

HRCP demanded immediate action by the state on these issues if it is to move towards a pro-people approach to politics, law and governance.

With inputs from agencies

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At a time when internships have become an important part of a students life and the formal job market in India, a large proportion of them are reportedly being underpaid or not being paid at all.

While college students are most likely to bag internships offering a letter of recommendation, certificate, or experience, in place of monetary compensation, graduates sometimes do find themselves a paid internship. However, the stipends are very nominal, which makes it very difficult to cover their basic expenses.

While this is a true scenario in India, you will be shocked to know that a few US-based companies are offering their interns a whopping package of Rs 7 lakhs per month. Yes, were not joking!

The list of these companies includes some major giants such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta, the companies which have recently laid off thousands of their employees as a part of cost-cutting measures. In a list issued by Glassdoor on highest-paying internships, it has listed the number of companies that are paying an average salary of close to Rs 7 lakhs per month to its interns.

While a digital payment company Stripe has topped the list by offering an average salary of Rs 7.40 lakhs monthly, it is followed by other companies including NVIDIA, Coinbase, Meta, and Amazon among others. While the packages are precisely paid to US-based interns, their comparison with Indian packages would show a great difference.

US-based top companies for interns

Glassdoor, a portal where employees can review their companies anonymously, has shared a list of the 25 highest-paying internships of 2023 further noting that these companies have been known to pay interns competitively.

Check the list of companies:

Stripe: $9,064 (around Rs 7.40 lakhs) Roblox: $9,017 (around Rs 7.37 lakhs) NVIDIA: $8,280 (around Rs 6.77 lakhs) Coinbase: $8,206 (around Rs 6.70 lakhs) Meta: $8,160 (around Rs 6.67 lakhs) Capital One: $8,050 (around Rs 6,58 lakhs) Credit Suisse: $7,947 (around 6.49 lakhs) Bain & Company: $7,873 (around Rs 6.43 lakhs) Amazon: $7,809 (around Rs 6.38 lakhs) EY: $7,651 (around Rs 6.25 lakhs) TikTok: $7,619 (around Rs 6.22 lakhs) Adobe: $7,568 (around Rs 6.18 lakhs) Snapchat: $7,520 (around Rs 6.14 lakhs) HubSpot: $7,477 (around Rs 6.11 lakhs) Splunk: $7,375 (around Rs 6 lakhs) LinkedIn: $7,360 (around Rs 6.01 lakhs) Twitter: $7,290 (around Rs 5.96 lakhs) BlackRock: $7,270 (around Rs 5.94 lakhs) JPMorgan: $7,188 (around Rs 5.87 lakhs) McKinsey & Company: $7,170 (around Rs 5.86 lakhs) Uber: $7,090 (around Rs 5.79 lakhs) Citi: $7,025 (around Rs 5.74 lakhs) ServiceNow: $6,989 (around Rs 5.71 lakhs) Rivian: $6,988 (around Rs 5.71 lakhs) Microsoft: $6,934 (around Rs 5.66 lakhs)

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The People's Liberation Army Navy helped evacuate on Thursday nearly 700 Chinese and foreign nationals from conflict-torn Sudan. In a news release published in the afternoon, the PLA Navy said that 668 Chinese citizens and 10 foreign nationals have been relocated to Jeddah, a coastal city in Saudi Arabia, by two Chinese warships  CNS Nanning, a Type 052D guided-missile destroyer, and CNSWeishan Lake, a Type 903 resupply vessel. According to the release, the two vessels with more than 490 sailors and special operations commandos onboard are part of the Navy's 43rd escort flotilla in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. Following orders from the Navy, the Nanning and the Weishan Lake sailed toward Port Sudan, the principal seaport of the African nation, and arrived there on Wednesday morning. Navy personnel established a security zone in the port, with separate areas for assembly, registration, security check and boarding. Armed commandos stood on alert on the site. A Navy video clip showed sailors of theWeishan Lakeputting up banners on the portside, and one of these read: "Our ships are moving territories of China, and you will be home safe and sound as soon as you board them." Footage also showed that the guns onboard theWeishan Lake were loaded with real munitions. On Wednesday afternoon, buses transporting the evacuees reached the port. Many of the civilians were excited at the sight of the Chinese vessels and troops, and waved the Chinese national flag, while some cried, according to the PLA Navy. In the video, a Navy officer is heard telling the evacuees that wherever they are, "the motherland will always protect you". He continued: "The Navy will always safeguard our overseas compatriots' safety and interests. Please be assured that as we are here, you are safe now." The evacuees responded by saying, "Long live the motherland!" On Thursday morning, the Nanning and the Weishan Lake arrived in Jeddah with the first group of civilians and after all of them safely disembarked from the vessels, the ships began sailing back to Port Sudan to evacuate a second group, the Navy said. This is the third time the PLA Navy has carried out an overseas evacuation mission in recent years, the news release said, noting that the previous two operations took place in Libya in 2011 and Yemen in 2015. At a news briefing on Thursday afternoon, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that more than 1,300 Chinese nationals had left the conflict zones within Sudan, and the ministry is closely monitoring the situation of Chinese citizens remaining in that country and would spare no effort to help them as and when needed. Mao said that nationals from five foreign countries boarded the two Chinese naval ships by Wednesday night, while some other countries had also sought China's assistance. China will do whatever it can to help them, she added.

Wang Xu contributed to this story.
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Gone with the Wind



Answer: American Civil War



The 1939 film of "Gone with the Wind" is so famous that it is easy to forget that Margaret Mitchell's original 1936 novel was already a runaway bestseller, and the most popular work of fiction in America in both 1936 and 1937. Set during the American Civil War (1861-65) and its aftermath, it narrates the dramatic life of the young Scarlett O'Hara, in particular her love for the rakish Rhett Butler. Scarlett's home is in Georgia, one of the rebellious Confederate states, and her struggles to maintain the family plantation, Tara, following the Confederacy's defeat, form a major theme of the book.

2. Cold Mountain



Answer: American Civil War



"Cold Mountain" by Charles Frazier was published in 1997 and tells of a Confederate soldier named Inman who deserts the army after being wounded towards the end of the American Civil War, and sets off to walk home to find Ada Monroe, the woman he loves. Ada meanwhile struggles to maintain her family farm near Cold Mountain in North Carolina, with the help of a homeless woman named Ruby. Although Inman eventually finds his way home, he is tragically shot dead by the last surviving member of a group of Confederate soldiers sent to arrest him for desertion.



The novel was filmed in 2003 by Anthony Minghella, with Jude Law as Inman, Nicole Kidman as Ada and Renee Zellweger as Ruby.

3. Catch-22



World War Two



The satirical novel "Catch-22" was written by Joseph Heller and published in 1961. It deals with the slightly surreal experiences of a group of US airmen based on an Italian island during the Second World War. In 1994 Heller published a sequel entitled "Closing Time".



The title of the novel refers to a paradoxical situation invented by Heller: one way for an airman to avoid being sent on dangerous missions was to claim insanity. However, wanting to avoid danger is itself a proof of sanity, so anyone making this claim had effectively proved they weren't insane. The term has since become well-known even by people who haven't read the book and is used to refer to any paradoxical situation which contains an inherent contradiction. Answer:The satirical novel "Catch-22" was written by Joseph Heller and published in 1961. It deals with the slightly surreal experiences of a group of US airmen based on an Italian island during the Second World War. In 1994 Heller published a sequel entitled "Closing Time".The title of the novel refers to a paradoxical situation invented by Heller: one way for an airman to avoid being sent on dangerous missions was to claim insanity. However, wanting to avoid danger is itself a proof of sanity, so anyone making this claim had effectively proved they weren't insane. The term has since become well-known even by people who haven't read the book and is used to refer to any paradoxical situation which contains an inherent contradiction.

4. Schindler's Ark



Answer: World War Two



"Schindler's Ark" was written by the Australian novelist Thomas Keneally and first published in 1982. It tells, in fictionalised form, the true story of the German industrialist Oskar Schindler, who saved the lives of around 1200 Jews during the Second World War, employing them in his factories and preventing their transfer to Auschwitz towards the end of the war.



The book won the prestigious Booker Prize for Fiction and was famously filmed by Steven Spielberg in 1993 as "Schindler's List", the name it had been given for its American publication.

5. Men at Arms



Answer: World War Two



"Men at Arms" (1952) is the first novel in Evelyn Waugh's "Sword of Honour" trilogy, inspired by his own experiences during the Second World War. The protagonist, Guy Crouchback, joins the Army at the outbreak of war, in a fit of patriotic fervour inspired by his family's long and distinguished military record. The novel contains elements of farce reminiscent of Waugh's early novels such as "Decline and Fall" and "Vile Bodies", although it ends with a disastrous military operation and the death of one of the main characters.



The next two novels in the trilogy, "Officers and Gentlemen" (1955) and "Unconditional Surrender" (1961), chronicle the further destruction of Guy's patriotic ideals and conclude with his cynical acceptance of the wastefulness of modern warfare.

6. Fields of Fire



Answer: Vietnam War



"Fields of Fire" is a 1978 novel by James Webb, which focuses on the experiences of three very different American soldiers serving in Vietnam: a young volunteer fresh out of Harvard University nicknamed "Senator", a streetwise youth known only as "Snake", and Lieutenant Robert Hodges, a career soldier from a military family.



James Webb based the novel closely on his own experiences in Vietnam, during which he was highly decorated. He went on have a successful political career, including representing Virginia as Senator from 2007-13.

7. The Things They Carried



Answer: Vietnam War



The writer Tim O'Brien served in the US Army in Vietnam from 1969-70, and wrote several books inspired by his service. "The Things They Carried" was published in 1990 and is a series of connected short stories about the members of an infantry platoon.



One of the characters is named Tim O'Brien, but the author has stated that the character is not himself, but merely a fictional character sharing his name. The book has been acclaimed as one of the best books about the Vietnam War.

8. All Quiet on the Western Front



World War One



"All Quiet on the Western Front" by the German writer Erich Maria Remarque is one of the most famous novels about the First World War. It first appeared in 1928 serialised in a German newspaper and was published in book form early in 1929. It was immediately popular and an English translation by Arthur Wheen appeared later that same year. Its brutal and unsparing depiction of life in the trenches resonated strongly with those who had survived the war, and helped to ensure it was not forgotten.



A 1930 Hollywood film directed by Lewis Milestone was also acclaimed, and more recently a 2022 German-language version won four Oscars, including "Best International Feature Film". Answer:"All Quiet on the Western Front" by the German writer Erich Maria Remarque is one of the most famous novels about the First World War. It first appeared in 1928 serialised in a German newspaper and was published in book form early in 1929. It was immediately popular and an English translation by Arthur Wheen appeared later that same year. Its brutal and unsparing depiction of life in the trenches resonated strongly with those who had survived the war, and helped to ensure it was not forgotten.A 1930 Hollywood film directed by Lewis Milestone was also acclaimed, and more recently a 2022 German-language version won four Oscars, including "Best International Feature Film".

9. Regeneration



Answer: World War One



"Regeneration" is the first novel in Pat Barker's trilogy of novels about the First World War and was published in 1991. It is set largely in and around the real-life Craiglockhart War Hospital in Edinburgh, where shell-shocked soldiers were sent for treatment. A number of the novel's characters are based on real people, such as the psychiatrist William Rivers and the writers Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon and Robert Graves. A key theme of the novel is Rivers' ambivalence about his work, in which he successfully treats shell-shocked soldiers only for them to be returned to the horrors of the trenches.



The other novels in the so-called "Regeneration Trilogy" are "The Eye in the Door" (1993) and "The Ghost Road" (1995), the last of which won the Booker Prize.

10. Birdsong



Answer: World War One



"Birdsong" by Sebastian Faulkes was published in 1993. The male protagonist, Stephen Wraysford, is a British Army officer who serves on the Western Front throughout the war, while a parallel plot set in the 1970s follows his grand-daughter Elizabeth as she discovers his wartime journals.



A third key character, Jack Firebrace, is an ex-miner whose job is to dig under the German trenches and plant mines to blow them up. The claustrophobic scenes set in the dark, cramped, dangerous tunnels under the trenches are particularly successful.

Source: Author stedman This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
News

Regents name sole finalist for president of UTMB

Jochen Reiser

University of Texas System regents Thursday named a world-renowned authority on kidney disease as finalist for president of the University of Texas Medical Branch.

The regents, on the recommendation of a committee whose members included island community leaders, voted unanimously to name Dr. Jochen Reiser as sole finalist for the position.

The regents today met with several outstanding candidates and unanimously agreed that Dr. Reiser is our top choice to provide leadership to UTMB as it expands its role in serving the people of Texas and beyond, board Chairman Kevin P. Eltife said Thursday.

We are grateful for the thoughtful work of the search advisory committee and UT System leadership whose guidance and recommendations led us to this day.

As CEO of the medical branch, Reiser would lead the educational, research and clinical missions of an academic health center of nearly 4,000 students and 1,000 faculty.

Reiser serves as chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

He is a world-renowned leader in kidney disease research with a focus on molecular biology and genetics, according to the UT systems announcement.

He directs a National Institutes of Health-funded research laboratory seeking the causes of kidney disease and development of methods to combat renal disease, officials said.

Before taking the job at Rush University Medical Center in 2012, Reiser served the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine as professor of medicine, anatomy and cell biology, vice chairman for research in the department of medicine, and chief of the division of nephrology and hypertension. He also served as the interim chairman of medicine at Miami.

Reiser graduated from the Ruprecht Karls University of Heidelberg, Germany, and completed his residency in internal medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

He completed his fellowship in nephrology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Womens Hospital at Harvard Medical School. He then served as assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and was the founding director of the program in glomerular disease at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Glomerular disease reduces the kidneys ability to maintain a balance of certain substances in the bloodstream.

Reisers candidacy was recommended to the board of regents by a presidential search advisory committee that included representation from medical branch faculty, students and island leaders, as well as UT presidents and regents.

The presidential search advisory committee included medical branch faculty and staff and community members John Kelso, president of both the Sealy & Smith Foundation and J.W. Kelso Co., and Ross Moody, chairman of National Western Life Group

Reiser will replace former President Ben Raimer, who in August last year was abruptly put on leave for reasons unspecified, stunning the island and leading to anger and speculation.

Raimer resigned Aug. 22 after having been placed on administrative leave for undisclosed reasons Aug. 8.

Texas law requires the UT System to disclose finalists for the position, but allows it to withhold the names until it has selected a sole finalist. State law requires a 21-day period  which began Thursday  before the medical branch president can officially be named.

The UT System in September announced it had launched a search for Raimers replacement.

A popular and widely respected island resident and physician, Raimer was the subject of a whistleblower complaint and an investigation was underway when he resigned, UT System officials have said.

The exact nature of the complaint has not been revealed to the public and system officials have contested release of public records sought in effort to answer that question.

Raimer said he was fired as a result of a witch hunt gone wrong and that even he didnt know the exact rationale.

System officials have disputed that, saying Raimer had been fully informed of the complaint against him and chose to resign rather than allow the investigation to move forward.

Reiser will succeed Dr. Charles P. Mouton, who has been serving as the medical branchs interim president since August.

The medical branch opened in 1891 as the nations first public medical school and hospital under unified leadership. What began as one hospital and medical school building in Galveston is now a major academic health science center of global influence. The medical branch is a member of the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical center in the world.
Microsoft Designer Gains AI Smarts, Can Now Create Social Media Posts in a Jiffy News oi -Kabir Jain

Since its partnership with OpenAI, Microsoft has been investing heavily in artificial intelligence; the latest app to benefit from this groundbreaking technology is Microsoft Designer, a graphic-design app that debuted in October 2022 as part of Microsoft 365. OpenAI's Dall-E 2 text-to-image generator has been integrated into the tool, allowing users to quickly and easily generate designs complete with images and text.

Microsoft Designer Gains AI Smarts

Microsoft Designer has recently been updated to allow for the quick creation of social media content, complete with suggested hashtags and captions. In addition, the AI-generated design's canvas size can be adjusted without manual intervention. The app can resize your social media posts to fit up to 20 different platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and others.

Those seeking animated designs will find what they're looking for as well; the tool can generate animated text transitions, backgrounds, and more.

Microsoft Designer Is Built Into Edge Browser

The Edge browser now features Microsoft Designer natively, which is integrated into the sidebar for seamless creation of social media content like Facebook and Instagram posts.

Users no longer need to switch to a new tab or window, and there's no need for downloadable extensions. Additionally, the tool will provide suggestions for posting content as you work.

Microsoft Designer Can Generate Text With AI

The tool can also generate complementary text to accompany your visuals. By entering a brief description of what you require, the AI-powered tool generates hashtags and captions suitable for social media posts, while also suggesting font styles that would complement the visuals.

Microsoft Is Brewing More AI Features for Its Tool

Microsoft ain't done just yet as Microsoft Designer is set to receive even more AI updates in the near future. That's right, the tech giant has promised that there are exciting developments on the horizon, including a Fill tool that allows you to quickly place an object in a specific location, and an Erase tool that can whisk away unwanted people or objects and replace them with a fresh image.

It's important to note that Microsoft Designer is still in its preview phase, so there's no release date just yet. But here's the good news: the waitlist has been lifted! That means anyone can dive in and test out the tool to see if it works for their creative process.

With established players like Canva and Adobe Express already offering their own AI-powered content features, Microsoft is taking on a huge challenge in the competitive graphic design market. But with their advanced AI capabilities, they're definitely a force to be reckoned with in this new age of technology-driven creativity.

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End of an Era: Microsoft Signals Final Major Update for Windows 10 News oi -Kabir Jain

It's the end of the line for Windows 10, as Microsoft announced on Thursday in a blog post that Windows 10 22H2 will be the final version of the operating system. The Redmond behemoth also announced that all editions of Windows 10 will continue to receive monthly security updates until October 14th, 2025, when Microsoft will discontinue support.

People who are still using the nearly 8-year-old operating system will no longer be required to install feature updates in order to remain supported. You will, however, continue to receive critical security updates until Microsoft pulls the plug on October 14th, 2025.

LTSC/LTSB Customers Won't Be Affected

It should be noted that the modifications to Windows 10's update policies will not impact LTSC (long-term servicing channel) or LTSB (long-term servicing branch) customers. The LTSC releases have their own support period and do not receive feature updates, so their update experience will remain the same.

Windows client roadmap update! Key takeaways:



1 - #Windows10 will reach EOS on October 14, 2025.

2 - Version 22H2 will be the final version of Windows 10.

3 - You'll see the next #Windows11 LTSC release in the second half of 2024.



Read the announcement: https://t.co/CPjGmRWZdj  Windows IT Pro (@MSWindowsITPro) April 27, 2023

For instance, the support period for Windows 10 2015 LTSB will end on October 14, 2025, whereas Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 will continue to receive support until 2029. As for Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021, it will receive support until at least 2027, although Microsoft has not yet declared any plans to extend its support period.

Microsoft Wants Everyone on Windows 11

With Microsoft discontinuing new feature updates for Windows 10, the company is encouraging users to upgrade to Windows 11. Despite experiencing a rough start upon its initial release more than a year and a half ago, Windows 11 has undergone significant improvements and is now receiving regular feature updates and crucial security patches.

With the news that Microsoft is working on Windows 12, which could be released sooner than expected, the tech giant is winding down support for older versions in order to shift resources to the newer releases.

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Nokia XR21 5G Rugged Smartphone to Feature Snapdragon 695 Soc, Full Specs Leaked News lekhaka -Anu Joy

Nokia is reportedly planning to launch the Nokia XR21 as a successor to the Nokia XR20. The phone was recently mis-labeled as the Nokia XR30 and key specifications of the smartphone were leaked. Now we have the full specs of the Nokia XR21 5G, thanks to the latest report.

Nokia XR21 5G Rumored Features

The Nokia XR21 will debut as a premium smartphone with a rugged design, according to a WinFuture report. The publication clarifies that the newest Nokia XR smartphone will be the XR21, and not the Nokia XR30 as was previously claimed.

The handset will sport a 6.49-inch IPS LCD panel with a refresh rate of 120Hz. The screen will have a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a layer of Gorilla Glass Victus for protection.

At the front, the smartphone will feature a punch-hole notch at the top which houses the selfie camera. The camera has a resolution of 16MP and an aperture of f/2.45.

Meanwhile, the rear camera setup features a 64MP OmniVision main camera with an f/1.79 aperture. It is accompanied by an 8MP telephoto lens with up to 8x digital zoom. Additionally, the smartphone can only shoot videos up to 1080p.

The Nokia XR21 will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor. When it comes to the operating system, the smartphone will ship with the ancient Android 12. The report states that the brand may offer OS updates until May 2026 and security patches until May 2027.

As for the battery, the Nokia XR21 features a 4,800mAh battery with 33W fast charging support. Connectivity options for the phone include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Additionally, the handset is IP68-rated for dust and water resistance.

Nokia XR21 5G Price

Reports suggest that the Nokia XR21 could cost approximately $499 (around 40,800). The handset is expected to come with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. There's no word on when the smartphone will make its global debut.

Source

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UK Blocks Microsoft Acquisition Of Activision Blizzard Even Though It Wants To Attract Technology Businesses Tech Biz oi -Alap Naik Desai

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has essentially blocked Microsoft's planned $75 billion acquisition of Activision-Blizzard. The country's competition regulator has raised concerns about Microsoft dominating the rapidly growing cloud gaming market with insanely popular game titles such as Call of Duty.

UK's CMA may not be speaking the same language that Sony spoke last year, but the conclusion is the same. The Japanese tech giant had claimed Microsoft could make Activision's games exclusive to its own cloud gaming service and wanted the deal to be blocked.

UK's CMA Fears Microsoft May Monopolistically Control Cloud Gaming Market

Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard has hit yet another roadblock. The deal has seen multiple challenges in other parts of the world, including the US and the EU.

Some industry experts had expected that at least UK's CMA would approve the deal. This is because the UK has been aggressively trying to attract technology businesses.

After a rather lengthy review, the CMA has essentially blocked Microsoft from acquiring Activision-Blizzard. However, it is not exactly for the reason that's been raised by Sony.

The CMA had previously determined that the possible restriction of some game titles was not actually a serious concern. It appears the UK's regulatory body is concerned about the deal's impact on cloud gaming.

While blocking the deal, CMA expressed its concerns that if Xbox purchased Activision Blizzard, it would be able to dominate the cloud gaming market. It feared Microsoft wouldn't make games like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft console-exclusive. Instead, it would offer these games exclusively on its own cloud gaming platform.

Microsoft could effectively control multiple elements such as subscription pricing and eventually alter the very structure of the gaming market. The company would be able to pull this off without facing opposition from other services as they wouldn't get to offer these popular games, feared the CMA.

UK's Competition Regulator Rejects Remedial Solutions Suggested By Microsoft

Microsoft had offered the CMA remedies to try and address its concerns. The company was willing to meet "requirements governing what games must be offered by Microsoft to what platforms and on what conditions over a ten-year period." However, the regulator rejected the proposals.

As expected, Microsoft will appeal to the UK Competition Appeals Tribunal to reconsider its decision. The company will continue dealing with relevant regulatory authorities in other countries. A spokesperson for Activision Blizzard, however, has claimed that "the UK is clearly closed for business."

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Taiwan sharing real-time intelligence with 'Five Eyes': NSB head

ROC Central News Agency

04/26/2023 03:59 PM

Taipei, April 26 (CNA) Taiwan's top intelligence chief on Wednesday said the nation has maintained "real-time" intelligence sharing with the "Five Eyes" alliance formed by the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (eZa) made the confirmation during a Legislative session in Taipei, after an opposition lawmaker asked if Taiwan had such exchanges with the signals intelligence sharing group.

During the session, Kuomintang (KMT) Legislator Chen I-hsin (eaa) said he had discovered that the NSB had been upgrading its computer equipment last year and this year "to the level of those that are used by intelligence units in foreign countries."

Chen then asked Tsai if the ongoing efforts to upgrade the NSB's computer systems could help Taiwan better connect to the Five Eyes alliance.

In response, Tsai confirmed that the NSB had allocated funds to establish an "instant online reporting and communication mechanism" with foreign countries.

Chen then asked if the upgrade would enable the NSB share and receive instance intelligence from the "Five Eyes alliance."

Tsai replied that the NSB would do so via "a secure and encrypted system."

Chen then asked if the NSB was already sharing intelligence with the "Five Eyes," to which Tsai responded: "Yes, and in real time," without elaborating.

Tsai appeared in front of lawmakers to report on what measures the NSB was taking in preparation for next year's presidential election, including countering Chinese attempts at electoral interference.

(By Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/ASG

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U.S. Entertainer Convicted of Engaging in Foreign Influence Campaign

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Rapper, Businessman Found Guilty in Back-Channel Lobbying Campaign to Drop 1MDB Investigation and Remove Chinese National from United States, and Conspiring to Make and Conceal Foreign Contributions During 2012 U.S. Presidential Election

A federal jury convicted a U.S. entertainer and businessman today for orchestrating an unregistered, back-channel campaign beginning in or about 2017 to influence the then-administration of the President of the United States and the Department of Justice to drop the investigation of Jho Low and others for embezzlement and other offenses in connection with the international strategic and development company known as 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), and to send a Chinese national back to China, as well as conspiring to make and conceal foreign and conduit campaign contributions during the 2012 U.S. presidential election.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Prakazrel "Pras" Michel, 50, of Coconut Creek, Florida, conspired with Low Taek Jho, aka Jho Low, of Malaysia; Elliott Broidy; Nickie Lum Davis; George Higginbotham; and others to engage in undisclosed lobbying campaigns at the direction of Low and the Vice Minister of Public Security for the People's Republic of China, respectively, to have the 1MDB embezzlement investigation and forfeiture proceedings involving Low and others dropped and to have a Chinese national sent back to China.

"As proven at trial, the defendant engaged in an extensive conspiracy to use millions of dollars in foreign funds to engage in illegal back-channel lobbying and make unlawful campaign contributions," said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. "Today's verdict demonstrates that anyone who engages in unlawful foreign-sponsored efforts to influence American officials, our elections, or the criminal justice system will be brought to justice."

Michel also conspired with Low to orchestrate and conceal a foreign and conduit contribution scheme in which they funneled millions of dollars of Low's money into the 2012 U.S. presidential election as purportedly legitimate campaign contributions, all while concealing the true source of the money. Michel received Low's money and contributed it both personally and through approximately 20 straw donors. Michel also caused a presidential joint fundraising committee and an independent expenditure committee to submit false reports to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). In addition, Michel personally submitted a false declaration to the FEC, conspired to commit money laundering and make false statements to financial institutions related to the foreign influence campaigns, and attempted to cause witnesses to make false statements to and withhold information from law enforcement officials about the scheme.

"Michel played a central role in a wide-ranging conspiracy to improperly influence top government officials, including the then-President of the United States and the then-Attorney General," said Special Agent in Charge Harry A. Lidsk of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) Cyber Investigations Office. "The DOJ-OIG uncovered this activity in 2017 and led an exhaustive investigation which culminated today with the conviction of the fourth charged conspirator. I would like to thank the members of the jury for their time and careful deliberation of the facts."

"The defendant brazenly conspired to help a foreign national launder millions of dollars in illegitimate campaign contributions into the 2012 U.S. presidential election," Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division. "The FBI and our partners are dedicated to uncovering even the most sophisticated schemes which could undermine our fair and transparent democratic process."

Michel was convicted of conspiracy, concealment of material facts, making false entries in records, witness tampering, and serving as an unregistered agent of a foreign power. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the top counts. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Broidy pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme on Oct. 20, 2020, in the District of Columbia. He received a full presidential pardon on Jan. 19, 2021.

Higginbotham pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme on Nov. 30, 2018, in the District of Columbia. He will be sentenced at a later date.

Lum Davis pleaded guilty for her role in the scheme on Aug. 31, 2020, in the District of Hawaii. She was sentenced to two years in prison on Jan. 19.

Low was previously indicted and is a fugitive.

The DOJ-OIG and the FBI Los Angeles Field Office and International Corruption Squad in New York investigated the case.

Principal Deputy Chief John D. Keller, Election Crimes Branch Director of Enforcement and Litigation Sean F. Mulryne, and Trial Attorney Nicole R. Lockhart of the Criminal Division's Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely a charge. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Topic(s): Public Corruption

Voting and Elections

Foreign Corruption

Component(s): Criminal Division

Criminal - Public Integrity Section

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Office of the Inspector General

Press Release Number: 23-480

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China revises Counter-Espionage Law, defining cyber-attacks against state organs as spy activities

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Apr 26, 2023 09:31 PM Updated: Apr 26, 2023 10:10 PM

The 14th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee passed an amendment to the Counter-Espionage Law on Wednesday. The revised law refines the definition of espionage activities, explicitly categorizing "collaborating with spy organizations and their agents" and "conducting cyber-attacks against state organs, confidential-related units, or critical information infrastructure and etc." as espionage activities.

The revised law will come into effect on July 1.

Regarding the latest revision, Wang Aili, head of the criminal law division with the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, explained that the new law adheres to a problem-oriented approach, focusing on key issues in the implementation of the current Counter-Espionage Law, such as a narrow scope of espionage activities, inadequate security precaution systems and insufficient administrative law enforcement authority.

Specifically, this revision refines the definition of espionage activities. "Collaborating with spy organizations and their agents" and "conducting cyber-attacks against state organs, confidential-related units, or critical information infrastructure, etc." are explicitly categorized as espionage activities. In accordance with practical situations, the scope of objects subject to theft of secrets is moderately expanded, and "documents, data, materials, and items related to national security and interests" are also included for protection.

Meanwhile, the new law refines security precaution provisions. The revised law clarifies the main responsibilities of state organs and social organizations in counter-espionage security precautions, actively carrying out counter-espionage education, and effectively raising public awareness and national security literacy for counter-espionage precautions. It also clarifies the security precaution responsibilities of key units and the system to grant permissions for construction projects involving national security matters.

Furthermore, the new law improves counter-espionage investigation and handling measures and increases administrative law enforcement powers. Administrative law enforcement powers such as examining and collecting data, summoning, inquiring about property information, and prohibiting entry or exit are added to the new law. Besides, requirements for standardized law enforcement by state security organs are also clarified, with strict approval procedures ensuring standardized law enforcement.

It also adds the notification and handling measures for discovered cybersecurity risks and mechanisms for the identification and evaluation of state secrets and intelligence.

In one case in 2022, the email system of a university in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province - well-known for its aviation, aerospace and navigation studies - was found to have been attacked by the US' National Security Agency (NSA).

Ahead of April 15, 2023, the 8th National Security Education Day, a series of typical cases were revealed. A civil servant in the Xinjiang region met a netizen through a mobile dating app and became a tool for an overseas spy agency to collect sensitive local information.

In terms of strengthening the support and supervision of counter-espionage work, the new law adds provisions for protection, rescue, compensation, resettlement, preferential treatment, and training for relevant personnel and encourages technological innovation in the field of counter-espionage, highlighting the role of technology in counter-espionage efforts.

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Norway - Defense Articles and Services Related to the MH-60R Multi-Mission Helicopters

Media/Public Contact: pm-cpa@state.gov

Transmittal No: 23-32

WASHINGTON, April 26, 2023 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Norway of MH-60R Multi-Mission Helicopters and related equipment for an estimated cost of $1 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.

The Government of Norway has requested to buy six (6) MH-60R Multi-Mission Helicopters; fifteen (15) T-700-GE-401C engines (12 installed, 3 spares); nine (9) Link 16 Multifunctional Information Distribution Systems Joint Tactical Radio Systems (MIDS JTRS) (6 installed, 3 spares); eighteen (18) Embedded Global Positioning System/Precise Positioning Service (GPS/PPS)/Inertial Navigation Systems (EGI) with Selective Availability/Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) (12 installed, 6 spares); and six (6) Airborne Low Frequency Sonars (ALFS) (aircraft provisions only). Also included are M514 impulse cartridge/cartridge actuated devices; MJ20 cartridge actuated thruster/cartridge actuated devices; WB53 fire extinguisher cartridge/cartridge actuated devices; CCU-136A/A impulse cartridges; GAU-21 crew served guns (including pintle and laser pointer); AN/ARC-210 RT-2036 radios with Communications Security (COMSEC); AN/AAR-47 missile warning systems; AN/APX-123 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) transponders; AN/ALE-47 dispensers; Electronic Countermeasures; Advanced Data Transfer Systems (ADTS); AN/AAS-44C(V) Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems; Identification Friend or Foe Mode 4/5 Cryptographic Applique, KIV-78; Joint Mission Planning Systems (JMPS); AN/ARQ-59 Hawklink radio terminals; Training Simulators/Operational Machine Interface Assistants (ATS/OMIA); Aviation Maintenance Weapons Loading Trainer (AMWLT); Tactical Operational Flight Trainer (TOFT); AN/ALQ-210 Electronic Support Measures (ESM) systems; APS-153(V) multi-mode radars; spare engine containers; spare and repair parts; support and test equipment; communications equipment; ferry support; publications and technical documentation; personnel training and training equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; obsolescence engineering, integration, and test activities required to ensure readiness for the production of the Norwegian MH-60R helicopters; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated program cost is $1 billion.

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is an important force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.

The proposed sale will improve Norway's capability to perform Coast Guard missions along with the ability to perform secondary missions, including vertical replenishment and communications relay. Norway will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defense. Norway will have no difficulty absorbing these helicopters and support into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region. The principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Owego, New York. The purchaser has requested offsets. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor.

Implementation of this proposed sale will require multiple trips by U.S. Government representatives and the assignment of contractor representatives to Norway on an intermittent basis over the life of the case to support delivery and integration of items and to provide supply support management, inventory control, and equipment familiarization. In addition, there will be up to four (4) contractor representatives in Norway full-time for the duration of the case.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law. The description and dollar value are for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded.

All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov.

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Norway - C-130J Sustainment

Media/Public Contact: pm-cpa@state.gov

Transmittal No: 23-34

WASHINGTON, April 26, 2023 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Norway of sustainment and services for C-130J aircraft beyond Block 6 through 2028 and related equipment for an estimated cost of $166 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.

The Government of Norway has requested continued sustainment and associated services for four (4) C-130J aircraft beyond Block 6 through 2028. Included are Joint Mission Planning Systems (JMPS); aircraft components, spare parts, consumables, and accessories; repair and return support; aircraft support and support equipment; unclassified publications and technical documentation; software delivery and support; unclassified Computer Program Identification Number (CPIN) systems; telecommunications support; minor modifications, maintenance and maintenance support; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support. The estimated total cost is $166 million.

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.

The proposed sale will improve Norway's capability to meet current and future threats by bolstering operational readiness while enhancing air and defense capabilities with a modernized fleet. Norway already has C-130Js and will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin, Marietta, GA. The purchaser typically requests offsets. Any offset agreement would be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor.

Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Norway.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law. The description and dollar value are for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded.

All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov.

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New Pillar for Cooperation: EDA-U.S. Department of Defense Administrative Arrangement Signed

European Defence Agency

26 April 2023

Brussels, 26 April 2023. Today, the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the Department of Defense of the United States of America (DoD) have formalised a framework for cooperation through the signing of an Administrative Arrangement (AA). The EDA-DoD AA provides for stronger transatlantic cooperation in defence in specific areas, including in the exchange of information.

The conclusion of this AA is a strong political signal, delivering on the tasking of EU and U.S. leaders in the June 2021 EU-US Summit Statement. The arrangement confirms the value of a transatlantic partnership in security and defense to confront shared security challenges, and the importance of a stronger and more capable European defence that is complementary to and interoperable with NATO.

Head of the Agency, High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell, said: "At a time when war has returned to Europe, we need to open every avenue for cooperation with our closest partners. The EDA-U.S. Administrative Arrangement provides another pillar to strengthen transatlantic cooperation and the link between the EU and the U.S. The European Defence Agency, as the hub for EU defence cooperation, plays a unique role in raising our level of defence cooperation and contributing to make the EU a stronger defence actor and partner."

United States Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin said: "The signature of the Administrative Arrangement with EDA is evidence of the strengthening U.S.-European Union relationship. DoD and EDA's dedicated dialogue and engagement will further contribute to transatlantic and global security. Russia's aggression against Ukraine underlines the importance of strong U.S.-European ties in NATO and with the European Union. Deepening dialogue and cooperation will only strengthen this key strategic partnership moving forward."

Scope, collaboration and exchange: Progressive development of the AA

The two parties have reached an understanding on an initial scope of cooperation, which may, upon mutual consent, progressively develop in the future.

Forum of exchange and dialogue: The AA will enable a substantial defence dialogue on all topics within EDA's remit, and invitations for U.S. DoD to attend relevant meetings of EDA's Steering Board and for EDA to attend meetings convened by the U.S. DoD, as appropriate.

The AA will enable a substantial defence dialogue on all topics within EDA's remit, and invitations for U.S. DoD to attend relevant meetings of EDA's Steering Board and for EDA to attend meetings convened by the U.S. DoD, as appropriate. Activities of cooperation: Initial activities include consultations on the impact of EU Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation; military mobility; supply chain issues; and the impact of climate change on defence. It also allows for U.S. participation in the open session of the European Defence Standardisation Committee.

The AA was signed today in Brussels by Jiri Sedivy, EDA Chief Executive, and Dr. William LaPlante, United States Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.

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NATO Secretary General: we must go further and faster to procure key capabilities and boost stockpiles

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

26 Apr. 2023

Opening a two-day Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD) session at NATO Headquarters on Wednesday (26 April 2023), Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged Allies to ramp up weapons and ammunition production, and rapidly replenish stockpiles. This will enhance the Alliance's deterrence and defence, while enabling continued support to Ukraine.

"We are here today to go further and faster," said the Secretary General, "to procure the capabilities which NATO needs, and to work collectively together, and with industry".

The Secretary General highlighted the importance of working on more multinational procurement, including for munitions, and stressed the importance of NATO standards. He further stressed the importance of boosting defence production while working more closely with industry, and addressing potential bottlenecks and supply chain vulnerabilities.

Meeting at least twice a year, the CNAD's mission is to enable cooperation in the delivery of interoperable military capabilities. It ensures that NATO forces have state-of-the-art capabilities readily available at all times.

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EU's Military Mission Says 'Closely Watching' Security Situation In Bosnia

By RFE/RL's Balkan Service April 26, 2023

The European Union's military mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina says it has not perceived any danger to the country's security situation despite ongoing tensions sparked by Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik's repeated threats that the Bosnian Serb entity would pursue independence and union with neighboring Serbia.

Dodik -- who has been targeted by sanctions from the United States and Britain over alleged destabilization efforts and corruption -- has repeatedly threatened to push for the independence of Republika Srpska unless a dispute with Bosnia's central government over who's the rightful owner of the country's assets is resolved in the Serbian entity's favor.

On April 23, Dodik vowed to pursue a union with neighboring Serbia if the issue will not be settled to the benefit of Republika Srpska and warned that the entity's police would patrol the boundary with Bosnia's other entity, the Bosniak-Croat Federation.

Mission spokeswoman Emer Kelly told RFE/RL on April 26 that Operation Althea was closely monitoring the local political and security developments.

"EUFOR's Althea has an agile presence throughout the whole country and is conducting routine patrols all over Bosnia-Herzegovina in order to reassure all communities of our presence and enhance our situational awareness," Kelly said.

She added that the mission continues to proactively support Bosnian partner institutions in ensuring a secure environment in the country, and that they continue to cooperate and maintain contacts with local authorities through a network of liaison and observation teams.

Under the 1995 Dayton accords that ended the Bosnian War, an administrative system was established under which Bosnia remains partitioned between Republika Srpska and the Bosniak-Croat Federation, connected by a weak central government.

Dodik has been trying to separate the entity's military, police, and tax administration from the central Bosnian government, actions that contravene the Dayton accords.

Operation Althea, formally known as the European Union Force Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR) was formed in 2004 as a successor to the previous Stabilization Force (SFOR), Implementation Force (IFOR), and United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) that ensured Bosnia's security following the end of the 1992-95 war.

EUFOR is responsible for implementing the military part of the Dayton agreement and ensuring peace. Its mandate, which includes the use of military force, is extended by the UN Security Council every autumn for one year.

EUFOR has repeatedly stated that it would only use military force if "the safe and stable environment is seriously threatened, and the existing security structures are in danger of falling apart."

EUFOR does not comment on political issues but continues to closely monitor all activities that might impact the security situation, in accordance with its mandate.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/bosnia-eu- security-dodik/32380378.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Sudan envoy calls for ceasefire compliance, as concern mounts over West Darfur

26 April 2023 - The UN's Special Representative for Sudan has called on the rival military factions which have plunged the country into chaos during 11 days of fighting to "fully adhere" to the agreed 72-hour ceasefire amid increasing concern at reports of inter-communal violence and attacks in the West Darfur region.

Volker Perthes, who is also head of UN Transition Assistance Mission UNITAMS, welcomed the lull in fighting in some parts of the country between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitaries from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), noting that "it is not being fully respected".

He called on both sides to stick to the final day of the agreed ceasefire, "and facilitate humanitarian access" to the UN and partners, who are continuing to provide lifesaving aid as far as conditions allow.

Mr. Perthes, who is remaining in Sudan together with senior UN personnel, said in a statement he was "deeply concerned by recent reports of violence in El Geneina (West Darfur), which increasingly appears to also be taking on inter-communal dimensions with attacks on civilians and looting and distribution of weapons among local communities."

UN premises looted

He said attacks had also resulted in "other mass looting, including of UN premises."

He once again called for an immediate end to the conflict between the two factions, who are unable to agree on integrating their forces ahead of a long-awaited transition to civilian rule, before the violence and destruction escalates.

Calling for all humanitarians - their facilities and assets - to be protected, the UNITAMS chief told the generals that it was "crucial" for civilians to be able to safely leave areas of active fighting and have access to "essential supplies."

He welcomed ongoing efforts by local authorities in the region to de-escalate tensions, and vowed to work with all parties, "towards a sustained ceasefire with a monitoring mechanism, political negotiations, and to alleviate human suffering."

Speaking in Geneva, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that the violence wracking Sudan had "taken a terrible toll on health".

More deaths due to disease

"On top of the number of deaths and injuries caused by the conflict itself, WHO expects there will be many more deaths due to outbreaks, lack of access to food and water, and disruptions to essential health services, including immunization", he said.

WHO estimates that one in four of the lives lost so far could have been saved with access to basic emergency medical treatment for the wounded.

"But paramedics, nurses and doctors are unable to access injured civilians, and civilians are unable to access services. In the capital Khartoum, 61 per cent of health facilities are closed, and only 16 per cent are operating as normal."

24,000 births, no hospital care

Many patients with chronic diseases, like kidney disease, diabetes and cancer, are unable to access the health facilities or medicines they need and in the coming weeks, around 24,000 women will give birth in the capital, "but they are currently unable to access maternal care", said Tedros.

The risk of diarrhoeal diseases is high, as the water supply is disrupted and people are drinking river water to survive, noted the WHO chief.

"With nutrition programmes suspended, 50,000 children are at real risk; and the movement of civilians seeking safety threatens the fragile health system throughout the country."

Since the conflict began, WHO has verified 16 attacks on health, resulting in at least eight deaths so far.

Thousands fleeing the fighting

As the fighting continues, the UN is preparing for a mass influx of refugees into countries across the region bordering Sudan, including the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told correspondents in New York on Wednesday.

The refugee agency UNHCR, estimates that some 270,000 people could flee into South Sudan and Chad alone.

"In South Sudan, our humanitarian partners are scaling up their presence in key response areas to help the most vulnerable people", said Mr. Haq. "In Chad, UNHCR is working with the Government to assess the needs of people arriving in the country."

UNHCR is calling on all countries neighbouring Sudan to keep their borders open to those fleeing the violence, in fear of their lives.

Pity the children: lives must take precedence

In a joint statement, the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, and the Special Representative on Violence against Children, Najat Maalla M'jid, said they were alarmed at the reported numbers of civilian deaths, including children.

"The lives, protection and well-being of children must take precedence over combat operations, and we call on all parties to halt hostilities and to ensure full protection of all children.

"Parties should further refrain from attacking civilian infrastructures in accordance with international humanitarian law, especially those impacting children - this includes schools and medical facilities as well as water and sanitation systems", said the two officials.

They also reminded military officers engaged in the fighting that "regardless of their roles, under no circumstances should children below 18 years be involved in armed conflict as the recruitment and use of children is prohibited under international law."

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Russia's Wagner Group Could Fuel Conflict in Sudan, Experts Say

By Salem Solomon April 26, 2023

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of a Russian government-backed paramilitary group, has offered weapons to one of the warring parties in Sudan, according to several media reports.

Since the fighting began in April, there have been unconfirmed reports and diplomatic sources who spoke to news outlets saying that Wagner fighters are supporting the paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces and supplying them with weapons.

Cameron Hudson, a former U.S. State Department official and a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told VOA that the Wagner Group is supplying portable air defense systems, shoulder-fired rockets, tank busters and heavy armor.

The RSF denies receiving support from Russia.

As news emerges, however, that the Wagner Group could be taking sides, experts warn such external involvement can only worsen the conflict, citing the group's negative track record and trail of atrocities in Africa.

In a rare admission to the group's involvement in Sudan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that the decision to involve the Wagner Group is up to African leadership.

"Central African Republic and Mali and Sudan, a number of other countries, whose governments, whose legitimate authorities turn for this kind of services [to Wagner Group], have the right to do so," Lavrov told a news conference at the United Nations.

High-level U.S. officials continue to express concern over the involvement of the Wagner Group in Sudan, where it is involved in mineral extraction.

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that the group's involvement has the potential to further ignite the conflict.

"Obviously, we don't want to see this conflict expand or broaden, and we certainly wouldn't want to see additional firepower brought to bear; that will just continue the violence and continue to escalate the tensions," he said.

The fight to grab power is between two generals, General Abdel Fattah Burhan, head of the armed forces, and General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, or Hemedti, the leader of the RSF paramilitary group.

Hemedti traveled to Russia shortly after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and has sought to win support from the Wagner Group.

"Through this visit, we hope to advance relations between Sudan and Russia to broader horizons, and strengthen the existing cooperation between us in various fields," Dagalo said in a Twitter post at the time of his Moscow visit.

Jacqueline Burns is a senior policy analyst with RAND Corporation, a global policy research group. She said by supporting Hemedti, Russia is seeking to protect its own interests.

"Russia and the Wagner Group, they benefit from gold concessions in Sudan and the illicit smuggling of gold out of the country," she told VOA. "The Wagner Group is siding with the party they think is most likely to be able to continue to secure these interests, particularly in opposition to any civilian-led government."

The Wagner Group's history in Sudan dates to the previous government of Omar al-Bashir. Prigozhin had a close relationship with the autocratic leader, who allowed Wagner-affiliated companies access to gold mining.

After the army ousted al-Bashir in 2019 amid a popular uprising, Wagner continued to have a close relationship with the Sudanese military, particularly the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces headed by Hemedti. This replicates its model of engagement in other African countries.

"Wagner Group does seem to engage with African countries on a pretty predictable sort of pattern," said Ben Dalton, a program manager at New America's Future Frontlines, a Washington-based research group.

"Normally it starts with a cultivation of elites, or at least a subset of elites, and then that is followed up with a formal military technical agreement between the states. And this could be something like Russia will supply arms in exchange for concessions that allow them to do mining or other kinds of resource extraction."

Russia views Sudan as a strategic location with vast mineral wealth and is eager to help install a friendly leader, say analysts.

"We've seen a lot in recent months about Russia's efforts to gain a port on the Red Sea in Sudan through an official military relationship and they've signed other official military relationships with other countries in the region," said Hudson.

Wagner's involvement in other parts of the continent, however, has only brought strife to the population, Dalton said.

"Engaging with this group tends to go pretty badly for the population that has to deal with them. They've been associated with widespread atrocities everywhere they go; you see civilian deaths and various atrocities," Dalton said.

"Russia's interests are in extracting the continent's resources so that it can strengthen its own position and build a web to resist ... international sanctions. They don't really have the interests of Africans at heart."

Patsy Widakuswara and Cindy Saine contributed to this report.

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Former Sudan Officials Leave Prison, Raising Questions about Bashir

By Michael Atit April 26, 2023

Amid a shaky cease-fire in Sudan, members of the former regime, including ousted president Omar al-Bashir have left the prison where they were held, raising questions on their whereabouts. Sudan's military accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of attacking the prison, while the RSF accused the military of releasing the former leaders.

Ahmed Haroun, a security official for Sudan's former president Omar al-Bashir, announced Tuesday that he and other former leaders were freed from Khartoum's Kober prison.

Haroun told state media Sudan TV the inmates were allowed to leave Sunday after clashes near the prison, which couldn't care for them because of the fighting.

Saudi Arabia's Al Hadath TV rebroadcasted his comments.

Haroun said all inmates lacked basic services, including shortage of water, power, and healthcare. He added that some inmates were injured due to the ongoing exchange of gunfire.

The announcement raised concerns about the whereabouts of other former officials, including Bashir, who was also being held at the prison.

Unnamed military sources told the Associated Press that Bashir, Haroun, and former minister Abdel-Rahim Muhammad Hussein had been moved to a military hospital.

Bashir, Haroun, and Hussin are wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes in Sudan's Darfur region.

Hospital sources confirmed to Reuters news agency that Bashir was at a military hospital.

The Sudan Tribune reports that Bashir and Hussein are at a military hospital in Omdurman, a town next to Khartoum.

Sources at the Alia Military Hospital told VOA that Bashir and Hussein have been held there for more than three months.

Haroun in his Tuesday comments to Sudan TV indicated those released from the prison Sunday were on their own.

He said they decided to take their own responsibility to protect themselves. Haroun added that they stand ready to appear before the law, once there is an operational judicial system in place.

Haroun also declared his support for Sudan's military in the fighting that broke out April 15 with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Sudan's military has denied any involvement in their release from prison and accused the RSF of impersonating the military to release the inmates and loot the facility.

The RSF denied the allegations and claimed the military released the former leaders as part of a plan to restore Bashir to power.

The military and RSF ousted Bashir in 2019 after a popular uprising against his three-decade rule.

Both claim to support a return to democracy in Sudan, but have thwarted efforts to establish a civilian-led government, including a coup in 2021.

Fighting broke out between the two sides over a timeline for integrating the RSF into the military.

The warring has led foreign missions to evacuate diplomats and citizens.

While thousands of Sudanese have fled the fighting, millions are left struggling to survive in war zones as supplies of food, water, and medicine are running out.

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Merchant Vessel Seized by IRGCN in Gulf of Oman

U.S. Central Command

April 27, 2023

By U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs

Gulf of Oman -- On April 27 at approximately 1:15 p.m. 1ocal time, Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Advantage Sweet was seized by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) while transiting international waters in the Gulf of Oman. The oil tanker issued a distress call during the seizure. U.S. 5th Fleet is monitoring the situation.

Iran's actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability. The Iranian government should immediately release the oil tanker.

Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy. In the past two years, Iran has unlawfully seized at least five commercial vessels sailing in the Middle East.

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April 27, 2023

By Joseph Clark , DOD News

Defense Department Ready to Support State Department Ensuring Safe Passage of Americans in Sudan

The Defense Department remains actively engaged with the State Department in monitoring the security situation in Sudan, said Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder during a news conference at the Pentagon today.

Ryder underscored the close work between the two agencies in planning and preparing for the evacuation of U.S. citizens who decide to depart the country in the most safe and secure way possible.

"We're working very closely with the State Department to identify the number of Americans who want to leave Sudan as of right now," he said. "The indications that we have is that those numbers are relatively small, however we do recognize that could change quickly."

Approximately 100 U.S. special operations forces aided in the evacuation of about 70 members of the U.S staff from the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum on Saturday in response to escalating violence in the city.

U.S. Africa Command has established a deconfliction cell at its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, as a means of ensuring communication between U.S. allies and partners in the region.

Part of the deconfliction cells mission is to work with the State Department to identify available seats on international flights departing the country, Ryder said.

Ryder said the Defense Department is also providing support in the development of overland routes for civilian evacuations, in the event the security situation deteriorates further.

"It allows us to establish a sustainable, repeatable process by which to get people out overground in larger numbers, to port Sudan, for example, where they could be received and then moved onward via sea," he said. "That's something that will continue to work."

U.S. forces have maintained constant overwatch of the security situation in the region through unmanned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance flights. U.S. Naval assets also remain off the coast of Sudan to assist as needed.

"The bottom line is we're ready to support now," Ryder said. "We'll continue to work very closely with the State Department, we'll continue to stay in close contact with our allies and partners to ensure that if an American citizen is looking to get out, we will work with State to ensure and enable that."

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Lithuania plans spending over EUR 3.1 billion for military stocks

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence

2023-04-27

Development and Strengthening of the Armed Forces

As part of the planned progress of National Defence System, the Ministry of National Defence foresees spending over EUR 3.1 billion on military stockpiles which would comprise various required calibers of ammunition in the coming decade. The amount is the worth of at least 12% of the entire annual defence budget and an extension by one fifth as compared to the previous level of ambition.

"The qualitative change in the approach to capability building brings in the complex approach to armament projects, therefore the cutting-edge weaponry system acquisitions for national defence are carried out and the corresponding ammunition is purchased with it, as well as the infrastructure for equipment housing, maintenance and storing that is developed," states Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anusauskas.

Minister notes that military stockpile building is among the top priorities of the recent years which is paid increasingly more MoD attention and appropriations by the year. That is associated not only with the tense regional security situation but also with the wide-ranging modernization in the Lithuanian Armed Forces: acquisition of the NASAMS mid-range air defence system, HIMARS High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, Vilkas Infantry Fighting Vehicles, JLTV Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, PzH2000 and Ceasar howitzers, tactical drones, and other capabilities.

The Ministry of National Defence especially focused of military stockpiling last year in the wake of the dramatic change in the geopolitical situation. 2022 was a record year for stocking up, receiving almost one fifth of the defence budget (the considerable 18.3%) added up with the appropriations committed on top over the year. In comparison, the financing amounted to 17.7% of defence budget in 2021 and 11.2% in 2020. This year military stock appropriations are planned to reach approx. one fourth of a billion euros (13.4% defence budget), twice the amount allocated in 2020 (115.6 million euros).

The major part, or 90%, of the stockpiles is ammunition, with the remaining 10% constituted by different engineer items and explosive materials. Most of the ammunition procured for the Lithuanian Armed Forces, as much as three fourths, is made up by battle decisive munition, BDM, extensively used by NATO.

Acquisition of military stockpiles takes into account a part for routine force training, i.e., exercise and training events, however the major part of the purchase is stockpiled.

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UN humanitarians will return to Khartoum 'as quickly as possible': UN aid coordinator

27 April 2023 - The UN has been forced to essentially halt all aid operations across Sudan due to the continuing fighting between rival militaries, but humanitarians who have re-located to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast are determined to return to Khartoum "as quickly as possible", the UN Humanitarian Coordinator said on Thursday.

Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Abdou Dieng, speaking from Port Sudan, told reporters in the briefing room in New York that senior leadership would be returning to the Sudanese capital, as soon as the situation allows.

The needs are urgent, and widespread, he said, as the final few hours of a US-brokered 72-hour ceasefire neared, with fighting continuing. Hundreds have been killed, and thousands wounded as the rival militia of the country's top two generals continue to battle each other in civilian areas.

Dire needs, before fighting erupted

Before the fighting began nearly two weeks ago, one in three Sudanese was already in need of aid, and it's proving "extremely difficult" to properly assess the level of need today, Mr. Dieng said.

The pre-conflict Humanitarian Response Plan called for $1.7 billion, of which only 15 per cent has been pledged, he said.

In reply to questions about an uptick in inter-communal violence in West Darfur and food shortages, he said the UN was extremely worried about food supplies, and the deteriorating situation across all of Darfur.

The UN and partners, are establishing a core team in Port Sudan itself, which will be responsible for overseeing humanitarian operations in the country, and negotiating humanitarian access with de facto authorities.

Emergency funding

The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, announced on Thursday the allocation of $3 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to urgently respond to the arrival of Sudanese refugees and others in Chad.

In Khartoum, meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that more than 60 per cent of health facilities are closed and only 16 per cent are operating as normal.

Briefing reporters in New York, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, said that according to UN partners who remain in the capital, the treatment of nearly 50,000 acutely malnourished children has been disrupted.

Mr. Haq said that shortages of food, water, medicines and food continue, especially in the capital and surrounding areas, where the military stand-off has been most intense, "while access to communications and electricity is limited in many parts of the country."

Needs grow at Chad-Sudan border

As many as 20,000 people - among them Chadians, Sudanese, and foreign nationals - fleeing the violence in Sudan, have arrived so far in neighbouring Chad, said the UN migration agency, IOM, earlier on Thursday.

The vast border between the two countries extends for 1,400 kilometres.

"The majority of those arriving are in dire need of basic humanitarian aid, namely food, water and adequate shelter," said Anne Kathrin Schaefer, IOM Chief of Mission in Chad.

"While registration is ongoing by humanitarian actors including IOM, we believe a considerable number of those arriving are Chadians as well as nationals from other countries, who lived in Sudan and will require immediate assistance to return to their communities of origin and reunite with their families," she adds.

IOM teams have been deployed in Eastern Chad at the border with Sudan and are working around the clock in support of the national and humanitarian efforts to respond to the arrivals.

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UN Refugee Agency: Mass Exodus From Sudan Could Trigger Regional Instability

By Lisa Schlein April 27, 2023

The U.N. refugee agency is appealing to Sudan's neighbors to keep their borders open to people fleeing the fighting that erupted on April 15.

Since fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces erupted, tens of thousands of Sudanese have left their homes fearing for their lives.

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi echoed repeated calls made by the U.N. secretary-general for hostilities to stop immediately and for all parties to embark on meaningful peace efforts.

"This is urgently needed also to prevent another major displacement crisis that could further destabilize a fragile region," Grandi said in a statement.

Despite an extension of the latest cease-fire between the warring parties, fighting was reported in Khartoum and the western Darfur region on Thursday.

Humanitarian corridors

The U.N.'s acting resident and humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, Abdou Dieng, told reporters by phone Thursday that efforts were being made from many quarters to extend the temporary cease-fire and acknowledged that fighting was going on despite it.

"There should be a cease-fire to stop fighting, but in the meantime, a humanitarian corridor must be opened to allow humanitarians to bring assistance to people in need," Dieng told reporters from Port Sudan, where hundreds of U.N. staff have relocated for safety.

Dieng said he was extremely worried about the situation in Darfur, adding that the only place where major problems had not yet been seen was El Fasher, capital of North Darfur.

"For the time being we have a collaboration with the local authorities to protect us in El Fasher," he said. "We hope that will be sustainable."

Medical supplies

Despite ongoing violence in Sudan, a team from Doctors Without Borders, or MSF, has so far donated medical supplies to three health facilities in the capital, Khartoum, according to a Thursday statement from the organization.

One donation delivery took place Thursday amid the violence.

"Today our team was trying to assess the situation and also the roads to have access to different hospitals. ... We wanted to accompany the MOH [Ministry of Health] team who came to our warehouse to get the donation," said Ghazali Babiker, MSF's acting country director in Sudan.

"They received the donation and unfortunately there were clashes close to the warehouse, our warehouse, and there was aerial bombarding. It was very close, and we had to seek shelter and try to postpone the movement until everything is clear," Babiker said.

Arrivals in South Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt

Dieng said fleeing civilians were crossing Sudan's borders into South Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt.

Regarding reports of refugees having difficulty crossing into Egypt, he said UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration now had a presence on the Sudan side of the border and were trying to assist people.

"There is a crowd coming in and they need to go through a certain protocol to enter into Egypt," Dieng said. "They are being admitted into Egypt with a minimum requirement."

UNHCR said at least 20,000 Sudanese refugees had fled to Chad from Darfur, one of the regions in Sudan most affected by violence. Their arrival is placing enormous strain on the country's overstretched resources as Chad already shelters more than 400,000 Sudanese refugees from previous conflicts.

"The majority of those arriving are in dire need of basic humanitarian aid, namely food, water and adequate shelter," said Anne Kathrin Schaefer, chief of Chad mission for the International Organization for Migration.

On Thursday, the U.N. released $3 million from its central emergency relief fund to assist Chad with the new arrivals.

UNHCR has registered at least 4,000 South Sudanese who have been forced to return home prematurely. Marie-Helene Verney, UNHCR representative in South Sudan, noted that much larger numbers of unregistered people had been rushing through the country's northern border with Sudan and were returning home to a situation of deep uncertainty.

"We are very, very concerned about the impact on communities" if many South Sudanese refugees return, Verney said from Juba, "particularly in the places where there is conflict and communities are already affected by climate change."

The World Health Organization confirmed at least 459 deaths and more than 4,000 injuries but said the actual numbers were much higher. More than 60% of health facilities in Khartoum are closed, and only 16% continue to operate normally.

Before fighting erupted two weeks ago, 1 in 3 Sudanese  more than 15 million people  needed humanitarian assistance. The country hosts more than a million refugees and cares for 3.7 million internally displaced persons.

The U.N. is struggling to finance its aid operation in Sudan. A humanitarian appeal for 2023 for $1.7 billion has received only about $200 million.

UN Correspondent Margaret Besheer in New York contributed to this report.

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India Evacuates Hundreds of Citizens From Sudan

By Anjana Pasricha April 27, 2023

India has evacuated about 1,100 of its nationals from Sudan since it mounted an operation to rescue citizens stranded amid intense fighting between the army and a paramilitary force in the strife torn African nation.

Hundreds more have reached Port Sudan and will be brought back home, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra told reporters at a news conference in New Delhi on Thursday.

The Indians are being taken aboard naval ships that have been docked in Port Sudan to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, from where they are being flown back to India, according to the foreign ministry.

He described the situation in the strife torn African nation as "highly volatile."

India is among countries that have been scrambling to evacuate citizens and diplomats in recent days as a three-day cease-fire brought some respite in the intense fighting in Sudan. It is due to end later Thursday.

"The last cease-fire of 72 hours is holding by and large but there has been feedback of some sporadic firing and fighting in some parts of Khartoum," according to Kwatra. "As a result, the situation on the ground remains highly volatile and unpredictable, with conflicting claims coming from both sides."

He described Operation Kaveri, which has been launched to rescue the Indians, as a complex one that involved ferrying people along an 850-kilometer land corridor from the Sudanese capital Khartoum to Port Sudan.

Ensuring safety along the 12-to-18-hour road journey from Khartoum was complicated by efforts to secure buses and diesel fuel, according to Kwatra.

There are an estimated 3,500 Indian nationals in Sudan while another 1,000 people of Indian origin who have lived for generations in the country also want safe passage. Most Indians live in or around Khartoum, where fighting is most intense.

Indian authorities said that they have been in touch with both the warring sides to ensure that the people are brought to the relative safety of Port Sudan. The ongoing fighting has erupted between Sudan's regular army and a paramilitary unit called the Rapid Support Forces.

After the first group of Indians reached India on Wednesday, foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Twitter, "India welcomes back its own.

#OperationKaveri brings 360 Indian Nationals to the homeland as first flight reaches New Delhi."

Earlier this week, he said that New Delhi is "committed to assist all our brethren in Sudan."

Indian authorities also said they are willing to assist other countries that want safe passage for their nationals.

One of the Indians evacuated from Sudan told news agency ANI that "the fight was intense. We were struggling for food. The scenario continued for two to three days." The news agency did not identify him.

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Fear Grips Nigeria's Abuja Region After Mass Abduction of Villagers, Children

By Timothy Obiezu April 27, 2023

Nigerian police are investigating the abduction this week of at least 29 people from a village in the territory of the federal capital, Abuja. Officials say gunmen raided Yewuti village, taking victims on foot into the bush, including children.

The attack has raised concerns about Nigeria's worsening insecurity just ahead of next month's swearing-in of Bola Tinubu as the new president.

Abuja police public relations officer Josephine Adeh said officials are looking into the matter and would make their findings public soon.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the abductions.

But a local council head in Kwali where the village is located said the gunmen invaded after midnight Tuesday and shot sporadically before herding residents, including children, into the nearby bush on foot.

The attack has raised concerns of growing insecurity in the Nigerian capital nearly one year after the terror group Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP, claimed responsibility for a jail break that freed hundreds of inmates, including high profile terrorism suspects held at a medium security facility in Abuja.

"You know abduction is a very sensitive issue," Adeh told VOA. "We're on it. ... Whatever we're doing we can't put it out there because of the sensitivity of the issue."

Abuja has maintained relative peace for years despite Nigeria struggling to stem a range of insecurity problems, especially in the central, northwestern and northeastern regions.

But since last year, the capital has been reporting incidents more often.

Last month, local media reported gunmen invaded an Abuja estate and kidnapped nine people.

Security expert Senator Iroegbu said the trend is worrying.

"It's an unfortunate incident, the people we're talking about are Nigerians," Iroegbu said. "No Nigerian deserves to be kidnapped and it still shows that government still has a lot to do; even within the city center there are a lot of crimes."

Despite this, Nigerian authorities say security officials are making substantial progress.

Insecurity was a major topic at the February polls in which Bola Ahmed Tinubu was declared winner. Tinubu will be sworn in on May 29. Iroegbu said Tinubu must take security matters seriously.

"Any incoming administration should know that the challenge is still very prevalent ... so they have their work well cut out," Tinubu said. "It should be a shift from the way the current administration are doing their things, improve where they failed and one of the areas where they really failed is the issue of security."

In 2015, outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari promised to address insecurity if elected president.

After years of being widely criticized for security failures, Buhari last week said, "Those that think that I have hurt them so much, please pardon me."

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Chinese navy vessels evacuate personnel from Sudan

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 08:17, April 28, 2023

BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Two Chinese navy vessels have successfully evacuated a first batch of 678 people from Sudan, who arrived at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah at around 3 p.m. Thursday Beijing time, according to an official statement.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's guided-missile destroyer Nanning and comprehensive supply ship Weishanhu were dispatched to Sudan on Wednesday Beijing time for emergency evacuation.

The vessels carried a shipboard helicopter and over 490 officers and soldiers, including dozens of special forces members. The first batch of evacuated personnel consists of 668 Chinese citizens and 10 people of other nationalities.

This is the third time the PLA Navy dispatched vessels to carry out an overseas evacuation task, following evacuations from Libya in 2011 and Yemen in 2015.

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Russo-Ukraine War - 27 April 2023 - Day 428

Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

The UK Ministry of Defence reported that imagery shows that by March 2023, Russian forces had established sandbag fighting positions on the roofs of several of the six reactor buildings at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).

Russia has controlled ZNPP since March 2022. However, this is the first indication of the actual reactor buildings being integrated in tactical defence planning. Russia has likely constructed these positions because it is increasingly concerned about the prospects of a major Ukrainian offensive.

The move highly likely increases the chances of damage to ZNPP safety systems if fighting takes place around ZNPP. However, direct catastrophic damage to the reactors is unlikely under most plausible scenarios involving infantry weapons because the structures are very heavily reinforced.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russian forces conducted 25x air strikes and launched more than 20x MLRS attacks on Ukrainian settlements and positions of Ukrainian Defense Forces. Moreover, at night 5x Russian missiles hit Mykolaiv. The missile attack caused casualties among civilian population and damage to private houses and civilian infrastructure. The threat of missile and air strikes remains high across Ukraine.

Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mar'inka axes: Russia continues to focus its main efforts on offensive operations. During the day, Russian occupiers conducted more than 35x attacks, that were successfully repelled by the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

Fierce battles for Bakhmut and Mar'inka are ongoing. Ukrainian worriers courageously hold the defense.

Volyn' and Polissya axes: the operational situation has not changed. No signs of the formation of Russian offensive groups detected.

Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russia maintains enhanced military presence in the regions bordering Ukraine. Seredyna-Buda and Chernats'ke suffered from Russian air strikes. Novovasylivka, Ukrains'k, Bachivs'k, and Kucherivka (Sumy oblast); as well as Basove, Buhaivka, Kozacha Lopan, Strilecha, Hlyboke, Hatyshche, Vovchans'k, Bolohivka, Dvorichans'ke, and Kolodyazne (Kharkiv oblast) came under Russian mortar and artillery fire.

Kupyansk axis: Russian forces did not carry out offensive actions, actively using unmanned aerial vehicles to adjust artillery fire. Kam'ianka, Krasne Pershe, Figolivka, Dvorichna, Zapadne, Lyman Pershi, Berestov in Kharkiv Oblast and Novoselivske in Luhansk Oblast were subjected to artillery and mortar strikes.

Lyman axis: Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive actions in the axis of Serebryansk forestry. Makiivka, Nevske, Dibrova, Belogorivka in the Luhansk Oblast and Terny, Verkhnokamianske and Spirne in the Donetsk Oblast got under artillery fire.

Bakhmut axis: Russia continues offensive actions. Fighting continues in the city of Bakhmut. In addition, during the day, Russian forces launched unsuccessful offensive on the axis of Bohdanivka. Vasyukivka, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Khromove, Bakhmut, Chasiv Yar, Ivanivske, Predtechine, Kostyantynivka, Northern, Southern, Nelipivka and New York of the Donetsk Oblast were affected by Russian shelling.

Avdiivka axis: Russian forces carried out offensive actions in the Severne and Pervomaiske settlements of the Donetsk Oblast, without success. They shelled the settlements of Stepove, Berdychi, Lastochkine, Avdiivka, Severna, Vodyane, and Pervomaiske.

Mar'yinka axis: during the day, Ukrainian defenders repelled Russian attacks in the areas of Krasnohorivka and Marinka settlements. At the same time, Georgiivka, Paraskoviivka, and Novomykhailivka in the Donetsk Oblast also came under Russian fire.

Shakhtars'ke axis: Russian forces did not carry out offensive actions during the day. They carried out airstrikes at Vugledar and Velika Novosilka, shelled the settlements of Bogoyavlenka, Novoukrayinka, Zolota Niva, Prechistivka, and Vugledar in the Donetsk Oblast.

Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: Russia continues to conduct defensive operations in the. It carried out shelling of populated areas not far from the battle line. Among them are Vilne Pole, Novopil of the Donetsk Oblast; Olhivske, Gulyaipole, Mala Tokmachka, Orihiv, Novoandriyivka and Kamianske of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast; Kherson and Beryslav in the Kherson Oblast.

To replenish the losses in manpower, the Russian occupiers continue to actively recruit people with criminal records, or those against whom criminal cases have been opened, in particular, for terrorism. According to available information, about 500x such invaders are being trained in one of the field camps deployed by Russian forces in the temporarily hidden territory of the Starobil district of the Luhansk Oblast. It is also known that instead of imprisonment, convicts are offered a contract for military service with participation in hostilities in Ukraine for a period of six months.

During the day, the Aviation of the Defense Forces of Ukraine carried out 4x strikes on the concentration areas of the Russian occupiers, as well as a strike on the Russian forces' anti-aircraft missile system. 5x Russian UAVs of various types were shot down. Units of missile and artillery troops hit 2x control points, an area where the Russian forces' manpower was concentrated, an anti-aircraft defense device, an ammunition depot and 2x artillery units.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced Units of PMC "Wagner" continue fighting for Bakhmut. An offensive is reported in the direction of Bogdanovka. During the day, positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Vasyukovka, Orekhovo-Vasilevka, Chasov Yar, Predtechino, Ivanovsky, Konstantinovka fell under shelling.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced the strikes on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Stupochek, Chasov Yar and Kalinin. During the day, aviation carried out 4 sorties in the Bakhmut direction, artillery performed 59 fire missions.

The situation in other directions

DPR

During the day, Ukrainian troops opened fire on Donetsk, Yasinovataya, Gorlovka, Makeevka, Vladimirovka, Panteleimonovka, Novobakhmutovka, Yakovlevka, and Petrovka. As a result of attacks in Panteleymonovka, a civilian was killed and 2 civilians were injured. 2 more people were injured in Vladimirovka. Damage to residential buildings was also recorded, in Panteleymonovka, damage was caused to the building of a kindergarten.

In addition, in the capital of the DPR, 5 children were injured when a mine "Petal" was blown up. According to preliminary information, one of them is in a serious condition, the others are in a state of moderate severity.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced the defeat of the positions of the Ukrainian army in the areas of Ugledar, Nikolsky and Novomikhailovka. In the areas of Vodyanoye and the Uglesborochnaya station, ammunition depots of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed. In Avdiivka and Serebryanka, enemy command and observation posts were hit. In Kamyshevakh, 2 Ukrainian radars for detecting and tracking air targets P-18 and ST-68 were destroyed, in Novgorodsky - a US-made AN / TPQ-50 counter-battery radar.

Fighter aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces in the Lipovka area shot down a Su-24 of the Ukrainian Air Force.

Acting head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, said that Russian units are taking comprehensive measures to repel the impending counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He expressed confidence that the enemy "will not succeed", and the allied forces will be able to protect the interests of the Russian Federation.

Pushilin also said that he plans to put forward his candidacy in the elections for the head of the republic this year. He stated that he feels "internal responsibility" for all the processes that are taking place in the DNR.

LC

During the day, positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Chervona Dibrova and Chervonopopovka fell under shelling. In the area of Novoselovsky, the activities of the Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group (DRG) were stopped.

Zaporozhye region

Rotation of specialists of the International Atomic Energy Agency took place at the Zaporizhzhya NPP, Mikhail Ulyanov, permanent representative of the Russian Federation to international organizations in Vienna, said.

In the evening, the administration of Melitopol reported an explosion that had sounded in the city.

Kherson region

In the Kherson direction, up to 30 Ukrainian servicemen, 4 launchers of the S-300 air defense system, a Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, 2 vehicles and 2 D-30 howitzers were destroyed during the day. A command and observation post of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was hit in the Cherkessky area.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine dealt a massive blow to Novaya Kakhovka. As a result of the attacks, the city was de-energized.





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April 26, 2023

By David Vergun , DOD News

Official Details Space-Based Threats and U.S. Countermeasures

Space plays a critical role in the nation's security and America's prosperity, said John F. Plumb, assistant secretary of defense for space policy.

"For the Department of Defense space is essential to how we compete and fight in every domain. It provides us with a missile warning and missile tracking critical to defending our homeland. It provides position navigation and timing to strike targets with precision. And it provides communication in austere environments to support global command and control. To put it simply, space-based missions are essential to the U.S. way of war," he said.

Plumb testified today at the House Armed Services Strategic Forces subcommittee hearing on national security space activities.

America's competitors understand this. They are fielding and developing increasingly complex capabilities to deny space missions to the U.S. joint force, he said.

Over just the last few years, the quantity and quality of counterspace threats have increased significantly, he added.

China has already fielded ground-based counterspace weapons and it continues to seek new methods to hold U.S. satellites at risk. China is building a space architecture that enables its military to execute long-range precision strikes, he said.

"China ultimately seeks to challenge our ability to conduct joint operations in the Indo-Pacific," Plumb said.

Russia is developing, testing and fielding its own counterspace systems, including ground-based and space-based kinetic anti-satellite weapons. "These are aimed at degrading and denying U.S. space-based services," he said.

The president's $33.3 billion space budget for fiscal year 2024 invests in the capabilities necessary to meet these challenges. This investment reflects an increase of roughly 15% from FY23, he said.

The budget request will accelerate resilient design architectures and provide investments in research, development, testing and experimentation, he said, adding that it will further integrate space-based services across the joint force.

The budget request includes nearly $5 billion for missile warning and missile tracking, including $2.3 billion for new proliferated resilient architectures, and $2.6 billion for next-generation overhead persistent infrared, he said.

Also, the budget has $1.3 billion for position, navigation and timing, including development of the next-generation operational control system for GPS, Plumb said.

There's $3 billion for 15 launch vehicles and range upgrades. And there's $4.7 billion for protected and jam-resistant satellite communications, and this includes the Space Development Agency's space data transport layer, he said.

The budget requests include additional investments in ground-user equipment, science and technology, research and classified programs, he added.

Plumb said he's "laser focused" on three priorities: space control, space cooperation and space classification.

On space control, the department will protect and defend national security interests from the growing scope and scale of space and counterspace threats. "And we will, of course, protect and defend our servicemen and women in harm's way from space-enabled threats," he said.

For space cooperation, the department is investing in relationships with allies, with partners and with commercial space. "These partnerships are an enduring strength and an asymmetric advantage our competitors can never hope to match," he said.

For space classification, the department is working at the highest levels to remove barriers to sharing information with allies, and to strengthen and streamline its ability to communicate across the U.S. government, he said.

"Our competitors have watched us, they have learned from us, they've stolen from us, and they have developed capabilities to hold us at risk. But they are not ready for us. They're not ready for us today," he said adding that with congressional support for the national security space investments "they will not be ready for us tomorrow."

Frank Calvelli, assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisitions and integration; Christopher Scolese, National Reconnaissance Office director; and Tonya P. Wilkerson, deputy director, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency also testified at the hearing.

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China to build integrated positioning, navigation system based on next generation of BDS by 2035

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Apr 27, 2023 12:11 AM

China aims to build a more ubiquitous, integrated, and intelligent comprehensive system with the next generation BeiDou System (BDS) at its core by 2035 to provide efficient positioning, navigation and timing services, according to the China Satellite Navigation Annual Conference held in Beijing on Wednesday.

With the theme of "digital economy, intelligent navigation," the annual conference which runs from Wednesday to Friday aims to use BDS to play a greater and more important role in national economic construction and social development.

More than 4,000 people from the domestic and foreign satellite navigation industry attended the conference online and offline.

The experts and scholars are expected to comprehensively discuss the prospects and huge potential of the innovative integration of digital economy and satellite navigation.

During the conference the first batch of 14 enterprises were awarded the Beidou basic product certification.

BDS has achieved large-scale application in many domestic industries and fields, and has become an important scientific and technological force enabling economic and social development.

By the end of 2021, the total number of terminal products with BDS positioning functions exceeded 1.2 billion units.

In the field of transportation, BDS has been applied in more than 7.9 million cars, 47,000 ships, and 40,000 postal and express delivery vehicles.

In the agricultural sector, the BDS autonomous driving system has been installed in more than 100,000 agricultural machines nationwide.

In the field of water conservancy, BDS has been applied in 2,587 reservoirs to serve hydrological monitoring.

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Chinese aircraft carrier returns to South China Sea

Japan's defense ministry says the Shandong is near Taiwan again after sailing close to US territory.

By RFA Staff 2023.04.26 -- China's aircraft carrier the Shandong left the Western Pacific and returned to its usual operational area, the South China Sea, the Japanese Ministry of Defense has said.

Ten days before this, the Chinese carrier was operating just less than 400 miles from the U.S.'s Guam island.

The Japan Joint Staff said in a statement that the Shandong carrier group of seven vessels was spotted on Monday evening about 360 kilometers (224 miles) south of Yonaguni Island in Okinawa Prefecture.

Yonaguni is Japan's southernmost island, only 110 kilometers (68 miles) from Taiwan.

The group was then sailing towards the South China Sea, the statement said, adding that at the same time, a carrier-based fighter J-15 jet and a Z-18J helicopter were seen practicing landings and take-offs.

Taiwan's Ministry of Defense also confirmed that the Shandong and its accompanying ships were passing through waters southeast of the island into the South China Sea.

The group consists of the aircraft carrier, one Type 055 large destroyer, two Type 052D destroyers, two Type 054A frigates, and a Type 901 comprehensive replenishment ship.

The Japanese defense ministry said it has been tracking the Shandong's movements since April 7 when the Chinese carrier began conducting exercises in the Western Pacific.

During a period of 18 days until April 25, carrier-borne aircraft performed about 620 sorties. To compare, another Chinese aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, hosted about 320 sorties in 15 days last time it was operating in the same area.

'Joint Sword'

Over the weekend, the Chinese military also sent four H-6K/J bombers from the East China Sea through the Miyako Strait to the West Pacific to conduct joint exercise with the Shandong carrier group.

Before that, the Shandong, China's second aircraft carrier, took part in combat patrols and the 'Joint Sword' military drills in the waters east of Taiwan from April 7-12.

The drills were held by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command in response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's transits in the United States and her meeting on April 5 with the U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

Tsai's trip and the meeting angered Beijing which threatened "resolute measures" against what it called "separatist" efforts by the Taiwanese leader and her party.

The Chinese newspaper Global Times reported that the Shandong carrier group conducted "intensive drills" near the U.S. island territory of Guam on April 13-16, reaching about 600 kilometers (372 miles) to 700 kilometers (434 miles) to the west of Guam.

The Global Times said Guam, a militarized island, is considered by the U.S. "a key node in the second island chain."

China refers to the chain of main archipelagos surrounding the East Asian continental mainland, as well as Japan and Taiwan, as the first island chain; while the second island chain includes Guam and other U.S. island territories in the Marianas in the Western Pacific.

The Guam-based Pacific Daily News last week quoted a U.S. Navy spokesperson as saying that the Navy "is aware of and monitoring the situation, and is in continuous communication" with the authorities.

Lt. Cmdr. Katie Koenig from the Joint Region Marianas was quoted as saying that "the military here remains keenly postured to defend United States equities and interests in this region from any adversary that may threaten national and international norms and rules-based order."

The Chinese newspaper China Daily reported on Friday that the Liaoning, has also "recently carried out multiple exercises in the Western Pacific."

That led to the assumption that the two Chinese carriers -- Liaoning and Shandong -- were operating together in the Pacific.

Edited by Mike Firn.

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China urges UK to stop making groundless accusations against China: spokesperson

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 08:09, April 27, 2023

BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- China urges the UK to be prudent in its words and actions, stop making groundless accusations against China and interfering in the country's internal affairs, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.

According to reports, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in his speech on foreign policy and the position on China on April 25 that it would be a betrayal of national interest to declare some kind of new Cold War or to isolate China. This Government will engage robustly and constructively with China, and at the same time, steadfastly defend the UK's security and values. He said, China should fulfill its obligations in the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The UK is entitled to say so and act. China should not see the UK's remarks on Xinjiang as interference in its internal affairs. He also said the UK hopes to see a peaceful settlement of the Taiwan question, and it is essential that no party takes unilateral action to change the status quo.

"In today's deeply interconnected world, the multiple challenges facing humanity require joint responses. Bloc politics and the Cold War mentality are against the trend of history and do not serve the interests of the UK or any other party in the world," spokesperson Mao Ning told a daily news briefing when answering a relevant query.

Mao said that China has grown its relations with the UK in the spirit of equality and mutual respect. However, the UK has not kept up with the times and has been repeating old lines from an outdated playbook, which will only keep the UK itself further and further away from the advancement of our times.

Regarding the Hong Kong issue, Mao said that all provisions concerning the UK under the Sino-British Joint Declaration have been fulfilled, adding that the UK has no sovereignty, no jurisdiction or right of "supervision" over Hong Kong and no so-called "rights" or "responsibilities" concerning Hong Kong.

As for the circumstance of Xinjiang, Mao pointed out that Xinjiang enjoys economic development, social stability, religious harmony and cultural prosperity and people there lead a happy life. "These are facts for all to see, yet the UK side chooses to be oblivious to this and has deliberately smeared and slandered China," she said.

The status quo of the Taiwan Strait is that both sides of the Strait belong to one and the same China, Mao said, adding that the biggest threat to peace in the Taiwan Strait comes from the "Taiwan independence" separatist activities and the U.S. connivance at and support for them. If the UK side wants sustained peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, it needs to strictly abide by the one-China principle and stand firmly against the "Taiwan independence" separatist activities.

Mao reiterated that the Taiwan question and issues concerning Hong Kong and Xinjiang are purely China's internal affairs which brook no external interference.

"We urge the UK to be prudent in its words and actions, stop making groundless accusations against China and interfering in China's internal affairs, and do more things that are conducive to the development of China-UK relations and world peace and stability," said Mao.

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Calls grow for British government to speak out against Hong Kong's media crackdown

The son of jailed pro-democracy media magnate Jimmy Lai says officials should do more to support him.

By Amelia Loi for RFA Mandarin, Lee Yuk Yue for RFA Cantonese 2023.04.27 -- British lawmakers and the son of jailed media magnate Jimmy Lai have criticized the United Kingdom for failing to oppose China's crackdown on Hong Kong's once-free media and support embattled journalists in the city.

"The British government did not really call for the release of my father," Lai's son Sebastien told journalists as the All Party Parliamentary Group on Hong Kong published a report on the state of the city's media amid an ongoing crackdown under a draconian security law imposed by Beijing.

"This is a man who has stood up for Hong Kong's freedoms for the past few decades, and a publisher who has stood up for his beliefs like the rule of law, free speech, democracy, and who has gone straight to jail for it," he said.

Lai, whose Next Digital media empire and its flagship Apple Daily newspaper were forced to close amid a national security investigation in 2021, will be tried for "collusion with a foreign power" and other charges linked to "seditious publications."

The parliamentary group's report calls on the British government to issue emergency visas to journalists at risk of arrest or prosecution in Hong Kong, and to apply targeted sanctions to individuals responsible for Lai's arrest and arbitrary detention.

"[The government should] call upon Hong Kong authorities to restore full editorial independence and end censorship campaigns at the territory's public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong and others [and] provide assistance to journalists targeted in Hong Kong, including by providing them with emergency visas," it said.

It said the British government should "treat the case of Jimmy Lai, a British citizen and political prisoner, as a political priority."

"This includes applying pressure for his release, and deeming his current arrest as arbitrary detention," the report said.

'Kafkaesque'

It slammed "Kafkaesque" judicial arrangements under the national security law imposed by the Communist Party from July 1, 2020.

"The handling of the cases against Jimmy Lai, and the concerns raised regarding due process and the rule of law, show how the Kafkaesque process does not leave any sense that he could possibly have a fair trial in Hong Kong," the report said, blaming the national security law for "crush[ing] freedom of expression and media pluralism in Hong Kong."

British barrister Caoilfhionn Gallagher, who heads Lai's international legal team, said she and her colleagues have been targeted by pro-China abuse online, which has included threats of rape, dismemberment and death, but that the British government has said nothing on the matter.

Hong Kong journalist Lam Yin-bong, former assignment editor at Stand News, which shut down under investigation by national security police a few months after the Apple Daily was forced to close, said he is struggling to make ends meet through his one-man news operation ReNews.

"It's hard for small or independent media in Hong Kong to get in touch with foreign governments and organizations, let alone get direct funding, which could lead to charges of 'collusion with foreign forces' [under the national security law]," Lam said.

"Any financial transactions between non-government organizations and anyone overseas can now be used as evidence of a crime," he said.

Retraining exiled journalists

Hong Kong journalists who fled the city amid an ongoing crackdown on public dissent and political opposition have vowed to keep campaigning for press freedom for the city from overseas, as well as retraining exiled journalists for jobs elsewhere.

Former Apple Daily reporter Shirley Leung, who has moved to the democratic island of Taiwan to set up the Hong Kong-focused Photon News, said it has been very hard for journalists to do their jobs in Hong Kong since the crackdown began in the wake of the 2019 protest movement.

"The pervasive sense of fear [in Hong Kong] makes it seem very hard to report freely, or to fully report everything interviewees are saying," Leung said. "To be honest, I was censoring myself."

"Since I left Hong Kong, I have enjoyed a lot more freedom of speech and of the press, so we are now all trying to figure out how to make this work," she said, using a Chinese saying "crossing the river by feeling the stones."

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Margaret Satterthwaite, wrote to the Chinese government last week saying that the national security law had interfered with the rule of law in Hong Kong.

"The [law] could undermine the independence of the judiciary and remove procedural safeguards essential for a fair trial, Satterthwaite wrote in a summary of her letter on her Twitter account.

She said the law gives the executive new powers, including the power to decide which judges are eligible to hear national security cases, to authorize some trials to proceed without a jury, and to transfer certain cases to be heard in mainland China, while restricting judicial review by vesting the power to interpret the law in the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in Beijing.

Meanwhile, the law has also expanded police powers, allowing officers to conduct searches and surveillance without a warrant, she said.

Recent moves to disqualify Jimmy Lai's British barrister Tim Owen from representing him at his national security trial will likely soon lead to an outright ban on foreign lawyers working on national security cases, she wrote.

"I recommend review and reconsideration of the National Security Law to ensure that the law is in compliance with China's international human rights obligations with respect to the HKSAR," Satterthwaite wrote.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content April not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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UK Confucius Institutes enable 'transnational repression,' study says

PM Sunak has not delivered on a promise to close the Chinese state-sponsored schools.

By RFA Staff 2023.04.27 -- Chinese staff at the so-called Confucius Institutes across the United Kingdom are recruited to enforce Chinese Communist Party (CCP) discipline and values in the country, new research has found.

The state-sponsored Confucius Institute program, named after the ancient Chinese philosopher, was established 20 years ago to promote Chinese language and culture overseas and support Chinese-language teaching. There are more than 530 institutes based at universities worldwide, 30 of them are in the U.K.

'Are Confucius Institutes legal?', a new report by the organization UK-China Transparency (UKCT), looked into the recruitment process for Chinese staff who would then be sent to work in Britain.

All Confucius Institutes are based in British universities in the form of partnerships between the local universities with Chinese counterparts, and the Centre for Language Cooperation and Exchange (CLEC), a central Chinese government agency.

UKCT studied documents and data from all British universities involved and found that "British universities are operating Confucius Institutes illegally and enabling transnational repression in the U.K."

Most of the language teachers come from China, and the report said they "are being recruited based on their ability to enforce 'CCP discipline' in the U.K. and are obliged to undermine free speech and to conduct harassment on command."

The Chinese government demands applicants for roles at Confucius Institutes fill in a special form, UKCT said, that requires applicants to provide details of their "political characteristics" and "ethnicity"; promise not to have a child whilst working abroad; have their current employer evaluate their "political attitude"; and be evaluated by a CCP Committee.

"These practices are illegal under U.K. law," the report said.

The application form also demands that applicants must promise to abide by the laws of China while abroad, something the British host universities are not aware of.

"There is ... a systematic risk of Confucius Institute staff involving themselves in transnational repression by subjecting vulnerable individuals in the U.K. to harassment or intimidation and undermining freedom of speech on campus," the UKCT's report said.

Tough on China?

It also alleged that the U.K. Home Office "is systematically enabling this by means of an unlawful dedicated visa route which makes the employment status of Confucius Institute staff unclear."

In 2014, it launched a new kind of visa route called the 'Overseas Government Language Programme' visa scheme which, to date, applies solely to Mandarin-language teachers.

The scheme's sponsor is a limited company based in London but under the control of the Chinese government.

The purpose of the Confucius Institute program is to "advance the CCP interests," the report said.

Last July, when running for the leadership of the Conservative Party, the incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged that he'd "close all 30 of China's Confucius Institutes in the U.K."

"Almost all U.K. government spending on Mandarin language teaching at school is channeled through university-based Confucius Institutes, thereby promoting Chinese soft power," Sunak tweeted on July 25, 2022.

So far none of the institutes has been closed.

Rishi Sunak, before becoming prime minister, also claimed that "China and the Chinese Communist Party represent the largest threat to Britain and the world's security and prosperity this century."

Simon Cheng, a Hong Kong democracy activist and founder of Hongkongers in Britain told RFA the prime minister must act to protect the U.K. against Chinese influence.

"If Confucius Institutes are being regarded as proposing the political agenda and propaganda in many subtle ways, the PM should live up to the promises that all the Confucius Institutes should be closed," he said.

Yet some in the ruling Conservative Party are far more conciliatory to China.

In the latest annual keynote speech on April 25, 'Our position on China', Sunak's foreign secretary argued that to isolate China "would be a betrayal of our national interest and a wilful misunderstanding of the modern world."

James Cleverly said that British officials "have an obligation to future generations to engage" robustly and also constructively with Beijing as "we must face the inescapable reality that no significant global problem ... can be solved without China."

However, he said, the U.K. government "will strengthen our national security protections wherever Beijing's actions pose a threat to our people or our prosperity."

"We are not going to be silent about interference in our political system, or technology theft, or industrial sabotage. We will do more to safeguard academic freedom and research."

"And when there are tensions with other objectives, we will always put our national security first," the foreign secretary pledged.

Cheng, who is also an adviser to UK-China Transparency, argued that acknowledging the complexity of Chinese civilization is "not a convenient excuse to shy away from the tough issue of basic human rights for the people in China."

In September 2022, Madrid-based non-governmental organization Safeguard Defenders reported that China is carrying out "illegal, transnational policing operations" via 54 so-called police service stations in 30 countries including three stations in the United Kingdom.

A minister at the U.K. Home Office confirmed in Parliament last week that law enforcement agencies are still investigating the allegations.

China's foreign ministry meanwhile insisted that there are "simply no so-called overseas police stations." A spokesman said the claims were "groundless accusations against China" and "clearly political manipulation.

Edited by Mike Firn.

Updated to include comment from Simon Cheng of Hongkongers in Britain.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content April not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Biden warns North Korea that a nuclear attack would mean end of the regime

On trade, U.S., South Korea promise to strengthen technological cooperation.

Eugene Whong 2023.04.26 -- U.S. President Joe Biden warned North Korea on Wednesday that any nuclear attack on the United States or its allies would result in an end to the isolated regime while promising closer cooperation with South Korea on deterring the nuclear threat.

"Look, a nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies or partisans or partners is unacceptable and will result in the end of whatever regime [takes] such an action," Biden said during a press conference following a summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who arrived in Washington on Monday for a six-day official state visit.

During their meeting, the two leaders recognized the importance of the South Korea.-U.S. Alliance, now in its 70th year, which Biden called a "linchpin" of security in the Indo-Pacific region, and "an alliance of values based on [Seoul and Washington's] shared universal values of freedom and democracy."

"Our mutual defense treaty is ironclad, and that includes our commitment to extended deterrence, and a and that includes the nuclear threat and a the nuclear deterrent," Biden said.

Yoon and Biden also signed the Washington Declaration, which acknowledged Seoul and Washington's close relationship and commitment to strengthen mutual defense agreements.

The declaration said that Seoul had full confidence in U.S. deterrence commitments, and that Washington would make "every effort" to consult with South Korea on any "employment" of nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula.

Through the declaration, the two sides also formed a new Nuclear Consultative Group, or NCG, which will "strengthen extended deterrence, discuss nuclear and strategic planning, and manage the threat to the nonproliferation regime posed by North Korea."

The two presidents also restated that they are open to dialogue with North Korea without preconditions in order to achieve the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

"Sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula does not happen automatically," said Yoon, through an interpreter, at the press conference. "Our two leaders have decided to significantly strengthen extended deterrence of our two countries against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats so that we can achieve peace through the superiority of overwhelming forces and not a false peace based on the goodwill of the other side."

'Enhances credibility'

The NCG is an important contribution to strengthening the alliance, Gary Samore, the former White House Coordinator for Arms Control and Weapons of Mass Destruction, told RFA's Korean Service.

"By greater consultation and simulation and exercises to deal with the North Korea nuclear threat ... it shows that Seoul and Washington are not ignoring the changes that are taking place and recognize they have to do something to respond to it." he said. "It enhances credibility, I think the most important element of credibility is the presence of US military forces."

Because the NCG gives South Korea more input on nuclear deterrence, it is a nuclear power sharing agreement short of sharing the weapons themselves, said Patrick Cronin, Asia-Pacific security chair at the Hudson Institute.

"At least Seoul will have a much better window into the U.S. thinking about potential responses to aggression. Deterrence is already strong but even the Kim regime will have to be a bit more cautious about even thinking about the use of force," he said.

The NCG obliges Washington to consider Seoul's views in nuclear decision making on multiple levels, said Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution.

"It may be even more key for alliance reassurance than for deterrence of North Korea and it reinforces the idea or truth that the two allies are co-equals," he said.

Trade matters

Biden and Yoon also discussed trade issues during their talks, including what Biden characterized as "economic influence being leveraged in coercive ways."

To that end, the two sides agreed to strengthen technological cooperation.

"So, that is about really strengthening the competitiveness of our two countries. And it will enhance productivity and create added value a high added value," said Yoon. "These are the types of products that are going to be produced."

Biden said Washington supports a prosperous South Korea.

"It's overwhelmingly in our interests for Korea to do well [economically]," said Biden. "It's very much in America's interest that Korea do well ... because they are one of our most valued partners."

Yoon will attend a state dinner at the White House on Wednesday, and will address a joint session of Congress on Thursday.

Additional reporting by Sangmin Lee. Edited by Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2016, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content April not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Iran's Air Defense Force 'absolute power' in region: Top commander

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 27 April 2023 8:01 AM

The commander of the Iranian Army's Air Defense Force says his forces are the "absolute power" in the region, citing their self-reliance in producing military equipment and capability to export them.

Brigadier General Alireza Sabahi-Fard hailed the "technological progress" in the country's air defense, saying that, "The powerful Islamic Republic of Iran Air Defense Force is the absolute air defense power in the region, and this is an undeniable fact."

"The equipment that we currently use in the country's air defense is 100% indigenous and is the most equipped and state-of the-art on the edge of global technology," he told Iran's Arabic-language Al-Alam News Network on Wednesday.

"We are standing on our own feet and do not have any need or dependence on other countries regarding air defense equipment in the fields of detection and identification, along with engaging systems and those of information and communications technology."

Sabahi-Fard also noted that all of the country's air defense equipment is "indigenous" as it is manufactured by Iranian youth.

"Previously, the air defense equipment was very limited and completely dependent on foreigners. Now, we have reached a level of technological progress and knowledge in the field of producing air defense equipment that enables us to export it," he added.

The general further said that the most advanced equipment have been stationed in the air defense zone covering the country's southeast, including the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the islands.

Sanctions, he emphasized, have failed to hamper the achievements reached in the field of the equipment used by the Iranian Armed Forces.

'Crushing response awaits Israel in case of any attacks'

Touching on the threats made by the Israeli regime against Iran, Sabahi-Fard warned that Iranian missiles are ready to hit the heart of the usurping entity or any country that has a greedy eye on Iran's airspace.

The Israelis "should not even think about invading and attacking the sacred sky of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Of course, they know that if they opt to do such an action, they will face a crushing response, which will make them regret it," he said.

Also in his interview, Sabahi-Fard said that Iran's sky is "the safest" compared to those of regional states, noting that this fact is acknowledged by other countries as well.

Iranian military experts and engineers have in recent years made remarkable breakthroughs in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient.

Iranian officials have made clear that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran's defense capabilities will be never open for negotiations.

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Plainclothes Agents Reported To Be Enforcing Iran's Hijab Law In Tehran

By RFE/RL's Radio Farda April 27, 2023

Plainclothes security agents are reportedly appearing in public spaces throughout the Iranian capital of Tehran, warning women to observe the mandatory hijab law amid a wave of defiance against the dress code following the death of a young woman while in police custody for an alleged head scarf offense.

According to eyewitness accounts, groups of women and men dressed according to the Islamic republic's standards were seen in various parts of central Tehran advising women on the necessity of observing the mandatory hijab law, which requires women to cover their hair and wear modest clothing. People in the Tehran City Theater complex also reported similar sightings on the same day.

Images circulated on social media on April 27 of agents entering the Mega Mall shopping center in Tehran's western neighborhood of Ekbatan, where they looked to enforce the mandatory dress code.

The increased presence of government-affiliated individuals enforcing the hijab law comes as daily images are published of women in different cities and age groups appearing in public and crowded spaces without head scarves.

Recent videos from music concerts also have shown disputes over the hijab, where the majority of women are often not wearing the mandatory hijab. In response to this defiance, an unspecified number of commercial establishments, including music clubs and restaurants, in Tehran and other cities have been sealed shut due to noncompliance with the hijab law.

The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September prompted thousands of women and girls to take to the streets to protest against the government's interference in their daily lives. Many have taken their hijabs and burned them in a sign of protest in what is one of the stiffest challenges to the Islamic leadership since the 1979 revolution.

The resurgence of "verbal warnings" to women comes as officials say they will use "smart tools" to enforce the rules while trying to prevent "tensions" and "harassment." Police reportedly started using closed-circuit cameras and smart systems in cities to identify women without the mandatory hijab earlier this month.

The hijab became mandatory in Iran shortly after the 1979 revolution by order of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic republic. However, no law had been passed at that time restricting women's clothing in Iran.

Despite more than four decades of compulsory hijab enforcement under the Islamic republic, Iran has recently seen widespread and comprehensive protests condemning the compulsory hijab and demanding the overthrow of the Islamic republic system.

Numerous protests have been held at universities, particularly in Tehran, where many students have refused to attend class. Protesting students have chanted "Woman, life, freedom" and "Death to the dictator" at the rallies.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-plainclothes-agents- enforcing-hijab-law-tehran/32382364.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Iranian Forces Seize Marshall Islands-Flagged Oil Tanker In Gulf Of Oman

By RFE/RL April 27, 2023

Iranian forces have seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in international waters in the Gulf of Oman, the U.S. Navy and Iranian state media reported on April 27, the latest string of hijackings in the region began in 2019 after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from a nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

Iranian state media said the Iranian army's naval force seized the vessels after a collision with an Iranian boat. Two members of the boat's crew are missing, and several other crewmen were injured in the collision, state media said.

The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet also reported the seizure but did not mention a collision. The 5th Fleet identified the tanker as the Advantage Sweet and said the seizure was carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

The Advantage Sweet issued a distress call at 1:15 p.m. local time while in international waters as Iran seized the vessel, the 5th Fleet said in a statement.

"Iran's actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability," the 5th Fleet said. "Iran should immediately release the oil tanker."

Tracking data from MarineTraffic.com showed it in the Gulf of Oman north of Muscat, capital of Oman, on April 27.

According to ship tracking data quoted by Reuters, the Advantage Sweet was chartered by oil company Chevron and last docked in Kuwait.

Chevron is aware of the situation and is in contact with the vessel operator "with the hope of resolving this situation as soon as possible," a company spokesperson said, according to Reuters.

The Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator also said it was aware of the situation and in communication with the vessel's owner/operator but declined to comment further, the news agency reported.

The vessel's destination was listed as the U.S. port of Houston, Texas, ship tracking data showed.

The 5th Fleet said the seizure was at least the fifth of a commercial vessel by Tehran in the last two years.

"Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy," it said.

Since Trump pulled the United States out of the deal in 2017, Washington has ratcheted up crippling sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.

Last November, two Greek-flagged tankers were released by Iran after it had seized them several months earlier. Tehran took the ships hostage after the United States confiscated oil from an Iranian tanker near the Greek coast.

Talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and the world powers have stalled since September over a range of issues, including Iran's violent crackdown on dissent, Tehran's sale of drones to Russia, and an acceleration of its nuclear program, which it claims is solely for civilian purposes.

With reporting by AP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-seizes-marshall-islands- oil-tanker-gulf-oman/32382373.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Iran Can Now Track Unique Radar Signature of Individual F-35 Jets

Sputnik News

20230427

Ilya Tsukanov

Burdened by decades of Western restrictions on arms imports in the wake of the 1979 revolution, the Islamic Republic has created a powerful homegrown defense sector, ranging from radar and missile systems to satellites and defense electronics.

Iranian engineers have created technologies capable of detecting the "fingerprints" of enemy equipment - including the radar signature identifying individual Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets, Iran Electronics Industries (IEI) chief Brig. Gen. Amir Rastegari has revealed.

"We have the fingerprints of the enemy's electronic equipment. Just as fingerprints are unique to humans, this is also the case in regard to electromagnetic systems, and we have achieved the technology [to detect them] for several years," the official said in an interview with local media.

"For example, if the radar of an F-35 fighter begins operations and surveillance, it emits radar waves which are different from those of another's F-35's radar waves. Today, we are capable of recognizing them, that is, we can receive and analyze the telecommunication, radio and magnetic signals and find out the warplane they belong to. If the same fighter jet starts operating later, we will immediately find out about it," Rastegari explained.

This capability to monitor "all dimensions" of the electromagnetic waves projected by enemy aircraft allows Iran to plan its defensive operations accordingly, the official said.

Iran has also gained the ability to bombard the radar and communications systems of enemy aircraft with radio waves to disrupt their operations, and has successfully tested its systems out against real-world adversaries, Rastegari said.

"Some time ago, an enemy aircraft approached to within our airspace boundaries and began emitting radar waves to collect information. We jammed this aircraft, but the enemy pilot thought his system was malfunctioning and called back to base, saying 'my systems have encountered a problem, I will return.' We have records of this exchange. The next day, two more enemy planes approached...This time we disrupted both of them," the official noted. "As soon as we began to disrupt them, the two planes realized that our ground systems were jamming them, so they radioed to base that a 'jammer is operating here and we can no longer operate.' This capability exists in our Armed Forces today. We can disrupt [the enemy] if we see a threat at distances of several hundred kilometers away."

Rastegari, a veteran of fierce skirmishes between Iranian and US forces operating in the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq War, recalled that as a young officer on board an Iranian warship which engaged the powerful US 5th Fleet, he had to observe with "bitterness" how Iran's military was forced to rely on WWII-era flak cannons to engage American A-6 Intruder jet aircraft, allowing the US planes to effectively act with impunity.

"But that is not the case today," the brigadier general emphasized, pointing to dramatic advances in radar and missile technology which allowed Iran's defenses to down a stealthy US Global Hawk spy drone in 2019 after it intruded into Iranian airspace over the Strait of Hormuz with a single shot.

The official characterized the current era as the era of a "sixth generation" of warfare consisting of hybrid and network-oriented war, smart weapons, unmanned weapons systems and artificial intelligence. To remain a step ahead of the enemy, Iran's radar and electronic warfare systems must be able to see the enemy before they see Iran, he stressed.

Iran is already engaged in an "electronic war" against its adversaries, Rastegari noted, with enemies testing the nation's airspace defenses on a regular basis. Iran's air and border defense forces are also forced to engage in a constant battle against micro-drones, with the military using electronic warfare tools to bring them down before they can reach their targets.

Iran Electronic Industries (IEI) is a state-owned company and is the largest electronics company in the Islamic Republic. Its products have provided the Middle Eastern nation with a panoply of homegrown equipment ranging from radar and electro-optics to electronic warfare systems and encrypted telecommunications, satellites, sonar and network-based warfare systems. The defense electronics sector has also shared some of its know-how with the civilian economy, helping Iran to solve problems stemming from Western sanctions.

A Sputnik

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Treasury Sanctions Officials of Iranian Intelligence Agency Responsible for Detention of U.S. Nationals in Iran

U.S. Department of the Treasury

April 27, 2023

State Department is concurrently designating Russian and Iranian entities for wrongful detention of U.S. nationals

WASHINGTON a Today, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned four senior officials of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Intelligence Organization (IRGC-IO), an entity that is being concurrently designated by the State Department for its role in the hostage-taking or wrongful detention of U.S. nationals in Iran. The IRGC-IO frequently holds and interrogates detainees in the notorious Evin Prison, in addition to the IRGC-IO's direct role in the repression of protests and arrest of dissidents, including dual nationals. Today's action is the first under Executive Order (E.O.) 14078, "Bolstering Efforts to Bring Hostages and Wrongfully Detained U.S. Nationals Home," which reaffirms the fundamental commitment of the U.S. government to bring home those U.S. nationals held hostage and wrongfully detained abroad.

Concurrent with this action, OFAC implemented the Department of State's designation of Russia's Federal Security Service, in addition to the IRGC-IO, for their involvement in the wrongful detention of U.S. nationals abroad.

"Today's action targets senior officials and security services in Iran and Russia that are responsible for the hostage-taking or wrongful detention of U.S. nationals abroad," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. "We are committed to bringing home wrongfully detained U.S. nationals and acting against foreign threats to the safety of U.S. nationals abroad."

The E.O. draws on the authority of the 2020 Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage Taking Accountability Act, which is a credit to the perseverance of the Levinson family and others who have worked to turn their family's extraordinary hardships into constructive and meaningful action.

wrongful detentions in iran

Ruhollah Bazghandi is the IRGC-IO Counterintelligence official. In this role, Bazghandi has been involved with the detention of foreign prisoners held in Iran. Bazghandi has worked on behalf of the IRGC-IO in several capacities, including involvement in IRGC-IO's operations in Syria, and assassination plots against journalists, Israeli citizens, and others deemed enemies of Iran.

Mohammad Kazemi became the commander of the IRGC-IO in June 2022. Kazemi oversees the IRGC-IO's operations suppressing civil society in Iran and arresting Iranian dissidents, including dual nationals. He has also overseen the regime's brutal crackdown against protests across the country in response to the killing of Mahsa Amini. Kazemi was previously designated by OFAC on October 26, 2022, for having acted for or on behalf of the IRGC.

Mohamad Mehdi Sayyari is the IRGC-IO Co-Deputy Chief. Sayyari has been directly involved in arranging logistics for prisoners in Iran.

Mohammad Hasan Mohagheghi, the IRGC-IO Co-Deputy Chief Brigadier General, has reported to several of the senior most IRGC Commanders on RGC-IO operations. Mohagheghi served as a liaison between senior IRGC officials and IRGC-IO officials on counterespionage operations in Syria.

Ruhollah Bazghandi, Mohammad Kazemi, Mohammad Mehdi Sayyari, and Mohammad Hasan Mohagheghi are being designated pursuant to E.O. 14078 for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the IRGC-IO, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14078.

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS

As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC's regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons.

In addition, financial institutions and other persons that engage in certain transactions or activities with the sanctioned entities and individuals may expose themselves to sanctions or be subject to an enforcement action. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC's ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC's Frequently Asked Question 897 here. For detailed information on the process to submit a request for removal from an OFAC sanctions list, please click here.

Click here for more information on the individuals and entities designated today.

###

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Berlin Urges Tehran to Cancel Death Sentence for Iranian-German Citizen

By VOA Persian Service April 27, 2023

Germany is condemning as "unacceptable" the death sentence handed down in Iran against Jamshid Sharmahd, an Iranian-German dual citizen and opposition figure accused of masterminding a deadly 2008 bombing of a mosque in Shiraz.

Sharmahd's U.S.-based family vehemently denies the charges. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock questioned the proceedings in the case and wrote in a tweet that Sharmahd never had "even the semblance of a fair trial." She asked Iran to reverse the death sentence immediately.

Iran's Supreme Court this week upheld the death sentence that was issued by a lower court.

Baerbock said Germany's ambassador to Iran had cut short a business trip and was rushed back to Tehran to intervene with authorities.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani accused Germany of "interfering in Iran's internal and judicial affairs," and said "Iran will not ask permission from anyone in the way of confronting terrorism and executing justice."

Sharmahd, 68, had been living in the United States, where he served as the spokesperson for Tondar, a group that aims to restore the Western-backed monarchy that ruled Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. His family says Iranian authorities kidnapped Sharmahd during a stopover in Dubai in 2020.

Iran accuses him of leading an armed wing of Tondar. His family says he had no involvement in any attacks.

In an interview with VOA on Wednesday, Sharmahd's daughter Gazelle said the family hadn't had any contact with her father, and "we must follow the latest news."

Gazelle said it was critical to note that her father was not convicted of terrorism, but of "corruption on Earth," a Quranic phrase the Islamic Republic sometimes uses as a catchall term for anti-government behavior of protesters and dissidents.

Amnesty International recently wrote a letter to the head of Iran's judiciary asking him to immediately issue an order to reverse the "unfair conviction" and annul the death sentence.

According to Amnesty, Sharmahd has been tortured for three years and held in prolonged solitary confinement. The group says he was also deprived of adequate health care and should be released immediately.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press.

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Locals find mutilated bodies of 5 fellow villagers in Myanmar's Sagaing region

They had been arrested by troops a month earlier, accused of being anti-junta militia members.

By RFA Burmese 2023.04.26 -- Villagers have discovered the mutilated, charred bodies of five locals, who were arrested in Indaw township in Myanmar's northerly Sagaing region a month earlier, according to an official from the Indaw Revolution anti-junta militia.

He identified the men as 25-year-old Nyi Nyi; 25-year-old Law Shote; 38-year-old Aung Min Thike; 38-year-old Nay Lin Tun; and 48-year-old Poe Shan, all from Man He village.

The men, discovered in a nearby forest Monday, were arrested when a junta column entered the village on March 24. The Indaw Revolution official, who declined to be named for security reasons, told RFA troops had claimed the men were PDF members killed in battle.

"The military council announced on March 24 that five PDF personnel were killed but there was no fighting at that time," the official said.

"A month later, when we found the burned bodies on the ground, we realized that these bodies were the five villagers."

RFA called Aye Hlaing, the junta spokesman for Sagaing region, on Wednesday for comment on the claims that troops had killed villagers rather than defense force members, but the calls went unanswered.

Sagaing region has seen some of the fiercest fighting in the country, with junta troops carrying out air raids on civilian targets and razing villages thought to support the People's Defense Forces who have been fighting for the restoration of democracy in the country, following the February 2021 coup.

On Sunday troops tortured and beheaded a man they arrested in Sagaing region's Ta Pa Yin Kwe, setting fire to homes there in the second raid on the village this year.

Nearly 3,500 civilians have been killed across the country since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content April not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Illegal gold mining up ten-fold in Kachin state since Myanmar coup

Researchers say mines operate with virtually no oversight under the junta.

By RFA Burmese 2023.04.26 -- Illegal gold mining has increased ten-fold in Myanmar's Kachin state since the military seized power in a coup more than two years ago, a new report and sources said, amid a decrease in federal oversight in the region.

Illegal mining of gold, as well as jade and rare earth minerals, is rampant in Kachin state, where successive governments have failed to regulate the industry for generations. However, the number of unsanctioned operations has ballooned since the military's Feb. 1, 2021, takeover amid conflict between junta troops and armed resistance forces in the region.

The number of gold mining rigs on the Ayarwaddy River in Kachin's Myitkyina township jumped to more than 1,000 in 2021 and more than 800 in 2022 from just over 70 in 2020, according to a report released Sunday by the Kachin State Accountability Resource Governance group, or K-SAG, which began monitoring the use of resources in the state prior to the coup.

"There weren't many, but some arrests and inspections took place [mainly] in Puta-O township before the coup," K-SAG's head of research, who gave her name as Alice, told RFA Burmese.

However, in the 26 months since, authorities have yet to carry out an inspection or make an arrest in connection with illegal mining in Kachin, allowing the problem to proliferate in the region, she said.

"Now that illegal gold mining has increased more than 10 times, the situation is very bad here," Alice said. "The businesspeople who started illegal mining in 2021 as a test to the legal system under the new military regime are now digging freely and greedily. The situation got worse in 2022 and we are sympathetic to the voices of the local residents."

Without measures in place to combat the problem, it will only become worse in 2023, she said.

Surge in resource exploitation

The report, which was published based on surveys and interviews with 330 residents from nine townships in Kachin between June and November last year, found that the exploitation of natural resources - including rare earth minerals, amber, gold and timber - had increased overall in the state since the coup.

"Areas of Hpakant [township] were already damaged [by mining] even before the military coup, but since then, all remaining areas have also been damaged," the report said. "Both private and large-scale mines were operating there before the coup, but in accordance with government guidelines. These days, they operate without following any regulations or guidelines, which is the reason for the destruction."

Despite the overall increase in resource exploitation in Kachin, gold mining had seen the largest increase since the takeover, K-SAG said, noting that such operations are approved and taxed by the Kachin Independence Army, the military regime, and local anti-junta paramilitary groups - depending on which faction controls the territory.

According to K-SAG, entrepreneurs setting up a one-acre gold mining operation can expect to pay fees of 5 million kyats (U.S.$2,380) each to the KIA and local paramilitary groups and 4 million kyats (U.S.$1,900) to the junta each season, in addition to fees for machinery.

By comparison, entrepreneurs who acquire a 100-square-foot plot for mining jade in the Kachin township of Hpakant must pay 150-200 million kyats (U.S.$71,400-95,200) to the KIA and 200-300 million kyats (U.S.$95,200-142,800) to the junta, the report said.

According to the Kachin State Mining Department, authorities collected more than 500 million kyats (U.S.$238,000) in taxes in 2020. However, while the number of mining operations in Kachin has skyrocketed, authorities collected only 238 million kyats (U.S.$113,300) in 2021 and 325 million kyats (U.S.$154,700) in 2022, the report noted.

Loose regulations

Win Ye Tun, the junta's social affairs minister and spokesman for Kachin state, confirmed to RFA that no official mining rights had been granted since the military takeover.

"The government has not officially permitted any mining rights for natural resources such as jade and raw earth minerals," he said.

But he rejected K-SAG's claim that the junta had failed to police the industry in Kachin.

"Since the number of illegal mining operations has increased, the government is continuously making arrests and taking legal action [against violators]," he said.

Residents and environmental activists told RFA that mining companies pay bribes to both the junta and the rebel Kachin Independence Organization to look the other way as they operate illegally.

Col. Naw Bu, the information officer for the KIO's armed wing, the Kachin Independence Army, also took issue with K-SAG's findings, telling RFA that resource mining in Kachin state is being done "in accordance with regulations" set by the Kachin Independence Organization political group.

"They prohibit mining in populated areas, on civilian farms and at historical sites," he said. "The KIC [Kachin Independence Council] has laid down guidelines. Local administrations have to decide whether or not to issue mining permits in accordance with those guidelines."

Chinese entrepreneurs

K-SAG's report also found that the gold mining industry in Kachin state, which borders southwestern China's Yunnan province, has become increasingly driven by Chinese entrepreneurs since the coup. It said some 19% of gold mining in the region is now controlled by Chinese interests.

A resident of Chipwi township, one of five townships in Kachin - along with Shwegu, Myitkyina, Wingmaw and Tanai - with the highest concentration of Chinese-led mining operations, told RFA that gold mining is virtually unchecked in the region.

"The mines are digging in the areas too close to the town along the May Kha River - something that had never been done before," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. "The number of illegal mining operations has exploded since the military coup."

The resident said that entrepreneurs and experts at the gold mines in the area "are Chinese nationals," adding that rare earth mining had also increased in Chipwi since the takeover.

According to statistics released by China's Customs Department in January 2023, the value of rare earth minerals exported from Myanmar to China increased to more than U.S.$800 million in 2021 from only U.S.$387 million a year earlier, before decreasing to more than U.S.$600 million in 2022.

K-SAG researcher Alice told RFA that resource exploitation in Kachin is in "urgent need of regulation" by whichever party is receiving money to approve it, in order to halt environmental degradation in the region.

"The [junta] and all other stakeholders are responsible, in my opinion," she said. "People here wish to protect the environment but they are not in the position to do so and even the areas that had previously benefited from regulation are now at risk."

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content April not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Junta raids force more than 7,000 villagers to flee northern town

The town in Myanmar's Sagaing region is home to a Chinese-owned copper mine.

By RFA Burmese 2023.04.27 -- More than 7,000 residents of villages in Sagaing region's Salingyi township have fled their homes ahead of junta raids, according to a member of the pro-democracy Salingyi-Yinmarbin Strike Committee.

The man, who didn't wish to be named, said a column of 150 troops descended on the township on Thursday morning, leading residents of nine villages to flee.

"Residents from those villages are still on the run," he said. "There have been no arrests."

He said that the column of troops was made up of soldiers based in Salingyi town and others from a Chinese-owned copper project in the township.

The Strike Committee member said troops had killed five civilians who they had brought with them from other villages. He didn't know the names of the dead.

The military has intensified an already bloody campaign in Sagaing region this year, declaring martial law in 11 townships in February to try to wrest control of them from People's Defense Forces and defend foreign-owned mining interests.

This month alone, troops have torched hundreds of homes in Sagaing region, and killed around 200 civilians in the bombing of Pa Zi Gyi village.

There were more than 1.8 million internally displaced persons across Myanmar as of April 10, 2023, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Nearly 1.5 million of them fled their homes due to fighting since the Feb. 1, 2021 coup.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content April not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Myanmar's western Chin state pummeled by junta's air force in April

The junta has dropped more than 80 bombs on the region this month, killing 19 people.

By RFA Burmese 2023.04.27 -- Myanmar's junta carried out 47 airstrikes, killing at least 19 people and destroying multiple religious buildings and civilian homes in Chin state in April alone, a rights group said Thursday.

The campaign, which saw an average of nearly two bombs dropped on the western state each day this month, comes as the Chin National Front claimed new territorial gains in the region, suggesting the military has stepped up air operations amid an increasingly stymied ground offensive.

Since April 1, Myanmar's air force has dropped more than 80 bombs on Chin state, according to the Chin Human Rights Organization. The attacks killed 17 civilians and injured 34 others, the group's managing officer Salai Man Hre Lian told RFA Burmese, as well as two members of the armed resistance.

"Most of the injured were civilians, as well," he said.

The worst loss of life occurred on April 10, when the junta launched three airstrikes on Falam township in a single day, dropping six bombs near Var village at around 9:00 a.m., four near a high school in Webula at 11:00 a.m., and six near Ramthlo village at 4:00 p.m.

Residents said the attack on Webula killed nine civilians, including the school headmaster and his wife and son, and injured four others.

Six days later, fighter jets attacked Pan Par village in Mindat township, killing three people - including a child - and injuring seven others.

The CNF confirmed that two members of the armed resistance were killed and four others injured when the junta launched an airstrike earlier this month on a base operated by the 4th Brigade of the Chin National Army in Tedim township, near Myanmar's border with India.

CHRO said that multiple buildings - including a Buddhist monastery, a Christian church and at least 20 civilian homes - were destroyed in the April strikes.

The carnage in April followed a March 30 airstrike on Thantlang township's Khuafo village that killed 10 civilians and injured 20 others, residents told RFA.

According to the CHRO, nearly 10,000 civilians have been forced to flee their homes due to junta airstrikes so far this month.

The group said the junta has launched nearly 200 airstrikes and dropped more than 350 bombs on targets in Chin state since the military orchestrated a Feb. 1, 2021 coup d'etat. The strikes have killed 38 people and injured nearly 100.

Fighting back against the junta

The April bombing campaign comes amid growing success by anti-junta forces on the ground in Chin, according to CNF spokesman Salai Htet Ni.

On April 23, a People's Defense Force paramilitary unit attacked a junta military convoy of 30 vehicles, including two armored cars, near Hakha township's Chuncung village, touching off an intense firefight.

Despite the military's advantage in equipment, the PDF was able to rout its opponent and prevent the convoy from continuing on to the seat of Hakha, Salai Htet Ni said.

"All of the military vehicles were destroyed by the resistance forces," he said, adding that around 30 junta troops remain stationed in Chuncung. "We now have control over 70 out of 100 territories in nine [of 19] townships in Chin state."

Given the success of anti-junta forces on the ground in Chin, the military has stepped up its air attacks, and villagers have responded by digging trenches and other crude defenses.

"Every village has built bomb defenses, such as trenches, to protect against the junta's airstrikes," said a Hakha resident who, like other inhabitants of Chin villages RFA spoke to, declined to be named for security reasons. "But with such unexpected attacks as these, it's been very difficult for us to set up effective defenses."

The military has yet to issue any statements regarding the April airstrikes and attempts by RFA to contact Thant Zin, the junta's social minister and spokesman for Chin state went unanswered Thursday.

A legal expert, who also spoke on condition of anonymity citing fear of reprisal, noted that Myanmar is a signatory to and should be held accountable under the Geneva Convention, which lays out international legal standards for humanitarian treatment during conflict.

"[The convention] prohibits all armed forces from attacking non-military or civilian targets during times of war," he said. "It also restricts armed forces from using highly destructive airstrikes and dropping bombs in civil wars."

One resident of Thantlang called the junta's unprovoked aerial attacks "cowardly."

"I think the junta attacks villages to terrorize the people," he said. "If they are truly brave, they would only fight the armed groups. Targeting innocent people like us is extremely cowardly."

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content April not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Pakistan in Crisis After Standoff Over Poll Date

By Sarah Zaman April 26, 2023

A standoff between the government and judiciary over a key provincial election has pushed Pakistan into a political and judicial crisis, with experts blaming the quagmire on the military's long-standing interference in political affairs.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered elections to be held on May 14 in Punjab, the nation's most populous province, where an opposition party led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan is hugely popular. But the 13-party ruling alliance led by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif is refusing to comply.

Not backing down, the Supreme Court has refused to reverse its order, even after the defense ministry requested postponement on security grounds.

In a further show of defiance, the parliament has passed a bill called the Practice and Procedure Bill (2023) that would limit the chief justice's authority to take up an issue of important public interest on its own initiative a the procedure is known as suo moto.

The chief justice responded by forming an eight-judge panel comprising himself and many like-minded colleagues from among the court's 15 judges to review the bill. A lawyer filed a reference against the eight judges with the Supreme Judicial Council of Pakistan, however, which hears cases of judicial misconduct.

The bill has since become law.

Origins of the crisis

The crisis began with Khan's removal from office in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence last April, less than four years into his term. Khan then launched a nationwide campaign to push for early elections. Sharif's government refused the demand, saying it would stay in power until the parliament's remaining term ends in August of this year.

In a bid to force early elections this past January, Khan's party dissolved the assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two provinces where it held majorities in the legislatures. According to Pakistan's constitution, elections must be held within 90 days of the dissolution of an assembly. Until then, a caretaker government runs the affairs and oversees elections.

But it was President Arif Alvi, a member of Khan's party, rather than the election commission, who set an April 9 date for polls in both provinces. That prompted the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo moto notice in late February and constitute a nine-member bench of the Supreme Court, led by himself, to determine who had the authority to announce the election date.

Complicating factors

Soon after the suo moto hearings began, two judges recused themselves while two separated from the bench after writing dissenting notes. The remaining five judges, led by the chief justice, ruled 3-2 in favor of holding elections within 90 days or as soon after the deadline as possible, granting Khan a victory.

The governing alliance refused the court's decision, arguing that because a total of four judges of the original bench had dissented, the decision by three judges therefore was a minority decision and not applicable.

When the independent election commission suddenly postponed Punjab polls to October 8, citing a lack of funds and security, Khan's party approached the Supreme Court. By that time, two more dissenters had recused themselves, and the remaining three judges granted Khan another victory by ordering that elections be held on May 14 in Punjab. The court called the election commission's decision to delay polls "unlawful."

The ruling alliance refused in a parliamentary vote to grant funds for the elections. It has been calling for a full court to reconsider the matter, a demand the chief justice so far has ignored.

Grave situation

Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, president of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), a Lahore-based think tank, said Pakistan's economic, political, judicial, and governance crises have come together to create a grave situation for the nation of nearly 230 million. He holds the powerful military responsible.

"The continuous interference of the establishment in the country's political affairs, judicial affairs, almost everything, starting from deciding major policies, making major decisions, I think that has been the major reason for this crisis," Mehboob said. Establishment is a term commonly used in Pakistan to refer to the military.

Mehboob said the interference, which the outgoing army chief acknowledged publicly last year, has weakened state institutions, rendering them unable to address crises effectively.

Parties in the ruling coalition argue that early elections in Punjab, politically the most prized province, will affect the outcome of parliamentary elections later this year. Khan's popularity has increased exponentially since his ouster, and a common perception is that the government is stalling elections for fear of losing.

The 90-day window to hold elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ended on April 14 and April 18, respectively. Mehboob said that by focusing on Punjab and ignoring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the chief justice and his colleagues are not doing "real justice."

Holding elections early in two of the four provinces also will lead to a staggered election schedule in the future, as the assemblies will finish their terms at different times. Mehboob noted this is unprecedented, and in the context of Pakistan it will mean, "there's a likelihood of political interference of whatever party wins election in Punjab."

Karachi-based lawyer Abdul Moiz Jaferii told VOA the Supreme Court and the ruling alliance are all "acting beyond their station."

He said although the judiciary is in the right to enforce a constitutional requirement, its credibility has been hurt by its past decisions, which were rooted not in differing ideologies but "in individuals, their interests, their political alignments, and lack of ability to, to look forward to the institute's mission and the greater good of an institution."

The crisis, Jaferii said, can be resolved if the Supreme Court "get its own house in a minimum amount of order."

"Then all that remains is for the establishment to actually step back from the support it is giving the coalition government, which gives this coalition government the backbone to ... defy the court. So, if that support goes away, and Supreme Court orders are implemented under threat of contempt, I feel that this crisis is over."

The military claims it's not supporting Sharif or opposing Khan, with whom it has had a very public falling out in the last year. Jaferii asserts that the political and judicial crises have put Pakistan's military in a "lose-lose situation."

It is unclear whether polls in Punjab will be held in a few weeks. The chief justice has said the order will not be reversed but has also asked major political parties to negotiate a date for nationwide elections, saying the court could then look into finding a path to hold same-day polls.

Sharif said arbitration is not the court's job.

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Ambassador: Pakistan Importing Russian Oil With US Approval

By Ayaz Gul April 27, 2023

Pakistan said Thursday that it was buying discounted Russian crude oil with the implicit approval of the United States, and the first shipment is expected to arrive in the country soon.

Masood Khan, the Pakistani ambassador to the U.S., made the remarks at a conference in Washington organized by the Wilson Center's South Asia Institute on the future of relations between the two countries.

"We have placed the first order for Russian oil, and this has been done in consultation with the United States government. There's no misunderstanding between Washington and Islamabad on this count," Khan said.

The top diplomat was responding to suggestions the energy purchase could undermine Pakistan's already tumultuous relationship with the U.S.

"They have suggested that you are free to buy anything below or up to the price cap, and we have abided by that agreement. I think Washington is fine with that," Khan added without elaborating.

Vote of confidence for Sharif

He spoke just hours after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the parliament in Islamabad his government was set to receive an inaugural shipment of Russian crude oil.

"As we speak, the Russian oil is being loaded to arrive here," Sharif said after securing a vote of confidence from the National Assembly, the upper house of parliament, amid opposition allegations he had lost an already thin majority in the house.

A State Department spokesperson responding to Pakistan's import of Russian energy told VOA that Washington recognizes the pressure governments face to secure affordable fuel, and each country will have to make its own choices regarding energy imports.

"We continue to coordinate with allies and partners to mitigate the impact of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine on global energy markets," the spokesperson said. "Russia's actions have clearly demonstrated it is not a reliable supplier of energy, and we encourage steps to reduce long-term dependence on energy supplies from Russia."

The State Department official, however, did not address VOA's direct question about whether the U.S. would be comfortable with Pakistan buying Russian oil as long as it's under the price cap.

Last week, Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik said Pakistan had made its first purchase of Russian crude oil at a discounted rate and the cargo would reach the country next month via sea. He did not share further details, saying Islamabad plans to increase the import volume to 100,000 barrels per day if the first transaction with Moscow goes through smoothly.

The move was expected to bring a much-needed respite to the cash-strapped South Asian nation, with energy imports making up most of its external payments.

The Sharif government has been struggling to avert a balance of payments crisis as it awaits the resumption of financial lending from the International Monetary Fund. The Pakistani central bank's foreign exchange reserves have lately fallen to nearly $4.5 billion, barely enough to cover a month of imports.

Ties with US back on track

Khan told the audience in Washington on Thursday that Pakistan's ties with the United States had suffered a "brief period of uncertainty" after the U.S.-led foreign military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, when the then-insurgent Taliban seized control of the country.

Despite being an ally of the U.S., Islamabad was accused of sheltering and supporting Taliban insurgents while they were battling the U.S. and NATO troops for almost two decades.

The Pakistani ambassador insisted the relationship with the U.S. was back on track and both sides were working to scale up economic and security partnerships.

"We are back in business. ... It is important that the United States restores for Pakistan foreign military financing and foreign military sales, which were suspended by the previous [Trump] administration," the Pakistani ambassador said.

Former President Donald Trump cut military cooperation with Pakistan, citing its covert support for the Taliban, charges Pakistani leaders rejected.

Khan stressed the need for Islamabad and Washington to work together to eliminate the Islamic State-led threat of terrorism stemming from Afghanistan, noting a surge in terror attacks in Pakistan since the Taliban's return to power in the strife-torn neighboring country.

He said Pakistan was politically engaging with Taliban authorities to try to persuade them to deny Afghan space to terrorists waging deadly attacks in his country and those linked to Islamic State-Khorasan, the regional branch of Islamic State. Khan asserted that the U.S. was also "talking directly to Taliban cabinet ministers."

"Let's work together to eliminate this threat in the region," he said. "Today, it's a threat to Pakistan and Afghanistan. If unchecked, it will spread to other parts of the region and beyond. Urgent action is needed to fight this menace."

Defense talks

Senior State Department official Elizabeth Horst, speaking at the Wilson Center conference Thursday, said the last year had helped reset the U.S.-Pakistan relationship.

The two countries held midlevel defense dialogues in Washington and a counterterrorism working group in Islamabad in February and March, respectively, she said.

"Since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, we have been more aligned than ever with Pakistan on how to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a base for terrorism," said the principal deputy assistant secretary and deputy assistant secretary for Pakistan, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs.

Horst said that Washington was concerned that the number of attacks, mainly targeting Pakistani security forces, has increased.

"Pakistan has much to gain from a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, and the United States and Pakistan have a shared interest in holding the Taliban to its counterterrorism commitments." The U.S. official said that this topic was the focus of recent dialogues between the U.S. and Pakistan.

Khan also emphasized the need to work "collectively for promoting women's and girls' education and inclusive governance in Afghanistan."

No foreign government has recognized the Taliban as the legitimate ruler of Afghanistan. The international community is pressing the Taliban leadership to remove bans on women's access to education and work. The hard-line de facto authorities are also required to give representation to all Afghan ethnic groups in their administration.

VOA State Department Bureau Chief Nike Ching contributed to this report.

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April 26, 2023

By Joseph Clark , DOD News

U.S., South Korea Unveil Joint Declaration Outlining Steps to Bolster Deterrence

President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol outlined new steps aimed at bolstering the longstanding U.S.-South Korean defense alliance in the face of growing nuclear threats posed by North Korea.

Under the newly unveiled "Washington Declaration," the two countries have committed to engaging in deeper dialogue and information sharing efforts and announced the establishment of a nuclear consultative group to strengthen nuclear deterrence efforts on the Korean Peninsula.

The U.S. will also enhance the visibility of its strategic assets in the region under the joint declaration, to include an upcoming visit of a nuclear-armed ballistic submarine to South Korea.

The new measures were unveiled during a joint news conference at the White House following bilateral talks between the two leaders.

Biden called the declaration a "prudent step" toward deterrence and in response to North Korea's advancing nuclear theat.

"A nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies or partners is not acceptable and will result in the end of whatever regime that would take such an action," Biden warned.

"The bottom line is that there is even closer cooperation, closer consultation," between the U.S. and Korea, he added.

Biden said that while the declaration marks a commitment to strengthening the longstanding U.S.-South Korean defense relationship, the two countries also seek "serious and substantial diplomatic breakthroughs" with North Korea to bolster stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Yoon's official state visit to Washington marks the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-South Korean alliance.

The U.S. has maintained a robust presence in South Korea since the Korean War of 1950 - 1953. More than 28,000 U.S. service members serve on the peninsula alongside South Korean allies.

"The Alliance between our two nations has been forged in shared sacrifice, fortified by enduring security cooperation and nourished by our close kinship that has enabled both countries to leverage their diplomatic resources to peaceably achieve crucial, strategic outcomes," the two presidents' declaration reads.

"What began as a security partnership has grown and expanded into a truly global Alliance that champions democratic principles, enriches economic cooperation and drives technological advancements," the declaration continues. "Our Alliance has been tested many times, and in every instance we have risen to the occasion and responded to the changing threats on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific."

The South Korean president arrived in Washington on Monday for a five-day visit to the U.S which will include an official state dinner at the White House and meetings with Cabinet officials in Washington.

More than 6,800 guests attended Yoon's official arrival ceremony at the White House Wednesday morning.

"Mr. President, ours is a future filled with unimaginable opportunity and endless possibility," Biden told his South Korean counterpart during the arrival ceremony. "Nothing, nothing is beyond our ability to reach when our nations stand united. We have proven that time and again over the last 70 years."

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Washington Briefs China on US-S Korean Plans to Up Military Drills in Region

Sputnik News

20230426

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - China is being briefed about plans between the United States and South Korea to enhance military activity near the Korean Peninsula in light of Pyongyang's advancing nuclear missile capability, a senior US administration official told reporters.

"We are briefing the Chinese in advance and laying out very clearly our rationale for why we are taking these steps," the official said. "We believe that non-proliferation efforts in the Indo-Pacific are in the best interest of not just the United States and other leading states, but China as well."

The United States and South Korea will announce plans to enhance joint military drills and to deploy a US nuclear ballistic submarine in the Korean Peninsula region in response to North Korea's advancing nuclear missile capabilities, the official said.

"We'll announce that we intend to take steps to make our deterrence more visible through the regular deployment of strategic assets, including a US nuclear ballistic submarine visit to South Korea, which has not happened since the early 1980s," the US official said ahead of President Joe Biden's meeting with his South Korean counterpart. "We'll strengthen our training, our exercises, and simulation activities to improve the US-ROK [South Korea] alliance's approach to deterring and defending against DPRK [North Korean] threats, including by better integrating ROK conventional assets into our strategic planning."

The US and South Korea during President Yoon Suk-yeol's visit to the United States will announce a new Washington Declaration designed to enhance American-funded deterrence commitments amid North Korea's growing nuclear capabilities, according to an official.

"To build peace and stability on the Peninsula, during the visit, the alliance will be announcing a Washington Declaration which includes a series of steps that are designed to strengthen US-funded deterrence commitments and strengthen the clarity by which they are seen by the Korean public as well as by neighbors in the face of advancing DPRK [North Korean] nuclear missile capabilities," the official said ahead of Wednesday's talks between President Joe Biden and Yoon at the White House.

According to the US official, the Washington Declaration has been in discussion with the South Korean government for months, and it will also include the establishment of a new mechanism called the US-South Korean Nuclear Consultative Group, a regular bilateral consultation mechanism that will focus on nuclear and strategic planning issues to give South Korea additional insight on planning for major contingencies.

Joe Biden during his meeting with South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk-yeol will want to know what the future of Seoul's support for Ukraine might look like, he added.

"I know that President Biden will have to have a conversation with President Yoon about what it means for all like-minded allies to continue to support Ukraine through a difficult few months and will want to know what Seoul is thinking about what the future of their support might look like," one US official said.

The meeting between the two leaders comes in the wake of Pentagon leaks revealing US frustration with South Korea's failure to provide arms to Ukraine. As Yoon arrived in Washington ahead of Wednesday's talks with Biden at the White House, a South Korean presidential official told reporters that Ukraine may be discussed during the meeting but only as a "global issue."

Despite pressure from the US and its allies, a South Korean presidential official last week said Seoul is not supplying Ukraine with weapons for the sake of stability in relations with Russia, according to media reports. Moscow has warned Seoul, a major ammunition-producing state, that sending military assistance to Ukraine will negatively impact Russian-South Korean relations.

Later on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will announce the so-called Washington Declaration, which includes a series of steps that are designed to strengthen US-funded deterrence commitments and make it more visible to the Korean public as well as by neighbors, according to the US official.

A Sputnik

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Washington Declaration

April 26, 2023

President Joseph R. Biden of the United States of America and President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (ROK) met on this 26th day of April, 2023 to mark the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-ROK Alliance. The Alliance between our two nations has been forged in shared sacrifice, fortified by enduring security cooperation, and nourished by our close kinship that has enabled both countries to leverage their diplomatic resources to peaceably achieve crucial, strategic outcomes. What began as a security partnership has grown and expanded into a truly global Alliance that champions democratic principles, enriches economic cooperation, and drives technological advancements. Our Alliance has been tested many times, and in every instance we have risen to the occasion and responded to the changing threats on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific.

To commemorate this historic year for our Alliance, President Biden and President Yoon have committed to develop an ever-stronger mutual defense relationship and affirm in the strongest words possible their commitment to the combined defense posture under the U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty. The United States and the ROK are committed to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, and the measures we take together are in furtherance of that fundamental goal.

The ROK has full confidence in U.S. extended deterrence commitments and recognizes the importance, necessity, and benefit of its enduring reliance on the U.S. nuclear deterrent. The United States commits to make every effort to consult with the ROK on any possible nuclear weapons employment on the Korean Peninsula, consistent with the U.S. Nuclear Posture Review's declaratory policy, and the Alliance will maintain robust communication infrastructure to facilitate these consultations. President Yoon reaffirmed the ROK's longstanding commitment to its obligations under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty as the cornerstone of the global nonproliferation regime as well as to the U.S.-ROK Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.

The Alliance commits to engage in deeper, cooperative decision-making on nuclear deterrence, including through enhanced dialogue and information sharing regarding growing nuclear threats to the ROK and the region. The two Presidents announced the establishment of a new Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) to strengthen extended deterrence, discuss nuclear and strategic planning, and manage the threat to the nonproliferation regime posed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). In addition, the Alliance will work to enable joint execution and planning for ROK conventional support to U.S. nuclear operations in a contingency and improve combined exercises and training activities on the application of nuclear deterrence on the Korean Peninsula. In keeping with the Presidents' commitments, the Alliance has established a new bilateral, interagency table-top simulation to strengthen our joint approach to planning for nuclear contingencies.

President Biden reaffirmed that the United States' commitment to the ROK and the Korean people is enduring and ironclad, and that any nuclear attack by the DPRK against the ROK will be met with a swift, overwhelming and decisive response. President Biden highlighted the U.S. commitment to extend deterrence to the ROK is backed by the full range of U.S. capabilities, including nuclear. Going forward, the United States will further enhance the regular visibility of strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula, as evidenced by the upcoming visit of a U.S. nuclear ballistic missile submarine to the ROK, and will expand and deepen coordination between our militaries. Furthermore, the United States and ROK will strengthen standing bodies for consultations on extended deterrence, including the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group, to better prepare the Alliance to defend against potential attacks and nuclear use and conduct simulations to inform joint planning efforts.

President Yoon affirmed that the ROK will apply the full range of its capabilities to the Alliance's combined defense posture. This includes working in lockstep with the United States to closely connect the capabilities and planning activities of the new ROK Strategic Command and the U.S.-ROK Combined Forces Command. Such activities will include a new table-top exercise conducted with U.S. Strategic Command.

In view of these critical developments, President Biden and President Yoon send a firm message to the international community that the United States and the ROK will stand together in the face of any and all threats to their shared security, and continue their close consultations on further steps to strengthen extended deterrence. In parallel, both Presidents remain steadfast in their pursuit of dialogue and diplomacy with the DPRK, without preconditions, as a means to advance the shared goal of achieving the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

###





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Remarks by President Biden and President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea at Arrival Ceremony

April 26, 2023

South Lawn

10:27 A.M. EDT

PRESIDENT BIDEN: Good morning, good morning, good morning. (Applause.) What a beautiful day to invite great friends back to the White House. And welcome to the White House.



Today a today, we celebrate the ironclad alliance, the shared vision of our future, and the deep friendship that unites the Republic of Korea and the United States.



President Yoon, Mrs. Kim, you were kind enough to host me in Seoul last year just 10 days after your inauguration.



And Jill and I, we're honored to be able to return some of your hospitality with your second state visit to this administration.



This year marks the 70th anniversary of the alliance between our two nations. It's an unbreakable bond, forged in bravery and the sacrifice of our people, sanctified by the blood of American and Korean troops who fought and defended liberty. And I'm proud we are joined today by veterans of the Korean War.



Those veterans are the reason we can stand here today -(applause) a two vibrant and innovative democracies. We stand as strong, proud, and free because of them.



And it's so meaningful, Mr. President, to visit the Korean War Veterans Memorial with you last night, to lay a wreath of remembrance, to fulfill a sacred obligation.



On September 1, 1950, Corporal Luther Story performed acts of bravery above and beyond all measure defending his brothers-in-arms on the Pusan Perimeter in the Korean a in the Korean War.



The last anyone saw of the Corporal, he was wounded, fighting off a hostile assault to protect his company's withdrawal.



In 1951, his heroism was recognized with the Medal of Honor, but Corporal Story's body was never accounted for, until now.



The Republic of Korea and the United States worked together to identify Corporal Story's remains among those buried as a Korean War Unknow- a as a Korean War Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.



Today, we can return him to his family and to his rest, with all the honors he deserves, because we never forget our heroes. (Applause.)

Mr. President, over the past seven decades, our alliance has grown stronger and more capable, and the cooperation between our people, our commitment to one another has grown deeper across every aspect of our partnership.



Today, our economies are on the vanguard of technological development; our nations are powerhouses of innovation; and our people, united still by our democratic values, are taking on the challenges of the world, and we're taking them on together.



We're standing strong against Russia's brutal aggression against Ukraine, advancing an Indo-Pacific region that is free and open, building secure and resilient supply chains and pioneering the clean energy economy, investing together to ensure our future will be grounded in the values that we share, which have always a always a made us strong.



Mr. President, ours is a future filled with unimaginable opportunity and endless possibility. Nothing a nothing a is beyond our ability to reach when our nations and our people stand united. We have proven that time and again over the last 70 years.



As our troops say, who still proudly serve together in the ROK to this day: We go together.

May the a we continue that refrain of the Republic of Korea and the United States for all the days ahead: We go together.

God bless our nations. And God protect our troops.

Thank you. (Applause.)

PRESIDENT YOON: (As interpreted.) Mr. President, Dr. Biden, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

Last evening, my wife and I visited the Korean War Memorial on the National Mall with President Biden and Dr. Biden.

There, I saw the epitaph that reads, "Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met."

Why did they sacrifice their lives for this faraway country and for the people they never met? That was for one noble cause: to defend freedom.

The ROK-U.S. alliance was forged in blood as a result of our fight for freedom. The ROK-U.S. alliance is not a transactional relationship; it does not operate for the sake of mere interest. The ROK-U.S. alliance is an alliance of values, standing together to safeguard the universal value of freedom. (Applause.)

Thus, the ROK-U.S. alliance is a just alliance; it is a global alliance for the freedom, peace, and prosperity around the world. The ROK-U.S. alliance is an alliance in action moving toward the future.

Ladies and gentlemen, I came here to look back to the 70-year-long history of our alliance and, with President Biden, to design the vision for our shared future.

I came here to celebrate and congratulate on the 70th anniversary of the alliance with pride, with joy, and with the American people. (Applause.)

President, Dr. Biden, I once again thank you for your kind invitation for my state visit. And I also thank the American people for your warm welcome and hospitality.

Thank you. (Applause.)

10:41 A.M. EDT

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April 27, 2023

Release

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Meets With President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk Yeol

Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:

Today, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III welcomed the President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Yoon Suk Yeol to the Pentagon to reaffirm the ironclad U.S. commitment to the U.S.-ROK Alliance and to the defense of the ROK. As the United States and ROK mark the 70th anniversary of the Alliance, both leaders celebrated the two countries' achievements in maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula and the Alliance's contributions to the security of the Indo-Pacific region.

During the meeting, Secretary Austin reaffirmed the U.S. extended deterrence commitment to the ROK, which includes the full range of U.S. defense capabilities, including conventional, nuclear, and missile-defense capabilities. Both Secretary Austin and President Yoon welcomed the Washington Declaration and establishment of a Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) following President Yoon's meeting with President Biden. They emphasized that the two countries will continue to bolster Alliance capabilities to deter and respond to DPRK nuclear and missile threats.

Secretary Austin and President Yoon also discussed a broad range of Alliance issues and exchanged views on the security environment on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region. They also noted the importance of trilateral security cooperation with Japan, as well as cooperation with other like-minded partners throughout the Indo-Pacific in order to maintain regional security and prosperity, uphold common values, and bolster the rules-based international order.

Secretary Austin also accompanied President Yoon for a tour of the National Military Command Center (NMCC) to showcase the Alliance's high degree of interoperability and responsiveness.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3377355/

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April 27, 2023

Release

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Welcomes Republic of Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol to the Pentagon

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD J. AUSTIN III: Well, Mr. President, it's great to see you again and it was a pleasure meeting with you in Seoul in January. Thanks for being such a great host. And I'm delighted to host you and your delegation at the Pentagon as a part of your state visit. Your visit underscores the strength of our alliance and the importance of working together with allies and partners to build a more secure and prosperous world.

The Republic of Korea has been a steadfast friend for decades. We rely on you more and more each day and we do so with immense gratitude. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-ROK alliance, and over the decades, we've built one of the most robust, capable and interoperable alliances on Earth. And we've deterred major conflict and aggression on the Korean Peninsula.

We still face ongoing challenges from North Korea, including its dangerous and destabilizing missile testing program, and from others who would undermine the rules-based international order. So I want to underscore, Mr. President, what I said in January, that the U.S. commitment to the defense of the ROK is ironclad. And so is our extended deterrence commitment to your country, which includes a full range of U.S. defense capabilities, including conventional, nuclear and missile defense capabilities.

For seven decades, U.S. and ROK service members have worked shoulder to shoulder, and we honor their service by ensuring that the U.S.- ROK alliance remains a foundation for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific for decades more. The ROK today is a spectacular economic success and a thriving democracy, and under your leadership, Mr. President, it is emerging as, in your words, "a global, pivotal state."

The ROK and the United States have a shared vision rooted in freedom, democracy and the rule of law. Our alliance stands as a pillar of a free and open Indo-Pacific and I'm confident that we will move forward together and I look forward to charting an ambitious path to advance our shared priorities in the Indo-Pacific.

So Mr. President, thanks again so much for being here and thank you for your enduring commitment to our alliance.

PRES. YOON (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Mr. Secretary, it's my pleasure to meet you here at the Pentagon, following our meeting (inaudible) last January. And also, I would like to thank Chairman Milley and other DOD officials for your warm hospitality. I also want to thank General LaCamera and all USFK service members for standing together with the ROK forces and for robustly defending the peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Now the world order faces a profound challenge. There is a deepening competition between the free world and autocracies, and now, as the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia is under serious conditions.

Despite strong warnings from the international community, North Korea is -- keep advancing its nuclear and missile capability and conducting acts of provocation with unprecedented frequency and magnitude. Recently, (inaudible) revealed a smaller-sized nuclear warhead and they publicly mentioned the -- about the use of its tactical nuclear weapons, and also they tested and launched a solid propelled ICBM. Going forward it is likely that, through diverse acts of provocations, North Korea will continue to put pressure on the ROK-U.S. alliance and try to drive a wedge between our alliance.

Mr. Secretary, the Korean government -- based on our robust combined defense posture, we will be -- we resolutely and affirmatively respond to North Korean threats. Against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, we will be prepared with our capability for punishment and with our overwhelming response capability, including Korea's (inaudible) system. We will also step up our exercises and training as a combined force, and also we will increase our security cooperation between the three countries, Korea, the United States and Japan.

Yesterday President Biden and I, with a view to responding more strongly and effectively against North Korea's nuclear threat, we agreed to strengthen the US extended deterrence. We agreed to work to enable our both countries to find out practical ways to strengthen the extended deterrence including joint planning exercises and tabletop exercise simulations.

Mr. Secretary, I have full confidence in U.S. commitment to the extended deterrence. If North Korea dares to use nuclear arsenal, it will face a decisive and overwhelming response by the Republic of Korea forces and the alliance, including the U.S. nuclear capability.

Now it is time that North Korea should realize that it cannot -- they will gain nothing from a (inaudible) and I urge North Korea once again to make this right decision towards denuclearization for a sustainable and genuine peace, and join in prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.

Mr. Secretary, this year marks the 70th anniversary of the ROK - U.S. alliance. Over the past seven decades, it has been the linchpin maintaining the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in northeast Asia.

Our alliances sharing our common, universal values, I hope that we could enhance our cooperation as global confidence and strategic alliance moving towards a future together. Our alliance is robust and watertight and we can overcome any challenges of the future. It is my view that enhancing our security together through our cooperation.

Mr. Secretary, once again, I thank you for a warm welcome and your hospitality. Thank you.

SEC. AUSTIN: Mr. President, welcome again to the Pentagon. We're delighted to have you here and look forward to a great discussion. Thanks, everybody.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3377419/

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US-S.Korea agreements add new danger; 'extended deterrence' could trigger 'another nuclear crisis' in peninsula

Global Times

By Yang Sheng Published: Apr 27, 2023 10:24 PM

US President Joe Biden and visiting South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol reached a series of strategic agreements on "extended deterrence" against North Korea, as well as the Taiwan question and the South China Sea issue, drawing firm opposition and strong criticism from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Chinese experts warned that if Washington deploys nuclear weapons, including a nuclear-armed submarine, according to US media reports, in South Korea, it could trigger another nuclear crisis in the Korean Peninsula, and Washington and Seoul should take full responsibility for the consequences.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded to the US-South Korea Washington Declaration and the leaders' joint statement at a routine press conference on Thursday saying that "the US, in order to realize its own geopolitical interests and disregarding regional security, insisted on making use of the peninsula issue to create tension."

The actions of the US are full of Cold War mentality, instigate bloc confrontation, undermine the nuclear non-proliferation system, damage the strategic interests of other countries, exacerbate tensions on the peninsula, undermine regional peace and stability, and run counter to the goal of denuclearization of the peninsula. China firmly opposes this, Mao said.

According to the Washington Declaration reached by the presidents of the US and South Korea, the US commits to making every effort to consult with South Korea on "any possible nuclear weapons employment on the Korean Peninsula," while Yoon reaffirmed the commitment to South Korea's obligations under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

The US-South Korea alliance commits to engaging in "deeper, cooperative decision-making" on nuclear deterrence, including through enhanced dialogue and information sharing on growing "nuclear threats" to South Korea and the region. The two presidents announced the establishment of a new Nuclear Consultative Group to strengthen extended deterrence, and discuss nuclear and strategic planning, according to the document.

Another crisis

According to CNN, Biden and Yoon announced a key new agreement at the White House on Wednesday that aims to deter North Korea, "including a new US commitment to deploy a nuclear-armed submarine in South Korea for the first time since the early 1980s."

LA Chao, an expert on Korean Peninsula issues at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday that "if the US really deploys nuclear weapons or a nuclear-armed submarine in the peninsula, it's very likely to trigger another nuclear crisis."

LA said based on Pyongyang's principle of "might for might, frontal match," North Korea could take some unprecedented action in response to the US' act, such as carrying out an atmospheric nuclear test.

"The possibility cannot be ruled out, and if this happens, Washington and Seoul should be held accountable for their provocation."

Wang Junsheng, a research fellow of East Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times on Thursday that "the concept of 'extended deterrence' consists of three factors - joint military drills, regular visits of US strategic assets (such as aircraft carriers, submarines, and bombers) to South Korea, and deployment of nuclear weapons in the peninsula."

Currently, the US and South Korea have already realized the joint drills and the regular visits of US assets, and if the US goes one step further to deploy nuclear weapons, including nuclear-armed submarines, this will definitely result in serious consequences that will not only force North Korea to enhance its development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, but will also worsen China-US tensions, Wang noted.

"The deployment of US nuclear-armed submarines in the region so close to China's territory is unacceptable, and if the US receives no opposition or retaliation from China, it will deploy more strategic weapons including aircraft carriers and strategic bombers.

So there must be a bottom-line between major powers like China and the US, and if Washington intends to break the balance, the regional situation will get extremely intense," Wang said.

China's attitude

According to US and South Korean media, "China received advance briefings from South Korea and the United States about the Washington Declaration."

Experts said even though the two countries sought to ease China's concerns and opposition by informing it in advance, China will still take their actions as a threat and respond according to their real actions.

Han Xiandong, a professor of Korean studies at the China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times on Thursday that in addition to the Washington Declaration, the joint statement by Biden and Yoon contains some elements that are provocative to China.

According to the joint statement released on Wednesday, the US and South Korean presidents reiterated the importance of "preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the region." They strongly opposed any unilateral attempts to "change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific, including through unlawful maritime claims, the militarization of reclaimed features, and coercive activities."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao responded on Thursday by saying that the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair and the core of China's core interests. The resolution of the Taiwan question is the Chinese people's own business, and no force will be allowed to intervene.

"The real status quo of the Taiwan question is that both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one China, Taiwan is a part of China, and China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity have never been divided," and the separatist forces, as well as the forces of external interference are the "chief culprits in undermining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait," Mao said.

"We urge the US and South Korea to be cautious in their words and deeds on the Taiwan question, and not go further down the wrong and dangerous path," Mao noted.

Before visiting the US, Yoon made extremely provocative statements on the Taiwan question that seriously damaged China-South Korea relations, as he tried to internationalize the issue, which seriously violates the one-China principle, a political foundation and precondition of the establishment of China-South Korea diplomatic relations, prompting the Chinese side to make solemn representations to the South Korean ambassador to China, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Sunday

According to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday, when presented his credential to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, South Korean Ambassador to China Chung Jae-ho conveyed Yoon's invitation to Xi for a visit to Seoul.

Chinese analysts said this shows that Yoon and his team are not aware of the seriousness of their provocative comments on the Taiwan question and their ridiculous diplomatic reaction against China after Yoon made his statement.

LA said that unless Yoon withdraws his provocative comments on the Taiwan question and makes concrete corrections to his previous mistakes to prove South Korea's sincerity, it will be absolutely impossible for Seoul to expect China to tolerate or forgive their wrongdoings, let alone a state visit to their country.

Han said, "the Yoon administration has arrogantly miscalculated China, as some of their policymakers believe that China's economy is in trouble so China needs South Korea more than South Korea needs China. This kind of thinking has encouraged their provocation which they made to please the US, and they believe China will tolerate it."

The US investment that Yoon received this time, only $5.9 billion, will not pay for South Korea's aggressive policy against China, as the price is not only reflected in economy and trade but also other sectors, so sooner or later the South Korean people will find Yoon's unwise diplomatic strategy to be "unsustainable and self-destructive" and Yoon's low approval rating will result in a more chaotic internal political situation in South Korea, experts said.

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US nuclear submarines to dock in S Korea in rare visit amid tension with North

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 27 April 2023 9:21 AM

The US military is set to deploy nuclear-armed submarines to South Korea in a purported move to show its resolve to protect Seoul against the North Korea.

The US will send an Ohio-class US Navy nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) to South Korea as part of a so-called Washington Declaration -- unveiled Wednesday at the White House during a summit meeting between US President Joe Biden and visiting South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol -- to reassure Seoul and quell talk there of developing homegrown nuclear weapons.

"Look, a nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies ... or partners is unacceptable and will result in the end of whatever regime to take such an action," Biden threatened during a joint press conference with Yoon.

The US Navy fields 14 SSBNs, often referred to as "boomers." Each of the Ohio-class submarines carry a maximum of 20 Trident II D5 missiles, each of which can deliver up to eight nuclear warheads to targets as far as 12,000 kilometers away, meaning that they are capable of hitting a target in North Korea from vast swathes of the Pacific, Indian or Arctic oceans.

The last time the US sent ballistic missile submarines to South Korea was in 1981.

The news of the deployment came as North Korea says it will continue its development and test-launch of missiles and nuclear weapons as a defensive measure against persisting joint war games held near its waters by US and South Korean armed forces, which Pyongyang regards as rehearsals to invade its territory

Under the joint declaration, which is the product of months of discussions between US and Korean officials, Washington has pledged to send more so-called "strategic assets" such as aircraft carriers, submarines, and long-range bombers to the South "to deter" North Korea.

Prior to the joint press conference by Biden and Moon on Wednesday, the Associated Press cited three unnamed senior officials in the Biden administration as making clear that such assets would not be stationed permanently, and there is "no plan" to deploy any tactical nuclear weapons to the Korean peninsula.

The agreement outlines stepped-up deterrence commitments the US is making to South Korea, and hence, can be seen as Washington's firm pledge to Seoul to give it a greater role in any response to a potential nuclear attack, the officials added.

Over 28,500 American troops are based in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War, which concluded in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, meaning that the two neighbors are still technically at war.

North Korea, which has been under harsh sanctions by the United States and the United Nations Security Council for years over its defensive nuclear and ballistic missiles programs, has test-fired numerous missiles in 2022, including its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile ever.

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South Korean president calls for stronger security ties with U.S. and Japan

Yoon condemns North Korea before joint session of Congress

By Eugene Whong for RFA 2023.04.27 -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol condemned North Korea on Thursday for its nuclear ambitions and called for a stronger trilateral security relationship between Seoul, Tokyo and Washington to counter North Korean nuclear threats.

Yoon's remarks came during a speech to a joint session of the U.S. Congress that celebrated the 70-year South Korea-U.S. alliance that helped defend South Korea as it rose from the ashes of the 1950-53 Korean War to become one of the world's leading economies.

"But even as [South Korea and the U.S.] walked in unison for freedom for 70 years, there is one regime determined to pursue a wrong path. That is North Korea," Yoon said. "North Korea's nuclear program and missile provocations pose a serious threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula and beyond."

The Yoon administration has been less willing to grant concessions to North Korea than that of his predecessor, Moon Jae-in, and other previous administrations.

Yoon borrowed a Cold War-era quote from a previous U.S. president to illustrate his point that the alliance must stand united against North Korea's "reckless behavior."

"As President Reagan once said: 'There is a price we will not pay. There is a point beyond which they must not advance,'" Yoon said. "We must make his words clear to North Korea,"

Yoon spoke of his summit meeting with President Joe Biden on Wednesday, where the two leaders agreed to strengthen nuclear deterrence.

"Along with close Korea-U.S. coordination, we need to speed up Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral security cooperation to counter increasing North Korean nuclear threats," Yoon said.

Yoon's stance on cooperation with Japan is controversial in South Korea due to their turbulent historical relationship.

Yoon vowed that Seoul would respond firmly to North Korean provocations, but stressed that South Korea and its allies were open to dialogue on denuclearization and would work toward that end.

"North Korea's obsession with nuclear weapons and missiles is throwing its population into a severe economic crisis and human rights abuses," he said, as he called for the international community to pay attention to North Korea's human rights situation.

"We must not shy away from our duty to promote freedom for North Koreans ... I ask for your help in improving North Korea's grim conditions," said Yoon.

Yoon arrived in Washington on Monday for a six-day official visit. He participated in a summit with Biden on Wednesday and attended an official state dinner that night.

Yoon will head to Massachusetts on Friday to visit two universities and will fly back to Seoul on Saturday.

Edited by Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content April not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Secretary Antony J. Blinken At a State Luncheon in Honor of Republic of Korea President Yoon Suk-Yeol

Remarks

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Benjamin Franklin Room

Washington, D.C.

April 27, 2023

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Please, take a seat. Thank you. Thank you, everyone. Please take a seat. Good afternoon, and welcome to the State Department. President Yoon, Mrs. Kim, it is a great pleasure to have you here with us today.

Now, some of you may have heard this and actually seen it, but last night President Yoon - (laughter) - brought down the house at the state dinner - (applause) - singing "American Pie." So, Mr. President, I want you to know we have two great American musical giants with us here today, Herbie Hancock and Diane Reeves. (Applause.) So if you feel moved to deliver another performance - (laughter) - don't let the music die, Mr. President. (Laughter.)

Evan and I are delighted to join Vice President Harris, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, in welcoming all of you here today. And I know we're joined by an incredible group of friends, colleagues. Particularly I want to salute the members of Congress who are here. President Yoon just came from delivering an extraordinary speech to a joint session. (Applause.)

It has been 70 years since the United States and the Republic of Korea formed our alliance, making official a bond that was forged by Korean and American soldiers in the crucible of war. Katchi kapshida - we go together - that was their motto. And indeed, they lived and fought and died shoulder to shoulder.

From the beginning, American and Korean leaders understood that our alliance was about more than our two nations. President Eisenhower, speaking to Congress, said that it was an affirmation of our belief that the security of an individual nation in the free world depends on the security of its partners and constitutes another link in the collective security of free nations.

It was also a way to create space - space for Korean and American entrepreneurs and innovators, scientists and artists, governments and citizens - to use that security and their freedom to improve our societies in real ways. And who, looking at how far we've come since that time, would question whether our partnership has lived up to its promise? We see the extraordinary emergence of Korea in virtually every domain around the world, not just as the strongest of security partners for the United States, but in science, technology, the arts, culture. We have never wavered in our commitment to our mutual defense. We've invested in our shared prosperity and competitiveness. And we have decades of mutual growth to show for it, including in the industries and technologies that are shaping the future - from quantum computing to renewable energy to biotech.

We've invested in the foundation of our strength, our democracies, while also deepening ties to our partners who share our commitment to freedom, to equal opportunity, to human rights, to the rule of law. That's why President Biden convened the first two Summits for Democracy, the second of which was co-hosted by President Yoon. And it's why Seoul will take up the mantle now in leading the third Summit for Democracy next year.

As we think about all the ways that our countries go together, it's easy to take for granted our closeness, to see as somehow inevitable the parallel arcs that U.S. and Korea have traced over time. But the reality is this: the friendship between nations, like all friendships, ultimately comes down to the actions of individuals.

And it's here that I'd like to express our enormous gratitude to President Yoon. At a time of tremendous challenge to the international rule of law and the United Nations Charter, to our democracies, indeed to our planet, Mr. President, your principled leadership has helped bring us even closer together and has made Korea a global pivotal state. And that's to the benefit of Koreans, Americans, and indeed to people around the world.

Now, it's not just our leaders who are committed to deepening our friendship, but our people, starting with Korean Americans. This year also marks the 120th anniversary of the arrival of the first Korean immigrants to America, a hundred or so men, women, and children who arrived on Honolulu's shores. Today, the extraordinary contributions of generations of Korean Americans are woven into the fabric of American society, from the sweeping histories of Min Jin Lee's novels to the explosive flavors of David Chang's dishes to the exceptional service of diplomats right here at the State Department, like one I'd like to mention today: Julie Chung.

Julie was just five years old when, in 1977, her family moved from Seoul to California. She didn't speak a word of English. Her dad got a job on the drafting floor of an engineering company. Her mom worked nights washing dishes in a restaurant. Julie's mom went on to become a librarian and a church deacon. Her dad later designed a heating system to prevent O-rings from freezing on space shuttles - that's what had caused the Challenger explosion - allowing NASA to restart the space missions. And Julie joined the first cohort of Pickering fellows at the State Department, which encourages the service of historically underrepresented minorities.

Today, Julie's dad's engineering company is working on technology that will help the United States, Korea, and other partners who are joined in the Artemis Accord return astronauts to the Moon, including the first woman and first person of color. And Julie is the United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka.

If these are the threads that are connecting the United States and Korea through a single family, just think how rich, how deep the ties are that are binding our nations together.

So, President Yoon, Mrs. Kim, all of our distinguished guests, I ask you to raise a glass with me - and we'll even find a glass to raise. (Laughter.) To all the ties that make our nations go together, and to all the places that they'll take us. Mr. President, cheers.

(A toast was offered.)

And now it's my great pleasure to turn it over to the Vice President of the United States. (Applause.)

(The Vice President delivered remarks.)

(A toast was offered.)

PRESIDENT YOON: (Via interpreter) Vice President Harris, Second Gentleman Emhoff, Secretary Blinken, White House Cabinet Secretary Ryan, and distinguished guests: I extend the gratitude to you for inviting me to the heart of global diplomacy, the Department of State. With Vice President Harris, a fearless fighter, and with strong supporters of the ROK-U.S. alliance, it feels as though there is no obstacle that we cannot overcome. It is truly reassuring.

I heard that the name of this building is the Harry S Truman Building. President Biden gifted me a plaque with President Truman's words that I keep on my office desk. He granted me this plaque last year in Korea, and the plaque reads, "The buck stops here." This place reminds me of the devotion and responsibility for freedom and democracy. And as you are well aware, President Truman in 1953, when communism attacked Korea, he dispatched U.S. forces and also put together the UN Security Council and came to our rescue. For the past 70 years, the ROK-U.S. alliance has developed into the most successful alliance in history on the soil that was fortified by the sacrifice of Korean War veterans. The Republic of Korea was able to rise from the ashes of war to become a country with global stature thanks to the power of the ROK-U.S. alliance.

Yesterday, President Biden and myself had an invaluable discussion on where the ROK-U.S. alliance should head towards. And based on our discussion, I plan to develop our alliance in a way that expands practical benefits for the peoples of both our countries. Our future will be brighter than the past. Our two countries will build peace through strength and lead the solidarity of freedom to promote peace in East Asia and the rest of the world. We will further strengthen our solidarity on cooperation in cutting-edge future technologies, including semiconductors, quantum, artificial intelligence, space, and cyber. And the young talents of our two countries will learn from one another and build a free, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. We will also work very closely together in response to pending global issues.

Vice President Harris, Secretary Blinken, and all distinguished participants gathered here today are the mainstays of the global comprehensive strategic alliance between the Republic of Korea and the United States. We look forward to your continued support as the ROK-U.S. alliance marches forward. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

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South Korean Conservatives Lament 'Nuclear Shackles' Following Yoon-Biden Summit

By William Gallo April 27, 2023

The United States' pledge to reinforce its nuclear umbrella protecting South Korea has failed to quiet some South Korean conservatives who want their country to develop nuclear weapons.

Under the so-called Washington Declaration, which was unveiled Wednesday as U.S. President Joe Biden hosted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for a state visit, the United States vowed to deploy more "strategic assets," such as nuclear-capable submarines, long-range bombers and aircraft carriers, to South Korea.

In return, South Korea stated its "full confidence" in the U.S. defense commitment and reaffirmed it would not pursue nuclear weapons.

The two allies also announced the creation of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) meant to give Seoul a better idea about how Washington would use nuclear weapons in a conflict with North Korea.

Early indications suggest many conservatives within South Korea's policymaking circles support the deal, saying it reinforces the credibility of what is commonly referred to as U.S. extended deterrence.

"Our people will effectively feel that they are sharing nuclear weapons with the United States," said Kim Tae-hyo, South Korea's principal deputy national security adviser, according to the Yonhap news agency.

Kim Gi-hyeon, chairman of South Korea's main conservative People Power Party, touted the agreement as "very meaningful" and a "significant diplomatic success."

However, some South Korean conservatives outside the government criticized the announcement, raising questions about how much the deal will placate nuclear weapons advocates.

A Thursday editorial in the Chosun Ilbo newspaper slammed the Yoon-Biden statement for putting "nuclear shackles" on South Korea.

"Looking at the Washington Declaration, it seems the United States is more concerned about South Korea's nuclear development than about neutralizing North Korea's nuclear weapons," the editorial read.

Cheong Seong-chang, one of South Korea's most outspoken nuclear weapons proponents, called the deal "an important achievement," but added: "I don't think this agreement will weaken anyone's support for independent nuclear armament."

"It's regrettable that we voluntarily gave up our right to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ... when the threat of North Korea's nuclear tactics against the South is becoming increasingly obvious," said Cheong, a senior researcher at the Sejong Institute outside Seoul.

No longer fringe

The idea of South Korea getting nuclear weapons was once a fringe idea. But it has gone mainstream in conservative circles in response to North Korea's growing nuclear capability and the rise of "America First" political ideas in the United States.

Earlier this year, Yoon himself suggested the U.S. nuclear umbrella was an outdated concept. He later raised the possibility of South Korea developing its own nuclear weapons if its security concerns were not addressed.

If South Korea were to go nuclear, some analysts fear it could set off a chain reaction that would lead to many other countries eventually acquiring their own nuclear arsenals.

Although Yoon quickly walked back his comments, that did not stop a wave of analysis by South Korean pundits, politicians and even scholars at government-funded research organizations.

The debate may endure; opinion polls consistently suggest a strong majority of South Koreans supports getting nuclear weapons.

A first step, but toward what?

Chun In-bum, a retired lieutenant general in the South Korean army, is among those who has expressed an openness to nuclear armament.

Asked whether the Yoon-Biden deal would quiet the nuclear debate, Chun responded: "No. But we need to give it a try."

In Chun's view, the NCG consultation mechanism is a positive development, but will be effective only if it evolves into a regular forum where U.S. officials can learn "what their ally is thinking and why they're thinking that way."

Go Myong-hyun, a research fellow at the conservative Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, also expressed mixed feelings about the Washington Declaration.

"The Biden administration has delivered what the South Korean side has been demanding for a while now, which is a greater level of input into the nuclear planning process," Go said.

"But it is still no full NATO Nuclear Planning Group with forward-deployed assets," he added. "Only then will independent nuclear armament advocates lose their influence."

Some South Korean conservatives have called for a NATO-style arrangement in which South Korean personnel would be trained to deliver U.S. tactical nuclear weapons in a conflict.

However, U.S. officials this week said they did not envision returning nuclear weapons to South Korea. They also stressed that the U.S. president would retain sole authority to authorize nuclear attacks, which is true of every U.S. ally security arrangement.

Reassurance problems

Given such restrictions, some observers predict South Korea's reassurance demands will only grow, especially as the North Korean nuclear threat increases.

"It is never enough for those who think nuclear weapons are additive," said Jon B. Wolfsthal, a senior adviser to the nuclear disarmament group Global Zero. "The threats will not ease, and so they will want more nuclear options, different types and so on. That is the lesson of the last 75 nuclear years."

But others say reassurance measures and an effective North Korea policy are the best way to prevent South Korea from going nuclear.

"If South Koreans see North Korea continue to advance its nuclear weapons capability and perceive the U.S. as not being proactive enough to solve this problem, then voices advocating for South Korea nuclear weapons will only crescendo," said Duyeon Kim, a Seoul-based Korea specialist at the Center for a New American Security.

For now, it is a victory to simply lower the volume of the South Korean nuclear debate, insisted Christopher Green, a senior consultant for the International Crisis Group.

"I doubt either side expected to be able to have the problem go away completely," he said. "At any rate, the can has been kicked down the road."

Lee Juhyun contributed to this report.

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President in Berlin: We must get rid of illusions - Russia poses a long-term threat to peace, security and stability in Europe

President of the Republic of Lithuania

April 26, 2023

President Gitanas NausAda has started his working visit to Berlin. On Wednesday, the President delivered a keynote speech "Global Zeitenwende: The Lithuanian Approach" at the KArber Global Leaders Dialogue.

In his speech, the President underscored Germany's important role in the geopolitical processes of the region. He pointed out that remembering the lessons of the recent decades, especially in the ongoing situation, was very important.

"We must acknowledge that our efforts, both bilaterally and at the European Union level, to find a modus operandi with Russia and to prevent new outbreaks of aggression have failed. For too long, we have tried to convince ourselves that Russia would need only one more step, one more concession," the President said.

Gitanas NausAda underlined the need to acknowledge that the Russian leadership has a different angle on the world and thinks in different categories. According to the President, Russia sees only weakness when we, acting on our democratic principles, seek to avoid unnecessary confrontation and leave room for compromise - which only further encourages its aggressive behavior.

"We need to get rid of illusions and finally realize that Russia poses a long-term threat to peace, security and stability in Europe. In the current situation, I see no other way to restore stability and balance in Europe than to ensure Ukraine's victory in the bloody war. There are and cannot be any red lines to achieve this goal. The fact that Germany has started supplying heavy weapons to Ukraine confirms it," the President said.

Gitanas NausAda accentuated the need for Europe to take a principled stance towards Russia on all issues - to continue tightening sanctions, to demand accountability for war crimes and the crime of aggression, and not to give in to nuclear blackmail. He also stressed that European unity is crucial for achieving results and change.

The President highlighted Germany's role in moving away from Russian energy dependence.

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Trial Begins Of Yevgeny Roizman, One Of The Last Prominent Kremlin Critics Not Behind Bars

By RFE/RL's Russian Service April 26, 2023

Yevgeny Roizman, the former mayor of the Urals city of Yekaterinburg and one of the last prominent opposition figures left in Russia who is not behind bars, went on trial on April 26 on a charge of "repetitively discrediting the armed forces" involved in the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine.

The outspoken Kremlin critic was arrested in August 2022 and charged over statements he made on YouTube about Russia's war against Ukraine, launched in February 2022.

The 60-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charges at the first session of the trial on April 26, after having said earlier that "all risks are clear. It is about up to three years in prison. My mood is OK. I understand everything."

After a brief hearing, the judge adjourned the trial until May 10.

Since his arrest, Roizman has been barred from communicating with anyone without permission, using the Internet, telephones, mail, and attending public events. His communications were limited to family members and his lawyers.

In mid-March, while awaiting trial, Roizman was sentenced to 14 days in jail on a separate charge about the alleged distribution of extremist symbols.

Since leaving the post of mayor of the country's fourth-largest city in 2018, Roizman has gained a popular following for his campaigns to raise money for sick children, and he is known for his regular jogs around the city, which attract supporters and journalists alike. His penchant for crude language to mock authorities has proven popular with his supporters.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Roizman has been outspoken in his criticism of the conflict. He has been fined three times on misdemeanor charges of "discrediting" the Russian Army.

Shortly after the invasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law criminalizing any criticism regarding the armed forces or the conduct of the Ukraine war, which the Kremlin calls a "special military operation."

Roizman's trial came the same day another Kremlin critic, jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, was in court on terrorism charges that appear to be part of the government's escalating clampdown on dissent.

Last week, a court sentenced Vladimir Kara-Murza to 25 years in prison on treason and other charges for criticizing the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-trial- roizman-ukraine-war-criticism-prison/32380613.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Navalny Faces 30 Years In Russian Terrorism Case He Calls 'Absurd'

By Current Time April 26, 2023

Jailed Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny says a new probe has been launched against him, this time on a charge of terrorism, and that he will be tried on the "absurd" charge by a military court.

Navalny made the statement at a hearing on April 26 held by Moscow's Basmanny district court where a decision is expected on what the parameters for the Kremlin critic will be to allow him to get acquainted with the case materials.

"They made absurd charges that threaten me with 30 years in prison," he said in a statement published on social media by his supporters.

"Investigator Vidyukov said yesterday that a terrorist case was brought out separately from this case and that I, while in prison, commit terrorist attacks," he added.

Navalny appeared at the hearing via video link from a prison in the Vladimir region. Just minutes after it started, Judge Yevgenia Nikolayeva ruled the hearing would be held behind closed doors.

"The attempt to hold this hearing behind closed doors is an attempt to illegally restrict me in getting acquainted with the case's materials and an attempt to do everything so that no one can learn about it," Navalny said, adding that the case's materials consisted of 196 volumes.

Navalny associate Ivan Zhdanov said earlier that investigators gave Navalny, a trained lawyer, just one day to get acquainted with 700 pages of materials for the case, which was launched in October against the corruption crusader and his associates after Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation was labeled as extremist.

The defendants were charged subsequently with organizing and financially supporting an extremist group.

Navalny said another case on a charge of propagating terrorism and Nazism was also launched against him in October over his self-exiled associates' statements on the Popular Politics YouTube channel. They criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government and condemned Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed earlier this month that Navalny's associates, along with Ukraine's secret services, were involved in the assassination of pro-Kremlin journalist and propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky in Russia's second-largest city, St. Petersburg, in early April.

With reporting by TASS, Mediazona, and SOTA

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-navalny- terrorism-charges/32380310.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Polish Prosecutors Seize Money From Russian Embassy's Accounts

Sputnik News

20230426

WARSAW (Sputnik) - The Polish Prosecutor's Office has seized money from the accounts of the Russian embassy and the trade mission, Russian ambassador in Warsaw Sergei Andreev told Sputnik on Wednesday.

Polish prosecutors seized money on suspicion that it allegedly could be used for "money laundering or terrorism".

"We received a message from the prosecutor's office that the funds from the accounts of the embassy and the trade mission in Santander bank were transferred to the accounts of the prosecutor's office," the ambassador said, adding that the bank then terminated cooperation with the diplomatic mission.

According to the envoy, "a significant amount" of money in US dollars and Polish zlote were seized. The diplomat called the Warsaw's decision "a fragrant violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."

A Sputnik

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Moscow Declares 10 Representatives of Norwegian Embassy in Moscow Personae Non Grata

Sputnik News

20230426

Earlier in April, Norway has declared 15 employees of the Russian Embassy personae non gratae.

The Norwegian ambassador has been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry where he was formally apprised of Russia's extreme dissatisfaction that Norway had decided to expel 15 diplomats from the Russian embassy in Oslo, and was given a note to declare 10 representatives of the Norwegian embassy and the defense attachA's office personae non gratae in retaliation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The Norwegian ambassador was also told that "other measures will follow in connection with the unfriendly actions of Oslo, including imposing restrictions on the personnel Norwegian diplomatic missions are permitted to recruit from among Russian citizens".

On April 13, Norwegian Foreign Ministry declared 15 employees of the Russian Embassy personae non gratae and ordered them to leave the country in the near future.

A Sputnik

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Russia to Take Measures if Finland Fails to Resolve Issue With Russian Property

Sputnik News

20230426

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The situation with the property used by the Russian Center of Science and Culture in Finland has yet to be resolved, and the Finnish side has yet to provide any explanations; Moscow will be forced to take response measures if Helsinki fails to resolve the issue, the Russian Foreign Ministry has told Sputnik.

"In the mid-April of this year, the Russian Center of Science and Culture (RCSC) in Helsinki received notices from the National Enforcement Authority Finland about the temporary (for up to three weeks) ban on any real estate activities concerning the land used by RCSC, the service building located there, as well as several apartments in Helsinki used by the RCSC," the ministry said.

"The Finnish side justified its actions by the intention to examine whether these properties were assets that are subject to arrest under the sanctions decisions of the EU."

The ministry said that "in connection with these illegal actions, the Russian Embassy sent a note to the Finnish Foreign Ministry, which outlined that the property in question is owned by the Russian Federation, and demanded an explanation of how, in such a case, the decision of the National Enforcement Authority correlates with international legal norms." Following the action, the decision on the land and the building of the RCSC in Helsinki was reversed, according to the ministry.

"According to the currently available information, there are no grounds for the seizure of this property," the ministry said, citing the Finnish authority.

"However, the situation around the apartments used by the RCSC remains unsettled. No explanations on this issue have not yet been received from the Finnish authorities," the ministry said, expressing surprise that it took the Finnish authority so long to verify information about the owner of the land and the RCSC building.

"If desired, one can verify it in a few minutes by making a corresponding online request to the national registry of real estate, which, for example, Finnish journalists did on the first day after the reports on restrictions concerning the RCSC property appeared," the ministry said.

The ministry said that Moscow considers the actions of the Finnish National Enforcement Authority "as another sentiment against Russia."

"Russia will be forced to take response measures in the event of refusal to resolve the current situation," the ministry said.

Last week, media reported that the Finnish authorities arrested the land and buildings of the Russian Center of Science and Culture in Helsinki, as well as seven apartments with a total value of some 1.4 billion euros ($1.54 billion). The National Enforcement Authority Finland had blocked the center's bank accounts at the Nordea Bank.

A Sputnik

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Russia says seeks no nuclear escalation, but its patience should not be tested

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 27 April 2023 4:12 PM

Russia says it does not plan to take the path of nuclear escalation, warning that others should not put its patience to test.

Since the onset of Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022, the United States and Kiev's other Western allies have sent Ukraine tens of billions of dollars' worth of weapons, including rocket systems, drones, armored vehicles, tanks, and communication systems, despite repeated warnings by the Kremlin that such flood of military support would prolong the war.

Furthermore, senior Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have time and again warned military support for Kiev is inevitably increasing the risk of a catastrophic nuclear conflict.

The latest warning came from Moscow on Thursday with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova saying Russia seeks no nuclear escalation, but then again others should not test its patience. "We will do everything to prevent the development of events according to the worst scenario, but not at the cost of infringing on our vital interests. I do not recommend that anybody doubt our determination and put it to the test in practice."

Despite stern warnings by Moscow against the NATO expansion, Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, joined the US-led military alliance quite recently, becoming the 31st member.

Russia waged the current war on Ukraine over the perceived threat of the ex-Soviet republic joining NATO, among other reasons.

"They (the United States) continue to deliberately infringe on our fundamental interests, deliberately generate risks and raise the stakes in the confrontation with Russia...."

Her remarks came a few days after Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, who served as president from 2008 to 2012, warned the world was "quite probably on the verge of a new world war."

While the US and its allies have denounced the war as Russia's imperial land grab, Moscow has described the operation as an existential battle with what it calls an aggressive and arrogant West, saying Russia will use all available means to defend itself from any aggressor.

Russia welcomes any peace efforts by Ukraine: Kremlin

Separately on Thursday, Moscow said it would welcome any attempt to end the war in Ukraine providing that it would be based on Russia's terms, just a day after Chinese President Xi Jinping, in his first phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky since the onset of war, said peace talks were the only way to end the conflict.

"We are ready to welcome anything that can bring forward the end of the conflict in Ukraine and the achievement of Russia's goals. As for the very fact of communication, this is the sovereign matter of these countries," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov at a press conference. He also said there was no plan for any new contacts between Putin and Xi in the near future.

The rare phone call between Xi and Zelensky, which lasted for nearly an hour, came two months after Beijing, which has long been aligned with Russia, said it wanted to act as a peace mediator in the war and proposed a 12-point peace plan in February, calling for an immediate "political settlement" to the conflict, and an end to unilateral Western sanctions against Moscow.

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Russia Rejects U.S. Request For Second Consular Visit With Journalist Amid Visa Fight

By RFE/RL April 27, 2023

Russia has rejected a U.S. Embassy request for a second consular visit with jailed journalist Evan Gershkovich, saying the move is in response to Washington's refusal to issue entry visas to Russian journalists who planned to accompany Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during his trip to the United Nation's session in New York this week.

In a statement on April 27, Russia's Foreign Ministry said it had informed the U.S. Embassy in Moscow that "its request for a consular visit on May 11 this year with U.S. citizen Gershkovich, detained on charges of spying, has been rejected."

"At this point other possible retaliation measures are being worked out, of which the U.S. side will be properly informed," the statement says.

The U.S. Embassy did not immediately comment on the statement.

The U.S. was granted an initial consular visit with Gershkovich on April 17. U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy said afterward that Gershkovich was "in good health and remains strong." Tracy also reiterated the U.S. call for his immediate release.

Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, was arrested in Russia in late March on allegations of espionage that he, his publication, and U.S. officials have strongly denied.

With relations between the two superpowers already around their worst since the end of the Cold War due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the situation worsened when reporters from Russia were not granted visas to cover Lavrov's visit to the UN, where he was chairing a Security Council meeting this week.

Lavrov said Moscow "will not forgive" Washington for denying the visas.

The U.S. State Department has not commented on Russia's claim over the visa denials, saying it could not speak on specific visa requests because of privacy rules.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on March 30 it had detained Gershkovich in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg and had opened an espionage case against him for collecting what it said were state secrets about the military industrial complex.

He was then placed in pretrial detention until at least May 29 in Moscow's Lefortovo prison, a notorious institution dating back to tsarist times. Seen as a symbol of Soviet repression, Lefortovo is where Russia holds most suspects in espionage cases.

Gershkovich is the first American journalist detained in Russia on espionage charges since the end of the Cold War.

The U.S. State Department on April 10 designated Gershkovich as "wrongfully detained" by Russia and called for his immediate release, as have international journalist organizations. U.S. President Joe Biden also called on Russia to release him.

The Kremlin has said Gershkovich was carrying out espionage "under the cover" of journalism. Lavrov has told the United States that Gershkovich was caught red-handed while trying to obtain secrets.

Hired by The Wall Street Journal shortly before Moscow's invasion of Ukraine last year, Gershkovich had been reporting on Russia for more than five years at the time of his arrest. The 31-year-old is a fluent Russian speaker, the son of emigres who left the Soviet Union for the United States during the Cold War.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-rejects-us-request- visit-journalist-gershkovich/32382310.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Putin Prepares 'Hard-Hitting' Response if Russian Assets Seized Abroad

Sputnik News

20230427

Svetlana Ekimenko

The decree signed by President Vladimir Putin on transfer of foreign assets to temporary management by Russia's Federal Agency for State Property Management if Moscow's own assets abroad are seized is about minimizing the country's risks, Nikolai Solabuto, a financial market expert, told Sputnik.

The assets of foreign companies cited in the decree signed on Tuesday by Russian President Vladimir Putin on response measures to Russian assets if they are illegally seized abroad are directly connected to the country's energy sector, Nikolai Solabuto, a financial market expert, told Sputnik. This is not, in effect, a reciprocal response to the seizing or freezing of Russia's assets abroad.

According to the decree, 83.73% of Unipro's assets, 69.8807% of Fortum's assets owned by Fortum Russia, and 28.3488% of the company's assets owned by Fortum Holding were transferred to temporary management of Russia's Federal Agency for State Property Management (Rosimushchestvo). The confiscation of Russian property abroad has long been a topic of discussion in the so-called collective West, with the government of the Russian Federation now coming up with its own response.

Minimizing Russia's Risks

The market expert offered a very simple and clear-cut example of how this decree would work.

"Imagine there is a pipe, and there are valves on the pipe. This valve belongs to a foreign company, registered in the jurisdiction of an unfriendly state... The valve is working, but the management of this company is pondering whether to continue operating on the territory of the Russian Federation, or leave. To rule out subsequent emergency situations linked with the closure of this valve, the government decreed that this particular department comes under our jurisdiction. At the same time, the ownership of this valve is retained by the foreign company in question."

Putin's decree basically says that Russia will maintain control over all vital areas to the country in terms of energy in the case of foreign companies registered in the jurisdiction of states that are unfriendly to Russia, Nikolai Solabuto underscored.

"We will introduce external control. This is not an asset freeze," he stressed.

By and large, one can talk about a kind of "mirror response" from Russia to the actions of the German government to transfer control of energy assets owned by Gazprom last year, Solabuto believed.

The government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz has taken control of a local arm of Russia's natural gas producer Gazprom PJSC - Gazprom Germania (GG). The latter was a subsidiary of Gazprom Export (itself a part of Gazprom), and was engaged in trading natural gas throughout Europe. On March 31, 2022, the Gazprom Group ceased participation in Germany's Gazprom Germania GmbH and all its assets, including Gazprom Marketing & Trading Ltd. Germany's Economy Minister Robert Habeck announced in April 2022 that Gazprom Germania GmbH was being put under the trusteeship of the Federal Network Agency. The company was later nationalized. Germany also seized refining assets part-owned by the West-sanctioned state oil company Rosneft PJSC.

Still, there is a difference in these cases, the financial market expert said.

"Gazprom performed all its functions and declared in every possible way that it was fulfilling its obligations. Meanwhile, companies from foreign registries operating on the territory of the Russian Federation do not really show any vital activity. They are confused... And when questions are asked of their management, 'Will they continue their activities as usual?' They say: 'We don't know, we are currently consulting with our leadership, with the government of our country where we are registered.'"

This decree is not entirely a reciprocal response to Berlin's actions regarding assets of Gazprom in Germany, Solabuto said, adding that Moscow currently needs to have a clear understanding of the position adopted by companies whose jurisdiction is outside Russia and, moreover, located in "unfriendly" countries.

The transfer of foreign assets to temporary management is it aimed at minimizing risks for Russia itself, first of all, Nikolai Solabuto is convinced.

"The energy complex must work, and should not be subjected to any threats just because someone out there decided something, and these decisions are outside our jurisdiction, in the jurisdiction of states unfriendly to us."

The expansion of the number of companies under this decree depends on the companies themselves, according to the expert. If companies declare that they will continue to fulfill their obligations in full, then they will not be included in any lists under this decree.

Russia will only consider a symmetrical response with respect to those companies that actually make unfriendly decisions against it, Solabuto said. Looking ahead at other possible companies that might find themselves on Russia's list, in line with the new decree, he pointed out:

"We work precisely with the enemies of our Russian Federation, and not with the whole world. We underscore that we will work with everyone. But if companies with foreign jurisdiction do not want to work with us, we will terminate our ties with them."

As for the measures that Russia might use in response to illegal US actions and those of other countries aimed at the "deprivation or restriction of property rights of the Russian Federation, its companies and citizens," the expert said Moscow would never "shoot itself in the foot," in the manner of the West's self-harming sanctions. For example, the US cutting off Russia's Central Bank from US dollar transactions last year resulted in a general move away from the use of the American currency and a push towards de-dollarization.

'Only the First Step'

Around the world, about half of Russia's gold and foreign exchange reserves have been blocked by the so-called collective West, as have the property and accounts of Russian politicians, businessmen, and media workers. According to Mikhail Khazin, this leaves Russia with two options. The first is to "fight for our rights" by wielding reciprocal policies, the Russian economist and researcher told Sputnik.

The decree, signed on April 25 by President Vladimir Putin, comes in response to the countries of the collective West in effect excluding Russia and its citizens from the legal field. Accordingly, Russia's countermeasures in relation to the West need to be painful enough to make them realize that they are committing acts that are unacceptable.

"Regarding economic instruments at Russia's disposal, these are, first of all, ruble pricing, the creation of a regional system of division of labor and, accordingly, severe restrictions in relation to the Western world," Khazin said.

There are a great many diverse instruments Moscow might use, and judging by the way the West is currently behaving, "it will happen," Mikhail Khazin concluded.

A Sputnik

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South Africa's President Walks Back Vow to Leave ICC

By Kate Bartlett April 26, 2023

South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa backtracked on remarks he made Tuesday that the country would withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant for Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

The president's office late Tuesday walked back comments Ramaphosa made earlier that day at a briefing, saying he misspoke when he said the governing African National Congress (ANC) party would "pull out" of the International Criminal Court.

His remarks sparked controversy as Russia's President Vladimir Putin, who is wanted by the ICC for war crimes in Ukraine, is invited to an August summit in South Africa.

As a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the ICC, Pretoria is required to arrest Putin if he sets foot in the country.

But just hours after Ramaphosa said the ANC party would quit the court in The Hague, his spokesman, Vincent Magwenya, said the remarks were an error.

"South Africa remains a signatory to the ICC in line with a resolution of the 55th national conference of the ANC - held in December 2022 - to rescind an earlier decision to withdraw from the ICC," he said.

Magwenya said the correction followed an error made at a media briefing by the ANC on South Africa and the ICC, which he said the president had "regrettably" and "erroneously" affirmed.

Ramaphosa had said there had long been a feeling in the governing party that the court treats some countries unfairly.

The ANC wanted to pull out of the ICC some years ago but was prevented from doing so by a South African court ruling that found it unconstitutional.

It is not yet clear if Putin will attend a summit of the BRICS group of emerging nations- Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

Even if he does, it is far from guaranteed that South Africa would arrest the Russian president.

Pretoria refused to act on an ICC arrest warrant in 2015, when former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir visited.

The African National Congress party is staunch friends with Moscow, which as leader of the Soviet Union supported its fight against Apartheid's white minority rule.

Kyiv also supported the ANC's struggle for democracy, but Pretoria has so far refused to condemn the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine.

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New EU package of sanctions against Syria targets drug trafficking and the most serious human rights violations

Germany Federal Foreign Office

26.04.2023 - Article

Following the joint initiative of France, the Netherlands and Germany, the European Union adopted a new package of sanctions relating to Syria on 24 April. It was decided to place 25 persons and eight companies on the EU sanctions list. Who are they and why?

First and foremost, individuals and entities that play a major role in trafficking in the drug Captagon were listed. During the last few years, Syria has become the regional hub for the production and export of Captagon. The highly addictive amphetamine has become the most commonly used synthetic drug in some countries around the region and beyond.

What is the impact of the trafficking of Captagon?

The trade in Captagon not only has serious effects on the health of users but also has a negative impact on security in the region. What is particularly perfidious is that the Syrian regime is embroiled on a massive scale in Captagon trafficking and has gained considerable profit from it. Trade in the drug has become a major source of revenue for the regime. It is estimated that between 3 and 5 billion US dollars are generated each year by trafficking in Captagon. The new listings are specifically targeted against persons and companies responsible for the production and export of Captagon.

Targeting the most serious human rights violations: The Tadamon massacre in 2013

The package of sanctions is also targeted against individuals responsible for the most serious human rights violations, namely the abhorrent massacre in Tadamon in 2013. Intelligence officers committed a mass murder of women, men and children and allowed themselves to be filmed while carrying out these atrocities. Last year, the names of the perpetrators were made public, making it possible to finally list them.

In the case of this package of sanctions, the European Union ensured that the listings are targeted specifically against persons and companies, thus ensuring that they do not have any negative consequences for the general population in Syria.

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Syria: UN envoy points to 'important juncture' in efforts towards peace

27 April 2023 - Renewed diplomatic attention on Syria in the aftermath of the recent devastating earthquakes that hit the country and neighbouring TArkiye could help to unlock stalled peace efforts, UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen told the Security Council on Thursday.

"We are at a potentially important juncture, with renewed attention on Syria - particularly from the region - that could assist our efforts in advancing a political solution to this conflict", he said.

"But for this renewed attention to help unlock progress, many actors will need to take concrete steps - not just one set of actors."

Diplomatic engagement continues

Mr. Pedersen said since the February earthquakes, diplomacy has continued involving the Syrian Government and the "Astana players"- a reference to the December 2019 meeting between Russia, TArkiye and Iran in the Kazakh capital - as well as "new openings of engagement" between Syria and Arab countries.

The envoy also continues his engagement towards facilitating a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned political process. He stressed that "the UN cannot do this alone" and needs the support of all key players.

"No existing groups of players - not the Syrian parties, not the Astana players, not the Western players, not the Arab players - can alone bring about a political solution," he said.

"Unlocking each of Syria's myriad problems requires several keys - each held by a different stakeholder, who cannot be overlooked, and who can block if excluded."

Seize the opportunity

Progress will require getting a wider group of players to work together, he said, who will all have to make contributions, in a coordinated, multilateral effort.

"I will continue to engage directly with the Syrian parties and to remind them, and in particular at this juncture the Government of Syria, that they should seize the opportunity with a readiness to move forward on substantive issues," he said.

Mr. Pedersen also underlined his readiness to facilitate inter-Syrian dialogue, including reconvening the Constitutional Committee in Geneva, which has not met in nearly a year.

In the interim, he continues to convene a broad spectrum of Syrians in Geneva and the region, including women's and civil society representatives. "These meetings show that Syrians still have much that they can agree upon, across many divides," he said.

Violence on the rise

Mr. Pedersen also expressed concern that the brief calm that followed February's deadly earthquakes has further eroded. Violent incidents have been increasing in the northwest involving pro-Government forces, armed opposition forces and the terrorist group HTS.

He said relative calm in the northeast has been punctuated by Turkish and armed opposition groups targeting positions of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led militia, reportedly in response to SDF shelling and rocket attacks, including on Turkish soldiers.

Israeli strikes are becoming increasingly more frequent, while southwest Syria remains turbulent. Sporadic ISIL attacks also appear to be on the rise in some areas, with increasing Government, Russian and US-led coalition strikes in response.

'Unprecedented' needs

The current scale of humanitarian need in Syria is "unprecedented, even in the long and brutal history of the Syria crisis", said Lisa Doughten, Resource Mobilization Director for UN humanitarian coordination office, OCHA, speaking on behalf of relief chief Martin Griffiths.

Referring to the devastating earthquakes that struck TArkiye and Syria almost three months ago, she said the UN was continuing to support recovery in the battered northwest of Syria.

More than three million have received hot meals and rations, while 1.1 million have received some form of healthcare.

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2023 Han Kuang drills to test response to latest PLA threats: MND

ROC Central News Agency

04/26/2023 01:21 PM

Taipei, April 26 (CNA) Taiwan's annual war games in 2023 will simulate responses to a potential Chinese invasion based on the latest threats posed by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to test its combat readiness, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Wednesday.

As in previous years, this year's Han Kuang series of drills will be held in two stages.

The tabletop war games phase will be held May 15-19 and the live-fire exercise component is scheduled for July 24-28, said Major General Lin Wen-huang (zcs), who is in charge of planning at the MND, during a press briefing.

The computerized war games will be conducted using the United States-built Joint Theater Level Simulation (JTLS) platform that is used to simulate joint, combined, and coalition civil-military operations at the operational level, Lin said.

Those simulations will be held around the clock for five days in a row to test the ability of military personnel to coordinate and launch a response to a Chinese invasion, Lin said.

The main points of emphasis of the live-fire drills, Lin said, will be on testing the military's ability to preserve its forces in the event of a full-scale invasion and to conduct "maritime interceptions" to counter the PLA's attempt to blockade Taiwan.

That will include using civilian airports and dispersing air assets, as well as disguising forces on the ground and integrating sea, air and land forces to attack enemy forces and amphibious assault ships, according to Lin.

He sidestepped a question, however, on whether this year's Han Kuang exercises would simulate a response to China's newest aircraft carrier, the Shandong, which recently engaged in its first-ever exercises in the Western Pacific in waters not far from Taiwan.

Lin would only said that the annual drill will simulate all kinds of recent PLA maneuvers and deployments that pose a threat to the country.

He also did not directly comment on whether a military aircraft emergency landing and takeoff drill will be staged for the first time at a civilian airport in eastern Taiwan in July during the live-fire portion of the exercises, as CNA had reported last month.

The one-star general said civilian airports would be an important asset for the military to increase its flexibility and make sure its air assets could survive longer, which is why the ministry will simulate the scenario, without naming Taitung Fengnian Airport.

An unnamed source told CNA on March 28 that the drill to be staged at the airport in Taitung County in southeastern Taiwan will simulate a scenario in which Taiwan's military airports and airstrips are severely damaged by enemy fire, requiring fighter jets to land at civilian ones or on the highway.

It would be the first time this type of drill has been staged in the history of the airport, which opened in 1981.

The Han Kuang exercises, Taiwan's major war games, have been held annually since 1984, in the form of live-fire drills and computerized war games, to test Taiwan's combat readiness in the face of a possible Chinese invasion.

This year will mark the 39th edition of the annual exercises, which are Taiwan's most important military drills that include all branches of the armed forces.

(By Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/ls

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China on alert after EU calls for naval patrols in Taiwan Strait

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 26 April 2023 11:28 AM

Chinese authorities is on high alert and prepared for any action posing a threat to China's sovereignty and territory, Beijing has declared after the EU's top diplomat called for European navy patrols in the Taiwan Strait.

"I believe that our relevant departments are well-prepared,"a China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian declared at a Wednesday news conference in Beijing after the European Union's Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell called for naval maneuvers along the Taiwan strait earlier in the week.

Borrell's statement came in an opinion piece that appeared in the Sunday edition of French newspaper Le Journal Du Dimanche, urged European navies to conduct naval patrol along the Taiwan Strait in stark contradiction to France's official declaration that it is opposed to the EU being caught up in an escalation of tensions between China and the US.

Borrell further wrote that the bloc's battleships should patrol the Taiwan Strait in a show of commitment to EU's presence in the region, far away from its own borders.

The top EU diplomat went on to insist that European governments must be "very present on this issue," arguing that developments in regard to the interests of the US and China also concerned the European continent "economically, commercially and technologically."

"Taiwan is clearly part of our geostrategic perimeter to guarantee peace," Borrell had also underlined in remarks at the European Parliament during a debate over China on Tuesday.

"It is not only for a moral reason that an action against Taiwan must necessarily be rejected. It is also because it would be, in economic terms, extremely serious for us, because Taiwan has a strategic role in the production of the most advanced semiconductors," Borrell claimed at the debate.

No reaction by officials from EU member states has yet been reported on Borrell's provocative remarks towards China.

Meanwhile, Chinese authorities have repeatedly voiced their strong opposition to any sort of foreign military intervention in and around China.

For decades, China has maintained and promoted the internationally-recognized one-China principle. It regards Chinese Taipei as an inseparable part of its territory. If diplomatic channels fail to achieve China's objective, Beijing has not ruled out the use of a military force to restore its sovereignty over the Chinese island.

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25 U.S. defense contractors to visit Taiwan next week for forum: Source

ROC Central News Agency

04/27/2023 02:08 PM

Taipei, April 27 (CNA) Representatives from 25 U.S. defense contractors will arrive in Taiwan next Tuesday to attend an industry forum and meet with local officials, a military source told CNA Wednesday.

Aside from attending the half-day Taiwan-US Defense Industry Forum, the delegation will also visit Taiwan's defense ministry and the country's top military research unit, the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), the source said.

Among the 25 visiting companies are AeroVironment, the maker of Switchblade 300 loitering munition, commonly known as a "suicide drone," which has been used to great effect by Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia, according to the source.

The company's representatives are expected to exchange views with NCSIST as the latter is now making its own version of the loitering munition, the source said.

According to the source, the NCSIST-developed loitering munition is set to undergo operational trials in July and enter mass production next year.

The NCSIST announced earlier this year that it was working closely with the private sector to develop unmanned aviation vehicles (UAVs) for military use in the hope of building a "UAV fleet" next year.

According to the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council, the main organizer of the Taiwan-U.S. Defense Industry Forum, the half-day forum will be held at Taipei International Convention Center (TICC) next Wednesday.

It will feature addresses from U.S.-Taiwan Business Council President Rupert Hammond-Chambers and other experts and representatives from defense companies.

Attendees are set to discuss how defense businesses can collaborate to help support Taiwan's national security needs in the face of geopolitical risk, according to the forum's organizers.

(By Matt Yu and Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/ASG

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Taiwan inviting 'wolves' through US defense industry forum: China

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 27 April 2023 6:49 PM

China has warned that the self-governing Taiwan island is inviting "wolves" into the homeland by hosting a US defense industry forum next week.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Tan Kefei told a news briefing on Thursday that China was "extremely concerned" to learn of the forum, which is scheduled to be held in Taipei. "The Democratic Progressive Party authorities' practice of bringing wolves into the home is repugnant and will only bring a deep disaster to Taiwanese compatriots," Tan stated, referring to Taiwan's ruling party.

He warned that the US military-industrial complex sought to export war for profit. "These 'military-industrial complexes' of the United States have always been keen to sell arms around the world, export wars and seek windfall profits."

Organizers say the Taiwan-US Defense Industry Forum will be held on Wednesday. Steven Rudder, previously commander of the US Marine Corps Forces Pacific, is giving a keynote opening address at the event.

The United States is Taiwan's principal international supporter and arms supplier, despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations.

Beijing views Chinese Taipei as an inseparable part of China, repeatedly warning Washington against unwise provocations in this regard.

The United States does not recognize Taiwan as a country and officially supports the "One China" policy but regularly oversteps its own principles.

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Erdogan's Office Denies Turkish President Suffered Heart Attack

Sputnik News

20230426

MERSIN/ANKARA (Sputnik) - The center against disinformation at the administration of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday denied reports that the president suffered a heart attack.

Earlier media reports suggested Erdogan had undergone a heart attack hours after detailing he was suffering from a stomach flu; however, reports failed to provide sufficient evidence.

"Reports on social media that President Erdogan allegedly suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized are not true," the center tweeted.

Additionally, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay told Turkish media that the president was in good condition. "The state of health of our president is very good. We are in constant contact. He had a mild cold," he said.

Erdogan's interview on a local broadcaster was abruptly cut late Tuesday as the Turkish leader felt unwell during the live program. After a long break, which sparked turmoil on social media, Erdogan indicated that he had caught the stomach flu while intensively campaigning. Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin later said that Erdogan was in good health.

The latest comments come as it was announced that Erdogan would be remotely attending the ceremony for nuclear fuel loading at Turkiye's Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) on April 27, and that a Thursday rally would be rescheduled.

A Sputnik

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Turkey inaugurates its first nuclear power plant

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 27 April 2023 7:17 PM

Turkey has inaugurated its first ever nuclear power plant, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for his help in constructing the reactors in the Anatolian country.

On Thursday, Putin and Erdogan took part virtually in a ceremony inaugurating the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, which is Turkey's first nuclear power plant built by Russia's state nuclear energy company Rosatom.

The ceremony, during which Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also made some remarks, saw first loading of nuclear fuel into the first power unit at the site in Turkey's southern Mersin province.

"This is a flagship project. It brings both mutual economic benefits and, of course, helps to strengthen the multi-faceted partnership between our two states," Putin said via a video-link, describing Akkuyu as "the largest nuclear construction project in the world."

The Russian leader also noted that the new plant would mean that Turkey would import less Russian natural gas in the future.

"But Turkey will enjoy the advantage of a country that has its own nuclear energy, and nuclear energy, as you know, is one of the cheapest," Putin said.

Erdogan, for his part, tanked his Russian counterpart for his support on Akkuyu, adding that Ankara "will take steps to build a second and a third nuclear power plant in Turkey as soon as possible."

"With the delivery of nuclear fuels by air and sea to our power plant, Akkuyu has now gained the status of a nuclear plant," the Turkish leader further said during his virtual address to the first nuclear fuel delivery ceremony.

Although Turkey is a member of the US-led NATO, Erdogan has managed to maintain close relations with Putin despite the current war in Ukraine. The Turkish leader could also broker, along the United Nations, a deal last year that allowed the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports from Black Sea ports.

According to a statement by Turkey's presidential office, Erdogan held a phone call with Putin prior to the inauguration ceremony, discussing the situation in Ukraine and the Black Sea grain deal.

The $20-billion, 4,800-megawatt project to build four reactors in Akkuyu town will add Turkey to the small club of nations with civil nuclear energy.

"We plan to complete the physical launch [of the plant] next year ... in order to be able to produce electricity on a steady basis from 2025, as we agreed," said Andrei Likhachev, head of Rosatom, during the ceremony.

An intergovernmental agreement for the Akkuyu nuclear power plant was signed between Ankara and Moscow in May 2010, said Turkey's official Anadolu news agency in a report, adding that the plant's groundbreaking ceremony was held on April 3, 2018, after which construction started on the first unit.

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War in Ukraine - Military support for Ukraine

Germany - Federal Government

Wednesday, 26 April 2023

Germany provides support for Ukraine by supplying equipment and weapons, these come from supplies of the Federal Arms Forces and from deliveries from industry financed from the Federal Government's funds for security capacity building. An overview.

The Federal Government supports the Ukrainian military in close coordination with its partners and allies. This list provides an overview of lethal and non-lethal German military support for Ukraine. It includes deliveries from the Federal Armed Forces, as well as supplies from German industry financed from the Federal Government's funds for so-called security capacity building.

Funding for the security capacity building initiative amounts to a total of 2.2 billion Euros for the year 2023 (after 2 billion Euros for 2022). The funds are to be used primarily to support Ukraine. At the same time, they will be used to finance Germany's increased mandatory contributions to the European Peace Facility (EPF), which in turn goes towards reimbursing EU member states for costs incurred to them in providing support for Ukraine.

Delivered military support to Ukraine:

(Changes compared to the previous week in bold)

84 trucks Zetros* (before: 76)

2 air defence system Iris-T SLM* (before: 1)

2 load-handling trucks 8x6 with 8 roll-off containers*

124 border protection vehicles*

air defence system PATRIOT with missiles

4 armoured engineer vehicles DACHS*

42 mobile antenna mast systems*

34 reconnaissance drones*

83,520 rounds ammunition 40mm*

18 LEOPARD 2 A 6 main battle tanks with ammunition (joint project with further LEOPARD 2 operators)

40 infantry fighting vehicles MARDER with ammunition (from Bundeswehr and industry stocks*)

2 armoured recovery vehicles Bergepanzer 3

2 mine clearing tanks WISENT 1*

160,000 first aid kits*

103.000 tourniquets

100 MG3 for LEOPARD 2, MARDER and DACHS

Spare parts for LEOPARD 2 and MARDER

90 drone detection systems*

500 pistols SFP9*

2 hangar tents*

23,500 projectiles 155mm

155mm precision guided ammunition*

ammunition for multiple rocket launchers MARS II

8 lift trucks*

295 generators

34 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns GEPARD including circa 6.000 rounds of ammunition*

6 bridge-laying tanks BEAVER*

10 winter camouflage nets

26 load-handling trucks 15t*

32 frequency range extensions for anti-drone devices*

10 roll off containers

Iris-T SLM missiles*

3 mobile, remote controlled and protected mine clearing systems*

40 laser target designators* (before: 20)

12 truck tractor trains and 4 semi-trailers*

145 Pick-ups*

8 mobile and protected mine clearing systems*

168 mobile heating systems*

20 rocket launchers 70mm on pick-up trucks with rockets*

15 armoured recovery vehicles Bergepanzer 2*

12 tank transporter tractor M1070 Oshkosh*

7 tracked and remote controlled infantry vehicles for support tasks*

35 load-handling trucks 8x8

36 ambulances*

36.400 wool blankets

12 heavy duty trailer trucks*

55 anti-drone sensors and jammers*

50 MRAP vehicles DINGO

10 unmanned surface vessels*

14,000 sleeping bags

Mi-24 spare parts*

spare parts for heavy machine gun M2

17 heavy and medium bridge systems*

5 multiple rocket launchers MARS II with ammunition

14 self-propelled howitzers Panzerhaubitze 2000 (joint project with the Netherlands)

200 tents

116.000 winter jackets

80.000 winter trousers

240.000 winter hats

405,000 pre-packaged military Meals Ready

67 fridges for medical material*

counter battery radar system COBRA*

4,000 rounds practice ammunitions for self-propelled anti-aircraft guns

54 M113 armoured personnel carriers (systems of Denmark, upgrades financed by Germany)*

53,000 rounds ammunitions for self-propelled anti-aircraft guns

3,000 anti-tank weapons Panzerfaust 3 with 900 firing devices

14,900 anti-tank mines (9,300* from industry stocks)

500 Man Portable Air Defense Systems STINGER

2,700 Man Portable Air Defense Systems STRELA

22 million rounds of ammunition for fire arms

50 bunker buster missiles

100 machine gun MG3 with 500 spare barrels and breechblocks

100,000 hand grenades

5,300 explosive charges

100,000 m detonating cord and 100.000 detonators

350,000 detonators

10 anti-drone guns*

100 auto-injector devices

28,000 combat helmets

15 palettes military clothing

280 vehicles (trucks, minibuses, all-terrain vehicles)

6 palettes material for explosive ordnance disposal

125 binoculars

1,200 hospital beds

18 palettes medical material, 60 surgical lights

protective clothing, surgical masks

600 safety glasses

1 radio frequency system

3,000 field telephones with 5.000 cable reels and carrying straps

1 field hospital (joint project with Estonia)*

353 night vision goggles*

12 electronic anti-drone devices*

165 field glasses*

medical material (inter alia back packs, compression bandages)

38 laser range finders*

Diesel and gasoline (ongoing deliveries)*

10 tons AdBlue*

500 medical gauzes*

MiG-29 spare parts*

30 protected vehicles*

7,944 man-portable anti-tank weapons RGW 90 Matador*

6 mobile decontamination vehicles HEP 70 including decontamination material

10 HMMWV (8x ground radar capability, 2x jamming/anti drone capability)*

7 radio jammers*

8 mobile ground surveillance radars and thermal imaging cameras*

1 high frequency unit with equipment*

Military support to Ukraine in planning/in execution

(due to security concerns, the Federal Government abstains from providing details on transportation modalities and dates until after handover)

6,350 projectiles 155mm*

Iris-T SLM missiles*

20 bridge-laying tanks BEAVER*

300.000 rounds of GEPARD ammunition

2 air surveillance radars*

78 truck tractor trains and 86 semi-trailers*

8 mobile antenna mast systems*

40,000 first aid kits*

108 reconnaissance drones*

1 tank transporter tractor M1070 Oshkosh*

17 mobile heating systems*

18 wheeled self-propelled howitzers RCH 155*

5 load-handling trucks 8x6 with 10 roll of containers*

load-handling trucks 8x6 with roll of containers* 3 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns GEPARD*

7 tracked and remote controlled infantry vehicles for support tasks*

6 mobile and protected mine clearing systems*

40 mine clearing tanks WISENT 1*

5 mobile reconnaissance systems (on vehicles) *

376 border protection vehicles*

132,480 rounds ammunition 40mm*

1 armoured engineer vehicles DACHS*

3 heavy and medium bridge systems*

16 self-propelled howitzer Zuzana 2* (joint project with Denmark and Norway)

78 heavy duty trailer trucks*

2 air defence system IRIS-T SLM*

12 communications electronic scanner/jammer systems*

field hospital (role 2)*

8 frequency range extensions for anti-drone devices*

2 tractors and 4 trailers*

10 protected vehicles*

vehicle decontamination system

5,032 man-portable anti-tank weapons*

124 trucks*

The total value of individual licenses issued by the Federal Government for the export of military goods in the period from January 1, 2022 toApril 24, 2023 amounts to 2.751.982.374 Euro. The total license value includes the goods listed above insofar as their export is subject to licensing requirements under German foreign trade laws. This is not the case for all of the goods listed above. In order to speed up the processing of certain deliveries, the Federal Government has also eased certain licensing processes, e.g. with regard to military protective goods. These deliveries are also not included in the total license value. The values stated for used material from the German Armed Forces are also based on current values which can be significantly lower than the corresponding values for new or replacement goods. The total license value includes the goods regardless of how their procurement and delivery were financed. For security reasons, the Federal Government does not provide further details until the goods have been delivered.

* Deliveries from industry stocks financed by German funds for security capacity building. Some of the deliveries require upgrades or productions is ongoing; also training measures take place.

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April 26, 2023

By Jim Garamone , DOD News

DOD Officials Detail Efforts to Support Ukraine, Defend NATO

Russia's unprovoked invasion of neighboring Ukraine has provoked the worst security crisis in Europe since World War II, and nations around the globe are rallying to help Ukraine defend its sovereignty, DOD officials told the House Armed Services Committee today.

Celeste A. Wallander, the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, and Army Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, the commander of U.S. European Command, discussed the Russian invasion, problems for Europe emanating from China and other security matters during their testimony before the panel.

"For over a year, this war has threatened Ukraine, the security of Europe, the global economy and the rules-based international order," Wallander said. "Yet, thanks to the courage of the Ukrainian people, supported by the United States and a broad coalition of allies and partners from around the world, Russia has failed to achieve its objectives, and independent Ukraine endures."

Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion had the unintended result of strengthening the bonds in Europe and especially in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Wallander said. She noted that the Russian invasion pushed Finland and Sweden to petition to join NATO. Finland became an official member state last month, and Wallander hopes Sweden soon will become the 32nd nation in the alliance.

The contention around the world is that Russia cannot be allowed to invade and destroy its neighbor Ukraine. "Our goal is a free, prosperous and democratic Ukraine able to defend its sovereignty and deter further aggression," she said.

The United States has committed more than $36 billion in security assistance to Ukraine including artillery, air defense and armor, Wallander said. "The substantial commitment of the U.S. military assistance to Ukraine reflects the American interests and values at stake," she said. "As Secretary [of Defense Lloyd] Austin [III] has said, our support for Ukraine self-defense is an investment in our own security and prosperity."

Allies and partners have also contributed with more than $20 billion in aid coming from over 50 nations. "Ukraine has leveraged this assistance to deal Russia significant blows on the battlefield," she said. "Although Russia's conventional military capabilities are diminished, Russia continues to present serious risk as it retains capabilities in nuclear cyber information operations, counterspace and undersea warfare among others. These capabilities combined with Russia's intent to undermine the independence of its neighbors, and [its] will to use force, means that Russia remains an acute threat."

Cavoli, who also serves as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said Russia's invasion of Ukraine, dramatically shifted perceptions of European stability, and galvanized the European government's resolve.

"We have been creating new plans for the general defense of the alliance and these will drive higher levels of readiness and more targeted national defense investments," the general said. "Nations agreed to accelerate defense spending increases and to establish enhanced force posture on the eastern flank of NATO to take an unprecedented number of troops and weapons and turn them over to NATO command and critically, to bring two new members into the alliance."

There are now eight NATO Battle Groups in the alliance's frontline states. There are now more than 100,000 U.S. forces in Europe. Air policing over the Baltic Sea has stepped up, and President Joe Biden has repeatedly said the United States will defend every inch of NATO territory.

Even as Russia's invasion continues, there are other challenges. Both Wallander and Cavoli discussed China a a nation also trying to overturn the international rules-based order.

"Russia of course is not the only problem in Europe," Cavoli said. "The People's Republic of China continues to increase its access and influence in our theater and its activities pose risks to U.S., allied and partner interests. [China] uses foreign direct investment, government backed business ventures and loans to gain access to technology and to get control over vital European infrastructure and transportation routes."

Wallander said China and Russia collaborate to undermine the international rules-based order. "We recognize [China] is taking lessons from our support for Ukraine, and we continue to monitor their cooperation with Russia," she said. "It is clear that [Chinese] influence in Europe has waned in recent years, in part due to its close alignment with Russia."

Both Wallander and Cavoli thanked the panel members for their bipartisan support of efforts in Europe.

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Ukraine: 8th Human Rights Dialogue takes place in Kyiv

European External Action Service (EEAS)

26.04.2023

EEAS Press Team

Today in Kyiv, the European Union and Ukraine held the eighth Human Rights Dialogue. Both parties remain committed to continuing their annual dialogue, despite the ongoing full-scale armed aggression by Russia against Ukraine, and will continue their active efforts to prevent and address any human rights violations, including in the temporarily occupied and in the liberated territories of Ukraine.

The parties discussed violations of international human rights and humanitarian law violations in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion and war of aggression, such as arbitrary killings, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture and ill-treatment of detainees, deportation and forced transfer of civilians (especially children) to Russia and Russian temporarily occupied territories, war-related sexual and gender-based violence, 'filtration', penal colonies in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

The parties paid special attention to consideration of the impact of Russia's war of aggression on the rights with respect to health, work, education, water and sanitation, and adequate housing. Discussions focused on the massive destruction, lossesand damages to infrastructure directly affecting the provision of basic services and the enjoyment of human rights. They stressed the importance of international support to Ukrainian recovery.

Both sides expressed concerns regarding human rights violations in the temporarily occupied areas by Russia. In particular, the parties discussed restrictions on civic and political rights, especially forcing Ukrainian citizens to change citizenship and/or obtain a Russian passport, restrictions on the freedom of expression, freedom of the media, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion or belief, forced mobilisation, as well as restrictions on access for international and non-governmental organisations.

During the dialogue, the EU and Ukraine expressed their commitment to ensuring full accountability for war crimes and the other most serious crimes committed in connection with Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, including through the establishment of a dedicated tribunal for the prosecution of the crime of aggression. Some specific points such as support to the investigations of the International Criminal Court,international cooperation in the investigation and prosecution processes, victim-centered and trauma sensitive responses, the establishment of a registry of damages and of a compensation mechanism were discussed. The parties also focused on sanctions and the use of Russia's frozen and immobilised assets for Ukraine's reconstruction and for the purposes of reparation.

Furthermore, discussions also revolved around policy developments in human rights. EU welcomed Ukraine's efforts in fulfilling accession criteria, notably the stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights, notwithstanding the ongoing war. Specific areas included law enforcement reform, prevention of torture and ill-treatment, labour rights, freedoms of expression, association and assembly, the elections and electoral framework, rights of persons with disabilities and persons belonging to ethnic, linguistic, religious, and national minorities, rights of LGBTI persons, gender equality, women's rights, and the rights of the child.

This year's dialogue was marked by an atmosphere of cooperation and a common aspiration for progressive and decisive steps in the field of human rights.

The next meeting of the human rights dialogue between Ukraine and the EU is expected to take place in 2024.

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Iran denies it is helping either warring side in Ukraine

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Apr 26, 2023

Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has denied allegations that the country is providing aid to either of the warring parties in Ukraine.

Amirabdollahian made the remarks in a Tuesday meeting in Tehran with United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths.

The minister elaborated on Iran's principled positions toward the Ukraine war and said that Iran does not consider war as a solution to disputes between countries while maintaining that sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations should be respected.

He said that Iran is hosting millions of refugees as a result of years-long conflicts in Afghanistan.

Amirabdollahian also asked UN's support for creating the required infrastructure for Afghan refugees in Iran.

Meanwhile, Griffiths informed Amirabdollahian of his efforts regarding humanitarian issues around the world and in the region while he also elaborated on his views about the situation in Afghanistan and Ukraine.

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Iran not provide military aid to any side in Ukraine's war: Amir-Abdollahian

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Wed / 26 April 2023 / 11:54

Tehran (ISNA) - Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian held a meeting with United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths for talks on issues of common concern, including the conditions and humanitarian situation in Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Ukraine.

In the meeting, the two sides discussed the latest developments in the humanitarian field and the related cooperation capacities.

Referring to Iran's hosting of several million refugees and migrants from Afghanistan, Amir-Abdollahian emphasized the support of the United Nations for creating the suitable infrastructure to meet their needs.

Regarding the situation in Ukraine, the top Iranian diplomat explained the principled positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran in relation to the conflict and emphasized that Iran does not provide military aid to any side in the war.

Iran, he added, does not consider war as a solution and supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine.

For his part, Griffiths briefed the Iranian minister of foreign affairs on his efforts related to humanitarian issues and explained his views on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and Ukraine.

End Item

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President Xi Jinping Speaks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the Phone

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

2023-04-26 20:50

On the afternoon of 26 April, President Xi Jinping spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the phone at the invitation of the latter. The two sides exchanged views on China-Ukraine relations and the Ukraine crisis.a

President Xi noted that China-Ukraine relations, after 31 years of development, have reached a level of strategic partnership, boosting development and revitalization of the two countries. Xi commended President Zelenskyy for stating, on multiple occasions, the importance he attaches to developing the bilateral relationship and advancing cooperation with China, and thanked the Ukrainian side for its strong assistance to the evacuation of Chinese nationals last year. Mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is the political foundation of China-Ukraine relations. The two sides need to look to the future, view and handle the bilateral relations from a long-term perspective, carry forward the tradition of mutual respect and sincerity, and take the China-Ukraine strategic partnership forward. China's readiness to develop relations with Ukraine is consistent and clear-cut. No matter how the international situation evolves, China will work with Ukraine to advance mutually beneficial cooperation.a

President Xi pointed out that the Ukraine crisis is evolving in complex ways with major impacts on the international landscape. On the Ukraine crisis, China always stands on the side of peace. Its core stance is to facilitate talks for peace. He noted his proposals of four points about what must be done, four things the international community must do together and three observations. On this basis, China released its Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis. China did not create the Ukraine crisis, nor is it a party to the crisis. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible major country, China would not sit idly by, nor would it add oil to the fire, still less exploit the situation for self gains. Everything China does is aboveboard. Dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way forward. There is no winner in nuclear wars. On the nuclear issue, all relevant parties must stay calm and exercise restraint, truly act in the interests of their own future and that of humanity, and jointly manage the crisis. With rational thinking and voices now on the rise, it is important to seize the opportunity and build up favorable conditions for the political settlement of the crisis. It is hoped that all parties would seriously reflect on the Ukraine crisis and jointly explore ways to bring lasting peace and security to Europe through dialogue. China will continue to facilitate talks for peace and make its efforts for early ceasefire and restoration of peace. China will send the Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs to Ukraine and other countries to have in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. China has sent multiple batches of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and will keep providing help to the best of its ability.a

President Zelenskyy congratulated President Xi on his re-election and commended China for its remarkable achievements. He expressed confidence that under the leadership of President Xi, China will successfully address various challenges and continue to move forward. China upholds the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in international affairs and has significant influence on the international stage. The Ukrainian side is committed to the one-China policy, and hopes to advance all-round bilateral cooperation with China, open up a new chapter in Ukraine-China relations, and jointly safeguard world peace and stability. Zelenskyy shared his views on the current state of the Ukraine crisis. He thanked China for providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and welcomed China's important role in restoring peace and seeking diplomatic solution to the crisis.a

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Peace talks only way out of Ukraine war, China's Xi tells Ukraine's Zelensky

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 26 April 2023 5:10 PM

Chinese President Xi Jinping has told his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, the only way to end the war in Ukraine is negotiation between Kiev and Moscow.

According to a report by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Wednesday, "Xi Jinping had a phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky," during which he said "talks and negotiation" were the "only way out" of the war and that "there is no winner in a nuclear war."

The phone conversation was the first such contact between the two sides since the war began.

"On the issue of the Ukraine crisis, China has always stood on the side of peace and its core position is to promote peace talks," the report quoted Xi as saying. "When dealing with the nuclear issue, all parties concerned should remain calm and restrained, truly focus on the future and destiny of themselves and all mankind, and jointly manage and control the crisis."

Zelensky, for his part, said in a statement he had a "long and meaningful" phone conversation with Xi, who has so far been neutral in the conflict.

"I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine's ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations," the Ukrainian president said in a Facebook post.

The phone call, which was initiated by Kiev and lasted nearly an hour, came two months after Beijing, which has long been aligned with Russia, said it wanted to act as a peace mediator in the war and proposed a 12-point peace plan in February, calling for an immediate "political settlement" to the conflict, and an end to unilateral sanctions on Moscow.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has welcomed China's willingness to help resolve the war.

The phone call on Wednesday also came a month after Xi visited Moscow.

Russia launched what it calls the "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022, blaming NATO's eastward expansion for the war. Moscow views the military alliance's efforts to make Ukraine a member and to deploy missiles close to its borders as a direct threat to Russian territory.

The CCTV also reported that Beijing sought to send an envoy to Ukraine and other countries to help conduct "in-depth communication" with all parties for "a political settlement" to the crisis.

In a briefing on Wednesday, China's Foreign Ministry said its envoy to Kiev would be Li Hui, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs. Li served as the Chinese Ambassador to Russia from 2009 to 2019.

Moscow also reacted to the phone call, with Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova saying, "We note the readiness of the Chinese side to make efforts to establish a negotiation process."



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Zelenskiy Has 'Meaningful' First Exchange With China's Xi As Russia Presses Assault On Bakhmut

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 26, 2023

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his first conversation with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine was "long and meaningful" as Russia increased the pressure on the defenders of Bakhmut -- the site of the most intense battle for the eastern Donetsk region.

"Had a long meaningful telephone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping," Zelenskiy wrote on Twitter. "I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine's ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations."

Zelenskiy did not provide other details about the call, but his spokesman, Serhiy Nykyforov, said on Facebook that the two had an almost hourlong telephone conversation.

China's state broadcaster CCTV said that Xi told Zelenskiy that "talks and negotiation" were the "only way out" of the war. China says it is neutral in the conflict and Xi has refrained from condemning the invasion.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby welcomed the call but said it was too soon to tell whether it would lead to a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

"If there's going to be a negotiated peace, it's got to be when President Zelenskiy is ready for it," Kirby said, adding that the United States would welcome any effort to arrive at peace as long as it could be sustainable.

Kirby said the United States did not have advance knowledge of the call.

"These are two sovereign leaders and we're glad to see that they did talk," Kirby said.

There remains a wide gulf between Ukraine and Russia over the preconditions for peace talks: Kyiv says Russia must withdraw its troops from Ukraine, while Moscow insists Ukraine recognize its claims to have annexed seized territory.

"Peace must be just and sustainable, based on the principles of international law and respect for the UN Charter. There can be no peace at the expense of territorial compromises. The territorial integrity of Ukraine must be restored within the 1991 borders," Zelenskiy said on Telegram.

Beijing has floated a peace proposal -- a 12-point paper calling for a de-escalation and eventual cease-fire in Ukraine -- dismissed by Kyiv and its Western allies as echoing Russian talking points.

Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye last week sparked widespread condemnation by suggesting countries that emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union "don't have effective status under international law because there is not an international agreement confirming their status as sovereign nations."

Russia has used such sentiment as one of the reasons it justifies its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, formerly part of the Soviet Union, launched in February 2022.

China's Foreign Ministry later backtracked on Lu's comments, affirming that it has always recognized the sovereign status of countries that were at some point part of the Soviet Union.

On the battlefield, Moscow has been stepping up its offensive actions on the Bakhmut-Avdiyivka-Maryinka front line in the east, where Ukrainian defenders are facing increasing pressure from Russian shelling, air strikes, mortar fire, and infantry assaults, Kyiv said on April 26.

"Russia is concentrating its main efforts on conducting offensive operations on Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, and Maryinka, where Ukrainian forces repelled 39 Russian attacks over the last 24 hours," the General Staff said in its daily report.

"Fierce battles continue in Bakhmut and Maryinka," the military said.

Russian troops launched three missile strikes, 13 air strikes, and 49 rocket salvoes at Ukrainian positions and civilian infrastructure, it added.

Repeated Russian assaults have also been repelled in the village of Klishchiyivka, some 10 kilometers south of Bakhmut, the Donetsk region city that has been the epicenter of a monthslong, grinding battle.

Six drones fired by Russian troops were shot down on April 26 in the sky over the Kherson region, the Ukrainian air force reported, identifying the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as five Lancet attack UAVs and one Merlin-VR UAV.

The regional military administration in Sumy said Russian troops fired 100 shells along the border using aircraft, artillery, and mortars, injuring two residents of a border village and damaging residential buildings.

Sumy borders three regions of Russia -- Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod. Ukraine's border are regularly shelled by Russia.

In the southern Zaporizhzhya region, where Europe's largest nuclear power plant is located, an air-raid alert was declared overnight.

RFE/RL correspondents reported numerous explosions that were likely caused by attacking Iranian-made Shahed drones.

Yuriy Malashko, the head of Zaporizhzhya military administration, urged inhabitants to take cover but did not elaborate on the nature of the blasts. "Stay in safe places until the air alert is over," he said.

Russian forces, who control the local nuclear power plant, regularly shell the parts of Zaporizhzhya region still under Ukrainian control.

On April 25, a Russian missile strike on a museum in the eastern city of Kupyansk killed at least two people and injured 10, an attack that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described as "barbaric."

Oleh Synyehubov, the head of the Kharkiv region military administration, told RFE/RL that the April 25 strike on the Kupyansk city center involved S-300 type missiles, one of which hit the Museum of Local History.

"The terrorist country is doing everything to destroy us completely. Our history, our culture, our people. Killing Ukrainians with absolutely barbaric methods," Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram, adding, "We must and will respond!"

Separately, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said Moscow began using its new T-14 Armata battle tanks in the war, firing on Ukrainian positions but not yet participating "in direct assault."

The tank has an unmanned turret that a crew controls remotely from "an isolated armored capsule located in the front of the hull," the report said.

But, according to British military intelligence, Russian forces have complained about the poor condition of the first of the tanks to arrive.

"Eleven years in development, the program has been dogged with delays, reduction in planned fleet size, and reports of manufacturing problems," the British intelligence report said.

With reporting by AP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-bakhmut-russia-more- resources/32379874.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Wagner Group Leader Accuses Russian 'Decision-Makers' Of Treason For Lack Of Ammunition In Ukraine

By RFE/RL April 26, 2023

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Kremlin-connected businessman who controls the notorious Wagner mercenary group, has accused "decision-makers" in Russia of treason for not providing his troops and military units of Russia's regular armed forces with ammunition needed to fight in Ukraine.

"A criminal group did not give us ammunition," Prigozhin said in a five-minute audio statement posted on Telegram on April 26 in which he reiterated his claim that ammunition is being stockpiled in depots but not delivered to the battlefield.

Prigozhin claimed his troops have no ammunition to fight against Ukrainian artillery because of "treason" by unspecified top Russian officials, pledging to reveal names "when the time comes."

"I think what is happening today is a crime against Russia and Russian people. The criminals must be held accountable," he said.

Prigozhin said that Ukraine's armed forces will most likely start an expected counteroffensive in early May "to cut our flanks that we are unable to cover" because of the lack of ammunition.

"We are doing all we can with that minimal quantity of ammunition we have now," Prigozhin said in the statement, in which he noted that many Wagner mercenaries had died, were wounded, or had left the group after their contracts expired.

"Those thugs who make decisions, they must be held responsible to the mothers, children, and wives of those who perished, because instead of one person, several people are dying at once. Instead of one person, five die when storming a building, because we do not have ammo."

Prigozhin has previously referred to fighting in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut as a "meat grinder" and has clashed with Russian military officials over ammunition supplies. Ukrainian and Western military officials have said that Russian conscripts and Wagner forces were being treated like "cannon fodder" in the war.

Prigozhin also said those responsible for supplying Wagner troops and regular Russian armed forces with ammunition "are sitting on the ammo like roosters sit on eggs" instead of sending it to the battlefield.

He used the word "petukhi" (roosters) instead of the word for hens. The word "petukhi" is used among criminal groups across the former Soviet Union as a homosexual insult.

Prigozhin added that the Ukrainian armed forces' counteroffensive is "inevitable," adding that Wagner will be able "to stand here for two to three more weeks until the last bullet remains in the assault rifle's magazine."

In an apparent attempt to justify his troops' possible defeat, he added: "In general, the private military group Wagner has completed its historical mission."

Prigozhin's statement comes less than two weeks after he urged the Kremlin to declare that the goals of what Moscow calls its "special military operation in Ukraine" have been achieved and to stop the fighting, emphasizing that "many of those who yesterday supported the special operation, today either have doubts or are categorically opposed to what is happening."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-pirgozhin-wagner- ammunition-treason-ukraine-war/32380761.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Ukrainian Navy Says Russia Refused To Allow Movement Of Four Ships In Black Sea Grain Deal

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 26, 2023

Russia refused to coordinate the movement of four ships in and out of Ukrainian ports under the terms of a grain deal that has been in place since last summer, the Ukrainian navy said on April 26 in an apparent further complication of efforts to extend the deal.

One of the four ships was chartered by the World Food Program to deliver wheat to Ethiopia, said a Ukrainian navy statement posted on Facebook.

Russian representatives in the Joint Coordination Center set up in Istanbul under the Black Sea Grain Initiative refused to agree on the movement of vessels to or from the seaports of Ukraine, the statement said.

As a result, three of the vessels, including the one destined for Ethiopia, were unable to leave the ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Pivdenniy and must wait for their passage to be approved, while one vessel was forced to wait for transit to the port of Odesa in the area of Sulina.

The navy said Russia had effectively stalled the ships' movements by refusing to take part in agreeing on the routes they should take, a process that occurs for each export trip.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative was brokered in July by the United Nations and Turkey with Russia and Ukraine to allow the safe passage of grain exports through Ukraine's ports on the Black Sea.

The pact was renewed for 60 days last month, but Russia has signaled it may well not agree to extend it further unless the West removes obstacles to the exports of Russian grain and fertilizer.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on April 25 said the situation related to the grain deal had reached a deadlock. Lavrov said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is trying to negotiate with the countries that have announced unilateral sanctions against Russia, but there are no results.

Guterres has written a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin presenting a "way forward" on extending and improving the grain deal, the secretary-general's office said on April 24 after he met with Lavrov in New York.

During a briefing with UN correspondents on April 26, Gennady Gatilov, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said Moscow appreciated the UN's efforts and believed the UN was trying its best.

"But what we hear until now is only promises," he added.

Moscow says Western sanctions on its payments, logistics, and insurance industries have created a barrier to the export of its grains and fertilizers. Russia has made the claims even though Russian agricultural exports have not been explicitly targeted by Western restrictions.

"The Ukrainian part of the deal is working well," Gatilov said. "But the Russian part of this deal is not working, and these two parts should be equal. This is not the case."

One of Russia's main demands is the reconnection of the Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) to the SWIFT payments system. The bank is one of many disconnected from the system more than a year ago as a sanction imposed after Russia invaded Ukraine.

"The UN acknowledges that there are problems that should be resolved," Gatilov said, adding that the world body was in discussions with Washington, Brussels, and others. "I don't know whether they will be able to achieve sufficient progress in the time left."

The UN and many countries expressed alarm when Ukraine's ports were blocked after Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, saying it could lead to global consequences, including famine in poorer countries. The Black Sea Grain Initiative eased those concerns, but its latest extension runs out on May 18.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine- grain-no-progress/32380351.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russia Never Limited Ukrainian Grain Export Via Black Sea - Russian UN Envoy

Sputnik News

20230426

GENEVA (Sputnik) - Russia did not artificially limit the export of Ukrainian grain under the Black Sea Initiative, contrary to current allegations, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Office and other international organizations in Geneva Gennady Gatilov said on Wednesday.

Export data show that Moscow has never artificially restricted the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, Gatilov said at a briefing with the Association of Accredited Correspondents at the United Nations (ACANU).

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed between Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Nations amid the military conflict in Ukraine in July 2022, provides for exports of Ukrainian grain, food and fertilizers over the Black Sea from three ports, including Odesa.

The package agreement also includes a memorandum of understanding between Russia and the UN to unblock Russian grain and fertilizer exports via the Black Sea, which, according to Moscow, has not been implemented amid Western sanctions. In March, Russia extended the deal for 60 of possible 120 days.

Russia requested that in order to further extend the grain agreement after its expiration on May 18, the normalization of Moscow's agricultural exports, including bank payments, transport logistics, insurance, unfreezing of financial activities and the supply of ammonia through the Tolyatti-Odessa pipeline, must be ensured.

A Sputnik

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Now there is an opportunity to give new impetus to relations between Ukraine and China - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

President of Ukraine

26 April 2023 - 22:25

Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

First of all, I would like to thank our entire team involved in the exchanges.

We managed to return 44 more people from Russian captivity to Ukraine. Most of them are servicemen. From various directions. Among them are defenders of Azovstal and Mariupol, other cities in Donetsk, Kherson, Kharkiv regions... Most of them are privates and sergeants. Some are officers. Two of them are civilians.

And it's important that the team works on all those who are in captivity... Even if it is particularly difficult, as with some categories of captives. And these are not only prisoners of war who are difficult to return, but also, for example, civilian captives - one of those difficult categories.

We remember everyone. And even if there is no exact information about a particular person, about what happened to them or where they might be, they are still being searched for and everything is being checked as much as possible. Ukraine must return all its people.

I am thankful to all of you guys who coordinate this work: Budanov, Yermak, Lubinets, Usov, Malyuk, Klymenko... I thank each and every one who helps in the Main Intelligence Directorate, the Office, the Security Service of Ukraine and our other structures.

Of course, I am grateful to all our warriors on the frontline who are replenishing the exchange fund. Every Russian prisoner of war is an opportunity to exchange our people.

In total, 2279 Ukrainians have already been returned from Russian captivity during the full-scale war.

I spoke with the leader of China today. It was a long and quite rational conversation. It is usually said that such conversations open up opportunities. Now there is an opportunity to give new impetus to our relations - Ukraine and China.

There is an opportunity to use China's political influence to restore the strength of the principles and rules on which peace should be based. Ukraine and China, as well as the vast majority of the world, are equally interested in the strength of the sovereignty of nations and territorial integrity... In compliance with the main security rules, in particular, the inadmissibility of threats with nuclear weapons and the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the world. We are equally interested in ensuring that the situation around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is finally fully secured and that nuclear power plants are never used for military purposes again, which is exactly the kind of cynical use Russia is trying to make the norm.

It is very important that China shares our view of freedom of navigation and trade. I briefed Mr. Xi Jinping on our efforts to restore seaborne food exports. And I heard words of support for our Black Sea Grain Initiative and its extension, as well as support for our humanitarian efforts, in particular the Grain from Ukraine program.

Of course, an essential part of the conversation is our views on ways to restore a just peace. I presented the Ukrainian Peace Formula, its specific points. We agreed to continue our communications.

Today, I took part in a conference in Rome dedicated to the reconstruction of our country. This is a special format of communication between government officials and representatives of industry and business from our countries, Ukraine and Italy. This is a special format of communication between the governments and representatives of industry and business of our countries, Ukraine and Italy, for us to be able to directly attract to Ukraine those who personify the economic power of Italy.

I thank Mrs. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for this conference and for her words of unflagging support for Ukraine. It is important that we are already planning our cooperation in 2024. In particular, this concerns the upcoming Italian presidency of the G7, as well as the preparation of a major donor conference on recovery.

I had a separate phone call with Giorgia. The key topic was defense cooperation and support for our warriors. Thank you, Italy!

These days, we are also working with our partners to coordinate defense and supply activities. It is very important for Ukraine that everyone who works with us to defend freedom clearly understands what prospects our strength has and what we can do. The better we understand each other, the easier it is to work for a common victory. For obvious reasons, we are not disclosing the details of such communication in public yet.

One more thing.

Today I spoke with IAEA Director Grossi. The anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster is the right day to remind everyone in the world how fragile our security is. And even more so when the threat of a radiation catastrophe at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, artificially created by Russia, has been looming every day and every minute for more than a year already.

Only Ukraine's full control over the ZNPP can restore full security not only for our country, but also for the entire Europe and the whole world.

Radiation does not recognize state borders, just like the Russian Federation. And only full compliance with the rules can guarantee safety.

I would also like to thank Mr. Grossi for his initiative - a very important social initiative - of such a special medical support program for the personnel of all our nuclear power plants. Thank you for supporting our people!

Thank you to everyone who helps us fight against aggression!

Glory to all Ukrainian warriors who are now in combat, at combat posts and on combat missions!

Glory to Ukraine!

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President of Ukraine had a phone call with the President of the People's Republic of China

President of Ukraine

26 April 2023 - 18:33

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone call with the President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping.

During a productive hour-long conversation, the heads of state discussed a full range of topical issues of bilateral relations. Special attention was paid to the ways of possible cooperation to establish a just and sustainable peace for Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy reaffirmed Ukraine's unwavering position on adherence to the "One China" policy and thanked the President of the People's Republic of China for China's support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The President expressed gratitude to the Chinese side for the humanitarian assistance and noted that Ukraine properly cares about the safety of Chinese citizens in our country.

The parties discussed ways to strengthen the Ukrainian-Chinese partnership.

"Before the full-scale Russian invasion, China was Ukraine's number one trading partner. I believe that our conversation today will give a powerful impetus to the return, preservation and development of this dynamic at all levels," the President of Ukraine emphasized. This should be facilitated by the resumption of the work of the bilateral intergovernmental commission and the appointment of the Ambassador of Ukraine to China.

The President of Ukraine emphasized that today Ukraine honors the memory of the victims of the Chornobyl accident - the largest man-made disaster in the history of mankind. He emphasized that the ongoing Russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the use of the plant as a cover for military strikes at our cities and villages demonstrate that Moscow does not respect the fair interest of all people of the world to live in guaranteed safety from any nuclear or radiation threats.

In this regard, the Head of State called on China to play an effective role in the settlement of the security issue around the ZNPP.

"This will be in line with the essence of the Budapest Memorandum," he emphasized.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy briefed the Chinese leader on the situation at the front: "The situation at the front is difficult, but we are standing. And we will continue to liberate our land. We did not start this war, but we have to restore the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country. Within the internationally recognized borders of 1991. Including Crimea. This is fully consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter."

The Head of State specifically focused on the devastating consequences of the Russian invasion, emphasizing the abduction of twenty thousand Ukrainian children by Russia.

The President of Ukraine outlined the content of the Ukrainian Peace Formula and informed about the ongoing diplomatic work on the organization of the Global Peace Summit.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope for China's active participation in efforts to restore peace.

"Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainian people. We are on our land and fighting for our future, exercising our inalienable right to self-defense. Peace must be just and sustainable, based on the principles of international law and respect for the UN Charter. There can be no peace at the expense of territorial compromises. The territorial integrity of Ukraine must be restored within the 1991 borders," the President of Ukraine said.

The parties emphasized the importance of efforts to establish peace.

The Head of State separately emphasized the importance of all states refraining from supporting Russia in the war. This should apply to military-technical cooperation, including the supply of weapons.

"Russia converts any support - even partial - into the continuation of its aggression, into its further rejection of peace. The less support Russia receives, the sooner the war will end and serenity will return to international relations," Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.

The President of Ukraine emphasized the readiness of our country to remain a guarantor of global food security. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Ukrainian ports are currently hostage to Russian aggression and are blocked by the aggressor state, and our export routes are blocked with them.

In this context, the parties expressed joint support for the need for proper implementation and continuation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed about the implementation of the Grain from Ukraine global humanitarian program.

The leaders of Ukraine and China agreed to maintain a regular dialogue.

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Ukraine has a unique experience of protecting the state and people in the conditions of aggression, so we invite Italy to build a new security of the world together - President at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome

President of Ukraine

26 April 2023 - 18:21

Madam Prime Minister of Italy!

Mr. Prime Minister of Ukraine!

Madam Vice President of the General Confederation of Italian Industry!

Ladies and Gentlemen! Dear participants! Dear Italy!

Thank you for this Conference and your sincere interest in Ukraine. I know that hundreds of Italian and Ukrainian companies are listening to me, and I would like to address you not just as those who represent business, but also as fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, as representatives of your communities, your cities, your country...

Here are completely different people, different families, different generations, but we are united by the same aspirations in fact. We all want freedom and normal development for our children, we want security and well-being for our parents. We want peace and ease of life for our communities and cities... and this unites us.

And this is what I suggest talking about.

About ways for us to give more security to our families. More prosperity for our countries. More freedom for Ukrainian and Italian children. More guarantees of normalcy for our communities and for our cities.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

It is already clear when and how this war that Russia has unleashed against us should end. Against all of us. Against Ukraine and our common European home, which gave all European nations a chance for peaceful life and prosperity. I have no doubt that we can win. Because we not only believe in our strength, but also stand strong and defend our common values in unity. In unity! Those who remain united and do not lose strength win.

I want to thank all of Italy, all of your people and communities, your leadership, and personally Madam Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for this unity... Thank you! The unity of Europeans who know that there can be no normal and safe life outside of our freedom, where Russia wants to push all of us in Europe.

We have to do everything - and we will! - to ensure that this Russian war ends in Russian defeat. Hence, this year already, we have to do everything to prepare the largest economic project of our time in Europe - the project of rebuilding Ukraine.

This is a colossal task! Europe has not seen this scale of destruction that Russia has brought to Ukraine since World War II. But it was after World War II that Europe saw what real reconstruction brings. What growth it brings. We are now on the eve of no lesser opportunities.

In this war, the world has seen what is needed to really protect every nation. The world has seen how to change the energy sector and infrastructure, production and logistics, cyber systems and education, the defense industry and army equipment... Therefore, there is a demand in the world for new security standards so that every country can protect itself from any manifestations of aggression, terror or the elements. And we in Ukraine are creating such security standards.

I'll give you five examples that will demonstrate the practical meaning of what I'm talking about.

The first is energy.

Russia has launched a real energy aggression against Europe. It provoked a price crisis and impoverished millions of families through shocking bill increases. It tried to prevent the physical supply of fuel to Europe. It fired missiles and Iranian drones at our energy sector so that Ukrainians would be left without electricity and heat in the winter... Europe has withstood. We have responded to this challenge with dignity. And now we have to do everything to ensure that the enemy does not have even a theoretical opportunity to disrupt our energy sector.

Green energy transformation and a kind of decentralization of production is the answer. The more green energy producers, the more resilient the system is. The more sources of supply, the more securely every city, every community, and every family is supplied.

Moreover, Italy is one of the leaders in creating smart grids. Therefore, I invite your companies to develop Ukrainian grids together. And please don't forget that in the near future, Ukrainian grids will be the grids of the European Union.

The second is the actual construction.

Ukrainians will never give up their country to the enemy and will never leave their land. Even though hundreds of our villages and dozens of cities have been burned by Russian artillery and air strikes, Ukrainians are able to bring them back to life. It is not in the habit of our people to leave unhealed wounds on their land.

We have a tremendous need to rebuild thousands of homes, hundreds of schools, hospitals, transport and industrial infrastructure... On a new security basis that should become typical for other countries, for cities in those countries where people may not think about security in good times. But they realize that guarantees are needed.

For every parent not to worry about their child at school, because there is a shelter, a safe place that guarantees protection. For every mother to know that in her community, in her city, the security infrastructure is so well-organized that any terrorist - whether a state like Russia or a terrorist organization - will definitely lose to the existing security system.

I invite your companies to plan, design and build with us such a safe future for us and all those who want to import a similar level of security to their own countries.

The third example is technology.

Russia's full-scale aggression has not broken Ukrainian finances, the banking system, or the digital services to which our people are accustomed.

We have preserved the country's communications and all the things without which modern life is unimaginable. Moreover, we have engaged our IT specialists in cyber defense of the state and economy. We have built the country's cyber defense. We continue to develop the Diia public service, which provides access to public services via a smartphone or a web portal.

Moreover, our partners in Europe are already adopting our Diia for their digital development.

Our defense industry is gaining momentum even now, when the war is still ongoing. We are interested in localizing the production of military equipment we receive from our partners in Ukraine. We are building new production facilities for our own weapons and ammunition. We are creating new defense tools such as a fleet of naval drones, a wide range of drones for our front.

I am sure your companies have something to add to these Ukrainian success stories.

The fourth is global markets.

The world has already realized the potential of our country's agricultural sector. Ukraine is able to guarantee global food stability. Supplies from Ukraine put food on the tables of millions of families in different countries, including Africa and Asia... From Algeria to Ethiopia, from Lebanon to Yemen. Without our supplies, chaos would reign in some countries. This means there would be new waves of migration, including to Europe.

In addition, Ukraine has a significant potential for green metallurgy that can't be found anywhere else in Europe. From iron ore to lithium and other resources that are in high demand around the world - Ukraine has it all. From natural gas to titanium... We can and will supply all this to global markets. In many ways, we can replace companies from Russia - those who chose to work for war rather than global development.

But the top priority task is processing. This means new enterprises. This means new logistics and modernization of transport. This means new investments. This means profits. And, I'm sure, for your companies as well.

And the fifth example, and this is not the last of the opportunities for cooperation, is pharmaceuticals and rehabilitation.

There is a purely economic fact: Ukraine is a huge market and a net importer of pharmaceuticals. This alone means that localization of production in Ukraine brings obvious benefits.

But the war has added another level to this industry. I am talking about people who need rehabilitation after being wounded. About those whose lives are poisoned by post-traumatic and other disorders. About those who went through Russian captivity and occupation - where there is no basic medical care...

To end the war means, among other things, to heal the pain that was experienced in the war, brought from the war, and associated with the war... Obviously, we will work on this in Ukraine together with the best representatives of the world.

Ukraine sees what the key security demand is. Ukraine has a unique experience in protecting the state and people in the face of aggression and all possible manifestations of terror... There is no evil that Russia has not tried to do against Ukrainians and from which we do not have to defend ourselves.

Our experience of protection is successful and scalable to the lives of other peoples and other countries.

It is logical that our experience will become part of the new security foundation of the world. I invite you, Italy, to build a new security with us! I invite your businesses, your investments, your experience to come to Ukraine right now.

Please do not hesitate to contact our delegation at the Conference, Mr. Prime Minister of Ukraine... Ukraine is willing to cooperate!

Glory to everyone who brings our victory closer!

Grazie Italia!

 NNN!

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Latest in Ukraine: Zelenskyy, Xi Talk by Phone

By VOA News April 26, 2023

Latest Developments

Three Russian aircraft intercepted over Baltic Sea by Germany and Britain

Ukrainian and Chinese leaders speak by phone in first known contact since Russia's invasion of Ukraine

British defense ministry says heavy short-range combat continues in western districts of Bakhmut

Russian opposition former mayor on trial over criticism of war in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had a "long and meaningful" phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday, with the two men agreeing to send envoys to Beijing and Kyiv in a possible initial move to broker peace talks to end Russia's war against Ukraine.

Zelenskyy, in a comment on Twitter, gave no details of his nearly hourlong conversation with Xi, his first known contact with the Chinese president since Russia's invasion 14 months ago. Zelenskyy said, "I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine's ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations."

Later, on his website, he called the conversation productive and said it would lead the way toward "possible interaction with the aim of establishing a just and sustainable peace for Ukraine."

Chinese state media reported that Xi appealed to Zelenskyy for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, warning, "There is no winner in a nuclear war." He was apparently referring to the threat of Russia using tactical nuclear weapons. Chinese state TV said Xi's government would send a special representative to Ukraine for talks about a possible political settlement.

"Negotiation is the only viable way out," state TV said in a report on Xi's comments to Zelenskyy. "All parties concerned should remain calm and restrained in dealing with the nuclear issue and truly look at the future and destiny of themselves and humanity as a whole and work together to manage the crisis."

China has attempted to appear neutral on the Russian invasion, in February proposing a cease-fire and peace talks. But Beijing has also refused to condemn Russia's invasion or call for Moscow to withdraw its troops from Ukraine, including Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

Zelenskyy has repeatedly said his government will not engage in peace talks until Moscow withdraws its troops from all of Ukraine. "There can be no peace at the expense of territorial compromises," Zelenskyy said after his phone call with Xi.

Meanwhile, Russia wants Kyiv to acknowledge Russia's annexation of Crimea and last year's declaration that the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia are part of Russia.

Chinese state media quoted Xi as telling Zelenskyy, "Amid the current rise of reasonable thinking and voices from all sides, we should seize the opportunity to build up favorable conditions for a political settlement of the crisis."

In Washington, the White House described the Xi-Zelenskyy call as a positive development, allowing the Chinese leader to hear Ukraine's view of Russia's "illegal, unprovoked invasion."

"We think that's a good thing," said John Kirby, the White House National Security Council spokesman.

Last month, Xi made a three-day state visit to Moscow, highlighting Beijing's bid for global leadership. At the end of the talks, Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin declared their two countries had a "no-limits friendship." Since then, Putin has also met at the Kremlin with Chinese defense officials.

Russian recon aircraft over Baltic Sea

Three Russian military reconnaissance aircraft were intercepted in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, the German air force reported Wednesday. German officials said the aircraft, flying without their transponders on, were intercepted by German and British planes.

Norway on Tuesday said its air force had identified a group of Russian military planes flying over the Barents Sea. The Norwegian air force identified the aircraft as two bombers, two refueling tankers and three fighter jets.

In Wednesday's update on the situation in Ukraine, the British defense ministry said heavy, short-range combat continues in the western districts of Bakhmut.

In the post on Twitter, the ministry said that during the past week Ukraine has sought to maintain control of an important supply route because other resupply options into Bakhmut are likely complicated by mud.

The former mayor of Yekaterinburg, Russia, has gone on trial on charges of discrediting the Russian military over its offensive in Ukraine. Yevgeny Roizman is a popular opposition figure. He is the last prominent Kremlin critic who is still in Russia and not in prison.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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Key US Commander 'Very Confident' Ahead of Expected Ukrainian Offensive

By Jeff Seldin April 26, 2023

Ukraine's military forces have all the equipment, weapons and ammunition they need to launch their long-awaited spring offensive, according to a top U.S. military commander.

Ukrainian officials and their Western allies have made no secret of the anticipated military campaign aimed at retaking Ukrainian territory still under Russian control, with speculation mounting that it will get underway in the coming weeks, if not sooner.

Whenever the offensive does start, the commander of U.S. military forces in Europe is "very confident" Ukraine's forces will not be held back by a lack of weapons systems or supplies.

"We have been shipping it into the country," U.S. European Command's General Christopher Cavoli told U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday. "Over 98% of the combat vehicles are already there."

Western tanks, including British-made Challengers and German-made Leopards, began arriving in Ukraine last month.

And just last week the United States unveiled more military aid for Kyiv, a $325 million package promising more artillery rounds and rockets, as well as TOW anti-tank guided missiles and other anti-armor weaponry.

"We sat down with the Ukrainians, with our Ukrainian colleagues, and we calculated the amount of materiel they would need," Cavoli, who also serves as NATO's top military commander, told lawmakers when asked about Ukraine's preparations.

"I am very confident that we have delivered the materiel that they need and will continue a pipeline to sustain their operations."

While some Ukrainian officials have urged patience regarding the potential offensive, an analysis of recent video posted by pro-Russian bloggers suggests key pieces are moving into place.

According to the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, the video indicates Ukrainian forces have set up positions on the eastern side of Dnipro River, a possible staging point for any effort to recapture the Crimean Peninsula.

Despite the deliveries of U.S. and European military aid, Ukrainian officials have consistently pressed their Western allies for more, specifically asking for longer-range missiles and aircraft.

But Assistant U.S. Defense Secretary Celeste Wallander insisted to lawmakers Wednesday that Kyiv's most critical needs were being met.

"While on the list, Western, modern aircraft, is about eighth on the list," she said, saying air defense systems, artillery and armored capabilities remain the priorities.

Donation by allies to #Ukraine "of legacy Soviet aircraft have been helpful to Ukraine because their pilots are trained on those aircraft" per @DeptofDefense's Wallander "They know how to use them. They know how to maintain them"

a Jeff Seldin (@jseldin) April 26, 2023

U.S.-made Patriot missile defense systems arrived in Ukraine earlier this month, and Cavoli said those types of systems were helping Kyiv "control the airspace over its country and over its forces."

"That's the thing that's most imperative right now," he said. "They've been doing that very effectively with ground-based air defense."

Cavoli and Wallander also warned lawmakers against overconfidence, cautioning that despite the heavy losses in Ukraine, key parts of the Russian military machine remained unscathed.

"Although Russia's conventional military capabilities are diminished, Russia continues to present serious risk as it retains capabilities in nuclear, cyber, information operations, counterspace and undersea warfare," Wallander said.

"Much of the Russian military has not been affected negatively by this conflict," Cavoli added, pointing to Russia's fleet of submarines.

"Their patrols into the Atlantic and throughout the Atlantic are at a high level," he warned. "More active than we've seen them in years."

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Reykjavik Summit is the response of member States to Russia's aggression against Ukraine

Council of Europe

Parliamentary Assembly Session

Strasbourg

27 April 2023

"The Russian Federation is writing a bloody page in European history, waging a barbaric war of aggression to achieve its imperialistic objectives. It is exactly because our deepest values are being trampled upon that we must reaffirm our identity. The Reykjavik Summit is the response of the member States to the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine", Fiona O'Loughlin (Ireland, ALDE) said opening a current affairs debate on the #RoadToReykjavik.

The Reykjavik Summit "should be the starting point for a renewed Council of Europe, with a greater capacity to contribute to our shared democratic security, to respond to our citizens' real concerns and to tackle the momentous challenges that confront us. We should make the most of this chance", she added.

"It cannot be said often enough: the quality of the Court and its case-law depends on the quality of the independent and impartial judges elected by you to perform that role", said the President of the European Court of Human Rights, SAofra O'Leary, addressing the Assembly during the debate.

"The more efficient and transparent the process of selection and election, the less room we leave for unjustified attacks whose goal - let me be frank - may be other than securing the independence and authority of the Court", she added.

"At the Summit, the Court is seeking a renewed commitment from the contracting States to the Convention system and to the binding nature of Court judgements and decisions (...) We call on you, and on the Heads of State and Government, to translate the discourse of values into material and political support", she stated.

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Xi, Zelenskyy talk on ties, Ukraine crisis on phone

Global Times

Chinese special envoy will be sent to mediate, seek political solution

By GT staff reporters Published: Apr 26, 2023 07:21 PM Updated: Apr 27, 2023 12:56 AM

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a phone call on Wednesday at the invitation of the latter, during which the two leaders exchanged views on China-Ukraine relations and the Ukraine crisis.

Chinese analysts said that China will engage more on the diplomatic front to contribute to a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, and the role that China could play has been sincerely welcomed by both Kiev and Moscow, despite some voices from the West, especially the US, that have tried to distort China's mediation efforts.

Xi said in the phone call that China will send a special representative of the Chinese government on Eurasian affairs to visit Ukraine and other countries to conduct in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Xi stressed that China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible major country, will not choose to be a bystander to the Ukraine crisis, or "add fuel to the fire," or use the crisis as an opportunity to make profit.

"On the Ukraine crisis, China always stands on the side of peace, and China's core position is to promote peace via talks," Xi noted.

Everything China does is aboveboard. Dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way forward. There is no winner in nuclear wars, the Chinese president said.

Zelenskyy congratulated President Xi on his re-election and commended China for its remarkable achievements. He expressed confidence that under the leadership of President Xi, China will successfully address various challenges and continue to move forward. China upholds the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in international affairs and has significant influence on the international stage.

The Ukrainian side is committed to the one-China policy, and hopes to advance all-round bilateral cooperation with China, open up a new chapter in Ukraine-China relations, and jointly safeguard world peace and stability. Zelenskyy shared his views on the current state of the Ukraine crisis with the Chinese president. He thanked China for providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and welcomed China's important role in restoring peace and seeking diplomatic solution to the crisis.

Mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is the political foundation of China-Ukraine relations, Xi said. "China's readiness to develop relations with Ukraine is consistent and clear-cut. No matter how the international situation evolves, China will work with Ukraine to advance mutually beneficial cooperation," said the Chinese president.

Chinese analysts said the call readout shows that Ukraine holds a different attitude toward China's mediation efforts compared to the US. On March 21, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that the US does not see China as capable of being an impartial mediator between Russia and Ukraine.

Experts said this shows that the US has failed to provide hope of a peaceful solution for the relevant parties, including Ukraine, Russia and other European countries, and this is why even Kiev, who received weapons from the US and NATO, is now seeking dialogue and the possibility of political settlement from China.

Zelenskyy on Wednesday appointed Pavlo Ryabikin, a former minister of strategic industries, as Ukraine's new ambassador to China, according to a decree posted on the website of the Ukrainian president.

From calls to actions

Wang Xiaoquan, an expert from the Institute of Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the phone call upon the invitation of Ukraine demonstrates that the country attaches great importance to its ties with China and recognizes the country's major role in solving the Ukraine crisis.

"China has become an influential mediator that is recognized by Ukraine and Russia as well as France and Germany, meaning China's stance over the crisis is fair and objective and China is a responsible major power seeking no individual interests," Wang noted.

The diplomacy between the heads of states is a way to open the channel, create an atmosphere, and then guide the direction, and there are still many specific problems that need to be solved at the working level, like the role played by the Chinese special envoy on Eurasian affairs, Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The envoy will solve the problems in line with this direction, and this will make the Chinese side understand this situation more concretely and comprehensively, helping China to better promote political solutions, Cui noted. "I think there will be more specific measures in the plan in the future," he said.

China has successfully mediated tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, brokering a deal between the two formerly hostile countries which allowed the resumption of diplomatic ties earlier this year.

In a 12-point position paper called "China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis," issued on the one-year anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine military conflict in February, the Chinese Foreign Ministry called for ceasing hostilities and resuming peace talks, stopping unilateral sanctions and abandoning the Cold War mentality.

It also called for respecting the sovereignty of all countries and expressed opposition to the use of nuclear weapons.

Experts said that the Chinese government's special representative could bring a significant breakthrough for a political settlement to the Ukraine crisis.

"Both Ukraine and Russia have welcomed China's effort to promote a cease-fire and a political solution to the crisis. China didn't fuel the flames, provide weapons to either side or attack them, which is why China has the channel to speak to both Russia and Ukraine," said Zhang Hong, an associate research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, adding that Beijing is a qualified mediator for the crisis.

But mediation of the Ukraine crisis is more difficult and more complicated than the Iran-Saudi deal, because the two major Middle Eastern powers did not directly fight each other, and Riyadh and Teheran have strategic autonomy and are able to make independent strategic decisions. However, Kiev has been deeply affected by Washington, Zhang said. Therefore, it could be too early to set high expectation for a peaceful solution immediately, and the whole peace process will take time, said experts.

Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Wednesday that since 2022, many countries including Belarus and Turkey have tried to mediate the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, but these efforts have not realized meaningful results and the conflict is still far from over. This makes both Kiev and Moscow, as well as other parties concerned by the crisis, seek hope from another mediator with credible influence and sincerity.

Before the phone call with the Ukrainian president, the Chinese leader has spoken with many leaders of relevant parties, including Russia, Germany, France and the EU, as well as neutral third parties like Brazil, and this made conditions for a dialogue between Xi and Zelenskyy more mature, Li said. "It shows that China is sincerely prepared for mediation efforts," he said.

Now that Ukraine shows a similar attitude to China's mediation with other relevant parties on the continent of Europe, like the EU and France, who really want the conflict to be stopped, Kiev has perhaps started to realize that US and NATO military support cannot effectively protect Ukraine or stop the bloodshed, but will only prolong the conflict. This might bring some hope as Kiev might start to act more independently and make pragmatic decisions based on its own judgments, said experts.

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Xi says dialogue only viable way out for Ukraine crisis

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 08:03, April 27, 2023

BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that dialogue and negotiations are the only viable way out for the Ukraine crisis, and no one wins a nuclear war.

He made the remarks while talking to his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, over phone. The two sides exchanged views on China-Ukraine relations and the Ukraine crisis.

China will send a special representative of the Chinese government on Eurasian affairs to visit Ukraine and other countries to conduct in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the crisis, he said.

Xi pointed out that bilateral relations have gone through 31 years of development and reached the level of strategic partnership, which has boosted the respective development and revitalization of the two countries.

Xi said he appreciated President Zelensky's repeated expression of emphasis on the development of China-Ukraine ties and cooperation with China, and thanked Ukraine for providing considerable assistance for the evacuation of Chinese citizens last year.

Mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, said Xi, is the political foundation of the bilateral ties.

He called on both sides to focus on the future, keep on viewing and making plans for bilateral relations from a long-term perspective, and extend the tradition of mutual respect and treating each other with sincerity, so as to propel the development of the China-Ukraine strategic partnership.

China's willingness to develop its relations with Ukraine is consistent and clear, Xi said, adding that no matter how the international situation changes, China is willing to work with the country to push forward mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

Xi pointed out that the Ukraine crisis is evolving in complex ways with major impacts on the international landscape.

On the Ukraine crisis, China always stands on the side of peace, and its core stance is to facilitate talks for peace, he said.

Xi noted his proposals of four points about what must be done, four things the international community must do together and three observations, saying that on this basis, China released its Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis.

China did not create the Ukraine crisis, nor is it a party to the crisis, Xi said, adding that as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible major country, China would not sit idly by, nor would it add oil to the fire, still less exploit the situation for self gains.

Everything China does is aboveboard, said the Chinese president.

On the nuclear issue, all relevant parties must stay calm and exercise restraint, truly act in the interests of their own future and that of humanity, and jointly manage the crisis, he said, adding that with rational thinking and voices now on the rise, it is important to seize the opportunity and build up favorable conditions for the political settlement of the crisis.

It is hoped that all parties would seriously reflect on the Ukraine crisis and jointly explore ways to bring lasting peace and security to Europe through dialogue, Xi said.

China will continue to facilitate talks for peace and make its efforts for early ceasefire and restoration of peace, he added.

China has sent multiple batches of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and will keep providing help to the best of its ability, Xi said.

For his part, Zelensky congratulated President Xi on his re-election, commended China for its remarkable achievements, and expressed confidence that under the leadership of President Xi, China will successfully address various challenges and continue to move forward.

China upholds the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in international affairs and has significant influence on the international stage, Zelensky said, adding that the Ukrainian side is committed to the one-China policy, and hopes to advance all-round cooperation with China, open up a new chapter in Ukraine-China relations, and jointly safeguard world peace and stability.

Zelensky shared his views on the current state of the Ukraine crisis, thanked China for providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, and welcomed China's important role in restoring peace and seeking diplomatic solution to the crisis.

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Ukraine has received nearly all pledged combat vehicles, NATO chief claims

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 27 April 2023 11:31 AM

US-led NATO allies and partners have provided Ukraine with 1,550 armored vehicles and 230 tanks, chief of the US-led military alliance, Jens Stoltenberg has claimed.

Since the start of the war in February last year "more than 98 percent of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine have been delivered," Stoltenberg said on Thursday, as he spoke at a news briefing alongside Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.

Stoltenberg noted that the Contact Group led by the United States, NATO Allies and partners have provided unprecedented support to Ukraine including delivering vast amounts of ammunition to the country during the conflict.

"In total we have trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian armored brigades. This will put Ukraine in a strong position to continue to retake occupied territory," he added.

NATO chief further added that burden-sharing will be an important topic for the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius in July, claiming: "In a more dangerous world, we must invest more, and better, in our defense."

In Stoltenberg's first visit to Kiev last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked NATO to help Ukraine gain access to more weapons to continue its war against Russia.

For his part, Stoltenberg claimed Ukraine's rightful place was in the Western military alliance and that membership and security guarantees for Ukraine would be high on the agenda of NATO's summit in July.

Russia has been carrying out what it calls a special military operation in Ukraine since February 2022, saying the operation aims to stop Kiev's persecution of the pro-Russian population in eastern Ukraine and to "de-Nazify" the ex-Soviet republic.

Since the outbreak of the conflict, which recently completed a year, the United States and Ukraine's other Western allies not only imposed a slew of economic sanctions on Moscow but have sent Kiev tens of billions of dollars worth of weapons.

The Kremlin has repeatedly warned that sanctions on Russia and Western military assistance to Ukraine risk prolonging the war.

In recent developments, Chinese President Xi Jinping on a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Zelensky on Wednesday said the only way to end the war in Ukraine is negotiation between Kiev and Moscow and that "there is no winner in a nuclear war."

The phone call, which was initiated by Kiev and lasted nearly an hour, came two months after Beijing, which has long been aligned with Russia, said it wanted to act as a peace mediator in the war and proposed a 12-point peace plan in February, calling for an immediate "political settlement" to the conflict, and an end to unilateral US-led sanctions on Moscow.

Moscow reacted to the phone call, with Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova saying, "We note the readiness of the Chinese side to make efforts to establish a negotiation process."

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Why Ukraine's Looming Offensive May Be The Most Important Clash Of The War. Period.

By Mike Eckel April 27, 2023

Last fall, Ukraine rewrote the story of Russia's invasion. It wasn't the first time, and if things go as well in the coming weeks as Ukraine prays they will, it won't be the last.

On October 1, 2022, Russia pulled out of the Donetsk region town of Lyman, ceding the town to Ukrainian forces and marking the culmination of a two-month counteroffensive that recaptured dozens of settlements mainly in the Kharkiv region, and highlighted major operational problems with Russia's military. The success stunned Russia and surprised many Western observers.

Now, after a grinding winter in which Russia struggled to regain battlefield momentum, both Moscow and Kyiv are girding for a new counteroffensive that Ukrainian officials have signaled is imminent. One way or another, it will be major turning point in the invasion.

It's unclear when it will begin.

Ukraine's notorious late spring mud season, which makes swaths of fields and forests impassable even to tracked vehicles, may be the biggest determining factor.

 pic.twitter.com/1J7RfIfXBy

 Mike Eckel (@Mike_Eckel) April 27, 2023



But what is clear, according to Western assessments, is that the offensive will be larger and more complicated than any other effort Ukraine has conducted since the launch of the Russian invasion on February 22, 2022. For that reason alone, Kyiv's Western backers are offering guarded predictions.

"If you see the reality on the ground, we have a military stalemate situation and a war of attrition. This offensive, which will probably take place after the 'mud period,' is necessary from a political point of view and also militarily," said Erich Vad, a retired German Army brigadier general and former military advisor to Chancellor Angela Merkel. "But in the end, it's unlikely that the offensive will change the overall military situation because of the pure numerical superiority of Russia and its escalation dominance.

"Maybe the Ukrainians will surprise us," he told RFE/RL. "They have surprised us since the beginning. No one believed they could fight against the Russian superiority for a year."

"The Ukrainians are naturally impatient to get on with the business of pushing the Russians out of their country," Lawrence Freedman, an emeritus professor of war studies at King's College London, said in an analysis published on April 16. "But now that spring has come, there are doubts about whether they are truly ready for a big push against the Russian occupiers."

Ukraine's forces are newly equipped, newly armed, and newly reconstituted, with as many as 12 newly formed brigades, three-quarters of which have been working with NATO and U.S. trainers in a complicated tactic known as combined arms maneuvers. It's a concept that calls for simultaneously using different types of weaponry and units -- artillery, aircraft, infantry, tanks, engineering -- in a coordinated, "symphony-like" manner . It's a new concept for Ukrainian officers, many of whom were brought up with Soviet-legacy thinking.

Ukraine's newest units, plus all of its regular and irregular units, will go into their offensive with more than $32 billion in weapons and security assistance from U.S. arsenals, plus billions more from European allies.

U.S. supplies include high-profile weaponry like Stryker and Bradley armored vehicles, Cougar mine-resistant infantry vehicles, and HIMARS, a long-range rocket launch system that Ukrainian troops used to great effect in their Kharkiv counteroffensive. U.S.-made Patriot missile batteries have arrived in Ukraine and some are already in use, according to Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat. Abrams M1 battle tanks are not expected to arrive in time for the spring counteroffensive.

Other marquee weaponry that Ukrainian units are expected to field include German Leopard 2 tanks, British Challenger tanks, and French AMX-10 vehicles.

The top U.S. commander for European forces, General Christopher Cavoli, told U.S. lawmakers on April 26 that "98 percent" of the combat vehicles pledged by NATO allies to Ukraine had already been delivered.

"I'm optimistic that between this year and next year, I think Ukraine will continue to have the momentum with it," British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told reporters in Washington last week. "I also think we should be realistic. There is not going to be a single magic-wand moment when Russia collapses."

But Ukraine is lacking in other crucial equipment: less glamorous items such as tractor-like vehicles to clear paths through minefields so infantry can advance, or vehicles that can quickly place a temporary bridge over a waterway.

Then there's the simple fact that Russia has been digging in and expanding its defensive lines -- minefields, trenches, anti-tank "dragon's teeth" -- across the roughly 1,200-kilometer front that stretches from Ukraine's Luhansk region, in the Donbas, southwest to the mouth of the Dnieper River and its eastern banks in the Kherson region. And Russia has shorter supply lines than Ukraine.

ThreadGiven the ongoing discussions regarding the Ukrainian counter-offensive, it's crucial to understand russia's echeloned defense system along the frontline, particularly in the south. These defense lines are composed of multiple obstacles that Ukrainian forces will face pic.twitter.com/1di3lgPkiA

 Tatarigami_UA (@Tatarigami_UA) April 11, 2023



"The Russians still have numerical advantage, and they have the escalation dominance on the battlefield," Vad said. "And they are now in a very strong defensive position. And if you want to attack, you need at least three- to five-times superiority on the ground."

"There should be no doubt about the complexity of such operations," Mick Ryan, a retired Australian Army major general, wrote in a blog post earlier this month. "Indeed, there is no military endeavor that is more difficult to plan, orchestrate, and execute than combined arms obstacle breaching."

'Modest Territorial Gains'

For obvious reasons, exactly where and when Ukraine intends to attack is a closely guarded secret. That's been complicated further by the damaging leaks of classified Pentagon documents that appeared earlier this year on a Discord server popular with gamers.

Among the revelations, the White House has doubts about how successful the Ukrainian effort will be, with the likelihood that it will yield only "modest territorial gains."



Many Western observers and military experts have pointed to the Zaporizhzhya region, about 550 kilometers southeast of Kyiv, as one likely possibility for the assault. A successful drive southward, to the city of Melitopol or the port of Berdyansk, would threaten the "land bridge" -- the corridor that Russia has used to supply its troops to the west, in the Kherson region, and, more importantly, in Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that's been under Russian occupation since 2014.

The portion of the Kherson region on the Dnieper's east bank -- where Russian forces withdrew in November, ceding the provincial capital after weeks of relentless pressure from Ukrainian troops -- is another possibility. From their positions across the river, Russia has continued to shell and rocket the city of Kherson, on the opposite bank, terrorizing residents. There are conflicting reports whether Ukrainian special force units have established a bridgehead across, and upriver, from the city.

Other possibilities include locations in the Donetsk or Luhansk regions, such as Vuhledar, where Russian forces have suffered several devastating defeats in recent months.

'Grind Down The Ukrainians, Grind Down The United States And European Allies'

Ukraine's need for a tangible battlefield success stems partly from the fact that, notwithstanding Russia's failed winter offensive, the overall invasion, now in its 15th month, has turned into a war of attrition.

Western defense and intelligence estimates of Russian casualties number around 200,000 killed or wounded. Ukraine's figures are harder to come by, though the leaked Pentagon documents -- and Western officials speaking anonymously -- have put Ukraine's casualties in excess of 120,000 killed or wounded.

Both sides have sought to bolster their troop strength. The mobilization that Russia launched last September netted as many as 300,000 additional troops, though not all have been deployed to Ukraine. The private mercenary group Wagner has sent tens of thousands of soldiers into battle; the majority have been prison inmates recruited since last summer.

Russia is also conducting a new recruitment campaign, while also modernizing its mobilization system and cracking down on draft dodgers. It's unclear how many more troops the effort will yield, though Russian officials have signaled hopes for up to 400,000 more.

Many of Ukraine's forces are believed to be exhausted and some units badly depleted. Ukraine has had a national mobilization in place since the Russian invasion, has created a network of new assault brigades called the Offensive Guard, under the Interior Ministry, and has sought to bolster its more highly trained regular units with NATO-trained troops.

"In total, we have trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian armored brigades. This will put Ukraine in the strong position to continue to retake occupied territory," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on April 27.

Attrition favors Russia, with its larger population, its larger industrial base, and more natural resources -- factors that make sustained Western support, which can help narrow or reverse that advantage, all the more crucial. President Vladimir Putin has made it all but clear that he thinks he has the time and resources to outlast Ukraine and its Western backers.

Putin "still believes today that he can make time work for him...that he can grind down the Ukrainians, that he can grind down the United States and our European allies, and that ultimately Ukraine matters more to him than to us," CIA Director William Burns said in a talk at Texas A&M University earlier this month.

"But the Ukrainians are quite determined. And I've learned over the course of the last couple years not to underestimate their drive or their capability," Burns said.

Meanwhile, with the new offensive still pending, Ukraine may make further efforts to strengthen its hand, Vad said.

"The longer the Ukrainians wait for their offensive, the better they can push the Western allies to give them more equipment, tanks, and so on," he said.

'They Must Show They Are Effective'

But attrition may also favor Russia because of growing impatience among Ukraine's Western backers, some of whom, like France, are actively pushing for some sort of cease-fire or peace negotiations.

In the United States, public opinion polls show waning enthusiasm for arming Ukraine, and a small but growing number of lawmakers in the Republican Party are angling for a slowdown, if not a halt, to U.S. military largesse.

"From a political point of view, the offensive is important to show the Western allies that the Ukrainian forces are operational, that they are capable of pushing back the Russians from these Ukrainian oblasts and to change the military situation," Vad said.

Ukrainian civilian and military leaders have publicly signaled that the ultimate aspiration is to recapture all Ukrainian land now under Russian control.

"Victory for the Ukrainians seems to be at the moment the liberation of all their territory, including Crimea," David Silbey, a military historian at Cornell University, told RFE/RL. "Given [President Volodymyr] Zelenskiy's rhetoric, it would be hard for him to sell the Ukrainian people on much less at this point."

For now, few outside observers consider that realistic. And if Ukraine is unable to make major territorial gains or inflict devastating losses on Russian troops, Western leaders are likely to push Zelenskiy's government to be open to negotiations with Moscow.

"What Ukraine needs is peace, not a protracted war of attrition against a more populous adversary whose leader does not much care about how many lives are sacrificed in the maelstrom," Stephen Walt, a professor of international relations at Harvard University, wrote earlier this month.

The prospect of making concessions with Russia still holding large swathes of territory adds to the pressure on Ukraine to mount a successful counteroffensive.

"Not only do [the Ukrainians] need to demonstrate decisive victories over the Russians, they must show they are effective users of all the military assistance provided in the past six months or so," Ryan wrote.

"The fickle politics and publics in Western nations have become less engaged in the war's progress," he wrote. "The Ukrainians understand that the offensives to come must once again show the people of the West that not only is Ukraine worth supporting, but with ongoing military assistance in 2023 and beyond, they can defeat the Russian invasion."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-offensive-russia- invasion-analysis-turning-point/32382218.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Analysis: Xi's Call With Zelenskiy Sets The Stage For Greater Chinese Diplomatic Push In Europe

By Reid Standish April 27, 2023

Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine 14 months ago, calling for a "political resolution" of the war through dialogue and vowing to send a delegation to Ukraine to hold discussions.

During the long-awaited April 26 call, Xi offered to help facilitate peace talks and appeared to pledge neutrality in the conflict, saying Beijing "will neither watch the fire from the other side nor add fuel to the fire, let alone take advantage of the crisis to profit," according to a Chinese readout.

Zelenskiy, according to the Ukrainian readout, used the nearly one-hour conversation to discuss ways for "possible cooperation to establish a just and sustainable peace" while insisting Ukraine would not give up lost territory and the country must be "restored within the 1991 borders," referring to occupied areas of eastern Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula, which was illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014.

The call was widely viewed as an attempt by China to repair its strained ties with the European Union as the bloc formulates a new policy toward China ahead of a June summit and comes amid a broader Chinese effort to alleviate European concerns over its position on the war in Ukraine, which many analysts and Western officials view as largely favoring Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Xi still benefits more from his relationship with Russia and has a more strategic interest in keeping it strong than anything Kyiv could offer to replace it," Sari Arho Havren, a Brussels-based China expert and visiting researcher at the University of Helsinki, told RFE/RL. "This is mainly Xi giving European leaders the optics they want to see."

The Xi-Zelenskiy call also came just days after controversial comments made by Lu Shaye, China's ambassador to France, sparked a backlash in Europe following an April 21 interview with the French news channel LCI in which he said countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union have no "effective status" in international law as he also disputed Ukraine's sovereignty over Crimea.

The comments drew condemnation from European leaders, who accused Lu of undermining the sovereignty of the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania and interfering in the internal affairs of Europe. Others said the comments led them to question Beijing's intentions to mediating peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, which it positioned itself to do in a 12-point proposal in February.

"The timing of the call looks connected to the storm in the EU that Lu Shaye's comments caused," Arho Havren said. "Xi is doing crisis management and aiming to calm the heated atmosphere in Europe and prevent it from becoming even more anti-China -- and therefore stop it from also becoming more pro-United States in the process."

Watching the War In Ukraine

Xi had resisted pressure from the West and outreach from Kyiv for direct talks with Zelenskiy for months, with Europe pushing China to act responsibly as a top UN member and Xi welcoming European powers to Beijing, including visits by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.

China remains Russia's top strategic ally amid the conflict, and Xi has held multiple meetings with Putin throughout the war, including a high-profile visit to Moscow in March.

In reaction to the call, European officials expressed cautious optimism, with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell saying the call "was awaited" and that it is "very good news."

"It is a first step that China will eventually reach out to Ukraine, and we want to say that any meaningful initiative for a just peace for Ukraine is very much welcome," Borrell said during an April 26 press conference during a trip to Colombia.

EU officials say they are keen to welcome a more constructive role from Beijing but also note they remain skeptical about China's ability to broker an enduring peace in the conflict. They added that they remain realistic about the longevity of Beijing's deepening relationship with Moscow, pointing to how Xi refrained from using the term "war" to describe the conflict during the Zelenskiy call, referring instead to the "Ukrainian crisis."

An EU official who requested anonymity in order to speak to the media told RFE/RL that the 27-country bloc is watching the Chinese special envoy to Ukraine closely and that Brussels fully supports Zelenskiy.

"It is for Ukraine to decide on the future parameters for any potential negotiations," the official said.

Beijing announced that Li Hui, special representative on Eurasian Affairs, will lead its delegation to Ukraine and "other countries."

Li is the former Chinese ambassador to Russia, serving in the post from 2009 to 2019 and overseeing a pivotal period of deepening ties between Beijing and Moscow that culminated in a "no limits" partnership in February 2022.

In response to the call and the announcement of Li's delegation, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on April 26 that Moscow has taken notice of China's willingness to facilitate negotiations with Ukraine but under current conditions negotiations are unlikely, for which she said Kyiv is responsible.

Damage Control

While Xi's phone call with Zelenskiy looks to capitalize on momentum generated around Beijing's role as a peace broker and stifle blowback from Lu's comments in Europe, Chinese officials also aimed to limit the fallout among former Soviet countries in Central Asia.

In an unusual rebuke of its own official on April 24, China's Foreign Ministry disavowed Lu's remarks, calling them "personal comments."

This was followed on April 26 by Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who reaffirmed Beijing's support for the independence and territorial integrity of Central Asian countries when he met with his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan in the northwestern Chinese city of Xian.

"China firmly supports Central Asian countries in choosing their own development paths in light of their national conditions," Qin said, adding that Beijing opposes any external interference in Central Asia's internal affairs.

Unlike the public anger across Europe from Lu's comments, Central Asian governments were notably silent about the remarks that called their independence into question.

"It shouldn't be a surprise that Central Asian countries didn't publicly criticize Lu's very controversial statement," Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told RFE/RL. "It's standard practice within their relationship with China to not raise problems like this publicly."

Li's comments on the former Soviet countries were part of a heated debate with a French TV host over Taiwan's right to self-determination. China's ambassador to France is one of the country's most prominent "wolf warriors" -- diplomats known for their aggressive and unapologetic rhetoric defending what they view as China's national interests -- and is no stranger to courting controversy.

Many analysts say it's unlikely Beijing meant to offend its neighbors in Central Asia, especially as China prepares to host its first-ever, in-person summit between Xi and his Central Asian counterparts in May. China has recognized Central Asia as independent since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and settled long-standing border disputes with the five countries in the 1990s.

But the comments are not the first time Chinese's questioning of the sovereignty of former Soviet countries has boiled over.

In 2020, Kazakhstan summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest an article by a private Chinese online media company that said the country was keen to "return to China." The article appeared to be part of a series that emanated from a private entity that also claimed Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which also share a border with China, wished to "return" to the country. The articles were eventually taken down.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/analysis-xi-call-zelenskiy-chinese- diplomatic-push-europe/32382420.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Zelenskiy Welcomes Council Of Europe Resolution On Forced Transfer Of Ukrainian Children

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 27, 2023

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has welcomed a resolution adopted on April 27 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) saying that Russia's forced transfer of Ukrainian children amounts to genocide.

The resolution said the documented evidence of the transfer of the children "matches with the international definition of genocide" and called for the safe return of the children to Ukraine.

Zelenskiy hailed the resolution as an important decision that will help "hold Russia and its leaders to account." In his evening video message, he said it was the first recognition by such a high-level international organization.

"Practically speaking, this decision will significantly help our global work to bring Russia and its officials, including the head of the terrorist state, to account for genocide [and] a genocidal policy against Ukraine," Zelenskiy said. "The deportation of Ukrainian children is one of the well-thought-out elements of Russia's attempt to erase the identity of our people, to destroy the very essence of Ukrainians. This is a deliberate crime of genocide committed by Russian officials."

He added that Ukraine will continue at all levels to work for the return of all Ukrainian children taken from the country by Russia.

Ukraine has data indicating that nearly 20,000 children were taken from Ukraine and dispersed in different regions of Russian, he said.

American researchers were the first to report on the relocation of thousands of Ukrainian children to a network of sites in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.

The researchers said in a report published on February 14 that they had identified 43 camps and other facilities where at least 6,000 Ukrainian children had been held and said and the main goal was to "reeducate" the children to make them pro-Russian.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 17 issued arrest warrants on war crimes charges for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Moscow's commissioner for children's rights, citing the "unlawful deportation" of children.

Moscow has said the transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia was a humanitarian campaign to protect orphans and children abandoned in the war zone. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said last month the warrants were "meaningless" as Russia "does not cooperate" with the ICC.

The resolution said there was evidence that deported children had faced a process of "russification" through reeducation in Russian language, culture, and history."

The resolution passed by PACE said the transfers of Ukrainian children were "clearly being planned and organized in a systematic way" with the aim of "annihilating every link to and feature of their Ukrainian identity."

PACE called on the United Nations and the Red Cross to be granted access so they could gather information on the children concerned.

With reporting by AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/32382623.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Ukraine In 'Strong Position' To Retake Territory, NATO Chief Says

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 27, 2023

Military aid from allies and partners has substantially improved Ukraine's prospects to liberate territories occupied by Russia since the start of its unprovoked invasion, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on April 27, as Kyiv reported that heavy fighting was under way for control of Bakhmut, the eastern city that has been at the epicenter of Russia's offensive.

Stoltenberg, speaking to reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels, said that "more than 98 percent" of the combat vehicles pledged by the allies have already been delivered.

"That means over 1,550 armored vehicles, 230 tanks, and other equipment, including vast amounts of ammunition," he said at a news conference with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.

"In total, we have trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian armored brigades. This will put Ukraine in the strong position to continue to retake occupied territory," Stoltenberg said.

It wasn't immediately clear how many troops were involved in the training, but in Western militaries, a brigade has between 3,000-5,000 soldiers.

The alliance chief, however, cautioned that "we should never underestimate Russia" despite the "unprecedented" military support that Ukraine received from its partners and allies.

Moscow was "willing to send in thousands of troops with very high casualty rates," he said.

Stoltenberg's statements came amid reports that Kyiv was preparing a long-anticipated counteroffensive that could be launched once the weather warmed and the terrain improved.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Kremlin-connected businessman who controls the notorious Wagner mercenary group that is spearheading Russia's assault on Bakhmut, said on April 26 that Kyiv would most likely launch its counteroffensive, which he called "inevitable," at the start of next month.

The Ukrainian side has not commented on Prigozhin's statement.

Russian forces meanwhile continued to strike residential areas in Ukraine, local officials said.

Russians shelled a residential quarter of the southern city of Kherson, killing one person, the head of the regional military administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, said on April 27.

Overnight, Russia struck the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolayiv with surface-to-air missiles, killing at least one civilian and wounding several others.

Russian troops targeted Mykolayiv with four S-300 missiles, killing one person, the head of regional military administration, Vitaly Kim, said on Telegram, adding that at least one high-rise building and two private residential buildings were hit in the city.

"High-precision weapons were aimed at private houses, a historic building, and a high-rise building [in Mykolayiv]," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on April 27.

The mayor of Mykolayiv, Oleksandr Syenkevych, said part of the city was left without electricity following the strike.

Mykolayiv region and its capital have been frequently targeted by Russian shelling over the past months.

Since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has denied targeting civilians, despite abundant evidence to the contrary.

In Donetsk region, heavy fighting continued on the Bakhmut-Adviyivka-Maryinka front line, Ukraine's General Staff said in its daily update on April 27.

"The attacker is concentrating its main efforts on offensive operations in Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, and Maryinka, where the Defense Forces of Ukraine repelled 54 attacks during the past 24 hours. The fiercest battles continue in Bakhmut and Maryinka," the military reported.

Serhiy Cherevatiy, the spokesman for the eastern military command, told Ukrainian television on April 26 that Russian forces were razing Bakhmut to the ground.

"The Russians are destroying buildings in Bakhmut to prevent our soldiers from using them as fortifications," Cherevatiy said.

With reporting by AP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-mykolayiv- strike/32381587.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Moscow to Decide on Grain Deal Fate Based on Interdepartmental Consultations

Sputnik News

20230427

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia will make a decision on the fate of the Black Sea grain deal based on the results of interdepartmental consultations, taking into account the letter from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"We received a package of proposals from the UN Secretary-General addressed to the Russian President on the development and implementation of the Black Sea initiative. Accordingly, everything was taken into consideration. A decision will be made based on the results of the interdepartmental consultations," Zakharova told a briefing.

On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Guterres's letter to Putin on the grain deal has been handed over via diplomatic channels and was being considered.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed between Russia, Turkiye, Ukraine and the United Nations amid the military conflict in Ukraine in July 2022, provides for exports of Ukrainian grain, food and fertilizers over the Black Sea from three ports, including Odessa.

The package agreement also includes a memorandum of understanding between Russia and the UN to unblock Russian grain and fertilizer exports via the Black Sea, which, according to Moscow, has not been implemented amid Western sanctions. In March, Russia extended the deal for 60 of possible 120 days.

Russia requested that in order to further extend the grain agreement after its expiration on May 18, the normalization of Moscow's agricultural exports, including bank payments, transport logistics, insurance, unfreezing of financial activities and the supply of ammonia through the Tolyatti-Odessa pipeline, must be ensured.

A Sputnik

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Ukrainian children deserve a future that does not involve shrapnel, bunkers and armed checkpoints: UK statement to the OSCE

Ambassador Bush stresses that the UK will do everything we can to support Ukraine to defend its homeland, and protect the future of its younger generation.

27 April 2023

Thank you, Mr Chair. I would like to start by expressing my concern regarding this morning's reports of missile attacks in Mykolaiv, as well as attacks on Kupiansk and Kharkiv over the last week.

Mr Chair, Russia's senseless war has upended the lives of Ukrainian children. The physical impact of this invasion is unforgiveable, with an average of four children killed or injured each day. The mental health implications of Russia's human rights abuses must also not be forgotten. My statement today will focus on the long-lasting psychological impact of Russia's war on Ukrainian children, exacerbated by displacement, disruption to education and child development, and horrific human rights abuses and violations. Beneath these children's resilience and courage are the deep and long-lasting scars of trauma.

Russia's war has displaced around 3.5 million Ukrainian children. Families have been torn apart, as parents have faced the devastating decision to send their children to safety, whilst they remain in a warzone. Others have had their children taken from them. Separation from one's parents is a form of trauma, which puts these children at a greater risk of developing psychological issues. Children subjected to long-term separation from parents and families often experience intense fear, panic, grief, depression, helplessness and hopelessness - feelings no child should be expected to endure.

Russia's war has interrupted the education of all Ukrainian children and young people in some form. Save the Children have reported that on average, children have spent more than 900 hours in bunkers. 900 hours, which children should have spent learning, playing and socialising. When children emerge from these bunkers, many are confronted with the destruction of their schools, nurseries and playgrounds. And the facilities that still stand are no longer regarded by parents as places of safety, but as places potentially at risk of Russian missile attacks. Children in the temporarily Russian-controlled territories study under a new curriculum, where they learn false historical so-called "facts" about Ukraine in a futile attempt to justify Russia's aggressive actions against Ukraine.

Many parents have tried to shield their children from danger by opting for virtual learning - but this has its own challenges, with frequent blackouts and power shortages caused by Russia's targeting of critical national infrastructure. These children are deprived of the routine of the school day and interactions with their peers. The absence of structure and socialisation can deeply impact the mental wellbeing and development of children. The UN has reported that Ukrainian children are suffering with impaired memory, shorter attention spans, and the decreased ability to learn.

We continue to hear credible accounts of conflict-related sexual violence against children by Russian forces, including the rape of a 16-year-old girl in front of her sister, and the horrific report from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of a child as young as four being sexually abused. It is hard to comprehend how a child so young could process this type of trauma; we must do all we can to support survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine, and beyond.

Ukrainian children are absorbing the horrors of Russia's war, with it taking root in their core development. Two boys were seen role-playing armed guards at a checkpoint - mimicking the sound of gunfire. Six-year-old Kira now draws pictures of soil, shrapnel and metal. Parents have reported that their children are having nightmares, reliving the horrors they have endured and wondering if normality will ever return.

Despite condemnation from the international community, the Kremlin shows no remorse and no compassion for the suffering they have inflicted. We will continue to call on Russia to respect humanitarian principles, including allowing humanitarian access to the territories it temporarily controls, and the special protected status of children, notably: access to education, protection against sexual violence, and family reunification.

Mr Chair, in conclusion, Ukrainian children deserve a future that does not involve shrapnel, bunkers and armed checkpoints. The UK will do everything we can to support Ukraine to defend its homeland, and protect the future of its younger generation. Thank you.

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We will keep working for the return of all deported Ukrainian children and for the punishment of Russia - address by the President of Ukraine

President of Ukraine

27 April 2023 - 21:51

Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

Today, there was an important political result in Strasbourg at the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. A resolution was adopted recognizing that Russia's deportation of Ukrainian children has evidence of genocide. This is the first recognition of this fact at the level of such a high international organization uniting the states of our continent.

Practically speaking, this decision will significantly help our global efforts to bring Russia and its officials, including the head of the terrorist state, to justice for genocide and genocidal policies against Ukraine.

The deportation of Ukrainian children is one of the fully premeditated elements of Russia's attempt to erase the identity of our people, to destroy the very essence of Ukrainians. This is a deliberate crime of genocide committed by Russian officials. This is how it should be qualified both politically and legally.

Today, the First Lady of Ukraine addressed PACE - specifically on the issue of children and families... Our parliamentarians and our diplomats have done a good job. And at all levels - formal and informal, with leaders of states, at the parliamentary, governmental, law enforcement levels, in the legal community and in international and inter-parliamentary organizations - we will keep working for the return of all deported Ukrainian children and for the punishment of Russia. We know for sure the data of almost 20 thousand children who were taken away and dispersed to different regions of the evil state. But it is obvious that this is only a part of much larger criminal actions. There may be many more such children.

Europe and the world have already seen various deportations and attempts to exterminate peoples. It is through the Russian example - the accountability of this state and its officials guilty of genocide - that we must show all other potential sources of the same evil that there will never be impunity. There will be sentences for genocide. Just as for all other crimes committed by Russia against Ukraine and our people.

In Mykolaiv, the debris has been cleared from the site of a rocket attack that took place last night. More than 20 people were wounded, one person was killed... My condolences to the families and friends.

The rockets damaged dozens of ordinary houses and two educational institutions. "Kalibrs" against a school and a college, against residential buildings.

In the evening, another rocket attack was launched at Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region. A school, hospital and residential buildings were damaged. Unfortunately, there are people injured.

Unfortunately, the world's legal machine is taking a long time to gain momentum. But it is gaining momentum. Unfortunately, the world's political pressure on the terrorist state, the sanctions pressure, has not yet reached its full force. But it is reaching...

But our warriors have been doing absolutely everything possible to protect people and humanity since the first day of this battle! And even more than possible.

Avdiivka - the 35th separate marine brigade. Maryinka - our famous "Seventy-ninth"... The entire Donetsk sector - the 55th separate artillery brigade... Thank you, warriors, for your consistent efficiency!

Zaporizhzhia direction - today, as always, we have a lot to thank the warriors of our 44th separate artillery brigade for. Well done!

Today, I conveyed written gratitude to the warriors and the commander of the 95th separate airborne assault brigade who are fighting vigorously near Kreminna, Luhansk region.

I would also like to thank absolutely everyone who is defending Bakhmut and destroying the enemy there on a scale that the occupier deserves.

Glory to all our warriors who are now in combat, at combat posts, on combat missions!

Thank you to everyone in the world who helps us!

Eternal memory to all those whose lives were taken by Russian terror!

Glory to Ukraine!

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Andriy Yermak discussed with advisors to the Presidents of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Romania the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine

President of Ukraine

27 April 2023 - 20:29

On the instruction of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak held a video conference meeting with foreign policy advisors to the Presidents of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Romania.

Andriy Yermak thanked the interlocutors for the comprehensive assistance provided by their countries to Ukraine during the full-scale Russian invasion.

The Head of the President's Office emphasized the importance of further movement towards the unity of NATO countries' positions on Ukraine's membership in the Alliance in the context of the upcoming summit in Vilnius.

"This is evidenced by President Zelenskyy's Peace Formula and our official position: our principled position is that we see no alternative to Ukraine's membership in NATO," said Andriy Yermak.

At the same time, the Head of the President's Office noted that an important decision must be made to provide Ukraine with effective security guarantees until our country becomes a member of the Alliance. These security guarantees cannot replace or substitute for Ukraine's membership in NATO, but will serve as a guarantee of Ukraine's security until full membership in the Alliance, which has no alternatives.

Andriy Yermak also emphasized the importance of a strong political signal from NATO regarding a clear algorithm for Ukraine's approach to membership in the Alliance.

"Today, thanks to you, thanks to the United States and other partners, the unity that you have created and that is being maintained is a powerful weapon," he said.

The representatives of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Romania, in turn, once again reaffirmed their countries' full support for Ukraine and its future full membership in NATO and the European Union.

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Andriy Yermak held a briefing on defense issues for the UK delegation led by Timothy Barrow

President of Ukraine

27 April 2023 - 10:14

On the instructions of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak held a briefing on countering a full-scale Russian invasion for the UK delegation led by National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Timothy Barrow.

The meeting was also attended by Chief of the British Defense Staff Antony Radakin and British Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons.

"It is very important that you understand in detail what is happening on the battlefield. I am very glad that today the level of our cooperation and mutual understanding is extremely high," said Andriy Yermak.

He highly appreciated the support provided by the UK to Ukraine, in particular in the supply of necessary equipment and weapons, and expressed hope that the United Kingdom would continue to help our country without any restrictions or "red lines".

"Without this unprecedented level of support, we would not have survived. And we will always remember the UK's contribution to our future victory over the aggressor. It will be our common victory," the Head of the Presidential Office noted.

According to him, our country is open in its actions and is ready to constantly inform partners about all aspects of defense in order to preserve their unity.

"This unity in understanding and decision-making regarding Ukraine must be preserved. After all, Russia, realizing that it stands no chance on the battlefield, is concentrating its efforts on dividing Ukraine's partners," Andriy Yermak is convinced.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhny briefed the British delegation on the overall situation at the front and the formation of new brigades of the Ukrainian defense forces.

Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Commander of the "Khortytsia" operational and strategic group of troops Oleksandr Syrskyi spoke about the situation in the Bakhmut sector via video call.

Commander of the Air Forces Mykola Oleshchuk informed about Ukraine's defense against enemy air attacks via video call.

Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Roman Mashovets emphasized the importance of increasing the pace of arms supplies to effectively counter Russia.

"The speed of supplying weapons and military equipment to Ukraine's defense forces is of great importance for deterring the offensive actions of the Russian occupiers and for proper preparation for our further steps," he said.

Roman Mashovets praised the UK for coordinating the efforts of partner countries in providing security assistance to our country.

For his part, Timothy Barrow emphasized that the UK understands the price Ukraine is paying to repel the Russian invasion, so it cannot stand aside and will continue to help until the aggressor is completely defeated, which the British side has no doubt about.

"During this war, we have built unprecedented relations between our countries, which I am convinced will continue after its end. I believe that this historic change has already taken place and will be continued in the context of building a new security architecture in Europe and the world," the Head of the Presidential Office said.

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President and Adviser to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom discussed enhancement of defense support for Ukraine

President of Ukraine

27 April 2023 - 08:39

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a meeting with National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Timothy Barrow.

The meeting was also attended by Chief of the British Defence Staff Antony Radakin and Assistant to the UK Prime Minister on Military Affairs Jamie Norman.

The Head of State thanked Timothy Barrow for the meeting and noted the UK's leadership in the defense support of Ukraine.

"I would like to ask you to continue to convince our partners of the need to provide Ukraine with all the necessary weapons and military equipment," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President and the Adviser to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom discussed the issue of further provision of defense assistance to Ukraine.

In particular, Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of providing Ukraine with Western-type military aircraft and various types of weapons necessary to counter the Russian aggressor. He called on the United Kingdom to take the lead in forming an air coalition for Ukraine.

The parties also discussed preparations to the NATO Summit to be held in Vilnius in the summer. The Head of State emphasized that Ukraine expects concrete decisions from the Summit that would bring the end of the war closer and strengthen the security of Europe.

In this context, the President also informed the British Prime Minister's Adviser on the work on creating effective security guarantees for Ukraine while our country is on the way to NATO membership.

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Latest in Ukraine: Russian Missile Strike Kills 1, Injures 23 in Southern Ukraine

By VOA News April 27, 2023

One dead, 23 wounded in Russian missile strike on Ukraine's Mykolaiv - officials

NATO allies, partners have given 1,550 armored vehicles, 230 tanks to Ukraine: NATO Chief

Stoltenberg welcomes Xi's call with Zelenskyy but says it doesn't change the fact that China has still not condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine

British defense ministry says imagery shows that by March 2023, Russian forces had established sandbag fighting positions on the roofs of several of the six reactor buildings at Zaporizhzhia

A Russian missile strike on the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv early Thursday has killed one person and injured 23 others.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on the Telegram app, "At night, Russia bombarded Mykolaiv with four Kalibr missiles launched from the Black Sea."

The strike damaged homes and an apartment building. Russia denies targeting civilians, saying it attacks military targets.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg says Ukraine has received more than 98% of the combat vehicles promised by NATO allies and partners. The deliveries include 1,550 armored vehicles and 230 tanks.

Speaking Thursday at a news conference in Brussels, he said NATO has trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian armored brigades, putting "Ukraine in a strong position to continue to retake occupied territory."

Stoltenberg also said he 'welcomed' the call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Zelenskyy, but that it did not change the fact that China had still not condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said he had a "long and meaningful" phone call with Xi Wednesday, with the two men agreeing to send envoys to Beijing and Kyiv in a possible initial move to broker peace talks to end Russia's war against Ukraine.

Zelenskyy, in a comment on Twitter, gave no details of his nearly hourlong conversation with Xi, his first known contact with the Chinese president since Russia's invasion 14 months ago. Zelenskyy said, "I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine's ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations."

Later, on his website, he called the conversation productive and said it would lead the way toward "possible interaction with the aim of establishing a just and sustainable peace for Ukraine."

Chinese state media reported that Xi appealed to Zelenskyy for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, warning, "There is no winner in a nuclear war." He was apparently referring to the threat of Russia using tactical nuclear weapons. Chinese state TV said Xi's government would send a special representative to Ukraine for talks about a possible political settlement.

"Negotiation is the only viable way out," state TV said in a report on Xi's comments to Zelenskyy. "All parties concerned should remain calm and restrained in dealing with the nuclear issue and truly look at the future and destiny of themselves and humanity as a whole and work together to manage the crisis."

China has attempted to appear neutral on the Russian invasion, in February proposing a cease-fire and peace talks. But Beijing has also refused to condemn Russia's invasion or call for Moscow to withdraw its troops from Ukraine, including Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

Zelenskyy has repeatedly said his government will not engage in peace talks until Moscow withdraws its troops from all of Ukraine. "There can be no peace at the expense of territorial compromises," Zelenskyy said after his phone call with Xi.

Russia wants Kyiv to acknowledge Russia's annexation of Crimea and last year's declaration that the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia are part of Russia.

Russian recon aircraft over Baltic Sea

In Thursday's update on the situation in Ukraine, the British defense ministry said imagery showed that by March 2023 Russian forces had established sandbag fighting position on the roofs of several of the six reactor buildings at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

In the Twitter post the ministry said "Russia has likely constructed these positions because it is increasingly concerned about the prospects of a major Ukrainian offensive."

However, the ministry said, "direct catastrophic damage to the reactors in unlikely under most plausible scenarios involving infantry weapons because the structures are very heavily reinforced."

Some material in this report came from Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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Q&A: Ukraine's Prosecutor General Discusses Accountability for Putin's War Crimes

By Oleksii Kovalenko April 27, 2023

Since Russia invaded Ukraine last February, Ukrainian prosecutors have documented more than 80,000 war crimes committed by Russia forces, as well some 17,000 crimes against the foundations of the national security of Ukraine.

In addition, prosecutors in Ukraine have investigated 647 senior Russian military and political officials on suspicion of the "crime of aggression," issuing in absentia indictments against 207 of them.

Appearing before a Congressional committee on April 19, Ukraine's Prosecutor General Ukraine Andrii Kostin accused Russia's invading forces of deliberately using rape, torture, and kidnapping in an attempt to sow terror among civilians in Ukraine.

Russia has denied targeting civilians.

In an interview with VOA's Ukrainian Service, Kostin discusses his team's efforts to bring alleged Russian war criminals to justice, as well as the prospects for creation of an international tribunal to prosecute Russia the crime of aggression.

The following transcript has been edited for clarity and length.

VOA: Your office has documented more than 80,000 war crimes, committed by Russian soldiers in Ukraine. Could you update us on the investigations?

Kostin: Unfortunately, this number is increasing every day. And this is due to the fact that the number of crimes that began to take place en masse on Ukrainian soil against Ukrainians since the beginning of the full-scale invasion continues to grow. In addition to the investigation of the war crimes, we have two separate teams working on major cases - on the crime of aggression and the other one - on the genocide. We are talking about the creation of a web of accountability. Our task with our partners is to make sure that none of the war criminals can penetrate this web.

VOA: The International Criminal Court recently issued an arrest warrant Russian President Vladimir Putin. What would you say to the countries that are reluctant to arrest Vladimir Putin if he travels to those countries?

Kostin: For countries that have any doubts, it is a matter of checking what is important for them - if they are committed to the rule of law, there could be no doubt. They just need to execute the arrest warrant of the International Criminal Court. It's not up to them to somehow analyze the grounds of the arrest warrant or the case.

If the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant and identified Putin as a suspect in war crimes, then it's up to the International Criminal Court to deal with this case. And countries that are members of the Rome Statute have an obligation to execute the arrest warrant if Putin appears on their soil - [they will have to] arrest him and send him to the International Criminal Court in the Hague. This arrest warrant is a very important signal that no one is and should be or should be above the law.

If politicians view Putin and friendship with Putin as more important to them than the rule of law - it could send a very strong negative signal internationally and internally about these leaders. These leaders could treat their population in the same manner, putting private interests above the interests of the rule of law. It would be a big mistake for any politician to intentionally disobey the arrest warrant of International Criminal Court. And the consequences of this mistake for any of such politicians would be very dramatic.

VOA: The United States recently declared support for the creation of a tribunal to investigate Russia for its crime of aggression against Ukraine. Specifically, the US supported an internationalized version of this tribunal, which basically is a hybrid tribunal, deeply rooted in the Ukrainian legal system. Is this the kind of tribunal that Ukraine needs?

Kostin: First of all, Ukraine needs a tribunal, which would be international, because this is a global war. I hardly know any country that doesn't feel the consequences of this war of aggression on them. The response to the crime of aggression should also be global and should be international. [This is] not only for the Ukrainians and not only as a matter of justice for Ukrainians and for Ukraine, but also to deter any future aggressor from an aggression similar to Russia's full scale invasion against Ukraine.

Secondly, the international tribunal should have jurisdiction over the highest political and military leadership of Russia. If any type of tribunal uses Ukrainian law, it will automatically mean that the so-called troika - namely president, prime Minister and Minister of foreign Affairs of Russian Federation - will have immunity from criminal liability for the crime of aggression.

Thirdly, whatever model it adopts this tribunal should not require any postponement due to any legal obstacles. It should be created during the war - all legal instruments should be put in place during the war, so that once the war is over, this tribunal could immediately start.

We are doing everything possible to make it happen, but we all need the proper tribunal. Either it is based on an international multilateral agreement. That was our initial idea. Or it is based on a resolution of the U.N. General Assembly and an agreement between U.N. General Secretary and Ukraine. Both of these versions will ensure that this will be an international tribunal.

VOA: The U.S. launched a mechanism, allowing to direct funds forfeited from sanctioned Russian oligarchs to the State Department for the purpose of providing aid to Ukraine. How would you assess your partners' work on the issue of the future reparations?

Kostin: The first successful case with the forfeiture [of the private Russian assets] is in the US. Our partners in the U.S. Department of Justice are working on other cases as well, the work is ongoing. There is a case in Canada. Canadian partners adopted the legislation [on forfeiture of sanctioned Russian oligarchs' assets] before everyone else did. The European Union has enacted legislation as well. But all of it applies mostly to the private funds.

Ultimately, the goal should be to confiscate Russia's sovereign assets, and this is a matter of political courage. There is no legal issue with that. Moreover, one of the consequences of the [ICC issuing] an arrest warrant for Putin is that the head of the state is officially a suspect in war crimes. From a political point of view, the arrest warrant might make it easier for many countries to confiscate sovereign assets of the aggressor state, suspected in committing the war crimes.

We are using the term "proper tribunal" for the issue of confiscation of the Russian sovereign assets as well. When we hear from our partners careful statements [comparing confiscation of the Russian sovereign assets to] "opening a Pandora's box," we respond that this box is opened by Putin in a way that none of us can close. We need to do more, not to hide our courage behind immunity, not to hide sovereign assets behind the political risks.

VOA: There is currently no mechanism for international control and access to Ukrainian children forcibly deported to Russia. Do you see enough international effort to create such a mechanism?

Now I am hearing what I wanted to hear 5-6 months ago, when I was saying every day that the world leaders should speak out for the protection of Ukrainian children. Every international organization has this opportunity.

There are certain countries that are more complimentary to Russia than we wish to see, considering the fact that Russia is the aggressor. These countries, their politicians and citizens have to hear every day why exactly Putin has become a suspect at the level of the International Criminal Court. Putin organized and ordered the abduction of Ukrainian children, ordered the destruction of their national identity through forced adoption. Many of these children may not know who they were at birth, who their parents were, where they were born, what country they were citizens of. It is important to show this to the societies of these countries. If everyone, with whom Putin communicates will tell him: "Putin, bring back the children," it would be very difficult for him not to return them.

We need to tell the following to the various countries who are still communication with Putin: "Colleagues, if you think that you have simply forgotten about what is happening to Ukrainian children - here is a warrant for the arrest of Putin, just so that you remember who you continued to communicate with. With a person who steals children and changes their citizenship, their identity, adopts them into other families."

The first sentence of every communication with Putin from anyone should start with "Putin, bring back the Ukrainian children."

This interview originated in VOA's Ukrainian Service.

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Security Council veto should be 'very last resort': General Assembly President

26 April 2023 - One year after the General Assembly adopted its so-called "veto initiative", Member States met on Wednesday to discuss how it could contribute to a more efficient and impact-oriented UN.

The landmark resolution, adopted by consensus, calls for the General Assembly to automatically meet within 10 days if any of the five permanent members of the Security Council - China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States - uses their right of veto.

The aim is to hold these countries accountable for exercising this special voting power, which allows them to block any Council resolution or decision.

This right is enshrined in the UN Charter, the Organization's founding document, because of their key roles in establishing the global body more than seven decades ago.

All five have exercised the right of veto at one time or another, with 44 vetoes alone since the year 2000.

A new instrument

In his opening remarks, General Assembly President Csaba KArAsi said "the issue of the use of the veto affects the whole UN. And the decisions taken in these halls - or the lack of decisions - reverberate world-wide," adding that "vetoes should always remain the very last resort."

He said this first-ever formal debate on the veto initiative was being held "to figure out the best ways to exploit this new instrument in our big UN toolbox."

He urged ambassadors to "ask tough questions" and "seek game-changing solutions", stressing that "there is no wrong answer, only new ideas."

'Like an oxygen mask'

Mr. KArAsi also expressed hope that Security Council members can unite and work for viable solutions, going beyond their immediate interests to act responsibly for the sake of peace across the world.

"That way we will never have to fall back on the veto resolution," he said. "Because, in my view, it is like an oxygen mask in an airplane: good to have, but best never to be used."

The General Assembly President said he intends to send the verbatim records of the debate, and all future debates, to the Council President.

"Today's exchange of views cannot be just a pro forma event, or a mere administrative procedure," he said.

"This is an opportunity to chart new avenues for multilateralism and cooperation. An opportunity to rebuild trust both within our institution and in it. An opportunity to do better for the eight billion who count on us."

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TORONTO, April 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jamieson Wellness Inc. (Jamieson Wellness or the Company) (TSX:JWEL) today announced that its Board of Directors has approved an amendment to the Companys long-term incentive plan (the LTIP), having considered the voting recommendation made by Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. to its subscribers.



The amendment decreases the maximum number of the Companys shares that may be subject to awards under the LTIP and the Companys legacy option plan to 8.7% of the issued shares outstanding from time to time.

An amended and restated LTIP has been filed under the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

About Jamieson Wellness

Jamieson Wellness is dedicated to improving the world's health and wellness with its portfolio of innovative natural health brands. Established in 1922, Jamieson is the Company's heritage brand and Canada's #1 consumer health brand. Jamieson Wellness also offers a variety of VMS products under its youtheory, Progressive, Smart Solutions, Iron Vegan and Precision brands. The Company is a participant of the United Nations Global Compact and adheres to its principles-based approach to responsible business. For more information, please visit www.jamiesonwellness.com.

Jamieson Wellness head office is located at 1 Adelaide Street East Suite 2200, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
NEW YORK, April 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) between April 26, 2018 and March 13, 2023, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), of the important May 19, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline in the securities class action commenced by the Firm.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Rite Aid securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Rite Aid class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=9388 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than May 19, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs Bar. Many of the firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) until at least June 2019, Rite Aid filled at least hundreds of thousands of unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, including for potentially lethal opioids such as oxycodone and fentanyl; (2) Rite Aid pharmacists filled these prescriptions despite clear red flags that indicated that the prescriptions were unlawful; (3) Rite Aid ignored evidence that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions, and intentionally deleted internal notes about suspicious prescribers written by concerned pharmacists; (4) by knowingly filling unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances, Rite Aid violated the Controlled Substances Act and, where Rite Aid sought reimbursement from federal healthcare programs, also violated the False Claims Act; (5) as a result, it was at risk of prosecution by federal authorities such as the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and (6) as a result, Defendants statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Rite Aid class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=9388 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investors ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

-------------------------------

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

lrosen@rosenlegal.com

pkim@rosenlegal.com

cases@rosenlegal.com

www.rosenlegal.com
Tokyo, Japan, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Agricultural Biological Market Overview:

The global agricultural biological market is expected to experience significant growth over the next few years, according to a Comprehensive Research Report by Market Research Future (MRFR), The report, titled " Agricultural Biological Market Information by Type, Source, Mode of Application, Crop Type, and Region- Forecast till 2030," reveals that the market is projected to reach a value of USD 17.9 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.2% during the forecast period.

Drivers and Challenges:

The agricultural biological market is witnessing significant growth due to the increasing demand for sustainable agriculture practices and the growing trend of organic farming. The use of agricultural biologicals helps in improving soil health and reducing the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, which is driving the demand for these products.

However, the high cost of agricultural biologicals and the lack of awareness about their benefits among farmers are some of the key challenges faced by the market.

Get Free Sample PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/6629

Report Scope:

Report Attribute Details 2030 Market Size USD 17.9 Billion CAGR 12.2% (20232030) Base Year 2022 Forecast Period 2023-2030 Historical Data 2019 - 2021 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Product Type, Operating Platforms, and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW) Key Market Drivers Rising Demand from Agricultural Economies such as China, Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia Increasing Multiple Microbiological Advancements

Key Players:

The report profiles some of the key players in the global agricultural biological market, including

BASF SE

Bayer AG

Chr. Hansen Holding A/S

DowDuPont Inc.

Novozymes A/S

Syngenta AG

Marrone Bio Innovations Inc.

Isagro S.p.A.

Koppert Biological Systems and

Certis USA LLC.

Market Segmentation:

The market research report from MRFR provides a comprehensive analysis of the global agricultural biological market based on product type, source, application, and region. Based on product type, the market is segmented into biopesticides, biofertilizers, and biostimulants. Of these, the biopesticides segment is expected to account for the largest share of the market during the forecast period.

Based on source, the market is segmented into microbials, biochemicals, and others. The microbials segment is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period due to its wide range of applications in crop protection and soil improvement.

Based on application, the market is segmented into cereals and grains, oilseeds and pulses, fruits and vegetables, and others. The cereals and grains segment is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period due to the increasing demand for food products.

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Regional Analysis:



The report also provides a detailed analysis of the agricultural biological market across various regions, including North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World. North America is expected to account for the largest share of the market during the forecast period, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Industry Trends:

The agricultural biological market is witnessing significant growth due to the increasing adoption of sustainable agriculture practices and the growing trend of organic farming. Key players in the market are focused on developing new products and technologies to cater to the growing demand from farmers.

Browse In-depth Market Research Report (90 Pages) on Agricultural Biologicals Market: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/agricultural-biologicals-market-6629



Recent Developments:

Agricultural Biological Market Experiencing Innovative Developments

The global agricultural biological market is experiencing innovative developments from key players, according to recent market research conducted by Market Research Future. The use of agricultural biologicals helps in improving soil health and reducing the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, which is driving the demand for these products.

In recent developments, BASF SE announced the acquisition of Lallemand Inc.'s bioinoculant business, which will help the company to strengthen its position in the agricultural biological market. In June 2022, Marrone Bio Innovations Inc. announced the launch of its new biological fungicide, Stargus, which helps in controlling various fungal diseases in crops.

In August 2022, Syngenta AG announced the launch of its new biological product, Taegro 2 Biofungicide, which helps in controlling a wide range of fungal diseases in crops. These developments indicate the growing focus on developing new products and technologies to cater to the growing demand from farmers.

The agricultural biological market is witnessing significant growth due to the increasing adoption of sustainable agriculture practices and the growing trend of organic farming. Key players in the market are focused on developing new products and technologies to cater to the growing demand from farmers.

In conclusion, the global agricultural biological market is experiencing innovative developments from key players to cater to the growing demand for sustainable agriculture practices and the trend of organic farming.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the global agricultural biological market is expected to experience significant growth over the next few years, driven by the increasing demand for sustainable agriculture practices and the growing trend of organic farming. The market is expected to witness significant growth in North America, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Discover more research Reports on Agriculture Market , by Market Research Future:

Agricultural Coatings Market Research Report Information by Category (Seed Coatings, Fertilizer Coatings, and Pesticide Coatings), Type (Polymers, Colorants, and Pellets), Coating Type (Powder Coating and Liquid Coating), Application (Agricultural Vehicles, Agricultural Machinery, Agricultural Tools and Others), End-Use (Insecticides, Herbicides, Fungicides, Rodenticides, and Other Pesticide Coatings) and Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World)Forecast till 2030

Agricultural Packaging Market Research Report by Material (Plastic, Paper & Paperboard, Metal, Glass), Product (Pouches, Bags, Bottles, Trays), Barrier Strength (High, Medium, Low), Application (Chemical Pesticides, Chemical Fertilizers, Biologicals) and Region  Forecast till 2030

About Market Research Future:

Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis with regard to diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions.

Contact:
Tokyo, Japan, April 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a comprehensive research report by Market Research Future (MRFR),  Digital Door Lock Systems Market Research Report: by Type, by End-User  Forecast till 2030, the market is anticipated to acquire a valuation of approximately USD 4,15.1 million by the end of 2030. The reports further predict the market to flourish at a robust CAGR of over 17.1% during the assessment timeframe.

Digital Door Lock Systems Market Insights

Digital door lock systems are high-tech electronic locks offering advanced locking solutions. These locks have keypads, as well as a biometric secured locking system offering fool-proof safety features. Advanced digital locks come with features such as fingerprint sensing technology, PIN, RFID, OTP, Bluetooth unlocking, and manual key access with a door unlocking speed of merely 0.5 seconds.

The OTP feature allows the administrator to create an OTP using a mobile application to grant access for a short period to unlock the digital lock. Some digital locks also offer a unique feature that allows users to check the past unlocking history through their official mobile app. Digital door lock systems are witnessing a high implementation rate in residential and commercial premises.

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Digital Door Lock Systems Market Key Players

The leading players in the digital door lock systems market are-

Onity Inc., ADT, Inc.,

Honeywell International, Inc.,

Panasonic Corporation,

Salto Systems S.L.,

Spectrum Brands, Inc.,

Vivint, Inc., Assa Abloy Group,

Allegion PLC.,

Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Co. Ltd.,

Report Scope:

Report Metric Details Revenue Forecast in 2030 USD 4,15.1 Million Growth Rate CAGR of 17.1% from 2022 to 2030 Base Year 2021 Study Period 2022-2030 Key Market Opportunities The proliferation of smart homes and smart connected devices provides vast impetus to the growth of the digital door lock systems market. Key Market Drivers There has been a major and significant growth related to security concerns.

Browse In-depth Market Research Report (100 Pages) on Digital Door Lock Systems Market:

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Industry Trends

The market is witnessing substantial R&D investments and technological advances. There are a large number of innovations, enabling the digital door lock systems market to garner significant revenue gains. Features like safety sensors and smartphone integration are already becoming common. The augmenting demand for improved, connected security by end-users substantiates the market size.

The proliferation of smart homes and smart connected devices provides vast impetus to the growth of the digital door lock systems market. Furthermore, advances in digital technologies foster market growth. Despite demonstrating many growth opportunities, the market still confronts various major headwinds, such as the lack of awareness about the product benefits, high development, implementation, maintenance costs, and, most importantly, cybersecurity & power failure concerns.

Also, the high prices and installation costs can affect market profitability. These factors are expected to restrict expansion possibilities for the market during the forecast period. Nevertheless, the rising need for security & safety solutions among patrons, adoption of advanced technologies, and innovations would support the market growth throughout the assessment period.

Market Segmentation

The digital door lock systems market is segmented into types, end-users, and regions. The type segment is sub-segmented into biometrics and keypads. The end-user segment is further sub-segmented into commercial, industrial, residential, government, and others. By regions, the digital door lock systems market is segmented into the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest-of-the-World.

Geographical Analysis

North America dominates the global digital door lock systems market with the largest market share. Technological advancement and increased adoption of smart locking systems are key driving forces for this market growth. Besides, the rising demand and availability of quality digital door lock systems solutions in the region substantiate the market size. The North American digital door lock systems market is poised to continue with its dominance throughout the assessment period.

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The Europe region is another promising market for smart locks witnessing tremendous growth. The increasing adoption of smart locks by small and medium-scale businesses and the increasing number of data centers boost the region's market shares. Growing demand from the hospitability sector is another key driving force boosting the region's digital door lock systems market share.

The digital door lock systems market in the APAC region is witnessing a rapid expansion stage. The wide adoption of these devices across the end-user markets is the main driving force behind the market growth. India, China, and Japan are leading markets for smart locks placing the region in the leading position. The APAC digital door lock systems market has been valued hugely in the past and is expected to grow further over previous growth records by the end of the forecasted period.

Competitive Analysis

The digital door lock systems market appears highly competitive and fragmented, with many leading players having international and regional footprints forming a competitive landscape. Manufacturers strive to deliver keyless digital locks that can offer the best level of security. However, making more intelligent devices a reality requires a high level of hardware and software technology innovations and adoption.

Therefore, digital lock manufacturers continuously look for new, 10X security-focused ways to make that happen. MRFR Analysis observes two kinds of new entrants in the market established companies from adjacent industries and technology start-ups. Players incorporate acquisition, partnership, collaboration, expansion, and product & technology launches to gain a competitive advantage and stay at the forefront of market competition.

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For instance, on Oct 25, 2022, Precise Biometrics (Sweden), a leading global provider of identification software and locking solutions, announced that it has integrated its BioMatch algorithm solution with the fingerprint module placed on the lock handle to offer enhanced security and performance with authentication rejection.

BioMatch is developed in partnership with a sensor manufacturer, Betterlife. The BioMatch's integration into fingerprint sensors will be used for the latest digital door lock model. In addition to fingerprint identification with more fingerprint features, these new locks meet the ultra-low power consumption requirements preferred by the door lock industry. Furthermore, this advanced lock is packed with futuristic functions that are also simple to use.

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About Market Research Future:

Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis regarding diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions.

Contact Us:
French English

Offer at  62.60 per share, representing a premium of 45. 4 % compared to the last closing share price before the announcement of the Offer and of 36. 5 % compared to the average volume-weighted share price of the last 60 trading days, offering immediate liquidity to S hareholders

Delisting initiative will enable Vilmorin & Cie to adopt a long-term approach in line with its activities as a seed company

Favorable and unanimous reception of the basis of the Offer by Vilmorin & Cie s Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of Vilmorin & Cie has formed an ad hoc committee made up of two independent Directors and a representative of Bpifrance Investissement, and has appointed Finexsi as an independent expert

The simplified public tender offer aims to provide Limagrain with additional freedom in its strategic decision-making, particularly with regard to its seed activity. The seed business, with its selection cycles, is a long-term activity that does not necessarily correlate with the pace of the stock market: in a highly competitive market and an uncertain macro-economic environment, Vilmorin & Cie's development requires significant investments that will be easier to decide on and implement as a non-listed company.

Furthermore, given the current structure of Vilmorin & Cie's shareholder base and the low volume of trading, the listing is not particularly beneficial for the Company, which has not resorted to the market since 2010.

Sebastien Vidal, Chairman of Limagrain, declared: "This operation is a new milestone in the history of Limagrain, which is based on the development of its seed activities and its agri-food chains, with a vision of innovation and long term.

Sebastien Chauffaut, CEO of Limagrain, declared: "The goal of this delisting initiative is to provide Limagrain with greater freedom in its strategic decisions.

The Offer will be initiated by Limagrain Participations SAS, a company fully controlled by Limagrain, holding in total, with other entities of the Group acting in concert with it (Limagrain, Groupe Limagrain Holding and Selia), 71.22% of the capital of Vilmorin & Cie.1

The Offer will be proposed at 62.60 per share, representing a premium of 45.4% compared to the last closing share price before the announcement of the Offer (April 27, 2023) and a premium of 36.5% compared to the volume-weighted average share price of the last 60 trading days. This price values Vilmorin & Cie at 1.43 billion for 100% of its capital2.

The Offer will enable Vilmorin & Cie's Shareholders to benefit from immediate liquidity for their investment.

The financing of the operation will be provided by Limagrain's banking partners.

The basis of the Offer favorably and unanimously3 received by Vilmorin & Cies Board of Directors

Vilmorin & Cies Board of Directors, met on April 17 and 27, 2023, and favorably and unanimously received the basis of the proposed Offer.

In accordance with the regulations, the Board of Directors of Vilmorin & Cie has formed an ad hoc committee made up exclusively of directors who are not related to the Initiator, namely the two independent Directors and the representative of Bpifrance Investissement.

Upon the recommendation of the ad hoc committee, Finexsi has been appointed as the independent expert, with the task of delivering a report including a fairness opinion on the financial conditions of the tender offer, in accordance with the provisions of article 261-1, I, 2 and 4 of the general regulations of the Autorite des marches financiers (AMF). The ad hoc committee will be in particular responsible for monitoring and facilitating the work of the independent expert.

Vilmorin & Cie's Board of Directors will be asked to give a well-founded opinion on the interest of the Offer and its consequences for the Company, its Shareholders and its employees, notably in the light of the report of the independent expert. The well-founded opinion will be integrated in the response notice that will be prepared by Vilmorin & Cie.

Other elements and timing of the simplified public tender offer

The simplified public tender offer will not be subject to any regulatory approval or other conditions.

The proposed Offer will be filed today with the AMF and, subject to the AMF's compliance decision, the Offer is expected to open at the end of June and close by mid-July.

At the end of the Offer, if the number of shares not tendered to the Offer does not represent more than 10% of the capital and voting rights of Vilmorin & Cie, Limagrain Participations will ask the AMF to implement a mandatory withdrawal procedure.

In accordance with article 231-38 IV of the general regulations of the AMF, the Initiator reserves the possibility, until the opening date of the Offer, to acquire Vilmorin & Cie shares up to a limit of 1,978,734 shares, on the basis of an order at the price of the Offer (i.e. 30% of the shares targeted by the Offer).

The documents relating to the Offer will be available on the websites of Limagrain (https://www.limagrain.com) and of Vilmorin & Cie (https://www.vilmorincie.com/fr/).

The completion of the Offer remains subject to its filing with the Autorite des marches financiers as well as to a compliance decision that the latter would deliver at the end of its examination.

About

Limagrain

Limagrain is an agricultural cooperative and an international seeds group owned by 1 300 farmers based in Limagne Val d'Allier (in central France). Present in 57 countries and with more than 9 000 employees, the Group breeds, produces and sells field seeds, vegetable seeds and agri-food products with the following brands: LG, Vilmorin, Hazera, Harris Moran, Jacquet, Brossard.

www.limagrain.com - #Limagrain

Press contacts:

Image 7

Anne-France MALRIEU - 06 89 87 61 18

Sergio DE LA CALLE - 06 69 58 42 34

limagrain@image7.fr

Disclaimer

This press release does not constitute an offer to purchase any securities. The Offer will only be made in accordance with the Offer documentation, which will contain the complete terms and conditions of the Offer. The Offer documentation will be subject to review by the AMF and the Offer will only be opened after the AMF has issued a compliance decision. Any decision regarding the Offer must be based solely on the information contained in the Offer documentation. This press release has been prepared for information purposes only. It does not constitute an offer to the public. The distribution of this press release, the Offer and the acceptance thereof may be subject to specific regulations or restrictions in certain countries. The Offer is not directed to any person subject to such restrictions, either directly or indirectly, and may not be accepted from any jurisdiction where the Offer would be subject to such restrictions. This press release is not intended for distribution in such countries. Consequently, persons in possession of this press release are required to inform themselves about any local restrictions that may apply and to comply with them. Limagrain declines all responsibility for any violation of these restrictions by any person. Pursuant to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1055 of June 29, 2016, laying down technical implementing standards relating to the technical arrangements for the publication and deferral of inside information in accordance with Regulation (EU) n596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council, this press release may contain inside information.

1 On the basis of equity consisting of 22,917,292 shares representing 38,646,350 potential voting rights as of March 31, 2023, in accordance with the provisions of article 223-11 of the RGAMF, and excluding treasury shares.

2 On a fully diluted basis including treasury shares.

3 The Directors related to the Initiator having taken part in the vote for reasons of quorum but having committed to vote the same way as the majority of the other Directors in order not to influence the result of the vote.

Attachment
Dublin, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Sushi Restaurants Market 2023-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The publisher has been monitoring the sushi restaurants market and is forecast to grow by USD 3,247.96 mn during 2022-2027, accelerating at a CAGR of 3.13% during the forecast period.



The market is driven by increasing marketing strategies, the growing popularity of Japanese cuisine, and increasing globalization.

This report on the sushi restaurants market provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

This study identifies innovative sushi dishes as one of the prime reasons driving the sushi restaurants market growth during the next few years. Also, focus on technological enhancements and rise in demand for nutritious food will lead to sizable demand in the market.



Robust vendor analysis is designed to help clients improve their market position, and in line with this, this report provides a detailed analysis of several leading sushi restaurants market vendors. Also, the sushi restaurants market analysis report includes information on upcoming trends and challenges that will influence market growth. This is to help companies strategize and leverage all forthcoming growth opportunities.

A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes

Choushimaru Co. Ltd.

Feng Sushi

FOOD and LIFE Co. Ltd.

Genki Sushi Singapore Pte. Ltd.

HANA GROUP SAS

Hinata Sushi

Innovative Dining Group

Kappa Create Co. Ltd.

Kura Sushi USA Inc.

Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises Inc.

MASA

Pisces Sushi and Global Bistro

Restaurant Wasabi Sushi

Sakae Holdings Ltd.

SUSHI EXPRESS GROUP Pte Ltd.

Ten Sushi Seattle

The ONE Group Hospitality Inc.

TORIDOLL Holdings Corp.

Yoko Japanese Restaurant

Zensho Holdings Co. Ltd.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

3.3 Market size 2022

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2022-2027

4 Historic Market Size

4.1 Global sushi restaurants market 2017 - 2021

4.2 Type Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

4.3 Product Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

4.4 Geography Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

4.5 Country Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

5 Five Forces Analysis

5.1 Five forces summary

5.2 Bargaining power of buyers

5.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

5.4 Threat of new entrants

5.5 Threat of substitutes

5.6 Threat of rivalry

5.7 Market condition

6 Market Segmentation by Type

6.1 Market segments

6.2 Comparison by Type

6.3 Nigiri - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

6.4 Sashimi - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

6.5 Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

6.6 Market opportunity by Type

7 Market Segmentation by Product

7.1 Market segments

7.2 Comparison by Product

7.3 RDSR - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

7.4 CBSR - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

7.5 Market opportunity by Product

8 Customer Landscape

8.1 Customer landscape overview

9 Geographic Landscape

9.1 Geographic segmentation

9.2 Geographic comparison

10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10.1 Market drivers

10.2 Market challenges

10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

10.4 Market trends

11 Vendor Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Vendor landscape

11.3 Landscape disruption

11.4 Industry risks

12 Vendor Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/kbs8rs

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.
Dublin, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global eHealth Market Size, Share & Industry Trends Analysis Report by Product, End User, Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2022-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Global eHealth Market size is expected to reach $212.4 billion by 2028, rising at a market growth of 13.9% CAGR during the forecast period.

Key Market Players

Medtronic PLC

IBM Corporation

Cisco Systems, Inc.

GE HealthCare Technologies, Inc.

Veradigm, Inc.

Koninklijke Philips N.V.

Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)

Teladoc Health, Inc.

UnitedHealth Group, Inc. (Optum, Inc.)

Athenahealth, Inc. (Veritas Capital)

The application of information & communication technology (ICT) for health is known as 'eHealth' widely. Medical apps, health records, and telemedicine have all used ICT extensively.

E-health allows it to keep hospital patient, employee, and financial data online. The process of keeping healthcare data has changed as a result of this. The medical team initially entered data manually. Contrarily, all patient data is currently accessible in seconds, and only a single unique identification number is needed.



eHealth has several advantages over traditional clinical data management techniques, including eliminating manual record-keeping and facilitating quick access to patient information.

Additionally, it is projected that automated & interoperable healthcare information systems would optimize payment for ambulatory and inpatient healthcare providers while enhancing patient happiness, lowering healthcare costs, increasing efficiency, reducing mistakes, and improving medical care.



The main factors driving the eHealth market are the expansion of government programs promoting the use of e-health products and services, the rise in the demand for e-health solutions to manage regulatory compliance, and the shortage of healthcare workers. In contrast, more prospects in developing countries, the growth of the mHealth, telehealth, and remote patient monitoring sectors, and an increase in the adoption of e-health solutions in outpatient care facilities are anticipated to offer attractive growth opportunities for the market.



Market Growth Factors

Surged use in outpatient care facilities



E-health and telehealth will advance with information science, technology, medicine, and biotechnology advancements. As a result, patients and healthcare workers in the future will be much more accustomed to using cutting-edge equipment, services, and software. Also, it is becoming increasingly clear that eHealth allows healthcare professionals to improve health systems and convert them from 'detect and treat' to 'predict and prevent' models.

As a result, activities using eHealth solutions are growing, becoming more prevalent in outpatient treatment, and are anticipated to present opportunities for the eHealth market.



Increased innovations and technological advancements



Businesses in the eHealth market are enhancing the benefits of deep medical learning to anticipate individuals' risks of dementia and Parkinson's. Numerous businesses are gaining expertise in artificial medical intelligence (AI) that predicts likely patient disease patterns.

Several researchers have launched research projects using medical AI to examine non-invasive interconnections between brain areas to identify mental diseases in patients at very early stages. Hence, IT businesses should engage with academics and innovators to minimize the necessity for surgical treatments in the early diagnosis of mental diseases. Possible innovations and technological advancements are predicted to support the growth of the eHealth market in the upcoming years.



Market Restraining Factor

Medical practitioners' reluctance to accept innovative eHealth solutions



Physicians are restricting to adopt these systems because of their complexity & lack of user-friendliness in modern healthcare IT systems. Several doctors believe that using healthcare Technology solutions hinders their ability to communicate with patients.

Also, in remote locations, issues including a lack of internet technology and a dearth of professionals accessible to offer technical assistance are to blame for doctors' reluctance to utilize HCIT solutions. All of these elements are having a negative impact on how quickly healthcare businesses adopt eHealth technologies.

Scope of the Study

By Product

Medical Apps

Electronic Health Records (EHR)

Telehealth

Vendor Neutral Archive (VNA) and Picture Archiving & Communications Systems (PACS)

Laboratory Information Systems (LIS)

Prescribing Solutions

Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS)

Pharmacy Information Systems

Others

By End-user

Healthcare Providers

Payers

Healthcare Consumers

Others

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/nzgjvf

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Attachment
Toronto, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- METABIT, a leading blockchain technology company, recently announced that the mainnet of its high-performance commercial application blockchain now start to adopt large-scale business applications such as decentralized finance, social networking, e-commerce, search, storage, and metaverse in Web3.

METABIT applies virtual layering technology, and its unique incentive mechanism enables automatic optimization and reorganization of full-chain resources, dynamic allocation of resources, and cracking the "impossible triangle" of blockchain to achieve performance expansion. In addition to that, METABIT transaction engine implements a framework for parallel execution of transactions, so that transactions in the same block can be executed in parallel batches with a TPS up to 70000 which is higher than that of Ethereum that enables METABIT to work for all kinds of commercial scenarios. METABIT protects privacy, realizes the basic construction and module of information isolation, and ensures the timeliness, confidentiality, and verifiability of information based on zero-knowledge proofs.

"As a public blockchain of high performance for business applications, METABIT has become a new generation of discovery tools, efficiency tools, innovative tools, and financial tools to achieve digital transformation," said a spokesperson from METABIT. "METABIT ecology is growing fast with 150,000 community users and hundreds of Web3 migration projects, including Wallet, NFT, GameFi, DEX, DAO, and so on"

METABIT is based on one of the Zero-knowledge proof Technology solutions, the zkSNARK, a kind of encryption proof that the file is small and easy to verify, and simplicity lies in non-interactive. METABIT Foundation is committed to enabling METABIT with national consensus, DAO, supporting builders in various areas, and bringing vitality to the ecology. The ecological token BMTC plays a decisive role.

The goal of METABIT is to achieve high-performance chain groups of multi-chain contract-level interoperability in the EVM ecology, to create a blockchain ecological platform with high data availability, a strong execution layer, and security, and to improve the performance of blockchain infrastructure. Developers are free to create complex DApps in various scenarios while giving users an experience similar to Web2 applications.

About METABIT

METABIT is a blockchain technology company striving to develop a large-scale commercial high-performance blockchain platform with top academic research and blockchain technology experts. Its mainnet launched on 17th Apr 2023 as scheduled thanks to plenty of effort METABIT engineers made around the clock after which node staking with APY up to 100% is active. The development plan of METABIT for the coming half year includes introductions of multisig wallet, Face ID, QR code, subaccount management, DEX, Cross-chain Bridge, Community Building Partnership, DAO, NFT Marketplace, and Metabit Explorer upgrading etc.

To know more, visit https://link3.to/metabit

https://medium.com/@metabitofficial/high-performance-commercial-application-common-chain-metabit-providing-strong-infrastructure-for-77e70311c7f3





Contact:

Alex Huang

info(at)metabitglobal(dot)com

https://www.metabitglobal.com/

The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. Do your own research before making a financial decision related to any crypto company or asset.
MADISON, Wis., April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fetch, Madisons unicorn tech startup and the nations leading rewards app, will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students at No-Cost in the Fall of 2023. The AI Bootcamp in Madison will be targeted at underserved high school students (9th-12th grade) and will introduce these high school students to basic AI concepts and skills.



Fetch is one of 28+ host companies selected to host camps across the US in Fall 2023.

The Fetch Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 14th and ending on November 4th. The bootcamp will run each Saturday from 1-5pm CT and if accepted, high school students must commit to attending all 4 sessions.

The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/fetchpr. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend.

With AI being a relevant topic on many news sources, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few. Participants will also learn how Large Language Models like ChatGPT are changing life as we know it by answering questions, telling original stories, and even writing computer code.

Students will benefit from volunteer corporate mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about AI, ML and data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the four-hour curriculum, students will work with open source tools each day to build their own AI applications related to Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing and Generative AI.

The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains corporate volunteer mentors, and recruits and scores applications for local student selected to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and Fetch work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no-cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

It was a lot of fun, I learned things I didn't even know were possible with A.I. and their real-world applications showed me just how much it will change our world.

- Brandon B., 10th Grade, 2022 AI Bootcamp Participant

Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted no-cost AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 900+ students to date and has a goal to increase that number year over year.

Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Friday, September 8th, 2023 at markcubanai.org/fetchpr. To see our 2023 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq.

About Fetch

Founded in Madison, Wis., Fetch is on a mission to help people have fun and save money with every purchase. The No. 1 rewards app on the market, Fetch has 18 million monthly active users who have collectively submitted more than 5 billion receipts and earned more than $640 million in rewards points. Fetch is available to download free on the App Store and Google Play Store and has more than 4 million five-star reviews from happy Fetchers.

Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban Foundation

Phone: 309-840-0348

Email: carli.lidiak@markcubanai.org
TUSTIN, Calif., April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties is proud to announce the grand opening of its new, larger Tustin office, located in The Bricks Building, at 18302 Irvine Boulevard, Suite 240. The City of Tustin's ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by a reception with food from local eateries, welcomed the office to the community on April 27.

Our new suite is in a much more well-trafficked area of Tustin, Branch Manager Clara Eisenman said. People know The Bricks Building because of the beautiful brick design elements. It is a true landmark in the community.

Accessible by elevator, the second-floor office is filled with natural light and features awesome views through high windows of the neighborhood just bordering old town Tustin. Nearby are restaurants, a supermarket, and many shops, making the office a pleasant and convenient destination for agents and clients alike.

The 3,900-square-foot space provides 26 workstations, five offices, two conference rooms, and two huddle rooms for privacy and checking in with clients. A visitor lounge with club chairs, and an adjacent kitchen with a comfy bar and TV, make the state-of-the-art office a great place for agents, clients, and staff to collaborate, and make connections during and after the workday. The office is designed to be a place where everyone is positioned to thrive.

Its super-centrally located, right in the heart of Tustin, close to freeway 55 access, said Steve Almond, an agent in the Tustin office who visits almost daily. The office is visually very impressive. When youre in the space, its a nice feeling. I wouldn't hesitate to bring anybody into the office and let them have a look around and see how majestic it is.

Local dignitaries who attended the grand opening included Richard Santana, Community Outreach Manager, Office of Vicente Sarmiento, Supervisor, Second District, Orange County Board of Supervisors; and TyRon Jackson, Founder of Operation Warm Wishes, a nonprofit helping the homeless, troubled youth, and families in need.

Among executives attending from Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties were Martha Mosier, President; Brent Consedine, Vice President, Business Initiatives; Jeana Sander, Vice President and Regional Manager, Orange County; Allison Jones, Vice President, Marketing; Kerry Klayman, Orange County Regional Marketing Manager; and Stacey Glenzer, Manager, Pickford Escrow.

The most important aspect for me is connecting with our community, said Kathy Thomson, also an agent in the Tustin office. That's probably my biggest excitement about the office: the location and being able to be more committed and more involved with the community.

As part of the offices grand opening, agents and staff are giving back to local nonprofit Operation Warm Wishes. Founder TyRon Jackson is asking for socks, coins for laundromats and gift cards for Albertsons and Target. TyRon helps families who are living in temporary housing to get their clothes washed and buy groceries. Donations can be made at https://operationwarmwishes.com/.

Clients and friends are invited to stop by, meet agents and staff, and explore the office, which is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome, and an Agent Service Representative is always on duty. The office phone number is 714-832-8800, and fax is 949-565-7700.

If you are an agent considering your next career move, contact Clara to arrange a confidential interview. She can be reached at 949-795-3417 or ClaraEisenman@bhhscal.com. If you are a potential client considering buying or selling a home, Clara will help find an agent who will assist in achieving your goals.

About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties proudly supports nearly 3,000 sales associates in 42 offices spanning Santa Barbara to San Diego. In 2022, our expert agents assisted in more than 8,000 client transactions for over $13.7 billion in sales volume.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties is a wholly owned subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., and a member of HSF Affiliates, LLC. BHHS and the BHHS symbol are registered service marks of Columbia Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. For more information, visit www.bhhscalifornia.com. To learn about career opportunities, visit www.bhhscalifornia.com/careers.

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TORONTO, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Madison Metals Inc. (the Company or Madison) (CSE: GREN) (OTCQB: MMTLF) and Lux Partners Limited ("Lux") announced today that they have agreed to mutually terminate their partnership, effective immediately. This decision was made due to the challenging market conditions and climate, which have made it difficult to continue the partnership.



One of the contributing factors to this decision were developments involving Stripe, Inc., the payment processing platform used by Lux. Stripe froze Lux funds and then terminated the account used last year, disrupting key banking and financial operations. Given the challenges in creating a satisfactory product that both parties can trust, Madison and Lux have decided it is in the best interest of all stakeholders for Lux to refund purchases made and for the companies to move forward independent of each other.

"Given the current market conditions and challenges, we have made the difficult decision to mutually terminate the partnership. We remain committed to our goals and are actively pursuing alternative strategies to achieve them," said Duane Parnham, Executive Chairman and CEO of Madison Metals.

"We have enjoyed a successful partnership with Madison and are proud of the work we have accomplished together," said Zach Kelling, President of Lux. "We believe that it is in the best interest of all parties to mutually terminate the partnership. Lux wishes Madison the best of luck in their future endeavors."

Both Madison and Lux remain committed to their respective goals and are actively pursuing alternative strategies to achieve them. While the partnership may have ended, both companies remain committed to the principles of collaboration and mutual respect that defined their relationship.

About Madison Metals Inc.

Madison Metals Inc. (CSE: GREN) (OTCQB: MMTLF) is an upstream mining and exploration company focused on sustainable uranium production in Namibia and Canada. Using cutting-edge technologies and modern strategies, Madison Metals Inc. is positioned to move advanced uranium assets to market quickly.

With over 50 years of mining experience, including 22 years in Namibia, its management team has geological and financial expertise and a track record of creating shareholder value.

Additional information about Madison Metals Inc. can be found at madisonmetals.ca and on the Companys SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

For further information, please contact:

Duane Parnham

Executive Chairman & CEO

Madison Metals Inc.

+1 (416) 489-0092

ir@madisonmetals.ca

Zach Kelling

President

Lux Partners Limited

+1 (987) 654-3210

press@lux.partners

Media inquiries for Madison Metals:

Adam Bello

Manager, Media & Analyst Relations

Primoris Group Inc.

+1 (416) 489-0092

media@primorisgroup.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the timing and amount of estimated future exploration and the anticipated use of funds by the Company that were received from the Placement. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, schedule, estimates, forecasts, intends, continue, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, will, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements are made based upon certain assumptions and other important facts that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future. Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performances or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, amongst others, currency fluctuations, the demand for digital assets such as tokens and NFTs, the fulfillment of the conditions of the contract with LUX, interest rates, the global economic climate, dilution, share price volatility, competition, labour shortages, and unanticipated expenses of the Company. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the impact the COVID 19 pandemic may have on the Companys activities and the economy in general; the impact of the recovery post COVID 19 pandemic and its impact on precious metals; receipt of necessary approvals; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; future metal prices; the market for digital assets such as NFTs, accidents, labour disputes and shortages; environmental risks; and other risks of the mining industry. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. You can find further information with respect to these and other risks in filings made with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities that are available on the Companys SEDAR profile page at www.sedar.com. The Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law.
Oakland, CA, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OAKLAND (April 28, 2023) - Kingmakers of Oakland announces that CEO Chris Chatmon is named The Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education [CAFE Group] 2023 Luminary for his contribution to Innovation in Teaching and Learning. The award comes with a $1 million grant. Chatmon was one of five 2023 Luminaries selected.

Kingmakers of Oakland builds capacity for school districts in addition to providing direct services to students, families and their communities that centers Black boys while leveraging a Targeted Universalism framework in the Bay Area, Washington and Georgia. Previously, Education Week Magazine named Chatmon as a Leader to Learn From and Campaign for Black Male Achievement selected him as a Social Innovation Accelerator because of his commitment to improving life outcomes for all youth and especially African American males.

All Black males are brilliant, beautiful, and possess innate greatness, he explained. So we truly value having these additional resources to expand, remain relevant, and improve how we serve Black boys and all children as the entire ecosystem improves with our targeted approach, said Chatmon upon being notified of his selection.

For this years Luminary grants, we received over 400 applications from Black leaders in education, said Liz Thompson, The CAFE Group President. We were particularly impressed by Chris unapologetic commitment to Black boys, rooted in his personal experience.

Chris Chatmon joins other Luminaries this year including Alexandra Bernadotte, Beyond 12 (Oakland, CA); Reuben Ogbonna, the Marcy Lab School (Brooklyn, NY); Carmita Semaan, The Surge Institute (Chicago, IL); and Brittany Young, B-360 (Baltimore, MD).

The cohort will be honored May 17, 2023 during the third annual 1954 Project Luminary Awards , a live-streamed virtual event that will also feature Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones of the 1619 Project, Spelman College president, Dr. Helene Gayle , and New York Times best-selling author and social entrepreneur, Trabian Shorters . Registration for the ceremony is now open.

Kingmakers of Oakland aims to further expand its footprint in California, the pacific northwest and the Southern United states to increase synergies for existing partners. School districts in these areas can complete the following intake form now to pursue a partnership and other resources for the upcoming school year. As part of one of its key drivers, Black Male Teacher Recruitment and Retention, Kingmakers of Oakland welcomes current and prospective educators to contact the organization about becoming a facilitator and teacher.

###

Kingmakers of Oakland (KOO) is an award winning nonprofit that supports school districts around the country to improve the educational and life outcomes of Black Boys. Chatmon founded Kingmakers of Oakland following the success of the African American Male Achievement (AAMA) program he led for Oakland Unified School District which was recognized by the White House as one of the 25 leading programs to improve educational outcomes for Black boys. Learn more at kingmakersofoakland.org.

The 1954 Project is an initiative of The Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education Group (The CAFE Group). The CAFE Group is a 501c3 that provides financial and programmatic support to Leaders of Color whose proximity to current and historic challenges in education allows them to influence philanthropic decisions and create meaningful and relevant solutions. By leveraging their lived experiences and the genius within our communities, The CAFE Group has created a glidepath from College Intern to Established Leader designed to catalyze lasting systemic change. Learn more at thecafe.org .

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Vista Gold Corp. ("Vista" or the "Company") (NYSE American and TSX: VGZ) today announced the voting results from its annual general and special meeting of shareholders held on Thursday, April 27, 2023 (the "AGM" or "Meeting").

A total of 68,925,603 common shares in the capital of the Company ("Common Shares") were represented at the meeting, being 57.93% of the Common Shares. Detailed results for the ballot votes for the election of directors are as follows:

Proposal Votes For % Votes Withheld % Election of John M. Clark as Director 97.44 2.56 Election of Frederick H. Earnest as Director 96.76 3.24 Election of W. Durand Eppler as Director 97.13 2.87 Election of Deborah J. Friedman as Director 97.04 2.96 Election of Tracy A. Stevenson as Director 97.05 2.95

In addition, at the Meeting, shareholders appointed Plante & Moran PLLC as auditors of the Company and passed ordinary resolutions to approve 1) on an advisory basis, the compensation of the Company's Named Executive Officers and one year as the frequency of future advisory votes and 2) amendments to the Corporation's Long Term Equity Incentive Plan.

Following the AGM, the Company's Board of Directors (the "Board") appointed Tracy A. Stevenson as Chair of the Board.

Frederick H. Earnest, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vista, stated, "As previously announced, Mike Richings, our former Chair, stepped down at the conclusion of the AGM. On behalf of the Board, I wish to extend my gratitude once again to Mike for his many years of service and contributions to Vista, the Board, and all stakeholders. I am pleased to welcome Tracy Stevenson as Vista's new Chair. Tracy has served on Vista's Board since November 6, 2007 and has contributed greatly to the Company's many successes, including advancing Mt Todd into one of the largest, development-ready gold projects in Australia. As we turn a new page, we look forward to continued success under his Board leadership."

Mr. Stevenson said, "I am pleased to accept this opportunity to lead the Board and look forward to working with the Vista team to maximize value for our shareholders. I wish to add my thanks to Mike Richings for his extensive contributions to Vista and his friendship."

About Vista Gold Corp.

Vista is a gold project developer. The Company's flagship asset is the Mt Todd gold project located in the Tier 1, mining friendly jurisdiction of Northern Territory, Australia. Situated approximately 250 km southeast of Darwin, Mt Todd is one of the largest and most advanced undeveloped gold projects in Australia and has the potential to be one of the top five gold producers in Australia. All major environmental and operating permits have now been approved.

For further information, please contact Pamela Solly, Vice President of Investor Relations, at (720) 981-1185 or IR@vistagold.com. You may also visit our website at www.vistagold.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future, including such things as our belief that Mt Todd is one of the largest and most advanced undeveloped gold projects in Australia and has the potential to be one of the top five gold producers in Australia are looking statements and forward-looking information. The material factors and assumptions used to develop the forward-looking statements and forward-looking information contained in this press release include the following: our forecasts and expected cash flows; our projected capital and operating costs; our expectations regarding mining and metallurgical recoveries; mine life and production rates; that laws or regulations impacting mine development or mining activities will remain consistent; our approved business plans, our mineral resource and reserve estimates and results of preliminary economic assessments; preliminary feasibility studies and feasibility studies on our projects, if any; our experience with regulators; our experience and knowledge of the Australian mining industry and our expectations of economic conditions and the price of gold. When used in this press release, the words "optimistic," "potential," "indicate," "expect," "intend," "hopes," "believe," "may," "will," "if," "anticipate" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Such factors include, among others, uncertainty of resource and reserve estimates, uncertainty as to the Company's future operating costs and ability to raise capital; risks relating to cost increases for capital and operating costs; risks of shortages and fluctuating costs of equipment or supplies; risks relating to fluctuations in the price of gold; the inherently hazardous nature of mining-related activities; potential effects on our operations of environmental regulations in the countries in which it operates; risks due to legal proceedings; risks relating to political and economic instability in certain countries in which it operates; uncertainty as to the results of bulk metallurgical test work; uncertainty as to completion of critical milestones for Mt Todd; as well as those factors discussed under the headings "Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's latest Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed in February 2023 and other documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulatory authorities. Although we have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements and forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information; whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230427006035/en/

Contact

Pamela Solly

Vice President of Investor Relations

(720) 981-1185

IR@vistagold.com
Vancouver, April 27, 2023 - World Copper Ltd. (TSXV: WCU) (OTCQX: WCUFF) (FSE:7LY0) ("World Copper" or the "Company") reports that pursuant to their news releases dated March 8, 2023, March 30, 2023, March 31, 2023 and April 20, 2023, the Company has closed their financing issuing an aggregate total of 11,306,667 units for gross proceeds of $2,035,200.06.

On April 27, 2023, the Company closed the second and final tranche of the financing, issuing 3,332,323 units for gross proceeds of $599,817.94. Each unit consists of one common share (a "Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one additional share of the Company for a period of two years from the date of issuance at a price of $0.30 per share.

There was no insider participation in the final tranche closing. Insider participation in the first tranche included Hendrik van Alphen, Director and Chairman as to 1,125,000 units and Nolan Peterson, CEO & President as to 100,000 units. These transactions constitute a "related party transaction" as such term is defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on the exemptions from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements under MI 61- 101. The Company is exempt from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements of MI 61-101 in reliance on sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the transaction, insofar as it involves interested parties, is not more than the 25% of the Company's market capitalization.

Finder's fees in the second tranche were paid to Canaccord Genuity Corp. ($756.00 and 4,200 finder's warrants). All finder's warrants issued pursuant to the placement are non-transferable and exercisable at $0.30 for two years from closing.

All securities issued in the Offering have a four-month plus one day hold period, during which time the securities may not be traded. Closing of the Offering is subject to the final acceptance of the TSXV.

The net proceeds from the Offering are intended for general working capital and development costs.

This press release does not constitute an offer of sale of any of the foregoing securities in the United States. None of the foregoing securities have been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any applicable state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) or persons in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor will there be any sale of the foregoing securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

ABOUT WORLD COPPER LTD.

World Copper Ltd., headquartered in Vancouver, BC, is a Canadian resource company focused on the exploration and development of its copper porphyry projects: Escalones and Cristal in Chile, and Zonia in Arizona. Two of these projects have estimated resources with significant soluble copper mineralization, and each has additional copper porphyry targets with exciting potential to expand the resource base.

Detailed information is available at World Copper's website at www.worldcopperltd.com, and for general Company updates you may follow us on our social media pages via Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of

World Copper Ltd.

"Nolan Peterson"

Nolan Peterson

Chief Executive Officer and President

For further information, or to schedule a Zoom meeting with Management, please contact:

Nolan Peterson or Michael Pound

Phone: 604-638-3287

E-mail: info@worldcopperltd.com

For all Investor Relations inquiries, please contact:

John Liviakis

Liviakis Financial Communications Inc.

Phone: 415-389-4670

For all Public Relations inquiries, please contact:

Nancy Thompson

Vorticom, Inc.

Office: 212-532-2208 | Mobile: 917-371-4053

Follow Us:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WorldCopperLtd

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WorldCopperLtd

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/worldcopperltd

Neither TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements with respect to the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that market fundamentals will result in sustained copper and precious metals demand and prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future development of the Company's projects in a timely manner, the availability of financing on suitable terms for the development, construction and continued operation of the Company's projects and the Company's ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, requirements for additional capital, actual results of exploration activities, including on the Escalones Project and the Cristal Project, the reasonability of the economic assumptions at the basis of the results of the PEA for the Zonia Project, the estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, future prices of copper, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, lack of investor interest in the Private Placement, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals (including acceptance of the Private Placement by the TSXV), permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics, including the impact of an epidemic or pandemic on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, title disputes, the timing and possible outcome of any pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, as well as the risk factors described in the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis and in other filings made by the Company with Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this news release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law.

**NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES**



To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164031
Vancouver, April 27, 2023 - Ridgeline Minerals Corp. (TSXV: RDG) (OTCQB: RDGMF) (FSE: 0GC0) ("Ridgeline" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that further to its news release on April 5, 2023, the Company has closed its oversubscribed, non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") to issue 22,535,000 units of the Company (the "Units"), at a price of C$0.20 per Unit (the "Issue Price"), for aggregate gross proceeds of C$4,507,000 (the "Upsized Offering").

Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one additional common share in the Company at a price of C$0.30 per share until April 27, 2025.

The proceeds from the sale of the private placement will be used to fund exploration activities at the Company's Nevada and Idaho projects and for general working capital. In connection with the Upsized Offering the Company has paid aggregate cash finders' fees of C$240,957.50.

All securities issued pursuant to the Upsized Offering will be subject to a statutory four month and one day hold expiring on August 28, 2023.

Insiders of the Company participated in the Offering for an aggregate amount of 100,000 units. Such participation is considered a related party transaction within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). In completing such transaction, Ridgeline relied on the applicable exemptions from the valuation requirement and minority security holder approval requirements available under Sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(a) of MI 61-101, respectively, on the basis that the participation in the Offering by insiders did not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

About Ridgeline Minerals Corp.

Ridgeline is a discovery focused precious and base metal explorer with a proven management team and board of directors credited with numerous gold discoveries in North America. The Company controls a 192 km exploration portfolio across six projects in Nevada and Idaho, USA. More information about Ridgeline can be found at www.RidgelineMinerals.com.

On behalf of the Board

"Chad Peters"

President & CEO

Further Information:

Chad Peters, P.Geo.

President & CEO

Ridgeline Minerals Corp.

775-304-9773

info@ridgelineminerals.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Cautionary Note regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "Forward-Looking Information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-Looking Information includes, but is not limited to, the anticipated timing for completion of the private placement and use of proceeds therefrom. The words "anticipate," "significant," "expect," "may," "will" and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify Forward-Looking Information. Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by the Forward-Looking Information. In preparing the Forward-Looking Information in this news release, Ridgeline has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, assumptions that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner; that all requisite approvals will be received and all requisite information will be available in a timely manner. Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Ridgeline to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward-Looking Information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, risks related to dependence on key personnel; risks related to unforeseen delays; availability of capital and financing; general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes; timeliness of regulatory approvals as well as those factors discussed in Ridgeline's public disclosure record. Although Ridgeline has attempted to identify important factors that could affect Ridgeline and may cause actual actions, events, or results to differ materially from those described in Forward-Looking Information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that Forward-Looking Information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required by law, Ridgeline does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Not for dissemination in the United States or through U.S. newswires

All dollars are Canadian unless otherwise noted

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164042
VANCOUVER, April 27, 2023 - Refined Metals Corp. (CSE: RMC) (OTC: RFMCF) (FRA: CWA0) (the "Company" or "Refined") is pleased to announce that it has filed an independent Technical Report for the Simard NE Lithium Property (the "Property"). The Technical Report recommends a two-phase exploration program on the Property, the first phase of which was announced by the Company on January 30, 2023.



The Company holds its interest in the Property pursuant to a property option agreement which grants the Company the right to acquire an undivided 100% interest in and to the Property in consideration for completing a series of cash payments, issuances of common shares of the Company and exploration expenditures on the Property. For further details, please see the Company's news release dated December 21, 2022.

The independent qualified person responsible for the Simard NE Lithium Property Technical Report is Martin Ethier, P.Geo. of Hinterland Geoscience and Geomatics. The Technical Report was prepared in accordance with the Canadian Securities Administrator's National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and can be found on the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

About Refined Metals Corp.

Refined Metals Corp. is a junior mining company dedicated to identifying, evaluating and acquiring interests in mineral properties in North America. The Company's business is currently focused on the exploration and development of the Rose Property, a prospective, exploration stage silver-gold-copper-zinc property located near Kamloops, British Columbia. The Company also holds an option to acquire a prospective, exploration stage lithium property located in the Lac Simard region of Quebec pursuant to the Option Agreement. The Company continues to review other mineral properties in North America for possible acquisition in the future.

For further information, please contact:

Phone: (604) 398-3378

Email: Info@refinedmetalscorp.com

Forward-Looking Statements

The Company ??provides forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about current ??expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be ??appropriate for other purposes. By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and ??uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, ??forecasts, predictions, projections, or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not ??be correct, and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These risks and ??uncertainties include but are not limited those identified and reported in the Company's public filings ??under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify ??important factors that could cause actual actions, events, or results to differ materially from those ??described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or ??results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information ??will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those ??anticipated in such statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any ??forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless ??required by law.

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the information contained herein.
April 28th - Australia - Jervois Global Ltd. ("Jervois" or the "Company") (ASX:JRV) (TSXV:JRV) (OTC:JRVMF) advises that, in accordance with Listing Rule 3.13.2 and Section 251AA of the Corporations Act, the details of the resolutions and the proxies received in respect of each resolution are set out in the attached proxy summary.

On behalf of Jervois Global Ltd.

Alwyn Davey, Company Secretary.

For further information, please contact:

Investors and analysts: James May Chief Financial Officer Jervois james.may@jervoisglobal.com Media: Nathan Ryan NWR Communications nathan.ryan@nwrcommunications.com.au Mob: +61 420 582 887

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

The following information is provided in accordance with section 251AA(2) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and ASX Listing Rule 3.13.2.

Resolution details Instructions given to validly appointed proxies (as at proxy close) Number of votes cast on the poll (where applicable) Resolution Result Resolution Resolution Type For Against Proxy's Discretion Abstain For Against Abstain* Carried / Not Carried 1 Adoption of Remuneration Report Ordinary 794,821,138 79.19% 206,788,624 20.60% 2,147,625 0.21% 4,380,768 814,838,718 79.76% 206,788,624 20.24% 4,380,768 Carried 2 Re-Election of a Director - Mr Brian Kennedy Ordinary 960,622,115 98.11% 16,347,656 1.67% 2,163,015 0.22% 31,730,369 981,858,235 98.36% 16,347,656 1.64% 31,730,369 Carried 3 Re-Election of a Director - Mr Peter Johnston Ordinary 786,062,258 80.29% 190,886,013 19.49% 2,163,015 0.22% 31,751,869 807,298,378 80.88% 190,886,013 19.12% 31,751,869 Carried 4 Re-Election of a Director - Mr Michael Callahan Ordinary 931,037,504 95.10% 43,510,766 4.44% 4,563,015 0.46% 31,751,869 954,673,624 95.64% 43,510,766 4.36% 31,751,869 Carried 5 Re-Election of a Director - Mr David Issroff Ordinary 965,360,420 98.60% 11,556,886 1.18% 2,183,015 0.22% 31,762,832 986,616,540 98.84% 11,556,886 1.16% 31,762,832 Carried 6 Election of a Director - Dr Daniela C D Santos Ordinary 965,814,364 98.64% 11,166,611 1.14% 2,163,015 0.22% 31,719,165 987,050,484 98.88% 11,166,611 1.12% 31,719,165 Carried 7 Approval of Amended and Restated Stock Option Plan Ordinary 773,654,016 76.78% 226,842,036 22.51% 7,204,715 0.71% 437,387 798,728,686 77.88% 226,842,036 22.12% 437,387 Carried 8 Ratification of Prior Issue of Shares Ordinary 520,564,876 84.81% 88,469,974 14.41% 4,803,962 0.78% 394,299,343 543,238,793 86.00% 88,469,974 14.00% 394,299,343 Carried 9 Option excercise price adjustment for Directors Ordinary 845,026,955 83.87% 160,390,332 15.92% 2,163,015 0.21% 557,853 865,059,925 84.36% 160,390,332 15.64% 557,853 Carried 10 Issue of Performance Rights to Mr Bryce Crocker Ordinary 797,299,303 78.73% 210,679,788 20.81% 4,653,015 0.46% 345,621 821,025,423 79.58% 210,679,788 20.42% 345,621 Carried 11 Re-Appointment of Auditor Ordinary 1,006,828,157 99.51% 2,822,280 0.28% 2,163,015 0.21% 1,164,274 1,028,064,277 99.73% 2,822,280 0.27% 1,164,274 Carried

Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
TORONTO, April 28, 2023 - Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc. (TSXV: LME) (OTC: LMEFF) ("LAURION" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that it has filed on SEDAR its audited annual consolidated financial statements ("Financial Statements") and management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A") for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Cynthia Le Sueur -Aquin, President & CEO, commented, "With a strong balance sheet and continued exploration success in 2022, we are looking forward to another exciting year of exploration and completion of additional surface work and drilling in 2023."

About LAURION Mineral Exploration Inc.

The Corporation is a junior mineral exploration and development company listed on the TSXV under the symbol LME and on the OTC under the symbol LMEFF. LAURION now has 256,909,855 outstanding shares of which approximately 80% are owned and controlled by Insiders who are eligible investors under the "Friends and Family" categories.

LAURION's emphasis is on the development of its flagship project, the 100% owned mid-stage 47 km2 Ishkoday project, and its gold-rich polymetallic mineralization.

LAURION's chief priority remains maximizing shareholder value while simultaneously embracing and considering the principles and best practices of environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) issues. A large portion of the Corporation's focus in this regard falls within the ambit of its mineral exploration activities and more specifically, advancing the Project.

A consequence of LAURION's success and advancement over the past several years is that the Corporation has become positioned as an acquisition target for appropriate potential acquirors. Accordingly, the Corporation's Board of Directors is aware that possible strategic alternatives and transactional opportunities may arise and/or could be procured in the short or medium terms. The Corporation will promptly issue a press release if any material change occurs. In the meanwhile, LAURION will continue to explore opportunities and potential transactions that are strategically beneficial to the Corporation and its shareholders.

Website: http://www.LAURION.ca

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the Corporation's current expectations regarding future events including with respect to LAURION's business, operations and condition, management's objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions, the Corporation's ability to advance the Ishkoday Project, and the nature, focus, timing and potential results of the Corporation's future exploration efforts, including its planned activities for Ishkoday in 2023. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events and future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements could differ materially from those projected herein including as a result of a change in the trading price of the common shares of LAURION, the interpretation and actual results of current and future exploration activities, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future prices of gold and/or other metals, possible variations in grade or recovery rates, failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, the failure of contracted parties to perform, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of exploration, as well as those factors disclosed in the Corporation's publicly filed documents. Investors should consult the Corporation's ongoing quarterly and annual filings, as well as any other additional documentation comprising the Corporation's public disclosure record, for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. Subject to applicable law, the Corporation disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICE PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

SOURCE Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc.
VANCOUVER, April 28, 2023 - MAX Power Mining Corp. (CSE: MAXX) (OTC: MAXXF) ("MAX Power" or the "Company") is pleased to announce its strategic entry into the American lithium sector with the acquisition of a district scale opportunity targeting lithium-rich brines and/or claystones in the ~50 sq. mile Willcox Playa in Cochise County, Arizona, approximately 200 miles southeast of Phoenix.



Highlights:

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), after completing some limited drilling at the Willcox Playa in the 1970's, historically referenced this area as one of the most prospective locations for lithium in the Western United States, similar in its potential to Clayton Valley, Nevada, and the lithium brine and claystone deposits that have been identified there;

Decades of U.S. Air Force activity in the Willcox Playa has ended, with MAX benefiting from first-mover advantage and securing three well-situated blocks totaling 3,754 acres mostly leased from the state of Arizona (refer to Figure 1);

The area is surrounded by excellent infrastructure including rail, roads and services in the nearby town of Willcox.



Mr. Rav Mlait, CEO of MAX Power, commented: "This strategic move into the United States is another way of differentiating MAX in the growing lithium space in combination with our initiative in northern Quebec where we are the forefront of a highly targeted drive to discover entirely new high-grade lithium camps."

Mr. Mlait added, "With an American division and a Canadian division, our view is that we will be able to grow our shareholder base exponentially in 2023 while delivering brisk year-round news flow. Each division will have its own niches in the lithium space, allowing MAX to appeal to very specific audiences in North America, and in each case, this includes quality exploration opportunities that provide potential high impact discovery leverage for investors. In addition, this structure provides for the potential of various strategic corporate options to further build shareholder value including a spinout of certain assets if the opportunity arises."

Lithium Potential at Willcox Playa Appears Comparable to Clayton Valley, Nevada

The Willcox Playa was identified by the USGS in their professional publication paper of 1976 (#1005) titled: "Lithium Resources and Requirements by the Year 2000" (the "USGS Report"), and was referenced as one of the most prospective locations for undiscovered lithium brines and most similarly like the currently exploited brine field in Clayton Valley, home to Albermarle's Silver Peak Brine Operation.

Willcox Playa Location Map

Figure 1: Map showing the locations of key lithium targets in the southwestern USA as defined by the USGS.

Historical Lithium Exploration at Willcox Playa

The USGS Report used the following five exploration methods at the Willcox Playa, Clayton Valley, and Searles Lake, California, to explore for lithium in clays and brines (Smith & Mabey): seismic, gravity, magnetic, resistivity and electromagnetic. The USGS Report considers the Willcox Playa as having an elevated potential for lithium concentration in brines and conducted the following surveying activities: airborne magnetic survey (Dempsey et. al., 1963), gravity survey (1966), electromagnetic and resistivity survey (1976). This Report pre-dates NI 43-101 and should be treated as historical as it was not written by a Qualified Person ("QP") as defined by NI 43-101.

Airborne electromagnetic prospecting by the USGS identified a 22 sq. mile high electrical conductivity anomaly at the Willcox Playa. The USGS interpreted this anomaly to be caused by a subsurface brine field hosted in sediments beneath the dry Willcox Playa surface. The combination of a gravity survey showing a closed gravity low coincident with the zone of high electrical conductivity reinforces the concept that an accumulation of brine could be present beneath the Willcox Playa. This is reinforced by there being no obvious hydrological outlet that would allow the accumulated brines to escape the Willcox Playa. High evaporation rates relative to precipitation in this desert environment suggests the brine could have become increasingly concentrated over time. This work pre-dates NI 43-101 and should be treated as historical as it was not supervised by a QP.

Historical Drilling at Willcox Playa

The USGS drilled a reverse circulation drill hole approximately 8 km northwest of MAX's southern claims in 1978. This drill hole (USGS W-1) had a total depth of 315.5 metres. Samples were collected from the surface to total depth. Seven (7) stratigraphic intervals with a combined thickness of 23 metres exceeded 500 ppm lithium in clays as shown in table 1 (below). It must be noted that this drill hole is deemed historical as it was not supervised by a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

Table 1: Highlights of Lithium in Clays from USGS W-1 Drill Hole*





*Historical drilling, not supervised by a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Drilling was located 8 km northwest of MAX's southern claims.

The Willcox Playa has a colourful history and was once part of the Willcox Air Force Range (the "Range"). The Range was acquired by Davis-Monahan Field in 1943 for bombing and air-to-ground gunnery training. After World War II, the Range was used for bombing practice. The Willcox Playa is no longer used for bombing or gunnery training. Approximately 29,000 acres of the Willcox Playa is under Department of Defence ("DoD") (and of those, 23,000 acres under the purview of the U.S. Army Electronic Testing) and not available for staking (1)(2). MAX has acquired the most prospective available ground in the Playa, located in the south and east, governed by the State of Arizona and BLM.

Proposed Source Rocks and Model for Lithium Concentration at the Willcox Playa

A proposed model for source rocks for the lithium concentrated at the Willcox Playa are the felsic volcanics in the Three Sisters Buttes to the southeast. The source rocks could also come from the northwest of the Playa as they are very similar to the Three Sisters Buttes. These felsic volcanic rocks are composed of the Apache Leap Tuff which is an ash-flow sheet. It consists of nonwelded light-gray tuff at base that grades up to densely welded black vitrophyre that is in turn overlain by densely welded tuff with a cryptocrystalline groundmass. The colour changes upward from light brown through red to very light gray at top. Pumice fragments are noted at the top. The tuffs are 2,000 feet thick at the type section but generally they average around 500 feet in thickness. These tuffs are pyroclastic and range from middle Miocene to Oligocene in age (20 to 30 Ma). Near the Willcox Playa, these tuffs are present as thick felsic volcanic sequences forming prominent cliffs and range fronts in the Chiricahua Mountains. Refer to Figure 2 (below) which outlines the proposed hydrological flow lines from the source rocks to the Willcox Playa.

Figure 2: Property Location and Lithium Concentration Hypothesis

Acquisition Terms For Block 1, Block 2, Block 3 Claims

The Company entered into a purchase and sale agreement ("Agreement") for 100% of three (3) mineral exploration permits (state land) from Ares Strategic Mining Inc. (the "Vendor") for consideration of 500,000 common shares (the "Consideration Shares") of the Company and $40,000 cash. Furthermore, the Agreement stipulates that the Vendor will not sell more than 250,000 of its Consideration Shares within six months from the closing date. In relation to the acquisition of Block 1 (three mineral exploration permits totalling 1,435 acres), the Company has paid a finder's fee of 500,000 common shares to an arm's length party, and in relation to Block 2 and 3 the Company has paid a finder's fee of 1,500,000 common shares to a separate arm's length party for their contributions in securing three mineral exploration permits (state land) in the eastern Playa and 82 Bureau of Land Management claims (totalling 2,320 acres) in the southern and northwestern part of the Willcox Playa. All common shares issued in connection with the Agreement and finder fees are subject to a four-month hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws. All terms are subject to the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE").

Qualified Person

The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Thomas Clarke, P.Geo., Pr.Sci.Nat, and Director for MAX Power Mining Corp. Mr. Clarke is the Qualified Person responsible for the scientific and technical information contained herein under National Instrument 43-101 standards.

(1) Source: https://projects.propublica.org/

(2) Source: https://www.atec.army.mil/epg/about.html

About MAX Power

MAX Power is a dynamic exploration stage resource company targeting domestic lithium resources to advance North America's renewable energy prospects.

Contact: info@maxpowermining.com

MarketSmart Communications at 877-261-4466.

Forward-Looking Statement Cautions

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, relating to exploration, drilling, mineralization and historical results on the Property; the interpretation of drilling and assay results, the results of any future drilling program, mineralization and the discovery mineralization (if any); plans for future exploration and drilling and the timing of same; the merits of the Willcox Playa Property; the potential for lithium within the Willcox Playa region; ability to access Property; ability to extract resources from the Property, commentary as it related to the opportune timing to explore lithium exploration and any anticipated increasing demand for lithium; any results and updates thereto as it relates to the USGS report; the Company's concentration hypothesis; closing of the transaction; future press releases by the Company; and funding of any future drilling program. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "interpreted," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "suggests," "often," "target," "future," "likely," "pending," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," "possibly," "preliminary", and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made, and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the CSE, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include risks associated with possible accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, risks associated with the interpretation of assay results and the drilling program, the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, the risk that the Company will not be able to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4d5c0907-fa12-4740-9a98-f1c931ac4063

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9be19355-a388-47b4-873b-8c80c7941185

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2cfc37de-3c4d-4daf-9095-3bfcc3a3f548
Vancouver, April 28, 2023 - Atco Mining Inc. (the "Company" or "Atco") (CSE:ATCM) (Frankfurt:QP9) (OTC:ATMGF) is pleased to announce that its common shares are now eligible for electronic clearing and settlement through the Depository Trust Company (DTC). DTC is a subsidiary of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp. (DTCC) that manages the electronic clearing and settlement of publicly traded companies in the United States.

Atco's common shares are now fully DTC eligible and will continue to trade under the ticker symbol "ATMGF" on the OTC Markets. Through an electronic method of clearing securities, DTC eligibility simplifies the process of trading and transferring the Company's common shares between brokerages in the United States.

"We are very excited that Atco is now DTC eligible," says Neil McCallum, Director of Atco Mining. "We are actively engaged in pursuing new avenues to broaden our story and receiving DTC eligibility is a critical step in that process. With the receipt of DTC eligibility, our common shares will become accessible to United States investors and with Newfoundland and its hydrogen storage potential becoming one of the most compelling stories to explore in recent years, we're eager to introduce Atco to the largest market in the world," continued Mr. McCallum.

About Atco Mining (CSE: ATCM):

Atco is a junior exploration mining company focused on exploring for green energy metals throughout Canada. Atco is also exploring for sulphide-rich VHMS deposits in Saskatchewan as well as salt opportunities in Western Newfoundland. Investors are encouraged to visit the company's website here: www.atcomining.com.

For further information contact:

Atco Mining Inc.

Email: info@atcomining.com

Telephone: (604) 681-0084

www.atcomining.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. The Canadian Securities has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS:

Certain information in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulations. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law.

Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
VANCOUVER, April 28, 2023 - Candente Copper Corp. (TSX: DNT; OTCQB: DNCUF; BVL: DNT) ("Candente Copper" or the "Company"), based in Vancouver, British Columbia, focused on the development of its 100% owned Canariaco advanced staged copper project in Peru, today announced that Giulio T. Bonifacio, Executive Chair and Director of the Company, will present live at the Battery and Precious Metals Virtual Investor Conference, hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on May 3, 2023.



DATE: May 3, 2023

TIME: 10:30 AM (EDT)

LINK: https://bit.ly/44jNv83

Available for 1x1 meetings: Wednesday, May 3 to Monday, May 8, 2023

This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

It is recommended that investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.

Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

Recent Company Highlights

Drill permit application are being advanced for 20,000 meters of drilling to be completed in two phases with several priority drill targets identified to date which are expected to provide significant exploration upside;

Resumption of activities with Whittle Consulting Ltd. ("Whittle Consulting") on Project Optimization with key project opportunities identified that will be incorporated in an updated optimized NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") currently underway that is targeted for publication by Q3-2023;

Private Placement with Whittle Equity Pty Ltd at 28% Premium to Market;

Name Change to Alta Copper Corp. and Share Consolidation;

Advancement of Community Engagement;

Upgraded Listing for U.S. investors on the OTCQB under symbol "DNCUF"; Key Additions to Board of Directors and Senior Management, as previously announced; and, Recently completed $4 million private placement with Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. at a 26% premium to the five-day volume weighted average prices of the Company's shares, as previously announced.



About Candente Copper

Candente Copper is focused on the development of its 100% owned Canariaco advanced staged copper project. Canariaco comprises 97 square kilometers of highly prospective land located 150 kilometers northeast of the City of Chiclayo, Peru, which include the Canariaco Norte deposit, Canariaco Sur deposit and Quebrada Verde prospect, all within a 4km NE-SW trend in northern Peru's prolific mining district. Canariaco is one of the largest copper deposits in the Americas not held by a major.

The Company's PEA, delivered March 15, 2022, highlights that the Canariaco Norte deposit has a measured and indicated resource containing 9.3 billion pounds of copper; 2.1 million ounces of gold and 59.4 million ounces of silver within 1.09 billion tonnes with a copper equivalent grade of 0.42% and a further inferred mineral resource of 2.7 billion pounds of copper; 540,000 ounces of gold and 18.1 million ounces of silver within 411 tonnes with a copper equivalent grade of 0.32%. The PEA also highlights that the Canariaco Sur deposit has an inferred resource containing 2.2 billion pounds of copper; 1.2 million ounces gold; 15 million ounces of silver and 18.9 million pounds of molybdenum within 385 million tonnes with a copper equivalent grade of 0.26%.

Please refer to the technical report dated February 8, 2022, with an effective date of March 15, 2022 and titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on Preliminary Economic Assessment," prepared by Ausenco Engineering Canada Inc.

Joanne Freeze, P.Geo., President, CEO and Director is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for the projects discussed above. She has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release.

Candente Copper Corp.

Giulio T. Bonifacio

Executive Chair and Director

gtbonifacio@candente.com

+1 604 318 6760

www.candentecopper.com

About Virtual Investor Conferences

Virtual Investor Conferences ("VIC") is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

Virtual Investor Conferences

John M. Viglotti

SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access

OTC Markets Group

(212) 220-2221

johnv@otcmarkets.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, plans, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements with respect to the final approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange to the Private Placement. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release. Although the Company believes the forward-looking statements in this press release are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations and assumptions in such statements will prove to be correct. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors which could cause events or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and assumptions include, among others, the ability to obtain necessary regulatory approval. In addition, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

Known risk factors include risks associated with exploration and project development; the need for additional financing; the calculation of mineral resources; operational risks associated with mining and mineral processing; fluctuations in metal prices; title matters; government regulation; obtaining and renewing necessary licenses and permits; environmental liability and insurance; reliance on key personnel; local community opposition; currency fluctuations; labour disputes; competition; dilution; the volatility of our common share price and volume; future sales of shares by existing shareholders; and other risk factors described in the Company's annual information form and other filings with Canadian securities regulators, which may be viewed at www.sedar.com. Although we have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We are under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws.

On behalf of the Board of Candente Copper Corp.

"Joanne C. Freeze" P.Geo., President, CEO and Director

For further information please contact:

Joanne C. Freeze, President, CEO and Director

jfreeze@candente.com +1 604 512 3359

or

Giulio T. Bonifacio, Executive Chair and Director

gtbonifacio@candente.com +1 604 318 6760

info@candentecopper.com

www.candentecopper.com
VANCOUVER, April 28, 2023 - Patagonia Gold Corp. ("Patagonia" or the "Company") (TSXV: PGDC) announces its audited results for the financial year ended December 31, 2022 ("YE 2022"). The audited consolidated financial statements for YE 2022, together with the related management's discussion and analysis, are available on the Company's website and under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.



Highlights

Generated revenue of US$12.3 million in YE 2022.

Produced 6,490 gold equivalent ounces (1) and sold 6,782 gold equivalent ounces (1) .

and sold 6,782 gold equivalent ounces . Spent US$5.4 million for the exploration of key projects in Argentina.

In August 2022, the Company presented the Environmental Impact Study for the development of the Calcatreu project (the "EIA"). In March 2023, the Rio Negro provincial Mining Department provided a favorable opinion on the EIA. The EIA is currently being reviewed by the provincial Environmental Department and it continues to progress within the administrative framework established by the applicable authorities for review and approval of such studies.

Completed a 3,102-meter diamond drill program at Tornado/Huracan in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina, which encountered anomalous, precious metal mineralization (2) .

. Completed a 728.2-meter diamond drilling program at Cap-Oeste, in the province of Santa Cruz, to obtain samples for metallurgical testing and for mineral resource block model confirmation (2) .

. Completed 1,384 meters of RC drilling at the Abril Project, in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina (2), which encountered anomalous, precious metal mineralization.



Notes:

(1) Consisting of 5,080 gold and 116,286 silver ounces of production and 5,310 gold and 121,184 silver ounces sold, converted to a gold equivalent using a ratio of the average spot market price for the commodities each period. The ratio for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 82.41:1 (2021 - 73.03:1). (2) Please refer to news releases issued on May 18 and May 26, 2022, November 16 and November 29, 2022 and December 22, 2022 (and available on the Company's website and under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com) for additional information on drilling at Tornado/Huracan, Capo-Oeste and Abril, respectively.

Qualified Person's Statement



Donald J. Birak, an independent, consulting geologist, Registered Member of SME and Fellow of AusIMM and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this news release.

About Patagonia Gold

Patagonia Gold Corp. is a South America focused, publicly traded mining company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company seeks to grow shareholder value through exploration and development of gold and silver projects in the Patagonia region of Argentina. The Company is primarily focused on the Calcatreu project in Rio Negro and the development of the Cap-Oeste underground project. Patagonia, indirectly through its subsidiaries or under option agreements, has mineral rights to over 430 properties in several provinces of Argentina and Chile and is one of the largest landholders in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements with respect to, among other things, the review and approval of the EIS, advancement and development of gold and silver projects in the Patagonia region of Argentina, and the anticipated growth in shareholder value. Wherever possible, words such as "may", "will", "should", "could", "expect", "plan", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict" or "potential" or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management as at the date hereof.

Forward-looking statements involve significant risk, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.




Charles Leclerc says he is not in talks with Mercedes "at the moment" about a move to the Brackley based team.

The rumours have been bolstered by Ferrari's poor start to 2023, but also Red Bull chief Dr Helmut Marko's claim that Leclerc can probably escape his contract before the end of 2024.

"These performance clauses are common today," he said.

Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur freely admits that Leclerc, 25, is "frustrated" about what the driver says was a "disaster" of a start to 2023.

"Frustration is good," said Vasseur. "I'd be disappointed if Charles wasn't frustrated.

"We had a discussion to understand what should be corrected and we improve every weekend. You can't blame Charles for being disappointed."

Presumably, Leclerc would be drafted in to replace seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton, whose contract talks with Toto Wolff are delayed.

Hamilton says it would be no surprise if Wolff was speaking to other drivers.

"I think maybe some of the drivers will speak or have relationships with different bosses and stuff," said the 38-year-old.

"But I like where I am, I love my team and I think I'm grateful for the journey we've been on and what we're working on moving forward.

"So it doesn't have any impact," Hamilton said when asked about the Leclerc rumours.

Leclerc himself, however, only offered a qualified denial when also asked about the Mercedes rumours at Baku.

"No, there is nothing at the moment," said the Monegasque. "I'm focused on the project I'm currently working on.

"I didn't have any conversations with Toto Wolff. You (reporters) smile because you do not believe, but later you will see it for yourself.

"I love Ferrari and am fully committed to the team. As I have already said, I have full confidence and I am confident for the future.

"After that, we will see."

Vasseur, meanwhile, insisted that despite the perception that Leclerc is equal number 1 with Carlos Sainz, the most successful teams are "always built around the driver".

"If you look at recent years, all the success stories have been those of a team built around a driver," said the Frenchman.

"Hamilton in Mercedes, Michael in Ferrari, Alonso in Renault, the same in Red Bull. I could give many examples.

"So Charles is an important pillar of the performance. He has a role both in the car and out, and I am convinced of his dedication to the cause."

(GMM)
Max Verstappen insists he is still no fan of Formula 1's sprint race format, even though he admits a second qualifying session debuting this weekend at Baku will make it "better".

However, the reigning back-to-back world champion doesn't think it will fully succeed in making the short race on Saturday more enticing for the drivers.

"If you're outside the points, you'll try to finish in the top eight," said the Dutchman. "But for the drivers further up the field it won't make much of a difference.

"The risk of damaging the car in an accident is too great, which could compromise Sunday's race," he added. "So do we really need this? Baku already produces chaotic races.

"No, I'm sticking to it," Verstappen said. "If you're in the top three places in the sprint, you'll bring the points home."

The 25-year-old's dislike of the tendency away from the sport in favour of the 'show' is abundantly clear - and he has even warned that he could walk away from F1 after his contract expires in 2028.

"I have to live with this new format, even if I still believe that we shouldn't have done anything at all," Verstappen said. "We've seen great races in recent years.

"Maybe it's more about selling more tickets for Friday and Saturday, but we're going to have 24 or 25 race weekends soon so you have to look after people's health because the sprints make things even busier.

"I love the sport and I also love winning races, and of course I lead a nice life. But there's always a point in your career when you want to do something new in your life.

"I'm under contract until the end of 2028," said Verstappen. "If it's getting to be too much for me, then it's probably time for a change.

"You have to look at yourself in the mirror and ask - am I still motivated? Of course I am today, but I'm sure at some point I'll feel like doing something different.

"I know it may sound strange to outsiders when I'm a Formula 1 driver and can be so successful. If I was outside, I might not understand it either.

"My life is fabulous, but there are limits to everything."

Most insiders believe Verstappen stands a great chance of matching or even surpassing the all-time record held jointly by Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton of seven career titles.

"No, I am not interested in winning seven or eight titles," Verstappen insisted.

"If you have the car to do it, great. But if it doesn't happen, I'll be happy - I'm already happy, so that's fine," he smiled.

"But right now it's kind of hard to think about what's going to happen after 2028."

(GMM)
IFC to strengthen ESG practices in Ghanas private sector

Emmanuel Bruce Business News Apr - 28 - 2023 , 15:46

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), in partnership with the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, SECO, has launched a program in Ghana to help the countrys banks and businesses strengthen their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices.

The programme is also expected to give them the tools to better address and assess risks and improve their sustainability and long-term performance.

Through the Integrated ESG (IESG) program for Ghana, IFC and the Bank of Ghana will help the countrys banks implement the Ghanas Sustainable Banking Principles and incorporate them across their operations.

These seven principles, launched in 2019, were designed to help financial institutions respond to risks, increase transparency, and promote sustainability.

Adopting ESG principles means that corporate strategy focuses on the three pillars of the environment, social, and governance.

IFC will also work directly with Ghanas banks to strengthen their ESG practices, and with select businesses in the manufacturing, services, and other sectors in the country, helping them address environmental, social, and other risks, and capitalize on new growth areas, such as environmentally friendly  or green  buildings.

Implementing strong ESG practices is of increasing importance to businesses around the world, which are facing fast-evolving challenges and opportunities, including climate change, social issues, and increased investor scrutiny.

SECO funds IFCs ESG advisory work, among other initiatives, in Ghana to support financial sector development in the country.

Strong ESG practices are essential building blocks for sustainable, growing economies, especially today as businesses are beset with a growing number of challengesand opportunities, said Kyle Kelhofer, IFCs Senior Country Manager for Benin, Ghana, Guinea, and Togo. IFCs work with the Bank of Ghana, and with businesses in the country, will help them navigate these challenges by applying globally-recognized ESG strategies.

Switzerland is committed to supporting Ghana on its journey towards more sustainability including in its financial sector, said Simone Haeberli, SECOs Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Cooperation in Ghana. We are proud to have been part of the development of the Sustainable Banking Principles and look forward to working closely with our Ghanaian partners to deepen the ESG practices within the financial and real sectors.

The IESG Program builds on two previous partnerships between IFC and SECO in collaboration with the Bank of Ghana, the Chartered Institute of Bankers, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Institute of Directors, and others to launch the Sustainable Banking Principles in 2019. All Ghanaian banks have committed to implementing the principles, underscoring their commitment to improved corporate governance.

Since the adoption of the Sustainable Banking Principles, the Ghana Stock Exchange and other institutions in Ghana have also developed or adopted ESG standards.
Rev. Seth Amoah-Boateng hosts Joe Mettle others at Legacy Concert, Florida

Kofi Duah Showbiz News Apr - 28 - 2023 , 10:47

Founder and lead pastor of Victory Faith Chapel International, Rev. Dr. Seth Amoah-Boateng, is connecting the Ghanaian gospel fraternity to the global stage through his maiden gospel concert, dubbed Legacy Concert.

According to the Florida-based Ghanaian man of God and overseer of the church, Rev. Seth Amoah-Boateng, the Legacy Concert was born to commemorate Victory Faith Chapel Internationals 10th-anniversary celebration and to celebrate, empower, and explore Christian music talents as well as flooding the kingdom of God

Speaking about the event, which was held on March 25, 2023, Rev. Seth said it was the first successful gospel event to be held at the Sunset Cove Amphitheatre in Florida and also the first outdoor event from the church.

The annual event aims at pushing the work of God and causing a revival in Florida.

It also brings a twist to the gospel music scene, such as making it a platform to connect legendary gospel artists and new music talents and also an avenue to create cultural exchange among participants.

He said, "I organised this event to empower all artists and give them a platform to showcase their talent." Furthermore, this event will provide an opportunity to support young artists in making their craft visible to their fans. "Legacy is what you leave in people, not what you leave for them."

The event featured two of Ghanas prolific and spirit-filled gospel ministers, the award-winning artist Joe Mettle and the Voice UKs semifinalist Emmanuel Smith, who shared the stage with Grammy nominee Chandler Moore of Maverick City, Dove Award Winner Jekayln Carr, International Award-Winning Artist NotKarlton Banks, Victory Worship Choir, and other great music personalities who made appearances.

The Rev. further pointed out that the annual event will host gospel artists from other parts of the world and give them a platform to perform, sell, promote their music and also help them grow in their walk with God and to further the kingdom assignment.
Why this entrance exam at the British Council gate?

Ajoa Yeboah-Afari Opinion Apr - 28 - 2023 , 10:53

A question for the British Council (BC), please: Does the Council now require attendees at events held there to pass a sort of entrance examination before theyre allowed to enter the premises?

My experience there in the afternoon of Thursday, April 13, 2023, is the reason for my question.

I arrived at the British Council, Accra, in an Uber car to attend a magazine launch at 4 p.m.

As expected, a security man immediately started doing a security check on the car as we waited for the gate to be opened.

Through the gate, I could see that there was a group of drummers waiting in front of the reception, and the place was bustling with activity.

To my surprise, a uniformed woman security officer appeared and asked the driver what I was coming to do there, or words to that effect.

She also came round to the window of the back seat where I was sitting to repeat her question to me.

I told her that I found her question strange.

Isnt a magazine launch taking place here? Isnt this an events venue?

Despite the curious question, I would have understood her if there were many halls there and so she wanted to know where to direct me; or if there had been no activity there that afternoon.

But that was not the situation.

Visibly annoyed, she retorted, Madam, take your time!

I repeated that I found her question strange.

When the security check was over, I was expecting the gate to be opened, but she then told her colleague not to open it because I would have to get down and enter through the small gate.

I asked her So is that my punishment?

I repeated that question two more times before she curtly told her colleague to open the gate.

After I alighted at the entrance, a few minutes later, I saw at the gate a colleague, Kofi Yeboah, General Secretary of the Ghana Journalists Association, one of the launch hosts, getting out of a car.

After what appeared to be an exchange with the security woman, he walked in through the small gate.

Mr Yeboah explained that the woman had refused to allow the Yango (a ride-hailing car, like Uber) to enter the premises because Yangos were not allowed in.

His explanation that the driver was only dropping him off had no effect.

When the driver pointed out that he had seen an Uber entering, which only annoyed her more, Mr Yeboah said,

She responded rudely she was not courteous at all, adding that he cautioned her about her attitude.

I felt compelled to tell her to mind her choice of words. I think that is her nature.

Ironically, Mr Yeboah, the Associate Editor of the magazine being launched, Media and Communications Review, was one of the organisers of the function and they had paid for the use of the BC hall.

Its a long time since I entered the British Council premises, so I dont know what their recent experiences have been, necessitating such a poor attitude at their gate.

If ride-hailing cars are not to enter their premises, why were we not told immediately we turned into the driveway?

Why were security checks being carried out on the Uber if the car would not be allowed in?

And, how reasonable is it that people who pay to use the BC hall are not allowed to enter the place in a ride-hailing car?

Furthermore, why should a guest at an event venue be subjected to a what have you come here for query?

Are the gate persons not made aware of events taking place there?

Are they not expected to be polite to visitors?

At the very least, civility is expected from personnel linked with such a prestigious venue.

One wonders how many other visitors have suffered similar discourtesy at the British Council gate.

Ajoa Yeboah-Afari (Ms), Dansoman Estate, Accra.


Dominion University establishes centre of excellence

Gertrude Nyavi Education Apr - 28 - 2023 , 08:17

THE Dominion University College has announced plans to establish an effective centre of excellence for artificial intelligence (AI) to train and empower the youth through information technology (IT) and business opportunities.

This, according to the Chairman of the University, Prof. Felix Nikoi Hammond, was aimed at contributing towards the reduction of unemployment among the youth, particularly women in the country.

He said his outfit would be running the centre in partnership with some high-profile organisations in the United States of America (USA) to empower a future ready-workforce through artificial intelligence education at the university.

Centre of excellence

Prof. Hammond made this known in an interview with the media on the sidelines of the 6th graduation ceremony of Dominion University held in Accra, which was on the theme; Think possibilities.

Critically, the yet-to-be established centre, which would be positioned on the premises of the Dominion University Colleges new ultramodern edifice at East Legon in Accra would be training our youth, women and girls and empower them in IT and business opportunities.

The centre would be positioned in such a way that our youths, women and girls who will be enrolled would not go through the mass educational system.

They would be trained in effective entrepreneurship and equipped to properly go out there, knowing what exactly they are going to do, he added.

Prof Hammond pointed out that the management of the university had already started raising funds internationally because they could not depend on the university to raise the needed funds to run the centre.

He charged the graduates to uphold integrity, character and workplace competence.

The overall best student for the 2020/2021 academic year received GH3,000 while the best students in the various disciplines took home GHGH1000.00 each

Prof. Hammond congratulated the graduates and urged them to use the knowledge they have acquired to transform their lives.

Avoid negative influence

For his part, the President of Dominion University College, Prof.Nicholas N.N Nsowah-Nuamah, urged the graduates not to associate themselves with the negative influential people in their personal lives.

He asked them to be mindful that negative or unhealthy influences could generally impede their progress in the future.

"You should always remember that a lot of resources, both human and financial, have been committed into your training.

Therefore, I charge you to go out there and commit yourself to hardwork, dedicated and honest work to justify the huge investment made in your training.

New programmes

Professor Nsowah-Nuamah also announced that the university had a total of 10 MSc/MPhil students and 19 PhD students, adding that the university had submitted to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) some MBA programmes in Marketing, HR and Finance as well as PhD in Business Administration and Doctor of Business Administration.

Statistics

A total of 118 students who graduated (69 males and 49 females) were awarded Bachelors degree certificates.

Ten of the graduates had First Class honours, 50 had Second Class Upper with 41 obtaining Second Class Lower.

Thirteen of them had third Class, while four went home with Passes.

The Co-founder of Scaanz Wyoming, USA, Dr Kirill Mostov, who was the guest of honour, called on the university to develop products that were solution-driven for industries, private and public agencies to create a financial backbone for its sustainability.
Amnesty International cites Ghana for human rights abuses; LGBTI discrimination, police brutality,

Kweku Zurek Apr - 28 - 2023 , 12:59

Amnesty International has released its annual report on The State of the World's Human Rights, citing several violations of human rights in Ghana.

The report highlighted issues such as the violation of the right to freedom of expression, police brutality, forced evictions, child labour, discrimination against Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI) people, and women's rights.

Freedom of expression

Referencing the 2022 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, the report noted a regression in freedom of expression in Ghana.

"In February, radio host Oheneba Boamah Bennie was sentenced to two weeks in prison and fined GH3,000 (USD 243) for contempt of court after he published a video alleging that President Akufo-Addo conspired with judges to influence the 2020 presidential elections," the report said.

"In August the Kumasi Traditional Council in the Ashanti Region ordered the suspension of radio station, Oyerepa FM after it broadcast an interview with an opposition party leader who accused the traditional authority of ignoring illegal mining activities in the region and said he would organise a protest. Three days later, the station was allowed to resume operations after its management apologised".

Excessive use of force

According to the report, there were also several incidents of police officers using excessive force, including one incident in which a group of plain-clothes security officers assaulted a radio presenter and damaged his eardrum when he refused to surrender his phone.

The report recalled that in another incident, protesters attacked a police station during a violent protest in Nkoranza, Bono East Region, leading to the death of a bystander and injuries to at least five other protesters.

Torture

The report also highlighted a widespread problem of torture and ill-treatment of individuals by security forces and other authorities.

It detailed several high-profile cases, including that of social activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor, who was charged with treason in February after threatening to stage a coup if parliament passed the electronic levy bill.

Barker-Vormawor alleged that he was beaten for more than three hours by security officials during his arrest and two-month detention, and that he was occasionally held in solitary confinement. He also claimed that police threatened to subject him to enforced disappearance. His case remains pending.

It added that investigative journalist Michael Aidoo was also reportedly subjected to torture and ill-treatment in March, when he was assaulted by soldiers of the Afari Military Hospital for filming an office belonging to the ruling party on the hospital grounds. The soldiers allegedly hit him repeatedly and forced him to do push-ups, including with a block of cement around his waist.

The Amnesty International report also highlighted the persistent practice of chaining people with actual or perceived mental health conditions in traditional healing or faith-based facilities, despite such practices being banned. The organization visited five facilities and observed more than 60 people being held in chains or cages, including children.

Forced evictions

The report also noted incidents of forced evictions, including the demolition of hundreds of homes in an informal settlement in Frafraha, located on land belonging to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The residents were given only 48 hours notice and were not relocated, leaving them homeless, the report said.

LGBTI discrimination

It said discrimination against LGBTI people continued, with a bill pending in parliament that will further criminalize them and introduced prison sentences for anyone expressing support or sympathy towards them. Women continued to experience discrimination, with hundreds of women accused of being witches banished to six witch camps. In August, seven people were arrested and charged over the deaths of a man and a woman who were forced to drink a concoction made by a priest after they were accused of being witches.

The report said child labour persisted in the country, especially in agriculture, with a documentary by the UK-based Channel 4 television station showing footage of children as young as 10 working with machetes in cocoa farms. In August, 60 Ghanaian children between the ages of five and 17 accused a cocoa producer of violating child labour laws.

The report said while two bills to abolish the death penalty were introduced to Parliament, they were still under consideration at the end of the year. It also noted the pending Affirmative Action Bill, which aimed to address the gender imbalance in the private and public sectors, as well as a draft bill to amend the Criminal and Other Offences Act 1960 (Act 29) to prohibit declaring, accusing, naming, or labelling someone as a witch or employing another person to do so.

The report called on the Ghanaian government to take immediate action to address these issues and ensure the protection of human rights for all citizens.
Austrian Chancellor: Africa must embrace digital innovation to address food insecurity

Della Russel Ocloo Apr - 28 - 2023 , 08:05

THE Federal Chancellor of Austria, Karl Nehammer, has challenged African countries to embrace digital innovation to help in addressing challenges associated with food insecurity.

He said whereas not all current challenges could be solved exclusively at the governmental level, digital innovative ideas would be urgently needed to find solutions that would aid growth and ensure food sustainability.

Announcing the second edition of the Kofi Annan Award for Innovation in Africa during a visit to the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra last Wednesday, Mr Nehammer said food security was key to social stability and resilience.

Unfortunately, for some years now, the number of people who are hungry, malnourished or undernourished are on the increase despite efforts at all levels to reduce hunger, the Chancellor pointed out.

The Chancellor also reiterated the Austria governments commitment to renew its cooperation partnership with the KAIPTC, which expires in December 2023, for another five years.

The Kofi Annan Awards for Innovation 2024, intended to contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) on Good Health and Wellbeing, provides support for promising African social entrepreneurs with a sustainable business model to develop digital solutions to honour Kofi Annans legacy and commitment to a more fair, just and equitable world.

It is organised by the Federal Chancery of Austria, together with its partners, the World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator, the Austrian Development Agency and the Kofi Annan Foundation.

Invasion of Ukraine

Mr Nehammer said Russias attack on Ukraine had caused severe disruption to food security, leaving about 140 million Africans at risk of hunger.

It is, therefore, crucial to promote innovative entrepreneurs whose solutions can potentially counteract the negative impact on food security as a result of the Russian attacks, he stressed.

Austria, he said, would support any endeavour by Ghana and its partners to enhance food sustainability, and that I will like to encourage young entrepreneurs with digital solutions that will aid in addressing food insecurity while raising awareness of entrepreneurial opportunities for young people.

KAIPTC

The Commandant of the KAIPTC, Major General Richard Addo Gyane, giving an overview of the centres operations, told the Chancellor that the KAIPTC had over the years trained military, police and civilian personnel for multidimensional peacekeeping and peace support operations, providing them with the requisite skills and competencies to respond to complex peace and security challenges in West Africa and on the African continent.

The work we do in strengthening the African Peace and Security Architecture and other regional structures and mechanisms of the AU in peace and security could not have been possible without the support of our committed development partners, Major General Gyane said.

He welcomed the announcement by the Chancellor on the extension of the Memorandum of Understanding, saying it was timely as it coincided with a new strategic phase for the centre.

It is imperative to note that the support provided by the Austrian government within the context of our current strategy has enabled the KAIPTC to enhance the capacities of ECOWAS and the African Union, with the introduction of the Humanitarian Assistance in West Africa (HAWA) Core Course and the Political Advisors Course, General Gyane said.

The centre, he also highlighted, intended to strengthen the operations of the Women Peace and Security Institute by upgrading it into a department and adding another key agenda by focusing on young people.
COCOBOD refutes former President Mahama's claims of collapsed cocoa sector

Kweku Zurek Apr - 28 - 2023 , 08:23

Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has refuted claims by former President John Dramani Mahama that the cocoa sector in Ghana has collapsed.

The former President had reportedly claimed that the producer price and mismanagement had led to the collapse of the cocoa sector, thereby justifying farmers giving up their cocoa farms to illegal mining due to low remuneration.

However, COCOBOD has described such statements as misleading and detrimental to the cocoa sector, which forms the foundation of Ghana's economy.

The management of COCOBOD in a statement reacting to the former President's claim acknowledged that galamsey operations posed a significant danger to Ghana and argued that any attempts to justify or rationalize the conversion of a cocoa farm into a Galamsey site must be met with contempt.

The management of COCOBOD also stated that the Former President's statement regarding the increase in cocoa producer prices every year during his administration is inaccurate since records available point to the opposite.

COCOBOD went on to state that the cocoa industry is not collapsing as portrayed by the former President. Ghana recorded its highest-ever cocoa production volume of 1,045,500 metric tonnes in the 2020/21 Crop Season. COCOBOD continues to invest in interventions that will ensure not just the sustenance but the growth of the industry, including the Hand Pollination Programme, the Mass Pruning Programme, and the Cocoa Rehabilitation Programme.

Furthermore, COCOBOD said it was enrolling cocoa farmers across the country on the Cocoa Farmers Pension Scheme (CFPS) for the first time in the history of the industry to ensure a decent retirement.

COCOBOD said it remained committed to supporting farmers and ensuring the sustainability of the cocoa industry and called on the general public to support its efforts.

Read the entire statement below;

RE-AKUFO-ADDO COLLAPSED COCOA SECTOR

The attention of the Management of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has been drawn to publications on certain media platforms citing statements made by former President John Dramani Mahama, alluding to a collapse of Ghanas cocoa sector.

The Former President made these statements while touring the Western North Region, claiming the producer price and mismanagement have collapsed the cocoa sector. Mr Mahama justified farmers giving their cocoa farms to illegal mining due to low remuneration.

Management of COCOBOD refutes the notion of a collapsing cocoa industry. Such statements are misleading and detrimental to a vital sector like cocoa, which forms the foundation of Ghanas economy. We, therefore, wish to use the opportunity to make some clarifications and also set the records straight.

It is widely acknowledged that Galamsey operations pose a significant danger to our nation, and any attempts to justify or rationalise the conversion of a piece of land, especially a cocoa farm, into a Galamsey site, like the Former President sought to do, must be met with contempt.

This menace has the potential to negate all the investments made by the government to modernise cocoa farming and improve productivity. It is, therefore, crucial that prominent figures in our society exercise caution when making public statements that rationalize cocoa farmers trading their farms for temporary monetary benefit through illegal mining.

Management also wishes to place on record, that the Former Presidents statement regarding the increase in cocoa producer prices every year during his administration is inaccurate, since the records available point to the opposite. Specifically, there was no upward adjustment of the producer price of cocoa in the 2012/2013 Crop Season. Similarly, the producer price of the preceding season was maintained for the 2015/2016 Crop Season, with no upward adjustment.

Indeed, within a three-year period of the Former Presidents administration, i.e. the 2010/2011 to 2012/2013 crop season, there was a total of six (6) percent increase in the producer price. In contrast, within the last three years, there has been a 23 percent, 0 percent and a 21 percent increase in the producer price of cocoa.

It is important to note that the producer price is largely determined by international market prices as well as other industry costs, and every effort is made to arrive at a producer price that is fair to farmers even when international market conditions are unfavourable.

We further wish to put on record and also assure the general public that the cocoa industry is not collapsing as being portrayed by the Former President. Ghana recorded its highest-ever cocoa production volume of one million and forty-five thousand five hundred metric tonnes (1,045,500) in the 2020/21 Crop Season. A cocoa industry which holds the position as the second highest producer in the world cannot also be said to have collapsed.

COCOBOD continues to invest in interventions which will ensure not just the sustenance but the growth of the industry. Notably, the Hand Pollination Programme that increases pod count; the Mass Pruning Programme to enhance pests and disease control and induce flowering as well as the Cocoa Rehabilitation Programme which seeks to deal with the Cocoa Swollen Shoot virus disease that has ravaged about 45% of our cocoa tree stock. This is the biggest intervention that has ever been made to reverse the major threats that face the industry.

Currently, through a facility from the African Development Bank (AfDB), a total of 38515.54 hectares of otherwise diseased and unproductive cocoa farms have been fully rehabilitated so far, and some 59151.44 hectares have also been treated. The process of restoring other diseased farms is ongoing across the country.

For the first time in the history of the industry, COCOBOD is enrolling cocoa farmers across the country onto the Cocoa Farmers Pension Scheme (CFPS) to ensure a decent retirement.

COCOBOD remains committed to supporting farmers and ensuring the sustainability of the cocoa industry, and we will continue to work closely with our stakeholders to achieve our goals.

We call on the general public to support our efforts.
Gabby sues Frimpong-Boateng for defamation, demands GH10m damages over allegations in galamsey report

Kweku Zurek Apr - 28 - 2023 , 19:16

Mr. Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), has taken legal action against former Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.

This comes after Professor Frimpong-Boateng accused Otchere-Darko in his 2021 galamsey report of interfering in the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, which Prof. Frimpong-Boateng chaired.

In his lawsuit for defamation filed at the High Court in Accra on Friday [April 28, 2023], Mr. Otchere-Darko is seeking damages of GH10 million from Frimpong-Boateng and a retraction and apology for the allegations made against him.

He argues that Frimpong-Boateng's accusations are a wrongful twist of facts.

Mr Otchere-Darko is also praying the court for an order for a perpetual injunction to restrain Prof Frimpong-Boateng, whether by himself, his servants, agents or assigns from repeating similar or other defamatory words against him.

According to Professor Frimpong-Boateng, Otchere-Darko defended a company that was actively destroying the environment, despite there being a suspension on the issuance of licenses for operation in forest reserves at the time.

However, Otchere-Darko maintains that he did no wrong in defending the company and was merely seeking information on behalf of his client.

Responding to Otchere-Darko's legal action, Frimpong-Boateng dismissed the claims and accused Otchere-Darko of having a pixelated view of the illegal mining landscape in Ghana.
Govt committed to growth of aquaculture  Prof. Nunoo

Emelia Ennin Abbey Apr - 28 - 2023 , 09:59

The Chairman of the Fisheries Commission, Prof. Francis Nunoo has said the government is committed to the growth of the aquaculture industry.

In line with this, he said the ministry had decoupled aquaculture from inland fisheries, and set up a dedicated directorate for it, as well as set up an aquaculture health unit with various monitoring programmes.

He said this at the opening of a two-day aquaculture conference and exhibition in Accra.

The Aquaculture Ghana 2023 Conference and Exhibition, organised by the Chamber of Aquaculture Ghana, discussed sustainability, biosecurity and fish nutrition while providing a platform for stakeholders to network and build resilient partnerships.

Promotion

Prof. Nunoo said the ministry was also promoting the tilapia and catfish culture in Ghana and was also exploring the culture of other species to meet the deficit in Ghana's fish requirements.

The Aquaculture for Food and Jobs programme is also on course in schools, prisons and other institutions and we are also looking for an efficient technology to go into marine culture.

There have been attempts to go into shrimps in Ghana, which are of high value, he said.

He said challenges facing the aquaculture sector included the cost of fish feed, which took about 80 per cent, while operators in the sector also battled with fish diseases and lack of financing.

To overcome the fish disease challenge, Prof. Nunoo said the Norwegian government was supporting a capacity-building programme in some universities and veterinaries.

Ghana, he said, was a leader in the aquaculture industry in West Africa and it would take the effective collaboration of stakeholders, including the government, academia, development partners, non-governmental agencies, civil society, farmers, processors and traders, to ensure Ghana retained its leadership position.

He urged fish producers in the value chain to reduce prices, saying Sometimes, the fish is so expensive.

The dish, Banku and tilapia, is now food for the rich as you have to spend GH100 to enjoy it.

As a result, people are taking delight in consuming fingerlings, that is the small fried tilapia, instead of the big mature fish.

We must stop eating the baby fish and eat the bigger ones.

He urged operators in the aquaculture industry to link up with the Fisheries Commission for technical help and advice and to also collaborate with research institutions to address the challenges facing the industry.

Reducing cost of production

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Seth Twum-Akwaboah, said the Ghanaian aquaculture industry had grown rapidly over the years and remained attractive.

He said there was an opportunity to increase the growth of the industry as Ghana currently imported more than 50 per cent of its fish requirements to meet local demand and that $290 million worth of seafood and fish products were imported last year into the country.

For the aquaculture sector to grow, he said there would be the need to address the high cost of production driven by the high cost of fish feed and to develop the value chain to make the aquaculture sector competitive.

He said the AGI was committed to supporting the Chamber of Aquaculture to be competitive, to create jobs, and to contribute to the development of the economy.

The Regional Director of the West African chapter of the World Aquaculture Society, Lanre Badmus, stressed that collaboration among the various stakeholders would promote the sustainability of the aquaculture industry as they worked together to address the challenges.

The Chairman of the Chamber of Aquaculture, Dr Henry Anim Somuah, urged the public to patronise fish produced in Ghana rather than imported fish, which was of low nutritional quality compared to the locally produced fish.

Buying fish grown in Ghana, he said, would not only contribute to the growth of the aquaculture industry but would create jobs and contribute to the local economy.

The CEO of the Chamber of Aquaculture, Jacob Adzikah, said aquaculture played a critical role in Ghanas economy and food security.

Tilapia is the major species farmed in Ghanas aquaculture sector and constitutes over 80 per cent of aquaculture production, with catfish and other species accounting for the remaining 20 per cent.

Aquaculture in Ghana is promoted to produce fish for human consumption, industrial use and export.
Gregory Afoko, Asabke case highlights severe challenges with jury system - Attorney General

Enoch Darfah Frimpong Apr - 28 - 2023 , 07:52

The Gregory Afoko and Asabke Alangdi murder trial highlights the severe challenges with the jury system, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame has said.

According to the A-G, the unanimous guilty verdict of the jury regarding the guilt of Asabke Alangdi for conspiracy to commit murder, whilst at the same time delivering a hung verdict [4-3] in the case of Gregory Afoko on the same charge, the person he was accused to have conspired with, was a challenge.

This challenge confronting the jury system, according to the Attorney-General was being addressed as steps are underway to remedy as part of proposals for amendment of many parts of the criminal procedure laws of Ghana.

The accused persons in the Republic versus Gregory Afoko and Asabke Alangdi were arraigned before the High Court, Accra, on two counts of murder contrary to section 46 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and conspiracy to commit murder contrary to sections 23(1) and 46 of Act 29.

For the offence of murder, the particulars were that the accused persons intentionally caused the death of one Adams Mahama, former Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), by unlawful harm in 2015.

For the offence of conspiracy to commit murder, the particulars disclosed that the two accused persons agreed to act together with a common purpose to commit crime, namely murder.

Being offences, the punishment for which is death, in accordance with article 19(2) of the Constitution, the accused persons were tried by a judge and jury (the jury being the decider of the guilt or otherwise of the accused persons).

For the offence of murder, the verdict of the jury shall be unanimous.

Any verdict of the jury in a case punishable by death, which is not unanimous, is of no effect and means the jury has failed to reach a decision or has resulted in what is popularly described as a "hung jury".

Verdict

On Thursday April 27, 2023, the seven-member jury delivered their verdict as follows:

Read also: Gregory Afoko to be retried, Asabke sentenced to death in NPP Chairman murder

By a decision of 4 - 3, accused persons are not guilty of the offence of murder.

By a unanimous decision, Asabke Alangdi, is guilty of the offence of conspiracy to commit murder.

In accordance with section 285(1) of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30), the Justice of Appeal sitting as an additional Justice of the High Court proceeded to pass the mandatory sentence of death on the Asabke Alangdi.

By a decision of 4 - 3, Gregory Afoko, is not guilty of the offence of conspiracy to commit murder.

The lack of unanimity in the verdict of the jury regarding the offence of murder for which both accused persons stood trial, and the offence of conspiracy to commit murder in the case of Gregory Afoko, dictates that the accused persons must be tried before another jury.

Comments on the case and the A-G's caution

In a press statement issued Friday morning (April 28, 2023) by the Attorney-General, Mr Yeboah Dame entreated members of the public, including lawyers, to be guided accordingly and desist from comments which have an undue tendency to jeopardise the sound and efficient administration of justice.

The A-G wrote

"Section 285 (4) of Act 30 stipulates thus:

"Where the jury are not unanimous in their opinion, the Justice shall, after the lapse of a time. that the Justice considers reasonable, discharge the jury.

Section 286 of Act 30 also provides:

"Where the jury is discharged, the accused shall be detained in custody or released on bail and shall be tried by another jury."

He said the laws of Ghana require the accused persons, in the circumstances, to be tried before a new jury. The Republic is bound by same.

He added that the instant case, particularly the "unanimous verdict of the jury regarding the guilt of the 2nd accused for conspiracy to commit murder, whilst at the same time delivering a hung verdict in the case of the 1st accused on the same charge, highlights the severe challenges with the jury system, a situation the Attorney-General is taking steps to remedy as part of proposals for amendment of many parts of the criminal procedure laws of Ghana."

"The Attorney-General hereby respectfully, entreats members of the public, including lawyers, to be guided accordingly and desist from comments which have an undue tendency to jeopardise the sound and efficient administration of justice," he stated.
Involve workers in formulation of workplace regulations  Chief Justice nominee Torkornoo

Justice Agbenorsi Apr - 28 - 2023 , 09:07

Chief Justice nominee, Justice Gertrude Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, has urged corporate entities to involve employees in the formulation of regulations that govern the workplace.

That, she said, would motivate voluntary compliance at workplaces and help employees to contribute to higher productivity.

Delivering a paper at a public lecture ahead of this years International Labour Day in Accra yesterday, she said:

The more stakeholders own regulation, the easier it is for peer-to-peer reminder of best practices to be shared, leading to strong organisational cultures built on the accepted regulation.

It is within this context that this paper suggests that effort must be made at workplaces to produce clear records of how stakeholders expect the workplace to be regulated for maximum productivity, and these clear regulatory lines should be created from consensus by as many stakeholders as possible, Justice Torkornoo added.

Lecture

The lecture  the sixth in the series to be organised by the Institute of Work, Employment and Society of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA)  was to commemorate the commitment of workers towards national development and to reflect on the ethical aspect of workers responsibility.

It was on the topic: Harnessing Good Work Ethics for Higher Productivity, and was sponsored by AngloGold Ashanti and Citi TV.

It was attended by labour unions, personnel from academia, Justices of the Superior Courts, media practitioners, among a host of dignitaries.

Underscoring the need to involve every stakeholder in the formulation of regulations, Justice Torkornoo  who is also an author  said:

When regulation is made up of rules that stakeholders are aware of and contribute to the making of, their submission to the rules produce a culture that is orderly, predictable and harmonious among diverse people.

This culture can be carefully calibrated and guided through the upgrading of law and regulation in order to produce higher standards of conduct, she noted.

Communication

Beyond the regulation at workplaces, the Chief Justice nominee said the lack of communication of signposts, goal posts, and indices of success and a constant flow of why things were what they were could also affect significantly the effectiveness at workplaces.

Effective communication, she said, would increase understanding in order to increase cooperation and collaboration at workplaces.

Transparency, clarity and continuity of engagement and collaborations are always critical ethical values that must be harnessed to ensure productivity because any chain is as strong as its weakest link, she added.

Technology

Touching on another area of harnessing good work ethics for productivity, the former Chair of the E-Justice Oversight Committee recommended the use of technology at workplaces.

She, however, cautioned its users to examine technology for efficiency, sustainability and ease of use.

Harnessing good work ethics for higher productivity will always require the multi-pronged approaches needed for success in any life endeavour.

Vision is not enough, mission statements are not enough, goals per se are not enough; strong tools such as clear communication, a culture of accepted regulation and efficient use of technology can be engaged to assist in this journey, Justice Torkornoo added.

Commitment

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the UPSA, Professor John Kwaku Mensah Mawutor, said the lecture was a testament to the university's commitment to academic excellence and intellectual discourse.

He commended the efforts of the workers of the university and the country for dedicating their skills and expertise to the service, advancement and development of the country.

Attitude

The Director, Labour Research and Policy Institute, Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr Kwabena Nyarko Otoo, said some of the negative attitudes exhibited by professionals emanated from the tertiary institutions.

He, therefore, charged institutions of higher learning to help eradicate the menace, adding that if the attitude is right, we can increase our revenue, and government will be able to find the money to pay workers and pay them more.

Standards

The Director of Human Resource of the University of Ghana, Dr Yvonne Ayerki Lamptey, stressed the need to develop ethical standards for all forms of work for higher productivity.

As we celebrate the day, let us review our ethical standards and look at how we can improve our standards to align with changing trends, she said.

The Executive Secretary of the National Media Commission, George Sarpong, assured the university of the commissions support in helping to promote good ethical practices at workplaces to increase productivity.

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Life returns to normal at Agorkedzi after sea invasion

Alberto Mario Noretti Apr - 28 - 2023 , 07:15

LIFE has returned to normal at Agorkedzi in the Anloga District of the Volta Region after the sea invaded the community again about 10 days ago, flooding 90 houses and displacing 227 people.

The displaced included 100 males and 127 females.

The late-night tidal waves assault on Saturday, April 15, also destroyed three buildings in the community.

However, the deluge began receding after three days, with no casualties recorded.

The District Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Philip Bokorgah, told the Daily Graphic on Monday that the floods had drawn back largely into the sea.

Livelihood

The people have now gone back to their livelihood activity, which invariably is fishing, he said.

According to Mr Bokorgah, the displaced people who sought refuge with friends during the sea invasion in the nearby communities had returned to Agorkedzi.

Meanwhile, the R.C. Basic School which was shut down as a result of the floods has reopened, he added.

We are still monitoring the situation on the ground to give the prompt and appropriate response in case of a recurrence of the tidal invasion, Mr Bokorgah told this reporter.

The District Director of NADMO said since life had returned to normal in Agorkedzi, there was no need for the distribution of relief items to the people at the moment.

A similar tidal invasion at nearby Fuveme a year ago wiped out the community, prompting the people to relocate to Agorkedzi.
MODEC commends Regional Maritime University for maintaining high standards training

Zadok Kwame Gyesi Apr - 28 - 2023 , 16:18

The Managing Director of Mitsui Ocean Development and Engineering Company (MODEC) Ghana, a global supplier and operator of offshore floating vessels, Mr. Theophilus Ahwireng, has lauded the efforts of the Regional Maritime University for maintaining high standard training centre and also training programs.

According to him, in todays world, practical, experimental and vocational or technical competencies cannot be replaced since it is a prerequisite for operational excellence.

He made this observation during the launch of a training programme aimed at enrolling seven females with welding expertise to encourage more females to venture into the technical and vocational skills on April 25, 2023.

At MODEC Ghana, we believe strongly in operational excellence and the continues improvement, innovations and the development of programs fit for purpose, he said.

This, he explained, is the reason for which MODEC GH continues to invest heavily in several world class tailor-made training programs for young engineers in the upstream oil and gas industry and allied industries.

The sponsored training programme will offer young SHS graduates with science background the opportunity to gain practical vocational skills that would kick start their careers and entrepreneurial pursuit.

Mr. Ahwireng, took the opportunity to announce that MODEC and its SPC partners are also sponsoring the training of two (2) instructors at the welding and fabrication centre of RMU to Canada for the Canadian welder bureau, for their level two (2) certification which takes off this month.

He was of the view that they will return with expertise to further upgrade the level of technical skills training offered at the centre.

Dr. Barboucarr Njie, the Registrar of the Regional Maritime University who stood in for Dr. Jethro Wilbert Brooks Jnr. the Vice Chancellor of the University, explained further that the MODEC Welder training centre of the University is a state-of-the-art facility that was refurbished by MODEC and Tullow and handed over to the Regional Maritime University.

He commended MODEC Ghana for the continues support adding that this facility has over the years trained three hundred and seven (307)individuals in various levels of welding and fabrication outside the thousand (1000) regular students of the marine engineering department pursuing their degrees and diplomas who make use of the facility for their practical lessons.

Despite the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020, we have continued to provide training opportunities for aspiring welders from Ghana. Togo, Cameroon, Nigeria and Gabon who have secured jobs in industries such as the oil and gas, maritime, mining and construction industries, whiles others have gone into their own welding and fabrication businesses, noted.

Explaining further, Dr. Njie said, out of these trainees, only eleven (11) representing 3.6 percent were females hence the need to engage more females to endear the technical and vocational area to the female group.

The three-month welding training program which cost 40 thousand dollars for the selected seven young females would provide hands-on experience, training and mentoring to pursue their career in welding and fabrication.
Scale up investment in online trade "WTO boss to Ghana"

Donald Ato Dapatem Apr - 28 - 2023 , 07:25

The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has urged Ghana to scale up investment in the flourishing online trade in order to take advantage of the $ 4 trillion worth of global online trade.

She said the country was doing well by providing some digital trade and professional services in business outsourcing, with many women involved in the trade, and urged that more efforts be put in to make major inroads in the sector.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala stated this when she paid a courtesy call on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House last Wednesday.

She said digital trade was the wave of the future, explaining that it was the fastest growing sub-sector, currently at eight per cent per annum compared to other types of trade.

She indicated that the WTO could help with issues such as certification, quality control of the products and breaking into new markets.

Fisheries

The WTO Director-General urged President Akufo-Addo to use his influence to get other African nations to ratify the new fisheries agreement.

She explained that the agreement would benefit developing countries especially those in Africa with fish resources.

She said after 21 years of deadlock, the organisation was able to secure the fisheries subsidies agreement which would do away with $22 billion in harmful instances that led to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, adding that they were negotiating a second phase of the agreement to deal with overfishing and overcapacity.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala stated that the continent was losing $2.3 billion from illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and $3 billion from overfishing and overcapacity.



Trade finance

Touching on financing, President Akufo-Addo said it was important for the IMF and the World Bank to expand access to concessional financing for the country.

He said that was necessary because ultimately, if the country did not reform how the market responded to its needs, it would be difficult to have a sustainable debt profile, adding that the Bank of Ghana and others were making efforts to bring that to the centre of the discussion.

President Akufo-Addo indicated that Ghana, as a prelude to the fund programme, had undertaken some adjustments to its debt profile in order to be on a more sustainable trend.

He said there was the increasing desire for the Bretton Woods institutions to change the way they did business and see themselves as people at the forefront of mobilising capital and also provide some guarantee for securing private financing.
Avoid sensationalising health stories "Journalists urged"

Juliet Akyaa Safo Health Apr - 28 - 2023 , 10:52

Journalists reporting on health issues have been advised to desist from sensationalising health stories but focus on providing facts to draw the attention of policy makers.

They have also been urged to protect the privacy and dignity of individuals they report on to avoid victimising them.

The Executive Director of Women, Media and Change (WOMEC), Dr Charity Binka, who gave the advice added that journalists had the responsibility to report accurate, reliable and unbiased information ensuring that their sources were credible and information was fact-checked.

She said journalists had the obligation to be truthful in their reportage, recognising the human impact of health issues.

Journalists should strive to balance the interests of the public with the interests of individuals they report on, she said.

Urban Health reporting

Dr Binka was speaking at a two-day training programme at Dodowa aimed at building the capacity of journalists to report on gaps in the urban health systems and related issues.

It was also aimed at training journalists to effectively communicate and package research evidence and outcomes of the Community-led Responsive and Effective Urban Health Systems (CHORUS) project at the School of Public Health, University of Ghana.

The six-year CHORUS project, which started in May 2020, is a multi-country research programme consortium (RPC) focused on building resilient urban health systems with funding from the United Kingdoms Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Under the project, research that responds to the practical challenges of delivering equitable health services is being undertaken in urban areas of four partner countries, that is, Bangladesh, Ghana, Nepal and Nigeria.

In Ghana, the University of Ghana team employed a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach in four communities within two municipalities, that is Ashaiman and La-Nkwantanang Madina in the Greater Accra Region.

Effective health communication

Dr Binka explained that Urban health was the health outcomes, challenges, and determinants of health, that is, the social and economic environment, the physical environment, and the individual lifestyle of a person.

She said it was, therefore, critical for journalists to communicate health issues by understanding the social, cultural and linguistic diversity within urban populations.

Health messages should be tailored to the specific needs and characteristics of the target audience to ensure that they are culturally appropriate, linguistically accessible and relevant to the individual's circumstances, she said.

CHORUS

In view of the project, a Lecturer at the School of Public Health, University of Ghana, who is also the Country Lead for CHORUS, Dr Genevieve Aryeetey, said the objective of the CHORUS RPC was to conduct research to understand, explore and evaluate interventions to build resilience and also respond to the health challenges of increasing rapid and uncontrolled urbanisation across Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).

She said urban health systems in LMICs were faced with the double burden of communicable (CDs) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and often had to deal with wide social and economic inequities.

She said CHORUS consortium research questions were, therefore, built around four interlinked pillars, which included linking the plurality of private, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and government providers; building collaboration across sectors to address wider determinants of health; strengthening systems to prevent and respond to the double burden NCDs and Communicable Diseases (CDs) and identifying, reaching and engaging the urban poor.
Collaborate to prevent terrorism "NCCE to state, non-state actors"

Timothy Ngnenbe Politics Apr - 28 - 2023 , 08:47

The Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Kathleen Addy, has called for stronger collaboration between state and non-state actors to address the triggers of violent extremism and terrorism in the country.

She said in the wake of growing terrorist attacks in the Sahel Region and neighbouring countries, it was important for all stakeholders to work closely to deal with in-country situations that could fuel terrorism.

Ms Addy stressed that illegal mining, political tensions, chieftaincy conflicts, perceived marginalisation, unemployment and religious sentiments, as well as tribalism, were tendencies that exposed the county to terrorist attack, for which reason all actors must work together to nip them in the bud.

"In particular, I want to appeal to the media to play an active role in educating and sensitising Ghanaians to the threats of terrorism and its impact on the country.

The media is a powerful tool that can be used in a positive way to help prevent violent extremism in this country and I call on journalists to be circumspect in how they report on this issue," she added.

Capacity building

Ms Addy was speaking at a capacity-building workshop on Preventing and Containing Violent Extremism (PCVE) organised by the NCCE for journalists in Tamale in the Northern Region on Wednesday (April 26).

The workshop drew participants from eight regions, including Northern, North-East, Savannah, Upper West, Upper East, Oti, Bono and Bono East.

The workshop was meant to equip journalists with relevant information on terrorism and its impact so that they would use their media platforms to educate and sensitise members to the public.

It was also meant to court the support of the media to help the NCCE implement the PCVE project that had been rolled out in the northern part of Ghana.

The PCVE is an 18-month European Union (EU) funded project, which started on November 26, 2022, to prevent and contain violent extremism through the promotion of social cohesion, peace and tolerance in the five regions in northern Ghana and other hotspots in the country.

The project also seeks to strengthen state actors, security agencies, the media and other non-state actors at the national and community levels in the fight against violent extremism and to prevent individuals identified as being at risk from joining violent or criminal groups.

Proactive action

A Principal Analyst at the National Counter Terrorism and Fusion Centre of the Ministry of National Security, Dr Baba Sayuti, described the initiative by the NCCE to rally stakeholders to help prevent violent extremism in the country as a boost to the fight against terrorism.

Again, he observed that there was a link between organised crime and terrorism, same way illegal mining and terrorism financing also had a connection "because terrorists can do illegal mining to get more money to buy ammunition, recruit people, bribe officials and work their way through".

He stressed that the situation was even more dire, especially when many foreigners were engaged in illegal mining in Ghana.

"The National Security is not sleeping.

We are working every day to stem the tides and make sure we keep an eye on that area to prevent the penetration of terrorists," he said.

Stakeholders

Dr Sayuti stressed that all stakeholders should turn their attention towards addressing the root causes of terrorist activities rather than waiting to respond after it had occurred.

He observed that since poverty and marginalisation were key triggers of terrorism, there must be deliberate policies by the government to create employment opportunities for people in the areas that were deprived.

"Heading to the political season, we need to tread cautiously because inflamed political passions can be a fertile ground for terrorists to penetrate," he said.

While commending the NCCE for collaborating with the media to disseminate information on preventing terrorism, he stressed that the media played a leading role in promoting peace in the country.

He urged the media to prevent politicians from using their platforms to inflame passions or fuel conflict.


LGBTQI: Threats will not compel us to abandon views  Bagbin

Daily Graphic Politics Apr - 28 - 2023 , 09:44

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has said Africa is not deterred by the veiled threats of withdrawal of investments and aid by some advanced countries following the continents stance on gay rights.

He said the enactment of laws by some African countries that sought to protect their culture, values, societal norms and to safeguard the future of their youth should not be perceived as trampling on peoples rights.

Mr Bagbin said that at a meeting with some Members of the British House of Lords and the House of Commons at Westminster in London.

Of concern to the British Members of Parliament (MPs) was the law passed in Uganda recently on the LGBTQI phenomenon, and the bill on Promotion of Human Sexual Rights and Family Values currently before Ghanas Parliament.

Threats are not the way to go.

If your neighbour or partner has a problem, you help him to solve it. Boycotts and threats do not solve problems: engagement and understanding do, the Speaker said.

He explained that once a group of people was in agreement on what constituted Human rights, values and principles, they move on, saying what was required was alignment and understanding of their context.

Role of Parliament

Mr Bagbin told his hosts that the role of Parliament was to receive bills from civil society or interest groups, usually through the process that allowed for a Private Members Bill, or from the executive.

Parliament then takes the bill through its processes and procedures outlined in its Standing Orders and in consonance with the provisions of Ghanas Constitution.

There is nothing untoward; nothing wrong with the efforts by Ghanas Parliament to legislate on the promotion of human sexual rights and family values in Ghana, using our constitution as a compass, he declared.

There is urgent need of legislation in the area of LGBTTQR in Ghana.

Parliament is aware of the copious human rights provisions in the Constitution of the country.

Parliament knows that any legislation that detracts from the human rights and freedoms guaranteed by our constitution will be a candidate for litigation in our court of law, he said.

Bill

Responding to a question on the role of the President in the bill under reference, the Speaker insisted that Ghanas Parliament had the mandate and the capability to legislate on the subject, and would not countenance any interference from the executive.

He explained that the role of the President was to assent to bills submitted to him by Parliament.

In the process, the President can make recommendations for the consideration of Parliament.

However, final legislative powers rest with the legislature, not the executive.

Ghanas democracy is based on the rule of law, not the rule of man, he pointed out.

Besides, he said, Ghanas Constitution was heavy on the promotion and protection of various fundamental human rights and freedoms, and gave an assurance that curtailing human rights was not the target of the bill under reference; rather, it was about the protection of rights as well as values; so it was about the health care and welfare of Ghanaians, particularly those whose sexual orientation had implications for their health.

Legislature

According to the Speaker, the legislature had engaged in very wide and broad consultations while working on the Promotion of Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, adding that members of the select committee working on it had held consultations in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, European Union and Canada, among others for a deeper appreciation of the issues at stake.

In addition, Mr Bagbin said the committee had received and considered about 400 memoranda on the issue and had granted audience to many advocacy groups, professional associations, traditional leaders, civil society groups, and religious leaders. He said the approach to the bill had been to think global and act local.

Those with the Speaker at the meeting included the Clerk to Parliament, Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah; Director, Legal Counsel to the Speaker, Magnus Kofi Amoatey; the Director of Communication, Gayheart Mensah, and the Deputy Director of Parliamentary Relations, Charles Dery Tenzagh.
Concerned citizens, the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners, and representatives from the Ashley National Forest and Flaming Gorge Recreation District recently weighed in on plans and potential problems regarding the future of the Buckboard Marina.

The marina, which is located approximately 22 miles south of Green River, is the only marina for the Flaming Gorge in the state of Wyoming.

The Ashley National Forest and Flaming Gorge Ranger District are currently considering a boundary adjustment project for the Buckboard Marina's special use permit.

The proposal

The proposed project for the Buckboard Marina would change the boundaries for the special use permit.

"The adjustment would remove water acreage and add areas of land to the east and south, including part of the South Buckboard areas that is currently used for dispersed camping," the project proposal explained. "The adjustment would increase the permitee's authorized acreage by 3 acres (increasing it from 77 acres to 80 acres)."

The proposal further explains that the original boundaries for the marina's special use permit include area in the water toward the total acreage. However, the act under which marina permits are authorized only encompasses land-based acreage toward the 80-acre maximum.

"By adjusting the boundary to exclude water acreage and add additional land areas, the marina would be able to move docks and water facilities to deeper water locations and continue to service the recreating public in this area," the proposal says.

The main goals behind the boundary adjustment are "to help preserve the recreational opportunities for the rec users in Wyoming" and "to help the Buckboard Marina be viable and operational during the decline of the water levels," according to Brian Wilson, the Flaming Gorge District Ranger for the Ashley National Forest and Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area Wyoming District.

Wilson, along with several other representatives from the Ashley National Forest and Flaming Gorge, spoke to the Board of County Commissioners during the April 18 board meeting to address questions and concerns over the proposed boundary adjustment.

Wilson said they have been concerned over the dropping water levels in the Flaming Gorge reservoir over the last few years, which has been devastating for many, especially marinas. Wilson and Jayson Roundy, the Special Use Permit Administrator, explained that extending the acreage further along the land around the bay would allow the marina to have access to steeper banks and deeper waters that should stay deep enough in order to maintain sustainable docks even if the water in the reservoir continues to go down. This part of the bay would also be deep enough to be an anchoring point in case an attenuator needs to be put in to reduce wave actions in the future.

The concerns

Three county residents expressed their concerns about the future of the Buckboard Marina during the county resident comment time at the beginning of the commission meeting, and several commissioners mentioned having received comments from other residents on the issue.

One of the concerned residents attending the meeting in person was Les Tanner, the previous owner of the Buckboard Marina who operated it for over 50 years.

"We have fought the forest service tooth and nail for 50 years to keep a marina in Wyoming," Les Tanner said, expressing his belief that adjusting the boundaries is giving up water rights to get land, which will shut down the marina.

One of the biggest concerns multiple residents expressed to the commissioners is the current lack of services available at Buckboard.

"There isn't a marina out there anymore," Les Tanner said, saying there used to be a full service marina and now there's only a bar, with nowhere to put the boats, no gas, no pump out, no moorings and no store.

Wilson and Roundy explained to the commissioners that the pump out is the responsibility of the Flaming Gorge and Forest district, and the reason there isn't a pumper dock at the marina currently is because it was getting old and was pulled out of the water to be repaired. They also pointed out that water levels have dropped so much that it's too shallow to put the pumper dock back out without extending the utilities needed to connect it, which is being worked on.

As for the lack of gas, Roundy explained that the marina owner wants to provide that service, but was having issues with the existing fuel lines leaking. Removing the fuel lines was the only solution to resolve problems with the Environmental Protection Agency, and the owner has been trying to find new solutions, which require funding. Roundy added that owner has filled up jerry cans to take fuel out to people when they've asked, and that the owner hopes to find a long-term solution to the gas issue for the future.

One of the other major concerns about the boundary adjustment is the question of access to the land and camping around the marina and whether the proposal would limit dispersed camping and recreation in the area.

Wilson pointed out that currently many people are camping in restricted areas and said the owner of the marina hopes to open campsites. When it comes to dispersed camping, Ashley National Forest LEO Logan Linnan said the typical rule of not having camping within a quarter mile of developed areas would be adjusted and the boundary for camping would be the roadway, leaving much of the area open to dispersed camping. Linnan also emphasized that access to public lands will be protected and people can't be removed for no reason.

"I think everybody in this room would agree that public access and bringing your family out to the Gorge is an amazing thing," Linnan said.

Seeking more information

"We're hoping we can keep the marina a marina, but also do the best we can to provide rec opportunities for the Wyoming rec users," Wilson said of the boundary adjustment proposal.

"Both of those things are key and what we're trying to protect also," Commissioner Robb Slaughter responded. "I think we're trying to do the same thing, we're just hearing some different comments."

During the discussion, Slaughter noted that it would be easier to address people's concerns about the future operation of the marina if the commissioners could read over the special use permit and understand the requirements for the permittee. In the public comment portion of the meeting, Greg Tanner said he'd tried to get a copy of the permit and was told it would have to be requested by a government agency, which he believed to be "dead wrong."

Roundy told Commissioner Slaughter that the permit can't just be given out to anyone, and getting a copy requires going through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. He also noted permits themselves are often fairly basic and work together with operating plans, and that the Buckboard Marina has been working on a Master Development Plan.

During the meeting, the commissioners agreed they felt limited by not being able to look over the permit, and they were concerned by the deadline for the end of the public scoping period, which was originally scheduled to end Friday, April 21, just a few days after the meeting.

"We found it incredibly difficult as a commission to exercise any semblance of due diligence on the topic, or to offer comment, in any meaningful or intelligent way, to the Forest Service about the proposal," Chairman Keaton West explained in a press release.

Ashley National Forest photos Blue and pink lines show the proposed boundary changes.

The commissioners agreed to send a letter to the Forest Service which asked for an extension of the public scoping period deadline and explained they would submit a FOIA request to get a copy of the special use permit to respond to the concerns that "the permittee is not providing all of the services that are specific to the special use permit; the boundary line realignment will reduce public access to areas that provide multiple recreational use opportunities; the boundary line adjustment proposal to the north of Buckboard Marina could reduce the availability of both dispersed camping and recreational day use opportunities in a historic high use area."

The Forest Service has extended the public scoping period for the proposal through Friday, May 19.
April 28 is Workers Memorial Day, a day of remembrance and commitment initially established by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), and now also known throughout numerous countries as World Day for Safety and Health at Work. Annually, this day honors and commemorates workers who have lost their lives on the job, recognizing the tremendous loss to families, peers and communities. It is an emotional holiday for everyone touched by this loss.

The loss brings communities together to recognize these workers, remember their lives, and raise their voices and ours to share and grieve together. Through enduring this journey together, we share insight into these incidents and work together to prevent others from losing their lives from occupational fatalities  fatalities that should never have been the cost of going to work.

In Wyoming, occupational fatalities cover all business sectors, from motor vehicle carriers to roofing contractors. Occupational fatalities do not discriminate on any level. We know that implementing controls and training can greatly reduce the potential for fatalities; we all share this commitment to each other, our families and our communities.

Numerous reports and data sets are available to show occupational fatalities in the state and the nation. These reports give raw numbers but need an explanation. The number often creates fear, anger and heartbreak. They do little to reduce these fatalities, nor do they share the facts or importance of how we all play a part in the answer. We all play an essential role in reducing these fatalities. Whether an employer, coworker or concerned citizen, we have a voice to stop dangerous actions around us if we choose to use it.

In the past year in Wyoming, there has been as increase in fatalities that involve falls from height. These falls have been directly related to the improper or inadequate use of fall protection. These fatalities are preventable through education, appropriate controls and raising our voices to protect one another; voices that we must choose to use regardless of the title we hold in the community, because protecting the lives of others is a responsibility we all hold.

Resources are available to employers or employees in Wyoming to understand challenges and ways to provide safety and health at worksites through websites, phones, or in person. These resources include Compliance, Consultation, and Risk Management services offered through both Department of Workforce Services Safety and Risk and Wyoming OSHA.

On April 28, we will celebrate and commemorate the lives of workers who have lost their lives. We will look to the lives affected by the loss of these people from our families, peers and communities. We can all raise our voices to protect one another, share resources for health and safety and come together to stop preventable occupational fatalities in Wyoming. Will you join us in raising your voice to help Wyoming workers return home safely, too?
Samsung published its financial report for Q1 2023, and as the guidance warned profits plummeted to levels unseen in the past 15 years.

Operating profit between January and March went down 18% YoY, while profit shrank from KRW 14.12 trillion to KRW 0.64 trillion - a stunning drop of 95%.

Samsung is expecting global demand to rebound in the second half of the year, which would assist its recovery.

The mobile experience division that is responsible for smartphones and smart devices was the least affected in this uninspiring quarter. Sales went down 2% YoY but increased 22% on a quarterly basis. The network business that is part of the same division took a slight hit due to weakness in major overseas markets such as North America and SW Asia, but operating profit actually increased both quarterly and yearly.

The increase in quarterly sales can be attributed to the launch of the new premium smartphone models - the Galaxy S23 series, with the S23 Ultra performing particularly strongly. Additionally, efforts were made to improve operational efficiency.

The company confirmed the decline in the memory and semiconductor business is due to weak demand and inventory adjustments from customers. The display business also did not impress as the market for mobile panels contracted, while the large panel business slightly narrowed the losses. There was also a negative impact, primarily in the component business, due to the strength of the Korean won against the US dollar.

Current market trends are expected to continue in the following quarter, ending in June. The DS Division will focus on boosting the gate-all-around (GAA) based 2nm process while meeting demand for DDR, LPDDR5X and other high-end products. Cost efficiency will be another driving force for the Korean maker in Q2, which should improve profitability both in the short and long runs.

Source
The Attorney Generals Office is investigating the legality of retroactive pay raises for some cabinet members and Adelup staffers, Attorney General Douglas Moylan said Friday.

In a letter to the governor late Thursday, Sen. Frank Blas Jr. noted that a previous administration implemented retroactive pay raises that were later declared illegal, and asked the governor "to initiate actions to correct this impropriety."

The governor's office has not answered questions about the raises or what action will be taken as of Friday afternoon.

Public Auditor Benjamin Cruz on Friday said the Office of Public Accountability has not received or reviewed any documents and therefore makes no comment at this time, but pointed to the results of a 2016 OPA audit of retroactive pay adjustments to offset confirmed illegal payments at Adelup in 2014 during Gov. Eddie Calvos term.

At the time, Adelup tried to correct the retroactive pay raises by "repayment," but OPA said some employees were taxed twice for the pay adjustments and impacted the retirement contributions of others.

Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero requested $19,467.68 or 19% in annual base pay adjustments for Bureau of Budget and Management Research Director Lester Carlson Jr. and Department of Administration Director Edward Birn on Feb. 24 this year and got BBMRs approval on March 16, but the pay raises were retroactively applied effective Jan. 1.

The governors chief of staff and other Adelup staffers also got base pay adjustments of up to $15,000 a year, requested from Jan. 24 and onward, and with a retroactive effective date of Jan. 1.

Blas, the current minority leader at the Guam Legislature, said in his letter that Guam law prohibits retroactive pay increases.

"While I acknowledge that Guam law gives you the authority to establish positions as may be necessary for the operation of the Office of the Governor and to set the salaries for positions for which salaries are not set by law, the application of retroactive pay is explicitly prohibited," Blas wrote in an April 27 letter to the governor.

Leon Guerrero is off-island attending the 2023 SelectUSA Investment Summit in Maryland.

While the attorney general confirmed an investigation of the retroactive pay raises, Moylan said the OAG does not have anything further to release at this time.

Blas described the prior Calvo administration's similar action that prompted OPA to investigate retroactive pay adjustments.

"It was determined that retroactive pay for the salary adjustments given to unclassified employees were illegal and the employees were directed to pay back what they received retroactively," the senator told the governor in his May 27 letter.

That 2016 OPA audit was a result of a request from Cruz who, at the time, was vice speaker of the Legislature. Cruz, a former chief justice and legislative speaker, was elected public auditor in 2018.

Cruz had asked Public Auditor Doris Brooks in 2016 to conduct the audit on Adelup's 2014 pay raise adjustments. Cruz also asked Attorney General Elizabeth Barrett-Anderson at the time to investigate the retroactive pay raises.

The AG at the time confirmed that the Calvo administrations pay raises violated the anti-retroactive law.

Current Adelup staffers and directors' pay bumps happened ahead of the 22% General Pay Plan pay increases expected in most government of Guam employees April 28 paychecks.

The governor's office said this week that the current Adelup staffers who got pay increases are not part of the General Pay Plan and therefore not getting the 22% pay raises.

Adelup on April 25 issued a statement defending the pay adjustments, saying "results warrant raises" and "results speak louder than rhetoric."

Adelup said two of the governors directors "who are at the center of political attacks by lawmakers" are responsible for executing the governors fiscal policy and managing cash on a daily basis that has "resulted in the payment of tax refunds faster than any prior administration."

The statement said not only the Leon Guerrero-Tenorio administration's fiscal policies resulted in eliminating the deficit in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they have also resulted in creating multiple surpluses at the end of fiscal 2019, 2020 and 2021.

GovGuam received billions in federal pandemic relief and recovery efforts.

"In other administrations and legislatures, governors and senators have given raises to unclassified employees. The difference now is Governor Leon Guerrero is giving raises during a time of unprecedented fiscal strength within the government. The difference is Governor Leon Guerrero also adopted a General Pay Plan to ensure that employees across the board get the pay that they deservepay that is warranted by results," the statement said.
The regular population at the Department of Corrections is the highest it has been in 29 years, Department of Corrections Maj. Antone Aguon told lawmakers during a roundtable discussion this week.

DOC is now housing about 820 inmates, up from 680 just this January. Its mostly due to a rising number of detainees, Aguon said, with new Attorney General Doug Moylan pushing for pretrial confinement and courts more willing to detain offenders in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Only an influx of illegal Chinese nationals to Guam in the 1990s saw higher numbers in the prison system.

It's resulted in four to five prisoners being housed in a cell at the Hagatna Detention Facility, he confirmed for lawmakers on Tuesday night.

At the same time, DOC is operating with about 50% of the corrections staff it needs, acting DOC Director Joe Carbullido said. I think we are in a precarious and dangerous situation, yes, for officer safety.

DOC managed to pull its corrections officer force up to 200 last March, but is down to just 153 as of Tuesday, Carbullido said, with many recruits leaving for greener grass.

They should have 300 officers on staff, according to Maj. Aguon.

That has left some officers working 20 plus hour shifts with little backup at any given time. The midnight to noon shift at the Adult Correctional Facility in Mangilao, or alpha shift, has an average of 24 to 25 officers on duty on any given day, Aguon said.

The Mangilao lockup routinely houses over 500 inmates, based on PDN files.

Aguon said the pressure could cause burnout, and lead officers down the wrong path as they tried to ensure their safety.

Corrections officer Travis Venus was charged just this week for allegedly bringing meth and other contraband into the Mangilao lockup. Carbullido on Tuesday said he wasnt at liberty to discuss the case.

But Aguon did provide some insight to senators on how any corrections officer might be led astray while on the job.

When you have one officer stuck in a housing unit, day after day, and nobody is there to say, 'Hey, what are you doing,' or backing him up  he feels like in order to survive, I have to make these deals with these inmates, he said.

I'm not making excuses for these officer  but those may be some of the factors of why they come in good, and over the course of the years, they end up doing things bad.

Civil rights

Public safety chairman Sen. Chris Barnett pressed Aguon and Carbullido about the conditions behind bars.

Do you think we're in danger of being sued? For any kinds of violations of civil rights? Barnett said.

Since I got back, not that Im aware of, said acting director Carbullido, who returned to his post after about a year of absence last month.

Carbullido stepped in after the last acting director, Bob Camacho, suddenly died.

According to Aguon, there was no magic threshold of prisoners where legal issues became a concern, but civil rights issues usually started popping up when services like medical and dental could not be provided to prisoners.

But if the population continued to rise in the near future, i think we should be really concerned about potential lawyers, attorneys especially for the detainees, filing paperwork in court.

Hiring woes

Talk between Barnett and Carbullido became heated, as the senator questioned the slow hiring process of new corrections officers.

Carbullido said that theyve begun the process of screening about 264 applicants to DOC who applied as far back as 2020. Those that pass an initial test will be placed on an eligibility list in about four to six weeks.

He said hes been working with the Office of the Governor and the understaffed Department of Administrations to try and streamline a number of the hurdles that recruits face before they begin training, like a polygraph test and psychological exam.

Barnett accused Carbullido of letting politics prevent him from addressing hiring issues. He said that the backlog of applicants that existed since before the start of the year was still jammed up.

You tell me that its working, and I find out you havent hired a single corrections officer, he said.

Its not going to happen overnight, senator, the director responded.

It hasnt happened all year, Mr. Carbullido, Barnett replied.

Well, thats before I got in, Carbullido said.
Guam Visitors Bureau President Carl Gutierrez gets to keep his job as a result of an attorney general opinion Friday nullifying the selection of one of the GVB board directors who voted to open Gutierrezs position on Thursday.

Monte Mesas selection as the 12th member of the GVB board of directors when there were only nine participating board directors "is contrary to the express authority conferred upon the GVB Board by the GVB enabling statute," according to the Office of the Attorney Generals April 28 opinion signed by Chief Deputy Attorney General Joseph Guthrie.

"The selection of the GVBs 12th director must be made with the participation of the other 11 directors as specified in 12 GCA 9106 (a)," Guthrie wrote.

Mesa on Friday said the GVB board and management team have to follow the law.

"I have no problem with complying with the law. We just need to wait until the remaining two GVB Board member nominees have duly completed their legislative confirmation hearing accordingly," he said.

GVB management shared the AG opinion in a Friday afternoon press release, which said "AG nullifies Mesas selection."

"As a result of the Attorney Generals opinion, the selection of Monte Mesa as the 12th director was unauthorized and contrary to the law. Until further notice, Monte Mesa is not a GVB Board director, and his previous participation on the Board was contrary to law," GVB management said in a statement.

Mesa, of Guam Premier Outlets, on Thursday made the motion to open the GVB president and counsel positions.

After discussion, eight of the nine current board directors voted in favor of the motion. GVB Board Director Ho Eun, of Core Tech, was not present during the voting.

At least eight GVB board directors are required to meet a quorum.

Senators have yet to vote on whether to confirm Mayors' Council of Guam Vice President Robert Hofmanns appointment to serve on the GVB board.

Senators also have yet to confirm the governors youth appointee to the GVB board. The speaker has yet to appoint one more GVB board director.

Based on the AG opinion, only when there are 11 GVB board members can the board select the 12th director.

Thursdays vote to open the GVB president and counsel positions, was in lieu of conducting a performance evaluation of Gutierrez and attorney Joe McDonald of the McDonald Law Office.

Because most of the board members are new and havent had long experience working with Gutierrez and McDonald, they said they couldnt objectively evaluate their performances and opted instead to open the positions. Based on board discussions, Gutierrez and McDonald could apply for the position.

Under the law, Gutierrez is supposed to get a performance evaluation from the board six months after his appointment and every year after that, but the board has not done so.

Gutierrez and McDonald on March 11 sought Attorney General Douglas Moylans opinion on Mesas selection as the 12th GVB board member.

The AG opinion came out a day after the GVB board voted to open Gutierrez and McDonalds position.

This is just the latest in a series of controversies that have plagued GVB for more than a year now, at a time when tourism arrivals are still down by about 60% compared to pre-pandemic level.

Gutierrez started accusing GVB board members early last year of violating ethics and procurement laws and the Open Government Act, among other things. New board members have since been appointed and elected.




Haiti - FLASH : Intensification of armed attacks, several hundred dead (Report)





Since the beginning of 2023, raids, armed attacks and massacres against the Haitian population have intensified in the country, particularly in the departments of West and Artibonite, causing, among other things, the assassination of several hundreds of people and the gang rape of dozens of women and girls.



Pernier, Marlique, Diegue, Meyotte, Cargo, Tunnel, Thomassin, Laboule, in the commune of Petion-ville; Berette, Calebasse, Fort-Jacques, in the commune of Kenscoff; Salomon Market, Cite Soleil, Bel-Air, Caradeux, Solino, Delmas, in the communes of Port-au-Prince and Delmas; Source Matelas, in the commune of Cabaret, Onaville, in the commune of Croix-des-Bouquets, as well as the communes of Liancourt, Verrettes, Petite Riviere de l'Artibonite and Montrouis: armed bandits prove if necessary, that they operate where they want and take control of all the areas that interest them.



Summary of attacks:



Bel Air:

Between February 28 and March 5, 2023, Bel-Air was the scene of violent armed clashes: 148 people were murdered or went missing, at least 62 houses were burned down and 26 others were looted and/or burned down. At least 2 women were victims of gang rapes.



Cargo and Tunnel:

On the night of March 19 to 20, 2023, heavily armed men led by gang leader Vitelhomme Innocent carried out an armed attack on the localities of Cargo and Tunnel.

At least 9 people were killed.



Berette, Calabash, Fort-Jacques:

On March 31, 2023, armed bandits from the Kraze Barye base led by Vitelhomme Innocent attacked the localities of Berette, Calebasse and Fort-Jacques, set fire to houses and vehicles and executed several members of the population.



Onaville:

On April 6, 2023, armed bandits from Canaan launched an offensive against the residents of Onaville, murdering members of the population, looting and burning houses elsewhere.



Cite Soleil:

From April 14 to 19, 2023, armed clashes in several neighborhoods of Cite Soleil resulted in the assassination of at least 70 people and around forty others injured by bullets or stabbing.



Source Matelas :

On the night of November 29-30, 2022, 72 people were murdered, 29 women and girls were gang-raped, and hundreds of homes were burned down. The balance sheet (low estimate) since April 19, 2023 at Source Matelas, reports at least a hundred people murdered



Debussy and Solino:

Since the night of April 23 to 24, 2023, the localities of Debussy, at the top of Turgeau and Solino, Delmas 24 area have been under bullets. The results of these events are not yet known, the RNDDH can affirm that the aforementioned abuses cause panic in these two (2) areas, causing several people to flee their homes, carrying only a few personal effects.



Download all the details (PDF in English): https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/2-CP-Violences-armees-24Avril2023-ENG.pdf



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - UN / CANADA : Many words and promises





Wednesday, April 26, 2023, before the United Nations Security Council devoted to the crisis in Haiti Robert Keith Rae Ambassador of Canada to the United Nations, declared that "countrys multidimensional crisis is deepening."



Wednesday, April 26, 2023, before the United Nations Security Council devoted to the crisis in Haiti Robert Keith Rae Canadian Ambassador to the United States, speaking on behalf of the Economic and Social Council Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti, declared that "the countrys multidimensional crisis is deepening with devastating impacts on the daily lives of Haitians. Gangs have expanded their control and continue to terrorize the Haitian population; kidnapping has become a lucrative industry; children and youth continue to be recruited into gangs; and women, girls and boys are targeted for horrendous sexual violence. Meanwhile, the price of food and fuel is putting a further strain on families and businesses, with nearly half the Haitian population lacking enough to eat and some communities facing famine-like conditions."



In this context, he pointed out "Against this backdrop, he stressed the critical importance of restoring security to help alleviate the suffering of Haitians, allowing for people to safely leave their homes and strengthening investor confidence in the country. This calls for a comprehensive approach that curbs the flow of arms and ammunition, strengthens the Haitian National Police and the rule of law, protects human rights and reduces community violence." Furthermore, he strongly encouraged efforts to ensure "a more inclusive national political dialogue" to chart a way forward towards putting the country back on the path to sustainable development, including through the holding of fair and transparent elections. "The international community must move swiftly to address the immediate humanitarian needs of Haitians while investing in the countrys sustainable development to increase its resilience to future shocks. Moreover, measures must be taken to address the emergency food needs of Haitians while also providing emergency livelihood assistance to build a more resilient and productive food system." He also underscored that immediate measures to restore security must be accompanied by efforts to address the root causes of violence in the country: extreme poverty, corruption, impunity, and collusion between the political and economic spheres. "In this context, sanctions are one important tool to help break the power of armed gangs, he said, also noting that the solutions to this crisis must be Haitian-owned."



He declared that Canada is convinced that it is vital to act and told the Security Council that his Government had decided to increase training support and provide new equipment to the National Police of Haiti this year.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39401-haiti-un-haiti-chancellor-jean-victor-geneus-calls-for-quick-action-before-it-is-too-late.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39400-haiti-un-france-we-cannot-let-haiti-sink-into-chaos.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39398-haiti-un-usa-more-is-needed-to-support-the-security-health-and-stability-of-the-haitian-people.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39397-haiti-un-maria-isabel-salvador-stresses-the-urgency-of-the-deployment-of-a-specialized-international-force.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39386-haiti-flash-the-situation-in-haiti-comparable-to-that-of-countries-at-war-dixit-antonio-guterres.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





HUEH : End of the resident doctors strike

Thursday, April 27, 2023, after more than 3 months of strike, the resident doctors of the Hospital of the State University of Haiti (HUEH) confirmed the end of the strike following an agreement with the Ministry of Health Public in particular on salary increases. The outpatient clinic will work from next week pending the gradual resumption of other services within the hospital.



"Ti Makak"'s brother arrested

"Oce" the brother of gang leader Carlo Petit-Homme alias "Ti Makak" shot dead by the National Police of Haiti (PNH) Monday April 14 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39384-haiti-flash-the-dangerous-gang-leader-ti-makak-killed-by-the-police.html was arrested this week by PNH agents in the commune of Aquin.



General blackout continues in Haiti

The Government promises financial support to the Electricity of Haiti (ED'H). A first part of the salary arrears should be paid to the employees at the end of the month. The management of EDH invites employees to return to work, but in the meantime the population continues to live in darkness...



The population sets up checkpoints

At the level of several neighborhoods of the city center, in particular Canape-vert, the population has installed checkpoints managed by self-defense committees which control the identity of motorists, motorcyclists and pedestrians to prevent the infiltration of bandits into their area...



Mob justice on the move

4 bandits, members of the gang led by Carlo Petit-Homme, alias "Ti Makak" killed by the police were lynched by members of the population in Thomassin (commune of Petion-ville).



Embassy and Consulate closure

Consulate of Haiti in Montreal :

The Consulate General of Haiti in Montreal advises the Haitian Community of Quebec in particular and the public in general, that its premises will be closed on Monday, May 1st, 2023, on the occasion of the day of work and agriculture. Consular services will resume Tuesday, May 2, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.



Embassy of Haiti in Washington :

Closing announcement : The Embassy of Haiti in Washington D.C. announces that it will close its doors on May 1st, 2023 on the occasion of the national holiday of Labor and Agriculture Day. Regular Embassy activities will resume on Tuesday, May 2nd, 2023.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2023/04/27 | Source

Actress Kim So-yeon boasted a hip visual as if she had returned to her debut days.

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Kim So-yeon released magazine photos on her Instagram on the 27th, saying, "Thank you all".

In the pictorial, Kim So-yeon showed a visual that seems to have made her forget her age with bangs that slightly cover her eyes and long hair down to her waist.

She showed off her lively charm by digesting various costumes such as miniskirts, crop tops, and jeans.

Meanwhile, Kim So-yeon will appear on tvN's "Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938" which will premiere on the 6th.

"Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938" is a fantasy action drama by a gumiho, who landed in an era of chaos in 1938, to return to modern times, starring Lee Dong-wook, Kim So-yeon, Kim Beom, and Ryu Kyung-soo.
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Published on 2023/04/27 | Source

New photos added for the Korean drama "Duty After School" (2023).

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Directed by Seong Yong-il

Written by Yoon Soo-I

Network: TVING

With Shin Hyun-soo, Lee Soon-won, Lim Se-mi, Kwon Eun-bin, Kim Ki-hae, Kim Min-chul,...

10 episodes - Fri 16:00

Part 1 - 6 episodes: 2023/03/31

Part 2 - 4 episodes: 2023/04/21

When mysterious alien spheres start invading the world, high school students are called upon to join the world's first war against extraterrestrial forces.

Synopsis

Unidentified extraterritorial spheres take over the world. The Department of Defense, in a desperate bid to recruit more soldiers, offers college admission incentives to get 18-year-olds to sign up as part of the reserved forces. A High school's class of 2022 seniors sign up to become soldiers, and they soon become frontline fighters in the war.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2023/03/31 - 2023/04/21
Published on 2023/04/27 | Source

New stills added for the upcoming Korean drama "Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938" (2023).

Advertisement

Directed by Kang Sin-hyo

Written by Han Woo-ri

Network: tvN

With Lee Dong-wook, Kim So-yeon, Kim Beom, Ryu Kyung-soo, Hwang Hee, Kim Yong-ji,...

12 episodes - Sat, Sun 21:20

Follow up to "Tale of the Nine Tailed"

Synopsis

The story of Lee Yeon, a gumiho who was summoned back to a chaotic 1938 after being embroiled in an unexpected incident.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2023/05/06
(HedgeCo.Net) The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts has entered final judgments against defendants Trends Investments Inc., Leslie Greyling and Brandon Rossetti, who were previously charged by the SEC with engaging in a scheme to defraud investors in private offers and sales of shares of two publicly traded penny stock companies.

According to the SECs complaint, filed in June 2022, Leslie Greyling and Rossetti, on behalf of Trends, allegedly lied to investors about whether Trends owned and could deliver to investors the shares it claimed to be selling. The SEC alleged that Leslie Greyling and Rossetti made a variety of misrepresentations to investors in order to keep investor funds, obtain further investments, placate investor concerns, and avoid detection. Rossetti was also charged with acting as an unregistered broker-dealer by soliciting investors, receiving transaction-based compensation from Trends, and claiming to be a broker or wealth manager. The SECs complaint also alleged that Clinton Greyling, the son of Leslie Greyling, participated in the scheme. Additionally, according to the complaint, Roger Bendelac participated in the scheme by placing manipulative trades in one of the securities Trends was offering and selling to investors. His relative Thomas Capellini was charged with aiding and abetting Bendelac in connection with the manipulative trades.

The judgments, entered on the basis of default, enjoined Trends, Leslie Greyling and Rossetti from violating the anti-fraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, and imposed penny stock bars. Further, Rossetti was enjoined from acting as an unregistered broker-dealer. The judgments ordered Trends and Leslie Greyling to pay on a joint-and-several basis $1,774,747 in disgorgement and prejudgment interest in the amount of $361,798. Trends was ordered to pay a $2,232,280 penalty and Leslie Greying a $446,458 penalty. Rossetti was ordered to pay $797,750 in disgorgement, prejudgment interest in the amount of $172,676, and a $446,458 penalty.

On September 23, 2022, the court entered a judgment against Clinton Greyling, who without admitting or denying the allegations, consented to the entry of a judgment permanently enjoining him from future violations of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act and Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder and imposing a penny stock bar. The judgment left disgorgement, prejudgment interest, and civil penalties to be determined by the court at a later date. Litigation continues with respect to Bendelac and Capellini.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a presidential decree that allowed the state to temporarily take control of the assets Fortum has in Russia.

THE SEIZURE of Fortums Russian assets leaves the Finnish majority state-owned energy company in an unclear judicial position, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto (Greens) stated on YLE A-studio on Wednesday.

Fortum was one of the largest foreign investors in the power and electricity sector of Russia. Its assets in the country had a book value of roughly 1.7 billion euros at the end of last year.

Fortum on Wednesday communicated that its Russian subsidiary, Fortum PAO, has appointed a new chief executive as per a decision by its board of directors. The appointment, it stated, can be considered confirmation that the presidential decree is being enacted and that the subsidiary has been placed under temporary asset management.

The company added that it continues to investigate the situation and will provide further relevant information as it becomes available and has been confirmed.

Haavisto stated to the public broadcasting company that it remains unclear what legal provisions govern the socialisation of businesses in Russia.

This is a new development and something well have to examine carefully, he said.

Many Finnish companies have luckily already ceased their operations in the country, possibly receiving some sort of compensation for their departure, pointed out Haavisto.

The European Union has frozen assets of the Russian state and oligarchs in response to the war of aggression in Ukraine. The 27-country bloc is currently seriously weighing up means to transfer such assets to Ukraine  a form of reparations for the devastation caused by Russia, according to Haavisto.

President Sauli Niinisto on Thursday described the seizure of Fortums Russian assets as rather confiscatory during his visit to Namibia, Africa.

I think this looks like the endpoint in the minds of quite a few investors. The most critical thing about investing is that your investment is safe and the second most critical thing is that it yields something. Russia has sent a signal that you definitely shouldnt come here [to invest], he was quoted saying by YLE.

The presidential decree enabling the seizure has been interpreted by experts as a countermeasure or response to the sanctions and seizures implemented by European countries.

Some spokesperson seems to have viewed that this is a response to the new strict sanctions planned by the G7 countries. Itd raise the question, why [target] a Finnish company. We arent a G7 country, said Niinisto.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
More than half of the over 2,000 survey respondents viewed obstacles to immigration must be removed due to population ageing and the prospect of population decline. Fewer than one-third, by contrast, viewed that demographic challenges are not a valid reason for easing immigration controls.

THE MAJORITY of Finns are in favour of facilitating work-based immigration for demographic reasons, reveals a survey of public values and attitudes by the Finnish Business and Policy Forum (Eva).

Although views that immigration should be promoted have increased for six consecutive surveys, the latest survey is the first in the 25-year history of the survey where most respondents view that it is necessary to promote immigration.

Eva points out that the shift in attitudes has coincided with a shift in the public discussion on immigration, away from uncontrolled refugee flows to the declining working-age population.

That Finns are warming up to work-based immigration is most clearly visible in their attitudes toward foreign skilled workers  with there being virtually a consensus on making immigration easier for them. Attitudes toward refugees are negative, however, Ilkka Haavisto, the research director at Eva, stated according to STT.

Immigration has taken on a major role in the coalition formation process, with the majority of parties identifying work-based immigration as a means to counteract the contraction of the working-age population. The Finns Party, though, has called for tougher controls on both humanitarian and work-based immigration.

Etla Economic Research has estimated that annual net immigration should be almost tripled to 44,000 people in the coming years in order to stop the decline of the working-age population.

Over 40 per cent of the survey respondents agreed, estimating that foreign labour is the only solution to the exacerbating labour shortage in Finland. Almost as many estimated that there are other solutions for the problem, too.

Supporters of the National Coalition, the survey found, are extremely positive about work-based immigration but hesitant about humanitarian immigration.

Supporters of the Finns Party are opposed to both types of immigration and would be ready to remove obstacles to immigration only for skilled and highly educated people, a stance that  according to the survey  leaves them the furthest apart from the average Finn. Supporters of the Social Democrats are positive about work-based immigration and neutral about humanitarian immigration.

The National Coalition, Finns Party and Social Democrats are the three largest parties in the Finnish Parliament, with 48, 46 and 43 seats, respectively.

The online survey was conducted between January and February.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
I have a high level of confidence that, with these parties, we can truly achieve these reforms and have a spirit of co-operation, common commitment to solve issues also in difficult, even surprising times, he stated in the Parliament House on Thursday.

PETTERI ORPO , the chairperson of the National Coalition, has decided to begin coalition formation negotiations with the Finns Party, Swedish Peoples Party and Christian Democrats.

The negotiations over the next government programme are to begin next week.

Orpo estimated that economic policy will be the most challenging item on the agenda, with fiscal adjustment worth six billion euros one of the chief objectives of the National Coalition. Devising the adjustment measures  likely a mix of spending cuts, tax increases and structural reforms  in a way that does not inhibit economic growth and is not unreasonable for anyone will not be an easy equation, he conceded.

The Finns Party, meanwhile, stands out from the other three parties with its tougher views on immigration. While the populist right-wing party has called for tougher controls on both humanitarian and work-based immigration, the others are looking to bring more labour from abroad in order to mitigate the labour shortage in Finland.

Riikka Purra, the chairperson of the Finns Party, on Thursday outlined that the party will insist on tightening immigration that threatens security and the economy.

Im sure that we can find issues in work-based immigration that we can agree on, she assured.

The Swedish Peoples Party is not prepared to compromise on its values, declared chairperson Anna-Maja Henriksson.

The Swedish Peoples Party wants to see a forward-looking, open and equal Finland, and we will not compromise on our values, she stated in a press release. Once the outcome of the negotiations is clear, we will decide whether we can approve it and participate in the government.

The National Coalition, Finns Party, Swedish Peoples Party and Christian Democrats hold a total of 108 of the 200 seats in the Finns Parliament. A government comprised of this quartet would be unusual in that it would be only the second majority government in Finnish history that does not include the Centre or Social Democrats, highlighted Teemu Luukka, a political journalist at Helsingin Sanomat.

If the coalition formation negotiations fail to produce an outcome that satisfies all four parties, Orpo will have to try forming a ruling coalition with other parties.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
Finlands significant boost of 36 percent in defence spending was published in an article by The Independent on April 25. The article looks into the increase in defence budget globally prompted by Russias invasion of Ukraine. It highlights that the current rise in defense spending is at its peak since the end of Cold War.

The article mentions that last years total global military spending rose by 3.7 per cent in real terms to $2.24 trillion, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri). Finland recorded the most dramatic spending boost of 36 per cent following a purchase of F-35 fighter jets, the highest year-on-year increase in military spending since 1962 according to the report.

Lithuania, Sweden, and Poland increased their defense budgets by 27 percent, 12 percent and 11 percent respectively, signallinga growing commitment to military preparedness among European nations. Notably, the report highlights Ukraines ballooning military budget as a key driver of the regions increased defense spending, accounting for roughly half of the annual increase.

Other European nations such as Lithuania, Sweden and Poland saw increases in their defence budgets of 27 per cent, 12 percent and 11 percent respectively. The report also states that about half the annual increase was due to Ukraines ballooning military budget.

"This included multi-year plans to boost spending from several governments," Sipri senior researcher Diego Lopes da Silva said adding that the military expenditure in Central and Western Europe is expected to continue rising in the coming years.

Original story was published by The Independent on 25.04.2023 and can be found here.

The mentality that Finlands mandatory military service brings to NATO

This opinion piece about Finlands conscription service in the light of the countrys accession to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was published in Lawfare on April 19. The article provides details of the conscription program and ponders how NATO is now positioned to benefit from it.

The Finnish Constitution mandates that every citizen participate or assist in national defense. The Conscription Act requires every male Finnish citizen to serve in the military from age 18 to 60 unless exempted. The article highlights that only a few NATO countries, including Denmark, Estonia, and Greece have compulsory military service. The author writes in detail about his conscription which starts from call-ups and goes on with early training exercises and training with instructors.

The article also mentions larger benefits to the country from the conscription service stating that Finnish reserves provide physical and mental fitness, leadership skills, responsibility and wartime skills that contribute to national security.

Finns retain working knowledge of what it means to be a small but valuable cog in a large machine. All of this fortifies, and is fortified by, the high will to defend ones countryand, now, ones NATO alliesagainst armed aggression. In the large Finnish reserves, NATO has just received an injection of determination and spirit that the term sisu only begins to cover, the article reads.

The author Antti Ruokonen holds a master of engineering from Finland. He works for the City Vaasa as a civil engineer with over ten years of experience in environmental issues and infrastructure in the public sector.

Original story was published by Lawfare on 19.04.2023 and can be found here.

Will Finlands political turn mean a course change on NATO too?

This article about the impact of Finlands recent elections and upcoming new government on NATO was published in Atlantic Council on April 4. The opinion piece highlights that there is unlikely to be any turbulence in Finlands NATO path, as security and defense policy have traditionally been areas of consensus in Finland and the decision to join NATO was backed by a strong majority of public opinion and all major parties in parliament.

The article begins with discussing National Coalition Partys victory in the parliamentary elections with its chairman, Petteri Orpo, earning the right to be the first to try forming a coalition government. It also highlights the former Prime Minister SannaMarins reign is coming to an end followed by Finland finally joining NATO.

It states that the incomin government is expected to maintain continuity in security policy despite changes in nuances of foreign and security policy, with potential challenges arising from the nationalist narratives of the Finns Party and its emphasis on the sovereignty of the country. While the Finns Party might still support greater cooperation in NATO since it is an intergovernmental organization and not a supranational one, issues like solidarity and multinational joint capabilities might put them in an uncomfortable situation, the article reads.

The article states that Finland might face challenges as a new member of NATO, particularly in changing its policymaking culture to embrace mutual solidarity and open debate and understanding Alliance dynamics and processes.

Original story was published by Atlantic Council on 04.04.2023 and can be found here.

The author Rasmus Hindren is a nonresident senior fellow with the Transatlantic Security Initiative in the Atlantic Councils Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and the Head of International Relations at the European Center of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats.

How are these trees floating over a Finnish road?

The article about Finlands camouflaging technique used during World War II was published in Atlas Obscura on April 27. It describes the surreal photograph taken by a Finnish Army photographer named Osvald Hedenstrom in 1941 during World War II.

The photo shows a line of pines hanging in the air above a Finnish Army car driving along a dirt road near the border with the Soviet Union. Finland used the camouflaging trick to deceive Russian planes and observation towers during the conflict. The lines of trees wouldnt obscure the road from a plane flying overhead, but it could block the view from a tower. From a low perspective, down the road, the lines gave the illusion of an uninterrupted sequence of trees.

The caption of the photo by Hedenstrom says , The Finns have camouflaged the road to Raate, about 10 km from Russia, with pines hanging in the air, because right on the border there is an observation tower erected by the Russians.

The article states that the photo which has appeared on social media in recent years, usually by accounts that specialize in history, is from the Finnish Defence Forces Photograph Archive.

The Finns didnt have funds to buy artificial camouflage such as nets in vast quantities, Colonel Petteri Jouko, a military historian at Finnish National Defence University told Atlas Obscura. So they used trees, leaves, and foliage to confuse the enemy. They were accustomed to wilderness and took advantage of the forest, unlike the German soldiers operating in northern Finland, he added.

Original story was published by Atlas Obscura on 27.04.2023 and can be found here.

Watchdog highlights problems on SA wine grape farms supplying to Finland

A report by Finnish watchdog highlighting problems with three wine grape operations in South Africa which supply the Finnish alcohol distribution monopoly Alko was published in News24 on April 27. The article is based on the watchdog Finnwatchreport that found instances of poor housing conditions, with workers complaining about how they are treated. However the report has appealed to consumers not to boycott SA wine but rather check if the wines are produced in a sustainable manner.

The article mentions that Wines of South Africa (WoSA) and Vinpro are looking into the findings of Finnwatch, which did the investigation on behalf of Alko in South Africa.Finnwatchvisited farms owned by Louisvale Wines, W+E Dreyer Boerdery, and Welgemoed (C Groenewald Boerdery) which contribute wine grapes used in 11 wines in Alkos range.

The report found that workers on all farms visited were paid the minimum wage, but some accommodation was in poor condition and workers were sometimes treated aggressively and not allowed to unionize. Some workers on the Louisvale Wines and W+E Dreyer claimed they were exposed to agricultural chemicals such as paraquat, which is not allowed in the European Union but is still legal in South Africa.

It also mentions that some employees claimed women are discriminated against regarding hiring and wages, and some migrant workers claimed labour brokers held their work permits against their will

Zane Meyer, managing director of Louisvale Wines, pointed out that the report does not relate to the companys wine estate near Stellenbosch but to three wine-grape farms in the Wellington area.

We supplied answers to questions posed to us by Finnwatchand willingly took part in the process. I do not, however, think the report is necessarily fair and correct. Claims were made without providing proof. Of course, there is always room for improvement, given SAs history. Some of the issues raised relate to macro-economic conditions in the country, which a single farmer cannot solve. We continue to communicate with our workers and their union, Meyer said.

Original story was published by News24 on 27.04.2023 and can be found here.

HT
South Main gateway mound becomes HonorAir Park

Jeff Miller has been honored locally, statewide and even at the White House for cofounding HonorAir, the nonprofit organization that flies military veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit war memorials, bask in gratitude many never received upon their return to the country they served and enjoy the welcome home at Asheville Regional Airport.

But until Thursday there was no permanent marker that memorialized the fact that a program that has spread to all 50 states and honored tens of thousands of war veterans started in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

The mayor and City Council members, city administrators and employees and friends of HonorAir congregated in the drizzling rain South Main Street on Thursday afternoon for the unveiling of a new sign, which turned the green island into HonorAir Park.

I can understand the feelings of the folks with HonorAir, Mayor Barbara Volk said. I had the privilege of being my dad's companion on one of the HonorAir flights. The veterans, the people accompanying them, the folks in D.C., folks welcoming them back and all the people involved in it  it's a very emotional time and it means so much to the people who participate. This is just one small way that we in Hendersonville can say, Thank you, thank you for what you do for our veterans and their families.

Looking out at the people gathered, Miller spotted several key supporters who signed on 17 years ago when he told them about his plan to charter passenger jets to fly World War II veterans to the nation's capital.

It's great to see the accumulation of folks that have been with us, Miller said. I look down and I see Dave Adams and he was with me from Day 1. John Bell, our doctor, you come over here. Henry Johnson. It's been a big team effort here. Its a celebration of the folks that are with us now."
A WOMAN has told how she watched on CCTV as burglars broke into her familys home while they were on a seaside holiday, writes Lily Shanagher.

Louise Holland, of Greys Road, Henley, was particularly upset to lose some treasured mementoes that were inside a safe stolen by the two masked men as well as some jewellery.

Mrs Holland, 50, and her husband Steve, 54, were with their 13-year-old son Thomas enjoying a break on the coast when the

burglary happened at about 7pm on April 14. The men, who were wearing brightly coloured bobble hats and dark face masks, got into the house by smashing a window. Once inside, they conducted a messy search before stealing the safe.

The entire incident was captured on the familys CCTV and was seen by the Hollands when they checked the cameras the following morning using a phone app.

Mrs Holland, a pyrographer, said: We woke up and for some reason decided to check the CCTV. We have two cats and a lady came to feed them. We watched her walk in and immediately phone the police. We then went back to look at the earlier footage and saw it all.

We saw one of the guys with a red woollen bobble hat come up to the front and try it in case it was open. He then did a really odd duck waddle away from the house all the way out of our drive.

Around 25 minutes later, he came back with his friend, who was wearing a hat with a distinctive yellow stripe around the top of it, and they both smashed through our patio door windows. Luckily, our cats arent house cats or else they could have escaped, but they were still very scared.

It was light, around 7pm, and the men made quite a racket. We could see them doing their business and I could tell they were looking for car keys. They emptied all the drawers but, fortunately, the keys were hidden well enough.

Then they happened upon the safe. We moved house recently and hadnt yet attached it to the wall as it is really heavy. It took both of them to carry out and as they did so, one of them said, Were going to have a job carrying this. They both had very strong Irish accents. It was horrible to see someone in your house. I was really pleased they didnt do something disgusting.

The safe contained personal documents and sentimental items including jewellery and two diaries, one which Mrs Holland had written for her son and the other written for her by her grandmother, Pat.

Mrs Holland said: My nan, who is 98, had handwritten a book about her life for me. She completed it about two years ago after I gave her the empty book for a Christmas present.

It contains stories about her family, her earliest childhood memories and what relatives I hadnt met were like. She lived through the war and has an amazing tale. I didnt know her parents and never met her sister so it was nice to have information about them.

She spent weeks writing it and absolutely loved doing it because she loves writing and retelling stuff. The fact it was handwritten made it all the more personal.

I wanted to have it as a memory of her when she unfortunately passes. I love her a lot and wanted to keep this and pass it down to my son.

I havent told her it has gone yet. I think Oh God as she took such a long time writing it.

Her own diary for Thomas had a lock of his hair stuck inside.

Mrs Holland said: I had bought this book around the time he was born and just started writing. I have a terrible memory and want to remember things. There are documents from his birth onwards in there, memories like what he did and when, his first words and sayings and other stuff you tend to forget. It was pretty full. I kept thinking it would be nice for him and I to look back.

She said the safe also contained passports, documents and jewellery, including her mothers engagement ring and a real pearl necklace given to her by her nan.

Mrs Holland said: Passports can be redone but I can never retrieve the personal bits I put in there. If they took the car, at least we would have the insurance but it was all personal stuff that they couldnt have known was in there. I know the thieves didnt take the safe vindictively. I am giving them the benefit of the doubt. They werent to know these books were in there but theyre still gone.

The men also took a Cartier watch gifted to Mrs Holland on her 21st birthday.

She said: I have learned a lesson, to separate things and put them in drawers if they dont have monetary value.

The cars spare keys were in our safe and it has cost a fortune to change them and, in the meantime, we now have to be cautious when parking it about it being taken.

Mr Holland, an IT director, went home early from their holiday to sort the house out and his wife and son followed later.

Mrs Holland said: The first night back at home was not nice. When my cats moved around I kept thinking someone was in the house. Now when people walk past and they are wearing a woolly hat or hoodie especially, I cant help but wonder if it was them. The police were excellent and forensics came but the thieves wore gloves.

Police described both men as white, in their late twenties and about 5ft 9in. One was wearing a bobble hat with a yellow stripe on it, dark gloves, a dark blue/grey coat with a white logo on the chest and arm, dark trousers, possibly jeans, dark trainers with some white detail near the sole. The other was wearing a distinctive orange/red woolly hat, dark gloves, a mid-blue jacket and dark trousers, possibly jeans.

Police are appealing for witnesses. If you have any information, call 101, quoting reference number 43230163500.
The passenger train service of Chinese-built Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) has been lauded by Kenyan people for bringing convenience, technologies, and job opportunities.







Produced by Xinhua Global Service
The diversity of topics youve touched on in your work is intriguing. Youve written a novel about a satellite television magnate who gets eaten by a huge fish and an investigation into Trumps presidency, among others. How do you decide what to write a book about?I dont think about this question. Its important to follow your interest or what excites you. With the Trump book, there was a sense of derangement with what was happening in the US even though I was living abroad and my life was not connected to America. My publisher wanted me to write that book. Its funny you found information about the novel on the big fish  that was my first novel. It never got published; perhaps, one day, it will. Author Ranbir Sidhu (Courtesy Westland)

How did Dark Star come about?The book is loosely based on my mother; I had been thinking about it for a few years. I thought I would write a non-fiction book, but it wasnt working. So I tried different approaches to write it fictionally. Once I found my voice, it was an outpouring. By that point, my mother was quite ill. She was living in India and due to the pandemic travel restrictions, it was impossible to see her. Writing the book felt like a way of being close to her when I couldnt physically be with her.Its always mysterious where a particular story comes from. Sometimes you get lucky  something clicks. I was thinking about my mother, Punjab, death during the pandemic And it all came together with the novels first line. Once I had that line, the book just appeared.

Your novella is entirely a first-person recollection without a conventional plot or dialogues. How did this structure take shape? The first draft was a single piece of text  there were no paragraphs. I introduced those in subsequent drafts. I had lots of conversations with Karthika VK, my editor at Westland, about the structure, including where to put commas and question marks. I feel the early part of the book is an attempt to train the reader how to read the book because it later becomes not more difficult, but many conventions of basic paragraphing break down as the protagonists mental state breaks down.

152pp, 499; Westland

Did you have any apprehensions about the novellas unique form?Not really. I was only apprehensive about whether my editor at Westland would want to publish it. She read the initial draft, which was half the length of the final manuscript, but she was incredibly supportive from the very beginning. In many ways, I guess if there were any apprehensions, she got rid of them. She had no problem with the style and how it was written. But also, I dont think the books style is a big deal. I wish more writers in India and the diaspora embraced more experimental techniques. Some have  like Meena Kandasamy and Annie Zaidie  but too often, we copy a version of the Victorian novel. I hope we can cast away colonial notions and embrace a more modern approach to fiction.

What works have influenced your experiments with style?As an artist, everything you do and experience feeds into your work  most of it unknowingly. More directly, when I was a student at the University of Arizona, I studied with the French novelist Monique Wittig and we became friends. Her experimental, avant-garde writing was enormously influential on me, but more than that, she introduced me to many French and American writers whose work became, I wont say influential, but important to me. I wouldnt have read them at that age had it not been for her.

Were any aspects or sections of the novella challenging to write?It wasnt challenging, but it was emotionally difficult. My mother was dying  and died  as I was writing Dark Star. While doing the rewrites, I often found myself breaking down into tears. Even today, I find it hard to read some sections of the book.

Your protagonist is a woman from the South Asian diaspora reflecting on the Partition of India, which rarely features in stories about Indian emigrants. Growing up in the UK as the son of a Partition refugee, what were the narratives around the event?People didnt really talk about it. My mother had no memories  she only had stories that were told to her. The only version I have of those stories is what I remember of the things she told me. Its interesting that there are few diaspora stories on the Partition. It might be that Punjabis in the diaspora havent written as many books as other communities. But thats beginning to change. I suspect we will see more stories about the event because its still a huge overhang on the lives of many. The Partition remains, weirdly, one of the central facts of my life even though I was born 20 years after it happened.

You were born in the UK, lived in the US, among other countries, and now reside in Greece. How does your geographical location affect your writing?

Having lived in Greece for a few years now  both on islands and in the city of Athens  the experiences Ive had and the people Ive met have given my work a sense of space. I dont mean physical space, but a sense of being able to breathe. So many New York writers live in a world where they meet only other New York writers. When I was living on the island of Crete, I didnt know any writers. There were a couple of visual artists, but nobody was lost in that small insular world (of writers). Its funny because I was living on an island and I suppose our world was insular in a different way. Today, more than ever, it seems like most writers just talk to other writers. Its important to get your head outside of that space for a bit and live outside the bubbles we build for ourselves.

In 2017, you wrote an essay about how the literary oligarchy is killing writing. Do you view the literary world differently today?Its not different  its probably the same, if not worse, especially the US publishing industry. I think theres more room in Indian publishing  its telling that Dark Star has been published in India first. Were still trying to get UK and US publishers interested. In India, perhaps, more space is opening up for people who dont come from super-elite backgrounds to break into the arts and the world of writing. It still feels like a game of where you come from, who you know, and the schools you went to, though its changing. The US publishing industry is quite difficult  I dont know how one navigates it. The one good thing about it and the UK publishing world is that many small independent presses have come up in the past 15 years. The big four or five publishers are resting on their laurels or trying to put out best sellers, but genuinely great writing is happening because of small publishers. Thats something to celebrate.

Youve won awards, fellowships, and residencies in the US and still find it hard to navigate the mainstream US publishing industry. So how does a person break into the industry if they do not have the right background and connections?I dont know, sadly. One of my publishers at a small independent press told me that now if they have two equally excellent novels, theyll publish the one whose author has a larger social media following. Also, several people have told me that if youre young or a new writer today, one of the hardest categories to belong to is white male. I dont know if thats true. Weve had a lot of white men  and men in general  publishing for decades and decades. Im happy that more women are getting published, even if it means that my works get published less easily. That kind of correction is necessary.As for breaking into the US publishing industry, Ive no idea. Perhaps, its just luck  getting the right editor to read the right book at the right moment and having them fall in love with it enough so that they can persuade the publisher and the marketing department to spend money and time on it.

Syed Saad Ahmed is a writer and communications professional.
One seldom comes across a husband and wife who have both distinguished themselves in films, literature and activism and share an intellectual and emotional intimacy. Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar together form that rare couple, upending the general notion that celebrities are narcissists incapable of amicable personal relationships. Their joint project, a box set comprising two trilingual anthologies, Dhanak (The Rainbow) by Jan Nisar Akhtar and Daaera (The Circle) by Kaifi Azmi, shows that sometimes celebrity pairings have great creative possibilities. Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi in a picture dated March 31, 2023. Their joint project, a box set comprising two trilingual anthologies, Dhanak (The Rainbow) by Jan Nisar Akhtar and Daaera (The Circle) by Kaifi Azmi, shows that sometimes celebrity pairings have great creative possibilities. (Vijay Bate/HT PHOTO)

Urdu poetry often features shattered lovers rejoicing in the sweet, sharp thrill of unrequited love. Progressive poet and lyricist Jan Nisar Akhtar (1914-1976), father of Javed, was one of those who explored love, loss, identity, the lessons emerging from betrayal and eventual healing, and the tormented universe of intimacy. Shabana Azmis astute note on the senior Akhtars tantalizing world reveals that though she is best known for her acting, she also has an acute sense of the poetic.

488pp, 2499; Westland

Dhanak, which comprises 26 densely textured poems translated by Sumantra Ghosal, draws on the dilemma of a conscientious person living in a world bent on stifling an individuals multiple identities. The memory of bygone days is an unceasing motif thats viewed and skewed through every conceivable literary trope with Akhtar employing subtle similes to conjure mental images:

Thinking of the past brings up your memoryin such a way that stirs the heartbeat.It is as if a maiden running fastIs tripped by a scarf caught in her feet. - Quatrain

Akhtars ghazals (not included in the selection) and nazms (poems) replace the worn-out tropes of romantic Urdu poetry with more titillating imagery and metaphors. In one of his best-known poems, Bezari (meaning aversion, though the translator has strangely chosen apathy), he depicts the intense emotional turmoil of separation. In a moment of disgust, he describes the moon as a prophet with no followers. Similarly, the stars resemble cold flowers offered on a coffin, and the sky recalls the ash of brunt corpses:

The stars-cold flowers that upon a shroud do lie,Ash from burnt corpses seems to make up the sky.The moon a prophet utterly alone,No followers to attend his sermon.Let me forget it all, my friend.

Shabanas appraisal is accurate: His imagery is striking. I marvel at the precision of the similes he used. It seals the visuals in the readers mind.

Jan Nisar Akhtar juxtaposes loneliness, the human predicament and rebellion to explore the chaos beneath the facade of optimism. With a satirical eye, he repudiates every cultural practice that views women merely as objects of desire. Instead, he shows how continual denial, repression, subjugation and momentary enjoyment of venereal pleasure epitomize the misery that women experience:

They who deny your salutations by dayAt night are high on the wine you pour their way.they are damned if your neighbourhood they pass by,these same men who warm your bed with their sighs.they do not speak with you; avoid all social congress,then lose their false dignity in the folds of your dress. - Daughter of Eve

For the poet, the marital bond is vested with power and imbues life with a thrilling sense of triumph. About this, Shabana makes a pertinent point: There was an abundance of odes to the beloved, but rarely, if ever, did an Urdu poet capture so lovingly every detail of his wife s actions as in, Ghar Aangan. Akhtar saheb is perhaps the only Urdu poet who captured the play banter (nakhras) of marital life from the point of view of the wife.

He is oftentimes stubborn,argues with me on every detail.he never acquiesces in my wishes,Yet he acts on my thoughts without fail.

The translation of Jan Nisar Akhtars poems by Sumantra Ghosal is largely expressive and fluid even if occasionally cumbrous.

Kaifi Azmi at an event in Delhi the late 1990s. (HT Photo)

Beyond the ironies of unrequited love and the quasi-religious quest for salvation, modern Urdu poetry also depicts compelling social and political issues in an idiom that everyone understands. Indeed, this is the hallmark of the work of the much-anthologized poet Kaifi Azmi(1919-2002) whose work forms the other volume in this box set.

Celebrated poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar presents 25 of his father-in-laws poems translated by Mir Ali Hussain in Daaera(The Circle). Marked by subtle preaching wrapped in captivating imagery and an ironic vocabulary, Kaifi Azmis poems often are witty meditations on everyday trials and tribulations. He became prominent in the 1940s and 1950s when a group of progressive poets comprising Josh, Majaz, Jazbi, Faiz, Ali Sardar Jafri, Janisar Akhtar, Majrooh Sultanpuri and the like turned away from esoteric mysticism and nostalgia and towards the chaos of a world obsessed with faith and politics.

This anthology has appeared quite soon after Kaifi Azmi; Poems/Nazms presented by poet Sudeep Sen that included translations by Hussain Mir Ali, Baidar Bakht, Sumitra Ghoshal, Pritish Nandy and Sen himself. Mapping the creative terrain of Azmis sublime poetry, in this volume, Javed Akhtar asserts that Kaifi holds fast to human dignity even in moments of epiphany: Very often, poets compromise pride for love and can be seen begging the lover for mercy and generosity. In contrast, in his romantic poetry, Kaifi Saheb accepts the separation from his lover but does not let it diminish his self-respect. Main aahista badhta hi aaya/Yahaan tak ke us sey juda ho gaya main (I kept walking away- slowly/ until we became separated). The poets dignity is not compromised, even in the worst of times, and perhaps the dignity adds a grand and dramatic effect to his poetry.

Despite a discreet reverence for tradition, Kaifi refuses to see the complexities of life through the prism of any naive or familiar postulate. He calls attention to the implicit meaning of important historical events by locating them in the alternative creative space. His poem Somnath makes the reader realize that the plundering spree under the guise of religion was a blatant attempt to secure power. The veneration of deities has nothing to do with redemption, he suggests. It allows us to recognize some aspects of ourselves. Nothing works with ideas or values in abstraction; it impacts us emotionally; idol worshipping or razing is no exception.

Hope and despair have often been the subject of poetry, but uncertainty about the future turns on fear. Fears overshadows everything; it breeds faith, smothers the hope for change, and the emancipation of humanity becomes a distant dream. This puts off Kaifi completely:

Today, life has another name - Fearfear is the ground in whichFactions sprout, communalism growsstreams cut away from the seaas long as fear remains in heartsAll I have to do is to switch faces Change the way I speakno one can then destroy meNo one can celebrate the festival of humanity- The Woman With Many Faces

Humans everywhere recall the past wistfully and this can invaluable for building the future. However, nostalgia cannot be used to deny progress, nor can the past be the future. This is what Kaifs evocative poem, The String-legged Saint affirms:

So what if Man has now set foot on the moonthis is not the progressbefore this, long before thiswhen the atom had not yet been splitwhen the fount of knowledge had not yet sprung, someone had already made the journey from earth to skythese and many such ignorant conversationsTake place on my shoulderMy shoulders are sagging from the weightI grow shorter night and dayone day my head might end up next to my feet.

Lord Ram is highly esteemed in Urdu poetry, and several poets, including Iqbal, who described him as the Imam ul Hind (the revered leader of India), have made him the object of abiding reverence. Kaifi zeroes in on the values that Ram represents. His famous poem The Second Exile explains why Ram left the capital again so hurriedly: Ram had not even washed his feet in the Sarju river yetwhen he noticed the deep stains of bloodGetting up from the rivers edge without washing his feetRam took leave of his home saying: The atmosphere of my capital does not agree with me.

There are occasional traces of turgidity in the translation but dont let that put you off. All these poems are still incredibly relevant. In sum, the volumes in this box set merit several reads.

Shafey Kidwai, a bilingual critic, is a professor of Mass Communication at Aligarh Muslim University.
Battles for Equality in Hindu India On the reading list this week is a volume on the caste system, a portrait of a quiet coffee growing district, and a timeless book of tales (HT Team)

624pp, Rs999; Westland (Examining the endurance and violence of the Hindu caste system through the lens of the law.)

In this masterful work, Manoj Mitta examines the endurance and violence of the Hindu caste system through the lens of the law. Linking two centuries of legal reform with social movements, he unearths the characters, speeches, confusions and decisions that have shaped the war on caste, mitigating how this ancient institution discriminated between Hindus across the board. Where they could live, how they could dress, whether they could go to a shop, a stream, walk a street or mingle, enter a temple, whom and how they could marry, which scriptures applied to whom, whether their actions, innocent or criminal, would attract punishment or impunity.

Describing brilliantly the passage of Hinduism into its modern avatar, the book celebrates women and men across the caste spectrum  pioneers Savitribai Phule, MC Rajah, R Veerian, BR Ambedkar, Periyar, Vithalbhai Patel and others  and outside of the caste system, such as non-Hindu legislators and administrators, including Maneckji Dadabhoy, William Bentinck and Lord Willingdon. It re-examines the positions of leading lights such as Motilal Nehru, Thomas Munro, Mahatma Gandhi and C Rajagopalachari, and shows why caste prejudice cleaves to names like Madan Mohan Malviya and Surendra Nath Banerjea.

Through these histories of reform, Mitta establishes that untouchability is merely the best-known aspect of varna, an elusive purity-based hierarchy that affects the freedoms of all. With groundbreaking discoveries and incisive insight, Caste Pride is at once moving, enlightening and transformative.*

Tracking the heartbeat of Kodagu

264pp, 395; Rupa (A timeless portrait of a quiet coffee growing district)

In this deeply researched and evocative collection, CP Belliappa tracks the heartbeat of Coorg (Kodagu), portraying the present with the past, offering a timeless portrait of a quiet coffee growing district.

Through essays and stories starting with prehistoric relics found in Coorg, the book begins by tracing the progress of the land and its people during the rule of the Haleri rajas; the British annexation and their administration of the territory and the events that culminated in Coorg becoming a part of the Kannada speaking state of Karnataka. The essays and stories then offer the fascinating illustrated story of Princess Victoria Gowramma, the lost princess of Coorg. With several lucky turn of events after his book on Victoria Gowramma, Belliappa was able to connect with her descendants; meet a great-great-great grandson of Queen Victoria; interact with the direct descendants of the last raja of Coorg and collaborate with a great-great-granddaughter of Lt Col John Campbell (Victoria Gowrammas husband).

Merging public with the private, Coorg Stories and Essays covers the freedom movement in Coorg and the significant role played by the authors father CM Poonacha, with essays on the events that transpired before and after Independence.*

Lessons about living

416pp, 999; Aleph (A timeless book of wisdom for all ages)

Authored in about 345-300 BCE by Vishnusharma, the Panchatantra has long been considered one of Indias invaluable gifts to the world. Its creation is the stuff of legend: in an effort to expedite the education of his three unschooled sons, the wise King Amarashakti of Mahilaropya sought out the octogenarian scholar Vishnusharma, who was known for his inventive teaching methods. Vishnusharma not only accepted the task of educating the princes but also said that he would accomplish it in six months. The Nitishastra he used to teach the princes was one he composed specifically for the purpose and this was called the Panchatantra  five treatises.

Mitra Bheda (breach of friendship), the longest of the sections, is framed around the deep friendship between a lion, Pingalaka, and a bull, Sanjivaka, and narrates how they are turned against each other, raising the question: can two animals who are natural enemies ever be friends? The second tantra, Mitra Samprapti (acquisition of friends), relates how a crow, mouse, tortoise, and deer become friends, and shows how friendship between the small and powerless is beneficial to all involved. Kakolukiyam (of crows and owls), the third tantra, is a narrative that draws from Kautilyas six-fold state policy, which is woven into the tantras frame story that describes a vendetta between crows and owls. The fourth tantra, Labdha Pranasham (loss of acquired gains), is centred around the well-known tale of a crocodiles treasured friendship with a monkey and how he loses it when his wife develops a hankering for the monkeys heart. Aparikshita Karakam (impetuous actions), the last tantra, is unique for its focus on human characters. The framing tale is about a barber who, under a misconception, assaults monks, rashly assuming that this will bring him gold. It makes the case that reckless actions, especially when they are triggered by greed, end in failure and grief.

The 69 stories in the Panchatantra cut a wide swathe, depicting as large a slice of life as possible. The cast of characters consists of lions, tigers, wolves, cats, tortoises, monkeys, deer, hares, snakes; crows, cranes, and various other birds; and water creatures, such as fish and crabs. There are also some humans, such as weavers and barbers, fowlers and hunters, as well as wealthy merchants, and ministers, kings, and, along with these, a smattering of priests. While in recent times it has been largely treated as childrens literature, the Panchatantra is a timeless book of wisdom for all ages, filled with tales laced with insight, cogent witticisms, and lessons about living. In this retelling of the ancient text, Meena Arora Nayak creates a work that is lucid, fluent, and engaging, while keeping the essence of its magnificence intact.*

*All copy from book flap.
India, 28th April 2023: GD Goenka University, an internationally acclaimed premier institution of higher education in India with a legacy of over 28 years, has announced the launch of 15 new Under-Graduate programs. These programs will follow an interdisciplinary and futuristic curriculum aligned with the National Education Policy 2020 framework and a competency-based skill and quality assurance framework. SoES has also partnered with major tech giants such as Apple, IBM, Sterlite Technologies, BOSCH, L&T, and Microsoft to enhance collaborative efforts on training, education, and upskilling for youth and corporate sectors.

Sharing his thoughts on the newly-launched programmes, Prof. Dr. Manish Prateek, Dean School of Engineering & Sciences shared, SoES holds the belief that a strong foundation in science and engineering principles, followed by their practical application, is the foundation for a prosperous professional career. We have incorporated this methodology to enhance the education of our students and the academic community through continuous learning. Our curriculum is frequently revised to keep up with the latest trends and advancements, and we work closely with industry specialists to ensure our students are proficient in the latest technologies and techniques utilized in the industry.

Prof. Dr. Manish Prateek further added, "Our curriculum follows the New Education Policy (NEP) and the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) through a Co-Design, Co-Delivered and Co-Certified model, which offers dual specialization programs. With the "T" Structure dual specialization, students can acquire extensive knowledge of a specific domain, providing them with the skills required to succeed in the industry, pursue advanced studies, or become entrepreneurs. At SoES, students have the exceptional chance to acquire a top-notch education with an emphasis on practical training and exposure to the industry. Our programs equip students with the necessary skills for prosperous careers in their chosen fields, while our robust industry collaborations ensure that our students are highly sought after in the job market."

GD Goenka School of Engineering and Science is committed to providing a world-class education.

The GD Goenka School of Engineering and Science has established strong partnerships with several leading corporates, including IBM, Apple, Sterlite Technologies Limited, BOSCH, L&T, and Microsoft. These partnerships have enabled the school to develop new-age industry-oriented undergraduate programs that are tailored to the needs of the industry.

The programs have been designed in collaboration with industry experts, ensuring that students receive hands-on training and exposure to the latest technologies. This approach provides students with the skills and knowledge required to excel in their respective fields and gives them a competitive advantage in the job market.

Moreover, these programs are reasonably priced, making them accessible to a broad range of students who are looking for quality education in engineering and science. With these partnerships, the GD Goenka School of Engineering and Science is committed to providing a world-class education that prepares students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

The following programs are available at SoES in collaboration with top industry giants:

B. Tech CSE (AI&ML), B. Tech CSE (Data Science), B. Tech CSE (Cyber Security) in association with IBM (Fee Rs. 2.5 Lakh per Year)

B. Tech. Computer Science Engineering (Mobile Application Development) in association with Apple (Fee Rs. 2.5 Lakh per Year)

B. Tech CSE (Hardware & Networking), B. Tech CSE (Software Engineering) in association with Sterlite Technologies (Fee Rs. 2.5 Lakh per Year)

B. Tech. Electronics and Communication (Internet of Things), B. Tech. Electronics and Communication (Biomedical Engineering) in association with BOSCH (Fee Rs. 2.0 Lakh per Year)

B. Tech in Civil Engineering (Smart Infrastructures), B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering (Power Engineering) in association with L&T (Fee Rs. 2.0 Lakh per Year)

BCA (Data Analytics), BCA (Machine Learning) in association with Microsoft (Fee Rs. 1.50 Lakh per Year

B. Tech. Aerospace Engineering (Fee Rs. 2.5 Lakh per Year)

The programs offered by GD Goenka School of Engineering and Sciences in collaboration with industry partners offer several benefits to students, such as:

Relevant and updated curriculum: The industry partners collaborate with the institution to recommend and suggest new programs or subjects based on market research. They also assist in selecting subjects to be incorporated in all eight semesters of the undergraduate program, forming syllabi for each subject based upon credit hours, and developing project-based lab exercises for labs. This ensures that students are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills required by the industry. Exposure to industry practices: The industry partners share their content development with faculty members and students, recommend lab tools, conduct webinars or seminars by subject matter experts, and provide mentoring to students and faculty members. This exposure to industry practices and experts helps students stay updated with the latest trends and best practices in their respective fields. Internship opportunities: The industry partners also provide summer internships for the students, giving them hands-on experience and practical training in the industry. This helps students gain practical exposure and apply their theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios. Professional badges: After the completion of the degree, the industry partners provide professional badges of appropriate skill sets for the students. This helps students showcase their skills to potential employers, making them more employable and competitive in the job market.

GD Goenka School of Engineering and Sciences strives to achieve global recognition as a leading science and technical institution emphasising interdisciplinary education, research, and innovation. We aim to produce socially responsible and self-motivated future leaders with a broader understanding of the underlying global issues in their fields of endeavour. The state-of-the-art facilities, including modern labs and equipment, provide students with hands-on training in cutting-edge technologies. Furthermore, our highly qualified and experienced faculty members bring their industry expertise into the classroom, ensuring a comprehensive education for our students.

Kickstart your with GD Goenka School of Engineering and Science, Apply Now - https://www.gdgoenkauniversity.com/

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.
Google has revealed some numbers, which perhaps best illustrate the problem, of how malicious apps and their developers, are attempting to hoodwink unsuspecting users. The tech giant has detailed some steps they have taken to curb the bad actors on the Play Store platform, while also detailing extensive steps, this being specially focussed on India, to rework the policies for financial services apps. Malware laden Android apps continue to be a big problem for Google. (Reuters file image)

The companys data suggests they prevented as many as 1.43 million apps from being published on the Play Store for Android users, which violated one or more policy conditions. Google says they also banned as many as 173,000 developer accounts involved in attempts to publish malicious apps.

Googles global malware problem

This is a follow-up to the data released in March, which pegged as many as $2 billion worth of transactions prevented by Google Play Commerces monitoring tools. These transactions can be requested for, by developers, in many forms including one-time purchases within an app or recurring payments such as some sort of subscriptions.

Malware laden Android apps continue to be a big problem for Google.

Earlier this month, security firm McAfee confirmed that in just South Korea, more than 60 applications with more than 100 million downloads, contain a third-party malicious library called Goldoson. Subsequently, some apps were removed from Google Play while others were updated by official developers.

Also Read: Decide plea against Googles new billing policy by April 26, Delhi HC orders CCI

With strengthened Android platform protections and policies, and developer outreach and education, we prevented about 500K submitted apps from unnecessarily accessing sensitive permissions over the past 3 years, says Google, in a statement.

McAfee stresses in their report that the malicious library was made by someone else, not the app developers themselves. Yet, for anyone installing a malware laden app on their Android device, the risks including of data theft, hacking and monitoring, remain the same.

In India, focus on fintech apps

There have been region specific developments too, such as the new license requirements introduced for personal loan apps in Kenya, Nigeria, and Philippines. In India, loan facilitator apps now have to tick-off a more stringent checklist. This follows through on steps the tech giant has implemented, in different stages since 2021, with regards to changing guidelines (and the larger impact) of digital lending apps in India.

Some of these changes, have subsequently been implemented globally too.

In India, in 2022, we have reviewed and taken necessary enforcement action, including removal of apps, on more than 3500 personal loan apps for violations of the Play policy requirements. We continue to uplevel our efforts in this area by regularly updating our policies and review processes, says a Google spokesperson.

Earlier this year, a new Google Play policy for any financial product or services app which is providing loans or facilitating access to a loan, prohibited access to photos and contacts in the phone on which these apps are installed.

In 2022, with the Personal Loan App Declaration being implemented, Google had mandated any apps that offer financial loans to users, or are facilitators in this process, to prominently disclose all the names of the partner banks and non-banking financial institutions (NBFCs) within the app description. Additionally, links must be provided for the websites of these partners.

In 2021, Google had made it mandatory for developers of financial services apps to provide a declaration form confirming that they are either licensed by the RBI to provide personal loans (that included submitting a copy of the license), or alternatively, confirm that they only provide a platform to facilitate money lending by duly licensed lenders.

Regulators in India are concerned about many financial services apps that are presently available for smartphones, and the often-nefarious practices involved in disbursing personal loans, and with loan recoveries.

Last week, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman confirmed the government was in discussions with the Reserve Bank of India and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), to clamp down on such apps.

There are many Ponzi apps on which were working with the concerned ministry, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and clamping down on them like never before, Sitharaman had said, at the time.

A wider app ecosystem alliance

The App Defence Alliance, which brings together tech companies with the mandate to protect Android users from malicious apps, has been expanded in the last year. Security companies McAfee and Trend Micro have now joined Google, ESET, Lookout, and Zimperium, to provide further tools to reduce the risk of app-based malware on Android devices.

The App Defence Alliances Mobile App Security Assessment (MASA) checks made the Google Play Store the first commercial app store to display the specifics of a security review done for apps that have completed the process so far. The company lists some popular ones that now have the bade in the Data Safety section of the app listing  PayPal, Uber, Roblox and YouTube, being some.

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The government has named Siddhartha Mohanty as the first chief executive of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) for the term beginning in June 2024 to June 2025. He had been serving as the corporation's interim chairman since March. Siddhartha Mohanty was managing director of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) during its initial public offering (IPO) launch.(REUTERS)

Why has LIC discontinued chairman post?

LIC, the country's largest insurer has decided to phase out the chairman post to align with other publicly traded corporations.

In May, LIC offered the largest IPO in India to date as the government agreed to sell a 3.5% stake.

Who is Siddhartha Mohanty?

Mohanty was one of four managing directors at LIC when insurer launched its IPO. He began his career with LIC as a direct recruit officer in 1985 and rose through the ranks to the top position. Mohanty has postgraduate degree in political science and degree in law. Mohanty also holds a postgraduate degree in business management and is a licentiate from the Insurance Institute of India. Mohanty work areas include marketing, human relations, investments and legal sector. Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) recommended Siddhartha Mohanty's name for the post of chairman. The decision regarding the appointment of Mohanty as the LIC chairman was taken by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) headed by PM Narendra Modi.

(Input from wires)
Bajaj Auto Ltd is ramping up production of its electric scooter Chetak to touch around 10,000 units a month by June, having overcome supply chain constraints as it gradually expands the sales network of the brand, according to a senior company official. The 2023 Bajaj Chetak gets new colour options and detailing, as well as 20% more range.

The company plans to have around 150 exclusive outlets for the Chetak electric scooter by September, and is taking a calibrated expansion keeping in mind the uncertainty over the extension of FAME II scheme for promotion of electric vehicles beyond this fiscal.

"We are trying to get to 10,000 (units) by June. It is a supply chain issue," Bajaj Auto Executive Director Rakesh Sharma said here on the sidelines of opening of an exclusive Chetak showroom.

ALSO READ: Bajaj Auto reports marginal rise in profit at 1,468 crore in Q4

The company has reached 5,000 units at present and next month, it will try to get to 7,000 units, he said, adding after that Bajaj Auto would assess how the demand is coming to plan future production roadmap.

Sharma said the company had faced problems earlier due to over dependence on certain vendors, who could not supply some parts.

"That we sorted out by the first quarter and it is giving us some confidence...," he said.

ALSO READ: Bajaj's first motorcycle with UK's Triumph to make global debut in June

Bajaj Auto Urbanite Business Unit President Eric Vas said the company had suffered production constraints due to the transition to the new battery norm AIS 156B, which came into effect from April 1 for enhanced safety. The constraints have been resolved to a large extent.

"So, we think we will be back to normal production, in terms of production meeting our requirements of the number of stores we are opening possibly by middle to end of May and after that it is purely driven by what we want, we will get," he added.

At present, the waiting period for Chetak is around 20 to 25 days, Vas said, adding, from May onwards, it would come down to three to five days.

On network expansion, Vas said Chetak sales network currently spans across 88 towns through 105 dealerships.

"By September, we hope to have around 150 exclusive outlets in 120 towns," he said, adding, the company would look at the market and calibrate again for expansion beyond these.

Vas said a key factor for taking such an approach is the uncertainty over the continuation of the FAME II scheme, which was extended till March 31, 2024.

"One of the things which we should have better clarity on sometime by September is what happens to FAME II after March (2024). I think a lot of things depend on that output," he said.

When asked if FAME II scheme should be continued, he said the industry is of the opinion that cost of EVs will go up significantly if the subsidy is stopped and manufacturers could not afford to fully absorb the increased prices.

"I think prices will go up. It will stop the growth of the industry and that is why I'm saying we (Bajaj Auto) need to calibrate very carefully when we're opening (new stores for Chetak)," Vas said.

When asked about the outlook for fiscal 2023-24, Sharma said, if the supply holds out and the demand keeps picking up, along with the network expansion, Bajaj Auto could touch a total of 1 lakh electric two-wheelers between Chetak and what it supplies to electric mobility platform Yulu.
The house hunting in Bengaluru is a no easy game as the landlords go with all guns blazing while setting the rules for their tenants. Asking LinkedIn profile and marital status are old, and a man now shared his ordeal after getting rejected as a tenant by the landlord for his low 12th class score. Bengaluru landlord denies renting home to a man for scoring less in 12th class(HT Illustration)

A man named Shubh shared his WhatsApp conversation with a broker where he said that the landlord rejected him because he was expecting at least 90% in the 12th grade. In the chat, the broker wrote, Hey, I sent your docs to the owner. Sorry but he rejected your profile, because you have got 75% in class 12 and the owner is expecting at least 90%. The conversation went viral on Twitter, giving room for another round of discussion on the house rental market in the tech capital.

A user named Shruthi Mishra wrote, Haha, this is a sad reality & when my owner got to know about my work, she invited me over for coffee.

Another user named Anandita wrote, Was the owner looking for a tenant or for a private tutor for his own kid?

There was also a comment about why landlords are not preferring bachelor people as tenants. A user named Swapnil shared the pictures of a messy houses filled with liquor bottles and wrote, May be this is the reason why Landlords are too cautious before renting their properties to bachelors. A Bangalore based landlord had revealed that how he lent his 2 bhk flat to an educated bachelor and this is what he did in just 3-4 months. Though, I agree that just because of a few such cases, we cant judge/ban the whole bachelors community.
Ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said each vote to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will protect the state from the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI). Union home minister Amit Shah. (PTI)Every vote to BJP will save Karnataka from PFI: Amit Shah

Addressing a public meeting at Shirahatti, Shah said, "Each vote counts, so ensure it goes to the right leadership. When the people of Karnataka press the 'Lotus' symbol, understand that you are not voting to elect an MLA or a minister and Chief Minister. Your vote will further strengthen PM Modi's hands in creating 'Mahan Karnataka'. Your vote will protect Karnataka from PFI."

Notably, the PFI and its many affiliates were declared 'unlawful association' by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in September last year after its involvement in violent activities came to light during investigations carried out by various state police units and national agencies.

Shah said, "Only BJP can offer protection and prosperity to Karnataka. It is the BJP which banned the PFI thereby ensuring a peaceful and safe environment. We also banned cow slaughter, provided healthcare facilities to people, ensured proper sanitation facilities and ensured overall development in Karnataka,"

He said Narendra Modi is the only Prime Minister in the country who came from a poor family and is the son of a "tea seller".

"From growing up in a poor family to serving and extending welfare to crores of poor of the country...his (Modi's) life journey has been glorious," Shah said.

He said that Congress provided reservations on the basis of religion.

"Congress had extended the reservation to Muslims which was purely unconstitutional. BJP rectified this mistake of Congress and instead extended the reservation quotas for SCs, STs, Vokkaligas and Lingayats. Congress wants the reservation quota for Muslims back, but at what cost will it do so? By withdrawing the reservations given by the BJP to Lingayats, Vokkaligas, SCs, STs and Dalits? Never bring such a party to power which runs against the Constitution," he said.

Shah further slammed Congress over its president Mallikarjun Kharge's "poisonous snake" remark.

"The whole world admires PM Modi ji. But see the level of Congress, and its leadership; the remarks of its leaders about Modi Ji are utterly shameful. Kharge called Modi Ji a 'venomous snake'. Can you make such a party lead the State?" he stated.

Unlike Congress, Shah said the BJP has taken each and every step to ensure the welfare of farmers.

He also attacked Congress over the Mahadayi river dispute issue.

"Congress had governments in all three places. It was at the Centre, in Karnataka and it was also in Goa but the Congress could not solve the Mahadayi issue. Modi ji has done the work of bringing happiness and joy to the lives of farmers in North Karnataka by resolving the Mahadayi issue."

"The elections will decide whether the double-engine government under the leadership of Modi Ji will take Karnataka forward for the next five years or the Congress government will take Karnataka backwards with its reverse gear," added the Union Home Minister.

The polls for the 224-seat assembly will take place on May 10 and the counting of votes will be held on May 13. (ANI)
Amid high temperatures in several parts of Karnataka, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a heavy rainfall warning over some isolated pockets in the state till Sunday. It also issued a thunderstorm warning over all districts of the state and predicted gusty winds with speed reaching 30 to 40 kmph.(HT_PRINT)

Heavy rain accompanied with thunderstorm or hailstorm likely to occur at isolated places over Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Bagalkote, Raichur, Vijayapura, Ballari, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu and Mysuru districts, the IMD said in its daily bulletin.

READ | Rain to bring respite from sizzling heat in Karnataka till Saturday: IMD

It also issued a thunderstorm warning over all districts of the state and predicted gusty winds with speed reaching 30 to 40 kmph over Raichur, Ballari, Yadgir and Kalaburagi. This came after heavy showers in parts of Kalaburagi on Thursday, a video of which was shared online.

For Bengaluru city, the IMD forecasted a generally cloudy sky with light to moderate rain or thundershowers very likely towards evenings or night time Sunday. Maximum and minimum temperatures are very likely to be around 33 and 23 degrees Celsius, respectively, it added.

The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) meanwhile said that the average maximum temperature in the state was 38.9 degrees Celsius, recorded at Raichur district. Maximum temperature in the range of 39 to 41 degrees Celsius recorded in some parts of Raichur, Yadgir, Kalaburagi and Gadag districts.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to visit Karnataka tomorrow for a two-day visit where he is expected to address six public meetings and hold two roadshows, news agency PTI reported. PM Modi has visited poll-bound Karnataka nine times since February alone. (File Photo)

PM Modi will start his trip by flying from Delhi on a special aircraft to Karnataka's Bidar airport on Saturday morning, from where he will fly via helicopter to Bidar's Humnabad for the first pubic gathering at around 11 am.

READ | PM Modi to hold to road show in Bengaluru on April 29

He is then set to fly to the Vijaypura area for the second public gathering, scheduled at 1 pm. His third one for the day will be at Kudachi in Belagavi district at about 2:45 pm.

PM Modi will then arrive in the state capital in the evening for a road show in Bengaluru North. After an overnight stay in Bengaluru city, he will fly out from Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the governor of Karnataka, to nearby Kolar on Sunday morning to attend a public meeting at 11:30 am.

READ | PM Modi's schedule: 7 programmes, 8 cities and 5,300 km in 36 hours

He is also expected to be in Channapatna and Belur on Sunday. He has a fifth public gathering scheduled at 1:30 pm in Channapatna, near Ramanagara, and the final one in Hassan district's Belur at 3:45 pm.

His second roadshow will be in Mysuru on Sunday evening, after which he will fly to Delhi via the special aircraft. PM Modi has recently been in the news for traveling more than 5,300 kilometres through seven cities and attending eight programmes in 36 hours at the age of 72.

He has visited poll-bound Karnataka nine times since February alone. Karnataka is due for an assembly election on May 10, for which results will be released on May 13.

(With PTI inputs)
Clueing into the latest controversy in Karnataka, many BJP leaders and union ministers expressed sharp reactions over Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge's poisonous snake remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Pralhad Joshi and Nityanand Rai hit out at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge over his 'poisonous snake' remark against PM Modi. (ANI)

Kharge was addressing a public gathering in Karnatakas Kalaburagi when he said, PM Narendra Modi is like a poisonous snake. Now if you want to test a venom because I compared him with a poisonous snake, beware it will lead to your death.

This evoked strong rebuttal from the ruling party, with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan saying that Kharge "used such words to appease his political masters".

READ | 'Desperate': BJP slams Kharge over 'Modi poisonous snake', Cong chief clarifies

"Kharge ji used such words to appease his political masters. He must have been under some compulsion," he said.

Another Union Minister, Nityanand Rai, also hit out at Kharge, saying that the Congress party is a habitual offender to defame the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and the PM. "First, Rahul Gandhi spoke derogatory words for the backward society. Now Mallikarjun Kharge has used objectionable and indecent language like 'poisonous snake' for the Honourable Prime Minister," he said.

"Kharge ji, Congress party have sown poison. The poison of division in the society, the poison of partition of the country, the poison of corruption in governance, the poison of dynasty in politics - all these are the poisons sown by the Congress," Rai added.

READ | Kharges mind is poisonous': CM Bommai slams Cong chief

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi also condemned the Congress chief's remarks and asserted that the people would teach the grand old party a lesson. It's highly condemnable. People will teach them a lesson. I demand an unconditional apology from Kharge. I would like to remind Kharge and his bosses that whenever they try to insult Modi ji, people have given them a befitting reply, he said.

Kharge later clarified that he did not mean to attack PM Modi personally. My comments are not meant for PM Modi. I called the BJP ideology poisonous, not attacked PM Modi personally. What I said was their ideology is like a snake and if you try to touch it, your death is certain," he had said.

(With ANI inputs)
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed in Madhya Pradeshs Chhatarpur on Friday to probe into the allegations of a police constables family that a 22-year-old woman blackmailed them after implicating them in a false gang rape case. The SIT was formed after the family approached Chhatarpur police superintendent Amit Sanghi. (Twitter)

Sanjay Tiwari, the constable who has been suspended, has been absconding since the woman filed the rape case against him and his family members last month.

The woman claimed she was raped again to pressure her to withdraw the case. She alleged that Tiwari and his family members allegedly abducted and gang-raped her for a month.

The SIT was formed after the family approached Chhatarpur Police Superintendent Amit Sanghi.

A police officer, who did not want to be named, said the woman went to the Tiwaris village on April 17 and demanded money from his father for withdrawing the case. The father filed a complaint with the police. Earlier too, she filed a rape complaint against a constable in Mahoba but later it was found to be fake.

Sanghi said the woman has alleged she was returning home on March 18 when one of the accused Ajay Tiwari snatched her phone. She claimed that when she chased him, Sanjay Dwivedi along with four others abducted her.

She accused Dwivedi, his brother, uncle, and two others of repeatedly raping her for over a month. On April 26, she alleged Dwivedis father, uncle, brother, and sister abandoned her and forced her to drink something which left her unconscious.

Sanghi said a case was subsequently registered against the nine accused on the womans complaint under Sections 344 (wrongful confinement), 376 (d) (gang rape), and 366 (abduction) of the Indian Penal Code.
The district court has accepted bail application of assistant sub inspector (ASI) Vinod Kumar, who was arrested in the 1.1-crore salary scam that had rocked the police department in 2020. The district court has accepted bail application of assistant sub inspector (ASI) Vinod Kumar, who was arrested in the  1.1-crore salary scam that had rocked the police department in 2020. (Shutterstock)

Earlier this month, the Chandigarh police had submitted the fourth supplementary chargesheet in scam, naming two more police personnel.

A special investigation team (SIT) is probing the scam of excess payments of 1.1 crore in the accounts of police officials.

The chargesheeet, submitted in the court of additional district and sessions judge against accused ASI Vinod Kumar and constable Rajbir Singh, cites sufficient evidence on record to prosecute them.

The ASI was then posted in the accounts branch and performing treasury duties, while the constable, also posted in the accounts branch, was tasked with preparing bills for salary, pay arrears, LTC leave encashment, etc.

The police report mentions that the public servants committed offence of public misconduct, causing loss to exchequer. Being custodians of government funds, Balwinder Kumar, Naresh Kumar, Varinder Kumar, Vinod Kumar and Rajbir Singh in connivance with other officials siphoned off government funds for their personal use by tampering with office records, part of the report mentioned.

This was the fourth supplementary chargesheet against Balwinder Kumar, third against head constable (HC) Naresh Kumar and HC Varinder Kumar, and second against constable Savinder.
Already reeling under a staff shortage, the Chandigarh police is facing a new problem  unfit cops who frequently request to sit out of law-and-order duties, citing their ill-health. Already reeling under a staff shortage, the Chandigarh police is facing a new problem  unfit cops who frequently request to sit out of law-and-order duties, citing their ill-health. (HT File)

Taking cognisance of the increase in such medical pleas, UT inspector general of police (IGP) Raj Kumar Singh, in a recent order, directed all the senior superintendents of police (SSPs) and superintendents of police (SPs) to prepare a list of cops unfit for police duties and give adverse service records.

It has come to light that a number of police personnel are unable to perform law-and-order duties in the police department due to their ill health or other reasons. Some of them are unfit for performing police duties. Due to unavailability for police duties, difficulty is being experienced by the department in maintaining law-and-order in the city, read the order of the IGP.

The order further read, In view of the above, all supervisory officers are directed to provide a list of cops who are unfit for police duties as well have adverse service records enabling this office to take further action as per rule.

Sources said police are yet to compile and submit the list to the IGP.

We came across many medical applications recently where the cops expressed inability to perform duties due to some or the other illness which hampers policing here. We already have a shortage of staff as we have around 5,700 cops deployed in UT and need much more. The medical issues, which at times are not genuine, adds to the trouble, a senior police officer said.

Talking about certain applications, the officer added that while a few met with accidents where they got bed ridden, a few are battling cancer. Some complain of hypertension which is possible due to the sheer pressure in this profession. Others cite issues such as nervous issues, pregnancy which is temporary. We will compile the applications soon and share it with the authorities concerned to take appropriate action, a senior police officer said.

Meanwhile, talking about the expected course of action against these cops, an officer said there is a provision that those who are unfit to perform due to medical reasons, can be given retirement but they would still get the salary till their retirement.

We will retire a few cops who would be found completely unfit for the job, an officer shared.

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With the Shimla municipal corporation (SMC) polls just three days away, the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP have been engaged in a fierce verbal battle. Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu welcomes Himachal Pradesh Congress state in-charge Rajiv Shukla on his arrival in Shimla on Friday. (HT Photo)

State AICC in-charge Rajeev Shukla on Friday lashed out at the BJP stating that nothing happened in the last five years under the BJPs governance of the civic body and now the party is contesting the Shimla MC elections only in the name of Prime Minister Modi.

He was addressing a joint press conference with chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri and state party chief Pratibha Singh.

Shukla also criticised the BJP for the deteriorating condition of Shimla, which was once the summer capital of the British Raj. He pointed out that the citys current state is so bad that people are struggling with problems such as water scarcity, traffic congestion, and parking issues.

Shukla said if voted to power, the Congress will resolve the problems related to water, road, traffic and parking in Shimla town.

Shimla will be given a facelift on the lines of foreign hill stations if the Congress is voted to power, he said.

Shukla also mentioned that the government was considering investigating corruption during the smart city projects in Shimla. Shukla predicted that people of Shimla will not be swayed by the BJPs false promises, and the Congress will emerge victorious.
Chandigarh Smart City Limited (CSCL) in coordination with Smart Cities Mission of the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA), inaugurated a two-day Smart cities CEOs conference on data and technology in Chandigarh on Thursday. Chandigarh Smart City Limited (CSCL) in coordination with Smart Cities Mission of the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA), inaugurated a two-day Smart cities CEOs conference on data and technology in Chandigarh on Thursday. (HT File)

As many as 200 delegates from 100 smart cities of India attended the event.

Speaking during the conference, CSCL chief executive officer (CEO) Anindita Mitra, said, The residents of Chandigarh will be experiencing new paradigms of business models, better services and enhanced sustainability as we make efforts to create Chandigarh as a data-powered city using infrastructure created under Smart Cities Mission, 5G roll out plan and Micro GATI SHAKTI initiative. A detailed roadmap has been laid on how every individual, every department shall be benefitted from ICCC initiative in the coming months.

Kunal Kumar, joint secretary and mission director of smart cities mission of the union government, said, There is a need for urban leaders and practitioners to think like a city and understand the larger picture through the use of data and technology to be able to cater to the expanding urban population of the future. The objective of the conference is to enable peer learning and exchange of ideas that leads to development of these best practices across all smart cities.

During the conference, the delegates also deliberated on creation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and business plans to ensure sustainability of their integrated command and control centres (ICCCs).

Also, the officials of CSCL showcased their 295-crore state-of-the-art ICCC initiative and its effort to make the project Self-reliant. Termed as brain of city, the ICCC supports digital applications and ensures seamless steady state operations, city management, surveillance, emergency response mechanisms and real-time tracking of services and vital city metrics throughout the city, and in government departments.

The union ministry also launched ICCC Awards and asked the cities to participate in the competition. The awards will be a reward for the most innovative and outstanding efforts of cities in creating maximum impact through their ICCCs.

Chandigarh is the third smart city to host the conference on data and technology after Kochi and Panaji.


Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis 100th broadcast of the flagship Mann Ki Baat on April 30, the Haryana unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has gone all out to launch a promotional blitzkrieg and is eying participation of at least 9 lakh people at over 9,000 locations across the state. Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis 100th broadcast of the flagship Mann Ki Baat on April 30, the Haryana unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has gone all out to launch a promotional blitzkrieg and is eying participation of at least 9 lakh people at over 9,000 locations across the state. (HT File Photo)

Under the plan, chalked out by Haryana BJP chief Om Prakash Dhankar, the party has printed 13 lakh invitation cards and will roll out a red carpet for the attendees at 100 different locations in each assembly segment. Haryana has 90 Vidhan Sabha constituencies. The 4.50-lakh foot soldiers of the BJP are busy mobilising the people for the big event.

The BJP cadres have been told to ensure presence of at least 100 people in each of the 9,000 venues being readied for the show.

Our workers have fanned out across the state to personally hand over the invites, said Dhankar, who on Friday digitally reached out to over 5,000 workers handpicked for this event.

We have set a target of ensuring presence of at least 9 lakh people, said Dhankar, who will be stationed at Rohtak on Sunday while chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Vidhan Sabha speaker Gian Chand Gupta will be in Panchkula at different venues.

All the elected representatives, MPs, MLAs, and ministers have been assigned duties and venues where they will be present on Sunday.

There is a huge enthusiasm among the people. The mega event may ultimately create a world record in terms of the number of people listening to a leader at the same time across the country, Dhankar said, adding that documentary evidence will be uploaded on a portal that will open at 10.30 am and workers can upload pictures till 12.30 pm.

He said sanitation workers in Rewari have decided to set up a venue on their own to listen to Mann Ki Baat. Over 600 private institutions, NGOs, resident welfare associations, educational institutions have told us about their plan to set up big screens and mobilise the public to hear the Prime Minister, he added.

Over 3,600 public representatives of panchayati raj institutions and former MLAs have also informed about their plans to listen to this special episode of the Mann Ki Baat, said Dhankar.

Haryana Raj Bhawan will also be one of the venues where dignitaries are expected to assemble and hear the PMs address.

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The Haryana Police carried out multiple raids at cybercrime hot-spot areas of Nuh district on Thursday night and nabbed 125 hackers/cybercriminals, an official spokesperson said. The Haryana Police carried out multiple raids at cybercrime hot-spot areas of Nuh district on Thursday night and nabbed 125 hackers/cybercriminals, an official spokesperson said. (Representational image)

As many as 102 police teams comprising more than 5,000 police personnel raided 14 villages in the district together late on Thursday night and seized digital gadgets, including ATM cards, smartphones, laptops, Aadhaar cards and ATM swipe machines along with other items. These suspects are being interrogated for further leads, said police in a statement.

Different teams of police simultaneously raided 14 identified villages of Punhana, Pinangwa, Ferozepur Jhirka and Bichhore areas. The drive started at 11.30 pm on Thursday night and the action went on till late night. The total duration of this operation was 24 hours from the briefing of the police force to the search operation on various targets, the spokesperson said.

The highest number of 31 cybercriminals were nabbed from Nai village, followed by 25 from Luhinga Kalan village, 20 each from Jaimat and Jakhopur, 17 each from Khedla and Tirwara, and 11 from Aminabad. Police also nabbed one criminal carrying a reward of 10,000.

A total of 66 smartphones, 65 fake SIMs, 166 Aadhaar cards, three laptops, 128 ATM cards of different banks, two ATM swipe machines, one AEPS machine, six scanners, five PAN cards etc. were recovered from the arrested criminals and hackers.

In addition, seven country-made pistols, two cartridges, two cars, four tractor-trailers and 22 motorcycles have also been recovered. The raids were conducted by the police targeting 69 accused involved in cyber and other criminal cases. Police said during the initial investigation, the connection of the apprehended accused with cybercriminals of other states has also come to the fore, and further investigation in this regard is underway.
The Jammu and Kashmir police have arrested an apparel seller under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and IT Act after a hidden mobile phone was found in the trial room of his outlet in north Kashmirs Baramulla district, officials said on Friday. The phone, meant for secretly recording customers while changing clothes, was found by a minor girl after which the case was registered.

They said the phone, meant for secretly recording customers while changing clothes, was found by a minor girl after which the case was registered.

A police spokesman said the accused, Aijaz Ahmad Sofi of Bandi Payeen Chandoosa, was arrested for voyeurism by the police.

The spokesperson said Sofi was arrested following a complaint registered by a minor girl accompanied by her sister.

She stated that on April 26, she went to a shop and selected some clothes. When she went to the changing room for trial, she found a hidden mobile phone which was kept there for secretly recording the customers videos while changing clothes, the spokesperson said.

The police said it acted promptly upon the complaint and an FIR under various sections of the IPC, IT Act and POCSO Act was registered and investigation taken up.

During the course of investigation, a team headed by an SHO was constituted and the accused, who is the owner of the shop, was taken into custody immediately, the spokesperson said.

Mobile devices of the accused have also been seized. Community members are requested to be careful while using trail rooms, he said.
Several khaps of Haryana, women organisations and Sanyukt Kisan Morcha leaders on Thursday announced to join the wrestlers protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The wrestlers have levelled allegations of sexual harassment against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and sought support from khap leaders. Several khaps of Haryana, women organisations and Sanyukt Kisan Morcha leaders on Thursday announced to join the wrestlers protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. (Vipin Kumar/ Hindustan Times)

Om Prakash Kandela, who heads Jinds famous Kandela Khap, said the wrestlers belong to the entire nation and a pehalwan has no caste, no religion and no region.

For the sake of our daughters and their future, we will reach Delhi on Friday and join the wrestlers protest. The khaps have always supported sportspersons and we will sit with them until a first information report (FIR) is registered against Brij Bhushan Sharan, he said.

Earlier, Haryana minister Sandeep Singh was booked in a sexual harassment case and the state government tried to protect him. Same is being done in the case of Brij Bhushan, who enjoys support of the central government. Why an FIR was not registered? he asked.

Balwant Nambardar, head of Phogat Khap, said the khaps of Haryana will reach Delhi in large numbers and stay with the wrestlers.

We have supported our children and we have faith in them. They brought laurels to the nation by winning medals at the international podium. The wrestlers were forced to sit on a dharna. Seeing the seriousness of allegations, the WFI chief should tender his resignation and face the probe. We have high hopes from the Supreme Court, he added.

Abhimanyu Kuhar, a leader of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, said they have called a meeting on Friday and will extend support to protesters.

The wrestlers had supported us during the farm agitation and now, the farming community is standing in solidarity with them, he added.

Hundreds of women activists, meanwhile, gathered in Rohtak and protested against the central government.

Former national player and activist Jagmati Sangwan said there is a need to bring provisions for womens safety in sports.

Incidents of sexual harassment by powerful people have come to the fore and it is becoming tougher for women to continue in their fields, she claimed.
Even as the Panchkula school bus accident, reported last week, sent alarm bells ringing, little is being done on ground to ensure the safety of school students. Even as the Panchkula school bus accident, reported last week, sent alarm bells ringing, little is being done on ground to ensure the safety of school students. (HT File)

In Mohali, though the administration claims to be regularly conducting inspections in school buses, road safety activists point out that most of the checking happens when the buses are off-duty and not when it is ferrying students.

As per Mohali district protection officer (DCPO) Navpreet Kaur, a total of 51 buses were checked in nearly two months, out of which seven were challaned for violations.

The DCPO said four of the buses were challaned for not having first-aid kits till April 24.

She added that while no checking was conducted in the month of March due to exams and new admission sessions, 22 buses were checked and three challans were issued in the month February.

As per the direction, school buses are checked under the supervision of DCPO.

Deputy commissioner Aashika Jain asked the traffic police to keep a check on Jugaad (makeshift) school vehicles that are putting childrens lives at risk.

We are keeping a check on buses, but what about vans and autorickshaws in which schoolchildren are packed like sardines? We need to crack the whip on such violators, said the DC.

She directed the traffic police and regional transport authority (RTA) to take stern action against violators who endanger the commuters lives.

Road safety experts in the city complained that violations such as overloading and speeding by school buses were going unchecked.

According to Harpreet Singh, a road safety activist, officials conduct cosmetic checks on school buses. The team merely checks whether cameras, GPS, and speed governors are installed in the vehicle or not; they do not check whether these are working or not, said Harpreet, adding that it is no secret that majority of the school buses ferry more children than their actual capacity. However, these violations are not reported. If the law does not permit stopping the vehicle (carrying schoolchildren) midway, then these vehicles should be checked before leaving schools, he said.

The Safe School Vahan policy requires school buses to have a stop signal, driver and staff in uniforms, a speed governor and to be painted in yellow. Moreover, these buses should have emergency exits, and the windows should be fitted with horizontal grills.
It was the huge difference in the weights of the candidate and his alleged impersonator in the written test of the nursing officers recruitment exam at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, held in August last year, that first raised suspicion. It was the huge difference in the weights of the candidate and his alleged impersonator in the written test of the nursing officers recruitment exam at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, held in August last year, that first raised suspicion. (HT File)

During the verification process after recruitment of the nursing officers, GMCH officials had noticed discrepancies in the photograph and signatures of one candidate, Rekhraj, 30, of Rajasthan.

The person appeared to be different from the photograph on the application form, and the signature submitted at the time of filling the application also did not match the one on the admit card. There was also a significant difference in the facial features of the candidate who took the test and the one who showed up to join as a nursing officer.

While Rekhraj weighed 80kg, his impersonator weighed around 50kg. The difference in their photographs exposed them. When Rekhraj got a whiff of this, he fled. After this, GMCH-32 authorities started further scrutiny and police registered a case against the other accused too, an officer revealed.

To check the possibility of more such cases, GMCH authorities had constituted a six-member scrutiny committee, headed by a senior professor, and comprising officials from the nursing department, recruitment branch and IT department, to collect details of all nursing officers selected on the basis of the written test.

As per hospital authorities, fingerprints and signatures were taken in the presence of the committee to compare them with the data collected during recruitment. But five candidates did not appear before the committee and went on medical leave and later resigned with a 24-hour notice.

Rekhraj was one of the candidates who did not join.

Police have so far booked 16 accused, including eight candidates and their eight impersonators, in the case.

On April 19, authorities at GMCH, Sector 32, had sought criminal proceedings against six new hires, following which a case was registered at the Sector 34 police station on April 20.

GMCH had issued advertisements for recruitment of 182 nursing officers in December 2021. A total of 10,594 candidates had appeared for the test at 39 centres on August 28,2022.

Middleman nabbed from Jodhpur

Police on Thursday arrested the man who acted as a middleman between the candidate Rekhraj and impersonator Joginder Kumar, 29, a nursing assistant at a hospital in Rajasthan.

The accused, identified as Mukesh of Jodhpur, 29, according to the police was arrested from his hometown.

According to the police, Joginder had appeared in the written test in place of Rekhraj. Both were arrested from Rajasthan.

Mukesh had sought 10 lakh from Rekhraj. But as Rekhraj did not join the hospital, Mukesh couldnt collect the money from him.

Both Joginder and Rekhraj didnt know each other. Mukesh got them in touch. Mukul sought 10 lakh from Rekhraj in lieu of getting him a job in GMCH-32 following which he sent Joginder to take the exam for Rekhraj, an officer said.

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Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said that 10% of the total compensation for crop damage will now go labourers employed by farmers. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann along with cabinet ministers Aman Arora and Chetan Singh Jauramajra addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting at the Circuit House in Ludhiana on Friday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

Announcing the decision after a cabinet meeting held in Ludhiana, Mann said when the crop gets damaged due to heavy rain or hailstorms, farm labourers also lose work and income.

Also read: SC quashes criminal case against Badals in forgery case over SADs dual constitution

Explaining how the scheme will be implemented, he said the state government would soon start registering labourers as very few of them are registered and they cannot avail the benefits of schemes of the state and central governments.

It was the first state cabinet meeting outside Chandigarh. It was held at Circuit House in Ludhiana, about 100km from the state capital.

Mann said it has been decided that most cabinet meetings from now on will be held outside Chandigarh and the initiative will be called Sarkar Tuhade Dwar (Government at your doorstep).

It will give officials and ministers a chance to listen to the grievances of the people, take feedback and suggestions and address their issues on the spot, he said.

Cabinet meetings will be held in various places such as Moga, Mansa and Hoshiarpur. We can also hold these in a large village. Government representatives will spend a day where it is held, Mann told a press conference in Ludhiana after the meeting.

Sharing details about the cabinet decision on farm labourers, he said, We have decided that whatever compensation the government will give to farmers for their crop damage due to unseasonal rains or hailstorm, out of the total compensation, 10% will be given to farm labourers, too. For example, if 15,000 an acre is given as crop damage compensation, 1,500 will be given to those farm labourers who were to work in the fields, but could not as crop got damaged because of the rains. This is to compensate for the loss of work which they suffer, he said.

We have directed our officers to visit labour chowks, construction sites and rural areas and meet labourers there and get them registered, Mann said as his ministers looked on.

In the coming days, we will bring many pro-Punjab, pro-people initiatives, he said.

Targeting previous governments, he said, We dont leave any files pending. Earlier, files were pending for two to three years, he claimed.

We are bringing the state back on the track of development so that Punjab once again becomes rangla (vibrant), said Mann.
The Punjab and Haryana high court has sought an affidavit from the secretary, health, Punjab, regarding the status of the community health centre at Phase-3B1. Punjab and Haryana high court has sought an affidavit from the secretary, health, Punjab, regarding the status of the community health centre at Phase-3B1. (Shutterstock)

The order was passed in a public interest litigation by deputy mayor Kuljit Singh Bedi, in which he had demanded that the community health centre should not be shifted.

As per plea, earlier a 30-bed hospital was built by upgrading the dispensary of Phase 3B1. However, the new government decided to convert it into a Liver and Biliary Institute, which is also not functioning now. The decision was taken despite protests from residents and till now, new CHC has not been established to cater to the needs of the locals, it was argued. The court has now sought an affidavit from the health secretary, Punjab on the issues raised in the plea.
New Delhi: Several political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress, sought action from Delhi lieutenant governor and authorities concerned over the alleged demolition of a 15th-century monument in east Lajpat Nagars Jal Vihar in southeast Delhi for the construction of a government bungalow, on Thursday. The house that was constructed after the alleged demolition of a 15th-century monument. (Sanjeev Verma/ HTPhoto)

The monument was allegedly demolished by the then Delhi Jal Board (DJB) chief executive officer Udit Prakash Rai, a 2007 batch IAS officer. Rai allegedly got the monument demolished to build a new government accommodation for himself. The DJB had fenced the boundary wall and locked the gate and the matter came to light when officials from the Department of Archaeology visited the site in January 2023.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva on Thursday wrote to lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena seeking a high-level probe into the matter. It is shocking that DJB carried out this blatant act of demolishing a monument during the critical Covid phase of 2021 and thereafter a huge bungalow speedily got constructed, Sachdeva said, demanding a probe into the role of Rai and then minister Satyendar Jain.

Sachdeva alleged that the DJB demolished the monument without the approval of the ASI and the Delhi Urban Arts Commission or the erstwhile South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

Meanwhile, the Delhi governments vigilance department on Wednesday issued a show-cause notice to Rai. HT reached out to Rai but he did not respond to queries regarding the matter.

According to the notice issued by the vigilance department, which HT has seen, the monument located in southeast Delhis Jal Vihar finds . mention in the Archaeological Survey of Indias (ASI) list of Muhammadan and Hindu monuments and is identified as Mahal. It was built during the Sayyid rule in Delhi in 1418.

The notice said that after visiting the site in January 2021, the Department of Archaeology wrote to the DJB seeking possession of the monument and a gateway for conservation. However, when the department returned to the site in January 2023, it found that the monument had vanished and a government bungalow stood in its place.

According to the list, the structure, made of brick masonry and red sandstone, comprised three arched courtyards on the north and south, each flanked by two compartments at either wing.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra also sought clarity from the ASI and the culture ministry on the matter. Only in India. Fifteenth-century monument demolished to construct govt officers bungalow. Are the ASI and Ministry of Culture napping yet again? Urging G Kishan Reddy (Union minister for culture and tourism) to look at this, tweeted Moitra.

However, the ASI officials said that the monument did not fall under its jurisdiction and was not centrally protected.

The notice also said that DJB was in touch with the archaeology department regarding the handover of the monument till January 2021 but the communication came to a halt after Rai took charge with effect from November 2021. It said that the communication was stopped and the construction of the residence was taken up in the meantime.

The notice also said that Rai was responsible for the demolition, violating residential accommodation rules. It added that while Rai was entitled to a type V government housing, the built-up area of the newly constructed house replacing the monument was 700 sqm, which exceeded the prescribed area of 403 sqm.

The vigilance department has asked Rai to submit a reply within two weeks of the receipt of the notice.
A school student was allegedly murdered - battered with stones - in Delhis Badarpur Thursday. The boy's body - he studied at the MCD School in the city's Tajpur Pahari - was found in a ditch by the side of road, police said. The boy was wearing his school uniform, the police also said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Rajesh Deo said the police station in Badarpur received a call last night and the officials were told a schoolboy had been killed by two men. Delhi police are investigating the gruesome murder of a class 8 student by unidentified assailants using stones. (Representative Image)

"PS staff reached the spot, which is situated between Khatushyam Park and Tajpur Road village. SHO (Station House Officer), with staff and other senior officers, also visited the spot. Thereupon, dead body of a boy aged around 12-13 years was found lying in a drainage (ditch), in school uniform," Deo said.

Police said the body was found head-down in sewage. Also found were school bag containing textbooks and other study materials. Five to six yards from the bag, five blood-stained stones were found near a blood-stained white cloth.

The dead boy was a resident of Molarband village's Bilaspur Camp.

"On inspection of the dead body, multiple head injuries, apparently caused by a blunt object have been noticed. The presence of nearby blood-stained stones would have been used in the commission of crime," a police statement said.

Delhi Police have begin inquries and a murder case has been filed.
A 34-year-old man accused of chopping his wife into pieces was arrested here from Manesar, police said on Thursday. Police are currently interrogating the accused, Jitender. (Representational Image)

A half-burnt torso of a woman was found in a village in Manesar on April 21, with police suspecting she was murdered somewhere else. The woman had her head was missing and her hands chopped off.

Also Read | Three killed in car accident on Bathinda-Talwandi Sabo road

Gurugram Police Commissioner Kala Ramachandran said that the accused, Jitender, is being interrogated and more details will be shared on Friday.

According to a senior police officer, Jitender is a resident of Gandhi Nagar and was living on rent in Manesar area.

The woman's body was found from one of the two rooms built on a farm leased by Kukdola village resident Umed Singh.

Also Read | Elderly couple killed after dumper hits bike at Wagholi

According to police, Umed Singh had leased eight acres of land located by a road leading from Pachgaon Chowk to Kasan village.

"My neighbour called me and told me he saw some smoke coming out of one of the rooms on my farm. When I went to the farm, I found a half-burnt torso in the room and I informed the police," Umed Singh said in his complaint.

Police in its investigation concluded that the torso belonged to a 30-year-old woman.

They found both the chopped hands of the woman on Sunday, and her head on Wednesday evening, from the Kherki Daula area.

On Umed Singh's complaint, an FIR was registered under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (hiding evidence) of the IPC at Manesar Police Station.

A source in the police said the accused confessed to killing his wife.
LUCKNOW District inspector of schools (Lucknow) Rakesh Kumar said that only a handful of schools had responded to his letter over the compliance of the courts order on 15% rebate on fees during the Covid period (session 2020-21). The schools were supposed to respond by April 28. The Allahabad high court had on January 6, 2023, directed all schools in Uttar Pradesh to provide a 15% rebate on the total fees charged during the Covid period in 2020-21. (File Photo)

Pioneer Montessori School and St Josephs Group of Institutions responded to the letter, claiming that they had made the adjustment but had not shared any further details. While Seth MR Jaipuria School, in a verbal communication, informed that they had filed SLP in the court challenging the order on fees adjustment, said Kumar.

We have filed SLP in the court, challenging the 15% fees adjustment order. The needful will be done as per courts order, said Promini Chopra, principal, Seth MR Jaipuria School.

The Allahabad high court had on January 6, 2023, directed all schools in Uttar Pradesh to provide a 15% rebate on the total fees charged during the Covid period in 2020-21.

After the HCs directives, the UP government, through the district magistrate, Lucknow, had issued orders to all educational institutions for adjustment/refund of 15% of fees paid by parents during 2020-2021. La Martiniere College was the first school that announced to make the fee adjustment.

Cathedral Senior Secondary School has also announced that 15% fees of students of classes 2 to 12 will be adjusted/refunded in the July 2023 instalment, as per the direction given by the high court. Fees will be adjusted/refunded only for those students who have paid the full fees in the session 2020-21, said Fr Anil Parker, principal of the school.

The Unaided Private Schools Association, in a statement, had claimed that a rebate of up to 20% on fees during the Covid-19 period in June 2020 had been, and most of the schools of the association had already abided by it.

At present, it has come to notice that some schools have not refunded or adjusted 15% fees even after the high court order. The association expects that the order will be followed by schools that had not given any exemption at that time, said an office-bearer of the association.
The Uttar Pradesh government has expedited the campaign launched under the Jal Jeevan Mission to provide clean drinking water to the families settled in rural areas of the state. A the campaign was launched under Jal Jeevan Mission to provide clean drinking water to rural people in UP. (For Representation)

Mahoba, Baghpat, Jhansi and Lalitpur were included in the states top list of districts providing maximum tap connections to the rural households on Friday. A major achievement has been made by providing tap water to more than 75% rural families in these four districts, according to a state government spokesperson.

Mahoba district located in Bundelkhand region tops the list of tap connections with supplying water to 85.25% households. Against the target of 1,33,529 rural households in Mahoba, 1,13,829 households have been provided tap water supply, he added.

Baghpat district has secured the second position by providing 75.71% tap connections. Jhansi stands third by providing 75.62% tap connections and Lalitpur district has secured the fourth place by providing 75.33% percent tap connections, the spokesperson said.

Other districts of the state are also setting records by working at a fast pace to provide tap connections to the rural households. Mirzapur, Chitrakoot and Banda have been included in this list, he said. In these three districts, the work of providing more than 70% tap connections has been completed. In Mirzapur 73.41%, Chitrakoot 72.65% and in Banda 70.76% households have been provided tap connections, he added.

In 10 districts, clean drinking water from tap has been ensured to 60% rural households. Eight districts have achieved 50% target of tap connections to the rural households, the spokesperson said.
The protests against soil-testing for a proposed oil refinery at Barsu in Ratnagiri resumed in full force on Friday after a days gap. The police used tear gas to disperse protesters and also detained and later released Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut. A total of 211 protestors167 women and 34 menwere arrested and will be produced before a Rajapur court tomorrow. Police in action against villagers in Barsu during a protest against the proposed petrochemical refinery project in the area, at Rajapur taluka in Ratnagiri district, Friday.(PTI)

Chief minister Eknath Shinde meanwhile reiterated that his government would not impose the project on Barsu and would take the local people into confidence. He also alleged that some outsiders were involved in the protests.

Locals of Barsu and nearby villages tried to enter the soil-testing area on Friday, following which the police used force and tear gas to control the mob and disperse it. Activists from Barsu said that the police lathi-charged women protesters during the conflict, an allegation denied by the government. The visuals of villagers opposing the soil-testing and the police trying to prevent them went viral on social media.

CM Shinde said that over 70 percent of the locals were for the project but added that it would not be implemented without the consent of villagers. Some people from Barsu and nearby areas are protesting and some of them are outsiders, he stated. The governments stand is very clear: we will not force farmers and there will be no injustice done to anyone. The project will provide employment to the people of the area, and this is why over 70 percent are in favour of it. Even those who are against it are aware of the benefits of the project. The administration will speak with everyone about the project and will try to convince them. Shinde also urged people not to politicise the issue.

Reports of a lathi-charge at Barsu kicked up a political controversy again. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole warned the government that if it tried to pursue the project by assaulting locals and filing false cases against them, the Congress would give a befitting reply. The Shinde government has deployed a huge number of police forces against the villagers, he said. It should not take a decision on the refinery project without taking the locals into confidence but it is acting in a dictatorial manner. We will not tolerate this.

NCP MP Supriya Sule also criticised the government and urged the government to discuss the project with locals instead of using police force. Thackeray faction MP Vinayak Raut, who was detained when he was joining the protests, informed everyone about this through a tweet. However, Ratnagiri SP Dhananjay Kulkarni told HT that MP Raut was released later.

Shinde denied the reports of a lathi-charge on women protesters and alleged that besides locals, some outsiders were involved in the protests. I spoke to the Ratnagiri collector and superintendent of police as well as district guardian minister Uday Samant, he said. The collector told me that there was no lathi-charge at the site.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday described the urban local bodies elections in Uttar Pradesh as Dev-Asur Sangram (fight between gods and demons), while urging the people to help the BJP form a triple engine government in the state. CM Yogi made the gods vs demonic forces comparison at his first public rally of the day in Naimisharanya, a popular Hindu religious place in Sitapur district, where he also promised that the place would be given a facelift. (HT FILE)

The chief minister addressed several public meetings during his whirlwind campaign for civic polls across the state. The two-phase urban polls are scheduled for May 4 and 11 with the counting of votes on May 13.

He made the gods vs demonic forces comparison at his first public rally of the day in Naimisharanya, a popular Hindu religious place in Sitapur district, where he also promised that the place would be given a facelift.

From this land of Naimisharanya, sage Dadhichi once donated his bones to make weapons for the victory of divine forces. Now is the perfect opportunity to use this election to teach the demonic forces a befitting lesson, he said.

He said that the Naimisharanya will be given a facelift on the lines of the makeover that religious places like Kashi, Ayodhya, and Mathura have been given. After Naimisharanyas rejuvenation, religious tourism will create employment opportunities in every sector, the chief minister said.

Kashi is shining, a grand Ram temple is being constructed in Ayodhya. The work of rejuvenation of Mathura-Vrindavan is going on and now it is the turn of Naimisharanya, he added.

After this, while addressing his second rally of the day in Lakhimpur Kheri, the chief minister said that his government was working to develop places of religious significance as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Such development of religious places will lead to the opening of restaurants and hotels and much better infrastructure. All this would create better employment avenues and ensure farmers get good prices for farmers for their produce at their doorstep, he said.

The construction of the corridor of Gola Gokaran Nath Dham, known as Chhoti Kashi, was going on at full pace in Lakhimpur Kheri, he said.

Yogi Adityanath said the Bharatiya Janata Party was a symbol of suraksha, sushasan and samriddhi (security, good governance and prosperity).

Terming Lakhimpur Kheri district as a land of industrious farmers and eco-tourism, he thanked voters for electing BJP candidates on all eight assembly seats in the district during 2022 UP assembly polls.

He said Lakhimpur Kheri, the development of which was ignored by the BSP, SP and Congress governments, was now discussing four-lanes, tourism and its own medical college.

He assured people that his government had resolved to upgrade the Palia airstrip to a full-fledged airport, connecting Kheri to Lucknow, New Delhi and other major cities. He said city voters would now have to elect BJP candidates in the urban local bodies polls to ensure good roads in every locality and taps in every home.

Public works development minister Jitin Prasada enumerated the various infrastructure development projects awarded to Kheri.

U.P. minister and Kheri district incharge Ashish Patel highlighted the governments zero tolerance policy against corruption.

In Balrampur, Yogi Adityanath said that the state has undergone a massive makeover over the last six years, with schemes and projects for all sections of the society.

He targeted the opposition Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress, accusing governments run by these parties in the past of failing to ensure development of the state. He also counted benefits of double engine governments and said in civic polls yet another engine of growth would be added.

Then, this triple engine government would take the state faster towards prosperity, he said.

Triple engine government is a term used by BJP leaders to refer to same party governments at the Centre, state and in urban local bodies.

Now, you would see several people come and visit you as this is election time, but remember who was there with you during Covid-19 surge. It was the BJP and its cadre who served you, the government provided free rations and various other facilities. Only a government that cared for its people could do so much, he added.

He also spoke of the difference development is making.

Today, we reach Devipatan from Gonda in 45 minutes. Earlier, it took four hours. Thats the difference development is making in the lives of the common man, he said.

In his last public meeting of the day in Gorakhpur, Adityanath urged the people to ensure a clean sweep for the BJP. He also addressed a meeting of physicians at the Gorakhpur Club on Friday evening. The BJP had won 28 of the 29 assembly seats in seven districts of Gorakhpur and Basti division in 2022.

We will make Gorakhpur a world-class city, he said.
Bihar chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday broke his silence on the row surrounding the release of murder convict former MP Anand Mohan Singh from jail and said he was surprised by attempts to politicise a completely non-political issue by those who were also in favour of it till a couple of months ago. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar during an event in Patna on Friday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

Showing pictures of some BJP leaders with Anand Mohan taken a few months ago to the media, Kumar said the release of prisoners on remission was not a new thing and it happens across the country in keeping with the provisions in the Central Prison Manual, 2016. There is nothing unusual about it. Just compare the number of prisoners released with or without remission every year across the country. In 2020-21, the number was 105 in Bihar, while it was six times in UP and in many states smaller in size, it was 3-4 times, he told reporters on the sidelines of a function in Patna.

He said it was strange how and why a political party was creating so much fuss over something that has been done in accordance with the laid down provisions.

The Central guidelines issued in 2016 had no such clause differentiating between murder of a common man and a government servant. Bihar had such a clause and we removed it. Is there a need for such a distinction? Those opposing it today also wanted it to be ended till a few months ago, but now that we have done it, they are opposing it. Anand Mohan has served his sentence and his release is as per laid down provisions after seeking opinions from concerned quarters. It is not a political thing, he said.

He also defended Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, who is in the eye of storm over alleged huge expenditure on renovation of his official bungalow. I dont believe in individual criticism whether I am with anyone or not. He has won elections in Delhi. All those who win elections are confronted with such things, he said.

The CM also expressed surprise over the way the ongoing caste survey in the state was being challenged in the courts. It is not a caste census. That is Centres domain. It is altogether a different matter that for the first time Census, which happens every 10 years, is not happening and the best part is nobody is even talking about it. What we are doing is caste survey. We wanted it to be part of the national census and an all-party delegation also met the Prime Minister with a request. But the Centre did not accept it and said the states could do survey if they wanted. We are doing it. Why should anyone have objection to it? There is already counting of Muslims, SCs & STs in the census, he said, while addressing civil servants at the function.

CMs statement came on a day the Supreme Court refused to entertain requests against the caste survey in Bihar and asked the petitioner to go to the Patna High Court.

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The Bihar government has resolved to complete the appointment of 21, 391 constables and 1,288 sub-inspectors by the end of November this year, in what would be the largest recruitment of policemen at one go since the state was carved out of the then Bengal more than 100 years ago, a top police officer said on Friday. Out of 21,391 posts of constable, 7,903 are reserved for women, 56 for transgenders and 195 under sport quota. (HT Photo)

Out of 21,391 posts of constable, 7,903 are reserved for women, 56 for transgenders and 195 under sport quota.

The move also comes in the backdrop of governments bid to increase the number of police personnel in the state to meet the needs of the states growing population.

On February 27 this year, speaking at the closing ceremony of the Bihar Police Week, chief minister Nitish Kumar had expressed his wish to increase the number of policemen in Bihar from 165 to 170 per lakh of the population. The CM had asked the home department to complete the recruitment process in the current year.

Additional director general (ADG) of police (headquarters) Jitendra Singh Gangwar on Friday exhorted the aspiring candidates to start preparations for the written examination and physical screening tests.

The Bihar cabinet had, on December 20, 2022, approved the recruitment of 75, 543 police personnel, of them 48,447 through direct recruitment.

The ADG said that the Bihar Police, in the forthcoming two-three months, will commence the recruitment process through Central Selection Board of Constable and Bihar Police Subordinate Services Commission constituted for the purposes.

He said the advertisement regarding these posts would be issued soon by the Board and Commission.

On March 30 this year, the Centre had informed the Parliament that the current police-public ratio in the country stood at 152.80 per lakh of population.

Sources in Bihar Police headquarters said that even if 21, 391 personnel were recruited under the plan, the ratio would not reach the national level of 152, although it would be around 150 per lakh.

Since 2010, Bihar government has appointed 8,200 sub-inspectors and 62,136 constables.

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Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Friday returned to Patna after seven months. The leader was accorded a warm reception by party members who showered flower petals on him at the airport. Clad in a white T-shirt and black trousers, Prasad was taken on a wheelchair out of the arrival gate at the airport. (HT photo | Santosh Kumar)

Clad in a white T-shirt and black trousers, Prasad was taken on a wheelchair out of the arrival gate at the airport.

Prasad was accompanied by deputy CM and son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and former MLA Bhola Prasad Yadav.

His elder son Tej Pratab joined him at the airport.

Also Read: Lalu Yadav director of Bihars grand alliance, others dummy actors: BJP leader

Prasad had come to Delhi on September 24 last year for treatment after which he went to Singapore on November 25 for kidney transplant.

The RJD chief returned to Delhi from Singapore after the transplant on February 18 and was recuperating.

A senior party leader and Maner MLA Bhai Birendra said Prasad is likely to stay in Patna for a longer period this time.

Party leaders aware of the matter said CM Nitish Kumar could pay a visit to Prasad on Friday evening or Saturday.

There is no scheduled programme of Prasad as of now. However, some senior leaders might also meet him in the next few days, said party spokesman Mrityunjay Tiwari.

Congress leader Prem Chandra Mishra said Prasads availability in Patna will work better for the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar and also help Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi forge the alliance of opposition parties ahead of 2024 elections.

Prasad is a good organiser and knows how to deal with the aspirations of the ally partners in the government, said Mishra.

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The number of people taking the Covid jab in Patna has declined with only 30% of people so far have taken the booster shot following the dip in the cases of coronavirus, said state health officials said on Friday. Patna administered only 224 shots of the Corbevax vaccine since April 16 (Representative Photo)

Bihar reported 132 new cases on Thursday of which Patna accounted for 45, taking the total active cases in the state to 872, as per government data released on Friday.

The state reported 179 fresh cases on Wednesday. The daily new cases have been declining since April 22 when the state reported the months highest single-day spike of 198 infections.

Patna has also maintained a declining trend in new Covid-19 infections, reporting 99 cases on April 26. Prior to that, it had reported 71 new infections on April 23 and 68 cases on Tuesday.

Also Read: India logs 7,533 new Covid cases today, active infections above 53,000-mark

According to the data provided by state health officials, Patna administered only 224 shots of the Corbevax vaccine since April 16. Of this, 184 are booster shots while 38 are shots given to the 12 to 14-year population, said district immunisation officer Dr SP Vinayak.

Patna administered the maximum single-day shots 39 on April 24. Prior to that, it administered 38 doses on April 19 and 36 doses on April 20, said the officer.

For the past three days, Patna has struggled to complete the full dose of 20 shots in a vial of Corbevax, having administered 17 doses each on April 25 and 26 and 18 doses on April 27.

The eligible population should take the Covid-19 vaccine as soon as possible. Though the Covid-19 infection is largely confined to the upper respiratory tract, and lasts for a week, in some cases, especially for people with co-morbidities, there is a possibility of the virus going to the lungs and complicating ones condition, said Dr Vinayak.

The state exhausted its Corbevax vaccines, eligible for children in the age group of 12 to 14 years and as a booster shot for a population of 18 years and above, last November. The stocks of Covishield flew off the shelves on February 8 and that of Covaxin on March 31.

Patnas first dose Covid vaccination coverage has been 86% while its second dose coverage was 90% of the eligible population.

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Senior JD(U) leader Kailash Mahto was allegedly shot dead on Thursday near his home in Bihars Katihar district, police said. 70-year-old Mahto was general secretary of the Katihar district unit and also the co-founder of the party. (Representative file image)

70-year-old Mahto was general secretary of the Katihar district unit and also the co-founder of the party.

He was survived by his four sons and wife.

Police said the leader was standing near his home when the bike borne men reached and fired several shots at his chest and stomach. He was soon rushed to the Barari community health centre where the doctor declared him brought dead. The criminals managed to escape after the incident, police added.

Also Read: 20-yr-old MP woman shot dead by her stalker ahead of court hearing: Police

Katihar superintendent of police (SP) Jitendra Kumar said, A police team has been constituted to probe the incident adding those involved will be arrested soon.

According to police officials aware of the matter, the leader had a land dispute with his neighbours.

We have got some vital clues in connection with the killing a police officer said adding that an FIR (first information report) is yet to be filed.

Locals had gathered soon after the incident to protest against the police and administration over the lack of prompt action by blocking the Katihar-Barari road.

Meanwhile, the postmortem of the leader was conducted at Katihar district hospital.
There are three major hurdles in the fight against hate speech in India. The first  and often the most important  is administrative vacillation. The second, and associated problem, is the absence of political will in checking hate speech by leaders, given how faith and community-based polarisation often bring electoral dividends. The third is legal, birthed by no concrete definition of hate speech. The courts directive is welcome. The only deterrent for elements who attempt to drive a wedge between communities is rigorous and persistent police action. (HT PHOTO)

On Friday, the Supreme Court took a big stride in removing the first hurdle, ordering the immediate registration of first information reports (FIRs) in cases involving hate speeches. In October, against the backdrop of cases where alleged hate speeches were made, the top court asked the police chiefs of Delhi, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh to file suo motu cases. This week, the court extended the decision across India, and reiterated that any violation of its directive will be treated as contempt of court.

The courts directive is welcome. The only deterrent for elements who attempt to drive a wedge between communities is rigorous and persistent police action. Unfortunately, as seen in recent cases, police and local administrations are slow in booking bad actors, especially if they are politically connected. The reasons for this are obvious, as is the fact that infirmities in the legal proceedings often render them effectively inconsequential. The courts insistence that the administration not wait for complaints to file cases holds the potential to change this depressing status quo, but may require steady monitoring.

But for sustained change to germinate, attention needs to be paid to the other hurdles  the political and the legal. Unfortunately, polarised political equations and a near-breakdown of communication between not just the government and the Opposition, but also the Centre and some prominent states, means the kind of compact needed to build a political consensus against hate speech eludes India today. Moreover, no political party appears willing to rein in leaders from making sectarian remarks, or make it clear that disparaging comments will not get them a platform. Indeed, the reverse is often true.

Finally, while India has a bouquet of laws, some with vague provisions prone to misuse, usually used to rein in extremist speech, what it needs are clear guidelines. The SC and the government should consider a clear statutory definition of hate speech, as recommended by a law commission report, to steer away from current practices where prosecution is usually under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code, which is essentially an anti-blasphemy law, or Sections 153A and B, which are not equipped to deal with the whole gamut of hate speech as they are largely focused on maintaining social order. It is precisely because of these reasons that the courts October directions saw no great outpouring of cases against bad actors, or a flurry of prosecutions against them.

This is not to say that Fridays order is not significant. It is, and it represents the first real step taken in India against hate speech. The court is right to observe that hate speech is dangerous because it can pierce the secular fabric of the nation. But to nurture democracy, the nation will have to move towards political and legal solutions to the problem, in addition to administrative fixes.
Celina Jaitly has shared a heartbreaking message for her late father Colonel Vikram Kumar Jaitly. In her latest social media post, she also thanked fans and media for sharing her previous letter to her late dad she wrote and shared online. (Also read: Celina Jaitly schools Elon Musk after Amitabh tweets he paid for blue tick) Celina Jaitly talks about her late father in a new tweet.

In her new tweet, Celina wrote, "If I had the chance to say one last thing to my father Id say : Take me back to where I was before I met you, then leave. REACHING 50 MILLION HEARTS ACROSS ALL PLATFORMS Day before yesterday I posted a note with a heavy heart for my departed soldier dad Colonel Vikram Kumar Jaitly,(SM) on Twitter."

She added that fathers and daughters across the globe were moved to tears with her note, and they even wept with her and honoured her father. "Above all fathers from around the world reached out to me with moist eyes & heavy hearts. I am so overwhelmed with gratitude. When I wrote this note I was very heavy-hearted as I could no longer smell my dad's perfume in his uniform or his shirts anymore, his medals of gallantry lay silently in a box at home in Army war college in Mhow. He is gone and all that is left is untold stories of his love & valour. Our nation owes a debt to every man & woman who served in the military, not just when they are in the battlefield but for the difficult lives they must live in service of our great nation," she added.

The actor also thanked army officers for sharing anecdotes about her dad and also extended special thanks to the media and people from Bangladesh who shared notes of gratitude for her father. Celina's father had fought in the 1971 Indo-Pak (Bangladesh Liberation) war.

Celina further wrote, "I couldnt ask for a better honour for my father's memories & valour than this. Thank you so much for your love. If my father was alive he would say only one thing: If you want to honour a soldier be a citizen worth dying for ."

In her previous letter to her father, Celina wrote, Dear Dad, Theres a city in my heart where you are the only population! She also said that she looked very much like her father, adding that he always served the nation but never once did he give up on his duty as a father. She also added, "Being his daughter is probably because I did something good in a past life. In every lifetime I hope he is my father again. Thank you DadWoke up thinking about you Missing you."

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A special CBI court in Mumbai on Friday acquitted actor Sooraj Pancholi, accused of abetting the suicide of his then actor-girlfriend Jiah Khan in 2013, citing lack of evidence against him. Now, her mother Rabia Khan has reacted to the verdict. (Also read: Jiah Khan case verdict: Sooraj Pancholi acquitted of suicide abetment charges) Jiah Khans mother Rabia Khan has been fighting for her daughter for years.(Sandeep Mahankal)

The charge of abetment to suicide has gone. But how did my child die? This is a case of murder...will approach the high court, she said. Rabia has been fighting the case for years and had been refuting the prosecution's case that this was a case of suicide and claimed that her daughter was killed.

Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court judge A S Sayyad on Friday said due to lack of evidence, the court holds Sooraj not guilty. Sooraj, the son of actor couple Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, was present in the court with his mother at the time of the verdict. Sooraj was arrested in the case in June 2013 and released on bail in July 2013.

Jiah (25), an American citizen, was found dead at her Juhu home in Mumbai on June 3, 2013. Police later arrested Sooraj on the basis of a six-page letter, purportedly written by the Bollywood actor. In his final statement to the court on April 12, 2023, Sooraj Pancholi had said that he had been booked in a false case and that he was the victim of a false prosecution and persecution. In that statement, he said he had broken down when he heard about Jiah's death and said, "I had lost the most important person of my life and the woman whom I truly loved."

In September last year, the court had said that Rabia was trying to delay judgement in the case by trying to portray Jiah's death as murder. "Repeated insistence of the petitioner (Rabia Khan) to procure a finding from the court that death of the victim (Jiah Khan), in this case, was homicidal and not suicidal is a clear indication of procrastinating the trial," the court said, as per a PTI report. Her approach appeared to circumvent the due process of law, the court added. "This conduct of the petitioner amounts to unnecessarily procrastinating and delaying the trial which is in progress before the trial court. It appears that petitioner wants this court to return a finding in her favour that the death of the victim was homicidal and not suicidal, even before the trial is over," the judges said.

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Veteran actor Pavan Malhotra has delivered back-to-back hits with OTT series like Grahan, Tabbar and Shiksha Mandal. The actor refuses to slow down and limit himself to only web-series as he is readily doing films as well. Pavan Malhotra

Theatre has its own charisma and OTT has its own reach. For now, I just want to be a part of good stories! As an actor, I perform for camera according to what is written in the script for me, says Malhotra who recently wrapped another web-series Lawyers Story that was shot in Prayagraj.

The Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) actor adds, I am enjoying the phase. To date, whatever I have done it was with full honesty and dedication. Since I started with Nukkad (1986), then Baag Bahadur (1989), Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro, Black Friday (2004), Judwaa (2017) and till date whatever I have done so far has all fallen into my lap. And, what I did after those projects in terms of performance, is for my audience to judge.

Malhotra is happy that on OTT he got a chance to play lengthy roles. Web platform is flooded with films and series but with Gods grace I have done only three series and the graph has become bigger and bigger. A few years back, I did a film Setters (2019), that we shot in Varanasi, but it failed miserably and on the nearly same subject we made Shiksha... and it became second most viewed show on the platform in 2022.

Malhotra has multiple projects lined-up for release. I have completed the shoot for the film Love Hackers, Oh! My God2 with Akshay Kumar and Tera Kya Hoga Lovely (with Randeep Hooda and Ileana DCruz). Next, I am shooting a series with director Raj Kumar Gupta followed by another film.

On shooting multiple projects in UP, he says, This was my second project in Prayagraj after Road to Sangam which won some 24 international awards including best film and director at Mami Film Festival. I am sure people come here for subsidy, but the best part is that the public here is very shoot-friendly and welcoming. Also nowadays, the focus is on realistic scripts and locations so thats the reason makers are heading to places like Lucknow, Prayagraj and Varanasi specially for OTT series as you get a lot of content to shape the characters.
Vivek Vaswani, who has known Shah Rukh Khan before he became a big film star, shared an old photograph of the actor and his wife right after their wedding. Shah Rukh didn't have time for a honeymoon as he went straight to the sets of Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman to film a song after his wedding. Fans commented on Viveck's Twitter post and found Shah Rukh's gesture adorable. A few even called him 'king of romance'. (Also read: Shah Rukh Khan comes to Aryan Khan's rescue when latter loses hope in new ad that marks his directorial debut. Watch) Gauri Khan and Shah Rukh Khan went to the Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman set in Darjeeling after their wedding.

The actor-filmmaker posted on Twitter, "Honeymoon in Darjeeling while the first song of RajuBanGayaGentleman was being filmed. We went to Delhi, he got married and we went straight to Darjeeling to shoot with the bride!!" The photograph of Gauri Khan and Shah Rukh shows them at a tea estate, dressed in traditional clothing. Shah Rukh is embracing Gauri from behind as they both smile widely for the camera. The actor was shooting the song Dil Hai Mera Deewana Yaro in the city.

One Twitter user wrote, "This is so adorable." While another shared, "One of the many reasons he is THE KING of ROMANCE reel or real ..no one does it better than him." Yet another fan added, "Wow.. beautiful film ... What a story.... Gauri Ma'am shld have made a blink and miss appearance in that song..."

Viveck helped out Shah Rukh when he first arrived in Mumbai, then Bombay. The actor even stayed at his house. They acted together in the films Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, English Babu Desi Mem, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa' and King Uncle.

Gauri, who is also an interior designer, recently launched her coffee table book called My Life in Design. Published by Ebury Press, the book takes readers through her journey and features insights into her design career. The book also has exclusive photos of the Khan family, including their three children, Aryan Khan, Suhana Khan and AbRam Khan, and their famous Mumbai home, Mannat

Shah Rukh was last seen in the blockbuster hit Pathaan, directed by Siddharth Anand. His next film, Atlee's Jawan, is due to be released in June 2023. Vijay Sethupathi, Nayanthara, Priyamani and Yogi Babu are also starring in the film alongside Shah Rukh. The actor is currently shooting for Rajkumar Hirani's Dunki in Kashmir with co-star Taapsee Pannu.

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Hollywood actor Eva Green on Friday won a legal fight with financiers whom she had sued in London's High Court for her fee for a failed film in which she was to star. The French actor, whose film credits include the James Bond movie Casino Royale, had sued White Lantern Films and SMC Specialty Finance for the $1 million fee she said she was owed for the planned independent movie A Patriot, in which she was to play the lead role as a soldier. Also read: Johnny Depps Dark Shadows co-star Eva Green supports him in trial against Amber Heard: He'll emerge with his good name Eva Green post a court hearing in January. (AP)(AP)

Judge Michael Green said in a written ruling that Eva Green was entitled to payment of the $1 million fee. The production company had launched a counter claim against Green for breach of contract, blaming her for the science fiction film's failure before it went into production in late 2019, saying she had never intended it to go ahead.

Green, 42, appeared in court in January to say she had become concerned the film's production team had been cutting corners, citing how her stunt training had been reduced from four weeks to five days. White Lantern's lawyers said Green, also an executive producer on the project, had made unreasonable demands about crew, locations and equipment.

They cited WhatsApp messages from Green in which she described one producer as a "f****** moron" who should be fired and another as "evil". She also described funders of the movie as "a******es" and some proposed crew members as "s***** peasants".

But the judge said that, while Green "may have said some extremely unpleasant things" about the film's producer and crew, "this was born from a genuine feeling of concern that any film ... would be of very low quality".
BTS members Suga and Jimin are making headlines in the US. Jimin made a stylish appearance at the Tiffany and Co. event in New York City and made the entire city come to a standstill with barricades across streets as fans flocked in large groups just to catch a glimpse of the K-pop idol. Suga, on the other hand, kickstarted his first-ever solo concert, D-Day in the US on the same day. Also read: Jimin to join Ranveer Singh at New York event? BTS Army react on Twitter BTS members Suga and Jimin in the US.(Twitter)

Several visuals of Park Jimin from the event have surfaced online. For the grand re-opening of the flagship store in New York's Fifth Avenue, Jimin wore an asymmetrical suit jacket, paired with dress pants. He further elevated the look and teased fans with a glimpse of his bare chest underneath. He was also accessorised with a brooch and many also spotted his youth tattoo, written in cursive, behind his left ear.

A video of him arriving at the event has now gone viral. Not only did he interact with notable personalities at the event, but also smiled, waved and bowed to those waiting for him outside the venue. A photo of him with Pharrell Williams is also being shared online by his fans. Jimin is the brand ambassador for Tiffany & Co.

Meanwhile, Jimin's fellow group member, Suga had his first solo performance in the US. Several photos and videos of Min Yoongi enjoying himself with the fans arrived on social media. According to reports, his set included songs like Haegeum, Daechwita, Agust D, Give It To Me, Seesaw (Acoustic), SDL, People, People Pt.2, Moonlight, Burn It, Interlude: Shadow, BTS Cypher Pt.3, BTS Cypher 4, UGH!, ea (Ddaeng), HUH?!, Life Goes On, Snooze, Polar Night, AMYGDALA, D-DAY and Intro: Never Mind. He wrapped up the show with The Last, reportedly.

Suga will be ending his US tour on June 25. Till then he will be performing at Belmont Park, NY; Newark, NJ; Rosemont, IL; Los Angeles, CA; Oakland, CA. Suga released his first official solo album D-DAY, earlier this month.

BTS consists of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook. Currently, Jin and J-Hope are serving in the military. As the group members are on a hiatus, all members are only focusing on solo careers. They will be reuniting as a group sometime in 2025.

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The Kardashian family has always been at the forefront of setting beauty standards, but now, Kylie Jenner is urging her family to have a bigger conversation about the impact of their actions. In a new trailer for season three of Hulus The Kardashians, Kylie can be seen speaking with her sisters and mother, Kris Jenner, about the beauty standards they are setting. Kylie Jenner attends the Vanity Fair 95th Oscars Party at the The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California on March 12, 2023. (AFP)

I dont want my daughter to do the things I did, Kylie says, referring to her own experiences with cosmetic procedures. All of us just need to have a bigger conversation about the beauty standards that were setting.

Kylie, who has previously faced criticism for promoting unattainable beauty standards, continued: I wished I never touched anything to begin with.

The Kardashian family has a range of beauty and fashion brands between them, and in 2021, Allure magazine published an article titled: The Kardashians have changed the way we see beauty. However, last year, Kendall, Kourtney, and Kim denied claims that they promote unattainable beauty standards.

Kylies lip kits went viral when they launched in 2015, with consumers buying them to achieve her signature overdrawn lip technique. In the same year, the #kyliejennerlipchallenge went viral after people tried using suction devices to enlarge their lips. Kylie herself has admitted to having temporary lip fillers, which she started getting as a teenager due to insecurities about her small lips.

It remains to be seen whether the Kardashian family will take Kylies words to heart and reassess the beauty standards they are setting for their millions of fans.

(Source: Independent)
Jersey Shore fans were in shock as Angelina Pivarnick got engaged to Vinny Tortorella, just one day after her divorce party from Chris Larangeira. The whirlwind romance has left many fans questioning the authenticity of the engagement. Angelina Pivarnick and Vinny Tortorella.

The proposal took place in front of Angelinas Jersey Shore: Family Vacation castmates during a group dinner. Vinny stood up to give a heartfelt speech about his love for Angelina, which left the reality stars in shock. He then got down on one knee and presented her with a beautiful ring.

Angelina Pivarnick and Chris Larangeira.

The engagement came as a surprise to everyone, including Angelinas costars. Some were left speechless, while others were confused about the speed of the relationship. You know she just burned her wedding dress yesterday! Now shes gonna have to buy another one, teased Pauly D.

Despite the shocking news, Angelina couldn't contain her excitement and took to Twitter to confirm the engagement. OHHHH YES GUYS #JSFamilyVacation, she wrote.

This engagement comes just a few months after Angelinas divorce from Chris Larangeira. The two had been dating since 2016, and their wedding was featured on an episode of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation in November 2019. However, the marriage was short-lived, and Angelina filed for divorce six months prior to the engagement.

Also read | RHOBH's Dorit Kemsley forgives Erika Jayne despite divorce prediction scandal

Fans are speculating about the legitimacy of the engagement, with some questioning whether it was a ploy to boost ratings for the show. Regardless, Angelina and Vinny seem to be happy together, and only time will tell if this whirlwind romance will last.
Actor Niti Taylor has said that she 'died for a few minutes' when she was a baby. She was talking about the fighter attitude that she has had throughout her life, in an interview, when she recalled how she struggled with her health in her childhood. (Also read: Niti Taylor wishes she could quit social media: Trolls tagged my family in my morphed pictures) Niti Taylor recalls her health struggles during her childhood.

Last year, Niti had revealed on a reality show that she had a hole in her heart. She revealed her condition after she had a fall while dancing on the stage of the show.

Talking to ETimes, Niti said, "When I was a baby I was going to die. I died for a few minutes and came back. I fought that so I can do anything in life. Id never imagined that Kaisi Yeh Yaariaan would be such a huge hit."

Niti added that a woman walked up to her last month (when she was out for a movie) to tell the actor that she felt suicidal during the pandemic after losing her father but Niti's Vlogs 'gave her hope to live'.

The TV actor added that she prefers to keep her social media persona real and posts her sad and idle moments as much as she does her happy and active moments.

During her appearance on the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa last year, Niti had said, "As a kid, I had a hole in my heart and there are many things that I was not allowed to do including dance because it could jeopardize my health. I couldn't go to amusement parks or take flights or do anything remotely adventurous.

She added, When I recovered, I danced with joy and I've been dancing since then. I'm so happy that I'm getting to live my adventure on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. I'm super grateful.

Niti is currently seen on the second season of the popular show Bade Achhe Lagte Hain 2. Last year, she also featured in the music video Naina Mere.

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In several stages of her life, Priyanka Chopra had to start out being a newcomer as she moved to a new location. As a teenager, she attended high school in the US. She later shifted to Mumbai after joining Bollywood, and in 2015, she moved again to the US after she got the lead role on the American television show Quantico. The actor discussed going through low levels of confidence and how she had to teach herself to be positive again. (Also read: Citadel review: Priyanka Chopra is the best thing about Prime Video's expensive but average new series) Priyanka Chopra's latest project, Citadel, premieres on Prime Video on April 28.

The actor also went through an extended time of grief after her father's death in 2013 from cancer. When she was later living in New York and shooting for Quantico in 2016, Priyanka said she underwent a dark chapter in her life, where she was living away from friends and family and couldn't shake off being sad. The actor also shared that because she had adapted to so many new environments as an outsider, she was able to eventually adjust.

Speaking to Hoda Kotb from the Today Show, Priyanka shared how she learnt to cope with the hard situations in life. She said, "I think in different phases of my life, I kind of taught myself or learned how to be my own hype girl. And it helped me navigate many crazy situations."

Referring to her time in New York, she added, "Ive thought about that phase in my life a lot. And my body needed to mourn, my heart needed to mourn, and yeah, you know, I needed pizzas to do it. I allowed myself to do thatpizza and a bottle of wine and a sh*tty movie. I reached a point where I knew that bottom had been hit. And now, the only way was up."

Priyanka is recently promoting her Prime Video series Citadel with co-star Richard Madden across the world. The film has already had premieres in London, Rome and Los Angeles. The spy thriller's first season premiered on April 28 and the finale will stream on May 26. The actor also has the rom-com Love Again with Sam Heughan, Celine Dion and Russell Tovey lined up for release in May.

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)s first information report (FIR) document against environmental lawyer Ritwick Dutta for alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) refers to his involvement in criticising government policy and agitating farmers against industrialist and industrial policy of the government. The CBI has also accused Dutta & American NGO Earthjustice of planning to target Indian entities undertaking projects abroad. (Representative file image)

It says one of Duttas clients, Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement, a Gurugram-based group formed to protect the Aravallis, appears to be engaged in protests.

The CBI has also accused Dutta and American NGO Earthjustice of planning to target Indian entities undertaking projects abroad.

The FIR cites a 2017 email from Earthjustices Martin Wagner to the lawyer and said they discussed projects of Indian entities that can be challenged in foreign jurisdictions.

Also Read: Haryana must learn to value the Aravallis

They mentioned the example of activities of Adani in Australia. It appears from this that they were planning to target Indian entities undertaking projects outside India.

The FIR says such litigations lead to delays in projects and impact public interest by denying energy security to citizens of the nation. Further, it is also impacting the economic interests of [the] nation outside [the] geographical boundaries of India.

The Adani Group was in the news in 2017 over protests against its coal mining project in Australias Queensland.

The CBIs main contention is that Dutta received 41 lakh in foreign contributions in 2013-14 from Earthjustice, which, the agency said, funds legal professionals to litigate against coal projects. He then created Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE) proprietorship which subsequently received 22 crore from the NGO from 2016 to 2021 as professional receipts.

The FIR says funds continued to flow from the NGO to Dutta with the objective to litigate.

The 40-page FIR with annexures, seen by HT, also raises questions about Duttas critique of the governments environmental policy.

...As per information available in [the] public domain, it appears...Dutta is involved in criticizing government policy and making allegation[s] against [the] government of India through public media. He appears to be involved in agitating local farmer[s] against industrialist and industrial policy of the government.

The FIR cites information available in the public domain and says Kheti Vikas Seva Trust, a farmers body, was involved in filing public interest litigation against the Gujarat government and Adani Enterprises Limited.

The Kheti Vikas Seva Trust Vs Adani Enterprises Limited case in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) deals with alleged irregularities related to the grant of environment clearance in 2020 to the copper smelter project. The project was partly coming up on forest land which was also challenged by the farmers body, according to their petition in NGT.

"LIFE has never been a litigant in any case. I am only a lawyer, not a litigant. I have never represented in the Kheti Vikas Seva Trust case, and I have not visited the site of the copper smelter project. Coal litigations accounts for less than 5 % of the cases I have handled," Ritwick Dutta, the environmental lawyer who also represented Odishas Dongria Kondh tribe in opposing Vedantas proposal for bauxite mining in the Niyamgiri hills, said over the phone responding to accusations.

In the Vedanta case, the Supreme Court held in 2013 that the local village council has the to determine whether the proposed project would affect individual or community rights. It said the councils nod is mandatory before the mining process in Niyamgiri hills can proceed.

The FIR says Dutta was not providing consultancy services to Earthjustice but only updating it on the status of litigation related to thermal power plants. It adds Earthjustice was continuously following up on the litigation cases related to coal in India. Most of the litigation matters...Dutta handles are...related to coal excavation, mines, and coal plants.
Supreme Court asks UP govt to put on record measures taken after killing of Atiq Ahmad, brother The Supreme Court sought a report from the Uttar Pradesh government on the killing of gangster Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf on April 15. The court order came on a PIL filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari demanding a judicial probe into the killing and similar killings in the state. Read More Atiq Ahmad was shot dead in Prayagraj on Saturday. (AFP)

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After Samantha Ruth Prabhu's 'hair growing from ears' jibe, producer hits back: 'She's old, her glamorous days are over'

Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who was last seen in the period drama Shaakuntalam, recently took to Instagram Stories to share a screenshot of a Google search on 'how do people have hair growing from ears'. Her cryptic post was seen as a jibe at a Telugu producer's appearance, who had criticised the actor for doing item numbers in movies after her divorce from Naga Chaitanya. Read More

Alia Bhatt, Janhvi Kapoor, Kajol, Pooja Hegde, Alaya F and other stars, who wore what to awards. All pics inside

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'Hurts me to see our athletes on streets': Neeraj Chopra, Kapil Dev demand justice for protesting wrestlers

Last week, India's top wrestlers including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik resumed their agitation against the wrestling federation's chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, three months after they ended their sit-in protest following the formation of an oversight committee to probe into the sexual harassment allegations against Singh. Read More

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A 30-year-old woman was hacked to death allegedly by her husband under the influence of alcohol in the early hours of Friday in Andhra Pradeshs West Godavari district, police said. (Representative Photo)

The incident took place at Veerampalem village of Tadepalligudem block at around 4am, they said. Police have identified the deceased as Ganji Nirmala.

We have arrested her husband Ganji Daveedu, who slit his wifes throat, broke her head and chopped off her limbs in the most brutal manner. We have booked a case of murder under Section 302 of IPC (Indian Penal Code) and are investigating the case, said Tadepalligudem deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Bandari Srinath.

Also Read: Bihar liquor mafia: Mob attacks excise team, two women cops injured; 6 arrested

According to the police, Daveedu is an alcohol addict and does not have any job which is the reason for frequent quarrels between the couple. Last year, Nirmala left for Kuwait after finding a job there, leaving her three children two daughters and a son with her parents, the DSP said.

Police said that Daveedu tortured his children and put pressure on her to send money, in one incident, he made a video of him beating the children. Following the incident, on a complaint from Nirmalas parents, Daveedu was arrested and jailed.

A couple of months ago, Nirmala returned from Kuwait and at the same time, Daveedu also came out of jail on bail. He went to his in-laws place and told them that he was a changed man. He promised that he would take care of his family well. Believing his words, Nirmala returned to Veerapalem along with her children on Thursday, the DSP said.

However, the couple quarrelled again on Thursday night as Daveedu came home in a fully drunken condition. In the early hours of Friday, when Nirmala was fast asleep, Daveedu hacked her with an axe and killed her, the police official said.

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Patna Gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan has already made it clear that he wishes to be politically active. (ANI)

The Bihar government sought to defend the release of politician Anand Mohan (of the now defunct Bihar Peoples Party), sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a young Dalit officer of the Indian Administrative Service and fielded Bihar chief secretary Amir Subhani in a press conference where the officer said the release was based on legal provisions.

Mohans release has been met with outrage, not just among parties opposed to Bihars ruling dispensation, but also IAS officers and civil society. Some analysts have likened it to the Gujarat governments release of the gang rapists and murderers in the Bilkis Bano case.

But Subhani sought to pass of the relase as business-as-usual.

He was released after recommendation through proper channel and compliance to basic conditions. Anand Mohan spent 15 years nine months and 25 days in jail. With remission, he has completed a sentence of 22 years and 13 days. It (the release) cannot be given political colour as under law there is no separate category or special facility for an IAS officer, Subhani said.

Mohan walked out of Saharsa jail at 4 am.

The chief secretary also tried to explain a key change that allowed Mohans release as the governments effort to treat people the same. The government does not differentiate between a common man and a government servant, he said. On April 10, Bihars home department notified the change in the rule 481 (1-a) of the Bihar Prison Manual, 2012 on the remission of sentences by deleting the phrase or murder of a government servant on duty. Without the change, anyone sentenced for the murder of a government servant on duty was not eligible for remission.

Interestingly, the phrase was added in 2012 by the then Nitish Kumar-led government. And it is an RJD-led coalition government that has now removed it.

Subhani said he was not aware if any such clause existed in any other state or not.

A leader close to Anand Mohan said that the fact that a public interest litigation (PIL) has been lodged on the issue in the Patna High Court, and the controversy over the release may have prompted the predawn release.

The person who filed the PIL termed the change in rules facilitating Mohans release arbitrary and unfair.

What is the purpose of any such amendment which is not in the public interest? Public servants were not consulted, those who were affected were not consulted, so it is not in public interest. This amendment is arbitrary and it is unfair, said Alka Verma, a lawyer who filed the PIL petition.

The chief secretary insisted in the conference that due process had been followed. The committee makes recommendations about eligible persons and it is legally vetted before taking the decision on release. In the last six years, 22 meetings were held and the case of 1161 prisoners was taken up. Out of that, 698 were released. Central guidelines are followed for the release of prisoners on August 15, January 26 and October 2, Subhani added.

The gangster-turned-politician was on a 15-day parole to attend the engagement ceremony of his son Chetan Anand, and returned to prison on April 26. He was then released at 4 am on April 27.

On Wednesday, the Bihar prisons department released around 14 convicts from various jails. Along with Anand Mohan, a total of 26 other prisoners got relief from the prison manual amendment. Mohans release is widely seen as a move aimed at political gains.

Mohan himself has already made it clear that he wishes to be politically active.

Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi said that the government is trying to defend the indefensible. The government has changed a clause in the prison manual to set free a person who was held guilty by the Supreme Court, while it has no sensitivity to set free innocent poor, Dalits and extremely backward class languishing in jail under the failed prohibition law.

Mohan incited a mob accompanying the cortege of a Bihar Peoples Party leader to lynch a young Dalit IAS officer on December 5, 1994 at Muzaffarpur. According to the probe, Mohan instigated a mob that dragged Krishnaiah out of his official car and killed him.

Krishnaiah, a 1985-batch IAS officer, hailed from Mahbubnagar in present-day Telangana.

Following an investigation, Mohan was sentenced to death by a trial court in 2007. However, the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Patna high court a year later. The top court turned down his plea.

Mohan has the dubious record of being the first Indian politician to be sentenced to death. He is a leader of the Rajput community and came into prominence in 1978 in a protest against then-Prime Minister Morarji Desai .

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The Virajpet assembly constituency in Kodagu has been a stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for more than two decades. The Virajpet assembly constituency in Kodagu has been a stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party for more than two decades. (HT)

Since 2008, BJP leader and former speaker K G Bopaiah has been winning the constituency.

In 2008, Bopaiah won with a margin of 14,000 votes by defeating former MLC Veena Achaiah. The margin was reduced to just 4,000 votes in 2013, following a stiff competition between Bopaiah and former District Congress Committee (DCC) president B T Pradeep. In 2018, Bopaiah defeated Congress candidate C S Arun Machaiah with a margin of 13,000 votes.

However, in the upcoming elections in the state, the constituency will witness a stiff fight between Congress candidate A S Ponnanna and BJPs Bopaiah, people close to the developments said.

In Kadanur village of Virajpet taluk, supporters of both parties expressed confidence in their candidates win.

Ponnanna, is a resident of Bengaluru and native of Hudikeri in Virajpet taluk. Bopaiah is a native of Madikeri taluk, which comes under the Madikeri constituency.

Ponnanna, a former additional advocate general of the state, is trying hard to gain the confidence of the voters, people said, adding that both candidates are using social media to reach voters effectively.

In their campaign, BJP leaders are pointing out that Ponnanna is a resident of Bengaluru and an outsider and that his father, a former MLC, A K Subbaiah, is known for his anti-Hindu stand.

BJP leaders alleged on social media that Subbaiah desecrated Goddess Cauvery by saying there is no holy water in Tala Kaveri, hurting the sentiments of thousands of devotees. Subbaiah had also said that Makara Jyothi in Sabarimala is human-made, the BJP leaders said.

However, countering this, Congress leaders said that the son should not be held responsible for his fathers comments.

Ponnanna has also openly said he would not support the Tipu Jayanthi celebration if voted to power.

People close to developments said as the campaign heats up, there is also a divide between Kodava and non-Kodava people, with a few Kodava groups campaigning to vote for a Kodava candidate.

I am native of Hudikeri. I own ancestral property, a house at Hudikeri in Ponnampet taluk and a house in Virajpet. I exercise my franchise in Hudikeri school, Ponnanna told HT.

He added, Those alleging that Im a native of Bengaluru should tell their leader this. Dividing votes in the name of caste, creed, and religion is not fair. People should vote based on the work done in the constituency.

The Kodava and Vokkaliga Gowda are the two major communities in the district.

Kodavas dominate in Virajpet, while Vokkaligas are more in the Madikeri constituency.

However, Kodava candidate M P Appachu Ranjan has been winning continuously from Madikeri, while Vokkaliga candidate Bopaiah has been dominating the Kodava-dominated Virajpet constituency.

The constituency is still backwards in developmental works. There is no mini Vidhana Soudha in Virajpet. The sub-jail building construction is still pending. The roads are completely dilapidated in rural areas of the constituency. People want change, M Kuttappa, a small coffee grower at Ammathi in Virajpet taluk, told HT.

But Siddapura BJP worker Sharan Bopanna claimed crores of rupees had been spent on developmental works in the constituency under the leadership of Bopaiah and the BJP government.

Crores of rupees have been spent on developmental works in the constituency over the last two decades. Current MLA K G Bopaiah is a dynamic leader who is always accessible and responds to people, Virajpet taluk BJP president Nellira Chalan told HT. In the last three years, landslides and incessant rainfall have plagued the constituency, and Bopaiah has stood with the people. People will bring Bopaiah back to power, he added.

Meanwhile, Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) has fielded Mansoor Ali in Virajpet. But the party has no base in the constituency, and the votes limited are limited to a few thousand, according to previous elections.

Here, the votes are mainly driven by religion and Hindutva. The Tipu Jayanti introduced by the Congress government is a setback to the party in the district as the dominant Kodava community hates Tipu as he massacred and converted Kodavas in the 18th century, M K Venkatesh, a political expert, said.

MLA Bopaiah is facing an anti-incumbency wave since he has been representing for two decades. The constituency is also lacking developmental works, while on social media, the party workers are raising communal issues to divert the attention of the voters, Venkatesh said.

Virajpet is a strong bastion of Hindutva for decades and voters are influenced by this while ignoring developmental issues, M K Palangappa, a coffee grower in Ponnampet, said. The roads in rural areas are still not fit for commute due to heavy rains during the rainy season and poor-quality work, he complained.

There are 213,294 voters in the constituency, including general voters, NRI and service voters. Amongst the general voters 106,679 are male, 1,06,057 female and ten others.

With the entry of Ponnappa, there is hope for a new leader in the constituency, although the mandate will be known only on May 13.
A BJP functionary was hacked to death on Friday by unidentified men after hurling country-made bombs at his car in Poonamallee on the Chennai-Bengaluru highway.Nine people have surrendered before a local court in connection with the murder, said police. While PPG Shankar, who was the treasurer of the SC/ST wing of the BJP unit in Tamil Nadu, was travelling in his car in the wee hours near Nazarathpet in Poonamallee, four unidentified men hurled country-made bombs, and later killed him. (HT Archives)

While PPG Shankar, who was the treasurer of the SC/ST wing of the BJP unit in Tamil Nadu, was travelling in his car in the wee hours near Nazarathpet in Poonamallee, four unidentified men hurled country-made bombs and the car lost control, according to police. Shankar escaped from the car and began running with the gang chasing him. They caught him and killed him using weapons, said police.

From preliminary investigations, police attributed the murder to previous enmity in business. Shankar had 15 criminal cases pending against him, said a police officer. He had also been detained under the stringent Goondas Act twice, the officer added.

Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai said that chief minister M K Stalin, who handles the home department, has failed to maintain law and order. The BJP demands that the culprits are arrested immediately, Annamalai tweeted.

Shankar had also been a president of Valarpuram panchayat in Tiruvallur district.
A day after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge ignited a row by likening Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a snake, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator in Karnataka Basanagouda Yatnal hit back at the Congress on Friday, calling the partys former president Sonia Gandhi a vish kanya and an agent of China and Pakistan. BJP MLA Basanagouda Yatnal is a former minister (Twitter/Screenshot)

The entire world has accepted PM Modi. America welcomes PM with a red carpet and hes attained the status of a global leader. The Congress compares him to a cobra and says hes poisonous. Congress leaders are dancing on the orders of Sonia Gandhi and making such comments. She is a Vish Kanye? She is an agent for China and Pakistan, who destroyed India, the 59-year-old BJP leader said in Koppal on Friday.

On Thursday, Kharge, who told an election meeting in Gadag district that Modi is like a venomous snake, backtracked from his comment hours later following a barrage of criticism. Kharge insisted that he didnt intend to hurt anyones feelings and stressed that he never meant to target Modi but the BJPs ideology. My statement was neither for PM Modi personally nor for any other person, but for the ideology he represents, Kharge tweeted.

Congress leaders on Friday rushed to condemn the BJP legislators attack on Sonia Gandhi and accused the BJP and its top leaders of hurling abuses and insults at Sonia Gandhi.

Every election, they hurl new abuses to insult Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji, who has led her entire life with utmost dignity and grace. BJP continues to stoop to new lows, with their filthy language against our leaders. Modi ji, do you endorse these words? Congress general secretary KC Venugopal tweeted.

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said the BJP and its leaders in Karnataka have lost their mental and political balance. Facing a complete rout in the assembly elections, BJP leadership is frustrated to the core and is hurling filth and muck, which is the product of their ugly character and dirty mindset of denigrating and insulting the Congress Leadership. They have lost all sense of propriety, political balance and even a remote iota of decency and decorum, he said.

Karnataka goes to the polls on May 10 and the Congress is hoping to dislodge the BJP.

Surjewala said this was the worst kind of abuse hurled upon Sonia Gandhi. BJP leadership and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi have made a profession of abusing the Nehru Gandhi Family. PM Modi himself has, in the past, called Smt Sonia Gandhi as Congress Ki Vidhwa and even used filthy language like calling her Jersey Cow.... The character and dignity of Shri Narendra Modi will be tested today. If Prime Minister has even an iota of decency or dignity, he should immediately expel Shri Basangouda Patil Yatnal from the Bharatiya Janata Party, he said.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Friday likened former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to a vishkanya (venomous woman) and called her an agent of China and Pakistan, a day after Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge likened Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a venomous snake and sparked a political row. MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal is also among the star campaigners of the BJP. (HT)

Addressing a public meeting in Koppal in poll-bound Karnataka, Yatnal said: The entire world appreciates Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The US had not given him a visa once upon a time, but today he has emerged as a world leader who receives a red carpet welcome and rubs shoulders with world leaders.

He added: The Congress compares him (Modi) to a cobra and says he is poisonous. Congress leaders are dancing on the orders of Sonia Gandhi and making such comments. Is she a vishkanya? She is an agent for China and Pakistan, who destroyed the country.

Yatnal is seeking re-election from Vijayapura during the May 10 assembly elections. He is also among the star campaigners of the BJP.

On Thursday, Kharge had triggered a political storm after he likened Modi to a venomous snake. As the BJP accused him of abusing the PM, the Congress leader expressed regret later in the day and said his remark was aimed at the BJPs ideology, and not an individual.

Hours after Yatnals remark, the Congress demanded his expulsion and sought an apology from the PM and chief minister Basavaraj Bommai. By way of expulsion, BJP should show that it respects women, state Congress chief DK Shivakumar said.

I dont want an apology from a rogue (Yatnal) but on his behalf, PM Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai should tender an apology, he added.

Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said BJP leaders had lost their political balance.Facing a complete rout in the assembly elections, the BJP leadership is frustrated to the core and is hurling filth and muck, which is the product of their ugly character and dirty mindset of denigrating and insulting the Congress leadership, he tweeted.

Remarks made by a BJP leader in Karnataka against Sonia Gandhi reflect the rot in politics. Sonia Gandhi is respected across the country, by both ruling and the opposition parties, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said. The BJP distanced itself from Yatnals remark.

Yatnals statement about Sonia Gandhi is personal. The party does not agree to it. Be it anyone, our party does not agree with such statements, Karnataka higher education minister Ashwath Narayan told reporters.

Union minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare Shobha Karandlaje said such remarks does not reflect BJPs culture. Yatnal should not make such statements about leaders of other parties, Karandlaje told reporters in Chikkamagaluru.
As senior advocate Kapil Sibal argued for the petitioner wrestlers who complained against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Sibal said the accused has 40 cases against him. "I will give you the list," Sibal said as the Delhi Police informed the top court that it will file an FIR against Brij Bhushan, who is also a BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh's Kaiserganj. Delhi Police told Supreme Court on Friday that an FIR will be registered against Brij Bhushan. (PTI)

Since 2012, Brij Bhushan is holding the post of the Wrestling Federation of India. A wrestler, and a six-time MP, Brij Bhushan was also associated with the Babri demolition. Brij Bhushan had a short stint with the Samajwadi Party as well in his long political career. In both the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he won on the BJP ticket. Sexual harassment allegations against Brij Bhushan surfaced in January this year when the wrestlers took to the street for the first time. However, Brij Bhushan is not new to controversies. Charges against him include robbery, causing voluntary harm to public servant, and attempt to murder.

Read | 'Tear on the cheek of Indian history...': Sidhu slams govt on wrestlers' protest

According to reports, Brij Bhushan was acquitted in over 30 criminal cases. According to Brij Bhushan's history sheet, a total of 17 cases were registered in Ayodhya, 12 in Faizabad, 8 in Nawabganj and one in Delhi. The cases were registered under several sections of IPC which even included murder, attempt to murder, and under the UP Gangsters Act, Arms Act among others.

Singh was booked four times under UP Gangster Act till 1993.

Protest will continue: Wrestlers

The protesting wrestlers on Friday said they will continue their protest against Brij Bhushan even as an FIR is being filed against him. The filing of the FIR is the first step towards the victory, the protesters said. The protesters are spending nights at Jantar Mantar camping there until action is taken against Brij Bhushan. In the last five days, five lakh has been spent on the makeshift arrangement including mattresses, bed sheets, fans, speakers, microphones, power gen-set, water, food etc.

Wrestlers' protest and politics

In January, the top wrestlers of the country denied their platform being used as a political ground. But this time they welcomed politicians. AAP's Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj reached the protest site and extended their support of the AAP government to the protesters.

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Female cheetah `Asha', one of the big cats translocated to India from Namibia, has wandered outside the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh once again, a forest official said on Friday. Five-year-old Asha, known as `F1' before she was renamed, strayed out of the park's buffer zone on Wednesday evening but now she seemed to be on her way back, said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. Kuno National Park received eight cheetahs from Namibia on September 17 last year, all of which were released into an enclosure by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (PTI)(HT_PRINT)

The KNP's core area is spread over 748 sq km while its buffer zone covers an area of 487 sq km.

"Asha strayed out of the buffer zone on Wednesday evening. She kept on advancing farther away, but on Thursday it started returning. She is now close to the buffer zone," the official said.

Asha had ventured out of the park in the first fortnight of April too, but returned on her own.

`Pavan', a male cheetah, has sneaked out of the park twice this month. It was tranquilized and brought back on both occasions.

According to KNP officials, unlike Pavan, Asha does not like to dawdle in agricultural fields, and gets distracted if people are around. We are monitoring her movements with the help of the radio collar fitted around her neck," the forest official said.

Asha and Pavan are part of India's ambitious efforts to revive the cheetah population in the country by translocating them from Namibia and South Africa.

Some wildlife experts believe that an individual cheetah needs a habitat of 100 sq km, and the KNP, which now has 18 translocated cheetahs (two animals have died so far) does not have enough space. But another forest official said that it is difficult to determine how much area a cheetah exactly needs.

Some literature on the subject states that a female cheetah needs a habitat of 400 sq km. Nobody exactly knows how much space a cheetah needs as these animals became extinct in India seven decades ago. We are, in fact, still learning about their habits," he said.

Deshdeep Saxena, a senior journalist who writes on wildlife issues, noted that at present only four of the translocated animals are out in the wild at the KNP, yet two of them ventured out.

"What will happen when three more Namibian and 11 South African cheetahs (who are currently in enclosures) will be set free," he said.

There is a need to develop 4,000 sq km of landscape adjoining the KNP for the cheetahs," said Saxena.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first group of eight cheetahs brought from Namibia into quarantine enclosures at the KNP on September 17 last year. Of them, one female cheetah died due to a kidney ailment.

The second lot of twelve cheetahs imported from South Africa was released on February 18. Of them, a male cheetah died due to cardiopulmonary failure.
NEW DELHI: China has again sought to delink the standoff with India on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) from the overall bilateral relationship, with defence minister Gen Li Shangfu describing the situation as generally stable and calling for the border issue to be put in its appropriate position. Chinese Defence Minister General Li Shangfu, left, talks to his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh, right, before the start of defence ministers meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, in New Delhi on Friday (AP)

Li, in New Delhi to attend a meeting of defence ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) states, made the remarks at a meeting with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on Thursday, according to a readout issued by Chinas defence ministry on Friday.

The Chinese position is in marked variance with the stand taken by Singh, who told Li during their meeting that the development of bilateral relations is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders. Singh also said the violation of existing border management agreements had eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations.

The military standoff on the LAC, which began three years ago, has resulted in India and China deploying about 50,000 troops each in the Ladakh sector. A brutal clash at Galwan Valley in June 2020 killed 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops and took bilateral ties to their lowest point in six decades.

During his meeting with Singh, Li said the situation on the China-India border is currently generally stable and the two sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalized management, according to the Chinese readout.

Noting that India and China have maintained communication through military and diplomatic channels, the readout said: It is hoped that the two sides will work together to continuously enhance mutual trust between the two militaries and make proper contributions to the development of bilateral relations.

Li further said that as neighbouring and important developing countries, China and India share far more common interests than differences, and the two sides should view bilateral ties from a comprehensive, long-term and strategic perspective, and jointly contribute wisdom and strength to world and regional peace and stability.

In recent weeks, the Chinese side has pushed a narrative that the Ladakh sector of the LAC is largely stable and that the two sides are working towards normalised management and control of the situation.

However, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said last month that the situation on the LAC remains very fragile as there are points where Indian and Chinese troop deployments are quite dangerous, and that China needs to deliver on commitments to resolve the issue.

After more than two dozen rounds of diplomatic and military talks, the two sides have pulled back frontline troops from both banks of Pangong Lake, Gogra and Hot Springs, but have been unable to make headway on disengagement at more tricky friction points in Depsang and Demchok.

At his meeting with Li, Singh said disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation. Singh also told Li that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in line with existing bilateral agreements and commitments.

The meeting between Singh and Li was held days after the Indian Army and the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) held the 18th round of military talks on April 23 to ease tensions along the LAC in Ladakh. During the military talks, the two sides agreed to maintain security and stability along the LAC and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of remaining issues.

Lis visit to India is the first by a Chinese defence minister after the June 2020 clash in Galwan Valley that derailed bilateral ties.

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China has again sought to delink the standoff with India on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) from the overall bilateral relationship, with defence minister Gen Li Shangfu describing the situation as generally stable and calling for the border issue to be put in its appropriate position. China's defence minister General Li Shangfu at theSCO defence ministers' meeting in New Delhi on Friday. (PTI)

Li, in New Delhi to attend a meeting of defence ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) states, made the remarks at a meeting with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on Thursday, according to a readout issued by Chinas defence ministry on Friday.

The Chinese position is in marked variance with the stand taken by Singh, who told Li during their meeting that the development of bilateral relations is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders. Singh also said the violation of existing border management agreements had eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations. HT reported on Thursday that the two ministers also did not shake hands.

The military standoff on the LAC, which began three years ago, has resulted in India and China deploying about 50,000 troops each in the Ladakh sector. A brutal clash at Galwan Valley in June 2020 killed 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops and took bilateral ties to their lowest point in six decades.

During his meeting with Singh, Li said the situation on the China-India border is currently generally stable and the two sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalized management, according to the Chinese readout.

Noting that India and China have maintained communication through military and diplomatic channels, the readout said: It is hoped that the two sides will work together to continuously enhance mutual trust between the two militaries and make proper contributions to the development of bilateral relations.

Li further said that as neighbouring and important developing countries, China and India share far more common interests than differences, and the two sides should view bilateral ties from a comprehensive, long-term and strategic perspective, and jointly contribute wisdom and strength to world and regional peace and stability.

In recent weeks, the Chinese side has pushed a narrative that the Ladakh sector is of the LAC is largely stable and that the two sides are working towards normalised management and control of the situation.

However, external affairs minister said last month that situation on the LAC remains very fragile as there are points where Indian and Chinese troop deployments are quite dangerous, and that China needs to deliver on commitments to resolve the issue.

After more than two dozen rounds of diplomatic and military talks, the two sides have pulled back frontline troops from both banks of Pangong Lake, Gogra and Hot Springs, but have been unable to make headway on disengagement at more tricky friction points in Depsang and Demchok.

At his meeting with Li, Singh said disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation. Singh also told Li that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in line with existing bilateral agreements and commitments.

The meeting between Singh and Li was held days after the Indian Army and the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) held the 18th round of military talks on April 23 to ease tensions along the LAC in Ladakh. During the military talks, the two sides agreed to maintain security and stability along the LAC and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of remaining issues.

Lis visit to India is the first by a Chinese defence minister after the June 2020 clash in Galwan Valley that derailed bilateral ties.

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A day after party President Mallikarjun Kharge's controversial poisonous snake remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday said that the opposition Congress party has lost its mind. The whole world welcomes PM Modi, but the Congress president calls him a poisonous snake, Shah said during a rally in poll-bound Karnataka. Union home minister Amit Shah (PTI)

Kharge was addressing a public gathering in Karnatakas Kalaburagi on Thursday when he said, PM Narendra Modi is like a poisonous snake. Now if you want to test a venom because I compared him with a poisonous snake, beware it will lead to your death.

As he began receiving a massive backlash from the ruling party's leaders, Kharge later clarified that he did not mean to attack PM Modi personally. My comments are not meant for PM Modi. I called the BJP ideology poisonous, and did not attack PM Modi personally. What I said was their ideology is like a snake and if you try to touch it, your death is certain," he said.

Meanwhile, a Karnataka BJP MLA hit back at the Congress party over the remark on Friday and called Sonia Gandhi a vishkanya (a mythological female assassin).

The entire world has accepted PM Modi. America welcomes PM with a red carpet and hes attained the status of a global leader. The Congress compares him to a cobra and says hes poisonous. Congress leaders are dancing on the orders of Sonia Gandhi and making such comments. She is a Vish Kanya. She is an agent for China and Pakistan, who destroyed India, Basanagouda Yatnal said.

(With inputs from PTI)
As controversial movie The Kerala Story is set to hit the screen on May 5, the Congress on Friday urged the government not to give screening permission for the film which it said was full of lies and painted the Muslim community in bad light. Kerala opposition leader V D Satheesan said the film was part of a vicious agenda to sow seeds of hatred and religious animosity but people of Kerala will stand united to defeat such forces. (ANI)

The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), youth wing of the ruling CPI(M), also came down heavily on the movie saying the Sangh Parivar was using an even popular medium to humiliate the state and whole community. Two months back its trailers were released and they triggered protests in the state. The film is directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Shah and it is taken in the backdrop of 2016 missing case of 21 people from north Kerala who reportedly joined the Islamic State-held areas of Syria and Afghanistan.

Also Read: Kerala minister backs move by film bodies not to work with 2 actors

The film is a bundle of lies. It says 32,000 women were converted and sent to Islamic State-held areas. Its trailer gave enough hints of its content. It is intended to defame the state and community and Sangh Parivar outfits are behind this, said opposition leader V D Satheesan. He said this was part of a vicious agenda to sow seeds of hatred and religious animosity but people of Kerala will stand united to defeat such forces.

The DYFI said the movie was intended to portray the state in bad light. The Sangh Parivar has been trying to portray the state as the hub of religious fanatics and anti-national forces. This is part of its ploy for communal polarisation but this will not work in a state like Kerala. The state will stand as a cradle of secularism and democratic values, it said in a statement. Earlier the Muslim League, an ally of the Congress, had threatened agitation against the movie saying it demonised the whole community.
As the controversial movie The Kerala Story is set to hit theatres on May 5, the Congress on Friday urged the Kerala government not to give screening permission for the film, which it said was full of lies and painted the Muslim community in bad light. Vipul Amrutlal Shah is producing the Adah Sharma-starrer, The Kerala Story (File Photo)

The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist), also came down heavily on the upcoming movie saying the Sangh Parivar was using an even popular medium to humiliate the state and whole community.

Two months ago, the films trailer was released which triggered protests in the state. The film is directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Shah and it is taken in the backdrop 2016 missing case of 21 people from north Kerala, who reportedly joined the Islamic State-held areas of Syria and Afghanistan or ISIS.

Also Read: Mission Arikomban unsuccessful on day one as jumbo remains elusive: Official

A teaser for the film, released in November, was criticised for carrying inaccurate facts about the number of women, who might have been involved in these kinds of situations.

The film is a bundle of lies. It says 32,000 women were converted and sent to Islamic state-held areas. Its trailer gave enough hints of its content. It is intended to defame the state and community and Sangh Parivar outfits are behind this, said opposition leader V D Satheesan.

He said this was part of a vicious agenda to sow seeds of hatred and religious animosity but the people of Kerala will stand united to defeat such forces.

The DYFI also said the movie was intended to portray the state in a bad light.

The Sangh Parivar has been trying to portray the state as the hub of religious fanatics and anti-national forces. This is part of its ploy for communal polarisation but this will not work in a state like Kerala. The state will stand as a cradle of secularism and democratic values, it said in a statement.

Earlier the Muslim League, an ally of the Congress, had threatened agitation against the movie saying it demonised the whole community.
The BJP on Friday dismissed the findings of a pre-poll survey in Karnataka which predicted that Congress is headed for a "comfortable majority" with 134-140 seats with a 10% vote lead over BJP which will bag 57-65 seats. The pre-poll survey was done by Eedina, a Kannada media. Swaraj India's Yogendra Yadav shared some analysis of the findings of the pre-poll survey and tweeted the same inviting wrath from BJP leaders. BJP slammed a pre-poll survey which predicted 134-140 seats for the Congress in Karnataka. (PTI)

Karnataka Assembly Election 2023: Full Coverage

BJP's BL Santhosh called the survey "cooked up" as he tweeted: "It's really astonishing that he (Yogendra Yadav) finds time amidst his padayatras and agitations to cook up surveys to please his masters...!!!".

Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar called the survey bogus attacking Yogendra Yadav to which Yadav said the "successful minister" did not have the time to notice that it was not his poll.

Intense politicking is on ahead of the Karnataka Assembly Election 2023 as both BJP and the Congress have turned the heat on each other. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge compared PM Modi with a snake and later clarified that his comment was for the BJP and not for any individual. BJP Karnataka MLA called Sonia Gandhi 'Vishkanya' in reply. Congress has now urged the Election Commission to ban Union home minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath from campaigning in Karnataka.

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Here are todays top news, analysis, and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times "The airline is operating these flights with A321 aircraft. IndiGo is closely liaising with the government to offer support for more such evacuation flights, the airline's statement added.

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Not escaping, at my residence: WFI chief amid probe over sexual harassment allegation

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The wrestlers protesting against Wrestling Foundation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said they do not trust the Delhi Police after Delhi Police on Friday informed the Supreme Court that an FIR will be filed against Brij Bhushan, the BJP MP. "We don't have any trust in Delhi Police. Because we have been sitting here for the last six days. They took so much time to file the FIR. They have broken the trust that could have been built. They might file a loose FIR," the protesters said. Congress' Deepender Singh Hooda at the wrestlers' protest at Jantar Mantar on Friday. (PTI)

"We will see what the Delhi Police does. Our next course of action will depend on that. But our demand remains the same, put him in jail. He should be removed from all posts -- the MP, the WFI chief. As long as he remains the WFI chief, he will misuse the post, and influence the investigation. We want an unbiased investigation. We have complete trust in the Supreme Court," the wrestlers said thanking for the support their protest garnered from politicians and other sportspersons.

One of the complainants is a minor and senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioners in the Supreme Court, expressed concerns for her safety.

The second phase of the wrestlers' protest against WFI chief Brij Bhushan has picked up by the political parties while Indian Olympics Association president PT Usha differed with the protesters and said they should have shown some discipline and come to the authorities first, before taking to the street.

Coach Mahavir Prasad Bishnoi, who is another accused and allegedly threatened the wrestlers on behalf of Brij Bhushan said he is ready to be hanged if proved guilty. "You can check my call records and my locations in the last few days. There is no truth in these allegations. I don't even know who the victims are. If it's proved that I am involved in giving threat calls, I am ready to be hanged," Bishnoi said.

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'How did killers know?': SC's tough questions to UP govt over Atiq Ahmad killing The Supreme Court on Friday questioned the Uttar Pradesh government over the heinous killing of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother, who were gunned down by assailants in Prayagraj, while being escorted by the police to a hospital, asking Why were they paraded before media while being taken for a routine check-up. Read More Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad. (HT PHOTO)

Sonam Bajwa on competition with Shehnaaz Gill in Honsla Rakh: 'I'll be very honest when I was doing a song with her...'

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Chennai Super Kings succumbed to their third defeat of IPL 2023 last evening in Jaipur when they failed to chase down 203 against Rajasthan Royals. CSK once again depended more on their middle order than the captain himself and paid the price for their questionable tactics. Read More

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Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidus recent praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his leadership has ignited speculations of his possible return to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fold, people familiar with the development said on Friday. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu did not rule out his partys possible return to the NDA fold again. (ANI)

During a television debate on April 26, Naidu, who snapped ties with the NDA in March 2018 after being part of the Modi government since 2014, described the prime minister as a visionary, who has been upholding the prestige of the nation and displaying to the world the strength of India. I am willing to associate myself with Modi in the nation building, Naidu had said.

Stating that he was completely in sync with the prime ministers vision, the TDP chief said: He (PM Modi) is working for the development of the country and I am striving for the development of the Telugu people.

Also Read: PM Modi to virtually address Kashi-Telugu Sangamam today

On his exit from the NDA, Naidu had said it was only on the issue of special category status for Andhra Pradesh, which had become a sentimental issue those days. But I had never opposed Modis policies, he added.

The TDP chief did not rule out his partys possible return to the NDA fold again. Only time will decide on it. But I always support the prime minister on his decisions for the countrys development, said Naidu, whose party had suffered a major setback in the 2019 state elections, winning only 23 of the 175 seats.

Andhra Pradesh BJP leaders, however, have been strongly rejecting reports of a possible restoration of ties between the two parties. There is no question of joining hands with the TDP again, state BJP president Somu Veerraju had earlier said.

The BJP has been eyeing to replace the TDP as the principal opposition party in the state, in alliance with Jana Sena Party headed by actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan. However, Pawan Kalyan is keen on roping the TDP into the alliance in a bid to unseat chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party from power in the 2024 assembly polls.

My whole objective is to see that the anti-establishment vote should not split under any circumstances by bringing the anti-YSRCP parties together, Kalyan had said at his partys foundation day on March 14.

BJP national secretary and partys co-incharge for Andhra Pradesh affairs, Sunil Deohar said: It is for the national leadership to decide on alliances in future. For now, we have an alliance with Jana Sena.

A senior BJP functionary, requesting anonymity, said the party also needs the support of the TDP in Telangana, where elections are due by later this year. All said and done, the TDP has some votebank in Telangana, especially in and around Hyderabad. If there is a transfer of even a small percentage of TDP votes to the BJP, it will help us in the Telangana elections, he added.

Political analyst Sriram Karri said the BJP is wary of the fact that Naidu had ditched the NDA twice in the past. There are chances that despite anti-incumbency, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy might come to power for a second term. So, there is little viable value for anyone, including the BJP, to bet on Naidu for a partnership, he added.

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The Taliban setup in Afghanistan consulted the Pakistan Army before allowing the Indian government to send a team to re-establish a diplomatic presence in Kabul in June 2022, according to a new book by a former Pakistani federal police officer and academic. The author is currently a senior advisor at Asia Society. (Hassan Abbas | Twitter)

The Return of the Taliban by Hassan Abbas, currently senior advisor at Asia Society and distinguished professor at the Near East South Asia Strategic Studies Centre at the US National Defense University, offers other insights into the close ties between the Taliban and the Pakistani military, as well as Islamabads persisting worries about an Indian role in Afghanistan.

After shuttering its consulates in Herat, Kandahar, Jalalabad and Mazar-e-Sharif, India had pulled out all its officials and security personnel from Kabul after the fall of the Ashraf Ghani government in August 2021, largely on account of security concerns.

Also Read: Taliban kill ISIS mastermind of 2021 Kabul airport attack: US

In June last year, India deployed a technical team led by a middle-ranking diplomat in Kabul to re-establish its presence in Afghanistan.

Abbas writes in the book that the Talibans interim foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, had a detailed meeting with Pakistans then army chief, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, before he could request that India send back its diplomats and technical staff to the Indian embassy in Afghanistan.

Given the Pakistani sides belief that India used its access to Kabul during the Ashraf Ghani governments reign to restrict Pakistans influence in Afghanistan, it was nothing short of a big surprise that Pakistan signed off on the Talibans diplomatic relationship with India, the book states.

Regardless, it couldnt have happened without Pakistan  and Pakistan acted this way because it just might open up prospects of some aid for the Taliban in Afghanistan, Abbas writes.

The book cites an unnamed Pakistani general as saying that the Pakistani military is fully in the picture as to how India attempted to access Anas Haqqani, the younger brother of Siraj Haqqani, via the Iranian IRCG (International Revolutionary Guard Corps).

Anas Haqqani is currently one of the top leaders of the Taliban setup in Kabul.

In recent months, Indian officials have met several leaders of the Haqqani Network, one of the main factions of the Afghan Taliban, during their visits to Kabul.

However, the book states that Pakistans intelligence services continue to harbour suspicions about Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, a former member of the Talibans Doha political office and currently the deputy foreign minister, solely because he graduated from the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in the 1980s. This last qualification, though, was enough to make him a suspect in the eyes of Pakistans intelligence services as they never trusted him fully even though he worked closely with them at times, Abbas writes.

Stanikzai was a key contact in the Indian sides secret talks with the Afghan Taliban before the group assumed power in Kabul in 2021. In recent months, however, he has been sidelined.

At the same time, the book details how the Afghan Taliban has sought to play down its continuing close links with Pakistans military. While the Taliban have turned to Pakistan obtain counter-terrorism capability to fight the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISK), including drones and other hi-tech equipment, the group is increasingly conscious of their reputation as closely aligned with Pakistans army and intelligence servicesand they know that the relationship is not particularly popular in Afghanistan.

Consequently, when the Taliban requested Pakistani military and intelligence leaders to publicly keep their distance from them, it still came as a surprise. Islamabad was initially unclear if it was Taliban diplomacy or hypocrisy. Relations even started deteriorating once Kabul expressed its inability to pursue Pakistani Taliban roaming around in Afghanistan the way Pakistan wanted, Abbas writes.

Abbas, who served as an officer in the administrations of former premier Benazir Bhutto (1995-1996) and former military dictator Pervez Musharraf (1999-2000), writes that the reason the Afghan Taliban are hesitant to take strong action against the TTP [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan] is due to their considered opinion that TTP cadres currently hiding in Afghanistan could easily drift toward joining ISK ranks in the event that the Afghan Taliban are seen to be ditching them.

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The Supreme Court held a special sitting at 8pm on Friday to hear an unusual order passed by JJustice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta high court. Earlier in the day, Justice Gangopadhyay passed an order directing Supreme Court's secretary general to provide him with some documents pertaining to an issue by midnight. At Supreme Court's 8pm sitting, the top court overruled the Calcutta high court judge's order and said the order from the high court judge to the Supreme Court official was not proper in the view of "judicial discipline". High Court judge gives midnight deadline, Supreme Court questions discipline

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay has been hearing the cases of primary teachers' recruitment in West Bengal. On Friday, a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud directed that the case be transferred from Gangopadhyay's bench because Gangopadhyay appeared in a television interview and spoke on the issue that he is hearing.

Following this order, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay passed a suo moti order asking the Supreme Court official to produce before him the translation of the interview which was placed before the CJI by midnight today. The interview was on a Bengali news channel.

For the sake of transparency, I direct the Secretary General of the Honble Supreme Court of India to produce before me the report and the official translation of the interview given by me in media and the affidavit of the Registrar General of this Court in original, forthwith by 12 midnight today. This is required for the sake of transparency. I will be waiting in my chamber till 12:15 in the midnight to get the two sets in original placed before the Hon'ble Judges of the Supreme Court today, Justice Gangopadhyay's order said.

(With inputs from PTI, LiveLaw)

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The Supreme Court on Friday questioned the Uttar Pradesh government over the heinous killing of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother, who were gunned down by assailants in Prayagraj, while being escorted by the police to a hospital, asking Why were they paraded before media while being taken for a routine check-up. Ashraf and Atiq Ahmad were shot dead on April 15. (ANI)(HT_PRINT)

The top court, which was hearing a plea by advocate Vishal Tiwari seeking an independent probe into the killing of Ahmad and his brother Ashraf, also asked the UP government how the killers got the knowledge that they were being taken to hospital.

"How did they know? We have seen it on TV. Why were they not taken to the ambulance right from the entry gate of the hospital? Why were they paraded?" the court asked.

Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for the UP government informed the court that the brothers were being taken for a medical test as mandated by the court. As per orders of the court, they had to be taken for medical tests every two days. So, the press knew, he said.

Also read | Dangerous than Atiq Ahmad, leader of: BJP's Bandi Sanjay on Telangana CM

"This man (Atiq Ahmad) and his entire family have been embroiled in heinous cases for the last 30 years. This incident particularly is a gruesome incident. We have apprehended the killers, and they said they did this to gain importance," Rohatgi said.

"Everyone saw the killings on the television. The killers came in the guise of news photographers. They had passes, were carrying cameras, and were even carrying identity cards that were later found to be fake. There were 50 people there and more people outside. This is how they managed to kill," he added.

Read | Ashraf helped terror suspect obtain passport

The state government is looking into the matter and has constituted a three-member commission, Rohatgi said, adding that a special investigation team from the UP Police is also probing the matter.

Atiq and Ashraf were shot dead while they were being taken to a hospital in Prayagraj on April 15 night amid police presence.

(With inputs from PTI)

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For the first time, India Meteorological Department (IMD) will on Friday start issuing heat index for different parts of the country, combining air temperature and relative humidity for the public to accordingly take related precautions. The heat index is also known as the apparent temperature. (Hindustan Times)

The heat index is also known as the apparent temperature. It is the temperature humans feel when relative humidity combines with the air temperature.

The index will be based on a formulation of the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

IMD director general M Mohapatra said the formulation is not based on the physiological responses of the Indian population and they will hence have a disclaimer that the heat index has not been validated here. But it is indicative for understanding the implications of heat on the general public.

The heat index is based on academic R G Steadmans table using relative humidity and dry bulb temperature to calculate the temperature a human body feels.

Union earth sciences ministry secretary said the index will be issued to make such data more accessible to the public for precautionary measures. We also need to work with the Union health ministry on providing information on comfort factors, said Ravichandran.

IMD said the heat index will be provided for the entire country daily in weather bulletins.

On Tuesday, IMD recommended a comprehensive response plan for heatwaves including cultural, institutional, technological, and ecosystem-based adaptation strategies as it released a report saying most parts of India will face an increase in the duration of heatwaves by 12-18 days by 2060.

The report said heatwaves have claimed more lives in India than other natural hazards with the exception of tropical cyclones.

A heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature is above 40 degrees Celsius and 4.5 degrees above normal. A severe heat wave is declared when the temperature is above 40 degrees Celsius and 6.5 degrees above normal. Heatwaves usually occur in the period from March to June in central and north-western India (heatwave zone) and in the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

On average more than two heatwave events occur in northern parts of the country and coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. In some pockets, heatwave frequency even exceeds four in a season.
Jharkhand launched its first air ambulance services on Friday. The ambulance services are set to operate from Ranchi as well as six other cities. This move of the government will boost medical transport facilities in the state by connecting it to other destinations in case of requirement. The ambulance services would be made available to all at competitive rates. Jharkhand launches air ambulance services.(HT Photo)

The Jharkhand CM's office tweeted about the development on Friday.

Director (operations) of civil aviation Captain SP Sinha had earlier said, We are trying to connect air ambulances to all key destinations in the country like Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Mumbai where most of the high-end medical facilities exist. Once the operation begins more facilities will be added based on the requirements and the need."

Arranging an air ambulance takes a lot of time which usually delays treatment in case of emergency. We plan to ensure that at least one air ambulance remains static in Ranchi to ferry people from any district to the destination within the shortest possible time, he told The Times of India.

Families or people in need of air ambulance services can contact the Aviation Department toll-free numbers at 0651-4665515 and 91-8210594073.
A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mumbai on Friday acquitted actor Sooraj Pancholi, accused of abetting the suicide of his then actor girlfriend Jiah Khan in 2013, citing a lack of evidence against him. Actor Jiah Khan was found dead in her Mumbai apartment in June 2013. (File Photo)

Sooraj Pancholi, 32, who is currently out on bail, was charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 306 (abetment of suicide).

The actor was found dead at her residence in Mumbai on June 3, 2013.

Last week, special CBI judge AS Sayyad, after hearing the final arguments of both sides, reserved his judgment in the case for April 28.

Jiah Khan death case: What we know:

1. Based on a letter seized on June 10, 2013, which was purportedly written by Jiah Khan, 25, the Mumbai Police had booked actor Sooraj Pancholi under Section 306 (abetment to suicide) and arrested him.

2. Sooraj, son of actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, was allegedly in a relationship with Jiah, best known for her performance in Amitabh Bachchan starrer 'Nishabd'. Jiah's mother Rabia Khan had alleged that her daughter was murdered.

3. In October 2013, Rabia moved the Bombay High Court seeking a CBI probe into the case while alleging that her daughter had been murdered.

4. Rabia also claimed that her daughter was in an abusive relationship with Sooraj Pancholi. Sooraj and Jiah allegedly started dating in September 2012.

5. On the order of the Bombay high court, the CBI took over the probe from the Maharashtra Police in July 2014.

6. Sooraj Pancholi was charged on the basis of a six-page letter purportedly written by Jiah, who was found hanging in her Juhu home. The CBI claimed the note narrated her "intimate relationship, physical abuse and mental and physical torture allegedly at the hands of Sooraj, which led to her committing suicide.

7. The case was reassigned to a special CBI court in 2021 after the sessions court said it did not have jurisdiction over the case as the CBI had probed it.

8. Rabia alleged the police and CBI had not collected legal evidence to prove her daughter had committed suicide.

9. Sooraj, in his final statement filed before the court, had claimed the investigation and chargesheet were false, adding prosecution witnesses had testified against him on the behest of complainant Rabia, police and CBI.

10. The prosecution examined 22 witnesses, including Jiahs mother. Advocate Prashant Patil, appearing for Sooraj, contended that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. A few major suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are 011-23389090 from Sumaitri (Delhi-based) and 044-24640050 from Sneha Foundation (Chennai-based).

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Former Karnataka deputy chief minister and Koratagere Congress leader G Parameshwara sustained head injuries after a stone was pelted at him during a road show in Tumakuru district on Friday, people familiar with the matter said. Dr G Parmeshwara is the incumbent Congress MLA from the Koratagere assembly constituency (Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

The incident took place at Byrenahalli area of Koratagere taluk when Parameshwara was campaigning for the upcoming assembly elections in the state and unidentified person pelted a stone at him, one of the people quoted above said.

Parameshwara, who was bleeding from the head was given primary treatment at the Akkirampur primary health centre and later shifted to Siddhartha Medical College Hospital in Tumakuru, said the people.

He is the incumbent Congress MLA from the Koratagere assembly constituency.

Earlier on April 19, stones were pelted at Parameshwara when he was about to file his nomination papers from Koratagere constituency. However, the Congress leader had escaped unhurt while a policewoman had suffered minor injuries during the incident.
The Kerala forest department on Friday called off its much-touted pre-dawn operation for the day in Idukki to dart and relocate rogue elephant Arikomban after it failed to locate the wild jumbo that slipped into deep forests, a senior official said. (Representative Photo)

According to the officials, seven teams of rapid response personnel, veterinary doctors and darting experts began Mission Arikomban as early as 4am ready with trainer elephants and two trucks to capture the rogue elephant, however, they were unable to locate him.

In many areas in Idukki, Section 144 (prohibitory orders) was clamped to avoid crowding and ensure the jumbos capture and relocation. The new habitat of the elephant was also not revealed as per the directive of the high court, said the official quoted above.

Also Read: Special radio collar for rogue elephant

Four trainer elephants from Wayanad have been camping in Idukki for almost two months and more than 150 personnel were deployed for the mission. The task force was planning to complete the mission in four hours but the jumbo remained elusive, the official said.

The jumbo has an uncanny knack to sniff trouble. For the day, it was literally hide and seek. In 2017, we fired three darts but he rushed into deep forests, said the official. Darting expert and chief veterinary surgeon Arun Zachariah also said that it was difficult to set a deadline for such an operation.

Even if we locate the animal we have to see so many factors. Terrain should be plain, a truck should reach the darted animal immediately and there should not be any water bodies around the darting location. Saving the animal is foremost. It is an ongoing mission and we could not set a timeline, the forest official quoted above said.

State forest minister A K Saseendran said the mission will continue and the government was bound to go by the directive of the high court.

Two weeks ago, the Supreme Court turned down the states plea to cancel the high courts directive to relocate the animal. Initially, the forest department was planning to capture and make it Kumki, a trainer elephant but the move was quashed by the high court after animal lovers moved the court. The court then ordered the jumbos translocation from Idukki to another forest.

Also Read: Farmers protest against move to relocate wild elephant

For the relocation, the court-appointed expert committee suggested that the jumbo be shifted to the Parambikulm tiger reserve in Palakkad but local people opposed it fiercely. Later the high court directed the government to keep details of translocation under wraps to tide over local protests.

People of Idukki have been struggling with the rogue elephants that earned the nickname Arikomban after it raided many ration shops and houses for rice (ari is rice and komban bull elephant in Malayalam). In an affidavit submitted in the high court last month, the forest department said it killed seven people and destroyed around 50 houses but locals claimed that numbers were much higher and they were struggling with the rogue elephant for more than five years.
NEW DELHI: The Maharashtra government on Friday informed the Supreme Court that the state has decided to hand over the probe into the 2020 Palghar lynching case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on its own and therefore, no orders from the court were required. The Supreme Court in August 2020 asked for inquiry reports, and details of the investigation, and asked the police to submit the charge sheet before it for scrutiny (HT File Photo)

The decision of the Eknath Shinde-government government came almost a month after the top court observed that the state government should write on its own to the Centre for a CBI probe into the incident in view of the states willingness to let the federal agency take over the probe.

Two Hindu seers from Juna Akhara were lynched in April 2020 by a frenzied mob in the satellite town of Palghar, 100 km from Mumbai.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and justice PS Narasima wrapped up a bunch of petitions that sought a CBI probe after recording the state governments submission.

A decision has been taken by the state government to entrust this investigation to CBI. In view of this statement, no further directions are required at this stage. All pending petitions are disposed of, said the bench in its brief order after taking note of the statement made by advocate Siddharth Dharmadhikari on behalf of the Maharashtra government.

With a change in the political dispensation in the state, the Maharashtra government in November reversed its stand before the apex court by expressing its willingness to hand over the probe into the Palghar lynching case to the CBI.

While the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray in July 2020 opposed the petitions demanding a CBI probe, the new government headed by Eknath Shinde said it has no objection to the central agency taking over the probe and the prosecution.

The petitioners have sought transfer of investigation to the CBI, in as much as according to them, it is imperative for achieving an impartial and independent investigation in the matter...the State of Maharashtra is ready and willing to hand over the investigation to the CBI and would have no objection for the same, said the states affidavit filed in the second week of November.

The Uddhav Thackeray government earlier took the stand that the CBI probe was not required as enough has been done and the case was transferred to the specialised unit of the state CID to maintain complete fairness, independence and transparency in the investigation.

After the state opposed the CBI probe, the court in August 2020 asked for inquiry reports, and details of the investigation, and asked the police to submit the charge sheet before it for scrutiny. The case has not been effectively heard in the last two years.

Meanwhile, following a dramatic turn of events sparked off by a group of rebel MLAs led by Shinde, Uddhav resigned on June 29 last year as the states chief minister. Shinde, with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), took over as CM on the very next day.

On the night of April 16, Mahant Kalpavruksha Giri and Sushilgiri Maharaj and their driver were travelling from Kandivali in Mumbai to attend a funeral in Gujarat amid the nationwide lockdown. They were lynched by a mob that allegedly suspected them to be child kidnappers after they reached Gadchinchale village in Palghar. Later, some videos emerged showing that a group of policemen had reached the spot but failed to pacify the mob and protect the three victims.

An array of petitioners, including Juna Akhara seers, relatives of the victims and advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha, moved the Supreme Court contending that they have no faith in the Maharashtra government or the local police, and also do not expect a fair and just investigation into the case because of the involvement of policemen in the case. The petition for the Juna Akhara seers was filed in May 2020 through advocate Balaji Srinivasan.

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A day after Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's controversial 'Modi a poisonous snake' jab - which he later said referred to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's ideology - a Karnataka BJP MLA hit back and called Sonia Gandhi a 'vishkanya' - a mythological female assassin. The Congress hit back with Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel asking for prime minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah's views on their party leader's slur. Karnataka BJP MLA Basanagouda Yatnal (Source: ANI)

At a election rally in the state's Koppal district, the BJP's Basanagouda Yatnal said 'the whole world has accepted PM Modi' and that the United States had rolled out a 'red carpet'.

"America, once upon a time, refused to give him a visa... they later rolled out a red carpet and welcomed Modi. Now, they (the Congress) are comparing him to a cobra and saying he will spew venom. Is Sonia Gandhi a venomous woman (vishkanye)?" the Bijapur City MLA ranted.

Yatnal, a former Lok Sabha MP and junior union minister, also accused the ex-Congress chief of having 'worked with China and Pakistan as their agent'.

The Congress' initial response was delivered by Baghel from Chhattisgarh capital Raipur; A Karnataka BJP MLA has called Sonia Gandhi a 'vishkanya'. People want to know what PM Modi and Amit Shah have to say on this issue...

The 'venomous' barbs started Thursday after Kharge said: "Prime minister Narendra Modi is like a poisonous snake... beware it will lead to your death.

The Congress chief was speaking at an election event in Karnataka's Kalaburagi and the remark triggered furious counterattacks from the BJP. Union minister Smriti Irani called it 'attacking India' and the BJP's IT Cell chief, Amit Malviya, laughed at the Congress and said it 'continues to plummet to new depths'.

READ | 'Desperate': BJP slams Kharge over 'Modi poisonous snake' remark

Shortly after the furore Kharge issued a clarification, explaining that he was not referring to the prime minister. He said he had attacked the ideology of the BJP, which is bidding to retain the southern state after next month's election.

READ | 'Kharge's mind is poisonous': Karnataka CM Bommai slams Cong chief

"My comments not meant for Modi. I called the BJP ideology poisonous, (did) not attack PM Modi personally... meant if anyone touches BJP ideology, they will be due due to poison."

READ | 'Attacking India?': Smriti Irani hits out at Kharge in 'Modi snake' row

Karnataka votes on May 10 with results due three days later. This is the first big state election of 2023, with critical Assembly polls also due in Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh will also vote this year, as will Telangana and Mizoram. These are seen as 'semi-finals' before the 2024 Lok Sabha election in which Modi and the BJP will look for an unprecedented third term in power.

With input from ANI

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A man was arrested for allegedly killing his wife in an inebriated condition with an axe in the early hours of Friday in Andhra Pradeshs West Godavari district, police said. The accused identified as Ganji Daveedu, who was under the influence of alcohol, allegedly slit his wife Ganji Nirmalas throat, broke her head and chopped off her limbs, said police. (HT Archives)

The accused identified as Ganji Daveedu, who was under the influence of alcohol, allegedly slit his wife Ganji Nirmalas throat, broke her head and chopped off her limbs, said police. The incident happened at Veerampalemvillage of Tadepalligudem block around 4 am.

Confirming the development, Tadepalligudem deputy superintendent of police Bandari Srinath said: We have arrested the accused, Ganji Daveedu, who slit his wifes throat, broke her head and chopped off her limbs in the most brutal manner.

A case of murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered into the matter and police are investigating the case, DSP Srinath added.

According to the police, Daveedu had been addicted to alcohol and was jobless due to which the couple used to have frequent quarrels. Last year, Nirmala left for Kuwait after finding a job there, leaving her three children  two daughters and a son  with her parents, the DSP said.

Back home, Daveedu had started torturing his children to bring pressure on his wife to send him money, a police officer privy to the matter said. He had even made a video of him beating up his children and sent it to his wife. After this, Nirmalas parents approached police. Based on a complaint from Nirmalas parents, we arrested Daveedu and sent him to jail, Srinath said.

However, a couple of months ago, Nirmala returned from Kuwait and at the same time, Daveedu also came out of the jail on bail. He went to his in-laws place and told them that he was a changed man. He assured them that he would take care of his family well. Believing his words, Nirmala returned to Veerampalem along with her children on Thursday, the DSP said.

The same night, the couple quarrelled again as Daveedu came home drunk, said police. In the early hours of Friday, when Nirmala was asleep, Daveedu hacked her with an axe and killed her, the police official said.

On receiving the information from the neighbours, the police rushed to the village and took Daveedu into custody.

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Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said that he is surprised over the backlash they are receiving after the release of ex-Lok Sabha MP Anand Mohan Singh - who is convicted in the murder of IAS officer G Krishnaiah. Speaking to the media about the amended clause from the Bihar Prison Manual, Kumar said, When this was not in place, several people used to demand it. Now when it is in place, they are opposing it. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar (PTI Photo)

On Anand Mohan's release, the Bihar CM said, He was in jail for 15 yearshe was served his sentence, and now it's done.

The Bihar government on April 24 notified about the release of 27 prisoners, including former MP Anand Mohan Singh. This came days after the Nitish Kumar-led dispensation amended the Bihar Prison Manual, 2012, which stated that anyone found guilty of killing a government official will not be given the benefit of remission ever.

In the light of the Bihar state sentence remission council meeting on April 20, 2023, the decision was taken for the release of prisoners having served an actual sentence of 14 years or sentence of 20 years with remission, the notification said.

Earlier on Thursday, Bihar chief secretary Amir Subhani also defended Mohan's release saying that it was as per legal provisions and questions being raised over it were baseless.

No special favour has been done to anybody. The prison rules are amended from time to time, in the normal course. The clause about government servant on duty was dropped because it was found to be discriminatory. Moreover, we found no other state treating such killings differently, Subhani said.

(With inputs from agencies)
Patna: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has proposed a one against one strategy for a unified opposition to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, leaders from Janata Dal (United) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) aware of the details said. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has proposed a one against one strategy for a unified opposition to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. (PTI)

The one against one strategy basically means fielding one opposition candidate against a BJP candidate in about 500 Lok Sabha constituencies, and Kumar believes all parties, including the Congress, will have to make some sacrifices at the state level, the leaders said, requesting anonymity.

In Kumars recent meetings with senior Congress leaders and heads of some regional parties, he has also put forth a structure of this proposed united opposition. The new coalition would have a convener and a chairperson apart from other office bearers. In all likelihood, the convener would be projected as the prime ministerial candidate of the joint coalition, one of the leaders said, requesting anonymity. The chairperson would be more a symbolic head of the coalition having certain decision-making powers.

Kumar has proposed this structure to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav among others, the leader said. The new front would come up by June-end after a round of meeting with top regional parties in mid-May, he added.

Leaders of Bihars grand alliance did not rule out Nitish Kumar as possible convener of the opposition alliance.

Kumar is likely to call a meeting of various opposition and regional parties in Patna after the conclusion of the May 10 assembly elections in Karnataka. The meeting, modalities of which are yet to be finalised, will likely be called in late May. The issue will also be taken up in June during an all-opposition party meeting called by Tamil Nadu chief MK Stalin to mark the birth centenary celebration of his late father and former chief minister MK Karunanidhi, the leaders said.

KC Tyagi, former JD(U) national general secretary, said there is a consensus among opposition parties to work on the one against one strategy proposed by the Bihar CM. Nitish ji has the capability to forge a larger opposition front with Congress, too, showing keenness to forge a new front, which is surely a good sign to take on BJP-led NDA in 2024 parliamentary polls, Tyagi added.

RJD national general secretary Bhola Yadav, too, expressed hope that a new edition of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) will soon take shape. Things are moving in right direction. CM Kumar has already met several leaders from opposition and would also be meeting few other leaders in coming weeks, he added.

However, there are apprehensions about the one against one strategy translating on ground in states such as West Bengal, Kerala and Telangana, where the Congress is in direct fight with non-BJP ruling parties. A sweet deal is being proposed to such regional parties that see the Congress and Left parties as rivals in their respective states, a grand alliance functionary said, declining to be named.

For example, in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress (TMC) would get a major share in seat allotment, with Left parties and Congress getting some seats based on partys strength, the functionary said. The TMC has not responded to the proposal so far, he added. A TMC leader in Kolkata said the party will respond at an appropriate time.

A similar formula was being proposed in other states as well, another grand alliance leader said. The seat allotment would be done mainly on the strength of each party in respective states and winnability. There is no such confusion on that and talks are being held among various parties to follow this formula on seat-sharing, the leader added.

Political observer and former director of AN Sinha Institute of Social Sciences, DM Diwakar, said if worked out the strategy could be potentially a winning formula. In many states, regional parties are rivals of Congress or Left. But it is different for assembly and Lok Sabha polls. Like in West Bengal, TMC might go with the front and accept Left and Congress as allies in Lok Sabha polls, but it would not welcome the idea in state elections. In Bihar, all seven opposition parties are already on a joint platform. So, the one against one idea is quite workable, he said.

However, the BJP dismissed the initiative, saying unity of opposition is like balancing the frogs on weighing scale.

There are many faceless support groups working for the opposition parties sitting across the border, alleged BJP state spokesperson Nikhil Anand. The conspiracy is not against the BJP or the PM but the country, India. All the attempts of opposition unity will prove futile and end up as a fiasco. They shall all be defeated in the final countdown of 2024.

The ground work for a larger opposition front gained momentum after the Bihar CM along with his deputy Tejashwi Prasad Yadav met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on April 12, and Aam Aadmi Party convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal a day later. Kumar has also met Banerjee and Akhilesh and is expected to meet Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik soon.

(With inputs from Kolkata bureau)

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Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for kicking up a storm over the release of politician Anand Mohan (of the now defunct Bihar Peoples Party) and for politicising a completely non-political issue. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. (Santosh Kumar/HT photo)

Mohan was awarded life imprisonment for the murder of a young Dalit officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1994. The Bihar government had recently notified his release by amending the states prison manual, sparking a political row and leading to sharp criticism from several quarters.

There is nothing unusual about it (Mohans release), Kumar told reporters in Patna. Just compare the number of prisoners released with or without remission every year across the country. In 2020-21, the number was 105 in Bihar, while it was six times in Uttar Pradesh and in many states (which are) smaller in size, it was three to four times, he said.

He also said that it was strange how and why a political party was creating so much fuss over something that has been done in accordance with the laid down provisions.

While the Janata Dal (United) leader did not name anyone, he showed photographs of some BJP leaders with Mohan which, he claimed, were clicked a few months ago.

It (Mohans release) is not a political issue. The release has been done as per laid down provisions. I am surprised by the statements of some people. They were also in favour of it till a couple of months ago, and are now politicising it, Kumar said.

The central guidelines issued in 2016 has no such clause differentiating between murder of a common man and a government servant. Bihar had such a clause and we removed it. Is there a need for such a distinction? Anand Mohan has served his sentence and his release is as per laid down provisions after seeking opinions from concerned quarters. It is not a political thing, he added.

On December 5, 1994, Mohan instigated a mob that dragged Gopalganj district magistrate G Krishnaiah out of his official car and killed him, an investigation into the case revealed. He was sentenced to death by a trial court in 2007. However, the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Patna high court a year later.

On April 10, the state government amended the Bihar Prison Manual, 2012, removing the murder of a public servant on duty clause from the list of cases for which remission of jail term cannot be considered, which helped Mohan, a Rajput leader with considerable influence on his caste voters.

On Monday evening, the Bihar law department issued a notification, stating that on the recommendation of the Bihar state sentence remission council, the decision was taken for the release of prisoners having served actual sentence of 14 years or sentence of 20 years with remission. It notified the release of 27 prisoners, including Mohan.

Mohan walked out of prison at 4am on Thursday. The BJP had accused Kumar of leaning on a criminal syndicate.

Reacting to the chief ministers remarks, BJP spokesman and national general secretary of the partys Yuva Morcha, Nikhil Anand, said: He himself has politicised the issue and is now putting the blame on others to save his skin. If the IAS association of so many states, social organisations and the civil society are upset over it and filing public interest litigations in courts, he should address their grievances. He is trying to appease one vote bank. He should give details of all the 26 prisoners released

Meanwhile, Kumar also hit out at the BJP for unleashing a vitriolic attack on Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal over expenses incurred for renovation of the latters house.

I dont believe in individual criticism whether I am with anyone or not. He has won elections in Delhi. All those who win elections are confronted with such things, he said.

Kumar had recently met Kejriwal as part of his efforts to reach out to opposition leaders ahead of the Lok Sabha elections next year.

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India has made it clear to China that bilateral ties could only resume after the present stage of emergency management of the border in East Ladakh was replaced by normalized border management by the PLA after removing friction points at Depsang Plains in Daulet Beg Oldi (DBO) sector and Demchok area including Charding Ninglung Nullah (CNN) sector. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh holds meeting with National Minister of Defence of China Gen Li Shangfu on Thursday.

During the meeting of India-China defence ministers and the 18th round of military dialogue this week Beijing has conveyed to New Delhi that the border has normalized in East Ladakh, and hence bilateral relations should be restored to pre May 2020 level. But this position is contrary to the Chinese statement after the 26th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on China-India Border Affairs on February 22, 2023. The press release on the meeting shared by the Chinese Embassy in Beijing stated: The two sides discussed other measures to further ease the border situation and agreed to make efforts in promoting the border situation to the phase of normalized management and control. This means that the border management in East Ladakh was still in a transitional stage and the situation could only normalize after the PLA restored the status quo in Depsang and Demchok.

While the PLA in the past have maintained that Depsang and Demchok are legacy issues that pre-date May 2020 Chinese Army transgressions in Galwan, Khugrang, Gogra-Hot Springs and Pangong Tso, fact is that the Western Theatre Command have beefed up their positions on ground in the two areas. India has made it clear that till such time the two issues are not resolved, it cannot be business as usual with China. Both the countries have deployed no less than 50,000 troops with missiles, rockets, and artillery along the 1597 km Line of Actual Control in East Ladakh with fighters on a standby since PLA aggression of May 2020.

Unlike in the past decade, the Narendra Modi government is firm on its position vis-a-vis the LAC in western, middle, and eastern sectors and has no intentions of budging on the steps that are needed to restore peace and tranquility on the 3488 km LAC. In fact, Indian diplomacy mirrors that of China with both sides reading from written statements and fixed positions as determined by the political leadership of the country so that there is no scope of any tactical mistake.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh amplified the Indian position to his Chinese counterpart Gen Li Shangfu by stating that the road to normalization goes through a peace and tranquil LAC with disengagement, de-escalation and de-induction of deployed troops and reserves the requisite steps. As of now, the PLA have deployed two divisions on East Ladakh LAC with three combined armed brigades to back them up. These troops are backed by rocket, missile and artillery regiments in Sinkiang military district and Shiquanhe (Gar-Gunsa) area of western Tibet.

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Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan received the eighth batch of 121 Indians at the Jeddah airport evacuated from the conflict-hit Sudan. This batch also included the family members of the Indian Embassy officials, MoS wrote on Twitter. Union minister V Muraleedharan receives 8th batch of stranded Indians in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.((source:Twitter/@MOS_MEA))

"A daring rescue! 8th batch of 121 Indians arrived at Jeddah by IAF C 130 J from Wadi Seidna, Sudan. This evacuation was more complex as the location is in vicinity of Khartoum. Family members of our Embassy Officials were also part of this group. Warm welcome. #OperationKaveri," Muraleedharan tweeted.

Calling it a daring and complex rescue, Muraleedharan informed that evacuees of this batch were located in the vicinity of the Sudanese Capital Khartoum, from where the violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces erupted.

Earlier, on Thursday, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan received rescued Indians from Port Sudan at Jeddah under 'Operation Kaveri'.

A total of 135 passengers were onboard the IAF C-130J aircraft that landed in Jeddah from Port Sudan."Delighted to receive 7th batch of stranded Indians at Jeddah from Port Sudan, 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J aircraft," MoS Muraleedharan tweeted.

Informing of the evacuation of the stranded Indian nationals from Port Sudan, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted on Thursday saying the Indians left for Jeddah on a flight.

"7th batch of stranded Indians departs from Port Sudan. 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight leave for Jeddah under #OperationKaveri," Bagchi tweeted.

Continuing with the rapid mobilisation of naval and air assets for a quick and safe evacuation of Indian nationals from Sudan, INS Teg on Anti Piracy patrol was diverted to Port Sudan, to help with the evacuation process. INS Teg is the fourth Talwar-class frigate constructed for the Indian Navy.

Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence.

Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. (ANI)
IndiGo on Friday confirmed that it is operating two flights from Saudi Arabia's Jeddah to Delhi and Bengaluru respectively as a part of Operation Kaveri to bring back stranded citizens from war-torn Sudan. In a statement, the airline said that it is operating two flights on April 28 and April 30 which will bring back over 450 citizens, reported news agency ANI. IndiGo flight (REUTERS/ FILE)

The airline is operating these flights with A321 aircraft. IndiGo is closely liaising with the government to offer support for more such evacuation flights, the airline's statement added.

As the fighting between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, India launched Operation Kaveri on April 24. Under this, the country has been rescuing its citizens from conflict zones in Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan from where they are being taken to Jeddah.

Earlier in the day, the 11th batch of 135 stranded passengers took off from conflict-torn Sudan for Jeddah via an Indian Air Force C-130J flight. Meanwhile, the third batch of 362 Indian evacuees landed in Delhi from Jeddah as well.

According to the website of the Indian embassy in Khartoum, there were around 2,800 Indian nationals in Sudan. Along with this, there was also a settled Indian community of around 1,200 people - which has been in the country for nearly 150 years.

(With inputs from ANI)
Pakistan attended the conclave of the defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Delhi on Friday in virtual mode. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with Defence Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member nations during the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting, in New Delhi, Friday, April 28, 2023.(PTI)

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be chairing SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting on April 28th and Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif is set to attend the meeting through virtual mode.

Earlier Thursday, Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu, Tajikistan's Colonel General Sherali Mirzo, Iran's Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiyani and Kazakhstan's Colonel General Ruslan Zhaksylykov already arrived in the national capital.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and his counterparts from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan will also attend the meeting.

Officials involved in preparations for the meeting said the deliberations' main focus will be regional security situations, including the developments in Afghanistan. They said enhancing coordination among the SCO member countries to effectively combat terrorism and extremism will be another priority.

India as the Chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2023 will host the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting on 28 April 2023 in New Delhi.

SCO is an intergovernmental organization established in 2001. The SCO membership includes Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan besides India.

Apart from the member states, two observer countries Belarus and Iran will also be participating in the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting.

India and Pakistan became permanent members in 2017. (ANI)
The Maharashtra government Friday told the Supreme Court that it has already recommended a CBI probe into the alleged lynching of three persons in Palghar in 2020 and this led to the closure of proceedings on as many as four pending petitions on the issue. The Maharashtra government Friday told the Supreme Court that it has already recommended a CBI probe into the Palghar lynching case. (ANI PHOTO)

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha took note of the fresh affidavit of the state government that a communication to this effect has already been issued by it.

Also read: Palghar fishermen rescue five policemen on board sinking patrolling boat

"In view of the decision taken by the state government, no further direction is needed on these petitions at this stage. The petitions are disposed of," the bench said.

The pleas demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), alleging that the investigation by the state police was being conducted in a biased manner.

Earlier, the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi government had opposed the plea for a CBI probe into the incident and later, with the change in dispensation in the state, it agreed to the petitions seeking investigation by the central probe agency.

Three people from Kandivali in Mumbai were travelling in a car to attend a funeral in Surat in Gujarat amid the COVID-19-induced nationwide lockdown when their vehicle was stopped and they were attacked and allegedly killed by a mob in Gadchinchile village on the night of April 16, 2020 in the presence of police.

The victims were identified as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri, 70, Sushil Giri Maharaj, 35, and Nilesh Telgade, 30, who was driving the vehicle.
President Droupadi Murmu on Friday accepted Tamil Nadu chief minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M K Stalins invitation to participate in two events in Chennai, the government statement said. President Droupadi Murmu with chief minister Stalin in New Delhi (PTI)

Stalin met the President in Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi to invite her. Murmu agreed to attend the centenary celebration being held in June in memory of Stalins father and former chief minister M Karunanidhi and to inaugurate a multi-super speciality hospital in Chennai.

Earlier, on Karunanidhis 97th birth anniversary on June 3 in 2021, Stalin had announced setting up of the hospital on the campus of the King Institute of Preventive Medicine & Research Centre in Chennais Guindy. The construction of the 1000-bed hospital, built at an estimated cost of 230 crore, has been completed now . The seven-storeyed hospital has departments for oncology, cardiology, radiology and more and covers an area of about 51,429 square meters.

Honble President of India has given consent to inaugurate the hospital in Guindy, Chennai, and to participate in the Centenary Celebration to be held at YMCA Ground, Nandanam on June 5, 2023, said a statement from the state government. Stalin also presented a copy of a biography, Karunanidhi: A Life to Murmu. Later he met Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Delhi airport.

Stalin reached Delhi on Friday early morning after his flight from Chennai was delayed on Thursday night. The DMK-president was received by parliamentary party leader T R Baalu who accompanied him to the Presidents residence.

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Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday once again called upon Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states to unitedly fight terrorism and eliminate the menace in all its forms. Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu, secretary-general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Zhang Ming, defence minister Rajnath Singh and Russain defence minister Sergei Shoigu pose for a picture before the start of the SCO meet in New Delhi,(REUTERS)

Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Asif was scheduled to participate in the meeting through virtual mode.

We should unitedly fight terrorism. If the SCO has to emerge stronger, we have to fight together. Terror groups are using new methods like social media and crowdfunding, news agency ANI quoted Singh as saying at the SCO defence ministers' meeting.

Defence ministers of India, Russia, China and other member nations of the SCO deliberated on pressing regional security challenges and related issues at a conclave hosted by New Delhi. The meeting, chaired by Singh, is also expected to review the overall situation in Afghanistan.

This forum provides an opportunity for all of us to exchange our views, share our perspectives and concerns. This is an important platform where we can discuss the challenges before us and find solutions, the defence minister said.

India sees the SCO as an important entity to promote defence cooperation among member states. We, as a nation, wish to further strengthen the spirit of trust and cooperation among the members of the SCO, Singh said.

Singh added that India was fully committed to making the SCO stronger, contributing to the implementation of SCO's mandate and facing our common challenges.

To ensure a secure, stable and prosperous region, we need to focus on our agenda. This will help in improving the quality of life of the people of each member country, Singh said.

Officials involved in preparations for the meeting earlier told news agency PTI said the main focus of the deliberations would be on regional security situations including the developments in Afghanistan.

They said enhancing coordination among the SCO member countries to effectively combat terrorism and extremism will be another priority.

The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations.

India has shown a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.

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Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday asked the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states to work towards eliminating terrorism. Speaking at the defence ministers meeting of the grouping, he asked them to fix accountability on those who aid or fund terror, officials familiar with the matter said. Defence minister Rajnath Singh. (ANI)

Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif skipped the meeting. A Pakistani government representative attended the SCO meeting virtually from Islamabad, the officials said.

Singhs call for clamping down on terrorism came days after five soldiers were killed when terrorists ambushed an army truck ferrying them between Jammu & Kashmirs Bhimber Gali and Poonch.

Addressing his SCO counterparts, Singh said any kind of terrorist act or support for it in any form is a major crime against humanity, and peace and prosperity cannot coexist with this menace.

If a nation shelters terrorists, it not only poses a threat to others, but for itself too, Singh said, without naming Pakistan.

Addressing the Army Commanders Conference on April 19, Singh said that proxy war by the adversary was continuing. Radicalisation of youth is a cause of concern not only from the point of view of security, but it is also a major obstacle in the path of socio-economic progress of society. If we want to make SCO a stronger and more credible international organisation, our top-most priority should be to effectively deal with terrorism.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday asked the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) regional bloc to work towards eliminating terrorism and hold those who aid it accountable at the defence ministers meeting of the grouping, even as Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif skipped the event, officials familiar with the matter said. Defence minister Rajnath Singh at the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi on Friday. (ANI)

Asif was supposed to attend the meeting virtually.

However, Islamabad was virtually represented by Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, special assistant to the Pakistan prime minister on defence, the officials said.

Singhs call for clamping down on terrorism comes days after five Indian soldiers were killed in a terror ambush in the Rajouri sector on April 20. The spot where the terrorists ambushed the army truck is 7km from Bhimber Gali at the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan.

Addressing his SCO counterparts, Singh said any kind of terrorist act or support to it is a crime against humanity, and peace and prosperity cannot coexist with the menace.

If a nation shelters terrorists, it not only poses a threat to others, but to itself too, Singh said, without naming Pakistan. However, while addressing the armys top brass at the Army Commanders Conference on April 19, Singh said that proxy war by the adversary was continuing.

Radicalisation of youth is a cause of concern not only from the point of view of security, but it is also a major obstacle in the path of socio-economic progress of society. If we want to make SCO a stronger and more credible international organisation, our top-most priority should be to effectively deal with terrorism, he said.

SCO has eight members: India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Iran and Belarus are taking part in this years meeting as observers.

Singh on Thursday raised the issue of the lingering border row with China in eastern Ladakh with his Chinese counterpart General Li Shangfu while stressing that the violation of existing agreements had eroded bilateral relations, and the development of India-China ties was based on peace and tranquillity at the borders. He also told Li that all issues at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) should be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements. India and China have been locked in a border row for almost three years.

On Friday, Singh said India envisions a robust framework of regional cooperation which mutually respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states by taking care of their legitimate interests. He said New Delhi strives to bolster trust and cooperation among the SCO members as it believes in maintaining peace and security based on the Charter of the United Nations.

He said India was committed to defence capacity building of SCO member states through training and co-manufacturing and co-development of military hardware, while stressing that security challenges were not limited to any single country. India is moving forward with a collaborative approach in the field of defence partnership while keeping shared interests in mind, he said.

Singh also reiterated Indias commitment to play the role of a first responder and preferred partner for any humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operation in the region. Be it the Covid-19 pandemic or the recent earthquake in Turkiye, India has always moved forward in line with the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), he said.

In his opening remarks, Singh described the SCO as an evolved and strong regional organisation, while underlining that India views it as an important entity to promote defence cooperation among the member states.

At the end of the deliberations, the SCO countries signed a protocol, expressing their collective will to make the region secure, peaceful and prosperous. It is our moral responsibility to start a new journey of development in the region through mutual cooperation, harmony and respect, Singh added.

Later, defence secretary Giridhar Aramane said all the member nations reached a consensus on several areas of cooperation, including dealing with terrorism, security of vulnerable populations in various countries, and HADR activities. He said that all members of the bloc were unanimous in their statements that terrorism - in all its forms - must be condemned and eliminated.

Experts said that India has used the platform to assert itself and highlight terror as an instrument of state policy.

India is asserting itself in the diplomatic and security domains by highlighting terror as an instrument of state policy. The ministers comments are significant in the backdrop of the April 20 terror attack in Poonch, said military affairs expert lieutenant general Vinod Bhatia (retd).
Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday asked the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to work towards eliminating terrorism. Speaking at the defence ministers meeting of the grouping, he called for holding those aiding terror accountable, officials familiar with the matter said. Defence minister Rajnath Singh with his counterparts in New Delhi. (AFP)

Singhs Pakistani counterpart, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, who was supposed to attend the meeting virtually, skipped it. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs special assistant (defence) Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan virtually represented Pakistan from Islamabad.

Singhs call for clamping down on terrorism came days after five soldiers were killed in a terrorist ambush in Jammu & Kashmirs Rajouri on April 20 near the de factor border with Pakistan.

Addressing his SCO counterparts, Singh said any terrorist act or support to it is a crime against humanity, and peace and prosperity cannot coexist with the menace. If a nation shelters terrorists, it not only poses a threat to others but to itself too, Singh said, without naming Pakistan.

Addressing the Army Commanders Conference on April 19, Singh said that proxy war by the adversary was continuing. Radicalisation of youth is a cause of concern not only from the point of view of security, but it is also a major obstacle in the path of socio-economic progress of society. If we want to make SCO a stronger and more credible international organisation, our top most priority should be to effectively deal with terrorism.

India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are SCOs member countries. Iran and Belarus are taking part in this years meeting as observers.

Singh on Thursday raised the issue of the lingering border row with China in eastern Ladakh with his Chinese counterpart General Li Shangfu. He stressed that the violation of existing agreements eroded bilateral relations, and the development of India-China ties was based on peace and tranquillity at the borders. He told Li that all issues at the Line of Actual Control should be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements. India and China have been locked in a border row for almost three years.

On Friday, Singh said India envisions a robust framework of regional cooperation that mutually respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states by taking care of their legitimate interests. He said New Delhi strives to bolster trust and cooperation among the SCO members as it believes in maintaining peace and security based on the Charter of the United Nations.

He said India was committed to defence capacity building of SCO member states through training and co-manufacturing and co-development of military hardware, while stressing that security challenges were not limited to any single country. India is moving forward with a collaborative approach in the field of defence partnership while keeping shared interests in mind, he said.

Singh reiterated Indias commitment to playing the role of a first responder and preferred partner for any humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operation in the region. Be it the Covid-19 pandemic or the recent earthquake in Turkiye, India has always moved forward in line with the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam [the world is one family], he said.

In his opening remarks, Singh described the SCO as an evolved and strong regional organisation, while underlining that India views it as an important entity to promote defence cooperation among the member states.

At the end of the deliberations, the SCO countries signed a protocol, expressing their collective will to make the region secure, peaceful, and prosperous. It is our moral responsibility to start a new journey of development in the region through mutual cooperation, harmony, and respect, Singh said.

Defence secretary Giridhar Aramane said all the member nations reached a consensus on several areas of cooperation, including dealing with terrorism, security of vulnerable populations, and HADR activities. He said all members of the bloc were unanimous in their statements that terrorism in all its forms must be condemned and eliminated.
Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu on Friday said a front was being formed to contain China, accusing the US and its allies of being against a multipolar world, and eroding global security architecture for their dominance. Russia's defence minister Sergei Shoigu during the SCO defence ministers' meeting in New Delhi on Friday. (PTI)

Fundamental, dynamic, and irreversible changes are taking place as the new multipolar world takes shape. This is actively opposed by the collective West, Shoigu said in his address at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers meeting. In a bid to maintain global dominance, the US and its allies have severely eroded the global security architecture.

The Wests resistance to multilateralism is evident in the Asia-Pacific region, he said.

The minister said the US had paved the way for the disintegration of existing regional security system in Asia-Pacific, while citing military and political alliances such as Quad and Aukus. Quad includes the US, India, Australia and Japan, while Aukus consists of Australia, the UK and US.

China is also opposed to both blocs, which Shoigu said were integrating into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation for dominance in the Asia-Pacific region.

To contain China, a front is forming. The tensions around the so-called Taiwan problem are purposely escalated, and territorial disputes in the South China Sea and East China Sea are being heated. In our understanding, one of the major achievements in the AsiaPacific region is bloc-free and equal interaction, and it must be preserved, Shoigu said in comments that appeared to reflect Russias growing proximity to China.

He accused Washington and its enablers of pursuing their strategic agenda of provoking other countries into military confrontation with countries like Russia and China. Shoigu said the conflict in Ukraine was a clear demonstration of this criminal policy, and its real objective was to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, threaten China, and maintain global dominance.

In doing so, the West has demonstrated its advance preparation for a confrontation with the Russian Federation. Large-scale sanctions were immediately imposed on Russia, arms were supplied to Ukraine, intelligence was transmitted, and military advisers and mercenaries were sent to the combat zone.

He said Russia has repeatedly stressed that arms deliveries to Kiev only prolong the conflict, cause more casualties and destruction of infrastructure, and finally boomerang and affect the stability of Europe and the world.

He said during the special military operation in Ukraine, Russias partners experienced pressure to isolate Moscow, and the West launched a global campaign to compromise the Russian leadership and policies.

Shoigu said it was important to strengthen the role of the SCO as one of the pillars of the new multipolar international system, a model of interstate relations based on equality and mutual respect, and observance of international law.

It is necessary to maintain close coordination within the SCO and to hold regular consultations on common security issues, both in multilateral and bilateral ways, he added.

Shoigu also held a bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on the sidelines of the SCO event.

The two ministers discussed wide-ranging issues of bilateral defence cooperation, including military-to-military ties as well as industrial partnership. They also discussed the Russian defence industrys participation in the Make in India initiative and ways to provide further impetus to it, the defence ministry said in a statement.
India has been ramping up its efforts to evacuate Indian nationals stuck in cities and border points of war-torn Sudan. Another batch of 362 Indian evacuees, who boarded a flight from Jeddah, landed in New Delhi on Friday. After arriving to safety, one of the evacuees while explaining how their evacuation took place lauded the "smooth" efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led dispensation, and chanted slogans like 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', 'PM Narendra Modi Zindabad". A total of 362 Indian evacuees from Sudan took a flight for Bengaluru from Jeddah in the presence of minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan.

I thank the government for bringing us back to the country. The situation is really bad there (in Sudan), Balram said.

The evacuation was done under India's Operation Kaveri to bring back all the stranded Indian nationals in Sudan. A total of 362 Indian evacuees from Sudan took a flight for Bengaluru from Jeddah in the presence of minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan.

Also Read | Indians evacuated from Sudan thank PM Modi, hail Indian jawans as 'real heroes'

Earlier, the tenth batch of 326 Indian evacuees from Sudan reached Jeddah by INS Tarkash. According to the website of the Indian embassy in Khartoum, there were around 2,800 Indian nationals in Sudan. Along with this, there was also a settled Indian community of around 1,200 people - which has been in the country for nearly 150 years.

Read | Operation Kaveri: IAFs woman pilot helps elderly board C-17 Globemaster during Sudan evacuation. Watch

The armed forces are working tirelessly to evacuate all the Indian citizens from the conflict-ridden region.

Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

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The 10th batch with 135 Indian citizens, who were stranded in conflict-ridden Sudan, have successfully departed from Port Sudan on an IAF C 130J flight, said the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said on Friday morning. They are headed towards Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Sudan crisis: Operation Kaveri flight with 246 Indians on board evacuated from conflict-ridden Sudan landed, in Mumbai on Thursday.(Twitter/ S Jaishankar)

India has launched Operation Kaveri with the aim of repatriating all the citizens who have been stranded in Sudan due to the ongoing conflict which resulted from clashes between the army and paramilitary forces in the country, causing a volatile situation that has put many people at risk.

#OperationKaveri progresses further. 10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.

INS Tarkash bolsters #OperationKaveri efforts! 9th batch of Indians leaves Port Sudan for Jeddah with 326 passengers onboard," Bagchi said in an earlier tweet.

Earlier, minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan updated that the eighth batch of Indian nationals had been safely evacuated from Sudan and arrived at Jeddah airport. This batch consisted of 121 individuals, including family members of Indian embassy officials who were also in Sudan.

"A daring rescue! 8th batch of 121 Indians arrived at Jeddah by IAF C 130 J from Wadi Seidna, Sudan. This evacuation was more complex as the location is in vicinity of Khartoum. Family members of our Embassy Officials were also part of this group. Warm welcome. #OperationKaveri," Muraleedharan tweeted.

According to the website of the Indian embassy in Khartoum, there were around 2,800 Indian nationals in Sudan. Along with this, there was also a settled Indian community of around 1,200 people - which has been in the country for nearly 150 years.

On Tuesday, INS Sumedha transported the first batch of 278 Indian individuals from Port Sudan to Jeddah. In a statement released on Sunday, the MEA assured that all possible measures were being taken to ensure the safety and security of Indian citizens who are currently stranded in Sudan.

The armed forces are working tirelessly to evacuate all the Indian citizens from the conflict-ridden region.

The Sudanese Armed Forces have on Friday announced an extension -for another 72 hours - of the ceasefire in the region, a decision that has been widely welcomed by both the Trilateral Mechanism (consisting of the African Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and United Nations) and the Quad (comprising Saudi Arabia, UAE, UK, and US).

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Stressing that social cohabitation between same-sex couples must find some recognition in law, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Union government how far it is willing to go in taking administrative steps to ensure social security and welfare benefits for such couples even in absence of a legal recognition of marriage. Supreme Court of India. (PTI File Photo)

A Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, said that when the government concedes that same-sex couples have a fundamental right to cohabit and celebrate their unions, a mere statement of denying them legal recognition of marriage will not augur well with a welfare State.

Once you accept the fact that same-sex couples have a right to cohabit, there is a corresponding duty on the State to at least recognise that cohabitation...all the social incidents of that cohabitation must find recognition in the law...As a welfare State, as a democratic State, these are aspirations of the people that there has to be some recognition. So, what can the State do? the bench, which also included justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, S Ravindra Bhat, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha, asked solicitor general (SG) Tushar Mehta.

Why we are trying to push you to this is because we take your point that if the court were to accept the petitioners arguments, the court will be legislating and that its not the remit of the court. Its for Parliament or state legislature. But short of that, our law has gone so far now, what will the government want to do to ensure that these cohabitatory relationships or relationships based on cohabitation or association must be recognised in the terms of creating the same sense of security, social welfare? By doing that we also ensure that for the future, these relationships cease to be ostracised in society, it added.

The bench clarified that when it uses the term recognition, it does not mean marriage, and that the Centre may think of some other semantics like partners to identify such unions that make them entitled to certain benefits. You may not give them a particular recognition of marriage but at the same time there is a need to bring down some barriers, it emphasised.

Asking the SG to come back with a response on May 3 when the case will be heard next, the bench gave examples of certain basic social functions such as joint bank accounts, joint guardianships and pensionary benefits, to point out that these are human issues of day-to-day life which the same-sex couples face due to lack of recognition by the State and its institutions.

While the Constitution bench is yet to accept the governments position that the issue of legal recognition of marriage is beyond judicial determination, it opened a completely new dimension to the case on Tuesday proposing a middle path. However, it is still to be seen how the petitioners respond to this course of action before the court.

Urging the SG to take a non-adversarial stand on the issue, the bench said: From that point of view, we would be more than willing to have the government make that statement before us because the government has ministries dedicated to these purposes...This should come from you because ultimately, we want some elements of a broad sense of a coalition. We are also conscious of the fact that so much a representative democracy should achieve in our country.

While Mehta submitted that he would have a consultation with the competent authorities in the government about possible solutions to these sociological problems, the top court was categorical that there is a lot that the Centre can do even without granting legal recognition of marriage to same-sex unions.

Of course, you have made your submissions on the legislative side that this will be in remit of Parliament and state legislature, but there are so many issues on which, on the administrative side, you can find real solutions to so many problems. We can act as facilitators to achieve the objective. The relationship of court with the government is not an adversarial relationship. On socio-economic matters, we are constantly pushing the government, it said.

The bench accepted the SGs submissions that the same-sex marriage case may also have impact on personal laws even though it has mandated to confine the remit of these proceedings to recognition of such unions under the Special Marriage Act (SMA), adding the government must also remain mindful of the leap that the law has taken and the 2019 Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act exemplifies the progressive vision of legislature.

We may not have a model within us, and it may not be appropriate for us to devise that model, but we can certainly tell the government that our law has gone so far now. Within what our law has already recognised, can we not ensure that there is a certain degree of recognition? This is completely in line with what you were submitting that the remit of it will be with Parliament. So, therefore we are putting it to you only, it told the law officer.

Responding that the government also shares the courts concerns about human problems, Mehta said that he would be taking this up with the authorities in the government. At one point, Mehta said that the queer movement began in 2002 but the court disagreed as it underlined that such relationships always existed in Indian society.

Its the other way round. It was the impact of British Victorian morality that we had to forsake much of our cultural ethos. You go to some of our finest temples and look at the architecture. You will never say this is lurid. It shows the depth of our culture...very layered and educative. Look at the profound nature of our culture down the ages, it observed.

The bench went on to add: What happened unfortunately was in 1857 and thereafter, we imposed as if it was a code of British Victorian morality on a completely different culture when our culture was extraordinary inclusive and very broad...which is possibly one of the reasons why our religion survived foreign invasions...because of the inclusive and profound nature of our culture...Lets not transpose Victorian philosophy as our original civilisational philosophy. That will be very difficult to accept.

It further asked the SG to check if any ministry in the government applied its mind to the variety of issues that may arise following the Supreme Courts 2018 judgment that not only decriminalised homosexuality but also contemplated that people will form such unions.

Decriminalisation (of homosexuality by the 2018 judgment) was also a recognition that such a status can prevail. We would like to know if your ministries examined how such problems will be tackled in future. If any thought process has been given to it in the last five years, the court asked Mehta, who said he would back on this, too, on May 3.

Chayanika Shah, one of petitioners who have challenged the SMA, said: They [the government] cannot see queer and trans people as equal citizens. They want to keep us in a secondary status. Its that belief that makes them say that there is no fundamental right to marriage or any relationship like that which goes by any other name! It shows in the callous way that they misread who is a trans person! It shows in the way they ridicule diversity by quoting 72 shades of gender taken from some unnamed arbitrary website!

Mario DPenha, who is part of a petition challenging the SMA, Citizenship Act, and Foreign Marriages Act, also criticised the government for its stance. said Im curious to see what exactly the Union will offer on May 3 in terms of possible benefits to queer couples. But our governments refusal to allow the dignity of marriage to queer people is not unique to India. Across the world, conservative politicians have acted in the same way, first offering domestic partnerships, and civil unions. But the demand for the dignity of marriage never subsides. India should recognise this, and give us our due. Marriage is both a bouquet of rights and an issue of dignity. Anything less will amount to second-class citizenship, the petitioner said.

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The Supreme Court on Friday told the Patna high court to immediately take a call on petitions seeking stay of the caste-based survey in the state, deciding the matter preferably within three days. It was in June last year that the state government decided to conduct a door-to-door caste census. (ANI file photo)

With the survey entering the second phase and expected to conclude by May 15, a bench of justices MR Shah and JB Pardiwala said, It is not in dispute that the matters are pending before the high court (of Patna). It appears that as on date, there is no decision by the high court even on grant of interim order.

The Court was hearing an appeal filed by organisation Youth For Equality which had approached the high court on April 18 to stay the survey.

Also Read: SC agrees to hear on April 28 plea against caste survey in Bihar

The high court posted the matter for hearing on May 4 without passing any order and it was against this order, the organisation approached the top court.

The Court allowed the petitioner to make an application for stay before the high court while requesting that the same be considered and decided at the earliest and preferably within three days from the mentioning of the application before the chief justice of the high court.

With Bihar government represented in Court, the bench asked the state, This survey is being undertaken for what purpose. Is it for electoral roll. Why are you working so hard on this exercise.

States standing counsel Manish Kumar told the Court that the survey was imperative and need to be carried out as this exercise had not been done for a long time.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi assisted by senior lawyer Aparajita Singh said, It is imperative because elections are to take place.

Rohatgi said that the HC order will make their petition redundant as the survey will end by May 15.

He said that such survey is illegal, and several petitions have challenged it as it is a burning issue in the state.

It was in June last year that the state government decided to conduct a door-to-door caste census.

In January, a petition challenging this survey was filed in the top court which felt that the same should be filed before the high court.

The survey was opposed on the ground that this was not meant to be a sample survey but a census which only Centre can conduct under Section 3 of the Census Act, 1948 and the accompanying Census Rules.

The Youth for Equality in its plea, further claimed that such a survey had no legal backing and was conducted on an executive order issued by the state.

It further claimed that the census required every household to disclose sensitive personal details such as religion, caste, income which constitute privileged information of citizens under the right to privacy, declared a fundamental right by Supreme Court under Article 21.
The Supreme Court on Friday commuted to life imprisonment the death penalty awarded to a man who had murdered his sister and her lover in 2017, observing he has been found to be "well-behaved" and without a criminal mindset. Supreme Court of India. (PTI File Photo)

A bench headed by Justice B R Gavai delivered its verdict on the appeals filed by two convicts, one of whom was awarded death penalty while the other was sentenced to life imprisonment. They had challenged the December 2021 judgement of the Bombay High Court.

The high court had dismissed their appeals against the trial court verdict and confirmed the death sentence awarded to one of them.

While observing that no interference was warranted with the concurrent findings of the trial court and the high court which convicted both for the offence of murder, the apex court noted the only question was whether the case fell in the rarest of the rare category so as to award death penalty.

The bench, also comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sanjay Karol, observed that both the appellants do not have any criminal antecedents and appellant Digambar, who was awarded capital punishment, was a young man of about 25 years at the time of the incident.

"The medical evidence would further reveal that the appellants have not acted in a brutal manner, inasmuch as there is only single injury inflicted on both the deceased. As such, we find that the present case cannot be considered to be 'rarest of rare' case," the bench said.

"In any case, the report of the Probation Officer, Nanded, as well as the Superintendent, Nashik Road Central Prison would show that the appellant Digambar has been found to be well-behaved, helping and a person with leadership qualities. He is not a person with criminal mindset and criminal records," it said.

The top court said it was of the considered view that the high court as well as the trial court had erred in holding that the case would fall under the category of 'rarest of rare' to award capital punishment to Digambar.

"We are, therefore, inclined to partly allow the appeal of appellant Digambar. However, insofar as the appellant Mohan, who has been awarded a sentence of life imprisonment, is concerned, we find that there is no reason to interfere," it said.

The apex court noted that Digambar's sister, who was having an affair with a person for five years, was married to a man in June 2017 and in July 2017, she left her matrimonial home without informing anybody.

It noted her husband had lodged a missing report at the police station on the same day and Digambar, having knowledge of the affair, was suspicious that she might have gone with that person.

The court noted in the verdict that both the accused found them and Digambar assaulted them resulting in their death.

The bench said Digambar had then rushed to the police station and surrendered.

"Though the conviction of the appellant Digambar under section 302 (murder) IPC is maintained, the sentence of capital punishment is commuted to life imprisonment," it said.
Emphasising on the importance of preserving the secular character of the country, the Supreme Court on Friday directed police chiefs of all states and Union territories to file suo motu (on their own) cases against hate speeches made by people from any religion, and warned of contempt action if its direction is not complied with. A large part of the problem of hate speech will go away if politicians stop mixing politics with religion, the Supreme Court observed (HT File)

A bench of justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna noted that a similar direction passed in October 2022 for the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi will now be extended to the entire country, keeping in view the concerns expressed over rising incidents of hate speeches reported from different regions.

We are only concerned about the rule of law...Irrespective of the caste, community, religion of the maker of the speech, no one can be allowed to break the law...this is something which goes to the heart of our republic. Its about dignity of people, said the bench, expanding the ambit of its 2022 order to cover the whole country.

Also Read: SC closes contempt case as Delhi police files charge sheet in hate speech case

In its order on Friday, the court recorded that all the states and UTs shall ensure that immediately as and when any speech or any action takes place which attracts offences such as Sections 153A, 153B and 295A and 505 of the IPC etc, suo moto action will be taken to register cases even if no complaint is forthcoming and proceed against the offenders in accordance with law.

It ordered the police chiefs of states and UTs to issue pertinent directions to their subordinates so that appropriate action in law will be taken at the earliest.

Borrowing from its October 2022 order, the bench made it clear that any hesitation to act in accordance with its direction on registration of FIRs will be viewed as contempt of court and appropriate action will be taken against the erring officers.

We further make it clear that such action will be taken irrespective of the religion that the maker of the speech or the person who commit such act belongs to, so that the secular character of Bharat as is envisaged by the Preamble, is preserved and protected, underlined the bench in its order.

The bench was hearing a bundle of pleas relating to incidents of hate speeches when it observed that it is an offence affecting the fabric of the nation and that the court wants criminal prosecution of all those involved in it irrespective of their religion.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Union government, pointed out that the Centre shares the courts concerns but there is already a process envisaged for the registration of FIRs and it would become unmanageable for the top court to handle applications from across the country complaining against hate speeches.

We only had public good in mind when we passed the order for suo motu action against hate speeches... so that it should not go out of hands... both of us are apolitical. We dont care about party A or party B. We are only on the Constitution, on the rule of law, observed the bench, as some of the lawyers pointed out that while the complaints before the top court were made against states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra (where BJP is a part of the ruling dispensation), some other states such as West Bengal were being deliberately left out.

To this, the bench retorted: Dont bring (in) politics. If an attempt is made to bring in politics, we will not be a party to this. We have already said that action should be taken irrespective of religion or where it is happening. What else is required?

At this point, advocate Nizam Pasha, who was representing petitioner-journalist Shaheen Abdullah, urged the court to make the October 2022 order applicable to all states and UTs. He also suggested that nodal officer be appointed in each state who should be responsible for actions on hate speeches. It was on Abdullahs plea highlighting instances of hate speech against Muslims made at separate events in the Delhi, UP and Uttarakhand that the previous order was issued.

Accepting Pashas request, the bench extended its October 2022 order across all states and UTs and added that contempt action could be initiated against the errant police officials for breaching its directive.

At one point, the bench also cautioned the Maharashtra government against taking its orders lightly, reminding the state that it is yet to satisfy the court in response to Abdullahs contempt plea citing 50 alleged hate speech rallies taken out in Maharashtra over the last four months.

Additional solicitor general SV Raju, appearing for the Maharashtra government, replied that the state has the highest respect for the bench and that it has already registered FIRs into the instances where elements of hate speeches were found.

That is your duty, replied the bench, fixing the matter on May 12 to peruse the states affidavit.

It also allowed the intervention application filed by advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, highlighting instances of a call for beheading (sar tan se juda) by the members of a particular community. Jain appeared for Hindu Front for Justice.

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On April 27, 2023, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang briefed journalists on relevant situations after chairing the fourth China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Xian.

Qin Gang said that the fourth China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers Meeting has made comprehensive political preparations for the upcoming China-Central Asia Summit, and the two sides exchanged in-depth views on cooperation between China and Central Asian countries and issues of mutual interest and concern, with a wide range of consensus reached.

First, adhere to good-neighborliness and friendship, and work together to ensure the success of the Xian Summit. All parties have agreed to host China-Central Asia Summit in Xian next month. This is an important step taken by all the parties to build with resolution a closer community with a shared future between China and Central Asia for the future of the six countries and their people. All the parties will work with concerted efforts to host a splendid event, present the high-level China-Central Asia cooperation to the world, and usher China-Central Asia relations into a new era.

Second, adhere to solidarity and mutual assistance, and enhance mutual support. All parties reiterated their respect for respective choice of a development path suited to their own national conditions, firm mutual support on issues concerning each others core interests, stern opposition to external interference in internal affairs, and resolute rejection of any individual or any force creating chaos and turbulence in Central Asia. The Chinese government firmly supports the sovereignty, independence, security and territorial integrity of Central Asian countries. This position has never changed and will not change.

Third, adhere to mutual benefit and win-win results, and advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. All parties spoke highly of the achievements of Belt and Road cooperation between China and Central Asian countries over the past ten years, and said that they will further increase the level of economic, trade, investment and financing cooperation, forge a modern regional connectivity network, promote personnel exchanges, ensure smooth cargo transportation, expand cooperation in such fields as agriculture, new energy, e-commerce, and digital economy, and enhance cultural and people-to-people and sub-national exchanges, so as to further invigorate and substantiate cooperation between the six countries and further contribute to the development and rejuvenation of the six countries.

Fourth, adhere to sharing weal and woe, and expand security cooperation. All parties held the view that currently, the complex and changing situation in Central Asia has brought new challenges to the development of the six countries. The six countries are resolute in making greater efforts to crack down on the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, illegal drug trafficking, and multinational organized crime and cyber crime, strengthen communication and coordination on the Afghan issue, and jointly safeguard regional peace and tranquility.

Fifth, adhere to fairness and justice, and resolutely safeguard the international order. China and Central Asian countries share the same or similar positions on major international and regional issues, and will keep close collaboration within such multilateral institutions and frameworks as the United Nations (UN) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and other recognized norms of international law, practice true multilateralism, and make China-Central Asia contribution to promoting the reform of the global governance system and building a human community with a shared future.
The Supreme Court on Friday questioned the Uttar Pradesh government over the security provided to gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf who were killed while police were taking them for a routine medical examination in Uttar Pradeshs Prayagraj on April 15, as it sought a detailed report from the state on the incident and the probe initiated by it. Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed (in photo) and his brother Ashraf were killed while police were taking them for a routine medical examination in Uttar Pradeshs Prayagraj on April 15 (PTI)

How did they (shooters) know? We have seen on TV. Why were they not taken in an ambulance till the hospital? Why were they made to walk and paraded? a bench of justices S Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta asked senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, who represented the state.

The bench also took note that Ahmeds son Asad was killed in an alleged encounter on April 13  two days before the formers killing, asking the state to also bring on record the inquiries conducted by the state government following this.

Assailants Lavlesh Tiwari, 22, Mohit, 23, and Arun Kumar Maurya, 18, reportedly sprayed the two with bullets on the premises of a hospital as Ahmed and Ashraf were talking to the media. Policemen ring-fenced them when gunshots rang out. The April 15 murders were captured live on video.

Two days before that, the Uttar Pradesh Police killed former Samajwadi Party MP Ahmeds son Asad, and one of his associates in Jhansi. Asad was wanted in connection with the murder of Umesh Pal, who was a witness in a murder case against Ahmed. Pal was shot dead in Prayagraj on February 24 and the CCTV footage of the incident showed Asad to be one of the shooters.

Responding to a PIL by advocate Vishal Tiwari demanding an independent probe into the killings of Ahmed and Ashraf, Rohatgi stressed that the state has already set up two judicial commissions. What more can we do? he asked.

To this, the top court observed that the government should put the steps taken by it on a comprehensive affidavit, along with records of the judicial commissions and their terms of references.

If there is indeed a pattern (in the killings), as the petitioner says, we can ask the commission to examine sample cases and come out with certain conclusions and recommendations. We can decide the terms of reference too, the bench told Rohatgi.

The senior counsel, on his part, said that the state government was willing to put everything on record before the court to show that they have taken adequate steps. Commenting on Ahmeds antecedents, Rohatgi said: Unfortunately this man and his family have been embroiled in heinous cases. We are still looking into why he Was killed. The boys (Atiqs shooters) said they wanted to gain popularity, but we dont know so far. This might have also been done by those who have incurred the wrath of the family in the past. We are looking into everything.

At this, the bench referred to a slew of recommendations made by a judicial committee headed by a former Supreme Court judge BS Chauhan in 2022 following an inquiry into the encounter killing of gangster Vikas Dubey in July 2020. Dubey was killed in a shootout when he was being brought to Kanpur from Ujjain by the police. The police claim the vehicle he was in overturned, and Dubey got free, snatched a gun, and dashed into the surrounding fields before being killed in an exchange of fire.

Justice Chauhan commission said police were not responsible. The state accepted the recommendations, and this court also closed the proceedings last year, responded Rohatgi.

To this, the bench said that the UP government, in its affidavit to be filed within three weeks, should also bring on record the follow up steps taken by the state in terms of justice Chauhans report.

Apart from seeking a court-monitored inquiry into the killings of Ahmed and his brother, Tiwari asked for a probe into the 183 encounters killings in Uttar Pradesh since 2017.

On March 28, a bench led by justice Ajay Rastogi dismissed Ahmeds plea for protection and observed that the state machinery would take care of his protection in case of a threat to his life. Ahmed was asked by the top court to approach the Allahabad high court if he had any apprehension regarding his safety.

In his plea, Tiwari cited a severe threat to democracy and rule of law in UP and said that in a democratic society, police cannot be allowed to become a mode of delivering final justice or to become a punishing authority. The plea underlined the power of punishment is only vested in the judiciary and added that extrajudicial killings or fake police encounters have no place in the law. When the police turn daredevils then the entire rule of law collapses and generates fear in the mind of people against the police which is very dangerous for democracy and this also results in more crimes, it stated.

The petition sought guidelines/directions to safeguard the rule of law by constituting an Independent Expert Committee under the Chairmanship of former Supreme Court justice to inquire into the 183 encounters which had occurred since 2017 as stated by Uttar Pradesh Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) and also to inquire into the police custody murder of Atiq and Ashraf. .

After the incident, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member judicial commission to probe the killings of Ahmed and Ashraf. Another magisterial inquiry, as mandated by the Supreme Court for all encounter killings, was constituted for Asads encounter.

A first information report (FIR) registered in Ahmeds killing r said the three assailants confessed that they killed Ahmed and Ashraf to wipe out their gang and make a name for themselves in the state. The three were booked for murder, attempt to commit murder, using prohibited arms, carrying prohibited arms, and using arms without licence.

The murders raised questions about how the assailants breached the police cordon in such a high-profile case or why dozens of policemen could not stop the three assailants. The three carried video cameras, mikes, and media identity cards to pose as journalists and were later overpowered. They used expensive made-in-Turkey pistols for the killings.

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Following a day full of drama, the Supreme Court on Friday first took away a bunch of politically sensitive cases in West Bengal from Calcutta high court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay, and hours later, stayed the judges unusual directive seeking a report from the top courts secretary general regarding the documents that formed the basis of its order. The Supreme Court on Friday took away a bunch of politically sensitive cases in West Bengal from Calcutta high court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay. (PTI)

At around 12.15pm on Friday, a bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, ordered that the acting chief justice of the high court shall transfer the cases relating to alleged irregularities in the recruitment by West Bengal School Service Commission from justice Gangopadhyay to some other judge in view of a report received from the registrar general of the high court.

Even as it remarked that nobody should try to browbeat judges anywhere in the country, the bench, which also comprised justice PS Narasimha, said that the direction was being passed in the wake of a video interview of justice Gangopadhyay on the proceedings pending before him, apart from certain statements made by him about TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, against whom the judge passed a judicial order too.

Also Read: No business giving interviews on pending cases': Supreme Court to judges

Considering the authenticated transcript of the TV interview and a note submitted by justice Gangopadhyay to the registrar general of the high court, the bench directed that acting chief justice should reassign the pending proceedings in the case to some other judge of the high court.

In an interview to ABP Ananda aired last September, justice Gangopadhyay justified his orders on a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), saying there appeared rampant corruption in the teachers recruitment process.

The high court judge also said TMC general secretary Banerjee could face a jail term of three months for alleging that a section of judiciary was hand in gloves with the opposition BJP. He was fearless and even if the Supreme Court criticises him and he is removed from judiciary, he will stand by what he has done because corruption has destroyed India, the judge added, perhaps aware that his behaviour would be frowned upon by the top court.

Banerjee on Monday brought the TV interview and its transcript on record before the Supreme Court bench, citing an order of the high court judge asking CBI and the Enforcement Directorate to probe the TMC leader in connection with the recruitment scam case.

However, hours after the Supreme Court order on Friday, justice Gangopadhyay initiated a suo motu proceeding, calling for the official transcript of the interview to be placed before him by the secretary general of the Supreme Court, for which he said he will wait till 12.15am in his chamber.

For the sake of transparency, I direct the Secretary General of the Honble Supreme Court of India to produce before me the report and the official translation of the interview given by me in media and the affidavit of the Registrar General of this Court in original, forthwith by 12 midnight today. This is required for the sake of transparency, said his order.

Justice Gangopadhyays order in turn prompted the Supreme Court to initiate a suo motu proceeding to stay the operation of his order. A special bench comprising justice AS Bopanna and Hima Kohli sat at 8pm and held that judicial discipline required justice Gangopadhyay to desist from passing the impugned order. The bench stayed his order seeking a report from the secretary general and made this direction absolute.

Justice Gangopadhyay said he was neither disappointed by the Supreme Courts move nor would he step down or compromise on the issue of corruption. But I think the rest of the cases (related to the job scam) will be taken away from me on the same ground, he said.

There is something called discipline. The Supreme Courts order must be followed. Some other judge will hear these cases. The hearings may take place for seven years in place of seven months. Some citizens may feel disappointed but they must have faith, he added.

On April 24, the CJI-led bench had observed that judges should not give interviews to news outlets on matters pending before them, asking the high court registrar to verify from justice Gangopadhyay as to whether he gave the impugned interview and further clarify his statements as recorded in the video.

The Supreme Court order on reassignment of the case to another bench triggered strong reactions in Bengal.

State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar described justice Gangopadhyay as a crusader against corruption. Majumdar said: The Supreme Courts order is unfortunate. It will disappoint the people of Bengal to whom justice Gangopadhyay was a crusader against corruption. His verdicts gave hope to common people. The Supreme Court can take any decision. We cannot question it. But the TMC has no reasons to rejoice because the cases will continue, and its leaders will land in jail.

Former Supreme Court judge Asok Kumar Ganguly said: As far as I understand the Constitution, a high court is not subordinate to the Supreme Court. So, the essence of the order should not be misinterpreted. It was passed in view of the television interview.

Banerjee, who had filed the petition before the Supreme Court, said: We have highest respect for the high court and the Supreme Court. Those who are involved in this corruption must be punished. CBI and ED are carrying out investigations. However, we expect courts to order federal agency probes in Bengal in special cases, not at random.

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The Supreme Court on Friday sought a report from the Uttar Pradesh government on the killing of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf at Prayagraj hospital on April 15. The court order came on a PIL filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari demanding a judicial probe into the killing and similar killings in the state. Ashraf and Atiq Ahmad were shot dead on April 15. (ANI)(HT_PRINT)

The court asked the state government to inform the steps taken to investigate the deaths and an encounter of his son prior to the incident. The matter will be heard after three weeks.

Advocate Vishal Tiwari had mentioned before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud seeking an urgent hearing of his plea. Tiwari mentioned in the court that his plea sought a probe into the extra-judicial killings in Uttar Pradesh.

In his plea, Tiwari sought to constitute an independent expert committee under the chairmanship of a former Supreme Court judge to inquire into the killing of Atiq and Ashraf.

He also moved a plea in the Supreme Court seeking to constitute an independent expert committee to inquire into the 183 encounters which had occurred since 2017 as stated by the Uttar Pradesh Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) and also to inquire into the police custody murder of Atiq and Ashraf.

Atiq and Ashraf were shot dead while they were being taken to a hospital in Prayagraj on April 15 night amid police presence.

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Chennai: Political parties in Tamil Nadu have demanded an apology from the states BJP president K Annamalai, who did not intervene when former Karnataka deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa forcibly stopped the Tamil Nadus anthem from being played during an election campaign in Shimoga and replaced it with Karnataka state song. In a tweet, DMKs deputy general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi questioned how K Annamalai will be concerned about Tamils when he cannot stop his partymen from insulting the Tamil anthem. (ANI)

The incident during campaigning for Karnatakas assembly elections slated for May 10 has turned into a controversy in the neighbouring state.

In a tweet, DMKs deputy general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi questioned how Annamalai will be concerned about Tamils when he cannot stop his partymen from insulting the Tamil anthem. DMK spokesperson Rajiv Gandhi said there was no need to sing the Tamil Nadu anthem in other states but accused Annamalai of playing politics to win votes. When you decided to play the anthem, you should have ensured that it was not stopped mid-way, Gandhi said..

BJPs ally in Tamil Nadu, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), described the incident as Eshwarappa displaying his language fanaticism by replacing the Tamil anthem with Karnataka state song. PMK demanded an apology from the organisers.

The incident happened on Thursday in Shimoga where the BJPs Karnataka unit had organised an election campaign in a Tamil-dominated area with their star campaigner from Tamil Nadu, Annamlalai, Eshwarappa and the party candidate S N Channabasappa.

Tamil Nadus anthem  the Tamil Thai Vazhthu  is usually played during the start of events and the national anthem is played while the event is concluding. Videos from the meeting showed Eshwarappa walking away from the dias towards the microphone and asking the organisers to stop playing it. Annamalai, meanwhile, was singing the Tamil Thai Vazhthu. The video showed that the Kannada state anthem was played next.

Annamalai on Friday responded to the criticism. Eshwarappa merely pointed out that the anthem of the state (Karnataka) should be played first, and then the Tamil anthem can be played later, he said. Your (DMK) history is such that you removed references to Kannada and Malayalam from the song.

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https://www.hindustantimes.com/topic/sonia-gandhiThe Congress on Thursday blamed PM Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai after Karnataka BJP MLA Yatnal called Sonia Gandhi 'vishkanya', a day after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called Modi a venomous snake and then clarified that BJP was his target, not any individual. Karnataka BJP MLA Yatnal on Friday said, "Is Sonia Gandhi a vishkanya?"

As the barbs fly thick and fast with a few days remaining for the crucial Assembly election in Karnataka, the Congress reacted sharply to the 'vishkanya' jibe as said Sonia Gandhi is the wife of the former prime minister who sacrificed his life for the country. "The kind of things that have been said about Sonia Gandhi ji at the behest of Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah and under the patronage of Bommai, the people of Karnataka and the country will account for it," the Congress said demanding a public apology to Sonia Gandhi.

Karnataka Assembly Election 2023: Full Coverage

"BJP is on the verge of destruction in Karnataka. In such a situation, the fury of its leaders is increasing. In this frenzy, BJP leaders are making statements on the behest of Prime Minister Modi," the Congress said in its statement.

Poison politics in Karnataka Assembly election

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday compared PM Modi to a venomous snake triggering a massive backlash from the BJP. "Don't make a mistake. Modi is like a venomous snake. If you say, 'no, it's not venomous, let's lick it and find out.' Don't lick it. If you lick, you die," Kharge said.

Later, Kharge clarified that his target was not any individual but the party.

It was in continuation with the 'poison' metaphor that the BJP MLA on Friday said Sonia Gandhi works as an agent of China and Pakistan. "Is Sonia Gandhi, whom you go dancing about in your party, a Vishakanya?" Yatnal said.

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GUWAHATI: A peace agreement between the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the Centre can materialize as soon as next month if the government agrees to their suggestions, a top leader of the pro-talks faction of ULFA said on Friday. United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) general secretary Anup Chetia (PTI File Photo)

We have received a copy of the draft proposal sent by Centre and are in the process of discussing it amongst ourselves, said Anup Chetia, general secretary of the pro-talks faction of ULFA on reports that the Centre sent the draft agreement earlier this month, 12 years after the faction gave up violence and agreed to sit for talks without pre-conditions.

Once that is complete, we will send our views on the draft along with the changes we seek to the Centre through the intermediary for the talks. If our views are accommodated, the agreement can be signed in May itself, he added.

Chetia refused to elaborate on the details of the agreement under negotiation, saying it was a confidential document and couldnt be disclosed.

Chetias optimism was mirrored in

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters on Thursday that the peace settlement could be sealed in May if ULFAs pro-talks faction agrees to the draft. But if there are differences on it, the deal could get delayed, Sarma said.

The chief minister also said that though the channel of communication with the anti-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) led by Paresh Baruah was open, there has been no major headway.

Insurgency in Assam started in April 1979 with the formation of ULFA  as an offshoot of the anti-foreigners agitation against the inflow of illegal immigrants to the state from Bangladesh. The stated aim of the outfit was to create an independent Assam.

In February 2011, ULFA split into two groups. The one led by chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa decided to enter into negotiations with the Centre and the other led by commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah decided against talks and was rebranded as ULFA-Independent.

The pro-talks faction of ULFA submitted a list of demands seeking constitutional and political reforms, and protection of the identity and resources of the indigenous people of Assam including their right to land.

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The Congress party and its leaders have lost their mind, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Friday, as he attacked the Opposition party over its president Mallikarjun Kharges venomous snake barb at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Union home minister Amit Shah addresses a public meeting for the Karnataka Assembly elections, at Navalgund, in Dharwad on Friday. (ANI)

Noting that Modi is welcomed across the world with a lot of respect, Shah said the Congress cannot instigate people with such statements, because the support for the Prime Minister will increase, as much as they abuse him.

Congress is lacking on issues, in the last nine years Prime Minister Narendra Modi has increased Indias pride in the world, he has worked to make India prosperous, he has made Indias infrastructure strong, he has made Indias borders safe, Shah said while addressing an election rally at Navalgund in Karnatakas Dharwad district. Wherever Modi ji goes across the world people there welcome him with Modi-Modi slogans.

Referring to Kharges barb at Modi during a poll rally in Kalburgi district on Thursday, Shah said: Congress president Kharge says our leader Modi, whom the whole world respects and welcomes, is like a venomous snake I want to ask you, can you make the Congress, which has compared Modi to a venomous snake, victorious in the election?

The Union minister added: The same Congress gives the slogan Modi teri kabar khudegi (Modi, your grave will be dug), Sonia Gandhi says Maut Ka Saudagar (merchant of death), Priyanka Gandhi says neechi jati ke log (people of low caste), and he (Kharge) says Vishela Samp (venomous snake), Congress people, you have lost your mind. How much ever you abuse Modi, lotus will bloom.

By abusing Modi, the Congress cannot instigate the people of Karnataka, Shah further said. If you abuse Modi, support for him will increase.

Addressing a rally in Kalburgi district ahead of the May 10 Karnataka assembly elections, Kharge on Thursday likened PM Modi to a venomous snake. Dont make a mistake. Modi is like a venomous snake. If you say, no, its not poisonous, lets lick it and find out, dont go to lick it. If you lick, you die, Kharge had said.

Facing mounting criticism, he later backtracked his statement and said his intention was not to hurt anyones feelings and that he was referring to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the partys ideology in his remark.

Meanwhile, a BJP delegation on Friday urged the Election Commission of India to register a criminal case against Kharge and bar him from campaigning in the assembly elections. Polling for 224-member Karnataka legislative assembly will be held on May 10 and counting of votes on May 13.

Union minister Bhupender Yadav, who led the BJP delegation, told reporters in New Delhi that Kharges comment was not merely a slip of the tongue but part of the Congresss hate politics. BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh called Kharge a habitual offender.

The BJP has demanded the registration of a first information report (FIR) under Sections 499 and 500, which deal with defamation, and Section 504 (deliberate insults and provocation) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Meanwhile, the Congress urged the Election Commission on Friday to ban Shah and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath from campaigning for the Karnataka assembly polls for their alleged derogatory statements against the minority community that create an atmosphere of communal disharmony.

A delegation of Congress leaders, including Abhishek Singhvi, Pawan Kumar Bansal and Mukul Wasnik, submitted a memorandum in this regard to the EC.

The delegation alleged that Shah and Adityanath made false, partisan and communal statements during the poll campaign in Karnataka with a view to seek electoral gains, and said they should be banned from campaigning in the state.

The Congress accused Shah and Adityanath of trying to create an atmosphere of communal disharmony in Karnataka by circulating unverified, false, malicious and communally-charged allegations in their poll speeches.

The ECI should impose a clear and complete ban on Amit Shah from all campaign activities till the conclusion of the election and further direct a ban on circulation of the videos of the rally with offending portions, a memorandum signed by All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Randeep Surjewala said.

Talking to the reporters, Singhvi said,  We complained specifically about the highly objectionable, blatantly partisan, communal and false statements coming from the top BJP leadership, in particular Shah and Adityanath.

They have made statements clearly against the minority community.... We have asked for a ban on campaigning by such persons.

It comes a day after Congress leaders complained to the police against Shah for his alleged statement earlier this week that if their party won the upcoming elections, then Karnataka would be afflicted with riots, and claiming that the Union minister said it with the clear intent of disrupting the communal harmony in the state.

(With PTI inputs)
NEW DELHI: The US treats India at par with its NATO partners for sharing sensitive technologies and US technology exports to India that require special licences have dropped from 25% to 0.5% over the past 25 years, a senior American official said on Friday. Thea Rozman Kendler concluded a five-day visit to India on Friday (Photo/commerce.gov/)

The US is working with partners such as India to ensure that Russia is unable to illegally use third countries to obtain items that the US and its allies have restricted under sanctions imposed following the invasion of Ukraine last year, said Thea Rozman Kendler, assistant secretary for export administration in the US department of commerce.

Kendler, who concluded a five-day visit to India on Friday, held meetings with officials and industry bodies to discuss dual-use export control issues and to prepare grounds for the inaugural US-India Strategic Trade Dialogue (USISTD) to be held in Washington in May.

At an interaction with a small group of journalists, Kendler said Indias accomplishments in strategic trade controls and high-tech trade help undergird shared security objectives. The inaugural strategic trade dialogue will serve as a building block for the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), which is aimed at fostering open, accessible and secure trade.

We treat India as though were a NATO partner under our export controls...India as a major defence partner does receive benefits under our system that other countries do not receive, she said.

Our partnership is long and our progress has been steady. If you compare 25 years ago, in 1998, one-quarter of US exports to India required export licences from the US government. Now...only 0.5% of US exports to India require a licence, she added.

This has happened, Kendler said, because India established strategic trade laws and effective regulations, and these robust strategic trade controls enable the US to share technology that we cant share with others.

At the same time, Kendler highlighted US concerns about Russias possible use of third countries to circumvent sanctions aimed at curtailing Moscows ability to access critical technologies. In my meetings, we also stressed the importance of protecting Indias trusted strategic trade controls environment, she said.

In response to the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the US and its allies imposed stringent strategic trade controls on Russia and Belarus. We also know, though, that Russia is illegally using third countries to obtain items that the US and these 38 other economies have restricted. Were actively following the trade diversion and backfilling data very closely and taking responsive measures, she added.

The US is looking at companies around the world being used by Russia to facilitate its illicit procurement. Kendler said: Were working with partners all over the world to make sure that Russia isnt using them to backfill the technology.

Kendler also spoke of the challenge posed by Chinas military-civil fusion strategy in the sphere of advanced technologies.

If you dont know whether the [Chinese] governments going to take over a technology if you dont know whether the entity youre shipping to is sharing that commercial technology with the military actor, its really difficult for industry and we want to make sure that were providing the best advice we can, she said.

In this context, Kendler said the US has put in place regulations aimed at curtailing Chinas acquisition and production of advanced integrated circuits that can be used in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, supercomputing, weapons modelling and data surveillance that violates human rights.

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Its a hot August evening in 1973 and a crowd of teenagers from New Yorks Bronx borough have gathered at a building on Sedgwick Avenue for a back-to-school party. These are dark years for South Bronxs mostly black and Hispanic residents, left behind by white flight to the suburbs and largely abandoned by a city administration in the middle of a ballooning fiscal crisis. Unemployment is at 30%, drug use is booming, and crime is rampant. Across the borough lies the rubble of burned-down building blocks. Richard Nixons War on Drugs, with its echoes of a racial crusade, is in full swing, and the South Bronx is one of its bloodiest battlefields. PREMIUM (Clockwise from top) DJ Kool Herc; cover art for the album The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five; Tupac Shakur; a clipping reporting his murder, in September 1996; Nas; Moor Mother; Little Simz; Kendrick Lamar; Arivu; and Eminem. (Getty Images)

Amid the blight, these kids have gathered to party. The hosts brother, a Jamaican-born New Yorker who goes by DJ Kool Herc, is spinning records behind the decks, pumping reggae, funk and soul out of a massive stack of speakers. Hes been perfecting a new technique over the past year, and this is his chance to show it off in front of a crowd. He knows that the crowd loves to dance to the drum breaks in funk and soul records, and hes figured out a way to isolate and repeat them. This is the breakbeat, the foundational element of hip-hop and rap music. And this party will be remembered as the birthplace of the cultural revolution we know as hip-hop.

Half a century on, hip-hop has become the substrate of global pop culture, dominating charts from Jamaica to Jalandhar. Its breakbeats, fashion and tradition of competitive verbal poetry  or rap  can be seen and heard in the glitzy superclubs of Dubai, in the back-alleys of Johannesburg, and at protest sites from New Delhi to Paris. The plucky little counter-culture has become a hegemon. And while there are many factors that aided its rise (American cultural dominance, globalisation, the internet), a large part of the credit goes to the movements enduring central narrative: that of radical hope in the midst of despair.

***

Back in 1973, Hercs heroics on the turntable  as well as his friend Coke La Rocks Jamaican-inspired toasting over the records, which was an early precursor to rapping  had the crowd going wild. These new innovations spread like wildfire through the South Bronxs block parties. Other crews popped up, led by DJs such as Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash, competing with each other in volume, party attendance and turntablist spectacle.

These early block parties were ways for the Bronxs disenfranchised Latin and black youth to let off steam, but that eras urban neglect meant that they became much more, the seeds of a socio-cultural and political renaissance.

The very existence of the parties was an act of rebellion. Permits were hard to get, so the DJs didnt even bother. They didnt have generators so they broke into lamp-posts and spliced into their wires to steal electricity. The police had largely abandoned the Bronx, but if they created trouble, there were gang members acting as security. It was an entire ecosystem created out of the gaps left by a system in retreat. When lightning strikes caused a city-wide blackout for over a day in 1977, sparking riots and vandalism, future hip-hop DJs were breaking into electronics stores and grabbing all the mixers and turntables they could.

By the time the Sugarhill Gang song Rappers Delight hit the Billboard charts in 1979, marking hip-hops entry into the commercial mainstream, those early rebellions and petty criminality were already evolving into a new socio-political consciousness. DJs who were former gang members, such as Bambaataa, organised youngsters into hip-hop crews such as Universal Zulu Nation, offering a creative alternative to the gang life. The community-organising dreams of Black Panther radicals, crushed brutally by the police, were seeping into the movement too.

As rappers came to the forefront, sharing the limelight with DJs, they started putting these emerging socio-political ideas into narrative form.

In 1982, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five released The Message, the ur-text of socially conscious hip-hop music.

all the kids smoke reefer, I think itd be cheaper

If I just got a job, learned to be a street sweeper

Or dance to the beat, shuffle my feet

Wear a shirt and tie and run with the creeps

Cause its all about money, aint a damn thing funny

You got to have a con in this land of milk and honey

The songs lyrics document the indignities and brutality of life in Americas decrepit inner-cities, ending with the protagonists pre-ordained execution. As witness and chronicle of American racism and poverty, the song inspired renegade street intellectuals such as KRS-One and Public Enemy to blend rap music with revolutionary rhetoric. One can also draw a straight line from the fatalist nihilism of its story, destined to end in certain death, to the violent social-realism of gangsta rap.

By the early 1990s, these two inter-related strains of hip-hop had attained massive commercial success, transforming street revolutionaries and lumpen-poets into global stars. The genre spread its wings across the American continent, with thriving rap scenes on both coasts and in the deep South. Artists such as Tupac Shakur, Notorious BIG, Big L, De La Soul, Common, Wu-Tang Clan, and so many others shone a spotlight into the countrys darkest corners, and got rich doing it.

So we live like caged beasts

Waitin for the day to let the rage free

Still me till they kill me

I love it when they fear me

Holler if ya hear me

Thats Tupac in Holler If Ya Hear Me (1992).

While the records were selling fast, conservative lawmakers stoked moral panics about the lyrics. Police departments even formed special hip-hop squads to tackle the rap menace. The New York Police Departments so-called rap unit, whose existence it only admitted to in 2004, kept tabs on rappers, nightclubs and organisers, sending agents to concerts on surveillance missions, and building dossiers on artists.

Some of this was motivated by racial disdain for raps black and brown voices, some by the fact that these artists  and the places they came from  represented the skeletons of American capitalism tumbling out of the closet, singing and dancing of the crimes visited upon them.

Commercial success would eventually blunt the edges of mainstream rap music, sanding off its rough radical edges and replacing them with ideas of excess and aspirational consumption (though artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Moor Mother and Little Simz continue to fly the conscious rap flag today). By the time the Recording Academy introduced a Grammy for best rap album in 1996, it had become an established part of the mainstream, with early winners Jay-Z, Puff Daddy and Eminem perfecting a more materialistic and accessible version of gangsta rap that was more palatable to the music industrys gatekeepers.

But as globalisation spread American cultural influence to all corners of the globe, rap hopped along for the ride, and countries around the world began to spin hip-hop into their own social, cultural and political revolutions.

***

If, in 1989, Public Enemys Chuck D declared rap music is the CNN of the ghetto, in 2023, it has become the Twitter feed of the worlds ghettoised youth. From street protests in Delhi to election rallies in Nigeria and refugee camps in Syria, rap has become the soundtrack to protest, activism and revolution.

Theres plenty of theories for why rap and hip-hop found such wide-ranging acceptance around the world, in a way few artistic movements ever have. Emerging from one of the most diverse places in the world, hip-hop borrowed liberally from immigrant musical traditions, especially from the African and Latin diaspora, and found resonance with audiences from those regions in turn.

Sampling made it easy to replace some or all of these elements with local flavour, while allowing the music to remain identifiable as hip-hop. And rap, in particular, had an incredibly low barrier to entry. One didnt need a band or expensive instruments, just a microphone, and a way with words.

But when I speak to the young boys and girls at hip-hop cyphers in Mumbais Dharavi or Kurla, they all return to the genres origin story, or its self-branding as the voice of the voiceless. They might have been drawn in by Eminems startling foul-mouthedness or Jay-Zs millionaire swag, but they stay because of that underlying principle. Further evidence lies in the communities within which rap and hip-hop first took root in other countries: the immigrant banlieues of Paris, the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, the sprawling slum of Dharavi.

As artists adopted the sound and style, they also adopted the anti-authority stance and the focus on community and self-organising. They formed their own crews, took to heart KRS-Ones dictum to spread knowledge.

Since the late-Aughts, hip-hop artists have been arrested for their roles in the Arab Spring. In Tunis, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, rappers have joined protests, performed on the streets, helped mobilise crowds.

In Palestine and Kashmir, rappers such as MC Gaza, MC Kash and Ahmer rap about life in militarised zones. The Sri Lankan-British MIA sings of civil war, her rap name a reminder of a cousin who went missing in her country of origin. Gnawi in Morocco and Ugandan rapper-politician Bobi Wine speak of corruption. In Iran, Toomaj Salehi is facing the death penalty for songs against religious authoritarianism. Myanmars rapper-turned-politician Phyo Zeya Thaw was executed by the junta for his pro-democracy stand. Chennais Arivu has gone viral singing against caste.

Hip-hop today contains multitudes, and each of its thousands of strands has its own cherished history, narrative and future. But for me, and for millions of other fans around the world, it is this militant strand that resonates the most, that carries most of hip-hops yet-unfulfilled potential and promise.

Throughout this year, we will see many celebrations of hip-hops golden anniversary, from the extravaganza at this years Grammys to big-budget films and docuseries lined up by studios and streaming platforms. For me, the most touching tribute came from an unexpected source: a news clip about pro-democracy rebels in Myanmar.

In an unidentified rebel camp, hundreds of youngsters train to fight against the military junta. Amidst the interviews and footage of atrocities, a small segment showed them taking some time off to unwind. A loud Burmese rap song blared over the camps speakers, the artist spitting lyrics of dissent. I like to think that Herc and the teens at Sedgwick Avenue would recognise these also-reluctant freedom-fighters as new torchbearers of radical hope in the midst of despair. And that, more than anything, is the enduring legacy of hip-hop.
A mic, a phone camera and a way with words is all it takes to be a rapper today. This simple reality has thrown open the playing field, to anyone with a sense of urgency about their message. In India, young voices are rapping about sexuality, divinity, village life, capitalism, climate, in Punjabi and Assamese, Bengali, Dakhini, Kashmiri, Marathi, Punjabi, Hindi and more. PREMIUM Rappers Siddhant Soni from Rajasthan and BR Boya Raja from Chhattisgarh.

Siddhant Soni, 27, a former fashion stylist and art director, quit his job and turned to rap when being a queer Punjabi man began to feel like something he could either rap about, or be silent on forever. In the particularly restrictive definitions of masculinity that define Punjabi men, he became a voice that champions fluidity, self-expression, liberation and self-love.

The video for his song Kalla Killah (Lone Killer), first released in December 2021 and re-released by the Saregama imprint Saregama Fresh in June 2022, was shot by an all-queer team. The lyrics reflect both the chaos and calm of his identity today:

Mera har ik geet jo bole

Zindagi meri de raaz khole

Hun na main koi sach lukaawan

Danke di chott te boli jaavan

(All my songs tell this story

The secrets of my life laid bare

Im not one to hide the truth

Ill keep living my life openly)

Soni infuses into his music influences from Sufi poets Bulleh Shah and Hazrat Sultan Bahu, whose verses he grew up singing in the Rajasthani border town of Hanumangarh, apart from Punjabi poets Shiv Kumar Batalvi, Amrita Pritam and Tajammul Kaleem. Why rap? Because hip-hop felt inviting, like a space within which everyone could just be themselves, he says.

***

In a one-bedroom flat in Neelasandra, Bengaluru, thats been converted into a studio, a group of childhood friends raps in Dakhini, a distinct mix of Persian, Marathi, Telugu and Kannada that is spoken in the Deccan belt. Member and producer-rapper Syed Awaise Pasha aka Demixx says this is not just a language but a community  of hotheads. The group call themselves Clan Bokka Phod (Ball-Breakers).

Led by Dakhani rapper Mohammed Affan Pasha or Pasha Bhai, the crew celebrates perseverance, speaks of marginalisation, of the communitys connection with the divine. Sample the lyrics of Khuda Gawah (God is my Witness; 2022), which, like many of their songs, also weaves into its lyrics and its music elements of the Sufi tradition.

Sab ka yech hain rona pasha, mai hasi mai mast hun

Mai kashan ki kashmakash me, maikashi mai mast hun

Kharzan-Girzan leko nai hun, kya hisaaban dekhiun?

Amma maari sijde phatte, jaanimaazanb dekhiun

(Everybodys busy crying about their troubles; Im busy being happy

Even in a room full of people, Im happy being myself

I owe no one anything, so what accounts do I show you?

My mother never missed prayer time, though her prayer mat was torn, Ive seen)

Released on YouTube, it has over 21,000 views. If we talked about our troubles in just Urdu or English, they will sound beautiful, Demixx says. Dakhini has a more strident sound. It expresses how we live and that, yes, we have problems, we have been historically sidelined, but we are happy.

***

In the Naxal-affected belt of Bastar, Chhattisgarh, Lalit Kumar Kashyap aka BR Boya Raja, 20, is spinning tales of love, longing and life in the zilla. His music, that he has to travel 30 km away to Jagdalpur to record, chronicles customs in the village such as family feasts and the sharing of tobacco, along with comedic declarations of love and betrayal.

This is the language were comfortable in. I would like to make Halbi-Bathri rap famous among people from other states, says Kashyap. The son of a farmer and an anganwadi worker, he counts Yo Yo Honey Singh and Koraput rapper Rahul RBN among his inspirations.
This column was not my idea. Last month, my friend, Ashok Malik, the writer and think-tanker (is that even a word?) messaged me with an idea for Rude Food. For King Charless Coronation, the Palace has gone with the Coronation Quiche containing milk, double cream, cheddar cheese, spinach and broad beans. (Shutterstock)

Hi Vir, Ashok wrote. As King Charless Coronation approaches  a momentous event in which about 20 of us in India are deeply invested  could you consider writing on Coronation Chicken and what sort of dish would need to be invented to reflect the multicultural Britain of 2023?

I loved the irony (a momentous event in which about 20 of us in India are deeply invested) and I remembered the dish well because I had the mixed fortune (misfortune?) to go to a (minor) English public school where they served Coronation Chicken.

The original Coronation Chicken was invented in 1953 by Rosemary Hume and her students at the Le Cordon Bleu school in London, to be served at a banquet for dignitaries who had come to London to attend the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

King Charless Coronation will take place on May 6. (PRACHAYA ROEKDEETHAWEESAB /SHUTTERSTOCK)

Though the banquet was held in England and both Rosemary Hume and the Queen were mostly British, the dish was given a French name because in that era, all fancy food had to sound French.

It was called Poulet Reine Elizabeth (Chicken Queen Elizabeth) and it was suggested that it was an update of a dish created for George Vs Silver Jubilee. In fact, the dish was created largely from scratch by Hume to fit very special circumstances.

The banquet was a luncheon in the Great Hall of Westminster School in London where the kitchen facilities were limited. Hume opted for a cold chicken dish that did not have to be cooked a la minute. What made the dish unusual was the cold sauce, which was made from chopped onion, tomato puree, red wine, bay leaf, apricot puree, lemon, cream and  wait for it  curry powder.

Why curry powder? The simple explanation is that they did not know much about Indian spices in those days (nor were they readily available in London), but they knew what curry powder was. It couldnt have been a tribute to the Empire because by 1953, India had already been independent for six years. Nor was Britain the multicultural society that it is today. My best guess is that Hume just wanted to find a way of making the cold cream sauce come to life and decided to be innovative.

The dish was, apparently, a huge hit at the banquet, where it was washed down with Krug champagne (which, at least, is genuinely French) and more or less disappeared from view after that. Then, three years later, a recipe appeared in the Constance Spry Cookbook under the name of Coronation Chicken, after which it became popular. By the time I was first served it, many years later, it had become a staple in many forms: as a sandwich filler, as a sort of salad, as a main course etc.

I regret to say that I was never a fan. But obviously, many British people thought differently. In his recent Is This a Cookbook? Heston Blumenthal writes: Coronation Chicken was a firm favourite in the 1970s when I was growing up. Me and my mom loved it and it was a key part of any picnic we had.

The original Coronation Chicken was invented in 1953 by Rosemary Hume and her students at the Le Cordon Bleu school in London. It was served at a banquet for dignitaries who had come to London to attend the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. (I T S / SHUTTERSTOCK)

Ashok Malik is not the first person to have thought of updating it. Nigella Lawson has a recipe for a version with chilli and mango. Yottam Ottolenghi does a Coronation Chicken Bake with chicken and broccoli. (It sounds utterly revolting.)

But the first significant official update came in 2012 for the Queens Diamond Jubilee, when 10,000 people who had won tickets to picnic on the Queens lawns at Buckingham Palace were given hampers that included a Jubilee Coronation Chicken. This updated version was created by Blumenthal himself, perhaps as a tribute to all the family picnics where he ate it.

The menu described the Blumenthal update as an aromatic blend of Indian spices mixed with mayonnaise, shredded chicken, and fragrant coriander finished with peppery nigella seeds. 

In other words, no curry powder but lots of Indian masalas and dhania and kalonji.

Was this actually the multi-cultural update that Ashok had wanted? Was Coronation Chicken already multicultural, especially after Blumenthal had updated it?

I tracked down Heston, who was honeymooning on the Thai island of Samui with his bride, the radiant and super-competent Melanie. He referred me to Is This A Cookbook? which has a recipe for Jubilee Coronation Chicken. Its a great recipe. You can make a sandwich with it. It is not exactly the original that went into his Jubilee hamper but a simplified version for home cooks.

What made Poulet Reine Elizabeth unusual was the cold sauce, which was made from chopped onion, tomato puree, red wine, bay leaf, apricot puree, lemon, cream and  wait for it  curry powder. (Shutterstock)

It turned out that Coronation Chicken has a special place on Hestons palate. It was, he recalls, his first exposure (as a child) to Indian flavours and he loved the spice. He then went to local Indian restaurants, discovered such dishes as Chicken Korma and began a lifelong love affair with Indian food. (Is this a Cookbook? has terrific Indian recipes.) He has experimented often with the dish, even once making a Coronation Chicken Ice Cream. He took it up and down the largely Bangladeshi area of Brick Lane in London and everyone loved it.

The Brits, meanwhile, have gone ahead with a special dish for the Kings Coronation and disappointingly, it is not particularly multicultural or multi-racial in inspiration. There are those who believe for that an appropriate dish for todays Britain might be the culinary equivalent of Rishi Sunak on a plate: Punjabi with East African influences, refined by gentle use of South Indian spicing.

Instead, the Palace has gone with Coronation Quiche containing milk, double cream, cheddar cheese, spinach and broad beans.

In terms of multi-racial dishes, this is about as white as the milk and cream that are poured into it. But apparently it was chosen by Charles and Camilla themselves. And while the King has done a lot for multiculturalism in the UK, his own tastes are said to run to poached eggs and non-spicy food. But he has campaigned for environmental causes, so a vegetarian quiche may accord with his philosophy. Though worryingly, the official recipe released by the Palace calls for lard. This defeats the vegetarian angle to say nothing of inclusiveness. Lard is pig fat so observant Muslims and Jews may have a problem with the quiche.

I suppose you could make it without lard, but you would have to tinker with the recipe. Either way, it does not sound terribly exciting. I doubt anyone will be writing about it 70 years later, as we are doing with Coronation Chicken, or that a great chef like Heston will bother to update it years later.

The quiche is the creation of Royal Chef Mark Flanagan who collaborated with Heston on the Diamond Jubilee Chicken. Perhaps they should have put the two men again to create a dish which if not fit for a King (who cant eat much spice) would at least have represented the current state of Charless kingdom.

It can still be done, if not for the Coronation which is on 6 May then for the next royal event!

So may be 

From HT Brunch, April 29, 2023

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When the UK conducted the worlds largest trial for a four-day work week between June and December last year, it found that most participating companies decided not to revert to the regular five-day standard. Sweden, the UK, Australia, Iceland and Belgium have trialled the four-day work week and found that its better for employees work-life balance. (Shutterstock`)

Sweden and Iceland have conducted similar trials. Spain is currently offering to subsidise the wages of companies that take part in its upcoming experiment. France famously introduced the 35-hour week in 2000, to reduce record high rates of unemployment and to right the countrys work-life balance.

The idea has been floating around for a while. In 2019, Microsoft tested a four-day work week, with no loss in pay, in Japan. Productivity went up almost 40%.

So, why isnt it the norm yet? And what about India?

The good

The study in the UK, and similar initiatives in the Netherlands, Denmark, Australia and Belgium, have proven that the idea works. For employees, the longer weekend is more than a day off. Its a chance to unwind properly, without the pressure of a quick reset, its better for mental health, allows more leeway to enjoy time with oneself, family or a new hobby. Workers sleep better and have less stress. So, its a win for companies too. And employers suffer no setbacks giving workers an additional weekly off, either in rotation or en masse. Its a prized enough perk that employees in the UK trial said that no amount of money would convince them to go back to working five days a week.

Susan Matthew, HR director of LinkedIn India, says their research on Indian workforce shows that the idea is gaining ground. By focusing on essential tasks during the first four days of the week, and reserving Fridays for self-care and quality time with loved ones, professionals are finding new levels of fulfillment and success, she says. This approach reflects a growing demand for a more sustainable work culture that promotes happiness, health, and more work-life satisfaction among employees.

When targets and projects are squeezed into fewer days, pressure is higher and those workdays are typically longer. (Shutterstock)

The bad

How the four working days are utilised is central to how well a shorter workweek does. When targets and projects are squeezed into fewer days, pressure is higher, making those workdays typically longer. Plus, if a company is the only one in its field implementing a four-day work week, while competitors clock in five or six days, it amounts to lost business, lost profit. No firm wants that.

So, not everyones on board. In March, South Korea planned to raise the maximum working time to 69 hours a week, because companies complained that the current 52 werent enough to meet deadlines. Young workers responded with mass protests, forcing the government, thankfully, to reconsider.

The ugly

Indians, particularly, tend to work longer than others. In a 2016 ManpowerGroup survey of 19,000 millennials, conducted in 25 countries, Indians came out on top, clocking 52 hours a week. A 2017 LinkedIn report also found that it is common for Indians to work beyond scheduled hours, on off days and when theyre home, putting in the extra effort to stay ahead of colleagues. Managers stay late, so their teams do too

Implementing a four-day workweek nationally is also likely to violate Indias labour codes that came into effect from July 2022. The average workday is anything from eight to 10 hours, not exceeding 48 hours a week. That means, to have a four-day work week, a person would have to work 12 hours a day.

The code only specifies the maximum number of hours employees can work, not the minimum, points out Urvi Mohan, a labour lawyer practising in New Delhi. It was framed to regulate the sector and provide benefits to employees, not employers. So companies wont be able to strongarm workers into putting in 12 hours a day, four days a week simply to justify a longer weekend. That doesnt offer much work-life balance for most of the week.

For factory workers in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh, a four-day work week isnt likely to materialise. In February 2023, the Karnataka legislature allowed industries to extend working hours for labour to 12 hours a day, while keeping the maximum weekly work hours at 48. In Karnataka and Tamil Nadu daily work hours are now up from eight to 12 for four days a week. UP and MP are eyeing similar changes, including 12-hour shifts and night shifts for women.

The UK experiment, then, remains a dream.

From HT Brunch, April 29, 2023

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As recently as February, generative AI did not feature prominently in EU lawmakers' plans for regulating generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies such as ChatGPT. The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen which displays the ChatGPT home Screen. The draft bill is not final and lawyers say it will likely take years to come into force.(AP)

The bloc's 108-page proposal for the AI Act, published two years earlier, included only one mention of the word "chatbot." References to AI-generated content largely referred to deepfakes: images or audio designed to impersonate human beings.

By mid-April, however, members of European Parliament (MEPs) were racing to update those rules to catch up with an explosion of interest in generative AI, which has provoked awe and anxiety since OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT six months ago.

That scramble culminated on Thursday with a new draft of the legislation which identified copyright protection as a core piece of the effort to keep AI in check.

Interviews with four lawmakers and two other sources close to discussions reveal for the first time how over just 11 days this small group of politicians hammered out what could become landmark legislation, reshaping the regulatory landscape for OpenAI and its competitors.

The draft bill is not final and lawyers say it will likely take years to come into force.

The speed of their work, though, is also a rare example of consensus in Brussels, which is often criticised for the slow pace of decision-making.

LAST-MINUTE CHANGES

Since launching in November, ChatGPT has become the fastest growing app in history, and sparked a flurry of activity from Big Tech competitors and investment in generative AI startups like Anthropic and Midjourney.

The runaway popularity of such applications led EU industry chief Thierry Breton and others to call for regulation of ChatGPT-like services.

An organisation backed by Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla Inc and Twitter, took it up a notch by issuing a letter warning of existential risk from AI and calling for stricter regulations.

On April 17, the dozen MEPs involved in drafting the legislation signed an open letter agreeing with some parts of Musk's letter and urged world leaders to hold a summit to find ways to control the development of advanced AI.

That same day, however, two of them - Dragos Tudorache and Brando Benifei - proposed changes that would force companies with generative AI systems to disclose any copyrighted material used to train their models, according to four sources present at the meetings, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions.

That tough new proposal received cross-party support, the sources said.

One proposal by conservative MEP Axel Voss - forcing companies to request permission from rights holders before using the data - was rejected as too restrictive and something that could hobble the emerging industry.

After thrashing out the details over the next week, the EU outlined proposed laws that could force an uncomfortable level of transparency on a notoriously secretive industry.

"I must admit that I was positively surprised on how we converged rather easily on what should be in the text on these models," Tudorache told Reuters on Friday.

"It shows there is a strong consensus, and a shared understanding on how to regulate at this point in time."

The committee will vote on the deal on May 11 and if successful, it will advance to the next stage of negotiation, the trilogue, where EU member states will debate the contents with the European Commission and Parliament.

"We are waiting to see if the deal holds until then," one source familiar with the matter said.

BIG BROTHER VS. THE TERMINATOR

Until recently, MEPs were still unconvinced that generative AI deserved any special consideration.

In February, Tudorache told Reuters that generative AI was "not going to be covered" in-depth. "That's another discussion I don't think we are going to deal with in this text," he said.

Citing data security risks over warnings of human-like intelligence, he said: "I am more afraid of Big Brother than I am of the Terminator."

But Tudorache and his colleagues now agree on the need for laws specifically targeting the use of generative AI.

Under new proposals targeting "foundation models," companies like OpenAI, which is backed by Microsoft Corp, would have to disclose any copyrighted material - books, photographs, videos and more - used to train their systems.

Claims of copyright infringement have rankled AI firms in recent months with Getty Images suing Stable Diffusion for using copyrighted photos to train its systems. OpenAI has also faced criticism for refusing to share details of the dataset used to train its software.

"There have been calls from outside and inside the Parliament for a ban or classifying ChatGPT as high-risk," said MEP Svenja Hahn. The final compromise is innovation-friendly as it does not classify these models as 'high risk,' but sets requirements for transparency and quality.
President Droupadi Murmu on Monday visited the National Dairy Research Institute in Karnal, Haryana, where she met with Ganga, India's first cloned Gir cow. President Droupadi Murmu with India's first cloned Gir cow(Twitter/rashtrapatibhvn)

Here we simplify the complex science of cloning and analyse its potential advantages in livestock breeding. (ALSO READ: Karnal NDRI scientists produce two more elite cloned buffalo calves)

Understanding the science behind cloning

Ganga was born at the facility on March 16. The cloning was accomplished by a process known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), which involves replacing the genetic material in an egg cell with genetic material from another cell.

To carry out the cloning, the scientists first acquired eggs from living cows. The eggs were extracted from the cow's ovaries using ultrasound-guided needles. The eggs were then matured in a controlled laboratory environment for 24 hours.

They then collected somatic cells from elite cows. Somatic cells are any cells in the body that do not reproduce, such as skin or muscle cells. These cells provided the genetic material for the cloning process. The scientists transplanted the nucleus of a somatic cell into an enucleated egg cell that had its genetic material removed.

The scientists chemically activated the cell after fusing the somatic cell nucleus with the enucleated egg cell, causing it to divide and grow into an embryo. The embryos were then cultivated in vitro (usually in a test tube), for several days until they reached the blastocyst stage. At this stage there is ball of cells that has divided several times and is ready to be implanted in the uterus.

Finally, the blastocysts were implanted into surrogate cows, who carried the embryos to term and gave birth to the cloned Gir calf.

ALSO READ: President Droupadi Murmu bats for more power to women dairy farmers

What is the advantage of cattle cloning?

1. Animal cloning has the potential to aid in the rapid reproduction of elite animals as well as the conservation of endangered breeds.

2. Its goal is to increase the number of indigenous breeds in the country. The NDRI-Karnal, in partnership with the Uttarakhand Livestock Development Board (ULDB), Dehradun, began work on cloning indigenous cows such as Gir, Sahiwal, and Red Shindi in 2021.

3. With more quality cattle, India will be able to increase its milk production capability. Notably, the scientists say that cloned and normal cattle have the same milk production capacity.

4. Gir cows, a native breed of Gujarat, are popular among dairy farmers due to docile nature, good milk, tolerance to stress, and resilience to several tropical diseases.

Gir cattle have also been exported to Brazil, the United States, Mexico, and Venezuela.

5. The indigenous technique developed will herald new developments in the Indian dairy sector.
Following a warning to leave the International Space Station (ISS) platform by 2024, Russia has now postponed the plan until at least 2028. International Space Station (ISS) is home to astronauts studying space in laboratory onboard the spacecraft.(Nasa)

In a statement, Nasa confirmed, The United States, Japan, Canada, and the participating countries of ESA (European Space Agency) have confirmed they will support continued space station operations through 2030 and Russia has confirmed it will support continued station operations through 2028.

Extending our time aboard this amazing platform allows us to reap the benefits of more than two decades of experiments and technology demonstrations, as well as continue to materialize even greater discovery to come. Robyn Gatens, director of the ISS division at Nasa said.

Russia warning to leave ISS

There are several potential reason for Russia's threat to leave the space programme:

1. The Kremlin's warning was perceived as an retaliation against the US sanctions imposed in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.

2. Russia intends to launch a space station of its own. It is preparing to construct its own space station and put it into orbit by 2030.

3. The Cold War-era space competition is starting up once more. Roscosmos is getting ready to take the helm of its own space missions and collaborate with other nations on them. Russia and China declared they will collaborate in lunar space mission.

International Space Station

The International Space Station has been visited by 266 people from 20 countries since its inauguration in 1998. The space station is a research platform where crew members conduct experiments across different disciplines and demonstrate technology that would be impossible to perform on Earth.
Searching for a rented apartment in metro cities like Bengaluru can be challenging, with several hurdles to cross. Just when you think youve found the perfect place, landlords come up with an endless list of requirements to dash your hopes. Not only do they ask tenants for proof of employment, but also about academic scores and the colleges they graduated from. Some even request social media profiles and small write-ups. And even if you submit everything the landlord asked, you can still face rejection. Unfortunately, this was the reality for Yogesh, who was initially accepted by a landlord but later rejected because of his Class 12 exam marks. WhatsApp conversations between a broker and a tenant. (Twitter/@kadaipaneeeer)

The WhatsApp screenshots of a conversation between Yogesh and a broker named Brijesh have gone viral online. The broker informs Yogesh that the owner has approved his profile and asks him to share a few documents, including the 10th and 12th marksheet. But it didnt end there. The broker went on to request a 150-200 word write-up on behalf of the owner.

According to the screenshot, Yogesh mailed all the required documents and even shared a write-up about him. Despite this, he was rejected by the landlord based on his class 12 marks. The landlord expected a minimum of 90% in Class 12, highlighting how even academic performance can play a critical role in securing a rented apartment in the city.

Marks dont decide your future, but it definitely decides whether you get a flat in Bengaluru or not, wrote Twitter user Shubh while sharing the screenshots.

Take a look at the screenshots below:

Since being shared a day ago, the tweet has over 1.2 million views and still counting. The share has also prompted many to post comments.

Heres how people reacted to the viral tweet:

Bro its true. Also, if you tell your maid that you work in some IT company, she will ask you 30k monthly for the households, and by any chance if you are able to convince her that you dont work in IT, then the charges drop down to 9k, posted an individual. To this, the original poster replied and wrote, Haha, the owner asked for 80k per month when he came to know my cousin is shifting from Canada to Bengaluru for 6 months for work purpose.

Another added, Soon we will have an entrance exam for Bengaluru flats!!! Was the owner looking for a tenant or for a private tutor for his own kid? commented a third. A fourth shared, Damn! This is next level! A fifth expressed, Thank God my father built a house for me, if not I wouldnt be eligible for a hut in Bengaluru.

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When Camilla, Britain's queen consort, is crowned alongside her husband next week, the moment will mark the culmination of a remarkable - and painstakingly slow - transformation over five decades of a figure once reviled as the other woman and considered a huge liability to the British monarchy. The Queen Consort Camilla clicked in the Blue Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace, London.(via REUTERS)

With the coronation of King Charles III days away and his first seven months on the throne under his belt, many in Britain have grown to accept Camilla, though some experts and observers say she will always walk in the shadow of her past.

Without really trying too hard, but just by giving it time and going gently, gently, she has managed to show people the real person that she is  that shes not this villainess, and that shes there to do the hard work, said Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine. But the most important thing about Camilla is the way she appears to support her husband and back him up.

Camilla, 75, was mercilessly torn apart by the tabloids for years. Seward said she earned respect by putting her head down and steadily getting on with her duties. She's won over much of the British public with her down-to-earth personality and her charitable work, notably against domestic violence, rape and sexual abuse  causes she says she'll continue to support as queen.

But some say she'll never fully shake her reputation as the third person in the marriage between Charles and Princess Diana.

I would actually argue that she still is the other woman, and probably will remain the other woman," said Arianne Chernock, a professor specializing in modern British history at Boston University. Diana will very much be a presence in the room in Westminster Abbey in May 6  I think its hard not to see her when you look at Charles and Camilla.

And the challenge remains even going forward, even as Queen Camilla, which at one point would have been unthinkable."

Camilla Rosemary Shand  born July 17, 1947 to a family with long links with Britains royal family  reportedly first met Charles at a polo match in 1970, when she was 23. The pair quickly became close, but their romance was interrupted when Charles went on naval duty.

In his absence, Camilla married her longtime boyfriend, army officer Andrew Parker-Bowles, in 1973. Charles married Diana in 1981. In the early 90s, Diana went public with her resentment of Charles and Camillas relationship. The sensational details that followed caused an embarrassing scandal for the royal family.

Also Read: New Zealand plant native trees to mark coronation of King Charles

Camilla and her husband divorced in 1995, shortly after Charles gave an explosive television interview admitting the affair. Charles and Diana divorced the following year. In 1997, Diana died in a car crash; a global outpouring of grief followed. Camilla and Charles waited until 2005 to marry in a private civil ceremony.

Mindful of lingering public hostility toward Camilla, palace officials cautiously managed her public appearances over the decades. Camilla made dozens of official visits with charities each year, and her warm personality and ease at connecting with people no doubt helped her image makeover; those who've met her often describe her as warm, unstuffy and likeable.

When you meet her, she doesnt appear to be aloof in any way whatsoever, Seward said. Shes just always the same as she was. And I think this is one probably one of her biggest assets.

Sensitivity about Camilla's status as Charles' second wife long made the question of what title she'd hold when he became king a subject of contention. Queen Elizabeth II settled the matter last year, when she gave the blessing for Camilla to be known as queen consort. The endorsement was widely seen as a formal sign that the royal family had finally accepted Camilla as a respected senior member.

Earlier this month, Buckingham Palaces official coronation invitations referred to Camilla as Queen Camilla for the first time. Queen consorts do not formally share the sovereigns powers, and dropping the consort part of the title won't change that. Nonetheless, the change marked another step in Camillas long road to rehabilitating her image.

But the change in her title does not necessarily suggest full public approval, Chernock said. Camilla, regardless of what she does, will always be divisive.

In March, Camilla dazzled crowds at her first state visit as queen consort, donning a diamond tiara belonging to the Queen Mother and a diamond necklace from Elizabeth II for a state banquet in Berlin.

Her image makeover hit a snag when her stepson, Prince Harry, stirred up old grievances and painted her as a schemer who played the long game," with a campaign aimed at marriage and eventually the crown.

In his memoir Spare and in interviews promoting the book, Harry accused Camilla of trading private information about him and others to the media as part of a drive to forge friendly relationships with journalists and improve her reputation.

Harry said he and his elder brother, Prince William, had urged their father not to marry Camilla, but both reluctantly accepted her into their lives.

Camillas son, Tom Parker Bowles, hit back at Harrys claims last week: I dont care what anyone says  this wasnt any sort of end game. She married the person she loved and this is what happened.

Camilla rarely speaks about her private life. In an interview with British Vogue last year, she acknowledged she was "scrutinized for such a long time that you just have to find a way to live with it.

Nobody likes to be looked at all the time and, you know, criticized, she said. But I think in the end, I sort of rise above it and get on with it."

She focuses her energy on the causes she champions: promoting children's literacy and animal welfare, and speaking out about domestic sexual abuse and gender-based violence.

Chernock said that while Camilla and Charles' relatively advanced years mean they have limited scope to reshape perceptions of the monarchy, it isn't too late for her to tackle more complex topics and win wider respect.

She has this incredible opportunity in front of her, this tremendous platform," she said. She suggested the pair could provide a space for some of the more challenging conversations that not just Britain, but global audiences want the royal family to be having right now  especially questions about legacies of racism, slavery, elitism.

But Seward believes that may be too ambitious for a woman she believes never envisioned becoming queen.

Shell carry on with all these charities, but shes going to get bombarded with a lot more, she said. "She wont be able to be too outspoken and wont really want to be because, you know, everybody that cares knows what she thinks already.

She'll just get on with it. And that is really her mantra."
Former US President Donald Trump said that "Crooked Joe Biden" poses a threat to democracy as he addressed a campaign rally in New Hampshire. Former US President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event.(AP)

"Joe Biden officially announced that he will seek four more disastrous years in the White House," Donald Trump said as he vowed to "rescue America" from the "disastrous" Democrat party.

I will be retiring the name Crooked from Hillary Clinton. And Im going to give her a new name  I dont know, like maybe Lovely Hillary or Beautiful Hillary  but Im going to retire the name Crooked so that we can use the name for Joe Biden, because hell be known from now on as Crooked Joe Biden, Donald Trump said.

Joking that Hillary Clinton is "out there someplace celebrating" the retirement of his nickname for her, Donald Trump said that there has never been anyone in the history of American politics so crooked or dishonest as Joe Biden.

"And the press absolutely refuses to report it," he said, adding, "It is Biden who poses the threat to democracy because he is grossly incompetent, he has no idea what he is doing and basically, he doesnt have a clue, and that is a very bad position to put our country in."

Our country is in a very, very dangerous position right now. Very, very dangerous, he asserted saying that US is "in serious decline" and has "lost its way."

We are led by a hopeless person, but we will win in 2024 and make America great again. We can do it. Its not too late. He wants to finish the job of destroying our country. But on that, he's actually very close  he is very close to finishing the job, he said.

Were going to beat them at the ballot box and were going to settle our unfinished business. It is unfinished, he added.

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Ukraine said Friday it had downed a barrage of 21 Russian missiles and two attack drones overnight in Moscow's most recent deadly wave of strikes targeting cities across the country. Russia-Ukraine War: Rescuers carry a body as they work at the site of a heavily damaged residential building hit by a Russian missile, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine.(Reuters)

"Ukrainian air defenders shot down 21 of 23 missiles and 2 drones," the defence ministry said in a statement, referring to Russia as a "terrorist state" that had launched the munitions from Tu-95 strategic bombers.
The United States is "deeply disappointed" by Russia's rejection of a U.S. embassy request to visit detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in prison, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters on Friday. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court, in Moscow, Russia.(AP file photo)

Russia said on Thursday it had rejected the request in response to Washington's refusal to grant visas to a group of Russian journalists.

Gershkovich was arrested last month and accused of espionage, a charge he has denied. The United States has designated him as wrongfully detained.

Russia's FSB security service arrested Gershkovich on March 29 in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg on espionage charges that carry a possible 20-year prison sentence for collecting what it said were state secrets about the military industrial complex.

The Kremlin has said Gershkovich, the first US journalist detained in Russia on espionage charges since the end of the Cold War, was caught "red-handed".
Iran's intelligence ministry on Friday accused foreign "enemies" and dissidents of fomenting fears over suspected poisonings of schoolgirls, saying its investigation found no actual poisoning. An Iranian flag flutters in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna, Austria.(File Photo / REUTERS)

The wave of suspected attacks has affected thousands of schoolgirls and provoked public anger, after months of protests against Iran's clerical rulers following the death of a young woman held by police for allegedly flouting strict hijab rules.

"The enemies' role in fuelling this crisis is certain and undeniable. Individuals, groups and Western media (especially in Persian language)... have focused on this in the past few months, as well as foreign politicians and international bodies," said a ministry report carried by state media.

"In field findings and laboratory investigations ... no toxic substance able to cause poisoning was observed ... and there have been no deaths or long-term physical conditions," the report said, blaming mischievousness and mass hysteria among students.

The report accused unnamed dissidents of provoking fears to produce propaganda videos and warned of "prosecution of individuals, groups, media who accused the government ... and aligned themselves with enemies".

Authorities have accused the Islamic Republic's "enemies" of using the suspected attacks to undermine the clerical establishment. But suspicions have fallen on hardline groups operating as self-declared guardians of their interpretation of Islam.

The suspected poisonings began in November in the holy Shi'ite Muslim city of Qom and spread to 28 of Iran's 31 provinces, according to activist HRANA news agency, prompting some parents to take children out of school and protest.

For the first time since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, schoolgirls have joined the protests that spiralled after Mahsa Amini's death in morality police custody.
The White House defended the "cheat sheet" US President Joe Biden was seen holding while speaking to the press saying that it was regular protocol and in line with the press office's job to "get a sense" of what the media wants to ask. Joe Biden seen with a 'cheat sheet'.

"It is entirely normal for a president to be briefed on reporters who will be asking questions at a press conference, and issues that we expect they might ask about," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

It is not surprising that yesterday we would anticipate questions that he did receive on the visit with the South Korean president...or about 2024, that was completely expected, or about the debt ceiling which he took questions at the end. I would point out that the question that was asked was different than what was on the card that you all saw, Jean-Pierre said.

Photographers at the White House captured photos showing Joe Biden holding a small paper which showed a photo of a journalist with the Los Angeles Times (LAT) along with the pronunciation of her last name under "Question #1." The question read, How are YOU squaring YOUR domestic prioritieslike reshoring semiconductors manufacturingwith alliance-based foreign policy?

The "cheat sheet" drew criticism from Republicans as they accused Joe Biden of working with the media.

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As US President Joe Biden welcomed a group of kids to the White House on Take Your Child to Work Day, the children were able to see a glimpse of the president's daily life. But, a few verbal stumbles marked Joe Biden's efforts to interact with the children. US President Joe Biden speaks to children attending a "Take Your Child to Work Day" event at the White House.(Reuters)

During his presentation, Joe Biden failed to recall the name of the country he last visited. "The last country I've traveled to, I'm thinking, what's the last one I was in?" Joe Biden said. "I've been to ... I've met with 89 heads of state so far, so I'm trying to think where was the last place I was? It's hard to keep track."

A child quickly said, Ireland!.

Yeah, you're right. Ireland. That's where it was, Joe Biden was heard saying in a video widely shared on social media as the crowd laughed.

Joe Biden also struggled to remember how many grandchildren he has when a girl asked him where his grandsons and granddaughters were. He listed five grandchildren despite being the grandfather of six.

"I left somebody out, didn't I," Joe Biden said as a child reminded him that he had only listed five of his grandchildren.

"I don't know," Joe Biden said. "You're confusing me. But they're all around."

This comes as Joe Biden announced that he will be seeking reelection to the post of US President. Joe Biden is already the oldest president in US history. If he wins in 2024, he would be 86 at the end of his second term.

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Controversial social media influencer and former kickboxer, Andrew Tate, has reportedly suffered a severe allergic reaction or poisoning while in detention in Romania. Tate had been detained along with several others since December 2022, following a police raid on his residence. He took to social media to express concerns about his safety and the conditions in which he had been held. Controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate's health in jeopardy (Image Credit: AP)

On April 27, 2023, Tate posted a series of tweets, which have since been deleted, showing his swollen face, red skin, and video footage in which he was having difficulty breathing. He described the symptoms as some sort of allergies or poison. Tate had claimed that he only consumed water and coffee before experiencing the reaction.

The deleted tweet read, Hard to breathe. Some sort of severe reaction or poison. Only had coffee and water so far today. All appeared in the last 5min.

The deleted Twitter post (Image Credit: Twitter)

According to a statement from his manager, which was also later deleted, Tate is not allergic to anything. They suggested that he may have been the victim of an insect bite or a matrix attack on his bottled water.

Andrew is not allergic to anything. This has never happened before. Has only had water and coffee today. Either an insect bite or some matrix attack insanity in his bottled water, the managers deleted tweet read.

Despite his symptoms, the former kickboxer is reportedly refusing medical attention and is focusing on drinking tea and breathing.

The current status of Tates health is unclear, and he only posted a picture of the 1990 movie Hard to Kill on his Twitter handle since the incident.

Tates detainment in Romania has been a source of an ample amount of controversy and speculation, with some suggesting that it is linked to his past statements and misogynist behavior. Tate is known for his controversial views on various issues and has faced criticism for his comments on women, race, and other sensitive topics.

The recent incident has once again brought attention to the issue of influencer safety and the responsibilities of social media companies to ensure the well-being of their daily users. It also highlights the risks and challenges that come with being a scandalous public figure, where regular controversial opinions and behavior are involved.

ALSO READ| Andrew Tate's dual identity: The provocateur and the doting dad

It remains to be seen what the outcome of Tates situation will be and whether he will recover from his reported medical condition. The incident has sparked concern and discussion among his fans and detractors alike.
Meghan Markle's dad Thomas made an emotional appeal to his daughter, begging to mend their relationship as he and and her siblings Samantha and Thomas Jr. took to Channel 7 News to share "treasured memories, home truths and secret tapes" of the Duchess of Sussex. This comes ahead of King Charles' coronation which is set to take place on May 7. Thomas Markle Sr (left), dad of Meghan Markle, is seen.(Getty images)

In the trailer ahead of the interview, Samantha Markle said that Meghan "would still be a waitress" and her brother added, "We're not going to go away."

"This is going to change everything," he said. But Thomas Markle took a different tone to his children, making a "deathbed plea" to "the daughter he lost."

"How can I fix this?" he said. Thomas suffered from a stroke last year and confessed that he was lucky to be alive.

Despite their estrangement, Meghan is concerned. She wants to know if there is any way to contact her father privately, without other family knowing about it or having to get involved, The Mirror then reported.

Read more: Prince Harry claims UK publisher used private detective to track Meghan Markle

Thomas' plea comes as it came to the fore that Meghan Markle would not be joining Prince Harry for King Charles' coronation. Instead she will stay at their home in California with their children Archie and Lillibet. Marking her first public appearance since the announcement, Meghan Markle was seen during a Ted Talk for her close friend Misan Harriman.

"Our next speaker has an unmatched eye for a good photograph. Ive experienced his talent firsthand as hes captured many meaningful milestones for me and my family, and I know there are many others who share in this experience," she said.

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Lihua Wu's journey to the United States started when she scrolled past the words "The Route", one of several common hashtags on Douyin, the Chinese counterpart of TikTok, advising migrants on the irregular overland trek across Latin America to the United States, also known online as "the Big Beautiful." A member of the Texas Army National Guard helps a migrant mother and daughter from China cross over a fence after the group was smuggled across the Rio Grande river into the United States from Mexico in Fronton, Texas, US, April 5. (REUTERS)

By the time the single mother and her five-year-old daughter were apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on a dirt road near the U.S.-Mexico border just before midnight on April 2, Wu said she had relied on social media for detailed instructions for her trip, including footwear (Crocs as well as hiking boots) and how to find and pay for a reliable local guide.

The difficulty of obtaining U.S. visas and the economic after-shocks of Chinas COVID lockdowns have led to a sharp increase in Chinese nationals presenting at the U.S.-Mexico border  and some of those arrivals, like Wu, learned about how to come online, migrants, immigration experts, attorneys and current and former U.S. officials, told Reuters.

Over the course of three weeks photographing and reporting from a remote border stretch in southeastern Texas, Reuters witnessed hundreds of Chinese migrants crossing into the United States and interviewed more than two dozen in Mandarin.

All of those interviewed said they got the idea to take the land route to the United States on social media and drew on influencers, private groups and comments to plan their trips.

About half said they had been small business owners in China: running online stores, a sheep farm, a movie production company.

Some wore crosses and carried Chinese-language Bibles, saying they were Christians who felt they could not freely practice their religion at home. China's constitution guarantees religious freedom, but in recent years critics including the U.S. government say Beijing has tightened restrictions on religions seen as a challenge to the authority of the ruling Communist party.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington said in an email that the government opposes illegal migration, which "is an international issue that requires cooperation between countries." It did not respond to a request for comment on the issue of religious freedom.

Short video app Douyin, owned by TikTok owner ByteDance, is one of the main sources of the Chinese tech giant's revenue overall, Reuters previously reported. ByteDance, which also owns Xigua Video, did not respond to requests for comments.

Apprehensions of Chinese nationals at the U.S.-Mexico border reached more than 6,500 in the six months since October 2022, the highest on record and a more than 15-fold increase over the same period a year ago, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data.

While just a sliver of the hundreds of thousands of migrants arriving at the southwest border, Chinese people were the fastest growing demographic in those six months, CBP data show.

In a March 16 tweet, CBP Chief Border Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez in the Rio Grande Valley sector that includes Fronton said the increase was "creating a strain on our workforce due to the complexities of the language barrier & lengthens the processing."

CBP did not respond to a detailed request for comment.

Even before her business collapsed, Wu said she had considered emigration as an escape from the discrimination she said she experienced as an unmarried single mother. Her decision to leave China solidified during a COVID-related lockdown in October, November and December, which devastated the online makeup wholesaler she ran from the eastern city of Yiwu.

When COVID controls curbed package deliveries in China, Wu said her sales slumped from around six million yuan ($871,000) to one million yuan ($145,000).

Wu initially thought about getting a U.S. tourist visa and overstaying, but a travel agent advised she was unlikely to get a visa as a single mother.

Refusal rates among Chinese nationals for the most common U.S. visitor visas reached 80% in fiscal year 2021 and more than 30% in 2022, the two highest years on record, according to State Department data. While U.S. visa issuance globally has mostly recovered to pre-pandemic levels, the number of U.S. visas issued from China last year remained 90% below 2019's pre-pandemic levels.

Visa holders and border crossers can request U.S. asylum on arrival if they fear persecution at home. Asylum seekers from China won in U.S. immigration court 58% of the time, according to U.S. Justice Department data.

The State Department in an emailed statement said 2021 and 2022 "were not standard years." It said visa issuances were expected to increase as China "catches up on its passport backlog and air travel resumes after the end of the zero-COVID policy."

Other Chinese nationals, like Wu, didn't wait.

Scrolling through her social media feeds, Wu came across "Baozai," an internet personality who gained tens of thousands of followers on Douyin, Xigua Video, YouTube and Twitter by posting videos about his migration to the United States.

Reuters was not able to independently confirm Baozai's identity and in messages to Reuters, he denied being an influencer and said he was just a migrant.

Baozai's original account "Baozai adventure the world alone" is shown as "blocked" on Douyin for violating "community self-discipline regulations."

He is now posting under a new account with the same name on Douyin, sticking to content about his life in the United States.

Douyin did not respond to a request for comment on Baozai.

Wu said she sold her secondhand BMW and borrowed about 10,000 yuan ($1,450) from family and friends. She and her daughter flew to Ecuador - where Chinese nationals can enter visa-free - and, acting on advice she found on Douyin, sought out a vaccination for yellow fever.

It was a good idea before heading into the treacherous jungle region on the border of Colombia and Panama known as the Darien Gap, she had learned.

At the clinic in Quito Wu found a group of Chinese migrants who had contacted a local Colombian guide known only by his first name, "Carlos."

"He is an internet celebrity in China," Wu said.

Wu and several other migrants said Carlos and his associates charged around $1,230 per adult and $700 per child to arrange travel and hotels from Ecuador to Panama including a guided trek through the Darien.

Jungle tents and horses were also available for part of the trip for an extra fee, Wu and the other migrants said.

A Reuters reporter contacted a Colombian man through a number shared on Douyin who answered when addressed as Carlos. Carlos, who declined to give his full name and said he did not illegally smuggle anyone across borders or take money from migrants. But he said he did help some Chinese people looking for bus and ferry tickets.

"Last year I did a favor for a Chinese man who was lost. I helped him find a ride, and then through that, my number was shared."

He said he refers callers to a friend in Ecuador who is a bus driver, whom he did not identify. "I don't accompany anyone, I don't want any problems with my country or with the law," he said. Reuters was unable to independently confirm his account.

Reuters found other social media accounts giving advice in Mandarin on crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

An April 7 Twitter post from an account called Lee Gaga said smugglers mark the location of U.S. Border Patrol agents on maps and advise migrants on how to surrender to them.

"Of course you can try and run, but that's not recommended."

In posts and in messages exchanged with Reuters, the Twitter user identified as Lee Gaga said he was now in the New York City area after a 37-day journey.

Twitter is blocked in China but users may be able to access the platform through VPNs, or virtual private networks, that allow internet users to access overseas sites barred by authorities.

The Twitter poster went on: I was released only after three days and three nights. I got lucky because the border policy has been good lately.
The Philippines Coast Guard said on Friday it was involved in a confrontation with Chinese vessels that made "dangerous maneuvers" in the South China Sea, the latest in a string of tense maritime interactions between the two countries. The Philippine Coast Guard said that one Chinese vessel "carried out dangerous maneuvers" at a distance of about 150 feet from a Philippine ship. (Representational Image)

The incident occurred as the Coast Guard undertook a week-long patrol in the strategic waterway and as Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang visited Manila last weekend to meet his Philippine counterpart and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

China claims most of the South China Sea, through which an estimated $3 trillion of dollars worth of goods pass each year. The Philippines has repeatedly called on Beijing to stop its "aggressive activities" in the area.

The Coast Guard said that during the April 18-24 mission, it identified more than 100 "alleged Chinese maritime militia vessels, a People's Liberation Army Navy corvette class and two China Coast Guard vessels" within the Philippines' 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

It added that one Chinese vessel "carried out dangerous maneuvers" at a distance of about 150 feet from a Philippine ship. Two other ships exhibited "aggressive tactics", posing a "significant threat to the safety and security of the Philippine vessel and its crew", it added.

The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In February, the Philippine Coast Guard said a Chinese counterpart ship had directed a "military-grade laser" at one of its ships supporting a resupply mission to troops in the disputed waterway, temporarily blinding its crew on the bridge.
King Charles' approval rating dipped but he is doing a good job, a new poll ahead of the monarch's historic coronation ceremony revealed. In the poll, Prince William's wife Kate Middleton emerged as the most liked member of the royal family. Kate Middleton: Britain's Kate Middleton is seen. (Reuters)

The Ipsos poll found 49% of Britons believed King Charles was doing a good job versus 9% thinking otherwise. Close to a third had no view either way. This marks a dip in the monarch's approval rating from 61% last September after he succeeded his mother Queen Elizabeth II.

Kelly Beaver, chief executive of Ipsos UK and Ireland said, With less than two weeks until the coronation, King Charles may be happy to know that half of Britons think he is already doing a good job, numbers recent prime ministers would envy.

Its a good start for Britains new King and something he will no doubt want to continue to work on once the coronation quiches are eaten and the bunting is down, Kelly Beaver added.

Another Ipsos survey found that 57% of Britons were satisfied with how King Charles was doing his job- a dip of 8 percentage points from May last year.

Kate Middleton is the most liked royal, followed by Prince William, "any of the king's grandchildren", and King Charles's sister Princess Anne, the poll revealed. The least favourite members were Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle. King Charles' second wife Camilla, now the Queen Consort, is also highly disliked, the poll revealed.

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Prince William's wife Kate Middleton paid a surprise visit to The Baby Bank in Windsor, as part of her ongoing work on early childhood welfare. The Princess of Wales was seen helping the staff sort and fold baby clothes that are to be donated to families in need. Britain's Kate, Princess of Wales is seen. (AP)

Looking at the clothes, Kate Middleton said that time passes quickly where her three children are concerned. "It only feels like yesterday that they were this tiny. They do grow so quickly," she said. The princess then made a passing statement about whether she wants to have a fourth child or not.

The organization's CEO Rebecca Mistry told Kate Middleton that seeing clothes this tiny often makes people feel broody.

Whereas I look at them and think I dont want to go through that again, Rebecca Mistry said. To this, Kate Middleton laughed and responded, "I've been there and done that."

Her quip contradicted her earlier comments on the wish to have a fourth kid as Kate Middleton has said earlier that she might have wanted to have a baby. In Denmark in February last year, royal reporter Rebecca English tweeted, "On one engagement today the Duchess of Cambridge confessed she still gets very broody."

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Prince Harry hasn't enjoyed the best relationship with his family for some time yet he is attending his father King Charles' coronation without his wife Meghan Markle. Prince Harry although still doesn't know where he'll be seated during the ceremony, a report claimed. This decision is less intuitive than it might once have been, since Prince Harry is no longer a working royal, the report in Page Six claimed. Prince Harry will soon be seen at his father King Charles III's coronation in the UK.

However, earlier it was reported that Prince Harry would be sitting at least 10 rows behind from other members of the royal family. But a royal source dismissed the claims saying, Harry has not been told where hes sitting yet, but I highly doubt that [its as far back as the 10th row].

Another insider told Page Six, Harrys heard nothing from Buckingham Palace for the seating. For the most part, I think all parties will be focused on making the day as special as possible for the King.

Harrys going to show up to support his dad. All I know is that its a stretch to ask much more for him  he doesnt have any sort of agenda other than just getting in and getting out, the report claimed.

Moreover, Prince Harry will be skipping the coronation concert as he will rush back to California to celebrate his son Prince Archie's birthday. This comes as reports suggested that Prince William is not talking to Harry at all following the release of the latter's bombshell memoir Spare.

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Prince Harry leveled dramatic allegations at News Group Newspapers (NGN) claiming that The Sun paid for a private investigator to find out Meghan Markle's US social security number. The detective was used during the early stages of dating, Prince Harry claimed in a preliminary court hearing for his case against NGN. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex are seen.(AP)

"The Sun (through its journalist, James Beal, who I now know regularly stalked me in the U.K. and abroad to places such as Jamaica) instructed an American private investigator, Danno Hanks (who has admitted to regularly carrying out work for NGN over a number of years), to obtain private information in the form of a report about my new relationship with Meghan," Prince Harry said in his witness statement.

This information, which included highly sensitive information such as her social security number (and other details about her and her family), was unlawfully obtained by Mr. Hanks in the full knowledge of the Editors of The Sun," the statement further said, citing some of the information garnered, "such as my and/or Meghans call records (to establish how many texts I had sent her), flight details and so on."

Daniel Portley-Hanks- the retired PI- claimed in a 2021 interview that he obtained information about Meghan Markle illegally. He told The New York Times that The Sun "sent me a letter I had to sign that said I wouldnt use any illegal methods to locate people or do background checks."

Then the reporters came back to me and said, 'But if you want to get work, keep doing what youve been doing,' with a nod and a wink, Daniel Portley-Hanks said.

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A 75-year-old Japanese national, Fuminori Tsuchiko, opened a free cafe in Ukraine's Kharkiv after arriving in the city last year as he wanted to do anything he could to help people following Russia's invasion. Fuminori Tsuchiko, 75-year-old humanitarian volunteer from Japan, looks through a window of his cafe, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine April 24. (REUTERS)

Moved by the plight of residents forced by Russian shelling to shelter in subway stations, Tsuchiko decided to stay, reported Reuters.

For months he lived in a metro station and worked as a volunteer distributing food in the subway.

Fuminori Tsuchiko treats a girl with cookies outside of his cafe. (REUTERS)

Tsuchiko said he along with a Ukrainian friend he met in the metro station opened a free cafe in Kharkiv's Saltivka with the help of donations made by Japanese people via social media.

"June, July, August, September, October, November, December - (for) seven months I stayed in the metro, underground, sleeping or eating, and together (with) many, many Ukrainian people," Tsuchiko said.

Fuminori Tsuchiko passes free food to people at his cafe. (REUTERS)

'FuMi Caffe' serves about 500 people a day, he said. Tsuchiko said he had been visiting Ukraine as a tourist in February 2022, but left the country after the Japanese embassy warned of Russian invasion. He went to the Polish capital Warsaw only to return two months later.

One visitor to the cafe, Anna Tovstopyatova, said she had come to donate.

"It's great that there are so sincere people with an open heart and soul, who sacrifice their life and time to help and give hope," said Tovstopyatova.
Russia continues a "deliberate depopulation campaign" in occupied areas of Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported. In its update, the ISW stated that Russia is trying to facilitate the repopulation of Ukrainian territories with Russians. Russia-Ukraine War: Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen. (AFP)

The American thinktank noted Ukraine's deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar said that Russia was "trying to change the ethnic composition of Ukraine" by conducting a large-scale resettlement. People mainly from poorer and remote regions of Russia are being sent to Ukraine and resettled there, the minister said.

"Russia may hope to import Russians to fill depopulated areas of Ukraine in order to further integrate occupied areas into Russian socially, administratively, politically, and economically, thereby complicating conditions for the reintegration of these territories into Ukraine," the ISW reported.

Earlier, the thinktank had assessed that depopulation and repopulation campaigns by Russia are a "deliberate ethnic cleansing effort" and a possible violation of the Geneva Convention.

The ISW also noted comments made by Russian officials that "continue to highlight a pervasive anxiety over potential Ukrainian counteroffensive actions".

The Russian information space has not yet settled on a line about how to address significant and growing concerns about the near future, the thinktank noted.

This comes as the Ukraine capital Kyiv was rocked by blasts as air raid sirens and explosions were reported across the country, according to the Interfax Ukraine. Explosions were reported after midnight in Dnipro, Kremenchuk and Poltava in central Ukraine and in Mykolaiv in the south, Interfax said

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Nobu Hospitality is delighted to announce the launch of Nobu Hotel and Restaurant Sevilla. Set in the heart of the Andalusian capital at Plaza de San Francisco, the brand's latest opening occupies two early 20th century residential buildings, lovingly restored to enhance their traditional architecture. Facing the plateresque facade of the City Hall, Nobu Hotel Sevilla features 25 stylish guest rooms and suites, and an expansive rooftop terrace complete with a swimming pool and dining area which boasts spectacular views of the Cathedral and Giralda. The heart of the project, the Nobu restaurant is perfectly positioned to marvel at the Roman wall built by Julius Caesar, which was discovered during the renovation.

Operated by the Mercer Hotels chain, which brings more than 10 years of experience in the management of exceptional luxury boutique hotels, the property is owned by Millenium Hospitality Real Estate SOCIMI ("MHRE"). Marking the brand's sixth Spanish hotel, Nobu Hotel Sevilla is one of three confirmed projects between Nobu Hotels and MHRE, with openings in San Sebastian (2023) and Madrid (2024) in the pipeline.

From its signature orange blossom to spectacular architecture, Seville is truly a feast for the senses. By day wander through its cobbled streets to mingle with local craftsmen and artisans, and as the sun begins to set enjoy evenings filled with tapas and finos al fresco, all soundtracked by traditional flamenco singing. Located in the city's historic centre, Nobu Hotel Sevilla provides a gateway to explore its copious cultural offerings. Set in the shadow of the cathedral's eight-century old bell tower, the Giralda, the hotel is just a short walk away from the Real Alcazar (the Royal Palace), whilst in the opposite direction guests will find the famed Calle Sierpes, a bustling street lined with luxury boutiques waiting to be explored. A melting pot of Mudejar, Gothic and Renaissance architecture, today the city is also home to one of Game of Thrones most recognisable filming locations.

The hotel's design pays homage to Nobu's Japanese roots, whilst honouring Sevillian style. Elements of the original buildings have been preserved and the hotel designed around them, from the central glass courtyard to the staircase adorned with authentic tiles from the early twentieth century. With five room types to choose from, ranging from Deluxe to the Nobu Suite, each is luxurious yet homely and features materials inspired by the Far East with handcrafted wooden furniture to evoke a sense of warmth. All rooms are complete with rain showers, Eight & Bob amenities, and a Smart TV. In addition to the Nobu restaurant, which serves up iconic favourites including Black Cod Miso and Yellowtail Sashimi, guests can also dine at the Nobu Bar which offers light bites and creative cocktails, or at the rooftop. Other facilities include a solarium on the terrace complete with a pool to cool off in, a 24-hour gym, fit with the latest Technogym equipment, and the hotel can also serve as a meeting & events space.

Hotel website
Whether youre marketing a global hotel brand or a local bed and breakfast, every property shares the same goal: filling all their rooms. But when you have a limited hotel marketing budget, it can be difficult to determine how to best use your funds. How can you maximize your marketing campaign and extend your brands visibility without blowing your budget?

We did a deep dive into four of our solutions that can help you increase your brands visibility without compromising your budget.

Reach your target audience with TravelAds Sponsored Listings

TravelAds is an easy to use, pay-per-click solution that connects hotel advertisers with highly qualified travel shoppers across Expedia Groups global portfolio of travel brands. No long-term commitment is required, which means you can quickly test and optimize your marketing campaigns. Another cost-effective aspect with TravelAds is that your ads only appear when rooms are available.

With TravelAds you can also reach potential guests with advanced targeting capabilities that allow you to connect with travelers based on how they search and interact with our 200+ travel sites. And you can make the most of your budget with real-time reporting that monitors ad performance, travel windows, room nights booked, and more to ensure that you know exactly what kind of traction youre getting with what youre spending.

Our first-party traveler data gives you the information you need to tailor your strategy and stay on top of trends in the hospitality industry.

Success story

Sotetsu Hotels, a Japanese hotel chain, wanted to increase the visibility of two new hotels they opened in Myeongdong and Dongdaemun in Seoul, South Korea.

A year after opening, Sotetsu wanted a solution that would drive visibility and demand for each of the hotels since they were new to the market.

Sotetsu worked with our digital media experts to launch a TravelAds campaign for one of the properties. Using the reporting dashboard, Sotetsu was able to monitor the campaign, and after seeing positive results, the hotel opted to use TravelAds for both hotel listings and expanded its marketing efforts to include display advertising.

Source: Expedia Group Media Solutions

After implementing a combination of TravelAds and display solutions, Sotetsu saw an average increase of 65% year-over-year (YoY) in demand between the two hotels, and a 300% increase in room night demand month over month (MoM).

TravelAds increases our visibility on Expedia brand websites, which helps to have more revenue as well as to increase our brand awareness. We will continue to run regular TravelAds campaigns. SAKAMOTO KAZUHIRO, GENERAL MANAGER

Maximize advertising efforts with co-op campaigns

Expedia Group Media Solutions offers co-op campaigns that allow hotel marketers to maximize their marketing spend by participating in customized campaigns with other brands in the region that have similar goals. These collaborative campaigns use our solutions to reach highly qualified travelers while aligning with each advertisers marketing budgets and business objectives.

With co-op campaigns, hotel marketers stay informed throughout the campaign process  from start to finish  without having to do any heavy lifting. Our team of experts delivers customized creative assets, a tailored advertising strategy and robust reporting to ensure that the campaign meets every brands goals and performance benchmarks.

Whether partners are looking to drive awareness and engagement or drive bookings and conversions, co-op campaigns can be flexible and customizable to meet collective marketing goals and needs.

Success story

In 2018, the Hawaiian Islands experienced a series of natural disasters, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tropical storms, and hurricanes that caused a significant decline in travel demand. Consequently, this resulted in a 29% drop in room night bookings.

Various brands, including Hyatt, Marriott, and Outrigger, collaborated with Media Solutions to create a custom co-op campaign to help restore tourism to Hawaiian Islands.

Through the integrated use of compelling offers, co-op campaigns and TravelAds, the participating travel brands were able to recover and help secure room night growth. The campaign generated a 29% increase in YoY room nights on Black Friday, and an 18% jump YoY in room nights booked during the promotion period.

Boost brand awareness with Accelerator

If youre looking to fill rooms within a specific date range, Accelerator can help maximize your propertys bookings and revenue by targeting certain booking windows. The solution serves as a budget-friendly model that increases visibility and helps hotels reach travelers when theyre ready to book.

With its pay-per-stay structure, Accelerator boosts a propertys position in search results within the selected check-in window, making it easier for highly engaged travelers to find and book the property.

Payment is made with the compensation received for the booking, which means a marketing budget isnt required. Marketers can also pause at any time to assess the predicted results to ensure the ads are performing effectively.

Success story

Le Capitole Hotel is a 5-star hotel in the heart of Old Quebec City known for their fine dining options and rooms that provide spectacular cityscape views.

After a year of renovations and border restrictions, the hotel was eager to reopen its doors, but they found it challenging to fill their rooms and re-establish brand awareness with international guests.

Le Capitole worked with our team of experts and found that Accelerators pay-per-stay structure enabled the hotel to customize the dates of their campaigns to address periods with low room bookings while also doubling as a budget-friendly approach to paid advertising.

Source: Expedia Group Media Solutions

This initial Accelerator campaign generated a 275% increase in search impressions and page views, allowing the hotel to reach more travelers and convert more room night bookings. The hotel continues to use Accelerator in its holistic marketing strategy, using the tool monthly with varying check-in date windows and compensation levels based on market trends and pre-existing bookings.

Using the Accelerator tool in Partner Central made it easy for me to increase my hotels listings visibility during slower times of year. KARINE HOUDE, GENERAL MANAGER, LE CAPITOLE HOTEL

Targeting multiple channels with Display Advertising

Raise your visibility with highly qualified travelers throughout various stages of their journey with our display advertising solution.

With display advertising, hotel advertisers work with our team to create custom user experiences that align with a brands budget and goals. Our ads are designed with the traveler in mind and provide a cohesive shopping experience for travelers whether theyre looking or booking for their next trip.

Our display solutions are structured to ensure that a hotel is continually building brand awareness while targeting travelers at every stage of their shopping journey. Heres how our display advertising solutions can enhance a hotels marketing campaign:

Display ads on mobile app s: Connect with high-intent travelers through our branded mobile apps. Our exclusive first-party data enables precise audience targeting to ensure that a hotel is getting in front of the right people.

s: Connect with high-intent travelers through our branded mobile apps. Our exclusive first-party data enables precise audience targeting to ensure that a hotel is getting in front of the right people. Branded emails: Showcase promotions and travel deals with emails that reach and engage highly qualified travelers. This includes recent shoppers, loyalty members, frequent travelers, and more.

Success story

Blinkup is a digital marketing consulting agency that manages hotel advertising campaigns for Place of Charme, a group of six hotels in Tuscany, Italy. Blinkup wanted to help increase Place of Charmes presence in the competitive market and connect with more international travelers.

The agency worked with our team of advertising experts to deploy a display advertising campaign that highlighted one of its locations, the Villa Neroli. The project included a custom landing page and precisely targeted ads showcasing the villas unique features and nearby attractions.

Source: Expedia Group Media Solutions

The display advertising campaign generated a return on ad spend of 6:1, prompting the agency to select a combination of additional solutions that drove a near 600% increase in room nights YoY.

Using different Media Solutions products enabled us to capture several market opportunities and connect with travelers through all stages of their journey, ultimately driving a near 600% increase in room nights. EDOARDO DAL NEGRO, BLINKUP CEO

The size of your marketing budget shouldnt determine the success of your hotels advertising campaign.

We understand that every hotel is different and, in that sense, so are marketing budgets. If there are fluctuations in the market, some hotels dont have the flexibility to expand their advertising budgets to meet increased levels of demand. Thats why we offer multiple solutions to scale to your unique needs and budget and ensure that youre able to react to market shifts.

With over 20 years of travel advertising media experience, we can help you find a solution that meets your targeting and booking goals without overextending your budget. To learn more about the array of advertising solutions we provide, connect with one of our experts today.

About Expedia Group Media Solutions

Expedia Group Media Solutions is a global travel advertising platform that connects marketers with hundreds of millions of travelers across the Expedia Group brands. With our exclusive access to more than 70 petabytes of Expedia Group traveler search and booking data, we offer advertisers actionable insights, sophisticated targeting, and full-funnel results reporting. Our suite of solutions includes display, sponsored listings, audience extension, co-op campaigns, and custom creative campaigns  all designed to deliver on the objectives of our advertising partners and add value for travel shoppers on our branded sites globally. With a consultative approach and more than 20 years of travel and media experience, we help our advertising partners inspire, engage, and convert travelers for meaningful results. For more information, visit www.advertising.expedia.com.

 2022 Expedia, Inc., an Expedia Group company. All rights reserved. Trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners. CST: 2029030-50

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CHICAGO - Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) and Mr & Mrs Smith today announced an agreement for a Hyatt affiliate to acquire London-based Mr & Mrs Smith, a platform offering direct booking access to a carefully curated and growing collection of over 1,500 boutique and luxury properties in some of the worlds most desirable locations. Hyatt will acquire 100 percent of the asset-light Mr & Mrs Smith platform for an enterprise value of 53.0 million in cash consideration.

We are excited by this planned acquisition and to explore bringing guests and World of Hyatt members even more global luxury offerings across hundreds of geographies  including over 20 countries where there are currently no Hyatt hotels such as Fiji, Croatia, Iceland and Anguilla. Founders Tamara and James Lohan alongside their impressive team have built the ultimate global direct booking collection of truly unique stay experiences including rooms located in treehouses, within caves, and underwater suites. Importantly, we see a lot of synergy between our collective ethos of care, and we look forward to working together to bring our shared focus to new, memorable stay experiences for guests and World of Hyatt members  and introduce new guests to Hyatt hotels around the world. Mark Vondrasek, chief commercial officer, Hyatt

The planned acquisition of Mr & Mrs Smith is expected to build on Hyatts leadership position in luxury and further strengthen Hyatts distribution capabilities, especially across Europe  through forging relationships with additional hotel owners and more than 1 million loyal Mr & Mrs Smith members. This acquisition builds on a transformative growth period for Hyatt in the last 12 months, which included the recently completed acquisition of Dream Hotel Groups lifestyle brand and management portfolio and the conversion of a portfolio of over 30 franchise agreements with Lindner Hotels & Resorts and me and all hotels, as well as substantial organic growth of Hyatts global portfolio. As a result of Hyatts expanded brand portfolio and ever-growing offering for every stay occasion, membership in the World of Hyatt loyalty program has more than tripled during the past five years.

The transaction is anticipated to close in the second quarter of this year, subject to customary closing conditions. At a later date following the closing, Hyatt plans to unveil direct booking access to properties within the Mr & Mrs Smith platform through Hyatts distribution channels, including Hyatt.com and the World of Hyatt app. The anticipated move will have the potential to unlock access to more than twice the number of global boutique and luxury properties within Hyatt direct booking channels, and Hyatt is exploring ways to enable World of Hyatt members to earn and redeem points across eligible hotels in the Mr & Mrs Smith collection. World of Hyatt members are some of the most valuable travelers in the industry who spend more and stay more, generating high-quality revenue for hotel owners.

I am really excited that we have found such a dynamic and globally trusted brand as Hyatt to take Mr & Mrs Smith into our next chapter. We have long admired and respected Hyatt and are confident that there is no one better placed to build on what we have achieved and take our company to new heights. Our vision has always been for Mr & Mrs Smith to be the worlds definitive travel club for hotel lovers. Thanks to Hyatt, that vision has become much closer to reality. With Hyatts support, Mr & Mrs Smith will be able to offer our community of members, hoteliers and partners so much more. Tamara Lohan, co-founder and chief executive officer, Mr & Mrs Smith

Following the planned acquisition close, over 100 Mr & Mrs Smith colleagues are expected to join Hyatts Commercial Services team, including Tamara Lohan who will serve as Mr & Mrs Smith CEO, reporting to Mark Vondrasek, Hyatts chief commercial officer, and James Lohan who will serve as Mr & Mrs Smith chief creative officer.

In connection with the transaction, Credit Suisse served as financial advisor to Hyatt and Linklaters LLP acted as its legal advisor. Arrowpoint Advisory (part of Rothschild & Co) served as financial advisor to Mr & Mrs Smith and Fieldfisher LLP acted as its legal advisor.

The term Hyatt is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.

About Mr & Mrs Smith

Founded in 2003, Mr & Mrs Smith is the travel club for hotel lovers: an award-winning boutique and luxury hotel booking service specialising in the worlds most seductive stays. There are now more than 1,800 hotels and villas in the collection, all hand-picked and anonymously reviewed. Smith members are guaranteed best prices wherever and whenever they book, free extras on arrival, and round-the-clock service from in-house travel specialists, Smith24. Dedicated to meeting the highest standards of environmental and social responsibility, Mr & Mrs Smith was officially recognised as a B Corp in 2022. Go to mrandmrssmith.com to browse and book.

About Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company guided by its purpose  to care for people so they can be their best. As of June 30, 2022, the Company's portfolio included more than 1,150 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 72 countries across six continents. The Company's offering includes brands in the Timeless Collection, including Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt, Hyatt Residence Club, Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, and UrCove; the Boundless Collection, including Miraval, Alila, Andaz, Thompson Hotels, Hyatt Centric, and Caption by Hyatt; the Independent Collection, including The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, Destination by Hyatt, and JdV by Hyatt; and the Inclusive Collection, including Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara, Zoetry Wellness & Spa Resorts, Secrets Resorts & Spas, Breathless Resorts & Spas, Dreams Resorts & Spas, Vivid Hotels & Resorts, Alua Hotels & Resorts, and Sunscape Resorts & Spas. Subsidiaries of the Company operate the World of Hyatt loyalty program, ALG Vacations, Unlimited Vacation Club, Amstar DMC destination management services, and Trisept Solutions technology services. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Forward-Looking Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "may," "could," "expect," "intend," "plan," "seek," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "likely," "will," "would" and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable when made, are inherently uncertain, and are subject to numerous assumptions and uncertainties, many of which are outside of Kiraku, Inc. or Hyatt's control, which could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by such statements. Forward-looking statements made in this press release are made only as of the date of their initial publication and neither party undertakes an obligation to publicly update any of these forward-looking statements as actual events unfold, except to the extent required by applicable law. If one or more forward-looking statements is updated, no inference should be drawn that any additional updates will be made with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

Franziska Weber

+1 312 780 6106

Hyatt
HSMAI has a rich history of producing educational conferences since our inception in 1927. Our topics and strategies continuously evolved with the times to help hotels be more successful. During the early 2000s as internet marketing was rapidly advancing, we produced the first Hotel Internet Marketing Strategy Conference in 2003 and then the Revenue Management Strategy Conference in 2004. One news outlet reported at the time, HSMAI will step-up its interest in the strategic solutions business by holding five Strategy Conferences, each serving unique markets and industries within travel and hospitality.

Over the years the Internet Marketing Strategy Conference became the Digital Marketing Strategy Conference. In 2020 the word digital was dropped as our stakeholders concluded that nearly all marketing was digital. The name of the Revenue Management Strategy Conference was changed to the Revenue Optimization Conference in 2011 and has become known today as just ROC. Today HSMAI produces five ROC events around the globe annually including the one here in the Americas Region and in London, Dubai, Singapore, and Sao Paulo. These events have made HSMAIs name synonymous with education in hotel revenue management and optimizations.

HSMAIs marketing and revenue optimization conferences  combined into Commercial Strategy Week in 2022  have been at the forefront of the hospitality industry for the past 20 years, providing invaluable insights, education, and networking opportunities for hospitality professionals. Coming to Toronto in June, Commercial Strategy Week has become a must-attend event for industry leaders, featuring executive roundtables, the Marketing Strategy Conference, and HSMAI ROC that are leading the way for the future of the hospitality industry.

Marketing Strategy Conference

HSMAIs Marketing Strategy Conference has been a go-to event for marketing professionals seeking to stay ahead of the curve and navigate the ever-evolving landscape of hospitality marketing.

It is a platform for exploring the latest trends, strategies, and technologies in digital marketing, social media, branding, customer experience, and more. With expert speakers, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities, the conference provides hotel marketers with the tools and knowledge to drive brand awareness, engage with customers, and achieve marketing success in a highly competitive industry.

Highlights this year include:

Global Trends & Evolving Customersand what they mean for hotel marketing

Executive Insights: A View from the Top

The Lightning Round: Insights Worth Sharing

HSMAI ROC

When HSMAI ROC was conceptualized in 2003, it was a groundbreaking event focused on revenue management and optimization in the hospitality industry.

Over the years, ROC has evolved into the industrys premier event, where revenue management practitioners, executives, and thought leaders gather to connect and engage in meaningful, inspiring conversations about the most critical strategic issues facing hotels today.

Highlights at HSMAI ROC this year include:

Traveler Trends: Emerging Insights and Opportunities for Growth

Maximizing Revenue with Travel Insights from Google, Amazon, and Meta

The Economic Outlook

Communicating with Impact as a Leader

Executive Roundtables

Executive roundtables are a hallmark of HSMAI events, bringing together top executives for candid discussions and brainstorming sessions. These invitation-only roundtables offer a unique opportunity for leaders to collaborate and share insights through innovative thinking and problem-solving. This year, Executive Roundtables are on Monday and Thursday convening Chief Revenue Officers (CRO) and Chief Digital Officers from hotel management companies and brands, Chief Distribution Officers, and Commercial Executives from ownership groups.

Whichever events youre attending, I cant wait to see you in Toronto for Commercial Strategy Week!
Stoneweg Hospitality (Stoneweg), the hotel investment arm of global real estate company Stoneweg, has acquired two hotels in Spain from Globalia Business Corporation, the Spanish tourism group, for 83 million. The investments have been made through a variety of Stonewegs discretionary funds and increase the Companys hospitality exposure by 25%, from 1,281 to 1,691 keys, as well as its weighting to the Balearic and Canary Islands to 62%, a region where record visitor numbers are forecasted in 2023.

La Nina is a 226-room, four-star hotel located in Costa Adeje, Tenerife, 200 metres from Playa Fanabe and Playa de la Pinta. Palace de Muro is a 184-room, five-star hotel in Muro, Mallorca, and is situated directly on Playa de Muro, considered one of the worlds best beaches. Both hotels feature multiple restaurants, bars and pools, as well as a spa and gym, as well as Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE) facilities.

Following the 2023 summer season, Stoneweg will undertake an extensive CapEx programme to refurbish and reposition the hotels.

Stoneweg Hospitality, which was established in 2021, currently owns a portfolio of seven prime hotels across Spain, which have been, or are in the process of being, repositioned through significant managerial turnarounds, CapEx programmes and reflagging strategies. This includes Alua Menorca, Casa Lit Barcelona or Hard Rock Hotel Marbella, which re-opened in March this year following a comprehensive refurbishment of its rooms & suites, and new common areas such as the Sun Society rooftop pool & restaurant and the show-dinner restaurant Nu Downtown.

The Spanish hospitality sector continues to recover strongly from the Covid-19 pandemic and this year it is predicted that the country will welcome a record 85 million foreign visitors, surpassing the previous highest of 83 million set in 2019[1]. This is an increase of 17% on 2022 when 71 million foreign travellers visited Spain[2].

This was a rare opportunity to establish a footprint in two of Spains top performing hospitality destinations, a market where the tourism sector has enjoyed an unprecedented post-Covid rebound, and add two assets that complement our existing high-quality portfolio. While already offering strong fundamentals in their own right, in line with our existing strategy, our highly experienced team will upgrade and reposition the assets in order to generate additional returns through the creation of differentiated products from a concept and branding perspective. Miguel Casas, Managing Director of Stoneweg Hospitality

About Stoneweg

Stoneweg (www.stoneweg.com) is a real estate asset manager and investment advisory group established in 2015 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The Group relies on local operating teams to identify, develop and manage real estate investments around the World. To date, Stoneweg has invested more than 5 billion in real estate in various sectors including residential, commercial, logistics and hospitality. Stoneweg's expertise lies in both equity and debt investment strategies. Its clients include financial institutions and family offices that invest in a variety of structures, including club deals, joint ventures and co-investments. Stoneweg Hospitality (established in 2021) owns and manages a portfolio of prime hotels in Southern Europe, which have been, or are in the process of being, repositioned through significant managerial turnarounds, CapEx programs and reflagging strategies. With more than 140 employees, Stoneweg is present in Switzerland, the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Andorra and Italy. Since 2015, Stoneweg has completed more than 300 acquisitions alongside best-in-class partners.
After much speculation, the Lyon institution has just unveiled its new identity. A rebirth, combining a tribute to its two founders, Paul Bocuse and Gerard Pelisson, to the city of Lyon, and an acceleration of the international strategy. The Institute thus becomes Lyfe Institute, Lyon for excellence, Lyon for education, Lyon for exploration, Lyon for experience.

The Institute, a school of higher education, research center, professional training center and foundation, began its shift five years ago. A 25 million euro investment plan was thus launched with the support of investors such as Gerard Pelisson. The latter injected 10 million euros into the project, while the Auvergne Rhone-Alpes region and the Metropolis of Greater Lyon respectively provided aid of two million euros and the city of Lyon 500,000 euros.

Two renowned campuses.

These investments have made it possible to create the Gerard Pelisson Campus, which will host the entire hotel and management part of the Institute from the start of the next school year. It took the renovation of the Chateau de la Roseraie and the construction of two modern wings, designed by the Lyon architect Mathias Soulier and called Audace and Innovation, to create this new center.

The co-founder of the Institute, Paul Bocuse, remains anchored in the history, but also in the future of the establishment, since the historic campus dedicated to the Culinary Arts becomes the Campus Paul Bocuse. The investment plan should extend over the next five years, also giving the Paul Bocuse campus a second lease of life.

Big ambitions

These two campuses should offer French and international students an environment in which everyone strives for excellence. Here, the objective is to achieve a balance of 50% French students and 50% international students. The Institute also wishes to increase the number of international partnerships to 50, to encourage students to live the Lyfe experience internationally.

The ambition is to integrate the Conference des Grandes Ecoles from the summer of 2023. An ambition carried by a Gilles Pelisson determined to make the Lyfe Institute the reference business school in France and abroad.

Among the many projects announced today by Gilles Pelisson and Dominique Giraudier, the following should be noted:
GBTA Industry Poll Reveals Key Drivers Poised to Shape the Path Ahead for Global Business Travel

Latest outlook poll explores impact of new airline retailing strategies and New Distribution Capability, industry workforce rebuilding challenges, and traveler experience realities amid disruption

The global business travel industry continues working its way toward a forecasted $1.158 trillion* in travel spending in 2023  but economics only tell part of the story. Even as the industry gains momentum, new developments and approaches are anticipated to shape the path ahead.



For the travel industry, New Distribution Capability (NDC) marks a paradigm-shifting approach in airline retailing, access to fares, and what it means for travel buyers and the business travel landscape at large. Rebuilding the travel and hospitality industry workforce and fostering the next generation of industry professionals is also underway. And at a time when so much has changed, so has the state of the business travelers experience, especially when faced with disruption.



These three key drivers are explored in the Q2 2023 Business Travel Outlook Poll released today by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the premier association serving the worldwide business travel industry. GBTA surveyed over 800 business travel buyers, suppliers, and industry professionals around the world, marking the 31st poll in its long-running series.

Business travel is constantly evolving, and our latest GBTA poll highlights the top-of-mind developments and issues for our industry and business travelers alike. Implementing new retailing models, rebuilding our workforce, and elevating the employee travel experience are some of the key drivers we are seeing that are shaping the collective future of business travel, said Suzanne Neufang, CEO, GBTA.



Here are some of the key takeaways from this latest GBTA poll:

The Evolution of Airline Retailing



The industry weighs in on recent airline efforts to expedite NDC

Survey respondents were asked about a U.S. airlines announcement to travel agencies that over 40% of its content and new offerings would only be available through modern retailing channels including NDC. Of those surveyed, 47% say they do not support this effort to expedite NDC. A third (34%) say they did support it, and 20% arent familiar with NDC.

Specific to travel buyers, 60% say they do not support the effort compared to 36% of travel suppliers and travel management companies (TMCs).

Regionally, respondents in Europe (44%) and APAC (43%) are more likely to support the effort versus those in North America (29%).

Is NDC implementation moving too fast?

Over half of travel buyers (53%) say some airlines are trying to roll out NDC too quickly and have not given third-party intermediaries enough time to develop the needed technology and processes.

A third of buyers (29%) say intermediaries have had enough time and should be ready to efficiently handle and service NDC bookings.

Travel buyers in North America (59%) are more likely than those in Europe (42%) to feel airlines are moving too fast.

European buyers (49%) are more likely than North America buyers (23%) to feel intermediaries should be ready by now.

Travel managers in a three-way split regarding NDC impact

One-third (36%) of buyers say their travel program has been negatively impacted by moves from carriers overall to implement NDC, whereas 29% say it has not been impacted.

An additional third (28%) say they are unaware of any impact, and only 6% say NDC efforts by carriers have positively impacted their travel program.

A view of the early days of NDCs implementation

Half of buyers (48%) say they have not yet started to implement NDC.

Among travel buyers, a few say they have experienced some (7%) or many (7%) challenges in their NDC process, while even fewer say their transition has largely gone smoothly (3%) or without any challenges (1%).

However, one in four buyers (25%) say its too early to assess how their implementation is going.

Six in 10 buyers (61%) say they have not, nor intend to, budget for additional NDC-related servicing costs, while 23% say they havent done so but their budgeting process is underway.

One-third of intermediary stakeholders cite NDC implementation challenges

Among intermediary stakeholders, including TMCs, online booking tools (OBTs), global distribution systems (GDSs), one-third (36%) say they have experienced at least some or many challenges in distributing NDC content to their corporate clients.

More engagement is needed among NDC stakeholders

Eight in 10 travel buyers surveyed (81%) say they need more information on NDC.

European buyers (29%) are more likely than those in North America (15%) to say they do not need more NDC information.

Buyer sentiment is mixed when it comes to how their TMC is preparing them for NDC. Half of buyers (50%) do not feel their TMC has sufficient NDC information and/or is not sharing their plans for implementation.

Rebuilding the Business Travel Workforce

Challenges in staffing cited by over half of industry respondents

Six in 10 (58%) of all respondents report they continue to experience labor shortages and/or recruitment challenges in some capacity. However, a third (36%) said they are not experiencing significant difficulties in the areas of staffing or recruitment.

The positions respondents say their company most need include Technology Development: 31%; Entry Level / Operations: 26%; Sales and Account Management: 24%; and Travel Consultants/Agents: 17%.

When asked which industry sectors have the biggest staffing challenges, respondents most frequently cite hotels (59%), TMCs (43%), restaurants (37%), airports (28%), and aviation (27%).

Top barriers to building a sustainable industry workforce

When asked to rank five of the biggest barriers facing the global business travel industry in achieving a robust, diverse, and sustainable workforce, the top selections are unattractive salary and benefits (69%); lack of qualified candidates (50%); hiring and training new professionals from outside the industry (46%); unappealing job requirements (46%); and lack of investment in retaining talent and professional development (46%).

The Current State for Business Travelers and the Industry

Concerns and realities of the business traveler experience

When asked to rate their recent business travel experience, most respondents say it was somewhat (31%) or very (29%) pleasant.

However, half of those surveyed say concerns about travel disruptions  such as canceled or delayed flights, long security lines, crowded airports, or long bag check lines  has somewhat (41%) or greatly (9%) reduced their willingness to travel for work.

Travel managers most frequently hear business traveler complaints from employees about delayed (76%) or canceled (72%) flights, long call wait times with TMCs (62%) or travel suppliers (52%), and poor hotel service quality (46%).

The latest status of global travel spending and bookings

Travel buyers estimate their companies current domestic business travel bookings have returned to 72% of 2019 pre-pandemic levels (up from 67% in GBTAs January 2023 poll). Buyers also estimate their companys current domestic business travel spend is 74% of 2019 levels (up from 68% in January).

International business travel also continues to make its return. Travel buyers estimate their international bookings have recovered to 63% (up from 54% in January), and their current spending is back to 66% (up from 58%).

Methodology: A total of 803 responses were received from across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific for the poll which was fielded April 10-21, 2023. View the complete Q2 poll results and key highlights here, along with the full series of GBTA business travel industry recovery polls.
Guestroom at the Kimpton Hotel Theta

Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced today it will open a new boutique hotel in New York City, marking the brand's second in the market. Set to open in fall 2023, Kimpton Hotel Theta will serve as an oasis for business and leisure guests seeking respite in the heart of the city's Theater District.

Designed to serve as a gateway to quintessential New York, Kimpton Hotel Theta will offer a sense of retreat in every environment. An adaptive re-reuse of an existing mixed-use hotel, the new Kimpton Hotel Theta was originally imagined by Morris Lapidus, the pioneer of Miami Modern Architecture. The reimagined hotel will span 15 floors and feature 364 guest rooms, inclusive of five suites, including a 1,100-square-foot penthouse. Guestrooms will be generously sized, particularly for New York City standards. As is true with all Kimptons, the hotel will feature beloved perks such as morning coffee and tea, evening social hour, Forgot It? Weve Got it! amenity program, 24-hour fitness center, in-room yoga mats, custom-designed PUBLIC bikes ready to take out for a spin, and a no-fee pet policy.

Aptly inspired by the Theta brainwaves that are most present in moments of self-reflection, meditation and internal focus  the Theta name is also derived from the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet, a perfect tie to the hotels 8th Avenue location. The design-forward hotel will also offer a 3,200-square-foot rooftop restaurant by TableOne Hospitality, a grab-and-go market and coffee service in the lobby and approximately 1,100-square feet of meeting space. The rooftop will be the crown jewel of Kimpton Hotel Theta, a culinary escape with a speakeasy edge aptly inspired by the Cicchetti bars of the Italian Riviera. Small plates, bright apertivos and inspired spritzes will satisfy hotel guests and locals looking for a breath of fresh air over dinner and drinks.

Mike DeFrino, Managing Director, Luxury & Lifestyle Americas at IHG Hotels & Resorts, says: We're looking forward to bringing another Kimpton to the New York City market, and Kimpton Hotel Theta will bring an unexpected, refreshing experience to the Midtown West neighborhood. The hotel will serve as a boutique oasis designed to delight all guests who are looking to stay in the middle of it all but also have space to recharge and reset.

Located on 48th Street and 8th Avenue at the nexus of the Theater District and Midtown West, a block off from Times Square, Kimpton Hotel Theta will be the ideal launch point for exploration, with easy access to the citys transportation hubs. Guests can find themselves anywhere in Manhattan within twenty minutes, or they can step outside and stroll to iconic attractions, from Broadway to MoMA. Attracting both first-time visitors discovering city highlights and nearly-natives returning to their second home, the unique location represents the heart of the city in every sense.

Advertisement



Operated by Highgate, Kimpton Hotel Theta will join Kimpton Hotel Eventi as the brands second hotel in New York City. A trusted operator in the hospitality industry, Highgates diverse portfolio spans 500 properties and 87,000 rooms across North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe. Kimpton Hotel Theta is the first with IHG Hotels & Resorts.

Arash Azarbarzin, Chief Executive Officer of Highgate, says: Were excited to partner with Kimpton to launch this unique property in the heart of New York Citys iconic Theater District. As the newest addition to Highgates growing lifestyle and luxury portfolio, Hotel Theta offers an unrivaled experience for travelers and locals with its reimagined design, dynamic programming and soaring rooftop lounge.

There are over 70 Kimptons open worldwide and more than 25 Kimpton hotels scheduled to open in the next three to five years across 20 new global destinations, including Riviera Maya, Roatan, Bali and Shanghai.
Mike Pittman II says he knows from firsthand experience why Houston needs an innovation district such as the Ion District in Midtown.

In 2016, shortly after graduating from Prairie View A&M, he and his co-workers at a startup called Xplosion Sports Technology were accepted at an accelerator program run by DivInc, Pittman recalled Friday. While it was a good experience, it involved a long commute.

"We got accepted and we're like, 'Great!' " said Pittman, who now leads the Ion District's Community Benefits Agreement Advisory Council. "But you have to be in Austin three to four days a week, so we'd literally drive to Austin every day and drive back, or bum at somebody's house."

"To have that same kind of opportunity for Houston  seeing the need of that was just a no-brainer," Pittman said.

Related: Rice, city agree on $15M pact to invest in community around Ion, over organizers opposition

The Ion District, a partnership of Rice University's Rice Management Co. and the city of Houston, this week releases its first community investment report, which it committed to in November 2021, detailing activities in the district and its flagship building, the Ion, over the past year or so.

According to the report, the district committed $15.3 million in direct community investments, including $5 million in escrow at Unity National Bank in Third Ward and funding for housing counseling providers. The Ion District also says it hosted more than 130 community events, including 10 outreach events for minority- and women-owned businesses in Houston, and hosted 25 companies in three cohorts through the DivInc accelerator program.

There's a lot more to come, say Pittman and Sam Dike, an investment manager at Rice Management who is overseeing the implementation of Rice's deal with the city.

The two are particularly excited about a new workforce development partnership with Per Scholas, a nonprofit based in the Bronx that provides tuition-free technology training online. According to Dike, 18 companies responded to the Ion's request for proposals, and Per Scholas, one of three finalists, stood out for a clear reason: Leaders of the nonprofit had almost 1,000 Houstonians already on its waiting list.

Related: Advocates say Rice, city are leaving community out of Ion community benefits agreement

The deal between Rice and the city has been, and remains, a controversial one. In 2019, more than 30 community groups partnered as the Houston Coalition for Equitable Development without Displacement to advocate for a greater voice in the process. The coalition is inactive at the moment, but many of the Houstonians involved with it continue to follow developments in the Ion District.

Uyiosa Elegon, one such community member, argues that while the innovation district may have seen some success, those are wins for the innovation district, not the community. Houstonians who live near the Ion, he continued, have risked displacement as a result of rising property values as well as losing the Fiesta grocery store on San Jacinto, which many residents relied on.

"Rice Management Co. and the city have been purposely obtuse to the very lived realities of individuals in that area, and around Third Ward," Elegon said.

He maintains that the "community benefits agreement" shouldn't be described as such, given that it's between the developer and the city rather than the developer and the community. "This is a general civic agreement."

Related: The Lymbar at Midtown's Ion is vibrant and a lot of fun

Pittman, as leader of the CBA Advisory Council, says he's seen some opposition soften as the Ion District continues its work but that the committee intends to continue efforts based on feedback from the community.

He and Dike see ample room for the district to grow, despite  or perhaps because of  the tumult in the nation's tech sector of late.

"One of the benefits of Houston's ecosystem is that we have the most tech jobs in nontech industries," Dike said. "Where we're seeing a lot of the tech and innovation is in those spaces that are in high demand. When you think about health care, energy, logistics, supply chain, these are always needs, regardless of where the economy is."

He's keeping a close eye on the financial sector, he added, but hopes to see investment in Houston's innovation ecosystem continue.

"From my perspective," Dike said, "I would say Houston's probably in a better position than some of these other markets that have weathered the storm."
CHANDLER, Ariz. (AP)  CHANDLER, Ariz. (AP)  Rogers Corp. (ROG) on Thursday reported a loss of $3.5 million in its first quarter.

The Chandler, Arizona-based company said it had a loss of 19 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, came to 87 cents per share.

The specialty materials company posted revenue of $243.8 million in the period.

For the current quarter ending in June, Rogers Corp. expects its per-share earnings to range from 95 cents to $1.15.

The company said it expects revenue in the range of $235 million to $245 million for the fiscal second quarter.

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This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on ROG at https://www.zacks.com/ap/ROG
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Kiewit Engineering is expanding and extending its lease in Energy Center I and filling another large block of empty space in the Energy Corridor in the process.

The addition of 106,000 square feet will give Omaha, Neb.-based Kiewit a total of 277,105 square feet at 585 N. Dairy Ashford. It is the largest office deal announced this year and among the top five since 2022, according to Transwestern Real Estate Services.

The construction-driven engineering group, which provides services in the oil, gas and chemical markets, has been a tenant since 2020, according to Transwestern, which represented building owner Spear Street Capital in lease negotiations.

Kiewit initially occupied about half of the 334,000-square-foot building, which was vacated by Amec Foster Wheeler in late 2018 following its acquisition by engineering and construction firm Wood Group the previous year. With Kiewits expansion, Energy Center I is 86 percent leased with two floors remaining for lease.

RELATED: Technip Energies signs major lease for relocation of U.S. headquarters to one of Energy Corridors greenest buildings

Near Interstate 10 and Eldridge Parkway, Energy Center I has a cafeteria, lobby coffee bar and fitness center with locker rooms. The deal fits an ongoing trend of companies selecting newer and updated buildings for their offices.

Tenants want a comfortable employee experience with first-class office space that is convenient for their employees and highly amenitized, Eric Anderson, executive managing director at Transwestern, said in an announcement.

Louie Crapitto of JLL and David Kimball of SquareFoot represented Kiewit. Anderson, along with Katy Gragg of Transwestern, represented the landlord.

Gary Zvonkovic

The deal is the fifth-largest office leasing transaction in the Houston area since 2022, according to Transwestern. The largest was EOG Resources' renewal of 367,612 square feet at 1111 Bagby downtown, followed by Apaches lease of 328,000 square feet at One BriarLake Plaza in Westchase, Enbridges lease of 290,025 square feet for its relocation to 915 N. Eldridge Parkway in the Energy Corridor, and Bechtels leases totaling 282,496 square feet for its move to CityWestPlace in Westchase.

The amount of space leased in West Houston totaled 48 percent of all the space rented in the Houston region during the first quarter, according to commercial real estate firm JLL. Other recent leases in the Energy Corridor include two deals at Fuller Realtys West Memorial Place campus: 171,600 square feet for Technip Energies and 116,161 square feet for Modec.

Leasing activity during the first three months of the year was 41 percent below the five-year quarterly average for the region as Houstons vacancy rate rose slightly to 25.6 percent, according to JLL.

Aon opens new office in Uptown

Aon, a global professional services company based in London, has moved its regional headquarters to a full floor in 1300 Post Oak Blvd.

With a heavy focus on collaboration, the layout features the companys Smart Working approach designed to give workers and clients the best experience across in-person, hybrid and virtual work modes. Designed by Kirksey Architecture, the 20,225-square-foot office features a social hub and community cafe to encourage employees to connect across teams. About 200 employees are based in the office.

Aon

Aon, which moved its Uptown office from 5555 San Felipe, also has an office in The Woodlands at Hughes Landing. The company said the new office reflects investments made in technology that started before the pandemic to accelerate changing work styles based on feedback from colleagues and insights from the firms work with clients.

We continue to view our offices as a tool that allows our colleagues to come together and organically generate the innovative ideas that ultimately best serve our clients, Thane Wyman, Aons resident managing director and market leader for Houston, said in an announcement. We have been dedicated to this market for more than 20 years and we are proud that our new space showcases our ongoing commitment to colleagues, clients, and the broader community.

Transwestern names new leader

Greg Munson has been promoted to president of Houston-based Transwestern Real Estate Services. He succeeds former President Tom Lawyer, who joined the commercial real estate company in 2018 and will be retiring after 45 years in the industry.

Greg is an exceptional, highly respected leader who brings a wealth of industry experience to this position, Transwestern CEO Larry P. Heard said in an announcement. His team mentality and proven ability to anticipate the needs of owners, tenants and investors will be invaluable as we create solutions to address the challenges and opportunities our clients are deliberating today.

Transwestern

Based in Minneapolis, Munson previously served as executive managing director of the Midwest Region. He worked with Lawyer, who will remain with the company through 2023, on the acquisition of Chicago-based MB Real Estate. The acquisition was one of three regional companies acquired by Transwestern in 2022.

Founded in 1978, Transwestern has 33 offices across the U.S.
Houston brands are offering jewelry and body art as an experience, providing Instagram-ready settings where accessorizing is a bespoke, memorable endeavor. Here are a few to check out.

KB DESIGN HTX

Kelly Broesche became a jewelry maker after a class at The Glassell School was canceled.

An artist with a background in sculpture, she found herself taking a jewelry technique class after a roster change. She quickly was surprised at how much she enjoyed the craft and how her sculpting skills informed the new art form.

A lot of jewelry is like a small sculpture, says Broesche, who launched KB Design HTX in 2018 after learning to set gemstones and work with precious metals.

At the same time, by following Brooklyn-based jewelry brand Catbird on social media, she discovered the trend of personal jewelry. She couldnt find anyone offering the service in Houston, and the Eterna bracelet was born.

Permanent jewelry is a bracelet, necklace or ring custom-sized and welded or soldered on without a clasp, so that the piece never comes off. Wearing a protective face shield and protecting the skin of the customer, Broesche attaches claspless, delicate chains around the wrist, neck, and finger in solid 14-karat chains.

Customers can choose to add diamonds and other fine gemstones or connectors that Broesche designs in shapes such as crosses and daisies.

Its grown into something that means more than just jewelry, says Broesche. The majority of my business is people coming with a loved one.

When a man helps his wife design a permanent piece, she will think of him every time she looks down at the bracelet, she says. Mothers and daughters and groups of friends book appointments for a shared experience.

Youre leaving with someone thats really meaningful, she says. Sometimes, a jewelry piece is a remembrance, such as a bracelet a customer selects inlaid with her late mothers birthstone. Permanent rings can either be sized to stay on a finger or can be rolled off.

Clients return to additional charms to mark new milestones. One grandmother has a Eterna bracelet for all of her seven grandchildren. Each delicate bracelet has the childs birthstone along with a connector that is significant to the child.

In this digital age, where so much of our lives are lived online, people are craving the intimacy of relationship and the bond that something like permanent jewelry offers them, Broesche says.

Studio by appointment; kbdesignhtx.comkbdesignhtx.com

STUDS

Anna Harman is CEO and co-founder of Studs, a chain of piercing boutiques born in New Yorks Nolita neighborhood that has opened a location in Houston's Rice Village.

Harman developed the concept for a hip, affordable, walk-in piercing shop out of need. When she wanted a new ear piercing, she found herself relegated to a tattoo parlor. The experience was safe, hygienic and effective, she says, but I was very personally out of place.

With 100 style options for piercing, in addition to other earring styles, the 17 stores offer needle piercings in a personalized way.

Neon display cases illuminate titanium, 14-karat and 18-karat gold studs and words dance across the walls inviting customers to take an earscape. In the mix, Houston customers might gravitate to cowboy hat studs and huggies, longhorn and tiny earrings that spell the word yall.

Noting the trend of industrials  "the 90s are really in  rook piercings, helix piercings and snake bite piercings, which are two piercings close together, Harman says the technicians offer really novel and interesting looking piercings.

There are no rules when it comes to lining one's ear with adornment.

No one is getting ear piercing to have holes in their ears," she says. "Theyre doing it to tell the world about themselves."



Studs, Rice Village, 2567 Amherst; studs.com

BURDLIFE

Offering permanent jewelry and piercings, Burdlife is a blush-pink jewelry boutique in the Heights' M-K-T development.

Owner Natasha Dadwani says that when her jewelry brand grew into a brick and mortar store that happened to open in 2020, buying jewelry became a pandemic-era event.

Everyone was eager to get out and get an experience and revamp their ears, she says, adding that it hasn't slowed since.

With arched door openings, pastel accents and jewelry that is meant to be touched and tried on and not barricaded behind glass, the shop offers that girly experience, you want to walk in and get styled and get this new stack, she says.

Contrasted with a handful of options at a mall kiosk, the collection of piercing studs are attractive enough  or personal enough to one's aesthetic  that customers will want to keep them in long enough for the hear to properly heal, she says. That's six to eight months for lobes and a year for a cartilage piercing.

We help you think outside the box, she says. Its never the same from first person to the next.

Burdlife, M-K-T, 600 N. Shepherd, #198; burdlife.com

NINA BERENATO

At Nina Berenatos permanent bracelet bar inside Forth & Nomad boutique in Heights Mercantile, a new chain style debuts each month.

The limited-edition styles are available along with the designer's four signature chains, The Goddess, The Rebel, The Muse and The Warrior.

Its an addiction, says Berenato, a metalsmith who has fashioned custom, avant-garde pieces for celebrities including Beyonce. They come in for one, a week later theyre getting two more.

Berenato wears eight permanent bracelets on one arm. They look really good stacked up, she says, promising that the bracelets lay flat and dont tangle: You barely even feel it, it kind of becomes a part of you.

Charms are available to enhance the chains, including the newest launch of Zodiac symbols, for which people have been losing their minds.

Permanent jewelry allows the wearer to choose how snug or loose their pieces fit. Many customers use claspless jewelry to set an intention.

Right when I do the zap to close the metal, she says, you think of your intention, a wish, something youre working towards. When they reach their goal, theyll cut the bracelet off.

The Austin-based designer says she would like to one day find a permanent Houston home for her full-range handmade jewelry collection.

Nina Berenato Permanent Bracelet Bar, Forth & Nomad, 731 Yale; ninaberenato.com

EPHEMERAL

For a new kind of custom adornment, Ephemeral is a made-to-fade tattoo studio now open in Montrose.

CEO Jeff Liu says Ephemerals founders shared some of the same reasons their clients have for wanting to accent their bodies with a tattoo, without committing to a permanent marking  be it cultural, religious or otherwise.

Using their shared scientific backgrounds, he says the team spent years formulating a tattoo that naturally disappears in one to two years.

The highly scientific, highly clinical process uses ink that interacts with water in the body to break down and metabolize, he says. All the artistry, all the craft of the tattoo industry without the barrier of being forever.

Outfitted with midcentury-inspired lighting, natural fiber rugs, living plants, blonde-wood furnishing and cowhide print ottomans, the sleek shop is lined with mod, curved enclosures for private inking.

Houstons diversity made the Montrose store, one thats been close to our hearts, says Liu, representing communities who appreciate this mission of self-expression without a lifetime commitment.

Customers gravitate towards tattoos with personal meaning or to match a mantra. Script and floral tattoos are popular, he says, as are angel numbers, a TikTok-circulated phenomenon of a lucky number.

In addition to experimenting with unusual arm placements and playing with art on the ribs, Ephemeral artists are seeing requests for tattoos on the inner ear, cartilage or below a piercing, which adds a highly-personal stamp to a jewelry stack.

Tattoos as accessories, he says.

Ephemeral, 1665 Westheimer, Suite A; ephemeral.tattoo
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Two women and one community group were honored for their work with East Montgomery Countys Spanish-speaking population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The nonprofit Texas Familias Council presented the Deerwood Community Center volunteers the 2023 Izcalia Reviving Community Award.

Paolo Martinez, 16, and Meztly Diaz, 20, received the Luz de Luna  meaning light of the moon  Leading Light Award from the organization.

On YourConroeNews.com: The Woodlands budgets $250K to 50th birthday celebration as plans get underway

The awards were presented at the councils Saturday event Encuentro Familiar meaning family engagement held at Lone Star College-Kingwood.

The event was a resource fair for the community to explore topics such as health, mental health, legal services, immigration services, education, culture and citizenship programs.

In 2011, Jordan and community partners formed the nonprofit Texas Familias Council as a response to the challenges of Latino families in the region.

Their work in the Hispanic community kicked into high gear when members responded to Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts and discovered the gaps in resources available to a newer population to the area and one whose primary language may not have been English.

During the pandemic, Jordan said she saw this already vulnerable population that had been hit by several weather disasters in recent years slip deeper into crisis.

As a response to the impact of the pandemic on the Deerwood community in East Montgomery County, volunteers with the Deerwood Community Center mobilized and put together an action plan.

For two years they have been hosting a food line where they distribute food to those in need. They have also set up COVID-19 vaccination events, public health workshops and neighborhood gatherings at the community center.

They were an obvious choice for this award, she said. They really stepped up and re-engaged the community during the pandemic.

During the food line events, two of the most consistent volunteers were Martinez and Diaz.

Martinez is a junior at Infinity Early College High School at New Caney ISD. She began volunteering on the food line two years ago and has since rallied many friends to help with the effort and encouraged others to get involved.

On YourConroeNews.com: Montgomery County property owners have already filed 800 appraisal protests. Here's how to do it.

Diaz will graduate from Lone Star College-Kingwood in May with an associates degree and is pursuing education in the field of community development.

She too came to the food line as a volunteer two years ago. She is also an officer for Latina Inspira Student Network a bicultural young womens club at Lone Star College-Kingwood.

Jordan felt Saturdays event was very successful.

She said as the support organizations come out of crisis mode, they are trying to best address the needs of the countys Spanish-speaking community.

One of the needs brought up most to her are the need for more mental health resources for the Spanish-speaking community.

Before the pandemic, it was very difficult to get Latino families to talk about mental health or ask for those services. It made them very uncomfortable, she said.

Now that they are asking for these services, shes finding it very difficult to find Spanish-speaking counselors and therapists, especially in rural areas.

This will be a target of group to try to encourage more young Hispanic students to consider a career in counseling.

For more information about the Texas Familias Council, visit https://www.facebook.com/Texasfamiliascouncil.
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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  The Upper Mississippi River will rise to near record-high levels as it flows through Wisconsin and Iowa, but officials said Thursday they expected to hold back floodwaters with a combination of flood walls, temporary barriers and wetlands, especially if dry weather continues.

The Mississippi already has crested in St. Paul, Minnesota, and La Crosse, Wisconsin, but it will be days before it begins falling in some areas to the south. The high water is due to the quick melting of a giant snowpack in northern Minnesota that is slowly moving down the approximately 2,300-mile (3,700-kilometer) river that will ultimately empty into the Gulf of Mexico.

Despite the flooding in parts of the Upper Midwest, states to the south aren't expected to experience any flooding because tributaries in Iowa, Illinois and other Midwest states are running lower than usual, said Mike Welvaert, a National Weather Service hydrologist. Next week is expected to be mostly dry with only some showers in the forecast, he said, meaning that's unlikely to change.

Future precipitation is what is going to drive the future risk, Welvaert said on a conference call with reporters.

Major cities in Iowa and Illinois wont see the river crest until early next week, and then it will take about 10 days to recede to more normal levels.

In the Quad-Cities area, made up of five abutting cities that border the river in Iowa and Illinois, that crest is expected on Monday, making it the third-highest flood to ever recorded in that area.

Bettendorf Mayor Bob Gallagher, whose community is one of those five cities, said he is confident his neighbors will endure the flooding with little damage, even as it reaches an expected 22 feet (6.7 meters).

Bettendorf and Moline, Illinois, have flood walls, he noted. Neighboring Davenport doesn't have a flood wall, but makes use of parkland that can flood and portable sand-filled barriers that protect the downtown in the city of 100,000 people, he said.

They have kind of become experts in the flood fight, Gallagher said of Davenport.

Upriver in La Crosse, Wisconsin, flooding was under control. Mayor Mitch Reynolds credited advanced warning, an improved sewer system, and use of a marsh to sponge up floodwaters.

He still expects some cleanup and repairing after the river rose nearly 4 feet above flood stage.

We've had significant damage to parks and some other infrastructure and it will take a while for the water to recede to get to the point where we can access some of that damage, Reynolds said, on the video call, alongside fellow mayors. We'll be in the thick of this for some time.

The flooding has forced the Army Corps of Engineers to close more than a dozen locks, stopping barges relied upon by farmers and the region's manufacturers.

But the flooding and the barge delays are only expected to last a few weeks, far shorter than in 2019 when flooding closed locks for more than three months.

Were expecting this to be a relatively quick flood, Smith said Drew Smith, with the Army Corps of Engineers in St. Louis.

Even as officials expressed optimism, some riverfront homes in Guttenberg, Iowa, have seen flooded homes and major disruptions to daily life. And in Campbell, a town of 4,000 people on French Island in the Mississippi and Black rivers just west of La Crosse, residents continued to struggle with water in their yards and basements Thursday.

Asked how emergency crews were doing in Campbell, Fire Chief Nate Melby said in a text, Just trying to maintain pumps and keep up the battle.

___

Associated Press writer Todd Richmond contributed to this story from Madison, Wisconsin.
A Houston-bound tanker was seized by Irans navy while traversing international waters Thursday in the Gulf of Oman, a vital waterway in the worldwide oil trade.

The ship, identified as the Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Sweet by the United States Navys Middle East-based 5th Fleet, had issued a distress call around 1:15 p.m. local time.

Heres what you need to know about the ship, its cargo and the U.S. response:

Why was the tanker seized?

Irans state-run news outlet IRNA said, without evidence, the tanker was seized after an unknown tanker collided with an Iranian vessel late on Wednesday in the Persian Gulf, causing several Iranian crew members to go missing and get injured. The state-run outlet did not identify the other ship involved in the alleged crash.

But the Advantage Sweet had shown no unusual behavior as it made its way through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, the Associated Press reported.

Footage of the seizure aired by Irans state television Friday had reportedly shown masked military personnel descending from a hovering helicopter onto the deck of the Advantage Sweet by rope.

The tanker was on its way to Houston from Kuwait, according to data from MarineTraffic.com

What was it transporting?

The ship was carrying Kuwaiti crude oil for the California-based Chevron Corp., the AP reported.

Advantage Sweet, built in 2012 by South Koreas Samsung Heavy Industries, was set to arrive in Houston on June 7, according to data from MarineTraffic.com.

It is owned by a Chinese company, according to the AP.

How many crew were on board?

There were 24 crew members on board, all from India, according to multiple reports.

The safety and welfare of our valued crew members is our No. 1 priority, said Advantage Tankers, the Turkish company that manages the ship, in a statement to news outlets. Similar experiences show that crew members of vessels taken under such circumstances are in no danger.

What has been the response?

The U.S. Navy condemned the seizure and called for Iran to release the tanker from its custody.

Irans actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability, the 5th Fleet said in a statement. The Iranian government should immediately release the oil tanker.

Have others been seized before?

This is the fifth commercial vessel sailing in the Middle East to be seized by Iran in recent years, the 5th Fleet said.

Last May, in the last major seizure, Iran seized two Greek tankers and held them until November.

The incidents began after then-President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear deal with Iran.

Irans continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy, the 5th Fleets statement continued.
One person was killed Thursday night and two others were wounded in a shooting in northeast Houston, according to the Houston Police Department.

The shooting happened at about 7:50 p.m. in the 3200 block of Noble at Brewster in the Fifth Ward area, authorities said.

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Police said one man was dead, and a man and woman were injured.

Police said a group of men in a black sedan drove up to a house on Noble and appeared to get into an argument with people outside the house. Two of the men eventually produced long guns and began firing at the group outside the house.

The group in the car drove away, heading south on Brewster. Police said they were looking for a black Chevy Malibu or Impala without a license plate.

One of the men died at the scene. Another man was found by emergency responders and taken to a hospital, where he was in stable condition. The woman was driven to a fire station in a personal vehicle and was then rushed to a hospital, where she was in critical condition, police said.

The relationship between the victims and the suspects wasn't known, but police suspect the two groups might have known each other.

No arrests have been announced.
Two nurses who owned a Houston home healthcare business were ordered this week to begin serving prison sentences after pleading guilty to a Medicare kickback scheme.

Joseph Nwankwo, 59, of Houston, and Stacey Ajaja, 51, of Richmond, were sentenced in March after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and engaging in the illegal payment and receipt of healthcare kickbacks, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas. Nwankwo this week was ordered to report May 9 to the U.S. Penitentiary in Beaumont. Ajaja must surrender at the federal prison camp in Bryan on May 23.

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Nwanko was sentenced last month to three years in federal prison and ordered to pay $1.2 million in restitution. Ajaja was sentenced to one year and two months in prison and ordered to pay more more than $238,000.

The two were accused of running a scheme to generate fraudulent Medicare refunds from 2014 to 2016. The men would pay marketers and patients for unnecessary referrals to their business, Hefty Healthcare Services Inc. The business would bill Medicare for the services and send some money back to their references, while Nwankwo and Ajaja pocketed the rest.

Nwankwo also pleaded guilty to bribing a physician to authorize medically unnecessary home health services for Hefty patients.

Nwankwo and Ajaja founded the business in 2009, according to court records. A 2019 indictment alleged the pair received $2.1 million in Medicare payments for their fraudulent claims.

The men were sentenced last month by U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

The Department of Health and Human ServicesOffice of Inspector General, Texas Attorney Generals Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the FBI conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Olson, who is also an assistant attorney general in Texas' Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, is prosecuted the case..

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday praised his office's participation in the investigation.

This successful investigation and prosecution by my office highlights our unwavering commitment to protecting taxpayers and combating fraud, Paxton said. As was seen in this case, we will continue to ensure that lawless individuals who exploit our health care system and steal public funding are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Houston Chronicle

Two Houston men were sentenced to federal prison this month for firing weapons during a robbery at a Beaumont taqueria. The pair admitted to fleeing the scene in a stolen truck.

Robert Lewis Johnson Jr., 31, pleaded guilty to brandishing a gun during a crime of violence on May 17, 2022, and was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in federal prison. Bryant Demetri West, 24, pleaded guilty to the same offense on May 9, 2022, and was sentenced earlier this week to 10 years.
Foreign and U.S. diplomats marked the 75th anniversary of Israels statehood on Thursday during a conference at Rice University as dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters picketed outside.

The event passed without outright hostility between the featured panelists, who discussed Americas relationship with Israel as well as approaches to peace in the region. Attendees looked on when roughly 10 of the protesters were escorted out of James A. Baker III Hall chanting Free, free Palestine  just as Israels former Prime Minister Ehud Barak was being announced.

The protesters had called on the Baker Institute for Public Policy to cancel the conference, which included remarks from Barak, Israeli President Isaac Herzog and other Israeli-affiliated leaders. The student organizers said they felt Baker gave a platform to war criminals who have sanctioned decades of violence against Palestinians in the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.

There can be no dialogue with war criminals, said Malak Khalil, a University of Houston junior and organizer with Students for Justice in Palestine. We have the political power and agency and we must continue to wield it on our campuses.

Baker Institute officials said they believed the Israel at 75 conference supported their organizations mission to convene global policymakers for civil discourse. And inside Baker Hall, the conferences speakers and attendees embraced nuance.

On a panel about a possible way out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, U.S., Palestinian and Israeli leaders agreed that they hope to find a two-state solution but feel that that current efforts are not trending in a positive direction. U.S. Assistant Secretary for Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf emphasized decades of negotiations, which have crumbled at various points, as well as carnage on both sides.

Gilead Sher, former chief of staff to the Israeli prime minister, said he believes the parties each need to drop their all-or-nothing approaches and embrace incremental changes. To be successful, he said, Israelis also need to learn that effectively controlling 5 million Palestinians is inconsistent with democratic values.

Salam Faayad, former prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, said he believes that nothing can change until the Israeli government and other countries around the world recognize the rights of Palestinians as a people.

Its really interesting to hear the perspectives, which Im delighted are so balanced, admitting to each of our errors and looking for ways to hopefully create a balance which is good for everyone, the people of Palestine and the people of Israel, said Kim Selber, an attendee who said she recently moved from the Middle East.

George Webb, who works at the Baker Institute, said he enjoyed learning ambassadors' decision-making processes and learning where their personalities might diverge from the publics perception of them.

To hear their perspective on how it really works, its different from what you hear talking heads on television talk about, he said. They all seem more level-headed.

While many of the politicians in Baker Hall engaged in civil debate, the reality in Israel and Palestine is different: The region is still considered to be unstable without a clear path to resolution.

That perception has also bled into American political movements, as U.S. colleges and universities have become hotbeds for large protests related to Israel. Many of those center around pro-Palestine students have called on their schools to boycott their Israeli relationships and divest from companies that aid in the occupation of the West Bank.

Few students appeared to attend the conference, and most of those who protested allied with Palestinian, Muslim or Democrat-leaning groups. Many people held signs promoting peace and Palestinian liberation.

The people who are attending the conference, I think they already know what the war criminals did to Palestinians. But I think they just dont care, said Rice sophomore Zachary Katz. The purpose of the protest here is to make Rice students aware of the fact that Rice is associated with Israel.

Robert H. Mnookin, a Harvard Law School professor and author, said some campus conversations create complex situations for Jewish students who might otherwise align with the liberal groups that tend to ally with Palestinian organizers. Some of those Jewish students might support the boycotts, whereas others might fall somewhere in the middle, he said.

Many American Jewish students want to support Israel, but not uncritically, and they end up being paralyzed, Mnookin said.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has stretched for decades, officially finding its roots in the late 1940s with a United Nations resolution to partition Palestine into Arab and Jewish States. The Jewish Peoples Council one year later proclaimed the new state of Israel  fulfilling what they said was their divine right to the land  and the United States and other democracies recognized the country almost immediately.

While some peace talks have taken place, violence has continued in the region. The majority of deaths have been Palestinian, with Israel conducting air strikes and forced evictions of Palestinians from their homes. Palestinians have also launched attacks in the conflict. All of the fighting has worsened in the past month during the convergence of Muslim, Jewish and Christian holy holidays.

Leaf, the U.S. secretary who works to stabilize the region, said she believes there could be more meaningful conversations sometime in the future, as Israel, Palestine and other Arab countries recently reopened a dialogue. But there is no stated vision at the moment, she said.

We want integration of the region, full stop, she said. Those changes have begun, and they began in those countries for their own well-defined national self-interest. The quest for us as the U.S. is to connect all those dots. Im very happy to see the breakdown of these barriers within the region between all of the Arab states  but I cannot abide the thought and will not abide the thought of Palestinians being left by the wayside.

This story has been corrected to reflect the date of a United Nations resolution that partitioned Palestine.
A SpaceX rocket launched from South Texa, the James Webb Space Telescope captured a new image of Uranus and NASA named four astronauts who will circle the moon before the halfway point of 2023.

The first four months of this year have created spectacular space-related photos. Here are some of the Houston Chronicle's favorite images:

SpaceX debuts a new rocket

Jon Shapley/Staff photographer

The Super Heavy rocket and Starship spacecraft took their inaugural flight from South Texas on 4/20, much to the amusement of SpaceX founder Elon Musk.

The rocket engines flashed through the fog, and the rocket slowly climbed 24 miles into the sky  before exploding about four minutes after liftoff.

The Super Heavy rocket made history as it powered upward. But then it failed to separate from the Starship spacecraft, and they began to spin above the Gulf of Mexico before erupting into a big fireball. It was still a successful mission for SpaceX, which will adjust its rocket based on the data collected from this flight test.

NASA names the four-person crew who will circle the moon

Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

NASA announced April 3 that Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Hammock Koch and Canadian Jeremy Hansen will become the next four people to visit the moon. They're shown above giving hugs to fellow astronauts.

These astronauts wont walk on the lunar surface. But their 10-day mission around the moon, the Artemis II mission scheduled for late 2024, will be the closest anyone has come in more than 50 years.

The crew's 18-month training for the mission should start around June.

The James Webb Space Telescope captures rings around Uranus

NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. Image processing: J. DePasquale (STScI)

A new image released in April from the James Webb Space Telescope provides a stunning look at the rings around Uranus.

According to a NASA news release, these rings have only been imaged by two other facilities: the Voyager 2 spacecraft as it flew past the planet in 1986 and the Keck Observatory in Hawaii using advanced adaptive optics.

Uranus has 13 known rings and 11 of them are visible in this Webb image.

Webb helps scientists identify icy molecules that are 630 light years away

NASA, ESA, CSA, and M. Zamani (ESA)

Scientists with the James Webb Space Telescope shared this image of the central region of the Chamaeleon I dark molecular cloud in January. The molecular cloud is 630 light-years away.

The international team of astronomers used Webb to obtain an in-depth inventory of the deepest, coldest ices measured to date in a molecular cloud, according to a NASA news release. In addition to simple ices like water, the team was able to identify frozen forms of a wide range of molecules, from carbonyl sulfide, ammonia, and methane, to the simplest complex organic molecule, methanol.

This is the most comprehensive census to date of the icy ingredients available to make future generations of stars and planets before they are heated during the formation of young stars, NASA said.

Johnson Space Center unveils the home of 'Martians'

Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer

Four people are preparing to spend 378 days inside an artificial Martian habitat at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Grace Douglas, NASAs principal investigator for this Mars analog mission, provided a tour of their future home in April.

The crew will be confined to nearly 3,000 square feet of reddish-brown walls and sands  a 1,700-square-foot habitat that looks as if it were made from Martian dirt and a 1,200-square-foot sandbox for when the crew ventures outside  and they will suffer shelf-stable foods, water restrictions and communication lags of up to 22 minutes each way.

All of this is to help NASA identify and remedy the physical, mental and social challenges that could arise when living on another planet. Its better to observe how such stressors affect a crew on Earth than when they arrive on Mars for the first time.

The Perseverance rover takes a selfie after depositing sample tubes on Mars

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

NASA's Perseverance rover took a selfie on Jan. 22, 2023, with several of the 10 sample tubes it deposited on Mars.

Perseverance is collecting rock and soil samples that could help scientists determine if tiny organisms once lived on Mars. It is leaving these samples in tubes on the Red Planet for a future mission to collect and bring to Earth to be studied in high-powered labs.

The Perseverance rover and its exploration partner, the Ingenuity helicopter, have been on Mars since February 2021.

Whirling clouds formed downwind of the Canary Islands

NASA Earth Observatory

Three trails of whirling clouds formed downwind of the Canary Islands in this image captured March 19, 2023, by the NASA-NOAA Suomi NPP satellite.

The cloud swirls are called von Karman vortices, according to NASA Earth Observatory. This pattern can occur when a fluid passes a tall, isolated object. The fluid splits around the object and creates a swirling eddy downwind.

It's common to spot von Karman vortices in satellite imagery. In this photo, the clouds occurred as winds rushed past the tall volcanic peaks of the Canary Islands.

A SpaceX Super Heavy launch plume is seen from space

NASA's Johnson Space Center

The launch plume for a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket was captured by a camera on the International Space Station on Jan. 15, 2023.

The camera captured the plume after the rocket had reached Earth's orbit. The International Space Station was flying 262 miles above the Atlantic Ocean just after an orbital sunset at the time of this photograph.

A 'green' comet zips past Earth

Dan Bartlett

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), first spotted by professional astronomers in March of last year, made its closest approach to Earth in early February.

Dan Bartlett spotted the coIt met in June Lake, California, as a fuzzy smudge in his binoculars. But he was able to get a much better view  and a breathtaking image  by using a telescope and digital camera.

Comets are frozen leftovers from the formation of the solar system. They're made of frozen gases, rocks and dust. As they get close to the sun, comets heat up and spew gases and dust into a glowing head. This material forms a tail that stretches millions of miles. The dust reflects sunlight, so it has all the colors of the rainbow. But a chemical reaction caused when sunlight hits carbon often gives comets a greenish hue, and this is intensified by pictures that are combined or taken through filters.

Scientists share an ethereal photo for Hubble's 33rd anniversary

NASA, ESA, and STScI; Image Processing: Varun Bajaj (STScI), Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Jennifer Mack (STScI)

Scientists celebrated the 33rd anniversary of launching the Hubble Space Telescope by sharing this image of a nearby star-forming region, NGC 1333. The nebula is in the Perseus molecular cloud located 960 light-years away, according to NASA.

This image shows a cauldron of glowing gasses and pitch-black dust stirred up and blown around by several hundred newly forming stars embedded within the dark cloud. Most of the star birthing is hidden behind clouds of fine dust, essentially soot, that are thicker toward the bottom of the image.

The Hubble Space Telescope left this planet on April 24, 1990, hitching a ride inside the space shuttle Discovery.

Webb spots a rare prelude to a star going supernova

NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team

The rare sight of a Wolf-Rayet star was released in March by the James Webb Space Telescope. This image shows the star WR 124, which is 15,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagitta.

Massive stars race through their lifecycles, NASA said, and only some of them go through a brief Wolf-Rayet phase before going supernova. A supernova is the massive explosion of a star.

Wolf-Rayet stars are in the process of casting off their outer layers, resulting in halos of gas and dust. The star WR 124 is 30 times the mass of our sun and has thus far shed 10 suns worth of material.
The International Space Station will operate with all of its global partners through at least 2028.

NASA announced Thursday that the United States, Japan, Canada and participating countries of the European Space Agency have committed to stay on the station through 2030. Russia has committed through 2028.

RELATED: International Space Station will plummet into the Pacific at end of its mission

This news was largely expected  and the countries had been individually announcing their plans to extend operations on the station  but Russia posed some concern as its officials had made worrisome comments in the past year. Thursdays announcement provides several more years of stability in Earths orbit.

It puts to bed the worst near-term fears that Russia would abandon the ISS partnership, said Casey Dreier, chief of space policy for the Planetary Society, a nonprofit that seeks to get more people engaged with space. But notably, it only goes until 2028  not 2030 as outlined by the U.S. and other partners. It does allow them to maintain the threat of exiting the partnership early, even if only by a few years.

Such threats were particularly sharp when Dmitry Rogozin led Russias space agency. Rogozin wrote a series of antagonistic tweets when other countries reprimanded Russias invasion of Ukraine. One tweet, translated into English, highlighted Russias role in keeping the space station in orbit around the Earth: If you block the cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from uncontrolled deorbiting and fall on the U.S. or  European territory?

His replacement, Yuri Borisov, later said Russia would withdraw from ISS after 2024 to focus on its own orbiting platform. However, Borisov has since walked back his rhetoric on leaving the station.

Space is a point of pride for Russia. And right now, the International Space Station is the only destination for its cosmonauts.

Their threats to leave the ISS have always been nothing but propaganda and bluff, said Anatoly Zak, publisher of RussianSpaceWeb.com, a website focused on the Russian space industry. I wrote continuously, from day one, that they have nowhere to go and they need ISS much more than NASA does.

The first component of the International Space Station launched in 1998, and the platform has been continuously occupied by humans since 2000. The station is operated by five space agencies from 15 countries, with the U.S. and Russia as the largest partners. Congress last year allowed NASA to extend the stations life through 2030 when it passed the NASA Authorization Act of 2022. It had previously been approved through 2024.

The space station allows NASA to observe how the human body behaves during long periods in space, which will be important as astronauts travel farther from home. Its also a proving ground for technologies that will help the agency explore the moon and Mars. Many of these technologies have benefits on Earth, too.

Its location in low-Earth orbit provides a useful vantage for examining Earths seas and lands. And escaping the full force of Earths gravity can be useful for research as microgravity allows smaller forces, processes and phenomena to be seen.

Zak said it would be very difficult for Russia to build its own space station. Russia would have to revive contractors and technologies that are long gone, and international sanctions restrict the countrys access to space components.

Not to mention, the Russian federal budget is possibly heading toward collapse, he said, if not this year, then the next, because the war in Ukraine eats up billions.

Zak believes the extension to 2028 is mostly bureaucratic. Its a five-year increment traditionally used for term extensions. He said Russia likely will cling to the space station for as long as NASA funds it. Dreier also said he wouldnt be surprised if Russia stayed for the entire life of the space station.

But if Russia does leave in 2028, that could prompt the other nations to leave earlier than desired, said John Logsdon, founder of George Washington Universitys Space Policy Institute.

The International Space Station needs occasional boosts to keep it in orbit, and Russias visiting spacecraft and Zvezda Service Module have been crucial to keeping it aloft. They ignite their engines to move the station to a higher orbit. NASA recently used U.S. company Northrop Grummans Cygnus spacecraft to boost the stations altitude, but Logsdon questioned if this type of additional investment would be warranted.

Are the benefits of two more years worth the cost of developing an alternative to the Russians? Logsdon asked. Thats what the partners have to debate over the next year or two.

Ultimately, the International Space Station will be retired and made to plummet into the Pacific Ocean. NASA hopes this will happen after it transitions from the government-run platform to commercial space stations.

NASA will continue to work with its partner agencies to ensure an uninterrupted presence in low-Earth orbit, the agency said in a statement, as well as a safe and orderly transition from the space station to commercial platforms in the future.
The African American Library at the Gregory School will get $5.2 million to repair damages sustained during Hurricane Harvey.

Houston City Council on Wednesday approved the funding. The library sustained significant damage during the 2017 hurricane by water breaching the window seals and other parts of the building, according to the city council agenda.

The library contains manuscripts and records, historic photographs and oral histories that chronicle African American life in Houston and Texas.

The funds are intended to repair or replace parts of the roofing and windows, upgrade the building's HVAC system and restore parts of the interior and exterior of the building, the agenda read. The city and an architectural team have been in touch with the Texas Historical Commission to meet all requirements.

The library, 1300 Victor St., is in the Freedmen's Town Heritage District. The Gregory School was built in 1926 and was named for Edgar M. Gregory, a Union officer and assistant commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau for the Texas area.

By 1876, the Gregory Institute became part of the Houston Independent School District. In 1926, the school moved to the Victor Street location.

The school closed in 1984 and was vacant until its restoration and expansion in the early 2000s, which created the library.

In 2021, the Houston Public Library system received $100,000 in grants to help with its archiving and preservation efforts, including $50,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to assist in the reformatting of the African American Librarys oral history collections.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol urged ever more strengthening of the U.S.-led security alliance against nuclear-armed North Korea on Thursday, drawing cheers from Congress as he saluted the great American heroes who helped preserve his country's democracy in the Korean War.

Democratic and Republicans lawmakers rose to their feet again and again to applaud during Yoon's address to a joint meeting of the House and Senate, in a speech that stressed security cooperation at a time of increased tension with both North Korea and China. Yoon also cited U.S.-Korean high-tech trade ties creating thousands of jobs in the United States.

Yoon praised the U.S.-South Korea security partnership since the Korean War seven decades ago as the linchpin safeguarding our freedom, peace and prosperity.

Lawmakers roared with approval when the South Korean leader closed with, God bless our alliance. They flocked to him afterward on the House floor, pressing him to sign their written copies of his address.

Yoon's visit to Washington has focused on efforts by both countries and other allies in the Indo-Pacific to make their forces stronger, more nimble, better positioned and more resilient in the event of any conflict in the region.

On Wednesday, Yoon and President Joe Biden announced an agreement for intensified nuclear deterrence to counter any North Korean threat. Biden issued a blunt warning that a nuclear attack would result in the end of whatever regime took such action.

North Korea over the past year has carried out a record number of ballistic missile launches, demonstrating its ability to strike targets near and far.

The U.S.-South Korean deterrence effort announced this week calls for periodically docking U.S. nuclear-armed submarines in South Korea for the first time in decades and bolstering training between the two countries.

The Biden administration's aim in improving the allies' military readiness in the region is not just to deter North Korea but to discourage and defend against any threats from China, which is also a growing security concern. That concern focuses at present on any possible move against the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which China claims as its territory.

Still, China is an important market for South Koreas semiconductors and other advanced technology. Yoons remarks, while singling out North Korea as a threat to democracy and peace in his region, made no direct mention of China.

Also from the Indo-Pacific, next week Biden will host Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for Oval Office talks.

Yoon paid tribute Thursday to the nearly 40,000 American troops who died helping South Korea's democratic government fight back an attempted takeover by the communist north in the 1950s.

Korea will never forget the great American heroes who fought with us to defend freedom, he said.

He singled out the granddaughter of one such Korean veteran, Col. William Weber. Dayne Weber stood and waved from the House Gallery in response, placing her hand over her heart as lawmakers applauded.

Col. Weber lost an arm and leg in 1951 defending Wonju, which is roughly 50 miles east of Seoul. He died last year, after successfully advocating for completion of the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington.

Yoon, who charmed a White House state dinner the evening before by singing several stanzas of the 1970s pop song American Pie, also pointed to economic and cultural bonds forged between the two countries since the war.

Those include a White House visit last year by a Korean pop group with an adoring global following.

BTS beat me to the White House  but I beat them to Capitol Hill! Yoon exclaimed.

On trade, South Korea is concerned about its economy suffering collateral damage as the U.S. tries to wean its supply chains from dependence on Chinese imports, and considers additional sanctions if Beijing increases support for Russia after President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Individual lawmakers stood, smiled and applauded when Yoon referenced Korean companies with operations in their home states. Rep Michael McCaul, a Republican from Texas, received high-fives from his colleagues when Yoon mentioned a Samsung semiconductor plant in Austin.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met with Yoon at the Capitol before the joint meeting of Congress. McCarthy pointed out features in the Capitols Statuary Hall as they walked to a meeting with other congressional leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Yoon's address marked roughly the 120th time that the House and Senate have met jointly to hear from a foreign leader. It's a tradition that congressional researchers say dates back to 1874, starting with King Kalakaua of Hawaii, which was then a sovereign kingdom and not a state.

Lawmakers extend the invitations as an honor to allies. Yoon's speech comes just weeks after the leaks of highly classified documents that have complicated relations with allies, including South Korea.

The papers, viewed by The Associated Press, describe internal deliberations in which South Koreas National Security Council grappled with the U.S. in early March over an American request to provide artillery ammunition to Ukraine.

The leaked documents, which cited a signals intelligence report, were a political embarrassment at home and abroad for Yoon and other allies cited in the leaks.
Houston Politics

Houston Politics

GOP leaders say ballot shortage was targeted at Republicans. Here's what the data says.
Imagine youre a kid starting a lemonade stand. You take on all the risk, using your allowance to buy lemons, sugar and plastic cups. You are prone to market variables, such as the lack of foot traffic from neighbors. Yet you soldier on, craft a somewhat persuasive but mostly adorable sales pitch, and sling enough cups to keep your piggy bank fat and happy for a while.

Then, a child from a wealthy family who lives down the street opens a competing lemonade stand. It uses more expensive lemons, a juicer, nicer cups and fancier signage. It doesn't get as many customers but it doesn't matter. The parents are paying for everything, so the wealthy kid needs to sell only a single cup to make a profit.

Not exactly a competitive market.

In the state of Texas, allowing one entity to flourish at the expense of others is supposed to be antithetical to our sacrosanct free market values. Yet if the state Senate has its way, backup power generation would become the province of the state  a taxpayer-backed lemonade stand that we will only need in emergencies, with a guaranteed rate of return even if no one uses the juice.

Senate Bill 6, proposed by state Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, would create a new entity  dubbed the Texas Energy Insurance Program  that would build as much as 10 gigawatts of natural gas-fueled power plants, enough to power millions of homes. The plants would sit idle almost every day of the year, only to be used in instances of extreme weather  such as 2021s devastating Winter Storm Uri  when energy demand exceeds the supply, threatening mass power outages.

Subsidizing some new backup power generators might sound like a responsible thing to do, except for the cost: $10 billion, according to one of the big companies eligible to land a contract. Half of that would come from the state's budget surplus and the rest from higher energy costs paid by business and residential customers. Another estimate puts the cost closer to $18 billion.

Although the bill cleared the Senate on a 22-9 vote, its chances of passing in the House appear slim and would also require voters to approve a constitutional amendment. Industry and environmental groups oppose the bill because it would also guarantee generators a 9 percent rate of return. NRG Energy, one of the state's largest producers of electricity, has been actively lobbying against the bill, warning lawmakers that the company will rethink construction of additional power generation facilities if it passes.

We share the concerns of these strange bedfellows and urge lawmakers in the House to vote against this bill.

Passage wouldn't just risk a boondoggle, it would put a rather stunning end to Texas competitive power market.

Lawmakers entire rationale for deregulating the state electricity market more than 20 years ago was that competition and market forces would drive down prices for consumers and allow, the free market  rather than government  to pick winners and losers and give customers a wide array of rate options to choose from.

While the states competitive market has had its share of issues with certain participants  R.I.P. Enron  it can be argued that the freedom of choice has helped keep consumer energy costs relatively low while also fostering innovation. Texas major inroads into natural gas, solar and wind power are a direct result of the foresight of companies leveraging the states natural resources  in this case, copious gas deposits, sunshine and gusty winds  to eventually become key players in the wholesale electricity market.

Again, these kids with the scrappy lemonade stands may well pack up if big players get guaranteed multi-billion dollar subsidies. And if that leads to fewer legacy generators investing in thermal generation and fewer renewable companies building solar fields and wind turbines, that could lead to an even less reliable grid.

Of course, the competitive market did fail during the cataclysmic freeze in 2021 and hundreds died as a result. Since then, state officials and lawmakers have been tinkering with the power market to ensure that any grid vulnerabilities were shored up. They passed weatherization requirements for gas plants, mapped out a critical supply chain and infrastructure network, and required certain generators to have additional gas supply on site for emergencies.

And yet, the fundamental problem remains: our state's competitive market still doesn't reward reliability and backup dispatchable power.

That's why the Public Utility Commission has proposed the Performance Credit Mechanism (PCM) model. It would essentially preserve the competitive market while paying generators in advance to have power available during peak demand hours and then reward them if they really deliver. We have criticized the plan as being too complex and too expensive at $460 million per year, all without guaranteeing that the lights will stay on. Lawmakers have given it a chilly reception as well.

So where does that leave Texas if two of the biggest solutions are flawed and unlikely to make it to the governor's desk? While we are holding out hope for lawmakers coming up with a viable large-scale solution to Texas' dual problems of increasingly high energy bills and soaring power demand, there is a suite of smaller alternatives on the table that would at least move the state in the right direction.

A bill proposed by Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, would develop standard backup power generation to be used at critical facilities across the state, be it hospitals, homeless shelters, water towers or fire stations. The state should also invest in energy efficiency, as every megawatt that comes off the grid is one that we don't have to pay to generate. A bill proposed by Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, would require electric utilities to raise their annual energy savings goals each year. Another bill sponsored by Sen. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, would allow consumers to sign up for programs to voluntarily curtail their electricity use at times of a shortage.

If lawmakers can't reach consensus on a power market overhaul, then the focus should shift to achievable, targeted solutions. We don't need to reinvent the wheel to ensure Texans have a steady supply of reliable, affordable energy for years to come. There probably is a better wheel out there somewhere but we're pretty sure these two expensive, behemoth plans aren't it.
Regarding Why I wont be celebrating Israels 75th anniversary (Opinion), (April 26): I was saddened to read the op-ed by Michael Kardoush. In my opinion, the piece is steeped in a deep sense of victimhood. This sense of victimhood seems to be in the way of his acknowledgement of historical facts. Lets review these facts.

The undeniable catastrophe that has befallen the Palestinian Arabs was partly the result of a war that they chose to wage. On Nov. 29, 1947, the U.N. General Assembly adopted, in Resolution 181, a partition plan for the British Mandate of Palestine. The resolution recommended the creation of independent Arab and Jewish states and a special international regime for the city of Jerusalem.

The Arab Higher Committee, the Arab League and other Arab leaders and governments rejected the resolution and indicated an unwillingness to accept any form of territorial division. They announced their intention to take all necessary measures to prevent the implementation of the resolution. Subsequently, the Palestinian Arabs launched a civil war against the Palestinian Jews. After the proclamation of the establishment of Israel on May 14, 1948, the Arab League launched a war against Israel. It is not hard to imagine the catastrophe that would have befallen the Palestinian Jews had the Arabs won that war.

But what saddened me was not just the denial of facts, but the total lack of vision for how Jews and Arabs can move forward. Kardoush implicitly denies any connection between the Jewish people and the land that the Arabs call Palestine and the Jews call the Land of Israel. In fact, the article refuses to use the term Israeli, rather than Zionists.

Unfortunately, there are extremists in Israel who deny Palestinian Arab nationhood and their connection to the contested land. But national identity and aspirations cannot be determined by outsiders. This mutual denial is a recipe for endless war. Only mutual recognition of the idea that two nations live in the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea can lead to a negotiated settlement of how these two nations can live in peace with each other.

Moshe Vardi, Bellaire

Regarding Pro-Palestine students press Rices Baker Institute to cancel Israel conference with Thursday protest, (April 25): The Anti-Defamation League is proud to celebrate Israels 75th anniversary. We remain committed to a secure, Jewish and democratic state living at peace with its neighbors, to the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to promoting an Israeli society that is cohesive and inclusive. We remain concerned with voices whose historical analysis and/or criticism inaccurately depicts history or includes anti-Jewish stereotypes and tropes.

A recent Houston Chronicle article on the anti-Israel protesters seeking to cancel a campus celebration of Israels 75th anniversary did not include an opposing viewpoint from students who wanted to celebrate the event. The story also attempted to summarize the history of tension between Israel and Palestine with a brief, one-sided summary of an extremely multi-faceted and complex issue.

The op-ed about the 75th anniversary of Israeli independence offers another one-sided narrative that demeans and misrepresents Zionism, the belief in the right of Jewish self-determination in their homeland, and its leaders, who are described using language commonly associated with classic anti-semitic themes related to Jewish power and control. It also seems to accuse Israel and its supporters of monolithically depriving Palestinians of their homeland and dignity. These portrayals and accusations not only deviate from criticism and into anti-Zionism, but they do not promote a just and realistic resolution to the conflict.

Mark Toubin, ADL Southwest Regional Director

I am very upset and shocked to read your op-ed by Michael S. Kardoush in the paper bashing Israel. Why on earth would the Chronicle print something like this on the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the state of Israel?

I completely respect his right to have his opinion. However, much of it is based on selective facts. He does not once mention that Jews have lived in the Holy Land as long as Muslims. It is their home as well.

He does not mention that several wars have been carried out against Israel, started by Arab countries. And then how about the many, many terrorist attacks on innocent citizens. For example, Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. How many terrorist attacks have taken place from Gaza since that time?

Israel is not perfect. But how many Arab countries are? How many actually want to make peace? I pray every day that there will be peace for all in the Middle East. But we are far past the time to still see Israel under attack. And its time to acknowledge all the good things Israel has done, and continues to do.

Debbie Gersh, Houston
Regarding "Tucker Carlson is out at Fox. Maybe now Gov. Abbott can focus on Texans (Editorial)," (April 24): The front-page article on the CNN and Fox leading TV personalities leaving their networks was a great way of showing unbiased reporting. However, I was disappointed that you did not have an editorial for both Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon. The question I have to ask is, why is it that the Chronicle seems to highlight negative situations for conservatives, Republicans or Trump but not as much for leftists, Democrats or Biden?

The end of divisiveness and the start of healing can only come to this country when people feel that they are being treated the same, fairly and accurately. By the way, I thought the Tucker Carlson editorial was informative and fair. Will there be a big editorial about Don Lemon's firing and the state of CNN?

Francis "Frank" Hefty, Katy

Taking back weapons

Regarding "There is only one effective way to end gun violence (Opinion)," (April 26): Almost daily, we are exposed to the hue and cry of editorials, letters to the editor and columnists who trumpet the theme of ridding ourselves of those weapons used by people wishing to avail themselves of things that do not belong to them. We hear about the masses who decry the need, or even wisdom, of buying and keeping high-velocity weapons that are fired with increasing abandon at the defenseless among us who have the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. For the most part, Im in agreement with those who promote the banishment of high-powered weaponry that can, and often does, take lives and spread mayhem far and wide.

But now comes the next step in this plan: to take these weapons out of the hands of the miscreants. Just how will our government go about effectuating this? The practice of gun buybacks is, of course, a weak, costly plan that does little more than drain the public coffers. Just how many AR-15s and the like have been turned in to date? I dare say, not many, if any at all.

Then, maybe the government could rewrite our Constitution to excise that guarantee of the citizenrys right to keep and bear arms. And after that, the powers that be will need to detail their ability to enter our homes to secure these weapons.

Now, that sends a chill down my spine. I have visions of goon squads arriving at all hours, unannounced, to procure those offending weapons. When the subject of procuring our weapons arises, Im always tempted to reply, Yeah, right!

Harold Young, Cypress

GOP agenda

Regarding "Texas House members stopped anti-trans bills before. Tell them to do it again. (Editorial)," (April 27): The agenda of state and national GOP officials is becoming increasingly and frighteningly clear. It seems they want to allow guns in every household, even though those guns are the obvious immediate cause of the appalling gun violence in this country; control womens sexuality without supporting mothers; suppress gays, harm transgender people by severely limiting supportive medical care; impose Christianity (not other religions) in public schools; ban books that even refer to, much less discuss, sexuality in schools and libraries (even try to shut down libraries altogether!); and ultimately funnel government support from public to private schools.

In Texas in particular, poverty seems to be treated as a crime. Texas has one of the highest levels of uninsured citizens in the nation, yet for years has declined additional Medicaid funding. More and more states are banning abortions, with increasingly severe consequences for doctors and hospitals who assist a woman in getting one. A Texas federal judge has tried to get mifepristone banned nationwide, limiting women's ability to have a medical abortion. These bans would seem to encourage childbearing, yet many of these states offer little if any support for mothers, including single mothers who are more likely to be poor.

None of this agenda seems to have general public support, yet it is gaining momentum. We must find ways to fight back effectively.

Thorpe Butler, Houston

Justice Thomas

Regarding "It's time for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to resign (Opinion)," (April 22): Two points geometrically define a line in Justice Thomas SCOTUS history: Harlan Crow and Anita Hill. The name of that line is I am entitled. (Its the same line Justice Kavanaugh walked, smirking, through his hearings.)

Wade Dorman, The Woodlands
Im a big fan of the First Amendment. Its what allows me to pray in public and carry a life-sized cross through Houston streets. And its what allows me to write about it. But Im a particular believer in the amendments Establishment Clause, which, in the words of Thomas Jefferson, was intended to build a wall of separation between church and state.

Clearly, so are many of you. This week, Edward McKinley reported from Hearsts Austin bureau on Republican lawmakers efforts to push religion in public schools after the 2022 Supreme Court decision that sided with a football coach who prayed at the 50-yard line after games. Many who read it wrote to us with a furious passion.

Forcing the display of the Ten Commandments in every schoolroom and requiring schools to host prayer and Bible reading for students smacks of forced state religion, while allowing chaplains to serve as school counselors is a full-blown assault on the Constitution and separation of church and state, Mary M. Fusillo of Houston wrote in a letter to the editor.

But what about the separation of church and the Fourth Estate? Should we expect the same secularism in our journalistic institutions?

Houston reader Stanley P. Santire recently noted in a letter, The people of Houston are rightfully proud of being perhaps the most diverse major city in the United StatesWe are Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Baha'is, atheists, Sikhs and more. Yet turn to page A14 and the Chronicle appears caught in a time warp. The only religious text quoted daily in the editorial page is a Bible verse.

I have to say, when I first joined the Chronicle, I had the same reaction as Mr. Santire. Specifically designating space for a daily Christian Bible verse struck me as odd in a paper meant to serve people of all religious backgrounds. I was told it was an institutional hangover, seen only in the old-school print edition, a vestige of a different time in newspapers.

Indeed, American newspapers have included Bible verses in their pages since the 19th century. They also often printed sermons, Sunday school lessons and vigorous debate not on whether religion and public school should mix, but on whether they should teach the Protestant or the Catholic Bible.

As far as I can tell from the Chronicle archives, the earliest instance of an official Bible verse section in our pages was on May 29, 1951. The inaugural selection? Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves, (James 1:22).

No explanation accompanies the sudden appearance of the verse. Perhaps it was an example of the overwhelmingly conservative tendencies of Chronicle coverage during the 1950s. Martin Emmet Walter, who was head editor at the time and graduated from Notre Dame, was a member of St. Theresas Catholic Church and twice received pontifical honors, granted to lay members who are outstanding in their defense of faith and the church.

Whatever the reason, the Bible verse has been a source of debate for a while now. Raj Mankad, who was op-ed editor for around three years, questioned the practice. Raised Hindu, Raj grew up attending an Episcopal school in the Bible Belt and was no stranger to being the minority in a room full of Christians. He wondered why we couldnt dedicate the space to all types of verses, including poetry. He considered soliciting a set of seven verses each week from contributors of all religious backgrounds, but realized that would require more time than our short-handed staff could spare.

To his surprise, picking the Bible verse each day grew on him. Ive found a grounding in those verses  truth is a big deal in the Bible  as I make my way through op-ed after op-ed, trying to make judgments about what to share with readers, he wrote in a 2020 column. Today, he told me, he feels even more strongly about that.

He finds it valuable to see a statement of principle every single day and be forced to reflect on his own values. As opinion writers, sometimes its hard to know what the right thing to do is. Who's right? How do we decide all these things?

Perhaps, more than flying in the face of democracy, what the daily verse represents is that highest American ideal: freedom of choice. A newspapers right to choose what to publish, and the readers right to ignore it and turn the page. Or to read it and find something of value  if only food for thought.

How do you feel about the daily Bible verse? Is it time we let it go or expand to include more kinds of verse? Fill out the electronic form below or send us a letter to viewpoints@chron.com.
President Jimmy Carters strongly held conviction that elections are the heart of democracy is an indelible part of his legacy. Elections, he believes, allow citizens to choose their leaders, and just as importantly, hold them accountable. As with so many aspects of his life, Carter has put his good intentions into action in ways that helped make elections at home and around the world to be as free and fair as possible.



Beginning in 1989, a little more than eight years after he left the White House, Carter and the Carter Center began monitoring what eventually became more than 110 elections throughout Africa, Latin America and Asia. Carter personally led 39 of those missions. But more than simply monitor elections, he has also enabled countries to initiate transitions to democratic governance by working with leaders to help resolve seemingly intractable conflicts.

As secretary of state for President George H.W. Bush, I was fortunate to have worked with Carter to help make sure elections in Central America were conducted fairly. In doing so, Carter not only promoted democracy in that part of the world, he also played a vital role in concluding a damaging political divide in the United States.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

As Bush took office in January 1989, Central America was a major battleground in the Cold War, one that also inflamed the domestic political debate between Republicans and Democrats. Easing this divisive irritant between our two major political parties made it easier for Bush to address other international events during the critical period marked by the end of the Cold War. With support from Bush, Carter and the Carter Center monitored their first two elections  in Panama in 1989 and in Nicaragua in 1990.



Carter led an international delegation that included his predecessor, President Gerald Ford, to monitor the voting process for the elections in Panama in May 1989.

The Carter Center

Months later, Carter led an international delegation to Nicaragua to monitor the election between President Daniel Ortega, a Sandinista, and Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, an opposition leader. Before election day, both sides had agreed to abide by the results. But even after Carter Center observers found the election had been conducted properly, Ortega would not accept the results until Carter personally convinced him to step down. That allowed Chamorro to rightfully take office. As democracy spread across Central America, the domestic debate inside the United States subsided.

Rice University's Baker Institute

After our countrys disputed 2000 presidential election, many Americans had lost faith in the way elections are conducted.

With that in mind, Carter and Ford co-chaired a bipartisan commission that came forward with many recommendations that were implemented in the Help America Vote Act. The new law created mandatory minimum standards for states to follow in several key areas of election administration and provided funding so states could meet the new standards, replace voting systems and improve election administration.

Rice University's Baker Institute

In 2005, Carter saw the need for further reform. So, he invited me to serve as his co-chair of a second bipartisan commission that examined election reform. Our commissions recommendations included verified voting paper trails of all ballots so that recounts could be accurately done, and a uniform voter identification system to be implemented in a way that would increase participation rather than impede it.

Rice University's Baker Institute

While neither side got everything it wanted, the commission report was unanimously approved by commission members despite minority opposition on several issues in the report.



Although a staunch Democrat who rarely shied away from voicing his beliefs or criticizing those with whom he differed, Carter knew how to cooperate with Republicans. That is an important part of his legacy. After all, he had defeated Ford in 1976. And then in the very next election, he was defeated by the Ronald Reagan-George H.W. Bush ticket in the 1980 campaign that I assisted. Yet, he was able to work with us on issues he felt important to him.

Rice University's Baker Institute

Although it has not occurred during recent presidencies, such bipartisan cooperation has not been uncommon in American history. Democrat Harry Truman asked Republican Herbert Hoover to oversee food relief for war-torn Europe following World War II. Democrat John Kennedy sought the advice of Republican Dwight Eisenhower after Kennedys failed Bay of Pigs invasion. And Republican George W. Bush convinced Democrat Bill Clinton to join his Republican father to assist with global fundraising that helped Indonesia recover from a 2004 devastating tsunami.

Like Jimmy Carter, those presidents knew how to keep policy apart from politics.

As Carter receives hospice care in Plains, Ga., he is a reminder that the zero-sum game of hyper-partisanship too often keeps our leaders from doing the peoples business. The brand of leadership practiced by Carter is sorely needed today.
A Texas Senate bill that would have barred citizens from China and three other countries from buying land in the state was recently overhauled after backlash.

Senate Bill 147, authored by Republican state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham, saw major changes before it passed in the chamber Wednesday.

Heres what you need to know about the bill and its changes:

What is SB 147?

Passed in the Texas Senate in a 19-12 vote, SB 147 would ban citizens of China, Russia, North Korea and Iran without documentation from buying agricultural land, oil and gas land, timberland and mining land in Texas.

The version of the bill that passed in the Texas Senate was a major retreat from its original goal: to bar citizens of the four countries from buying any land in the state, even if they are legal, permanent residents. The bill no longer applies to legal residents from those countries, such as green-card holders and people with dual citizenship.

Even if SB 147 becomes law, those targeted by the bill would still be allowed to buy homes and businesses in Texas.

Why was the bill changed?

The original version of the bill set off protests across the state, including in Houston.

This blatantly racist and xenophobic piece of legislation is exactly what we expect coming from what is anticipated to be the most conservative session weve seen in Texas, said then-Harris County Democratic Party Chair Odus Evbagharu in January.

Kolkhorst, who filed the bill out of fear that Chinese entities are trying to buy up swaths of Texas land, rolled back the legislation in response to the criticism.

Striking the balance here has been hard, she said this week.

Texas politicians have targeted China and its citizens in the past

In December, Gov. Greg Abbott banned the use of TikTok, the vastly popular social media app owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, from all government devices.

Earlier this session, far-right state Rep. Tony Tinderholt of Arlington proposed a bill that would ban people unauthorized to live in the United States and citizens of China, Iran, North Korea and Russia from being admitted to public colleges and universities in Texas.

Whats next for SB 147?

The bill now heads to the Texas House, where Democratic members have already been critical of the proposed legislation.

Labeling every person from a nation as an agent of that government is not only unjust but it is also counterintuitive given the number of asylum-seekers and refugees that our nation welcomes from those same countries, said state Rep. Gene Wu, a Houston Democrat whose family is from China.

Abbott has already said that he would sign the bill if it reaches his desk.
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The inauguration of Turkiye's first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu, is a watershed moment that will allow the country to enter a new phase of economic development, according to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Mariano Grossi on Thursday.

His remarks came during an official ceremony in Turkiyes southern Mersin province where the countrys first nuclear power plant was granted nuclear facility status with the loading of the first nuclear fuel at the plant.

'Occasions like this come few and far between,' Grossi said.

He added that the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) would also usher in a new era for the country in which 'the names of the countrys figures would be amongst those who have embraced the promise of Atoms for Peace, the promise of the peaceful use of nuclear energy.'

Grossi said the NPP would provide 'no less than 10% of clean energy for the country' while contributing to the economic development needed 'to feed our economies and bring welfare to our people.'

Nevertheless, he said that nuclear energy also brings responsibility, and therefore, the IAEA has been associated with the project from the very beginning, by providing technical assistance and helping to forge the Turkish workforce that, alongside its Russian partners, will man the facility.

'The Turkish independent regulator will have all the elements to apply the safety and security standards that are required,' he said.

Akkuyu NPP will transform Turkiye into a peaceful nuclear country

Alexey Likhachev, chief executive of Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, for his part, congratulated both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and hailed the joint efforts made for the successful completion of 'the world's largest nuclear construction project.'

According to Likhachev, the day is significant for the development of nuclear energy ties between Turkiye and Russia, and the new status of Akkuyu NPP will make Turkiye 'a peaceful nuclear country.'

He stated that the first unit is nearly finished and that equipment installations at the Akkuyu NPP site are nearing completion.

He explained that the reactor body is being installed on the NPP's second unit, and the core catcher is being installed on the third unit to catch the molten core and prevent it from escaping the containment building in the event of a nuclear meltdown.

Furthermore, work to reinforce the fourth reactor building's foundation has been completed, Likhachev said.

Over 400 Turkish companies participated in project

According to the official, over 400 Turkish companies, forming nearly a cluster, are involved in the implementation of the joint Akkuyu project between Turkiye and Russia, and the accumulated cooperation and experience have set the stage for the realization of other projects.

'We can now say that Turkiye already has its own nuclear industry,' he commented.

The project necessitated staff training, and approximately 300 Turkish students are pursuing advanced nuclear education at Russian universities.

As the plants lifespan will be no less than 100 years, Likhachev said it could endure for the 200th anniversary of the nation's founding.

'I am confident that it will contribute significantly to the supply of reliable, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective energy,' he said.

(Anadolu Agency, April 27, 2023)
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Lisa Niemi, the surviving wife of the late Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze, has reminisced about the unlikely start to their love story.

The pair were married from 1975 until his death at the age of 57 in 2009, 22 months after he was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer.

Now, 13 years after the actors death, Niemi has teamed up with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network to raise money for research dedicated to fighting the deadly disease.

Appearing on NBCs Today show on Friday (28 April) to promote the charitys big fundraising PurpleStride event in New York, Niemi reflected on her relationship with Swayze.

We had such an unlikely start because we were both very cautious because he had this reputation of being a casanova, and they thought I was this quiet bad girl, Niemi remembered.

Our first contact was he reached over and pinched me on the butt and said, Hey cutie, she recounted. And Im like, Oh brother, but needless to say, we went out with each other anyway, despite each others reputations, and grew to know each other.

Niemi posited their connection was due to them both being a little different than everybody else.

Lisa Niemi and Patrick Swayze (Carlo Allegri/Getty Images)

And we kind of understood that about each other, and we ended up falling in love, she added.

She went on to call Swayze the hero, adding: The man could do anything, he was so talented  jumping out of planes, riding horses, piloting an aircraft  and, of course, his acting.

Noting his incredible career, she listed off some of his hit films: Dirty Dancing, Ghost, Point Break and Road House.

Niemi identified the iconic scene in Point Break when Swayze falls out of the back of an aeroplane and says, Audios amigo, as quintessential Patrick.

She compared him to Tom Cruise, explaining that Swayze loved to do his own stunts.

PurpleStride will take place on Saturday (29 April) in New York and in 60 other events across America.
A famous proverbial story in ancient China tells about a man from the State of Chu in the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), who went to great lengths to make a jewellery box out of magnolia to sell a pearl.

He smoked the small receptacle with spices to give it a lasting fragrance and added exquisite ornamental pearls and jade. So effective were his embellishments that when he sold the boxed pearl, the customer returned the content and just kept the box.

This tale by philosopher Han Fei, who lived in the third century BC, has been open to many interpretations, one of the most popular being about bad choices and failure to recognise what is more important.

However, it shed light on the act of packaging valuables in beautifully crafted wooden boxes, a craft that appeared in ancient times.

With the vigorous development of textiles and paper manufacture during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), paper boxes came into being. They were favoured by the literati for their simple yet beautiful and elegant characteristics.

This type of paper box is made of grass cardboard, with the outside being framed with Song brocade featuring gorgeous colours and a soft texture. The inside is lined with cotton to make a rich, soft pocket, which was originally used to carry fragile items, such as inkstones and ink ingots, and later thread-bound books.

The art form continued to flourish throughout the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, and manifested itself in various shapes and sizes, from jewellery boxes and cabinets, to royal goods and gifts given by dignitaries. The Qing court even brought together artisans in the trade to make such packaging.

Today, in North Chinas Tianjin, Gao Fuhao has committed himself to carrying on this ancient craft, which in 2021 was named as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

In a narrow sense the craft is about making a set of packaging for cultural and playful items commonly known as brocade boxes, says Gao, adding that the main purpose is to protect the contents from bumps and prolonged exposure to the external environment.

In a broad sense it goes beyond the production of outer packaging and involves a certain level of cultural relics protection and repair, similar to the business of the workshops at the royal palace in ancient times.

Gao considers it a process of artistic re-creation, and he regards his mission as being to deliver a complete work of art.

The process of making an artistic container involves several preliminary steps, including conceptualising the design, sketching the blueprint and choosing the materials.

A suitcase containing traditional Chinese painting scrolls made by Gao (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

During production a dozen steps are taken, such as measuring the dimensions, cutting fabrics, building the frame and making the paste, the interior and the clasp.

The design must be based on the characteristics of the item it will house, using luxurious and auspicious patterns that render a harmonious effect inside and out, Gao says, adding that traditional cutting techniques are also applied.

As for the materials used for the packaging container, they may vary with the variety of the items, depending on factors such as the collectibles capacity to withstand force.

Hard materials include paperboard, various types of wood and composite board, and soft materials range from brocade, satin, silk, linen and cotton.

The next step is to glue the panels of the box together, which takes between two and seven days.

It is important to ensure that the surface is smooth and wrinkle-free after the fabric is pasted onto the periphery of the box, with no corners left exposed, and that the pattern and design are even and natural.

The most crucial step, he says, is making the interior.

That directly relates to the protection of the antique and highlights its features.

The materials should be carefully chosen and meticulously applied, he says.

The final step is to make the clasp and buckle, which can be made out of jade, bone or wood, and can come in various forms.
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Chinese navy vessels carried out dangerous manoeuvres and exhibited aggressive tactics" to block a Philippine patrol vessel in the South China Sea, Philippines Coast Guard, in a confrontation that caused a near-collision.

The tense face-off confirmed on Friday took place last weekend during a week-long patrol mission by the Filipino coast guard.

It was the latest confrontation in the string of tense maritime interactions between the two nations locked in a territorial dispute in the South China Sea amid rising tensions over the islands deepening security alliance with the US.

The Philippines Coast Guard said that it identified more than 100 "alleged Chinese maritime militia vessels, a Peoples Liberation Army Navy corvette class and two China Coast Guard vessels" within the Philippiness 200-mile exclusive economic zone during its week-long mission.

On 23 April, a Chinese vessel "carried out dangerous manoeuvers" at a distance of about 150ft from a Philippine ship while the other two ships displayed aggressive tactics" in the vicinity of Ayungin shoal.

This close proximity posed a significant threat to the safety and security of the Philippine vessel and its crew, it said.

Chinese foreign ministry on Friday said that its coast guard took action to safeguard sovereignty after a Philippines vessel intruded into Chinese waters.

The hostilities between the two navies happened as Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang arrived in Manila to hold talks with his Philippine counterpart and president Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Saturday.

Long-simmering territorial disputes in the South China Sea as Beijing claims most part of the resource-rich waters. An estimated $3 trillion worth of goods pass through the strategic waters throughout the year. The Philippines has repeatedly called on Beijing to stop its "aggressive activities" in the area.

The Philippine coast guard had invited a small group of journalists on the patrol mission, as part of a new Philippine strategy aimed at exposing Chinas increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea.

The Associated Press reporters witnessed the confrontation in which Philippine patrol vessels received radio warnings in Chinese and halting English.

On Sunday, a Chinese coast guard repeatedly warned them by radio to leave the area as two Filipino vessels partrolled in the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal.

Since you have disregarded our warning, we will take further necessary measures on you in accordance with the laws and any consequences entailed will be borne by you, a Chinese coast guard announced.

In another major escalation in February, the Philippine Coast Guard said a Chinese vessel had directed a military-grade laser at one of its ships supporting a resupply mission to troops in the disputed waterway, temporarily blinding its crew on the bridge.
A history textbook for school students in China has mentioned the country's "war" on Covid-19 for the first time, triggering a debate on the administration's response to the pandemic.

The Xi Jinping government earlier this year declared a "decisive victory" over the coronavirus, just months after facing rare mass protests over stringent lockdown measures.

A video showing a paragraph from a history textbook for eighth-grade students began trending Wednesday on Douyin, China's domestic version of TikTok.
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India and China have issued conflicting statements on the long-drawn-out contentious border issue that has strained ties between the two nuclear-powered neighbours.

General Li Shangfu and Rajnath Singh, the defence ministers of the two countries, met for the first time on Thursday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), since a stand off in the northern Himalayas erupted three years ago.

The two Asian giants share a 3,488km-long disputed border known as the Line of Actual Control, where they are locked in a high-altitude stand off  the worst in almost four decades.

China said in its new statement that the situation along the contested border is generally stable, something that appears to downplay New Delhis deep concerns of violations of border agreements.

Newly appointed Chinese defence minister Mr Li is the first official to visit India following the deadly clashes between the two militaries in the summer of 2020.

The two sides issued contrasting statements as the Chinese side appeared to deflect from the border issue, while India tried to draw attention to what it said is the deployment of a large number of Chinese troops and attempts to unilaterally alter the border status quo between the countries.

And one moment stood out during the sidelines of the SCO summit that saw the participation of other countries.

Mr Singh and Mr Li skipped shaking hands, while the former shook hands with his counterparts from Tajikistan, Iran and Kazakhstan.

Mr Lis statement, however, downplayed the border issue and said the countries have far more common interests than differences.

The situation on China-India border is generally stable and the two sides have maintained communication through military and diplomatic channels, he said.

General Li urged India to take a long-term view of the situation and de-link border issues with bilateral relations.

The two sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalised management, he said.

Beijing alluded to the stable situation at the border shortly after Indian defence minister Mr Singh said he categorically conveyed to his Chinese counterpart that development of relations between two countries is premised on the prevalence of peace at the border.

He reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation, a statement by Indian defence ministry said.

Sushant Singh, a senior fellow at the Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research, told The Independent that China is trying to normalise the new status quo where several Indian posts are contested.

Rajnath Singh, with his Russian Sergei Shoigu, right, and Chinese General Li Shangfu (AP)

Mr Singh said China has maintained that the situation is stable at border for a long time and it has continued to state that position.

In fact, Indian position has not changed either and so we have two sides speaking past each other, Mr Singh underscored.

China has for a long time been saying this is the new normal and India should not insist on any more progress. But that is unacceptable to India and that is the issue here, he said.

However, India is unable to pressure China on the issue as its high trade volume with its nuclear neighbour along with private investment from the latter are factors that have allowed diplomatic ties to continue.

Indo-China bilateral trade soared to all time high of $139.9bn in 2022, widening the trade deficit with Beijing and crossing the $100bn mark for the first time, according to data released by Chinese customs.

The trade gap with China widened to 28 per cent in April-December 2022 from the same period a year earlier.

Li Shangfu arrived in New Delhi for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) (via REUTERS)

At least 20 Indian soldiers and an unspecified number of Chinese soldiers were killed in brutal combat in 2020 in Galwan valley, and since then both sides have moved thousands of soldiers, artillery guns, tanks and missiles close to the border.

Just four days before Mr Lis arrival in New Delhi, the 18th round of commander-level talks between the Indian army and the Peoples Liberation Army failed to reach a significant breakthrough to disengage troops from contested positions.

The two sides agreed to stay in close contact, maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest, Indias foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.
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Indias inclusive culture accepting of same-sex love was stifled by the imposition of Victorian morality under British colonialism, according to the chief justice of the countrys Supreme Court.

The comments came as the court heard a series of pleas seeking legal recognition of gay marriages.

It is the impact of British Victorian morality that we had to forsake much of our cultural ethos, said chief justice DY Chandrachud, after solicitor general Tushar Mehta suggested the queer movement began in India around 2002.

If you go to some of our finest temples, you will see sculptures and artworks that you will never say are lurid. Ours has been an educative culture, a profound one. From 1857 and the framing of the Indian Penal Code [the countrys criminal code], the code of Victorian morality was imposed on our inclusive, broad culture, he was quoted as saying by The Hindu newspaper.

In 2017, Indias Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favour of decriminalising homosexuality by overturning an archaic colonial-era law.

The law, also referred to as Section 377, was the legacy of Tudor Englands Buggery Act 1533 introduced under Henry VIII.

While it had only ever been enforced in about 200 cases, it nevertheless enshrined the states official disapproval of LGBT+ sexualities and carried the threat of a 10-year prison sentence.

Now, a five-judge constitutional bench, comprising justices Chandrachud, Sanjay Kishan Kaul, S Ravindra Bhat, PS Narasimha and Hima Kohli, is hearing at least 20 petitions demanding marriage equality.

The hearing commenced on 18 April and entered day six on Thursday; it will resume on 3 May.

Indias government opposes the pleas, saying marriage equality represents an urban elitist view for the purpose of social acceptance.

Calling marriage exclusively heterogenous, it said the court should not try to judicially create a new social institution.

However, the court rejected the governments submission, saying same-sex marriages cannot be termed urban elitist concepts just because more people from cities are coming out of the closet.

Government does not have any data also to show that same-sex marriage is an urban elitist concept, it said.

The petitioners, who include same-sex couples and rights activists, challenged the constitutionality pertaining to provisions of marriage laws on the ground that they deny same-sex couples the right to marry and requested the court to read these provisions broadly to make them inclusive.
Sudans warring factions have agreed to a three-day ceasefire extension, as the government scrambled to evacuate more stranded British citizens from the war zone.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese military both accepted the deal on Thursday hours before it was due to end.

The existing truce, which was to expire at midnight, has not stopped the fighting between the two sides but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese to flee to safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate hundreds of their citizens by land and sea.
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The Met Gala 2023 has arrived. Ahead of the star-studded event, there was one question that many people were asking about this years guest list: Were the Kardashians invited?

Members of the Kardashian-Jenner family have been a mainstay at the Met Gala for the last 10 years. Just last year, six members of the famous clan attended the red carpet event together. However, a report from Page Six in March claimed that the reality stars have not received an invitation to the 2023 Met Gala, whose theme this year is Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.

Notably, Kim Kardashian, Kendall and Kylie Jenner all walked the Met Gala carpet this year. Kim wore a pearl look by Schiaparelli. The gown included a draped skirt and top made from over 50,000 freshwater pearls and over 16,000 crystals.

Kendall wore a black butt-baring leotard with a matching cape by Marc Jacobs while Kylie wore a red Jean Paul Gaultier asymmetric dress with a matching two-toned robe.

Kim confirmed shed be attending this years Met Gala in an April Instagram post featuring none other than Karl Lagerfelds cat, Choupette.

Had a date with @choupetteofficiel in Paris, she captioned the post, which featured photos and video of Kardashian with Lagerfelds famous feline. We then spent some time at @karllagerfelds office to get a little inspiration for the Met.

Photos in her Instagram post also showed Kardashian preparing for her Met Gala look, which is likely to be inspired by Lagerfelds archival looks from his time as creative director of Fendi or Chanel.

There had been much speculation over whether the famous Kardashian-Jenner clan would be invited to the annual fashion event, which takes place every first Monday in May. Earlier this year, reports seemed to indicate the Kardashians didnt make the cut because Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who is in charge of the guest list, was allegedly cracking down on who can attend the exclusive event. However, a source close to the Kardashian family told Page Six that the rumours werent true.

Another source told Page Six on 13 April that Kim would indeed attend alongside another unnamed member of the Kardashian-Jenner family. We now know that was both Kendall and Kylie.

Kendalls appearance is less than shocking considering the supermodel has attended the Costume Institutes fundraiser since 2014. The 27-year-old model also posed for the cover of Vogues May 2023 issue, which pays tribute to legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld ahead of this years Met Gala. Jenner was among 10 models enlisted for the cover, including Gigi Hadid, Naomi Campbell, Anok Yai and Devon Aoki.

Since 1995, the exclusive Met Gala guest list has been carefully presided over by Wintour. Tickets for the annual event  which raises money for the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute  go for $30,000 (23,000), while tables cost $275,000 (211,000).

Kim attended her first Met Gala in 2013 alongside then-husband, Kanye West. The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, who was pregnant with North West at the time, hit the red carpet in a floral Givenchy dress.

Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West attend the 2019 Met Gala (Getty Images for The Met Museum)

Kendall made her Met Gala debut the following year wearing a satin, custom made Topshop dress with Chopard jewellery. Kim and Kendall were joined by their famous momager Kris Jenner in 2015, while Kylie first walked the Met Gala steps in 2016 wearing Balmain.

Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian attend the 2022 Met Gala (Getty Images)

Last year, sisters Khloe Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian Barker attended the Met Gala for the first time. The Poosh founder arrived with her then-fiance, Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, where they gave their obligatory kiss for the cameras. Meanwhile, the Good American designer donned a gold Moschino gown for her first Met Gala.

Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner attend the 2019 Met Gala (Getty Images)

Despite attending the 2022 Met Gala, rumours circulated that Khloe Kardashian was allegedly banned from the fashion event. However, the reality star has since shut down speculation that she was forbidden from the Met Gala on Twitter.

In September 2021, a fan tagged Khloe and tweeted, "Khloe now that you are online please tell [if] the Met Gala rumours are true, adding: "Please clarify, thank you."

"Absolutely NOT true," she replied.

Kim turned heads at last years Met Gala when she wore a bedazzled sheer beige floor-length gown previously worn by Marilyn Monroe. According to Vogue, the Skims mogul came up with the idea to wear the gown during the previous years Met Gala, which celebrated the first part of the theme: In America: An Anthology of Fashion.

This year, celebrities and fashion lovers gathered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to honour the late Karl Lagerfeld. In September 2022, Vogue announced that the theme of the 2023 event will be Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, which will examine the life of the late designers fashion legacy. Along with Vogues editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, there will be four co-chairs of the event: Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel, Penelope Cruz, and Roger Federer, as announced by the publication on 18 January.
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The 2023 Met Gala is taking place this evening, with the theme of the event dedicated to late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld.

The fashion soiree is set to return to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on 1 May 2023, in celebration of the Costume Institutes upcoming exhibition Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.

According to Vogue, which first revealed the controversial theme last year, the annual fashion event will also pay homage to the designer through the dress code: In honour of Karl.

Along with the publications editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, there will be four co-chairs of the event: Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel, Penelope Cruz, and Roger Federer. Held at the museums Costume Institute, each guest invited to attend the event is carefully chosen by Wintour.

Whenever the Met Gala is held, there are certain guidelines that guests will be expected to follow should they want to stay in Wintour's good books.

From an age restriction to a ban on selfies, here are five of the unexpected rules put in place at the Met Gala.

No selfies

One would think that all who attend an event as glitzy as the Met Gala would be forgiven for taking the odd photograph to capture special moments of the occasion.

Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Show all 50 1 / 50 Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Rihanna went all in on the Catholicism theme wearing custom Maison Margiela AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Madonna poses alongside Jean Paul Gaultier, the designer of her gothic Met Gala gown AFP/Getty Images Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Supermodel Bella Hadid wears a glossy latex corset by Chrome Hearts Official x Gareth Pugh, topped with a sculptural cape Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Katy Perry incorporated the theme with oversized wings, a Versace chainmail dress and thigh high boots Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Black Panther's Chadwick Bosemanan wears an all-white Versace outfit with religiously inspired embellishments, gold shoes, and a cape Getty Images Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Priyanka Chopra wears Ralph Lauren Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Solange Knowles opted for a structural black Iris van Herpen dress and a halo headpiece with a black du-rag Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Lily Collins wears a black Givenchy gown and coordinating gothic makeup Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Kate Bosworth wears an ethereal Oscar de la Renta gown topped with a mantilla veil Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Vogue editor Anna Wintour wears a custom Chanel gown featuring a halter neck and intricate beading Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Frances McDormand wearing a Versace gown and Philip Treacy headpiece, Pierpaolo Piccioli, and Anne Hathaway sporting a Valentino Couture red ballgown AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Ariana Grande poses alongside Vera Wang, the designer of the singer's debut Met Gala gown Rex Features Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Nicki Minaj wears a red Oscar de la Renta gown and bejeweled headpiece PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Blake Lively wears Versace to the Met Gala PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Sarah Jessica Parker and Andy Cohen wear Dolce & Gabbana Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Kim Kardashian stunned in a liquid gold Versace dress with cross embroidery Reuters Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Jennifer Lopez wears a bejewelled Balmain gown with cross detailing while Alex Rodriguez opted for a polished black suit PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Tracee Ellis Ross wears a bright pink gown with a matching jacket by Michael Kors Rex Features Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Amal Clooney wears a Richard Quinn corset dress and navy trousers while husband George Clooney opted for a traditional black tuxedo REUTERS Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Lana Del Rey wears an elaborate Gucci gown and bird halo headpiece REUTERS Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Sean 'Diddy' Combs wears a Musika Frere suit while Cassie opted for Thom Browne with Chopard earrings Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Miley Cyrus wears plunging black dress by Stella McCartney and Sydney Evan custom hoops with a large cross Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Cynthia Erivo opted for a Valentino gown, Sophia Webster shoes and bejewelled brows Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Power couple Helen Lasichanh and Pharrell Williams both dressed in Chanel for the annual gala PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Winnie Harlow wears an all-white Tommy Hilfiger dress with a dramatic train PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Donatella Versace, who was co-host for the event, opted for an ornate navy and gold dress of her own design AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Elon Musk wears a white tuxedo and Tesla pin, while Grimes opted for a black dress and Tesla choker AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Lily Aldridge and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley walked the red carpet together, both wearing Ralph Lauren Collection gowns AFP/Getty Images Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Atlanta-based trio, Migos, wear sequinned Versace suits EPA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Contributing Editor of Vogue Thailand, Nichapat Suphap, wears custom Peter Dundas AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Anya Taylor-Joy wears a gold tapestry Dolce & Gabbana dress PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Janelle Monae wears a monochrome Marc Jacobs gown with a crystallised head wrap and Stephen Jones hat PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Rapper Cardi B opted for a custom Moschino gown alongside designer Jeremy Scott REUTERS Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Eiza Gonzalez wears a black Prabal Gurung gown with a white cape AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Cara Delevingne wears a dramatic all-black Dior Haute Couture dress and beaded veil REUTERS Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Lewis Hamilton wears an all-white ensemble designed by Tommy Hilfiger AFP/Getty Images Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Rita Ora wears an all-black embellished ensemble by Prada EPA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Amanda Seyfried wears a romantic Renaissance-style gown by Prada AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Amber Heard paired a Carolina Herrera scarlet gown with a gold halo headpiece REUTERS Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Lena Waithe made a powerful pride statement with a sparkly rainbow cape worn over a sleek black suit PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Kylie Jenner wears a black Alexander Wang gown with semi-sheer heels and micro sunglasses PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies 2 Chainz (kneeling) proposed to Kesha Ward on the red carpet, both wearing custom Versace AP Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Doutzen Kroes wears a colourful Sies Marjan dress AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Supermodel Gigi Hadid wears a Versace gown with stain glass window-inspired detail PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies SZA wears a frothy Atelier Versace gown and a headpiece by Chrishabana AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Diane Kruger accessorised her Prabal Gurung gown with a custom Philip Treacy head piece REUTERS Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Andrew Garfield wears a velvety pink tuxedo jacket by Tom Ford PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Paris Jackson and Miley Cyrus both opted for gowns by designer Stella McCartney PA Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Vanity Fairs contributing editor, Amy Fine Collins, wears a custom design by Alice + Olivias Stacey Bendet Eisner AFP/Getty Met Gala 2018: Heavenly Bodies Emilia Clarke wearing a Dolce & Gabbana gown Getty

However, in 2015, it was reported that use of social media had been banned from the event, in order to clamp down on celebrities spending the majority of the evening on their phones.

The use of phones for photography and social media will not be permitted inside the gala, a notice sent to all guests stated.

The apparent ban at the Met Gala has been flouted by numerous guests in the past, with beauty mogul and reality TV star star Kylie Jenner taking a large bathroom selfie at the event in 2017.

No under 18s allowed

In 2018, it was revealed that the Met Gala had decreed a new age restriction.

This meant that high-profile individuals under the age of 18 were no longer allowed to attend the event.

I can't go, because I'm not old enough, then 16-year-old model and dancer Maddie Ziegler told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018 when asked whether she would be present on the coveted Met Gala red carpet.

While it was initially suspected that the new age restriction had been introduced due to the 2018 Met Gala theme Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, a spokesperson for the event confirmed that the decision had been made because it's not an appropriate event for people under 18.

No smoking inside the museum

In 2017, celebrities including Bella Hadid, Dakota Johnson and Marc Jacobs were pictured smoking cigarettes in the bathroom at the Met Gala.

That same year, it was reported that board members and donors had expressed their dismay over guests smoking at the event, with one saying it was disrespectful to the art collection.

According to Page Six, following the complaints, guests at the 2018 Met Gala were informed that it was illegal to smoke in the museum.

It was allegedly mentioned on the event's invitations that smoking at the event was strictly banned.

In 2003, a ban on smoking indoors in New York City in locations including office buildings, bars and theatres was enforced by then-mayor Michael Bloomberg.

No onion breath

Following the Met Gala red carpet, guests at the event are treated to a cocktail hour and a formal dinner.

According to The New York Post, certain food items are purposely omitted from the menu at the request of Wintour herself.

A former Vogue employee told the publication that parsley is banned to avoid the risk of the herb getting stuck in people's teeth.

Neither onion or garlic is served at the event, so as to avoid any bouts of bad breath, whilst bruschetta isn't offered to guests in case of any food spillages on extravagant ensembles.

In 2016, model Karlie Kloss had her floor-length Met Gala gown cut into a mini dress for the after-party following a red wine spill on the white fabric.

Strict seating arrangements

Wintour is very particular about where her Met Gala guests sit on the night of the event.

In the 2016 documentary The First Monday in May, which details the degree of planning that goes into the occasion, the director of special projects at Vogue, Sylvana Ward Durrett, explained that a lot of power-brokering goes into the seating plan.

A lot of thought goes into who sits next to who, if they sat together last year, if they've sat next to each other at other events, so much goes into it, it's shocking, Ward Durrett said.

Recommended The most controversial Met Gala themes of all time

According to Ward Durrett, spouses are never seated next to each other.

The whole point of these things is to meet new people, and to be interested in what others are doing. What's the point if you come here to hang out with your husband? she added.
 Close Hugh Grant arrives at High Court ahead of Prince Harrys privacy trial against NGN

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With less than one week until the coronation of King Charles III, millions of people around the world have been invited to participate in the ceremony next Saturday 6 May.

Members of the public watching the coronation have been asked to cry out and swear allegiance to the new King, marking the first time they have been given an active role in the ancient ceremony.

During the ceremony, the Archbishop will ask all persons of goodwill in The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of the other Realms and the Territories to make their homage, in heart and voice, to their undoubted King, defender of all.

As preparations for the coronation continue in full swing, a full list of people taking part in ceremonial roles during the ceremony has also been released.

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Sussexs father Thomas Markle has given an interview in which he declared he would not be buried by her, and claimed they had not spoken in four years.
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Samantha Markle, the estranged older half-sister of the Duchess of Sussex, has claimed that the Meghans relationship with Harry toxic in a new interview.

Speaking to Australian news programme 7News Spotlight, the 58-year-old, who recently lost a defamation lawsuit against the royal, claimed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are unhealthy for each other.

In a trailer for the show, which is set to air on Sunday 30 April, clips of Harry and Meghan walking together at various points in their relationship are shown alongside a voiceover from Samantha, who said: They are really unhealthy for each other.

The video cuts to Samantha being interviewed, as she added: Its a toxic relationship.

She also claimed that Meghan would still be a waitress if it wasnt for their father, Thomas Markle Sr.

Thomas Sr and Meghans half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, also give interviews on the programme, which features unseen home videos of the duchess as a teenager.

At one point in the trailer, Thomas Jr said: Were not going to go away. This is going to change everything.

It comes almost exactly a month after Samantha lost a defamation lawsuit that she filed against Meghan, in which she accused the duchess of spreading malicious lies during Meghan and Harrys 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey and alleged statement to journalists in 2020.

(PA)

Samantha filed the lawsuit in March 2022 and alleged that Meghan defamed her by claiming they barely had a relationship and that Samantha had been handsomely paid by a tabloid to speak against her half-sister.

The case was dismissed by a Florida court, after the judge said that Meghans statements were purely her opinion and not capable of being proved false.

In 2021, Samantha authored a 330-page memoir titled The Diary of Princess Pushys Sister Part 1. In Meghans Netflix documentary with Harry, titled Harry & Meghan, the duchess addressed the nickname and said: I dont know your name. I dont know your birthday. Youre telling these people you raised me, and you coined me Princess Pushy?

According to 7News Spotlight, the programme will see Thomas Jr and his two eldest children in their first reunion since Meghan wed Harry and iced them out of her life.

(Getty/ITV)

The Markles have shared treasured childhood videos of Meghan, including clips of her as her high schools homecoming queen.

Meghans relationship with this side of her family became especially strained after Thomas Sr collaborated with paparazzi to stage several photo shoots before her wedding to Harry in 2018.

The duchess previously revealed that she had begged her father to stop talking to any press in a text message exchange. They have not spoken since the wedding. Last May, Thomas Sr was hospitalised after suffering a stroke.

In the new interview, he can be heard asking what he can do to fix his relationship with his estranged daughter.

The Independent has contacted the Sussexes representative for comment.
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Previously unseen home videos of the Duchess of Sussex as a homecoming queen during her high school days will air on Australian TV this weekend.

Meghan Markles father, Thomas Markle Sr, and half-siblings Samantha and Thomas Jr, provided the footage to Australian news programme 7News Spotlight as part of a new set of interviews.

In a trailer released ahead of the programme, which will be broadcast on Sunday 30 May, Meghan is seen walking alongside the homecoming king at the time, while wearing a strapless gown and a tiara on her head.

Another clip shows the pair being driven round the schools running track in the back of a convertible as they wave to their friends around them. Meghan is seen blowing a kiss to the camera filming her riding away.

As a teenager, the duchess attended Immaculate Heart High School, an all-girls Catholic school in Los Angeles.

In 2018, a photograph of her as homecoming queen with her date at the time surfaced on social media ahead of her wedding to the Duke of Sussex.

Other home footage of Meghan as a young girl will air on 7News, provided by her estranged father and siblings.

One clip shows her performing a dance with two other girls, dressed in a black tank top with a red bandana around her neck and a black hat with white trim.

Another shows her laughing on a snowy day while wearing a big red jumper, and a third shows Meghan waving at the camera while wearing a varsity jacket, with her curly hair tied back.

The home videos are interspersed with clips of Meghans family, with whom she has strained relationships, speaking about the duchess.

Her half-sister Samantha claims in the trailer that Meghan would still be a waitress if it wasnt for their father, who has not spoken to Meghan since he took part in staged paparazzi photos before her wedding to Prince Harry.

Samantha also claimed that Meghan and Harry are unhealthy for each other and have a toxic relationship.

It comes after the 58-year-old lost a defamation lawsuit against the duchess. Samantha alleged that Meghan spread malicious lies during her 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview, but the case was dismissed by a Florida judge.

(Getty/ITV)

Meanwhile, Thomas Sr, who suffered a stroke last year, appears to ask what he can do to fix his relationship with his youngest daughter.

7News Spotlight said the show on Sunday will see Thomas Sr making a desperate plea with Meghan to make peace with [him] before its too late.

In her and Harrys Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, the former Suits star said that when she was younger, she was a daddys girl and was with him a lot. However, their relationship broke down after Thomas Sr refused to stop speaking to the tabloid press about his daughter, despite her pleas for him not to remain in contact with them any further.

The Independent has contacted the Sussexes representative for comment.
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A new Covid strain behind a surge of infections in India has sparked fears it could also lead to a rise in cases in the UK.

Research indicates Arcturus could be one 1.2 times more infectious than the last major sub-variant.

Also known as Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16, the strain was first identified in January and has been monitored by the World Health Organisation (WHO) since 22 March, which upgraded it to a variant of interest in mid-April.

Addressing Arcturuss emergence at a press conference on 29 March, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHOs technical lead for Covid, said: Its been in circulation for a few months.

We havent seen a change in severity in individuals or in populations, but thats why we have these systems in place. It has one additional mutation in the spike protein, which, in lab studies, shows increased infectivity as well as potential increased pathogenicity.

The sub-variant, one of 600 spawned from Omicron so far but seemingly no more lethal than others, has been detected in 34 countries so far, including Britain and US.

In India, the countrys health ministry reported 63,380 active Covid cases on 25 April, part of a steady six-week rise that has prompted compulsory face masks to be introduced in some states, hospitals to carry out mock drills and vaccine production to be ramped up.

India was devastated by the Delta wave in 2021 and suffered a total of 4.7m excess deaths, according to WHO estimates.

Dr Vipin Vashishtha, a paediatrician and former head of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Immunisation, told The Hindustan Times that Arcturuss symptoms include a high fever, a cough and itchy conjunctivitis or pinkeye.

Five deaths and around 135 cases have been detected in the UK so far, according to the UK Health Security Agency, but Professor Paul Hunter of the University of East Anglia has told The Daily Mail it is too soon to say that Britain could face a fresh surge in infections driven by Arcturus.

Commuters wear face masks amidst the spike in Covid cases in Chennai, India (EPA)

Although in India it has taken off in the past few weeks so far it has not been increasing rapidly globally, Professor Hunter said.

I suspect we will see a wave of infections with this variant but I doubt it will cause a big wave probably not even as great as the one we have just had in the UK and so probably not put as great a pressure on health services than recently.

The professor was alluding to the Kraken strain of Covid, also known as XBB.1.5, which was the dominant form of the disease in Britain until February.

Scientists at the University of Tokyo comparing the Kraken and Arcturus sub-variants have suggested that the newer strain spreads about 1.17 to 1.27 times more efficiently than its relative, warning that it will spread worldwide in the near future aided by the fact that it seems robustly resistant to antibodies lingering in the body from previous Covid infections.

In the US, Arcturus is now responsible for 9.6 per cent of American Covid cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO.

Virologist Professor Lawrence Young from the University of Warwick told The Independent that the rise of the new variant in India is a sign that were not yet out of the woods.

We have to keep an eye on it, he said. When a new variant arises you have to find out if its more infectious, more disease-causing, is it more pathogenic? And whats going to happen in terms of immune protection.

These kinds of things highlight the importance of genomic surveillance but a lot of countries including our own have let our guards down a bit and we cant be sure what variants are around and what level of infection theyre causing until we see a significant outbreak.
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Iran's navy seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday heading to the U.S. amid wider tensions over Tehran's nuclear program, the latest-such capture in a waterway crucial for global energy supplies.

The U.S. Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet identified the vessel as the Advantage Sweet. Satellite tracking data for the vessel from MarineTraffic.com showed it in the Gulf of Oman, just north of Oman's capital, Muscat, on Thursday afternoon. It had just come from Kuwait and listed its destination as Houston.

The Advantage Sweet issued a distress call at 1:15 p.m. while in international waters as Iran seized the vessel, the Navy said.

"Irans actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability," the 5th Fleet said in a statement. Iran should immediately release the oil tanker.

The Navy initially said Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized the vessel, but an American naval aircraft later confirmed that Iran's navy captured the ship, 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins told The Associated Press.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said the seizure came after an unknown ship collided with an Iranian vessel last night in the Persian Gulf, causing several Iranian crew members to go missing and get injured. It did not identify the other ship involved in the alleged collision.

The Advantage Sweet had been in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, but its track showed no unusual behavior as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of all traded oil passes. Iran has made allegations in other seizures that later fell apart as it became clear Tehran was trying to leverage the capture as a chip to negotiate with foreign nations.

Irans harassing activity within the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman is commensurate with an established pattern of behavior that has seen Iran target vessels as a result of ongoing disputes," maritime security firm Dryad Global said.

The 5th Fleet said the Iranian seizure was at least the fifth commercial vessel taken by Tehran in the last two years.

Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy, it added.

U.S. Army Gen. Erik Kurilla, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East, said in a statement that the illegal seizure of the tanker was ""another in a continuing series of violations by Iran of the international rules-based order."

The vessel's manager, a Turkish firm called Advantage Tankers, issued a statement acknowledging the Advantage Sweet was being escorted by the Iranian navy to a port on the basis of an international dispute. All the ship's 24 crew members are Indian.

The safety and welfare of our valued crew members is our No. 1 priority, the firm said. Similar experiences show that crew members of vessels taken under such circumstances are in no danger.

The ship's listed owner appeared to be a Chinese company.

Manifest information from data firm Refinitiv showed the Advantage Sweet carried Kuwaiti crude oil for American energy firm Chevron Corp. of San Ramon, California. Chevron said it was aware of the situation.

We are in contact with the vessel operator with the hope of resolving this situation as soon as possible, Chevron spokesperson Christine Dobbyn said in a statement.

Thursday's seizure by Iran was the latest in a string of ship seizures and explosions to roil the region.

The incidents began after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Irans nuclear deal with world powers, which saw Tehran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Also, the U.S. Navy has blamed Iran for a series of limpet mine attacks on vessels that damaged tankers in 2019, as well as for a fatal drone attack on an Israeli-linked oil tanker that killed two European crew members in 2021.

Tehran denies carrying out the attacks, but a wider shadow war between Iran and the West has played out in the regions volatile waters. Iranian tanker seizures have been a part of it since 2019. The last major seizure came when Iran took two Greek tankers in May and held them until November.

In the wider Mideast, Iranian-backed militias in Syria have carried out attacks on U.S. forces, including one that killed a contractor in March. The U.S. responded with airstrikes.

Meanwhile, talks over Irans tattered nuclear deal have been stalled for a year. Since the deals collapse, Iran runs advanced centrifuges and has a rapidly growing stockpile of enriched uranium. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has warned Iran has enriched enough up to 60% purity  a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. That would be sufficient for Iran to make several nuclear weapons if it chooses to do so.

___

Associated Press writer Robert Badendieck in Istanbul contributed to this report.

___

Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.
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The Queen had several official royal portrait paintings commissioned during her 70-year reign and the King is set to follow in her footsteps with a portrait to commemorate his coronation.

Artists painted the late monarch to celebrate and depict various milestones during her life and reign, including her coronation on June 2 1953.

Sir Herbert James Gunn was commissioned by the Queen to capture her standing in her white satin coronation dress and the purple Robe of Estate, wearing the Diamond Diadem made for George IV and Queen Victorias collet diamond necklace.

The oil-on-canvas state portrait sees the Queen in the Throne Room in Buckingham Palace holding the sceptre, which lays with the Imperial State Crown on a table beside her.

Award-winning painter Isobel Peachey, who at 31 at the time was believed to be the youngest woman commissioned to paint the monarch, described the Queen as a gracious, warm and friendly sitter as she unveiled an official portrait for Cunard to hang in its new cruise liner  Queen Elizabeth.

Over the years a number of unofficial portraits of the Queen have been commissioned, including US artist Andy Warhols pop art print impression titled Reigning Queens.

In 1955, Sir William Oliphant Hutchison was commissioned by the Edinburgh Merchant Company to paint the Queen after she became head of the Order of the Thistle, Scotlands Order of Chivalry, on her accession.

In 1992, British artist Richard Stone was commissioned to paint a portrait of the Queen by the Borough of Colchester.

His portrait became a popular image during the period of mourning for the Queens death on September 8 last year and was used in various broadcasts.

Charles has also sat for a number of paintings over the years, including for a modern-style portrait by Bryan Organ commissioned by the National Portrait Gallerys trustees in 1980, shortly before his wedding to Diana, Princess of Wales.

With a British flag hanging over his head, the future King can be seen sitting in a relaxed pose on a wooden chair while wearing polo clothes, a sport he played for 40 years.

In 2000, Charles featured in John Wonnacotts The Royal Family: A Centenary Portrait along with his mother the Queen, his father the Duke of Edinburgh, his sons Harry and William and the Queen Mother.

The oil-on-canvas painting, which features the familys beloved corgis, was commissioned by the trustees of the National Portrait Gallery to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Queen Mother.

British artist Michael Noakes also captured various members of the royal family for the 25th silver wedding anniversary of the Queen and Prince Philip.

His oil sketch of the Queen Mother wearing Queen Victorias Diamond Jubilee Brooch, painted as a study for a group portrait, was later acquired by Charles for Clarence House.

He said in a Royal Collection Trust video that the painting captured her likeness and reminds him of the essence of my grandmothers personality.

Ahead of the Kings coronation in May, an 8 million Government-funded scheme is offering public authorities the chance to claim a free portrait of Charles.

Oliver Dowden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said the portrait will serve as a visible reminder in buildings up and down the country of the nations ultimate public servant.

A picture was also commissioned by the Illustrated London News for its special coronation edition, which showed the King  who did not sit for the portrait  wearing a bracelet given to him by an indigenous Amazon leader.

Artist Alastair Barford said he wanted to capture Charless sensitivity in the oil painting, with the inclusion of the bracelet a nod to his environmental campaigning.

In June last year, the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge viewed their first joint portrait at the Fitzwilliam Museum, commissioned by the Cambridgeshire Royal Portrait Fund as a gift for the county.

The portrait was painted by British artist Jamie Coreth and shows the pair standing side-by-side, with Kate in an elegant emerald dress and William in a black suit.
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The King will have greater privacy than afforded previous monarchs during one of the most sacred moments of the coronation.

Charles will be shielded by a new partition, featuring an embroidered design celebrating the Commonwealth, when he is anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury during his crowning on May 6.

Queen Elizabeth used just a canopy during her 1953 coronation but Charles has opted for more seclusion behind a central decorated screen, with further screens on either end that will enclose the King on three sides.

Painter Aidan Hart created the design and was asked by the King to take inspiration from the Golden Jubilee stained glass window at the Chapel Royal, St Jamess Palace, which depicts the family of nations as a thriving tree.

Project co-ordinator Nick Gutfreund described organising the Royal School of Needlework, livery companies and fabric firms  including one using machines to embroider parts of the design  as a privilege and absolute pleasure.

Before the crowning and out of sight behind the tree-sided screen, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will anoint Charles making the sign of the cross on his hand, breast and head with holy oil  regarded as a deeply spiritual moment for a monarch.

Speaking about the Queens anointing during her coronation, Mr Gutfreund said: Previously it was just a canopy over the top, so it was figurative privacy rather than actual privacy.

Whereas the King this time wanted actual privacy and wanted to take the opportunity to communicate with people rather than it just being something thats just decorative, its actually communicating a message.

The main panel of the screen, which will face the congregation, features a tree with the names of the Commonwealths 56 member states embroidered onto individual leaves, while the two side screens feature an embroidered cross. All screens are 2.6 metres high and 2.2 metres wide.

A dove is in the topmost branches and either side of the tree is a trumpet-blowing angel representing heaven and earth brought together, and at the root is the cypher of the King who serves the Commonwealth and its people.

Birds are seen in the branches and roses are dotted among the leaves denoting growth and in the sky is a stylised sun which gives life to planet earth.

Embroidered at the bottom is the quotation All shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well from the medieval mystic Julian of Norwich, the author of the earliest surviving book in the English language written by a woman.

Mr Hart, who lived as a hermit in Shropshire for six years before marrying, specialises in painting and sculpting sacred icons and drew on the stained glass window that marked the 50th year of the late Queens reign.

He said: The inspiration of the Chapel Royal stained-glass window was personally requested by His Majesty the King.

Each and every element of the design has been specifically chosen to symbolise aspects of this historic coronation and the Commonwealth, from the birds that symbolise the joy and interaction among members of a community living in harmony, to the rejoicing angels and the dove that represents the Holy Spirit.

Some of the 150 people involved in creating the screen, gifted by the City of London Corporation and participating Livery Companies, attended a short service of dedication at the Chapel Royal when the screen was blessed on Monday.

In March, Charles saw the screen being embroidered during a private visit to the Royal School of Needlework based at Hampton Court Palace with the Queen Consort, the institutions patron.

Mr Gutfreund, a cabinet maker from the Worshipful Company of Carpenters, created the screens pole frame which is topped by two gilded eagles, a reference to the eagles embroidered on the canopy used by Queen Elizabeth.

The military will play a part, and the screen will be carried by six servicemen from regiments of the Household Division holding the Freedom of the City of London  a Trooper from the Life Guards and a Guardsmen from each of the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards.

Modern technology was used to help speed up the process with London-based company Digitek using embroidery machines to create the outline of the tree and the trunk with sustainable thread, while the cloth was made from Australian and New Zealand wool woven and finished in UK mills.

Anne Butcher, head of studio and standards at the Royal School of Needlework (RSN), described how RSN students, staff and the Livery Companies of the Broderers, Drapers and Weavers were involved in embroidering country names onto leaves.

She added: They all came back to us to be assembled onto the tree, so that was the really important collaborative part of the process, and it was just amazing to be working with so many people  so we think probably about 150 have been involved.
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A fundraiser famed for wearing bright blue swimming trunks said the support he has received means the world as he approaches the final day of his last challenge.

Everton fan Michael Cullen, better known as Speedo Mick, is to complete his adventure on Saturday  a 1,000-mile walk from John OGroats, Scotland to Lands End, Cornwall, over a four-month period.

As part of the challenge, he has completed myriad tasks while donning his famous trunks, to achieve his 200,000 GoFundMe goal for The SpeedoMick Foundation, which provides grants to grassroots charities that support mental health, disadvantaged young people and homelessness.

Speaking of the support he has received over the last four months, Mr Cullen, 58, told the PA news agency: Honestly, I couldnt put it into words, to be honest. Its been absolutely amazing.

Even though most of the time Im stomping on my own, there are millions of people out there showing me support and encouragement to carry on.

Were so close to the 200,000 goal for this one  if we do get to 200,000 we would have raised 1 million over the last seven years.

As he arrived in Portreath, Cornwall through rain and wind on Thursday, Mr Cullen said the last four months have been horrific and painful, but said the publics donations have been amazing.

I might have done the stomping, I might have got the blisters and felt the aches and pains, but everybody out there who has supported me and put their hands in their pockets  even now in a cost-of-living crisis  people are digging deep, and thats amazing, he said.

Throughout his walk he has camped in a tent, walked through treacherous weather and met an array of people, and even managed to scale the three peaks  Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon  facing sub-zero temperatures.

Ive done the three peaks Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and (Mount) Snowden all in the winter  minus 3C at the bottom of Ben Nevis and minus 18C at the top.

Mr Cullens friends and family urged him to wear appropriate attire before scaling the three peaks, and while in Scotland he decided to don a sporran and kilt to ascend Ben Nevis, though this was quickly removed by the time we reached the bottom.

When I got to the bottom of Ben Nevis I thought my names not Kilty Mick, Im Speedo Mick so I took all the stuff back off, he said.

While scaling Scafell Pike, he was joined by a group of commandos in the British army who showed their support for the fundraiser.

Funnily enough, I saw some commandos at Scafell Pike and they presented me with a flag because one of them had seen what I had done. Then they walked up Scafell Pike with me, he said.

When they got to the top, they got into their shorts.

There is hope out there. Hope lives in the darkest places and I didn't know that until I got into recovery Michael Cullen (Speedo Mick)

After four months of consistent walking and being away from his family and home comforts, Mr Cullen said he is looking forward to giving his wife a hug on the final day of his challenge.

I think Im going to give my wife a cuddle, thats the first thing Im going to do, he said.

Shes the one I speak to when Im down. Shes the one who changes my perspective when Im not feeling good about myself.

He also said he cannot wait to see my own bed, and to being more involved in projects for the SpeedoMick Foundation.

I havent seen my family in four months and my beautiful dog. Im freezing cold, but Im excited to see all of my family, he said.

I just want to see my own bed  just want to have some beans on toast.

Im really looking forward to getting stuck into the SpeedoMick Foundation project too.

Mr Cullens challenge was sparked by his recovery from alcohol and substance addiction, with this year marking his 21st year of recovery.

Thats the catalyst of me doing what Im doing trying to raise awareness for mental health and addiction, he explained.

There is hope out there. Hope lives in the darkest places and I didnt know that until I got into recovery.

Im doing my best to give back because I wouldnt be here if I never received the support that I got 21 years ago.

Mr Cullen said this fundraiser has given him a renewed lust for life and hopes his efforts can leave some footprints on this world encouraging people who are suffering from mental health issues to find support.

If your dreams dont scare you, then theyre not big enough as far as Im concerned. Thats me getting the lust for life back, he said.

Im raising a few smiles, Im raising some spirits and raising a few quid for charity, and putting some footprints on this world before I kick the bucket.

The message Id really like to send to anybody who is suffering from mental health or addiction is simply, please, reach out.

The 200,000 raised from this challenge contributes to the almost 1 million he has raised for his foundation across his various feats, which include a 2,000-mile, five-month trek across the UK and Ireland and swimming across the English Channel.

More information about Mr Cullens final fundraiser can be found here: http://www.gofundme.com/the-final-stomp
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A shop in Manchesters gay village had its windows smashed in for the third time in six weeks sparking safety fears among the LGBT+ community.

Police are trying to identify two masked people on motorbikes after the latest attack on CloneZone, an adult shop on Sackville Street at 6pm on Monday night.

Greater Manchester Police said two people were seen on CCTV entering the street before one of them jumped off the back of a red motorcycle and repeatedly smashed the windows of the shop.

Minutes later, two people then fled in the direction of London Road.

It is the third time the shop, which sells leather and sex toys, has been vandalised in six weeks. Police called the attacks mindless acts of vandalism.

A police car had been parked outside the shop to act as a deterrent, but CCTV footage from the attack shows the car was empty because the officers were attending another crime.

In a post on Facebook, CloneZone said: For the third time in six weeks Clonezone Manchester has been victims of a premeditated, targeted hate crime against us as a queer business.

Our LGBTQIA+ village has always been a safe space and that now sadly is becoming less and less of a reality.

Greater Manchester Police said the force was providing ongoing support to the shop owners and police have increased patrols in the area.

Police have released CCTV images of the masked offenders and urged anyone with information about the attack, including dashcam or doorbell footage, to come forward to help identify them.

Police have released CCTV images of the masked people (Greater Manchester Police)

Manchester council leader, Bev Craig, said the attacks were concerning. Ms Craig said: As leader of the council residents have contacted me but I have also been closely monitoring the situation myself. Now as the third vandal attack has happened, its something that is concerning and we want to make sure its been dealt with properly, The Guardian report

Ms Craig said Manchester had one of the biggest LGBT+ communities in the UK, and the council has worked with police to encourage people to report hate crime.

Chief Inspector Adam Wignall of City of Manchester Police said: GMP will not tolerate these kinds of mindless acts of vandalism in the city and as such, we are providing ongoing support to the owners of the shop, whilst we thoroughly investigate these incidents.

This appears to be targeted to this one particular shop and we have increased patrols in the area, providing reassurance to the local community and shop owners.

If there is anyone who can ID these two people, particularly through the distinctive motorcycle they were on, we would urge them to get in touch with us. Similarly, any dashcam or doorbell footage that can be provided, we would welcome this.

Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting log number 002955-24042023, or can submit it via the Live Chat function on its website. Information can also be passed to Crimestoppers on 0800 111 555.

Homophobic hate crimes across the country increased by 41 per cent in the year to March 2022, according to Home Office figures released in October, while transphobic hate crimes rose 56 per cent  the biggest year-on-year percentage rise.

Hate crimes rose by 26 per cent overall in the UK in the year to March 2022.

At the time, the Home Office said transgender issues have been heavily discussed on social media, which may have led to an increase in related hate crimes.

Its report said: It is uncertain to what degree the increase in police-recorded hate crime is a genuine rise or due to continued recording improvements and more victims having the confidence to report these crimes to the police.
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Eva Green has said that justice prevailed after winning her High Court battle with a production company over the collapse of an abandoned sci-fi film.

The Casino Royale star was due to play the lead role in dystopian thriller A Patriot, but the production collapsed in October 2019.

After the film was abandoned, Green sued production company White Lantern Film, claiming she is still entitled to her $1m (810,000) fee.

White Lantern Film and lender SMC Speciality Finance brought a counterclaim against the actor, in which they claimed that Green undermined the independent films production and renounced the contract.

On Friday (28 April) morning, the judge ruled in Greens favour. He said that Green was entitled to the fee, and dismissed the counter-claim, saying: In particular, I find that Ms Green did not renounce her obligations under the artist agreement; nor did she commit any repudiatory breaches of it.

In a statement released following the ruling, Green said: My professional reputation has been upheld.

In this legal action I was forced to stand up to a small group of men, funded by deep financial resources, who tried to use me as a scapegoat to cover up their own mistakes, she said. I am proud that I stood up against their bully-boy tactics.

They made false allegations about me in public court documents which the judge has now shown are totally incorrect.

Green appeared in court in January (PA Wire)

Green also criticised media coverage of the trial in London earlier this year, saying: A few people in the press were only too delighted to re-print these lies without proper reporting. There are few things the media enjoys more than tearing a woman to pieces.

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It felt like being set upon by hounds. I found myself misrepresented, quoted out of context and my desire to make the best possible film was made to look like female hysteria. It was cruel and it was untrue... I stood my ground, and this time, justice prevailed.

During the trial, the court heard that Green described potential crew members as s***ty peasants, the production as a B-s***ty-movie and executive producer Jake Seal as pure vomit.

Green, who gave oral evidence at the High Court in London over two days in January, said it was humiliating to have her messages used in court. During two days of cross examination, she told the judge that she just had a very direct way of saying things.

Her lawyer Edmund Cullen KC told the court that the actor had been subjected to a character assassination, adding it was based on some of the cheapest and nastiest sorts of stereotypes around.

Continuing her statement, Green said: As a result of this case, the cats well and truly out of the bag that I am mildly terrified of public speaking, that I dont understand technical financial structures, that I am fragile in the face of aggression, that Im passionate about my work and that my heart breaks when people are unkind.

Im also the kind of person who escapes through the back door at parties and is happiest at home alone with my dogs. But, most importantly, I want to add that Im also at my happiest when Im making the films that I love and that I believe in, working side-by-side with brilliant crews in the UK and overseas.

Therefore, the deliberate misreporting by some of the press has amplified the pain to a huge degree and has been more painful than I can say.

She concluded her speech: I fought tooth and nail to defend the beautiful film that I loved and had signed on for... I stood my ground, and this time, justice prevailed.

I wish I could say that this ordeal has made me stronger, better, wiser. But to have my personal life dragged through the press and the court was more painful and damaging than I can say.

Additional reporting by Press Association.
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Scotlands Lord Advocate has decided that the Crown should appeal against the sentence of a man who was spared jail for raping a 13-year-old girl, on the grounds it was unduly lenient.

Sean Hogg, 21, was sentenced earlier this month at the High Court in Glasgow to a community payback order of 270 hours of unpaid work after being found guilty of rape.

Hogg, from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire, was also put under supervision and added to the sex offenders register for three years.

The sentence sparked outrage and calls to review guidelines which advise that custodial sentences should only be imposed on those under 25 if no other punishment is appropriate.

Kenny Donnelly, deputy Crown agent at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: Sentence is quite rightly the domain of the independent judiciary.

However, the law provides for some limited circumstances in which prosecutors have the right to appeal against sentences.

The appeal court has set a high test to be satisfied for this to happen. The sentence must be unduly lenient, which means that it must be out with the range of sentences which the sentencing judge, taking account of all relevant factors, could reasonably have imposed.

The question of Crown appeal against sentence in this case has been carefully considered and the decision to place this matter before the appeal court has been communicated to the complainer through her representative.

The victim was 13 when Hogg, then 17, raped her in Dalkeith Country Park, Midlothian.

Speaking on her behalf, her solicitor Aamer Anwar said on Friday: This morning we were advised that the Lord Advocate has decided that the Crown should appeal the sentence imposed upon Sean Hogg convicted of rape, on the grounds that it is unduly lenient.

My client is relieved and grateful to the Lord Advocate  it has been nearly a month since Sean Hogg walked free from the High Court, ordered to carry out 270 hours of unpaid work after being convicted of rape.

My client still does not understand why Hogg was allowed to get on with his life when he had ruined her, she wonders how many girls will think there is no point in reporting rape after seeing a rapist walk free.

Whilst the police, prosecution and jury did its job, she feels that in the end she was failed by our justice system, but today once more she has some hope that justice will be done.

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Jamie Greene said: The Lord Advocate is quite right to appeal this sentence, no doubt driven by the public outcry over the original sentence.

The public were incredulous that a child rapist could ever be handed anything other than a custodial prison sentence.
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Murder detectives hunting for the partner of a pregnant teacher found dead in Glasgow recovered a body on Thursday night.

The body of Marelle Sturrock, 35, was discovered on Jura Street in Glasgow on Tuesday morning.

Officers had been conducting an intensive search of Mugdock Country Park, around nine miles from Ms Sturrocks home, and announced on Thursday that they had found a body at the nearby Mugdock Reservoir.

Marelle Sturrock, 35, was found dead at a property on Jura Street in Glasgow on Tuesday morning. (Facebook)

Mr Yates was wanted in connection with the murder of the 35-year-old teacher, who was 29 weeks pregnant. Police confirmed on Thursday her unborn baby did not survive.

An investigation remains ongoing but nothing has been established so far to suggest anyone else was involved in Ms Sturrocks death, officers said.

Police divers had been involved in the search and large areas of the reservoir were cordoned off with police tape on Thursday, with officers standing guard.

From the location where Ms Sturrocks was found, to the site of her partners abandoned vehicle, here is a map of all the locations in Glasgow:

View more

Detective Superintendent Nicola Kilbane said: Our thoughts are with Marelles family and friends, along with everyone affected by this tragedy.

We are providing her family with specialist support at this incredibly difficult time.

Earlier, the headteacher at Sandwood Primary School in Glasgow where Ms Sturrock worked said the school community is devastated.

Marelle Sturrock with her partner David Yates (Facebook)

Police divers at the scene at Mugdock Country Park (PA)

Fiona Donnelly said: Marelle has been a much-loved member of our school community since her probationary year more than six years ago and has taught many year groups throughout her time at the school. We will all miss her so much.

She was a lovely, kind, diligent and considerate person who loved and made time for everyone.

Marelle used her artistic talents across the school and was our music champion who has been a key player in the success of our school choirs, with one of her classes going to see her on stage at The Kings [theatre] in one of her many acting roles outside of school.

We are a school community in mourning and are devasted by the tragic news of her death and pass on our deepest condolences to her family and friends as we all come to terms with our loss.
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Police searching for the fiance of pregnant teacher Marelle Sturrock  who was found dead in Glasgow  have now recovered a body.

Following the discovery of the 35-year-old at a property on Jura Street on Tuesday morning, police launched a murder investigation. The force had been searching for Ms Sturrocks fiance, David Yates, in connection with her death.

Undated family handout photo issued by Police Scotland of Marelle Sturrock who was found dead on Tuesday inside a property in Jura Street, Glasgow (PA)

Our thoughts are with Marelles family and friends, along with everyone affected by this tragedy. We are providing her family with specialist support at this incredibly difficult time, Detective Superintendent Nicola Kilbane said.

As Police Scotland continues with the investigation, heres everything we know about the Marelle Sturrock murder.

Who is Marelle Sturrock?

Ms Sturrock was a 35-year-old teacher from Wick, Caithness. Having moved to Glasgow at 17 to pursue a career in the performing arts, she later became a primary school teacher after completing her postgraduate diploma in education.

Up until her death, Ms Sturrock had taught at Sandwood Primary in Glasgow for six years. Headteacher Fiona Donnelly has since paid tribute to her former colleague, describing her as a lovely person who was the schools music champion.

We will all miss her so much. She was a lovely, kind, diligent and considerate person who loved and made time for everyone, Ms Donnelly said.

Marelle used her artistic talents across the school and was our music champion who has been a key player in the success of our school choirs, with one of her classes going to see her on stage at The Kings Theatre in one of her many acting roles outside of school.

Parents were informed of the death in a letter on Wednesday, and educational psychologists are on hand to support pupils where needed. Many have expressed their shock, recounting their memories of Ms Sturrocks kind nature.

She treated the kids like her ownshe made them have confidence within themselves, one parent told Sky News. Its really tragic that shes never going to be a mum herself.

Where was she found?

Ms Sturrock was found dead at a property on Jura Street, Glasgow at 8.40am on Tuesday (25 April). Her death is being treated as suspicious.

The 35-year-old was 29 weeks pregnant at the time of her death. Police confirmed that her unborn baby did not survive.

Who is her fiance, David Yates?

Little is known about Ms Sturrocks fiance beyond the murder investigation.

On Thursday (27 April), police confirmed that the 36-year-old was wanted in connection with his partners death, adding that there was no information to suggest anyone else has been involved.

Later on Thursday evening, Police Scotland announced that a body had been found following searches of Mugdock Reservoir in the hunt for the 36-year-old. Though yet to be formally identified, police believe it is that of Mr Yates.

Police divers at the scene at Mugdock Country Park, East Dunbartonshire (PA)

The last confirmed sighting of him was on Sunday evening shortly after 8pm.

Where was Yates abandoned car found?

Mr Yates car was found at Mugdock Country Park on Tuesday (25 April). In an update on Thursday  prior to a body being recovered in the reservoir - detective superintendent Nicola Kilbane described his vehicle as a white Seat Ateca.

Police had stated that though his subsequent movements were unknown after his vehicle was found abandoned, there was nothing to suggest he has left the area.

Where have police searched?

In the search for Mr Yates following Ms Sturrocks death, police launched an extensive search of Mugdock Country Park, around nine miles from her home.

Prior to the discovery of a body, police divers had been involved in the search and large areas of the reservoir had been cordoned off.
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Serial killers could go undetected because the Metropolitan Police does not always carry out even the most basic enquiries, a watchdog has warned in a damning new report.

A report triggered by failings that let Grindr murderer Stephen Port go free found that, eight years on, there is still a risk that police would miss links between deaths.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) warned that history could repeat itself because the force had still not learned enough from the calamitous litany of failures.

Inspector Matt Parr told a press conference that obviously suspicious deaths were not linked in the Port case until he had struck again.

If they're not suspicious enough about unexpected deaths in the first place, the chance of missing the odd isolated one, or indeed another serial killer, cannot be discounted, he said.

The sisters of Ports last victim, Jack Taylor, accused the Met of continuing to put lives at risk.

Donna and Jenny Taylor added: Poor investigation and a failure to link similar crimes are the most basic of policing mistakes, and to hear that these kind of basic oversights continue to happen today is simply appalling. Once again, we just feel so badly let down.

Weve heard that procedures are changing and the way sudden deaths are classified has been changed, but what needs to change is attitudes. If officers dont investigate with the right attitude, and dont do the basics, these failings will keep happening, and it will cost more lives.

Scotland Yard denied institutional homophobia following a damning inquest into Ports victims, and a report triggered by the murder of Sarah Everard recently found institutional racism, sexism and homophobia in the force.

The wave of scandals and inquiries has sent public trust in the force plummeting, and commissioner Sir Mark Rowley admitted this week that it had missed a government recruitment target partly because of its reputation at the moment.

The HMIC report said that Boris Johnsons drive to hire 20,000 extra officers in three years had created an inexperienced workforce, adding: We are concerned that such officers are making crucial decisions when responding to a report of death.

In 2022 alone, the Metropolitan Police received almost 11,000 death reports  around 30 per day  and investigated 86 per cent of them.

Several officers told us that linking deaths at a local level relied, frankly, on luck, Mr Parr said. There is no formal process to spot the similarities to link deaths.

HMIC said there is no pan-London approach to understanding or mapping deaths across the capital, adding: We are especially concerned that deaths considered non-suspicious from the outset could be completely overlooked.

Daniel Whitworth, Jack Taylor, Anthony Walgate and Gabriel Kovari were murdered during a 16-month period by Stephen Port (PA)

The inspectorate found that searches for intelligence on the Police National Database searches were not routinely carried out after all unexpected deaths, and that there were basic omissions in records.

Written witness statements, if taken at all, tended to be too brief and lacked important details, the report said.

There was little evidence that officers completed house-to-house enquiries, took steps to establish the time of death or tried to find out who may have had access to the premises where the deceased person was found.

Mr Parr said that investigation reports seen by inspectors included some where potentially vital evidence such as drugs and suspicious injuries were only discovered in the mortuary, and one where the pockets of a deceased person had not been searched.

In Ports case, he targeted victims on gay dating websites, then drugged and raped them used the date rape drug GHB.

He was not caught for 15 months after his first murder despite obvious similarities between the victims deaths, because investigators classed them as non-suspicious and did not treat Port as a suspect  even after interviewing him when a body was found outside his flat.

HMIC found that while homophobia may have played a role in the failings, they were predominantly driven by inadequate intelligence and crime analysis processes, confusing policies, unacceptable record-keeping and death reports and poor supervision and training.

Serial killer Stephen Port to spend rest of life in jail for murders of four men

The report said that in the Port case, police had failed to carry out even the most basic enquiries, treating each case in isolation and finding that his victims had died of a self-administered drug overdose.

It said that it was only through the persistence of Ports victims families, who uncovered the links themselves, that he was eventually caught.

Port was given a whole-life order in 2016 for the murders of Anthony Walgate, 23, Gabriel Kovari, 22, and Daniel Whitworth, 21, and Jack Taylor, 25, between June 2014 and September 2015.

The watchdog found that although the case had triggered improvements in training, guidance and working arrangements between local officers and specialist murder teams, more needed to be done and made 20 recommendations.

Issues with the Mets culture and officers behaviour have been widely recognised, Mr Parr said.

However, the Mets problems with competence and professionalism run even deeper: too often, they dont get the basics right.

The inspectorate warned that although the report was into the Metropolitan Police, all forces should use the report to examine their own death investigations.

Scotland Yard, which remains in special measures, accepted it had more to do to minimise the chance of a case like this ever happening again and said it would address all recommendations.

Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said: The deaths of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor were a tragedy and we are sincerely sorry we failed them and their families. While, as the inspection report acknowledges, we have worked hard since the murders to understand what went wrong and improve how we work, it highlights more we need to do.

We have to get the basics right  our death investigation policy is sound, now its about turning policy into effective practice.
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Two teenagers who killed an elderly woman by stuffing a lit firework through her letterbox have been locked up.

Josephine Smith, 88, is believed to have been asleep in bed when the Megaburst firework exploded and set her home ablaze on October 28 2021.

A 17-year-old boy, who delivered the firework for a dare, had pleaded guilty to affray, manslaughter and arson and was locked up for three years and eight months.

Kai Cooper, 19, of Leatherhead, Surrey, who encouraged him, was found guilty of her manslaughter and arson, having earlier admitted affray.

He was locked up for six-and-a-half years with a further two years on extended licence.

Judge Mark Dennis said the two defendants had mischief in mind when they set out to buy fireworks that evening.

He told them: Your wanton and reckless conduct led to the death of a vulnerable and much-loved person.

As they appeared at the Old Bailey to be sentenced on Friday, the court heard the pair had been in trouble since the age of 14.

The younger boy, who has autism spectrum disorder, had convictions for battery and public order offences and had set light to things in the past.

Cooper had convictions for common assault, street robbery and battery that the judge said showed a violent aggressive streak to his character.

Just 24 hours before the fatal arson, the pair were involved in an attack on a woman in Ilford town centre which was captured on Coopers mobile phone.

The video clips showed a young woman walking towards the camera and the 17-year-old holding a pole.

As the youth struck her, the women held her arms up to shield her face and Cooper shouted out: Smoke her, smoke her bro.

Losing Mum in such a horrible way has haunted our entire family Alan Smith

A second video clip showed the woman on the ground and the youth standing over her, attacking her with his foot.

Cooper is heard to say: Boot her in the face, man. Just one tap on her face. Do it. One boot in her face. Stamp it.

The youth then stamped on her face and Cooper responded: Yes bro.

The next day, the pair went into a firework shop in Romford, east London, and Cooper asked for something that would go far and quick.

Cooper commented: Im trying to get fireworks, let them off at people. People are going to get terrorised tonight.

The pair then made their way towards Mrs Smiths home in Queens Park Road which was randomly selected.

En route, the two youths set off fireworks in the street, next to a restaurant and a pub, near cars, and even towards frightened pedestrians.

Acting on a dare, the 17-year-old lit a firework and put it through the letterbox of Mrs Smiths home.

There were two explosions and a fire ripped through the house.

By the time firefighters had arrived, the property was smoke-logged and Mrs Smith had died in an upstairs bedroom.

Ms Smiths son, Alan Smith, who attended court, said: Losing Mum in such a horrible way has haunted our entire family. Mum was so loved by all of us and had many more happy years ahead of her.

The issue surrounding the sale of fireworks to the public is a fight that we intend to continue. In addition, the irresponsible way those fireworks were sold on that night haunts all of us that have seen the footage.

Previously, the younger defendant was handed a youth rehabilitation and training order and Cooper given six weeks in a young offenders institute for the earlier filmed attack on a young woman.
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A body found by police investigating the murder of a pregnant teacher has been formally identified as that of her partner, who detectives were seeking in connection with her death.

Police launched a murder investigation after the body of Marelle Sturrock, 35, was found at her home in Jura Street, Glasgow, on Tuesday morning.

She was 29 weeks pregnant and her unborn baby did not survive.

Police Scotland said the body of a man recovered on Thursday after searches of Mugdock Reservoir, north of Glasgow, has now been formally identified as 36-year-old David Yates.

His death is not being treated as suspicious.

Police said he was wanted in connection with the death of his partner, and that while an investigation is continuing there is nothing to suggest anyone else was involved.

The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, the watchdog for Police Scotland, said it has launched a probe into Ms Sturrocks death.

A spokesman said: The Crown Office and the Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has instructed the Pirc to carry out an investigation into the death of Marelle Sturrock on 25 April 2023 within 91 Jura Street, Glasgow.

Once our inquires are complete a report will be submitted to COPFS.

Officers carried out an intensive search of Mugdock Country Park, around nine miles from Ms Sturrocks home, following the discovery of her body.

Police divers were involved in the search and large areas of the reservoir were cordoned off with police tape.

The headteacher at Sandwood Primary School in Glasgow, where Ms Sturrock worked, said the community is devastated.

Fiona Donnelly said: Marelle has been a much-loved member of our school community since her probationary year more than six years ago and has taught many year groups throughout her time at the school.

We will all miss her so much.

She was a lovely, kind, diligent and considerate person who loved and made time for everyone.

Marelle used her artistic talents across the school and was our music champion who has been a key player in the success of our school choirs, with one of her classes going to see her on stage at The Kings (Theatre) in one of her many acting roles outside of school.

We are a school community in mourning and are devasted by the tragic news of her death and pass on our deepest condolences to her family and friends as we all come to terms with our loss.

Parents at the school were told of the death in a letter on Wednesday and education psychologists are on hand to support pupils.

Ms Sturrock was from Wick, Caithness, but moved to Glasgow when she was 17 to pursue a career in the performing arts.

She became a primary school teacher after completing a postgraduate diploma in education.

Police Scotland said reports will be submitted to the procurator fiscal in due course.

Speaking on Thursday, Detective Superintendent Nicola Kilbane said: Our thoughts are with Marelles family and friends, along with everyone affected by this tragedy.

We are providing her family with specialist support at this incredibly difficult time.
 Close Marelle Sturrock: Body discovered in hunt for partner of pregnant teacher found dead

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Police searching for the fiance of pregnant teacher Marelle Sturrock who was found dead in Glasgow have recovered a body.

The body was found following searches of Mugdock Reservoir on Thursday, Police Scotland confirmed this evening.

He is yet to be formally identified but it is believed to be David Yates, 36, the force said. Ms Sturrock, 35, was found dead at a property on Jura Street in Glasgow on Tuesday morning.

She was 29 weeks pregnant at the time of her death. Police confirmed today that her unborn baby did not survive.

The force said earlier on Thursday that David Yates was wanted in connection with Ms Sturrocks death, adding there was no information to suggest anyone else has been involved.

Detective Superintendent Nicola Kilbane said: Our thoughts are with Marelles family and friends, along with everyone affected by this tragedy. We are providing her family with specialist support at this incredibly difficult time.
Barlocco Island off the west coast of Scotland is for sale, with a minimum asking price of 150,000. Buyers from across the world are interested, attracted by the islands remote and rugged charm.

Measuring twenty-five acres the island is almost totally uninhabited and has no buildings on it. The only man-made structure is a flood pond suitable for livestock, according to the site listing.

What the island can offer is a stunning view of the Scottish coastline, a pebble beach, and an unspoiled natural environment to enjoy. People can reach the island by foot or quad bike at low tide, or by boat at other times.
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The Irish deputy premier Micheal Martin has expressed sympathies to the family of an Irishman killed in Ukraine.

Finbar Cafferkey, from Achill Island, Co Mayo, is reported to have been a military volunteer in the eastern part of the country.

He was reported to have been killed near Bakhmut.

Mr Martin said: My deepest sympathies to the Cafferkey family on the sad passing of Finbar.

He obviously was a young man of clear principles.

Our thoughts and our prayers are with the family today.

I think the family have asked for privacy, Im not going to comment any further on it at this particular time. Ill allow the family space to grieve what is a very, very sad loss for them.

Mr Cafferkey had previous combat experience in the Syrian conflict.

He had travelled to Syria to volunteer with the YPG in their fight against Isis in Rojava.

He has been described in online tributes as a respected activist.

Prior to the Syrian conflict, Mr Cafferkey was involved in the Shell to Sea campaign which is opposed to the construction of a natural gas pipeline in the west of Ireland.

A statement on the groups website said: We are all heartbroken to hear of the death of our brave friend Finbar, who was guided by the principles of freedom and equality for all.

Heartfelt sympathies to all his family and friends. Rest in peace.

He had participated in rallies with the group.

Mr Cafferkeys activism on environmental issues, homelessness and migration has also been praised in tributes.
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The UK will end evacuation flights from Sudan within the next 24 hours, the Government has announced.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said rescue operations would cease following a significant decline in the number of British nationals coming forward to flee the war-torn country.

Some 1,573 people on 13 flights have been evacuated from the Wadi Saeedna airfield near the capital of Khartoum but thousands more UK passport holders may remain.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is urging those left in Sudan to travel to the site before 12pm local time on Saturday in order to be processed for the last flight.

It comes amid criticism of the pace of the British evacuation, which was bought more time after a three-day extension to the ceasefire between warring generals was agreed on Thursday.

Mr Dowden denied the Government would effectively abandon those who have been unable to make the potentially dangerous journey to the airfield with its decision to cease flights.

I wouldnt accept that characterisation. The first thing I would say is that every single British national that has come forward and their eligible dependants have been put safely on to a plane, he said.

We are seeing those numbers declining significantly and, just like other countries, as those numbers decline we have put an end date on this.

He said consular assistance will remain available at exit routes from the country after the end of evacuation flights.

Downing Street has so far rejected calls to widen the eligibility for evacuation beyond British passport holders and their immediate family.

Concerns have been raised that the current approach could see families split up or some members left behind, with Labour calling on ministers to use the longer window to extend eligibility for evacuation before it is too late.
Gary Lineker has waded into the row over the appointment of BBC chair Richard Sharp just weeks after he was suspended by the broadcaster for speaking out against the government.

Richard Sharp resigned on Friday after a report found he breached the public appointments code when he failed to declare two conflicts of interest during his appointment.

It comes after the Tory donor helped arrange a meeting for Boris Johnson to meet with someone who could give him a 800,000 personal loan.
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Four women have complained to the parliamentary authorities about MP Julian Knight since police dropped an investigation into him, it has been reported.

The fresh complaints are thought to be about inappropriate comments and behaviour, according to the BBC.

The broadcaster also claims five different women and a third party witness have raised sexual misconduct allegations about him to the police.

The complainants are separate which means nine women are said to have made complaints about him in total.

The allegations to police and parliamentary authorities range from inappropriate comments to sexual assault, according to the broadcaster.

It is deplorable that, despite the police decision, I remain the subject of what appears to be a smear campaign conducted through leaks, false innuendo and briefings Julian Knight

Some of the complaints allege there was a pattern of behaviour, with Mr Knight reaching out to women on social media to offer career support before making inappropriate comments or approaches, the broadcaster said.

Mr Knight, who is MP for Solihull, strongly denies wrongdoing.

He has said a single and baseless complaint was made about him to the Metropolitan Police last October.

The force dropped the probe last month, saying no arrests had been made, but his bid to have the whip restored was rejected over further complaints.

At the time, a spokesperson for Chief Whip Simon Hart said the complaints would be referred to detectives if appropriate.

Mr Knight told the PA news agency: As I have repeatedly said, I am fully aware of the circumstances of the single complaint made against me to the Metropolitan Police and the motivations of those involved in making it.

This baseless complaint was dismissed by the police without their even feeling the need to interview me, which they never did.

I have not been made aware of any details of allegations supposedly made subsequently against me to any parliamentary authorities.

Nor am I the subject of any investigation by Parliaments Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme.

Should I become the subject of any such investigation, I will fully and publicly defend myself against any allegations.

Meanwhile it is deplorable that, despite the police decision, I remain the subject of what appears to be a smear campaign conducted through leaks, false innuendo and briefings.
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Richard Sharp has resigned as chair of the BBC after a damning report on the cash for Boris row found he had breached strict rules on public appointments.

Mr Sharp, a Conservative Party donor, said he was standing down in the interests of the broadcaster.

But Labour said he should have been sacked weeks ago after the revelation of his role in helping to arrange an up to 800,000 loan guarantee for Boris Johnson when the former prime minister was still in Downing Street.

And a former commissioner for public appointments called for Mr Johnsons role in the saga to be examined further.

Rishi Sunak also came under pressure to ensure that the process to appoint a new BBC chair is more transparent.

It came as:

An inquiry found Mr Sharp had failed to disclose potential conflicts of interest during his application to become BBC chair

It discovered that an appointment panel was told Mr Sharp was the only candidate supported by ministers

And that leaks about preferred candidates may have deterred other applicants

Gary Lineker tweeted: The BBC chairman should not be selected by the government of the day. Not now, not ever.

A former deputy prime minister said trust in the BBC had been damaged

There were calls for the next chair of the corporation to be a woman

Mr Sharp has been under pressure to resign since it emerged that he had been involved in helping to secure the loan guarantee by introducing his friend, Sam Blyth, a distant cousin of Mr Johnson who wanted to help the then prime minister with his financial woes, to the Cabinet Office. But Mr Sharp held on, even after a damning report by MPs warned that he was damaging trust in the BBC by remaining in post.

However, in the 24 hours before the results of the inquiry were published, the director general of the corporation, Tim Davie, visited Mr Sharp at his home, the BBC reported. Journalists had been told to expect Adam Heppinstall KCs findings at around 10am. But just minutes before that came the announcement that Mr Sharp would stand down.

Almost immediately, Mr Sharp appeared on the BBC News channel and read out a prepared statement, with a BBC logo prominently displayed behind him. There were no questions afterwards. The BBC Trust also released a statement, in which it congratulated Mr Sharp for his achievements.

In his resignation statement, Mr Sharp insisted that his breach of the rules had been inadvertent and not material. Nevertheless, I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC, the former Goldman Sachs banker added.

A former deputy prime minister has said that the Sharp crisis has damaged trust in the BBC. Damian Green, who is now the chair of the Commons culture committee, said: The undoubted damage Mr Sharps failure to disclose perceived conflicts of interest has caused to trust in the BBC, the public appointments process, and to Mr Sharps reputation, could all have been avoided had he chosen to be more open with the facts when he appeared before [our] committee more than two years ago.

He called on ministers to replace Mr Sharp with someone who possessed the integrity and impartiality needed for the role.

There were also calls for a more thorough examination of Mr Johnsons involvement. Sir Peter Riddell, who was commissioner for public appointments when Mr Sharp took the job, said the former prime ministers role hasnt really been discussed enough because it was outside the remit of the inquiry.

He himself was conflicted, he told BBC Radio 4s The World at One programme. ... Should he have recused himself from the appointment [process] given he knew about Richard Sharp helping him out on this loan?

Sir Alistair Graham, a former chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, told The Independent it was pretty clear that Mr Sharps position was untenable.

But he also criticised Mr Johnsons role in the scandal, saying: He should have known not to be involved in financial issues with a candidate for a BBC position, knowing that he was going to take the final decision.

Sir Alistair also called for future appointments to be taken out the hands of the prime minister and instead made by a panel of independent experts. He said: It would be better if there was an alternative, to genuinely underpin the independence of the BBC.

Former Tory culture minister Ed Vaizey said Mr Sharps resignation was a chance for the BBC to appoint its first female chair. He said he would have preferred Mr Sharp to stay, but added: This is a great opportunity to appoint a first female head of the BBC.

Lord Vaizey also said there was a legitimate debate to be had over whether public roles should be filled with political friends and party donors.

Senior SNP MP John Nicolson, who also sits on the culture committee, said the fact that Mr Sharp had been appointed to the job in the first place was mad. The next BBC chair must not be a Tory donor, he added, as he called for an end to party political appointments to plum public service positions.

The report found that Mr Sharp had failed to disclose two potential conflicts of interest during the application process for the role of BBC chair.

One was in relation to the loan. But the inquiry also found that Mr Sharps application was subject to another conflict of interest  he had told the prime minister in advance that he wanted to be chair of the corporation.

Mr Sharp disputed this, however he accepted that he should have explained to the appointment panel that he was making an introduction to help Mr Johnson with his finances. He says that his failure to disclose was entirely inadvertent, the report says.

A spokesperson for Mr Johnson declined to comment.
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Rishi Sunak has said he will continue using the name Brecon Beacons, despite the Welsh national park dropping its English name.

The park decided it would rebrand under its Welsh language name, Bannau Brycheiniog, earlier this month after management claimed the association with a wood-burning, carbon-emitting blazing beacon was not a good look.

The Tories took aim at the decision, dismissing it as a symbolic attempt to look trendy which could undermine the regions international identity.

Veteran Welsh broadcaster John Humphrys called it a pointless move, while the leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, Andrew RT Davies, said the change would undermine the already well-known tourist destination.

Speaking ahead of the Welsh Conservative conference on Friday, Mr Sunak said he and most people would not adopt the name change.

The PM told BBC Wales he was a big supporter of the Welsh language and Welsh culture.

But when it comes to the Brecon Beacons, the first thing to say is this is an internationally renowned place to visit, attracts visitors from all around the world.

Its something were all really proud of across the UK.

Im going to keep calling it the Brecon Beacons, and I would imagine most people will do that too.

Last week, Downing Street said it expected people to carry on using the Brecon Beacons name and actions rather than nomenclature were the key to tackling climate change.

The public, Im sure, will continue to  use both the English and the Welsh names, the Prime Ministers official spokesman said.

Welsh Secretary David TC Davies has expressed concern about the rebranding, saying there had been no consultation and it would always be known by [Brecon Beacons] to so many around the world.

Welsh Tory leader Mr Davies said: The Beacons are as recognisable outside of Wales as they are here. Why undermine that?

The Welsh name for the region translates as peaks of Brychans kingdom  a reference to the fifth-century king in the region.
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All British residents should qualify for evacuation from Sudan, Labour has said  amid concerns people could be left behind if the country again descends into fighting.

The government has rejected calls to widen the eligibility for evacuation beyond British passport holders and their immediate family  and is facing both domestic and international criticism over its response.

Warring parties in the north east African country on Thursday night agreed a further three day extension to the ongoing ceasefire, buying more time for people trying to leave the country.

There are concerns that many people eligible to be airlifted out of the country are not coming forward because they would have to leave members of their family behind.

"It cannot be right that NHS doctors and other British residents who worked to protect us throughout the pandemic are being denied the chance to evacuate from the conflict gripping Sudan," said shadow foreign secretary David Lammy.

"At the same time, British nationals remain stuck as the government refuses to evacuate their dependent, immediate family members."

As of Thursday evening, the RAF had airlifted nearly 900 people from an airfield near the capital Khartoum. As of Friday afternoon the Foreign Office did not provide an updated figure.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has urged all UK nationals wishing to flee Sudan to come forward "as quickly as possible", despite the extended truce.

He said that if and when fighting resumed, it might become impossible for people to leave the country.

But Labour's Mr Lammy said: "We do not underestimate the scale of the challenge faced by Britain's brave armed forces and FCDO officials who are working around the clock, but the three-day extension to the ceasefire offers an opportunity to get more people to safety while the airlift is ongoing and there is capacity.

Heavy clashes rock Sudans capital despite truce extension Show all 3 1 / 3 Heavy clashes rock Sudans capital despite truce extension Heavy clashes rock Sudans capital despite truce extension Egypt Saudan Evacuees Egypt Saudan Evacuees Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved Heavy clashes rock Sudans capital despite truce extension Cyprus Sudan Evacuations Cyprus Sudan Evacuations Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved Heavy clashes rock Sudans capital despite truce extension India Sudan India Sudan Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

"All British nationals, close, dependent relatives of British nationals who are stuck and British residents seeking to flee Sudan should qualify to board evacuation flights. The government must act before the ceasefire ends and it is too late."

Foreign Affairs Committee chair and Conservative MP Alicia Kearns is also among those calling for the government to widen eligibility. She said the Government should allow elderly people dependent on children who are British citizens to be admitted.

A power struggle between Sudans army and paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces descended into fighting almost two weeks ago, with more than 500 people killed and thousands more injured. Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF chief Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo have argued about the countrys proposed move to civilian rule.
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Voters in the UK will be required to present photo identification to prove they are who they say they are when they arrive at polling stations from May 2023, after a change in the law instigated by the UK government.

The new stricture came in as part of the Elections Act 2022, first trailed in the Queens Speech of May 2021 and passed by Parliament last April in the interest of improving election security. It will not apply to those voting by post.

Members of the public voting in person will be able to present 21 different forms of identification deemed valid but fears have nevertheless been expressed that the change could deter some from casting their ballot and lead to greater disenfranchisement.

Research carried out by the Cabinet Office in 2021 found that 9 per cent of the British public do not currently hold any form of photo ID that is both in-date and clearly recognisable.

In accordance with the Acts stipulations, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has launched a Voter Authority Certificate as an alternative, a document that individuals can apply for online and which is free but requires that you already be registered to vote and supply a recent digital photo, your date of birth and National Insurance number to claim.

Voters can apply for the certificate online here, with the government site also providing information on how to register for it by post.

The 21 alternative forms of ID you can present at polling stations from May, which volunteers will be asked to check, are as follows:

A driving licence (full or provisional) issued by the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or EEA state.

A blue parking badge.

An older persons bus pass.

A disabled persons bus pass.

An Oyster 60+ card.

A Freedom Pass.

A Scottish National Entitlement Card.

A 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card.

A Disabled Persons Welsh Concessionary Travel Card.

A Senior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland.

A Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Persons SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland.

A War Disablement SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland.

A 60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland.

A Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland.

An identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) hologram.

A biometric immigration document.

A Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card).

A national identity card issued by an EEA state.

An Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland.

An Anonymous Electors Document.

Local elections will next take place in England on Thursday 4 May 2023, which you will only be able to take part in if you have one of the above pieces of documentation to hand.

The photo ID law will then apply to all UK general elections from October 2023, with the next set to be held no later than 25 January 2025.

According to Dr Ben Stanford, a professor of law at Liverpool John Moores University, the introduction of the requirement is massively controversial, with arguments in favour of voter ID generally stressing the improved security and integrity brought by eliminating voter fraud.

Those against criticise the true motivations of the changes amidst concerns that the demographics least likely to possess ID are generally not Conservative Party voters.

Dr Stanford notes that the exclusion of university ID cards from the list of approved IDs only adds weight to criticisms that the new voter ID requirement is politically-motivated and that the list of acceptable identification has been deliberately limited, ultimately disadvantaging younger people and minorities.

He has also warned that the Voter Authority Certificate could prove vulnerable to delays in processing, citing the recent backlog seen in passport application approvals since the pandemic and the squeezed budgets of government departments in response to the present cost of living crisis, which will only place further pressure on the administrative functions of crucial state service providers.

Speaking to The Independent, Dr Stanford said that voter ID pilot schemes in 2018 and 2019 had delivered a mixed picture of their likely impact on voter turnout but added that a substantial number of people were turned away for lacking the required ID in both tests.

The voter ID requirements being implemented in the UK are certainly more strict than they could and need to be to meet policy objectives, he said.

They resemble the strictest laws seen in some states in the US. Preparations to introduce voter ID have undoubtedly been rushed through, with numerous stakeholders expressing concern at the speed of implementation.

Other things that could be put in place to mitigate these risks, such as provisional voting where people lacking ID can vote subject to later verification, or vouching for another person, are not being implemented.

Dr Stanford continued: I do worry that turnout will substantially decrease in the most socially-deprived areas and especially those where political engagement may be weakest.

The change is unprecedented on a national scale meaning that an unprecedented amount of publicity and awareness is needed but currently lacking.

In my view, even putting to the side political arguments, the negligible evidence of impersonation at polling stations cannot justify the democratic cost of voter disenfranchisement and the financial cost of implementing voter ID.

Passports and driving licences among documentation considered valid for voting from May (Getty)

Bob Watt, a retired academic concerned with public law formerly of the Universities of Essex and Buckingham and a visiting fellow of the Bonavero Centre of Human Rights in Oxford, told The Independent that improved election security was a goal worth pursuing: My view is that even the smallest amount of personation is a very serious matter. Even if it does not affect the result.

The whole point of an election is that it should be free, fair and secret. To have a relatively simple way of subverting that principle  turning up at a polling station now staffed by relatively junior people and claiming to be someone else  is destructive of democracy because it lessens peoples faith that their vote should be counted.

My view is that we should have automatic electoral registration  as soon as you become the age at which you are able to vote  you should automatically be on the register.

The system being introduced here is being done without proper publicity and without proper funding. All households  and every step should be taken to ensure that unhoused people are included  should be contacted and individually told that they must have electoral ID.

Electoral authorities should be properly funded to issue electoral ID cards. This needs a one year lead-in time. It is too rushed.

OpenDemocracy reported in December 2022 that the Electoral Commission had written to ministers warning that it felt their plans for voter IDs were not fully secure, accessible or workable, citing letters obtained by Freedom of Information requests, only for those concerns to be dismissed in response.

The Guardian subsequently reported that the development of the central government website via which people are being asked to apply for the Voter Authority Certificate was unlikely to be ready in time for the rollout of a national advertising campaign in January, which has already provoked anger over its 5.6m cost, suggesting concerns about the process are not unfounded.

The governments rush to implement voter ID requirements against the advice of all those who have to run the scheme and the Electoral Commission themselves is dangerous and will close down our democracy to many, Labours shadow levelling up minister Alex Norris has warned.

His Liberal Democrat counterpart, Helen Morgan, added: Every second that the government delays these applications, another person will lose their chance to vote in May.

Every council will have thousands of these applications to process before May, with no guarantee they can process them in time  taking critical council resources during a cost of living crisis.

The Conservative government have taken away peoples unobstructed right to vote. These delays are nothing short of voter suppression.

Responding to their criticism, a government spokesperson said: We cannot be complacent when it comes to ensuring our democracy remains secure. Everyone eligible to vote will have the opportunity to do so and 98 per cent of electors already have an accepted form of identification.

Speaking to BBC Radio Norfolk on 12 January, Conservative MP and former Cabinet member Brandon Lewis said it was not unreasonable for the government to ask people to present ID to vote, just as they would if they were going to a Post Office [to] collect a parcel or take a book out from the library, in order to just give that extra bit of protection to our democratic process.

His analogy was criticised as disingenuous given the additional obstacles the demand for voter IDs creates.
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A Scottish church leader has said he is honoured to be asked to fulfil a key ceremonial duty at the coronation of King Charles.

The Most Rev Mark Strange, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, will present the Sovereigns Sceptre with Cross to the Archbishop of Canterbury at what is described as an important and symbolic moment at the heart of the coronation service on May 6.

The Archbishop will then place the Sceptre in the right hand of the King, just moments before he is crowned at Westminster Abbey.

Mr Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness, has been invited to fulfil the role in honour of his service to the church and the wider Anglican Communion, as well as of his contribution to public life.

He said: I am delighted and honoured to be invited to participate at such a powerful moment in the coronation of King Charles III.

Last year I was among those who gathered at Westminster Abbey to give thanks and bid farewell on the sombre occasion of the state funeral of Her Majesty the Queen.

It is a privilege to return to the Abbey on what will be a joyful day and once again represent the Scottish Episcopal Church.

I am especially grateful that the invitation acknowledges my service not just in Scotland but in the wider Anglican Communion and within civic society.

To be recognised for these commitments, which are so important to the role of Primus, is deeply appreciated.

The Primus will also be part of the ecumenical leaders procession into the Abbey.

The two Sovereigns Sceptres are part of the Coronation Regalia, sacred and secular objects which symbolise the service and responsibilities of the monarch.

The Sovereigns Sceptre with Cross has been used at every coronation since Charles IIs in 1661.

It comprises a gold rod, surmounted by an enamelled heart-shaped structure which holds the Cullinan I diamond.

The Sovereigns Sceptre with Dove is symbolic of justice and mercy and is placed in the monarchs left hand for the crowning.

It will be presented by the Archbishop of Wales.

Another bishop of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Rt Rev John Armes, Bishop of Edinburgh, has also been invited to attend the coronation as one of 13 people chosen to play historic ceremonial roles.

He will attend in his capacity as the ex-officio chair of the Walker Trustees, a role which incorporates the position of the Heritable Usher of the White Rod, a historic office of the Parliament of Scotland.

White Rod has no official duties nowadays but one of the remaining honours of the office is to take part in the coronation procession.

Dr Armes said: I am glad that this part of Scottish tradition is being maintained and I am honoured and excited to be the person upon whom the duty falls of continuing this historic convention on the occasion of the first coronation in 70 years.
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Richard Sharp has resigned as BBC chairman after becoming embroiled in a cronyism row.

The former Goldman Sachs banker, 67, announced on Friday morning that he will stand down at the end of June after the findings of barrister Adam Heppinstall KCs review into his appointment were published.

Here the PA news agency explains what led to his resignation.

 What has the row been about?

Earlier this year, Mr Sharp became entangled in a row over helping former prime minister Boris Johnson secure an 800,000 loan facility.

His friend Sam Blyth, a Canadian businessman and a distant cousin of Mr Johnson, went to Mr Sharp with an offer to help Mr Johnson who had found himself in financial difficulty in late 2020.

Mr Sharp, who was working as a Government adviser during the coronavirus pandemic, put Mr Blyth in touch with Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, the countrys most senior civil servant.

It later emerged that he had played a role in facilitating the loan guarantee before being recommended for the influential role of BBC chairman overseeing the public broadcasters independence.

On Friday, Mr Sharp resigned after a report found he failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest to the panel that interviewed candidates and advised ministers on his appointment.

The review into his BBC appointment found he had breached the governance code for public appointments.

 What have other people said about the row?

Former director-general Lord Birt, who led the BBC between 1992 and 2000, previously appeared before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMS) and addressed the controversy surrounding Mr Sharp.

Lord Birt said: I dont think his appointment should stand.

He is a person of obvious weight and consequence but in one vital respect he was an unsuitable candidate and the appointment process itself was fatally flawed.

Meanwhile, former head of BBC television news Roger Mosey previously said the next BBC chairman should not be a political appointment.

At the time he told Roger Boltons Beeb Watch podcast that it would be a great act of statesmanship for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to de-politicise the appointment.

Mr Mosey also said it would be an enormous gain to have the future chairman be someone who is not seen as being in a pocket of one party or another.

Similarly, former BBC chairman Sir David Clementi wrote to former culture secretary Oliver Dowden in October 2020 to voice concern from the corporations nominations committee about the recruitment process for his replacement.

The letter came amid reports that Charles Moore, the former editor of the Daily Telegraph, was offered the job of chairman before an official process had begun.

Sir David said in the letter: The committee is also concerned about the appointment of my successor as chair.

We were concerned about the very strong press reports that the Government, even before the job had been advertised, was in discussions with a preferred candidate, including a discussion about salary.

Lord Moore later ruled himself out for personal reasons with Tory donor Mr Sharp taking over the role, during one of the most turbulent periods in the BBCs history, in February 2021.

 Did Sharp receive support from the then prime minister?

Mr Johnson previously said Mr Sharp had no knowledge of his personal finances.

Speaking to Sky News in January, Mr Johnson said: This is a load of complete nonsense  absolute nonsense.

Let me just tell you, Richard Sharp is a good and wise man but he knows absolutely nothing about my personal finances  I can tell you that for 100% ding dang sure.

This is just another example of the BBC disappearing up its own fundament.
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has rejected claims he attempted to dodge journalists at the Scottish Conservative conference after a planned press conference almost descended into chaos.

Number 10 officials originally planned to have a press conference with the Prime Minister after his address to the event in Glasgow, with seven journalists allowed access and six of them permitted to ask questions.

But more than the invited reporters arrived at the press conference, irked at what they claimed was a lack of access to the Prime Minister.

Officials initially allowed them to stay, with only the invited media permitted to put their questions to Mr Sunak.

But with the Prime Minister running late for the press conference following his speech, an aide told journalists he would now only be doing a single interview with a broadcaster that could be shared with other outlets  prompting outrage from those in the room.

Tensions rose during an exchange between the waiting press pack and two Downing Street aides, when broadcasters refused to interview the Prime Minister.

Almost an hour later, as a result of negotiations between journalists and Number 10, aides said Mr Sunak would speak to the journalists, taking questions from the six initial invitees, and do a pooled broadcast interview.

Questioned on the situation when the huddle started more than an hour later than planned, Mr Sunak rejected accusations of a lack of transparency.

That's just completely wrong, completely wrong Rishi Sunak

Just yesterday, I filmed quite an extensive interview with BBC Scotland, a part of which was pooled and mad available to other broadcasters, and Ive just done another pool clip earlier today, and Im speaking to half a dozen of you here, which was always the plan, he said.

Put to him that the press conference only went ahead because of the protests of journalists, the Prime Minister said: Thats just completely wrong, completely wrong.

I was always due to speak to, I think, about half a dozen or so (journalists) today.

A spokesman for the Scottish Parliamentary Journalists Association  which represents reporters working at Holyrood  said: Journalists expect to be able to hold the Prime Minister to account when he is in Scotland as a vital part of the democratic process.

Todays actions to restrict access are unprecedented and undermine that important principle.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said later that journalists had been rightly upset about it.

He said: I will be making the strongest possible representations to Number 10 about it.

Speaking about the situation, Mr Ross added: It was unnecessary and shouldnt have happened.

I always speak to the press, have as many questions as you need to take.
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Division within Britain helps countries like Russia and China, UK security minister Tom Tugendhat has said as he intimated the push for Scottish independence could damage the countrys safety.

The minister was speaking at a fringe event at the Scottish Tory conference in Glasgow on Friday hosted by the group Conservative Friends of the Union.

Mr Tugendhat attacked the SNP and independence supporters, taking a swipe at the arrest of Nicola Sturgeons husband Peter Murrell in the probe into the partys finances and the subsequent search of their home.

The real threat is that countries like that are looking for our disunity and our division, they're looking for us to tear each other apart Tom Tugendhat

He told the event: They think that a narrow self-interest, that cheap politics and divisive ideas are the right way to approach the world.

They look around and they see countries like Russia and they say well, its not much of a threat to us, they see countries like China and they say well, maybe we can do a deal with them.

They dont see what the real threat is.

The real threat is that countries like that are looking for our disunity and our division, theyre looking for us to tear each other apart.

Theyre looking to make us not Great Britain, but divided Britain and theyre looking to make us not a great people, but a little people who are so busy squabbling amongst ourselves that we dont focus on the real duty we have, which is to protect the institutions and the systems built up around the world, keeping people far away from this country free.

The warning came as fellow UK Government minister Andrew Bowie warned Tory members against complacency caused by the chaos engulfing the SNP.

Mr Murrell was arrested and subsequently released without charge pending further investigation, while the same fate befell then party treasurer Colin Beattie as a police probe into the SNPs finances continues.

The nuclear energy minister said the party could not repeat the same mistakes as the early 2010s, which saw an SNP majority returned at Holyrood and the agreement to hold a referendum on independence.

We cannot be complacent about Scotlands place in our United Kingdom or the battle that we have on our hands every single day to make the case for Scotlands place in the United Kingdom, the greatest union  economic, military, political and social union -that this world has ever seen, he said.

MP Mhairi Black, the SNPs deputy Westminster leader, said: The Tories have no mandate in Scotland.

They are in no position to lecture people in Scotland on support for independence when theyve trashed the UK economy, made millions of Scots poorer through a Tory cost-of-living crisis, imposed a devastating hard Brexit, attacked devolution, and hacked away at the NHS and public services through 13 years of Westminster austerity cuts.

The SNP is the only party offering a real alternative to the Tories. Voting SNP is the best way to beat the Tories in Scotland at the next election  and the only way to get rid of Westminster Tory governments for good with independence.
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A wounded British doctor and his elderly mother have finally managed to escape Sudan on a British evacuation flight  but countless NHS doctors have been left behind.

The doctor, who recently retired after working in the NHS for more than 30 years, dodged sepsis following an operation at an airfield in Khartoum, while his 87-year-old mother was eventually granted a temporary UK visa after waiting almost 16 hours for a decision at the airbase.

His daughter  a British doctor based in London, who is calling herself Dr A in order to protect her family in Sudan  told The Independent of her utter relief as the pair with her sister arrived safely in Cyprus this morning after four days of a nightmare.

The truce is fragile, illustrated by reports from Sudans army on Friday morning that a Turkish evacuation plane was shot at by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (AP)

Her father was visiting his family in Khartoum for Ramadan and Eid when fierce clashes between forces loyal to the countrys two top generals erupted in the city on 15 April.

He had had to undergo surgery at the Wadi Saeedna airfield to prevent the risk of developing sepsis, after he had been shot in the leg a few days ago as he risked his life moving his family to a safer place. It had been too risky for them to get to a pharmacy or a hospital for him to receive adequate medical treatment.

On Thursday, the family made the perilous journey to the airbase, where evacuation flights are leaving from, and his fate hung in the balance as he underwent the procedure. If his infection had developed into the condition, not only could it have been deadly but he also would not have been able to fly home.

The family had not travelled to the evacuation point sooner as they had been waiting to find out if the retired doctors mother, who is Sudanese and does not have permission to come to the UK, had had her application for a temporary visa accepted.

British nationals board an RAF aircraft in Khartoum, as the UK confirmed that almost 900 Britons have been evacuated from the country (PA)

They ended up waiting at the airfield for almost 16 hours before the British government finally granted the 87-year-old a temporary visa for the UK, from where she will soon move to a family home in Egypt.

Dr A  who is a British-Sudanese dual national like her father and sister  said the trio sounded very, very tired on the phone and are expecting a long wait before they board a flight to the UK. But she said, I am so glad theyve been able to leave safely, adding: I just hope other people can now do the same.

Last night the two warring factions agreed to a three-day extension to a 72-hour ceasefire, as the UK confirmed that almost 900 Britons have been evacuated from the country.

However the truce is fragile, illustrated by reports from Sudans army on Friday morning that a Turkish evacuation plane was shot at by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

A damaged car and buildings are seen at the central market during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum (Reuters)

There are at least 60 Sudanese NHS doctors still stranded in Sudan, according to Dr Reem Taha, a member of the Sudanese Junior Doctors Association UK.

Abdulrahman, who is not disclosing his surname for safety reasons, has been denied a seat on a British evacuation plane, leaving him stranded in the war zone and prompting fears that the dozens of NHS doctors stuck in the country could face the same plight.

Like at least eight NHS doctors trapped in the country, he has a biometric residence permit (BRP), which is a visa that is proof of a persons right to study or work in the UK.

However, Tarig, an NHS doctor with a BRP who is also not disclosing his full name for safety reasons, has now been allowed onto a British evacuation plane, after initially being rejected like Abdulrahman.

Evacuees cross into Egypt through the Argeen land port, after being evacuated from Sudan to escape the conflict (AP)

Amid confusion over the British governments plans to evacuate citizens, the Foreign Office said on Thursday it was keeping the situation under review, with No 10 adding on the same day that there was an element of discretion for those working on the ground in Sudan.

But it confirmed to The Independent on Friday morning that only British nationals and their immediate family members with existing eligibility to enter the UK were being evacuated.

This does not include NHS doctors who are non-British and visa holders, the British Medical Association (BMA) said.

On Thursday the BMA wrote to the Foreign Office calling for the safe return of all NHS doctors, telling officials they must not be left behind.

A UK government spokesperson said: The evacuation response from Khartoum is open to all British nationals and their eligible dependents who wish to leave Sudan.

Those who have existing entry clearance for the UK but are not the dependent of a British passport holder can still come to the UK via other points of exit, such as crossing the border into Egypt.
 Close UK evacuations from Sudan could be 'impossible' once ceasefire ends, Cleverly warns

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The final evacuation flight for British nationls has now left Sudan as a fragile ceasefire holds in the country.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) had given those looking to flee the war-torn nation until 11am UK time - midday in Sudan - to reach the departure site on the eastern coast.

Officials at the Foreign Office would not confirm what time the flight was due to take off, but flight tracking websites showed a Royal Air Force (RAF) Airbus A400M Atlas plane as having landed at Port Sudan at about 3pm on Monday.

The UK government said it was exceptionally offering one final flight for a limited number of British nationals still in the country.

It comes as a UN official said more than 800,000 people may flee the war-torn country.

The UN Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees, Raouf Mazou, said: In consultation with all concerned governments and partners weve arrived at a planning figure of 815,000 people that may flee into the seven neighboring countries.
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A memorial honoring Mamie Till-Mobley, the mother of Emmett Till, will be unveiled Saturday outside the suburban Chicago high school she attended as a young woman, long before she became a critical player in the Civil Rights Movement.

Emmett Tills 1955 lynching in Mississippi and his mothers insistence on an open-casket funeral for the 14-year-old served as a catalyst for civil rights. Till-Mobley was a civil rights activist for the rest of her life.

The memorial opening to the public Saturday outside Argo Community High School in Summit, Illinois includes a bronze statue of Till-Mobley with hands spread wide and standing behind a podium, which bears bronze reliefs of her son, the Mississippi barn where he was killed and the Chicago funeral home where thousands of mourners gathered.

No one has been held accountable for the teenager's kidnapping and murder; the white woman who accused him of whistling at and accosting her died this week at the age of 88.

Till-Mobley died in 2003 in Chicago and was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously in December along with her son. Argo Community High School and the Argo Higher Education Fountain raised money toward the project and an annual scholarship for a graduate demonstrating a commitment to social justice.
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Bizarre, iridescent sea creatures have been washing up by the thousands on beaches across California throughout the month of April.

The critters  small, coin-sized creatures with blue-green colouring and a transparent, sail-shaped protrusion  are Velella velella, known as by-the-wind-sailors, according to California State Parks.

Dont worry about those little blue tentacles that hang from their body! These tentacles dont sting humans but will gather up plenty of zooplankton or fish eggs for them to eat, Point Reyes National Seashore wrote on Facebook earlier this month. You may come across a fresh wash-up of Velella, tinging the stretch of shoreline blue, but if theyve been there a while, they will look like crinkly and dry ovals of cellophane.

Others said more caution was warranted.

If you were to touch the top of the sail, it feels like plastic. Its quite thick. And actually whats in there is chitin. And thats the same material that is in the exoskeleton of crustaceans. So its notoriously hard and protective, but you definitely dont want to pick them up and touch them because they are cnidarians, Marine biologist Julianne Kalman Passarelli told NPR. Their sting is not known to be as toxic as their relatives, the Portuguese man o war, or even their more distant relatives jellyfish, sea nettles, things like that. But they can cause irritation. I wouldnt suggest picking them up with your bare hands.

The Velella velella have been spotted onshore across the state, including in Hunting Beach, Zuma Beach, Manhattan Beach, Salt Creek Beach.

Previous mass beachings have occurred between 2014 and 2016, according to the Orange County Register.

The tiny sailors carry a small toxin and have little meat, so they have few predators, though sunfish, birds, and turtles sometimes eat them.

Theyre amazing animals. Theyre like space aliens or something that have invaded our beaches, but theyre not going to be here for very long, Bruno Pernet, a professor of biological sciences at California State University Long Beach, told KTLA.

Once they come on land, the beached animals are either eaten, dry up, or get washed back into the sea.

Whats driving the sudden blue masses appearing on California beaches?

In spring, shifting strong Pacific winds often drive thousands of these creatures on shore from British Columbia all the way to California, Point Reyes public information officer Christine Beekman told the San Francisco Chronicle. Sometimes beaches are covered by several inches of velella turning the beaches blue.
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Chad Daybell claimed his new wife Lori Vallow didnt have any children as authorities launched a massive search for her son and daughter that ended with the discovery of their bodies nine months later.

A jury heard the disturbing claim at Ms Vallows trial in Boise, Idaho, on Friday where the so-called doomsday cult mom is charged with the murders of her two children Joshua JJ Vallow, seven, and Tylee Ryan, 16, as well as that of Mr Daybells first wife Tammy.

Tammys sister Samantha Gwilliam testified for the prosecution about how she got a call from Mr Daybell telling her that her sibling was dead on 19 October 2019 claiming she died in her sleep after being very sick.

A month later, she told how devastated she was to learn that Mr Daybell had married Ms Vallow just weeks after Tammys death.

You dont get married four weeks after you just buried your wife of almost 30 years. You just dont do that, she said.

She told the court she confronted Mr Daybell about it and he told her his new wife was named Lori Ryan and that her husband had died recently too  from a heart attack.

He also told her that theres no children and theyre going to be empty nesters, she said.

In reality, Ms Vallows fourth husband Charles Vallow was shot dead by her brother Alex Cox in July 2019.

And Ms Vallow had two young children  JJ and Tylee  who vanished without a trace in September 2019. Their remains were found months later buried on the Daybell property.

After doing her research about her sisters husbands new wife, Ms Gwilliam said that she learned about Charles death and also noticed a comment on his obituary from JJs grandmother Kay Woodcock saying we will take care of JJ.

Thats when she realised that there was in fact children involved, she said.

Ms Gwilliam choked back emotion as she said she was suspicious about her sisters death.

[I felt] something had happened to her and I didnt even know why, she said.

I had no reason to suspect Chad. I had no reason to suspect anything but I do feel as a spiritual person myself that my sister was telling me something had happened to her.

During Ms Gwilliams testimony the jury also heard Mr Daybell telling 911 dispatchers that Tammy was clearly dead.

In the 911 call, one of Tammys sons tells the dispatcher they have just found his 49-year-old mother on the ground frozen.

We just found my mom. Shes on the ground frozen... or shes stiff. I dont know, he says.

Mr Daybell, who is standing trial separately for the murders of Tammy, JJ and Tylee at a later date, then comes on the phone and makes an abrupt statement about his wife.

Im Chad, the husband. Shes clearly dead, he says.

Mr Daybell appears to be crying in the call as he says the phrases oh no, oh man and shes frozen.

Now, he is accused of killing her by asphyxiation so he could marry Ms Vallow, they could get access to Tammys life insurance money and in pursuit of their cult beliefs.

Tammy was an otherwise healthy 49-year-old when she died suddenly that day  around a month after Ms Vallows two children JJ and Tylee were allegedly murdered and buried on Chad Daybells property in Rexburg, Idaho.

At the time, Mr Daybell declined an autopsy for his wife and her mysterious death was ruled natural causes.

Weeks later  on 5 November 2019  Mr Daybell and Ms Vallow flew to Hawaii and got married on a beach.

That December  as authorities closed in on the whereabouts of the missing children  Tammys body was exhumed and an autopsy found that she died by asphyxiation.

Ms Gwilliam testified that her sister was very healthy before her death and that she had a feeling that something didnt add up about her sudden death.

Ms Gwilliam said that she saw Tammy about two weeks before her death and she did not look sick at all.

Lori Vallow in court in Hawaii in 2020 (AP)

Just 10 days before Tammy was murdered  on 9 October 2019  she had been shot at by a masked man on the driveway of her home.

The mother-of-five had returned from the grocery store and was unloading items when she noticed a man in all black, jurors heard.

The man fired two shots at her and then fled.

Ms Gwilliam recalled her sister saying she thought it might be a teenager at the time.

Jurors heard the 911 calls from the incident  one made by Tammy and one by her son-in-law Joseph Murray.

I pulled up into our driveway and I was getting stuff out of the backseat of my car. He had a paintball gun like he was going to shoot at me. I kept asking what he was doing and I yelled for my husband. He took off behind my housed, Tammy is heard telling the dispatcher.

The man in the driveway didnt say anything. He was holding the gun like he had a rifle and was shooting at me but nothing came out of the gun so I dont think it was loaded.

No shell casings or paintball evidence was ever found at the scene.

Just 10 days later, Tammy was dead.

Doomsday writer Mr Daybell and Tammy married in 1990 and had five children together. They also founded a publishing company together  the company that released his doomsday books.

But, in October 2018, Mr Daybell and Ms Vallow met at a religious conference in Utah. Prosecutors say this was both the start of their romance  and of a descent into extreme cult beliefs and murders.

In July 2019, Ms Vallows fourth husband Charles Vallow was shot dead by Cox in what he claimed at the time was self-defence.

Ms Vallow then moved JJ and Tylee from Arizona to Idaho, allegedly to be close to Mr Daybell, before they vanished without a trace in September.

Tylee Ryan and Joshua JJ Vallow (Family handout)

Tammy then died one month later and Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell married.

In June 2020, JJ and Tylees remains were discovered buried in Mr Daybells backyard.

JJ died by asphyxiation with multiple layers of plastic bags wrapped around the little boys head and duct tape over his mouth, jurors heard at trial. Tylees cause of death was impossible to determine because her remains were so badly burned and mutilated.

Prosecutors allege that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with Ms Vallows brother Alex Cox to murder Tammy, JJ and Tylee as part of their doomsday cult beliefs  but also for financial purposes so that they could collect Tammys life insurance money and the childrens social security and survivor benefits.

As part of their cult beliefs, the couple believed in a rating system of light and dark for how they ranked the spirits of the people around them.

Over time, this evolved into the belief that some people  including the children  were zombies and the only way to get rid of the zombies was for the human body to be destroyed.

Ms Vallow is now on trial charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Tammy, and first-degree murder, conspiracy and grand theft in connection with the deaths of JJ and Tylee. She is also charged with related financial crimes.

Mr Daybell is also charged with the same counts  as well as a count of first-degree murder in the death of Tammy  but is due to stand trial separately at a later date.

Cox, meanwhile, died before he could face charges.

On 11 December 2019, Cox died suddenly at the age of 51. His death was also ruled natural causes, with indications of a blood clot wedged in the arteries of his lungs. However the overdose drug Narcan was also found in his system.

Ms Vallow is also facing charges in Arizona of conspiring with Cox to murder Vallow.
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Chad Daybell made a chilling 911 call saying that his wife Tammy was clearly dead after he had allegedly conspired with Lori Vallow to murder her so they could run off to Hawaii to get married.

The 911 call, from 19 October 2019, was played to jurors at Ms Vallows trial in Boise, Idaho, on Friday where the so-called doomsday cult mom is charged with the murders of Tammy and her two children Joshua JJ Vallow, seven, and Tylee Ryan, 16.

In the call, one of Tammys sons tells the dispatcher they have just found his 49-year-old mother on the ground frozen.

We just found my mom. Shes on the ground frozen... or shes stiff. I dont know, he says.

Mr Daybell, who is standing trial separately for the murders at a later date, then comes on the phone and makes an abrupt statement about his wife.

Im Chad, the husband. Shes clearly dead, he says.

Mr Daybell appears to be crying in the call as he says the phrases oh no, oh man and shes frozen.

Now, he is accused of killing her by asphyxiation so he could marry Ms Vallow, they could get access to Tammys life insurance money and in pursuit of their cult beliefs.

Tammy was an otherwise healthy 49-year-old when she died suddenly that day  around a month after Ms Vallows two children JJ and Tylee were allegedly murdered and buried on Chad Daybells property in Rexburg, Idaho.

At the time, Mr Daybell declined an autopsy for his wife and her mysterious death was ruled natural causes.

Weeks later  on 5 November 2019  Mr Daybell and Ms Vallow flew to Hawaii and got married on a beach.

That December  as authorities closed in on the whereabouts of the missing children  Tammys body was exhumed and an autopsy found that she died by asphyxiation.

Tammys sister Samantha Gwilliam took the witness stand on Thursday and Friday, coming face to face for the first time with the woman accused of conspiring to kill her sibling.

She testified that her sister was very healthy before her death and that she had a feeling that something didnt add up about her sudden death.

Tammy and Chad Daybell were married in 1990. He is now accused of conspiring with Lori Vallow to kill her (Facebook)

Ms Gwilliam said that she saw Tammy about two weeks before her death and she did not look sick at all.

She then got a call from Mr Daybell telling her that her sister had died  claiming she died in her sleep after being very sick.

One month later, she said she was devastated to learn that Mr Daybell had married Ms Vallow just weeks after Tammys death on 5 November 2019

You dont get married four weeks after you just buried your wife of almost 30 years. You just dont do that, she said.

She told the court she confronted Mr Daybell about it and he told her his new wife was named Lori Ryan and that her husband had died recently too  from a heart attack.

He also told her that theres no children and theyre going to be empty nesters, she said.

In reality, Ms Vallows fourth husband Charles Vallow was shot dead by her brother Alex Cox in July 2019.

And Ms Vallow had two young children  JJ and Tylee  who vanished without a trace in September 2019. Their remains were found months later buried on the Daybell property.

Lori Vallow in court in Hawaii in 2020 (AP)

After doing her research about her sisters husbands new wife, Ms Gwilliam said that she learned about Vallows death and also noticed a comment on his obituary from JJs grandmother Kay Woodcock saying we will take care of JJ.

Thats when she realised that there was in fact children involved, she said.

Ms Gwilliam choked back emotion as she said she was suspicious about her sisters death.

[I felt] something had happened to her and I didnt even know why, she said.

I had no reason to suspect Chad. I had no reason to suspect anything but I do feel as a spiritual person myself that my sister was telling me something had happened to her.

Just 10 days before Tammy was murdered  on 9 October 2019  she had been shot at by a masked man on the driveway of her home.

The mother-of-five had returned from the grocery store and was unloading items when she noticed a man in all black, jurors heard.

The man fired two shots at her and then fled.

Ms Gwilliam recalled her sister saying she thought it might be a teenager at the time.

Jurors heard the 911 calls from the incident  one made by Tammy and one by her son-in-law Joseph Murray.

I pulled up into our driveway and I was getting stuff out of the backseat of my car. He had a paintball gun like he was going to shoot at me. I kept asking what he was doing and I yelled for my husband. He took off behind my housed, Tammy is heard telling the dispatcher.

The man in the driveway didnt say anything. He was holding the gun like he had a rifle and was shooting at me but nothing came out of the gun so I dont think it was loaded.

No shell casings or paintball evidence was ever found at the scene.

Just 10 days later, Tammy was dead.

Doomsday writer Mr Daybell and Tammy married in 1990 and had five children together. They also founded a publishing company together  the company that released his doomsday books.

But, in October 2018, Mr Daybell and Ms Vallow met at a religious conference in Utah. Prosecutors say this was both the start of their romance  and of a descent into extreme cult beliefs and murders.

In July 2019, Ms Vallows fourth husband Charles Vallow was shot dead by Cox in what he claimed at the time was self-defence.

Ms Vallow then moved JJ and Tylee from Arizona to Idaho, allegedly to be close to Mr Daybell, before they vanished without a trace in September.

Tylee Ryan and Joshua JJ Vallow (Family handout)

Tammy then died one month later and Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell married.

In June 2020, JJ and Tylees remains were discovered buried in Mr Daybells backyard.

JJ died by asphyxiation with multiple layers of plastic bags wrapped around the little boys head and duct tape over his mouth, jurors heard at trial. Tylees cause of death was impossible to determine because her remains were so badly burned and mutilated.

Prosecutors allege that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with Ms Vallows brother Alex Cox to murder Tammy, JJ and Tylee as part of their doomsday cult beliefs  but also for financial purposes so that they could collect Tammys life insurance money and the childrens social security and survivor benefits.

As part of their cult beliefs, the couple believed in a rating system of light and dark for how they ranked the spirits of the people around them.

Over time, this evolved into the belief that some people  including the children  were zombies and the only way to get rid of the zombies was for the human body to be destroyed.

Ms Vallow is now on trial charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the death of Tammy, and first-degree murder, conspiracy and grand theft in connection with the deaths of JJ and Tylee. She is also charged with related financial crimes.

Mr Daybell is also charged with the same counts  as well as a count of first-degree murder in the death of Tammy  but is due to stand trial separately at a later date.

Cox, meanwhile, died before he could face charges.

On 11 December 2019, Cox died suddenly at the age of 51. His death was also ruled natural causes, with indications of a blood clot wedged in the arteries of his lungs. However the overdose drug Narcan was also found in his system.

Ms Vallow is also facing charges in Arizona of conspiring with Cox to murder Vallow.
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Carolyn Bryant Donham, the white woman whose dubious allegations spurred the infamous 1955 killing of Black teenager Emmett Till, has died at age 88.

Donham, who had previously been diagnosed with cancer, was receiving hospice care in Louisiana. The Calcasieu Parish coroners office confirmed her death to Mississippi Today on 27 April.

Till was kidnapped, tortured, beaten and shot before his body was tied to a fan blade and weighed down in a river. Photos of his grieving family and mangled body at an open casket funeral helped galvanise the civil rights movement and shine a light on the viciousness of racist violence in the Jim Crow South.

Tills mother Mamie Till-Mobley, who died in 2003, was pictured in a defining image at the service. I wanted the world to see what they did to my boy, she said at the time.

Malik Z Shabazz, an attorney for the Till family, said Bryant, who accused Till of making lewd remarks and grabbing her around the waist in a grocery store in Money, Missippi, left behind a legacy of dishonesty and injustice.

Carolyn Bryants death brings a conclusion to a painful chapter for the Emmett Till family and for Black peoples in America, Mr Shabazz told Capital B News. The tragic part about Bryants death was that she was never held accountable for her role in the death of young Emmett Till, who is the martyr for the Civil Rights Movement.

The men who killed the 14-year-old Black boy, Donhams then-husband Roy Bryant and brother-in-law JW Milam, were acquitted by an all-white jury. They admitted to their crimes in a magazine interview a few months later. Both men have since died.

Donham was never convincted with any crime, nor was she ever charged. Subsequent investigations have shown inconsistencies in her explosive account of what hapened between her and Till.

A last chance at justice

Multiple local and federal investigations have re-examined the case.

Last August, a grand jury in Leflore County, Missippie, declined to indict her.

Recommended Emmett Till protesters spark lockdown at senior living facility in search of wrongful accuser

The long-running inquiry into the truth behind what happened to Emmett Till began a new chapter that June, when an unserved warrant charging Ms Donham along with Bryant and Milam was discovered in a county courthouse basement. After Tills murder, Donham was never taken into custody or charged with any crime in the decades that followed.

Following several hours of testimony from investigators and witnesses, a grand jury determined there was not enough evidence to indict Ms Donham on charges of kidnapping and manslaughter. The case marked one the final chances to amend the record on a historic crime thats been scrutinised for decades.

The murder of Emmett Till remains an unforgettable tragedy in this country and the thoughts and prayers of this nation continue to be with the family of Emmett Till, District Attorney Dewayne Richardson said in a statement.

The Rev Wheeler Parker Jr, Tills cousin and the last living witness to his abduction in 1955, said in a statement that the grand jurys decision was unfortunate, but predictable.

The prosecutor tried his best, and we appreciate his efforts, but he alone cannot undo hundreds of years of anti-Black systems that guaranteed those who killed Emmett Till would go unpunished, to this day, he said at the time.

The fact remains that the people who abducted, tortured, and murdered Emmett did so in plain sight, and our American justice system was and continues to be set up in such a way that they could not be brought to justice for their heinous crimes.

Federal investigators open  and close  two cases

It wasnt the first time officials re-examined the shocking killing.

In 2004, the US Department of Justice opened an investigation to potentially weigh state-level charges in the case, though a grand jury declined to issue any indictments in 2007, and federal prosecutors closed their inquiry.

A federal investigation reopened in 2018 following the publication of Timothy Tysons The Blood of Emmett Till. The author said Ms Donham told him in a 2008 interview that her trial testimony was false  though her family has denied that she ever recanted her testimony.

The Justice Department renewed its probe after Ms Donham also denied to the FBI that she ever recanted her testimony and provided no information beyond what was uncovered during the previous federal investigation, according to federal prosecutors.

Federal prosecutors closed the investigation a second time in December 2021, claiming to find no new evidence suggesting that either Ms Donham or any other living person was involved in Tills abduction and murder.

Even if such evidence could be developed, no federal hate crime laws existed in 1955, and the statute of limitations has run on the only civil rights statutes that were in effect at that time, the agency said in a statement.

As such, even if a living suspect could now be identified, a federal prosecution for Tills abduction and murder would not be possible, according to investigators.

The DoJ also concluded that Mr Tysons account of the recantation was filled with numerous inconsistencies.

Author Timothy Tyson holds a copy of his book on the lynching of Emmett Till, in which (AP)

The historian failed to keep reliable notes and tape transcripts of the confession, according to a review from the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting.

In March of 2022, the office of Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch also said investigators were unlikely to open another case.

This is a tragic and horrible crime, but the FBI, which has far greater resources than our office, has investigated this matter twice and determined that there is nothing more to prosecute, chief of staff Michelle Williams said in a statement.

But the discovery of the warrant for Ms Donhams arrest  which the Leflore County sheriff did not issue at the time because he did not want to bother her  amounted to new evidence, according to the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation.

Other questions about the reliability of her story have emerged.

At various points, in interviews with defence lawyers and later federal agents, the accuser gave conflicting accounts about when Till whistled, how he touched her, who she told about the alleged incident, and how or if she identified Till to her family members who later killed him.

Donham, according to an unpublished memoir viewed by the Associated Press, has also claimed that she did not recognise Till.

Witnesses to the incident say they never saw Till say or do anything inappropriate.

While I was in the store, Bobo did nothing inappropriate, Simeon Wright, Tills cousin, recounted in his 2010 memoir, using a family nickname for Till. Bobo didnt ask her for a date or call her baby. There was no lecherous conversation between them.

A new class of hate crime, a century in the making

The year before Till was killed, the US Supreme Court overturned the separate but equal doctrine in its landmark Brown v Board of Education case to end legal segregation. Cities and states across the US resisted the court with violence and in protracted legal battles that took decades to resolve, with their legacies imprinted in private schools that fought integration and in deteriorating public school systems nationwide.

More than 6,500 people, mostly Black Americans, were killed in racist attacks between 1865 and 1950. That time period encompassed the aftermath of the US Civil War and emancipation, white militia terror during Reconstruction, and the years surrounding the Civil Rights movement, according to the Equal Justice Initiative.

In the year after the Supreme Courts ruling in the Board case, several public acts of racist violence in Mississippi preceded Tills killing. The Rev George Lee  the first Black man to register to vote in Humphreys County in decades  was fatally shot for doing so. In Lincoln County, Lamar Smith was shot to death for telling people to register.

It took almost 100 years before such acts of racist violence would be recognised under federal law.

In 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act into law, making lynching a federal hate crime.

The law designates lynching as a crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison. It passed the House of Representatives on 7 March by a vote of 433-7 and cleared the US Senate by unanimous consent.
 Close Utah chief medical examiner: Tammy Daybell was bruised and asphyxiated

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Week five of doomsday cult mom Lori Vallows trial is underway in Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, where the mother-of-three is accused of killing her two youngest children and her new husband Chad Daybells first wife.

The 49-year-old is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and grand theft over the deaths of her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, son Joshua JJ Vallow, 7, and Mr Daybells wife Tammy, 49.

Tylee and JJ were last seen alive in September 2019. In June 2020, their remains were found buried on the Daybell property. Tammy died one month after their disappearance in October 2019.

On Monday, jurors heard more details about Tammys sudden death  which was first ruled natural causes before her body was exhumed and her cause of death was ruled asphyxiation.

Utahs chief medical examiner Dr Erik Christensen testified that the autopsy found bruises on her body which were consistent with her being restrained before her murder.

Jurors also heard how Ms Vallows hair was found on duct tape which was used to wrap a plastic bag around her little boy JJs head, suffocating him.
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A manhunt is under way to find the final two fugitives still on the run after four inmates staged a dramatic jail break in Mississippi this week.

The group of inmates escaped from the Raymond Detention Center over the weekend, with guards only discovering the prisoners were missing during an early morning headcount.

One of the escaped fugitives died in a house fire on Wednesday after killing a Good Samaritan pastor who had stopped to help him and shooting a police officer.

A second was captured in Texas on Thursday.

Now, as of Friday morning, two of the escaped inmates are still at large  almost one week on from their escape.

Here is what we know so far about the saga:

How the prison break unfolded

Four inmates  Jerry Raynes, 51, Casey Grayson, 24, Corey Harrison, 22, and Dylan Arrington, escaped from the troubled Raymond Detention Center over the weekend.

Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said in a press conference on Monday that two breaches had been found inside the jail  one inside a cell and the other in the roof.

The four escapees are believed to have managed to climb onto the roof at around 8.30pm on Saturday night and camped up there, before leaving the facility at different times.

The jail break was discovered at around 12.30am on Sunday morning during a routine head count and the facility was instantly plunged into lockdown.

The escaped inmates used a number of stolen vehicles in their getaways.

From left: Jerry Raynes, Casey Grayson, Corey Harrison and Dylan Arrington (Hinds County Sheriffs Office )

Authorities said that a truck  a red Chevy Silverado  was stolen from close to the jail at around 2.30am on Sunday morning with a witness spotting two men inside the vehicle. Investigators believe this is connected to the jail break.

Another vehicle  a Hinds County Public Works vehicle  was found abandoned in Spring Valley Village, Texas, after at least one of the fugitives is believed to have used it in his escape.

A red Dodge Ram 1500 truck was also stolen when Arrington allegedly shot pastor Anthony Watts dead and made off in his vehicle.

A manhunt was launched to track down the four fugitives.

Who are the suspects on the run?

The suspects were identified as Dylan Arrington, 22, Casey Grayson, 24, Corey Harrison, 22, and Jerry Raynes, 51, who were in prison on various charges.

Dylan Arrington is suspected of murder and was charged with auto theft and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to KTRK.

Corey Harrison was charged with receiving stolen property.

Casey Grayson was charged with grand larceny and sale of a controlled substance, and Jerry Raynes was charged with auto theft and burglary of a business.

Pastors murder and fugitives house fire death

Arrington allegedly shot and killed 61-year-old pastor Anthony Watts on Monday night after the victim pulled over to help him, when he wrecked a motorcycle he had previously stolen.

Arrington then allegedly stole Watts Dodge Ram and fled the scene.

Close friends of Watts  who was the lead pastor at St Mary Missionary Baptist Church in DLo, Mississippi  paid tribute to him as someone who always wanted to look out for others.

That was the type of person he was. He always wanted to help. Always wanted to know what he can do whatever the circumstance may be, Karen Fairley told WAPT.

St Mary Missionary Baptist Churchs Pastor Anthony Watts (St Mary Missionary Baptist Church)

He always told you he loved you and his spirit was so sincere, so kind, and so loving to just everyone he came in contact with.

She said she can understand why he stopped to help the escaped inmate as that was who he was.

The action that happened, we could understand why he did it, because that was just in his nature, said Ms Fairley, whose father is an associate minister at the church.

Following the pastors murder, officers then tracked Arrington down to a home in Leake County on Wednesday morning.

In a video update, Leake County Sheriff Randy Atkinson outlined what happened during the encounter.

The sheriff said that officers went to a home where they believed the suspect had been at around 7am that morning.

When they arrived, the homeowner was home and they spoke with him briefly.

The homeowner then entered the residence before running out and saying the suspect was in the house.

Arrington then started shooting at the officers from inside the home, with a bullet striking an officer in the leg, said the sheriff.

More units responded to the address and the suspect allegedly continued to fire on them.

The sheriff said that the home then went up in flames.

Arrington fired at police, wounding one investigator, after being cornered (Jackson Police Department)

Arringtons body was later confirmed to be found inside.

I have never seen a situation where a structure was engulfed in flames and an individual inside of the structure started firing shots at law enforcement on the exterior, Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones told WAPT.

This individual had violence on his mind and I will say that I believe that he did not intend to leave here alive today.

The wounded officer  Leake County Investigator Jerry Horn  was released from hospital on Thursday.

He was welcomed home with a police motorcade.

The manhunt

Surveillance footage captured Raynes at a service station in Spring Valley, Texas, at around 11am on Sunday morning.

A stolen Hinds County maintenance truck was also recovered in Spring Valley on Sunday.

Officials suspected that he was headed for the US border.

On Thursday, Raynes was taken into custody in Spring Valley View, in Northwest Harris County on Thursday.

Hinds County Sheriffs Office said that he was taken for evaluation at Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital before being extradited to Mississippi.

Escapee Jerry Raynes is in custody in Spring Valley, TX. USMFTF, Harris County Sheriffs Office and Spring Valley PD assisted with the capture. Raynes will be held facing extradition back to MS. Investigation is still ongoing, HCSO tweeted.

Raynes spotted at service station in Spring Valley, Texas (HCSO)

The other two inmates were still at large on Friday morning.

Investigation and new charges pending

The Hinds County Sheriffs Office is now conducting an administrative and criminal investigation into the escape, Sheriff Jones said.

Raymond Detention Center had a chequered past long before four inmates escaped over the weekend.

Last summer, deficiencies in supervision and staffing, and a stunning array of assaults, as well as deaths prompted a judge to order a takeover of the detention centre, according to the Associated Press.

Seven people died last year while detained at the jail, according to US District Judge Carlton Reeves said. Judge Reeves wrote in his ruling that cell doors did not lock and a lack of lighting in cells made life miserable for the detainees who live there and prevents guards from adequately surveilling detainees.

Jerry Raynes following his recapture (HCSO)

He also said guards sometimes slept instead of monitoring the cameras in the control room.

But before an appointed receiver was scheduled to assume control over the jail this year, a court of appeals halted the lower courts order until it ruled on the countys motion for reconsideration.

Meanwhile, the escaped inmates will face additional charges of escape and also possibly auto theft.
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The mother of an abducted one-year-old girl in Indiana told police that her boyfriend killed the child and hid her body in a dresser in an abandoned home, according to a new report.

Madison Marshall, the child's mother, is facing new felony charges, including two counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in death. That is a Level 1 felony. She has also been charged with a Level 3 felony, neglect resulting in serious injury, according to Fox 59.

Her boyfriend, Roan Waters, is facing a single count of murder along with two counts of neglect leading to death, as well as other charges.

Ryan Mears, the Marion County prosecutor, said the girl, Oaklee Snow, was abused and ultimately murdered by the people who should have loved her the most.

Her time on this earth was very much defined by adults abusing her and the allegation here is that abuse eventually led to her death, he said.

Oaklee and her baby brother were abducted from her father's home on 19 January. Ms Marshall and Mr Waters are the alleged abductors.

The baby boy was ultimately recovered after the couple allegedly abandoned him in a drug house in Indianapolis and reported his abandonment to Child Protective Services.

Court documents cite a witness who saw the couple leaving the drug house, saying they saw "what looked like a child wrapped in a blanket." The witness said the child was not moving, talking, or crying when they saw the couple.

Fox 59 obtained recently released charging documents, which say Ms Marshall, "hysterical and sobbing," led police to the abandoned home outside Morgantown, Indiana, where they allegedly hid Oaklee's body.

The Morgan County Coroner is examining the remains, which were severely decomposed when police arrived. A positive match between the remains and Oaklee is pending, and will likely take several weeks.

This child was the victim of abuse over the course of multiple days, Mr Mears said. This was not an isolated incident. The Probable Cause affidavit indicates that there was abuse that took place in Oklahoma, Colorado and Indianapolis. This child suffered for a very significant period of time and on Feb. 9 the culmination of that abuse led to Oaklee tragically losing her life.

Madison Marshall, 22, was arrested in connection to the death of her 1-year-old daughter, Oaklee Snow, in Indiana (Marion County Jail)

Roan Waters, 25, was arrested in Colorado and has been charged with the murder of his girlfriends daughter, one-year-old Oaklee Snow (Arapahoe County Sheriffs Department)

That abuse included instances in which Mr Waters allegedly would "choke her out" and beat her for things like "holding a fork wrong," Ms Marshall reportedly told investigators.

She claimed the abuse was so frequent and brutal that the child would not eat when Mr Waters was present. Ms Marshall said when she tried to intervene Mr Waters would allegedly beat her.

The girl ultimately died less than a month after her disappearance, on 9 February, according to court documents.

Ms Marshall said Mr Waters, who was woken up by the girl's crying because she was hungry, allegedly threw the girl to the ground, causing her head to hit the floor of the drug house where they were staying. Sometime later Ms Marshall found Mr Waters holding the girl, who was struggling to breathe.

She told investigators she attempted to call 911, but that Mr Waters allegedly knocked the phone from her hand. That's when the couple reportedly wrapped Oaklee in a blanket and drove to the abandoned house to hide her body.

Ms Marshall was taken into custody and is being held in the Marion County Jail on a $200,000 bond.

The couple reportedly fled to Colorado after Oaklee's death, according to a witness statement to police. Ms Marshall reportedly returned to Indiana and then continued onward to North Carolina, where she was arrested and returned to Marion County last month.

Mr Waters was arrested on 3 March in Colorado after police were called to a hotel where he was staying and discovered he had outstanding warrants for child abuse, domestic assault, and battery in the presence of a minor in Oklahoma.
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Ever since authorities began searching for Lori Vallows children in late 2019, the case of the doomsday cult mom has captivated  and horrified  the nation.

Four people close to Ms Vallow and her husband Chad Daybell have been murdered.

Others are also now mysteriously dead.

And beliefs about zombies, dark spirits and the apocalypse have come to light.

The bizarre and tragic case is now playing out in a courtroom in Boise, Idaho, where Ms Vallow is charged with the murders of her children Joshua JJ Vallow, seven; Tylee Ryan, 16; and conspiracy to murder Mr Daybells first wife Tammy Daybell.

JJ and Tylee vanished without a trace back in September 2019, with their mother refusing to reveal their whereabouts to authorities for many months.

One month after they were last seen alive, Tammy  an otherwise healthy 49-year-old  died suddenly. Her cause of death has since been ruled asphyxiation.

Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell soon jetted off to Hawaii to get married on the beach.

In June 2020, the remains of JJ and Tylee were found buried on the grounds of Mr Daybells property in Rexburg, Idaho, and the doomsday cult couple were eventually charged with murder.

Prosecutors allege that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with Ms Vallows brother Alex Cox to murder Tammy, JJ and Tylee as part of their bizarre cult beliefs  but also for financial purposes so that they could collect Tammys life insurance money and the childrens social security and survivor benefits.

New harrowing and bizarre details about the cult beliefs which allegedly drove  or excused  the 49-year-old to kill continue to come to light during her murder trial in Ada County Courthouse.

But, beyond the trial testimony, theres also been some bizarre happenings taking place inside the courtroom.

Lori Vallow falls asleep

During a harrowing day of testimony on 11 April, the woman on trial for murder raised eyebrows when she appeared to fall asleep in the middle of proceedings.

That day, the court heard harrowing testimony about the state of JJ and Tylees remains when they were found buried on Mr Daybells property.

While jurors gasped and the victims families sobbed, Ms Vallow asked to waive her right to be present in the courtroom, citing her mental state.

The judge denied the request and Ms Vallow had to attend the remainder of the day  where jurors were shown graphic images of the childrens remains.

She appeared to try to avoid looking at the photos, casting her head down most of the time, reporters in the courtroom said.

Then  at one point  she appeared to fall asleep.

Gigi McKelvey, a Law & Crime journalist, told NewsNation that Ms Vallow seemed to be asleep for a solid 30 minutes.

She speculated that Ms Vallow may have been medicated after her apparent distress over the harrowing testimony.

Lori Vallows three words to her surviving son

Mother-of-three Ms Vallow was spotted mouthing three words to her only surviving son as he took the witness stand to testify against her at her murder trial.

Colby Ryan, 27, testified about his sister Tylee and brother JJ and how his mother had lied to him about their whereabouts.

Jurors heard a phone call where Mr Ryan confronted his mother about killing his siblings and posing as Tylee on her cellphone.

When he took the stand, Ms Vallow was seen mouthing oh my baby to her son.

Confiscated phones and noise complaints

On multiple occasions, the court bailiff has aired issues with noises  from reporters typing too loudly to spectators rustling candy wrappers.

On 13 April, at least three people had their phones confiscated, including one for an alarm sounding, reported The New York Posts Stephanie Pagones.

She revealed that members of the media had also been told off for typing too loudly in the courtroom.

On 20 April, East Idaho News reporter Nate Eaton tweeted that the bailiff reminded everyone about courtroom conduct including saving any whispering for breaks and to minimize candy wrapper crinkling.

If you have a Lifesaver fetish, please open your candy now, the bailiff said.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili held a meeting with Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau at the Orbeliani Palace, during which they discussed the current progress of Georgia's accession to the European Union and the significant role of Poland's unwavering support in this process, according to the President's administration.The President of Georgia emphasized that the country's European integration is a top priority and a resolute decision made by the Georgian people. She expressed her gratitude to Poland for its constant support towards Georgia's European integration, which also holds significant geopolitical significance for Europe.The administration reported that the discussion between the two officials included topics such as the security challenges in the region, the significance of enhancing Black Sea security, and the current conflicts in Ukraine and the occupied territories of Georgia.The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland is on an official visit to Georgia. His visit to the country will last until April 28.20 Georgian citizens who were evacuated from Sudan returned to Tbilisi via Geosky Airline, describing the situation in Sudan as difficult and unbearable.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia reportedly assisted in the evacuation of the 20 Georgian citizens from Sudan, but the ministry hasn't officially confirmed that the intelligence department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine was involved.An airline employee recounted their harrowing experience of being surrounded by rebels for 10 days in a dangerous area, enduring continuous shooting and shelling, limited access to water, and having to travel 2,500 kilometers in the desert. "It was just hell," the employee stated, adding that women and children were among those running for safety."For 10 days we were surrounded by the rebels, I don't know what to call it. The conditions were really unbearable, shooting all around, shelling every morning, every hour. It was just hell, people were running, children, women, there was very little water available. In total, we traveled 2,500 kilometers in the desert," said one of the employees of the airline.
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A flood of reporting in the aftermath of Tucker Carlsons abrupt exit from Fox News suggested that allegations outlined in lawsuits from Dominion Voting Systems and a former producer who worked for his most-watched programme likely played a role in a decision to part ways with the host, as the network described it.

Now, speculation about the future of other Fox stars has been growing among pundits and media reporters after his apparent firing and the massive $787m settlement with Dominion, announced after a jury was already sworn in for what would have been a blockbuster trial against the right-wing media behemoth.

If that litigation played a role in Carlsons exit from Fox News, analysts and pundits are left questioning how other figures who were central to the Dominion case have thus far avoided similar fates. The Daily Beast flatly asked in its headline, How Does Maria Bartiromo Still Work at Fox News?

Former Fox host Megyn Kelly said on her radio programme that Carlsons firing is a massive misjudgment of what their audience wants.

If  this is a reaction to the Dominion lawsuit, why is Maria Bartiromo there? Why is Jeanine Pirro still there? Why is Suzanne Scott still there? she said.

Bartiromo and Pirro were key boosters of Donald Trumps false claims about the 2020 presidential election and Dominion; filings in the case showed that Pirro planned an opening monologue full of baseless statements about the company, called rife with conspiracy theories and BS and another example why this woman should never be on live television by another Fox producer, according to court documents.

Fox also removed Pirro from airwaves after the election because leadership did not believe she could be honest about the outcome, according to Dominions filings.

Bartiromo is also among defendants in a separate defamation lawsuit from voting technology company Smartmatic, and she is captured on recordings made by Abby Grossberg, a former producer on programmes hosted by Bartiromo and Carlson.

Recordings include off-air conversations with Rudy Giuliani, who admitted knowing very little about Dominion and had difficulty defending false claims that the company was involved with election fraud.

Another recording includes a conversation between Bartiromo and Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who outlines a scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Media reporter Brian Stelter, the author of Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth and upcoming Network of Lies, told The Daily Beast that be believes other personalities will be leaving in the months to come, adding that he fallout from the Dominion case is far from over.

Reharding the Smartmatic case, we will be ready to defend this case surrounding extremely newsworthy events when it goes to trial, likely in 2025, according to a statement from a Fox spokesperson to The Independent. As a report prepared by our financial expert shows, Smartmatics damages claims are implausible, disconnected from reality, and on its face intended to chill First Amendment freedoms.

Not just Tucker: Other Fox figures were removed from the network

In depositions in the Dominion case, News Corporation chair Rupert Murdoch acknowledged that hosts on his network  Bartiromo, Pirro and Lou Dobbs  elevated those election lies.

Dobbs, who uncritically gave election conspiracy theorists Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani a platform on his Fox programme, was removed from the network in February 2021.

Dominions filings reveal Fox leadership, producers and on-air personalities privately debunking election lies and ridiculing conspiracy theorists and the Fox hosts who gave them airtime. Dobbs ran several segments devoted to them.

He aired a segment based on a provably false tweet from then-President Trump about votes being switched to Joe Biden, prompting Fox Business News President Lauren Petterson to say in an email: Jesus Christ. Does anyone do a f***ing simple Google search or read emails?

Tony Fratto, a former deputy White House press secretary under George W Bush and a communications consultant to Dominion, wrote directly to Fox executives on 16 November, 2020, warning that the networks promotion of election lies is crossing dangerous lines.

That same night, he forwarded part of a transcript from Dobbs broadcast to Fox News president Jay Wallace.

More f****ing lies, he wrote. Honestly. He is a disgrace.

Earlier this month, Dobbs and Fox News also settled a separate defamation lawsuit over false claims that a Venezuelan businessman helped execute an electoral 9-11 and a cyber Pearl Harbor, as Dobbs wrote on Twitter.

Justin Wells  a now-former producer on Tucker Carlson Tonight  was also fired along with Carlson this week.

Wells was mentioned throughout a lawsuit from Abby Grossberg, a former producer at Tucker Carlson Tonight who was fired after filing her complaint against the company and Carlson himself.

Ms Grossbergs lawsuit, filed in US District Court in New York last month, alleges that Carlsons derogatory comments towards women, and his disdain for those who dare to object to such misogyny, is well known on the set of his Tucker Carlson Tonight.

The claims in her lawsuit allege a much larger state of toxic dysfunction, workplace harassment, retaliation and casual bigotry at the programme and inside Fox News.

A statement from Fox News to The Independent following her lawsuit said the company engaged an independent outside counsel to immediately investigate the concerns raised by Ms Grossberg, which were made following a critical performance review.

Abby Grossbergs allegations in connection with the Dominion case are baseless and she had no bearing on the settlement, the statement added. We will vigorously defend Fox against all of her unmeritorious legal claims, which are riddled with false allegations against the network and our employees.

Media reports in the wake of Carlsons exit from the network have also pointed to vulgar messages aimed at other Fox News employees that were redacted in court filings, which attorneys for Dominion allegedly sought to use in their questioning against Carlson on the witness stand, in the event that the defamation case actually went to trial.

Dominions filings show Carlson privately insulting guests on the network who advanced false claims about the company, including Donald Trump, while providing a massive platform for spurious attempts to overturn election results.

In one message, Carlson calls Powell a f****** b****.

Last year, when she sat for a deposition in the Dominion lawsuit, a lawyer for Dominion showed Ms Grossberg the message. When asked how she felt about that language or if she heard that language from Carlson, Ms Grossberg said she had only just started working for his programme and declined to speculate how she would react, according to her complaint.

The day after her deposition, on 14 September, 2022, an email was sent to the Tucker Carlson Tonight staff in recognition of Abby Day for defending the host.

Wells later confirmed that he was the person who received Carlsons message, according to her complaint.

The Independent has requested comment from Ms Grossbergs legal team.
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Three US army helicopter pilots died in Alaska after two Apaches collided and crashed while returning from a training mission.

Another soldier was injured in the incident, the US army said.

The AH-64 Apache helicopters from Fort Wainwright crashed near Healy, Alaska, the 11th Airborne Division said on Facebook.

Two of the soldiers died at the scene of the crash and the third died on the way to a hospital in Fairbanks, the Army said in a statement. The fourth soldier was being treated at a hospital for injuries, said the army as it withheld their identities till the families were notified.

Each helicopter was carrying two people at the time of the crash, John Pennell, a spokesperson for the US Army Alaska said earlier Thursday. The helicopters were from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright, based near Fairbanks.

"This is an incredible loss for these soldiers families, their fellow soldiers, and for the division," Major General Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, said in the statement. "Our hearts and prayers go out to their families, friends and loved ones, and we are making the full resources of the Army available to support them."

The Army said the cause of the crash was under investigation and more details would be released when they become available.

The crash is the second accident involving military helicopters in Alaska this year.

In February, two soldiers were injured when an Apache helicopter rolled after taking off from Talkeetna. The aircraft was one of four traveling to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage from Fort Wainwright.

In March, nine soldiers were killed when two US Army Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed during a routine nighttime training exercise about 48km northeast of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

About 300 National Guard helicopters have crashed between 2012 and 2021, during noncombat flights, reported the New York Times, citing a report from US government accountability office.

Additional reporting from the wires
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The Australian man who fell overboard while on a Royal Caribbean cruise has been identified, according to Australian news outlets.

The man has been identified as 35-year-old Warwick Tollemache.

Mr Tollemache, from Brisbane, fell from the 15th deck while aboard the Quantum of the Seas cruise ship on 26 April. Search and rescue efforts went underway immediately in collaboration with the US Coast Guard to find Mr Tollemache.

But by Friday, the search was called off.

Our family is heartbroken at the loss of our beloved Warwick, Mr Tollemaches family said in a statement, as reported by 9 News Queensland.

They added: He was a kind, beautiful, and gentle soul who was adored by everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed.

Officials involved in the search consulted with Mr Tollemaches family before calling off the search, per 9 News Queensland.

The tragic incident occurred approximately 500 nautical miles south of Kailua Kona, Big Island, Hawaii, on Wednesday evening.

The ship, which departed from Brisbane on 12 April was expected to arrive in Honolulu, Hawaii, today, 28 April.

In a statement provided to The Independent, Royal Caribbean International said: The ships crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation and is working closely with local authorities.

Crew aboard the Quantum of the Seas contacted the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu for assistance. The cruise ship remained at the scene for approximately two hours before handing over the search to the US Coast Guard.

Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point C-130 Hercules sent crew to search for the man for six hours, according to a press release from the Coast Guard.

It is unclear how Mr Tollemache fell overboard. Royal Caribbean said. Out of respect for the family, the organization did not want to share further information about the event.
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Pope Francis plans to outline his vision for the future of Europe during a three-day visit to Hungary starting Friday, with Russias war in Ukraine, migration flows and Hungarys tense relations with Brussels looming large over the pontiffs weekend journey.

Hungarian officials say Francis pilgrimage was designed primarily to let the pope minister to the countrys Catholic community and to encourage its members in their faith. But with the war unfolding next door and Hungary butting heads with other European Union nations over rule of law issues and LGBTQ+ rights, Francis words and deeds in the heart of Europe will carry strong political undertones.

After his arrival, Francis is scheduled to meet with President Katalin Novak and Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and then to deliver his main political speech to Hungarian authorities and diplomats. He has a chance to speak to Hungarian society and Europe at large in his final event Sunday, when hell address academic and cultural figures at Budapests Catholic University.

In between, Francis is set to meet with some of the 35,000 Ukrainian refugees who have remained in Hungary after 2.5 million fled across Ukraine's border with Hungary's early on in Russias invasion. It will be another opportunity for Francis to raise immigration as a topic and and to reiterate his belief that European countries should, within their means, open their arms and borders to people fleeing poverty as well as conflicts.

Orbans hard line on migration is well known. In 2015-2016, Hungary built a razor wire fence on its border with Serbia to stop people from entering. However, Francis has expressed appreciation for Hungarys recent welcome of Ukrainian refugees.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Francis would use his time in the heart of Europe to look to the continent's future.

Its difficult to not think about the European Union and all of Europe, Bruni said of the trip. He noted that the passion for Europe had perhaps faded over the years and that Francis aimed to revive the Europe of peoples, with its own history and responsibility in the commitment to global peace.

For the 86-year-old pontiff, the visit will once again test his frail health after he spent four days in the hospital last month with bronchitis. While Hungarian officials had hoped Francis would travel around the country, the Vatican opted to keep him in Budapest, where he spent seven hours in 2021 to close out a church congress.

The visit comes as the European Union's parliament continues to put pressure on Hungary to counter what EU lawmakers consider a deterioration in the rule of law and democratic principles under Orban's government, including rolling back the rights of LGBTQ+ people.

The four biggest groups in the European Parliament have called on the EU's executive commission to withhold pandemic recovery funds for Hungary until liberal democracy principles are met.

The European Commission has accused Orban for years of dismantling democratic institutions, taking control of the media and infringing on minority rights, allegations the prime minister has denied.

Hungarys Constitution, approved unilaterally by Orbans right-wing populist Fidesz party in 2011, outlaws same-sex marriage, and the government has prohibited same-sex couples from adopting children. The government has also outlawed the depiction of homosexuality or divergent gender identities to minors in media content.

Catholic doctrine also prohibits same-sex marriages, but Francis has backed legal protections for people in same-sex unions. He has long ministered to gay and transgender Catholics, while blasting gender ideology as an alleged form of the West's ideological colonization of the developing world.

Francis is unlikely to wade directly into Hungary's democracy and LGBTQ+ rights debate and instead speak in general terms about the lofty, democratic goals that decades ago inspired the forming of what would become the European Union.

Hungarys ambassador to the Holy See, Eduard Habsburg, said he thinks Hungary is actually upholding Europes founding ideals better than many of its EU partners.

Hungary has stayed true to the values that have always been the values of the European Union, which is family, faith, Christian, Judeo-Christian roots, sovereignty and all these things, Habsburg said. And you sometimes have the idea that  some of these have been lost in the western parts of Europe.

With Francis traveling closer to Ukraine than at any time since Russia invaded Ukraine, the war will also be front and center during his visit. He plans to visit a Greek Catholic church that delivered aid to Ukrainian refugees.

Francis, who met with Ukraines prime minister on the eve of the trip at the Vatican, is likely to repeat his call for a peaceful resolution of the war and to express solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

Orban has called for a cease-fire but been lukewarm in his support of Ukraine, refusing to supply Kyiv with weapons and threatening to veto EU sanctions against Moscow while maintaining Hungarys strong dependence on Russian energy.

While there was speculation that Francis might meet with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill while in Budapest, no such meeting is planned, according to the Rev. Csaba Torok, the parochial administrator for the Cathedral of Esztergom and coordinator of Catholic programming on state media.

Francis held an unprecedented meeting with Kirill in 2016 and had hoped to pursue a second encounter, but Kirills support for Russias invasion put the plans on indefinite hold. ___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

___

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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Republican senators have laid down clear lines for Democrats when it comes to Senator Dianne Feinsteins continued absence from the Senate. They will only replace her on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and therefore allow Democrats to continue their work confirming judicial nominees, if she resigns from the upper chamber of Congress.

Whatever the normal process has been in the past, wed follow in the future, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told The Independent earlier this week.

Ms Feinstein has been away from the Senate since March, when she was hospitaliseed with shingles. At 89, Ms Feinstein is the senior most Democratic senator and the bodys oldest member. But her absence comes at a crucial time for Senate Democrats; as Republicans control the House of Representatives, Democrats have prioritised confirming judicial nominees, who only require Senate support.

The absence also comes as Democrats seek to probe Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas for his relationship with Republican megadonor Harlan Crow after a series of stories in ProPublica. Last week, Chief Justice John Roberts rebuffed a request to testify before the Judiciary Committee.

That creates a predicament for Democrats, who only hold 51 of the Senates 100 seats. That means without Ms Feinsteins presence, they cannot force subpoenas and can only confirm judges with bipartisan support.

Ms Feinstein had requested earlier this month that she be temporarily replaced as she continues to recover. Senate Democrats, led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, put forth Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland, but Republicans, led by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, rebuffed the request.

Senator Chuck Grassley, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he would be open to replacing Ms Feinstein on the committee if she would resign altogether.

Chuck Grassley (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The dispute is when they were asking her to give up the seat temporarily, to get a whole bunch of people they can't get out of committee ... when there's plenty of bipartisan support for other judges we ought to be working on when we get out, not playing some fancy game to move something that doesn't have bipartisan support, he told The Independent.

Like Ms Feintein, Mr Grassley is in his late 80s and Ms Feinstein was previously the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee when he last served as chairman during Donald Trumps presidency, when Republicans held a Senate majority. Mr Grassley said he took umbrage with calls for Ms Feinstein to resign.

That's very anti-woman, it's very anti-aging and they should just let her leave her alone, he said.

Mr Cardin, for his part, seemed resigned to letting Ms Feinstein return.

Senator Ben Cardin. (Getty)

Well, not I'm hoping that Senator Feinstein will be returning shortly, he told The Independent. At this moment, the discussions are with Senator Schumer, Senator McConnell.

Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, another member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, echoed the sentiment.

If she retires, we're back to a posture in the past that follows precedent and I think that precedent has been to seat to another member, he told The Independent.

Senator Feinstein decides to retire, you come see me and we'll talk about, but I don't think Senator Feinstein is going to do that, Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, a Republican member of the Judiciary Committee, told The Independent. And I think the way that she is being treated is an abomination.

But Democrats insist that their colleague will return soon. Senator Alex Padilla, Californias junior senator, said Republican attempts to halt a temporary replacement were disappointing.

Senator Dianne Feinstein. (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

But clearly the best way forward for Senator Feinstein to return, he told The Independent. I know she's eager to visit her doctor to get permission to travel.

Ms Feinstein announced earlier this year that she would not seek re-election. But she has faced numerous questions about whether her mental accuity has declined in recent years. Ahead of Mr Biden assuming the presidency, she gave up her spot as the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin assumed.

She also did not assume the role of Senate President Pro Tempore earlier this year, which is usually reserved for the senior most senator of the majority party. Senator Patty Murray of Washington State assumed it instead.

Her continued absence also comes as Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who was out of the Senate for six weeks to undergo treatment for depression, has returned.

While some Democrats like Representative Ro Khanna of California have called for her resignation, senators are often reluctant to call on another to resign, especially if they share a party.

Let's take it one step at a time, Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, who announced her retirement earlier this year, told The Independent. I know shes anxious to come back. Shes just waiting for the doctors OK.

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts criticised Republican efforts to prevent a temporary replacement.

It's outrageous that the Republicans are playing politics with a woman who has served this Senate honorably for decades. She's asked for an opportunity to step away from the committee temporarily and let someone else take her place, she told The Independent. And the Republicans are saying no, for no reason, other than trying to block the court from going forward in its investigation of the Supreme Court and pass more judges, which is the right of the majority to do.

But Ms Feinsteins continued absence is also having an impact far beyond just judicial nominations. On Wednesday, the Senate rolled back the Biden administrations proposed rule that would have put emission restrictions on trucks. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia joined every Republican, which allowed it to pass because of Ms Feinsteins absence.
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Donald Trump is again threatening to skip a presidential debate.

The Republican former president has privately said that a debate in August would be too early and he would not participate, according to two people familiar with his concerns who insisted on anonymity to detail private discussions. He also has stepped up his public complaints this week, suggesting that his poll numbers are so high he has no reason to compete with the rest of the field.

I see that everybody is talking about the Republican Debates, but nobody got my approval, or the approval of the Trump Campaign, before announcing them, Trump said in a Tuesday post on his social media network.

Trump repeated the idea at at campaign event in New Hampshire on Thursday afternoon, showing a slideshow of his recent poll numbers among the GOP contenders and saying of the debates, Why would you do that?

The emerging spat is a preview of the potential tension that could lie ahead as the Republican National Committee works to oversee an open, competitive primary process while Trump aims to establish himself as the undisputed leader of the party who doesn't need to engage in such traditions. It's an echo of his previous campaigns when he often dangled the potential of skipping debates  and sometimes followed through with the threat. In the process, he kept the spotlight on himself and turned the GOP establishment and the news media into a foil that resonated with the party base.

For now, the RNC is moving forward with the debate, which is slated to be held in Milwaukee and broadcast on Fox News, a network that has an up-and-down relationship with Trump. In a Wednesday interview on Fox, RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel was asked about Trumps publics complaints regarding the RNCs debate plans and whether she had spoken to him about his concerns.

I talk to President Trump all the time, McDaniel said. Weve talked to all the potential candidates. Weve let them know the schedule. Weve announced the debates.

But every campaign and every candidate is going to have to make a decision, she continued. Hes going to have to make that decision. I think hell do it.

Trump, whose political arc has been defined by unprecedented behavior and shunning norms he disagrees with, has skipped debates before. In 2016, Trump didn't attend the final GOP presidential debate before the Iowa caucuses and held his own campaign event instead. In 2020, Trump pulled out of the second general election debate against Joe Biden after the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates sought to make it a virtual event because of the coronavirus pandemic. Trump had recently tested positive for COVID-19.

Each time Trump skipped a debate, he participated in another event that aimed to draw away viewing audiences, a playbook he would likely follow again this year.

When youre leading by seemingly insurmountable numbers, and you have hostile Networks with angry, TRUMP & MAGA hating anchors asking the questions, why subject yourself to being libeled and abused? he wrote on his social media platform this week.

While many Fox News hosts have boosted Trump over the years, the network drew the ire of him and his supporters when in 2020 it accurately called Biden, a Democrat, as the winner of the race in Arizona, an early sign that Trump would go on to lose the election. The network began focusing less on the former president in 2022 and didnt carry his full speech in November announcing he was once again running for the White House. In what was deemed a soft ban by the network, Fox News had no on-air interviews with Trump from late September 2022 until late March 2023.

Private text messages revealed as part of an elections technology companys defamation lawsuit against Fox showed host Tucker Carlson, who was let go on Monday, disparaging Trump. The relationship appeared to improve, at least publicly, as Carlson interviewed Trump earlier this month. Trump told the conservative outlet Newsmax this week that he was shocked by Carlson's departure.

In an interview Wednesday with WABC radio in New York, Trump said many people ask him why hed do a debate when Republican primary polls show him with a massive lead over his nearest potential challenger, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

People dont debate when they have these massive leads, he said.

Trump has also complained about the choice of venue for the second debate, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. Though the library has hosted Republican presidential debates before, including a 2015 debate that Trump participated in, the former president is complaining that Fred Ryan, the publisher and CEO of the Washington Post, is the chairman of the foundations board of trustees.

The RNC is currently considering whether to require debate participants to meet new thresholds showing broad support among donors and in polling to make the stage, along with signing a pledge to support the GOPs presidential nominee.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who formally launched his campaign on Wednesday and has called for Trump to exit the race to address his legal problems, has said he has concerns about a loyalty pledge and is discussing it with the RNC.

GOP debate participants may also be asked to sign a pledge to avoid participating in any general election debate hosted by the Commission for Presidential Debates, which has hosted general election debates for more than three decades but which Republicans have viewed as biased against them.

Trump has hinted he may ignore that pledge as well, saying in his radio interview Wednesday that when it comes to a general election debate, You have, really, an obligation to do that.

___

Follow the AP's coverage of former President Donald Trump at https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump.
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Former President Donald Trump announced at a campaign event on Thursday that he is retiring the Crooked nickname for Hillary Clinton and will instead be using it going forward for President Joe Biden.

I will be retiring the name Crooked from Hillary Clinton and her moniker, and Im going to give her a new name, I dont know, like maybe Lovely Hillary or Beautiful Hillary, but Im going to retire the name Crooked because he will be known from now on as Crooked Joe Biden, Mr Trump said.

The watching crowd cheered and whistled. Mr Trump then speculated that Ms Clinton would be celebrating the announcement. He then launched a sizeable accusation at Mr Biden, the candidate who beat him handily in both the popular vote and the Electoral College in 2020.

Theres never been anyone in the history of American politics so crooked or dishonest as Joe Biden, and the press absoultely refuses to report it  all that press back there  because, frankly, theyre just as crooked as he is, and they are, Mr Trump said.

Mr Trump did not cite any evidence backing up his assertion that Mr Biden is the most corrupt actor in American political history.

Mr Trump himself is currently under federal indictment for allegedly facilitating a hush money payoff to an adult film star to stay quiet about an affair and help his election odds. Hes also under investigation for attempts to overturn the result of the 2020 in what experts have described as a failed self-coup.

Recommended Pence testifies before federal grand jury investigating Trump

Nevertheless, Mr Trump remains the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for president for a third campaign cycle in a row  and he was eager to preview a potential rematch with Mr Biden in his remarks on Thursday.

The choice in this election is now between strength and weakness, between success and failure, between safety and anarchy, between peace and conflict and prosperity or catastrophe, Mr Trump said. We are living in a catastrophe.

It is not at all clear whether Mr Trumps forecasted efforts to define Mr Biden as corrupt will be successful. When Mr Trump began calling Ms Clinton crooked during the 2016 election, she was under a high-profile investigation over her email use as Secretary of State and had been relentlessly connected for years in the right-wing media to myriad scandals dating back to her husbands presidential administration.

But where Ms Clinton and former President Barack Obama often solicited strong feelings from voters, Mr Biden, a white man, has not been a lightning rod in the same way. Mr Biden announced earlier this week that he is officially running for re-election.
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Donald Trump hugged a woman who spent time in prison for her role in the January 6 insurrection. She later said that former Vice President Mike Pence and every single member of Congress who voted to certify President Joe Bidens 2020 election victory should be executed.

At a diner in New Hampshire, Mr Trump was notified by the people in the room that QAnon believer Micki Larson-Olson was a January 6er.

Mr Trump approached her, said she was terrific and told her to hang in there. He then embraced her, video from the episode shows, according to The Hill.

She told NBC News the following day that Mr Trump is the real president, adding that she would like a front seat of Mike Pence being executed.

The punishment for treason is death, per the Constitution, Larson-Olson said. I believe every single person, every single person that stole a voice from our collective voice of We the people, of the people, for the people, by the people, deserves death, and no less than that.

She was arrested after climbing the scaffolding at the Capitol on January 6 2021, according to the Department of Justice. In September, she was sentenced to six months behind bars.

She took part in the insurrection dressed as Captain America, waving flags, and resisting officers trying to get her off the scaffolding as she clung on to it with her arms and legs. The Justice Department said she screamed and fought the six officers required to restrain her as she called them traitors.

My only regret is that I wasnt stronger, that I couldnt hold on longer, she told NBC. She drove 2,600 miles from Abilene, Texas to attend the Trump event in New Hampshire.

Both Democrats and Republicans visited January 6 defendants at a jail in Washington DC earlier this year.

Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene slammed the conditions at the jail, while the Democrats said the defendants were receiving fair treatment.

Mr Trump said last year that he would very, very seriously consider pardoning those convicted after the insurrection if he wins the 2024 election.

During a recent rally in Waco, Texas, the event began with a recording of Mr Trump reading the pledge of allegiance as January 6 defendants sang the national anthem in the background.
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Irans top diplomat visited Lebanons border with Israel on Friday where he expressed support for the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group in its struggle against their common enemy: Israel.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian began his visit to Lebanon since Wednesday, meeting top officials and expressing Tehrans readiness to help build power stations in an effort to try to end the Mediterranean countrys prevailing electricity crisis.

Lebanon is in the throes of the worst economic crisis in its modern history, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by the small nations ruling class. The crisis erupted in October 2019 and has plunged three quarters of Lebanons 6 million people, including 1 million Syrian refugees, into poverty.

Amirabdollahian visit to the border village of Maroun al-Ras came three weeks after Israel launched rare strikes into southern Lebanon, hours after militants fired nearly three dozen rockets from there at Israel, wounding two people and causing some property damage. The Israeli military said at the time that it targeted installations of the Palestinian militant Hamas group in southern Lebanon.

Iran is a main Hezbollah backer and has supplied the militant group over the past decades with weapons and funds.

We are here today ... to declare again with a loud voice that we support the resistance in Lebanon against the Zionist entity, Amirabdollahian told a gathering that included several Hezbollah legislators.

The Iranian diplomat's visit to Lebanon is the first since Iran and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement in China last month to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after seven years of tensions.

In neighboring Syria, a pro-government newspaper reported that Irans President Ebrahim Raisi will begin a two-day visit to Damascus next Wednesday, the first by an Iranian president to the Syrian capital since 2010.

Iran has also been a main backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad since the uprising that turned into war began in Syria in March 2011, killing nearly half a million people. Tehran has sent Iran-backed fighters from around the Middle East to fight alongside Assads forces, helping tip the balance of power in his favor.

The pro-government Al-Watan said Raisi would meet with Assad to boost strategic cooperation between the two allies. Several agreements and memorandums of understanding would also be signed during the visit.

Some oil-rich Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, have been slowly reconciling with Assad after supporting opposition fighters for years.

___

Associated Press writer Albert Aji in Beirut contributed to this report.
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The son of Montana governor Greg Gianforte has called on their father not to sign several bills that would harm the transgender community in the state.

David Gianforte, who identifies as non-binary and uses he/they pronouns, said they met their father last month to lobby against supporting measures that they described as "immoral, unjust, and frankly a violation of human rights.

They told the Montana Free Press that they felt an obligation to use their relationship with the governor to stand up for the LGBT+ community.

There are a lot of important issues passing through the legislature right now, they told the governor, according to the outlet.

For my own sake Ive chosen to focus primarily on transgender rights, as that would significantly directly affect a number of my friends  I would like to make the argument that these bills are immoral, unjust, and frankly a violation of human rights.

The 32-year-old Bozeman resident said they initially reached out to their father through email, urging that he veto the bill via email, including one that defines sex as strictly binary and bans minors from attending drag shows.

I would like to better understand your thoughts and concerns. When can we get together to talk about it? Love, Dad, Governor Gianforte wrote to his son in an email.

They later made an appointment to meet in the governors office and the son read their father an official statement. The statement was to the Free Press.

A spokesperson for Governor Gianforte told the outlet that the "governor loves his family and values their thoughts, ideas and perspectives".

"Our office will not discuss private conversations between the governor and members of his family."

Republicans have moved at least 10 bills in the Montana state legislature this session targetting transgender people. They are considering bills that would ban drag shows, allow for the deadnaming and misgendering of trans youth, strip anti-discrimination protections from state law, allow medical providers to deny people care for personal reasons, and ban gender-affirming treatments.

Republican lawmakers voted on Wednesday to bar a transgender Democrat Zooey Zephyr from the assembly chamber after she blasted them for banning gender-affirming medical care. The vote to remove her was passed along party lines, in a chamber where Republicans outnumbered Democrats 68 to 32.

Ms Zephyr was already banned from taking the floor for the rest of the 2023 session, after refusing to apologise for telling Republicans they would have "blood on [their] hands".

On Monday, riot police descended into the House viewing gallery and arrested seven people, as protesters rallied against the ongoing silencing of Rep Zephyr, the first transgender person elected to the state legislature in Montanas history.

David Gianforte added that they didnt expect their lobbying to ultimately change the outcome, but I feel like I have a voice and I can be heard.

And I feel, not only in communicating with my father, thats not necessarily the main point, but also just showing support for the transgender community in Montana. I think that could be meaningful, especially at this time.
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With less than two years remaining until US voters will decide who will serve as president of the United States from January 2025 to January 2029, former Republican government officials are starting to jockey for position in the coming fight for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, while at least one prominent Democrat (California governor Gavin Newsom) has reportedly pledged not to challenge President Joe Biden in a Democratic primary.

As the 2024 campaign takes shape, here are the names you need to know:

Joe Biden

Mr Biden is the current president of the United States and is now officially gunning for a second term, having announced his reelection bid in a video message on Tuesday 25 April.

Joe Biden (AP)

The only US president in recent memory to forgo a run for a second term was the 37th occupant of that office, President Lyndon Johnson. Johnson declined to seek a second term amid upheaval over the Vietnam War despite having won a massive landslide over Republican Barry Goldwater in 1964, just one year after the Texas native assumed the presidency after President John F Kennedy was murdered by an assassin.

Although Mr Biden has never suggested that he would follow Johnsons example, his status as the oldest person to ever serve as president and his lacklustre approval ratings fuelled speculation that he might stand down so a younger candidate could take up the Democratic Party mantle. But the Democrats better-than-expected results in the 2022 midterms appeared to put new wind in Mr Bidens sails before he officially announced his 2024 run.

Donald Trump

Of the more than 12 people who the Federal Election Commission lists as declared candidates for 2024, the only one whose name is well-known to the public is also the first former Trump administration figure to throw a hat into the ring, former president Donald J Trump.

Mr Trump, the only US president to face two separate impeachment trials  one after fomenting a violent attack on the US Capitol in hopes of remaining in power despite losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden  officially filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to declare himself a candidate in the 2024 election on 15 November, just minutes before he announced his candidacy at the same Palm Beach, Florida location where FBI agents had conducted a search for stolen classified documents just three months earlier.

Donald Trump (AP)

Now based in Florida, the ex-real estate developer turned television presenter turned politician is hoping he can become the first ex-US chief executive to reclaim the White House since Grover Cleveland accomplished that feat more than a century ago. But he faces a series of obstacles on what was once assumed to be a smooth glide path to the GOP nomination, including several of his former top aides and at least one governor he once endorsed.

Marianne Williamson

The self-help author and former spiritual adviser to television mogul Oprah Winfrey, who participated in several Democratic primary debates during the 2020 election, has said she will enter the 2024 race to challenge Mr Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination.

In an interview with Northwestern Universitys Medill News Service, Ms Williamson confirmed her intention to run next year.

I wouldnt be running for president if I didnt believe I could contribute to harnessing the collective sensibility that I feel is our greatest hope at this time, she said.

Marianne Williamson (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

During her aborted 2020 presidential run, she garnered a measure of notoriety for making statements widely considered bizarre, such as a vow to make then-New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern the first head of government she would call as president, and an assertion that she would win the election by "harness[ing] love for political purposes" against Mr Trump.

Nikki Haley

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley spent two years as Mr Trumps ambassador to the United Nations, and during that time garnered at least a measure of media attention for the way she avoided engaging with the myriad controversies engulfing his administration while staying in the then-presidents good graces.

Although the former governor turned diplomat previously pledged not to throw her hat into the ring for 2024 if Mr Trump was still running, she appears to have thrown that non-campaign promise away.

Nikki Haley (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

On 15 February, Ms Haley announced that she was indeed entering the race.

In a video released by her campaign, she even went so far as to take a veiled swipe at Mr Trump by noting that seven out of the last eight presidential elections have seen the GOP candidate lose the popular vote. She also said it is time for a new generation of leadership who will rediscover fiscal responsibility, secure our border and strengthen our country, our pride and our purpose.

Mike Pence

Once Mr Trumps most loyal defender and steadfast right-hand man, former vice president Mike Pences relationship with the man who led the GOP ticket in 2020 was irrevocably upended by his decision not to unlawfully hijack Congress certification of Electoral College votes in an attempt to keep himself and Mr Trump in power against the wishes of American voters.

Mr Pence has not officially declared his intent to run for president against Mr Trump in 2024, but since leaving office he has kept up a steady stream of appearances in key primary states (hello, New Hampshire!) and campaigned for numerous GOP candidates in the midterm elections earlier this month. He also appeared at the Republican Jewish Coalitions annual convention in Las Vegas, a traditional cattle call for potential GOP presidential contenders.

Mike Pence. (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

While the former vice president has taken pains not to criticise Mr Trump in the way some anti-Trump Republicans have in recent months, he has also made clear that he would not do things the way the ex-president did during their four years in office.

Mr Pence has also begun to build out the beginnings of a 2024 campaign operation by bringing on former Ben Sasse spokesperson Ali Kjergaard to his Advancing American Freedom nonprofit. Ms Kjergaard joins other former Pence White House mainstays, including his former chief of staff, Marc Short, and his former press secretary, Devin OMalley.

Ron DeSantis

The current governor of Florida is thought by many in the GOP to be the perfect successor to Mr Trump.

Ron DeSantis. (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Mr DeSantis, a former Florida congressman who won his 2018 gubernatorial campaign after receiving a coveted endorsement from the then-president, is viewed by Republican pundits as a worthy avatar of the current anti-woke GOP who is hated by all the right people, and his star has been on the rise in conservative circles since he made a show of ending any and all pandemic-related restrictions and mandates in the Sunshine State.

When Mr DeSantis took the stage at his 2022 election victory party, supporters even chanted two more years in a nod to his potential status as a GOP presidential contender. And Florida legislators are reportedly considering changing state law to make it easier for him to seek his partys nomination while running for governor.

Recently, Mr Trump debuted a derogatory nickname  Ron DeSanctimonious  for his onetime ally, a sure sign that the Florida native is considered to be a serious adversary by the New York transplant.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Mr Ramaswamy, a wealthy biotechnology entrepreneur and conservative activist, announced his intention to compete in the 2024 Republican primary during an appearance on Tucker Carlsons eponymous Fox News programme.

Vivek Ramaswamy (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The Yale Law School graduate has become somewhat of a celebrity in right-wing circles for his denunciations of stakeholder capitalism, big tech censorship, and critical race theory.

Last year, he founded Strive Asset Management, an anti-woke investment firm opposed to businesses that use environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) practices.

Robert F Kennedy Jr

Mr Kennedy Jr  a lawyer, vaccine skeptic and the son of US Senator Robert F Kennedy  filed candidacy papers with the Federal Election Commission on 5 April 2023.

The filing places the 69-year-old as the second long-shot Democratic candidate to challenge President Biden, behind Marianne Williamson.

Robert F Kennedy Jr (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

While he intends to run as a Democrat, Mr Kennedy Jr has ties to former president Mr Trump. In 2017, he was tapped by the then-president-elect to oversee a presidential panel to review vaccine safety and science - despite having repeatedly expressed scepticism about vaccines. He continued pushing those beliefs through the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Kennedy Jrs father was a candidate in the 1968 presidential election before he was assassinated.

Larry Elder

Mr Elder, a former attorney, and current conservative talk radio host, announced Thursday, 20 April on Tucker Carlson Tonight that he will be running for president in 2024.

The right-wing candidate said that he felt a moral, religious, and a patriotic duty to join the race for president. He named policing, crime, and government overreach as areas of concern.

Weve incentivised women to marry the government, Mr Elder told Tucker Carlson. Weve incentivised men to abandon their financial and moral responsibility. And if I do nothing else in this race, but focus people on those two issues I would perform this service to my country.

Larry Elder (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Prior to his announcement, Mr Elder had been the host of the popular conservative radio programme The Larry Elder Show on KABC since 1993. He left in April 2022.

Mr Elder has some political experience as he unsuccessfully ran to replace California Governor Gavin Newsom in 2021.

Ryan Binkley

Pastor and businessman Ryan Binkley has announced his entrance into the 2024 race, the latest long-shot contender to challenge Mr Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination.

Ryan Binkley (The Way to Freedom)

We have to be unified, Mr Binkley said at a recent event. We have to be in this place, because if were in a time of uncertainty, what its going to take is faith in God and faith in each other to get us through, and its not time for us to back down. Its time for us to believe.

Mr Binkley has said he is absolutely confident that he could take on Mr Trump, despite having little name recognition and no experience holding elected office.

Asa Hutchinson

Former Governor of Arkansas, Asa Hutchinson, formally announced his campaign for president on Wednesday, 26 April.

In Bentonville, Arkansas, Mr Hutchinson told supports that is optimistic about the future of the US and hopes to carry out the same conservative values to the White House as he did as Governor.

In this campaign for president, I stand alone in terms of my experience, record and leadership, Mr Hutchinson said.

Asa Hutchinson (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Before becoming Governor of Arkansas, Mr Hutchinson was a representative for Arkansas, an administrator for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, and transportation security of the US Department of Homeland Security under former president George Bush.

Mr Hutchinson discussed the economy, crime, and border security during his campaign kick-off speech.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan canceled his election appearances for a third day Friday after falling ill with what officials described as an intestinal infection.

Erdogan, who has ruled Turkey for two decades as prime minister and then president, is seeking a third presidential term in Turkey's May 14 elections. He had been due to appear at a bridge opening and a political rally in the southern city of Adana, but his schedule changed to show he would attend the opening ceremony via video link.

Erdogan became ill during a TV interview on Tuesday evening with what Health Minister Fahrettin Koca later said was a gastrointestinal infection. His election rallies planned for Wednesday and Thursday were canceled.

He looked pale Thursday as he inaugurated a nuclear power plant via video in his first public appearance since his illness.

Other officials sought to dispel concerns over the 69-year-old leader's health ahead of next month's presidential and parliamentary elections. Recent polls showed a slight lead for Erdogans main challenger amid an economic downturn and a February earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people.

Erdogan, who underwent intestinal surgery in 2011, has ruled Turkey since 2003, first as prime minister and as president since 2014. He campaigned hard in recent weeks, attending several events across the country every day.
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Ron DeSantis angrily chastised a reporter on Thursday as he spoke in Jerusalem, and denied that the had been present for force-feedings during his service at the US military prison at Guanatanamo Bay.

The moment occurred as Mr DeSantis gave a press conference at the Museum of Tolerance, a cultural centre in the Israeli territory of West Jerusalem. His visit to the Middle East comes as the Florida governor is thought to be preparing a bid for the Republican nomination against Donald Trump and others in 2024.

At the press conference, Mr DeSantis was questioned about claims from a former Guantanamo detainee who was held without being charged for more than a decade at the notorious military prison accused him of being present for episodes where he was force-fed by guards to break a hunger strike.

Mansoor Adayfi, a Yemeni citizen who was held for 14 years at Gitmo, told The Independent in March that he was brutally force-fed by camp staff during a hunger strike in 2006, and that Mr DeSantis was present for at least one of those sessions. Force-feeding is designated as torture by the United Nations

Do you honestly believe thats credible? Its ... 2006, Im a junior officer, do you honestly think that they wouldve remembered me? Mr DeSantis shot back angrily.

Mr Adayfi was released in 2016 (without ever being accused of a crime) and first came forward with the charge that Mr DeSantis had been in attendance for the force-feedings last November.

Another detainee has also accused Mr DeSantis of being present; an investigation from The Independent confirmed that Mr DeSantiss role as an attorney was to field complaints of illegal treatment from detainees.

I dont remember exactly when DeSantis came because we had no watch, no calendar, nothing, Mr Adayfi told The Independent. He came to talk to us along [with] others  medical staff and interpreters. And we explained to him why we were on hunger strike. And he told us, Im here to ensure that you get treated humanely and properly. We were talking about our problems with the brothers, the torture, the abuses, the no healthcare.

The treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay is hardly a partisan issue in Washington. Members of both parties have worked to keep the controversial prison open, and even though Barack Obama famously pledged to close the prison during his presidency he ultimately failed to do so and even found himself defending the concept of these force-feedings to journalists.

I dont want these individuals to die, he said in 2013.

The prison at Guantanamo Bay has faced global criticism as detainees have been held for years without charges, in some cases with very thin or no evidence at all of detainees supposed links to terror groups. Some of treatment of prisoners at the facility has also been described as torture, including the force-feedings and waterboarding.

In his recent book, The Courage to be Free, Mr DeSantis wrote that part of the reason he enlisted in the military was to lead the prosecution of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, explaining that it seemed like a good opportunity to make an impact.
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A former detainee of the Guantanamo Bay prison camp has claimed that Florida governor and 2024 presidential contender Ron DeSantis witnessed him being tortured during the time he was stationed there.

Mansoor Adayfi, a Yemeni citizen who was held for 14 years on the US Naval base in Cuba, told The Independent in an extraordinary interview that he was brutally force-fed by camp staff during a hunger strike in 2006, and that Mr DeSantis was present for at least one of those sessions.

The United Nations has characterised the force-feeding of hunger strikers at Guantanamo Bay as torture. The US government has denied that the practice amounts to torture, and it has been used against prisoners over successive administrations during hunger strikes.

Mr DeSantis was stationed on the base between March 2006 and January 2007, according to his military records.

An investigation by The Independent details the following claims:

Two prisoners held at the camp at the time Mr DeSantis was stationed there claim he witnessed the forced-feeding of hunger-striking prisoners.

Mr Adayfi claims that Mr DeSantis had initially told him he was there for the detainees welfare.

Mr DeSantis was stationed at Guantanamo during a year marked by riots, hunger strikes and death.

Part of his role was to field concerns and complaints from prisoners.

Mr DeSantis emerged from his time at Guantanamo as an advocate for its continued use, and against the release of detainees.

Mr DeSantis has not responded to several requests from The Independent for comment on the allegations and for clarity about his role in the notorious prison camp.

Former Guantanamo prisoner: Ron DeSantis watched me being tortured

As an assumed candidate for the 2024 election, Mr DeSantis is likely to face questions about this time in his career and what impact  if any  witnessing the treatment of Guantanamo detainees has had on his politics.

Until now, he has not spoken in detail about this part of his career. In public, he has advocated for the continued use of Guantanamo Bay to hold detainees suspected of involvement of terrorism, but he has not spoken in detail about his time spent at the camp.

Bleeding, vomiting and screaming

Mansoor Adayfi describes it as one of the worst stretches of his 14-year imprisonment at Guantanamo Bay. In 2006, he was in the midst of a hunger strike with a number of his fellow detainees in protest over the conditions inside the notorious prison. A new team had been brought in to break the strike with a more aggressive form of force-feeding. One day, he recounts with emotion in his voice, he was strapped to a chair in the yard by his head, hands, waist and feet, and a feeding tube was forced into his nose. He was bleeding and vomiting and screaming while an assortment of uniformed military personnel watched from the side.

Mansoor Adayfi spent 14 years as a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay prison camp. He lives in Belgrade, Serbia (The Washington Post/Getty)

Years later, now released from the camp without charge and trying to rebuild his life in Serbia, Adayfi came across a photograph online of someone he says he recognised from that day. Until then, he says he knew the man as a young Navy lawyer stationed at the prison, but now he had a name: Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida.

Adayfi says that the same man had watched the terrible episode unfold from behind a chain link fence.

He was watching, and I was really screaming, crying, Mr Adayfi, a Yemeni, tells The Independent in a lengthy video interview from his home in Belgrade. I was bleeding and throwing up. We were in the block yard, so they were close to the fence.

Mr DeSantis has spoken sparingly of his time at Guantanamo Bay, where he served between March 2006 and January 2007 with the US Navy, at 27-years-old, as a judge advocate general (JAG), a job which entailed providing legal representation to military personnel and ensuring the US military complied with the law. There is little mention of it in his new book and he has offered few details of what he did on the campaign trail.

But since serving at the controversial military prison, Mr DeSantis has consistently argued for it to remain open, and spoken against the release of prisoners, even though most are held for years without charge.

At a time when Mr DeSantis appears to be preparing to run for president, the accusations from the former prisoner may shed new light on the potential candidates military career. They allege that he witnessed treatment of detainees that the United Nations condemned as torture, and went on to become a champion of the facility that practised it.

Mansoor Adayfi was held at Guantanamo Bay for 14 years (AP)

In 2006, the year Mr DeSantis arrived at Guantanamo, the camp was rocked by hunger strikes, violent riots and protests from prisoners over their conditions. Camp officials began to take a more aggressive tack to bring the hunger strikes to an end in the early part of the year.

In February of that year, camp authorities began to implement a more aggressive regime of dealing with hunger strikers, according to a New York Times report from the time.

That method, according to the Times, involved strapping some of the detainees into restraint chairs to force-feed them and isolate them from one another after finding that some were deliberately vomiting or siphoning out the liquid they had been fed.

Mr Adayfi says his first interaction with the young navy lawyer was memorable. When they first met, he didnt know his name  camp staff do not use their real names around prisoners for security reasons  but the man he would later come to learn was Mr DeSantis told Mr Adayfi that he was there to help him.

I dont remember exactly when DeSantis came because we had no watch, no calendar, nothing, he says. He came to talk to us along [with] others  medical staff and interpreters. And we explained to him why we were on hunger strike. And he told us, Im here to ensure that you get treated humanely and properly. We were talking about our problems with the brothers, the torture, the abuses, the no healthcare.

This was something strange, because nobody told us that before, Mr Adayfi adds.

Mr DeSantis was memorable for his appearance, too.

He was handsome with beautiful eyes, he says.

Mr Adayfi recalls that he initially believed Mr DeSantis when he told him he was there to help, but he says that quickly changed after he claims he was present for his force-feeding. On the day in question, Mr Adayfi says Mr DeSantis was standing behind a fence in the yard behind the November and Oscar blocks of Camp Delta, watching him being strapped to the chair and force-fed.

He knows about everything  about the hunger strike, the torture, the abuse in the camps. And his job was to ensure that we were treated humanely Mansoor Adayfi

He was there with medical staff, there was other officers, there was some interpreters. There was like a group of them there, he says.

In his memoir, Dont Forget Us Here, Lost and Found at Guantanamo, Mr Adayfi describes one incident of force-feeding in detail.

Guards pushed me into the chair. They tightened the chest harness so that I couldnt move, then strapped my wrists and legs to the chair. Every point of my body was tightly restrained  I couldnt move at all. One of the male nurses stood in front of me holding a long, thick rubber tube with a metal tip. Another nurse grabbed my head and held it tightly while the male nurse forces that huge tube into my nose. No numbing spray. No lubricant. Raw rubber and metal sliced the inside of my nose and throat. Pain shot through my sinuses and I thought my head would explode. I screamed and tried to fight but I couldnt move. My nose bled and bled, but the nurse wouldnt stop.

When they were done feeding me, the nurse pulled hard on the tube and ripped it out of my body. It felt like a knife coming through my nose and it bled badly. Blood ran everywhere. I couldnt breathe and my stomach was so full I thought I would explode.

Throughout lengthy questioning from The Independent about the finer details of his interactions, Mr Adayfi was insistent that the man he knew as a lawyer at Guantanamo was Mr DeSantis. Mr Adayfis description of his initial interaction with Mr DeSantis, for example, where he claims the young lawyer explained his role at the camp, matches the description given by Mr DeSantiss superior of his job. The dates of key events in the camp during 2006  such as the deaths of three prisoners  match publicly available information regarding the timeline of Mr DeSantiss posting.

Amounting to torture

Mr Adayfi characterises the forced-feeding episodes he suffered as torture. That assessment is supported by numerous United Nations reports, including one in 2006 which said of the practice at Guantanamo: [t]he excessive violence used in many cases during transportation, in operations by the Initial Reaction Forces and force-feeding of detainees on hunger strike must be assessed as amounting to torture as defined in article 1 of the Convention against Torture.

The World Medical Association said in 2006 that the force-feeding of hunger strikers constitutes a form of inhuman and degrading treatment.

The US government, over several administrations, has defended the practice and consistently denied that it amounts to torture. In a lawsuit brought by four detainees in 2013, government lawyers said of the practice: It is the policy of the Department of Defense to support the preservation of life and health by appropriate clinical means and standard medical intervention, in a humane manner, and in accordance with all applicable standards.

Barack Obama, who as a candidate promised to close the prison at Guantanamo, but defended force-feeding there when he was president, replied to a question about it by saying: I dont want these individuals to die.

A US Navy doctor displays a restraint chair in the detainee clinic in the Gitmo maximum security detention center at the US Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (Getty)

After Mr Adayfi says he saw Mr DeSantis at one of these force-feeding incidents, he didnt talk to him again.

At that time, I dont want to see his face. But other prisoners, they talked to him. Some of the prisoners splashed him with faeces and urine and spit on him, he says.

Mr Adayfi was released from the prison camp in 2016 with no charges. He kept in touch with other former detainees spread across the world in various locations and started to try to rebuild his life. Then one day, in 2020, he saw a photograph of Mr DeSantis online.

He says he shared the image with some other released former detainees, who also recognised him. He also shared the image with his book editor at the time, Antonio Aiello. When contacted by The Independent, Aiello confirmed this account and says he had multiple discussions with Mr Adayfi about Mr DeSantis going back roughly two years.

Mr Adayfi first made the claims publicly in November 2022, on the Eyes Left podcast. That account of Mr DeSantiss presence during force-feeding matches the one he gave to The Independent.

But Mr Adayfi is not the only former detainee who says that they recognised Mr DeSantis from their time at the prison camp.

Ahmed Abdel Aziz, a former prisoner who was released after 13 years without being charged with a crime and is currently back at home in Mauritania, also claims that Mr DeSantis witnessed the force-feeding at Guantanamo.

Although he did not take part in the hunger strike himself, Mr Aziz tells The Independent that he witnessed dozens of force-feeding sessions in 2006 himself, and it was not uncommon for large groups of camp staff to watch them from the side.

Sometimes a big bunch of people will come, sometimes two or three, sometimes the medical staff would come alone with the guards. Among them was this man, he says, referring to Mr DeSantis.

He was not there all the time, he says. He was watching. He cannot stop it, he doesnt have the authority, but he could stand against that or write to his higher-ups, to Washington, to other departments and tell them whats going on.

Like Mr Adayfi, Mr Aziz says doesnt remember exactly when he realised the lawyer he knew from Guantanamo was Mr DeSantis, but he dates it roughly to a few years ago, when one of his friends sent him a picture.

As soon as I saw his picture I know him very well because he spent a long time there, maybe six months or eight months, he says. Most of the people in there, once we see them, we dont forget them, he adds.

Mr Adayfi says many of the force-feeding incidents took place outside the Oscar and November blocks of Delta Camp. (The Independent)

Mr Adayfi says he believes the American people should know that Mr DeSantis  now a national political figure on the cusp of declaring a run for the White House  was aware of and observed what he endured at Guantanamo.

Im not trying to say DeSantis was giving orders to the force-feeding. I didnt see him giving orders to the guards, and I dont think he was in a position to give orders to the guards. But he was there watching. He knows about everything  about the hunger strike, the torture, the abuse in the camps. And his job was to ensure that we were treated humanely, he says.

Mr DeSantiss military records show that he had duties at Guantanamo Bay Naval base between 1 March 2006 and 31 January 2007. His duties are listed as Trial Counsel, Command Services Attorney, as well as JTF-GTMO scheduler/administrative officer.

Retired Navy captain Patrick McCarthy, who served as staff judge advocate at the detention facility and supervised Mr DeSantis, said in a 2018 interview that his duties required interacting with detainees and hearing their complaints.

If any complaints were raised, Ron would have been among the folks I sent down to talk to the detainees, Mr McCarthy told the Miami Herald. He said in the same interview that Mr DeSantis would have made sure the complaints were addressed in a way that was consistent with the law.

In his recently released book, The Courage to be Free, Mr DeSantis wrote that part of the reason he enlisted in the military in 2004 was so that he might be able to take part in prosecutions at the camp.

One recruiter told me that the assumption was that the Iraq campaign would be over relatively quickly, and that there would be a need for military [judge advocate generals] to lead prosecutions in military commissions of incarcerated terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, he wrote. He added that it seemed like a good opportunity to make an impact.

Mansoor Adayfi (Slavoljub Milanovic)

At the time, allegations of torture and ill-treatment of detainees at the camp were rife. The International Committee of the Red Cross, which had conducted visits to the camp since 2002, wrote to the US government in June 2004 to decry the system of interrogation there as an intentional system of cruel, unusual and degrading treatment and a form of torture. The report, which became public in November of that year, alleged humiliating acts, solitary confinement, temperature extremes, use of forced positions, as well as exposure to persistent loud noise and music and some beatings.

The use of torture at Guantanamo Bay  euphemistically referred to as enhanced interrogation by the Bush administration  was approved by defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld for use as early as 2002. Those techniques included hooding, stress positions, isolation, stripping, deprivation of light, removal of religious items, forced grooming, and use of dogs, according to a 2005 Human Rights Watch report.

The chaotic situation at the camp continued throughout the year. On 10 June 2006, three prisoners died in one night. The US military determined that Yassar Talal al-Zahrani, Mani Shaman Turki Al Habardi al-Tabi, and Ali Abdullah Ahmed, all died by hanging, but researchers claimed the investigations into their deaths "failed to conform to minimum standards.

Enemy combatants

As of February 2006, the month before Mr DeSantis arrived, the US government held more than 500 prisoners at Guantanamo Bay as alleged enemy combatants. Mr Adayfi was one of them.

Born in a small village in Yemen, he was just 18 when he went to Afghanistan in 2001 to conduct what he says was a research mission into al-Qaeda on behalf of a sheikh at an Islamic institute outside of Sanaa, the Yemeni capital. According to his account, detailed in his book, Mr Adayfi was captured by Afghan warlords and handed over to the CIA at a time the intelligence service was offering rewards. He then says he was taken to a CIA black site, where he was tortured.

According to a Department of Defense file on Mr Adayfi that called for his continued detention in Guantanamo, dated 2008, the US government described Mr Adayfi as an admitted member of al-Qaeda who possessed prior knowledge of the 11 September 2001 attacks as well as other planned attacks against US interests, and also claims that he was identified as a commander of evacuating front line forces assessed to be Usama Bin Ladens (UBL) 55th Arab Brigade during hostilities against US and Coalition forces.

Mr Adayfi says he repeatedly denied the interrogators accusations that he was a member of al-Qaida, but says he later gave a false confession in anger at his ill-treatment.

I was angry. I was hurt. I said things that I didnt mean, but I was in a deep, dark hole, he recalled in his memoir. I wanted to teach them that they couldnt kill and torture us and expect us to love them for it.

Before his release, the US government also amended its assessment of Mr Adayfi, saying in a declassified report that it was unclear whether he actually joined al-Qaeda and was probably  a low-level fighter.

Mr Adayfis sister and brother died during the 14 years he was held at Guantanamo. He emerged from the prison he entered at 19 years old a different person. He says he still suffers from the impact of the time he spent at Guantanamo, and the force-feeding was just one part of it.

They totally destroyed our life. The interrogations, sexual assault, the beatings, the long-term confinement, mental, psychological, physical abuse, just name it, he said of his treatment at the prison camp and in CIA custody before his arrival.

They broke our lives, and we still struggle to live now, he adds.

DeSantis speaking at a rally in Hialeah, Florida in November (Reuters)

When asked how he feels about Mr DeSantis today, Mr Adayfi says he has no ill will towards him, but does not believe he should be president.

Hes a bad person, you know. I like America, and such people, when they come to power, they create a lot of problems.

I have no hate against him. But at the same time, as a lawyer, as someone who is a graduate of law and believes in the law, he should have known better, he says.

I would ask him why would he want to keep Guantanamo open. As a lawyer, there should be a presumption of innocence, not guilt. If you love your country, if you love your people, if you believe in American values, you should be the first one who called for the closure of Guantanamo. And if you think we are criminal terrorists, okay, take us and try us before your justice system.

Following his time at Guantanamo, Mr DeSantis went on to serve as a JAG in Iraq. Later, he became a congressman for Floridas sixth congressional district, at which time then-president Barack Obama had proposed closing the prison by executive order. Mr DeSantis spoke out numerous times against the idea.

At a congressional hearing chaired by Mr DeSantis in 2016, the then-congressman forcefully argued for Guantanamo to remain open.

The presidents conclusion that the detention facility should be closed is based in part on his idea that the facility is a recruiting tool for Islamic jihadists, but this represents a misunderstanding of the nature of the terrorist threats we face., he said. These are not the type of people that will abandon their jihad against America and our allies simply because we close Guantanamo Bay, he told the House of Representatives Subcommittee of National Security, part of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

In the same session, he spoke briefly of his time there.

When I was in the Navy I was there for a time and it is a very professionally run facility. Anybody in this room would rather spend a night there than in like the Fallujah jail or something like this. I mean, it is just night and day. And the people that are guarding that facility are under an awful lot of pressure because those detainees are very hostile to them, and they know that if they do anything that they are all of a sudden going to be subject to  so it is a very stressful environment for our uniformed personnel who are there, he said.

In a campaign ad for his successful 2018 run for governor, images of Mr DeSantis in his navy uniform are shown as a narrator described him as a JAG officer who dealt with terrorists at Guantanamo Bay.

Mr DeSantiss office did not respond to several requests for comment.
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Donald Trump has vowed to restore a travel ban on Islamic nations, prohibiting citizens of those countries from entering the US, if he is elected president in 2024.

"I will restore my travel ban to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of our country," the twice-impeached former president said in New Hampshire on Thursday.

"You saw what happened. Four years You saw that right? We were very tough on that. We don't want our buildings blown up."

Mr Trump, during his first week in office in 2017, restricted travel from seven Muslim-majority nations  Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

While the order was at first blocked by the courts and the White House scrambled to say it was not a ban on Muslims, the Supreme Court in 2018 upheld the final version of the measure.

The ban was overturned by president Joe Biden after he took office in 2021. White House said it will improve the screening of visitors by strengthening information sharing with foreign governments instead of retaining the blanket ban.

Mr Trump's appearance in New Hampshire marked his first return to an early voting state since his legal troubles increased with an indictment in New York.

He spoke on the same day that his former vice president, Mike Pence, testified before a federal grand jury investigating efforts by Mr Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election. Author E Jean Carroll testified as well in a civil rape case against Mr Trump over an encounter in the 1990s, an allegation he denies.

The former president announced that he is "retiring" the "Crooked" nickname for Hillary Clinton and will instead be using it going forward for President Biden.

I will be retiring the name Crooked from Hillary Clinton and her moniker, and Im going to give her a new name, I dont know, like maybe Lovely Hillary or Beautiful Hillary', but Im going to retire the name Crooked because he will be known from now on as Crooked Joe Biden', Mr Trump said.

As the crowd cheered and whistled, the former president launched a sizeable accusation at Mr Biden, the candidate who beat him handily in both the popular vote and the Electoral College in 2020.

Theres never been anyone in the history of American politics so crooked or dishonest as Joe Biden, and the press absolutely refuses to report it  all that press back there  because, frankly, theyre just as crooked as he is, and they are, Mr Trump said at a downtown Manchester hotel, a smaller venue than his typical, large-scale rallies.

The choice in this election is now between strength and weakness, between success and failure, between safety and anarchy, between peace and conflict and prosperity or catastrophe, he continued.

We are a nation in serious decline, a nation that has lost its way, Trump said, adding that the country is led by a "hopeless person".

"But we will win in 2024 and make America great again. We can do it. Its not too late."
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Former president Donald Trump said he is popular on college campuses and among the Generation Z while interacting with the audience at a campaign rally in New Hampshire on Thursday.

During the rally an audience member named Christine asked the former president about how he planned to engage with Gen-Z  the generation of people born in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Engaging with young voters is crucial. Here in New Hampshire we have America First warriors like Caroline Lovett. How do you plan to engage with Gen-Z voters, she was quoted as saying in a clip shared on Twitter by user Acyn.

Mr Trump replied: I think we are doing that. I tell you what you would be shocked, like Charlie Kirk and others the job that they do, its a youth movement, you would be shocked to see how popular we are in college campuses-much different than what you hear.

According to AP VoteCast, a sweeping national survey of the electorate conducted in December voters under 30 went 53 per cent for Democratic House candidates compared with only 41 per cent for Republican candidates nationwide.

However, the level of support for Democrats was down compared with 2020, when such voters supported Mr Biden over his predecessor Mr Trump, 61 per cent to 36 per cent.

Prior to that in 2018, when Democrats used a midterm surge to retake control of the House, voters 18 to 29 went 64 per cent for the party compared with 34 per cent for the GOP.

The rally on Thursday was his first since president Joe Biden announced his re-election bid.

It also marked his first appearance in New Hampshire since his legal troubles increased with an indictment in New York.

Also at the rally, Mr Trump took aim at the president.

We are a nation in serious decline, a nation that has lost its way, he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

We are led by a hopeless person, but we will win in 2024 and make America great again. We can do it. Its not too late.

While Mr Trump is considered as the front-runner for the GOP nomination for the 2024 elections, other Republicans are expected to jump into the race soon, including Florida governor Ron DeSantis.
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Donald Trump appeared on his eldest sons programme Triggered, saying that its a shame what happened to Tucker Carlson and that the ousted Fox host was willing to tell the truth.

Mr Trump blasted the $787.5m settlement between Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems following the voting machine companys lawsuit against the network for its repeated broadcasts including lies about the election and Dominions role in it.

They need a new law firm, Mr Trump said, adding that the Dominion lawsuit is the craziest case Ive ever heard.

Its a shame what happened to Tucker Carlson. He had the number one show. He was doing great. His show was very interesting, and he was out there in the sense that he was telling the truth, he said.

He claimed that others in the media are lying and theyre hiding and theyre afraid to talk.

Donald Trump Jr said the payout Fox News made to Dominion was tiny to the company.

If there's liability, and you do damage, it's based on what the company is actually worth. This seems like it's worth multiple times what the company could ever possibly be worth and yet they were willing to pay it, he added. And it seems like that was designed to probably prevent, you know, a Rupert [Murdoch] from having to testify or something like that.

According to Macrotrends, Fox is worth $15.89bn as of 27 April.

I don't know how they could have lost the case, Mr Trump added. If they had lawyers that would have talked about free speech and lawyers that would have talked about platforms  It's a news platform.

That means every time somebody goes into news, if they say something, and if it's wrong, CBS or NBC fake news or ABC fake news, any of them, any of these groups or outlets or platforms are going to be responsible for whatever [anyone] says, Mr Trump said.

He added that it was ridiculous.

You won't have any news, they ought to close up their news shows right now, he said.

I think losing Tucker, having Tucker not be there, is gonna have a big impact and a negative impact on Fox, the ex-president added.

Fox News announced it was parting ways with Mr Carlson in a statement on Monday morning.

The statement confirmed that Mr Carlsons last show occurred the preceding Friday, which ended with him eating pizza with Pennsylvanian delivery man Tyler Morrell, who was honoured after he helped police stop a suspected car thief.

At the end of the segment, Mr Carlson told his viewers he would see them again next week.

The statements language  and later comments by Fox News anchors  seemed to imply that Mr Carlson and Fox split ways mutually, though the statement lacked any comment from Mr Carlson. Later details suggested that Mr Carlson was blindsided by the decision, which reportedly came from the top of the network as late as Monday morning.
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Hundreds of thousands of Fox News viewers are reacting to Tucker Carlson's firing by abandoning the network in his old time slot  at least temporarily.

Fox drew 1.33 million viewers for substitute host Brian Kilmeade in the 8 p.m. Eastern hour on Wednesday night, putting the network second to MSNBC's Chris Hayes in a competition Carlson used to dominate, the Nielsen company said.

That's down 56% from the 3.05 million viewers Carlson reached last Wednesday, Nielsen said. For all of 2022, Carlson averaged 3.03 million viewers, second only to Fox's The Five as the most popular program on cable television.

Carlson offered his own alternative to Kilmeade on Wednesday, posting a two-minute monologue on Twitter at 8 p.m. By Thursday afternoon, that video had been viewed 62.7 million times, according to Twitter.

Kilmeade had 1.7 million viewers on Tuesday and 2.59 million on Monday, when he told people who hadn't already heard the news that Carlson would no longer be there.

Carlson had 2.65 million viewers on Friday for what he didn't know at the time would be his last show on Fox. He was fired on Monday with no explanation given publicly, although there are no shortage of theories  including a former employee's lawsuit that cited a toxic work atmosphere at his show, offensive statements by Carlson that came out as part of the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit against Fox and his embrace of political conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The ratings slump echoes what happened at Fox following the 2020 election, when many viewers angered by the network's crucial election night declaration that Joe Biden had won Arizona followed then-President Donald Trump's advice to seek alternatives. That caused tremendous angst behind the scenes at Fox, which was illustrated in documents released as part of the Dominion case.

Asked for comment, Fox responded with a statement noting that Fox has been cable news' most-watched network for 21 years with its team trusted more by viewers than any other news source.

In the wake of Carlson's firing, viewing at the conservative network Newsmax has shot up for Eric Bolling, who hosts a show in the same 8 p.m. Eastern slot.

For example, Bolling had 510,000 viewers Wednesday night, compared to 168,000 on Wednesday a week ago, Nielsen said. On Tuesday, Bolling had 562,000 viewers, up from 122,000 the same day a week earlier.

The challenge for Newsmax will be making it last. Fox surged again following Biden's inauguration as president, and Newsmax couldn't keep up the momentum.
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday shrugged off Disney's lawsuit against him as politically motivated, and that it was time for the iconic company to stop enjoying favorable treatment in his state.

Disney sued DeSantis on Wednesday over the Republicans appointment of a board of supervisors in its self-governed theme park district, alleging the governor waged a targeted campaign of government retaliation after the company opposed a law critics call, Dont Say Gay.

The legal filing is the latest salvo in a more than year-old feud between Disney and DeSantis that has engulfed the governor in criticism as he prepares to launch an expected 2024 presidential bid.

Theyre upset because theyre having to live by the same rules as everybody else. They dont want to pay the same taxes as everybody else and they want to be able to control things without proper oversight," DeSantis said during a visit to Israel. The days of putting one company on a pedestal with no accountability are over in the state of Florida.

DeSantis was speaking on the third leg of an international trip meant to burnish his foreign policy credentials ahead of a potential campaign for the Republican presidential nomination as a key rival to former President Donald Trump.

DeSantis has dived headlong into the fray with Disney, a major driver of tourism and a font for employment in Florida, as business leaders and White House rivals have bashed his stance as a rejection of the small-government tenets of conservatism.

The fight began last year after Disney, in the face of significant pressure, publicly opposed a state law that bans classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades, a policy critics call Dont Say Gay.

DeSantis then took over Disney Worlds self-governing district and appointed a new board of supervisors to oversee municipal services in the sprawling theme parks. But before the new board came in, the company pushed though an 11th-hour agreement that stripped the new supervisors of much of their authority.

The Disney lawsuit asks a federal judge to void the governors takeover of the theme park district, as well as the DeSantis oversight boards actions, on the grounds that they were violations of the companys free speech rights.

In a speech to a conference at Jerusalem's Museum of Tolerance, DeSantis spelled out his Middle East policy, speaking of the importance of the U.S.-Israel alliance. He said Israel was the only authority that could protect freedom of worship for all in combustible Jerusalem and that the U.S. embassy was rightfully moved to the city by the Trump administration, despite opposition from Palestinians.

He repeated his opposition to the deal that aimed to rein in Iran's nuclear program, saying it empowered that country's rulers rather than held them back. The Iran nuclear deal passed under Obama. His sucessor, Trump, revoked the U.S. agreement to it.

DeSantis also said the U.S. shouldn't interfere in the way Israel chooses to be governed, a direct critique of President Joe Biden, who has voiced concerns about a contentious Israeli government plan to overhaul the country's judiciary.

DeSantis began his multi-country trip in Japan and then traveled to South Korea. After Israel, he heads to Britain.

Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel.
The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group said he had been joking when he offered to suspend artillery fire on Ukrainian forces in besieged Bakhmut.

Wagner has been spearheading Russia's assault on the Ukrainian city since last summer in the longest and bloodiest battle of the war, but Ukrainian forces have so far thwarted its attempts to take full control.

Yevgeny Prigozhin said in an audio message: A decision has been taken to suspend artillery fire so that American journalists can safely film Bakhmut and go home.
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Google has updated it's aerial maps of Ukraine for the first time since the start of Russia's attack - with images now revealing the full scale of devastation.

The contrast is stark in Mariupol. The city of was a centre of industry, producing steel and other metals but since the February 2022 invasion has come under siege from Russian troops and is now occupied by Vladimir Putins forces.

Old Maruipol was disembowelled by its occupiers, with the UN estimating that 90 per cent of residential buildings were damaged or destroyed in the bombardment.

Here, The Independent looks at some of the most striking examples from Google Earth.

Mariupol Drama Theatre

Mariupol Drama Theatre, Mariupol, 2020 (Google Earth)

Mariupol Drama Theatre, Mariupol, 2022 (Google Maps)

Fourteen months have passed since the war began, yet the Russian airstrike on the theatre being used as a bomb shelter in Mariupol last March stands out as the single deadliest known attack against civilians.

The Associated Press found evidence that the attack was far more fatal than estimated, killing closer to 600 people  almost double the current estimates.

By December, videos posted on both Ukrainian and Russian websites showed heavy equipment taking down much of the theatre, leaving just the front facade intact.

The Mariupol Theatre no longer exists, Ukrainian culture minister Oleksandr Tkachenko wrote on Facebook at the time. The occupiers are removing traces of their crimes and couldnt care less whether this is cultural heritage or whether it belongs to another culture.

Google Maps captures the inside of the theatre, gutted by strikes, the roof having caved in.

Maternity Hospital

Maternity Hospital, Mariupol, 2020 (Google Earth)

Maternity Hospital, Mariupol, 2022 (Google Maps)

Just days before the theatre bombing, Russian forces launched a fierce attack on a maternity hospital in the beleagured city.

A wounded pregnant woman  immortalised in a photograph being transported from the hospital on a stretcher  died along with her baby.

Iryna Kalinina, 32, died half an hour after giving birth, according to The World Press Photo website. Her baby  named Miron after the word for peace  was stillborn.

Russian officials claimed at the time that the maternity hospital had been taken over by Ukrainian extremists to use as a base, and that no patients or medics were left inside.

The satellite capture of the hospital illustrates the scale of the devastation. A large section of the building is shown to have crumbled, leaving behind a snarl of ruptured beams and rubble.

Neptun swimming pool

Neptun Swimming Pool, Mariupol, 2020 (Google Earth)

Neptun Swimming Pool, Mariupol, 2022 (Google Maps)

A public pool in Mariupol also fell foul to a vicious Russian stike, blowing a gaping hole in its roof, as shown on Google Maps.

According to the Kyiv Independent, civilians had been sheltering in the Neptune pool. Reports later emerged that children and pregnant women were trapped in the rubble.

The pool is located just 2.5 miles north from of the bombed-out theatre.

PortCity shopping centre

PortCity shopping centre, Mariupol, 2020 (Google Earth)

PortCity shopping centre, Mariupol, 2022 (Google Maps)

Google Maps satellite images capture the heavy damage done to Mariupols Portcity shopping mall.

Drone footage also captured the devastation to the store which, scorched by airstrikes, is now completely unrecognisable.

The European Council of Shopping Places named the store as one of seven of those most affected during the war, alongside Nikolsky and Karavan (Kharkiv), Retroville (Kyiv), and Fabrika (Kherson).

School of Arts

School of Arts, Mariupol, 2020 (Google Earth )

School of Arts, Mariupol, 2022 (Google Maps)

Ukraines authorities announced on 20 March last year that Russian troops had bombed an art school where about 400 people were sheltering.

The citys administration said many of those sheltering in the school were women, children and elderly.

At the time, the council estimated that 130 people were rescued, but worried many more could remain under the debris.

Kuindzhi Art Museum

Kuindzhi Art Museum, Mariupol, 2020 (Google Earth)

Kuindzhi Art Museum, Mariupol, 2022 (Google Maps)

An art museum, dedicated to the life and works of 19th century artist Arkhip Kuindzhi, a former Mariupol resident, was destroyed by an airstrike on 21 March 2022.

According to the head of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, the painters original work were not in the museum at the time of the shelling.
A police officer who defected to Russia was killed in an explosion in the occupied Ukrainian city of Melitopol on Thursday.

Oleksandr Mishchenko succumbed to his grievous injuries after an improvised device exploded at the entrance to the block where he lived.

Mishchenko used to head the police department in Melitopol but reportedly shifted his allegiance after Vladimir Putin's forces captured the city following Russia's unprovoked invasion that began in February last year.
Pope Francis has warned of the dangers of rising nationalism in Europe, and told the Hungarian government that accepting migrants, as the rest of the continent does, would be a true sign of Christianity.

At the start of a three-day trip to Hungary, the pontiff made a hard-hitting speech to government leaders including the prime minister, Viktor Orban, who has had a series of run-ins with the European Union. Francis urged a rejection of self-referential forms of populism and strictly nationalist interests.

The Pope also called for a return to the European soul envisioned by those who had laid the groundwork for modern Europe after the Second World War, saying nations had to look beyond national boundaries.
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Russian forces have been erecting dragons teeth defensive barricades in areas of Ukraine they control, in anticipation of an imminent counteroffensive by Kyiv, according to the latest satellite imagery of the warzone.

The defensive obstacles, pyramid-shaped concrete shards also nicknamed devils teeth for their resemblance to a fanged jawline, can be seen running between anti-tank ditches and troop-manned trenches from western Russia through eastern Ukraine towards Crimea, in aerial imagery recorded by Capella Space, Reuters reports.

The layered, zig-zagging lines are intended to make life as difficult as possible for any oncoming Ukrainian forces, as Russia seeks to protect the territory it has seized.

The digging work appears to have been carried out since Russian soldiers were driven out of Kherson in November, representing an attempt to secure its existing gains and bed down in a reversion to Soviet-era attrition tactics.

The images reveal that Russian positions are currently primarily concentrated in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, in the east and around the Crimean Peninsula, which Vladimir Putins government annexed in 2014  a move condemned as illegal by the international community  and which has provided his forces with a crucial strategic foothold from which to hammer Ukraine with long-range missiles throughout the conflict.

Towns of potential strategic importance like Polohy, Tokmak and Bilmak can also be seen surrounded by a network of defensive fortifications, which one expert has suggested might stretch as far as 75 miles (120km).

Ukraines pushback against Russias invasion has been long-forecast and the country has received a considerable amount of tanks, military vehicles and armaments from its Western allies in recent months.

Oleg Musiyenko, a military analyst based in the country, told Reuters he estimated Kyiv has as many as 110,000 soldiers to commit to an attack, including eight assault brigades comprising a total of 40,000 troops.

Regaining territory in the countrys south would be a major win for Ukraine that would allow it to once more control exports across the Black Sea, a key route for its grain shipments that Russia has threatened to shutter, and to restart the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which can meet one-fifth of Ukraines electricity needs but has stood idle since September.

A close-up view of dragons teeth placed in Medvedivka in Crimea in February (Maxar Technologies)

However, in addition to Russias man-made barriers  and minefields, razor wire and camouflaged weapons nests  there is also the formidable Dnipro River. Ukraines forces are said to have recently started conducting raids across the river to dislodge Russian troops ahead of the expected offensive.

Russias dragons teeth defences, intended to stop such an advance, are part of its arsenal of intimidatingly-named tools of war (see also the Satan II hypersonic missile) but have been used around the world and actually date back at least to the Second World War, when they were extensively used by the German army along the Siegfried Line and Atlantic Wall and were known to the Nazis as drachenzahne.

Back in October, the Wagner Group of mercenaries were reported to be building similar barriers outside the occupied town of Hirske in the Luhansk Oblast, which Russian media obligingly christened the Wagner Line.

Their use has also been reported outside of the Ukrainian arena of war, with Poland announcing their construction in March as a means of fortifying its border with Belarus, led by Putin ally Alexander Lukashenko.
 Close WATCH: Ukrainian soldiers get targeted by rockets near Bakhmut

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Vladimir Putin could face arrest if he attends a meeting of leading economies in South Africa in August.

The countrys authorities reportedly say they would be compelled to detain the Russian leader if he took part in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) summit after a warrant for his arrest was issued in March by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

South Africas Sunday Times newspaper, citing sources in the nations government, said that a special commission had been established by president Cyril Ramaphosa to look into the arrest warrant.

It concluded that South Africa would have no option but to arrest Mr Putin if he set foot in the country, a source said.

In other news, the Russian military has suffered 100,000 casualties, comprising deaths and injuries, in the last five months in its continuing invasion of Ukraine, the White House said, concluding Vladimir Putins winter offensive in the Donbas as a failure.

The figure, based on US intelligence estimates, includes more than 20,000 deaths.
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A man suspected of fathering between 500 and 600 children was ordered by a court to stop donating to sperm banks on Friday.

The Dutch court also ordered the man to contact sperm banks abroad and request that they destroy any of his semen they still have in stock.

Should he donate any more sperm the man could be fined 100,000 each time he breaks the court order.

The civil case was brought by the mother of a child conceived with the donor's sperm and the Donorkind Foundation, a Dutch organisation which supports donor children, representing other families with children conceived with Meijers donations.

The mother, identified by the foundation only as Eva, said: I hope this ruling leads to a ban on mass donation and spreads like an oil slick to other countries.

We must stand hand in hand around our children and protect them against this injustice.

The judge who heard the civil case said the donor "deliberately lied about this in order to persuade the parents to take him as a donor".

All these parents are now confronted with the fact that the children in their family are part of a huge kinship network, with hundreds of half-siblings, which they did not choose, the court said.

This has or could possibly have negative psychosocial consequences for the children.

The case first came to public attention in 2017 when the Dutch Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology banned him from donating any more sperm.

Under Dutch rules donors are not supposed to father more than twenty-five children or impregnate more than twelve mothers. The aim is to avoid the donor children facing issues such as psychological distress or accidental inbreeding.

Despite the ban the 41-year-old continued to donate to overseas sperm banks. One recipient included the Danish sperm bank Cryos which operates internationally.

Pleas from DonorKind and some of the mothers of the children were met with refusal, said Mark de Hek, the lawyer representing the foundation, speaking to The Times last month. This left them feeling like legal action was the only option.

The Netherlands is now considering creating a national register of sperm donors after several similair cases.
Ukraine has said it is concluding its preparations for a huge ground assault to try and reclaim land seized by Russia after Moscow launched its first large-scale missile assault in weeks that killed at least 25 people.

The Ukrainian defence minister, Oleskii Reznikov, said that weapons received from the West will help his country use an iron fist to punch through Russian lines, as Kyiv seeks to reclaim the near one-fifth of the country Moscow occupies. As soon as there is Gods will, the weather and a decision by commanders, we will do it, Mr Reznikov told an online news briefing, adding that Ukraines military is to a high percentage ready for the counteroffensive.

The war is approaching a critical juncture after a months-long Russian winter offensive gained little ground despite some of the bloodiest fighting of the 14-month invasion, particularly around the eastern town of Bakhmut. Kyiv is preparing an attack using hundreds of tanks and armoured vehicles sent by the West as it looks to retake territory in the south and the east that Moscow holds or has claimed to have annexed.
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Palestinian evacuees from Sudan arrived in Gaza on Friday, 28 April.

People made the journey to the Rafah Border Crossing, located on the GazaEgypt border, after fleeing the conflict.

Thousands of people have been evacuated from Sudan in recent days after intense fighting erupted.

The conflict has erupted over tensions stemming from a transition from military to civilian rule after a 2021 coup.

According to Sudanese and international NGOs, at least 420 people have died in the fighting, including 264 civilians, but the true total could be higher.

A Palestinian medic, who has survived numerous wars growing up in the Gaza Strip, was evacuated on Tuesday.

Khamis Jouda told Reuters he had experienced nothing like the violence he saw in Khartoum this month.

It looked ugly and it doesnt seem to be ending anytime soon. We pray for Sudan, he said.

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A strange Russian inspector spacecraft appears to be stalking a confidential US military satellite, experts have pointed out.

The Russian satellite Kosmos-2558, launched in August last year, has frequently come close to the American military satellite USA-326, which the Pentagon said is meant to gather intelligence via overhead reconnaissance.

Space observers have flagged Kosmos-2558 as an inspector satellite capable of moving close to other satellites and gathering data.

Orbiting Earth in the same plane but at different speeds, the Russian satellite has been able to pass beneath USA-326.

When Kosmos-2558 was launched in August 2022, it was placed in almost the same orbit as the classified US reconnaissance satellite, Space.com noted.

In March, observers reported Kosmos-2558 performing an orbit-raising maneuver to reach an inclination of about 35km below USA-326.

In the latest development amid this cat-and-mouse chase, the US satellite appears to have made its first jump to a higher orbit away from Kosmos-2558, Insider reported, citing astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell.

The Russian satellite was approaching USA-326 for a close pass of about 30km on 7 April, but after the latters orbit change, the shortest distance between the two increased to 45km, space observer Nico Janssen noted.

This is not the first time US and Russian satellites have engaged in such manoeuvers.

In 2020, another Russian spacecraft, Kosmos-2542, made several approaches close to the US optical intelligence satellite USA-245.

The US has frequently condemned Russias irresponsible activities in orbit.

US vice president Kamala Harris voiced concerns last year over Russian missile tests to take out their own satellites, calling such moves reckless and irresponsible as they could put other space missions in danger.

In 2018, the US also condemned Russias launch of a mysterious satellite that appeared to have a space apparatus inspector and exhibiting very abnormal behaviour.

A US Space Force general also warned Russian and Chinese spacecraft could attack US satellites with lasers and jammers.
King Charles III will be crowned during his coronation on May 6.

Ahead of the big event, Anna Whitehouse, professor of Modern Monarchy at City University, answers the publics burning questions about the monarchy and the coronation.

Professor Whitehouse addresses how much the coronation will cost UK taxpayers, how popular King Charles is amongst the public, whether the monarchy still reflects the country it represents and if the Kings coronation will have anywhere near the same impact as Queen Elizabeth II's funeral.

Watch more You Ask The Questions on Independent TV, mobile devices and connected TV.
Detectives investigating the murder of a pregnant teacher believe they have discovered the body of her missing partner.

Police Scotland has been hunting for David Yates, 36, in connection with the death of Marelle Sturrock at her Glasgow home on Tuesday morning.

The 35-year-old was 29 weeks pregnant. Her unborn baby did not survive.

While the body is yet to be formally identified, police believe it is that of Yates.

The discovery comes after an extensive search of Mugdock County Park, around nine miles from Ms Sturrocks home.

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Climate activists were dragged away by police after coating the Scottish parliament in paint.

Protesters from This Is Rigged were filmed outside Holyrood as red marks were splashed over the wall.

Police confirmed that two people, aged 26 and 23, were arrested and charged in connection with vandalism and a breach of the peace.

The group said the protest was to call attention to our governments criminal inaction on the climate crisis. This summer, we will shut down Scotlands oil industry until our demands are met, they vowed.

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In August 1955, 21-year-old Carolyn Bryant Donham accused 14-year-old Emmett Till of whistling at her, making a sexually suggestive remark towards her, and grabbing her by the waist at a general store in Money, Mississippi.

Shortly thereafter, Donhams husband Roy Bryant and his friend J W Milam kidnapped and brutally beat Emmett, a child. Then they shot him in the head and tossed his body into the Tallahatchie River.

Emmetts mother, Mamie Till, chose to have an open casket at the funeral, so the world could see her sons body and bear witness to the brutality of her sons murderers. This moment served as a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement.

Bryant and Milham were acquitted of murder by an all-white jury, despite going on to admit to the killing in a 1956 interview with Look magazine. At that trial, Donham described Tills actions toward her as sexually aggressive. More than 50 years later, Donham confessed to Duke University historian Timothy B Tyson that she had perjured herself on the witness stand to make Emmetts conduct sound more threatening than it actually was. Tyson featured the interview in his book, The Blood of Emmett Till.

In a statement after Donhams death, Tyson said: 68 years ago, there was the unspeakable murder of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black boy from Chicago. It has comforted America to see this as a story about monsters, her one of them. But the truth is what was unspeakable was the American social order that did nothing about Emmett Till or thousands more like him.

I saw a lot of celebration online about Carolyn Bryant Donhams death. A few might find that crass, though many Black folks were clear that they felt they now had one less monster to worry about.

Last year, a team working on behalf of Tills relatives searched the basement of a Mississippi courthouse for evidence about the lynching of a Black teenager. They found an unserved warrant for the arrest of Carolyn Bryant Donham  identified as Mrs. Roy Bryant on the document reportedly discovered inside a file folder.

Seventy years later, Tills family members wanted it to be finally served.

Serve it and charge her, Teri Watts told the Associated Press in an interview.

When it was first revealed that she perjured herself years ago, there were calls for authorities to reopen the investigation. The Department of Justice did sotwice: Once in 2007 and once in 2018. Each reopening resulted in no charges. Each time we were told that authorities could not prove Donham had lied. When questioned directly, Donham reportedly denied to investigators that she had recanted her testimony.

In spite of the old warrant discovery and renewed calls for justice last August, a grand jury in Leflore County, Mississippi, declined to indict Donham after deciding there was insufficient evidence to bring charges of kidnapping and manslaughter.

I dont fault folks for finding some nominal relief in Donham being gone. Do a TikTok dance on her grave for all I care. But Im frustrated all the same that she got to live that long without any retribution for her actions, when Emmett Till only got to live to the tender age of 14.

In an interview with The Black Wall Street Times, Tills cousin, Joshua Harris-Till, said: Carolyns death does not bring my family closure or justice, because death can never provide justice owed. Carolyn was simply evidence of the much bigger issue, now the only issue, which is the fact that the justice system is not just.

It didnt care about Emmett 68 years ago and, with the release of so many officers whove killed unarmed Black and Brown people, were reminded that it doesnt care now.

One less monster being gone is not comforting when the world she leaves behind is not all that different from what made her an infamous presence in it.
The company has faced protests in Colombia and, on Friday, outside its AGM in Dublin

Irish packaging giant Smurfit Kappa is in an independently mediated dialogue with indigenous communities in Colombia to try to resolve a land dispute.

The dialogue has been ongoing since December 2022, the firm announced, and has been meaningful and constructive so far.

Close to 50 campaigners gathered outside the companys annual general meeting (AGM) in Dublin on Friday to protest the planting of non-native trees in the Cauca region in south-western Colombia  which they say damages soil and harms native plants and animals  and to ask Smurfit Kappa to hand back the disputed land.

Chief executive Tony Smurfit said the claim by indigenous communities to the land was without merit.

This is an issue that has come and gone in our company for years, he told reporters after the meeting. We have an absolute right to the land that we have, but we are prepared to negotiate and mediate with them. We are engaging with them and we will see where it leads. Thats what mediation is.

He said the AGM was not the forum to engage with people who have a particular vested interest. Smurfit Kappa, which has operated in Colombia since 1944, said local communities in the country caused damage to its forestry after unlawful invasions in 2021.

Alys Samson Estape, a campaigner with environmental watchdog Eko who travelled to Dublin for the protest, said the company should hand back the lands.

An Irish company should not be operating on indigenous land, should not be one of the biggest landowners in the Cauca and should not be damaging the planet, she told the Irish Independent.

The Misak, Nasa and Campesino people in the Cauca region of Colombia say their ancestral lands coincide with where the company is currently operating.

Shareholders at the meeting heard chants of Smurfit Kappa, Leave the Cauca as they were being informed of the groups strong first-quarter performance.

Operating profits at the group rose to 412m in the first three months of the year, up 17pc compared with the same period in 2022.

In a trading update on Friday, the group reported earnings before interest tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) of 579m, up 13pc on the the first three months of last year.

Smurfit Kappas Ebitda margin was 19.3pc, up from 17pc in the first quarter of 2022.

Basic earnings per share also rose 5pc on last year, to 93.8 cent.

Smurfit Kappa finalised its exit from Russia in the period, selling three plants in Moscow and St Petersburg to local management. It booked a loss of less than 150m on the exit, with Mr Smurfit saying that the decision to leave was a moral one.

We absolutely reject Russias invasion of Ukraine, he said.

He said the firm got out just in time and didnt have to pay the Russian government anything to exit the country. He said he would consider going back in if Russia reopens to the world.

We never say never. It was a very good market for us.
Its a tricky film to hate, but a difficult one to love

It brings me no joy to report that David Lowerys long-awaited handling of a treasured childrens story appears to have fallen in on itself.

Few among us will blame the guy for trying. Lest we forget, it wasnt all that long ago the Texan filmmaker crafted a superlative, live-action thing of wonder from a largely unloved cartoon hybrid from the 1970s.

Indeed, Lowerys Petes Dragonis a thing of beauty, a tremendous, thoughtful venture about a young orphan raised in the woods by a lumbering, loveable fire-breather.

Peter Pan & Wendy is inclusive and diverse, with a likeable young cast at its centre

Cool, clever yet undeniably wholesome, the film ranks among the finest family features of the 21st century  and for that reason alone we approached Lowerys buzzy Peter Pancover with a great deal of excitement.

Some called it a passion project. Others will have their concern about that Disney+ release. Does Peter Pan & Wendybelong in cinemas? Probably.

But we dont make those calls, and besides, perhaps a streaming launch is a blessing in disguise. Lowerys film will no doubt find an audience, but there is something inherently off about this chilly, live-action rendering of the JM Barrie classic.

The Jolly Roger takes flight in 'Peter Pan & Wendy'   DISNEY

We begin, as always, in the Darling household in London, where young Wendy (Ever Anderson) is about to be shipped off to boarding school. Hardly ideal, but dad George (Alan Tudyk) and mum Mary (Molly Parker) have made up their minds.

Its time to grow up, says George, who scolds Wendy and her brothers for indulging in playful bedtime stories about pirates and brave young warriors in faraway magical lands. No sooner has everyone gone to bed  when suddenly a flying adventurer crash-lands in Wendys bedroom.

The lad calls himself Peter Pan (Alexander Molony) and he seems to have misplaced his shadow. If she helps him find it, hell be more than happy to escort Wendy and her siblings to the enchanting, dream-like destination of Neverland  where nothing is impossible.

Pans teeny sidekick Tinker Bell (Yara Shahidi) has her concerns, but theyll have to wait.

A breezy voyage ensues, but its not all fairydust and happy thoughts.

JM Barries novel was deeply problematic. So, too, was the Disney cartoon

Wendy and her clan have only just arrived in Neverland when, out of nowhere, theyre attacked by a band of dastardly pirates  chief among them the awful Captain Hook (Jude Law), who has a bone to pick with our cocky protagonist.

For a start, young Peter sliced off one of Hooks hands during a violent duel, and now the pirate wants his revenge. Oh, and theres a nasty crocodile in the mix, too. We probably dont need to explain the rest.

A noisy reimagining of the 1953 animation, Peter Pan & Wendydoesnt mess about. With just 106 minutes on the clock, it cant afford to. And yet, it seems a little unsure of itself.

Lowerys scattershot screenplay  co-assembled by Toby Halbrooks  tinkers with the source material, and with good reason. Barries novel was deeply problematic. So, too, was the Disney cartoon.

Its a minor miracle, then, that everyone involved managed to deliver a successful clean-up job that thankfully eschews the racist, sexist undertones of the original. This new Peter Panis inclusive and diverse  a well-intentioned display, with a likeable young cast at its centre.

Jude Law as Captain Hook

Every now and then, it looks as though it might soar. Its a tricky film to hate, but a difficult one to love  and though I admire the ideas and the ambition, Lowerys Peter Panfeels rushed and cobbled together, like a copy of someone elses work. Technically, thats sort of what it is.

Like so many other live-action Disney remakes, this one is miserable to look at, grey and gloomy and curiously light on thrills and humour. Petes Dragonwas Spielbergian in both tone and presentation. In contrast, this rickety, rigid display often resembles a run-of-the-mill TV movie.

I spent half its run time willing it to be better, the other half wondering why it wasnt.

The effects arent all that special (for whatever reason, flying kids just look silly) and the fight sequences are a mess. And then theres the Jude Law Hook problem.

One must never portray the captain with a straight face. Alas, Laws Hook is both peculiar and putrid  a witless, pointless villain in a creaky, choppy film.

Mr Barries enduring bedtime yarn is ripe for an awesome cinematic adaptation. Sadly, this isnt it.
No subject too indecent and no individual too pathetic was the programmes motto

Jerry Springer, who has died aged 79, brought to the worlds TV screens a side of America rarely seen in films and probably did more damage to the countrys reputation than any Leftist polemicist. In 2002 he became the subject of a notorious musical by Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee, in which the title character gets his comeuppance and is condemned to hell after being shot by a disgruntled assistant.

The Jerry Springer Show made its debut in 1991 and was originally syndicated as a serious talk show dealing with topical issues. But ratings were low, and under a new producer Springer headed for the depths of the worlds sleaze ocean.

By 1994, his programme had developed into a gladiatorial freak show on which the sad, the sick and the seethingly resentful were hauled from their trailer parks and encouraged to air personal grievances in front of a baying audience, with Springer playing the role of presiding Caesar, giving them his thumbs up or down in his Final Thought  a homily that purported to extract some homespun moral from the wreckage.

Participants in the programme were selected via a toll-free telephone line on which they would be asked questions such as Are you having an affair but feel that its your lovers fault youre cheating? Then press 1 Is someone trying to steal your lover and you want to confront them on the show? Press 2 Do you have an unusual lifestyle that shocks your friends and family? Press 3 Are you so obese that you can barely move or leave home? and so on.

US talk show host Jerry Springer dies aged 79

No subject too indecent, no individual too pathetic was the programmes motto.

The successful applicants would then have their life stories packaged on the programme under such headlines as I Married A Horse, Honey, I Hacked Off My Manhood, Im Pregnant By My Brother, They Stole My Husbands Eyes, Too Fat To Wipe or Honey, Im A Call Girl.

The producers would usually arrange for the  apparently ignorant  partners, family or friends of the subject to be confronted on live television with evidence of his or her moral turpitude. The show often ended with participants scratching at each others eyes or throwing chairs, egged on by the audiences chants of Jer-ry! Jer-ry!.

On-set security men  off-duty Chicago cops employed to wrestle the furious transsexuals, troilists and Klansmen to the floor  became integral to the show and had their own fan club.

Newspapers accused Springer of taking the dumbing-down of America to new depths, and the magazine TV Guide voted his show, which ended in 2018 after more than 4,000 episodes, the worst in history. Yet it won regular audiences of 25 million in the US, for a time ousting Oprah Winfrey as the countrys most-watched daytime programme.

It played to many millions more in the 40 countries to which it was syndicated, proving to producers around the world the human appetite for televised degradation and sleaze.

Springers notoriety spread even more widely in 2002 when Jerry Springer  The Opera was staged at the Edinburgh Festival and subsequently in Londons West End and on BBC2. The show (which Springer enjoyed, although he was not personally involved in it) provoked outrage among Christians for its depiction of Christ as gay, the Virgin Mary as a victim of divine rape and God the Father as an old fool who needs therapy. It consequently became a sell-out.

Gerald Norman Springer was born on February 13, 1944 in a London Underground station during a bombing raid and spent his early years in Hampstead, where his Jewish parents had moved after fleeing Nazi Germany.

When he was five, the family set sail for New York, where young Jerry grew up in the Irish-Italian Queens district. His background shaped his attitudes.

The Holocaust was fundamental in showing me what to take seriously, he said. If youve had an experience like that, then you dont take it very seriously when someone complains about a television show.

After Forest Hills High School, Springer took a degree in political science at Tulane University, then a Law degree at Northwestern University. After graduating, he worked as a presidential campaign aide to Robert F Kennedy. After Kennedys assassination, he joined a Cincinnati law firm.

In 1970, Springer ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat for a seat in the House of Representatives. The following year, he was elected to the Cincinnati city council, where one of his first acts was to steer through a bill making it illegal to draft young people from the city to serve in Vietnam.

His political career received a temporary setback when he was forced to resign in 1974 after it was revealed he had paid a prostitute with a personal cheque, discovered when police raided a massage parlour. A few days later he made a public apology, and the following year he was re-elected to the council as an independent. In 1977, he ran as a Democrat in a successful bid to be mayor of Cincinnati, becoming, aged 33, one of the countrys youngest mayors.

In 1982, having failed to win the Democratic nomination for governor of Ohio, Springer switched to broadcasting as a political reporter and commentator on Cincinnatis NBC affiliate WLWT-TV. Two years later, he became the stations anchor and managing editor and during the 1980s won seven local Emmy Awards for his nightly commentaries, the forerunner to the Final Thought section of his show.

Launched in 1991, The Jerry Springer Show featured guests including Colonel Oliver North and Jesse Jackson. But three years later it was taken to move downmarket. By the mid 1990s, 3,000 Americans a day were phoning to get on the show and Springer was earning the equivalent of nearly 800,000 an episode.

Springer regarded the show as a huge joke, but farce could turn to tragedy. On one occasion, a 15-year-old Florida boy told police he got the idea of sexually abusing his eight-year-old half-sister from watching The Jerry Springer Show, and on another, a guest was beaten to death shortly after a broadcast on which her husband told her of his intention to marry someone else.

While Springer made his living persuading ordinary people to air their dirty laundry, he remained coy about his own life. On one show, Springer declared that sex should be confined to loving couples in a special relationship.

It later emerged that the host had enjoyed a romp with a porn queen and her mother only hours before the programme in which they were berated. The incident is thought to have destroyed what was left of his marriage. Ironically, he blamed the fact that he had been taking Viagra as part of an attempt to get back with his wife.

In 2005, the popularity of repeated episodes of his American show and the publicity surrounding Jerry Springer: The Opera, persuaded ITV to sign Springer to host a  less violent  British version of his show. In an interview, he claimed he had expected British participants to be more sedate, but found them to be even noisier and more argumentative than Americans.

In later life, Springer toyed with the idea of running for office again. In 2004, the Ohio Democratic Party named him Democrat of the Year for his fundraising on behalf of the party and sent him as a delegate to the national convention for the presidential nomination. But he prudently decided his contractual obligation to his show would prevent him from resuming a political career.

Springer made a number of cameo appearances as himself in Hollywood films, including Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. He also cut a CD of country music, belting out such numbers as There Aint No Trash in my Trailer.
Radio review: Newstalks Kieran Cuddihy doesnt have the giant-sized personality of George Hook (for good and bad)

The Hard Shoulder host has his biases, as well all do, but generally makes a sincere effort to see both sides of the story

The Hard Shoulder host Kieran Cuddihy

Darragh McManus Fri 28 Apr 2023 at 03:30
Martin Kavanagh, Business Development Manager at Munster Bovine explains how to tell if your dairy herd is too thin, with the glance of an eye.

With breeding season now upon us, there are a few simple, tell-tail signs dairy farmers need to be on the look out for, which show your dairy cows aren't getting enough to eat, according to Martin Kavanagh, Business Development Manager at Munster Bovine.
There are now 11,988 people homeless in the State - the highest number ever recorded  the latest homelessness report from March has shown.

The Simon Community has said government must do more to tackle the ever-worsening crisis, as 3,472 children are now living in emergency accommodation in the country.

The figure is up from 11,742 in February and up by 2,163 people from the same time in 2022.

Close to 100 more children have entered homelessness in the past month in the State, Simons figures show.

The latest figures, another record high, are deeply upsetting, Wayne Stanley, Executive Director of the Simon Communities of Ireland, said.

The moratorium on evictions slowed entries into homelessness during the winter months, so we know this shocking number of 11,988 men, women and children in homeless emergency accommodation may have been even higher had the moratorium not been in place.

The Government has clearly made the decision that they are not returning to an eviction ban. That decision means they have, now more than ever, a duty to ensure there are the required safety nets and solutions in place. Effective actions, to begin turning the tide on homelessness, have to be the priority.

We know there is potential in the Tenant In-Situ scheme as a prevention measure and a commitment to see it ramped up. In addition to that, we need to see more homes secured and allocated to those experiencing the trauma of homelessness.

We know that some of this work is taking place and that is welcome, but Government action on homelessness has to be judged on results and these figures are evidence that not enough is being done, Mr Stanley said.

David Carroll, Chief Executive of Depaul, said we cant afford to underplay the human misery attached to this crisis and said many people are living in trepidation of whats to come.

There is a significant rise in referrals of single men who are working who have been asked to leave their property due to the landlord selling up and the lack of housing options available and affordable housing options for single people., Mr Carroll said.

The figures released today show that there were 1,639 families; 5,823 single adults; 3,472 children and 1,456 young adults aged between 18-24 now homeless within the state and living in emergency accommodation.

Housing charity Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan has called the numbers disgraceful and questioned how can this be allowed in Irish society.

He said Focus Ireland are getting calls and emails everyday from people who are facing no fault eviction and homelessness.

They are terrified and I really do not think the Government has spoken to people in this situation as if they had they would not have lifted the ban.

"One retired civil servant contacted us for help as she is facing eviction and terrified. We are working to support her, and she is just one of the many people contacting us.

"How can this be allowed to happen in our society? he asked. It is disgraceful and sadly we will see more of it.

A spokesperson for the charity wished to stress that the figures are for March only and do not yet reflect the impact of the lifting of the eviction ban on April 1.

"Focus Ireland warned that the real impact of lifting the eviction ban is yet to be felt, they said. Ending the ban is causing widespread fear in the rental sector for all the people facing eviction and many others who are not yet at risk.

The homeless figures released today show a 22 percent increase in homelessness on March of last year and a 32 percent rise in family homelessness, the charity said.

Social Democrats TD and housing spokesperson Cian OCallaghan has called on the Government to reinstate the no-fault evictions ban in light of the latest figures.

"The latest reports from the Residential Tenancies Board revealed there are more than 9,000 evictions due in the coming months, while there are virtually no homes available to rent, he said. The ban on no-fault evictions must be reinstated. It is never too late to reverse a bad decision.

In a statement today, Minister for Housing Darragh OBrien said: Unfortunately we have seen an increase in the numbers of people in emergency accommodation despite the Winter Eviction Moratorium still being in effect in March.

"The situation is very challenging but the Government, local authorities and those in our NGO sectors are working together and making every effort to reduce homelessness. Tackling this issue is a Government priority.

"Resources and funding for tackling homelessness are not an obstacle to the urgent work required to combat homelessness. Budget 2023 provided funding of over 215 million, an increase of 10% on last year, for the delivery of homeless services.

"This is ensuring that local authorities can not only provide emergency accommodation but also and crucially homeless prevention measures. It will also ensure they can support households to successfully exit homelessness into secure tenancies.

Dublin Simon say they are now seeing increased activity in their homelessness prevention services and experiencing a rise in enquiries from concerned tenants at risk of losing their homes.

"Single people account for almost half of the clients we work with in homelessness prevention and are especially vulnerable due to a lack of affordable and suitable accommodation. Additionally, barriers to accessing the Housing Assistance Payment are being reported on the ground, and some individuals are returning to our emergency services due to the lack of appropriate options for moving on from homelessness, Catherine Kenny, CEO of Dublin Simon Community, said.
MMA fighter Conor McGregor has agreed to buy the Porterhouse Brewery in Dublin, where one of his companys currently brews his Forged Irish Stout brand, Independent.ie understands.

According to sources, staff at the Porterhouse were told about the deal last week, which is subject to completing all legal requirements. The deal agreed between Porterhouse and McGregor for the brewery does not include any of its bars.

Independent.ie understands that the Porterhouse craft beer brand will continue to be brewed at the facility under contract.

The brewery currently has planning permission for a visitor centre, opening the possibility for McGregor to open a brand home at the Dublin site.

Forged Irish Stout was first brewed in late 2020 and for the last number of years has been available exclusively in McGregors The Black Forge pub in Crumlin, Co Dublin. An online store for the Forged brand has also appeared in recent months.

According to an announcement from UK-based press relations agency Radioactive, McGregor has scaled production through the purchase of his own brewery.

The announcement by Radioactive said McGregor is set to take on the stout category on both sides of the Irish Sea. He is planning a major launch for later this year in the UK, Ireland and North America. It added that the Forged Irish Stout would be available in British supermarket ASDA across the UK in June.

Cousins Liam LaHart and the late Oliver Hughes founded the Porterhouse Brewing Company in 1989, when they bought the first of their pubs on Bray seafront.

In 1996, the pair opened Dublins first brewpub, bringing on Peter Mosley as the head-brewer. Four years later, Porterhouse moved to a new sixty-barrel brewery in Blanchardstown, Co Dublin.

The company opened its current brewery in early 2018 in response to demand for its Porterhouse craft beer brand. The 120-barrel brewing facility is just off the Ballyboggan road in Glasnevin, Dublin 11.

The Forged Irish Stout brand has been brewed by Porterhouse under contract.

The move into the world of stout, which is dominated by Guinness, is not the first time McGregor has attempted to disrupt the alcohol sector.

In September 2018, McGregors Eire Born Spirits launched Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey. The brand claimed to have sold 200,000 cases in its first six months on the market.

In 2021, McGregor sold a majority stake in Proper No. Twelve Irish whiskey to Proximo Spirits in a deal reportedly worth up to $600m. Proximo, which also owns Jose Cuervo tequila and Bushmills whiskey, already had a 49pc stake in Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey.

At the time of writing, a representative for Forged Irish Stout had not responded to a request for comment.

Porterhouse declined to comment.
Music

Bruce Springsteen on his way to adopted Irish homeland  heres all you need to know about his three Dublin shows 18:00
Opposing defamation claims by journalists Eoghan Harris and Aoife Moore must be heard together, judge rules

Former Sunday Independent columnist Mr Harris had argued that his case should be heard separately in the Circuit Court

Eoghan Harris

Tim Healy Fri 28 Apr 2023 at 17:31






Gardai raided the prison cell of one of the countrys most notorious drug lords as part of an investigation into his role in a major seizure that occurred in south west Dublin last November while he was in prison.

Officers from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) carried out the raid of Barry Fowlers cell under warrant on Friday of last week.

Fowler, who is linked to the Kinahan cartel, is suspected of still controlling major drug trafficking operations from behind bars despite him currently serving a six-year jail sentence after he pleaded guilty last July to being in possession of 134,000 worth of cannabis on May 24, 2021.

Fowler (38) of Millbrook Lawns, Tallaght, was not arrested by detectives in the jail operation which has been described as an attempt at further intelligence gathering by gardai on the drug dealer, according to sources.

No contraband was discovered but sources said documentation was seized from Fowlers cell by detectives.

Senior sources say that Fowler is suspected of directing around three other criminals from prison in relation to a wide array of serious criminal activity.

He is one of a number of jailed gangsters linked to the Kinahan cartel who are suspected of continuing to be involved in drug dealing on the outside despite being in jail serving significant sentences.

Follow-up searches of Fowlers Mountjoy jail cell by prison officers this week after last Fridays garda raid also failed to yield anything of significance according to jail insiders.

Fowler is one of the countrys most notorious gangsters and he was previously convicted of being in possession of drugs and a submachine gun and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison.

He finished this sentence shortly before the 2021 bust occurred and he has close links to the Kinahan-aligned Paul Rice gang in Tallaght.

He also received a three-year sentence for dangerous driving causing the death of a teenager in 2005.

At his latest court appearance in July of last year, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that during a garda surveillance operation, Fowler was seen taking keys from a car before gardai approached him, and was seen attempting to discard the keys before being arrested.

Gardai searched the car and found 134,000 worth of cannabis in a bag.

The court heard Fowler said during a garda interview he was under threat by gangs, but a detective told the court he did not believe the accused in this regard.

Fowlers then partner Lorna Palmer (36) spent four months in jail before being given temporary release last August after being caught with almost 100,000 of crime cash when he was previously jailed for the drugs and firearms conviction in April 2017.

Last July, the couple lost more than 500,000 in cash and property.

Judge Alex Owens said in the High Court that Fowler and Palmer had been living high on the hog of criminal enterprise.

As a result of the case taken by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB), Palmer lost the battle to keep the house described as her last refuge.

Barry Fowler and Lorna Palmer

The judge ruled that a property in Co Wexford  which is in Palmers name  was bought with the proceeds of crime, while Fowler dropped his opposition to have 99,000 in cash seized by CAB.

Judge Owens said the pair were awash with cash and the evidence in court involved vast sums of money.

He described Fowler as a man of means with no means and that there was quite the degree of a luxury lifestyle.

Also included in the ruling were two jet skis and two mobile homes.

Fowlers close links to the leader of the Byrne Organised Crime Gang also emerged in court, which heard he had been seen driving a vehicle used by Liam Byrne which was later seized by CAB in a separate case.

Meanwhile drug squad gardai in Finglas have been involved in a prolonged investigation into the activities of two notorious brothers from the west Dublin suburb who are also suspected of controlling a separate drug dealing network from behind bars.

The Finglas brothers aged in their 30s and 20s are serving lengthy jail sentences for their role in a Kinahan cartel murder plot which happened at the height of their feud with the Hutch mob.

A recent seizure of over 400,000 worth of drugs during a number of searches in west Dublin has been linked to the jailed brothers drug trafficking network from behind bars.

Exact details of this cannot be outlined here for legal reasons as two men have been charged in relation to the seizures.
Suspect was released without charge this morning with a file being prepared for the DPP.

Detectives suspect a former investigator with the Garda watchdog passed on confidential information to the Hutch crime gang over a long period.

Detectives suspect a former investigator with the Garda watchdog passed on confidential information to the Hutch crime gang over a long period.

The matter was referred to An Garda Siochana, which has been carrying out inquiries into the mans dealings with associates of Gerry The Monk Hutch.

As part of the probe, gardai have examined devices used by the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) member.

They spoke with him earlier this week and are confident they know the extent of his interactions with members of the Hutch family.

A source said it is believed the man, who is in his 60s, had a relationship with associates of The Monk going back a long period of time.

Detectives suspect these interactions included the disclosure of confidential information obtained in his role at Gsoc. They arrested him yesterday morning and he was released without charge today.

Gardai will also attempt to bring criminal charges against the former investigator.

His attendance at that party was certainly not his first interaction with the Hutches, a source said. Gardai are confident they know the extent of this individuals engagement with the Hutch family and the investigation continues with an aim to prefer criminal charges in this matter.

The former Gsoc investigator quit last week after it emerged he attended a gathering with Hutch.

The Monk had only hours earlier been cleared by the Special Criminal Court of the Regency Hotel murder of David Byrne.

The National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) was asked this week to carry out inquiries into allegations that a GSOC investigator was at a gathering with Hutch.

Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch photographed after his release

The man was arrested and taken to a garda station in the east of the country and questioned on suspicion of an offence under Section 81 of the Garda Siochana Act 2005.Today gardai said he was released without charge and a file would go to the DPP.

This Act makes it an offence for a person working for or on behalf of Gsoc to disclose confidential information.

Justice Minister Simon Harris said yesterday that it showed the appropriateness of the decision for Gsoc to refer the matter to gardai.

I have said since first becoming aware of this that it was important that if theres any potential criminal wrongdoing that the only place for that to go in terms of an investigation was An Garda Siochana, he said.

I think what were now seeing is the gardai taking this seriously and applying the appropriate level of priority to this matter.

The former Gsoc employee, who has more than 40 years of policing experience with a force outside Europe, had access to sensitive information in his role.

He had also previously worked on the investigation into the death of Colm Fox, the detective superintendent who took his own life while overseeing the Regency probe.

The Monk (60) has remained in Dublin since his acquittal and has been regularly seen around the city.

On Wednesday, he was seen walking down a busy street in north-inner city Dublin carrying shopping bags despite remaining under threat from the Kinahan cartel.

Yesterday, gardai investigating the murder of his older brother, Eddie Neddy Hutch, arrested a man in his 40s as part of the inquiry.

The 58-year-old was shot dead outside his inner-city home three days after the Regency murder in 2016.

The suspect in custody is being detained under provisions relating to murder with a firearm and can be held for up to seven days.
However he said that the reality was more complex

Former chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan has questioned the increasing amount of funding going to providing very expensive treatments to patients in an advanced stage of illness who are well into their last year of life while knowing they may be have limited or no benefit.

Dr Holohan, was making his first major address since he stepped down from his post last July.

He also criticised hospitals which fail to report doctors harming patients and insisted there were no simple solutions to the complex difficulties of the Covid pandemic.

As the countrys former top guardian of public health he expressed concern at the inequities in society which still exist in this country with higher levels of preventable illness and less access among less well-off .

Tackling these inequities is key and there needs to be a fair distribution of resources, he told the Royal College of Surgeons Medical Professionalism Conference.

Referring to the expensive treatments at end-of-life he said: Often an honest conversation has not taken place which provides a clear understanding for the patient that these treatments are likely to be of limited or any benefit.

Dr Holohan also criticised hospitals and other health providers for a failure to report doctors who are causing harm to patients.

There is also a responsibility on other doctors in these situations, he told the gathering of medics.

He said an analysis by the Medical Council, the regulatory body for doctors, showed it is quite unusual for a health service organisation in this country to become a complainant to the doctors watchdog against one of their medics.

Only a hospital or health service provider can create an evidence basis for a complaint to the Medical Council for poor professional performance where there is a pattern of behaviour.

The established culture of not making a complaint makes little sense in a modern understanding of patient safety, he said.

Accepting responsibility means everyone accepts the professional obligation to do what we can to influence safety and quality for the services we provide, manager, provide or oversee.

Doctors also need to lead by example  with the accountability that our patient is entitled to and expects from us, he added.

It is accepted that the delivery of healthcare is imperfect and things will go wrong, he said.

The current adversarial system contributes to blame and fear. It can be an impediment to learning and doctors can be defensive and risk- averse.

It should never be the case that people feel they need to go the media first to highlight their case, he said.

Also, the role of the media should evolve from being responsive to a deeper understanding of problems and solutions.

He said he had given over most of his career to public health, leaving his training as a GP, to look at instead at policy, health inequalities and disease patterns which he felt less able to influence as a family doctor.

Referring to the pandemic he said his aim and that of his team at the beginning with no vaccine was to influence public behaviour to slow down the speed at which Covid was transmitted through human behaviour.

It was a case of buying time until science came up with some developments .

He said no pandemic plan could have predicted what was seen in the last two years or more.

There were various suggestions put forward by scientists and the media, often simple seductive solutions, but there was no silver bullet.

The reality was far more complex, he added.

We would all have loved to find a silver bullet to allow us return to how things were, avoiding health and wide impacts that came from the illness itself and the consequences, planned and unplanned, of measures put in place but the reality was more complex.

Asked what is view was on the decision to relax the face mask mandate in hospitals and other health institutions recently Dr Holohan replied he has great confidence in those making decisions.

Asked what he coped with being Dr Tony appearing at daily pandemic briefings, which were televised daily, giving bad news or not having all the answers he said: At one level you do what you have to do.

You have a good understanding of these issues. Covid was new, but our basic training as public health physicians helped us. I was not alone. I had a very good team around me.

They had formal and informal connection to the European Centre for Disease Control and the World Health Organisation.

We believed in what we were doing.

The only tool they had was trust on behalf of the public and they knew communication was important around buy in and behaviour change.

There was no master plan. We simply got on with it.

All he saw at press conferences were a group of people spread out from one another and he did not get home to watch the television screen.

Dr Holohan did not comment on the recent report on his botched plan to be seconded as a professor in Trinity College.
Only 27pc of healthcare workers have so far received their second booster vaccine, the HSEs national lead on vaccination Eileen Whelan told RTE Radio Ones Morning Ireland today

Healthcare workers are being urged to get their Covid-19 booster vaccine after a disappointing uptake of the second booster dose.

Only 27pc of healthcare workers have so far received their second booster vaccine, the HSEs national lead of the Covid-19 vaccination programme Eileen Whelan told RTE Radio Ones Morning Ireland today.

She said the slow uptake was disappointing in the autumn and winter when Covid-19 cases were rising and there were high numbers of patients in hospital that had tested positive for Covid-19.

Ms Whelan was speaking as the announcement of the Spring Covid-19 booster vaccine programme was made today.

People aged 70 and older, residents of long-term care facilities and people aged five and older with a weak immune system are being encouraged to receive their next booster vaccine.

By getting this dose in May, they will be able to receive another booster in the autumn along with their flu vaccine.

Ms Whelan said: It's really important that healthcare workers boost their immunity because they're more at risk of getting infected, because they're working in an environment where there is high numbers of people with Covid cases.

"So it's important that healthcare workers protect themselves, but also that they protect the vulnerable patients in their care.

We have looked into the reasons why that happened and though 77,000 people have received their Covid 19 vaccine, we see that 140,000 health care workers got their flu vaccine. So the question is, why would there be a difference with health care workers getting one versus the other?

Ms Whelan said a potential explanation was that at any point in time, around 12pc of healthcare workers were testing positive for Covid-19 which might exclude them from getting their booster dose.

She said this number was potentially higher  up to 25pc  during some time periods.

"We have engaged with healthcare workers because of the high importance of this, and it's going to be really important next autumn [and] winter that all healthcare workers avail of the booster.

Ms Whelan said some reluctance to get the dose could be due to people feeling as if there is less worry and less fear around Covid now that strains seem less virulent.

Despite this, there are 226 Covid-positive patients in hospital at present.

So it's really important that healthcare workers protect not just themselves, but the people around them, she said.
There is growing speculation that Leaving Cert students will get their results in August, although not as early as the traditional mid-month date.

The State Examinations Commission (SEC) is under increasing pressure to avoid a September release, as has happened for the past three years.

Several factors have contributed to the results delays, and SEC chief executive officer Andrea Feeney said yesterday they could not take any shortcuts in the marking process if the integrity of the exams was to be upheld.

Education Minister Norma Foley previously said that the SECs best estimate was for an early September release and there has been no update since.

However, speculation has heightened that the results will issue in August, even if its late in that month.

Education Minister Norma Foley would not comment today on potential August release date but said in her ongoing engagement with the SEC on the matter it is my expressed view that it should be in the August timeframe.

She said the SEC was doing all it could to secure that and she hoped there would be an announcement on the results date sooner rather than later.

A delay in issuing results means a late college start for first years and the higher education sector has expressed concern about the effect of a shortened first term on new college entrants.

It also means that first years are last in line in the scramble for accommodation in an already tight rental market.

Challenges in recruiting examiners is one reason for the delay in signing off on the Leaving Cert results, which, prior to Covid, issued in mid-August.

In 2020 and 2021, results were delayed until September 7 and September 3 respectively because of the exceptional Leaving Cert arrangements brought on by the Covid pandemic , when teachers were involved in grading students.

While there was a return to normal Leaving Cert in 2022, a commitment that grades overall would be no lower than in 2021 was the prime reason for a delay in issuing results, until September 2

The commitment was given so as not to disadvantage candidates in the points race for college entry against school-leavers from 2020 and 2021, and that required a post-marking adjustment to grades.

This year, grades overall will fall and Ms Foley has pledged that it wont be a cliff edge drop, and that post-marking adjustment will be employed.

A second sitting of the Leaving Cert in July has become established since 2019, and this is also a contributory factor in delayed results.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Joint Managerial Body (JMB), representing post-primary schools in the voluntary secondary sector  generally those traditionally run by the religious  Ms Foley looked ahead to plans to reform senior cycle.

She said while there are many strengths to the present Leaving Certificate, there are also ways in which it risks failing to prepare Irish students for the world in which they will live, work, and make their vital contributions.

Ms Foley gave an example of how artificial intelligence (AI) would change the world of work and said recent developments in AI make this only more pressing and relevant.

Last week, I read a New York Times article setting out the ways in which 35 New York Times readers are already using AI in their daily lives, from using it to summarise scientific articles to quickly generating designs for new machinery parts, Ms Foley said.

This is no longer a distant reality but instead a very real force which we must reckon with for the sake of our children and young people.
When Lord Louis Mountbatten  great-uncle and mentor to Britains King Charles  was murdered along with three others in a bomb attack in Sligo in August 1979, Sinn Feins propaganda sheet An Phoblacht struck a really vicious tone in vaunting the murders.
A man in his 20s has died after a drowning accident, which saw several people in difficulty in the water.

The young man was swimming in Whiting Bay, Ardmore, Co Waterford, this afternoon along with several others.

He was airlifted to Cork University Hospital (CUH) but was pronounced dead.

A Garda spokesperson said that around 1.30pm a report was received: that a number of individuals had gotten into difficulty while swimming.

The spokespersons added: The Coast Guard removed three people from the water. One of these individuals, a man aged in his early 20s, was taken by air ambulance to Cork University Hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.

No other injuries have been reported at this time. A file will be prepared for the coroner.

Gardai and emergency services responded to the incident and Irish Coast Guard rescue helicopter 117 was dispatched from Waterford.

Ardmore and Youghal coastguard units, along with Youghal RNLI also participated in the operation.
Tanaiste accuses PBP TD Paul Murphy of weaponising Sipo with complaint to ethics watchdog over junior minister Niall Collins land dealNUJ hits out at Tanaistes use of Dail privilege to attack the Ditch website that published allegations

Chay Bowes, one of the backers of news website the Ditch, has hit out at utterly baseless conspiracy theories around questions of Russian involvement in the site.

The comments follow suggestions made by Tanaiste Micheal Martin, after the website published allegations about Fianna Fail Minister of State Niall Collins. When asked why Mr Collins did not have to face Dail questions on the sale of local authority land to his wife Dr Eimear OConnor, the Fianna Fail leader launched an unprecedented attack on the website that published details of the land deal at the centre of the controversy.

Mr Martin said he did not believe the website was an independent media organisation, and raised questions about the involvement of businessman Chay Bowes, who he noted worked for Russia Today.

This evening, Mr Bowes in a statement said the allegations were "an admission of their [governments] panicked desperation.

Chay Bowes

"Its an age old tactic, first deny, then attempt to discredit the source, and if all else fails accept it begrudgingly and do the minimum to prevent it happening again (as Varadkar did re doc leak), Mr Bowes said.

Now grasping at utterly baseless conspiracy theories rather than acknowledging the deep seated petty corruption in their parties.

Bowes then hit out at Mr Martins petty" attack on the Ditch from behind the shield of Dail privilege.

This is a statement from the top to all citizens. Dissent and you will pay, the facts about what you present are irrelevant as we will target you, your politics and your insolence in a forum where you cannot respond or hold those making these false allegations to account, he said.

I will sit opposite either man, without notes in an open debate on any and all issues raised in his deflection tantrum in our National Parliament. Anywhere, any time.

The Russian Embassy to Ireland on Friday said there is no connection between their country and the Ditch website.

'This is a political campaign' - Micheal Martin

In response to queries, the Russian Embassy in Ireland said: There is no Russian connection to the Ditch website, fullstop.

We believe that Tanaiste's allusion to the Russian involvement in the political debate in Ireland is unfortunate and inappropriate insinuation with no basis in truth, a spokesperson added.

The Tanaiste questioned the involvement of Web Summit founder Paddy Cosgrave, who is an outspoken critic of the Coalition and provides funding to the Ditch.

Mr Martin went on to raise concerns about the social media campaign that resulted from The Ditchs story about Mr Collins saying: There was the trending, the build-up, the hashtags, the algorithms and the paid ads.

There was the berating of media for daring not to discuss it or cover it and extraordinary full-frontal attacks on the national broadcaster, other channels and media for not following the trending operation, he added.

A Government source said Mr Martins comments were based on social media posts and publicly available information rather than any official briefings.

The Tanaistes spokesperson would not answer questions on whether he has taken any action on his claims about social media manipulation and political interference.

Mr Martin, and the other Government leaders, have said Mr Collins should not have attended a Limerick County Council local area committee where councillors discussed selling land which his wife had weeks earlier inquired about buying.

Dr OConnor ultimately bought the land but Mr Collins was no longer on the council when the sale was agreed. She also paid 38,000 above the first offer on the site which was advertised publicly.

Mr Collins also conceded he should not have been at the meeting where the sale of he site was first discussed in January 2007. But the long serving Fianna Fail TD insisted he broke no law by sitting in on the meeting.

The Local Government Act 2001 says council members should disclose any conflicts during meeting and recuse themselves.

Following his Dail comments on Thursday, the Tanaiste today accused People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy of weaponising the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) for political purposes by making a complaint about Mr Collins to the ethics watchdog.

Mr Murphy this afternoon sent a complaint to Sipo, requesting an investigation and claiming that Mr Collins breached the Code of Conduct for Councillors and of the Local Government Act.

When asked by Independent.ie if he would make a Garda complaint, Mr Murphy said: For now, I am focused on the Sipo complaint. I wouldnt rule it out in the future, he said.

Speaking in Cork, Micheal Martin said Minister Collins statement was comprehensive and hit out the PBP TD.

I think Paul Murphy at this stage is weaponising Sipo for political reasons. Hes not the first to do it and unfortunately, I think theres a trend developing and a pattern developing where Sipo is now being weaponised for political purposes, the Tanaiste said.

Mr Martin said he has been reflecting on the issue.

The reason I called it all out yesterday in the Dail, [is] because Ive been meaning for quite some time and Ive been reflecting on this. I think, beyond The Ditch and many of the cheerleaders and those who back it, look how it operates, the attempt to get the story trending.

Its leaning into a toxic atmosphere online and in politics in this country.

I believe in parliamentary democracy and I think many people dont believe in parliamentary democracy and I think theres a challenge and a battle ahead in politics.

Im not going to stand back and allow a particular form of politics develop or political debate develop and Ill call out what I believe in my opinion needs calling out.

He said there hasnt been respectful debate online for quite some time.

In his complaint to Sipo, Mr Murphy said that the obligation to investigate a councillor would usually fall under the remit of a councils ethics registrar, however Limerick County Council no longer exists.

It is clear that Niall Collins did not deal with this matter in a transparent fashion, Mr Murphys complaint to Sipo reads.

He failed to inform the Bruff Electoral Area Committee of his wifes expression of interest in buying this land. He failed to make disclosure of this fact. This undermines public trust and confidence in local government.

In response to the Tanaiste's comments about him "weaponising" Sipo, Mr Murphy asked where do the heads of Government believe complaints about ministers' behaviour should go.

"The Taoiseach says we can't have questions and answers in the Dail with a minister because that would be a kangaroo court. The Tanaiste says a complaint to Sipo is weaponising Sipo. So where exactly do they want complaints about their ministers' unethical behaviour to go? Or would they just prefer if nobody reported on it or mentioned it?"

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) today expressed concern at what it said was the Tanaistes use of Dail privilege to attack journalists working for the Ditch website this week.

Speaking from the unions delegate meeting in London, Irish NUJ secretary Seamus Dooley described Mr Martins comments as an unwelcome and unedifying departure.

I was extremely disappointed to see Dail privilege used by the Tanaiste to attack a news website in this way. It is an unwelcome and unedifying departure from normal parliamentary procedure, Mr Dooley said.

It is inevitable that there will be profound disagreements between those who exercise power and those who seek to hold them to account.

Journalists who criticise or challenge public figures can expect criticism. Media organisations, across all platforms, are not above scrutiny and are capable of responding robustly to criticism.

However, he said: It is not acceptable for politicians to make criticism under Dail privilege against named individuals.

The media operates within the constraints of extremely restrictive defamation laws.

Politicians who wish to challenge the accuracy, efficacy or bona fides of any journalist or media organisation should do so within the same constraints and without the protection of Oireachtas privilege".
Joanne Hynes is back in Dunnes Stores with a bang. The designer recently launched her new SS23 collection Make Your Hope Jump, which features vibrant, sequin-heavy pieces to get you in gear for the warmer months. Included in the collection is the party-ready Sequin Cocktail Cami Top (100), which integrates the designers Clashed Up print on heavyweight two-way sequins  by reversing the sequins, the print disappears and the cami can become fully black. This technology is seen across the collection, which also includes strong staples like tailored pants, cardigans and coats. dunnesstores.com

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Dublin by Design at The Fitzwilliam Hotel

To celebrate the 25th birthday of The Fitzwilliam Hotel, stylist Irene OBrien is taking guests on a tour that showcases some of the best independent shops in the area. OBrien champions sustainable businesses, so they feature strongly on the itinerary. Guests will meet OBrien before they set off on foot to visit shops including Jenny Vander and MoMuse. The tour will be curated to the group to best cater to their interests, so dont worry if clothes and jewellery arent your thing. There will be stops for coffee or something stronger, before returning to the hotel for cocktails and afternoon tea. Breakfast is included the next morning and guests can enjoy a late checkout. fitzwilliamhoteldublin.com

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Eimear Alice Breacadh an Lae scarf

Graphic designer Eimear OKeane has a real gra for both the Irish language and landscape. This passion, combined with a punchy, vibrant style, is at the heart of her brand, Eimear Alice. Her collection includes prints and scarves that feature old Irish typefaces in a fresh and contemporary way. Designed to promote the preservation of the Irish language, one of our favourite prints reads, Is fearr Gaeilge bhriste na Bearla cliste, or broken Irish is better than clever English. The Breacadh an Lae scarf collection (25) is inspired by the winter solstice. Each graphic element of the scarf is influenced by the history and magic of Bru na Boinne, which rests in her home county of Meath. Each scarf is double-sided, one symbolising dusk and the other dawn. eimearalice.bigcartel.com

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The Currach Building Project

If you thought you would be hard-pressed to find a boat in the middle of Temple Bar, the Currach Building Project is here to prove you wrong. The project, which is a collaboration between artist and currach maker Mark Redden and artist Rosie OReilly, is taking place in the Tn Gallery in the heart of Dublins Cultural Quarter. Redden is currently building a currach boat in the space, which is open to the public should you want to drop in and see him in action. They hope that the boat, An Mor Rioghain, or The Great Queen, will be ready to set sail early next month at the Grand Canal basin. @mark.redden

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Airport Cafe Sligo

The west coast of the country has plenty of defunct commercial airports, but Strandhill airport in Sligo is making a particular point of using the space that remains. Ashleigh Fallon, who opened the Airport Cafe in October 2021, operates from what was once the dining lounge in the old airport terminal, where guests can look out onto the runway while they enjoy a quick bite. While the airport is not functional for commercial flights, you could very well see planes in action, with the runway still used for light aircrafts, private planes and rescue and Army aircraft. Its open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week. Find them on Facebook.

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NICE Film Festival at the Light House

The NICE (New Italian Cinema Events) Italian Film Festival is taking place this weekend at the Light House Cinema in Smithfield. The programme includes nine new films which tell the story of Italys past and present, along with two biographical films based on two of the most illustrious Italian authors in the world  Dante Alighieri and Luigi Pirandello. Splendido! nicefestival.org

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Monica Heisey. Picture: Rachel Sherlock

The International Literature Festival Dublin is returning to Merrion Square next month with a stacked line-up. The celebrated festival, which runs from May 19-28, will feature talks and panel discussions with a wide breadth of Irish and international authors. Speakers include actor and author Stanley Tucci, who will chat about his book Taste, tickets for which have been snapped up; screenwriter Monica Heisey, who will talk about her debut novel Really Good, Actually, and Aoife Barry and Rory Hearne will discuss the fallout of the Celtic Tiger, two decades on. There are 180 events happening over the course of the festival, so plenty to enjoy for the whole family. ilfdublin.com
Achill community devastated as man of principle is fondly remembered by locals

The family of Irishman Finbar Cafferkey, who was killed while fighting against Russian forces in Ukraine, have said he died near the city of Bakhmut, as they issued a statement appealing for privacy.

Mr Cafferkey, a native of Achill Island in Co Mayo, was a military volunteer with previous combat experience in Syria where he assisted Kurdish militia in their battle against Isis.

The former member of the Shell to Sea campaign against the Corrib Gas project had recently travelled to Ukraine to assist local forces there, when he was killed.

In a statement issued last night, his family said they were awaiting further details of what happened to Mr Cafferkey, who was in his 40s. However, they said he had been killed near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.

Russian forces have spent months trying to capture the city, which has been reduced to ruins after months of shelling.

The assault on Bakhmut since last summer has been described as the longest battle of the war, but Ukrainian forces have so far prevented Russias attempts to take full control.

The family of Finbar Cafferkey has learned that he has been killed near the city of Bakhmut in Eastern Ukraine, said the statement.

At the moment, they are waiting for further information from the Ukrainian authorities, and they are asking that their privacy be respected.

Reports of Mr Cafferkeys death were confirmed by his father, Tom, who declined to elaborate on the circumstances of his sons death or offer any further comment.

We are grievingits a private matter. I dont want to say anything further, he said.

Former Green Party election candidate Saoirse McHughs long-term partner Colm is a brother of the dead man.

Speaking about the tragedy, one local person said: We heard reports on Wednesday that Finbar had been killed, but we were hoping against hope that the information was untrue. Now that his death has been confirmed, we are absolutely devastated.

Others on Achill Island spoke of Mr Cafferkeys commitment to humanitarian and environmental causes.

He took part in the Shell to Sea protests against the Corrib Gas project and, in later years, worked in Copenhagen on a construction project.

Finbar was a man of principle, said another islander. I know that about eight years ago he worked on the border between Greece and Macedonia assisting migrants coming off dinghies.

It came as a bit of surprise when we learnt from newspaper reports that he had been fighting in Syria. Nobody around here, except perhaps his family, knew he was in Ukraine.

I know that relatives have been concerned for his safety over the years. His family have been particularly worried.

Tributes were also paid online, with one person writing: If you told me 30 years ago, he'd be killed trying to help strangers thousands of miles away... I wouldn't have been all that that surprised.

Mr Cafferkeys parents are being comforted by close relatives and neighbours. Tom is a former publican, who now works as an auctioneer.

The Department of Foreign Affairs last night confirmed it was providing consular assistance to Mr Cafferkeys family.
Prince Andrew can be stripped of his titles but he cannot be airbrushed out of the family. Photo: Neil Hall/PA Wire   PA

According to Emily Maitlis (and she should know), the late Queen Elizabeth realised that her favourite son, Andrew, had made a hash of his famously disastrous Newsnight interview before he did.
An NBC News poll showed 71pc of Americans believed Joe Biden to be too old. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA   Brian Lawless

In November 2020, the US presidential election was decided by voters who did not dislike Joe Biden  and by the many who loathed Donald Trump. Next time, though, the most Irish US president since John F Kennedy faces a tougher challenge, with a preponderance of middle-of-the-road voters disliking both candidates.

True, President Bidens administration merits high marks for stabilising the US economy following the pandemic shutdowns with a $1.9trn Covid recovery package and a $1trn infrastructure package. The last one got cross-party backing for huge investment in neglected facilities such as Americas roads and bridges.

Mr Biden also delivered on nominating Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. He has also stoutly attacked Republicans attempts to interfere in laws governing womens health and ongoing developments which make it harder for minorities and poorer people to get on the electoral register.

After half a decade in US public life, the veteran old-school Democrat cannot be painted as part of the upper middle-class, east-coast elite. His origins in Pennsylvania, and his decades of work in Delaware, make nonsense of any such claims. But efforts by Mr Biden and his campaign team to project the image of a spry commander in chief will struggle. Questions about his age will be his opponents refrain along with reminders that, were he re-elected, he would be 86 at the end of another four-year term. Stumbles and misspeaks will be logged and endlessly replayed.

Mr Bidens supporters certainly have grounds for crying ageism here. The energy and vigour he displayed over four days in Ireland earlier this month will get Irish support for such calls.

Then there is the issue of Vice President Kamala Harris, who has not enjoyed good press for a long time. Detractors will be trying to slide in the point that, were anything to happen to the ageing president, she could be left in charge of the nation. Here again, supporters would be entitled to cry sexism.

But such defensive strategies still smack of being driven on to the backfoot.

The reality is that a poll for NBC News last weekend showed 71pc of Americans believed Mr Biden too old to run, and that included 51pc of Democrat supporters.

Still, as a veteran of many campaigns, Mr Biden knows a lot can happen over the course of the coming 18 months. There are perils in relying unduly on ageism and sexism when assessing his candidature.

He is the oldest ever potential president, but medical experts suggest he is in better shape than some presidents who had a younger chronological age in recent times.

Nor is he, like his potential opponent, Donald Trump, facing a growing list of serious criminal charges.

Joe Biden has taken his first steps on the long road back to four more years and US voters who got over his age last time could well do so again.
Sinn Feins original founder, Arthur Griffith, was a monarchist of sorts, advocating a dual monarchy for Ireland and Britain modelled on the so-called augleich between Austria and Hungary. Griffiths book, The Resurrection of Hungary  A Parallel for Ireland, sold a creditable 30,000 copies in 1904, the year before Sinn Fein was founded.

The Sinn Fein of today is not the same party as the one founded by Griffith, but there is a strange echo of Griffith attached to the announcement by Sinn Feins Northern Ireland first minister designate Michelle ONeill that she will attend the coronation of King Charles tomorrow week. The Griffith echoes reflect his renowned pragmatism and focus on the future over past grievances. The tone and content of Ms ONeills announcement hark back to those priceless Griffith attributes.

We are living in a time of great change, she said. A time to respect our differing and equally legitimate aspirations, a time to firmly focus on the future and the opportunities that the next decade will bring.

This gesture does not in any way impugn her republican or Irish nationalist convictions, in the same way that President Michael D Higginss planned attendance does not undervalue his egalitarian and leftist beliefs. Neither has suddenly become royalist  both are making a simple neighbourly gesture that respects the right of people in Britain to choose a constitutional monarchy as their government model.

Ms ONeills decision builds on the gesture last autumn when she attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth. She rightly said it reflected her respect for Northern Irelands unionist community, with its members allegiance to the royal family, and an ambition to advance peace and mutual respect.

All of these are essentially good and true words and she is entitled to have them taken at face value. However, we must also acknowledge other political factors at play here.

Paramount here is the active role played by the British royal family in promoting good relations in these islands and among the divided communities of Northern Ireland. Lord Louis Mountbatten, the great-uncle of the incoming King Charles III, was a friend and mentor to the young prince. He was murdered, along with three others, by an IRA bomb at sea off Sligo in 1979.

The events of that day of infamy were very personal to Charles, to his parents and to very many others. The new king earned considerable admiration and respect for the way he overcame his profound feelings and got to a point where he could subsequently shake the hand of known IRA leaders.

Charles and his queen consort, Camilla, have become regular and welcome visitors to Ireland. An early and more official visit has the potential to help reverse the deterioration in British-Irish relations since the Brexit vote in June 2016.

Ms ONeills decision is a controversial gesture that provoked anger among her followers and her opponents, but the late Queen Elizabeth showed us the power of positive gestures.
Children from Derrinagree N.S. received their First Communion in Derrinagree Church on Saturday pictured with Fr Jim Kennelly, their teacher Catriona O'Shea and Murial Cronin. Photo; Geraldine Dennehy.

Church news

Mass Times  Thursday the 27th 10 a.m.; Friday the 28th 10 a.m.; Saturday the 29th 10 a.m. and 7.30 p.m. Vigil Mass; Sunday the 30th 8.30 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament will take place after 10 a.m. Mass on Thursday. Confessions are heard on request.

Receiving Holy Communion  Only those receiving Holy Communion should approach the Altar and only on a seat-by-seat basis.

Booked Anniversary Masses  Booked Anniversary Masses are accepted on the understanding that Funeral Masses and months mind Masses take precedence.

Month of April  The month of April is dedicated to the Holy Eucharist.

Feastdays for the coming week: Thursday the 27th St Asicus, bishop; Friday the 28th St Peter Chanel, priest and martyr; Saturday the 29th St Catherine of Siena, Dr of the church, patron of Europe; Sunday the 30th fourth Sunday of Easter.

Thank You  Very many thanks to all for their Easter offerings and for your support throughout the year. Late offerings may still be made.

Irish Catholic Newspaper/Sacred Heart Messenger  The Irish Catholic newspaper and the Sacred Heart Messenger are available in the Porch for purchase. Irish Catholic 2.50. Sacred Heart Messenger 2. Money for these purchases should be put into the box marked Church Maintenance in the Porch. Thank you.

Sympathy Mass cards, Mass Bouquet cards are also available for purchase in the Porch.

Flower Arrangers  Saturday, April 29, May 6: Bernie Leahy. Thursday, May 11, and Saturday, May 13, Saturday, May 20: Theresa OKeeffe.

Church gate collections  No church gate collection taken up at St Marys Church, Ballyhea is endorsed by the parish. Any group or organisation intending to collect outside the church gates are asked to present copies of their permits in the sacristy, together with copies of letters of authorisation of those collecting on their behalf. This should be done before the collection commences.

Ballyhea Preschool  New Build

Ballyhea Community Pre-school committee and volunteers would like to thank everyone for their support of the 80s Revival Night. The dance moves, the costumes and the energy were brilliant. Huge thanks goes to DJ Nite Owl and Ollie Turner Galway Bay FM for their expertise while keeping everyone rocking. Special thank you also to the Charleville Park Hotel, Pat OHara, Tom Harrold and the Vale Star for their help promoting the event and ensuring the success of the night. The committee also wish to thank the local business for their support and kind donations. An amazing 9,830.23 was raised on the night for the new community pre-school build. Thank you everyone.

PJ McCarthy of Soleire Renewables Holdings Ltf presented a generous cheque of 2,500. Soleire Renewables Holdings LTD has also pledged 10,000 towards the installation of roof top solar and battery storage for the Ballyhea Pre-School project.

GAA club news

Lotto  Get your tickets before 5 p.m. on Saturday from Costcutters Ballyhea, Corbett Court, The Idle Hour or from any of the ticket sellers or they can be purchased online at play.clubforce.com/play_newa.asp?ll_id=199#Anchor Thank you for your continued support.

Due to the continuing Covid 19 situation and to ensure transparency and integrity in the lottery draw, the club have decided to hold the lottery draw on Saturday nights. The first three numbers of the National Lottery Main Draw will be the jackpot numbers. If a number higher than 42 is drawn in the first three, the draw will continue with the next number drawn under 42.

The club appreciates the support of lottery players and supporters during these difficult times and are very grateful for your continued support. Keep safe and the best of luck in draw.

Cul Camps  Ballyhea GAA will be hosting a Kelloggs Cul Camp from the July 10 to July 14 inclusive. Bookings can be made online from Monday, April 3, Looking forward to having another enjoyable and successful Camp this year. If there are any queries, please contact Ger OShea Cul Camp Coordinator.

Club Membership  Club Membership for 2023 is 25 for each Juvenile, 25 for students, 50 per adult or 100 for Family (two adults and all children under-18).

Online Shop  The clubs online shop is proving to be very popular. All the latest club gear can be purchased from the ONeills website. Check it out at oneills.com/shop-by-team/GAA/ireland/ballyhea-GAA.html

Instagram  The club can now be followed on Instagram. To see the latest club pictures go to ballyheagaaclub.

Ballyhea in Black and White  A new Publication Ballyhea in Black and White is a collection of memories from local photographer Michael McGrath and photos that have been collected. It features some great GAA and camogie memories from down through the years. Books can be purchased at Costcutters shop in Ballyhea for 20.

Calendars  Ballyhea County Champions 2023 Calendars are now available, 5 each or three for 10. These are available from Eamon Morrissey or Ger OShea.

Community Employment Scheme

Ballyhea GAA are looking for two people to join this scheme. Male and Female can apply and to qualify you must be in receipt of social welfare for a minimum of 12 months. Anyone interested please apply to any committee member of Ballyhea GAA.

Community Alert

Ballyhea Community Alert has successfully set up a Text Alert Network to immediately alert our community when an incident occurs. Prompt information to and from Gardai deters criminal activity. If you are interested in becoming a member of our Text Alert Network please phone any of the following people for information and sign up details  Phil Ryan 087 2937465, Pat Daly 086 1220114, James Horgan 087 2572271, Willie Meaney 087 1936842, Con Walsh 086 8570355. The fee for this service is 10 annually.

CILL NA MARTRA

Darts Tournament

Comhghairdeas mhor le TJ Clancy a bhuaigh craobh an chomortas dairteanna oiche Shatharn. Bhi cluichi den scoth ann ar an oiche le dha bhabhta leath chraobh ar dtus agus an chraobh ina dhiaidh sin. Lean an spraoi ar aghaidh trathnona De Domhnaigh leis na Paddy Bhoys ag seinnt ann. Gan dabht beidh a thuilleadh craic le teacht mar taid fos ag lorg King of the Cross sa chomortas dairteanna eile agus beidh ceol le Aoife ONeill an Domhnach seo chugainn.

Well done to TJ Clancy who played outstanding darts last Saturday night in An Chrois, winning out the tournament. Competition was high on the night between two semi finals and the final of the tournament. The weekend went out on a high on Sunday evening with music from The Paddy Bhoys. An Chrois are still in search of King of the Cross with more locals competing to gain the coveted darts title. Music by Aoife ONeill this Sunday evening.

Sheila & Martinas Hair Salon

Ta uimhir teangmhala nua ag Sheila & Martinas in mBaile Mhic Ire. Ma ta fonn ort coinne gruaige a dheanamh cur glaoch ar 087 2066915.

Sheila & Martinas Hair Salon in Ballymakeera have a new contact number. If you wish to book an appointment dont hesitate to contact them by phoning 087 2066915.

Foluntas/Vacancy

Sceim Soisialta Tuaithe Mhuscrai - Vacancies on our rural social scheme in Baile Mhuirne, Cuil Aodha, Cill na Martra & Reidh na nDoiri. Is e Cian O Ceallachain an pointe teangmhala  087 1653765 no c.oceallachain@udaras.ie

Nora Twomey Memorial

Ullmhuchain faoi lan t-seoil. Preparations are underway for this special event. In addition to vintage cars, motorcycles and tractors there will be a 5km and 10km walk alsothis will be on a donation basis. There will be a raffle on the day with great prizes to be won. All funds raised will be donated to Marymount University Hospital and Hospice. Tacaig leo le do thoil.

KILCORNEY-DROMTARIFFE

Bowling notes

Denis Horgan Social Bowling Club Jackie Daly/Liam Casey Completions - Danny Murphy 4 points, Alan Sexton 5 points, Maurice Cashman 2 points, Richard Harmedy 3 ponts, Sam Ahern 1 point, John Breen 2 points, Eugene O Sullivan 1 point, Ned Kelleher 1 point.
Pat Sexton who took first place at division level in the Speakeasy Toastmaster International Speech contest and the Speech Evaluation contest recently.

Last week saw the division final of Toastmasters contests. The division in question covers North Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary. The competitions that took place were the International Speech Contest and the Speech Evaluation Contest.

Having gone through club and area rounds, three Speakeasy members had got as far as the division final, Marie Fitzpatrick, Bobby Buckley, and Pat Sexton. Having three members competing at this level is an achievement for any club, but Speakeasy has a record of not just competing but winning! Last week was no different.

A tremendous performance was put in by all three Speakeasy competitors.

The International Speech Contest does what it says it its title, winners go through club, area, division and district rounds, and if successful compete in the US at International level.

The Speech evaluation contest, whereby the competitor gives an evaluation of a speech given for demonstration purposes, goes as far as District level. Competitors are judged by a panel of experienced Toastmasters and the best evaluation and the best speech wins the day. The district in which the Speakeasy club lies includes the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and much of England.

The demonstration speech for the evaluation contest was a reflective talk about life lessons. The story of the Wizard of Oz was used as backdrop to explain the message that the speaker wanted to relay.

Marie Fitzpatrick, in her evaluation, gave warm, well-structured and meaningful comments on this very fine speech. Maries capacity to listen, understand and give constructive feedback is valued in the Speakeasy club and being a contestant at this level was well and truly befitting for her.

Pat Sexton also took part in this contest and Pat is extremely proficient as a speaker and as an evaluator. His evaluation took first place on the evening, which means he now goes forward to the District final which takes place in Liverpool in May.

Pat is no stranger to district finals having competed and won in many of the contests during his 30-plus years as a toastmaster.

That wasnt the end of Pats winning streak last week as he was also a competitor in the International Speech Contest. Along with Bobby Buckley, both flew the flag for Speakeasy and their reward was to stand on the podium of success. Booby was placed third in the contest and Pat took first place.

Pat therefore is also through to the District final of this contest in May. One win is an achievement, two is an impressive bonus but what do you say about someone who has three district competitions on the same weekend? Earlier in the year Pat competed and made it through the club, area and division levels for the Table Topics contest, to compete at the district final of this contest in May. Pat is going to be one busy man in Liverpool and proudly representing the Speakeasy club in the Table Topics final, the International Speech contest and The Speech Evaluation contest final.

Fortunately, this type of itinerary invigorates the same said contestant. All in Speakeasy wish Pat the very best. He is a tremendous ambassador for the club and for the Toastmasters organisation.

Speakeasys next meeting is on Thursday, May 4 at 8pm in the Hibernian Hotel. All are welcome.
WE all know we have to do something to fight carbon emissions in order to mitigate the impact of climate change but where do we start? Thats the challenge facing Cork County Council which last week launched a public consultation process which aims to inform the Cork County Council Climate Change the authority has been mandated to produced by February 24 next year by Environment and Local Government Minister Eamon Ryan. When introducing the task to elected members at last weeks Council meeting, Director of Services Louis Duffy outlined what compiling the plan involved. It is a very new area for local authorities to go as far into climate action planning as we are required to now and thats extremely important for us in the short time frame thats available to us which is 12 months from February 24 to get full involvement from members, from the community, from all the sectors across the county. He further said that the process of making the plan, regard would have to be shown to the most recent approved longterm national climate strategy, sectoral adaptation plans and any policies of the Minister/Government on climate change. A climate action plan for the entire country was published at the end of 2022 and all of the content of that will be considered in the making of the plan for Cork. There must also be consultation with adjoining local authorities to ensure plans are consistent with each other. We must consult with communities through the Public Participation Network, we must co-ordinate with the local authorities so that the mitigational and adaptational measures are consistent and we must consider submissions made to us by adjoining local authorities. Guidelines for the compilation of the plan were issued in early March and these stipulate that the plan would have to look at the local and regional context, it must be ambitious, action focused, evidence based, participative and transparent. It must clarify our role and it must develop a relevant climate action evidence base, he said, pointing to a baseline evidence study which the Council published on its website this week. What is extremely important is that we commence today a meaningful engagement and that will contribute through the publication of a draft plan and, later in the year, the public consultation on a draft plan. He said the plan would have to facilitate effective monitoring and reporting. He said changes in the data from that in the evidence base would tell the Council the impact the plan was having. We must bear in mind that local authorities are only responsible for less than 5% of the emissions in Cork County but this plan must cover the entire county and all of the activites of the other sectors. We must reduce the emissions in line with the 51% prescribed to 2030, seven years time, and we must be aiming for climate neutrality for 2050. We are required to drive the Climate agenda, we are required to realise these ambitious, transformative and practical climate actions at local and community levels. Its quite a responsibility for local authorites and its one that we havent had to this extent in the past. Mr. Duffy said while people talk about climate change and focus on reducing emissions in order to slow down climate change, the matter had to be considered in a number of different ways. Mitigation and adaptation are the two key areas that we focus on. Mitigation is the reduction of emissions that cause climate change. However climate is changing and the impact will continue to worsen regardless in how effective we are in achieving the targets that were set out through the Paris Agreement and, indeed, through Irish legislation so we must deal with the actions to manage the risks of climate change. He said there were a lot of areas which dealt with both mitigation and adaptation and this would be something which would be explored further through the development of the plan. So the first priority would be for the Council to look at all of its assets to see how it could reduce its carbon emissions by 51% from the baseline, set out in the baseline evidence document, which was established as 2018. Electricity, heating and transport were the three sources of emissions which the Council could directly impact within its own operations. In terms of heating, the Council would have to consider what was the appropriate level of heating required on any day and achieve reduction. A target of 50% increased efficiency would have to be achieved. The target is to transition to a climate resilient, bio-diversity rich, environmentally sustainable and climate neutral organisation. He said the bio-diversity element was something the Council wouldhave to look at in partnership with other sectors to see how it could be achieved within the county. The Councils wider role is to influence and support communities and sectors as they transition. While the Council is fully accountable for its own 5% of emissions. Mr. Duffy said the Council could have influence through its purchasing policies. We influence by our procurement, what do we buy. where does it come from? What are our protocols for the way our staff act in their roles? We also have our decision making, planning and development control, on waste, on by-laws and the application of standards. So, again, we can look to how we use those tools to influence how the community in Cork will move towards the target. He pointed to parking by-laws as one of the tools that the Council could use as a means of influencing how the public used their cars, a significant element of carbon emissions. According to the baseline evidence study, 65% of carbon emissions in the transport sector came from private cars. Another role the Council would have would be co-ordinating and facilitating different stakeholders to work together. An additional tool the Council had at its disposal was its use of funding, for instance in the provision of public realm spaces. He gave an example of the provision of footpaths to support active travel initiatives. The initial phase, seeking submissions from the public is now underway and the closing date for submissions is May 21. Further details can be found at www.corkcoco.ie/en/resident/environment/climate-action-plan.
Hamilton, the multi award-winning musical, is coming to Dublin next year. Pic: Danny Kaan

The multi award-winning musical Hamilton is coming to Dublin for the first time next year.

The musical will play a nine-week run at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre from Tuesday, September 17, to Saturday, November 16, 2024.

The Olivier, Tony, Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical opened at the newly re-built and restored Victoria Palace Theatre in London in December 2017. It continues to play to sell-out houses and is currently booking until March 2, 2024.

The production continues to play to record-breaking houses on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, throughout North America, in Toronto, Australia and Germany, with forthcoming seasons in New Zealand and an international tour also planned.

A brand-new company for the UK and Ireland tour is currently being assembled from more than 3,000 hopefuls. The full cast for the tour is yet to be announced.

Tickets for the Dublin shows go on sale at 9am on Friday, April 28, priced from 36.50.

Hamilton follows the story of the American founding father Alexander Hamilton, telling the story of America then, told by America now.

The musical will feature a blend of hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway and has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education.

Hamilton is based on Ron Chernows acclaimed biography, with book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire.

The Hamilton creative team previously collaborated on the Tony Award Winning Best Musical, In the Heights.
A huge part of the inner city is an open drugs market  councillor

Open drug dealing was taking place at lunchtime in Dublin's north inner city

Parts of north inner city Dublin have become an open drugs market, with dealing taking place in broad daylight under the noses of gardai, it has been claimed.

In scenes witnessed by Independent.ie this week, a number of drug deals took place at lunchtime in a flats complex off Gardiner Street as children played nearby.

In the space of about 15 minutes, six individuals entered and exited a known drug den. One parked his bike outside, while the rest came on foot a few minutes apart.

One man, visibly agitated, walked up and down Sean McDermott Street on the phone before entering and exiting the building.

Another man entered, taking what appeared to be money out of his pocket and exited less than a minute later. Meanwhile, children played in the playground next door.

After about 15 minutes two men in black puffer coats stood outside the upstairs flat where the men had been entering and proceeded to wave at this journalist.

Inner city councillor Christy Burke said the problem of open drug-dealing has been going on in the flat complex for years, under the noses of An Garda Siochana.

It has become a free for all. There is serious stuff going on there. There is activity going on there morning, noon and night.

They [drug-dealers] stand on the balcony tooled up with sewer rods and hammers and hatchets in the event of anybody moving in on them. Its serious stuff.

Local councillor Christy Burke said the issue has been going on for years

The problem with parts of the city is that the unacceptable has become acceptable. Its nearly a forgotten land. A huge part of the inner city is an open drugs market, he added.

The council has previously blocked off the back gate to the flat complex to reduce access, however, pedestrians can easily walk in though the open gate on the other side of the building.

A garda spokesman said: An Garda Siochana in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) are committed to keeping people safe in their community and, as part of Operation Tara, established a dedicated drugs unit in each Garda Division, including Store Street.

As part of a number of policing operations, Gardai in the DMR North Central carry out proactive patrols in the Dublin 1 area on a daily basis.

An Garda Siochana is committed to working with local communities and wider society to eliminate instances of anti-social behaviour and related crime in support of community safety.

In October 2021, Operation Citizen commenced in Dublin city centre and was initiated to reassure the citizens, visitors and the business community that it is a safe place in which to visit, socialise, conduct business and enjoy its amenities.
Gardai searching a vehicle during a policing operation during the Rally of the Lakes. Photo courtesy of An Garda Siochana.

A man has been arrested this afternoon, Friday, April 28 as a major policing operation gets underway in Kerry for the 2023 Rally of the Lakes.

Kerry Roads Policing Unit, the Road Safety Authority and Customs have been conducing a policing operation as part of the Rally of the Lakes on the N22 at Lawlors Cross on the Tralee Road.

The Garda Dog Unit is also in use as part of the operation.

During the course of this operation a suspicious package was found in a vehicle by the dog unit.

One person was arrested and taken to Killarney Garda Station.

The forty-second running of the rally kicked off this evening with close to 200 competitors, from as far afield as Australia set to take part in the event.

A huge numbers of supporters will also travel to Killarney for the event, which is one of the busiest weekends in the town.

Gardai have warned that policing operations will be in place throughout the weekend.

Road closures are in place and full details of those are online and in Rally brochures.
Rescuers say impact onto beach was likely cushioned by soft sand

The Shannon Helicopter attending the scene of the emergency on the Nun's Beach in Ballybunion on Friday morning. Photo courtesy of the Ballybunion Sea and Cliff Rescue unit

The Shannon Coastguard Helicopter taking the fall victim to hospital in Limerick on Friday morning. Photo courtesy of the Ballybunion Sea and Cliff Rescue unit

The Nun's Beach in Ballybunion. The man fell from the cliffs to the lefthand side of the image.

A man is lucky to be alive having miraculously survived a 60-foot fall from the cliffs in Ballybunion onto the beach below in the early hours of Friday.

Thats according to emergency service responders who raced to the scene on the Nuns Beach after the alarm was raised about 7.30am this morning (Friday).

The man  who is from Limerick and in his mid-thirties  was soon after airlifted to University Hospital Limerick by the Shannon Coastguard helicopter with serious but non life-threatening injuries.

A local woman walking the popular cliff walk trail in the resort early on Friday raised the alarm when she heard his cries for help coming from the Nuns Beach below. She was later singled out for praise by the emergency teams for her quick actions in response.

The picturesque and secluded cove is to the immediate north of the famous Ladies Beach and is safely accessible only with the aid of a rope permanently tethered to the least-steep section of cliff.

Ballybunion Coastguard and Ballybunion Sea and Cliff Rescue members, along with local gardai, raced to the site as soon as they were called out, with the man initially treated on the beach by a Sea and Cliff Rescue paramedic.

It is understood that he sustained serious injuries to his pelvis.

He is believed to have slipped from the cliff top in the dark some hours previously  before crawling into a sheltered position on the beach below having somehow survived the drop. As he had lost his phone in the fall, he began calling for help.

"It was miraculous that he survived the fall. He is very lucky to be alive and but for the fact he fell onto an area of soft sand it would have been much worse, a member of one of the rescue units told The Kerryman.

Thankfully, the tide was out and ebbing when he fell, leaving open the option of the use of the helicopter. The local Coastguard members had tasked the Shannon Coastguard helicopter from the time the alarm was raised, with it remaining on standby until the decision was taken to call it in.

The man was taken from the beach by the chopper and rushed to the hospital, where he is now being treated for his injuries in what was described as a stable condition.

In a statement released later on Friday the Ballybunion Sea and Cliff Rescue unit said it was understood the man had become disoriented on the cliff top:

A male in his mid 30s was found to have serious pelvic injuries having fallen approximately 60ft onto the sand on the beach. He was assessed and treated by our Paramedic and our members. A decision was made to request Rescue 115, the Shannon based rescue helicopter to airlift him from the scene. The helicopter subsequently landed on the beach and the casualty was transferred over to the helicopter crew who transported him to University Hospital Limerick.

It is understood that the male had become disorientated along the cliff top while trying to walk down to the Nuns Beach at approximately 3 or 4am during the hours of darkness. He lost his footing and fell to the bottom. The male lost his phone as a result of the fall and was unable to call for help.

Ballybunion Sea & Cliff Rescue once again praised the interagency response which included local gardai from Ballybunion, the National Ambulance Service and the Irish Coast Guard rescue helicopter.

PRO for Ballybunion Sea & Cliff Rescue Service Omar Fitzell said: We want to particularly thank the lady who made the all important first call once she heard the man shouting for help. The mantra is to always call the emergency services if you even suspect there is a problem. We would rather 100 false alarms with good intent rather than one tragedy that could have been averted by calling us.
The cast for of the upcoming TY play 'The Playboy of the Western World'.

TY students from Presentation Secondary School in Listowel Alannah Lavery, Ella Brew, Alana Holland, Grace Whelan, Mave Kennelly, Nichola O' Donoghue and Triona Kennedy pictured ahead of their upcoming staging of 'The Playboy of the Western World' in St Johns Theatre in Listowel. Photo by John Kelliher.

Transition Year students from Presentation Secondary School in Listowel Katelyn Roos, Rina O Halloran, Katie Trant, Taylor Lynch, Tara Daly, Megan Kennelly and Niamh Buckley pictured getting ready for their upcoming staging of the 'The Playboy of the Western World' in St Johns Theatre, Listowel. Photo by John Kelliher.

Transition Year (TY) students from Presentation Secondary School in Listowel are this week putting the final finishing touches to their upcoming staging of the J.M. Synge masterpiece 'The Playboy of the Western World which will round out this years inaugural TY drama programme.

The school said this week that they are extremely proud to be the lead school in the Department of Educations Creative Cluster where they have chosen to celebrate the rich culture and Heritage in North Kerry and central to this programme is the areas of drama and theatre.

Its certainly been a busy last few months for the TY class who have demonstrated remarkable creativity and talent in exploring the joys of the performing arts and their hard work and dedication will be celebrated with their production of this landmark drama on Thursday May 4 and Friday May 5.

Principal of Presentation Secondary Katherina Broderick this week wished the TY class every success while also expressing sincere gratitude to the teachers Ms Daly, Ms Kelly, Ms McNamara and Ms Kennedy and director, Margaret OSullivan for their unwavering commitment to the drama and their invaluable contribution and support for the students production.

Speaking about the preparations for the drama this week, Margaret OSullivan, who is an actor and director spoke of her delight at being able to work with the students over the last few weeks and months.

It has been an absolute privilege to work with this talented group of girls. Although many are new to drama, their dedication and hard work will no doubt shine through in the final performance. I hope the experience will encourage them to continue with drama in the years ahead. The benefits of being part of drama are wide ranging and having the courage to participate is often the starting point for many an exciting adventure when one goes on stage, she said.

Margaret also thanked the teachers and students who worked with her in Presentation Listowel, saying that it was a most enjoyable and worthwhile journey.

Finally, a special thanks was extended to Maire Logue and all at St John's Theatre for providing a beautiful and culturally rich setting for the performance.
Group pictured at the launch second Srimshaw Journal by Atlantic Technological University. The 134 page book is a collaboration of work from students, staff, and alumni from across the university with over 130 pages of poetry, prose, and imagery.

Sligo Atlantic Technological University launched the second edition of its Scrimshaw Journal, a collection of poetry, prose, and imagery from over 50 contributors from across the ATU community.

Scrimshaw Journal was started by students of the Writing and Literature course at ATU and was officially launched ahead of National Poetry Day by Dr Orla Flynn, President of ATU.

The name "Scrimshaw" comes from the artwork created by whalers, engraved on the by-products of whales, such as bones or cartilage. This was a hobby of whalers to pass the time away through creativity.

Scrimshaw Journal is also a celebration of ATU's first cross-campus Clubs and Society, bringing together students, staff, and alumni from across the university to create something truly special.

Over 130 pages of poetry, prose, and imagery make up this second edition of Scrimshaw Journal, which was made possible by the editorial team, including Tony Keenan, Dianne McPhelim, Alice Turpin, Meabh Callaghan, Lucy Goss, and Damien Kelly.

Creative Design student at ATU, Ryan Dempsey designed the 134 page journal. ATU's Students Union also co-funded the project, making it a true collaboration between the university's community.

Dr Orla Flynn, President of Atlantic Technological University, expressed her excitement about the launch of Scrimshaw Journal. "I am delighted to see such a wonderful showcase of talent from across our campus community. Scrimshaw Journal embodies the sentiment of Atlantic Technological University, bringing together students and staff from across our campuses and is a testament to the creativity and passion that exists within the ATU community.

Una Parsons, Head of College at ATU Sligo, was reminded of this art form during a visits to a Whaling museum in Boston as a student and praised the students on the high standard of content and production. "Scrimshaw has a rich history, and we are proud to be able to showcase the talents of our ATU community in this way. I want to congratulate the students on delivering such a beautiful publication for the second year in a row and I thank their lecturers for supporting them through this journey".
MEP Maria Walsh has called on the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney, to take full advantage of the social, cultural and economic opportunities that the gaming and the esports industry present which is estimated to be worth $200 billion.

As the only Irish representative on the European Parliaments Culture & Education (CULT) Committee, Midlands-North West MEP is a vocal supporter of the opportunities from the growing industry in Ireland. She has a clear insight into upcoming policies, the work being done by other Member States, and how Ireland can benefit from the multi-billion dollar global growing industry. On Thursday afternoon, in partnership with Stuart Dempsey, Founder and CEO of GamerFest, she met with Minister Coveney in Portlaoise.

Taking place at the RDS on May 27 and 28, GamerFest is Irelands biggest gaming convention and esports event. Since its launch in 2017, it has welcomed over 15,000 visitors to gaming events across Ireland. Next month's event will enable attendees to check out the latest games, meet their favourite content creators, and enjoy a packed lineup of gaming action on the Esports Live Stage. In recent years, GamerFest has partnered with multiple global games publishers including Warner Bros, Sega, Playstation and Xbox, while the Williams Formula 1 Esports Team are attending May's event with state-of-the-art sim racing rigs for the Irish audience to experience.

Ahead of the event, MEP Walsh was delighted to introduce Galway native Dempsey to Minister Coveney and to highlight the importance of this event, and indeed the industry as a whole. In a positive meeting on Thursday afternoon, she spoke of the value of the esports and video game industries, recommending that Ireland follows Denmarks progressive approach, with a long-term strategy to support and fund the sector.

In 2019, Denmark became the first country in the world to develop and launch a Gaming and Esports Strategy to provide assistance to the sectors growth, development and integration of the industry. I want to see Ireland follow suit. This would involve an interdepartmental task force examining how to promote growth conditions for gaming and esports, and reinforcing Irelands ability to compete in attracting and developing major content creators and events, she said.

Looking forward to the return of GamerFest to the RDS, Dempsey said it was encouraging to meet Minister Coveney with MEP Maria Walsh. It was invaluable to have the opportunity to discuss the huge opportunities that the industry offers for Ireland, as well as the role that GamerFest can play in its continued growth. The sheer scale of the global games industry is unknown to many, however it represents a clear path to continued economic growth and job creation here in Ireland for the next 20 years," he explained.

Globally, the gaming industry is worth almost US$200 billion, and is bigger than Hollywood and the music industry combined. According to a recent Statista Report, the global video game market generated approximately US$198.60 billion of revenue in 2021. By 2027, the combined digital and physical video gaming market revenues worldwide are projected to reach US$298.20 billion.

At a European level, we have been taking a closer look at the many opportunities for growth in the sector. Here in Ireland, we have a strong creative sector and I believe we are well-placed to establish the Island as a leading gaming and esports hub for Europe. There are currently around two million gamers in Ireland, with an estimated 700,000 esports enthusiasts. It is vital that we embrace the social, cultural and economic benefits of such a massively important industry and ensure Ireland becomes recognised as a major global player, added MEP Walsh.
This years Eugene ONeill International Festival of Theatre will take place in New Ross from Thursday, October 12, to Sunday, October 15, with a variety of entertainment on offer.

There will be a reception at Brandon House Hotel for the visiting delegations from Danville Municipal Council, the Eugene ONeill Foundation members from the US and the Eugene O Neill Society members from US and Europe on the opening night.

The Friday night play will feature a professional Irish production. This is still at negotiation stage and details will be announced shortly .

On Saturday October 14, by popular demand, Wexford band Green Road and special guest Clodagh Kinsella will perform for the ONeill Gathering event in St Michaels Theatre.

"Green Road and Clodaghs tour of America was extremely successful and notably the concert in Danville sold out five weeks in advance and as a result we are expecting a boost in the numbers coming from Danville to the festival this year, said festival organiser Sean Reidy.

Sunday, October 15, will feature a US Foundation production of the Eugene ONeill play Anna Christie.

Anna Christie is the story of a former prostitute who falls in love, but runs into difficulty in turning her life around. It made its Broadway debut at the Vanderbilt Theatre on November 2, 1921 and O'Neill  whose family have roots near New Ross in Tinneranny  received the 1922 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for this work.

This production will have a cast of six professional actors from the US and is performed over four acts.

It will be directed by the noted ONeill specialist Director Eric Fraisher Hayes from California.

There will be a significant academic component this year with a series of panels to be co-chaired by Professor Katie Johnson of the University of Miami and President of the Eugene ONeill Society, and Dr Richard Hayes of SETU.

"We are expecting ONeill Scholars from the US , Europe and Ireland to attend, said Mr Reidy.
Wexford playwright Eoghan Rua Finn on life as a working-class artist  Maybe people like me can do this

Following a successful run of his new play Amongst Men, Eoghan Rua Finn is riding high and, despite the financial constraints, he will continue to search out those highs

Eoghan Rua Finn.

Simon Bourke Wexford People Fri 28 Apr 2023 at 14:50
The 1798 Battle of Arklow features in new book, Historic Battlefields in 500 Walks.

The 1798 Battle of Arklow features in new book, Historic Battlefields in 500 Walks.

The 1798 Battle of Arklow features in new book, Historic Battlefields in 500 Walks.

The famous 1798 Battle of Arklow features in a gorgeous new book entitled Historic Battlefields in 500 Walks.

Stretching across the millennia, from prehistoric times to the 20th century, Historic Battlefields in 500 Walks is a guide to exploring hundreds of trails, paths, and landscapes on foot, with insightful commentary on the significance of each battle in world history.

Readers will find plenty of captivating facts about the places where the fates of nations and empires were decided, including the Battle of Hastings, the Fall of Constantinople, the Battle of the Somme, the Liberation of Europe and, of course, The Battle of Arklow.

Arklow was home to two well-known battles in Irish history. The first involved the armies of Confederate Ireland and the English Parliamentarians in 1649 and was one of many battles in a series of Irish civil wars over 11 years.

The second took place more than 100 years later during the Irish rebellion of 1798 when United Irishmen from Wexford attacked the British stronghold of Arklow.

In both battles, Arklows proximity to Dublin made it a priority location for the British to hold and defend.

Praising the new book, a spokesperson for Visit Arklow said: Thrilled to see Arklow featured in a gorgeous new book Historic Battlefields in 500 walks, by Steve Fallon, published by Quarto.

A huge thanks to Sara and Caroline in Quarto, who approached us in Spring 2022 to contribute to the book, for the wonderful opportunity to be included.
CODLING Wind Park is establishing a dedicated 500,000 Fisheries Fund to benefit the fishing industry operating within and around the Codling Bank area between Greystones and Wicklow town.

The 500,000 fund will have a 100,000 annual budget to support different initiatives for the next five years.

The fund will support opportunities for both inshore and offshore fishing by fishers associated with the Codling Wind Park. Fishers are being asked to bring forward their own ideas about how the fund should be used. The projects Fishing Engagement Manager meets regularly with local fishers and will discuss the terms of reference and progress proposals for the fund directly with them.

In addition, to the fund Codling Wind Park also confirmed it will consider other ideas to support fishers including helping establish a lobster hatchery. The lobster hatchery would involve raising and releasing young lobsters back into the Irish Sea to increase fishing opportunities in the area. The project is engaging with fishers on this proposal which would significantly support a sustainable and productive fishery in the area.

Speaking at the announcement of the Fisheries Fund and Charter, Co-Project Director of Codling Wind Park Scott Sutherland said: The purpose of this fund is to support initiatives that could be of benefit to fishing communities, rather than benefitting one individual fisher over another. For example, adding value to a fishery, improving port infrastructure, improving safety, or exploring innovation and fishery diversification.

This 500,000 fund will help support the fishing industry and long-term sustainable fishing on the Codling Bank. We want to work with the fishers in the area to develop the terms of reference for this fisheries fund to ensure the funds generate maximum benefit for the fishing industry into the future. We want to hear from the fishers about what they think this fund should be used for.

Codling Wind Park has also published a Fisheries Charter or code of practice which will guide its engagement with fishers and its care of marine life on the Codling Bank. The Fisheries Charter, which will be the first code of its type between an offshore wind developer and fishers in Ireland, commits Codling Wind Park to a range of sustainable development practices and responsible stewardship of the waters and seabed on the Codling Bank.

Also speaking at the announcement, Co-Project Director Thomas Gellert said: We are making a commitment to the fishers who use Codling Bank that we want to help them build a sustainable future. We have been engaging with fishers for a long time now on a wide variety of issues.

One of the key benefits of this engagement is that we have been able to share with each other our different perspectives and see how the development can and will co-exist with the fishery. We are also very proud to be the first developer in Ireland to publish a Fisheries Charter which commits the project to engaging fairly with fishers, to boosting marine biodiversity and to developing sustainable fishing practices.

When operational, Codling Wind Park will generate up to 1,450 megawatts (MW), enough electricity to power up to 1.2 million homes and support Irelands 2030 offshore wind targets. The final design is being completed and will be presented to the public later in the year ahead of the projects planning application.

To submit an idea or proposal for the Fisheries Fund please contact Fisheries Engagement Manager Courtney French at Courtney.French@codlingwindpark.ie.
WICKLOW TDs Stephen Matthews and Jennifer Whitmore both visited the Irish Rail Inchicore works to view a model of the first batter powered trains which will be due to come on stream from 2025.

For Deputy Matthews of the Green Party it was a return to his returned to his old training ground Inchicore Works to view a model of the trains, which will be used as part of a medium term project to bring the DART to Wicklow town.

Deputy Matthews said, It was great for me on a personal level to visit the works where I trained as a young Irish Rail apprentice while in the background progressing my commitment to bring the DART to Wicklow town.

These trains are levels up from the current DART stock. They are battery electric trains. The inside feels spacious and efficient. There is a roomy layout, great signage. Legroom has increased, while there is adequate space for bikes and buggies. There are dropdown seats and there is good wheelchair access.

It will probably be around two years before we see these roll out but they will enormously change the feel and comfort level of travelling by DART for all passengers so will be worth the wait.

After her visit, Deputy Whitmore said: It was great to see the demo model of the DART+ battery train that will bring the Dart to Wicklow town. This model has integrated accessible ramps, with bike, family, and wheelchair spaces onboard.

Being able to bring the Dart to Wicklow town without needing all the traditional infrastructure like overhead wires will be a game changer. Fast and reliable public transport is needed now more than ever for Wicklow as our population continues to grow. It is great to see progress being made towards bring the Dart to Wicklow town.

This visit follows on from a meeting where I received confirmation that the NTA has provided an allocation to Irish Rail to commence the planning and design works associated with the provision of an electrified service to Wicklow using battery-electric fleet. Irish Rail will now assemble a design team to commence work on that project later this year.
Caroline Leonard from Enniskerry addressing the launch. She is living with an acquired brain injury following brain surgery as a result of a brain haemorrhage.

NEUROLOGICAL patients in west Wicklow are being failed by the current shortfall in community neurorehabilitation teams in Ireland, according to the Neurological Alliance of Ireland (NAI) .

The NAI has launched a new campaign seeking commitments from elected representatives and the HSE to tackle the absence of a community neurorehabilitation team in CHO Area 7, which includes west Wicklow services.

Deputy Jennifer Whitmore is also calling on Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to deliver much needed community based neurological patient services for the people of west and east Wicklow.

There are only two community neurorehabilitation teams in Ireland, despite nine teams being required which is outlined in the Implementation Framework (2019-2021) for the National Neurorehabilitation Strategy. This means that only 15 per cent of neurological patients in Ireland have access to teams that provide vital care to support their recovery.

In CHO Area 7, which includes Kildare, West Wicklow, Dublin West, Dublin South City and Dublin South West, funding was provided for a team as far back as 2018 but there has been a delay to date in establishing any team on the ground.

Speaking at the campaign launch, Magdalen Rogers NAI Executive Director, said: Once a person receives a diagnosis of a neurological condition, they need to be supported in their recovery and the management of their condition. Thats what a community neurorehabilitation team does. It brings together health care professionals from a range of disciplines such as an occupational therapist, a speech and language therapist, a physiotherapist and a clinical psychologist to enable a person living with a neurological condition to live well.

As well outlining the positive impact a community neurorehabilitation team can have on a patients recovery, the NAI presented a clear economic rationale for urgently establishing the teams in the seven CHOs that do not have a team in place.

Ms Rogers added: For every euro spent on a community neurorehabilitation team, the health service saves 11. Having these teams in place is vital in reducing the length of stay and delayed discharges and therefore freeing up beds in acute hospitals. The support of neurorehabilitation teams is also proven to prevent unnecessary admissions to hospitals and improves the overall well-being and quality of life of patients with a range of neurological conditions. We have estimated that having these vital teams in place could save up to 42,000 bed days annually.

We are calling on elected representatives in Wicklow and the HSE to commit to delivering these services for the people of Cork. There is still no funding in place for a team in the CHO 4 region. Having a team in place here would have a significantly positive impact on the lives of those living with neurological conditions in West Wicklow and the rest of Area 7.

Deputy Whitmore also attended Tuesdays launch and is lending her support to the NAI campaign.

I am calling on the Minister to do all in his power to deliver the desperately needed community services for neurological patients in the West Wicklow HSE Area and East Wicklow HSE area. Currently, despite the fact that funding has been in place since 2018, no community rehabilitation team has been implemented for patients living in West Wicklow or East.

I met with local neurological patients as well as clinicians from Peamount Hospital who outlined the dire need for a community neuro- rehabilitation team in CHO 7 to include West Wicklow, following a previous launch for community teams to be placed in CH06 for East Wicklow, she said.

Deputy Whitmore added: Most neurological patient from West Wicklow are sent to Peamount for their care and while they make huge gains as inpatients, all that work is lost when they are discharged as there are no community neuro-rehabilitation teams to continue the improvements. Some patients likened the lack of community care to falling off a cliff when they are discharged.

The teams would facilitate hundreds of people in West Wicklow to access rehabilitation following without the need to have to travel to Dublin to access it and the same would apply to East. If the planned community team was in place in Bray as was advised, patients in the east of the country would not have to travel to Dublin.

These are essential healthcare services for patients who have suffered stroke, brain injuries, Parkinsons patients, and others in need of physical or speech therapy. The provision of the community teams is in keeping with the National Neurorehabilitation Strategy. The Neurorehabilitation team is essential for all of Wicklow whether their HSE area is under the CH07 or CH06 banner and I will continue to raise this issue with the Minister until the vital services are in place.
The UK has the last monarchy in Europe that still holds a coronation ceremony (PA)   PA

The United Kingdom is the last country in Europe to hold a coronation ceremony for its monarchy.

However, other European countries still have monarchies, and practice their own unique ceremonies.

There are 12 sovereign monarchies left on the continent, with 10 of them hereditary, and two, Vatican City and Andorra, elective.

Here is a list of how their royals accede to the throne:

 Luxembourg

Luxembourg is a Grand Duchy, with a hereditary Grand Duke serving as head of state.

Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (right) arrives for the 200th Sovereigns Parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (Andrew Matthews/PA)   Andrew Matthews

He is inaugurated during a ceremony at Luxembourgs parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, where he vows to obey the countrys constitution.

 Denmark

Denmark is a constitutional monarchy, with a hereditary head of state.

The current monarch, Queen Margrethe II, did not have any formal enthronement ceremony.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark inspects a guard of honour (David Giles/PA)   David Giles

Instead, news of her accession was announced from the balcony of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen.

 Norway

Norway is a constitutional monarchy, with a hereditary monarch as its head of state.

King Harald V of Norway (Gareth Fuller/PA)   Gareth Fuller

The current monarch, King Harald V, was consecrated as king during a ceremony at Nidaros Cathedral in the city of Trondheim in 1991.

 Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein, a microstate landlocked between Austria and Switzerland, is a semi-constitutional monarchy, with a hereditary prince as its head of state.

The state does not have a coronation.

The then Queen with her Royal guests pose for a picture before her Sovereign Monarchs Jubilee lunch at, in the Grand reception room at Windsor Castle. The group photograph attendees are (front row, left to right) HM the Emperor of Japan, HM the Queen of the Netherlands, HM the Queen of Denmark, HM the King of the Hellenes, HM the King of Romania, HM Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, HM the King of Bulgarians, HM the Sultan of Brunei, HM the King of Sweden, HM the King of Swaziland, and HH the Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein John Stillwell/PA)   John Stillwell

Instead, the most recent prince, Prince Hans Adam, attended a mass by the Catholic Archbishop of Vaduz in Liechtenstein.

 Sweden

Sweden is a constitutional monarchy with a hereditary monarch as its head of state.

Instead of a coronation, Swedens monarch takes an oath of regal assurance during a meeting of the Swedish cabinet.

Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, and Queen Silvia of Sweden (Gareth Fuller/PA)   Gareth Fuller

Afterwards, a formal ceremony is held at the Hall of State at the Royal Palace in Stockholm.

 Vatican City

Vatican City is the home of the Holy See, the Government of the Catholic Church.

The Pope is the elected head of the church.

Pope Francis (Danny Lawson/PA)   Danny Lawson

He is chosen by the churchs cardinals.

After the pope is elected, he is inaugurated during a mass in St Peters Square in the Vatican.

 Spain

Spain is a constitutional monarchy with a hereditary monarch as its head of state.

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain (Gareth Fuller/PA)   Gareth Fuller

The current king, King Juan Carlos, ascended to the throne in a low-key ceremony at the Spanish parliament following the abdication of his father in 2014.

 Andorra

Andorra, a microstate landlocked between France and Spain, is a semi-elective diarchy. This means that it has two heads of state  one appointed and one elected.

The elected head of state is the President of France, while the appointed head of state is the Catholic Bishop of Urgell.

Emmanuel Macron (right) is a co-prince of Andorra/PA)   Jane Barlow

When Emmanuel Macron was sworn in as President of France, he also became the co-prince of Andorra.

Similarly, when Joan-Enric Vives i Sicilia was appointed Bishop of Urgell by the Pope he was made a co-prince too.

 The Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy with a hereditary monarch as its head of state.

The then Queen gives a speech during a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace, London, as part of King Willem Alexanders State Visit to the UK (Yui Mok/PA)   Yui Mok

The king or queen is inaugurated during a joint-assembly of the countrys parliament, held at the Nieuwe Kerk church in Amsterdam.

 Belgium

Belgium is a constitutional monarchy with a hereditary monarch as its head of state.

The current king, King Phillipe, was sworn in as monarch during a formal service in Brussels.

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium view the coffin of Queen Elizabeth III (Sarah Meysonnier/PA)   Sarah Meyssonnier

A parade was held through the streets of the capital, with King Philippe appearing with his family at the balcony of the Royal Palace.

 Monaco

Monaco, a microstate on the French Riviera, is a principality, with a hereditary prince as its head of state.

Prince Albert II of Monaco, (David Parry Media Assignments/PA)   David Parry Media Assignments

The Prince of Monaco is enthroned in an investiture ceremony at Saint Nicholas Cathedral.

The prince is presented with two keys of the city as part of his investiture.
Hollywood actress Eva Green is set to discover whether she has won a multimillion-pound High Court case over the collapse of a sci-fi film.

The Casino Royale star was due to play the lead role in dystopian thriller A Patriot, but the production collapsed in October 2019.

The 42-year-old sued the production company behind the project after the film was abandoned, claiming she is entitled to her million-dollar (810,000) fee under the terms of their agreement.

White Lantern Film and lender SMC Speciality Finance brought a counterclaim against Ms Green, alleging she undermined the independent films production and renounced the contract.

Mr Justice Michael Green is due to give his written ruling on the case on Friday after overseeing a trial in London earlier this year.

Eva Green arrives at the Rolls Building, London (Yui Mok/PA)   Yui Mok

Edmund Cullen KC, for Ms Green, previously told the court that the actress had been subjected to a character assassination, adding it was based on some of the cheapest and nastiest sorts of stereotypes around.

The court heard that the actress described potential crew members as shitty peasants, the production as a B-shitty-movie and executive producer Jake Seal as pure vomit.

During two days of cross examination, Ms Green told the judge that she had a very direct way of saying things.

The French actress also said she was not called to the studio for rehearsals or stunt training, describing it as so strange and later absurd with a capital A.

She said: If I had been called to set, I would have done this film even though it would have been a disaster.

Ms Green later denied undermining the production, telling the court: I didnt have to do anything to make the film fail they made it fail on their own with their incompetence.

Max Mallin KC, representing White Lantern, said Ms Green had shown a categorical and unequivocal refusal to perform.

The production company also claimed that she made excessive creative and financial demands and had expectations that were incompatible with the films low budget.

Mr Mallin said it was not up to Ms Green whether or not she was called to set, adding: What is within her control is whether she responds to that call or not and, in my submission, she is making quite clear that she was not.

He added that she was so concerned about what would happen if she were expressly called upon to perform that she had suggested her agent invent a story about Ms Green being hospitalised.

Mr Justice Michael Green is expected to issue his ruling at 10am on Friday.
Were genuine friends; were not Hollywood friends

Saoirse Ronan has opened up about her genuine friendship with fellow Irish star Paul Mescal.

The pair play a married couple in upcoming dystopian sci-fi thriller Foe.

"We knew each other sort of in passing before, just through friends, Saoirse told Document.

Weve become very, very close since making the film. Were genuine friends; were not Hollywood friends.

She called the Maynooth actor a good friend as she praised his Oscar success.

"Im so happy that [the Irish] did so well this year. I love Martin McDonaghs stuff, especially because hes a sort of Plastic Paddy, so he has a more interesting take on Irish culture and Irish life.

"And then Paul Mescal, whos a good friend of mine.

News in 90 Seconds

The actress  who was born in the Bronx, New York  confessed to Document that she has abandoned Dublin in recent years.

"I left when I was about 19. Then I did the play The Crucible in New York a few years ago, and then went back to Ireland for a spell, she said.

"Ive been in London ever since. Im starting to actually like it now  its taken a few years. Its a grower, London.

She said there is nothing compared to growing up in Ireland however, later adding: I think the life that I would have had in New York  Im sure it would have been fine  but its nothing compared to growing up in the countryside in Ireland, and having space and quiet and fresh air and being around animals. That is where I identify with being home.

The Irish pair star as a married couple in Foe, a sci-fi thriller following their survival in a world ravaged by climate change.

They live on an isolated farm, having their lives disrupted by a strangers knock on the door. They learn that one of the pair has been randomly selected to travel to a large, experimental space station that orbits Earth.

Oscar-nominated Mescal recently released his first official music single Slip Away, a song that is part of the soundtrack for Carmen.

In that film he plays a marine with PTSD who falls in love with a young woman who is forced to flee her home in the Mexican desert after her mother is murdered.
Lightness of Being, a unique work of Queen Elizabeth II, donated to Sothebys by Chris Levine (Sothebys/PA)   Sothebys

The Queen had several official royal portrait paintings commissioned during her 70-year reign and the King is set to follow in her footsteps with a portrait to commemorate his coronation.

Artists painted the late monarch to celebrate and depict various milestones during her life and reign, including her coronation on June 2 1953.

Sir Herbert James Gunn was commissioned by the Queen to capture her standing in her white satin coronation dress and the purple Robe of Estate, wearing the Diamond Diadem made for George IV and Queen Victorias collet diamond necklace.

The oil-on-canvas state portrait sees the Queen in the Throne Room in Buckingham Palace holding the sceptre, which lays with the Imperial State Crown on a table beside her.

Award-winning painter Isobel Peachey, who at 31 at the time was believed to be the youngest woman commissioned to paint the monarch, described the Queen as a gracious, warm and friendly sitter as she unveiled an official portrait for Cunard to hang in its new cruise liner  Queen Elizabeth.

An official portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by award-winning painter Isobel Peachey (John Stilwell/PA)   John Stillwell

Over the years a number of unofficial portraits of the Queen have been commissioned, including US artist Andy Warhols pop art print impression titled Reigning Queens.

In 1955, Sir William Oliphant Hutchison was commissioned by the Edinburgh Merchant Company to paint the Queen after she became head of the Order of the Thistle, Scotlands Order of Chivalry, on her accession.

In 1992, British artist Richard Stone was commissioned to paint a portrait of the Queen by the Borough of Colchester.

His portrait became a popular image during the period of mourning for the Queens death on September 8 last year and was used in various broadcasts.

Reigning Queens screenprint in colours by Andy Warhol (Jonathan Brady/PA)   Jonathan Brady

Charles has also sat for a number of paintings over the years, including for a modern-style portrait by Bryan Organ commissioned by the National Portrait Gallerys trustees in 1980, shortly before his wedding to Diana, Princess of Wales.

With a British flag hanging over his head, the future King can be seen sitting in a relaxed pose on a wooden chair while wearing polo clothes, a sport he played for 40 years.

In 2000, Charles featured in John Wonnacotts The Royal Family: A Centenary Portrait along with his mother the Queen, his father the Duke of Edinburgh, his sons Harry and William and the Queen Mother.

The oil-on-canvas painting, which features the familys beloved corgis, was commissioned by the trustees of the National Portrait Gallery to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Queen Mother.

British artist Michael Noakes also captured various members of the royal family for the 25th silver wedding anniversary of the Queen and Prince Philip.

Artist John Wonnacott gestures towards his group portrait of the royal family commissioned by the Portrait Gallery for the Millennium at Agnews gallery in Mayfair, London, in 2005 (Michael Stephens/PA)   Michael Stephens

His oil sketch of the Queen Mother wearing Queen Victorias Diamond Jubilee Brooch, painted as a study for a group portrait, was later acquired by Charles for Clarence House.

He said in a Royal Collection Trust video that the painting captured her likeness and reminds him of the essence of my grandmothers personality.

Ahead of the Kings coronation in May, an 8 million Government-funded scheme is offering public authorities the chance to claim a free portrait of Charles.

Oliver Dowden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said the portrait will serve as a visible reminder in buildings up and down the country of the nations ultimate public servant.

A picture was also commissioned by the Illustrated London News for its special coronation edition, which showed the King  who did not sit for the portrait  wearing a bracelet given to him by an indigenous Amazon leader.

Artist Alastair Barford said he wanted to capture Charless sensitivity in the oil painting, with the inclusion of the bracelet a nod to his environmental campaigning.

Artist Jamie Coreth in front of a portrait he painted of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge which is on display at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (Paul Edwards/The Sun/PA)   Paul Edwards/The Sun

In June last year, the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge viewed their first joint portrait at the Fitzwilliam Museum, commissioned by the Cambridgeshire Royal Portrait Fund as a gift for the county.

The portrait was painted by British artist Jamie Coreth and shows the pair standing side-by-side, with Kate in an elegant emerald dress and William in a black suit.
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People board an RAF aircraft during an evacuation at Wadi Seidna Air Base in Sudan. Photo: Arron Hoare/UK MOD/REUTERS.   via REUTERS

A total of 163 Irish citizens and family members have been assisted to evacuate Sudan so far, with Tanaiste Micheal Martin calling for the maintaining of a ceasefire.

The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed 163 Irish citizens have been brought to safety, as military factions agreed to extend the ceasefire for 72 hours. Reports on Friday suggested skirmishes were again breaking out in violation of the truce, as the UK confirmed it would halt rescue flights this weekend.

Tanaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheal Martin wrote online: 163 Irish citizens and their dependents have now been evacuated from Sudan. Thank you to our international partners, and everyone involved in the evacuation.

I urge all sides to maintain the ceasefire. Concerned about the widening humanitarian crisis unfolding.

Some evacuees have also made their way overland independently, the Department stated.

Evacuation flights are continuing today and registered citizens have been advised of details by Irelands Embassy in Nairobi.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said: We have to remember that, as we work to bring our citizens and their dependents safely back to Ireland, 45 million Sudanese civilians remain in Sudan. The fighting in Khartoum is rapidly causing a humanitarian catastrophe; and this is in addition to an already very fragile humanitarian situation in Sudan.

The Department added that it has been closely monitoring an upsurge in violence and its impacts on the Sudanese people as it thanked EU partners, the UK, Jordan, Norway and Djibouti, for their ongoing cooperation in this challenging mission.

The Embassy in Nairobi and the Department of Foreign Affairs are maintaining contact with and advising Irish citizens still in Sudan, it added.

Due to continued uncertainty about the duration of the current ceasefire, and the generally volatile situation in Sudan, we advise citizens, if they judge it safe to do so, to give serious consideration to evacuation options as they become available.

Evacuation operations will only continue for as long as the security situation in Sudan allows.

The Emergency Civil Assistance Team (ECAT) mission is currently based in Cyprus and, together with consular teams in the region, continues to work with people as they are evacuated, helping to arrange accommodation and flights to Ireland.

The Department said Irish citizens remaining in Sudan who have not already done so should urgently register with the Embassy of Ireland in Kenya, which is accredited to Sudan.

We will stay in contact with everyone who has registered with us, a spokesperson said. The primary focus of the Department of Foreign Affairs, and our Embassy in Kenya, is necessarily supporting the evacuation of Irish citizens and their accompanying family members from Sudan.

We are however also in contact with Sudanese nationals in Ireland who are concerned about their family members, or who themselves are presently in Sudan and unable to depart due to the violence there.

 The Government will continue to support efforts to end the conflict and demand conditions where people are able to stay secure and return to their homes and families.

Citizens should follow the Embassy of Ireland in Kenya on Twitter (@IrlEmbKenya) for updated advice. The Embassy's out of hours consular assistance phone line can be contacted at +254 716 353 999, and the Department of Foreign Affairs can be contacted at +353 1 408 2000.
People pass by damaged cars and buildings at the central market during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North. Photo: Reuters/ Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah   REUTERS

Sudans army and a paramilitary force battled in Khartoum yesterday, testing US and African efforts to pause a conflict that has turned residential areas into war zones and sent tens of thousands of people fleeing for their lives.

Hundreds of people have been killed in nearly two weeks of conflict between the army and a rival paramilitary force  the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)  which are locked in a power struggle threatening to destabilise the wider region.

An RSF statement accused the army of carrying out air strikes on its forces and spreading false rumours, making no reference to a proposal for peace talks which the army said came from an African regional bloc known as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

The army said its forces had taken control of most regions but added the situation is a bit complicated in some parts of the capital, noting it was in the process of defeating what it called a large deployment of RSF.

The sound of air strikes and anti-aircraft fire could be heard in the capital Khartoum and the nearby cities of Omdurman and Bahri, witnesses and Reuters journalists said. An existing three-day ceasefire brought about a partial lull in fighting, but was due to expire late last night.

Many foreign nationals remain stuck in Sudan despite an exodus marking one of the largest such evacuations since the withdrawal of US-led forces from Afghanistan in 2021.

Sudanese civilians, who have been struggling to find food, water and fuel, continued to flee Khartoum.

The army said its leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, had given initial approval to the IGAD plan to extend the truce for another 72 hours and to send an army envoy to the South Sudan capital, Juba, for talks.

The military said the presidents of South Sudan, Kenya and Djibouti worked on a proposal that includes extending the truce and talks between the two forces, whose conflict derailed a transition to civilian democracy after a 2021 military coup.

IGAD reaffirmed an earlier call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, de-escalation and a return to the negotiating table. A statement by the bloc made no mention of Juba talks.

Gamal Malik Ahmed Gor- aish, Charge d Affaires at Sudans embassy in Juba, told Reuters it was not clear how any talks would happen or what the agenda would be.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken and African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat discussed working together to create a sustainable end to the fighting, said the State Department.

At least 512 people have been killed and close to 4,200 wounded by the fighting since April 15.

The crisis has sent growing numbers of refugees across Sudans borders. Thousands of people, mainly Sudanese, have been waiting at the border to cross north into Egypt.

Around 16,000 people have entered Egypt from Sudan including 14,000 Sudanese citizens, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said. The UN says around 20,000 refugees have already gone to Chad.

France said it had evacuated more people from Sudan, including Britons, Americans, Canadians, Ethiopians, Dutch, Italians and Swedes. Britain said it might not be able to continue evacuating nationals when the ceasefire ends, and they should try to reach British flights out of Sudan immediately.

At International University of Africa in Khartoum, where thousands of students are waiting to leave, food is running out, there is no water, and the power is out, said Nigerian law student Umar Yusuf Yaru (24). Even as we sit here, almost everywhere you can hear gunshots. We are not safe here, Yaru said via Zoom, as some female students could be heard crying in the background.

The conflict has limited food distribution in the vast nation, Africas third largest, where a third of the 46 million people were already reliant on humanitarian aid.

The Sudan Doctors Union said 60 out of 86 hospitals in conflict zones had stopped operating.
Detectives investigating the murder of a pregnant teacher believe they have discovered the body of her missing partner.

Police Scotland had been hunting David Yates (36) in connection with the death of Marelle Sturrock at her home in Jura Street, Glasgow, on Tuesday morning.

The 35-year-old was 29 weeks pregnant. Her unborn baby did not survive.

Officers had been carrying out an intensive search of Mugdock Country Park, around nine miles from Ms Sturrocks home, and announced on Thursday they had found a body at the adjacent Mugdock Reservoir.

Police said that while the body was yet to be formally identified, it was believed to be that of Yates.

The force added that reports would be sent to the procurator fiscal.

Marelle Sturrock (Family handout/PA)   Family Handout

Police divers had been involved in the search and large areas of the reservoir were cordoned off with police tape, with officers standing guard.

Detective Superintendent Nicola Kilbane said: Our thoughts are with Marelles family and friends, along with everyone affected by this tragedy.

We are providing her family with specialist support at this incredibly difficult time.

The headteacher at Sandwood Primary School in Glasgow, where Ms Sturrock worked, said the community is devastated.

Police in Mugdock Country Park (Lucinda Cameron/PA)   Lucinda Cameron

Fiona Donnelly said: Marelle has been a much-loved member of our school community since her probationary year more than six years ago and has taught many year groups throughout her time at the school.

We will all miss her so much.

She was a lovely, kind, diligent and considerate person who loved and made time for everyone.

Marelle used her artistic talents across the school and was our music champion who has been a key player in the success of our school choirs, with one of her classes going to see her on stage at The Kings (Theatre) in one of her many acting roles outside of school.

We are a school community in mourning and are devasted by the tragic news of her death and pass on our deepest condolences to her family and friends as we all come to terms with our loss.

Murder investigation launched into death of pregnant teacher

Parents at the school were told of the death in a letter on Wednesday and education psychologists are on hand to support pupils.

Ms Sturrock was from Wick, Caithness, but moved to Glasgow when she was 17 to pursue a career in the performing arts.

She became a primary school teacher after completing a postgraduate diploma in education.
Actor tells court Rupert Murdochs tabloid set up burglaries to order to get private information

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, who is also pursuing NGN through the courts   REUTERS

Hugh Grant has accused the publisher of The Sunof using the law to cover up and conceal unlawful activities by journalists and private investigators, which he alleges included burglaries to order.

The actor (62) attended the final day of a hearing at the high court in London at which News Group Newspapers (NGN) is bringing a bid to have claims by him and the Duke of Sussex thrown out.

Grant arrived with his wife, Anna Eberstein, and his legal team and greeted gathered journalists as he entered the court in London.

Prince Harry (38) is suing NGN over alleged unlawful information-gathering at two of its titles, The Sun and the now-defunct News Of The World, claiming his private information was unlawfully accessed.

Grant, who in 2012 settled a claim against NGN relating to unlawful information gathering at the News Of The World, is now bringing a similar legal action in relation to The Sun.

NGN denies any unlawful activity took place at The Sun.

In a witness statement, the actor said: My claim concerns unlawful acts committed by The Sun, including burglaries to order, the breaking and entering of private property in order to obtain private information through bugging, landline tapping, phone hacking and the use of private investigators to do all these and other illegal things against me.

He referred in the statement to evidence he gave to the UKs Leveson inquiry into British press standards and ethics in 2011 in which he spoke about a break-in at his London flat, where the front door was forced off its hinges. A story appeared shortly afterwards in The Sunthat detailed the interior.

I had no evidence that this burglary was carried out or commissioned on the instruction of the press, let alone The Sun, he said.

The actor said he had been told by a private investigator in early 2022, which prompt- ed him to launch his claim.

He said he brought his new claim after being passed information that showed, for the first time, evidence that The Sunhad targeted unlawful activity at me and my associates directly.

He said the information included private investigator invoices and payments, and that they included the period during which the Leveson inquiry was taking place.

Grants statement said: It was particularly shocking to learn that me and my associates, including members of my family who were not in any way in the public eye, had been targeted by The Sunduring the Leveson inquiry.

It was widely reported and well-known at the time these private investigators were commissioned  in November 2011  that I was shortly going to be giving evidence to the Leveson inquiry, which included NGN.

I found it astonishing that The Suncarried out these unlawful acts against me at a time when I was preparing to give evidence to a public inquiry on press ethics. Of course, all this was concealed from me at the time.

An NGN spokesperson said: The Sunstrongly refutes the allegation that it ever commissioned anyone to break into Mr Grants home.

NGNs lawyers said Grant should have been aware he had a claim in relation to The Sunmuch earlier, and has left it too late to bring his latest legal action.

Grants lawyers argue that he has only become aware more recently, following disclosure in the ongoing phone hacking litigation, that there is evidence he was targeted by journalists and private investigators working for The Sun.

Prince Harrys lawyers argue NGNs bid to have his claim thrown out is an attempt to go behind a secret agreement between senior royals and NGN, which the duke was informed of in 2012.

NGN has previously settled a number of claims since the phone-hacking scandal broke in relation to the News Of The World, which closed in 2011, but has consistently denied that any unlawful information gathering took place at The Sun.

The judge is now to rule on whether the claims will progress to a trial.
Russia installs anti-tank barricade ahead of expected Ukraine counter-offensive

Ukrainian soldiers in action in war-hit Bakhmut in Ukraine's Donetsk region on Sunday, April 23. Photo: Iryna Rybakova / AP   AP

The head of Russias Wagner mercenary group said he had been joking when he offered to suspend artillery fire on Ukrainian forces in besieged Bakhmut.

Wagner has been spearheading Russias assault on the Ukrainian city since last summer in the longest and bloodiest battle of the war, but Ukrainian forces have so far thwarted its attempts to take full control.

Yevgeny Prigozhin said in an audio message: A decision has been taken to suspend artillery fire so that American journalists can safely film Bakhmut and go home.

However, he later added: Guys, this is military humour. Humour, and nothing more... it was a joke.

At least 4,000 civilians have been killed in the fighting in Bakhmut, according to estimates from Kyiv, and thousands more soldiers from both sides.

Elsewhere, a civilian was killed and 23 others wounded  including a child  when four Russian cruise missiles hit the southern city of Mykolaiv.

Russia has installed a Devils Teeth anti-tank defence barricade further along the front line ahead of a planned counter-offensive by Ukraine in the spring.

Anti-tank ditches near Ukraines occupied south-eastern town of Polohy stretch for 30km. Behind are rows of concrete barricades. Behind that are defensive trenches where Russias troops will be positioned.

The defences are visible in satellite imagery and show Russian fortifications sweeping down from western Russia through eastern Ukraine and on to Crimea  built in readiness for a major Ukrainian attack. Nato said its allies and partner countries have now delivered more than 98pc of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine to fight Russias invasion.

Along with more than 1,550 armoured vehicles, 230 tanks and other equipment, Ukraines allies have sent vast amounts of ammunition and trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian brigades, Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said.

More than 30,000 troops are estimated to make up the new brigades. Some Nato partner countries such as Sweden and Australia have also provided armoured vehicles.

This will put Ukraine in a strong position to continue to retake occupied territory, Mr Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.

His comments came a day after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping had a long and meaningful phone call in their first known contact since Russias full-scale invasion more than a year ago.

Russian president Vladimir Putin yesterday hailed burgeoning economic ties with Turkey in a virtual ceremony inaugurating Turkeys first nuclear power plant, which was built by Russias Rosatom. Turkey is a Nato member but president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has managed to maintain cordial relations with Mr Putin despite the war in Ukraine.
A rescue worker removes rubble during a search for bodies under a building destroyed by Russian shelling in Borodianka, Ukraine. Photo: Reuters   REUTERS

Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine early Friday, killing at least five people and striking a residential building in central Ukraine, officials said.

Air raid sirens sounded around the capital in the first attack against the city in nearly two months and Ukraine's air force intercepted 11 cruise missiles and two unmanned aerial vehicles over Kyiv, according to the Kyiv City Administration.

There were no immediate reports of any missiles hitting targets in Kyiv but fragments from intercepted missiles or drones damaged power lines and a road in one neighborhood.

No casualties were reported.

But a 31-year-old woman and her two-year-old daughter were killed in the eastern city of Dnipro in another attack, regional Governor Serhii Lysak said. Four people were also wounded, and a private home and business were damaged.

Russian missile and drone attacks in Ukraine kill at least eight people

Two cruise missiles also hit a residential building and storage facilities in Uman, around 215km (134 miles) south of Kyiv, said Ihor Taburets, the regional governor of Cherkasy, the region where the city is located.

Three people were killed and eight were wounded in the city, Taburets said.

Emergency service workers were at the site and local media shared footage and photos from the multi-story building that caught fire with several floors destroyed.

In Kyiv, the anti-aircraft system was activated, according to the Kyiv City Administration.

Air raid sirens started at about 4 am and the alert ended about two hours later.

The attack was the first on the capital since March 9.

The missiles were fired from aircraft operating in the Caspian Sea region, according to Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander in Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

Overall, he said Ukraine intercepted 21 of 23 Kh-101 and Kh-555 type cruise missiles launched, as well as the two drones.

The attacks came as NATO announced that its allies and partner countries have delivered more than 98pc of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine during Russias invasion and war, strengthening Kyiv's capabilities as it contemplates launching a counteroffensive.

Along with more than 1,550 armoured vehicles, 230 tanks and other equipment, Ukraines allies have sent vast amounts of ammunition and trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian brigades, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

More than 30,000 troops are estimated to make up the new brigades. Some NATO partner countries, such as Sweden and Australia, have also provided armored vehicles.

This will put Ukraine in a strong position to continue to retake occupied territory, Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.

The overnight attacks and comments came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a long and meaningful phone call on Wednesday in their first known contact since Russias full-scale invasion more than a year ago.

Though Zelensky said he was encouraged by Wednesdays call and Western officials welcomed Xis move, it didnt appear to improve peace prospects.

Russia and Ukraine are far apart in their terms for peace, and Beijing  while looking to position itself as a global diplomatic power  has refused to criticize Moscows invasion.

The Chinese government sees Russia as a diplomatic ally in opposing US influence in global affairs, and Xi visited Moscow last month.
NASA's next-generation moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion crew capsule, lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Florida: Reuters   REUTERS

Scientists at Nasa have figured out how to extract oxygen from lunar soil in a major boost for the US space agencys plans to build human bases on the Moon.

A team from Nasas Johnson Space Centre in Houston successfully removed oxygen from simulated lunar soil within a vacuum environment for the first time ever by using a laser to create a carbothermal reaction.

The Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) experiment could prove vital for producing oxygen for breathing, as well as for propellant for transportation.

Our team proved the CaRD reactor would survive the lunar surface and successfully extract oxygen, said Nasa engineer Anastasia Ford.

This is a big step for developing the architecture to build sustainable human bases on other planets.

Establishing a permanent human presence on the Moon is one of the long-term goals of Nasas Artemis mission, which will see the first astronauts return to the lunar surface as early as 2025.

The success of the latest experiment means the oxygen harvesting technology is now at a readiness level of six, meaning it is ready to be tested in space.

The technology has the potential to produce several times its own weight in oxygen per year on the lunar surface, which will enable a sustained human presence and lunar economy, said Aaron Paz, a senior engineer at Nasa.

Earlier this month, Nasa announced the four astronauts who will venture around the Moon on the Artemis II mission, which will be the first crewed space flight of the programme.

The 10-day flight test will see the astronauts travel in the Orion spacecraft, launched aboard Nasas huge Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.

They will be the first astronauts to fly within the vicinity of the Moon in more than 50 years.

The US space agency has already completed an uncrewed test flight of the Orion craft, which saw it fly around the Moon and return to Earth in November 2022.
Columnist denies making allegation to sell more books

Court sketch of E Jean Carroll during civil trial to decide whether Donald Trump raped her. Photo: Reuters   REUTERS

E JEAN Carroll, the writer accusing Donald Trump of rape, denied yesterday that she waited more than two decades to come forward so she could sell more copies of her 2019 memoir.

In testimony in Manhattan federal court, Ms Carroll said she decided to go public after rape allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in 2017 prompted many women to come forward with their accounts of sexual abuse.

It caused me to realise that staying silent does not work, Ms Carroll (79), a former Elle magazine columnist, said under cross-examination from Mr Trumps lawyer Joe Tacopina in the civil case taken against the former US president.

E Jean Carroll leaves the Manhattan Federal Court in New York. Photo: Eduardo Munoz   REUTERS

Woman after woman stood up, she said. I thought, well, this may be a way to change the culture of sexual violence.

Mr Trumps lawyers are trying to undermine Ms Carrolls credibility after she testified in graphic detail on Wednesday that Mr Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in late 1995 or early 1996.

Mr Tacopina suggested that Ms Carrolls account was odd and that it was only when she wanted to make money from her memoir What Do We Need Men For?that she spoke up.

For two decades, Ms Carroll, you never told the police and never revealed the story in your hundreds of columns, Mr Tacopina said.

He pressed her on her inability to recall exactly when her encounter with Mr Trump happened, prompting her to say I wish to heaven that she had an exact date.

Ms Carroll objected when Mr Tacopina said she had supposedly be ing raped. She said the rape occurred.

Former US president Donald Trump

Ms Carroll had testified on Wednesday that Mr Trump, who had been shopping at Bergdorf for lingerie for another woman, coaxed her into a dressing room, slammed her into a wall and raped her.

Mr Trump has consistently denied Ms Carrolls allegations and said she made them up to sell her memoir and hurt him politically, a theme Tacopina touched on.

Mr Trump (76) leads the Republican field in nest years presidential campaign.

He has not attended the trial and is not required to be there.

Ms Carroll, a registered Democrat, is seeking unspecified damages from Mr Trump, saying his denials ruined her career and invited a flood of online harassment that persists.

Ms Carroll is also suing for defamation over an October 2022 post by Trump on his Truth Social platform where he called the rape a hoax.
This magazine discusses the key drivers of investment growth in the west Indian state of Gujarat and its appea...
New York: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday launched a new initiative to help strengthen countries ability to plan for, and deal with, another deadly pandemic like COVID-19, as latest figures show a huge fall in COVID deaths this year.

The guidance provides a joined-up approach for responding to the threat or arrival of any respiratory pathogen such as flu or the range of coronaviruses, that have the ability to rapidly mutate into different variants.

The new Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats Initiative, or PRET, incorporates the latest tools and approaches for shared learning and collective action established during the COVID-19 pandemic, and other recent public health emergencies, said WHO.

In his regular weekly briefing in Geneva, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that next week, the agency would launch its fourth Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) issued by the UN health agency, since the first at the start of the COVID-19 emergency, in February 2020.

This update outlines how countries can transition from an emergency response, to long-term, sustained management of COVID-19, he said, over a two year period.

Hundreds of millions will need care

Were very encouraged by the sustained decline in reported deaths from COVID-19, which have dropped 95 per cent since the beginning of this year.

However, some countries are seeing increases, Tedros cautioned, and over the past four weeks, 14,000 people lost their lives to COVID.

He said an estimated one in 10 infections now results in whats commonly known as long COVID, suggesting that hundreds of millions of people will need longer-term care moving forward.

As the emergence of the new XBB.1.16 variant shows, the virus is still changing, and is still capable of causing new waves of disease and death, Tedros said.

Virus is here to stay

We remain hopeful that sometime this year, we will be able to declare an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern. But this virus is here to stay, and all countries will need to learn to manage it alongside other infectious diseases.

The UN health chief joked that the acronym for the new PRET initiative, was deliberate: pret means ready in French.

Rather than focusing on specific pathogens or diseases, PRET takes an integrated approach to pandemic planning, by focussing on groups of pathogens and the systems they affect.

To begin with, PRET will focus on respiratory pathogens, including influenza, coronaviruses, RSV, and as-yet-unknown pathogens, but he added that pandemics by definition, were global events, emphasizing the importance of international collaboration.

Schools, prayer halls, town halls

But its also designed to promote collaboration between sectors. As COVID-19 demonstrated, a pandemic is not just a health crisis. It affects economies, education, trade, travel, food supply systems and more.

PRET therefore, will engage as many sectors of human activity as possible, including civil society, religious groups and young people.

He said PRET answers the call for technical guidance, and support for promoting and strengthening integrated preparedness and response, as outlined in World Health Assembly resolutions.
Arindam Bagchi Twitter page

New Delhi: The 10th batch of Indians, who were stranded in conflict-hit Sudan, have successfully departed from Port Sudan on an IAF C 130J flight, read a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday.

The batch included 135 Indians.

As many as 135 Indians were evacuated in this phase.

The evacuation took place as part of Operation Kaveri which was launched by the Indian government to bring back the nationals stranded in Sudan.

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted: "10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah."

#OperationKaveri progresses further.



10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah.  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) April 27, 2023

On Tuesday evening, the first batch of 278 Indians left Sudan Port for Jeddah on board INS Sumedha, while two other batches, of 121 and 135 Indians, were flown to Jeddah on board two IAF C-130J aircraft later in the night.
ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY Twitter page

New Delhi: General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, Chief of Army Staff, Bangladesh Army, who is currently in India, is meeting senior military and civilian leadership to discuss avenues for enhancing the defence relationship between the neighbours.

He is visiting India between Apr 27 to 29.

"During the visit, he is meeting Indias senior military and civilian leadership where he will discuss avenues for enhancing India-Bangladesh defence relations," read the statement issued by the Indian government.

India and Bangladesh share the historical legacy of cooperation and support during the Liberation War of 1971.

The active engagement on the defence side includes high-level exchanges at the level of Service Chiefs, conduct of the inaugural Annual Defence Dialogues by the Defence Secretaries, Tri-services and Service-specific Staff Talks.

Exchange visits of Bangladesh Mukti Jodhas and Indian war veterans take place every year in December to mark the Victory Day celebrations in Dhaka and Kolkata.

General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed called on General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff on the evening of 26 April 2023.

General Manoj Pande #COAS extended a warm welcome to General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed #COAS, #Bangladesh Army and discussed ways to further strengthen the #DefenceCooperation between the two Armies. 1/2#IndiaBangladeshFriendship#IndianArmy pic.twitter.com/UwrTnyfbnx  ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) April 27, 2023

The Bangladesh Army Chief commenced his visit by paying tributes to the fallen heroes of the Indian Armed Forces by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial.

The visiting General was accorded a Guard of Honour at the South Block Lawns after which he called on General Manoj Pande, the Chief of the Army Staff.

The Army Chiefs discussed various issues pertaining to enhancing and strengthening interoperability, training, anti-terrorism collaboration and overall bilateral cooperation as part of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations.

"General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed later called on General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of Naval Staff, Air Marshal AP Singh, Vice Chief of Air Staff, Defence Secretary and the Foreign Secretary," read the Indian government statement.

He was also briefed on the Indian indigenous defence equipment manufacturing eco-system by the Department of Defence Production (DDP) and the Army Design Bureau. An Implementing Arrangement for UN Peacekeeping Operations and Training Cooperation between Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping (CUNPK), India and Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operations Training (BIPSOT), Bangladesh was signed between both Armies during the visit.

The visiting Bangladesh Army Chief is the Reviewing Officer for the Passing Out Parade at Officers Training Academy, Chennai scheduled on 29 April 2023.

He will visit the Officers Training Academy Museum and interact with the cadets of the passing out course.
Image: Rajnath Singh Instagram page

New Delhi: Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with Iran's Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics Brigadier General Mohammed Reza Gharaei Ashtiyani in New Delhi on Thursday.

"The meeting took place in a cordial and warm atmosphere," read a statement issued by the Indian government.

Both the leaders emphasised on the age-old cultural, linguistic and civilizational ties between the two countries, including people-to-people connect.

Both the Ministers reviewed the bilateral defence cooperation and exchanged views on regional security issues, including peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Further, the two Ministers discussed the development of the International North South Transport corridor to ease logistic problems to Afghanistan and other countries in Central Asia.

The Iranian Defence Minister is visiting Delhi at the invitation of the Raksha Mantri to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers Meeting, to be held on April 28, 2023.
Image: PIB

New Delhi: The 7th edition of joint military exercise Ajeya Warrior-23 between India and the United Kingdom is being conducted at Salisbury Plains, United Kingdom from 27 April to 11 May 2023.

Exercise Ajeya Warrior is a biennial training event with the United Kingdom which is conducted alternatively in the United Kingdom and India, the last edition was held at Chaubatia, Uttarakhand in October 2021.

Soldiers of the 2 Royal Gorkha Rifles from the United Kingdom and Indian Army soldiers from the BIHAR Regiment are participating in the exercise, read a government statement.

The Indian Army contingent arrived at Brize Norton on 26 April 2023 by an Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft with indigenous weapons and equipment.

The aim of the exercise is to build positive military relations, imbibe each others best practices and promote the ability to operate together while undertaking company-level sub-conventional operations in urban and semi-urban environments under UN mandate, in addition to developing inter-operability, bonhomie, camaraderie, and friendship between the two armies.

The scope of this exercise involves a Command Post Exercise (CPX) at the Battalion level and Company level Field Training Exercise (FTX).

During the exercise, participants will engage in a variety of missions testing their operational acumen in various simulated situations; showcasing and refining their tactical drills, and learning from each others operational experience.

Exercise Ajeya Warrior is yet another significant milestone in defence cooperation between the Indian Army and British Army which will further foster the bilateral relations between the two nations.
Image: video grab

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has asked the UP government to submit a status report on the measures taken after the brazen murder of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in police custody and questioned why the duo was 'paraded' and not taken to the hospital gate in an ambulance, media reports said.

Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot by three gunmen posing as journalists while they were taken to a medical college and hospital in Prayagraj for a regular health check-up on April 15 around 10 pm at night. The shooting occurred while several police officers and media personnel were present to interview the duo.

A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta was hearing a plea filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari seeking an inquiry into 183 police encounters in Uttar Pradesh since 2017.

The court also asked the UP government about the police encounter with Ahmed's son Asad in Jhansi.

The court also asked the UP government what actions have been taken on the report of Justice BS Chauhan regarding police functioning after the Vikas Dubey encounter.

The petitioner demanded an independent inquiry under the supervision of a retired Supreme Court judge.

The UP government said a judicial commission has been formed to investigate the matter.

However, the petitioner raised questions over the role of the government in the functioning of this commission.

Following this, the apex court then asked the UP government to file a status report.

The UP government will file an affidavit to explain the circumstances in which Atiq and Ashraf were killed and the steps taken to investigate the shooting incident.
Image Credit: IBNS File

Kolkata/IBNS: Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has welcomed the Supreme Court order of transferring all cases from Justice Abhijit Ganguly's bench owing to the latter's television interview with a local private channel on the corruption issues.

Speaking to the media, Abhishek said, "We have always welcomed the court orders. We welcome this order as well."

"If someone from TMC is involved in the scams, he/she must be probed. We want all culprits to be penalised so that an example can be set in the whole country," the TMC MP added.

The top court directive is significant as Justice Ganguly's orders in the scam cases have created ripples in the state with multiple arrests including the one of former education minister Partha Chatterjee.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud has asked for a separate judge to hear the respective cases.

The Supreme Court order stems from an interview where Justice Ganguly spoke on the cases, referred to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, revealed that he was upset with TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in one instance et al at length.

While Justice Ganguly's strict actions and directives had impressed anti-government protesters who were demanding "justice" and legitimate recruitments, a section of people had questioned his television interview citing "ethics".

Former state education minister Partha Chatterjee, former primary education board president and Trinamool MLA Manik Bhattacharya are among the people who have been arrested so far in connection with the scam.

Partha and his close-aide Arpita Mukherjee were arrested in the cases after a huge cash (about Rs 50 crore) was recovered from the latter's two flats.

Both are still behind the bars.
Image Credit: Video grab

New Delhi: A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Friday rejected the bail plea of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in a money laundering case connected to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam, media reports said.

The CBI special court's judge MK Nagpal said Sisodias bail request could not be allowed as the probe is at a stage where it doesn't merit granting bail.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) argued that the AAP leaders application for bail could not be accepted as the investigation was at a "crucial" stage.

The ED alleged the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader concocted emails to show the people had approved the new liquor policy for the national capital.

On March 31, Sisodia's request for bail was rejected in the alleged corruption case being probed by the CBI.

The central agency claimed that Sisodia was the "architect" of the conspiracy to take kickbacks of around Rs 90-100 crore from a liquor lobby.

The court had said that releasing Sisodia on bail would "adversely affect the ongoing investigation".

The probe into the alleged liquor scam started after the Delhi Lieutenant Governor ordered a CBI investigation.

After the order, Delhis AAP government reinstated the old liquor policy in the national capital and blamed the LG for revenue loss of crores of rupees that would have come to the exchequer if the new liquor policy was not withdrawn.

The CBI is investigating the alleged involvement of a "south lobby" consisting of businessmen and politicians in manipulating the Delhi liquor policy to benefit themselves, with the help of middlemen, traders, and bureaucrats.

The former chartered accountant of K Kavitha, who is a leader of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi and the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, was arrested by the CBI. Kavitha was also interrogated in the matter.
Representational image by US Army via Wikimedia Commons

New Delhi: The Indian Army has operationalised new specialist units to counter the rising challenges posed by China and Pakistan in the world of cyberwarfare, media reports said.

The decision was taken during the Army Commanders Conference held in the third week of this month headed by Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande.

"To safeguard the communication networks and increase preparedness levels in this niche domain, Command Cyber Operations and Support Wings (CCOSW) are being raised in the Indian Army," government sources told ANI.

They said that Cyberspace has emerged as an important component of the military domain both in grey zone warfare as well as conventional operations.

Highlighting the importance and requirement of such specialist units, the sources said the expansion of cyber warfare capabilities by our adversaries has made the cyber domain more competitive and contested than ever before.
New Delhi: A Delhi High Court on Friday asked the authorities at Mandoli jail to provide alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar with a hearing regarding the punishment barring his canteen access for a period of 15 days, said a report in the media.

The Delhi government stated that a post-facto hearing will be granted to Sukesh Chandrashekhar concerning the second punishment he received, which involves the termination of his visitation and phone call privileges. The accused's counsel will be given a chance to speak, following which a new decision will be made in compliance with the law.

The counsel representing the Delhi government argued that there is a distinction between minor and major punishments according to the Delhi Prison Rules. Since the punishments given to Sukesh Chandrashekhar were for less than 30 days, they were considered minor, and there was no obligation to provide a show-cause notice.

In his plea, Sukesh Chandrashekhar stated that the punishment tickets will be effective from May 1 and will remain valid until May 15 and that the superintendent of Mandoli jail has given his approval for it.

The state counsel further informed the court that Sukesh Chandrashekhar has filed a plea in the Supreme Court requesting a transfer from Mandoli jail, which also addresses the punishment of being deprived of canteen facilities that were imposed on him.

Sukesh Chandrashekhar was charged with defrauding the spouses of former Ranbaxy promoters Shivinder Singh and Malvinder Singh of Rs 200 crore, and an FIR was filed against him by the Delhi Police. He is also being investigated for several other cases across the country.

Sukesh Chandrashekhar and his wife Leena Paulose, who are both accused in a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate, were arrested by the Delhi Police along with several others.

Police have also slapped the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the case.
Image: Facebook/Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh

New Delhi: The Delhi Police Friday filed two cases against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh acting on the sexual harassment allegations made by the country's top wrestlers.

The Delhi Police, which functions under Amit Shah's Home Ministry, filed the two first information reports (FIRs) hours after the Supreme Court ordered them to do so, amid the wrestlers' protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

One of the FIRs has been filed over a complaint of sexual harassment by a minor under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which gives no scope for bail.

Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Ravi Dahiya, and Deepak Punia have been protesting against Singh and demanding the government take action on their complaint.

Singh, who is also a BJP MP, welcomed the Supreme Court's order to file the police case into allegations of sexual harassment against him.

However, he told reporters that the wrestlers should have waited for the report of a committee that was tasked to look into the matter before they decided to sit on a protest in Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

"I am happy with the judiciary's decision. The Delhi Police will investigate the allegations and I am ready to cooperate with them in every possible way. No one is bigger than the judiciary in this country. The order has come to file an FIR (first information report). The government had also said it had no objection to filing an FIR. I am not larger than the Supreme Court. I welcome the order," Singh told reporters.

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur had earlier formed the committee to look into the allegations against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its chief.

The committee submitted its report on April 5. But the ministry has not yet made public the findings of the six-member committee.
Image: UN Photo/Loey Felipe

New York: The rapidly deteriorating security situation in Haiti demands that the country remains at the centre of international attention and action, newly appointed UN Special Representative Maria Isabel Salvador said on Wednesday in her first briefing to the Security Council.

Gang violence is expanding at an alarming rate in areas previously considered relatively safe in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and outside the city, with a shocking increase in criminality and abuses, and a police force that is unable to handle the situation.

At the same time, almost half the population, 5.2 million people, needs humanitarian aid, amid an ongoing cholera epidemic that has generated nearly 40,000 suspected cases since October.

Act now

She warned that any further delay in addressing the unprecedented insecurity in Haiti could lead to a spill-over in the region.

Time is of the essence, and the Haitian people deserve your urgent action. If not supported, the vicious circle of violence, political, social, and economic crisis, in which the people struggle every day, will continue to turn, she said.

Ms. Salvador was appointed in March and took up her post this month. She spent the first week meeting with civil society representatives, particularly womens groups, national authorities and senior government officials.

During my initial exchanges and interactions, I observed that a path for Haitians to engage in dialogue towards restoring democratic institutions in the country has been charted. However, the general sentiment is that it will be difficult to move forward without effectively addressing rampant insecurity, she said.

Gangs terrorize citizens

The envoy also managed to circulate through some of the streets of the capital in the early days of her arrival, saying I felt the tension and recognized the fear Haitians experience every day.

She told ambassadors that the horrific violence in gang-ridden areas, including sexual violence particularly targeting women and girls, is emblematic of the terror afflicting much of the population.

During the first quarter of the year, 1,647 criminal incidents - homicides, rapes, kidnappings and lynching  were recorded, according to data from the Haitian National Police and the UN mission in the country, BINUH, which she heads.

The figure is more than double the number recorded during the same period in 2022, and last month saw the highest incident rates in nearly two decades.

Police force ill-equipped

In the face of limited or no police presence, some residents in the capital have begun to take matters into their own hands. This week, 13 suspected gang members were beaten and burned to death by a group of civilians.

Although the Government continues to invest in the Haitian National Police, the force is severely understaffed and ill-equipped to address the violence and criminality, she said.

The number of officers in the ranks is supposed to be nearly 14,800 but when taking into account deaths, dismissal or an increasing number of resignations, the current strength stands at 13,200, with only around 9,000 performing police tasks.

Furthermore, barely 3,500 officers are on public safety duty at any given time nationwide, and recruitment has been halted due to deteriorating security and logistical constraints.

I would like to emphasize the urgent need for the deployment, authorized by the Security Council, of an international specialized force, as articulated by the Secretary-General in his letter dated 8 October 2022. We need to find innovative ways to define the force to support the Haitian National Police, she said.

Sexual violence, kidnappings and killings

Haitians have also continued to suffer one of the worst human rights crises in decades, with people living in areas under gang control exposed to the highest rate of abuses.

Gangs continue to use sexual violence, including gang rape, to terrorize and inflict pain on populations living in areas controlled by their rivals. They have also inflicted other forms of sexual violence and exploitation against women and girls living in communities under their influence.

Ms. Salvador said children are among the victims of the most heinous crimes, including killings, kidnappings and rape. They have been struck by stray bullets while in class or when being dropped off at school.

Furthermore, many schools were forced to close last year due to the violence and extortion by gangs. Although most have reopened, many students have not returned, either because of insecurity or inability to pay.

Weapons and drugs trafficking

The Council also was also briefed by Ghada Waly, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), who said the flows of illicit firearms and drugs into Haiti are compounding insecurity and violence.

An agency assessment, published last month, revealed that increasingly sophisticated and high-calibre firearms and ammunition are being trafficked by land, air and sea, into a country with limited maritime control and a lack of border surveillance.

Heavily armed criminal gangs are targeting critical infrastructure such as ports, grain storage, customs offices, police stations, court houses, prisons, businesses and neighbourhoods. They have also gained control of major highways and roads providing access to the capital, she said.

Meanwhile, Haitis law enforcement and border control challenges make it an attractive hub for drug traffickers shipping mainly cocaine and cannabis to the United States, the Dominican Republic and Western Europe.

Stop illicit flows

The international community and invested partners need to urgently develop and support large-scale comprehensive actions to assist law enforcement and border management, to prevent illicit flows and help stabilize the situation, she said.

Ms. Waly noted that the Council has repeatedly stressed the importance of building up the capacity of the Haitian National Police, including its specialized units on borders, drugs and firearms.

She also underlined the need for greater investment in community policing and criminal justice reform to combat corruption and money-laundering.

Black markets are relying on corruption and patronage networks to thrive, with a complex web of public and private actors implicated in trafficking, while corruption in the criminal justice sector leads to impunity, she said.

The conditions for a political process leading to peace can only be achieved when Haiti has the institutions and capacities capable of meeting these challenges.
Image: UN News

New York: The UNs Special Representative for Sudan has called on the rival military factions which have plunged the country into chaos during 11 days of fighting to fully adhere to the agreed 72-hour ceasefire amid increasing concern at reports of inter-communal violence and attacks in the West Darfur region.

Volker Perthes, who is also head of UN Transition Assistance Mission UNITAMS, welcomed the lull in fighting in some parts of the country between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitaries from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), noting that it is not being fully respected.

He called on both sides to stick to the final day of the agreed ceasefire, and facilitate humanitarian access to the UN and partners, who are continuing to provide lifesaving aid as far as conditions allow.

Mr. Perthes, who is remaining in Sudan together with senior UN personnel, said in a statement he was deeply concerned by recent reports of violence in El Geneina (West Darfur), which increasingly appears to also be taking on inter-communal dimensions with attacks on civilians and looting and distribution of weapons among local communities.

UN premises looted

He said attacks had also resulted in other mass looting, including of UN premises.

He once again called for an immediate end to the conflict between the two factions, who are unable to agree on integrating their forces ahead of a long-awaited transition to civilian rule, before the violence and destruction escalates.

Calling for all humanitarians - their facilities and assets - to be protected, the UNITAMS chief told the generals that it was crucial for civilians to be able to safely leave areas of active fighting and have access to essential supplies.

He welcomed ongoing efforts by local authorities in the region to de-escalate tensions, and vowed to work with all parties, towards a sustained ceasefire with a monitoring mechanism, political negotiations, and to alleviate human suffering.

Speaking in Geneva, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that the violence wracking Sudan had taken a terrible toll on health.

More deaths due to disease

On top of the number of deaths and injuries caused by the conflict itself, WHO expects there will be many more deaths due to outbreaks, lack of access to food and water, and disruptions to essential health services, including immunization, he said.

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WHO estimates that one in four of the lives lost so far could have been saved with access to basic emergency medical treatment for the wounded.

But paramedics, nurses and doctors are unable to access injured civilians, and civilians are unable to access services. In the capital Khartoum, 61 per cent of health facilities are closed, and only 16 per cent are operating as normal.

24,000 births, no hospital care

Many patients with chronic diseases, like kidney disease, diabetes and cancer, are unable to access the health facilities or medicines they need and in the coming weeks, around 24,000 women will give birth in the capital, but they are currently unable to access maternal care, said Tedros.

The risk of diarrhoeal diseases is high, as the water supply is disrupted and people are drinking river water to survive, noted the WHO chief.

With nutrition programmes suspended, 50,000 children are at real risk; and the movement of civilians seeking safety threatens the fragile health system throughout the country.

Since the conflict began, WHO has verified 16 attacks on health, resulting in at least eight deaths so far.

Thousands fleeing the fighting

As the fighting continues, the UN is preparing for a mass influx of refugees into countries across the region bordering Sudan, including the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told correspondents in New York on Wednesday.

The refugee agency UNHCR, estimates that some 270,000 people could flee into South Sudan and Chad alone.

In South Sudan, our humanitarian partners are scaling up their presence in key response areas to help the most vulnerable people, said Mr. Haq. In Chad, UNHCR is working with the Government to assess the needs of people arriving in the country.

UNHCR is calling on all countries neighbouring Sudan to keep their borders open to those fleeing the violence, in fear of their lives.

Pity the children: lives must take precedence

In a joint statement, the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, and the Special Representative on Violence against Children, Najat Maalla Mjid, said they were alarmed at the reported numbers of civilian deaths, including children.

The lives, protection and well-being of children must take precedence over combat operations, and we call on all parties to halt hostilities and to ensure full protection of all children.

Parties should further refrain from attacking civilian infrastructures in accordance with international humanitarian law, especially those impacting children  this includes schools and medical facilities as well as water and sanitation systems, said the two officials.

They also reminded military officers engaged in the fighting that regardless of their roles, under no circumstances should children below 18 years be involved in armed conflict as the recruitment and use of children is prohibited under international law.
Image: SSP "Chernobyl NPP"

New York: Survivors of one of the worlds worst ever nuclear accidents at the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine on 26 April 1986 have been reflecting on the events of that fateful day 37 years ago, as current employees consider the challenges of working at the plant which was seized by Russian troops following Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Looking back on two of the most difficult periods since the plant opened in 1977, Chernobyl employees shared their personal stories with UN News on the International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day.

Ground zero

Evgeny Yashin was a 40-year-old chemist at the Chernobyl plant when the nuclear power reactor accident unfolded in April 1986, resulting in massive evacuations, the deaths of 31 people, and long-term illness for thousands of others.

Everyone was talking about the explosion of the reactors emergency cooling system, he told UN News, recalling a fateful bus ride to work on the day of the accident. But, passing by the fourth power unit, it became clear to us that it was much more serious than expected; the wall of the reactor had completely fallen out and a glow could be seen, resembling a steel foundry oven. We took action immediately.

Mass evacuations

At that point, the scale of the accident was neither expected nor assessed, he said, adding that protocols were not in place because it had been inconceivable that this could happen to the reactors. As a shift supervisor of 300 employees at Chernobyls chemical workshop, his teams main task was to prepare demineralized water, receive radioactive liquid waste, store it, and process it.

We prepared the water to extinguish the reactor, walked knee-deep in water, and organized pumping, he said. Water appeared to be flowing endlessly, the system was launched at full capacity, and more and more water was required.

On 27 April, Pripyat inhabitants were evacuated along with some of the plants staff, he said, remembering buses driving across the city, stopping in front of houses to collect evacuees. Relatives could neither call, warn them nor discuss the evacuation route, he said, recalling that he found his family had moved out of the area.

Very few of my colleagues are still alive

In early May, the remaining staff were experiencing serious side-effects, as doctors monitored their health via frequent blood tests, he said, adding that some were taken out of the zone to rest.

I feel the consequences on my health even now, said Mr. Yashin, who has cancer. Very few of my colleagues are still alive. I am surprised that I myself am still alive.

Meanwhile, disputes remain about who is to blame, he said.

I am 100 per cent sure that the designers could not have foreseen such a development, he said. The station personnel took all measures to localize the accidents consequences, but could not prevent it.

Since then, each year, on 26 April, residents of the city of Slavutych gather at a monument to the Chernobyl victims, lighting candles and remembering those tragic events, Mr. Yashin said. While he no longer works at the plant, his granddaughter, Tatiana, is an engineer who handles spent nuclear fuel at the facility, where it is stored alongside thousands of tons of radioactive waste.

New threat

Like all nuclear power facilities, Chernobyl enjoys special protection under international humanitarian law. But, the 2022 Russian occupation raised grave safety concerns. It also brought employees back to 1986 working conditions, requiring compulsory rotational shifts.

We are now working as in 1986, Alexander Novikov, the plants deputy chief engineer for technical safety, said. I have just arrived on duty and will be here until next Monday. We converted our offices into rest stations, installing showers and washing machines. Radiation control has been significantly strengthened; we carry it out every day because people live close to the station.

One year after the Russian occupation, employees can no longer take a simple bus ride. Most live in Slavutych, but railway lines were bombed on the first day the Russias invasion, on 24 February 2022. Workers now travel by bus from 350 kilometres away, work for a whole week, staying in the exclusion zone for the entire period, and then return home, he said.

New roommates

Until 2022, nuclear facilities had never been captured in the context of conflict, Mr. Novikov said. The unique situation has called for tailored measures.

The IAEA made an unconventional decision to organize permanent missions, he said, adding that power plant employees and IAEA inspectors alike are constantly present at the facility. Inspectors used to come and conduct an inspection for several days or weeks and then leave. Now, IAEA representatives live with our staff, carrying out inspection activities without leaving the plant.

When a country loses control over such facilities and is unable to conduct inspections, it must turn to the international community for support, he said.

The time has come

The time has come to respond to crises, said IAEA chief Rafael Grossi.

While the agencys main task, since its inception at the height of the cold war in 1957, is to ensure safety at nuclear facilities, it has never encountered the need to operate in the epicenter of intense armed fighting.

Following the onset of the war in Ukraine, the agency invited stakeholders to discussions at its headquarters in Vienna. Representing the Chernobyl plant as part of a Ukrainian delegation, Mr. Novikov said not one of the many reports he had read had mentioned the Russian war against Ukraine.

Demilitarize nuclear facilities

The question arose of how to ensure security in such situations that are happening now in our country, he recalled, pointing out that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is also operating in the middle of a warzone. After all, any incident can lead to consequences that will be felt throughout Europe.

Indeed, Zaporizhzhia is Europes largest nuclear power plant.

You cant capture nuclear facilities, he stressed. The area around nuclear power plants must be demilitarized.

Protect cleanest energy source

Despite the challenges of accidents and war, nuclear energy represents the future, as electricity consumption in the world is growing, he said. For example, 80 per cent of electricity in France comes from nuclear power sources.

No matter how paradoxical these words sounded after Chernobyl and Fukushima, nuclear power plants are one of the safest electricity producers, he said. Under normal operations, absent accidents and incidents, it is also the cleanest source.

New types of reactors are reliable and controllable, he explained, adding that the development of nuclear energy is the most promising way forward.

All we need now is a new approach to security, he said.
The Indian Express

Despotism of earlier rulers cannot be judged through the lens of liberal democracy simply because the concept of democracy itself was created centuries later. It is essential, instead, to nurture a historical sensibility in students so they can think critically

Written by Anshu Saluja

April 26, 2023

The present string of deletions in history textbooks under the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has sparked much debate and discussion. These deletions are in line with the ongoing attack on much of the existing historical scholarship in the country. A volley of abuses and accusations have been hurled at historians for intentionally misrepresenting and distorting Indias history. Simultaneously, insistent calls have been issued to counter their alleged inaccuracies with real facts. In view of this mounted attack, it becomes useful to examine the logic that underpins the present deletions in the NCERTs history textbooks, ostensibly effected in the name of reducing the workload of students.

I specifically discuss the scrapping of sections pertaining to Mughal rulers and the large empire carved out by them in the Indian subcontinent in the 16th and 17th centuries. What motivated these deletions and why were they carried out? Two sets of reasons seem to emerge: 1) An evident desire to malign and demonise Muslims; 2) a limited understanding of the foundational principles and roles of history as a discipline.

First, in the Hindu nationalist scheme of things, Muslims are not to be regarded or recognised as builders of the Indian nation. They are to be viewed as violent aggressors and disruptors. So the place of a Muslim dynasty, like the Mughals, in Indias past and their contributions  whether in furthering the evolution of a rich composite literary tradition, growth of administrative institutions or architectural progress  are to be readily denounced.

Of course, like any other historical phase, the Mughal period too left behind a mixed legacy. While it is not easy to efface its significance and enduring symbolic appeal (the Prime Ministers address to the nation, delivered every year on Independence Day from the Red Fort in Delhi is a prime example), a discussion of this period can certainly be given short-shrift in school textbooks.

Secondly, the teaching and learning of history also seem at present to be hamstrung by a narrow and limited understanding of how the discipline works. History is not merely an account of kings, queens, royals and nobles. It goes much beyond that and involves a deeper study of larger systems, structures and conditions of life. Many of these have either given way or lost relevance with time, while others have endured to this day, albeit with changes. These changes might be slight or significant, facile or fundamental. History helps us in unpacking their nature, extent and impact. It further lends us tools to decipher how different cultures, traditions and institutions have evolved from the past to the present.

The present is stitched on to the past and owes much to it. The two are interrelated and interdependent, yet they diverge in profound ways. What underlies these divergences between the past and the present are their widely differing contexts. For a fuller appreciation of the legacy of a historical figure, event or movement, we have to pay close attention to their framing context. We have not only to grasp the immediate context of their emergence and evolution (the past), but also that of their continued relevance (the present and possibly the future). Devoid of this larger understanding, our engagements with history and its fraught links to the present remain, at best, superficial and wanting.

For instance, we cannot meaningfully analyse the policies and dictates of rulers from Indias past merely through the present lens of liberal democracy. How despotic or democratic they were cannot be a suitable weighing scale to judge their rule. It will be foolish to do so, for the simple reason that democracy as we know it today, did not exist when these rulers reigned. The framework of liberal democracy developed much later, only over the past few centuries.

Being attentive to the contemporary contexts of historical personalities and developments does not, of course, mean that we turn a blind eye to or accept the pasts brute injustices as legitimate, whether it be the ruthless tradition of witch-burning, centuries of colonial exploitation, dehumanising caste, class, racial discrimination, or any other. Many of these injustices continue to inflect our present realities and existence. They have had varying costs and implications for different groups  the victor and the vanquished, the perpetrator and the victim, the oppressor and the oppressed. So, do we suspend an examination of such aspects of the past altogether? The answer is an emphatic no. We need to engage with them objectively and comprehensively. In fact, how we script this engagement becomes telling and is reflective of our historical sensibility.

For example, in history classrooms in schools and colleges across the country, we inform students about the exploitative nature of British colonialism, but while doing this, we do not necessarily preach everlasting hatred for the British in general. Similarly, we engage with different facets of Indias multilayered ancient past and do not summarily denounce it as an irreprehensible period that gave rise to cruel caste/varna-based hierarchies and distinctions. Then, why are such nuance and perceptivity often missing, while dealing with Indias medieval history? Why is it usually short-changed and dismissed as little more than a string of battles between two seemingly opposing collectivities, religions and civilisations? Further, why are the actions and policies of particular historical figures, such as Aurangzeb and Mahmud of Ghazni, selectively deployed for reviling Muslims as a whole, in the past as well as the present?

Encouraging these limited and anachronistic understandings of history cannot take us very far. This can translate into political gains for some, but as far as learning and pedagogy are concerned, this can only be detrimental  producing ill-informed, prejudiced and communalised citizens. It is essential to nurture a historical sensibility in our students so that they are able to think critically, interrogate their own lifeworlds, ask meaningful questions of the past, and make better sense of their present and even future.

Today, history is being increasingly mobilised as a tool for turning people and communities against each other for a seemingly never-ending trail of past wrongs. Can we prevent this weaponisation of history? Can we read and reflect on it together, acknowledge it, and simultaneously suspend our compulsive need to seek revenge in the present for what happened in the past? Can this be the way forward to engage collectively and creatively with our competing and often sharply divergent histories?

The writer is a historian and teaches at Azim Premji University

[The above article from The Indian Express is reproduced here for educational and non-commercial use]
Image Credit: Unsplash

Kyiv/IBNS: Russia launched attacks on cities spanning a wide arc across Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, central and southern regions, resulting in the deaths of at least five individuals on Friday.

Amidst Russian attacks on multiple cities in Ukraine, it has been reported that Ukrainian forces plan to launch an offensive soon using new military equipment, including tanks provided by their Western allies, reported Reuters.

The attacks by Russia come after their winter offensive failed to make much progress.

One of the targeted cities was Uman, where an apartment building was hit by a missile, causing a fire and resulting in three fatalities and eight injuries, stated Ihor Taburets, who is the head of the military administration in the area, confirmed these details.

Explosions and air raid sirens rocked Kyiv, with reports of blasts across Ukraine, including two individuals being injured in Ukrayinka in the Kyiv region.

According to the military administration in Kyiv, their anti-aircraft units managed to destroy 11 missiles and two drones, causing debris to damage a power line.

Interfax reported that explosions were heard after midnight in several cities, including Dnipro, Kremenchuk, and Poltava in central Ukraine, as well as Mykolaiv in the southern region.

Throughout the conflict, Russian forces have encountered setbacks, and have been attempting for 10 months to gain control of the city of Bakhmut, which was once home to 70,000 people.

Russia views Bakhmut as a crucial step towards capturing other cities in eastern Ukraine, which is currently its primary military objective.

On Friday, Russia launched attacks across Ukraine, which came a day after the Kremlin stated that it would welcome anything that could bring an end to the conflict.

This was in reference to a phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday, which marked the first conversation between the leaders since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February of last year.

The Kremlin also emphasized that it still needed to achieve the goals of its "special military operation" in Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin had launched the invasion on February 24, 2022, citing the need to protect Russia.

However, Ukraine and its Western allies rejected this, asserting that it was an unprovoked land grab by Putin, and that it has resulted in the largest land war in Europe since World War II.
Wikipedia Commons

Khairpur: At least seven people, including four children, died after a bogie of a Karachi Express train caught fire near Tando Masti Khan in Sindhs Khairpur district in Pakistan on Thursday, media reports said.

Pakistan Railways (PR) District Coordination Officer Mohsin Siyal confirmed the number of casualties, reports Dawn News.

Police surgeon Abu Talib also confirmed the death toll, adding that six of the bodies were unidentifiable and would be handed over to their families after conducting DNA tests.

He told the newspaper that the bodies had been shifted to the Civil Hospital, Khairpur.

The cause of the fire is still not known.

Meanwhile, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

The minister also constituted a team, headed by the federal government inspector of railways.
Representational image from Wallpaper Cave

Chinese investment in Pakistans power sector, under the umbrella of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has spiked to touch $21 billion with the restoration of a powerhouse based on imported coal at Gwadar, media reports said.

Earlier, the government had almost abandoned the construction of a powerhouse based on imported coal at Gwadar, arguing it would not encourage more electricity generation on imported fuel and made a plan to set up a solar plant in its place," a senior official of the Power Division told The News International.

But, later it suggested to the Chinese government to convert the power plant based on Thar coal," an official said.

The feasibility report did not favour employing Thar coal as the cost of transportation from Thar to Gwadar was found on the higher side. More importantly, the Chinese government refused to subscribe to Islamabads viewpoint and insisted on the restoration of the 300-MW powerhouse based on imported fuel," the official said.

It termed the initiative the most strategic project, as the Gwadar ports operation cannot be made dependent on any weak project, whose fuel transposition may be vulnerable given the law and order situation in the province and imported electricity from Iran as well," the official said.

The official said: Now we have restored the 300-MW project on imported coal, which will be made operational by December 2025.
Image: Unsplash/Aden Lao

New York: So-called labour transfer and vocational training programmes in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, threaten Tibetan cultural identity and could lead to forced labour conditions, UN independent human rights experts warned on Thursday.

Hundreds of thousands of Tibetans have reportedly been transferred from their traditional rural lives to low-skilled and low-paid employment since 2015, through a programme described as voluntary, but in practice their participation has reportedly been coerced, they said in a statement.

Cultural and political indoctrination

They noted that the labour transfer programme is facilitated by a network of vocational training centres which focus on cultural and political indoctrination in a militarised environment.

Participants are reportedly prevented from using the Tibetan minority language and discouraged from expressing their religious identity, both of which the authorities consider as obstacles to poverty alleviation.

The experts feared the programme could further impoverish Tibetans and lead to them being forced to work.

No oversight mechanisms

Tibetans are being drawn away from sustainable livelihoods in which they have traditionally had a comparative advantage, such as wool and dairy production, and into low-paid, low-skilled work in manufacturing and construction, they said.

Tibetans are transferred directly from training centres to their new workplaces, leaving it unclear whether they are consenting to this new employment. There is no oversight to determine whether working conditions constitute forced labour, they added.

The experts called on China to clarify the measures in place for Tibetans to opt out of vocational training and labour transfer programmes, to monitor the working conditions in their new places of employment, and to ensure respect for Tibetan religious, linguistic and cultural identity.

They have received an initial response from the Government and remain in contact with the authorities regarding these issues.

Independent rights experts

The six experts who issued the statement are all Special Rapporteurs appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Their individual mandates cover issues such as contemporary forms of slavery, trafficking in persons, cultural rights and minority issues.

Special Rapporteurs and other rights experts appointed by the Council work on a voluntary basis and are independent from any Government or organization. They are not UN staff and do not receive payment for their work.
Image: Wallpaper Cave

Multiple attacks, which are believed to be terror incidents, rocked different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday night, media reports said on Friday.

However, the military or the security agencies have not confirmed the incidents or the casualty figure.

A powerful explosion, followed by several blasts and heavy gunfire, rocked Lakki Marwat city on Thursday night, official sources told Dawn News.

Sources told the newspaper that the blast took place near the Government Postgraduate College, which houses security forces and a military camp.

Residents said that after the first explosion, several other blasts were also heard, followed by heavy gunfire, which partially damaged houses in the settled area.

People came out of their homes after the first blast shook the area, but subsequent explosions and gunfire drove them indoors.

Citing preliminary reports, sources said militants had attacked a military compound late in the night. It was a bomb and gun attack, they said, adding that troops retaliated and a fierce gunbattle continued for about an hour.

The management of the district headquarters hospital called doctors and paramedics to duty to cope with any possible emergency.

A hospital staffer said that doctors and paramedics were put on alert, but no victim had been brought to the facility thus far.

Muhammad Ashfaq Khan, Lakki Marwats district police officer, told Dawn that the exchange of fire stopped and no casualty had been reported until going to print.

All installations of the army and police are safe, he said, adding that security had been beefed up across the district after the attack.
Image Credit: Unsplash

Colombo/IBNS: Sri Lanka's Parliament gave the green light to a USD 3 billion bailout package from the IMF, aimed at revitalizing the country's economy that has been severely affected by a disastrous economic and humanitarian crisis resulting from a combination of poor management over the years and the ongoing pandemic on Friday.

In the previous month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) granted approval for a bailout program to aid Sri Lanka in resolving its economic crisis and to encourage financial assistance from other development partners, stated PTI.

Colombo appreciated the move as a significant achievement during this crucial period and considered it a historic milestone.

After a three-day debate, on Friday, 120 out of the 225 members in Sri Lanka's parliamentary assembly voted in favor of the deal, while 25 members voted against it.

Sri Lankan President and Finance Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in his address to the Parliament emphasized the importance of obtaining parliamentary approval, as his government is undertaking a significant economic reform program.

He stressed that stabilizing the economy, restoring debt sustainability, and creating a prosperous and inclusive country are crucial for achieving economic recovery.

During the voting in the House, the main opposition party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), who had criticized the government for the lack of transparency in securing the bailout, were absent.

Now that Sri Lanka has obtained the USD 3 billion facility, it is engaged in discussions with bilateral and multilateral creditors for debt restructuring.

Wickremesinghe announced that the restructuring program would take effect by mid-May.

The country's economic crisis, caused by forex shortages, led to public protests and Sri Lanka's first-ever debt default in April.

The protests ultimately resulted in the removal of then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in mid-July, who had initially refused to seek support from the IMF but later started negotiations.

In an effort to meet the requirements of the bailout program, Sri Lanka has implemented tax and utility rate hikes, which have sparked demonstrations from trade unions and opposition groups.

The program is expected to provide access to financing of up to USD 7 billion from the IMF, International Financial Institutions, and multilateral organizations.
Image tweeted by @afgwomenrights1

Ottawa/IBNS: Canada's ambassador for women, peace and security, Jacqueline O'Neill, Thursday, endorsed in a letter calling for inclusion of women in UN talks of decision-making about the future.

In a tweet reposted by Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, O'Neill wrote that "Afghan women must be equal partners in decision-making about the future" of their country.

"Their insights are critical to success and legitimacy," O'Neill wrote.

In a letter from the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, O'Neill warned Guterres that not having female leaders, persecuted minorities and human rights defenders and could set a serious repercussion in the meeting next week.

Last month, Afghanistan's pre-Taliban ambassador to Ottawa, Hassan Soroosh urged Canadians to fight "gender apartheid" by isolating the regime and added that countries should engage more with civil-society groups, and sanction Taliban leaders.

During a discussion of a resolution Thursday, the members of the UN Security Council called on the Taliban rulers to reverse their increasingly harsh restrictions on women and girls, and banning of Afghan women working for the UN and urged all other UN member nations to promote an urgent reversal of the Taliban's policies and practices toward women and girls.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)
Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden are a part of the ambitious Russo Brothers series Citadel and they have sure made a mark!

Even though it's the Scottish actor's first time working with Priyanka Chopra, Madden said PeeCee was very enthusiastic for her part.

The actor added that it was simpler for him to portray his role with Priyanka Chopra on board.

citadel trailer

In an interview with Indian Express, Richard Madden shared, It is really inspiring. We love sparring, pulling the best from each other, challenge each other, much like how the two characters on the show. They are always dancing together. Priyanka is so wonderfully instinctual and engaged in everything she does, that makes it very easy for me as an actor to look her in the eye, respond and try to create something honest together."

citadel twitter

He also shared, Citadel is a great challenge for me, to play two characters in the same body. It is something I wanted to explore and play with and Citadel gave me that opportunity to do that. I had to keep up with what was asked of me, be loyal to the storytelling, in this case, a huge amount of talent and creatives that have so much into the show. It is a beautiful evolution for me.

Joe Russo Talks About Peecee's Efforts :

The American filmmaker compared her to Tom Cruise and said he had never worked with an actress who was that enthusiastic. The Hollywood star is known for pulling off all of his own stunts. There was a great deal of preparation and training required to capture those challenging action sequences. She put in a lot of physical labour for the show, according to the director.



citadel twitter

He said according to IndianExpress, The physical work she did on the show, for the amount of time she had to do it, it was the toughest we have put any actor through. Jo also shared that Priyanka carried a lot of physicality of season one.

About Citadel :

Priyanka Chopra Jonas portrays Nadia Sinh in Citadel, a strong woman with a chilly demeanour. She has a lot of assignments to complete and correspondingly many hidden truths. Meanwhile, Richard Madden plays Mason Kane, a formidable spy with a tangled relationship to Nadia.

citadel twitter

When the narrative fast-forwards eight years, the world-wide espionage agency has been decimated by the notorious yet horrific Manticore organisation. The identities of their past have been erased from their memory, and Nadia and Mason now lead entirely new lives.

They are separated from one another. They live apart until Mason is found by a former Citadel classmate, at which point they come together to embark on an adventurous voyage.

(To read more such stories related to movies and shows released on OTTs, keep reading Indiatimes BINGE)


In the first few months of 2023, the human civilisation was apprised of how artificial intelligence and automation can become public-facing tools that may be used for a myriad of purposes in various industries. From conversational AI tools like ChatGPT to AI-backed robots that could soon walk our factories and help humans make the management of mundane tasks easier, there's a lot of change coming our way, collectively. And it's happening fast.

To understand what this means for you and and the rest of humanity, I spoke to industry insiders - Intel India's HR Director Vijay Colaco, Dell Technologies' IT Vice President Teja Manakame, and EY Global Delivery Services' Technology Consulting Leader Sukesh Choubey.

Pexels

What are tech giants envisioning right now - will AI take over jobs?

"I believe human labour cannot be replaced. There are still many tasks that require human intervention, such as creative problem-solving, empathy, and critical thinking, which machines are not capable of performing. Moreover, there are certain roles that cannot be fully automated, such as leadership, strategy, and relationship building, which are crucial to the success of any organisation," said Intel India's Vijay Colaco.

Vijay Colaco, HR Director, Intel India / Indiatimes

"Therefore, companies are looking for ways to seamlessly incorporate AI into their operations while also retaining human labour. For example, AI can be used to augment human decision-making, providing insights and recommendations that humans can then evaluate and act upon," Colaco added.

Dell Technologies' Teja Manakame said the following - "AI allows organizations to improve productivity, reduce risk, move faster, gain deeper insights and value from their data... With the constant acceleration of digital transformation and introduction of AI driven tools, organisations should focus on investing in upskilling and reskilling of their team members to keep up with the innovation pace."

Also read: Artificial Intelligence Could Replace The Equivalent Of 300 Million Jobs: Report

According to EY Global Delivery Services' Sukesh Choubey, autonomous systems and robots could replace human workers in industries like transportation, manufacturing, and agriculture. "[Tech companies] are also developing AI-powered tools and platforms that can help humans work more efficiently and effectively, such as virtual assistants and machine learning algorithms."

"The degree to which they rely on human labor versus AI-based systems will depend on various factors, including the nature of the industry, the specific tasks involved, and the preferences of customers and employees," Choubey added.

The correlation between automation and employment

While Colaco believes that automation will replace the human workforce in specific areas, "automation might also bring a demand for a new set of employees with specific or newer skills," adding that "AI-based tools are not necessarily designed to replace human workers, but rather to augment and enhance their abilities."

Highlighting how automation's impact on employment depends on specific sectors and the job roles involved, Sukesh Choubey said that "AI can enable new jobs that require skills in data analysis, machine learning, and natural language processing."

Teja Manakame, Vice President, IT, India, Dell Technologies

"Various factors determine the adoption and use of AI technologies, including economic, social, and political factors, as well as the reliability and availability and the specific needs and preferences of businesses and consumers," Choubey added.

According to Teja Manakame, "AI fluency is critical in todays world, leveraging machine intelligence to manage workflows and accomplish tasks as well as knowing the limitations. Digital transformation is happening now and will continue. AI does not replace human, instead humans will upskill themselves to intelligently leverage AI to be more innovative."

"Tasks that are manual in a predictable environment and basic data processing could easily be automated using robots and software. Meanwhile, other tasks like managing employees or doing physical work in a more complex environment, where much more interpersonal work and application of deep expertise are required, could prove harder to automate with current technology," said Vijay Colaco, HR Director, Intel India.

"Industries seeing significant adoption of automation technologies such as robotics, AI, and machine learning are manufacturing, retail, transportation, healthcare, and logistics in areas where tasks and processes are predictable in nature," he added.

"In manufacturing, for example, the use of robots and other automation technologies has already led to significant increases in efficiency and productivity, and this trend is expected to continue in the coming years. Similarly, in transportation and logistics, the use of autonomous vehicles and drones is expected to revolutionise the way goods are transported and delivered," explained Sukesh Choubey, Technology Consulting Leader, EY Global Delivery Services.

Also read: 2023 Is Artificial Intelligence's Big Year: Industry Pros Tell Us What To Expect



"In customer service, chatbots and other AI-powered tools are already being used to handle routine inquiries and tasks, and this trend is expected to continue as AI technology improves," he added.

According to Teja Manakame, Vice President, IT, India, Dell Technologies, emerging technologies could have the most impact in the following industries - healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and financial services.

What can people in tech do to upskill?

Teja Manakame suggests "organisations need to invest in developing human capital, enabling team members to acquire new skills in this data-driven economy," namely in data analytics, coding, critical and innovative thinking, cybersecurity, adaptability to new changes, and effectively leveraging new technologies like multicloud, etc.

Sukesh Choubey - Technology Consulting Leader, EY Global Delivery Services

As Sukesh Choubey explained, "people in tech industries can also focus on developing their so-called "soft skills" that are difficult for machines to replicate, such as creativity, critical thinking, communication, and emotional intelligence," in addition to diversifying their skill set and exploring opportunities in related areas. "Someone with expertise in software development may also be able to apply their skills in finance, healthcare, or education, where there is a growing demand for technology-driven solutions," he explained.

"While academic credentials are important, many recruiters have begun looking at particular skill sets instead. The key to technological progress is reskilling and upskilling workers in areas of need, including AI, ML, DevOps, programming languages, cloud computing, etc.," said Vijay Colaco.

The workplace of the future

While predicting the exact state of the future might look like is difficult, Intel India's Vijay Colaco believes "based on current trends and taking into consideration significant demographic shifts, technological advancements, and accelerating economic and sociocultural changes, it is safe to say that the future is much brighter, and hybrid and flexible work models are here to stay."

EY GDS' Sukesh Choubey said that the future workplaces will see increased use of automation and AI, flexible work arrangements, greater emphasis on lifelong learning, the use of virtual and augmented reality, and sustainability. "The workplace of the future will be shaped by a combination of technological change, shifting social and cultural norms, and evolving economic and political conditions," he said.

Pexels

Dell India's Teja Manakame echoed a similar sentiment, stating that "in the do-anything-from-anywhere world, the future of work is evolving, and as we design for a hybrid world, technology rather than physical workspace, will increasingly define the employee experience."

What are your thoughts on automation, artificial intelligence, and the future of workplaces in the years to come? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.
Tired of your toxic co-workers, over-demanding bosses, and crushing through daily traffic to punch in on time at the office? Well, here's a job that may increase your happy hormones and also be beneficial for your bank balance!

Who wouldnt want to cuddle pandas all day long? In China, you can earn a hefty sum of $32,000 annually, or around $26,000, for being a panda nanny. However, this job involves much more than just playing with and feeding the pandas.

Twitter

It requires professionalism, personality, and observation skills because you are taking care of life.

People from all over the world are enamored with these adorable creatures, which are a symbol of China.

In China, you can earn $32,000/year to be a panda nanny. All you have to do is hang out with and love and cuddle panda cubs. pic.twitter.com/2TRwWZXbaN  Fascinating (@fasc1nate) April 28, 2023

Internet is thrilled!

Working on my resume now.. https://t.co/6DzyfDi8C6  Livethesantacruzlife (@MicheleReplogle) April 28, 2023

i think i should sign up, its literally in the name https://t.co/Xv1RbO13HE  megapanda225 (@megapanda225) April 28, 2023

a year's worth of a paid sabbatical to take care of national treasure. what isn't these to love about this? https://t.co/0pndl1ZVgP  YJ  (@YJTHECAT) April 28, 2023

guys I think I found my new path in life https://t.co/EV7V0Yvoyv  Jake (@InboardAverage2) April 28, 2023

I dunno how legit this is but Im in https://t.co/L3TpLL6FQx  Jake (@Jakeluvskitties) April 28, 2023

I like this job even if it means migrating to China https://t.co/neW47TMYmr  Trixie  (@PickyTrixie) April 28, 2023

Where to sign up for the job???? https://t.co/uWAMG1BP15  Struna  (@crazy_bird_lady) April 28, 2023

I think I have to change career https://t.co/KPmeADTp8T   (@_Issssaaaa_) April 28, 2023

Packing my bags currently https://t.co/FTfFnDrphq  bambi  (@_deerinwater_) April 28, 2023

As a result, the government of China has established panda breeding and research centers across the country.

These centers are open to the public; visitors can witness pandas in their natural habitat. However, the main purpose of these centers is to increase the population of pandas, which is currently endangered. Therefore, the panda nanny program was established to provide special care to the pandas.

To become a panda nanny, you need to have degrees in livestock rearing or veterinary medicine. Additionally, you should be patient, responsible, and experienced in raising animals in a zoo.

Twitter

The requirements may seem challenging, but the job itself is incredibly rewarding.



Panda nannies have to weigh the pandas feces, observe their moods, and distribute bamboo by scattering it around and leaving it in a vertical position.

Such meticulous attention to detail ensures that the pandas are healthy and happy.

Unsplash

It is not surprising that hundreds of applications are received for these positions every year. However, most positions remain vacant because not everyone is qualified for them. This is why the Panda Nanny Program is highly competitive.

The government is looking for people who are genuinely interested in pandas and willing to dedicate their time to the cause.



The Panda Nanny Program serves a larger purpose than just providing employment opportunities. It aims to increase awareness and interest in pandas. By allowing people to work closely with these adorable creatures, the program encourages them to learn about the importance of conserving endangered species. The programs impact extends beyond the panda nanny's individual experience and positively impacts society as a whole.

Becoming a successful panda nanny requires passion, dedication, and expertise. The program serves a larger purpose by raising awareness about endangered species, especially the iconic pandas of China.

If youre willing to meet the requirements and genuinely love pandas, then being a panda nanny could be your dream job.

In conclusion, the Panda Nanny Program is not just a job; but a calling.



For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram.


There has been an estimated 2.5 million international air and road arrivals in Greece in the first quarter of 2023, with air arrivals up by double-digits from the first quarter of 2019, but road arrivals are still lagging significantly.
Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias addressed the Delphi Economic Forum VIII on Thursday , saying that "2022 was a record year with 17.6 billion euros in revenues
US Senator Robert (Bob)told Delphi Economic Forum in a videotaped message on Thursday that the trilateral collaboration on energy of Greece, Cyprus , and Israel , plus the United States (known as 3+1) should expand its scope collaborate in more sectors as well.
The Oyo State Government has denied viral reports claiming that it has approved or recognised anyone as the new Alaafin of Oyo.

The throne of Alaafin of Oyo became vacant after the death of the 45th Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi.

The monarch passed on at 83, in April, last year, after spending 52 years on the throne.

Meanwhile, some speculations went viral that one of the contestants for the Alaafin of Oyo stool, Lukman Gbadegesin, had been appointed as the new monarch.

But responding on behalf of the state government on Thursday, the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Wasiu Olatubosun, insisted that the selection process of the new monarch is ongoing.

Olatunbosun, in a chat with Vanguard Newspaper urged residents to desist from spreading such rumour.

His words: As far as we are concerned, we must follow due process. The moment the process is completed, we will make it public.

READ MORE: Alaafins Death: Good Night, Iku Baba Yeye, Makinde Sympathises With Oyo People

The process is ongoing, the state government has not approved or recognised anyone as the new Alaafin of Oyo.

Ladigbolu warns against fake news.

Meanwhile, one of the contestants for the vacant Alaafin of Oyo stool, Bishop Ayo Ladigbolu, warned against fake news over the emergence of the Oyo monarch.

The retired Bishop, who spoke with Vanguard, said there was need for caution over such publication.

He said: As a critical stakeholder in the contest for the stool, I am supposed to know. But as it is, nobody told me anything.

I doubt if the news is true. More so, Makinde told the whole world last Tuesday during the swearing-in of Justice Iyabo Yerima as substantive Chief Judge of Oyo State, why the selection of the new Alaafin was delayed.

So, we dont understand what happened between Tuesday and Wednesday when a new Alaafin was allegedly selected.

The governor said he would rather have the selection of the monarch delayed for the sake of due process rather than record a repeat of a situation where a monarch is removed by the courts for failure to abide by due process.

According to him, once due process is followed, the state would not fret if anyone goes to court to challenge the process of emergence of any monarch.
The first set of stranded Nigerians in Sudan have reportedly arrived in Egypt on Thursday evening.

The chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, confirmed this while responding to a user on Twitter.

The first set of buses conveying the citizens, according to her, arrived late in Aswan when they already closed the border but they are expected to leave early in this morning and proceed thereafter to the airport.

The first set has arrived at the Aswan border in Egypt but the border is already closed. They will leave early morning and then proceed to the airport, Dabiri-Erewa noted.

The NiDCOM boss disclosed this while replying to one [@owolabitaiwo] who said m that there shouldnt have been any problem after much money was used for the emergency evacuation.

READ ALSO: Nigerians Stranded In Sudan To Be Evacuated By Road  Minister

We cant spend $1.2mln on buses for a simple drive-through and have cases of abandonment anywhere.

Its not heard-off ooooh, the citizen said.

The government had spent $1.2 million to evacuate Nigerians from Sudan to Egypt.

The chairman also said earlier on Thursday the first batch of Nigerians returning from war-torn Sudan would arrive in the country on Friday, adding that 13 out of the 40 buses hired by the government to bring Nigerians from the North Africa nation left Abuja on Wednesday.

The NIDCOM chief had said the returnees would travel by road to the Aswan border in Egypt where they would be received by staff of the Nigerian Embassy in the country and the director-general of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

According to Dabiri-Erewa, 10 out of the 13 buses transported Nigerians from Universities in Khartoum while the remaining three will pick up students at the El- Razi University.
Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere has called on the Federal Government to discontinue all the plans and arrangements to conduct the forthcoming National Housing and Population Census in Nigeria.

This was contained in a communique at the end of its monthly meeting held at the residence of Afeniferes Acting Leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo in Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State.

READ ALSO: Insecurity: Calabar Church Seeks Suspension Of 2023 Census

The communique was made available in Akure, Ondo State by the Secretary General of the group, Chief Sola Ebiseni on Thursday.

According to the association, some stakeholders have raised concerns over conducting the census in the same year of the general election but the government insisted in conduct the census.

The group also condemned the N100 billion on the exercise, describing it as a scandalous and economic offence.

The group said, Afenifere recalls that in a paper it presented at the National Consultative Forum on the 2023 Census held at the Banquet Hall, State House Abuja on August 11, 2022, it reiterated the imperative of census in national development noting that the application and misuse of Census data had been our bane as a country where we lie to ourselves and the world about our number indulging in laughable projections sometimes based on assumed and fixed percentage of population growth across different parts notwithstanding glaring variables.

It is in the light of the importance of credible exercise that, in the August 2022 Conference, we strongly advised against the conduct of the Census which, among other reasons, we said could not possibly hold in the same year of a General election. Other well-meaning personalities and institutions including the UNFPA Resident Representative in Nigeria who was at another Conference in Port Harcourt on March 26-29 2023 and most recently the Methodist Church Nigeria, Diocese of Calabar all have raised concerns on the possibility of reasonable and genuine participation in an acceptable headcount in the current mood of the nation.

Afenifere is particularly bemused that Government expects participation in headcount by citizens still incensed and distraught by the trauma of violence and brigandage of the elections or by those in IDP camps within their country in whose ancestral homes terrorists in occupation will now be counted as new indigenes.

That all factors considered, including its inability to supervise a transparent electoral process, and a lesser headcount exercise, the integrity deficiency of this administration are abysmally compounded in conducting census in which partisan disputes in Nigeria are often at the level of communities, states and ethnic nationalities having been politicised over time.

Afenifere decries the most insensitive deployment of over 100 billion Naira on this wasteful exercise as scandalous and an economic offence. Afenifere conclusively says there is no compelling reason why the census must be held by the expiring Buhari administration and calls for all steps and preparations in that regards to be stopped forthwith.

The group also called on the judiciary to ensure that all petitions in respect of the just concluded presidential election be timeously and justly resolved before the end of the tenure of the Buhari administration as the only way the confidence of Nigerians in its intervention may be earned.

Precedents in this regard have been laid even by less endowed countries in Africa, it noted.
Nigerian students trapped in Sudan crisis, Abubakar Sadiq, has said that his colleagues are gathering money to transport themselves to neighbouring Egypt.

According to the student on Channels Televisions Politics Today on Thursday, he does not know the particular date he will be evacuated from Sudan as the Nigerian Embassy has not made any communication to that effect.

There is no date because we didnt receive any information from the Embassy. And today also, there is zero presence of the embassy, so we dont know actually. Right now students are planning to gather their money to transport themselves to Egypt, he said.

Sadiq said the drivers of the buses conveying the students collected their passports from them, insisting that it wont be returned to them until they are paid completely by the government.

He said the criteria that were set for evacuating Nigerian students from Sudan have been abandoned, and it is now a case of survival of the fittest.

The criteria were to select some percentage from each and every state based on the percentage of number of the state associations and that criteria was abandoned.

READ MORE: FG To Spend $1.2m On 40 Buses To Evacuate Stranded Nigerians From Sudan

It was only done for the first bus that was there, but for the second and rest of the buses is the survival of the fittest, whoever goes in first he will not go out, Sadiq stated.

Recall that INFORMATION NIGERIA earlier reported that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, on Wednesday disclosed that the Nigerian government hired 40 buses at $1.2 million for the evacuation of Nigerian citizens from the war-torn North African country.

However, some of the students reportedly boarded the bus provided by the government to Egypt where they will be airlifted back to Nigeria.

However, a video emerged on Thursday where some of the students lamented being abandoned in an unknown place in the desert.

The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has since said that the issue has been resolved and the students were back on their way to Egypt.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said overconfidence made opposition parties get defeated in the 2023 presidential election.

According to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari stated this when members of the Progressives Governors Forum visited him at the State House, Abuja on Thursday.

The president however commended the All Progressives Congress (APC) for working hard to retain power at the centre by winning the election.

His words: They (the opposition) were already telling their foreign backers that they would defeat the APC. Our party blended confidence with caution, we worked hard and won. Now, their overconfidence is creating more problems for the opposition than anyone else. They are finding it hard to convince those who supported them from the outside why they are unable to beat us.

READ ALSO: Remarkable Progress Made In Fight Against Insurgency  Buhari

A combination of overconfidence, complacency, and bad tactical moves made them lose, plain and clear. This has created more problems in their camp. Why did they fail to remove us?

Buhari further charged the governors to stick together and openly address issues among themselves.

Try and keep solving problems. Be courageous to discuss them openly between yourselves. This is the best way to survive politically in Nigeria, he added.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on March 1 declared the APC candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the winner of the February 25 election after he defeated the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and 16 others in the exercise.

The APC also secured the majority seats in the National Assembly and won in 16 out of the 28 states where the governorship election took place.
Delta North senator-elect, Ned Nwoko, has said the petition of the Labour Party Presidential candidate against the emergence of Tinubu as president-elect is an effort in futility.

Nwoko explained that once the President-elect is sworn in, the petition filed against him at the Presidential Elections Petitions Tribunal in Abuja, might not see the light of day.

According to him, the Labour Partys poor assessment of the situation and unrealistic expectations led to its defeat. He said if the opposition parties had teamed up, they would have trounced the ruling APC in the election, given the poor performance of the current APC regime, led by President Buhari.

READ MORE: Im Serving Nigeria By Having Many Wives  Ned Nwoko Explains Why Prostitution Is High In South

Once Tinubu is inaugurated as President, he takes charge of everything. He becomes the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces; he orders them and uses them as he wishes. He appoints new Chief Justice upon recommendation by the judicial council. So, you see, it is almost impossible to stop him from completing his four years tenure.

Moving forward, the PDP and Labour Party have to come to terms and make next election more strategic. Natural alliance between both parties is the only way to save Nigeria from this inauspicious government. he said
President Muhammadu Buhari has admitted that the fight against insecurity in his eight years in office was challenging but said the situation has improved greatly.

Buhari said this at the Nigerian Army Trooping and Presentation of Colours Parade 2023 on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the fighting power of the nations army was at low ebb as at May 2015, adding that the situation had tremendously improved with remarkable progress in the fight against insurgents, militants, oil bunkers, kidnappers and other criminal elements in the country.

According to him, this administration has achieved remarkable transformation of the military in the areas of fighting power, training, operations, manpower, remunerations and medical services.

These are in addition to maintenance, efficiency, accommodation and expansion of forces.

The improvements in these areas have collectively enhanced the armys capacity to effectively carry out its constitutional mandate.

The fighting power of our army was at low ebb as at May 2015, he said.

He also added that seven years later, its fight of power has increased significantly, making its fourth in ranking among African militaries as against seventh in 2015.

Our interventions and budgetary allocation to the army between 2020 and 2022 alone has been able to procure hundreds of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, troops carrying vehicles, utility vehicles, tanks and armored personnel carriers to augment those earlier procured from 2017 to 2022.

READ MORE: Appreciate Buhari For Doing His Best To Rescue Chibok Girls  Femi Adesina

Significant numbers of new fighting and the utility vehicles, along with artillery guns, machine guns, rifles and correspondent ammunition were acquired and inducted into various theaters of operations.

This will lead to significant increment in the animal equipment holding since 2015 with a significant improvement in the fighting power as a result of the procurement of equipment and mission-specific training, he said.

Buhari said army had restructured the conduct of its operations to meet current realities, saying the quantum of platforms induced into the army since 2015 had enabled troops to take the battle to the terrorists and criminals, particularly in the northeast.

This, he said, had resulted in the recapture of territories hitherto held by the insurgents, adding that the efforts of the troops leading to unprecedented successes was evident in the increased number of neutralised insurgents and those that voluntarily surrendered alongside their families.

The president said the successes had led to the resettlement of internally displaced persons to their ancestral homes and the restoration of economic activities, in addition to the contribution of the army to global peace support operations.

He said the creation of army aviation was one of the aspects of the ongoing expansion process in the Nigerian army, saying the renewed vigor for authorisation of the aviation unit emanated from a strong desire to effectively tackle contemporary security challenges across the country.

According to him, if the units is fully operationalised, it will provide rapid deployment, closed air support, casualty evacuation, prompt delivery of logistics supply, among other roles.

As an administration, we have demonstrated commitment to increase the strength of the armed forces in my resolve to secure the country against all challenges.

It is instructive to state that from 2015, when I was sworn in as the President and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, I facilitated the recruitment of over 60,000 soldiers for the Nigerian army aside thousands of commissioned officers from the Nigerian Defense Academy, Kaduna.

In the area of troops welfare, this administration has facilitated the approval of Manual for Financial Administration which has greatly enhanced the pay and allowances of troops.

This has no doubt boost the troops morale and enhanced the deal. To discharge their constitutional mandate.

Furthermore, in my resolve to cater for the families of disease personnel, over 50,000 children and wards of personnel who died in active service on the Nigerian Army Scholarship from 2015 to date.

In terms of infrastructural development, this administration has made determined efforts to surmount the deficit in accommodation and other amenities, he added.

Mr Buhari said the trooping and presentation of colors parade was significant considering the establishment and operationalisation of new units in line with armys increasing operational commitments.

He said the existing colours had been excessively involved in multiple operations in various geopolitical zones of the country as well as foreign countries hence desiring of retirement.

Todays ceremony is a continuation of our efforts to reinvigorate the fighting secret of our troops through the inculcation of greater pride in their units.

Let me use this medium to sincerely recommend the officers and men of the army, all members of the Armed Forces and other security agencies for their exceptional performance in various operations across the country.

Since the inception of this administration, the nations security situation was greatly challenged by the activities of violent non state actors.

Today, I am pleased to specifically note that the situation has tremendously improved and I wish to also proudly highlight that we have made remarkable progress in the fight against insurgents, militants, oil bunkers, kidnappers and other criminal elements in the country, he said.

The trooping and presentation of colours parade is conducted when retiring the old colours of a regiment/unit and presenting the regiment/unit with a new one.

It entails marching/trooping the old colours past the formed up soldiers of the regiment/unit, retiring the colours, presenting the new colours to the regiment/unit and then consecrating the new colours.

It is usually conducted once in 15 to 20 years as desired by countrys armed forces but the last time such a parade was conducted in Nigeria was in 2007 when 32 units/regiments were issued with new colours.

Todays event saw the retiring and replacing 53 units regimental colours and issuance of 28 new ones for newly established units.
The Federal Government says the nations Air Force (NAF) will start evacuating Nigerians caught in the armed conflict in the Sudan from Friday.

The airlift operations will take place in neighbouring Egypt, where the stranded Nigerians had been taken by bus, through a land corridor in the course of a three-day ceasefire, as a first step and safety precaution.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Air Peace and other Airlines have received clearance to fly to Egypt. The NAF C-130H is scheduled to leave Abuja tomorrow,(Friday) 28th April, 2023 to commence the airlifting of the evacuees, Ambassador Janet Olisa of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said.

According to the ministry in a statement jointly signed and released by Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Amb. Janet Olisa, OON and MFADr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo mni, NPOM Permanent Secretary

FMHADMSD on 27th April, 2023 reads:

See full statement:

JOINT PRESS RELEASE FROM THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (MFA) AND THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS, DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT (FMHADMSD) ON THE EVACUATION OF NIGERIANS CAUGHT UP IN THE ON-GOING CRISIS IN SUDAN

Issued at Abuja, Nigeria on 27th April, 2023

The Ministers, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development convened a Situation Room on the Evacuation of Nigerian nationals from Sudan chaired by the Permanent Secretary FMHADMSD, Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, mni, NPOM, meets daily. This followed the lingering crisis in Sudan between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RAF)

Members of the Situation Room include Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (FMHADMSD), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), Office of the Chief of Staff, National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Nigerian Air Force (NAF). Other members include the various Nigerian Foreign Missions relevant to the evacuation exercise.

READ MORE: Border Closed As First Set Of Nigerians Leaving Sudan Arrive Egypt

Seizing the window of the three (3) day United States negotiated ceasefire in Sudan, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR approved the immediate deployment of both human and financial resources towards the evacuation of Nigerians caught up in the ongoing crisis in Sudan.

Consequently, forty (40) buses have been secured in Sudan to convey the students and other Nigerians from Khartoum to Aswan border in Egypt, which is one of the identified safe reception borders. As at the time of the release of this statement, the 1st batch of buses had already departed Khartoum.

The Nigerian Mission in Egypt is liaising with the Egyptian Authorities to facilitate the evacuation exercise, by providing emergency entry documents and holding shelters, until the stranded Nigerian are airlifted back to Nigeria.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Air Peace and other Airlines have received clearance to fly to Egypt. The NAF C-130H is scheduled to leave Abuja tomorrow, 28th April, 2023 to commence the airlifting of the evacuees. Similarly, arrangements are being concluded to airlift all Nigerians that have already escaped on their own to safety in other countries neighbouring Sudan.

Some Nigerian students who found their way to the Ethiopian border on 22nd April, 2023 and got stranded were allowed entry into Ethiopia on 24th April, 2023 following the intervention of some Nigerian leaders. The students are safe and in good condition and have already made personal travel arrangements to return to Nigeria.

Similarly, another group of Nigerians assisted by the Government of United Arab Emirates (UAE) arrived Jeddah and are being taken care of by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the Nigerian Embassy in KSA. Arrangements are being made to bring them back home safely.

The initial hitches encountered during the commencement of the exercise, including incidents of bus drivers stopping in the desert due to non-payment have been resolved. The buses have continued towards the Egyptian border. The evacuation exercise is progressing and will continue until all stranded Nigerians are brought back home safely.
A Nigerian woman living in the United Kingdom identified as Olabisi Abubakar, 42, is facing trial for two counts of manslaughter and child cruelty relating to the death of her three-year-old son, Taiwo Abubakar.

Olabisi, accused of killing her three-year-old son through religious fasting, told police she had locked herself away during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Mail Online.

She is being tried before the Cardiff Crown Court where it was revealed that police forced entry to her flat in the Cathays area on June 29, 2020 after a friend raised concerns for her welfare.

Olabisi, who was thin, malnourished and dehydrated, was found lying on a sofa bed next to the body of her son, Taiwo.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Taiwo weighed 9.8 kilos (22 pounds), with pathologist Dr Stephen Leadbetter finding his death was caused by malnutrition and dehydration.

READ ALSO: Man Arrested For Chaining, Starving His Children To Death In Ogun

The court heard Olabisi was sectioned on June 30, 2020 and has remained detained in hospital, where she is being treated for paranoid schizophrenia, Mail Online says.

The prosecutor, Peter Donnison, told the court that Olabisi was deemed fit for police interview in October 2020 and was interviewed by officers on eight occasions.

In one interview, according to Donnison, Olabisi described the effect on her of the pressures of not having help, fearing coronavirus for herself and her child, and her immigration status.

Mr Donnison said: She described them as depressing. She said she was a religious woman and prayed to God and believed he had heard her and answered prayers and kept them safe.

She had been taking her child out daily but she had to stop doing that due to the coronavirus. She described herself as locking herself away due to the coronavirus and her neighbour.

Olabisi had been having issues with a neighbour at the property she was living at in Cwmdare Street, Cardiff, and was an asylum seeker.

The court was told that she is a devout Pentecostal Christian and fasts as part of her faith.

Prosecutors allege that Olabisi caused her young son to fast of both food and water along with her, due to fears over the coronavirus pandemic and personal pressures, according to Mail Online.

However, in police interviews Olabisi repeatedly denied this and said children should not fast until the age of 12.

Mr Donnison said: She said she would dry fast when she wanted to speak to God and hear something from God.

She said her child did not fast, he did eat, and she gave him food to eat.

She told police she had fallen asleep on June 26 and believed she had gone to heaven before being brought back to life when her neighbour and police officers arrived.

Donnison said: Olabisi Abubakar said she couldnt explain what happened to her. She was asleep on the bed and that is what she remembered last. She said she believed she was being punished by God.

In a police interview, Olabisi said: I saw myself among the dead in heaven. I was saying, I dont want to die. Then I saw the angels of God and they brought me back to life.

The court heard a series of facts agreed by the prosecution and defence in the trial, read by Mr Donnison.

This included evidence that health visitors saw Olabisi and Taiwo before the pandemic and had no concerns, including in relation to her religion and religious practices.

They were not seen by healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 lockdown.

In February 2020, a police officer was called to a noise complaint by Olabisis neighbour and attended her room, which he described as clean and warm.

Taiwo was seen playing loudly and appeared very energetic and healthy, Mr Donnison said.

Police searched the property after Taiwos body was discovered on June 29 and found a note on food in a fridge, stating: Do not touch anything, whooping cough, virus, save yourself.

Olabisi wrote a series of notes while in an ambulance and in hospital, stating she was very hungry and cant stand up as well that Taiwo was dead, Mail Online reports.

Olabisi told a police officer in hospital: I dont eat, I cant cook, because of coronavirus I cant go and buy food.

Doctors found Olabisi was suffering delusions and she was sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983 on June 30 2020, with detention in hospital still ongoing for her to receive treatment.
President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors to work together with the leadership of the Party so as to elect new officers in the 10th National Assembly.

Tinubu, who spoke when the governors visited him on Thursday in Abuja, urged all APC members to work in unison in the interest of the Party.

The president-elect also shared a word of encouragement with governors that lost out in the general elections.

He said: Whether you return or not, this is our government.

READ ALSO: Be Patient With APC On 10th NASS Leadership  Adamu To Nigerians

We thank God Almighty for our electoral victory. It was tough and turbulent.

The challenge before us is working in unison with the party leadership and the National Assembly over the election of their principal officers. And I charge you to unite in spirit and faith and work in line with the party.

Senators and House of Representatives members from different geopolitical zones are currently tussling for the Senate presidency and Speakership of the House of Representatives positions.

However, there are insinuations that the APC would finally settle for a consensus method of electing the National Assembly leadership for the next four years.
To really understand Apache Kafkaand get the most out of this open source distributed event streaming platformits crucial to gain a thorough understanding of Kafka consumer groups. Often paired with the powerful, highly scalable, highly-available Apache Cassandra database, Kafka offers users the capability to stream data in real time, at scale. At a high level, producers publish data to topics, and consumers are used to retrieve those messages.

Kafka consumers are generally configured within a consumer group that includes multiple consumers, enabling Kafka to process messages in parallel. However, a single consumer can read all messages from a topic on its own, or multiple consumer groups can read from a single Kafka topicit just depends on your use case.

Heres a primer on what to know.

Message distribution to Kafka consumer groups

Kafka topics include partitions for distributing messages. A consumer group with a single consumer will receive messages from all of a topics partitions:

Instaclustr

A consumer group with two consumers will each receive messages from half of the topic partitions:

Instaclustr

Consumer groups will balance their consumers across partitions, up until the ratio is 1:1:

Instaclustr

However, if there are more consumers than partitions, any extra consumers will not receive messages:

Instaclustr

If multiple consumer groups read from the same topic, each consumer group will receive messages independently of the other. In the example below, each consumer group receives a full set of all messages available on the topic. Having an extra consumer sitting on standby can be useful in case one of your other consumers crashes; the standby can pick up the extra load without waiting for the crashed consumer to come back online.

Instaclustr

Consumer group IDs, offsets, and commits

Consumer groups feature a unique group identifier, called a group ID. Consumers configured with different group IDs will belong to those different groups.

Rather than using an explicit method for keeping track of which consumer in a consumer group reads each message, a Kafka consumer keeps track of an offset: the position in the queue of each message it has read. There is an offset for every partition, in every topic, and for each consumer.

Instaclustr

Users can choose to store those offsets themselves or let Kafka handle them. If you choose to let Kafka handle it the consumer will publish them to a special internal topic called __consumer_offsets.

Adding or removing a Kafka consumer from a consumer group

Within a Kafka consumer group, newly added consumers will check for the most recently committed offset and jump into the actionconsuming messages formerly assigned to a different consumer. Similarly, if a consumer leaves the consumer group or crashes, a consumer that has remained in the group will pick up its slack and consume from the partitions formerly assigned to the absent consumer. Similar scenarios, such as a topic adding partitions, will result in consumers making similar adjustments to their assignments.

This rather helpful process is called rebalancing. Its triggered when Kafka brokers are added or removed and also when consumers are added or removed. When availability and real-time message consumption are paramount, you may want to consider cooperative rebalancing, which has been available since Kafka 2.4.

How Kafka rebalances consumers

Consumers demonstrate their membership in a consumer group via a heartbeat mechanism. Consumers send heartbeats to a special Kafka topic, which is read by a Kafka broker acting as the group coordinator for that consumer group. When a set amount of time passes without the group coordinator seeing a consumers heartbeat, it declares the consumer dead and executes a rebalance.

Consumers must also poll the group coordinator within a configured amount of time, or be marked as dead even if they have a heartbeat. This can occur if an applications processing loop is stuck, and can explain scenarios where a rebalance is triggered even when consumers are alive and well.

Between a consumers final heartbeat and its declaration of death, messages from the topic partition that the consumer was responsible for will stack up unread. A cleanly shut down consumer will tell the coordinator that its leaving and minimize this window of message availability risk; a consumer that has crashed will not.

The group coordinator assigns partitions to consumers

The first consumer that sends a JoinGroup request to a consumer groups coordinator gets the role of group leader, with duties that include maintaining a list of all partition assignments and sending that list to the group coordinator. Subsequent consumers that join the consumer group receive a list of their assigned partitions from the group coordinator. Any rebalance will restart this process of assigning a group leader and partitions to consumers.

Kafka consumers pull but functionally push when helpful

Kafka is pull-based, with consumers pulling data from a topic. Pulling allows consumers to consume messages at their own rates, without Kafka needing to govern data rates for each consumer, and enables more capable batch processing.

That said, the Kafka consumer API can let client applications operate under push mechanics, for example, receiving messages as soon as theyre ready, with no concern about overwhelming the client (although offset lag can be a concern).

Kafka concepts at a glance

Instaclustr

The above chart offers an easy-to-digest overview of Kafka consumers, consumer groups, and their place within the Kafka ecosystem. Understanding these initial concepts is the gateway to fully harnessing Kafka and implementing your enterprises own powerful real-time streaming applications and services.

Andrew Mills is an SSE at Instaclustr, part of Spot by NetApp, which provides a managed platform around open source data technologies. In 2016 Andrew began his data streaming journey, developing deep, specialized knowledge of Apache Kafka and the surrounding ecosystem. He has architected and implemented several big data pipelines with Kafka at the core.



New Tech Forum provides a venue to explore and discuss emerging enterprise technology in unprecedented depth and breadth. The selection is subjective, based on our pick of the technologies we believe to be important and of greatest interest to InfoWorld readers. InfoWorld does not accept marketing collateral for publication and reserves the right to edit all contributed content. Send all inquiries to newtechforum@infoworld.com.
Police at the scene of a quadruple shooting on the 5900 block of Palmetto Street in the city's Crescentville section on Friday. Read more

Three people were killed and a fourth person was wounded in a shooting Friday afternoon in the citys Crescentville section, police said.

Police responded to a reported shooting around 3:35 p.m. in the area of Comly and Palmetto Streets and found three deceased victims on the 5900 block of Palmetto Street.

One victim was found on the front porch of a house, another just inside the house, and the third on the sidewalk, police said. All three were pronounced dead at the scene by medics.

A fourth victim  who was initially described as a 16-year-old boy shot in the abdomen  was dropped off at Jefferson Frankford Hospital. The teen was reported to be in critical condition and was expected to be transferred to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital.

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Police found a gun at the shooting scene.

No arrests were reported, but two people were detained for questioning. They were believed to have dropped off the wounded teen at the hospital in a Ford Edge SUV. The vehicle was later found crashed. It was not immediately clear if they were detained at the crash scene or elsewhere.

As police investigated the shooting scene, neighbors observed the closed-off block in shock and despair.

Rodlena Sales came home from work around 5:45 p.m. to the lights of police cars and television cameras. Shes lived on the block since 2018 and she described the neighborhood as quiet.

I thought this was a pretty decent neighborhood, and the police officer just told me four people were shot, said Sales, who could muster little else, overwhelmed by the news.

Shierea Owens, a seven-year resident of the neighborhood, had tears streaming down her face after her 6-year-old daughter asked why their path home was cut off by police tape.

Owens said she didnt personally know the victims but shes gotten to know the neighbors because of her daughter and the neighborhoods strong sense of community.

We all watch each others kids, we watch them grow together, they play together, she said. We give them water ice  if were in the store and the kid doesnt have enough, the next person is reaching out and saying here, Ill pay for the rest.
Recent challenges to the FDAs authority have emerged in the context of reproductive rights. Read more

Political pressure is nothing new for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency has frequently come under fire for its drug approval decisions, but attacks on its decision-making process and science itself have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent challenges to the FDAs authority have emerged in the context of reproductive rights.

On Nov. 18, 2022, a group of antiabortion doctors and medical groups filed a lawsuit against the FDA, challenging its approval from more than 20 years ago of mifepristone, a drug taken in combination with another medication, misoprostol, to treat miscarriages and used to induce more than 50% of abortions in early-stage pregnancies in the United States.

It is widely believed that the plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in the Northern District of Texas so District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, a well-known abortion opponent, could oversee the litigation. While Kacsmaryk did issue a preliminary injunction ruling that the FDA lacked the authority to approve mifepristone, an appeal partially reversed the decision, and the Supreme Court stayed Kacsmaryks order. The case now sits at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and will likely return to the Supreme Court.

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The FDA is the governments oldest consumer protection agency. The effects of this lawsuit could reach far beyond mifepristone  undermining the agencys authority could threaten its entire drug approval process and change access to commonly used drugs, ranging from amoxicillin and Ambien to prednisone and Paxlovid.

I am a legal scholar whose research focuses in part on the law and ethics of the FDAs drug approval process. Examining the FDAs history reveals the unprecedented nature of the current challenges to the agencys authority.

Events shaping FDAs focus on safety

In its early years, the FDA focused primarily on balancing the competing goals of consumer safety with access to experimental treatments. The priority was strengthening consumer protection to prevent tragedy from recurring.

For instance, at the turn of the 20th century, Congress passed the Biologics Control Act of 1902, providing the federal government the authority to regulate vaccines. This law was introduced after 13 children died from inadvertently contaminated diphtheria antitoxin, which was made from the blood of a horse infected with tetanus.

A few years later, after investigative journalists publicized the unsanitary conditions and food-handling practices in meatpacking plants, Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, which prohibited the marketing and sale of misbranded and contaminated foods, drinks, and drugs.

Similarly, in 1937, approximately 71 adults and 34 children died from ingesting S.E. Massengills antibacterial elixir, which contained a poisonous raspberry flavoring added to sweeten the taste. In response, Congress passed the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938, requiring manufacturers to show that drugs are safe before they go on the market. This act marked the beginning of modern drug regulations and the birth of the FDA as a regulatory agency.

Then, in 1962, Frances Oldham Kelsey, a pharmacologist, physician, and medical officer working at the FDA, refused to approve thalidomide, a drug marketed in Europe, Canada, Japan, and other countries to alleviate morning sickness in pregnant women but later found to cause severe birth defects. Shocking revelations of children born without limbs or suffering from other debilitating conditions motivated Congress to pass the Kefauver-Harris Drug Amendments of 1962, which ushered in a more cautious approach to the drug approval process.

FDAs turn toward expanding access

During the 1970s, questions about the limits of safety versus an individuals right to access arose when cancer patients who wanted access to an unapproved drug derived from apricots, Laetrile, sued the FDA. The agency had blocked the drugs shipment and sale because it was not approved for use in the U.S. At that time, the Supreme Court upheld the FDAs protective authority, holding that an unproven therapy is unsafe for all patients, including the terminally ill.

The 1980s, however, marks the FDAs shift toward increasing access following reports of an emerging disease  AIDS  which primarily affected gay men. In the first nine years of the AIDS epidemic, over 100,000 Americans died. AIDS patients and their advocates became vocal critics of the FDA, arguing that the agency was too paternalistic and restrictive following events like the thalidomide scare.

After massive protests, Anthony Fauci, then director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, proposed a parallel track program allowing eligible patients access to unapproved experimental treatments. This, along with other existing FDA mechanisms, helped lay the path for other alternative approval pathways, such as Emergency Use Authorization, which played a large role in permitting use of vaccines and medications pending full FDA approval during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Future of the FDA

Despite the FDAs shift toward increased access, the political right has in recent years argued that the agency remains too bureaucratic and paternalistic and should be deregulated  an argument seemingly contrary to the reasoning underlying Kacsmaryks recent order that the FDA did not sufficiently evaluate the safety of mifepristone in its approval.

Mifepristone, which has overwhelming data supporting its safety, could remain available to some people in some states regardless of the outcome of this lawsuit. While the FDA approves drugs for consumer use, it does not regulate the general practice of medicine. Doctors can prescribe FDA-approved drugs off-label, meaning they could prescribe a drug with a different dose, in a different way, or for a different use than what the FDA has approved it for.

The mifepristone case has broad implications for the FDAs future and could have devastating effects on health in the U.S. Due in part to FDA involvement, public health interventions have led to a 62% increase in life expectancy in the 20th century. These include vaccines and medications for childhood illnesses and infectious diseases such as HIV, increased regulation of tobacco, and over-the-counter Narcan to combat the opioid crisis, among others.

The FDA needs to be able to use its scientific expertise to make data-driven decisions that balance safety and access, without the ability of a single judge to potentially gut the system. The agencys history is an important reminder of the need for strong administrative agencies and ongoing vigilance to protect everyones health.

Christine Coughlin is affiliated with the Foundation for Prosecutorial Accountability.
Faye and William Bagby posed for a portrait near their home in Philadelphia on Thursday. William went missing for three days and the experience confirmed for the family that William is in the early stages of dementia. Read more

On the night of Jan. 15, William Bagby enjoyed the birthday dinner his family organized for his 73-year-old wife, Faye. And the high-energy couple were even thinking about going to Atlantic City the next day.

But first, they returned happy but weary to their temporary apartment on the 6900 block of Germantown Avenue, where they had been staying for the last six months while their fire-damaged home on the 1900 block of Rowan Street in Nicetown was being renovated.

They came in really tired and laid down and went to bed around 10 p.m. and went to sleep, Nikki Bagby remembered.

Then, sometime in the quiet of the night, with Faye sound asleep, William Bagby awoke, put on his thermal underwear and a thick hoodie and, according to the apartments hallway surveillance camera, got on the elevator at 2:19 a.m.. Fifteen minutes later, the parking lot camera picked him up outside, alone in the frigid dark.

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Then he disappeared.

Day 1: Jan. 16

William Bagby, a month shy of his 75th birthday, was a strong, lively man who loved to dance and to walk. But for a while the family had suspected he was suffering from a neurocognitive problem. They hadnt gotten him tested, but there were some signs  like forgetting the details of major family historical events.

The Bagby family didnt think it was an urgent problem. Nothing drastic had happened to him. It was just something the close-knit family needed to keep an eye on.

Every three seconds, someone in the world develops dementia. According to the Penn Memory Center, about 54% of Americans experiencing thinking and memory problems have not consulted with their doctor.

Pennsylvania has one of the nations highest percentage of elderly residents. According to the state Department of Aging, more than 400,000 people are living with Alzheimers disease or a related disorder (ADRD), and that number is expected to grow as the baby boomer generation continues aging. About 5% of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74, and about one-third of those over 85, have some form of dementia. Up to 60% of them will wander away during the course of their disease and half of them will face harm or death.

An hour after William Bagby slipped out of the apartment, Faye Bagby awakened. She thought her husband of 55 years was in the bathroom. Then she checked the hallway and saw his slippers neatly placed near the elevator. Thats when she panicked.

I was on edge thinking it was all my fault. On the inside it was eating me up, she said.

First Faye Bagby called her family. Then she called the police. And finally she prayed: Oh, please, just help him. Its cold out there.

Nikki Bagby was asleep when Faye Bagbys call came.

William Bagby is technically her father-in-law but they have always had an affectionate father-daughter bond. Because their grandchildren were at the house visiting, her husband didnt awaken her. He figured that his father would be nearby and it wouldnt take long to swoop him up and return him home.

Family members fanned out and started looking. They sent Faye Bagby back into the house in case her husband came home. Usually, individuals with ADRD are found within 1.5 miles of where they disappeared.

By the time the 14th District police officers arrived, Faye Bagby was anxious and confused. She didnt think to mention that her husband was suffering from dementia-like symptoms. It was an oversight that would come to haunt the family.

According to AARP, Its essential that the missing person be classified as missing and at risk, as opposed to just missing, in order for the police to immediately put resources into finding the person.

The missing persons report simply said William is 74 years old, 55, 150 lbs., thin build, brown eyes, gray hair and was last seen wearing a black wool hat, gray hoodie, black pants and black/white sneakers.

The Police Department didnt list him as endangered.

They treated it like a man who just got up and left and would return later, Nikki Bagby said.

More than 600,000 people go missing each year in the United States according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons (NamUS) database, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice. Most are found quickly.

At 8:41 p.m., about 18 hours after William Bagby was last seen, a frustrated Nikki Bagby turned for help to sites such as Missing in Philly, a Facebook group with almost 13,000 members, which has post after post of desperate families looking for missing love ones.

I need your help everyone. My father-in-law who goes by the name of Earl or Will. Has been missing since 2:30 early morning. Hes almost 75 years old about 54 and roughly 150 lbs. He always has a Scully on and he may be masked up. He may be disoriented, he is currently living in the Mt. Airy temporarily but may be in Nicetown where he has lived for over 5 decades. Please share this if you have any information please contact me thank you! The picture in the grey hoodie is the last picture of him leaving his apartment building. Nikki Bagby posted the above on the Missing in Philly Facebook page

Later, the family would discover that after William Bagby left his apartment, he walked about 20 blocks down Germantown Avenue, coming near to his home in Nicetown.

Then at 5:18 a.m. he boarded a bus, swiped his SEPTA Key card, and spent the next 12 hours riding buses from Nicetown to Montgomery County to Center City.

From 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. at night, he took 12 different bus rides, Nikki Bagby said.

People started [messaging] me, I think I saw him on the bus, Nikki Bagby said of her social media posts.

Hundreds of people probably saw him that first day. But without publicity, no one except close family members knew William Bagby was missing.

Day 2: Jan. 17

William Bagby was a retired SEPTA bus driver and thats what gave Nikki Bagby the thought that he would use his SEPTA Key card. So she spent the day trying to get SEPTA Key information from his swipes.

According to a SEPTA spokesman, that information is available from the SEPTA Transit Police, but only for valid law enforcement-related incidents such as a missing person.

But SEPTA Transit Police told Nikki Bagby that they couldnt generate that information in real time. It would require 24 hours to complete a report.

William Bagby had been missing for more than a day. Research has shown that 46% of wanderers are found dead after 24 hours; 80% after 72 hours. Sick with worry, Nikki Bagby hounded the Philadelphia Police Department to prepare a flier and put it on their missing persons website. She complained that the 14th District and the Northwest Detectives bounced her calls around and believed that the Police Department wasnt treating the situation with the urgency the family felt.

And the family had run out of places to look for William Bagby.

Late on the 17th, I went to the SEPTA Transit police office at the [Arrott Transportation Station] at 2 in the morning and gave them 500 fliers, Nikki Bagby said. The thought was SEPTA drivers would have his picture and be on the lookout. We stayed out in the street until 6 in the morning.

Day 3: Jan. 18

Faye Bagby said what happened next could be explained only by all the prayers that went forth.

Nikki Bagbys sister, Eboni Smith, is a supplier diversity specialist at Amtrak who usually works remotely. This day, unwilling to sit at home, she grabbed a handful of fliers, went out to 30th Street Station, and before heading to her office decided to drop some off at the Amtrak Police office.

At the same time, an Amtrak officer had learned of an unidentified elderly John Doe who had been found on the 30th Street ramp, his feet dangling over the rail.

It was my father-in-law, Nikki Bagby said. [He was] exhausted and he had to be stripped and put in a thermos bag [because of low body temperature]. His sugar was low, he has high blood pressure.

It was only by grace that we found him and it was 20-something degrees out there, she said, her relief mixed with frustration.

One of the common causes of death among people with ADRD who wander is accidental hypothermia. At Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, the emergency room doctor told Nikki Bagby that her father-in-law was only a few hours from dying.

Physically, William Bagby survived.

He sailed through rehab, Nikki Bagby said, But he isnt the same man. Wandering is often a sign of dementia progressing.

The dementia is undeniable now and he has needs. He has Apple tags. Bagby was referring to Apples AirTags, the button-size Bluetooth trackers that provide real-time location tracking.

And Nikki Bagby has become another Philadelphian who wants the city to do better by its missing, especially those with neurological challenges.

The Philadelphia Police Department doesnt have standard questions and written information for the family on what to do and what to expect next. There are so many holes in the missing-persons system, she said.

I dont want to be learning when a family member is missing.
The plug has been pulled on Bamboozle.

Atlantic City officials said they will not be issuing final permits to the once-popular New Jersey music festival, which had been scheduled to play comeback shows at Bader Field from May 5 to 7. Thats because organizers failed to provide required paperwork  including insurance certificates and emergency evacuation and medical plans  or pay licensing and facility fees by a final deadline.

The city said it notified organizers of the cancellation after they failed to comply  or request an extension  by the April 27 deadline.

There was an ongoing concern that we were not getting the required documents from festival organizers in a timely manner, said Atlantic City business administrator Anthony Swan. We asked for this information months in advance to protect the city and the taxpayers of Atlantic City. The event was fast approaching, and these issues were still unresolved.

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Festival organizer John DEsposito did not reply to requests for comment, but the festival did post a statement on their website Friday, notifying ticket-goers that the concert would not go on.

After extensive discussions, we have made the heartbreaking decision to cancel Bamboozle 2023, the statement read. An incredible amount of time, dedication, passion and hard work was invested into making this comeback a success. We appreciate everyone who supported this festival. Refunds should be requested at point of purchase.

Once one of New Jerseys most popular music festivals, Bamboozles Bader Field shows had been billed as a celebratory return. Instead they were plagued by controversy from the start. A growing chorus of ticket buyers said they felt cheated by the shows ticketing practices. They complained that Bamboozle festival organizers used false advertising to sell pricey early bird tickets far ahead of the festival and failed to land promised big name acts. Ahead of the shows, the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs had received nearly two dozen customer complaints about Bamboozle, ranging from false advertising to refund requests.

The biggest names of this years festival included Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, and Motionless in White.

On social media postings earlier this year, they said DEsposito refused refund requests and trolled and cyberbullied fans who complained.

Former fans had even dubbed the festival Scamboozle.

In a recent interview, DEsposito described his online antics as tongue in cheek  and promised the show would go on.

Founded by DEsposito in 2002, Bamboozle had been a mainstay on the Jersey festival scene for more than 10 years. Sold-out shows at the Meadowlands Sport Complex and Asbury Park Convention Hall featured diverse bills and superstar headlines like Bon Jovi, 50 Cent, and the Foo Fighters. Although over 100,000 fans attended the festivals final show in 2012, the festival soon fizzled over a dispute between organizers.

As late as last week, city officials said they were working with DEsposito to meet the deadline. On Friday, they said the festival had run out of time.

We gave them plenty of chances and ample opportunity, said Andrew Kramer, a spokesperson for the mayors office of Atlantic City. It just came time to pull the plug.
The chairman and CEO of Boscovs, Jim Boscov, on the floor of the Reading, Pa., store in March. Read more

Boscovs did away with coupons years ago. But when someone suggested accepting Bed Bath & Bath coupons at the companys weekly advertising meeting, executives were all for it.

For consumers and the company, its a win-win, said Jim Boscov, chairman and CEO of the Reading-based department store chain.

We can introduce customers to Boscovs who wouldnt have gone otherwise, Boscov said.

Ive seen some comments on social media that say, Hey, thats nice. Good move,  he added. Some people say, Good marketing. And yes, I hope it is. But it really is a way to make new friends.

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Bed Bath & Beyond filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sunday, the beginning of what it calls a winding down process for the chains 360 stores, as well as its 120 Buy Buy Baby locations. The company also announced it would stop accepting its famous coupons as of Wednesday. Several chains, including Big Lots and the Container Store, said they would accept Bed Bath & Beyond coupons, for a limited time and with some caveats.

The deal at Boscovs: Any shopper who brings a mailed Bed Bath & Beyond coupon to a Boscovs store can get $10 off any one purchase of $50 or more through May 31.

It wont matter if the coupon is expired, Boscov said, and thered be nothing preventing someone with a few coupons from returning on multiple days to get $10 off several purchases of $50 or more (though store associates will, of course, take customers coupons after they use them).

Its a rare moment for the company, which Boscov said eliminated coupons more than five years ago for several reasons. (Stores do offer appreciation sales for credit-card holders several times a year.)

First of all, you want to shop when you need something, not when you happen to have a coupon, Boscov said. And he said he often saw people get to the cash register only to find out that several of the items they had in hand werent eligible for the coupons. I thought why frustrate people? Lets have good pricing.

He hopes Bed Bath & Beyond customers will find this if they come into a Boscovs store to use a coupon. Ideally, he said, theyll also be impressed with friendly employees and a similar selection to Bed Bath & Beyond.

And unlike Bed Bath & Beyond, Boscovs, the largest family-owned and operated department store chain, is expanding, he added. The privately-owned company had $1.2 billion in sales last year and plans to open their 50th store this fall in West Virginia.

Still, Boscov said, he did not celebrate the Bed Bath & Beyond news this week.

I was aware from what we hear in the market that it was a long time coming, he said. But its never good news because competition makes everybody better.
Brian Linton sits at a picnic bench on the grounds of The Rex Hotel in Greentown, Pa. Linton and his wife, Joanna Linton, opened the boutique hotel that borders Promised Land State Park in July of 2021. Read more

GREENTOWN, Pa.  They went looking for a rural getaway, a small cabin, perhaps, somewhere to shed the stress of living in crowded Philadelphia during a global pandemic.

But Brian and Joanna Linton, cofounders of the outdoor brand United by Blue, didnt leave their business acumen behind. Thats how the couple wound up buying an old, drive-up motel a decade or two past its prime in an area of the Poconos known as Promised Land.

This is an area of the Poconos, up here at this elevation, that started to remind me of all the outdoor places Ive loved, Brian Linton said recently on his property there.

Escaping the cities for rural areas was common during the pandemic. A Manhattan family decamped to Eagles Mere, population 143, in Sullivan County. A cartoonist from Brooklyn liked Williamsport so much, she bought a home there and turned it into a comedy writers residence. The Lintons have chronicled their own ventures in the Poconos on an Instagram channel thats garnered over 32,000 followers.

The family lived in the office of the former Tauschmans Motel in 2020 while tearing the place down to its bones. They built up The Rex in its place. There was a bit of culture shock and, at, 1,500 feet, a lot of snow.

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For those wondering, we had not seen the show Schitts Creek at the time, Joanna Linton said in a YouTube video about the experience.

The 10-room boutique, micro-hotel, which cost $240,000, is decked out in natural woods and black trim, with modern interiors and amenities like hot tubs and a sauna overlooking the forest.

On a recent spring morning, guests were walking dogs and sipping coffee around The Rexs grassy courtyard.

Brian Linton said The Rex, which opened in 2021, regularly books guests from Philly, Brooklyn, and in-between. That doesnt mean he and Joanna are simply sitting back to live the rural life now. Every old, seemingly empty bungalow or shuttered eatery near the motel gives them ideas. They recently bought an old, 10-acre campground nearby that theyve transformed into Camp Ferncrest.

Known as Camp Wilson for decades, the campground had 67 sites, Linton said, many of them home to tarp-covered shacks. Linton said he cut the number of sites down to 32, to give campers more room. Some of the sites will have geodesic domes, tents, and yurts to sleep in this summer.

Its going to be more glamping than camping, he said.

The Lintons, who met while studying in China, arent merely opening a glampground, however. Brian is planning a common area at Camp Ferncrest that will include RV food trailers, picnic tables, and fire pits that both guests and locals in the Promised Land community can use.

Reservations for Camp Ferncrest open on Sunday at campferncrest.com for stays starting on June 30. Most of the camping gear, Linton said, will be provided to guests.

Its really looking to expand on the clientele we know what to get into the outdoors but dont necessarily have the gear or the knowledge to do it themselves, he said. Well provide all that.

Brian Linton said he grew up in the outdoors and the passions for hiking and camping stayed with him, both personally and professionally. In 2010, Linton cofounded United by Blue, an eco-friendly outdoor-lifestyle company that aimed to help clean the worlds oceans and waterways through retail sales and their unique cafes. Linton, along with a partner, sold the company last year. The new owner recently announced it was closing the companys last two cafes in Philadelphia.

The Rex, with overnight stays ranging from $200 to $500 depending on the size of the room or cabin, is not rustic but its setting, on the edges of Promised Land State Park and a vast state forest system, make it the equivalent of a Grand Canyon Lodge in the Poconos. The state park is one of Pennsylvanias best, with several lakes, miles of trails, and a museum dedicated to the young men of the Franklin D. Roosevelts Civilian Conservation Corps that helped build it all.

Linton said hes been drawn to Promised Land State Park in the years hes been traveling back and forth to The Rex and, after viewing a map, realized he could connect the motels land directly to the parks trails.

Were literally on the border of the park, he said. Its about a 10 minute walk to the beach from here.

Linton isnt sure if he, Joanna, and their three children will ever move to the Poconos, permanently. Theyre back and forth weekly to their home in Washington Square West and whatever room is empty at The Rex.

Well be up here all summer, he said. Its perfect in the summer.

The Lintons are still searching for that cabin, in case their motels all booked up.
Actor and South Philly native James T. Lane stars in Broadway's "Chicago" as Billy Flynn. Lane is set to debut his one-man show in New York on June 23. Read more

As early as 6 years old, dance was everything to James T. Lane. He used to break-dance on the sidewalks of his South Philadelphia neighborhood streets, and was so enthralled in his first dance class at Meredith Elementary School, he forgot to take a bathroom break  and ended up needing an extra pair of pants as a result.

Dance was my first language, said Lane, who went on to study jazz and ballet. I could express myself as a little Black gay boy, and I had a talent that kept the bullies away. I knew I could express myself and I can have feelings, be emotional and ride the rhythm of the music. That was very attractive to me, and it was a bright light in a very dark world.

Those days led Lane to pursue a career in acting, and after seeing Robert Guillaume become the first Black actor to play the title role in The Phantom of the Opera, he knew his dreams of reaching the Broadway stage were possible.

In the nearly 20 years since making his Broadway debut, Lane, 45, has starred in productions such as The Scottsboro Boys, Roundabouts revival of Kiss Me Kate, King Kong The Musical, and he wrapped up his turn as Billy Flynn in Chicago earlier this month.

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Now, instead of being a vessel for others stories, Lane said hes ready to share a deeply personal story of his own and show audiences the failures, tragedies, and triumphs that shaped his identity and, ultimately, saved his life.

In his one-man-show Triple Threat, Lane will chronicle his life growing up in the notorious Southwark housing projects in South Philly, and detail how his love for the stage led to his Broadway stardom, and helped him overcome the darkness and isolation of drug and alcohol addiction.

Lane will play a total of 20 characters in a solo production that draws back to his formative years at Meredith Elementary School and Philadelphias Girard Academic Music Program (GAMP).

The actor will embody the spirit of his mother, police officers, teachers, fellow drug addicts, and other loved ones he encountered during that period of his life.

Before starring in three Tony Award-nominated musicals, Lane was a fresh-faced 19-year-old actor who declined full theater scholarships at Carnegie Mellon and Pennsylvania State University to pursue an early career start in the Big Apple.

Upon moving to New York, Lane landed a starring role as Tyrone Jackson in Fame. But after tearing his Achilles tendon, he turned to drugs and alcohol, which led to a four-year battle with substance abuse.

It was a far fall from grace, he said, from a 19-year-old traveling the world and being in Switzerland to not being able to get out of their four-block radius in South Philly because I had a drug and alcohol problem. My world got very, very small.

Lane moved back to his mothers home in South Philadelphia with hopes of regaining his footing. At the time, Lane said he was a garbage head, dabbling in any drug he could get hands on, including ecstasy and crack cocaine.

The support from his mother, Starletta Smith, ultimately led to his recovery.

I begged him to change, Smith said. I didnt know the man he had become. When he tore his Achilles, he was sad because it stopped him from performing, and that was him. [Lane] lived for the stage, and when he couldnt do it, one drug led to the other and it just got out of control.

After entering a local outpatient center in 2004, Lane vowed to refrain from drugs and to work his way back up the theater ranks. But first, he needed to tighten his frame, regain his confidence, and embrace his past missteps.

I could always dance and act, but back then, I just couldnt do it anymore, Lane said. I just couldnt muster up the conviction. I didnt have any connections, and the talent wasnt showing up anymore. I couldnt keep rhythm or keep timing, so I decided to get my act together and started talking about being Black, gay and being an addict. I started to really give voice to that shame, and interestingly enough, I was able to breathe a little easier and walk a little lighter.

Along with his mothers guidance, Lane leaned on his faith to blaze a path toward personal and artistic salvation.

Before moving back to New York, Lane took a job at the Walnut Street Theatre and began stringing together local performances. After resharpening his skills in a production of Aida, his name began to circulate again in the theater world. In 2006, he landed his first Broadway role as Richie Walters in the Tony-nominated musical A Chorus Line.

In the years since the productions run, Lane has become a notable name in New York City theater, and has even transitioned to the silver screen as a recurring character in NBCs The Amber Ruffin Show.

With Lanes one-man show just months from its New York debut, Dorina Morrow, his former music teacher at Meredith Elementary, said his story will encourage audiences to conquer any obstacles in their guard.

He can talk the talk, but he can walk the walk, she said. I dont see him ever stopping, and I think the overcoming of his troubles will be such an inspiration.

Lanes Triple Threat will make its off-Broadway debut at Theatre Row, 410 W. 42nd St., in New York. There will be a preview for Pride Month on June 17, followed by its official opening on June 23. For more information on the show, visit bfany.org.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is presented with "The Liberty Sword" during the Moms for Liberty national summit last July in Tampa. This year, Moms for Liberty is holding its summit in Philadelphia. Read more

Moms for Liberty, the controversial parent group whose members have confronted school boards and spearheaded book challenges and fights against diversity education, has chosen Philadelphia as the host city for its national summit this summer.

The summit, planned for June 29 through July 2 at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, is the second for the group, which held last years event in Tampa, Fla. Philadelphia was a natural choice, cofounder Tina Descovich said in an interview: Its history provides a thematic backdrop for the groups focus on preserving American values.

But the location also caters to Moms for Libertys membership, which has a significant local presence. After Florida, where Moms for Liberty was founded in 2021, Descovich said, Pennsylvania has the second-most members. Of the groups 115,000 members and 275 chapters nationally, 11,450 are in Pennsylvania, spread across 27 chapters, according to a spokesperson. (Among them are Philadelphias four collar counties.)

The summit, which aims to draw 650 attendees, will have a focus on school board races, with training offered to candidates.

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Moms for Libertys local chapters decide endorsements, Descovich said. A questionnaire for candidates seeking endorsement in Bucks County, for instance, asks whether parents should be allowed to exempt children from vaccines based on religious or moral convictions, to opt their children out of sex education, and to have a voice in curating school libraries.

It also asks whether candidates support student-led prayer, the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, and teaching minors that they can change their gender, and includes such open-ended questions as: What does liberty mean to you?

Moms of Liberty members are everywhere in Pennsylvania, said Susan Spicka, executive director of Education Voters PA, a pro-public education advocacy group that has been monitoring school boards  though she said some Moms for Liberty members can be less public about their association with the organization, depending on the political makeup of the community.

In some places, the school board candidates are happy to be completely out and transparent that they are part of Moms for Liberty, Spicka said  showing up at meetings with Moms for Liberty T-shirts, with such slogans as We do not co-parent with the government.

But in areas that are more purple or blue, Spicka said, some board candidates are trying to pretend they are not connected to the group, which has accused schools of indoctrinating children, stoked backlash over critical race theory, and called to remove pornographic books from school libraries.

Moms for Liberty is hoping to play a bigger role in school board races nationally by starting to fund candidates, Descovich said. The group says it endorsed 500 candidates last year, with 275 winning election.

Earlier this month, however, most Moms for Liberty-backed school board candidates lost races in Wisconsin.

Rather than the groups priorities or messaging, Descovich faulted funding: We need to raise money for our PACs, so we can actually compete in some of these races financially, she said. So far, Moms for Liberty has funded races only in Florida.

The group reported $370,000 in revenue in its first year, including contributions of $100,000, $20,000, $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000, according to a federal tax form.

As a 501(c)4 social welfare nonprofit, Moms for Liberty doesnt have to publicly disclose its donors. Descovich said the group was still working on preparing more recent financial statements, but we definitely have some bigger individual donors who have come in over the last year to help us out.

The group has ties to conservative organizations and Republican politicians, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has crusaded against woke ideology in schools. Bridget Ziegler, a former director of the group, is married to the chairman of the Florida Republican Party; DeSantis recently appointed Ziegler to a commission overseeing Disneys Orlando theme parks amid a battle between the governor and Disney over Floridas law banning classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation.

DeSantis was a featured speaker at last years Moms for Liberty summit; other speakers included U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R., Fla.), former U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos  who called for abolishing her former department  and former GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson.

Most speakers for the Philadelphia summit havent yet been announced, though Descovich said the president of the conservative Heritage Foundation, Kevin Roberts, will give a talk on the history of George Washington. (The Heritage Foundation recently committed as a sponsor, Descovich said, joining such groups as the Leadership Institute, which trains conservative activists  recently adding a program focused on school boards  and Patriot Mobile, which bills itself as Americas only Christian conservative wireless provider.)

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, a Republican running for governor, is also expected to speak. Robinson in 2021 said that there was no reason anybody anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth, prompting calls for his resignation.

GLAAD, the LGBTQ advocacy organization, counts Moms for Liberty in its accountability project as a group that has spread misinformation and false rhetoric against LGBTQ people, youth, and allies, including efforts targeting LGBTQ-themed books and comments referring to groomers.

The groups stance on LGBTQ issues has fueled online petitions signed by thousands of people criticizing the Philadelphia Marriott for hosting the summit.

There is an entire group of people who want to deny my childrens existence, Karen Svoboda, a New York mother of LGBTQ children who started a group called Defense of Democracy, said in a petition demanding that the Marriott not host Moms for Liberty.

A request for comment from Marriott was not returned this week.

Asked about the GLAAD designation and hate group criticisms, a Moms for Liberty spokesperson pointed a reporter to a recent statement from Descovich and cofounder Tiffany Justice, referring to a a coordinated effort ... aimed at marginalizing and discrediting the serious concerns of our members about the public K-12 education system. The statement accused critics of false allegations and misleading stories, and rejected any accusations of dangerous behavior made against us as false.

Descovich  who appeared on CBS Sunday Morning earlier this week with Justice about the groups efforts to ban sexually explicit books from school libraries  told The Inquirer that Moms for Libertys main focus is addressing educational failure.

The biggest win for us is when all eyes are focused on teaching kids to read and improving that education, she said, accusing media of focusing on such issues as book bans because they get clicks.

Yet she acknowledged that Moms for Liberty members were driving those debates.

Its all connected, Descovich said. If youre taking up bookshelf space with books that have pornography ... theres a problem. That part has to be exposed also.
Dr. Myles Turtz, 93, of Cherry Hill, a pioneering childrens physician and hospital executive at St. Christophers Hospital for Children who helped to establish its pediatric liver and heart transplant program, died Friday, April 7, at Cooper University Hospital during a surgery intended to mitigate his heart disease.

Dr. Turtz never set out to be a doctor. Born at the outset of the Great Depression to a saloon owner in Newark, N.J., hed been content to follow in his fathers footsteps, tending bar and working odd jobs on the side.

But one of the saloons regulars, a professor at nearby Rutgers University, saw bigger things for his bartender. Over pints, he pressed the young man to go to college. Dr. Turtz figured hed give it a try.

It was a suggestion that changed his life. He graduated college  at Rutgers, of course  and then medical school, becoming a nationally known expert in otolaryngology, the treatment of ear, nose, and throat issues. Eventually, he headed the otolaryngology department at St. Christophers Hospital for Children in Philadelphia and went on to become that hospitals president and CEO. Later still, he formed United Hospitals, one of the countrys first multihospital systems.

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He would joke to his children that hed led an unplanned life. But despite his unusual path to his career, he fiercely devoted himself to his work, treating hundreds of seriously ill children and helming St. Christophers through years of tumultuous change and financial issues.

Born March 31, 1930, he met his wife, Miriam, when the two were teenagers. She was a stabilizing force in his life, said his son Alan, a physician at Cooper University Hospital. The couple had four children and were married for 68 years.

After Dr. Turtz graduated from Rutgers, a cousin, who was an otolaryngologist, suggested Dr. Turtz join his practice, and helped finance his medical studies at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Later, Dr. Turtz took a position as a clinical professor at Temple Universitys medical school, where he had completed his residency.

He then became the chief of otolaryngology at St. Christophers, at the time located at Fifth Street and Lehigh Avenue in Kensington. There, he pioneered surgical procedures and treatments for children with obstructed airways, becoming one of the first surgeons in the country to perform tracheostomies on infants and newborns.

He flourished at St. Chris. It became a mission for him, Alan Turtz said. While president and CEO at St. Christophers, he oversaw the acquisition of three other area hospitals to shore up St. Christophers then-precarious finances.

In the 1980s, he helped establish a pediatric liver transplant program, a heart transplant program, and a pediatric burn center at the hospital, said Calvin Bland, who worked closely with Dr. Turtz at St. Christophers and succeeded him as president.

He was a skilled surgeon, and he did things with a smooth, classical, easygoing way. He was firm, but never bombastic or argumentative, Bland said.

In 1983, the hospital was embroiled in controversy after Dr. Turtz and other executives announced that St. Christophers would move from its longtime location in Kensington. The hospital served a large number of Medicaid patients, for which hospitals receive lower reimbursements from the federal government, and was dealing with public safety issues in the area surrounding the hospital. And its building complex, parts of which dated to the late 1800s, was in serious disrepair.

Neighbors mobilized against the plan almost immediately, countering that an already underserved neighborhood would lose a lifeline for both its childrens health and its adults job prospects. Michael DiBerardinis, then a community activist, led a concerted effort to keep the hospital in Kensington.

Things were rough at first. We were mad at them, they were mad at us, said DiBerardinis, who went on to become a fixture in city government and Mayor Jim Kenneys first managing director. But what started out as an adversarial relationship grew over time, and its because of [Dr. Turtzs] ability to alter his perspective. Thats a leader.

Instead of leaving the neighborhood, Dr. Turtz and other hospital executives worked with community members to find a new location in Kensington  a new complex on B and Erie Streets, where it remains today.

I dont think there would be a St. Christophers if not for what he did, Brand said.

Dr. Turtz had few hobbies, his son said, choosing to devote himself to his work, but he played the piano and clarinet, and in retirement, purchased an RV and traveled the country with his wife.

Until his death, every Friday night he hosted the entire family  children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren  at Shabbat dinners. No matter how busy my father was, he made sure he was at that Shabbos table Friday night. He brought flowers for my mother, she lit the candles, and we had dinner, Alan Turtz said. He was a family person.

Besides his wife and son, Dr. Turtz is survived by his other children, Lisa Hartman, H. Michael Turtz and Rebecca Turtz Segeren; his sister-in-law, Jacque Grayer; 11 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren. His parents, Joseph and Beatrice Turtz, and his sister, Fern Unger, died earlier.

Shiva was held April 16 to 18 at the familys home in Cherry Hill.

Donations can be made in his name to St. Christophers Hospital for Children, the Food Bank of South Jersey and Chabad of Camden and Burlington Counties.
Automobiles sit in the alleyway that is shared between houses on the 6000 block of Chester Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia and White's Auto on Thursday. Three residents say the presence of the auto body shop has had disruptive and degrading effects on the neighborhood. Read more

Marceline Dixs house sits on a quaint strip of rowhouses on the 6000 block of Chester Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia. The location used to be a beautiful place, she said, within walking distance of Cobbs Creek Park and Mount Moriah Historic Cemetery and Arboretum.

But in recent years, Dix said, the neighborhoods sense of community and charm has declined. She blames the presence of an auto body shop behind her house that residents say discards car parts and trash in their backyards and a shared alleyway.

When we clean up [we know] the junk is going to come back, the cars, the car parts, said Dix. We cant keep up.

Over the years, residents lodged numerous 311 complaints, asked police to intervene, and called elected officials for help, only to see temporary changes in the shops behavior. Last week, Dix, along with neighbors Ramona Monique Bell and Rodney Bell, filed a civil lawsuit in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas against Whites Autobody and past and current property owners.

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Its hard for residents to say when the auto body shop became a nuisance because the noise and trash complaints havent been consistent over the years, and, according to city records, various people have held vehicle repair licenses for the site over the last 25 years. But since 2007, the shop has received 58 notices of violations from the Department of Licenses and Inspections, according to the suit.

In 2014, Mike Mohjan, also known as Mohammed Al-Khatib, is believed to have started leasing the property to Whites Autobody and Mechanic, according to the suit. West York LLC is believed to have purchased the property in the summer of 2022. The details of the leasing agreement were not immediately clear.

Efforts to reach the shop and property owners for comment were unsuccessful and no lawyers were listed in court documents.

The residents claim Whites Autobody and the property owners have created a private and public nuisance by emitting chemical odors and leaving broken-down cars in residential parking spaces as a form of storage, producing blight in the neighborhood. They worry that the business is creating a fire hazard, citing past auto body shops and scrapyards that have caught fire in residential neighborhoods not that different from theirs.

The suit claims the auto body shop has ignored limitations imposed on its vehicle repair license, which prohibits the business from spray painting or using any part of the street or sidewalk for the parking or storing of motor vehicles. According to Dix, the fumes exacerbate her two childrens asthma.

The auto body shops presence has also cost residents money, they say. The Bells said they installed bollards and fencing to minimize damage and visibility to their yard but they still cant enjoy their outdoor space.

Fundamentally, this case is about a kind of neighboring property, in this case, an auto body business or businesses, that takes our clients ability to be in their backyard, to open their windows, to live in an area that is clean of debris and trash, even having some trash thrown in their yards, said Sari Bernstein, a staff attorney at the Public Interest Law Center, which represents the Chester Avenue residents along with Hausfeld LLP.

When they arent hearing noises associated with auto body operations, residents say, they have to deal with loud nighttime parties at the property.

I dont know whos coming behind my house, said Dix. My children talk about us moving all the time.

With more than 99% of the census tract identifying as nonwhite and at least 32% living below the poverty line, residents and their lawyers see the case as an environmental justice issue.

At this point, there are more than 100 auto body kind of businesses or trunk yards, or scrapyards in vacant lots, said Bernstein. Thats just clearly not the case in more affluent areas of the city.

The suit is about the city holding businesses accountable, said Dix.

Residents are seeking an injunction, demanding that the business end what they consider to be nuisance behavior, as well as compensatory damages for physical and financial harm.
The Australian Sanctions Office (ASO) anticipates that in the next 18 months to two years we will see enforcement action by the ASO and prosecution through the AFP [Australian Federal Police] and the DPP [Director of Public Prosecutions]  but that would be the first time body corporate actors have been charged with breaching sanctions offenses, Lattin said.
They need to differentiate for their customers any digital experience  thats where they can find a new competitive edge, he said. At the same time they have a broad network of intermediaries that also need to change the way they work.
Danny: Hello and welcome back to Insurance Business. I'm Danny Wood, news editor of Insurance Business Australia. Today we're joined by Stephen McCarthy, the managing director of Bellrock, which he founded in 2007. His firm has two offices, one in Sydney and one in Brisbane. We're going to talk about some current insurance challenges and how things have changed since Bellrock was founded about 15 years ago. Stephen is in Brisbane. Hi Stephen.

Stephen: How are you there, Danny. Pleased to meet you.

Danny: Very well. Now, you've been in the insurance world for about 40 years now. Can you just briefly tell us how did you actually get into it in the first place?

Stephen: 44 years. Actually, 1979, I entered the industry. I was straight from high school. I'm in my final year of school. I wrote to every insurance company, every finance company, bank wanting to get into a, you know, white collar career where I'd start at the bottom. And my dream at the time was to work my way to state manager by retirement age. And then a job offer came through my school at Lumley General Insurance Limited in 1979. And that's how I started in the industry as a mail boy. It was a cadet ship, but I started in the mail department at Lumley's.

Danny: So you ever do you ever consider anything else when you're in the mailroom thinking, what on earth am I doing here? Or was, do you set your sights on insurance?

Stephen: I liked it. Like I. I felt like I was fitting in. Um, it was at first a big culture shock from school into sort of a very bland sort of office of 1979 where the boss was an ex war man, you know, been the World War 2. Jack Hamlin, a legend. Um, and, and that took a bit of adjustment, but I felt like I'd chosen the right, um, industry. From what was going.

Danny: But let's we're jumping around a little here. But you've been in the business a long time there. Always insurance challenges. But what do you see is a big challenge for insurance brokers right now?

Stephen: Now, it is basically, I guess, dealing with. The constant new insurance products are coming into the market. Dovetailing them in with the existing old school products that were available, like, for example, cyber risk crime, you know, cyber crime, tying that in with professional indemnity policy and all of these. It's quite a legal process now and a lot of skill is required in evolving with those, with with those with those changes and understanding how to give full cover and full protection without overlapping and an expedient pricing.

Danny: It's probably a good time to ask you about when you founded Bellrcok back in 2007, because you talk about your point of difference and how you serve clients differently. And I'm just I've been wondering what you've been talking about brings in the whole issue of just brokers having to know so much about what they're selling. I mean, is that is that one of your points of difference that you guess try and bring that knowledge to the client and educate the client?

Stephen: Well, that's what I mean. When I set up my rock in 2007, my I was very passionate about our negotiation model, how we negotiate with underwriters. At that time, there was a trend in the industry where a lot of brokers were getting paid, overriding commission and possibly profit share on their portfolio. And so they were basically seeing all these brokers, every broker that were if they were a smaller broker, they were in a in a buying group. If they were a larger broker, they could do it themselves where they would they might have 20 mil of premium and they'd say, okay, we'll share that at $5 million each to four main underwriters, and in return we get higher commissions, but at ultimately cut away the competitiveness of the negotiation because you then go to another underwriter outside of that little club and they go, Well, we know there's going to be shot back to them. So that that created a less competitive environment. So it was all about setting up a business that was the underwriter that writes the business is the underwriter that deserves the business, not through other means. So that was pretty much the the model. And also when we negotiate, we would we would only go in as the appointed broker and they would say we'd, we'd choose one underwriter and so we will run with you. This is an overview of the terms we're seeking only at the time. And they say no would we then talk to the next underwriter. So they knew it wasn't a wasted wasted cost. And 80% of quotes that we obtained from underwriters were bound, which the normal average was probably 18%. So it was a it was a very strong and it was a good, very it was very effective and clients liked it as well.

Danny: Mhm. That whole issue of broker commissions seems to come up from time to time as something that's sometimes a little controversial. And some brokers still work pretty heavily on commissions, others don't. I mean, do you feel that it just depends what sort of industry you're in. Is it is it possible for brokers not to work on insurance commissions and just just completely or is that an unrealistic?

Stephen: I think that's unrealistic when you're talking about, for example, reinsurance programs, everybody's got to receive income for their for their efforts. And if everything's done on a fee basis, it's probably could be done. But I just do think the commission model does have a have a life left. I think it's it's it's a fairly accurate way of rewarding. It can be it can sort of go out of kilter on very large programs where where it's unfair and it's probably a fee is more appropriate. But I do think there is a life for commissions as long as they're openly known what they are and there's no hidden agendas and, you know, overriding or profit shares and that sort of thing.

Danny: Hmm. In the 44 years you've been doing business at Bellrock, what do you see as the the big changes you've had to make in that time?

Stephen: Oh, gee, when I started my first business in 1982, didn't even have a fax machine. And I remember a client saying, Can I send that to you by facsimile? And I said, What's that? You fast forward. Back then, everybody, everybody, everything was mail. Like the Mail Australia Post was. Yeah, we'd have a big box and the day would begin when you opened the mail. Um, you know, sending out policy documents. Very cumbersome, very expensive way to do business. Um, it's. Yeah, technology has just made the business operate so much more effectively and efficiently. Um, you know, people have changed like the typical people that you work with, whether it be employees, clients, it's a different world. You know, there's a lot of, um, you know, I think mental health I think I see you see a lot more of that now than you would 40 years ago. Maybe people just sort of brush it under the carpet back then. But yes, it's a different world we live in. Um, I'm certainly working through those changes is exciting and I certainly don't think I know it all just because I've been in the business for 44 years.

Danny: The one, I guess one big risk that I guess has come into focus a lot more in the last 6 or 7 years probably is climate risks and, and how, how we deal with those rising costs on flood premiums and and all sorts of insurance is associated with Napkats. I mean, do you have any thoughts on that? Is this is this something that we're just never going to be able to get on top of?

Stephen: No, I think it's I think we're slowly getting on top of it. I think I've got hope. I mean, we insure a lot of northern Australian property, you know, north of that 26th parallel and um, large shopping centres, large office buildings, you know, billions of dollars worth of assets in northern Australia. And they have really the property owners that we represent have really suffered, you know, sixfold rate increases from, from probably ten years ago. Um, I believe the, the, the. The traditional model has been insurers, reinsurers and insurers have gone northern Australia. This is a region. This is the premium income we're collecting from this region. This is the claims we're paying. It's a it's a it's an ugly picture. We're just broad brush, increasing rates, increasing deductibles, make getting out of the market altogether because we can't we can't work through these losses, whereas I believe they're the most obvious point is who are the ones making these losses? I believe that the smaller residential properties, the residential property and smaller commercial properties, older buildings like old sugar mills, what have you, they're the ones that cop it in these big cyclones and these big weather events, whereas the large office buildings and the large shopping centres that are well maintained and I've got all the cyclone sort of proof roofs, they generally are not having the big losses. And whereas there's been a big broad brush rate that applied, for example, anything in northern Australia is a minimum cap rate of 0.2%. And, and I think with the new Federal Government, Northern Australia Fund that is focusing on that residential, small commercial strata asset classes, I think they will pick up the majority of the of the large weather event claims going forward. And I think the underwriters that are continuing to participate in that market that are not picking up those losses will realize that there is a the they'll they'll think they'll delineate between the more quality risks in those regions and possibly a more competitive market will emerge.

Danny: Okay. Well, that's interesting. So this is the cyclone insurance pool that that's going to take on the bigger risks and the rest will adjust in some way.

Stephen: So then we'll take the smaller risks. The smaller risks model, in my view, they will take they will they will incur their losses. The greater value of losses based on value of insured asset. And I think the underwriters that are outsource all of that reinsurance to that pool will all of a sudden find an improved ratio on their Northern Australia book.

Danny: Can I ask you about flood covers too? I mean what do you see as the future there for a business in Lismore that gets flooded every year? Um, it's too, too expensive to have flood insurance right now. Are they going to get some relief from somewhere or the options for them, do you think?

Stephen: I mean, I just can't see it. They've got to risk proof the building. I mean, insurance ultimately is I mean, if the losses have got a high history and they are in a low flood prone area, flood is hard. You know, you've got insurers sort of charging a 10% rate for the for the value of cover. That's a 1 in 10 year loss. You know, a business cannot simply cannot afford that. Yeah. So it's a very difficult I don't think there's a there's a there's going to be um, the losses will continue in flood prone areas. Um, it's a difficult one I think. I think investment in flood proofing of property is probably where the money should be spent.

Danny: Stephen McCarthy It's been fun talking to you. Founder and director of Bellrock Broking. Thanks very much for your time.

Stephen: Alright. Thank you, Danny.
The energy transition, undoubtedly linked to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has become the key area of concern globally, said Bob Quane, chief underwriting officer at Beazley. For global business leaders facing this immediate crisis, it is unsurprising that the focus is on mitigating the short-term impacts rather than focusing on the steps they need to take to adapt for the long term. However, the current low levels of resilience that many business leaders feel in the face of climate change, coupled with the reality of the effects we have seen over the past 12 months, means a change of mindset is urgently needed.
Northwestern Mutual not only values diversity, but fuels it in the work we do each day, said Amy Hanneman, vice president of diversity and inclusion at Northwestern Mutual. This latest distinction from Forbes is further evidence that we remain not just a destination for talent, but a company where all employees can grow, contribute and thrive. We appreciate this recognition as we continue our journey for an even more equitable and inclusive workplace.
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Maines pandemic rule allowing to-go cocktails is going to be sticking around.

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has signed into law a bill to make booze- to-go from restaurants and bars permanent, joining more then a dozen states that allow carry-out mixed drinks.

To-go cocktails gained popularity nationwide during the pandemic when restaurants and bars were shut down. Maines new law requires those drinks to be labeled and placed in the trunk or non-passenger compartments of a vehicle.

An executive order issued by Mills in 2020 permitted restaurants to sell and deliver beverages if accompanied by a food order, while distilleries could sell liquor without food. Last year, a law extended to-go drinks, including delivery and take-out. The law is now permanent.

All told, 19 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws to permanently allow cocktails to-go and 14 others have enacted temporary laws since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Maine
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A federal administrative law judge has determined that the manager of Fuller Hospital in Attleboro, Massachusetts exposed employees to workplace violence without adequate protections in 2019, particularly at times when hospital staffing was low.

The ruling follows an inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, prompted by employee complaints, which found the hospitals lack of safeguards subjected staff to workplace violence. Incidents included Fuller workers being kicked, punched, slapped, bitten and having their hair ripped out. Certain staff members also suffered repeated concussions. OSHA said more than 500 incidents of aggression occurred at Fuller Hospital during a seven-month period.

UHS of Delaware Inc. manages the healthcare operations at Fuller Hospital and other facilities owned by its parent, Universal Health Services, which is one of the nations largest behavioral healthcare service providers and owns at least 330 behavioral health facilities nationwide. Fuller Hospital is a 102-bed behavioral health facility that provides acute inpatient hospitalization for adolescents and adults.

The companies have appealed the trial decision to the full Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

OSHA cited UHS-DE and UHS-Fuller for exposing employees to workplace violence hazards in December 2019. The companies contested the citation before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. In July and August 2022, the Boston OSHA office tried the case over two weeks. Employees testified about injuries they suffered, their unsafe working conditions, and inadequate training and staffing.

On Jan. 20, 2023, Review Commission Administrative Law Judge Carol A. Baumerich affirmed OSHAs serious citation and found that the companies operated Fuller Hospital as a single employer. The judge also determined OSHAs proposed abatement measures were feasible and that they would materially reduce the hazard of workplace violence.

These abatement measures included: ensuring that units are adequately staffed to handle behavioral health emergencies; providing employees with personal panic alarms; adequately training new employees; conducting post-incident debriefings and investigations; and providing trained security personnel on all three shifts.

Judge Baumerich also sanctioned both companies for destroying surveillance videos showing workplace violence and sanctioned UHS-DE for failing to comply with its discovery obligations and ordered the companies to pay the department $20,175 in attorneys fees.

In a related legal proceeding, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts previously ordered UHS-Fuller and UHS-DE to pay the department $30,515 in attorneys fees after they failed to comply with an OSHA-issued subpoena for the surveillance videos in this case.

Source: OSHA

Topics Legislation Workers' Compensation Commercial Lines Business Insurance Massachusetts
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  Some residents along the swelling Upper Mississippi River evacuated their homes this week while others scrambled Wednesday to stack sandbags in preparation for what forecasters say could be near-record flooding caused by the rapid melting of a huge snowpack in northern Minnesota.

A small number of people had to leave their homes in Wisconsin as the river kept rising. In the small riverfront community of Buffalo, Iowa, residents  wary of the devastating floods of 2019  were stockpiling sandbags as they braced for flooding this weekend and early next week.

In the city of Campbell, located on an island in the Mississippi and Black rivers near La Crosse, Wisconsin, Fire Chief Nate Melby said some residents had to use canoes to reach their homes. Melby estimated a half-dozen people have decided to evacuate after the rising waters forced emergency workers to cut power and gas to their homes. Emergency officials have not issued mandatory evacuation orders, though, he said.

Were putting up a good fight, Melby said. Were hanging in there.

Amy Werner, who lives on the northern tip of French Island, has been using six pumps to remove river water from a crawl space. Werner said its been a 24-hour- a-day battle, with friends and her parents taking turns monitoring the pumps during the nights.

She estimated the pumps are removing 25,000 to 30,000 gallons of water per hour.

Its pretty stressful, Werner said. Its bubbling up from the ground. Ive been living my life by every hour for about 10 days now, and its not over yet. (But) so far were holding our own.

The Mississippi was expected to be especially high along parts of Wisconsin and to crest Wednesday or early Thursday in La Crosse, a city of about 50,000 people. In Iowa, forecasts predict the river will reach the third-highest level ever recorded when it crests Saturday about 160 miles to the south in Davenport.

About 60 miles (100 kilometers) downriver from La Crosse at Prairie du Chien, the Mississippi was a little more than 6 feet (1.8 meters) above flood stage Wednesday morning. The water was expected to continue rising each day until Saturday, when its expected to crest at just under 25 feet (7 meters). The record high was 25 feet, 3 inches (7.7 meters) in April 1965.

Video footage shot by WKBT-TV on Tuesday showed water at least a foot deep covering city streets and yards.

Crawford County Emergency Management Specialist Marc Myhre said that some families have evacuated and are staying with other family members, but as of Tuesday officials hadnt issued mandatory evacuation orders. A message left at the county emergency management offices on Wednesday morning wasnt immediately returned.

In Iowa, improved floodwalls and other temporary measures should prevent significant problems, but crews were constantly monitoring the river, officials in the cities of Dubuque, Davenport and Burlington said. Forecasts call for only a chance of light showers later in the week.

Crews in Dubuque, a city of about 60,000, had closed 13 of the citys 17 floodgates and started up four permanent pumping stations and three temporary pumps to suck water over the floodwall and back into the river by Wednesday.

Now weve got to get through the next three or four days of rain, but I think we will be in good shape, Dubuque Public Works Director John Klostermann told the Des Moines Register.

Downstream, officials in Davenport and Bettendorf have closed roads near the river, and Davenport workers set up temporary sand-filled barriers to protect downtown. In 2019, barriers failed and allowed water to rush into parts of downtown, but officials said this time the barrier will be much deeper and higher.

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Topics Flood Mississippi Iowa
CLEVELAND (AP)  An eastern Ohio man told investigators that he tried to burn down an Ohio church because he wanted to prevent a drag show that was scheduled to take place there, federal prosecutors allege in newly unsealed charges.

Aimenn Penny, a 20-year-old from Alliance who is a member of a white lives matter group that espouses racist and neo-Nazi views, tried to burn down the Community Church of Chesterland early on March 25, authorities allege in court documents unsealed Monday. Chesterland is a small community east of Cleveland.

According to the criminal complaint, Penny said he tried to burn down the church using Molotov cocktails because he wanted to protect the children and stop the drag show event. He also regretted that it didnt work, authorities said.

The FBI said the church, which was unoccupied at the time, sustained minimal damage and had scorch marks on the front door. According to court documents, investigators found broken glass from a vodka bottle and a beer bottle each containing a cloth-type material, along with a burnt matchstick and a blue plastic spray bottle filled with gasoline.

Penny was arrested March 31 and remains in custody. His attorney, John Greven, has declined to comment on the charges.

Penny is charged with violating the Church Arson Prevention Act, using fire to commit a federal felony, the malicious use of explosive materials and possessing a destructive device. He faces up to 50 years in prison if hes convicted on all counts.

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Topics Ohio Church
DALLAS (AP)  A private company that ran a Texas jail where a woman allegedly went blind following days of medical neglect before her 2019 death has agreed to a $7 million lawsuit settlement along with other defendants, her familys attorney said Thursday.

The payout over Holly Barlow-Austins death after being held at an East Texas jail operated by LaSalle Corrections is among the largest public settlements of its kind, attorney Erik Heipt said in a statement. Her death was one in a string of other deaths and incidents that led to lawsuits and investigations of the company, which runs facilities where thousands of people are incarcerated.

If youre going to cut corners and put profits over peoples lives, there will be a steep price to pay, said Heipt, a Seattle-based lawyer who represents Barlow-Austins husband and mother. He said the payout should serve as a wake- up call to all private jail and prison operators.

The familys federal lawsuit was resolved ahead of a trial after more than two years of litigation. They had claimed that LaSalle guards and medical staff at the Texarkana jail ignored obvious signs of Barlow-Austins worsening health, falsified records, deprived the 46-year-old of food and water and only took her to the hospital after it was too late.

They sued LaSalle along with Bowie County and several guards and medical staff at the Bi-State Jail. Court records do not show details of the agreement, including what share of the settlement was paid by which of the defendants. Heipt said the specific terms were confidential.

Lawyers for LaSalle  which runs facilities in Texas, Louisiana and Georgia  and Bowie County did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The county sheriffs office took over management of the jail in 2021, after a decade of LaSalle running it.

In April 2019, Barlow-Austin was arrested for a parole violation by police in Texarkana, a city that straddles Texas northeastern border with Arkansas.

She arrived at the jail with serious health conditions, including HIV, but normal vital signs and full mobility, according to the suit. It said she left the facility blind, emaciated, and barely able to move.

Over a period of days guards and medical staff didnt check on her or, when they did, ignored her calls for help and water, according to the suit. It also says staff falsified observation logs  something state inspectors found they had done in another case that was settled.

The family of Michael Sabbie reached an undisclosed settlement with LaSalle two months before Barlow-Austin died in a hospital. They alleged in a lawsuit that company employees at the same jail deprived him of medications and treatment for his heart disease and diabetes.

In 2017, LaSalle also agreed to a settlement when a severely diabetic woman died after a nurse at the jail refused medical treatment. The former nurse subsequently pleaded guilty to misdemeanor negligent homicide.

In a statement Thursday, Barlow-Austins mother and husband, Mary Margaret Mathis and Michael Glenn Austin, said they hope the settlement in their case will save some lives in the future.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Texas
A restoration contractor that helped finance an effort by McClenny Moseley & Associates to file thousands of hurricane-damage claims in Louisiana wants its $3 million investment back.

Access Restoration Services US filed a lawsuit in a Texas state court in Houston that accuses MMA and founding partner John Zachary Moseley of selling unregistered securities. The suit says Moseley promised a 429% return on its investment in nine months. ARS says it wired $3 million to MMA in December 2021, but hasnt received any of that money back.

Upon information and belief, MMA is not registered to sell securities in the state of Texas, the complaint says. Nevertheless, MMA and Moseley solicited and obtained the investment agreement from plaintiff. Said investment agreement constitutes a security, and upon information and belief MMA did not register such security, in violation of the Texas Securities Act.

The lawsuit, filed April 21 in Harris County District Court, is the latest in a series of legal actions taken against MMA. A Louisiana Circuit Court judge and US District Court judges in Lake Charles and New Orleans have barred the law firm from prosecuting any of the hundreds of lawsuits its lawyers have filed against insurers. The Louisiana Supreme Court has also suspended the law license of MMAs managing attorney in Louisiana, William R. Huye III.

During hearings before District Court judges, MMA lawyers revealed that they had paid Velawcity, an Arizona-based legal services marketing firm, $13.9 million for pre-screened client leads. The law firm filed lawsuits on behalf of clients who had already hired other attorneys, forcing federal judges to sort out who actually represented the claimants.

Insurance defense attorney Steve Badger, a partner with the Zelle law firm in Dallas, posted a copy of the ARS lawsuit on his LinkedIn page Wednesday.

Despite being MMAs investment partner, ARS is also retained by MMA as an expert witness in litigated matters, Badger said in his LinkedIn post. While this investment scheme was apparently going on, in January 2022, I deposed the ARS VP of global operations, Nathan Normoyle, in a MMA hail damage claim. And, no, he didnt disclose this relationship to me.

Badger said that in February 2022, the owners of ARS formed a Texas company called Global Estimating Services, which apparently existed for the primary purpose of writing estimates in MMAs Louisiana hurricane cases.

So, from this new lawsuit and public records, it appears that not only was GES writing estimates in MMAs Louisiana hurricane matters, the owners of GES, through their related company ARS, may have also invested in and had a financial interest in the outcome of MMAs Louisiana hurricane matters, Badger wrote.

Online records maintained by the Texas Secretary of States office confirm that Giuseppe Gagliano and Gagliano Domenico of Toronto, Canada are listed as managers for both ARS and Global Estimating Services. The two companies list the same address in Conroe, Texas.

ARSs lawsuit against MMA says the company agreed to loan the law firm $3 million to finance litigation over Hurricane Ida damage. Moseley said the investment would bring 1,000 new clients, or $3,000 per client. Moseley projected $33,000 in attorney fees and promised to pay ARS 15% of those fees, or $4,950 per client.

According to the lawsuit, Moseley went on to say that his law firm had been an average attorney fee recovery of $85,000, which if it continued would net a $12,870 payout to the lenders. That worked out to a 429% return in nine months, or an annual return of 572%.

Moseleys solicitation and the agreement further represented to plaintiff that MMA used very conservative modeling projections in order to show that even if MMA wasnt able to recoup half of average settlement value, lenders returns would still be over 50% on an annualized basis, the suit says.

The lawsuit also says MMA promised to give the lenders access to a portal where they could track the status of the hurricane lawsuits. ARS says it had access only briefly, until it inexplicably became inaccessible.

During hearings before district court judges, Huye admitted 856 instances where his firm told insurers it represented property owners, but actually represented Apex Roofing and Restoration.

MMA did file thousands of hurricane lawsuits in Louisiana, before US District Judge James Cain Jr. in Lake Charles learned about the mass filings and conducted an interrogation that ultimately stopped the law firms Louisiana litigation in its tracks.

Other US District Court judges followed up with their own inquiries. The law firm admitted that it told insurers it represented homeowners when it actually was representing Apex, an Alabama-based restoration contractor.

In a March 16 order, Chief Magistrate Judge Michael B. North in New Orleans said MMA had engaged in a pattern of misconduct never before seen here.

The record in these cases establishes that they have undertaken a brazen, multi-faceted campaign to enrich themselves with ill-gotten contingency fees paid to them by unwitting insurance companies ostensibly on behalf of named insureds that they and their firm did not represent, Norths order says.

ARS in its lawsuit, seeks the return of the $3 million that it loaned MMA to fund those lawsuits. The company also asks for punitive damages for violations of the Texas Securities Act, prejudgment and post-judgment interest and attorney fees.

New Orleans insurance defense attorney Matthew Monson, who was among the first to call attention to MMAs mass court filings, posted this missive in reaction to the ARS lawsuit: Would you admit to investing in an illegal scheme? Yes, if you want your $3 million back, Monson said.

Topics Lawsuits Catastrophe Natural Disasters Louisiana Hurricane
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Los Angeles will pay $38 million to settle a lawsuit over the death of two people who were electrocuted by a power line that fell into their backyard.

The Department of Water and Powers Board of Commissioners last month agreed to settle a suit over the January 2021 deaths of Ferdinand Tejada, 53, and his 20- year-old daughter, Janina Tejada. They died after coming into contact with a high-voltage electrical wire that fell into the backyard of their home in the Panorama City neighborhood.

The lawsuit by two family members said the city failed to properly maintain its power equipment.

Tejedas wife, Julleth Tejada, said she witnessed the deaths of her husband and daughter. Estrelita Madrigal, Janina Tejadas grandmother, heard the explosion, smelled the smoke and fire, heard the screams and the yelling, and was aware that her granddaughter was being electrocuted, according to the lawsuit as cited by the Los Angeles Times.

In a statement Monday, the DWP said it failed to properly inspect and repair the equipment and has fully overhauled its procedures.

The loss their loved ones have experienced is unfathomable, the statement said. While nothing we do can bring them back, serious failures contributed to this tragedy, and we have committed to reform and major improvement to LADWPs pole inspection and maintenance program.

The agency said it has repaired or replaced equipment on about half of some 1,600 power poles that are considered to pose a threat to public safety, and it expects to finish temporary or permanent repairs to the others within three weeks.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  A trial connected to a $1.6 billion class action lawsuit against utility PacifiCorp over the catastrophic Labor Day 2020 wildfires in Oregon started Tuesday in Portland.

The fires in 2020 killed nine people, burned more than 1,875 square miles (4,856 square kilometers) in Oregon and destroyed upward of 5,000 homes and structures.

PacifiCorp is the primary defendant in litigation stemming from the fires, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

The Portland-based utility, Oregons second largest, didnt shut off power to its 600,000 customers during the windstorm. Its lines have been implicated in multiple blazes, one of which started in its California service territory and burned into Oregon.

Jurors in the Multnomah County trial will determine PacifiCorps responsibility, if any, in four of those blazes: the Santiam Canyon fires east of Salem; the Echo Mountain Complex near Lincoln City; the South Obenchain fire near Eagle Point; and the Two Four Two fire near the southwest Oregon town of Chiloquin.

The lawsuit no matter the outcome is likely to reshape the way Oregons electric utilities respond to increasing wildfire risks amid climate change, consistent drought conditions and a spike in the average number of acres burned annually.

Nicholas Rosinia, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, asked jurors to hold PacifiCorp accountable for its failure to shut off power on Labor Day 2020.

These fires were predictable and preventable and devastated the lives of thousands of Oregonians, Rosinia told jurors. They had the knowledge, they understood, and they chose to do nothing.

Doug Dixon, an attorney representing PacifiCorp, disputed that the utilitys lines caused three of the four fires and most of the resulting damage. He told jurors that PacifiCorp had been on high alert and acted similarly to most other utilities that did not proactively cut power.

This case is about reasonable precautions that PacifiCorp takes to provide safe, reasonably priced power, he said. PacifiCorp has and will continue to take its role very seriously.

Rosinia on Tuesday told jurors that before that Labor Day, PacifiCorp had been repeatedly warned by state regulators for deficient tree-trimming and vegetation management around its power lines, The utilitys employees were also told that increasingly alarming forecasts about the coming Labor Day windstorm and extreme fire danger had come from the National Weather Service days before the fires as well as a dire warning from the utilitys own contract meteorologist, he said.

Fires ignited in PacifiCorps Washington state service territory hours before the windstorm pushed south into Oregon, also providing ample warning of what was to come, Rosinia said.

At some point, Rosinia told jurors, a power shutoff was the only option left to the utility to prevent ignitions. But he said PacifiCorp never seriously considered it, even as employees in its Portland headquarters were receiving reports of fires burning under its power lines around the state.

Dixon, in his opening statements, said the plaintiffs were trying to blame PacifiCorp with an overly simplified, hindsight version of what happened  without context about the realities of climate change and the role that forest management has in causing and preventing wildfires.

Far from being unprepared, PacifiCorp was the first in the Pacific Northwest to develop a wildfire preparedness plan, he told jurors. PacifiCorp was the first utility to identify areas in its service territory at high risk of wildfires and roll out a plan for public safety-related power shutoffs in those areas. It also boosted spending on tree-pruning in the two years before the fire, he said.

No utility (in Oregon) had ever initiated a public-safety power shutoff before September 2020. It is truly a measure of last resort that comes with its own risks to public safety, he told jurors. A public safety power shutoff is like a sledgehammer when what utilities really need is a scalpel, he said.

Dixon said PacifiCorp employees were on high alert, but that its own forecasts showed relatively benign winds in its service territory. He said only two utilities either proactively shut off the power or left it off after the windstorm triggered a blackout in the Santiam Canyon.

PacifiCorp intends to challenge whether its power lines and the fires they ignited in the Santiam Canyon caused property damage to most of the plaintiffs in the class action suit. It blamed those damages on a lightning-caused blaze miles away that was whipped into a major conflagration amid the Labor Day winds. Dixon acknowledged that power lines did cause a one fire. But he said the company will show there is no way it could have spread beyond a very contained area.

The trial will determine PacifiCorps liability and any actual property damages for 17 named plaintiffs, each of whom is also seeking $3 million in non-economic damages for emotional distress and suffering. The liability finding, if any, would then apply to a larger class of about 2,400 people who had property damaged in the fires.

The trial is expected to last at least six weeks.

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Campaigners say they are cautiously optimistic that their message has landed with global drinks group Pernod-Ricard set to halt exports of Jameson whiskey to Russia following a public backlash.

Activists, led by Ukrainian Action Ireland, staged a demonstration outside the Dublin headquarters of Irish Distillers and parent company Pernod-Ricard on Thursday, protesting a decision by the company to resume exports of Jameson to Russia.

As Pernod-Ricard now looks set to halt exports of Jameson to Russia on the back of public pressure, co-founder of Ukrainian Action Ireland Anatoliy Prymakov said it was encouraging to see a brand listening to public opinion.

We dont really want to get into confrontational relationships with any brand, we just want to highlight to them that this is a bad decision, and the public feel that its a bad decision  and they do, weve received a lot of contact from a lot of people saying that its a bad decision and they dont support it, he said.

It looks like the message has landed. We will of course wait for the official confirmation, but it is good to see that they seem to understand the public opinion and they seem to be listening to the public opinion, he added.

Mr Prymakov said it would reflect badly on Ireland to continue to do business with Russia, as even just last night Russian missiles levelled a residential building in Ukraine, killing at least six people.

Its an ongoing issue, the fact that we have to constantly explain to certain businesses who are understandably reluctant to give up the profits they might be getting from trading in Russia.

"But we do have to remind them how badly that looks on them, and the effect that its having, because at the end of the day doing business in Russia, they will pay taxes in Russia, and that goes towards sponsoring the conflict, he said.

Ukrainian Action Irelands campaign was sparked by the fact Pernod-Ricard had quietly rowed back on an announcement in March of last year that it was halting all exports to Russia in light of the invasion of Ukraine.

By September 2022, the company amended its public statement in support of Ukraine to remove any mention of suspending exports, and many drinks brands are currently listed on Pernod-Ricards website as being available in Russia, including Irish-made Jameson whiskey.

In a statement on Thursday evening, the company said they were working hard to find the best way to stop the export of their brands to Russia, while ensuring the welfare and safety of their team.

Our commitment to protect our colleagues in the region has been the guiding principle of the difficult choices we have made, and we continue to work hard to find the best solution to this difficult dilemma. We will be providing updates as appropriate, the statement read.

Irish companies which have cut ties with Russia Professional services firm Accenture announced in March of last year it was discontinuing all business in Russia;

Food ingredients giant Kerry Group also announced it would be suspending operations in Russia and Belarus, after a number of weeks of scaling back its activities in the two countries, putting various businesses in the two countries up for sale or divesting them to local management;

Cork-headquartered Johnson Controls, an international provider of building technologies and services, announced in March last year that apart from fulfilling existing contractual obligations it was suspending its business in Russia and would not accept new orders;

Aircraft leasing giant AerCap announced it was ceasing leasing activity with Russian airlines and lost 113 planes when Russian authorities seized the aircraft in response to sanctions;

Building materials company CRH announced in March it was ceasing operations in Russia and withdrawing from the market but said its operations there were "infinitesimally small";

Insulation firm Kingspan sold its Russian operations to local management;

Dublin-headquartered games company Playrix said it was shutting down all operations in Russia and Belarus and relocating staff to other countries;

Packaging firm Smurfit Kappa sold its operations in Russia to local management taking a 128m financial hit from the move;

Trane Technologies said it was suspending all business activities indefinitely and exiting Russia.
Delivery giant UPS has called for the measure which caps night flight movements at Dublin Airport to be replaced as it claims it impacts Irelands competitiveness.

The US multinational has lobbied the Government to replace condition 5 of the north runway which imposes a limit of 65 flights across the airfield between 11pm and 7am.

UPS said it wanted to highlight the importance of protecting cargo night flights including how it supports economic growth and keeping Irish businesses competitive in a 24-hour global economy.

UPS representatives spoke virtually about the matter with Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveneys department earlier this year and called for condition 5 to be replaced with a noise quota system.

Dublin Airport and the daa have previously called for condition 5 to be amended, claiming it hits Irelands economic recovery post-covid and post-Brexit.

The airport said, in 2019, it was averaging over 100 aircraft movements between 11pm and 7am.

It proposed that, instead of a night flight cap across the airport, the north runway only be used from 6am to midnight, rather than 7am to 11pm. It also suggested a noise quota count system from 11.30pm to 6am.

We can confirm that we are supporting the airports proposals. Discussions are ongoing so we will not be able to speak in more detail, said a UPS spokesperson.

Healthcare logistics facility

During its meeting with the Government, UPS also discussed its investment in a healthcare logistics facility in Ireland which is expected to open in Q4.

The planned UPS facility in Dublin is anticipated to create 30 jobs initially.

Around 80% of pharmaceutical drugs in the EU require cold-chain logistical support and temperature-controlled transportation.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment did not comment immediately when asked if it is considering replacing condition 5 following its meeting with UPS.
There is "no incentive" for farmers to finish cattle earlier given how stagnant beef prices have remained over the last number of months, a farm organisation has said.

A collection of the latest news, views and analysis from the farming desk on the topic of Beef and Sheep.

Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association beef chairman Edmund Graham has said that back in mid-December, farmers were getting 5.10 per kg for heifers and 5 per kg for steers.

Mr Graham said there has been not "nearly enough upwards movement" seen since then, "and certainly not enough to have finished cattle earlier over the winter months".

"Throughput numbers are down on where they were this time last year and many factories have cut back to a four-day week - but market demand for beef remains strong," Mr Graham said.

"This should add up to farmers achieving a fairer price but that is not what we are seeing.

"Cattle prices have been languishing around the 5.20 to 5.30 for months now despite repeated assurances that prices would increase significantly in early spring to offset inflated winter-feeding costs."

'Badly stung'

Conservative estimates by Teagasc said prices would have needed to be at the 6 per kg level by early spring to cover the basic costs of production, Mr Graham noted, "but we havent come even close to that".

"It is, therefore, reasonable to conclude that any extra money spent on trying to finish cattle earlier would have been money down the drain," he added.

If farmers had taken the decision last September to invest in finishing cattle earlier for the springtime, they would have been "badly stung", Mr Graham said.

"Finishing cattle earlier is not cost neutral - it costs money," he continued.

"It is an investment to commit to additional feeding and its a bad investment if farmers cannot achieve the price they need to justify the outlay.

"It is time for factories and the department to engage in a real debate with primary producers on how they are going to provide sustainable prices for winter finishers or any farmer considering finishing cattle earlier.

"Environmental sustainability cannot be achieved by ignoring economic sustainability considerations."
The delay in getting approval for a new forestry programme "has taken its toll on the sector", according to the Irish Farmers' Association, "as farmers that do not hold technical approval cannot apply to plant".

Ireland's Forestry Programme 2023 to 2027 has been formally submitted to the European Commission for state aid approval, "but the waiting game continues", IFA national farm forestry chairman Jason Fleming said this week.

"Farmers that want to plant and avail of the new grants and premiums cannot make an application at present and will continue to be excluded from planting until state aid approval has been granted," Mr Fleming said.

"The programme needs to be opened as a matter of urgency.

"The negotiations that have taken place between the Department of Agriculture and the commission over the last number of months before the application was formally submitted will hopefully mean that approval of the programme will progress speedily."

Interim scheme

The Interim Afforestation Scheme (via general de minimis) is open but only to farmers that hold a valid technical approval as of December 31, 2022, who had not commenced work on planting.

According to the department, over 1,500 hectares have been approved under the interim scheme, with almost 600 hectares newly established.

"The level of planting taking place under the interim scheme is encouraging but we need the programme to be approved without delay and the afforestation scheme to be open to all farmers," Mr Fleming added.

New programme concerns

In November 2022, funding in excess of 1.3bn was announced for the new forestry programme.

The funding package saw premium rates for farmers increase by between 46% to 66% depending on the forest type established, and the duration of the premium payment extended to 20 years.

Other stakeholders in Ireland's forest sector have expressed concerns about plans for tree planting under the new programme.

The programme envisages large areas of native woodland and Irelands forest sector wants to ensure there is the right amount of commercial tree species in the mix.

Industry experts have stated that "if we dont get our act together on tree planting, we will destroy this industry down the road", and that "all the investment and successful businesses will go into decline for lack of wood in the future".

John Murray who chairs the Irish Timber Council said that it is disappointing to see the afforestation figures dropping from the highs of 20,000 hectares per annum in the 1990s to the lows of 2,000 hectares per annum presently.

"Timber is the only structural product used in a building that isnt mined from the ground and Irish timber is fully renewable as it comes from new-growth forests," Mr Murray said.

"Our afforestation figures should be on an upward trajectory to combat climate change rather than being the worst since the Second World War which is a sad and startling fact.

"Our industry is based on all the good work of previous generations driving planting programmes to enable Ireland to have a sawmill sector of international scale, however, future growth is now in jeopardy due to the low afforestation figures."

Backbone

Mark McAuley, Ibecs director of Forest Industries Ireland added that mixed commercial forests "are the backbone of the Irish forestry model".

"It is through commercial forestry that we have reached 12% forest cover in Ireland and a 300m tonne carbon sink," Mr McAuley said.

"We need to keep the conifer-broadleaf balance right or we risk undermining the economic rationale of forestry and severely limiting total afforestation.

"We dont want forestry to become a small niche activity from where it stands right now which is a 2.3bn industry employing 12,000 in rural areas."
It may have been his honeymoon, but William Walls love affair with Italy got off to a less-than-romantic start.

It was 1979 and we picked the cheapest Joe Walsh tour that we could find, which was to a place called Hotel Alaska, in Rimini. We arrived at two o'clock in the morning to find that the hotel had overbooked and there was only one room available and it had bunk beds. And so the first three nights of our honeymoon was spent in bunk beds, he laughs.

It would be another while before Wall and his wife Liz would return, as children and a busy life back home in Cork, including his job as a teacher, intervened but the couple indulged their passion for all things Italian at a distance, including learning the language.

The authors love for Italy imbues his latest novel, Empty Bed Blues, with a wonderful sense of place. It is set in the fishing village of Camogli, near Genoa, a part of the country that is close to Walls heart. When her husband dies unexpectedly, Kate, an Irish academic, discovers not only that he has amassed a pile of debt, but that he has also acquired a secret love nest in Camogli. When his mistress returns the keys, an overwhelmed Kate takes the opportunity to escape there.

Wall says he was inspired to write the book by the events of the 2008 crash.

I started thinking about the problem of debt  the national debt, personal debt, and so on. I thought the best way to write about debt is to personalise it. Situating it in Italy was natural to me, because I spend a lot of time there. I was trying to think of a place where you could go, where you could disappear, at least for a time, because I dont think she can ultimately escape her debts.

Writing from the point of view of a woman came easily to Wall. He grew up in a farming family in Whitegate, Co Cork, where he was surrounded by women who could spin a good yarn.

It came reasonably naturally to me because I don't specifically think of Kate as a woman, I think of her as a person. My wife Liz is my first reader and shes a really acute editor as well. She puts me straight  she would often say, I would never think that. My mother, my aunt, my grandmother were all storytellers, and I often hear that kind of female voice in my head when I want to think about female characters. I can hear them speaking quite clearly at times. I also think were not aliens to each other, men and women. Ive lived with a woman for nearly 50 years at this stage. If I hadn't learned something along the way, I'd not only be a very poor writer, Id be a very poor human being.

'HOW CHANGED IRELAND WOULD BE'

The other main character in the book is Kates new neighbour, Anna, a communist, and former resistance fighter.

The Italian Communist Party was very interesting, it was the biggest Communist party outside of Russia. It wasnt Stalinist, it wasn't Maoist, it kind of ran along a different line. The last great leader of the party, Enrico Berlinguer, invented the term Eurocommunism, which is ill-defined but basically means that the people should have control of the major utilities such as electricity, transport, water, health, and education. If we just stopped at that point and said no more, how changed Ireland would be, he says.

Empty Bed Blues was initially published in Italy as La Ballata Del Letto Vuoto and the book struck a profoundly personal chord with many readers there, says Wall.

It is fascinating, I did about 20 different festivals and readings  presentations as theyre called in Italy. And at several of them, people came up to me afterwards to talk about how their family members were in the resistance.

In Empty Bed Blues, Wall also draws on the huge affinity Italians have with one of our greatest writers, James Joyce. Kate is a Joyce scholar who is similarly in exile. Walls stint as writer-in-residence in the Italian city of Trieste, Joyces former home, came in handy when he was seeking inspiration.

I was fishing around in my head for an occupation for Kate and suddenly it occurred to me, I had met all these Joyce scholars and had become friends with several of them. The Italians are crazy about Joyce. Every major city in Italy has a Bloomsday reading of Ulysses in Italian  I have even taken part in the one in Genoa. They love it. They also love the fact that he spoke in the Triestine dialect.

Wall has sustained a prolific writing career for many years, winning several awards and being long-listed for the Booker Prize. Navigating the world of publishing is now a different prospect to when he began, he says, with a lot more writers competing for attention.

There are far more women writers now and far more minorities  and Im glad that has happened. But I think what makes things most difficult for somebody like me is the emphasis on youth. It's something you dont have in other countries like Italy, for example. They're happy to find a new young writer and theyre just as happy to find a writer of my age. But publishers are constantly out looking for the next big thing. The problem with that is that those writers will hopefully continue to write to my age.

Empty Bed Blues by William Wall

Wall is also an accomplished poet and had the distinction of being Corks first poet laureate in 2021.

It was an enormous honour, I was blown away by it. As an experience, it was amazing. I had to write a poem a month  I had written [the poetry collection] Smugglers in the Underground Hug Trade which was about the first year of the lockdown, 2020, and I thought, yeah, I can do that no problem, something was bound to happen every month that would be interesting. And then it was a year in which almost nothing of interest happened. The role was a one-off but Wall says he would love to see it being a more long-term proposition.

I wish it did happen every year. There are so many fantastic writers in Cork, the city and the county, who could do that role. It could be really good for the city. They could alternate it, have a writer in residence one year, an artist in residence the next, a musician in residence, and so on.

If an actor in residence was required, Wall could put in a good word for one of his former students, and one of Corks most famous sons, the actor Cillian Murphy. In his previous life as an English teacher in Presentation College, Cork, Wall encouraged Murphy to pursue drama after his talent shone through in a school play.

The star is also passionate about literature, as evidenced by his championing of Claire Keegans acclaimed book Small Things Like These, a screen adaptation of which he is currently filming in Co Wexford.

I wrote to him recently because I visited a secondary school in Genoa not so long ago and the last question of the day came from a group of girls at the back of the lecture theatre. They said when we researched you, we discovered you knew Cillian Murphy, is it true?. They almost fainted at the thought that I knew him well and that we were still friends.
Dealing with volatile tempers is part of the daily routine for employees like Claire*.

Im a nurse and I used to have a colleague who was a senior doctor, she says. Emotions can run high in our line of work and when he was under stress, hed become aggressive in his demeanour.

Hed start shouting and throwing medical instruments at me and others. I couldnt walk out as I was the patients advocate in that situation, so I just put up and shut up.

This doctor wasnt the only one who took his frustrations out on her. I dont work with him anymore, but I still deal with irate patients and their family members, says Claire. And being shouted at isnt the worst of it. I have colleagues who have been physically assaulted. One even had to give up work because she was so badly injured.

Today is Workplace Wellness Day, but there are lots of people who arent safe in their place of work. A recent survey by the filling station operator Circle K interviewed 380 employees and 500 others from the broader retail sector and found that 83% had experienced some form of abuse from customers.

Like Claire, staff in the health sector can also come under attack. According to figures released by the HSE in January, there were 50,050 assaults on staff in the past five years, including 39,587 physical assaults, 274 sexual assaults and 10,189 verbal ones.

Claire thinks things have become worse since the pandemic. People are much more impatient, she says. Maybe theres still pent-up anger because of covid and its coming out as aggression. So many people seem to be spoiling for a fight.

Coping strategies

Your workplace may not be as fraught as Claires but there are techniques we can all use when dealing with conflict at work. There are steps we can follow to stay safe while dealing with stressed colleagues or angry customers.

Niamh Fitzpatrick is the organisation and workplace sector lead for the Mediators Institute of Ireland. When emotions escalate, she advises hitting the pause button, if possible. When a row of any kind erupts, people tend to meet like with like, she says. If one person raises their voice, the other person does too. If one uses aggressive body language, the other mirrors that language and the situation can quickly get out of hand. Stepping back allows us to stop, think, and control our reactions to whats happening.

We have no power over what the other person does, she says. Our only power is over our own role within the conflict.

The next step to consider is to engage in active listening. Ms Fitzpatrick gives the example of a customer who is furious because she discovered a dress she had bought to wear to her brothers wedding had a tear in it. Active listening involves empathising without taking blame, she says.

Its about reflecting that you have heard what the other person has said. That dress had a tear so you couldnt wear it to your brothers wedding  that must have been so disappointing for you. Hearing those words should make that customer feel understood, which should calm [the person] down and de-escalate the situation.

Asserting boundaries

Daniel Manning formerly worked in the Irish Naval Service and is now a consultant to whatifsafety.com, a personal safety and awareness programme designed to prepare people for the everyday conflict they might encounter in the workplace.

When people find themselves in difficult situations, they tend to either freeze or panic, neither of which is helpful, says Mr Manning. Our programme involves teaching people strategies they can follow in those situations and role-playing them so that they feel more confident and empowered the next time they experience conflict.

He suggests a simple strategy for dealing with a client or customer who is verbally abusive. The trick is not to get emotional. These people dont know you, so you shouldnt take their behaviour personally. Remembering that should help you to stay calm in the moment.

If a colleague is shouting or using derogatory language, he recommends asserting boundaries. Tell them that you wont be spoken to like that and ask them to please stop, says Mr Manning. If they continue, tell them that you wont respond while they are shouting at you and suggest that you revisit the situation when youre both calm. Try to remain in control of your emotions as roaring back at someone will only make the situation worse.

Another of the strategies he teaches is one he calls LEAP.

L stands for listening and hearing what the other person has to say, he says. E is for empathising and letting the other person know that you have heard them, perhaps nodding your head and saying that you understand that they are frustrated. A is for asking questions and drawing out more information. Often, once the person has the chance to tell you their story, they will de-escalate themselves and start to feel and behave more calmly. Finally, P is for paraphrasing, where you repeat what they have said back to them, and they feel reassured that they have been heard.

Learning from experience

Because we are imperfect humans, we dont always remember to use such strategies in the heat of the moment. Instead of reacting calmly when confronted with conflict, our defences can go up and the situation can spin out of control, with everyone involved losing their tempers.

If this happens, Ms Fitzpatrick urges you to learn from the experience. Go back over it in your head, she says. Ask yourself how you behaved, how you felt and how you reacted. If youre satisfied with yourself, fair enough. But if your behaviour had a negative outcome, ask yourself if you have the ability to do something differently next time to alter that outcome.

You may realise that your actions hurt the other persons feelings. If so, acknowledging that could help both of you reconcile and move on. I dont necessarily advise people to apologise as apologies are so personal, says Ms Fitzpatrick. Some people say sorry, and others dont. Some people accept apologies, and others dont. They prefer to draw a line and move on. But acknowledging wrongdoing and recognising that your actions had an impact on the other person can be a pivotal moment. When people feel seen and heard, it can change the course of the conversation.

Claire recently attended one of Mr Mannings programmes and as a result, has adopted a different approach to dealing with conflict in her place of work. That doctor affected me more than I realised, knocking my self-esteem, she says. In hindsight, if Id spoken to him afterwards and empathised by telling him that I understood he was under pressure but asserted myself by saying that I didnt like how he had spoken to me, it could have made a difference. At least I now have the confidence and tools to deal with such situations if I ever come across them again.

*Name has been changed
The National Union of Journalists has criticised Tanaiste Micheal Martins statements about news website The Ditch, characterising the comments as not acceptable.

During Leaders Questions on Thursday, Mr Martin said he considered the website to be a political organisation attacking Government.

It follows the publication of articles relating to Minister of State Niall Collins attendance at a meeting where the sale of county council land ultimately purchased by his wife was discussed.

This is a political organisation attacking Government and wanting to undermine confidence in Government, Mr Martin said.

I see this now through a totally different prism how all of this has been organised, set up by people who are very clear in their campaign against me and my party.

I was extremely disappointed to see Dail privilege used by the Tanaiste to attack a news website in this way. It is an unwelcome and unedifying departure from normal parliamentary procedure

NUJ Irish secretary Seamus Dooley said the comments were an unwelcome and unedifying departure.

I was extremely disappointed to see Dail privilege used by the Tanaiste to attack a news website in this way.

It is an unwelcome and unedifying departure from normal parliamentary procedure.

It is inevitable that there will be profound disagreements between those who exercise power and those who seek to hold them to account.

Journalists who criticise or challenge public figures can expect criticism.

Media organisations, across all platforms, are not above scrutiny and are capable of responding robustly to criticism.

Journalists and publishers understand the tension that exists in a democracy between the media and government.

A diverse, challenging media is important and in Ireland we are fortunate in having a range of media across all platforms.

No media organisation has a monopoly on concern for transparency or accountability.

It is not acceptable for politicians to make criticism under Dail privilege against named individuals.

The media operates within the constraints of extremely restrictive defamation laws.

Politicians who wish to challenge the accuracy, efficacy or bona fides of any journalist or media organisation should do so within the same constraints and without the protection of Oireachtas privilege.

A spokesman for The Ditch said Mr Martin had launched a hysterical, paranoid attack on the website rather than addressing the reporting on Mr Collins.

Martin questioned both these outlets judgment, as well as all the readers who consider our stories to be in the public interest.

The spokesman said its reporting had led to resignations of senior public figures.

These consequences explain Martins conspiracism in the Dail today.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence has expressed sympathies to the family of an Irishman killed in Ukraine.

Finbar Cafferky, from Achill Island, Co Mayo, was a military volunteer with previous combat experience in Syria where he assisted Kurdish militia in their battle against ISIS.

He recently travelled to Ukraine to assist local forces there.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin said: My deepest sympathies to the Cafferky family on the sad passing of Finbar.

He obviously was a young man of clear principles.

Our thoughts and our prayers are with the family today.

I think the family have asked for privacy, Im not going to comment any further on it at this particular time. Ill allow the family space to grieve what is a very, very sad loss for them.

Reports of Finbars death were confirmed by his father, Tom, at the family home in Cashel, Achill, yesterday afternoon.

Mr Cafferkey declined to elaborate on the circumstances of his sons passing or offer any further comment.

We are grievingits a private matter. I dont want to say anything further, he stated.

Achill Island, where the Cafferkey family is well-liked and respected, has been numbed with grief since news came through of the tragic passing.

One local person said: We heard reports yesterday (Wednesday) that Finbar had been killed but we were hoping against hope that the information was untrue.

Now that his death has been confirmed we are absolutely devastated.

Others on Achill Island spoke of Finbars commitment to humanitarian and environmental causes.

He took part in the Shell to Sea protests against the Corrib Gas project and, in later years, worked in Copenhagen on a construction project.

Finbar was a man of principle, a further islander recalled.

I know that about eight years ago he worked on the border between Greece and Macedonia assisting migrants coming off dinghies.

It came as a bit of surprise when we learned from newspaper reports that he had been fighting in Syria.

"Nobody around here, except perhaps his family, knew he was in Ukraine.

I know that relatives have been concerned for his safety over the years. His family have been particularly worried.

The dead mans parents, Tom and Celine, are being comforted by close relatives and neighbours.

Tom is a former publican, who now works as an auctioneer.
Joe Biden appeared to forget his recent trip to Ireland when questioned by a group of children.

The US President hosted a 'Take Your Child to Work' event at the White House and despite being here just two weeks ago, President Biden needed reminding when asked which country he visited last.

Biden said he had met 89 heads of state so far.

"I'm trying to think what was the last place I was, it's hard to keep track," the US president said, before one of the children reminded him of his Irish trip earlier this month.

"Yea, you're right, Ireland, that's where it was," he said.

President Joe Biden speaks to the children who gathered on the grounds of the White House. Picture: AP Photo/Evan Vucci

President Biden leaped fully into the event, taking questions from inquisitive kids at the mock news conference where some revelations emerged: Chocolate chip ice cream is his favourite and Top Gun Maverick is his preferred movie.

Biden, 80, sporting his signature aviator sunglasses ("Ray Bans," he said), was escorted onto the South Lawn by several pint-sized "Secret Service agents" also sporting aviators.

President Joe Biden was escorted by special 'Secret Service Agents'. Picture: AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Awaiting him were dozens of children who joined their parents for what has been an annual event at the White House.

Over the next half hour he proceeded to take more questions from the children than he has from the regular White House press corps in weeks.

Who served as his biggest inspiration? His mother and father.

How many guards are in the White House? Unsure.

Favourite colour? Blue.

What did he have for breakfast? A croissant with scrambled eggs and bacon.

President Joe Biden listens as a child speaks at 'Take Your Child to Work Day' in Washington DC. Picture: AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Biden played as if he had to get back to work a few times but was easily persuaded to stick around for more questions.

He managed to pitch to the crowd of children, most of them offspring of the White House press corps and staff, on why he would like to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans.

- Additional reporting by Reuters
The Russian Embassy in Dublin has warned that Ireland will suffer all consequences if Irish citizens are encouraged to fight in Ukraine.

The same will happen if Russia considers Ireland a direct participant in the war between Russia and Ukraine, according to a statement from the embassy posted on a social media site.

Former minister of foreign affairs Charlie Flanagan has now called for Russian Ambassador Yuriy Filatov and his staff to be expelled from the country, describing the statement as threatening, intimidating, and chilling.

These hostile remarks are unacceptable, he said in a tweet. Beyond time Ambassador Filatov and his crew were asked to leave our country.

In the statement purportedly from the embassy, Tanaiste Micheal Martin is attacked for describing Finbar Cafferky, who died fighting Russians in Ukraine, as a man of principles.

The Achill Island man is reported to have been a military volunteer in the eastern part of the country and to have been killed near Bakhmut.

The embassy says: We have noted that on April 28, (the) Tanaiste expressed his sympathies to the family of Finbar Cafferkey. Mr Martin called him obviously a young man of clear principles.

We do not know what his principles were. What we do know, though, is that in a very big way it is the Irish Government and media who bear responsibility for the death of Finbar Cafferkey.

The statement also claims the Government and media have been misleading people like Finbar Cafferkey.

It adds: We do not know if Mr Martins remarks signify support for the Irish to take part in combat in Ukraine.

But we do know that if that is the case, then Ireland would be the direct participant of the conflict with all the ensuing consequences.
A heroin addict carrying a knife attempted to rob a publican in Youghal and during a struggle he even went so far as to discuss why he needed the money and how much.

Your home for a collection of news, views, sports and business reporting from - and specifically about - the Cork region.

Defence senior counsel, Ray Boland, said the conversation from 23-year-old Tyler Lewis was bizarre during the incident.

Detective Garda Aidan DArdis testified at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that Lewis who was living in an apartment at North Main Street, Youghal, County Cork, tried to carry out a robbery at Tynans Bar in the town on July 7, 2020.

He said publican Frank Tynan stood his ground and that Lewis struggled with him until they both ended up on the ground outside the premises.

Mr Boland said: Bizarrely, there was some discussion when the struggle was ongoing where Mr Lewis said he wanted the money to pay a drug debt and that 200 would do. The publican noticed during the struggle that the defendant had a knife partly concealed inside his sock.

Det. Garda DArdis said Mr Tynan was reluctant to let Tyler Lewis go in case he would take hold of the knife and go at him with it. However, he did let the attempted robber go and the young man fled from the scene without further violence.

Mr Tynan sustained a cut to one of his fingers during the struggle but he said that he did not believe that Lewis had cut him deliberately.

Sentencing

Judge Helen Boyle imposed a sentence of four years on Lewis with the last 18 months suspended for attempted robbery of Frank Tynan, in which the defendant threatened him with a knife and demanded money from him and became physically engaged with him.

Judge Boyle said: You entered a business premises. You demanded money  200 will do, you said and told him you needed it for a drug debt. The publican received a minor cut to his left hand. You have previous for possession of knives and assault.

The injured party thanks gardai at Youghal, his friends and neighbours. And he hopes that you (the accused) take a fresh approach to life (on release from prison). He is not sugar-coating it but he hopes you redirect yourself when ultimately you get out of prison.

You had a difficult upbringing - no positive role models. You ended up smoking heroin. You are not trying to make excuses. You want to explain how you came down this road. You are doing the Presidents Gaisce award and going to school and doing well in prison.
The parents of a baby boy who died from a common but undetected infection during a home birth in Dublin three years ago have welcomed new HSE guidelines for testing pregnant women for Group Strep B infection.

The baby, Rob Cashin, was pronounced dead at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin less than an hour after being partially delivered in a birthing pool at his family home in Holywell Gardens, Swords, Co Dublin, on August 27, 2020.

The third and final day of an inquest into his death at Dublin District Coroners Court heard autopsy results showed he was delivered stillborn as a result of bronchial pneumonia which was due to Group Strep B infection.

The coroner, Clare Keane, was informed that the HSE had suspended allowing pregnant women to deliver in a birthing pool as a result of the case.

The babys parents, Paula and Colm Cashin, who have two other children, said they had never heard of Group Strep B infection before Robs death but now realised it was a common infection in pregnant women which killed around 5% of all babies who contract it from their mother.

Although there was no routine testing of pregnant women for Group Strep B at the time of their babys death, they welcomed the fact that the HSE was in the process of implementing new guidelines for when testing should be carried out so that affected women could be treated with antibiotics.

The couple said their world was shattered when their second child had died after a happy and healthy pregnancy and short labour at home without any warning.

While we are heartbroken that the infection was not detected in our case, we are so incredibly grateful to hear that new guidelines are being introduced by the HSE and maternity hospitals to fight against this silent killer by providing screening and treatment to a wider net of women and babies at risk, they remarked.

We sincerely hope that the new guidelines and practices introduced will prevent other families from experiencing the indescribable pain and heartache that we have experienced.

A pathologist, Noel McEntagart, said the infection would have made it difficult for the baby to take its first breath and he believed he would have died between the onset of labour and delivery.

The inquest had earlier heard evidence from midwives that Ms Cashin had been taken out of the birthing pool after the babys head had been delivered under water because of a slight difficulty in delivering its shoulder.

However, Dr McEntagart said it was unlikely to have been a contributory factor in his death.

He also said it was unlikely that the Group Strep B infection had been contracted while in the birthing pool, while there was also no evidence that the partial delivery of the baby under water had resulted in any lack of oxygen.

In response to questions from the coroner, Dr McEntagart said it was impossible to say when the mother and baby became infected with Group Strep B but he did not think the infection was a longstanding feature.

The inquest heard that new HSE guidelines are being introduced which allow individual hospitals to decide what type of screening should be used to test for Group Strep B.

Cliona Murphy, the clinical director of the HSEs National Women and Infants Health Programme which oversees the HSEs homebirth service, said hospitals should conduct either risk-based screening, checks on women due for induction, or universal screening of all women.

However, she said women who tested positive for Group Strep B would not be considered eligible for home births.

Dr Murphy, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, said deliveries in birthing pools had been suspended as a result of the death of baby Rob on prudent grounds.

She told the coroner that home births represent only 0.4% of all births in Ireland.

However, she said they had grown in popularity in recent years, particularly during the covid-19 pandemic.

The inquest heard that between 2018 and 2020, 489 women out of 848 who had registered for a home birth had gone on to give birth at home.

However, no figures are available for how many births were under water.

Dr Murphy said around one in five women who give birth at home need to be transferred to hospital for various reasons.

She also informed the coroner that the latest recommendation stipulated that women availing of home births should be able to reach a hospital within 30 minutes under blue lights driving which she said applied to 83% of all such patients.

Inductions

Dr Murphy said new guidelines on when women should be induced for labour are due to be announced in September.

The consultant said she expected that they would allow pregnant women the option of earlier inductions.

The inquest had earlier heard Ms Cashin express concern that there appeared to be different policies between women attending the Rotunda and those opting for home births on when they could be induced.

A consultant obstetrician at the Coombe Hospital in Dublin and expert on labour and birth under water, Deirdre Murphy, said the chance of a baby being infected with Group Strep B if its mother had been given antibiotics was incredibly low as the treatment is usually very effective. Prof Murphy noted that up to 15% of pregnant women have the infection.

However, she also stressed that even in countries where there is a universal screening programme for Group Strep B in pregnant women, such as the US, up to 10% of tests were false negatives.

It is not an absolutely clear-cut thing, she said.

Prof Murphy observed that there was a heightened awareness of the risk of infection in labour and births under water because they occurred in a warm water environment which had the potential to allow bacteria to multiply.

She pointed out that pregnant women in Ireland who are taking antibiotics to treat an infection are not allowed to use a birthing pool, unlike in the UK.

However, she said the incidence of Group Strep B infection coming from the actual water used in a birthing pool was vanishingly rare.

Narrative verdict

Recording a narrative verdict, the coroner said baby Rob had died at the end of an uncomplicated pregnancy for his mother who was considered a low-risk case for a home birth and from complications that were not predictable to midwives.

Offering her condolences to the couple, Dr Keane said she endorsed the current reviews of guidelines for testing for Group Strep B infection and on when labour should be induced.

The coroner expressed hope that revised guidelines would specify criteria in relation to suitability for home births.
A man appeared in court on Friday charged with drugs offences, as part of a Garda operation targeting organised criminal activity in the Limerick region.

Michael Kalinowski, aged 36, with an address at Clonunion Cottage, Adare, Co Limerick, appeared before Limerick District Court and was charged with one count of possession of almost 80,000 worth of suspected illegal drugs and one count of simple possession.

Mr Kalinowski, a Polish national, was provided with an interpreter during the hearing before Judge Paul Kelly, president of the district court.

Mr Kalinowski is accused of possession of 65,000 worth of amphetamine tablets and 14,500 worth of suspected cannabis, at a location in Limerick, on Thursday, April 27.

The court was told he has lived in Ireland for the past 12 years and has a significant history of employment.

The accused recently changed jobs, having previously worked as a delivery driver and was now working as a warehouse operative for the past six weeks, on a weekly income of 450, the court heard.

Arrest

Garda Ryan Hill said he arrested Mr Kalinowski at 11.57pm on Thursday.

Garda Hill said the accused made no reply after he was charged and cautioned under section 15 and section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Mr Kalinowski agreed to adhere to a number of strict bail conditions which the court imposed.

The bail terms include that the accused provide gardai with a contact mobile telephone number which is to be in-credit and charged at all times, reside at an address at which he is renting in Adare, and inform gardai if he requires a change of address.

Mr Kalinowski also agreed to sign on daily at Roxboro Road Garda Station between 9am and 9pm, as well as obey a nightly curfew between 11pm and 7am.

He also agreed to surrender his passport and not apply for replacement travel documents.

Inspector Liam Wallace, of Roxboro Road Garda Station, said that given the nature of the charges and the amount of drugs involved the State was seeking an independent surety of 2,000, of which 1,000 had to be approved by gardai.

Insp Wallace said gardai had concerns that Mr Kalinowski had no immediate ties in Ireland; however, Joseph McMahon, defending, acting on behalf of defence solicitor Sarah Ryan, argued that Mr Kalinowski was a long-time resident in Ireland, that his sister was also residing here, and that he had a record of being consistently employed here over the past 12 years.

Mr Kalinowski was arrested by gardai during an intelligence-led operation, it was heard.

Judge Kelly remanded the accused in custody with consent to bail on an independent surety of 2,000 of which 1,000 was to be lodged and approved by gardai, to appear before Limerick District Court on May 2.
An unfinished eyesore apartment complex that lay vacant for 17 years has been transformed into 95 homes as part of a major new social housing project in Cork.

Housing Minister Darragh OBrien will visit Carrigtwohill in Cork today to officially open the Cascade apartment complex, delivered by Co-operative Housing Ireland (CHI), the largest social housing project delivered by an approved housing body in Munster this year.

And following two years of delays and missed targets caused by the pandemic and the impacts of the war in Ukraine, CHI is set to announce plans for a record year of housing delivery, with 700 units being targeted for completion.

The Cascade scheme, in the Castlelake development in Carrigtwohill, had lain vacant for so long it was branded an eyesore in 2019, with local calls for it to be finished or blown up.

CHI approached Cork County Council to bring the complex to completion and it has spent the last two years finishing out the scheme to provide 95 A-rated, two-bedroom apartments, some of which overlook a lake, and all of which are close to shops, schools, and other local amenities.

Just over a fifth of the apartments have been designated for older persons, while nine of the apartments have been allocated to people coming from emergency accommodation.

Homes for small households

The scheme is designed specifically to cater for smaller, diverse household types, including one-child families, as figures show that 74% of the current social housing need in Cork County is for one-bed and two-bed homes.

Just over a fifth of the apartments have been designated for older persons, while nine of the apartments have been allocated to people coming from emergency accommodation.

Cascade was delivered in partnership with Cork County Council, the Housing Finance Agency, the Department of Housing, the Housing Agency, and Marlet Property.

CHI owns, manages, and supports 653 homes in Cork  545 of which are in the county, with 1,009 in Munster, and a further 4,480 around the country.

It has ramped up its annual housing delivery from 190 units in 2017 to a target of over 700 homes this year.

The approved housing body sector has also increased its delivery from 653 units in 2012 to almost 3,800 in 2021  a near six-fold increase.
The HSE has received planning permission to build a series of residential pods next to the site of a disused mental health facility in Cork City.

Cork City Council approved the application to build the four independent single-storey pods along with associated works on the site of Millfield House on the Commons Rd in Blackpool earlier this month.

It is unclear how many people the pods are set to accommodate, nor when they are due for completion.

A HSE spokesperson said the planning application allows us to consider all possible options in relation to Millfield House.

No definite or immediate plans are in place for the placing or use of pods, they said. It has emerged Millfield House is to be repopulated with some former residents from the end of May.

However, the main building will now accommodate just five people, not the 15 it had done prior to 2020.

Earlier this month, the Irish Examiner reported that the HSE had spent just under 900,000 providing private security over the past four years for Millfield, a building it had valued at just 630,000 in 2020 when the site was being earmarked for sale.

Millfield has been empty since April of 2020 when its vulnerable residents  many of whom had lived there for years  were moved to the rented Garnish House in Cork city, where they have remained ever since, on foot of social distancing concerns during the covid-19 pandemic, which was then at its height.

At the time, some of the residents families criticised the move and the lack of information about future plans for the residents and for Millfield.

It is believed that the plan to move the former residents back to Millfield will see the remaining nine, who will not be living in the main building, accommodated instead in the new pod residences.

Changed plans

The news means that the HSEs plans to replace Millfield with accommodation at a former B&B in Carrigaline, as noted in the executives 2021 capital plan, have now changed fundamentally.

That property, Glenwood House, was bought in January 2021 for 750,000, and has since had a further 500,000 spent on its refurbishment.

It has yet to open its doors more than two years later, however, and is awaiting a retention planning permission decision from An Bord Pleanala to allow it to be used as a mental health facility.

The security detail in place at Millfield has cost the HSE 897,843 since May of 2019.

It was originally put in place as a result of anti-social behaviour and a large fire in the unit across from the building, according to the HSE.

The HSE has been under pressure to give up the tenancy of Garnish House, which as of last September had cost it 1.7m on rental and cleaning costs.

While the HSEs former chief officer for Cork/Kerry Michael Fitzgerald told an Oireachtas committee last year that its residents would be vacated from the rental by the end of March 2023, it is now expected that the tenancy will be maintained until at least the end of 2023.

Mr Fitzgerald took retirement with immediate effect at the end of last month.
Interior designer Dee Coleman doesnt hesitate when recalling a favourite job.

Im asking generally.

She replies in specifics  straight away: The Algiers Inn in Baltimore. Thats the job I feel so much connection to.

After getting the keys to the west Cork property in 2020, the inns new owners, Californian couple William and Ann Hillyard, enlisted Dee and her business partner Jenny Coughlan to help them transform the space, giving the business the Moorish look that reflects its name.

The interiors of The Algiers Inn.

They sent snaps to us, because this was all taking place during the pandemic, so while we did have one face-to-face meeting, we were doing the design remotely and did all the sourcing remotely and the owners did much of the work themselves, she says.

Dee and Jennys paths had first crossed while they were lecturing at the Dublin Institute of Design in 2016. Realising their common goals, they joined forces and Co/Lab Design Studio emerged three years later, in Malahide, Dublin, where Dee is based.

Sitting room in a project by Dee and Jenny. Picture: Therese Aherne

Between us, we have nearly 30 years of experience in residential and commercial design in Dublin, London, France and Switzerland, adds Dee.

But its the Moroccan vibe of The Algiers Inns interiors that Dee loves. My favourite place Ive travelled to is Marrakech and I got to channel that in The Algiers Inn, she says.

A project by Co/Lab. Picture: Therese Aherne

The pair were further gratified when the project won a design award and when it featured in Irish Examiner Property & Home, she adds. And to top it all off  there we were in the Examiner. Life couldnt get any better, she says.

Dee has also become well-known on the small screen in recent weeks since she succeeded architect Roisin Murphy as builder Peter Finns co-host of RTEs Home Rescue: The Big Fix.

Dee Coleman with Peter Finn.

Working on the Baltimore property was not unlike Home Rescue  we were up against it and in it together as a team, she adds. The TV series is a blend of human interest and makeover, a bit like Dees own career route.

Tralee-born Dee grew up in Castleknock in Dublin.

I ran for the hills as soon as I could get out, she jokes.

Based in London for 22 years, she was working as a management consultant when she had an epiphany at a boardroom table as it dawned on her that her work didnt give me joy. I was sitting in a meeting. Everyone else was so excited and I realised I was so disinterested. I thought, I cant actually fake this much longer  I have to do something that turns me on.

I never in my entire life got a balance sheet to balance, says Dee. At the time, I had a flat and I had just knocked down a wall in it with a sledgehammer.

Interiors of a Dublin project. Picture: Therese Aherne

"My friends would come to me to ask me for home DIY and design advice. And I loved that type of work. Also, living in London meant I had access to great courses. I was newly married and I said to my husband: Look, Id love to do this [interior design] kind of hoping he would talk me out of it, but he said, Youd be great at that!

Dee enrolled at KLC School of Design, Chelsea Harbour and, on graduating, worked at a high-end Notting Hill studio, before setting up her own successful interior architecture practice in London. Everything worked out the way it was meant to work out. Nothing I did before was wasted; when you get to reflect on it its all good.

I think design is about understanding your client and understanding their needs. That is really what design is at its starting point.

Details of a Dublin project by Dee's company Co/Lab. Picture: Therese Aherne

"To be a good designer is to understand people. Now and in the future. It helps if you are quite nosy as a designer.

And now, at almost 50, Dee has opened a new chapter as a television star. This is my first time on TV. I just fell into it  like all of the big things in life. Its been really invigorating and for a designer, its heaven to work with such a high-performing team and one with such single-minded focus  and obviously Pete and his crew are amazing.

A kitchen in a home design by Co/Lab. Picture: Therese Aherne

Dee met her partner in life, her Swedish husband Staffan Bergdahl in London. I had no intention of coming home [to Ireland], she adds. But when their twin girls, Nancy and Alva, now 10, were born, that changed.

I really wanted my mammy, and I wanted the girls to become Irish, to grow up with what I had had, she says. And Ive away had a real gra for the sea and having grown up in Dublin I missed it enormously in London.

So, the family relocated to Malahide. We moved back in 2013, so property prices were low enough, adds Dee.

They bought a 1960s house that needed work. Soaring costs have pushed prices ever upwards. Weve scaled back on plans significantly to afford it  same as anyone else, she says. But if I wait much longer my kids will have grown up  and now is when we need the space, so I just have to accept it.

Dee Coleman in the kitchen in Ballybrack on RTE's Home Rescue: The Big Fix.

DESIGN ADVICE

Dees top advice? Get the bones of the building right, she says. Why spend money on sofas or rugs if you dont have the heating right? What stays is what you spend the money on  getting the space for your joinery, power points in the right space, future-proofing your house.

If you go into interior designers houses, most will not be finished  well always have notions.

And particularly now in these times of sustainability, buy responsibly; avoid fashion, use what you have currently. I dont always manage to persuade my clients, though!

All the budgets been spent on the stuff you dont see  underfloor heating and triple glazing.

Dee with Peter Finn.

That said, Dee confesses to the odd visible extravaganza. I bought a Murano chandelier years ago, she says. I remember my mum (the late Suzette Coleman) at the time giving me a few quid for it; I couldnt really afford it  but it just gives me such joy.

A recent Co/Lab project, a collaboration with Vidvei Kitchens. Picture: Danielle OHora

Further delights await when the family move back into their revamped forever home in July and Dee will get to sit in a very special space there.

Ive always wanted a window seat in my kitchen. Its right beside a camellia tree which blooms magnificently around the time of my childrens birthday. Its like a piece of magic.

"I took it out of the scope of work because I thought it would cost too much. But this is my chandelier moment. If I end up eating baked beans, if Im eating baked beans in that window seat, I will be happy.

Looking at the property as it was being renovated wasnt easy, she adds. Ive never done a renovation like this before  frightening is too strong a word. Youre walking into a bombsite and still paying a mortgage. Ive done it with clients all the time, but this is the first time Im doing it myself.
Russia has fired more than a dozen cruise missiles at Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine, killing at least two people in an eastern city and striking a residential building in central Ukraine, officials said.

Air raid sirens sounded around the capital in the first attack against the city in nearly two months and Ukraines air force intercepted 11 cruise missiles and two unmanned aerial vehicles over Kyiv, according to the Kyiv City Administration.

There were no immediate reports of any successful strikes in Kyiv but fragments from intercepted missiles or drones damaged power lines and a road in one neighbourhood. No casualties were reported.

But in Uman, about 134 miles south of Kyiv, two cruise missiles hit a nine-storey residential building, killing three people and hurting eight, regional governor Ihor Taburets said.

One of those killed was a 75-year-old who was in her apartment in a neighbouring building and suffered internal bleeding from the blasts shockwave, emergency personnel at the scene said.

Three body bags lay next to the building as smoke continued to billow hours after the attack.

Soldiers, civilians and emergency crews searched through the rubble outside for more victims, while residents dragged belongings out of the damaged building.

One woman, crying in shock, was taken away by rescue crews for help.

A 31-year-old woman and her two-year-old daughter were also killed in the eastern city of Dnipro in another attack, regional governor Serhii Lysak said.

Four people were also hurt and a private home and business were damaged.

Military medics give first aid to a wounded soldier at a medical stabilisation point near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine (Libkos/AP)

In Kyiv, the anti-aircraft system was activated, according to the Kyiv city administration.

Air raid sirens started at about 4am and the alert ended about two hours later.

The attack was the first on the capital since March 9.

The missiles were fired from aircraft operating in the Caspian Sea region, according to Ukrainian armed forces commander in chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

Overall, he said Ukraine intercepted 21 of 23 Kh-101 and Kh-555 type cruise missiles launched, as well as the two drones.

The attacks came as Nato said its allies and partner countries have delivered more than 98% of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine during Russias invasion and war, strengthening Kyivs capabilities as it contemplates launching a counteroffensive.

Along with more than 1,550 armoured vehicles, 230 tanks and other equipment, Ukraines allies have sent vast amounts of ammunition and trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian brigades, Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said.

More than 30,000 troops are estimated to make up the new brigades.

Members of the Ukrainian National Guard from the Bureviy Brigade take part in a military exercise in the Kyiv region (Bernat Armangue/AP)

Some Nato partner countries, such as Sweden and Australia, have also provided armoured vehicles.

This will put Ukraine in a strong position to continue to retake occupied territory, Mr Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.

The overnight attacks and comments came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a long and meaningful phone call on Wednesday in their first known contact since Russias full-scale invasion more than a year ago.

Though Mr Zelensky said he was encouraged by Wednesdays call and western officials welcomed Mr Xis move, it did not appear to improve peace prospects.

Russia and Ukraine are far apart in their terms for peace and Beijing  while looking to position itself as a global diplomatic power  has refused to criticise Moscows invasion.

The Chinese government sees Russia as a diplomatic ally in opposing US influence in global affairs and Mr Xi visited Moscow last month.
Actress Eva Green has won her High Court battle with a production company over the collapse of an abandoned sci-fi film.

The 42-year-old sued White Lantern Film after A Patriot was abandoned in October 2019, claiming she was entitled to her million-dollar fee for the film despite its cancellation under the terms of their agreement.

However, White Lantern Film and lender SMC Speciality Finance brought a counter-claim against Ms Green, alleging she undermined the independent films production and renounced the contract.

In a judgment on Friday, Mr Justice Michael Green ruled in Ms Greens favour, ruling she was entitled to the fee, and dismissed the counter-claim.

In particular, I find that Ms Green did not renounce her obligations under the artist agreement; nor did she commit any repudiatory breaches of it, the judge said.

Eva Green gave evidence in January at the central London court (James Manning/PA)

During the trial in London earlier this year, Max Mallin KC, for White Lantern, said Ms Green had shown a categorical and unequivocal refusal to perform and repeatedly made unreasonable demands.

However, Edmund Cullen KC, for Ms Green, said the actress had been subjected to a character assassination, adding it was based on some of the cheapest and nastiest sorts of stereotypes around.

During her evidence, Ms Green denied the allegations that she was not prepared to go ahead with the project, saying: In the 20 years that I have been making films, I have never broken a contract or even missed one day of shooting.

In messages used in the claim, the court heard that the actress had described potential crew members as shitty peasants, the production as a B-shitty-movie and executive producer Jake Seal as pure vomit.

In the further messages, Ms Green is also said to have described Mr Seal as a sociopath and a real mad dictator who wants to prove he is right so he could be ready for anything.

Ms Green, who gave oral evidence at the High Court in London over two days in January, said it was humiliating to have her messages used in court.
Burma Chin Civilians Killed in Myanmar Junta Airstrike

Tlanglo village after being bombed by a junta fighter jet in Thantlang Township on Thursday. / The Chin Journal

A striking teacher and another civilian were killed by a Myanmar junta airstrike on Thantlang Township, Chin State, on Thursday, according to residents.

Tlanglo village, about 11km from the headquarters of the Chin National Front (CNF), was bombed by a fighter jet, according to the Chinland Information Center, the CNFs media group. No fighting had been reported in the area.

On Wednesday resistance forces, including the Chin Defense Force and Chin National Army, the armed wing of the CNF, occupied two junta outposts during raids on three bases in neighboring Hakha Township.

Daw Ni Dain, 60, a teacher who had joined the civil disobedience movement, was killed along with a 37-year-old villager, according to the Chin media.

Eight residents, including three children aged five, 10 and 11, were injured.

At least five village houses were destroyed.

The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the reports.

Without any clashes on the ground, the airstrike targeted civilians. The attack intended to kill. This is unacceptable. It is a genocide and a war crime, CNF spokesman Salai Htet Ni told The Irrawaddy.

On April 16, junta jets strafed and dropped 17 bombs on Pann Par village in Mindat Township in the state, killing three civilians, including a four-year-old, and injuring seven, according to the Chin Defense Force.

Nine civilians, including a Christian pastor and two striking teachers, were killed in Falam Township on April 10 in an airstrike on Waybula town.

Chin resistance groups accuse the regime of genocide and war crimes.
Burma Clashes in Karen State Pulverize Border Trade with Thailand

Cargo trucks loaded with goods imported from Thailand at No. 2 Friendship Bridge in Mae Sot in November 2021. / The Irrawaddy

Ongoing fighting between junta troops and allied Karen resistance forces around Myawaddy Township in Karen State at the Thai border is continuing to take a toll on Myanmars border trade with Thailand.

The regime has still been unable to repair administrative buildings damaged in the fighting in the Myawaddy border trade zone one month ago. It has now resorted to online handling of trade procedures, and customs only work half a day, merchants said.

A merchant from Myawaddy said: [Customs] only check goods until noon. They work in their office the rest of the day. They handle trading procedures online. Trade stopped for a while due to the Thingyan holiday, which followed the fighting, and although it has resumed, it is slow. Fighting continues in the same area some seven miles from Myawaddy and three miles from the border trade zone.

Before clashes erupted, around 300 truckloads of goods traveled daily between Myanmar and Thailand through the Myawaddy border trade zone. That has now declined to around 100 cargo trucks, he said.

Before Thingyan, a truck with cargo worth more than 100 million kyats was torched on the Asian Highway. So, many drivers dare not work, and of course the freight rate has increased. Previously, even with high fuel prices, the top freight fee was just 1.5 million kyats between Yangon and Myawaddy. Now it has reached 4 million kyats. A third of cargo trucks have stopped working, so the rest charge higher prices, said the merchant.

Some companies have purchased war insurance because of frequent fighting along the Thai-Myanmar border trade route, according to merchants.

Junta troops and allied Karen resistance troops clashed around Mekanel village in the southwest of Myawaddy Township from April 18-21, forcing some 3,000 residents from seven villages to flee. Military tensions remain high in the area.

A merchant who exports corn to Thailand said: Freight charges have increased, and some merchants now buy war-risk insurance. Part of the increase also has to do with high fuel prices. It is difficult to buy fuel.

Export volume has dropped sharply because of frequent fighting, tight junta security checks on the route, and a plethora of regulations, including the rule that 65 percent of export revenues be converted to kyats at the official exchange rate of 2,100 kyats per dollar. The market exchange rate is around 2,900 kyats per dollar.

Also, export licenses are issued only after exporters have deposited their earnings in their bank accounts. In other words, the exporter can only trade once he has deposited the money that he will earn from the buyer, with 65 percent of it converted at 2,100 kyats per dollar.

Myanmar mainly exports rice, broken rice, rice powder, rubber, and seasonal crops like pepper, while importing food, consumer goods, building materials, industrial raw materials, and machinery. Myawaddy border trade for fiscal 2022-23 was worth just over US$1.89 billion from April 1 last year to February this year, according to the juntas Ministry of Commerce.
Burma European Dam Specialists Withdraw From Myanmar Amid Rights Concerns

The Upper Yeywa Hydropower dam last October. / GNLM

Swedish-Finnish engineering services supplier AFRY has withdrawn from Myanmars hydropower projects, citing the juntas human rights abuses.

The business cited last months UN report recommended that firms operating in Myanmar should study the juntas rights record.

AFRY has operated in Myanmar for over 20 years, working on 13 hydropower projects, including three incomplete schemes, the company stated on April 21.

The Nordic firm was paid US$4.7 million in service fees for consulting on the Upper Yeywa and Middle Paunglaung projects from February 2021 to September 2022, according to Justice For Myanmar (JFM), based on leaked tax filings from the whistleblower website Distributed Denial of Secrets.

The 280-megawatt Upper Yeywa dam project on the Namtu River was planned under the earlier military dictatorship in 2008 and has been opposed by residents for its devastating social and environmental impacts, lack of transparency, the threat to ancestral lands and for fuelling of conflict.

In 2020 the Shan Human Rights Foundation documented rights violations by the military near the project, including extrajudicial killing and torture.

The group called on foreign companies to withdraw from the project or risk complicity in atrocities.

In December the Namtu River Protectors, a community network, warned that more than 40,000 residents would face flooding because of the project.

The 152MW Middle Paunglaung River dam near Naypyidaw is also due to displace large numbers of villagers.

JFM has called on AFRY and other companies involved to suspend work in Myanmar until the establishment of a federal democracy and called for them to explain their involvement with the regime.

AFRY has been the engineering consultant for 13 hydropower projects in Myanmar and delivered in-house engineering service to the Nancho, Thaythay, Upper Yeywa, Kun and Upper Keng Tawng projects.

Feasibility studies, detailed designs and construction services were also provided for the Deedoke, Shweli, Tamanthi, Middle Yeywa and Upper and Middle Paunglaung projects.

It has also provided geological investigations, construction site supervision and advisory services for the juntas Ministry of Electricity and Energy on transmission lines and thermal projects.

The contracts were signed before the military coup in February 2021 and AFRY has not signed any additional contracts after that. We have evaluated our presence in the country, international sanctions, the client with regards to the military regime, safety of our employees, environmental and social impact relating to the ongoing projects, AFRYs statement said.

It said it has not contributed to any violations of human rights and it has ensured stronger environmental safeguards through its engineering competence while the hydropower projects have provided cleaner energy.

Nevertheless, AFRYs assignments will be ended at the latest by the end of this year due to the negative development in the country, while we continue to monitor the situation closely, the firm said.
Burma Myanmar Regime Forces Kill Sagaing Resistance Commander

Kawlin PDF fighters. /KLPDF

Myanmar junta soldiers killed a PDF commander and his assistant on Wednesday in the resistance stronghold of Sagaing Region, according to local sources.

The fighters from Kawlin Peoples Defense Force (PDF) Battalion 1 were killed in Kawlin Township.

Eight members of Kawlins Peoples Administration Team and Public Security Group were also killed by junta soldiers at around 6.00am on Thursday.

The charred bodies of the commander of Kawlin PDF Battalion 1 and his assistant were found on Thursday near Thea Kaw Village, according to a member of Kawlins Peoples Administration Team.

They were reportedly arrested at around 10.00am on Wednesday. Their burned bodies were found near Thae Kaw Village and were cremated on Thursday, he said.

A local source confirmed that the late commander had been newly transferred from the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) to lead Kawlin PDF Battalion 1. The KIA is one of Myanmars most powerful ethnic armed organizations. It has been fighting against the regime, as well as providing support and training to resistance fighters in Sagaing.

The deceased commander was recently transferred to Kawlin PDF Battalion 1, said a source with connections to Battalion 1.

In a separate incident, military regime troops ambushed eight members of Kawlins Peoples Administration Team and Public Security Group early Thursday morning near Pay Pin Chaung Village. They were then killed and their bodies burned, according to locals.

Eight members of the Peoples Administration Team and Public Security Group were shot dead and their bodies were burned by junta troops. They also torched the cars, said the local.

Fighting between regime troops and Kawlin PDF Battalion 1 intensified near Thea Kaw Village after junta troops captured the PDF commander and his assistant on Wednesday.

Kawlin PDFs Battalion 1 has been clashing with two columns of around 160 regime soldiers since April 25.

The junta columns entered Kawlin Township on April 23. The following day, almost 100 residents of Kyauk Pyin Thar Village in the northeast of Kawlin were detained by regime troops.
Burma Pythons on Your Porch? Call Myanmar's 'Snake Princess'

Snake catcher Shwe Lei holds a snake at a Buddhist monastery in Mingalardon Township, Yangon in January 2023. / AFP

KYAUKTAGA, MyanmarAt four in the morning outside a Yangon monastery, Shwe Lei and her team were wrestling 30 writhing pythons into old rice sacks and loading them into a van.

It was just another day in the life of Myanmars premier snake removal squad, prising pythons and cajoling cobras from dangerous entanglements with the human world before returning them to their natural habitat.

Stuffed into the sacks were three months worth of work, rescued from homes and apartments around Yangon and cared for at the monastery until they are fit for release to the wild.

I love snakes because they are not deceitful, Shwe Lei told AFP at the snake shelter run by the group, a python entwined around her body.

If you acknowledge their nature, they are lovely.

Her mentor Ko Toe Aung, a burly 40-year-old who said he has been hospitalized seven times since he started catching snakes in 2016, was more prosaic.

Anyone in the snake-catching game has to be fast and agile, he said.

Wherever we catch a venomous snake, it is 90/10 Its a 90 percent chance the snake will bite me.

Their teamcalled Shwe Metta, or Golden Love in Burmesehas around a dozen members and rescued around 200 snakes last year from around Yangon.

Social media videos of the pair pulling snakes out of sink plugholes and extricating them from roof eaves have earned them the moniker prince and princess of snakes from local media.

On the scent

The team all have day-jobs and rely on donations for everything from their protective gear to petrol to run their purple-colored snake ambulance.

They mostly catch Burmese pythonsnon-venomous snakes that typically grow to around 5 m long and squeeze their prey of rats and other small mammals to death.

Cobras and banded krait also make homes in Yangons apartments and are a trickier prospect, as their venom can be fatal.

More than 15,000 people were bitten by snakes in Myanmar in 2014, according to the latest available figures from the World Health Organization.

Of those, 1,250 died, a fatality rate higher than many other countries, largely due to Myanmars creaking healthcare system and patchy access to antivenoms.

It is a danger never far from the teams work.

In March, they spent two days trying to remove several cobras nesting underneath a Yangon house.

Tunneling into the foundations as neighbors watched, their digging was frequently interrupted by the snakes inside spitting venom towards them.

It stinks, said Ko Ye Min, 31, a tattooed member of the team, as he took a break from trying to reach the nest.

Recognizing exactly which kind of stink is another skill a snake-catcher must hone, according to Ko Toe Aung.

We have to be familiar with their smells to identify the species of snakes before removing them, he said.

Cobras smell rotten, he said.

But the smell of a python is much stronger. Sometimes we even vomit when we bring it into the ambulance.

Compassion

Through their online videos and growing fame, the Shwe Metta team hope to encourage people to be more compassionate towards the slithering reptilesespecially if one turns up in their house.

In the past people used to kill snakes whenever they found them, said Shwe Lei.

But they have more knowledge and they know we can release snakes back into the wild. So they call us to capture and remove them.

The rescued snakes are kept under observation in a nearby monastery until there are enough of them to justify a journey into the bush to release them.

In late March, the team walked into the sweltering backwoods of the Bago Yoma hills, 150 km north of Yangon, on such a journey.

Each member carried a python in a bag slung over their shoulder until they reached a suitable spot to release it.

A few of the dazed reptiles needed gentle prods to get going, but after weeks in a cage and a five-hour car journey, Shwe Lei sympathized.

Nobody likes the feeling of being locked up, she said after the last one had slithered offhopefully not to return to the human world for a long time.

I feel happy releasing the snakes from the point of view of compassion for each other, it is satisfying.
War Against the Junta Nearly 40 Myanmar Junta Forces Killed in Three Days of Resistance Attacks

Troops of Chin Defense Force (Kanpetlet) / CDF Kanpetlet

At least 37 Myanmar junta forces as well as two resistance fighters were killed in the last three days as Peoples Defense Forces (PDFs) and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) stepped up attacks on regime targets.

Incidents were reported in Shan and Chin states and Magwe, Sagaing, Mandalay and Bago regions.

The Irrawaddy has collected the following reports of significant attacks from the PDFs and EAOs.

Some military casualties could not be independently verified.

Junta suffers heavy losses in resistance attacks in southern Shan

Over 20 soldiers were killed and two captured in Mobye Town in southern Shan States Pekon Township on Wednesday when three resistance groups jointly raided regime forces occupying civilian buildings in a residential ward, said the Karen Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF), which joined the attack.

During the intense four-hour clash, military units nearby shelled the resistance groups with large numbers of heavy explosives while a junta fighter jet conducted air strikes. Many civilian houses were damaged in the junta bombardment. Several resistance fighters also suffered injuries.

Two junta bases seized by ethnic Chin resistance in Hakha

Two junta bases in Hakha Township, Chin State were seized on Wednesday when the Chin Defense Force (Hakha) and the Chin National Army, the armed wing of the Chin National Front, raided three regime bases in Hakha Township, according to reports from Chin local media outlets.

The junta bases are located along the Hakha-Thantlang Highway.

The junta conducted air strikes against the resistance groups during the clashes. A resistance fighter of the Chin National Army was killed in the fighting.

Regime forces attacked in Chins Kanpetlet town

Chin Defense Force (Kanpetlet) claimed to have killed a soldier and injured two others when it raided regime forces stationed in the junta-controlled General Administration Department office in the town of Kanpetlet in Chin State on Wednesday morning.

All resistance forces retreated from the area without casualties. In the evening, regime forces opened fire at random in the town.

Shootout reported in Magwes Yesagyo town

Resistance fighters of Myingyan Black Tigers attack regime forces in the town of Yesagyo on Thursday. / MBT PDF

A regime soldier was injured during a clash with resistance forces in the town of Yesagyo, Magwe Region on Thursday, said Myingyan Black Tiger, a resistance group that attacked the regime forces.

The clash broke out in the town as regime forces intruded into the resistance groups areas. After the clash, a large number of junta troops were deployed across the town to search for PDF forces.

Pro-regime camp raided in Magwe

At least 13 pro-regime Pyu Saw Militia members as well as a resistance fighter were killed in a shootout in Pakokku Township, Magwe Region on Tuesday night when Myaing PDF forces raided the pro-regime village of Tae Kone, said the resistance group.

In the raid, five firearms and some ammunition were seized from the militia camp.

Regime forces attacked with land mines in Sagaing

A junta soldier was killed and three others injured in Kani Township, Sagaing Region on Thursday evening when 10 junta forces including pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia members from the pro-regime village of Alal Kyun triggered land mines planted by Kyauk Lone Gyi PDF, said the resistance group.

Regime forces faced land mine blasts while they were heading to Thayet Taw Village. Early that morning, seven PDF groups jointly used improvised 60mm, 80mm and 120mm mortar rounds to strike military bases in Alal Kyun.

Many regime forces and militia members were reportedly killed and injured when the mortar rounds hit their bases, said PDF group Fighter Brotherhood Guerrilla Army, which joined the attacks.

Pro-junta militia member shot dead in Bago

Bago Region PDF said its members shot dead pro-junta militia member Maung Myo, a junta informant from Sel Taw Oo Village in Gyobingyauk Township, Bago Region on Tuesday.

The victim had been reporting to the regime about the movements of revolutionary groups in the Bago Yoma mountain range. The resistance group killed him after obtaining multiple confirmations that he was a junta informant.

A large amount of information about PDFs and anti-regime activists that the victim had given to the junta was found on his mobile phone after he was killed, the PDF group claimed.

Police sergeant killed in Mandalay

Natogyi PDF said it killed Police Sergeant Khine Min Tun from the Natogyi Township police station in Mandalay Region on Wednesday.

The police officer was shot dead after refusing to stop at a PDF checkpoint while heading for a junta sentry base in the east of the township.
For almost a decade, Florida lawmakers have attempted to pass new regulations for short-term vacation rentals but have come up short every year  until now.

The possibilities brightened somewhat Thursday night when the Florida Senate passed a measure (SB 714) that attempts to provide more tools for folks at the local level, in the words of Pinellas County Republican Nick DiCeglie, the bill sponsor.

Some local public officials  including those from DiCeglies own district  complain the bill as written wont help them address problems that short-term rentals can cause for their neighbors, such as noise and trash. The measure still needs to be approved in the House before it can go to the governors desk.

When DiCeglie says hes giving new tools in the toolbox, the tool hes giving the counties are a pair of handcuffs, said Miles Conway, president of the South Beach Property Owners Association in Vero Beach.

DiCeglie acknowledged the difficulty in finding a balance between local governments authority to protect neighborhoods and the rights of property owners to profit from their home investments.

Its always hard to create uniform regulations, especially when it comes to vacation rentals, DiCeglie said as the bill came up for a vote after he and other lawmakers worked on amending it throughout the day.

I think this bill really identified and responded to the issues that many of us in this chamber have received back at home.

Ground Zero

DiCeglie lives in Indian Rocks Beach, a community that has been labeled Ground Zero in the property-rights battles between vacation-rental property owners and neighbors who complain that these rentals damage their quality of life. He said the issue was personal for him because it is so intense in his community.

Cookie Kennedy, mayor of Indian Rocks Beach, came to Tallahassee to discuss the bill as it moved through committees.

Although disappointed, we will continue to fight for residents at the local level every step of the way to ensure their voice is heard, she told the Phoenix in a text message early Friday morning.

Kennedy and her city commission have been working on a local ordinance for months to deal with the problem in Indian Rocks Beach. Our attorney will have to evaluate the bill with all the latest amendments to assess the impact it will have on our community and our new ordinance, she said.

Right-sizing registration fees

The measure would allow local governments to charge no more than $150 to process an individual registration application or $200 for a collective registration (for as many as 25 rentals) required for property owners.

Thats an improvement from DiCeglies originally filed bill, which called for only $50 to process such an application, but local officials still insist $150 is too low. For example, in Redington Beach the fee is now $500 per registration application.

The bill gives local governments just 15 days to review registration applications and either accept or deny them. They must provide reasons for any denial, but the bill does allow local governments to terminate or refuse to issue or renew a vacation rental registration under certain circumstances.

Another contentious point is that the bill allows local governments to impose occupancy limits on short-term rentals only if they impose the same limits on all residential properties.

Thats a major problem, Conway contends.

What you have is potentially a situation where you have an Airbnb or Vrbo on a third of an acre in a residential neighborhood that has two bedrooms and a 1,500 square foot home. And they are allowed to have a maximum of 5 cars in their garage or a stabilized driveway, he says.

Then you are going to the same community on the beach you have a 3-acre property, a 15,000-20,000 square foot home valued at between $10-$20 million, and you say, Okay guys, because of this accommodating the rentals, youre also only allowed to have five cars. Impossible.

Contentious history

The history of the state attempting to regulate short-term vacation rentals goes back more than a decade.

In 2011, then-Gov. Rick Scott signed legislation that prohibited local governments from enacting any new law that restricted the use of vacation rentals, prohibited those rentals, or otherwise regulated them, giving that power to the state government.

That law grandfathered some 75 local ordinances already on the books, meaning they could remain in force. After pushback from cities, the Legislature reversed itself in 2014, allowing local governments to handle problems including noise, parking, and trash, but still preventing them from prohibiting or regulating the duration or frequency of short-vacation rentals.

Since then, there have been bills filed in every legislative session but they came up short every year. DiCeglie said a new law is necessary because the vacation rental issue and industry has changed significantly.

The new amendments that DiCeglie crafted with the help of fellow GOP Sens. Travis Hutson and Debbie Mayfield on Thursday include allowing a local government to suspend a vacation rental registration for up to 30 days following three or more violations of a local ordinance regarding noise, parking, or trash within a a 90-period. And it allows local governments to suspend a registration for up to six months for a subsequent violation within six months.

Code enforcement delays

But it will be up to a code enforcement board or special magistrate to decide whether the vacation rental operator has violated an ordinance.

Additionally, the bill:

 Authorizes the state to fine a platform like Airbnb an amount not to exceed $1,000 for a violation of the provisions in the bill or rules of the division.

 Requires platforms to adopt anti-discrimination policies and to inform users of the states public lodging discrimination prohibition.

 Provides that the bill does not create a private right of action against the platforms.

The bill passed 28-10, with Democrats Linda Stewart and Geraldine Thompson joining Republicans in supporting the measure. Jacksonville Republican Clay Yarborough was the only Republican to vote no.

South Florida Democrat Jason Pizzo said the measure had come a long way, but he still voted against it, saying We have a lot more to do on this.

The bills House equivalent (HB 833) is poised to be voted on by that entire chamber within the next few days.

This report first appeared on the website of the Florida Phoenix, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to coverage of state government and politics from Tallahassee. It has been edited for length. To read the entire report, click here.
This Week in Review

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
FILE - A security guard stands near a sculpture of the Chinese Communist Party flag at the Museum of the Communist Party of China on May 26, 2022, in Beijing. Chinas military flew 38 fighter jets and other warplanes near Taiwan, the Taiwanese defense ministry said Friday, April 28, 2023, in the largest such flight display since the large military exercise in which it simulated sealing off the island earlier in the month.
ALL INDIA TRADE UNION CONGRESS (AITUC)

Press Release

The following statement was issued from the National Secretariat of AITUC today - 27th April 2023

AITUC condemns the drastic action taken by the Department of Posts in derecognizing the National Federation of Postal Employees (NFPE) and All India Postal Employees Union. (Group C).

It is noted with deep concern and shock that the Government of India Department of Posts have issued an order dated 26-04-2023 derecognizing two major Trade Union organizations of the postal employees which represents more than 70 percent of the postal employees. There is a long history of struggle by the postal employees under the banner of NFPTE right from Britishers period to achieve the legitimate Trade union rights. It is understood that the draconian action has been taken by the Department of Posts based on a flimsy complaint made by a rival union against the NFPE and the AIPEU. The department in its order has stated that the NFPE and the AIPEU has extended financial assistance to the Farmers agitation (Kisan Movement), CITU and CPI(M) from the accounts of these organizations. It is nothing new in India that Trade Unions extends support, solidarity and financial help to the struggling sister unions and workers of different sector. There is no illegality or misconduct in this internationally accepted solidarity actions.

It is most unfortunate that in a vindictive manner the recognition of a major Trade Union and Federation is withdrawn in a most undemocratic manner. We fail to understand that how a recognized Central Trade Union like CITU can be branded as a political party. This shows the blatant vindictiveness and biasness of the Government towards a union which has got an established and verified membership of more than 70 percent. Government should realize by such type of undemocratic acts and decisions the workers cannot be silenced. AITUC condemns the drastic and undemocratic decision taken by the Department of posts to withdraw the recognition of a major Trade Union. AITUC calls upon the entire working class of the country to resist and protest such type of drastic attacks on the Trade Unions. AITUC urges upon the Government of India to immediately withdraw its decision and to restore the recognition of National Federation of Postal Employees (NFPE) and All India Postal Employees Union.

AITUC has also written to the Labour Minister and the Minister for Communication protesting against the undemocratic decision of the postal department and have also requested to restore the recognition of National Federation of Postal Employees (NFPE) and All India Postal Employees Union (Group-C)

Amarjeet Kaur

General Secretary
A fleet of 38 aircraft, including a combat drone, is flown by China in close vicinity to Taiwan.

A long-range Chinese combat drone capable of carrying a large weapons payload has circled Taiwan, the islands defence ministry said Friday.

Democratic Taiwan lives under constant threat of an attack by Beijing, which views the island as part of its territory.

Taiwans defence ministry said it detected 38 Chinese aircraft, including a TB-001 drone nicknamed the twin-tailed scorpion, around the island between 6 am (1000 GMT) Thursday and 6 am Friday.

The drones circling flight path saw it cross the median line  an unofficial boundary dividing the Taiwan Strait  to the islands south before flying around its east coast and returning to China, a map released by the ministry showed.

Local media said it was the first time Taiwans defence ministry had reported a Chinese military aircraft circling the island from one end of the median line to the other.

The ministry added that 19 of the aircraft had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or entered Taiwans southwest, southeast, and northeast (air defence identification zone), or ADIZ, the highest number of incursions since China ended three days of war games earlier this month.

The zone is not the same as Taiwans territorial airspace and includes a far greater area that overlaps with part of Chinas own ADIZ and even some of the mainland.

The TB-001 is one of the largest drones in Chinas arsenal and boasts a flight range of 6,000 kilometres (3,700 miles).

China previously deployed the drone during the military drills that ended on April 10 and involved simulating targeted strikes and a blockade of Taiwan.

The war games were a response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wens visit to the United States, where she met Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.

Separately, the Chinese military said it sent fighter jets to track a US reconnaissance plane as it flew through the Taiwan Strait on Friday.

Led by the United States, Western militaries regularly conduct freedom of navigation operations with warships and aircraft to assert the international status of regional waterways such as the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.

In a social media post on the incident, the Chinese military said the US plane was a P-8A Poseidon.

The P-8A is used for a variety of missions, including reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare, according to its maker Boeing.

The US Navys Seventh Fleet confirmed the flight.

By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations, it said.

The last time a P-8A flew through the Taiwan Strait was in February, prompting a similar reaction from China. AFP
Despite an extension to the truce, fighting continued in Sudan on Friday. The truce aimed to end nearly two weeks of warfare that has resulted in hundreds of deaths and widespread destruction.

In the western Darfur region, at least 74 people were killed in urban battles this week. Black clouds over Khartoum caused foreign nations to organise mass evacuations of their citizens.

Multiple truce efforts have failed since the violence between Sudans army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces started on April 15.

The ceasefire was extended for three more days on Thursday, which the United States, Saudi Arabia, the African Union, the United Nations and others hoped would create a more durable cessation of hostilities.

Since the Burhan-Daglo power struggle erupted into violence, fighter jets have pounded RSF positions and gunmen have engaged in street by street battles.

Over 512 people have been killed and 4,193 injured, although the real death toll is likely much higher.

Fighting has also spread across other regions of Sudan, particularly troubled Darfur, where there are reports of intense conflict and looting.

Analysts have warned that conflict between the army and RSF could trigger multiple militias to exploit the chaos and settle old scores.

The UN has said it has reports of the distribution of weapons among local communities and the World Food Programme has said the violence could plunge millions more into hunger.

At least five aid workers have been killed and swathes of aid operations suspended, putting 50,000 acutely malnourished children at risk warned the UN.

Burhan and Daglo seized power in a 2021 coup that derailed Sudans transition to democracy but later fell out over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army.
Ethiopian Airlines marks 50 years since the start of its service to the UK

Addis Ababa, 28 April 2023 Ethiopian Airlines, the leading and fastest growing Airline in Africa, is celebrating the 50th year of the launch of its service to the UK in April 1973.

Ethiopian Airlines inaugural flight arrived in London-Heathrow on a Boeing 720-B commencing with two flights a week.

The flight was originally operated via Cairo, Rome and Frankfurt with First Class and Economy Class.

Today, Ethiopian offers daily non-stop A350 Airbus flights from London Heathrow (Terminal 2) to Addis Ababa, and 4 weekly B787 Dreamliner flights from Manchester (Terminal 2) to Addis Ababa, carrying over 10,000 passengers monthly, with connections

to over 60 destinations across Africa.

Commenting on the Anniversary, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew said, Positioned as the Heart of Europe, the UK has always been a strong and important market for Ethiopian Airlines.

Celebrating 50 years is a success story of our loyalty to serving the UK with both passenger and freighter flights.

As we mark half a century since we first landed in the UK we look forward to an ever growing service to the country with more destinations and flights.

Henock Woubishet, Area Manager UK and Ireland said, This is a big anniversary for Ethiopian Airlines as it highlights our unwavering commitment to serving the UK.

During the rest of the year, we will be celebrating this milestone with a series of events including FAM trips, campaigns and promotions.

We want to take this opportunity to extend our gratitude to the travelling public and our partners in UKs travel industry for supporting our journey over the decades.

Currently, Ethiopian serves more than 150 domestic and international passenger and cargo destinations including 21 cities in Europe.

Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is the fastest growing Airline in Africa. In its seventy-six plus years of operation, Ethiopian has become one of the continents leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success.

In addition to its main hub in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, it is also pursuing its multi-hub strategy through a hub in Lome, Togo with ASKY, in Lilongwe, Malawi with Malawi Airlines and in Lusaka, Zambia with Zambia Airways.

Ethiopian commands the lions share of the Pan African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 150 domestic and international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents.

Ethiopians fleet consists of ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Boeing 737s, 777s, 787s, Airbus A350-900 and

Bombardier Dash 8-400 double cabin with an average fleet age of seven years. In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate most of these aircraft.

Having achieved its strategic plan (Vision 2025) ahead of time, Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2035 that will see it become one of the top 20 most competitive and leading aviation group in the world by providing safe, secured, market driven and customer focused Passenger and Cargo Transport and Logistics Services, Aviation Training, Airport Management and Ground Services, MRO and Aerospace Manufacturing and Travel and Tourism Services.

As a multi-award-winning airline, Ethiopian has been winning various coveted awards including Skytraxs Best Airline in Africa Award for five consecutive years.

The airline has been a Star Alliance member since 2011, and has been registering more than threefold growth in the past 10 years. For additional information, please visit www.ethiopianairlines.com

Email: CorporateCommunication@ethiopianairlines.com

Tel: (251-11)517-8913/8165/8907
Military Post in East Burkina Faso Attacked, Resulting in Dozens of Soldier Fatalities

An attack on a military detachment in eastBurkinaFaso on Thursday left 33 soldiers dead and 12 injured, the military-led government said, the latest bout of violence in a country locked in fighting against a jihadist insurgency.

The attack on Thursday morning targeted the military detachment of Ougarou, inBurkinaFasos Est Region.

The army said in a statement that the besieged soldiers killed at least 40 terrorists before reinforcements arrived.

BurkinaFaso is one of several West African nations battling a violent Islamist insurgency that has spread from neighbouring Mali over the past decade, killing thousands and displacing over 2 million.

Violence in the country has spiraled in recent months as authorities have struggled to regain ground despite boosting security operations.

Armed forces have meanwhile also been accused of indiscriminately killing civilians during anti-insurgency missions.

Men dressed in army uniforms killed at least 150 peopleduring a raid on a village in northernBurkinaFaso last week, according to the United Nations.

The military government condemned the attack earlier on Thursday and said it would investigate the events.

Frustrations over the authorities failure to protect civilians spurred two coups last year.

(REUTERS)
Israels right-wing coalition under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu organized a large march in Jerusalem on Thursday to support controversial judicial reforms that critics argue are undemocratic.

The supporters, waving Israeli flags, gathered in front of parliament, demanding judicial reform.

The governments proposed reforms aim to limit the authority of the Supreme Court and give politicians greater power over the selection of judges.

The administration argues that the changes are necessary to maintain a balance of power between lawmakers and the judiciary.

The reforms have deepened the divide within the nation and the coalition government. Netanyahu recently announced a pause to allow for negotiations after intense protests, strikes, and tensions among his allies.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin, the initiator of the reform, addressed the crowd, reassuring them that the government is committed to the judicial overhaul.

Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich also spoke, promising a better future for the nation. Israelis have demonstrated each week for the last four months against the proposed judicial overhaul.

President Isaac Herzog has been negotiating with both the government and opposition to try to reach a compromise. Netanyahu expressed his gratitude for the rally on Twitter, stating that it deeply moved him.
The truce between Sudans army and RSF militants is extended despite ongoing fighting.

Sudans opposing groups have agreed to extend a ceasefire agreement for another 72 hours. However, violence has continued in the capital, Khartoum, and the western region of Darfur, worrying the US about ceasefire violations.

The two factions, the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who together carried out a coup in October 2021, are currently in a power struggle, which has caused conflict for two weeks.

Many have died, and tens of thousands of people have fled. The United Nations, the African Union, and the quad countries welcomed the readiness of both factions to engage in dialogue concerning the ceasefire and ensuring access to humanitarian aid.

Despite a halt in fighting following the ceasefire, air strikes and anti-aircraft fire occurred in the capital and nearby cities on Thursday. The Sudanese conflict has limited food distribution, causing Sudanese civilians to leave Khartoum.

The Sudanese Doctors Union reported that 60 of 86 hospitals had ceased operations in the conflict zones.

The conflict between the army and RSF has destabilized a fragile region, leading to 512 peoples death and 4,200 injuries since April 15.
A collective show at CUE Art Foundation in New York reflects on the hybrid identities of Arab Americans. Called A thought is a memory, the show is curated by Noel Maghathe and runs until 13 May. The curator believes that a central issue for Arab-Americans is whether or not those who are either born in or migrated to the US are creating new narratives for themselves. And are they ever holding onto false memories?

The group show explores this issue and brings together work by four artists: Zeinab Saab, Kiki Salem, Nailah Taman and Zeina Zeitoun, all of whom have lineages going back to the Arab world and draw upon their varied backgrounds.

Through sculpture, photography, collage, animation and painting, the artists look at what happens when memories are disrupted by displacement, migration and political upheaval. They present works that reimagine their cultural hybridity as Arab Americans, layering experiences that are personal, familial, communal and political.

Maghathe  who goes by the pronouns they/them  feels that the conversation around the identity of Arab Americans has definitely evolved in recent years, both globally and within the art world. We are seeing more diverse and nuanced representations of Arab identity in art, literature, and popular culture within the mainstream media, they told me, highlighting the importance of having this show at this moment in time to create a platform for dialogue.

I view this exhibition as resistance in some form, said Maghathe. I believe that highlighting Arab creatives in all aspects of this exhibition challenges the dominant narratives around Arab identity in the United States.

If I didnt remember that I am, I wont be

As a Palestinian American, my personal relationship with the memories of my ancestors has been complex, they explain after tackling Arab heritage for the second time, following last years show at Wave Pool Art Centre called Amid, which centred on queer and women Palestinian artistic practices.

I see celebrating and subverting inherited identities as recognising the complexities and contradictions of our cultural heritage, pointing out that art is a means of exploring and redefining those identities, added the curator, who was inspired by a quote from late Lebanese-American artist and poet Etel Adnan for the shows title: If I didnt remember that I am, I wont be. Reason and memory move together.

As both an artist and a curator, Maghathe thinks about the creation of exhibitions through multiple lenses, and this helps them to connect with artists. I frequently communicate with the artists to get approval and make sure everyone was brought along in the process of displaying their work. Maybe this is because I am also an artist, so I understand the process on both sides.

The selection of artworks by the curator was centred around formal aspects, such as the unconventional use of colour, as well as thematic, like the reflections of moments of memory within the works. In addition to that, celebrated curator Sara Raza was a mentor for the show, guiding and giving her input to the project.

Kiki Salem: Traditional patterns and embroidery

Artist Kiki Salem is exhibiting three animations and two paintings at the show. The reverse side of the two projection screens  which showcase animations  have paintings of similar repeat patterns that appear to be melting.

The artist began working with this style this year, after spending three months in Palestine last summer. On that trip, she visited the last tile factory in Nablus and the last Keffiyeh factory in Al-Khalil (Hebron). My work is an attempt to honour, preserve and refresh the traditions that make our daily culture unique to our region, she explained.

Tradition is an interest that Salem has deepened, as she already felt like she inherited her affinity for traditional textiles from both her grandmothers, one Palestinian, one Brazilian, both of whom were dressmakers. I believe Im the last in my bloodline to do the kind of work that was part of womens daily life before my time. My Palestinian grandmother Fatima was a master embroiderer of Palestinian Tatreez (an embroidery style that is uniquely Palestinian).

The artist said that her grandmother spent the majority of her life developing Tatreez patterns that were sought after across Palestine. Salem studied her work, and while she recreated her patterns, she felt very connected to her. I admire her greatly. With her work, she provided for her children after my grandfather died.

Zeina Zeitoun: displacement, migration, trauma

The work that Zeina Zeitoun is exhibiting consists of four digital collages and one short film, based on her ever-growing collection of family videos and photos, poems and songs, as well as miscellaneous items collected during trips to Lebanon. These items were deconstructed to create an exact memory, or a new one that never existed. The collages are paired with a short film that was made in 2017 called Happiness is the Sea and My Baba Smiling.

The latter explores my fathers hidden past from my hazy perspective and the Lebanon he left behind, she told me. Displacement, migration and trauma heavily alter the way we remember, and what we remember, and Im certain that was the case for our ancestors. I have related to those generational memories, or lack thereof, in a way that feels lonely and soul-searching. How can we know our history and who we are if our displacement and migration have forced us to forget who we are for centuries?

Zeitoun thinks that its extremely important to celebrate the identities we inherited, but at the same time take into account that these wouldnt be where they are now if it werent for the inevitable subversion that comes with migration, displacement, trauma and time simply moving forward.

Nailah Taman: ancestral collaboration

Nailah Taman has three cloth pieces in the show. Taetas Tabletent connects to the themes of the show for its nature tied to ancestral collaboration and reworking of memories to incorporate generational needs and nourishments, without being revisionist about the past.

By adding objects encountered in my life, from things picked up on routes I take to the blanket from my bed patched into the table tent, I add my own memories and energies to the textile. I preserve bits of myself in resin that serves as windows to look through that have a natural distortion and perspective.

Etels Sigils are sculptural excerpts from Etel Adnans The Arab Apocalypse. Their forms are taken from the poetry, and anthropomorphised into bright and unworldly forms. In Plushieglyphs 1-5, a series of hand-sewn soft sculptures, the artist draws influence from petroglyphs and hieroglyphs to create plushieglyphs.

This is my interpretation of a new symbolic language rooted in comfort and softness. Utilising symbols is a use of language and art that helps another, more desirable world, said Taman. The study of archetypal images, symbols, and sigils delimits us from contemporary identity representation and returns us to the ancestral influences and tools we need to rebuild the New Unsettled World.

Zeinab Saab: childhood nostalgia

In her work at the show Zeinab Saab focuses on the grid, colour theory and childhood nostalgia. Its a nostalgia towards something I wanted but never had. Colours are intentionally bold and inspired by childhood art materials such as gel pens and Lisa Frank art products. I intended to mix childlike joy with formal artistic elements of design within a grid.

Rather than tapping into ancestry, the work taps into the artists younger self and allows that being to come to the foreground.

Saab believes that Arab Americans dont have to hold on to the identities that they have inherited, nor do they have to work on things that make their identity the focal point. The Islamic/Arab lineage is not overtly present in my work, but the grid, constant measuring, and precision is the language that binds me to the past. I am just translating it in a different time and place. The work for me is not as much a celebration of the inherited identities; rather its a subtle challenge of it.

The Evolution of the Arab American identity

Zeinab Saab thinks that we still live in a culture that is Islamophobic and yet at the same time she sees different generations of Arab Americans showing a great deal of complexity and nuance to the identity within different generations. In all honestly, the art coming from the Arab American diaspora excites me because it too does not want to fall into the trap of repeating the same motifs of who we are. They are investigating it, opening it, breaking it, and rebuilding Arab identity on foreign land with new communities they engage with every day, whether in person or virtually.

With the rise of the internet, Nailah Taman has witnessed an evolution in the discourse on Arab identities, which also translates into the ability to connect with other South-West Asian and North African (SWANA) artists from around the world and within the US. Ive met artist friends and collaborators through Instagram who have become lifelong community members.

For Zeina Zeitoun, the conversation around the identity of Arab Americans has definitely evolved in the art world, and is moving slowly outside to the wider society. Kiki Salem added the observation that Arab art and architectural design have always been appropriated, with very little credit given to the ancient cultures that developed them. That being said, Im excited about the future of Arab art and I want to be a part of this wave.



Installation view of A thought is a memory, curated by Noel Maghathe. Presented by CUE Art Foundation, 2023. Photo by Filip Wolak.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor or Informed Comment.
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Ann Arbor (Informed Comment)  The city council of Oslo, Norway, the Scandinavian countrys capital, has passed a decree boycotting the importation of goods from the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories seized in 1967. The city will also boycott Israeli companies involved in exploiting the resources in the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza.

The Oslo city council announced, foodstuffs coming from Israeli-occupied areas must be labelled with the area from which the product comes and must indicate that it is from an Israeli settlement, if that is its source.

The Norwegian government had already made a rule in 2022 that goods from the Occupied Territories could not be marked Made in Israel, only those produced inside Israel within its 1949 borders.

It may not be an accident that Oslo made this decision now. Daniel Boguslaw at The Intercept raised the question of whether the far, far right government of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, which is filled with open racists, fascists and Jewish supremacists, might be the best ally the movement for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) of Israel has ever had. Global headlines have been full of the hate filled comments of cabinet ministers such as Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir. Smotrich urged the ethnic cleansing of a Palestinian hamlet.

The Geneva Convention on occupied territories of 1949 and the Rome Statute that created the International Criminal Court in 2002 both strictly forbid countries that occupy the territory of neighbors in wartime from settling their own citizens in this territory. The stricture came in response to atrocities committed by the Axis powers in World War II, as when Germany occupied Poland in 1939 and settled it with German citizens even as the Nazis killed and displaced Poles in a bid to make Poland German and Aryan and to wipe out Slavs.

Israeli authorities have since the 1970s assiduously ignored international law and have subsidized the settling of hundreds of thousands of squatters on privately owned Palestinian farms, orchards and town property. At the same time, the Israeli state permanently locked some 300,000 Palestinians out of the West Bank and Gaza and has exerted various forms of pressure on them to emigrate abroad. They have also illegally annexed Palestinian East Jerusalem and part of the Palestinian West Bank near it, into which they are also putting squatters. Israeli squatter settlements are Jews-only and discriminate against Palestinian residents in Palestine itself.

Oslos principled stand is the form of BDS that I favor.



Via Pixabay: Oslo, file.

That is, I dont think it is fair to boycott ordinary Israelis, many of whom do not like the squatters or their goals. Israel sits in the United Nations as a recognized state, and Oslo is not interested in boycotting companies or products produced in the state as it came into the UN, under the borders of the 1949 armistice. However, virtually everything Israeli authorities have done in the West Bank and Gaza since they were seized in 1967 has been grossly illegal. Worse, Israeli authorities have deprived the occupied Palestinians of the basic right to citizenship in the state, keeping them without even the right to have rights.

Much post-war international law was passed in an attempt to implement a Never Again policy  no more aggressive wars, no more annexations of neighbors territory, no more genocides against minorities such as Jews, Romani, gays and Poles. In flouting international law, Israeli authorities undermine their own alleged commitment to the principle of Never again. They have launched aggressive wars, displaced hundreds of thousands of people (who now have 11 million descendants), illegally annexed territory, and have squatted on occupied territory. The Holocaust can be viewed through the lens of Jewish nationalism or Zionism, such that it becomes a justification for Jews to refuse to be bound by international law or yield to outside pressure. Or it can be viewed through the lens of a humanist universalism, such that it is one of many horrific genocides in the twentieth century  the Armenian, the Polish, the Cambodian, and so forth  and the lesson we take away from it is not a Likud or Religious Zionism get out of jail free card allowing the flouting of all laws and norms but the urgent necessity of upholding the UN Charter, the Geneva Conventions, and the Rome Statute with a determination that the lawlessness of the Nazis, of Mussolinis black shirts, and of the Japanese imperial armed forces should never be repeated.

Oslos boycott is in furtherance of a rules-based international order, and is therefore highly praiseworthy.
Russia's forced transfer of Ukrainian children amounts to genocide, the Council of Europe said Thursday in a resolution adopted by its parliamentary assembly.

Calling for the safe return of the children to Ukraine, the parliament said "the documented evidence of this practice matches with the international definition of genocide".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the resolution as an "important" decision that will help "hold Russia and its leaders to account".

The deportation of Ukrainian children is one element of "Russia's attempt to erase the identity of our people, to destroy the very essence of the Ukrainian people", he said in his evening address.

On March 17, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, citing the "unlawful deportation" of children.

The Hague-based court also issued a warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's presidential commissioner for children's rights.

Kyiv said in mid-April that more than 16,000 Ukrainian children had been "abducted" and taken to Russia since the start of the invasion on February 24 last year. It said many of them had been placed in care homes.

Thursday's resolution at the Council of Europe's parliament said there was "evidence that deported children had faced a process of 'russification' through re-education in Russian language, culture and history".

"These transfers of Ukrainian children were 'clearly being planned and organised in a systematic way' as state policy," said the resolution, with the aim of "annihilating every link to and feature of their Ukrainian identity".

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) called on the United Nations and the Red Cross to be granted access so they could gather information on the children concerned.

The 1948 convention on genocide refers to the forcible transfer of children among its defining criteria.

Following its invasion of Ukraine, Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe.

The organisation, which comprises 46 member states, was set up to monitor and uphold human rights in Europe.

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PACE
JUSTICE INFO: On April 25, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced at a press conference that the African National Congress (ANC), the party in power in South Africa since 1994, has asked that the country withdraws from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Then a bit later there was an about turn and the government said it wasnt what they meant. How do we explain this?

HOWARD VARNEY: Well, I would love to be a fly on the wall when those discussions happened. Someone can only speculate because people outside of the [ANC] party and certainly outside of the National Executive Committee don't really know. But what I can tell you is that there is quite a strong feeling amongst people in the ANC that it is time to withdraw from the ICC. And as you will recall, this is nothing new. If we rewind and go back to 2016-2017, around the visit of then President Al Bashir [of Sudan] to the African Union Heads of State summit in Johannesburg, the whole issue was sent and fronted. At that point, you recall that there was litigation, and court orders against government. They ignored those court orders. They allowed Bashir to leave in a very underhand manner, and then thereafter they proceeded to or they attempted at least to withdraw, making an executive decision which in turn was struck down by the courts. The court said, you can't just sign a decree, you've got to go through parliament.

They then came up with a bill which was put before parliament. That bill remained bubbling in parliament for several years, until just in the last few months the ANC eventually said they're not going to withdraw, but rather to work within the ICC, and also to push for the Malabo Protocol [that gives criminal jurisdiction to the African Court of Justice and Human Rights] to be ratified by enough countries so that local criminal justice solutions could be pursued.

So what changed recently, did the anti ICC forces within ANC feel stronger?

I think the only thing that can explain it or precipitated that announcement was the dilemma that South Africa is facing with the upcoming visit of Vladimir Putin, who's one of the members of the BRICS states. So there is a BRICS Head of State summit due to take place in Durban in August. And many in the ANC simply cannot bring themselves to execute a warrant of arrest against the President of Russia while he's attending a glamorous event. That's a step too far for them.

But then a withdrawal now would not change the dilemma over the visit of Putin, because there is a one year delay before a withdrawal from the ICC is effective.

Absolutely. That clause is applicable. So we're bound by it.

And do you think they didn't see that?

There probably many within the party who are not legally aware of the finer details and who don't know about it. But certainly the lawyers within the ANC would know that you can announce anything you like right now, your obligations will remain in place for a whole year. And until then, you've got to comply with everything the ICC asks you to do. And unless the ICC withdraws the arrest warrant or cancels those charges, South Africa is duty bound to effect that arrest. And I can tell you that the same organizations that went to court previously are busy preparing to [the challenge] and we may very well be faced with another constitutional crisis in a matter of weeks.

Do you see any difference between the situation in 2016 and today's? Or is it exactly the same set of tensions and legal obstacles?

I suspect those in the ANC would argue that many of the issues that were being discussed back in 2016 are still relevant today. Back then, there was the big peace versus justice debate, and that slavishly sticking with the ICC would interfere with South Africa's ability to negotiate peace deals and be a peace broker. That's not the big issue right now, although I have little doubt that it'll be raised again. Right now, the big issue is South Africa's obligation under the act to affect the arrest. And many in the ANC now see membership of the Rome Statute as interfering with their ability to conduct international diplomacy, which, in turn conflicts with a decision of the party that South Africa had played quite a central role in developing the Rome Statute and setting up the International Criminal Court. Throughout the 1990s, South Africa was one of the driving forces [behind the ICC]. It had the strong support from people such as Nelson Mandela. And indeed, at the time, for example, Mandela was the lead peace broker in Burundi. And he's actually on record saying that he sees no conflict between pursuing those peace negotiations and pursuing justice through the ICC. Within the party, they've taken a decision that it's time to reform the ICC from within, but that historically it wouldn't be a good idea to withdraw. And then suddenly this happened, and that has thrown the cat amongst the pigeons.

What do you expect to happen in August?

Well, it's anybody's guess right now. I think there are some within Foreign Affairs that are really hoping that Putin is going to say, look, I'm managing a war right now, I'm quite tied up, I will join for one or two sessions via Zoom, and that would, of course, resolve everything. Postponing the meeting, holding it somewhere else, that would all be convenient for South Africa. If none of that happens and everybody digs in their heels and he does come, then that will usher in yet another constitutional crisis. Because the courts have already said in the Bashir case that we are duty bound to effect the arrest. And actually, prior to that, it's quite likely that some civil society organizations will be approaching the courts on an urgent basis and seeking what's called a declaration so that a question will be posed to the courts dealing with not an academic matter, but a real life one and the courts will rule yet again that the state is obliged to effect the arrest. And if that happens and the president and government decide to ignore the ruling of the courts, then that will be fundamentally problematic for our constitutional order. , There have been examples of government departments ignoring court orders, but eventually they do comply. But where you have the President himself saying to the constitutional court, I will not obey that particular order, then that is a complete betrayal of what we fought against during the Apartheid days.

We were at one point a leading nation in the fight for human rights. We can't really be regarded as that anymore, given various positions that the government has taken. But up until this time, we've always been seen as a constitutional dispensation that respects the rule of law. So it will be more than just a bag of hot potatoes.

Behind the tension exposed by the governments contradictory statements there's a much more global defiance where the ICC is seen as a tool of the West applying double standards in their prosecutions. Do you feel that matters a lot in South Africa and that South Africans just want to make a point that it's not acceptable?

It certainly is a big issue, and I think it's one of the factors driving policy on this matter. There is strong sentiment in South Africa, more particularly within the ANC and left leaning political groupings, that there is a certain double standard when it comes to global justice, and with some justification. Personally, I think it was correct that an indictment was issued against Putin. But then if one looks at the role of the West in a country like Iraq and the role that President Bush and Prime Minister Blair played in it, one would have thought that they should have been investigated as well, and if necessary, indicted. But needless to say, that never happened. So that's a clear double standard. And yes, one shouldn't really be getting into a what aboutism type argument, but certainly on the streets here, that is a big sentiment. And certainly within the ANC I would say that is probably the dominant sentiment. One must always remember that it was the Soviet Union, not the West, that were the primary backers of the armed struggle in South Africa. They were the ones providing weapons and training. The West wasn't doing so. So there is a lot of loyalty that remains with Russia. Yes, of course, today Russia is not the Soviet Union and the ideologies are fundamentally different. But nonetheless, that sentimentality is still there. So there is a strong anti West approach that is discernible.

And as a result, do you feel Ukraine has increased that tension and that sentiment?

Yes, I think it has. A lot of people would normally be vigorously opposed to any country invading and violating the sovereignty of another country. One sees all kinds of sophisticated type arguments being put up to try and justify the invasion, which under any other circumstance, they would never have done so. But because of the history and because of that sentiment, you do see these arguments, which in my view, have little merit being pursued.

Do you expect South Africa to eventually withdraw from the ICC at this point?

I think it would be very difficult for South Africa to withdraw at this stage. There was a moment where they had that bill before Parliament, and that was the moment. To restart that whole program would be exceedingly difficult and would take several years. So I don't see South Africa withdrawing anytime soon. When people realize that even if you do withdraw now, it's not going to affect what happens in August and whatever happens in the next year, they will see the futility of it.

And how do you see the incident this week affecting the ICC itself?

It is undermining and unsettling for the ICC to have, you know, one of the states parties that were so central to its birth and creation, engaging in this kind of flip flop approach. So, yes, it doesn't help the ICC in this regard. Then again, unfortunately, we were once seen as something of the gold standard on questions such as justice and international affairs and diplomacy. We're hardly that anymore. We're no longer seen as a country that is a beacon of hope and human rights. I don't think we are taken as seriously as we once were. And it may be that those in the ICC simply dismiss this as the bickerings of a bunch of lightweights.

As an average South African, I certainly hope that everybody sees the light of day and that Vladimir Putin doesn't fly to Durban in August, because if he does, it is going to be seriously disruptive to the South African state and the norms that we have been trying to establish since democracy in 1994.
Idol-actor Suho is rumored to have his small screen comeback through this upcoming season of the series "Arthdal Chronicles ." Want to know more about his possible work? Then read on.

EXO's Suho To Have Cameo in Lee Joon Gi's 'Arthdal Chronicles 2'

Based on a news cited by a media outlet on April 27, EXO member Suho is announced to make his special appearance in the long-awaited "Arthdal Chronicles 2." This marks his first small screen comeback following military discharge.

He is set to share the frame with the drama's cast members Lee Joon Gi, Shin Se Kyung, Kim Ok Vin, and Jang Dong Gun. Regarding his participation, the drama's production has yet to release a statement about the actor's role.

What We Know So Far About 'Arthdal Chronicles 2'

In "Arthdal Chronicles 2" the new and old cast will create a new story. In particular, the second sequel will happen about eight years after Tagon took the throne. The filming already started but the release date of this fantasy drama is still unannounced.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Lee Joon Gi Transforms Into Fierce Warrior in 'Arthdal Chronicles' Season 2 Stills

In addition to the released synopsis of the upcoming book two, over the course of more than eight years, Arthdal managed to suppress a major rebellion of the tribes slaughtered by Tagon in season 1. Under Eunseom's leadership, the Ago people finally achieved freedom. In season 2, Tagon's kingdom and the Ago Union will depict an inevitable great war.

What's Next For EXO Leader Suho

Moreover, attention is focused on what Suho will look like in his short appearance in "Arthdal Chronicles 2."

Apart from the fantasy series, EXO's Suho is also starring in the forthcoming JTBC drama "Hip." He will share the frame with Lee Min Ki and Han Ji Min. Adding to his acting project this year is the musical play 'Mozart!' where he will portray one of the protagonists.

EXO's Sehun Prepares to Captivate Fans With New Romance Drama

Another EXO member is returning to the small screen this 2023. Suho's co-member Sehun is ready to captivate the fans' and viewers' hearts again as he marks his much-anticipated drama "All That We Loved."

The drama is scheduled to premiere on May 5 on TVING.

What can you say about EXO Suho's appearance in "Arthdal Chronicles 2"? Share your thoughts/replies in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.

Shai Collins wrote this.
Lee Jae Wook took to social media to thank Go Yoon Jung for the special gift he received on the set of his new project.

The actor, who is booked and busy with multiple projects, expressed his gratitude to the "Alchemy of Souls" co-star after she sent a coffee truck on the set of his shoot.

Lee Jae Wook's Instagram Featured a Food Truck Sent By 'Alchemy of Souls' Co-Star Go Yoon Jung

On Lee Jae Wook's Instagram story, the actor posted a series of snaps as he posed in front of the coffee truck.

In a separate post, he posted a coffee containing a special message from Go Yoon Jung.

Along with a photo from Lee Jae Wook's Instagram, the actress wrote a funny phrase that read, "I'm Lee Jae Wook's fan," to which the co-star responded with a facepalm emoji.

The "Alchemy of Souls" lead stars continued their friendship even after the second season ended.

Back in January 2023, it was Lee Jae Wook who sent Go Yoon Jung a coffee tuck to show his support for the movie "Moving."

The actor made the actress laugh after teasing her with a banner that says "Refreshments from the next door rich young master," in reference to their "Alchemy Of Souls" characters.

As mentioned, the second season wrapped up the series with a successful finale.

After months since "Alchemy of Souls," season 2, ended, their friendship continues to blossom.

Lee Jae Wook and Go Yoon Jung's Friendship

During their shoot with Elle magazine, Lee Jae Wook spoke about their working relationship with Go Yoon Jung.

As obtained by a media outlet, the South Korean heathrob shared that "they built a strong bond" thanks to the fantasy romance series, adding "there were even times when I'd get jealous. I have a desire that the scenes [she took] with me look the prettiest and are the most heart-wrenching in the drama."

On the other hand, Go Yoon Jung is confident that her co-star will pull off amazing scenes and said that she "already knew that Lee Jae Wook was a good actor."

However, the actress pointed out that he "showed even more stellar acting" in "Alchemy of Souls."

Lee Jae Wook's New Drama: Actor Stars in 'Royal Loader'

Following the news that Lee Jae Wook was confirmed to headline the upcoming K-drama "Royal Loader," rumors sparked that they were gearing up for the release of the series.

An online post claims that he is filming his next drama alongside Hong Su Zu and Lee Jun Young, which will be released on Disney+.

"Royal Loader" depicts the story of a chaebol family that will feature conflicts over power and wealth.

According to a media outlet, Lee Jae Wook's new drama has a 20 billion won, or 14 million USD, production budget, raising anticipation about the upcoming K-drama.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Lee Jae Wook Makes Successful Movie Debut as Villain in Netflix's 'Kill Bok Soon'

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
ENA Channel made a surprise announcement declaring that the record-breaking series "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" is having a special broadcast. Keep on reading for more details.

Special Broadcast of 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' Episodes To Release This April

On April 27, ENA Channel announced that they will broadcast the first episode of "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" from 9:30 p.m. (KST) on April 28 and the last episode from 11 p.m. (KST).

In addition, the broadcasting company will release a special video that contains the best episodes of the popular K-drama. It is also to commemorate "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" for having the most number of nominations for the upcoming 59th Baeksang Arts Awards.

Furthermore, the affiliated channel ENA Drama will organize the first to sixth episodes of the hit legal drama for two days on April 29 and 30 and continue to air until May.

The famous drama follows the challenging yet amazing journey of Woo Young Woo, a smart rookie lawyer who has an autism spectrum disorder. She never forgets what she sees, but she lacks social skills and empathy.

ENA Channel Commemorates 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo's' Ongoing Success

Even though the series concluded in August 2022, it received a total of 10 nominations in the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Picture, Best Director (Yoo In Sik and Moon Ji Won), Best Female Actor (Park Eun Bin), Best Supporting Actor (Kang Ki Young), Best Female Rookie (Joo Jong Hyuk), and Best Female Newcomer (Hyun Young and Ha Yoon).

ENA Channel planned the special broadcast to celebrate the tremendous achievement that the K-series are receiving.

The company's content strategy head Shin Jae Hyung shared, "We prepared this special program for viewers who want to meet again the cast and the amazing story of 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo,' which is consistently loved and nominated for the Baeksang Arts Awards even though the drama already ended last year."

Meanwhile, the cast members of the trending K-series are expected to be present this April 28 at the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards to be held at Paradise City, Incheon. The event proper will start at 5:30 p.m. (KST).

Fans and viewers are excited to see who among the list of stars will take home major awards this year.

What can you say about the upcoming special broadcast of Park Eun Bin's drama? Share your replies in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.

Shai Collins wrote this.
Park Bo Gum and IU's new drama, "You Have Done Well," receives displeasure from locals as they begin their production.

Despite the Netflix series featuring two top stars, the upcoming K-drama brought disappointment due to the inconvenience it reportedly caused while filming the series.

Park Bo Gum & IU's Drama 'You Have Done Well' Receives Complaints From Locals

As mentioned by a media outlet, a post in an online community gained the attention of Koreans after a local complained about a filming site for an upcoming series. It was later revealed that the project was for IU and Park Bo Gum's new drama, "You Have Done Well."

In an online post, the uploader recalled the experience and said that they came to see the Gochang Green Barley Field Festival. Unfortunately, it was near the location of the filming season, and they were barred from entering due to the ongoing filming.

Besides being forbidden to enter the vicinity, the visitors were also blocked from taking photos of the canola flower field.

"A staff member blocked me and said, 'You can't go in here because we are filming a drama,'" the post said, adding, "It was so far away that the naked eye couldn't tell who was filming."

On the other hand, Sports Today reported that the location where the filming and festival took place was a private area. The production team reportedly had a contract agreement with the owner regarding the shooting of "You Have Done Well."

Meanwhile, the Gochang-gun Office, which organized the festival, was unaware that a filming session was also held on the same day.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Korean Top Stars Who Will Make Comeback This 2023: Gong Hyo Jin, Lee Min Ho, More

The owner confirmed the news, saying that they "gave permission for them to film."

Moreover, the owner and the production company politely asked tourists for their understanding since a series was currently being filmed in the area, "but the recipients of this request may have a different perspective on accepting it."

'You Have Done Well' Production Apologizes Following Complaints Regarding Filming

Despite the statement of the property owner, the production company sincerely apologized for the people who experienced inconvenience.

In a statement, as mentioned by the same outlet, the team explained that they "made efforts to minimize the inconvenience during the process of ensuring safe filming and preventing spoiler leaks."

However, they expressed an apology for "not paying more attention to those who have taken their valuable time to visit the area."

'You Have Done Well' Cast, Release Date, More About IU & Park Bo Gum's Drama

Back in January 2023, Park Bo Gum and IU confirmed their appearances for the upcoming series, helmed by "My Mister" director.

Set in Jeju Island, the romance series will depict the story of two individuals named Ae Soon and Gwan Shik, who were born and raised on the island sometime in the 1950s.

Joining as fellow lead stars are Moon So Ri and Park Hae Joon, the older versions of Ae Soon and Gwan Shik.

Set to be released in 2025, "You Have Done Well" will premiere on Netflix.

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

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Written by Geca Wills
As Im pre-charting for my primary care clinic, I see Ms. C on the schedule, whom I know well through our nearly monthly follow-up visits over the past two and a half years of residency. We talk in Spanish as its her preferred language. She shares her escalating distress over being an immigrant, a full-time caregiver for her dad with advancing dementia and three kids, and current marital issues while managing her anxiety, depression, fibromyalgia, IBS, and pelvic pain syndrome. She has seen multiple specialists, used virtually all the common psychotropic medications, and tried transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy, yet she still reports suffering greatly. It has gotten so bad that she is now going to the ER regularly, seeking relief, putting her at increased risk of opiate exposure.

Sadly, her situation is not rare. Many of my patients have demonstrated the limits of current biomedical models to alleviate or truly cure complex problems that touch the emotional, spiritual, and social domains. As a soon-to-graduate primary care resident, I find myself wondering how well-prepared I am to help her and what other forms of support would be most beneficial.

Psychedelic therapies have recently been in the headlines, and with the trends toward decriminalization in some states, some patients are seeking them out. Like other complementary and integrative related approaches, many patients do not share their interest in these therapies with their doctors because of fear of criticism, among others. Yet, even if our patients said to us, Hey, what do you think about psilocybin psychedelic therapy for what I have, doc? Are we, as primary care and specialist doctors, really ready to talk about it with them in a balanced and well-informed way?

The business world has clearly paid lots of attention to the emerging promising results of psychedelics research, especially in mental health and trauma, and an explosion of wellness-focused retreats, therapy centers, and expensive out-of-pocket treatments are increasingly becoming available worldwide. Users-led advocacy groups are also expanding rapidly, and it seems the trend is growing exponentially.

Meanwhile, a quick search of the keywords psychedelics, psilocybin, and hallucinogens on the American College of Physicians website led to zero results. At the American Medical Association, the first result is a report of the Council on Science and Public Health named Emerging Drugs of Abuse are a Public Health Threat. Even the NIHs NCCIH has no key documents discussing this topic.

There has been a growing body of research on the therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances, particularly in the treatment of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, existential distress, and PTSD. Several clinical trials have found that psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, can significantly sustain improvements in depression, anxiety, and existential distress in patients with life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer. For example, a randomized, double-blind study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that a single dose of psilocybin produced significant reductions in depression and anxiety in patients with cancer-related psychological distress. These effects persisted for up to six times months. Another study involving patients with treatment-resistant depression who received two doses of psilocybin along with psychological support, showed significant improvements in depressive and anxiety symptoms that lasted for up to 12 months. No serious adverse events were reported, and the treatment was well-tolerated by the participants.

For thousands of years, traditional indigenous groups have used psychedelics as sacred medicines, seeing them not as drugs to treat an illness but as guides or teachers to facilitate deeply spiritual healing that unites the body, mind, and spirit. In contrast to the biomedical model of treating symptoms as isolated from the whole person, traditional medical systems view individuals as interconnected beings whose well-being requires restoring balance and harmony to all aspects of their being.

Psychedelics are known to produce profound alterations in consciousness, including changes in perception, thought, and emotion. The exact mechanism of action of these substances is not fully understood, but one prominent theory is that they work by binding to and activating serotonin receptors in the brain, causing changes in the activity of neural circuits.

Another theory suggests that psychedelics may work by increasing the plasticity of neural networks in the brain, enhancing the ability to form new connections between neurons and to break down existing patterns of thought and behavior, allowing for novel insights and experiences.

In addition to the theories mentioned above, scientific research is trying to grasp the essence of the mystical experiences described as potential mechanisms through which psychedelics work. These mystical experiences are often described as a sense of unity, interconnectedness, and transcendence of time and space, and may be a key component of the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. These topics that relate to consciousness and otherworldly experiences are not part of common medical speak or understanding at this time.

The lack of information on psychedelics in the mainstream medical community can lead to patients seeking these therapies without the guidance or co-management of their health care professionals, potentially putting them at increased risk. It is crucial for us as doctors to be informed, as well as to honor and respect the origins of these traditional medicines and be up to date with the emerging research supporting their safe and equitable use for specific patient populations.

I believe a starting point to grow awareness of psychedelics would be through medical education, starting with medical students and residents. That would look like having a session or workshop that would support students to reflect on their own biases and perceptions of these therapies, and potentially opening up to the possibility of other ways of knowing and healing that traditional medicines may teach us. Health systems could also apply this to provide carved-in time for in-service training for primary care doctors. By doing so, we can provide our patients like Ms. C with the best possible care, addressing their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Thais Salles Araujo is an internal medicine resident.
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In the spring of 2020, as COVID-19 swept through hospitals in the tri-state area, Dr. Lorna Breen, a physician who served as the medical director of the emergency department at New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, contracted COVID while caring for patients. Shortly after returning to work under relentlessly overwhelming circumstances, she died by suicide.

Dr. Breen had no prior mental health conditions.

As her story made national headlines, Dr. Breens death became the symbol of the tragic burdens placed on health care workers, including the stigma of seeking mental health care. This deep-rooted cultural stigma that pervades the U.S. health care system is directly related to the numerous barriers faced by health care providers seeking mental health services: negative career implications, confidentiality concerns, lack of resources and support, and associated costs.

As a result, doctors and nurses often suffer the plight of heroes: publicly lauded for self-sacrifice while privately facing adversity in isolation. We should not be surprised that nurses and doctors in the U.S. have higher risks of dying by suicide.

From 2017 to 2018 alone, 729 nurses died by suicide. The prevalence of physician suicide has also been increasing, with over a third of physician deaths by suicide from 2003-2017 occurring between 2015-2017. A pre-COVID study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings that analyzed responses from 5197 physicians found that 1 in 15 U.S. physicians had thoughts of taking their own life.

A year after the pandemic began, the Physicians Foundation 2021 Survey of Americas Physicians, based on 2,504 responses, showed that more than half (55%) of physicians know of a physician who has either considered, attempted, or died by suicide in their career.

Another report published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that 30% of 2373 U.S. physician survey respondents in 2020 reported high levels of anxiety or depression.

We have both worked in health care settings where providers have died by suicide and experienced the devastating impact that results.

Time alone does not heal.

In addition to touching the lives of their friends, loved ones, and colleagues, physicians, and nurses care for thousands of patients throughout their careers.

The ripple effect of each loss is a grief we all must bear.

Dr. Breens life and death inspired her sister, Jennifer Feist, JD, and her brother-in-law, Corey Feist, JD, MBA, a health care executive, to form the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation. A national movement followed, culminating in the enactment of the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (HR 1667) on March 18, 2022 to address behavioral health and well-being among health care professionals.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Health Resources and Services Administration awarded $103 million over three years to reduce burnout and promote mental health in the health workforce.

One year after the passage of this landmark legislation, we interviewed Mr. Feist about its initial impact. He explains this law, which had bipartisan, bicameral support, was designed as the first two or three steps of a full staircase of health policy.

Though this legislation was monumental, he notes: Only 45 [hospital] institutions out of 6000 in the country, which is less than 1%, were able to be funded. In this next grant process, we need to increase funding to include more organizations, especially rural and smaller organizations, and reach more health care providers.

We must also broaden the focus of the grants, not only to focus on individual resilience and mental health, but also to fund projects that are focused on operational improvement.

The pandemic magnified the disparities in access and outcomes and the inefficiencies of the health care system, exacerbating health care provider burnout.

Despite mounting evidence demonstrating the implications of burnout on patients, providers, and the health care system, the status quo has been resistant to change, impacting health care access and delivery for everyone.

According to Medscapes Physician Depression and Burnout Report 2023, which surveyed over 9100 physicians across more than 29 specialties, 53% of physicians said they were burned out. Remarkably, the top three factors that contribute most to physician burnout are the same as they were five years ago: too many bureaucratic tasks (61%), lack of respect from coworkers (38%), and too many work hours (37%).

Agency and organizational leadership, in addition to multi-dimensional involvement of local, state, and national leadership, are needed to effect systems change.

As Feist points out, the National Academy of Medicines National Plan for Health and Workforce Well-being, lays out a roadmap for systems change, and its really a matter of putting the roadmap into place step-by-step. The National Plan builds on a foundation of research and collaboration that calls on multiple actors  including health care and public health care leaders, government, payers, industry to help drive policy and systems change.

The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation has been working to change the law at state levels and provides toolkits for health care providers and leaders to remove barriers to mental health access. Feist explains, We must remove barriers to mental health access that apply uniquely to licensed health care workers: barriers in licensing applications, credentialing applications, and hospitals. We also need to make the confidential pathways to access mental health care abundantly clear for this workforce.

Medical professionals can contact their state medical boards to advocate for change.

Like most physicians, Dr. Lorna Breen entered medicine to serve. Unfortunately, she paid the ultimate price as too many did. With the continued work of the foundation and legislation enacted in her name, Dr. Breens legacy has made her an advocate for all health care providers who have died by suicide and for those who currently struggle.

We must ensure that these initial steps not only endure but expand and prevail so that she  and all health care providers who have died by suicide  will live on not only through the many lives they have touched but also through necessary, systemic reform for the colleagues with whom they served.

Jessica Singh is an emergency physician. Lorenzo Norris is a psychiatrist.
Health experts have asked policymakers to formulate policies that will lead the country to address the challenges of the unmet need for family planning-related commodities.

The Director of Curative Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Charles Olaro says, addressing the issues of family planning is crucial for the country in terms of curbing issues such as poverty which is affecting a number of people in the country.

He says that currently, there is a high dependence ratio in the country, and on average, one working Ugandan adult looks after about 7-9 persons.

He says, there is a need to reduce the unmet need for contraceptives to less than 10% and also increase the modern contraceptives prevalence to 46.6% by the year 2025.

He made the remarks while officiating at the Launch of a partnership between the Ministry of Health and Marie Stops aimed at strengthening the public sector sustainable investment in Uganda to address issues of unmet need for contraceptives in the country.
Buganda Kingdom premier, Charles Peter Mayiga, has strongly condemned the manner in which police officers manhandled a group of female Members of Parliament (MPs) who were protesting at Parliament recently.

The group had planned to take their petition to the Ministry of Internal Affairs against RDCs and police officers move to stop events organized by female MPs to celebrate belated Womens Day in their respective districts.

While addressing members of Uganda Law Society led by their president, who had paid a courtesy visit to Bulange Mengo, Mayiga condemned police for disrespecting the Female MPs according to how they were arrested, noting that women should be respected because they are the foundation of any state.

He also condemned the brutal use of force on people who are unarmed, saying it was not necessary.

Meanwhile, Mayiga asked the commander-in-chief, President Yoweri Museveni not to take police acts lightly.
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(Kitco News) - Automaker Stellantis (NYSE: STLA) today announced the signing of a binding offtake agreement with Alliance Nickel (ASX: AXN) for the supply of 170,000 tons of nickel sulphate and 12,000 tons of cobalt sulphate in total over an initial five-year period.

The company said that these volumes represent approximately 40% of forecast annual production of the NiWest nickel-cobalt project in Western Australia, adding that pricing for the nickel and cobalt sulphate is linked to index prices.

In addition, Stellantis agreed to purchase 9.2 million (AUD15 million) in new equity in Alliance Nickel, giving it an 11.5% shareholding on completion and rights to nominate one director to the Alliance board.

"The commitments of Dare Forward 2030 and our industry-leading decarbonization drive are built on the foundation of a guaranteed supply of key materials for our battery electric vehicles," said CEO Carlos Tavares. "The partnership with Alliance Nickel is an important element of our plan to provide clean, safe and affordable mobility for people throughout the world."

According to a press release, funds from the equity purchase will be applied to the completion of the NiWest project definitive feasibility study and engineering design works, expected in the last quarter of 2023.

As part of the Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan, Stellantis announced plans of reaching 100% of the passenger car battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales mix in Europe and 50% of passenger car and light-duty truck BEV sales mix in the United States by 2030.

Stellantis aims to slash CO2 in half by 2030, benchmarking 2021 metrics, and achieve carbon net zero by 2038 with single digit percentage compensation of the remaining emissions.

Stellantis said it is assembling a roster of key partnerships to ensure a stable supply of key materials for its electrified future. In addition to Alliance Nickel, Stellantis has partnerships with McEwen Copper, Terrafame, Vulcan Energy, Element 25 and Controlled Thermal Resources.

Stellantis is one of the worlds leading automakers and a mobility provider. Its brands include Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, Vauxhall, Free2move and Leasys.

Alliance Nickel is an ASX-listed nickel and critical minerals development company with its principal asset being its flagship 100% owned NiWest nickel-cobalt project containing one of the highest-grade undeveloped nickel laterite resources in Australia.
April 28 (Reuters) - Any takeover bid for Canadian miner Teck Resources Ltd will have to get through a "rigorous process" to win government approval, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in an interview to Bloomberg Television on Friday. The prime minister's comments comes after Teck withdrew its plan to split into two earlier this week ahead of a shareholder vote on it, as the miner tries to fend off $22.5 billion takeover attempt from Glencore Plc . Trudeau said if the government is asked to approve a deal, it will be consistent in applying Canada's takeover rules "so investors can know what they're getting into".

Teck had for weeks defended its plan to separate its copper and coal businesses as a better option for shareholders, but could not convince the majority of them. Glencore said on Thursday its takeover bid for Teck Resources still stands. The two companies did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

(Reporting by Arunima Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)
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(Kitco News) - Anthony Scaramucci, the founder of SkyBridge Capital, has pulled back the curtain on the frantic final days of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, including what Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) and his father Joseph Fried were telling him, the role of Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ), and the state of the exchanges Bahamas war room as SBFs crypto empire teetered on the brink of bankruptcy.

Scaramucci, who was also the White House Director of Communications under Trump for ten days in 2017, shared the story during a panel discussion at Consensus 2023 entitled FTX: What Happened?, saying he wanted to provide context to the events that led up to the implosion of the second-largest crypto exchange last November.

I've had some time to talk with CZ about the situation, he said. I think ultimately some people are of the belief that CZ put Sam out of business. That is not the case, and so I just want to state that explicitly.

Scaramucci said he doesnt believe CZ even tried to sink FTX, but was reacting to disclosures that were becoming public and to statements Sam was making in meetings with industry insiders. Weirdly, the trip that we took to the Middle East sort of catalyzed all of this, he said, referring to a fundraising tour with SBF to Riyadh, Dubai and Abu Dhabi in late October 2022. Sam was saying some things in some meetings [..] in Dubai that were derogatory of CZ.

Scaramucci said that when CZ heard the comments, he wasnt happy; he was very upfront on Twitter that there was obviously a problem, and he decided to put his FTT tokens up for sale. But if Sam was running the business appropriately, and he wasn't participating in the nefarious ways that he was in the business, the business would have been fine.

Some people have got on a stage like this and said well, CZ put Sam out of business. No, Sam put Sam out of business, by the way he ran that business.

Scaramucci said he was in Sarasota, Florida, on Nov. 7 when he heard rumblings that something was wrong at FTX. The exchange had recently purchased a 30% stake in SkyBridge, so Scaramucci was effectively partnered with Sam, giving him a vested interest in the performance of FTX as well as direct access to the highest levels of the company.

I got back to New York and I spoke to Sam's dad about the problem, he said. It was intimated to me that it was an asset-liability mismatch, that they were meeting redemptions and there were assets available, but they weren't necessarily liquid and they needed time to get the liquidity, and they were looking for some rescue finance.

He said he asked Joseph Bankman how much they needed. They were talking about a billion dollars, which seemed a lot of money, but certainly would be manageable in the context of the size of the business.

But later in the evening, that number went from $1 billion to $4.5 billion.

Scaramucci said he recognized at that time that there was clearly a problem, and it's a bigger problem than they want to admit to. He decided to book a flight that evening to the Bahamas to see what was happening for himself. I put my name and reputation at stake, he said. I introduced Sam to a lot of people. I organized a dinner for the likes of Tony Blair and Bill Clinton and a whole host of luminaries one short year ago.

Scaramucci said that when he got to FTXs Albany compound, he saw desperation and despair. I would say that the war room was despondent, he said. It was clear to a few people that there was a very small group of people that had done some things that they didn't let the other group of people into.

Sam was there, he looked disassociated, he was apologizing to me for what happened, he was claiming that it was mislabeling, he said. Remember, this is now Tuesday [Nov. 8], and there was some discussion in the early morning about CZ buying the business. But I think once CZ got to look at the business, that non-binding letter that they signed, he realized that it was not possible to really buy that business. Just three days later, FTX and all its subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy.

Scaramucci also said that when the full story comes out, he believes it will end up being a very small number of wrongdoers at FTX. If you look at the Madoff situation, three or four people in a closed loop, he said. I think as this story unfolds, if it eventually gets to trial, you'll see that it was three or four people in a closed loop that perpetrated the crime. And obviously, it's in the paper and the Department of Justice has announced this, three of those four people have already pled guilty.

It'll be very interesting to see how Sam makes the decision on his own plea. He's saying he's innocent for now we'll have to see if it gets to trial.

The next status conference for Bankman-Frieds case is set for June 15 at 3:30 p.m. EDT. The criminal trial is scheduled to begin on October 2, 2023.
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(Kitco News) - After Chile's President Gabriel Boric announced a nationalization plan for his country's lithium sector, miners are still striving to understand what the ruling means, noted Fastmarkets William Adams.

On Friday Adams recorded Kitco Roundtable with mining audiences manager Michael McCrae and correspondent Paul Harris. Adams is head of battery metals research at Fastmarkets.

Last week lithium miners dropped on news that Chile plans to nationalize its lithium sector, the world's second largest producer of the metal essential in electric vehicle batteries. The government said that nationalization would boost the country's economy and protect its environment.

After the news lithium giant Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (SQM) dropped 18% to $63.44 a share. Albemarle slid 10% to $173.75.

The lithium space had already been hit by falling lithium prices, which Benchmark Mineral Intelligence says is down by half since the start of the year.

Adams said that there is not much clarity about the government's plans. Current contracts are supposed to be exempt from the government's new initiative.

"All these negotiations are going to take a long time," said Adams. "That creates a lot of doubt. It's going to take a long time before we get clarity. In the meantime, I think the danger is that it threatens further investment."
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Plenty of sunshine. High 67F. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low around 35F. NNW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph.
Two helicopters that crashed Thursday near Healy, Alaska, were part of the US Army's 1st Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright.
Children among at least 23 killed in early-morning Russian strike on Ukrainian apartment block
Bridgeworth LLC increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH  Get Rating) by 4.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 561 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock after buying an additional 22 shares during the quarter. Bridgeworth LLCs holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $297,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. O Dell Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 76.9% in the 3rd quarter. O Dell Group LLC now owns 69 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Legend Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter worth $37,000. Investors Research Corp grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 51.1% during the 4th quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 71 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Bourgeon Capital Management LLC grew its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 192.3% during the 4th quarter. Bourgeon Capital Management LLC now owns 76 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the 4th quarter worth $42,000. 86.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Activity at UnitedHealth Group

In other UnitedHealth Group news, EVP Erin Mcsweeney sold 1,008 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $484.58, for a total transaction of $488,456.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 10,359 shares in the company, valued at $5,019,764.22. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UnitedHealth Group Stock Up 1.1 %

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. They set an overweight rating and a $591.00 price target for the company. Raymond James reaffirmed a strong-buy rating and set a $630.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Friday, April 14th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $610.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an outperform rating and set a $592.00 price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Loop Capital upped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $590.00 to $600.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $600.88.

Shares of UNH traded up $5.25 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $488.20. The stock had a trading volume of 1,258,968 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,577,138. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $486.18 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $505.81. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a twelve month low of $449.70 and a twelve month high of $558.10. The firm has a market cap of $455.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.77.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Friday, April 14th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $6.24 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $91.93 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $89.77 billion. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 27.05% and a net margin of 6.16%. UnitedHealth Groups quarterly revenue was up 14.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $5.49 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 24.98 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 21st. Investors of record on Monday, March 13th were paid a $1.65 dividend. This represents a $6.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.35%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 10th. UnitedHealth Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.18%.

About UnitedHealth Group

(Get Rating)

UnitedHealth Group, Inc engages in the provision of health care coverage, software, and data consultancy services. It operates through the following segments: UnitedHealthcare, OptumHealth, OptumInsight, and OptumRx. The UnitedHealthcare segment utilizes Optums capabilities to help coordinate patient care, improve affordability of medical care, analyze cost trends, manage pharmacy benefits, work with care providers more effectively, and create a simpler consumer experience.

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African Gold Acquisition Co. (NYSE:AGAC  Get Rating) hit a new 52-week high on Friday . The company traded as high as $10.40 and last traded at $10.40, with a volume of 3491 shares. The stock had previously closed at $10.33.

African Gold Acquisition Stock Up 0.7 %

The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $10.25 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $10.11.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On African Gold Acquisition

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Hsbc Holdings PLC bought a new position in shares of African Gold Acquisition during the 1st quarter valued at about $11,384,000. Verition Fund Management LLC increased its position in shares of African Gold Acquisition by 413.3% during the 4th quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 1,110,787 shares of the companys stock valued at $11,163,000 after purchasing an additional 894,399 shares during the last quarter. Westchester Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of African Gold Acquisition during the 3rd quarter valued at about $7,425,000. Cowen Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of African Gold Acquisition during the 4th quarter valued at about $5,528,000. Finally, Cohen & Co Financial Management LLC bought a new position in shares of African Gold Acquisition during the 3rd quarter valued at about $4,950,000. 66.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

African Gold Acquisition Company Profile

African Gold Acquisition Corporation does not have significant operations. The company focuses on effecting a merger or mergers, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or other similar business combination with one or more businesses. African Gold Acquisition Corporation was incorporated in 2020 and is based in New York, New York.

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Avidian Wealth Solutions LLC increased its position in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY  Get Rating) by 3.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,427 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 135 shares during the period. Avidian Wealth Solutions LLCs holdings in Hershey were worth $1,025,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in Hershey by 2,693.0% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,094,755 shares of the companys stock valued at $237,156,000 after acquiring an additional 1,055,559 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in Hershey by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 14,486,327 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,193,800,000 after acquiring an additional 473,552 shares in the last quarter. Axiom Investors LLC DE lifted its position in Hershey by 185.9% in the 3rd quarter. Axiom Investors LLC DE now owns 621,923 shares of the companys stock valued at $137,115,000 after acquiring an additional 404,423 shares in the last quarter. Eaton Vance Management lifted its position in Hershey by 136.7% in the 1st quarter. Eaton Vance Management now owns 567,949 shares of the companys stock valued at $123,034,000 after acquiring an additional 327,965 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Scout Investments Inc. lifted its position in Hershey by 468.2% in the 4th quarter. Scout Investments Inc. now owns 344,271 shares of the companys stock valued at $79,723,000 after acquiring an additional 283,676 shares in the last quarter. 54.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Activity

In related news, insider Charles R. Raup sold 1,512 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.83, for a total value of $376,230.96. Following the sale, the insider now owns 18,900 shares in the company, valued at $4,702,887. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Hershey news, insider Rohit Grover sold 1,180 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $243.79, for a total value of $287,672.20. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 18,999 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,631,766.21. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Charles R. Raup sold 1,512 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.83, for a total transaction of $376,230.96. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 18,900 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,702,887. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 54,265 shares of company stock valued at $13,371,072 in the last 90 days. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Hershey Trading Up 4.4 %

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Credit Suisse Group lifted their target price on shares of Hershey from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Hershey from $251.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, March 23rd. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on shares of Hershey from $250.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research note on Thursday, March 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Hershey from $255.00 to $275.00 in a research note on Friday. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Hershey from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Sunday, March 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $252.00.

Shares of NYSE HSY opened at $273.33 on Friday. The firms 50 day moving average price is $249.38 and its 200-day moving average price is $236.69. The company has a market cap of $55.77 billion, a PE ratio of 34.34, a P/E/G ratio of 3.64 and a beta of 0.31. The Hershey Company has a 52-week low of $201.42 and a 52-week high of $273.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 0.80.

Hershey (NYSE:HSY  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The company reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.77 by $0.25. Hershey had a net margin of 15.79% and a return on equity of 57.76%. The firm had revenue of $2.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.69 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 14.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that The Hershey Company will post 9.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hershey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 19th will be paid a dividend of $1.036 per share. This represents a $4.14 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.52%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 18th. Hersheys dividend payout ratio is currently 52.01%.

Hershey Company Profile

(Get Rating)

The Hershey Co engages in the manufacture and marketing of chocolate, sweets, mints and confectionery products. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: North America and International and Other. The North America is responsible for the traditional chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery market position of the company, as well as its grocery and snacks market positions, in the United States and Canada.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HSY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY  Get Rating).

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CGI Group (TSE:GIB  Get Rating) had its target price hoisted by BMO Capital Markets to C$150.00 in a research note published on Monday morning, The Fly reports.

Separately, National Bank Financial boosted their target price on shares of CGI Group from C$140.00 to C$160.00 in a research report on Friday, April 21st.

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CGI Group Price Performance

CGI Group (TSE:GIB  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 1st. The company reported C$1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$1.60 by C$0.06. The business had revenue of C$3.45 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$3.31 billion.

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Liberum Capital lowered shares of Caledonia Mining (NYSEAMERICAN:CMCL  Get Rating) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Monday morning, The Fly reports.

Caledonia Mining Trading Up 1.0 %

Caledonia Mining stock opened at $13.94 on Monday. Caledonia Mining has a fifty-two week low of $8.75 and a fifty-two week high of $17.58. The company has a market capitalization of $178.85 million, a PE ratio of 10.40 and a beta of 0.78.

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Caledonia Mining Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 14th will be paid a $0.14 dividend. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 13th. Caledonia Minings dividend payout ratio is 41.79%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Caledonia Mining

Caledonia Mining Company Profile

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CMCL. LSV Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of Caledonia Mining in the first quarter valued at approximately $57,000. Morgan Stanley boosted its stake in Caledonia Mining by 11.3% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,527 shares of the companys stock worth $118,000 after purchasing an additional 964 shares during the period. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. boosted its position in shares of Caledonia Mining by 72.3% during the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 9,053 shares of the companys stock valued at $138,000 after acquiring an additional 3,800 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Caledonia Mining during the 2nd quarter valued at about $139,000. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC purchased a new position in Caledonia Mining in the 4th quarter worth approximately $202,000. 6.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

(Get Rating)

Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc primarily engages in the operation of a gold mine. It also explores for and develops mineral properties for precious metals. The company holds 64% interest in the Blanket Mine, a gold mine located in Matabeleland South Province, Zimbabwe. It also has an agreement to purchase 100% ownership in the Maligreen project, a brownfield gold exploration project located in Gweru mining district in the Zimbabwe Midlands.

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CBIZ (NYSE:CBZ  Get Rating) updated its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $2.36-$2.41 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $2.36. The company issued revenue guidance of $1.52 billion-$1.55 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $1.54 billion. CBIZ also updated its FY23 guidance to 2.36-2.41 EPS.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com assumed coverage on CBIZ in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company.

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CBIZ Price Performance

CBIZ stock traded up $1.56 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $52.72. 307,235 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 206,683. CBIZ has a 52-week low of $37.01 and a 52-week high of $53.18. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $49.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $48.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11. The company has a market cap of $2.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.36 and a beta of 0.75.

Insider Buying and Selling

CBIZ ( NYSE:CBZ Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The business services provider reported ($0.21) EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of ($0.21). CBIZ had a return on equity of 14.76% and a net margin of 7.46%. The business had revenue of $295.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $281.56 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned ($0.19) earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 21.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that CBIZ will post 2.4 earnings per share for the current year.

In other CBIZ news, insider Michael P. Kouzelos sold 47,125 shares of CBIZ stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.23, for a total transaction of $2,414,213.75. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 313,003 shares of the companys stock, valued at $16,035,143.69. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 5.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CBIZ

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Morgan Stanley lifted its stake in shares of CBIZ by 853.9% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 3,871,416 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $181,376,000 after acquiring an additional 3,465,585 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of CBIZ by 317.5% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,237,443 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $51,935,000 after acquiring an additional 941,076 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in shares of CBIZ by 1,456.4% in the 2nd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 542,015 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $21,659,000 after acquiring an additional 507,190 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of CBIZ in the 4th quarter valued at about $23,490,000. Finally, Eaton Vance Management lifted its stake in shares of CBIZ by 14.3% in the 1st quarter. Eaton Vance Management now owns 2,923,896 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $122,716,000 after acquiring an additional 364,887 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 88.74% of the companys stock.

CBIZ Company Profile

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CBIZ, Inc engages in the provision of financial, insurance, and advisory services. It operates through the following segments: Financial Services, Benefits and Insurance Services, National Practices, and Corporate and Other. The Financial Services segment offers accounting, tax, government health care consulting, financial advisory, valuation, and risk advisory services.

Further Reading

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Shares of FinecoBank Banca Fineco S.p.A. (OTCMKTS:FCBBF  Get Rating) have received an average rating of Hold from the seven analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have assigned a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $16.95.

FCBBF has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Barclays lowered shares of FinecoBank Banca Fineco from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. UBS Group lowered shares of FinecoBank Banca Fineco from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of FinecoBank Banca Fineco in a research report on Monday, February 6th. They issued an underperform rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of FinecoBank Banca Fineco in a research report on Monday, March 27th. They issued an overweight rating on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of FinecoBank Banca Fineco from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 22nd.

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FinecoBank Banca Fineco Price Performance

OTCMKTS FCBBF opened at $17.70 on Friday. The firms fifty day moving average price is $17.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $14.91. FinecoBank Banca Fineco has a 1 year low of $11.61 and a 1 year high of $17.70.

FinecoBank Banca Fineco Company Profile

FinecoBank SpA engages in the provision of banking, trading, and investing solutions. It offers multicurrency accounts, payment cards, mortgages and loans, and financial consulting services. The company was founded by Emilio Gnutti in 1979 and is headquartered in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

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Hannover Ruck SE (OTCMKTS:HVRRY  Get Rating) declared a dividend on Friday, April 28th, investing.com reports. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 5th will be paid a dividend of 0.4037 per share by the financial services provider on Thursday, May 18th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 4th.

Hannover Ruck Stock Up 0.4 %

Hannover Ruck stock opened at $104.95 on Friday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $96.76 and its 200 day simple moving average is $94.28. Hannover Ruck has a fifty-two week low of $65.98 and a fifty-two week high of $105.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.12 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.21 and a quick ratio of 0.21.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HVRRY has been the topic of several research analyst reports. HSBC downgraded shares of Hannover Ruck from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, February 9th. Bank of America raised shares of Hannover Ruck from an underperform rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, March 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $183.67.

Hannover Ruck Company Profile

Hannover Ruck SE engages in the provision of reinsurance activities. It operates through the Property and Casualty Reinsurance, and Life and Health Reinsurance business segments. The Property and Casualty Reinsurance segment refers to lines of business concerned with the insurance of property, such as liability, fire, hail or marine insurance.

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Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NU  Get Rating) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Traders acquired 37,850 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 126% compared to the typical daily volume of 16,752 call options.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on NU. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on shares of NU from $9.00 to $8.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 1st. KeyCorp boosted their target price on shares of NU from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. Finally, Wolfe Research decreased their target price on shares of NU from $6.50 to $5.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $7.44.

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NU Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:NU traded up $0.11 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $5.05. 19,770,652 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 24,955,664. The stock has a market cap of $23.28 billion, a P/E ratio of -63.13 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a current ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. NU has a twelve month low of $3.26 and a twelve month high of $6.40. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $4.69 and a 200-day moving average price of $4.42.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

NU ( NYSE:NU Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 14th. The company reported $0.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.01) by $0.04. The business had revenue of $1.45 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.41 billion. NU had a positive return on equity of 2.13% and a negative net margin of 7.61%. On average, research analysts forecast that NU will post 0.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. acquired a new position in NU in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Ridgewood Investments LLC acquired a new position in NU in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp acquired a new position in NU in the 4th quarter valued at about $38,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in NU by 166.7% in the 1st quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 8,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 5,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Delta Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of NU during the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 47.64% of the companys stock.

About NU

(Get Rating)

Nu Holdings Ltd. operates as a digital financial services platform and technology company primarily in Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. It offers Nu credit and debit cards; Ultraviolet credit and debit cards; and mobile payment solutions for NuAccount customers to make and receive transfers, pay bills, and make everyday purchases through their mobile phones.

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed their overweight rating on shares of National Grid (LON:NG  Get Rating) in a research report report published on Monday, Marketbeat reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on NG. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of National Grid from GBX 960 ($11.99) to GBX 1,050 ($13.11) and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, January 19th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a GBX 1,250 ($15.61) price objective on shares of National Grid in a research note on Monday, February 13th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of GBX 1,108 ($13.84).

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National Grid Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of LON:NG opened at GBX 1,143 ($14.28) on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 187.21. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 1,082.72 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 1,026.47. The company has a market capitalization of 42.06 billion, a PE ratio of 1,409.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.28. National Grid has a twelve month low of GBX 10.51 ($0.13) and a twelve month high of GBX 1,271.45 ($15.88).

About National Grid

National Grid plc transmits and distributes electricity and gas. The company operates through UK Electricity Transmission, UK Electricity Distribution, UK Electricity System Operator, New England, and New York segments. The UK Electricity Transmission segment provides electricity transmission and construction work services in England and Wales.

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Mullen Group (TSE:MTL  Get Rating) had its price objective increased by equities researchers at CIBC from C$14.00 to C$15.50 in a report released on Friday, BayStreet.CA reports. CIBCs price objective points to a potential upside of 3.33% from the companys current price.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. TD Securities dropped their price target on Mullen Group from C$17.00 to C$16.50 in a report on Friday, January 27th. Cormark decreased their price objective on Mullen Group from C$19.00 to C$17.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. National Bankshares set a C$18.50 price objective on Mullen Group and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. National Bank Financial reiterated an outperfrom under weight rating on shares of Mullen Group in a research report on Monday, March 13th. Finally, Raymond James decreased their price objective on Mullen Group from C$18.00 to C$17.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Mullen Group presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of C$16.80.

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Mullen Group Price Performance

MTL stock traded up C$0.07 during midday trading on Friday, reaching C$15.00. 205,553 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 289,471. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of C$14.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$14.54. Mullen Group has a 1-year low of C$10.83 and a 1-year high of C$15.98. The company has a market cap of C$1.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.28, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.76. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 73.17.

About Mullen Group

Mullen Group ( TSE:MTL Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported C$0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$0.35 by C$0.23. Mullen Group had a return on equity of 17.04% and a net margin of 7.93%. The firm had revenue of C$502.70 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$496.70 million. On average, analysts anticipate that Mullen Group will post 1.1996792 earnings per share for the current year.

(Get Rating)

Mullen Group Ltd. provides a range of trucking and logistics services in Canada and the United States. The company operates in four segments: Less-Than-Truckload, Logistics & Warehousing, Specialized & Industrial Services, and U.S. & International Logistics. The Less-Than-Truckload segment delivers general freight consisting of smaller shipments, packages, and parcels; and pharmaceutical and package products.

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Aecon Group (TSE:ARE  Get Rating) had its target price decreased by research analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from C$15.00 to C$14.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday, BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage presently has a sector perform rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canadas price objective would suggest a potential upside of 10.94% from the stocks previous close.

ARE has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Desjardins raised shares of Aecon Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, March 2nd. Laurentian set a C$11.50 price objective on shares of Aecon Group and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Monday, January 16th. Raymond James increased their price objective on shares of Aecon Group from C$17.00 to C$20.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. ATB Capital upgraded shares of Aecon Group from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and increased their price objective for the stock from C$14.00 to C$16.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. Finally, Atb Cap Markets upgraded shares of Aecon Group from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of C$14.05.

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Aecon Group Stock Up 0.9 %

ARE stock traded up C$0.11 during trading on Friday, hitting C$12.62. 292,091 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 479,978. Aecon Group has a 1 year low of C$8.29 and a 1 year high of C$15.34. The firms 50 day moving average is C$12.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$10.87. The stock has a market cap of C$776.63 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 18.18 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 95.29, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 1.27.

About Aecon Group

Aecon Group ( TSE:ARE Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 28th. The company reported C$0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$0.19 by C$0.07. The firm had revenue of C$1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$1.15 billion. Aecon Group had a net margin of 0.65% and a return on equity of 3.25%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Aecon Group will post 0.9247312 EPS for the current year.

(Get Rating)

Aecon Group Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provide construction and infrastructure development services to private and public sector clients in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Construction and Concessions. The Construction segment focuses primarily on the civil infrastructure, urban transportation systems, nuclear power infrastructure, utility infrastructure, and conventional industrial infrastructure market sectors.

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Shawcor (TSE:SCL  Get Rating) had its price target increased by BMO Capital Markets from C$13.00 to C$14.00 in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the company. National Bank Financial restated an outperform overweight rating on shares of Shawcor in a research note on Friday, February 10th. Cormark lifted their price target on Shawcor from C$18.50 to C$21.75 in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. ATB Capital upgraded Shawcor from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, March 10th. National Bankshares decreased their price target on Shawcor from C$18.00 to C$17.50 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Finally, TD Securities decreased their price target on Shawcor from C$14.50 to C$12.50 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of C$16.18.

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Shawcor Trading Up 2.0 %

Shares of SCL stock opened at C$12.49 on Tuesday. The businesss 50 day moving average is C$12.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$12.40. Shawcor has a twelve month low of C$4.44 and a twelve month high of C$14.91. The company has a market capitalization of C$876.80 million, a P/E ratio of -29.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 2.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 38.63.

Shawcor Company Profile

Shawcor Ltd. operates as a material sciences company that serves the infrastructure, energy, and transportation markets worldwide. It operates through three segments: Composite Systems, Automotive and Industrial, and Pipeline and Pipe Services. The Composite Systems segment manufactures flexible composite and high density polyethylene pipes that are used for oil and gas gathering, water disposal, carbon dioxide injection pipelines, and other applications; fiberglass reinforced plastic underground storage tanks for the retail fuel, water and wastewater, and oil and gas markets; and tubular management services to the Western Canadian onshore oilfield market, including inventory management systems, mobile inspection, in-plant inspection and the refurbishment and rethreading of drill pipe, production tubing and casing, and tubular products.

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Janney Montgomery Scott upgraded shares of Synovus Financial (NYSE:SNV  Get Rating) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Monday morning, The Fly reports. They currently have $38.00 target price on the banks stock.

Several other analysts have also recently issued reports on SNV. UBS Group began coverage on Synovus Financial in a research report on Wednesday, March 15th. They set a neutral rating and a $33.00 target price for the company. TheStreet cut shares of Synovus Financial from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 22nd. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Synovus Financial from $42.00 to $40.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on shares of Synovus Financial from $48.00 to $35.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 23rd. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Synovus Financial in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Synovus Financial has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $39.88.

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Synovus Financial Price Performance

Shares of SNV stock opened at $30.53 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $4.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.92, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.33. The businesss fifty day moving average is $33.36 and its 200 day moving average is $37.70. Synovus Financial has a twelve month low of $27.08 and a twelve month high of $44.91. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22.

Synovus Financial Increases Dividend

Synovus Financial ( NYSE:SNV Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The bank reported $1.33 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.22 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $613.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $589.40 million. Synovus Financial had a return on equity of 19.92% and a net margin of 28.04%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 23.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.08 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Synovus Financial will post 4.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, March 16th were issued a dividend of $0.38 per share. This is a positive change from Synovus Financials previous quarterly dividend of $0.34. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 15th. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.98%. Synovus Financials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.46%.

Insider Activity at Synovus Financial

In other news, EVP Thomas T. Dierdorff sold 1,947 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.36, for a total value of $84,421.92. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 9,314 shares in the company, valued at approximately $403,855.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Synovus Financial

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. New York State Teachers Retirement System raised its holdings in shares of Synovus Financial by 2.4% in the 1st quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 89,005 shares of the banks stock valued at $2,744,000 after purchasing an additional 2,095 shares in the last quarter. Simplicity Solutions LLC raised its stake in shares of Synovus Financial by 22.9% during the 1st quarter. Simplicity Solutions LLC now owns 7,404 shares of the banks stock worth $228,000 after acquiring an additional 1,380 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System raised its stake in shares of Synovus Financial by 2.7% during the 1st quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 42,147 shares of the banks stock worth $1,299,000 after acquiring an additional 1,127 shares in the last quarter. IFG Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Synovus Financial during the 1st quarter worth approximately $285,000. Finally, Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. raised its stake in shares of Synovus Financial by 4.5% during the 1st quarter. Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 101,290 shares of the banks stock worth $3,123,000 after acquiring an additional 4,400 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.89% of the companys stock.

About Synovus Financial

(Get Rating)

Synovus Financial Corp. is a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of financial services. The company operates through the following segments: Community Banking, Wholesale Banking, and Financial Management Services (FMS). The Community Banking business segment serves customers using a relationship-based approach through its branch, ATM, commercial, and private wealth network in addition to mobile, Internet, and telephone banking.

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Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc. Sponsored ADR (OTCMKTS:TKOMY  Get Rating)s stock price passed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $20.16 and traded as low as $19.88. Tokio Marine shares last traded at $19.88, with a volume of 42,165 shares.

Tokio Marine Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $121.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -30.32 and a beta of -0.80. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $20.12 and a 200-day moving average of $20.57.

Tokio Marine Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in non-life and life insurance, international insurance, and financial and general businesses worldwide. The company provides business, fire, Internet and mobile, rental housing, and natural catastrophe risk insurance services, as well as insurance for retail and corporate fields.

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TransDigm Group (NYSE:TDG  Get Rating) had its target price increased by Truist Financial from $810.00 to $840.00 in a report published on Monday morning, The Fly reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of TransDigm Group in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating for the company. Susquehanna raised their price objective on shares of TransDigm Group from $665.00 to $750.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of TransDigm Group from $765.00 to $793.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Credit Suisse Group raised their price target on shares of TransDigm Group from $830.00 to $841.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of TransDigm Group from $660.00 to $710.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, February 6th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, TransDigm Group currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $764.31.

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TransDigm Group Price Performance

TransDigm Group stock opened at $759.14 on Monday. TransDigm Group has a fifty-two week low of $499.63 and a fifty-two week high of $772.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.45 billion, a PE ratio of 51.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.37. The companys 50-day moving average is $737.33 and its 200-day moving average is $667.38.

Insider Transactions at TransDigm Group

TransDigm Group ( NYSE:TDG Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 7th. The aerospace company reported $4.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.68 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $1.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.36 billion. TransDigm Group had a net margin of 16.53% and a negative return on equity of 30.59%. As a group, analysts expect that TransDigm Group will post 20.84 EPS for the current year.

In other TransDigm Group news, CAO Sarah Wynne sold 180 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $720.41, for a total transaction of $129,673.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 700 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $504,287. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, Director Robert J. Small sold 4,439 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $739.22, for a total transaction of $3,281,397.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 57,599 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,578,332.78. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Sarah Wynne sold 180 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $720.41, for a total value of $129,673.80. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 700 shares of the companys stock, valued at $504,287. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 264,393 shares of company stock worth $196,152,841 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 7.18% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of TDG. Private Advisor Group LLC boosted its position in shares of TransDigm Group by 23.4% during the 1st quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 964 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $628,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in TransDigm Group by 66.7% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 800 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $519,000 after buying an additional 320 shares during the period. Panagora Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in TransDigm Group by 99.1% during the first quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,337 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $1,523,000 after buying an additional 1,163 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in TransDigm Group by 0.7% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 159,263 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $103,790,000 after buying an additional 1,132 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in TransDigm Group by 7.3% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 29,629 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $19,373,000 after buying an additional 2,020 shares during the period. 96.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About TransDigm Group

(Get Rating)

TransDigm Group, Inc engages in the production of engineered aerospace components, systems and subsystems. It operates through the following segments: Power and Control, Airframe, and Non-Aviation. The Power and Control segment includes operations that primarily develop, produce and market systems and components that provide power to or control power of the aircraft utilizing electronic, fluid, power and mechanical motion control technologies.

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Gov. Eric Holcomb felt no need to wait for the sun to come up Friday to celebrate the accomplishments of the 2023 Indiana General Assembly.

Speaking to reporters at 3:15 a.m. Indianapolis time, shortly after the Legislature adjourned for the year, the Republican chief executive proclaimed the state budget and other new laws enacted during the four-month session to have a "generational impact" on Hoosiers.

"This is a great day for Indiana. But most importantly, it's what we do with it. It's a heck of an opportunity," he said. "For this administration, it's all about implementation now. We have the resources to address long, lingering issues, be it health, be it economic development in a new world that we find ourselves in. We are properly equipped in resources to get the job done."

Holcomb specifically touted the new resources approved for mental health services in Senate Enrolled Act 1, public health and prevention programs in Senate Enrolled Act 4, and in House Enrolled Act 1001 the elimination of student textbook fees, pay raises for state police officers, new business attraction incentives, record education funding, expanded workforce development programs and renewed quality-of-life initiatives.

The governor also pointed to budget allocations for a new Westville Correctional Center in LaPorte County, a new state park inn near South Bend, a new state archives building in Indianapolis, and the consolidation of Indiana's schools for deaf and blind students in the capital city as outstanding investments in the future.

"We're in a state in a perpetual forward motion in the state of Indiana, and we didn't get here by accident. We got here through discipline and focus and minding the business of the state on behalf of taxpayers."

Holding up a copy of his pre-session agenda, Holcomb said every single item on the list was checked off in one form or another, and even if some of his proposals weren't funded at the levels he sought, his team still has a great opportunity to get things going.

"I'm proud of what was accomplished this legislative session, and through collaboration and hard work we will be able to make transformational investments that will better the lives of Hoosiers and build a better today and stronger tomorrow," he said.

The governor did acknowledge one failing: He was unable to persuade the Republican-controlled General Assembly to advance Senate Bill 322 designating the breaded pork tenderloin as the official sandwich of Indiana.

"I'm going to put that aside. I've got executive orders. We'll deal with that later," Holcomb quipped.

As for the more serious business of deciding to approve or reject legislation heading to his desk over the next couple weeks, Holcomb pledged to carefully review the language of each proposal to decide whether to sign it into law or issue a rare veto.

"I like to read every bill, as does my staff. There are some bills that I'm paying close attention to and I'll come to a final conclusion before the time expires."

This was Holcomb's final budget session as governor. The term limits imposed by the Indiana Constitution bar him from running next year for a third consecutive term as the state's chief executive.
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Cloudy with rain and snow showers early changing to mainly rain showers for the afternoon. High 42F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Overcast. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 36F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph.
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Evening light rain followed by a mix of rain and snow overnight. Low 36F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of precip 80%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Evening light rain followed by a mix of rain and snow overnight. Low 36F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of precip 80%. Higher wind gusts possible.
Fantagio has announced the memorial space extension for ASTRO Moonbin, along with details of a new location.

Here are the details.

Fantagio Announces Relocation of ASTRO Moonbin's Memorial Space, Extends Until June

Fantagio has announced new updates regarding Moonbin's memorial space.

On April 28, the agency disclosed that Moonbin's memorial space will be relocated. This decision was made when AROHAs were having difficulties visiting due to its limited time.

Fantagio then decided to extend the time needed for visitation until June 6, giving many supporters a chance to honor Moonbin.

In the statement, Fantagio revealed the location would be transferred to the company building's rooftop, since the memorial space in the front door, parking lot, and backside were only available for visitation until April 30.

Fantagio also stated that the precious gifts and letters from fans will be taken care of to avoid damage. Moreover, Fantagio then reminded everyone to avoid visiting other floors except for the memorial space announced, since there are also tenants inside the building.

Read their full statement below:

"Since many fans encountered difficulties while visiting Moonbin's memorial space, we decided to extend the visitation availability until June 6, which is set to be the 49th day since his passing. This is to let others pay their respects and honor Moonbin longer. In order to focus on mourning Moonbin, we plan to prepare a memorial spot, which will be moved to a new location. The memorial space will be moved to Fantagio's building rooftop. This is due to the limited time period on the memorial grounds used in the building's front door, parking lot, and its rear, which were only available until April 30. We kindly ask for your absolute understanding. As for the treasured gifts and letters that fans have left on the memorial, we are planning to keep and handle it with care to avoid damages. We will also continue to include them in the new memorial space. We're also kindly reminding everyone to avoid visiting other floors apart from the memorial space, since the building also houses other tenants."

Moonbin passed away on April 19 at the age of 25. His passing left a huge impact on both the K-pop industry and its fan community. Moonbin's tragic departure also caused several programs to honor their broadcasts in his name, while idols were also affected in terms of their schedules.

To pay respects, numerous artists dressed black, and fans spawned dozens of memorial sites around the world. These places include different countries such as London, Philippines, Los Angeles, and many more.

Various idols also took to their social media accounts and expressed their grief. Moonbin's passing also affected the schedule of girl group Billlie, where his younger sister Moon Sua is a member in. Moon Sua also left a letter and a notebook on his memorial.

Read KpopStarz for more K-pop news.

KpopStarz owns this article

Written by Riely Miller
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Joseph Dewayne Taylor was arrested March 15 after police found what they called a "large amount of narcotics" in his vehicle.
New Delhi [India], April 28 (ANI): The government has said that the procurement of wheat during rabi marketing season (RMS) 2023-24 has already surpassed the total procurement of RMS 2022-23.

Wheat procurement till Wednesday during RMS 2023-24 is 195 lakh metric tonne (LMT) whereas in RMS 2022-23, the procurement was 188 LMT. This has largely benefitted the farmers.

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Minimum support price (MSP) outflow of about Rs 41,148 crore has already been made to about 14.96 lakh farmers during the ongoing wheat procurement operations, according to a statement of the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, released on Thursday.

Notably, a major contribution in the procurement comes from three wheat-procuring states of Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh with procurement of 89.79 LMT, 54.26 LMT and 49.47 LMT, respectively.

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One of the major factors, contributing the progressive procurement this year, is the grant of relaxation by the government in quality specifications of wheat being procured, in view of untimely rains leading to lustre loss. This will reduce the hardship of farmers and check any distress sale, the ministry said.

The Centre has also allowed all the states to open procurement centres at village or panchayat level and to carry out the procurement through cooperative societies or gram panchayats or Arhatias, etc. This is in addition to already existing designated procurement centres, for better outreach.

Rice procurement is also progressing smoothly. A quantity of 354 LMT of rice has been procured till Wednesday during kharif crop of KMS 2022-23 with another 140 LMT yet to be procured. Further, a quantity of 106 LMT rice has been estimated to be procured during the rabi crop of KMS 2022-23.

The combined stock position of wheat and rice in the central pool has surpassed 510 LMT which puts the country in a comfortable position to meet its requirements of foodgrains. With the ongoing procurement of wheat and rice, the foodgrains stock levels are on rise in government granaries, according to the statement of the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Seattle (Washington) [US], April 28 (ANI): Amazon is starting the year back in the black. The e-commerce giant on Thursday reported a profit of USD 3.2 billion for the first quarter, far exceeding analysts' estimates, CNN Business reported on Friday.

The Seattle-headquartered firm reported a loss of USD 3.8 billion in the year-ago quarter.

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The swing to a profit comes as Amazon has ramped up its cost-cutting measures in recent months. The company has announced two rounds of layoffs, cancelled products and nixed physical store expansions, according to CNN Business.

It also comes as key areas of Amazon's business continue to grow despite lingering recession fears possibly weighing on corporate and consumer spending.

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The company's revenue increased 9 per cent during the quarter from the prior year. Amazon expects second-quarter net sales to grow between 5 per cent and 10 per cent from the same period the year before, or be between USD 127 billion and USD 133 billion, CNN Business reported.

"The results indicate that ongoing cost-cutting measures are having a positive impact on Amazon's business prospects," said Jesse Cohen, senior analyst at Investing.com. "Amazon's strong guidance for Q2 revenue is another indicator that the company may be starting to come out of the woods."

Amazon Web Services, which has long served as a profit engine for the company, also experienced double-digit percentage growth during the quarter, in another positive sign for its overall business.

AWS segment sales rose 16 per cent from the year before to USD 21.4 billion, CNN Business said, adding, "That comes after sales growth slowed in the previous quarter, as cloud customers tightened their purse strings due to uncertainty about the economy's health."

"While our AWS business navigates companies spending more cautiously in this macro environment, we continue to prioritise building long-term customer relationships," Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy said in a statement accompanying the earnings release. (ANI)

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New Delhi [India], April 28 (ANI): Godrej Consumer Products Limited has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the fast-moving consumer business of Raymond Consumer Care Limited, a leading player in the deodorants and sexual wellness categories in India.

Raymond Consumer Care Limited has two key brands - Park Avenue and Kamasutra.

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The indicative time period for completion of the acquisition is expected to be May 10, 2023. The cost of acquisition is Rs 2,825 crore.

Raymond FMCG business is being sold to Godrej Consumer Products along with the trademarks of Park Avenue, KS, KamaSutra and Premium, through a slump sale, Godrej Consumer Products informed stock exchanges on Thursday.

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"This acquisition allows us to complement our business portfolio and growth strategy with under-penetrated categories that offer a long runway of growth," said Sudhir Sitapati, Managing Director and CEO, of GCPL.

"These categories have the potential to deliver double-digit multi-decade growth given the low per capita consumption in India compared to similar emerging markets."

According to Atul Singh, Group Vice Chairman, Raymond Group, "We have divested our FMCG business with trademarks of Park Avenue, Kamasutra for FMCG categories to Godrej Consumer Products. We take pride in building strong homegrown brands that are amongst the leaders in their categories. Having brought these brands at the forefront of consumer recall, we believe that Godrej Consumer Products will provide the requisite impetus to further drive the growth of these brands." (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, April 28: The Congress on Friday requested the Election Commission to bar Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from campaigning for the May 10 assembly polls in Karnataka for their alleged statements against the minority community.

A delegation of Congress leaders, including Abhishek Singhvi, Pawan Kumar Bansal and Mukul Wasnik, met the chief election commissioner and the election commissioners, and requested the poll body to ensure a level-playing field in the state. Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: Full List of Janata Dal (Secular) Candidates and Their Constituencies.

The delegation alleged that Shah and Adityanath made "false", "partisan" and "communal" statements during the poll campaign in Karnataka with a view to seek electoral gains, and demanded that they be not allowed to campaign in the state. Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023: Full List of Congress Candidates and Their Constituencies.

They said the Election Commission should immediately take action against these leaders. Briefing reports outside the Election Commission office, Singhvi said, "We have just finished a very productive and important meeting with the EC. We complained specifically about the highly objectionable, blatantly partisan, communal and false statements coming from top BJP leadership, in particular Home Minister Amit Shah and the Uttar Pradesh chief minister."

"They have made statements clearly against the minority community.... We have asked for a ban on campaigning by such persons," Singhvi said.

Asked about the 'vishkanya' remark made against Sonia Gandhi by BJP leader Basangouda Patil Yatnal, Singhvi said the party will utilise all legal options available before it, including moving the Election Commission. "It is a very derogatory and gutter-level remark against Sonia Gandhi.... We will use all legal options including the EC," he said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], April 28 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda has designated a four-member team to look into the incidents of violence in Odisha during this year's Hanuman Jayanti celebrations.

This fact-finding team will be led by BJP's Rajya Sabha MP, Brij Lal who's been the former DGP of Uttar Pradesh.

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Alongside Brij Lal, three other MPs including Samir Oraon and Aditya Sahu, both Rajya Sabha MPs from Jharkhand and Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato, MP from West Bengal's Purulia, will be a part of the team.

This delegation will conduct ground visits, interact with the locals and assess the possible reason which led to the violence and then submit a detailed report to the party's National president.

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Sambalpur had witnessed clashes between two communities on April 12 during a bike rally organised as part of Hanuman Jayanti celebrations. Several police personnel were injured and one tribal was killed during these clashes.

After the violence, the state government issued prohibitory orders and took down the internet services for 48 hours till April 15. "Motorcycle procession undertaken by Hanuman Jayanti Samanyoya Samiti members, Bajrang Dal workers etc on April 12, 2023, at about 6 pm, there were clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Sambalpur town," the order by the home department of the State said. (ANI)

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Chandigarh/Jammu, Apr 28 (PTI) The BJP's Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir units will organise special programmes on April 30 and invite people to listen to the 100th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio broadcast 'Mann Ki Baat', party leaders said on Friday.

While the Haryana BJP will organise programmes in every assembly constituency of the state, the Jammu and Kashmir unit will do so at nearly 5,500 booths in the union territory.

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The Haryana BJP has set a target of inviting 9 lakh people to its programmes, state party chief O P Dhankar said.

He said the entire country and millions across the world are eagerly waiting for the 100th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat', which is broadcast on the last Sunday of every month.

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Educational and social organisations will also organise events where people will gather to listen to the 100th episode of the show, he added.

The BJP leader said there is a chance that Sunday's event may create a world record for the largest audience listening to a political leader.

Dhankar said Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Haryana Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta will attend a programme in Panchkula and he will be involved in a related event in Rohtak.

MPs, MLAs and ministers of the state will also attend the programmes at different places.

Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina said 5 lakh people would listen to the 100th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

BJP activists are working enthusiastically to organise public programmes at around 5,000 booths in Jammu and more than 500 booths in Kashmir so that the masses can listen to the prime minister's programme, he told reporters here.

Through his radio broadcast, the prime minister discusses very inspirational and motivational issues with the public, Raina said, adding that BJP activists as well as the common people are eagerly waiting to listen to the 100th episode.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Hyderabad, Apr 28 (PTI) Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has a party fund of Rs 1,250 crore including Rs 767 crore bank deposits which are yielding Rs seven crore per month interest, the party supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has said.

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Speaking at the BRS' Foundation Day on Thursday, Rao said expenses for running the party, construction of party offices in districts and campaigning are met from the interest income.

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"The party fund has reached Rs 1,250 crore, out of which Rs 767 crore was deposited in banks. Expenses incurred for running the party, construction of party offices in the districts, campaigning and

infrastructure creation are met from this," he said.

KCR on October 21, 2021 during the plenary had said the party (then TRS) had fixed deposits worth Rs 425 crore which were yielding an interest of Rs two crore per month.

The BRS in its meeting passed a resolution on the financial affairs of the party. As per the resolution, the party president will take care of the financial affairs of the party including opening of bank accounts in

other states and setting up of systems for media coordination for the party's campaign, among others.

The BRS party office in Delhi will be inaugurated on May 4, the party said.

Meanwhile, the party also decided to undertake TV advertisements and film production in future to take the party to the masses across the country and if necessary, the party will also run a TV channel.

KCR told his partymen and public representatives that transparency should be maintained in every aspect and advised them not to indulge in corruption under any circumstances.

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Bengaluru, Apr 28 (PTI) The High Court of Karnataka has recommended that three more Special Courts for National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases be established in three revenue divisions of Karnataka, within the next six months.

We hereby recommend the State Government to constitute/establish three Special Courts for trial of NIA cases in Mysore Division, Belagavi Division and Kalburgi Division within a period of six months from the date of receipt of copy of the order, the Division Bench of B Veerappa and Justice Venkatesh Naik T said in their judgment dismissing the appeals filed by 41 accused in the Hubballi riots case.

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It would "ensure speedy trial and disposal of the NIA cases" in order to make justice accessible to the needy and "to fulfil the scope and object of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act", the bench said.

A Special Court had rejected the bail pleas of the accused after which they approached the HC in two separate petitions.

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In its common order on the two petitions, the HC said in its April 20 judgment, On re-appreciation of the entire material on record, we answer the point raised in these criminal appeals in the negative holding that the appellants/accused have not made out a case to interfere with the impugned order passed by the Special Court rejecting their applications for regular bail in the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case.

While dealing with the bail petitions, the HC also noted that very old NIA cases had also been pending.

As of today, for the entire State, the Government has established only one Special Court at Bangalore to deal with the cases under National Investigation Agency Act, 2008. By careful perusal of the statistical data, it is clearly depicted that NIA cases which are more than 8 to 9 years old are pending, it said.

The Court said it was high time that new courts were established.

If the newly proposed Special Courts are not constituted/established, one Special Court in the entire State would be overburdened and will lead to inordinate delay in trial and disposal of NIA cases, which is against the Constitutional mandate as contemplated under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India, it said.

In Karnataka, Bengaluru Division consists of nine districts; Mysore Division consists eight districts, Belagavi Division consists seven districts and Kalburgi Division consists of six districts, the HC noted.

The HC also listed the number of cases pending in the existing Special Court. It found that one case was nine years old, two cases each were eight and seven years old, six cases were five years old, three cases six years old, eight cases two years old and five cases one year old.

It is high time for the State Government to fulfill the scope and object of the UA(P) Act and ensure speedy trial and disposal by constituting/establishing three more Special Courts for trial of NIA cases in other revenue Divisions of Karnataka, the HC said.

The HC was hearing the appeal of 41 accused in the Hubballi riots on the night of April 16, 2022.

A complaint had been filed against a person for his Whatsapp status showing a saffron flag on a masjid.

Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Hubballi rural police station demanding action. They allegedly, with the "intention of committing the murder" of the police personnel, assaulted with clubs, pelted stones and threw chappals on the police and caused injuries, destroyed the vehicles of police and public and government properties.

The police booked several people for the riots, and later the case was handed over to the NIA. The bail petitions of the accused were rejected by the Special Court on December 26, 2022 after which they approached the HC.

Rejecting their plea, the HC said, Though several contentions urged by the learned counsel for the appellants for granting bail and the learned SPP for rejecting the bail, the fact remains that the accused have not made out any prima facie case to grant bail.

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Gadag (Karnataka) [India], April 28 (ANI): Ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said each vote to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will protect the state from the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI).

Addressing a public meeting at Shirahatti, Shah said, "Each vote counts, so ensure it goes to the right leadership. When the people of Karnataka press the 'Lotus' symbol, understand that you are not voting to elect an MLA or a minister and Chief Minister. Your vote will further strengthen PM Modi's hands in creating 'Mahan Karnataka'. Your vote will protect Karnataka from PFI."

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Notably, the PFI and its many affiliates were declared 'unlawful association' by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in September last year after its involvement in violent activities came to light during investigations carried out by various state police units and national agencies.

Shah said, "Only BJP can offer protection and prosperity to Karnataka. It is the BJP which banned the PFI thereby ensuring a peaceful and safe environment. We also banned cow slaughter, provided healthcare facilities to people, ensured proper sanitation facilities and ensured overall development in Karnataka,"

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He said Narendra Modi is the only Prime Minister in the country who came from a poor family and is the son of a "tea seller".

"From growing up in a poor family to serving and extending welfare to crores of poor of the country...his (Modi's) life journey has been glorious," Shah said.

He said that Congress provided reservations on the basis of religion.

"Congress had extended the reservation to Muslims which was purely unconstitutional. BJP rectified this mistake of Congress and instead extended the reservation quotas for SCs, STs, Vokkaligas and Lingayats. Congress wants the reservation quota for Muslims back, but at what cost will it do so? By withdrawing the reservations given by the BJP to Lingayats, Vokkaligas, SCs, STs and Dalits? Never bring such a party to power which runs against the Constitution," he said.

Shah further slammed Congress over its president Mallikarjun Kharge's "poisonous snake" remark.

"The whole world admires PM Modi ji. But see the level of Congress, and its leadership; the remarks of its leaders about Modi Ji are utterly shameful. Kharge called Modi Ji a 'venomous snake'. Can you make such a party lead the State?" he stated.

Unlike Congress, Shah said the BJP has taken each and every step to ensure the welfare of farmers.

He also attacked Congress over the Mahadayi river dispute issue.

"Congress had governments in all three places. It was at the Centre, in Karnataka and it was also in Goa but the Congress could not solve the Mahadayi issue. Modi ji has done the work of bringing happiness and joy to the lives of farmers in North Karnataka by resolving the Mahadayi issue."

"The elections will decide whether the double-engine government under the leadership of Modi Ji will take Karnataka forward for the next five years or the Congress government will take Karnataka backwards with its reverse gear," added the Union Home Minister.

The polls for the 224-seat assembly will take place on May 10 and the counting of votes will be held on May 13. (ANI)

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New Delhi, April 28: IndiGo on Friday said it will operate chartered flights from Jeddah to the national capital and Bengaluru to bring back Indians evacuated from Sudan as part of Operation Kaveri. The airline will be operating two flights to bring more than 450 Indian citizens back to their homeland over the weekend, according to a statement.

A321 aircraft will be used to operate these flights on April 28 and 30. They will be operated from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to Delhi and Bengaluru. "IndiGo is closely liaising with the government to offer support for more such evacuations flights," the statement said. Operation Kaveri in Sudan: Indian Air Force Rescues 121 Personnel From a Small Airstrip at Wadi Sayyidna in Daring Operation (See Pics).

Under Operation Kaveri, India on Friday brought back 754 people from strife-torn Sudan. The total number of Indians brought home now stands at 1,360, according to official data.

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New Delhi [India], April 28 (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the citizens of India in the 100th episode of his radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' on April 30.

Under the leadership of Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) Prof Najma Akhtar, JMI has conducted several studies on 'Mann Ki Baat as a medium of communication. Following the 100th episode of 'Mann ki Baat', the University will organise a number of other programmes including an art exhibition, said Najma Akhtar.

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Speaking with ANI, Najma Akhtar said, "We have been listening to Mann Ki Baat for so many days and slowly it was sinking into the hearts of people including students of Jamia. At our varsity, we have researchers, students, and artists, when MKB impacted them, then they started their research on it. The research studies on MKB by JMI will be published in a special edition of the journal 'Media Mimansa', released jointly by JMI and MCU Bhopal during a symposium. The studies were conducted using quantitative and qualitative tools by various departments and researchers of JMI."

"JMI is organising an Art Exhibition where PhD scholars and students doing Masters in Fine Arts Department will express their feelings for Mann ki Baat through various art pieces in the exhibition. The university will also bring out a Monograph after the broadcast of the 100th episode of Mann ki Baat. JMI is also planning to broadcast all episodes of MKB on Jamia Community Radio 90.4 FM channel," she added.

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It's not the 100th edition that will impact students, it is the continuity of 99 episodes which have come up till now that has touched the hearts of common people. It's a cumulative effort of people, she noted.

"We will make students listen to the 100th episode of MKB. Not just that, a discussion will also take place. It will be a two-way thing. We don't know what will be there on the 100th episode, it's a mystery and we are eager for the 100th episode", Akhtar said. (ANI)

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Mumbai, Apr 28 (PTI) Jet Airways CEO-Designate Sanjiv Kapoor has quit the grounded airline, according to a source.

He had joined the airline as the Chief Executive Officer in April last year.

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The source said that Friday was the last working day for Kapoor at the airline.

There was no immediate comment from Kapoor.

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Jet Airways shuttered operations in April 2019 and later went into insolvency proceedings.

Jalan Kalrock consortium had emerged as the winning bidder for the once-storied carrier under the insolvency resolution process. However, with continuing differences with the lenders, the transfer of ownership of the airline to the consortium.

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Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 28 (ANI): President Droupadi Murmu accepted the invitation of Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu MK Stalin to inaugurate the government multi-super speciality hospital built at an estimated cost of Rs 230 crore at Guindy in Tamil Nadu's Chennai district, said a statement here on Friday.

According to the statement, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu MK Stalin today met President of India Droupati Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi and extended the invitation to inaugurate the Multi-Super Speciality Hospital at Guindy, Chennai. President of India has consented to inaugurate the hospital in Guindy, Chennai and to participate in the Centenary Celebrations at YMCA Ground, Nandanam on June 5, 2023."

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The construction of the new 1000-bed hospital commenced in the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research Complex, Guindy was done at a cost of Rs.230 Crores, in an area of about 51,429 square meters with ground floor and six upper floors, the statement said.

The statement added, "Now, with the completion of the construction of this state-of-the-art hospital and the commencement of the celebration of Muthamizh Arignar Kalaignar, CM invited the President of India to participate in the above events."

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On the occasion of the 97th birth anniversary of Muthamizh Arignar Kalaignar on June 3, 2021, CM Stalin announced, "A multi-super speciality hospital will be set up at the premises of King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research at Guindy". (ANI)

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New Delhi [India], April 28 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin arrived in the national capital on Friday morning.

Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu MK Stalin is scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu.

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Earlier on April 27, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met the delegation of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) led by party's general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and party leaders at his residence in the national capital.

The meeting was held in the presence of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda.

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The AIADMK delegation was led by former Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami. Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party chief K Annamalai was also present at the meeting.

Taking to Twitter K Annamalai said, "Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, @AIADMKOfficial General Secretary Mr. @EPSTamilNadu and leaders of AIADMK, our @BJP4India National President Mr. @JPNadda and Union Home Minister Mr. @AmitShah met in Delhi today."

Annamalai had recently released an audio tape purportedly of state Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan accusing Chief Minister MK Stalin's family of "corruption".

In an audio clip released by Annamalai, PTR was heard saying, "I have been a long-time proponent of one man one post from the day I entered politics. I said what I like about BJP, who looks after the party and who looks after the people separate those.. right. Here every (Beep)## decision has to be made by MLA and minister who looks after the party and people. Oh, it is easier to do money management .. it is not a system... Where they take the bulk of the spoils... The party which is CM's son and son-in-law... Ask them to make the financing ... So I decided after watching this for 8 months ... This is not a sustainable model..... The great luxury for me if I put my papers in... In the short term, I get out before the shit starts blowing up on their face. I have the kind of cleanliness of my conscience that I did have to I gave up the fight too early... I don't have to say... I'm longer in the post it's not my job... Somebody did it."

Earlier on April 23, a delegation of Tamil Nadu BJP leaders met Governor RN Ravi Avargal. (ANI)

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New Delhi, April 28: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday to invite her to inaugurate a 1,000-bed multi-super speciality hospital constructed in Chennai.

"Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu MK Stalin today met President of India Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi and extended the invitation to inaugurate the Multi-Super Speciality Hospital at Guindy, Chennai," the release stated. Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin Announces Free Laptops for All Secondary and Higher Secondary Teachers of State.

"President Murmu has given consent to inaugurate the hospital in Guindy, Chennai and to participate in the Centenary Celebration to be held at YMCA Ground, Nandanam on June 5, 2023," the release reads. Tamil Nadu: MK Stalin Government Proposes Pen Monument in Chennai To Honour Muthuvel Karunanidhis Contribution to Tamil Literature.

Earlier, on the occasion of the 97th birth anniversary of Muthamizh Arignar Kalaignar on June 3, 2021, Tamil Nadu CM had announced, "A Multi-Super Specialty the hospital will be set up at the premises of the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research at Guindy"

The Construction of the new 1000 bedded hospital was commenced in the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research Complex, Guindy at a cost of Rs.230 Crores, in an area of about 51,429 square meters with ground floor and six upper floors, the release reads.

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Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], April 28 (ANI): Leader of Opposition in Kerala Legislative Assembly VD Satheesan on Friday said that the film 'The Kerala Story' should not be granted permission for screening.

"The film 'The Kerala Story' which falsely claims that 32,000 women in Kerala converted and became members of the Islamic State, should not be granted permission for screening. The trailer clearly shows what the film intends to say", Satheesan said in a Facebook post.

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He also alleged that the film is part of an attempt to implement Sangh Parivar's agenda and create a social divide by casting a shadow of doubt over the minority groups.

"This is not an issue of freedom of expression but part of an attempt to implement the Sangh Parivar agenda to create a divide in the society by casting a shadow of doubt over the minority groups", he said.

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The Lop further said, "The public has already heard what the film's director Sudipto Sen has told the media about the film's content. It is clear that the film is trying to insult and defame Kerala globally. This is part of the agenda to grow the seeds of sectarianism which Modi has sown for political gain. Kerala will unite and fight against this deliberate move to create religious rivalry and enmity. That is the history of this state."

In conclusion, he said that the extremely dangerous move to divide people on the basis of religion must be cut from the base. "The Sangh Parivar will never understand the meaning of the word humanity. Do not think that Kerala can be divided by spreading the poison of communalism", he added. (ANI)

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Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 28 (ANI): DMK MP Kanimozhi demanded apology from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai for 'disrespecting' the state anthem 'Tamil Thai Vazthu' during BJP's election campaign in Karnataka's Shimoga district.

Taking to Twitter, Kanimozhi said, "How can someone who could not stop his party members from degrading 'Tamil Thai Vazthu', care about people of Tamil Nadu?"

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Countering DMK leader, Annamalai in a tweet shared an old news clip of then Opposition Leader and present chief minister of Tamil Nadu M K Stalin in which it was reported that after hoisting the national flag at an event, the National Anthem was not played.

In the tweet, Annamalai said, "Do you need all this with a leader who doesn't know to play the national anthem after hoisting our national flag? Isn't yours the history of removing the line "Kannadamung Kalitelungum Kavinmalayalamum Tuluvum" from the Tamil Thai state anthem and sowing the division of the state?"

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He added, "Our only mission is to save the Tamil people from you and DMK's cheap politics. do not worry!"

According to a viral video of the event, the state anthem of Tamil Nadu, Tamil Thai Vazthu played on stage during a BJP election campaign event in Karnataka's Shimoga was stopped midway by Senior BJP leader KS Eswarappa and asked to play Karnataka state anthem.

The event occurred on Thursday and was attended by BJP Tamil Nadu chief and Karnataka in-charge K Annamalai.

The polls for the 224-seat assembly in Karnataka will take place on May 10 and the counting of votes will be held on May 13. (ANI)

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Abuja, Apr 28 (AP) Gunmen killed 15 villagers and abducted five aid workers in separate attacks in Nigeria's troubled northern region, authorities said Thursday.

The assailants arrived in Benue state's Apa area and opened fire on villagers in their homes, according to David Olofu, a senior state government official. He said military personnel were among those shot in the attack and many houses were razed as villagers fled to safety.

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The incident in Benue is the latest in a spiral of violent attacks in which armed groups are targeting remote communities across Nigeria's northwest and central regions, often defying government and security measures.

More than 80 people have been killed in Benue in the past month in such attacks. No group has claimed responsibility for the killings, though authorities have blamed Fulani herdsmen, a group of mostly young pastoralists from the Fulani tribe caught up in Nigeria's conflict between host communities and herdsmen over limited access to water and land.

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In northeastern Nigeria, meanwhile, Islamic extremists abducted five aid workers in Ngala, Borno state, where an insurgency against the government has raged on for more than a decade.

The aid workers included three staff members and two contractors of the international non-government organization FHI 360, all working to provide lifesaving medical care to the people of Nigeria, the organization said Thursday, without further details on the incident.

FHI 360 condemned the abduction of the workers and called for their unconditional, immediate and safe return, according to a statement from Iorwakwagh Apera, the NGO's director in Nigeria. Our priority at this time is to support our team and their families, said Apera.

The Boko Haram extremist group has been waging a bitter war against Nigeria since 2009, and the insurgency has spread over the years to the neighboring countries of Cameroon, Niger and Chad. A breakaway faction of the group formed in 2016 and became known as the Islamic State in West Africa Province and is notorious for targeting security forces and aid workers. (AP)

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Santiago, Apr 28 (AP) A migration crisis at the border between Chile and Peru intensified Thursday as hundreds of people remained stranded, unable to cross into Peru in an effort to return to their home country of Venezuela.

The mostly Venezuelan migrants are seeking to cross into Peru to continue on to their home country but Peru isn't allowing them to enter because they lack documents.

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While stalled at the border of the two South American countries, the migrants face the inhospitable climate that characterises the Atacama Desert, one of the driest on the planet, with extremely hot days and intensely cold nights.

Some have improvised tents with blankets but they lack water and other basic services.

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A group of migrants ran through the desert toward Peru, but they were turned back by Peruvian officers. Some women complained and demanded that the government of President Gabriel Boric provide a bus for them to travel to Venezuela.

Images showed migrants shoving Peruvian border patrol officers in an effort to enter the country.

Officials in Arica, the northern Chilean city that borders Peru and is around 2,000 kilometers (1,245 miles) from the capital of Santiago, declared a migration emergency Thursday.

A day earlier, the Peruvian president, Dina Boluarte, declared a state of emergency in Tacna, a town near the border with Chile, in order to preserve domestic order and contain the arrival of migrants. In announcing the measure, the president attributed criminal acts to migrants.

Arica's mayor, Gerardo Espindola, vowed to provide resources to support those in need, particularly children and the elderly.

We will act as quickly as this critical situation affecting the people stranded at the border requires, Espindola said.

Amid the impasse, the head of Chile's lower house of Congress, Vlado Mirosevic, called for a humanitarian corridor involving all the countries in the region to resolve the crisis and allow migrants safe passage back to Venezuela.

Chile's foreign minister, Alberto van Klaveren, warned there was a significant humanitarian problem in the area and said Boluarte's decision increases pressure at the border.

The departure of migrants from Chile comes shortly after the National Prosecutor's Office on April 10 called on prosecutors to request preventive detention for anyone caught committing a crime who could not prove their identity.

In addition, a measure is set to be debated in the lower house of Congress that would classify irregular immigration as a crime and proposes jail sentences of as many as 541 days for anyone caught entering Chile through unofficial channels. (AP)

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Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan received the eighth batch of 121 Indians at the Jeddah airport. (Photo Credit - Twitter)

Khartoum [Sudan], April 28 (ANI): IAF C-130J flight on Friday evacuated the 10th batch of 135 Indian passengers from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region.

"#OperationKaveri progresses further. 10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah," tweeted the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi.

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This comes after the army said it would extend the ceasefire "for an additional 72 hours" following mediation efforts by Saudi Arabia and the United States in the final hours of the repeatedly broken three-day truce, due to end at midnight (22:00 GMT) on Thursday.

The RSF also said it approved the extended truce, adding that the proposal came from two diplomatic groupings that include the US, Saudi Arabia, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

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On Thursday, warplanes patrolled over the capital's northern suburbs as fighters on the ground exchanged artillery and heavy machine-gun fire.

The previous ceasefire has not stopped the fighting but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese, as well as, foreign nationals to leave to safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate hundreds of their citizens by land and sea.

Earlier, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan received the eighth batch of 121 Indians at the Jeddah airport evacuated from the conflict-hit Sudan. This batch also included the family members of the Indian Embassy officials, MoS wrote on Twitter.

"A daring rescue! 8th batch of 121 Indians arrived at Jeddah by IAF C 130 J from Wadi Seidna, Sudan. This evacuation was more complex as the location is in vicinity of Khartoum. Family members of our Embassy Officials were also part of this group. Warm welcome. #OperationKaveri," Muraleedharan tweeted.

Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence.

Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. (ANI)

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New Delhi [India], April 28 (ANI): Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Friday said the US and its enablers are "provoking" other countries into a military confrontation with Russia and China.

"Washington and its enablers are pursuing their strategic agenda of provoking other countries into military confrontation with undesirable states, most notably Russia and China," the Russian Defence Minister said in his address at the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting here.

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"The conflict in Ukraine is a clear demonstration of this criminal policy. Its real aim is to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, threaten China, and maintain its monopoly position in the world," Shoigu said during his address.

He added: "Given Kyiv's refusal to implement the Minsk agreements and the real threat to the residents of Donbas, we decided to launch the special military operation."

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The Russia-Ukraine war started on February 24. The war has since taken numerous lives and continues to escalate between the two nations.

The Russian Minister blamed the West for its "advance preparation for a confrontation with the Russian Federation. Large-scale sanctions were immediately imposed on Russia, arms were supplied to Ukraine, intelligence was transmitted, and military advisers and mercenaries were sent to the combat zone."

The West imposed a slew of sanctions against Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, including price caps on its crude and oil products and EU embargoes.

According to the Russian Defence Minister, the military capabilities and capacities of almost all the NATO countries were involved.

Shoigu said: "We have repeatedly stressed that arms deliveries to Kyiv only prolong the conflict, cause more casualties and destruction of infrastructure, and finally boomerang back, affecting the stability of Europe and the world as a whole."

According to him, the transferred weapons end up on the black market and go further into the hands of terrorist organisations, which poses additional risks, especially given the allegations of depleted uranium ammunition to be supplied to the AFU.

Shoigu said Russia has been left with no option but to eliminate the threats emanating from Ukraine militarily.

"Our objectives are clear, and they will be achieved within the special military operation," he said while adding that "the West has launched a global informational campaign to compromise the Russian leadership and it's policies."

"With a disregard to the harm to its economic and political interests, the West demonstrates intransigence and readiness to continue the universal pressure. In the end, all such attempts eventually fail," he said.

The Russian minister then expressed his gratitude to the SCO member states for their principled position and support.

"The SCO independent policies concerning regional and global security challenges could set as an example for international community," he said.

The Russian Defence Minister earlier on Friday met with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The two held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting in Delhi.

The two Ministers spoke on a variety of topics related to bilateral defence cooperation, including industrial cooperation and military-to-military ties.

They also discussed the Russian defence industry's participation in the 'Make in India' initiative and ways to provide further impetus to it, the Ministry of Defence said in an official statement.

The SCO Defence Ministers Defence Ministers' meeting in New Delhi was attended by the Defence Ministers of China (General Li Shangfu); Russia (General Sergei Shoigu); Iran (Brig Gen Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani); Belarus (Lt Gen Khrenin VG); Kazakhstan (Col Gen Ruslan Zhaxylykov); Uzbekistan (Lt Gen Bakhodir Kurbanov); Kyrgyzstan (Lt Gen Bekbolotov Baktybek Asankalievich) and Tajikistan (Col Gen Sherali Mirzo).

The Ministers discussed issues of common concern including issues of regional and international security under the charter of SCO. (ANI)

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Both the Sudanese army and the RSF paramilitary have accused one another of attacks, threatening a fragile cease-fire. Meanwhile, a Turkish evacuation plane came under fire, as missions continue. DW has the latest.A fragile truce extended in the early hours of Friday has already shown cracks in Sudan, with both the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group exchanging accusations of attacks.

Also Read | Bihar Shocker: Teenager Stabbed to Death, Another Injured Over DJ Song Dispute at Wedding Ceremony in Katihar.

Both groups had agreed to extend a 72-hour cease-fire as of early Friday, with US and Saudi mediation. The new cease-fire was meant to last for another 72 hours.

Also Read | Uttar Pradesh: Amethi District Congress Chief Pradeep Singhal Abuses, Beats Up Party Worker For Donning Saffron Kurta; Booked.

However, on Friday, the RSF accused the army, led by general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, of attacking RSF bases in Jebel Aulia and Omdurman with airstrikes. The paramilitary group said the attacks stalled the movement of diplomatic missions evacuating their citizens.

The RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, said the truce violations "confused citizens who largely depended on the humanitarian truce to move to safe zones and get their basic needs met."

The army meanwhile accused the RSF of attacking its forces in Jebel Aulia, saying it repelled a "failed" attack and destroyed many RSF vehicles.

It was not entirely clear whether, but appeared probable that, the two groups were referring to the same fighting in the same settlement. Jebel Aulia is roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of the capital Khartoum, and like Khartoum is located on the banks of the White Nile.

Residents reported clashes in several areas in the capital, including the upscale Kafouri neighborhood, around the military's headquarters, the Republican Palace and the vicinity of the Khartoum International Airport, the French AFP news agency said.

Since the fighting began on April 15, many cease-fire agreements had been announced, with hardly any full cessation of fighting. However, the final cease-fire, brokered by the United States, allowed a lull in fighting which opened a window for further evacuations out of Khartoum and the whole of Sudan.

Here are other key headlines about the crisis in Sudan for Friday, April 28:

Turkish evacuation plane attacked

A Turkish C-130 Hercules military transport plane was attacked with light weapons while en route to pick up Turkish citizens, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Friday.

The ministry said the plane landed safely, with no injuries reported.

The Sudanese army had accused the RSF of carrying out the attack on the plane as it prepared to land at Wadi Sayidna airport. It had claimed that the attack destroyed the fuel container and injured one personnel.

The RSF was quick to dispel the accusation as "lies and claims," saying it had adhered to the cease-fire.

"The area [where the plane was attacked] doesn't fall under our forces' control and we have no forces in its vicinity," the paramilitary group said. It argued that the responsibility for the attack falls fully on the army.

More DW coverage of the conflict in Sudan

Chad is hosting more than 1 million people forced to leave their homes, including nearly 400,000 Sudanese refugees. Chad fears the conflict between rival army generals will pile more pressure on its limited resources.

Russian paramilitary group Wagner operates a gold processing plant in Sudan and has been accused of involvement in the country's recent conflict.

Sudan's neighbors are working to prevent an escalation of fighting in the region. Ethiopia is mediating through the African bloc, but experts say the neighbor in the Horn of Africa should take a stronger leadership role.

rmt/msh (AFP, Reuters)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 28, 2023 04:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
The body of a Nigerian woman was found wrapped in bedsheets and concealer in a box bed in a flat in south Delhi on Friday, police said, adding that the accused, who is also a Nigerian national, has been apprehended.
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) criticised the Bar Council of India (BCI) for opposing the hearing of the same-sex marriage case in the Supreme Court. The apex court lawyers' body stated that "it was highly inappropriate for the BCI" to issue a press statement opposing the hearing of the matter before the highest court. Same-Sex Marriage Hearing: How To Grant Social Benefits to Gay Couples Without Legal Recognition to Marital Status, Supreme Court Asks Centre.

SCBA Criticises BCI:

'Highly Inappropriate' : SCBA Criticises BCI For Opposing Same-Sex Marriage Case Hearing In Supreme Court #SupremeCourtofIndia #SupremeCourt https://t.co/pWqgjWceqk  Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) April 28, 2023

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In a significant court order on hate speech, the Supreme Court on Friday asked all states and union territories to file cases over hate speeches irrespective of religion, even if there is no complaint. The apex court warned that delays in filing cases would be treated as contempt of court. Delhi Riots Hate Speech Case: Supreme Court Issues Notice on Brinda Karats Plea Seeking Registration of FIR Against BJP Leaders Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma.

SC on Hate Speech:

BREAKING| Supreme Court Directs All States To Register Suo Motu FIR Against Hate Speeches Irrespective Of Religion #SupremeCourt #HateSpeeches https://t.co/a1VKaNE9kK  Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) April 28, 2023

(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
Times Staff Writer

General Electric said Tuesday that it has agreed to sell its 75% stake in RCA/Ariola International record operations to Bertelsmann AG, which already owns the other 25%.

If completed, the acquisition would transfer ownership of one of the oldest names in recorded music--RCA Victor, which traces its history to the hand-cranked Victrola--to the giant West German conglomerate.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but record industry and Wall Street sources put the price at between $275 million and $375 million. For that, Bertelsmann gets the third-largest U.S. record distributor, with annual sales of more than $600 million and an artist roster that includes Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross and rock groups including the Eurythmics and Mr. Mister. In addition, Bertelsmann will acquire full ownership of New York-based Arista Records. That label has been a 50-50 venture between RCA and Bertelsmann.

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The sale also includes RCA Video Productions--a software distribution concern, RCA Records Special Products and the RCA Record Club, the second-largest record club, behind that of CBS. The sale does not include a home-video joint venture owned by RCA and Columbia Pictures.

The deal is subject to governmental approval and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Sale Was Expected

GEs decision to sell RCA/Ariola surprised no one. It has been speculated for months that the company would unload the record unit that it bought as part of its $6.28-billion acquisition of RCA Corp. earlier this year.

We reached a conclusion that this is not a business we want to be in, said Jack Batty, a spokesman at GE headquarters in Fairfield, Conn. Were moving toward high-tech and service businesses, and (RCA/Ariola) was not a good fit for us.

Batty said that under the terms of the deal, Bertelsmann will continue using the RCA logo and Nipper the dog trademark on its record products, so consumers wont see any difference at all. GE will also continue to use the logo and trademark on its RCA consumer electronic products, Batty said, adding with a chuckle, to make it even more confusing, RCA/Ariola will continue to distribute the products of the (RCA-Columbia Pictures) home-video joint venture.

RCA/Ariola spokesman Robbin Ahrold said the company is making no statements--its GEs and Bertelsmanns deal. But Ahrold translated a statement from Bertelsmann Chairman Mark Woessner--written in German from the companys headquarters in Guetersloh, West Germany--that said the acquisition was part of a long-sought strategic goal to make Bertelsmann a major factor in the record industry.

In addition to its record operations, Bertelsmann is West Germanys largest publishing group with more than 100 subsidiaries in 18 countries. Its holdings in this country include Bantam Books and Parent magazine.

Bertelsmanns entry in the the U.S. record business came in 1979, when it purchased Arista Records from Columbia Pictures for a reported $50 million. But after Arista lost $12 million in 1982, Bertelsmann sold a 50% interest in the company to RCA Records in 1983.

A year later, RCA Records and Bertelsmanns overseas record operations were merged, with Bertelsmann taking the junior position.

RCA/Ariola was formed a year ago by folding in all remaining RCA and Bertelsmann record operations, and the merged company recently underwent an extensive management restructuring.

One RCA/Ariola executive said Tuesday that the atmosphere here is very good; people are relieved that were not being sold to a total stranger.

Others who had been reported in the bidding for the company included MCA Inc., Coca-Cola, Walt Disney Co., former 20th Century Fox owner Marvin Davis, and Arista Records President Clive Davis in partnership with former 20th Century Fox Chairman Alan Hirschfield and RCA/Ariola President Ellott Goldman.

Bertelsmanns senior managers are members of the board and they participated in all the key decisions of the restructuring and implementation of the RCA/Ariola joint venture, so they know exactly what it is they bought--unlike some of the other people on that list, said the executive, who asked not to be identified.

However, one record company president, who also requested anonymity, said that even at the low-end estimate of $275 million, I think they overpaid by a considerable amount. He noted that Arista was perennially unprofitable when it was owned solely by Bertelsmann and that RCA Records earned profits of only $23 million last year on reported sales of $757.8 million.

If someone is willing to pay $275 million for a company with such mediocre results, that puts an incredible value on the record operations of CBS and Warner Communications, which are profitable year after year, he said.
On 27 April Perus Presidentdeclared a 60-day state of emergency along the countrys borders, in an attempt to crack down on illegal immigration which she claims is fuelling crime.

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Legendary TV host and former Cincinnati Mayor Jerry Springer has passed away, as revealed by his family last Thursday. He reportedly died peacefully in his home in Chicago.

As for his cause of death, The Daily Mail reported that he died after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Springer's family stated that his health took a turn for the worse before he died. They added, "'As he always said, take care of yourself, and each other."

The former Cincinnati mayor did not publicly talk about his battle with cancer, but he did hint at it during a 2022 interview. He stated that after Judge Jerry was canceled, he admitted that he wanted to retire while he was "still healthy." He added, "'I don't have to make a living. I want to enjoy life."

Jene Galvin, the spokesperson for the late host's family, stated, "Jerry's ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in everything he tried whether that was politics, broadcasting or just joking with people on the street who wanted a photo or a word," before adding, "He's irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart, and humor will live on."

Jerry Springer is best known for his trash TV-style program, "The Jerry Springer Show," which has since become America's guilty pleasure. The show was one of the most controversial shows in TV history, as guests were often encouraged to fight, brawl, and do demeaning things to themselves.

Jerry Springer in Politics

While he is best known for trash TV, Jerry Springer was actually a politician who previously resigned in disgrace while serving in the city council of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Before he became mayor, Springer resigned from his city council position in April 1974 because of a sex scandal. According to People magazine, the then-councilman paid for sex at a brothel using checks. He was outed through a blind item from the Enquirer that stated that a "well-known Cincinnati political family" was the subject of an investigation in Ohio and Kentucky.

READ MORE: Fox News Has a Secret Dossier on Tucker Carlson If He Decides to Retaliate Against Network

After this came out, Springer resigned from his position but still went on to win an election to reclaim his city council seat before running for mayor. Throughout all of this, he owned up to his sex scandal.

As mayor, he became an adviser to Robert Kennedy and even tried running for governor of Ohio.

Reactions to Jerry Springer's Death

Following the announcement of his passing, people all over the United States took to social media and reacted to the late host's death.

Never forget when Dr. Evil and his son Scott were reunited by Jerry Springerpic.twitter.com/bbfCysCXJd  Lights, Camera, Barstool (@LightsCameraPod) April 27, 2023

Say what you will about Jerry Springer. But nobody else would invite KKK members onstage so guests could punch them in the face. Respect. pic.twitter.com/2HEy9NIx4q  panic! attack at the disco (@tomposting_) April 27, 2023

JERRY SPRINGER I LOVE YOU FOREVER BUBBA. THIS VIDEO REMIND ME THAT YOU WERE THE LEGEND OF THE EARTH LIKE THE IRON SHEIK. GOD BLESS YOU FOREVER pic.twitter.com/bh8DUiQYUR  The Iron Sheik (@the_ironsheik) April 27, 2023

We used to see the worst trash imaginable on Jerry Springer..now we see it in Congress. #JerrySpringer pic.twitter.com/99oITaQtIx  All Out Of Bubblegum (@BubblegumOut) April 27, 2023

WWE is saddened to learn that Jerry Springer has passed away.



WWE extends its condolences to Springers family, friends, and fans.https://t.co/LUjYCSkLJ7  WWE (@WWE) April 27, 2023

The Jerry Springer Show was so unhinged.

He would have racist bigots, cheating midgets, DL men sleeping with transsexuals, and sister wives all on the same show, fighting for an entire hour.



Then he would end the show with a positive quote. King of mess, truly. pic.twitter.com/PPtBwliWJ6  The Moment. (@itsKARY_) April 27, 2023

Jerry Springer really had the MOB fighting the KKK pic.twitter.com/Dc74E2pZ6T  KOBE (@SkipBalor) April 27, 2023

RIP Jerry Springer  pic.twitter.com/3NWRIBwzFH  Complex Pop Culture (@ComplexPop) April 27, 2023

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Talk show host Jerry Springer dies at 79 l GMA - Good Morning America
A Joe Biden cheat sheet was widely reported after the president was caught having notes during a press conference. The sheet reportedly contains advanced knowledge of a question from a journalist.

Another cheat sheet was shown held by U.S. President Joe Biden, wherein it shows the names of other Biden administration officials in the order, in which the remarks would be delivered, according to a New York Post report.

One of the questions from the Joe Biden cheat sheet asks about the domestic and foreign policy from Los Angeles Times reporter Courtney Subramanian.

Meanwhile, the White House defended the president's use of the said cheat sheets, with its press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claiming that it was "entirely normal" for the president to be holding a cheat sheet that was reported to have an advance knowledge of a question from one of the journalists attending the press conference.

Jean- Pierre noted in another New York Post report that it was not surprising that they would anticipate the questions that the president received on the visit with the South Korean president on Wednesday.

The White House press secretary added that they do not have questions in advance and that it was "not something that we do."

There have been reports that Jean-Pierre's briefings have been heavily pre-scripted for months with an aide collecting questions from reporters ahead of time and the press secretary declining to call on some press members.

READ NEXT: Pres. Joe Biden Doesn't Believe His Son Hunter Biden Broke Any Laws in Dealings With Ukraine and China, Chief of Staff Says

White House on Joe Biden Cheat Sheet

The photographed cheat sheets that Biden was holding during the press conference raised questions regarding his mental acuity, especially since he just officially launched his campaign for the 2024 presidential election.

Biden waved away concerns about his age at the recent press conference on Wednesday, saying that his age "doesn't register" with him, adding that he feels "good" and "excited about the prospects," as cited by The Telegraph.

Jean-Pierre claimed that the LA Times reporter's question ended up being "different" as compared to what was written in the cheat sheet.

She also disclosed that the White House asks some reporters in advance in any press event.

Jean-Pierre said that they picked the LA Times as it has not asked a question for some time. She then said that the city of Los Angeles has a huge demographic of Korean-Americans.

However, Veteran White House journalist John Decker Gray from Gray Television says he doubts that Biden's aides merely anticipated the questions rather than it being "pre-screened."

Decker shouted whether it was Jean-Pierre's contention that the cheat sheet does not contain a similar question that was asked, to which the press secretary answered "Could you wait your turn?"

Joe Biden Cheat Sheet

The president has made similar mistakes in the past, leaving what seemed to be confidential notes laid in the eyes of the press.

During the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia last November, a cheat sheet was seen instructing him when to sit and take photos.

Daily Mail noted that there were also instructions that said referring to the president as "YOU" and where he will be sitting, including when he will deliver the opening remarks.

In July 2021, an aide asked the president to wipe a stain from his face during a Zoom call with state governors.

Biden has also been known to use cue cards during his campaign trail in 2020.

READ MORE: Pres. Joe Biden, a 'Direct Beneficiary' of His Son Hunter Biden's Foreign Deals, Says Head of Government Accountability Institute

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Did Bidens Cheat Sheet Hold Questions From Reporter? - from Inside Edition


After a judge quashed Donald Trump's efforts to block his testimony, former Vice President Mike Pence has now testified before the federal grand jury investigating the former president's efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential elections.

Pence is considered a key witness to former President Donald Trump's attempts to block congressional certification of Joe Biden's 2020 election win. His testimony could have a big impact on the legal and political fate of his one-time boss and possible 2024 rival, according to the New York Times.

The former vice president reportedly spent five hours behind closed doors at the Federal District Court in Washington. He was subpoenaed earlier this year but former President Donald Trump tried to block that testimony and failed. The testimony came only a few hours after a judge rejected Trump's bid.

The case of Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential elections is the focus of one of Special Counsel Jack Smith's two massive investigations into Trump, the other being the former president's handling of classified documents.

Mike Pence Spoke About Donald Trump's Pressure Campaign To Have Him Overturn Election Results

The Associated Press pointed out that it is still not clear what Pence talked about before the federal grand jury in that five-hour hearing. However, the former VP has extensively discussed his experience with Trump pressuring him about the elections while they were still in office.

Pence stated that Trump pressured him to reject Democrat Joe Biden's presidential election victory in the days leading up to the January 6 Capitol Insurrection. He even spoke about it in his memoir, "So Help Me God."

READ MORE: Donald Trump Thrown Under the Bus by Lindsey Graham?

He has since admitted that as vice president, he only had a ceremonial role overseeing Congress' counting of the Electoral College vote. This means that he did not have the power to affect the results, despite Trump's claims otherwise.

Pence and Trump's relationship has since soured after January 6, when the pro-Trump mob chanted "Hang Mike Pence!" The former VP has since condemned the violence, saying that his former ally's words and actions have endangered his family.

"For four years, we had a close working relationship. It did not end well," Pence wrote in his memoir.

Mike Pence Also Tried to Block His Testimony Before Federal Grand Jury

While he had spoken about Trump's pressure campaign publicly, Pence was yet to testify in court prior to today, as he was one of the people who tried to block his testimony.

Pence tried to block the subpoena for his testimony on the grounds that it violated the "speech or debate" clause of the Constitution given his role overseeing the election results certification on Jan. 6, 2021. However, this was rejected by a judge and Pence did not challenge the decision.

As for Trump, he claimed executive privilege. According to Politico, the three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the former president's last-ditch effort to prevent or limit Pence's testimony on Wednesday, though the order remains sealed to protect the secrecy of the grand jury,

The ruling on Pence's testimony was considered a huge victory for Jack Smith, whose efforts to get the former VP to talk were stalled since the subpoena was issued last February.

READ NEXT: Mike Pence Won't Commit to Backing Donald Trump if He Wins Republican Presidential Nomination

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Pence testifies to federal grand jury investigating Trump and Jan. 6 - CNN
The California homeless man arrested earlier this month for assaulting former San Francisco Fire Department Commissioner Don Carmignani with a metal pipe was released from custody, according to ABC 7.

After Carmignani failed to appear for his scheduled testimony, the order was issued Thursday morning as required by law.

"We have not dismissed the charges in this case," San Francisco DA Brooke Jenkins said in a statement. A preliminary hearing has been moved to next month.

Garret Doty, 24, the homeless man suspected in an April 5 pipe attack on the former SFFD commissioner, is being freed under minimal monitoring and has been instructed to keep away from Carmignani and Magnolia.

The court had to return suspect Doty to the community without Carmignani's testimony on Thursday morning.

READ NEXT: California Dermatologist Indicted for Poisoning Husband

California Homeless Man Pipe Attack Was an Act of Self Defense

The public defender's office produced videos and material alleging the accused victim had used bear spray on a California homeless man eight previous times, raising questions and confusion about the case of the former SFFD commissioner who the homeless man savagely attacked.

Carmignani was beaten with a metal pipe by a homeless man, resulting in 51 stitches, a cracked skull, and a broken jaw, per Fox News.

A fight broke out after the former fire commissioner urged the homeless encampment to leave because they were pestering locals and taking drugs outside his mother's home.

After getting pepper sprayed, his public attorney claims he acted in self-defense. Security footage shows Carmignani approaching Doty before the two guys alter.

A bystander heard Carmignani tell police he would knife and kill Doty.

The public defender's office has requested that the accusations against Doty be dropped, citing Carmignani's history of inciting homeless people as the reason.

They claimed Carmignani fits the physical description of a man who attacked eight homeless men with bear or pepper spray beginning in November of 2021.

Joe Alioto Veronese, a friend of Carmignani's and a past candidate for San Francisco district attorney, defended him on Wednesday, saying that the public defender's office's accusations are unfounded.

"Don ended up spraying himself with it," Veronese said and claimed that in one of the videos, the former SFFD commissioner was seen covering his face with hands in a defensive position as the spray blinded him before he went running down the street and hit with the metal pipe at the back of his skull.

California Homeless Man Still Faces Charges Following Pipe Attack

Jenkins has stated that the homeless man accused of assaulting the former SFFD commissioner with a metal pipe will continue to face charges from her agency, KRON4 noted.

Doty was freed from jail but is currently being held on multiple accusations, including:

Aggravated battery with serious bodily injury

Assault with force likely to produce significant bodily injury

Assault with a deadly weapon

The alleged victim, former SFFD Commissioner Don Carmignani, failed to attend court for a second day, and the California homeless man was freed from detention.

READ MORE: Colorado Teens Arrested After Deadly Rock-Throwing

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Former SF fire commissioner attacked with pipe accused of violence against homeless people - From KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco
Steve Bannon and several other associates of former President Donald Trump have been indicted on fraud charges connected to a border wall fundraising scheme dubbed "We Build the Wall."

The scheme allegedly turned out to be a scam, with Bannon and others taking the money for themselves.

Brian Kolfage, the co-founder of the fundraising group that promised to help Trump construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty.

Kolfage, an Air Force veteran who lost an arm and both legs in the Iraq War, admitted to siphoning donations from the "We Build the Wall" campaign, which reportedly raised $25 million from hundreds of thousands of donors.

Financier Andrew Badolato, a co-defendant, who also pleaded guilty, was sentenced to three years. Another person involved in the case is Colorado businessman Tim Shea. However, he will not be sentenced until June.

Aside from their prison sentences, Kolfage and Badolato were also ordered to pay $25 million in restitution to their victims, the Associated Press reported.

READ NEXT: Steve Bannon Ghosts His Own Lawyers in Border Wall Fraud Case, Driving Them to Quit

Why Was Steve Bannon Not Sentenced?

Steve Bannon was notably absent in this federal case because Donald Trump had already pardoned him during his final hours in office after the former White House adviser was initially arrested aboard a luxury yacht in connection with these fraud charges, along with the other men.

Presidential pardons reportedly apply only to federal crimes and not state offenses. Thus, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg was able to bring new state charges against Bannon last year. Bannon has called this case "nonsense."

Bannon has remained a close ally of Trump, even after he resigned as the former president's top adviser. While he was pardoned, his three other associates in the scheme, Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato, and Tim Shea, were not pardoned by Trump.

Bannon and the three other men were indicted on federal fraud charges for the "We Build the Wall" scheme in 2020, with Kolfage being identified as the one who masterminded the scheme.

As for Shea, he was the only one to face a jury. However, his first trial ended in a mistrial last June after 11 of the 12 jury members wrote to U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres in Manhattan that their 12th member called them "liberals" and accused them of facilitating a "government witch hunt."

Prosecutors said the four men allegedly used fake invoices, sham contracts, and shadowy bank accounts to funnel the money to themselves for personal gain, New York Post reported.

Badolato's lawyer, Kelly Kramer, claimed that Bannon was the "leader and primary beneficiary" of the border wall scheme, adding that his client received a smaller payout than the pardoned associate.

'We Build the Wall' Fundraising Scheme

We Build the Wall, Inc. was a nonprofit that launched a fundraiser in 2018 to pay for parts of Donald Trump's border wall.

However, Steve Bannon and his associates allegedly used some of the donated money for personal use instead of using it to build a border wall.

"As alleged, the defendants defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors, capitalizing on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of dollars, under the false pretense that all of that money would be spent on construction," said acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Audrey Strauss.

According to NPR, Bannon publicly referred to We Build the Wall as a "volunteer organization." However, he allegedly pocketed over $1 million from the organization and used it for personal expenses.

On the other hand, Brian Kolfage reportedly used more than $350,000 of the donor funds for boat payments and cosmetic procedures and to buy a luxury SUV and jewelry. The nonprofit is now defunct.

READ MORE: Steve Bannon Openly Defied U.S. Government and Acted Above the Law Says Prosecutor

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WATCH: We Build The Wall Founder Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison - From KTSM 9 NEWS
FBI Atlanta is warning the public about a phone scam where individuals are posing as university or college law enforcement officials by calling potential victims regarding outstanding warrants or fines against their children and asking them for payment.

The scammers are using spoofed law enforcement phone numbers, along with the names, positions, and addresses of officers. The scam is largely targeting parents or guardians of students at Georgia universities.

READ NEXT: 350 Action Responds to President Joe Biden's 2024 Reelection Campaign Announcement

FBI Warns the Public Against Scammers

Calls from local law enforcement stating an individual has fines for outstanding warrants.

Calls from local law enforcement stating the court is holding the individual in contempt for failure to appear for jury duty.

Calls from local law enforcement stating an individual has been placed under a "gag order" and is not allowed to speak with anyone else regarding the matter.

Calls from local law enforcement demanding you remain on the line until the "bond" is paid.

Requests for monetary gift cards (visa/green dot etc.) bank deposits, and voucher purchases to clear court fines or avoid jail time.

Requests for videos or pictures of individuals conducting a personal strip search of themselves to clear court fines or avoid jail time.

If you receive a voice-mail from law enforcement demanding a call back, do not respond. Instead, call your local police department's general phone number or go in person to verify the call. Please remember, law enforcement will never call you if you have an arrest warrant for missing jury duty, nor will they ask you to send money for any reason.

If you believe you have been a victim of this scam or other fraud activity, please contact FBI Atlanta at 770-216-3000 and file a complaint with the FBI at www.IC3.gov.

READ MORE: Readout of White House State Legislative Convening on Non-Consensually Distributed Intimate Images
The U.S. has announced plans to open new migrant processing centers in Colombia and Guatemala amid the migration surge across the U.S.-Mexico border.

According to BBC News, the regional facilities aim to process thousands of claims a month while providing migrants with other safer and legal ways of migration as part of the U.S. efforts to reduce undocumented immigration.

In addition, the number of deportations for those ineligible to enter the U.S. will also be doubled or tripled. U.S. officials also announced their plans on Thursday to double or triple the number of deportation flights to some countries.

They also said those trying to reach America illegally by sea would now be ineligible for parole, allowing them to temporarily live and work in the U.S.

The new plans have been announced as a preparation for the end of Title 42, a measure introduced during the administration of former President Donald Trump that gave immigration agents the right to immediately expel undocumented migrants even before they could register on an asylum request.

The Title 42 will end on May 11, as expected.

READ NEXT: Semana Santa in Mexico: The Celebration of Holy Week in the Latin American Country

New Migrant Processing Centers in Guatemala and Colombia

U.S. officials said the first migrant processing centers will be managed by other international organizations partnered with the U.S. NBC News reported that these processing centers will open in Guatemala and Colombia in the coming weeks.

A senior administration official said individuals would speak to specialists to be screened, and if eligible, they would be referred for refugee settlement or other lawful ways such as parole programs, family reunification, or existing labor efforts.

Aside from the U.S., the centers can also provide migrants with other ways to resettle in Canada, Spain, or other countries in their region.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, together with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, made the announcement about the new migrant processing centers on Thursday.

Blinken thanked Colombia and Guatemala for their role "as excellent partners" of the U.S. in this initiative.

The preparations for the transition have been in place for more than a year and a half, according to Mayorkas. He then called on Congress to provide the resources they needed to continue the work they had started.

Migration Surge in U.S. Border

In the 2022 fiscal year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported more than 2.2 million migrant "encounters." According to Al Jazeera, the new record was up from about 1.67 million in the 2021 fiscal year to only 400,000 the year before.

Right advocates noted that Title 42 violates international law and exposes people to threats in Mexico. However, several U.S. border states argued it was needed to prevent an even greater surge in arrivals.

President Joe Biden has tried to reverse some of Donald Trump's immigration policies, such as Title 42. The migration situation in the U.S. has compelled some of the states, especially those near the U.S.-Mexico border, to send busloads of migrants to cities that are usually Democratic-run such as New York and Chicago.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey joined Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in sending migrants to other cities.

READ MORE: Colombia's Most-Wanted Drug Lord Dairo Antonio Usuga Arrested; Pres. Ivan Duque Likened It to Capture of Pablo Escobar

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: U.S. to Develop New Processing Centers for Migrants in Latin America - From CBS News
A 7-year-old special needs student at an Indiana elementary school was allegedly forced to eat his vomit with a spoon in the lunchroom as school employees watched.

According to Fox News, the February incident led to the filing of charges against four Brownsburg Community School Corporation employees and one third-party independent contractor from Kids Count Therapy, LLC. The Hendrick County Prosecutor's Office reportedly filed the charges on Tuesday afternoon.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Brownsburg Police Department said its investigators presented the results of its probe involving the mistreatment of a Brown Elementary School male student in the Life Skills program on April 20.

Police said Sara Seymour, a 27-year-old Brown Elementary Life Skills teacher, and 63-year-old instructional aide Debra Kanipe were each charged with felony neglect of a dependent.

They were also charged with misdemeanor failure to report, together with teacher Julie Taylor, 48; instructional aide Kristen Mitchell, 38; and Kids Count Registered Behavioral Technician Megan King, 24.

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Indiana Elementary School Employees Forced the Special Needs Student to Eat His Vomit

The Brownsburg Police Department said Sara Seymour told the boy that if he vomited, he would be required to eat what he threw up. Julie Taylor then gave the child a tray to vomit on.

Police noted that the boy eventually vomited on the tray and the table, and Debra Kanipe, reportedly handed the child a spoon, FOX 59 reported.

Police said the boy was then forced to use the spoon to eat the vomit and cleaned the rest with paper towels.

According to authorities, Seymour and Kanipe stood at each side of the boy as he ate some of the vomit. Kristen Mitchell and Megan King witnessed the incident.

According to the probable cause affidavit, a video showed what happened and the involvement of the five school employees in the incident.

Police noted that the termination process for Seymour and Kanipe was already initiated, while others remain on administrative leave pending the Brownsburg Community School Corporation (BCSC) School Board rulings.

The school corporation has also advised Kids Count that they were no longer allowed to be on the school property.

In a message to parents, the BCSC said: "This horrendous action is not in line with the character of staff and teachers at Brownsburg Schools. The shocking actions of a few does not define the care and concern that Brownsburg teachers and staff show every day."

Chicago Teacher Abused Special Needs Students at School

Last month, NBC Chicago reported that eight parents sued a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) teacher for allegedly assaulting special needs students by hitting them with her hands and a ruler and constantly cursing them.

The charges were reportedly accompanied by a recorded conversation in which the teacher told her Whistler Elementary School kids, "The longer you cry, the longer I will hit you."

"When I learned what was going on in her classroom, my worst fears were realized," said Candace Bowman, a mom to a nonverbal child with autism. "Now, looking back, it all makes sense."

The lawsuit has named CPS, the Board of Education, the teacher, and the school's principal, as defendants. It was filed on behalf of eight parents and guardians of children in kindergarten through second grade with mental and physical disabilities.

READ MORE: California Homeless Man Who Attacked SFFD Commissioner With Pipe Released From Jail

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WATCH: Special Needs Student Forced to Eat His Own Vomit at Indiana School - From WTHR
The three Colorado teens suspected of killing a woman by throwing a landscaping rock at her passing car allegedly took a picture of her vehicle after it crashed.

Suspects Joseph Koenig, Nicholas "Mitch" Karol-Chik, and Zachary Kwak, all 18, allegedly threw large landscaping rocks toward at least seven passing cars in Westminster in Jefferson County on April 19.

One of the rocks they threw reportedly hit the car of Alexa Bartell, 20, as she drove north in the 10600 block of Indiana Street at around 10:45 p.m.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said Thursday that the rock went through her vehicle's windshield, which made her car go off the road and then crashed into a field, killing her on the scene, CBS News reported.

After Bartell's car crashed, the three Colorado teens allegedly circled back to take a "memento" picture of her vehicle. According to CBS Colorado, Kwak told investigators he was the one throwing the rocks, and one of them hit Bartell's car.

He also admitted that he suggested they go back to take a photo of the victim's car as a "memento."

"We have to go back and see that," Kwak allegedly told the others, as revealed in an arrest affidavit acquired by CBS Colorado.

Karol-Chik also told detectives that Kwak was the one throwing the rocks, while Koenig was the one driving their black 2016 Chevrolet Silverado.

Bartell's car was the seventh or the last one hit by the rocks thrown by Kwak. Police clarified that the rock killed the victim and not the crash.

Two other drivers reportedly suffered minor injuries that night. The sheriff's office said mobile device forensics and tips from the public helped lead them to the three Colorado teens, who are currently being held without bond.

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Colorado Teens Charged With First-Degree Murder

Joseph Koenig, Nicholas "Mitch" Karol-Chik, and Zachary Kwak were all high school seniors in three different schools in Arvada, Colorado. They were arrested in their respective parents' homes following the deadly incident.

According to ABC News, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office announced Wednesday morning that the three Colorado teenagers will face charges of first-degree murder with extreme indifference and will likely face more charges.

Four other drivers were not hurt in the incident. One of these unhurt drivers was Nathan Tipton, a Lyft and Uber driver, who told reporters, "When I found out that this series of events actually took a young lady's life, I feel for Alexa and her family. It put me in a bit of a shock. My wife, it really got to her."

A witness claimed he was with the three suspects on the night that Bartell was killed. He noted that he was with them at a Walmart parking lot and saw them loading landscaping rocks into a pickup truck but did not go with them as he knew something bad was going to happen.

One of the Colorado Teens Had a History of Destructive Behavior

According to court documents, Joseph Koenig was reportedly known to often participate in "destructive behavior" because "he likes causing chaos."

While the other two teens spoke with authorities after their arrest, Koenig reportedly did not.

According to Colorado Public Radio, Nicholas "Mitch" Karol-Chik told investigators that they all got excited whenever they hit a car. However, he admitted feeling "a hint of guilt" when they passed by Alexa Bartell's vehicle.

Detectives are also investigating the teens' involvement in similar incidents reported in the area. Meanwhile, Koenig's father was also taken into custody for obstruction during his son's arrest.

READ MORE: Fox News Has a Secret Dossier on Tucker Carlson If He Decides to Retaliate Against Network

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WATCH: 3 High School Teens in Colorado Arrested in Rock-Throwing Incident That Killed 20-Year-Old - From ABC News
Easton officials Wednesday night launched an exhaustive effort to develop an official calendar of religious celebrations and observations.

The city council unanimously approved a resolution calling for the creation of the calendar, and specifying that it include the Muslim holidays of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

Councilwoman Taiba Sultana, elected in 2021 as the first Muslim and Asian-American candidate for the council, introduced the resolution originally drafted to call for the city to add the Muslim celebrations to its official celebrations and observations calendar ... .

Sultana had to amend the proposal that council ultimately adopted because there was no such official celebrations and observations calendar.

Sultana also agreed to strike from the measure resolving that the City investigates the possibility of co-hosting a yearly iftar dinner once during the month of Ramadan at sunset ... . Remaining in the resolution is the direction that the City acknowledges Ramadan on its social media and website. City social media already celebrates other religious holidays, Sultana said, offering up screenshots.

City Administrator Luis Campos asked for collaboration between Eastons administration and the city council on deciding which holidays to include in the new observations calendar.

It could become quite unwieldy, Councilman Roger Ruggles noted. It wont necessarily be the top three holidays of religions like Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism, he noted. Lutheran followers, for instance, have a special celebration for nearly every Sunday, he said.

I dont know if you realize what youre getting into, Ruggles said. Whos to say this ones more important than the other one?

Rita Messa, the city clerk, noted theres a calendar of all the meeting days of Eastons authorities, boards and commissions.

And Easton maintains a calendar with the 10 holidays that unions have bargained to have off, Campos said. Non-union employees are given those same days off that the citys American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees local agrees to take off, he said.

Of course we have that but thats a legal document thats negotiated, Mayor Sal Panto Jr. said.

Ken Greene, one of seven Democrats vying for three nominations for city council in the May 16 primary election, suggested that officials strike any religious connotations from those union days off, with the exception of Christmas, which is a federal holiday. For example, Good Friday is one of the unions picks for a day off, but it can just be listed on the employment calendar as a staff holiday, Greene suggested.

Councilman Peter Melan, who is challenging Panto in the primary for the Democratic nomination for mayor, asked the city solicitor, Joel Scheer, if he and assistant Jeremy Clark had reviewed Sultanas proposal prior to it coming up for a vote Wednesday night. They read it, Scheer said, but the decision on approval was up to council.

If I could get up and speak as a citizen now and not as an attorney I have some very definite feelings about giving any type of endorsement of any of the religions, Scheer said, noting later hes had to skip two recent planning commission meetings due to conflicts with Jewish holidays. No one asked us to help frame it, but we saw it.

Melan said he saw no harm in a calendar of religious holidays, and Panto also voiced his support in the spirit of inclusivity. Sultana said the calendar may serve as an opportunity to educate city residents about the Muslim members of their community.

Expanding into other ways Easton has officially treated, or steered clear of treating, religious holidays, Panto noted that the Peace Candle in Centre Square isnt called the Christmas Candle and that the Winter Village retail market isnt called a Christmas village. Scheer pointed out that advertising of the menorah lighting in Centre Square shouldnt say City of Easton Menorah Lighting Ceremony.

The resolution is passed, Panto said. Weve got our work cut out for us.

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Authorities are warning Easton residents, especially those on College Hill, to take necessary precautions to avoid contact with a bear sighted in the area on Thursday afternoon.

The bear was last seen on the hill near Parker Avenue and Shawnee Avenue, the city said.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission suggested residents keep all trash indoors, remove bird and squirrel feeders and avoid throwing food scraps outside until further notice, the city said.

Removing the food source should force the bear to leave the area, the city said.

Anyone who sees the bear or notices it becoming aggressive should call 911 and the Pennsylvania Game Commission Southeast Region at 833-742-4868 or 833-742-9453, authorities said.

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A mobile mechanic was held at gunpoint outside a Bethlehem area hotel after a customer claimed he was charged for a service that wasnt done, authorities say.

Calvin Bratcher, the alleged gunman, was arrested Thursday and charged with aggravated assault-attempted bodily injury with a deadly weapon, making terroristic threats, reckless endangerment and simple assault, Bethlehem Township police said.

The 60-year-old Bratcher was sent to Northampton County Prison after failing to post $100,000 bail. An attorney had not yet entered an appearance in Bratchers case.

Township police said Thursday morning an officer was at Woodspring Suites, 4016 Christian Spring Road, on unrelated call, when he spotted a man later identified Bratcher pointing a gun at a van driver in the parking lot.

The officer got out of his police vehicle, pulled his gun and ordered the gunman to drop his weapon and get on the ground. Bratcher was arrested without incident, according to police.

The victim was a traveling mechanic with Wrench, whom Bratcher hired to replace an alternator on his vehicle, police said. Bratcher is staying at the hotel, but has a Texas drivers license, police said.

The mechanic told officers that Wrenchs company policy prohibits work in private parking lots, and he was unable to do the work for Bratcher, police said.

Bratcher reportedly told officers the company charged his card $1,200 and the victim was stealing his money, so he pulled the gun to not allow the victim to leave, court records say.

The victim said Brachter threatened to shoot him if he did not get out of his car, and that the gun was pointed at the his face and Brachter had his finger on the trigger, according to court papers.

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Editors note: Welcome to the world of Paranormal PA, a PennLive series that delves into Pennsylvania-grown stories of spirits (like the ghost of a murdered girl whose cries can be heard in one of Penn States library); cryptids (Bigfoot); oddities and legends; and the unexplained. Sign up here to get our Paranormal PA newsletter delivered to your inbox.

Would you say you have an interest in that famed, grain-ily photographed cryptid, Bigfoot?

If your answer is yes and you live in Pennsylvania, then head over to the annual Bigfoot festival this summer.

PennLive has previously reported on the Forest County Bigfoot Festival in Marienville, which draws dozens of people who come to discuss and celebrate the elusive creature.

The festival features typical events such as food vendors, a petting zoo (of confirmed animals, of course), and live music, but also those of the Sasquatch variety: Multiple experts will speak about Bigfoot on several panels, and a Bigfoot calling contest will be held. Theres even a Biggest Foot contest, too.

Pennsylvania holds a special place for Bigfoot it its heart, being the state with the third most sightings (with over 1,300 total) of the being in the country.

Not surprisingly, the Appalachian range has a high number of Bigfoot sightings, writes the Bigfoot Field researchers Organization (BFRO). With hundreds of miles of connected forestlands, its a prime space for a large animal to go undetected.

One of Pennsylvanias most interesting cases involves a mountain biker who, while taking a rest, thought he was watching the back-end of a bear as it rummaged through a downed tree. The bikers curiosity turned to shock when the animal stood up What he thought was a bear was actually a giant 7-foot bipedal creature covered in black hair.

The Forest County Bigfoot Festival in Marienville will take place on Friday, June 9th, through Sunday, June 11th. For more information, click here.

If you cant make it then, theres also the Squatchfest musical festival in Kane.
A deal has been sealed that sees a US company take full ownership of a big mozzarella cheese plant in Portlaoise in a buyout sale worth up to 200 million to Glanbia.

Further to its announcement on March 1, 2023, Glanbia plc has confirmed the completion of the sale of its shareholdings in Glanbia Cheese to Leprino Foods Company.

The Irish food giant explained the finances. It said the transaction proceeds of 178.9 million have been received in cash. This comprises of a consideration of 114 million and repayment of 64.9 million of shareholder loans.

Glanbia says a further contingent consideration of up to 25 million is dependent on the performance of Glanbia Cheese over the next three years. The Irish company says the transaction will be subject to post-completion cash and working capital adjustments. Glanbia says the proceeds of the transaction will be used for general corporate purposes.

Following a transition period post-completion, the Glanbia Cheese business will be renamed Leprino Foods UK Limited and Leprino Foods EU Limited.

The Portlaoise plant is one of three Glanbia Cheese manufacturing facilities; the others are in Llangefni in Wales, Magheralin in Northern Ireland.

Glanbia says the existing team will continue to manage the business, led by CEO Paul Vernon and his senior management team, with no disruption to day-to-day operations.

Post completion, Glanbia plc will continue to focus on its better nutrition strategy serving consumer health and wellness categories through its consumer brands and ingredient solutions business.

The two firms partnered almost 50:50 in the Portlaoise plant which went into operation in April 2021 making pizza mozzarella cheese for the European market.

Glanbia previously said 100 people work at the plant has a production capacity of 45,000 tonnes of mozzarella cheese per annum.

The 40,000-metric ton facility requires significant amounts of dairy ingredients - the equivalent of 400 million litres of milk a year to operate.

The development, which was announced in July 2018, was the first big client to set up in the Laois County Council driven National Enterprise Park in Portlaoise. It is located near the M7 Togher interchange on a new access road built by the Council that also links to the town's Clonminham Industrial Estate.

Based in Denver, Colorado, and founded as a small, family-run cheese business 65 years ago, Leprino Foods now claims to be the worlds largest mozzarella cheese maker and top producer of whey protein and dairy ingredients.

Still family-owned, the company says it prides itself on having a reputation of being a dairy industry pioneer, supplying the highest-quality products to food and nutrition companies around the globe.

Leprino says it employs approximately 5,000 people worldwide and has global sales in over 55 countries. The company adds that its expanding international presence provides access to key markets across the globe.

With its distinction of being the leading mozzarella manufacturer in Europe, we are proud of the business that we helped build over the past two decades, Leprino Foods President and Chief Executive Officer, Mike Durkin, said. With this acquisition now completed, we are extremely excited about the potential to take advantage of our combined expertise, knowledge and strengths to further enhance and expand our international presence by providing access to key markets across the globe.

Glanbia confirmed to the Leinster Express / LAOIS Live there will be no redundancies adding that it "will be very much business as usual" for the Portlaoise operation and other plants in Glanbia Cheese that are part of the deal.

Glanbia said in March that the joint venture with Leprino contributed approximately 7.3 million to the share of profit after tax of Glanbia.
A father and son have appeared before Kilkenny District Court charged following a garda investigative operation targeting a criminal gang involved in impersonations of members of An Garda Siochana.



Andrew Cash, 12 Whitechurch Heights, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16, was charged with the burglary of a home in Glenmore on February 19 last. His son John Cash, 13 Labre Park, Kylemore Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10, was charged with forgery.

The forgery was that on October 6, 2022, at Lyreen Close, Mariaville, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, did make a false instrument to wit, A Vehicle Registration Certificate Form RF101 for a Vauxhall Astra in the name of James Doyle with the intention that it be used to induce another person to accept it as genuine and by reason of so accepting the said instrument to do some act, or to make some omission, to the prejudice of that person or any other person. Contrary to Section 25 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001.



The court heard in relation to John Cash that he was arrested and charged today (Thursday) at Kilkenny Garda Station. In reply he said no comment.

Mr Cash was released on bail on several conditions: that he enter a bond for 1,000, reside at his home address, observe a curfew between 10pm and 7am, have no contact with witnesses in the case, and not leave Dublin except in the case of a genuine emergency. He is also to provide gardai with a contact phone number and inform them if he comes into possession of a vehicle.

The matter was adjourned to May 22, for directions from the DPP, when Mr Cash is to appear again before Kilkenny District Court.



Andrew Cash, the court heard, was arrested today (Thursday) at 1pm in Kilkenny Courthouse and later charged at Kilkenny Garda Station. He was cautioned and his reply to the charge was no comment.

Gardai objected to bail being granted to Mr Cash on several grounds, including the seriousness of the charge.

Detective Garda David Conway told the court it will be garda evidence that on February 19, 2023, Andrew Cash entered the home of an 89 year old man in the Glenmore area. Between 12noon and 12.20pm, when the man was asleep on his couch, Mr Cash walked around the house while wearing a covid-type face mask.

The detective garda said evidence will be that internal CCTV from the home captured images.

Solicitor Chris Hogan applied for bail for his client. He said a forensic science report will take some time and he said his client was prepared to sign on at a garda station if granted bail.



Judge Geraldine Carthy refused bail for Andrew Cash under Section 2 of the Bail Act.

He was remanded in custody to appear before Kilkenny District Court, via video link, on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, when he was further remanded to May 25.

The original version of this article stated John Cash was charged with burglary. It has been amended to reflect that he was in fact charged with forgery.
The Croi Conaithe grant to renovate vacant and derelict houses is "money for jam" a Laois councillor has said.

The grants rose from a maximum of 50,000 to 70,000 last week, to entice owners to bring more houses back to use.

In Laois since it was first introduced in summer 2022, 48 applications have been given to Laois County Council.

Of those, 11 have final approval, four more have approval in principle, and 31 are still under consideration. One was withdrawn and one refused.

Laois County Council CEO John Mulholland said it is "a very good initiative".

Cllr John King praised it too, at the April meeting of Laois County Council.

"I would like to see more people apply. It's money for jam. It's a great kickstart for someone. It's great to see life come back to rural Ireland," he said.

However Cllr Aisling Moran questioned why more applicants are not yet approved.

"It is a brilliant scheme. You are getting on average 16 a month, but only approving four. You need extra staff," she said.

The Director for Housing Angela McEvoy gave an explanation.

"It may sound straightforward, but queries can go back, and there are costings and conditions. There is also a technical aspect. Our own staff do the inspections. It's not quick. There can be questions. we will keep an eye on it," she said.

The Croi Conaithe (Towns) Fund Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant gives grants of up to 50,000 including VAT to owners who want to refurbish houses that are empty for two or more years, and built before 2007. They can include buildings that were never houses before, such as pubs or shops. The house can be rented out, as part of the recent changes to the grant.

A top-up grant of up to 20,000 more is available to properties proven to be derelict.

The grant is paid after the work is complete and inspected. Preference is given to first time buyers, Fresh Start applicants, people with disablility and older people wishing to move from rural areas into towns. If people sell the home within five years they have to refund the grant. If it is sold between five and ten years they must refund 75% of the grant.
A 169 million fund will ensure nobody is left behind by the climate transition that has ended commercial peat production and peat-fired power generation in Laois and other counties.

That's the view of the Government department behind the EU Just Transition Fund (JTF) launched by the Minister for the Environment, Climate, and Communications, Minister Eamon Ryan in Longford which alongside Offaly, Laois, Westmeath, Roscommon, and parts of Galway, Kildare and Tipperary, form the EU JTF Territory. The launch was also attended by Laois Offaly Minister of States Sean Fleming and Pippa Hackett.

A Department of Environment, Climate and Communications outlined the promise of the fund.

The fund, which will be in place until 2027, will ensure that no one is left behind by the climate transition and will promote economic, social, and territorial cohesion in line with key EU priorities.

It will support training and upskilling for former peat workers. For their communities, this funding will enable them to benefit from new green jobs, the development of affordable green energy, the decarbonisation of local transport, and the roll-out of new tourism enterprises. It will also support investment in sustainable agriculture and forestry, the development of SMEs and start-ups, as well as support for vital research and innovation, said the Department.

The EU JTF, which will be managed by the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly (EMRA), will facilitate projects and initiatives which help address the adverse social, economic and environmental effects of the climate transition for regions previously reliant on fossil fuels.

It also sets out Irelands investment strategy for the funding, with up to 84.5 million financed by the EU matched by up to 84.5 million from the Government of Ireland.

It is claimed that the programme will focus on three strategic priorities for investment:

- Generating employment by investing in the diversification of the local economy

- Supporting the restoration and rehabilitation of degraded peatlands and regeneration and repurposing of industrial heritage assets

- Providing smart and sustainable mobility options to enable local communities to benefit directly from the green transition.

It is claimed that between now and 2027, a range of initiatives will be supported, and several funding calls run for different types of organisations.

Beneficiaries of the fund will include micro-enterprises, SMEs, research institutions, local authorities, and community organisations.

The First funding calls will be launched soon with others to follow soon.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Department of Transport with the National Transport Authority and Zero Electric Vehicles Ireland, Failte Ireland, National Parks & Wildlife Service, and Pobal will implement the funding.

Laois Offaly TD and Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for International Development and Diaspora Sean Fleming attended the launch.

I welcome the launch of this innovative Programme, particularly the focus on community development. Funding of 29 million to support the implementation of bottom-up local and regional initiatives in the Midlands can deliver transformative projects, aligned with Local Economic and Community Plans and Regional Enterprise Plan priorities, offering a bright, sustainable future in the Region, he said.

Laois Offaly's Green Party Minister of State Pippa Hackett announced what were described as two flagship, Department of Agriculture, initiatives as part of the fund: Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiatives to a value of 20 million and a Midlands Carbon Catchment Study, to a value of 15 million.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, with special responsibility for Land Use and Biodiversity, Pippa Hackett said:

As someone who lives in the midlands Im delighted to see this significant investment for the region from the EU Just Transition Fund. Im particularly pleased with the two flagship initiatives from my Department. The 35 million in funding I am announcing, for the Midlands Carbon Catchment Study and for Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiatives will develop projects which will engage farmers and landowners to develop products, services and jobs that will be support a sustainable, climate neutral economy right here in the midlands.

"I encourage all farmers, local community groups, research performing organisations and enterprises to actively engage and collaborate together in these two opportunities so that collectively, we can realise the potential of this region.

Irelands Just Transition Territorial Plan and Programme and supporting material can be found at www.eufunds.ie www.gov.ie/en/publication/4d421-eu-just-transition-fund/

For further information on the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly and its role as Managing Authority email: eujtf@emra.ie
Broadcaster, Barretstown Ambassador and outdoor pursuits enthusiast Kathryn Thomas has issued a rallying call to the nation to join the hike for Barretstown and raise much needed funds to support the life-changing therapeutic programmes delivered by the childrens charity.

Thomas is encouraging as many people as possible to take part in the 9th annual Barretstown Dublin Mountains Challenge, on Sunday, May 28th.

The RTE TV and radio broadcaster, renowned for her love of the outdoors and the importance of exercise to enhance physical and emotional well-being has been busy sharing regular training insights and tips across her ever-popular social channels, for the upcoming event.

All funds raised from the challenge will support the delivery of Barretstown therapeutic programmes which are delivered on site in Ballymore Eustace, Kildare and through outreach programmes, supported by over 2,000 volunteers. To date, over 85,000 children have availed of therapeutic programmes which have helped them rebuild their self-confidence.

Barretstown Ambassador Kathryn Thomas said,

The Dublin Mountains Challenge is a wonderful opportunity to experience the amazing beauty of the south Dublin range but most importantly support an extremely worthy charity, which has an incredible impact on the lives of children and their families affected by serious illness.

On average 18,000 children experience serious illness per year in Ireland and it is critical that we have organisations such as Barretstown available to support children on their journey through a serious illness. Fundraising events such as the Dublin Mountains Challenge are mission critical to this, with all funds raised going directly to the delivery of their therapeutic programmes.

Unfortunately, we are all aware, either directly or indirectly, of a child and family impacted by serious illness, and with that in mind, Sunday, May 28th is a chance to come together for a greater good, dust off our walking boots and go the distance to help press play for children living with serious illness.

This years event on Sunday 28th, kindly supported by Lucozade Sport, is returning to its original format of two lengths to suit all fitness levels. Starting in Sean Walsh Park, Tallaght, participants can follow the scenic Dublin Mountains Way, a 24km trail to Ticknock Park or a 42km to Shankill, with bus transfer back to Tallaght.

For those who are unable to take part in the Dublin Mountains route, they are encouraged to follow an equivalent distance in a location suitable to them. For more information on how to take part go to https://www.barretstown.org/ dmc
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The chief executive of Newbridge-headquartered Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) has said that the scale of the five-day Punchestown Festival is vital for the sport of horse racing as well as the local Kildare economy.

Suzanne Eade, who was appointed in 2021, also added that the number of overseas racegoers that the Kildare event attracts is very impressive.

Ms Eade told the Leader: We have enjoyed a tremendously successful National Hunt season, the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown in February was very special, Irish-trained horses were dominant once again at the Cheltenham Festival and the Irish Grand National meeting at Fairyhouse was certainly one to savour on Easter Monday.

It was heartening to see such big crowds at Punchestown a year ago and Im sure those terrific scenes will be replicated across the festivals five days this year.

"Every major racing festival results in a notable return for local economies around the country; the scale of the Punchestown festival and the huge number of overseas racegoers it attracts makes it one of the most important and economically significant.

Ms Eade added: The Punchestown festival is a truly wonderful occasion, bringing together the very best of National Hunt racing and one of the social highlights of the year.

Horse Racing Ireland is the governing body of horseracing in Ireland and is responsible for the overall development and promotion of the thoroughbred industry.

The HRI is responsible for the development, promotion and overall administration of Irish racing.

The HRI also has a role in race programming and prize-money, grants to authorised racecourses and training and education within the industry.
Armed troops patrolling the streets of Naas  Civic Guards stationed at twenty-yard intervals  aircraft observing from above  not the normal picture in Kildares county town on the eve of a Punchestown racing festival but then, 100 years ago, things were anything but normal.

The years from 1919-23 had seen Ireland convulsed by the troubles as the birth pangs of the new Irish State played out against a background of violence and terror.

Firstly, the War of Independence against the British had seen an unprecedented cancellation of Punchestown in successive years, 1919 and 1920.

Racing resumed in 1921 while the 1922 fixture managed to go-ahead against the background of an ever-deepening split among Irish nationalists as to whether the Treaty with Britain should be accepted.

The subsequent months of winter of 1922 into 1923 had seen a conflict termed the civil war impact County Kildare with a spate of train hi-jacking, road trenching, arson and robbery.

The new Irish Government, in place since early 1923, responded strongly with interments and executions including the largest such execution of anti-treaty combatants at the Curragh camp prison the previous December.

By the time the Punchestown of April 1923 came the civil war was coming to a bloody conclusion with the anti-treaty faction realising the futility of persistence among a war-weary public who wanted to resume their normal lives. However, the new national government might well have feared a dying spasm from the anti-treaty faction targeting Punchestown which despite its wide popularity had a particular association with the establishment, thence the patrolling soldiers and 200 Civic Guard deployed to Naas to protect racegoers.

There was both change and continuity evident at the 1923 meeting.

The Dublin Castle elite who had fuelled the social whirl at Punchestown was no longer dominant  its place taken by a new native Government with its police force, the Civic Guard, - and a new army, the National Army.

The status of Punchestown as a pre-eminent social and sporting occasion in the country had been recognised by the old guard down through the years by the attendance of royalty or its representative, the Lord Lieutenant.

The leaders of the new Irish State were determined to continue the tradition and the 1923 meeting was attended by the President of the new Irish Free State, Mr W T Cosgrave and by the first Governor-General, Mr Tim Healy  the latters fortune in placing a winning bet was proclaimed as a good omen for the newly independent Ireland.

The Punchestown correspondent for the Kildare Observer newspaper reported on the changes to be seen in Naas on the eve of the racing festival.

We are having Punchestown this week under altered conditions, he wrote, For the first time it is being held in a purely Irish atmosphere  with not even a Lord Lieutenant to pay a visit, official or unofficial.

This was not the only first to be remarked by the astonished correspondent:  for the first time in the history of the meeting we have armed soldiers in the streets of Naas, a number on each side of the street, carrying rifles and full equipment. 

Naturally, this show of security had the effect of subduing the atmosphere on the eve of the famed festival which hitherto had seen the town in carnival mode with visitors including entertainers, minstrels and three-card trick purveyors, but not on this occasion.

For our correspondent in April 1923, it was the silence of the county town on race-day eve which struck him. The itinerant musicians who in previous years had Naas of the Kings resounding to the strains of melodeons and dulcimers were silent.

On Monday evening not, a single musical instrument did I hear and except for the (new) Civic Guard there were few about, he observed.

But if the build-up to the festival was low-key in Naas, things changed once racing got under way through Punchestowns hills-and-dales.

The hero of the meeting was the veteran jockey, Mr Harry Beasley, who on the opening day rode his mare, Pride of Arras, to victory in the Maiden Plate, 45 years after he had ridden his first winner at Punchestown (for the record his mount in 1878 was Shadow, owned by Mr Keely, a sporting farmer of Bawnogues townland adjacent to the course).

Beasleys win at Punchestown 1923 prompted a delirious reception by the punters who chaired him shoulder-high to the Hunt Stand and presented him to Mr Cosgrave, President of the Free State and to Mr Healy, the Governor-General.

Each year for the previous fifty or more years the admiring dignitary would have been a Lord Lieutenant or cognate titled representative of the imperial state. But from 1923 the triumphs of Punchestown would take place with the benign approval of the new Irish State and its shiny new Civic Guard.
A man has been released following his arrest as part of an investigation into reports that a Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) member attended a party after the acquittal of Gerry Hutch.

The man in his 60s was released without charge and a file will now be prepared for the office of the director of public prosecutions.

Reports emerged last week that an officer at GSOC attended a party with Hutch, known as the Monk, the day he was acquitted of the 2016 Regency hotel murder of David Byrne, in what became the first deadly attacks of the Hutch-Kinahan gangland feud.

The Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation unit searched a home in Dublin as they arrested the man.

He had been detained on suspicion of an offence contrary to section 81, Garda Siochana Act 2005.

That section relates to members of the Ombudsman Commission disclosing information obtained in carrying out the duties of that persons office if the disclosure is likely to have a harmful effect.
A screenshot from a news report on Burma's state-run MRTV News showing a seizure of weapons that the military says it found in the home of a suspect described as a "terrorist." MRTV NEWS SCREENSHOT

The French TV channel Canal+ has been accused of relaying propaganda from Myanmar's military junta by broadcasting the state-owned channel MRTV News on its website, its smartphone application and its satellite package available locally. The junta came to power in a coup in February 2021. "By broadcasting MRTV, which is a major part of the junta's propaganda arsenal, Canal+ is clearly ignoring its human rights responsibilities," said Yadanar Maung, spokesperson for the NGO Justice for Myanmar.

Canal+ is a subsidiary of the Vivendi Group controlled by the Bollore family and has been present in the Asian country since 2017 through a joint venture with its local partner Forever Group. Canal+ responded that it is "forced to broadcast" the channel, "without being responsible for [the content] it's broadcasting," and that it is careful not to advertise it in the country. It has also removed several international news channels from its package, including the BBC and CNN.

For only 3,500 kyats (1.50 per month, subscribers in Myanamr to Canal+ can flick between music videos, Bollywood films and news reports showing the arrest of young men and women described as "terrorists," sometimes handcuffed, their faces swollen.

Portraits, names and places of residence

The many reports seen by Le Monde tell more or less the same story. They begin with a scene of an attack, followed by images of weapons and homemade bombs that the army says it has discovered. Then the portraits of the "terrorists" taken just after their arrest remain on the screen for several minutes accompanied by their names and their place of residence.

"The channel available on the Canal+ satellite package is not there to inform, but to terrorize," Maung said. "Captured civilians and opposition fighters have been executed and tortured to death while in the custody of junta forces," said Tom Andrews, the United Nations special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, in a report released in March. "Article 13 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War requires that they be protected at all times from public scrutiny," added Maung, who accused Canal+ of "making a commercial spectacle of prisoners of war" by broadcasting MRTV News.

In Yangon, a student who co-authored an article about military propaganda on the "Tea Circle" blog contrasted MRTV's influence "in the cities, where social networks are accessible from virtual private networks," with the early 2000s, when the channel "was our only source of information and our only window on the world," she explained.

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For more than two years, Algeria has been experiencing a climate of repression, even terror: arbitrary arrests of political activists and journalists, closures of media outlets, restrictions on the freedom of movement of artists and intellectuals and a series of trials and convictions. This situation concerns the whole of Algeria and all autonomous expression. The regime was seriously shaken by the chaotic end of Bouteflika's reign (2019-2020), but it has taken a very extreme turn in Kabylia, the main Berber-speaking region of Algeria.

The turning point came in the spring of 2021, when the government classified the Movement for Self-Determination of Kabylia (MAK) as a "terrorist organization" and arrested hundreds of its activists and independent opponents accused of belonging to this organization. The wave of arrests in Kabylia culminated in November 2022 in a parody of justice that resulted in 102 sentences in less than three days, including 54 death sentences [officially pronounced against the alleged perpetrators of the lynching of a young man wrongly suspected of arson, which took place on August 11, 2021 in Kabylia, while the region was under fire] and many other serious verdicts including life imprisonment.

We have therefore reached a completely unprecedented degree of repression in Kabylia, undoubtedly symptomatic of a deep crisis within the regime and/or a desire to liquidate all significant political opposition in Algeria by criminalizing it.

Cultural ostracism

These practices are in fact nothing new in Kabylia. From the direct military intervention against Hocine Ait Ahmed's Front of Socialist Forces (1963-1965) to the bloody repression of peaceful demonstrations (2001-2002: 130 dead and thousands injured), through the countless convictions of activists and demonstrators and the targeted assassinations of personalities, the list of acts of violent repression that the region has suffered is never-ending.

Not forgetting the structural cultural ostracism which was the rule for about 30 years, officially registered in the ideological orientations, constitutions and laws which defined the country as exclusively Arab and Muslim. The Berber parameter was considered a threat to the nation's unity.

There is therefore a long-standing and multiform relationship of tension between Kabylia and the central state, an opposition that has moreover not only had paroxysmal forms: The electoral sociology of Kabylia since 1963 shows that there is in this region a stubborn distrust of political power. In the last presidential election (2019), participation was almost zero in Kabylia: 0.001% in Tizi Ouzou and 0.29% in Bejaia. This near-boycott undoubtedly explains the relentlessness of the authorities against Kabylia, whom they want to make pay for this stinging disavowal.

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THREE men who were arrested by gardai as part of an an intelligence-led operation targeting organised criminal activity in the Limerick region have been charged.

A total of 18 properties at locations across the city and county were searched on Thursday by gardai from the Limerick division and the members of the Criminal Assets Bureau.

They were supported by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), the Garda Armed Support Unit and Garda Dog Unit.

Two open areas of land in the Southill area of Limerick city were also searched by An Garda Siochana supported by members of the Irish Defence Forces.

"Property seized during the course of these searches include a BMW, an item of designer jewellery, a number of electronic items and six shotgun cartridges. Drugs were also seized including approximately 64,600 of suspected amphetamine and approximately 89,600 of suspected cannabis. Approximately 76,580 in cash was recovered with a further 18,000 frozen in credit union accounts," said a garda spokesperson.



Three men, aged in their 30s and 40s, who were arrested during the operation have now been charged.

"The three men arrested as part of this operation have all been charged and are expected to appear before a sitting of Limerick District Court this (Friday) morning at 10.30am," said a garda spokesman.
MORE THAN one-and-a-half million passengers travelled through Shannon Airport in 2022, new figures have revealed.

Mary Considine, Shannon's chief executive has pointed out that it means ridership through the hub is up by 300% from 2021, which like 2020, was heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

She's predicted that this year, the local airport is on track to exceed its passenger numbers in 2019, as tourism continues to recover.

"Passenger numbers at Shannon Airport in 2022 exceeded our expectations," Ms Considine said, "The pent-up desire for international travel following the lifting of pandemic travel restrictions was reflected in an 88% recovery on 2019 passenger levels. We welcomed over 1.51 million passengers through our airport during 2022, which was a 300% increase on 2021 passenger numbers."

As for this year, she has pointed out that airlines will operate 35 routes to 11 countries from Shannon.

"We are delighted to be giving our customers more destinations to choose from, in fact we will have more routes this year than we did in 2019, with six brand new destinations. These new services are to Naples, Beziers, Newcastle, Porto, Liverpool, while our transatlantic services will be enhanced with the addition of a daily nonstop seasonal service to Chicago starting in May. By the end of 2023, we expect traffic volumes to have surpassed 2019 levels," predicted the chief executive.

As for sites formerly owned by Shannon Heritage, Ms Considine reported a "strong recovery" was made in 2022, with day visitor numbers back to 80% of pre-pandemic levels.

However, the release from the airport group announcing its annual results did not offer site-specific numbers, with Limerick's prime visitor attraction King John's Castle operating only partly through the year.

This attraction has been transferred to the ownership of Limerick City and County Council, while the process for moving the attractions in Clare - including Bunratty Castle and the Cliffs of Moher experience kicked off this week.

The Shannon Airport Group saw an increase of over 76% in turnover from continuing operations to 60.7m compared to just 34.5m in 2021.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation - which means the decline of an asset - for the group increased to 16.5 million from 8.6 million in 2021.
WHAT WAS the world like 150 years ago, and what will it look like 150 years from now?

Primary school students in one county Limerick school are asking themselves both of these questions, as they explore historical and futuristic concepts to mark their schools 150th anniversary.

Garrydoolis NS in Pallasgreen, is celebrating its 150th anniversary and, amongst other things, a historical booklet by former student Chris Ryan is being prepared in celebration.

The east Limerick school was established in 1873 and remains to be a vibrant part of the community.

Principal Heidi Jordan said: We are very excited to be celebrating this milestone in the school, we are delighted and proud to be here 150 years on.

Locals are encouraged to get involved, if they know or are in possession of any archival material dating from 1873, such as photos, notes, documents, records or memories are most welcome.

On Friday and Saturday June 9-10, pupils, teachers, past and present, and the local community will mark the occasion through a day of prayer and family fun.
A MAN was put off the road for six months for drink driving after he was stopped at a garda checkpoint in west Limerick.

Kleyce Dhones, aged 38, of Daar River View, Gortboy, Newcastle West pleaded guilty, at the local court, to the offence.

Inspector Gearoid Thompson, prosecuting, said gardai were operating a checkpoint at Gortboy, Newcastle West on February 29, 2021.

Gardai were alerted by the driving of the defendant. He was stopped and an opinion was formed that he was driving under the influence of an intoxicant. He was arrested and conveyed to Rathkeale garda station, said Insp Thompson.

The court heard the defendant provided a reading of 33mgs of alcohol per 100mls of blood.

It is a low reading. He has no previous convictions, said Insp Thompson.

Donal Cronin BL, who represented Mr Dhones, said his client came to the state in 2020.

He is in full-time employment. He is a man with two dependent children. He is of good character and works very hard, said Mr Cronin.

The barrister said his client apologises to gardai and is ashamed and embarrassed. He regrets any difficulties caused, said Mr Cronin.

Judge Carol Anne Coolican convicted and fined Mr Dhones 500.

She disqualified him from driving for six months.
SHANNON Airport is preparing for for a bustling May Bank Holiday as over 45,000 people are expected to travel through the airport.

This represents a 42% increase on passenger traffic when compared to the same period of last year and beats pre-pandemic traffic levels for the May Bank Holiday in 2019 by 27%.

Commenting ahead of the weekend, Niall Kearns, director of Shannon Airport, said, Our team is busy welcoming passengers from all over Ireland as they head off for a summer bank holiday break. Even with the influx of people using the airport over the coming days, outbound passengers are getting from the car park and through security to their gate, in an average of 15 minutes.

We would like to remind people travelling from Shannon, that with our new hi-tech security screening in place, there is no need to separate liquids and electronics from cabin bags as our screening system allows for these items to be screened in your luggage.

This year, Shannon Airport is offering 35 destinations to 11 countries across the EU, UK and USA.

The schedule includes six new destinations to Naples, Bezier, Porto, Newcastle and Liverpool with Ryanair, and a daily service with United to the international hub of Chicago OHare Airport - beginning on May 26.

Niall Kearns added: We are seeing a mix of families, groups of friends and couples taking off this weekend. We are also seeing a consistent increase in tourists arriving at our airport since the summer season started - with many travelling to explore the Wild Atlantic Way and a host of festivals and events happening in the region, among these Limericks Riverfest just 20 minutes from Shannon Airport and the Galway Theatre Festival.
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NEW DELHI : Sarovar Hotels and Resorts, part of Paris-based hospitality firm Groupe Du Louvre, plans to open 10 hotels in 2023 in key pilgrimage and leisure destinations in India, including markets where it will make its debut, a senior company executive said.

The hospitality management firms international portfolio is also growing at a steady pace with its first operational hotel in Lusaka, Zambia, and a hotel each in Kampala in Uganda and Hargeisa in Somaliland slated to open early 2024. We also foresee ourselves managing a hotel in Manakamana, Nepal in 2024. We are in the advanced stages of bringing our hotels on the global distribution platform under the Louvre Hotels Group umbrella," Ajay K. Bakaya, managing director at Sarovar Hotels said.

Frances Groupe de Louvre had bought a majority stake in Sarovar Hotels in India in 2017 for an undisclosed sum. The company currently runs about 102 hotels across India and is looking to add about 10 hotels a year to its portfolio. However, Sarovar owns only three hotels as it follows a debt free model. Going forward, it aims to focus on getting a foothold in markets like the Northeast, Varanasi and Patna where it currently doesnt have a presence. In addition to Sarovar, the company is also focused on building its four-star Golden Tulip brand, which competes with Courtyard By Marriott and Four Points by Sheraton in India. The company has meanwhile trimmed some of the older Golden Tulip hotels and reduced the total portfolio to nine from 30, and will be adding two to three hotels a year under this brand.

Despite the competition in this category, we believe there is space for many brands to grow here. Some of those hotels which we have deflagged were not up to our standards and as a result the brand started to have a lower value than expected. We want to develop this as a strong franchise brand over the next five years," added Bakaya. The company also runs the three-star Hometel brand which has a minimum staffing ratio and so is a very successful brand for the company.

But it is also building Louvre hotel brands like Campanile in cities like Chennai.

As per a report by hospitality consultancy Hotelivate from 2022, its latest, Sarovar is the fourth largest brand in the country by city presence. The top brand is Taj Hotels parent IHCL. But in terms of the number of rooms per hotel ratio, Sarovar is in the top five in the country, with a minimum of 80 rooms per hotel. The report said it had about 6000 rooms as of July 2022.

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, in its Cities Economic Impact Report for 2019, the travel and tourism sector contributed almost 36,200 crore to Delhis economy and more than 25,000 crore to Mumbais.

In 2022, Delhis sector was expected to have grown to 32,400 crore, while Mumbais is forecast to be worth just under 22,500 crore, just 10% below 2019 levels.
Mumbai: Third-party logistics provider Xpressbees has raised $40 million from Khazanah Nasional Berhad, the sovereign wealth fund of Malaysia. This investment will be made through a secondary purchase from an early investor in the company, Xpressbees said in a release.

Xpressbees counts investors such as Blackstone Growth, TPG Growth, ChrysCapital, Alibaba Group, Elevation Capital, Investcorp, Norwest Venture Partners and Gaja Capital among its existing set of investors.

According to two people with knowledge of the deal, Elevation Capital has sold 4% stake in the company to Khazanah, valuing the new-age logistics provider at $1.2 billion pre-money.

There is a huge opportunity for tech-led disruption in logistics. We have established a leading brand but are still early in our growth story. We continue on our path to become a dominant end-to-end logistics player and look to leverage any strategic opportunities. Khazanahs disciplined long-term investment approach makes the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund a perfect partner for us in this journey," said Amitava Saha, Founder & CEO Xpressbees.

This is the second time Elevation Capital has taken money off the table in Expressbees. Last year in August, Avendus Future Leaders Fund had purchased a stake in Xpressbees from Elevation Capital for 195 crore. Before that in February 2022, the company had raised $300 million in primary capital in a round led by private equity funds Blackstone Growth, TPG Growth and ChrysCapital, valuing it at $1.1 billion.

Founded in 2012 by serial entrepreneurs Amitava Saha and Supam Maheshwari, Xpressbees is an e-commerce focused end-to-end supply chain solutions provider. In addition to the e-commerce (B2C) division, Xpressbees has now added new lines of businesses such as B2B Express, Warehousing and Cross-border operations. The company today is present across 5,000 cities, serving over 20,000 pin codes, and delivers over 2 million packages per day, the release said.

According to the release, Xpressbees now has over 100 hubs across India, more than 3 million sq. ft. of warehouse capacity, and operates across 52 airports in the country.
Shares of First Republic Bank rose in pre-market trading as the US banking industry and regulators ponder possible paths forward for the troubled regional lender. The bank also extended its losses, last down 30% after report said that the company is likely heade for FDIC receivership.

The San Francisco-based bank gained as much as 14% in New York. The stock has plunged 95% this year through Thursday as the company struggles to navigate the turmoil in the aftermath of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and two other regional banks in March.

US officials are reportedly coordinating talks to rescue First Republic Bank with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve orchestrating meetings about throwing a lifeline, Reuters reported, citing unidentified people.

Some of the biggest US banks have already contributed $30 billion in deposits to prop up First Republic, and they have balked at getting more involved and potentially throwing good money after bad, Bloomberg reported. Some of them favor the FDIC seizing First Republic, an action the agency would prefer to avoid in part because of the multibillion-dollar hit to its deposit insurance fund.

While the stock is moving higher, either scenario is perilous for current holders. Analysts have said the existing shares have little or no value, regardless of whether the bank is salvaged by new owners or goes into receivership.

First Republic has been under pressure ever since SVBs demise stoked concerns about the soundness of other regional banks in the US. First Republic was left paying more for funding than it earns on many of its assets, meaning it faces what analysts predict will be at least a year of losses.

The banks executives emphasized in an earnings report earlier this week that it has ample cash reserves. Still, its leaders acknowledged that they are looking for strategic options.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
The Federal Reserves bank-supervision chief called for an extensive reevaluation of requirements for US financial firms as regulators said the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank exposed lapses in oversight.

The central bank will revisit the range of rules that apply to firms with more than $100 billion in assets, including stress testing and liquidity requirements, Michael Barr, the Feds vice chair for supervision, said in a letter accompanying a lengthy report released in Washington on Friday.

Separately, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Friday said it was too slow to respond to problems at Signature Bank because of staffing shortages.

SVBs failure demonstrated the need for stronger standards applied to a broader set of firms, Barr said. He also suggested the regulator could require additional capital or liquidity, or limit share buybacks, dividend payments or executive compensation, at firms with inadequate capital planning and risk management.

Following SVBs failure, we must strengthen the Federal Reserves supervision and regulation based on what we have learned," Barr said. This report represents the first step in that process."

Heres the Feds Plan for Tighter Bank Oversight After SVB

The Feds 102-page report provides the clearest picture yet of how rapidly the situation at SVB deteriorated and the various factors behind its quick collapse. It also shows regulators were aware of most of the banks lurking issues, but by the time they took steps toward decisive action, it was too late.

At the same time, the report blames the approach under Barrs predecessor Randal Quarles, who served as Fed vice chair for supervision from 2017 to 2021 and led the Feds effort to tailor" regulations for mid-size and regional lenders, following 2018 legislation that eased rules for those firms.

While Barr said a recent shift" in supervisory policy reduced standards," Quarles said that was not his message to staff in an interview earlier this week before the report was released. He asked supervisors to be more transparent and respect due process, he said, and if banks continued to pursue unsafe and unsound practices, he said he encouraged supervisors to smite them hip and thigh."

Secret Process:

The document represents one of the most detailed looks to date at how the Fed supervised an individual bank, a process that is often shrouded in secrecy and confidentiality. The Feds Board has determined that releasing this information is in the best interest of the public," the report said.

Barr said the Fed would reevaluate how it supervises and regulates a banks management of interest-rate liquidity risks, and said it should consider applying standardized liquidity rules to a broader set of firms. He also said the Fed should require a broader set of firms to take into account unrealized gains or losses on available-for-sale securities, so that a firms capital requirements are better aligned with its financial positions and risk."

The Fed will seek comment on such proposals soon, Barr said, though he noted that any such rules would not take effect for several years. Other possible steps will follow later.

Barr also called for changes to improve the speed, force and agility of supervision," including more continuity in how the Fed oversees banks of different sizes, so firms will be ready to quickly comply with heightened supervisory standards as they grow, and stronger penalties for banks that fall short of supervisory standards.

Higher capital or liquidity requirements can serve as an important safeguard until risk controls improve, and they can focus managements attention on the most critical issues," he said. As a further example, limits on capital distributions or incentive compensation could be appropriate and effective in some cases."

In a briefing with reporters, a senior Fed official said the changes would not require legislative approval.

Republican Pushback:

Still, the recommendations are likely to face fierce resistance from Republicans in Congress, as well as the banking industry. Representative Patrick McHenry, the GOP chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, called the report self-serving" in a statement Friday.

While there are areas identified by Vice Chair Barr on which we agree  including enhancing attention to liquidity issues, especially when a firm is rapidly growing  the bulk of the report appears to be a justification of Democrats long-held priorities," including calls for more regulation, he said.

The Government Accountability Office also released a report Friday that was more critical of foot-dragging on SVB, saying the San Francisco Feds actions lacked urgency."

In a statement released with the report, Chair Jerome Powell said he agreed with and supported Barrs recommendations.

Senator Elizabeth Warren said Powell should be held responsible for the failures. The Fed chief failed in his responsibility to supervise and regulate banks that posed a systemic risk to our economy," the Massachusetts Democrat said in a statement.

The review is one of the first detailed accountings of how the Fed let a bank expand its balance sheet by $140 billion in just two years with deficient risk controls that ultimately led to its demise. When it collapsed on March 10, SVB had 31 unaddressed safe and soundness supervisory warnings," triple the average number for peer banks, according to the report.

Its senior leadership failed to manage basic interest-rate and liquidity risk," Barr said in the letter. Federal Reserve supervisors failed to take forceful enough action."

SVBs failure was the largest in the US in more than decade, with about $209 billion in assets at the end of last year. Unlike prior implosions in which banks suffered from deteriorating loan quality, SVB suffered an interest-rate shock in its bond portfolio that led to a destabilizing deposit run.

Stemming Run:

The failure of SVB and Signature Bank caused regulators to invoke a measure that allowed them to insure all depositors, both big and small, to prevent what they said might have been a wide-scale run on the banking system. In addition, the Fed launched an emergency term lending facility for banks.

The report indicated SVB management expected to lose over $100 billion in deposits on March 10, the day the bank was shuttered, on top of the over $40 billion that flooded out of the bank on March 9.

In a November 2022 letter detailing key financial ratings provided by regulators, Californias financial regulator and the San Francisco Fed told SVB that its interest-rate-risk simulations were not reliable and require improvements."

The warning from regulators ultimately proved prescient, with the mismatch between the duration of the banks assets and its liabilities playing a key role in its demise.

The FDIC, the primary regulator for Signature, also acknowledged it was too slow to respond to problems at the lender before its spectacular collapse last month.

In a separate review, the FDIC said that resource challenges" in its New York office kept it from adequately staffing an examination team dedicated to Signature Bank. Regulators also could have downgraded a key risk metric on the banks management, according to the report.

Culture Shift:

The report, which was undertaken by Board staff soon after the banks failure by order of Powell and Barr, took direct aim at Quarles, though it didnt name him directly.

Under the direction of the vice chair for supervision, supervisory practices shifted," the report said. Staff repeatedly mentioned changes in expectations and practices, including pressure to reduce burden on firms, meet a higher burden of proof for a supervisory conclusion, and demonstrate due process when considering supervisory actions."

The report also cited a shift in culture and expectations from internal discussions and observed behavior that changed how supervision was executed," which led to slower action or none at all in some cases.

From 2016 to 2022, the report said, banking sector assets grew 37%, while Fed supervision headcount declined by 3%. Supervisory coverage of SVB declined when it was still in the regional bank portfolio and under the San Francisco Fed, the report said.

Former President Donald Trump nominated Quarles to be the Feds top bank oversight official in 2017; Barr took over the role last year after President Joe Biden tapped him for the job.

Barr is leaning on the faults of his predecessor who is on the other side of the political aisle," said Kaleb Nygaard, a research fellow at the Wharton Initiative on Financial Policy and Regulation. The Congress decided that they wanted a politically-appointed vice chair of supervision; therefore, supervision itself is going to be more political" along with any review with what went wrong.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
State Bank of India (SBI), the country's biggest lender, has raised USD 750 million through bonds to fund offshore business growth.

SBI has concluded the issue of USD 750 million senior unsecured fixed rate notes having a maturity of 5 years and coupon of 4.875 per cent payable semiannually under Regulation-S, SBI said in a filing.

"The bonds will be issued through our London branch as of May 5, 2023 and shall be listed on Singapore Stock Exchange and India International Exchange, GIFT City," it said.

The issuance received an overwhelming response and saw strong interest from investors across geographies with a final order book in excess of USD 2.9 billion across 181 accounts. On the back of strong demand, the order booked peaked at USD 5.4 billion, making room for the guidance to be revised from T+185 area to T+145. The successful issuance demonstrates the strong investor base SBI has created for itself in offshore capital markets, allowing it to efficiently raise funds from worlds leading fixed income investors, even during periods of heightened volatility.

The successful issue highlights SBI's strong investor base in offshore capital markets, which enables it to effectively raise funds from the world's leading fixed-income investors, especially during moments of increased volatility and uncertainty. This demonstrates global investors' confidence in the Indian banking sector in general, and in SBI in particular, and it also attests to SBI's unparalleled access to global capital markets," said SBI Chairman Dinesh Khara.

Earlier this month, the bank's board had approved a proposal to raise USD 2 billion (about 16,000 crore) from bonds to fund its global operations.

State Bank of India is the largest commercial bank in terms of assets, deposits, branches, customers, and employees
After Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's recent statement on finfluencers and ponzi apps, investors have become skeptical of the advice from finance influencers. However, not all finance influencers are certified financial advisors . Individuals who look to fix their finances often follow influencers to learn about the latest trends and investment opportunities.

The recent statement by Finance Minister Sitharaman indicates growing concern around the impact of finfluencers on the financial decisions of the general public.

Social influencers and financial influencers are all out there but a strong sense of caution is required in each one of us to make sure we do double-checking, counter-checking," Nirmala Sitharaman said at a Thinkers Forum event in Bengaluru last week.

Pump-and-dump schemes

Pump-and-dump schemes are rampant on social media platforms like Youtube, Facebook, Telegram, and Whatsapp, wherein the perpetrators entice investors into buying a company stock to inflate the price artificially and then sell their shares when the prices rise.

There are a few finfluencers who knowingly promote false or misleading information to make illegal gains, as we saw in the YouTube pump and dump scheme that SEBI recently cracked down in March.

There is no debate that certain influencers act with ulterior motives when soliciting advice on social media. I personally feel stricter restrictions must be put in place to safeguard the end consumer. That being said - when taking investment advice online, consumers must ensure that the person is SEBI registered. And even then doing your own research is key," said Ayush Shukla, Founder of Finnet Media.

It is disheartening to see that a few finfluencers have exploited their influence to engage in illegal activities, such as the pump and dump scheme exposed by SEBI. These individuals not only erode trust in the financial community but also put the financial well-being of their followers at risk," said Kunwar Raj, Founder of Unfinance and Finance Content Creator.

It's essential for regulatory bodies like SEBI to remain vigilant and take necessary actions against those involved in fraudulent activities, added Kunwar Raj.

On government regulating influencers

The government is not considering any proposal to regulate financial influencers on social media, but is coordinating with the Reserve Bank of India and the Ministry of Electronics and information technology (Meity) to check Ponzi apps making outlandish financial claims, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

Nirmala Sitharaman ji said that not right now, but they might regulate them in the future and as they should. Only thing is that they should definitely speak to folks like us, folks like the creator itself, speak to the stakeholders, understand the risk involved, and understand the problem from the government's end because the government is also saving the interest of the retail investors which is fair. But I think the regulation should be a mutual consensus and not a one-sided street," said Finance Content Creator - Shreyaa Kapoor.

As per Kunwar Raj, it's important to balance such regulations with the need to preserve freedom of speech and the ability of individuals to share their financial opinions and experiences.

How consumers can safeguard themselves

1) Content on social media should be consumed with the mindset of merely obtaining information and not financial advice. Most content pieces are made with the sole purpose of simplifying the plethora of information available.

2) It is imperative to understand your individual position while assessing a content piece. Personal finance is "personal" and hence one piece of information might not hold true for everyone.

3) As a consumer it is also our duty to do our own research.

4) We should not take stock market tips from anyone. If we must do it, ensure the person is SEBI registered.

In the age of viral tweets and trending Reels, a well-regulated finfluencer environment could be the lifebuoy that keeps investors afloat.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sangeeta Ojha A business media enthusiast. Writes on personal finance, banking and real estate. Read more from this author
The Delhi government's vigilance department has served a notice to senior IAS officer Udit Prakash Rai for the construction of an official accommodation following the demolition of a 15th-century monument during his tenure as DJB's chief executive officer.

The department has issued show-cause notices to five DJB engineers for their alleged connivance in the demolition of the monument and construction of the official residence of the board's CEO. The engineers have been asked to furnish their replies on the same in two weeks, according to the news agency PTI.

The monument, a "Mahal" (palace) of the Pathan period and the only remnant of the Khizrabad city founded by Khizr Khan of the Sayyid dynasty was located at Jal Vihar area near Lajpat Nagar in southeast Delhi.

The monument was mentioned in the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) list of 'Muhammadan and Hindu monuments' of Delhi. It comprised a palace (mahal) and a gateway that still exists while the former was gone, said the notice.

The 'Mahal' comprised three arched dalan flanked by two compartments built with red sandstone and brick masonry.

Several political parties, including the BJP and Trinamool Congress, have demanded action over the demolition of the monument.

TMC MP Nahua Moitra said, Only in India. Fifteenth-century monument demolished to construct govt officers bungalow. Are the Archaeological Survey of India and Ministry of Culture napping yet again? Urging G Kishan Reddy (Union Minister For Culture and Tourism) to look at this."

In a letter to the Delhi LG, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva demanded a high-level probe into the matter, PTI reported.

The monument was in the process of being handed over to the Archaeology department by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

However, in a joint inspection by the department and DJB in January this year, it was found missing, said the vigilance department's notice issued on Wednesday.

In August 2022, Delhi L G V K Saxena recommended to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) action against Rai for allegedly taking a bribe of 50 lakh. A 2007 batch IAS officer of AGMUT cadre, Rai is currently posted in Mizoram.

"The Mahal of Pathan period was allegedly demolished as per the directions of Udit Prakash Rai, CEO (DJB) with the help of DJB engineers," the notice said naming five engineers of the Board.

(With PTI inputs)
As the Sudan conflict rages on, a fresh batch of 135 stranded Indians took off from the crisis-hit country on Friday. This is the 11th batch of stranded citizens that will be heading to Jeddah. The development came even as 754 people returned home under Operation Kaveri - with two flights reaching New Delhi and Bengaluru.

"...We are proud that the Navy, Navy jawans and the Prime Minister kept their promise. So, on your behalf, I'd like to thank the Navy which brought you here from Port Sudan..," said Mos MEA V Muraleedharan while addressing the Indian nationals currently waiting in Jeddah.

The Union Minister received the evacuated Indians at Jeah after the IAF C-130J flight from Port Sudan landed.

#OperationKaveri | Another IAF C-130J flight takes off from Port Sudan with 135 passengers onboard. This is the 11th batch of stranded Indians heading to Jeddah.#SudanConflict pic.twitter.com/3zqt77wvzM  ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2023

Earlier in the morning, the IAF C-130J flight on Friday(today) evacuated the 10th batch of 135 Indian passengers from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region.

With two flights landing on Indian terrain today, the total number of rescued citizens now stands at 1,360. Many more await transportation at Jeddah after being rescued by Navy ships.

"Glad to see happy and energetic faces of 392 of our nationals returning to Delhi from Jeddah on IAF C17 Globemaster after evacuation from Sudan. Saw them off at the aircraft. They will be with their beloved ones in India soon," the MoS tweeted.

(With inputs from agencies)
A First Information Report will be registered against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Friday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Supreme Court of India on Friday.

Following this development, the Delhi Police has agreed to register FIR on the women wrestlers plea of sexual harassment against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Delhi Police, told a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha that the FIR would be registered today.

"We have decided to register an FIR. It will be registered today," Mehta told the bench, which was hearing a plea filed by seven women wrestlers alleging non-registration of an FIR on their sexual harassment allegations against Singh.

The country's top wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, have been on a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi since Sunday over the matter. They have been demanding that the government makes public the findings of the oversight panel that investigated sexual harassment allegations against the WFI chief.

The Supreme Court has directed the Commissioner of Police to assess threat perception of a minor complainant after petitioners placed material alleging danger to her safety. The Court also left it open for CP, Delhi to assess threat perception against six other wrestlers who made allegations against Singh to the police on April 21.

The Court will take up the matter next Friday for compliance of its orders.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Thursday in a video message said that instead of living such life, he wish that death embraces him".

"Friends, the day I reflect on my life, what I gained or lost, the day I feel I don't have the strength to fight, the day I feel helpless, I won't like to live a life like that. Instead of living such a life, I would wish that death embraces me," he said in the video.

The Indian sporting fraternity on Friday put its weight behind the protesting wrestlers with Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra leading the way with a plea for "quick action" to ensure that justice is served.

Besides champion javelin thrower Chopra, ace boxer Nikhat Zareen, tennis star Sania Mirza, hockey player Rani Rampal, renowned former cricketers Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Madan Lal and Navjot Singh Sidhu also came out in support of the wrestlers.

This move comes after the opposition also decided to amp up their pressure on the ruling government and Union Minister for Sports Anurag Thakur to bring the protesters to justice.

This included Shashi Tharoor, Mahua Moitra, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Mamata Banerjee, Brinda Karat, Arvind Kejriwal among others.

On Thursday, Indian Olympics Association President PT Usha stated that wrestlers protesting on the street of the national capital was tarnishing the image of India as a nation.

PT Usha's statement received a lot of backlash from opposition as well as protesting wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia.
Former State Representative and Senate candidate for 2024, Robert Lancia has expressed his excitement at being invited to the G20 conference to be held in Srinagar on May 22. He released a video message about the G20 conference that is scheduled to take place in Srinagar.

"The state of Jammu and Kashmir in India has always held a special place in my heart. And I've been closely following developments in the region. And I was delighted to hear the news that Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir and Jammu, will be hosting a G20 Conference," he said as quoted by news agency ANI.

"It is an exciting prospect that I'm eagerly anticipating the speech of Prime Minister Modi. I believe this event will be a milestone in the history of the region and will pave the way for lasting peace and prosperity. And it's heartening to see the international community recognizing the potential of Jammu and Kashmir and the efforts of the Indian government to develop the region," he said.

He is hoping that the G20 conference will be an opportunity for all stakeholders to come together and discuss ways to promote economic growth and development, create employment opportunities, and enhance the standard of living for the people in the region.

Lancia said he is confident that the G20 conference in Srinagar will be a success and a turning point in the history and development of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Having the Prime Minister there will be the highlight!" he tweeted.

"The 3rd G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting will be held in Srinagar, India (Jammu & Kashmir) from May 22nd-24th. It will be the first such gathering of international leaders in the region. Prime Minister Modi is working hard to drive peace, global tourism & progress to the state," he added.

The stage is being prepared for the first-of its-kind international event -- G20 tourism working group meeting under India's presidency in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar, on May 24-26. The projects prioritised for the major event are in their finishing stages.

For the first time since the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A, the Union Territory will be hosting an international event in which delegates from G20 member-states, guest countries and several international organisations will participate.

(With ANI inputs)
India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met State Councillor and Minister of National Defence of China General Li Shangfu in New Delhi on Thursday. The two Ministers had frank discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations. The meeting is the first between defence ministers of the two countries since September 2020 when they held talks on the sidelines of a SCO meeting in Moscow.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders. He added that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments. He reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation.

The Chinese Defence Minister is in Delhi to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers Meeting on April 28, 2023. The group consists of China, India, Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Krgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Relations between India and China have deteriorated since mid-2020, when Chinese and Indian troops clashed on their disputed Himalayan frontier.

The situation has largely calmed after military and diplomatic talks but the faceoff continues in pockets along the 3,800-km (2,360-mile) frontier.

The two ministers met ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) defence ministers' gathering in New Delhi.

It is also the first visit by a Chinese defence minister to India since the violence in the Himalayas began in May 2020.

Both India and China have withdrawn troops from some areas on the northern and southern banks of Pangong Tso, Gogra and Galwan Valley, but continue to maintain extra troops as part of a multitier deployment.

A Line of Actual Control separates Chinese and Indian-held territories from Ladakh in the west to Indias eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims in its entirety. India and China fought a war over their border in 1962.

*With agency inputs
The Border Security Force (BSF) of the Punjab Frontier has reportedly intercepted a drone near the international border in the Gurdaspur sector.

A drone entering from the Pakistan side has been intercepted by troops in the Gurdaspur sector. On being fired, the drone returned to Pakistan. Search operation underway: BSF Punjab Frontier  ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2023

According to the latest updates, the drone retreated to Pakistan after being fired upon by the troops, as reported by ANI.

#PakDroneAlert



A #drone entering from #Pakistan side has been intercepted (by fire) by alert BSF troops in Gurdaspur Sector. On being fired , the drone returned back to Pak



Search operation underway..



Details follow..  BSF PUNJAB FRONTIER (@BSF_Punjab) April 28, 2023

Currently, a comprehensive search operation is underway in the area.

On April 23, BSF recovered a Pakistani drone, which was shot down near the international border in Gurdaspur, Punjab.

The BSF personnel intercepted a Pakistani drone near Bhariyal village located in the Gurdaspur district of Punjab on April 20th.

The drone was sighted at the Bhariyal village post and was observed flying within Indian territory for a duration of five minutes before being intercepted by illumination bombs.
Heavy clashes rocked Sudan on Friday as evacuations continued at warp speed amid a shaky truce. Under Operation Kaveri around 1,360 Indians have already returned home while others wait in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah - where the country has set up a transit camp for evacuees.

There's lots of bombs shooting. RSF is fighting the army. And there's no electricity in Khartoum right now...I am happy and sad at the same time because I left all my friends. They are going to different countries now," recounted one girl after landing in India.

The Indian Navy has deployed its warships INS Sumedha, INS Teg and INS Tarkash while the Indian Air Force has deployed two of its C130J transport aircraft. While the ships ferry the stranded citizens from Port Sudan to Jeddah, the IAF flights take over the rescue operations in the second stretch.

#WATCH | "...I am happy and sad at the same time because I left all my friends. They are going to different countries now," says a girl who returned from Sudan, with her family. #SudanConflict pic.twitter.com/rF6BOdPjyk  ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2023

While Indian military is leading the efforts, private carrier IndiGo has also announced plans to join the rescue operations.

In order to support the repatriation efforts, IndiGo will operate chartered evacuation flights as part of Operation Kaveri being conducted by Govt of India, on April 28 and 30 from Jeddah to Delhi and Bengaluru respectively. The airline will be operating two flights, bringing over 450 Indian citizens back to their homeland over the weekend," the company said.

Meanwhile Khartoum has turned into a war zone after two weeks of fighting with heavy battles underway in spite of a fresh truce. A wide-ranging group of international mediators - including African and Arab nations, the UN and the United States - have now intensified their pressure on the rival generals to enter talks on resolving the crisis.

(With inputs from agencies)
The India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFP) is a joint effort to transport high-speed diesel from the Numaligarh Refinery Limited in Assam, India to 16 districts in northern Bangladesh's Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions, with the aid of Bangladesh Petroleum Limited.

As per a report by ORF, the Numaligarh refinery has been providing petroleum products to Bangladesh since 2015, and currently, Bangladesh imports 60,000 to 80,000 metric tonnes of diesel from India via railway networks.

The IBFP will lower the transportation costs of each imported diesel barrel from the port cities of Chattogram and Mongla, decreasing it from US$ 8 to US$ 5.

View Full Image Map of the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFP). (Source: Narendra Modi/YouTube)

The new cross-border pipeline, the first of its kind, stretches from Siliguri in West Bengal, India to the oil depot in Parbatipur upazila in the Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. It covers a distance of approximately 132 km, with only 5 km located in India, and the remaining 127 km situated in Bangladesh.

The pipeline has the capacity to transport 1 million metric tonnes of diesel per year, but initially, it will only provide Bangladesh with 250,000 tonnes of diesel annually, with plans to increase it to 450,000 tonnes.

Describing the pipeline as a new chapter in bilateral relations, PM Modi had stressed bilateral petroleum trade has crossed the $1-billion mark. Reliable and cost-effective diesel supply will be especially beneficial for the agriculture sector. Local industries will also benefit," he said.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had informed that at present, the country imports 1,160 MW of electricity from India.

Since 2015, the Numaligarh Refinery has been providing petroleum products to Bangladesh. Presently, Bangladesh imports 60,000 to 80,000 metric tonnes of diesel from India through rail transportation. This is the second energy pipeline connecting India with its neighbouring countries.

The APJL unit located in Godda, Jharkhand, India provides 748MW of electricity to the nearby country. Another thermal power plant with a capacity of 800MW is expected to become operational soon, which will increase the amount of power being supplied.

Bangladesh has registered Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. as an official government-to-government supplier of refined petroleum products. Additionally, the Power Development Board of Bangladesh has signed an agreement with Adani Power Jharkhand Limited (APJL), a subsidiary of Adani Power Limited, to purchase 1,496MW of net capacity power from them.

The India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline project is noteworthy as it provides a sustainable, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective means of transporting High-Speed Diesel.

(With inputs from agencies)
French billionaire Bernard Arnault said hes upbeat about the outlook for the US economy, even as economists debate the likelihood of a recession.

Asked on the sidelines of the Tiffany flagship store reopening party in New York whether he was concerned about a potential recession in the US this year, the LVMH chairman expressed optimism.

The opinions are quite split between economists," Arnault, the worlds wealthiest person, told reporters. Some say yes, some say no. Personally Im quite confident."

Earlier this month, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE said its US business was experiencing a slowdown. Revenue in that market rose 8% on an organic basis in the first quarter, compared to double-digit growth rates for all other regions.

Thursdays party guest list included a mix of Wall Street heavy weights such as Steve Schwarzman from Blackstone, Apollo Global Management co-founder Leon Black, fashion designer Marc Jacobs, musician now-turned Louis Vuitton menswear designer Pharrell Williams but also New York Mayor Eric Adams, actresses Blake Lively and Gal Gadot as well as celebrity model Hailey Bieber. Katy Perry performed a few songs.

Arnault also said that there was room to grow for LVMH, which recently became the 10th most valuable company in the world.

Now we have to rise globally," he said. We can still improve a bit. Always improve."

Arnault, 74, was joined at the event by his wife Helene Mercier as well as his four sons, Antoine, Alexandre, Frederic and Jean. His five children all work at LVMH.

The luxury-goods maker bought Tiffany in 2021.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.
Indian private airline, IndiGo said it will operate chartered flights under Operation Kaveri to bring back more than 450 Indian citizens evacuated from Sudan. The two flights will opearte from Jeddah to Delhi and Bengaluru to bring back Indians evacuated from Sudan, said media reports.

The two flights will operate on April 28 and 30 and A321 aircraft will be used. They will be operated from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to Delhi and Bengaluru.

"IndiGo is closely liaising with the government to offer support for more such evacuations flights," media reports said quoting company statement.

Under Operation Kaveri, India on Friday brought back 754 people from strife-torn Sudan. The total number of Indians brought home now stands at 1,360, according to official data.

Meanwhile, two flights carrying Indian citizens rescued from Sudan landed in India today as part of Operation Kaveri. The Indian government has initiated the operation to evacuate its citizens from the conflict-ridden north African country where fighting between the army and paramilitary groups has intensified.
As reported by ANI, During the meeting, Rajnath Singh, India's defence minister, emphasized the importance of combating terrorism collectively.

We should unitedly fight terrorism. If the SCO has to emerge stronger, we have to fight together. Terror groups are using new methods like social media and crowdfunding," said Singh at the SCO defence ministers' meeting.

New Delhi recently hosted a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers, which included representatives from India, Russia, China, and other member countries.

The attendees discussed critical regional security challenges and other relevant issues during the conclave, which was presided over by Rajnath Singh. It's anticipated that the meeting will also assess the current state of affairs in Afghanistan.

, member states   defence cooperation  promote    SCO    entity           , SCO  Members                :      / RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) April 28, 2023

The defence minister noted, This forum provides an opportunity for all of us to exchange our views, share our perspectives and concerns. This is an important platform where we can discuss the challenges before us and find solutions."

India sees the SCO as an important entity to promote defence cooperation among member states. We, as a nation, wish to further strengthen the spirit of trust and cooperation among the members of the SCO," Singh said.

Rajnath Singh reaffirmed India's unwavering commitment to strengthening the SCO and playing a constructive role in fulfilling the organization's objectives.

To ensure a secure, stable and prosperous region, we need to focus on our agenda. This will help in improving the quality of life of the people of each member country," Singh said.

According to a report by PTI, officials involved in organizing the meeting noted that the primary agenda of the discussions was centered on regional security matters, particularly the events taking place in Afghanistan.

The SCO is a significant organization in terms of both economic and security matters and has become one of the most significant international groups that span multiple regions.

India has expressed a strong desire to enhance its collaboration with the SCO, particularly in the area of security, and to work closely with its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which focuses on security and defence issues.

(With inputs from agencies)
Apple Inc. and Oppo dominated the Chinese smartphone market in the first quarter, despite the market continuing to shrink following a year of economic disruptions.

According to the latest figures from IDC, Oppo, headquartered in Shenzhen, secured the largest share of smartphone shipments in China at 19.6%, with Apple's iPhone following closely behind. However, estimates from Counterpoint and Canalys, which consider both sales and shipments, gave Apple a slight edge over Oppo. Apple managed to claim the top spot in the last quarter of 2022, boosted by the launch of its iPhone 14 and 14 Pro series.

Over the past year, the Chinese smartphone market has experienced double-digit declines, primarily due to steep drops in sales of Android handsets, including those manufactured by Oppo, and eventually impacting even Apple's iPhone range. Canalys reported that shipments to mainland China dropped by 11% in the first quarter compared to the previous year, reaching the lowest levels in a decade for the first quarter.

In February, Apple's decision to cut prices of its iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models proved to be a wise move, according to IDC, although the introduction of a new yellow iPhone 14 failed to generate much excitement. In an attempt to keep buyers interested in the expensive device, which costs at least 5,999 yuan ($870) in China, the company debuted the new color option in early March.

IDC noted that Oppo exceeded its expectations for sales of premium devices in the last quarter, aided by the return of its sub-brand OnePlus to the domestic market and the positive reception to its foldable devices. Samsung Electronics Co., the leading global manufacturer of smartphones and foldables, has only a small presence in China, where every local phone maker now offers at least one foldable model for sale.

None of the top five vendors in China recorded positive growth. Vivo, Honor Mobile, and Xiaomi Corp. rounded out the list of leading brands, each with significant declines compared to the same period the previous year. Official data shows that smartphone production in the world's second-largest economy is down by 13.8% this year, despite an overall economic rebound.

"The pandemic has affected consumer behavior in the medium to long term, where consumers tended to spend their income on necessities and maintain certain savings," Canalys analyst Lucas Zhong said in a report on Thursday. "Vendors need to offer convincing products to stimulate upgrades."

(With inputs from Bloomberg)
On Thursday, police reported that a delivery executive working for an e-commerce firm stole 10 Apple iPhones by swapping them with fake phones during the delivery process. According to the complaint filed by Ravi, the station in-charge of Matrix Finance Solution, the package containing the iPhones and an AirPods was delivered to the customer's address by the accused delivery executive Lalit on March 27.

As per the complaint filed by Ravi, the station in-charge of Matrix Finance Solution, the accused delivery executive Lalit, who stole 10 Apple iPhones by replacing them with fake ones during delivery, did not deliver the package to the customer. Instead, he gave the replica iPhones to his brother Manoj, who deposited them back to the company on the pretext that the customer could not be contacted.

Upon noticing some discrepancies with the packaging, the delivery company became suspicious and decided to inspect the parcel. To their dismay, they found counterfeit phones inside, leading them to believe that foul play was involved, according to the police.

The customer, who did not receive the original package, had no choice but to cancel their order, the authorities revealed.

On Wednesday, the Bilaspur police station registered an FIR against Lalit under sections 420 (cheating) and 408 (criminal breach of trust by employee) of the Indian Penal Code, the authorities disclosed.

The authorities are currently making efforts to apprehend the accused, who is currently on the run, according to their statement.

(With inputs from PTI)
Search giant Google said Thursday that it has blocked more than 1.43 million policy-violating apps from entering the Play Store. The company also said it has "raised the bar" for new developers joining the Play Store ecosystem, resulting in a reduction in the number of accounts used to publish violative apps.

In a blog post on Thursday, the search giant wrote, In 2022, we prevented 1.43 million policy-violating apps from being published on Google Play in part due to new and improved security features and policy enhancements -- in combination with our continuous investments in machine learning systems and app review processes."

Google added that it had banned 1,73,000 bad accounts that resulted in over $2 billion being saved in fraudulent and abusive transactions. In terms of Android platform protection, Google says it prevented almost 5,00,000 apps from accessing sensitive permissions over the course of last 3 years.

In terms of advertisements on Android, Google says it is working to fight fraudulent and malicious ads on the Google Play store while the company is also working on key guidelines to improve in-app user experience and prevent unexpected full-screen interstitial advertisements.

The tech giant also shed light on the efforts it had undertaken to combat loan fraud. It said, This past year, we rolled out new license requirements for personal loan apps in key geographies - Kenya, Nigeria, and Philippines - with more stringent requirements for loan facilitator apps in India to combat fraud."

Talking about user data protection, Google says it will provide users with more clarity on how their app data is collected, shared and protected using the Data Safety section on the Play Store.

Also Read: Google Is All About Cost Control Now

Google also shared the measures it has taken to improve communication with app developers on the Play Store. The company said it has recently launched new features and resources which will developers a better policy experience. The search giant has expanded its Helpline pilot program, which provides direct policy phone support to more developers. Additionally, Google has piloted the Google Play Developer Community, enabling developers to discuss policy-related questions and share best practices on developing secure applications.
The phrase "the birds and the bees" is a term used to explain the mechanics of reproduction to younger children, relying on the imagery of bees pollinating and eggs hatching to substitute for a more technical explanation of sexual intercourse.

It is a way of deflecting the inevitable question that every parent dreads: "Where do babies come from?" and it is an alternative to the explanation that the stork delivers babies.

Related: Strange love: 13 animals with truly weird courtship rituals

What is the origin of the phrase "the birds and the bees"?

It is uncertain when the phrase was first used or how it gained popularity. It does not necessarily mean that parents are explaining how birds and bees reproduce. The connection between human sexuality and eggs and pollination is vague, which can cause some confusion among curious children.

Though there are some variations, the story typically involves bees pollinating flowers, symbolizing male fertilization, and the birds laying eggs, which equates to female ovulation. In another telling of the story, a baby is created when a bee stings a bird.

According to The Los Angeles Times (opens in new tab), the "The Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins" (HarperCollins, 1988) says this about the potential origin of the phrase: In past centuries, the facts of reproduction were "presented by analogy  telling how birds do it and trusting that youngsters would get the message by indirection."

Although the exact origin of the phrase is uncertain, some have their theories. For example, in 2000, Ed Finegan (opens in new tab), a professor emeritus of linguistics and law at the University of Southern California, told The Los Angeles Times that the phrase as a euphemism for sex was likely inspired by two specific writers.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge referred to birds and bees, separately, in his 1825 poem "Work Without Hope." The poem's text (described in the next section of this article) is definitely intended to be a reference to sex, Finegan said.

The phrase "birds and bees" also appears in a 1644 diary entry penned by John Evelyn, Finegan said. The diary was published a century after Evelyn's death and stands as a principal literary source describing the life and manners of people in 17th century England. Evelyn used the phrase when describing the interior of St. Peter's Basilica, and in context, Finegan speculates that the text broadly references human sexuality. It's possible that other writers picked up the phrase "birds and bees" around the time the diary was published, he added.

What songs and books use the phrase "the birds and the bees"?

There are quite a few allusions to the phrase in literature and song. As previously noted, one of the early references to this bird and bees as a euphemism for reproduction is Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 1825 poem, "Work Without Hope (opens in new tab)":

"All Nature seems at work. Slugs leave their lair 

The bees are stirring  birds are on the wing 

And Winter, slumbering in the open air,

Wears on his smiling face a dream of Spring!

And I, the while, the sole unbusy thing,

Nor honey make, nor pair, nor build, nor sing."

Another commonly cited use of the phrase is American naturalist John Burroughs' 1875 set of essays, "Birds and Bees, Sharp Eyes and other Papers (opens in new tab)." These were attempts to provide children with simple explanations of nature, but there is no attempt at sex education.

Dr. Emma Frances Angell Drake described the birds and bees in a section of the publication "The Story of Life," which was widely distributed between 1893 and 1930. In her explanation of reproduction to her young daughters, she used images of blue eggs in the robin's nest, the wind blowing pollen dust from one plant to the other, and bees gathering honey from the flowers.

Related: Giraffe sex is even weirder than we thought, and it involves pee

A more direct reference can be found in Cole Porter's lyrics (opens in new tab) to the 1928 song "Let's Do It."

"It is nature, thats all

Simply telling us to fall in love

And that's why birds do it, bees do it

Even educated fleas do it

Let's do it, let's fall in love"

The phrase also appeared in a 1939 issue of the "Freeport Journal Standard": "A Frenchman was born sophisticated: he knows about the birds and the bees. In consequence, French films are made on a basis of artistic understanding that does not hamper the story."

A more modern reference to the phrase occurred on "The Simpsons." episode Homer vs. Patty and Selma, first broadcast in 1995, according to Phrases.org.uk. (opens in new tab) The episode includes a scene has 10-year-old Bart Simpson remarking to his friend Milhouse, "The Sun is out, birds are singing, bees are trying to have sex with them  as is my understanding ..."

Where to learn more about "the birds and the bees"

Read more about the history of the phrase "the birds and the bees" with this article from World Histories (opens in new tab). Explore an age-by-age guide to teaching kids about the birds and the bees with this informative article from Family Education. (opens in new tab) Check out five of the best books for explaining the birds and the bees with this article from Maternity & Infant Family (opens in new tab).
A man tried to smuggle 80 slashers used in cockfighting via a Laredo international bridge, according to an arrest affidavit.

Guillermo Medina Jr., 34, was charged with owning cockfighting equipment.

Laredo police officers responded at about 7:11 p.m. April 21 to the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge for a report of a male suspect in possession of slashing instruments used in cockfighting.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection supervisor stated that a male driving a maroon Dodge Ram was referred to secondary inspection. Authorities identified him as Medina. During an inspection, a CBP officer discovered a plastic shopping bag inside a compartment.

The bag contained 80 slashers used for cockfighting, eight straps used for attaching the slashers to the roosters, one roll of cord for securing the straps and slashers to the roosters, two bottles of multivitamins for animals and one spray of antiseptic for animals, states the affidavit.

Asked about the items, Medina stated that a friend back home asked him to buy them for him and that he had the receipt, according to court documents.

Medina added that he did not ask his friend what he was going to use the items for. Regarding some cages he had in the bed of his Ram, Medina stated the cages were for roosters and that he was going to sell them, authorities said.

Medina added that he had the slashers in the compartment so they would not get lost. He further stated he did not know it was illegal to have the slashers, according to the affidavit.

Medina never confirmed that the slashers would be used for cockfighting but based on the other items that were purchased by him and the totality of the circumstances, it is my belief that the slashing instruments would be used for that purpose, the LPD officer wrote in the affidavit.
A man who claimed he was hauling pig meat was sentenced to prison for transporting 71 migrants in a refrigerated trailer, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Denny Fuentes pleaded guilty on Sept. 15 to transporting the migrants. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana sentenced Fuentes to 15 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.

At the hearing, the court heard the (migrants), including five unaccompanied minors, were locked in the semi-trailer. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Fuentes put everyone who was in the trailer in danger of harm, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in a statement.

Fuentes is expected to surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility no earlier than Sept. 8.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Border Patrol.

HSI is dedicated to working closely with all of our law enforcement partners to effectively identify, arrest and prosecute individuals involved in exploiting people, said Acting Special Agent in Charge, Craig Larrabee, HSI San Antonio.

"Criminals who illegally smuggle people into and throughout the country place personal profit ahead of public safety. For this reason, HSI will continue to utilize its broad authorities to dismantle human smuggling organizations."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Homero Ramirez prosecuted the case.

The case dates back to June 15, when Fuentes drove a white semi-tractor pulling a white refrigerated utility trailer. He slowly approached the primary commercial lane at the Border Patrol checkpoint in Webb county. However, authorities had to order him to stop.

Authorities said Fuentes displayed nervous behavior. He stated he was hauling pig meat. He provided a manifest for products requiring transport at no higher than 45 degrees while the trailer temperature was set at 56 degrees, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

In a secondary inspection, agents said they discovered 71 migrants, including five minors.
Laredo College and Texas State University officials have announced a formal agreement to ease the transfer of students from Laredo to San Marcos.

The new articulation agreement establishes an easily transferable core curriculum and serves to assure Laredo College students that identified courses will transfer to a degree program at Texas State with no loss of credit.

The agreement was signed into effect at Laredo Colleges Ft. McIntosh Campus by Texas State President Kelly Damphousse and Laredo College President Minita Ramirez.

I graduated from a community college, and worked for three years as a prison guard before transferring to a university to complete my bachelors degree. So I understand how well community colleges and universities can partner to improve the social and economic mobility for Texans, said Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse. This transfer agreement with our colleagues at Laredo College is an exciting step forward in our efforts to eliminate barriers to higher education for our students. We are grateful to our partners at Laredo College for their commitment to streamline the process for students, and I am looking forward to welcoming many more students from Laredo into the Bobcat community.

The agreement guarantees Texas State admission to Laredo College students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.25 on a 4.0 scale and a minimum of 30 semester credit hours. Students from Laredo College who meet Texas States general admission requirements with a completed core curriculum, associate of arts, associate of science degree and associate of applied science will also receive guaranteed admission.

Admission to Texas State does not automatically guarantee admission to all degree granting programs, majors, minors or fields of concentration offered by the university, but incoming Laredo College transfer students may compete for admission to specific programs on equal footing as students who began at Texas State as freshmen.

We are enthusiastic to enter into this agreement with our great friends from Texas State University, Laredo College President Minita Ramirez said. This partnership will facilitate a seamless transition and make the process as simple and stress-free as possible for our students. We look forward to continue our collaboration with Texas State University and offer more opportunities to Texans in pursuit of a higher education.

Laredo College and Texas State will also collaborate to provide a smooth transition for qualified students wishing to enter the Honors College at Texas State. Acceptance to the Honors College requires a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or better on all college work. The Honors College will work with Laredo College to accept honors credits with a grade of B or better earned for at least half of the hours required for all designations offered by Texas State. Active members of Laredo College's Honors Program can follow the instructions on Texas States Honors College website to request automatic admission.

The transfer agreement is an example Texas States and Laredo Colleges support for the 60X30TX Texas higher Education Strategic Plan, which calls for at least 60% of Texans ages 25-64 to receive a degree, certificate or other postsecondary credential of value by 2030.

About Laredo College

Laredo College is a two-campus district serving the diverse needs of a growing community. The downtown Fort McIntosh Campus maintains its historic origins, while history begins anew at our South Campus in South Laredo, with contemporary architecture and the latest technology, which opened in the spring of 2004. Our two campuses serve more than 10,000 students each semester through a variety of affordable academic programs, technical and vocational programs, non-credit community interest courses and adult education courses that help area adults obtain English skills, job skills or a General Educational Development diploma. Both campuses serve a three-county area composed of Webb, Jim Hogg and Zapata counties.

About Texas State University

Founded in 1899, Texas State University is among the largest universities in Texas with an enrollment of 38,376 students on campuses in San Marcos and Round Rock. Texas States 221,000-plus alumni are a powerful force in serving the economic workforce needs of Texas and throughout the world.
Vanessa Gavalya/Getty Images

To celebrate the 100-year birthday of Texas State Parks, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is hosting a photo contest during 2023, with prizes being given during seasonal promotional themes and then a grand finale prize being announced at the end of the year.

The contest kick-off theme was "New Year, New Adventure," and produced with more than 3,000 entries to the Texas Parks and Wildlife. Now that spring is here, the next theme for this season's photo contest is "The Joys of Spring."
This years home is located at 5987 Cashmere Lane in the Lake Breeze subdivision in Harrison.
No one was injured, the Chattanooga Fire Department said.
Matthew Henry was last seen on April 15, 2018. His case is labeled as a missing person, but some on the task force are investigating it as a homicide. They hope to give his family and the community answers.
The Tennessee Department of Corrections, the TBI and other agencies closed out National Crime Victims' Rights Week with a Statewide Crime Victims Event Friday in Chattanooga.
One of the two Black Democrats who were expelled last week from the GOP-led Tennessee House has been reinstated. Nashvilles governing council voted Monday to send Justin Jones straight back to the Legislature. He quickly returned to the chamber after being sworn in on the Capitol steps. The council vote returns Jones to the Capitol after just four days. Republicans banished the two over their role in a gun-control protest on the House floor in the aftermath of a deadly school shooting. The other lawmaker, Justin Pearson, could be reappointed Wednesday.
The joint program between UTC and Hamilton County Schools will allow 50 high school juniors to enroll in college-level courses taught by UTC faculty and directly supported by high school courses taught by Hamilton County School teachers.
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Even on the last day of business customers are calling into the Longford Ulster Bank.

The Victorian building is a study in opulence and grandeur; high ceiling, big window and the ornate cornices all hint at a glorious past.

A past coming to an end. There are other details to convince the observer of the durability implied when architect James Bell first came up with the plans for the financial institution.

The counter top is exquisite. The burnished wood has carved detail, plates of marble are held in place with embellished brass studs. It's a functional feature raised to art.

Leaning over this counter is a customer, he's left it to the last day to conclude his affairs. He's speaking to the lady on the other side, asking how long she worked there: I'll be 26 years here this year, the reply comes.

The Main Street branch was built in 1863, a time when conveying permeance, security and reliability was more than just superficial. Its facade is ashlar limestone with the beautiful carved sandstone Riverine heads as keystones to the ground floor window.

Those four River Gods have seen a lot in the 160 years they have presided over the town. Moments in history that have shaped the town, the county and even the country.

There is an irony to the fact that in 1913 Kathleen Booth, a women's suffragette, chained herself to the railings of the Main Street building in protest at the all-male world of banking. That protest was about the patriarch's use of financial rules to prevent women from getting loans, depriving them of capital and therefore independence.

Today, the last day of the bank's operation, there are only women working in the building. Branch manager Niamh Donlon is in the company of Sharon Hall, Martina Igoe and Karen Walsh for their final day of dealing with the public, in three days time their work will be finished.

Last Friday the Longford branch was one of Ulster Bank's 63 remaining in the Republic to close the doors for the last time.

It has been a lingering demise. In February of 2021 parent company NatWest announced it was pulling out of Ireland. Since then it has been milestone after milestone in the journey to closure.

For the last two years since the announcement we have had people closing and moving their accounts. Loyal customers down through years, Niamh tells the Leader.

She sits at a desk in the office beyond the realm of the public. The solid steel door of the document vault is open. It yields a view of rows of shelves denuded of the written history of the bank's transactions.

This is one of the earliest buildings constructed in the southern counties by a Belfast bank. Its three stories once contained the living quarters of the Manager's family. Built to be there forever.

I'm in Longford since 2009, Niamh tells, I came here from Athlone. It was great to come back to my hometown, where I knew people. Longford was always a very successful branch.

At the time Longford branch had 22 staff members, as the wind up concludes there are seven working on site.

It's a tough situation for workers who have given decades of service to finish up their employment. The other side of the counter has also had difficulty coming to terms with the change: We've had customers come in who are very, very upset. It's been a very emotional thing, Niamh explained.

This building is one of the principal elements of the architectural heritage of Main Street. The quality boundary wall and wrought-iron gates and railings set it apart from other buildings: There is definitely interest in it. It would make a lovely gallery or restaurant. It's in great repair, there is very little to be done with it. There is a big car park at the rear, the branch manager says.

Staff member Martina Igoe has worked with Ulster bank for 31 years: It is a very emotional day, she says, it was a great place to work. Great customers and great colleagues. Banking has very much gone digital. That's the big change.

Martina said the 2021 announcement was a shock: I didn't think they would ever shut. It was threatened in the past, but we never thought it would come to fruition, but this is it, today is our last day.

Niamh laments the ending of the relationship between the bank and the community: I would like to thank all the loyal customers who supported us down through the years. I have to thank the branch staff. They worked so hard over the years and supported me so much in my time here. I was so lucky with them all and it is so sad to be leaving it behind.
A man in his late teens has been arrested and charged in connection to a violent brawl that saw horrified staff and customers inside a Longford shop watch on in terror as two men traded blows in broad daylight.

Gardai launched an investigation into the incident after two young men suddenly began exchanging punches inside the door of the midlands towns Spa store last Friday afternoon.

Video footage taken from the scene showed a young man approach the counter before another young male suddenly appeared while appearing to video the other suspect on a mobile phone.

Seconds later, the two suspects could be seen grappling and throwing punches at one another as staff and customers looked on in disbelief.

The 90 second clip also showed how another man attempted to intervene as the fight between the two suspects intensified.

The violent brawl is eventually broken up when another man enters the store and escorts one of the assailants outside.

A number of customers who had stayed outside the store as the unruly events inside unfolded can be seen entering the store, clearly startled at what had occurred just seconds before.

Camera footage taken from the scene moments afterwards underlined the ferocity of the incident as broken glass and a number of bottles could be seen left strewn across the floor and across the counter top.

Longfordleader.ie can reveal gardai this morning arrested a man in his late teens before later charging him in connection to the incident.

Gardai in Longford were alerted following reports of two males fighting in a retail premises on Main Street, Longford, on Friday 21st April, 2023. Those involved had left the premises on arrival of Gardai, said a garda spokesperson.

This morning, Friday 28th April 2023, an adult male, in his late teens, was arrested under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. He has since been charged and is due to appear before Longford District Court at a later date.

Investigations are ongoing."
Food, Wine, & Dining, Business & Finance

By Jacob Alvear Published: April 28 2023

MoCA Asian Bistro: Savor Mother's Day with 20% Bonus Gift Cards

LONG ISLAND, NY  MoCA Asian Bistro, a premier Asian restaurant in Long Island, is delighted to announce its Mother's Day campaign, designed to honor and celebrate mothers and mother figures across the community. From May 7th to May 13th, guests can enjoy MoCA Asian Bistro exceptional dining experience and take advantage of an exclusive offer for gift card purchases, providing the perfect opportunity to show appreciation and gratitude.

The restaurant, known for its innovative and modern Asian cuisine, invites guests to make reservations for Mother's Day and indulge in a unique dining experience that blends exquisite dishes with a sophisticated ambiance. MoCA Asian Bistro's menu will feature signature dishes made with the freshest ingredients, showcasing the talents of its experienced culinary team.

During the Mother's Day campaign, customers who purchase a MoCA Asian Bistro gift card will receive an extra 20% value, offering a perfect way to share the joy of exceptional dining with loved ones. A MoCA Asian Bistro gift card is an elegant and thoughtful present for the special mothers in your life.

"MoCA Asian Bistro is committed to providing an unforgettable dining experience for our guests," said Yan, the representative of MoCA Asian Bistro. "Our Mother's Day campaign is designed to honor the incredible women who have touched our lives in so many ways. We are excited to offer our guests a memorable dining experience, along with an exceptional gift card promotion to celebrate this special occasion."

To ensure a memorable dining experience, guests are encouraged to make reservations for Mother's Day at MoCA Asian Bistro. Visit www.mocaasianbistro.com or call the restaurant to book your table and give the gift of an unforgettable Mother's Day celebration.

About MoCA Asian Bistro:

MoCA Asian Bistro is a restaurant group located in Long Island, New York, specializing in modern Asian cuisine. With a focus on fresh ingredients and innovative dishes, MoCA Asian Bistro offers a unique dining experience that combines the best of culinary artistry and contemporary ambiance. The restaurant prides itself on exceptional service, a sophisticated atmosphere, and the ability to bring people together through the love of food.

For more information, visit www.mocaasianbistro.com.

Locations

Forest Hills: 718-268-3333

Hewlett: 516-295-8888

Woodbury: 516-496-7000

Westbury: 516-833-9999 (Opening Soon)
Music, Movies & Entertainment, Arts & Culture

By Jacob Alvear Published: April 28 2023

Julie and Blake will open on the third floor following May 6th screening of S.O.B. with a Q&A featuring Blake Edwards daughter, Jennifer Wild Rovers on May 7th, with Bob Rubin.

Sag Harbor, NY - Sag Harbor Cinema will open their second exhibition for the yearlong retrospective, The Worlds of Julie Andrews, on May 6th following a screening of Blake Edwards biting Hollywood satire S.O.B. in which Andrews plays a famous actress who upsets her virginal reputation by baring it all in order to save her (director) husbands career. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Blake Edwards daughter Jennifer, who also has a role in the film.

The weekend will also include a screening of the directors cut of Edwards cult western Wild Rovers, followed by a Q&A with film collector and historian, Bob Rubin. The film was originally cut by the studio in a major upset, eliminating 40 minutes of the running time and leaving only an action western  far from Edwards revisionist concept for the film.

In the vein of Victor/Victoria, which opened the retrospective almost a year ago, this weekend celebrates the collaboration between Julie Andrews and her second husband, film director Blake Edwards. One of the great comic talents of American cinema, Edwards was known for his magic touch with actors, the flawless, stylized elegance of his films, and his subversive, doggedly independent spirit.

The exhibit on the Cinemas third floor will illustrate the collaboration between Edwards and Andrews featuring annotated scripts, rare onset photos, sketches, correspondence and even art of other mediums, like Edwards sculptures used in The Man Who Loved Women.

The artistic collaboration between Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards is one of the greatest in Hollywood history. Their love for film and its craft, as well as their understanding of the power of art to illuminate lifes complexities and absurdism, are a joy to experience in the seven films they did together. And we are thrilled to be able to offer thanks to Ms. Andrews and her familys generosity a deeper understanding of their creative process through this new exhibit, says SHCs Artistic Director Giulia DAgnolo Vallan.

Andrews and Edwards collaborations spanned 40 years until his death in 2010. Their work together included Darling Lili, S.O.B., 10, The Tamarind Seed, The Man Who Loved Women, Victor/Victoria the film and later the Broadway musical, and Thats Life. Their work and life together often led to interests outside the realm of film: Edwards encouraged Andrews passion for childrens literature, while Andrews encouraged his interest in sculpting and painting.

This portion of the yearlong retrospective launches the finale of the cinemas homage to Ms. Andrews and the collaborations of which she was a part. The exhibit will run through July 4th and will be available to the public during the cinemas normal operating hours.

Tickets will be available on the cinemas website, sagharborcinema.org.
Crime

By Jacob Alvear Published: April 28 2023

U.S. Marine Recruiter has been charged with grooming and statutory rape of a Long Island Teen.

Staff Sgt. Mason H. Wallace, A 28-year-old US Marine Corps recruiter who previously provided counseling to sexual assault victims, has been charged with grooming and raping a 16-year-old Long Island girl.

Wallace was a recruiter out of Patchogue, He met the victim during his first recruiting visit to Longwood High School back in October.

The victim claimed that she did not initially realize that Walace was grooming her, but after reflecting on their messages, she recognized it was.

Both the victim and Wallace had started speaking through Discord and had begun sending flirtatious texts in December.

During this time Wallace allegedly used a home visit to play video games at the teens house while her mother was away, as well as not being aware of the recruitment visit at all.

Wallace then continued to make sexual advances towards the victim, which led to unprotected statutory rape.

According to the New York Post, Wallace, was charged with third degree rape and is due back in court on May 31.
28th April 2023

Runtime 14:30





London South East were joined today by Aldo Boitano, CEO at CleanTech Lithium (CTL), the AIM-listed Chilean Lithium explorer/developer with three Direct Lithium Extraction projects at various stages of development in the Chilean Andes.

The Government in Chile have just announced a National Lithium Strategy, the main plank of which is that the major strategic Lithium assets in Chile are to be held in Public-Private partnerships.

The Government already own the sole rights to mine Chile's largest salars explained Aldo. CleanTech Lithium say they have been assured by Government officials that this doesnt apply to them as their projects are not strategically significant, despite plans to produce 20,000 tonnes of lithium annually.

The Chilean Government emphasised that in future they want Chile to become the world's largest producer of Lithium. Currently Australia is the world's largest producer with Chile second. And they hope to utilise Direct Lithium Extraction technology to do so.

The most green (low water use, run on solar energy and brine put back into the salar aquafer) and technologically advanced drill project in Chile is run by CTL, says Aldo. He believes this technical know-how or 'knowledge' could yet lead to profitable commercial opportunities with the Government. "It's good for the country, good for the environment, and good for CleanTech Lithium" is how Aldo summarised Chile's new National Lithium policy.
Manchester, VT (05254)

Today

Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 43F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 43F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Manchester, VT (05254)

Today

Mostly clear skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late. Low near 40F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Mostly clear skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late. Low near 40F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.
Manchester, New Hampshire  Donald Trump vowed Thursday to crush Joe Biden in the 2024 election, warning in his first campaign stop since his successor entered the race that the United States will descend into anarchy if the Republican billionaire isnt returned to office.

The defiant address at a hotel in Manchester, New Hampshire, came with the twice-impeached former presidents legal woes multiplying, as a writer who accuses Trump of rape testified for a second day at a civil trial in New York.

The choice in this election is now between strength or weakness, between success or failure, between safety or anarchy, between peace or conflict, and prosperity or catastrophe, Trump told a relatively modest crowd of around 1,500 supporters.

We are living in a catastrophe. With your vote on November 5, 2024, we are going to crush Joe Biden and the White House at the ballot box, and we are going to settle our unfinished business.

It was Trumps first appearance since January in the Granite State, which propelled him to victory in the 2016 Republican nominating contest after a shaky start in Iowa.

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Biden, 80, announced Tuesday he would seek a second term in 2024, warning that the next election, like the last, would be a battle for the soul.

Many top Republicans say Trump, 76, is positioning himself to lose again after leading Republicans to poor showings in the 2020 general election and in the last two midterm cycles.

Republicans want someone who can win in November of 24. Donald Trump is a loser, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, who is said to be mulling a rival presidential bid, told NBC on Sunday.

 Crashing and burning 

Nine Republicans in the US Senate have endorsed the billionaire, but others are warning that prosecutions enmeshing Trump might undermine their hopes of taking the upper chamber of Congress back from the Democrats next year.

Trump is being sued for battery and defamation in civil proceedings in New York, accused of raping writer E Jean Carroll in 1996, and has been indicted over a 2016 hush money payment to a porn star in a criminal case likely to stretch well into the election year.

He also faces the possibility of charges from the Department of Justice and Georgia prosecutors in cases involving his attempts to overthrow the 2020 election and his hoarding of government documents. Yet Trump has consistently maintained double-digit leads in Republican primary polling, running far ahead of his nearest likely rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whom he described in his New Hampshire speech as crashing and burning.

Trump, who denies all wrongdoing, angrily denounced the endless witch hunts against him, as he invariably does in public remarks. AFP

In a wide-ranging speech that included a rare Q&A and ran to more than 100 minutes, Trump revisited much of his favorite territory, from making false claims about fraud in the 2020 election to smearing his rivals.

He told supporters he was retiring the Crooked nickname he uses for longtime foe Hillary Clinton and giving it to Biden instead.

With such a calamitous presidency, its almost inconceivable that Biden would have even thought of running for reelection, Trump said.

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President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will advance the Philippines priorities through regional and multilateral cooperation in various areas during his attendance at the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Indonesia in May, a foreign affairs official said on Friday.

Among the key issues that will be pushed by President Marcos include long-term food and energy security, efforts toward economic recovery, combatting transnational crimes, and upgrading of technical and vocational education and training, among others.

During a pre-departure briefing in Malacanang, Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of ASEAN Affairs (DFA-OAA) Deputy Assistant Secretary Angelito Nayan said Mr. Marcos would also raise the issues regarding the adoption of climate and disaster resilient technologies, transitioning to renewable and alternative energy technologies, and the protection of migrant workers, among others.

President Marcos is also expected assert the importance of demonstrating ASEANs centrality in the region amid geopolitical issues, the DFA official said.

Meanwhile, DFA spokesperson Ma. Terersita Daza said the opening ceremony of the 42nd ASEAN Summit will be held on the morning of May 10.

Following the Plenary Session, a series of interfaces among ASEAN leaders and representatives and/or delegates of relevant ASEAN bodies are scheduled on the same day, she said.

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The ASEAN leaders will also hold interfaces with the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly or the AIPA, the ASEAN Youth Representatives, ASEAN Business Advisory Council or ASEAN-BAC, High-Level Task Force on the ASEAN Communitys Post-2025 Vision.

Following the leaders decision on the application of Timor Leste for membership at the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summit in 2022, the ASEAN leaders are expected to adopt a roadmap on Timor Lestes full membership in ASEAN at the Summit, Daza said.

The Prime Minister of Timor Leste, Taur Matan Ruak, is expected to attend the 42nd ASEAN Summit as an observer for the first time.

President Marcos will also take part in the 15th Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Summit to be convened on May 11 under the chairmanship of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

During this meeting, the President will discuss developments and the BIMP-EAGA Vision 2025 towards promoting economic development, strengthening connectivity and the sustainable management of natural resources in the sub-region, the DFA spokesperson said.

Some 16 outcome documents being targeted to be issued, adopted or noted during the meeting are expected after the meeting.

President Marcos participation to the summit, along with leaders of ASEAN member-states, is upon the invitation of Indonesia President Joko Widodo as this years ASEAN chair with the theme: ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth.

The ASEAN Summit provides a platform for ASEAN leaders to discuss and exchange views on key regional issues and build consensus on matters of mutual interest and provide policy directions on ASEAN community building efforts.

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PLDT Inc. has achieved a five-peat win at the Ookla Speedtest Awards 2022  a first for PLDT, and for the Philippines.

Global benchmarking company Ookla announced that PLDT, the countrys largest digital services provider, achieved a top speed score of 86.52 in 2022, affirming the telcos dominance and consistent performance in delivering the countrys fastest Internet speeds for the fifth consecutive year.

PLDT President and CEO Alfredo S. Panlilio leads a toast to their Fastest Internet 5 Years In A Row award with (from left) PLDT Senior Vice President  Head of Consumer Sales Group Alex O. Caeg, First Vice President  Head of Enterprise and International Business Groups Albert Mitchell L. Locsin, Ookla CTO Luke Deryckx, PLDT Senior Vice President  Head of Home Business Group Jeremiah M. de la Cruz, PLDT and Smart Network Head Roderick Santiago, and Ookla Senior Vice President and Global Head of Sales and Enterprise Services Kuljeet Randhawa.

Leading the Philippines digital transformation

PLDT has consistently dominated the Ookla Speedtest Awards for five consecutive years as a result of the telco giants aggressive network expansion and drive to lift the quality of customer experience.

The PLDT Group has been supporting the countrys digitalization by bringing the benefits of connectivity and other digital services to more areas in the Philippines. In 2022, PLDT recorded a total of 6.08 million fiber-powered ports, covering around 17,700 barangays across the country.

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PLDTs commitment is to help build and empower the nation by setting the bar high in providing world-class digital services for Filipinos, said PLDT President and CEO Alfredo S. Panlilio. For the past five years, PLDT has made big strides to elevate our customers experience by delivering the best fixed network services. We intend to keep this momentum and to go above and beyond in ensuring that our customers get the best digital experience wherever they need it  at home, school, or the office.

PLDT remains the only telco in the Philippines that can deliver the fastest fiber-optic speeds of up to 10 Gbps, which was made available to the public as early as 2021. This groundbreaking move has placed the Philippines alongside first-world nations in terms of ultra-fast internet speeds including South Korea, Japan, Norway, Italy, New Zealand, and USA.

As of end-2022, PLDT achieved an all-time high number of home broadband customers by adding 1.1 million new fiber subscribers, capturing 59% of fiber customer industry growth for 2022. This brought PLDT Homes total fiber subscribers to 2.9 million.



PLDT Home continues to be the trusted telco provider of Filipinos that delivers the fastest internet and future-ready innovations in their homes. Leading innovations for the home broadband segment in 2022, PLDT Home boosted its efforts to give customers the best digital experience at home by increasing the speeds of all its Fiber plans up to two times faster than previous speeds.

The PLDT Group, through its ICT subsidiary ePLDT, also provides data center, multi-cloud and cybersecurity solutions that enable the digital transformation of large companies, Micros, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to help drive the countrys inclusive economic growth. Leveraging on PLDTs advance infrastructure, ePLDT is the countrys leading provider of data center and multi-cloud managed service offerings.

The Most Coveted Ookla Speedtest Award

PLDT is the only telco in the Philippines that has ever achieved a five-peat for the highest award from Ookla. According to Ookla, only a handful of internet service providers have won the prestigious award for five consecutive years worldwide. In Southeast Asia, only PLDT as the leading telco in the Philippines has this honor, alongside Singapores ViewQWest.

Ooklas Chief Technology Officer, Luke Deryckx, affirms PLDTs superior network performance for the past five years. He says, With over 18 million consumer-initiated tests taken daily and billions of data points gathered, the Ookla data paints a clear picture of the performance, quality, and availability of virtually every network in the world. We are proud to recognize PLDTs hard work in providing the fastest Internet experience in the Philippines and celebrate their achievements in superior network performance over the last 5 years.

With the consistent wins at the Ookla Speedtest Awards, PLDT also clocked the top speeds in major areas in the Philippines and bested all other major telco providers in 2022 including Pasig City, Cagayan de Oro, Baguio City, amongst others.

All these achievements are powered by PLDTs widest fiber network in the country which now spans 1.1 million kilometers, extending its reach to 17.2 million homes passed, in 68% of the countrys cities and municipalities.

For more information about PLDTs Ookla Speedtest Awards, visit www.pldt.com.

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Three Reasons to Buy Shares in abrdn

abrdn, the UKs largest active asset manager, could be on the cusp of rewarding investors with substantial growth. The FTSE 100 firms share price has risen by 40% since October 2022, after a planned return of capital to investors helped reinstate the companys market capitalisation to approximately $4 billion.



abrdns stock offers a 7.5% dividend yield, and many expect the yield to maintain or better this market-beating ratio. As such, the Edinburgh-based company is an attractive prospect to investors for the coming year.





Here are three reasons to buy shares in abrdn in 2023.

A Turnaround in Fortunes for abrdn

The 2017 merger between Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management that formed Standard Life Aberdeen didnt land investors the results they had hoped for. Other active investment management firms have also recently experienced performance and outflow challenges in light of concerns over their ability to compete with cheaper, passive options.



However, things have been looking up for Standard Life Aberdeen following its 2021 rebrand, which transformed the company into abrdn: Since joining the global company in 2020, CEO Stephen Bird has overseen turnaround plans that include streamlining fund management operations, laying out a clear programme for capital returns, and investing in wealth management.



Birds three-year strategy to halt revenue decline and create long-term growth has reassured investors and put the company back on track: In 2021, the companys revenues grew for the first time in five years.

A Lower Dividend Yield Could Bring Rich Rewards

If abrdns fortunes continue to improve, its shares are likely to perform well too. Based on the current payout, a 25% increase in share price could bring the asset managers current 7.5% dividend yield down to 6%, in line with competitors Jupiter and Liontrust.



Generally, strong dividend yields lie between 2% and 4%. However, dividend yields above 4% can also be a great buy as long as other important stock features (such as share price, price-to-earnings ratio and earnings per share) look healthy.



While abrdns lower dividend yield isnt guaranteed, the asset managers upward trajectory means rising shares look likely over the next 12-18 months.

Affordable Stock Despite Falling Markets

Falling asset management markets in 2022 meant a decrease in asset values. In addition to cash withdrawal from investors, this decrease in asset values led to a drop in fee income. While experts predict that 2023 may not prove much easier for asset management stocks, abrdn is an increasingly affordable stock option.



abrdns half-year results declared investments worth 1.7 billion in FTSE 100 life insurance firm Phoenix Group and HDFC, one of Indias leading housing finance groups. On top of this, abrdn management revealed surplus capital of 0.6 billion.



Taking abrdns current market capitalisation of 3.8 billion and subtracting the investment and surplus capital figures suggests the companys remaining fund business and wealth management platform (which includes direct investing service interactive investor) have a valuation of 1.4 billion.



Although abrdn generates an operating profit of around 300 million and administers 508 billion of assets for clients, investment experts have called the stock cheap. This could be great news for investors looking to buy into the asset management market in 2023, despite the dip in the popularity of asset management stocks last year.

A Good Investment Opportunity

Many signs point to abrdn representing a good investment opportunity this year. As it stands, the company offers an appealing 7.5% dividend yield and various attractive investment assets.



If abrdns targeted fund management and wealth operations remain on track and the company delivers its predicted return to growth, buying shares in abrdn in 2023 could prove a wise move for investors.

About abrdn

abrdn is a UK-based global investment company that helps clients plan, save, and invest for their futures. Originating in Edinburgh nearly 200 years ago as a life assurance company, today, abrdn has over 500 billion of assets under administration.

abrdns Three Core Vectors

The asset manager works with clients across three core vectors  Personal, Adviser, and Investments  and provides individual, intermediary, and institutional services to UK clients seeking investment and financial planning support.

Personal (66 billion in assets)  abrdns Personal vector helps UK clients save and invest with quality financial planning, digital investing tools, and other key services. Adviser (68 billion in assets)  abrdns powerful adviser platform assists UK wealth managers and financial advisers in generating growth for their clients and businesses. The companys adviser platform is the first in the UK to receive and maintain an A rating from AKG Financial Analytics. Investments (386 billion in assets)  abrdns clients enjoy strong investment solutions and benefit from the companys extensive research, knowledge of local markets, and worldwide expertise. With 22 carefully crafted investment portfolios and an international network of 800 investment professionals, abrdn offers flexible investment trusts to help clients broaden their financial horizons.

abrdns Recent Acquisitions to Deliver Client-Led Growth

abrdn recently acquired interactive investor, the UKs leading subscription-based direct investment platform. Now, alongside its existing wealth and financial planning services, abrdns Personal vector clients can feel further empowered to secure their financial futures thanks to interactive investors high-tech capabilities.



Finimize, a financial app providing daily investment insights to users, has also joined abrdn. Finimize seeks to make investing accessible and digestible, and its daily newsletter has over one million subscribers and approximately 40,000 premium subscribers. abrdn hopes to support Finimize in becoming the number one information platform for modern investors.



Learn more about abrdn .

By Sumeet Manhas

 2023 Copyright Sumeet Manhas - All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2022 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




Never bet Bgainst America unless

Warren Buffetts latest move might surprise you US stocks are passing the torch... Plus, a dead-simple way to invest in this big shift

When Warren Buffett makes an unusual move pay attention.

Buffett is likely the best investor of all time .



His firm Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) delivered an average annual return of 20% from 1965 to 2022, which turned a $1,000 investment into $38 million.



Buffett is known for buying large stakes in iconic American companies. Hes invested billions of dollars into brands like Apple (AAPL), Coca-Cola (KO), and American Express (AXP).

This is your second chance to act on my top idea for 2023.

In a 2021 shareholder letter, he wrote: Never bet against America.Which makes his latest move all the more surprising...Specifically, he just increased his stakes in five Japanese conglomeratesincluding Mitsubishi and Sumitomothat are plugged into important areas of the Japanese economy.Buffett has repeatedly praised how cheap Japanese stocks are.

I dedicated a whole essay to convincing you to buy non-US stocks.



If you didnt listen, I cant blame you. For the past 15 years, its been a complete waste of time for American investors to look outside of the US. All the greatest stocks were American.



But a changing of the guard is underway thats obvious to anyone whos paying attention.



This chart maps the performance of the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) versus stocks from emerging markets (VWO) and those from Europe and Japan (VEA) since 2010:







US stocks went up; foreign stocks went nowhere. For 13 years!



Thats a long, long time. Long enough for most investors to practically forget that foreign stocks even exist.

Which is why this next chart is so important.

Stock market leadership is a pendulum that swings back and forth.



This chart from JPMorgan shows that US stocks (grey) outperformed international stocks for most of the last 15 years.



But as you can see thats not a permanent state of affairs. Foreign stocks outperformed in the purple periods.





Source: JPMorgan



We havent experienced international outperformance in a LONG time.



But notice the tiny purple bump at the far right?



After more than a decade of US outperformance, international stocks are taking the lead once again.



You can see it all over the new highs lists



Euro Stoxx 50, an EU version of the S&P 500, recently reached a 52-week high.



Mexican stocks, as measured by the iShares MSCI Mexico ETF (EWW), reached new eight-year highs last week. EWW surged 18% since 2022, while the S&P fell 13%.



The FTSE 100 Index, which represents top UK stocks, is less than 2% away from reaching new all-time highs.



Add it all up, and the returns of foreign stocks over the past few months are double that of the S&P 500:







Dont underestimate the change in this trend.



The last time leadership shifted, international stocks outperformed for seven long years.



And for every $1 US stocks returned, foreign stocks handed back $1.65.



And to head off any questions Ill get



Ive lived on four continents, and I can confirm America is the most innovative, resilient place on Earth. Im 100% certain it will continue producing the most disruptive companies in the world.



But facts are facts. International stocks are setting up to make a multi-year run higher. If youre a serious investor, you simply must allocate at least a small part of your portfolio to international stocks right now.



Stephen McBride



Chief Analyst, RiskHedge

To get more ideas like this sent straight to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, make sure to sign up for The RiskHedge Report , a free investment letter focused on profiting from disruption.



Expect smart insights and analysis on the latest breakthrough technologies, the big stories the mainstream media isn't reporting on, and much more... including actionable recommendations.



Click here to sign up.

By Stephen McBride

http://www.riskhedge.com

 2023 Copyright Stephen McBride - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2022 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




Are you invested in 4D printing?

What happened to 3D printing stocks?... This major upgrade breathes new life into 3D printing Smart materials could unlock 4D printing Plus, an easy way to profit from this megatrend

Is 3D printing dead?

A decade ago, 3D printing was the hottest buzzword on the planet. Investors piled in and 3D-printing stocks took off like a rocket.



3D Systems (DDD)a leading 3D-printing company at the timesoared 1,000% between late 2011 and early 2014.

giving investors a second chance to profit from companies fueling the boom

3D printing has gotten a MAJOR upgrade

another poster child of the 3D-printing boomjumped nearly 7X during the same period.Back then, people thought 3D printing would democratize manufacturing and that we'd all have 3D printers inside our homes.That never came true. And when the industry failed to live up to expectations, the 3D-printing bubble popped3D Systems plummeted 93% between January 2014 and January 2016. Stratasys plunged 89% during the same period.What if I told you 3D printing wasnt a flopToday, 3D printing is disrupting industries left and right

If youre not familiar with how this tech works, 3D printers allow you to print objects similarly to how an inkjet prints on paper.



Starting from scratch, a 3D printer builds objects layer by layer... stacking thin slices of materials (like plastics and metals) from the bottom up.



Early 3D-printing technologies worked great for things like modeling and prototyping. Industries from architecture to aerospace used these machines to quickly go from drawing board to prototype on the cheap.



For example, back in 2011, motorcycle maker Ducati cut 20 months (or 70%) off the development time of a new racing engine thanks to 3D-printing prototyping.



But these early models had their limitations



Most early 3D printers were built to print with plastic. Great for prototypes... but you cant make airplane wings, most car parts, or thousands of other high-value items with plastic.



Fast-forward to present day, and modern 3D-printing technologies have unlocked the use of metals and concrete.



Boeing (BA)one of the two biggest plane makers in the worldnow 3D prints thousands of titanium parts for its 787 Dreamliner. Its shaved $3 million off the cost of each plane thanks to this technology.



Rolls-Royce (RYCEY)s upcoming 3D-printed UltraFan jet engine will use 25% less fuel than its predecessor.



And just a couple of weeks ago, a 34-meter-tall rocket launched at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Eighty-five percent of the rocket was 3D-printed .

Super-sized 3D printers can even create full-sized houses in a matter of days

Heres one stacking concrete:



This is disrupting traditional construction in a huge way...



3D printing combines several trades into one, requiring fewer construction workers. It also saves time. With 3D printing, houses can be built in a day or two instead of taking weeks or months.



This cuts construction costs by around 50%.



These new 3D printers are also inspiring new designs. For example, its difficult and expensive to build curved walls with standard construction. With 3D printing, its a breeze.

New kinds of materials could unlock 4D printing

Have you heard of smart materials?



These special materials can bend, fold, expand, or change shape when exposed to different elements. You can program them to react to touch, light, temperature, electricity, different chemicals, and so on.



4D printing could use smart materials to bring daily objects to life.



For example, you could print a power cord that neatly folds into a tiny roll when unplugged and then loosens up again once electricity flows through it a sun umbrella that perfectly tracks the suns direction or even furniture that assembles itself.



4D printing also has the potential to revolutionize healthcare. Doctors could implant small medical devices that mold themselves into a desired shape when they reach a certain part of your body.



The possibilities are nearly limitless.

Heres how well make money from this disruption

Right now, 3D-printing stocks are on sale. And their businesses are doing great...



Autodesk (ADSK), for example, makes 3D design software. Its a stock I recommended back in 2018and it went on to gain 145%. In its latest quarterly result, the company reported a record $5 billion in sales.



And its not alone



3D printing companies Desktop Metal (DM), Ansys (ANSS), and Nano Dimension (NNDM) also reported record sales in their latest earnings results.



A simple, one-click way to buy each of these companiesand other 3D-printing stocksis through the 3D Printing ETF (PRNT).



PRNT currently trades 56% from its all-time highs, giving you a second chance to profit from phase two of the 3D-printing megatrend.

Stephen McBride

Chief Analyst, RiskHedge

To get more ideas like this sent straight to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, make sure to sign up for The RiskHedge Report , a free investment letter focused on profiting from disruption.



Expect smart insights and analysis on the latest breakthrough technologies, the big stories the mainstream media isn't reporting on, and much more... including actionable recommendations.



Click here to sign up.

By Stephen McBride

http://www.riskhedge.com

 2023 Copyright Stephen McBride - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2022 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




One year after it was first announced, Gordon Ramsays second Boston restaurant is not only on the verge of opening  its also hiring.

Gordon Ramsay Burger plans to hire 120 hourly employees, including line cooks, prep cooks, dishwashers, hosts, servers, bartenders and service assistants, the company announced on Thursday.

It will have more than 4,000 square-foot of restaurant space and will be located in between the North End and Faneuil Hall at 111 North St. in the Canopy Hotel, MassLive reported. Another one of Ramsays restaurants, known as Ramsays Kitchen, opened in Boston on Jan. 24, 2022, at the Mandarin Oriental.

37 Gordon Ramsay opens new restaurant in Boston

After such a warm welcome for Ramsays Kitchen from this amazing city, we cant wait to share some incredible burgers with the residents and visitors, said Ramsay in a statement to MassLive last year.

The restaurant will have a one-of-a-kind roof deck with views of Downtown and will serve the fan-favorite Hells Kitchen Burger. This burger is topped with mozzarella cheese, roasted jalapenos, avocado and roasted tomatoes.

The restaurant will offer burgers basted with butter along with fries, sauces made from scratch and milkshakes, the company said.

Details about an exact opening date were not available. Gordon Ramsay Burger was initially slated to open in late 2022.

For those interested in applying to work at Gordon Ramsay Burger, visit grnacareers.com.
When officials were called to the Hampton House apartment complex in Roxbury the night of Nov. 29, 2022, they expected to help a person in cardiac arrest  but the man they brought to the hospital that night died from an entirely different, yet heart-related, injury, the Boston Police Department said.

Officials found Robert Lee Scott, a 55-year-old Boston man, at the apartment complex at 155 Northampton St. around 9:45 p.m. and brought him to the hospital.

Scott died that night, the department said. The department identified Scott in a release on April 28, and said the mans cause of death was not cardiac arrest, as was stated in a 911 call.

The 55-year-old was killed by sharp force injury to the heart, the medical examiner said, ruling Scotts death a homicide on April 21.

A Boston woman named Tanya Kelley, 57, was arrested on April 27 by the Boston Police Fugitive Unit, following an investigation by detectives in the Boston Police Homicide Unit into Scotts death.

Kelley will be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court and charged with murder, police said.

The department is asking anyone who has information to contact the Boston Police Homicide Detectives at 617-343-4470, as police are still reviewing the facts and circumstances of the incident.
The squad room in the Pearl Street headquarters of the Springfield Police Department typically contains a chalkboard, messages of encouragement and a firearms identification chart.

On Thursday, the room also sported a table with a yellow sheet cake decorated with a photo of a younger Deputy Chief William Cochrane who stood amidst the crowd, shaking hands and smiling for photographs.

Shouts and whistles for quiet ushered in the comments from Springfield Police Superintendent Cheryl C. Clapprood: Were here today to celebrate a great career.

Down the hall and around the corner lies Cochranes office. Hes almost moved out. Its beige walls are pocked with holes where pictures once hung. A hanger on a closet door holds his jacket with three gold stars on the shoulder lapels.

After four decades on the force, 17 of those as a deputy chief, Friday will be Cochranes last day. Civil service rules require he retire when he reaches 65.

Cochrane joined the Springfield Police Department in 1982. He said he was a 24-year-old kid from the Sixteen Acres neighborhood who had worked in grocery stores and part-time jobs and who wanted to be an engineer up until the point he flunked out of calculus.

Its not an easy profession to be in right now, Clapprood said in her remarks, before presenting Cochrane with a framed photo.

Cochrane would later say that when he took the civil service test in the early 80s, about 5,000 people signed up in hopes of becoming a police officer in Springfield. Last year, the number of people that took that test was less than a tenth of what it was all those years ago.

Speaking to family and officers who gathered, Cochrane said his goal was to become captain, a goal he exceeded. He said he had no regrets and hoped he helped people along the way. He was proud to be a Springfield Police officer and, as his voice grew husky, said he was proud of his two sons, one a police officer and the other a firefighter.

Starting in 1996 and running for five years, Cochrane oversaw the departments police academy.

The recruits? Sponges, they just want to learn, Cochrane said in an interview.

The job included research and development at a time when the Springfield Police Department expanded its scope. Cochrane oversaw testing of new less-lethal weapons and training for K9 units.

Then came the five-year stint when he ran the departments narcotics unit, a time he recalled as active, fun and rewarding.

People would call up, give you problems in their neighborhood that might be drug related, Cochrane said. Youd investigate; sometimes youd have a successful resolution to their problem, or sometimes not. But if you could, it meant the world to the neighborhood that you could get rid of a drug-infested house, or some people that were dealing drugs in the neighborhood, he said.

And that really made a big difference in the quality of life for that neighborhood. And thats what made me feel good.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno arrived and told those gathered that Cochrane was a loyal leader. Sarno read a proclamation naming Friday as William Cochrane Day in the city.

So does this happen every year? Cochrane joked.

The mayor said he had to leave for the salt mines and told everyone, Go blue  and thats not Michigan either!

Eventually, Cochrane cut his cake. Attendees of the retirement party filtered out. He went into a nearby conference room to get a photo with his two sons, Colin and Nolan. Police spokesman Ryan Walsh climbed onto a table to get the shot of the three Cochranes in front of the Springfield Police Department emblem.

With his time on the force counted in hours, not days, Cochrane said he returned to thinking about his supervisors. He said he tried to model his police work on the honorable, decent, hardworking individuals under whom he served.

Around the room hung portraits of police chiefs of years past. At the request of one of his sons, he pointed out the first chief he worked under: Chief Paul J. Fenton.

Back then, an officer had to put a dime into a payphone or ask to use a convenience stores line if they wanted to call headquarters. As technology and training improved, it allowed officers to make more efficient and more effective decisions.

And the department is still not done, as it looks to upgrade its records management system, he said.

Im gonna miss them, Cochrane said of the department. Im gonna miss them all. This has been my home for 40 years and 10 months. And this is what I know.  Its a family. Its like leaving your family.
Climate activists staged a 10th straight day of protests in Berlin, blocking key roads during rush hour and bringing parts of the German capital to a standstill Friday before being removed by police.

Members of the Last Generation group glued themselves to the road, causing a traffic jam for commuters driving into the city. The group wants to draw attention to the threat of global warming and the need for governments to step up measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

At a crossing in the north of the capital, many drivers waited patiently for police to clear the road, though some hurled abuse at the activists, calling them terrorists and scum. Several pedestrians applauded the protesters, giving them a thumbs-up, while one passerby offered them food and water.

Last Generation has acknowledged that its protests are provocative, but it argues that by stirring friction it can encourage debate within society about climate change.

Sure, there are those who insult or criticize us, activist Theodor Schnarr said. But Ive got the feeling that more and more people are coming to us on the streets and saying they think this is a good thing.

Schnarr said the group believes disruptive but peaceful protests are justified, because of the enormity of the climate crisis and the urgent need to tackle it.

Police officers remove a climate activist in Berlin, Friday April 28, 2023. Climate activists staged a tenth straight day of protests in Berlin on Friday, blocking key roads during rush hour and bringing parts of the German capital to a standstill. (Paul Zinken/dpa via AP)AP

We have all the solutions. The German government just needs to implement them, he said.

But Frank Silzle, a motorist who was inconvenienced by Fridays blockade, said that while he agreed with the groups aims, he objected to its tactics.

Ultimately I think its counterproductive, what theyre doing, Silzle said. I understand their cause completely, but the way theyre going about it is sadly causing a counterreaction within the population that is very, very harmful to the cause.

Berlin police said that about 500 officers were deployed to deal with more than a dozen blockades Friday.

Read more: Muslims around the world consider climate during Ramadan

The protests come at an awkward time for the government, which is hosting an international climate meeting in the capital next week where it will push for other countries to do more to curb planet-warming emissions even as it faces criticism at home for failing to do enough.

German government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann said the government shares, in principle, the goal of drastically reducing CO2 emissions in order to stop and prevent climate change.

We just think the path taken by the climate movement, or some of these activists, is the wrong path for drawing attention to this, she told reporters.

Hoffmann said the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, an event taking place in Berlin on May 2-3, remains focused on achieving the goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial times.

Some German politicians have called for tougher police measures and sentences against activists for blocking roads. So far, most courts have either acquitted activists or issued them fines, though three Last Generation members recently received prison sentences ranging from three to five months in southern Germany.

A police officer attempts to remove the hand of a climate activist from the road at Grosser Stern, in front of the Victory Column, in Berlin, Friday, April 28, 2023. Climate activists staged a tenth straight day of protests in Berlin on Friday, blocking key roads during rush hour and bringing parts of the German capital to a standstill.Members of the group Last Generation glued themselves to the road, causing long tailbacks for commuters driving into the city. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)AP

The group plans to meet with Germanys transportation minister next week to discuss its demands. They include the introduction of a universal speed limit on German highways, a move that experts say would be a quick and cheap measure to cut emissions.

Meanwhile, activists from the organization Extinction Rebellion staged a protest Friday outside the Danish parliament in Copenhagen.

The protests goal was to pressure the government to bow to our simple demands for more protected nature and less industrial agriculture in Denmark, the demonstrators said in a statement.

If politicians still do not do what is clearly necessary, we will return and rebel again on May 12, they said.
High speed could have been a contributing factor behind a fatal crash between a Honda Civic and a tree on River Lodge Road in South Hadley on Thursday, Massachusetts State Police said on Friday.

A preliminary crash reconstruction report conducted by the state polices Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, or CARS, suggests the car traveled faster than 25 mph before the driver lost control, state police said.

Their findings added that the car approached a steep, rolling hill as it went off the road and crashed into a tree outside 20 River Lodge Road.

At about 7:50 a.m. on Thursday, South Hadley police requested state police help at a crash scene. A bystander pulled the unidentified driver out of the car, state police said. The driver was only identified as being a young man while the passenger has since only been identified as a 21-year-old man.

A bystander pulled the driver out of the car. The passenger was stuck in the vehicle until South Hadley firefighters arrived and removed him.

Both men were taken to Baystate Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, where the passenger died. The names of the two men have not been released.

Read more: Torrance Hodges of Dorchester dies after van crash on Gallivan Boulevard

State police added that while speed may have been a contributing factor, a final determination of what led to the crash will be made when the investigation is complete.

MassLive breaking news reporter Irene Rotondo contributed to the reporting for this story.
The passenger who died in a crash in South Hadley on Thursday was identified by Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivans office on Friday.

Kenny Rivera-Lopez, 21, from Martinsville, Virginia, died at Baystate Medical Center from serious injuries he sustained after the car he was a passenger in crashed into a tree near 20 River Lodge Road, Sullivans office said.

Rivera-Lopez and the driver, a 19-year-old Chicopee man, were in a car that crossed over the road and collided with a tree on the opposite side of the road. The crash happened just before 8 a.m.

Massachusetts State Police said the two were in a Honda Civic.

The driver managed to pull himself out of the Honda despite suffering serious injuries. Previous reporting said a bystander helped him out of the car while Rivera-Lopez was still stuck inside.

When South Hadley firefighters arrived, they were able to pull Rivera-Lopez out. Both men were taken to Baystate Medical Center with serious injuries. The driver remains hospitalized, Sullivans office said.

Read more: Torrance Hodges of Dorchester dies after van crash on Gallivan Boulevard

A preliminary crash reconstruction report conducted by the state polices Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, or CARS, suggests the car traveled faster than 25 mph before the driver lost control, state police said. Their findings added that the car approached a steep, rolling hill as it went off the road.

State police added that while speed may have been a contributing factor, a final determination of what led to the crash will be made when the investigation is complete.
Massachusetts State Police troopers said they found a 41-year-old man from Marlborough bleeding from serious self-inflicted cuts in his car after he led the officials on a Thursday night chase across multiple interstate highways, state police said.

Police said the Marlborough man, identified as Mark T. Donahue, was evading authorities after he attempted murder in Marlborough.

State Police joined Weston Police around 9:50 p.m. on Thursday as the local department was pursuing a 2022 Toyota Highlander SUV on Route 20 as it approached Interstate 95. State Police said the SUV was being driven by a man local police believed had attempted a murder in Marlborough.

State troopers took over the head of the pursuit, following behind the SUV as it drove from I-95 and onto Interstate 93.

A trooper then deployed stop sticks, a tire deflation device, on the highway ahead of the SUV, damaging the cars tires as it hit the devices around 10:15 p.m.

The SUV finally came to a stop on the northbound side of I-93, where several troopers used their cruisers to box in the SUV in the left lane, just a quarter mile south of the Granite Avenue exit in Milton.

Police in the pursuit had already been told the man driving the SUV had a knife when the troopers found Donahue with serious cuts that officials believe were self-inflicted, officials said.

Read more: Dale Stewart arrested in connection with New Hampshire explosions

The troopers got Donahue out of the car and gave him first aid medical care as they waited for EMS and an ambulance to arrive. Donahue was taken to Boston Medical Center with a police escort, the department said.

One of the troopers found two knives inside the car, state police said. The Marlborough Police Department has custody of Donahue, the department added.
UPDATE: Both girls have been found safe as of 6:36 p.m. Friday, April 28, according to State Police. They are not injured. They were just wandering around and playing, a spokesperson wrote in an email.

Massachusetts State Police are searching in Westhampton for two 11-year-old girls the department said did not return home after school on Friday, the department announced around 5:40 p.m.

The girls were last seen at about 3 p.m. walking in the area of Perry Hill Road in the town towards the area of a gravel pit, the department said.

Multiple state police units, including several patrols, K-9 teams and the departments Air Wing were on scene, police said.

At 6:36 p.m., the department said the girls had been found by the highway superintendent of the Town of Westhampton, and had been playing in the area around the elementary school. They were not injured, police said.

Police did not release descriptions or images of the girls, and had asked anyone who saw a young girl or girls in the Perry Hill Road area in Westhampton, or any items that may be connected to a young girl, to call 911 immediately.

One of the girls mothers had initially reported her daughter as missing, police said, and the department subsequently discovered that girl had been with her friend, who also had not returned home.

Anytime a child is unaccounted for there is a possibility they are in danger, and we treat it that way until they are located and known to be safe, the department stated.
Former Vice President Mike Pence testified Thursday before a federal grand jury investigating efforts by then-President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The person requested anonymity to discuss the private appearance before the grand jury.

Pences appearance before a grand jury in Washington scrutinizing the president he once loyally served is a milestone in the Justice Departments investigation and likely gives prosecutors a key first-person account about certain conversations and events in the weeks preceding the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. It also carries significant political implications, coming as Pence hints at entering the 2024 presidential race and a potential run against Trump, the Republican front-runner.

The testimony came hours after a federal appeals court in a sealed order rejected a bid by Trumps lawyers to block Pences appearance.

Pence was subpoenaed to testify earlier this year, but Trumps lawyers objected, citing executive privilege concerns. A judge in March refused to block Pences appearance, though he did side with the former vice presidents constitutional claims that he could not be forced to answer questions about anything related to his role as presiding over the Senates certification of votes on Jan. 6.

Well obey the law, well tell the truth, Pence said in an interview with CBS News Face the Nation that aired Sunday. And the story that Ive been telling the American people all across the country, the story that I wrote in the pages of my memoir, thatll be the story I tell in that setting.

Pence has spoken extensively about Trumps pressure campaign urging him to reject Democrat Joe Bidens presidential election victory in the days leading up to Jan. 6, including in his book, So Help Me God. Pence, as vice president, had a ceremonial role overseeing Congress counting of the Electoral College vote but did not have the power to affect the results, despite Trumps contention otherwise.

Pence, a former Indiana governor and congressman, has said that Trump endangered his family and everyone else who was at the Capitol that day and history will hold him accountable.

For four years, we had a close working relationship. It did not end well, Pence wrote, summing up their time in the White House.

Lawyers for Pence had raised their own, more narrow challenge to the subpoena. They argued that because Pence was serving in his capacity as president of the Senate as electoral votes were being counted in Congress on Jan. 6, he was protected from being forced to testify about that process under the Constitutions speech or debate clause, which is intended to protect members of Congress from being questioned about official legislative acts.

A judge agreed with that argument, effectively narrowing the scope of his expected testimony.

The Justice Department special counsel leading the investigation, Jack Smith, has cast a broad net in interviews and has sought the testimony of a long list of former Trump aides, including ex-White House counsel Pat Cipollone and former adviser Stephen Miller.

Smith is separately investigating Trump over the potential mishandling of hundreds of classified documents at his Palm Beach, Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, as well as possible efforts to obstruct that probe. On Wednesday, Trumps lawyers in that investigation called the Department of Justice investigation severely botched and politically infected and urged the House Intelligence Committee to step in by holding hearings and introducing legislation to correct classified document handling procedures in the White House and to standardize procedures for presidents and vice presidents for when they leave office.

DOJ should be ordered to stand down, and the intelligence community should instead conduct an appropriate investigation and provide a full report to this Committee, as well as your counterparts in the Senate, the lawyers wrote.

It is unclear when either of the special counsels investigations will end or who, if anyone, will be charged.
Spirit Airlines is bringing five new nonstop flights to and from Boston Logan International Airport starting this summer.

Flights to and from Charlotte, North Carolina and Texas Dallas-Fort Worth airport will begin June 7. Flights to and from Los Angeles will begin on July 5. And flights to and from Houston, Texas and Phoenix, Arizona will begin Aug. 9.

Read more: JetBlue adds Florida flights to Orlando and Fort Myers from Worcester

Its exciting to grow our service in Boston and provide new nonstop options to a variety of popular destinations across the country. We trust Bostonians will appreciate the great value and convenience we provide our Guests at such affordable prices, said John Kirby, vice president of network planning at Spirit Airlines.

With the new additions, the airline will provide 14 travel destination options.
A former Stoneham police detective sergeant was indicted in Boston on Thursday on two counts of wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins office said.

On March 31, former officer Robert Kennedy, 53, of Stoneham, was arrested for hiding his history of evictions and using a family members credit report to obtain an apartment lease and then defrauding his landlord by intentionally withholding rent payments.

He was previously charged by criminal complaint with one count of wire fraud, Rollins office said.

Kennedy defrauded three landlords by providing false and misleading information in his rental applications to get the respective apartment leases, Rollins office said. Although he made between $141,000 and $187,000 a year from the Stoneham Police Department, he withheld payments and took advantage of a slow eviction process, the statement said.

Kennedys landlord required him to submit to a tenant screening service, which included a credit check and eviction history check, Rollins office said. This information was needed for approving Kennedys rental application and to give Kennedy a lease for the apartment.

Instead of providing his own date of birth and social security number to the tenant screening service  which would likely have shown Kennedys history of collections, delinquent payments, defaults and evictions  Kennedy allegedly provided the date of birth and social security number of a relative who shared his first and last name, Rollins office said.

After living in the apartment for around four months, Rollins office said Kennedy owes $14,000 in overdue rent.

The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, according to Rollins office.

Kennedy joined the Stoneham Police Department around January 2001 and rose the ranks to detective sergeant, MassLive previously reported.

In a joint statement on the day of Kennedys arrest, Stoneham Town Administrator Dennis Sheehan and Police Chief James McIntyre said Stoneham police assisted the FBI in arresting Kennedy.

Kennedy resigned from the Stoneham Police Department on February 23, following notice of an internal investigation into a history of civil claims against him, town officials stated.
Gail Gunn took a job 25 years ago with the University of Massachusetts in the fundraising department in large part because of its union benefits.

There is security that comes with a unionized job and she looks forward to collecting a pension in a few years time that would equal 80% of her current salary.

A plan by UMass Amherst to privatize nearly 100 jobs in the Advancement Division, however, threatens the job security and future pensions of those workers. For Gunn, she says she would lose roughly $25,000 a year if she retired today, which she would rather do than be forced to transfer to a non-union, private sector job the university is trying to force her and her entire department to do.

Protest at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on Friday, April 28, 2023. Employees of the university's fundraising division say a plan to privatize 100 jobs will affect job security.

Ill be damned if I go work for the private foundation that is trying to screw us, Gunn, 61, said during a demonstration on Friday. I really wont. How can you work for someone who you dont trust and who has been nothing but deceitful and dishonest?

The unions representing the workers of the Advancement Division held a rally in front of Memorial Hall on the UMass campus on Friday to protest the privatization plan. Union leaders accuse the universitys leadership of plowing ahead with the plan in the face of mounting public pressure to abandon it.

University officials became aware of compliance issues within the Advancement staff structure last fall and, since then, the universitys legal team has worked in collaboration with campus unions University Staff Association and the Professional Staff Union to transfer 124 state employees into the UMass Amherst Foundation, a private entity outside of state oversight.

UMass developed and submitted a compliance plan designed to protect employees past and future retirement contributions and to help maintain their career paths, according to a statement from the universitys executive director of strategic communications, Edward Blaguszewski. As part of this revised structure, the majority of Advancement positions will be moved to the Foundation.

The unions representing campus employees dispute the universitys compliance issues claims and argue that officials simply want to create non-unionized positions and a fundraising branch that falls outside of public oversight.

Congressional attention

Recently, elected officials in the State House and Congress have weighed into the dispute.

Earlier this month, State Sen. Jo Comerford, State Rep. Mindy Domb, and U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern signed a joint statement that questioned the universitys privatization plan and urged university officials to immediately abandon its plans to eliminate and privatize these public positions.

On Thursday, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey released a joint statement about the labor dispute:

We stand with union workers at UMass Amherst fighting against the privatization of public sector jobs, which would put employees retirement benefits and job security at risk. We urge UMass to come together with its workers on a solution that protects good, union jobs in our public education system.

Protest at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on Friday, April 28, 2023. Employees of the university's fundraising division say a plan to privatize 100 jobs will affect job security.

Comerford spoke at the rally in opposition to the privatization efforts and urged the university to reverse course.

Clearly, our senators in Washington have heard you, Comerford said. We have to take it further than that. We have to reach the administration  she pointed toward the Whitmore Administration Building  and make the administration understand that there will be high consequences to pay if they continue to privatize or think about privatizing the jobs of this public campus.

Protest at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on Friday, April 28, 2023. Employees of the university's fundraising division say a plan to privatize 100 jobs will affect job security.

At the rally

The protest took place at noon on Friday, a day the university celebrated the 2023 Founders Day on the Goodell Lawn with barbecues and hundreds  if not thousands  of students and faculty congregated in the center of campus.

Speakers used a megaphone to rile up the crowd with chants and to deliver speeches about their experiences working for the Advancement division and their dissatisfaction with the universitys intended direction.

Greg Blackburn, who earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at UMass Amherst, said, I really thought that Id be a state worker working for UMass  in an institution that I believe in  until I retired. I have committed my life to this place ... I know we are not the first group to be treated unfairly at this university. We wont be the last.

Robin Kellogg, an Advancent employee for the past 10 years, said its been a very painful few months. She said she took the job at UMass after 30 to 40 years in the private sector and wanted to feel safe and secure.

Today, I do not feel that, Kellogg said. And the thing thats bothering the entire team is that no one is explaining it to us.

Protest at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on Friday, April 28, 2023. Employees of the university's fundraising division say a plan to privatize 100 jobs will affect job security.

The dispute has sowed confusion among employees and state officials alike, with university officials claiming that the privatization plan is necessary to protect employees retirement benefits and pensions. Union representatives and employees counter that the job transfers threaten those benefits and that the university has manufactured a crisis of its own making.

State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg at a state retirement board meeting on March 30 laid much of the blame at the feet of campus administrators.

Theres been a tremendous misunderstanding here. This situation is clearly and absolutely 100% UMass Amhersts responsibility  and it is on them to fix the problem, Goldberg said.

Labor dispute

Even as the university claims to be working in collaboration with campus unions to move state jobs into the private sector, the unions have filed bad faith bargaining charges against the university with the state Department of Labor Relations.

State officials from the department are scheduled to hold an investigatory meeting on May 17, according to Brad Turner, a co-chair of the Professional Staff Union that represents Advancement Division employees.

Even though the investigation is pending, the university seems to be moving ahead with its plans to privatize, Turner said.

Involuntary transfer notices were given to four Advancement division employees in recent weeks, that tell us they are moving ahead with their plan, despite the vocal opposition by state and Congressional elected officials, Turner said.

University officials have promised that no Advancement division employees would need to re-apply for jobs with the Foundation should the plan move forward.

Lets be clear, Turner said. Moving these jobs, and Im using air quotes, means eliminating state positions and then it is up to this private employer if it wants to hire those people. There are no guarantees.

If the privatization plan were to go forward, employees moved to the Foundation would no longer get credible service toward their state pension, Turner said, adding that the Advancement Division for decades has done its work without compliance issues before the university attempted to make changes to how it collects donations and then it self-reported compliance issues.

They are creating this compliance issue where they dont need to, Turner said. Dont fix something that is not broken. And again, they cant answer the question of why they need to do this unless its union busting.
A criminal trial can proceed against two former Holyoke Soldiers Home officials accused of negligence that led to the deaths of elderly veteran residents early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the states highest court ruled Thursday.

In a 5-2 decision that reversed a lower courts dismissal of grand jury indictments, the Supreme Judicial Court said prosecutors should have a chance to try their case against Bennett Walsh, the facilitys former superintendent, and David Clinton, its former medical director.

The five-justice majority concluded that there is probable cause to believe Walsh and Clinton both qualified as caretakers for the veterans who lived in the state-run facility, and that their decision-making weeks into the public health emergency -- particularly a move to combine symptomatic and asymptomatic veterans in a single, undersized unit -- wantonly or recklessly exposed victims to the highly infectious virus.

Superior Court Judge Edward McDonough erred in dismissing the indictments in November 2021, the high court said.

Of course, sometimes bad things happen for no discernable reason, and no one is to blame. At any subsequent trial, prosecutors will need to prove their case, Justice Dalila Argaez Wendlandt wrote in the majority ruling. We conclude only that they will have the opportunity to do so.

The case against Walsh and Clinton is based largely on a March 27, 2020 decision they allegedly made to combine 42 residents from two dementia units into a single unit that typically held 25 beds. Some of the veterans were symptomatic for COVID-19, and some were asymptomatic.

Justices said that move produced a more considerable chance or probability of contracting COVID-19, even though Walsh and Clinton had argued the floors they were combining were self-contained and that the residents had already been exposed to the virus.

Wendlandts majority ruling quoted grand jury testimony from a state epidemiologist, who said guidance had been calling for separating patients who had tested positive and those who were asymptomatic as early as March 4, 2020 -- more than three weeks before the consolidation.

In fact, Clinton apparently recognized the significance of the exposure risk, exercising particular caution with respect to himself and the doctors at the Soldiers Home; on the same day that [a veteran] tested positive for COVID-19, Clinton began quarantining at home for a week because he was in a high-risk population -- like the veterans in his care -- and he advised other doctors to minimize their time at the Soldiers Home as well, Wendlandt wrote. Yet the grand jury heard testimony indicating that, despite protecting himself and fellow doctors against the risk of exposure, Clinton did not employ the same caution towards the veterans.

Justices David Lowy and Elspeth Cypher dissented. Lowy penned a 14-page dissent, attached to the opinion, arguing that Walsh and Clinton did their best to manage the risks of a nascent public health crisis amid staffing shortages.

Lowy wrote that he and Cypher did not believe there was the necessary evidence to determine the defendants acted wantonly or recklessly.

At its core, this prosecution is nothing more than an exercise in assigning blame with the benefit of hindsight, Lowy wrote. A finding of probable cause that the defendants acted wantonly or recklessly in this case ignores the chaos, uncertainty, and unknowns present during the earliest days of the pandemic. Such a finding also fails to recognize the untenable staffing challenges the Soldiers Home in Holyoke (Soldiers Home) faced during this time.

There can be no doubt that what occurred at the Soldiers Home in March 2020 was a tragedy, Lowy added. And in the face of such tragedy, perhaps hurling blame and subjecting the defendants to imprisonment might salve our conscience. But criminalizing blame will do nothing to prevent further tragedy or help unravel the complex reasons why the responses of the Soldiers Home and so many nursing homes proved inadequate in the nascent days of the pandemic.

The landmark opinion is poised to revive the spotlight on one of the most high-profile individual crises of the public health emergency. At least 76 military veterans who lived in the Holyoke long-term care facility died of COVID-19, prompting a flurry of investigations, terminations and resignations, regulatory reforms and lawsuits.

Former Attorney General Maura Healey, who is now governor, announced the charges against Walsh and Clinton in September 2020, alleging that they made a series of decisions that ran counter to common infection control protocols and exacerbated COVID-19s toll inside the home.

Healey called it the first criminal case in the country brought against those involved in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. At least one other similar case has since been filed: in March, Los Angeles prosecutors filed charges against operators of a facility related to 14 deaths early in the pandemic.

A spokesperson for Healey, who appealed the Superior Court dismissal of the indictments, did not comment Thursday.

Healeys successor, Attorney General Andrea Campbell, praised the ruling.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea J. Campbell meets with the MassLive team in Springfield on Tuesday, Apr. 4, 2023. (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican)

The Courts decision today is welcome and important news, and it affirms what we already knew: the leaders and managers of facilities like the Soldiers Home share responsibility for the health and safety of their residents, Campbell said in a statement. Todays decision allows us to focus once again on securing accountability for the tragic and preventable deaths at the Soldiers Home in Holyoke.

Campbells office said the decision returns the case to Hampden Superior Court, where Walsh and Clinton will each face five counts of caretaker who wantonly or recklessly commits or permits abuse, neglect or mistreatment to an elder or disabled person.

Michael Jennings, an attorney who represented Walsh, said it is important to remember that this decision is very limited.

It only involves the question of whether the grand jury heard enough evidence to support probable cause to arrest or in this case to accuse by indictment. The grand jury process is a closed, one sided process, Jennings said in a statement to the News Service. The subject and/or counsel are not present. No cross examination of witnesses. Hearsay is admissible and much of this presentation was based on hearsay. No opportunity for the subject of the grand jury inquiry to present contrary evidence. And there is plenty of it. The court found that there was enough evidence presented to the grand jury to support a finding of probable cause.

He pointed to footnotes in the majority ruling in which justices emphasize that the question they sought to answer was not whether the defendants did the best they could, and to another footnote in the dissent in which Lowy wrote that Walsh was primarily an administrator who relied on medical professionals to make the decision to consolidate patients.

Weve been preparing for trial. Well be ready to challenge the Commonwealths evidence in a public courtroom in front of a jury when that opportunity comes, Jennings added.

Said Jeffrey Pyle, an attorney for Clinton: The dissent eloquently explains why this prosecution is misguided, and why Dr. Clinton is not guilty. We look forward to clearing his name at trial.
THE Department of Foreign Affairs are offering consular assistance to the family of an Achill man who was killed in Ukraine in recent days.

The death of Finbar Cafferkey, a native of Cashel, Achill was confirmed by members of his family who received news in recent days that the 44-year-old had been killed by Russian Forces while he was eastern Ukraine. The circumstances of Mr Cafferkey's death remain unclear but it is understood that the family were informed of his death by his colleagues in Ukraine.

The Department of Foreign Affairs are currently liaising with the Irish Embassy in Kiev and with Ukrainian authorities to determine the circumstances surrounding his death. They stated they were offering consular assistance to his family.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance. As with all consular cases, the Department does not comment on the details of any individual case, a Department statement read.

Mr Cafferkey had been providing humanitarian assistance in Ukraine for a number of months which involved transporting supplies to the front lines to civilians and combatants caught up in the Russian invasion.

There was widespread shock in Achill when word of his death spread quickly on the island on Wednesday. The Cafferkey family are well-known in the community having run Ted Lavelle's Pub in Cashel on Achill Island for many years.

Mr Cafferkey was known as a social campaigner and was involved in the Shell to Sea campaign and in 2015 he went to Greece to assist refugees fleeing the war in Syria. In 2017, he travelled to northern Syria to join the Kurdish militia group YPG in its fight against the Islamic State.

People Before Profit TD, Paul Murphy was among the many people who paid tribute to Mr Cafferkey following news of his death.

This is horrendous news, he wrote on his Twitter page. I got to know Finbar in the Shell2Sea campaign in Rossport. He was warm hearted, quiet courageous and very smart. As is said here, he 'was a man of principle'. My solidarity and sympathy to Finbar's family and friends.
A fundraising venture in support of Temple Street Hospital and Acquired Brain Injury Ireland will reach its zenith on Saturday when six people from Mayo will abseil down the 190 foot iconic Skyview Tower in Smithfield, Dublin.

The venture is being coordinated by Aaron McWalter from Feamore, Tulrahan, in association with family and friends. He is son of Bernie (nee Flatley from Cloonmore, Claremorris) and James McWalter.

In a special appeal for support for the venture, Aaron sets out how it all came about: During Christmas 2020, I suffered an acute spontaneous brain bleed at the age of thirteen. I was living a normal life when I got a headache and fell ill.

I arrived at Temple Street Hospital in the middle of the night. My parents were given the devastating news that I had a bleed on the brain and I needed emergency life saving surgery. Later that day, the consultant told my parents that they were happy with the surgery. The following ten days were very difficult but I was the lucky one that got to walk away from Temple Street.

After I was discharged it was hard to adapt and come to terms with what had happened. I was out of school for over eight months, and since I returned I am on reduced hours. As a family impacted by brain injury, this was a very stressful time trying to get everything in place.

Aaron says he has chosen to fundraise for Temple Street Hospital because of the exceptional care he received and the great support the staff are giving to his family.

Temple Street Hospital helps children suffering from every kind of illness and injury imaginable. During my stay, I met two lads who both had sustained brain injury through accidents.

Between us we have discovered that services for children in Ireland with brain injuries are extremely limited. Thankfully we had a good outcome, but for many more children living in Ireland with brain injury they need support to help rebuild their lives.

I would also like to fundraise for Acquired Brain Injury Ireland in the hope that children impacted by brain injury should be able to receive personalised rehabilitation and support as adults do.

The abseiling event on the 190 foot Skyview Tower in Dublin on Saturday (April 29) will include Aarons dad, James, his uncles Adrian and John, cousins Austin and Cian, and one of his friends, Ethan.

Aarons venture had already raised over 16,000 and he is hoping for further support over the coming days. Check out iDonate.ie | Support Aaron McWalter's Fundraiser, for further details.
La Presidencia de la Republica informa a la opinion publica que esta informacion es falsa. #FakeNews pic.twitter.com/cb5CoNgwTa
Due to rising demand for personalized medicine, effective drug discovery, and an increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases, the global organoids and spheroids market is anticipated to experience significant growth, with a CAGR of 22.42%, reaching a valuation of US$ 4,567.0 Million by 2031, up from US$ 771.4 Million in 2022.

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Spheroids and organoids are both 3D-shaped structures made of cultivated cells. Organoids are a complicated assemblage of cells with a particular organ focus, primarily from the bladder, liver, and stomach. These are made of stem or progenitor cells, which, when given a scaffolding environment, may self-assemble themselves. From there, they develop into miniature replicas of the host organ and are excellent for 3D cell investigations. Spheroids are formed from tissues such as tumors, mammary glands, hepatocytes, and embryoid bodies, as opposed to organoids, which may self-assemble into 3D cultures without the need for scaffolding.

The adoption of organoids in research is due to the use of organoid models to demonstrate how the COVID-19 virus affects a number of intestinal cells. Researchers to identify and evaluate potential treatments are using these technologies. Products are being developed and released by businesses far in advance of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a Seahorse XF analyzer, Agilent Technologies, for instance, has created a spheroid microplate that makes it easier to monitor the cellular energy metabolism in 3D cell culture spheroids. The businesss Seahorse XFe96 Spheroid Microplates are used to track respiration and glycolysis in 3D cell cultures. In a similar vein, Corning Incorporated introduced spheroid microplates and HTS Transwell tissue culture systems for high-throughput culturing.

The use of organoids as therapeutic tools, their use in drug discovery and personalized medicine, and their usage in research and development are all predicted to drive the global organoids market. Chronic and infectious disease incidence and prevalence are likely to rise. The use of organoids as a crucial tool for cell biology, gene therapy, regenerative medicine, cancer research, and disease modeling is driving the global market.

Technological advances are likely to drive the worldwide organoids market. For instance, Hubrecht Organoid Technology and JSR Corporation partnered strategically in 2019 to deliver preclinical oncology drug development services utilizing organoid technology and increase their footprint in Europe by creating a new operational center in the Netherlands focusing on organoid research.

Geographical Outlook

By 2031, the Asia Pacific region revenue is likely to increase from 23% to over 28%, making it the second-largest market after the United States. The predicted expansion is the result of advancements in medical advances, particularly in the field of stem research, supported by significant market collaborations. Nichirei Biosciences, established in Japan, and UPM struck a partnership deal in March 2020 to distribute the latters cultural products in Japan. The agreement made it possible for the organoid cultures essential raw ingredients to be available.

North America dominated the organoids and spheroids market, recording a revenue share of 40%. This is due to the existence of significant market participants, beneficial government initiatives, and rising research activity in the area. The region can now offer a wide range of cutting-edge organoid and spheroid technologies, significantly improving its market position, thanks to the significant presence of businesses like Thermo Fisher Scientific and STEMCELL Technologies.

Segmentation Overview

In terms of Type, the Organoids segment Leads the Global Market

The organoids segment is likely to contribute more than 53% of the global organoids and spheroids industry revenue. The use of organoids in drug development, disease modeling, and customized treatment is on the rise, which explains this. Organoids are three-dimensional constructs made from stem cells that can use to represent a patients illness and aid in the creation of individualized therapy regimens.

In terms of Application, the Developmental Biology Segment is Likely to Grow at the Highest Rate:

The developmental biology segment is likely to record a revenue share of 33% of the organoids and spheroids industry. This is because there is a rising need for organoids and spheroids to investigate tissue regeneration and organ development. Organoids and spheroids are being used to replicate intricate developmental processes like organogenesis, which can offer important insights into the mechanisms underlying developmental disorders. Developmental biology is a discipline that is continually growing.

In terms of End-User, the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Segment is Estimated to Account highest Revenue Share:

By 2031, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector segment is likely to account for more than 50% of the revenue share in the global organoids and spheroids market. This is because chronic diseases are becoming more common, and there is a growing need for efficient and effective drug discovery. New treatments and therapies for chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease are being developed using organoids and spheroids.

To gain more insights into the market with a detailed table of content and figures, click here: https://www.astuteanalytica.com/industry-report/organoids-and-spheroids-market

Competitive Landscape

The top five players in the market for organoids and spheroids control more than 48% of the total revenue. With a revenue share of over 17%, Thermo Fisher Scientific, the market leader, rules the roost. Other significant market players are Merck KGaA, Corning Incorporated, and Lonza Group AG.

The markets intense rivalry encourages product development and innovation, which may result in price competitiveness and prohibitively high entry barriers for new firms.

In Oct 2022, AIM Biotech, a Singapore- and Boston-based business introduced the organiX System, a lab tool to closely replicate human disease by adding vascularization and immunological competence to organoids, spheroids, and tumor biopsies.

In Jan 2021, Molecular Devices, LLC, a major supplier of high-performance life science equipment, unveiled the next-generation, high-content imaging system on a global scale. The ImageXpress Confocal HT.ai High-Content Imaging System, which builds on the success of the companys flagship model, is intended to assist researchers in advancing the phenotypic screening of 3D organoid models.

In March 2020, the complete line of UPM cell culture products is now available to researchers in Japan due to a collaboration between UPM Biomedicals and Nichirei Biosciences Inc.

Major Players

3D BioMatrix

3D Biotek LLC

AMS Biotechnology (Europe) Limited

ATCC

Cellesce Ltd

Corning Incorporated

Greiner Bio-One

Hubrecht Organoid Technology (HUB)

InSphero/Perkin Elmer

Kuraray

Lonza

Merck KGaA

Prellis Biologics

STEMCELL Technologies Inc.

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

Other Prominent Players.

Segmentation Outline

By Type

Organoids Neural Organoids Hepatic Organoids Intestinal Organoids Kidney Organoids Other Organoids

Spheroids Multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS) Neurospheres Mammospheres Hepatospheres Embryoid bodies



By Method

Organoids General Submerged Method for Organoid Culture Crypt Organoid Culture Techniques Air Liquid Interface (ALI) Method for Organoid Culture Clonal Organoids from Lgr5+ Cells Brain and Retina Organoid Formation Protocol

Spheroids Micropatterned Plates Low Cell Attachment Plates Hanging Drop Method Others



By Source

Organoids Primary Tissues Stem Cells

Spheroids Cell Line Primary Cell iPSCs Derived Cell



By Application

Developmental Biology

Personalized Medicine

Regenerative Medicine

Disease Pathology Studies

Drug Toxicity & Efficacy Testing

By End User

Biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries

Academic & Research Institutes

Hospitals and diagnostic centers

By Region

North America The U.S. Canada Mexico

Europe

Western Europe

The UK

Germany

France

Italy

Spain

Rest of Western Europe

Eastern Europe Poland Russia

Rest of Eastern Europe

Asia Pacific China India Japan Australia & New Zealand South Korea ASEAN Rest of Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa (MEA) Saudi Arabia South Africa UAE Rest of MEA

South America Argentina Brazil Rest of South America



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by Richard Whitman , Columnist, April 27, 2023

For its efforts to advance inclusion in the advertising and marketing industry the Association of National Advertisers received a World Federation of Advertisers Presidents Award at the WFAs Global Marketer Week event in Istanbul.

The WFA noted that various ANA divisions and working groups  the ANA Educational Foundation (AEF), SeeHer, the Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing (AIMM) and ANA Engage Responsibly  came together to provide new tools and resources in support of the common goal to enhance inclusion.

Each ANA group caters to different audiences but together they boost the overall DEI strategy of making the marketing and advertising industry more diverse and inclusive, the WFA stated.

advertisement advertisement Presidents Awards were also bestowed on associations from Brazil, France, Norway and UK for outstanding marketing leadership. Brazils ABA and the Brazilian Licensing Association were recognized for a campaign promoting responsible advertising.

Union des marques, France was recognized for its Start-up Your Brand initiative, designed to help advertisers source innovative new solutions and help start-ups pitch themselves and gain visibility.

ANFO Norway was recognized for awards programs designed to celebrate and improve best practices in marketing and advertising excellence.
by Sarah Mahoney @mahoney_sarah, April 27, 2023





After a rough few quarters, Amazon got its expectation-busting groove back, topping forecasts for both sales and profits. The Seattle-based company reported sales of $127.4 billion in the first quarter, 9% higher than $116.4 billion in the first quarter of last year. On a constant currency basis, those gains are 11%.

Net income grew to $3.2 billion, compared to last year's painful $3.8 billion loss.

Revenue at the company's advertising services division came in at $9.51 billion, up from $7.87 billion in the comparable period last year. That's a 23% gain, excluding foreign currency.

"Our advertising business continues to deliver robust growth," said Andy Jassy, Amazon's chief executive officer, in the announcement. He added that growth is "largely due to our ongoing machine learning investments that help customers see relevant information when they engage with us, which delivers unusually strong results for brands."

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The company noted plenty of other strengths, including fulfillment, which is likely to generate its fastest Prime delivery speeds yet this year.

Still, there were plenty of segments that showed signs of stress. Operating income at AWS slipped to $5.1 billion, compared to $6.5 billion in the year-ago period, as companies pulled back computing budgets amid uncertainty.

The company has made a series of announcements in recent weeks signaling different ways it's pulling back, after announcing layoffs of up to 18,000 people earlier this year. Two weeks ago, it said it would lose another 9,000. It also recently started reductions at AWS, in advertising studios, its Prime studios, and Twitch, its live-streamer.

In March, it put construction for its second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, on hold.

And earlier this week, it threw in the towel on Halo, its fitness tracker, and said it would close that division.

"That wide-range forecast on the bottom line speaks to the general economic uncertainty," writes Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, in his note.

"It also underscores that Amazon, like everyone else, is now living in different times, which necessitates new thinking and new approaches. Adjustment and adaptation will remain the theme of the year ahead."
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, April 28, 2023

On the heels of its earnings report Thursday, Amazon Ads has developed more advanced machine-learning models and optimized campaign-control systems to enhance bidding and pacing decisions for the Amazon DSP.

Neal Richter, director of Amazon DSP Technology, believes that every percentage point of improvement counts to advertisers, and these new upgrades have helped increase engagement and return on ad spend.

These models better predict the likelihood of a bid request converting, enabling algorithmic changes that improve pacing-to-goal while optimizing for performance.

The models are trained to better predict the likelihood of a bid request converting and enable algorithmic changes that improve pacing-to-goal while optimizing for performance.

Early tests show that the enhanced models generate 12.6% increase in click-through rates, 34.1% increase in return on ad spend, 24.7% decrease in cost per click, and between 20% to 30% incremental addressability on inventory that was previously unaddressable.

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Modeling available signals to reach desired audiences is critical, and is especially important as the advertising industry moves away from third-party cookies.

The new machine-learning models analyze a range of signals to help advertisers predict and reach highly relevant audience segments with optimal cost-efficiency.

Amazon on Thursday reported sales of $127.4 billion for Q1 2023 -- up 9% compared with the year-ago quarter.

Revenue at the company's advertising services division contributed $9.51 billion -- up from $7.87 billion from a year ago.

By the end of 2023, Amazons worldwide ecommerce sales are forecast to grow nearly 9% to $685.39 billion, giving it 11.6% share of the global ecommerce market.

Amazon's U.S. advertising business is estimated to grow more than 17% this year to reach $33.96 billion, giving the company a 12.9% share of the U.S. digital ad market.

This year, 51% of Amazon's worldwide ad business will come from mobile, the first time it has crossed the halfway mark, according to Insider Intelligence.
YEREVAN, APRIL 28, ARMENPRESS. Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia Major-general Edward Asryan has praised the EU monitoring missions work in Armenia.

Definitely, I highly appreciate the EU monitoring work in the Republic of Armenia. With this work the Azerbaijani military are more restrained. The work is done very well along the borders of Armenia, Asryan said during a meeting with the French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna in the Armenian town of Jermuk.

FM Colonna also described the cooperation between Armenia and the EU monitoring mission to be very positive. This work gives positive results for us. It allows us to get information through the monitoring work on the ground that is useful for the EU members. This is a monitoring mission, not an armed mission, the purpose is to monitor the situation, but in any case that presence allows to reduce tension, the French FM said.
YEREVAN, APRIL 28, ARMENPRESS. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna has visited the town of Jermuk in Armenia to see on the ground the consequences of the Azerbaijani attack in September of 2022.

FM Colonna was briefed on the situation by Major-general Edward Asryan, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia.

Major-general Asryan told FM Colonna that on September 13-14, 2022, the Azerbaijani armed forces launched an attack against the sovereign territory of Armenia from five different directions: two directions in Syunik Province, two directions in Gegharkunik Province, and one direction in Vayots Dzor Province. Azerbaijan used rocket-artillery strikes and UAVs in targeting both military and civilian structures.

Unfortunately our military suffered casualties, there were civilian deaths as well. We also had territorial losses. Now, the adversary is deployed on sovereign territory of Armenia in 139 square kilometers area, the Major-general said, adding that civilian infrastructures in the resort town were severely damaged, and the ropeway is still closed.

In the direction of Jermuk, the Azeri forces invaded into territory of Armenia on an area of over 60 square kilometers. The invasions front was 11 kilometers, with a depth of 8 kilometers.

The Azeri military began its first steps after the 2020 war in May of 2021. In 2021 their actions were similar to fulfilling objectives with the use of soft power. But on September 13-14 of 2022 it was a military aggression against the Republic of Armenia, Asryan told the French Foreign Minister.

Asryan showed to the French FM the Armenian-Azerbaijani border prior to the Azeri attack and where the Azeri troops are deployed now.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, will participate in the Delphi Economic Forum VIII tomorrow, Saturday, April 29.

In particular, the Minister will participate in a fireside chat on current international developments with journalist Katerina Tsamouri (12:00 - 12:25).

On the sidelines of the Forum, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will hold bilateral meetings with the Kosovar Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, and the UK Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Lord S. Peach.
YEREVAN, APRIL 28, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and France reiterated readiness to further expand the comprehensive agenda between the two countries and enrich the special relations in various sectors.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna delivered a joint press conference on April 28 after holding a meeting in Yerevan.

The highest level of political dialogue between Armenia and France and the mutual determination to strengthen it is evident, which was reiterated with the participation of the leaders of the two countries in the Ambitions: France-Armenia forum last year, as well as with the signing of the 2021-2026 Armenian-French Economic Cooperation roadmap. We agreed to ensure the implementation of the roadmap with practical steps, it is our mutual keenness to have tangible results in this sector which will match our political dialogue, Mirzoyan said.

He pointed out the productive cooperation with the French Development Agency as an important factor for promoting the economic agenda.

We attached high importance to close cooperation in a number of other areas, such as education, science, culture and healthcare. I shared our satisfaction on how France shares Armenias successes, for example the opening of the Tumo centers in Paris and Lyon, Mirzoyan said.

Mirzoyan said they also discussed the operations of the educational institutions encompassing all French educational circles in Armenia.

He said that every year Armenia holds the Days of La Francophonie events.

We were pleased to note the inter-parliamentary cooperation both bilaterally and multilaterally in parliamentary platforms which has a special place in our bilateral comprehensive agenda. We underscored the importance of strengthening de-centralized cooperation, which is rapidly developing and has significant potential for expansion, the Armenian FM said.
YEREVAN, APRIL 28, ARMENPRESS. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna has reiterated Frances support to Armenia given the challenges the country is facing.

Colonna said that it is an honor for France to be one of the countries that stand by Armenia to support it in overcoming the challenges.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, FM Colonna said that the main issue discussed during their meeting was the peace talks with Azerbaijan.

We had a lengthy discussion about the regional situation. France expresses its full support to the negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. France is not alone in this, France does this with the EU and the US, naturally by maintaining contact with the OSCE and the UN, which can have a useful role in this process. We all know that the path to peace is difficult and often long. I am saying this in Yerevan, like I said in Baku, this is the only path that will allow to achieve fair and sustainable peace, create new prospects for the future of the two countries. We encourage everyone to join that path. Fair and sustainable peace means peace which is based on respect for international law. In Prague, the President of France and the President of the European Council made efforts in order for Armenia and Azerbaijan to make an important step and reiterate their commitment to the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, by which they mutually recognize each others territorial integrity and sovereignty. We believe that is important to strengthen this achievement, perhaps by carrying out the delimitation works as a priority, FM Colonna said.

At the same time, the French FM said that respect for the principle of territorial integrity is important and said that the Azerbaijani military advance into the sovereign territory of Armenia is unacceptable.

Respect for territorial integrity means refraining from any kind of use of force. Ive said this in Baku as well, she said.

International law must be respected, therefore we cant accept the unilateral steps made by Azerbaijan, she said.
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The critters are coming. The critters are coming. The critters are here. Huron Countys award winning watercolor artist, Drew Deming, and his talented wife, Christina, have self published their first childrens book, Scurry and Scoot: A Collection of Cruisin Critters.

This 36-page page book filled with Drews illustrations of his creative critters, and Christinas witty writing, makes for a thoroughly enjoyable reading adventure for children and adults. According to Christina, they discovered the most enjoyable part of writing the story was, Working on it together, laughing about goofy ideas, and seeing it come together into such a fun collaboration.

These captivating critters will steal your heart just like they have for so many fans of Drews watercolors. In fact, his customers planted the seed that grew into this marvelous collaboration between Drew as the illustrator and Christina as the author.

It all began with the illustrations," Christina said. "Drew had wanted to do a painting of a motorcycle but thought it might be too plain on its own. At the same time, he also wanted to paint a fox. The two ideas came together and became one of the characters in the story, Felix. After doing a few more characters, several customers commented that they would love to see the critters come together in a childrens book. We took that idea and ran with it."

Christina shared they also wanted to create a way to share Drews art in a new and unique way.

We loved the idea of creating something that would bring families together, with both kids and parents enjoying time spent together reading and giggling about these goofy stories, Drew said.

They accomplished just that.

The story is narrated by a gas station owner, Hank, who is reminiscing with the reader about the folks he has met through the years as they passed through his station," Christina said. "Some of the stories he tells are true and some are legends, but all are quirky and lighthearted. Each character has their own short story or poem consisting of a few stanzas. One of the characters is Doug the Mouse, a middle school science teacher making his way through the snow on a cold Canadian winters day on his sled. Another character is Walter the Frog, who lazily drifts down the river on his canoe, catching some flies for lunch along the way."

Scurry and Scoot: A Collection of Cruisin Critters is dedicated to Drew and Christinas parents. Family is very important to them, and their beloved parents have always been a source of strength, love, and support. Drews favorite character in the book is Doug the Mouse.

"It reminds him of winters spent ice fishing with his brother and dad," Christina said. "He also thinks Dougs puffer jacket looks pretty cool.

Christinas favorite character is Tom Cat. Tom Cat is cast as a farm cat from Michigan carrying on his familys tradition of pumpkin farming.

This furry farmer reminds Christina of both her dad, Tom, and her grandpa, Wilmer," Drew said. "She loved growing up on the family farm with both of them, seeing their incredible work ethics, and accompanying them to the neighbors houses to share the harvests with everyone."

When asked if they have a favorite quote to share from the book, they both agreed it is an excerpt from the French seagull, Jacque, who is out on his tiny and stinky lobster boat.

The excerpt reads, His vessel is a hand-me-down thats seen better days. There are leaks in the bottom and it smells like mayonnaise.

Drew expressed their desire for the book.

We hope that children will remember to keep adventuring and pursuing their dreams, while being kind along the way," he said.

Will Drew and Christina adventure further into writing more journeys for Tom Cat, Doug the Mouse, Walter the Frog, and Jacque the French seagull?

Were not yet sure what God has in store for us, but were open to whatever He leads us toward, Christina said with a whimsical look in her eyes.

If you would like to meet Drew and Christina, they will be at a book signing on Saturday, April 29, at Masts Coffee located at 36 N. Center Street, Sebewaing, from 9 a.m. to noon. The book will be offered for sale at a cost of $15. 

If you are unable to attend the book signing, you can purchase the book on Etsy at etsy.com/shop/drewdeming. They will also be selling the book at the various art shows they attend throughout the year. Their itinerary can be viewed on Instagram at instagram.com/deming.paint.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for ACM

Saturday, April 29, marks what would have been the late Leslie Jordan's 68th birthday. To celebrate, the multi-talented man that helped the world cope with the lockdowns of the recent pandemic with his humor, the Circle Network is hosting "Reportin' For Duty: A Tribute to Leslie Jordan."

Filmed at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, the event will include a lineup of performers from Eddie Vedder, to Jelly Roll, Maren Morris, Lainey Wilson, Brothers Osborne, Lukas Nelson, Tanya Tucker along with his co-stars Max Greenfield, Mayim Bialik, Jim Parsons and more.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  Police in Minneapolis are searching for a man suspected of setting fires that damaged two mosques earlier this week.

Jackie Rahm Little was charged with second-degree arson for one of the fires that rattled Minnesota's Muslim community. The criminal complaint does not mention possible motives, but Muslim leaders on Tuesday said they feared the attacks were motivated by Islamophobia, the Star Tribune reported.
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Sometimes it stuns me to think that I've already been working at the Midland Daily News for 25 years.

But then I remember that I'm a relative blip on the screen in comparison to the overall history of this paper, which in some form has existed in Midland for 165 years. Starting today, and continuing through the next 12 months, the Daily News is going to take a look back at that history and some of the many significant stories those newspapers covered.

To put it in perspective, 165 years ago, in the year 1858, the United States was three years away from the beginning of the Civil War.

Internationally, the first trans-Atlantic telegraph cable was put into operation.

Midland Daily News Birthday Party The Midland Daily News is celebrating "165 Years of Newspapers in Midland" at 7 p.m. May 18 at Mi Element Grains & Grounds, 3124 Jefferson. Members of the Daily News staff, past and present, will be in attendance. There will be birthday cake and brewmaster Tony Sutorik will be serving up a special beer for the occasion - "What's Black and White and RED All Over?" red ale. See More Collapse

And locally, Midland was still a lumber town. It would be another 32 years before Dow Chemical founder Herbert Henry Dow would come to Midland and usher in a new industrial era for the community.

Also in 1858, a weekly publication, the Midland Daily Sentinel, became the first newspaper on record in this city, founded by Nathan T. Carr.

Seven years and a couple of ownership changes later, in 1865, the paper was renamed the Midland Journal. Only a few weeks after that, its name was changed once more to the Midland Independent.

The paper changed hands several more times in the 1800s and became the Midland Republican in 1881. That publication lasted 56 years until April 29, 1937. Along the way, the Republican merged with another weekly, the Midland Sun, in 1927.

Midland Daily News launched on May 1, 1937. It became the city's first daily newspaper and was owned by Philip T. Rich.

In 1968, Rich, who had been with the Midland Republican/Midland Daily News for 50 years, retired and sold the Daily News to Lindsay-Schaub Newspapers of Decatur, Ill.

Ownership of the Daily News changed hands twice in 1979 - first to Lee Enterprises of Davenport, Iowa, and then to our current parent company, the Hearst Corporation.

In 2000, ourmidland.com was launched.

In early 2017, the printing press at the Daily News office at 124 South McDonald was closed permanently and our daily printing operations were shifted to Big Rapids.

The most recent major change for the Daily News came in July 2018, when it moved out of its longtime building on McDonald and relocated just two blocks away at 219 East Main Street.

The story of the Midland Daily News is similar to that of many daily or weekly newspapers around the United States. Newspapers have served as chroniclers of daily events in their communities. They have reported on meetings and actions of school board, city, county and state elected officials. They have communicated the results of school, recreational and professional sporting events.

Jacob Huss, historical programs and exhibitions manager with the Midland County Historical Society of the Midland Center for the Arts, views newspapers as the primary source for historians such as himself.

"It's the first line of information; it is the historic record," Huss said. "As historians, it's the first place we go as a primary source of what people were doing and saying on that day. Newspapers are color commentary. They put the humanity into the events."

In the days long before social media existed, Huss notes, newspapers were the places where people learned what their neighbors and friends were doing.

"The older newspapers were very water cooler-like in some ways, like, 'Mrs. Lee is in Saginaw visiting some cousins.' Or, who had company coming into town? Who might have fallen ill?" Huss said.

Huss, who grew up in the Midland County city of Coleman and has worked with the Midland County Historical Society since October 2019, thinks of community newspapers as "connective tissue."

"That feeling of being a connective tissue in the community still exists with local newsppaers," he said. "If you have an event coming up, you still want to call your local paper. It's a big portion of the foundation of a community."

Conversely, when a longtime newspaper closes its doors, it is likely to negatively impact a community. Since 2005, more than 2,000 local newspapers across America have closed.

"I know there would be a loss of the feeling of community," Huss said when asked about the potential effect of such closures. " ... When you lose the place that keeps a record of the community, you lose the sense of community. You no longer have that open avenue of conversation about your community."

Another function that a newspaper serves from a historical point of view, Huss said, is to offer a calming sense of perspective.

"There's a real danger nowadays as you 'zoom-scroll' on your phone. You have this 20-minute bubble and you're seeing terrible (news) stories from all over the world," he said. "But when you have a 100-year perspective (on history), you realize, 'Oh wow, we've made progress. The world is not perfect, but progress is being made.'"

Someone else with a perspective on the role of a newspaper in a community is Doug Winger, who was the Midland Daily News librarian from 1986 until 2014.

It was Winger's job each day to catalog articles into alphabetized folders in the Daily News archives for future reference by himself, Daily News reporters or people in the community.

"The library was a resource for the community, too," Winger said.

Around 2003, our archives became electronic, which made Winger's job a little easier.

"Until then, I had to go through the paper every day (clip out articles) and put them in folders. So that was a big help to me in the library," he said of the electronic archive.

"And for the reporters, they didn't have to come back (to the library) and search through the paper files. They could just start looking in the (computer) archive at their desk."

If you're old-fashioned or sentimental (that's definitely me), don't worry. The basement of our office is still full of thousands (maybe millions) of Midland Daily News articles and photos going back more than a hundred years - everything written before the electronic archive began.

"There will always be a need for those (old paper files)," Winger said.

And hopefully, there will always be a need for the Daily News.

We aspire to be a chronicler of progress, or in some cases of progress that still needs to be made. A celebrator of people's extraordinary accomplishments, and a questioner of dubious decisions and actions.

That's what you should expect when you open your Midland Daily News print copy or click on the link to your daily e-edition: a broad spectrum of what is happening in the greater Midland community.

We'll continue to provide that to you.

Brunch History Series will present "Midlands Newsroom: Legacy of the Press in Midland County" on May 13 and will feature Midland Daily News Managing Editor Dan Chalk in an 11 a.m. program at the Midland Center for the Arts. From the 1858 founding of the Midland Sentinel by Nathan T. Core to the modern day Daily News, the newsroom has been covering community events for 165 years. Doors open at 10 a.m. A plated brunch (tickets sold separately, order by May 9) begins at 10:30 a.m. The lecture only is free for Museum members and $7 for the public.
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MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP)  Former President Donald Trump turned his attention to the general election on Thursday, using his first campaign appearance since President Joe Biden launched his own reelection bid to boast of his poll numbers and suggest that he has no need to debate his Republican rivals.

Trumps appearance in New Hampshire marked his first return to an early voting state since his legal troubles increased with an indictment in New York. He spoke on the same day that his former vice president, Mike Pence, testified before a federal grand jury investigating efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election. Meanwhile, writer E. Jean Carroll testified for a second day Thursday in a civil rape case against Trump over an encounter in the 1990s, an allegation he denies.

We are a nation in serious decline, a nation that has lost its way, Trump said at a downtown Manchester hotel, a smaller venue than his typical, large-scale rallies. We are led by a hopeless person, but we will win in 2024 and make America great again. We can do it. Its not too late.

In a nod toward his 2016 race, Trump said he's retiring the crooked nickname he used to define Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and will now instead apply it to Biden. He pledged to take back the White House and settle our unfinished business" in a potential 2024 rematch with the current president.

A spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee, Ammar Moussa, pointed in response to persistent allegations that Trumps family profited off his presidency.

Donald Trump may come up with a lot of nicknames for President Biden but we have a better one: winner, Moussa said.

Trump's New Hampshire appearance came two days after Biden kicked off his own long-expected reelection campaign, presenting himself as he did in 2020 as a buttress against Trump and his Make America Great Again movement. Biden's campaign launch video included snapshots of Trump and warned of MAGA extremists working to erode freedoms including voting rights and abortion rights.

Trump is considered a front-runner for the GOP nomination, though more Republicans are expected to jump into the race soon, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump's campaign this week started airing its first television ad, which assails DeSantis. In the ad, Trump takes credit for DeSantis political rise and shows the governor yoking himself to the former president, including clips from a 2018 gubernatorial campaign ad in which he uses some of Trumps catchphrases like Build the wall and Youre fired."

Trump, who has mused about skipping primary debates, pointed Thursday to his sizable polling lead and questioned why he should bother participating in the debates. Why would you do that? he asked the crowd.

Two weeks ago, Trump appeared with several other announced and potential presidential candidates at the National Rifle Association convention in Indianapolis. Last weekend, he spoke by video to a gathering of evangelicals in Iowa that marked the unofficial start of the states 2024 caucus campaign.

It doesnt feel good to have Republicans that are so conservative and great fighting each other, said Kathy Holmes, a 69-year-old retired teacher from Chichester who attended Trump's event Thursday. Holmes, who said she plans to vote for Trump in the states leadoff primary, wore homemade buttons of Trumps face with fuzzy blond hair glued onto it.

Holmes said shed like to see DeSantis wait and run for president in 2028 instead.

Maureen Anderson, a 43-year-old from the Boston area who said she follows the QAnon conspiracy theory, said Thursday's event was the first time she would be seeing Trump in person. The longtime Trump supporter wore a red MAGA hat and said she would be supporting Trump in the primary, regardless of his legal troubles.

I feel like theyve got nothing on him, and they just keep trying to find some other avenue to get him, she said of the legal cases. But theyre not gonna get him."

Trump stopped at a downtown diner after his event, where he posed for photographs and signed autographs. Someone in the crowd tried to draw Trumps attention to one woman, shouting, Shes a J-6er, referring to people who were at the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Where is she? Trump asked, turning his head and beckoning her to come through the packed crowd. He leaned in between members of his security detail to say, You just hang in, and something else inaudible and then repeated, You just hang in.

The woman passed up a backpack from the crowd to have him sign, shouting, I took it with me Jan. 6. He signed it.

New Hampshire is a political swing state, though voters in the state rejected Trump in the 2016 and 2020 general elections. It was, however, the first state Trump won in the 2016 Republican presidential primary contest, propelling him into GOP dominance that he maintains to this day.

The former president made one other visit to New Hampshire earlier this year, stopping in Salem as part of his first appearances on his latest White House campaign.

___

Cooper reported from Phoenix.
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP)  Militants targeted Pakistani security forces in three overnight attacks in the country's volatile northwest, triggering shootouts that killed three soldiers and seven militants, the military said Friday.

The near-simultaneous attacks late Thursday night in Lakki Marwat, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, lasted several hours.

A military statement said the attackers were repulsed but that three soldiers embraced martyrdom while responding to the attacks.

In one of the attacks, a suicide bomber riding on a motorcycle blew himself up near a compound housing security forces. The military said troops were still searching the area for the militants who escaped following the attacks.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attacks but suspicion is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban who have been behind past attacks in the region and have a strong presence in the province.

The militants, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, are a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in the neighboring country in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout.

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has emboldened the Pakistani Taliban, who have stepped up attacks in recent months.
STAMFORD  A former writer for WWE filed a lawsuit this week against the sports-entertainment company that alleges she endured racial discrimination and a hostile workplace.

Britney Abrahams, who is Black, was fired last year by WWE after working for about a year-and-a-half at the Stamford-based company. In addition to suing WWE, the complaint names as defendants WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon, his daughter and former WWE CEO Stephanie McMahon, another executive and four WWE writers  all of whom are white.

Defendants repeatedly subjected plaintiff to unlawful discrimination and a hostile work environment, as well as unlawful retaliation for complaining of defendants unlawful employment practices, including her complaints of racial harassment and discrimination, and other wrongdoing, said an excerpt of the complaint, which was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

A message left Thursday for a WWE spokesperson was not returned.

Following her hiring by WWE in November 2020, Abraham received numerous compliments for her work, including recognition from Vince McMahon, who was the companys CEO at the time, according to the lawsuit. But it said that her time at the company was marred by a number of incidents involving other writers.

In one instance, Abrahams objected to one of the writer defendants pitching a scene with racist and stereotypical jargon for WWE Raw womens champion Bianca Belair, who is Black. The writer intended Belair to say, Uh-Uh! Don't make me take off my earrings and beat your (expletive)! which are lines based upon cruel, ugly stereotypes of dark-skinned, Black women, the lawsuit said.

At one point, Belair complained that, the scripts discriminatory line(s) made her look ghetto, the complaint said.

The lawsuit also alleges that Nigeria-born wrestler Apollo Crews was forced by WWE to speak with a Nigerian accent, just because of his Nigerian lineage. In another exchange, one of the writer defendants pitched having a white male wrestler, with a hunting gimmick, who would hunt a Black, male wrestler for fun, the complaint said.

Among other examples, Abrahams said that she and the only other Black writer at the time were pressured to develop a storyline that would have involved Mansoor, a wrestler who was born in Saudi Arabia, holding a secret that he was behind the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Abrahams was fired in April 2022 after she took a commemorative chair from WrestleMania 38, which was held at the beginning of that month at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, according to the complaint.

WWE employees who were not African American and who had not engaged in protected activity were permitted to take these limited-edition event WrestleMania-branded chairs for their own private use following the WrestleMania event, the complaint said. In the years prior to plaintiff making her complaint of discrimination, WWE did not subject employees to disciplinary action in response to taking the removable, temporary seating, limited-edition WrestleMania-branded chairs from the WrestleMania events.

The lawsuit added that, it is clear that despite plaintiffs excellent work performance, defendants actually terminated her employment based on her complaints about defendants racial discrimination and due to her race and gender.

Abrahams, whom the lawsuit notes is a resident of Kings County, N.Y., which refers to the county comprising Brooklyn, N.Y., is seeking damages in an amount to be determined at trial. It added that those damages would be, in any event in excess of the jurisdictional limit of any other court which might otherwise have jurisdiction over this matter, plus prejudgment interest, to compensate plaintiff for all non-monetary and/or compensatory damages, including but not limited to, compensation for their severe mental anguish and emotional distress, humiliation, embarrassment, stress and anxiety, loss of self-esteem, self-confidence and personal dignity, emotional pain and suffering and other physical and mental injuries.

The Cochran Firm, which is named after one of its founding partners, the late Johnnie Cochran Jr., is representing Abrahams in the case.

Separate from the lawsuit, WWE has been going through significant changes in recent months. At the beginning of this month, WWE announced an agreement with the parent company of mixed martial arts firm UFC to create a new company comprising WWE and UFC. The deal was announced about three months after Vince McMahon returned to WWEs board of directors, as executive chairman, after a retirement that lasted a few months.

McMahon, 77, had announced last July his retirement as WWE's CEO, amid an investigation by WWE's board of his alleged misconduct and after the publication of several articles by The Wall Street Journal that revealed the allegations against him. The Journal reported that he agreed to pay four women a total of more than $12 million over the past 16 years to keep secret allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity, citing unnamed people familiar with those agreements and related documents.

At the same time, WWE still plans to open this year its new headquarters at 677-707 Washington Blvd., in downtown Stamford, according to state officials.
Qabil Ashirov

The Russian largest online retailer Wildberries is considering entering the new markets, Azernews reports, citing foreign media.

The founder and CEO of Wildberries Tatyana Bakalchuk told journalists in an interview that the company reviews the market of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Tajikistan.

We are thinking to expand in the CIS countries. We are considering countries such as Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, and Georgia," Bakalchuk said and added that the timing of entering these markets speaks prematurely.

We should note that Wildberries is the largest Russian online retailer founded in 2004. Besides Russia, they have services in 15 other countries, including Armenia, Belarus, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Turkiye, the United States, and Uzbekistan, with more than 48,000 employees. Wildberries offers a wide range of products including clothing, shoes, cosmetics, household products, children's goods, electronics, books, jewelry, food, and much more. The company processes 750,000 orders on average a day online.
YEREVAN, APRIL 28, ARMENPRESS. Armenia doesnt set apart the platforms of negotiations around a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, FM Ararat Mirzoyan said on April 28.

Armenia doesnt put a difference between the platforms, there is one peace process and the negotiations are taking place around the same text of the peace treaty and its provisions. We are grateful to all the capitals that are providing a platform, who try to be a bridge in this process. There is no such issue for Armenia to negotiate in a specific place, be it Moscow, Brussels or Washington, Mirzoyan said.
The Marine Corps is continuing its revamp of its personnel policies with a new initiative that offers quick promotions to sergeant for its "highest-quality corporals," according to a press release from the service.

The Marines say that this new program, dubbed the "Small-Unit Leader Initiative," is being rolled out not only to capitalize on the "recent retention campaign success" but to continue the push to remake the Corps into an older and more mature force.

According to a forthcoming administrative memo, the program will be open to Marines at the rank of corporal who have served for at least three years, have a recommendation from the first lieutenant colonel commander in their chain of command, and are otherwise eligible to be promoted. They also must have reenlisted.

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Once a Marine meets all those requirements, they are immediately eligible for a promotion under the new program.

Col. Eric Reid, a staffer in the Marines' manpower office, said in the press release that this new initiative will "enable us to better resource our fighting formations by promoting those corporals who demonstrated the maturity to perform as small unit leaders."

This program is yet another in the several that the branch has announced since Gen. David Berger, the Corps' top leader, announced he would be modernizing its human resources system. In remaking the 35-year-old apparatus, Berger said his aim was to treat Marines "like human beings instead of inventory."

As part of this effort, Berger also noted that the Corps, which historically let around 75% of first-tour Marines leave the service, would shift to a "retain and invest" model.

Other changes have included allowing Marines to reenlist earlier, to serve in one location longer or to take an intermission from service.

On the whole, the service says the policies are working. In March, Maj. Gen. James Glynn, the deputy commandant who oversees manpower and reserve affairs, told reporters that the service has met its yearly retention goals very early -- that month.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen whether the Corps will struggle to recruit the number of people it needs.

Last year, the service, like every other branch in the military, struggled and ended up making its enlisted recruiting goal by just eight Marines. It did that, in part, by dipping into its pool of delayed-entry applicants -- a move that will also make this year's targets harder to meet.

On April 19, while testifying before the House Armed Services Committee, Assistant Commandant Gen. Eric Smith said the Corps expects to meet its recruiting goals this year, while all the other branches predict shortfalls.

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

Related: The Marines Claim Wins on Revamp of Personnel Policies
Chief Master Sgt. Roger A. Towberman, the Space Force's first senior enlisted leader as well as its first ever enlisted service member, will be retiring this year.

That means the Space Force, the newest and smallest military branch, is going through a full vetting process for a new top enlisted leader and has already begun interviewing candidates to replace him.

The Space Force wanted to cast a wide net to find a successor, and Towberman revealed to Military.com in an interview the names of the five candidates for the role and the process the service has used to help Chief of Space Operations Gen. Bradley Chance Saltzman make an informed choice.

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"I'm just really proud of all of them, and I'm thankful for the team that we've built and the connection that we have, across our force," Towberman told Military.com. "These five in particular, I've known for a long time. Some of them I've known way back in my Air Force days. ... Whoever is selected, I have no worries. I think the Space Force is in fantastic hands."

Towberman said the Space Force had only two requirements for those who wanted to be considered to become the service's top enlisted leader: A candidate must have been a chief master sergeant for at least three years and have at least 22 years of service.

The Space Force has been a separate service branch for only three years. It is still building up its noncommissioned officer corps and has filled many of its senior roles with transfers from other services. The five candidates all have prior service in the Air Force and transferred into the Space Force.

The five finalists to become the next chief master sergeant of the Space Force include:

Chief Master Sgt. John Bentivegna serves as the senior enlisted adviser to the service's chief operations officer and is the enlisted space operations career field manager at Space Force Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He completed Air Force basic training in October 1994 and transferred into the Space Force in September 2020. Previously, he was the senior enlisted leader for Space Operations Command at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado.

serves as the senior enlisted adviser to the service's chief operations officer and is the enlisted space operations career field manager at Space Force Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He completed Air Force basic training in October 1994 and transferred into the Space Force in September 2020. Previously, he was the senior enlisted leader for Space Operations Command at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. Chief Master Sgt. April Brittain is the commandant of the Space Force's Forrest L. Vosler Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, assigned to Space Training and Readiness Command at Peterson Space Force Base. She entered the Air Force in 1994 as a security forces apprentice. In December 2020, Brittain transferred to the Space Force. Previously, she was the senior enlisted leader at Space Delta 2 located at Peterson.

is the commandant of the Space Force's Forrest L. Vosler Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, assigned to Space Training and Readiness Command at Peterson Space Force Base. She entered the Air Force in 1994 as a security forces apprentice. In December 2020, Brittain transferred to the Space Force. Previously, she was the senior enlisted leader at Space Delta 2 located at Peterson. Chief Master Sgt. Willie Frazier serves as the senior enlisted leader of Space Systems Command at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California. He entered the Air Force in 1994. Frazier transferred into the Space Force in December 2020. Previously, he was the senior enlisted leader at Space Delta 4 at Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado.

serves as the senior enlisted leader of Space Systems Command at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California. He entered the Air Force in 1994. Frazier transferred into the Space Force in December 2020. Previously, he was the senior enlisted leader at Space Delta 4 at Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado. Chief Master Sgt. James Seballes is the senior enlisted leader of Space Training and Readiness Command, which is temporarily located at Peterson Space Force Base. He completed Air Force basic training in July 1994. Seballes transferred into the Space Force in December 2020. Previously, he was chief enlisted manager of the United States Space Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Directorate at Peterson.

is the senior enlisted leader of Space Training and Readiness Command, which is temporarily located at Peterson Space Force Base. He completed Air Force basic training in July 1994. Seballes transferred into the Space Force in December 2020. Previously, he was chief enlisted manager of the United States Space Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Directorate at Peterson. Chief Master Sgt. Jacob "Jake" Simmons serves as the senior enlisted leader for Space Operations Command at Peterson Space Force Base. Simmons entered the Air Force in May 1992. In September 2020, he transferred to the Space Force. Previously, he was the command senior enlisted leader for Joint Task Force-Space Defense at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado.

The five enlisted leaders were flown to Washington, D.C., where between April 11 and April 14 they went through a series of exercises and evaluations to give Saltzman data he will need to make a final decision.

The four-day process served as a way for the Space Force to vet the candidates' skills and give them an opportunity to showcase their leadership abilities.

During the first day, the five candidates were briefed by Towberman and Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David Thompson and interviewed by an occupational psychologist who gathered information on them to present to Saltzman.

Towberman said he was not part of the process following that first day's briefing, explaining he didn't want to "slant the outcome."

On the second day, the candidates worked on their verbal communication skills, which included being handed massive stacks of information and having to digest it before facing a public grilling.

"How do they navigate the difficulty when you get handed a four-inch thick binder and [are told], 'Hey, you've got a press interview in an hour or you've got to go to Congress tomorrow,'" Towberman said. "This comes with the territory, and so we really exposed them to scenarios that we had built, but it was pretty realistic."

The third day included asking the candidates to host a mock town hall with enlisted airmen at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Space Force officials had prepared questions that they provided to the rank and file in the audience, and the service members peppered the senior leaders with queries. The candidates were all evaluated by the crowd, and those scores were provided to board officials as well.

Finally, on the fourth day, the candidates conducted interviews in front of a board that consisted of four general officers, one senior executive service civilian and one senior enlisted adviser.

They gave Saltzman all the information they collected, and the final choice now rests with him.

"Now we've got all of this data, we have a huge stack of information to hand to the boss, so that he could have the most information available to help make what will probably end up being one of the most important decisions, in my opinion, he'll have to make," Towberman said.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correct mention of ranks in two places.

-- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly.

Related: Inside Recruits' Journey to Space Force's First Boot Camp
The Department of Veterans Affairs is ramping up a program that trains future veterans to become claims representatives and claims adjudicators -- positions the department needs to fill to accommodate new filings under the PACT Act.

The Warrior Training Advancement Course, or WARTAC, is an education and employment program aimed at filling the VA's veteran service and rating veteran service representative ranks.

The former helps veterans determine whether they are eligible for disability benefits, assists in filing claims and facilitating the process, while the latter reviews claims, determines whether a veteran's condition is service-related, and decides the percentage of disability a former service member rates.

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The veteran service representative course is six weeks long, while the rating representative class takes 11 weeks. After successful completion of the training, graduates are qualified for jobs that start at nearly $50,000 to $60,000, with raise and promotion opportunities up to six figures.

Kristina Messenger, a Navy veteran who now serves as deputy executive director of operations in the Veterans Benefits Administration Compensation Service and oversees the program, began her VA career as a veteran service representative.

During a roundtable with reporters Wednesday, Messenger said service members take the training while they are on active duty with command approval and graduate with jobs at the VA.

"It's a great opportunity," she said.

The VA has roughly 800,000 pending disability compensation applications, with an additional 600,000 requiring some form of adjudication, according to the department.

Since August, more than half a million veterans' claims have been filed under the PACT Act, the landmark legislation passed last year that eased the requirements for many Persian Gulf War and post-9/11 veterans to apply for disability benefits. Of those, claims processors have made decisions on 41%.

To handle the current backlog of more than 200,000 claims and prevent more from joining the backlog of claims older than 125 days, the VA has launched a massive recruitment effort to hire more claims processors, with a goal to add 1,900 this fiscal year.

The WARTAC program expansion is part of that effort, according to Messenger. Since its inception in 2014, 1,694 transitioning service members have completed the program, and 1,582 have accepted positions with the VBA.

Following a lull in the program during the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 400 service members have graduated from WARTAC so far this year.

Air Force veteran Scott Clark trained for the program while he was on active duty stationed overseas. Nearing his end-of-active-service date, with a wife and two children and facing the challenge of finding a job in the U.S. while overseas, Clark learned about the program and signed up.

He took the course at Fort Hood, Texas, and graduated last December.

"You know the old saying, 'If you enjoy what you do, you never work a day in your life,'" Clark said in a news release Monday. "I seriously love coming to work."

According to Messenger, the jobs offered are not available for remote work, but telework and flexibility are offered in the locations where the new employees are hired.

More information on the program, as well as training dates, is available on the VA's WARTAC website.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime

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FORT BRAGG, North Carolina -- The Army's Special Operations Command will appoint its first female command sergeant major Monday, a service spokesperson confirmed to Military.com.

Command Sgt. Maj. JoAnn Naumann -- the current senior enlisted adviser for Special Operations-Korea -- has been tapped to lead the organization, which historically has been dominated by men.

Naumann's appointment comes at a time when Army leaders are talking about diversifying the service's leadership. She also broke barriers as the first woman in a command team position with Special Operations Command, according to an Army press release last year.

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Naumann entered the Army in 1996 as an Arabic linguist, intending to stay only one enlistment before taking her skills to a different part of the federal government, she said in an interview released by the service earlier this year. Instead, she remained in the Army and has served for 27 years.

"I never felt like there was anything I couldn't do," she said. "If I saw a challenge that I wanted to take on, I took it on."

Her awards include the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars and three Army Commendation Medals. She is a graduate of the Army's Instructor Supervisor Course, Joint Special Operations Forces Senior Enlisted Academy and Military Freefall Course.

Naumann will be taking over for Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Weimer, who is set to become the next sergeant major of the Army.

Weimer, who spent his whole career as a Green Beret, is expected to start the transition process to take over as the 17th top enlisted leader for the service soon at the Pentagon, where his new office will be. Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston, who is currently in the role, is set to retire Aug. 3.

In his new role, Weimer will serve as the senior enlisted adviser to the Army chief of staff and Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, and is responsible for advising on matters related to the welfare and training of the rank and file and noncommissioned officers.

In addition to Grinston's exit in August, the Army's top officer, Gen. James McConville, is retiring after hitting a four-year term limit. Gen. Randy George, the current Army vice chief of staff, was nominated last week by President Joe Biden to serve as the next Army chief of staff.

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

-- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence.

Related: Michael Grinston's Quiet War to Help Make the Army More Lethal, Wokeness Hysterics Be Damned
A 20-year-old Marine, Lance Cpl. Jackson Forringer, died during pre-deployment training at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, officials confirmed, saying his death is under investigation by the Navy Criminal Investigation Service.

The Marine from Chesnee, S.C., was part of the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment based at Camp Lejeune, N.C. He and his unit were at the Southern California base as part of routine training.

I can confirm that NCIS is conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Lance Cpl. Forringer, as we do in response to any non-combat, medically unattended fatalities of Department of the Navy service members, said Jeff Houston, a spokesperson for NCIS. Out of respect for the investigative process, NCIS will not comment further while the investigation remains ongoing.

Forringer was killed on April 20, while taking part in Integrated Training Exercise 3-23 at the base, said Sgt. Alexa Hernandez, a spokesperson for the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune. The training exercise is designed to provide large forces the opportunity to put Marines through a live-fire program incorporating the various elements of an assault  including both units on the ground and aircraft in the sky  simultaneously.

Forringer enlisted in the Marines in July 2021. He had just turned 20 on April 9. His awards and decorations consist of the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and National Defense Service Medal.

Forringers death follows a separate all-terrain vehicle crash at the base at the end of March in which three Marines, also from the 2nd Regiment, were injured.

In an online obituary posted by Andrea and Todd Foringer, the couple said their son graduated from Chesnee High School in 2021 and that serving in the Marine Corps was his lifelong dream.

He never met a stranger and was one of the humblest, kind-spirited individuals you could meet, they said. He loved to give back and help others. Jackson loved his family and his friends unconditionally.

2023 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit ocregister.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Department of Veterans Affairs' new electronic health record system experienced the second outage in eight days on Tuesday, a setback VA Secretary Denis McDonough called "extraordinarily frustrating."

The 224-minute outage of the Oracle Cerner system, during which health care providers could not utilize it, affected the five medical centers and affiliated clinics that have started using the system at the VA -- as well as all Defense Department and Coast Guard health facilities also using the software, according to VA officials.

The event occurred just days after the VA announced it had halted expansion of the program to additional facilities until all system problems are addressed.

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According to VA spokesman Gary Kunich, the outage began when "one of the databases in the Federal [Electronic Health Record, or EHR] became unresponsive due to a failed background process."

Normally, Kunich said, other databases would compensate but weren't able to do so, "resulting in the entire database cluster to be restarted." Recovery took more time than expected when administrators tried to reboot the system.

"The root cause(s) underlying this incident remain under investigation," Kunich said in a statement to Military.com on Friday.

The outage was first reported by the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington.

The VA signed a $10 billion contract with Cerner in May 2018 to develop and introduce an electronic medical record system compatible with the DoD's -- an effort to provide lifelong medical records tracking for service members.

The cost estimate for the VA system has risen to $16.1 billion over 10 years; the Institute for Defense Analyses recently estimated that the system could cost up to $38.9 billion over 13 years.

Lawmakers have demanded that the system be fixed before the program is expanded to all 171 hospital systems in the Veterans Health Administration, while some have called for it to be completely scrapped.

Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., has introduced legislation that would end the program if improvements aren't made.

On Tuesday, amid the outage, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., whose district includes the facility where the EHR was first introduced, Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center and its affiliated clinics in Spokane, called for its termination.

"The Oracle Cerner electronic health record system has been a complete failure. It has caused serious harm to patients, devastated morale amongst employees and providers, and created a crisis of confidence for veterans," McMorris Rodgers said in a statement. "It's time to pull the plug."

McDonough acknowledged the outages to a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Wednesday, saying that, although there was a seven-month lull in outages, it did not mean that "across the system it was functioning perfectly even."

"I am extraordinarily frustrated with this. I know our providers and our veterans in Washington and in Oregon and in Ohio are extraordinarily frustrated with this," McDonough told members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies.

"The whole point of this assessment -- or this whole point of this reset -- is to clear away everything else. Let's focus on the five. Let's get it right. And then, we'll talk about onward deployment," McDonough said.

Subcommittee Chairwoman Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash, who has often been critical of the rollout, called the system an "ongoing disaster" and said the indefinite pause in rollouts is necessary.

"I've raised concerns for my constituents in Spokane and Walla Walla about the usability and reliability of the system and some very serious patient safety concerns," Murray said. "I do support efforts to move forward, only after you are confident about the safety and effectiveness of the system."

The VA currently is in contract negotiations with Oracle Cerner for what was originally slated to be a five-year option to renew the program. That process is expected to be complete by May 16, but whether it will be for another five years remains to be seen.

The VA has requested $1.9 billion in its fiscal 2024 budget for the continued rollout of the Oracle Cerner system. McDonough told Murray that the reset has resulted in the VA receiving $400 million more in fiscal 2023 than it needed and will affect the fiscal 2024 request.

"We'll want to work through with you the specifics on the FY '24 request. But the bottom line is I think it stands to reason that that request will look different," McDonough said.

As part of her announcement regarding the Oracle Cerner system, McMorris Rodgers threw her support behind Rosendale's bill, the Electronic Health Record Modernization Act, H.R. 609.

"We need to go back to a system that works immediately and deliver on our promise to give veterans in eastern Washington the best care our country has to offer," McMorris Rodgers said.

 Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime.

Related: VA Training Program Gives Transitioning Service Members a Shot at Job Working on Vets Benefits
The Armys top officer grounded all of the services aircraft Friday night following two deadly crashes in the past month including one on Thursday that claimed three lives.

Gen. James McConville ordered a safety stand-down, directing all aviation units to go over the maintenance of their aircrafts, pilot training and safety precautions. The grounding includes aircraft overseas in Europe and combat zones such as Iraq and Syria, but an officer at the rank of two-star general or above can disregard the stand down in emergencies such as medical evacuations, one Army official told Military.com.

"The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel, McConville, who has a background as an aviator, said in a statement. During this stand down, we will focus on safety and training protocols to ensure our pilots and crews have the knowledge, training and awareness to safely complete their assigned mission.

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The order comes after two AH-64 Apache helicopters crashed into each other near Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Three 11th Airborne Division soldiers died and another was hospitalized. In March, nine soldiers with the 101st Airborne were killed in a crash involving two Black Hawk helicopters in southwestern Kentucky, marking one of the deadliest training accidents in the Armys history. The specifics behind both those crashes are still being investigated.

In addition to those crashes, two Tennessee National Guard soldiers died in a Black Hawk crash in Alabama in February. In that same month, two soldiers were injured when an Apache helicopter crashed in Alaska.

Fridays order requires active duty units to complete the safety stand down by May 5, a process that entails briefings by senior officers on safety issues. Army National Guard units have until May 31, a possibly tricky task for units heavily manned with part time soldiers. Aviation units are allowed to resume flights after the stand down.

Senior commanders, including generals are expected to participate in the stand down briefings, one Army official with direct knowledge of the order explained to Military.com.

We are deeply saddened by those we have lost, McConville added in his statement. It is their loss that makes it all the more important we review our safety procedures and training protocols, and ensure we are training and operating at the highest levels of safety and proficiency.

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

Related: In Wake of Fatal Black Hawk Crash, Renewed Scrutiny of the Helicopter's Safety Record
The Marine Corps' top general expressed serious regrets over the fact that Marines were not available to help in two major crises in recent months because of a lack of available Navy ships to position units in nearby waters.

"Places like Turkey or, the last couple of weeks, in Sudan -- I feel like I let down the combatant commander," Commandant Gen. David Berger told members of the House Armed Services Committee on Friday.

"[Gen. Michael Langley] didn't have a sea-based option -- that's how we reinforce embassies, that's how we evacuate them," Berger added, referring to the head of U.S. Africa Command.

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The remarks come amid a growing debate in the halls of Congress over how the Navy is meeting the legal requirement to operate 31 amphibious ships for the Marines, designed to be used as maritime operations hubs. Corps leaders and even lower-ranking officers have been stressing that they need those ships at sea to fulfill their missions.

In this year's budget proposals, the Navy suggested that it would drop its amphibious ship numbers below that 31 ships threshold by retiring older dock landing ships, or LSDs, while pausing orders of the replacement San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships, or LPDs.

"We have some LSD platforms, for example, that cannot be made operationally available to fulfill the requirements that we need," Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said in the same hearing.

Meanwhile, reporting from USNI in March revealed that the pause in buying more LPDs didn't come from the Navy but rather from the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Pentagon leaders told reporters at the time that they felt that the current array of amphibious ships was "sufficient."

The devastating earthquake that struck Turkey in February and killed more than 50,000 people and the more recent civil conflict in Sudan that prompted the evacuation of 70 people from the U.S. embassy in Khartoum have provided clear examples for Berger of the value of always having a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) nearby.

"That's the best chance you have of responding to a crisis immediately, and there needs to be one in the Pacific and one in [the] Mediterranean, Africa, [Middle East] area 12 months a year," Berger told Congress.

In the fleet, Navy leaders seem to agree.

During a recent Marine-sponsored trip to the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, Capt. Martin Robertson, the commander of Amphibious Squadron Eight, told reporters that the ability for Marines to base off of amphibious ships is "a very important capability" that allows the two services to not only extract Americans from harm's way but also offer foreign humanitarian assistance and disaster response "if we're deployed forward somewhere."

"We can move very quickly and get into the area and get that initial help flowing," he added.

Col. Dennis Sampson, the commander of the 26th MEU, also stressed to reporters that "our presence does matter [and] amphibs are critically important for the Marine Corps."

Berger made clear that he views the capability as key to America's standing in the world.

"That's how we evacuated citizens out of Lebanon, that's how we went into Afghanistan in 2001," Berger said Friday. "Here's my concern: The first time this nation can't respond to a crisis and one of our adversaries can -- probably the last time we get asked."

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

Related: Why the US Evacuation from Sudan Left Americans Behind
The defense ministers of Russia and China, Sergey Shoigu and Li Shangfu, on Friday discussedwithin the framework of the consultation of the defense ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) participating countriesmatters of mutual interest, news.am informs.

April 28, 2023, 14:19 Russia, China defense ministers hold unscheduled talk within Shanghai Cooperation Organization framework

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 28 , ARTSAKHPRESS: But according to the protocol, this talk between the defense ministers of Russia and China in New Delhi, where the consultation of the defense ministers of the SCO participating countries takes place, was not planned in advance.

Before the start of the consultation and during the breaks of the meetings, Shoigu and Li exchanged views on the matters of interest to the two parties.
The statewide trout season begins on Saturday, April 29, and that means lots of anglers are packing up their gear and heading out to their favorite fishing spots  but theres one more thing to do.

That is, prepare for decontamination. State officials are asking anglers to help prevent the spread of invasive species  therefore protecting fish  by decontaminating their equipment before heading home or moving to a new body of water.

The species of concern are didymo, commonly known as rock snot, and New Zealand mudsnail, which can be moved to new locations on waders, nets and other fishing gear. Both species threaten the food supply of fish.

Anglers are asked to clean, drain and dry waders, boots, boats and other gear between trips or before moving to a new body of water. In areas known to be contaminated with these species, the cleaning process should include a chemical disinfect, such as Formula 409 or a bleach solution. Find more details below.

The Michigan departments of Natural Resources, and Environment, Great Lakes and Energy have teamed up to educate anglers about the dangers of these species and what they can do to prevent their spread. Find more information and recommendations below.

RELATED: Fishing report: White bass starting to run in one area of Michigan

Didymo, commonly known as rock snot, growth on gravel in the Manistee River appears dark brown. Areas where thick growth sloughs off looks woolly and light tan, exposes clean substrate underneath. (Provided by Michigan Department of Natural Resources via Michigan Department of Environment, Environment, Great Lakes and Energy)Provided by Michigan Department of Natural Resources via Michigan Department of Environment, Environment, Great Lakes and Energy

Rock snot

Rock snot is a single-celled algae that thrives in cold, low-nutrient streams generally considered pristine, the DNR said. Under the right conditions, rock snot blooms result in thick mats that cover river and stream bottoms, reducing habitat for macroinvertebrates including mayfly and caddisfly nymphs, which are important food for fish.

Rock snot is native to some parts of the Great Lakes basin, but blooms are a recent phenomenon. The first ones observed in Michigan waters were in 2015 in the St. Marys River and then in the Manistee and Boardman rivers in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Scientists are still researching the causes of blooms. However, it can spread to new areas when it attaches to anglers waders and gear.

New Zealand mudsnails are visible on this woody debris near the mouth of Shanty Creek on the Grass River. (Provided by Michigan Department of Natural Resources via Emily Burke, Grass River Natural Area, Inc.)Provided by Michigan Department of Natural Resources via Emily Burke, Grass River Natural Area, Inc.

New Zealand mudsnail

New Zealand mudsnails are only about one-eighth of an inch long and can be difficult to see. However, they can change the aquatic habitats they live in by reaching extremely high densities. When that happens, they can outcompete native macroinvertebrates, leaving fish food in short supply. Mudsnails have no nutritional value, which can negatively affect the overall condition of fish that feed on them.

New Zealand mudsnail populations are known to be present in Michigans Au Sable, Boardman, Grass, Pere Marquette, Pine and Upper Manistee rivers.

Mudsnails can survive out of water for several days. Because of their small size, they are easily transported on boats, anchors and fishing gear such as waders and nets.

Decontamination

To prevent these damaging species from hitchhiking on your waders and gear, make plans for decontamination before heading to the water.

Always Clean, Drain and Dry waders, boots, boats and other gear between trips or before moving to a new body of water. Take extra precaution in areas with known or suspected rock snot or New Zealand mudsnail infestations.

In addition to removing debris and mud, state officials recommend using a chemical disinfectant to achieve maximum decontamination for rock snot and New Zealand mudsnail. Possible disinfectants with documented effectiveness for these species include:

Products such as Formula 409 Antibacterial All-Purpose Cleaner applied to waders and gear.

Bleach: Apply a solution of one-half cup (4 fluid ounces) bleach to 5 gallons of water and let stand for 20 minutes.

Virkon Aquatic: Apply a solution of 20 grams per liter of water and let stand for 20 minutes (see manufacturers label for additional guidance).

Any chemical disinfectants should be applied to waders and gear on land, at a reasonable distance from the water, to avoid accidental discharge into surface waters.

Report new detections

Public reporting plays an important role in early detection of invasive and nuisance species. Anyone encountering suspected rock snot or New Zealand mudsnail in new locations is asked to photograph and report the find.

To report rock snot, use the Eyes in the Field online reporting system. Add up to three photos to aid in verification.

To report New Zealand mudsnail, make note of the location, date and time of the observation. This will aid in verification of your report. You may be asked to provide your name and contact information if follow-up is needed.

For more information on decontamination or aquatic invasive species, visit Michigan.gov/Invasives.

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Why Michigan is seeing Northern Lights more often
Great news for every Michigander whos ever hoped to see the spectacle of the Northern Lights: Your chances of catching the aurora borealis are pretty good right now, and theyre about to get even better.

Since the start of 2023, Michigan has been treated to several incredible aurora displays, with some stretching south into places the Northern Lights are rarely seen. Nearly every few weeks, it seems, social media newsfeeds have been flooded with fresh aurora photos from Mackinac Island to Munising all the way to Lansing and Lapeer.

These sightings will only continue to increase in frequency and strength in the coming two years, thanks to a phenomenon called the solar cycle.

Roughly every 11 years, the suns magnetic field flips, causing its north and south poles to switch places. This cyclical occurrence affects the activity on the suns surface, diminishing to whats called solar minimum around the time of a new flip and peaking as solar maximum at the midpoint of the cycle.

The increased sun activity around solar maximum can lead to powerful outbursts of energy, which, when other celestial and Earthly conditions align, create the magic of Northern Lights.

Melissa F. Kaelin, founder of the Michigan Aurora Chasers Facebook group and author of the book Below the 45th Parallel: The Beginners Guide to Chasing the Aurora in the Great Lakes Region, first fell in love with chasing the Northern Lights more than a decade ago, around the time of the last solar maximum. This current solar cycle is expected to peak in 2025, she says, which accounts for the recent impressive light shows.

As we continue to approach that peak, aurora displays will become more common and more powerful. After that, the outbursts will gradually decrease until a new cycle begins again.

We are in a fantastic time for seeing the Northern Lights, she said. Right now, were headed to that solar max, which is going to be outstanding, especially for something thats still a few years away.

These more powerful auroras are able to reach farther south and are therefore visible in places that dont typically get to experience the Northern Lights. The most recent solar outburst was so strong that the aurora stretched all the way to the southern U.S. border, to the delight of skywatchers in states as far south as Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas.

This is very rare, but during those really powerful geomagnetic storms, its entirely possible, Kaelin says.

The Northern Lights are also simply gaining more visibility thanks to the prominence of social media, where photos, viewing tips and camaraderie are easily shared. Online communities devoted to chasing the Northern Lights are helping more people experience the aurora through real-time tracking and alert systems that can sound the alarm when conditions are right or the lights appear.

Using social media allows us to share live sightings across the region whenever the aurora are present, Kaelin says. That really helps motivate night sky viewers to get outside and to see it for themselves.

Since Kaelin founded Michigan Aurora Chasers in January 2021, the number of sightings in Michigan has gone through the roof, she says. She credits the groups 70,000 members for helping build a great knowledge base and wealth of resources to help people experience this natural wonder  which many more of us likely will over the next two years.

Want to see the Northern Lights yourself? A few resources include the many regional Facebook groups devoted to education and updates about the aurora, including Michigan Aurora Chasers, Michigan Aurora Hunters, and Great Lakes Aurora Hunters; Kaelins book, Below the 45th Parallel: The Beginners Guide to Chasing the Aurora in the Great Lakes Region, as well as Kaelins upcoming talks and events.

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WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - Drivers in Washtenaw County should expect various closures at bridges over U.S. 23 and on the highway itself for maintenance projects.

Michigan Department of Transportation officials say the bridge maintenance projects, kicking off the week of Monday, May 1, are all slated to be complete in roughly a week, by Sunday, May 7.

The closures are listed below.

6 Mile Road at U.S. 23

The 6 Mile Road bridge, south of Whitmore Lake, will see a single lane closed for maintenance from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday.

North Territorial Road at U.S. 23

The North Territorial Road bridge will close completely from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 2.

Traffic is being detoured via 6 Mile Road to get across the highway. Southbound U.S. 23 traffic existing to eastbound North Territorial Road is being detoured via Whitmore Lake Road, Barton Drive and northbound U.S. 23 back to North Territorial.

8 Mile Road at U.S. 23

The 8 Mile Road bridge over U.S. 23 at Whitmore Lake will close completely from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 3. Traffic is being detoured via M-36 (9 Mile Road) to cross the highway.

Southbound U.S. 23 vehicles existing to eastbound 8 Mile Road will be routed via 6 Mile Road and Main Street back to 8 Mile. Northbound U.S. 23 traffic existing to westbound 8 Mile Road will be detoured via M-36 and Whitmore Lake Road.

U.S. 23 at railroad crossing and Barker Road in Whitmore Lake

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, May 4, southbound U.S. 23 will see a right lane closure at the railroad crossing, and Barker Road will be closed.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, May 5, southbound U.S. 23 will see a left and center lane closure at the railroad crossing, and Barker Road will be closed.

From 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6, northbound U.S. 23 will see a right lane closure at the railroad crossing and Barker Road will be closed.

From 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 7, northbound U.S. 23 will see a left and center lane closure at the railroad crossing, and Barker Road will be closed.

North of the project areas in Livingston County, closures are also expected as MDOT begins a 3-year, $162-million expansion of the U.S. 23 Flex Route, slated to extend to I-96.

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Spin the cube, drink sangria: 5 traditions to try at University of Michigan graduation

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It will be a big day at the Big House.

More than 12,000 University of Michigan students are eligible to graduate Saturday and an estimated 7,700 will attend commencement ceremonies.

I got to attend last year and I can say its an electric and emotional event.

Congrats to all the new grads and their families.

Beyond the commencement hoopla, however, there is the ongoing graduate student strike.

Last week, two strikers were arrested while protesting outside the restaurant where university President Santa Ono was dining. And this week, 50 faculty members vowed to withhold student grades in solidarity with the strike.

Thats what caught our eye in Ann Arbor this week. Take a look at those headlines, and others, below.

Graduation at the University of Michigan is 2 days away. Heres what you need to know

University of Michigan faculty withholding grades to support striking grad workers

Ann Arbor landlord sued for allegedly refusing to rent to people with housing vouchers

Ann Arbor replaces No Mow May with Pollinator-Aware Yard Care

5 great dive bars to check out around Ann Arbor

About Hello, Ann Arbor: Each week, we deliver the big headlines straight to your inbox. Sign up here for the newsletter.

John Counts is editor for MLive/The Ann Arbor News where he started as a police and court reporter in 2012. He lives in Whitmore Lake with his wife, two daughters and two dogs. He can be reached at johncounts@mlive.com.

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A bank robber was sentenced to state prison and an Auburn man admitted to sexual abusing a child in Cayuga County Court on Thursday.

Johann Bass, 45, of Falls Church, Virginia, received the maximum sentence of 2 1/3 to 7 years for his conviction of third-degree robbery, having pled guilty on Jan. 23.

On Jan. 12, 2022, Bass entered the KeyBank branch on Genesee Street in Auburn and presented the teller with a note reading, Stay calm, I have a gun, give me your money.

Bass made off with $700 in cash but was apprehended by the police soon after in Aurora. Chief Assistant District Attorney Christopher Valdina handled the case.

 William Roth, 51, of Holley Street, pleaded guilty to first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child and will be sentenced to 15 years in prison and a period of post-release supervision when sentenced on Aug. 10.

Roth also pleaded guilty to failure to register as a sex offender and possession of a sexual performance by a child less than 16 years old. He will receive concurrent sentences of 1 to 3 years on each of those counts. Sr. ADA Heather M. De Stefano handled the prosecution of Roth.
ANN ARBOR, MI -- Literati Bookstore has brought some well-known authors to Ann Arbor during the last 10 years like Margaret Atwood and Patti Smith.

Read more: Literati Bookstore celebrates 10 years in downtown Ann Arbor

Now, the bookstore at 124 E. Washington St., is bringing two more big names to town for some upcoming events.

The first is Rainn Wilson, whos mostly known for his role as Dwight Schrute in NBC-TVs The Office.

But Wilson is also co-founder of media company SoulPancake and is the author of The Bassoon King: My Life in Art, Faith and Idiocy, as well as co-author of SoulPancake: Chew on Lifes Big Questions.

Literati is bringing Wilson to Ann Arbor to discuss his new book Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution, at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 30, at the Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. He will talk about his book with University of Notre Dame Professor David Bentley Hart.

Wilsons book discusses the possibility and hope for a spiritual revolution to bring a healing transformation to both a personal and global level, according to its description. Wilson brings his own perspective and humor to the topic of how spirituality may be able to help others find solutions in todays world.

I would say that if youre interested to know more about how a prominent actor navigates his platform and reflects on how faith intersects with sort of pressing social needs, then this might be of interest, as opposed to someone whos maybe just a fan of The Office, Literati Bookstores Event Director John Ganiard said.

Although advance tickets are sold out, there are still general admission tickets, which include a hardcover copy of the book, still available for $30 each.

Another big name coming to Ann Arbor is humorist and bestselling author David Sedaris.

Sedaris will do a reading at 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 9, at the bookstore, as part of the book tour for his latest essay collection called Happy-Go-Lucky! A signing line for the bookstore begins around 7:30 p.m.

Read more: Why big-time author David Sedaris is coming to small indie Literati Bookstore

Seats are limited, Ganiard said, adding participants who purchase priority signing line access and book bundle tickets will be entered into a raffle for a chance to attend.

There are 300 priority signing line access and book bundle tickets available. Tickets for the event cost around $20 and include a paperback copy of the new book.

After the priority signing line, Ganiard said Sedaris will continue to sign and meet with people for free as long as there is a line.

Its kind of chaotic to have an author of his stature in a small bookstore, but thats why we try to make it kind of like a fun party atmosphere in a way, Ganiard said.

(Sedaris) can sell out huge theaters, (but) occasionally he likes to do these events that just take place in independent bookstores. Its a real wonderful thing for us that an author of such prominence wants to highlight the work that bookstores do in their community, he said.

Literati has been able to bring these kinds of events to the city thanks to its strong relationships with publishers and its desire to contribute to the vibrant arts and culture scene in Ann Arbor, Ganiard said.

We want to be more than a bookstore -- we want to be a community institution, he said. The prospect of us being able to introduce readers to new ideas and to new authors, especially from voices that may be both familiar and surprising to them, is certainly what were after.

Learn more about Literati Bookstore and its other upcoming events on its website.

Read more from The Ann Arbor News:

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These are the 7 proposals on the Washtenaw County ballot for May special election

University of Michigan faculty withholding grades to support striking grad workers
CLIO, MI  Clio police continue to investigate the assault of a city employee that took place Thursday, April 27.

Shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday, Clio police officers responded to the citys Department of Public Service location on Center Street following the report of a felonious assault.

A city employee said they were assaulted by a person with a knife. After a brief struggle, the suspect ran away from the area, police said.

The victim was treated at an area hospital for minor injuries and has since been released. Online reports that the victim was stabbed were inaccurate, Clio Police Chief Wendel Millstead told MLive-The Flint Journal Friday morning.

The Genesee County Sheriffs Office and Michigan State Police responded to assist. During the investigation, a county K9 unit and drone were deployed to aid in the search of the area.

Clio school buildings were placed in a soft lockdown Thursday as authorities searched the area. However, police believe there is no concern for residents.

We have no reason to believe there is an active threat to the community, and believe this to be an isolated incident, which remains under investigation, Millstead said in a Facebook post.

Read more at The Flint Journal:

Video, shoeprints place arson suspect at scene of fatal Flint fire, reports show

Grand Blanc area residents may see large police presence on Friday. Heres why

5 years later, Flint homicide remains unsolved
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  More than two dozen school superintendents in West Michigan are calling for greater training, enhanced safety protocols and policy changes to combat a dramatic increase in gun-related deaths among youth.

As superintendents, we are deeply concerned about the dramatic increase in gun-related deaths among our youth, states the letter co-signed by 34 superintendents in West Michigan. The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority, and we have an obligation towards preventing the tragic and senseless loss of life.

It wasnt immediately clear what incident, if any specific one, prompted the letter, issued Friday, April 28. The letter cites data from Johns Hopkins University that gun-related deaths among youth have increased by 50% since 2019.

Firearms are the leading cause of death for children ages 18 and younger in the U.S., and each year about 19,000 children and teens are shot  either wounded or killed, the letter states.

In the letter, the superintendents from Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon and Allegan counties dont outline or advocate for any specific action or policy change.

Instead, theyre calling for meaningful conversations around gun control, mental health and social and emotional learning. Gun violence, the superintendents say, is a complex issue without easy solutions.

These conversations must involve a diverse set of stakeholders, including parents and families, students, law enforcement, mental health professionals, and community organizations, the letter states. Through greater training and education, enhanced safety protocols and common sense policy changes - we know we can make a difference.

Only by working together, can we create safe and supportive environments for our children. Our children deserve no less.

In February, Michigan residents followed in horror as a gunman walked the Michigan State University campus, fatally shooting three students and injuring five others.

For a few students, it was the second mass school shooting they experienced, after having survived the Oxford High School shooting not even two years prior.

Related: When will this end? MSU freshman survives second school shooting in less than 2 years

In that November 2021 school shooting, a student fatally shot four students and injured seven people.

The superintendents who co-signed the letter are from the following districts:

Kentwood Public Schools

Kelloggsville Public Schools

Byron Center Public Schools

Kenowa Hills Public Schools

Cedar Springs Public Schools

Kent City Community Schools

East Grand Rapids Public Schools

Kent Intermediate School District

Forest Hills Public Schools

Lowell Area Public Schools

Godwin Heights Public Schools

Rockford Public Schools

Grand Rapids Public Schools

Sparta Area Public Schools

Wyoming Public Schools

Thornapple Kellogg Public Schools

Caledonia Community Schools

Tri-County Area Schools

Muskegon Area ISD

Reeths-Puffer Schools

Mona Shores Public Schools

Whitehall District Schools

Montague Area Public Schools

Ottawa Area ISD

Holton Public Schools

Grand Haven Area Public Schools

North Muskegon Public Schools

Hudsonville Public Schools

Saugatuck Public Schools

Spring Lake Public Schools

West Ottawa Public Schools

Allegan Area ESA

Hopkins Public Schools

West Shore Educational Service District

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Firefighter swims 75 yards to rescue dog in Grand River

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI  A Grand Rapids firefighter on Friday, April 28, rescued a dog from the Grand River as it approached the Sixth Street Dam.

Firefighter Thomas Kunak, a rescue swimmer, caught up to the 13-year-old deaf and blind dog before other firefighters, using a rope, pulled the two to shore.

The incident began around 8:30 a.m. near Canal Park. The dog, Sydney, had fallen into the river while on a walk with her owner. The owner knew she had to get into the water to save Sydney and tried to reach her dog. But she needed help herself from someone on shore to get out.

Meanwhile, Grand Rapids Fire Departments water-rescue team responded to a report of a dog, a Boston Terrier-Bulldog, in distress in the river. Kunak, who described himself as a dog lover, got in. The dog swam away before getting caught in the current heading toward the dam.

Kunak swam about 75 yards before he caught up to the dog. He held her as firefighters on shore pulled them out of the river.

The owner told firefighters that her dog was back to her spunky self, and was grateful for the firefighters help.

The response was amazing! she said, in a Fire Department statement.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI  A judge refused to delay trial of a former Grand Rapids police officer while he appeals previous rulings in a motorists killing.

Christopher Schurr is charged with second-degree murder in the April 4, 2022, shooting death of Congolese refugee Patrick Lyoya, 26.
WYOMING, MI -- Police are investigating after a man was found shot to death at a Wyoming residence.

Police responded about 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 27 to the 2600 block of Woodlake Court SW on a report of a shooting. The area is south of 44th Street SW and west of Byron Center Avenue.

Wyoming police officers arrived to find a man who had died from a gunshot wound.

Police said they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Anyone with information about the shooting can call police at 616-530-7300 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Police are investigating a fatal shooting in the 400 block of Worden Street SE.

The shooting was reported about 9:25 p.m. Thursday, April 27.

The area is near Martin Luther King Jr. Street SE and Madison Avenue.

Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom said the victim was an adult male who was shot multiple times.

It dont think it was random, he said.

He said the victim was located inside of a home. When police arrived at the scene, they encountered a large number of people on the street.

Winstrom said officers are investigating whether a party or some other type of gathering was taking place when the shooting happened.

He said no one is in custody.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- An armed security guard was taken into custody after a shot was fired in a Grand Rapids credit union bathroom.

The incident happened during the afternoon of Thursday, April 27 at Michigan First Credit Union at 1225 Plymouth Avenue NE.

Grand Raids police said the credit unions employees told them that the armed security guard was behaving erratically. Then, he was alone in a bathroom when they heard a gunshot.

Police responded to the credit union and determined that no one was harmed.

A police spokesperson said the security guard was taken into custody.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Get ready to shop till you drop at this years Vintage and Handmade Marketplace in downtown Grand Rapids this weekend.

The free, single-day vintage and handmade pop-up market will return to the Grand Rapids Downtown Market, 435 Ionia Ave. SW, Sunday, April 30, for its second year.

This years marketplace will feature three single dates: April 30, July 23 and Oct. 1.

Presented by Vintage in the Zoo, vintage and handmade enthusiasts alike are invited to shop from 70 small businesses and entrepreneurs as they sell their goods and thrifting finds.

Patrick Turner, co-owner of Vintage in the Zoo alongside his wife Megan Zielke, said he is excited to be back in the Grand Rapids area after a successful first run that brought more than 4,000 people to the Market Shed last year.

It was maybe one of the busiest events weve ever had, Turner said. Grand Rapids has been super good to us in all ways, and everyone is so excited and helpful. So, its been awesome.

From 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., patrons will be able to shop vintage and handmade vendors, including favorites like Love Charles Vintage, UrbanSavage, Memering and Stuffed Brain Studio.

Go here for a full list of vendors and an interactive map.

There will also be vinyl sounds pumping live from WIDR FMs DJ Dan Steely, as well as food and drinks from places like Rak Thai, Juju Bird and Rad Bagels, organizers said.

Vintage in the Zoo initially took off at the Kalamazoo Farmers Market with only 15 vendors in 2017 before quickly growing to feature 90 vendors just a couple of years later.

This year, Turner and Zielke are celebrating their seventh season, with the Kalamazoo Vintage and Handmade Marketplace kicking off again on May 13.

Turner touts the company as an incubation for small businesses and entrepreneurs to gain insight into how to keep growing and garner their success.

Weve really developed a community around this, which is something really exciting for Megan and me, Turner said. These vendors are like our friends now, and theres so many that we have seen grow. Were just really proud of how everything has developed over the years.

For more information, visit www.vintageinthezoo.com.

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JACKSON COUNTY, MI  Downtown Jackson is about to get hit with magic, glitter and cuteness from the annual Fairy Festival.

The Jackson School of the Arts is hosting its 16th annual Fairy Festival from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 28, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 29, in its downtown building at 135 W. Cortland St.

The festival will have activities, food trucks and a scavenger hunt, and is a fundraiser for JSAs scholarship fund that helps students with class costs.

Its just been neat to see people really understand that this is not only an event for one weekend, but this is to help support kids for positive experiences for the rest of the year, JSA Executive Director Cherie Good said. Just by them believing in us and showing their support, it means the absolute world.

Read more: The magic returns to downtown Jackson during the annual Fairy Festival

Heres what you need to know about this years Fairy Festival.

2 options for fun:

The two-day festival offers different activities and attractions on each day.

Friday is VIP Day and offers a smaller and more controlled experience, Good said. Saturday is general admission day.

Tickets

Tickets are still available and can be purchased on JSAs website. Thirty-minute time slots are being conducted to reduce wait times, but it should take guests between one to two hours to go through the event, Good said.

VIP tickets for Friday are still available and cost $35 per person. General Admission tickets on Saturday cost $15 per person.

Parking

The JSA parking lot behind the W. Cortland Street building will be open for parking.

However, if that fills up, several city-owned parking lots will be open in downtown Jackson, including the lot next to the Lean Rocket Lab, 133 W. Michigan Ave., and another behind Crazy Cowboy, 215 S. Mechanic St., she said.

A full parking map can be viewed on JSAs Facebook page.

Activities

Many activities and stations are available throughout the three-story building. Each participant will get a map, which shows all the activities inside the school, as well as a map for a scavenger hunt.

Both days offer themed play areas and characters, a cupcake cafe, face painting, fairy tea and art projects.

A Neverland theater performance, a kids dance party and light show and circus arts performances are available on Friday only. Saturdays events will have outdoor vendors, a fairy dance performance and potentially larger crowds.

Scavenger Hunt

The scavenger hunt is also set for Saturday. Each participant will receive a treasure map of downtown Jackson showing the various participating businesses offering specials.

Some of these include FarmSudz, 229 S. Mechanic St., which is selling Fairy Bath Foam, and Rustic Market, 139 N. Jackson St., which has fairy wands. Many businesses will also offer 10% off if people find the fairy.

Grand River Brewery, 117 W. Louis Glick Highway, is also doing a dine to donate, where a percentage of proceeds will go to JSA, Good said.

Food and Drink

Two food trucks will be parked outside JSA. People can choose form Craveable, a vegan food truck, or Bens Island Grindz, which offers Hawaiian-inspired cuisine.

Vitos Espresso will also be offering coffee inside the building, she said.

Vendors

More than a dozen vendors will be outside Saturday, including kids clothes, stuffed animal restoration, flower bouquets, shaved ice and hand painted dolls.

There will also be some vendors inside, along with some free vendors. This includes the Jackson District Library, Jackson Symphony Orchestra and Center for Family Health.

More information can be found on JSAs website.

More from the Jackson Citizen Patriot:

Man arrested with $1,000 in stolen clothing at Jackson Kohls

Jackson County township trustees propose emergency plan ahead of looming shutdown

11 dogs were saved thanks to a plane ride to Jackson County

Heres whats on the ballot in Jackson County for May 2 special election

Grass Lakes Brayden Lape strikes out 16 in win over Michigan Center
For the first time in six years, the Auburn Enlarged City School District Board of Education will not have a contested race on the ballot.

Three three-year positions are up for election this year on the nine-member board. Interested candidates had until 5 p.m. Wednesday file petitions to secure a line on the ballot for the election next month.

Incumbents Francis "C.J." Calarco and Dr. Eli Hernandez are both pursuing seats, and Freddie Wilson III is also in the race.

Hernandez, founder and CEO of the organization Authentic LeaderShift LLC and a former principal at Delaware Primary School in Syracuse, was first elected to the Auburn school board in 2011 and served as board vice president in 2020 and 2021.

Wilson has been the employment services coordinator for Unity House of Cayuga County, according to his LinkedIn page.

Calarco, a teacher in the Southern Cayuga Central School District, won a one-year seat on the board out of the four total positions up for grabs in the 2022 election, as he received the fourth-highest highest total of votes. That one-year role became available due to former Auburn school board member Joe Sheppard resigning in October 2021. In January 2022, the board voted to allow that position to remain vacant until the election a few months later, with the fourth-place finisher filling in the remaining year of that seat's term.

Dr. Rhoda Overstreet-Wilson, a current Auburn board member, is not running for a spot on the nine-member body. She is instead running for a seat on the Auburn City Council.

May 16 is the statewide voting day this year for school candidates, budget propositions and other propositions districts may have.
JACKSON, MI  Jacksons long serving fire chief is hanging up his helmet and retiring after 40 years of service.

Here is that headline and some more you might have missed this week.

Its been a good ride. Deputy fire chief retiring after 38 years in Jackson

As he nears the end of almost 40 years of service with the Jackson Fire Department, David Wooden hopes to be remembered as an agent of compassionate, intelligent change.

Wooden, 64, will retire from his role of deputy fire chief on April 28. This will mark the end of a 47-year career fighting fires -- 38 of which were spent with the Jackson Fire Department.

A man of many hats. Jackson County commissioner remembered as servant to family, public

Rodney Walz only loved one thing more than serving the public  his family.

When he wasnt helping to put out fires with the Grass Lake Fire Department in the late 1980s and early 1990s; running facilities management at Foote Hospital, now Henry Ford Jackson Hospital, or representing Jackson Countys District 2 as a county commissioner, he was with his family, usually camping.

11 dogs were saved thanks to a plane ride to Jackson County

A plane carrying some unexpectedly cute passengers landed at the Jackson County Airport on Wednesday.

Eleven dogs were flown in on April 26 from a shelter in Athens, Texas to the Jackson County Animal Shelter. The dogs were saved from potentially being euthanized due to an overpopulation problem at the Texas shelter, Jackson County Animal Shelter Director Lydia Sattler said.

Man arrested with $1,000 in stolen clothing at Jackson Kohls

A man was arrested Tuesday evening after he was found with more than $1,000 in stolen clothing packed into his duffle bag, police said.

At about 7:55 p.m. April 25, officers from the Jackson Police Department were dispatched to the Kohls department store located within the Jackson Crossing mall for a report of shoplifting.

Jackson woman injured after roadside gunmen fire into her vehicle

A woman was hospitalized Sunday after two unknown gunmen shot into her moving vehicle, police said.

At about 12:40 a.m. April 23, Jackson Police Department officers responded to shots fired in the area of the 300 block of E. Addison Street.

Officers arrived at the scene to find a 50-year-old woman suffering from gunshot wounds to her lower abdomen and leg, police said.

Spay and neuter event aims to prevent unwanted kittens in Jackson County

An upcoming clinic in Brooklyn aims to prevent stray cats from having unwanted litters of kittens.

Columbia Animal Clinic, 405 N. Main St. in Brooklyn, is hosting its annual Feral Cat Day at 7 a.m. Thursday, April 27. The one-day, low-cost spay and neuter clinic aims to lessen the population of feral and stray cats, Associate Veterinarian Laura Baker said.

Brayden Lape, teen star of NBC-TVs The Voice, will lead the 2023 Jackson Rose Parade

A Grass Lake teen who gained national attention for his performances in Season 22 of NBC-TVs The Voice, will lead this years Jackson Rose Parade.

Braden Lape has been picked as grand marshal of the parade, which steps off at 1 p.m. Sunday, June 4, in downtown Jackson.

Turbulent Jackson County township has a clerk again, but not for long

Rives Townships clerk will stick around a little bit longer than her resignation letter implies.

Clerk Judith McCord, who resigned, leaving the township in tough spot ahead of the May 2 election, has agreed to stay on as clerk for that election.

Man pleads guilty to setting duplex on fire in Jackson

A 19-year-old charged with arson in a fire that gutted a duplex building has entered a guilty plea, according to court records.

Caleb Filas pleaded guilty April 21 to a charge of first degree arson stemming from a fire that destroyed a residential building near downtown Jackson Sept. 16, 2022.

He was told hed never work again, but this Jackson man is beating those odds

Patrick Allan said he was attacked 15 years ago by three guys trying to mug him, resulting in a major brain injury.

The now 41-year-old said he lost his memory, and a lot of his motor skills. Even simple multitasking, like tying his shoes and holding a conversation at the same time, was difficult, he said.

New roundabout coming soon to Jackson County intersection

A frequently traveled intersection in Blackman Township is slated to be shut down soon for the construction of a new roundabout.

The intersection of Springport Road and Rives Junction Road in northwest Blackman Township is scheduled to be closed starting Monday, May 1, for the construction of a single-lane roundabout to ease traffic flow and enhance safety in the intersection, according to the Jackson County Department of Transportation.

Flea market, vendor space aims to help low-income residents start businesses in Jackson

While some saw an empty building, Anthony Gittens saw a vision to help others start their own businesses.

Gittens wants to help low-income residents launch businesses through a vendor and flea market space at 318 W. Michigan Ave. The building in downtown Jackson will operate as an incubator for residents to build a business foundation, he said.

Say hello to Jacksons new Downtown Development Authority director

Businesses in downtown Jackson have a new ally with a bastion of business knowledge to help make downtown the place to be.

The City of Jackson hired lifelong Jackson resident and business leader Coyn Speiser as the newest executive director of the Downtown Development Authority. He officially took over the position on April 3.

Ideas to stop violent crimes in Jackson County draw people to second-annual summit

Citizens and community leaders alike came together Friday for a discussion about ways to reduce violent crimes in Jackson County.

The second-annual Summit to Reduce Violence drew more than 100 people -- including citizens, Jackson and Jackson County officials and law enforcement leaders -- to the Jackson College campus April 21 to discuss the cause and effects of violent crime in the area.

For more Jackson-area news, click here
KALAMAZOO, MI -- The candidate field for the next Kalamazoo Public Schools superintendent has been narrowed from six to three.

The KPS Board of Education is bringing back three candidates for an in-person interview: Stephanie Jones from Chicago Public Schools, Darrin Slade of Hazelwood Public School District near St. Louis and Ty Weeks from the Dearborn Heights School District No. 7.

The three finalists will be interviewed in-person at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 8, at the KPS Administration Building, 1220 Howard Street.

The three candidates that did not advance are Johnny Edwards, assistant superintendent of Portage Public Schools; Thomas D. Rogers, assistant superintendent for IZone 2.0/Priority Schools for the district office of Shelby County Schools in Tennessee; and Marcey Sorensen, chief academic officer in Fort Worth Independent School District in Texas.

Details on the finalists

The board narrowed the search to three after virtual interviews this week.

As chief officer for the Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services at Chicago Public Schools, Jones directs district leaders, administrators and staff to ensure high quality, grade-level instruction and equitable services for students, per a KPS news release. Jones is a data-driven leader with knowledge of academic reform strategies, the release said.

Previously, Jones was a special education teacher in the Chicago district and director of special services for another Illinois school district, per the release.

Jones is from the same district as the last KPS superintendent, Rita Raichoudhuri.

Raichoudhuri resigned abruptly Dec. 12, 2022, in what was described as a mutual decision in a board statement. Raichoudhuri, who started as superintendent in June 2020, left amid growing tensions between her and the school board. She accused the school board of creating a hostile work environment.

Jones has been accused of creating a toxic work environment at CPS, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The district looked into the complaints, but couldnt substantiate any misconduct or mismanagement, per the Sun-Times.

MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette attempted to call Jones on Friday, but she couldnt be reached.

Slade, from the Missouri district, is a deputy superintendent. Before that, he served as the assistant superintendent of Instructional Leadership for Kansas City Public Schools, where he supervised principals, instructional programming, school climate and strategic planning, according to the release.

Slade was a finalist for the KPS job in 2020, before losing out to Raichoudhuri. Slade was also a finalist for the superintendent position at Grand Rapids Public Schools in 2020.

During his previous interview with KPS, Slade was acknowledged for his experience working with tough districts and his 30 years of experience working in education. Board Member Tandy Moore critiqued his lack of we language and requested more evidence of a collaborative and cooperative leadership style.

Weeks, from the Dearborn district, has worked as a teacher, advocate mentor, professor, principal, Title IX compliance coordinator and program developer for youth for 20 years, the press release said. He is also a member of the Michigan Association of School Administrators and the American Association of School Administrators, according to the press release.

He was hired in fall 2021 to lead Dearborn Heights School District No. 7. He was the districts first Black superintendent.

Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Kalamazoo daily newsletter.

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OTTAWA COUNTY, MI  Free guided hikes through Lake Michigan sand dunes will be provided on Saturday.

The hikes at Ferrysburg Nature Preserve will be offered from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 29.

The guided hikes will be every 15 minutes and include -mile and 1-mile treks.

Those interested in participating should meet at the Ferrysburg Community Church northwest parking lot at 17785 Mohawk Drive.

The 43-acre preserve is undeveloped dune property bordered by Dogwood, Mohawk and Hiawatha drives and the Spring Lake Township border.

The preserve is owned by the city of Ferrysburg.

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SAGINAW, MI  For robbing two Saginaw County 7-Elevens in one autumn morning, a parolee is heading back to prison. He joins a younger cohort who joined him in the holdups, and carried out another in Bay County the morning after he turned 16.

Saginaw County Circuit Judge Andre R. Borrello on Wednesday, April 26, sentenced 23-year-old Daniel S. Haney Jr. to four terms of 18 to 50 years in prison, plus two terms of three to 50 years. Haney is to serve the five sentences concurrently to one another, but consecutively to the terms he had been paroled on in March 2020.

Borrello also ordered Haney to pay $538 in fines and costs.

Haney in February pleaded guilty to four counts of armed robbery and single counts of felon in possession of a firearm and receiving and concealing a stolen motor vehicle. Prosecutors dismissed six counts of felony firearm, a conviction of which mandates a minimum two-year prison sentence consecutive to any related stint.

Already imprisoned is Haneys codefendant, Crayln A. Guidry, 18, whom a Saginaw County judge in July 2022 sentenced to three terms of 11 to 30 years in prison, plus three flat two-year terms on convictions of armed robbery and felony firearm. Prior to that, a Bay County judge in March 2022 sentenced Guidry to eight to 15 years in prison, as well as a two-year stint, also on armed robbery and felony firearm convictions.

Haneys latest sentences stem from the holdups of two 7-Elevens that occurred on the morning of Sept. 12, 2020. The first took place around 1:50 a.m. at the store at 5770 State St. in Saginaw Township. The clerk told responding police two people wearing gaiter masks and brandishing small handguns entered the store and stole cash and cigarettes.

The second robbery occurred just before 6 a.m. at the 7-Eleven at 614 S. Washington Ave. in the city of Saginaw. In that incident, three subjects entered the store, two of whom displayed guns. They made off with cash and vaping products.

The robbers used a stolen vehicle in both instances.

Guidry robbed a third 7-Eleven at 900 Cass Ave. in Bay City the morning of Oct. 9, 2020, the day after his 16th birthday. In that incident, the robber brandished a gun and threatened to kill the 68-year-old clerk before fleeing with about $70 in cash and Black & Mild cigars.

Put the money in the bag or Ill blow your head off, the robber told the clerk, according to court files. Youll never see your family again.

About a half-hour after the Bay City robbery, Michigan State Police troopers pulled over a car in Saginaw containing Guidry and three other youths.

In the car, troopers found cash, tobacco products, and a Heritage revolver in the Malibu. The cocked revolver had four spent casings and two live rounds in it when police inspected it, reports state. The gun had also been reported stolen out of Saginaw County back in April 2010.

Police arrested Haney on an outstanding warrant on Oct. 28, 2020.

At the time of the holdups, Haney was on parole on nine convictions out of Tuscola County. A judge in that county sentenced Haney to two to five years in prison in September 2018 with the Michigan Department of Corrections paroling him in March 2020.

Read more:

Parolee charged with robbing 2 Saginaw County 7-Elevens in same morning

Teen charged as adult in robbery of Bay City 7-Eleven, hours after 16th birthday

Amazon warrior tattoo leads to arrest of shirtless, would-be marijuana thief
SAGINAW TWP, MI With the May 2 special election around the corner and one increasingly vocal committee working to oppose a school bond proposal in Saginaw Township, another is working to inform residents why the funds are needed for improved student safety among other reasons.

The Vote Yes on Saginaw Township Community Schools May 2 bond proposal committee has been working to present information originally shared by the STCS board of education in response to a series of stories with local media, door-to-door campaigns and various efforts on social media by the conservative Vote No May 2 committee.

That Vote NO group, organized in part by Saginaw County Commissioner Richard Spitzer and former Saginaw County Republican Party Vice-Chair Thomas Roy, has so far focused its rhetoric on the taxes that could be paid by older residents and residents with higher property values alongside the concept of looking for other avenues to secure funding.

One of those avenues mentioned by Spitzer in an interview with The Saginaw News/MLive included the State School Aid Fund.

RELATED: Committee opposes Saginaw Township school districts $243M bond for renovations

That fund balance was listed at $1.25 billion by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer due in-part to profits from the Michigan Lottery for fiscal year 2022.

Two problems with that argument, according to both state law and Vote Yes co-organizer Pete Ryan: Those funds cannot be used for renovations and the $1.25 billion needs to be split between every school in the state- not just Saginaw Township.

Mr. Spitzer is a good person and is just concerned of the total cost of the facilities, Ryan said. Unfortunately, in 2005 the district started putting together a similar $105 million bond that was turned down. It came back two to three years later at $40 million, leaving $65 million worth of needs, at that time, neglected.

Ryan said a sinking fund millage was approved in during the 2018 election cycle, raising $1.2 million for the districts needs in the first year, running for 10 years.

RELATED: Saginaw Township school district will ask for millage in August election

He added that even if that money had been stockpiled or used as it was taken in, it wouldnt be nearly enough to tackle some of the items in need of repair today.

The problem is $1.4 million will buy you maybe half a roof at one of the larger elementary schools like Sherwood or Arrowwood, Ryan said. In addition to those, there are repairs or replacements of boilers and parking lots. Classrooms need renovations and security improvements districtwide.

With all that in mind, Co-Chair Evan Allardyce said that there were a number of other proposals that the school board worked cooperatively alongside the Saginaw Township board of Commissioners to build appropriately.

This wasnt just a fly-by-night lets throw it out there and see if it passes kind of thing, said Allardyce. The school board and township spent three years determining what they would be able to do to all the buildings, what needed to be done. There were three draft proposals, an A, a B and a C.

Allardyce said the district didnt try to propose the first proposal because it would have asked for $100 million more and included a brand new high school along Hospital Road, which would have defeated the purpose of Heritage High School being centrally located in the community.

He went on to share that the claims by the VOTE NO group are false regarding how much each resident will pay based on community home value.

Both he and Spitzer agree that the repairs are needed, especially when it comes to safety.

The open room concepts were outdated almost as soon as they finished constructing them, Allardyce said. I dont know how you pay attention to your teacher when you can hear whats going on in every classroom around you, not to mention the 118 exterior doors that are virtually unmonitored. Theres a safety concern.

When it comes to cost, numbers provided by Spitzer claimed that Saginaw County ranked in the top 21% of all counties nationwide for property taxes as a percent of median home value, the top 16% of all counties nationwide for property taxes as a percent of median income, yet rank at 24% below the national median income.

Those numbers have yet to be verified, as they were taken from a private-run tax information site. Spitzer also said he had sourced information from a recent U.S. Census.

Saginaw Township consists of roughly 29% of residents over the age of 65, said Spitzer. Most of them are on a fixed income. Outside of them, 42% of the Townships residents make $50,000 or less a year.

In the original bond proposal approved by the board of education, the district provided estimates that the average homeowner within the district, living in a $100,000 home with a taxable value of $50,000, would see a $287.50 tax bill increase per year, roughly $23.95 per month.

RELATED: Saginaw Township Community Schools votes to put $243M bond proposal on May ballot

Spitzer claimed that if approved, taxpayers would see a minimum increase of $460 annually in addition to other tax increases caused by separate entities.

To that, Allardyce disagreed.

Thats not true, the average home is not $100,000, he said. When the township went with this, they used the 100 as a round starting point to do the math because it was simpler. Some are more some are less, Allardyce said. What hes also not saying, with the 29% of the resident older than 65, if any number of them had been in their home a longer amount of time, their taxable value has gone down. That means it wont cost the same.

He added that while many people may cringe at the nearly quarter-billion-dollar plan, it is the plan chosen and reviewed by community leaders, school officials, parents students and focus panels with the township- all of whom were publicly invited to participate in discussions.

If you want something nice and new, because people like nice things as well as safe, educated children, there needs to be an investment somewhere along the line just like anything else in life, Allardyce said. The shape that its in, these bandaid fixes arent going to cut it much longer. If you have to go through and fix it three times, its going to cost three times as much. Our community has a history of paying it forward, and that includes making sure everyone gets a good education.

For information on the upcoming bond, visit the Saginaw Township Community School District website or the VOTE YES on Saginaw Township Community Schools May 2nd bond proposal Facebook page.

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Ronnie Waters was 17 years old when he found himself sentenced to life in prison.

Though Waters agreed he needed to be held accountable for his actions, which resulted in the death of an innocent woman, he couldnt comprehend why the state had sent me to prison to die.

When they sentenced me to life without parole, they were saying you are beyond change, said Waters, now a community engagement specialist with Safe and Just Michigan, which aims to advance policies that end Michigans over-use of incarceration.

They dont even want to discuss it anymore. You just go to prison to die. And at 17, 18 when I went, it was impossible for me to grasp what that really meant.

Waters, released from prison in 2020, was one of a handful to testify this month on a bill package that looks to bring Michigan law in line with state and federal court rulings, which found mandatory sentencing of juveniles to life without the possibility of parole constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

Senate bills 119 through SB 123, which came before the Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on April 20, look to codify those rulings into Michigan law while providing parole opportunities for people younger than 19 at the time of their convictions.

In lieu of life, the bills recommend sentences of at least 10 years and no more than 60 years in prison.

Leading the charge on this handful of bills is Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor.

He said the change would align Michigan with 27 other states who have already made efforts to comply with the federal 2012 Miller v. Alabama ruling.

Weve heard loud and clear from our department of corrections that when they have young people in their facilities that have no light at the end of the tunnel, no opportunity for rehabilitation, no opportunity for redemption that makes their lives more difficult, Irwin said.

There are key developmental differences between youth and adults, Irwin said, and it was only fair a juveniles age, family environment, the role they had in the offence and whether they were peer pressured into committing the act are considered when handing down a sentence like life without parole.

While youth does not excuse criminal actions, he added, age and brain development could not be overlooked when considering whether the juvenile could even comprehend the nature of their actions.

Irwin was firm in saying if passed, the bills would not result in the automatic release of offenders who fit under the juvenile lifer category prior to their minimum sentence. Instead, it would provide an opportunity for review, by the parole board, after a reasonable period of incarceration while considering each defendants unique circumstances.

Sen. Jim Runestad, R-White Lake, said it wasnt a bad policy to require the resentencing of juvenile offenders but questioned what to do in the event that person is genuinely unable to be rehabilitated.

A sociopath, clinically, cannot be rehabilitated. Rehabilitation makes them worse, he said. I have a real problem of this automatic nature of things.

Echoing these concern was Sen. Ruth Johnson, R-Holly, who said that while second chances were important, when somebody hurts someone else, we really dont know how to figure out whether theyre going to be a problem, when they get released, to others in public.

To this, Irwin indicated boards generally parole about 80% of those who come before them. That, he said, implied the board members were doing their due diligence to make sure the 20% of individuals considered non-rehabilitated werent released without cause.

Deborah Labelle, attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigans Juvenile Life Without Parole Initiative, later added of the 320 juvenile lifers resentenced statewide, 26 received life without parole again. Another 43 are still waiting, 10 years after the Miller decision, to be resentenced.

The package, Irwin added, would just be another tool for board members to use when determining if a juvenile offender should be paroled  like in the case of Waters.

Waters said later during the hearing that, as a former juvenile lifer himself, there is a sense of urgency to prove to people you just want to try and show someone that you have redeeming qualities ... that youre not that person they talk about in the paper.

But Kalamazoo County Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Getting, speaking on behalf of the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan, said the organization opposes the package and what Irwin proposed goes beyond current law.

Getting maintained both the United States and Michigan supreme courts never held life without parole for a juvenile was unconstitutional, but that the automatic imposition of it was.

We are in favor of juveniles having second chances, but we are also in favor of juveniles who have committed the most horrific acts facing that ultimate consequence of the possibility of life without parole, he said, and these bills take away even that possibility for the most deserving.

Lawmakers have yet to vote on the bills, and committee Chair Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, said work would continue on the legislation.

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Heres whats on the May 2023 ballot in Genesee County
Michigan reporting all 83 counties with low COVID-19 community levels lasted just one week.

As of Friday, April 28, the state had three counties climb back into medium levels, according to metrics designed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which look at reported COVID infections and hospitalizations.

Dickinson, Iron and Menominee -- all located along the boarder of Wisconsin in the western Upper Peninsula -- saw a return to medium status due to their increase in COVID hospitalizations per capita. All three counties reported a medium level two weeks ago before showing progress last week.

The rest of the state, including the entire Lower Peninsula, maintained its low coronavirus levels from recent weeks. Confirmed daily COVID-19 infections continue to decline to levels not seen since last summer, and hospitalizations continue to wind down as well.

Federal health officials assess each countys COVID Community Level based on reported coronavirus infections and hospitalizations. Experts recommend residents living in high-risk areas to consider masking indoors, regardless of vaccination status, to limit transmission.

Community Levels put counties in one of three buckets: low (green), medium (yellow) or high (orange). The goal is to prevent severe disease and limit strain on hospitals.

No county has reached a high COVID level over the last five weeks.

Heres the latest map showing the Community Level for each Michigan county. Tap/hover over a county to see details.

(Cant see the map? Click here.)

For hospitalizations, the CDC looks at three pieces: the percentage of staffed hospital beds occupied by COVID patients, COVID hospital admissions per capita and COVID cases per capita.

A county is at a high level when there are 200-plus new cases per 100,000 for the week and either (A) 10-plus new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 or (B) at least 10% of the staffed inpatient beds are occupied by COVID patients. If hospitalizations are particularly high, even a county with low cases can be at a high level, per the CDC formula.

(Not every county has a hospital, so each is assigned a health services area, a larger region that contains at least one hospital. Counties are attributed the metrics for the entire area, weighted based on each countys population. For example: Monroe Countys health services area also includes the Toledo, Ohio area.)

Heres more on the latest COVID-19 trends in Michigan.

Michigan is reporting 301 new, confirmed cases per day in the past week

Reported COVID-19 cases continue to drop in Michigan.

Michigan averaged 867 confirmed infections per day the first week of March. Since then, that average has dipped to 301 cases per day -- a number the state hasnt seen since July 2021.

Seven counties reported no new cases last week. They were Baraga, Missaukee, Luce, Oscoda, Alger, Montmorency and Mackinac.

The top 10 counties by new cases per 100,000 people were Schoolcraft (50), Keweenaw (49), Gogebic (49), Arenac (47), Clare (45), Alcona (39), Menominee (38), Branch (38), Lake (33), and Berrien (32).

The top 10 counties by total new cases without accounting for population were Wayne (376), Oakland (315), Macomb (229), Washtenaw (101), Kent (99), Genesee (98), Ingham (86), Saginaw (51), Ottawa (51), and Berrien (50).

Cases are confirmed when theres a positive result from an NAAT/RT-PCR test. Cases are probable when theres a reported antigen (rapid) test or if somebody has symptoms and was exposed to a person with COVID-19.

All graphics in this story are based only on confirmed numbers, which differs from the states use of confirmed plus probable data in its reporting.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reports COVID cases once per week. There were 3,124 confirmed and probable cases this week, down from 3,867 last week.

Michigan has reported more than 2.65 million confirmed COVID cases and at least 450,038 probable cases since the pandemic began.

The chart below shows the seven-day average for new, confirmed COVID cases throughout the pandemic.

(Cant see the chart? Click here.)

29 counties saw rise in cases in last seven days

Of Michigans 83 counties, 29 had an increase in cases this week compared to last week. Thats nine more than the prior week.

See the database below to search/sort case totals by county. The chart also shows the percent change from week to week and the seven-day case average per capita.

(Cant see the database? Click here.)

Michigan ranks 10th in the U.S. in new cases per capita

Michigan was tied for the 10-most COVID cases per capita of the 50 U.S. states for the week of April 13-19, per the New York Times.

States with the most cases per capita this week were Hawaii, New Mexico, Alaska, North Dakota and Arizona. States with the fewest reported cases per capita were Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia and Utah.

COVID case totals dont tell the whole story. At-home tests are not reported, so those arent included in the data. Thats why its also key to look at percent positivity of reported tests and data on hospitalizations and deaths.

For COVID hospital admissions, Michigan was tied for 36th-most per capita during that time. For COVID deaths per capita, Michigan was tied for 14th.

Average test positivity is 7.2%

About 7.2% of COVID tests submitted to the state this week were positive, down from 8.8% last week

Michigans rate has been below 10% for a few weeks after sitting above that threshold for the better part of a year.

Michigans rate peaked at 35% in January 2022. It dipped as low as 2% in early March 2022 before climbing again. However, the rise in at-home, self-testing led to rates typically remaining higher due to fewer people reporting negative test results to their local health departments.

The graph below shows the percentage of COVID-19 tests reported that came back positive throughout the pandemic.

(Cant see the chart? Click here.)

Luce and Schoolcraft counties in the U.P. had the highest percent positivity for Michigan counties last week. Meanwhile, seven counties reported a rate of 0%.

To see the COVID test positivity rate for your county, see the searchable table below.

Hospitals treating 438 confirmed or suspected adult COVID-19 patients

COVID hospitalizations dropped from 551 confirmed or suspected adult cases of COVID-19 last week, and 596 the week prior.

Among the adults with COVID hospitalized on Wednesday, April 26, the state reported that 54 were in intensive care and 27 were on a ventilator.

Michigan also had 10 children hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID as of Wednesday, which was slightly fewer than the last two weeks.

Michigan is reporting nine new COVID deaths per day in the past week

Michigan had nine COVID deaths per day this week. Thats up from five per day a week ago, but still down from 10 per day the week prior.

Twenty-five counties reported at least one COVID death, led by Wayne and Oakland with 11 each. Macomb reported seen deaths while Kent had six, Genesee and Kalamazoo had three, and Saginaw, Berrien, Bay and Isabella counties each reported two new deaths.

Michigan has had 38,474 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and 4,275 probable COVID deaths since the pandemic began. During omicrons peak last January, Michigan was averaging more than 100 COVID deaths per day.

The chart below shows the seven-day average for COVID deaths throughout the pandemic.

(Cant see the chart? Click here.)

Vaccinations: 16.8% of residents have received omicron-specific booster

About 64% of Michigan residents have gotten at least one COVID shot, 59.6% have received the full original regimen and 38.9% have been boosted.

The omicron-specific COVID-19 booster is available in Michigan from both Pfizer and Moderna. About 16.8% of residents have received the bivalent booster so far, or about 1.66 million residents.

Below is a breakdown by age group of Michiganders whove gotten at least one shot (initiated), those who have two shots (completed) and those who are considered up to date on COVID vaccines, as of Wednesday, April 26. The state didnt update its vaccination data this week due to a technical issue.

75 and older: 87.3% initiated; 82.8% completed, 36.3% up to date



65 to 74: 90.6% initiated; 86.8% completed, 41% up to date



50 to 64: 77% initiated; 73% completed, 22% up to date



40 to 49: 67.9% initiated; 63.3% completed, 12.9% up to date



30 to 39: 66.3% initiated; 60.7% completed, 10.6% up to date



20 to 29: 56.4% initiated; 50.5% completed, 6.4% up to date



16 to 19: 57.3% initiated; 52.5% completed, 6.3% up to date



12 to 15: 50.3% initiated; 46.8% completed, 7.7% up to date



5 to 11: 31.3% initiated; 28.4% completed, 5.2% up to date



Younger than 5: 10% initiated, 6% completed, 4% up to date



For more statewide data, visit MLives coronavirus data page.

To find a testing site near you, check out the states online test find send an email to COVID19@michigan.gov, or call 888-535-6136 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Read more on MLive:
LANSING, MI  A group pushing a ballot initiative to ban large solar farms in rural Michigan says it will revise its proposed petition after a state board expressed concern about the lack of specificity in submitted language.

Erin Hamilton of the Michigan Citizens for Protection of Farmland, which seeks to prohibit large renewable energy projects on Michigan agricultural land, formally withdrew the groups proposal during a state Board of Canvassers meeting in Lansing on Friday, April 28.

Hamilton, of Livingston County, said her group would redraft its proposal after board members and opponents pointed out that submitted language, if passed into law, would render existing renewable projects illegal.

As written, legislation initiated by the proposal would allow small, rooftop-scale solar but potentially impose a $10,000 daily fine on anyone operating a large project.

The board spent about an hour discussing proposed summary language drafted by the state elections director that, if approved, would be presented to petition signers.

I think it definitely needs to be clear that adoption of this proposal would require the termination of all solar power operations in the state, which is a very dramatic and probably illegal action, said chair Mary Ellen Gurewitz, a Democrat.

Hamilton said thats not the groups intent.

I am not interested in creating a disastrous situation where its suddenly you know, election day, it passes, and then the next day suddenly someones entire property is illegal, Hamilton said upon withdrawing the proposal. Thats not our goal here.

According to Hamilton, the group wants to protect and preserve farmland for long-term agricultural use, particularly by banning construction of large renewable energy projects of the type which have increasingly roiled local government meetings across Michigan.

In Livingston County, disputes over zoning allowances for solar energy have packed planning board meetings in places like Conway, Cohoctah, Marion and Iosco townships.

Renewable energy development interest in siting large, 1,000-plus acre solar projects on farmland has generated backlash in the area from residents say theyre worried such installations would complicate drainage and contribute to flooding.

Renewable supporters urged the canvassers board to add language into the proposed summary that would disclose negative policy impacts should such a proposal pass.

Mark Brewer, former Michigan Democratic Party chair, slammed the proposal as hopelessly vague and likely unconstitutional in public comment.

Brewer, who was representing the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, argued that the proposal would choke a revenue source for farmers and threaten energy jobs.

There are thousands of jobs in this industry around the state. Those jobs will disappear if these projects are banned on this scale, Brewer said. And its very clear that stopping solar projects like this will prevent Michigan from achieving its renewable energy goals.

Brendan Miller of the Land and Liberty Coalition and Ed Rivet of the Michigan Conservative Energy Forum said the proposal would transfer control over siting renewable energy projects from local elected boards to the state.

It will be a significant shift of power from local government to the state, Rivet said. Voters must be notified of this power shift and of the preemption of local control.

Scott Aughney, a drywall contractor from Jackson and unsuccessful candidate for Michigan Republican Party chair, accused local elected trustees and planning commissioners of being on the take, although he did not present any evidence beyond to say that most of the opposition in the hearing room was presented by attorneys. Its not easy to prove.

Theres a lot of liberal money going into these solar farms and buying off these local farmers, said Aughney, who also lumped wind turbine developments under the accusation.

Aughneys remarks drew some clapping from attendees.

Opposition to renewable projects has been mounting in some rural Michigan communities over the past few years.

Renewable power advocates say the transition to away from fossil fuels to wind and solar is imperative to mitigate the impacts from climate change, but that argument isnt swaying many some residents. In November, referendum voters in Montcalm County defeated plans for a 75-turbine wind park and recalled officials who supported the development.

In addition to Livingston and Montcalm, organized opposition has also developed in recent years to renewable projects in Branch, Ingham and Washtenaw counties.

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LANSING, MI  The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has rejected a proposed 162,000-acre expansion of the Camp Grayling National Guard base in northern Michigan but the agency will allow some military training exercises on state land under a new agreement.

The DNR announced Friday, April 28 that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) which would enable military access to 52,000 acres of state land through a permit for low impact training.

The decision follows almost a year of mounting opposition to the Guards expansion proposal from local governments, conservation groups and tribes in Michigan.

The Guard sought a 20-year no cost lease on enough adjacent state land to more than double the size of the base, which occupies parts of Crawford, Kalkaska and Otsego counties.

We appreciate the many comments we received on this proposal and the commitment people have to public lands, said Shannon Lott, acting DNR director. Public concerns and feedback from tribal governments, coupled with our own review of the proposal, led us to decide against a 20-year lease on such a significant portion of state-managed land.

The National Guard said it needed the additional land for drone, space, cyber and electronic warfare training and expanded airspace for modern fighter jet maneuvers.

The proposed expansion was being advanced concurrent with a military airspace expansion over northern Michigan that would allow jets to fly as low as 300 feet in some places.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is still reviewing the airspace proposal.

Under the new agreement, which was signed April 21, the National Guard can apply for state permits for limited, narrowly tailored use of state land for training exercises. The land must remain open to the public even during any military training exercises. The guard would have to pay for use of the land under regular general public fees.

No military training can happen with protective or sensitive habitat area or within 3,000 feet of inland lakes or certain designated trout streams.

Allowable training purposes are small formation activity involving less than 500 National Guard members and up to 100 affiliated partner members; controlled trials of cyber and electronic warfare technologies; and low impact or light maneuver training.

Land used for training must be returned to its pre-use conditions. Live fire, tanks, fencing, permanent structures or storage, and PFAS-based firefighting foam use will not be allowed on the land, according to the agreement. Activity that results in significant damage to vegetation will also not be allowed, as would violent, loud, or disorderly conduct.

The agreement must be renewed every five years.

The National Guard released a statement Friday indicating some disappointment with the decision to scale back the request, which the DNR had signaled was under consideration during a Feb. 28 legislative committee hearing.

While the MOUs framework doesnt meet the full vision of our original request, we believe it still provides distance and area required for some low-impact training that will help our service members stay safe and successful on a modern battlefield, said Col. Scott Meyers, Camp Grayling commander.

We respect the DNRs decision to deny our lease request while providing a way forward to help facilitate training capability for those who wear the uniform, and we appreciate the publics engagement over the last several months, as well as the feedback we received from tribal governments, Meyers said.

Conservation groups which opposed the expansion said they were happy to see the expansion curtailed, but remain concerned about the militarys footprint under the new agreement. The deal gives the Guard access to about another 80-square miles of land in addition to the bases existing 230-sqaure mile footprint.

We continue to be opposed to the expansion of Camp Grayling, by any method, said Joe Hemming, president of Anglers of the Au Sable.

We support our military, but have serious questions about the departments authority to issue a permit and the need for additional property for its electromagnetic warfare training, Hemming said. The Guard needs to improve its operations and relationships with local governments before it gets access to even more state property.

The anglers group cited the significant opposition among local governments to the proposal. Crawford, Kalkaska, Roscommon, Otsego and Bay county boards have passed resolutions in opposition, as have many townships.

Hemming said the new agreement fails to address Guard foot-dragging on cleaning up PFAS contamination at the base  concerns which, in December, led a local supervisor at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) to urge the DNR not to approve the expansion unless the Guard improves its pollution cleanup.

The group is also concerned about the impact of electromagnetic warfare training on the local ecology and want the Guard to study the impact electromagnetic signals could have on insects, birds, mammals and fish in the affected area.

We ask the DNR to provide detailed plans to allow public input in the permit process, and to require the Guard to do testing that will show the electromagnetic warfare activities will not hurt the environment, Hemming said.

We plan to remain engaged and vigilant as this process continues.

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29.04.2023 LISTEN

Cecil Duddley Mends, Chief Executive of CDM Fashion Couture, has been an established fashion designer for 14 years and his gowns have been worn by renowned personalities including The Gambian President Adama Barrow and President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio.

From Chancellors to Council Chairs, Vice-Chancellors, Pro VCs and Registrars, Cecil's impeccable products adorn various higher learning institutions at congregation and matriculation events, depicting the achievement of attained milestones and reverence of esteemed status.

When the news team visited Cecil's premises in Accra, his dedicated workers were diligently finishing touches on a set of robes to be delivered to a tertiary institution within the Greater Accra Region for a soon to be held event. As he puts it, "integrity is key in the fashion business," and the quality of Cecil's products rivals European and American standards.

The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic were felt at the business too, with lower patronage from educational institutions and periodic individual requests of robes for virtual graduation photo sessions.

In a bid to surmount the challenge, Cecil and his team have embraced innovative approaches. He also leads by example with words of wisdom - his advice to stakeholders and consumers is to look within Ghana for talented designers to sew authentic gowns of quality and competitive prices.

Cecil believes his company is committed to meeting and exceeding customer requirements, ensuring a 100% quality target that is adopted all the way through the manufacturing process.

Cecil went on to pursue a degree programme at the University of London, hold positions of increasing responsibility at Zoomlion, Japan Motors, and The Multimedia Group, and become the Chief Executive of CDM Fashion Couture and CDM School of Fashion.

His commitment to the industry was recognized in 2017 when he was awarded the Ghana Peace Award for Best Fashion Designer. He is an inspiration to all fashion designers and entrepreneurs.
ALBANY  Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a "conceptual" $229 billion state budget agreement on Thursday evening, laying out the broad strokes of deals struck with the Legislature related to public safety, energy and health care.

The budget is set to be passed about a month late because of Hochul's insistence on including two priorities: a change to the state's 2019 bail law and her plan to build 800,000 units of housing over a decade.

Hochul was forced to drop the housing plan last week amid resistance from the Legislature, but did announce that a deal had been reached on bail on Thursday.

"What was important was not a race to the deadline, but a race to the right results," Hochul said.

Budget bills containing the details of the agreements have not yet been printed or made publicly available, and lawmakers may not return to Albany to vote on them until Monday. But Hochul said that she, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, all Democrats, earlier Thursday had a conversation where they agreed that the budget's major issues had been ironed out.

Hochul used significant political capital pushing to amend a bail reform law passed in 2019, which eliminated cash bail for most misdemeanors and some nonviolent felony charges.

This year, Hochul successfully removed from the law a provision requiring judges to use "least restrictive" means to ensure a defendant returns to court. Hochul wanted to avoid confusion with other parts of the law giving judges greater discretion over whether to require bail in violent felony or serious misdemeanor cases.

Hochul's counsel, Elizabeth Fine, said the language in the state budget would direct judges "to consider the kind and degree of control or restriction necessary" to ensure the defendant's return to court.

When Hochul ran for election in 2022, she was effectively attacked by Republicans over rising crime and the bail law, in particular, and sought this budget to shore up the political weakness.

A deal to change the state's discovery laws, pushed by several district attorneys in New York City, fell out of the budget. Hochul said that the district attorneys decided not to support the deal that was struck between the governor and Legislature, resulting in nothing being included in the final agreement.

Hochul announced a $1 billion investment in mental health programs, and that she had reached a deal with the Legislature to reopen 22 charter schools, 14 in New York City and eight upstate.

She announced an agreement to require "zero emissions" new construction starting in 2025 for small buildings and by 2028 for larger ones. By those dates, new buildings will have to be heated through electricity, rather than fossil-fuels. The law will prohibit gas furnace hookups in the new construction.

On health care, Hochul said that hospitals and nursing homes would receive the "largest rate increase in two decades" in Medicaid reimbursement rates. Those rates have remained largely flat since 2008, financially imperiling hospitals that serve a significant number of low-income Medicaid patients.

Hochul did not state the figures, but there reportedly is a tentative deal to increase hospital Medicaid reimbursement rates by 7.5% and nursing home rates by 6.5%.

The Legislature had sought a 10% increase for both hospitals and nursing homes, while Hochul in her original budget proposal wanted a 5% increase for both.

Hochul also announced $500 million to help struggling safety net hospitals that serve many Medicaid patients. She originally had proposed no new money for her budget after agreeing to $700 million last year. The Legislature had advocated for $1 billion.

1199SEIU President George Gresham, who leads one of the state's largest health care unions, called those rate increases "wholly inadequate to address the health care crisis facing our state," and that the Hochul administration in other ways had significantly increased costs for hospitals this year.

"Deceptive math is not a replacement for the actual investment in care needed to protect the lives of New Yorks patients and nursing home residents," he said.
The National Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye has praised the party's parliamentary candidate for Kumawu, Ernest Yaw Anim.

He described him as a youthful and vibrant servant of the NPP.

The party recently elected Mr Anim in a by-election on May 23, 2023 following the sudden death of the previous MP, Philip Basoa.

In a Facebook post, Nana B shared Mr Anim's profile, describing him as a "chartered accountant with appreciable experience in finance, real estate, and portfolio management."

He also noted that Mr Anim had contributed immensely to the enhancement of the NPP's fortunes and the development of the grassroots.

"Ernest Yaw Anim holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Cape Coast, a Masters in Financial Economics from Ohio University, and is an ACCA fellow," Nana B wrote.

"His professional experience and natural human-centered attributes are the drivers of his vision to effectively mobilize resources and leverage his network for the development of the Kumawu constituency, he added.

Per his profile, Anim has worked with many reputable institutions in diverse roles, including as an Accounts Officer with Millennium Development Authority, Financial Controller of Vanguard Properties Development, General Manager at Pendo Capital Limited, Chief Finance Officer at Monarch Capital Limited, and a Payment and Tax Specialist with Cardno Emerging Markets, all in Ghana.
The Ghana School Feeding Secretariat has apologised to school feeding caterers for government failure to pay the arrears owed them.

According to the Head of Public Relations at the Ghana School Feeding Secretariat, Alfa Siba, the current state of the economy has delayed their payment but government is working assiduously to ensure the release of funds for the payment of their arrears.

Some caterers in the Ashanti Region under the governments school feeding program went on strike on Tuesday, April 4, demanding payment of arrears and an increase in the feeding grant per child.

The decision to withdraw their services comes after the caterers threatened to lay down their tools following the governments failure to pay arrears owed them.

The caterers who are also demanding an increment in the amount the government pays per child daily from ninety-seven pesewas to three Ghana cedis say the current amount is unsustainable because of the current state of the economy and its accompanying high cost of food commodities.

The caterers in their bid to get authorities to address their concerns petitioned the Ashanti Regional Minister on Monday, 3rd April 2023, but they however expressed dissatisfaction with his response to their concerns as they were ordered to leave.

But speaking in an interview, Alfa Siba said the funds will be released soon.

We are engaging the relevant stakeholders and the caterers to see how best we can resolve the issue. Just last week, we paid the second term of the 2022 academic year to all the districts. So, we are appealing to the caterers to rescind their decision not to cook while we continue the engagements, he assured.

He added that all efforts have been made to increase the feeding grant.
Youth Rise International (YoRI), a youth-driven grassroot and advocacy development organization, has called on African governments to initiate and invest massively in a long-term Youth in Agriculture Programme (YAP) to make agriculture attractive to young people.

They must harness the combined power of the huge youthful population and abundant uncultivated arable lands by rolling out national level YAP.

Such programmes must focus on re-directing the time and energies of the unemployed youth into commercial agriculture using modern irrigation systems.

This will create jobs, improve food security, reduce extreme poverty and vulnerability that leads to cross-border trafficking, YoRI said in a release as it joined the global community to commemorate the World Earth Day on Saturday, April 22.

The Day is annually celebration to honour the achievements of the environmental movement and raises awareness of the need to protect the Earth.

Among others, YoRI is a survivor-led that focuses on mobilizing the young people and local communities to fight extreme poverty, inequality, and marginalization through promotion of social protection, education, decent work, climate justice, maternal and child health and advocacy/policy influencing.

YoRI said it had observed in recent times with deep worry some youth uprisings and demonstrations across major cities of Africa largely whirled on high food prices, high cost of living and rising youth unemployment.

It said the youth concerns corroborates World Bank estimates that 40 percent of people who joined rebel movements were motivated by a lack of economic opportunity, something we totally condemn in no uncertain terms.

This phenomenon has become urgent because, while the world and the continent of Africa continues to grapple with the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and conflict, climate and environmental changes are worsening the current volatile economic situation.

There is deepening extreme poverty for the marginalized and socially excluded whose major source of livelihoods depends on rain-fed agriculture systems, the statement said.

YoRI said the current food system feeds the great majority of the world population and supports the livelihoods of over 1 billion people, but its pressured from non-climate stressors, particularly population and income growth and climate change.

Sadly, climate change negatively affects all four pillars of food security; availability, access, utilization, and stability.

YoRI reaffirmed a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) observation which estimated that there is a need to produce about 50 per cent more food by 2050 to feed the increasing world population.

FAO noted almost 60 per cent of Africas population is under the age of 25, making Africa the continent with the youngest population in the world, but it must adopt efficient irrigation systems and environmental practices that protect and preserve the climate among others.

Again, Africa is blessed with many natural advantages and rising market opportunities that could be leveraged for agriculture transformation.

Undeniably, our planet needs us now more than ever. There is no gainsaying that the upcoming years will be crucial to averting the worst effects of the climate emergency, and every one of us has a part to play, the statement said.
French authorities on Thursday razed an informal settlement on the Indian Ocean island of Mayotte after overnight unrest sparked by government plans to clear slums and send illegal migrants back to the neighbouring Comoros.

Operation Wuambushu ("Take Back" in the local language, Mahoran) recently sparked clashes between youths and security forces on the French island and fuelled political tensions with the neighbouring Comoros.

Two mechanical diggers on Thursday morning demolished the shanties in the Longoni neighbourhood on the north of the island in less than an hour, reporters for the AFP news agency at the scene said.

The French government representative in Mayotte, Thierry Suquet, said the "small slum" was being cleared after a December court order to make way for a vocational training institute.

He told reporters that the settlement, which had once housed around 10 families, no longer had permanent inhabitants, and alternative housing had been offered to those using it as a temporary shelter.

But 32-year-old Zarianti Bina told AFP the sudden demolition had come as a surprise.

"My mother lives here," she said. "I only learnt they were coming yesterday. We have been contesting this for a year, but we got no prior warning."

"No solution has been provided," she claimed.

An effort to end insecurity, improve conditions

Thierry Suquet said there was further violence overnight in the town of Mamoudzou, where police arrested one person after youths tried to set fire to "vehicles and buildings".

Some 1,800 members of the French security forces, including hundreds of reinforcements sent from Paris, have been deployed for Operation Wuambushu, which aims to improve living conditions and end insecurity for Mayotte locals.

The start of the operation was delayed when a court in Mamoudzou ordered a last-minute halt to the clearance last Tuesday of a much larger slum in Koungou called Talus 2. That court decision is now being appealed.

The operation also faces opposition from the Comoros, whose three islands lie to the northwest of Mayotte.

The Comorian authorities are refusing to accept people deported from Mayotte, saying the impoverished archipelago cannot cope with the influx.

On Monday, the Comoros suspended docking authorisation for boats arriving from Mayotte. Expelled migrants are usually taken to the port of Mutsamudu on the island of Anjouan, 70 kilometres from the French island.

Around half of Mayotte's roughly 350,000 population is estimated to be foreign, mostly Comoran.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Jomoro Constituency of the Western Region, Dorcas Afo-Toffey has constructed and commissioned a potable water project for the good people of Fante Newtown near Elubo in the Anwiafutu Electoral Area.

Residents and domestic animals of Fante Newtown have been competing for water over years.

The project has brought a sigh of relief to the residents who suffered decades of acute water shortage.

It is the aim of the opposition NDC MP to provide potable drinking water to communities in her jurisdiction before next general election to save lives.

Performing the handing-over ceremony at Fante Newtown, Dorcas Afo-Toffey said she constructed the potable water project to prevent the residents from sharing water with domestic animals in order to prevent them from getting water-borne diseases.

"During my earlier fact- finding visit to Fante Newtown, it came to light that access to safe drinking water was one of the basic essential utilities they lacked hence the need to provide them with this potable water project here.

"In fact, when the chief and his elders sent me to the stream that they use for their domestic purposes, I became very sad, the colour of the stream was very bad and unhygienic and I immediately promised to construct a potable drinking water project for them", she added.

She commended the chief and his people for supporting the contractor to complete the project on time.

"I'm very happy to be here today to commission the water project I pledged to construct for this farming community, let me thank the chief and people of Fante Newtown for supporting the contractor to complete this water project on time, today my people of Fante Newtown will not drink from the bad water again, God bless you", she expressed her excitement.

Dorcas Afo-Toffey seized the opportunity to appeal to the good people of Fante Newtown to the take proper care of the water project to last long.

She also appealed to them to pray for her and rally behind her to retain the Jomoro Parliamentary seat in 2024 to develop their community.

"I will take this opportunity to appeal to you make good use of the project to last long, report any fault of the project to me for immediate repair so that the project will serve its intended purpose because I have spent a lot of money on this project", she urged.

The sub-chief of Fante Newtown, Odikro Job Painstil commended the Jomoro MP, Dorcas Afo-Toffey for fulfilling her pledge.

"We thank Hon. Dorcas Afo-Toffey for honouring her pledge because when she came here and we sent her to where we fetch water and saw the state of it and we appealed to her to help us, she pledged to help us and she has done it. This is what we called action MP, before Hon. Dorcas Afo-Toffey, so many politicians had promised us with potable water project but they did not do it. God bless you Hon. Dorcas Afo-Toffey for helping us, you did not deceived us", he said.

He also commended the MP for providing the community with streetlights and made a passionate appeal to her to rehabilitate their main road which is in a very deplorable state.

"Let me commend Hon. Dorcas Afo-Toffey for giving us streetlights, God bless you. I will use this opportunity to appeal to you to rehabilitate our main road for us, our youth too are jobless so kindly remember them, our telecommunication network is not good, help us. We know they sent you to court for two years yet still you are helping Jomoro Constituency, God for you abundantly", he stated.

He took the opportunity to pray for the MP for wisdom and long life.

"God bless her and protect her in all her endeavors, God should fight against her enemies and I believe God is with her and nothing can happen to her and we will continue to pray for her always", he said.

On his part, the Assembly Member for Anwiafutu Electoral Area, Hamid Abubakar Kabenla, expressed his appreciation to the MP for the gesture, adding that the water project would go a long way to help reduce the challenges they go through in accessing drinking water at long distances.

He promised the MP that the community would maintain the project to serve its intended purpose.

Fante Newtown is a cocoa farming community in Anwiafutu Electoral Area with a population of over 500. This is the first time the community has been provided with potable water project.
Amnesty International (AI) Ghana says despite the significant strides in the fight against human rights violations, the situation in Ghana is worrying.

Ghana prides itself as a beacon of democracy in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the human rights situation today is concerning, it said, asserting that lip service was being paid to issues of human rights in the country.

Mr Francis Nyantakyi, Board Chairman, Amnesty International, speaking at the 50th Anniversary launch of the human rights advocacy organisation and the launch of the AI 2022/2023 Report, said Ghana's human rights records for the past two years had not been impressive as there was little improvement.

For instance, he said, the country had not developed eviction guidelines and that ministries, departments and agencies of state continued with unlawful evictions with impunity.

He said journalists had consistently been under attack by the police and other security agencies, adding that the security agencies, especially the police and the military, continued to torture citizens.

Mr Nyantakyi said prison conditions remained deplorable with no clear roadmap to decongest the prisons and to give inmates decent conditions.

The Amnesty International Board Chairman asserted that women continued to be accused of witchcraft and were subjected to inhuman treatment, adding that witches continue to exist although they have been outlawed.

He cited the painful death of Akua Dente of Kafaba which is a constant reminder of how the state failed to secure rights for some vulnerable women.

Mr Nyantakyi said the Government's inaction in addressing those pertinent human rights issues and abuses regressed the desire to consolidate Ghana's status as a democratic and rights respecting nation.

As a move to contribute to improving Ghana's Human Rights records, Amnesty International Ghana urged the Office of the President and the Attorney General to sponsor bills including the Armed Forces amendment bill 2022, Criminal Offences amendment bill 2022, Witchcraft accusation bill with the necessary state resources to get them passed without further delay.

Mr Nyantakyi said, the failure of the Government of Ghana to facilitate the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill should be a concern to all as the contribution of women in all spheres of the nation's life needed to be recognized and efforts made to position them to effectively participate in decision making.

Amnesty International Ghana is hereby calling on the President of Ghana to honour his promise to the good people of Ghana on the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill, he said.

On the use of excessive force by the Police, the 2022/2023 Amnesty International Report revealed that, on February 3, a group of plain-clothes security officers assaulted a radio presenter, reportedly damaging his eardrum, when he refused to surrender his phone.

The presenter had filmed the officers escorting handcuffed suspects in Takoradi.

On the death penalty, the report said, in April the Armed Forces (Amendment) Bill 2022 and the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill were introduced to parliament to replace the death penalty with life imprisonment for military and ordinary crimes.

It said, as at the end of the year, the bills were still under consideration in parliament and the amendments would not abolish the death penalty for high treason, which was provided for by the Constitution.

Mr Francis Xavier Sosu, Member of Parliament for Madina, said, human rights in Ghana is in danger because many things happening in the country suggests that we are losing the human right fight  human battle.

He called on human rights activists, crusaders, and policy makers not to wait for a major disaster before the issues of fundamental human rights are addressed.

According to the human rights lawyer, We dont need a holocaust before we know that the right to life matters; we dont need any major form of evictions affecting many people and others lives before we rise up.

All little things that happen that question our respect for the dignity of man, our respect for rule of law, our respect for freedom of expression, he said were the reasons why some actions needed to be taken.

Amnesty International was established in Ghana in 1973.

Over the past 50 years Amnesty International Ghana has been at the forefront of human rights work, promoting freedoms and rights.

It has supported the development of many local and international human rights instruments through its work and the support of partners.

GNA
Burkina Faso's military-run government on Thursday broke its silence over a massacre carried out by men in army uniform, issuing a statement condemning "barbaric acts" and urging a full investigation.

Armed men dressed in the fatigues of the country's armed forces slaughtered inhabitants of the village of Karma in the jihadist-hit north on April 20, killing around 60 people, according to a local prosecutor.

The statement issued by Communications Minister Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo expressed "particular concern over reports of killings, in circumstances that remain to be clarified".

It condemned "these unspeakable and barbaric acts" and urged investigators to "shed light on the affair, which is repellent to the individual and collective conscience of all men and women enamoured of peace, justice and freedom".

Survivors and local residents of Karma have issued a statement saying more than 100 people died and described a massacre by uniformed men that lasted hours.

Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN's high commissioner for human rights, has said that according to reports "at least 150 civilians" may have been killed.

The attack was officially disclosed on Sunday, three days after events.

The bloodbath came on the heels of a jihadist attack that claimed the lives of 40 troops and militiamen and prompted the junta to declare a year-long "general mobilisation" to give the state "all necessary means" to counter the militants.

Burkina Faso's armed forces are struggling against Islamist gunmen who swept in from neighbouring Mali in 2015.

More than 10,000 civilians and members of the security forces have died, according to an NGO estimate, while at least two million people have fled their homes and at least a third of the country lies outside government control.

The setbacks have sparked anger within the military, fuelling two coups last year that last September led to the ascent of the current junta leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore.

He has vowed to reconquer lost ground, but attacks on the security forces and civilians have worsened since the start of the year, inflicting hundreds of fatalities.
The Central Regional Office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) raked in more than GH64 million owed by debtors since it began the revenue mobilization drive from Monday, March 20 to Thursday, April 20.

Prior to the exercise, the region could collect GH40 million on average per month, Mr Emmanuel Lumor, the Regional Manager told the media in an interview in Cape Coast.

Though the region could not collect the expected GH275 million owed by debtors he described the exercise as a success.

He, however, regretted the fact that several institutions had to wait for ECG to disconnect them before making efforts to pay regardless of the impact on their businesses.

The exercise also, saw many high-profile institutions disconnected from the national grid mainly for non-payment of electricity consumed.

Prominent among them were the unfortunate disconnection of the administrative blocks and staff bungalows of Senior High Schools (SHS) including Apam SHS, Otuam SHS, Mfantseman Girls' and Methodist High.

Others are Kwagyir Aggrey SHS, Biriwa National Vocational Training Institute, Moree SHS, Jukwa SHS, Efutu SHS, Komenda SHS among others.

However, academic activities went on smoothly as structures including classrooms, dining halls, and dormitories, among other teaching and learning structures were spared for academic and security reasons.

He noted that many of the affected schools have since been reconnected.

For the period of the exercise, he said five homeowners were arrested across the region for illegal connection and gave strong assurance that the culprit would be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.

In addition to that, he said the company was investing heavily in technology to enable it identify customers who engaged in illegalities.

We have introduced some smart meter solutions on a pilot basis, which give us real-time updates of what is happening on a customers premises. It signals our office once the meter case is opened, bypassed or tampered with, he explained.

Mr Lumor said revenue mobilization was part of ECG's daily operations but it was handled by the Revenue Protection Unit.

For a special exercise, he emphasised that the organization rallied the management team and all back-end staff from the very top to the bottom, who do not usually deal with customers directly to partake in the activity.
The chair of the Afrobarometer Board, E. Gyimah-Boadi and communications coordinator Asafika Mpako will be guest speakers at the upcoming 2023 Ibrahim Governance Weekend.

The Mo Ibrahim Foundation, which aims to advance good governance and leadership in Africa by recognising outstanding African leaders and fostering discourse on governance and development challenges, is hosting the event 28-30 April in Nairobi, Kenya.

Discussions will center on the theme #GlobalAfrica. Mpako, whose work includes a focus on youth issues, will share her thoughts on how Africa and Europe can work together on youth economic inclusion and mobility as part of a Now Narratives session on 30 April.

These sessions will seek to bridge gaps in perceptions between Africa and Europe through dialogue that challenges outdated stereotypes, replacing them with nuanced accounts of lived realities.

It is important that the youth contribute to governance issues in Africa, and I am glad to be part of the session that allows youth voices to be heard, Mpako said.

Gyimah-Boadi, who co-founded Afrobarometer more than two decades ago, will speak at the Harnessing the Power of Data to Achieve Africas Development Goals session on 30 April, focusing on ways to strengthen Africas data landscape to take stock of progress and propose solutions to increase data production and uptake.

"I am thrilled that Afrobarometer will be participating in the Ibrahim Governance Weekend, as it provides an important platform for us to engage with key stakeholders and contribute to the discourse on governance and development challenges in Africa," Gyimah-Boadi said.

The weekends Leadership Ceremony, an opportunity to celebrate achievement and reflect on the challenges of leadership in the modern world, will celebrate in person the winner of the 2021 Ibrahim Prize, former President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger.

Afrobarometers engagement with the Ibrahim Governance Weekend continues its longstanding relationship with the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, including as a data source for the foundations Ibrahim Index of African Governance.
The Office of Ghanas President has sent a letter to Al Jazeera about its gold smuggling documentary aired this month.

The Gold smuggling documentary claims the President of Ghana personally benefitted unlawfully from an alleged $100m state infrastructure contract purportedly awarded to one Mr. Alistair Mathias.

But in the letter from the Presidency, it stressed that the documentary is not only inaccurate but unfair as well.

On the orders of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, his secretary, Nana Bediatuo Asante has asked Al Jazeera to retract and apologise.

I am instructed by the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to demand formally that Al Jazeera Media Network ("Al Jazeera") retract immediately and apologise for airing an inaccurate and unfair documentary that contained spurious and unsubstantiated allegations against the President and the Government of Ghana, parts of the letter said.

The Presidency notes that parts of the Al Jazeera documentary are malicious, defamatory, and a calculated attempt to tarnish the reputation of the President and Government of Ghana.

Accusing Al Jazeera of unprofessional conduct, the Office of the President of Ghana in its letter wants the international media network to act forthwith on the request for retraction and apology within seven (7) days from the date of receipt of its letter.

Below is a copy of the letter from the Presidency to Al Jazeera:
New York Army National Guard soldiers from the Syracuse-based 27th Infantry Brigade Combat team are on their way home after overseeing the training of 9,600 Ukrainian troops.

The 140 soldiers, organized as Task Force Orion  for the brigade's nickname of Orion, the hunter  served as the command and administrative elements for the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine, known as the JTMG-U for short, since taking charge of the NATO's Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine in August of 2022.

According to a news release, over the course of nine months, Task Force Orion oversaw the U.S.-led training of Armed Forces of Ukraine soldiers on more than 15 different systems and equipment. The New Yorkers also assisted in the training of more than eight Ukrainian battalion tactical groups in combined arms and joint maneuver, according to Army officials.

"The proof and the results are in the bravery and the actions of our Ukrainian brothers and sisters who are accomplishing them on the battlefield," said Col. William Murphy, the task force commander.

On Friday, Task Force Orion turned over the responsibility for the JTMG-U to a National Guard team from Arkansas during a ceremony in Grafenwoehr, Germany.

While the 27th is headquartered in Syracuse it has units across the state and drew soldiers from all these units for Task Force Orion.

Murphy turned over command of the training group to Col. Olen Bridges, commander of the Arkansas Army National Guard's Task Force Bowie, during the ceremony.

The New York soldiers will return from Germany to Fort Bliss, Texas for demobilization and then will return home to airports across the state in May.

The training group was originally operating at Ukraine's training center near Yavoriv, Ukraine. In February 2022, just prior to the Russian invasion, the American trainers from the Florida Army National Guard, were relocated to the Grafenwoehr base.

From April to December 2022, training focused on instructing Ukrainian military personnel on how to use the American weapons systems and equipment sent to Ukraine.

Since January, training has included combined arms maneuver and staff training for Ukrainian battalions, brigades, and corps.

Task forces assigned to the mission have worked with numerous U.S. military units, as well as Allied and partner nations to ensure the success of U.S.-led Ukrainian training in Germany.

"The one common thread that has run through all of this, that has united all of those organizations and linked them together with our Ukrainian counterparts, has been JMTG-U," said Col. Stephen C. Marr, chief of staff of 7th Army Training Command.

The 27th Infantry Brigade is the only brigade to have contributed troops to the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine twice.

Soldiers from the New York Army National Guard conducted training for Ukrainian troops, alongside other NATO soldiers, at the Yavoriv base from November 2017 to August 2018.
28.04.2023 LISTEN

Large numbers of mourners from all walks of life, especially New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters in the Kumawu constituency, on Thursday showed up in their numbers to mourn with family and friends during the one-week observation for the deceased Member of Parliament, Philip Basoa.

Among the many mourners and sympathizers were the Vice President of the Republic, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the chief of staff, ministers, and some Members of Parliament.

Vice President Bawumia was welcomed to the funeral grounds by a frenetically charged crowd of NPP supporters, mainly polling station executives in the Kumawu constituency.

Also present at the funeral was former trades and industry minister Hon Alan Kyerematen. Knowing very well that both the Vice President and Mr Kyerematen are contenders for the NPP flagbearership race, it was expected that both candidates would pull greater numbers at the funeral.

However, it was obvious that Vice President Bawumia had the numbers at the Kumawu constituency if what happened at the grounds is anything to go by.

The Vice President was welcomed by the elated crowd walking side by side with the newly elected Parliamentary candidate for the constituency, Mr. Ernest Yaw Anim. It was also clear from the gathering that Mr Anim's loyalty and support for the Vice President is unquestionable, contrary to speculations by some supporters of Mr Kyerematen that the PC supports their candidate.

Earlier, the Vice President paid a courtesy call on the chiefs and people of Kumawu. He was accompanied by some MPs in the Ashanti region, regional and constituency executives, as well as some party stalwarts.
School feeding caterers in the Northern Region are divided over the industrial action they have been directed to obey.

While others are complying with the directive to suspend cooking, others have also ignored it and gone ahead to cook for pupils.

A visit to the Jisonayili E/A Basic School in the Northern Region saw caterers at work and served the pupils meals.

The matron at the school, Lucy Kannae explains her reason for defying the strike.

Its true that our colleague caterers are on strike but all of us cannot go on strike and allow the pupils to go hungry. Things have gone up astronomically, so we are pleading with our President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to increase the 97 pesewas. Its not the best at all. But all of us cannot strike because some of the kids depend on the food we cook for them. Some of the parents are unable to cater for their kids, so they fall on us.

So if you are a caterer, and you are well-to-do, you have to consider and cook for the kids. Because we have not been cooking some of the kids have not been coming to school. The payments should be fast-tracked, he stated.

Caterers under the School Feeding Programme declared a nationwide strike following the government's failure to pay them their arrears and increase the amount per child.

The aggrieved caterers say until the government agrees to pay them GH3.50 per child, they won't call off their strike.

citinewsroom
28.04.2023 LISTEN

Special Aide and Spokesperson to former President John Dramani Mahama, Joyce Bawah Mogtari (Esq), has described her boss as a servant leader who is ready to rebuild Ghana for all to benefit.

Madam Joyce Mogtari said the former President is the candidate who can be entrusted with the countrys responsibilities.

Urging the youth into the former Presidents camp, Madam Joyce Mogtari in a Facebook post described Mr. Mahama as a statesman who empathises and connects with young people.

With the blessings of the Almighty God and your support, John Dramani Mahama is the servant leader who would lead us all to build the Ghana we want together, for all of us and not a few. John Mahama is a safe pair of hands, an experienced politician and statesman who empathizes and naturally connects with young people because he has children just like you and many others, Joyce Mogtari underscored.

According to her, Mr. Mahama is a disciplined and transparent leader who is open to new ideas and perspectives.

Read below Madam Joyce Bawah Mogtaris Facebook post

WHY JOHN MAHAMA IS THE HOPE OF GHANA'S YOUTH

My dear young Ghanaians, you are a very important part of our country's demographic.

What it means is that you are an integral ingredient in the realization of our destiny as a country. It is why I am personally gratified that many of you are willing to join hands in Building the Ghana we want Together with John Dramani Mahama.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is the largest  opposition  and most attractive political party in Ghana today. We are excited and recognize with great humility, the number of young people, men and women who have filed their nominations to contest in the various constituencies on the party's ticket.

As noted by President Mahama, he will continue, after the May13 primaries, with his usual conversations with young people across the country, and from all walks of life, to discuss the future of Ghana. Through these conversations, we will be better placed to chart a course towards a better future.

Just as he has always promoted, John Mahama believes in the power of consultation and communicating effectively with young people, your parents, and other stakeholders.

You have in John Mahama an empathetic leader; one who understands the experiences and challenges that young people face. An ardent believer in the aspirations of the youth, he remains committed towards supporting and guiding young people towards achieving their goals.

He is a man with an excellent understanding of the issues that affect young people, such as employment, quality and transformative education, security, social and economic inequality.

John Mahama is a safe pair of hands, an experienced politician and statesman who empathizes and naturally connects with young people because he has children just like you and many others.

He is a man of proven leadership, compassion, discipline, and transparency. John Mahama is tolerant and affable and understands that the future of Ghana depends on the future of our young people.

Working hand in hand with you, you will find in him a leader who is able to work with diverse groups of young people, open to new ideas and perspectives, flexible, adaptable, and able to adjust the required governance approach based on the needs and interests of young people.

With the blessings of the Almighty God and your support, John Dramani Mahama is the servant leader who would lead us all to build the Ghana we want together, for all of us and not a few.

Joyce Bawah Mogtari( Esq). Special Aide & Spokesperson to HE John D. Mahama

citinewsroom
28.04.2023 LISTEN

A Non Governmental Organization, Carlos Rosa Foundation, has organized free health screening and maternal mortality awareness at Tafo in the Old Tafo municipal in the Ashanti region.

The awareness program according to the NGO was to encourage pregnant women to regularly patronize health facilities to know the health conditions of themselves and the unborn babies.

This, the NGO noted will reduce maternal mortality rate in the municipal.

The program, which was held on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at the Tafo Community Centre, was attended by pregnant and non-pregnant women from Tafo and its environ.

The Program Coordinator of Carlos Rosa Foundation Mr Kwame Brefo Kodua in an interview said the selection of Tafo was based on reported cases of maternal mortality recorded recently.

Carlos Rosa Foundation is aimed at promoting quality healthcare in Ghana, reducing maternal mortality is one of our prioritized areas so we are here to educate our women on the need to visit hospitals during their pregnancy stages, he said.

We have reports that expectant mothers dont visit maternity homes in the municipal here, which is very worrying as it puts the women at risk. So we are also here to encourage visiting the homes for the good of themselves and the unborn children, Mr Brefo Kodua added.

Mr Kwame Brefo Kodua addressing the women noted that prenatal care allows midwives and doctors to spot any problem like malaria, anemia and hypertension so that treatment can be administered to avert any danger.

He also advised them to ensure that their prescribed drugs are regularly taken to avoid babies with abnormalities, and always to heed to their midwives and doctors advice to end maternal mortality in the country.

The queen mother of Tafo Traditional Area Nana Obiyaa Atakora ll who chaired the program opined that some women lose their lives during and after delivery due to their inability to visit hospitals for maternal care due to lack of money to pay their bills and other essentials.

She then advised them to prepare themselves financially before becoming pregnant in order to buy drugs and other essentials before, during and after pregnancy.

Nana Obiyaa Atakora ll asked girls to abstain from pre-marital sex to avoid teenage pregnancies, as such unhealthy acts could have negative impact on their future development and progress.

Some of the participants after the awareness were grateful to Carlos Rosa Foundation for the education.

Some of the pregnant women attributed their inability to visit maternal homes to financial constraints, but promised to find ways necessary to do so for their safety and the unborn children.
The Rise

Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng is a physician and a cardiothoracic surgeon. He established the National Cardiothorasic Center and the Ghana Red Cross Society. He is the President of the Ghana Heart Foundation and a former Chief Executive Officer of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

Prof. Frimpong-Boateng served as the Head of the Department of Surgery at the University of Ghana Medical School. As a farmer, he was the man to establish the first ostrich farm in Ghana, in a village of Dedukope in the Volta Region.

Prof. Frimpong-Boateng performed the first open-heart surgery in Ghana using the heart-lung-machine. He was the Marketing Man of the Year in 1999 by the Chartered Institute of Marketing. He was awarded the Personality of the Decade in 2005 by the Millennium Excellence Foundation. The Media Men of Ghana awarded him the Legend of the Year in 2017. He served as the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation from 2017 to 2021.

The Fall

The fall of Prof. Frimpong-Boateng began when he accepted to be a Minister under Nana Akufo-Addo. His miscalculation started when in 2017, he accepted to chair the Inter-Ministerial Committee on illegal Mining (IMCIM). Little did he know that, that position was a trap to bring his political career down and a call for his life.

Now, Hon Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, a son of Prof, could tell the Prof. that he should leave him out of his fights. So Hon Oppong-Nkrumah sees Prof. Frimpong Boatengs report against galamsey as his fight

Gabby Otchere-Darko, who until NPP came to power in 2016, was just Gabby could tell Prof. and I quoted It tells you how weak the former Ministers understanding of his position is. If what I did was illegitimate, why didnt he take the right action? So, Gabby too can bring Prof. Frimpong-Boateng this low?

This article is intended for you, the NPP serial caller, or a member of the NPP who thinks today, you are somebody in the NPP so you can raise your shoulders high. I got to know that the NPP is not a party worth dying for from the treatment they gave to Vice President Aliu Mahama and now Prof. Frimpong-Boateng.

Dr. Bawumiah or Alan Kyeremantengs political carrier will end in November 2023. Hon. Oppong-Nkrumah, Richard Ahiagbah, Peter Amewu and the rest of you in the NPP should be careful with the party you are fighting for. If Vice President Aliu Mahama, Prof Frimpong-Boateng and others were used and later dumped, then you have to be steady because it will not be long and they will get to you. In future, dont say Dr. Lawrence didnt warn you.

Lawrence Appiah-Osei
The High Court in Accra has ordered for a retrial of Gregory Afoko who has been on trial for eight years over the death of the Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Alhaji Adams Mahama.

The second accused person, Asabke Alangde has also been sentenced to death by hanging.

This follows the decision of the Jury in the case to return a not guilty verdict of 4-3 in both the murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges against Gregory Afoko.

The jury however returned a unanimous guilty verdict on the charge of conspiracy to commit murder against the second accused person Asabke Alangde.

The jury however returned a not guilty verdict of 4-3 in the murder charge faced by the second accused person.

The two have been standing trial for the murder of the late NPP chairman Adams Mahama who was killed in 2015.

Gregory Afoko was arrested in 2015 days after it was confirmed that some unknown persons had poured acid on the then-NPP Upper East Regional chairman.

Asabke Alangde

Gregory Afoko was on trial from 2015 until 2019 when the state filed a Nolle Prosequi in the matter with the hope of starting the case afresh.

Meanwhile, the second accused person, Asabke Alangde who was on the run was arrested in 2019.

NEW TRAIL

Following the arrest of the second accused person, the state in 2019 charged the two with counts of conspiracy to commit murder and murder. In the over three years of the new trial, the state called 16 witnesses to prove its case.

The first accused person Gregory Afoko on his part called two witnesses while the second accused person did not call any witnesses.

CASE AGAINST ACCUSED PERSONS

The case against Gregory Afoko and Asabke Alangde is that the deceased before his death informed several persons at the crime scene, on the way to the hospital and in the hospital that the two accused persons were responsible for his injuries which later led to his death.

Prosecution presented witnesses who testified in court that the deceased truly revealed the persons who committed the offence to him.

Prosecution also presented a tracksuit belonging to Gregory Afoko which an expert witness testified that it had traces of acid which was in the gallon retrieved from the crime scene.

One of the prosecution's witnesses also testified that Gregory Afoko had earlier told him that he was 'going to show' the deceased.

The case against Asabke Alangde on the other hand was that he was with Gregory Afoko between the period the two were suspected to have committed the crime according to prosecution witnesses.

One of the Prosecution's witnesses testified that the two were at a pub called lovers inn hours before the incident and left together at 10 pm.

The state based on these was confident that it had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. The ingredients that the state was required to prove according to the Judge included that:

The deceased was indeed dead The death was caused by harm and the harm was unlawful

The harm was caused by the accused persons The harm was intentional

Prosecution's case was that the circumstantial evidence linking the accused persons to the incident and how the harm was caused was enough to prove its case.

The two accused persons in their defence however denied the claims made by prosecution.

JUDGEMENT

The jury after considering these arguments following the summing up made by Justice Afua Merley Wood came with their verdict after 40 minutes of deliberation.

The seven-member jury by a 4-3 verdict decided that Gregory Afoko was not guilty of the charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

The judge after reading this verdict stated that there is a hung jury and there will be retrial for A1 (Gregory Afoko) on both counts.

The jury however returned a unanimous verdict of guilty of conspiracy to commit murder for second accused person while they returned a 4-3 verdict of not guilty for Asabke Alangde.

The second accused was not happy with the verdict and prayed to the court saying My Lord, I haven't done anything, and I am pleading with the court.

His lawyers joined in saying My Lord should consider the accused as a first-time offender and also the circumstances surrounding this trial. My lady will see that the accused person was charged with two offences. Just like the first accused the members of the jury were undecided on the charge which arguably is the more serious of the two offences.

This decision is no doubt subject to several interpretations and consequences and decisions after today's sitting. In mitigation, therefore, we respectfully pray this court to tamper justice with mercy to come up with a decision that is favourable to all. This is definitely not the last time we'll hear about this case.

State prosecutor Appiah Opare, however, reminded the court that It is very clear from section 24 of Act 29 that the punishment for conspiracy to commit an offence is the same punishment that is meted out to the substantive offence and in this case the substantive offence is murder and the punishment for murder is death so the punishment for conspiracy to commit murder is death. That is what the statute says. The hands of this court are tied. There is no lesser punishment.

Justice Afua Merley Wood who agreed with this argument of the state sentenced the accused to death by hanging saying The men and women you selected to try you have found you guilty. You are hereby sentenced to death by hanging. May God have mercy on your soul.
Sudanese fighter jets pounded paramilitaries in Khartoum on Thursday while deadly fighting and looting flared in Darfur, as the army and a rival force agreed to extend an existing ceasefire even as battles raged.

In the final hours of a repeatedly broken three-day ceasefire, due to end at midnight (2200 GMT), the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced a 72-hour extension following pressure from Saudi Arabia and the United States.

There have been multiple truce efforts since fighting broke out on April 15 between Sudan's army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary RSF commanded by his deputy turned rival, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. All have failed.

Fragile ceasefire in Sudan as civilians flee. By Sophie RAMIS (AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the ceasefire had been "imperfect", but "nonetheless has reduced violence".

"I hear intense shelling outside my home," a Khartoum resident told AFP on Thursday evening, asking not to be named.

On Thursday, warplanes patrolled over the capital's northern suburbs as fighters on the ground exchanged artillery and heavy machinegun fire, witnesses said.

At least 512 people have been killed and 4,193 wounded in the fighting, according to health ministry figures, although the real death toll is likely much higher.

A Sudanese army armoured personnel carrier is parked near a trench in Khartoum as fighting continues. By - (AFP)

Hospitals have been shelled and more than two-thirds are out of service, the doctors' union said Thursday, reporting at least eight civilians killed in Khartoum alone on Wednesday.

The World Food Programme has said the violence could plunge millions more into hunger in a country where 15 million people -- one-third of the population -- need aid.

Abdou Dieng, UN aid chief in Sudan, speaking from Port Sudan on Thursday, said he was "extremely worried about the situation", with food supplies a huge concern.

Violence beyond Khartoum

Smoke rises from a building next to a damaged car in Khartoum, in this photo released by Indonesia on April 24. By Handout (INDONESIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY/AFP/File)

Fighting has also flared in the provinces, particularly in the war-torn western region of Darfur.

Witnesses said clashes raged for a second day in the West Darfur capital El Geneina, with pro-democracy medics reporting a doctor shot dead.

"We are locked up at home and too afraid to go out, so we can't assess the scale of the damage," said a resident, who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons.

The UN humanitarian agency said the fighting in West Darfur had disrupted food to "an estimated 50,000 acutely malnourished children".

The violence has trapped many civilians in their homes, where they have endured severe food, water and electricity shortages.

A woman evacuated from Sudan holds her pet cat as she arrives at Baghdad International Airport on April 27. By AHMAD AL-RUBAYE (AFP)

Those who can afford to have taken the long and risky journey to flee the country.

Egypt said Thursday that at least 14,000 Sudanese refugees had crossed the border since fighting erupted, as well as 2,000 people from 50 other countries.

"End the war", 50-year-old refugee Ashraf told the warring generals after entering Egypt. "This is your own conflict, not that of the Sudanese people."

At least 20,000 people have escaped into Chad, 4,000 into South Sudan, 3,500 into Ethiopia and 3,000 into the Central African Republic, according to the UN, which has warned if fighting continues as many as 270,000 people could flee.

War crimes suspect escapes

A Royal Air Force C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft carrying British evacuees from Sudan lands at Larnaca airport in Cyprus. By Christina ASSI (AFP)

Foreign governments have scrambled to get thousands of their citizens out, and UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly urged Britons to leave while they can, saying evacuations could not be guaranteed after the end of a ceasefire.

The latest Saudi evacuation ship docked in the Red Sea port of Jeddah on Thursday to take the total evacuated by Riyadh to 2,744, only 119 of them Saudis, the foreign ministry said.

Canada said on Thursday it had completed its first military flight carrying evacuees, with Defence Minister Anita Anand calling the situation "very volatile".

As lawlessness has gripped Sudan, there have been several jailbreaks, including from the high security Kober prison where top aides of ousted dictator Omar al-Bashir were held.

Sudanese civilians desperate to escape the fighting in the capital Khartoum prepare to board a bus out. By - (AFP)

Among the escapees is Ahmed Harun, wanted by the International Criminal Court to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

Harun's escape sparked fears of the involvement of Bashir loyalists in the ongoing fighting.

The army said 79-year-old Bashir was in a military hospital, and was moved before the fighting erupted.

Daglo's RSF emerged from the Janjaweed militia, accused of carrying out atrocities during Bashir's brutal suppression of ethnic minority rebels in Darfur in the mid-2000s.

Bashir was toppled by the military in April 2019 following civilian mass protests that raised hopes for a transition to democracy.

The two generals seized power together in a 2021 coup, but later fell out, most recently over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army.

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President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E Muhammadu Buhari said the opposition parties' firm belief that they could easily defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress caused them "crushing" in Nigeria's 2023 elections.

Speaking with governors from the APC, Buhari said the opposition parties were overconfident in the run-up to the elections.

They were already telling their foreign backers that they would defeat the APC. Our Party blended confidence with caution, we worked hard and won. Now, their overconfidence is creating more problems for the opposition than anyone else," Buhari said.

He added: "A combination of over confidence, complacency and bad tactical moves made them lose, plain and clear. This has created more problems in their camp. Why did they fail to remove us?"

Buhari said Tinubu's victory and that of several governorship positions won by the party showed the opposition had false hopes.

An important reason I congratulate Asiwaju on winning is because the opposition got support and false hope from outside and went on to create the impression that they will win, that they will defeat us," he said.

Buhari urged APC governors to address challenges openly and work to strengthen the party nationwide.

"Try and keep solving problems. Be courageous to discuss them openly between yourselves. This is the best way to survive politically in Nigeria," he said.

Tinubu's inauguration is set for May 29. He has pledged to build on Buhari's successes in tackling security threats and corruption.
President Nana Akufo-Addo has instructed his lawyers to compel Al Jazeera to retract and apologise for airing what it described as a "malicious and defamatory" documentary about him.

In a letter to Al Jazeera, Secretary, Nana Bediatuo Asante, said the documentary made "baseless claims" that Akufo-Addo acted as a lawyer for a man named Alistair Mathias and "implied that the President personally benefitted unlawfully from an alleged $100m state infrastructure contract" given to Mathias.

The letter said Akufo-Addo has not practised law since 2000 and does not recall representing Mathias. He asked Al Jazeera to provide evidence to support its claims.

"Those parts of the documentary are malicious, defamatory, and a calculated attempt to tarnish the reputation of the President and Government of Ghana," the secretary wrote.

He demanded that Al Jazeera "withdraws the documentary immediately, retract and apologise to the President and the Government of Ghana for airing such an unprofessional and defamatory documentary."

Al Jazeera's documentary claimed Mathias was given a $100 million state contract he outsourced, keeping some profits in offshore accounts. But Mathias denied this in the documentary, contradicting what he had told Al Jazeera's journalist.

"In light of these blatant denials by Mr. Alistair Mathias and the response from Mr. Essuman, those parts of the documentary ought not to have been included because those statements were not true," Nana Bediatuo wrote.

He gave Al Jazeera seven days to comply with the demands or face legal action, which the network is yet to respond.

The documentary is the latest in a string of Al Jazeera investigations accusing top African officials of corruption, particularly in gold smuggling.

Below is a copy of the letter from the President's Office:

REQUEST FOR RETRACTION AND APOLOGY FOR INACCURATE AND UNFAIR DOCUMENTARY ON THE PRESIDENT AND GOVERNMENT OF GHANA

I am instructed by the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to demand formally that Al Jazeera Media Network ("Al Jazeera") retract immediately and apologise for airing an inaccurate and unfair documentary that contained spurious and unsubstantiated allegations against the President and the Government of Ghana.

The documentary in question made baseless claims that the President acted as a lawyer for one Mr. Alistair Mathias and implied that the President personally benefitted unlawfully from an alleged $100m state infrastructure contract purportedly awarded to Mr. Mathias.

In his letter dated 11thApril, 2023, responding to Al Jazeera's letter of 2ndApril, 2023, which was received on April, 2023, containing these vague and defamatory allegations, the Legal Counsel to the President, Mr. Kow Abaka Essuman, acting on the instructions of the President, informed Al Jazeera that the President had not been in private practice since the year 2000 and that the President had no recollection of acting as a lawyer, either personally or through his law firm, Messrs. Akufo-Addo, Prempeh and Co, for a Mr. Alistair Mathias or his company, Guldrest Resources.

In those circumstances, further and better particulars were demanded from Al Jazeera to respond adequately to the allegations made in Al Jazeera's letter. Al Jazeera was thus requested to provide information on the period for which the President allegedly provided legal representation to Mr. Alistair Mathias or his company, Guldrest Resources.

Furthermore, Al Jazeera was requested to provide details of the "USD 100 million tender for state infrastructure", allegedly given to Mr. Mathias, which he outsourced and kept a percentage in offshore accounts, as stated in the letter as well as information on how the President personally benefited unlawfully from the alleged "USD 100 million tender for state infrastructure."

Al Jazeera refused or failed to provide these details as requested and went ahead with the broadcast of the documentary. At the end of the documentary, a terse text was shown, contradicting the content of the documentary. Additionally, the subject of the documentary, Mr.

Alistair Mathias, denied what he said in the documentary to Al Jazeera's investigative journalist. In light of these blatant denials by Mr. Alistair Mathias and the response from Mr. Essuman, those parts of the documentary ought not to have been included because those statements were not true.

Accordingly, those parts of the documentary are malicious, defamatory, and a calculated attempt to tarnish the reputation of the President and Government of Ghana. It is therefore demanded that Al Jazeera withdraws the documentary immediately, retracts and apologises to the President and the Government of Ghana for airing such an unprofessional and defamatory documentary.

It is imperative that you act forthwith on this request within seven (7) days from the date of receipt of this letter.

Please confirm receipt of this letter and your intention to take the necessary action as requested.

Nana Bediatuo Asante

Secretary to the President
Tata Motors has issued a clarification regarding a viral image on social media that promotes a Tata Tiago EV while mocking the recently-launched MG Comet EV. Underlining that the image used in the post has not been created or distributed by the company, Tata Motors clarified that it follows ethical business practices.

The Comet EV was launched earlier this week and is a two-door, four-seat model that is now the most-affordable electric car in the country, a title that thus far belonged to the Tiago EV. While only indirect rivals, both Comet EV and Tiago EV are expected to compete against each other because of the price points at which each is offered.

Comet EV is priced at 7.98 lakh (ex-showroom and introductory) as against Tiago EV which starts at 8.60 lakh (ex-showroom). Soon after the MG EV was launched, an image went viral on social media which took a veiled dig at the model and called it a CarToon. Tata Motors was quick to point out that it had nothing to do with the image. We have noticed an image is under circulation on WhatsApp and several social media platforms, that showcases our vehicle and another OEM's recently-launched product in a distasteful manner. We have received several queries about it and take this opportunity to categorically affirm that this image is not created or distributed by us," the statement from the company reads. We have also advised our channel partners to refrain from engaging with it in any manner. Tata Motors is governed by a robust code of conduct and follows ethical business practices."

Watch: MG Comet EV: First Drive Review

Interestingly, a follow-up image has now started going viral on social media which shows the MG Comet being projected as the ideal choice. It would be safe to assume here as well that this does not come from MG Motor India either.

What is heartening in all of this though is that options in the mass-market electric car space continues to grow in India and models like Comet and Tiago EV, apart from others, are likely to find many takers moving forward.

First Published Date:
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, Thursday said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has shown unflinching support towards the fight against illegal small-scale mining and had never interfered in any of the processes.

The President will not countenance interference in the galamsey fight, he said, and that it would be scandalous for him to do that.

The Minister was responding to questions from journalists concerning a 37-page report compiled by Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, the former Chairman of the Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), which he presented to the Chief of Staff on March 19, 2021.

Asked about his views on the work of his predecessors who led the fight against illegal mining, Mr Jinapor said it would be unfair on his part to pass judgement on their work.

Ive no moral right to pass judgement on my predecessorsthe good people of Ghana are in a better position to judge and all stakeholdersI dont want to be drawn into this, he said.

The Minister said dealing with illegal mining, otherwise known as galamsey, was very complicated because it bothered on lives and livelihoods, therefore those allegedly involved in it would go at lengths to frustrate the efforts to clampdown on it.

He said he remained focused on clamping down on illegal mining and would not be distracted by the current public outcry over Prof. Frimpong-Boatengs report.

Since I was appointed by the President in March 2021 to the Lands Ministry, Im focused on the fight against illegal small-scale mining and I dont want to be distracted in any way.

Mr Jinapor promised to engage the media on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, to update the public on the state of the countrys forests.

However, he said there were useful lessons to be drawn from all the brouhaha concerning the report and would take steps to help the nation make progress in restoring the degraded landscapes.

Mr Jinapor denied any knowledge of involvement by Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Information Minister, in galamsey and described him as a descent gentleman who has been discharging his duties with candour.

A report by former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, alleged that several officials of the New Patriotic Party-led government had been involved in illegal small-scale mining.

The 37-page report, prepared in 2021 and handed over to the Chief of Staff, has leaked into the public domain.

Prof Frimpong-Boateng who signed the report claimed that some NPP officials hired Chinese nationals to engage in galamsey on their behalf.

Despite the Presidents commitment to protecting the environment, some party officials were involved in illegal mining, he alleged.

Throughout our struggle with illegalities in the small-scale mining sector, what baffled me was the total disregard of the President's commitment to protect the environment, the report said.

I can state without any equivocation that many party officials from the national to the unit committee level had their friends, PAs, agents, relatives, financiers or relatives engaged in illegal mining.

Most of them engaged Chinese working for them. I am not referring to party people who had their legitimate concession and were mining sustainably as they were instructed to do. There are appointees in the Jubilee House that are doing or supporting illegal mining or interfering with the fight against the menace.

GNA
The management of the Ghana Cocoa Board has condemned former President John Mahama's claim that the cocoa sector is collapsing.

COCOBOD also said Mr Mahama's attempt to rationalise the swapping of cocoa farms for illegal mining is contemptuous.

"It is widely acknowledged that galamsey operations pose a significant danger to our nation, and any attempt to justify or rationalise the conversion of a piece of land, especially a cocoa farm, into a galamsey site, like the former president sought to do, must be met with contempt," COCOBOD said in a statement dated Thursday, 27 April 2023:

RE-AKUFO-ADDO COLLAPSED COCOA SECTOR

The attention of the management of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has been drawn to publications on certain media platforms citing statements made by former President John Dramani Mahama, alluding to a collapse of Ghanas cocoa sector.

The former president made these statements while touring the Western North Region, claiming the producer price and mismanagement have collapsed the cocoa sector. Mr Mahama justified farmers giving their cocoa farms to illegal mining due to low remuneration.

Management of COCOBOD refutes the notion of a collapsing cocoa industry. Such statements are misleading and detrimental to a vital sector like cocoa, which forms the foundation of Ghana's economy. We, therefore, wish to use the opportunity to make some clarifications and also set the records straight.

It is widely acknowledged that galamsey operations pose a significant danger to our nation, and any attempt to justify or rationalise the conversion of a piece of land, especially a cocoa farm, into a galamsey site, like the former president sought to do, must be met with contempt.

This menace has the potential to negate all the investments made by the government to modernise cocoa farming and improve productivity. It is, therefore, crucial that prominent figures in our society exercise caution when making public statements that rationalise cocoa farmers trading their farms for temporary monetary benefit through illegal mining.

Management also wishes to place on record, that the former president's statement regarding the increase in cocoa producer prices every year during his administration is inaccurate, since the records available point to the opposite. Specifically, there was no upward adjustment of the producer price of cocoa in the 2012/2013 crop season. Similarly, the producer price of the preceding season was maintained for the 2015/2016 crop season, with no upward adjustment.

Indeed, within a three-year period of the former presidents administration, i.e. the 2010/2011 to 2012/2013 crop season, there was a total of six (6) per cent increase in the producer price. In contrast, within the last three years, there has been a 23 per cent, 0 per cent and a 21 per cent increase in the producer price of cocoa.

It is important to note that the producer price is largely determined by international market prices as well as other industry costs, and every effort is made to arrive at a producer price that is fair to farmers even when international market conditions are unfavourable.

We further wish to put on record and also assure the general public that the cocoa industry is not collapsing as being portrayed by the former president. Ghana recorded its highest ever cocoa production volume of one million and forty-five thousand five hundred metric tonnes (1,045,500) in the 2020/21 crop season. A cocoa industry which holds the position as the second highest producer in the world cannot also be said to have collapsed.

COCOBOD continues to invest in interventions which will ensure not just the sustenance but the growth of the industry. Notably, the hand pollination programme that increases pod count; the mass pruning programme to enhance pests and disease control and induce flowering as well as the cocoa rehabilitation programme which seeks to deal with the cocoa swollen shoot virus disease that has ravaged about 45% of our cocoa tree stock. This is the biggest intervention that has ever been made to reverse the major threats that face the industry.

Currently, through a facility from the African Development Bank (AfDB), a total of 38515.54 hectares of otherwise diseased and unproductive cocoa farms have been fully rehabilitated so far, and some 59151.44 hectares have also been treated. The process of restoring other diseased farms is ongoing across the country.

For the first time in the history of the industry, COCOBOD is enrolling cocoa farmers across the country onto the Cocoa Farmers Pension Scheme (CFPS) to ensure a decent retirement.

COCOBOD remains committed to supporting farmers and ensuring the sustainability of the cocoa industry, and we will continue to work closely with our stakeholders to achieve our goals.

We call on the general public to support our efforts.

ISSUED BY:

MANAGEMENT

For more information, please contact the Public Affairs Department, Ghana Cocoa Board

Office Direct Line: (0302) 66-17-66

E-mail: [email protected]

Source: classfmonline.com
The office of Radio Capital FM is shown after the Guinea-Bissau Ministry of Media ordered the outlet on January 9, 2023, to cease broadcasting immediately as it had failed to pay outstanding license fees. (Photo Credit: Mustafa Queita)

28.04.2023 LISTEN

New York, April 27, 2023Authorities in Guinea-Bissau should immediately allow the privately owned Radio Capital FM back on air and not use the late payment of license fees as a pretext to silence a critical media outlet, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.

In a January 9 letter, the Ministry of Media ordered Radio Capital FM to cease broadcasting immediately as it had failed to pay outstanding license fees by the deadline set by the government, Lassana Cassama, the outlets owner and director, told CPJ by messaging app.

The ministry issued a deadline in April 2022 to dozens of broadcasters in the country, including Radio Capital FM, to settle their arrears or have their licenses revoked.

Radio Capital FM is the only outlet to have its license revoked and has been ordered to apply for a new license  which it is not guaranteed to be granted  under a public tender process, details of which have yet to be made public, according to Cassama and Bubacar Ture, the vice-president of Guinea-Bissaus non-profit Human Rights League (LDHGB), who spoke to CPJ by phone.

Radio Capital FM is a critical outlet that covers politics and social issues, according to CPJs review. The station is no longer available on the FM broadcast frequency, although it has resumed regular broadcasting on Facebook.

The governments revoking of Radio Capital FMs broadcasting license on the grounds that it failed to pay outstanding fees on time is a convenient excuse to silence a popular media outlet that is critical of the government ahead of the June 4 legislative elections, said Angela Quintal, CPJ Africa program coordinator, in New York. Authorities must allow Radio Capital FM to resume broadcasting immediately and avoid imposing a nebulous public tender process as a form of censorship.

Indira Balde, president of the national journalists union SINJOTECS, told CPJ via messaging app that Radio Capital FM was being unjustifiably singled out because of its critical reporting, and in a statement urged Guinean citizens to question why the station was silenced.

Ture said authorities wanted to muzzle Radio Capital FM because the government does not like its work and is trying to limit public debate.

Mamadu Djalo, the general inspector for the Ministry of Media, denied that Radio Capital FM had been singled out. Capital knows what it did, he told CPJ by phone, adding that all radio stations that had failed to pay outstanding license fees by the deadline would need to tender for a new license.

Media Minister Fernando Mendonca told CPJ by phone that Radio Capital FM had only itself to blame for blatantly ignoring the law and seeking preferential treatment when all other broadcasters had paid or negotiated a payment plan.

Cassama said Radio Capital FM management twice sought a meeting with Mendonca to explain that their outlet had been attacked twice by armed men who destroyed their equipment  once in 2020 and again in 2022  and the station did not have funds to pay the fees, but they did not receive a response. On October 10, 2022, management again wrote to the minister asking for a meeting and was told to speak to Djalo instead, Cassama said, adding that he could not recall the date of this meeting, but said Djalo simply told them to pay up.

On October 13, Radio Capital FM paid 1 million CFA francs (US$1,677) for four years of outstanding fees and again asked to be allowed to broadcast, Cassama said.

The authorities sent an October 18 letter, reviewed by CPJ, saying that the stations broadcast license was revoked for failure to pay the fees on time and because it had broadcast without permission in September and October, Cassama said. The letter also accused the outlet of failing to inform the ministry that it had moved premises after the February 2022 attack and repeated that the outlet would have to apply for a new license.

Cassama told CPJ that Radio Capital FM had broadcast music in September 2022 to attract advertising revenue and had only resumed its regular programming on January 2, 2023, in the hope that there would be a change of heart from the government.
28.04.2023 LISTEN

I am writing this article In memory of the ECOWAS and Africa Citizens who have lost their lives crossing the Mediterranean sea to seek better life in Europe, to terrorist attacks , Ebola and the COVID-19 pandemic. The African youths are confronted with the decision between Die-trying and Stay-suffering  in Africa. Due to travel visa requirements and restriction , our youths are forced to choose Die-trying approach by making perilous journey through Libya to cross the Mediterranean sea ( which even majority died on the way to Libya, those who made it to Libya sometimes are being sold to gangs as a commodity and got their organs harvested ) in attempt reach to Europe , those who luckily made it from Libya by unfit, rusty and dangerous small boat either died/missing on the sea before reaching the shores of Europe. What measures and policies has the African Union and ECOWAS taken in respect of this problems?

Oftentimes, those who survived death on the Mediterranean sea got stranded at the shores of Europe due to political frictions between Italy, Spain and Malta on which member country to accept more of the immigrants from the sea. Deciding to Stay-suffering approach also has its own consequences, youth choosing the later are faced with poverty and unemployment at home

. Poverty and unemployment is one of the Ghanaian and African problems that cages the youths on the decision-chart of either Die-trying or Stay-suffering. Scientific paper on Ghanas unemployment by (ISSER, June 3, 2017) estimates show that approximately 10% of Ghanaian graduates get a job a year after school, and the majority obtain secure jobs approximately ten (10) years later and how many of the graduates can wait for the next 10 years to receive income ?.

I believe not all the African youths would love to migrate to seek greener pastures in a foreign land but circumstances informed their decisions of either stay-suffer or Die-try to embark on such dangerous journey because Africa had failed in the sustainable development of the continent, and this failure is partly responsible for the huge influx our youths on wrongs routes to Europe, and subsequent death in the process. Of course, we cannot discount and discredit the few improvements in some areas ( such as the African Continental Free Trade Area) on the continent by our leaders , however, this is below par , looking at the abundance of natural resources at our disposal and the years of attaining independence.

Brief on ECOWAS Vision 2020, it came into June 2007, the Vision 2020 focuses on eradication of poverty and the consolidation of regional peace and security as well as the promotion of sustainable social and economic development. The Vision, had an overarching slogan moving from an ECOWAS of States to an ECOWAS of Peoples, was based on five pillars: (i) peace and security; (ii) good governance; (iii) development of the regions resources;

(iv) economic and monetary integration; and (v) promotion of the private sector. The Continent could not guarantee the youths of its own main objective of regional peace and security, Africa experienced six(6) successful coups detat (Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Mali, and Sudan ) and one failed ( Guinea-Bissau) recently, and as we speak Sudan on is fire . Surprisingly, the era ECOWAS moved from States level to peoples ( ECOWAS of Peoples), is when the Peoples are also moving from ECOWAS and AU to Europe! More questions than answers.

Indeed, Africa is a failed continent, ECOWAS and AU had failed the people and we must admit this fact, after the failure of ECOWAS vision 2020, theres new ECOWAS Vision 2050 and AU Agenda 2063. Inasmuch as long-term vision is important, I am of the view that, the continent needs refocus short-term realistic, achievable and adjustable vision ( one that encompass global and regional developments) to incorporates in the long-term visions from sustainable development perspective as defined by Norwegian Prime Minister, 1987, Ms Gro Harlem Brundtland, and I quote development which meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Then, if the AU and ECOWAS could not institute measures within the tenets of their own visions , then , we are not only compromising on the ability of the future generations but catastrophic failure in meeting the needs of the present generation.

The future ( talents, human capital, skills etc) of Africa is being washed away at the shores of Europe and we seem unconcerned. Data from UNCHR estimates a total of 8, 899 Africans are dead/missing on the Mediterranean sea from 2018-2022. The architects of African instability never disappears, natural disasters, diseases and pandemics never ceases, therefore, we need actionable measures now not long-term paper-work visions. The African people cannot continue a Die-trying to foreign land and stay-suffering in their motherlands.

In memory of the African martyrs who lost their lives on the sea, terrorist attacks , Ebola and the COVID-19 pandemic and because the system failed  God Bless Ghana & Long Live Africa.

Produced by : Mr. Evans DARKO, Doctoral Researcher , CREM LAB , FRANCE.

Keys: Institute of Statistics, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) , African Union (AU) Economic Community of West African Countries ( ECOWAS), United Nations High

Commissioner For Refugees ( UNCHR)
It is proverbially acknowledged that it does not belong to he who is leading to redirect their steps, thus, the person cutting the lane may not be able to tell when it has gotten crooked behind him.

That right of pointing out the mistake is reserved for those at the rear; those following him.

Based on the import of the adage, l will not hesitate to convey to the attention of Dr Kwabena Duffour, the Kumawu born NDC flag bearer aspirant, the following political strategy and correctional advice.

An unknown person, although one of my WhatsApp contacts, passed a text comment on my publication on why Dr Duffour's flagbearership campaign messages and interactions with his audiences are not heard on radio as much as those of his opponent John Dramani Mahama?

The person commented saying, forget about your brother Dr Kwabena Duffour for he is weak and docile.

I asked for a better clarification and he replied saying, his choice of Twi when interacting with the audience in Tamale infuriated most of them (Temale peope).

Not willing to go into the details, I will simply like to advise Dr Kwabena Duffour to communicate with his campaign audiences in the language that most of them understand if he, Dr Kwabena Duffour, understands their language. If he doesn't, he must speak English for it to be translated into their language by one of his campaign attendants or managers, if he has any.

Winning an election is about garnering the highest number of votes so how best you go about achieving that target is paramount.

You have to get your audience to understand you and also, have full assurance from, and confidence in, you.

Therefore, your choice of words, language used and your style of delivery of messages and promises are all vital tools to be employed, wisely of course.

Where is Yaw Boateng Gyan and how best is he helping Dr Kwabena Duffour to land the NDC flag bearer position?

All things being equal, l wouldn't expect Dr Kwabena Duffour to be telling bits of truths and lies here and there as it is the style of candidate John Dramani Mahama but the absolute politically strategical truths.

As it does not take much time for a good ear to hear and understand, l will end here by suggesting to Dr Kwabena Duffour to adopt campaign strategies that can at this stage win him the hearts and support of the majority of the NDC delegates.

Finally, he must be strong and well entrenched in his good manners and honest personable characteristics that make for a successful leader.

He must not appear to be weak, thus, liable to give way under pressure or amenable, easily submitting to the will of another.

As it has always been my innermost wish, l want to see a team of Kennedy Agyapong, Dr Kwabena Duffour, Dr Alhaji Mahammudu Bawumia and Dr George Akuffo Dampare rule Ghana.

Ghana should not be allowed to continue in the path of her state of abundance of, and abounding in, ruinous lawlessnesses detrimental to the security, safety and development of the people and the country hence calling for that perfect team.

We need a perfect combination of strict and more knowledgeable people to rule Ghana if we desire to see a prosperous Ghana and respected citizens of international recognition, hence suggesting the team just named above.

He who comes across this publication should please forward it to Dr Kwabena Duffour if he or she knows him and has his personal contact.

Rockson Adofo

Friday, 28 April 2023
Fighting raged in Sudan on Friday, despite rival forces agreeing to extend a truce aimed to stem nearly two weeks of warfare that has killed hundreds and caused widespread destruction.

In the war-ravaged western Darfur region, at least 74 people were killed in just two days of bitter urban battles that broke out this week in the city of El Geneina.

Black clouds rose over the capital Khartoum as foreign nations scrambled to organise mass evacuations of their citizens, with Turkey's defence ministry on Friday reporting one of their military transport aircraft had come under fire.

There have been multiple truce efforts since fighting broke out on April 15 between Sudan's army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by his former deputy and fellow coup leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. All have failed.

On Thursday, the two sides agreed to extend a repeatedly broken ceasefire for three more days.

Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) ride in the back of a pickup truck mounted with a turret. By - (Rapid Support Forces (RSF)/AFP)

The United States, Saudi Arabia as well as the African Union, the United Nations and others said they hoped it would help create a "more durable cessation of hostilities".

Since a power struggle between Burhan and Daglo erupted into violence, fighter jets have pounded RSF positions in densely packed districts of Khartoum, as fighters on the ground exchanged volleys of artillery and heavy machine gun fire.

In some parts of the city of some five million people trenches have been dug, as gunmen battle each other street by street.

At least 512 people have been killed and 4,193 wounded in the fighting, according to health ministry figures, although the real death toll is likely much higher.

'Foolish war'

Map of Sudan and neighbouring countries as civilians flee the country. By Sophie RAMIS (AFP)

Fighting has also spread across Sudan, especially in long-troubled Darfur, where witnesses reported intense conflict and looting.

Analysts have warned that conflict between the army and RSF could trigger multiple other militias to exploit the chaos and settle old scores.

The Darfur Bar Association, a civil society group, said fighters were "launching rockets at houses" in the state capital of West Darfur, El Geneina, some 1,100 kilometres (685 miles) west of Khartoum, as well reporting firing from "rifles, machine guns and anti-aircraft weapons".

A woman evacuated from Sudan to Iraq holds her pet cat as she arrives at Baghdad International Airport on April 27. By AHMAD AL-RUBAYE (AFP)

The doctors' union said at least 74 people were killed on Monday and Tuesday in El Geneina, with more recent tolls unavailable amid continued fighting.

"There is no food except what people have stored at home", one resident said, asking not to be named.

Fighting has spread "nearly all over the city" and fighters have looted and torched "markets, public buildings, aid warehouses and banks", the Bar Association added.

It urged Burhan and Daglo to "immediately stop this foolish war that is being waged on the backs of civilians".

A building damaged during battles between the forces of two rival Sudanese generals in the southern part of Khartoum. By - (AFP/File)

The UN has said it has reports of the "distribution of weapons among local communities".

Darfur is still reeling from the devastating war that raged in the 2000s when then hardline president Omar al-Bashir crushed ethnic-minority rebels by creating the Janjaweed militia to carry out atrocities, a force that later formed the basis of Daglo's RSF.

The scorched-earth campaign left at least 300,000 people killed and close to 2.5 million displaced, according to UN figures, and saw Bashir charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide by the International Criminal Court.

In El Fasher, state capital of North Darfur, medics are struggling to cope with an influx of wounded.

"The situation is very, very difficult here," said Mohamed Gibreel, project coordinator for Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in El Fasher.

Mass exodus

Sudanese army soldiers, loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, sit atop a tank in Port Sudan. By - (AFP/File)

The World Food Programme has said the violence could plunge millions more into hunger in a country where 15 million people -- one-third of the population -- need aid to stave off famine.

At least five aid workers have been killed and swathes of aid operations suspended -- putting the lives of 50,000 acutely malnourished children "at real risk", the UN has warned.

Residents of Khartoum have meanwhile been shuttered at home, running dangerously low on food, cash and fuel needed to get out.

Tens of thousands have already fled to neighbouring countries including Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan.

A Saudi Navy sailor carries a child after evacuees arrived at King Faisal Naval Base in Jeddah. By Amer HILABI (AFP)

Burhan and Daglo -- commonly known as Hemeti -- seized power in a 2021 coup that derailed Sudan's transition to democracy, established after Bashir was ousted following mass protests in 2019.

But the two generals later fell out, most recently over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army.

Burhan on Friday said he had spoken with the leaders of neighbouring Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan, as well as top officials from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Daglo said he had also talked with the Ethiopian prime minister.
28.04.2023 LISTEN

A 19-year-old boy identified as Prince Oppong has drowned in a well and died at Yawkwei in the Asante Akim Central Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

His body has been retrieved by officers of the Konongo Fire Service Station after the incident happened last Sunday.

Eyewitnesses recounted that the deceased fell into the deep well and got drowned when he attempted to recover a plumbing pipe he was using to draw water into an overhead tank.

The Konongo Fire Service was called in at 0955 hours. The Rescue Crew got to the accident scene at 0959 hours and managed to retrieve the lifeless body from the well within 30 minutes. They then handed the body to the Police who subsequently deposited the body at the Steward Morgue at Yawkwei. An investigation is underway to unravel the circumstances of the accident, a press release from the Ghana National Fire Service disclosed on Friday, April 28.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Fire Commander of the Konongo Fire Station, DO III Richard Aweso has urged the public to promptly call the Service on 112/192 for immediate assistance during an emergency.

He has also appealed to the public to collaborate with the Service in dealing with fire and related emergencies.
Increased access to digital space can help African governments realise the Maputo Protocol on gender equality, a meeting in Bamako, Mali noted yesterday.

This July, the Maputo Protocol will be 20 years. The protocol guarantees comprehensive rights to women including the right to take part in the political process, to social and political equality with men, improved autonomy in their reproductive health decisions, and an end to female genital mutilation. But the big question is will African women commemorate and celebrate significant milestones in the realisation of human rights?

The implementation of the Maputo Protocol is seemingly slow, slippery and patchy.It is perhaps telling that commitments are not necessarily promises, hence the reason why the African Union needs to find innovative ways of working with national governments, civil society and grassroots organisations to realise the full potential of this crucial instrument.

According to Fatoumata Djire the West African Chair of the Africa Womens development and Communication Network (FEMNET) women need to be part of the digital space to gain competitive edge in the job market adding that there is no reason why Malian women should be locked out of the digital revolution in Africa.

Mama Koite Doumbia, the representative of Africa on the Council of the Victims' Fund of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, former member of the board of FEMNET and current president of the Malian Womens Development and Communication Network (MUSONET) said,  Malian women and girls have been excluded in the digital space for so long and we now need to fast track their engagement.

Mama Koite noted that women and girls engagement in the ICT and digital space is the best way to correct the pathway of the digital revolution, which deliberately excluded African women and young people.

In as much as I may not be identified as GenZ, said Mama Koite, I am also accustomed to the digital space because I do not want to be left behind.

Her views were echoed in the wake of a seemingly lethal cocktail of patriarchy and misogyny that has made African women, more specifically the Malian woman feel unsafe in the cyber space because of cyberbullying among other digital related atrocities.

To date only 5.74 million of the Malians have access to the internet. This represents 29.9 percent of the entire population, the larger 70.1 percent, which largely encompasses women and girls, is literally locked out of the male -dominated space.

Beyond this, the main concern is that 20 years after the commitment to implementing the Maputo Protocol, women and girls are still demanding for inclusion. A seemingly never-ending human rights odyssey that needs to be first tracked through digital and ICT learning.

"Women need to effectively operate in a changing global system where everything is literally online," said Carole Gatoto, Bilingual specialist and project coordinator of the Strengthening Networks for Greater Impact, STITCH project at FEMNET.

Gatoto insisted that the digital system continues to evolve and techno-feminists in Mali need to be involved and engaged to be at the apex of the digital revolution.

Article 12 of the Maputo Protocol stipulates that the all-signatory states should eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and guarantee equal opportunity and access in the sphere of education and training. Whereas this proposal has been spoken of, recited and even regurgitated, its full implementation is yet to be realized.

Bill Marwa, the Digital Rights Advisor, Oxfam in Africa, underscored that, It is crucial for Malian women and girls to access digital technologies so that they can meaningfully engage and benefit from the broader digital ecosystem.

Marwa insisted that Malian womens participation in the digital spaces not only reduces the gender gap but also unlocks significant commercial and socio-economic opportunities.

Whereas inclusion of Malian Feminists in the digital space is a first step to ensure that no one is left behind, time will tell whether the promises under the Maputo protocol will be heeded to given that this July marks 20 years since adoption by the African Union on 11 July 2003.

Participants noted that the ICT presents Africa with the opportunity to narrow the constant tension between reality on the continent and the aspirations of the Commission on the Status of Women of the UN (CSW). Perhaps global intergovernmental bodies and the European Union should exclusively dedicate more funds the promotion of ICT to clock back gender equality and the empowerment of women in Africa.

By Imali Ngusale
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has issued a press release to react to the claim by John Dramani Mahama that the cocoa sector is collapsing under President Akufo-Addos government.

Speaking to supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Tuesday during his campaign tour of the Western North Region, John Dramani Mahama said the actions of the Akufo-Addo government have made the cocoa business no longer lucrative.

.every year, we adjusted the producer prices for cocoa but currently, the government does little adjustment once in four years, this has affected the cocoa business badly, it is no longer lucrative.

Cocoa farmers are now selling their lands to galamseyers because it is no longer profitable, it takes the farmers three months for them to get their funds when they sell their cocoa but under the NDC it was instant payment. We also gave cocoa farmers fertilizers free of charge, Mahama argued.

In a press release on Thursday, April 27, the Management of Ghana Cocoa Board said the comments by the former President are misleading and detrimental.

Management of COCOBOD refutes the notion of a collapsing cocoa industry. Such statements are misleading and detrimental to a vital sector like cocoa, which forms the foundation of Ghana's economy. We, therefore, wish to use the opportunity to make some clarifications and also set the records straight.

We further wish to put on record and also assure the general public that the cocoa industry is not collapsing as being portrayed by the Former President, parts of the release from COCOBOD said.

COCOBOD notes that Ghana recorded its highest-ever cocoa production volume of one million and forty-five thousand five hundred metric tonnes (1,045,500) in the 2020/21 Crop Season.

it insists that for a cocoa industry that holds the position as the second highest producer in the world, it cannot also be said to have collapsed.
The second edition of the Catholic Senior High Schools Plastics Waste Management (PWM), has been held for three schools at Our Lady of Lourdes Senior High School Navrongo, in the Kassena Nankani Municipality of the Upper East Region.

They are Notre Dam, St Johns and Our Lady of Lourdes SHSs.

The Catholic Bishops Conference launched the Goal 6 project of the Laudato Si Action Programme in 2022, a five-year comprehensive plan seeking to galvanize efforts toward reversing the destruction of mother earth. Catholic Education has therefore in the past years, in various ways championed Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in the Basic and Second Cycle Institutions to equip the next generation.

The programme was organized by the National Catholic Secretariat, through the Directorate of Governance, Justice and Peace and the Catholic Education Unit, the Ghana Education Service (GES), and various stakeholders with funding from the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS).

In her address, the General Manager of Catholic Schools, Ms. Araba Ahima Bentum, explained the Popes letter critiquing consumerism and irresponsible development.

She calls for immediate action to avert the alarming environmental degradation which is contributing to global warming.

Ms. Bentum said statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicate that over 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste are produced annually, and only about five percent (5%) is been properly recycled. The rest, she added that are left on the environment and water bodies due to a lack of infrastructure to properly dispose of them.

The Dean of the School of Physical Sciences, C K Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CK UTAS) Dr. Jude Simons Bayor among the panel of Judges said the performance of the students was remarkable and showed that there is hope if support is given to the students. He indicated that the three groups of students have demonstrated their capabilities and potential of tackling the menace.

Dr. Bayor stated that plastic waste has been used for earthling thus gas, raincoat, and bricks for building and tiling. He said with the student's demonstrations, he is of the firm belief that Ghana has a good potential for the use of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics for the development of this country.

Among the three schools that competed, Notre Dam SHS carried the day with 83 points followed by OLL girls with 81 points and St Johns SH and Technical School went home with 74 points.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- On April 27, Chinese major automaker Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. (Changan Automobile) released its financial report for the first quarter of 2023, which showed a two-digit year-on-year soar in net profit attributable to shareholders.

Photo credit: Changan Automobile

In the first three months of this year, Changan Automobile's revenue came in at 34.556 billion yuan, which remained stable compared to both the previous quarter and the previous year.

Meanwhile, its net profit attributable to the shareholders amounted to 6.97 billion yuan, representing a year-on-year jump of 53.65%. After non-recurring deductions, its net profit attributable to shareholders reached approximately 1.481 billion yuan, which dropped by 34.75% from a year ago.

By the end of the first quarter of 2023, Changan Automobile's total asset had reached 174.109 billion yuan, up 19.21% compared to the year-ago level.

On the other hand, according to Changan Automobile's 2022 annual performance report released on April 17, the company achieved a sales volume of 2.346 million vehicles in total last year, which is the highest record for the past five years.

In the past year, the company saw its annual revenue stand at 121.253 billion yuan, which increased 15.3% year on year. After deducting non-recurring gains and losses, Changan Automobiles net profit attributable to shareholders was 4.459 billion yuan in 2022, shooting up 169.8% from the earlier year.
In Anjouan, part of the Comoros archipelago in the southern Indian Ocean, the distant French island of Mayotte casts a dangerous charm.

Boasting schools, hospitals, roads and a social safety net, Mayotte is an eldorado that every year thousands of impoverished Comorans risk their lives trying to reach.

Domoni, the second largest town in Anjouan, is a common departure point for migrants desperate for a better life.

Many of its 17,000 residents live off small-scale fishing -- but some also earn cash on the side through the lucrative business of human smuggling.

Sitting under the shade of almond trees, men banter while playing bao, a traditional board game.

Near the beach, the air reeks of resin, used to build and maintain timber boats called kwassa kwassa.

Almost half of Comoros's 900,000 inhabitants live below the poverty line, with average monthly incomes barely exceeding the equivalent of $110. Many have no access to health care.

Those trying to get to Mayotte -- 70 kilometres (45 miles) away at the closest point -- have to brave uncertain waters, packed in rickety, crowded boats.

How many have perished over the years is unknown, and for those who succeed in landing on Mayotte, the welcome is increasingly hostile.

France has stepped up its fight against illegal immigration, which is blamed in Mayotte for proliferating slums and worsening security.

A controversial operation, called "Wuambushu" (take back, in a local language) is underway to kick out undocumented migrants, most of whom are Comorans.

The operation faces resistance from the Comoros authorities who are refusing to accept deportees from Mayotte, saying it cannot cope with the influx.

'Fisherman-smuggler'

Sitting on a beach littered with rubbish, a 27-year-old man who asked to be called Abdou Ahmadi, admitted that he was a "fisherman-smuggler," who made a living both from his nets and from taking people to Mayotte.

The four islands of the Comoros archipelago used to be a French territory. After a referendum in 1974, three became the Union of the Comoros while Mayotte stayed with France, becoming its 101st department. By Sophie RAMIS (AFP)

"I transport up to eight people in a month, but only sick people... I do it for God," he told AFP.

He said he charged the equivalent of 100 euros ($110) for a one-way trip.

"When I don't have a patient, I'm busy with my fishing. But fishing (alone) is not enough to live off," he admitted.

Ahmadi scorned the idea of leaving Domoni and living as "an undocumented migrant."

"I prefer to stay here," he said. "The situation in Mayotte is terrible, crime is very high. I'm not tempted".

A former smuggler who gave his name as Soula said he gave up the business after being handed a three-year jail term, and now worked as a taxi driver.

"I knew the sea like the back of my hand. But fishing was not very profitable. So I became a smuggler," he said. Some of the people he helped cross came from Madagascar.

"I have never lost anyone at sea. But I was arrested," he said, sitting on the red hull of a boat.

'So many deaths'

Rafouzoiti Dhoimir, 52, said she had tried three times to enter Mayotte but each time had been sent back.

Her three children live there, and she has not seen them in 15 years.

"I pray to God that (Wuambushu) is stopped," she said, thinking about her children living in shacks.

Wearing a navy and orange dress, she sat on an armchair in her small house opposite the beach, nervously wringing her fingers.

"I don't sleep anymore, I'm scared," she said.

She was too afraid to try another crossing.

"There have been so many deaths," she said. Her wish was that "one day they won't expel anyone, and we stop going there."
28.04.2023 LISTEN

A Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mark Okraku Mantey is looking forward to the opportunity to speak to development on the construction of the National Cathedral.

According to him, he has a strong opinion on the project which he is anxious to share with the Ghanaian populace as a Minister and a citizen.

The Deputy Minister who is on a working visit in the Ashanti Region bemoaned how he has been denied by the media to express his opinion on President Akufo-Addo's vision to construct a National Cathedral.

I wish the media allow me to also comment on the National Cathedral project, which is the President's vision. I'd love to talk about the President's vision but to no avail. If I should tell you my stance as a Minister, I voted for Nana Akufo-Addo to become President because of his vision, so if his vision is to build a National Cathedral, why are we not supporting it?

"I've more to add, but the media has not given their platform to do so. I'm yarning for the opportunity," Hon. Mark Okraku Mantey on Kumasi-based Otec FM in an interview stated.
United National Children Fund (UNICEF), a humanitarian aid organisation continues to play a critical role in Ghana in helping to save more lives among mothers and children, empower more women, enhance healthcare delivering as well bring about development in its operational areas.

The organisations commitment in providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide continue to receive support through the Japan government and other donors to implement projects aimed at ensuring the welfare of children, mothers and the society

One of the critical roles played by UNICEF in the Northern region is the introduction of the Maternal and Child Health Record Book (MCHRB) among pregnant mothers and the health practitioners. The use of the record book is playing role in reducing health and nutrition inequalities, new-born and child health.

The book serves as a comprehensive early childhood development and nurturing care packages aimed at helping caregivers learn about the useful practices they need to promote health and development of their children.

The MCH RB contains information to on how to maintain and care for the mother and their children. It is to guide the pregnant and nursing mothers of the stages of women pregnancy, childbirth as well as child's health, growth and development up to five years.

According to UNICEF, the essence of the initiative was to ensure that mother and children have good health, have adequate nutrition, safety and security as well provide responsive care giving and opportunities for learning to grow well.

With the support from the government of Japan, UNICEF was able to support the Ghana Health Services in 2020 to scale up the effective use of the book nationwide with the project able to train about 3,200 health professionals on MCHRB and reach 740,000 mothers and new-born to benefit about 6,250 ns in 80 districts across nine region of Ghana where access to quality healthcare was very low affecting mortalities as well nutrition indicators such as immunization, iron and folic acid supplementation for women, exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding.

The Government was said to have previously supported the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)to implement MCHRB project in scaling up of the book.

Through the project, a total of 985,512 mothers and new-borns were reached with 4,074 professionals trained on MCHRB in the 79 districts across nine regions to ensure the utilization of trained staff implement the knowledge acquired.

800 infanto-meters, a device used to measure a babys length and height and 160,000 MCHRB were procured and strategically distributed to targeted health facilities which helped in educating pregnant and nursing mothers to adhere to quality healthcare of their children and their welfare.

8,450 of the new nurturing care framework resource pack and 8,450, supplement flip charts were procured and distributed to the regions, districts and the health facilities for the health practitioners use them in helping to provide nurturing care and counseling to caregivers and their children.

It said that an initial baseline assessment was conducted to assess the status of health and nutrition service utilization in the intervention districts using the district health information management system 2 monthly data from all public health facilities across the 79 intervention districts in eight regions of which a total of 15 health and nutrition service indicators from January 2017 to December 2020 were assessed in both intervention and control districts.

In an interview disclosed to the B&FT by officials of UNICEF indicate an exit interviews were conducted of which 2,747 mothers and caregivers of children under five across the 79 project implementing districts in eight regions participated in the exercise.

The result shown an increased usage of the book which has helped to curb the mortality rates and also able help caregivers to provide the needed support to their children in the regions that has gone a long way to complement government commitment to improving quality healthcare.

It was said that the project helped to increase nutrition counseling from 86.8 percent to and 33.8 percent in December 2021 to 89.5 percent and 65.5 percent in March 2022 respectively.

The project also in collaboration with the Japanese Organisation for International Cooperation in Family Planning (JOICFP) helped to train 144 representing 49 females and 95 males community health workers on essential service delivery. 101 health professionals were also trained on data management and reporting tools for reproductive, maternal, new-born and child-health services.

In addition to Kaizen project, Japanese model for improving efficiencies in work environment were facilitated in the targeted communities.

The social and Behaviour change team at UNICEF also developed the social change communication approaches used to educate the pregnant mothers on how to eat well during pregnancy, danger signs in pregnancy and importance of growth monitoring and promotion.

More so, key messages on new-born and maternal health were developed and uploaded on the talking book devices in four districts of the Upper West Region to promote the uptake of social change behaviour in health across 130 CHPS compounds of which about 45,000 care givers benefitted.

Aside the handbooks, UNICEF supported the provision of newborn care centers in its operational areas which has helped to improve the lives and wellbeing of children in the Savannah and North-East regions thereby curbing high maternal and newborn deaths.

Health workers were also provided with capacity training on how to use the equipment as well best healthcare delivery. The centers were supported through the China AID of one million dollars has gone a long way to strengthen the delivery of healthcare.

Chief Field Office at UNICEF Bhanu Pathak said UNICEF is committed to promoting of the living standards of people within its operational areas to bring about human development.

In healthcare delivery, we have been supporting hospitals with the needed health equipment to provide quality healthcare service while pregnant and nursing mothers also provided with the needed education on how to take good care of themselves and their children, he said.

He noted that the organisation through support provided boreholes in some schools with 25 institutional toilet facilities to enhance the quality of life and sanitation in the various schools and communities.

On open defecation, he said the agency launched a campaign to create awareness on the desist for residents to desist from open defecation which has effect on human life.

Health and Nutritionist Specialist at UNICEF, Mr. Peter Kwarteng commended government of Japan for the support to help in ensuring the health and well-being of mothers and children who play critical role in society.

He noted that rigorous mechanisms were put in place to ensure value for the achievement of the project goal to enhance quality healthcare and community development adding tht with the introduction of the book; over 160,000 mothers can now track the growth and development of their children.

The book has helped to integrate monitoring of nutrition, growth and immunization to ensure maternal and child health in the country.

The Head of the Economic and Grant depart at the Japan Embassy in Ghana Sonoda Shohei commended UNICEF for facilitating the implementation of the project to ensure quality healthcare delivery services and also able to help pregnant and nursing mother to acquire knowledge of maternal issues through the book.

He reiterated the commitment of the Japan government support to UNICEF to achieve its set goals of initiating humanitarian activities to improve the well-being of mothers, children and other residents in the operational areas to ensure development and economic growth.
Deputy Majority Leader, Alex Afenyo-Markin

28.04.2023 LISTEN

A lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) has apologized to Deputy Majority Leader, Alex Afenyo-Markin, after authoring and publishing words that defamed the three-term Member of Parliament for Effutu.

Alhassan Salifu Bawah, who heads Procurement & Supply Chain Management at UEW, had written an article that was widely published on social media and in the Supreme Newspaper, where he called the Effutu MP a miserable crook parading as an MP.

The offending article was said to have been originally published on a WhatsApp page for lecturers and staff of UEW, and it was widely circulated on other platforms, compelling Afenyo-Markin to file a defamation suit against Mr. Bawah.

Afenyo-Markin's Suit

In his suit, founded on tort law principles that frown on a person injuring the reputation of their neighbour without lawful or just cause, Afenyo-Markin prayed for four reliefs. He first sought a declaration that the description of the Plaintiff as 'a miserable crook parading himself as an MP' in the article authored by the Defendant, is defamatory and that the publication was actuated by malice aimed at tarnishing his reputation.

Secondly, he sought an order directing Mr Bawah to render an unqualified apology to the plaintiff through the same medium the defamatory words were published.

Thirdly, Afenyo-Markin prayed the Court to grant an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant from further publishing any defamatory articles against the Plaintiff.

Finally, he asked the Court to impose general damages of Five Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH500,000.00) against the defendant.

In his statement of defence, Mr Bawah, in summary, denied authoring the said article. Arthur Chambers appeared as a lawyer for Mr Afenyo-Markin, whereas Raymond Twene appeared as counsel for the defendant.

When the hearing of the case started after both sides had filed the necessary processes in court, Mr Afenyo-Markin took the stand to give his evidence in chief. He used the opportunity to highlight the extent of damage done by the offending article to his reputation, noting it had the potential to undermine his practice as a lawyer and his service to Ghana as a Member of Parliament, and also as a Member of the ECOWAS Parliament, where he is the leader of Ghana's delegation and chairman of the Agricultural Committee.

Attempts at an out-of-court settlement

Before the presiding magistrate, Rosemond Kodua Agyiri adjourned the sitting to 11 April, she asked if the parties could explore an out-of-court settlement of the case. In response, Mr Afenyo-Markin told the court he was not opposed to an out-of-court settlement, provided Mr Bawah would retract the offending words and apologize unconditionally for damaging his reputation without a just cause.

At that sitting, Mr Bawah was not in court. However, his lawyer told the court he would engage with his client for the necessary direction but made it clear his side was equally not against an out-of-court settlement of the matter.

When the case resumed on 11 April 2023, the parties appeared in court but told the magistrate that they had failed to reach an agreement to settle, although they both agreed in principle that the issue could be disposed of without a full trial.

In her response, the Magistrate gave the parties another opportunity to attempt a settlement, especially after the two sides had told the court that they were, in principle, ad idem on settling the matter instead of a full trial.

After some discussions and consultations between the parties, Mr Bawah offered an unconditional apology for a publication he had made about Mr Afenyo-Markin. The apology was accepted by Mr Afenyo-Markin.

Retraction and Apology

Before the apology, Mr Bawah had posted a retraction of the offending publication on the WhatsApp platform he used to circulate the original article. He also brought the retraction to the attention of the Magistrate.

After the apology was made, the parties drafted and co-signed the settlement. The settlement was subsequently filed at the Court's registry. The parties then returned to formally inform the Magistrate that a settlement had been reached.

The terms of the settlement included Mr Bawahs unconditional apology, withdrawal of the offending statement, and an undertaking to withdraw the statement from the WhatsApp platform of the University where the statement was originally published. Mr Bawahs counsel also indicated writing to the Supreme Newspaper, which published the offending article, to draw their attention to the withdrawal of the statement for subsequent publication.

In the spirit of the settlement, Mr Afenyo-Markin withdrew the suit he had filed against Mr Bawah, and there was no order as to cost. The parties agreed that the terms of the settlement would be adopted as a consent judgment between them. The court accordingly accepted the settlement and delivered an appropriate consent judgement on the same.
The Tarkwa District Court A, has remanded 11 suspects into prison custody for alleged possession of explosives.

They would be charged with conspiracy, possession of explosives without lawful excuse and undertaking small scale mining without license.

Their pleas were not taken.

The Judge, Mr Charles Owusu Ansah, adjourned the case to Thursday May 4, 2023 as its under investigation.

The suspects; Xia Shui Hong, Chen Kai Jun, Miao Hai Jiang, Chen Ju Rong, Zhon Yi Fang, Li Hai Long, Chen Wen Yong, Xu Ying Jie, Feng Shu Fang, Samuel Okafor and Senu Kossi are casual workers, engineers, machine operator, mechanic, rail truck installer, mason and teacher.

On April 15, 2023, a military task force from Takoradi Army Command were on their normal patrol duties when they spotted and arrested the suspects at a mining site located

within Efuanta in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality.

The arrest of suspects at the site which was been operated by Mohammed Brothers Company Limited, unraveled quality of solid substance suspected to be ammonium nitrate and explosives.

During investigation the Minerals Commission revealed that the suspects did not have permit to possess any explosive or ammonium nitrate for their mining operations as the law required.

Also, it was established that the company had no mining license to undertake the current mining activities.

The suspects were thereafter sent to the Ministry of National Security in Accra for further investigations.

GNA
So many migrants risking the dangerous sea crossing from Tunisia to Europe have drowned that morgues and hospitals in the key launchpad city of Sfax are full, officials said Friday.

"On Tuesday, we had more than 200 bodies, well beyond the capacity of the hospital, which creates a health problem," said Faouzi Masmoudi, justice official in the port city where the central morgue for an area of around a million people is sited.

"There is a problem with large numbers of corpses arriving on the shore. We don't know who they are or what shipwreck they came from -- and the number is increasing."

Tunisia, whose coastline is less than 150 kilometres (90 miles) from the Italian island of Lampedusa, has long been a favoured stepping stone for migrants attempting the perilous sea journey from North Africa to Europe.

Masmoudi said there are funerals "almost every day to reduce the pressure on hospitals".

On April 20, at least 30 people were buried. Days later, many more bodies were recovered at sea.

DNA swabs are taken from each body before burial to help their possible identification by relatives, he said.

According to Romdhane Ben Amor of the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES), more than 220 dead and missing have been recorded this year to April 24, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa.

More than three-quarters of migrants leaving Tunisia do so from the coast between Sfax and Mahdia, some 90 kilometres (55 miles) north, he added.

Map of Tunisia locating the city of Sfax. By Sylvie HUSSON (AFP)

The problem of managing the bodies of those drowned in shipwrecks is complicated by the fact that local authorities "have undertaken to create a special cemetery for migrants on the grounds that they are not Muslims", Ben Amor said.

Many of those drowned come from Muslim nations.

The number of departures of migrants has intensified after President Kais Saied made a fiery speech on February 21 claiming that illegal immigration was a demographic threat to Tunisia.

While many of the migrants come from further south in Africa, Tunisia is also in the grip of a worsening economic crisis that has pushed many of its citizens to take desperate measures in search of better lives abroad.
The West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) has launched a report on research conducted on digital security attacks on Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the region.

The research uncovered that in the last 12 months, Nigeria had the highest percentage of attacks at 10.75%, with Ghana following closely behind.

WACSI shared the findings on Wednesday, April 19, during the launch of its groundbreaking research report dubbed; Landscape Mapping of Civil Society Digital Security in West Africa.

The report uncovered that 31% of CSOs in West Africa experienced a digital security attack in the past year with 25% of attacks happening multiple times.

The study further revealed that, while 45% of CSOs were unaware of national laws and regulations on digital security, CSOs in the region faced a multitude of digital security challenges that threatened their efforts in pursuing their mandates.

This study was commissioned by WACSI with support from Mott Foundation.

Through concrete evidence and empirical data, the 144-page report demonstrates the terrible nature of digital insecurity among CSOs in West Africa and puts forth actionable recommendations on how to combat the menace.

The report, a result of extensive research work led by Evans Tindana Awuni, a Doctoral Researcher at the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy at the University of Erfurt in Germany, examined the state of digital security among 284 CSOs. These organisations were sampled from a pool of over 2000 CSOs across the fifteen ECOWAS countries, plus Cameroon, Chad, and Mauritania.

Among other things, it assessed the most common digital security threats that CSOs in West Africa encounter; the level of exposure of CSOs to these threats and attacks, and their preparedness in tackling them.

It also shed light on efforts made by states regarding national-level policies mounted to address issues of digital insecurity while also looking into organisational-level digital security policies among the CSOs as well as the major challenges that hinder their ability to respond to these threats.

The report revealed that a higher percentage of the victims were community-based organisations and local NGOs compared to international NGOs.

It also came out that the majority of CSOs did not have adequate knowledge and training on how to protect themselves from digital threats and attacks whereas limited financial resources prevented many CSOs from allocating a budget for information security.

While uncovering the inadequate preparedness of CSOs towards responding to digital security threats and attacks, the study also found that only a small portion of CSOs (23.6%) had computer and information security policies in place. Even that, just a handful understood its contents not to talk of applying these policies.

Addressing over 100 attendees at the virtual launch, Executive Director of WACSI, Nana Afadzinu said the Institute, in its 2023 to 2027 strategy, has a priority of ensuring that CSOs in the region were adequately supported to leverage technology to promote their developmental initiatives.

This, she explained, informed the Institutes decision to commission the research to gain a holistic appraisal of how digital security affects the work of CSOs in the region.

Although there has been considerable research work on the adverse and positive impacts of digitisation on CSOs, Afadzinu noted that the extent to which the work of civil society actors is aided or hampered by digitisation has not been comprehensively examined.

While this is critical in informing and shaping the Institutes work going forward, it constitutes a rich body of knowledge that can inspire a diverse pool of stakeholders to contribute, together with WACSI, to improve the digital landscape to enable the work of CSOs, she added.

Presenting some of the recommendations, Evans Tindana Awuni, the lead researcher on the project charged CSOs to increase awareness on digital security, invest in digital security infrastructure and also train employees on digital security.

These efforts, Awuni said, are proactive measures to prevent attacks, data breaches and intrusions.

While the report boldly sets the records straight on the yawning gaps in digital security among CSOs in West Africa, it has the potential to trigger further research into key technological issues in the civil society ecosystem.

It comes as a wake-up call to civic actors and development players to become well informed and proactive in the face of fast-growing digitalisation especially in ensuring that technology does not become a helper but an enemy asset in the work they do.
The legal advisor for Operation Vanguard, ex-Captain Jamal Tanzua Seid, has said the entire Operation Vanguard exercise was not well thought-through.

According to him, the establishment of the taskforce lacked the required planning that would have engendered the kind of success that was envisaged.

Speaking in an interview on TV3's Ghana Tonight on Thursday, April 27, ex-Captain Tanzua Seid explained that, The operation itself was not well thought-through. The evidence is what has become of it. You would find out that the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces would deliver a speech and on the basis of that speech, the joint taskforce is established and the mandate of the taskforce was to immediately stop illegal mining operations. That's very vague. We already have regulatory institutions.

Ex-Captain Seid stressed that the establishment of the taskforce was needless.

We already have laws governing these operations. If they prove to be inadequate, you don't need a knee jerk reaction to resolve that. In any case, are we looking at long term solutions or short-term solutions. We should also think about the implications of such operations on the tax payer. So, if all that was contemplated was to get into the field and uproot illegal mining, that obviously wasn't going to solve the problem, the former legal advisor to Operation Vanguard noted.

Operation Vanguard is a presidential initiative aimed at ending illegal mining activities otherwise referred to as galamsey in the country.

Touching on the burning of excavators as part of the exercise, the former military officer explained that although there are laws on mining in Ghana, the burning of excavators was not explicitly covered by any such legislative framework.

According to him, the legal framework at the time did not support the burning of excavators, thus if persons whose excavators were burnt had taken on the government, they had the legal basis to do so.

There has always been a constitution and we have always had mining laws, and these are clear on what is permissible and what is not permissible. So, I would say that there was a legal framework, but as to whether that framework supported the specific operation that was being mounted, I would say it was inadequate, he said.

Some equipment were burned in Tamale. I don't know what the affected persons did, but they would be within their rights to seek appropriate remedies in terms of the violation of their property rights, ex-Captain Seid added.

It would be recalled that Operation Vanguard, a Joint Military and Police Taskforce (JTF) of 400 personnel, comprising 200 military and 200 police personnel, was formed in July 2017 to deal with illegal mining activities.

This became necessary because the 'galamsey' menace was degrading the countrys forests and polluting the rivers and water bodies.

The taskforce was deployed to the most affected areas in the Eastern, Western and Ashanti regions.

-3news.com
Former President, John Dramani Mahama has lambasted the ruling government and Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta over excessive borrowing.

In the midst of the economic crisis, Ghanas debt stock is at an all-time high of over GHS500 billion.

This has worsen the situation as the government struggles to service the debt.

Engaging supporters of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Friday, April 28, in Asante Akim South Constituency in the Ashanti Region, John Dramani Mahama hit out at Ken Ofori-Atta, accusing him of being a part of Ghanas problem.

He argued that the Finance Minister has been borrowing so much because of the commission he earns from the loans.

On every loan, he has a commission, thats why he likes loans, John Dramani Mahama bemoaned.

The former President is currently in the Ashanti Region as part of his campaign tour to convince delegates to vote for him to become NDCs flagbearer.

He believes that when elected, he will be able to lead the party to recapture power from the ruling NPP in the 2024 general elections.

Although many party people believe John Dramani Mahama is the favourite to win the flagbearer election, some political analysts believe his close competitor, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor could pull a surprise.

The NDCs flagbearer election is scheduled to be held on May 13.
Illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, has been a significant problem in Ghana for many years. It poses a severe threat to the country's water bodies and human life, making it a menace that needs urgent attention. The situation became worse during the John Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration. Illegal mining was rampant, with people carrying out the activity even in townships.

In response to this crisis, President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo made a campaign promise to end galamsey when voted into power. He assumed office in 2017 and started the fight against the menace vigorously and fiercely. However, people who depended on galamsey for their livelihoods started complaining and hating the Akufo-Addo-led government. To curtail the menaces of illegal mining, the president laid down guidelines for those who engage in the activity to do it legally. He introduced community mining and other policies to regulate it.

Despite the government's efforts, some individuals found loopholes and engaged in illegalities, including extortion and bribery, as reported by Anas and other journalists' documentaries. The Mahama-led NDC capitalized on the plight of people who lost their livelihoods due to the fight against galamsey and used it as a campaign strategy against the NPP in the 2020 elections. This strategy paid off, as the NPP lost in almost all the galamsey communities.

As the 2024 elections draw near, the NDC has launched a campaign to criticize the NPP for its inability to curtail illegal mining. This move is a strategy to pressure the ruling party to restart the fight against galamsey. However, it is worth noting that the opposition is not honest with Ghanaians. They incite the ruling government to fight against the menace and go around inciting perpetrators to vote against the NPP for fighting against galamsey.

It is a shame that the fight against galamsey has become a political tool in Ghana. Both the NDC and NPP have played their parts in contributing to the problem. The NDC government's laxity allowed the menace to thrive, while the NPP government's zeal to end it has caused some individuals to lose their livelihoods.

The fight against galamsey should not be a political issue. It is a matter of national concern that requires a collective effort from all Ghanaians. The government needs to take proactive steps to address the issue, including providing alternative livelihoods for those who depend on illegal mining. The media and civil society should also join hands to sensitize Ghanaians on the dangers of galamsey and encourage them to support the fight against it.

In conclusion, the fight against galamsey in Ghana is not an illusion. It is a real problem that needs urgent attention. However, politicians should not use it as a campaign tool to gain votes. Instead, they should work together to find a lasting solution to the problem. Only then can Ghana win the fight against galamsey and protect its water bodies and human life.

Ebenezer Ansah-Boafo
With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.

Power information of BYDs Yangwang U8 unveiled

Yangwang, the nascent premium auto brand of BYD, recently disclosed that its first production model, the Yangwang U8 off-road SUV will be powered by a plug-in hybrid electric system and features a CLTC-rated range of 180km when running on battery power alone. The models Luxury version is able to zip from 0-100km/h within 3.9 second and 3.6 seconds could be achieved if the curvature engine function is working.

Photo credit: BYD

EVE Energy forms strategic cooperation with Hello Tech

On Apr. 27, EVE Energy and Shenzhen Hello Tech Energy co.,Ltd. (Hello Tech) signed an agreement to cement strategic cooperation on the upstream and downstream supply chains. Besides, the duo will carry out in-depth cooperation on the energy storage industrial chain.

Photo credit: EVE Energy

BYD Destroyer 05 Champion version hits market

On Apr. 28, the BYD Destroyer 05 Champion version hit the market. With five trim levels offered, it is priced between 101,800 yuan and 148,800 yuan. The model came with two battery-only range options, 55km and 120km.

Photo credit: BYD

BYD scores 79.83% YoY leap in Q1 2023 revenue

BYD Company Limited (BYD) announced on Apr. 27 its revenue reached 120.174 billion yuan in the first quarter of 2023, leaping 79.83% from the previous year.

Changan Automobile boasts 53.65% YoY surge in Q1 2023 net profit attributable to shareholders

In the first three months of this year, Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd.'s revenue came in at 34.556 billion yuan, which remained stable compared to both the previous quarter and the previous year.

Meanwhile, its net profit attributable to the shareholders amounted to 6.97 billion yuan, representing a year-on-year jump of 53.65%. After non-recurring deductions, its net profit attributable to shareholders reached approximately 1.481 billion yuan, which dropped by 34.75% from a year ago.

ZD Automotive closes Series A financing round

ZD Automotive, an automotive R&D solution provider, has successfully completed its hundred-million-yuan-level Series A financing with China Merchants Capital as the lead investor.

GAC-backed Ontime greenlighted for pilot operation of Robotaxi service in Guangzhou

On April 26, Ontime, the mobility service provider backed by GAC Group, was granted a permit to carry out intelligent connected vehicle demonstration operations in Guangzhou.

BAIC Group plans to pour at least 50 billion yuan in R&D over next five years

BAIC Group's Vice General Manager, Gong Yueqiong, recently spoke about the companys perspective on new energy vehicle market, and revealed that in the next five years, BAIC Group will invest at least 50 billion yuan in R&D of the technologies related to intelligent new energy vehicles.

Schaeffler signs MoU to step up local R&D, investment in Nanjing city

On April 21st, at the headquarters of Schaeffler Group in Herzogenaurach, Germany, Schaeffler signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the management committee of Nanjing Jiangning High-tech Development Zone to further strengthen cooperation in production and R&D.
28.04.2023 LISTEN

The New Patriotic Party(NPP) as a political party and political tradition that is considered the noblest and oldest political tradition in Ghana is an offshoot of the United Gold Coast Convention, the first political party formed in Ghana in 1947 to press on the colonial masters to grant political and economic independence to Ghana then referred to as Gold Coast. Though the NPP as a political party was officially formed in July 1992 in the wake of the birth of the fourth republic, the political tradition which is described as the Danquah- Busia- Dombo tradition has existed since the days of the struggle for independence. That is, it has metamorphosed from United Gold Coast Convention( UGCC) from its beginning to Ghana Congress Party( GCP), National Liberation Movement( NLM), United Party( UP), Progress Party( PP), Popular Front Party( PFP), All People's Party(APP) and now New Patriotic Party(NPP). In all of this metamorphosis, the political ideology(center-right) and the personalities associated with this political tradition remained intact.

The NPP has grown from strength to strength and played a vital role in institutionalizing, developing, and shaping democracy in Ghana. It has penetrated regions and constituencies where it was seen as taboo for one to belong to the New Patriotic Party. Despite the strides made by the NPP as a political tradition in terms of increase in membership, its monumental growth has however been limited in some areas of Ghana to a larger extent by a negative misconception and tag its political adversaries have smeared it with. The political detractors and adversaries of the NPP in their fervent attempt to stop it from spreading to every nook and cranny of Ghana that will make it clinch to political power for long a time

succeeded in inciting some tribes against the NPP. Such political detractors of the NPP capitalized on the growing numbers of the people of the Akan ethnic group and Christians at the forefront of the activities and leadership position of the party and labeled it as an "Akan Party". They have also made good use of the inability of a non-Akan to ever lead the party as its flagbearer despite several attempts to drum home their assertion that the NPP is a party that does not and will not allow any non-Akan or Muslim to lead it as its flagbearer despite his or her competence and merits. Through this propaganda spree churned out by the detractors of the NPP, the party is finding it challenging to make significant strides in some regions and among the Muslim community in Ghana. Strategically, the arch-political opponents of the NPP, that is, the NDC continue trumpeting the message to enjoy the support of the Settler communities also known as Zongos,(where the majority are Muslims), the five Northern regions, Ga- Adangbe communities, Ewes, Krobos, Nzemas, Ahantas, etc. The NDC is very much aware that the day all Ghanaians will do away with tribal-based politics and vote on issues, the NDC's political obituary will be written, hence their attempt to keep it on.

Realizing the party's deficiency in penetrating the Muslim communities and Northern Ghana, the party in every presidential election in the fourth republic except for the 1996 elections has partnered a Muslim/ Northerner running mate with a Christian/Akan flagbearer and even created an organizing unit within the executive board of the party( NASARA COORDINATOR) from constituency level to national all in an attempt to dispel the erroneous impression by many Ghanaians that the NPP treat all other tribes in the party except the Akans as second fiddles. Anytime the NPP capture political power, it rolls out policies deliberately targeted at ameliorating the conditions of the Zongos and Northern Ghana that will make the party attractive to them.

It is worth noting that in all these attempts by the party to gain maximum support in its challenging areas, the chances of the NPP keep dimming in the Zongos and Northern Ghana because of some unfortunate utterances and actions, and inactions of some big guns of the party. However, it seems the NPP has not learned its lessons and keeps repeating the same utterances and actions that are foiling its efforts. The NPP has not taken cognizance of the fact that the NDC is taking note of the unfortunate comments they are making against some presidential aspirants because of their geographical and religious backgrounds and will bounce them back on the party in the general elections. It was shocking and disturbing to hear the director of operations of Mr. Alan Kyeremateng's campaign for 2024, Mr. Hopeson Adornye state without mincing words in Kumasi during a health walk to galvanize support for Mr. Alan that the Northerners in NPP who represent the Dombo side of the tradition are only fit for running mates in the party. Mr. E. G. Buckman, a columnist and a close ally of Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng opines in a published opinion that Dr. Bawumia cannot become a president in Ghana because he is a Northerner and a Muslim. Another lead campaigner for Mr. Alan who is the Eastern regional campaign coordinator also spoke in the same tone by calling on NPP delegates to reject the candidature of Dr. Bawumia because he is a Northerner and a Muslim. The Eastern regional campaign coordinator for Mr. Alan, Mr. Samuel Ayeh Paye corroborated this stance by presenting to delegates in the Ashanti region that they should massively vote against Dr. Bawumia as a presidential aspirant of the NPP because he is a Muslim and a Northerner and that Muslims are a minority in the country and cannot superintend over over Christians who are the majority.

As a lead campaigner for any of the aspirants, you should be cognizant of the fact that your words will become an arsenal for the NDC in the 2024 presidential elections. You may hate Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu for whatever reason. You may criticize him for any reason but to call on delegates to reject his candidature just because of his religion or geographical location of his origin is not right. Such statements go to confirm the vile propaganda of the NDC against the NPP that it is a party that treats Muslims, Northerners, Ewes, Gas, Krobos, etc as second fiddles. It is important to note that there are several of those uncivilized comments made by senior fellows of the party that the NDC still re-echoes in every general election and we should not add more to that. As an NPP person who sees your political success and fortunes tied to the survival of any of the presidential candidates, you are right in championing his cause. But to make it a point to destructively criticize Dr. Bawumia to satisfy your paymaster is certainly not right.

By Iddi Adam Osman

0249230125
28.04.2023 LISTEN

If Joe Biden, the President of the United States, is re-elected in 2024, the man who has given African-Americans the most powerful and influential positions in government, will become the oldest person to be inaugurated as U.S President.

Bidens following a bifurcation strategy of fighting for votes: the gun-hugging, xenophobic, insurrectionists versus the diversity champions and abortion rights supporters.

It is that strategy that made him to say, a couple of years ago, that:

"Every generation of Americans has faced a moment when they have to defend democracy, stand up for the right to vote, and our civil rights. And this is our moment. Let's finish the job. I know we can."

Is he going to be able to finish the job?

Soon, time and the trailer loads of criminal charges and court cases against Trump will tell.

Early morning on Tuesday February 25, 2023 announced that he is running for re-election.

In a three-minute video posted to his social media accounts, Biden reminded the country:When I ran for president four years ago, I said we are in a battle for the soul of America. And we still are.

Biden affirmed in the video: Thats why Im running for re-election.

Long before Bidens declaration and I must say, prematurely, the divisive and cantankerous former President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, on Tuesday November 15, 2022 officially launched his third campaign for the White House. He said In order to make America great and glorious again, I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States. Americas comeback starts right now.

With visually engaging scenes of the January 6 insurrection by radical elements (encouraged and partly inspired by Trump & Co) who set upon the U.S Capitol, Biden introduced the strategy for his uncertain quest for reelection. His video had images of abortion rights protesters. Biden pitched the dividing issues in the campaigns and across America.

Evidently, it could be another rough and bare-knuckle showdown between the 80-year incumbent and his aggressive, Republican predecessor Trump. That is, if Trump beats the major court cases dogging him.

Biden highlighted his campaign as being the opposite of the Trump Republicans.

"Around the country, MAGA extremists are lining up to take on those bedrock freedoms, dictating what health care decisions women can make, banning books and telling people who they can love  all while making it more difficult for you to vote," Biden listed.

He requested Americans to support and enable him "finish the job.

He summarized the consequences, impact and debate to only one choice:

"The question we are facing is whether in the years ahead we give more freedom or less freedom, more rights or fewer."

The video directly seeks the continued support of African-Americans, women and abortion rights activists with images of Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in several locations.

Theres a powerful message with Biden walking outside the White House with Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Jackson was Bidens pick who significantly became the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court of the U.S.

Theres a clip of Latinos hailing him, "arriba, Biden!  to which he replied

"I know what I want the answer to be, and I think you do, too."

As a snapshot of this moment in history, Biden is not polling well as the NBC News poll released in mid-April 2023 showed that 70% of Americans dont want Biden to run again (26% say he should). 60% are opposed to Trump seeking another term as President. But the election is more than one year away!

Anything is possible in politics; lets rather say that many things are possible in politics.

- Dr. Chido Nwangwu, author of the forthcoming 2023 book, MLK, Mandela & Achebe: Power, Leadership and Identity., is Founder of the first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper on the internet, USAfricaonline.com, and established USAfrica in 1992 in Houston. He has appeared as an analyst on CNN, Al Jazeera, SKYnews, and served as an adviser on Africa business to Houstons former Mayor Lee Brown. Follow him on Twitter @Chido247
Shares of Mistras Group, Inc. (NYSE:MG  Get Rating) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $5.32 and traded as high as $7.86. Mistras Group shares last traded at $7.68, with a volume of 89,985 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Mistras Group from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Tuesday, March 21st.

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Mistras Group Trading Up 2.9 %

The company has a market cap of $235.56 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.00 and a beta of 1.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 1.49 and a current ratio of 1.62. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $6.46 and its 200-day moving average price is $5.36.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mistras Group

Mistras Group ( NYSE:MG Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 8th. The technology company reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $168.22 million during the quarter. Mistras Group had a net margin of 0.94% and a return on equity of 3.36%.

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in Mistras Group by 34.7% during the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 27,156 shares of the technology companys stock worth $180,000 after acquiring an additional 6,989 shares during the last quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Mistras Group by 9.5% in the 1st quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 72,166 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $477,000 after purchasing an additional 6,268 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Mistras Group by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,400,796 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $9,258,000 after purchasing an additional 12,485 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Mistras Group by 3.8% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 996,636 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $6,587,000 after purchasing an additional 36,770 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Mistras Group by 5.5% in the 1st quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 500,458 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $3,308,000 after purchasing an additional 26,162 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 48.42% of the companys stock.

Mistras Group Company Profile

(Get Rating)

MISTRAS Group, Inc engages in the provision of technology-enabled asset protection solutions. The firm serves the oil and gas, aerospace, power, infrastructure, and manufacturing markets. It operates through the following segments: Services, International Offers Services, and Products and Systems. The Services segment provides asset protection solutions primarily in North America, consisting primarily of non-destructive testing, inspection, mechanical, and engineering services.

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A number of research firms have changed their ratings and price targets for Progressive (NYSE: PGR):

4/27/2023  Progressive was downgraded by analysts at BMO Capital Markets from an outperform rating to a market perform rating. They now have a $150.00 price target on the stock, down previously from $165.00.

4/18/2023  Progressive had its price target lowered by analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $140.00 to $133.00. They now have a market perform rating on the stock.

4/18/2023  Progressive had its price target raised by analysts at Citigroup Inc. from $111.00 to $124.00.

4/14/2023  Progressive had its price target lowered by analysts at Evercore ISI from $167.00 to $163.00. They now have an outperform rating on the stock.

4/14/2023  Progressive had its neutral rating reaffirmed by analysts at Credit Suisse Group AG. They now have a $143.00 price target on the stock.

4/14/2023  Progressive had its price target raised by analysts at Bank of America Co. from $178.00 to $188.00. They now have a buy rating on the stock.

4/12/2023  Progressive had its price target lowered by analysts at Barclays PLC from $123.00 to $121.00. They now have an underweight rating on the stock.

4/10/2023  Progressive had its price target raised by analysts at Jefferies Financial Group Inc. from $159.00 to $168.00. They now have a buy rating on the stock.

4/8/2023  Progressive was downgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a buy rating to a hold rating.

4/5/2023  Progressive had its price target raised by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $158.00 to $159.00. They now have an overweight rating on the stock.

3/31/2023  Progressive had its price target raised by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $130.00 to $132.00. They now have a neutral rating on the stock.

3/27/2023  Progressive was downgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a buy rating to a hold rating.

3/18/2023  Progressive was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a hold rating to a buy rating.

3/16/2023  Progressive was upgraded by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from an underweight rating to an overweight rating. They now have a $158.00 price target on the stock, up previously from $116.00.

3/10/2023  Progressive was downgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a buy rating to a hold rating.

3/2/2023  Progressive was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a hold rating to a buy rating.

Progressive Stock Up 0.7 %

NYSE PGR traded up $0.87 on Thursday, hitting $134.71. 1,900,440 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,483,802. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $141.56 and a 200 day moving average of $133.79. The Progressive Co. has a twelve month low of $106.35 and a twelve month high of $149.87. The company has a market capitalization of $78.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 95.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a current ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

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Progressive (NYSE:PGR  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 25th. The insurance provider reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.49 by $0.01. Progressive had a return on equity of 13.84% and a net margin of 1.64%. The firm had revenue of $13.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $13.33 billion. As a group, analysts expect that The Progressive Co. will post 5.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Progressive Announces Dividend

Insider Activity

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 6th were paid a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.30%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 5th. Progressives payout ratio is currently 28.37%.

In other news, CEO Susan Patricia Griffith sold 15,473 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $142.64, for a total transaction of $2,207,068.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 431,811 shares of the companys stock, valued at $61,593,521.04. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, insider Steven Broz sold 930 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.50, for a total value of $126,015.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 30,041 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,070,555.50. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Susan Patricia Griffith sold 15,473 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $142.64, for a total value of $2,207,068.72. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 431,811 shares in the company, valued at $61,593,521.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 25,917 shares of company stock valued at $3,658,242. 0.33% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Progressive

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PGR. Markel Corp increased its position in Progressive by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. Markel Corp now owns 750,750 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $85,578,000 after acquiring an additional 29,750 shares during the period. Roundview Capital LLC increased its position in Progressive by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Roundview Capital LLC now owns 49,086 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $5,595,000 after acquiring an additional 381 shares during the period. Cibc World Market Inc. increased its position in shares of Progressive by 3.9% during the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 6,693 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $763,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares during the period. Moors & Cabot Inc. increased its position in shares of Progressive by 8.0% during the 1st quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 3,081 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $351,000 after purchasing an additional 228 shares during the period. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Progressive by 103.5% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 7,022 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $800,000 after purchasing an additional 3,571 shares during the period. 83.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Progressive Corp. is an insurance holding company, which engages in the provision of personal and commercial auto insurance, residential property insurance, and other specialty property-casualty insurance and related services. It operates through the following segments: Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, and Property.

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Singapore Airlines Limited (OTCMKTS:SINGY  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 300 shares, a decrease of 94.6% from the March 31st total of 5,600 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 17,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.0 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Citigroup raised Singapore Airlines from a sell rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th.

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Singapore Airlines Stock Performance

OTCMKTS SINGY traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $8.70. The companys stock had a trading volume of 5,514 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,358. Singapore Airlines has a 1-year low of $6.82 and a 1-year high of $9.10. The companys 50-day moving average is $8.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $8.24.

Singapore Airlines Company Profile

Singapore Airlines Ltd. engages in passenger and cargo air transportation. It operates through the following segments: Singapore Airlines, SilkAir, Budget Aviation and SIAEC. The Singapore Airlines segment provides passenger air transportation under the Singapore Airlines brand with a focus on full-service passenger serving short and long haul markets.

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Bogart Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of T. Rowe Price Growth Stock ETF (NYSEARCA:TGRW  Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 2,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $41,000. Bogart Wealth LLC owned approximately 0.12% of T. Rowe Price Growth Stock ETF at the end of the most recent quarter.

Separately, Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in shares of T. Rowe Price Growth Stock ETF by 9.5% during the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 16,651 shares of the companys stock valued at $348,000 after acquiring an additional 1,442 shares during the period.

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T. Rowe Price Growth Stock ETF Price Performance

NYSEARCA TGRW opened at $24.42 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $42.73 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.79 and a beta of 1.18. T. Rowe Price Growth Stock ETF has a 1 year low of $19.85 and a 1 year high of $26.03. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $23.24 and a 200-day moving average price of $22.17.

T. Rowe Price Growth Stock ETF Profile

The T. Rowe Price Growth Stock ETF (TGRW) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Russell 3000 Growth index. The ETF currently has 38.68m in AUM and 79 holdings. TGRW is an actively-managed, non-transparent fund that focus on companies with growth characteristics TGRW was launched on Aug 4, 2020 and is managed by T.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG  Get Rating)s stock had its maintains rating reiterated by research analysts at 888 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports.

Several other research firms have also commented on CMG. Raymond James lifted their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,900.00 to $2,100.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,900.00 to $2,050.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday. Loop Capital lifted their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,700.00 to $1,850.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,940.00 to $2,050.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,960.00 to $2,270.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Chipotle Mexican Grill has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $2,021.37.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance

Shares of CMG traded up $31.36 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $2,067.62. The company had a trading volume of 410,157 shares, compared to its average volume of 301,301. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $1,651.54 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1,563.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $57.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.32. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 1 year low of $1,196.28 and a 1 year high of $2,071.00.

Insider Activity at Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle Mexican Grill ( NYSE:CMG Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The restaurant operator reported $10.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $8.89 by $1.61. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 45.01% and a net margin of 11.49%. The business had revenue of $2.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.34 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $5.70 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 18.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 41.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In related news, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 2,193 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,633.11, for a total value of $3,581,410.23. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 23,347 shares of the companys stock, valued at $38,128,219.17. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Chipotle Mexican Grill news, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 2,193 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,633.11, for a total transaction of $3,581,410.23. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 23,347 shares in the company, valued at $38,128,219.17. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CMO Christopher W. Brandt sold 1,013 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,795.00, for a total value of $1,818,335.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer now owns 8,125 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,584,375. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 10,856 shares of company stock valued at $17,938,741. Insiders own 1.00% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Chipotle Mexican Grill

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Valley National Advisers Inc. increased its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 22.7% in the 1st quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. now owns 27 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 5 shares during the period. ETF Managers Group LLC boosted its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. ETF Managers Group LLC now owns 455 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $777,000 after purchasing an additional 6 shares in the last quarter. Veriti Management LLC boosted its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Veriti Management LLC now owns 403 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $606,000 after purchasing an additional 7 shares in the last quarter. Moseley Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Moseley Investment Management Inc. now owns 283 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $393,000 after purchasing an additional 7 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Glassman Wealth Services boosted its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 9.2% during the 4th quarter. Glassman Wealth Services now owns 83 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $115,000 after purchasing an additional 7 shares in the last quarter. 93.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Chipotle Mexican Grill

(Get Rating)

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc engages in the development and operation of classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. It offers a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls, and salads prepared using classic cooking methods. The company was founded by Steve Ells in 1993 and is headquartered in Newport Beach, CA.

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AMI Investment Management Inc. lessened its holdings in Chubb Limited (NYSE:CB  Get Rating) by 10.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,202 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 134 shares during the period. AMI Investment Management Inc.s holdings in Chubb were worth $265,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of Chubb by 6.8% in the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 5,282,359 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $960,755,000 after purchasing an additional 338,463 shares during the period. Boston Partners grew its stake in Chubb by 3.9% during the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 2,741,428 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $501,001,000 after acquiring an additional 103,984 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Chubb by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,126,486 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $454,856,000 after acquiring an additional 64,887 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in Chubb by 3.6% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,000,280 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $363,845,000 after purchasing an additional 68,754 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Chubb by 4.6% in the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 1,227,140 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $223,214,000 after purchasing an additional 53,639 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.12% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Chubb

In other news, Director Theodore Shasta sold 1,000 shares of Chubb stock in a transaction on Monday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $189.73, for a total transaction of $189,730.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 14,488 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,748,808.24. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Chubb news, COO John W. Keogh sold 23,871 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.18, for a total transaction of $5,064,948.78. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 272,062 shares of the companys stock, valued at $57,726,115.16. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Theodore Shasta sold 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $189.73, for a total transaction of $189,730.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 14,488 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,748,808.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.39% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Chubb Stock Up 1.6 %

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on CB shares. Atlantic Securities boosted their price objective on Chubb from $240.00 to $250.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of Chubb in a report on Thursday, January 19th. They issued a market perform rating and a $225.00 target price on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of Chubb from $237.00 to $221.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 10th. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on Chubb from $240.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on Chubb from $256.00 to $260.00 in a research note on Thursday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Chubb currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $243.54.

Shares of Chubb stock traded up $3.12 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $202.15. 404,254 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,802,908. The firm has a market cap of $83.72 billion, a PE ratio of 15.97, a PEG ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 0.64. The stocks fifty day moving average is $199.20 and its 200 day moving average is $208.78. Chubb Limited has a 1 year low of $173.78 and a 1 year high of $231.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 0.34.

Chubb (NYSE:CB  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The financial services provider reported $4.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $4.37 by $0.04. Chubb had a return on equity of 13.13% and a net margin of 11.71%. The company had revenue of $9.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.39 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.82 EPS. Chubbs revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Chubb Limited will post 17.59 earnings per share for the current year.

Chubb Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 17th were issued a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.64%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 16th. Chubbs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.65%.

About Chubb

(Get Rating)

Chubb Ltd. operates as a holding company, which engages in the provision of commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and accident and health (A&H), reinsurance, and life insurance. It operates through the following segments: North America Commercial Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance, North America Personal P&C Insurance, North America Agricultural Insurance, Overseas General Insurance, Global Reinsurance, and Life Insurance.

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of Arbor Realty Trust (NYSE:ABR  Get Rating) from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research report released on Monday, The Fly reports. The brokerage currently has $11.00 target price on the real estate investment trusts stock, down from their previous target price of $15.00.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on ABR. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Arbor Realty Trust in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on Arbor Realty Trust from $15.50 to $12.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Finally, JMP Securities reissued a market outperform rating and issued a $17.50 target price on shares of Arbor Realty Trust in a report on Wednesday, March 15th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $15.10.

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Arbor Realty Trust Trading Up 5.2 %

Shares of ABR stock opened at $11.02 on Monday. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $12.33 and its 200 day moving average price is $13.41. Arbor Realty Trust has a 1-year low of $10.10 and a 1-year high of $17.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.03 billion, a PE ratio of 6.64 and a beta of 1.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.85, a current ratio of 46.60 and a quick ratio of 46.60.

Arbor Realty Trust Dividend Announcement

Insider Buying and Selling

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 13th were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 10th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 14.52%. Arbor Realty Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 96.39%.

In other Arbor Realty Trust news, Director William C. Green bought 4,200 shares of Arbor Realty Trust stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 13th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $12.94 per share, for a total transaction of $54,348.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 138,905 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,797,430.70. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, CEO Ivan Kaufman acquired 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 13th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $12.43 per share, for a total transaction of $124,300.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,168,277 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,521,683.11. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director William C. Green acquired 4,200 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 13th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $12.94 per share, for a total transaction of $54,348.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 138,905 shares in the company, valued at $1,797,430.70. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 3.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Arbor Realty Trust

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Financial Freedom LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Arbor Realty Trust during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in shares of Arbor Realty Trust during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Money Concepts Capital Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Arbor Realty Trust during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Arbor Realty Trust by 31.5% during the 3rd quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 4,043 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 969 shares during the period. Finally, Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Arbor Realty Trust during the 4th quarter valued at about $49,000. 40.52% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Arbor Realty Trust

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Arbor Realty Trust, Inc operates as a real estate investment trust, which engages in the provision of loan origination and servicing for multifamily, seniors housing, healthcare, and diverse commercial real estate assets. It operates through the Structured Business and Agency Business segments. The Structured Business segment offers structured loan origination and investment services.

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Austevoll Seafood ASA (OTCMKTS:ASTVF  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 13,700 shares, an increase of 101.5% from the March 31st total of 6,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 137.0 days.

Austevoll Seafood ASA Price Performance

Austevoll Seafood ASA stock remained flat at $8.89 during midday trading on Thursday. The companys stock had a trading volume of 400 shares, compared to its average volume of 915. Austevoll Seafood ASA has a 1 year low of $7.78 and a 1 year high of $15.93. The firms 50 day moving average is $8.90 and its 200-day moving average is $9.01.

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Austevoll Seafood ASA Company Profile

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Austevoll Seafood ASA, a seafood company, engages in the salmon and trout, white fish, and pelagic businesses in Norway, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America, and internationally. The company is involved in the ownership and operation of fishing vessels, as well as farming, aquaculture, processing, sale, and distribution of salmon and trout.

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ITA Airways confirms its focus on the intercontinental network and renews the possibility of flying from Rome to the Maldives after the success in the 2022-23 Winter season.

As of today, on all its sales channels it will be possible to purchase tickets for the direct flight Rome-Fiumicino/Male, the capital of the Maldives. The connection will be operated from 16 December 2023 until 25 March 2024, as last return date. During the 2023-24 Winter season, there will be 2 weekly frequencies connecting Rome with Male, with departure from Rome-Fiumicino airport at 10:10 pm and arrival at Velana - Male International Airport at 11:25 am, local time. The return flight from Velana-Male is scheduled at 1:25 pm local time with landing in Rome-Fiumicino at 7:45 pm.

Thanks to its extensive network, passengers will be travelling to the Maldives not only from Italy but from all over Europe via the Company's convenient connections from Rome-Fiumicino to the main European airports.

ITA Airways is thus strengthening its presence in South-East Asia and responding to the increasingly strong customers demand for one of the most sought-after destinations in world tourism - the Maldives.

With the Rome-Fiumicino/Male flight, the carrier's intercontinental network grows to 12 destinations.

Male joins the Company's long-haul offer, which currently includes 11 destinations already operated by ITA Airways with direct flights to New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Miami, Washington, San Francisco, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Tokyo and New Delhi.

All its new flights can be purchased on its website, or through the company's call center, travel agencies and airport ticket offices.
Avidian Wealth Solutions LLC lifted its position in shares of Lowes Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW  Get Rating) by 6.4% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 4,845 shares of the home improvement retailers stock after buying an additional 291 shares during the quarter. Avidian Wealth Solutions LLCs holdings in Lowes Companies were worth $965,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in LOW. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its stake in shares of Lowes Companies by 7,952.8% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,586,400 shares of the home improvement retailers stock worth $320,754,000 after acquiring an additional 1,566,700 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its stake in shares of Lowes Companies by 2,072.5% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,078,468 shares of the home improvement retailers stock worth $218,055,000 after acquiring an additional 1,028,827 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its stake in shares of Lowes Companies by 13.0% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 7,916,354 shares of the home improvement retailers stock worth $1,486,770,000 after acquiring an additional 912,518 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Lowes Companies by 209.0% during the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,219,542 shares of the home improvement retailers stock worth $246,579,000 after acquiring an additional 824,915 shares during the period. Finally, Barclays PLC grew its stake in shares of Lowes Companies by 176.1% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 925,087 shares of the home improvement retailers stock worth $173,738,000 after acquiring an additional 590,013 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 72.62% of the companys stock.

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Lowes Companies Price Performance

LOW opened at $204.53 on Friday. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $200.43 and its 200 day simple moving average is $202.15. Lowes Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $170.12 and a 1 year high of $223.31. The firm has a market cap of $121.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.43, a PEG ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.09.

Lowes Companies Dividend Announcement

Lowes Companies ( NYSE:LOW Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 1st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.21 by $0.07. Lowes Companies had a negative return on equity of 82.30% and a net margin of 6.63%. The business had revenue of $22.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.71 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.78 EPS. Lowes Companiess revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Lowes Companies, Inc. will post 13.82 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 26th will be given a dividend of $1.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 25th. This represents a $4.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.05%. Lowes Companiess dividend payout ratio is presently 41.96%.

Insider Activity at Lowes Companies

In related news, EVP Donald Frieson sold 9,411 shares of Lowes Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $197.00, for a total transaction of $1,853,967.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 17,888 shares in the company, valued at $3,523,936. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on LOW shares. Citigroup cut their target price on Lowes Companies from $215.00 to $210.00 in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. Truist Financial cut their target price on Lowes Companies from $258.00 to $235.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on Lowes Companies from $250.00 to $235.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Oppenheimer cut their target price on Lowes Companies from $300.00 to $275.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 28th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group cut their target price on Lowes Companies from $250.00 to $235.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $223.85.

About Lowes Companies

(Get Rating)

Lowes Cos., Inc engages in the retail sale of home improvement products. The firm offers products for maintenance, repair, remodeling, home decorating and property maintenance. It also provides home improvement products in the following categories: appliances, bathroom, building supply, electrical, flooring, hardware, paint, kitchen, plumbing, lighting & fans, outdoor living, windows and doors.

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Bridgeworth LLC purchased a new stake in Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL  Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 2,881 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $207,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. RDA Financial Network grew its position in Aflac by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. RDA Financial Network now owns 4,305 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $310,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. RFG Advisory LLC grew its position in Aflac by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. RFG Advisory LLC now owns 18,496 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,257,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. grew its position in Aflac by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 22,628 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,641,000 after purchasing an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co. grew its position in Aflac by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co. now owns 10,479 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $754,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its position in Aflac by 22.8% during the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 855 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the last quarter. 66.22% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Aflac Stock Up 6.2 %

Shares of Aflac stock opened at $69.47 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $42.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.57, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.93. Aflac Incorporated has a twelve month low of $52.07 and a twelve month high of $74.01. The company has a current ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 0.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $65.60 and its 200-day simple moving average is $67.89.

Aflac Announces Dividend

Aflac ( NYSE:AFL Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The financial services provider reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $4.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.61 billion. Aflac had a return on equity of 14.54% and a net margin of 22.90%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.42 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Aflac Incorporated will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 17th will be paid a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 16th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.42%. Aflacs payout ratio is currently 25.57%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AFL has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Aflac from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Monday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Aflac in a research report on Tuesday. They set an equal weight rating and a $73.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Aflac from $77.00 to $72.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Aflac from $73.00 to $69.00 in a research report on Thursday. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Aflac in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $71.22.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Masatoshi Koide sold 19,291 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.36, for a total value of $1,357,314.76. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 87,598 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,163,395.28. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Joseph L. Moskowitz sold 500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.45, for a total transaction of $32,225.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 19,269 shares in the company, valued at $1,241,887.05. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Masatoshi Koide sold 19,291 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.36, for a total value of $1,357,314.76. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 87,598 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,163,395.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the companys stock.

Aflac Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Aflac, Inc is a holding company. engages in the provision of financial protection services. It operates through the followings segments: Aflac Japan and Aflac United States (U.S.). The Aflac Japan segment offers life insurance, death benefits, and cash surrender values. The Aflac U.S. segment sells voluntary supplemental insurance products for people who already have major medical or primary insurance coverage.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AFL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Aflac Incorporated (NYSE:AFL  Get Rating).

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Brunswick (NYSE:BC  Get Rating) issued an update on its second quarter 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $2.60-$2.70 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $3.03. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Brunswick also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $9.50-$11.00 EPS.

Brunswick Stock Performance

NYSE:BC traded up $2.15 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $85.23. The stock had a trading volume of 852,494 shares, compared to its average volume of 570,302. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 1.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.48 and a beta of 1.53. Brunswick has a twelve month low of $61.89 and a twelve month high of $93.15. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $82.93 and a 200 day simple moving average of $77.83.

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Brunswick (NYSE:BC  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 2nd. The company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.58 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.66 billion. Brunswick had a net margin of 9.94% and a return on equity of 37.56%. The firms revenue was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.44 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Brunswick will post 10.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Brunswick Increases Dividend

Analysts Set New Price Targets

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 27th were issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 24th. This is a boost from Brunswicks previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.88%. Brunswicks dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 17.80%.

A number of brokerages have issued reports on BC. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of Brunswick from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, February 3rd. DA Davidson increased their target price on shares of Brunswick from $82.00 to $92.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, February 7th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of Brunswick from $100.00 to $110.00 in a report on Friday, February 3rd. Roth Capital reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Brunswick in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Brunswick from $104.00 to $106.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, February 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $102.75.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Brunswick news, CFO Ryan M. Gwillim sold 5,710 shares of Brunswick stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.28, for a total value of $504,078.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 28,522 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,517,922.16. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Brunswick news, CFO Ryan M. Gwillim sold 5,710 shares of Brunswick stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.28, for a total value of $504,078.80. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 28,522 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,517,922.16. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Christopher F. Dekker sold 7,353 shares of Brunswick stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.29, for a total transaction of $649,196.37. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 41,455 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,660,061.95. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 13,234 shares of company stock valued at $1,167,542. Company insiders own 0.58% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brunswick

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in BC. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Brunswick during the 1st quarter valued at $52,000. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its stake in Brunswick by 140.4% during the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 41,387 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,496,000 after purchasing an additional 24,171 shares during the period. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS boosted its stake in Brunswick by 10.5% during the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 28,255 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,286,000 after purchasing an additional 2,694 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in Brunswick by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 6,426,552 shares of the companys stock valued at $519,843,000 after purchasing an additional 46,519 shares during the period. Finally, Great West Life Assurance Co. Can lifted its stake in shares of Brunswick by 9.7% in the 1st quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 45,006 shares of the companys stock worth $3,746,000 after acquiring an additional 3,992 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.01% of the companys stock.

Brunswick Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Brunswick Corp. engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of recreational marine products, including marine engines, boats, and parts and accessories for those products. It operates through the following segments: Propulsion, Parts and Accessories, Boat, and Corporate/Other. The Propulsion segment manufactures a full range of outboard, sterndrive, and inboard engines, as well as propulsion-related controls, propellers, and rigging parts and accessories.

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Camden Property Trust (NYSE:CPT  Get Rating) updated its FY23 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $6.74  $6.98 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $6.90. Camden Property Trust also updated its Q2 guidance to $1.66-1.70 EPS.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Citigroup upped their price target on Camden Property Trust from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on Camden Property Trust in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. They set an underweight rating and a $102.00 price target on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on Camden Property Trust from $153.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 4th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on Camden Property Trust from $135.00 to $134.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price objective on Camden Property Trust from $131.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $135.00.

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Camden Property Trust Stock Up 2.4 %

CPT traded up $2.50 on Thursday, hitting $106.53. The company had a trading volume of 921,371 shares, compared to its average volume of 875,662. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.10 and a quick ratio of 0.10. Camden Property Trust has a 52-week low of $97.74 and a 52-week high of $164.40. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $107.93 and a 200-day simple moving average of $112.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.78, a P/E/G ratio of 3.11 and a beta of 0.79.

Camden Property Trust Increases Dividend

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Camden Property Trust

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 31st were issued a $1.00 dividend. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.75%. This is an increase from Camden Property Trusts previous quarterly dividend of $0.94. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 30th. Camden Property Trusts payout ratio is 66.78%.

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC purchased a new position in Camden Property Trust in the 4th quarter worth about $355,000. Cetera Investment Advisers bought a new stake in shares of Camden Property Trust during the 4th quarter valued at about $344,000. ERn Financial LLC grew its stake in shares of Camden Property Trust by 11.0% during the 4th quarter. ERn Financial LLC now owns 2,446 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $274,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares during the period. Linscomb & Williams Inc. grew its stake in shares of Camden Property Trust by 20.4% during the 4th quarter. Linscomb & Williams Inc. now owns 2,412 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $270,000 after purchasing an additional 408 shares during the period. Finally, Commonwealth Equity Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Camden Property Trust by 14.0% during the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 2,203 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $263,000 after purchasing an additional 271 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.25% of the companys stock.

Camden Property Trust Company Profile

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Camden Property Trust operates as a real estate investment trust. The firm engages in the ownership, management, development, reposition, redevelopment, acquisition, and construction of multifamily apartment communities. It focus on investing in markets characterized by high-growth economic conditions, strong employment, and attractive quality of life.

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China CITIC Bank Co. Limited (OTCMKTS:CHCJY  Get Rating) shares reached a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as $10.38 and last traded at $10.38, with a volume of 1 shares. The stock had previously closed at $10.38.

China CITIC Bank Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57. The companys 50-day moving average price is $9.56 and its 200 day moving average price is $8.92.

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China CITIC Bank (OTCMKTS:CHCJY  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 23rd. The company reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $7.16 billion for the quarter.

About China CITIC Bank

China CITIC Bank Corporation Limited provides various banking products and services in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company operates through Corporate Banking, Personal Banking, and Treasury Operations segments. It accepts deposits; offers corporate and personal loans; and provides securities agency, remittance and settlement, and guarantee services, as well as investment banking and international services.

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Cidel Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 2,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $202,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC bought a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Red Tortoise LLC purchased a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 200.0% during the 4th quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 294 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 196 shares during the last quarter. My Personal CFO LLC purchased a new position in shares of Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Asset Dedication LLC purchased a new stake in Philip Morris International in the third quarter worth approximately $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.85% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Philip Morris International

In other news, insider Werner Barth sold 8,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.35, for a total value of $786,800.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 87,321 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,588,020.35. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, insider Werner Barth sold 8,000 shares of Philip Morris International stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.35, for a total value of $786,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 87,321 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,588,020.35. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Andre Calantzopoulos sold 80,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.35, for a total transaction of $8,028,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 1,007,048 shares in the company, valued at approximately $101,057,266.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 117,064 shares of company stock valued at $11,738,763. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Philip Morris International Stock Performance

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on PM shares. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $114.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Philip Morris International from $109.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Societe Generale initiated coverage on Philip Morris International in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. They issued a sell rating and a $90.00 price target on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their price objective for the company from $95.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 25th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $110.60.

Philip Morris International stock opened at $98.82 on Friday. Philip Morris International Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $82.85 and a fifty-two week high of $109.81. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $97.78 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $97.76. The stock has a market cap of $153.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.68, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.68.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The company reported $1.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.04. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 128.55% and a net margin of 10.80%. The company had revenue of $8.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.03 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.56 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 23rd were paid a dividend of $1.27 per share. This represents a $5.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.14%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 22nd. Philip Morris Internationals payout ratio is currently 90.88%.

Philip Morris International Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Philip Morris International, Inc is a holding company engaged in the manufacturing and sale of cigarettes, tobacco, and nicotine-containing products. Its products include cigarettes and reduced-risk products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: European Union, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, South and Southeast Asia, East Asia and Australia, and Americas.

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Community Heritage Financial, Inc. (OTCMKTS:CMHF  Get Rating)s stock price dropped 1.1% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $17.81 and last traded at $17.81. Approximately 2,400 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 14% from the average daily volume of 2,791 shares. The stock had previously closed at $18.00.

Community Heritage Financial Stock Down 4.3 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $49.62 million, a P/E ratio of 6.93 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $18.95 and a 200 day simple moving average of $19.81.

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Community Heritage Financial (OTCMKTS:CMHF  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $7.08 million during the quarter.

About Community Heritage Financial

Community Heritage Financial, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides retail and commercial banking services to individuals and businesses in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. It operates in two segments, Commercial Banking and Mortgage Banking. The Commercial Banking segment offers commercial loans, real estate loans, installment loans, and consumer loans, as well as other business financing services; and deposit products, including demand deposit accounts, savings accounts, time deposit, and certificates of deposit.

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American Express (NYSE:AXP  Get Rating) and Cosmos Group (OTCMKTS:COSG  Get Rating) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, dividends, earnings and risk.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares American Express and Cosmos Groups top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio American Express $52.86 billion 2.23 $7.51 billion $9.51 16.66 Cosmos Group $20.20 million 0.22 -$104.12 million ($0.17) -0.06

American Express has higher revenue and earnings than Cosmos Group. Cosmos Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than American Express, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

Analyst Recommendations

83.3% of American Express shares are held by institutional investors. 0.1% of American Express shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for American Express and Cosmos Group, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score American Express 3 9 6 0 2.17 Cosmos Group 0 0 0 0 N/A

American Express presently has a consensus target price of $175.67, suggesting a potential upside of 10.87%. Given American Express higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe American Express is more favorable than Cosmos Group.

Profitability

This table compares American Express and Cosmos Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets American Express 13.00% 29.44% 3.26% Cosmos Group -515.60% -3,392.54% -250.48%

Summary

American Express beats Cosmos Group on 11 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About American Express

(Get Rating)

American Express Co. engages in the provision of charge and credit card products and travel-related services. It operates through the following segments: U.S Consumer Services (USCS), Commercial Services (CS), International Card Services (ICS), Global Merchant and Network Services (GMNS), and Corporate and Other. The USCS segment issues a wide range of proprietary consumer cards to U.S consumers. The CS segment offers proprietary corporate and small business cards and provides services to U.S. businesses, including payment and expense management, banking and non-card financing products. The ICS segment focuses on a range of proprietary consumer, small business and corporate cards outside the United States. It also provides services to international customers, including travel and lifestyle services, and manages certain international joint ventures and loyalty coalition businesses. The GMNS segment operates a global payments network that processes and settles card transactions, acquires merchants, and provides multi-channel marketing programs and capabilities, services, and data analytics. The Corporate and Other segment covers corporate functions and certain other businesses and op

About Cosmos Group

(Get Rating)

Cosmos Group Holdings, Inc. engages in the provision of logistics services and education business. It operates through the following segments: Specialty Commercial Logistics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Education Business. The Specialty Commercial Logistics segment provides timely and reliable logistics and delivery services to commercial clients and offers service to the cable supply industry. The AI Education Business segment is in development stage. The company was founded on August 14, 1987 and is headquartered in Singapore.

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CTO Realty Growth (NYSE:CTO  Get Rating) updated its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $1.64-$1.69 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $1.53. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Jonestrading reiterated a buy rating and set a $26.00 price objective on shares of CTO Realty Growth in a research note on Thursday, March 9th. Raymond James dropped their price target on CTO Realty Growth from $26.00 to $22.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 4th. B. Riley dropped their price target on CTO Realty Growth from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 28th. EF Hutton Acquisition Co. I restated a buy rating and issued a $23.00 price target (down previously from $25.00) on shares of CTO Realty Growth in a research note on Friday, February 24th. Finally, Compass Point dropped their price target on CTO Realty Growth from $18.00 to $17.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CTO Realty Growth currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $21.50.

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CTO Realty Growth Stock Performance

NYSE CTO traded up $0.29 on Thursday, reaching $16.97. The stock had a trading volume of 106,806 shares, compared to its average volume of 195,516. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 2.58 and a quick ratio of 2.58. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $17.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of $18.42. CTO Realty Growth has a 1-year low of $15.98 and a 1-year high of $23.07. The company has a market cap of $390.51 million, a P/E ratio of -212.13 and a beta of 0.81.

CTO Realty Growth Dividend Announcement

Insider Buying and Selling at CTO Realty Growth

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 9th were issued a $0.38 dividend. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.96%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 8th. CTO Realty Growths dividend payout ratio is -1,900.00%.

In related news, CEO John P. Albright bought 6,200 shares of CTO Realty Growth stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 8th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $17.01 per share, with a total value of $105,462.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 531,852 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,046,802.52. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, CFO Matthew Morris Partridge bought 2,500 shares of CTO Realty Growth stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 10th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $16.75 per share, with a total value of $41,875.00. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer now owns 100,907 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,690,192.25. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO John P. Albright acquired 6,200 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 8th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $17.01 per share, with a total value of $105,462.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 531,852 shares in the company, valued at $9,046,802.52. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have bought a total of 93,622 shares of company stock valued at $1,525,256 in the last ninety days. 5.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of CTO Realty Growth

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Captrust Financial Advisors bought a new stake in shares of CTO Realty Growth during the 2nd quarter worth $96,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of CTO Realty Growth during the 1st quarter worth $152,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of CTO Realty Growth by 35.5% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,082 shares of the companys stock worth $205,000 after buying an additional 807 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its position in CTO Realty Growth by 57.0% in the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 3,311 shares of the companys stock valued at $220,000 after purchasing an additional 1,202 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. bought a new position in CTO Realty Growth in the first quarter valued at about $222,000. 47.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

CTO Realty Growth Company Profile

(Get Rating)

CTO Realty Growth, Inc operates as a real estate company. It owns and manages commercial real estate properties. The company was founded in 1910 and is headquartered in Daytona Beach, FL.

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Dominos Pizza Enterprises Limited (OTCMKTS:DMZPY  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 200 shares, a decline of 33.3% from the March 31st total of 300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.0 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Dominos Pizza Enterprises from a hold rating to an underperform rating in a report on Thursday, February 2nd.

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Dominos Pizza Enterprises Price Performance

Shares of DMZPY remained flat at $16.96 during midday trading on Friday. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2 shares, compared to its average volume of 243. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $17.38 and a 200 day moving average of $20.41. Dominos Pizza Enterprises has a 1 year low of $14.35 and a 1 year high of $25.85.

Dominos Pizza Enterprises Increases Dividend

Dominos Pizza Enterprises Company Profile

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 6th were paid a $0.0524 dividend. This is a positive change from Dominos Pizza Enterprisess previous dividend of $0.03. This represents a dividend yield of 2.14%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 3rd.

(Get Rating)

Dominos Pizza Enterprises Ltd. engages in the management of retail food outlets and franchise services. It operates through the following geographical segments: Australia/New Zealand, Europe, and Japan. The company was founded on December 27, 1983 and is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia.

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Walking through a Songline exhibition held in Hanoi

After being held in Ho Chi Minh City, Walking Through a Songline  an immersive light projecting installation hosted by the Australian Embassy in Vietnam  will be open to the public in Hanoi at the Vietnamese Womens Museum from 28 April to 21 May.





Visitors at the exhibition

This is the latest exhibition hosted by the Australia Embassy to introduce Australias unique and vibrant First Nations cultures to a Vietnamese audience. The exhibition is part of the program to celebrate the 50 th anniversary of Australia-Vietnam diplomatic relations in 2023.

This exhibition follows the track of the Seven Sisters Dreaming across the Western and Central deserts of Australia, as they chased by a male pursuer. This Ancestral journey create songlines, which can be understood as pathways of knowledge about the Indigenous cultural values and the way to survive sustainably on this continent, as Australias First Nations peoples have for millennia. The stories that these songlines hold form the foundational history of Australia, as told by artists, custodians and traditional owners.





Speaking at the event, Australias Ambassador to Vietnam, Andrew Goledzinowski, said: By bringing Walking Through a Songline here, we are sharing these stories with our friends in Vietnam. Im particularly pleased the exhibition is here as part of the celebration for the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and Vietnam.

Nguyen Thi Tuyet, Director of the Vietnamese Womens Museum, who are co-hosting the exhibition in Hanoi, added: The exhibition offers a deep exploration into the cultural and historical stories of Australia through a unique digital display."



The exhibition is free to enter and will be open to the public from 8:00 to 17:00 every day from 28 April to 21 May, at the Vietnamese Womens Museum, 36 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
In 2022, the share of Azerbaijan in the European gas market has increased, Azernews reports, citing the World Bank.

The World Bank said that the share of Azerbaijan in the European gas market increased from 4.9 percent in 2021 to 6.9 percent in 2022.

The World Bank noted that in addition to Azerbaijan, the share of the United States, Qatar, and Norway in the European market has also increased. The share of the USA increased from 8 percent to 17.4 percent, the share of Qatar increased from 6.8 percent to 7.4 percent, and the share of Norway increased from 9 percent to 12.5 percent. The share of other countries increased from 23.7 percent to 25.3 percent. The reason for this was the sanctions imposed on Russian gas last year due to the war with Ukraine. Thus, the share of Russia in the European market decreased from 34.1 percent to 19.5 percent. Along with Russia, Algeria also lost its market share relatively (from 20.2 percent to 18.5 percent).
SAN FRANCISCOThe fifth installment in NakedSword's ongoing saga The Swords arrives with new release I'm Following You from NakedSword Originals and award-winning director Marc MacNamara. Featuring four versatile flip-fucks starring exclusive Cole Connor along with favorites Michael Boston, Ricky Roman and Tristan Hunter, I'm Following You debuts today (Friday, April 28) on DVD and as a digital download, with individual scenes premiering on NakedSword.com starting Wednesday, May 3.

As promo materials for the new chapter detail, "Desperately hoping to become a bankable name in the adult industry, handsome Greg Riley has traveled all the way to Fire Island to follow his favorite bareback performers and learn from them first-hand. When he comes across Tony Genius and Ricky Roman on the coastline, he pulls his camera out to capture every minute of the two flip-fucking and even obtains footage of Tony recruiting Ricky to become an undercover Swords agent. Greg Riley immediately confronts Cole Connor with the recording and threatens to go public with his new knowledge unless someone agrees to help him with his career. Cole eventually complies with the ultimatum and stages an entire versatile scene to show the hopeful star what it takes to fuck like a professional.

"Worried about Coles mysterious disappearance, Jordan Starr goes to Officer Nick Cranston for helpbut the muscled cop would rather just pound the worried Fire Islander on his dining room table than look for his lost pal. In a cumback that nobody could have predicted, traitor Michael Boston then resurfaces with a mission to make Cole Connor and Tony Genius arrange the release of his captured associate. Aided by his twisted ally, Tristan Hunter, the bubble-bottomed porn star makes his grand return by tying up the two secret agents and flip-fucking with Tristan as he waits for the men to give in to his every demand."

The Swords is such a fun franchise to spearhead because you get to play off of the models real personalities and tackle issues that occur in the industry, said director MacNamara. "I'm Following You takes place on Fire Island and delves into the dark side of fandom and fame but does it in a cheeky way that The Swords franchise is known for. Sexual obsession with a stiff shot of humor is the perfect formula for this gorgeous cast of men.

Affiliates can promote I'm Following You through nakedswordcash.com. For DVD retail and wholesale purchasing, contact John Gunderson at [email protected]. Contact Cameron Greer at [email protected] for any additional information.
Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (BATS:EFV  Get Rating) by 14.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 57,373,048 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 7,374,338 shares during the period. iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF comprises about 1.4% of Envestnet Asset Management Inc.s portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest position. Envestnet Asset Management Inc.s holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF were worth $2,632,275,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. B.O.S.S. Retirement Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,527,000. Savant Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 1,154,741 shares of the companys stock valued at $52,484,000 after buying an additional 9,473 shares in the last quarter. W Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 29.4% in the 4th quarter. W Advisors LLC now owns 52,798 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,422,000 after buying an additional 11,987 shares in the last quarter. Tanglewood Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 37.3% in the 4th quarter. Tanglewood Wealth Management Inc. now owns 134,182 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,156,000 after buying an additional 36,448 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Navalign LLC raised its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 202.3% in the 4th quarter. Navalign LLC now owns 20,990 shares of the companys stock valued at $963,000 after purchasing an additional 14,047 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF Stock Up 1.3 %

Shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF stock traded up $0.64 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $50.23. The company had a trading volume of 1,884,558 shares. The stock has a market cap of $16.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.51 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $48.60 and a 200 day simple moving average of $46.63. iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF has a 12-month low of $49.15 and a 12-month high of $59.57.

iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF Profile

iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Value Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI EAFE Value Index. The Index is a subset of the MSCI EAFE Index and constituents of the Index include securities from Europe, Australasia (Australia and Asia), and the Far East.

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Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lowered its position in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (BATS:USMV  Get Rating) by 9.5% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 22,631,261 shares of the companys stock after selling 2,386,301 shares during the period. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF makes up 0.8% of Envestnet Asset Management Inc.s portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding. Envestnet Asset Management Inc.s holdings in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF were worth $1,631,714,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cowa LLC bought a new position in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. JDM Financial Group LLC bought a new position in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC bought a new position in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF during the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. MADDEN SECURITIES Corp bought a new position in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Luken Investment Analytics LLC bought a new position in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000.

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iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Stock Up 1.3 %

BATS:USMV traded up $0.96 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $73.38. 3,027,709 shares of the company traded hands. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $71.90 and its 200-day simple moving average is $71.95. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF has a one year low of $47.44 and a one year high of $55.45. The company has a market cap of $29.13 billion, a PE ratio of 20.17 and a beta of 0.75.

iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Profile

The iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Minimum Volatility (USD) index. The fund tracks an index of US-listed firms selected and weighted to create a low-volatility portfolio subject to various constraints. USMV was launched on Oct 18, 2011 and is managed by BlackRock.

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Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS  Get Rating) issued an update on its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $14.59-$14.97 for the period. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Essex Property Trust also updated its FY23 guidance to $14.59-14.97 EPS.

Essex Property Trust Trading Up 2.7 %

Shares of NYSE:ESS traded up $5.48 during trading on Thursday, hitting $211.46. 433,947 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 505,607. Essex Property Trust has a 1-year low of $195.03 and a 1-year high of $346.35. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $215.74 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $217.80. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. The firm has a market cap of $13.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.67, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.75.

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Essex Property Trust Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Investors of record on Friday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $2.31 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $9.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.37%. This is a boost from Essex Property Trusts previous quarterly dividend of $2.20. Essex Property Trusts payout ratio is currently 147.13%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on ESS. Scotiabank upgraded shares of Essex Property Trust from a sector underperform rating to a sector outperform rating and set a $240.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Essex Property Trust from $235.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, February 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of Essex Property Trust in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Essex Property Trust from $242.00 to $246.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Essex Property Trust in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Essex Property Trust has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $249.52.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ESS. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in Essex Property Trust by 7.6% in the 1st quarter. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. now owns 635 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $219,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its position in Essex Property Trust by 25.3% during the 1st quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 243 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $83,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its position in Essex Property Trust by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 120 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC increased its position in Essex Property Trust by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 2,215 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $536,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the period. Finally, M&T Bank Corp increased its position in Essex Property Trust by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 8,311 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,013,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 91.76% of the companys stock.

About Essex Property Trust

(Get Rating)

Essex Property Trust, Inc operates as a real estate investment trust. It engages in the ownership, operation, management, acquisition, development, and redevelopment of predominantly apartment communities. The company was founded by George M. Marcus in 1971 and is headquartered in San Mateo, CA.

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FB Financial (NYSE:FBK  Get Rating) had its price objective lowered by DA Davidson from $35.00 to $34.50 in a report published on Monday, The Fly reports. DA Davidson also issued estimates for FB Financials Q2 2023 earnings at $0.71 EPS, FY2023 earnings at $2.83 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $2.57 EPS.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on FBK. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of FB Financial from $30.00 to $29.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Stephens reduced their target price on shares of FB Financial from $35.00 to $34.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of FB Financial from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on shares of FB Financial from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and seven have issued a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, FB Financial has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $38.31.

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FB Financial Stock Performance

NYSE:FBK opened at $29.08 on Monday. FB Financial has a 52 week low of $28.10 and a 52 week high of $45.25. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $32.45 and its 200 day moving average price is $36.81. The company has a market capitalization of $1.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.85 and a beta of 1.02.

Insiders Place Their Bets

FB Financial ( NYSE:FBK Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.02. FB Financial had a net margin of 19.56% and a return on equity of 10.42%. The business had revenue of $183.03 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $131.72 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.74 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that FB Financial will post 2.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In other news, Director Raja J. Jubran acquired 6,150 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, March 10th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $32.39 per share, with a total value of $199,198.50. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 29,039 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $940,573.21. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, Director Raja J. Jubran acquired 6,150 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, March 10th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $32.39 per share, with a total value of $199,198.50. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 29,039 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $940,573.21. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder James W. Ayers acquired 6,700 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, April 24th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $29.71 per share, with a total value of $199,057.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 10,768,491 shares in the company, valued at approximately $319,931,867.61. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last three months, insiders bought 19,650 shares of company stock valued at $597,768. 1.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On FB Financial

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D acquired a new position in shares of FB Financial in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $625,000. Peregrine Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of FB Financial by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Peregrine Capital Management LLC now owns 276,832 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $8,604,000 after purchasing an additional 2,965 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC grew its position in shares of FB Financial by 36.4% in the 1st quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 8,853 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $275,000 after purchasing an additional 2,364 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates grew its position in shares of FB Financial by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 103,373 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $3,213,000 after purchasing an additional 1,614 shares during the period. Finally, Green Square Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of FB Financial in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $234,000. 63.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About FB Financial

(Get Rating)

FB Financial Corp. is a bank holding company, which provides commercial and consumer banking services to clients in select markets primarily in Tennessee, North Alabama, and North Georgia through its subsidiary. It operates through the Banking and Mortgage segments. The Banking segments deals with interest on loans and investments, loan-related fees, originations in banking footprint, investment services, and deposit-related fees.

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Financial Architects Inc lessened its holdings in iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF (NYSEARCA:IHI  Get Rating) by 31.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 10,162 shares of the companys stock after selling 4,619 shares during the period. Financial Architects Incs holdings in iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF were worth $534,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of IHI. Castleview Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new position in shares of iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Signature Securities Group Corporation bought a new position in shares of iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, EPG Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $41,000.

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iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF Trading Up 0.8 %

NYSEARCA IHI opened at $56.19 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $6.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.50 and a beta of 0.85. iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF has a 12-month low of $46.21 and a 12-month high of $57.24. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $53.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $52.54.

iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF Profile

The iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF (IHI) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the DJ US Select \u002F Medical Equipment index, a market-cap-weighted index of manufacturers and distributors of medical devices in the US. IHI was launched on May 1, 2006 and is managed by BlackRock.

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IDEX (NYSE:IEX  Get Rating) issued an update on its FY23 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $8.25-8.55 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.68. IDEX also updated its Q2 guidance to $2.10-2.13 EPS.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

IEX has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Mizuho dropped their price target on IDEX from $227.00 to $200.00 in a research report on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on IDEX from $252.00 to $243.00 in a report on Friday. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on IDEX from $235.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, January 18th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of IDEX from $242.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their price objective on shares of IDEX from $245.00 to $247.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $236.17.

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IDEX Stock Performance

IDEX stock traded down $1.51 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $206.32. 695,038 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 390,972. IDEX has a 12 month low of $172.18 and a 12 month high of $246.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 2.57 and a quick ratio of 1.71. The business has a 50 day moving average of $221.57 and a two-hundred day moving average of $225.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $15.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at IDEX

IDEX ( NYSE:IEX Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The industrial products company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.02 by $0.07. IDEX had a return on equity of 21.79% and a net margin of 17.91%. The firm had revenue of $845.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $818.87 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.96 EPS. The companys revenue was up 12.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that IDEX will post 8.73 earnings per share for the current year.

In other news, CFO William K. Grogan sold 3,181 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.36, for a total value of $720,051.16. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 13,864 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,138,255.04. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.50% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On IDEX

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its holdings in IDEX by 120.3% during the first quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 141 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the period. Covington Capital Management grew its stake in shares of IDEX by 120.7% during the 3rd quarter. Covington Capital Management now owns 331 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $66,000 after acquiring an additional 181 shares during the period. Fred Alger Management LLC increased its holdings in IDEX by 345.3% in the 4th quarter. Fred Alger Management LLC now owns 383 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $87,000 after acquiring an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Dearborn Partners LLC bought a new stake in IDEX during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $200,000. Finally, Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC purchased a new position in IDEX during the first quarter valued at approximately $205,000. 96.58% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About IDEX

(Get Rating)

IDEX Corp. engages in the provision of engineering solutions. It operates through the following segments: Fluid and Metering Technologies, Health and Science Technologies, and Fire and Safety or Diversified Products. The Fluid and Metering Technologies segment is involved in the design, production, and distribution of displacement pumps, valves, flow meters, injectors, and fluid-handling pump modules and systems.

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Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. (TSE:IVN  Get Rating)s stock price crossed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of C$11.87 and traded as high as C$11.92. Ivanhoe Mines shares last traded at C$11.85, with a volume of 2,302,099 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on IVN shares. Scotiabank increased their price objective on shares of Ivanhoe Mines from C$14.50 to C$16.00 in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. Raymond James increased their price target on shares of Ivanhoe Mines from C$15.00 to C$18.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. Finally, TD Securities increased their price target on shares of Ivanhoe Mines from C$15.00 to C$17.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, April 6th.

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Ivanhoe Mines Stock Up 1.8 %

The company has a market capitalization of C$14.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.35 and a beta of 1.94. The firms 50 day moving average price is C$11.85 and its two-hundred day moving average price is C$11.32. The company has a current ratio of 9.85, a quick ratio of 20.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.32.

About Ivanhoe Mines

Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. engages in the exploration, development, and recovery of minerals and precious metals located primarily in Africa. It explores for platinum, palladium, nickel, copper, gold, rhodium, zinc, silver, germanium, and lead deposits. The company's projects include the Platreef project located in the Northern Limb of South Africa's Bushveld Complex; the Kipushi project located in Haut-Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of Congo; and the Kamoa-Kakula project located within the Central African Copperbelt.

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Rio Tinto Group (LON:RIO  Get Rating) had its price objective boosted by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from GBX 5,110 ($63.82) to GBX 5,250 ($65.57) in a report issued on Friday, The Fly reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co.s price objective indicates a potential upside of 4.00% from the companys previous close.

RIO has been the topic of a number of other reports. Berenberg Bank reiterated a buy rating and issued a GBX 6,600 ($82.43) target price on shares of Rio Tinto Group in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Jefferies Financial Group set a GBX 7,500 ($93.67) target price on shares of Rio Tinto Group in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Barclays set a GBX 5,800 ($72.44) price target on shares of Rio Tinto Group in a report on Thursday, January 12th. Credit Suisse Group set a GBX 7,200 ($89.92) price target on shares of Rio Tinto Group in a report on Wednesday, January 18th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Rio Tinto Group from GBX 6,900 ($86.17) to GBX 7,400 ($92.42) and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, January 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of GBX 6,134.62 ($76.62).

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Rio Tinto Group Stock Performance

LON:RIO traded up GBX 3.89 ($0.05) during midday trading on Friday, reaching GBX 5,047.89 ($63.04). The stock had a trading volume of 2,795,680 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,877,965. Rio Tinto Group has a 1-year low of GBX 4,424.50 ($55.26) and a 1-year high of GBX 6,406 ($80.00). The firms fifty day simple moving average is GBX 5,532.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 5,570.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 23.47, a current ratio of 1.63 and a quick ratio of 1.34. The stock has a market capitalization of 63.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 819.46, a PEG ratio of -0.64 and a beta of 0.69.

Insider Transactions at Rio Tinto Group

About Rio Tinto Group

In other news, insider Kaisa Hietala bought 500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 22nd. The stock was acquired at an average price of GBX 5,313 ($66.35) per share, for a total transaction of 26,565 ($33,177.22). In other news, insider Kaisa Hietala bought 500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 22nd. The stock was acquired at an average price of GBX 5,313 ($66.35) per share, for a total transaction of 26,565 ($33,177.22). Also, insider Peter Cunningham sold 5 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 5,586 ($69.76), for a total transaction of 279.30 ($348.82). In the last three months, insiders acquired 1,410 shares of company stock valued at $7,455,580. Company insiders own 14.67% of the companys stock.

(Get Rating)

Rio Tinto Group engages in exploring, mining, and processing mineral resources worldwide. The company offers aluminum, copper, diamonds, gold, borates, titanium dioxide, salt, iron ore, and lithium. It also owns and operates open pit and underground mines, mills, refineries, smelters, power stations, and research and service facilities.

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Ledyard National Bank bought a new position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (BATS:EFG  Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 3,388 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $284,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wambolt & Associates LLC lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Wambolt & Associates LLC now owns 13,587 shares of the companys stock worth $1,138,000 after buying an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 10,543 shares of the companys stock worth $765,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. Stone Point Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Stone Point Wealth LLC now owns 5,320 shares of the companys stock worth $446,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. Hutchens & Kramer Investment Management Group LLC increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Hutchens & Kramer Investment Management Group LLC now owns 8,597 shares of the companys stock worth $720,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ICA Group Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 4.5% during the 3rd quarter. ICA Group Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,552 shares of the companys stock worth $330,000 after purchasing an additional 194 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Stock Up 1.2 %

Shares of EFG stock opened at $95.84 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $91.59 and a 200-day moving average of $87.00. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF has a 12-month low of $67.58 and a 12-month high of $85.81. The firm has a market cap of $11.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.69 and a beta of 0.87.

iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Profile

iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Growth Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI EAFE Growth Index (the Index). The Index is a subset of the MSCI EAFE Index and constituents of the Index include securities from Europe, Australasia (Australia and Asia), and the Far East.

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Moors & Cabot Inc. lifted its position in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT  Get Rating) by 2.9% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 86,466 shares of the retailers stock after purchasing an additional 2,458 shares during the quarter. Walmart comprises 0.8% of Moors & Cabot Inc.s portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. Moors & Cabot Inc.s holdings in Walmart were worth $12,511,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of WMT. AMI Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Walmart by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. AMI Investment Management Inc. now owns 8,269 shares of the retailers stock worth $1,231,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 36.8% during the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 4,820 shares of the retailers stock worth $718,000 after buying an additional 1,296 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 31.7% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,162 shares of the retailers stock worth $173,000 after buying an additional 280 shares during the period. Ergoteles LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 123.9% during the 1st quarter. Ergoteles LLC now owns 10,566 shares of the retailers stock worth $1,573,000 after buying an additional 5,847 shares during the period. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 857,839 shares of the retailers stock worth $127,749,000 after buying an additional 13,985 shares during the period. 31.27% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. Stephens reissued an overweight rating and issued a $170.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, February 7th. They issued an overweight rating and a $159.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank of Canada set a $163.00 price objective on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a hold rating on shares of Walmart in a report on Tuesday, March 28th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Walmart from $157.00 to $161.00 in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-five have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $165.09.

Walmart Stock Up 0.1 %

NYSE WMT traded up $0.11 on Friday, hitting $151.49. 555,744 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,198,978. The company has a market cap of $408.62 billion, a PE ratio of 35.37, a PEG ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 0.48. Walmart Inc. has a 12 month low of $117.27 and a 12 month high of $156.22. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $144.82 and a 200-day moving average of $143.94. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The retailer reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $164.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $158.67 billion. Walmart had a net margin of 1.91% and a return on equity of 20.45%. Walmarts revenue was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.53 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Walmart Inc. will post 6.06 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 8th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.51%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 7th. Walmarts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 53.27%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walmart

In other Walmart news, major shareholder Jim C. Walton sold 852,215 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.26, for a total value of $122,940,535.90. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 266,841,420 shares of the companys stock, valued at $38,494,543,249.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other Walmart news, major shareholder Jim C. Walton sold 852,215 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.26, for a total value of $122,940,535.90. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 266,841,420 shares of the companys stock, valued at $38,494,543,249.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, major shareholder Alice L. Walton sold 1,957,377 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.72, for a total transaction of $275,442,091.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 255,973,516 shares in the company, valued at $36,020,593,171.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 21,039,627 shares of company stock valued at $2,980,507,683. Corporate insiders own 47.06% of the companys stock.

Walmart Profile

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Walmart, Inc engages in retail and wholesale business. The company offers an assortment of merchandise and services at everyday low prices. It operates through the following business segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sams Club. The Walmart U.S. segment operates as a merchandiser of consumer products, operating under the Walmart, Wal-Mart, and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands, as well as walmart.com and other eCommerce brands.

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LONDONNatasha Tosini is the first creator to join the newly launched fan platform YumyHub.com.

Tosini has gained notoriety for her lead role in Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, as well as for her appearances in Amazon Prime's City Twist, and the YouTube series Quarantine Leap. She has also starred in short movies and music videos, including "Set Pace" and "Fruitella." In 2023, Tosini will appear in the feature Snake Hotel.

"I'm thrilled to be a part of YumyHub," said Tosini. "It's important to have a platform that supports and values creators. I've had a fantastic experience so far and I can't wait to see what the future holds.

Tosini continued, I think the lifetime referral program is a great incentive for creators to join YumyHub. It's important to have a platform that not only supports creators but also offers them a way to earn lifetime income from their referrals.

YumyHub was founded by Michael Gonzales and is committed to creating a supportive community for all types of creators. The platform's lifetime unlimited referral program allows creators to earn income by inviting others to join. Creators are also able to set their own subscription rates and have complete control over their content.

"I founded YumyHub because I wanted to create a platform that puts creators first," said Gonzales. "We believe in supporting creators and providing them with a platform where they can share their content and earn income without fear of being censored or restricted. We're excited to have Natasha Tosini as our first creator and look forward to welcoming more creators to our community."

YumyHub is a secure platform that protects the privacy of its creators and subscribers with encryption technology that ensures all personal information is kept safe and secure.

The platform offers a range of features, including analytics and promotional tools, to help creators grow their audience and increase their income.

"We want to make it as easy as possible for creators to succeed on YumyHub," said Gonzales. "That's why we offer a range of features to help them grow their audience and increase their income. We believe that by supporting creators, we can create a platform that is truly beneficial for everyone involved."

To learn more about YumyHub and to join the community, visit yumyhub.com.

See Tosini's YumyHub profile at yumyhub.com/Natashatosini.
PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG  Get Rating) had its price target boosted by Morgan Stanley from $140.00 to $143.00 in a research note released on Monday, The Fly reports.

PPG has been the subject of several other research reports. Barclays upped their price target on shares of PPG Industries from $142.00 to $150.00 in a research report on Monday. Argus increased their target price on shares of PPG Industries from $144.00 to $149.00 in a report on Monday, January 23rd. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of PPG Industries from $150.00 to $160.00 in a report on Monday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of PPG Industries from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, April 4th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of PPG Industries from $139.00 to $138.00 in a report on Sunday, January 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $147.74.

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PPG Industries Price Performance

PPG opened at $138.93 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $32.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.54, a PEG ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $132.62 and a 200-day moving average price of $127.92. PPG Industries has a twelve month low of $107.06 and a twelve month high of $145.51.

PPG Industries Dividend Announcement

PPG Industries ( NYSE:PPG Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 21st. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.27. PPG Industries had a net margin of 7.18% and a return on equity of 23.35%. The firm had revenue of $4.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.39 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.37 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that PPG Industries will post 7.26 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 12th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 10th will be paid a $0.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 9th. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.79%. PPG Industriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.27%.

Insider Activity

In other PPG Industries news, Chairman Michael H. Mcgarry sold 61,867 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.96, for a total transaction of $8,040,235.32. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 183,645 shares of the companys stock, valued at $23,866,504.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.55% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On PPG Industries

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PPG. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new position in shares of PPG Industries during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of PPG Industries during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Riverview Trust Co grew its position in shares of PPG Industries by 81.7% during the 4th quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 238 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the period. Clear Street Markets LLC bought a new position in shares of PPG Industries during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its position in shares of PPG Industries by 90.6% during the 1st quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 242 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the period. 80.04% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

PPG Industries Company Profile

(Get Rating)

PPG Industries, Inc engages in the manufacture and distribution of paints, coatings, and specialty materials. It operates through the Performance Coatings and Industrial Coatings segments. The Performance Coatings segment supplies a variety of protective and decorative coatings, sealants, and finishes along with pavement marking products, paint strippers, stains, and related chemicals, as well as transparencies and transparent armor.

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Navalign LLC decreased its position in MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:MET  Get Rating) by 4.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,225 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 505 shares during the period. Navalign LLCs holdings in MetLife were worth $740,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Financial Advocates Investment Management increased its holdings in shares of MetLife by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management now owns 3,697 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $224,000 after buying an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo LLC boosted its stake in shares of MetLife by 28.1% during the 4th quarter. Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo LLC now owns 651 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares during the period. Centaurus Financial Inc. boosted its stake in shares of MetLife by 5.3% during the 3rd quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 2,960 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $180,000 after purchasing an additional 149 shares during the period. 9258 Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of MetLife by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. 9258 Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,292 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $504,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the period. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of MetLife by 11.3% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 1,521 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $110,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.15% of the companys stock.

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MetLife Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of MET traded up $0.51 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $60.82. The companys stock had a trading volume of 326,854 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,890,377. The companys 50-day moving average is $62.08 and its 200-day moving average is $68.60. MetLife, Inc. has a 52-week low of $52.83 and a 52-week high of $77.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.58, a PEG ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a current ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56.

MetLife Increases Dividend

MetLife ( NYSE:MET Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 1st. The financial services provider reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.74 by ($0.19). The business had revenue of $15.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $17.21 billion. MetLife had a return on equity of 15.64% and a net margin of 3.63%. MetLifes revenue for the quarter was down 21.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.17 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that MetLife, Inc. will post 8.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 14th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.42%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 8th. This is a positive change from MetLifes previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. MetLifes payout ratio is 68.26%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Bill Pappas sold 2,857 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.96, for a total transaction of $202,732.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 48,915 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,471,008.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MET has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of MetLife in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of MetLife from $79.00 to $65.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of MetLife from $83.00 to $79.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of MetLife from $84.00 to $72.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of MetLife from $83.00 to $76.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $77.00.

MetLife Profile

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MetLife, Inc provides insurance and financial services to individual and institutional customers. It offers life insurance, annuities, automobile and homeowners insurance and retail banking services to individuals as well as group insurance, reinsurance and retirement and savings products and services.

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Ninety One UK Ltd raised its stake in Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC (NYSE:CCEP  Get Rating) by 9.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,094,317 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 460,302 shares during the quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd owned about 1.12% of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners worth $281,818,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of CCEP. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. purchased a new position in Coca-Cola Europacific Partners in the 4th quarter valued at about $22,397,000. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its stake in Coca-Cola Europacific Partners by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 22,410 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,240,000 after purchasing an additional 1,607 shares in the last quarter. Rollins Financial purchased a new stake in Coca-Cola Europacific Partners during the 4th quarter worth approximately $219,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $83,000. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners by 31.5% during the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,874 shares of the companys stock valued at $104,000 after buying an additional 449 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 28.63% of the companys stock.

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Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Price Performance

NYSE:CCEP traded down $0.52 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $63.96. The stock had a trading volume of 530,148 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,107,571. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $57.77 and a 200-day simple moving average of $54.37. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC has a 52 week low of $41.80 and a 52 week high of $64.57.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Cuts Dividend

Analysts Set New Price Targets

The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 12th will be paid a $0.74 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 11th.

A number of research firms have commented on CCEP. Argus increased their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners from $60.00 to $62.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. Societe Generale raised Coca-Cola Europacific Partners from a sell rating to a hold rating and set a $61.15 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Coca-Cola Europacific Partners from $63.00 to $66.00 in a report on Thursday, January 5th. Credit Suisse Group upped their price target on Coca-Cola Europacific Partners to 65.00 ($72.22) in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $66.66.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Profile

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Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc engages in the distribution and sale of non-alcoholic ready to drink beverages. It operates through the following geographical segments: Iberia, Germany, Great Britain, France, Belgium/Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland. The company was founded on August 4, 2015 and is headquartered in Uxbridge, the United Kingdom.

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Numis Co. Plc (LON:NUM  Get Rating) announced a dividend on Friday, April 28th, Upcoming.Co.Uk reports. Investors of record on Thursday, May 18th will be given a dividend of GBX 6 ($0.07) per share on Friday, June 23rd. This represents a dividend yield of 2.94%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 18th. The official announcement can be viewed at this link.

Numis Stock Performance

NUM stock opened at GBX 340.50 ($4.25) on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 22.41. The firm has a market cap of 374.55 million, a P/E ratio of 1,700.00 and a beta of 0.82. Numis has a 12-month low of GBX 170 ($2.12) and a 12-month high of GBX 343 ($4.28). The stocks 50 day simple moving average is GBX 216.20 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 202.60.

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Numis Company Profile

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Numis Corporation Plc, through its subsidiaries, provides various investment banking services in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Ireland. The company offers investment banking services, including corporate broking, debt advisory, equity capital markets, growth capital solutions, IPOs, and mergers and acquisitions.

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Oak Thistle LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Brookfield Renewable Co. (NYSE:BEPC  Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 9,148 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $252,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Brookfield Renewable by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,433,864 shares of the companys stock valued at $144,899,000 after buying an additional 116,408 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in Brookfield Renewable by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 3,830,035 shares of the companys stock valued at $167,754,000 after buying an additional 168,284 shares during the period. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its holdings in Brookfield Renewable by 26.1% in the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 2,571,727 shares of the companys stock valued at $84,044,000 after buying an additional 533,008 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in Brookfield Renewable by 5.2% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,795,460 shares of the companys stock valued at $78,640,000 after buying an additional 88,743 shares during the period. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in Brookfield Renewable by 50.2% in the 2nd quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,331,298 shares of the companys stock valued at $47,407,000 after buying an additional 444,713 shares during the period. 68.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Brookfield Renewable Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BEPC opened at $33.11 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The firms 50-day moving average is $31.62 and its two-hundred day moving average is $30.85. Brookfield Renewable Co. has a 1 year low of $27.19 and a 1 year high of $42.97.

Brookfield Renewable Increases Dividend

Brookfield Renewable ( NYSE:BEPC Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 3rd. The company reported ($0.16) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.15) by ($0.01). Brookfield Renewable had a return on equity of 0.19% and a net margin of 0.57%. The company had revenue of $1.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.21 billion.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 28th were issued a $0.338 dividend. This represents a $1.35 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.08%. This is an increase from Brookfield Renewables previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 27th. Brookfield Renewables dividend payout ratio is -225.00%.

Brookfield Renewable Profile

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Brookfield Renewable Corporation owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy power generating facilities primarily in the United States, Europe, Colombia, and Brazil. It operates hydroelectric, wind, and solar power plants with an installed capacity of approximately 12,723 megawatts. The company was incorporated in 2019 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

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Olin Co. (NYSE:OLN  Get Rating) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,950,000 shares, an increase of 27.2% from the March 31st total of 2,320,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,420,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.1 days. Approximately 2.3% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Insider Activity at Olin

In other Olin news, VP Damian Gumpel sold 13,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.65, for a total transaction of $814,450.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 17,155 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,074,760.75. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Heidi S. Alderman sold 2,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.01, for a total transaction of $128,020.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Damian Gumpel sold 13,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.65, for a total value of $814,450.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 17,155 shares in the company, valued at $1,074,760.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Olin

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Teza Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Olin in the 3rd quarter valued at $299,000. First Hawaiian Bank raised its position in Olin by 6.9% in the 4th quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 16,275 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $862,000 after buying an additional 1,051 shares during the last quarter. MONECO Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Olin in the 4th quarter valued at $212,000. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Olin by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 54,160 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $2,322,000 after purchasing an additional 805 shares during the period. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its stake in Olin by 74.0% in the 3rd quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 4,788 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $205,000 after purchasing an additional 2,037 shares during the period. 85.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Olin Trading Up 2.9 %

Shares of Olin stock traded up $1.54 on Thursday, reaching $54.67. 1,661,689 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,394,810. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 1.38. Olin has a 52 week low of $41.33 and a 52 week high of $67.25. The firms 50-day moving average is $55.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $55.64. The company has a market capitalization of $7.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.45.

Olin (NYSE:OLN  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 27th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.01. Olin had a return on equity of 50.19% and a net margin of 14.15%. The company had revenue of $1.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.11 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.41 earnings per share. Olins revenue for the quarter was down 18.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Olin will post 5.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Olin Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 6th were given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 3rd. Olins payout ratio is 9.04%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Credit Suisse Group boosted their price target on Olin from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. UBS Group upped their target price on Olin from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, January 11th. Citigroup upped their target price on Olin from $58.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday, February 3rd. Barclays upped their target price on Olin from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, January 30th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Olin from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, March 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Olin has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $65.73.

Olin Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Olin Corp. engages in manufacturing of chemicals products. It operates through the following segments: Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls, Epoxy, and Winchester. The Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment manufactures and sells chlorine and caustic soda, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride monomer, methyl chloride, methylene chloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and vinylidene chloride, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen, bleach products and potassium hydroxide.

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Olin Co. (NYSE:OLN  Get Rating) gapped down before the market opened on Friday following a weaker than expected earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $54.67, but opened at $52.39. Olin shares last traded at $53.45, with a volume of 670,209 shares trading hands.

The specialty chemicals company reported $1.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.28 by ($0.12). Olin had a net margin of 14.15% and a return on equity of 50.19%. The business had revenue of $1.84 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.05 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.48 EPS. The companys revenue was down 25.1% compared to the same quarter last year.

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Olin Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 6th were issued a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 3rd. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.48%. Olins payout ratio is currently 9.04%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Insider Activity

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on OLN shares. Credit Suisse Group upped their price target on shares of Olin from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Olin from $65.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, January 31st. Piper Sandler upped their price target on shares of Olin from $82.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of Olin from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and set a $50.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Olin from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Olin presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $65.73.

In other news, Director Heidi S. Alderman sold 2,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.01, for a total transaction of $128,020.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, Director Heidi S. Alderman sold 2,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.01, for a total transaction of $128,020.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Damian Gumpel sold 13,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.65, for a total transaction of $814,450.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 17,155 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,074,760.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.60% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Olin

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. raised its stake in Olin by 4.8% in the first quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 4,369 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $243,000 after buying an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. Euclidean Technologies Management LLC bought a new position in Olin in the first quarter worth about $1,697,000. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D bought a new position in Olin in the first quarter worth about $4,121,000. Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. raised its stake in Olin by 5.2% in the first quarter. Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 59,165 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $3,284,000 after buying an additional 2,930 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Machina Capital S.A.S. bought a new position in Olin in the first quarter worth about $72,000. 85.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Olin Trading Down 1.1 %

The stocks 50 day moving average is $55.90 and its 200-day moving average is $55.64. The company has a market capitalization of $7.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 0.78.

Olin Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Olin Corp. engages in manufacturing of chemicals products. It operates through the following segments: Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls, Epoxy, and Winchester. The Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment manufactures and sells chlorine and caustic soda, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride monomer, methyl chloride, methylene chloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and vinylidene chloride, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen, bleach products and potassium hydroxide.

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Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE:PEB  Get Rating)s stock had its maintains rating reaffirmed by investment analysts at 92 Resources in a report released on Thursday, Benzinga reports.

A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on PEB. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Pebblebrook Hotel Trust in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Pebblebrook Hotel Trust from $17.00 to $14.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 30th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust from $15.25 to $15.50 in a research note on Thursday. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust from $15.00 to $16.50 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their price target on shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust from $18.00 to $16.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and six have given a hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $17.70.

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Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Price Performance

Shares of PEB stock traded up $0.33 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $14.23. 1,882,233 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,736,086. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has a 52-week low of $12.37 and a 52-week high of $26.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The company has a market cap of $1.78 billion, a PE ratio of -14.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 1.85. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $14.10 and a 200 day moving average of $14.82.

Insider Buying and Selling at Pebblebrook Hotel Trust

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust ( NYSE:PEB Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 21st. The real estate investment trust reported ($0.34) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.18 by ($0.52). The company had revenue of $319.61 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $309.55 million. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust had a negative return on equity of 0.33% and a negative net margin of 0.73%. The businesss revenue was up 29.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.06 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Pebblebrook Hotel Trust will post 1.69 earnings per share for the current year.

In related news, CEO Jon E. Bortz bought 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 22nd. The stock was bought at an average price of $12.95 per share, with a total value of $142,450.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,122,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,531,220.90. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, CEO Jon E. Bortz bought 11,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 22nd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $12.95 per share, with a total value of $142,450.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 1,122,102 shares in the company, valued at $14,531,220.90. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Jon E. Bortz bought 14,865 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 8th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $14.93 per share, for a total transaction of $221,934.45. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 1,039,967 shares in the company, valued at $15,526,707.31. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have acquired 39,865 shares of company stock worth $555,064 over the last quarter. 2.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pebblebrook Hotel Trust

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of PEB. Versant Capital Management Inc purchased a new stake in Pebblebrook Hotel Trust in the first quarter valued at $28,000. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust by 429.6% in the first quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,092 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 1,697 shares during the period. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust in the 3rd quarter worth $48,000. Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust in the third quarter valued at about $64,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. increased its stake in shares of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust by 91.6% during the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 4,686 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $68,000 after acquiring an additional 2,240 shares during the period.

About Pebblebrook Hotel Trust

(Get Rating)

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust is a real estate investment trust, engages in investments and acquisitions in hotel properties. Its hotels are located in markets like Atlanta, Georgia, Boston, Massachusetts, Chicago, Illinois, Key West, Miami and Naples, Florida, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, California, Nashville, Tennessee, New York, New York, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington.

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Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC trimmed its position in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:IEMG  Get Rating) by 67.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 17,630 shares of the companys stock after selling 37,192 shares during the quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLCs holdings in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF were worth $823,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of New Hampshire lifted its stake in shares of iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 70.5% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New Hampshire now owns 629 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. Leelyn Smith LLC lifted its stake in shares of iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 84.5% in the 3rd quarter. Leelyn Smith LLC now owns 679 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 311 shares during the last quarter. First PREMIER Bank lifted its stake in shares of iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 65.7% in the 4th quarter. First PREMIER Bank now owns 686 shares of the companys stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares during the last quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Hexagon Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 33.3% during the 4th quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 956 shares of the companys stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 239 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Stock Performance

Shares of IEMG stock opened at $48.33 on Friday. iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has a 52-week low of $41.44 and a 52-week high of $53.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $69.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.26 and a beta of 0.75. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $48.20 and a 200 day moving average price of $47.57.

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Profile

The iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI Emerging Markets IMI index, a market-cap-weighted index of emerging-market firms, covering 99% of market capitalization. IEMG was launched on Oct 18, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock.

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Renold plc (LON:RNO  Get Rating)s stock price crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 24.14 ($0.30) and traded as high as GBX 27.53 ($0.34). Renold shares last traded at GBX 26.90 ($0.34), with a volume of 280,722 shares.

Renold Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 192.16. The firm has a market cap of 61.61 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 689.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.10 and a beta of 1.00. The stock has a 50-day moving average of GBX 26.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of GBX 24.17.

About Renold

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Renold plc manufactures and sells high precision engineered power transmission products in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the United States, Australasia, China, India, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Chain and Torque Transmission. It offers standard, welded steel, and draw bench conveyor chains, as well as conveyor and trident chains for theme parks; and bucket elevator, escalator, heavy duty drag, and waste water treatment chains, as well as standard attachments and screen chains.

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After over a year of searching, the City of Flagstaff has announced that Joanne Keene will be filling the position of deputy city manager.

City Manager Greg Clifton announced during the Tuesday Flagstaff City Council meeting that Keene would be joining the city. Keene, who is a veteran of numerous local governments and institutions, will start on May 30.

"I'm thrilled to be joining the committed team at the City of Flagstaff as the new deputy city manager," Keene said in a statement. "I'm looking forward to returning to a community I know well and care deeply about."

Keene is currently serving as the deputy city manager for the City of Sedona.

We're just elated to have her be a member of the leadership team, Clifton told city council during the meeting. "She will be busy between now and then working with us on a lot of housekeeping matters, but the important thing here is we have filled that vacancy and it has been vacant for some time."

Keene was one of 175 potential candidates looked at by the City of Flagstaff, 11 of whom were invited to for preliminary interviews. Of the 11, two were invited to an interview event earlier this month that allowed members of the public to ask the candidates questions and provide their own feedback to the city.

The other candidate opted to take another job offer.

[Keene] knows Flagstaff, her credentials are amazing, and she will be able to hit the ground running, Clifton added in a media release.

Keene will joins Clifton and Senior Deputy City Manager Shannon Anderson on the citys executive leadership team.

While currently serving the City of Sedona, Keene has also worked as Coconino County's deputy county manager and the executive vice president and chief of staff at Northern Arizona University.

Throughout her time in the public sector, Keene has also worked for the state both for as a government relations director and for the Arizona Department of Water Resources, as well a staffer for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Keene will fill Flagstaff's deputy city manager role that was vacated by Shane Dille way back in February of 2022. At the time, Dille left the city to take up the position of town manager for Sahuarita.

In the year and a half since Dille left, the position of deputy manager has been filled by city Economic Vitality Manager Heidi Hansen.

We are grateful for Heidi for what she has done for the organization: doing double time over the last year and a half, Clifton said on Tuesday.

Keene and her husband have lived in Flagstaff for almost 20 years. A Northern Arizona University graduate, Keene holds a masters degree in public administration and a bachelors degree in English and broadcast journalism. She is also a Certified Public Manager through Arizona State University.
StorageVault Canada (CVE:SVI  Get Rating) had its price objective dropped by equities research analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from C$8.50 to C$7.50 in a report issued on Friday, BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage presently has an outperform rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canadas target price would suggest a potential upside of 16.82% from the companys current price.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. TD Securities boosted their price objective on StorageVault Canada from C$7.50 to C$8.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. National Bankshares set a C$7.00 price objective on StorageVault Canada and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. Cormark boosted their price objective on StorageVault Canada from C$7.00 to C$7.25 in a report on Friday, February 24th. Scotiabank decreased their price objective on StorageVault Canada from C$7.50 to C$7.00 in a report on Friday. Finally, Raymond James decreased their price objective on StorageVault Canada from C$7.50 to C$7.25 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 27th.

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StorageVault Canada Stock Performance

SVI stock remained flat at C$6.42 during mid-day trading on Friday. The companys stock had a trading volume of 168,227 shares, compared to its average volume of 147,135. The company has a market capitalization of C$2.43 billion and a P/E ratio of -71.33. The businesss 50 day moving average price is C$6.42 and its 200 day moving average price is C$6.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 687.87, a quick ratio of 2.53 and a current ratio of 3.04. StorageVault Canada has a 1-year low of C$3.68 and a 1-year high of C$7.39.

StorageVault Canada Company Profile

StorageVault Canada Inc owns, manages, and rents self-storage and portable storage space in Canada. It operates through three segments: Self Storage, Portable Storage, and Management Division. The company manages 45 stores owned by third parties; and stores, shreds, and manages documents and records for customers.

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Scorpio Tankers (NYSE:STNG  Get Rating) had its price target increased by Stifel Nicolaus from $68.00 to $77.00 in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning, The Fly reports.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Scorpio Tankers in a research report on Wednesday, March 8th. They set an overweight rating and a $87.00 price objective on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on Scorpio Tankers from $55.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Monday, March 6th. B. Riley lifted their price objective on Scorpio Tankers from $65.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, February 17th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a buy rating and issued a $76.00 target price on shares of Scorpio Tankers in a report on Tuesday, March 21st. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on Scorpio Tankers in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $70.43.

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Scorpio Tankers Stock Performance

NYSE STNG opened at $52.33 on Tuesday. Scorpio Tankers has a 1 year low of $22.92 and a 1 year high of $64.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.17 and a beta of 0.37. The firms fifty day moving average price is $57.43 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $53.28. The company has a current ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

Scorpio Tankers Increases Dividend

Scorpio Tankers ( NYSE:STNG Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The shipping company reported $4.24 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $4.38 by ($0.14). Scorpio Tankers had a net margin of 40.78% and a return on equity of 33.75%. The firm had revenue of $493.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.96 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($0.79) EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 233.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Scorpio Tankers will post 9.83 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 7th were paid a $0.20 dividend. This is a positive change from Scorpio Tankerss previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 6th. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.53%. Scorpio Tankerss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7.83%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in Scorpio Tankers by 10.9% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,109,243 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $130,712,000 after purchasing an additional 305,881 shares during the period. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC purchased a new position in Scorpio Tankers in the 4th quarter worth $3,856,000. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors raised its position in Scorpio Tankers by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors now owns 122,852 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $6,606,000 after purchasing an additional 1,561 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its position in Scorpio Tankers by 591.2% in the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 72,185 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $3,881,000 after purchasing an additional 61,742 shares during the period. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in Scorpio Tankers in the 3rd quarter worth $2,116,000. 54.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Scorpio Tankers Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Scorpio Tankers, Inc engages in the provision of marine transportation of petroleum products. Its consists of wholly owned, finance leased, and bareboat chartered-in tankers. It operates through the following segments: MR, LR2, Handymax, and LR1. The company was founded by Emanuele A. Lauro on July 1, 2009 and is headquartered in Monaco.

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Aviva plc (OTCMKTS:AVVIY  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 54,300 shares, a drop of 46.3% from the March 31st total of 101,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 116,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.5 days.

Aviva Trading Up 1.7 %

Shares of OTCMKTS AVVIY traded up $0.18 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $10.55. The company had a trading volume of 30,587 shares, compared to its average volume of 36,770. Aviva has a 12 month low of $8.05 and a 12 month high of $14.59. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $10.42 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $10.43.

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Aviva Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 24th. Investors of record on Friday, March 31st will be issued a $0.4737 dividend. This is an increase from Avivas previous dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 30th. This represents a dividend yield of 7.14%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

About Aviva

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on AVVIY shares. Berenberg Bank raised their price objective on Aviva from GBX 540 ($6.74) to GBX 546 ($6.82) in a research note on Tuesday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Aviva from GBX 535 ($6.68) to GBX 545 ($6.81) in a report on Monday, March 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Aviva from GBX 485 ($6.06) to GBX 540 ($6.74) in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. Barclays reduced their target price on Aviva from GBX 560 ($6.99) to GBX 545 ($6.81) in a report on Friday, March 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Aviva from GBX 540 ($6.74) to GBX 520 ($6.49) in a report on Wednesday, February 8th.

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Aviva Plc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of long-term insurance and savings, general and health insurance, and fund management products and services. It operates through the following segments: United Kingdom and Ireland; Canada; France; Italy; Poland; and Other. The United Kingdom and Ireland segment offers risks associated with motor vehicles, property and liability, and medical expenses insurance cover to individuals and businesses.

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Ardmore Shipping (NYSE:ASC  Get Rating) had its price target increased by Stifel Nicolaus from $21.00 to $24.00 in a research report released on Tuesday, The Fly reports.

ASC has been the topic of a number of other reports. StockNews.com began coverage on Ardmore Shipping in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Ardmore Shipping from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ardmore Shipping has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $22.00.

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Ardmore Shipping Price Performance

Ardmore Shipping stock opened at $14.41 on Tuesday. Ardmore Shipping has a one year low of $5.91 and a one year high of $19.41. The stocks 50 day moving average is $16.21 and its 200 day moving average is $14.76. The firm has a market cap of $585.48 million, a P/E ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 2.98 and a quick ratio of 2.68.

Ardmore Shipping Increases Dividend

Ardmore Shipping ( NYSE:ASC Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 14th. The shipping company reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.02. Ardmore Shipping had a net margin of 31.06% and a return on equity of 38.49%. The business had revenue of $93.33 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $83.94 million. As a group, research analysts expect that Ardmore Shipping will post 2.54 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 28th were paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 12.49%. This is a positive change from Ardmore Shippings previous quarterly dividend of $0.05. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 27th. Ardmore Shippings payout ratio is presently 53.25%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ardmore Shipping

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in Ardmore Shipping by 43.4% during the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 2,848,449 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $26,006,000 after buying an additional 862,349 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in Ardmore Shipping by 519.5% in the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 853,129 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $5,946,000 after purchasing an additional 715,406 shares during the last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in Ardmore Shipping in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $4,719,000. State Street Corp purchased a new position in Ardmore Shipping in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,558,000. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP purchased a new position in Ardmore Shipping in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,841,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.35% of the companys stock.

About Ardmore Shipping

(Get Rating)

Ardmore Shipping Corp. engages in the provision of seaborne transportation of petroleum products and chemicals worldwide to oil majors, national oil companies, oil and chemical traders, and chemical companies, with modern, fuel-efficient fleet of mid-size products and chemical tankers. It also owns and operates a fleet of tankers.

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Tanglewood Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in iShares Gold Trust (NYSEARCA:IAU  Get Rating) by 0.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 994,428 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 926 shares during the quarter. iShares Gold Trust makes up 5.2% of Tanglewood Wealth Management Inc.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding. Tanglewood Wealth Management Inc. owned approximately 0.13% of iShares Gold Trust worth $34,397,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Charles Schwab Investment Advisory Inc. lifted its holdings in iShares Gold Trust by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 21,165,835 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $779,537,000 after purchasing an additional 292,574 shares during the last quarter. Personal Capital Advisors Corp lifted its holdings in iShares Gold Trust by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. Personal Capital Advisors Corp now owns 14,093,855 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $444,379,000 after purchasing an additional 409,249 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares Gold Trust during the third quarter worth approximately $264,003,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of iShares Gold Trust by 24.1% during the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 7,397,408 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $272,323,000 after buying an additional 1,436,094 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can lifted its holdings in shares of iShares Gold Trust by 93.3% during the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 4,573,365 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $150,602,000 after buying an additional 2,207,676 shares during the last quarter. 62.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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iShares Gold Trust Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of IAU stock traded down $0.06 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $37.63. 879,589 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,240,192. iShares Gold Trust has a fifty-two week low of $30.69 and a fifty-two week high of $38.84. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $36.67 and a 200-day moving average price of $34.90.

About iShares Gold Trust

iShares Gold Trust (the Trust) is to own gold transferred to the Trust in exchange for shares issued by the Trust (Shares). Each Share represents a fractional undivided beneficial interest in the net assets of the Trust. The assets of the Trust consist of gold held by the Trusts custodian on behalf of the Trust.

Further Reading

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Theratechnologies Inc. (TSE:TH  Get Rating) crossed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of C$1.20 and traded as high as C$1.31. Theratechnologies shares last traded at C$1.23, with a volume of 5,650 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Leede Jones Gab raised Theratechnologies from a hold rating to a speculative buy rating in a research report on Thursday, January 5th. National Bankshares dropped their price objective on Theratechnologies from C$3.25 to C$2.25 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 13th.

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Theratechnologies Stock Down 7.2 %

The firm has a market capitalization of C$123.92 million, a PE ratio of -2.03, a PEG ratio of -8.50 and a beta of 1.62. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of C$1.20 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$1.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 562.07, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.83.

Theratechnologies Company Profile

Theratechnologies Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development and commercialization of various therapies to address the unmet medical needs in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The company offers EGRIFTA and EGRIFTA SV, for the reduction of excess abdominal fat in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with lipodystrophy; and Trogarzo, an injection refers to ibalizumab for the treatment of multidrug resistant HIV-1 infected patients.

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Tianyin Pharmaceutical Inc Co (OTCMKTS:TPIY  Get Rating) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $0.00 and traded as high as $0.00. Tianyin Pharmaceutical shares last traded at $0.00, with a volume of 88,900 shares traded.

Tianyin Pharmaceutical Price Performance

About Tianyin Pharmaceutical

(Get Rating)

Tianyin Pharmaceutical Co, Inc is engaged in the development, manufacturing, marketing and sale of modernized traditional Chinese medicines and other pharmaceuticals in China. Its products address significant medical needs in the therapeutic areas spanning internal medicines, gynecology, hepatology, otolaryngology, urology, neurology, gastroenterology, orthopedics, dermatology and pediatrics.

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Bridgeworth LLC lessened its position in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM  Get Rating) by 5.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,737 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 100 shares during the quarter. Bridgeworth LLCs holdings in Waste Management were worth $272,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. LWM Advisory Services LLC increased its position in Waste Management by 3.5% during the third quarter. LWM Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,966 shares of the business services providers stock worth $315,000 after buying an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in Waste Management by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,876 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $294,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management lifted its holdings in Waste Management by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Financial Advocates Investment Management now owns 4,055 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $650,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Brooks Moore & Associates Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Waste Management by 5.2% during the 4th quarter. Brooks Moore & Associates Inc. now owns 1,388 shares of the business services providers stock worth $218,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gamble Jones Investment Counsel grew its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 5.1% during the third quarter. Gamble Jones Investment Counsel now owns 1,430 shares of the business services providers stock worth $229,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. 78.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on WM shares. Truist Financial started coverage on shares of Waste Management in a research report on Monday, April 17th. They set a buy rating and a $190.00 target price on the stock. StockNews.com began coverage on Waste Management in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Stifel Nicolaus raised Waste Management from a hold rating to a buy rating and raised their price target for the stock from $171.00 to $177.00 in a research note on Friday. TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of Waste Management in a research note on Thursday, March 30th. They set an outperform rating and a $200.00 price objective for the company. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Waste Management from $158.00 to $167.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $175.17.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waste Management

Waste Management Price Performance

In other news, CFO Devina A. Rankin sold 200 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $31,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 64,317 shares in the company, valued at $9,969,135. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . In other Waste Management news, SVP Tara J. Hemmer sold 7,515 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $1,164,825.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 46,542 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,214,010. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . Also, CFO Devina A. Rankin sold 200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $31,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 64,317 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,969,135. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold 30,743 shares of company stock valued at $4,762,320 over the last 90 days. 0.27% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Waste Management stock opened at $163.76 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $66.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.99, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.73. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $157.33 and a 200-day moving average of $157.86. Waste Management, Inc. has a 52-week low of $138.89 and a 52-week high of $175.98.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The business services provider reported $1.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.29 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $4.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.86 billion. Waste Management had a return on equity of 32.98% and a net margin of 11.33%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.29 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Waste Management, Inc. will post 6 EPS for the current year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 10th were issued a $0.70 dividend. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.71%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 9th. This is a boost from Waste Managements previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. Waste Managements dividend payout ratio is currently 51.95%.

Waste Management Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Waste Management, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of waste management environmental services. It operates through the following segments: East Tier, West Tier, and Other. The East Tier segment consists of Eastern U.S., the Great Lakes Region, and Canada. The West Tier segment includes the upper Midwest region and British Columbia, Canada.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM  Get Rating).

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Shares of Wells Fargo Advantage Funds  Allspring Income Opportunities Fund (NYSEAMERICAN:EAD  Get Rating) passed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of $0.00 and traded as high as $6.38. Wells Fargo Advantage Funds  Allspring Income Opportunities Fund shares last traded at $6.37, with a volume of 113,007 shares trading hands.

Wells Fargo Advantage Funds  Allspring Income Opportunities Fund Stock Up 0.2 %

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Wells Fargo Advantage Funds  Allspring Income Opportunities Fund Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.0497 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.35%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 13th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of EAD. Raymond James & Associates raised its position in shares of Wells Fargo Advantage Funds  Allspring Income Opportunities Fund by 5.0% during the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 36,909 shares of the closed-end funds stock worth $234,000 after purchasing an additional 1,752 shares during the period. MML Investors Services LLC raised its holdings in Wells Fargo Advantage Funds  Allspring Income Opportunities Fund by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 28,954 shares of the closed-end funds stock worth $180,000 after buying an additional 1,939 shares during the period. Samalin Investment Counsel LLC lifted its stake in Wells Fargo Advantage Funds  Allspring Income Opportunities Fund by 10.4% in the third quarter. Samalin Investment Counsel LLC now owns 21,204 shares of the closed-end funds stock valued at $131,000 after buying an additional 1,991 shares in the last quarter. West Michigan Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Wells Fargo Advantage Funds  Allspring Income Opportunities Fund by 20.0% in the first quarter. West Michigan Advisors LLC now owns 12,000 shares of the closed-end funds stock valued at $95,000 after buying an additional 2,000 shares during the period. Finally, UBS Group AG increased its position in shares of Wells Fargo Advantage Funds  Allspring Income Opportunities Fund by 0.6% during the second quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 358,239 shares of the closed-end funds stock worth $2,325,000 after acquiring an additional 2,052 shares in the last quarter.

Wells Fargo Advantage Funds  Allspring Income Opportunities Fund Company Profile

Allspring Income Opportunities Fund is a closed-end management investment company. It seeks current income and capital appreciation through investment in below investment grade debt securities, loans, and preferred stocks. The company was founded on December 3, 2002 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.

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The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) (NYSE:ZTO  Get Rating) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report published on Monday, The Fly reports. They currently have $42.00 price objective on the transportation companys stock, up from their prior price objective of $37.00.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on ZTO. HSBC boosted their price target on shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from $33.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, March 17th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, TheStreet raised shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Thursday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, ZTO Express (Cayman) presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $36.45.

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ZTO Express (Cayman) Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE:ZTO opened at $27.39 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $27.08 and a 200-day moving average of $25.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 1.49 and a quick ratio of 1.49. The stock has a market cap of $17.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.03. ZTO Express has a one year low of $16.27 and a one year high of $29.79.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Increases Dividend

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

The business also recently declared a  dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 6th will be paid a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 5th. This is an increase from ZTO Express (Cayman)s previous  dividend of $0.25.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ZTO. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in ZTO Express (Cayman) by 420.1% during the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,165 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 941 shares during the period. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in ZTO Express (Cayman) in the third quarter valued at $30,000. Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ZTO Express (Cayman) during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Captrust Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in ZTO Express (Cayman) during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in ZTO Express (Cayman) during the 4th quarter worth $43,000. 40.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About ZTO Express (Cayman)

(Get Rating)

ZTO Express (Cayman), Inc provides comprehensive logistics services. It offers express delivery and value-added logistics services through a nationwide network partner. The firm also provides digital and privacy waybill and cloud printing. The company was founded by Mei Song Lai on May 8, 2002 and is headquartered in Shanghai, China.

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LYONS, Colo.  Garrett Cammans and his brothers sometimes don't talk about their toughest moments on the job in the cloud seeding business, like the time when one of them got stuck in deep mountain snow and had to hike out alone in the dark.

They're going out into some pretty remote and rural areas," Cammans said. "And there have been a few close encounters with wildlife we dont like to discuss at the family dinner table.

But snow  as much as possible  is at the heart of the Cammans family business, Utah-based North American Weather Consultants, which holds cloud seeding contracts throughout the U.S. West, centered in the Rocky Mountains.

Lately, business is up. Amid two decades of drought, cloud seeding  using airplanes or ground equipment to waft rain-and-snow-making particles into clouds  is on the rise in the Rockies.

Colorado has added three new programs in the last five years. Wyoming, which began seeding in 2014, added an aerial program in 2018. Utah has steadily increased its fleet of cloud seeding equipment, and the state legislature just approved record funding to further expand programs and research.

No small part of the growth is due to intense pressure drought is placing on the Colorado River and its tributaries that supply water to millions of people from Wyoming to Los Angeles.

Not everybody believes cloud seeding is a worthwhile remedy. Some experts say conserving water is a better, more down-to-earth way to ensure enough water to go around. Juicing clouds to produce marginally more precipitation, they say, is an iffy alternative.

It's always easier to talk about how to get more water than to talk about how to use less," said Kathryn Sorensen with the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University in Tempe. When you look at the problem of over-allocation on the Colorado River, the numbers are so large that really the solutions lie in using less, particularly in the agricultural sector. Politically thats really painful to confront.

But in the Rockies, cloud seeding these days has a full embrace from local and state officials eager for a not-too-expensive way to put more water in streams, rivers and especially the big Colorado River system reservoirs that hit record lows last year.

Their approach: shoot silver iodide into clouds, where moisture binds to the particles, forms ice and falls as snow. That snowpack high in the mountains serves as year-round cold storage for water that's released as it melts.

In Wyoming, cloud seeding by plane attempts to increase snowpack on the west side of the Wind River Mountains, so snowmelt flows into the Green River and to communities downstream  eventually reaching the Colorado River and its reservoirs including Lake Powell and Lake Mead.

Cloud seeding generates water that wouldnt have been there before, said Bryan Seppie, general manager of the Joint Powers Water Board providing water to southwestern Wyoming communities. Thats just a benefit to the entire system.

When the weather's dry and water's scarce in the West  where the saying goes that whisky's for drinking and water is for fighting over  those with water rights established long ago get preference. And divvying up increasingly limited water has pitted states against each other.

Yet cloud seeding has emerged as a partial solution they can agree on.

Water providers in the Lower Colorado River Basin contribute about $1.5 million annually to cloud seeding in the Upper Basin, where snowmelt feeds the river. Recently, the federal government announced a $2.4 million contribution to the effort, a nod to the desperate times.

Despite the renewed attention, cloud seeding has been used around the world and in the Rockies for more than 50 years.

Cloud seeding in the U.S. got oversold and federal funding dried up in the 1990s and early 2000s, said Frank McDonough, a scientist at the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nevada.

Water folks at the local level knew it worked so they continued to fund it with states, McDonnough said. Now theres new evidence that shows it does work.

Understanding the process

A study of Idaho aerial seeding in 2017 revealed a clear snowfall pattern on a radar that mirrored the seeding and offered evidence the method works.

Utah has calculated the amount of additional water cloud seeding created there. It added 186,000 acre-feet of water, or nearly a 12% increase, to the state's supply in 2018, according to an analysis by the Division of Water Resources. The agency says the cost was $2.18 per acre-foot  a fraction of the $20 California farmers pay for that amount of water.

That cost per acre-foot was so low, its kind of a no brainer, said Jake Serago, water resources engineer with the division.

But Sarah Tessendorf of the National Center for Atmospheric Research said more research is needed to conclusively show how much additional water is created by cloud seeding.

Its really common for people to want to know what extra percent of precipitation formed, said Tessendorf, a co-author of the Idaho cloud seeding study.

Silver iodide can have a minimal impact in some clouds and a high impact in others, so how much is created over an entire winter season is what matters most, she said. We dont have answers on that yet, but we hope to have them in the next few years with our new computer model results.

In foothills north of Boulder, the first cloud seeding project of the rapidly growing Rocky Mountain Front Range urban corridor north and south of Denver is underway. This winter, two ground-based generators have been pumping silver iodide into the air for the St. Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District.

Each is a two-wheeled trailer containing a tank of silver iodide released by a roaring, propane-fueled flame atop a metal mast. There's a communications antenna for signals to turn the generator on and off, depending on conditions.

The right conditions  wet weather headed upslope, from the east  have occurred a couple times a month, said Scott Griebling, a water resources engineer with the district.

Lately in the Rockies, the problem isn't too little snow. Amid a wet spring, some cloud seeding generators have been shut down due to fears the heavy snowfall already is enough to cause flooding.

Among those idled are generators in southern Wyoming's Sierra Madre Range, where snowpack is rivaling the deepest on record, said Jonathan Bowler with the Savery-Little Snake River Water Conservancy District that monitors runoff.

You kind of live and die by the moisture here," Bowler said. "Too dry is one extreme and too wet is another. But kind of regardless of what its going to give you, you just kind of have to make do.

For the Wyoming Water Development Commission in charge of the state's cloud seeding program, the long-term averages are what's important, Chairman Ron Kailey Jr. said. You have to take in the good years, the bad years and everything in between to determine how successful the program is, said Kailey.

The work

North American Weather Consultants has been cloud seeding for over 40 years. Cammans, who has a background in physics, chemistry and computer software, bought the company four years ago.

After expanding locations, including to the Colorado Front Range for the Boulder-area pilot program, North American Weather Consultants now has about 250 ground-based sites and two planes in use across the Western U.S. Cammans now has about 20 employees including meteorologists and his brothers.

Once seedable conditions do occur, then we spring into operation, he said. We've got a pilot that will go up and fly if conditions are favorable for aerial seeding. We've got remotely operated equipment that meteorologists can operate from their home offices.

Many of the company's ground-based generators are turned on and off manually by about 150 paid contractors, some on their own land.

Cammans often reserves those toughest jobs for his brothers Parker and Carver, who drive trucks with knobby, 35-inch tires suited for snow and mud.

"They get to do some of our most exciting and more precarious work," he said.
As the assembly elections draw closer in Karnataka, four leaders have begun to count their chickens even before they are hatched, hoping to become the Chief Minister if their respective party comes to power. But despite the grandstanding on empowerment by all political parties, the state has not had a Dalit or woman Chief Minister to date, and is not likely to see one this time too. In the Congress, both former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar have openly staked their claim for the top post. However, a few days ago, Shivakumar set the cat among the pigeons when he announced that he was ready to work under All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun M Kharge if he chose to become the Chief Minister. Kharge: Close Yet Far Kharge, a Dalit, who began his political career in 1969 as a student union leader, contested his first assembly polls in 1972 from Gurmitkal in Gulbarga district and won ten consecutive elections. When Siddaramaiah joined the Congress from Janata Dal (Secular), the high command which had apparently promised him the Chief Ministers post if the party came to power, shifted Kharge to the Centre. In 2009, Kharge contested the Lok Sabha elections and became a Union minister, leaving the coast clear for Siddaramaiah who became the Chief Minister in 2013. While the rest is history, this also put an end to Kharges dream of becoming the CM. Now, he has stated that he no longer harbours such desires. Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have also publicly said that though they are contenders, the final decision on who should become the CM would be left to the elected MLAs and the high command. Another senior Dalit leader who had set his eyes on the chair was G Parameshwara, but for some reason, the party seems to have sidelined him though he was appointed the Chairman of the Manifesto Committee. BJP: High Command Decides In the BJP, nobody has any illusions about who calls the shots. Though no formal announcement has been made, BJP president JP Nadda had indicated recently that Basavaraj Bommai would continue in office if the party came to power. Bommai himself had announced at a function that he would return as Chief Minister. But in politics, nothing is certain. When BS Yediyurappa was asked to quit in 2021, it was heavily speculated that Arvind Bellad, a Lingayat MLA from Hubli Dharwad West would step into his shoes, but nothing came out of it. Similarly, the name of union minister Shobha Karandlaje also did the rounds. JD(S) supremo HD Kumaraswamy had recently courted controversy when he claimed that a coterie headed by BJP national secretary BL Santosh was planning to replace Bommai with Union minister Pralhad Joshi, a Brahmin. Joshi has subsequently clarified that he is not in the race. If there are any other frontrunners in the BJP, nobody seems to have the courage to openly express their views as any such move would only stymie their chances. The only leader who has publicly and repeatedly spoken about his chief ministerial ambitions is Basavaraj Patil Yatnal, MLA, from Bijapur. Needless to say, the party may also pick a surprise candidate like it did with Devendra Fadnavis in Maharashtra in 2014. Casualty Of Power Politics There is no such confusion in the JD (S) where Kumaraswamy hopes to win 123 seats in the 224-member assembly and become the Chief Minister. The entire scenario would change if the elections throw up a hung assembly in which case the JD(S) will become the kingmaker. Given that the party is not tied to any ideological moorings, it would be difficult to gauge who it would support. The JD(S) had once formed the government with Congress, then with BJP and then again with the Congress. Kumaraswamy had twice become the CM though JD(S) was the minority partner in the coalition. There is also every chance that if JD(S) decides to support either a Congress or BJP government, it will want to have a say in who would be CM. And then there is also a new model of government in the event of a hung assembly. The BJP simply poaches MLAs from other parties and forms the government as it did in 2008 and 2019. In fact, the joke doing the rounds in Karnataka is that whoever wins the elections, the BJP will form the government. But while working out various permutations and combinations, will any party give a thought to social justice? Will a Dalit or a woman ever be given a chance to rule the state? Your guess is as good as mine. Gautham Machaiah is a senior journalist and political commentator based in Bengaluru. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.
In the three urban constituencies of Mysuru city, the hub of the erstwhile princely state of Mysore, the fight is between Congress and BJP to retain their seats. This is unlike the majority of the remaining eight rural constituencies of Mysuru district, where the fight is largely between the Congress and the JD (S), as the BJP is yet to make an impact in the region. In the last elections of May 2018, the urban electorate favoured BJP in Chamaraja and Krishnaraja constituencies, and the Congress in the Muslim-dominated Narasimharaja constituency. While both parties will have to work hard, it seems BJP may have an uphill battle in holding on to its seats. The party faces anti-incumbency and severe corruption charges, apart from having to stave off a potential consolidation of backward class votes around Siddaramaiahs last outing, and a split in Lingayat votes towards Congress, not to mention the minority votes in its adversarys favour. Read the latest on Karnataka Elections here This has seen a number of BJP leaders sweep into the region. Prime Minister Modi himself is due to undertake a road show in the city  no public meetings have been announced yet  touching all three constituencies on Sunday 30th April. The situation has also witnessed a frantic bid by the BJP to woo the Vokkaliga voters in the region, with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visiting the neighbouring Vokkaliga-dominated Mandya district. But it will not have any impact among the Vokkaligas of the city. It may have some impact among the voters of Mandya with their (independent) MP, Sumalatha Ambareesh, joining the BJP, says Sumesh Gowda of Chamaraja constituency. Sumalatha Ambareesh is the first independent woman MP from Karnataka. New face in the fray All three constituencies form part of the eight assembly segments of the Mysuru Lok Sabha seat. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Prathap Simha won the Mysuru Lok Sabha seat with a margin of 1,38,647 votes, defeating CH Vijayashankar of Congress. ALSO READ: Karnataka Elections: CM aspirants aplenty but will a Dalit or woman ever get to head the state? In Krishnaraja, Srivatsa TS, the Mysore city BJP President, will make his electoral debut and try to retain the constituency for the party, while M K Somashekara, the two-time Congress MLA, is making an all-out effort to wrest it. Mallesh K V, a three-time local councillor from JD (S), is also making a bid. In this Brahmin-dominated constituency, the BJP denied a ticket to the sitting four-time MLA, SA Ramdas, after even the Brahmana Sabha came out openly against him. While Ramdas himself has come out in support of party candidate Srivatsa TS, he has refused to meet any party leaders after he was denied the ticket. It will be interesting to see whether Ramdas, who is close to PM Modi, will be seen with him during Sundays roadshow. In 2018, Ramadas won the seat defeating M K Somashekar by a margin of 26,347 votes. Brahmins comprise 30 percent of the 2,48,564-strong electorate of the constituency. Will denying him a ticket impact the poll outcome? No, Sir. It will not have any impact. Here it is more about the Party than about the individual, said Shivaputrappa, a resident of Krishnaraja constituency. A battle of perceptions Sitting BJP MLA L Nagendra, who has a clean, educated image, seeks to retain the Chamaraja constituency staving off the challenge from K Harish Gowda of the Congress, who is seen as an 'unpolished', albeit popular, personality. In this Vokkaliga (25 percent) dominated seat, the Congress candidates fortunes depends to a large extent on the votes Malavika Gubbivani (AAP) and HK Ramesh (JD-S) manage to poll, not to mention the consolidation of the 8 percent Kuruba vote. Congress won the seat in 2013, while BJP won it in 2018. Favouring Nagendra is his hard-working image, having been among the people and responded to their demands during his current tenure. The SDPI Factor Sitting MLA Tanveer Sait (Congress) of Narasimharaja constituency, elected to office for five consecutive terms, faces the charge of being a missing MLA. He was never around in the constituency, says Mumtaaz. Sait faces a tough challenge from Abdul Majeed of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). Majeed had come third during the 2018 polls securing 33,284 votes, behind BJPs Sandesh Swamy with 44,141. Sait had won the polls with a margin of 18,127 votes. But between 2018 and now, Sait has survived a grievous attack by a person said to be affiliated with the SDPI, and thus enjoys the sympathy factor, though the SDPI has also managed to get into the good books of the people by working among them and helping them during the Covid outbreak. For Sandesh Swamy of the BJP, this can be a make-or-break election, if he fails for the second time. If the BJP does not make it this time, they will never win from the constituency, says Puttaswamy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to embark on a two-day visit to poll-bound Karnataka on April 29 and 30, where he will address six public meetings and hold two roadshows. Modi will travel from Delhi to Bidar airport on April 29, then take a helicopter to Humnabad in Bidar district to address a public assembly at 11 am. After that, the prime minister will head to Vijayapura for another public gathering at 1 pm, followed by a visit to Kudachi in Belagavi district for his third public meeting of the day at about 2:45 p.m. He will then make his way to Bengaluru in the evening to hold a grand roadshow. Modi's schedule for April 30 includes departing from Raj Bhavan and heading to Kolar for a public meeting at 11:30 am. He will then travel to Channapatna in Ramanagara district for another public meeting at 1:30 pm. Later, he will go to the temple town of Belur in Hassan district to address the public at 3:45 p.m. Finally, the prime minister will hold a roadshow in Mysuru in the evening. Modi's upcoming two-day visit to poll-bound Karnataka will mark his ninth visit to the state since February. The BJP is seeking a win in Karnataka, which is home to one of the party's oldest organisational units. The BJP's pitch for the Assembly polls is centred around the formula of a double-engine growth government, with both the state and Centre working in tandem. Chief Minister Basvaraj Bommai is in charge of the party's campaign committee, and union minister Shobha Karandlaje is putting together the election management committee. The assembly polls for the 224-seat assembly are scheduled for May 10, with counting taking place on May 13.
Echoing India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kants views that new-age entrepreneurs will disrupt Indias automotive industry ecosystem, a senior official of Bajaj Auto Limited (BAL) stated that electric vehicle (EV) startups are actually playing an instrumental role in generating demand in the domestic electric two-wheeler industry (E2W). He also said that such private-equity-backed firms helps traditional players like Bajaj Auto reinvent themselves. It is actually fantastic that there are so many startups in the country in automotive and other industries. Had there not been so many startups backed by big money of private equity (firms), the penetration of electric two-wheelers may not have gone off to a good start. Startups entrepreneurial energy combined with the risk-taking ability of private equity players (form the ideal) combination. Yes, a bubble is happening in the EV industry, Rakesh Sharma, executive director, Bajaj Auto, told reporters on the sidelines while opening an exclusive Chetak showroom. Chetak, the iconic Bajaj Auto brand when it was primarily a company that made conventional (internal combustion engine or ICE) scooters before abandoning the segment and shifting its focus to motorcycles has been reincarnated as the E2W flagbearer for the company. He drew parallels with the African two-wheeler market, which was flooded with cheap Chinese ICE products, saying that when that continent banned Chinese vehicles, Bajaj Auto made a strategic entry and is now a well-established player there with Chetak E2Ws. Sharma added, It is a new category of the industry and players need to present it in a responsible manner. There were quite a few thermal incidents (where vehicles have caught fire) which have a demoralising effect on consumers. If the challenges are overcome and standards are maintained, a responsible startup is very good for companies like us. This is because it keeps us on our toes, brings in a lot of energy and creativity. When asked to put a timeline for attaining market leadership in the E2W space, Sharma, while drawing an analogy to a Formula 1 season, said the company is in for the long haul and doesnt believe in winning one or two races. In his view, We dont want to be number one or two on the stand and be exhausted in the races that determine the winner. We are not volumetrically-led and are not position-led. The time for that will come and you will not find us wanting. This is the time we have to learn, build R&D and manufacturing capabilities, create a robust supply chain and set up an exclusive network (for Chetak). Once we create all the building blocks, we will be among the top 3 not just in India but among the world, he said. Bajaj Auto said it has entered the 'scale-up' phase in its EV journey as it aims to produce 10,000 Chetaks a month by June. The Pune-based company stated that it is was facing glitches in its supply chain and hadnt been able to ramp up production and was slow in expanding its network. Eric Vas, president of Bajaj Autos Urbanite business unit, which houses its E2Ws, told PTI that the company had suffered production constraints due to the transition to the new battery norm AIS 156B, which came into effect from April 1 for enhanced safety. However, he stressed that the constraints have been resolved to a large extent. "We are trying to reach a monthly output of 10,000 units by June. It is a supply chain issue," Sharma told reporters. He also stated that the company is churning out 5,000 units in the current month and will aim to get to 7,000 units by May. He revealed that the company had been facing problems earlier due to over-reliance on certain vendors who could not supply certain parts. "That we sorted out by the first quarter and it is giving us some confidence," he said. BAL plans to establish around 150 exclusive outlets for the Chetak electric scooter by September, and is taking a calibrated approach to expansion keeping in mind the uncertainty over the extension of FAME II scheme, the subsidy offered by the government for promotion of electric vehicles, beyond this fiscal. When asked about Chetaks overseas plans, Sharma said, We have earmarked certain countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa and are about to take a call. Having said that, the domestic market offers a lot of opportunity and take precedence for the foreseeable future. When asked about the outlook for 2023-24, Sharma said that if the supply chain holds out and demand keeps picking up, along with the network expansion, Bajaj Auto could touch a total of 1 lakh E2Ws between Chetak and what it supplies to electric mobility platform Yulu.
Tiger Global-backed Jar has become the latest startup to join the digital lending frenzy as the Bengaluru-based digital gold savings platform looks to accelerate its monetisation efforts after generating just about Rs 70 lakh in operating revenue in its first full fiscal year FY22 (2021-22). The startup, which lets users save small amounts daily in digital gold and other avenues, will be partnering with non-banking financial companies to offer loans to customers, people aware of the matter told Moneycontrol. Nishchay Ag, co-founder of Jar confirmed the development to Moneycontrol and said that the company has established tie-ups with Liquiloans and a few more NBFCs. Elite company Digital lending was always in the roadmap for us. We want users to give access to loans while helping them save money, Nischay told Moneycontrol. Jars move to jump on the digital lending frenzy comes at a time when several fintech startups, including some of the most-valued companies in India, are putting their foot down on lending, as India continues to remain a credit-starved market. Many fintech companies, including PhonePe, are looking to apply for NBFC licenses to lend from their books. Fintech companies with digital lending as one of their main offerings have also cornered funding in India so far this year. Earlier this week, neobanking platform Jupiter also secured a non-banking financial company (NBFC) licence from the Reserve Bank of India to enter into the lending business, a move which will double its disbursal rate for the year. Penetration of India's Unified Payments System and robust demand for personal loans and higher working capital requirements has attracted many players into the business of Digital Lending. In fact, credit offtakes reached a 11-year high in FY23, as per a Care Edge report. The Jar app was founded in 2021 by Nishchay AG and Misbah Ashraf, and is built on the idea of helping Indians make investing a habit. In February of 2022, the startup bagged $32 million in Series A funding led by US investment firm Tiger Global. The Jar app, which can be allowed to look at the transaction history, rounds up an individuals daily spending and puts some money aside as an investment. Users investments in digital gold is backed by physical gold of the same amount and they can choose to withdraw that much gold or liquidate their investments at any time. The company partners with Paytm and Safegold for helping users invest.
Brokerage firm Nomura Research has initiated a 'buy' recommendation on Hindalco Industries Ltd with a target price of Rs 540 a share, indicating a 26 percent increase from its current market price. Hindalco Industries (HNDL) is a global low-cost quartile aluminum producer, thanks to its fully integrated bauxite-to-aluminum business model and 100 percent captive power. According to Nomura's estimates, Hindalco has a $550-600 per tonne cost advantage over its Chinese peers. As Hindalco improves its coal sourcing and increases its share of value-added products, its profitability is expected to enhance further. Although there may be global macro challenges in the near term, Nomura expects Hindalco's profitability to rise structurally in the longer term. Nomura predicts that the rising demand for electric vehicles and renewables, coupled with global supply tightness, will support aluminum pricing. They also expect an increased share of value-added products to aid realisations. With limited global capacity additions by CY26, the demand-supply situation is likely to tighten, leading to price hikes. This would be supported by the current weak profitability of Chinese smelters, according to Nomura. Hindalco's downstream share is expected to rise until FY26, further improving its realisations. Nomura estimates aluminum prices at $2,600 per tonne in FY24 and $2,750 in FY25. "We expect coal cost to decline over FY24/FY25, led by a gradual rise in the share of coal procured via linkage contracts from Coal India to pre-pandemic levels by FY25 and easing of supply disruptions globally (leading to lower international thermal coal prices). We expect e-auction premiums to narrow marginally led by falling coal prices globally," Nomura said in its latest report. The brokerage values Hindalco's India business at 4.5x FY25 EV/EBITDA and Novelis at 5.7x FY25 EV/EBITDA.

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Taiwans Starlux Airlines Co., which bills itself as a high-end carrier, plans to launch new US routes once a year as part of a major push into long-haul travel, company executives said. The Taipei-based company, one of a handful of airlines to launch during Covid, celebrated its first intercontinental flight, from Taiwan to Los Angeles, on Wednesday. With some rival legacy Asian carriers still recovering from the pandemic, theres a gap for new entrants to grab market share. We are fairly confident that we can expand our North American network by opening at least one new route every year in the next couple of years, Starlux Chairman Chang Kuo-wei said. Chang, a qualified commercial pilot, flew and landed the Starlux Airbus SE A350 earlier that day. Chief Strategy Officer Simon Liu said Starlux expects to launch flights to and from San Francisco before Christmas. Liu also sought to play down delays in Airbus deliveries. Although Starlux is wholly reliant on the European planemaker for its jet orders, Liu said the issue was not really serious. Chang, a former Eva Air Corp. executive, left Eva in 2016 and went on to launch Starlux, which is Taiwans third airline in a crowded marketplace, in 2020 just as Covid was spreading. It has quickly amassed a fleet of 20 new Airbus aircraft, serving 17 cities in Asia Pacific. The pandemic, and tough competition, has meant Starlux hasnt turned a profit yet.

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As many as 119 Karnataka natives have been rescued from war-hit Sudan over the last two days under the India's evacuation mission named Operation Kaveri. On April 28, Saudi Arabian airlines (Jeddah-Bengaluru) carrying 362 evacuees from Sudan landed at the Kempegowda International Airport at 4:30 pm. Of the 362 landed at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on April 28, 114 hail from Karnataka - 241 male, 107 female, 12 children and two infants. According to Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority records, evacuees belonging to the state arrived in two batches - first, a group of five reached Mumbai airport on April 27 and the second batch of 114 people arrived at KIA on April 28. ALSO READ: Operation Kaveri: 362 Indians reach Bengaluru from war-hit Sudan Of the 114 evacuees who arrived in Bengaluru airport on April 28, majority belong to Shivamogga district (50), followed by Mysuru (45), Bengaluru (nine), Kalaburagi (four), Udupi (two), Ramanagara (two), Hassan (one) and Davanagere (one). Just-in: Operation Kaveri: 119 people from Karnataka rescued from war-torn Sudan in 2 dayshttps://t.co/9xDjVSvoGg pic.twitter.com/iUufoQQiTN  ChristinMathewPhilip (@ChristinMP_) April 28, 2023 Manoj Rajan, commissioner, Karnataka Disaster Management Authority told Moneycontrol that a centralized call centre has been set up at State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC). "We have been reaching out to all relatives and parents of stranded students and updating the latest measures undertaken and building the confidence of safe return of their loved ones." He said they have been monitoring the situation in Sudan ever since the first advisory issued by the Indian embassy in Khartoum on April 18. We are in constant touch with stranded people hailing from Karnataka in Sudan. All efforts are made to safely evacuate stranded people hailing from Karnataka to their respective destinations, said Rajan. Three facilitation counters have been set up in New Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai Airports, manned by senior officers of the state government, says Rajan. "The facilitation counters are arranging flight tickets to the Operation Kaveri evacuees hailing from Karnataka on their onward journey to the State. Arrangements have also been made for last mile connectivity, ie, KSRTC buses have been arranged from Bengaluru airport to ferry them to their respective hometowns. Medical health check-ups will be provided to the evacuees at Bengaluru airport. On April 24, Union ministry of external affairs launched Operation Kaveri to evacuate Indian citizens stranded in conflict zones in Sudan. IAF aircrafts and Indian Navy ships are placed in strategic locations. The stranded Indians are being shifted to Jeddah and thereafter flown to Delhi/Mumbai/Bengaluru. Many stranded at Airport However, many passengers were stranded at Bengaluru airport for not having a yellow-fever certificate. Sheetal Anandpara, tweeted: Thank you for bringing my husband back to India. But still pining to meet him. He just reached Sudan and within 2 days war began. No #YellowFever card with him and stuck in bangalore airport too. @ANI @PIB_India @AmitShah @DrSJaishankar Thank you for bringing my husband back to India. But still pining to meet him. He just reached Sudan and within 2 days war began. No #YellowFever card with him and stuck in bangalore airport too.  Sheetal Anandpara (@SheetalAnandpa2) April 28, 2023 Rajan said around 40 passengers didnt had vaccination certificate. Its now mandatory to have a vaccination certificate for those coming from African countries where Yellow Fever disease is prevalent.
Value investing has done well in the volatile environment after the stock markets recorded a low in March 2020. UTI Mutual Fund has launched the new fund offer (NFO) of UTI Nifty500 Value 50 Index Fund (UV50). This is the first broad-based value index fund. Should you invest? What is on offer? UV50 aims to provide returns in line with that offered by the underlying index  Nifty 500 Value 50 index. The underlying index comprises 50 stocks that are selected from a universe of stocks present in Nifty500. These stocks are picked based on their value score and free-float market capitalisation. The value score of these stocks is computed giving equal weight to valuation parameters such as earnings yield (reverse of price-to-earnings ratio) , price-to-book ratio, sales-to-price ratio and dividend yield. The weight of each stock is capped at a lower of 5 percent or three times the weight of the stock in the index based only on free market capitalisation. The index is rebalanced twice a year. What works? Sharwan Goyal, Fund Manager and Head  Passive, Arbitrage and Quant Strategies, UTI AMC says, UV50 aims to offer a diversified portfolio of attractively valued companies on the basis of defined valuation parameters, from a broad universe of Nifty 500 stocks. ALSO READ: Market value below Rs 200 crore, but these nanocap multibaggers remain PMS darlings The data-driven approach of UV50 to value investing may have takers at a time when the value funds are doing good. This can be a good investment idea for value investors keen on avoiding fund manager risk. Since it is a passively managed fund, it is expected to be cheaper than actively managed funds. The underlying index has stocks of companies of varying sizes spread across sectors. Index construction based on value score as well as free float market capitalisation should ensure relatively liquid names, which should augur well for the underlying index. Value investing is all about buying undervalued stocks, which is more possible in mid and smallcap stocks given the relatively less analyst coverage, compared to largecap stocks. This being a broad-based value index fund, exposure to mid and smallcap stocks should work in favour of investors, especially when the broad market is in an upswing. What does not work? Value investing deals with buying stocks that are attractively valued in the context of their future growth. UV50 however focuses on data points that capture the past. At a time when there are many actively managed value funds doing good, this fund has limited appeal. According to Value Research, in the five years ended April 26, 2023, value funds on average gave 10.8 percent whereas flexicap funds gave 9.92 percent. ALSO READ: In your early 50s and nearing retirement? These 2 MC30 schemes can take you there Most actively managed value-based equity schemes use relative valuation approach wherein apart from various valuation parameters, fundamental factors are also considered to account for future growth, whereas for a value-based index, the selection of stocks is rule based on defined value parameters, which only focuses on identifying stocks that may generate economic value in the long term, says Goyal. The index is rebalanced only twice in a year. This may not work in favour of the schemes, as many times price corrections in individual stocks are short-lived. Value buying is more prominent in less researched smallcap stocks, which can best be done through actively managed funds. The underlying index performance looks good as the use of traditional valuations parameters for index construction ensures that large allocations are made to stocks of public sector undertakings, which are doing well as of now. Investors are better off investing in actively managed value funds with a proven track record, says Abhay Mathure, a Mumbai-based mutual fund distributor. What should you do? Though value investing as a strategy is doing good, there is no assurance that it will do well in future. There are periods when each of these factors  value, growth, momentum, quality and alpha underperform broad markets. Hence, investors need to have a clear understanding of what they are getting into when they are choosing a single-factor investment strategy such as UV50. Pankaj Mathpal, Founder of Mumbai-based Optima Money Managers, says, Investors with a core equity portfolio made up of diversified equity fundsbe it active or passive, and looking for some meaningful diversification can allocate some money to this fund. ALSO READ: Here are the multibagger microcap stocks held by PMS managers. Do you own any? Investors keen on value-focused portfolios also have the option of investing in actively managed equity schemes with a good track record. Investors keen on value investing in largecap stocks without fund manager risk have the alternative of schemes tracking Nifty50 Value 20 index. Investors can consider UV50 only after checking the expense ratio and tracking error. Investments should ideally be considered in a staggered manner with minimum 5 years timeframe. The NFO will end on May 8, 2023.
Special Window for Completion of Affordable and Mid-income Housing, or SWAMIH Investment Fund, which has been tasked with funding stuck projects across the country, has delivered 23,000 houses since its inception three years back. The Rs 15,530 crore Fund, backed by the government and managed by SBICAP Ventures Ltd, hopes to deliver 20,000 more homes by the year-end, taking the total to 43,000 across Tier 1 and 2 cities. The Fund has given final approvals for 131 projects, unlocking liquidity worth Rs 35,879 crore. The deal size committed across 131 projects is Rs 13,600 crore. These numbers are on the basis of existing approvals only. Our confidence level is very high and the number will keep increasing as we sanction more money to new deals, Irfan A Kazi, chief investment officer, SWAMIH Investment Fund told Moneycontrol. He said that these projects are spread across more than 30 cities including Amravati, Amritsar, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Meerut, Mohali, Nagpur, Nasik, Thrissur, Vizag, besides Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), National Capital Region (NCR), Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai, among others. SWAMIH continues to take on new projects where RERA is applicable. The only way we are different is we don't distinguish between Tier 1 and 2 cities. We do funding across cities, he said. The Fund continues to evaluate more deals. The Fund has time till December 2024 to commit to new projects. And we have a deal flow, we are looking at that. There are about 179 projects that have preliminary approval. So some of those projects are under due diligence and over time some of those projects will get final approval as well. So deal flow is not really an issue, he said. So far, the Fund has given preliminary approval to about 1.1 lakh units and final approval to 83,000 units, he said. The Fund so far has a deal flow of about 1.91 lakh units, of which about 1 lakh housing units will ultimately be taken up for completion considering that not all preliminary approvals will receive final approval. We are looking at them getting completed in the next five years or so. And in terms of a target, I think will be closer to perhaps 1 lakh units, he said. The Fund has shown that it is possible to invest in stuck projects and yet recover your capital after completing the projects. We've acted as a catalyst for other private equity funds in the industry that are already thinking about following the same approach, getting into the same asset class, that's one. Two, you know there have been many cases where after giving a SWAMIH term sheet, the existing lender of the project has decided that it looks possible. And they've decided to fund it on their own. So that's again how we come in as a catalyst, said Kazi. Project exits The Fund has so far exited 12 real estate projects in three years. We've completely exited 12 projects and we've done partial exits in about 17 more projects. So 29 projects in all. An exit means that either the project is fully complete or it is generating enough and more, so that the money starts coming back to us. There is no shortage of money for construction, he added. The Fund has generated a 12 percent return from all the 12 projects it exited. We've recovered our money and our investment returns. But it's still early days as it is still hardly 5 percent of the total portfolio, he said. A start-up fund with a nebulous vision - Speed and ownership at all levels In November 2019, the central government launched the SWAMIH Investment Fund to help complete over 1,500 stalled housing projects, including those that have been declared non-performing assets (NPAs) or admitted for insolvency proceedings. The move was to help 4.58 lakh housing units across the country. Only RERA-registered projects with a positive net worth are provided funding. Kazi said when the Fund was set up it initially functioned as a start-up and had a nebulous vision. In a start-up, everyone has ownership, right? So that's what we did. We worked with empowered teams to scale up so fast. We could not have had a hierarchical structure. So we had teams that were empowered, two teams that were dealing with the developer or taking decisions related to the project. Only critical decisions travelled all the way to me. Everyone had responsibility and ownership for what they were doing, he said. There was a flat structure in place and approvals were given overnight. That's the other bit of the start-up culture that we've incorporated. So speed as well as ownership at all levels. The whole idea around a stuck assets fund was also nebulous. While everyone was clear that something was needed to solve the problem, few had an idea about the scale of the problem till we did a market study. There was no precedent to fall back on. So, something different had to be done, he said. The Fund was unique because instead of disbursing funds the traditional way in two tranches, it decided to disburse only to the extent the expenses were actually incurred at the site. It was something dramatically different that we did here, he said. Grounds on which funding for stuck projects can be rejected Asked about the grounds on which projects that have applied for may be rejected, Kazi explained that it could either be on account of the first charge issue. Most banks and NBFCs (the existing lenders) have been reluctant to give up on the first charge. Another reason could be that the project is not viable, the revenues are far lower and the project is unprofitable. We necessarily require that the project should be profitable, he said. From a deal flow of 310 projects, the Fund has, therefore, given approvals to 131 or around 40 percent of the projects. The viability of the project is essential. Usually, huge amounts of RERA penalties and refunds make a project unviable for any new developer to come in and complete it. There may also be instances wherein the developer may shy away from such funding as he may not be willing to give up control of project expenditure. Lapsed environmental approvals are yet another reason. There have been instances wherein the environment approval may have lapsed and the developer may have decided against getting it renewed, he said. Projects undergoing insolvency proceedings SWAMIH has provided term sheets to several projects that are before insolvency courts but the term sheet has to be accepted by the committee of creditors. That actually hasn't happened yet. It proceeds at its own pace. The COC has varying interests and so on. So, we don't have a single instance where the term sheet has been accepted. Also, in cases where projects have been handed over to an association of homebuyers, there are challenges as we cannot fund an association, he said, adding the SWAMIH Fund can only fund a company. Given the legal structure as a SEBI-registered fund, we can only invest in non-convertible debentures, he said. Having said that, if an association decides to convert a welfare association into a company then we will be more than willing to fund it with certain caveats such as a developer should get involved through a development management agreement and so on. But we cannot fund homebuyers as they are not authorised to give a personal guarantee. A formal corporate structure is a must, he added. As for stuck projects where the promoter has gone missing, he said there too the Fund requires an investment banker to put together a package where a new developer comes in to complete the project. All said and done, we are only funders or financiers. We are not developers. The challenges With the cost of construction materials going up after the pandemic and the Ukraine war, the SWAMIH Fund too had its own share of challenges. In the three years of the pandemic and the Ukraine war, probably the only projects that were functioning or that were ordering for construction material were the ones financed by SWAMIH. So, we've taken the brunt of the price increase. We have seen a 25 to 30 percent increase in prices of raw materials and that has made the task more challenging for us, he said. Redevelopment projects in MMR The SWAMIH Fund has also funded redevelopment projects in MMR. Perhaps almost half of the projects in MMR would be redevelopment projects. The same rules that apply to a stuck project are applicable for both slum redevelopment as well as society redevelopment that we are trying to fund. We are providing relief to them and are looking at rent payments as land payments, he added. He mentioned that redevelopment projects may find it difficult to get funding from banks or NBFCs. In a redevelopment project, an expense has to be incurred first, revenue comes later. A building has to be built and owners have to be given rental accommodation. So that expense comes first. We have done quite a few such projects, he said.
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For years, perhaps decades, farmers in Punjab and Haryana have struggled with poor crop output: the result of deteriorating soil health and erratic irrigation in a region known as the bread basket of India. Intensive groundwater irrigation and excess use of fertilizer to boost farm production have caused soil quality to worsen in several villages of the predominantly agricultural states. Nano urea, a nanotechnology-based farm nutrient claimed to have been developed by Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited, or IFFCO, has been plugged as an eco-friendly and cost-effective solution to the concerns of farmers. Required to be used in low quantities, the input that provides nitrogen to crops, is said to have minimal impact on the environment, help in reducing the release of greenhouse gases and improve air and water quality. And yet, farmers in Punjab and Haryana have remained leery of Nano Urea. Lack of awareness, fear of change, difficulties in procuring it and the absence of support from local officialdom have contributed to this state of affairs, experts say. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, inaugurating the first nano urea production plant in Gujarats Kalol on May 28, 2022, said: A small bottle (500 ml) of nano uread is equivalent to one 50 kg bag of granular urea currently used by farmers. It has been almost a year since the new product, billed as a potential replacement for urea granules, one of the most widely used inputs in farmlands across the world, was launched. Also read: Farm Uneasy | Battered by freak weather, Punjab and Haryana farmers losing hope Why are farmers resisting it? On a visit to villages in Bhatinda and Patiala districts of Punjab; and Haryanas Jind and Fatehabad, Moneycontrol found that most farmers were either not aware that something like nano urea or simply fearful of adopting something strange. No one around us is using it. We do not know how it will affect our crops. We only have two acres of land to cultivate. We cannot risk losing our harvest by conducting experiments over it, said Gurjant Singh, 69, a farmer in Govindpura, Bhatinda. Lack of support from local officials tasked with popularizing the use of nano urea on the ground is another reason. The Central governments 39th report to Parliaments Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers (2022-23) talks about how it has been trying to promote the use of nano urea through village-level demonstrations on its application and Kisan Sammelans; no such activity has taken place in villages visited by Moneycontrol. No information on this has come to us. We have started seeing these bottles at fertilizer and pesticide shops. They are available with our Arhtiyas (commission agents) but we do not know how to use them, what quantity to use them in and how it will affect our crops, said farmer Bimla Devi of Dumarkha Khurd village in Jind. A peculiar snag that has cropped up is the political opponents of Prime Minister Modi branding it a Modi product and so to be avoided because he launched it. I had bought about 10,000 bottles of nano urea of which about 5,000 have been sold in the past 8 months. But people are reluctant to buy it as they call it a Modi product, said an Arhtiya in Sangrur, Punjab, who requested anonymity. The pain experienced by farmers during their prolonged campaign against three farm laws introduced by the Centre still runs deep in the hearts of farmers, who are reluctant to adopt measures launched by the government. Another snag is in the manual dissemination of nano urea. Also read: Farm Uneasy | Generational gift for farmers of Haryana & Punjab: Debt Health concerns The 39th report by the Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers (2022-23) found that disseminating it manually is harmful to the hands, skin and eyes of farmers. It also pointed out that the efficacy of nano urea depends a lot on its proper use. Also read: Farm Uneasy| Despite push towards access to formal credit, most farmers continue to rely on middlemen for loans The committee also found that manual spray of nano fertilizer was time-consuming and too costly in terms of labour; it encouraged the use of drones for the dispersal of nano urea in farmlands. The widespread availability of drones for agricultural purposes is still a far off-dream for farmers, 86 percent of whom are marginal and small tillers who fighting for the basics of life. Up next: How a two-fold rise in production costs is eating into farmers' profits
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held talks with his Russian counterpart, General Sergei Shoigu, on Friday, focusing on various aspects of the bilateral strategic ties amid a geo-political upheaval triggered by the Ukraine conflict. The meeting took place on the sidelines of a conclave of the defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) that was hosted by India in the national capital. Officials said Singh and Shoigu deliberated on various aspects of bilateral cooperation as well as regional developments. The defence minister also held a separate bilateral meeting with his Uzbek counterpart, Lieutenant General Kurbanov Bakhodir Nizamovich. "Delighted to meet the Defence Minister of Uzbekistan, Lt. Gen. Kurbanov Bakhodir Nizamovich on the sidelines of SCO Defence Ministers' meeting in New Delhi," Singh said in a tweet.

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To support the Government of Indias repatriation efforts, IndiGo will be operating chartered evacuation flights under Operation Kaveri on April 28 and 30. The airline will be operating two flights to bring back over 450 Indian citizens stranded in the conflict-torn nation back to their homeland over the weekend. The first flight will fly evacuees from Jeddah in Sudan to Delhi on April 28, while the second will fly them to Bengaluru on April 30. The airline is operating these flights using the A321 aircraft. The budget carrier said: IndiGo is closely liaising with the government to offer support for more such evacuations flights. IndiGo remains committed to supporting the Government of India in its mission to evacuate Indian citizens from the crisis in Sudan." It added: "The IndiGo crew has stepped forward to respond to the critical humanitarian need of the hour, enabling the safe return of the stranded citizens back to their families and homes. IndiGo stands committed to the citizens of India and will continue to contribute to the country in every possible way. Two military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) have so far evacuated over 250 Indians from Sudan after a naval ship rescued another 278 citizens from the strife-torn country. As per official data, the total number of Indians evacuated from Sudan so far stands at around 530. Under its evacuation mission 'Operation Kaveri ', India has set up a transit facility in Jeddah and all the Indians have been taken to the Saudi Arabian city after their evacuation from Sudan. The first batch of 278 Indians was evacuated by Indian Navy's frontline ship INS Sumedha on April 25.
A flight carrying 362 Indians who were stranded in strife-torn Sudan landed at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Friday, a senior official said. The evacuees included 114 from Karnataka, he added. India on Friday brought home 754 people under its mission to evacuate stranded Indians from Sudan. While 392 people arrived in New Delhi in a C-17 heavy-lift aircraft of the Indian Air Force, 362 Indians were brought to Bengaluru. According to official data, the total number of Indians brought home from the African nation now stands at 1,360. Under Operation Kaveri, India has been rescuing its citizens in buses from conflict zones in Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan from where they are being taken to Jeddah in Indian Air Force's transport aircraft and Indian Navy's ships. From Jeddah, the Indians are being brought home in either commercial flights or IAF aircraft. Commissioner of Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority Manoj Rajan said, "Today we had a flight bringing 362 evacuees from Sudan. It landed at Kempegowda International Airport at 4.30 pm." "These 362 evacuees comprised 241 males, 107 females, 12 children and two infants. Of those who arrived from Sudan, 114 are from Karnataka," he said. Most of those from Karnataka belonged to the Hakki-Pikki tribe who had got to Sudan to offer medical treatment to the people there. In the last two days, 119 people from Karnataka have been evacuated from Sudan. Of them, 50 are from Shivamogga, 45 from Mysuru, 14 from Bengaluru, four from Kalaburagi, two each from Ramanagara and Udupi and one each from Davangere and Hassan districts, Rajan said. "Arrangements have also been made for last-mile connectivity. Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation buses have been arranged to carry the evacuees from Bengaluru Airport to their hometowns," the officer added. India has set up separate control rooms in Jeddah and Port Sudan and the Indian embassy in Khartoum has been coordinating with them and the MEA's headquarters in Delhi. Sudan has been witnessing deadly fighting between the country's army and a paramilitary group that has reportedly left around 400 people dead. On Monday, Jaishankar announced the launch of Operation Kaveri to evacuate Indians from Sudan.
The Maharashtra government on Friday told the Supreme Court that it has already recommended a CBI probe into the alleged lynching of three persons in Palghar district in 2020.</p>Following the state's submission, the court disposed of four petitions on the issue. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha took note of the fresh affidavit of the state government that a communication to this effect (regarding the CBI probe) has already been issued by it. "In view of the decision taken by the state government, no further direction is needed on these petitions at this stage. The petitions are disposed of," the bench said. The pleas demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), alleging that the investigation by the state police was being conducted in a biased manner. Earlier, the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi government had opposed the plea for a CBI probe into the incident. Later, with the change of dispensation, the state government agreed to the demand. Three people from Kandivali in Mumbai were travelling in a car to attend a funeral in Surat in Gujarat amid the COVID-19-induced nationwide lockdown when their vehicle was stopped and they were attacked and allegedly killed by a mob in Gadchinchile village on the night of April 16, 2020 in the presence of police. The victims were identified as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri, 70, Sushil Giri Maharaj, 35, and Nilesh Telgade, 30, who was driving the vehicle. Three First Information Reports were registered at Kasa police station following the incident, naming a total of 256 persons. The accused against whom charge sheet was filed included 16 juveniles. A total of 44 accused are still in judicial custody.
Defence expenditure is a contested concept in India with more votaries for enhanced expenditure than those standing for its optimisation. The former often crib about the budgetary allocations being far less than satisfactory. This proposition gets support from strategic experts, service veterans, members of the journalistic fraternity and even the departmentally related standing committee of the Parliament on Defence. There is little space for the counter-narrative of Indias defence expenditure being just and appropriate. However, inferences from the just published SIPRI Factsheet on Trends in world military expenditure, 2022 should add argumentative weight to the counter-narrative. Upstaged By Russia India was the third highest in the SIPRI list of top military spenders for the last couple of years. However, India has slipped down to fourth position in the latest SIPRI Factsheet. This is, at best, an ephemeral position since Russia, which has upstaged India, is engaged in a war with Ukraine. With or without the Ukraine War or any other wars, Russia does not have a large GDP base to fund a higher level of defence expenditure in the long term. India would, therefore, reposition itself as the third-highest military spender in due course and the lead position would remain so in the near future. Unfortunately, pessimists at home ignore Indias high ranking and still clamour for more budgetary allocations for the defence sector. A notable feature of the SIPRI Factsheet is that many advanced industrial economies having large or comparable GDP sizes like the UK, Germany, France, South Korea and Japan are placed below India and suffer from substantial defence expenditure gap. For instance, at $81.4 billion in 2022, Indias defence expenditure is at least 20 per cent more than the UK ($68.5 billion); around 50 per cent more than Germany ($55.8 billion) and France ($53.6 billion); and almost double of South Korea ($46.4 billion) and Japan ($46 billion). Other established military powers like Italy, Australia and Israel are at a significant statistical distance from India, accounting for one-third or one-fourth of its defence expenditure figures. Most importantly, India spends eight times more than Pakistan ($10.3 billion) on defence. Spending Ratios While the above statistical presentations are happy figures by all standards, many other derivatives would place Indias defence expenditure in a further comfortable position. First, while India accounts for 3.6 per cent of global defence expenditure, it accounts for 3.4 per cent of global GDP on a nominal basis. Countries like Germany still stand above India in GDP rankings but spend quite less than India. Similarly, Indias share in global trade is quite less at 1.8 per cent and stands at a poor 18th position in the list of trading nations in 2023. These are a few representative global figures cited here to establish that India is spending comparatively more money on defence than many developed countries and leaders in international economic relations. Second, while defence expenditure accounts for 2.2 per cent at the global level, it is 2.4 per cent in the case of India (SIPRI estimates). Very few countries dedicate more budgetary resources in relative terms to their defence sector such as the US (3.5 per cent), Russia (4.1 per cent), Israel (4.5 per cent), Qatar (7 per cent), Singapore (2.8 per cent), Pakistan (2.6 per cent), Colombia (3.1 per cent), Algeria (4.8 per cent), Kuwait (3.3 per cent) and Greece (4.8 per cent). Third, in terms of decadal growth for the period 2013-22, India recorded a 47 per cent growth in defence expenditure. Only China (63 per cent) and Canada (49 per cent) have recorded larger growth rates in the top fifteen countries in the SIPRI factsheet. Further, only eight countries in the top forty countries had a higher growth rate of defence expenditure. The global average growth rate during this period was 19 per cent. Certainly, public policy imperatives have been more sensitive to Indias defence expenditure management in the last ten years. Personnel Expenses And yet, the protagonists clamouring for more defence expenditure may blissfully ignore the bitter pill mentioned in the SIPRI Factsheet as responsible for higher defence expenditure. Accordingly, personnel expenses (e.g., salaries and pensions) remained the largest expenditure category in Indian military budget, accounting for around half of all military spending. Such a high level of expenditure on personnel expenses does not find mention in any other countrys defence expenditure discussion. Facts and figures in the SIPRI Factsheet notwithstanding, many protagonists would still have pangs of doubts about Indias capabilities to handle the China challenge, the official defence budget of which is at least 3.5 times that of India. While there are indeed serious threats on the China front, defence expenditure is just one of the aspects of building up Indias military capabilities. As the SIPRI Factsheet shows, many established military powers have built up their capabilities with far lesser financial resources than India. Probably, we can learn a few lessons from these countries. Bhartendu Kumar Singh is in the Indian Defence Accounts Service. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication.
Narendra Modi's visit highlighted how much the party profits from sweeping, and generally positive, media coverage. During the visit, some news channels even altered their social media covers to BJP-related imagery. However, the stark fact is that BJP is yet to win a Lok Sabha seat in Kerala despite over four decades of trying. The BJP utilised the willingness of Church leaders to meet Modi to show it was getting closer to Kerala's substantial Christian minority. However, the Bishops were also wary of showing any overt support to the Saffron party after their meeting with the PM. In his 20-minute meeting, Modi reportedly did not commit to address any of the issues the priests raised, dampening optimism. BJPs Christian Outreach For some time, the party has been emphasising its desire to recruit Kerala Christians. This month alone, the PM visited Sacred Heart Cathedral in Delhi on Easter, BJP's Kerala-in-charge Prakash Javadekar and others held Easter feasts for Syro-Malabar Church vicar-general Varkey Attupurath and Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church's metropolitan bishop Geevarghese Mar Yulios, and a local party leader attempted the difficult 3 km trek up to the pilgrim centre Malayatoor Church, 609 metres above sea level. In return, leading Church officials have leaned towards the BJP this month. Alencherry said in an interview that Modi protects Indian Christians. The archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church's Thalassery diocese, Joseph Pamplany, also made headlines by pledging votes to BJP if it can boost the floor price of rubber in exchange for support for a parliamentary seat in 2024. Kerala Christians & BJP: Much Synergy Call it a marriage of convenience. Christians make only around 18 percent of Kerala's population, but they are powerful. They are first in per capita land ownership and second in remittances, which have reduced their inequality and expanded their mobility, compared to the rest of India, according to a land ownership census by the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP) referenced in Maya Pramod's study on caste colonies in Kerala, and a comparison of remittances among religious denominations of Kerala by Center for Development Studies' KC Zachariah. The Church in Kerala interacts with the laity not only through fate, but also through welfare and mediation between the ruler and the ruled. It requires power to do so and this naturally favoured the Church doing business with Congress or Kerala Congress parties, which were more amenable to such political relations unlike the Left parties. Kerala Christianity also emphasises caste. Nearly 80 percent of Christians, according to KC Zachariah's study titled 'Religious Denominations of Kerala, claim to be the upper castes and follow Syrian customs. Kerala's conservative Christian right has historically influenced anti-communist voters. Recently, the Christian right in Kerala has also started fighting Muslims. The upper caste Christians recognise the BJP's electoral dominance across India, especially since their usual power route, Congress, has been losing electoral ground nationwide. For the BJP ideologues who believe their political success in Kerala is tied to tapping into dissatisfaction and scepticism about Muslims and communists, the Christian minority makes for excellent partners in Kerala. But in Kerala's complex electoral landscape, translating this goodwill into votes is not easy. For one, these church leaders are divided internally. For instance, an influential Syro-Malabar Catholic Church splinter faction rejects almost anything their head Mar George Alencherry says. Alencherry is also heading into trial for a land scam, so churchgoers accuse him of backing the BJP to avoid jail. Insipid State Leadership There are some fundamental differences between both groups, too. The Church has trouble seeing the BJP as a secular organisation. Moreover, the religious philosophies of the BJP and the Church are at odds. Though the Church would like to improve its grip over power and rubber farmer incomes, there is worry that such assistance from BJP to it will help Hindutva outfits to thrive. However, pragmatism has triumphed over such hindrances in the past too. To fight Marxist labour unions, rich Christians and traders in Kerala had supported the RSS in the 1970s. But the biggest issue for the Church, which is true for other communities too, is the BJP's lack of a strategy and a leader who can appeal to a wide range of Kerala voters. This is crucial for every political party to be seen as a potential winner in an election, but it is especially true for the BJP in Kerala because otherwise it has everything else a modern party needs to hit the ground running. The BJP national unit, arguably, has given the Kerala wing money, access, and posts generously since Modi-Shah took power. It awarded three outside-Kerala Rajya Sabha seats to Malayalis  film star Suresh Gopi, former civil servant turned politician Alphonse Kannanthanam, and state leader V Muraleedharan  to aggressively interfere in the state on their behalf as MPs. It even made the last two Union ministers. Three Malayalee governors  state politicians Kummanam Rajasekharan and Sreedharan Pillai and retired civil servant turned politician VK Ananda Bose  were appointed. It recruited AP Abdullakutty, Tom Vadakan, and Anil Antony, three notable Congress figures, which lends the party a symbolic upper-hand, even if these leaders dont command large votebanks. Christian Strategy Right, But It has lavishly sponsored the state unit for events and publicity, brought famous campaigners like Modi and Shah every election, and erected a snazzy new state headquarters with a chamber for a future Kerala chief minister. However, despite igniting Sabarimala protests and potentially expanding its base, the BJP lost the 2019 Lok Sabha election. K Surendran, its state unit chairman, lost two seats, including the Sabarimala movement's ground-zero. Kummanam Rajasekharan, another prominent candidate, lost by almost one lakh votes. Its overall vote share increased only by 4.78 percentage points. In the subsequent 2021 assembly elections, the BJP failed to win any seats. The PM's visit too revealed this leadership vacuum. Most Kerala leaders who shared the dais with the PM had lost state and central elections, some more than once. The stage was devoid of newcomers. Moreover, the Kerala BJP unit is split between V Muraleedharan and PK Krishna Das, both past BJP presidents. Both lobby to get their loyalists elected to the top posts and their electoral failures have gone unpunished. If strategy addresses the "how to do" question in politics, and policy or vision addresses the "what to do", BJP may have found the right strategy in wooing Kerala Christians but an electoral victory looks far away unless it has visionary leadership. Until then, BJP might merely succeed in delivering another victory for the CPM by fragmenting anti-CPM votes, or in consolidating minorities frightened by Hindutva campaigns behind the Congress as a natural bulwark to the BJP. Nidheesh MK is a journalist and analyst based in Kerala. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said 10 per cent of the total compensation for crop damage due to any natural calamity will now go to farm labourers in the state. Speaking after holding a Cabinet meeting here as part of his governments Sarkar Tuhade Dwar (government at your doorstep) programme, Mann said the decision was taken keeping in mind the problems faced by farm labourers, who lose work and income when a crop gets damaged due to heavy rain or hailstorm. Mann said this decision is a gift to the working class, who toil to produce crops, ahead of the Labour Day on May 1. The first Cabinet meeting under the Sarkar Tuhade Dwar programme was held at the Circuit House in Ludhiana, about 100 km from Chandigarh. Mann said most Cabinet meetings will now be held outside Chandigarh as it will give officials and ministers a chance to take feedback from people, listen to their grievances and address them on the spot. He said Cabinet meetings will now be held in places like Moga, Mansa, Hoshiarpur and even in a large village. The government representatives will spend a day wherever it is held, he said at a press conference, flanked by his ministers. We have decided that whatever compensation government will give to farmers for crop damage due to unseasonal rain or hailstorm, out of the total, 10 per cent will be given to farm labourers, Mann said. For example, if Rs 15,000 a acre is given as compensation, Rs 1,500 will be given to the labourers who were to work in the fields but could not as the crop got damaged because of the rain, the chief minister said. The chief minister said his government will soon start a drive to register the labourers so that they can get benefits from the various central and state-sponsored schemes. We have directed our officers to visit labour chowks, construction sites and rural areas and meet labourers there and get them registered on the spot, Mann said.In the coming days, we will bring many pro-Punjab, pro-people initiatives, he said.Targeting previous governments, he said, We dont leave any files pending. Earlier, files were pending for 2-3 years, he claimed. We are bringing the state back on the track of developmental so that Punjab once again becomes rangla (vibrant). The Cabinet also gave consent for sending the plea of six prisoners convicted for life, seeking premature release, to Governor Banwarilal Purohit for consideration and approval, according to an official statement. It approved the revision of pay scales of teachers in Punjab Agricultural University with effect from January 1, 2016. The disbursement of salary and pension to these employees will take place from April 2023.It accorded consent to create a new block named Ramdas by taking out 75 gram panchayats from Ajnala block in Amritsar district. The creation Ramdas block will give a boost to developmental activities in these 75 villages, the statement added.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said Naimisharanya town here will soon get a facelift which will boost religious tourism and create employment opportunities for the youth of the area. Terming the upcoming urban body elections as "Dev-asur Sangram" (battle between deities and demons), he said it is necessary to teach a lesson to corrupt, mafia and criminals "who are demons". Naimisharanya will undergo a facelift on the lines of Kashi, Ayodhya, and Mathura. After Naimisharanyas rejuvenation, religious tourism will create employment opportunities in every sector, the chief minister said addressing an election meeting. "Kashi is shining, a grand Shri Ram temple is being constructed in Ayodhya. The work of rejuvenation of Mathura-Vrindavan is going on and now it is the turn of Naimisharanya, he added. Naimishnath Devaraja temple dedicated to Vishnu is located in Naimisaranyam, Sitapur. Comparing the upcoming municipal elections in Uttar Pradesh to "Devasur Sangram", he said, "From this land of Naimisharanya, Maharishi Dadhichi once donated his bones to make weapons for the victory of the divine forces. Now is the perfect opportunity to use this election to teach the demonic corrupt, miscreants, mafia, and criminals a lesson." The BJP has been attacking the opposition Samajwadi Party for allegedly giving patronage to criminals and mafias during its rule in the state. Seeking support for the BJP candidates, Adityanath said, Basic facilities will start to reach every home as soon as the third engine joins with the double engine government. The benefits of the governments schemes will be made available to everyone without discrimination." He said, "Nine years ago, people looked at India with suspicion. But Indias citizens are respected now because of the way things have changed." The CM said the government has started the work of rejuvenating Naimisharanya. "Very soon, electric buses will begin operating in this area. Not only this, helicopter service is also going to start here in the next few months. Roads will be widened. If Naimisharanya is rejuvenated, lakhs of crores of tourists will come here, generating employment in every sector." The urban body elections are slated in the state in two phases on May 4 and 11. The counting of votes will be held on May 13.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday called on RJD president Lalu Prasad, with whom his rivalry has once been the stuff of legend in the state's politics. Kumar drove to the residence of Rabri Devi, former chief minister and wife of Prasad, late in the evening, hours after the RJD supremo had landed in his home town after a long time. Prasad had been away for close to seven months, during which he underwent a kidney transplant in Singapore and convalesced at his eldest daughter Misa Bharti's house in Delhi. It was not known what transpired during the meeting between the two veteran leaders that lasted for less than half an hour. However, speculations are rife that the two leaders will jointly work towards forging a country-wide opposition unity to take on the BJP in next year's Lok Sabha polls. Known as "bada bhai-chhota bhai" (big brother-little brother) in the political lexicon of Bihar, the RJD chief and the JD(U) supreme leader have been close associates since the "JP movement" of the 1970s when both were student leaders. The political stock of the two OBC leaders rose in the post-Mandal era which also saw them parting ways and bitterly fighting each other for decades. The two came together in August last year when Kumar junked the BJP, a domineering ally, but retained power thanks to the prompt offer of support from Prasad whose party has the largest number of MLAs in Bihar.

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The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking a direction to the Maharashtra government that all party assets of the Shiv Sena being held by the Uddhav Thackeray faction be transferred to the group led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha questioned the locus of petitioner Ashish Giri, a lawyer, and dismissed his plea. "Who are you? What is your locus," the bench asked and then said, "Dismissed." Giri said a plea has been filed in the top court as it has heard various petitions relating to the feud between the Thackeray and the Shinde factions. He had said the assets of the party should be transferred to the Shinde group. "What kind of petition is this and who are you? Your request cannot be entertained," the bench said. The top court, on March 16, had reserved its verdict on a batch of cross-petitions of Uddhav Thackeray and CM Eknath Shinde factions pertaining to the Maharashtra political crisis. The poll panel has granted the symbol, bow and arrow, to the Shinde faction and the issue is presently sub-judice.

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The discussion around renting in Bengaluru seems to have no end in sight. After posters of kidney for sale to fund security deposits, pics of apartments left trashed by tenants and landlords asking for payslips and LinkedIn profiles, we now have an apartment owner who requires that his tenants have scored at least 90 percent in their Class 12 board exams. Screenshots of a conversation between a man looking for an apartment to rent in Bengaluru and his broker have gone viral on Twitter for their sheer absurdity. The broker first informed the man that the landlord had approved his profile. He was then asked to submit a copy of his Aadhaar card, joining certificate from his company, PAN card and his Class 10 and 12 marksheets. The owner also asked the potential tenant to share a 150-200 words write-up about himself. After submitting all these documents, he was told the landlord had rejected his application because he had scored only 75 percent in Class 12. Hey Yogesh, I sent your docs and write-up to the owner. Sorry but he rejected your profile, because youve got 75% in Class 12th and the owner is expecting at least 90%, the broker informed the man. "Marks don't decide your future, but it definitely decides whether you get a flat in banglore or not" pic.twitter.com/L0a9Sjms6d  Shubh (@kadaipaneeeer) April 27, 2023 Screenshots of the conversation were shared on Twitter by the mans cousin, Shubh, who revealed the apartment owner is a retired IIM professor. The screenshots have gone viral with over a million views. In the comments section, many discussed the increasingly stringent and oftentimes ridiculous background checks that land owners undertake before their renting their properties out. Several people said that a persons score in 12th grade should have no bearing on whether he would make a good tenant or not. Still others said the process of renting in Bengaluru is tougher than getting married or securing admission into a top-tier college. The issue of Bengaluru rent is currently in the spotlight after a series of posts showing how tough it has become to find a good rental in the city  thanks in part to the influx of young professionals as offices reopened after the pandemic.
Earlier this week, reports emerged that a second cheetah, which had been bought from South Africa, had died at Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park. Responding to the death, The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) South Africa said that the deaths of that animals was within the mortality rates for a project of this scale and nature. "The cheetah joined eight of the mammals relocated to India's Kuno National Park from Namibia in September 2022. The two cheetah deaths (one from Namibia and one from South Africa) observed to date are within expected mortality rates for a project of this nature." DFFE said in a statement. "Large carnivore reintroductions are extremely complex and inherently risky operations. This is a critical phase of the project, with cheetahs being released into larger environments where there is increasingly less control over their day-to-day wellbeing," the statement added. The cause of the six-year-old cheetah's death-identified as Uday-was not known at the time of its demise, as per forest officials. Uday was the second cheetah to die at this park in a month. In March, another cheetah named Sasha, which was brought to India from Namibia, died due to renal failure. "The wildlife medical team inspected the cheetah and he appeared sick. The doctors and cheetah expert from Cheetah Conservation Fund decided to shift to a quarantine Boma (enclosure) immediately," JS Chauhan, the MP forest chief wildlife warden, told the Hindustan Times. "Uday died during treatment around 4pm. The cause of death would be clear only after autopsy," Chauhan said. Also read: Four cubs born to cheetah brought from Namibia to Kuno National Park

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Granting legal recognition to same-sex marriages may lead to citizens challenging other unacceptable relationships such as incest, the government argued in the Supreme Court today only to be snubbed by the Chief Justice of India. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, drew a bizarre, controversial parallel between same-sex marriages and incest by presenting a hypothetical situation. He argued that based on the right of choice, people may then want to bat for incest. Kindly visualise this - from the very beginning I am attracted to those persons who are mentioned in the degree of prohibited relationships. Incest is not uncommon but it is prohibited worldwide, SG Mehta began his argument. He stated, "I am attracted to my sister... We are consenting adults entering into activities within privacy. And we claim our right of autonomy, right of choice... based on that, can someone not challenge that why this restriction?" Chief Justice DY Chandrachud dismissed the parallel by calling it far-fetched only for SG Mehta to argue that same-sex marriages used to be far-fetched as well. His next parallel was polygamy which the CJI quickly pointed out was governed by personal law. CJI DY Chandrachud: That is far fetched. SG Mehta: We used to treat even this as far fetched.#MarriageEquality #SupremeCourtofIndia #SameSexMarriage  Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) April 27, 2023 Justice SR Bhat pointed out that these are however universal laws and were accepted if not codified. But these are universal rules. As long as these were not codified, they were accepted. That was the law, the norm. If you're building up to this and saying there is a state interest in this relationship, one can understand, Justice Bhat said. The Chief Justice also corrected Mehta's understanding that the petitioners seeking legalisation of gay marriage were arguing that sexual orientation is a matter of choice. The Chief Justice stated that sexual orientation is a matter of immutable features. They say that sexual orientation is given to me. They say that I'm entitled to my autonomy by virtue of my sexual orientation. Sexual orientation is not a matter of choice but a matter of immutable features- that's the argument, CJI Chandrachud said. "One says that sexual orientation is acquirable also. Another says it is inbuilt. Let's not go into that," came SG Mehtas argument. The Centre had earlier questioned if the court can give legal sanction to same-sex marriage, arguing that it is the domain of the legislature. The court responded by stating that granting legal recognition to same-sex marriages could be the "arena of the legislature." Explainer: Same-sex marriage and the 68-yr-old law thats being hotly debated The Chief Justice stated that once the court recognizes the right to cohabit and it may be symptomatic of a sustained relationship, the state has an obligation to provide legal recognition to all social impacts of the cohabitation. The Supreme Court's hearing on same-sex marriage continues, with the Centre expected to provide a report on the legal rights and recognition that can be granted to people of the same sex living together on the next date of hearing. The Centre has argued days back that same-sex marriages is just voicing "urban-elitist views" for social acceptance and the Supreme Court should not endorse it.
The Indian culture is "extraordinarily inclusive", but the imposition of British Victorian morality in the 19th century led to the exclusion of queer representation, Live Law reported Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud as saying. The CJI's remark came amidst the hearing over the batch of petitions seeking legal recognition for same-sex marriages. "You go to our finest temples and if you look at the architect, you will never say it is lewd. It shows the depth of our culture. What happened really was from 1857 and thereafter we got the Indian Penal Code. We imposed as it were a code of British Victorian morality on a completely different culture," the report quoted him as saying on April 27, when the hearing was held for the sixth day. Also Read | 'Attracted to sister' parallel during same-sex marriage hearing gets Chief Justice snub The CJI's remark came in response to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta's claim that the queer movement in India started in 2002. "We don't have any data. The first or second generation is here. So what is the effect on children, very few may have adopted - there is no reliable data," Mehta was quoted as saying. During the course of hearing, the CJI-led bench also asked the Centre whether social welfare benefits can be granted to same-sex couples without going into legalising their marriage. The court posed the question after observing that the Centres acceptance of right to cohabitation of same-sex partners as a fundamental right cast a corresponding duty on it to recognise its social consequences. You may or may not call it marriage but some label is necessary. The bench also said that lesbian and gay couples have been very badly stigmatised, news agency PTI reported. Mehta, who is the Centre's top law officer, said he will take up the issues at the appropriate level and get back to the court on May 3, the next date of hearing. With PTI inputs
Shocking reports have emerged from Russia, detailing the inhumane treatment of female employees working for Wildberries, an online retail company owned by President Vladimir Putin-friendly oligarch Tatyana Bakalchuk. Leaked video footage shows female staff members being subjected to daily strip-searches, where they strip down to their underwear to ensure they are not taking banned items in or out of the workplace. The company, which has sprouted as Russias largest online marketplace with over 48,000 employees, is said to be run with an iron fist. It has been accused of profiting from grey imports, bypassing Western sanctions. Bakalchuk, a 47-year-old mum of seven, who was once an English teacher with close Kremlin links, is Russias richest woman with a fortune of 10.7 billion. She has faced a workforce rebellion around Russia over her strict work demands, including draconian new rules to deduct money from the payments of employees if a customer complained they were sent the wrong item or because of product defects. The strip-searches are just the latest in a string of shocking revelations about the company. Several reports claim that this humiliating procedure happens twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Workers are under the supervision of video cameras and are forced to undress and go to the inspection point. While the company claims that the searches are to prevent theft in the warehouses, reports suggest that they are carried out to stop warehouse employees from carrying phones or watches into the workplace. The video shows female employees being searched by female inspectors, while men are also subjected to the same ritual. According to Life, whose journalist went undercover at the platform, our correspondent felt all the 'charms' of working in the Berries warehouse. He worked there for only three days, but he had enough impressions to last a lifetime. According to his investigation, every morning in the warehouse really does begin with a humiliating procedure. The revelations have caused shock in Russia, with many calling for action to be taken against the company. While Bakalchuks methods have brought stunning success during Putins war in Ukraine, with a 95% year-on-year rise in turnover, her empire has been hit by recent strikes over her strict work demands. The platform was originally set up by Bakalchuk when she was on maternity leave in 2004. It had 1.5 billion orders in 2022 as a vital retail channel at a time when the Russian economy was hit by punitive sanctions due to Putins war against Ukraine. Also read: Who was Pavel Antov, the Russian 'sausage king' found dead in Odisha?
International hotel chains are not only adding new rooms but are also increasing their luxury inventory in India with Hilton's luxury brand Waldorf Astoria debuting in India and Radisson and Minor Hotels bringing their premium brands to the country. Hiltons first Waldorf Astoria will launch in Jaipur with the hotel set to open its doors in 2027, even as the company explores other destinations like Goa. Another luxury signing is from Thailand-based Minor Hotels, which will launch its Anantara brand this year, offering guests private plunge pools and terrace suits. Radisson Hotels also announced the introduction of its luxury lifestyle brand, Radisson Collection, with the first such property coming up in Hyderabad. Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, which is already present in Jaipur, said recently that it is gaining momentum in India and will be opening a property in Agra in 2025, with four others under development. Marriott is in the early stages of developing its luxury industry portfolio in India and will continue to concentrate on this area in the future, said CEO Anthony Capuano during his India visit. The company's luxury brand JW Marriott made its debut this year in Goa. As the Indian economy continues to grow, the demand for high-end luxury products in the luxury hotel market is expected to increase, said Nandivardhan Jain, CEO, Noesis, a hospitality consulting and hotel investment advisory firm. The luxury hotels segment accounted for 14 percent of total signings by keys in India last year while its share was 11 percent in 2020 and 9 percent in 2018, according to industry estimates. Keys refers to the number of rental units available for guests in a hotel. While Indian brands such as Oberoi, Taj, ITC and Leela once dominated the traditional luxury hotel market in India, many global hotel chains have brought in their luxury brands to the Indian market in the last five years, Jain added. "The entry of brands like Ritz-Carlton, Park Hyatt, Raffles, Six Senses and Waldorf Astoria has diversified the market," he added. Experts also note that in the aftermath of Covid-19, the luxury segment rebounded faster than other segments with the affluent class opting for premium stays for leisure holidays in the absence of international travel. Love for luxury "With a growing number of high net-worth individuals, India is becoming an attractive destination for luxury travel. This makes the luxury hotel market in India a highly attractive target for investment, and we can expect to see more supply coming in the next few years to meet the growing demand," Jain added. According to recent research, the luxury hotels market in India is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 18 percent from 2019 to 2025, noted Gautam Khanna, director of operations, Raffles Udaipur. "The growth can be attributed to increasing disposable incomes and a rise in international tourism. The demand for luxury hotels is increasing due to the growth of medical tourism and business travel in India. The top luxury hotel brands are expanding their presence in top tourist destinations in India such as Goa, Jaipur, Udaipur and Agra to tap into the growing demand for luxury accommodation," Khanna added. Rising disposable incomes, increasing tourism and the growing MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) segment are some of the factors that will help expand the luxury hotel market in India, said hoteliers. India is a lucrative market for luxury brands as India's middle class is expanding rapidly, and so is its disposable income, said Khanna. "As India's economy continues to grow and more people enter the middle and upper classes, there is an increasing demand for high-end hospitality services. Also, India being a country with diverse cultures makes it a popular destination for international travellers from the United States, Europe and Asia as well," said Sumit Kumar, general manager of Hyatt Regency Dehradun. The demand for luxury hotels has also increased in the wedding business, pointed out Puneet Dhawan, senior vice president of operations, India and South Asia, Accor. He also said that compared to international travellers, Indians are generally price-conscious and seek good deals when booking hotels. "However, there is a growing number of affluent Indian travellers who are willing to spend more on luxury hotel stays and prioritise luxury experiences and amenities," he added. Raffles' Khanna said that Indians are more likely to opt for premium services such as spa treatments, fine dining and personalised service from hotel staff. "In terms of priorities, Indians tend to look for hotels that offer a sense of grandeur and luxury, with iconic architecture and high-end amenities. In comparison to travellers in other international markets, Indians tend to prioritise value for money over the absolute cost of a hotel stay. While they are willing to spend a premium for luxury experiences, they are also mindful of getting the best deal possible," he added. While the segment is expected to experience continued growth in 2023, Khanna pointed out some obstacles. "The luxury hotel market in India is facing challenges, such as high real estate costs, labour shortages and intense competition. To stay competitive, luxury hotels need to differentiate themselves by offering unique experiences and exceptional service," he said.
Marriott, the worlds largest hotel chain, plans to add 100 properties in India by 2025. Hilton, the third biggest, wants to double the number of hotels in three years. And more international hotel groups are expanding beyond the countrys metros. French hospitality group Accor is focusing on developing economy- and mid-scale brands primarily in Tier-II and III cities through franchises in a country it deems a key growth market. For premium brands, the company is focusing on Tier-I and II cities under management contract, with the possibility of considering franchises. "We have launched Novotel Mumbai and Ibis Thane in FY23 Q1 and have Novotel Jaipur and Ibis-styled properties in the pipeline for Q4, said Puneet Dhawan, Senior Vice President of Operations, India and South Asia. Hotels on a swing with 19,000 signings last year and over 7,000 lined up for 2023: Report Our latest signing is Fairmont Agra, which is set to welcome guests by 2025. The goal is for Accor to have a presence in India equal to that of China in terms of the number of hotels operated," Dhawan told Moneycontrol. Singapore-based hospitality chain Ascott's acquisition of global serviced apartment provider Oakwood last year helped it expand in the Indian market. "In India, with the Oakwood acquisition, Ascott has now six properties (from two earlier) in its current portfolio across the cities of Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai," said Vincent Miccolis, Managing Director of Middle East, Africa, Turkey and India, Ascott Limited. He added that the company planned to launch four more properties in Gurugram and Goa along with six other new ones across Bangalore, Hyderabad and Vizag, including Citadines Arpora Nagoa in Goa and Citadines Paras Square Gurugram by July and October this year, respectively. Ascott Ireo City Gurugram along with Oakwood properties will launch in 2025. During his India visit, Marriott Internationals Chief Executive Officer Anthony Capuano said the company was focusing on advancing development in secondary and tertiary markets to attract both business and leisure visitors. Hilton, world's third largest hotel chain, plans to double India footprint in 3 years Marriott has launched its brands in locations such as Mussoorie, Pushkar and Shillong where it was the first international brand. It has plans to launch brand Moxy in India with the anticipated openings of Moxy Bengaluru Airport Prestige Tech Cloud and Moxy Mumbai Andheri West in 2024. Bullish on India For Hilton, India has the potential to become the third-largest lodging market in the world because it is undersupplied given the population. Hilton Asia Pacific President Alan Watts told Moneycontrol recently that India has been a key market for international brands, with a huge and lucrative domestic travel market that recorded 700 million trips in 2022. India is the opportunity and we have a long view and that view is bullish. It is India's time to shine," he said. Accor's rosy outlook on the Indian market is based on factors including its growing middle class, improving infrastructure and increasing connectivity, said Dhawan. Hyatt has been expanding its presence in the Indian market and bullish about its growth prospects for several reasons, including the fact that India is one of the largest and fastest-growing major economies, said Sumit Kumar, General Manager, Hyatt Regency Dehradun. Kumar added that the Indian travel market was growing exponentially in the post-Covid phase. Being a country with diverse cultures makes it a popular destination for travelers from the United States, Europe and Asia, he said. Tremendous opportunity "The Indian economy is thriving, with a young and growing middle-class driving consumption across multiple sectors, including hospitality. This trend has caught the attention of global hotel chains, who are optimistic about the Indian market. Despite having only 170,000 rooms in the branded space, which is less than 17 percent of the total room inventory, there is a tremendous opportunity for growth and investment in the hotel industry, said Nandivardhan Jain, CEO of Noesis, a hospitality consulting and hotel investment advisory. Jain added that demand for global hotel chains in the Indian market was evident from the fact that many top brands have established full-fledged offices in the country and have a robust supply pipeline to support future growth. In 2022, hotel companies had 20,000 plus rooms with domestic ones holding a market share of 56 percent and international ones accounting for 44 percent, according to a Noesis analysis. Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) emerged at the top in terms of expansion with 3,471 rooms signed followed by Marriott with 2,324 and Hyatt with 1,765 rooms. Last year, more than 150 new hotels opened across India, resulting in a total of 11,000 plus new rooms becoming available for travelers, Jain said. "The hotel industry in India is expected to continue its growth trajectory, with a projected 10 percent increase in hotel signings and openings in 2023 compared to 2022. The hotel industry in India is expected to continue to attract investments," he said.
Amazon.com Inc. warned that growth in its cloud computing business is continuing to cool, dashing hopes that the companys most profitable division was weathering a lackluster environment for technology spending. Amazon Web Services revenue rose 16% to $21.4 billion in the first quarter as Amazon reported stronger-than-expected profit and sales in the period. While the cloud units growth rate was higher than Wall Street projections, it was a record low since Amazon began breaking out AWS sales. On a conference call Thursday after the results were released, executives jolted investors with the disclosure that sales growth in the unit had slowed further in April. The shares, which had jumped as much as 12% in extended trading, gave up those gains after the comments and fell 2%. Some analysts have speculated that as companies seek to trim technology costs, AWS growth could sink to single digits, a dramatic slowdown for a business that entered 2022 with quarterly sales gaining almost 40% year over year. AWS is the largest seller of rented computing power and software services, a market it contests with rivals including Microsoft Corp. and Alphabet Inc.s Google. The unit has been the main source of Amazons operating income for years, helping bankroll the companys big bets in new areas even when Amazon struggled to turn a profit in its main online retail franchise. AWS is less profitable now than it was a year ago, which is partly the result of discounts offered in exchange for longer-term contracts as customers are cautious about their expenses, Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky said on a call with reporters. Analysts, as they had with Amazons rivals, pressed executives about the companys efforts in artificial intelligence, particularly for the cloud unit. Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy said Amazon has 25 years of experience investing in machine learning. Its deeply ingrained in everything we do, he said, adding hes confident AWS will benefit from large-language models and generative AI by providing tools that help companies customize the technology for their own needs. He also said Amazon is developing computer chips that will handle the capacity needed to help train large-language models that are the basis of popular chatbots such as OpenAIs ChatGPT. Growth also has slowed dramatically in Amazons core e-commerce business since a pandemic-era boom petered out. Sales in Amazons online stores category  the companys original business  were flat compared with a year ago, and down about 4% from the same period in 2021. To cope with that reality, Amazon has been relying on the more profitable business of selling services and advertising to independent merchants who rent space on Amazons website and in its warehouses. The first-quarter earnings reflect that shift. Advertising sales rose more than 21% to $9.51 billion and seller services jumped 18% to $29.8 billion in the quarter. Total revenue increased 9.4% to $127.4 billion in the quarter, the company said in a statement, above expectations for $124.7 billion. Operating income was $4.8 billion. Analysts, on average, projected $3 billion. Those positive numbers followed similar results this week from fellow big tech companies Alphabet, Microsoft and Meta Platforms Inc. Microsoft reported sustained sales for its public cloud business while Alphabets Google Cloud produced a profit for the first time. Metas digital advertising business rebounded, returning the company to sales growth after three straight quarters of declines. Amid slowing growth, Amazon has made a concerted push to cut costs and, here too, the results suggest those efforts are starting to pay off. Operating expenses increased 8.7% in the quarter, the slowest pace in at least a decade. The companys North America segment was profitable on an operating basis for the first time since late 2021. The Seattle-based company has been working for more than a year to streamline its businesses and is eliminating 27,000 jobs, the largest such cull in its history. The latest round of layoffs announced Wednesday landing mostly on employees of AWS, its cloud unit. Amazon employed almost 1.47 million people as of March 31, a decrease of 10% from the period a year earlier and down from more than 1.54 million workers three months earlier. Even with the cloud slowdown, Amazon projected sales of $127 billion to $133 billion in the current period ending in June and operating profit of $2 billion to $5.5 billion. Both were in line with estimates.
Citigroup Inc's global head of foreign exchange, Stuart Staley, is leaving the bank and an interim head will be named in the coming weeks, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters. Staley, who joined Citigroup in New York in 2004, was appointed global head of FX in 2022, according to the memo, which was signed by Citi's global head of markets, Andy Morton. Citigroup declined to comment. Staley replaced Itay Tuchman, who left the bank in 2022 after more than 20 years. Staley joined Citi in 2004 as head of commodities for the Americas and was later promoted to global head of the group in London. The executive then moved to Singapore in 2018 to become Citis head of markets and securities services for the Asia-Pacific region. Staleys role will be posted and a selection panel will convene to choose his replacement.

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A short tree planting ceremony was held at Veterans Memorial Park in Beatrice in honor of Arbor Day on Friday morning.

Keep Beatrice Beautiful Jerry Bucy welcomed about 30 community members.

Thank you for coming out in the chilly weather, he said. We want to thank Lower Big Blue Natural Resource District for sponsoring the trees that are planted here today.

Mayor Bob Morgan said trees do a lot of important things.

One of the things that I like is the shade from a tree reduces energy cost in my home, he said. Trees also clean the air, produces economic benefit, reduces run off to prevent erosion and attracts wildlife. Theres a lot of good benefits to planting trees.

Morgan also thanked the veterans for attending and noted Veterans Park to be a beautiful part of the city.

The City of Beatrice has been designated a Tree City for 35 years.

Nebraska City Tourism and Commerce Tammy Partsch said she grew up in Nebraska City next door to Arbor Lodge.

I didnt know that was special until I got older, she said. Not everyone has that in their backyard.

Nebraska City partners with the Lower Big Blue NRD with the goal of planting a tree in every county in Nebraska. They have planted 23 trees and have 67 remaining. A variety of different types of trees have been planted.

In 1872 J. Sterling Morton proposed to the Nebraska Board of Agriculture that a special day be set aside for the planting of trees, she said. On that first Arbor Day more than one million trees were planted on that first Arbor Day.

Partsch took a selfie photo of the group and had everyone in attendance sign a ceremonial shovel.
Mastercard Inc said the U.S. Justice Department was conducting an antitrust investigation of its U.S. debit program and competition with other payment networks. The company in a filing said it had received a civil investigative demand, the civil equivalent of a subpoena, from the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. The filing did not specify the government's concern beyond saying it had to do with its U.S. debit program and competition with rivals. "Mastercard is cooperating with the DOJ in connection with the CID," the company said in the filing. The Justice Department declined to comment. Visa Inc (V.N) in January said the Justice Department had sought documents from it about U.S. debit card practices and competition with other payment networks. The probe, which began in early 2021, followed reports the United States was investigating whether the credit card company uses anticompetitive practices in the debit card market.

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Russian oil is still powering Europe  just with the help of India. Back in December, the European Union barred almost any seaborne crude oil imports from Russia. It extended the prohibition to refined fuels two months later. However, the rules didnt prevent countries like India from snapping up cheap Russian crude, turning it into fuels like diesel, and shipping it back to Europe at a markup. India is on track to become Europes largest supplier of refined fuels this month while simultaneously buying record amounts of Russian crude, according to data compiled by Bloomberg from analytics firm Kpler. Russian oil is finding its way back into Europe despite all the sanctioning and India ramping up fuel exports to the west is a good example of it, said Viktor Katona, lead crude analyst at the firm. With India taking in so much Russian barrels, its inevitable. The development is double-edged for the EU. On the one hand, the bloc needs alternative sources of diesel now that it has cut off direct flows from Russia, previously its top supplier. However, it ultimately boosts demand for Moscows barrels, and means extra freight costs. It also means more competition for Europes oil refiners who cant access cheap Russian crude. Europes refined fuel imports from India are set to surge above 360,000 barrels a day, edging just ahead of those of Saudi Arabia, Kplers data show. Russian crude oil arrivals to India are expected to surpass 2 million barrels a day in April, representing almost 44% of the nations overall oil imports, according to Kpler data. More than half of Russias seaborne oil shipments were to the European Union and Group of Seven nations before the bloc began to cut purchases in response to the nations invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
Sri Lanka's Parliament on Friday approved the much-needed USD 3 billion IMF bailout package to revive the islands economy which was hit hard by a catastrophic economic and humanitarian crisis sparked by years of mismanagement and the raging pandemic. Last month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved the bailout programme to help Sri Lanka overcome its economic crisis and catalyse financial support from other development partners, a move welcomed by Colombo as a "historic milestone" in the critical period. On Friday, at the end of a 3-day debate, 120 Members of Parliament in the 225-member assembly voted in its favour of the deal while 25 of them opposed it. President Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament that the parliamentary approval was a necessity as his government was embarking on a serious economic reform programme. Wickremesinghe, also the finance minister, in his Parliamentary address said it was critical for economic recovery to stabilise the economy, restore debt sustainability and build an inclusive and prosperous country. The main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) members who accused the government of lack of transparency in obtaining the facility were not present when the vote was taken in the House. Having obtained the USD 3 billion facility, Sri Lanka is currently negotiating debt restructuring with bilateral and multilateral creditors. Wickremesinghe said by mid-May the restructuring programme would come into effect. Sri Lanka in April declared its first-ever debt default in its history as the worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1948 triggered by forex shortages sparked public protests. Months-long street protests led to the ouster of the then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in mid-July. Rajapaksa had started the IMF negotiations after refusing to tap the global lender for support. Sri Lanka has introduced painful economic measures such as tax hikes and utility rate hikes to unlock the programme. Trade unions and opposition groups have organised protests against such measures. The programme will allow Sri Lanka to access financing of up to USD 7 billion from the IMF, International Financial Institutions (IFIs), and multilateral organisations, a statement said.
Vodafone appointed interim chief executive officer Margherita Della Valle to the role on Thursday, saying she impressed the company's board with her "pace and decisiveness to begin the necessary transformation" of the mobile operator. The company, which spans Europe and Africa, said it had conducted a rigorous internal and external search before choosing the insider who has been chief financial officer since 2018. She stepped into the top role on an interim basis after Nick Read abruptly left in December, when he agreed with the board that it was the right moment for a new leader. "To realise our potential Vodafone needs to change," she said. "We know we can do better. My focus will be to improve the service for our customers, simplify our business and grow." Her strong backers included institutional investors such as biggest shareholder Emirates Investment Authority, which has built up a 14.6% stake, a source told Reuters. Shares in Vodafone were trading up 1.2% at 95 pence. Emirates Investment Authority also owns telecoms group Etisalat. Hatem Dowidar, Group Chief Executive Officer at e& (Etisalat) offered his congratulations to Della Valle on LinkedIn. CCS Insight analyst Kester Mann said appointing a close aide of Read to the top job suggested little deviation in strategy. "This may not go down so well with people pushing for a fresh approach to running the embattled company, but it does give Vodafone a safe pair of hands during a challenging time," he said. Della Valle, who is Italian like former chief executive Vittorio Colao, joined Omnitel Pronto Italia - which later became Vodafone Italy - in 1994, and held roles in marketing and analytics before moving to finance. Her immediate predecessor Read had pinned his hopes on the consolidation of Europe's fragmented telecoms markets but he struggled to turn intention into action. Investors' frustration was reflected in a 45% fall in the company's share price during his four-year tenure. After he left, some investors and analysts said an outsider was needed to shake up the group. Analysts at Berenberg said in January that they believed "Della Valle would be viewed by investors as a 'continuity' appointment, which is not what we believe shareholders are looking for". Della Valle's first major deal is likely to be the tie up between Vodafone UK and Hutchison's Three in Britain, expected imminently. Reuters reported that she recently met Hutchison's co-managing director Canning Fok in a push to get the deal over the line.
An hour-long telephone conversation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday has sparked speculation about whether China could lead Russia and Ukraine to the negotiation table to end the war. This was the first conversation between the two presidents since the war began in Ukraine in February 2021. Boost to bilateral relations Zelensky described his conversation with Xi as long and meaningful. The Ukrainian President said on Twitter he believed the call, along with the appointment of an ambassador to Beijing, would give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations. Xi Jinping said as a responsible country China would neither watch the fire on the other side nor add fuel to the fire, let alone take advantage of the crisis to profit. The remarks were seen as a swipe at the United States which has provided the most help towards Ukraines response to the Russian invasion. The telephone call between Xi and Zelensky comes amid reports that Ukraine was preparing for an offensive in May to run through the Russian defence to win back its lost territories that are now under Russias control, including Crimea. The French, German and European Union leaders urged Xi Jinping during their recent visit to Beijing to use his influence over Putin to bring him to the negotiating table. Chinas efforts In March Xi Jinping travelled to Moscow on a two-day visit for a summit with the Russian President Vladimir Putin. Xi said China will send a special representative of the Chinese government on Eurasian affairs to visit Ukraine and other countries to hold in-depth consultations with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. But the Chinese media has begun to crow that it was the only country in the world that could bring peace to Ukraine. Both Russia and Ukraine have welcomed China's efforts to promote peace and talks, and European powers such as France and Germany, as well as EU leaders, also expect that China will play a greater role in promoting peace and talks, said the Global Times editorial. It added that China is able to communicate directly with all parties involved, seek consensus, and receive positive responses, precisely because China has always adhered to an objective and fair position and demonstrated its role and responsibility as a major power. This role and influence cannot be replaced in today's world, it said. Chinese experts said since Ukraine requested China for the phone conversation it demonstrates the great importance the country attaches to ties with China and recognises that it can play a major role in solving the Ukraine crisis. In February China released a 12-point position paper called Chinas Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis. But it received a lukewarm response from the West. Though Chinese commentators pointed out that since China didnt fuel the flames, provide weapons to either side or attack them, China has the channel to speak to both Russia and Ukraine. In March the White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that the US does not see China as capable of being an impartial mediator between Russia and Ukraine. On Wednesday Zelensky appointed Pavlo Ryabikin, a former minister of strategic industries, as Ukraines new ambassador to Beijing. Fan Xianrong has been Chinas ambassador in Ukraine since 2020. China has successfully mediated between Saudi Arabia and Iran and brokered a deal in March. The difficulties However, experts point out that mediating in the Ukraine crisis was much more difficult as the Saudis and the Iranians were not at war against each other. China has huge economic stakes in Ukraine. The two sides have signed a number of agreements, including one for manufacturing aircraft engines. China overtook Russia as Ukraines top trading partner in 2019 and the bilateral trade reached $19 billion in 2021. China has also invested over $ 60 billion in Ukraine which is also a key to Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). However, despite the hype following the telephone conversation between the two presidents, efforts to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table will be extremely tough. Neither of the two sides would like to come to the talks table from a weak position. This could lead Russia to hold on to its gains in the face of Ukraines desperate attempts to get them back. This could turn the war more violent and prolonged. If Ukraine fails to break through the Russian defence soon and get back lost territory, it could be forced to cut its losses and return to negotiations by its Western backers. But as things stand, an early peace in Ukraine still seems elusive.
A Montana short line railroad is suing NorthWestern Energy over damages from a 2021 range fire that destroyed the community of Denton.

Denton-based Central Montana Railroad operates a short line track in Judith Basin, Fergus, and Chouteau counties. The November 2021 fire that devastated Denton also destroyed the railroads 172-foot timber bridge and damaged 5.2 miles of track, along with machinery. The fire also damaged the Central Montana Railroad building beyond repair.

The railroad spelled out the damage in a lawsuit transferred to U.S. District Court in Great Falls on Tuesday. The railroad previously filed the complaint in state District Court in Fergus County on April 4.

The lawsuit alleges that negligence by NorthWestern, Montanas largest monopoly utility, caused the fire. Known as the West Wind Fire, the blaze that raced through the area Nov. 30, 2021 occurred during high winds and extremely dry conditions. A Montana Department of Justice investigation found that grass and vegetation was set on fire by a section of overhead power line belonging to NorthWestern.

Central Montana Rails lawsuit appears to be the only one stemming from the fire filed against NorthWestern, based on a records search in the 10th Montana Judicial District and federal court filings.

NorthWestern is liable to Central Montana Rail for all economic damages and the actual and tangible restoration costs associated with restoring Bridge 1032, railroad track, ties, building, and track mobile machines to their undamaged state to the extent the actual and tangible costs are reasonable and practical in an amount to be proven at trial, the railroad said in its complaint.

There is no dollar estimate of the damages. It doesnt appear that NorthWestern has been served the lawsuit.

Central Montana Rail is no stranger to struggle. In 2011, Judith River flooding severely buckled one of the railroads key trestles. The damage meant Central Montana couldnt run the length of its 87-mile track. For years, the trains operation kept grain elevators in Denton and Geraldine open, which in turn kept the elevators host communities relevant to Central Montanas farm economy.

Repairing the track cost millions of dollars. Without the railroad, farmers lost 30 cents a bushel trucking wheat and barley to elevators in Moore or Moccasin with rail service to coastal grain terminals in Washington. The region produces about 3 million bushels of grain annually. The railroads half-dozen 1950s-era locomotives move much of the crop. The crew is from Denton.

The rail line Central Montana operates on was one part of the Northern Montana Division of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad, which the Milwaukee Road abandoned in 1980 as it went bankrupt. BNSF took over Milwaukees routes and serviced the Central Montana region briefly but abandoned the route after a couple of years. The state acquired the track in 1983 when BNSF pulled out.

The CMR, as the railroad is known, indicates in its lawsuit that the state wont repair the track damage done by West Wind Fire.
Visa talks up its ambitious crypto planswhy the Lightning Network is likely to have payments processors sweatinghow cryptos cheap transaction alternative will disrupt the financial industryand why a Brazilian tropical paradise is proof that bitcoin is ready for the real world

As I showed yesterday, Ive been doing some digging into US earnings calls.

This quarter, more than most in recent history, has been a fascinating one. Its a quarter in which weve seen a lot of big names, particularly in tech, undergo hefty cost-cutting pivots.

The market seems to have liked what theyve done too. Big tech stocks have been soaring this week in the wake of better-than-expected growth. Whether that sentiment is sustainable is unclear, but it has made for interesting times for investors

But I dont want to talk about tech today.

Instead, I want to talk about Visa.

Because you see, like big tech, Visa is in a bit of an arms race. Where companies like Microsoft, Meta, and Google are racing to pioneer AI, Visa is seemingly in a race to stay relevant.

It seems clear to me that the payment processor and credit card issuer is worried about bitcoin. So much so, theyre actively trying to catch up with their own crypto project.

Heres what Visas head of crypto had to say on Twitter this week:

Lightning strikes

The mainstream, of course, hasnt given much mind to this little sideshow.

Few people see Bitcoin [BTC] or crypto as an immediate threat to banks or payments processors right now. After all, theyre still a very volatile and speculative asset class.

But, despite these constant surface-level criticisms, bitcoin continues to improve behind the scenes. In fact, one of the most exciting upgrades to the network and its blockchain, the Lightning Network, is beginning to really demonstrate its potential.

If youre unfamiliar with the Lightning Network, its known as a layer-two protocol. Its built on top of the bitcoin blockchain to deliver near instantaneous transactions at a fraction of the cost of the usual payment processors.

For example, most credit card providers, like Visa, charge businesses a 13% fee on each transaction. It sounds like a small amount, but it adds up over time.

By comparison, with the help of the Lightning Network, bitcoin could facilitate the same transaction for a fraction of the cost. Heres a chart showing the median fee rate of bitcoin in recent months:

What I want you to focus on is the green line, which represents the average cost of a Lightning bitcoin transaction in USD. Not only is this cost falling over time, but its also currently sitting just under one US dollar for an entire bitcoin.

In other words, if you wanted to send someone US$29,500 worth of bitcoin (the current value of one whole bitcoin), it would set you back a little less than US$1. In direct contrast, if that same transaction was made by a payment processor like Visa, and we assume it carried a 1% fee, it would cost US$295!

You can now see why Visa is desperate to roll out its own crypto solution

Real-world revolution

To the cynics and sceptics, this data is simply seen as irrelevant. Theyre happy to fall back on the argument that bitcoin is not stable enough for use in the real world.

But theyre wrong.

Earlier this month, a group of bitcoin enthusiasts in Brazil put together an event called Bitcoin Beach, a simple meet up in the tropical town of Jericoacoara between locals, business owners, and crypto tourists.

As a result, they set a new world record for Lightning Network transactions. In the span of just over three-and-a-half minutes, participants conducted 71 transactions. Heres what the Bitcoin Beach creator, Fernando Motolese, had to say about the achievement:

This was only possible because the Lightning Network is ready for the masses, Right now, there is no other option that is as prepared for this kind of market with a functional solution as Lightning. It is superior to Visa.

Now, to be clear, transaction volume is the big challenge for bitcoin right now. While this world record is a great sign, it is still nowhere close to the roughly 1,700 transaction per second that Visa typically handles.

The point, though, is that bitcoin is still scaling. Not just in volume or speed either, but also the value of its fees. Because while the Lightning Network certainly still has its own limitations, cost is not one of them, as explained before.

So, what does that mean for investors like yourself?

Well, as my colleague Ryan Dinse bluntly told his subscribers earlier this year:

If bitcoin the network turns out to be the rails for international capital flows  simply because its better  the value of bitcoin must rise with it.

Its just that simple.

And its why I think were already starting to see that rise underway.

Regards,

Ryan Clarkson-Ledward,

Editor, Money Morning
A Lockwood man is in custody following accusations that he physically and sexually abused children for over a year.

Levi Joseph Dodge, 43, has been charged in Yellowstone County District Court with multiple felonies, including sexual intercourse without consent and assault on a minor. He was booked into Yellowstone County Detention Center on Thursday.

The investigation into the allegations against Dodge began in January, according to charging documents, when a student reported being abused by Dodge to a Lockwood Elementary School teacher. A Yellowstone County Sheriffs Office detective followed up on the report, court documents said, with the victim saying during an interview that Dodge, with whom he lived, abused him several times and would lock him in a room for hours at a time without access to a bathroom.

When the detective searched the home where Dodge and the boy lived, the door to the boys room was the only one with a lock on the outside, court documents said.

Dodge allegedly sexually abused a second child living at the Lockwood house on multiple occasions. The abuse consisted of Dodge groping the child, having sexual intercourse with her and exposing himself, according to charging documents.

Yellowstone county prosecutors charged Dodge on April 14 with sexual assault, rape, indecent exposure, two counts of assault on a minor and one count of partner or family member assault. Three days late, Yellowstone County District Judge Jessica Fehr signed a $250,000 warrant for his arrest. Dodge is scheduled to make his initial appearance in court Friday.

If convicted of any of the sexual crimes, Dodge faces up to life in prison, per state law. A conviction for assault on a minor comes with the possibility of up to five years in prison.
April 28, 2023

Ukraine Open Thread 2023-101

Only for news & views directly related to the Ukraine conflict.

The current open thread for other issues is here.

Please stick to the topic. Contribute facts. Do not attack other commentators.

Posted by b on April 28, 2023 at 17:20 UTC | Permalink

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April 28, 2023

U.S. Argues For More Protectionism And Subsidies

Last week Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen gave a speech on the U.S.-China economic relationship. I called it a declaration of war.

Yesterday National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held a speech on 'Renewing American Economic Leadership' which touched on some of the same themes as Yellen's speech.

Sullivan argues that the U.S. must change course from opening markets and liberalization to targeted protectionism and subsidies for specific sectors. The main argument for it is 'national security' but the real aim seems to be the suppression of competition from others. In a core sentence Sullivan says:

[W]e are protecting our foundational technologies with a small yard and high fence. As Ive argued before, our charge is to usher in a new wave of the digital revolutionone that ensures that next-generation technologies work for, not against, our democracies and our security. Weve implemented carefully tailored restrictions on the most advanced semiconductor technology exports to China. Those restrictions are premised on straightforward national security concerns. Key allies and partners have followed suit, consistent with their own security concerns. Were also enhancing the screening of foreign investments in critical areas relevant to national security. And were making progress in addressing outbound investments in sensitive technologies with a core national security nexus. These are tailored measures. They are not, as Beijing says, a technology blockade. They are not targeting emerging economies. They are focused on a narrow slice of technology and a small number of countries intent on challenging us militarily.

I do not understand what the 'small yard' is supposed to mean but the U.S. is indeed building a high fence. It is not a fence to protect the U.S. but a fence that is build to isolate China.

The U.S., by pressing its 'allies' in Europe and Asia, is trying to deny China the ability to acquire or produce computer chips. The newest lithographic machines The Dutch company ASML produces are now prohibited from export to China. Its CEO says that if the restrictions are held up others will build similar machines:

Wennink said at ASML's annual meeting on Wednesday that he was not worried about rivals in Japan, the U.S. or China being close to building cutting edge commercial lithography products. "But it can happen of course, so it is absolutely essential that we get to keep having market acess to China", which is the largest market for computer chips globally. "Market access is as important to us as it is to our Chinese customers," he said.

The U.S. controlled neocons in German's government are under pressure to prohibit the export of some special chemicals used in the production of chips. The argument they use makes no sense:

Habeck, who is also the vice chancellor, has advised officials in his department to work on a tool box of measures to strengthen Germanys economic resilience in certain areas and reduce one-sided dependencies on China. The idea of imposing export controls on chip chemicals is part of these deliberations, the people said.

How is stopping German exports to China supposed to reduce alleged one-sided German dependencies on China? It doesn't.

Computer chips are not a 'narrow slice of technology'. They are used in many daily products. A modern car has some 1,400 of them. China has been importing chips for $300 billion per year. Confronted with U.S. attempts to block it from access to chips it has ramped up its own production and its imports of chips are now in steep decline:

Chinas chip imports slumped 27 per cent in the first two months of 2023 by volume, according to Chinas customs data published on Tuesday. China imported 67.6 billion integrated circuits (IC) in January and February, down 26.5 per cent from the same period last year, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs. The drop was steeper than the 15.3 per cent decline recorded for all of 2022, which was the countrys first annual fall in IC imports in two decades.

Sullivan's whole speech is an argument against free markets and for protectionism and sector subsidies. It does away with the economic framework the U.S. had build after the end of the second world war. This is supposed to be replaced it with bilateral and block wise agreements that are to the advantage of the U.S., to the disadvantage of its agreement 'partners' and which exclude China and other 'hostile' economies.

The so called 'decoupling' or 'de-risking' from China is actually an attempt to isolate it. It creates a dynamic that will lead to import replacements in China.

This will lower exports to China from the U.S. and its allies. The whole scheme will thereby eventually work to China's advantage.

Posted by b on April 28, 2023 at 16:44 UTC | Permalink

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Crude prices ended a volatile month that began when a surprise production cut from OPEC+ sent prices climbing $6 a barrel and then giving back those gains amid concerns about a potential economic downturn and its impact on demand.

West Texas Intermediate rose three of five trading days on the New York Mercantile Exchange, opening the week with an 89-cent gain. Prices then turned lower, falling $1.69 Tuesday and $2.77 Wednesday before turning upwards again. WTI added $2.02 Friday to end the week at $76.78, down from $77.87 at last Fridays close. The posted price ended the week at $73.26, according to Plains All American.

Bloomberg said it was the second consecutive weekly decline, though Fridays gain was the most in almost four weeks.

Natural gas prices showed signs of strength, rising four of five trading days on the NYMEX and overcoming Wednesdays 19-cent plunge. June became the new near-month futures contract for Henry Hub, opening trading with a 5-cent gain. Henry Hub added 4 cents Friday to close the week at $2.397 per Mcf, up from $2.233 at last Fridays close.

The preemptive posture by OPEC, continued growth by China, anti-American energy policies, low spare capacity and capital discipline among many domestic producers will ensure that higher oil prices persist, Ed Longanecker, president of the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association, told the Reporter-Telegram by email.

Scott Sheffield, who is retiring as chief executive officer of Pioneer Natural Resources at the end of the year, told the Reporter-Telegram in a telephone interview that members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries are looking for prices in the $90-$100 range. Prices, he said, will be supported by supplies not keeping up with demand, little spare capacity to grow production and population growth in general.

Rich Dealy, who will succeed Sheffield as CEO, said he expects capital discipline to persist.

That ship has sailed, he said. Investors like this returns framework and dont want to see it change.

In its earnings call to discuss its first quarter earnings, Pioneer told analysts it is assuming an $80 WTI oil price to allow it to return approximately 40% of its current market capitalization to shareholders over the next five years.

In his daily newsletter, Edward Moya, senior market analyst with OANDA, wrote that oil prices are finding support in mixed data that supports the case for the Federal Reserve to remain in tightening mode.

The economy is heading towards a rough patch, but it might still have another good quarter left before a recession starts. The crude demand outlook is all over the place given the economy is hitting stall speed while airlines still remain optimistic for a busy summer travel period.

Moya concluded, Oil should find strong support ahead of the $70 region when you consider OPEC+ low production levels, the US will eventually have to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, as Europes growth forecast improves and as China supports the real economy.
Big Bend National Park in West Texas was ranked as one of the top 10 national parks across the U.S.

To compile the rankings, online travel guide Travel Lemming analyzed data on affordability, accessibility, biodiversity, crowds, reviews, and weather for each of the 63 national parks in the country using information from various government agencies like the National Parks Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The popular West Texas travel destination came in at No. 7 overall, earning points for affordability, weather, crowds, and biodiversity.

The park ranked low for accessibility, being listed at No. 55 due to its remote location in a southwestern corner of the state close to the Mexico border. However, its remoteness is what allows the more then 800,000-acre park to have the darkest skies in the country, according to NPS, which added thousands of stars, bright planets, and the Milky Way are visible on clear nights.

Big Bend has also received an International Dark Sky Park honor and a Gold Tier designation for being "free from all but the most minor impacts of light pollution," the International Dark-Sky Association said.

It's often referred to as "Texas' gift to the nation."

The second national park in Texas, Guadalupe Mountains National Park which is also in the west but close to the state's border with New Mexico, ranked No. 53 overall. It was driven down the list due to a lack of affordability and accessibility, Travel Lemming said.

But the park did fare higher in the weather ranking, coming in at No. 14 with average temperatures between 50 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit for nine months of the year.

It also prizes itself as having some of the cleanest air in the country, receiving a Class I air quality area designation from NPS.

Shenandoah National Park in Virginia topped the list at No. 1.

Travel Lemming's list was published in honor of National Parks Week which runs from April 22-30 this year.
State Rep. Tom Craddick, working with the Midland ISD Finance Office, could help save around $50 million in state funding that the district is currently receiving.

On Wednesday, the Texas House passed House Bill 100 on an all-important second reading. However, before the body approved a key piece of education funding legislation, Craddick, a Midland Republican, added an amendment that keeps Midland ISD inline to receive what is currently called formula transition grant" funding through the 2029-2030 school year. That grant funding was expected to expire after the 2023-24 school year.

How significant is that funding to Midland ISD? In previous years, Midland ISD projected formula transition grant funding to bring as much as $60-plus million. Darrell Dodds, chief Finance officer for the district stated Thursday the grant was expected to bring close to $50 million to Midland ISD for the 2023-24 school year.

No district in the state receives as much as Midland ISD. In fact, the Texas School Coalition reported that during the 2022-23 school year formula transition grant funding for Midland ISD was $53.344 million. The next closest districts were Houston ISD ($39.571 million) and Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD ($23.173 million).

If that funding disappears it would likely result in severe cuts or district officials having to calling a tax ratification election to make up some of that revenue. Some Midland ISD leaders have referred to the threat of losing these funds as a "fiscal cliff."

Why was the amendment needed? School finance legislation is complex, and officials stated HB 100  a bill authored by West Texas Ken King is no different. It addresses formula transition grant funding, but the language didnt allow for Midland ISD to expect funding that it currently receives because there was a provision in the bill that penalized districts which have not leveraged their fifth penny of taxation. MISD has not because school board leaders and district officials over the years were trying to keep tax rates lower. Due to the cycles on which the tax rates are adopted the legislation would be implemented before MISD could consider adding the fifth penny tax to its rates. Also, if a school district chose to raise their tax base in the future, they would be not eligible under the bill.

It is the way the bill was written, Dodds said. We would not be eligible the way it was written.

Craddicks amendment extends the hold harmless provision to any district which does consider their tax rate in the future. As it turned out there are two school districts in the state under this hold harmless language  Midland ISD and Grapevine-Colleyville ISD (which received less than $10 million in 2022-23).

If (Craddick) doesnt do floor amendment, we are out, Dodds said, unless we can get it in another bill.

What is the formula transition grant about anyway? The Texas School Coalition reported that when legislators approved House Bill 3 in 2019, they enacted formula transition grants to ensure that all districts would receive at least a 3% increase in per-student funding. The grants went to districts that would otherwise see little or no increase.

Our values grew so much in that 2019-20 school year (more than 40%), Dodds said. That was the reason for the growth from the formula transition grant.

Is this new money? No. Keeping the formula transition grant revenue in place isnt adding new funds to future year budgets. It also will not impact recapture (Robin Hood) payments, which early estimates show could top $158 million in 2023-24. Early estimates also show the formula transition grant money in 2023-24 will pay for around 16% of the budget once recapture payments are removed from the budget. Heading into the 2022-23 school year, officials believed that percentage was closer to 22%.

Whats next: HB 100 passed on third reading on Thursday and is headed to the Texas Senate.
The FBI contacted YCSO saying some of Crosss online activities had been flagged. In comments posted on YouTube videos, Cross allegedly threatened to kill President Joe Biden and transgender people.
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BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP)  Pope Francis on Friday blasted the adolescent belligerence that brought war back to Europe and said the continent must recover its founding spirit of peaceful unity to confront Russias war in Ukraine.

Francis outlined his vision for the future of Europe as he began a three-day visit to Hungary. In a carefully calibrated speech, he demanded that the European Union approve safe and legal ways for migrants to enter and for the Hungarian government not to hold Europe hostage to populist demands.

Francis didnt mince words when he addressed President Katalin Novak and Hungarys populist prime minister, Viktor Orban, whose lukewarm support for Ukraine has rankled other EU countries. The pontiff recalled the lofty ideals behind the bloc's founding and lamented that rising nationalism and adolescent belligerence had replaced them.

We seem to be witnessing the sorry sunset of that choral dream of peace, as the solists of war now take over, Francis said. At this historical juncture, Europe is crucial.  It is called to take up its proper role, which is to unite those far apart, to welcome those other peoples and refuse to consider anyone an eternal enemy.

Hungarian officials said the pope's visit, his second to Budapest in as many years, was designed primarily to let him minister to the countrys Catholic community. But with the war in neighboring Ukraine and Orban butting heads with other EU nations over rule of law issues and LGBTQ+ rights, Francis words and deeds in the heart of Europe carried strong political undertones.

He has repeatedly called for a peaceful resolution to the war and expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian people, although his trip to Hungary brought Francis the nearest he's gotten to the front line of the fighting.

The pope plans to meet Saturday with some of the 35,000 Ukrainian refugees who remain in Hungary. Nearly 2.5 million refugees entered the country early on in Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Orban has called for a cease-fire. But the nationalist prime minister has refused to supply Kyiv with weapons and threatened to veto EU sanctions against Moscow while maintaining Hungarys strong dependence on Russian energy. His government also said it would not arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the subject of an international arrest warrant on war crimes charges, if he came to Hungary.

While sharing his hopes for Europe, Francis appeared to call out the country's growing isolation.

I think of a Europe that is not hostage to its parts, neither falling prey to self-referential forms of populism nor resorting to a fluid, if not vapid, supra-nationalism that loses sight of the life of its peoples, the pope said.

Novak, for her part, praised Francis as a man of peace and asked him to confer with Kyiv and Moscow, to Washington, Brussels, Budapest and to anyone without whom there can be no peace. Here, in Budapest, we ask you to act personally for a just peace as soon as possible!

Francis has expressed appreciation for Hungarys recent welcome of Ukrainian refugees, but his views on the moral imperative to welcome all people fleeing conflict, poverty and climate change contrast with Orbans hard line on migration. In 2015-2016, Hungary built a razor wire fence on the border with Serbia to stop people from entering  .

Francis said time was up for Europes excuses and delay in responding to the hundreds of thousands of migrants who risk their lives trying to reach the continent each year. He called for the EU to agree on secure and legal corridors that would provide a safer route.

Europe must come up with shared mechanisms to confront an epochal challenge that cannot be faced by pushing back, but must be welcomed to prepare a future that, unless it is shared, will not exist, the pope said.

The 86-year-old pontiff, who walks with difficulty because of bad knee ligaments, is testing his frail health with his latest trip. He spent four days in the hospital last month with bronchitis. Hungarian officials had hoped Francis would travel around the country, but the Vatican opted to keep him in Budapest, where he spent seven hours in 2021 to close out a church congress.

The visit comes as the European Union's legislature continues to put pressure on Hungary to counter what EU lawmakers consider a deterioration in the rule of law and democratic principles, including media freedom and LGBTQ+ rights.

The four biggest groups in the European Parliament have called on the bloc's executive commission to withhold pandemic recovery funds for Hungary until liberal democracy principles are met.

Francis didnt wade in directly to the dispute, but he quoted the Hungarian Constitution and the founder of the Hungarian state, St. Stephen, in calling for the country to remain open toward others, another apparent reference to Orbans nativist rhetoric.

On LGBTQ+ rights, the pope and the Hungarian government's policies were not totally at odds. Catholic doctrine forbids gay marriage, though Francis has backed legal protections for people in same-sex unions.

He also has long ministered to gay and transgender Catholics while condemning gender ideology as an alleged form of the West's ideological colonization of the developing world.

Hungary outlaws same-sex marriage, and the government has prohibited same-sex couples from adopting children. The government has also outlawed the depiction of homosexuality or divergent gender identities to minors in media content.

Francis repeated his condemnation of gender ideology Friday along with what he described as the so-called right to abortion. He praised Hungary for promoting family values.

How much better it would be to build a Europe centered on the human person and on its peoples, with effective polices for natality and the family  policies that are pursued attentively in this country, he said.

Francis' arrival was met with a quiet welcome, with small groups of people cheering his motorcade as it entered the city center. Zoltan Gozner, a religious education teacher from Esztergom, north of Budapest, took his class to a place on the motorcade's route so students could see it.

Hungary is still a Christian country, and we are a guardian of this faith, he said. ___

Bela Szandelszky contributed.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

___

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Pureprofile Expands Panel through ShopBack Deal

Australia-based consumer data company Pureprofile has expanded its research panel through a partnership with AsiaPacific shopping rewards and payments platform ShopBack. Shoppers can earn cashback by completing surveys.



ShopBack currently has a membership of 38 million shoppers across ten markets, who earn cashback from online purchases through its mobile app or web browser extension - Pureprofile's Audience Builder solution will now be integrated into this platform, adding survey participation as a new way yo earn cashback. According to Tom Howard, Sales Director at ShopBack, the surveys are unobtrusive and easy to complete.



The partnership will initially launch in Australia, before expanding to SouthEast Asia later in the year. Young Ham, Global Head of Innovation & Partnerships at Pureprofile comments: 'It's important that businesses and the economy have an accurate picture of what today's shopper is looking for and what they value - be that discounts for purchasing goods online or buying in bulk for cost-effective outcomes. Our partnership with ShopBack will help arm businesses with important insights and ultimately benefit consumers that are on the hunt for a deal'.



Web sites: www.pureprofile.com and www.shopback.sg .




First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva has made an Instagram post on 100th birthday anniversary of Zarifa Aliyeva.

The post says: Today marks the 100th anniversary of Zarifa Aliyeva. Like everyone who knew this kind, noble and sincere person, I also keep her bright image in my memory!




A bill that aims to fix a failing law enforcement system in Lake County and on the Flathead Reservation passed the Senate on a second reading with a new amendment.

House Bill 479 appropriates $2.5 million to the Department of Justice each year in the biennium to provide money to Lake County to offset costs for law enforcement activities on the reservation. And the new amendment would create a task force, which would include representatives for the governor, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Lake County board of commissioners and the attorney general. The task force will publish reports and provide recommendations to the governor and Legislature based on their findings.

The bill, sponsored by Joe Read, R-Ronan, comes in response to Public Law 280, which grants certain states criminal jurisdiction over some reservations. Since 1963, per an agreement between the state and tribes, Lake County law enforcement has collaborated with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes under the law.

Under Public Law 280, felonies committed by tribal members on the Flathead Reservation are handled by local county law enforcement, rather than by the Bureau of Indian Affairs or FBI. And since the 1990s, the CSKT has been prosecuting misdemeanor crimes committed by tribal members on the reservation  helping shoulder the burden of the countys jurisdictional responsibility.

But Lake County has alleged for years that it has not been reimbursed by the state for assuming this job. County commissioners in January voted to withdraw from Public Law 280, and their decision will take effect in May if the Legislature does not act on the situation.

The new amendment also states that, if passed, the county commissioners must rescind and vacate their resolution to withdraw from the agreement and may not adopt any further resolutions withdrawing from Public Law 280 during the biennium.

Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, told his colleagues on the Senate floor that the bill is our final solution here as we move forward.

Hertz mentioned that if the bill does not pass and if Lake County does formally withdraw from the agreement, he believes the state would have to assume criminal jurisdiction over the reservation, which he has said would cost the state significantly more money than the $5 million appropriated in the bill. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have not issued a formal statement on the matter.

HB 479 also passed a second reading in the Senate earlier this month before the amendment was added.
The hiring of a third social worker to provide more therapeutic support for Garrison School students has been approved by the Four Rivers Special Education District board.

Adding a third social worker is part of a continuing plan to address discipline issues at Garrison. New policies enacted in November were designed to make staff responses to students more therapeutic and less reactionary.

Tracey Fair, director of the Four Rivers district, said the changes were in the works long before a ProPublica article detailing police involvement at Garrison was published in December.

Garrison began having a social worker on-call daily in November, which has been highly effective, according to Fair. At least one social worker is on duty during the school day to intervene when a child exhibits signs of distress, escalating behavior, or agitation.

When a student is showing signs of distress, or getting agitated, the on-call social worker talks with the student to identify what is going on, and works with them on how to regulate emotions, Fair said. The goal is to de-escalate before the situation becomes a crisis.

The third social worker will help make it easier to provide coverage during each school day. Fair hopes to have a candidate for the third social worker's position to present to the board so it can act on the new hire at its May 24 meeting.

Garrison is the only public school in this part of west-central Illinois for students with severe behavioral disabilities, and there are few options for private placement. Four Rivers serves children from birth to age 21 in 19 districts and surrounding communities in Morgan, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Greene, Macoupin, Pike and Scott counties.

The board unanimously approved promoting Sandy Beddingfield to assistant principal at Garrison. Beddingfield, who is a supervisor at Garrison, accepted a contract to begin her new duties July 1.

That change was set in motion by the resignation in February of Denise Waggener as principal, effective June 30. Amy Haarmann was selected to serve as principal for the 2023-24 school year. Haarmann served as assistant principal until being named co-principal with Waggener for the remainder of the current school year.

RELATED: The school that calls police on students every other day

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The facts dont lie. Rhetoric disputing those facts doesnt add up.

That fact is NorthWestern Energy doesnt have enough 24/7, on-demand generation to serve our Montana customers reliably during critical weather in an affordable manner.

The fact is NorthWestern Energy is responsible for providing reliable, safe energy service at reasonable rates for our Montana customers today, tomorrow and in the future.

Our plans are years in the making to mitigate the risk our Montana customers face. The fact is Montana should increase our energy independence, with more generation resources in the state dedicated to serve Montanans and end the grip of out-of-state energy policies.

The 175 megawatt natural gas fired Yellowstone County Generating Station was selected two years ago from a competitive project solicitation for resources to provide 24/7, on-demand generation our Montana customers need for reliable service in all weather conditions. The third-party solicitation evaluator recommended the project to meet that need reliably at the least cost. Wind, solar, storage, hybrid and other conventional technology projects were evaluated too.

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality permit for the Yellowstone County Generating Station on Sept. 8. 2021, after a thorough review of our application that is consistent with state laws and regulations.

On April 6, 2023, after more than 550 days of construction work, a Montana District Court judge vacated the permit and sent our application back to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to analyze again.

Now most of the 250 workers building the Yellowstone County Generation Station, including 190 union craft workers, are laid off. That is a tough blow to the workers and their families and the local and regional businesses supporting those workers and the construction of the plant.

The District Court judges order faults the Montana Department of Environmental Quality for not adequately addressing the carbon effect of the plant. But carbon effects arent included in the criteria Montana requires to be evaluated for air quality permits. The judges order sets a new standard.

NorthWestern Energys contractors have worked for a year and a half in all weather conditions so that the Yellowstone County Generating Station will be ready to serve our Montana customers peak energy demands a year from now, during the hottest days of summer in 2024 and the coldest nights in winter in 2025.

Weve spent more than $180 million on construction. The final expected $275 million cost of the plant may increase with this delay and it may not be available to serve our Montana customers next summer.

The negative economic consequences of the District Court ruling will reach beyond the Yellowstone County Generating Station project. Adding carbon effects as a new criteria for Montana air quality permits could impact subdivision development, land fill operations, cement plants and almost any other development in the state.

Those far-reaching negative economic consequences are the reason the Montana Legislature is considering two bills addressing this judges decision. NorthWestern Energy didnt initiate either effort and if passed, neither will apply to the District Court judges order vacating the air quality permit for the Yellowstone County Generating Station. But the diverse group of stakeholders supporting the legislation recognize the chilling impact the order could have on development in the state and Montanas business climate.

To be very clear  our Montana customers cant afford this delay.

A wind or solar project scaled to provide the on-demand, 24/7 energy generation equivalent to the Yellowstone County Generating Station would cost more than $2 billion and $4 billion respectively. Our customers cant afford those project price tags.

Today up to 40% of the energy needed to meet our Montana customers highest demands is from the energy market, most imported from out-of-state. Market energy purchases are extremely costly for our Montana customers, increasing by 59% from 2021 and totaling $130 million in 2022.

Energy companies across the West face risks to energy supply during the next decade. Energy resource concerns arent unique to NorthWestern Energys Montana customers, but rolling blackouts in the middle of extreme winter cold could be.

The fact is NorthWestern Energy is taking actions now to continue to provide the reliable, safe, cost-effective energy service we do today into the future. That is our responsibility to our Montana customers and it is in the best interest of our state.
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  NATO allies and partner countries have delivered more than 98% of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine during Russia's invasion and war, the military alliances chief said Thursday, giving Kyiv a bigger punch as it contemplates launching a counteroffensive.

Along with more than 1,550 armored vehicles, 230 tanks and other equipment, Ukraine's allies have sent vast amounts of ammunition and also trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian brigades, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

More than 30,000 troops are estimated to make up the new brigades. Some NATO partner countries, such as Sweden and Australia, have also provided armored vehicles.

"This will put Ukraine in a strong position to continue to retake occupied territory, Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.

His comments came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a long and meaningful phone call in their first known contact since Russia's full-scale invasion more than a year ago.

Though Zelenskyy said he was encouraged by Wednesday's call and Western officials welcomed Xi's move, it didnt appear to improve peace prospects.

Russia and Ukraine are far apart in their terms for peace, and Beijing  while looking to position itself as a global diplomatic power  has refused to criticize Moscow's invasion. The Chinese government sees Russia as a diplomatic ally in opposing U.S. influence in global affairs, and Xi visited Moscow last month.

Stoltenberg said the 31 NATO allies were committed to shoring up Ukraine's military, adding that taking back land the Kremlin's forces occupied would give Kyiv a stronger negotiating position if peace talks occur.

Ukrainian officials said China's overture was encouraging. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Thursday described the call between Xi and Zelenskyy as very productive.

Im convinced it is a good beginning for our relations in the future, Shmyhal said after visiting Pope Francis at the Vatican.

But the Kremlin's response was lukewarm.

Asked if the call could help end the fighting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: We are ready to welcome anything that could lead to the termination of the conflict in Ukraine and the achievement of all the goals set by Russia.

Peskov said the conversation between the Chinese and Ukrainian leaders was the sovereign business of those countries and the issue of their bilateral dialogue.

With battlefield positions in Ukraine largely static in what's become a war of attrition, Russian forces have kept up their bombardment of Ukrainian areas, often hitting apartment buildings and other civilian infrastructure.

At least seven civilians were killed and 33 were injured between Wednesday and Thursday, Ukraine's presidential office said Thursday.

They included one person killed and 23 wounded, including a child, when four Kalibr cruise missiles hit the southern city of Mykolaiv, a regional official said. The governor of Mykolaiv province, Vitalii Kim, said 22 multi-story buildings, 12 private houses and other residential buildings were damaged.

Kalibr missiles are launched from ships or submarines, The ones that hit Mykolaiv were fired from the Black Sea, according to Ukraines Operational Command South.

In other developments:

 Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing the deportation from annexed Ukrainian territories of residents who refuse to become Russian citizens. Starting in July of next year, Russia will consider such residents to be foreigners who can be expelled from territory that Russian authorities consider to be Russian. Putin annexed four Ukrainian regions last September, building on his 2014 annexation of Crimea. Many countries have condemned the moves as illegal.

 Putin, who has often dwelt on history and his interpretation of it to advance his policy views, ordered his government on Thursday to prepare public studies about what he calls his special military operation in Ukraine. The effort is to include museums, adding to an announcement by one of his ministers that new school textbooks discussing the military operation are to be introduced in September.

 The head of Russias mercenary Wagner Group repeated claims that the Russian military is withholding ammunition from his soldiers, who are leading the fight in the eastern city of Bakhmut, the war's bloodiest battle. In social media posts, Yevgeny Prigozhin said without providing specifics that a criminal group did not give us ammunition," forcing his fighters to do whatever they can with a minimal quantity of ammunition. Prigozhin claimed ammunition stockpiles are withheld because of treason by Russian officials, whom he described as thugs.

___ Cook reported from Brussels. Associated Press Writer Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, and Frances D'Emilio in Rome contributed. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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BRASILIA, Brazil (AP)  Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday granted official recognition of nearly 800 square miles of Indigenous lands, most of it in the Amazon, in a move that seeks to safeguard critical rainforest from the unchecked exploitation that marked his predecessor's administration.

Lula's action was partial delivery on his promises to the Indigenous supporters and environmentally minded voters who lifted him to a narrow victory last year over far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who had encouraged widespread development of the Amazon -- both legal and illegal -- and pledged not to grant one more inch of land to Indigenous peoples.

The land remains under the federal governments jurisdiction, but the designation grants Indigenous peoples the right to use it in their traditional manner. Mining activities are prohibited, and commercial farming and logging require specific authorizations. And non-Indigenous people are forbidden from engaging in any economic activity on Indigenous lands.

Kleber Karipuna, executive coordinator at Indigenous peoples organization Apib, called it a welcome shift after four years of threats and invasions targeting Indigenous territories under Bolsonaro.

For us, it is a very significant process of restarting," he said. Of course, there are still other lands that can be advanced.

The Amazon rainforest, covering an area twice the size of India, holds tremendous amounts of carbon and is a crucial buffer against climate change. Studies have shown that Indigenous-controlled forests are the best-preserved in the Brazilian Amazon.

But deforestation surged to a 15-year high during the Bolsonaro years, with destruction largely caused by illegal miners and land-robbers. Destruction in the eastern Amazon has been so extensive that it has become a carbon source, rather than a carbon sink.

The designations granted Friday don't assure protection for the rainforest, with Bolsonaro allies still in charge of a majority of Amazon states. But Lula has shown a willingness to back up his rhetoric with action. In February, armed government officials began ejecting illegal gold miners from Yanomami Indigenous territory in the northwest corner of Brazil's Amazon.

The six newly recognized territories amount to an area larger than Los Angeles and New York City combined. Lula announced it to a chanting crowd at the Free Land Camp, an annual weeklong encampment of Indigenous people in the capital of Brasilia that includes hundreds of tents on the main esplanade with Indigenous people of various ethnicities gathering to dance, sing, sell handicrafts and hold political demonstrations.

We are going to legalize Indigenous lands. It is a process that takes a little while, because it has to go through many hands, Lula said. I dont want any Indigenous territory to be left without demarcation during my government. That is the commitment I made to you.

For some Indigenous people, Friday's announcement was disappointingly small. The country has 733 territories with cases for demarcation pending before the federal government; the newly recognized territories accounted for just 6% of that number, according to Socio-Environmental Institute, a nonprofit.

In January, Lula's government had pledged to create 14 new territories in the short term.

Among lands that missed out was the Barra Velha territory of the Pataxo people in southern Bahia state. Renato Atxuab, a Pataxo leader, said this government that we supported, that we helped build must demarcate their land as soon as possible to prevent invasions by outsiders.

Already there are conflicts involving agribusiness and land-grabbers, he said, and drug traffickers have been moving in, too.

Atxuab said he has met with the Indigenous Peoples minister  a newly created position under Lula's government  but has not been given any date for his lands demarcation.

The largest new area is located in the Amazonas state. The Nadob people's Uneiuxi Indigenous Territory has been expanded by 37% to 554,000 hectares (2,100 square miles) of primary rainforest. It is in a remote area  from the main village, it takes four days to travel to the closest city in a low-powered motor boat, the most common mode of transportation in the region.

The demarcation will make the Nadob people feel safe and protected within our territory. That is where we live, fish, hunt, and gather fruits. We want to continue there, like our ancestors, chief Eduardo Castelo, 45, told The Associated Press in a phone interview. We dont want the impact of the whites on our territory.

___

Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about APs climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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Growing up, the local branch of the public library was always just a bus ride away. But when my family moved to central Pennsylvania when I was entering high school, we lived in a rural region that didnt even have a public library.

In the 90s, before the internet was widely available, the loss of a robust library system left me feeling cut off from the world. This is one reason Ive spent the last 20 years living in a rural community, where I serve as library director for a school district.

After decades building resources and capacity in our small school districts, some of which dont even have a public library, its been devastating to see the growing ferocity of attacks against our libraries over the past couple of years.

More than half of U.S. state legislatures have proposed or passed bills that would severely restrict access to information, threaten First Amendment rights, and punish entire communities by withholding funding critical library services  all for the sake of keeping books off the shelf that do not suit the taste of a few individuals.

Our small town school districts and public libraries are facing immense pressure from national groups that turn massive external funding into fake grassroots outrage in our communities. The grassroots origins are fake, but the outrage is real.

The outrage we see on the news is not a reflection of our small towns: Its imported by groups that aim to overwhelm and tear down our public schools and libraries. Book challenges of yesteryear were often sparked by a child bringing home a single book that prompted parents concerns. Todays attempts to ban books are overwhelmingly driven by externally generated lists.

According to the American Library Association, 40% of book challenges in 2022 involved requests to ban 100 or more books at a time. Most of these books were either by or about LGBTQ+ folks and people of color.

This outrage over diversity in literature does not reflect the increasing diversity in our small towns. According to the Housing Assistance Council, in 2018 there were more than 2,000 rural and small-town census tracts where racial and ethnic minorities made up the majority of the population. In another study, the Movement Advancement Project in 2019 showed that an estimated 3 million or more LGBTQ+ people called rural America home.

When censors come after books that reflect the diversity in a community, theyre attempting to erase the stories of community members themselves.

School librarians like me strive to build diverse collections that bring the world to the shelves of every town and ensure that every reader finds their story. When readers find their own stories in a library, they read more and grow into lifelong learners.

Such robust collections are built through professional  not ideological  standards, and every student benefits.

Access to books that represent a variety of cultures and viewpoints may boost a students development and well-being, according to a 2022 white paper from the Unite Against Book Bans coalition. Diverse books also cultivate empathy and provide a springboard for families to have meaningful conversations.

From coast to coast and across the heartland, Americans remain overwhelmingly committed to libraries, despite what manufacturers of moral panic may claim.

Recent polling shows large majorities of voters across party lines reject the idea of banning books from school and public libraries. Ninety percent of voters have high regard and trust for librarians, and similar percentages say that school and public libraries play an important role in their community.

I hope Americans will join me and 90% of our neighbors in supporting libraries and librarians  and in rejecting the manufactured outrage of book-banning groups.
Amen to Cornell University President Martha Pollack and Provost Michael Kotlikoff for rejecting to ratify a proposal introduced by the student senate to mandate trigger warnings into syllabi and course content.

In a statement, Pollack and Kotlikoff said such a mandate would infringe on our core commitment to academic freedom and freedom of inquiry, and are at odds with the goals of a Cornell education.

Over the past decade, trigger warnings have been a topic that has dominated academic discourse. The term has become a major buzzword in academia as well as in many institutions outside of higher education.

Supporters of the policy argue that it provides certain students who are not as emotionally impervious as their peers the opportunity to be forewarned of material they may find psychologically hazardous to their mental well-being. Detractors see such an issue as a real danger to free speech and a severe encroachment upon academic freedom.

Count me as a member of the latter category.

It appears we are witnessing a generation of kids who have grown up in an environment where many things are handled for them. Many are under the assumption they are entitled to choose from a smorgasbord of options and appear to have been indoctrinated with an everyone wins attitude.

In their largely scripted and insular worlds, professors are supposed to solely relegate their pedagogy to delivering safe and conflict-free lectures. They sometimes consider debating, discussing, engaging in critical thinking, reading complex or controversial material, and writing essays too difficult or unacceptable.

The degree of emotional fragility among some young people is troubling. It is a sad, if not an outright disturbing sight to witness.

I make it clear to my students during the first class of every semester they are no longer in high school. They have arrived on a college campus, they are now adults (a few are still legally minors), that life is not multiple choice though it can be somewhat true and false (which always gets a few laughs). Moreover, I inform them that none of us are going to be totally comfortable with everything we encounter or hear, and that as human beings we must be expected to acclimate to various situations and environments. Occasionally taking people out of their comfort zones can be a positive thing.

I am reasonable and sensitive enough to realize there are some arenas where such rhetoric is better off not being discussed. Would it be practical to discuss complex issues of brutal, violent warfare or graphic sexual violence to a group of elementary school kids? Of course now. But discussing such topics with college age individuals? Absolutely!

Professors who decide to incorporate a statement discussing trigger warnings on their course syllabi certainly have the right to do so. At that point, the ball is in the students court, so-to-speak.

The fact is that life is occasionally full of challenges, unpredictable circumstances and situations. No one, not even the most fortunate among us, is going to be immune from being jilted by certain situations. Human nature will make sure of this.

Trigger warnings are potentially dangerous tools in that they can be employed and weaponized by people with various political and social agendas who wish to stifle debate or viewpoints that they are at odds with.

Mandating such warnings would be a regressive and reactionary policy that could have a chilling  if not outright nullifying  effect on academic freedom.
Gov. Doug Burgum has signed one of two book ban bills approved by the Legislature, and vetoed the other, which has criminal penalties and also restrictions that Bismarcks public library estimated would cost $334 million to comply with.

The governor signed House Bill 1205 by House Majority Leader Mike Lefor, R-Dickinson. He vetoed Senate Bill 2360 by Sen. Keith Boehm, R-Mandan.

Both bills target explicit sexual material, defined as any material which, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest of minors; is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community in North Dakota as a whole with respect to what is suitable material for minors; and taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.

Supporters said the bills protect children from pornography. Opponents said the bills are censorship.

The state House of Representatives needs 63 votes to override a veto; the Senate needs 32.

The Legislature is nearing the end of its session, with eight days left of a maximum 80 to meet.

Vetoed bill

Under Boehms bill, employees of school districts, state agencies and public libraries could face a misdemeanor charge for willfully exposing explicit sexual material to a minor. The bill also applies to newsstands or any other business establishment frequented by minors, or where minors are or may be invited as a part of the general public.

Boehms bill would add public libraries and public school libraries to the latter places. The State Library is exempt.

Burgum in a veto message said Boehms bill goes too far with its criminal penalties, and creates an enormous burden for our 84 local public libraries and hundreds of K-12 school libraries by imposing, through the threat of criminal prosecution, a de facto requirement that libraries conduct an expensive review of library materials that have already been through a screening process to protect young people from objectionable material.

While some will argue that such a review isnt necessary because the bill states that a librarian must willfully display explicit sexual material in order to be in violation of the law, librarians cannot reasonably be expected to take their chances with whats currently displayed on the shelves and assume the risk of criminal prosecution based on that subjective standard, Burgum said.

The governor also knocked the bill for not including an appropriation, or money to cover the considerable expense of this review process, making this an unfunded mandate local and school libraries are ill-equipped to afford and manage.

Burgum said exempting the State Library and not including private K-12 schools creates further inequities.

America is built on a foundation of free speech, the free exchange of ideas and the freedom from government interference to read  or not to read  books that share ideas and stories across a spectrum of human nature and experience, he said.

The best way we protect our youth is through involved and caring parents making decisions in the best interests of their children, whether at home, online or in a public or school library  not with unfunded, one-size-fits-all government mandates, Burgum said.

The bill also would have required public libraries and public school libraries to submit an annual report to lawmakers about provider compliance with technology protection measures the bill would have required for digital or online library database resources for K-12 students, to prevent viewing of explicit sexual material.

The Senate passed Boehms bill, 33-14. The House passed the bill, 54-38. The latter was not veto-proof.

Signed bill

The state House of Representatives passed Lefors bill, 70-22. The Senate passed the bill, 39-7.

Lefors bill will remove or relocate explicit sexual material from public libraries childrens collections.

The bill will mandate public libraries to come up with policies and procedures before next year for removing or relocating explicit sexual material, handling requests to remove or relocate books, developing age-appropriate book collections, and periodically reviewing collections.

Libraries also will have to submit a compliance report on their policies to lawmakers.

The bill also makes clear it will apply to any childrens book inventory maintained by a public library.

Burgum said, Protecting children from explicit sexual material is common sense.

He also said the bill standardizes the process for local public libraries to review material when requested by parents, library users or other members of the public  a process already in place and working at nearly all public libraries across the state.
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP)  A large number of Islamic extremists launched an attack on Burkina Fasos military in the countrys east, killing 33 soldiers and wounding a dozen others, the army said Friday.

The assault took place Thursday in the Gourma province town of Ouagarou, according to an army statement.

During particularly intense combat, the soldiers of the detachment showed remarkable determination when faced with an enemy that came in very large numbers, the statement said, adding that 40 jihadis also were killed.

Fighters linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have waged a violent insurgency in Burkina Faso for seven years. The violence has killed thousands of people and displaced around 2 million.

It also has divided a once peaceful nation and fueled frustration that led to two coups last year. The new junta leader, Capt. Ibrahim Traore, has promised to secure the country. But some civilians say they also fear Burkina Fasos security forces, which they accuse of extrajudicial killings and the disappearance of untold numbers of others accused of supporting the militants.

Meanwhile, attacks are intensifying and spreading as jihadis blockade villages, preventing hundreds of thousands of people from moving freely.

Earlier this month, gunmen killed at least 40 members of Burkina Fasos security forces in the northern part of the country, and dozens of others were wounded.

Local residents have accused the security forces of brutally killing civilians in the north. The United Nations has called for a thorough and independent investigation into what it called the horrific killing of civilians.

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Follow APs coverage of Burkina Faso at https://apnews.com/hub/burkina-faso

By ARSENE KABORE

Associated Press
A health advocacy group is urging the Canadian province of Manitoba to end its contract with Sanford Health, which provides care to ease the provinces backlog, on the grounds that North Dakota has passed what it calls discriminatory laws.

The Manitoba Health Coalition said a near total ban on the reproductive choice of women, girls and anyone who can become pregnant, and the ban on medically necessary care for transgender patients demands a response.

Gender-affirming care and abortion are health care services, not politics, Thomas Linner, Manitoba Health Coalitions provincial director, said in a statement. Everyone deserves to live with dignity, and to access the medical care they need without being subject to fear, hatred and discrimination.

Sanford Health in response issued a brief statement: Sanford Health is dedicated to providing exceptional health care for all patients in accordance with state law.

The Manitoba Health Coalition is a Winnipeg-based nonprofit that describes itself as a health advocacy organization that works for preservation and expansion of universal, public health care and as a leading voice in the fight against efforts to privatize health care.

The North Dakota Legislature has passed and Gov. Doug Burgum has signed into law a raft of restrictive bills involving transgender people, including a law banning treatments for transgender minors.

The Legislature also has passed and Burgum has signed into law a near-total abortion ban.

In January 2022, news reports surfaced in Manitoba that the provincial government was in discussions with Sanford Health to help alleviate a surgical backlog and would like to send up to 300 patients a year for spinal surgery.

Sanford administrators at the time said the health system wasnt prepared because of the COVID-19 pandemic to accept any patients from Canada. Bryan Nermoe, then president of Sanford Health in Fargo, said, however, At some point in time we would be working with our neighbors to the north.

Linner in a statement to Forum News Service on Thursday acknowledged that the Manitoba Health Coalition already was opposed to the province of Manitoba sending patients to North Dakota for treatment.

We have been critical of the Sanford Health deal previously, believing that the Manitoba government should invest in our public health care system to handle our surgical and diagnostic procedure backlog, rather than sign contracts with U.S. providers, especially considering that the details of those contracts are not publicly available, he said.
Hundreds stuck at Peru-Chile border in crackdown on migrants View Photo

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP)  A migration crisis at the border between Chile and Peru intensified Thursday as hundreds of people remained stranded, unable to cross into Peru in an effort to return to their home country of Venezuela.

The mostly Venezuelan migrants are seeking to cross into Peru to continue on to their home country but Peru isnt allowing them to enter because they lack documents.

While stalled at the border of the two South American countries, the migrants face the inhospitable climate that characterizes the Atacama Desert, one of the driest on the planet, with extremely hot days and intensely cold nights. Some have improvised tents with blankets but they lack water and other basic services.

A group of migrants ran through the desert toward Peru, but they were turned back by Peruvian officers. Some women complained and demanded that the government of President Gabriel Boric provide a bus for them to travel to Venezuela.

Images showed migrants shoving Peruvian border patrol officers in an effort to enter the country.

Officials in Arica, the northern Chilean city that borders Peru and is around 2,000 kilometers (1,245 miles) from the capital of Santiago, declared a migration emergency Thursday.

A day earlier, the Peruvian president, Dina Boluarte, declared a state of emergency in Tacna, a town near the border with Chile, in order to preserve domestic order and contain the arrival of migrants. In announcing the measure, the president attributed criminal acts to migrants.

Boluarte said she would push for a constitutional reform to authorize the intervention of the armed forces in the border area. Boric, for his part, already deployed troops to the border in late February to help stop the entry of migrants.

Amnesty International urged Peru and Chile to end what it called the militarization of the border. Leaders on both sides are needlessly aggravating the situation, turning it into a humanitarian crisis that increases the risk to the lives and safety of these people, said Erika Guevara Rosas, director of Amnesty International for the Americas.

The Chilean government summoned Peruvian Ambassador Jaime Pomareda to express its displeasure over statements by Tacna Mayor Pascual Guisa, who called Chiles president irresponsible for what the envoy called an effort to transfer the countrys migration woes to the border. Pomareda did not publicly comment on the meeting.

Aricas mayor, Gerardo Espindola, vowed to provide resources to support those in need, particularly children and the elderly.

We will act as quickly as this critical situation affecting the people stranded at the border requires, Espindola said.

Amid the impasse, the head of Chiles lower house of Congress, Vlado Mirosevic, called for a humanitarian corridor involving all the countries in the region to resolve the crisis and allow migrants safe passage back to Venezuela.

Chiles foreign minister, Alberto van Klaveren, warned there was a significant humanitarian problem in the area and said Boluartes decision increases pressure at the border.

The departure of migrants from Chile comes shortly after the National Prosecutors Office on April 10 called on prosecutors to request preventive detention for anyone caught committing a crime who could not prove their identity.

In addition, a measure is set to be debated in the lower house of Congress that would classify irregular immigration as a crime and proposes jail sentences of as many as 541 days for anyone caught entering Chile through unofficial channels.
Chile, Peru discuss safe passage for stranded migrants View Photo

TACNA, Peru (AP)  Stranded for five days under the scorching desert sun alongside a highway, Venezuelan Rosmary Morales looked on helplessly Friday at a wall of police officers blocking her passage into Peru.

The 45-year-old waits alongside hundreds of others who have set up a makeshift refugee camp on the Chilean side of the border they cant cross because they lack the proper documentation. There isnt even an awning, Morales said, adding she felt she was being treated like a dog.

Morales is among the Venezuelans, Colombians and Haitians stranded for two weeks along the Peru-Chile border, eager to return home as living costs skyrocket and as lawmakers in both countries propose penalties for undocumented migration.

Political leaders, meanwhile, are discussing how to facilitate their passage through Peru at a time when migrants increasingly are being blamed for rising crime on both sides of the border.

Chile said Friday it would start registering all the undocumented migrants who want to leave the country, and Peru started letting some of them through to its border offices.

Morales says that while shes grateful that Chile took her in when she left Venezuela, shes now ready to go back to her native country because the cost of living has risen, jobs have become scarce and shes finding it difficult to survive without the proper documentation, which she says has been impossible to obtain.

We can no longer make ends meet, Morales said.

Now she and others are having to endure the elements at the Atacama Desert, one of the driest on the planet, with heat during the day and cold at night.

Many mothers are there, with children, with the flu, fever, constant vomiting, dehydrated, unable to eat a good lunch, unable to bathe, Morales said.

Chiles acting interior minister, Manuel Monsalve, said Friday the government will set up registration points in the border region to enroll undocumented migrants who want to leave the country so their fingerprint, face and name can be recorded.

Monsalve said Chile wants to let the migrants return to their country but also noted its the governments responsibility to ensure that people who have committed crimes are not leaving Chile.

The president of Chiles lower house of Congress, Vlado Mirosevic, had proposed Thursday that a humanitarian corridor be created to allow the migrants to return home, without elaborating on details of such a corridor.

Peruvian Interior Minister Vicente Romero said on Friday on local radio RPP that at the level of the foreign ministry, we are working with Chile, Ecuador, and also with Venezuela to find a way for migrants to cross borders without problems.

The important thing is to provide the necessary security to all foreigners who voluntarily wish to return to their country, Romero said.

Romero, who has been in the Peruvian border region with Chile since Thursday night, added that he met with local authorities to consider opening temporary shelters for people waiting to leave.

Migrants have set up improvised tents with blankets and braved the elements without access to running water and other basic services. Others have found help in the nearby Chilean border complex of Chacalluta.

We want to go back to our country, Venezuela. Weve achieved what we came to do in Chile, Omar Dominguez, 47, said at the border. We dont want to stay in Peru.

According to official figures from Chilean prosecutors, approximately 10,000 undocumented immigrants have entered Chile this year, and an additional 1,194 have requested to leave.

The crisis along the border comes at a time when officials in Chile are increasing controls on undocumented migrants. Earlier this month, Chiles National Prosecutors Office called on prosecutors to request preventive detention for anyone caught committing a crime who could not prove their identity.

In both Peru and Chile, lawmakers are seeking to toughen laws against undocumented migrants.

A measure set to be debated in Chiles lower house of Congress would classify undocumented immigration as a crime and proposes jail sentences up to 18 months for anyone caught entering Chile through unofficial channels.

In Peru, a lawmaker from the Somos Peru party proposed a bill Thursday to imprison migrants who enter the country illegally for up to 10 years. A lawmaker from the far-right Renovacion Popular said Perus border patrol should enjoy legal protections so they can shoot migrants if necessary.

Peruvian President Dina Boluarte attributed criminal acts to migrants earlier this week.  Associated Press journalists Franklin Briceno in Lima, Peru and Eva Vergara in Santiago, Chile contributed to this report.

By CESAR BARRETO and MARTIN MEJIA

Associated Press
In Lebanon, Iran FM visits Israel border, extolls Hezbollah View Photo

BEIRUT (AP)  Irans top diplomat visited Lebanons border with Israel on Friday where he expressed support for the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group in its struggle against their common enemy: Israel.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian began his visit to Lebanon since Wednesday, meeting top officials and expressing Tehrans readiness to help build power stations in an effort to try to end the Mediterranean countrys prevailing electricity crisis.

Lebanon is in the throes of the worst economic crisis in its modern history, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by the small nations ruling class. The crisis erupted in October 2019 and has plunged three quarters of Lebanons 6 million people, including 1 million Syrian refugees, into poverty.

Earlier this month, Israel launched rare strikes into southern Lebanon, hours after militants fired nearly three dozen rockets from there at Israel, wounding two people and causing some property damage. The Israeli military said at the time that it targeted installations of the Palestinian militant Hamas group in southern Lebanon.

Iran is a main Hezbollah backer and has supplied the militant group over the past decades with weapons and funds.

We are here today  to declare again with a loud voice that we support the resistance in Lebanon against the Zionist entity, Amirabdollahian told a gathering that included several Hezbollah legislators in the border village of Maroun al-Ras.

Amirabdollahians visit to Lebanon is the first since Iran and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement in China last month to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after seven years of tensions.

Later Friday, the Iranian diplomat held a news conference at the Iranian Embassy. He said the Riyadh-Tehran agreement will have positive effects in the region in general. The two countries will reopen embassies in Tehran and Riyadh within a few days, he said, adding that he invited his Saudi counterpart to visit Iran and that the invitation was welcomed.

In neighboring Syria, a pro-government newspaper reported that Irans President Ebrahim Raisi will begin a two-day visit to Damascus next Wednesday, the first by an Iranian president to the Syrian capital since 2010.

Iran has also been a main backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad since the uprising that turned into war began in Syria in March 2011, killing nearly half a million people. Tehran has sent Iran-backed fighters from around the Middle East to fight alongside Assads forces, helping tip the balance of power in his favor.

The pro-government Al-Watan said Raisi would meet with Assad to boost strategic cooperation between the two allies. Several agreements and memorandums of understanding would also be signed during the visit.

Asked about Raisis upcoming visit to Damascus, Amirabdollahian only said that a program and a plan for the visit in the near future had been prepared, without offering a specific date.

Some oil-rich Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, have been slowly reconciling with Assad after supporting opposition fighters for years.

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Associated Press writer Albert Aji in Beirut contributed to this report.

By BASSEM MROUE

Associated Press
Trump revives threat of skipping GOP presidential debates View Photo

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP)  Donald Trump is again threatening to skip a presidential debate.

The Republican former president has privately said that a debate in August would be too early and he would not participate, according to two people familiar with his concerns who insisted on anonymity to detail private discussions. He also has stepped up his public complaints this week, suggesting that his poll numbers are so high he has no reason to compete with the rest of the field.

I see that everybody is talking about the Republican Debates, but nobody got my approval, or the approval of the Trump Campaign, before announcing them, Trump said in a Tuesday post on his social media network.

Trump repeated the idea at at campaign event in New Hampshire on Thursday afternoon, showing a slideshow of his recent poll numbers among the GOP contenders and saying of the debates, Why would you do that?

The emerging spat is a preview of the potential tension that could lie ahead as the Republican National Committee works to oversee an open, competitive primary process while Trump aims to establish himself as the undisputed leader of the party who doesnt need to engage in such traditions. Its an echo of his previous campaigns when he often dangled the potential of skipping debates  and sometimes followed through with the threat. In the process, he kept the spotlight on himself and turned the GOP establishment and the news media into a foil that resonated with the party base.

For now, the RNC is moving forward with the debate, which is slated to be held in Milwaukee and broadcast on Fox News, a network that has an up-and-down relationship with Trump. In a Wednesday interview on Fox, RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel was asked about Trumps publics complaints regarding the RNCs debate plans and whether she had spoken to him about his concerns.

I talk to President Trump all the time, McDaniel said. Weve talked to all the potential candidates. Weve let them know the schedule. Weve announced the debates.

But every campaign and every candidate is going to have to make a decision, she continued. Hes going to have to make that decision. I think hell do it.

Trump, whose political arc has been defined by unprecedented behavior and shunning norms he disagrees with, has skipped debates before. In 2016, Trump didnt attend the final GOP presidential debate before the Iowa caucuses and held his own campaign event instead. In 2020, Trump pulled out of the second general election debate against Joe Biden after the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates sought to make it a virtual event because of the coronavirus pandemic. Trump had recently tested positive for COVID-19.

Each time Trump skipped a debate, he participated in another event that aimed to draw away viewing audiences, a playbook he would likely follow again this year.

When youre leading by seemingly insurmountable numbers, and you have hostile Networks with angry, TRUMP & MAGA hating anchors asking the questions, why subject yourself to being libeled and abused? he wrote on his social media platform this week.

While many Fox News hosts have boosted Trump over the years, the network drew the ire of him and his supporters when in 2020 it accurately called Biden, a Democrat, as the winner of the race in Arizona, an early sign that Trump would go on to lose the election. The network began focusing less on the former president in 2022 and didnt carry his full speech in November announcing he was once again running for the White House. In what was deemed a soft ban by the network, Fox News had no on-air interviews with Trump from late September 2022 until late March 2023.

Private text messages revealed as part of an elections technology companys defamation lawsuit against Fox showed host Tucker Carlson, who was let go on Monday, disparaging Trump. The relationship appeared to improve, at least publicly, as Carlson interviewed Trump earlier this month. Trump told the conservative outlet Newsmax this week that he was shocked by Carlsons departure.

In an interview Wednesday with WABC radio in New York, Trump said many people ask him why hed do a debate when Republican primary polls show him with a massive lead over his nearest potential challenger, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

People dont debate when they have these massive leads, he said.

Trump has also complained about the choice of venue for the second debate, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. Though the library has hosted Republican presidential debates before, including a 2015 debate that Trump participated in, the former president is complaining that Fred Ryan, the publisher and CEO of the Washington Post, is the chairman of the foundations board of trustees.

The RNC is currently considering whether to require debate participants to meet new thresholds showing broad support among donors and in polling to make the stage, along with signing a pledge to support the GOPs presidential nominee.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who formally launched his campaign on Wednesday and has called for Trump to exit the race to address his legal problems, has said he has concerns about a loyalty pledge and is discussing it with the RNC.

GOP debate participants may also be asked to sign a pledge to avoid participating in any general election debate hosted by the Commission for Presidential Debates, which has hosted general election debates for more than three decades but which Republicans have viewed as biased against them.

Trump has hinted he may ignore that pledge as well, saying in his radio interview Wednesday that when it comes to a general election debate, You have, really, an obligation to do that.

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Follow the APs coverage of former President Donald Trump at https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump.

By MICHELLE L. PRICE

Associated Press
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  A man who escaped from a Mississippi jail last weekend and fled to Texas after allegedly stealing a public works vehicle has been arrested in Houston, authorities announced Thursday.

Jerry Raynes was apprehended days after he and three other inmates escaped Saturday night from the Raymond Detention Center near Jackson, Mississippi's capital, Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said.

Raynes is the second escaped prisoner to be found in a multi-agency hunt. Dylan Arrington died after barricading himself in a central Mississippi home and setting it on fire during an armed standoff with deputies Wednesday. He is suspected of killing a man and stealing his pickup truck after the escape.

The other two, Casey Grayson and Corey Harrison, are still on the loose, and authorities had no updates Thursday on their possible whereabouts.

The U.S. Marshals Service, Harris County Sheriffs Office and Spring Valley Police Department assisted with Raynes' capture. He will be held before facing extradition back to Mississippi, Jones said Thursday. Raynes had been incarcerated for auto theft and burglary.

Investigators said Raynes fled to Texas after stealing a Hinds County Public Works vehicle, which was found Sunday under a freeway overpass near Houston. It was unknown whether Raynes traveled alone. Before his arrest, he was spotted on surveillance video at a Hedwig Village service station around 11 a.m. Sunday.

Raynes was taken into custody at a Houston hospital before he could be discharged after seeking treatment for an unspecified medical condition, according to the U.S. Marshalls Service.

With the relentless efforts of the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Fugitive Task Force and their partners one escapee from Mississippi was arrested, T. Michael OConnor, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Texas, said in a news release. Additionally, we would like to recognize the Houston media who covered the story. Due to their coverage, we received a credible tip as to the location of the escapee."

The four men are believed to have escaped from the Raymond Detention Center through breaches in a cell and the roof. Jones said the men might have camped out on the roof before fleeing and going their separate ways.

Raynes had previously escaped from custody, breaking out of a work center attached to the Raymond Detention Center in 2021 and fleeing in a stolen pickup, according to WAPT-TV.

In July, U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves ordered a rare takeover of the Raymond jail after he said deficiencies in supervision and staffing led to a stunning array of assaults, as well as deaths. But before the appointed receiver was scheduled to assume control over the jail Jan. 1, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals stayed the lower courts order until it ruled on the countys motion for reconsideration.

The problems at the Raymond facility date back years. The U.S. Justice Department sued Hinds County in 2016 after finding unconstitutional conditions at the jail, including violence among detainees and by staff against detainees. It also found problems with the treatment of juveniles and suicidal detainees. And, it said, there were cell doors that would not lock.

The four escapees had been in custody for various felony charges, most involving theft.

The man Arrington is suspected of killing was Anthony Watts, a 61-year-old church pastor who was shot and killed Monday around 7 p.m. on Interstate 55 in Jackson after he pulled over to help a man who matched Arrington's description. That man shot Watts several times and then stole his Red Dodge Ram, police said. Watts died at the scene.

Arrington later broke into a home in Conway, Mississippi, where he shot a deputy, set the residence on fire and died.

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Michael Goldberg is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mikergoldberg.
Five people were in custody in Memphis, Tenn., on Thursday on charges involving an alleged scheme to distribute cocaine and marijuana from the Houston area to Memphis.

Rodney McChristian and brothers Ronnie R. Woods, Bernard Woods, Steve Woods and Donnell Woods were among 10 people named in an indictment unsealed in Lufkin. The names of the other five were not released Thursday.

In the first count of a nine-count indictment, Ronnie R. Woods, Bernard Woods, Steve Woods, Donnell Woods and Rodney McChristian are accused of conspiracy to possess and distribute five kilograms of cocaine and distributing and possessing with intent to distribute at least 100 kilograms of marijuana.

The indictment alleges the conspiracy occurred from early 2000 through the fall of 2003.

Ronnie Woods, Bernard Woods and Steve Woods are also accused of transporting hundreds of thousands of dollars from Memphis to Houston to buy cocaine in 2002.

McChristian is accused in two counts of traveling in interstate commerce to distribute a mixture containing cocaine.

The men made an initial court appearance in Memphis on Thursday and were being held in jail there Thursday night.

The Commercial Appeal in Memphis reported in its Friday editions that Drug Enforcement Administration agents searched a Memphis nightclub in connection with the investigation.
The Plainview Police Department held their annual banquet last week and one of the main awards of the night was given to a longtime Plainview officer.

Detective Jesse Ortiz was named the 2021-2022 Plainview Officer of the Year.

I was a bit surprised, Ortiz said of his initial reaction to hearing his name for the award. Its nice to be recognized but theres plenty of people here that work hard every day.

This award along with the Rookie of the Year, Supervisor of the Year and Civilian Employee of the Year awards are voted on by members of the department. The Officer of the Year is given to the employee that demonstrates high levels of performance and dedication to the department and citizens of the community. He or she must regularly exceed standards and expectations of the department, make every effort to improve as an officer and take action to assist other members of the department when needed, Criminal Investigation Division Captain Manuel Balderas said.

Ortiz joined the Plainview PD in 2013 and was promoted to sergeant in 2021. He has been a member of the SWAT team and earned a Master of Peace Officers proficiency certification from the Texas Commission of Law Enforcement. Jesse is also a firearms instructor for the department.

Ortiz says its been a pleasant experience to work in Plainview for the past near-decade. The community of Plainview has helped fuel him in his work.

I have enjoyed working here and Im very passionate about what I do, but I think that leads to a lot of the success, he said. : think passion really drives me to just make our communities safer place to live.
Criminal Case Disposition Report  64th District Court

February 2023

Michael Isaac Galindo  tamper fabricate physical evidence with intent to impair  convicted  confinement  5 years  Texas Department of Corrections

Alberto Bermea  unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon  dismissed

Cedric Deshawn Payton  evading arrest/detention with a vehicle  convicted  confinement  5 years  Texas Department of Corrections

Hiram Reymundo Nunez  evading arrest/detention with a vehicle  convicted  CSCD and community control  4 years

Hiram Reymundo Nunez  possession of a controlled substance 1, at least 4 grams, less than 200 grams  convicted  confinement  5 years  Texas Department of Corrections, CSCD and community control  5 years

Orlando Morales  aggravated assault with a deadly weapon  dismissed

Antonio Schmidt  deadly conduct discharge of a firearm  convicted  confinement  5 years  Texas Department of Corrections, CSCD and community control  5 years

Fermin Jenaro Feria Rivera  possession of a controlled substance, penalty group 2, at least 4 grams, less than 400 grams  dismissed

Jerod John Ramos  sexual assault of a child  dismissed

Paul Alvarado, Jr.  harassment of a public servant  convicted  confinement  3 years, Texas Department of Corrections

March 2023

Suzanne Lejean McClelland  possession of a controlled substance, penalty group 1, at least 1 gram, less than 4 grams  confinement  4 years  Texas Department of Corrections

Suzanne Lejean McClelland  prohibited substance/item in a correctional/civic commitment facility  convicted  confinement  4 years  Texas Department of Corrections

Genaro Aguirre Luna  possession of a controlled substance, penalty group 1, less than 1 gram  convicted  confinement  1 year  County Jail

Sabas Garcia Rodriguez  possession of a controlled substance, penalty group 1, less than 1 gram  dismissed

Rusty Tyler Eichman  possession of a controlled substance, penalty group 1, less than 1 gram  convicted  confinement  2 years  Texas Department of Corrections, CSCD and community control  5 years

Christopher Lynn Cantrell  management/delivery of a controlled substance, penalty group 1, at least 4 grams, less than 200 grams  convicted  confinement  8 years  Texas Department of Corrections, CSCD and community control  8 years

Bobby Galvan Ruiz  burglary of a habitation  dismissed

Kyle Dewayne Mansell  possession of a controlled substance, penalty group 1/1-B less than 1 gram  convicted  confinement  15 months  state jail, CSCD and community control  3 years

Antonio Schmidt  theft of a firearm  dismissed

Miranda Lynn Estrada  possession of a controlled substance, penalty group 1/1-B, less than 1 grams  convicted  confinement  18 months  Texas Department of Corrections, CSCD and community control  4 years

Jaime Flores  sexual abuse of a child, continuous: victim under 14  dismissed

Bobby Galvan Ruiz  evading arrest/detention with a vehicle  convicted  confinement  4 years, Texas Department of Corrections

David Rex Diaz  forgery financial instrument  convicted  confinement  12 months  Texas Department of Corrections

Ethan Tucker Simmons  driving while intoxicated, third or more IAT  convicted  confinement  6 years  Texas Department of Corrections, CSCD and community control  6 years
April 18

A hit-and-run crash resulting in private property damage was reported on April 18 at the 1300 block of the east frontage road off N. I-27. A stop sign was knocked down at the intersection.

A 29-year-old woman was arrested on April 18 at the 1800 block of W. 9th St. for an active warrant.

Two individuals were arrested on April 18 at the 1600 block of W. 5th St. Officers arrested a 37-year-old man and charged him with driving with an invalid license with a previous conviction/suspension without financial resolution. A 46-year-old man was also found to have active warrants for failure to maintain financial responsibility, no drivers license, and speeding.

A crash resulting in vehicle damage was reported on April 18 at the 500 block of W. 17th St.

Police arrested 56-year-old Herminio Ramos Balderas on April 18 at the 1200 El Paso. He was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, which is a felony.

An assault was reported to police on April 18. The reporting party noted that the incident happened at a park between the reporting partys daughter and a boyfriend.

A two-vehicle crash was reported at 4th and Broadway on April 18. The driver of one vehicle is suspected to be intoxicated.

Harassment via electronic communication was reported on April 18 at the 2600 block of Dimmitt Road.

April 19

Criminal mischief was reported at the 2000 block of Dallas St. on April 19. A glass door was found to have been broken sometime around 3 a.m.

Criminal mischief was reported on April 19 at the 3100 block of Edgemere. Damage to a vehicle was reported.

Theft was reported on April 19 at the 500 block of N. Date St.

Stalking was reported on April 19 at the 2600 block of Dimmitt Road.

Violation of a court order was reported on April 19 at the 400 block of W. 5th St.

A crash resulting in vehicle damage was reported on April 19 at the 3700 block of Olton Road. No injuries were noted.

A crash resulting in damage to private property was reported on April 19 at the 3400 block of Olton Road.

Burglary was reported on April 19 at the 1400 block of Smythe.

April 20

A theft was reported on April 20 at the 1500 block of N. I-27.

Shoplifting was reported on April 20 at the 4000 block of Olton Road.

A crash resulting in vehicle damage was reported at the 600 block of N. Broadway on April 20.

A crash resulting in private property damage was reported on April 20 at the 1200 block of S. I-27.

A crash resulting in vehicle damage was reported at the 1000 block of Joliet St. on April 20.

Forgery was reported at the 3900 block of Ridgeway on April 20.

Aggravated assault with a weapon was noted at the 900 block of W. 7th St. on April 20.

April 21

A crash resulting in vehicle damage was reported at the 1000 block of S. Columbia on April 21.

Officers arrested 31-year-old Martin Bueno, Sr., on April 21 at the 900 block of W. 7th St. He was found to have an active felony warrant.

April 22

Police responded to the 800 block of N. I-27 on April 22 to the scene of a crash. A vehicle crashed then left the scene. Officers located a 40-year-old woman who was found to be intoxicated. She was charged with driving while intoxicated.

A hit-and-run crash resulting in vehicle damage was noted on April 22 at the 800 block of N. I-27.

A reckless driver was reported on April 22 at the 3300 block of Olton Road, the scene of a crash resulting in private property damage.

A theft was reported at the 1300 block of W. 15th St. on April 22.

Criminal mischief was noted at the 1100 block of Nassau on April 22. Damaged property was reported.

Criminal trespass was reported on April 22 at the 1500 block of N. I-27. Officers arrested a 53-year-old woman and charged her with criminal trespass.

An assault was reported at the 300 block of Ennis on April 22.

April 23

An assault was reported at the 1600 block of Oakland St. on April 23.

April 24

Police conducted a traffic stop on April 24 at the 400 block of Austin St. for a traffic violation. Responding officers confiscated contraband, though its unclear what it was. It is noted that the contraband was destroyed.

A crash resulting in vehicle damage was reported on April 24 at the 1500 block of N. I-27.

A theft was reported at the 1000 block of Rock Island. A 34-year-old man was arrested and charged with both theft and with criminal trespass.

A crash was reported on April 24 at the 1800 block of W. 4th St. on April 24. Two individuals were taken to Covenant Health Plainview with injuries.

Fraud was reported at the 1300 block of W. 12th St. on April 24.

April 25

Identity theft was noted at the 1600 block of N. Date St. on April 25.

Theft from a yard was reported at the 100 block of E. 7th St. on April 25.

A theft was reported at the 1200 block of E. 7th St. on April 25.

Shoplifting was reported at the 2900 block of Dimmitt Road on April 25.

Officers arrested a 32-year-old man at the 1700 block of W. 13th St. during a traffic stop for a vehicle equipment violation. The driver was found to have several active warrants for: driving with no license, display of an expired license plate, failure to maintain financial responsibility and two charges for failure to appear/bail jumping.

A theft was reported at the 900 block of E. 4th St. on April 25.

A crash was reported at the 900 block of S. Columbia.
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A Texas man has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for his role in an online romance scam in which the identities and images of real U.S. military generals were used to cheat victims from across the nation out of a total of $1.5 million. Federal prosecutors in Rhode Island said Tuesday that 52-year-old Fola Alabi was also ordered to pay full restitution and forfeit his home. The victims were often women in their 70s and 80s and either widowed or divorced. The victims were from multiple states including Rhode Island, Tennessee, North Carolina, California, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Arizona, Texas, Idaho and South Dakota.
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Several high school 4-H members earned a chance to compete at the state 4-H roundup in June following a recent judging contest in Lubbock.

Hale County took 20 4-H members on five different teams across three divisions to the Livestock Judging Contest at Texas Tech. The kids returned with multiple awards.

For the contests, the 4-H members judged eight classes of cattle, sheep, goats and swine.

The senior team, which included kids in high school, took a couple of teams.

Team 1 placed third high team overall and third in the following categories: oral reasons, sheep and goats, swine and third high team in beef cattle.

This team qualified to compete at the Texas 4-H Roundup in June at College Station. Team members include the following: Kelton Carver, Jentry Chisum, Landry Miller and Jaxson Wiley.

Team 2 placed ninth high team overall, ninth in oral reasons and second in sheep and goats. Those team members include: Mason Hart, Cooper Martin and Sydney Miller.

Individual results are as follows:

Jaxson Wiley  third high overall, first in sheep and goats, sixth in beef cattle and third in oral reasons

Kelton Carver  ninth in cattle

Landry Miller  eighth in swine

Mason Hart  sixth in sheep and goats

The state contest is slated for June 5-8 in College Station. The Hale County 4-H members who qualified (from the senior team) will compete against 4-H members across the state. While the roundup includes 50 competitions, these kids will participate in livestock judging.

The intermediate team  including kids in sixth to eight grades  earned fifth high team overall, first in oral reasons, third in sheep and goats, and fifth in swine and beef cattle. Team members included:

Bryleigh Beyers  placed third individually in oral reasons

Doc Chisum  placed seventh in oral reasons

Jessie Chisum  placed fourth in oral reasons and fourth in sheep and goats

Kellin Hart

Zach Barton (judged as an individual)

The Junior division participants from Hale County (kids in third through fifth grades) came home with several prizes. Heres how they placed:

Team 1 earned third team overall in sheep and goats, first team in swine and third team in cattle.

Team members include:

Bow Holder  placed sixth high individual overa,, seventh in sheep and goats and eighth in swine

Tak Holder  placed third high individual overall, ninth in swine and third in sheep and goats

Berklee Schniers  placed 11 th high overall and 10 th in swine

high overall and 10 in swine Drake Woerner

Team 2 earned fourth place in sheep and goats.

Team members include:
The water meter infrastructure upgrades approved April 25 by the Plainview City Council will be of no cost to the citizens.

During a regular meeting Tuesday night in which the council unanimously voted to accept a performance contract between the City of Plainview and Ameresco and the adoption of an ordinance authorizing revenue bonds for the project, the Council addressed a few citizen concerns. One citizen questioned whether he  as a citizen  would foot any out-of-pocket costs regarding the general upkeep and installation of the meters.

The answer is no.

The council adopted an ordinance authorizing the issuance of City of Plainview, Texas Waterworks and Sewer System Revenue Bonds to cover the project.

This is a revenue bond, noted Mayor Pro Tem Susan Blackerby. Its not something added to the tax bill.

The only difference customers may notice is an increase in how much water theyre paying for  not because prices are going up, though. Its simply a factor of more accurate reads on water usage.

More for you New water meters to allow citizens to track their own water usage

During information sessions hosted in early April, City Manager Jeffrey Snyder and Director of Public Works Neil Weems explained that a random sample of current water meters revealed inaccurate readings and about 50% were found to be 20 years or older. Current meters are only catching an average of 93% of water usage across the board. Those were some factors that led to the decision to upgrade to meters that can provide digitized and more accurate readings.

The system upgrade is to be paid for by the city. Customers will not see any hookup fees or upgrade fees.

It was noted that the new system will provide a more transparent breakdown of water usage and billing.

Following citizen questions, a representative of Ameresco told the Council the company will offer a full warranty of the project.

He also noted that the program to be used by citizens so they can monitor their own water usage activity will also provide troubleshooting tips. So if a citizen detects any unusual activity, they can look at the customer portal and find tips on what to check, what steps to take, etc.

The city hopes to begin water meter installation in October, barring any supply chain and/or delivery issues.
BEIJING (AP)  Chinese leader Xi Jinping faces daunting obstacles if he is serious about trying to help end Russia's 14-month-old war in Ukraine.

The biggest: Neither side is ready to stop fighting.

Xis plan to send an envoy to Ukraine allows his government to deflect criticism of its support for Moscow and pursue a bigger role as a diplomatic force. His announcement Wednesday in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prompted optimism Beijing might use its warm relations with Russia's Vladimir Putin to push for peace. That was followed by skeptical questions about whether Beijing is more focused on ending an invasion it refuses to criticize, or serving its own interests.

China's starting point is a peace proposal issued in February that called for a ceasefire, negotiations and an end to sanctions against Russia. It offered few details, but repeated Russian accusations that Western governments were to blame for the invasion.

China has good reasons to want to see the war ended. It jolted the Chinese economy by pushing up oil, wheat and other commodity prices. Beijing also warned Wednesday about the dangers of nuclear war, after Russia announced earlier it would move atomic weapons into neighboring Belarus.

Chinas self-interest happens to align with ending the war, said John Delury, an international relations specialist at Yonsei University in Seoul.

Beijing has no interest in seeing Russia humiliated, nor is it in Chinas interest for Russia to be triumphant, Delury said. The best option is a cease-fire and, with it, economic opportunities to participate in Ukraines post-war reconstruction.

Wednesdays statement gave no indication how China might recommend addressing the questions the two countries are fighting over, including Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula seized by Moscow from Ukraine in 2014.

PLAYING PEACEMAKER HELPS BEIJING IN EUROPE

By playing peacemaker, Beijing might also be looking to separate European allies from the United States, which Xi accuses of trying to block China's economic and political rise.

Beijing is trying to repair relations with Europe after an uproar over a Chinese ambassadors comment that former Soviet republics might not be sovereign countries. That group includes Ukraine, and European Union members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron have visited Beijing and appealed for help with Ukraine, highlighting the challenges faced by Washington in holding together allies to oppose Chinas assertive policies abroad.

Trying to drive a wedge between the U.S. and European partners is an important goal, said Alexander Gabuev of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. For that, China needs to pretend that its an active force for peace.

Xi's call with Zelenskyy might sustain European hopes that China can be persuaded to "wield its influence to help end the war" but is unlikely to change the Western assessment of Beijings stance as one of pro-Russian neutrality,' said Eurasia Group analysts in a report.

XI SHOWS HE DOESN'T ALWAYS SUPPORT PUTIN

The announcement gives Beijing a chance to show it doesn't always agree with Moscow, though the differences might be too subtle for Western critics. They complain China helps Putin resist Western sanctions by purchasing Russian oil and gas and provides political support.

Xis government sees the Kremlin as a partner in opposing U.S. domination of global affairs. China has used its status as one of five permanent U.N. Security Council members to block efforts to censure Russia.

Xi and Putin said in a joint statement before the February 2022 invasion their governments had a no limits friendship. Their navies held joint exercises with Iran in March.

Despite that, the Chinese government says they have a non-alliance relationship. Beijing has promised not to supply armaments to either side in the Ukraine war.

China has never taken one side, said Da Wei, an international relations specialist at Tsinghua University in Beijing and director of its Center for Strategic and Security Studies.

Which Western leader has maintained communication with leaders of both parties directly involved in the crisis? said Da. I think this call is an indication of Chinas fair and impartial objective in promoting peace talks."

A Chinese statement Wednesday also cited mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity as a foundation of relations with Ukraine.

While Russia is trying to move borders by annexing portions of Ukraine, Beijing is intensely sensitive about respecting territorial sovereignty. It says borders must be respected and no country has a right to meddle in anothers affairs.

BEIJING'S EFFORT TO RAISE GLOBAL PROFILE

Positioning itself as a mediator also helps Beijing as it pursues a bigger role in managing global affairs as part of efforts to restore China to what the Communist Party sees as its rightful place as a political, economic and cultural leader.

Beijing should actively participate in the reform and construction of the global governance system and promote global security initiatives, Xi said in March. A proposal for a Global Security Initiative issued in February said China is ready to conduct bilateral and multilateral security cooperation with all countries.

Also in March, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced the end of a 7-year diplomatic split following Chinese-organized talks. This year, Xis government has also offered to mediate Israeli-Palestinian talks, set up a new Middle East security structure, and help African countries resolve disputes.

If Beijing can organize peace talks, that backs up Xi Jinpings ambitions to being a global power, said Delury.

China's diplomatic ambition is a reversal from decades of staying out of other countries disputes and most international affairs to focus on economic development.

Its peacemaking initiatives are also at odds with confrontational Chinese behavior toward its neighbors in territorial disputes and threats to attack Taiwan, the self-ruled island democracy claimed by Beijing as part of its territory.

DIM HOPES FOR PEACE TALKS

Zelenskyys government said in a statement his conversation with Xi might lead toward possible interaction with the aim of establishing a just and sustainable peace for Ukraine. Zelenskyy said March 29 he had invited Xi to visit, but neither government has indicated whether that might happen.

Despite that, political analysts see little chance for progress. Ukraine is believed to be preparing a new offensive to recapture Russian-occupied territory.

A resolution is "maybe years, even decades, away, because the Russian and Ukrainian positions are still miles apart," said Gabuev.

Shi Yinhong, an international relations specialist at Renmin University in Beijing, noted Russias Foreign Ministry has said peace talks are almost impossible," while Zelenskyy stressed to Xi the importance of recovering all captured territory.

Neither side in the war materially echoed Chinas initiative, which fell far short of what they were striving for, said Shi.

___

Joe McDonald has reported from China for The Associated Press since 1997.

___

AP researcher Wanqing Chen in Beijing and AP writer Andrew Katell contributed.

___

Find more of APs Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  In massive victories for Republicans, the newly GOP-controlled North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday threw out a previous ruling against gerrymandered voting maps and upheld a photo voter identification law that colleagues had struck down as racially biased.

The partisan gerrymandering ruling should make it significantly easier for the Republican-dominated legislature to help the GOP gain seats in the narrowly divided U.S. House when state lawmakers redraw congressional boundaries for the 2024 elections. Under the current map, Democrats won seven of the states 14 congressional seats last November.

The court, which became a Republican majority this year following the election of two GOP justices, ruled after taking the unusual step of revisiting redistricting and voter ID opinions made in December by the courts previous iteration, when Democrats held a 4-3 seat advantage. The court held rehearings in March.

Friday's 5-2 rulings also mean that state lawmakers should have greater latitude in drawing General Assembly seat boundaries for elections next year and the rest of the decade, and that the voter ID law approved by the legislature in late 2018 could be carried out soon.

In another court decision Friday along party lines, the state justices overturned a trial court decision on when the voting rights of people convicted of felonies are restored. That means tens of thousands of people will have to complete their probation or parole and pay any fines to qualify to vote again.

Republican legislators celebrated the sweeping series of favorable decisions that are assuredly the result of the changing makeup of the states highest court. Outside groups spent millions on the two Supreme Court campaigns in 2022.

The decisions handed down today by the NC Supreme Court have ensured that our constitution and the will of the people of North Carolina are honored, House Speaker Tim Moore said in a news release.

But the remaining Democratic justices and their allies lambasted the decisions that reversed new precedents on redistricting and voter ID.

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who leads a national Democratic group whose affiliate helped support the redistricting litigation, said Fridays mapping decision was a function of political personnel and partisan opportunism by Republicans.

History will not be kind to this courts majority, which will now forever be stained for irreparably harming the legitimacy and reputation of North Carolinas highest tribunal, Holder said.

Chief Justice Paul Newby, writing the majority opinion in the redistricting case, said that the previous Democratic majority erred by declaring that the state constitution outlawed extensive partisan gerrymandering. The court last year struck down maps the General Assembly drew because they said it gave Republicans outsized electoral advantage compared to their voting power.

But Newby said a partisan gerrymandering prohibition is absent from the plain language of the constitution. He argued that current and former colleagues who declared otherwise had wrongly wrested power away from the General Assembly, which the state constitution designates as the mapmakers.

In its decision today, the Court returns to its tradition of honoring the constitutional roles assigned to each branch, Newby wrote. This case is not about partisan politics, but rather about realigning the proper roles of the judicial and legislative branches.

Associate Justice Anita Earls, writing the dissenting opinion, said the court correctly ruled last year to ensure all North Carolina residents "regardless of political party, were not denied their fundamental right to vote on equal terms.' ... Today, the majority strips the people of this right.

North Carolina Republicans also had appealed a decision on the congressional map to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the justices to expand the powers of state legislatures at the expense of state courts on matters of congressional redistricting and elections.

The U.S. justices heard oral arguments in December but later asked the legal parties what effect, in any, the state Supreme Courts reconsideration of the issue should have on the case. The responses varied, but President Joe Biden's administration suggested the court should dismiss the case, even before Fridays state court decision.

On voter ID, the Republican majority reversed a trial court decision that struck down the 2018 law. The trial court had ruled that GOP legislators passed the law in part to retain General Assembly control by discouraging Black Democrats from voting in legislative elections. But Associate Justice Phil Berger Jr. wrote, in part, that the trial judges erred in relying on a federal court ruling striking down a 2013 voter ID law as tainted by racial discrimination.

Although a federal lawsuit challenging the voter ID law is still pending, the State Board of Elections said Friday that staff would start working toward a smooth rollout of the ID requirement with municipal elections this fall.

Voters also previously approved a separate photo voter ID mandate for the state constitution, although that amendment remains stuck in litigation that wouldnt affect Fridays ruling.

On the process for restoring voting rights, the court upheld a law passed in 1973  when Democrats controlled the legislature  that automatically restored voting rights only after the unconditional discharge of an inmate, of a probationer, or of a parolee.

A panel of trial court judges last year declared that the law disproportionately harmed Black offenders and violated the constitution. The plaintiffs' lawyers said the 1973 law remained rooted in Reconstruction-era efforts by white politicians to intentionally prevent Black residents from voting.

Most of the people affected by the law  about 56,000 on probation, parole or supervision at the time of a 2021 trial  got the chance to vote last November.

Shakita Norman, a plaintiff in the case who was able to vote in 2022, called Friday's decision just plain wrong. If youre telling us we can no longer vote, are you also telling us that we dont have to pay taxes? This isnt right.

Associate Justice Trey Allen wrote in the majority opinion that the trial court wrongly imputed" discriminatory views of 19th century lawmakers upon others who later "made it easier for eligible felons of all races to regain their voting rights.

It is not unconstitutional to insist that felons pay their debt to society as a condition of participating in the electoral process, Allen wrote.

__

Associated Press writer Mark Sherman contributed to this report.
GoNetspeed announced Monday that residents and businesses throughout North Haven will soon have access to GoNetspeeds high-speed 100% fiber internet. Through GoNetspeeds privately-funded $4.4 million investment in town, more than 4,700 locations will have access to future-proof fiber internet as early as this fall with construction beginning this summer. Residents and businesses interested in GoNetspeed services may visit gonetspeed.com to indicate interest and receive construction updates.

On behalf of North Haven, I want to thank GoNetspeed for their generous investment in our community. Their service will not only provide access to faster internet but will also support the continued growth of our communitys economic development, said Michael J. Freda, Town of North Haven First Selectman.

Were excited to soon see and experience the impact of their service and look forward to the success it will bring in the future, Freda added.

Tom Perrone, GoNetspeeds senior vice president of Network Operations & General Manager in Connecticut, said as North Haven continues to grow, the need for reliable and high-speed internet is more important than ever.

With access to our 100% fiber internet, North Haven will be equipped with an infrastructure that will meet the crucial need for faster internet, Perrone added.

GoNetspeed continues to ensure that more communities throughout Connecticut have access to a high-speed 100% fiber internet infrastructure.

Currently, more than 30 communities throughout the state have access to GoNetspeeds service, along with many communities that are well on their way.
After pulling off one last stunt, resulting in his expulsion from Colombia, Gauido has not only outlived his political usefulness but has become a source of embarrassment to his erstwhile handlers (primarily the US).

How fortunes have changed for Juan Guaido, until recently Venezuelas US-appointed interim president. Almost all of the 60 countries that once supported him have abandoned his presidency and interim government. In Latin America, all left-leaning governments, including neighbouring Colombia and Brazil, have reestablished ties with Nicolas Maduros administration and roundly condemned Guaidos attempt to bring it down by using foreign pressure to spark a military uprising.

In what seems like one last attempt to garner international attention, Guaido began this week by furtively crossing the border from Venezuela into Colombia with the apparent intention of gatecrashing a one-day conference hosted by the Colombian President Gustavo Petro to discuss the fragile political situation in Venezuela. Representatives from 19 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, and the EU had been invited to the San Carlos Palace on Tuesday. Guaido claims he had also received an invite from Colombias Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva, an allegation that Leyva strenuously denies.

On Monday afternoon, Guaido announced on social media that he had crossed into Colombia on foot to evade Maduros persecution. Spains El Pais reported on the same day that Gauidos unexpected chess move had put Petro en jaque (in check) by causing a diplomatic crisis that threatened to disrupt the Colombian presidents one-day conference, which he had spent months preparing:

Juan Guaido has become the protagonist of a party to which he was not invited and has sent the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, into an unexpected diplomatic scramble. This is a key week for Petro and his role in the Venezuelan crisis. Representatives from 20 countries will meet this Tuesday at a summit in Bogota to try to reactivate the dialogue between Maduros government and the opposition that has been paralyzed for months. Neither of the two parties will participate in the meeting, but both the government of Nicolas Maduro and the opposition delegation have given their support to the meeting. However, the presence of Guaido in Colombia has become a powder keg that threatens to spoil the conference.

Juan Guaido does not exist here or in Venezuela.

Of course, Guaidos claim that he had been invited to the conference is risible. Why would the foreign minister of a government that has treated Guaido as a political non-entity since taking office last June invite him to a conference aimed at helping to resolve the political crisis in Venezuela  a crisis that Guaido has done nothing but fuel and profit from? In September last year, Colombias Ambassador to Venezuela, Armando Benedetti, told the Colombian newspaper Semana: Juan Guaido does not exist here or in Venezuela.

Its arguable whether Guaido, as a political figure, exists anywhere anymore, apart from in the hearts and minds of certain demented US politicians. In late December, Venezuelas opposition parties delivered the killer blow by voting to oust him as interim president and dissolve his parallel government.

In a statement Leyva said Guaido was not welcome at the summit  as, indeed, was no other member of Venezuelas opposition or government. Guaido had apparently crossed the broader into Colombia in an irregular way (i.e., at a location that is not a designated point of entry), opening the door to possible deportation back to Venezuela. His goal, according to Leyva, was to make noise at the conference.

This is where it gets really interesting: according to Leyva, Colombias immigration authorities were apparently able to track Guaido down thanks to a tip off from a senior US government official. Guaido was then told that he had to leave the country as soon as possible and was accompanied by US agents all the way to Bogotas El Dorado airport. At the airport a one-way ticket to Miami was paid for by the United States. In fact, according to Levya, all of the steps taken to remove Guaido from Colombia were green lighted by US authorities.

On his arrival at Miami airport, Guaido was seemingly met by no one but a few journalists:

El opositor venezolano Juan Guaido fue expulsado este lunes de Colombia, porque "se encontraba en Bogota de manera irregular", informo el ministerio colombiano de Relaciones Exteriores.

Asi llego anoche a Miami, completamente solo pic.twitter.com/AMmYjDlnYH  epigmenio ibarra (@epigmenioibarra) April 25, 2023

Guaidos treatment at the hands of Petros government could not contrast more starkly with the VIP treatment he received from Petros predecessor Ivan Duque four years ago. In early 2019, during the first few months of Guaidos interim presidency, both Duque and Brazils then President Jair Bolsonaro lent out planes belonging to their respective presidential fleets for Guaidos tour of South America, which included stops in Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador and Paraguay. On his arrival in Bogota, on February 24, Guado was given the full red carpet treatment, including full military honours, by the Duque government:

Duque le cedio un avion de las Fuerzas Armadas a ese payaso, para que se paseara por toda Latinoamerica Guaido penso que todavia gobernaba Ivan Mordisco. pic.twitter.com/U0z35u4S7U  Derli Lopez (@derlilopeza) April 25, 2023

Of course, Duque was not the only head of state to give Guaido such special treatment. For the first two years of his interim presidency, the governments of dozens of countries around the world  many of them the same NATO members or allies that now support sanctions on Russia as well as a broad smattering of South American nations, then under the control of US-aligned governments  recognized Guaido as Venezuelas legitimate leader. Ambassadors were appointed in his name, assets were seized (stolen), and military interventions were requested.

As the Argentinean journalist Bruno Sgarzini notes, the Guaido story could have been lifted straight out of a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel. But it is now in the final chapter.

As I reported in my November 1 post, Is Venezuelas US-Appointed Interim President Juan Guaido On His Way Out?, Guaido and the parallel government he fronts have been an obstacle in the way of the gradual re-normalising of economic relations between the US and Venezuela and the reopening of Venezuelas vast oil reserves  the largest oil reserves on the planet, estimated at more than 300 billion barrels, as well as 201 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proven gas reserves  to US oil majors. That is what matters to the Biden administration right now.

That said, there are still certain factions within Washington that continue to support Guaido despite the fact that Venezuelas own opposition parties have discarded him. They include the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The US stands with @jguaido & the Venezuelan people as they continue struggling against dictatorship, criminality & crimes against humanity. Colombia's unfortunate decisionwhich came as the Maduro regime threatened Guaido & his familyis inconsistent with our shared values. https://t.co/lQZKUQY4QM  Senate Foreign Relations Committee (@SFRCdems) April 25, 2023

All the same, Guaidos expulsion from Colombia is almost certainly the final nail in his and his parallel governments coffin. Completely abandoned by his former allies at home, without even a political party to back him up and shorn of the support of Washington, the man who once proclaimed himself president of Venezuela from a city square in downtown Caracas, with absolutely zero democratic legitimacy, has not only outlived his political usefulness but has become an embarrassment to his erstwhile handlers (primarily the US, UK and Spain).

Even the article in El Pais admits that Guaido is by now completely alone. Not even the United States or the bulk of the Venezuelan opposition support his latest political stunt.

Venezuelan Assets Still in Limbo

Despite Guaidos fall from grace, many of Venezuelas assets held abroad still remain in limbo, thanks primarily to the US sanctions. Unlike the EU, the UK government continued to formally recognize Guaido as interim president until the bitter end. Even after Venezuelas leading opposition parties voted to oust Guaido, the UK continues to hold on to Venezuelas roughly $2 billion of gold deposits stored at the Bank of England, which have been frozen since 2018, as Declassified UK recently reported:

Now that Guaido has been ousted, the legal argument for transferring the gold to the Venezuelan opposition has effectively disintegrated. Despite this, the gold remains frozen in the Bank of England, with no clear resolution in sight. Whatever happens next, this case sets a precedent which could have far-reaching consequences: the UKs coup weapons now include asset stripping a foreign state, and transferring those assets to political actors engaged in regime change. This will surely serve as a warning to any state which plans to store its gold in the Bank of England.

While the then-UK Foreign Secretary (and now Chancellor of Exchequer) Jeremy Hunt was  in the words of John Bolton  delighted to help with the Trump administrations destabilisation campaign in Venezuela, by, among things, freezing Venezuelan gold deposits in the Bank of England, the Bank of England had concerns about the potential legal ramifications. Declassified UK:

The Foreign Office worked to ease their nerves. On 25 January 2019, Alan Duncan, the minister of state for Europe and the Americas, wrote in his diary that he held a phone call with Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, about Venezuelas gold. He wrote: I tell Carney that I fully appreciate that, although its a decision for the Bank, he needs a measure of political air cover from us. I tell him I will write him the most robust letter I can get through the FCO lawyers, and it will outline the growing doubts over Maduros legitimacy and explain that many countries no longer consider him to be the countrys President. In other words, the Bank of England required a robust legal rationale for keeping Venezuelas gold frozen, and the Foreign Office was happy to provide it with one.

Since then, the question of who actually owns Venezuelas gold reserves has been the focus of several high-profile court cases in the UK, with the result that both the UK government and Guaidos parallel government have incurred significant legal costs. The UK government refuses to disclose just how much in public funds it has spent defending the rights of Guaidos parallel government to Venezuelas gold. Recently published accounts suggest that Guaidos team spent over $8.5m on legal fees, which, astoundingly, were paid with money originally appropriated from the Venezuelan state in the US.

Despite all the money lavished on top UK lawyers, Gauido and his parallel government were unable to get their grubby hands on Venezuelas gold:

In the most recent hearing, in October 2022, judge Justice Cockerill granted the Maduro board permission to appeal, declaring that the issues at stake were effectively unprecedented, and that the consequences of the decision have the potential to affect all the citizens of Venezuela. Indeed, the freezing of Venezuelas gold has served as a form of collective punishment. In 2021, United Nations special rapporteur on sanctions, Alena Douhan, urged the UK and corresponding banks to unfreeze assets of the Venezuela Central Bank to purchase medicine, vaccines, food, medical and other equipment, spare parts and other essential goods to guarantee humanitarian needs of the people of Venezuela

Since the dissolution of Guaidos interim government, in December, there is no legal basis for the UKs freezing of Venezuelas gold. But the UK government continues to refuse to accept the legitimacy of Maduros government, and Venezuelas gold remains in limbo.

There are only two ways out of the current impasse: either the courts rule that the legal basis for the freezing of the gold has disintegrated or the UK government decides to normalise relations with the Maduro government. But as UK Disclassified notes, this would entail an embarrassing climb-down and would have to be worked out alongside Washington.

For the moment there are few signs of the UK doing that or of Washington making meaningful concessions on sanctions against Venezuela. After all, why should the Biden administration make concessions when the US is already receiving 100,000 barrels a day of Venezuelan oil without barely lifting a single sanction?

The only points on which the delegates at Tuesdays conference could agree on were: free and transparent elections; that the movement toward elections goes hand in hand with the gradual lifting of sanctions; and that the negotiations between the Venezuelan government and opposition parties recommence in Mexico as soon as possible.

These points fall well short of Nicolas Maduros latest demands, which include the immediate lifting of all sanctions on Venezuela* and that the US government return $3.2 billion of the money seized from overseas bank accounts (according to Maduro, as much as $30 billion of overseas funds have been blocked by US sanctions). The president of Venezuelas national assembly, Jorge Fernandez, added a couple of other demands: the full repatriation of Venezuelas gold, and the release of Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab from US prison.

It is hard to see the Biden administration acceding to these demands any time soon, if ever, especially with US presidential elections looming. As such, although the tragi-farcical Juan Guaido era may finally, thankfully, be over, the chances of Venezuela and the US restoring relations remain painfully slim.

* In 2019, the Centre for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) published a report alleging that U.S. sanctions on Venezuela had killed tens of thousands of people by crippling its ability to produce its number-one export commodity, oil, or import basic goods.

A more recent paper in the George Town Security Review cites reports from the Washington Office on Latin America, the UN Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures and human rights, the Fourth Freedom Forum, and the United States Government Accountability Office, all of which argue that sanctions are exacerbating pre-existing economic difficulties (in Venezuela) by lowering oil production (Venezuelas main revenue stream), reducing access to key goods and services such as electricity, water, fuel, gas, food, and medicine and reducing the availability of foreign currency needed to import goods.
North Dakotas effort to set minimum sentences for gun crimes and offenses against officers has been killed, after multiple changes and a lengthy process one lawmaker called a crazy circus.

The House on Friday in a 77-13 vote killed Senate Bill 2107, but not before a conference committee gutted the bill. What House members voted on was not minimum sentences, as initially proposed by Attorney General Drew Wrigley, but a study of who should be prohibited from possessing guns.

Wrigley said he plans to propose the minimum sentencing legislation again in the next session.

Politics can be combat, but we will always fight it, he said. This is war, and this is one battle.

Senate Bill 2107 took an unprecedented path through the Legislature, Rep. Bernie Satrom, R-Jamestown, told The Forum.

The initial bill would have set a minimum sentence of 30 days for simple assault and fleeing police, as well as 14 days for resisting arrest. Those sentences would be presumptive, meaning a judge would have to explain in writing why he or she handed down a sentence that was less than the minimum.

Wrigley also initially proposed minimum mandatory sentences for gun-related crimes involving drugs. A person who possessed a gun during one of those crimes would face at least three years, while firing a weapon would land a person at least seven years. Offenders would have to serve at least 85% of the sentence before being eligible for release.

Sentences for the gun crimes and offenses against law enforcement would have to be served consecutively.

In writing the initial bill, Wrigley cited rising crime numbers and concerns from law enforcement that repeat offenders were being released from imprisonment too soon. He claimed the bill would reduce crime and provide further protections for law enforcement and all North Dakota residents.

Opponents suggested the bill would result in more people going to prison without true reform. More defendants would go to trial, which would clog the courts and cost the state more money, they said.

Wrigleys bill passed the Senate in February. In the House Judiciary Committee, Wrigley put forward amendments that made the mandatory minimum sentences for the gun-related crimes presumptive.

Taking the advice of the North Dakota States Attorneys Association, that committee rewrote Wrigleys bill. Known as the Satrom amendments since he backed the associations proposal, the amendments would set minimum sentences for special dangerous or habitual offenders.

The full House approved that version earlier this month in a 64-23 vote.

Satrom said the initial bill was deeply flawed because Wrigley didnt consult the association or defense attorneys.

Rep. Lawrence Klemin, a Bismarck Republican who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, initially voted against the bill in committee but cast a green vote on the House floor. During conference committee, he proposed reinstating Wrigleys amendments as proposed in the House Judiciary Committee.

That took out the special dangerous and habitual offenders clauses.

The Senate again approved the bill on April 21, but the House on Tuesday sent it back to conference committee, with representatives criticizing the changes and process for nearly an hour.

Rep. Landon Bahl, R-Grand Forks, accused Wrigley of influencing and bullying lawmakers, claiming on a radio broadcast that those who voted for the House amendments do not support law enforcement. Bahl then claimed Klemin assigned members to the conference committee who would support Wrigleys version.

I stand here to urge a red vote on maybe what I should start calling the attorney generals conference committees report, Bahl said.

Wrigley said some have mischaracterized the bill. He added that he felt Bahls comments didnt merit a response.

On the House floor on Tuesday, Satrom said the bill shouldnt have become political, and it could have been resolved if Wrigley spoke with all the stakeholders.

Instead, weve got this crazy circus, Satrom said on the floor.

House Majority Leader Mike Lefor on Tuesday took the blame for how the committee was formed and asked the House to send the bill back to the conference committee. He said Friday that Klemin did nothing wrong and is a man of high character and integrity.

As far as personal attacks on the floor, there is no place for that in this chamber, Lefor said Friday.

Without calling out Bahl by name, Klemin on Friday said that statements presented on Tuesday were not given on the merits of the bill but were personal criticism against him and Wrigley.

In my 25 years as a member of the House, I have never heard such a vitriolic and derogatory speech, Klemin said.

He said the House didnt get to vote on the merits of the bill, noting debate halted before at least 10 people who signaled that they wanted to speak could weigh in.

I was not the one who was out of line and caused the debate to be halted, he said. Rather, it was the loud voices complaining with their choreographed speeches. I did not have the opportunity for rebuttal.

Klemin called Tuesdays actions an example of kill the messengers if you cant kill the bill.

I think it is regrettable that a handful of House members derailed this bill from getting its day in court, Wrigley said Thursday.

Three senators and one representative in the committee voted Wednesday to return Wrigleys version back to the main chambers. Legislative rules require two each from the House and Senate to approve recommendations from conference committee.

Senators in the committee didnt back down from their version, and representatives wouldnt concur. Ultimately, instead of letting the bill die, the committee voted to delete any language about minimum sentences and instead study who should be prohibited from possessing a gun.

We chose to move to a hoghouses bill and turn it into a study rather than having a bill that was not going to be functional for the attorney general nor for our law enforcement to protect the public, Sen. Janne Myrdal, R-Edinburg said Thursday on the Senate floor. Here we are today to sadly ask that you concur with this.

The term hoghouse describes the process of replacing the entire content of a bill to change its purpose.

The Senate approved the study 44-2.

In a last attempt to save the bill, Klemin on Friday said there was still time to send it back to conference committee and vote on minimum sentences.

At this point, I dont care if you accept or reject this meaningless report, Klemin said. I just wanted to clear my name.

The House ultimately voted against the study, killing the bill.

The process the bill went through is a poor way to do policy, Satrom told The Forum.

There was a lot of frustration from people on how this was handled, he said.
What Cheetahs, Armadillos and Whales Revealed About Human DNA New York Times

FDA Approves Poop-Based Pill to Treat Hardy Gut Infections Gizmodo (ksmith)

Climate/Environment

Smoke and Heat: Breaking Records in Southeast Asia The Diplomat

Water

#COVID-19

Old Blighty

Scotlands lighthouse workers set to take historic strike action as union takes aim at government failure Unite the Union

The Lucky Country

Our refined fuel comes from Singapore, Korea, India, Malaysia, Japan and Taiwan. Our crude comes from Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and the US. If there is conflict in East Asia, as is contemplated by Govt, we are vulnerable to complete economic and societal shut down. 4/4 #auspol pic.twitter.com/60ToZ2l2HC

The Koreas

China denounces US plans to send nuclear ballistic submarine to South Korea South China Morning Post

China?

Joe Biden to make landmark visit to Papua New Guinea as US vies with China for Asia-Pacific influence South China Morning Post

China demands immediate halt to US arms sales to Taiwan Anadolu Agency

New Not-So-Cold War

Ukraine Peace Talks  A Grown Up Is Taking Charge Moon of Alabama

Xi Jinping to send Chinese peace talks delegation to Ukraine The Guardian (Kevin W)

***

***

Renewables generate more of EUs electricity than fossil fuels over winter for 1st time Anadolu Agency. but it cannot rely on emergency demand cuts and mild weather for future years. And

The Future of U.S. Natural Gas: A Conversation with Charif Souki (Video) CSIS, YouTube. (RK): The EU is in deep doodoo vis-a-vis energy. The US is not. All according to plan.

Letters LRB. (Alynch) On the origin of iron curtain.
By Alfred McCoy, a historian and educator. He is the Fred Harvey Harrington Professor of History at the University of WisconsinMadison and author of To Govern the Globe: World Orders and Catastrophic Change. Originally published at TomDispatch.

From the ashes of a world war that killed 80 million people and reduced great cities to smoking rubble, America rose like a Titan of Greek legend, unharmed and armed with extraordinary military and economic power, to govern the globe. During four years of combat against the Axis leaders in Berlin and Tokyo that raged across the planet, Americas wartime commanders  George Marshall in Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower in Europe, and Chester Nimitz in the Pacific  knew that their main strategic objective was to gain control over the vast Eurasian landmass. Whether youre talking about desert warfare in North Africa, the D-Day landing at Normandy, bloody battles on the Burma-India border, or the island-hopping campaign across the Pacific, the Allied strategy in World War II involved constricting the reach of the Axis powers globally and then wresting that very continent from their grasp.

That past, though seemingly distant, is still shaping the world we live in. Those legendary generals and admirals are, of course, long gone, but the geopolitics they practiced at such a cost still has profound implications. For just as Washington encircled Eurasia to win a great war and global hegemony, so Beijing is now involved in a far less militarized reprise of that reach for global power.

And to be blunt, these days, Chinas gain is Americas loss. Every step Beijing takes to consolidate its control over Eurasia simultaneously weakens Washingtons presence on that strategic continent and so erodes its once formidable global power.

A Cold War Strategy

After four embattled years imbibing lessons about geopolitics with their morning coffee and bourbon nightcaps, Americas wartime generation of generals and admirals understood, intuitively, how to respond to the future alliance of the two great communist powers in Moscow and Beijing.

In 1948, following his move from the Pentagon to Foggy Bottom, Secretary of State George Marshall launched the $13 billion Marshall Plan to rebuild a war-torn Western Europe, laying the economic foundations for the formation of the NATO alliance just a year later. After a similar move from the wartime Allied headquarters in London to the White House in 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower helped complete a chain of military bastions along Eurasias Pacific littoral by signing a series of mutual-security pacts  with South Korea in 1953, Taiwan in 1954, and Japan in 1960. For the next 70 years, that island chain would serve as the strategic hinge on Washingtons global power, critical for both the defense of North America and dominance over Eurasia.

After fighting to conquer much of that vast continent during World War II, Americas postwar leaders certainly knew how to defend their gains. For more than 40 years, their unrelenting efforts to dominate Eurasia assured Washington of an upper hand and, in the end, victory over the Soviet Union in the Cold War. To constrain the communist powers inside that continent, the U.S. ringed its 6,000 miles with 800 military bases, thousands of jet fighters, and three massive naval armadas  the 6th Fleet in the Atlantic, the 7th Fleet in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, and, somewhat later, the 5th Fleet in the Persian Gulf.

Thanks to diplomat George Kennan, that strategy gained the name containment and, with it, Washington could, in effect, sit back and wait while the Sino-Soviet bloc imploded through diplomatic blunder and military misadventure. After the Beijing-Moscow split of 1962 and Chinas subsequent collapse into the chaos of Mao Zedongs Cultural Revolution, the Soviet Union tried repeatedly, if unsuccessfully, to break out of its geopolitical isolation  in the Congo, Cuba, Laos, Egypt, Ethiopia, Angola, and Afghanistan. In the last and most disastrous of those interventions, which Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev came to term the bleeding wound, the Red Army deployed 110,000 soldiers for nine years of brutal Afghan combat, hemorrhaging money and manpower in ways that would contribute to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

In that heady moment of seeming victory as the sole superpower left on planet Earth, a younger generation of Washington foreign-policy leaders, trained not on battlefields but in think tanks, took little more than a decade to let that unprecedented global power start to slip away. Toward the close of the Cold War era in 1989, Francis Fukuyama, an academic working in the State Departments policy planning unit, won instant fame among Washington insiders with his seductive phrase the end of history. He argued that Americas liberal world order would soon sweep up all of humanity on an endless tide of capitalist democracy. As he put it in a much-cited essay: The triumph of the West, of the Western idea, is evident in the total exhaustion of viable systemic alternatives to Western liberalism seen also in the ineluctable spread of consumerist Western culture.

The Invisible Power of Geopolitics

Amid such triumphalist rhetoric, Zbigniew Brzezinski, another academic sobered by more worldly experience, reflected on what he had learned about geopolitics during the Cold War as an adviser to two presidents, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. In his 1997 book The Grand Chessboard, Brzezinski offered the first serious American study of geopolitics in more than half a century. In the process, he warned that the depth of U.S. global hegemony, even at this peak of unipolar power, was inherently shallow.

For the United States and, he added, every major power of the past 500 years, Eurasia, home to 75% of the worlds population and productivity, was always the chief geopolitical prize. To perpetuate its preponderance on the Eurasian continent and so preserve its global power, Washington would, he warned, have to counter three threats: the expulsion of America from its offshore bases along the Pacific littoral; ejection from its perch on the western periphery of the continent provided by NATO; and finally, the formation of an assertive single entity in the sprawling center of Eurasia.

Arguing for Eurasias continued post-Cold War centrality, Brzezinski drew heavily on the work of a long-forgotten British academic, Sir Halford Mackinder. In a 1904 essay that sparked the modern study of geopolitics, Mackinder observed that, for the past 500 years, European imperial powers had dominated Eurasia from the sea, but the construction of trans-continental railroads was shifting the locus of control to its vast interior heartland. In 1919, in the wake of World War I, he also argued that Eurasia, along with Africa, formed a massive world island and offered this bold geopolitical formula: Who rules the Heartland commands the World Island; Who rules the World Island commands the World. Clearly, Mackinder was about 100 years premature in his predictions.

But today, by combining Mackinders geopolitical theory with Brzezinskis gloss on global politics, its possible to discern, in the confusion of this moment, some potential long-term trends. Imagine Mackinder-style geopolitics as a deep substrate that shapes more ephemeral political events, much the way the slow grinding of the planets tectonic plates becomes visible when volcanic eruptions break through the earths surface. Now, lets try to imagine what all this means in terms of international geopolitics today.

Chinas Geopolitical Gambit

In the decades since the Cold Wars close, Chinas increasing control over Eurasia clearly represents a fundamental change in that continents geopolitics. Convinced that Beijing would play the global game by U.S. rules, Washingtons foreign policy establishment made a major strategic miscalculation in 2001 by admitting it to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Across the ideological spectrum, we in the U.S. foreign policy community, confessed two former members of the Obama administration, shared the underlying belief that U.S. power and hegemony could readily mold China to the United States liking All sides of the policy debate erred. In little more than a decade after it joined the WTO, Beijings annual exports to the U.S. grew nearly five-fold and its foreign currency reserves soared from just $200 billion to an unprecedented $4 trillion by 2013.

In 2013, drawing on those vast cash reserves, Chinas new president, Xi Jinping, launched a trillion-dollar infrastructure initiative to transform Eurasia into a unified market. As a steel grid of rails and petroleum pipelines began crisscrossing the continent, China ringed the tri-continental world island with a chain of 40 commercial ports  from Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, around Africas coast, to Europe from Piraeus, Greece, to Hamburg, Germany. In launching what soon became historys largest development project, 10 times the size of the Marshall Plan, Xi is consolidating Beijings geopolitical dominance over Eurasia, while fulfilling Brzezinskis fear of the rise of an assertive single entity in Central Asia.

Unlike the U.S., China hasnt spent significant effort establishing military bases. While Washington still maintains some 750 of them in 80 nations, Beijing has just one military base in Djibouti on the east African coast, a signals intercept post on Myanmars Coco Islands in the Bay of Bengal, a compact installation in eastern Tajikistan, and half a dozen small outposts in the South China Sea.

Moreover, while Beijing was focused on building Eurasian infrastructure, Washington was fighting two disastrous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in a strategically inept bid to dominate the Middle East and its oil reserves (just as the world was beginning to transition away from petroleum to renewable energy). In contrast, Beijing has concentrated on the slow, stealthy accretion of investments and influence across Eurasia from the South China Sea to the North Sea. By changing the continents underlying geopolitics through this commercial integration, its winning a level of control not seen in the last thousand years, while unleashing powerful forces for political change.

Tectonic Shifts Shake U.S. Power

After a decade of Beijings relentless economic expansion across Eurasia, the tectonic shifts in that continents geopolitical substrate have begun to manifest themselves in a series of diplomatic eruptions, each erasing another aspect of U.S. influence. Four of the more recent ones might seem, at first glance, unrelated but are all driven by the relentless force of geopolitical change.

First came the sudden, unexpected collapse of the U.S. position in Afghanistan, forcing Washington to end its 20-year occupation in August 2021 with a humiliating withdrawal. In a slow, stealthy geopolitical squeeze play, Beijing had signed massive development deals with all the surrounding Central Asian nations, leaving American troops isolated there. To provide critical air support for its infantry, U.S. jet fighters were often forced to fly 2,000 miles from their nearest base in the Persian Gulf  an unsustainable long-term situation and unsafe for troops on the ground. As the U.S.-trained Afghan Army collapsed and Taliban guerrillas drove into Kabul atop captured Humvees, the chaotic U.S. retreat in defeat became unavoidable.

Just six months later in February 2022, President Vladimir Putin massed an armada of armored vehicles loaded with 200,000 troops on Ukraines border. If Putin is to be believed, his special military operation was to be a bid to undermine NATOs influence and weaken the Western alliance  one of Brzezinskis conditions for the U.S. eviction from Eurasia.

But first Putin visited Beijing to court President Xis support, a seemingly tall order given Chinas decades of lucrative trade with the United States, worth a mind-boggling $500 billion in 2021. Yet Putin scored a joint declaration that the two nations relations were superior to political and military alliances of the Cold War era and a denunciation of the further expansion of NATO.

As it happened, Putin did so at a perilous price. Instead of attacking Ukraine in frozen February when his tanks could have maneuvered off-road on their way to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, he had to wait out Beijings Winter Olympics. So, Russian troops invaded instead in muddy March, leaving his armored vehicles stuck in a 40-mile traffic jam on a single highway where the Ukrainians readily destroyed more than 1,000 tanks. Facing diplomatic isolation and European trade embargos as his defeated invasion degenerated into a set of vengeful massacres, Moscow shifted much of its exports to China. That quickly raised bilateral trade by 30% to an all-time high, while reducing Russia to but another piece on Beijings geopolitical chessboard.

Then, just last month, Washington found itself diplomatically marginalized by an utterly unexpected resolution of the sectarian divide that had long defined the politics of the Middle East. After signing a $400-billion infrastructure deal with Iran and making Saudi Arabia its top oil supplier, Beijing was well positioned to broker a major diplomatic rapprochement between those bitter regional rivals, Shia Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia. Within weeks, the foreign ministers of the two nations sealed the deal with a deeply symbolic voyage to Beijing  a bittersweet reminder of the days not long ago when Arab diplomats paid court in Washington.

Finally, the Biden administration was stunned this month when Europes preeminent leader, Emmanuel Macron of France, visited Beijing for a series of intimate tete-a-tete chats with Chinas President Xi. At the close of that extraordinary journey, which won French companies billions in lucrative contracts, Macron announced a global strategic partnership with China and promised he would not take our cue from the U.S. agenda over Taiwan. A spokesman for the Elysee Palace quickly released a pro forma clarification that the United States is our ally, with shared values. Even so, Macrons Beijing declaration reflected both his own long-term vision of the European Union as an independent strategic player and that blocs ever-closer economic ties to China

The Future of Geopolitical Power

Projecting such political trends a decade into the future, Taiwans fate would seem, at best, uncertain. Instead of the shock and awe of aerial bombardments, Washingtons default mode of diplomatic discourse in this century, Beijing prefers stealthy, sedulous geopolitical pressure. In building its island bases in the South China Sea, for example, it inched forward incrementally  first dredging, then building structures, next runways, and finally emplacing anti-aircraft missiles  in the process avoiding any confrontation over its functional capture of an entire sea.

Lest we forget, Beijing has built its formidable economic-political-military power in little more than a decade. If its strength continues to increase inside Eurasias geopolitical substrate at even a fraction of that head-spinning pace for another decade, it may be able to execute a deft geopolitical squeeze-play on Taiwan like the one that drove the U.S. out of Afghanistan. Whether from a customs embargo, incessant naval patrols, or some other form of pressure, Taiwan might just fall quietly into Beijings grasp.

Should such a geopolitical gambit prevail, the U.S. strategic frontier along the Pacific littoral would be broken, possibly pushing its Navy back to a second island chain from Japan to Guam  the last of Brzezinskis criteria for the true waning of U.S. global power. In that event, Washingtons leaders could once again find themselves sitting on the proverbial diplomatic and economic sidelines, wondering how it all happened.
While the tea leaves in the American press are signifying that the Biden administration is about to give up on Ukraine, the plans continue on how to profit off whatever scraps are left of Ukraine once the war does eventually come to an end.

The potential windfall for western companies could be enormous as estimates range from $500 billion to over $1 trillion in reconstruction costs.

Ukraines Naftogaz is holding talks with Exxon Mobil Corp, Halliburton and Chevron about projects in the country, according to the Financial Times. Italys private sector is gearing up to join the reconstruction game. Paris and Kiev are already signing deals.

Weve also known for months that BlackRock will be advising Ukraine designing an investment framework with a goal of creating opportunities for both public and private investors to participate in the future reconstruction and recovery of the Ukrainian economy.

Will Germanys Blackrock connections help it get a slice of the pie? Friedrich Merz, currently the leader of the opposition Christian Democratic Union, previously headed the supervisory board of the German branch of BlackRock.

More importantly, the powerful chief economist in the Federal Ministry of Economics, Elga Bartsch, formerly headed economic and market research at the Blackrock Investment Institute.

Germanys Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) recently made a surprise visit to Kiev. And after the Greens Partys central role in turning Germany into an enemy of Russia, Habeck returned to Berlin with gifts  chief among them is Ukraine as a source of green energy for Germany.

Habeck signed a joint statement of intent with Ukraine that will expand the German-Ukrainian energy partnership with a focus on green recovery. That includes expanding the use of wind, solar, biomass, hydropower, green hydrogen  and apparently nuclear power.

Germanys Economics Minister #Habeck (Greens): Ukraine will stick to nuclear power. Thats absolutely clear  and thats fine, as long as the things run safely. They are built, after all.

He didnt explain why this applies to Ukraine but not to Germany.https://t.co/1dowr5T2dY  Nuklearia e. V. (@Nuklearia) April 5, 2023

While Germany just shuttered its last nuclear power plants  primarily due to opposition from the Greens  whatever is left of Ukraine is looking to get more up and running. On April 21, Ukraines nuclear energy generating company signed an agreement with Jupiter, Florida-based Holtec International concluded an agreement to build 20 SMR-160 reactors in Ukraine.

According to Holtec, the power output from SMR-160 is enough to light up about 100,000 homes in the US and more than 300,000 homes in the developing world and can easily be expanded with additional units to meet current and future demand.

Back to the German Greens and Habeck who is selling most of this as support for Ukraine, but really its more of a giveaway to German big business. From WSWS:

In an interview with ZDFs Heute Journal, Habeck announced that the German pharmaceutical and chemical giant Bayer will invest 60 million in Ukraine. In addition, the building materials company Fixit Group will expand its capacities in building materials production in Ukraine, almost doubling it. This is also urgently needed for the repair of roads, buildings and bridges. In order to secure Berlins control over the reconstruction, Habeck promised the companies a substantial investment guarantee. Should this factory building be destroyed, for example by missile attacks, the German state guarantees or is liable, the economy minister promised. For war zones, we usually dont do that, but in this case we do. In order to raise the enormous sums that the reconstruction will cost  estimates range from about 400 billion to over 1 trillion  a triad is needed: Ukraine must create good investment conditions, there must be guarantees from the public sector, and then private capital must want to go to Ukraine. Good investment conditions are a euphemism for the brutal exploitation of the working class.

And more German companies are seeking assurances that they will receive sweetheart deals as well. According to Reuters, the German pharmaceutical company Stada reached out to Habecks office requesting that he please prevent the exclusion of international pharmaceutical companies from the Ukrainian market.

The view from Russia remains one of shellshocked at how quickly Germany turned away from such a mutually beneficial relationship. Fyodor Lukyanov, the editor-in-chief of Russia in Global Affairs writes:

In the past, in return for ceding all security rights and privileges to its senior partner, the US, Germany was allowed to operate its own commercial sphere of influence and it had permission to pursue economic expansion to the East. Now, in exchange for Washingtons promise to maintain the security umbrella, Berlin is prepared to abandon its previous understanding of pragmatism, radically change its economic system in a direction that suits the US, and take on a greater share of the military burden. As a result, efforts to educate the German elite in the principles of unconditional Atlanticism, in which enormous effort has been invested for decades, are now paying off 200%. Add to this the fact that Berlin is becoming the main center of the Russian anti-Kremlin diaspora, for both objective and subjective reasons, and you have a perfect picture of a 180-degree turn. Or, to use the Greens Minister for Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbocks own terminology, 360 degrees.

Valdai Club Programme Director Timofey Bordachev echoes this sentiment and holds out out hope that if the Greens are shown the door, Germany will eventually return to its senses:

The general crisis of the world economy and the Wests retreat from its position of 500 years of unconditional global domination require it to restructure itself internally. Or, at the very least, force it to search for new formats. Whoever is at the helm of Germany should be well placed to do so, but Chancellor Scholz is a weak leader and his Social Democrats are in one of their worst states as a political force. The other two parties are the Greens and the Liberal Democrats. According to respected Russian experts on German domestic affairs, the Greens are a collection of exalted moralists for whom the fight against Russia and friendship with the US is a matter of faith. Personally, I find this view difficult to accept. I think that the irresponsibility of Baerbock, for example, is nothing more than the product of pure careerism on the part of a politician who is not backed by any of the conservative groups with clear economic interests. But what the hell, maybe I am wrong, and there really is a place for pure ideology in German politics.

Even if the Greens are shown the door, theyve accomplished their mission for now as the German media and other major political parties have even stronger views against Russia than the public. While the Greens were the key warmongering force within Germany, outside Poland has played the lead role in goading Berlin into amore hawkish stance.

Washingtons ultimatum to Berlin was seemingly that if you dont lead central and eastern Europe against Russia, well find someone who will. Warsaw was all too happy to answer the call and to lead the new Europe as Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki recently put it a trip to the US. As Moscow-based American political analyst Andrew Korybko writes:

Despite the ideological and influence factors that were already exerting sway over German policy at the onset of this conflict, they werent powerful enough on their own to get Germany to play an equal role on par with Polands. Policymakers might have wrongly thought that it would be over in just a few weeks or one month at most, thus wagering that its better to retain a comparatively more pragmatic policy towards Russia, notwithstanding their compliance with the US sanctions demands. It was only after it became obvious that this would likely become a protracted conflict that they began deliberating whether to change their stance by playing some sort of military role in response to the immense pressure to compete with Poland for hearts and minds in [central and eastern Europe]. From the US perspective, it was beneficial to encourage these dynamics in order to avoid being too dependent on Poland as its top European partner after the conflict ends as well as to get Germany to ruin its ties with Russia.

Its the best of both worlds for Washington. Germanys Zeitenwende will have it increase its military budget in order to take more of a leading role against Russia. While Berlin has struggled to hit the two percent target in the past, the defense ministry announced a major overhaul this week that will cut red tape and speed up the acquisition process.

Its a good thing Berlin is increasing its efforts to militarize, too, because Poland is upping its defense budget to four percent of GDP. Morawiecki just met with US defense industry representatives to discuss financing the billions of dollars of Warsaws planned purchases of F-35 fighter jets, Abrams tanks, HIMARS artillery systems and Patriot missile launching units.

While such defense spending will probably mean cuts to social programs in Germany (and Poland), it appears that the countrys elites will at least get to pick over the bones of whats left of Ukraine after the big guy has his fill.
The evolution of my position with the Post dates to 2000, when I began work with The City Paper. In 2008, SouthComm Inc. bought the Post and TCP, with the latter ceasing operations in 2013. In 2018, FW Publishing acquired the Post, for which I have served as managing editor since 2011.

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(Natural News) Holes spitting warm fluids from the border between tectonic plates have been found at the bottom of the ocean off the coast of Oregon. Scientists believe this strange, never-before-seen phenomenon, known as Pythias Oasis after an ancient Greek priestess, could give a better understanding of earthquake risk along the hazardous fault.

The Cascadia subduction zone extends from Vancouver Island to northern California. It is the offshore area where the Explorer, Juan de Fuca and Gorda oceanic plates slip under the North American continental plate. The plate boundary can create magnitude 9 earthquakes or higher. These earthquakes could also be accompanied by tsunamis up to 100 feet high.

Research published in the journal Science Advances discovered that off the coast of Newport, Oregon, on the seafloor 3,412 feet below the ocean surface, there is a set of at least four small vents bubbling fluids from deep within the fault.

These vents, each of which measures about two inches across, are about 50 miles from the shore. The geochemistry of these fluids showed that they come from about 2.5 miles deep, near where the plates meet. The escape of these fluids could influence how the plates connect, which could eventually influence how and when earthquakes happen in the region.

Its potentially changing the stresses and the pressure of fluids at greater depth. That becomes interesting because those are the depths where we think about earthquakes possibly occurring, Demian Saffer, director of the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics, who was not part of the research, told Live Science.

The vents were first discovered during a research cruise by then-University of Washington graduate student Brendan Philip, now a White House policy adviser. The ships sonar identified bubbles soaring from the seafloor, study co-author Evan Solomon, an associate professor of oceanography at the University of Washington, said in a statement.

They explored in that direction and what they saw was not just methane bubbles, but water coming out of the seafloor like a fire hose. Thats something that Ive never seen, and to my knowledge has not been observed before, Solomon said.

Fluids likely originate from hot portions of the crust

The fluids were 16 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the surrounding seawater, indicating they originate from deep, hot portions of the crust, and are rich in minerals such as boron and lithium.

According to Saffer, the fluids are originating from the crust that was last on the surface two million years ago. Researchers cant get a sample of the rock, but they are getting the fluids that are touching those rocks.

Solomon said the latest seeps arent connected to geologic activity at the adjacent seafloor observatory. Instead, they happen near vertical faults that crosshatch the enormous Cascadia subduction zone. These strike-slip faults, where sections of ocean crust and sediment move past each other, exist because the ocean plate strikes the continental plate at an angle, putting stress on the overlapping continental plate.

Loss of fluid from the offshore megathrust interface through these strike-slip faults is significant because it lowers the fluid pressure between the sediment particles and consequently raises the friction between the oceanic and continental plates.

Solomon said fluid released from the fault zone is like leaking lubricant. It is bad news for earthquake hazards because less lubricant means stress can build to produce a damaging quake. (Related: Large reservoirs of fire ice beneath the ocean can potentially trigger devastating disasters if released.)

This is the first known site of its kind and similar fluid seep sites may exist nearby, although they are hard to identify from the oceans surface.

A critical fluid leak off central Oregon could explain why the northern portion of the Cascadia subduction zone, off the coast of Washington, is thought to be more strongly locked than the southern section off the coast of Oregon.

Solomon just came back from an expedition to watch sub-seafloor fluids off the northeast coast of New Zealand.

The Hikurangi subduction zone is identical to the Cascadia subduction zone but produces more repeated, smaller earthquakes that make it easier to study. However, it has a different sub-seafloor structure, meaning its unlikely to have fluid seeps like those found in the latest study, Solomon said.

Follow OceanHealthnews.com for more stories about Earths oceans.

Watch the video below to know more about the art of ocean exploration.

This video is from the Pool Pharmacy channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Foreign landscape: Scientists find vibrant living rocks, mirror pools on ocean floor.

Deep sea mining: discovery of 6 new species in unexplored hydro-thermal vents.

There is no correlation between CO2 and rising ocean levels, according to decades of data from NOAA.

Sources include:

LiveScience.com

Phys.org

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Infant goods store Buybuy Baby announced that it will close for good following the bankruptcy filing of its parent company Bed Bath & Beyond (BBB).

Thank you to all of our loyal customers. We have made the difficult decision to begin winding down our operations. BBB & Buybuy Baby stores remain open to serve you, said a statement on the baby retailers website.

An FAQ page about the retailers Chapter 11 filing stated that going-out-of-business sales began on April 26. Any returns and exchanges for items bought before that date will be permitted until the end of the May 24 business day. Shopper rewards and merchandise credits would no longer be honored after May 8, the company added.

As part of the bankruptcy, Buybuy Baby will be closing 120 stores nationwide by June 30. The closures mean that thousands who worked at the baby retail store will be out of jobs. They will be joining the many other employees at 360 BBB locations across the country.

Buybuy Baby was established in 1996 by siblings Richard and Jeffrey Feinstein, whose father is BBB co-founder Leonard Feinstein. The elder Feinsteins firm acquired the smaller retail chain in 2007 for $67 million, with eight stores at the time of acquisition.

In February, Reuters reported that BBBs Canadian operations are shutting down for good. It cited a Feb. 10 court filing from the company posted on the website of consultancy firm Alvarez and Marsal.

According to the filing, BBBs Canada division lacks the capacity or ability to independently effect a recapitalization or restructuring of the Canadian operations without access to cash and support from the parent company and its lenders. It had been operating 54 BBB stores and 11 Buybuy Baby stores in Canada at the time of the filing.

However, BBB filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on April 23 after failing to secure funds to stay afloat. In a statement released on the same day, the company announced that retail stores and websites  including Buybuy Baby  will remain open and continue serving customers as the liquidation process commences.

BBB expresses optimism in bankruptcy filing

An April 23 report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) said BBB filed for bankruptcy protection in New Jersey. It also mentioned that Sixth Street Partners, its top lender, has put up $240 million in financing to keep BBB operational through the liquidation process. (Related: Woke firm Bed Bath & Beyond that dropped Mike Lindells MyPillow files for BANKRUPTCY.)

Bankruptcy gives BBB the breathing room to conduct going-out-of-business sales at its physical stores and solicit interest from potential buyers for its remaining assets, such as its branding, the WSJ noted. Individual investors who continued to back Bed Bath & Beyond during its final months  will likely be wiped out in Chapter 11, which prioritizes the repayment of debt over shareholder recoveries.

BBB Chief Financial Officer Holly Etlin nevertheless expressed optimism about the company finding a buyer. She stated in the April 23 court filing: BBB has pulled off long-shot transactions several times over the past six months, so nobody should think BBB should not be able to do so again.

First established as Bed n Bath in 1971, the company changed its name to the current iteration in 1987. The company went public five years later in 1992, acquiring several smaller stores in the process  including Buybuy Baby. According to the WSJ, the companys financial woes began in 2019.

Watch this video about BBBs shift to wokeism and its subsequent downfall after it dropped Mike Lindells MyPillow from store shelves.

This video is from the mcr channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Bed Bath & Beyond files for Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy following shady board moves and corporate virtue signaling.

Get woke, go broke: Bed Bath & Beyond now begging product consignment company to stock its shelves so that stores dont appear empty.

Bed Bath & Beyond bet on China and lost: After kicking Mike Lindells MyPillow to the curb, chain losing money and closing stores.

Report: Conservatives boycotted Bed Bath & Beyond after it cancelled MyPillow and Mike Lindell.

GET WOKE GO BROKE: Home-goods giant Bed Bath & Beyond considers filing for bankruptcy.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

BuybuyBaby.com

Reuters.com

WSJ.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The official numbers from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that nearly one billion people tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) since the start of the pandemic, and nearly seven million people have died. Does this make covid and its associated vaccines the worst act of genocide ever perpetrated in the history of the world?

Since the fallout from covid and its Operation Warp Speed vaccine program is still ongoing, the final figures have yet to be tabulated. There is also the problem of who is doing the counting, as official government sources, including the WHO, seem to be avoiding the vaccine-induced deaths while blaming the rest of the deaths on covid.

Truth be told, it was the government-imposed covid policies that are largely responsible for all the pain and suffering that came about from the plandemic. Had the media, government officials, and left-wing corporations refused to participate in the charade, how many now-deceased people would still be with us?

According to Dr. Robert Malone, MD, many of the deaths blamed on covid were caused by the lockdowns, which led many into a death spiral of alcohol and drug abuse  and in some cases suicide. Then there was the deprivation of medical access throughout the scamdemic, which left many sick people with no treatment options until the government decided it was okay to reopen.

(Related: Some estimates suggest that as many as one billion people have died since the start of the scamdemic and later, Operation Warp Speed.)

Covid and the vaccines were designed to kill en masse

A quick look at the biggest disasters and genocides that have ever occurred throughout history suggests that most, if not all, of them pale in comparison to what the covid psychological operation accomplished in terms of massively reducing the worlds population under the guise of protecting public health.

The largest natural disaster, excluding famine, that occurred in the 20th century was the Chinese Yangtze River Floods of 1932, which killed an estimated 3.7 million people both directly through flooding and indirectly through poor sanitation and diseases.

In 1958, the Chinese Yellow River Flood killed around a million people, although estimates widely vary, Malone writes. Other floods, cyclones, earthquakes all killed countless people. But none did so with as much devastation to human life as was done by the SARS-CoV-2-WIV virus.

But we also know this was not a natural disaster, this disaster was man made.

In Malones view, based on the official list of mass genocides listed at Wikipedia, there havent been any other single human atrocities throughout history that even come close to the number of deaths that resulted from what he calls the COVIDcrisis.

How do we know this?' he writes. Because we have the receipts thanks to Judicial Watch, as well as the Congressional investigations  still ongoing.

Just this week, Judicial Watch received 552 pages of documentation from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) showing initial grant applications, biosketches, budgets, and annual reports to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from EcoHealth Alliance. These documents describe the specific aims of covid, which involved the deliberate creation of mutant viruses based on SARS and MERS to better predict the capacity of our CoVs [coronaviruses] to infect people.

It was designed to sound benevolent, but the truth of the matter is that covid is a bioweapon, just like the so-called vaccines, both of which were designed to kill en masse.

This research has to stop now, Malone says about such projects. Congress must stop the funding immediately. There must be accountability. There must be justice for the injured and the dead.

The latest news about the ongoing death toll from covid and the jabs can be found at Genocide.news.

Sources for this article include:

RWMaloneMD.substack.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Democrats in the House and the Senate have floated legislation that would allow undocumented migrants to effectively walk into the U.S. unrestricted if they declare they are LGBTQ+, prompting border officials to warn that suddenly everyone is going to be LGBTQ.

(Article by Steve Watson republished from Summit.news)

The legislation, introduced last week, would make it more difficult to detain illegal immigrants if they are categorised as vulnerable persons.

The wording of the legislation, titled The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, makes it clear that anyone who is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex is thereby subject to a greater risk of persecution and discrimination in their home countries, and so should not be detained or removed from the U.S. by authorities.

The legislation also asserts that migrants with limited English language proficiency are also more vulnerable and could qualify for the special status.

How does one go about proving that an undocumented migrant really identifies as intersex?

You can see where this is heading.

Speaking to the Daily Caller, Border Patrol agents warned that the move will lead to migrants falsely claiming to be members of the LGBTQ community as a ticket into the country.

Ive only seen a handful of LGBTQ [migrants], but if this is passed I guarantee everyone is going to be LGBTQ, one agent noted, with another adding Someone told them in essence just say youre gay.

A third agent asserted I think its a joke. No one gets special treatment down here. They are all breaking the law and have to go through detainment and processing just like anyone else.

A fourth agent told the outlet Its just another incentive or tool for them to use to get into our country, with no restrictions. They would be backed by our own government approval, which will only encourage more illegal entry and a reason to gain free entry.

Many of them  would think they would getter better treatment, expedited processing or complete immunity when it came down to their court date, the agent further emphasised.

It feels like a slap in the face to Border Patrol Agents, the agent continued, adding Weve literally been wondering how much worse things can get under the Biden Administration.

This newest proposed legislation, is at its core, another attempt to collapse the system, one that is already collapsing under its own weight. Migrants will just now claim to be LGBT+ to further avoid removal proceedings. It will be abused, just like  asylum is already, the agent added.

Meanwhile, a new analysis by Princeton Policy Advisors estimates that more than two million border crossers and illegal aliens will have been encountered at the border by the end of the fiscal year.

Add that to the 2.3 million last year and the 2 million in 2021. Your magic number is 6.3 MILLION.

Yet the Biden administration laughably claims that unlawful immigration is down:

6.3+ million illegal immigrants have crossed the border since Biden took office, but Karine Jean-Pierre thinks unlawful immigration is down pic.twitter.com/0huiiqFWug  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 25, 2023

Related:

Read more at: Summit.news
North Dakota lawmakers have inked a final proposal limiting electronic pull tabs, glitzy gambling machines that have proliferated throughout the state.

Key players say the bill wouldn't expand gambling -- a bipartisan concern and a focus point of the session's discussions of the machines.

Senate Bill 2304 would restrict where the machines can be located, and how many machine sites a charitable organization can have as well as how many machines per site. The bill also would mandate a 2023-24 interim legislative study of the state's charitable gambling issues, and increase rent for the machines.

"Every part of this bill does not expand gaming. Actually, you could look at it and say it restricts. There's something in here for everybody," said House Industry, Business and Labor Committee Chairman Scott Louser, R-Minot.

The bill by Sen. Jerry Klein, R-Fessenden, originally sought to define an "alcoholic beverage establishment" -- where charitable gambling traditionally has taken place -- to outline where the machines can go after scrutiny in recent years of a handful of convenience stores and gas stations that have e-tabs. The bill would grandfather those four sites.

The state's top gambling regulator has said action from the Legislature will help guide how her office will proceed as to regulating e-tabs.

Sweet Crude Travel Center owner Brett Narloch, whose truck stop near Grassy Butte has drawn scrutiny for having the machines, said, "Generally speaking, I don't like (the bill). I prefer leaving these decisions to local governments.

"That being said, I read it to mean that Sweet Crude Travel Center will be able to conduct gaming forever. Thats a very good thing," he told the Tribune.

The machines first appeared in 2018 and now number 4,500 at 800 sites statewide.

The Senate on Wednesday passed the bill, 38-9. The House of Representatives later that day did the same, 81-11.

The bill goes to Gov. Doug Burgum, whose spokesman declined to comment.

Attorney General Drew Wrigley said the final bill amended by a House-Senate conference committee includes "new provisions reflecting the legislatures intention to slow the dramatic expansion of gaming in our state."

"This is a multipurpose piece of legislation that aims to restore the carefully crafted balance between support for charitable gaming and prevention of abuses of North Dakotas gaming laws," he said.

What is a bar?

The bill defines an "alcoholic beverage establishment" as having a retail license and being an establishment "where alcoholic beverages are sold, dispensed, and consumed by guests on the premises." The term specifically excludes liquor stores, gas stations, grocery stores and convenience stores.

E-tabs would be allowed only in a designated area where people 21 and older can enter. Signage and rearranged furniture could accomplish that, according to Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo.

"We don't want kids sitting at the these e-tab machines. We don't want them to be enticed into underage gaming of any variety, and we want the charities, the bar owners to just be mindful that these are not for kids," he told the House on Wednesday.

The state Gaming Commission last year moved to alter the definition of a bar in rules to clarify that it does not include off-sale liquor stores, gas stations, grocery stores or convenience stores, but does include bars in hotels, bowling alleys and restaurants. The rule change was "for the future in case nothing happens during this legislative session," State Director of Gaming Deb McDaniel said.

E-tab limits

The bill would limit charities to 10 machines per site. Charities licensed before 2023, and their "closely related organizations," would be limited to 15 sites. Ones with more would be grandfathered and capped.

"If they have 22 today, that's their cap," Koppelman said.

Sen. Bob Paulson, R-Minot, said those caps would amount to a pause during the Legislature's interim study of aspects of charitable gambling issues.

Wrigley said the machine limits would "prevent the creation of makeshift casinos," and "also would clamp down on entities that create multiple, closely related organizations to evade current site limits in law."

Rent for the machines would be raised from $100 each for a site's first five machines and $50 for each additional, to $175 for each of the first five machines and $75 for each additional, capped at 10 machines total.

Charities pay rent to bars for the machines.

Authority

The bill also gives local governments "the ultimate say" when an eligible charity requests a location for e-tabs, but cities or counties must "do so in an objective and evenhanded way," and can't force charities to conduct gambling in certain bars or "try to manipulate where the money from the charity goes," according to Koppelman.

The attorney general also would have authority to deny issuance or renewal of a license for charitable gambling, he said.

The bill also would ensure the attorney general has authority over third-party businesses that run charitable organizations' gambling.

Study

The mandatory study would include evaluations of charitable gambling's economic impact, addiction treatment services, taxes and placement of e-tabs, among other aspects.

Input would come from the attorney general, charitable organizations, cities and counties, gambling equipment distributors and manufacturers, and gambling addiction counselors.

"It's important that we study this because there are a lot of things that we need to find out and that need to inform the next legislative session as to where the guardrails should be on charitable gaming," Koppelman said.

The House on Thursday killed House Bill 1497, which had identical components to Senate Bill 2304.
(Natural News) Former British Health Secretary Matt Hancock has expressed support for an amendment to the Online Safety Bill that punishes misinformation regarding the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines. However, he is liable to be jailed under that very amendment.

[Anti-vaccine] misinformation is deeply harmful to public health, Hancock tweeted on April 25. No longer can we simply allow this dangerous rubbish to be spouted online.

Hancocks tweet was a response to an April 24 tweet by James Bethell, member of the House of Lords  the upper chamber of the British Parliament. The former health secretary has demanded prison sentences on those he dubs anti-vaxxers  including anyone who expresses skepticism about what Downing Street deems to be misinformation.

Health misinformation undermines public health, and the [British] government has not learned lessons from the last two years, where misinformation had a devastating impact during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bethel wrote.

But the Daily Expose cited several instances where Hancock spouted the same misinformation about vaccines that he seeks to penalize now. The interviews touched on the supposed effectiveness and safety of the COVID-19 vaccines, which have been called into question by critics and experts.

During a January 2021 interview with the BBC, the former health secretary claimed that the vaccines would provide protection against COVID-19 after a single dose. However, later studies disproved this  revealing that one dose offered no protection and that two doses offered little protection at all.

Hancock claimed in February 2021 that the AstraZeneca vaccine, developed in partnership with the University of Oxford, was effective against the B1351 beta variant of SARS-CoV-2. But a study from South Africa showed that the AstraZeneca shot offered minimal protection against mild and moderate COVID-19 cases. The study prompted the British government to later update its guidance on the use of the vaccine.

Moreover, Hancock also consistently assured the public that COVID-19 vaccines were safe and that side effects were rare. However, reports of severe side effects from the vaccines prompted several countries to limit their use, if not suspend the use of them altogether.

Hancock also deserves jail time for murdering the elderly

These few examples illustrate that some of the information provided by Hancock about the COVID-19 vaccines effectiveness and safety was not accurate or consistent with emerging evidence, the Expose noted. Therefore, he was spreading propaganda, lies, mis- and disinformation.

[They] will also serve as evidence to put Hancock behind bars if the Online Safety Bill is passed and criminalizes anti-vaxxers and vaccine misinformation.'

The independent news outlet pointed out that the former health secretary and member of Parliament for West Suffolk also deserves to be put behind bars for killing countless elderly people during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hancock did so using two methods: Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders and the drug midazolam.

According to reports by Amnesty International and the Care Quality Commission under the U.K. Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), many care home staff felt pressured into placing DNR orders on residents. This led to unnecessary deaths and violated the residents rights to make informed decisions about their own care.

Aside from this, the U.K. saw a sharp increase in orders of midazolam used in care homes during 2020  the amount being significantly higher than in years prior. The drug is primarily used for managing anxiety and seizures and is also utilized as a pre-anesthetic agent.

Midazolam causes diminished respiratory function, especially in elderly patients or those with pre-existing respiratory issues. Thus, the Expose pointed out that its unsupervised use to address COVID-19 in care homes is not just extremely controversial  [but also] criminal. (Related: Claim: Witnesses say UK healthcare facilities are using Midazolam to euthanize elderly.)

Both of these questionable decisions happened under Hancocks watch. He later stepped down from the DHSC in June 2021, not because of an alleged breach of COVID-19 distancing protocol.

The Expose concluded: The combined impact of these decisions, along with the suffering and loss of life they caused, should be considered when discussing the potential consequences of Hancocks support for the Online Safety Bill.

Visit MedicalTyranny.com for more stories about the abuses of health officials during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Watch this clip of Matt Hancock panicking after his fellow members of Parliament asked him about the number of post-COVID vaccination deaths.

This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

The Telegraph (U.K.) issues headline calling for arrest of covid lockdown health secretary Matt Hancock.

UK Lockdown Files show health officials conspiring to scare the pants off everyone  When do we deploy the new variant?

Fact: Midazolam Matt Hancock turned care homes into concentration camps where the elderly & vulnerable were given lethal injections to create the illusion of a COVID pandemic.

Sources include:

Expose-News.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Warning: The story you are about to read is graphic and disturbing, but is necessarily so to illustrate the horrors of transgender conversion therapy, especially for developing children. Reader discretion is advised.

In their push to convert the entire next generation into transgenders, LGBT cultists both in media and government will never tell you the serious downsides of gender affirming treatments, most notably the risks involved with slicing and replacing body parts to try to become another gender.

Take the case of an 18-year-old trans-identified male who died following a botched surgery to replace his penis with a so-called neo-vagina. The unfortunate individual was a member of the infamous Dutch study, which looked at child sex changes.

The individual in question was so young at the time of his conversion that there was not yet enough penile tissue available for surgeons to use in creating a fake neo-vagina. Because of this, they engaged in an even riskier procedure involving the boys bowels, which were partially removed.

The procedure went awry and the body ended up developing fatal necrotizing fasciitis. In other words, he died a gruesome and miserable death as body butcher doctors tore apart his bodily tissue to try to give him a fake vagina so he could become his true self.

A manuscript about the incident written by Negenborn et al. claims that the absence of a functional vagina has a negative effect on the (sexual) quality of life of (transgender) women, which in this case was the excuse needed to perform the dangerous vaginal reconstruction procedure on the young boy.

(Related: According to the American Medical Association [AMA], anyone who objects to procedures like vaginoplasties being performed on young children is dangerous to society.)

Young boys waste-tainted colon tissue caused him to develop life-ending E. coli infection resulting in multiple organ failure

Prior to the death-inducing surgery, the young boy was considered to be and described as being healthy. He had previously undergone drug-induced puberty suppression, which is the true reason why his male genitals were abnormally undeveloped at the time of the procedure.

Transgender women with early-onset gender dysphoria, treated with puberty suppressing hormones, report fewer behavioral and emotional problems and an improvement of general functioning, is the official claim that was used to justify the deadly procedure that would follow.

Within 24 hours of his failed vaginoplasty, the body developed necrotizing fasciitis. Despite receiving very large doses of intravenous antibiotics and repeated surgical debridement, the body ultimately went into multiple organ failure and died.

Despite this, the Cult of LGBT continues to peddle the lie that vaginal reconstruction has a positive influence on the quality of life of non-transgender and transgender women. As a small footnote, the warning that physicians and patients need to be aware of serious complications that may arise is there as a quiet disclaimer.

An investigation into the boys death revealed that the E. coli infection he developed more than likely came from his waste-filled bowels, which doctors tried to use to create a fake vagina. The whole procedure was filthy and disgusting, in other words, because it involved the use of waste-processing body tissue being used in the construction of artificial genitals.

Instead of using the penile tissue, they will have to use some of your colon, explained Dr. Michael Biggs, a sociologist who played a critical role in exposing the scandal, as well as other such scandals that occurred at the soon-to-be-closed Tavistock Clinic in London.

Now of course, that means opening up your intestines, and thats obviously much, much, much riskier because then you have a different site and of course, intestines are also messy.

More related news coverage about the transgender mutilation and destruction of innocent children can be found at Transhumanism.news.

Sources for this article include:

ThePostMillennial.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Over 10,000 Bulgarians took to the streets in various major cities demanding peace in Ukraine and that the nation stay neutral in the conflict.

The rallies were called the Bulgaria  Zone of Peace. The main protest was held in front of the National Palace of Culture in the capital city of Sofia and drew in some 12,000 participants, although Bulgarian police said only 5,000 people joined the rally there.

Smaller protests occurred in 36 other cities all over the country. (Related: Global military spending hits record-high $2.24 trillion amid ongoing conflict in Ukraine, heightened tension in Taiwan.)

The protest, also known as the fifth March for Peace, was organized by the Bulgarian National Council for Peace as well as other organizations like Free and Peaceful Bulgaria and Bulgaria United for Children. All of these groups came together to form the committee known as the All-Bulgarian March for Peace and Neutrality, which is even supported by some anti-war politicians.

Protest participants want Bulgaria to remain a zone of peace and refrain from taking part in the conflict.

In Sofia, some of the protest signs read: No Bulgarian boys in the slaughterhouse and Eastern Front again  They will pass without us.

Many of the protesters were waving Bulgarian flags, but there were also many Russian flags being flown as a sign of peace and friendship, as well as the Samara flag, a symbol of the Bulgarian military.

One of the demonstrators interviewed by local media outlets, Ivan Radichev, expressed his desire for Bulgaria to stay out of any conflicts, stating that the country has enough resources to remain free and independent. One other protester, Miglena Yoncheva, said she joined the protest because she is a mother and she wants to bring up her children in a peaceful future.

I still believe that there are enough people in Bulgaria who can unite and wish for peace, not war, said Yoncheva. I want a future for my children, who I dont want to [leave the country], as the people of my generation ran away.

Protesters call for referendum on Bulgarian participation in Ukraine conflict

Another Bulgaria  Zone of Peace action is scheduled for May 2, and protests are expected to continue until the government concedes to the main demand, which is for the government to hold a referendum that would clearly state the position of the Bulgarian citizenry regarding the conflict in Ukraine. The referendum would also prevent the countrys participation in any other future conflicts.

The protest groups plan to raise around 600,000 signatures by July 10 to call for a referendum, which would have six questions all concerning Bulgarian neutrality and participation in armed conflicts.

Bulgaria should be a zone of peace, as we have doubts that our rulers, for what reason is not clear to me, are most likely serving someone elses interests, trying to bring the country into war, said Georgi Velikov, one of the organizers of a rally in the Bulgarian maritime capital of Varna.

I do not approve of any war and do not consider, that by sending weapons, sending troops, the war will be resolved. This can be done through diplomacy, through negotiations, through talks. I think that is the way.

Media outlets that covered the protests described them as a powerful expression of the Bulgarian desire for peace and neutrality, and they hoped the massive number of people joining the marches would send a message to the government that they should faithfully represent the people by not participating in the conflict in Ukraine.

Other protesters insisted that providing military aid through Bulgaria would only lengthen the conflict and that Bulgarian sovereignty is being threatened by the presence of North Atlantic Treaty Organization bases in the country.

Watch this clip discussing how farmers in Bulgaria are protesting the flooding of their domestic markets with cheap Ukrainian grain.

This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Right Now with Ann Vandersteel: Russia-Ukraine War is part of global Game of Thrones  Brighteon.TV.

Top Russian diplomats expose US sabotage of Nord Stream pipeline as threat to international peace.

UN secretary-general warns: World is heading toward wider war due to escalating conflict in Ukraine.

US, NATO using discredited domino theory to justify sending even more taxpayer-funded arms shipments to Ukraine.

Russian foreign minister Lavrov claims West has prevented Ukraine from taking part in peace talks, now almost in a real war with his country.

Sources include:

RAIRFoundation.com

Novinite.com

TASS.com

BNR.bg

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom has confirmed that it has already shipped depleted uranium ammunition to Ukraine and that some of them have already arrived in the conflict-stricken nation.

The U.K. first announced that it was providing Ukraine with depleted uranium munitions last month when it agreed to send British-made Challenger 2 main battle tanks as part of its most recent military aid package for Kyiv. (Related: UK to send Ukraine DEPLETED URANIUM tank rounds that could cause irreparable harm to the people and the land.)

Depleted uranium has a variety of civilian applications. But for the military, it is primarily used either to strengthen the armor plating of heavy tanks or to act as armor-piercing ammunition due to its high density and its pyrophoric properties.

While being questioned in the House of Commons on Tuesday, April 25, Minister of State for the Armed Forces James Heappey admitted that some of the depleted uranium munitions already reached their destination, but declined to comment on whether Kyiv was already using the rounds.

We have sent thousands of rounds of Challenger 2 ammunition to Ukraine, including depleted uranium armor-piercing rounds, said Heappey in response to questions from Scottish member of parliament Kenny MacAskill.

Heappey added that the weapons are now under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and that the Defense Ministry does not monitor the locations from where the depleted uranium rounds are fired by the AFU in Ukraine.

He further commented that the U.K. is under no obligation to aid Ukraine in cleaning up any radiation spillover due to the use of depleted uranium munitions when the conflict ends, claiming that Ukraine would have other, more pressing needs following the end of the conflict.

Russia to hold UK accountable for polluting Ukraine with radiation

The Russian government has been working hard to prevent nations from providing arms shipments to Ukraine  especially for toxic depleted uranium. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Britain for its absolute recklessness, irresponsibility and impunity.

The Russian Armed Forces warned last month that the use of depleted uranium ammunition is likely to cause irreparable harm to the health of Ukrainians and inflict tremendous economic damage to the agro-industrial complex of the region. The armed forces pointed to the impact these weapons had in Iraq when the United States used them.

Russian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Andrey Kelin stated last week in an interview with RT that depleted uranium munitions are a terrible thing  for the agriculture of the people of Ukraine. He added that the effects of the radioactive residue could contaminate Ukrainian water and soil for at least six generations.

Heappey and the U.K. government have argued that depleted uranium only poses a relatively low risk to the health of the people and the environment exposed to it. However, this claim has been disputed by Doug Weir, an expert with the Conflict and Environment Observatory, who noted that uranium munitions produce chemically toxic and radioactive particulates when they strike hard targets. The dust created by the impact poses an inhalation risk to people.

In response to Heappeys statements in parliament, the Russian embassy in the U.K. noted that the countrys decision to deliver depleted uranium rounds to Ukraine is an act of all-out escalation.

James Heappeys comments are a grim testament to the ruthlessness of the Anglo-Saxons policy of all-out escalation of the proxy conflict they themselves unleashed in Ukraine, read the statement. He cynically stated that London is not monitoring the deployment of these weapons and has no obligation to eliminate the consequences of their use following the end of the conflict.

The embassy added that it will not let the British government escape accountability by passing off the responsibility of radioactive cleanup to the Ukrainian nation. It also stated that the government in London will be made responsible for the effects of the toxic ammunition.

Learn more about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine at UkraineWitness.com.

Watch this clip from RT discussing how the United Kingdom does not care about the consequences of sending depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine.

This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Top Ukrainian official complains Western military aid not enough as war with Russia continues to rage.

Depleted uranium poses health risk to people, pollutes water and farmland.

Putin to deploy tactical nuclear missiles in neighboring Belarus following increased Western provocations.

Sending depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine is a war crime against the Ukrainian people.

Russia says it will respond accordingly if UK supplies Ukraine with depleted uranium tank rounds.

Sources include:

RT.com

FirstPost.com 1

FirstPost.com 2

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The Biden administration has informed China in advance of its intention to enhance military exercises and increase the US military presence in the region. This includes deploying nuclear-armed submarines off the Korean peninsula as an additional deterrent against North Korean threats directed toward Seoul, Zero Hedge reported.

We are briefing the Chinese in advance and laying out very clearly our rationale for why we are taking these steps, a Biden administration official said. We believe that non-proliferation efforts in the Indo-Pacific are in the best interest of not just the United States and other leading states, but China as well.

Well announce that we intend to take steps to make our deterrence more visible through the regular deployment of strategic assets, including a US nuclear ballistic submarine visit to South Korea, which has not happened since the early 1980s, the U.S. official noted further as President Joe Biden was receiving his South Korean counterpart, Yoon Suk Yeol, on Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

China was further briefed on American military plans to strengthen our training, our exercises, and simulation activities to improve the US-ROK [South Korea] alliances approach to deterring and defending against DPRK [North Korean] threats, including by better integrating ROK conventional assets into our strategic planning, the official added.

To build peace and stability on the Peninsula, during the visit, the alliance will be announcing a Washington Declaration which includes a series of steps that are designed to strengthen US-funded deterrence commitments and strengthen the clarity by which they are seen by the Korean public as well as by neighbors in the face of advancing DPRK [North Korean] nuclear missile capabilities, the official added, proving a preview of the talks between Soon and Biden.

Considering Beijings recent vehement protests against the US-Australia AUKUS agreement to produce and transfer nuclear submarines, it is unlikely that they will respond positively to the Biden administrations announcement. In fact, just last month, China issued a warning to the countries involved in the deal (including the UK), claiming that they are treading on a path of error and danger, and accusing Australia of violating its commitment to being a nuclear-free zone.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military has increased its presence and training in regards to Taiwan, which Beijing claims is nothing more than a renegade province that belongs to the mainland.

On a rocky, windswept island just over 100 miles south of Taiwan, U.S. troops from the Marines and Army ran out of MV-22 Osprey aircraft with weapons, including Javelin and Stinger missile launchers, before setting up camp next to a field of watermelons, The Wall Street Journal reported this week.

On the opposite side of the island, a Himars rocket launcher was brought ashore on Monday from an amphibious landing craft, a system that could give U.S. forces the ability to target ships up to a few hundred miles away, the report added.

This years largest-ever annual military exercises between the U.S. and the Philippines had a significant focus on the defense of the northern Philippines and preparedness for potential conflict in the event of Chinas use of force to take over Taiwan. The drills were the first to include this particular focus, the WSJ noted further.

Conducted over a period of two days on Basco Island, the exercises underscored the significance of defending the Bashi Channel  a vital maritime transit point for both the Chinese and American militaries, the outlet continued.

Whoever controls the channel has a very strategic chokepoint, retired Maj. Gen. Restituto Padilla, a former deputy chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, told the WSJ.

The increase in Chinese military activity around Taiwan, which includes recent jet-fighter drills, has raised fears of a potential conflict in the region among neighboring countries such as the Philippines, the outlet added.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

WSJ.com
(Natural News) Recent revelations have shown that YouTube does not want anyone to know the truth about Stephen Paddock, the Las Vegas mass murderer. Considering that hes been out of the news cycle for so long, briefly reappearing after a bogus statement by the FBI, one has to wonder why YouTube is going to such pains to keep the conversation under control.

(Article by J.D. Rucker republished from TheLibertyDaily.com)

Mises Caucus took to Twitter to expose the shenanigans:

Below are a few leaked pages of the YouTube controversial twiddler blacklist. This is a list of topics which, instead of returning related results, will show the user a curated set of topics similar to but different than the content they were looking for. Thread. pic.twitter.com/rapuWC7kiL  Mises Caucus (@LPMisesCaucus) April 20, 2023

Conservative documentary maker Mindy Robinson did an in-depth review of everything that happened before, during, and after the attack. Her video is below. Heres her post on Twitter with many of the questions YouTube doesnt want people asking:

Why would they build algorithms to suppress everything but the official lone gunman narrative for the Las Vegas shooting, you ask?

I spent half a year reading every FBI and police report from that night, listening to every 911 call, and talking to everybody I knew that was there. Lets see what they dont want people talking about:
(Natural News) To help usher more illegal aliens into the United States against the law, Democrats in both the House and the Senate are floating new legislation that would allow migrant invaders to walk into the country unrestricted as long as they declare that they are LGBTQ+.

One piece of legislation introduced last week aims to make it more difficult to detain illegal aliens who declare that they are gay or transgender because the proposed new rule would recategorize them as vulnerable persons who are not to be denied entry under any circumstances.

Another bill, called the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, states that any illegal invader who is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex should be let into America, no questions asked, because such folks probably face persecution and discrimination in their home countries.

This same bill further states that migrants with limited English language proficiency, which is most of them, must also be let into the country without conditions because they, too, are vulnerable and require special status entry into the country.

(Related: The Biden regime is responsible for unleashing a depraved culture of trans privilege.)

Border Patrol agents say proposed Democrat bills will mean that everyone is going to be LGBTQ

As you might expect, the new bills, if passed, will almost surely lead to a surge of illegal aliens suddenly claiming to be LGBTQ+ just so they enter the country illegally without any pushback.

Ive only seen a handful of LGBTQ [migrants], but if this is passed I guarantee everyone is going to be LGBTQ, one of them said in a statement to the Daily Caller. Someone told them in essence, just say youre gay.'

Another agent said he thinks the Biden regimes agenda is a joke, adding that no one gets special treatment down here.

They are all breaking the law and have to go through detainment and processing just like anyone else, he added.

Its just another incentive or tool for them to use to get into our country, with no restrictions, said yet another Border Patrol agent. They would be backed by our own government approval, which will only encourage more illegal entry and a reason to gain free entry.

Many of them  would think they would get better treatment, expedited processing or complete immunity when it came down to their court date. It feels like a slap in the face to Border Patrol agents. Weve literally been wondering how much worse things can get under the Biden Administration.

This same agent further claimed that the true purpose behind all this newly proposed legislation is to collapse the system on purpose, as it is already collapsing under its own weight.

Migrants will just now claim to be LGBT+ to further avoid removal proceedings, he added. It will be abused, just like  asylum is already.

By the end of the current fiscal year, according to a new analysis by Princeton Policy Advisors, there will be more than two million illegal border crossings into the U.S. Add to that the 2.3 million that occurred last year and the two million that occurred in 2021 and the total since the start of covid is around 6.3 million illegal border crossings and / or crossing attempts.

In the comment section, someone wrote that these Democrat bills are clearly designed to infuriate just so they can call everyone homophobic.

Thats just it, responded someone else. Phobic means were afraid. I am not afraid of them; I just plain hate them.

More related news about the Biden regimes obsession with all things transgender and LGBTQ can be found at Transhumanism.news.

Sources for this article include:

Summit.news

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Lets be clear about one thing: The push towards all-electric transportation has nothing to do with saving the planet from emissions hell and everything to do with controlling how we travel.

Electric vehicles are not the panacea for cleaning up the environment the tyrannical left-wing elite claim they are because they require literally raping the earth to obtain the ingredients (lithium, primarily) for the batteries  not to mention the fact that the lithium is mined by poor children of color who work like slaves for pennies a day.

In fact, the entire green agenda is about control, not saving mother Earth, because it requires us to consume less and rely far more on being grouped into megacities where the power elite can enforce their will on us. Individualism is their enemy; self-reliance is undesirable to them.

Earlier this week, the corporate-led World Economic Forum (WEF) announced that world leaders would be convening later this year to accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2030, a plan that lacks accountability, The National Pulse reported.

Both the United Nations (UN) and the WEF seem to be dismayed by the lack of progress made towards their Great Reset ideology and the Agenda 2030 plan, which is a socialist successor to the failed Millennium Development Goals, the outlet reported.

The WEF, headed by German engineer Klaus Schwab (whose father was once involved with the Nazi Party), has acknowledged that previous attempts to implement their plans have been hindered by unforeseen setbacks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of climate change, and the escalating costs of food and fuel worldwide due to the conflict in Ukraine.

Global leaders and their representatives have been summoned to strategize and accelerate the progress of what the WEF calls arguably the greatest-ever human endeavor undertaken to create peaceful, just, equal, and sustainable societies.

But again, do not let the flowery language fool you: They seek to bring the world under their control so that we live their visions of a peaceful, just society  which will mean giving up on our democratic systems and turning over all power to them, the tiny minority of mega-wealthy elitists who fancy themselves as god-kings.

The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs has argued that [p]ractical solutions that can accelerate progress on the [Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations (SDGs)] will be urgently needed.

The outlet notes further:

The seventeen SDGs comprising Agenda 2030 were first compiled in 2015 and were agreed upon by 191 UN Member State governments, though not necessarily their voting publics. These goals include laudable aspirations such as ending poverty, and eradicating world hunger, amongst more nefarious globalist goals in areas of gender ideology and hard-left socialist economics.

Since Davos 2o21, the WEF has publicly discussed how these goals can be used to achieve the Great Reset, which would see ordinary people able to own nothing personally. The WEF claims this will increase happiness in the world.

The WEF is prioritizing civic participation as a means to advance its plans. They define this approach as addressing issues such as economic inequality, gender disparities, corruption, and environmental degradation. And how do the elites plan to deal with these issues? The only way to do so is to take from people who have accumulated some degree of wealth and redistribute it to others who have done nothing to earn it  classic socialism. Add in the tyrannical aspect, and you get some hybrid form of communism and socialism.

In the quest to build back better, says the WEF, civil society is proposing new ways of achieving the SDGs and creating a better post-pandemic world.

Lofty goals, but people all over the world should get to decide these things for themselves, not have their futures planned out by a handful of globalist busybodies who think they are masters of the universe.

Sources include:

TheNationalPulse.com

SDGS.UN.org
(Natural News) A little-known United States government agency called the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is suing a nonbank mortgage firm for free speech statements its owner said publicly on a radio show.

In an appearance on the Townstone Financial Show, Chicago-based Townstone Financial head Barry Sturner discussed the citys rampant crime problem, which was worsened by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot following the George Floyd riots of 2020.

Sturner explained that Chicagos south side is overrun with hoodlums that, were it not for the police, would have turned the area into a real war zone.

These and other statements Sturner made are all protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution, but the CFPB has taken it upon itself to sue Sturner and his company for supposedly making public statements that would result in discouraging black loan-seekers from applying for a mortgage.

In the fullness of time, it looks like yet another canceling attempt, and at the time the CFPB in its role of Goliath in this legal battle didnt even bother giving some examples of how Townstones customers were mistreated / discriminated against, reports Reclaim the Net about the suit.

The CFPB went instead for discrediting Sturner for his speech, specifically statements made over the previous years (2020 was also the year when trying to dig up real or perceived controversial and racially charged comments from the past was very much en vogue).

(Related: Last fall, the CEO of McDonalds warned that many companies are planning to flee Chicago if crime problem is not addressed.)

Do Americans have free speech rights or not?

The basic claim of the CFPB is that Sturners statements had the goal of discouraging black applicants from seeking the companys services because they might be offended by his references to Chicagos bad areas, which are majority black.

Fortunately for Sturner, the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF), a public interest non-profit group, has come forward with concerns about the CFPBs legal arguments. The group says that the CFPBs apparent aim is to apply anti-discrimination rules to speech made to a general audience in a mass-media venue rather than to individual customers or employees in a workplace.

The PLF is representing Townstone in this dispute, arguing that if the CFPB is allowed to carry out enforcement in this way, it will unjustifiably give the agency the legal right to censor free speech in violation of the First Amendment.

The CFPBs case was already thrown out back in February by federal Judge Franklin Valderrama of the Northern District of Illinois, who explained that there is a big difference between discouraging certain applicants from applying for services and actually discriminating against them in violation of the law.

Even so, the CFPB decided to appeal the case, even as Chicagos new Mayor Brandon Johnson has made similar statements to those of Sturner about the citys rampant crime problem.

Keep in mind that Johnson previously had ties with the defund the police movement from several years back, and yet still recognizes the fact that Chicago is becoming too dangerous of a place to do business.

Should the CFPBs case be taken seriously, and its argument using the Equal Credit Opportunity Act is accepted as valid, then anyone employed by or associated with a consumer finance firm who makes a random comment on social media could be subject to punishment by the agency, the PLF warns.

Policy makers interested in a real discussion about crime and public safety should arrest the CFPBs crude attempts at censorship, added John Berlau from the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

The latest news about Americas crime-ridden inner cities can be found at Rioting.news.

Sources for this article include:

ReclaimTheNet.org

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) The downtowns of many American cities have become ghost towns, thanks to the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19).

A new analysis shows that downtown activity in places like San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston has plummeted ever since the scamdemic  this according to mobile phone data.

According to data collected by the University of Toronto School of Cities, as of the fall of 2022, many major downtown population centers are much less busy than they were prior to covid.

Los Angeles, for instance, gained back only two-thirds of its former life, as measured by cell phone activity  and this is one of the better comebacks. Other downtowns like Chicago, Vancouver in British Columbia, Seattle, and San Francisco have barely recovered half of their pre-pandemic activity.

The lull also affects boomtowns of form years like Denver, Atlanta and Houston, Statista reported.

(Related: Some estimates suggest that as many as one billion people died as a result of covid and the vaccines.)

Are American cities dying because PEOPLE are dying, or is everyone just staying home these days?

It all started, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, with workers who continued to work from home long after the lockdowns ended. The lockdowns, it turns out, resulted in an entirely new stay-at-home work paradigm for many that will continue into the future.

The trend towards working remotely only partially explains the downfall of American cities and especially their downtowns, though. How does a city like Seattle lose half of its activity in a matter of three years?

We know that many people fled left-wing cities like Seattle and San Francisco after the George Floyd riots tore them to pieces, leaving behind devastation in the form of empty buildings, tent cities, and a growing homeless population.

But what about Atlanta and Houston? These two boomtowns lost an incredible amount of downtown activity as well, despite an influx of newcomers who fled there from other states during or after the plandemic.

Then we have failing cities like Portland, which was overtaken by tent cities, homelessness, and crime like never before after George Floyd and covid. Portland recovered just 37 percent of its pre-pandemic downtown activity, which partially explains why Walmart, Cracker Barrel, and REI, among other businesses, are leaving in droves.

The worst city of all in the analysis is San Francisco, which currently has just 31 percent of the downtown activity it had pre-pandemic. By all accounts, San Francisco truly is a dying city, along with Portland and Seattle which are not far behind it.

Coupled with escalating crime rates, downtowns all along the West Coast especially are falling apart like never before. In some cases, city services like trash pickup and street lights are being cut, which is only making matters worse.

According to the data, only four out of the 62 downtowns analyzed as part of the research currently surpass their 2019 pre-pandemic activity levels. These include Salt Lake City, Bakersfield, Calif., Fresno, Calif., and El Paso, Tex.

This has implications for retail, restaurants, and office, one of the researchers said about this dire situation for the American economy.

This is the work from home culture, as well as people fleeing the big cities, someone wrote on Twitter, offering his perspective on the matter. We fled California in 2018, at the perfect time. Never been happier.

Cellphone activity seems to be down almost across the board  whilst were simultaneously told the global population is suddenly in decline, and life expectancy has fallen for the first time in a century, pointed out another.

The latest news about the fallout from the covid scamdemic can be found at Depopulation.news.

Sources for this article include:

Twitter.com

Statista.com

NaturalNews.com
"This ban wont stop North Dakotans from being trans, but it will deny them critical support that helps struggling transgender youth grow up to become thriving transgender adults."

-- American Civil Liberties Union lobbyist Cody Schuler, after Gov. Doug Burgum signed legislation that will prohibit doctors from providing gender-affirming care to transgender minors in North Dakota.

q q q

Lets get our raw milk bottled up and ready for the new batch when the cows come home."

-- Sen. Randy Lemm, R-Hillsboro, advocating for a bill to legalize direct-to-consumer sales of unpasteurized milk.

q q q

This gaming is exploding, bigger than any of us actually can imagine.

-- Rep. Mike Nathe, R-Bismarck, on the proliferation of electronic pull tabs in North Dakota after the 2017 Legislature approved the machines that mimic slot machines.

q q q

This chase would not have gone on if the public was not in danger. He had a total disregard for anybody other than himself.

-- Bismarck Police Chief Dave Draovitch, after a Saturday evening chase of a suspect that reached speeds of 120 mph on rural roads and ended with gunfire on Bismarcks South Washington Street.

q q q

In my opinion, this is money looking for a good project rather than a good project looking for money. Thats kind of a concern to me.

-- Sen. Don Schaible, R-Mott, on a proposal to spend $50 million of public money to cultivate tourism attractions.

q q q

"Taxpayers spend an awful lot of money trying to provide good things for their kids, and they just want to get their money's worth."

-- Jan Wangler, organizer of a successful petition drive to have the State Auditor's Office audit the Bismarck Public School District's finances.

q q q

"We're always focused on trying to improve student achievement -- that's the (main) goal with the board," he said.

-- Bismarck School Board President Jon Lee, after the State Auditor's Office announced it will audit the Bismarck Public School District's finances.

q q q

Protecting our North Dakota producers, who raise approximately 1 million commercial birds yearly, and our many backyard bird owners is high priority.

-- Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, after the state's first confirmed case of bird flu in 2023, and the 25th overall during the national outbreak that began more than a year ago.

q q q

BNSF has obtained all the permits and approvals for our bridge project to begin construction. This is a massive private infrastructure project benefitting North Dakotas major industries as well as the nations supply chain. Construction activity will ramp up this spring and summer as we build a railroad bridge capable of serving our customers for the next 100 years.

-- BNSF Railway spokeswoman Amy McBeth, after North Dakotas Department of Water Resources issued two state permits that are the last regulatory permissions the railroad needs to replace the Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge over the Missouri River.

q q q

We could certainly look at a challenge in court.

-- Mark Zimmerman, president of the Friends of the Rail Bridge nonprofit, after the state issued the final permits needed for BNSF Railway to replace the Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge over the Missouri River. FORB is fighting to save the bridge and turn it into a tourism attraction.

q q q

"There is no solution before us that is free. We cannot kid ourselves. No course of action has a zero price tag, so it's a choice: Do we double down and invest to make the plan whole, or do we buy ourselves out of this obligation and chart a new path forward?"

-- Rep. Corey Mock, D-Grand Forks, during debate on whether to close North Dakota's public pension plan.
(Natural News) Exposure to vinyl chloride became a big issue following the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. But according to a report released this month, people across the United States are regularly exposed to vinyl chloride pollution.

It has been more than two months since a Norfolk Southern train transporting hazardous materials derailed and unleashed a deadly chemical cocktail of toxic contaminants, including a substance known to cause cancer called vinyl chloride. Air sampling data continues to show elevated levels of organochloride in the area. (Related: ENVIRO-TERROR in Ohio as TOXIC GAS CLOUD unleashed when authorities set fire to vinyl chloride to DISPERSE it over skies, farms and rivers.)

Vinyl chloride is used primarily to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a hard plastic resin used to make a variety of plastic products, including pipes, wire and cable coatings and packaging materials.

A new report released by Toxic-Free Future on April 13 indicated that exposure to the carcinogen pollutant is happening across the country, particularly among those living in low-income areas and communities of color.

According to the report, vinyl chloride contamination is primarily emanating from petrochemical production and waste disposal facilities. Researchers analyzed data collected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and found that in 2021, chloride and PVC plastic producers released more than 400,000 pounds of the contaminants into the air.

It is outrageous that so many communities are being exposed day-in and day-out to the same dangerous chemical and plastic that burned in the Ohio train derailment, said Mike Schade, director of Mind the Store, a program of Toxic-Free Future.

Toxic-Free Future also revealed that just five companies account for more than 97 percent of the nations vinyl chloride air pollution. They are Westlake Chemical, Formosa Plastics, Occidental Chemical, Shintech and Orbia, which collectively manufacture more than 10 billion pounds of vinyl chloride per year.

The report further disclosed that Westlake has repeatedly been fined for violating federal environmental, workplace safety, and railroad safety laws. A previous study by the same group showed the said firm was found to release 185,807 pounds of vinyl chloride into the air from its chemical plants in Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi in 2021.

Vinyl chloride found in East Palestine residents urine

Since the derailment and toxic spill on Feb. 3, people in East Palestine have experience various medical conditions and they fear their health has become compromised.

Shelby Walker, an East Palestine resident, recently got tested at a medical lab after feeling ill since the derailment two months ago. Benzene and vinyl chloride were detected in her urine.

I just read a little bit, but I do know I have read in there that the benzene could cause leukemia later, Walker said. My uncle passed away of leukemia when I was a young girl so that lays in my mind and it is very fearful.

She is also worried that the contaminants may be passed to her children and even her grandchildren.

Walker and her family, which consist of 11 members, live 900 feet from the controlled burn site. She said she will never be able to safely live in her home again.

There are nights that my husband and I are still staying at home while my older daughter has the kids and grandkids at the hotel. It just depends on if theres availability for everybody or not. They needed to come home often to tend to her pets.

I guess it really hasnt hit me because Im worried about the rest of the family that still has to be tested, she said. My kids and my grandkids, theyre really my concern because it will affect their future.

Visit Dioxins.news for more stories about harmful exposure to vinyl chloride.

Watch the video below where Dr. Pete Chambers tells Dr. Jane Ruby that the Ohio toxic spill is actually a government land-grabbing move.

This video is from the Dr. Jane Ruby channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

CDC finally admits all seven members of their Epidemic Intelligence Service fell ill while conducting chemical surveys in East Palestine Ohio.

Norfolk Southern trying to BUY OFF East Palestine residents for just $1,000 to silence them forever, and block all future cancer lawsuits resulting from vinyl chloride train catastrophe.

RINO Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine still refusing to declare disaster in East Palestine weeks after toxic chemical spill.

East Palestine air has higher-than-normal concentrations of 9 toxic chemicals, experts find.

Sources include:

ChildrensHealthDefense.org

TheNewLede.org

Cancer.gov

ToxicFreeFuture.org

Cleveland19.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The Texas Senate approved a proposal banning citizens of China and other hostile nations from owning large tracts of land in the Lone Star State.

State senators gave initial approval to Senate Bill (SB) 147 on April 25, according to the Texarkana Gazette. The proposal introduced by Republican State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst was approved on party lines. SB 147 needs one more vote in the senate before it heads to the Texas House of Representatives for consideration.

If it becomes law, SB 147 would ban citizens from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia from buying large swaths of land in Texas. The bill used a threat assessment report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as a basis for banning the four nations. Gov. Greg Abbott has said he would sign the legislation if it reaches his desk.

SB 147 strikes the balance of [upholding] national security  and the state is vital to our national security  while also allowing those that are seeking freedom, seeking asylum [and] fleeing those authoritarian regimes to come here, live their lives and live the American dream, Kolkhorst said.

Republican State Sen. Mayes Middleton slammed the four nations targeted by SB 147, dubbing them enemies of the U.S. and enemies of Texas. He said during his speech on the State Senate floor: They have realized that frankly, at the end of the day, they can be more successful at hurting this country and hurting this great state through economic means than through the battlefield.

SB 147 built on a law adopted in 2021 that banned companies based in the four adversary nations from owning critical infrastructure in Texas. It emerged following reports of a Chinese firm purchasing land near Laughlin Air Force Base in Val Verde County. (Related: National security threat: Grand Forks City Council blocks Chinese-owned corn mill near air base.)

While the initial version of the bill provided exceptions to dual citizens, Kolkhorst later expanded it to include legal permanent residents and homesteads purchased by citizens of the four countries.

To be clear, people fleeing adversarial nations can purchase shopping centers, restaurants, car washes, and other businesses to pursue the American dream, the state senator clarified. Additionally, the bill preserves the homestead exemption  so those same folks fleeing totalitarian regimes can purchase a rural residence of up to 20 acres of agricultural land.

Critics denounce SB 147 as RACIST

Despite Kolkhorst trying to allay fears about her proposal, Democratic State Sen. John Whitmire said the damage to Asian Americans in Texas was already done. He told Kolkhorst: Youve already impacted them. Theyre scared to death of you. Theyre scared to death of this legislation.

Meanwhile, several Chinese Americans who voiced opposition to the bill said they intend to continue fighting against the legislation.

Were going to continue calling members of the House of Representatives to express our concerns because this is unconstitutional. This is discrimination against Chinese Americans, said Jian Xie, a member of multiple organizations in North Texas with close ties to the Asian and Chinese American communities.

Jerry Pi, a resident of Allen in Collin County, said he has lost hope for the bill to be stopped in the Texas Legislature. My personal plan is that Ill try to contribute to fund organizations who challenge this law in court, he shared.

Tom Tong, a Dallas-based attorney, said he wasnt surprised that SB 147 passed in the Texas Senate. I would hope all the Asian Texans who are eligible to vote know whats going on right now and that lawmakers do make laws that closely impact our daily lives, he remarked.

Aside from the allegations of discrimination, some legal experts have raised questions about the bills constitutionality. They argue that the SB 147 appears to contravene state and federal bans on discrimination based on nationality.

Still, Kolkhorst believes her proposal would survive a court challenge. She is not alone in proposing bills to counter attempts by enemy nations to purchase U.S. farmland. State lawmakers in North Carolina and Florida have also considered similar bills that protect national security from hostile nations.

Listen to Sen. John Thune (R-SD) as he warns about Chinas purchase of U.S. farmland in strategic locations.

This video is from the Chinese taking down EVIL CCP channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Director of National Intelligence calls China National Security Threat No. 1.

China continues to snatch up U.S. farmland, American companies at alarming rates.

GOP senator warns Biden admin to take Chinese purchases of U.S. farmland seriously.

Compromised Biden admin refuses to address massive Chinese purchases of farmland, other property near U.S. military bases.

Sources include:

TexarkanaGazette.com

MSN.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has irked many by claiming that he never forced anyone in his country to get vaccinated.

During an April 24 speech at the University of Ottawa, Trudeau said he merely incentivized people to get the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. And thats exactly what they did. We got vaccinated to a higher level than just about any other of our peer countries, the prime minister continued.

Footage of the event went viral on Twitter and merited a massive backlash. Users mostly pointed out that Trudeaus comments at the speech contrasted with his vaccine mandates for various groups of Canadians. (Related: Canadians rage after lying Trudeau claims he never forced anyone to take covid jabs.)

At the height of the pandemic, the prime minister tried to coerce unvaccinated Canadians into getting vaccinated by repeatedly denigrating them. He labeled them extremists, misogynists and racists and alleged that they dont believe in science. While Trudeau may have never implemented a nationwide mandate, many of the countrys healthcare, education and public transportation workers became subject to vaccine requirements by local jurisdictions.

Back in February of last year, Trudeau remarked that mandates are the way to avoid further restrictions and that his government is going to stay focused on doing exactly that.

True to his word, unvaccinated Canadians in some provinces were unable to go to gyms, theaters, restaurants, bars and certain events. Residents of Ontario and Quebec provinces were also required to have a vaccine passport to enter or leave the country.

Even truck drivers were not spared from the mandates, as cross-border truckers were asked to show proof of vaccination. So despised was this move that incensed Canadians orchestrated the Freedom Convoy, a protest of historic proportions in the nations capital that spread throughout the country.

Trudeaus tyranny also extends online

Maxime Bernier, the leader of the Peoples Party of Canada, mocked Trudeaus claims in a Tweet. He wrote: Yes, he did not force anyone to get vaccinated. He only unjustly fired them, financially attacked them, persecuted them, insulted them, denied their basic rights, prevented them from traveling, etc.

Tom Marazzo, co-organizer of the Freedom Convoy, dubbed Trudeau a truly delusional, narcissistic, vile leader of Canada we constantly have to listen to.

An honorable person, which he clearly is not, would step down immediately, said Marazzo. But he wont.

Aside from outright lying, the Trudeau government is also preventing people from saying anything that challenges its narrative. Bill C-11, which updates the countrys Broadcasting Act, passed the Canadian Senate in a 52-16 vote. It received royal assent and became a law on April 27.

Bill-C11 will subject digital content creators to regulation by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission. However, critics have denounced the bill as an example of an online censorship law. They claimed that Bill C-11 will allow Ottawa to interfere with the algorithms that affect the online content Canadians consume.

The Trudeau regime does not only deny things it said and did by rewriting history, it also seeks to prevent people from saying anything against their narrative. The Canadian governments online censorship law passed the final stage of voting in the Senate, received royal assent and became law on Thursday evening, April 27.

Author and senator David Adams Richards voiced out his opposition to the bill. During a speech in the Canadian Senate, he referenced remarks by novelist George Orwell that called on people to resist the prison of self-censorship. This bill goes a long way to construct such a prison, Richards said.

Follow Tyranny.news to read more news related to governments dictatorial policies.

Watch this Russia Today clip that shows Trudeau claiming that he never forced anyone to submit to the vaccine mandate in Canada.

This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Poll: 67% of Canadians feel everything in the country is broken under Trudeau.

Canada has its own RESTRICT Act called Bill C-11 that is simply the Trudeau liberals takeover of the internet, warns leading pro-life group.

OBEY OR BE LOCKED DOWN: Trudeau threatens that covid tyranny will return this fall if 90% booster shot compliance isnt achieved.

Trudeaus COVID-19 vaccine mandate violates Canadas Charter of Rights and Freedom, says charter signatory.

Lockdown Canadian PM Justin Trudeau relocated out of capital for his safety as thousands of truckers protest COVID vaccine mandate.

Sources include:

InfoWars.com

FoxNews.com

WesternStandard.news

TNC.news

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Weighing in on Tucker Carlsons recent firing from Fox News, 2024 presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. blamed pharma advertisers for pushing deadly and ineffective vaccines that Carlson refused to promote and even blasted as dangerous and unnecessary.

In Kennedys view, Carlson crossed a red line in his April 19 monologue, during which he broke TVs two biggest rules.

Tucker told the truth about how greedy Pharma advertisers controlled TV news content, and he lambasted obsequious newscasters for promoting jabs they knew to be lethal and worthless, Kennedy wrote in a tweet.

Fox just demonstrated the terrifying power of Big Pharma, he added.

During said monologue, Carlson openly chastised the pharmaceutical industry and the media, including his own network, for taking in hundreds of millions of dollars from Big Pharma companies in exchange for shill[ing] for their sketchy products on the air.

And as they did that, Carlson went on to state, they maligned anyone who was skeptical of those products. At the very least, this was a moral crime. It was disgusting, but it was universal. It happened across the American news media. They all did it.

(Related: Check out what Kennedy had to say about his uncles assassination.)

Natural News was censored and blacklisted for the same reasons: we call out Big Pharma and its puppets

With guns blazing, Carlson continued to point out that the vast majority of everything in public life is corrupt, stating that there are too many to count.

The question is: who is telling the truth? Carlson further said. There are not many of those.

One of them is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Robert Kennedy knew early that the covid vaccines were both ineffective and potentially dangerous, and he said so in public to the extent he was allowed. Science has since proven Robert F. Kennedy Jr. right. Unequivocally right.

Instead of being rewarded for his honesty, Kennedy was vilified and censored, just like Carlson now has been at the hands of Fox, ironically enough. Kennedy, and now Carlson himself, have both been censored for daring to criticize media advertisers, which are largely dominated by pharmaceutical industry interests.

He was censored because he dared to criticize their advertisers, the news media called Bobby Kennedy a Nazi, and then they attacked his family, but he kept doing it, Carlson revealed in his last segment before getting axed by Fox.

He was not intimidated and we were glad he wasnt. This is one of those moments when its nice to have a truth teller around. Its helpful because suddenly the stakes are very high.

Carlsons full segment is available for viewing at Infowars.com.

Keep in mind that Natural News, Brighteon, and other affiliated platforms have been blacklisted and censored for years for doing the same things Carlson and Kennedy have: telling the truth.

Check out the following video from Carlson announcing Kennedys run for president in 2024:

.@RobertKennedyJr joined us to announce his 2024 presidential campaign. pic.twitter.com/1k45Wu19vQ  Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) April 20, 2023

Tucker makes news with his monologues, tweeted conservative commentator Matt Walsh in response to Carlsons firing from Fox. People talk about them.

Nobody talks about Sean Hannity monologues. Fox is insane for letting that kind of cultural relevance go.

Paul Joseph Watson of Summit news tweeted much more simply that Theres now literally no reason to watch Fox News.

Well, theres still the Pfizer commercials, responded someone else jokingly about how Fox News is little more than Big Pharma news  which, by the way, we have been warning you about for years.

The latest news about Big Pharmas control over the media through advertising can be found at Fascism.news.

Sources for this article include:

Infowars.com

NaturalNews.com

HempScience.news
A rare silver fox with a leg injury that had been eluding wildlife authorities, roaming around UK streets for two weeks, has now been saved.

After being spotted in a Welsh town, a rare "silver fox" was abandoned and eventually captured by specialists. On April 8, 2023, the animal had been spotted ambling through Barry. the fox was a member of a captive-bred line of North American red foxes.

An Evading Silver Fox

There were numerous reports of the animal roaming the town, according to Black Foxes UK. The RSPCA made several unsuccessful attempts at capturing the fox due to its limited ability to help. The fox was captured on April 24 by volunteers at the Sully-based Shua Trust Home and Sanctuary after Black Foxes UK contacted the local government's animal warden.

Despite rumors that he had a leg injury, the fox had already been wandering around Barry for less than two weeks and appeared to be in good health. Rescuers brought him to Vets4Pets in Barry and gave him the name "Shadow."

He comes from a group of "silver foxes" that were imported to the UK in the early 1900s for the fur trade from North America.

Silver Foxes are Red Foxes

The red fox, Vulpes vulpes, and the silver fox are both members of the same species, according to World Atlas. Its name is derived from the coloration of its fur, which ranges from a striking silver to nearly all black. Silver foxes' eyes also develop a golden yellow hue as they age, similar to red fox eyes.

Even though they only make up two to eight percent of red foxes in North America, silver and black foxes are still bred in captivity and hunted for their fur.

Around 2006, when laws governing exotic pets were relaxed, silver foxes rose in popularity as pets in the UK. However, Black Foxes UK does not recommend this because silver foxes are challenging to maintain, and the organization feels "strongly" that the foxes should only be kept under restricted conditions within educational facilities and zoos for the welfare of both themselves and the local fox populations.

The World Atlas also says that the silver fox and the red fox are two of the Order Carnivora's most widely distributed species worldwide. They have a large diaspora that spreads throughout Australia, Asia, Europe, and North America. Foxes have proven to be extremely adaptable; they have learned how to survive in a variety of environments, and in some parts of the world, they are even regarded as pests.

Also Read: Endangered Sierra Nevada Red Fox Seen Near National Parks in California a Century After Last Sighting, Trail Camera Reveals

Shadow and his Leg Injury

According to WalesOnline, Black Foxes UK has located Shadow a safe residence at Animals Interactive in Pontypool. Although it's not entirely clear, the organization's experts think there might be a second fox, who suffered the reported injury.

Hayley de Ronde, the founder of Black Foxes UK, wanted to express her gratitude to the animal warden of the council and the Shua team for giving their best effort after doing the same thing to save a silver fox in 2021, the Mirror reports.

Related Article: Recent Coyote Attacks 24th in Metropolitan Phoenix, Warnings Reissued
A tornado was confirmed to have touched down in Florida amid a severe weather threat across the state, according to reports on Thursday afternoon, April 27.

The National Weather Service (NWS) reportedly said the tornado was located 9 miles south of Greensboro town in Gadsden Country, Florida, at 4:09 p.m. ET (local time), moving at a speed of 20 miles per hour in a northeastern direction.

The NWS issued Florida tornado warnings in different parts of the Sunshine State. T

he tornado alerts serve as an sign that a particular area is at risk of being hit by destructive or deadly twisters with or without warning.

This comes as a severe thunderstorm struck Florida and its adjacent states across the region.

Severe Weather Threat

Severe storms are expected for most parts of the Gulf Coast starting Thursday, from south Texas and southern Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, according to the latest severe weather report by the NWS.

During this period, localized to regional disruption to travel, businesses, and daily outdoor activities are expected.

In its short-range forecast on Thursday, the NWS' Weather Prediction Center (WPC) stated additional rounds of heavy rain and severe weather are possible to impact the southeastern quadrant of the U.S. until late week.

The inclement weather is caused by an "active and complicated weather pattern" that is affecting different areas of the eastern two-thirds of the U.S., expected to continue in the coming days.

Also Read: EF1 Tornado Devastated Southern Florida, Leaving Wreckage Behind

Florida Tornado Confirmed

After the forecast, a large and "extremely dangerous" tornado was confirmed in Florida on Thursday, with the NWS describing the situation as life-threatening, ABC News reported.

Amid the tornado threat, the NWS office in Tallahassee issued a tornado warning for some areas of Gadsen County and Liberty County until 4:45 p.m. ET and Kinard area.

The confirmed Florida tornado occurred in the city of Lynn Haven, located near Panama City along the Gulf Coast, shortly after 3 p.m. CT (local time).

Severe thunderstorm watches are also given by NWS for most areas of northern-eastern Florida and southeastern Georgia, where it would take effect until 10 p.m. on Thursday.

Over 15 million people are under a severe weather threat in the affected areas.

Other Weather Forecast

While the Southeast U.S. is under severe weather alert, the NWS said another round of wet snow is likely to spread from the northern to the central parts of the Rockies from Thursday evening to early Friday, April 28.

Meanwhile, in the West Coast, the weather service said a warming trend could surpass temperatures records by Friday, while the rest of the country could experience below-average temperatures for large parts of the country from the Rockies and eastward.

In recent days, FOX Weather meteorologists forecast that the American West could experience significant warmup later this week and even until the weekend, leading to rapid snowmelt.

Related Article: Severe Weather Risk for Florida Increases with Hail, Isolated Tornado
A storm is potentially developing in the Eastern United States, where it could bring heavy rain and flooding in the coming days, according to local meteorologists.

The latest forecast said that millions of American could be affected by the brewing coastal storm off the East Coast.

Forecasters also predicted the weather system could this weekend until early next week.

The latest U.S. weather forecast comes after a separate system brought severe weather and risk of tornadoes across the Southeast U.S., where at least one tornado in Florida was confirmed by the National Weather Service (NWS).

Regardless, the East Coast storm could also bring strong winds, leading to high surfs or large waves that can cause coastal flooding or coastal erosion.

East Coast Storm

In its evening report on Thursday, April 28, Fox Weather said it is tracking a new storm that is expected to bring rainfall in the Eastern U.S., including in cities like New York City, New York; Chicago, Illinois; Nashville, Tennessee; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Portland, Maine.

The adverse weather is forecast to impact most of the East Coast from Sunday to Monday, April 30 to May 1.

Within this period, widespread disruption across different eastern states is possible.

The Eastern U.S. coastal storm is a low-pressure area that has been developing off the coast in the Atlantic Ocean, bringing showers across the region.

The Fox forecast adds the Great Lakes and Northeast region could just shrug off the incoming showers.

However, the case is different down to the central and southern parts of the East Coast.

Also Read: Violent Storms, Massive Tornadoes Killed Over 30 People Across the United States

Coastal Storm Threat

The U.S. East Coast is not new to coastal storms.

In fact, the region has experienced not only with relatively weaker storms but also powerful hurricanes.

Coastal storms can cause flooding and storm surge, as well as the potential for severe damage, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

While the approaching low-pressure system is not expected to intensify into a strong coastal storm.

However, the storm's potential for damage and disruption cannot be ruled out.

Severe Weather Outbreak

Since the meteorological spring's start on March 20, the U.S. has experienced a multitude of severe weather outbreaks, including weather hazards like tornadoes and flooding.

The weather is also expected to be generally tranquil unlike during the months that preceded spring.

Earlier in 2023, AccuWeather meteorologists in February also issued a forecast that a coastal storm will bring wind, rain, and snow to parts of the Eastern U.S.

Unlike last year's coastal storm, this season's storm will be more inclined to those of the spring season rather than during the winter.

Similar forecasts were also made during March, wherein a severe coastal storm could bring a triple threat of snow, strong winds, and coastal flooding.

Related Article: Storm System from the South-Central US to the East Coast Expected This Week: National Weather Service
Fuminori Tsuchiko, 75, who relocated to Kharkiv, Ukraine last year, has established a free cafe to provide meals for local residents affected by Putin's devastating invasion of the country. Prior to managing the cafe, Tsuchiko lived in a metro station for several months, volunteering to feed individuals who had lost their homes.

Fumi Caffe, co-founded by Tsuchiko and a Ukrainian partner, serves complimentary meals to approximately 500 patrons daily. The cafe primarily relies on funding from generous Japanese donors, but Ukrainians frequently contribute donations as well.

As reported by Japan Today (which has some good photos of Tsuchiko and the cafe):

One visitor to the cafe, Anna Tovstopyatova, said she had come to make a donation. "It's great that there are so sincere people with an open heart and soul, who sacrifice their life and time to help and give hope," Tovstopyatova said.

[Thumbnail: diy13/Shutterstock.com]
Rasheem Carter, 25, complained to his mother that a "truckload" of white men were targeting him. His decapitated body was later found in Jackson, Mississippi, where he lived.

The cause of Carter's death remains undetermined, according to the Smith County Sheriff's Department. A forensic anthropology examination was completed by the Mississippi State Medical Examiners Officer on Feb. 2. Based solely upon the condition of Carter's remains, no cause of death "could be reasonably determined" by the medical examiner's office. However, his family claims that officials have admitted they believe he was murdered. Those close to Carter said he was being threatened by people he knew. "My son told me that it was three truckloads of white guys trying to kill him," his mother Tiffany Carter said. Tiffany Carter went on to reveal that her son sent her a warning in a text message right before he went missing. "He said, 'Me and the owner of this company not seeing eye to eye, mama,'" she read from her phone. "'If anything happened to me, he's responsible for it. I'm too smart for it, mama. He got these guys wanting to kill me,' and that's what he sent to me."

The level of interest from local authorities is indicated by them informing the mother by email when they found other bits of her son's body. Let's maybe have the feds take a look at this one.
Rakesh Kumar By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: As Indias smartphone exports doubled in 2022-23, three countries  UAE, US and Netherlands  accounted for 52% of the exports in value terms. The UAE was the largest buyer with $2.6 billion worth of smartphones shipped to the country followed by the US, which imported $2.2 billion worth of smartphones from India, and the Netherlands at $1 billion.

Indias smartphone exports touched $11 billion in 2022-23, which is double that of the previous year. European countries were the buyers of over 45% of Indias exported smartphones. India smartphones reached over 50 countries across the globe. Though Apple iPhones accounted for close to 50% of the total exports in value terms, South Korean tech giant Samsung was the most exported brand in volume.

As per the Counterpoint Research, in 2022, Samsung was the most exported brand, contributing almost 69% of total exports volume. This year, the company is planning to make India its smartphone manufacturing hub. Samsung is planning to expand capacity of its Noida facility and it is already working with local partners too for the same, said Shilpi Jain Senior Research Analyst at Counterpoint Research.

The American tech-giant Apple, which grabbed eyeballs lately, increased its export from India significantly from Q4 2022. Jain said Apple is increasing its Make in India capabilities not just for domestic consumption but for exports as well. It plans to shift 25% of its manufacturing to India.

India has taken a giant leap in the smartphone manufacturing in the past few years, thanks to the Production-linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme. Many technology giants like Apple, Samsung, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Lava have also set up their bases and expanded operations in India. Recently, Apple unveiled two retail stores in India. According to the IT ministry, mobile phone manufacturing saw a 66% rise to `45,000 crore within the first year of the roll-out of the scheme in April 2020.

Samsung (73%), Apple (20%), and Xiaomi (3%) led the smartphone exports from India in 2022, said Menka Kumari, Senior Analyst - Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CyberMedia Research (CMR). Other players which exports from India are Motorola and Xiaomi.

NEW DELHI: As Indias smartphone exports doubled in 2022-23, three countries  UAE, US and Netherlands  accounted for 52% of the exports in value terms. The UAE was the largest buyer with $2.6 billion worth of smartphones shipped to the country followed by the US, which imported $2.2 billion worth of smartphones from India, and the Netherlands at $1 billion. Indias smartphone exports touched $11 billion in 2022-23, which is double that of the previous year. European countries were the buyers of over 45% of Indias exported smartphones. India smartphones reached over 50 countries across the globe. Though Apple iPhones accounted for close to 50% of the total exports in value terms, South Korean tech giant Samsung was the most exported brand in volume. As per the Counterpoint Research, in 2022, Samsung was the most exported brand, contributing almost 69% of total exports volume. This year, the company is planning to make India its smartphone manufacturing hub. Samsung is planning to expand capacity of its Noida facility and it is already working with local partners too for the same, said Shilpi Jain Senior Research Analyst at Counterpoint Research.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The American tech-giant Apple, which grabbed eyeballs lately, increased its export from India significantly from Q4 2022. Jain said Apple is increasing its Make in India capabilities not just for domestic consumption but for exports as well. It plans to shift 25% of its manufacturing to India. India has taken a giant leap in the smartphone manufacturing in the past few years, thanks to the Production-linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme. Many technology giants like Apple, Samsung, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Lava have also set up their bases and expanded operations in India. Recently, Apple unveiled two retail stores in India. According to the IT ministry, mobile phone manufacturing saw a 66% rise to `45,000 crore within the first year of the roll-out of the scheme in April 2020. Samsung (73%), Apple (20%), and Xiaomi (3%) led the smartphone exports from India in 2022, said Menka Kumari, Senior Analyst - Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CyberMedia Research (CMR). Other players which exports from India are Motorola and Xiaomi.
By IANS

SAN FRANCISCO: Vice Media is laying off more than 100 employees as part of restructuring its global organisations, along with shutting down its Vice News Tonight broadcast, reports said.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the embattled media company has been looking to sell itself for several months.

"We are transforming VICE News to better withstand market realities and more closely align with how and where we see our audiences engaging with our content most," co-CEOs Bruce Dixon and Hozefa Lokhandwala said in a note to staff seen by WSJ.

Vice World News produces digital and TV news content for international audiences.

Vice said Vice News would be its singular news brand worldwide, effectively putting an end to the Vice World News brand.

Vice Media earlier this year secured $30 million in debt financing from Fortress Investment Group.

At its peak, Vice was valued at nearly $6 billion.

Last month, reports said that Group Black had submitted a bid to buy Vice for about $400 million.

Last week, popular news outlet Insider announced to lay off 10 per cent of its workforce that includes staff writers.

The layoffs reflect a media market still adjusting to a struggling economy. The Pulitzer Prize-winning news arm of BuzzFeed.com is also being shut down, CEO Jonah Peretti announced.

The media outlet said that it is reducing the workforce by approximately 15 per cent across business, content, tech and admin teams, and beginning the process of closing BuzzFeed News.

Several media outlets, like ABC News, NPR, Vox Media, CNN and others have laid off staff members in recent months.

ALSO READ | BuzzFeed News to be shuttered in corporate cost-cutting move, 180 people to lose jobs

SAN FRANCISCO: Vice Media is laying off more than 100 employees as part of restructuring its global organisations, along with shutting down its Vice News Tonight broadcast, reports said. According to The Wall Street Journal, the embattled media company has been looking to sell itself for several months. "We are transforming VICE News to better withstand market realities and more closely align with how and where we see our audiences engaging with our content most," co-CEOs Bruce Dixon and Hozefa Lokhandwala said in a note to staff seen by WSJ.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Vice World News produces digital and TV news content for international audiences. Vice said Vice News would be its singular news brand worldwide, effectively putting an end to the Vice World News brand. Vice Media earlier this year secured $30 million in debt financing from Fortress Investment Group. At its peak, Vice was valued at nearly $6 billion. Last month, reports said that Group Black had submitted a bid to buy Vice for about $400 million. Last week, popular news outlet Insider announced to lay off 10 per cent of its workforce that includes staff writers. The layoffs reflect a media market still adjusting to a struggling economy. The Pulitzer Prize-winning news arm of BuzzFeed.com is also being shut down, CEO Jonah Peretti announced. The media outlet said that it is reducing the workforce by approximately 15 per cent across business, content, tech and admin teams, and beginning the process of closing BuzzFeed News. Several media outlets, like ABC News, NPR, Vox Media, CNN and others have laid off staff members in recent months. ALSO READ | BuzzFeed News to be shuttered in corporate cost-cutting move, 180 people to lose jobs
Uma Kannan By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: LTIMindtree on Thursday said they continue to remain on target with the companys onboarding programme for freshers.

We are also on track with the FY24 plan that we had set for ourselves at the beginning of the year, Nachiket Deshpande, COO and Executive Board Member, LTIMindtree told TNIE.

His comment comes at a time when freshers who received offer letters from the company in January 2022 are still waiting to be onboarded.

Speaking about the training programme IGNITE that freshers have to go through, Deshpande said it was launched in 2019 and the focus is to use the time available (between graduation and onboarding) to upskill themselves and be a lot more relevant. IGNITE is now extended to erstwhile Mindtree freshers post the merger.

We normally onboard our freshers in the first three quarters of the financial year which will happen in FY24. In the past year, because we were going through the merger and systems were getting integrated, we had to pause that in Q3 and Q4this will now come back on track, he added.

LTIMindtree on Thursday reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 1,114 crore for the March 2023 quarter, which is flat, compared with Rs 1,108 crore in the same quarter last year. Its revenue for the quarter stood at Rs 8,691 crore, an increase of 21.9% YoY. The Board of Directors has declared a final dividend of Rs 40 per equity share.

Talking about the demand environment, CEO Debashis Chatterjee said the demand is very strong and that they have a pretty good pipeline. The focus of clients is shifting towards more efficiency rather than transformation.

The overall demand pipeline is pretty robust but at the same time the decision-making process is taking much longer, probably that is because of the macroeconomic and cautiousness that clients are exercising. Apart from the fact that the decision-making is delayed, I dont think there is any concern per se in terms of the overall demand environment that we are seeing both in the client portfolio as well as industries that we are supporting, he added.

The company is also focused on generative AI, and it is working with six customers at present. As part of the generative AI platform, LTIMindtree has also launched four co-pilots including cloud transformation and content generation.

BENGALURU: LTIMindtree on Thursday said they continue to remain on target with the companys onboarding programme for freshers. We are also on track with the FY24 plan that we had set for ourselves at the beginning of the year, Nachiket Deshpande, COO and Executive Board Member, LTIMindtree told TNIE. His comment comes at a time when freshers who received offer letters from the company in January 2022 are still waiting to be onboarded. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Speaking about the training programme IGNITE that freshers have to go through, Deshpande said it was launched in 2019 and the focus is to use the time available (between graduation and onboarding) to upskill themselves and be a lot more relevant. IGNITE is now extended to erstwhile Mindtree freshers post the merger. We normally onboard our freshers in the first three quarters of the financial year which will happen in FY24. In the past year, because we were going through the merger and systems were getting integrated, we had to pause that in Q3 and Q4this will now come back on track, he added. LTIMindtree on Thursday reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 1,114 crore for the March 2023 quarter, which is flat, compared with Rs 1,108 crore in the same quarter last year. Its revenue for the quarter stood at Rs 8,691 crore, an increase of 21.9% YoY. The Board of Directors has declared a final dividend of Rs 40 per equity share. Talking about the demand environment, CEO Debashis Chatterjee said the demand is very strong and that they have a pretty good pipeline. The focus of clients is shifting towards more efficiency rather than transformation. The overall demand pipeline is pretty robust but at the same time the decision-making process is taking much longer, probably that is because of the macroeconomic and cautiousness that clients are exercising. Apart from the fact that the decision-making is delayed, I dont think there is any concern per se in terms of the overall demand environment that we are seeing both in the client portfolio as well as industries that we are supporting, he added. The company is also focused on generative AI, and it is working with six customers at present. As part of the generative AI platform, LTIMindtree has also launched four co-pilots including cloud transformation and content generation.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Sukanya Mondal, the daughter of Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for her alleged role in cross-border illegal cattle trade case, was remanded to three days custody by the probe agency by a court.She is already in judicial custody in a money laundering case related to Indo-Bangladesh cattle smuggling.

Sukanya, a primary school teacher in West Bengals Birbhum district, was arrested on Wednesday by the ED following her questioning. She was produced before Special Judge Raghubir Singh of the Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday. The judge sent her to the custody of the federal agency till April 30.

During the hearing, Special Public Prosecutor Nitesh Rana sought her custody saying she was required to be confronted with evidence and the co-accused, including her father. The judge said Sukanyas custody was also required to trace the proceeds of the crime and establish the money trail and the modus operandi.

Anubrata Mondal, the former Birbhum district president of the Trinamool Congress, was arrested by the CBI for his alleged involvement in cattle smuggling and was named in the chargesheet.

He was subsequently arrested by the ED. In December last year, the ED attached 32 properties worth more than Rs 1.58 crore belonging to Anubrata Mondals former bodyguard Sehegal Hossain. The ED said Hossain was a close confidant of Anubrata Mondal and one of the prominent members of this whole smuggling racket operating across the India-Bangladesh border.

NEW DELHI: Sukanya Mondal, the daughter of Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for her alleged role in cross-border illegal cattle trade case, was remanded to three days custody by the probe agency by a court.She is already in judicial custody in a money laundering case related to Indo-Bangladesh cattle smuggling. Sukanya, a primary school teacher in West Bengals Birbhum district, was arrested on Wednesday by the ED following her questioning. She was produced before Special Judge Raghubir Singh of the Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday. The judge sent her to the custody of the federal agency till April 30. During the hearing, Special Public Prosecutor Nitesh Rana sought her custody saying she was required to be confronted with evidence and the co-accused, including her father. The judge said Sukanyas custody was also required to trace the proceeds of the crime and establish the money trail and the modus operandi. Anubrata Mondal, the former Birbhum district president of the Trinamool Congress, was arrested by the CBI for his alleged involvement in cattle smuggling and was named in the chargesheet.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He was subsequently arrested by the ED. In December last year, the ED attached 32 properties worth more than Rs 1.58 crore belonging to Anubrata Mondals former bodyguard Sehegal Hossain. The ED said Hossain was a close confidant of Anubrata Mondal and one of the prominent members of this whole smuggling racket operating across the India-Bangladesh border.
Jaison Wilson By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Friday dismissed Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's bail plea in the money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Special judge MK Nagpal pronounced the order. Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan represented Sisodia whereas Zoheb Hossain represented the ED.

The order which was scheduled to pronounce on Wednesday was postponed to Friday.

Earlier on April 18, the same court had reserved the order on the bail application.

The Aam Aadmi Party senior leader was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26. He was later arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 9 at Tihar Jail for the liquor policy case.

Sisodia was arrested on the grounds that there was ample material to confront him with evidence, others accused and statements to seek his responses with respect to the proofs and facts on record.

Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan, representing the AAP leader, submitted that it is not the job of the ED to tell what happened in the GoM and the cabinet, the job of the ED should be to tell if any crime was committed, and who benefited from it.

The lawyer argued that Sisodia cannot be kept in custody only on the basis of speculations. Sisodias lawyer submitted that no money laundering case was made out against him. The Enforcement Directorate has also opposed the bail plea and said, an illegal ecosystem was created in view to give illegal benefits to liquor cartels to get kickbacks.

Appearing for ED, Zohaib Hossain submitted before the Court that all the elements of conspiracy are present here in the matter. "Conspiracy is hatched in secrecy," said the ED lawyer. He also added that every process of activity dealing with the proceeds of crime is money laundering.

We have proof that the policy was modified without any deliberation and discussion. And we also have sufficient statements from various concerned persons to show that the profit margin increased from 6 per cent to 12 per cent was meant as kickbacks, said the ED said in court.

In the matter, the expert committee suggested that individuals will apply and they will get two retail vends. This was to avoid cartelisation. This was supposed to happen through the lottery system but Manish Sisodia preferred the limited entity model, said the central agency.

NEW DELHI: Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Friday dismissed Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's bail plea in the money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Special judge MK Nagpal pronounced the order. Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan represented Sisodia whereas Zoheb Hossain represented the ED. The order which was scheduled to pronounce on Wednesday was postponed to Friday.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Earlier on April 18, the same court had reserved the order on the bail application. The Aam Aadmi Party senior leader was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 26. He was later arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 9 at Tihar Jail for the liquor policy case. Sisodia was arrested on the grounds that there was ample material to confront him with evidence, others accused and statements to seek his responses with respect to the proofs and facts on record. Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan, representing the AAP leader, submitted that it is not the job of the ED to tell what happened in the GoM and the cabinet, the job of the ED should be to tell if any crime was committed, and who benefited from it. The lawyer argued that Sisodia cannot be kept in custody only on the basis of speculations. Sisodias lawyer submitted that no money laundering case was made out against him. The Enforcement Directorate has also opposed the bail plea and said, an illegal ecosystem was created in view to give illegal benefits to liquor cartels to get kickbacks. Appearing for ED, Zohaib Hossain submitted before the Court that all the elements of conspiracy are present here in the matter. "Conspiracy is hatched in secrecy," said the ED lawyer. He also added that every process of activity dealing with the proceeds of crime is money laundering. We have proof that the policy was modified without any deliberation and discussion. And we also have sufficient statements from various concerned persons to show that the profit margin increased from 6 per cent to 12 per cent was meant as kickbacks, said the ED said in court. In the matter, the expert committee suggested that individuals will apply and they will get two retail vends. This was to avoid cartelisation. This was supposed to happen through the lottery system but Manish Sisodia preferred the limited entity model, said the central agency.
By Azernews

Qabil Ashirov

With his irrational speech and behaviors Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan once again proved to be an untrustable politician and unreliable person. A thicket of news circulated in Armenian media outlets recently confirms that he is not a man who stands by his words.

On the one hand, he speaks about peace, on the other hand, he sends saboteur groups into Azerbaijani territory and tries to arm separatists in Karabakh by violating the provisions of the 9 November statement. Besides, Armenia's capriciousness has always been in sight. Just a day after Armenia installed a checkpoint on the conditional Aremanian-Azerbaijan border, Azerbaijan responded it with installing another checkpoint in order to prevent smuggling illegal weapons and manpower in Azerbaijan's territory. What happened? Armenia as usual, shed tears that Azerbaijan is trying to commit genocide in Karabakh.

Standing once again in front of the cameras he addresses false accusations against Azerbaijan that as though it plans to grab the territory of Armenia, but does not mention that Armenia invaded 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory and kept it under occupation for 30 years. Yet we are not talking about looting, vandalism, ecocide and many more destructions caused by Armenian armed groups in the formerly occupied lands. Pashinyan's foolish statement suggests that he either suffers from Amnesia or is a total impudent who surrounded with Armenian politicians of his own prototype.

Not being tired of performing the role of "PM who tries to save miserable but stubborn and proud Armenia" Nicol Pashinyan called the Azerbaijani side to peace by mutually recognizing each-other's territorial integrity. He suggested that Armenia is ready to recognize Azerbaijans territorial integrity in accordance with the Soviet-Azerbaijani border and asked Azerbaijan to recognize Armenia with 29,743 square kilometers. One can think that in this case, Armenia will recognize Azerbaijan with 86,600 square kilometers, since Soviet Azerbaijan covered Karabakh as well. However, a few days later Armenia solemnly announced allocating a low-interest credit to the so-called artsakh republic amounting to 3.5 billion drams ($9 million).

After all this, Pahisnyan leaves no other idea to think either he tries to wrap the world around his little finger or he lost his mind. First of all, we remind a cocky PM of a little but proud country, which begs money and help from other countries and live at the expense of others, that Soviet Azerbaijan had neither a region named Artsakh nor Artsakh republic within its borders.

Secondly, providing separatists within Azerbaijan with financial resources is poking in Azerbaijan's internal affairs. In addition, taking into account that the same separatist group engaged in terror acts, committed massacres such as Khojaly, looted civilians, and their hands stained with Azerbaijanis' blood, it is also a crime of aiding terrorism. Such action of Armenia indicates new provocations and crimes in Karabakh.

Surely, these financial resources provided by the Armenian government will not be directed to the civilians living in Karabakh, but to the separatist clique that takes hostage the civilians of Armenian origin. Such actions of Armenia will further worsen the living standards of civilians in Karabakh, kept as hostages by the separatist groups, who already live in dire conditions.

It seems that Armenia has not taken a lesson from the 44-day war in 2020. Otherwise, they would avoid trying to interfere with Azerbaijans internal affairs and aid terrorism. Armenia should not forget that history repeats itself and if they do not stop doing such things soon or late they will feel the strike of the Iron Fist once again. Besides that, let Pashinyan not forget that the more he will be a man of his word, the better will be for him and Armenia.
The online "Food Disgust Sensitivity Test" by IDRlabs has gone viral on Twitter, inadvertently shedding light on our perceptions of others' culinary practices rather than our own sensitivities.

TODAY:

Portions of the test have been critiqued by folks whose cultures greatly rely on the consumption of fish, pork or even insects, with one Twitter user saying, "This 'Food Disgust Test' is pretty racist? Or at least American white-centric."

Prompts like "It is gross to eat raw fish like sushi" and "My mouth waters when I see a whole pig on a skewer" seem targeted at Japanese, Polynesian and other cuisines these foods are deeply associated with.

The phrasing of "I would never eat those new snacks and dishes that are made from bugs" (emphasis ours), for one, is inaccurate, considering that Mexican chapulines, deep-fried grasshoppers seasoned with chile and lime, have been around since the 16th century.

Personally, as a Haitian American, the question, "It is nauseating to have a whole fish, including its head, served to me on my plate," felt especially pointed. As someone who enjoyed pwason fris, a whole fried red snapper, head and all, throughout my childhood, the word "nauseated" gave me a little bit of pause.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: A Class-8 student of an MCD school was allegedly bludgeoned to death by two men who dumped the body in a drain in southeast Delhis Badarpur area, police said on Friday.

The deceased has been identified as Saurabh (12), a resident of the Bilaspur camp in Molarband village. He was a student of an MCD-run school at Tajpur Pahari, police said. Around 8.20 pm on Thursday, a PCR call was received at the Badarpur Police Station, informing that a schoolboy was killed by two men, police said.

When a police team reached the spot between the Khatushyam park and Tajpur Road village, the body of the boy in a school uniform was found lying in a drain. A schoolbag containing textbooks and other study material was also found. At a distance of about six yards from the schoolbag, blood-stained stones and a blood-stained cotton towel were also found, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Rajesh Deo said.

The scene of crime was photographed and the exhibits were taken into possession, he added. On an inspection, multiple head injuries, apparently caused by a blunt object, were noticed. The presence of the blood-stained stones indicated that the stones were possibly used in the commission of the crime, the officer said. The body has been shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences mortuary for post-mortem and efforts are on to identify the assailants, the DCP said.

Schoolbag, blood stained towel found at site

The body of the boy in a school uniform was found lying in a drain along with a schoolbag containing textbooks. Blood-stained stones and a blood-stained cotton towel were also found.

NEW DELHI: A Class-8 student of an MCD school was allegedly bludgeoned to death by two men who dumped the body in a drain in southeast Delhis Badarpur area, police said on Friday. The deceased has been identified as Saurabh (12), a resident of the Bilaspur camp in Molarband village. He was a student of an MCD-run school at Tajpur Pahari, police said. Around 8.20 pm on Thursday, a PCR call was received at the Badarpur Police Station, informing that a schoolboy was killed by two men, police said. When a police team reached the spot between the Khatushyam park and Tajpur Road village, the body of the boy in a school uniform was found lying in a drain. A schoolbag containing textbooks and other study material was also found. At a distance of about six yards from the schoolbag, blood-stained stones and a blood-stained cotton towel were also found, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Rajesh Deo said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The scene of crime was photographed and the exhibits were taken into possession, he added. On an inspection, multiple head injuries, apparently caused by a blunt object, were noticed. The presence of the blood-stained stones indicated that the stones were possibly used in the commission of the crime, the officer said. The body has been shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences mortuary for post-mortem and efforts are on to identify the assailants, the DCP said. Schoolbag, blood stained towel found at site The body of the boy in a school uniform was found lying in a drain along with a schoolbag containing textbooks. Blood-stained stones and a blood-stained cotton towel were also found.
Anna Jose and Anu Kuruvilla By

Express News Service

KOCHI: Travelling 1,300 kilometres from Khartoum to Port Sudan in a van stuffed with people was the most challenging, tedious and horrific journey Ive ever taken in my life, says Sheron Alappatt, who, along with her husband, Biji Alappatt, and three children, were among the 19 Malayalis who fled war-torn Sudan and arrived in Kerala on Thursday.

Now, back in their home at Edachira in Kakkanad, Sheron points out that the war was unexpected. Sudan is a peaceful country. There was no indication of any unrest, she says. After spending a vacation in Dubai, the family had just returned to Sudan and were trying to catch up on much-needed sleep.

My husband was coming back to Kerala on leave. So we decided to join him in Sudan and then return home to Kerala on April 17. However, everything went crazy just two days before our departure, with the war breaking out on April 15, she says.

That was the start of their many sleepless nights, she adds. As soon as the war broke out, stores ran out of groceries and other essential items. Thankfully, I had some items with shelf-life, and we made do with it, Sheron says.

There was a lot of confusion. We were told that UN aid groups had arrived. So we tried contacting them. That was during the early days of the fighting. But as the situation grew more tense, we were told that they were unable to come.

As for the evacuation plan, Sheron said, Initially, we didnt get any information. We were waiting for the Indian embassy to release some information. It was only later that there was some development. People were sorted into groups. But that was it. Nothing happened after. Everyone was giving some excuse or the other.

Then, her husband, Biji Alappatt, contacted an acquaintance with the UAE embassy. He assured us that he will get us on the UAE convoy. After that, everything happened very quickly. But the journey from Khartoum to Port Sudan was horror as we stayed away from checkpoints and dangerous areas, she says. The family received five minutes to pack and leave. I was told to pack only the bare minimum, she adds. The family left behind everything and boarded the small vehicle for the safety that awaited them at Port Sudan. Im grateful that we all are alive and well, she adds.

Lousia Alappatt, Bijis mother, said the family was scared for their safety. The place where Biji and family stayed was a high-risk area. Though they contacted us every day, we were worried, Lousia said.

Meanwhile, the wife and daughter of Albert Augustine, an ex-serviceman who was shot dead in Sudan on April 16 following the violent conflict between the army and paramilitary, also landed in the airport. The deceaseds wife Saibella and their daughter Marietta, who landed at Cochin Airport in the morning, left for their hometown in Kannur.

The 360-member team of Indians was brought to India as part of Operation Kaveri. Minister V Muralidharan led the operations. The 19 Malayalis in the group were brought to Kerala at the expense of the state government, with effective action taken by the Department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA).

KOCHI: Travelling 1,300 kilometres from Khartoum to Port Sudan in a van stuffed with people was the most challenging, tedious and horrific journey Ive ever taken in my life, says Sheron Alappatt, who, along with her husband, Biji Alappatt, and three children, were among the 19 Malayalis who fled war-torn Sudan and arrived in Kerala on Thursday. Now, back in their home at Edachira in Kakkanad, Sheron points out that the war was unexpected. Sudan is a peaceful country. There was no indication of any unrest, she says. After spending a vacation in Dubai, the family had just returned to Sudan and were trying to catch up on much-needed sleep. My husband was coming back to Kerala on leave. So we decided to join him in Sudan and then return home to Kerala on April 17. However, everything went crazy just two days before our departure, with the war breaking out on April 15, she says.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); That was the start of their many sleepless nights, she adds. As soon as the war broke out, stores ran out of groceries and other essential items. Thankfully, I had some items with shelf-life, and we made do with it, Sheron says. There was a lot of confusion. We were told that UN aid groups had arrived. So we tried contacting them. That was during the early days of the fighting. But as the situation grew more tense, we were told that they were unable to come. As for the evacuation plan, Sheron said, Initially, we didnt get any information. We were waiting for the Indian embassy to release some information. It was only later that there was some development. People were sorted into groups. But that was it. Nothing happened after. Everyone was giving some excuse or the other. Then, her husband, Biji Alappatt, contacted an acquaintance with the UAE embassy. He assured us that he will get us on the UAE convoy. After that, everything happened very quickly. But the journey from Khartoum to Port Sudan was horror as we stayed away from checkpoints and dangerous areas, she says. The family received five minutes to pack and leave. I was told to pack only the bare minimum, she adds. The family left behind everything and boarded the small vehicle for the safety that awaited them at Port Sudan. Im grateful that we all are alive and well, she adds. Lousia Alappatt, Bijis mother, said the family was scared for their safety. The place where Biji and family stayed was a high-risk area. Though they contacted us every day, we were worried, Lousia said. Meanwhile, the wife and daughter of Albert Augustine, an ex-serviceman who was shot dead in Sudan on April 16 following the violent conflict between the army and paramilitary, also landed in the airport. The deceaseds wife Saibella and their daughter Marietta, who landed at Cochin Airport in the morning, left for their hometown in Kannur. The 360-member team of Indians was brought to India as part of Operation Kaveri. Minister V Muralidharan led the operations. The 19 Malayalis in the group were brought to Kerala at the expense of the state government, with effective action taken by the Department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA).
By PTI

MUMBAI: Actor Sooraj Pancholi shook off the controversy clouding his life and career on Friday with a special CBI court acquitting him in the 2013 suicide case of his girlfriend Jiah Khan.

Pancholi, 32, the son of actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, hasn't really been able to make a dent after his promising debut as the lead in the remake of 'Hero' opposite Athiya Shetty in 2015.

The film, which won him a Filmfare Award for best debut, was backed by Salman Khan and Subhash Ghai.

It didn't do well and Pancholi's career has been moving in fits and starts since then.

He has since worked in the little-known "Satellite Shankar" and "Time to Dance".

Pancholi, who has also worked as assistant director on films such as Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Guzaarish" and Salman Khan-starrer "Ek Tha Tiger", hit the headlines when he was accused of abetting Jiah Khan's suicide.

He was charged on the basis of a six-page letter purportedly written by Khan, who was found hanging in her Juhu home on June 3, 2013.

In an interview to PTI in 2015, Pancholi had said, "My name will always be associated with her and I have no guilt for that. I am happy that something at least stays with me. I am sad that she ended her life. But at least her name is with me and I have no problems with it."

READ HERE | Remembering actor Jiah Khan: A life framed in headlines forever

On Friday, Pancholi was there with his mother when the judge read out the verdict.

Special CBI judge A S Sayyad called him to the witness box and asked his name.

When the actor said Sooraj, the judge asked him to state his full name.

The actor then replied, "Sooraj Aditya Pancholi."

The judge then said, "Due to paucity of evidence, this court holds you (Sooraj) not guilty --- acquitted."

Pancholi nodded with his head down and stepped out of the witness box.

He didn't speak to reporters.

In a statement later, Pancholi said not just the case, he had also won back his "dignity" and "confidence".

"The verdict has taken 10 long painful years and sleepless nights. But today I have not only won this case against me but I have also won my dignity and confidence back. It took a lot of courage to face the world with such heinous allegations. I hope and pray to God that nobody goes through what I have gone through at such a young age. I don't know who will give me these 10 years of my life back to me, but I am glad that this has finally come to an end not only for me but specially for my family. There is nothing bigger than peace in this world," the actor said in the statement.

ALSO READ | Jiah Khan death by suicide case: A timeline of key events

MUMBAI: Actor Sooraj Pancholi shook off the controversy clouding his life and career on Friday with a special CBI court acquitting him in the 2013 suicide case of his girlfriend Jiah Khan. Pancholi, 32, the son of actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, hasn't really been able to make a dent after his promising debut as the lead in the remake of 'Hero' opposite Athiya Shetty in 2015. The film, which won him a Filmfare Award for best debut, was backed by Salman Khan and Subhash Ghai.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); It didn't do well and Pancholi's career has been moving in fits and starts since then. He has since worked in the little-known "Satellite Shankar" and "Time to Dance". Pancholi, who has also worked as assistant director on films such as Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Guzaarish" and Salman Khan-starrer "Ek Tha Tiger", hit the headlines when he was accused of abetting Jiah Khan's suicide. He was charged on the basis of a six-page letter purportedly written by Khan, who was found hanging in her Juhu home on June 3, 2013. In an interview to PTI in 2015, Pancholi had said, "My name will always be associated with her and I have no guilt for that. I am happy that something at least stays with me. I am sad that she ended her life. But at least her name is with me and I have no problems with it." READ HERE | Remembering actor Jiah Khan: A life framed in headlines forever On Friday, Pancholi was there with his mother when the judge read out the verdict. Special CBI judge A S Sayyad called him to the witness box and asked his name. When the actor said Sooraj, the judge asked him to state his full name. The actor then replied, "Sooraj Aditya Pancholi." The judge then said, "Due to paucity of evidence, this court holds you (Sooraj) not guilty --- acquitted." Pancholi nodded with his head down and stepped out of the witness box. He didn't speak to reporters. In a statement later, Pancholi said not just the case, he had also won back his "dignity" and "confidence". "The verdict has taken 10 long painful years and sleepless nights. But today I have not only won this case against me but I have also won my dignity and confidence back. It took a lot of courage to face the world with such heinous allegations. I hope and pray to God that nobody goes through what I have gone through at such a young age. I don't know who will give me these 10 years of my life back to me, but I am glad that this has finally come to an end not only for me but specially for my family. There is nothing bigger than peace in this world," the actor said in the statement. ALSO READ | Jiah Khan death by suicide case: A timeline of key events
By PTI

TRIVANDRUM: The opposition Congress on Friday urged the government not to give permission to screen the controversial movie 'The Kerala Story', as it aimed to create "communal divisions in society through false claims".

According to the filmmakers, 'The Kerala Story', written and directed by Sudipto Sen, "unearths" the events behind "approximately 32,000 women" going missing in the southern state who have allegedly converted, radicalised, and deployed in terror missions in India and the world.

Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly V D Satheesan rejected the claims of the movie makers and said it was clear that the intention of the upcoming movie was to tarnish the image of the state at the international level.

"Permission should not be given to screen the film which falsely claims that 32,000 women in Kerala have been converted into Islam and became members of ISIS," the Congress leader said.

'The Kerala Story', starring Adah Sharma, is set to be released in cinemas on May 5.

The trailer of the film itself tells what the movie is trying to say, Satheesan said here in a statement. "This is not an issue of freedom of expression but part of an attempt to implement the Sangh Parivar agenda of creating division in the society by casting aspersions on minority groups. No one should think that Kerala can be divided by spewing the poison of communalism," he said, adding that the state would stand united -- as has been its tradition -- against this "deliberate move to foster religious rivalry".

Kerala is a land full of literacy, hard work, capability and intellect..- this what PM said other day . Whereas,his followers are active in promoting The Kerala Story which is full of lies & canards intending to denigrate Kerala. Had earlier written to take appropriate action.. pic.twitter.com/R5GZTAzXGO  John Brittas (@JohnBrittas) April 28, 2023

The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the ruling CPI(M), also lashed out against the film and said its trailer itself hurt religious sentiments.

In a hard-hitting Facebook post, the DYFI alleged that the medium of cinema was being misused by the makers of the movie to create communal divisions in society and to tarnish the image of the state.

The Left outfit also sought stern action against the film.

In a press note issued earlier this week, the filmmakers announced the release date with a poster that shows a burqa-clad woman with a tagline "Uncovering the truth that was kept hidden."

The film's writer-director Sudipto Sen's earlier movies are 'Aasma', 'Lucknow Times' and 'The Last Monk'.

'The Kerala Story' is backed by Sunshine Pictures Private Limited, founded by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, who serves as the producer, creative director and co-writer on the film.

TRIVANDRUM: The opposition Congress on Friday urged the government not to give permission to screen the controversial movie 'The Kerala Story', as it aimed to create "communal divisions in society through false claims". According to the filmmakers, 'The Kerala Story', written and directed by Sudipto Sen, "unearths" the events behind "approximately 32,000 women" going missing in the southern state who have allegedly converted, radicalised, and deployed in terror missions in India and the world. Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly V D Satheesan rejected the claims of the movie makers and said it was clear that the intention of the upcoming movie was to tarnish the image of the state at the international level.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "Permission should not be given to screen the film which falsely claims that 32,000 women in Kerala have been converted into Islam and became members of ISIS," the Congress leader said. 'The Kerala Story', starring Adah Sharma, is set to be released in cinemas on May 5. The trailer of the film itself tells what the movie is trying to say, Satheesan said here in a statement. "This is not an issue of freedom of expression but part of an attempt to implement the Sangh Parivar agenda of creating division in the society by casting aspersions on minority groups. No one should think that Kerala can be divided by spewing the poison of communalism," he said, adding that the state would stand united -- as has been its tradition -- against this "deliberate move to foster religious rivalry". Kerala is a land full of literacy, hard work, capability and intellect..- this what PM said other day . Whereas,his followers are active in promoting The Kerala Story which is full of lies & canards intending to denigrate Kerala. Had earlier written to take appropriate action.. pic.twitter.com/R5GZTAzXGO  John Brittas (@JohnBrittas) April 28, 2023 The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the ruling CPI(M), also lashed out against the film and said its trailer itself hurt religious sentiments. In a hard-hitting Facebook post, the DYFI alleged that the medium of cinema was being misused by the makers of the movie to create communal divisions in society and to tarnish the image of the state. The Left outfit also sought stern action against the film. In a press note issued earlier this week, the filmmakers announced the release date with a poster that shows a burqa-clad woman with a tagline "Uncovering the truth that was kept hidden." The film's writer-director Sudipto Sen's earlier movies are 'Aasma', 'Lucknow Times' and 'The Last Monk'. 'The Kerala Story' is backed by Sunshine Pictures Private Limited, founded by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, who serves as the producer, creative director and co-writer on the film.
Mayank Singh By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday chaired the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting and stressed on fixing accountability on those who aid terrorism. He also emphasised that the robust framework of regional cooperation must involve mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Addressing the meeting in New Delhi, Rajnath asserted that any kind of terrorist act or support to it in any form is a major crime against humanity and peace and prosperity cannot coexist with this menace.

Rajnath called upon the SCO member states to collectively work towards eliminating terrorism in all its forms and fix accountability on those who aid or fund such activities.

India has always maintained that terrorism emanating from territories under Pakistan's control remains a core concern in bilateral relations. It has consistently stressed the need for Pakistan to take credible, irreversible and verifiable action to end cross border terrorism against India.

If a nation shelters terrorists, it not only poses a threat to others, but for itself too. Radicalisation of youth is a cause of concern not only from the point of view of security, but it is also a major obstacle in the path of socio-economic progress of society. If we want to make the SCO a stronger and more credible international organisation, our top-most priority should be to effectively deal with terrorism, the Defence Minister said.

ALSO READ | Violation of pacts eroded bilateral ties, Rajnath tells China's Defence Minister

Elaborating on the Indian vision of a robust framework of regional cooperation, Rajnath added that this should "mutually respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states by taking care of their legitimate interests.

New Delhi strives to further bolster trust and cooperation among the members of the SCO as it believes in maintaining peace and security based on the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations," he asserted.

The 3,488 km long Line of Actual Control with China is tense while both nations have deployed a high density of troops in Eastern Ladakh and there is precautionary deployment all across the LAC.

Rajnath called for concerted efforts by the SCO member states, so that the region, with limitless possibilities in todays multilateral world, shifts to the mindset of great gain from win-win paradigm from great game of zero sum, win-lose paradigm. India has always followed the principle of Let us walk together & move forward together. Every era has a zeitgeist (defining idea). The zeitgeist of the present era is Win-win cooperation for the great gain, he said.

Rajnath also touched upon the two defence-related activities launched by India, as the SCO chair, to increase interoperability among member states. These are a workshop on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and a seminar on defence think-tanks of SCO countries. Both the events witnessed enthusiastic participation from all SCO countries.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, the Defence Minister described the SCO as an evolved and strong regional organisation, underlining that India views it as an important entity to promote defence cooperation among member states.

At the end of the deliberations, all the SCO member countries signed a protocol, expressing their collective will to make the region secure, peaceful and prosperous.

Addressing media persons after the meeting, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane stated that all the member nations arrived at a consensus on several areas of cooperation, including dealing with terrorism, security of vulnerable populations in various countries as well as HADR. He stated that all member states were unanimous in their statements that terrorism, in all its forms, must be condemned and eliminated. He exuded confidence that many areas identified for cooperation will be acted upon in the times to come and India, as the SCO chair, will lead from the front in ensuring a safe and secure future for the region and the world as a whole.

Defence Ministers of China (General Li Shangfu); Russia (General Sergei Shoigu); Iran (Brig Gen Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani); Belarus (Lt Gen Khrenin VG); Kazakhstan (Col Gen Ruslan Zhaxylykov); Uzbekistan (Lt Gen Bakhodir Kurbanov); Kyrgyzstan (Lt Gen Bekbolotov Baktybek Asankalievich) and Tajikistan (Col Gen Sherali Mirzo) attended the meeting. The ministers discussed issues of common concern including issues of regional and international security under the SCO charter during the meeting.

India is the chair of the SCO in 2023. The SCO is an intergovernmental organisation established in 2001. Its membership includes Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan besides India. Apart from the member states, two observer countries Belarus and Iran also participated in the meeting.

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday chaired the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting and stressed on fixing accountability on those who aid terrorism. He also emphasised that the robust framework of regional cooperation must involve mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. Addressing the meeting in New Delhi, Rajnath asserted that any kind of terrorist act or support to it in any form is a major crime against humanity and peace and prosperity cannot coexist with this menace. Rajnath called upon the SCO member states to collectively work towards eliminating terrorism in all its forms and fix accountability on those who aid or fund such activities.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); India has always maintained that terrorism emanating from territories under Pakistan's control remains a core concern in bilateral relations. It has consistently stressed the need for Pakistan to take credible, irreversible and verifiable action to end cross border terrorism against India. If a nation shelters terrorists, it not only poses a threat to others, but for itself too. Radicalisation of youth is a cause of concern not only from the point of view of security, but it is also a major obstacle in the path of socio-economic progress of society. If we want to make the SCO a stronger and more credible international organisation, our top-most priority should be to effectively deal with terrorism, the Defence Minister said. ALSO READ | Violation of pacts eroded bilateral ties, Rajnath tells China's Defence Minister Elaborating on the Indian vision of a robust framework of regional cooperation, Rajnath added that this should "mutually respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states by taking care of their legitimate interests. New Delhi strives to further bolster trust and cooperation among the members of the SCO as it believes in maintaining peace and security based on the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations," he asserted. The 3,488 km long Line of Actual Control with China is tense while both nations have deployed a high density of troops in Eastern Ladakh and there is precautionary deployment all across the LAC. Rajnath called for concerted efforts by the SCO member states, so that the region, with limitless possibilities in todays multilateral world, shifts to the mindset of great gain from win-win paradigm from great game of zero sum, win-lose paradigm. India has always followed the principle of Let us walk together & move forward together. Every era has a zeitgeist (defining idea). The zeitgeist of the present era is Win-win cooperation for the great gain, he said. Rajnath also touched upon the two defence-related activities launched by India, as the SCO chair, to increase interoperability among member states. These are a workshop on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and a seminar on defence think-tanks of SCO countries. Both the events witnessed enthusiastic participation from all SCO countries. Earlier, in his opening remarks, the Defence Minister described the SCO as an evolved and strong regional organisation, underlining that India views it as an important entity to promote defence cooperation among member states. At the end of the deliberations, all the SCO member countries signed a protocol, expressing their collective will to make the region secure, peaceful and prosperous. Addressing media persons after the meeting, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane stated that all the member nations arrived at a consensus on several areas of cooperation, including dealing with terrorism, security of vulnerable populations in various countries as well as HADR. He stated that all member states were unanimous in their statements that terrorism, in all its forms, must be condemned and eliminated. He exuded confidence that many areas identified for cooperation will be acted upon in the times to come and India, as the SCO chair, will lead from the front in ensuring a safe and secure future for the region and the world as a whole. Defence Ministers of China (General Li Shangfu); Russia (General Sergei Shoigu); Iran (Brig Gen Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani); Belarus (Lt Gen Khrenin VG); Kazakhstan (Col Gen Ruslan Zhaxylykov); Uzbekistan (Lt Gen Bakhodir Kurbanov); Kyrgyzstan (Lt Gen Bekbolotov Baktybek Asankalievich) and Tajikistan (Col Gen Sherali Mirzo) attended the meeting. The ministers discussed issues of common concern including issues of regional and international security under the SCO charter during the meeting. India is the chair of the SCO in 2023. The SCO is an intergovernmental organisation established in 2001. Its membership includes Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan besides India. Apart from the member states, two observer countries Belarus and Iran also participated in the meeting.
Amit Mukherjee By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: A team comprising officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation reached the residence of Former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Satyapal Malik, at R K Puram in New Delhi post noon, to record his depose on the agencys queries in connection with the two graft cases mounting to Rs 300 crore in a group medical insurance scheme of J&K administration, registered in April 2022, based on bribery allegations levelled by him.

The CBI contacted Malik last week seeking his time to record his statements for further clarity in the matter in view of questions and clarification sought from him in the case which is at present under investigation.

Malik had offered to make himself available tentatively either on April 27 or 28 depending upon his availability in view of his busy personal schedule.

This is the second time CBI is recording Maliks statement in connection with the two bribery cases registered in J&K, based on his (Maliks) complaint that he was approached by private parties, when she was the J&K Governor, to get two files cleared for which he was offered an alleged bribe of Rs 300 crore.

He appeared before the CBI to depose for the first time in the matter immediately after his tenure as J&K Governor ended on October 4.

The incident happened between August 23, 2018, and October 30, 2019, when Malik was the governor of J&K. In his complaint, Malik had mentioned that he was approached by two private entities  one associated with a well-known corporate house and the other with well-placed political connections to get two files cleared.

The files were pertaining to awarding of a contract for a group medical insurance scheme for government employees and civil work worth Rs 2,200 crore related to the Kiru hydroelectric power project in the erstwhile state of J&K, now a union territory.

Following allegations of irregularities in the award of contract for the Jammu and Kashmir Employees Health Care Insurance Scheme which involved releasing Rs 60 crore in 2017-18, Malik at the capacity of J&K Governor cancelled the contract in October 2018. The allegation mainly pertained to the process adopted and rates fixed under the scheme.

Malik, who was the J&K Governor from August 2018 to October 2019, had made the disclosure at a gathering during an event in Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan in October 2021 following which the CBI in April 2022 registered the two FIRs in connection with bribery allegations levelled by him.

The Rajasthan incident was reported in the media where Malik was quoted alleging that two files came to him for clearance, one belonging to Ambani and another to an RSS-affiliated man who was a minister in the previous Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition government and claimed to be very close to the Prime Minister.

He told the gathering that secretaries of the two relevant departments told me that he would get Rs 150 crore each for clearing the files to which he responded by saying I have come with five kurta-pyjamas and will leave with that only. He later informed the gathering that he cancelled both deals after the secretaries alerted him that there was a scam.

V Malik appeared before the CBI after his five years tenure as Governor ended on October 4. He was appointed as Governor of Bihar in 2017 after which he was sent to Jammu and Kashmir in 2018 where he oversaw the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019. Malik, who had criticised the Centre during farmers agitation, was moved to Meghalaya where his five-year tenure ended this month.

NEW DELHI: A team comprising officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation reached the residence of Former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Satyapal Malik, at R K Puram in New Delhi post noon, to record his depose on the agencys queries in connection with the two graft cases mounting to Rs 300 crore in a group medical insurance scheme of J&K administration, registered in April 2022, based on bribery allegations levelled by him. The CBI contacted Malik last week seeking his time to record his statements for further clarity in the matter in view of questions and clarification sought from him in the case which is at present under investigation. Malik had offered to make himself available tentatively either on April 27 or 28 depending upon his availability in view of his busy personal schedule.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); This is the second time CBI is recording Maliks statement in connection with the two bribery cases registered in J&K, based on his (Maliks) complaint that he was approached by private parties, when she was the J&K Governor, to get two files cleared for which he was offered an alleged bribe of Rs 300 crore. He appeared before the CBI to depose for the first time in the matter immediately after his tenure as J&K Governor ended on October 4. The incident happened between August 23, 2018, and October 30, 2019, when Malik was the governor of J&K. In his complaint, Malik had mentioned that he was approached by two private entities  one associated with a well-known corporate house and the other with well-placed political connections to get two files cleared. The files were pertaining to awarding of a contract for a group medical insurance scheme for government employees and civil work worth Rs 2,200 crore related to the Kiru hydroelectric power project in the erstwhile state of J&K, now a union territory. Following allegations of irregularities in the award of contract for the Jammu and Kashmir Employees Health Care Insurance Scheme which involved releasing Rs 60 crore in 2017-18, Malik at the capacity of J&K Governor cancelled the contract in October 2018. The allegation mainly pertained to the process adopted and rates fixed under the scheme. Malik, who was the J&K Governor from August 2018 to October 2019, had made the disclosure at a gathering during an event in Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan in October 2021 following which the CBI in April 2022 registered the two FIRs in connection with bribery allegations levelled by him. The Rajasthan incident was reported in the media where Malik was quoted alleging that two files came to him for clearance, one belonging to Ambani and another to an RSS-affiliated man who was a minister in the previous Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition government and claimed to be very close to the Prime Minister. He told the gathering that secretaries of the two relevant departments told me that he would get Rs 150 crore each for clearing the files to which he responded by saying I have come with five kurta-pyjamas and will leave with that only. He later informed the gathering that he cancelled both deals after the secretaries alerted him that there was a scam. V Malik appeared before the CBI after his five years tenure as Governor ended on October 4. He was appointed as Governor of Bihar in 2017 after which he was sent to Jammu and Kashmir in 2018 where he oversaw the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019. Malik, who had criticised the Centre during farmers agitation, was moved to Meghalaya where his five-year tenure ended this month.
Preetha Nair By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: As the Supreme Court deliberates on the provisions of Special Marriage Act (SMA) as part of the ongoing hearing on the legality of same-sex marriages, interfaith couples Athira Sujatha and Shameem couldnt be happier about it.

Two years ago, the couple moved the SC challenging the provisions of the 30-day prior notice provision in the Special Marriage Act, 1954. Though the court dismissed the petition last year, Athira believes that it was the beginning of a change.

It took two years for the SC to even hear it. It dismissed the petition on the ground that Im no longer an aggrieved party because I was already married. The technicalities have invalidated my struggle. But I am glad that now the same SC is observing that the publishing of personal information of interfaith couples 30-day prior to marriage is patriarchal, Athira told this correspondent.

The couple decided to campaign against the one month notice after their personal information got leaked on Whats app groups and social media after submitting the application. While the SMA provides a legal framework for the marriage of people belonging to different religions or castes, Section 6 directs the marriage officer to issue a public notice for marriage applications under the Act, and Section 7 invites objections to these applications.

While hearing the case, CJI DY Chandrachud observed that the 30-day notice clause under the Act, is patriarchal and lays couples open for invasion by the society. When I asked the registrar about this 30 day notice period, he told me that it is to prevent fraudulent marriage. So my question to him was that it can happen with anyone. Why singling out only interfaith marriages? If the government wants to prevent fraud in marriage it has to come up with a better system. This is an infringement of my basic rights, said Athira.

If the SMA is the only viable route for interfaith couples to register their marriages, the 30-day notice period under SMA is being misused by authorities to harass couples, says Asif Iqbal, co-founder of the NGO Dhanak for Humanity, a platform to extend help for interfaith couples.

Though Delhi government provides safe house accommodation to inter-caste and interfaith couples whose relationships were being opposed by their families or local communities, Iqbal points out that most of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) s makes it very difficult for the couples and try to jeopardize the entire process, he said.

The safe house provided by the Delhi government is located in North Delhi and the closest SDM office is in Model Town. We are handling several cases where the SDM has informed the parents of the couple about their whereabouts after they submit their personal details. This is contempt of court, as the courts have clearly ruled that not to disclose personal information, said Iqbal.

For couples who are coming from a different state, it will take three or four months to register the marriage because of domicile law. First they have to stay for a month and procure identification certificates such as Aadhar, driving license or valid proof. Registering the marriage will take a minimum three months. The officials make the process very difficult and try to jeopardize the entire process, he says.

He points out that in 2021, Delhi High Court has observed that the act of a Sub Divisional Magistrate to issue notices at the residence of a couple seeking registration of marriage under SMA is prima facie contempt of court. Iqbal also says that with the conversion law in place in most states, many couples elope to states out of their jurisdiction to avoid pressure from family and harassment from vigilante groups. Currently we are dealing with a case of an interfaith couple from Rajasthan who are facing threat after the SDM intimated their parents. Because of fear, most couples dont speak out, he said.

Patriarchal, says CJI while hearing case

The Special Marriage Act provides a legal framework for the marriage of people belonging to different religions or castes, Section 6 directs the marriage officer to issue a public notice for marriage applications and Section 7 invites objections to them. While hearing the case, CJI DY Chandrachud observed that the 30-day notice clause is patriarchal and lays couples open for invasion by the society.

NEW DELHI: As the Supreme Court deliberates on the provisions of Special Marriage Act (SMA) as part of the ongoing hearing on the legality of same-sex marriages, interfaith couples Athira Sujatha and Shameem couldnt be happier about it. Two years ago, the couple moved the SC challenging the provisions of the 30-day prior notice provision in the Special Marriage Act, 1954. Though the court dismissed the petition last year, Athira believes that it was the beginning of a change. It took two years for the SC to even hear it. It dismissed the petition on the ground that Im no longer an aggrieved party because I was already married. The technicalities have invalidated my struggle. But I am glad that now the same SC is observing that the publishing of personal information of interfaith couples 30-day prior to marriage is patriarchal, Athira told this correspondent.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The couple decided to campaign against the one month notice after their personal information got leaked on Whats app groups and social media after submitting the application. While the SMA provides a legal framework for the marriage of people belonging to different religions or castes, Section 6 directs the marriage officer to issue a public notice for marriage applications under the Act, and Section 7 invites objections to these applications. While hearing the case, CJI DY Chandrachud observed that the 30-day notice clause under the Act, is patriarchal and lays couples open for invasion by the society. When I asked the registrar about this 30 day notice period, he told me that it is to prevent fraudulent marriage. So my question to him was that it can happen with anyone. Why singling out only interfaith marriages? If the government wants to prevent fraud in marriage it has to come up with a better system. This is an infringement of my basic rights, said Athira. If the SMA is the only viable route for interfaith couples to register their marriages, the 30-day notice period under SMA is being misused by authorities to harass couples, says Asif Iqbal, co-founder of the NGO Dhanak for Humanity, a platform to extend help for interfaith couples. Though Delhi government provides safe house accommodation to inter-caste and interfaith couples whose relationships were being opposed by their families or local communities, Iqbal points out that most of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) s makes it very difficult for the couples and try to jeopardize the entire process, he said. The safe house provided by the Delhi government is located in North Delhi and the closest SDM office is in Model Town. We are handling several cases where the SDM has informed the parents of the couple about their whereabouts after they submit their personal details. This is contempt of court, as the courts have clearly ruled that not to disclose personal information, said Iqbal. For couples who are coming from a different state, it will take three or four months to register the marriage because of domicile law. First they have to stay for a month and procure identification certificates such as Aadhar, driving license or valid proof. Registering the marriage will take a minimum three months. The officials make the process very difficult and try to jeopardize the entire process, he says. He points out that in 2021, Delhi High Court has observed that the act of a Sub Divisional Magistrate to issue notices at the residence of a couple seeking registration of marriage under SMA is prima facie contempt of court. Iqbal also says that with the conversion law in place in most states, many couples elope to states out of their jurisdiction to avoid pressure from family and harassment from vigilante groups. Currently we are dealing with a case of an interfaith couple from Rajasthan who are facing threat after the SDM intimated their parents. Because of fear, most couples dont speak out, he said. Patriarchal, says CJI while hearing case The Special Marriage Act provides a legal framework for the marriage of people belonging to different religions or castes, Section 6 directs the marriage officer to issue a public notice for marriage applications and Section 7 invites objections to them. While hearing the case, CJI DY Chandrachud observed that the 30-day notice clause is patriarchal and lays couples open for invasion by the society.
By Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Former BJP minister Angad Yadav, along with three others, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Azamgarh MP-MLA court on Friday for killing advocate Rajnarayan Singh.

Special judge Omprakash Sharma-III on Friday delivered the order of conviction and sentencing of the four accused in the case dating back to December 19, 2015. The other accused include Sunil Singh, Arun Yadav and Shailesh alias Teni.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on each.

Congress leader and advocate Rajnarayan Singh was shot dead while he was on a morning walk on December 19, 2015, in Azamgarh district.

Some unidentified motorcycle-borne miscreants fired at him. Rajnarayan died on the spot while the attackers fled the scene.

Sudha Singh, the wife of the deceased, had filed a case against Angad Yadav and Sunil Singh, a resident of Sammopur village in the Bardah area, and the unidentified people.

A few days after the murder, Angad Yadav surrendered at the Sidhari police station.

His bail plea was also rejected by the Supreme Court.

The Azamgarh district administration had also attached his property worth over Rs 40 lakhs in the Sidhari police station area in January this year.

LUCKNOW: Former BJP minister Angad Yadav, along with three others, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Azamgarh MP-MLA court on Friday for killing advocate Rajnarayan Singh. Special judge Omprakash Sharma-III on Friday delivered the order of conviction and sentencing of the four accused in the case dating back to December 19, 2015. The other accused include Sunil Singh, Arun Yadav and Shailesh alias Teni. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on each.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Congress leader and advocate Rajnarayan Singh was shot dead while he was on a morning walk on December 19, 2015, in Azamgarh district. Some unidentified motorcycle-borne miscreants fired at him. Rajnarayan died on the spot while the attackers fled the scene. Sudha Singh, the wife of the deceased, had filed a case against Angad Yadav and Sunil Singh, a resident of Sammopur village in the Bardah area, and the unidentified people. A few days after the murder, Angad Yadav surrendered at the Sidhari police station. His bail plea was also rejected by the Supreme Court. The Azamgarh district administration had also attached his property worth over Rs 40 lakhs in the Sidhari police station area in January this year.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Maharashtra government Friday told the Supreme Court that it has already recommended a CBI probe into the alleged lynching of three persons in Palghar in 2020 and this led to the closure of proceedings on as many as four pending petitions on the issue.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha took note of the fresh affidavit of the state government that a communication to this effect has already been issued by it.

"In view of the decision taken by the state government, no further direction is needed on these petitions at this stage. The petitions are disposed of," the bench said.

The pleas demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), alleging that the investigation by the state police was being conducted in a biased manner.

Earlier, the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi government had opposed the plea for a CBI probe into the incident and later, with the change in dispensation in the state, it agreed to the petitions seeking investigation by the central probe agency.

Three people from Kandivali in Mumbai were travelling in a car to attend a funeral in Surat in Gujarat amid the COVID-19-induced nationwide lockdown when their vehicle was stopped and they were attacked and allegedly killed by a mob in Gadchinchile village on the night of April 16, 2020 in the presence of police.

The victims were identified as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri, 70, Sushil Giri Maharaj, 35, and Nilesh Telgade, 30, who was driving the vehicle.

NEW DELHI: The Maharashtra government Friday told the Supreme Court that it has already recommended a CBI probe into the alleged lynching of three persons in Palghar in 2020 and this led to the closure of proceedings on as many as four pending petitions on the issue. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha took note of the fresh affidavit of the state government that a communication to this effect has already been issued by it. "In view of the decision taken by the state government, no further direction is needed on these petitions at this stage. The petitions are disposed of," the bench said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The pleas demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), alleging that the investigation by the state police was being conducted in a biased manner. Earlier, the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi government had opposed the plea for a CBI probe into the incident and later, with the change in dispensation in the state, it agreed to the petitions seeking investigation by the central probe agency. Three people from Kandivali in Mumbai were travelling in a car to attend a funeral in Surat in Gujarat amid the COVID-19-induced nationwide lockdown when their vehicle was stopped and they were attacked and allegedly killed by a mob in Gadchinchile village on the night of April 16, 2020 in the presence of police. The victims were identified as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri, 70, Sushil Giri Maharaj, 35, and Nilesh Telgade, 30, who was driving the vehicle.
Amit Mukherjee By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: A cough syrup that provides the much needed sleep to small children and a sigh of relief to tired and weary mothers is now a much sought after drug by many addicts in a few dry Indian states and also in neighbouring Bangladesh.

Each time six-year-old Animesh would have a sleepless night of coughing and sneezing, especially during the winter-spring transition, his mother would administer a teaspoon full of Phensedyl. That ensured total bliss! After Animesh suffered severe allergic coughing and sneezing triggered by pollen and allergen, a paediatrician prescribed the codeine-based syrup that would comfort the kid during such allergic attacks.

But while the drug provides many kids like Animesh and even adults relief during allergic triggers, its a much sought after drug by addicts especially in the dry states and Bangladesh where it serves as replacement to alcohol, banned by law due to its codeine content.

Amid strict vigil on cow smuggling, the peddling of Phensedyl, a legally manufactured drug into neighbouring Bangladesh is at an all-time high according to a senior official of the Border Security Force (BSF) that guards the Indian frontiers. Due to its lucrative returns amid high demand, the smuggling of the codeine-based drug has almost doubled in the last two years, with smugglers finding the cough syrup a more lucrative item, according to sources in the BSF.

This has turned states in the east and northeastern part of India, boarding Bangladesh as the biggest transit hub of the drug and has seen a significant increase in recent times. According to the BSF, the number of units confiscated by BSF guards from the Indian states bordering Bangladesh has gone up from 2.82 lakh in 2021 to over 4.06 lakh in 2022.

The BSF officials in the first quarter of 2023 have already confiscated over 85 lakh units till mid-April. Smuggling this cough syrup is quite rewarding financially as the cost of one bottle of Phensedyl, which sells for around Rs 170 in India, instantly shoots up to Rs 500 as soon as it crosses the border, said a senior officer in the BSF.

NEW DELHI: A cough syrup that provides the much needed sleep to small children and a sigh of relief to tired and weary mothers is now a much sought after drug by many addicts in a few dry Indian states and also in neighbouring Bangladesh. Each time six-year-old Animesh would have a sleepless night of coughing and sneezing, especially during the winter-spring transition, his mother would administer a teaspoon full of Phensedyl. That ensured total bliss! After Animesh suffered severe allergic coughing and sneezing triggered by pollen and allergen, a paediatrician prescribed the codeine-based syrup that would comfort the kid during such allergic attacks. But while the drug provides many kids like Animesh and even adults relief during allergic triggers, its a much sought after drug by addicts especially in the dry states and Bangladesh where it serves as replacement to alcohol, banned by law due to its codeine content.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Amid strict vigil on cow smuggling, the peddling of Phensedyl, a legally manufactured drug into neighbouring Bangladesh is at an all-time high according to a senior official of the Border Security Force (BSF) that guards the Indian frontiers. Due to its lucrative returns amid high demand, the smuggling of the codeine-based drug has almost doubled in the last two years, with smugglers finding the cough syrup a more lucrative item, according to sources in the BSF. This has turned states in the east and northeastern part of India, boarding Bangladesh as the biggest transit hub of the drug and has seen a significant increase in recent times. According to the BSF, the number of units confiscated by BSF guards from the Indian states bordering Bangladesh has gone up from 2.82 lakh in 2021 to over 4.06 lakh in 2022. The BSF officials in the first quarter of 2023 have already confiscated over 85 lakh units till mid-April. Smuggling this cough syrup is quite rewarding financially as the cost of one bottle of Phensedyl, which sells for around Rs 170 in India, instantly shoots up to Rs 500 as soon as it crosses the border, said a senior officer in the BSF.
Another local college is becoming a university.

Canisius College will transition to Canisius University during the summer, in time for the fall semester.

The school successfully petitioned the New York State Education Department Board of Regents for university designation, it announced in a Thursday news release.

In August, the Jesuit private college will unveil a refreshed branding initiative to introduce the schools new identity.

Canisius joins local higher education institutions Buffalo State, Medaille and DYouville in going from a college to university.

Canisius President Steve K. Stoute said in the news release that the change is a reflection of the expansion of the schools academic programs and will provide greater opportunities for its students.

Stoute calls it a new chapter in Canisius 153-year history.

Were pleased that our name will more closely reflect how we view ourselves  as a comprehensive university with a breadth of excellent academic programs, Stoute said.

Canisius currently offers 36 masters degrees and advanced certificates, and its portfolio of graduate programs exceeds the threshold set by NYSEDs definition of a university.

The designation as a university is simultaneously a reflection of what this institution has achieved, a responsibility to continue to impact students and communities, as well as an opportunity to reimagine what Canisius must be in the future, he said.
Anuraag Singh By

Express News Service

BHOPAL: A large section of BJP continues to rail against Bihar government over the release of former MP Anand Mohan Singh (who was serving life sentence in the 1994 murder of an IAS officer). However, the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has reportedly given its nod to withdraw an 11-year-old criminal case against Jyotiraditya Scindia loyalist Raghuraj Singh Kansana.

The 2012 case refers to an attack on a Delhi Police team, which includes charges of dacoity and attempt-to-murder. The case suffered a jolt from a special MP/MLA court in Gwalior on Wednesday. The court while rejecting the government plea held that since the case involves serious offences, allowing its withdrawal would neither be in the interest of law nor public. The court posted the matter for hearing on May 3.

In 2012 the state was ruled by the same Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government. That year, Kansana and aides were booked under IPC sections 307, 186, 353, 332, 224, 225, 398 (attempt to murder, obstructing public servant in discharging duties and voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant and dacoity) and also provisions of the MP Dacoity and Kidnapping Affected Areas Act.

Kansana was the Morena district panchayat chairman (then with Congress), when a team of Delhi Police caught his brother Sanjeev Singh in a criminal case and took him to the Morena City Kotwali. A Delhi court had issued non-bailable warrants against Sanjeev and two others. Kansana and his aides freed Sanjeev from police custody allegedly after opening fire on the Delhi police team inside the Morena Kotwali premises. A case was registered in May 2012.

Kansana was elected the Congress MLA from Morena seat in 2018 assembly polls. Attempts were made during the Kamal Nath-led Congress regime to have the case against Kansana withdrawn. But the state law department in 2020 conveyed its disagreement to the state home department. It said the charges against Kansana and aides were too serious to be dropped.

A few months later, Kansana along with 21 other Congress MLAs loyal to Scindia, rebelled against the Kamal Nath government, leading to its fall and the return of Chouhan-led government in March 2020. It was on April 19 the government reportedly gave its nod for withdrawing the case.

A week later, the special MP/MLA court in Gwalior said: Allowing withdrawal of the case (in final phases) on government plea would neither be in the interest of law nor in public, as the allegations are serious, additional government counsel in Gwalior Dharmendra Sharma told this paper.

Non-bailable warrants against Singh

Kansana was the Morena district panchayat chairman (then with Congress), when a team of Delhi Police caught his brother Sanjeev Singh in a criminal case and took him to the Morena City Kotwali. A Delhi court had issued non-bailable warrants against Sanjeev and two others. Kansana and his aides freed Sanjeev from police custody allegedly after opening fire on the Delhi police team inside Morena Kotwali premises.

BHOPAL: A large section of BJP continues to rail against Bihar government over the release of former MP Anand Mohan Singh (who was serving life sentence in the 1994 murder of an IAS officer). However, the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has reportedly given its nod to withdraw an 11-year-old criminal case against Jyotiraditya Scindia loyalist Raghuraj Singh Kansana. The 2012 case refers to an attack on a Delhi Police team, which includes charges of dacoity and attempt-to-murder. The case suffered a jolt from a special MP/MLA court in Gwalior on Wednesday. The court while rejecting the government plea held that since the case involves serious offences, allowing its withdrawal would neither be in the interest of law nor public. The court posted the matter for hearing on May 3. In 2012 the state was ruled by the same Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government. That year, Kansana and aides were booked under IPC sections 307, 186, 353, 332, 224, 225, 398 (attempt to murder, obstructing public servant in discharging duties and voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant and dacoity) and also provisions of the MP Dacoity and Kidnapping Affected Areas Act.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Kansana was the Morena district panchayat chairman (then with Congress), when a team of Delhi Police caught his brother Sanjeev Singh in a criminal case and took him to the Morena City Kotwali. A Delhi court had issued non-bailable warrants against Sanjeev and two others. Kansana and his aides freed Sanjeev from police custody allegedly after opening fire on the Delhi police team inside the Morena Kotwali premises. A case was registered in May 2012. Kansana was elected the Congress MLA from Morena seat in 2018 assembly polls. Attempts were made during the Kamal Nath-led Congress regime to have the case against Kansana withdrawn. But the state law department in 2020 conveyed its disagreement to the state home department. It said the charges against Kansana and aides were too serious to be dropped. A few months later, Kansana along with 21 other Congress MLAs loyal to Scindia, rebelled against the Kamal Nath government, leading to its fall and the return of Chouhan-led government in March 2020. It was on April 19 the government reportedly gave its nod for withdrawing the case. A week later, the special MP/MLA court in Gwalior said: Allowing withdrawal of the case (in final phases) on government plea would neither be in the interest of law nor in public, as the allegations are serious, additional government counsel in Gwalior Dharmendra Sharma told this paper. Non-bailable warrants against Singh Kansana was the Morena district panchayat chairman (then with Congress), when a team of Delhi Police caught his brother Sanjeev Singh in a criminal case and took him to the Morena City Kotwali. A Delhi court had issued non-bailable warrants against Sanjeev and two others. Kansana and his aides freed Sanjeev from police custody allegedly after opening fire on the Delhi police team inside Morena Kotwali premises.
Mayank Singh By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: In a bilateral meeting, the Defence Ministers of India and Russia on Friday discussed defence and military issues as well as the participation of Russian industry in the production of military equipment in India. Earlier, in his address at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers meeting, the Russian Defence Minister accused the US and the West of provoking other countries into military standoffs with Russia and China.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with Russian Defence Minister General Sergei Shoigu on the sidelines of the SCO meeting in New Delhi.

The two ministers discussed wide-ranging issues of bilateral defence cooperation, including military-to-military ties as well as industrial partnership. They also discussed the Russian defence industrys participation in the Make in India initiative and ways to provide further impetus to it, said the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

They expressed satisfaction over the continued trust and mutual respect between the two countries, particularly in defence and reiterated their commitment towards strengthening the partnership. They acknowledged the unique, long-lasting and time-tested relationship between India and Russia, the MoD added.

ALSO READ | At SCO meet, Rajnath stresses on elimination of terrorism, respect for territorial integrity

Meanwhile, in his address at the meeting, Shoigu said, Today, Washington and its collaborators are implementing their strategic plan to provoke other countries into a military standoff with Russia and China. The conflict in Ukraine serves as a striking confirmation of this criminal policy. Its actual goal is to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, create a threat for China and preserve [the US] monopoly position in the world.

The Russian Defence Ministers remarks came amid the ongoing border standoff between the militaries of India and China along the Line of Actual control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

In the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, Shoigu said that a large-scale information campaign has been launched to compromise the Russian leadership and its policies.

Shoigu also said that the process of breaking and dismantling key arms control and confidence-building agreements has been set in motion.

At first, Washington unilaterally terminated the US-Soviet Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, refused to ratify the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty, then withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and Shorter-Range Missiles and the Treaty on Open Skies, he said.

Shoigu in his speech said that in order to contain China, a front is forming. Tensions around the so-called Taiwan problem and territorial disputes in the South China Sea and East China Sea are being deliberately escalated, he said.

India is also a part of the Quad grouping which also includes the US, Japan and Australia which China views as a front against it.

Besides India and Russia, other SCO member states including China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan participated in the meeting. All ministers attended the meeting in-person, except in the case of Pakistan. From Pakistans side, Special Assistant to Pakistan PM on Defence Affairs Malik Ahmed Khan attended the meeting virtually.

NEW DELHI: In a bilateral meeting, the Defence Ministers of India and Russia on Friday discussed defence and military issues as well as the participation of Russian industry in the production of military equipment in India. Earlier, in his address at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers meeting, the Russian Defence Minister accused the US and the West of provoking other countries into military standoffs with Russia and China. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with Russian Defence Minister General Sergei Shoigu on the sidelines of the SCO meeting in New Delhi. The two ministers discussed wide-ranging issues of bilateral defence cooperation, including military-to-military ties as well as industrial partnership. They also discussed the Russian defence industrys participation in the Make in India initiative and ways to provide further impetus to it, said the Ministry of Defence (MoD).googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); They expressed satisfaction over the continued trust and mutual respect between the two countries, particularly in defence and reiterated their commitment towards strengthening the partnership. They acknowledged the unique, long-lasting and time-tested relationship between India and Russia, the MoD added. ALSO READ | At SCO meet, Rajnath stresses on elimination of terrorism, respect for territorial integrity Meanwhile, in his address at the meeting, Shoigu said, Today, Washington and its collaborators are implementing their strategic plan to provoke other countries into a military standoff with Russia and China. The conflict in Ukraine serves as a striking confirmation of this criminal policy. Its actual goal is to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, create a threat for China and preserve [the US] monopoly position in the world. The Russian Defence Ministers remarks came amid the ongoing border standoff between the militaries of India and China along the Line of Actual control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. In the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, Shoigu said that a large-scale information campaign has been launched to compromise the Russian leadership and its policies. Shoigu also said that the process of breaking and dismantling key arms control and confidence-building agreements has been set in motion. At first, Washington unilaterally terminated the US-Soviet Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, refused to ratify the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty, then withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and Shorter-Range Missiles and the Treaty on Open Skies, he said. Shoigu in his speech said that in order to contain China, a front is forming. Tensions around the so-called Taiwan problem and territorial disputes in the South China Sea and East China Sea are being deliberately escalated, he said. India is also a part of the Quad grouping which also includes the US, Japan and Australia which China views as a front against it. Besides India and Russia, other SCO member states including China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan participated in the meeting. All ministers attended the meeting in-person, except in the case of Pakistan. From Pakistans side, Special Assistant to Pakistan PM on Defence Affairs Malik Ahmed Khan attended the meeting virtually.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: The BJP held a meeting in Manipur as four MLAs resigned from their administrative posts triggering speculation of a crisis in the ruling party in the state. The meeting was reportedly convened at the direction of the central leadership.

Sources said that barring one, all legislators, including Chief Minister N Biren Singh, partys Manipur in-charge Sambit Patra and state leaders attended the meet. The CM, however, said the meeting was called to discuss preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modis 100th Mann Ki Baat on April 30.

READ HERE | Manipur: Fourth BJP MLA resigns from administrative post

Attended a meeting presided over by the National Spokesperson of BJP, Shri @sambitswaraj Ji in the presence of the President, BJP Manipur Pradesh, Smt @AShardaDevi ji, Ministers, MLAs, and karyakartas at the state BJP head office to deliberate on the ongoing preparations of the 100th edition of Mann Ki Baat which will be broadcasted worldwide on April 30, 2023, the CM tweeted.

Attended a meeting presided over by the National Spokesperson of BJP, Shri @sambitswaraj Ji in the presence of the President, BJP Manipur Pradesh, Smt @AShardaDevi ji, Ministers, MLAs, and karyakartas at the state BJP head office to deliberate on the ongoing preparations of the pic.twitter.com/Cv9CPdsQuv  N.Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) April 27, 2023

Four MLAs  retired IPS officer Thokchom Radheshyam Singh, Karam Shyam, P Brojen Singh and Kh Raghumani Singh  have resigned from their respective administrative posts in the past fortnight. Radheshyam and Shyam, both former ministers, had resigned as advisors to the CM and chairman of Tourism Corporation Manipur Limited respectively as they were not given any responsibility.

Raghumani, who is a retired IAS officer, had quit as the chairman of Manipur Renewable Energy Development Agency for personal reasons and in public interest while Brojen, the chairman of Manipur Development Society, resigned on personal grounds.

GUWAHATI: The BJP held a meeting in Manipur as four MLAs resigned from their administrative posts triggering speculation of a crisis in the ruling party in the state. The meeting was reportedly convened at the direction of the central leadership. Sources said that barring one, all legislators, including Chief Minister N Biren Singh, partys Manipur in-charge Sambit Patra and state leaders attended the meet. The CM, however, said the meeting was called to discuss preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modis 100th Mann Ki Baat on April 30. READ HERE | Manipur: Fourth BJP MLA resigns from administrative postgoogletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Attended a meeting presided over by the National Spokesperson of BJP, Shri @sambitswaraj Ji in the presence of the President, BJP Manipur Pradesh, Smt @AShardaDevi ji, Ministers, MLAs, and karyakartas at the state BJP head office to deliberate on the ongoing preparations of the 100th edition of Mann Ki Baat which will be broadcasted worldwide on April 30, 2023, the CM tweeted. Attended a meeting presided over by the National Spokesperson of BJP, Shri @sambitswaraj Ji in the presence of the President, BJP Manipur Pradesh, Smt @AShardaDevi ji, Ministers, MLAs, and karyakartas at the state BJP head office to deliberate on the ongoing preparations of the pic.twitter.com/Cv9CPdsQuv  N.Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) April 27, 2023 Four MLAs  retired IPS officer Thokchom Radheshyam Singh, Karam Shyam, P Brojen Singh and Kh Raghumani Singh  have resigned from their respective administrative posts in the past fortnight. Radheshyam and Shyam, both former ministers, had resigned as advisors to the CM and chairman of Tourism Corporation Manipur Limited respectively as they were not given any responsibility. Raghumani, who is a retired IAS officer, had quit as the chairman of Manipur Renewable Energy Development Agency for personal reasons and in public interest while Brojen, the chairman of Manipur Development Society, resigned on personal grounds.
By PTI

(NEW DELHI: )The defence ministers of India, Russia, China and other member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Friday deliberated on pressing regional security challenges and related issues at a conclave hosted by New Delhi.

The meeting, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, is also expected to review the overall situation in Afghanistan.

Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu, Russia's Sergei Shoigu, Tajikistan's Colonel General Sherali Mirzo, Iran's Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiyani and Kazakhstan's Colonel General Ruslan Zhaksylykov are among those attending the meeting in Delhi.

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif was scheduled to participate in the meeting through virtual mode.

Officials involved in preparations for the meeting said the main focus of the deliberations would be on regional security situations including the developments in Afghanistan.

They said enhancing coordination among the SCO member countries to effectively combat terrorism and extremism will be another priority.

The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations.

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.

India was made an observer at the SCO in 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping, which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.

India has shown a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.

(NEW DELHI: )The defence ministers of India, Russia, China and other member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Friday deliberated on pressing regional security challenges and related issues at a conclave hosted by New Delhi. The meeting, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, is also expected to review the overall situation in Afghanistan. Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu, Russia's Sergei Shoigu, Tajikistan's Colonel General Sherali Mirzo, Iran's Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiyani and Kazakhstan's Colonel General Ruslan Zhaksylykov are among those attending the meeting in Delhi.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif was scheduled to participate in the meeting through virtual mode. Officials involved in preparations for the meeting said the main focus of the deliberations would be on regional security situations including the developments in Afghanistan. They said enhancing coordination among the SCO member countries to effectively combat terrorism and extremism will be another priority. The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017. India was made an observer at the SCO in 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping, which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region. India has shown a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.
Shruti Kakkar By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to find ways to accord basic social rights to same-sex couples, like opening joint bank accounts or nominating a partner in insurance policies for those in cohabitory relationships.

It, however, took the Centres point that granting legal recognition to same-sex marriage is for Parliament to decide. A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud asked the Centre to come back on May 3 with its response on the social benefits that can be granted to same-sex couples even without recognising their marital status legally.

Referring to the old Privy Council principle according to which long cohabitation was itself is a presumption of marriage, the CJI said the recognition of the right of cohabitation of same-sex couple by the state as a fundamental right would also result in imposition of corresponding duty on the state to legally recognise social incidents of cohabitation.

We take your point that if the court would go into the legislative arena, well be legislating and this is your (Centres remit) and it is for Parliament. But what will the government do to ensure that these cohabitory relationships are recognised in terms of security, social welfare, the CJI said.

Maybe we can act as facilitators. The relationship of the court with the government is not adversarial. We may not have the model within us and it may not be appropriate for us to devise that model. But we can certainly tell the government that look our law now has gone so far recognising such relationships, he said.

The bench asked the Centre to offer solutions after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that although the right to love, cohabit, project sexual orientation and choose a partner was a fundamental right, seeking recognition of that relationship as marriage was not a fundamental right.

Question of incest

Laying emphasis on the fact that an individuals sexual orientation cannot be exercised in all aspects of marriage, including degrees of prohibited relationships, the CJI said it would be very far-fetched for someone to even argue that sexual orientation was so absolute as to allow incest

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to find ways to accord basic social rights to same-sex couples, like opening joint bank accounts or nominating a partner in insurance policies for those in cohabitory relationships. It, however, took the Centres point that granting legal recognition to same-sex marriage is for Parliament to decide. A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud asked the Centre to come back on May 3 with its response on the social benefits that can be granted to same-sex couples even without recognising their marital status legally. Referring to the old Privy Council principle according to which long cohabitation was itself is a presumption of marriage, the CJI said the recognition of the right of cohabitation of same-sex couple by the state as a fundamental right would also result in imposition of corresponding duty on the state to legally recognise social incidents of cohabitation.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); We take your point that if the court would go into the legislative arena, well be legislating and this is your (Centres remit) and it is for Parliament. But what will the government do to ensure that these cohabitory relationships are recognised in terms of security, social welfare, the CJI said. Maybe we can act as facilitators. The relationship of the court with the government is not adversarial. We may not have the model within us and it may not be appropriate for us to devise that model. But we can certainly tell the government that look our law now has gone so far recognising such relationships, he said. The bench asked the Centre to offer solutions after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that although the right to love, cohabit, project sexual orientation and choose a partner was a fundamental right, seeking recognition of that relationship as marriage was not a fundamental right. Question of incest Laying emphasis on the fact that an individuals sexual orientation cannot be exercised in all aspects of marriage, including degrees of prohibited relationships, the CJI said it would be very far-fetched for someone to even argue that sexual orientation was so absolute as to allow incest
Anuraag Singh By

Express News Service

BHOPAL: A six-month-old died due to the unavailability of an ambulance in the Datia district of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday.

A child dying in the lap of a helpless mother, reportedly amid the delayed arrival of an ambulance at a community health centre in Datia district has exposed the condition of public health services in the state.

The 108 ambulance arrived at the concerned CHC three hours after it was requested. Two other ambulances, funded by MLA's Local Area Development Fund, parked at the same CHC were unavailable, as the childs mother couldnt afford the fuel.

The shocking incident happened at the Indergarh community health centre (CHC) which comes under the Sewda Assembly constituency, presently represented in the Vidhan Sabha by Congresss Kunwar Ghanshyam Singh.

According to reports, a scheduled caste woman Renu Jatav, a native of Baderi village, rushed her severely ill six-month-old child to the Indergarh CHC at around 11 am on Thursday. With the child suffering from acute pneumonic symptoms, the on-duty doctor referred the child to the Datia District Hospital after preliminary treatment.

Renu requested the on-duty doctor to arrange an ambulance for rushing her child to the district hospital, after which the doctor rang for the 108 ambulance.

Renu Jatav blamed inadequate treatment at the CHC and delay in an ambulance for her childs death.

Taking cognizance of the matter, a team headed by SDM, the districts chief medical and health officer (CMHO), the local police station in charge and the tehsildar was sent by Datia district collector to the Indergarh CHC on Friday to investigate the entire incident.

The team recorded statements of Anganwadi and ASHA workers, hospital staff, duty doctor and ambulance driver.

Based on the recorded statements of all stakeholders, the enquiry team will fix responsibility for the alleged negligence. Whoever is found responsible for the alleged negligence will face strict action, an official forming part of the team said on Friday.

The probe is incomplete, as the statements of the woman, whose child died, are yet to be recorded, the Datia district CMHO Dr RB Kurele said.

When queried about the delay in the ambulance, Dr Kurele said, "There is a clear-cut government protocol to ensure the immediate availability of 108 ambulances based on the severity of the patient. The other ambulances are operated by the Patient Welfare Committee on a no profit no loss basis. But in case of emergencies or serious patients, such ambulances too must be provided free of cost."

BHOPAL: A six-month-old died due to the unavailability of an ambulance in the Datia district of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday. A child dying in the lap of a helpless mother, reportedly amid the delayed arrival of an ambulance at a community health centre in Datia district has exposed the condition of public health services in the state. The 108 ambulance arrived at the concerned CHC three hours after it was requested. Two other ambulances, funded by MLA's Local Area Development Fund, parked at the same CHC were unavailable, as the childs mother couldnt afford the fuel. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The shocking incident happened at the Indergarh community health centre (CHC) which comes under the Sewda Assembly constituency, presently represented in the Vidhan Sabha by Congresss Kunwar Ghanshyam Singh. According to reports, a scheduled caste woman Renu Jatav, a native of Baderi village, rushed her severely ill six-month-old child to the Indergarh CHC at around 11 am on Thursday. With the child suffering from acute pneumonic symptoms, the on-duty doctor referred the child to the Datia District Hospital after preliminary treatment. Renu requested the on-duty doctor to arrange an ambulance for rushing her child to the district hospital, after which the doctor rang for the 108 ambulance. Renu Jatav blamed inadequate treatment at the CHC and delay in an ambulance for her childs death. Taking cognizance of the matter, a team headed by SDM, the districts chief medical and health officer (CMHO), the local police station in charge and the tehsildar was sent by Datia district collector to the Indergarh CHC on Friday to investigate the entire incident. The team recorded statements of Anganwadi and ASHA workers, hospital staff, duty doctor and ambulance driver. Based on the recorded statements of all stakeholders, the enquiry team will fix responsibility for the alleged negligence. Whoever is found responsible for the alleged negligence will face strict action, an official forming part of the team said on Friday. The probe is incomplete, as the statements of the woman, whose child died, are yet to be recorded, the Datia district CMHO Dr RB Kurele said. When queried about the delay in the ambulance, Dr Kurele said, "There is a clear-cut government protocol to ensure the immediate availability of 108 ambulances based on the severity of the patient. The other ambulances are operated by the Patient Welfare Committee on a no profit no loss basis. But in case of emergencies or serious patients, such ambulances too must be provided free of cost."
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday inaugurated 576 flats for the Kashmiri Pandit employees recruited under the prime ministers package, and said 2,000 more such accommodations will be ready by the end of this year.

As L-G Sinha inaugurated the newly-constructed flats at Baramulla, Bandipora, Ganderbal and Shopian in Valley, the PM package Pandit employees said most of the migrant employees are serving in Anantnag in south Kashmir and Srinagar in central Kashmir, where the accommodation is needed the most as the employees are living in rented accommodations in those areas.

The transit accommodations have been a long-pending demand of the Kashmiri Pandit employees under the PMs package. The demand gained momentum after the killing of an employee, Rahul Bhat, in May last year.

The government is sensitive to issues of Kashmiri Pandits and understands their pain. We are working with the right intent to complete the construction of residential accommodations on priority, Sinha said.

The Lt Governor said the administration has taken various initiatives to expedite the process of construction of housing units for PM Package employees and 2,000 more flats will be completed by December 2023.

The PM Package Pandit employees resumed their duties in the Valley in March this year after over eight months of strike following the killing of Pandit employee Rahul Bhat by militants inside Tehsildars office in central Kashmirs Budgam district on May 12 last year.

The Pandit employees had gone on strike after the killing of Bhat to demand relocation to Jammu in view of their security concerns. Ranjan Jotshi vice president All Migrant Displaced Employees Association Kashmir said handing over 576 flats to PM package employees is a welcome step.

Around 40 per cent of nearly 5,000 PM package employees serving in the Valley are posted in Anantnag in south Kashmir and Srinagar in central Kashmir. About 700-800 Pandit employees posted in Anantnag are living in rented accommodation. Similarly, about 1,000 Pandit employees are living in rented accommodation in Srinagar, Jotshi said.

He said the government should take immediate steps to provide accommodation to those employees living in rented accommodation in view of the security concerns. The government had assured us to accommodate the employees in hotels and address their security concerns. But this proposal, it seems, has been shelved, Jotshi said.

After the return of Pandit employees in March, the government had decided to lodge them in hotels to ensure their safety and security. The government should take care of accommodation and ensure

safety and security of each and every Pandit employee, added Jotshi.

Meanwhile, the Lt Governor also spoke on progressive reforms introduced to boost infrastructure, employment generation and ease of living in the Union territory. Presently, domestic and foreign companies are willing to invest in Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

There are more than Rs 1.25 lakh crore worth of highway and tunnel projects are going on in the UT. Increased flight operations in both Jammu and Srinagar airports and improved road and rail connectivity have brought J&K closer to the world, Sinha said.

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday inaugurated 576 flats for the Kashmiri Pandit employees recruited under the prime ministers package, and said 2,000 more such accommodations will be ready by the end of this year. As L-G Sinha inaugurated the newly-constructed flats at Baramulla, Bandipora, Ganderbal and Shopian in Valley, the PM package Pandit employees said most of the migrant employees are serving in Anantnag in south Kashmir and Srinagar in central Kashmir, where the accommodation is needed the most as the employees are living in rented accommodations in those areas. The transit accommodations have been a long-pending demand of the Kashmiri Pandit employees under the PMs package. The demand gained momentum after the killing of an employee, Rahul Bhat, in May last year. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The government is sensitive to issues of Kashmiri Pandits and understands their pain. We are working with the right intent to complete the construction of residential accommodations on priority, Sinha said. The Lt Governor said the administration has taken various initiatives to expedite the process of construction of housing units for PM Package employees and 2,000 more flats will be completed by December 2023. The PM Package Pandit employees resumed their duties in the Valley in March this year after over eight months of strike following the killing of Pandit employee Rahul Bhat by militants inside Tehsildars office in central Kashmirs Budgam district on May 12 last year. The Pandit employees had gone on strike after the killing of Bhat to demand relocation to Jammu in view of their security concerns. Ranjan Jotshi vice president All Migrant Displaced Employees Association Kashmir said handing over 576 flats to PM package employees is a welcome step. Around 40 per cent of nearly 5,000 PM package employees serving in the Valley are posted in Anantnag in south Kashmir and Srinagar in central Kashmir. About 700-800 Pandit employees posted in Anantnag are living in rented accommodation. Similarly, about 1,000 Pandit employees are living in rented accommodation in Srinagar, Jotshi said. He said the government should take immediate steps to provide accommodation to those employees living in rented accommodation in view of the security concerns. The government had assured us to accommodate the employees in hotels and address their security concerns. But this proposal, it seems, has been shelved, Jotshi said. After the return of Pandit employees in March, the government had decided to lodge them in hotels to ensure their safety and security. The government should take care of accommodation and ensure safety and security of each and every Pandit employee, added Jotshi. Meanwhile, the Lt Governor also spoke on progressive reforms introduced to boost infrastructure, employment generation and ease of living in the Union territory. Presently, domestic and foreign companies are willing to invest in Jammu and Kashmir, he said. There are more than Rs 1.25 lakh crore worth of highway and tunnel projects are going on in the UT. Increased flight operations in both Jammu and Srinagar airports and improved road and rail connectivity have brought J&K closer to the world, Sinha said.
By Express News Service

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday assured the proposed oil refinery at Barsu will not proceed further without the villagers' consent.

The Barsu villagers are protesting against the proposed oil refinery saying it will damage the local ecology and pollute the environment. Villagers opposed the land survey which led to a tussle with the police.

On Saturday, the protestors alleged that police had resorted to lathi charges and tear gas shells to disperse the protestors.

However, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that as per the collector no lathi charge was used by the police and there is no tension at the site.

He said that he told the police that no force should be used against the son of the soil. Without the consent of the locals, the proposed oil refinery projects will not be undertaken at all. The people who are protesting are our people only. They are sons of the soil. We will not force them to give consent. The dialogue with villagers will happen, Eknath Shinde said.

Uddhav Thackeray is also likely to visit Barsu and extend support to the protestors who are opposing the oil refinery at Barsu.

CM Eknath Shinde also criticized former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray who changed the oil refinery site from Nanar to Barsu. Shinde said that Uddhav Thackeray wrote a letter to the Prime Minister requesting the change and now he is opposing it.

This is nothing but a double standard by the Opposition. They should not oppose the projects for the sake of opposition. This will hamper the state's development, said CM Eknath Shinde.

Shinde said that they have got 70 per cent consent for this oil refinery.

The government will also talk with the people who are opposing the project. These people will be given information about the projects. This project will help not only generate jobs but it will also bring more and more investment. Once they understand the importance of the project, they themselves will come out and extend the help. We will have a meeting with villagers where all pros and cons will be discussed. For the Samruddhi Marg project, initially, there was opposition, but later people supported it, Shinde added.

On the other hand, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that they are not against the development, but the local people should be taken into consideration before initiating the project.

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday assured the proposed oil refinery at Barsu will not proceed further without the villagers' consent. The Barsu villagers are protesting against the proposed oil refinery saying it will damage the local ecology and pollute the environment. Villagers opposed the land survey which led to a tussle with the police. On Saturday, the protestors alleged that police had resorted to lathi charges and tear gas shells to disperse the protestors.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); However, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that as per the collector no lathi charge was used by the police and there is no tension at the site. He said that he told the police that no force should be used against the son of the soil. Without the consent of the locals, the proposed oil refinery projects will not be undertaken at all. The people who are protesting are our people only. They are sons of the soil. We will not force them to give consent. The dialogue with villagers will happen, Eknath Shinde said. Uddhav Thackeray is also likely to visit Barsu and extend support to the protestors who are opposing the oil refinery at Barsu. CM Eknath Shinde also criticized former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray who changed the oil refinery site from Nanar to Barsu. Shinde said that Uddhav Thackeray wrote a letter to the Prime Minister requesting the change and now he is opposing it. This is nothing but a double standard by the Opposition. They should not oppose the projects for the sake of opposition. This will hamper the state's development, said CM Eknath Shinde. Shinde said that they have got 70 per cent consent for this oil refinery. The government will also talk with the people who are opposing the project. These people will be given information about the projects. This project will help not only generate jobs but it will also bring more and more investment. Once they understand the importance of the project, they themselves will come out and extend the help. We will have a meeting with villagers where all pros and cons will be discussed. For the Samruddhi Marg project, initially, there was opposition, but later people supported it, Shinde added. On the other hand, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that they are not against the development, but the local people should be taken into consideration before initiating the project.
By Express News Service

GUWAHATI: Six persons, kidnapped by the members of the Isak-Muivah faction of the insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) for ransom, were rescued by the Assam Rifles in Nagaland.

Following an operation, the paramilitary force said the personnel rescued the six civilians, held captive in the states commercial hub Dimapur. The force also apprehended five NSCN-IM rebels.

The individuals have been rescued from Bamanpukhri House, apparently an illegal place for similar nefarious activities by NSCN IM, a defence statement said on Friday.

The six persons rescued were identified as Mulutayo Kezo, who is the headmaster of a government high school; Akito Sumi, Huvito Sumi (all from Nagaland), Raju Gupta (Bihar), Raj Kumar Das and Piyar Ali (both from Assam).

The statement said after kidnapping the persons between April 13 and 27 this year, the rebels contacted their families to demand ransom for their release.

The five extremists apprehended were identified as Khenito Assumi, Neison, Mughahuto, Chonpenthung Murry and Katoho Yeptho.

The NSCN-IM, the largest rebel group in the Northeast, has been in a ceasefire with the central government since 1997.

GUWAHATI: Six persons, kidnapped by the members of the Isak-Muivah faction of the insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) for ransom, were rescued by the Assam Rifles in Nagaland. Following an operation, the paramilitary force said the personnel rescued the six civilians, held captive in the states commercial hub Dimapur. The force also apprehended five NSCN-IM rebels. The individuals have been rescued from Bamanpukhri House, apparently an illegal place for similar nefarious activities by NSCN IM, a defence statement said on Friday. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The six persons rescued were identified as Mulutayo Kezo, who is the headmaster of a government high school; Akito Sumi, Huvito Sumi (all from Nagaland), Raju Gupta (Bihar), Raj Kumar Das and Piyar Ali (both from Assam). The statement said after kidnapping the persons between April 13 and 27 this year, the rebels contacted their families to demand ransom for their release. The five extremists apprehended were identified as Khenito Assumi, Neison, Mughahuto, Chonpenthung Murry and Katoho Yeptho. The NSCN-IM, the largest rebel group in the Northeast, has been in a ceasefire with the central government since 1997.
The growing list of corruption allegations should be a matter of concern for the Pinarayi Vijayan government and the CPM-led LDF in Kerala. The latest is the accusation of irregularities in implementing the AI-powered traffic monitoring system. This project was supposed to be a feather in the cap of the ruling front. Opposition parties have alleged corruption and violations in awarding contracts to procure and install equipment. There cant be smoke without fire, and the suspicions are not without basis. While the state PSU Keltron was tasked with implementing the Rs 232-crore project, it awarded the contract to a Bengaluru-based company that, apparently, lacked the required expertise. The company gave sub-contracts to Kerala-based firms with alleged links to the CPM-run Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society. These sub-contracts and deals said to have escalated the cost by three times.

No doubt, the matter requires a thorough investigation. But significantly, it is another blow to the governments sagging image. While this is the first serious charge during Pinarayi Vijayans second consecutive term, a series of allegations punctuated his first term. In the sensational gold smuggling scam, his former principal secretary M Sivasankar has been named an accused, and his additional private secretary C M Raveendran is under the scanner. In the Life Mission housing project kickback case, the allegation is seriousa violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. While Sivasankar was arrested, Raveendran was questioned. Before that, a surprise deal to allow American firm Sprinklr to collect health data of Keralites under Covid quarantine turned controversial, and gold scam accused Swapna Suresh later named the CMs daughter Veena Vijayan as the mastermind. The government is also facing allegations of misuse of the Chief Ministers Distress Relief Fund.

All charges are serious, and the fact is, the government hasnt been able to shake off any. At this rate, Pinarayi Vijayan, who likes to project a pro-development image and is striving to build a lasting legacy, could end up with the dubious distinction of having headed the most tainted regime in Keralas political history. He has three years to fix that, and the work must start now. First, come clean on the traffic project. Next, keep a close watch on the activities, dealings, and decisions of ministers and officials. Follow transparent and fair processes for striking deals and implementing public projects. To restore image, he must ensure that his hands are indeed clean.

The growing list of corruption allegations should be a matter of concern for the Pinarayi Vijayan government and the CPM-led LDF in Kerala. The latest is the accusation of irregularities in implementing the AI-powered traffic monitoring system. This project was supposed to be a feather in the cap of the ruling front. Opposition parties have alleged corruption and violations in awarding contracts to procure and install equipment. There cant be smoke without fire, and the suspicions are not without basis. While the state PSU Keltron was tasked with implementing the Rs 232-crore project, it awarded the contract to a Bengaluru-based company that, apparently, lacked the required expertise. The company gave sub-contracts to Kerala-based firms with alleged links to the CPM-run Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society. These sub-contracts and deals said to have escalated the cost by three times. No doubt, the matter requires a thorough investigation. But significantly, it is another blow to the governments sagging image. While this is the first serious charge during Pinarayi Vijayans second consecutive term, a series of allegations punctuated his first term. In the sensational gold smuggling scam, his former principal secretary M Sivasankar has been named an accused, and his additional private secretary C M Raveendran is under the scanner. In the Life Mission housing project kickback case, the allegation is seriousa violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. While Sivasankar was arrested, Raveendran was questioned. Before that, a surprise deal to allow American firm Sprinklr to collect health data of Keralites under Covid quarantine turned controversial, and gold scam accused Swapna Suresh later named the CMs daughter Veena Vijayan as the mastermind. The government is also facing allegations of misuse of the Chief Ministers Distress Relief Fund. All charges are serious, and the fact is, the government hasnt been able to shake off any. At this rate, Pinarayi Vijayan, who likes to project a pro-development image and is striving to build a lasting legacy, could end up with the dubious distinction of having headed the most tainted regime in Keralas political history. He has three years to fix that, and the work must start now. First, come clean on the traffic project. Next, keep a close watch on the activities, dealings, and decisions of ministers and officials. Follow transparent and fair processes for striking deals and implementing public projects. To restore image, he must ensure that his hands are indeed clean.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); });
M&T Bank plans to downsize its office space in the city, as it adjusts to a hybrid workforce that doesn't come into the office as much as in the past.

M&T on Thursday said it will give up about 200,000 square feet of space in three buildings in Buffalo and Amherst, as it moves about 400 employees to three other buildings. That's about 12% of its total real estate of 1.7 million square feet, spread across 13 facilities in the city and suburbs.

Sign up for the Buffalo Next free newsletter The News' Buffalo Next team covers the changing Buffalo Niagara economy. Get the news in your inbox 5 days a week.

But the downsizing only involves shedding office space. No jobs are being cut.

The news came days after Highmark BlueCross and BlueShield of Western New York announced it will move from its eight-story building at 257 West Genesee St. to the top five floors of Seneca One. That's a drop from 473,220 square feet to about 100,000 square feet, although the health insurer has only been using about three floors of its current building anyway, also because most of its 1,400 employees are working remotely.

At M&T, the employees will move out of part of the bank's space at Larkin Center of Commerce at 701 Seneca St.  where one major operating function is mostly remote or uses a seat-sharing system  as well as from 285 Delaware Ave., both in Buffalo. A smaller number will come from 40 John Glenn Drive in Amherst, said Keith Belanger, senior executive vice president of corporate services for M&T.

Highmark to relocate to top five floors of Seneca One tower Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York is relocating its Buffalo offices and wo

Three-quarters of the affected staff will be relocated to the bank's One M&T Plaza headquarters tower and nearby M&T Center. Both of those buildings are located along Main Street in the city's downtown spine, and are among the bank's four core hubs in Buffalo, along with Seneca One tower and Lafayette Court, Belanger said. The third building to gain workers is located at 80 Holtz Drive in Cheektowaga.

The move will take place in the next few months. Employees have been notified, along with landlords of the leased facilities.

"Relocated employees are moving to locations where we have a more significant presence and room to accommodate them," Belanger said. "The effort accounts for the evolving way our teams work today  supporting collaboration, connection, and continuous learning."

Officials stressed that the consolidation is not a reflection of any drop in headcount but strictly due to the changing work style since the Covid-19 pandemic. The bank employed 7,954 workers in Western New York at the end of 2022, a 53% increase from its local workforce of 5,203 a decade ago. The employees being moved represent less than 5% of its local employee base.

At the same time, it allows the bank to concentrate its operations downtown, where it has invested heavily in its new M&T Tech Hub at Seneca One and a second technology hub at Lafayette Court, as well as its M&T Plaza and M&T Center.

"This critical section of the citys central business district is the heart of our regions innovation economy and has emerged as Buffalos Innovation Corridor," Belanger said. "With this move, our desire is to create even more energy on Main Street and contribute to its continued growth as we invest in our four office locations that give us some 5,000-plus seats in downtown Buffalo."
By Express News Service

BELAGAVI: Former AICC president Rahul Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to Karnataka, assured people on Monday that if the Congress comes to power at the Centre, the government will reduce fuel prices and roll out a uniform tax policy.

Addressing a rally in Ramdurg near Belagavi, he said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government has not reduced fuel prices despite declining international market rates.

At a political rally in Hangal on Monday; Rahul greets party workers | EXPRESS

During an interactive session with farmers, Rahul said that the people and farmers should ensure that the 40 per cent state government does not win more than 40 seats in the Assembly elections, and appealed to the gathering to vote for Congress for an able government.

He stressed that the party should aim for at least 150 seats, which was also reiterated by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, to prevent BJP from toppling the government.

As soon as Congress forms the government, we will not only hold discussions with farmers on fixing suitable prices for their produce but also work on effective agriculture programmes, he said.

He pointed out that the Congress government in Chhattisgarh has implemented its promises, and added that the central government has introduced various GST slabs. The Congress government will implement a uniform tax policy if it comes to power at the Centre, he assured.

BELAGAVI: Former AICC president Rahul Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to Karnataka, assured people on Monday that if the Congress comes to power at the Centre, the government will reduce fuel prices and roll out a uniform tax policy. Addressing a rally in Ramdurg near Belagavi, he said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government has not reduced fuel prices despite declining international market rates. At a political rally in Hangal on Monday; Rahul greets party workers | EXPRESS During an interactive session with farmers, Rahul said that the people and farmers should ensure that the 40 per cent state government does not win more than 40 seats in the Assembly elections, and appealed to the gathering to vote for Congress for an able government. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He stressed that the party should aim for at least 150 seats, which was also reiterated by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, to prevent BJP from toppling the government. As soon as Congress forms the government, we will not only hold discussions with farmers on fixing suitable prices for their produce but also work on effective agriculture programmes, he said. He pointed out that the Congress government in Chhattisgarh has implemented its promises, and added that the central government has introduced various GST slabs. The Congress government will implement a uniform tax policy if it comes to power at the Centre, he assured.
By Express News Service

CHIKKAMAGALURU: All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Priyanka Gandhi took an indirect dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his recent comment urging people to vote for BJP and to hand over Karnatakas future to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing a rally at Sringeri on Wednesday, she asked why the people of Karnataka should hand over their future to Modi. Cant the sons and daughters of Basavanna, Kuvempu and Narayanguru run their own state?

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi tries her hand

at making dose at Mylari Hotel in Mysuru on

Wednesday. She visited the 75-year-old restaurant

and savored a plate of dose and idli

Priyanka said big ministers come to Karnataka and ask people to sell the state. Nandini was built by the people. KMF would produce a huge quantity of milk that was being distributed at schools. The Congress government introduced Ksheera Dhare and Ksheer Bhagya schemes. Now, they are saying that milk production has come down. It is a conspiracy to merge Nandini with Amul. Though the livelihoods of one crore people are at stake, the government is not worried about the issue and does not care about the pride of the state, she alleged.

She promised that there will be 100% progress when Congress comes to power. Priyanka said that this was a hard time for her family. When my grandmother came to Chikkamagaluru in 1978-79, it was a difficult time for her... but the people of Chikkamagaluru elected her. She was also removed from Parliament, but you sent her back to Parliament. Today, her grandson Rahul has been removed from Parliament in a fake case.

Lord Shivas blessing is on us because we are fighting for the truth, she said, adding that the ongoing Karnataka election is the fight for the truth.

Priyanka alleged that the BJP government in the state looted as much as Rs 1.5 lakh crore. As many as 100 AIIMS, 225o km of four-lane roads, 180 ESIC hospitals and 30,000 smart classes could have been built with that money, she added.

CHIKKAMAGALURU: All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Priyanka Gandhi took an indirect dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his recent comment urging people to vote for BJP and to hand over Karnatakas future to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing a rally at Sringeri on Wednesday, she asked why the people of Karnataka should hand over their future to Modi. Cant the sons and daughters of Basavanna, Kuvempu and Narayanguru run their own state? Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi tries her hand at making dose at Mylari Hotel in Mysuru on Wednesday. She visited the 75-year-old restaurant and savored a plate of dose and idli Priyanka said big ministers come to Karnataka and ask people to sell the state. Nandini was built by the people. KMF would produce a huge quantity of milk that was being distributed at schools. The Congress government introduced Ksheera Dhare and Ksheer Bhagya schemes. Now, they are saying that milk production has come down. It is a conspiracy to merge Nandini with Amul. Though the livelihoods of one crore people are at stake, the government is not worried about the issue and does not care about the pride of the state, she alleged.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); She promised that there will be 100% progress when Congress comes to power. Priyanka said that this was a hard time for her family. When my grandmother came to Chikkamagaluru in 1978-79, it was a difficult time for her... but the people of Chikkamagaluru elected her. She was also removed from Parliament, but you sent her back to Parliament. Today, her grandson Rahul has been removed from Parliament in a fake case. Lord Shivas blessing is on us because we are fighting for the truth, she said, adding that the ongoing Karnataka election is the fight for the truth. Priyanka alleged that the BJP government in the state looted as much as Rs 1.5 lakh crore. As many as 100 AIIMS, 225o km of four-lane roads, 180 ESIC hospitals and 30,000 smart classes could have been built with that money, she added.
Prakash Samaga and Divya Cutinho By

Express News Service

UDUPI/MANGALURU: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that the 50% cap on the reservation will be removed if UPA comes to power at the Centre after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He announced free public transport for women if his party is voted to power in Karnataka. He made these announcements at the party rallies in Udupi and Mangaluru.

Interacting with fishermen at Uchila in Udupi, he said the 50% cap on reservations is not backed by any scientific data. He said of the 70 most powerful bureaucrats, who decide what the union government should do, only 7% belong to OBC, Dalit, tribal and minority communities.

He criticised PM Modi for not making caste census data public. When UPA was in power, we did the caste census and the data is available with the Centre. But it is not releasing it. Data on caste is essential to solving the problems of people. The cap of 50% reservation has to be removed as it was not fixed on the basis of any scientific studies. But the PM does not agree to do that, he said.

Rahul promised that the Congress will provide Rs 10 lakh insurance to fishermen, Rs 1 lakh interest-free loan to fisherwomen and Rs 25 diesel subsidy for 500 litres per day, if voted to power in Karnataka.

To a query on fishermens demand for loan waiver, he said that it is up to the next chief minister to decide. Trying to woo the fishermen community, Rahul said there should be a dedicated ministry for fisheries where fishermen could get their problems solved.

Women to get free public transport

Earlier addressing fishermen, Rahul said the fight in the coming Assembly elections in Karnataka will be between two ideologies. Wherever Congress forms a government, the party helps the poor and weaker sections. Because that is its agenda. The BJP government here was not elected by you. The people of Karnataka know that BJP formed this government using money and power. This government was formed after MLAs were bought paying them crores of rupees. A BJP MLA has said that the post of CM can be bought for Rs 2,500 crore, he alleged.

Referring to the price rise, Rahul said during the UPA regime, the price of an LPG cylinder was Rs 400 and it has now been increased to Rs 1,100. Similarly, the price of diesel has been increased from Rs 56 to Rs 90 per litre. The government has saved crores of rupees by increasing fuel prices, he claimed and added that the money has not been utilised for the public good.

Addressing a rally in Mangaluru, Rahul announced free public transport for women if Congress is voted to power in Karnataka. This is the fifth poll promise of the party. Rahul said women will travel for free in state-owned buses from the very first day of Congress government formation.

Not just four promises, but we are adding one more. Congress will fulfil five guarantee schemes on the first day of our government. BJP stole 40% of the commission from women and we will return it to them. Women need not pay while travelling in government buses, Rahul said to thunderous applause.

Referring to Congress poll guarantees, he challenged Modi to replicate it across the country after Congress implements it in Karnataka

Referring to his partys association with Mangaluru, he said the Indira government established Mangalore Airport, MRPL and the Mangalore Port. But the Modi government merged the pride of Karnataka -- Canara Bank and Vijaya Bank with less profit-making banks. This time, people will elect Congress with 150 seats. You give BJP only 40 seats because they are very fond of the number 40, he said.

ALSO WATCH |





UDUPI/MANGALURU: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that the 50% cap on the reservation will be removed if UPA comes to power at the Centre after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He announced free public transport for women if his party is voted to power in Karnataka. He made these announcements at the party rallies in Udupi and Mangaluru. Interacting with fishermen at Uchila in Udupi, he said the 50% cap on reservations is not backed by any scientific data. He said of the 70 most powerful bureaucrats, who decide what the union government should do, only 7% belong to OBC, Dalit, tribal and minority communities. He criticised PM Modi for not making caste census data public. When UPA was in power, we did the caste census and the data is available with the Centre. But it is not releasing it. Data on caste is essential to solving the problems of people. The cap of 50% reservation has to be removed as it was not fixed on the basis of any scientific studies. But the PM does not agree to do that, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Rahul promised that the Congress will provide Rs 10 lakh insurance to fishermen, Rs 1 lakh interest-free loan to fisherwomen and Rs 25 diesel subsidy for 500 litres per day, if voted to power in Karnataka. To a query on fishermens demand for loan waiver, he said that it is up to the next chief minister to decide. Trying to woo the fishermen community, Rahul said there should be a dedicated ministry for fisheries where fishermen could get their problems solved. Women to get free public transport Earlier addressing fishermen, Rahul said the fight in the coming Assembly elections in Karnataka will be between two ideologies. Wherever Congress forms a government, the party helps the poor and weaker sections. Because that is its agenda. The BJP government here was not elected by you. The people of Karnataka know that BJP formed this government using money and power. This government was formed after MLAs were bought paying them crores of rupees. A BJP MLA has said that the post of CM can be bought for Rs 2,500 crore, he alleged. Referring to the price rise, Rahul said during the UPA regime, the price of an LPG cylinder was Rs 400 and it has now been increased to Rs 1,100. Similarly, the price of diesel has been increased from Rs 56 to Rs 90 per litre. The government has saved crores of rupees by increasing fuel prices, he claimed and added that the money has not been utilised for the public good. Addressing a rally in Mangaluru, Rahul announced free public transport for women if Congress is voted to power in Karnataka. This is the fifth poll promise of the party. Rahul said women will travel for free in state-owned buses from the very first day of Congress government formation. Not just four promises, but we are adding one more. Congress will fulfil five guarantee schemes on the first day of our government. BJP stole 40% of the commission from women and we will return it to them. Women need not pay while travelling in government buses, Rahul said to thunderous applause. Referring to Congress poll guarantees, he challenged Modi to replicate it across the country after Congress implements it in Karnataka Referring to his partys association with Mangaluru, he said the Indira government established Mangalore Airport, MRPL and the Mangalore Port. But the Modi government merged the pride of Karnataka -- Canara Bank and Vijaya Bank with less profit-making banks. This time, people will elect Congress with 150 seats. You give BJP only 40 seats because they are very fond of the number 40, he said. ALSO WATCH |
By Express News Service

UMERKOTE: In wake of the Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada that killed 11 police personnel, patrolling has been intensified in bordering areas of Nabarangpur district.

Addressing mediapersons on Thursday, Nabarangpur SP S Sushree said high alert has been sounded in Chandahandi, Jharigaon, Raighar, Kundei, Umerkote and Singsari which share borders with Chhattisgarh. "Police and paramilitary forces are patrolling in these areas. Besides, vehicle checking is underway at entry points along the border."

The SP further said an exchange of fire took place between security forces and Maoists in Shova area of Chhattisgarh's Goriabandh at around 9 am on Wednesday. Two units of SOG were carrying out combing operation along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border when around 20 to 25 armed Naxals opened fire at the forces. The SOG retaliated and an exchange of fire ensued. However, taking advantage of the dense forest, the ultras including hardcore Maoists Murali, Kartik, Guddu, Akash and Nandal escaped.

Apart from wires and batteries used in land mines, a pregnancy test kit along with some objectionable items was seized from the spot. The seized items suggest that the Maoists were sexually harassing women, the SP added.



UMERKOTE: In wake of the Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada that killed 11 police personnel, patrolling has been intensified in bordering areas of Nabarangpur district. Addressing mediapersons on Thursday, Nabarangpur SP S Sushree said high alert has been sounded in Chandahandi, Jharigaon, Raighar, Kundei, Umerkote and Singsari which share borders with Chhattisgarh. "Police and paramilitary forces are patrolling in these areas. Besides, vehicle checking is underway at entry points along the border." The SP further said an exchange of fire took place between security forces and Maoists in Shova area of Chhattisgarh's Goriabandh at around 9 am on Wednesday. Two units of SOG were carrying out combing operation along the Chhattisgarh-Odisha border when around 20 to 25 armed Naxals opened fire at the forces. The SOG retaliated and an exchange of fire ensued. However, taking advantage of the dense forest, the ultras including hardcore Maoists Murali, Kartik, Guddu, Akash and Nandal escaped.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Apart from wires and batteries used in land mines, a pregnancy test kit along with some objectionable items was seized from the spot. The seized items suggest that the Maoists were sexually harassing women, the SP added.
By Express News Service

THOOTHUKUDI: With regard to Village Administrative Officer (VAO) Lourthu Francis' murder at Murappanadu, members of the Thamirabarani Protection Movement have petitioned Collector Dr K Senthil Raj seeking steps to arrest police officers at the station concerned for their lapses. Ayiko, an activist, said illegal sand smuggling has been continuing unabated at Kaliyavur, Anandha Nambi Kurichi, Manakkarai, Azhikudi, Senelpatti, and Maruthur with the support of police in recent years.



The activists attached to the movement also mentioned names of some sub-inspectors working (some previously) at Murappanadu police station, and a special branch constable, who allegedly allowed sand theft after receiving bribes.



On the day Lourthu Francis was killed, the murder suspect, Ramasubramanian, had gone to the police station for negotiating some affairs of an FIR registered against him previously. "The police betrayed Francis by disclosing his persistent efforts to arrest Ramasubbu for smuggling sand, and they also let him scot-free from the police station. After leaving the police station, Ramasubbu headed straight to the VAO office and stabbed Francis to death. The VAO office is just 100 metres away from the police station," he said.



"Murappanadu police inspector, sub-inspector, and the special branch intelligence personnel were well aware of the developments and are guilty of allowing a criminal to murder a village administrative officer. Had they arrested Ramasubbu when he came to the station, the VAO would have been alive with us now. The Superintendent of Police must include names of the policemen in the FIR, collect CCTV footage from Murappanadu police station, seize their mobile phones, and arrest them," Aiyko said.

THOOTHUKUDI: With regard to Village Administrative Officer (VAO) Lourthu Francis' murder at Murappanadu, members of the Thamirabarani Protection Movement have petitioned Collector Dr K Senthil Raj seeking steps to arrest police officers at the station concerned for their lapses. Ayiko, an activist, said illegal sand smuggling has been continuing unabated at Kaliyavur, Anandha Nambi Kurichi, Manakkarai, Azhikudi, Senelpatti, and Maruthur with the support of police in recent years. The activists attached to the movement also mentioned names of some sub-inspectors working (some previously) at Murappanadu police station, and a special branch constable, who allegedly allowed sand theft after receiving bribes. On the day Lourthu Francis was killed, the murder suspect, Ramasubramanian, had gone to the police station for negotiating some affairs of an FIR registered against him previously. "The police betrayed Francis by disclosing his persistent efforts to arrest Ramasubbu for smuggling sand, and they also let him scot-free from the police station. After leaving the police station, Ramasubbu headed straight to the VAO office and stabbed Francis to death. The VAO office is just 100 metres away from the police station," he said. "Murappanadu police inspector, sub-inspector, and the special branch intelligence personnel were well aware of the developments and are guilty of allowing a criminal to murder a village administrative officer. Had they arrested Ramasubbu when he came to the station, the VAO would have been alive with us now. The Superintendent of Police must include names of the policemen in the FIR, collect CCTV footage from Murappanadu police station, seize their mobile phones, and arrest them," Aiyko said.
By ANI

CHENNAI: DMK MP Kanimozhi demanded apology from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai for 'disrespecting' the state anthem 'Tamil Thai Vazthu' during BJP's election campaign in Karnataka's Shimoga district.

Taking to Twitter, Kanimozhi said, "How can someone who could not stop his party members from degrading 'Tamil Thai Vazthu', care about people of Tamil Nadu?"

Countering DMK leader, Annamalai in a tweet shared an old news clip of then Opposition Leader and present chief minister of Tamil Nadu M K Stalin in which it was reported that after hoisting the national flag at an event, the National Anthem was not played.

In the tweet, Annamalai said, "Do you need all this with a leader who doesn't know to play the national anthem after hoisting our national flag? Isn't yours the history of removing the line "Kannadamung Kalitelungum Kavinmalayalamum Tuluvum" from the Tamil Thai state anthem and sowing the division of the state?"

He added, "Our only mission is to save the Tamil people from you and DMK's cheap politics. do not worry!"

According to a viral video of the event, the state anthem of Tamil Nadu, Tamil Thai Vazthu played on stage during a BJP election campaign event in Karnataka's Shimoga was stopped midway by Senior BJP leader KS Eswarappa and asked to play Karnataka state anthem.

The event occurred on Thursday and was attended by BJP Tamil Nadu chief and Karnataka in-charge K Annamalai.

The polls for the 224-seat assembly in Karnataka will take place on May 10 and the counting of votes will be held on May 13.

CHENNAI: DMK MP Kanimozhi demanded apology from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai for 'disrespecting' the state anthem 'Tamil Thai Vazthu' during BJP's election campaign in Karnataka's Shimoga district. Taking to Twitter, Kanimozhi said, "How can someone who could not stop his party members from degrading 'Tamil Thai Vazthu', care about people of Tamil Nadu?" Countering DMK leader, Annamalai in a tweet shared an old news clip of then Opposition Leader and present chief minister of Tamil Nadu M K Stalin in which it was reported that after hoisting the national flag at an event, the National Anthem was not played.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In the tweet, Annamalai said, "Do you need all this with a leader who doesn't know to play the national anthem after hoisting our national flag? Isn't yours the history of removing the line "Kannadamung Kalitelungum Kavinmalayalamum Tuluvum" from the Tamil Thai state anthem and sowing the division of the state?" He added, "Our only mission is to save the Tamil people from you and DMK's cheap politics. do not worry!" According to a viral video of the event, the state anthem of Tamil Nadu, Tamil Thai Vazthu played on stage during a BJP election campaign event in Karnataka's Shimoga was stopped midway by Senior BJP leader KS Eswarappa and asked to play Karnataka state anthem. The event occurred on Thursday and was attended by BJP Tamil Nadu chief and Karnataka in-charge K Annamalai. The polls for the 224-seat assembly in Karnataka will take place on May 10 and the counting of votes will be held on May 13.
Vivek Bhoomi By

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The fact that Anand Mohan, the man who incited a mob to lynch him over two-and-a-half decades ago, has been set free has led to the resurrection of G Krishnaiah, the district magistrate of Gopalgunj in Bihar in 1994, in the hearts of not only those who knew him personally but also those who shared his ideals. Coming from an extremely poor family and having grown up in the drought-ridden Jogulamba Gadwal district, Krishnaiahs journey from childhood to martyrdom has been an inspiring one.

Born to G Seshanna and Venkamma, in Bhairapuram village of Undavalli Mandal in Jogulamba Gadwal district, Krishnaiah had to do manual labour from a very early age. Besides lifting cement bags for three paise and working as an agricultural labourer, he also used to help his father, a railway gangman. Krishnaiah studied in government institutions, which may have influenced his decision to pursue a career in civil services.

He was a bookworm right from the beginning. He used to study till late, sometimes even till the wee hours. On the go, he always used to have a novel published by Emescos, or The Indian Express, or other newspapers, recalls KM Narayana, Krishnaiahs brother-in-law who not only shared food with him but was also his senior till his BSc from Maharani Adilakshmi Devamma government degree college in Gadwal.

Narayana recalls the day when he had gone to visit Krishnaiah at Room No. 35 in OU old PG College where the latter completed his MA in English Literature, before pursuing a course in journalism. The books in his room could fill a tonga. He asked me to take them, but I didnt. But some of our friends took those books home, Narayana told TNIE.

He remembers the day when the 1985 IAS batchmates had come to Bhairapuram to pay their last respects to Krishnaiah. One of the bureaucrats told me that he had a perception that only Brahmins have grasping power, but after his association with Krishnaiah, he realised that there couldnt be a more knowledgeable person than Krishnaiah who had read across all the shelves in the OU library, Narayana said.

He led a simple life from the beginning, possibly inspired by Swami Vivekanandas teachings though he was not associated with any political ideology, his way of life was like a Swayamsevak, notes Narayana, remembering the day of Krishnaiahs wedding, when he had come in casual wear, and was reluctant to get dressed up till his elder brother Ayyanna convinced him to change his clothes.

He initially wanted to get married in the registrars office, but later agreed to Ayyannas plan of holding the wedding at his house opposite Kurnool railway station, he adds.

Uma Devi Krishnaiah, widow of G Krishnaiah, holding his photo.

The love of Krishnaiahs life was as ideal as him. He fell in love with Uma Devi when they were junior college classmates in Gadwal, continued the relationship through his graduation and PG and married her after completing his IAS training in Mussoorie.

Narayana was apprehensive about Krishnaiah opting for serving as an IAS officer in the Bihar cadre. During Bharat Darshan, which the IAS officers had in those days, he chose Bihar because he had seen that the people there were suffering from mafia and politicians, Narayana recalls.

Krishnaiah was first posted in Hazaribagh which was full of coal mines. When calls used to come at midnight, he would just take off despite his wife trying her best to stop him. Lalu Prasad Yadav who was the chief minister at that time, used to ask him for favours, but he would just tell him on his face that such acts wouldnt cut ice with him, Narayana says.

Krishnaiah had four paternal uncles. The youngest of them had gone to see his administration and stayed with him for a month. The district administration used to get woolen blankets to be distributed to the poor, and Krishnaiah used to go out on chilly winter nights and personally distribute them to the homeless, says Narayana, breaking up in tears remembering December 5, 1994, the fateful day.

It was bad luck not only for us, but for the poor people of the country. Will our country see such an officer ever again? he asks. I was in Kurnool when I received the news of his death. Initially, I didnt believe it. I thought it was fake. I hoped it was fake. Even after watching the news on TV, I couldnt believe it. Only after I read it in a newspaper, I believed it. I just couldnt recover, recalls Narayana, struggling to hold back his tears.

Krishnaiah was so duty-minded that he couldnt attend the last rites of his father in Bhairapuram, as he passed away right after the Babri Masjid demolition, and the situation was especially tense in Bihar. It was only a week later that he paid his tributes at his fathers grave.

The Bihar government back then offered a sub-divisional magistrates position to Uma Devi, which she refused and returned to Hyderabad, where the government of undivided AP offered her a job and helped her traumatised family financially.

Krishnaiahs mortal remains were laid to rest in the black soils of his ancestral land in Bhairapuram, where a Ghori (samadhi) was built, which is currently in a dilapidated condition.

READ MORE:

EDITORIAL | Up to the people to address Anand Mohan syndrome in politics

Gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan Singh released from Bihar jail days after prison rule change

HYDERABAD: The fact that Anand Mohan, the man who incited a mob to lynch him over two-and-a-half decades ago, has been set free has led to the resurrection of G Krishnaiah, the district magistrate of Gopalgunj in Bihar in 1994, in the hearts of not only those who knew him personally but also those who shared his ideals. Coming from an extremely poor family and having grown up in the drought-ridden Jogulamba Gadwal district, Krishnaiahs journey from childhood to martyrdom has been an inspiring one. Born to G Seshanna and Venkamma, in Bhairapuram village of Undavalli Mandal in Jogulamba Gadwal district, Krishnaiah had to do manual labour from a very early age. Besides lifting cement bags for three paise and working as an agricultural labourer, he also used to help his father, a railway gangman. Krishnaiah studied in government institutions, which may have influenced his decision to pursue a career in civil services. He was a bookworm right from the beginning. He used to study till late, sometimes even till the wee hours. On the go, he always used to have a novel published by Emescos, or The Indian Express, or other newspapers, recalls KM Narayana, Krishnaiahs brother-in-law who not only shared food with him but was also his senior till his BSc from Maharani Adilakshmi Devamma government degree college in Gadwal.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Narayana recalls the day when he had gone to visit Krishnaiah at Room No. 35 in OU old PG College where the latter completed his MA in English Literature, before pursuing a course in journalism. The books in his room could fill a tonga. He asked me to take them, but I didnt. But some of our friends took those books home, Narayana told TNIE. He remembers the day when the 1985 IAS batchmates had come to Bhairapuram to pay their last respects to Krishnaiah. One of the bureaucrats told me that he had a perception that only Brahmins have grasping power, but after his association with Krishnaiah, he realised that there couldnt be a more knowledgeable person than Krishnaiah who had read across all the shelves in the OU library, Narayana said. He led a simple life from the beginning, possibly inspired by Swami Vivekanandas teachings though he was not associated with any political ideology, his way of life was like a Swayamsevak, notes Narayana, remembering the day of Krishnaiahs wedding, when he had come in casual wear, and was reluctant to get dressed up till his elder brother Ayyanna convinced him to change his clothes. He initially wanted to get married in the registrars office, but later agreed to Ayyannas plan of holding the wedding at his house opposite Kurnool railway station, he adds. Uma Devi Krishnaiah, widow of G Krishnaiah, holding his photo. The love of Krishnaiahs life was as ideal as him. He fell in love with Uma Devi when they were junior college classmates in Gadwal, continued the relationship through his graduation and PG and married her after completing his IAS training in Mussoorie. Narayana was apprehensive about Krishnaiah opting for serving as an IAS officer in the Bihar cadre. During Bharat Darshan, which the IAS officers had in those days, he chose Bihar because he had seen that the people there were suffering from mafia and politicians, Narayana recalls. Krishnaiah was first posted in Hazaribagh which was full of coal mines. When calls used to come at midnight, he would just take off despite his wife trying her best to stop him. Lalu Prasad Yadav who was the chief minister at that time, used to ask him for favours, but he would just tell him on his face that such acts wouldnt cut ice with him, Narayana says. Krishnaiah had four paternal uncles. The youngest of them had gone to see his administration and stayed with him for a month. The district administration used to get woolen blankets to be distributed to the poor, and Krishnaiah used to go out on chilly winter nights and personally distribute them to the homeless, says Narayana, breaking up in tears remembering December 5, 1994, the fateful day. It was bad luck not only for us, but for the poor people of the country. Will our country see such an officer ever again? he asks. I was in Kurnool when I received the news of his death. Initially, I didnt believe it. I thought it was fake. I hoped it was fake. Even after watching the news on TV, I couldnt believe it. Only after I read it in a newspaper, I believed it. I just couldnt recover, recalls Narayana, struggling to hold back his tears. Krishnaiah was so duty-minded that he couldnt attend the last rites of his father in Bhairapuram, as he passed away right after the Babri Masjid demolition, and the situation was especially tense in Bihar. It was only a week later that he paid his tributes at his fathers grave. The Bihar government back then offered a sub-divisional magistrates position to Uma Devi, which she refused and returned to Hyderabad, where the government of undivided AP offered her a job and helped her traumatised family financially. Krishnaiahs mortal remains were laid to rest in the black soils of his ancestral land in Bhairapuram, where a Ghori (samadhi) was built, which is currently in a dilapidated condition. READ MORE: EDITORIAL | Up to the people to address Anand Mohan syndrome in politics Gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan Singh released from Bihar jail days after prison rule change
Chiranjib Haldar By

Faith and diplomacy are two propositions, always spread far apart. One is rooted in culture and belief, the other is about logic and hard calculations but their paths traverse. India has been trying to mix this into a powerful cocktail by using its ancient ties with Buddhism.

Recently, New Delhi hosted the Global Buddhist Summit and the attendance was exemplary. The conclave not just showcased the values of Buddhism, common knowledge to most of us, but married those values with present challenges. Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that whether it's war and aggression or sustainable growth or technological prowess, Buddha's teachings offered solutions to world problems. PM Modis assertion I told the United Nations, India hasnt given yuddha (war) but Buddha may be a pointer to Indias re-emergence as the pioneer in global Buddhism.

In 2011, a similar august Buddhist gathering was addressed by the Dalai Lama and a furious Beijing cancelled border talks with India soon after. However, there was no similar tantrum at this years summit. Many experts opine that the Chinese are like the Grinch during Christmas, conspicuous by their absence yet not wanting the Dalai Lama to grace the occasion. There may be two tussles playing out: one is over the ascendancy of the Dalai Lama and Tibet, the second over leadership of the larger Buddhist world and its heirloom. This tug-of-war is equally syncretic. Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in the world and around 500 million people practise it. Cambodia, Thailand, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Laos are Buddhist majority nations while South Korea and Malaysia have a sizeable Buddhist populace.

Geographically, these countries are located in Southeast Asia -- the same arc that China wants to dominate. It elucidates why a communist atheist regime adores Buddhism though the religious bonhomie may be political. Beijings Buddhist camaraderie may be about narrative, not faith. A section feels it is linked to dominating the Tibetan population and hence Buddhism is the means to an end and that end is appointing Chinas own successor to the Dalai Lama.

ALSO READ | Is hydropower the key to propel India-Nepal ties to a new high?

For New Delhi, the Dalai Lama may not be only a religious leader but also a strategic leverage. In 2011, the Dalai Lama was invited to speak despite protests from China and in 2023, he has been given a platform despite the expected protestations.

The Buddha was born in modern Nepal but spent most of his life in India. His first sermon and his Enlightenment were in India and that is why New Delhi can easily designate itself as the cradle and home of Buddhism. By boosting religious tourism, exchanging scholars and nurturing Buddhist organisations, India can generate a viable Buddhist diplomacy. Since 2016, the Buddhist circuit project has flourished on Buddhas path -- Gaya, Sarnath Kushinagar et al. In diplomacy, nothing influences policies more than people themselves.

ALSO READ | 'Shri Anna': The eco-friendly superfood that blends tradition and nutrition

As enunciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Global Buddhist Summit, India remains the fountainhead from which the teachings of Gautama Buddha spread worldwide. By reiterating that Buddhas sermons can mollify many of the worlds grievous wounds, India is sending across a clear message. In the coming years, India will take on the core leadership in sustaining Buddhas timeless heritage. The Global Buddhist Summit came at a time when India holds the presidencies of the G20 and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and is keen to be a voice for the Global South. Is it appropriate for India to leverage its historical and cultural ties through Buddhism? Using its deep connects, the goal may be to build pressure on Beijing and India has made three decisive moves in this regard, owning its Buddhist legacy.

Web Scrawl | Read our series of web exclusives here

The first obviously entails turning India into a hub of Buddhist syncretism and hosting the summit is a step in that direction. China wants India to deny the Dalai Lama any petard to hoist his ideas.

Second, India is engaging with monks and scholars universally. Earlier, this week India hosted another Buddhist conference in Arunachal Pradesh, a state where China has been claiming suzerainty for quite some time. The event was held in Zemithang, historically significant for Buddhists because in 1959, this village was the Dalai Lamas first halt on fleeing Tibet. This asserted India's sovereign rights over Arunachal Pradesh, a state that has always been an inalienable part of our country.

Third, there is an ongoing effort to restore ancient Buddhist sites and sacred Buddhist texts. So, basically it's a multi-pronged approach to reclaim Buddhism. The Sino-Indian face-off on Buddhism may have just started.

(Chiranjib Haldar is a commentator on politics and society.)

Faith and diplomacy are two propositions, always spread far apart. One is rooted in culture and belief, the other is about logic and hard calculations but their paths traverse. India has been trying to mix this into a powerful cocktail by using its ancient ties with Buddhism. Recently, New Delhi hosted the Global Buddhist Summit and the attendance was exemplary. The conclave not just showcased the values of Buddhism, common knowledge to most of us, but married those values with present challenges. Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that whether it's war and aggression or sustainable growth or technological prowess, Buddha's teachings offered solutions to world problems. PM Modis assertion I told the United Nations, India hasnt given yuddha (war) but Buddha may be a pointer to Indias re-emergence as the pioneer in global Buddhism. In 2011, a similar august Buddhist gathering was addressed by the Dalai Lama and a furious Beijing cancelled border talks with India soon after. However, there was no similar tantrum at this years summit. Many experts opine that the Chinese are like the Grinch during Christmas, conspicuous by their absence yet not wanting the Dalai Lama to grace the occasion. There may be two tussles playing out: one is over the ascendancy of the Dalai Lama and Tibet, the second over leadership of the larger Buddhist world and its heirloom. This tug-of-war is equally syncretic. Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in the world and around 500 million people practise it. Cambodia, Thailand, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Laos are Buddhist majority nations while South Korea and Malaysia have a sizeable Buddhist populace.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Geographically, these countries are located in Southeast Asia -- the same arc that China wants to dominate. It elucidates why a communist atheist regime adores Buddhism though the religious bonhomie may be political. Beijings Buddhist camaraderie may be about narrative, not faith. A section feels it is linked to dominating the Tibetan population and hence Buddhism is the means to an end and that end is appointing Chinas own successor to the Dalai Lama. ALSO READ | Is hydropower the key to propel India-Nepal ties to a new high? For New Delhi, the Dalai Lama may not be only a religious leader but also a strategic leverage. In 2011, the Dalai Lama was invited to speak despite protests from China and in 2023, he has been given a platform despite the expected protestations. The Buddha was born in modern Nepal but spent most of his life in India. His first sermon and his Enlightenment were in India and that is why New Delhi can easily designate itself as the cradle and home of Buddhism. By boosting religious tourism, exchanging scholars and nurturing Buddhist organisations, India can generate a viable Buddhist diplomacy. Since 2016, the Buddhist circuit project has flourished on Buddhas path -- Gaya, Sarnath Kushinagar et al. In diplomacy, nothing influences policies more than people themselves. ALSO READ | 'Shri Anna': The eco-friendly superfood that blends tradition and nutrition As enunciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Global Buddhist Summit, India remains the fountainhead from which the teachings of Gautama Buddha spread worldwide. By reiterating that Buddhas sermons can mollify many of the worlds grievous wounds, India is sending across a clear message. In the coming years, India will take on the core leadership in sustaining Buddhas timeless heritage. The Global Buddhist Summit came at a time when India holds the presidencies of the G20 and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and is keen to be a voice for the Global South. Is it appropriate for India to leverage its historical and cultural ties through Buddhism? Using its deep connects, the goal may be to build pressure on Beijing and India has made three decisive moves in this regard, owning its Buddhist legacy. Web Scrawl | Read our series of web exclusives here The first obviously entails turning India into a hub of Buddhist syncretism and hosting the summit is a step in that direction. China wants India to deny the Dalai Lama any petard to hoist his ideas. Second, India is engaging with monks and scholars universally. Earlier, this week India hosted another Buddhist conference in Arunachal Pradesh, a state where China has been claiming suzerainty for quite some time. The event was held in Zemithang, historically significant for Buddhists because in 1959, this village was the Dalai Lamas first halt on fleeing Tibet. This asserted India's sovereign rights over Arunachal Pradesh, a state that has always been an inalienable part of our country. Third, there is an ongoing effort to restore ancient Buddhist sites and sacred Buddhist texts. So, basically it's a multi-pronged approach to reclaim Buddhism. The Sino-Indian face-off on Buddhism may have just started. (Chiranjib Haldar is a commentator on politics and society.)
Nandalal By

Express News Service

Three weeks ago, when Maheen S reached Sudan's capital Khartoum, little did the 22-year-old know that he would be witnessing a civil war at close quarters. "On the first day, I woke up to the sounds of gunshots and bombing. I also saw a black haze erupting in the air," says the globetrotter from Kerala, who is still in the country.

Since April 15, a rivalry between Sudans top two generals has erupted into warfare, pitting the Sudanese army against a state-sponsored militia called the Rapid Support Forces. The brutal conflict between the two groups has killed over 400 people and injured thousands, pushing the African nation to the brink of collapse.

Maheen, who is on a world tour, arrived in Khartoum five days before the conflict began. He is a traveller who documents his adventures on the popular Malayalam YouTube channel Hitchhiking Nomad. Although he had visited a few war-torn countries, this is the first time he is witnessing an active battlefield.

"I was in Khartoum for the first 8-10 days of the battle. In civilian areas, there were continual explosions and shooting," he told us over a video call. As soon as the conflict began, Maheen got in touch with the Indian embassy.

WATCH : 'Survived without water & food, witnessed explosion': Indian traveller narrates ordeal in Sudan

He got a Google Sheet via WhatsApp to fill in. However, no further details on the rescue process were received. On April 25, Maheen left Khartoum. He eventually travelled over 200 kilometres to a safe zone. His next step is to leave the country.

"My journey through Khartoum was tough initially because of gunfights. During the day, somehow, I managed to hitchhike my way in small trucks with other people fleeing the combat zone. And I spent the nights at schools or mosques," he adds.

Asked if he regretted visiting Sudan, Maheen says, "Even though the situation is difficult and frightening, I do not regret visiting this wonderful country. My travel expertise is helping me in dealing with stress. It's also a learning experience."

Maheen had to travel 200 kilometres from Khartoum to reach a safe zone.

( Photo @hitchhikenomad )

Meanwhile, multiple evacuation operations are underway to rescue foreign citizens and embassy staff using various modes of transportation by road, air and sea. On April 24, India launched Operation Kaveri to evacuate its nationals from Sudan. The first batch of 360 Indians from Sudan arrived in New Delhi on April 26.

On April 27, about 1,100 Indians were successfully evacuated from Sudan's conflict zone to Jeddah where India has established a transit centre as part of its evacuation efforts.

Three weeks ago, when Maheen S reached Sudan's capital Khartoum, little did the 22-year-old know that he would be witnessing a civil war at close quarters. "On the first day, I woke up to the sounds of gunshots and bombing. I also saw a black haze erupting in the air," says the globetrotter from Kerala, who is still in the country. Since April 15, a rivalry between Sudans top two generals has erupted into warfare, pitting the Sudanese army against a state-sponsored militia called the Rapid Support Forces. The brutal conflict between the two groups has killed over 400 people and injured thousands, pushing the African nation to the brink of collapse. Maheen, who is on a world tour, arrived in Khartoum five days before the conflict began. He is a traveller who documents his adventures on the popular Malayalam YouTube channel Hitchhiking Nomad. Although he had visited a few war-torn countries, this is the first time he is witnessing an active battlefield.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "I was in Khartoum for the first 8-10 days of the battle. In civilian areas, there were continual explosions and shooting," he told us over a video call. As soon as the conflict began, Maheen got in touch with the Indian embassy. WATCH : 'Survived without water & food, witnessed explosion': Indian traveller narrates ordeal in Sudan He got a Google Sheet via WhatsApp to fill in. However, no further details on the rescue process were received. On April 25, Maheen left Khartoum. He eventually travelled over 200 kilometres to a safe zone. His next step is to leave the country. "My journey through Khartoum was tough initially because of gunfights. During the day, somehow, I managed to hitchhike my way in small trucks with other people fleeing the combat zone. And I spent the nights at schools or mosques," he adds. Asked if he regretted visiting Sudan, Maheen says, "Even though the situation is difficult and frightening, I do not regret visiting this wonderful country. My travel expertise is helping me in dealing with stress. It's also a learning experience." Maheen had to travel 200 kilometres from Khartoum to reach a safe zone. ( Photo @hitchhikenomad ) Meanwhile, multiple evacuation operations are underway to rescue foreign citizens and embassy staff using various modes of transportation by road, air and sea. On April 24, India launched Operation Kaveri to evacuate its nationals from Sudan. The first batch of 360 Indians from Sudan arrived in New Delhi on April 26. On April 27, about 1,100 Indians were successfully evacuated from Sudan's conflict zone to Jeddah where India has established a transit centre as part of its evacuation efforts.
By Associated Press

BEIRUT: Samer and his family thought they had found safety in Lebanon after fleeing Syria's war nearly a decade ago, but amid growing anti-refugee sentiment, Beirut handed his brother to the Syrian army.



Syrians poured into Lebanon after civil war broke out in 2011, with Damascus's brutal suppression of peaceful protests. With the regime now back in control of most of the country, calls have intensified in crisis-hit Lebanon for Syrians to go home.



Samer said Lebanon's army intelligence raided his brother's apartment in a Beirut suburb last week, detaining him, his wife and children and deporting them to Syria.



Like others AFP spoke to, Samer preferred to use an alias, citing security concerns.



Syrian authorities released the wife and children but arrested his brother, who together with Samer had taken part in anti-government protests more than a decade ago.

Syrian refugee children play at an unofficial refugee camp in the area of Arida in northern Lebanon. (Photo | AFP)

He has not heard from him since.



"Our biggest fear is for him to disappear (in regime prisons), never to be heard from again," said Samer, 26.



"We fear we will meet the same fate: deported to Syria, where we could be arrested or disappeared."



Authorities say Lebanon currently hosts around two million Syrians, while more than 800,000 are registered with the United Nations -- the highest number of refugees per capita in the world.



Lebanon has long pushed for Syrians to return home, and has made several repatriation efforts for Syrians that authorities describe as voluntary.



In recent weeks the army has intensified a crackdown on undocumented Syrians, with some 450 arrested and at least 66 deported, a humanitarian source said.



Want a solution



Lebanon has seen anti-Syrian sentiment soar recently as some officials seek to blame refugees for the country's woes.



Lebanon has been in the throes of a devastating economic crisis since 2019 that has plunged most of the population into poverty. The local currency has tanked, while the World Bank has blamed authorities for misusing and misspending people's deposits.

A Syrian refugee herds sheep as she walks with children at a refugee camp on the outskirts of the town of Zahle in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. (Photo | AFP)

Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar recently claimed there were "dangerous demographic changes" underway, warning: "We will become refugees in our own country."



Some municipalities over the years have imposed restrictions on Syrians' movement, while recent social media posts have painted refugees as criminals hungry for United Nations aid.



"They say we receive UN aid in dollars, but it is not true," Samer said, adding he and his family had experienced years of poverty and intimidation.



"We are tired and we want a solution. We don't need money or anything from Lebanon."



The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) told AFP it can only disburse assistance to roughly 43 percent of refugees, paid out in local currency.



"The maximum a vulnerable family of five or more members receives for both cash and food assistance is 8,000,000 Lebanese pounds per month," UNHCR said -- roughly $80.



The agency said authorities had been cracking down on Syrian communities, with at least 13 raids in April alone.



Some of those arrested or expelled were refugees registered with UNHCR, it said, while another humanitarian source said in some cases minors had been separated from their parents.



I'd rather die



Amnesty International this week urged Lebanon to "immediately stop deportations", describing them as forced and saying refugees risked "torture or persecution" upon return.



The clampdown has left impoverished Syrians distraught, with many now too scared to go out.



Abu Salim, 32, told AFP he had been sleeping at a warehouse where he works with 20 other people "because we're afraid of getting arrested".



He said he had spent six years in Syrian jails and his worst fear was deportation.



"If I go back to prison, I will never get out," he said.

ALSO READ | As Bashar Assad returns to Arab fold, Syrians watch with hope, fear



Ammar, an army deserter, told AFP he had been holed up at home, his eyes glued to the anti-Syrian vitriol spewed on social media.



"Why all this hate? What did we do to deserve this? We only fled to escape death," the 31-year-old said.



In Lebanon since 2014, he said he feared not only for his own life but for his wife and two-month-old child.



"I live in fear that the army will break into my house and deport me," he said, adding that soon he will have to venture out "to work and buy baby milk".

ALSO READ | Turkey guards shooting and torturing Syrian civilians at border: Human Rights Watch



Desperate Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians have been attempting to leave Lebanon for Europe on rickety boats, with some migration bids ending in tragedy.



The government has accused Syrians of entering Lebanon just to take the perilous sea journeys.



Ammar said he would take a boat if he had to.



"In Syria there is no longer any hope," Ammar said. "I'd rather die at sea than return."

BEIRUT: Samer and his family thought they had found safety in Lebanon after fleeing Syria's war nearly a decade ago, but amid growing anti-refugee sentiment, Beirut handed his brother to the Syrian army. Syrians poured into Lebanon after civil war broke out in 2011, with Damascus's brutal suppression of peaceful protests. With the regime now back in control of most of the country, calls have intensified in crisis-hit Lebanon for Syrians to go home. Samer said Lebanon's army intelligence raided his brother's apartment in a Beirut suburb last week, detaining him, his wife and children and deporting them to Syria. Like others AFP spoke to, Samer preferred to use an alias, citing security concerns. Syrian authorities released the wife and children but arrested his brother, who together with Samer had taken part in anti-government protests more than a decade ago. Syrian refugee children play at an unofficial refugee camp in the area of Arida in northern Lebanon. (Photo | AFP) He has not heard from him since. "Our biggest fear is for him to disappear (in regime prisons), never to be heard from again," said Samer, 26. "We fear we will meet the same fate: deported to Syria, where we could be arrested or disappeared." Authorities say Lebanon currently hosts around two million Syrians, while more than 800,000 are registered with the United Nations -- the highest number of refugees per capita in the world. Lebanon has long pushed for Syrians to return home, and has made several repatriation efforts for Syrians that authorities describe as voluntary. In recent weeks the army has intensified a crackdown on undocumented Syrians, with some 450 arrested and at least 66 deported, a humanitarian source said.Want a solution Lebanon has seen anti-Syrian sentiment soar recently as some officials seek to blame refugees for the country's woes. Lebanon has been in the throes of a devastating economic crisis since 2019 that has plunged most of the population into poverty. The local currency has tanked, while the World Bank has blamed authorities for misusing and misspending people's deposits. A Syrian refugee herds sheep as she walks with children at a refugee camp on the outskirts of the town of Zahle in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. (Photo | AFP) Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar recently claimed there were "dangerous demographic changes" underway, warning: "We will become refugees in our own country." Some municipalities over the years have imposed restrictions on Syrians' movement, while recent social media posts have painted refugees as criminals hungry for United Nations aid. "They say we receive UN aid in dollars, but it is not true," Samer said, adding he and his family had experienced years of poverty and intimidation. "We are tired and we want a solution. We don't need money or anything from Lebanon." The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) told AFP it can only disburse assistance to roughly 43 percent of refugees, paid out in local currency. "The maximum a vulnerable family of five or more members receives for both cash and food assistance is 8,000,000 Lebanese pounds per month," UNHCR said -- roughly $80. The agency said authorities had been cracking down on Syrian communities, with at least 13 raids in April alone. Some of those arrested or expelled were refugees registered with UNHCR, it said, while another humanitarian source said in some cases minors had been separated from their parents. I'd rather die Amnesty International this week urged Lebanon to "immediately stop deportations", describing them as forced and saying refugees risked "torture or persecution" upon return. The clampdown has left impoverished Syrians distraught, with many now too scared to go out. Abu Salim, 32, told AFP he had been sleeping at a warehouse where he works with 20 other people "because we're afraid of getting arrested". He said he had spent six years in Syrian jails and his worst fear was deportation. "If I go back to prison, I will never get out," he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); ALSO READ | As Bashar Assad returns to Arab fold, Syrians watch with hope, fear Ammar, an army deserter, told AFP he had been holed up at home, his eyes glued to the anti-Syrian vitriol spewed on social media. "Why all this hate? What did we do to deserve this? We only fled to escape death," the 31-year-old said. In Lebanon since 2014, he said he feared not only for his own life but for his wife and two-month-old child. "I live in fear that the army will break into my house and deport me," he said, adding that soon he will have to venture out "to work and buy baby milk". ALSO READ | Turkey guards shooting and torturing Syrian civilians at border: Human Rights Watch Desperate Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians have been attempting to leave Lebanon for Europe on rickety boats, with some migration bids ending in tragedy. The government has accused Syrians of entering Lebanon just to take the perilous sea journeys. Ammar said he would take a boat if he had to. "In Syria there is no longer any hope," Ammar said. "I'd rather die at sea than return."
The fallout from the rise of remote office work is hitting the downtown Buffalo office market in full force this week.

On Thursday, M&T Bank said it would reduce its office space across the region by 12% in a money-saving consolidation move. Just two days earlier, Highmark BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York said it is cutting its downtown office space by nearly 89% by moving to the top floors of the Seneca One tower.

The dual decisions represent the latest  and two of the biggest  examples of large employers concluding that they just don't need as much office space as they used to.

And experts say they certainly won't be the last.

"Its likely there will be some more of that," said Keith Belanger, senior executive vice president at M&T, and chairman of Buffalo Place, the nonprofit that runs the downtown business improvement district.

Sign up for the Buffalo Next free newsletter The News' Buffalo Next team covers the changing Buffalo Niagara economy. Get the news in your inbox 5 days a week.

That trend could have big impacts for both the downtown core and suburban office markets across the country, for building owners and developers, as well as for the restaurants, stores and service firms that cater to workers.

"Its a sad situation," said Carl Paladino, chairman of Ellicott Development Co., the biggest landlord in the city. "It doesnt bode well for downtowns office market."

The shakeout is just beginning

Three years after the Covid-19 pandemic, the impacts of employees' new ability in many cases to seamlessly work from home are still reverberating across the economy.

That's because employees have had a taste of the flexibility offered by remote work, and many of them like it. And with employers still struggling to fill open positions, companies are reluctant to force the issue by mandating attendance because they know they could lose staff to competitors, even from far away.

As a result, the initial thought that the change would be only temporary until the crisis was over has given way to a realization that the work-from-home trend  whether fully remote or hybrid arrangements  is likely here to stay.

"Its a permanent change, a permanent reduction in demand," said James R. Militello, owner of J.R. Militello Realty, who projected a 30% to 40% loss of demand and value in office space. "I dont think the marketplace has really accepted it, digested it, and planned for this change."

Highmark to relocate to top five floors of Seneca One tower Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York is relocating its Buffalo offices and wo

Now, as office leases come up for renewal, that's prompting employers  whether businesses, governments or nonprofits  to rethink their office needs and re-evaluate just how much building space they want to keep, and where. They're reducing space, relocating, selling or signing short-term leases or subleases instead of sticking with what they had.

"Theres a lot of downsizing and right-sizing, and thats all reflective of hybrid work," said Sarah Cashimere-Warren, director of office sales and leasing for commercial real estate brokerage CBRE-Buffalo. "Youre going to have people who want to be in the office, and people who dont, and youre going to be constantly evaluating those metrics."

In turn, these decisions have a broader impact on the future of buildings that get emptied out.

The biggest question is what will become of the space that empties out. Some space could be converted to apartments or condos. Other space could find new commercial uses. But that transition, like the shift now underway at once-busy shopping malls, is not likely to be easy or quick.

And it raises questions for the future of the walk-in businesses on the streets that rely on pedestrian traffic to keep them afloat.

"Its important for downtown to see people coming in to work," said David Chiazza, executive vice president of Iskalo Development Corp., which owns the Electric Tower and nearby properties. "Its more than just the office space. Its just a big unknown, scary thing. So theres some thinking to be done over the next few years as we go through this change."

Less space, not less jobs

The real estate changes are not a result of large reductions in workforce, but rather a reflection of how often those workers come into the office.

"Were in a changing environment, and people are making decisions based on how many days a week their employees are going to be in," said Michael Schmand, executive director of Buffalo Place.

HSBC consolidates Western New York operations to Larkinville HSBC Bank USA, once the dominant bank in Western New York and still a major employer of at least 2,000 workers, is consolidating its local operations in Larkinville.

With Highmark, the health insurer announced Tuesday that it would be relocating from its 473,220-square-foot complex at 257 W. Genesee St. to the top five floors of Seneca One tower, where it will occupy about 100,000 square feet.

The Buffalo-based subsidiary of Pittsburgh's Highmark Inc. still employs 1,400 people locally  about 200 more than it did when it moved into the eight-story building in 2007. But fewer than 400 come to the office on any given day, often half that. So it's only using three floors right now, totaling 145,000 square feet.

"This adjustment is going to cause a lot of problems," Militello said. "There are some huge blocks of space that could be very difficult to absorb and to use."

M&T is giving up 200,000 square feet of space in three buildings in Buffalo and Amherst, and will shift 400 workers to three other facilities, primarily to One M&T Plaza and M&T Center in downtown Buffalo. It currently has nearly 8,000 workers locally  a 53% increase in staff in 10 years  and 1.7 million square feet of space in 13 buildings.

HSBC Bank USA  which sold its Atrium building in downtown Buffalo to Douglas Jemal for $9 million last year  had already consolidated its Western New York operations to its facility in Depew, at the corner of Walden Avenue and Dick Road. But it announced plans in March to consolidate even further, moving everything into the 63,000-square-foot, four-story Larkin U building at 239 Van Rensselaer St., because its workforce is mostly remote.

Previously, The Buffalo News relocated its newsroom and offices from its longtime five-story home at the corner of Washington and Scott streets to a 20,000-square-foot suite in the Larkin at Exchange Building. The office building was slated to be acquired by Uniland Development Co. until the deal fell through, so it is still for sale.

Other potential moves may be in the works.

"Were already being alerted by many of our tenants that theyre going to be downsizing on their lease renewals, especially state offices," said Paladino, whose firm is a major landlord for government agencies. He said he knows of one state tenant "who's not only downsizing, but they're closing up the office. They don't need it anymore."

"Its concerning with large blocks of space that are coming back to the market, and were hearing there may be more," Chiazza said. "I don't know what the long-term outcome here is."

Uniland drops purchase of Buffalo News office building Uniland Development Co. is backing out of its deal to acquire The Buffalo News' office building at the corner of Washington and Scott streets.

But it's also not all gloom and doom. Schmand noted that Highmark isn't leaving downtown, but moving into a building on Main Street that will now be 75% leased, just a few years after it was completely empty. That will put its employees closer to the city center and to Canalside.

"The environment in the central business district is where businesses want to be, and that's why they're coming into the downtown core," Schmand said.

Seeking better space

The changes reflect what Belanger called "the flight to quality," as tenants opt to at least choose newer, higher-quality buildings and space, with amenities and easy access to downtown activity. That's part of their effort to make their workspace more lively and attractive, in order to lure employees back.

The buildings that are left behind, meanwhile, will struggle to attract new leases. So they become prime targets for conversion to other uses, particularly for apartments. "In the short term, its likely to be kind of painful," Belanger said.

But while many employers are concerned about their office needs, not all of them can do something about it yet, because they're still in long-term leases. And others "aren't sure if the current way they're working will continue two years from now," Belanger said.

"Real estate is one of those things you dont turn on a dime," Belanger said. "Its big bucks, and youre making long-term commitments, so youd like to do it based on more certainty."

It also depends on the nature of the business. "If its jobs that are more conducive to remote work, we expect more of them to downsize or right-size," said Paul Ciminelli, CEO of Ciminelli Real Estate Corp., which owns Fountain Plaza and Lafayette Court.

Back-office functions are easier to do remotely. But professional services  law firms, wealth management or accounting  are more likely to maintain offices in strategic locations, like downtown.

"It depends on the business," said David Schiller, associate broker and director of sales for Pyramid Brokerage Company of Buffalo, an affiliate of Cushman & Wakefield. "Certain businesses are very collaborative, like architectural or engineering firms. And then there are companies that are totally remote."

Short-term leases are becoming more common, although "the 10-year lease is not disappearing," Schiller added.

Companies on both sides of the equation are also turning to subleases as a solution. And then there's flex or co-working space, a fast-growing trend nationally that has been slowly developing in Buffalo, with Regus, Serendipity and Hansa.

Synacor, the once high-flying technology and telecommunications company that is now owned by a private-equity firm, relocated its Buffalo corporate headquarters in November from traditional office space in Waterfront Village to Uniland Development Co.'s Hansa co-working facility on Ellicott Street. And Parkitects, a playground design firm, moved its operation into Hansa as well.

Meanwhile, it's not clear what will happen to Highmark's current building, which is owned by Orion REIT of Phoenix. It was built new in 2007, at a cost of more than $110 million, and includes an adjacent parking ramp.

Filling that will be difficult for Orion. "Unfortunately, in our market, youre just shifting. We need those new companies coming in," Warren said. "Hopefully, we'll get some outside interest and grab somebody new, because that's where we struggle."
By PTI

BEIJING: After India firmly told China that its violation of the border pacts has "eroded" the entire basis of bilateral ties, China's defence ministry on Friday said the situation at the border is 'generally stable' and both sides should put the boundary issue in an 'appropriate position' and promote its transition to 'normalised management'.

China's defence minister General Li Shangfu, who is in New Delhi to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers conference, held a 45-minute-long meeting with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on Thursday during which the two ministers discussed the standoff at the eastern Ladakh area since May 2020.

At the meeting, Singh told Gen Li that China's violation of border agreements "eroded" the entire basis of ties between the two countries and that all issues relating to the frontier must be resolved in accordance with the existing pacts.

A Chinese Defence Ministry statement issued here on Friday said that during the meeting the two sides exchanged views on militaries and bilateral relations.

Gen. Li pointed out that "currently, the situation on the China-India border is generally stable and the two sides have maintained communication through military and diplomatic channels."

"The two sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalised management," he said.

"It is hoped that the two sides will work together to continuously enhance mutual trust between the two militaries and make proper contributions to the development of bilateral relations," Li told Singh.

He said that as major neighbouring countries and important developing countries, China and India share far more common interests than differences.

"The two sides should view bilateral relations and each other's development from a comprehensive, long-term and strategic perspective, and jointly contribute wisdom and strength to world and regional peace and stability", he said.

The Indian government sources in New Delhi said Singh conveyed to Li that after disengagement in remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh, there should be a movement towards de-escalation and expressed hope for a "positive response".

In a statement, India's defence ministry said the two ministers had "frank discussions" about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations.

"The Raksha Mantri categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on the prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders," it said.

"He added that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments," the ministry said in New Delhi.

Singh "reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation," it said.

The talks took place hours after Li arrived in Delhi to attend the meeting of defence ministers of the SCO on Friday.

Singh also conveyed to Li that India wants to improve relations with China but it can happen only after peace and tranquillity are restored at the border, the sources said.

Defence Minister Singh categorically stated in the meeting that military cooperation between the two countries can progress only if peace and tranquillity are established at the border, they said.

In a tweet, Singh said: "Held discussions with China's Defence Minister, General Li Shangfu in New Delhi."

Held discussions with Chinas Defence Minister, General Li Shangfu in New Delhi. https://t.co/Pd5mFnrbhH pic.twitter.com/zmU0uXVR8D  Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) April 27, 2023

India has been slamming China's deployment of a massive number of troops and its aggressive behaviour along the LAC in eastern Ladakh in violation of pacts on border management.

The meeting between the two defence ministers took place days after the Indian and Chinese armies held the 18th round of military talks on ending the border row.

In the Corps Commander talks on April 23, the two sides agreed to stay in close touch and work out a mutually acceptable solution to the remaining issues in eastern Ladakh at the earliest.

However, there was no indication of any clear forward movement in ending the three-year row.

On March 2, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang on the sidelines of a conclave of the G20 grouping in New Delhi.

In the talks, Jaishankar conveyed to Qin that the state of India-China relations is "abnormal".

In line with a decision taken at the 16th round of military talks, the two sides carried out disengagement from Patrolling Point 15 in the Gogra-Hotsprings area in September last year.

The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Lake area.

The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process on the north and south banks of the Pangong Lake and in the Gogra area.

Singh also held separate bilateral talks with his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Iran and Tajikistan and presented them with mementoes.

It is learnt that no memento was given to the Chinese minister.

Chinese foreign minister Qin is also set to visit India next week to attend a conclave of foreign ministers of SCO member countries in Goa.

The meeting is slated for May 4 and 5. India is hosting the SCO defence ministers' meeting under its presidency of the Beijing-based grouping.

BEIJING: After India firmly told China that its violation of the border pacts has "eroded" the entire basis of bilateral ties, China's defence ministry on Friday said the situation at the border is 'generally stable' and both sides should put the boundary issue in an 'appropriate position' and promote its transition to 'normalised management'. China's defence minister General Li Shangfu, who is in New Delhi to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers conference, held a 45-minute-long meeting with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on Thursday during which the two ministers discussed the standoff at the eastern Ladakh area since May 2020. At the meeting, Singh told Gen Li that China's violation of border agreements "eroded" the entire basis of ties between the two countries and that all issues relating to the frontier must be resolved in accordance with the existing pacts.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A Chinese Defence Ministry statement issued here on Friday said that during the meeting the two sides exchanged views on militaries and bilateral relations. Gen. Li pointed out that "currently, the situation on the China-India border is generally stable and the two sides have maintained communication through military and diplomatic channels." "The two sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalised management," he said. "It is hoped that the two sides will work together to continuously enhance mutual trust between the two militaries and make proper contributions to the development of bilateral relations," Li told Singh. He said that as major neighbouring countries and important developing countries, China and India share far more common interests than differences. "The two sides should view bilateral relations and each other's development from a comprehensive, long-term and strategic perspective, and jointly contribute wisdom and strength to world and regional peace and stability", he said. The Indian government sources in New Delhi said Singh conveyed to Li that after disengagement in remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh, there should be a movement towards de-escalation and expressed hope for a "positive response". In a statement, India's defence ministry said the two ministers had "frank discussions" about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations. "The Raksha Mantri categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on the prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders," it said. "He added that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments," the ministry said in New Delhi. Singh "reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation," it said. The talks took place hours after Li arrived in Delhi to attend the meeting of defence ministers of the SCO on Friday. Singh also conveyed to Li that India wants to improve relations with China but it can happen only after peace and tranquillity are restored at the border, the sources said. Defence Minister Singh categorically stated in the meeting that military cooperation between the two countries can progress only if peace and tranquillity are established at the border, they said. In a tweet, Singh said: "Held discussions with China's Defence Minister, General Li Shangfu in New Delhi." Held discussions with Chinas Defence Minister, General Li Shangfu in New Delhi. https://t.co/Pd5mFnrbhH pic.twitter.com/zmU0uXVR8D  Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) April 27, 2023 India has been slamming China's deployment of a massive number of troops and its aggressive behaviour along the LAC in eastern Ladakh in violation of pacts on border management. The meeting between the two defence ministers took place days after the Indian and Chinese armies held the 18th round of military talks on ending the border row. In the Corps Commander talks on April 23, the two sides agreed to stay in close touch and work out a mutually acceptable solution to the remaining issues in eastern Ladakh at the earliest. However, there was no indication of any clear forward movement in ending the three-year row. On March 2, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang on the sidelines of a conclave of the G20 grouping in New Delhi. In the talks, Jaishankar conveyed to Qin that the state of India-China relations is "abnormal". In line with a decision taken at the 16th round of military talks, the two sides carried out disengagement from Patrolling Point 15 in the Gogra-Hotsprings area in September last year. The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Lake area. The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades. As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process on the north and south banks of the Pangong Lake and in the Gogra area. Singh also held separate bilateral talks with his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Iran and Tajikistan and presented them with mementoes. It is learnt that no memento was given to the Chinese minister. Chinese foreign minister Qin is also set to visit India next week to attend a conclave of foreign ministers of SCO member countries in Goa. The meeting is slated for May 4 and 5. India is hosting the SCO defence ministers' meeting under its presidency of the Beijing-based grouping.
By AFP

Fighting raged in Sudan on Friday, despite rival forces agreeing to extend a truce aimed to stem nearly two weeks of warfare that has killed hundreds and caused widespread destruction.

In the war-ravaged western Darfur region, scores have been killed in days of bitter urban battles in the city of El Geneina, the United Nations says.

Black clouds rose over the capital Khartoum as foreign governments scrambled to organise mass evacuations of their citizens, with Turkey's defence ministry reporting Friday that one of their military transport aircraft had come under fire.

There have been multiple truce efforts since fighting broke out on April 15 between Sudan's army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by his former deputy and fellow coup leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. All have failed.

On Thursday, the two sides agreed to extend a repeatedly broken ceasefire for three more days, with the United States, Saudi Arabia, the African Union, the UN and others hoping it would help forge a "more durable cessation of hostilities".

Since a power struggle between Burhan and Daglo erupted into violence, fighter jets have pounded RSF positions in densely packed districts of Khartoum, as fighters on the ground exchanged volleys of artillery and heavy machine gun fire.

In some parts of the city of some five million people trenches have been dug, as gunmen battle each other street by street.

At least 512 people have been killed and 4,193 wounded in the fighting, according to health ministry figures, although the real death toll is likely much higher.

Fighting has also spread across Sudan, especially in long-troubled Darfur, where witnesses reported intense conflict and looting.

The Darfur Bar Association, a civil society group, said fighters were "launching rockets at houses" in the West Darfur state capital, El Geneina, some 1,100 kilometres (685 miles) west of Khartoum, It also reported firing from "rifles, machine guns and anti-aircraft weapons".

"There is no food except what people have stored at home," one resident said, asking not to be named.

Analysts have warned that conflict between the army and RSF could spark multiple other militias to exploit the chaos and settle old scores.

UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said 96 people were reported to have been killed in El Geneina since Monday.

The UN was "concerned at the serious risk of violence escalating in West Darfur", Shamdasani said, warning that the hostilities between the military and RSF "have triggered intercommunal violence".

Fighting has spread "nearly all over the city" and fighters have looted and torched "markets, public buildings, aid warehouses and banks", the Bar Association added.

It urged Burhan and Daglo to "immediately stop this foolish war that is being waged on the backs of civilians".

Darfur is still reeling from the devastating war that raged in the 2000s when then hardline president Omar al-Bashir crushed ethnic-minority rebels by creating the Janjaweed militia to carry out atrocities, a force that later formed the basis of Daglo's RSF.

The scorched-earth campaign left at least 300,000 people dead and close to 2.5 million displaced, according to UN figures, and saw Bashir charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide by the International Criminal Court.

In El Fasher, state capital of North Darfur, medics are struggling to cope with an influx of wounded, said Mohamed Gibreel from Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

"The situation is very, very difficult," Gibreel said.

Amid the chaos, several prisoners escaped jail, including war crimes suspects from Bashir's regime.

The UN on Friday voiced alarms at the prison breaks, pointing to "the prospect of further violence, amid a generalised climate of impunity".

The World Food Programme has said the violence could plunge millions more into hunger in a country where 15 million people -- one-third of the population -- need aid to stave off famine.

Residents of Khartoum have meanwhile been shuttered at home, running dangerously low on food, cash and fuel needed to get out.

Over 75,000 have fled their homes due to the fighting, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM), while tens of thousands have crossed into neighbouring countries, including Chad, Egypt and South Sudan.

South Sudan's foreign ministry warned Friday that the conflict's "spillover effects are already visible".

Burhan and Daglo -- commonly known as Hemeti -- seized power in a 2021 coup that derailed Sudan's transition to democracy, established after Bashir was ousted following mass protests in 2019.

But the two generals later fell out, most recently over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army.

Diplomatic pressure has ramped up, with Egypt expecting a delegation from Burhan on Saturday.

Fighting raged in Sudan on Friday, despite rival forces agreeing to extend a truce aimed to stem nearly two weeks of warfare that has killed hundreds and caused widespread destruction. In the war-ravaged western Darfur region, scores have been killed in days of bitter urban battles in the city of El Geneina, the United Nations says. Black clouds rose over the capital Khartoum as foreign governments scrambled to organise mass evacuations of their citizens, with Turkey's defence ministry reporting Friday that one of their military transport aircraft had come under fire.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); There have been multiple truce efforts since fighting broke out on April 15 between Sudan's army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by his former deputy and fellow coup leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. All have failed. On Thursday, the two sides agreed to extend a repeatedly broken ceasefire for three more days, with the United States, Saudi Arabia, the African Union, the UN and others hoping it would help forge a "more durable cessation of hostilities". Since a power struggle between Burhan and Daglo erupted into violence, fighter jets have pounded RSF positions in densely packed districts of Khartoum, as fighters on the ground exchanged volleys of artillery and heavy machine gun fire. In some parts of the city of some five million people trenches have been dug, as gunmen battle each other street by street. At least 512 people have been killed and 4,193 wounded in the fighting, according to health ministry figures, although the real death toll is likely much higher. Fighting has also spread across Sudan, especially in long-troubled Darfur, where witnesses reported intense conflict and looting. The Darfur Bar Association, a civil society group, said fighters were "launching rockets at houses" in the West Darfur state capital, El Geneina, some 1,100 kilometres (685 miles) west of Khartoum, It also reported firing from "rifles, machine guns and anti-aircraft weapons". "There is no food except what people have stored at home," one resident said, asking not to be named. Analysts have warned that conflict between the army and RSF could spark multiple other militias to exploit the chaos and settle old scores. UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said 96 people were reported to have been killed in El Geneina since Monday. The UN was "concerned at the serious risk of violence escalating in West Darfur", Shamdasani said, warning that the hostilities between the military and RSF "have triggered intercommunal violence". Fighting has spread "nearly all over the city" and fighters have looted and torched "markets, public buildings, aid warehouses and banks", the Bar Association added. It urged Burhan and Daglo to "immediately stop this foolish war that is being waged on the backs of civilians". Darfur is still reeling from the devastating war that raged in the 2000s when then hardline president Omar al-Bashir crushed ethnic-minority rebels by creating the Janjaweed militia to carry out atrocities, a force that later formed the basis of Daglo's RSF. The scorched-earth campaign left at least 300,000 people dead and close to 2.5 million displaced, according to UN figures, and saw Bashir charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide by the International Criminal Court. In El Fasher, state capital of North Darfur, medics are struggling to cope with an influx of wounded, said Mohamed Gibreel from Doctors Without Borders (MSF). "The situation is very, very difficult," Gibreel said. Amid the chaos, several prisoners escaped jail, including war crimes suspects from Bashir's regime. The UN on Friday voiced alarms at the prison breaks, pointing to "the prospect of further violence, amid a generalised climate of impunity". The World Food Programme has said the violence could plunge millions more into hunger in a country where 15 million people -- one-third of the population -- need aid to stave off famine. Residents of Khartoum have meanwhile been shuttered at home, running dangerously low on food, cash and fuel needed to get out. Over 75,000 have fled their homes due to the fighting, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM), while tens of thousands have crossed into neighbouring countries, including Chad, Egypt and South Sudan. South Sudan's foreign ministry warned Friday that the conflict's "spillover effects are already visible". Burhan and Daglo -- commonly known as Hemeti -- seized power in a 2021 coup that derailed Sudan's transition to democracy, established after Bashir was ousted following mass protests in 2019. But the two generals later fell out, most recently over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army. Diplomatic pressure has ramped up, with Egypt expecting a delegation from Burhan on Saturday.
By AFP

Around 40 soldiers and 100 civilians have been killed in a jihadist "war" in northern Togo, President Faure Gnassingbe has said, in a ground-breaking interview.

The small West African nation, along with neighbouring Benin, Ghana and Ivory Coast, is increasingly facing threats of a jihadist spillover from Burkina Faso and Mali.

"We have paid a heavy price, especially our defence and security forces, who have lost around 40 men unfortunately, and then we add civilian victims, a hundred or so civilian victims in the country," Gnassingbe said in an interview with local private station New World TV broadcast on Thursday.

The president's family has ruled Togo since 1967.

The interview -- his first since taking over from his father in 2005 -- marked mark the 63rd anniversary of the country's independence from France.

"What is happening to us is a form of aggression by two groups... one is called the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara and the other, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims," he said, referring to a group linked to al-Qaeda.

This campaign by "two terrorist organisations... is a form of war," said Gnassingbe.

The president said a three-tiered strategy had been put in place to confront the threat, including launching a military operation known as Koundjoare in September 2018.

"It was a preventive operation at first, which then became defensive, and now occasionally we are also on the offensive," he said.

The 56-year-old, reelected three times in polls contested by the opposition, addressed concerns over the government and military's choice to stay mum over the more frequent attacks when questioned by the media including AFP.

"There is something indecent about proclaiming someone's death," he said.

"It is not because we don't issue statements that we don't have successes. We do have successes."

Members of the political opposition and civil society have often criticised the authorities' silence over the situation in the north.

An official asking to remain anonymous recently told AFP that this was "a choice, because we have to protect our defence and security forces."

Thousands displaced

Gnassingbe warned the Togolese people "should expect a long fight with dramatic moments, which is inevitable in times of war."

"But I want to assure my countrymen that in the end, we will win," he said.

In addition to military operations, he said the government had set up "an interministerial committee for the prevention and fight against violent extremism."

The aim, he said, was "to try and deradicalise or prevent radicalisation, because it is men, young people, who are being used to conduct these attacks."

The president said that nearly 12,000 people had been from their homes by the government in order to "better protect the border."

The region is also hosting people displaced from Burkina Faso, and the president said that about half of the 100 civilians killed in the jihadist "war" in the north were not Togolese citizens.

Earlier this month, the country's parliament voted to extend a state of emergency in the north, a measure that allows security forces and local authorities more flexibility to take urgent measures to combat threats from militant groups.

Around 40 soldiers and 100 civilians have been killed in a jihadist "war" in northern Togo, President Faure Gnassingbe has said, in a ground-breaking interview. The small West African nation, along with neighbouring Benin, Ghana and Ivory Coast, is increasingly facing threats of a jihadist spillover from Burkina Faso and Mali. "We have paid a heavy price, especially our defence and security forces, who have lost around 40 men unfortunately, and then we add civilian victims, a hundred or so civilian victims in the country," Gnassingbe said in an interview with local private station New World TV broadcast on Thursday.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The president's family has ruled Togo since 1967. The interview -- his first since taking over from his father in 2005 -- marked mark the 63rd anniversary of the country's independence from France. "What is happening to us is a form of aggression by two groups... one is called the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara and the other, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims," he said, referring to a group linked to al-Qaeda. This campaign by "two terrorist organisations... is a form of war," said Gnassingbe. The president said a three-tiered strategy had been put in place to confront the threat, including launching a military operation known as Koundjoare in September 2018. "It was a preventive operation at first, which then became defensive, and now occasionally we are also on the offensive," he said. The 56-year-old, reelected three times in polls contested by the opposition, addressed concerns over the government and military's choice to stay mum over the more frequent attacks when questioned by the media including AFP. "There is something indecent about proclaiming someone's death," he said. "It is not because we don't issue statements that we don't have successes. We do have successes." Members of the political opposition and civil society have often criticised the authorities' silence over the situation in the north. An official asking to remain anonymous recently told AFP that this was "a choice, because we have to protect our defence and security forces." Thousands displaced Gnassingbe warned the Togolese people "should expect a long fight with dramatic moments, which is inevitable in times of war." "But I want to assure my countrymen that in the end, we will win," he said. In addition to military operations, he said the government had set up "an interministerial committee for the prevention and fight against violent extremism." The aim, he said, was "to try and deradicalise or prevent radicalisation, because it is men, young people, who are being used to conduct these attacks." The president said that nearly 12,000 people had been from their homes by the government in order to "better protect the border." The region is also hosting people displaced from Burkina Faso, and the president said that about half of the 100 civilians killed in the jihadist "war" in the north were not Togolese citizens. Earlier this month, the country's parliament voted to extend a state of emergency in the north, a measure that allows security forces and local authorities more flexibility to take urgent measures to combat threats from militant groups.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  South Carolina senators rejected a bill that would have banned nearly all abortions in a conservative state that has increasingly served patients across a region where Republican officials have otherwise curtailed access.

A 22-21 vote Thursday marks the third time a near-total abortion ban has failed in the Republican-led chamber since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade last summer. Six Republicans helped block motions to end debate and defeated any chance the bill passes this year.

The chambers five women filibustered the proposal in speeches highlighting the Senates male majority that they criticized for pushing debates on abortion over other pressing issues.

Republican Sen. Penry Gustafson spent over 30 minutes Wednesday detailing the bodily changes throughout every stage of pregnancy. Gustafson said she spoke so long because the millions of women addressed in the bill had not been heard. She emphasized her pro-life position but said the proposal left no room for empathy, reality or graciousness.

Republican Sen. Sandy Senn criticized Majority Leader Shane Massey for repeatedly taking us off a cliff on abortion.

The only thing that we can do when you all, you men in the chamber, metaphorically keep slapping women by raising abortion again and again and again, is for us to slap you back with our words, Senn said.

The bill would have banned abortion at conception, with exceptions for rape or incest through the first trimester, fatal fetal anomalies confirmed by two physicians, and to save the patients life or health.

Independent Sen. Mia McLeod criticized leaders who prioritized the near-total ban over efforts to make South Carolina the 49th state in the country with a law allowing harsher punishments for violent hate crimes.

McLeod, who shared during a previous abortion debate that she had been raped, said it is unfortunate that women must reveal intimate experiences to enlighten and engage men.

Just as rape is about power and control, so is this total ban, McLeod said Thursday. Those who continue to push legislation like this are raping us again with their indifference, violating us again with their righteous indignation, taunting us again with their insatiable need to play God while they continue to pass laws that are ungodly.

Abortion remains legal through 22 weeks in South Carolina  a status that has drawn patients throughout the increasingly restrictive Southeast.

The number of abortions and out-of-state patients has risen since the South Carolina Supreme Court first enjoined and then struck down a 2021 law, according to provisional state health department data that could change.

Supporters said the bill is necessary to curb those trends. Opponents said it would only prevent safe access to the procedure and worsen the states already alarmingly high maternal death rates and even poorer outcomes for Black patients.

The vote maintains the legislative stalemate made plain during a special session last year when the House and Senate failed to agree on when South Carolina should ban abortion. The Senate has again passed a different ban taking effect when cardiac activity is detected, as early as six weeks and before many people realize they are pregnant.

The developments have astounded the staunchest anti-abortion lawmakers in a General Assembly that previously led the way on regulations like a law requiring physicians to inform patients that they can see an ultrasound before the procedure.

Republican Sen. Richard Cash began Wednesdays debate by expressing disappointment that a majority party that has long waved the pro-life banner would not pass a total abortion ban.

Im not willing to sit by and let the goalposts be moved for what it means to be pro-life for the Republican Party, Cash said.

Massey said Thursday's vote shows that the House must consider the Senate bill to give lawmakers a shot at passing new restrictions by the time session ends on May 11.

House Speaker Murrell Smith would not commit to voting on the Senate bill but told reporters Wednesday that the House is always going to evaluate its options on protecting life.

Republican Gov. Henry McMaster on Wednesday urged lawmakers to pass a bill that the vast majority of our state finds acceptable. He later clarified that he thinks most people supported a 2021 law banning abortion when cardiac activity is detected  which the states highest court ruled unconstitutional, and which resembles the Senate version.

-

Associated Press writer Jeffrey Collins contributed to this report. James Pollard is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Expelled BJP leader Siddharth Malaiya re-inducted into party

Bhopal, April 27: BJP's Madhya Pradesh unit on Thursday re-inducted expelled party leader Siddharth Malaiya into party fold in view of the upcoming Assembly polls in the state.

Expelled BJP leader Siddharth Malaiya re-inducted into party

Anticipating "potential rebellion" and to avoid upheavals like in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka recently, where many party bigwigs switched to other parties, the ruling BJP is leaving no stone unturned to bring back the "rebels" into the party fold.Siddharth Malaiya, who is the son ex-minister Jayant Malaiya, was expelled from the BJP for his alleged anti-party activities in 2022.Speculation was rife that Siddharth Malaiya may switch to the Congress to "secure" his political future as at that time, he was openly criticising the state BJP leadership. However, Siddharth Malaiya reached BJP headquarters along with state Home Minister Narottam Mishra and joined the party in the presence of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state BJP president V. D. Sharma.It came one month after Preetam Lodhi, who was also expelled for alleged anti-party activities, joined the BJP last month. Gwalior based OBC leader Lodhi is close associate of former Chief Minister Uma Bharti, and she too had expressed her disappointment over Lodhi's expulsion from the party."I am happy that the party gave me another chance to work, and for this, I would thank the state BJP leadership," Siddharth Malaiya said while interacting with mediapersons after joining the BJP.Political experts said the re-induction of Siddharth Malaiya into the party came amid possible "fear" of the "poaching" by the Congress. The BJP got a jolt last month when Yadvendra Singh Yadav, the son of three-time BJP MLA Deshraj Singh Yadav, quit the party and joined the Congress.In another blow to the saffron party, former Khargone MP Makhan Singh Solanki also joined the Congress, recently.Recently, a delegation of 14 state and Central BJP leaders was tasked to reach out to every "possible rebel" including party veterans to convince them to remain intact with the BJP. As per the sources, the reports of the delegation wasn't good for the BJP, after which Siddharth Malaiya was re-inducted.However, there is still a long list of BJP leaders, who have been "sidelined" for the last couple of years and have been puting pressure on the state leadership. And on the other side, there has been a buzz that several BJP rebels are likely to join the Congress.IANS27 April 2023

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The Cheektowaga man who fled to Mexico in the days after his wife was found dead in their home in 2019 pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter.

Yuriy Bruks, 38, entered the plea Friday morning before Erie County Judge James Bargnesi.

He was originally charged with second-degree murder. Under the plea agreement, he will serve 25 years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision.

"He didn't intend to murder his wife," defense attorney Joseph D'Amelio said outside the courtroom, "but she did die as a result of his conduct."

Emergency responders found Tetiana Bruks, 34, unresponsive in a bathroom of a Raymond Drive home in the early morning hours of Aug. 4, 2019.

Yuriy Bruks called 911 and reported she had fallen.

Investigators eventually determined the young mother died from blunt force trauma to her head, neck and torso, prosecutors previously said.

But before they made that determination, Yuriy Bruks got back into his house to retrieve his passport and laptop, then bought a burner cellphone and fled the area.

He crossed into Mexico from Laredo, Texas, and was stopped Oct. 12, 2019, in possession of a one-way plane ticket to Istanbul, authorities said.

As part of Bruks' plea agreement, he waived most of his rights to appeal.

In court Friday morning, Bruks  wearing orange jail garb, shackled around the waist and sporting a beard tied into a long braid  answered a series of questions from the judge with one-word, yes or no answers.

After the judge asked Bruks if he caused his wife's death, he asked how he pleaded to the crime.

"Guilty," Bruks said.

Those who knew Tetiana Bruks remembered her as kind, generous and determined. She graduated in May 2019 from a two-year dental hygiene program at Erie Community College.

The pandemic was the main reason the case took three-and-a-half years to resolve, said D'Amelio, who took over as Yuriy Bruks' attorney last fall. Bruks was previously represented by Paul Cambria and Justin Ginter.

D'Amelio called the prosecutors' plea offer "reasonable."

Bruks' sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 9. He remains held without bail.

The family of Tetiana Bruks has waited a long time for justice. Today, I am pleased to announce that this defendant pleaded guilty," District Attorney John Flynn said in a news release. "My office will continue to hold abusers accountable. I encourage anyone who feels unsafe at home to contact the BE SAFE Domestic Violence Victim Advocacy Program. My office and other community resources are available to help."



The DA's domestic violence program can be reached between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays at 716-858-4630.

The Family Justice Center  Erie County provides a one-stop shop for domestic violence survivors. Anyone being abused or needs help can get free, confidential help. The Family Justice Center can be reached by calling 716-558-7233 or emailing safe@fjcsafe.org.
Crusto Innovations takes its FMCG Revolution Global with Bankai Ventures

Ahmedabad, April 27: Crusto Innovations is an award-winning FMCG brand known for its innovative and natural products. With so many patents to his name, Nirav Sharma, Founder and CEO of Crusto, saw it as an opportunity to take his quest international.

Crusto Innovations takes its FMCG Revolution Global with Bankai Ventures

Bankai Ventures invested in the brand to create a unique global brand with a joint venture between Crusto Innovations and Bankai Group.The FMCG industry is going through a paradigm shift, and the demand for natural products is increasing. Consumers are more cautious about their health, hygiene, housekeeping, and personal care products."Consumers want to use chemical-free and natural products. They are more aware and selective. We have a decade of research to ensure we give truly natural products and bring consumers close to nature. The strategic partnership with Bankai will enable global distribution of our invention and scaling the current growth," said Nirav Sharma, Founder and CEO of Crusto Innovations."We have always believed in the Indian FMCG growth story," said Bankim Brahmbhatt. "Crusto has ingenious products and a profitable business model. It is well-positioned to take advantage of the growing sector and emerge as a market leader. The strategic investment is focused towards building a unique brand for global expansion," explains Bankim Brahmbhatt, President and CEO of Bankai Ventures.Crusto Innovations is a private FMCG company that believes in bringing life to plant-based eco-friendly products. With truly ingenious products in hygiene, housekeeping, personal care, and cosmetics, Crusto is one of a kind. The group stands on the ideals of faith, ethics, and dignity from its products to its network of customers.Website -Bankai Ventures is a venture capital firm and the investment arm of the Bankai Group. A fund focused on invention, new-age technology, and bold ideas. Headquartered in New York, the fund specializes in seed-stage, early-stage, and growth-stage investments in private companies across the globe. Bankai Ventures is a founder-first firm that invests in vision, grit, and audacious projects that reshape the present and future of the world.Website -This story has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article.ANI27 April 2023

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First puja performed in name of PM Modi as doors open for Badrinath Dham

Dehradun, April 27: As the doors of Badrinath Dham opened for pilgrims, this morning, the first puja was performed in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

First puja performed in name of PM Modi as doors open for Badrinath Dham

The portals of Badrinath Dham, one of Uttarakhand's Char Dham opened amid chants of Vedic shlokas (hymns).Thousands of devotees were present to witness the inauguration. The process of opening the doors started at 4 am on Thursday. Kuber ji, Shri Uddav ji and Gadu Ghada were brought into the premises of the temple from the south gate, informed officials.The doors of the temple were opened in the presence of the administration and thousands of devotees by Dharmadhikari, Hakhakudhari and officials of Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee including the chief priest of the temple Rawal.Chief priest VC Ishwar Prasad Namboodiri wished everyone auspiciousness while offering special prayers to Lord Badrinath in the sanctum sanctorum."The first puja was done in the name of Prime Minister Modi. With this, the darshan of Badrinath has started for summers. Badrinath temple was decorated with 15 quintals of flowers on the occasion of Kapatodghatan," said Ishwar Prasad Namboodiri.Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami extended his best wishes to all the devotees on the auspicious occasion of the opening of the doors.The Chief Minister said that the state government has made all arrangements for the smooth conduct of the Chardham Yatra.In the midst of light snowfall and rain, the melodious music of the band and the praise of Lord Badrinath accompanied by the traditional music and dance of the local women mesmerized the devotees.According to the guidelines of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, on the occasion of the opening of the doors of the Badrinath temple, the devotees were overwhelmed by the rain of flowers from the helicopter to welcome the pilgrims.A day before the opening of the doors, a crowd of devotees had started gathering in Badrinath Dham. On the very first day, thousands of devotees earned merit by having the darshan of Akhand Jyoti and Lord Shri Badrinath at Badrinath. With the opening of the doors of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath Dham, the Chardham Yatra has started in Uttarakhand.With the opening of the doors of the Badrinath Temple, Taptakund, Narad Kund, Shesh Netra Lake, Neelkanth Shikhar, Urvashi Temple, Brahma Kapal, Mata Murti Temple and the country's first village Mana, Bhimpul, Vasudhara Falls and other historic places around Bhu-Baikunth Dham. And the crowd of devotees and tourists has also started gathering at philosophical places.According to officials, Lakhs of devotees have visited Badrinath in the past years."If we look at the previous figures, 654355 in the year 2016, 920466 in the year 2017 and 1048051 in the year 2018, 1244993 in the year 2019 and 155055 in the year 2020 reached Badrinath. In the year 2021, only 197997 devotees reached Badrinath due to the Corona crisis. Whereas in the last year 2022, 1763549 devotees reached Badrinath Dham after controlling the Corona epidemic. This time, a large number of devotees are reaching Badrinath with record registration in the beginning itself," said officials.ANI27 April 2023

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Ukraine tried to assassinate Putin with explosive-laden drone

London, April 27: Ukrainian secret service agents tried to assassinate Vladimir Putin with a kamikaze drone laden with explosives, but their top secret mission failed after the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed a few miles short of its target, it has been claimed, according to a media report.

Ukraine tried to assassinate Putin with explosive-laden drone

The Ukrainian forces reportedly launched the UJ-22 drone, laden with 17 kg of C4 plastic explosives, from Ukraine on Sunday with the aim of reaching a newly-built industrial estate near Moscow where Putin was due to visit, German newspaper Bild claimed, Daily Mail reported.But before the deadly drone reached the Rudnevo industrial park on its apparent mission to assassinate the Russian leader, it crashed mere miles away from the site, Bild claimed while citing a tweet by Ukrainian activist Yuriy Romanenko.Romanenko, who claims to have close ties to Kiev's intelligence services, alleged that Ukrainian secret service agents had received "information" about Putin's apparent trip to the industrial site and had decided to launch the deadly drone in an attempt to assassinate the Russian President, Daily Mail reported.He claimed that the kamikaze drone that had crashed in Voroskogo village, 12 miles east of the Rudnevo industrial park, was the one that Ukrainian forces had launched as part of the assassination plot.In a tweet cited by Bild, Romanenko said "Putin we are getting closer. Everyone saw the news about the drone that flew to Moscow, but did not explode? So, this drone flew for a reason."Last week, our intelligence officers received information about Putin's trip to the industrial park in Rudnevo. Accordingly, our kamikaze drone took off, which flew through all the air defenses of the Russian Federation and crashed not far from the industrial park."IANS28 April 2023

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This is how Soha Ali Khan is welcomed by her daughter Inaaya

Mumbai, April 27: Precious moments spent with a daughter can't be described in words but some days beautiful pictures are enough to describe the bond of love. Owing to this fact, actor Soha Ali Khan on Thursday dropped an adorable picture with her daughter Inaaya.

This is how Soha Ali Khan is welcomed by her daughter Inaaya

Taking to Instagram, Soha dropped a blurry yet precious picture of herself with her daughter.In the picture, Soha can be seen getting a warm hug from Inaaya.Actor can be seen in a checked shirt and distressed jeans while her little angel in a pink top with black jeans.Sharing the picture, she wrote, "Some things cannot be defined."As soon as the picture was uploaded, the actor's fans and industry friends chimed in the comment section.Saba Pataudi dropped heart emojis.One of the users wrote, "Precious.""So cute," another commented.Earlier, Soha shared pictures from her spring vacation with her husband Kunal Kemmu and daughter Inaaya in Dubai on Instagram.She also gave a special mention to her daughter Inaaya for clicking the images of the duo.Meanwhile, on the work front, Soha recently wrapped her upcoming movie 'Chhorii 2'. Helmed by Vishal Furia 'Chhorii' streamed exclusively on the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video and received positive responses from the audience. Soha will star opposite Nushrratt Bharuccha in 'Chhorii 2'.The official release date of the film is still awaited.ANI28 April 2023

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HDFC Life elevates Niraj Shah as Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer

Mumbai, April 27: HDFC Life, one of India's leading life insurers, elevated Niraj Shah (DIN: 09516010) as Additional - Whole-time Director (designated as Executive Director & Chief Financial Officer), effective April 26, 2023 for a term of three (3) years, subject to approval of the Shareholders. This has been approved by the Board of Directors, based on the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee (NRC).

HDFC Life elevates Niraj Shah as Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer

Niraj has been the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of HDFC Life since February 2019. He oversees Finance, Product Development, and Process Excellence. He has over two decades of experience in financial services, primarily in life insurance, corporate finance advisory and audit. Prior to joining HDFC Life, he was associated with PNB MetLife, ICICI Prudential Life, EY and BNP Paribas. He also serves as a non-executive Director of HDFC Pension Management Company Limited.He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.Commenting on the development, Vibha Padalkar, MD and CEO of HDFC Life, said, "I am delighted to announce that, Niraj Shah, CFO, who has been an integral part of our Executive Committee, has been inducted into the board of our organisation, subject to Shareholders' approval. His financial acumen, combined with dedication to the company's vision, has played a key role in driving and helping achieve HDFC Life's business objectives. I am confident that with his experience and expertise, Niraj will help accelerate our journey of bridging the protection gap in India and creating value for all stakeholders."HDFC Life Insurance Company Limited ('HDFC Life' / 'Company') is a joint venture between HDFC Ltd., India's leading housing finance institution and abrdn (Mauritius Holdings) 2006 Limited, a global investment company.Established in 2000, HDFC Life is a leading, listed, long-term life insurance solutions provider in India, offering a range of individual and group insurance solutions that meet various customer needs such as Protection, Pension, Savings, Investment, Annuity and Health. The Company has more than 60 products (including individual and group products) and optional riders in its portfolio, catering to a diverse range of customer needs.HDFC Life continues to benefit from its increased presence across the country, having a wide reach with branches and additional distribution touch-points through several new tie-ups and partnerships. The count of distribution partnerships is over 300, comprising banks, NBFCs, MFIs, SFBs, brokers, new ecosystem partners amongst others. The Company has a strong base of financial consultants.For more information, please visit You may also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article.ANI28 April 2023

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Tripartite pact signed between Centre, Assam Govt, Dimasa National Liberation Army

New Delhi April 27: In a significant milestone towards making North-East insurgency-free by 2024, a tripartite Memorandum of Settlement was signed between the government of India, the government of Assam and representatives of Dimasa National Liberation Army/Dimasa Peoples' Supreme Council (DNLA/DPSC) in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday.

Tripartite pact signed between Centre, Assam Govt, Dimasa National Liberation Army

As a result of this agreement, over 168 cadres of DNLA are joining the mainstream by laying down their arms. The pact will bring a complete end to the insurgency in the Dima Hasao district of Assam.Under the agreement, Dimasa Welfare Council will be set up by the Government of Assam to protect, preserve and promote a social, cultural, and linguistic identity to meet political, economic and educational aspirations and will ensure speedy and focused development of the Dimasa people residing outside the jurisdiction of the Autonomous Council.Along with this, the agreement also provides for the appointment of a Commission under Paragraph 14 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India to examine the demand for the inclusion of additional villages contiguous to the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) with the Council.The agreement also provides for necessary measures to be taken by the Government of India and the Government of Assam to rehabilitate the surrendered armed cadres of DNLA. To this effect, a Special Development package of Rs 500 crore each, will also be provided by the Government of India and Government of Assam over a period of five years, for the all-round development of NCHAC as well as Dimasa people residing in other parts of the State.Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and senior officers from Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Government of Assam were present on the occasion.Soon after the pact was signed, Amit Shah said, "This agreement is another significant milestone towards making North-East insurgency-free by 2024 and fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a peaceful and prosperous North East".He said that this agreement will put a complete end to the insurgency and with this, there are no more armed groups in Assam today.Shah added, "PM Modi has put forward the vision of a terror-free, violence-free and developed Northeast before the country and the Ministry of Home Affairs is moving forward in this direction"."Under the agreement, the representatives of DNLA have agreed to abjure violence, surrender all arms and ammunition, disband their armed organization, vacate all camps occupied by DNLA cadres and join the peaceful democratic process as established by the law," he said.The Home Minsiter said that today's agreement will bring a complete end to the insurgency in the Dima Hasao district of Assam.ANI28 April 2023

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We back action against criminals but not bias in doing so: Akhilesh

Lucknow, April 28: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said that while his party supported action against criminals, there should be no discrimination in dealing with such elements.

We back action against criminals but not bias in doing so: Akhilesh

He said that the Uttar Pradesh government had failed to provide a list of top 10 criminals in the state despite him having publicly asked for it at various forums.The state government is clearly taking action on the basis of caste and religion of criminals, he added."The Chief Minister has withdrawn cases that were pending against him. The rising count of deaths in police custody has created a record of sorts. Under the BJP regime, the conduct of the administration is also not judicious," Akhilesh said."How can law and order and administration improve when the government has to depend on temporary state police chief and chief secretaries on service extensions? The common man on the street is afraid of facing police encounters. When the Chief Minister talks of 'thok do', it sends signals of a weak government and encourages the corrupt officials to misuse their posts."The BJP is trying to create a sense of mistrust and terror among the people at large which is not good, he added.Akhilesh further said "The government is indulging in conspiracies, in their bid to silence the opposition by showing them the fear of the CBI, ED and Income Tax Department."He said that a false picture was being created that investment was coming to the state, but no one was giving details of the number of industries which have come up and the jobs that these new industries have generated."The BJP had promised jobs to youth every year. They should make public the details of jobs that they have given to the youth"The SP president noted the state government talked about the $1 trillion economy with much hype, it was time for the government to tell the people how they plan to achieve this goal.They should tell the people the roadmap to the $1 trillion economy, he added.IANS28 April 2023

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Sudans warring parties accept 3-day extension of truce

Khartoum, April 28: The Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to extend the existing cease-fire, which expired at midnight Thursday, for three more days.

Sudan's warring parties accept 3-day extension of truce

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the Army's general commander, gave initial approval for the extension of the cease-fire late on Wednesday for another 72 hours, the Army said in a statement on Thursday, reiterating it unilaterally approved the truce extension.In response, the RSF said in a statement on Twitter that it agreed "to extend the humanitarian truce for an additional 72 hours" starting at midnight Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported."We reaffirm our commitment to the terms of the humanitarian truce, considering the circumstances of the Sudanese people and to facilitate the evacuation of diplomatic and foreign nationals," the statement added.The current truce failed to stop fighting in the Sudanese capital Khartoum and other regions, but it created a lull for foreign countries to evacuate their diplomats and citizens from the conflict-ravaged country.The armed conflict that broke out between the Sudanese Army and the RSF on April 15 has killed at least 459 people and wounded more than 4,000 so far, according to the WHO.IANS28 April 2023

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Iconic Taj clocks a century

New Delhi, April 28: Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) announces the addition of the 100th hotel to its portfolio of the iconic brand, Taj in Cochin. Established in 1903, the Taj with its world-renowned landmarks from modern business hotels, and idyllic beach resorts to authentic Grand Palaces, each offering an unrivalled fusion of warm Indian hospitality and world-class service.

Iconic Taj clocks a century

It has been ranked as the World's Strongest Hotel Brand and India's Strongest Brand as per Brand Finance Hotels 50 Report 2022 and India 100 Report 2022.Speaking on the milestone occasion, Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director iamp; CEO, IHCL said, "This is a momentous occasion as Taj's portfolio will offer 100 hotels across India and in key international destinations. This growth is a testament to the unwavering trust our stakeholders have consistently placed in us. I would like to thank all our owners, partners, guests, and employees who have supported us in this journey."He added, "With the signing of our second Taj hotel in the city, we look forward to offering yet another address in the port city of Cochin. We are delighted to partner with Cochin International Airport."The 211 key hotel is strategically located a short distance from the airport. It will offer an all-day dinner, a bar, a lounge, and an open-air specialty restaurant. It will feature banqueting spaces and meeting rooms, a spa, a swimming pool, and a gymnasium.A major hub for commerce in southern India, Kochi is also well-renowned for its rich cultural heritage. It is one of the most visited tourist destinations in India with its picturesque beaches on the southwest coast of Kerala.(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)IANS28 April 2023

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Normal life disrupted in north Bengal over BJPs 12-hour bandh call

Kolkata, April 28: Normal life was hit in the eight districts of North Bengal on Friday after a 12-hour bandh call was given by the BJP over the alleged killing of a Rajbangshi youth and party activist Mrityunjay Burman in police firing at Kaliyaganj in north Dinajpur district.

Normal life disrupted in north Bengal over BJP's 12-hour bandh call

In Cooch Behar district, clashes broke out between the ruling Trinamool Congress and opposition BJP activists on Friday morning. The BJP leadership alleged that goons backed by the ruling party unleashed unprovoked attacks on their supporters while the latter were undergoing peaceful picketing in support of the 12-hour bandh.However, Trinamool Congress leadership said the clashes broke out after the local people protested against the forceful attempts by the BJP supporters to disrupt normal life in the district over the bandh. The ruling party leadership also alleged that the BJP supporters pelted stones at buses carrying passengers to enforce the bandh.At places in Cooch Behar district, the BJP supporters were seen resorting to road blockades and protesting by burning tyres.Clashes between police forces and the BJP supporters have also been reported from the Jalpaiguri district.As Trinamool Congress's national general secretary and the party Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee is supposed to hold a public meeting in the district on Friday, there has been a massive deployment of police force in the district. Since Friday morning, the security personnel tried to prevent the BJP supporters from enforcing the bandh, which resulted in clashes in certain pockets of the district.A total of 16 BJP supporters, including the party legislator from the Kumargram Assembly constituency in Jalpaiguri district, were arrested by the police on Friday morning while they were picketing in support of the bandh.Tension also broke out at Siliguri, the prime township in Darjeeling district as the BJP supporters led by the local party legislator Shankar Ghosh started protesting by sitting in front of the police vehicles. This led to a scuffle between the police personnel and agitating BJP supporters. Ghosh was arrested later. "Police are working as agents of the ruling party. A Rajbangshi youth was shot by police. BJP had the courage to hit the streets in protest," Ghosh said.Stray incidents of clashes either between the ruling and opposition party activists or between the police personnel and bandh supporters were also reported from other districts in north Bengal, namely Malda and North Dinajpur.The North Bengal development minister Udayan Guha alleged that the BJP supporters being isolated from the people in general are resorting to such hooliganism to enforce the bandh. "But this will isolate them from people further," he said.IANS28 April 2023

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U.S. border agents on Wednesday night caught three men who illegally crossed into the country on a freight train from Fort Erie, Ont., Customs and Border Protection announced Friday.

The men crossed the International Railroad Bridge over the Niagara River and Unity Island, the agency said in a news release.

A crew aboard a Customs and Border Protection aircraft noticed suspicious activity on the bridge and a search by Border Patrol agents led to the apprehension of three men from Mexico. They were processed and returned to Canada, the agency said.

In the last 60 days, border agents have stopped 24 people who were not U.S. citizens attempting to enter the country in the vicinity of Buffalo, the agency said.
Find how Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet shoot sunset romantic scenes for Dune Part 2

Washington, April 28: Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet realized love and romance in a futuristic universe is not so easy! It needs to be cultivated and discovered in a new way!.

Find how Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet shoot sunset romantic scenes for 'Dune Part 2'

The Euphoria star told in a recent interview while filming Dune Part Two with Chalamet, "It was funny trying to figure out in this futuristic space talk, like, how do they flirt?" reported Hollywood Reporter, a US-based media company.She said it was difficult at first trying to navigate the relationship between a space warrior and the young duke of a planet. Zendaya added that it was actually "funny because all of us were stumped. I think it's just as foreign to us as it probably is to the characters.""I was like, Does Chani get awkward?" the Spider-Man Homecoming actress said. "Does that happen to her? Does she know what that feels like?" according to Hollywood Reporter.But when shooting romantic scenes specifically in remote desert locations in Abu Dhabi and Jordan, Zendaya said it was like "a ticking timer" trying to capture the shots within one hour each day when sunset was at its peak, known in the industry as the golden hour."You kind of feel like, OK, we got here, but we have maybe an hour to get this. So we revisited a bit every day, and over a few days, that gives us a few hours," she explained. "Every time we revisited it, we kind of got to sleep on it and think about it, and come up with a new set of ideas."Director Denis Villeneuve gave the two stars credit for making it work and finding their version of romance in the Legendary sequel."I think something we can all relate to is just love," Zendaya added. "These characters literally live on another planet, right? They're aliens. It was interesting finding these tender moments in such turmoil and chaos."The second film continues the adaptation of Frank Herbert's acclaimed best-seller Dune. It follows Paul Atreides's (Chalamet) mythic journey as he unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen to get revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.ANI28 April 2023

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GenWorks Health showcases its connected care solutions at G20 Health Meet in India

New Delhi, April 28: GenWorks Health is one of the leading healthcare solutions providers that uses the power of digitisation for improving specialist access to the last mile. The company strongly believes that it can create a strong impact by connecting all patients to specialists at the need of the hour and also leave no stone unturned in ensuring that. Working on the belief that digital interventions can realign conventional healthcare practices to make them more patient-centric, equitable, and inclusive, GenWorks makes healthcare more accessible and affordable.

GenWorks Health showcases its connected care solutions at G20 Health Meet in India

The G20 Health Working Group is a forum that brings together health experts and policymakers from the world's 20 largest economies to discuss key issues and develop policy recommendations. GenWorks showcased its Connected Care - Digital Health solutions for 11 clinical care areas such as Oncology (Breast and Cervical Screening), Respiratory, Pathology, Radiology, ICU, NICU, Audiology, Cardiology, Nephrology, Primary Care, etc.The G20 Second Health Working Group meeting held in Goa from April 17th to April 19th, 2023 was inaugurated by the honourable Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Government of India along with Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Honourable Minister of State, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and other key Indian and international health dignitaries. GenWorks officials met delegates from G20 countries such as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, UK, United States, and European Union. Many delegates representing G20 countries appreciated GenWorks Connected Care offerings.As India assumes its G20 Presidency, it concentrates more on digital health. India's efforts were appreciated by international delegates such as Dr Karin Kallander, Senior Health adviser and chief of the Digital Health and Information Systems Unit in the UNICEF Health Programme who said "India's success in Digital Health can be attributed to a well-defined strategy that aligns with the country's priorities when it comes to wellness. Other countries can replicate this approach by developing their own comprehensive strategies that align with their specific health needs and goals."Dhrumil Sorathia, CEO - Clinical Services at GenWorks Health who attended the G20 Meet as an invited delegate said "Using our connected care solutions we are integrating human medical expertise and clinical protocols with AI enabled healthcare technologies for affordable, accessible, and high-quality connected care across regions. At GenWorks, we are committed to leveraging digital solutions to transform healthcare through early interventions for improving clinical outcomes. We participated in the G20 Health working group meeting to showcase our digital health capabilities and explore potential collaborations with G20 member countries".With Connected Care, GenWorks aims to empower professionals to keep pace with the growth and expand healthcare with unique solutions that leverage technology. Artificial Intelligence is an important part of Connected Care solutions as it helps clinicians to screen, diagnose, and treat better consistently. It allows specialists to screen and diagnose clinical protocols, easily integrate with connected devices, assist workflows for screening, consultation, and diagnosis, approve patient reports, enable quick post-treatment patient follow-up, and enhance healthcare delivery. GenWorks aspires to ensure strong penetration and reach of these Connected Care solutions with its Pan India presence of over 1000+ sales, service, and support teams based at 156 cities covering 750 plus districts and serving 45,000 plus customers.The representation of GenWorks at the G20 Meet is a testimony of the incredible work that the company is doing to ensure India gets recognized internationally for offering the best digital healthcare services in the world. It proposes to expand and improve access to high-quality and standardized clinical care using Digital Health Services. This will ensure quality healthcare across the country, increase penetration of improved healthcare initiatives, develop access to services, and promote the adoption of technology for a larger impact. With this in mind, the company has developed a digitally driven integrated platform that understands health and technology for achieving its objectives.For more information, visitThis story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)ANI28 April 2023

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Operation Kaveri: 326 Indians arrive in Jeddah from Sudan en route to India

New Delhi, April 28: A batch of 326 Indian citizens from violence-hit Sudan reached Saudi Arabia's Jeddah on Friday on their way to India.

Operation Kaveri: 326 Indians arrive in Jeddah from Sudan en route to India

This is the 10th batch of evacuees, who arrived in Jeddah on the Indian Navy warship INS Tarkash.Earlier in the day, a batch of 362 Indians evacuated from Sudan, took off on a flight bound for Bengaluru from Jeddah.Many of them belonged to Karnataka's Hakki Pikki tribe.Minister of state for external affairs V. Muraleedharan tweeted these details on Friday.On April 18, a war of words had broken out between former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, when the former had asked the central government to immediately evacuate Hakki Pikki tribals from war-torn Sudan.Jaishankar had reacted by saying that he was "simply appalled" at the former chief minister's comments."Hakki Pikki in Sudan are left stranded without food since the last few days and the government is yet to initiate action to bring them back. BJP government should open diplomatic discussions and reach out to international agencies to ensure the well-being of Hakki-Pikkis," Siddaramaiah had tweeted."Simply appalled at your tweet! There are lives at stake; don't do politics. Since the fighting started on April 14th, the Embassy of India in Khartoum has been continuously in touch with most Indian nationals and PIOs in Sudan," Jaishankar had tweeted in his response to Siddaramaiah's tweet.The government is evacuating Indian citizens from violence-hit Sudan under Operation Kaveri.There are around 3,000 Indian citizens in Sudan.Since April 14, the African nation has been facing violence after fighting erupted between the nation's army and paramilitary forces.IANS28 April 2023

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PS:2 actors feel school-level history has been unfair to indigenous empires

Mumbai, April 28: Actress Aishwarya Lekshmi and actor Vikram and Karthi, whose period film 'Ponniyin Selvan: 2' released in theatres on Friday, feel that a certain level of unfairness has been meted out to the indigenous empires or dynasties of India by our education system, largely.

'PS:2' actors feel school-level history has been unfair to indigenous empires

Recently, the removal of references to the Mughal dynasty from the coursebooks in Uttar Pradesh sparked a controversy and caused debate around what should be the part of academics in history.The indigenous empires of India have very less mention in the school level history books compared to the dynasties that arrived in India as a part of the conquest.Talking to IANS, Aishwarya Lekshmi said "From what I know, yes there has been some level of unfairness towards the indigenous empires of India. It would take a lot of research to get a little bit of information about them in that direction. Kalki's novel 'Ponniyin Selvan' (on which the Mani Ratnam magnum opus is based) is actually a window to the 10th century of southern India, how progressive we were at that time and how much chasing westernisation led us to go back in time."Actor Vikram seconded Aishwarya's as he feels that Indian society was quite progressive back then for its time. He said "At that time, America wasn't even discovered and we had thriving societies under different empires."Karthi, who plays Vallavaraiyan, in the film, shared with IANS "Only when the British came, they started doing a lot of research and started documenting the history. I'm sure a history student would know a lot more about each dynasty as per their specialisation. But, for school level history a proper panel of intellectuals should sit and decide what should be included in the course material to give a holistic view."IANS28 April 2023

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First babies born after being conceived by PlayStation-controlled robot

San Francisco, April 28: Overture Life, a Spanish startup, which developed a sperm-injecting robot that can be controlled using a PlayStation controller, has successfully fertilised human eggs, giving birth to two healthy babies.

First babies born after being conceived by PlayStation-controlled robot

According to a report by MIT Technology Review, one of the engineers involved in developing the world's first insemination robot had limited experience in the field of fertility medicine. However, they were able to utilise a Sony PlayStation 5 controller to help with the development process.A student engineer from a startup successfully steered a small, mechanised needle during in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) procedures, using a specialized controller.Through this technique, individual sperm cells were carefully deposited into human eggs over a dozen times.According to the researchers, the procedures resulted in healthy embryos, which led to the birth of two baby girls. The researchers claim that these babies are the first known individuals to be born after fertilisation with the aid of automated technology, the report said."I was calm. In that exact moment, I thought, 'It's just one more experiment'," Eduard Alba, the student mechanical engineer who commanded the sperm-injecting device, was quoted as saying.Moreover, the startup said that its device is an initial step towards automating in vitro fertilisation, or IVF, and potentially making the procedure far less expensive and far more common than it is today.At present, in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratories are typically operated by highly skilled embryologists, who can earn over $125,000 annually, and are responsible for carefully manipulating sperm and eggs with the aid of ultra-thin hollow needles and powerful microscopes.Further, the report mentioned that Overture has received the most funding thus far approximately $37 million from investors such as Khosla Ventures and Susan Wojcicki, the former CEO of YouTube.According to the experts, this is just the first step towards fully automating the process."The concept is extraordinary, but this is a baby step," Gianpiero Palermo, who developed the now-commonplace intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedure in the 1990s, was quoted as saying.He added that Overture's engineers still had to manually load sperm cells onto the injector needles, which means "this is not yet robotic ICSI".IANS28 April 2023

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Violation of agreements has eroded basis of bilateral ties: Rajnath Singh tells China

New Delhi, April 27: In a strong message to China, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told the visiting Chinese Defence Minister that unilateral violation of existing agreements has eroded the basis of bilateral ties between the two sides.

Violation of agreements has eroded basis of bilateral ties: Rajnath Singh tells China

The Indian Defence Minister and his Chinese counterpart Gen Li Shangfu met on Thursday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Defence Minister level meeting.During the bilateral meeting, the Defence Minister stated, "Violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation.""All issues at LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments," Rajnath Singh said after meeting the Chinese Defence Minister.The two ministers had frank discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations.Singh categorically conveyed that the development of relations between India and China is premised on the prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders.He added that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments.He reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation.According to sources, India remained adamant about its position at LAC during the meeting. China pretends the situation is normal at LAC but it is not.The Chinese Defence Minister is in Delhi to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' Meeting on Friday.ANI29 April 2023

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The Erie County Legislature isn't ready just yet to spend $2.5 million in county surplus money to study and plan a new jail to replace both the downtown Holding Center and the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden.

In response to more than 50 county residents showing up Thursday to legislative chambers to protest the plan, the Legislature decided instead to set aside $750,000 of the $2.5 million for a needs assessment and feasibility study on building a new jail. And members agreed to use the remaining $1.75 million to start a jail pre-construction fund.

Should Erie County spend $2.5M to study building a new jail? Some say no "We ought to see what the Legislature is interested in, what their appetite is for a tremendous amount of debt," Erie County Comptroller Kevin Hardwick said.

However, that fund cannot be touched until the feasibility study and needs assessment are completed, Legislature Chairwoman April N. M. Baskin said. In addition, Baskin said, the legislature amended language in the resolution to require the addition of three other stipulations once the county seeks bids or requests for proposals on the project.

They include a racial equity lens to be used in the study, robust community engagement and hearing alternatives to building a new jail, Baskin said following the legislature's regular business meeting Thursday.

Residents who attended an earlier hearing in the legislature chambers felt that it would have been irresponsible for the Legislature to allocate $2.5 million for both pre-construction costs and a feasibility study for the construction of a new jail that is estimated to cost about $200 million.

Poloncarz allocates $2.5 million to lay groundwork for a new, unified county jail "It's time to begin the process to build a new, unified jail," Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said in a meeting this week with The Buffalo News. "The Holding Center is a disaster. It's just so old and antiquated."

"You can't say in one breath that you are going to do a feasibility study and a needs assessment to see if you need a facility and tie it to pre-construction costs, because if you do both at the same time, you are almost predicting that you are going to build a facility," Baskin said.

Testimony that lasted about an hour from Jerome Wright  the legislature's newly-appointed representative on the correction specialist advisory board  and Sheriff John Garcia was crucial in the legislature's decision, Baskin said.

Garcia talked about the need for a new jail because of deficiencies at the current facilities, including a lack of air conditioning.

Meanwhile, Wright, who has both spent time as an inmate in the jail and worked inside the facility, said there were more pressing issues that need to be addressed, including mental health support.

"I have worked in that jail for the past year and have observed that mental health issues are the paramount problem there, that more than half the population suffer from mental health issues, and mental health and correction do not go hand-in-hand," Wright said.

Erie County to allocate at least $72 million out of $96 million year-end surplus The bones of a deal is in place to allocate at least $72 million of it to new county priorities and programs this year, ranging from new weapons detectors at the Central Library to millions in construction aid to SUNY Erie Community College.

"Correction's responsibility is safety and control. When you're talking about people with mental health issues, their issue is treatment and respect. I don't think we get that there," he added.

A local law passed in 2019 mandated that Erie County have a board of community specialists advise on how to engage with the public when it comes to its correction facilities, and the legislature, which gets an appointee, decided on Wright.

"He was someone who spent time in incarceration and spent time in solitary and had terrible experiences in jail systems throughout the state," Baskin said. "I think his testimony definitely reflected the fact that we're just not comfortable moving forward with the $2.5 million."

After posing questions to Garcia and Wright during Thursday's hearing, she said legislators decided that it would not be wise to put the cart before the horse.

Baskin lauded her colleagues in the legislature for not "rubber stamping" a $2.5 million allocation request, despite the dire current situation in the county jails and the need to consolidate the facilities.

She acknowledged that there is a need for "a better jail" that has access to classrooms for experiential learning and job training, a mental health facility and a clinic that can help people go through detox or get drug treatment.

"We want to see those things happen, but we can't really fund it until a study comes back," Baskin said. "So I'm proud of all 11 members for listening to the concerns of the public and for listening to the sheriff, slowing it down a little bit and putting just enough money up front for us to be able to get the information we need to be able to make an informed decision."
Our County Editor

Dave Hinton is editor of The News-Gazette's Our County section and former editor of the Rantoul Press. He can be reached at dhinton@news-gazette.com.
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Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine say they have evidence from a new study in rats that spinal cord stimulation (SCS) may be useful in reducing chronic pain in people undergoing active treatment with a common anti-cancer drug.

The study found that the use of SCS measurably reduced pain response in rats that were implanted with human lung cancer tissue -; without compromising effectiveness of treatment with paclitaxel, a drug used to treat a variety of cancers.

The study, published April 11 in Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface, advances strategies to prevent and treat neuropathy that results from paclitaxel and other chemotherapy drugs, according to the researchers.

SCS is often used as a last resort for pain management for cancer patients who do not respond to any other forms of treatment, says Eellan Sivanesan, M.D., assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The new study, he says, suggests the value of better use of SCS in combination with drugs that trigger neuropathic pain, and later when patients are in remission. There is currently no effective preventative treatment and no reliable treatment for established, long-term neuropathy.

Quality of life after treatment is a rising focus in cancer treatment and debilitating pain is often an issue." Eellan Sivanesan, M.D., assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

SCS works by implanting a small generator under the skin that sends low levels of electricity through flat tiny wires, or electrodes threaded directly in between the spinal cord and the vertebrae, usually near the buttocks or abdomen. Patients can send electrical impulses using a remote control when they feel pain.

In the new study, researchers worked with adult male rats that received transplants of lab-cultured human non-small cell lung cancer. Rats were divided into six groups: no tumor or treatment, tumor with no treatment, tumor with paclitaxel treatment only, inactive SCS with paclitaxel and tumor, active SCS with paclitaxel and tumor, and paclitaxel with no tumor or SCS.

Baseline pain behaviors were assessed before any tumor transplantation or treatment, utilizing standard tests that measure response to stimuli such as cold or touch. These behaviors were monitored weekly along with tumor growth, using a standard means of detecting tumor cells that was engineered to carry chemicals that "light up" under special imaging methods.

During the study period, researchers found that the groups of rats with spinal cord stimulation showed signs of decreased pain as measured by the length of time it took for rats to react to stimuli. The rats with tumors showed sensitivity to cold stimuli regardless of treatment plan, but the rats with SCS exhibited significantly longer time to respond than those without.

This indicates that rats with SCS displayed a higher pain tolerance than those without SCS, suggesting that they were experiencing less neuropathic pain. In addition, researchers found that SCS improved the antitumor efficacy of paclitaxel, which provides further evidence of SCS as an important companion to chemotherapy. This major finding may support the wider use of SCS for cancer and chemotherapy pain.

"Despite the severe side effects, paclitaxel remains one of the most effective drugs for treating a wide range of cancers. However, the neuropathy can become so severe in some patients that treatment must be stopped to preserve quality of life," says Sivanesan. "This study showed that addition of spinal cord stimulation not only helps prevent pain, but also makes the drug more effective. This could be a game changer for these patients."

The investigators caution that further research in is needed before SCS can be widely implemented as a companion for pain management and prevention for patients receiving chemotherapy.

Other scientists who contributed to this research are Karla Sanchez, Chi Zhang, Shaoqui He, Srinivasa Raja, Yun Guan, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Bengt Linderoth of Karolinska Institute; and Kimberly Stephens of The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

This study was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health, the Foundation of Anesthesia Education and Research, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, the Blaustein Pain Research and Education Endowment and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Stimulating and Advancing ACCM Research Award. This study was partially supported by grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) of the National Institutes of Health.

Linderoth is a consultant for Elekta AB. Raja is a consultant for AbbVie, Averitas Pharma, Bayer and Lexicon Pharmaceuticals. Guan and Raja are principal and coinvestigators in a research grant from Medtronic, Inc. Guan received a research award from TissueTech Inc.
A national pilot program designed to improve outcomes for elderly surgical patients is scalable and can be implemented in a wide range of hospital types-;from community hospitals to urban academic medical centers, according to a study published this week in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS).

The study evaluated the implementation of standards developed by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Coalition for Quality in Geriatric Surgery (CQGS), a collective of 58 organizations across a variety of medical disciplines, including surgery, geriatrics, nursing, and pharmacy. This Coalition led to the development of the ACS Geriatric Surgery Verification Program (GSV), launched in July 2019.

We were able to demonstrate the feasibility of implementing these geriatric standards in eight different hospitals across the country that had variable sizes and geographic backgrounds and resources. This study highlights the value of a geriatric-oriented surgery quality program. The number of older adults in the United States is growing every year and a program like this is valuable because it targets a part of the population that's treated in the vast majority of hospitals across the U.S." Xane Peters, MD, corresponding author, clinical scholar in the Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care with the ACS Geriatric Surgery Verification Program and a general surgery resident at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois

The hospitals selected for the study ranged in size from about 160 beds to more than 1,000 beds. They represented every region of the U.S., and included university-associated programs, community hospitals, and government-affiliated centers.

"Our goal was to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders that were interested in optimizing care for older adults," said senior author Marcia M. Russell, MD, FACS, vice chair of the ACS Committee on Geriatric Surgery and an associate professor of surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "The end goal was to identify the optimal standards for these patients and use those to develop a quality improvement program."

In 2016, CQGS drafted 308 preliminary standards for geriatric surgery, winnowing that to 30 final standards for implementation at the pilot sites. In this study, researchers aimed to determine how well the selected standards could be implemented in pilot sites and to identify barriers and best practices in their implementation so that the standards could be further refined if needed.

"Virtually every hospital will have to address how it cares for the growing older population in its community. The GSV program gives hospitals a roadmap about how to deliver the best surgical care for older patients to achieve their care goal," said Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MS, MSHS, FACS, FASCRS, Director of the ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care. "This study shows that it is feasible for all hospitals to implement this program whether they are big or small, urban or rural. The GSV program not only leads to better outcomes for patients, but it also helps hospitals deliver optimal care more cost-effectively."

Study details and results

The study grouped the 30 standards into six different "chapters," or broad categories, and rated them in terms of compliance level at each hospital. The categories with the highest compliance were:

Program Management

Immediate Preoperative and Intraoperative Care

Postoperative Clinical Care

The categories with the lowest compliance were:

Goals and Decision-Making

Preoperative Optimization (practices for preparing patients for surgery)

Transitions of Care

The study identified barriers and challenges to the implementation of the quality standards, which helped in the development of the tools and resources available to hospitals participating in the ACS GSV Program to overcome these barriers.

The most commonly cited barriers were workflow and staffing limitations, which the authors note may have become more challenging since the COVID-19 pandemic. "The ACS GSV program offers a lot of educational resources and best practices, some of which are shared between hospitals, so that institutions that are interested in implementing these programs can make use of things that have been done by other similar institutions so they're not reinventing the wheel," Dr. Peters said.

Other barriers relate to educating providers about caring for geriatric patients, which led the CQGS to develop educational materials. "There are not enough geriatricians in the U.S. to care for all older adults," Dr. Russell said. "Our program identifies some ways to adapt. If you don't have a geriatrician at your hospital, you can still put these standards into place."

"These findings provide evidence of real-life implementation by these eight very different hospitals and demonstrate that hospitals can put these geriatric standards into play," Dr. Russell added. "Hospitals were able to implement the standards in about six months, which is a pretty rapid timeline, and they had high levels of both full and partial compliance."
New research out of the University of Cincinnati examines the association between genetics and the presence of opioid use disorder (OUD). The study identified six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or genetic variants that are linked to OUD.

The study was published in the journal Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics.

We are trying to identify some of the genetic variants that might play into OUD. Patients received an oral swab that gets put inside their cheek, and those swabs were sent off for genetic testing looking for 180 single nucleotide polymorphisms." Caroline Freiermuth, MD, associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the UC College of Medicine and principal investigator for the study

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection, more than 107,000 people in the U.S. died in 2021 from drug overdose, with overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids increasing 23% from the year before. The economic cost of OUD and opioid-related overdose mortality exceeds $1 trillion annually in the United States.

The study enrolled about 1,300 patients within three large urban emergency departments in Ohio, which has ranked in the top five for opioid overdose deaths since 2014.

"We wanted to determine for any random person who comes to the emergency department what their genetic link might be and do they now or did they ever have opioid use disorder in their life, and do we think their genetics have played a role in that," says Freiermuth. "We found that there were quite a few single nucleotide polymorphisms that seem to be associated with opioid use disorder."

The study found that although genetics play a role in disease, there is also significant interaction from the environment. Freiermuth says further study is needed to highlight the true impact of the genetic variants and how external factors contribute to the development of OUD. Further exploration of biogeographical genetic ancestry groups and their association with OUD is warranted, the study concluded,

"I think this is really exciting because it should help us try to figure out who is truly at risk when they are exposed to opioids and that could make it easier for us to decide who we can and can't prescribe opioids to," Freiermuth says. "This could help determine who might need further monitoring in the future instead of just blanket saying 'nobody should ever get more than a certain amount."
A recent study posted to bioRxiv* conducted surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in wildlife in Vermont, United States (US).

Study: Surveillance of Vermont wildlife in 2021-2022 reveals no detected SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA. Image Credit: TomReichner/Shutterstock.com

*Important notice: bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.

Background

Natural SARS-CoV-2 infections in animals have been reported. Animals that facilitate virus transmission within species become viral reservoirs, leading to evolutionary changes that pose a risk if reintroduced in humans.

This scenario has been documented in mink farms. The Netherlands registered five outbreaks in 2020, leading to SARS-CoV-2 infections in over half of the mink farms.

Sequencing data indicated multiple spillover and spillback events between minks and humans. Recent studies demonstrated the susceptibility of North American Cervidae family members to SARS-CoV-2.

While studies have reported wildlife infection with SARS-CoV-2 in several states in the US and Canada, no information is available for Vermont.

The study and findings

In the present study, researchers conducted SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in animals in Vermont. The surveillance was conducted during the hunting and trapping seasons in 2021 and the hunting season in 2022 throughout the state. They sampled grey/red foxes, fishers, coyotes, bobcats, white-tailed deer, black bears, and otters.

Deer were prioritized for sampling; most sampling (in deer) occurred in 2022 at 470 samples compared to 17 in 2021.

At the end of the 2021 season, RNA was extracted from samples, and reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA using N1 and N2 primer sets.

No viral RNA was detectable in any of the 2021 samples. Of the 472 samples in 2022, 133 were positive for both primers. The mean cycle threshold (C T ) was 36.6 and 38 for N1 and N2, respectively. Additionally, multiple samples were positive for one of the primers; 28 tested positive for N1, and 56 were positive for N2.

This sudden high positivity in 2022 samples, with high mean C T values and the absence of samples with C T < 30 and C T < 33 for N2, pointed to the possibility of contamination. The laboratory at the University of Vermont initiated a separate in vitro project involving the expression of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid.

DNA constructs with N1/N2 primer-recognizable sequences were present in the laboratory. Therefore, the team evaluated whether the positive test results were authentic or due to contamination. The researchers obtained environmental swabs from common items/surfaces in the laboratory.

All swabs tested positive for N1 and N2, with C T values reaching 23.6. No negative control was amplified in the reaction. Next, they performed qPCR to determine whether the contamination was viral DNA or RNA. On average, positive controls (clinical SARS-CoV-2 specimens) in qPCR had 5.4 cycles higher C T for N1 than in RT-qPCR.

Two positive control specimens with the N2 primer were undetectable in qPCR, whereas C T was 1.8 cycles higher for one positive control positive for N2.

The C T values of all laboratory specimens were consistent between qPCR and RT-qPCR tests, suggesting viral DNA contamination. Further, the team compared RT-qPCR and qPCR reactions on select positive samples from deer.

SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acids were detectable, with consistent C T values between tests. This suggested that the initial positive results for animal samples were likely DNA contamination.

Therefore, the team repeated RT-qPCR tests using an envelope (E) gene primer set since the DNA constructs used in the laboratory lacked E gene sequences. All 2022 samples were undetectable by this primer set, suggesting that wildlife in Vermont did not contain SARS-CoV-2 RNA.

Conclusions

In summary, the study did not find SARS-CoV-2 in wildlife in Vermont. This was surprising because prior studies have reported positivity rates of > 30% and seropositivity rates of > 40% in white-tailed deer.

The sparse population and relatively low coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rate in Vermont might have reduced the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from humans to deer.

While the findings are reassuring, it is unlikely to continue indefinitely, especially as cases are increasingly reported in wildlife in neighboring regions. Surveillance should be conducted throughout North America to detect viral transmission and adaptation in wildlife.

*Important notice: bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
A new flexible, wearable medical device could provide a major boost in the fight against heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.

A team led by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin has developed an ultrathin, lightweight electronic tattoo, or e-tattoo, that attaches to the chest for continuous, mobile heart monitoring outside of a clinical setting. It includes two sensors that together provide a clear picture of heart health, giving clinicians a better chance to catch red flags for heart disease early.

Most heart conditions are not very obvious. The damage is being done in the background and we don't even know it. If we can have continuous, mobile monitoring at home, then we can do early diagnosis and treatment, and if that can be done, 80% of heart disease can be prevented." Nanshu Lu, professor in the Department of Aerospace and Engineering Mechanics and lead author of the study

The study is published in Advanced Electronic Materials.

As a continuation of an earlier chest e-tattoo project, this new version is wireless and mobile, which is enabled by a series of small active circuits and sensors carefully arranged and linked by stretchable interconnections and conforms to the chest via a medical dressing. The clear devices are far less intrusive than other monitoring systems and more comfortable for patients.

Currently, there isn't a ready solution for long-term, comfortable monitoring outside of the clinical setting. Clinicians can run tests on patients when they visit, but they may not catch some heart issues because signs of disease are not present at that moment.

The e-tattoo weighs only 2.5 grams and runs on a battery the size of a penny. The battery has a life of more than 40 hours and can easily be changed by the user.

It provides two key heart measurements. The electrocardiogram, or ECG, is the electrical signal from the heart. And the seismocardiogram, or SCG, is the acoustic signal from the heart that comes from the heart valves.

ECG can be measured by mobile devices such as an Apple Watch. And the SCG can be monitored via stethoscope. But there is no mobile solution that approximates a stethoscope or takes both measurements.

"Those two measurements, electrical and mechanical, together can provide a much more comprehensive and complete picture of what's happening with the heart," Lu said. "There are many more heart characteristics that could be extracted out of the two synchronously measured signals in a noninvasive manner."

Monitoring those two factors, and synchronizing them, makes it possible to measure cardiac time intervals, which are a major indicator of heart disease and other problems.

The researchers have already tested the device on five healthy patients in their day-to-day environments, with a low error rate in measurements compared with currently available monitoring options. The next step involves further testing and validating the initial results and expanding to different types of patients.

This project rose out of a multi-university partnership of researchers who were awarded a grant in 2021 from the National Science Foundation's ASCENT program to study chest e-tattoo technology. Lu and her team have refined and adapted the e-tattoo technology to measure multiple parts of the body over the years, such as the palm, and different conditions, like pneumonia.

The project team is Sarnab Bhattacharya and Philip Tan of the Chandra Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Alec Alden of the Department of Biomedical Engineering; Sangjun Kim of the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering; Hirofumi Tanaka, Edward Coyle, Jieting Wang and Taha Alhalimi of the College of Education's Department of Kinesiology and Health Education; Mohammad Nikbakht and Omer Inan of the Georgia Institute of Technology's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Pulin Wang of Austin company Stretch Med Inc.; and Animesh Tandon of Cleveland Clinic Children's Pediatric Institute.
For Christians who support former president Donald J. Trump, I would think his indictment would be welcomed as a sign of Gods grace.

If they are honest, few of his Christian supporters would say by Christian standards that he is a good man. He has lied and cheated, committed adultery and admitted to sexually assaulting women. And he has inadvertently also admitted to not being a Christian. He made this clear when he said during his first campaign for president that he couldnt remember a time when he asked God for forgiveness.

For Christians, becoming a Christian entails recognizing our sins, confessing them, repenting from them, which is to turn away from them and back toward God, and to ask for and receive Gods forgiveness through Jesus Christ. This is at least the evangelical Christian understanding that I grew up with. Trump has admitted he has never done this. Therefore, by his own admission, he is not a Christian.

Is it yet possible that he could become a Christian? Absolutely. With God all things are possible. But sometimes, especially for those whose egos are well-defended, such openness to God only happens when we come to the end of our resources with nowhere else to go but to God.

I think of the Apostle Paul in the Bible, who ran from God and persecuted Christians, in a murderous attempt to kill the whole Jesus movement. But then one day on the Damascus Road he was knocked to the ground by a vision of Jesus asking him why he was kicking against the goads, that is, why he was fighting God so much. He became blind through this incident, yet in a vision he saw a man named Ananias who would come to him, lay hands on him, and recover his sight. Not only his physical eyes, but his spiritual eyes also would be opened, and he would go on to become the greatest evangelist for Christ there ever has been.

Over my 40 years of ministry as a pastor, Ive seen the same thing happen, when people brought to their lowest point encounter a spiritual awakening, whether through a broken marriage, a struggle with addiction, a physical collapse, ethical fall or prison sentence, have come to their senses and awakened to a new possibility. They see that the direction their life was headed in was destroying them and those around them, and they repent, turn around, and walk in a new direction.

Could this moment in Donald Trumps life bring him to the same conclusion? That is my prayer for him now. Just maybe this indictment, and others to come, could be the catalyst of a spiritual transformation.

His indictment may be the best thing that ever happened to him.

Rev. Dr. Langdon Hubbard was Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in East Aurora for 20 years and previously served as Interim Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Buffalo.
Bollywood actors and their luxury cars have always been a topic of discussion among their fans. While some celebrities have an impressive collection of expensive and exotic cars, there are others who prefer regular cars. Mrunal Thakur, an actress who has been garnering public attention for her recent movie roles, was recently seen at Mumbai airport driving getting out of a brand new Mercedes-Benz S-Class luxury sedan, despite not having a vast collection of expensive cars.

The video of Mrunal Thakur arriving at Mumbai airport in her new luxury car has been uploaded by the popular YouTube channel Cars For You. On the channel, one can see several notable Bollywood stars flaunting their luxurious cars. In the past, the channel has spotted many celebrities at the airport with their luxury cars. Despite the YouTube channel being called Cars For You," the vlogger fails to provide a clear view of the car. Nevertheless, in this brief clip, we can catch a glimpse of Mrunal Thakur arriving at the airport in her newly acquired luxury sedan, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

The current generation S-Class is gaining popularity among celebs and businessmen around the world, and the S-Class luxury sedan is the flagship sedan from the manufacturer, filled with premium features. Although the video does not show the car in detail, it is speculated that the actress arrived in an S 450d sedan, which is not available in the current generation of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Also Read: From Rolls-Royce to Lamborghini: Check Out the Impressive Car Collection of Bollywoods Biggest Stars

The S-Class is currently available in S 350d, S 400d, and S 450 models by the German carmaker. The S 350d, the base version of the S-Class, employs a 2,925cc six-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine that produces 281 Bhp and 600 Nm of maximum torque, coupled with an automatic transmission. However, it does not come equipped with the 4MATIC system. The S 400d variant, on the other hand, uses a 3.0-liter turbocharged diesel engine that generates 325 Bhp and 700 Nm of peak torque. This variant is also offered with an automatic transmission and comes with Mercedes-Benzs 4MATIC system.

The S 450 is the third variant of the luxury sedan and is the only petrol engine option. It also features a 3.0-liter six-cylinder petrol engine that delivers a peak torque of 500 Nm and generates 362 bhp. Additionally, the AWD system from Mercedes is available for this variant. The current generation of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is priced between Rs 1.71 crore and Rs 2.17 crore, ex-showroom, with the S 400d variant being the top-end model.

Apart from the Mercedes-Benz S-Class luxury sedan, Mrunal Thakur also has a Honda Accord and a Toyota Fortuner in her garage. With her new Mercedes-Benz S-Class luxury sedan, the actress is definitely making a statement among her fans and in the world of Bollywood.

Read all the Latest Auto News here
IT solutions company Coforge crossed the $1 billion revenue milestone in its fourth-quarter earnings. The company is celebrating this momentous occasion by gifting an Apple iPad to all staffers  21,000 employees.

We believe that our performance during the quarter was marked by two key achievements. The first was a quarterly sequential US$ growth of 5.0 percent. The second major landmark has been the firm crossing the USD one billion revenue mark. Our performance heading into FY24 sets us up well to deliver robust growth, Sudhir Singh, Coforges chief executive officer, declared in a statement.

According to a report by Moneycontrol, the celebration will cost Coforge Rs 80.3 crore. The companys Q4FY23 profit went down to Rs 116.7 crore from Rs 244.8 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. The decline was mostly due to a one-off expense of Rs 52.3 crore. Coforge had incurred the cost as part of its curtailed fundraising efforts, which were given the nod in 2021.

Coforges revenues rose 24.5 percent year-on-year to Rs 2,170 crore. The banking and financial services arm of the company accounted for 31 percent of its business and showed resilience in the face of events like the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank and the global banking crisis. The company had earlier said that it had very limited exposure to revenues from American regional banks.

Coforge expects its annual revenue guidance to be around 13 to 16 percent for FY24 in constant currency terms. The firm has predicted a 50 basis points gross margin increase. It expects its adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) to be at similar levels as FY 23.

Coforges board has advocated an interim dividend of Rs 19 per equity. The record date for the payout will be May 9.

Coforge is not the only company to give away Apple products after reaching a revenue milestone. In 2006, Cognizant Technology Solutions gave away 18,000 iPods to its employees after it crossed the $1 billion mark in annualised revenue run rate during the December 2005 quarter. Each of its employees received a 30 GB Apple iPod. The company later used the device for training purposes as well, giving workers access to tutorials that they could learn at their own pace after downloading onto their iPods.

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Shares of Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) climed 8 Per cent on Friday early morning trade as the company announced winning a Rs 121-crore project from the North-Central Railways.

The project is for the provision of E1-based automatic signaling with continuous track circuiting and other associated works on the Jhansi-Gwalior section of the Jhansi Division of North Central Railway, the construction arm of the rail ministry said in an exchange filing.

The order has to be executed in 18 months, Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd said.

The railway PSU has given massive returns to the investors over the past three years. Shares of RVNL have doubled in value in the past one year period while in the three-year period the stock has surged more than 500%. The stock has zoomed 40 per cent in the past week and over 60 per cent in the past month.

Earlier Siemens, as part of a consortium along with Rail Vikas Nigam, received two separate orders from Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRCL).

The orders are for Surat Metro Phase 1 (over 40 kilometres covering 38 stations and 2 depots) and Ahmedabad Metro Phase 2 (over 28 kilometres covering 23 stations and 1 depot).

RVNL is now a Navratna company

The Ministry of Finance elevated Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) to the status of a Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) on Wednesday. RVNL, a public-sector railway company, has already been on investors radar recently because of a strong rally in the stock led by robust orders.

The term Navratna refers to a select group of top-performing CPSEs that have been granted greater autonomy and financial powers by the Indian government in recognition of their superior performance.

The term Navratna, meaning nine gems, is used metaphorically to suggest that these companies are like the nine precious gems that shine brightly in the crown of Indian PSEs.

With RVNL added to the list, there are 13 Navratna companies.

What Should Investors Do?

As we know, this time in the Budget, the highest railway infrastructure spending is seen which will help this company improve margin and growth. Technicals also look great after breakout above Rs 77. Now, the next target is Rs 188 in the next 6 months. Keep stop loss at Rs 75, said Ravi Singhal, CEO of GCL Broking.

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Real Estate Developers Nirmal Lifes Rajiv and Dharmesh Jain have been arrested by the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai police for failing to provide possession to several home buyers. According to the police, the developers allegedly did not hand over the flats to around 34 homebuyers after taking money from them.

The arrests have been made regarding real estate projects named Olympia, Panorama and Spirit.

The complaint states that homebuyers made booking for flats in 2011 and paid the amount for the same, however, neither the project began nor were they given possession of any house.

We arrested both Dharmesh and Rajeev Jain in connection to First Information Report (FIR) filed in April 2022. We produced them in local court and have got police custody till May 03, an EOW official told Moneycontrol on condition of anonymity.

There is one more FIR against the developers in FIR files against them for allegedly not giving possession, and investigation regarding the same is ongoing in those cases too. This FIR was filed by homebuyers in December 2022. This includes projects namely Nirman Zircon etc in the Mulund area of Mumbai, he added.

Nirmal Developers, well-known real-estate developers from Mumbai, have reportedly been facing financial crunches. The company is involved in various construction projects around the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), but possession is delayed for quite some time now.

Some media reports also suggest that Nirmal Lifestyle Mall owned by the developer has allegedly been taken over by the Bank of Baroda (BoB) owing to the non-payment of a loan amounting to around Rs 161 crore.

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Petrol, and Diesel Prices Today: Fuel prices in four major metro cities on Friday, April 28, 2023, remained unchanged. However, some minor fluctuations in prices were observed in certain cities such as Gurugram, Noida, and Lucknow.

Except for individual cases, petrol and diesel rates across the country have been steady since May 21 last year, when the previous pan-India revision was announced. However, many cities saw petrol prices above Rs 100 mark.

On Friday, the cost of one litre of petrol in Delhi continues to remain Rs 96.72 and for an equal quantity of diesel, customers have to pay Rs 89.62. Similarly, customers in Mumbai will have to pay Rs 106.31 for a litre of petrol and Rs 94.72 for equal quantity of diesel.

Looking at the prices in other cities: cost of one litre of petrol in Noida is Rs 96.65, while diesel is priced at Rs 89.93. In Gurugram, petrol costs Rs 96.84 per litre, and diesel rate stands at Rs 89.72 per litre. Meanwhile, in Lucknow, petrol can be bought at Rs 96.47 per litre, and diesel at Rs 89.67 per litre.

In India, oil marketing companies (OMCs) such as Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum determine petrol and diesel prices. This is done on a daily basis, and rates are determined in accordance with the price of crude oil throughout the world.

Why do fuel prices vary across states?

The rates for each day, whether new or unchanged, are announced at 6 am on the day. These, however, vary from state to state; this is due to criteria such as Value Added Tax (VAT), freight charges, local taxes, etc.

Petrol, and Diesel prices in Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Noida, and Gurugram on April 28, 2023

CITY Petrol (Per Litre) Diesel (Per Litre) Bengaluru Rs 101.94 Rs 87.89 Chandigarh Rs 96.20 Rs 84.26 Chennai Rs 102.86 Rs 94.46 Gurugram Rs 96.84 Rs 89.72 Kolkata Rs 106.03 Rs 92.76 Lucknow Rs 96.47 Rs 89.67 Mumbai Rs 106.31 Rs 94.27 New Delhi Rs 96.72 Rs 89.62 Noida Rs 96.65 Rs 89.93

Crude Oil Price Today

According to a Bloomberg report, crude oil is on track to record its sixth consecutive monthly decline, marking its longest losing streak in over eight years. This downward trend can be attributed to concerns about a slowdown in the US and Asia.

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Daycare centres for kids arent something new. They are nothing less than a lifesaver for working couples, but have you heard about a husband day care centre? Well, if you havent, you are just about to know about this unique idea of a cafe in Denmark. The cafe in Green Towers, Copenhagen, became an overnight sensation on social media thanks to its quirky signboard, which reads, Need time to yourself? Need time to relax? Want to go shopping? Leave your husband with us! We look after him for you! You only pay for his drinks. The unique idea and the signboard seem to have impressed business tycoon Anand Mahindra, who took to Twitter to express his admiration.

Its not just about creating new products, its about creating entirely new use cases for an existing product category! Brilliant, he wrote in his tweet. The Chairperson of Mahindra Group seems to agree that The Husband Day Care Centre is an excellent example of how businesses can think outside the box and offer unique services to their customers.

Innovation is not just creating new products. Its also about creating entirely new use-cases for an existing product category! Brilliant.  pic.twitter.com/8rDMI91riJ anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) April 28, 2023

Anand Mahindras tweet has garnered mixed reactions from Twitter users. While some found it to be a brilliant innovation to encourage women to shop without the burden of their partners, others felt that men didnt need to be taken care of and could stay at home. A tweet read, Sir, To ensure that men dont discourage their partners from splurging, some malls have set up daycare centres for grown-up men. They can relax and watch TV with snacks and drinks while their women empty their wallets and swipe plastic undisturbed.

Sir, To ensure that men dont discourage their partners from splurging, some malls have set up day care centres for grown up men. They can relax and watch TV with snacks and drinks while their women empty their wallets and swipe plastic undisturbed.  Umesh Mhambrey (@Umesh99912664) April 28, 2023

They dont need a daycare Center. They are better at home without anyone. Its not just innovation. Its innovation to the peaks. A smart way of presenting things, another user tweeted.

They dont need a day care Center. They are better at home without anyone. Its not just innovation. Its innovation to the peaks. Smart way of presenting things Arvind Raghava (@ArvindRaghava5) April 28, 2023

A user tweeted, Crazily innovative. Just guessing who all will leave their husbands out here Also, its important to know the nature of the shop from the inside. Innovative though.

Crazily innovative Just guessing who all will leave their husbands out here.. Also its important to know the nature of shop from inside Innovative though  Anoop Mundhra (@anoopmundhra) April 28, 2023

Previously, an AI-generated video that showcases the ageing process of a young girl captured the attention of Anand Mahindra. The video portrays the girls face from the age of five to 95, with near-perfect accuracy.

Received this post of a sequence of portraits generated by Artificial Intelligence showing a girl ageing from 5years to 95 years. I wont fear the power of AI so much if it can create something so hauntingly beautiful.and Human pic.twitter.com/k7d2qupJ52 anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) April 24, 2023

Mahindra called the AI creation hauntingly beautiful".

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What if we say a couple has managed to save up for a house deposit while travelling the world by house sitting and dog sitting? Seems like a joke, right? But, its true. When Molly and Garth travel the world while saving a significant amount of money, they call their cost-of-living-busting lifestyle the best thing they have ever done".

The couple from Donegal, North West Ireland, has spent the previous ten months staying for free at 17 different strangers homes in cities including New York, Amsterdam and Barcelona. Garth and Molly have been dating for three years. Since none of them has a fixed residence, they travel frequently inside Ireland and abroad. The couple has saved more than they ever thought they would" and has the money to make a down payment on a home, but they dont have any immediate plans to settle down".

Talking to a media portal, Molly said, The houses we stay in are absolutely beautiful, and often really big modern spaces, and not having to have a landlord or worry about the housing crisis is such a privilege." When they were able to legally travel, Molly and Garth visited Ireland, Portugal and Germany, and even resided in Barcelona for a while after they first met during the pandemic.

In May 2022, Molly was scrolling through TikTok after returning from a trip when she came across a creator talking about their experience house-sitting using the app Trusted House Sitters. She then decided to give it a try.

She said, I decided to take a risk and pay for the annual membership, thinking to myself that it would be worth it if we even got one or two housesits in the year, and 17 housesits later, and almost fully booked for the next few months too, its the best thing we have ever done." Without having to pay for lodging or utilities, the two started caring for strangers homes and pets.

Molly stated, It took us two or three weeks to get our very first house to sit because its all based on reviews, and at the start, we obviously had none, so we are forever grateful to the very first people who had us sit." The couples first house sat in Dublin in June 2022 and took care of the owners golden Labrador.

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The connection between food and memory is an undeniable phenomenon. Its almost impossible to eat something that we have a strong connection to without feeling a wave of nostalgia. This connection is what makes food so special and significant in our lives and it seems that Nagaland minister Temjen Imna Along understands this well. In a recent video, the Nagaland tourism minister shared a recipe for a popular dish from the state - Fermented Taro Leaves with Smoked Pork.

The recipe seems intriguing and tempting to try, but what caught peoples attention was the personal connection that the minister had with the dish. In his Twitter caption, Temjen Imna Along expressed his fondness for his mothers cooking, stating that the recipe reminded him of his moms dish. He also admitted that he misses his home. He gave credit to the Instagram account Naga Food Tribe for the video.

Ah! Fermented Taro leaves with Smoked Pork. This reminded me of my Mom's dish. Missing home.  Video Credit: Naga Food Tribe. pic.twitter.com/13e9fxZORS  Temjen Imna Along (@AlongImna) April 27, 2023

Its heartening to see a minister share his love for his mothers cooking and traditional cuisine on a public platform. The tweet showcasing the recipe has garnered a lot of appreciation from Twitter users.

One person suggested having a Naga food meetup in Delhi and wrote, Naga food is the most underrated food. Do a Naga food meetup in Delhi to promote Naga food.

Naga food is the most ubderrated food. Do a naga food meetup in delhi to promote naga food. Straight Talk (@Straighupdudess) April 27, 2023

Another account expressed how Temjen Imna Alongs tweets will definitely boost Nagalands tourism, Sir apke aise tweet se Nagaland tourism jaroor badhega. We all love you, (Your tweets like these will definitely boost Nagaland tourism).

Sir apke aise tweet se Nagaland tourism jaroor badhega.We all love you    (@KyaDikkatHai) April 27, 2023

A user also highlights the healthy cooking technique. The best part is that no oil is used to cook such foods.

The best part is that no oil is used to cook such foods. SANJEETLLB (@Jagrukbharath) April 27, 2023

Another joked, Bulaao kabhi haveli par, (Invite us to your mansion someday).

Bulaao kabhi haveli par  Naveen (@_naveenish) April 27, 2023

Earlier, Temjen Imna Along attended an event where he spoke about the importance of punctuality. He shared that he was inspired by Akshay Kumar to always be on time. In the tweet, Temjen shared a picture of himself and wrote, Dekho! I am not a VIP, I come earlier than the audience.

Dekho! I am not a VIP, I come earlier than the audience.Inspired by @akshaykumar ! pic.twitter.com/z04qHwgjdD  Temjen Imna Along (@AlongImna) April 12, 2023

Interestingly, Akshay Kumar responded to the post, and wrote, Haha! Thank you. And I am greatly inspired by your sense of humour."

Haha! Thank you. And Im very inspired by your sense of humour @AlongImna https://t.co/6Po6hFbXdl Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) April 13, 2023

Coming back to Imna Alongs recipe, the clip has received more than 1 lakh views on Twitter.

Read all the Latest Buzz News here
Over 1500 job offers were made to students of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, during the first phase of this years placements. The drive saw the participation of nearly 400 recruiters. IIT- B, which is counted among the best engineering colleges in the country has witnessed ups and down in the number of jobs offered in the past five years.

JEE Main 2023 Session 2 Result Live Updates

According to an Indian Express report, the job offers remained at similar levels during the first phase of placements in 2017, 2018 and 2018 with 1,114, 1,112, and 1,319 offers respectively. While in 2020, an accurate figure could not be presented due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the next year brought a sudden boom. The institutes saw 1,878 job offers being made to the students in the first phase. For the 2022 placement season, the number has crossed the 1500 mark.

The institute has managed to record good job offer numbers despite a global slowness in the job market and layoffs in many big companies. Of the total offers made this year, which also included 71 international offers, 1,224 have been accepted by candidates. A total of 25 candidates have reportedly received packages of more than Rs 1 crore. The accepted job offers include 63 in foreign locations.

During this placement season, the top recruiters were American Express, Honda Japan, McKinsey & Company, Morgan Stanley, Sprinklr, Reliance, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Boston Consulting Group, Adani and Tata, reports add.

Apart from the jobs being offered, the average salary has also witnessed a rise over the past five years. Looking at the data shared, the average salary of the placement season in 2017 was Rs 11.41 lakh per annum (approximately). It then went up to Rs 18.5 lakh per annum (approximately) in 2018. By 2019, it crossed the 20-lakh mark and stood at Rs 20.34 lakh per annum (approximately). In 2020, there was a slight decline  taking the average salary to Rs 18.40 lakh per annum (approximately) which could have been due to COVID-19. By 2021, the average salary at IIT Bombay elevated and touched Rs 22.7 lakh per annum (approximately). The figures for this years average salary havent been released yet.

Read all the Latest Education News here
Electoral preparations in poll-bound Karnataka are in full swing. The Assembly Elections are scheduled for May 10, and the results will be announced on May 13. According to the Election Commission of India, a new voting arrangement has been made for the elderly and specially-abled people in the state. Karnataka houses 5.71 lakh people with disabilities and 12,15,763 elderly people above 80 who will all be able to cast their votes from home.

As per the final report issued by the Election Commission, of the 99,529 people who have been qualified to cast their votes in Karnataka, 80,250 voters who are above the age of 80 accompanied by 19,729 specially-abled voters will be allowed to cast their votes from their homes itself.

Reports further claim that in Dakshina Kannada, the number of senior citizens over 80 years is 10,808, while Bangalore Rural has the least number of old people with 470. They will be casting votes from home. Similarly, there are 2,845 differently-abled people in the Tumkur district, while 14 are in Brhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Central.

In the 28 assembly districts that make up the Bangalore metropolitan area, there are 9,152 senior citizens and 119 people with disabilities. Additionally, 113 disabled people are living in Bangalores rural areas. In the constituencies of Bellary Rural and Chittapura, 7 elderly citizens will each cast their ballots from home.

Shira constituency has the most elderly residents who are over 80 years old and are eligible to vote from home out of the 224 assembly constituencies in the state. 2,480 older individuals have been given access to this facility. The highest percentage of disabled voters who will be allowed to vote from home in the Shira Constituency is 1499.

The Election Commission reports that there are no voters with disabilities in the areas of Rajajinagar, Pulakeshinagar, BTM Layout, Padmanabhanagar, or Vijayanagar. According to a report by TOI, the CEO of Karnataka revealed that this particular voting method is only applicable to people who are either confined to their homes or suffering from age-related ailments."

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Heres how absurd politics can be, how brazenly an entire industry can behave, even after acknowledging its profitable role in spreading illness and death.

The tobacco industry, says State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, claims Gov. Kathy Hochul is discriminating against Black communities by pushing to ban flavored tobacco, including menthol cigarettes and flavored smokeless tobacco. Let that sink in.

This is an industry whose product, when used as intended, is liable to lead to emphysema, heart disease, lung cancer and even death. It knows that Black smokers disproportionately favor menthol-flavored cigarettes. It wants to secure that market even as its product threatens to kill its members.

And no wonder. The industry has poured money into the effort. As The New York Times reports, decades of aggressive marketing has led Black smokers to prefer menthol cigarettes, whose cooling sensation on the throat makes them more appealing and addictive.

Nevertheless, Hochuls push seems to be on life support as Hoylman-Sigal put it. The Manhattan Democrat supports Hochuls effort but said last week that it needed her strong support. She should provide it.

Hochuls effort is certainly controversial. It has even split the Black community. Some members see it as a welcome effort to reduce the high incidence of illness and death among Black smokers, but others worry about an increase in smuggling, the creation of a black market and what some see as offering another excuse for police to harass Black people.

These arent made-up worries. The arguments deserved a hearing. But what is insufficiently acknowledged is the cost of giving into them. Were not talking about junk food or too much television or bad posture. The issue for too many is life and death. Adding grievous insult to the lethal injury is the sheer arrogance of Big Tobacco in claiming that Hochul is the one mistreating Black New Yorkers. Its hypocrisy on steroids.

A few telling figures:

 Black Americans are the most likely racial group to be diagnosed with lung cancer, with a rate of 76.1 cases per 100,000 people. White patients were next, with a substantially lower rate of 69.7 per 100,000.

 Black men are, by sex, race and ethnicity, the nations most prevalent group of smokers, according to the American Lung Association.

 Life expectancy for smokers is at least 10 years shorter than for nonsmokers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while quitting before age 40 reduces the risk of dying from smoking-related disease by about 90%.

So, based on the CDC report that smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths annually, including deaths from secondhand smoke, quitting by 40 could save some 432,000 lives every year. Banning menthol and other flavored cigarettes wont accomplish all of that, of course, but its a useful strategy.

What is more, at least some of the alarms seem to be false. For example, a recent study found that banning menthol cigarettes didnt prompt more people in Canada to buy illicit cigarettes and found no change in the number of people who bought cigarettes on tribal lands. Canada banned menthol cigarettes in 2015.

Interestingly, another study of Canadian smokers, based on data from the International Tobacco Control Project, found more menthol smokers than regular cigarette smokers quit smoking after the ban went into effect. It also found there was a 7.3% increase in smoking cessation after the ban.

These are compelling numbers. The Canadian ban has saved lives, preserved families and saved health care dollars. It did so through a reasonable response to a product whose makers have long known of its addictive properties and who have relied on them  even manipulated them  in an immoral project to accumulate wealth based on promoting disease. And Black Americans have been the primary victims.

Maybe this ban wont pass this year. If not, Hochul should come back to it, perhaps after consulting with Black leaders. Whatever happens, though, everyone should understand that when Big Tobacco claims Hochul is being mean to New Yorks Black residents, its blowing smoke.

  

Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing.
In Gundakurthi, one of the remotest villages in Karnatakas Chittapur constituency, 26-year-old Manikanth Rathod  accompanied by 30-35 odd supporters  is visiting door-to-door with folded hands. Paying close attention to the grievances aired by locals, he firmly holds their hands and promises to bring in a wave of development to change their lives.

A youth icon, as his supporters tell me, Rathod is BJPs young firebrand leader to take on Priyank Kharge, who is eyeing a hat-trick in this high-stakes prestige battle as Chittapur has traditionally been a Congress bastion. AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge has won from the region nine times. Of these, eight victories were from Gurmitkal which is under Yadgir district, and once from Chittapur in 2008 before he handed over the reins to his son to move to Delhi as Gulbarga MP in 2009.

An unprecedented choice many would say, Rathod pipped eight contenders  including BJPs Yuva Morcha general secretary Arvind Chavan  to emerge as the partys pick, even if that triggered high-profile resignations.

Rathod, however, remains confident and self-assured in his strength. Right now, we are campaigning at Mallikarjun Kharges wifes village. Look at the number of people backing me. You will find similar scenes everywhere. My candidature was on the back of this love and support that I have been receiving from people for the last three years. They have seen me grow from strength to strength, Rathod tells News18.

Standing near a temple surrounded by a mixed crowd of senior citizens, youth activists, and children, Rathod sharply targets Priyank Kharge for being a missing MLA who visits his constituency only to cut ribbons for new projects. His election pitch is received with a round of applause, followed by slogans in his name.

While contesting as an MLA may mark a new beginning for Rathod, his affidavit, on the other hand, is not a clean slate. He is one of the most controversial candidates to contest the assembly elections and that too from a constituency that the BJP is determined to win.

LONG CRIMINAL RECORD

The 26-year-old leader has at least 40 criminal cases registered against him in Karnataka, Telangana, and Maharashtra. Some of these cases include serious crimes such as attempts to murder, smuggling of drugs & narcotics, illegal possession of firearms, and illegal transportation of rice and milk powder packets meant for the poor through the Public Distribution System (PDS).

The Kalaburagi Police Commissioner had also banished him from the city for a year for being a habitual offender and a rabble-rouser. Rathod managed to secure a stay order from the court. In November last year, he was also briefly arrested for threatening to shoot Congress MLA Priyank Kharge.

When asked about the possibility of his criminal past dampening his prospects, Rathod dubbed all the cases fabricated and politically motivated.

All these cases have been planted by the Kharges and their followers. They even tried to murder me. The whole Chittapur knows I am an innocent person. I have filed a complaint with the Lokayukta against Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyank Kharge as to how they have been misusing lands allocated by the government to build Ambedkar Smarak Kalyana. They also duped the Lingayat and the Koli community by failing to build institutions in their name.

CASTE FACTOR & SYMPATHY VOTES

Rathod says he is following the footsteps of late BJP MLA Valmiki Naik, who contested from Chittapur four times and won the seat by defeating Priyank Kharge in the 2009 by-election.

Valmiki Naik was like a father figure to me. My initial days in politics were spent in campaigning for him. He was also a stalwart leader because he shattered the dominance of the Kharge family and paved the way for the BJP. I am confident of repeating what he managed to do in 2009 because I know the pulse of the people, Rathod says.

What also ties them together is the caste aspect. Both Naik and Rathod belong to the Lambani (Banjara) community, which roughly has a population between 35,000 and 40,000 in Chittapur. News18 is attributing this data to the rough estimates put forth by both BJP and Congress leaders in the area.

With Rathods candidature, the BJP is trying to strike a balance between the caste and the youth factor to swing votes in its favour. The party is also hoping to derive political brownie points through its recently reconfigured internal reservation matrix which splits the earlier 17 per cent SC quota into three parts  6 per cent for the most backward SC (Left) group, 5.5 per cent for the SC (Right) group, and 4.5 per cent for the SC (touchable) which includes the Lambani and Bhovi community. Priyank Kharge hails from the SC-Right group.

But what could pose a big challenge to the BJP is the community that forms the bulwark of its core support base  the Lingayats with an estimated population of 65,000. The unforeseen selection of an inexperienced, history-sheeter like Rathod triggered the exit of Vishwanath Patil Hebbal, a three-time MLA from Chittapur and an influential leader from the Panchamasali Lingayat community.

Both Hebbal and youth leader Arvind Chavan slammed the BJP for promoting outsiders with criminal background. The Congress also hopes to capitalise on the popularity of other Lingayat heavyweights and BJP turncoats like Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi. Political pundits also believe another BJP turncoat Baburao Chinchansur will be instrumental in fetching votes from the numerically strong Koli community

FIRM ON TURNING THE ODDS IN HIS FAVOUR, SAYS RATHOD

Look around me. Every second person standing here with me is a Lingayat. Hebbal has been disloyal to the party. He won Chittapur as a JDS leader, before switching to the BJP for political survival. He wants to remain in politics using money and muscle power. But BJP is a party that recognises real talent, and that is why when Hebbal was denied a ticket for being a non-performer, he directed his frustration towards me. Both Savadi and Shettars joinings will make no difference. I am not trying to appease any one community. I want to win with everyones support," he says.

He adds: The moment I become an MLA, I promise to snatch away 50 per cent of the ill-gotten wealth that the Kharges usurped from the Kalyana-Karnataka region.

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Kannada star Shiva Rajkumars followers are eagerly looking forward to the release of his pan-India film 45. Music composer Arjun Janya is donning the directors cap for the first time with this film. 45 recently went on floors at a resort located in Mysore. The entire team called for a press conference and interacted with the media on this occasion. They shared some interesting details related to the film as well. Shiva Rajkumar told the press that Arjun is working really hard on his debut project. According to the Kannada superstar, Arjun has made good use of technology as well in this film.

Shiva Rajkumar also said that 45 is a philosophical entertainer having interesting characters for actors Raj B. Shetty, Upendra, and him. Shiva Rajkumar said that he has given a call sheet for a long time to the shooting of his film, calling it a special one in his career.

The Vedha actor requested the audience to wish Arjun the best for his directorial debut. He said that Arjun has infused every element in the storyline of the film which can make it entertaining. He is confident about the success of 45. Apart from these factors mentioned by Shiva Rajkumar, actress Kaustubha Mani is also one of the highlights of 45. Social media users are now looking forward to knowing about the plot of a film, which is indiscernible from the title, having just a numeric value.

Apart from 45, Shiva Rajkumar is also in the news now due to his upcoming show Dance Karnataka Dance Season 7. A promo of this show was tweeted by Zee Kannada on April 19. The promo featured the team celebrating the arrival of Dance Karnataka Dance Season 7. The promo also featured Shivanna dancing with them. Although it has not yet been revealed when the show will start airing, registration for the reality show has started today, April 28.

Shivanna was also associated with the sixth season as the judge. Actress Rakshitha, Prem, Arjun Janya, and choreographer Chinni Prakash also judged the show. It is yet to be known whether the same artists would be roped in for the seventh season or not.

Read all the Latest Bollywood News and Regional Cinema News here
India evacuated the tenth batch of its nationals from Port Sudan and brought them to the Saudi city of Jeddah, the Ministry of Affairs External (MEA) said on Friday as New Delhi continued Operation Kaveri in the strife-torn African nation.

Under this rescue mission, India is taking out evacuees from Sudan amid the ongoing conflict between the regular army and a paramilitary force.

#OperationKaveri progresses further. 10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.

#OperationKaveri progresses further.10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah.  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) April 27, 2023

INS Tarkash bolsters #OperationKaveri efforts! 9th batch of Indians leaves Port Sudan for Jeddah with 326 passengers onboard," Bagchi said in an earlier tweet.

India has set up a transit facility at Jeddah and Minister of State for External Affairs (MoS) V Muraleedharan is overseeing the evacuation mission from the Saudi Arabian city.

Taking to Twitter, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Friday warmly welcomed family members of Indian Embassy Officials who were part of the eighth batch of 121 rescued Indians.

A daring rescue! 8th batch of 121 Indians arrived at Jeddah by IAF C 130 J from Wadi Seidna, Sudan. This evacuation was more complex as the location is in vicinity of Khartoum. Family members of our Embassy Officials were also part of this group. Warm welcome," he tweeted.

A daring rescue!8th batch of 121 Indians arrived at Jeddah by IAF C 130 J from Wadi Seidna,Sudan.This evacuation was more complex as the location is in vicinity of Khartoum. Family members of our Embassy Officials were also part of this group. Warm welcome.#OperationKaveri pic.twitter.com/VcVnlmuQ1b  V. Muraleedharan (@MOS_MEA) April 27, 2023

Earlier on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra addressed a special briefing on the modalities of Operation Kaveri.

While speaking to reporters, the Foreign Secretary said that the Centre estimates that approximately 3500 Indian nationals and about 1000 odd PIOs are in Sudan.

Giving an update on Indias rescue plan, Kwatra said the governments focus has been to advise and assist the stranded Indian nationals.

Furthermore, as soon as the conflict broke out, the Ministry of External Affairs set up a 24/7 control room, up on the third floor of this building. That control room continues to run 24/7 and will continue to do so, till we have overcome the current situation and resolved it fully," he added.

As per official numbers, India has so moved out nearly 2000 people from the conflict zone. However, the Foreign Secretary added that it would not be correct for him to give specificity to these numbers, because of the logistical challenges amid conflict.

On Wednesday night the first group of evacuees arrived in New Delhi from Jeddah to the welcome of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Kwatra informed that minister Jaishankar has reached out to Foreign Ministers of other key partners whose nationals were also stuck in Sudan. These included Foreign Ministers of the U.S., UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and last night, Dr. Jaishankar also had a conversation with the UK Foreign Minister," he added.

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The Supreme Court on Friday directed all states and union territories to take suo moto action against those making hate speeches even if there is no complaint.

The apex courts directions came while hearing a hate speech case.

Hate speech is a serious offence affecting the fabric of the nation, goes to the heart of our republic and dignity of people, Justice KM Joseph said.

We are very clear, our order was irrespective of religion. We only had the public good in mind when we passed the order for suo motu action against hate speech. That it should not go out of hands, he added.

Last month, the apex court said hate speeches are a vicious circle" and these will end the moment politics and religions are separated and politicians stop using religion in politics.

A bench of justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna said hate speeches are being made by fringe elements and people should restrain themselves from doing so.

Major problem arises when politicians are mixing politics with religion. The moment politics and religion are segregated, this will end. When politicians stop using religion, all this will stop. We have said in our recent verdict also that mixing politics with religion is dangerous for democracy," Justice Joseph said.

The top courts observations came while hearing a contempt petition against various state authorities including Maharashtra for failing to register FIRs against those making such speeches.

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A little ahead of Nechiphu, where the new tunnel is coming up in Arunachal Pradesh, is the Central Institute of Himalayan Culture And Studies at Dahung in the West Kameng district. When a News18 team went to the institute to find out what it was all about, it came across a batch of 25 to 30 army officers taking classes in Tibetology from the local paladin lama.

Tibetology is the study of the culture, society, language, and politics of Tibet, said Major Dipak Kumar, who is one of the officers posted in the border area between West Kameng and Tawang districts.

We are trained here for eight weeks; this proposal was discussed in the army commanders conference in 2020. Seven institutes were identified for this course. We are learning Tibets history, religion and politics as it will be a great help for us to interact with civilians, Maj Kumar said.

Experts said officers from across India were learning this course and it helped them form a perspective of China, which has established a counter-narrative and spread fake news about Tibet. They said the course helped in gaining an in-depth knowledge on Tibet from every aspect and, especially so, for those posted on the border areas.

This will help us gel with civilians; if we talk in their language and understand them, then that becomes a great help for both sides, Major Vivek Bishnoi, another officer posted in East Arunachal, told News18.

Another officer, Major Himanshu Kashyap, said the army and civilians faced various issues living in border areas; so, if the army made an effort to understand the local culture, it will be easier to form connections with civilians.

The paladin lama, who was teaching the officers, said, The course is taught for eight weeks; the officers pick up the language quickly and this obviously helps both ways.

From Tibetan literature and conversation to the script and symbolism, all of it is taught in this course, the lama said, adding that the officers were evaluated after eight weeks.

Some time ago, when China renamed certain places in Arunachal Pradesh, there were strong protests from those living in the border areas of Arunachal Pradesh. In this region, people are clear that the army not only protects them but extends a helping hand in every aspect.

Local residents said in 1962, there was no attention from the central government in this region. Since this area has seen a dark time in 1962, the people-friendly mode of the army is working.

Read all the Latest India News here
The Supreme Court on Friday set aside the orders passed by a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court directing the SC Registrar General to produce documents which led to the passing of the said apex court order transferring the West Bengal school jobs scam case to another judge.

The top court asked the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to reassign the West Bengal school jobs scam case to another judge, days after voicing displeasure over Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyays interview to a TV news channel where he spoke about the raging controversy.

A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, which also comprised Justice P S Narasimha, was hearing the plea of TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee who alleged that the judge, who gave the interview to ABP Ananda about the case, was incapacitated from hearing it.

Pursuant to the order of this court, the registry has placed the affidavit. We have considered the note by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay and have also perused the transcript of the interview. Having considered the transcript, we direct that the Honble Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Calcutta shall re-assign the pending proceedings in the case to some other judge of the Calcutta High Court.

The judge to whom the case will be reassigned by the Acting Chief Justice would be at liberty to take up all the applications which may be moved in the case, the bench ordered.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the CBI and ED, said that there has been a trend of individuals trying to browbeat judges the moment a judgement or an order goes against them.

This is quite disturbing. There is a pattern going on whenever an order goes against a particular dispensation and a person, judges are targeted. Before Justice Gangopadhyay, there was one more judge. I am not naming him. His courtroom was blocked, virtually locked. He was not permitted to come out, he said.

Even in the court of Justice Gangopadhyay, people went with paperweight and slippers in their hands and posters were pasted outside his house, he said.

This sends a very demoralising message to the judiciary. They are right or wrong, that is entirely Lordsdhips discretion (to decide). I have nothing to say if such elements are emboldened then similar activities will also take place before other judges. Judges should not be cowed down by the people barging into the courtroom and abusing them. This is on video, the law officer said.

No effort anywhere in the country should be made to browbeat the judges  undoubtedly there is no question about that. I will take it up as the Chief Justice of India on the administrative side, CJI Chandrachud told the top law officer who claimed TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee named Justice Gangopadhyay at a public rally and attempted to put pressure on him.

The CJI said judges take on very very difficult and arduous duty and such incidents should not take place anywhere in the country.

The bench said the only reason why it was transferring the proceedings to another judge is because of the transcript of the interview and nothing else.

Earlier, the top court had sought a report from the Registrar General of the Calcutta High Court on whether Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay gave an interview to a news channel about the school jobs scam" case.

It had also said judges have no business granting interviews on pending matters.

On April 17, the top court had stayed the Calcutta High Courts April 13 order directing the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate to interrogate Abhishek Banerjee and Kuntal Ghosh, an accused in the case, and file a report in the HC based on that.

The top court said its order will not come in the way of the ongoing investigation by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the alleged scam.

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Banerjee, had referred to the translated transcription of the interview given by Justice Gangopadhyay in which he allegedly spoke against the TMC MP.

At an earlier hearing the CJI had said the judge should have recused himself from hearing the case and paved the way for setting up another bench by the chief justice of the high court.

The high court bench of Justice Gangopadhyay had taken note of the March 29 public speech of Abhishek Banerjee, a nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in which he had purportedly said that Ghosh, an accused in the case, was being pressured by the central probe agencies to name him in the case.

Kuntal Ghosh, an accused in the school jobs scam case currently lodged in custody, had also soon after alleged he was being pressured by investigators to allege the complicity of Banerjee, the TMCs unofficial number two.

The Calcutta High Court had on April 13 passed a slew of directions asking the police not to lodge FIRs on complaints against officers of the CBI or the ED investigating the alleged recruitment scam related to the West Bengal Central School Service Commission and the West Bengal Board of Primary Education without its permission.

It had asked the central agencies to probe the role of Banerjee, saying such an interrogation should be made soon".

(With PTI inputs)

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The BJP and the Congress separately demanded that the Biju Janata Dal government in Odisha open the Ratna Bhandar of the Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri, and make public the report of a judicial commission formed to probe into the issue of missing keys of the 12th-century shrines treasury.

The demands were raised on Thursday, two days after the Orissa High Court asked the state government to file its response by July 10 on a petition praying for making public the report of Justice Raghubir Das Commission of Inquiry on the missing Ratna Bhandar keys.

The judicial panel submitted its report to the state government in November 2018, about five years ago. The government has not taken any action on it and kept it in cold storage," BJP spokesperson Pitamber Acharya said.

If the government believes in transparency, the judicial commission report should be made public without further delay, senior Congress leader Bijay Patnaik said.

The ruling BJD in a statement said the Ratna Bhandar was not opened for 38 years since 1985 and the opposition should refrain from indulging in politics in the name of Lord Jagannath.

The Ratna Bhandar, located in the basement of the temple, has two parts. The outer chamber of the Ratna Bhandar stores ornaments used by the deities on a daily basis, while many pieces of jewellery are kept in the inner chamber of the treasury.

While the keys to the outer chamber are available, the keys to the inner chamber are missing.

Acharya said the people have serious doubts about the assertion made by the government for the last five years that it has a duplicate key.

An attempt was made to open the inner chamber of Ratna Bhandar in April 2018 following a directive of the Orissa High Court, but it was not successful as keys were not found at that time. A team, comprising ASI officials, priests and others, then carried out an inspection from outside.

However, a few days after the inspection, the government said a duplicate key of the inner chamber has been found.

The state government must give a clarification on the issue of missing keys and how a duplicate was found," he said.

The BJP leader also sought to know why the government is reluctant to open the Ratna Bhandar if it has a duplicate key.

Acharya also wondered why the state government is not opening the inner chamber even after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in an affidavit to the court mentioned that there is a threat to Ratna Bhandar and urgent repair work is required.

He claimed that people across the country suspect that the valuables of the Ratna Bhandar have been looted.

It is the responsibility of the state government to make the Commission of Inquiry report public," Congress leader Bijay Patnaik said.

The BJD government is not maintaining its own policy of maintaining transparency, he said.

I had seen huge quantities of gold, diamond and ornaments wrapped in clothes and kept in wooden boxes," former temple administrator Rabindra Narayan Mishra, who was part of a team that inspected the inner chamber in 1978, said.

All the precious items have been listed and weighed properly during the last inspection, he said, adding that the valuation of the asset could not be ascertained as goldsmiths from Tamil Nadu and Gujarat were not able to calculate the actual value of the ornaments at that time.

In 1985 when the Ratna Bhandar opened again, no fresh inventory was made.

Mishra supported the demand for a fresh inventory of the ornaments stored in the Ratna Bhandar and allow the ASI to inspect its condition.

In 2021, then-law minister Pratap Jena informed the assembly that according to the 1978 inventory, the Ratna Bhandar had 12,831 bharis of gold and 22,153 bharis of silver (one bhari is equal to 11.66 grams).

The treasury also had 12,831 grams of gold ornaments with precious stones and other valuables, he had said.

As much as 22,153 grams of silver with expensive stones, silver utensils and other valuables were found there, Jena mentioned, adding that due to various reasons, 14 gold and silver items could not be weighed during the inventory process.

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Darba Divisional Committee (DDC) head Jagdish could be the mastermind behind the attack in Chhattisgarhs Dantewada, where Maoists blew up a multi-utility vehicle (MUV), which was part of a convoy carrying security personnel in Arhanpur police station area, killing 10 policemen and a civilian on Wednesday.

Police sources have confirmed to CNN-News18 that a manhunt has been launched for the Maoist commander. The initial intelligence, based on which the Arhanpur operation was launched, officials said, was about Jagdishs presence in the area. It is now being suspected that Maoists may have deliberately shared wrong leads. His location is now suspected to be at the exact blast spot.

Officials said the mobile dump from the towers at the location suggests that Maoists were coordinating over the phone. The suspicion is that Jagdish was one of the commanders present at the spot. We are investigating, a police official said.

The police suspect that Jagdish was perched on a higher position to observe and give real-time instructions to the cadre about the blast and the firing to escape from the location.

The DDC had shot to fame after the Darba Ghati massacre, which eliminated the entire state leadership of the Congress in 2013. The committee was also blamed for the murder of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Bheema Mandavi in 2019. As per intelligence agencies, Jagdish was given the task of reviving the DDC, as it had to lie low post the Mandavi killing. Agencies suspect Dantewada massacre could be Jagdishs attempt to re-establish the DDCs presence in Bastar.

Jagdish and his aides have now been booked under the Arms Act, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC), including for murder and attempt to murder. A police spokesperson said: CPI Maoist Darba Division Committee members Jagdish, Lakkhe, Somdu, Mahesh, Hidma, Umesh, Deve, Nand Kumar, Lakhma, Kosa and Mukesh have been named in the first information report (FIR). All are wanted members of the CPI Maoist."

UNRAVELLING THE CONSPIRACY

Civilian Yuvraj was driving his Scorpio with eight District Reserve Guards (DRG) and an injured suspected Maoist, Kosa, alias Sanna, was on-board. Kosa had been shot in the thigh as per the police and needed immediate medical attention.

The Scorpio was the second in a convoy of three  the first was MUV Toofan and behind him was a pick-up van. The pick-up van overtook Yuvrajs Scorpio two kilometres ahead of Arhanpur police station at Pedka Chowk. Minutes later, it blew up.

The two Naxals arrested by the Dantewada DRG in an anti-Maoist operation, minutes before the blast, now hold the key to the investigation by the local police. One injured Maoist has been admitted to the local government hospital, while the second is in judicial custody.

We are waiting for a go-ahead from the doctors. As soon as the injured Maoist is medically fit, we will question him. We are also seeking police remand for the second Maoist, said officials.

Yuvraj told CNN-News18 that Kosa was in his SUV. I suspect the Maoists wanted to target my vehicle, as the injured man was in it. The truck overtook me and I slowed downtheir vehicle blew up, Yuvraj said.

The suspicion is the arrested Maoist could have information about the way the attack was planned.

Police also want to question the arrested Maoists about a Telugu-speaking woman, who is suspected to have been the second-in-command during the operation.

IG Bastar told CNN-News18 that any Maoist unit usually has 50% women. A probe is on to establish the identity of the woman, who locals have identified as Hemlata.

Police suspects that the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was inserted below the road at least a month in advance and was wired just minutes before the blast.

CHILDREN USED TO TRAP DRG?

As per eyewitnesses and survivors from the DRG group that was targeted, children were stopping vehicles at the Aam Pandum barricades.

ALSO READ | Did DRG Jawans Walk into A Naxal Trap in Dantewada? Answers to These 4 Questions Will Clear That Up

Aam Pandum is a festival local tribals celebrate to offer the first mango harvest to their deity. Children were collecting donations from vehicles passing the nakas that had been set up. Police suspect the nakas had Maoists standing behind the children to identify the vehicles carrying forces. Three passenger vehicles crossed minutes before the blast, but were not targeted. It looked like they were specifically on the lookout for vehicles carrying DRG men. Children could have been a ploy to surround passing vehicles and slow them down, while Maoists identified the occupants, a source said.

At least two rifles of the slain DRG men are missing. Three detonators have been found at the spot. Local police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are carrying out a search operation in the nearby forest.

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Operation Kaveri, which is on to bring back Indians stranded in conflict-hit Sudan, is perhaps more of an evacuation challenge for India than any other nation as the number of stuck citizens, including the Persons of Indian Origin (PIO), is higher in comparison to any other country.

ALSO READ | Sudan Unrest: Why India Is Striking the Right Quad by Staying in Touch With the UK, US, Saudi & UAE | Analysis

During a press briefing on Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for the first time gave out the number.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kumar Kwatra said, Our estimate is that there are approximately 3,500 Indians and 1,000 PIOs in Sudan.

#OperationKaveri progresses further.10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah.  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) April 27, 2023

According to the MEA data, 32 million NRIs and PIOs are Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), making them the worlds largest diaspora.

What makes Sudan a popular destination among Indians?

Several Indians migrated to African countries in large numbers for trade purposes and job opportunities as they were also British colonies.

Broadly, Indians living in the country fall in these categories:

Import-export

The Gujarati community is largely into export and import in Sudan. They import car spare parts, electronics from India and other countries to Sudan. Indians are also into the business of exporting local bajra, peanut, cotton, oil and Sudanese sugar. A number of steel units such as Liberty Steel, Omega Steel and Arti Steel, which is a subsidiary of Bhushan Group, are owned by PIOs. Orient Fan is one of the largest players in Sudan. PIOs with Gujarati roots have been staying in Omdurman area for the past 150 years. Blue, white collar professionals (workers, mechanics, technicians, engineers)

This category consists of population from Karnataka, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Since the economic growth in Sudan after the 1990s, many Indians migrated to the country for better job opportunities through friends, family and also through agencies. They are paid well in Sudan as Indian workers are skilled. Indians contribute to the IT sector in setting up computer networks, IT consultancy, etc. Construction works

Many Indians got into the construction business in the late 1990s. Several infrastructure projects have been carried out by Indians. Natural medicine

The Hakki Pikki tribe of Karnataka is popular among the Sudanese population for their traditional medicines. Sardar Tarsem Singh Saini settled in Sudan since the 1980s, who has been evacuated, said, Indians are highly respected in Sudan. The Sudanese consider Indians their guru. Indians taught them computers and the Indian government trained Sudanese police forces. They look up to Indians.

THE HISTORY

The settled Indian community in Sudan is around 150 years old. Luvchand Amarchand Shah, a Gujarati trader who imported goods from India, is believed to have been the first Indian to go to Sudan from Aden in the early 1860s. As his business expanded, he brought his relatives from Saurashtra, who in turn invited their friends and family. This is how the Indian community grew and developed in Sudan.

From small towns in the eastern part of country (Port Sudan and Sawakin), the early Indian pioneers moved into the interiors and settled in Omdurman, Kassala, Gedaref and Wad Medani.

Indians enjoy so much respect due to their contribution to the Sudanese economy that even Indian convoys got a clear passage and the batch of evacuees were not hurt en route Port Sudan. Pankaj Chaube, one the evacuees, said, The Sudanese respect Indians a lot. They had a clear understanding not to harass or hurt Indians. Even when our convoys were stopped, after they got to know we are Indians, we were allowed to go ahead.

Pramod Mishra, who worked as a mill designing worker in Sudan, said, Humko lootne aaye, sir pe bandook rakha, par maar peet nahin kiya. Unko jab pata chala hum Indian hai, bina maare peete chale gaye, Indians, Chinese aur Americans ko kuch nahin kar rahe the.

The economy of Sudan has boomed on the back of increased oil production, high oil prices and large inflows of foreign direct investment until the second half of 2002. Sudan has invested in infrastructure projects and mining, with several Indian and Russian Companies into mining business.

A daring rescue!8th batch of 121 Indians arrived at Jeddah by IAF C 130 J from Wadi Seidna,Sudan.This evacuation was more complex as the location is in vicinity of Khartoum. Family members of our Embassy Officials were also part of this group. Warm welcome.#OperationKaveri pic.twitter.com/VcVnlmuQ1b  V. Muraleedharan (@MOS_MEA) April 27, 2023

FROM THE MEA PAPERS

The two famous steel suspension rail bridges in Khartoum and Albara which are still is use were imported from India in the first decade of the last century.

Indian experts developed Sudans forestry sector in 1900.

Indian experts developed Sudans forestry sector in 1900. In 1935, Mahatma Gandhi had stopped in Port Sudan on his way to England. He was welcomed by the Indian community.

Indian troops, too, fought alongside the Sudanese in Eritrea in 1941, winning the decisive Battle of Keren.

The Sudan Block at Indias National Defence Academy was partly funded with a gift of 100,000 pounds from the Sudanese government in recognition of sacrifices of Indian troops in the liberation of Sudan in the North African Campaign during World War II.

The first Sudanese Parliamentary elections were held in 1953 and conducted by Sukukumar Sen, Chief Election Commissioner.

Indian Public Sector undertakings ONGC(V) has invested 2.3 billion pounds in undivided Sudan. It has a share in productive block 1,2 and 4 in Sudan. Both the governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding on promoting cooperation in the oil and gas sector in 2009.

Major Indian brands in pharma have representation in Sudan, along with companies such as Mahindra, Bajaj and Tata.

Indian companies have put manufacturing lines in Sudan in sectors such as pharma, vegetable oil and machinery.

Sudanese officials avail training programmes and higher education scholarship under various programmes such as IAFS-3, CV Raman Fellowship Programme, Professional Course for Diplomats, etc.

Indian companies have refurbished many Indians schools in Sudan over the past two decades.

The Kosti Thermal Power Plant built by BHEL is located at Um Dabaker in Sudan with a capacity of 500 MW (4X 125 MW).

ALSO READ | The Safe Return from Sudan: Army Maps Convoys of Indians during Evacuation, Says Ambassador

Mashkour Sugar Project is funded under Mashkour Sugar Project and overseas infrastructure alliance (OIA) India Private Limited as the main contractor.

India is also a major destination for Sudanese nationals for cheap and best treatment.

At least 3,000-4,000 students travel to India for higher education.

Pharma companies in Sudan import machines and technologies from Indian companies.

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MAHARASHTRA LOTTERY RESULTS 28.04.2023: The Maharashtra State Lottery Department has announced the results for Maharashtra Vaibhavlaxmi, Maharashtra Gajlaxmi Shukra and Ganeshlaxmi Dhan weekly lottries for Friday, April 28. The results of the lottery will be declared on the Maharashtra Lottery Departments official website at https://lottery.maharashtra.gov.in. Check the full list of winning numbers below:

GANESHLAXMI DHAN WEEKLY DRAW RESULT

MAHARASHTRA GAJLAXMI SHUKRA WEEKLY DRAW RESULT

MAHARASHTRA VAIBHAVLAXMI WEEKLY DRAW RESULT

MAHARASHTRA LOTTERY 28 APRIL, 2023 LUCKY DRAW

Sahyadri Rajlaxmi Weekly Lottery: Results at 5:15 PM Ganeshlaxmi Dhan Weekly Lottery: Results at 5:00 PM Gajlaxmi Shukra Weekly Lottery: Results at 4:45 PM Vaibhavlaxmi Weekly Lottery: Results at 4:15 PM

How to Check Maharashtra State Lottery Results?

To check the result of any Maharashtra State Lottery that occurred on April 28, follow the steps given below:

STEP 1: Go to the official website of the Maharashtra State Lottery, available at https://lottery.maharashtra.gov.in/index.html.

STEP 2: Locate the Lottery Result link on the websites navigation bar and click on it.

STEP 3: Upon clicking the link, a new page with the words Lottery Result List" displayed in blue will appear. Click on this link.

STEP 4: On the subsequent page, all the results of the lotteries conducted by the authorities will be visible. Enter the specific lotterys date, month, and year for which you want to see the result.

STEP 5: The results will be accessible in a PDF format. You can download the PDF by clicking on it.

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Azerbaijani, Georgian and Turkish heads of military educational institutions held a trilateral meeting at the National Defense University, Azernews reports.

Rector of the University, Professor, Lt-Gen Heydar Piriyev welcomed the guests and emphasized the importance of discussion and exchange of experience.

Furthermore, he noted that the close cooperation between the three countries serves to ensure peace and security in the region. He expressed confidence that such meetings will contribute to the further strengthening of friendly ties between professors, officers and teaching staffs of military educational institutions.

In turn, Commandant of Turkish Military Academy, Mj-Gen Gultekin Yaral?, and Rector of Georgian National Defence Academy, Brig Gen Mamia Balakhadze expressed their gratitude to the Azerbaijani side for the high-level organization of the meeting and hospitality. They emphasized that holding such meetings would make a worthy contribution to the exchange of experience between military educational institutions, the implementation of joint programs and projects.

Later, the guests signed the Book of Honor of the university.

Then the Turkish and Georgian delegations visited the Military Institute named after Heydar Aliyev.

They visited the Monument of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and the Memorial Complex in memory of the martyrs of the Patriotic War, laid flowers and honored their memories.

The guests got acquainted with a photo board depicting the life and political activity of the Great Leader in the museum of the military institute.

Then a meeting was held at the Military Institute. Rector of the Military Institute named after Heydar Aliyev, Mj-Gen Fuzuli Salahov discussed with the guests a number of issues of mutual interest in the field of military education. A briefing on the history and activities of the institute was presented.

Afterward, the delegations got acquainted with the territory of the institute, educational buildings, material and technical base, as well as the conditions created for the cadets and watched the educational process.

In the end, the sides exchanged presents, and a photo was taken.
You keep using that word, I do not think you know what it means  Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride. In recent editions, Trudy Rubin and others have complained about nations such as Poland, Israel and Hungary being autocratic and anti-democratic. A simple definition of democracy is a way of governing which depends on the will of the people. Sometimes the will of the people isnt Rubins personal preference.

People are shocked that democracy doesnt always look the same way. Rubin claims they are illiberal and change election rules. Who says they have to be liberal or that people have to prefer that? Speaking of election rules, where was widespread mail in voting five years ago? She complains that those conservative countries control the media in their nations. Has she ever watched American TV or listened to public radio? Turn on CBS in the morning for your two minutes of hate recap of all the late night shows humiliating all the enemies of the Democratic Party and their ideals.

People arent stupid. Some feel good policies of getting rid of gas stoves may feel great to residents of Williamsville, but terrible to those who live in Broadway Fillmore. People are allowed to disagree in Silicon Valley with those who live in the Bible belt and vice versa. Italy and Brazil and the Visegrad countries dont have to all look or think like Brussels. Some of us trust the collective wisdom we have learned from history and dont want to throw it all away. Some prefer low crime and want to implement things to keep it that way. Some of us choose to sacrifice the self for family and some choose to sacrifice the family for the self. We should be allowed to make that choice without being attacked as far right or anti democratic.

David Szprygada

Tonawanda
The Bombay High Court recently allowed an ice cream festival to be held at a mall in Ghatkopar while observing that the public visits malls not just for shopping but also leisure activities like eating out, gaming, cinema among others.

It is thus clear that recreational activities would include amusement or enjoyment-related leisure activities. It needs no elaboration that citizens visit malls not only for the purpose of shopping but also for leisure or for amusement, which they would derive not only from shopping activities but also from visiting different specialised areas created in such malls like the food area, play area, amusement/cinema, etc, a division bench of Justices GS Kulkarni and Laddha observed.

The court was hearing a plea filed by R-City mall against the BMCs refusal to grant a no-objection certificate (NOC) to hold a three-day ice cream festival. The civic body had refused permission on the grounds that it was a commercial activity and not permissible at the recreational/open space of the mall.

The high court was also informed that ice cream stalls will be set up by those who have a licence and will not be an unregulated commercial activity.

The division bench said the activity was for a limited period of three days by the installation of temporary stalls. The regulation allowed recreational activities under clause (1)(g)(ii).

It is only an activity where the visitors of the mall would enjoy the benefit of a variety of eatables at a common open space, which, in our opinion, is a permissible recreational activity within the meaning of Regulation 27, the bench noted.

While asking the BMC to issue an NOC to the mall, the bench said, We are of the clear opinion that the municipal corporation needs to grant such permission to the petitioners. We, accordingly, direct the municipal corporation to grant appropriate NOC/permission to the petitioners during the course of the day. The permission shall remain valid as per the application of the petitioners.

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A 20-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh has been arrested for allegedly making a hoax bomb threat at Indira Gandhi International Airport here, police said on Friday.

A senior officer said the arrest comes four days after the IGI Airport police station received a PCR call, on Monday, in which the caller claimed there was a bomb at the airport.

A search was conducted at the airport but nothing suspicious was found, the officer said, adding the call was subsequently declared a hoax.

He said when the police tried to call back, the phone number was found switched off. He said police found during their investigation that call was made from Uttar Pradesh and the number was registered in the name of a person named Zakir, a resident of Hapur. He was arrested and a case registered against him, the officer said, adding further investigation is underway.

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Large gatherings have been banned and mobile internet services have been suspended in Manipurs Churachandpur after an unruly mob vandalised and set on fire the venue where Chief Minister N Biren Singh is scheduled to attend a programme at New Lamka in the district on Friday.

Senior police officials with reinforcement have rushed to the place to control the situation. The District Magistrate of Churachandpur based on a report from the Superintendent of Police that there is a likelihood of breach of peace, disturbance to public tranquillity and grave danger to human lives and public properties has clamped prohibitory order under Section 144 of CrPC in the tribal-dominated district.

Prohibitory Order Not Applicable On Essential Services

The DMs order said it would not apply to agencies of government involved in enforcement of law and order, maintenance of essential services and public attending the inauguration of the open gym and public meeting at Sadbhvana Mandap in the district.

An order issued by the state Home Department said social media has become a handy tool for rumour mongers and is being used to invite the general public which might have serious repercussions for the law and order situation in Churachandpur and Pherzawl districts."

To prevent any disturbance to peace and order the suspension of mobile internet services shall be in force for the next five days with immediate effect in Churachandpur and Pherzawl districts," it added.

Mob Attack CMs Meeting Venue

An unruly mob on Thursday night vandalised and set on fire the venue where Chief Minister N Biren Singh is scheduled to attend a programme at New Lamka in Churachandpur district on Friday.

Local police quickly swung into action and dispersed the mob but not before the venue was damaged with hundreds of burning chairs.

The agitated mobs managed to partially torched the newly set-up open gym at PT Sports complex at New Lamka which Biren Singh is slated to inaugurate on Friday afternoon, police said.

Besides the inauguration of the open gym, the CM is also scheduled to attend another function organised by a local at Sadbhavna Mandap.

The mob attack happened as the Indigenous Tribe Leaders Forum called for a total Churachandpur shutdown from 8 am to 4 pm.

Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum Calls For Total Shutdown

Meanwhile, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) has called for an eight-hour shutdown in the Churachandpur district on Friday from 8 a.m. to protest the state governments eviction drive from the protected and reserve forests.

The Forum claimed that despite the repeated submission of memorandums to the government protesting an ongoing eviction drive to clear reserved forested areas of farmers and other tribal settlers, the government has shown no sign of willingness or sincerity in addressing the plight of the people."

On March 10, tribals organised protest rallies against the state government on this count in three districts that were also allegedly backed by Kuki militants.

A peaceful protest turned violent in three districts  Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal in which five people were injured in these incidents.

The protests were organised against the state governments crackdown on poppy cultivation and encroachment of forest land.

The state government earlier this month demolished three churches in Manipur, claiming that the churches were illegal constructions".

After the March 10 incidents, the Manipur government unilaterally pulled out from the tripartite talks and suspension of operation (SoO) signed with three Kuki militant outfits  the Kuki National Army (KNA), Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) and Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA)  even though the Union Home Ministry is yet to give its approval to the state governments decision.

It was also reported that the cadres of KNA, ZRA and KRA are instigating poppy cultivators in the state against the government, which has been taking action against illegal poppy cultivators, and destroying poppy fields in the forest land, especially in the reserve and protected forests.

However, an umbrella organisation of the Kuki outfits has dismissed the accusations.

The hilly and forested Churachandpur district in southern Manipur, which borders Myanmar and Mizoram, is home to various Kuki-Chin militant groups.

The Centre and the Manipur government signed the tripartite agreement and SoO with the three militant outfits on August 22, 2008.

(With Inputs from agencies)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, through his Mann Ki Baat radio programme, has taken the opportunity to showcase the vibrant culture, innovative mindset, and admirable deeds of the people of Karnataka. The state ranks among the top states with the highest number of mentions in the programme which completes 100 episodes this Sunday.

The states distinctive customs, language, and enterprising quality across sectors  from technology to agriculture  have been appreciated by the prime minister.

During one such episode of the popular show, PM Modi celebrated the women of the Hulsoor Millet Producer Company in Bidar district who have experienced increased earnings through their efforts in growing and processing millets. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, enterprising women from Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada districts initiated a unique venture, making dosa, gulab jamun, and various dishes using banana flour.

In yet another episode, the prime minister lauded the Yuva Brigade for their cleanliness drive and transformation of the ancient Veerbhadra Swami Shiva temple in Srirangapatna, Karnataka.

Acknowledging the importance of start-ups, PM Modi highlighted Bengalurus E-Parisaraa, which developed an indigenous technology to extract precious metals from printed circuit boards.

Through these stories, PM Modi painted a vivid picture of the states rich cultural and entrepreneurial landscape.

As Mann ki Baat reaches a crucial milestone, heres a look at all the instances when Karnataka stole the show

PM Modi lauded the efforts of Farmer Producer Companies (FPC) such as Aland Bhootai (Aland Bhutai) Millets FPC who produce popular products like khakra, biscuits and laddoos. On the other hand, women from the Hulsoor Millet Producer Company in Bidar district are growing and processing millets, leading to increased earnings.

The Amrit Sarovars campaign is being actively carried out in Karnataka and a beautiful Amrit Sarovar has been built in the village of Bilkerur in Bagalkot district. This has not only solved problems of floods but also saved farmers from losses due to water flowing from mountains.

PM Modi appreciated the Amrita Bharathi Kannadarthi campaign under which grand programmes related to the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav were organised at 75 places in the state.

In the districts of Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada in Karnataka, women started a unique business of making dosa, gulabjamun, and other food items from banana flour during the Covid-19 pandemic. They shared their pictures on social media and as more people learned about this product, demand increased, leading to an increase in their income.

In a Mann ki Baat episode, PM Modi lauded the Yuva Brigade for its cleanliness drive and transforming an ancient Shiva temple named Veerbhadra Swami in Srirangapatna, Karnataka. Similarly, the PM mentioned a couple, Anudeep and Minusha, who cleaned Someshwar beach and inspired others.

While talking about Babasaheb and Ramanujacharya, PM Modi also recalled the teachings of Lord Basaveshwar  Kaya Kave Kailas  meaning discharging ones duties with due diligence and perseverance is akin to being in the abode of Lord Shiva i.e. Kailash Dham. In other words, labour, hard work is Shiva. The prime minister repeatedly mentions Shrameva Jayate and dignity of labour.

Encouraging startups in E-waste management and generating employment, the PM talked about E-Parisaraa of Bengaluru engaged in one such effort. It has developed indigenous technology for extracting precious metals from printed circuit boards.

Lauding the efforts to popularise stories from rural India, PM Modi mentioned the website Gathastory.in run by Amar Vyas and his colleagues. Amar Vyas, after completing his MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, went abroad and later returned. While living in Bengaluru, he pursues storytelling as an interesting activity.

While sharing inspiring works of Padma Awardees, the prime minister mentioned about some examples from Karnataka. Sitavaa Jodatti from Karnataka worked for welfare of Devdasis; Amai Mahalinga Naik (Tunnel Man) is known for innovations in agriculture; while 107-year-old Saalumarada Timmakka is known as Vriksha Mata (Tree Mother).

PM Modi also paid tributes to Padma Shri Sulagitti Narsamma who was a midwife and aided pregnant women during childbirth in remote areas and Dr Shri Shri Shri Shiva Kumar Swamiji (Siddhganga Mutt) of District Tumukur who spent his life in social service.

India has a rich tradition of local toys. With an appeal to give impetus to the local toy industry, the prime minister mentioned the toy cluster of Channapatna in Ramnagaram, Karnataka.

Many inspiring stories of daughters from Karnataka were also shared by PM Modi. Some examples were Mallamma from Koppal district of Karnataka who did a Satyagrah for toilet and Akshaya Basavani Kamat, daughter of a farmer from Belgaum, who won a gold medal in weightlifting in Khelo India.

In another Mann ki Baat episode, PM Modi shared the inspiring story of octogenarian Kamegowdaji from Mandavali for his work regarding water conservation. The PM noted that Kamegowdaji not only took his animals for grazing but at the same time, he took it upon himself to build new ponds in his area.

PM Modi also took note of Rida Nadaf from Laxmeshwara who wrote that she feels proud of being the daughter of an army man. Similarly, he also noted about Irfana Begum from Kalburgi who had written that her school is five kilometres away from her village.

Some other inspirational stories shared by PM Modi are:

a. Suresh Kumar, who lives in Bangaluru, took the initiative to rejuvenate the forest of Sahakarnagar in the city. He has also built a bus shelter in Sahakarnagar to promote Kannada language and culture.

b. Quemashree, who lives in Gadak, has been engaged in the mission of reviving the art and culture of Karnataka for the last 25 years. He has also created a platform by the name of Kala Chetna.

c. Suresh and his wife Maithili send several unique products made from betel nut fibre to the international markets of London and Europe.

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Affecting Fabric of Nation: SC Directs States to Act Against Hate Speech Even if No Complaint

The Supreme Court on Friday directed all states and union territories to take suo moto action against those making hate speeches even if there is no complaint. The apex courts directions came while hearing a hate speech case. READ MORE

Wrestlers Protest Updates: Agitation to Continue Till Brij Bhushans Arrest; FIR Against WFI Chief Today, SC Told

The Delhi Police will register an FIR in the Wrestling Federation of India sexual harassment case on Friday, solicitor general Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court. The top court asked the police officers to carry out a threat assessment and provide security to the minor wrestler. The matter will be heard again on May 5. READ MORE

Jiah Khan, Sushant Singh Rajput to Tunisha Sharma: Why Suicide Abetment Charge is Tough to Prove Sans Concrete Evidence

Abreak-up does not amount to abetment of suicide, a charge that carries a stiff 10-year sentence and is perhaps the most difficult charge to prove unless there is clinching evidence  this has been exposed yet again in the Jiah Khan case in which actor Sooraj Pancholi has been acquitted of the charge after nearly a decade. READ MORE

Manish Sisodias Bail Plea Rejected by Delhi Court in Excise Scam Case

Delhis Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday dismissed the bail plea of former deputy chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia in the liquor policy case. The CBI had on February 26 arrested Sisodia in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. READ MORE

Whats Brewing This Election in Indias Coffee Country Kodagu, Where Sword of Tipu Still Dangles above

The picture-perfect Kodagu district with its beautiful misty hills, extensive acres of sweet-smelling coffee plantations, and spice adding to its allure, is also in the midst of election heat. Known as the Scotland of India, Kodagu has an old-world charm, and the people are known for their warm and welcoming nature. READ MORE

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Normal life was affected in the eight northern districts of West Bengal on Friday due to a 12-hour bandh called by the BJP to protest atrocities on the tribal community" in the backdrop of a girls death in Kaliaganj last week.

Protestors damaged two buses in Cooch Behar, where scuffles and heated a verbal spat between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers were also reported.

However, in other places, the bandh remained peaceful even as 100 agitators were detained from different parts of the region, a police officer said.

Protesters damaged two buses operated by the state-run NBSTC, while BJP activists put up road blockades in different parts of the region, affecting normal life despite heavy police deployment.

Residents of Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, Raiganj, Kaliaganj, Tufanganj, Balarampur and Cooch Behar town remained indoors as business establishments were shut and vehicles off the roads due to the band that began at 6 am.

Barring a few stray incidents, the bandh remained peaceful. Our officers were alert and averted any attempt at disrupting law and order. We took strict action and detained over 100 people trying to disturb the peace," a senior police officer said.

In Tufanganjs Chowpati area, police had to intervene when TMC activists tried to stop a BJP rally. A similar situation was witnessed at Chakirbazar in Cooch Behar where TMC and BJP workers got involved in a scuffle.

The bandh, however, did not have much impact on normal life in Darjeeling and Malda districts where shops, markets remained open, although BJP workers were seen protesting outside government offices demanding immediate stoppage of work".

TMC activists also organised counter-rallies against the bandh and urged people to continue with normal life.

A BJP leader, Anant De Sarkar, alleged that he and his party colleagues were attacked by TMC workers at Ghughumari in Cooch Behar district.

We called a bandh to protest against what has happened in Kaliaganj. I was holding a peaceful programme in support of the bandh. All of a sudden, we were attacked by TMC workers. Police remained a mute spectator," he said.

Movement of students, and emergency services were kept out of the ambit of the shutdown.

Authorities have imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC and suspended internet services in Kaliaganj town in Uttar Dinajpur district, which has been rocked by violence since last week over a 17-year-old girls death.

A demonstration over the girls death had turned violent on Tuesday as a mob set the Kaliaganj Police Station on fire, and thrashed on-duty police personnel. The protestors claimed she was raped and murdered, though a preliminary post-mortem examination report did not indicate rape.

A civic volunteer, who was critically injured in Tuesdays violence, succumbed while undergoing treatment at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri on Thursday.

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India has been rescuing its citizens from war-torn Sudan where the deadly fighting between the countrys army and a paramilitary group has reportedly left around 400 people dead. But what has caught peoples attention is the name of the mission  Operation Kaveri.

Whether it is war, natural disasters or calamities, India has never abandoned its citizens abroad and launched successful evacuation operations. In the spirit of its age-old tradition of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (World is one family), India has also helped other countries in times of need from providing COVID-19 vaccines amid the pandemic to sending medicines, search and rescue teams to Turkiye and Syria after deadly earthquakes.

In the last nine years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has given a name for every initiative and all of them, in some sense, are related to the nation and its culture.

Heres a list of missions launched by India:

Operation Kaveri

Under Operation Kaveri, India has been taking its citizens in buses from conflict zones of Khartoum and other troubled areas in Sudan to Port Sudan from where they are being taken to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah in Indian Air Forces heavy-lift transport aircraft and Indian Navys ships.

The total number of Indians who were brought back home now stands at 998, according to official data till April 28, 2023.

Operation Kaveri gets underway to bring back our citizens stranded in Sudan.About 500 Indians have reached Port Sudan. More on their way. Our ships and aircraft are set to bring them back home. Committed to assist all our bretheren in Sudan. pic.twitter.com/8EOoDfhlbZ  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 24, 2023

The choice of the rescue name has a lot of significance. Kaveri, one of major Indian rivers, flows through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The river is worshipped as the Goddess Kaveriamma (mother Kaveri).

Rivers reach their destination irrespective of barriers. Its like a mother who will ensure she will bring her children back to safety," ANI reported citing a top official on why Kaveri name has been picked up for the mission.

Vande Bharat Mission

At a time when the world was under lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic, the Government of India launched Vande Bharat Mission in May 2020 to bring back its citizens abroad. The exercise was one of the largest civilian repatriation exercises by any country in recent history.

Vaccine Maitri

India, in 2021, supplied Covid vaccines to many countries across globe under Vaccine Maitri initiative.

#VaccineMaitri continues!Consignments of Made in India Covid vaccines airlifted for Barbados and Commonwealth of Dominica! pic.twitter.com/g7HsW4GWcb  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) February 8, 2021

Operation Sankat Mochan

In 2016, hundreds of Indians got stuck amid heavy fighting between former rebels and government soldiers in Sudan. So, the Government of India launched Operation Sankat Mochan for their repatriation.

Operation #SankatMochanSafely out of the danger zone. The first flight makes a technical halt at Entebbe, Uganda pic.twitter.com/VjnImTNfLv Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) July 14, 2016

Operation Dost

After a 7.9-magnitude earthquake hit Turkiye and Syria, India sent search and rescue teams to help affected countries under Operation Dost as thousands were stuck under the rubble. The emergency relief material comprised of life-saving medicines, protective items and critical care equipment.

#OperationDost in full swing!The @adgpi Field Hospital being set up at Iskenderun, Hatay province in Turkiye. Once functional, it will be a 30-bedded fully-equipped medical facility with Operation Theatre, X-ray machines, ventilators, etc. pic.twitter.com/aq17lDt97t  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) February 8, 2023

Operation Ganga

Over 20,000 Indians were stranded in Ukraine when Russia started a full-scale war in February 2022. On March 8, PM Modi held a discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky to ensure safe exit of Indians via the humanitarian corridor.

The government launched Operation Ganga to rescue its citizens stranded in Ukraine and its neighbouring countries during the war.

#OperationGangaA look at what it takes to undertake a massive evacuation exercise in a conflict zone. pic.twitter.com/mdNn37NBMn  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) March 11, 2022

According to a report by ANI citing an official, PM Modi had just come back from his constituency Varanasi and while the discussion was taking place, amongst several other names zeroed in on Ganga name for the operation.

Operation Devi Shakti

When Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in 2021, India started rescuing its people under Operation Devi Shakti.

Explaining why the mission was named Devi Shakti, ANIs sources said, Goddess Durga is a protector and comes to the help of people in distress. They said the name of the divine helps boost morale of people in stressful situation. PM Modi is a devotee of Goddess Durga, they added.

Under Operation Devi Shakti, a special Kam Air flight arranged by India has arrived in New Delhi from Kabul.It has brought 10 Indians and 94 Afghans including members of the Afghan Hindu-Sikh minority community. Among the evacuees are 9 children, including 3 infants.  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) December 10, 2021

Operation Samudra Maitri

In 2018, India launched Operation Samudra Maitri to assist victims of earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia. The country sent medical personnel and relief material to the affected country.

Sharing our resources with a close friend.We have launched Operation Samudra Maitri to assist victims of earthquake & tsunami in #Indonesia. Two IAF aircrafts have departed carrying onboard medical personnel and relief material today. Press Release at https://t.co/GgLU995N0R pic.twitter.com/oNK7beVBDR Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) October 3, 2018

Operation Raahat

In one of most difficult and challenging operations, India evacuated its citizens from war-torn Yemen in 2015. Indian Navy ships were deployed to bring back Indian nationals.

India launched Operation Raahat to evacuate its citizens from war-torn Yemen in 2015. As the country was torn in conflict, the Indian government found itself in a tight spot, but India decided to carry out the initial evacuation by sea.

Under this operation, India evacuated 6,710 persons from Yemen, including 4,748 Indians and 1,962 foreign nationals.

The operation involved the deployment of several Indian Navy and Air Force vessels and aircraft to evacuate over 5,000 Indians and over 1,000 foreign nationals from Yemen.

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In a move, to boost FM radio connectivity in the border regions and aspirational districts across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated 91 FM transmitters spread across 18 states and two union territories. With these new transmitters, the coverage will further increase by about 35,000 sq km area, benefitting an additional two crore people who did not have access to the medium so far.

Speaking at the event, the Prime Minister noted that the expansion of the FM service of All India Radio is a big and important step towards becoming All India FM. This launch of 91 FM transmitters of All India FM is like a gift to 2 crore people of 85 districts of the country," the PM said.

The Prime Minister further emphasised that be it timely dissemination of information, weather forecasts for agriculture, or connecting the womens self-help groups with new markets, these FM transmitters will play a key role.

He said the tech revolution in the country helped radio emerge in a new avatar and brought new listeners to the medium. The prime minister said the government is constantly working for the democratisation of technology.

Infotainment of FM has a lot of valueOur govt is continuously working towards the democratisation of technology. Every citizen should be able to afford and have access to technology. We are. All India Radio has a vision of connecting the nation. The affordability of mobile devices and data plans has enabled widespread access to information," he said.

He said his generation has been the emotional audience of Radio, and for him, its a matter of happiness that along with being the audience, he has also become a host.

I am soon going to host the 100th episode of Mann Ki Baat; the deep connection with people all across the nation would not have been possible through any other medium than the Radio," PM Modi added.

Earlier, taking to Twitter, the Prime Minister said this effort will give an impetus to radio and will also encourage those associated with it.

As per an official statement, aspirational districts and border areas are at the centre of the endeavour.

The expansion takes place two days before the landmark 100th episode of Mann ki Baat, the prime ministers monthly radio programme.

The 91 new 100 W FM transmitters have been installed in 84 districts with a special focus on enhancing coverage in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Ladakh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The Prime Minister has been a firm believer in the important role which radio plays in reaching out to the masses," an official statement said.

It said the prime minister had started the Mann ki Baat programme to harness the unique strength of the medium to reach out to the widest possible audience. The 100th episode of the programme is scheduled to be aired on Sunday.

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The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers Meeting is underway in Delhi. The meeting, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, deliberated on pressing regional security challenges and related issues.

Defence Ministers of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and other member nations of SCO are also expected to review the overall situation in Afghanistan.

India has also invited Belarus and Iran, currently observers in SCO, to participate in the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting.

#WATCH | SCO Defence Ministers Meeting hosted by India gets underway in Delhi pic.twitter.com/jrruubhA2n ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2023

Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu, Russias Sergei Shoigu, Tajikistans Colonel General Sherali Mirzo, Irans Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiyani and Kazakhstans Colonel General Ruslan Zhaksylykov are among those attending the meeting in Delhi.

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif was scheduled to participate in the meeting through virtual mode.

Officials involved in preparations for the meeting said the main focus of the deliberations would be on regional security situations including the developments in Afghanistan.

They said enhancing coordination among the SCO member countries to effectively combat terrorism and extremism will be another priority.

The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations.

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.

India was made an observer at the SCO in 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping, which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.

India has shown a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.

(With PTI Inputs)

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Amid sexual harassment charges against him, Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh on Friday said that he welcomes" Supreme Courts decision of FIRs against him as he has faith in the law, and is ready to cooperate in the probe.

A fresh round of protest and a sit-in continues at Delhis Jantar Mantar by the countrys top wrestlers demanding action against the BJP MP.

I am not bigger than the supreme court. I welcome the judgment, Singh said, adding that he applauds the apex courts decision.

Singh said that he will assist the investigation whenever his assistance is required.

Singh also clarified that he hasnt escaped and is at his residence. I have been abiding by the law, so I will continue to. I havent escaped. Im at residence, he said.

What has the Supreme Court said?

This comes as the Supreme Court herd a a plea filed by seven women wrestlers alleging non-registration of an FIR on their sexual harassment allegations against Singh.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Delhi Police, told a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha that the FIR will be registered today.

We have decided to register an FIR. It will be registered today. I dont think anything survives," Mehta said

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the wrestlers, placed or record an affidavit in a sealed cover which voiced apprehension about the safety of a minor girl, an alleged victim of sexual assault.

Bearing in mind the content which has been placed on record, we direct the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, to make an assessment of the threat perception and provide adequate security to the minor girl involved," the bench said in its order.

The latest on the wrestlers protest

This comes as Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist wrestlers Bajrang Punia and wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik on Friday said that they will continue their protest till Singh is behind bars.

On the sixth day of the protest, the Delhi police agreed to register an FIR against him.

Phogat also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove the chief from all positions.

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Here is the weekly outdoors calendar:

April 29-30  Hamburg Gun Show at the Erie County Fairgrounds, 5820 South Park Ave., Hamburg. Opens at 9 a.m. both days. Admission is $7; 300 tables. Erie and Niagara County Pistol Clerks available. nfgshows.com.

April 30  Boston Valley Conservation Society 10-week winter trap league begins at 9624 Zimmerman Road, Boston. Sundays 9 a.m. to noon; Thursdays 6-8 p.m. Call 335-4111 for more info.

May 1  Regular spring turkey season begins. dec.ny.gov

May 1  Opening day for walleye, pike, pickerel and tiger musky.

May 2  Fly Fishing Film Tour at the Ridge West Seneca, 555 Orchard Park Road, West Seneca, starting at 6 p.m. Admission $15. Sponsored by WNY Chapter of TU and UB Bassmasters.

May 2  Wood and Brook Sportsmans Club Trap or Skeet League continues at Genesee Street, Crittenden. Shooting 6 to 9:30 p.m. Also Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Open to public. Teams are 5-7 shooters. 300 total birds in trap or skeet. Call Ben at 983-0026 or Brian at 863-0719.

May 2  Allied Sportsmen 3-D Archery League continues at 12846 Clinton St., Alden, and will run for 17 weeks beginning at 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday. A total of 15 targets on the course. Any questions contact John Floriano at 725-5822 or Kevin Ulrich at 430-1059.

May 2  Lake Ontario Charter Boat Association monthly meeting at the Irondequoit Fish and Game Club, 658 Bay Front S, Rochester, starting at 7 p.m.

May 2  Niagara Musky Association monthly meeting, Eldredge Club, 17 Broad St., Tonawanda, starting at 7 p.m.

May 2  Tuesday Birding in Delaware Park in May from 6 to 8 p.m. with Buffalo Audubon and Buffalo Olmsted Parks. Binoculars provided. For ages 8 and up. $12 for Buffalo Audubon members, $15 general admission. Register at buffaloaudubon.org.

May 5-14  Lake Ontario Counties (LOC) Trout and Salmon Derby. For details go to loc.org. Grand prize salmon is $15,000.

May 5  Ten X Shooting Club Junior Shooting Program for ages 9 to 20. Club is located at 853 Ransom Road, Lancaster. First-time shooters arrive at 6 p.m. for instruction. Shooting at 6:30 p.m. Air rifles for 9 and up; .22lr for ages 12-20. Everything is provided by the club. Cost is $5 per night, which includes ammo. Membership not required. For more info visit tenxshootingclub.com.

May 6  First Saturday Stream Explorers will be starting at St. John Paul II Church, 2052 Lakeview Road, Lake View, from 9 to 11 a.m. each Saturday. This will be hosted by Cub Scout Pack 591 and WNY Trout Unlimited. This is family-friendly, free and open to the public. For more info email outreach@wnytroutunlimited.org.

May 6  Free Fishing Clinic at Gowanda Volunteer Fire Company, 230 Aldrich St., Gowanda, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information check out lecflyfisher.com.

May 9  Second Amendment forEver (SAfE) monthly meeting at Newfane Community Center, 2737 Main St., Newfane, starting at 7 p.m.

May 9  Wood and Brook Sportsmans Club Trap or Skeet League continues at Genesee Street, Crittenden. Shooting 6 to 9:30 p.m. Also Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Open to public. Teams are 5-7 shooters. 300 total birds in trap or skeet. Call Ben at 983-0026 or Brian at 863-0719.

May 9  Allied Sportsmen 3-D Archery League continues at 12846 Clinton St., Alden, and will run for 17 weeks beginning at 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday. A total of 15 targets on the course. Any questions contact John Floriano at 725-5822 or Kevin Ulrich at 430-1059.

May 13  Spring Sporting Clays Shoot at North Forest Rod and Gun Club, 6257 Old Niagara Road, Lockport. Two rotations at 9 a.m. and noon. 100 bird shoot, shotgun start. $60 per person. Registration only online at scorechaser.com. To benefit Ashley Butchers quest for Team USA. Call John at 628-2211 for more info.

May 13-19  Salmon and Trout Slam out of Wilson Harbor. Seven salmon and trout over seven days. Entry fee is $300/boat. https://greatlakesspecialevents.com/wilson-harbor-invitation

May 13-19 - $1K a Day salmon contest out of Wilson Harbor. Entry is $150 per boat. https://greatlakesspecialevents.com/wilson-harbor-invitation

May 13  Fly Fishing 101 Class at Orvis Buffalo, 4545 Transit Road, Clarence. Space limited. Free. Call 276-7200 for more info.

May 14  Final Day Spring LOC Derby, ending at 1 p.m. Awards ceremony to follow at Rileys Bar and Grill, Sodus Bay. loc.org

May 15  Niagara County Fisheries Development Board monthly meeting at Wilson Town Hall starting at 6 p.m.

May 16  Erie County Fisheries Advisory Board monthly meeting at Bison City Rod and Gun Club, 511 Ohio St., starting at 7 p.m.

May 18  Southtowns Walleye Association monthly meeting, 5895 Southwestern Blvd., Hamburg, starting at 7 p.m.

May 20  Womens Fly Fishing Clinic at Sprague Brook County Park, Glenwood from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. Email Sheehan at womensgroup@wnytroutunlimited.org for more information and to register.

May 20-21  Wilson Harbor Invitational Salmon Tournament out of Wilson Harbor. Entry is $400 for each day, plus $200 for overall ($1,000 total). https://greatlakesspecialevents.com/wilson-harbor-invitation

Submit calendar items to billhiltsjr@gmail.com at least three weeks in advance.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said the locals at Barsu, where a refinery has been proposed, have no trust in the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra, days after NCP president Sharad Pawar advised the ruling dispensation to hold a dialogue with those villagers opposing the project.

Talking to reporters, Raut also alleged that the refinery project is being executed to protect the interests of politicians and outsiders who have bought land at Barsu and demanded that the government make the list public of such people.

I heard what Sharad Pawar said that there should be a dialogue with the locals and take them into confidence. But what should one do? They dont have trust in the government, Raut said.

Pawar on Wednesday said the Maharashtra government should hold a dialogue with local villagers who are opposing a refinery project in the coastal Ratnagiri district. If the issue was not resolved even after that, an alternative site should be found, he said.

The NCP chief said his party did not oppose development projects in Konkan, but finding out the opinion of the locals was a must.

A section of residents of Barsu village in Ratnagiri districts Rajapur tehsil, more than 400 km from Mumbai, are up in arms against the project and the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, the NCPs allies in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, are supporting them.

Raut said his party chief Uddhav Thackeray has said that there was a continuous demand for alternative land from the Centre after the plan to have a refinery at Nana was shelved.

An alternative land was proposed at the insistence of Delhi. But in two-and-a-half years, the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray did not try to forcibly acquire land.

Our position is that if people did not want the project then we do not need Barsu (refinery project). And the way locals are opposed and the atmosphere is, the government should stop land acquisition and the survey. Till that time the situation will not come under control, he said.

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Samantha Ruth Prabhu Birthday: The Shaakunthalam actres is well known for her love of animals. She owns Hash and Saasha as her pets family. The 36-year-old star frequently shares photos of her having a good time with her beloved dogs along with cute words to show her affection and love for them.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samantha (@samantharuthprabhuoffl)

With her pet pooches, Samantha always has a spectacular and enjoyable time celebrating everything from birthdays to play dates.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samantha (@samantharuthprabhuoffl)

She frequently mentions in her memoirs how her dogs company got her through the difficult times in her life.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samantha (@samantharuthprabhuoffl)

Samantha frequently brings her pets to the shoots in addition to cuddling with them.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samantha (@samantharuthprabhuoffl)

Samantha continued writing in one of the captions of the post, Paw on mewatching over me. I appreciate you being my guardian angel.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chay Akkineni (@chayakkineni)

Samanthas ex-husband, Naga Chaitanya, once wrote a poignant thank you" card for those who mean a lot to him. Watch as he also included a note for the dog he and his ex-wife, Samantha, had adopted, Hash!

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samantha (@samantharuthprabhuoffl)

Last but not least, this particular photo is the only one from Samanthas wedding day that is still posted on her Instagram wall. Doesnt that now say a lot about how much she loves her pet dogs?

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Maria Stepanova, an author of Russian-Jewish descent, has been honoured with the prestigious Leipzig Book Prize for European Understanding in the year 2023. Stepanova was recognised in Leipzig this week for her poetry collection titled Girls Without Clothes. The volume of poetry is characterised as a perceptive and exceptionally poetic exploration of the frequently veiled physical and emotional abuse that women face, along with the underlying power disparities that fuel this mistreatment.

The panel of judges praised Stepanovas unwavering commitment to a poetic perception of the world and acknowledged that her literary works reverberate with the voices of renowned authors from across the globe. The statement read Stepanovas work is at the same time an echo chamber of world literature in which Dante, Goethe and Walt Whitman are just as present as Ezra Pound, Inger Christensen and Anne Carson."

The award ceremony took place on April 25, marking the opening of the 30th Leipzig Book Fair. The prize has been granted since 1994 with the aim of promoting reconciliation in Europe, and it was previously won by another Russian exile, Masha Gessen, a journalist residing in the United States, for her book The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia in 2019.

Maria Stepanova is a celebrated modern writer of Russian literature who is currently living as an exile in Berlin. The recognition of her contributions to literature in the form of the 2023 award is noteworthy, given the current context of Russias military incursion into Ukraine, which is partly justified under the pretense of preserving the Russian language and culture in the former Soviet republic.

Stepanova, a Russian-Jewish poet, novelist, and journalist born in Moscow in 1972, has been a vocal critic of Vladimir Putins administration. She has expressed her admiration for Ukraines resistance to the invasion, describing it as a battle of good versus evil" in an interview with the German public broadcaster RBB.

Maria Stepanova considers her literary endeavours to be a battle for her native language. According to her interview with Deutsche Welle, she believes that the Russian language requires her and other writers like her more than they require the language. Stepanova is convinced that the future of the language is preserved in poetry. Upon being awarded the Leipzig Book Prize, Stepanova compared the present-day Russian language to a minefield." She described herself as a deminer of language as a poet during these difficult times.

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Samantha Ruth Prabhu Birthday: One of the best actresses, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, is an example of how ones beauty, talent, and strength can win millions of people over. One of the best paid actresses in the business is Samantha, a stunning south Indian actress. Despite her professional brilliance, she still had to go through a difficult time when she separated from her ex-husband, Naga Chaitanya.

Samantha Prabhu talked about the challenges she had while going through her divorce. In 2017, the actress wed Naga Chaitanya, and the couple announced their separation in 2021. Samantha was praised for handling the response to her divorce announcement with class. However, the actress modestly refuted using elegance in her responses to the bullies. The actor admitted that she was unsure of how to respond because it was all so instinctive. Her words are:

Maybe from a third persons point of view its that, I was just being myself. I dont know any other way to react. Nobody else is deciding for me, theres no one in my head, its my natural reaction."

Views of Samantha Prabhu on dating after her divorce from Naga Chaitanya:

The stunning actress acknowledged that she had not yet been able to conquer the challenges, but insisted that the frequency of gloomy days had decreased. The actress revealed that the central theme of her most recent film, Shaakuntalam, is around love in a recent interview with India Today. She expressed her opinions on romantic relationships in the same interview and insisted that a failed relationship did not make her bitter and cynical." The actress from Rangasthalam said:

I have so much love to give. Im still extremely loving. One failed relationship does not mean that I become cynical and bitter."

Regardless of the cause, going through a separation or divorce may be incredibly challenging. It can completely upend your reality, making it challenging to get through the workday and remain productive. However, there are steps you can take to ease this challenging adjustment.

Recognise that its acceptable to experience diverse emotions. Its common to experience strong emotions including sadness, rage, exhaustion, frustration, and confusion. You can possibly experience future anxiety. Recognise that such responses will wane over time. Going into the unknown is daunting, even if the marriage was unhealthy.

Take a break for yourself.. For a while, give yourself permission to experience and perform less than optimally. For a period, you might not be able to care for others exactly the way youre used to or be as effective at work. Take some time to recover, reorganise, and regain your energy. No one is superman or superwoman.

Dont attempt this by yourself. You might find it helpful to talk to your loved ones about your sentiments during this time. Consider attending a support group so you can interact with people going through similar things. Your stress levels will go up if you isolate yourself, and your concentration will suffer. Your career, relationships, and general health will also suffer. Get outside without fear.

Take care of yourself emotionally and physically. Be good to yourself and to your body. Take time out to exercise, eat well and relax. Keep to your normal routines as much as possible. Try to avoid making major decisions or changes in life plans. Dont use alcohol, drugs or cigarettes as a way to cope; they only lead to more problems.

Avoid power struggles and arguments with your spouse or former spouse. If a discussion begins to turn into a fight, calmly suggest that you both try talking again later and either walk away or hang up the phone.

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Jiah Khan suicide case: On Friday, a special CBI court cleared actor Sooraj Pancholi was acquitted of the charges of abetting the suicide of actress Jiah Khan. The actress died in 2013. Sooraj was cleared because of a paucity of evidence. Following the verdict, Jiahs mother Rabia Khan told CNN News18 that he was cleared only of abetment of suicide but the case of murder is still there.

This is a case of murder. The abetment to suicide case has gone but the murder case is still there," she said. She added that she will now approach the higher courts of the country to seek justice for her daughter. I will not give up hope.. I will keep fighting. I will approach the High Court, Supreme Court, whatever is required to get justice for my daughter," she told our channel.

Jiah Khan was found dead at her Juhu home on June 3, 2013. A six-page suicide note purportedly penned by her was recovered. The letter narrated her intimate relationship, physical abuse and mental and physical torture allegedly at the hands of Sooraj which let her taking the decision.

It was stated that she was cheated on and abused by him and that he had even raped her, following which she had to undergo an abortion. He was even arrested but was later released on bail. Following his bail, Jiahs mother moved to the Bombay High Court and sought a transfer of the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The central investigating agency then filed a charge-sheet in December 2015 in which they charged Sooraj with abetment of suicide under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code.

DISCLAIMER: This news piece may be triggering. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata)

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A break-up does not amount to abetment of suicide, a charge that carries a stiff 10-year sentence and is perhaps the most difficult charge to prove unless there is clinching evidence  this has been exposed yet again in the Jiah Khan case in which actor Sooraj Pancholi has been acquitted of the charge after nearly a decade.

ALSO READ | Jiah Khan Case Verdict LIVE Updates HERE

Pancholis lawyer was at pains to explain after the verdict that mental health is a serious concern and one single incident cant be proved as the reason for a suicide and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should have looked at the entire life events of Khan.

A break-up cant be termed abetment to suicide unless a person actively instigated the other for the act, multiple Supreme Court judgments have laid out in the context of Section 306 of the Indian Penal code (IPC).

#Exclusive: Jiah Khan's mother Rabia Khan spoke exclusively with CNN-News18's @vinivdvc after verdict was announced; she said that "it's a murder case, will approach higher court for justice"Join the broadcast with @ridhimb | #JiahKhan #SoorajPancholi #Bollywood pic.twitter.com/ttORARu2Fs  News18 (@CNNnews18) April 28, 2023

This has also been highlighted in two other major cases of alleged deaths by suicide, that of actors Sushant Singh and Tunisha Sharma in which investigators charged actors Rhea Chakraborty and Sheezan Khan, respectively under Section 306. Both Rhea and Sheezan are on bail.

In the Jiah Khan case, the late actress had left a suicide note detailing her break-up with Pancholi and an abortion as a reason for her distress. That led to the CBI charge against Pancholi under Section 306.

In the Sushant and Tunisha cases, there was no suicide note, but charges under Section 306 were brought on the complaint from their respective families. Khans mother Rabia has, in fact, not been in agreement with the abetment charge that the CBI had brought against Pancholi, and has been alleging that her daughter was murdered, although she was found hanging in her flat.

Rabia on Friday said she will go before a higher court to place evidence that Khan was murdered and the CBI has been on the wrong path.

SECTION 306 NEEDS IRREFUTABLE PROOF

Section 306 is a very difficult charge to prove in court unless there is irrefutable and concrete evidence. The figures bear testimony. As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report for 2021, there was only a 22.6% conviction rate under this offence and 8,312 cases under Section 306 were lodged last year.

The NCRB report also says that nearly 7,500 suicides were reported in India last year due to reasons of love affairs. The Supreme Court and various High Courts have repeatedly weighed in on such cases, citing the need for concrete proof to prove abetment to suicide. Except for cases of suicides due to dowry demands in marriage, it has proven difficult to achieve convictions here, the figures show.

ALSO READ | Sooraj Pancholi Issues FIRST Statement After Being Acquitted In Jiah Khan Case, Says Truth Always Wins

The SC has clearly said that the person who is said to have abetted the commission of suicide must have played an active role by an act of instigation or by doing certain act to facilitate the commission of suicide. The court further has defined instigation as to goad, urge forward, provoke, incite or encourage to do an act". The apex court has also impressed upon the need for scrupulous assessment of the evidence in order to find out whether the cruelty and harassment meted out to the victim had left the victim with no other alternative but to put an end to her life.

Merely on the allegation of harassment without there being any positive action proximate to the time of occurrence on the part of the accused which led or compelled the person to commit suicide, conviction in terms of Section 306 is not sustainable, the SC said in a judgment in 2010. The essence of court observations in Section 306 cases has been that aborted love affairs cant be construed as abetment to suicide charges.

Sooraj Pancholi gets big relief as the actor has been acquitted in Jiah Khan death case due to lack of evidence. Latest Updates: https://t.co/tcO1O2J64B#Jiahkhan #JiahkhanVerdict #bollywood pic.twitter.com/549bozrPJM  News18 (@CNNnews18) April 28, 2023

Last year, the SC discharged a person from Section 306 charges after a girl took her own life following the allegation that he did not marry her following a love affair.

Every person has a right to choose his better half for his life according to his wish and nobody can compel him/her to do things against his/her wishes. It seems that deceased was hyper sensitive girl and, therefore, she could not control her emotions, which she was having at the relevant point of time and took such an extreme step to end her life by committing suicide, the SC observed in its judgment.

ALSO READ | Jiah Khans Mother Rabia BREAKS Silence On Sooraj Pancholis Acquittal, Says This Is Case of Murder

The apex court had underlined yet again that it needed to be proved that a person had harassed the deceased or played any direct or indirect act or instigation, as a consequence of which, the deceased was compelled to take the suicide route.

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Haters of the Dalai Lama, judging him with a picture or a small clip they saw, must understand that they are not hurting an old spiritual man but the very manifestation of Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva who represents compassion. In other words, for us Tibetans, he is our god. Now, imagine any other religious figure of any faith or their messiah being trashed like that for nothing.

There are also those that call themselves atheists and see an old lustful man in that video or the picture. Ask yourself as an atheist, like we Buddhists do, because Buddhism is an atheistic religion that does not have a creator and is based on logic, reasoning and learning, which leads to acceptance and practice. Did you atheists try to find out the entire story behind the picture or the doctored video?

Ive been waiting in India to begin a documentary series project: Search: Finding the Dalai Lama for nearly a month now. It is an attempt that started more than a decade ago. So its not just a passion project but an attempt to tell the world about the genesis of the Dalai Lama lineage. How? Why? When? All these questions about the Dalai Lama institution will be dramatised and answered, not to propagate but to let the world learn that the core purpose of the Dalai Lama lineage is to spread compassion and peace in the world. The current Dalai Lama is the 14th. Obviously, there were 13 before him.

As long as space endures, as long as sentient beings remain, until then may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world.

Some days ago, an almost sensational news grabbed the world. What happened? That was the reaction I got when a friend frantically called and another passed me a clip of a video going viral. Some lowlifes had used publicly available footage of a Dalai Lama event and doctored it to narrate a story of child abuse!

Media, as usual, grabbed it and spread it further. People started churning out blogs for their subscribers. I had watched that event live and although I did feel many would misunderstand the gesture, I forgot about it because it was not a big deal for us Tibetans. I still kiss my grown-up daughter on her lips when I say goodbye. I know the West would show disapproval but she is my only daughter and she is who I care about the most, not anyone else.

My affection and care is pure. His Holinesss gesture to the boy was far more than that. Just the mere fact that the kid got close and hugged him is considered a blessing that none of us Tibetans would ever get, not only in this life but in many others. So you see, those who spewed hate and continue to do so, have no idea how much they have hurt us. Yet, we remain non-violent. Well, that is what His Holiness has taught us. He says the enemy is your best teacher. They allow you to use your compassion. You can practice it, otherwise, even compassion remains a theory, he says.

A young boy in attendance, at a public event organised by his parents, who are seated next to the Dalai Lama, asks His Holiness for a hug. His Holiness calls him up. They hug. They bond. His Holiness then begins his playful self. After a kiss on the cheek, he says now you can kiss my lips. That barely happens and he continues the jest asking the kid to suck his tongue. My mother used to do that to us when we were kids. It means that she has given us everything and is left with nothing but her tongue to satisfy our hunger. Was my mother abusing us? It is foolish to even contemplate that. Perhaps, if she was alive and did that in public today to her grandkids, she would be called a child abuser and separated from her family. Ridiculous!

The incident happened a month ago. Suddenly, news reports and online trolls began to appear which had nothing but dark intentions to malign him. The President of the Central Tibetan Administration said at a press conference that they found the source to be people that are Pro-China propagandists.

I believe him.

But, the damage was done. Hate was so toxic that I was shocked like all Tibetans and literally couldnt work for a few days. A person working with me on the documentary, calling it a spiritual journey, throughout our development phase up to this moment, suddenly had an opinion too. He decided to pull out and said, Pema, no one wants to be attached with the Dalai Lama anymore. These people are working in the media and have an image to protect! I felt the world must be coming to an end. Theres so much fear and hate here.

Avalokitesvara and gods must be crazy, I said to myself, for them to manifest or send such precious souls on earth for us humans to hate and destroy over and over. They should leave us alone and watch from their abode in comfort. We will destroy ourselves with our hateful skills. Perhaps then they could think of a different beginning.

My parents came into exile through Mustang, Nepal. So, I bought my mothers ashes there with the belief that she could feel she has reached home in some way. Every Tibetan lives with that hope. Someday, they will return home to Tibet with His Holiness. This hope keeps us believing in peace and non-violence. After two generations of living in exile, frustration and anger does build up, especially when helplessness is seen as a disability.

A child was born in 1391 to a nomadic family. The same night bandits looted them. The mother hid her newly born child under a rock to protect him. The next day, when she returned, a miracle was seen. A big raven was protecting the child from predators! This supernatural birth incident aside, the child showed extraordinary spiritual desire and became a scholar of repute eventually. His ordained name was Gedun Drubpa.

When the time for his passing came, his desire to continue serving all sentient beings emerged in the form of his prayer, Like me, the countless living beings have been wandering in cyclic existence. Many times they have been parents to me and shone radiant kindness upon me. How unworthy not to respond to their sorrow. For the sake of all living beings, I must strive in the practice of bringing enlightenment.

Two years after his passing, a child was born in a small village who remembered everything about Gedun Drubpas life. This mystical relationship to the previous life compelled Gedun Drubpas students to bring the child to the Tashi Lhunpo monastery, which was built by their master and tested him. The child recognised people and objects clearly from his previous life. This is the genesis of the lineage that eventually came to be known as the Dalai Lama lineage.

The fifth Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso, became the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet in 1642 with the support of his die-hard Mongolian followers. Actually, it is a perfect story of compassion in action with clear tangible results. Who doesnt know about Chengiz Khan, the great conqueror? But do you know that his grandson, Altan Khan, became a devotee of the third Dalai Lama and he actually gave the title Talai Lama to his master and converted his entire nation to Buddhism? Imagine the worlds most powerful force at one time becoming peaceful and non-violent forever. Isnt that something everyone would want eventually for the entire world?

Tibet-India-China geopolitics will remain unresolved as long as Tibet is occupied. So, the Dalai Lama matters not only for the big world peace picture that Tibetans see but for India, it is national security.

The entire communist regime in China is struggling to defeat this simple monk. Theyve learned it is impossible to win morality with guns or wealth so they use propaganda. Their goal is to control the next Dalai Lama. After the present Dalai Lama passes, the Chinese Communist Party has declared that they will find and install the next.

An atheist government claiming to know about spiritual succession is a joke. Yet, we have seen governments bend backwards for economic and other reasons to accommodate China and the ridiculous demands they make. You cant meet the Dalai Lama. Dont grant him a visa. Dont release his film and whatnot. Can you now see the big picture of why misleading propaganda is their new weapon?

I set out to make a film on such an institution and lineage not because I have the enormous resources required or I can do it alone, but because it should be made. The world should see how such a lineage has contributed to peace not only in Tibet, Mongolia and China but also around the world now. If theres one spiritual figure that can stand on its moral authority in the present day and time, it is the Dalai Lama. The world needs such a moral idol now and will need him even more in the coming time when hate and fear take a further grip on our lives.

His Holiness says all actions should be judged by a persons motivation. If you are truthful and honest with yourself, then you will be a truly happy person. He laughs pulling the long beard of an Indian sadhu and hugs him at the end. That is what happened in that incident too. The Dalai Lamas motivation was pure. Check your motivation next time before judging and commenting on anything anywhere, even online. You will be a happy person.

Pema Dhondup Gakyil, who is professionally credited as Pema Dhondup, is a Tibetan film director and actor. He directed and produced The Man from Kathmandu. Views expressed are personal.

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On November 5, 2013, India made history when the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its first interplanetary mission, the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan). With a shoestring budget of just $74 millionless than the cost of producing the Hollywood movie GravityIndia astounded the world by becoming the first country to reach Mars on its maiden attempt. This remarkable achievement not only showcased Indias growing space capabilities but also highlighted the nations potential to become a major player in the global space arena.

Surprisingly, India managed to reach this stage without a comprehensive space policy. Over the years, the nations space programme had primarily been driven by ad-hoc decisions and the visionary leadership of its space scientists. However, as the space landscape evolved and new commercial opportunities emerged, the need for a cohesive and strategic policy framework became increasingly evident.

To address this gap and capitalise on the growing commercial space industry, the Indian government has released its first-ever comprehensive space policy, the Indian Space Policy 2023. This ground-breaking document outlines the future direction of Indias space programme, touching upon key aspects such as public-private partnerships, global market expansion, and strategic cooperation. The policy also delineates specific roles for major stakeholders, including ISRO, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), New Space India Limited (NSIL), and the Department of Space (DoS).

In this article, I critically analyse the Indian Space Policy 2023, examining its strengths, areas of improvement, and potential implications for Indias space sector and the global space landscape. Through this analysis, I seek to understand how the policy can help India build on its achievements, address emerging challenges, and seize new opportunities in the rapidly evolving space domain.

Empowering Stakeholders: The Redefinition of Roles

In the past, Indias space sector operated primarily under the umbrella of ISRO, with the organisation being responsible for a wide range of activities, from research and development to satellite launches and commercialisation. While this centralised approach allowed for a degree of control and coordination, it also led to inefficiencies, bureaucracy, and missed opportunities in a rapidly changing global space environment.

One of the significant drawbacks of the earlier approach was the limited involvement of private players and Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs) in the space sector. This restricted access to capital, technological innovations, and market opportunities that could have accelerated Indias growth in the space domain. Moreover, with ISRO being the sole gatekeeper for space activities, the organisation often faced the challenge of balancing its research and development goals with commercialisation efforts, leading to an overburdened and resource-constrained system.

The Indian Space Policy 2023 aims to address these issues by redefining the roles of key stakeholders, streamlining task delegation, and empowering organisations to focus on their respective areas of expertise. By allowing ISRO to concentrate on research, development, and innovation, the policy ensures that Indias space program remains at the forefront of cutting-edge technologies and exploration. Simultaneously, IN-SPACes role as an autonomous regulatory body encourages the participation of NGEs in the sector, paving the way for increased collaboration, competition, and innovation.

Furthermore, NSILs focus on commercialising space technologies and platforms will ensure that the results of public expenditure are effectively utilised, leading to greater economic benefits and market opportunities for the nation. This approach will also help attract private investments and foster a competitive ecosystem crucial for the long-term growth and sustainability of Indias space sector.

In essence, the delineation of responsibilities under the Indian Space Policy 2023 represents a major shift in the nations space strategy. By empowering stakeholders and encouraging greater collaboration between the public and private sectors, the policy aims to unlock the full potential of Indias space capabilities, boost economic growth, and position the country as a leader in the global space arena.

Innovation: A Shift Towards Collaboration

The 2023 Policy marks a significant shift in Indias approach to its space sector, with a strong emphasis on fostering innovation through public-private partnerships. By encouraging NGEs to participate in a wide range of space activities, the policy seeks to create a thriving ecosystem where private enterprises can work alongside public institutions, driving technological advancements and opening new avenues for Indias space industry.

This focus on public-private partnerships is crucial for several reasons. First, it enables the sharing of resources, knowledge, and expertise between the public and private sectors, resulting in more efficient and innovative solutions to complex space-related challenges. Second, it helps stimulate the growth of Indias domestic space industry by promoting the development of indigenous technologies and infrastructure and reducing reliance on foreign technology and services.

The 2023 Policy also emphasises the importance of technology transfer, with ISRO playing a crucial role in transitioning mature technologies and systems to the commercial sector. This approach allows ISRO to concentrate on cutting-edge research and development while simultaneously enabling private entities to capitalise on proven technologies, creating a symbiotic relationship that benefits both the public and private sectors.

By facilitating technology transfers, the policy aims to create a vibrant space economy where private enterprises can leverage existing technologies to develop new products, services, and applications, driving innovation and strengthening Indias overall space capabilities. This, in turn, will help attract investments, create high-skilled jobs, and establish India as a global leader in the space domain.

Moreover, the focus on innovation and collaboration under the Indian Space Policy 2023 has significant geopolitical implications. As India continues to emerge as a key player in the global space arena, its commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration sends a strong signal to other nations, highlighting the countrys willingness to work together to address common challenges and promote sustainable space activities.

Indias Role in the Global Space Arena: Expanding International Cooperation

The 2023 Policy sets the stage for Indias expanded participation in the global space arena by emphasising the importance of international cooperation and coordination. This approach recognises the increasing interdependence of nations in outer space and acknowledges the shared responsibility to address common challenges and opportunities.

Indias commitment to international cooperation in its space policy underscores its readiness to collaborate with other states in addressing global challenges such as climate change, disaster management, and sustainable development. By sharing its satellite data and remote sensing capabilities, India can contribute to global efforts to monitor and mitigate the impacts of natural disasters, track environmental changes, and support sustainable development goals formulated by the United Nations.

Furthermore, Indias policy highlights the role of the Department of Space (DoS) in coordinating international cooperation and global space governance programs in consultation with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). This coordination can help streamline and augment Indias participation in international space law-making, allowing it to take a more active role in shaping global policies and norms.

The Indian governments initiative to create effective consultation mechanisms between the DoS and the MEA has the potential to strengthen Indias representation in various international fora, such as the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPOUS) in Vienna and the Conference on Disarmament (CD) in Geneva. Through these platforms, India can ensure that its voice is heard, its interests are protected, and it can assume a leadership role in representing the concerns of the Global South.

The Indian Space Policy 2023 encourages NGEs to participate in the commercial recovery of asteroids and space resources. It grants them the right to possess, own, transport, use, and sell any such resources, in accordance with applicable laws and Indias international obligations. For the first time, India unambiguously states its interpretation of the non-appropriation principle (Article II) in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. Indias stance aligns with the US state practice that commercial extraction and use of space resources do not amount to national appropriation prohibited by the Outer Space Treaty. The US has been consistently announcing this position since the early 1990s, most recently through former President Trumps Executive Order and the Artemis Accords. Other countries like Luxembourg, UAE, and Japan have also incorporated similar interpretations in their domestic legislation.

This clarification on its stance on space resource exploitation brings India closer to joining the Artemis Accords NASA-sponsored inter-agency bilateral agreements to facilitate future explorations and settlements on the Moon. There have been hints and speculations, especially in the context of its Quad engagements. If India decides to join, the race for lunar ascendency will heat up even more. With China and Russias International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) project potentially becoming an Artemis-like alliance (Venezuela has been invited to join ILRS), the future holds thrilling developments for space law and policy enthusiasts.

Addressing Emerging Challenges: Space Debris and Sustainability

As space activities increase globally, one of the pressing concerns is the proliferation of space debris, posing risks to operational satellites and crewed space missions. The 2023 Policy acknowledges this challenge and outlines measures to ensure safe and sustainable space operations. The policy entrusts the Department of Space with establishing a framework that adheres to international space debris mitigation guidelines, demonstrating Indias commitment to maintaining a sustainable space environment.

The significance of addressing space debris cannot be overstated. With an ever-growing number of satellites being launched, the risk of collisions and the generation of more debris increases exponentially. Such collisions can lead to catastrophic consequences, potentially damaging vital communication, navigation, and Earth observation satellites, and endangering human spaceflight.

In response to these challenges, international organisations such as the United Nations (UN) and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) have developed guidelines aimed at mitigating the creation of space debris and promoting the long-term sustainability of outer space activities. The UN space debris mitigation guidelines were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007, and they provide a comprehensive framework for minimising the creation of space debris during all phases of a satellites life cycle, from design to disposal.

The IADC, in contrast, is an international governmental forum comprising space agencies from around the world. It seeks to coordinate global efforts in addressing space debris issues by exchanging information, fostering research, and developing mitigation guidelines. The IADC guidelines, first published in 2002 and updated in 2007, serve as a reference for spacefaring nations to develop their national space debris mitigation policies.

By committing to adhere to UN and IADC space debris guidelines, India showcases its responsible approach to space activities and aligns itself with international best practices. Moreover, the Indian Space Policy 2023 emphasises the importance of enhancing national space situational awareness capabilities, which involves monitoring and tracking objects in orbit, predicting potential collisions, and sharing observation data with relevant stakeholders. This focus on space debris management and mitigation reflects Indias dedication to maintaining a sustainable space environment and contributes to global efforts to ensure the long-term viability of outer space for all nations.

Balancing Civilian and Military Space Efforts

While the Indian Space Policy 2023 primarily focuses on the civilian and commercial aspects of the space sector, it does not directly address the integration of civilian and military space efforts. Considering the increasing role of space in national security and defence, the absence of a clear strategy on this front is a notable omission. In an era where space capabilities are increasingly intertwined with military power and technological advancements, it is essential for India to address the military dimensions of its space program in a comprehensive manner.

However, the policys emphasis on comprehensive development may signal the eventual release of a separate space strategy document outlining the integration of commercial space initiatives with military objectives. Such a document would be crucial in providing a clear roadmap for the development of Indias military space capabilities and ensuring that the nations space program remains robust and balanced.

In contrast, the United States has a more comprehensive approach to integrating civilian and military space efforts. They leverage public-private partnerships to develop cutting-edge technology for military applications. For instance, companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are engaged in developing advanced space launch capabilities that could be used for both civilian and military purposes. This approach not only fosters innovation but also reduces the costs of military space capabilities by capitalising on commercial investments.

In light of these differences, India may benefit from adopting a more direct approach to integrating its civilian and military space efforts. This could include establishing a dedicated military space organisation responsible for coordinating and overseeing the development of military space capabilities and fostering greater cooperation between the commercial space sector and defence agencies.

Furthermore, India should also consider leveraging public-private partnerships to develop dual-use technologies that could serve both civilian and military objectives. This approach would not only promote innovation and cost savings but also ensure that Indias space program remains balanced and capable of addressing the full spectrum of space challenges.

The Road Ahead: Adapting to an Evolving Space Landscape

The Indian Space Policy 2023 sets the stage for a bold and ambitious future for Indias space sector, opening the door to innovation, collaboration, and international cooperation. However, as we chart the course for Indias journey to the stars, it is essential to recognise that the global space landscape is not static but constantly evolving. India must embrace adaptability and strategic foresight to keep pace with these rapid changes.

The policy, while comprehensive, is only the beginning of Indias renewed space endeavour. Policymakers must remain vigilant and responsive to emerging trends, technological advancements, and the shifting dynamics of the international space arena. They should also be prepared to make periodic updates and revisions to the policy, ensuring it remains relevant and effective in the face of new challenges and opportunities.

Furthermore, as India positions itself as a global leader in space, it must strive to balance its national interests with its responsibilities to the international community. This will require a commitment to the sustainable use of outer space, fostering an environment of trust and cooperation, and championing equitable access to space resources and technologies, particularly for developing nations.

The 2023 Policy marks a turning point in Indias space journey, setting the stage for a new era of innovation, collaboration, and global leadership. Yet, the true measure of Indias success in the space domain will lie in its ability to adapt to an ever-changing landscape, harness the power of emerging technologies, and contribute to the shared goals and aspirations of the global space community. By embracing this challenge, India can boldly embark on a journey that will shape not only its destiny in space but also the future of humanitys exploration and utilisation of the cosmos.

Kiran Mohan Vazhapully is Senior Legal Officer at Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization, New Delhi. Views expressed are personal.

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Pakistan has been a riddle  for India and the West. A nation that joined the Western bloc very early in its nationhood journey remained forever a self-proclaimed citadel of Islam. It fought the war against terrorism alongside the US-led alliance while simultaneously fathering the Taliban and other terrorist outfits. Maybe it was because of the nature of its origins wherein the worst of the Islamist forces were invoked. It may also be due to Pakistans aspiration to be the Land of the Pure  an ideal that could manifest itself only when everything, including time, travels back to seventh-century Arabia.

No one, however, is more befuddled by the idea of Pakistan than an Indian. To him, Pakistan remains a muddled notion, so contrasting and contradictory that even after seven decades of Partition and being at the receiving end of Islamabads three-and-a-half wars and decades-long terrorist activities, an Indian still is not sure if he would be better off with or without a strong, prosperous Pakistan!

Partly, its the result of the Hindu failure to comprehend the idea of the Abrahamic religions, especially Islam  and the Pakistani ingenuity at inventing its Arab roots. A Hindu, grown up with the pluralistic notions of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, often finds it difficult to believe the division of the world into the ummah and the kafir and a theological sanction for the perpetual damnation of the latter even when he had lived a near-perfect life! Pakistan is the physical manifestation of this Islamist mindset, which is constantly locked up in a civilisational battle with India.

What makes Pakistan dangerously anti-India is its paranoiac search for Arab roots. It disowns its indigenous history and invents another to suit the Islamist worldview. Thus Mohammed bin Qasim becomes the first citizen of Pakistan  the very invader from Arabia who killed, maimed and raped thousands of Sindhis in 712 AD. Everything before him is consciously forgotten. Everything after him is suitably distorted. Pakistan is today, in the words of VS Naipaul, a dreadful mangling of history, where too much has to be ignored or angled (Beyond Belief: Islamic Excursions Among the Converted Peoples).

Even the early Muslim campaigns have been used to bolster the morale of the Pakistan Army  one of the favourites being the Battle of Badr, where just over 300 Muslim men with no military training defeated 1,000 seasoned soldiers equipped with armour, 700 camels and 100 horses. It is this mindset that makes Pakistanis constantly challenge India. They think the Battle of Badr can be repeated.

What further makes Islamabad a perennial enemy is the Pakistan Armys belief that retaining the ability to challenge New Delhi itself is victory. Elaborating on this, American author C Christine Fair writes in Fighting to the End: The Pakistan Armys Way of War: For Pakistans men on horseback, not winning, even repeatedly, is not the same thing as losing. But simply giving up and accepting the status quo and Indias supremacy, is, by definition, defeat Pakistans generals would always prefer to take a calculated risk and be defeated than to do nothing at all.

The second reason why the idea of Pakistan remains so baffling is because of the Pakistani tendency to keep personal and professional separate. So, an Indian visiting Lahore often comes back gushing about how his Pakistani hosts treated him with reverence! Professionally, however, India remains an enemy country. A new book, In Pursuit of Peace: India-Pakistan Relations under Six Prime Ministers, by the late Satinder Kumar Lambah, based on his own vast experience  as Indias High Commissioner and Deputy High Commissioner in Pakistan, as Joint Secretary (Pakistan and Afghanistan) and as Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs special envoy involved in a long period of back-channel negotiations  brings out this dichotomy in so many instances.

Especially enlightening was the chapter, Professional Engagement, Personal Interactions, where Lambah recalls the first time he arrived in Islamabad as deputy chief of mission (1978-82). Gen Zia-ul-Haq was in power then. Zia had the image of an insecure, brutal and visibly paranoid dictator who Islamised Pakistan, brooked no dissent and banned music and other fine arts featuring women. But, as Lambah writes, his traits of ruthlessness and deviousness were camouflaged with a display of humility and courteousness. His seeing off visitors to the car and discreetly placing a gift for them, usually a carpet, disarmed them and boosted egos. He specifically mentions the story of George Fernandes, who had publicly said before his Pakistan visit that he would raise the issue of Benazir Bhutto with him, but returned full of praise for the man. At the meeting, Gen Zia reportedly told Fernandes: Sir, I want to learn labour issues from you.

Zia wasnt alone in perfecting the art of two-facedness  a phenomenon which also manifested in the very psyche of the Pakistani state. Mohammed Ali Jinnah had led a personal life that would shame a Westerner, but that didnt stop him from laying the foundation for an Islamic state. Then there was Zulfiqar Bhutto, a fervent socialist who officially made Pakistan an Islamic Republic and threw Ahmadiyyas out of the Islamic fold. His Western-educated, liberal daughter, Benazir Bhutto, in her first term, invoked jihad while calling for the liberation of Kashmir  and presided over the rise of Taliban 1.0 during her second term. Nawaz Sharif was no different either, though Lambah thought he always wanted better relations with India. Sharif was well aware of the Kargil plot even when he was welcoming Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Lahore. Sharif also instituted the death penalty for blasphemy, besides introducing the infamous Shariah Bill.

There are very few diplomats who can claim to have the expertise and experience of Pakistan that Lambah had. He was a sort of Mr Pakistan among Indian diplomats  the go-to person whenever the Government of India thought of initiating any dialogue process with Islamabad. He himself recalls an incident vindicating this image. While seeing him off as Indias envoy to Budapest in 1986, the then external affairs minister, PV Narasimha Rao, called him a one-country (read Pakistan) man. To this, Lambah replied: Dont say that loudly Sir as itll ruin my career. Rao immediately made amends: Loudly, Id always say you are good for everywhere.

No doubt, Lambah showed a great understanding of the nature of the Pakistani state. He writes, Whereas Pakistan continues to derive the rationale for its existence to Islam, it has been able to sustain itself all these years through the creation of a bogey in the form of an Indian threat. But this did not stop him from chasing the chimera of peaceful existence with Pakistan; in fact, he had been the most preferred diplomat to carry out this task on behalf of the Government of India. Maybe he was too close to Pakistan to see its real character. Maybe he was emotional too, given that he was born to an affluent Peshawar family in pre-Partition Pakistan.

Whatever it may be, the fact of the matter is that Pakistan occupies Indias  and Lambahs  diplomatic mind space quite disproportionately. Every Prime Minister from Jawaharlal Nehru to Manmohan Singh would be swayed by the prospect of rewriting the India-Pakistan peace saga. Even Narendra Modi began his prime ministerial journey with a Pakistan overreach, but unlike others in the past, he mended his ways post-Pathankot, especially after the 2019 Pulwama terror attack. Such was the obsessive fascination for talks among the Indian leadership that there was a pattern: Every new government would push for talks with Pakistan. This would be followed by a terror strike of one hue or the other. The two nations would then talk tough for a few months, followed by a fresh round of dialogue. And Lambah would be the diplomat making the ground, especially since the 1980s.

For India, before 2016, when the Pathankot happened, talks had become an end in themselves! After all, where was the common ground between the two neighbours? India and Pakistan represent two contrasting ideologies  the two poles that cant meet. What India glorifies are the dark ages (Jahiliyyah) for them. Indias heroes are invariably their villains, and vice versa. Is it, therefore, any surprise that Pakistan names its missiles after Qasim, Ghori and Ghazni? Is it any surprise that the era when the two nations were most enthusiastically involved in talks also coincided with some of the deadliest terror attacks  from Delhi and Ahmedabad to Varanasi and Mumbai, and not to forget Kargil where Vajpayee found himself soon after the Lahore bus diplomacy?

Lambahs most momentous phase in the diplomatic arena came during Manmohan Singhs time when he held back-channel interactions, from 2005 to 2014, with his Pakistani interlocutors to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir issue. After over 100 hours of talks across 18 meetings in different cities, Lambah came up with 14 principles, prerequisites and outcomes. Interestingly, President Musharraf had spelt out only four points. Besides demilitarisation, it laid down the roadmap to self-governance, joint India-Pakistan mechanism to oversee self-governance and trade and free movement of Kashmiris across the LoC. Given that India at that time was a witness to a series of terror incidents  and that 26/11 too was planned during Musharrafs time  it was ludicrous not to see the dangers of demilitarising Kashmir or making the borders irrelevant! Gen Ashfaq Kayani, Musharrafs successor in the army, shot this deal down, and India escaped a disaster of epic proportions.

Lambah makes us believe that there are two sets of people in Pakistan: one who seeks peace; and the other who forever works to undermine it. On a cursory level, this makes sense. But such is the nature of the Pakistani state that there cannot survive anyone who sincerely thinks of peaceful existence with India. Thus, Lambah may think Sharif was all for peace with India. But the truth is he was as much involved in Kargil as Gen Musharraf was. If Rajiv Dogra, who served as Consul General of India in Karachi from 1992 to 1994, is to be believed, Sharif not only knew about the 1993 Mumbai blasts in advance, but had actually given his approval for them (for more, read Dogras Where Borders Bleed). Lambah has been equally generous with Gen Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto. He is also soft on Inder Kumar Gujral, giving him a clean chit on the otherwise credible charges of ending R&AWs operations in Pakistan.

Despite these shortcomings, Lambahs In Pursuit of Peace is a must-read book  for its original content, firsthand anecdotes and deep dive into the Pakistani psyche. Very few had such access to the high and the might of Pakistans political class.

The author is Opinion Editor, Firstpost and News18. He tweets from @Utpal_Kumar1. Views expressed are personal.

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Recent media reports with respect to Consumer Protection (e-commerce) Rules have captured the attention of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) players. Newspaper reports suggest that the government has restarted the conversations on bringing back the previously opposed rules that will put curbs on e-commerce business and operations including a ban on consumer-friendly pricing, conformity with the retail sector and its business conduct, curbs on technology-intensive supply chain management, etc. Another report also addressed that there may be discussions ongoing to even ban related parties involvement in the sector.

Consultation with MSMEs in policymaking a necessity

There are several fundamental reasons that have garnered MSMEs attention. Foremost, while the Ministry had previously consulted MSMEs for suggestions on the rules but further involvement of MSMEs is required if the government is undergoing serious internal considerations on some of the aforementioned factors. This may become concerning because while the perception remains that e-commerce is about platform entities and the consumers, in our view however, the role of MSMEs in e-commerce is equally essential considering it contributes significantly to the proportion of seller base and sales. Moreover, around two-fifth of the MSMEs in India indulge in online forms of sales, making it imperative to effectuate the conversation.

Due consultation and incorporation of MSME voice is important and should be an utmost priority. The fact of the matter is that more than just encompassing voices, the entire ecosystem of the economy, whether the supply chain, service industry, merchants, and many other operational activities, is largely fuelled by the MSMEs. Thus, the success or failure of any policy implementation will be driven by participation, innovativeness, and scope for expansion of the MSMEs.

E-Commerce Rules Headlines Creating Causes of Worry

On a more substantive level, there are a few major concerns. Firstly, the newspapers seem to suggest that physical and e-commerce need to be equated. However, we can respectfully disagree with this notion as the argument overlooks the fact that the provision of e-marketplaces is a technological breakthrough that has greatly benefited everyone, especially MSMEs, by providing them with better resources for growth. These marketplaces have evolved for better service delivery by studying what the consumers want and adopting best practices from the data available and global best practices. Both cannot be fundamentally seen through the same lens of effectiveness and operations.

Basing the regulations on the presumption that such digital marketplaces may seek to undermine consumer interests and kill competition, is also an overstretch. Additionally, e-commerce currently represents less than 6 percent of total retail sales in India. While the importance of marketplaces is stated, it is also important to highlight that more than half of the SMEs in the country selling online have their own e-commerce platforms. Any stringent compliance put forward will thus have direct implications on the smaller platforms as well. There is thus a need for a liberal regulatory approach to the process rather than any restrictive pathways.

Secondly, the related parties criterion which is getting serious reconsideration seems like a misplaced thought and has little value to the discussion. It is important to note that related parties or arms length business models are permitted for nearly everything else, and furthermore, the matter of consumer protection seems to have been incorrectly linked with the related parties criterion and requires thoughtful recalibration. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs is right in its intent to ensure that every player has an opportunity to participate effectively, and the broader set of guidelines overseeing that own or self-products are not unfairly pushed forward will be key.

The third aspect concerns logistics. One of the reasons why MSMEs have succeeded in online marketplaces has been the ease and convenience of how the platforms run their logistical services. It has resulted in lower costs for logistics and related operations, translating to affordable prices for consumers purchasing MSME products. However, there appears to be a lack of awareness of what logistics truly means, and I think people must understand that it is not just the deposit factor but also the returns that logistics services facilitate. It is about the cost of doing business that logistics successfully eases out with. If the governments goal is to support alternate players, the focus should be on implementing practical measures and not resorting to any potential options of shutting down. Such contradictory steps would lead to a policy deadlock, jeopardising the growth of MSMEs, which have relied on the ease of logistics services.

Consumer Centricity has been e-commerce Focus

The guiding force of success for e-commerce entities has not just been its innovation in marketplaces but due credit must also be given to the focus and concentration on consumers. The e-commerce revolution has transformed consumer feedback in the country and is one of the only platforms where consumers can return goods and products if they believe are not up to their requisite standards. This has pushed the entire manufacturing industry in India to develop and sell quality goods.

It is important to have effective measures in place to ensure that all goods produced in the country meet high standards of quality for consumption. E-commerce can be a valuable tool in achieving these standards by building trust among consumers. MSMEs often sell their goods directly to consumers without the involvement of middlemen, which reduces the risk of fraudulent activities that could potentially affect the quality and authenticity of products. Digital marketplaces are thus making it easier for MSMEs to engage in B2C commerce while maintaining high standards of quality for consumers. For instance, if an MSME is attempting to source and sell genuine Darjeeling tea, but the presence of various B2B levels has increased costs and raised doubts about authenticity by the time it reaches consumers, e-commerce players can serve as a viable direct alternative.

It is also important to note that there is a limited availability of databases that focus on consumer viability and MSME accessibility in relation to e-commerce operations in India. Given that India holds the G20 Presidency this year, there is an opportunity for a collaborative effort to establish a framework or guiding principles for the collection of data on crucial aspects of e-commerce adoption. This will not only address the current information gap but also aid in informed decision-making on the subject in the future.

Policymaking and MSMEs are Inseparable

MSMEs in India have the rightful epithet of being the backbone of the countrys growth. To ensure that policies are not one-sided, what is required is a well-conceived and inclusive ecosystem of regulatory approaches. This necessitates ongoing engagement with all stakeholders, including MSMEs, suppliers, platform entities, and consumers. Such engagement will enable the tailoring of regulations to the unique needs of each sector.

The government must formulate policies that enable MSMEs to be competitive in terms of market access and credit availability. Digital marketplaces can contribute to a more equitable market by offering a level playing field for small businesses to compete against larger enterprises.

If the speculative points are implemented, it may impede the success of investments in the sector. The advent of e-commerce, supported by these investments, has facilitated MSMEs in accessing a larger consumer base and has also provided them with hassle-free payment mechanisms. Hence, it is imperative that we adopt a progressive outlook towards these achievements.

The author is the President at the India SME Forum. Views expressed are personal.

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News / National

by Staff reporter

VISITING Eswatini leader, King Mswati III, yesterday commended Zimbabwe for the various developmental projects it has embarked upon despite the negative effects of illegal Western sanctions it has been under for over 20 years.King Mswati III, who is on a State visit to the country and will officially open the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo today, said the illegal sanctions were negatively affecting the whole of Africa and called for their unconditional removal.He said this after a meeting President Mnangagwa at State House in Harare yesterday."Coming here to Zimbabwe is to give solidarity and support to the people of Zimbabwe and I was saying to His Excellency, coming here from the airport I was admiring, having seen a lot of developments which I had not seen before because I haven't been here for quite some time."But after seeing the developments, I have been very much impressed to see how much work has been done and we are aware that Zimbabwe is still going through some difficulties as a result of the sanctions which were imposed on this country which we hope, all of us not only the Kingdom of eSwatini but Africa as a whole is looking forward to the day these sanctions will be lifted because these sanctions are not only hurting the people of Zimbabwe, but the whole of Africa," King Mswati III said.The Government is expanding the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport while a new housing project, Arlington Estate, has also been developed close to the airport.Turning to his meeting with President Mnangagwa, King Mswati III thanked the Head of State for inviting him to open the ZITF."I am very happy coming here to Zimbabwe, it's like I am coming home, a second home. Zimbabweans and amaSwati are one people and my coming here is to strengthen the relationship that exists between our countries. We have had fruitful discussions just now with His Excellency to see where we can make some improvements because relations have to be improved now and again, trade has to be looked at to see what we need to do."There is a lot of room to improve, but there is trade already which is taking place but there is lot of room for our people to expand in this particular area. So, our discussions covered a wide range of issues as to where the people of Zimbabwe and Eswatini can sit down and find answers to all the issues which are outstanding," he said.The Eswatini King said his attendance at the ZITF would give him and his delegation an opportunity to see goods being produced in Zimbabwe."Tomorrow I will be attending the Trade Fair and this will give us an opportunity to see more things that you are able to produce here in Zimbabwe and see what we can trade with. It will also give us an opportunity to showcase ourselves as amaSwati. We have a lot of things, cultural as amaSwati and we can share that with our people here in Zimbabwe," he said.King Mswati III added that the introduction of flights between the two countries through Eswatini Air should see increased trade and tourism between the two countries.In his remarks, President Mnangagwa thanked King Mswati III for accepting his invitation to open the ZITF."We had invited (Senegal) President Macky Sall, the Chairman of the African Union to open our ZITF and then suddenly we have problems in Sudan so he communicated that he was now engaged, dealing with those issues. So I then invited His Majesty to step in and he gladly accepted to step in to open our Trade Fair, so tomorrow (today) we shall go back to Bulawayo and he shall open our International Trade Fair."Of course, we have made it a State Visit, so he is here and we have exchanged our views, our political relations are excellent but we felt that it was necessary to upscale our relations, our trade relations and our human relations between our two countries," President Mnangagwa said.Earlier in the day, King Mswati III had arrived in Harare from Victoria Falls where he attended the Transform Africa Summit that began in the resort city on Wednesday.He was met at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Frederick Shava, his Defence and War Veterans Affairs counterpart Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, service chiefs, senior Government officials and scores of Zanu-PF supporters.King Mswati III was received by a 21 gun salute and inspected a guard of honour mounted by members of the Presidential Guard.
Dialogue between the central government and the pro-talk United Liberation Front of Assam is finally going to end in May after over a decade since it began. The top leadership of ULFA recently received the draft of a proposed agreement from the Centre, which is awaiting a reply from the group.

On Thursday, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, The Centre is waiting for a reply from the ULFA (United Liberation Front of Assam). If they are ready to sign the agreement on the central governments draft, it will be signed within May. If not, it will be delayed.

After the declaration of the draft of an agreement by the chief minister, ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia said, We will discuss within our organisation about the central governments draft. We think, if the Centre is ready to sign the agreement with the ULFA, we are ready to do it at any moment.

We believe our demands will be met by the government if the peace agreement is signed next month. It will be a momentous event, Chetia said.

The groups demands include remedies for the ravages of illegal migration, reforms to preserve the identity of the people of Assam, and agricultural as well as rural development. The ULFAs middle-rung leadership committee, Karma Parishad, made a demand to the central committee for a discussion on the central governments draft.

Karma Parishad member Pranjit Saikia said, We dont know anything about the draft. If any draft came from the central government, the central committee should arrange a meeting with the Karma Parishad. After knowing about the draft, we wrote a letter to the central committee to arrange a meeting with us. The central committee assured us of a meeting about the central governments draft.

He added: We should discuss with our cadres, who are staying in nine different designated camps. We should discuss the draft with other civil society, student organisations. We should share it with the public. If we do not, it will be a blunder.

The ULFA was formed on April 7, 1979, to seek the restoration of Assams sovereignty, a topic that now remains only on the agenda of the Paresh Baruah-led ULFA(I).

The original ULFA split after the top leadership, led by Arabinda Rajkhowa, was arrested in Bangladesh and handed over to India in 2008. Three years later, Rajkhowa and his group decided to join the peace talks. The faction submitted a 12-point charter of demands, excluding sovereignty made by Sanmilita Jatiya Abhibartan in 2010.

Talking about the possibility of signing the agreement with the government in May, Saikia said, I think it is not possible to sign the agreement within May. It takes time to have discussions within our organisation, and then with civil and student organisations. Lastly, our central committee should send a proposal about the draft to the ULFA(I) chief Paresh Baruah. We need to know about his opinion. Because once we were one organisation.

Peace and surrender

Beginning in 1990, the Government of India attempted to wean away members of the ULFA. This happened after the death of ULFAs deputy commander-in-chief Heerak Jyoti Mahanta on December 31, 1991. He had opposed surrenders, but they began after his death.

In 1992, a large section of second-rung leaders and members surrendered to the government. These former members were allowed to retain their weapons to defend against former colleagues; they were offered bank loans without any liabilities to help them reintegrate into society.

The total number of ULFA militants to have laid down arms has gone up to 8,718. At least 4,993 cadres surrendered between 1991 and 1998, and 3,435 surrendered between 1998 and 2005, when a new policy to deal with the ULFA was unveiled.

On January 24, 2012, one of Northeast Indias biggest surrender ceremonies took place in Assams Guwahati, when 676 militants laid down arms. In 2020, 1,675 cadres of ULFA(I) and allied militant groups surrendered.

In 2003, the ULFA had put forward a set of three preconditions for talks and negotiations with the government but they were rejected. The preconditions were: talks should be held in a third country; talks should be held under UN supervision; and the agenda of the talks should include the independence of Assam.

In 2004, the ULFA dropped the first two preconditions and offered to talk with the government. The Government of India was not ready to negotiate on the issue of independence. Still, there was some progress when the ULFA formed a peoples consultative group (PCG) in September 2005 to prepare the grounds for an eventual negotiation with the government.

In a sustained operation launched by the Indian Army inside a national park in Dibru Saikhowa, the ULFA lost its hides and camps, important leaders and cadres. The group came to the negotiating table in 2005. The talks were first held in December 2005 at the residence of then prime minister Manmohan Singh.

There were three rounds of peace talks with the 11-member PCG, headed by noted Assamese writer Indira Goswami, leading to a temporary truce in August 2006. The truce, however, broke by September 23 of the same year as the ULFA continued with its violent activities against civilians, mainly tea estates and oil pipelines. It also violated the ceasefire as it lobbed grenades on army columns.

On June 24, 2008, some leaders and cadres of the A and C companies of the ULFA declared unilateral ceasefire at a press meet held at Amarpur in Tinsukia district. They declared the ceasefire to pressure the top brass of the ULFA to sit on the negotiation table. But the central committee expelled the leaders of 28 Battalion led by Mrinal Hazarika and Jiten Dutta, who had managed to escape from the army cordon in Dibru Saikhowa National Park. The group was later renamed as ULFA(Pro-talk).

The ULFAs 12-point charter of demands was formally handed over to New Delhi on August 5, 2011. The demands were broad in nature and scraped out by the Rajkhowa faction of ULFA from a 37-page charter that was presented to the Pro-talk group by Sanmilita Jatiya Abhibartan, the civil society body that took the initiative to bring about an interface between the faction of the ULFA and the government.

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Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday slammed a Karnataka BJP leader for calling former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi a Vishkanya, saying the use of the term was a reflection of the vitiated political discourse in the country.

Remarks made by a Bharatiya Janata Party leader in Karnataka against Sonia Gandhi reflect the rot in politics. Sonia Gandhi is respected across the country, by both ruling and the opposition parties," Gehlot told reporters in Hanumangarh.

With such lowly and despicable statements about her, I think a new form of BJP is emerging," he said .

During an interaction with the media in poll-bound Karnataka, BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal Thursday night called Sonia Gandhi a Vishkanya, apparently responding to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharges comparison of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a poisonous snake. Gehlot in his turn accused the BJP of distorting its opponents remarks in order to mislead the public.

I think their countdown is starting from Karnataka. If we make any comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he distorts it and presents it in front of the public to win the election, we have seen that many times," he said.

All the same, the Congress leader said he will personally write a letter to Modi and ask him to take action against Yatnal.

He said if the PM or Karnataka CM dont take action then it will be clear they share the opinion of the BJP MLA.

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It was a tiring day for the supporters who were waiting to catch a glimpse of their favourite neta. Local as well as national media houses had their representatives deployed at every spot where they could get a reaction of the Bahubali who was set free after 15 years, 9 months, and 20 days from Saharsa jail. Over 500 four-wheelers and a thousand motorcycles were waiting to escort the leader with flags bearing Sher-e-Bihar. Women, children, and the elderly stood for hours with garlands and flower petals to give him a grand welcome in Panchgachia village. But it all went in vain when the countrys first politician to get a death sentence (later commuted to life) after getting released from jail did not appear in public throughout the day.

Former Member of Parliament and ex-MLA Anand Mohan surprised his supporters and media persons who were waiting for him to come out of jail in Saharsa on Thursday. At around 8am, it was known that Anand Mohan was released around 3-4am and went out of sight of the public. The time of his release was expected to be 11 am earlier. People had no idea where Anand Mohan was. Some said he had left for his village, others speculated he went to a hotel, and a few maintained he was staying at a relatives house in Patna.

Supporters had started pouring in from different districts of Bihar, and some came from Uttar Pradesh as well. Each and every supporter had the confidence that their neta would appear before them and address the gathering. The plan was to have a roadshow at 11 am on the streets of Saharsa. First, Anand Mohan would garland Ambedkar and Veer Kunwar Singh statues followed by the massive roadshow. Then he and his thousands of supporters would go to Panchgachia, his native village, which was just 12 km away from Saharsa town. Throughout the day, the media and supporters kept going to and fro between Panchgachia and Saharsa, but Anand Mohan was untraceable.

Back in Panchgachia in scorching heat, hundreds of women and children were standing in queues with flower petals in their hands, and men were holding garlands. There was an arrangement of poori-sabzi, rasgulla, gulab jamun, and other sweets.

Around 5pm, Anand Mohans son and RJD MLA Chetan Anand and daughter Surbhi Anand arrived in Panchgachia and said that their father was told to keep the release a low-key affair. Later, CNN-News18 figured out how and why Sher-e-Bihar evaded everyone. After leaving Saharsa Jail, Anand Mohan reached Patna by road in the morning via Darbhanga and Muzaffarpur. Here, he had a flight at 11 am for Delhi. From there, he reached Dehradun. According to sources, Anand Mohan was in contact with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday (April 27). They also claimed that the direction was that Anand Mohan should not speak to the media. He was told that he should leave for Dehradun directly and prepare for his sons marriage.

According to sources, security was a major issue and dissent from the Dalit community and central IAS association over his release had worried the CM. Observers say Nitish Kumar is image-conscious and has branded himself Sushashan Babu (one who provided good governance) right from the beginning. At a time when the rules of the Bihar Jail Manual were tweaked to set free 27 people incarcerated for more than 14 years and clear the way for Anand Mohan as well, there was an outcry from the Dalit community and the family of late IAS officer G Krishnaiah strongly opposed the decision of the Nitish government. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati also condemned the Nitish Kumar government for its decision and called it an anti-Dalit move. Moreover, a Public Interest Litigation was filed by a retired IPS officer of Bihar, Amitabh Das, after the central IAS association expressed its dismay and requested Nitish to have a relook.

Another reason for the cancellation of the grand show in Saharsa is said to be the media trial of Anand Mohan on April 25 in Patna, when he gave interviews to over 15 journalists. Anand Mohan should not have spoken to the media before he was finally released. It generated negative headlines and discomforted many including our Netaji. During his interview, mocking Mayawati was not appreciated either, said a close associate. Another supporter from Munger said, There could be security issues as wellThe kind of incident (Atiq Ahmeds killing) that happened in Uttar Pradesh has raised alarm among public figures.

Amid controversy over the release of Anand Mohan Singh, Bihar chief secretary Amir Subhani contended on Thursday that the measure was in accordance with law and the state government had not done anything wrong in amending the Jail Manual 2012. We have followed all guidelines before passing the release order. Anand Mohan is a politician and there are so many talks going on pertaining to his case. He has served more than 15 years of sentence and also 7 years in jail. So, he has already been more than 22 years in jail. Hence, the decision taken in his case is as per the law," he said.

Uma Krishnaiah, the wife of the slain IAS officer, had said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should intervene and make Nitish Kumar withdraw his decision, which will set a bad precedent and have serious repercussions for the entire society. My husband was an IAS officer and it is the Centres responsibility to ensure that justice is done, she said.

Padma Krishnaiah, daughter of G Krishnaiah told CNN-News18, It is useless requesting CM Nitish Kumar, as he has taken the decision to appease Rajput voters in Bihar. We will move to the Supreme Court instead and challenge the decision taken by his government.

However, Anand Mohans son Chetan Anand said that he wanted to meet the family of the slain IAS officer. We want to meet his family if allowedwe can do it as soon as possible.

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Smartphones have become an essential part of our daily lives. Whether youre a college-going student whos also an influencer, a job beginner whos starting their professional career, or a phone photographer and videographer, your smartphone is one of the most important devices you own. Its the one thing that helps you stay connected, capture precious moments, and stay productive on the go.

The all-new Samsung Galaxy A34 5G and #GalaxyA54 5G offer durability, looks and features at a price that no other smartphone can provide, so that you can focus more on your life. Read what people have to say about how the #GalaxyA34 5G and Galaxy A54 5G truly makes them believe that #AwesomeIsForEveryone

Built For Adventures, Styled Like a Diva

As a college-going adventurer, Anjalis always on the move, exploring new places and capturing memorable moments on her phone. However, this lifestyle often comes with its fair share of mishaps and accidents, which is why she needs a phone that can keep up with her.

Luckily, her Samsung #GalaxyA54 5G comes with Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back, so dropping her phone never makes her grimace in suspense.

Her hikes in the mountains and stroll by the rivers of Uttarakhand are now made more confident, all thanks to the IP67 rating for water and dust resistance, as the phone can sustain dust and water.

Hustle and Heart of Office Goers

As Amayah and Mariam start their professional careers in different fields, they want a phone that reflects their personal style while maintaining a professional appearance.

Amayah, a young lawyer, opts for the Galaxy A34 5G in the classic and sleek Awesome Silver colour. The glastic finish with a matte texture gives her phone a unique look and feel, making her stand out among her peers.

Mariam, on the other hand, works in the creative industry as a graphic designer and chooses the Galaxy A54 5G in the vibrant and trendy Awesome Green colour. The glass back adds a touch of flair to his look that matches his artistic personality.

The#GalaxyA34 5G and #GalaxyA54 5G are also available in Awesome Violet and Awesome Graphite colours.

Living Life Through a Lens

Puneets life depends on sharing the most stable videos and photos on a moments notice, as hes a cameraperson for a leading news outlet. His subjects are out in the wild when the world goes to sleep. When he started using the Samsung Galaxy A34 5G , he was impressed by the OIS feature that ensured his footage was always smooth and steady. The 48MP primary camera captured noise free, crisp videos, making his videos look professional and polished. Puneet especially loved the Nightography mode, which allowed him to capture stunning footage even in low light conditions, without any loss of detail.

Image editing tools such as object eraser, which removes unwanted subjects in a shot in just a tap, and AI image enhancer, which auto-magically fixes the exposure and colour temperature of photos in a second changed his life.

Zoya, a social media influence , was always on the lookout for a trusty smartphone camera. When she got her hands on the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G , she was blown away by how vibrant her food shots were in the day. Zoya loves to take photos, but always struggled with getting stable shots indoors, as most smartphones within her reach click blurry photos.

With the Galaxy A54 5Gs stunning 50MP primary camera and optical image stabilisation, she is now finally able to capture stunning shots dependably and enjoy her work more than ever before.

Going The Mile

Robin spends most of his day indoors editing videos. He needs a phone with good battery life to keep him connected throughout the day. Robin upgraded to the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G and has been amazed by its battery life. With its 2+ day battery, , he no longer has to worry about his phone dying in the middle of an important call or missing out on any work emails. The best part? Charging it is a breeze, as it supports 25W fast charging.

He recommended the Galaxy A34 5G to his junior, Sharan, who does a lot of research work by watching videos. The Galaxy A34 5Gs AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and FHD+ resolution left him absolutely enamoured, as not only does it help him with work, but he also enjoys playing multiplayer games during his free time. The displays 1000 nits of brightness gives him the confidence to watch content in an open cafe in Delhis blazing sun without colours on the screen appearing washed out.

The blazing fast and reliable 5G connectivity of the Galaxy A34 5G has also given him the confidence to play more often and even livestream his multiplayer sessions with thousands of like-minded people.

Going For the Long Game

The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G and Galaxy A54 5G come packed with features that ensure an outstanding user experience. The Voice Focus feature helps to eliminate ambient noise during voice and video calls, providing crystal clear sound quality. This is particularly useful in an ever-growing country like India, where stray traffic and construction sounds are commonplace.

Additionally, Samsung Wallet provides a quick and secure way to make payments, store digital IDs, and protect personal data. With Knox Security, your data is always safe, as the device creates an encrypted space inside for added security. Furthermore, the 4 generations of OS updates and 5-year security maintenance ensure that your device experience will only improve over time, making these devices a great investment for long-term use.

But what good is a phone if using it is a chore? Well, Samsungs One UI is silky smooth and super-intuitive to use, so that nothing comes in the way of your experience with your smartphone. Every nuance of it, be it transitions or app loading times, will make you go Wow! I wish I had tried this before.

The Samsung Galaxy A34 5G and Galaxy A54 5G are smartphones like none other. They are waiting to be yours on Samsung.com, Samsung exclusive, partner stores and online retailers, so hurry up and make the Galaxy A34 5G and Galaxy A54 5G yours now!

The starting price of just Rs 27,999 is made even more attractive by some easy EMI options. To make sure the awesomeness never ends, Samsung is also offering three months of YouTube Premium for free!

This is a Partnered Post.

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A team of programmers just equipped a famed Boston Dynamics robot dog with OpenAIs ChatGPT and Googles Text-to-Speech voice modulation, allowing it to literally speak to them and answer their questions.

In a video posted on Twitter, a machine learning engineer showcased how a Spot robot dog was programmed to verbally answer system questions with the help of the most popular artificial intelligence tool at the moment.

The integration, undertaken by machine-learning engineer Santiago Valdarrama, enables efficient query data gathering, with ChatGPT interpreting questions and formulating answers in real time.

These robots run automated missions every day. Each mission uses miles-long, hard-to-understand configuration files. Only technical people can handle them. At the end of each mission, the robots capture a ton of data. Theres no simple way to query all of it on demand," Santiago tweeted on April 25.

We integrated ChatGPT with our robots.We had a ton of fun building this! Read on for the details: pic.twitter.com/DRC2AOF0eU  Santiago (@svpino) April 25, 2023

The integration required specific terms and routines to be created for ChatGPT to function properly within Spot, but the end result is impressive, with Spot now providing valuable feedback and accepting commands.

While AI is finding its feet in various fields, such as filmmaking, some are concerned that its use in areas such as artwork could put human beings out of a job.

Earlier in February, Microsoft released a paper outlining design principles for ChatGPT integration into robotics, tech news outlet Futurism reported.

We believe that our work is just the start of a shift in how we develop robotics systems," the companys announcement read. It added that they hope to inspire other researchers to jump into this exciting field.

After the video of the robot was released on Twitter, some of the users expressed concerns about the pace at which AI-integrated technologies are moving forward.

Do questions come up around what these should NOT do and ways to avoid going down a path that would lead to unethical uses? No stopping AI and robotics but curious if you and your team are costably thinking of these in addition to the work you are doing. Thank you  cheers. d3vin.eth (@Devin_Simonson) April 25, 2023

Do questions come up around what these should NOT do and ways to avoid going down a path that would lead to unethical uses? No stopping AI and robotics but curious if you and your team are costably thinking of these in addition to the work you are doing. Thank you. cheers," one of the apprehensive users replied to the video posted by Santiago.

Another user commented saying I appreciate your research and work, but I just dont think we should be connecting bots to GPT at this junctureeven in this limited context."

On a somber note, one user said, This is how the Terminator movie starts."

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Cloud storage giant Dropbox announced on Thursday that it is laying off 16 per cent of its workforce, or about 500 employees, due to slowing growth.

Dropbox CEO Drew Houston said that he takes full ownership of this decision.

If youve been impacted, youll be sent a calendar invitation for a one-on-one with a leader on your team and a member of the People team to go through details of your departure, package, and to ask any questions you may have," he informed.

Houston said that while the business is profitable, our growth has been slowing".

Part of this is due to the natural maturation of our existing businesses, but more recently, headwinds from the economic downturn have put pressure on our customers and, in turn, on our business," he said.

WATCH VIDEO: Mobile Explodes, Kills 8-Year-old Girl

As a result, some investments that used to deliver positive returns are no longer sustainable, the company informed.

In January 2021, Dropbox had laid off 315 employees amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The impacted employees will be eligible for 16 weeks of pay, with one additional week of pay for each completed year of tenure at Dropbox.

All impacted employees will receive their Q2 equity vest. All employees will be eligible for up to six months of COBRA in the US, and similar equivalents where applicable internationally, as well as Modern Health support," said the company.

The impacted employees will be eligible to keep company devices (phones, tablets, laptops, and peripherals) for personal use.

These transitions are never easy, but Im determined to ensure that Dropbox is at the forefront of the AI era, just as we were at the forefront of the shift to mobile and the cloud. Well need all hands on deck as machine intelligence gives us the tools to reimagine our existing businesses and invent new ones," the CEO said.

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Bengaluru landlords have been raising the bar for potential tenants, treating the rental process more like a job application than a simple transaction. In this new trend, applicants are being asked to provide detailed information about themselves, such as their LinkedIn profiles and personal write-ups, and are subjected to multiple rounds of interviews. In fact, a Twitter user recently shared a story of a tenant who was rejected simply because they did not score at least 90% in their Class 12 exams, a new benchmark set by the flat owner in Silicon Valley of India.

In a viral Twitter post, user Shubh spilled the beans on how his cousin was denied a flat by an owner in Bengaluru simply because he didnt score a whopping 90% in his Class 12 exams. Screenshots shared online showed the tenant chatting with a broker who demanded not only his LinkedIn or Twitter profile but also his company joining certificate, 10th and 12th mark sheets, and some other documents like Aadhar or PAN card. And if that wasnt enough, the cherry on the cake was the owners request for a 150-300 word write-up about the tenant himself. Talk about thorough!

However, he soon faced rejection at the hands of the landlord as the broker replied, Sorry, but he rejected your profile because youve got 75% in class 12th and the owner is expecting at least 90%."

"Marks don't decide your future, but it definitely decides whether you get a flat in banglore or not" pic.twitter.com/L0a9Sjms6d Shubh (@kadaipaneeeer) April 27, 2023

The post definitely had the internet in fits of laughter because why not!

Padhai likhai karo tabhi ghar bana paoge papa was right  S. (@daalmakhniiii) April 27, 2023

Mere results pe toh mujhe 1 BHK bhi nahi milna Elon Mast (@clumsyninja0905) April 27, 2023

real. my landlord strictly told me ki agar CGPA 8.5 se neeche gaya toh samaan pack karke pehli fursat m nikal jaana chiraag (@chiragkap) April 27, 2023

75 % marks. No scope for me in banglore   Varad Tambolkar (@varadtambolkar) April 27, 2023

what  billi (@Anushkanayakk) April 27, 2023

Truly, the posts caption couldnt be more accurate: Marks dont decide your future, but they do decide whether you get a flat in Bengaluru or not".

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UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks mother-in-law, Sudha Murty has credited her daughter, Akshata Murty, for Sunaks meteoric ascent to power. In a video which is circulating online, Sudha Murthy has said that her daughter made her husband a Prime Minister." Rishi Sunak is the youngest PM of the UK and his accession to power so quickly has been a topic of debate several times. Rishi Sunak married Akshata Murty in 2009 and ever since then he made a quick rise to power.

The video is now doing rounds on social media. The reason is the glory of the wife. See how a wife can change a husband. But I could not change my husband. I made my husband a businessman, and my daughter made her husband a Prime Minister," she said in the video. Have a look:

I made my husband a businessman. My daughter made her husband Prime Minister of UK ! - Sudhamurthy pic.twitter.com/031ByqhDWZ  Vishweshwar Bhat (@VishweshwarBhat) April 23, 2023

Sudha Murty also spoke about how the Indian-origin UK PM fasts every Thursday. Yes, what should be started on Thursday, they started Infosys on Thursday, not only that! Not only that, but our son-in-law, who married our daughter, has been in England for 150 years from their ancestors time, but they are very religious. After getting married, he asked why you start anything on Thursday," she said.

For those who dont know, Akshata Murty is a businesswoman and also the heiress and daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy. Earlier, Sunak recalled the time when he and Akshata could not stay in a fancy" hotel. We got engaged in a place called Half Moon Bay - it was a place that when we were students, we met when we were studying together in the States, and we used to walk in this area and look up at this nice fancy hotel that we never could stay in," Sunak said.

Sunak surprised Akshata and they did stay at the hotel, which is believed to be the five-star Ritz Carlton in California. Before that, they went for a walk along the cliffs and that was where he proposed to her.

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Art has always been a medium to express creativity, thoughts, and emotions. But sometimes, these art pieces can trick peoples eyes and minds. Yes, we are talking about a mind-bending world of optical illusions in art. One such example of this cool and fascinating art is this 3D paper television replica. At first glance, it appears as if the television is almost like a real-life object that is popping out of the wall. But upon moving it, the inside of the television screen also moves, creating an illusion that is nothing short of magical.

Its a cleverly crafted optical illusion that plays with our minds and perception. The technique used by the artist is called trompe-loeil," which translates to deceive the eye" in French.

Trompe loeil is a type of fine art that tricks the viewers eye into believing that a 2D painting is actually a 3D object. Its a visual illusion thats often seen in murals, easel paintings, and architecture, and is based on the principles of linear perspective. The term trompe loeil" was first coined during the Baroque era in the 17th century. These illusions are created by using realistic imagery to confuse the viewers perception, making the art appear as if its popping out of the canvas or wall.

This is trippy! read the caption posted with the video on Instagram.

Check it out here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Optical illusions (@opticalillusionss)

The use of optical illusions in art is not a new concept, but it continues to amaze people around the world. Its an art form that challenges our perception, and its fascinating to see how artists create these illusions using different techniques and mediums.

Apart from being visually stunning, optical illusions in art have a deeper impact on our brains. They can spark our imagination and creativity, and even help us to see things from a different perspective. They also challenge our brains to think critically, and in doing so, can help to improve our cognitive skills. The internet has been buzzing with this mind-bending art piece, and people are both confused and amazed by its optical illusion. Its a testament to the power of art to captivate and inspire us, even in the digital age.

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The chairman of the BBC Richard Sharp resigned over a report which said that he failed to make authorities aware of his involvement in the facilitation of a loan to former UK prime minister Boris Johnson, news agency BBC reported.

Sharp in his resignation said that the probe found he broke the governance code for public appointments but maintained that the breach was inadvertent and not material" and the report reflects his view.

The report led by the Kings Counsel will be published later today. The Commissioner of Public Appointments barrister Adam Heppinstall was appointed to investigate the claims that Sharp helped arrange a loan for Boris Johnson when he was prime minister, news agency BBC reported.

Then-PM Boris Johnson nominated him to chair the BBC board weeks after he helped arrange a guarantee on a loan of up to 800,000 but the government has maintained that Sharp was appointed on merit.

The allegations were first reported by the Sunday Times in January.

While I did breach the governance code for public appointments, he states that a breach does not necessarily invalidate an appointment, the BBC chairman Sharp said.

He maintained that he did not play any part whatsoever in the facilitation, arrangement, or financing of a loan for the former Prime Minister.

Sharp, however, concerned that he should have been more open regarding the role he played when he arranged a meeting between the cabinet secretary Simon Case and Sam Blyth - a businessman who was offering the then PM financial help when he met the appointments panel ahead during the scrutiny period before he assumed his responsibilities in the new role, news agency BBC reported.

Sharp said it was his oversight and apologised for it. He said the probe should not be a distraction for the BBC and said it was an honour to chair the media giant.

Sharp will remain in his post until June until a new person is appointed.

The BBC in a separate report pointed to two non-disclosure breaches by Sharp. The first breach was when he informed former prime minister Boris Johnson he wished to apply to be chair of the BBC board, before he made his application in November 2020.

The second breach happened when he told the former prime minister of the meeting between the cabinet secretary and Blyth and Bylth earlier suggested that he can assist the former prime minister with his personal finances.

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News / National

by Mduduzi Mathuthu

A short history  The Falcon 7X's short flight history, captured on the tracking website FlightRadar24]





Luxury in the sky  The interior of a Falcon 7X









Living large The plush interior of a Falcon 7X









Expensive toy  The interior of a typical Dassault Falcon 7X









Back to base  The Falcon 7X on its flight back to Harare after earlier flying President Mnangagwa to Bulawayo on April 28, 2023









President Emmerson Mnangagwa has taken delivery of a US$54 million presidential jet - a Dassault Falcon 7X, ZimLive reported.The aircraft was delivered in March, but it was not put into service until this week after Mnangagwa's government came under international spotlight following Al Jazeera's broadcast of a four-part investigation into massive gold smuggling and money laundering linked to associates of the Zanu PF leader and his wife, Auxillia.The jet, bearing the registration P4-SIM, appears brand new. Its first known flight, according to tracking service FlightRadar24, was a flight from Paris in France to Johannesburg, South Africa, on March 1. FlightRadar24 identifies it with the International Civil Aviation Organisation code FA7X, short for Falcon 7X.Mnangagwa used the aircraft for a flight to Victoria Falls on Wednesday where he hosted the Transform Africa Summit attended by four other African leaders, including King Mswati III of Eswatini who flew in on his Airbus A340-300, reportedly purchased second hand for US$30 million in 2015.The 80-year-old again flew on the aircraft to Bulawayo on Friday, while King Mswati  who was guest of honour at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair underway in the city  swapped his Airbus for an Air Zimbabwe Boeing 737.As reported by ZimLive in October last year, treasury officials were reportedly concerned by the huge bill for chartering aircraft for the globe-trotting Mnangagwa, sometimes shelling out over US$1 million on overseas trips.Unlike his predecessor Robert Mugabe who almost exclusively travelled on state airline Air Zimbabwe's ageing planes, Mnangagwa's presidency has seen him fly private jets hired from Azerbaijan, United Arab Emirates and Switzerland  including in 2019 when an Airbus 318-112(CJ) Elite flew eight hours from Dubai to take him on the 30-minute trip to Gweru for a graduation ceremony.A source told ZimLive: "The aircraft arrived about in early March and initially landed at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport. It was subsequently flown to the Air Force of Zimbabwe's Manyame Airbase where it is being kept."The private jet was not budgeted for in the previous or current financial year, and its acquisition remains shrouded in mystery.Asked if the jet was Mnangagwa's private aircraft, or if the taxpayer was carrying the bill, presidential spokesman George Charamba shot back: "Is the presidency private?"He bristled when asked further to justify the government splashing on a private jet for the president when hospitals are without basic drugs and equipment, among a litany of Zimbabwe's social and economic ills.He quipped: "Why do we have costly newspapers, online news, bars, restaurants and industries when hospitals are poorly equipped?"The Dassault Falcon 7X is manufactured by Dassault Aviation, a French manufacturer of military aircraft and business jets.The business jet has a large-cabin and a range of 5,950 nautical miles (11,020 km)  it can fly from Harare to London non-stop.It made its first flight in March 2005 and has a typical configuration for 12 passengers, although other floor plans can accommodate up to 19.Luxury travel and aviation website Sherpa Report says the list price of a new Falcon 7X "is currently about US$54 million."The total annual budget for flying a Falcon 7X private jet 200 hours per year is approximately US$1,434,621 or US$2,214,097 for flying 400 hours per year, according to Liberty Jet Management. The data suggests Zimbabwean taxpayers will fork out at least US$2 million annually to keep the jet flying.Meanwhile, ZimLive sources say Mnangagwa has also approved the acquisition of four "VIP transport helicopters". It is not known who will use the helicopters, but the purchase's timing just before general elections expected in August suggests they will be used by top government officials to criss-cross the country on campaign stops.Living it up  A Falcon 7X in flight
India made it clear to China that bilateral ties can only develop further if peace and tranquillity at the borders is maintained. China in its readout of the bilateral meeting between Singh and Shangfu released Friday attempted to paint a rosy picture of the bilateral relations and attempted to sideline the border issue.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh during a bilateral meeting conveyed to counterpart General Li Shangfu that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders.

The Raksha Mantri categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders. He added that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments, a statement released by the government said.

China in its readout of the bilateral meeting between Singh and Shangfu attempted to paint a rosy picture of the bilateral relations and attempted to sideline the border issue.

The situation on the China-India border is generally stable and the two sides have maintained communication through military and diplomatic channels. The two sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalised management, the Chinese statement following the bilateral meeting said.

The bilateral meeting held between both defence ministers was the first meeting to be held following the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes.

The statement reflects Chinas position on the border issue. China attempted to alter the status quo on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and attempted to encroach areas near Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso lake in eastern Ladakh in May 2020.

They were thwarted by Indian security forces and 18 rounds of corps commander-level talks have been held to resolve the rest of the issues.

The two sides in late October 2022 completed the disengagement process in the Gogra Heights-Hot Springs area near Patrolling Point-15 in the eastern Ladakh sector but China is refusing to undertake troop disengagement in the friction points of Demchok and Depsang. China says that these are pre-existing legacy issues.

The Chinese readout also failed to consider that its leadership is responsible for the flareup of tensions along the Sikkim-Arunachal Pradesh frontier which resulted in clashes between both sets of troops at Tawang sector on December 9.

Chinas move to standardise the names of 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh in April also contributed to the deterioration of ties between New Delhi and Beijing.

As major neighbouring countries and important developing countries, China and India share far more common interests than differences. The two sides should view bilateral relations and each others development from a comprehensive, long-term and strategic perspective, and jointly contribute wisdom and strength to world and regional peace and stability, the Chinese readout further added.

However, Singh made it abundantly clear that the violation of the existing agreements adversely impacted the entire basis of bilateral relations.

(The defence minister) added that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments. He reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation, the statement from the government said.

(with inputs from Shalinder Wangu)

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Climate activists attacked a famous Degas sculpture in a Washington museum Thursday, smearing its Plexiglas enclosure with paint.

The French artists wax sculpture of La petite danseuse de quatorze ans was attacked with stripes of red and black paint, the National Gallery of Art reported.

The incident was one of the first of its kind in North America.

The gallery said in a statement to AFP that the work of inestimable value" was removed from the exhibition halls to assess possible damage.

We categorically denounce this physical attack on one of our works of art," the gallery said, adding that the FBI was taking part in the investigation.

Activists said the assault is about global warming.

We need our leaders to take serious action to tell the truth about what is happening to the climate," says an activist in her 50s sitting at the foot of the small statue, her hands covered in the red paint used on the glass and the base of the work of Edgar Degas, in a video published by The Washington Post.

Today, through nonviolent rebellion, we temporarily defiled a work of art to evoke the very real children whose suffering is certain if deadly fossil fuel companies continue to mine coal, oil and gas from the soil", the group which claimed the action, which called itself Declare Emergency, wrote on Instagram.

It urged President Joe Biden to declare a state of climate emergency.

The group is unknown to the general public. It said one of its activists was detained but released by the authorities shortly afterward.

In the fall of 2022, mainly in Europe, environmental activists stepped up actions targeting works of art to seek more public awareness about global warming.

For example, they glued their hands to a painting by Goya in Madrid, threw tomato soup on Van Goghs Sunflowers" in London and smeared mashed potatoes on a masterpiece by Claude Monet in Potsdam, near Berlin.

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Union defence minister Rajnath Singh reportedly did not exchange a handshake with Chinese counterpart General Li Shangfu on Thursday, news agency ANI reported. Singh and Shangfu met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) where both discussed developments in the India-China border areas and bilateral ties.

General Li Shangfus visit to New Delhi for the SCO defence ministers conclave is the first time a defence minister from China visited India following the border transgression in eastern Ladakh in 2020.

The news agency citing video footage of defence minister Rajnath Singh with bilateral meetings with Tajikistan defence minister Colonel General Sherali Mirzo, Irans Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiyani, Kazakhstans Colonel General Ruslan Zhaksylykov and Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu shows Singh exchanging firm handshakes with all of them but not with Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh during a bilateral meeting conveyed to counterpart General Li Shangfu that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders.

The Raksha Mantri categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders. He added that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments, a statement released by the government said.

China also released a statement later on Friday which attempted to paint a rosy picture of the bilateral relationship and sideline the border issue.

The Chinese readout of the bilateral meeting said: The situation on the China-India border is generally stable and the two sides have maintained communication through military and diplomatic channels. The two sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalised management.

However, Singh took a tough stance on Thursday and pointed out that Chinese actions on the Line of Actual Control is the reason why bilateral relations have deteriorated.

(The defence minister) added that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments. He reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation, the statement from the government said.

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Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday held a meeting with Russian counterpart Sergei K Shoigu on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers meeting in New Delhi.

Shoigu and Singh discussed several issues including bilateral defence cooperation, military-to-military ties and industrial partnership.

The defence minister also discussed the Russian defence industrys participation in the Make in India initiative and how it could be further increased, according to a statement released by the government.

The two ministers discussed wide-ranging issues of bilateral defence cooperation, including military-to-military ties as well as industrial partnership. They also discussed the Russian defence industrys participation in the Make in India initiative and ways to provide further impetus to it, the statement said.

Issues related to regional peace and security were also discussed between both ministers. Rajnath Singh and Sergei Shoigu expressed their satisfaction with the continued trust and mutual respect between India and Russia and committed to strengthening the relationship.

They expressed satisfaction over the continued trust and mutual respect between the two countries, particularly in defence and reiterated their commitment towards strengthening the partnership. They acknowledged the unique, long-lasting and time-tested relationship between India and Russia, the statement said.

During the defence ministers meeting, Singh highlighted the importance of Prime Minister Narendra Modis initiative SECURE and said it reflects Indias commitment to multi-dimensional welfare of the region.

Singh drew the attention of the defence ministers to the large part of the world suffering from a food crisis and urged during the conclave to ensure food security under an integrated plan.

This will establish SCO as a role model for the whole world. Energy security should be a part of the common strategy, the defence minister was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

PM Modi first introduced the concept of SECURE during the 2018 SCO Summit in Qingdao, China.

He explained what every alphabet stands for in SECURE and said S stands for security of citizens, E stands for economic development for all, C stands for connecting the region, U stands for uniting the people, R stands for respect for Sovereignty and Integrity and E stands for environmental protection.

During Fridays meeting, the SCO members enthusiastically participated in two seminars chaired by the defence minister Rajnath Singh.

The first was a workshop on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and the other was a seminar on defence think tanks of SCO countries.

(with inputs from Shalinder Wangu)

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Pakistans ousted prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday dismissed the claim made by the government that his life is under threat from foreign agencies, and instead said he has identified a total of six persons within the country, including three fresh ones, who plotted to kill him.

Referring to a new video that he claims his team has sent to his associates abroad, Khan, 70, said that its content talks about the people who want to kill him and would be out in public in case he is assassinated.

Among the six, three are those whom I had named in the FIR after an assassination attempt on my life in Punjab in November last year, Khan said in a series of tweets on Thursday.

After a gun attack on his rally in the Wazirabad area, some 150 kms from Lahore, in which he suffered bullet injuries to his leg, Khan blamed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and ISIs top officer Major General Faisal Naseer for hatching a plot to assassinate him.

Interior minister (Sanaullah) says my life is under threat from foreign agencies. Let me make it clear to the entire country that the only threat to my life is from the 3 people I named after Wazirabad assassination attempt. Same 3, + 3 more I have identified in a video statement, tried to eliminate me on March 18 in ICT Judicial Complex, Khan said.

Khan has not identified the three additional persons named by him.

On March 18, clashes erupted between security forces and supporters of Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf: party outside the judicial complex in Islamabad ahead of his appearance before a court in connection with a corruption case.

In his tweets, Khan categorically said that if he is assassinated, the ones to be blamed would be the ones named in the video.

If any attempt is made now on my life, these same people will be responsible. Just as they tried to pin the blame for the Wazirabad attack on a religious extremist  a mere smokescreen  they are now trying to create another deception of foreign agencies, he said.

I want to make it crystal clear to the nation that the only people responsible for any attempt on my life will be the people I have identified. They are petrified I will be elected back to power & hold them accountable, hence their efforts to assassinate me, he said.

Khans PTI is pressing for early general polls, but the government led by Prime Minister Sharif maintains its stance on simultaneous elections across the country.

Prime Minister Sharif on Wednesday said elections were an issue that needed to be decided in Parliament and added that the appropriate time to conduct them was either in October or November.

The current National Assembly will complete its term on August 13, and elections are expected to be held after that.

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The powerful Iranian drones which have been deployed by Russia in Ukraine are based on Western technology which was allegedly stolen by Tehran, a report has claimed.

A report in CNN, quoting Conflict Armament Research, said that the Shahed-136 drones sold to Russia by Iran are powered by German technology, which was illegally acquired by Iran almost 20 years ago.

Russia has been using swarms of Shahed-136 drones along with its indigenous-built drones to attack Ukrainian facilities.

The Western countries are worried that the Russians may share the Western-made weapons and equipment recovered in Ukraine with the Iranians. However, there has been no firm evidence to suggest that this has happened.

The findings were revealed after a detailed examination of the components recovered in Ukraine and underlined Irans ability to mimic and develop military technology obtained illegally.

The report said that the motor in the Shahed-136 was reverse-engineered by an Iranian company called Oje Parvaz Mado Nafar, also known as Mado.

Mado plays a significant role in Irans expansive drone industry and was sanctioned by the UK, US, and European Union last year.

Iranian drones are constantly being modernized and have proven to be increasingly accurate in terms of their targeting and guidance systems and also in counter-jamming capabilities, Taimur Khan, Gulf analyst at CAR told CNN.

The Shahed-136 drones is a long-range loitering munition designed to attack ground targets at range. It is developed to avoid aerial defence and attack ground targets by launching numerous instances from a waiting launcher rack.

Russia started using Shahed-136 drone in September last year, attacking military targets in the Kharkiv region in the east of Ukraine. Russia had ordered about 1,700 Iranian drones of different types, reports said.

The relations between Russia and Iran have grown as Russia wants Iranian drones and ballistic missiles while Tehran wants Russian investment and trade in return.

The drone sales have deepened Irans relations with Moscow, which were already strengthening as the two countries were increasingly isolated by the west and the international financial system.

Moscow has become the largest foreign investor in the country over the past year, the report said.

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Ukrainian cities including the capital Kyiv were rocked by explosions early on Friday and at least five people were killed in the fresh round of attacks, multiple reports said.

Russia fired more than a dozen cruise missiles at Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine. Air raid sirens sounded around the capital as the city saw its first attack in around two months.

In Uman, a high-rise building was hit by a missile, blowing apart a large part of a residential building. The citys military administration said anti-aircraft units were in operation.

Uman now. Russian bastard cruise missile hit a high rise residential building. https://t.co/pcMnxHic1M Ukraine Front Lines (@EuromaidanPR) April 28, 2023

Explosions were also heard after midnight in Dnipro, Kremenchuk and Poltava in central Ukraine and in Mykolaiv in the south, according to Interfax Ukraine news agency.

The attack on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro killed a woman and a three-year-old child, the citys mayor said, according to The Guardian. Three people were killed in a cruise missile strike on a high-rise residential building in the city of Uman.

Kyiv City Administration said it intercepted 11 cruise missiles and two unmanned aerial vehicles over the city.

As of 05:10 a.m.Four Tu-95ms strategic bombers launch 8 cruise missiles each. Air defence work continues where missiles detected.There were no launches from the sea, as well as repeated launches from the air. Ukraine Front Lines (@EuromaidanPR) April 28, 2023

The attacks come a day after the Kremlin said it would welcome anything that could bring the end of the conflict closer, referring to a telephone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday.

It was the first time the leaders had spoken since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year.

But the Kremlin said it still needed to achieve the aims of its special military operation" in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, saying it was necessary to protect Russia.

Russian forces have suffered setbacks throughout the conflict and have been trying for 10 months to punch their way into the shattered remains of Bakhmut, once a city of 70,000.

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A Chinese national arrested in Pakistan on charges of committing blasphemy has been set free and shifted to an undisclosed location after he was granted bail by an anti-terrorism court, a media report said on Friday.

The court judge in the northwestern city of Abbottabad on Thursday granted the suspects bail plea after he furnished a bond of Rs 200,000 as surety.

Quoting from the section pertaining to blasphemy, the judge ruled that the case did not come within the ambit of reasonable ground as the blasphemy charge was the result of a misunderstanding.

He said the police station concerned in Kohistan had registered a false case against the Chinese national.

The court ruled that, according to the record, no such offence was committed by the accused and hence he was granted bail, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The Chinese national was arrested in the Upper Kohistan district on April 16 after a mob blocked the Karakoram Highway, accusing him of committing blasphemy while exchanging arguments with labourers over long prayer breaks at the project site.

Two lawyers represented the petitioner in the court. The Chinese national was not brought to the court for security reasons. A deputy public prosecutor was also present in the courtroom, the report said.

The lawyers contended that their client was innocent, terming the blasphemy charge against him false.

The Joint Investigation Team (JIT), which was set up to probe the matter, placed records of statements made by the accusers and the Chinese national before the court.

Naseeruddin, the SHO of Kamila police station and the main complainant in the case appeared in court with records.

The judge ruled in his order that the three labourers and their interpreter, who had lodged the FIR two days after the incident, were neither able to produce evidence in support of their accusations in the court, nor could they prove charges in their statements before the JIT.

The judge said the interpreter was 35-40 feet away from the Chinese national, simply assuming that the former had uttered sacrilegious remarks.

Maulana Waliullah Tohidi, a member of Ulema Jirga constituted by clerics after the alleged incident, said the release of the Chinese national was a judicial matter and we accept it wholeheartedly.

He, however, said that the interpreter should be put on trial for instigating the people of Kohistan to take to the streets.

We (Kohistanis) are patriotic Pakistani and will never allow anybody within the country, or outside, to sabotage the Dasu project at any cost, Tohidi added.

Under Pakistans penal code, blasphemy is punishable by death or life imprisonment. Critics say the blasphemy laws have been used by extremist groups to persecute minority faiths and unfairly target minorities.

Several people have been killed by the extremists, though none have been executed under these laws.

These regulations were introduced by former military ruler Zia-ul-Haq in the 1980s to win the support of religious groups.

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The Turkish defence ministry said that a Turkish evacuation plane which was landing at an airbase outside Sudans capital, Khartoum, was fired at on Friday. The flight then landed at Wadi Seidna and authorities carried out checks.

The Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) blamed each other for the incident. The Sudanese military accused the RSF of shooting at the Turkish plane.

The RSF on the other hand said it is committed to the extended humanitarian truce and did not shoot at the Turkish plane.

The Rapid Support Forces would like to deny the allegations made by the coup leaders of the armed forces, backed by the extremist remnants of the defunct regime, that our forces attacked a Turkish evacuation plane. We refute these claims and categorically state that they are not based on any factual evidence, the RSF said in a tweet.

Our forces have remained strictly committed to the humanitarian truce that we agreed upon since midnight, and it is not true that we targeted any aircraft in the sky of Wadi Seidna in Omdurman, which is an area not under the control of our forces, and we do not have any forces in its proximity, it further added.

The rival military factions led by armed forces chief General Abdel-Fattah Burhan and the head of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo have decided to extend the ceasefire but international news outlets citing those people living in Khartoum said that fights have not subsided and the truce is not being followed.

It was also reported that the army is using its jets to bomb RSF positions in Khartoum during the night.

The truce gave people, foreigners as well as Sudanese people, time to flee to safety.

The Turkish defence minister said evacuation efforts will continue from both Wadi Seidna and the city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast.

The death toll due to the fighting in Sudan has crossed 500 and thousands have been injured as more and more civilians continue getting caught in the crossfire. Along with the capital Khartoum, the twin city of Obdurman and the city of Bahri has been adversely affected.

(with inputs from the BBC and the Guardian)

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Two South African Indian-origin citizens, the late struggle icon Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim and scientist Dr Aboubaker Ebrahim Dangor, were among the many recipients of National Orders when President Cyril Ramaphosa hosted the annual event in Pretoria on Friday.

National Orders are the highest awards that South Africa country bestows on its citizens and eminent foreign nationals who have contributed towards the advancement of democracy and have made a significant impact on improving the lives of South Africans.

The National Orders also recognise the contributions made by individuals towards building a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa as envisaged in our Constitution.

National Orders are the highest awards that a country, through its President, bestows on its citizens and eminent foreign nationals. The President as the fount of honour in the country, bestows these Orders and Decorations, assisted by the Director-General in The Presidency. pic.twitter.com/nAPhnYjjFN Presidency | South Africa  (@PresidencyZA) April 28, 2023

Popularly known as Ebie, Ebrahim passed away after a long illness in December 2019, shortly before his autobiography Beyond Fear  Reflections of a Freedom Fighter was released by his wife Shannon. Ebrahim served time on Robben Island as a political prisoner alongside Nelson Mandela, Ahmed Kathrada and others.

After his father was arrested twice for defying laws that restricted the movement of Indians in South Africa, he joined the liberation struggle at the age of 13. Ebrahim often shared how he had been inspired by the Satyagraha style of Mahatma Gandhi, which he used in his passionate representation of the ANC in global conflict situations in Sri Lanka, Palestine, Rwanda, Kosovo, Bolivia and Nepal.

After his release, Ebrahim went into exile to continue his work with the ANC, but was abducted by apartheid-era security police from neighbouring Swaziland, tortured and sentenced to a second term on Robben Island.

He obtained two university degrees while on Robben Island. After the release of all political prisoners and the election of Mandela as South Africas first democratic president, Ebrahim served in various capacities, including as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Parliamentary Counsellor to Mandela.

Ebrahim citation said he was receiving the Order of Luthuli in Gold for his lifelong commitment to the liberation of all South Africans.

He lived by the courage of his conviction and became a formidable opponent to the repressive apartheid government, it read. Shannon Ebrahim described her late husband as a gentle giant, even to his family.

He inspired us with his undiluted moral values, his absolute commitment to transform South Africa for the better (even beyond political liberation), and his willingness to engage warring factions in conflicts around the world as a peacemaker. He was the essence of humility and never expected recognition for any of the hardships he endured throughout his life in the cause for freedom. His one hope was that South Africans would read his memoir Beyond Fear to better understand what revolutionaries of his generation went through to bring about a new South Africa. (Our children) Sarah, Kadin and I miss him dearly, but will always cherish his legacy, Ebrahim said.

Dr Dangor was awarded the Order of Luthuli in Silver for his admirable and distinguished contribution to the field of science through his ground-breaking research in physics, his citation read.

Dangor has been based in the UK since he went there to continue his studies after getting his first Honours degree at Wits University in 1961.

He could not return home permanently because the white minority apartheid government denied entry to his wife from Bermuda, as she was of Black descent. Widely published in academic journals, Dangor has also overseen scores of doctorate candidates in his career.

It is particularly humbling for me that the first recipient of the Award was Nelson Mandela, our first post-apartheid president. I hope that being the recipient of this award will encourage the youth in the sciences in South Africa, Dangor said. Dangors niece, Zubeda Dangor, founder and director of Nisaa Institute for Women in Johannesburg, said he was very shy and did not like the limelight. He could not attend the ceremony and his award was accepted by his grandnephew Mohammed Raees Dangor.

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Over the past year or so, Todd Duren, vice president of corporate services at Loup Public Power District, has done some research on the costs and benefits of the 30/64 connector project, alongside Dennis Grennan and Dennis Hirschbrunner with D&D Consulting. Between them, their results show significant impact.

"They're looking at a benefit-cost ratio of somewhere around 50 to 1, it really proves out to be a great idea and a great asset for the community," Duren said.

The project, which was first suggested in the early 2000s, would connect Highway 30 and Nebraska Highway 64 between Bellwood and the area between Columbus and Richland, cutting significant distance and travel time for those traveling between Platte and Butler counties.

As a Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce board member and with his position at Loup working with Nebraska Public Power District on a lot of projects, Duren said the study he was involved with started with a survey regarding the storm in 2019 that isolated Columbus. Those involved with the corridor project say the corridor acts as one more way out of town in a similar circumstance.

"We went out and sent a survey to a lot of the industries in Columbus to see how they were impacted by the 2019 flood," Duren said.

After that, they began investigating the economic impact of other corridors and parkways in similar areas, such as the US-77 bypass near Wahoo and the Cherry Avenue/Highway 10 corridor in Kearney. More locally, they looked at the Lost Creek Parkway.

"Lost Creek Parkway, we looked at to get a feel for once that was built, how did the businesses come in, like 'if you build it, they will come,'" Duren said. "We looked at all the businesses that have grown up around Lost Creek, the hospital, the high school, Pillen, now the casino, the YMCA, banks around there, we looked to see what that impact was and it's huge."

The study looked at a wide scope, approximately a 20-year period, to get an idea of both long and short-term impact. The majority of the cost in their calculations would come from the bridge that would have to cross the Platte River. On that scale, they used the Lost Creek Parkway as a frame for reference, particularly in the realm of job creation.

"Lost Creek, over the last 10 years, 33 businesses have popped up, over $300 million of investment," Duren said. "We looked at the jobs it would affect and we figured it would create between 900 and 1,500 over that 20 year periods, with an annual impact in the $200 million a year range."

Those jobs, Duren added, would partially be from people who live outside of town, near or in Butler County, who would now have an accessible commute to Columbus for work. Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce President Dawson Brunswick said that, ideally, the shorter commute would encourage job growth.

"With close proximity to the Union Pacific and BNSF railways, the 30/64 connector would also provide access to new land for industrial development that compliments our current industries, and bringing additional high skill high wage jobs to the area, benefiting the overall economy," Brunswick said.

With those jobs and inevitable business expansion along the connector, Duren said, there is a lot of potential for housing as well, something Nebraska has struggled with quite a bit in recent years.

"If you look at towns like Bellwood and Richland and the opportunity for additional housing, everyone needs housing, every community across the state of Nebraska," Duren said. "Now if you build that housing, you have better accessibility to maybe larger communities coming into Columbus, into those industries and that helps build and develop that workforce."
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution Thursday calling on the Taliban to swiftly reverse" all restrictive measures against women, condemning in particular its ban on Afghan women working for the United Nations.

The resolution, unanimously adopted by all 15 Council members, said the ban announced in early April undermines human rights and humanitarian principles."

More broadly, the Council called on the Taliban to swiftly reverse the policies and practices that restrict the enjoyment by women and girls of their human rights and fundamental freedoms."

It cited access to education, employment, freedom of movement, and womens full, equal and meaningful participation in public life."

The Council also urged all States and organizations to use their influence" to promote an urgent reversal of these policies and practices."

The body stressed the dire economic and humanitarian situation," and the critical importance of a continued presence" of the UN mission in Afghanistan and other UN agencies.

The world will not sit by silently as women in Afghanistan are erased from society," United Arab Emirates ambassador to the UN Lana Zaki Nusseibeh said.

But despite his countrys vote in favor of the resolution, Russian ambassador Vasily Nebenzia criticized the text, saying it did not go far enough, blaming the West.

We seriously regret and are disappointed that steps and a more ambitious approach and texts were blocked by Western colleagues," he said.

If youre so sincere, why not return the assets youve stolen from the country and without any preconditions," he said, referencing the $7 billion in Afghan central bank assets frozen by the United States after the Taliban took over the country in 2021.

In September, the United States announced the creation of a fund based in Switzerland to manage half the money.

The United Nations announced on April 4 that the Taliban had banned Afghan women from working for UN offices countrywide, a prohibition that had previously spared NGOS.

The move sparked opprobrium from the West and a United Nations review of the world bodys Afghanistan operations, which is to last until May 5.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is organizing a meeting in Doha next week with envoys from various countries to reinvigorate the international engagement around the common objectives for a durable way forward on the situation in Afghanistan."

Since the Talibans return to power in August 2021, it has reverted to its austere interpretation of Islam that marked its first period in power from 1996 to 2001.

A slew of restrictions on Afghan women have included banning them from higher education and many government jobs.

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In a bid to shorten, the waiting time for US visas, the American government has once more expanded the scope of its visa waiver programme.

The US Embassy in India announced that travellers with clearance received or department authorization on their previous visas can now use the interview waiver process to apply for a fresh visa.

More good news for U.S. visa renewals! Travelers with clearance received" or department authorization" on their previous visas can now use the interview waiver process to apply for a new visa. For additional interview waiver criteria, please see our website, the embassy said in a tweet on Thursday.

More good news for U.S. visa renewals! Travelers with "clearance received" or "department authorization" on their previous visas can now use the interview waiver process to apply for a new visa. For additional interview waiver criteria, please see our website. pic.twitter.com/SW0X5U5sHa U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) April 27, 2023

The move is a part of the Department of States ongoing efforts to make the US visa application process more efficient.

However, the interview waiver is only applicable for those applicants who are renewing their visa in the same category within 48 months of expiration.

It is expected to provide relief to many travellers who previously had to attend an in-person interview at the US Embassy or Consulate.

The US States Government website also said that the US government has also authorized waiving off in-person interview requirement for travellers applying for F, H-1, H-3, H-4, non-blanket L, M, O, P, Q, and academic J visas who were previously issued any type of visa, if they are applying for a visa in their country of nationality or residence.

Applicants applying through the interview waiver process should allow up to three weeks from the time a passport has been accepted at the Visa Application Center until the passport is delivered or they are notified that the passport is ready for pickup, it added.

There have been growing concerns in India over the long waiting period for first-time visa applicants, especially for those applying under B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) categories.

India is now number two in the world in terms of international students coming to the United States.

Weve also been prioritising work visas: H-1Bs and L visas. Wait times at some of our consular sections in India, for these visas are now below 60 days. We will continue to make sure that we prioritise visas for workers, as this is vital for both the American and the Indian economy, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu said.

For certain petition-based nonimmigrant work of visa categories, we plan to restart domestic visa renewal for applicants who meet certain requirements, including being physically present in the United States. We plan to have a pilot up and running later this year. This would eliminate the need for these applicants to travel abroad to renew their visas, he said.

Read all the Latest India News here
Vietnams authorities have arrested 65 individuals on drug smuggling charges, including those who had hidden over 50kg of drugs in toothpaste tubes, according to BBC.

Four Vietnam Airlines cabin crew members were caught carrying toothpaste tubes containing drugs after a flight from Paris to Ho Chi Minh City, the report said.

While they claimed to have been hired to transport 60kg of toothpaste, they did not know that it contained ecstasy, ketamine, and cocaine.

Investigators discovered that half of the 327 toothpaste tubes that the flight attendants carried contained drugs, and the women are presently out on bail.

4 Vietnam Airlines flight attendants who were detained with 11.4kg of drugs in their luggages have been released due to lack of evidence. The 4 flew from Paris to HCMC on 16 March carrying 154 toothpaste tubes containing ecstasy & ketamine but denied that they were aware of them pic.twitter.com/cxnkK6BNAi Nga Pham (@ngahpham) March 22, 2023

The BBC reports that the arrested individuals are being investigated for charges related to buying, selling, transporting, and storing narcotics, among other things. Police believe that the same smuggling ring that hired the flight attendants directed the 65 suspects.

They also suspect that the syndicate frequently employs Vietnamese citizens who are studying and living in France to smuggle drugs into Vietnam.

According to the BBC, after arriving at Vietnamese airports, the drugs are transported by domestic delivery services to an accomplice in Dong Nai province, which borders Saigon. The drugs are then transported to various localities for distribution.

Despite having some of the harshest drug laws in the world, Vietnam remains a major drug-trafficking hub.

Additionally, the amount of drugs seized via air routes into the country over the past three months has exceeded the amount of airborne drugs trafficked in the past five years combined.

Ho Chi Minh Citys proximity to neighboring Cambodia makes it an attractive transit point for smugglers.

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A controversial bill that would ban gender-affirming care for Nebraskans under 19 might be amended to include an exemption for people already undergoing such care.

But few other major changes are likely to emerge from discussions by a group of eight state lawmakers who have been talking about changes to LB574. The senators met four times over the course of two weeks.

Based on those conversations, the bills introducer, State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha, said she hopes to have an amendment ready to release Thursday.

Kauth said one of the main components of the amendment will include a grandfather clause that will exempt patients who were receiving puberty blockers and hormone therapy as of March 1. Other than that, she said the amendment will clarify that treatments such as talk therapy and counseling remain legal, as well as some minor technical changes.

The group of lawmakers represented both supporters and opponents of LB574, including Speaker of the Legislature John Arch and Sens. John Cavanaugh, John Fredrickson, Lynne Walz, Ben Hansen, Tom Briese and Teresa Ibach. Members had proposed a range of other changes, including adding more mental health protections and conducting an interim study.

After meeting Wednesday, several team members were unsure whether they would meet again. Arch said he didnt believe the group had reached a conclusion.

I wouldnt characterize it that way, Arch said.

But Kauth said Wednesdays meeting was the final one, saying she feared that additional discussions could result in her bill losing support. LB574 narrowly survived two rounds of floor debate, receiving just enough votes in each round to overcome filibusters. The bill still faces a third round of floor debate and a final vote.

Kauth previously proposed an amendment that would have banned only gender-affirming surgeries, but when given the opportunity to vote on that amendment during the second round, she asked lawmakers to vote it down. She said any new amendment will retain the ban on puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries.

Kauth spurred criticism from LB574 opponents this week for describing the group meetings as a listening exercise rather than negotiations. Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, who launched a session-long filibuster in protest against the bill, said Kauths words were disrespectful.

Kauth clarified Wednesday that she considered the meetings to be an effort to make her bill better.

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Jackass star Bam Margera surrendered to Pennsylvania State Police on Thursday morning for allegedly punching his brother during an altercation four days earlier at their home in the Philadelphia suburbs, the AP reports. Margera was arraigned and pleaded not guilty, according to his lawyer, Michael van der Veen. The wild rumors regarding his behavior this week are absolutely false. He is in good health and in good spirits, van der Veen said in a statement. Court records say Margera was released on $50,000 unsecured bail. He may not have any contact with his brother, father, or two other people who were in the house at the time, according to his bail conditions. Margera also has to stay away from the house.

State police have said they were called to the Chester County home in response to a reported domestic disturbance Sunday morning. Margeras brother, Jesse Margera, told police that Bam Margera had pounded on and kicked his locked bedroom door, then punched him in the eye, nose, and ear during a later confrontation in the kitchen, according to court documents. Jesse Margera said hed also found a threatening handwritten note signed Bam, per a police affidavit. Bam Margera, who also starred in the MTV reality series Viva La Bam, ran from the home through dense woods before troopers got there, the affidavit said.

He was charged with simple assault, harassment, and four counts of terroristic threats. After his arraignment, a post on Margera's Instagram account said: Everything went great and the false accusations of what my brother says are not true and he will be sued for defamation as well as being evicted from castle bam sooner than later. His next court date is May 25. (Read more Jackass stories.)
A conductor jumped from his train, sprinted to scoop up a 3-year-old boy who was wandering along close to the electrified third rail on tracks north of New York City, officials said, and with his colleagues, united him with his family. Engineer William Kennedy, who was operating a southbound train April 6, was the first to spot the boy on Metro-North Railroad tracks near Tarrytown, and he sent out an emergency radio message, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said in a news release. "There's a little kid north of you guys," someone can be heard saying in a video released by the MTA, addressing the crew of an approaching northbound train, the AP reports.

The video shows the northbound train proceeding slowly until the crew can spot the child. "What is it? Is that a kid?" one worker says on the video. Assistant conductor Marcus Higgins then jumps down from the train, grabs the boy from a cover on top of the third rail, and waits with him as the train approaches. He then carries the toddler onto the train, per CBS News. At the same time, the MTA release says, two other railroad employees on their way to help spotted the child's sobbing mother and sister on a nearby streetcorner. The family was reunited at the Tarrytown station. The video shows the woman hugging her child. The boy's mother told the railroad workers that her son is autistic and nonverbal. The MTA honored the five employees involved on Monday. "I'm glad our crew was there and able to help," Higgins said.

(Read more railroad stories.)
A jury in Missouri has slapped a Lincoln-based real estate business with a $5.8 million verdict.

But U.S. Property Inc.'s president, Monte Froehlich, confirmed Wednesday they plan to appeal the decision, which involves a vacant lot at 718 Grand Blvd. in downtown Kansas City.

"We strongly disagree with the verdicts and have instructed counsel to immediately file and vigorously prosecute an appeal. We are confident in the appeal process," Froehlich said.

In 2019, Racket Merchandise Co., a longtime downtown Kansas City business, sued the Nebraska owners of 718 Grand Blvd.  U.S. Property Inc., 718 Grand LLC and Power & Light Properties LLC, all businesses tied to Froehlich  after a rainstorm caused clay to run off the property and flood their basement next door.

Racket's attorney alleged the owners had neglected the property, it had become a nuisance and their property ended up damaged as a result.

In 2013, the lot  then home to the Grand Avenue Garage, a 1921 building on the National Register of Historic Places  had been acquired with plans to convert it into apartments.

But the city ultimately condemned it after it had sat vacant for years and, in 2018, it was demolished.

Clay had been brought in for backfilling and grading the lot but was left in piles, which caused a mudslide, the suit alleged.

Earlier this month, the case went to trial in Kansas City, resulting in a jury verdict of $1.33 million in actual damages and $4 million in punitive damages.

Racket's attorney, Brandon Boulware, told the Journal Star: The jury sent a clear message to all developers and landowners that they must take care of their property. Kansas City will not allow blight. This city has come too far for that."

At trial, he told the hometown jury that the property, which sits along the route of the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl parade, had been twice broadcast to the world, according to local coverage of the case.

Boulware said Wednesday he hoped the companies in this lawsuit would hear the jury's message "and act on it."

"But its been three weeks since the verdict, and they still have not fixed their properties, he said in an email.

Froehlich said Wednesday they were surprised "by a verdict that we do not believe is consistent with the facts presented at trial or Missouri Law."

He said they had hired two contractors to complete the demolition and remediation of the site.

Racket sued the contractors, too, but they settled before the trial concluded, according to court records.

Froehlich said: "We have restored more than two dozen historic buildings and have pride in doing so. We have properties in 15 states and have always directed our real estate business responsibly and with the highest of ethics. We have a solid track record of quality work and high standards of conduct."

Top Journal Star photos for April 2023
A Seattle hospital is investigating an outbreak of 31 bacterial infections that first emerged in October, reports CNN. The Virginia Mason Medical Center has confirmed 31 cases of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria, which the Seattle Times explains can cause pneumonia or infections in the blood or in wounds. The most recent case was identified in early April. Four of the 31 patients have died, though health officials can't say whether the infection was responsible.

Due to the medical complexity of these cases, there may be multiple possible causes of death for those individuals who died after the Klebsiella infection was diagnosed, says a public health spokesperson for Seattle and King County. According to the NIH, Klebsiella pneumoniae is common, but it can be harmful to humans in medical settings. The danger is for people with weak immune systemsthey can develop severe infections. In hospitals, the bacteria can spread easily via shared equipment, surfaces, and sometimes hands. Even worse, some strains of Klebsiella have become antibiotic resistant, making them difficult to treat.

In late 2022, the American Hospital Association highlighted a CDC report that indicated medical facility bacterial infections were on the rise beginning in 2021, when methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia infections rose by 14% and cases of "hospital onset Clostridioides difficile" went up by 3%. In a Virginia Mason news release, Dr. Eric Chow says Klebsiella outbreaks like this "are complex, and despite thorough investigation, we may never know the source." (Read more bacteria stories.)
UPDATE

Apr 29, 2023 2:55 PM CDT

Gov. Greg Gianforte on Friday signed into law bills restricting transition care for transgender minors in Montana over the pleas of, among others, his son. The governor made no public comment about the legislation, but his spokeswoman emailed the New York Times that "he is committed to protecting Montana's children from invasive medical treatments that can permanently alter their healthy, developing bodies." State Democrats had fought the measure. "I'm very disappointed it's becoming law," said Rep. Kim Abbott, the House Democratic leader. "It is very damaging policy. It impacts families and communities who are trying to obtain medically necessary care."

Apr 28, 2023 3:00 AM CDT

The Republican governor of Montana was lobbied by his own son against signing the anti-trans bills passed by the state legislature. David Gianforte tells the Montana Free Press he initially reached out to his father, Gov. Greg Gianforte, in an email, asking him "as your constituent and your son" to veto the bills that a trans state lawmaker recently made headlines for speaking out against (and getting silenced for it by her GOP colleagues). His dad replied, "I would like to better understand your thoughts and concerns. When can we get together to talk about it?" and signed the email, "Love, Dad." David Gianforte is gay, identifies as nonbinary, and uses he/they pronouns. Given how important the LGBTQ+ community is to him, he tells the Free Press, "I felt somewhat of an obligation to speak with him about it."

"Hey Dad. Thanks for setting aside time to meet with me, it means a lot to me," reads the statement that David Gianforte says he read aloud during the meeting he arranged with the governor last month. There are a lot of important issues passing through the legislature right now. For my own sake Ive chosen to focus primarily on transgender rights, as that would significantly directly affect a number of my friends  I would like to make the argument that these bills are immoral, unjust, and frankly a violation of human rights. He says his father gave him some reasons he supports the bills, but that weeks later, when his father sent one of them back with amendments that David did not feel improved the outlook for the state's LGBTQ+ residents, any hope he'd previously felt faded. He's been speaking out against the bills publicly.

He calls his father's letter to lawmakers explaining the amendments "bizarre," because the governor both expresses compassion for Montana's youth and also, simultaneously, strips them of health care they might need. He notes that he grew up in a devout Christian household and that after coming out to his parents as gay in 2020, they've never spoken of his sexual orientation at length. As for his father, his office said in a statement, "The governor loves his family and values their thoughts, ideas, and perspectives. Our office will not discuss private conversations between the governor and members of his family." As the governor prepared to sign two of the bills in question into law, a KBZK reporter asked, "Is it difficult to be pushing this legislation now that your son has come out as nonbinary?" The governor replied, Yeah, and you know Ive been very clear, my love for my son is unconditional." (Read more Greg Gianforte stories.)
West Virginia Republican Gov. Jim Justice announced Thursday that he is running for Democrat Joe Manchins US Senate seat in 2024, setting up what could be a hard-fought campaign between two of the states most prominent politicians, the AP reports. Justice, an ultrawealthy businessman who is barred from running for a third consecutive term as governor, ended months of speculation with the announcement at a posh resort he owns in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. It came on Justices 72nd birthday. I absolutely will promise you to God above that I will do the job, and I will do the job that will make you proud," Justice told a crowd to a standing ovation.

Justice's entry increases the spotlight on what will be one of the most watched 2024 races in the closely divided US Senate, with the GOP hoping to flip the seat in the overwhelmingly Republican state. Manchin is one of three Democratic senators up for reelection in 2024 who represent a state won by former President Trump in the 2020 election. He has been the only Democrat elected to statewide office in West Virginia since Justice switched his party affiliation in 2017.

Manchin, who endorsed Justice in his first gubernatorial bid before Justice switched parties six years ago and their relationship deteriorated, has said hell decide his future political plans in December. Manchin didn't wait for Justice to make his announcement to throw out a warning Thursday morning. I am laser focused on doing the job West Virginians elected me to dolowering healthcare costs, protecting Social Security and Medicare, shoring up American energy security and getting our fiscal house in order," Manchin said in a statement. "But make no mistake, I will win any race I enter.

(Read more West Virginia stories.)
James Corden used part of his farewell speech on Thursday's final episode of CBS' The Late Late Show to address the deep rift in America over hot button issues including politics and ideology, the AP reports. We started this show with Obama, then Trump and a global pandemic. Ive watched America change a lot. Ive watched divisions grow and Ive felt a sense of negativity boil over, said the host. He asked his audience to "remember what America signifies to the rest of the world. My entire life it has always been a place of optimism. ... Yes, it has flaws but show me a place that doesnt. Show me a person that doesnt."

He implored the audience, Just because somebody disagrees with you it doesnt make them bad or evil. We are all more the same than we are different. There are so many people who are trying to stoke those differences and we have to try as best we can to look for the light, look for the joy. If you do, its out there. Thats all this show has ever been about, he said. Corden announced one year ago that he would be ending his late-night show after eight seasons, citing a desire to return to his native UK to be closer to family and loved ones. His parents were seated in the audience for the final taping, and his sisters, he joked, were in town, toobut at a bar instead.

Also Thursday, CBS aired a primetime special called The Last Last Late Late Show Special, featuring taped segments with Tom Cruise (where they performed stunts and sang a duet of Can You Feel the Love Tonight from The Lion King) and Adele, where they taped a final Carpool Karaoke segment. Harry Styles and Will Ferrell were Corden's final guests. There were also goodbyes from the other late night hosts. Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, and David Letterman all appeared in a pre-taped segment with Corden. They joked that since Corden was ending his show, they could each call dibs on one of his segments; then each host promptly chose Carpool Karaoke.

(Read more James Corden stories.)
This story has been updated with new developments. Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles at Ukraine early Friday, killing at least 22 people, most of them when two missiles slammed into an apartment building in the center of the country, officials said. The strikes on the nine-story residential building in central Ukraine occurred in Uman, a city located around 134 miles south of Kyiv. Twenty people died in that attack, according to the Interior Ministry. They included two 10-year-old children and a toddler. The Ukrainian national police said 17 people were wounded and three children were rescued from the rubble. Another of the victims was a 75-year-old woman who lived in a neighboring building and suffered internal bleeding from the huge blast's shock wave, according to emergency personnel at the scene.

The bombardment was nowhere near the war's sprawling front lines or active combat zones in eastern Ukraine, where a grinding war of attrition has taken hold, the AP reports. The attacks included the first one against Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, in nearly two months, although there were no reports of any targets hit. The city government said Ukraines air force intercepted 11 cruise missiles and two unmanned drones over Kyiv. A 31-year-old woman and her 2-year-old daughter were also killed in the eastern city of Dnipro in another attack, regional Gov. Serhii Lysak said.

Moscow has frequently launched long-range missile attacks during the 14-month war, often indiscriminately hitting civilian areas. Ukrainian officials and analysts have alleged the strikes are part of a deliberate intimidation strategy by the Kremlin. Russia has denied that its military aims at civilian targets. In Kyiv, fragments from intercepted missiles or drones damaged power lines and a road in one neighborhood. No casualties were reported. The city's anti-aircraft system was activated, according to the Kyiv City Administration.

The attacks came as NATO announced that its allies and partner countries have delivered more than 98% of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine during Russias invasion and war, strengthening Kyiv's capabilities as it contemplates launching a counteroffensive. (On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had his first phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping since the February 2022 invasion.)
The US Army suffered "an incredible loss" Thursday when two Apache helicopters from Alaska's Fort Wainwright collided while returning from a training mission, killing three soldiers and injuring a fourth. There were two soldiers on each of the helicopters, which collided midair near Healy, about 100 road miles south of Fairbanks, per the Anchorage Daily News. Two soldiers were pronounced dead at the scene and the third died en route to a Fairbanks hospital. The names of the soldiers have not been released, though Army officials said they were from the 11th Airborne Division's 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment.

"This is an incredible loss for these soldiers families, their fellow soldiers, and for the division," said Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division. "Our hearts and prayers go out to their families, friends and loved ones, and we are making the full resources of the Army available to support them." The crashthe second involving military helicopters in Alaska this year, per the APis under investigation by a team from the Army Combat Readiness Center at Alabama's Fort Novosel, the Army said. It comes a month after two Blackhawk helicopters crashed during a routine training mission near Kentucky's Fort Campbell, killing nine. (Read more helicopter crash stories.)
Fort Lee in Virginia, named for Confederate army Gen. Robert E. Lee, has been renamed Fort Gregg-Adams in honor of two Black officers who made "significant contributions" to the US Army. Over a 36-year career, Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg "rose from the rank of private to three-star general," becoming the first Black officer in the Army to reach three-star rank, according to the Army, which he helped desegregate, including at Fort Lee, per CNN. Lt. Col. Charity Adams also helped usher in more racial inclusivity. The first Black officer in the Womens Army Auxiliary Corps, she led the sole unit of mostly Black women to serve overseas during World War II. The unit ensured mail was delivered to and from soldiers, per ABC News.

"Both Soldiers excelled in the field of sustainment and made significant contributions to #USArmy history," the Army said in a tweet. "We're proud to honor the courage, sacrifice, and diversity of these distinguished Soldiers." Gregg "will be the only living person in modern Army history to have an installation named after him," the Army noted. "I hope that this community will look with pride on the name Fort Gregg-Adams and that the name will instill pride in every soldier entering our mighty gates," Gregg said during Thursday's renaming ceremony, per ABC. He noted Adams' "performance in getting the mail delivered in a very chaotic environment has made the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion a legend that gets bigger every day."

The Defense Department last year approved proposals to remove the names of Confederate officers from nine military bases, including Fort Lee and Fort Hood. Retired Navy Adm. Michelle Howard, who chaired the Naming Commission, tells PBS News Hour that "the people who fought for the Confederacy were traitorsthey waged war against the United Statesso those names should be removed or replaced with people who have remained faithful to the United States." Gregg and Adams "epitomize the professional qualities we seek in every leader who wears the uniform of the United States Army," said Maj. Gen. Mark Simerly, the renamed fort's commanding general, per ABC. (Read more Fort Lee stories.)
The family of a female inmate in Texas who was allegedly denied HIV medication before dying has been awarded $7 million in what's reported to be the largest known jail-related death settlement in state history. Holly Barlow-Austin died in a hospital on June 17, 2019, after two months inside Bi-State Justice Center in Texarkana, where she was sent for a parole violation, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. A lawsuit against operator LaSalle Corrections claimed the 47-year-old went totally blind and became unable to walk before being taken to a hospital. She spent her last week in jail "in constant pain, blindly crawling around her cell, dehydrated and malnourished, living in filthy and inhumane conditions, decompensatingwith no medical help," a release reads, per HuffPost.

Barlow-Austin had complained of blurred vision that progressed to total blindness and numbness in her legs before eventually becoming unable to walk, as well as severe headaches, nausea, neck pain, and a large knot in her neck, according to the suit. Yet "LaSalle never arranged to have her evaluated by a medical doctor," the complaint read. Jail staff even accused Barlow-Austin of faking her symptoms, the family's lawyer Erik Heipt told HuffPost. Video footage shows the inmate was "struggling to move, using her hands to feel her way around the cell" during her last 48 hours inside the jail, per HuffPost. On June 10, her final day inside, Barlow-Austin was found to be suffering a hypertensive emergency, yet it was another 10 hours before she was allegedly taken to a hospital.

She died a week later of sepsis, meningitis, HIV/AIDS, and accelerated hypertension, according to the suit. "What happened to her was inexcusable," her parents say, per the Star-Telegram. "While no amount of money could bring our beloved Holly back, this victory will help give us some closure as we move forward. And we hope and pray that it will lead to changes in how our jails treat people in their custody and will save some lives in the future." Heipt says it's the largest known jail-related death settlement in Texas history and "should serve as a wake-up call to all private jail and prison operators," per HuffPost. LaSalle no longer operates the Bi-State Justice Center, though it does run 18 other correctional facilities in Texas, Louisiana, and Georgia. (Read more inmate deaths stories.)
After GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene told a stepmother that she wasn't a mother at a House subcommittee hearing this week, things got a little divisive. Greene asked Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers union, if she was a mother, and Weingarten said she was a "mother by marriage" and thanked her wife, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, for being present at the hearing, Mediaite reports. Kleinbaum has two daughters. "By marriage, I see," Greene replied, adding, "You havent taught school since the '90s, so youre not a teacher anymore."

Later in the House Oversight and Accountability subcommittee hearing on COVID-19 school closures, Greene told Weingarten that she didn't understand the impact of school closures and should not have made recommendations to the CDC because she's not a "biological mother." "The problem is, people like you need to admit that youre just a political activist, not a teacher, not a mother, and not a medical doctor," Greene said, per USA Today. Greene's remarks were condemned by Democrats on the subcommittee. "It'd be nice if we didnt attack the witnesses, particularly making a decision about whether or not she's a mother," Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia said in response. Rep. Raul Ruiz said the comments were "reflective of the cruel, personal attacks to any adopted mother or father who love their children."

In other remarks to Weingarten, Greene said, "While kids were forced to stay home, and you approve of this, the diagnosis of youth with gender dysphoria surge," the Advocate reports. Greene also attacked the emojis on Weingarten's Twitter profile, including a Ukrainian flag and an image of flexed biceps that Greene described as "digital blackface." A New York Times Magazine profile of Weingarten looks at how she became so hated by conservative Republicans that Mike Pompeo, former secretary of state, described her last November as "the most dangerous person in the world." (Read more Marjorie Taylor Greene stories.)
Now that Disney has fired back in a big way at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a common theme in coverage has emerged, one that questions whether DeSantis has taken on too big of a fight ahead of his expected entry into the 2024 race. He may well prove the naysayers wrong, but the sentiment is coming not just from his usual critics on the left but from within his own party in Florida, as the Orlando Sentinel reports. Coverage:

The Hill has an overview, with Niall Strange writing that "whispers are growing louder among Republicans that (DeSantis) has miscalculated in his battle with Disneya struggle that has already gone on for more than a year and has no end in sight." Yes, many Republicans back his fight against "wokeness," but others are worried he's defying conservative principles by using his elected authority to go after a company with which he disagrees.

If you are allowing governors to dictate their own politics to private businesses, what is to stop a liberal governor from doing the same? one source described as close to former President Trump puts it to the Hill. Trump himself has declared that DeSantis is getting "absolutely destroyed" by Disney over this "political STUNT," per Semafor. The latter site also includes a criticism from Chris Christie, who suggests that DeSantis isn't up to the task of negotiating with the likes of Xi Jinping or Vladimir Putin, "if you cant see around a corner that [Disney CEO] Bob Iger created for you."

The conservative editorial page of the Wall Street Journal suggests that neither DeSantis nor Disney will win this escalating "knife fight." The company's "denunciation of Floridas education law was gratuitous, but so are Mr. DeSantis's threats of retribution," the editors write. "The lawsuit doesnt paint the Governor in the best light, and he will get a black eye as he runs for President if Disney prevails in its lawsuit."

Other stories describe the difficulty of winning a legal fight against the behemoth company. "Disney is playing the long game," former GOP state Sen. Jeff Brandes tells the Journal in a separate story. "Disney has been here for 50 [years]. Theyre not going anywhere." The New York Times has a similar analysis, with Charles Homans writing that "taking on Mickey Mouse is a tricky business." Previous fights and boycotts against the company have made headlines initially, only to fizzle into irrelevance. The piece questions whether "the rules for anti-corporate campaigns" have indeed changed or whether DeSantis has been too aggressive.

(Read more Ron DeSantis stories.)
A woman told Houston police that she went on a date with a guy, only to find out later that he committed murder when he left for a short time, according to a criminal complaint. Erick Aguirre, 29, is accused of fatally shooting a man who was posing as a parking attendant near the restaurant the couple visited on April 11. It was a scam, an employee told Aguirre shortly after he'd handed the man $40 as a parking fee for his vehicle and that of his date, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Surveillance video from just before 8pm local time shows Aguirre running from the restaurant and grabbing something from his vehicle before a witness reported seeing him chasing the man with a gun, according to the complaint.

The witness lost sight of the men but heard a gunshot before seeing Aguirre "nonchalantly walking back to his car," putting the pistol inside, and returning to the restaurant, the complaint reads. Aguirre's date contacted police two days later after officers shared surveillance images of the couple in a plea for tips, per KTRK. The woman said she'd been standing near the restaurant as Aguirre took off and that she didn't hear or see anything unusual. When her date returned, he told her he'd "just scared the guy and everything was fine," according to the complaint. In reality, he'd left 46-year-old Elliot Nix lying in a roadway with a gunshot wound to the torso, the complaint reads, per the Star-Telegram.

Nix was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead at 8:43pm as the date carried on, though in a different location. The woman told police Aguirre grew uncomfortable after returning to the Rodeo Goat burger joint and suggested they eat elsewhere, per KTRK. Aguirre, who was on probation for aggravated assault at the time of the shooting, was arrested in Aransas County on April 15 on a charge of murder. He was extradited to Harris County on Tuesday and had bond set at $200,000 during a Thursday court appearance. No charges were filed against his date. "She wanted to do the right thing," the woman's attorney tells KPRC. "She wanted to make sure that she came forward and told the police what she knew." (Read more murder stories.)
During a New Hampshire campaign stop at the Red Arrow Diner on Thursday night, former President Donald Trump had a chance to meet Micki Larson-Olson, who's served prison time for her role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. She has called for the execution of former Vice President Mike Pence and the members of Congress who voted to certify President Biden's election victory. In fact, Larson-Olson, 52, who said she considers Trump the nation's "real president," told NBC News, she "would like a front seat of Mike Pence being executed." When Trump encountered Larson-Olson on Thursday night in Manchester, he embraced her, kissed her on the cheek, and called her "a terrific woman."

Trump also offered Larson-Olson, who was introduced to him as a "Jan. 6er," words of encouragement and signed the backpack she took to the Capitol. "I can't tell you how much that meant to me," she said, per the Washington Post. The QAnon supporter had driven 2,000 miles from Texas to see him. As recently as Friday, Larson-Olson said she had no regrets about her actions on Jan. 6. She climbed the scaffolding that day that was in place for Joe Biden's inauguration and held onto it as police tried to bring her down. Her later social media posts said it took six officers to remove her. "Every single person" who supported the election results should be killed, she told NBC. "The punishment for treason is death, per the Constitution," Larson-Olson said. Spokespeople for Trump and Pence did not immediately comment on her encounter Thursday. (Read more Donald Trump stories.)
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TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Kingdom of Bahrain Declaration opened in Egypt yesterday is a testament to the wise vision and values of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, said Sabeeka Khalifa Al-Fadhala, the Chairperson of the Youth Affairs Committee at the Shura Council.

She highlighted that HM King has established national foundations based on social harmony, openness, and tolerance among diverse cultures, religions, and beliefs.

Al Fadhala was speaking during the inauguration ceremony of the declaration, alongside Ali Abdulla Al-Aradi, a member of the Foreign Affairs, Defence, and National Security Committee at the Shura Council and the Arab Parliament.

She emphasised the importance of integrating noble human principles and values into legislation, promoting respect for human rights, meaningful dialogue, and rejecting extremism, sectarianism, and hatred.

Al-Fadhala further pledged the legislative branchs support for the noble royal initiatives and the efforts of the executive branch to promote peace, love, security, and stability.
Agencies | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain has been hailed as a model to be emulated for gender balance and equality at the global level by Inter-Parliamentary Union President Duarte Pacheco.

According to Pacheco, Bahrains governance of gender balance applications and the launch of supportive executive tools have proven their usefulness and raised womens participation in the national development process.

In this regard, Pacheco emphasised the importance of gender balance and equality as fundamental pillars of human rights, democracy, peace, and development.

His comments came in a press statement following a forum organised by the Supreme Council for Women in collaboration with the Shura and Representatives councils during the 146th IPU Assembly.

The IPU President stressed that Bahrains integrated model based on its fair constitutional principles, updated legislative system, and effective executive procedures has resulted in the growing number of female members of the Council of Representatives.

The IPU President also expressed eagerness to promote gender equality and share best practices among parliaments worldwide. He also welcomed the launch of the Parliamentary Handbook for Main-streaming Womens Needs, which supports Bahrains ongoing efforts to achieve gender balance.

He stressed the importance of exchanging expertise and experiences at the global level and underscored the significance of gender balance in parliamentary work itself. He commended the SCWs launch of a reference guide for parliamentary work and called on the IPU to share Bahrains experience with its member states to promote gender balance and equality globally.
, Apr 28 ( Nikkei ) - Japan has formally decided to downgrade the legal status of the novel coronavirus to a level on par with seasonal influenza on May 8, paving the way for full normalization of social and economic activities.

The finalization of the schedule comes as the government mulls bringing forward the lifting of its remaining coronavirus border control measures by more than a week to Friday, in anticipation of travelers leaving Japan during Golden Week, then returning after the holidays.

Japan's annual string of national holidays known as Golden Week begins on Saturday.

Under the current requirement, all entrants to the country must present certification of having received at least three COVID-19 vaccination shots or provide a negative result from a coronavirus test taken within 72 hours of departure.

Infectious disease experts at a health ministry panel gave the green light to the planned reclassification schedule based on the current coronavirus pandemic situation and the preparedness of the health care system for a resurgence across the country. ...continue reading
High schools are increasingly using artificial intelligence to enhance teaching methods, provide personalized instruction and prepare students for a future where AI is increasingly prevalent.

If that sounds like something AI might say about itself, thats because it did; the sentence was generated through a program called ChatGPT with the prompt, Write one sentence about the use of artificial intelligence in high schools for a newspaper.

ChatGPT is one of many writing-related AI programs and is designed to follow an instruction in a prompt and generate a response. A Feb. 23 Associated Press article said the free program launched in November, and other companies have since been in a hurry to release their own chatbots powered by AI.

Similar programs include Ryter and Jasper, two AI writing assistants, and DALE-E 2 and NightCafe, which generate AI art.

With new AI programming unfolding seemingly by the day, questions can be raised about the effect of this technology on local schools and how districts approach its use.

AI development

For Mark Blanchard, Cumberland Valley School Districts assistant superintendent for secondary education, an examination of the impact and use of AI in schools begins with a definition of the technology.

Artificial intelligence is a very broad term, he said. When were texting and our spelling is corrected, thats artificial intelligence. Calculators are artificial intelligence. So weve been using those tools in school for a long time.

Michael Gogoj, assistant superintendent of the Carlisle Area School District, said Amazons Alexa, Apples Siri and Google Assistant are all commonly used forms of AI. The district also uses a program called Classroom Diagnostic Tools, or CDTs, that comes from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and helps make decisions about answers students give as they complete questions to help direct learning pathways, he said.

Students use computers and iPads across the district as applied to research, they are looking up math problems online and interacting with various apps and programs, he said. Theyre conducting virtual science labs. That list goes on.

Blanchard said there was a giant leap last fall in AI technology with the introduction of ChatGPT.

Programs like ChatGPT are capable of answering prompts like write a cover letter for a plumber or write a five paragraph essay on symbolism in Animal Farm.

As one of the core activities used in schools is writing, a students ability to artificially produce responses prompted questions about how to measure learning, Blanchard said.

The thing that really caused it to be of major concern, is that what it was producing was good, he said. It wasnt just mechanically producing something, but it was producing something that had some style. It had some character to it, it would reference things.

Additionally the material produced by programs like ChatGPT doesnt register as plagiarism when checked with plagiarism detection tools like Turnitin because the work is original; the sentences formulated by ChatGPT dont exist anywhere else.

In fact, if a class of 20 students is assigned to write an essay on the same topic and enter the exact same prompt into ChatGPT, Blanchard said the program would produce 20 unique papers.

As it relates to cheating, its not plagiarism, Blanchard said. So what do we call it? How do we think about it? If its not plagiarism, what is it?

District approaches

Its questions like this that led Cumberland Valley School District to pull together a committee to examine the use of AI and address some of the potential concerns associated with technology.

The committee was organized in December and consists of about seven teachers and administrators including Blanchard. He said meetings have been held biweekly.

Blanchard said Cumberland Valley initially blocked some AI programs on student laptops just to see what would happen and asked teachers to explain if or why it should be unblocked. Several shared potential uses for the technology.

To just say that a blanket ban is what should happen is probably a checkers response, and what were trying to do is to teach our kids how to play chess, to think more deeply about these things, he said.

The district also offered a session about AI during a professional development day in March to provide information to teachers about what AI is and how to use it.

Blanchard said the committee will continue to determine how the technology relates to student work, looking at areas like discipline and what teachers are trying to measure through assignments.

I think that our goal would be to have something by the end of the year that we can very clearly articulate as we transition into next school year, he said.

As the technology continues to morph and develop, much remains unknown about its future.

The concern right now for all of us is we dont know what we dont know, Big Spring Director of Curriculum and Instruction Nicole Donato said. We need to be informed better to make decisions in the best interest of our students. We will continue to read about AI in writing as well as test it ourselves to see its capabilities and the benefits it could bring to students.

She said the district doesnt have any policies in place for the use of AI, nor does it intend to establish AI-specific policies.

Instead, department heads and administrators have read information and discussed pros and cons of the technology.

Donato said she also talked with the districts technology administrator to determine the potential uses of AI technologies as teaching tools.

Carlisle is taking a similar approach.

We have not yet formed a committee specifically for this purpose, but we do have internal groups that are discussing it, Gogoj said. So we have administrative groups that discuss it amongst our departments, leaders [and] principals at the secondary level and then those department leaders and principals have had discussions with their respective departments.

He said the district doesnt have any specific policies regarding the use of AI, but falls back to its academic integrity policies outlined in the student handbook.

School officials have also read updated articles on the topic as the technology develops.

We really do believe that theres positive potential when these are used appropriately and effectively, Gogoj said. So our philosophy is either way, its here to stay. We want to maximize the good and learn how to make the most of those positive components, and at the same time we recognize that there can be some inquiries and drawbacks that we need to mitigate.
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JUNEAU, Alaska (AP)  The U.S. Army has grounded aviation units for training after 12 soldiers died within the last month in helicopter crashes in Alaska and Kentucky, the military branch announced Friday.

The suspension of air operations was effective immediately, with units grounded until they complete the training, said Lt. Col. Terence Kelley, an Army spokesperson. For active-duty units, the training is to take place between May 1 and 5. Army National Guard and Reserve units will have until May 31 to complete the training.

The move grounds all Army aviators, except those participating in critical missions, until they complete the required training, the Army said in a statement.

On Thursday, two Army helicopters collided near Healy, Alaska, killing three soldiers and injuring a fourth. The aircraft from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright, near Fairbanks, were returning from training at the time of the crash, according to the Army. The unit is part of the 11th Airborne Division, which is nicknamed the Arctic Angels.

Military investigators were making their way to Alaska's interior, with a team from Fort Novosel, Alabama, expected to arrive at the crash site by Saturday, said John Pennell, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Alaska. Little new information about the crash was released Friday.

The Army on Thursday said two of the soldiers died at the site and the third on the way to a hospital in Fairbanks. The injured fourth soldier was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition Friday, Pennell said. The names of those who were killed were not immediately released.

The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel, Army Chief of Staff James McConville said of the decision to ground flight units for training.

The crash is the second accident involving military helicopters in Alaska this year.

In February, two soldiers were injured when an Apache helicopter rolled after taking off from Talkeetna. The aircraft was one of four traveling to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage from Fort Wainwright.

In March, nine soldiers were killed when two U.S. Army Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed during a routine nighttime training exercise about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

The Army said that while Thursday's crash and the one in Kentucky remain under investigation, there is no indication of any pattern between the two mishaps.

Healy is home to about 1,000 people roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Denali National Park and Preserve, or about 250 miles (400 kilometers) north of Anchorage.

Located on the Parks Highway, the community is a popular place for people to spend the night while visiting Denali Park, which is home to the continents tallest mountain.

Healy is also famous for being the town closest to the former bus that had been abandoned in the backcountry and was popularized by the book Into the Wild and the movie of the same name. The bus was removed and taken to Fairbanks in 2020.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP)  Sri Lankas Parliament voted Friday to support the implementation of a four-year International Monetary Fund program aimed at solving the countrys economic crisis and reducing its debt burden.

The proposal, introduced by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is also finance minister, was approved by a vote of 120 to 25 after a three-day debate.

The approval strengthens Wickremesinghe's hands as he holds tough debt restructuring negotiations with Sri Lanka's external creditors and privatizes state-run enterprises under the program, approved by the IMF last month, in which nearly $3 billion will be disbursed in stages.

It will also determine how the country's economy will be managed in the coming years.

Sri Lanka announced last year that it was suspending repayment of its foreign loans because of a severe foreign currency crisis resulting from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, excessive borrowing by the government, and efforts by the central bank to stabilize the Sri Lankan rupee by using scarce foreign reserves.

In introducing the proposal in Parliament on Wednesday, Wickremesinghe said the government is seeking to reduce the country's debt by $17 billion through restructuring. He said Parliament's support is vital for stabilizing the economy and later restarting its expansion because a 3% growth rate needs to be maintained for the country's GDP to return to its 2019 level by 2028.

Wickremesinghe said the government's debt, both local and foreign, totaled $83.6 billion when he took over as president last July.

He said loan restructuring talks will begin with India together with the Paris Club, a group of major creditor nations, and separately with China. It may be necessary to restructure loans obtained locally with proper safeguards for banks and employees' provident funds from which the government has borrowed, he said.

Debt restructuring can take various forms, including bailouts, renegotiating terms of loans and writing off or reducing the amount owed for some loans.

Sri Lanka's economic crisis, the worst in its history, caused severe shortages of food, medicine, fuel, cooking gas and electricity last year. That led to massive street protests that forced then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign.

The economy has shown signs of improvement since Wickremesinghe took over as president last July. Shortages have been alleviated, power cuts have ended and the Sri Lankan rupee has begun to strengthen.
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Masked Iranian navy commandos conducted a helicopter-borne raid to seize a U.S.-bound oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, footage aired by Iran's state television showed Friday.

The capture on Thursday of the Turkish-managed, Chinese-owned Advantage Sweet represents the latest seizure by Iran amid tensions with the U.S. over advancing nuclear program. While Tehran says the tanker was seized over it running into another Iranian vessel, it has provided no evidence yet to support the claim  and the Islamic Republic has taken other ships as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.

The footage showed the commandos descending on the deck of the Advantage Sweet by ropes from a hovering helicopter. A photograph showed one commando with his fist in the air after apparently taking the vessel.

The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet has said the Iranian seizure was at least the fifth commercial vessel taken by Tehran in the last two years.

Irans continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy, it added.

The vessels manager, a Turkish firm called Advantage Tankers, issued a statement acknowledging the Advantage Sweet was being escorted by the Iranian navy to a port on the basis of an international dispute. All the ships 24 crew members are Indian.

The safety and welfare of our valued crew members is our No. 1 priority, the firm said. Similar experiences show that crew members of vessels taken under such circumstances are in no danger.
By Azernews

Rena Murshud

The next meeting of the heads of defense departments of the countries participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will be held in 2024 in Kazakhstan.

Azernews reports, citing the press service of the Kazakhstan Defense Ministry that a regular meeting of the defense ministers of India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan was held in New Delhi, who exchanged views on cooperation in the field of defense in the format of an organization, taking into account the current geopolitical situation.

Earlier it was reported about unscheduled talks between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Chinese counterpart Li Shanfu on the sidelines of the meeting of the military departments' heads of the SCO member states. It was specified that during the conversation they "discussed issues of mutual interest."

"The next meeting of the heads of defense departments of the SCO member states will be held in 2024 in Kazakhstan," the report said.

The meeting participants also noted that strengthening confidence-building measures in the military sphere, coordinating the efforts of the SCO states to counter new challenges and threats to regional security remains relevant on the association's agenda, the Kazakh Defense Ministry specified.

It is of note that the Kazakh side will chair the SCO from July 2023 to July 2024.




Could artificial intelligence mean the death of writing or a breakthrough in modern learning?

Its a variation of a question that seems to be sweeping across the United States as the technology works its way into the classroom.

A Feb. 23 article by the Associated Press said some educators are blocking AI programs while others seem to welcome them with open arms.

With the recent development of programs like ChatGPT, an AI-based writing program capable of producing full essays and responses based off prompts, Cumberland County schools are weighing AIs potential impacts on teaching and cheating.

Teaching tool

Stephanie Douglas, Carlisle Area School Districts director of digital learning, compared the development of AI with the invention of Google.

I remember years ago when they [were] concerned with Google, and oh my goodness, students are going to look up test answers on Google when a war took place or different historical events, she said. Google didnt go away yet  I doubt its going away  so we have to learn to navigate the resources students have now and will always have in their future.

Cumberland Valley Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education Mark Blanchard said AI programs like ChatGPT can be used to help tutor students, reinforce what theyve learned in the classroom, or fill in communication gaps.

It can also take material that might be difficult for a student to understand and modify it to a lower reading level because reading levels are scientifically defined.

If the outcome that Im looking for is I need to measure a students ability to read at a 10th grade level, then I have to use this text, Blanchard said. But if in this particular assignment, thats not my big concern, my big concern is do they understand the themes of this, can I use something like artificial intelligence to translate that to maybe a sixth-grade level and to use that in a remediation or tutoring exercise? ... Can I attain that goal by giving you a sixth-grade version of this, then why not? Why would we not do that?

Big Spring High School English teacher Angela Schneider said programs like ChatGPT can help students struggling with a paper to gather their thoughts by entering pieces of information and editing what the program produces into a grade-worthy submission.

While ChatGPT was released recently, Douglas said students have used other AI programs for years, including one called Photomath, which walks students through how to solve a problem based off of a photo of the problem they submit.

To the point of the benefits of AI, if a student is stuck in an independent way trying to figure out a math problem thats tough, then why not use such technology to walk students through the process, she said.

At Carlisle, AI also plays a role in the districts Center for Careers and Technology.

Albert Parrillo, the centers director, said AI is incorporated at the middle and high school levels to help teach students about robots and programming. This can help prepare them for the workforce, since the technology is used in a variety of professions, including in the military and the medical field.

I think following from our professional organizations, down to our local [and] regional into our districts, and then conveying that message, I think thats the pattern were following, Parrillo said.

Beyond students, AI could also benefit teachers who can ask a program like ChatGPT for 25 different essay prompts on a specific topic to prevent students from copying each other.

Cheating aid

One of the big concerns about the use of AI is the role it could play to help students cheat on their work.

Blanchard said he saw an example of a teacher catching a student submitting AI-generated writing for the first time in early January.

[The teacher] read the essay and hes like, Theres no way that that kid is using those words, he said.

That teacher called the student up to his desk to ask what one of the words meant and Blanchard said the student couldnt define that word and later admitted to using ChatGPT.

Schneider said she believes one of her students used AI to produce a response to a question about the novel they were reading because that piece didnt match other writing samples the student had submitted.

However when she plugged the response into AI tracking websites, they couldnt determine whether it was produced by a human or a computer.

Schneider said her concern with the use of AI is its ability to prevent students from thinking for themselves.

One of my goals as a teacher, and ours as a district, is to teach students how to become critical thinkers, and ultimately this technology has a potential to make this happen, she said. It is important to convince students that their ideas can be just as valid and well-written, and that effort pays off.

At the high school level especially, the technology can also come into play with GPA and class rank.

Blanchard said students can have an unhealthy obsession with both that can lead them to load their schedule with weighted courses.

Time is a crunch and so it becomes very easy to take shortcuts, and so what I would say is something like artificial intelligence is just another shortcut that has been given to students who feel this pressure to perform in unhealthy ways, he said.

While AI tracking websites exist to help differentiate computer versus human generated content, officials seem to agree that teachers knowing their students and recognizing the work theyre capable of producing is one of the best ways of determining whats been artificially written.

Schneider said she could see AI prompting teachers to require more writing assignments without the use of an electronic device, so students would be submitting work with their own handwriting.

I would say it is important not to give it more value than its worth, she said. There is a psychological behavior called reactance, meaning we often want to do things were told not to do. I believe this could be the case if we are constantly telling students not to use it. It might be more helpful to teach students the benefits and drawbacks of such a tool and have them use it responsibly. We certainly cannot stop technology from growing and changing.
WHAT Launch of the 2023 cruise season aboard the ship

Presentation of a commemorative plaque to the ship's captain as part of Holland America Line's 150th anniversary

Press briefing and photo opportunity

WHEN Saturday, April 29, 2023, at 9 :30 am (Suggested media arrival: 9 :15 am)

WHO Melanie Nadeau, Vice-president, Public affairs and community relations, The Montreal Port Authority (MPA)

Zanndam's Captain Ane Smit and his team

WHERE The Grand Quay of the Port of Montreal

200 De la Commune Street West

Montreal, Quebec, H2Y 4B2

Montreal, Quebec, H2Y 4B2 Media should park their vehicles in the parking lot near the Grand Quay. Access will be free for this event only
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  He is a senior at 16. His grade point average is 4.98. Even before graduating from high school, he has earned 27 college credits and, perhaps the most impressive numbers of all, he has scholarship offers from around 130 colleges and universities that, as of Thursday, totaled more than $9 million.

Dennis Maliq Barnes achievements at the International High School of New Orleans are a source of pride for school administrators who are looking into whether Barnes has set a record for scholarship offers. But it wasn't a record he was looking for as he piled up around 200 applications to colleges around the nation. It was about making sure he had plenty of options.
Bjoern Wylezich / TNS

WATERBURY  A local man knowingly deceived federal authorities investigating gang activity in the city, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Connecticut.

Shan Thompson, 25, lied about a fatal 2017 shooting in interviews with the FBI, the U.S. attorneys office said. Thompson previously pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of making a false statement to a government agent, the office said. He was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
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BRANFORD  Transportation officials are seeking public input to take a bigger picture look to fix problems on Route 146, a narrow and twisty state road that stretches from Branford to Guilford.

The 13-mile, 24-foot-wide coastal road winds along sensitive marshland, is prone to flooding and can be unsafe for cyclists and pedestrians in parts.

At the first informational meeting April 25 on the Route 146 Corridor Management Plan, officials explained what the plan will entail and entreated the public to comment. Individuals may comment at the new website https://route146cmp.com.

With some 50 attendees, the meeting at Branfords Fire Headquarters was a step in the right direction, according to residents and local officials who spoke.

This was a far different reaction from when the DOT in 2019 presented its controversial Corridor Management Study of the road, which called for the removal of the popular crabbing bridge, built in the 1930s, and replacing it with a raised, three-lane bridge. That proposal drew much opposition from residents.

But DOT officials decided to go another way, spurred by the request of state Comptroller Sean Scanlon, who represented the 98th District in the state House at the time, according to Branford First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove.

And I think early on we recognized, perhaps we better take a step back, Cosgrove told the crowd.

He noted that Guilford and Branford, through the Southern Central Regional Council of Governments, had asked for that initial corridor study.

While Cosgrove is eager for problems with the roadway to be fixed, he stressed, any proposal should be mindful of what were trying to preserve, which is ultimately the character of our towns.

We dont want to have projects where we experience incremental loss in that character of our respective communities, he said. But this management plan, Cosgrove said, this is a much better approach.

Route 146, Cosgrove told the group, connects Green to Green, connects business districts and neighborhoods. It goes through our scenic natural resources of the most beautiful areas of our shoreline.



And this plays a large part in really defining the character of our respective communities the place we all call home, he said.

State Sen. Christine Cohen, D-Branford, chairman of the Transportation Committee, said she was really pleased with what she saw at the meeting.

I think its evident the Department of Transportation is making a real effort here to make sure they are taking into consideration all the of the different aspects of this scenic, historic route that is crosses through natural resources and significant environmental areas, Cohen said in an interview.

I think what was happening early on, is that you really saw this outcry from the community as they [DOT] wanted to develop project plans and they said, hold up here, we really need to do our due diligence and understand what people think of different aspects of this roadway and improve it and really make a difference.

Cohen is hopeful the plan will go far to resolve issues with the road.

I think its evident to everybody that something needs to be done, she said, pointing to frequent flooding of the road.

Not just during significant storm events, but if you hit it just right and you have a rainfall at high tide, a new moon  things are not working in our favor on that roadway thats for sure, Cohen said.

There is no quick fix, she added. But how we treat it across that 13-mile stretch is going to vary based on the historic significance of that particular area, based on the resources there, based on whether that particular area is prone to significant flooding," she said.

Guilford First Selectman Matthew Hoey agreed that rising sea levels need to be addressed in the plan. If we bury our heads in the sand about sea level rise, 146  youre going to need a canoe in some areas to get across, he said.

I think this is a significant opportunity here to address all of the issues facing us on Route 146," he said. The Corridor Management Plan for Route 146 will help guide us through the changes. Make it safer for everyone who travels, to protect its infrastructure and better protect from sea level rising.

Bob Yaro, a Guilford resident and member of the working group, was concerned about safety and is glad the plan will address that issue.

We appreciate that safety was the number one thing on the list, he said. Yaro noted that where he lives near the entrance to Shell Beach, We have one paraplegic who goes across twice a day with his dog and its an accident waiting to happen.

Robert Bell, director of DOT Policy and Planning, told the group, Were at the beginning stages.

We brought together a working group, citizens, representatives from both towns, other state agencies, he said. Theres going to be a lot more public engagement in the summer and the fall prior to finalizing what this plan will be."
RBC Foundation is donating $75,000 to support the mental and emotional wellness of front-line Niagara Health employees.

The donation ties in with National Nursing Week, May 8 to 14.

Niagara Health is extremely grateful for this generous gift, said Heather Paterson, Niagara Health executive vice-president of clinical operations and chief nursing executive, in a press release.

As we continue in the recovery phase of the pandemic, this donation will make an important impact on our team members who have continued to provide safe, quality care for patients and families.

The donation will see hospitals in Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Welland and urgent-care centres in Fort Erie and Port Colborne each receive $5,000 a year for the next three years.

The funds will be directed towards creating a peer-support program, bringing together a team of peers trained on a critical incident stress management system framework.

The PSP program was selected because of its ease of implementation, low overhead costs and best practices established at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children-SickKids, said Paterson.

Peer supporters equipped with evidence-based critical incident stress management tools will provide emotional release, facilitate and foster discussion, build morale and teamwork and make sure their peers know about the resources available to them.

Recent Statistics Canada data showed Canadian front-line health-care workers are feeling strained and overloaded. In July, Statistics Canada reported 23,620 vacant nursing positions in the first quarter of 2022 (up 219 per cent from 2019), and an all-time high of 136,800 job vacancies within the health sector throughout the first quarter of 2022.

Recent data released by Mental Health Research Canada also showed health-care workers, and nurses in particular, were profoundly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nurses play a vital role in building prosperous, healthy communities for today and for the future, said Jay Toulouse, RBC regional vice-president, in the release.

Each year, RBC is proud to recognize the contributions and commitments of nurses by supporting their ongoing access to training and resources. Its our small way of saying thank you to these courageous individuals.

RBC Foundation has been supporting nurses access to education, training, resources and, most recently including mental health care, since 2009.

This years commitment of more than $500,000 over three years will provide funding to 22 hospitals in southwestern Ontario, bringing the total investment in local nursing to $1.7 million by 2025.

Held in honour of nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale, National Nursing Week is designed to increase awareness of the many contributions nursing makes to the well-being of Canadians.

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP)  Pope Francis on Friday blasted the adolescent belligerence that brought war back to Europe and said the continent must recover its founding spirit of peaceful unity to confront Russias war in Ukraine.

Francis outlined his vision for the future of Europe as he began a three-day visit to Hungary. In a carefully calibrated speech, he demanded that the European Union approve safe and legal ways for migrants to enter and for the Hungarian government not to hold Europe hostage to populist demands.

Francis didnt mince words when he addressed President Katalin Novak and Hungarys populist prime minister, Viktor Orban, whose lukewarm support for Ukraine has rankled other EU countries. The pontiff recalled the lofty ideals behind the blocs founding and lamented that rising nationalism and adolescent belligerence had replaced them.

We seem to be witnessing the sorry sunset of that choral dream of peace, as the solists of war now take over, Francis said. At this historical juncture, Europe is crucial.  It is called to take up its proper role, which is to unite those far apart, to welcome those other peoples and refuse to consider anyone an eternal enemy.

Hungarian officials said the popes visit, his second to Budapest in as many years, was designed primarily to let him minister to the countrys Catholic community. But with the war in neighboring Ukraine and Orban butting heads with other EU nations over rule of law issues and LGBTQ+ rights, Francis words and deeds in the heart of Europe carried strong political undertones.

He has repeatedly called for a peaceful resolution to the war and expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian people, although his trip to Hungary brought Francis the nearest hes gotten to the front line of the fighting.

The pope plans to meet Saturday with some of the 35,000 Ukrainian refugees who remain in Hungary. Nearly 2.5 million refugees entered the country early on in Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Orban has called for a cease-fire. But the nationalist prime minister has refused to supply Kyiv with weapons and threatened to veto EU sanctions against Moscow while maintaining Hungarys strong dependence on Russian energy. His government also said it would not arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the subject of an international arrest warrant on war crimes charges, if he came to Hungary.

While sharing his hopes for Europe, Francis appeared to call out the countrys growing isolation.

I think of a Europe that is not hostage to its parts, neither falling prey to self-referential forms of populism nor resorting to a fluid, if not vapid, supra-nationalism that loses sight of the life of its peoples, the pope said.

Novak, for her part, praised Francis as a man of peace and asked him to confer with Kyiv and Moscow, to Washington, Brussels, Budapest and to anyone without whom there can be no peace. Here, in Budapest, we ask you to act personally for a just peace as soon as possible!

Francis has expressed appreciation for Hungarys recent welcome of Ukrainian refugees, but his views on the moral imperative to welcome all people fleeing conflict, poverty and climate change contrast with Orbans hard line on migration. In 2015-2016, Hungary built a razor wire fence on the border with Serbia to stop people from entering  .

Francis said time was up for Europes excuses and delay in responding to the hundreds of thousands of migrants who risk their lives trying to reach the continent each year. He called for the EU to agree on secure and legal corridors that would provide a safer route.

Europe must come up with shared mechanisms to confront an epochal challenge that cannot be faced by pushing back, but must be welcomed to prepare a future that, unless it is shared, will not exist, the pope said.

The 86-year-old pontiff, who walks with difficulty because of bad knee ligaments, is testing his frail health with his latest trip. He spent four days in the hospital last month with bronchitis. Hungarian officials had hoped Francis would travel around the country, but the Vatican opted to keep him in Budapest, where he spent seven hours in 2021 to close out a church congress.

The visit comes as the European Union's legislature continues to put pressure on Hungary to counter what EU lawmakers consider a deterioration in the rule of law and democratic principles, including media freedom and LGBTQ+ rights.

The four biggest groups in the European Parliament have called on the blocs executive commission to withhold pandemic recovery funds for Hungary until liberal democracy principles are met.

Francis didnt wade in directly to the dispute, but he quoted the Hungarian Constitution and the founder of the Hungarian state, St. Stephen, in calling for the country to remain open toward others, another apparent reference to Orbans nativist rhetoric.

On LGBTQ+ rights, the pope and the Hungarian governments policies were not totally at odds. Catholic doctrine forbids gay marriage, though Francis has backed legal protections for people in same-sex unions.

He also has long ministered to gay and transgender Catholics while condemning gender ideology as an alleged form of the Wests ideological colonization of the developing world.

Hungary outlaws same-sex marriage, and the government has prohibited same-sex couples from adopting children. The government has also outlawed the depiction of homosexuality or divergent gender identities to minors in media content.

Francis repeated his condemnation of gender ideology Friday along with what he described as the so-called right to abortion. He praised Hungary for promoting family values.

How much better it would be to build a Europe centered on the human person and on its peoples, with effective polices for natality and the family  policies that are pursued attentively in this country, he said.

Francis arrival was met with a quiet welcome, with small groups of people cheering his motorcade as it entered the city center. Zoltan Gozner, a religious education teacher from Esztergom, north of Budapest, took his class to a place on the motorcades route so students could see it.

Hungary is still a Christian country, and we are a guardian of this faith, he said. ___

Bela Szandelszky contributed.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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CAIRO (AP)  Heavy explosions and gunfire rocked Sudans capital, Khartoum, and its twin city of Omdurman early Friday, residents said, despite the extension of a fragile truce between the countys two top generals whose power struggle has killed hundreds.

After two weeks of fighting that has turned Khartoum into a war zone and thrown Sudan into turmoil, a wide-ranging group of international mediators  including African and Arab nations, the United Nations and the United States  were intensifying their pressure on the rival generals to enter talks on resolving the crisis.

So far, however, they have managed to achieve only a series of fragile temporary cease-fires that failed to stop clashes but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese to flee to safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate thousands of their citizens by land, air and sea.

In a sign of the persistent chaos, Turkey said one of its evacuation planes was hit by gunfire outside Khartoum with no casualties on Friday, hours after both sides accepted a 72-hour truce extension.

The U.K. said it would end its evacuation flights on Saturday evening, after numbers of British citizens seeking an airlift began to decline. After a slow start that attracted criticism, Britain has run regular military flights from an airfield near Khartoum to Cyprus. As of Friday evening, it had airlifted 1,573 people, including nationals of several European countries.

You have another 24 hours if you are eligible to make your way to the airport and we will get you on a plane, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said.

Fierce clashes with frequent explosions and gunfire continued Friday in Khartoums upscale neighborhood of Kafouri, where the militarys warplanes bombed its rivals, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, residents said. Clashes were also reported around the militarys headquarters, the Republican Palace and the area close to the Khartoum international airport. All these areas have been flashpoints since the war erupted on April 15. Explosions also rang out across the river in Omdurman.

Doctors in the Sudanese capital said the RSF has been abducting medical personnel to treat its wounded fighters  a sign the paramilitary was struggling to get medical support.

One doctor forwarded to The Associated Press a voice note shared on a chat group for Sudanese healthcare workers, warning them not to wear medical uniforms or hand over identification listing a profession if fighters stop them on the street.

Nada Fadul, a Sudanese-American infectious disease physician at the University of Nebraska who is working with community health leaders in Sudan, said she knows of five doctors taken by the RSF from Khartoum streets since the start of the fighting.

One abducted doctor said he was forcibly taken to an unknown location in Khartoum earlier this week. There, he saw dozens of wounded fighters, a stockpile of medical supplies and two other kidnapped doctors working. He spent three days treating fighters with gunshot wounds, burns and other injuries before he and the others were released on Wednesday night, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity for his safety.

The Turkish Defense Ministry said light weapons were fired at a C-130 aircraft heading to Wadi Sayidna airbase on Khartoums northern outskirts to evacuate Turkish civilians. The plane landed safely, the ministry said in a tweet, and no personnel were injured.

The Sudanese military blamed the RSF, which denied firing on the plane.

Over the past 14 days of pummeling each other, the military led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and the RSF led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, have each failed to deal a decisive blow to the other in their struggle for control of Africas third largest nation.

Still, world powers have struggled to get them to adhere to announced cease-fires. A bloc of East Africa nations has put forward a initiative for the two sides to hold talks, and a gamut of mediators are promoting the plan, including the African Union, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the United Nations.

Burhan on Friday ruled out negotiations with Dagalo, accusing him of orchestrating a rebellion against the state, a day after the military expressed openness to the talks under the initiative. Dagalo wants to rule Sudan, seize its resources and magnify his wealth, Burhan said in an interview with U.S.-funded Alhurra TV, denying that he wants power for himself.

Both Burhan and Dagalo have been involved in crushing pro-democracy activists and together they pushed out civilians from an interim government in a coup in 2021. The former allies fell out in recent months in disputes over an internationally brokered deal meant to pave the way back to a civilian government, including over the issue of incorporating the RSF into the military.

The rivals battles in the streets with artillery barrages, airstrikes and gunfire have wreaked misery on millions of Sudanese caught between them. Many have left Khartoum to the northern borders with Egypt, or to the city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea.

Around 40,000 South Sudanese, Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees who had been living in the capital have fled Khartoum since fighting erupted, the UNs refugee agency said Friday. Many are now sheltering in refugee camps in White Nile, al-Qadarif and Kassala provinces, said Fathi Kasina, a UNHCR spokesman. Sudan hosts over 1.3 million refugees, including over 800,000 from South Sudan, according to U.N. figures.

Those who remain in Khartoum have been living in rapidly deteriorating conditions, mostly trapped inside their homes for days. Food, water and other services have become scarce, and electricity is cut off across much of Khartoum and other cities. Fighters roam the streets in the capital and other cities, looting and destroying homes, shops, businesses and open-air markets.

At least 512 people, including civilians and combatants, have been killed since April 15, with another 4,200 wounded, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry. The Sudan Doctors Syndicate, which tracks civilian casualties, has recorded at least 387 civilians killed and 1,928 wounded.

Dr. Salah Tour, of the Doctors Syndicate in West Darfur province, said at least 113 civilians were killed on Thursday alone in the city of Genena, where fierce clashes among tribal militias have raged despite the cease-fire. A total of more than 190 civilians have been killed there this week and most of them have not yet been added to the nationwide tallies of the dead.

The health care system is near collapse with dozens of hospitals out of service. Multiple aid agencies have had to suspend operations and evacuate employees.

The French military evacuated dozens of employees with the U.N. and other international aid agencies Thursday night from al-Fasher, a city in Sudans western Darfur region, to Chads capital, NDjamena, according to U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

The evacuation came a day after armed fighters rampaged through the city, battling each other, killing dozens and looting shops and homes. U.N. envoy Volker Perthes remained in Sudan along with a small team.

___

Associated Press writers Andrew Wilks in Ankara, Turkey, and Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.

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South Middleton School District is not endorsing the four candidates for school board who recently used the districts logo on a campaign flier.

That was the word Thursday afternoon from Superintendent Kevin J. ODonnell Jr. writing in response to questions The Sentinel emailed him earlier in the day.

As a public entity, the district does not endorse candidates for political office, ODonnell wrote. We wish all candidates the best of luck in the upcoming election cycle. Our staff is eager to work with elected representatives to enhance district safety, improve educational systems for our students and retain/attract talented committed staff members.

School districts have the option of policing their brand by registering their logo with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, said Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association.

Districts that decide to register tend to have policies in place that govern the use of the logo including a formal procedure to seek permission from the district, Melewsky said. Even then, the district has to be careful in the application of its policy, she said.

If one candidate is allowed to use the logo on campaign materials, then all candidates should be allowed to use it, otherwise, it could be ruled by a court as a First Amendment infraction, Melewsky said. The government cannot show any preference for a candidate.

In this case, four candidates for the South Middleton School Board included the logo and the words SMSD School Board on a campaign flier that was distributed to voters. The candidates are incumbent board members Jim Decker and Brandon Hall and newcomers Sophia Bounds and Devin Flickinger. The words Paid for by candidates appear on the bottom of the flier, which a township resident brought to the attention of the newspaper.

The school district does not have a specific policy applicable to the external use of the logo, ODonnell wrote. In consultation with our solicitor, our preliminary review has found that the logo is not trademarked. As such, it would be available for use in the public domain. Neither the district administration nor the board of directors have authorized the use of the district logo for any candidate(s) on campaign literature.
ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP)  Voters will decide Sunday whether to stay with the party that has governed Paraguay for seven decades or back a broad opposition coalition that has mounted a strong challenge amid discontent over health, schools and corruption.

The elections for president and Congress could also have geopolitical implications as Paraguay is the only country in South America with political ties to Taiwan and the opposition coalition has vowed to review that relationship.

The landlocked country, which enjoys a relatively stable economy even as it suffers high levels of poverty and corruption, has been practically immune to political change and the social movements that have swept the region, including the feminist wave.

But analysts say the political landscape may be due for alteration given that popular anger is at high levels over corruption and the deficiencies in the health and education systems that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Efrain Alegre, the leader of the Liberal party, the second-largest political force in Congress, is the presidential candidate of the opposition coalition that has united disparate parties in their desire to oust the long-governing Colorado Party.

Santiago Pena, a former finance minister who is Colorados presidential candidate, is former aide to powerful former President Horacio Cartes, who has been accused of corruption and links to terrorism by the United States.

Penas party is South Americas longest-ruling political party, essentially governing Paraguay since 1947.

This is a very unique electoral process, said Diego Abete Brun, a political science professor who heads the Latin American and Hemispheric Studies program at George Washington University. There are two competing visions: one to continue with a 70-year hegemonic system and the other a coalition project, an unprecedented political experiment in Paraguay that has joined together different parties from the center-right to the left.

Although all signs point to close elections, Abete Brun says he sees more wind in favor of the opposition.

As for Taiwan, Alegre has said Paraguays relationship with Taipei is too costly.

Under current circumstances, Paraguay is making a significant effort, despite being a small country, by choosing to maintain relations with Taiwan instead of pursuing opportunities with China. We do not see Taiwan making a similar effort, Alegre said in an interview with The Associated Press. We believe that this relationship is unfair, and as a result, we have a critical stance.

Pena has defended the countrys relationship with Taiwan, but says he would seek more trade with China, without explaining how that would come about.

Paraguay must insert itself in the world, in all the markets, including the Chinese market of 1.4 billion people, Pena told AP.

Alegre, a 60-year-old lawyer, is making his third bid for the presidencv, though this time he is representing a mix of political parties that all call for change and an end to Colorados reign.

People are convinced that change will come on April 30, and that we will begin a new era in Paraguay, Alegre said. We all understand that this is Paraguays decision for the next 15 or 20 years. This isnt just one election, its not just for five years. Its about an exhausted system and the need to reclaim the true Paraguay.

The responsibility for ensuring the continuity of the Colorado Party falls on Pena, who was finance minister in the Cartes government of 2013-2018 and, until recently, a member of the board of Banco Basa, a local bank owned by the former president.

Penas presidential campaign was hit by U.S. economic sanctions against Cartes for alleged bribery and ties to Hezbollah, which the United States designates as a terrorist organization.

The State Department said Cartes is one of the wealthiest individuals in Paraguay and charged he has engaged in a concerted pattern of corruption, including widespread bribery of government officials and legislators.

The sanctions blocked Cartes, who is president of the Colorado Party, from the U.S. financial system and cut off funding and loans for the Colorado Partys campaign.

The sanctions have been lethal, said Abete Brun. Cartes was the financing chief of the Colorado Party. The cash box was left empty.

Pena said the accusations against Cartes are groundless.

Paraguay doesnt have a runoff, so whoever of the 13 candidates receives the most votes Sunday will be the countrys next president.

One key factor will be turnout, considering that on average only around six-in-10 Paraguayans go to the polls.

The low participation numbers are at least in part due to the Paraguayan migrant population in Argentina, Spain and the United States that, despite having the legal right to vote, does not, historian Milda Rivarola said.

The May 1 Labor Day holiday could also decrease participation by voters.

___

Associated Press journalists Paul Byrne in Asuncion and Daniel Politi in Buenos Aires, Argentina, contributed to this report.

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TOKYO (AP)  Japan adopted a new five-year ocean policy on Friday that calls for stronger maritime security, including bolstering its coast guards capability and cooperation with the military as China grows increasingly assertive in regional seas.

The new Basic Plan on Ocean Policy adopted by Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas Cabinet also says Japan must accelerate the development of autonomous underwater vehicles and remotely operated robots to strengthen its surveillance capability.

It cited a list of threats: Chinese coast guard ships repeated intrusions into Japanese territorial waters, growing unauthorized maritime activity by foreign survey boats inside Japans exclusive economic zone, increasing joint military exercises by China and Russia, and North Koreas repeated missile launches.

The situation in the ocean around Japan is increasingly tense, Kishida said at a policy meeting Friday. Its time for us to unite our wisdom among the industry, academia and government for ocean policy reform  or ocean transformation.

He also noted the need to better use maritime resources to achieve carbon neutrality.

The new ocean policy is in line with Japans new national security strategy that Kishidas government adopted in December in a major break from the self-defense-only principle that the country has maintained under its postwar pacifist constitution.

The new strategy provides for the strengthening of Japans military power with a strike capability and double its defense budget within five years. The strategy also calls for closer cooperation between the military and the coast guard in any emergency over Taiwan or other possible conflicts.

Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao urged Japan on Friday to stay away from the Taiwan issue, saying it is Chinas core national interest and a red line that should not be crossed.

He blamed rising tensions around Taiwan on foreign forces that are colluding with Taiwanese independence forces and said their ultimate goal is to split self-governed Taiwan, which Beijing claims, from China.

A change in the status quo would cause a catastrophic outcome, he said at a news conference. If Japan takes sides with independence forces, it would lead the Japanese people into the fire, he said.

The ocean plan also says the capability of Japans coast guard, which has been on the front line of border disputes, needs to be improved. The coast guard frequently confronts Chinese coast guard vessels approaching Japanese-controlled disputed islands in the East China Sea, North Korean poachers and suspected spy boats, and Russian coast guard vessels near disputed northern islands.

Japans coast guard is used for civilian policing at sea and not military combat, and the new plans calling for closer cooperation with the Self Defense Force have raised concerns about its role and safety in a possible conflict.

The ocean plan also says Japan needs to be more aggressive about undersea surveys and using undersea resources for energy, calling for greater use of the exclusive economic zone outside of territorial waters to build offshore wind-power generators.

Japan has repeatedly protested over Chinese research ships entering Japanese waters or the exclusive economic zone just outside it for apparent surveys of undersea deposits and other marine resources.

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ISTANBUL (AP)  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan canceled his election appearances for a third day Friday after falling ill with what officials described as an intestinal infection.

Erdogan, who has governed Turkey for two decades as prime minister and then president, is seeking a third presidential term in Turkeys May 14 elections. He had been due to appear at a bridge opening and a political rally in the southern city of Adana, but his schedule changed to show he would attend the opening ceremony via video link.

Erdogan spoke by phone Friday with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio on several matters, including the Ukraine-Russia grain and fertilizer deal they helped arrange, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. He said they discussed how to guarantee the improvement, expansion and extension of the deal, which expires May 18.

Erdogan became ill during a TV interview on Tuesday evening with what Health Minister Fahrettin Koca later said was a gastrointestinal infection. His election rallies planned for Wednesday and Thursday were canceled.

He looked pale Thursday as he inaugurated a nuclear power plant via video in his first public appearance since his illness. During his Friday video address Erdogan seemed well as he spoke for about 10 minutes from behind a desk.

Other officials sought to dispel concerns over the 69-year-old leaders health ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections. Recent polls showed a slight lead for Erdogans main challenger amid an economic downturn and a February earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people.

Erdogan, who underwent intestinal surgery in 2011, has ruled Turkey since 2003, first as prime minister and as president since 2014. He campaigned hard in recent weeks, attending several events across the country every day.

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Conrad Black says he has regained his Canadian citizenship, more than 20 years after he renounced it following a well-publicized fight with then-prime minister Jean Chretien over accepting a British peerage.

Black provided The Canadian Press with a copy of an opinion piece he says is to be published Saturday by the National Post, the newspaper he founded and regularly contributes to, saying he received his Canadian passport this week.

My status in this country was for some years a matter of some controversy and curiosity. These disagreeable memories made the arrival of my Canadian passport by special delivery at my home this week a particularly welcome event, Black wrote.

The former media mogul was convicted of fraud and obstruction of justice in 2007 and spent time in a Florida federal prison for what prosecutors alleged was a scheme to siphon millions of dollars from the sale of newspapers owned by Hollinger Inc., where he was chief executive and chairman.

The Montreal-born Black was deported to Canada and later granted a pardon by then-president Donald Trump, who he has called a friend and about whom he wrote a glowing biography. Under U.S. law, a pardon represents full legal forgiveness for a crime, and Black has maintained he was a victim of an unfair criminal justice system.

The entire ghastly episode is concluded with the resumption of my Canadian citizenship, he wrote.

A spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser says the department does not comment on specific cases, citing privacy legislation. The government has said passport services have been heavily affected during the current Public Service Alliance of Canada strike.

Blacks 1999 invitation to the British House of Lords pitted him in an unsuccessful legal battle with Chretien. The prime minister moved to block it, telling Queen Elizabeth II the governments position was that a Canadian should not be made a lord, citing a non-binding 1919 resolution. Black, a dual Canadian-British citizen, alleged the move was payback for his past criticism and noted other Canadians had been knighted without issue.

By this time, I was more concerned with thwarting Chretiens preposterous claims to extraterritoriality and the cowardice of the Canadian judiciary than I was with becoming a British baron, and it was in those circumstances that I renounced my Canadian citizenship, with the implacable stated intention to resume my Canadian citizenship as soon as I could, he writes in the op-ed.

Black renounced Canadian citizenship in 2001 and assumed the British peerage as Lord Black of Crossharbour, which according to a photo supplied to the National Post appears to be the surname printed on his new Canadian passport.

In the op-ed, he claims the Canadian courts overseeing his dispute with Chretien acted with contemptible pusillanimity, and the former prime minister himself acted maliciously. Yet in closing the piece, he says he made no issue of the queen bestowing Chretien the Order of Merit, which he claims in a parenthetical note violated the same 1919 resolution.

Im not an expert at turning the other cheek but in this case, it is the best course, he writes.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2023.

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Andrew Yakubu, former group managing director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has sued the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over an alleged refusal to release his $9.8 million after a court judgment acquitted him of fraud charges.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) are also respondents in the suit, filed at a federal high court in Abuja.

On February 3, 2017, operatives of the EFCC raided the property of the former NNPC chief in Kaduna and recovered the sum of $9.8 million, and 74,000 stashed in a fire-proof safe.

He was alleged to have omitted the monies from the EFCC asset declaration form given to him to fill in 2015.

Yakubu was arraigned before Ahmed Mohammed, a judge, on March 16, 2017, on a six-count charge bordering on money laundering and false declaration of assets.

However, in March 2022, the judge, discharged and acquitted Yakubu of the charges.

In the originating summons, marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/231/2023, and filed before Inyang Ekwo, another judge, Yakubu through his counsel, Ahmed Raji, is asking the court to determine whether the EFCC ought to still have in its custody his seized monies after the judgment.

He is praying the court for an order directing the defendants to immediately release the monies to him pending the determination of the EFCCs appeal.

Alternatively, Yakubu wants an order directing the defendants to immediately transfer the said monies into an account under the control of the federal high courts chief registrar or into an account to be operated by the chief registrar, the EFCC, and him  pending the determination of the appeal.

But the EFCC, in a notice of preliminary objection, prayed the court to dismiss Yakubus application.

Faruk Abdullah, EFCC counsel, said the suit was an abuse of court process, adding that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter owing to appeals pending before superior courts.

In an affidavit supporting the motion, the EFCC said most of Yakubus depositions did not reflect the correct position of the case.

The matter has been adjourned to May 18 for hearing.




The President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has explained why it arrested the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, in Kenya and returned him to Nigeria.





It explained that Kanu was subjected to extraordinary rendition from Kenya so he could continue his ongoing trial in Nigeria.





The explanation was contained in the Federal Governments amended notice of appeal before the Supreme Court marked: SC/CR/1361/2022.





The appeal was against the October 13, 2022 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, where it held that Kanus extraordinary rendition from Kenya to Nigeria robs the trial court of its jurisdiction to try him on the seven-count charge on which he was being tried before the IPOB leader absconded.





In the 13-ground amended notice of appeal filed by David Kaswe of the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Federal Government argued that the Appeal Court erred when they held that the extraordinary rendition of the Kanu robbed the trial court of the jurisdiction to hear the pending charges before the court even before the respondent illegally jumped bail and absconded.





Kanu was standing trial on a 5-count charge preferred against him by the federal government. In the course of proceedings, he illegally jumped bail and absconded from Nigeria.





The respondent was only returned to Nigeria to continue his trial before the court, it said.





The Federal Government accused the Appeal Court of failing to consider the illegality of Kanu jumping bail and his refusal to make himself available for trial, which necessitated his return to Nigeria.





Meanwhile, the Supreme Court okayed the Federal Government to file nine grounds of appeal.





A five-man panel of the apex court led by Justice John Okoro granted the Federal Government permission for the appeal.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has again invited the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, for interrogation over an investigation concerning corruption allegations against him,





This is coming on the backdrop of a recent report that the President-elect, Bola Tinubu had concluded plans to support Akpabios Senate presidency bid.

Meanwhile, there had been allegations of an N40 billion fraud perpetrated in the Niger Delta Development Commission, which was headed by Akpabio for three years.

In 2020, the Senate and the House of Representatives resolved to probe the alleged N40 billion financial recklessness of the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC.

Also, there were allegations of over N86 billion contract scams involving the senator-elect and a former Acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei, which the EFCC had been investigating.

Recall that the anti-graft agency had in the past arrested Akpabio over the alleged theft of N108.1 billion of Akwa Ibom funds.

The EFCC had earlier invited Akpabio to appear for questioning on March 29 but his lawyer, Umeh Kalu, SAN, in a letter to the anti-graft agency alleged that his client was suffering from pneumonia and cardiac arrhythmia.

Kalu, while pleading with the EFCC to reschedule the questioning to a new date, had said Akpabio would be unable to honour the invitation on March 29 due to alleged ill health, adding that the Senator-elect had already arranged medical appointments overseas.

He, therefore, said, As mentioned in our last letter to you dated February 10, 2023, our client is undergoing treatment for pneumonia and cardiac arrhythmia, and, has recently been advised to seek further attention abroad.

It is in the light of the above that we respectfully request that our clients appointment with you be rescheduled to a date convenient to your officers, preferably after the forthcoming Easter and Ramadan holidays, the letter from Kalu dated March 27, 2023, reads.

The latest invite was revealed in a letter obtained by an online newspaper, SaharaReporters, which was sighted by our correspondent on Friday.

According to the letter dated April 13, 2023, which was received by Akpabios lawyers, Seasons Law Firm, the following day, the EFCC asked Akpabio to come to its headquarters in Abuja on May 9, 2023.

The letter titled, Investigation Activities Re: Senator Godswill Akpabios Appointment Letter Of Invitation was signed by ACE II SM Ala, Head, CMU-1.

It reads, I refer to your letter number dated March 27, 2023, on the above subject. In view of the above, you are kindly requested to inform your client Senator Godswill Akpabio to personally report for an interview with the undersigned through the Head, CMU-1 team on May 9, 2023, at 5th Floor, EFCC Headquarters Plot 301/302 Institutions and Research District. Jabi, Abuja at 10:00 am.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has urged Nigerians to rally round the President-elect, Bola Tinubu.

Wike said elections are over, hence the need to support Tinubu in ensuring good governance.

He made the appeal while addressing journalists after meeting with Tinubu at the Defence House in Abuja on Friday.

Wike was accompanied by his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde.

According to Wike: Elections have come and gone, and the winners have emerged, therefore, its necessary for all Nigerians to rally round and give Tinubu the necessary support.

Everybody is waiting for May 29 when Tinubu will be sworn-in and Im confident he has what it takes to turn Nigeria around.

On his part, Makinde also pledged to support Tinubu to achieve good governance.

I came here to basically pay homage to the President-elect and to let him know that elections are over and this is governance.

We will do our best to give him support for good governance, Makinde said.

Wike and Makinde were part of the G-5 integrity group of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that worked against the partys presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Both governors supported Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, during the last presidential election.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) says it is yet to zone the 10th national assembly leadership positions.

The ruling party was reacting to reports of the purported zoning arrangements making rounds on social media.

In a statement on Thursday, Felix Morka, spokesperson of the APC, said the information circulated on social media should be disregarded because it did not emanate from the party.

Morka said APC would communicate the decision it has taken on the leadership positions in the national assembly.

The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to versions of zoning arrangements for the 10th National Assembly leadership positions in circulation in sections of social media, he said.

The information did not emanate from the party and should be disregarded.

To be clear, the party has yet to zone positions of leadership of the 10th national assembly. Any decisions made in that regard will be duly communicated via the partys official information channels.

Shortly after the general election, Abdullahi Adamu, national chairman, had said the national working committee (NWC) of the party would work with Bola Tinubu, president-elect, to produce a zoning formula.

However, the party has not decided on how it wants to zone the positions.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the international community to impose a travel ban on President Muhammadu Buhari after he leaves office on May 29.

Addressing a press conference on Friday in Abuja, Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, alleged that Buhari undermined democracy by not giving Nigerians free and credible elections.

The opposition party also asked the international community to impose travel sanctions on Bubaris immediate family.

Ologunagba said the presidential election was marred by a brazen violation of the electoral act 2022 and is the worst in Nigerias history.

The general despondency, resentment, and anger across our country; the damning reports by election observers and the pervading international contempt against Nigeria since the declaration of the APC candidate as President-elect are ominous, he said.

Having undermined democracy in Nigeria, the PDP calls on the international community to accordingly impose sanctions including visa ban and travel restrictions on President Buhari and his family immediately after he vacates office on May 29, 2023.

BUHARIS COMMENT ON ELECTION OUTCOME SUBJUDICE

The opposition party also criticised Buharis recent comment on the presidential elections outcome.

While speaking on Thursday at a meeting with APC governors in Abuja, Buhari said while the All Progressives Congress (APC) was working hard to retain the presidency, opposition parties were basking in the euphoria of false hope.

A combination of overconfidence, complacency, and bad tactical moves made them lose, plain and clear. This has created more problems in their camp.

Bola Tinubu of the APC defeated Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the PDP, and Peter Obi, Labour Party (LP) standard bearer, to win the February 25 presidential election.

Ologunagba said Buharis comment is subjudice because the PDP is challenging Tinubus victory in court.

It is, to say the least, reprehensible for Mr President to posture and gloat over the trampling of the will of Nigerians, blame the opposition for being overconfident, he said.

President Buhari is practically gloating over the undermining of democracy by INEC which refused to transmit directly results from the polling units to its server/website and announce same, in total violation of the express provisions of section 64 sub-section 4 (a) (b) of the electoral act, 2022.

President Buhari, by his subjudice comments apparently seeks to bully, blackmail, and influence the judiciary and the outcome of the petition pending before the presidential election petition tribunal.

President Buhari needs to be advised to be circumspect and allow the judicial process to proceed without further undue interference and bullying by him.
Cheri Patterson would not call what happened to her the morning of May 29, 2019, an accident.

She stood before an audience Thursday, a survivor of a string of bad decisions, to offer both a warning and a promise.

I hope you hear my story and it makes you think, she told an assembly of Carlisle High School students. When you make choices behind the wheel of a car, those choices impact further than you can imagine.

Patterson was one of two guest speakers who talked about the consequences of driving when distracted or while under the influence. The assembly took place a day before the annual high school prom.

A fifth-grade teacher, she was heading to work when her vehicle was struck head-on by a 20-year-old driver who was drunk on alcohol and high on drugs. Only seconds before, the man was clocked going 92 mph in the safety zone in front of Bellaire Elementary School, her workplace.

The vehicle ahead of him was going too slow so he attempted to pass across a double yellow line, Patterson said. It was a blind turn. I couldnt see him until the last second. I tried to get over, but couldnt get out of his way.

The crash demolished her vehicle and left Patterson seriously injured. It took first-responders 40 minutes using the Jaws of Life to pry her out of the wreckage. A paramedic stood nearby urging her to hold on, to keep on fighting.

Instead of spending the day with her students, Patterson was air-lifted from the school parking lot, all the while hoping that the children would not see her injuries and be traumatized by the experience.

That feeling of air as they took the gurney from the ambulance to the helicopter was the last memory I have for three days, she said. The next memory is of waking up in the hospital. There was a nurse in the room telling me that my leg had been amputated in order to save my life.

The decision to remove her right leg was left to her husband.

He made the right choice, but still struggles with it today, Patterson said. He sees me struggle when I get out of bed or when I have to climb the steps at night.

In that hospital bed, I chose to fight, I chose to keep going, she told the high school students. With the support of my community, family and friends, I felt so much goodness, so much love. And thats what kept me going, knowing there were people out there who cared and wanted me to keep fighting.

Cards, letters and notes wished her a speedy recovery.

Every one of those pieces of kindness was a choice, Patterson said. The choice to build someone up, the choice to not let trauma or devastation be the end. My goal for today, my hope for today is when you are thinking about making some choices, you think about the speakers you heard today and about how your decisions impact the community.

In an afternoon about choices, Liz Ellis returned to Carlisle High School to tell her story of personal triumph over a brain injury she suffered in a car crash on Dec. 18, 2004.

Feeling alone her senior year, Ellis fell in with the wrong crowd. She was under the influence of alcohol and drugs when she decided to drive home without putting on her seatbelt.

I lost control of my vehicle and hit a tree and a pole, she told the students. A man found me that night while walking his dog. He called 911 and they air-lifted me to Hershey where I spent four months in a coma. The doctors told my mom that I probably would not wake up. My family never gave up on me. They knew I would pull through.

Ellis defied the odds. But coming around was only the start of her struggles.

I had no muscle control, she said. I could not walk for two whole years. I couldnt make conversation with anyone, even my family. I needed to retrain on everything  dressing, eating, tying my shoes, even toilet training. I was like an 18-year-old baby being reborn.

Originally slated to graduate in 2005, she had to wait until 2007. Ellis enrolled in a special vocational program that taught her the job skills she uses today selling tickets part-time at the Carlisle movie theater.

She continues to struggle and persevere despite short-term memory loss.

Its a scary nerve-wrecking feeling to wake up in the morning not knowing what you did the day before or even knowing what day it is, she said. I hope you understand that bad things can really happen with poor decisions. Im living proof of that. So make smart decisions, use your time wisely and productively, be happy and live a good life.
The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has insisted that it would continue to support what it called the victory of Peter Obi of the Labour Party in the February 25 presidential election and all his endeavours in its realisation.

Afenifere reiterated that the emergence of a president from the South East would guarantee equity, fairness and peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.

At the April edition of its general meeting held in Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, the group called on the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to ensure speedy resolution of all the petitions before it.

Obi and the Labour Party are in court to challenge the outcome of the presidential election, which Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won.

But, in a communique signed after the meeting by the leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, and the group Secretary General Sola Ebiseni (retd), Afenifere strongly called on the judiciary to ensure all petitions in respect of the presidential election are timeously and justly resolved before the end of the tenure of the Buhari administration.

Afenifere described this as the only way through which the confidence Nigerians have in its intervention may be earned.

The group recalled that similar precedents in this regard have been laid, even by less endowed countries in Africa.

In the communique, Afenifere also asked the Federal Government not to be wasteful by committing about N100 billion to the coming population census.

Afenifere maintained that there is no compelling reason why the census must be held by the expiring President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

The group, therefore, called for all steps and preparations in that regard [to] be stopped forthwith.




Relations between the Russian Federation and Nigeria have recently become stronger. Against the background of global market developments in recent years, Russia has become an attractive partner for Nigeria.

Russia prepares a free consignment of fertilizer for delivery to Nigeria, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin, the issue in question is the supply of Russian fertilizers, which fell under Western sanctions and were delivered at Moscow's expense. "This is the real picture that exists today, and this picture, unfortunately, many people are trying to gloss over. But I think efforts to present the wrong picture of what is happening will absolutely not be successful," he concluded.

In Nigeria, there are many areas with difficult climatic conditions, such as lack of rainfall, drought and high temperatures, which make it difficult to grow food. This situation is exacerbated by climate change.

This initiative is expected to improve the level of agricultural production and meet local market demand, thereby reducing imports in the long term. The initiative also comes as Nigeria's food import bill is expected to rise by 41% to over $4.6 billion by 2021, according to data from the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics.

Moscow earlier offered to donate Russian fertilizers blocked in the ports of Latvia, Estonia, Belgium and the Netherlands to the African countries. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the amount in question was 262,000 tons. The first and only consignment of 20,000 tons was sent from the Netherlands to Malawi. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that leaders of several African countries had contacted him because the West had blocked supplies of Russian fertilizers.

Such cooperation between Russia and Nigeria strengthens the relationship between the two countries and opens the door to the development of relations in several other areas.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) says citizens evacuated from the crisis in Sudan have been stranded at the Egyptian border since Thursday evening.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairperson of the commission made the announcement in a statement signed by Gabriel Odu, NiDCOM spokesperson.

The commission earlier said the first set of evacuated Nigerians were supposed to arrive the country on Friday, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Dabiri-Erewa said they would first travel by road to the Aswan border in Egypt where both the Nigerian embassy staff in the north African country and the director-general of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) would receive them.

However, in a new development, the NiDCOM boss said over 7,000 nationals, including Nigerians were refused entry into Egypt from the borders.

She said the Egyptian authorities were insisting on visas by fellow Africans to transit back to their countries, adding that the Nigerian mission in Egypt had been working tirelessly to rectify the issue.

According to the statement, Dabiri-Erewa appealed to the Egyptian officials concerned with passages and movement of persons and services along contiguous borders of Sudan to create a humane condition for the already traumatised travellers to have unfettered access to their various destinations.




The Ebonyi State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) on Friday expressed concern over the recent relocation of the state Election Petitions Tribunal (EPT) to Abuja.





Recall that the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, on Wednesday directed the tribunal to relocate to Abuja immediately.





Speaking on the development, State Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr Godwin Jioke, said that the shutdown of the court in Ebonyi was worrisome to his party.





According to him, the party is not comfortable with Dongban-Mensems decision.





We arent comfortable with the cessation of operation and decision of moving the EPT sitting to Abuja, Jioke told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki.





The decision has to be reconsidered and allow matters to be handled in the state where elections took place.
President Muhammadu Buhari said the plan to improve the security architecture of the country had been realised through various means that include upgrading hardware, building facilities, training and equipping staff and officers and structuring a welfare system that caters for more than 50,000 children of fallen heroes.

According to a statement by Femi Adesina, Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Buhari made the declaration while speaking at a ceremony attended by two former leaders of the country, Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon and President Goodluck Jonathan.

The President said he instituted the recruitment of 60,000 soldiers into the Armed Forces, and thousands graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy and other security institutions to tighten security.

President Buhari presented 81 new symbolic flags to the various units of the Nigerian Army.

At the inception of this administration, the nations security situation was greatly challenged by the activities of violent non-state actors. Today, I am pleased to note that the problem has tremendously improved, and I wish to proudly highlight that we have made remarkable progress in the fight against insurgents, militants, oil bunkers, kidnappers, and other criminal elements in the country.

This administration has achieved a remarkable military transformation in fighting power, training, operations, workforce, remunerations, and medical services. These are in addition to maintenance efficiency, accommodation, and expansion of forces. The improvements in these areas have collectively enhanced the Armys capacity to carry out its constitutional mandate effectively, he said.

President Buhari, who endorsed 81 flags for the various units of the Army, noted that the fighting power of our military was at a low ebb as of May 2015, adding: However, seven years later, its fighting power has increased significantly, making it fourth in ranking among African militaries as against seventh in 2015.

He said interventions and yearly budgetary allocations to the Army, between 2020 and 2022 alone, had procured hundreds of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles, Troops Carrying Vehicles, utility vehicles, tanks and Armoured Personnel Carriers to augment those earlier procured.

From 2017 to 2022, significant numbers of new fighting and utility vehicles, along with supporting artillery guns, machine guns, rifles, and corresponding ammunition, were acquired and inducted into various theatres of operations. It translates to a significant increment in the Armys equipment holding since 2015.

With the significant improvement in the fighting power due to the procurement of equipment and mission-specific training, the Army was empowered to rejig its operations. Accordingly, the Army has restructured its operations to meet current realities.

The quantum of platforms inducted into the Army since 2015 had enabled troops to take the battle to the terrorists and criminals, particularly in the North East resulting in the recapture of territories hitherto held by the insurgents, the President stated.

President Buhari commended the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Lucky Irabor, and all paramilitary organisations service chiefs and heads for their commitment and selfless service to this nation.
A Philadelphia man faces a 20-year state prison stint after admitting he stabbed his girlfriend to death in a room at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City in 2021.

Frankie E. Lane, 61, pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter earlier this week, the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office said.

Lane is expected to be sentenced to 20 years in state prison and would have to serve at least 17 years before being eligible for parole. His sentencing is scheduled for June 23.

Lane stabbed Sharon Whaley, 57, to death sometime after the pair checked into into a room on the 34th floor of the Hard Rock at about 6:30 p.m. on June 10 2021, according to prosecutors office and an affidavit of probable cause.

Lane walked out of the room around 11 a.m. the following morning carrying a large black and gray bag, according to the hotels security records.

After Lane departed, he went to the Atlantic City bus terminal, bought a ticket and took a bus back to Philadelphia, the affidavit said. Lane was not carrying the bag when he entered the bus terminal shortly before noon, security footage showed.

Investigators recovered a white shirt with blood stains from the same bag, which had been tossed in a trash can in Atlantic City, according to the affidavit. Surveillance footage showed Lane wearing the same shirt he had on when he and Whaley checked in to the hotel.

Whaley, of Philadelphia, was found with a sheet covering her and a knife on top, officials said.

No one else entered or exited the room from the time the pair checked in until Lane fled the following morning, security footage showed. He was arrested several days later.

Witnesses told police Whaley was staying at the Hard Rock with her boyfriend, who she knew as Ed.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.
The typical home values in 26 New Jersey towns topped $1 million in March, data from Zillow showed.

Statewide home values in New Jersey grew by 5.92% over the past year to an average price of $451,559 in March, according to Zillow, which provided detailed estimates for 549 New Jersey ZIP codes in March.

Nationwide, the typical home value was $334,267, according to Zillow.
PHILADELPHIA  The Eagles were looking to get an impact player early in the draft with the 10th pick they received from the New Orleans Saints in a trade last season. The Eagles hoped they would not be picking that high for a long time, especially with their own pick, because it would have meant their season fell completely short of expectations. The Eagles believe they found an impact player in Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter but needed to make some maneuvers to get him.

The Eagles felt comfortable trading up with the Chicago Bears to move up a spot from the 10th pick to nine, with general manager Howie Roseman saying he wanted to solidify adding Carter at that spot in exchange for swapping players and sending the Bears a 2024 fourth-round pick.
Three faculty unions and Rutgers University have ended their months at the bargaining table, agreeing on new contract language that union leaders are scheduled to vote on Sunday, the president of the largest union said Friday.

Were pleased to finally have a complete proposed contract with important gains for our members and our university, Rebecca Givan said. We look forward to our Executive Council reading it closely. We believe in our members, and they are the ones who decide when the contract is final.

If the executive council, made up of 41 representatives from the Newark, Camden, and New Brunswick-Piscataway campuses, approves the document, it becomes a tentative agreement, and the unions 9,000 members will then learn the details through town hall meetings and vote to ratify it or not. The unions earlier four-year contracts expired July 1.

While details of the contract document are not yet public, Rutgers spokeswoman Dory Devlin said, If ratified by the union membership, it would provide substantial salary increases for full-time faculty, graduate assistants, teaching assistants, and others. It would also provide new compensation programs for our medical school faculty.

On April 10, when the unions called the first faculty strike in Rutgers 257-year history after 10 months of stalled contract negotiations With the school, Gov. Phil Murphy called both sides to Trenton to negotiate with the help of two mediators and some of his top staff members.

On April 15, Murphy announced the framework of a potential agreement had been reached, halting the walkout. Strikers returned to the classroom the following Monday, though they stressed a final deal still needed to be agreed on and threatened to resume the strike if talks faltered.

At an unrelated event Friday in Glassboro, held before the unions announcement, Murphy said he and his staff have stayed deeply engaged with both sides.

This is really complicated  a lot of bargaining units, a lot of tough mountains to scale, he said. Im incredibly happy with the progress. It may be taking longer, but I think its gonna be a good result.

The intervening two weeks of bargaining focused mainly on the medical faculty union, the American Association of University ProfessorsBiomedical and Health Sciences of New Jersey, representing 1,300 health science faculty.

While declining to discuss specifics of the contract, Diomedes Tsitouras, the unions executive director, said, We are positively optimistic and proud of what our bargaining accomplished.

Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union President Amy Higer said she anticipated the contract language, if approved, would go out to members for a vote sometime next week.

The preliminary framework included for part-time lecturers  also known as adjuncts  some job security and 44% raises over four years based on a current per-class salary of $5799; a 27.9% minimum salary increase for postdoctoral fellows, some of whom reported making $25,000; the right for graduate fellows to unionize; 10-month salaries of $40,000 for graduate assistants and teaching assistants by the end of the four-year contract; and a 14% raise for full-time faculty and counselors over four years. Full-time faculty without tenure will no longer have to apply for their jobs at the end of each contract.

The framework represented major gains for those represented by the unions, especially the most vulnerable and lowest-paid among them, who will receive significant salary increases and greater measures of job security, among other improvements, said Alan Maass, a spokesman for the American Association of University Professors-American Federation of Teachers (AAUP-AFT).

Union leaders called the framework transformative but would not end the strike permanently until all three unions and Rutgers reached a tentative agreement.

The AAUP-AFT represents more than 5,000 full-time faculty, graduate workers, postdoctoral associates, and Educational Opportunity Fund counselors. The Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union (PTLFC-AAUP-AFT) represents about 2,700 part-time lecturers.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report.

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Tina Kelley may be reached at tkelley@njadvancemedia.com.
Update: Heres what to know about getting a Bamboozle refund.

The Bamboozle, New Jerseys most famous homegrown music festival, has canceled its 2023 event just a week before it was scheduled after Atlantic City refused final permits.
In recent months, Cumberland County has awarded just over $24 million in pandemic recovery grants to government agencies, local municipalities and nonprofit organizations.

The grants were drawn from the $49.2 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds the county was awarded in 2021. Ranging from $50,000 to $2 million each, the grants were made available to support mental and physical health initiatives, infrastructure projects and business/nonprofit COVID-19 recovery efforts.

In the series Where Does the Money Go, The Sentinel will take a deeper dive into how these grants are game-changers to many of the recipients. This weekly series will detail the rationale behind the grant request and the way the money will be used.

Downtown Counseling Center in Carlisle

Grant amount: $450,000

Grant source: American Rescue Plan Act

Grant purpose: To open a clinic to help impoverished and underserved clients

Location: 412 Erford Road, Camp Hill

The Downtown Counseling Center in Carlisle will use its $450,000 grant to open a new location at 412 Erford Road, Camp Hill, by late 2023-early 2024, said Cynthia Bartok, a clinical psychologist at the clinic.

Bartok and other providers opened the clinic at 155 N. Hanover St. in 2017 to meet the mental health needs of children, teens and adults in Carlisle and the surrounding area.

The focus was on helping the impoverished and underserved, Bartok said. Our mantra is dedicated, compassionate care. We help clients achieve their goals through the use of research-based interventions.

Last fall, the commissioners awarded the center a $450,000 grant, a portion of which has been used to purchase the Erford Road office building, Bartok said. Architectural plans have been drawn up to complete renovations that will make the building ADA [handicapped] accessible and professionally suitable.

The balance of the grant money will be used to fund the renovation that could begin later this year, Bartok said. DCC-Camp Hill will open its doors as soon as the renovations are complete. Without the blessing of this grant, a second clinic would not have been fiscally possible.

Increased demand for services is driving the need for a second location, Bartok said, adding that over 20% of adults in Pennsylvania struggle with mental health problems each year.

Roughly a third to a half of this population seeks help, Bartok said. Unfortunately, many do not. This is often related to lack of access to care, inadequate insurance, or the inability to pay insurance deductibles and copays.

In addition, rates of youth depression increased from 8.5% in 2011 to around 16% today, Bartok said. Depression, anxiety and behavioral disorders are among the leading cause of illness for adolescents. Moreover, suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the third leading cause of death for ages 15-19. Part of the cause of these problems is a lack of access to care for those in need.

While difficult to predict, it is estimated that mental illness costs the U.S. over $190 billion annually in lost earnings, she said. These costs have increased the need to provide adequate access to care and availability of behavioral health clinicians, she said.

Health care policy and funding is catching up to the notion that treating the whole person  mind and body  promotes improved outcomes and better wellness, Bartok said. Nonetheless, challenges remain. Of the many children, teens and adults who struggle with mental health problems, many either cannot access adequate services due to a shortage of clinicians, inadequately trained clinicians, or a lack of behavior health insurance.
Bruce Springsteen is 73 years old and still rocking all over the world. But New Jerseys favorite son recently took some time out of his busy schedule to reflect on his youth and the past.

Springsteen sat down with CBS for an interview and looked back on Nebraska, his celebrated 1982 folk- album. The interview airs Sunday at 9 a.m. on CBS and Paramount+.
An organized crime group out of North Jersey stole two cars Friday from a closed garage in Gloucester County, the latest in a string of thefts targeting high-end vehicles, authorities said.

Police in Mantua Township said a sophisticated organized crime group known to target high-end vehicles stole a Range Rover and Dodge TRX pick-up truck on Friday from a residents closed garage, according to a department Facebook post.

The suspects likely gained access to the garage using a radio frequency identification reader, or RFID reader, and targeted the victims because of their vehicles, police said. After entering the garage, the group was able to locate the vehicles keys nearby, authorities said.

Police shared a photo of a black vehicle stolen out of North Jersey, which they said was used to transport the suspects to Mantua Township to commit more thefts.

The auto-theft ring was dropped off in Mantua Township Friday in the vehicle pictured here, stolen out of North Jersey.

The Mantua Township Police Detective Bureau and New Jersey State Police Auto Theft Taskforce are investigating the auto-thefts.

Neither department responded immediately on Friday to a request for additional comment.

Meanwhile, police warned residents to store their keys somewhere safe, lock their vehicles, and avoid posting their cars on social media.

Mantua and Wenonah are very safe communities and are specifically targeted by these organized crime groups, because our residents do live in such a safe town and likely keep their vehicles unsecured, Mantua Police Department said Friday.

This is not a random act of crime, police added. These criminals will enter your home, will be armed, and are extremely violent.

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Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com.
Dozens of Jersey City artists, educational arts programs and arts organizations have been awarded a total of $1 million in grants from the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund, city officials announced Friday.

The recipients  68 arts programs and organizations (with an average award of over $14,000) and the 20 fellowship grants of $5,000 to individual artists  represent a diverse mix of grantees, officials said. The funding was approved by a unanimous vote by the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund Committee Thursday night.

We are still the first and only municipality in New Jersey to administer an Arts and Culture Trust Fund, and I hope other municipalities will follow suit as they witness the short- and long-term benefits Jersey City experiences as a result of our investment in the arts  from boosting our local economy and improving residents well-being to fostering community and driving tourism and revenue to our businesses, Mayor Steve Fulop said.

Coupled with the major projects underway in Journal Square and elsewhere throughout our city, the fact that we have now allocated nearly $2 million through this voter-approved trust fund is a testament to our efforts and the important progress we are making.

Last June, the trust fund awarded $900,000 to 89 artists, arts programs and organizations. A $.0025 tax levy to support the trust fund was approved by voters in 2020. The fund is led by the trust fund committee and administered by the Jersey City Office of Cultural Affairs.

We are exceptionally proud to announce our 2023 JCACTF grantees, said Elizabeth Phillips-Lorenzo, co-chair of the Arts and Culture Trust Fund committee. This years grantees spotlight the diversity that makes Jersey City the uniquely special place that it is. We love seeing the continued growth and expansion of our impactful arts programming all across the city, and this second round of grants is key to that.

The largest awards, $25,000 operating grants, went to Art Fair 14C, Art House Productions, Deep Space Gallery, Educational Arts Team, Jersey City Theater Center, Nimbus Arts Center, Riverview Jazz, Shakespeare@, Sip Studios, Smush Gallery and Speranza Theatre Company.

Officials said this second allocation of the fund placed an emphasis on diversity, equity access and inclusion that provide direct public benefits in arts education, arts and culture programming, and arts and culture operational support. The grants support a wide range of projects, from theater and music performances to visual arts exhibitions and arts education classes.

The Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund grant has been incredibly helpful for Riverview Jazz. We run free events for the community all year, but it is often a struggle for us to continuously work year-round to maximize the community benefit, added Bryan Beninghove, the executive director of Riverview Jazz. This fund gives us the ability and flexibility to produce more events of quality for our great city. The JC Arts Trust Fund is a game changer.

To view the full list of grant awardees, please visit the Office of Cultural Affairs website.
A pedestrian walking on or close to Rutgers Universitys campus in New Brunswick was robbed Thursday by a man who fled on a bike in the fourth of similar robberies in the past eight days, authorities said.

While Rutgers University police said the first three robberies are believed to have been committed by the same man, a university spokeswoman didnt immediately say Friday if he is thought to be responsible for the most recent one on Thursday.

That robbery occurred about 3 p.m. near the corner of College Avenue and Mine Street when a man on a black mountain bicycle pedaled up to a woman walking near the Rutgers Federal Credit Union and used force to take something from her, Rutgers police said.

Authorities didnt immediately say what the robber took before he rode away on Mine Street toward Easton Avenue.

Police said the bicyclist is 35 to 40 years old, thin and has short, dark hair. He was wearing black shoes, dark jeans, a dark gray flannel jacket and a light gray undershirt.

The other three robberies or attempted robberies took place on April 19 between 3 and 5 p.m., Rutgers police previously said.

The first took place near when the robber was unable to forcibly remove an item of value from woman walking near the corner of George and Hamilton streets before he rode away on a bike. The woman suffered minor injuries, but declined treatment.

In the second incident, the robber took something from a person walking near the corner of New and Kirkpatrick streets in downtown New Brunswick.

In the third robbery, the bicyclist showed an edged weapon to rob a man in the area of Louis and Hamilton streets, according to police. The man also declined to be treated for minor injuries.

In announcing the three robberies last week, Rutgers police said the description of the man responsible was limited.

Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to call New Brunswick police at 732-745-5200 or Rutgers police at 848-932-8025.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.
A Monmouth County woman says her 13-year-old son nearly died earlier this month after overdosing on antihistamines as part of a TikTok Benadryl Challenge.

My husband found our youngest wrapped in a fetal position on the floor, incoherent and staring right through us, the 54-year-old woman from Middletown told NJ Advance Media on Friday.

He couldnt walk, he couldnt talk. He was delusional, he was hallucinating and his body was twitching, said the mom, who spoke on the condition her name not be published because it could identify her son.

The woman noted her sons story is similar to the death earlier this month of an Ohio teenager who took more than a dozen Benadryl as part of the TikTok challenge. The boy, also 13, died after spending a week on a ventilator, according to ABC6 in Columbus, Ohio.

The parents rushed the teenager to a local hospital, where he was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit before being transferred to Jersey Shore Medical Center, the woman said.

The incident occurred the night of April 15. The mother said her son remained in treatment facilities until Tuesday, when he came home.

A search of the teens phone showed hed been texting a friend on how many Benadryl he should take to join the TikTok challenge.

Its basically done to hallucinate, the woman said. Thats the challenge.

From the texts, the woman believes her son took more than seven pills, which are 25mg each. While he remembers taking the antihistamine, he doesnt remember exactly how many he took, she said.

I never in a million years would have thought that a bottle of Benadryl would be a danger in my house, she said.

The woman and her husband have since purchased locking metal cabinets to keep items they consider dangerous out of the reach of their children, she said.

A larger issue, she said, is trying to parent in an age where social media has influenced children to the point where they are harming themselves.

Children are bombarded with content and information that is not credible, she said. You can take their computer and mobile devices away, but the problem is with the internet. Its all out there and its accessible.

I feel compelled to tell my story and warn others, she said. How do we keep our children safe in this day and age?

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Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
A Catholic statue depicting an appearance by Mary, the mother of Jesus, that has globe-trotted for more than 70 years will arrive in New Jersey this week and visit more than a dozen parishes, church officials said Wednesday.

The pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima will visit parishes in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union counties from Friday through May 31, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Newark said. The statue  which is from the Shrine of Fatima in Portugal  will stop at Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark on May 13 for a special commemoration in the middle of the New Jersey tour.
Nearly three dozen police departments and other law enforcement agencies will split a $10 million grant to purchase or expand on their automated license plate recognition technology in a continuing quest to combat auto theft, officials said.

The state Office of the Attorney General made the announcement Friday, saying car theft dropped 16% from September 2022 through March in part due to help automated license plate readers provide police. It wasnt immediately clear if that dip was compared to six months before it or a different time frame.

The State Polices Uniform Crime Reporting database hasnt been updated since early 2021.

The high-speed automated camera networks capture and store computer-readable images of license plates in a centralized data base accessible to law enforcement.

This information assists law enforcement in identifying, locating, and recovering stolen vehicles; interrupting auto theft networks; and apprehending individuals involved in vehicle theft and other violent crimes, the attorney generals office said in its statement

State Police will receive the largest grant  $3,014,329.00  though at least one agency in all 21 counties received funding.

The American Civil Liberties Union has for years expressed concern about how the information collected by police would be used.

Police have been permitted to manually run the plates since a 1998 state Supreme Court ruling in State v. Donis, the attorney generals office said previously. But those manual searches are much slower than the automatic program, which can scan and check on hundreds of plates per minute, experts say.

ATLANTIC

Brigantine: $31,842

Galloway: $60,325

BERGEN

Bergen County Sheriffs Office: $400,368

Wallington: $86,400

BURLINGTON

Burlington County Prosecutors Office: $200,000

Burlington Township: $60,212

Willingboro: $144,000

CAMDEN

Camden County Police Department: $220,087

CAPE MAY

Cape May County Prosecutors Office: $389,527

CUMBERLAND

Cumberland County: $402,039

ESSEX

Bloomfield: $226,065

Newark: $595,000

Nutley: $91,666

West Orange: $63,513

GLOUCESTER

Glassboro: $23,400

Gloucester County Prosecutors Office: $349,856

Paulsboro: $87,541

HUDSON

Union City: $222,000

West New York: $125,380

HUNTERDON

County of Hunterdon: $184,200

MERCER

Mercer County Prosecutors Office: $396,000

MIDDLESEX

East Brunswick: $88,777

MONMOUTH

Monmouth County Sheriffs Office: $325,920

MORRIS

Chatham: $69,194

Long Hill: $72,000

Morris County Prosecutors Office: $372,000

Dover: $48,000

OCEAN

County of Ocean: $346,758

PASSAIC

Passaic (city): $148,253

SALEM

Salem County Prosecutors Office: $352,000

SOMERSET

Somerset County Prosecutors Office: $102,858

SUSSEX

Sparta: $68,800

UNION

Union County Police Department: $250,500

WARREN

Greenwich: $131,190

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.
Grocery chain founder Stew Leonard Sr., who started as a milkman and used to greet customers at the door, died Wednesday at the age of 93.

Leonard, of Westport, Connecticut, died at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City after a brief illness, the company said.

The grocery store chain did not say the type of illness he was suffering from.

Leonard grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut and worked his first job at his familys business, Clover Farms Dairy, a plant that pasteurized, bottled and delivered fresh milk.

By the late 1960s, he noticed that milk delivery was becoming a dying industry, which inspired him start a new business venture.

He opened the first Stew Leonards, a 17,000-square-foot dairy store that sold just eight items, in 1969. The flagship store, located at 100 Westport Avenue in Norwalk, would later be nicknamed the Worlds Largest Dairy Store by Ripleys Believe It or Not.

He started as a milkman and created an amazing business, said his son Stew Leonard Jr., 68, now the CEO of the company.

The company eventually opened six more locations in the tri-state area, including an 80,000-square-foot store that opened at Paramus Park mall in September 2019, its only location in New Jersey.

But Leonards son still remembers him as the person who was involved in the local community in Connecticut and stood at the front door of the flagship location, greeting customers by name.

If I wanted to get him really excited, all I had to do was say, Hey Dad, lets go visit a store, Stew Leonard Jr. said. He loved hugging all our team members and talking to our customers.

Norwalk, Connecticut Mayor Harry Rilling praised the grocery chain founder for his unique business model and character in a statement on Thursday.

Stew Leonard Sr.s friendly customer service business model, where customers are greeted by employees dressed up in costumes, speaks to his empathetic nature and generous and uplifting character, which has led to thousands of people in Norwalk and countless people across the tri-state area genuinely loving the Stew Leonards experience, the mayor said.

The grocery store chain has since expanded from dairy products and now sells meats, fish, produce, bakery items, cheese and wine. But the company still stays true to its original business model, selling fewer items and focusing on freshness and quality. While the average grocery store sells about 30,000 items, Stew Leonards sells around 2,200, according to the company website.

The chain is now a $600 million company, with about 2,500 employees and has been named Fortune magazines 100 Best Companies to Work For for 10 years in a row.

Leonard is survived by his wife of 70 years, Marianne, four children and 13 grandchildren.

His memorial service and funeral will be private. The family is welcoming donations in his memory to the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation, a non-profit started in honor of his grandson who fatally drowned in 1989.

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Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com.
A New Jersey man who helped rob two banks in Passaic County at gunpoint more than three years ago has been sentenced to 23 years in federal prison, authorities said.

Jose Soto, 53, of Passaic will also be subject to three years of supervised release following his prison sentence, the U.S. Attorneys Office for New Jersey said.

Soto and his partner, Nicholas Ortiz, were wearing masks when they entered a PNC Bank in Passaic on Feb. 6, 2020, officials said. The men ordered employees and customers to the ground and left with about $35,000 in cash, authorities said.
Former President Donald Trump blasted would-be White House rival Chris Christie at a campaign event in New Hampshire on Thursday, saying the former New Jersey governor has got a big mouth, according to published reports.

Trump, who called the ex-governor sloppy Chris Christie, also mocked him for polling around 1% in the early-voting state during a speech, The Hill and other news outlets reported.
A Wormleysburg man was sentenced to 17 months in prison and three years of supervised release after being convicted of stealing materials from a federal courthouse construction site in Harrisburg in 2021, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced Friday.

Christopher Gontaryk, 48, stole $9,919.61 worth of construction materials from the Sylvia H. Rambo U.S. Courthouse site in Harrisburg on Oct. 11, 2021, U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam said in a news release. The following day, Gontaryk sold copper and brass materials that he'd stolen from the site at a Pottsville scrapyard.

In March 2022, while on release pending trial for the earlier theft, Gontaryk returned to the courthouse and stole more construction materials worth $816.40, the release said. He sold those materials at a scrapyard in York.

Gontaryk was sentenced to 15 months in prison for the first offense and two months in prison for the second offense and was ordered to pay $10,736.01 in restitution.
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Earlier this month, executives at Anheuser-Busch partnered with a transgender social media personality to promote Bud Light, the most popular beer in America, and now the king in the can has a revolt on its hands. The rebellion is another culture war. The fact that this corporation is suffering the consequences of their going woke, and losing money, proves the fact that those foolish enough to cram such asinine liberalism down the consumer's throat, that when you go woke, you go broke! May more common sense conservative Americans continue to boycott any and all corporations that engage in such silly and brain-dead liberalism.
There are always a dozen Jazz Fest tents where you can grab a beer, a can of wine, or a frozen daiquiri, if you want to add a measure of inebriation to your musical experience. That's a given.

But this year, for the first time, theres a tent that offers just the opposite.

Over on the Gentilly Boulevard side of the Fair Grounds, by the Kids Tent, youll find something called the 1 Million Strong Sober-Supportive Wellness Retreat. The 30-by-30-foot tent, furnished with comfy seating and a mobile bar dispensing mocktails, is meant to be a haven where folks who have achieved sobriety can catch a break from the sight and smell of hops and dope smoke.
The Port of South Louisiana has proposed buying the former Avondale shipyard site for $445 million, which must be approved by the state Bond Commission. Barges are moored along the Mississippi River near the shipyard on Thursday, January 12, 2023. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Following significant swarms of Formosan termites in the New Orleans area, heres some basic information about the pesky critters:

Where do they come from?

They're from mainland China, not Formosa, but were given the inaccurate moniker by a Japanese scientist who discovered them on the island of Formosa, now Taiwan, near the turn of the 20th century.

How did they get here?

The termites infested packing crate wood used to transport equipment back to the United States near the end of World War II. Some of the crates were buried at Camp Leroy Johnson, across the Industrial Canal from Lakefront Airport on the Lake Pontchartrain shoreline. Infested packing material also ended up at Naval Station Algiers. In the Lake Charles area, wooden landing craft that returned from the Far East after the war also were infested with Formosans. Since then, the insects have expanded their range through their own swarming or by human beings moving infested wood to new locations.
For the first time in more than 20 years, the Bismarck Memorial Airport-H57, located at 410 Airport Rd. in Bismarck, will be hosting a fly-in on May 6. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the public is encouraged to visit the airport to learn more about aviation. A rain-out date, if needed, is set for May 7.

Bismarck native Justin Kitchell of Crosswind Aviation Services took over the airport in 2022 and has a lease from the city of Bismarck for five years. He is currently the airport manager.

Kitchell described a fly-in as a car show with wings. Pilots will fly into the airport and show off the planes, allowing the general public to get a close-up look at the different styles of aircraft and what it takes to put them in the sky  and back on the ground. There will be various planes and aviation groups visiting the airport for the event, including representatives from the U.S. Air Force and Air Evac.

Theyre a great way to get your airport out there. Theyre a great way to mesh the community and the airport together, said Kitchell as to why he's organizing the fly-in. Were wanting the entire community to be involved and would like for them to bring their kids out when theres airplanes flying, so that way they can watch them and see them taken off and landing.

As visitors get to learn more about the magic of flight, they will also have the chance to take rides in an airplane and gyrocopter, which is a two-seat airplane-like rotorcraft that uses a rotor to keep the craft up. The rides are $40 each. Interested riders can sign up on the day of the fly-in. All proceeds raised will aid in the restoration of the airport. There will be remote control and drone demonstrations throughout the day, as well.

Anyone with an interest in browsing for bargains will be able to look through craft and vendor booths.

Kitchell is still taking reservations for booths from crafters and vendors. Anyone wanting to set up a table should reach out to Kitchell by email, h57bismarck@gmail.com, for an application. According to Kitchell, there will be roughly 25 to 28 spots available overall, and so far, they're filling up. It costs $25 per 10'x10' area up to four areas. The spots will not have electricity or water.

Kitchells wife Brittney is also setting up a Kids Zone which will include a bounce house, playground, a paper-plane contest, and more. A cornhole tournament is set for registration at 11 a.m., and it's $20 to play, with half of the proceeds awarded.

For more information and updates about the event are posted to the airports Facebook page, Bismarck Memorial Airport-H57.
In front of a dozen of Madison Brooks' family and friends, an owner of Tigerland bar Reggie's accepted a settlement that effectively closes the business for good under current ownership and bans him from ever again operating a business in Louisiana that sells alcohol or tobacco.
Farmington Elks Lodge 1765 has announced the Farmington High School and St. Paul Lutheran High School students of the month for April.

Ty Northern

Ty Northern, the son Susan and Roy Northern, is Farmington High Schools Student of the Month. He placed first in ACES/WYSE Computer Science Regional and Sectional (2021-23), and third in Physics (2021-23). He was selected as a Boys State attendee (2022), a National Honor Society member (2021-23), achieved his associate's degree from Missouri Baptist University in May, and scored a 34 on his ACT.

Northern is on the FHS Robotics Team, serving as chief technology officer (2019-23), FSCB Black Knight Branch as chief security officer (2022-23) and a member of the TSA 2019-23. He worked as an IT intern at First State Community Bank (summer 2022), and served as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and Operation School Supply.

After graduation from high school, Northern plans to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology, where he intends to study computer science engineering and cybersecurity. As Student of the Month, he will receive a $100 gift, and compete for the Farmington Elks Farmington High School Student of the Year to be awarded in May.

Dane Dickerson

Dane Dickerson, the son Brook and Lloyd Dickerson of Cadet, is St. Paul Lutheran High Schools Student of the Month. He was selected as National Honor Society vice president (2022-23), leadership team representative (2022-23), and received the Mineral Area College Gift of Learning Certificate (2022-23) from the St. Paul Lutheran faculty. He is a member of the Reviving Hope Church of God Youth Group (2019-23), Reviving Hope Drama Team (2019-21), Youth Choir (2021-23), St. Paul Choir (2020-23), and the St. Paul Theater (2019).

Dickerson has been very active in the Reviving Hope ministry where he took part in a 2019 missionary trip to Thailand, creates the monthly bulletins, leads the youth services, and participates in community outreach activities. In his free time, he works at Dickey Bub in Potosi.

After graduation from high school, Dickerson plans to attend Mineral Area College for his associates degree before transferring to pursue a degree in business. As SPLHS Student of the Month, he will receive an award of $100, and compete for the Farmington Elks St. Paul Lutheran High School Student of the Year to be awarded in May.
Recently, U.S. Representative Jason Smith, R-8th District, announced that he is accepting applications from young Missourians interested in attending American service academies. Nominations to the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and U.S. Naval Academy are available for qualified applicants.

Its an incredible honor to nominate southern Missouri students to attend our nations storied service academies, said Smith. These historic institutions play a critical role in preparing young leaders with the skills, training, and education they need to pursue a military career.

Individuals interested in a nomination from Smith must meet the following eligibility requirements for admission to a service academy:

 Must be at least 17 years old and a U.S. citizen

 Must be a resident of Missouris 8th Congressional District

 Must be unmarried, not pregnant, and have no legal obligation to support children or other dependents

 Must meet the medical, physical, and academic requirements of the academies

Students interested in a nomination should contact Smiths academy coordinator, Donna Hickman, at 573-756-9755 or Donna.Hickman@mail.house.gov for more information.

An application will be sent to interested students. Students who wish to be considered for nomination to attend a service academy in the fall of 2024 should return the completed application and supporting documents by Oct. 30.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson speaks to reporters outside his office in the state Capitol in November (photo courtesy of the Missouri Governor's Office).

With only two weeks left before lawmakers adjourn for the year, Gov. Mike Parson is threatening to keep Missouris general assembly in Jefferson City if they dont pass bills banning gender-affirming care for minors and placing restrictions on transgender athletes.

Parson told KCMO Talk Radios Pete Mundo on Tuesday, and reiterated to reporters and Thursday, that he will call a special session if the legislation doesnt reach his desk before the May 12 adjournment.

Were going to address that issue before this year is out, Parson told Mundo. If they dont get those two bills across the finish line by the end of the session, then were going to stay right there until we address those issues.

Both the Senate and House have passed their versions of the legislation, but neither body has yet to debate the others bills on transgender athletes or gender-affirming care with two weeks left in the legislative session.

Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, told reporters Thursday that the Senate has completed its work on the issue.

The House is going to pass our bill, he said. Weve done our work, and everything else is hypothetical.

House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, said previously that the Senate should take up the more stringent versions of the bills that his chamber approved. But on Thursday, he conceded the House will press ahead with the Senates proposals.

We still have two weeks to go, and we do have the Senate bills, he said. I believe were going to move them.

He believes the House version is far more conservative. The Senates proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors includes compromise language that wasnt included in the House version, like a sunset provision for the ban on puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, as well as a grandfather clause for those already receiving treatment.

Wed be happy if the Senate could actually pick up and actually have a good discussion on what we sent, Plocher said.

Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, D-Independence, said negotiations pushed Democrats to compromise as much as they could on the gender-affirming care bill.

The Senate has done its due diligence, done its work, he said. I would argue that the Democrats in the Senate have gone as far as we will possibly go.

If the House makes any changes to the Senate bills, they will go back to the Senate for approval.

Plocher said he was not ruling out amending the Senate bills.

Whether we pass them up and just truly send them to the governors desk or whether we amend them is completely wide open, he said Thursday.

As the House prepares to once again debate transgender health care, lawmakers got a visit from the former Washington University Transgender Center case manager whose accusations of wrongdoing helped jumpstart the debate earlier this year.

On Wednesday, Jamie Reed visited the Capitol to ask legislators to pass a ban on gender-affirming care for minors.

She has alleged that the center did not treat the mental health of its patients and admitted to tracking patients data in an affidavit to Missouris attorney general and in national media reports. Her accusations inspired an investigation by the attorney general and added momentum to the legislative push to limit gender-affirming care.

Sen. Mike Moons office said Reed visited legislators, primarily on the House side, who had not yet guaranteed their support of the transgender health care bill that he sponsored.

Reed did not immediately respond to a request for comment on her visit to the Capitol.
By Azernews

Vusala Mustafayeva

After the visit of French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to our country, the relations between the two countries were once again reviewed. This raises the question: will the pro-Armenian position of French authorities, including President Emmanuel Macron, continue?

It is apparent from recent events that the French government does not wish to sever diplomatic ties with Azerbaijan. However, the active involvement of the Armenian lobby has been shaping the policy of the French government and its leader towards Armenian interests. Almost all branches of French President Emmanuel Macrons political strategy have launched a diplomatic attack against Azerbaijan, as evidenced by the speeches of the president, the resolutions adopted by the French National Assembly, and the efforts of local administration institutions to recognize the status of Karabakh. By doing so, France's actions have damaged its image as a country that values fundamental principles such as democracy, liberalism, equality, and human rights.

In a comment on the recent Azerbaijan-France diplomatic meeting for Azernews, political analyst Amid Aliyev stated that "During the past period, France neither called on Armenia to implement the agreement of the November 10th statement even once, nor did it issue statements supporting the return of maps of mined areas. In contrast, presidential candidate Valerie Pecresse secretly visited Khankendi and delivered anti-Azerbaijani speeches, while the Armenian lobby made speeches in front of the Azerbaijani embassy in Paris."

Meanwhile, France continued to take measures to hinder peace in the region, such as calling for the OSCE format to be brought to the table at certain times and attempting to internationalize the determination of the legal status of Armenians living in Karabakh. Additionally, France tried to pass a resolution against Azerbaijan in the UN Security Council.

France appears to have difficulty accepting the fact that Armenians living in Karabakh have relations with Armenia while under Azerbaijan's control. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has once again emphasized to Mrs. Colonna that this is Azerbaijan's sovereign right.

"Azerbaijan will not seek permission from anyone, nor will it deviate from this path based on someone else's opinion," said Amid Aliyev.

All things considered, France should remain neutral in the region's political processes, increase pressure on Armenia, support Azerbaijan's peace agenda, and promote the implementation of agreements made in Brussels and Prague. Once positive developments are observed in these areas, a new phase of cooperation can be negotiated.
The Missouri Senate in session. (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)

The Missouri Senate passed a proposal raising the threshold for passing constitutional amendments Thursday but rejected an alternative that would have quieted well-funded opponents.

Under the measure sent back to the House, any constitutional amendment proposed by initiative would need 57% of the vote or a simple majority statewide and in five of eight congressional districts. When the measure passed the House in February, the threshold was set at 60% with no alternative majority possible.

The House will decide next week whether to negotiate over the differences or send the proposal to voters, GOP leaders said at their weekly news conference.

The vote came quickly Thursday morning, a day after a Democratic filibuster blocked progress on the bill for more than four hours the day before. In exchange for Democrats letting the bill come up for a vote, Republicans agreed to remove provisions from the bill aimed at prohibiting activity that is already illegal  taxes targeting real estate and foreign sponsorship of initiative petitions.

A ban on non-citizens voting, which is also already illegal, is still included in the bill.

Democrats decried all three as ballot candy aimed at tricking voters to support an unpopular proposal.

This is another way to get people to vote against their interests because of the ballot candy that is in here, Sen. Barbara Washington of Kansas City said during the filibuster.

Senate Republican leaders said they are satisfied with the proposal.

It doesnt put up barriers that are so high that you cant do it, that you cant get the requisite number of votes, Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, said at his weekly news conference.

Within minutes of the 24-10 party-line vote in the Senate, opponents were denouncing the proposal as an effort to silence voters.

This is a clear and unprecedented move to end majority rule in Missouri, Caitlyn Adams, executive director of Missouri Jobs with Justice Voter Action, said in a new release.

And Progress Missouri, a liberal advocacy group, in a statement from spokesperson Kelli Kee, called the bill a deceptive trick, adding voters arent as stupid as some politicians in Jefferson City think they are.

Those groups generally oppose the GOP on major issues. But the Missouri Association of Realtors, a group that generally stays out of ideological fights, has promised to combat almost every proposal to increase the majority needed for passage.

This week, in negotiations with Republican leaders, the Realtors agreed to not oppose raising the majority to 54%. An email from Realtors association CEO Breanna Vanstrom, shared among several lawmakers and obtained by The Independent, made it clear the offer was good only for this legislative session.

The Realtors leadership determined that this would be considered a measured and minimal changebased on a review of other proposals currently before the General Assembly, Vanstrom wrote. This determination does not extend to any other changes that may be proposed this year, nor does it preclude the association from acting on changes to the initiative petition process that may be proposed during the next or future General Assemblies.

After the vote, Sam Licklider, lobbyist for the Realtors, said if the Senate version appears on a ballot, the Realtors will oppose it.

I am disappointed that the Senate elected to go with a piece of legislation that may be constitutionally suspect and hope that cooler heads will prevail, Licklider said.

The chance to neutralize well-funded opposition was not a factor in the Senate majoritys consideration of the proposal, Rowden said.

I dont think we make decisions in this building based on the politics outside the building, he said. At least, we dont do any more than we have to.

Along with the 57% threshold for passage and the alternative concurrent majority provision, the biggest change from the House-passed version is a limit on legislative changes to initiatives changing state statutes.

Currently, lawmakers can make any changes they desire in, or even repeal, statutes enacted by initiative. That happened in the 1990s after voters approved campaign finance limits and it happened in the 2010s after passage of a proposal regulating dog breeders.

Under the provisions added in the Senate, lawmakers could only change a statute passed by initiatives with a 57% majority in each chamber during the first five years after its enactment.

The ease of changing statutes is one reason many initiatives target the constitution, because a revision can only be made at a subsequent election. That has added thousands of words that would fit better in the statute books to the constitution.

The current state constitution was approved by voters in February 1945 and was just under 27,000 words long. An amendment protecting stem cell research, added by initiative in 2006, was about 2,000 words.

The medical marijuana amendment, another initiative approved in 2018, is almost 8,000 words. Legalizing recreational marijuana in November added 14,000 words in a new section and 2,000 more for revisions to the medical marijuana section.

The limit on statutory changes was welcomed by House Democratic Leader Crystal Quade of Springfield, but she said it was not enough to silence her opposition to the proposal as a whole.

Our caucus is obviously very much against doing anything that is trying to take away the voice of voters, which we believe that going after the initiative petition is exactly that, Quade said.

House Republican leaders said they were not sure whether they will accept the Senate changes.

We just got the information, House Speaker Pro Tem Mike Henderson said. Were trying to digest that information, see what we agree with, what we dont agree with. Hopefully we will work something out for the people of Missouri.

During the Wednesday filibuster, Democrats said the initiative petition changes are being pushed because Republicans dont like the measures voters have approved in recent years, including marijuana legalization and Medicaid expansion.

It is a dictatorship piece of legislation and it is a control mechanism, Sen. Karla May, D-St. Louis, said as she and other Democrats ticked off major initiatives approved by voters that the Republican majority in the legislature would never have put on the ballot. Its always a power grab. If it aint a power grab, it is a money grab.

The filibuster ended, Senate Democratic Leader John Rizzo of Independence said at his weekly news conference, because the removal of some of the ballot candy made winning an election campaign against it more likely.

The backstop, and the thing that we are putting our faith in, is people at the ballot box, Rizzo said. And the real thing that we were looking for was a fair fight. And we believe, even though its probably got some stuff in there that we dont like, its a more fair fight than what we would have gotten.
The U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights has launched an investigation into claims that faculty at the University of Virginia retaliated against a disabled graduate student after he filed and won a housing discrimination case against UVa last year.

Weston Allen, a UVa Wise alumnus and a student in UVas counselor education program, said that after filing his complaint hes been forced onto a Student Success Plan, hassled by his academic adviser and told his personal issues are a threat to his coursework.

Allen filed a retaliation claim against the university with the Office for Civil Rights on April 19. He told The Daily Progress that the office agreed to open an investigation into his claims exactly one week later.

I want to stop being told that some aspect of my disability is causing problems with my work, Allen told The Daily Progress. Ive been degraded. I want that to stop. I want to be treated fairly.

Allen said he has not heard from anyone at the university, including his academic adviser who is expected to help him reenroll for the 2023-2024 academic year, other than a dismissive email from UVa counsel dated March 28 denying his claims of retaliation.

That email arrived the same day that Allen received a check totaling more than $2,000 for reimbursed housing expenses that UVa was ordered to pay him as part of his original complaint filed with the Office for Civil Rights. That check was four months late and only arrived after The Daily Progress first reported on Allens case on March 25.

The university has outright denied that its faculty has retaliated against Allen in any way.

UVa is devoted to creating conditions where every student can succeed inside and outside the classroom, spokesman Brian Coy told The Daily Progress in a statement, and reject[s] any insinuation that University faculty would somehow retaliate against a student in response to a complaint about housing accommodations, which are handled in a totally separate division of the University.

Pressed on the Student Success Plan that Allen claims unfairly attacked his academic performance and that he was forced to sign, Coy directed The Daily Progress to the March 28 email the universitys counsel sent to Allen and his attorney.

Mr. Allens academic challenges were objectively verifiable and well-documented, associate university counsel Barry Meek wrote in the email. Faculty and staff in the School of Education and Human Development worked with Mr. Allen in an effort to remediate those challenges and put him on a path to academic success.

Allen and his attorney Robert Shibley have said there was nothing objective about the Student Success Plan, a document with statements promising that Allen would submit work on time and not allow his personal issues to derail his coursework.

That plan was only introduced after the federal government began investigating Allens claims and highlighted technical issues that several other students were also struggling to overcome, according to Allen.

Moreover, Allen has said the director of the counselor education program, Dr. Derick J. Williams, and Allens academic adviser, Dr. Blair E. Cholewa, not only forced him to sign the plan but berated and taunted him during the process.

Allens attorney told The Daily Progress there was nothing surprising about UVas response to the new federal investigation. According to Shibley, UVa has largely ignored his client and his complaints, refusing to take them seriously.

"While there is ample evidence of what happened to Weston, the counseling program truly seemed to be going to inordinate lengths to try to minimize the written information Weston received, which is always a bad sign," Shibley told The Daily Progress. "And while UVa felt free to ignore Weston's pleas for some kind of concrete information about his supposed deficiencies, and faulted him for his attempts to correct erroneous information, they won't have that option when dealing with federal investigators."

Allen has lived with delayed gastric emptying for more than a decade and has a benign brain tumor that causes a learning disability. In May of last year, he filed a discrimination complaint against the university with the Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights, claiming UVa Housing & Residence Life unlawfully denied him the housing accommodations required by his disability for the 2022-2023 academic year. The office ruled in his favor, finding the university in violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Section 504 requires that any college or university that receives funding from the Department of Education and provides housing to its students without disabilities must also provide comparable, convenient and accessible housing to students with disabilities at the same set cost. The federal law also says that accessible housing should be available in sufficient quantity and variety to give disabled students living options to choose from.

Title II prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities by public entities, including public education systems and institutions, regardless of whether they receive federal financial assistance.

On Oct. 31, the Office for Civil Rights ordered the university to make Allen whole with the more than $2,000 that he paid in rent while housing was denied to him; provide Allen with a free parking pass; reinstate any points or deductions that Allen received for class or assignment tardiness through the date the parking pass is provided; and update the universitys Section 504 procedures and faculty training by Nov. 22.

UVa Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer J.J. Davis signed a resolution agreeing to the terms on Oct. 28.

The university requested a deadline extension, citing the Nov. 13 shooting on Grounds that killed three student-athletes. The federal government extended the universitys deadline to Dec. 16.

It failed to meet that deadline.

And while the check did finally arrive  four months late  that tardiness is part of Allens retaliation complaint, Shibley said.

"As though his treatment by the program wasn't enough, it's impossible to believe that an institution like UVa, which pays bills all the time, could accidentally fail to repay Weston for its housing discrimination for months past the date it promised to the federal Department of Education. It shouldn't take appearing in The Daily Progress to get UVa to remedy its acts of discrimination, Shibley said.

Allen told The Daily Progress he is "hopeful" that the new and ongoing investigation will validate his claims, but he is nervous that his story will discourage the university and the counseling program from admitting students with disabilities in the future.

On Wednesday, Allen received an email from UVa Housing & Residence Life regarding his application for housing for the 2023-2024 academic year.

"Unfortunately, we cannot predict the likelihood that you will receive housing," it reads.
East Chicago is welcoming entrepreneurs to the its new Galleria Business Incubator in downtown Indiana Harbor.

The city renovated the long-vacant Spanish-style Galleria offices on Main Street in the North Harbor neighborhood. It will have self-contained office spaces for start-up businesses.

Mayor Anthony Copeland and the East Chicagos Urban Enterprise Association had a ribbon-cutting ceremony this week.

Excitement has been building up for these affordable retail and office spaces. Programming to help new startup businesses enter into the market is key to success. New businesses need affordability as they work their way to profitability," Copeland said.

The Galleria Business Incubator has eight units. It also will offer support to help fledgling business owners realize their dreams.

Research proves incubators increase the survival of start-ups, Copeland said. They serve as resource-sharing hubs for cash-strapped entrepreneurs in those critical early years when start-ups are most vulnerable. I cant wait to see Galleria filled with tenants that will help transform the landscape of commerce in the city.

The city said it has received calls from interested entrepreneurs.

Businesses can get reduced rent for two years. The incubator also will provide marketing assistance, consulting, advice from established business owners, legal services, business plan assistance and business training or up to four hours.

To qualify, businesses must have filed their business taxes in a timely fashion with the state and must maintain regular hours of onsite operations.

For more information, email contactus@eastchicagouea.org or call 219-392-3660.
The city of Valparaiso is getting five extra alcohol-sales permits for downtown restaurants after all.

A House-approved plan for additional Valparaiso liquor licensees that died earlier this month in the Senate was revived Thursday as part of House Enrolled Act 1200 and immediately endorsed by both chambers  sending the proposal to the governor to be signed into law.

Since 2005, Valparaiso has benefited from special legislation granting 10 extra permits for on-premises consumption of beer, wine or liquor in restaurants within a designated historic district centered on the Porter County Courthouse.

Mayor Matt Murphy told lawmakers in February the permits helped turn around downtown Valparaiso, which he said once had a 50% vacancy rate.

The legislation seeks to build on that success by allowing the new permits to be deployed at properties up to 1,500 feet outside the historic district, instead of the 700-foot maximum in current law.

Murphy said expanding the area where the additional permits can be used will spur development and bring additional restaurants to downtown streets a few blocks away from Lincolnway.

The measure also raises the initial $6,000 fee for each permit to $25,000.

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After four months of crafting, debating, negotiating and compromising, state lawmakers have approved a framework for the establishment of a Lake County convention center and the transit-oriented redevelopment of downtown Gary.

Now the real work begins.

The Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA), Lake County government, the city of Gary, and various other public and private entities must work together in the months and years ahead to turn that framework into actual brick-and-mortar facilities.

Doing so will require unprecedented coordination and cooperation. But Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville, the House sponsor of Senate Enrolled Act 434, is optimistic that the Region won't allow this once-in-a-generation opportunity to pass it by.

"I'm pleased with the broad team effort that took place in this process and hope for significant economic benefit for all of Lake County, he said.

The plan requires the state to put up about $8 million a year from the estimated $18 million a year the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana in Gary is due to begin paying Indiana starting July 1, 2025, when a tax break linked to the development of the land-based casino expires  so long as the state money is matched locally on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

The $5 million in annual match for the convention center is expected to come from the community selected to host the facility, or another entity qualified to fund and operate a convention center, and, ideally, an adjacent 225- to 275-room convention hotel.

The Lake County Board of Commissioners must solicit proposals for the development and operation of a convention center between July 1, 2023, and May 31, 2024; convene public hearings on the plans; and decide by Dec. 1, 2024, whether a convention center should be built, where it should go and how it will be run, according to the measure.

At the same time, the Lake County Council is empowered to decide whether to increase up to 10% the county innkeepers tax thats sat at 5% since 1993 to create a reserve fund for convention center additions, refurbishment or similar expenses.

The city of Gary, meanwhile, is encouraged by the legislation to negotiate with the Hard Rock Casino to obtain an additional $3 million a year to satisfy the local-match requirement for building demolition initially, and then to fund a replacement Metro Center transit hub downtown along the South Shore commuter rail line.

The convention center and the Metro Center, if they obtain sufficient approvals and matching funds to move forward, will be overseen by separate seven-member boards supported by the RDA and regularly monitored by the State Budget Committee.

The measure authorizes the RDA to front Gary $3 million in the 2024 and 2025 state budget years, so long as the city puts up a matching amount, to support the demolition of blighted buildings in the area around the Metro Center to speed reinvestment as that project moves forward in subsequent years.

The state would repay the RDA in 2026 for the temporary use of its money. Continued funding for blight removal and other permitted uses beyond 2025 would come from any excess revenue in the Metro Center account, according to the legislation.

Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary, the Senate sponsor of the legislation, and Gary Mayor Jerome Prince  who are competing in Tuesday's primary for the Democratic nomination for Gary mayor  applauded legislative approval for the projects, which both championed at the Statehouse, without once mentioning their political rivalry in their separate statements.

"Im incredibly grateful for the overwhelming bipartisan support SB 434 has received to now be on its way to the governors desk," Melton said. "This moment is the culmination of two years of collective effort, collaboration and many conversations to fine-tune the language of this bill to ensure optimal benefits for Gary and Lake County.

"The intelligent, hard-working and passionate people of Gary deserve this. They deserve more support, they deserve opportunities in our community, and they deserve transformative change now. Im very happy that SB 434 is primed to deliver that for the people of my city."

Prince, meanwhile, credited Region Republicans in the House and Senate, with whom he has worked as a county and municipal official, for helping get the measure across the finish line.

"When I learned that the bill was in trouble due to a lack of engagement of key stakeholders, I asked Senator Ed Charbonneau to convene a meeting to solicit input and seek cooperation from members of the Lake County Republican delegation, who are key influencers in Indianapolis, and we reached out to the RDA as well," Prince said. "As a result, Senator Niemeyer authored improvements in the Senate, supported by Senator Dernulc, and in the House Representative Slager authored a major amendment to improve the bill.

"What started as a very narrow bill largely focused on a potential convention center has been refined with the help of many key leaders into a law that will help revitalize downtown Gary, remove blighted buildings and support transportation development districts."

The legislation was approved 49-1 in the Senate and 88-7 in the House. Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores, was the only Northwest Indiana lawmaker in either chamber to oppose it.

Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb is expected to soon sign the measure into law.

Meet the 2023 Northwest Indiana legislative delegation State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville State Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer State Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie State Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell State Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores
The mystery of whodunit will soon be solved.

The Lubeznik Center for the Arts in downtown Michigan City will soon host two mystery writers who will reveal some of their latest work.

Read Between the Crimes: An Evening with Two Mystery Writers will take place between 5 and 8 p.m. on Friday, May 7 at 101 W. 2nd Street.

The local writers Nancy Nau Sullivan and Sandra L. Young will read from their latest books starting at 5:45 p.m. They also will answer questions and sign books at the First Friday event.

"Sullivan invented the life and times of Blanche Murninghan in her four-part mystery series, which debuted with Saving Tuna Street in 2020," the Lubeznik said in a press release. "Sullivans other titles in this series include Trouble Down Mexico Way, Mission Improbable: Vietnam and A Deadly Irish Secret, which will be released on July 11 from Light Messages/Torchflame. A former newspaper journalist, Sullivan taught English in Argentina, in the Peace Corps in Mexico and at a boys prison in Florida. Sullivan lives in Northwest Indiana."

Her books will be available for purchase at the Lubeznik, as will Young's.

"Young is a first-time author sharing her passion for vintage clothing with her mystery novel, Divine Vintage," the Lubeznik said in a press release. "The novel follows vintage boutique owner, Tess Burton, when modeling an Edwardian trousseau gown opens her mind to witness a century-old murder, especially as her version disputes local lore. Young also lives in Northwest Indiana."

The event is free and open to the public.

People can also check out the new "Citizen" exhibition.

For more information, visit lubeznikcenter.org or call 219.874.4900.
VALPARAISO  A judge ordered a competency evaluation Friday for an 82-year-old South Haven man accused of pointing a shotgun at a female relative's face and pulling the trigger.

Vincent Fischer, who is charged with felony counts of intimidation and pointing a firearm, and misdemeanor domestic battery, rambled on at times during the morning hearing, resulting in the call by prosecutors for the competency exam.

"I didn't point it at her," Fischer said during one of his unsolicited comments.

Fischer repeatedly complained about not being able to hear well, saying jail officials would not provide a battery for his hearing aid. He assured the judge that he heard enough to take part in the court hearing.

He is accused of pointing the .20-guage shotgun and pulling the trigger Sunday at his home, court records say. The gun reportedly did not fire.

The domestic battery charges stems from allegations that Fischer scratched, clawed and hit the woman in question, leaving wounds on her face, police said.

Arrest made 2 years after double shooting, which left 1 man dead, Region cops say "Determined to solve this horrific crime, both detectives worked this case tirelessly for two years following up on leads, conducting interviews and collecting additional evidence," police said.

"I never kicked her face," he said, when at first misunderstanding the accusations read to him.

When read his rights to subpoena witnesses, Fischer responded: "There was nobody else there."

Porter County Deputy Prosecutor Christopher Hammer requested the competency/mental health examination that was later approved by Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer.

Clymer set bond at $50,000 cash but agreed to a request from appointed public defender Mark Chargualaf to hold a bond-reduction hearing May 26.

Gallery: Recent arrests booked into the Porter County Jail Mark Thomas Jr. Kiaris Williams Jeremy Schiesser Tyler Smith Debra Montoya Zachary Budde Rena Hardt Michael Johnson Jr. Mersadis Schroder Matthew Potocki John Garcia Brandi Gonzales Adrian Lacy Connor Ahearn Shayli Chambers Dylan Evans Joyce Stokes Jessica Thompson Amber Levin Lucas Richards Sharod Marberry Jason Pollock Alphonso Smith Lavareoina Berry Michael Correa Bradley Geistwhite Michael Ward Gregory Wleklinski Jr. Kennel Martinez-Serrano Joshua Strickland Adam Thomas Vincent Fischer Kevin King Brandon Alexander Terrance Burgos Rachel Samis Daniel Souvigny Andres Verduzco Codie McMahon Jeremy Peterson Madelynn Rohder
PORTAGE  A 28-year-old Portage woman accused of shooting and injuring her husband in February faces an additional charge of invasion of privacy.

Rachael Trinidad is accused of having another person place a birthday card in the mailbox of an unidentified victim in the case in violation of a protective order.

The incident occurred April 10 at a Portage home, records show. The alleged victim reportedly saw the person delivering the card.

Porter Superior Court Judge Mike Fish set bond on the new charge at $1,000 cash and placed Trinidad on pretrial release, records show.

The judge agreed to hear arguments at a later date in favor of modifying the no-contact order. A status hearing is scheduled for Monday on the initial and latest charges.

Trinidad's husband reportedly told police at the time of the shooting that Trinidad had been experiencing a break from reality and began firing a gun after being told she could not leave home with their 5-month-old daughter.

He stated that she then chased him to the master bedroom and shot him in the back of his shoulder, Portage police said.

Police said they found 13 spent rounds from an AR-15 rifle in the bedroom and adjoining bathroom, and two spent 9 mm rounds.

The bathroom door bore approximately fourteen (14) bullet holes, a charging document says. There were ten (10) holes entering and exiting the bathtub. Several bullets appeared to have skimmed and entered the wall behind the bathroom door.

Trinidad is charged in the shooting with felony counts of domestic battery with a deadly weapon and battery causing serious bodily injury, records show. Each of the charges carries a potential prison term of one to six years.

The shooting victim was treated at the scene, then taken to Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus in Gary, police said.

Gallery: Recent arrests booked into the Porter County Jail Mark Thomas Jr. Kiaris Williams Jeremy Schiesser Tyler Smith Debra Montoya Zachary Budde Rena Hardt Michael Johnson Jr. Mersadis Schroder Matthew Potocki John Garcia Brandi Gonzales Adrian Lacy Connor Ahearn Shayli Chambers Dylan Evans Joyce Stokes Jessica Thompson Amber Levin Lucas Richards Sharod Marberry Jason Pollock Alphonso Smith Lavareoina Berry Michael Correa Bradley Geistwhite Michael Ward Gregory Wleklinski Jr. Kennel Martinez-Serrano Joshua Strickland Adam Thomas Vincent Fischer Kevin King Brandon Alexander Terrance Burgos Rachel Samis Daniel Souvigny Andres Verduzco Codie McMahon Jeremy Peterson Madelynn Rohder
PORTAGE  A 43-year-old Hebron woman, who drove her vehicle off the roadway and rolled it in a wooded area with her daughter inside, was driving intoxicated, Porter County police said.

Debra Montoya, who was found during a portable breath test to be twice the legal limit for drinking and driving, was taken to the Porter County jail and faces charges of operating while intoxicated with a passenger under the age of 18, OWI endangering others and driving without ever receiving a license, according to the arrest report.

County police said they were called out around 9:44 p.m. Wednesday to the area of Ind. 2 and County Road 600 North where Montoya told them she was driving south on the highway when she attempted to avoid a dead animal in the roadway.

"Avoiding the deceased animal, caused Debra to run off the roadway and overturn the vehicle," police said.

Neither Montoya nor her daughter accepted medical care at the scene, police said.

While speaking to Montoya, police said they smelled alcohol on her breath and noticed her speech was slurred, eyes were glassy and that she was unsteady on her feet. She reportedly admitted to have been drinking alcohol before the crash.

Montoya's daughter was released to another family member and the case was reported to Indiana Child Protective Services, police said.

Gallery: Recent arrests booked into the Porter County Jail Mark Thomas Jr. Kiaris Williams Jeremy Schiesser Tyler Smith Debra Montoya Zachary Budde Rena Hardt Michael Johnson Jr. Mersadis Schroder Matthew Potocki John Garcia Brandi Gonzales Adrian Lacy Connor Ahearn Shayli Chambers Dylan Evans Joyce Stokes Jessica Thompson Amber Levin Lucas Richards Sharod Marberry Jason Pollock Alphonso Smith Lavareoina Berry Michael Correa Bradley Geistwhite Michael Ward Gregory Wleklinski Jr. Kennel Martinez-Serrano Joshua Strickland Adam Thomas Vincent Fischer Kevin King Brandon Alexander Terrance Burgos Rachel Samis Daniel Souvigny Andres Verduzco Codie McMahon Jeremy Peterson Madelynn Rohder
Ronald Dennis Rogers' family is spreading his remains in the Pacific Ocean off the Oregon coast on Saturday, April 29.

Rogers, 61 of Scio, died a little more than a year ago, but his ashes have remained in a red box with his family, awaiting the end of a lengthy court process to bring justice to the man who caused his death.

Justice was served Friday morning, April 28 when Linn County Circuit Court Judge Thomas McHill sentenced Edward Gordon Miller, 59, to a little more than eight years in prison for his role in Rogers' death.

The crash and investigation

On April 16, 2022, Miller was driving eastbound on Jefferson-Scio Drive in a Subaru Forester when he crossed over into the westbound lane and hit head-on a Toyota Tercel driven by Rogers. Rogers was pronounced dead at the scene.

Miller was initially charged with first-degree manslaughter, driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless driving. According to prosecutor Ryan Lucke, Millers blood alcohol content was 0.32 when tested at the hospital following the crash.

When deputies interviewed Miller at the hospital, he reportedly denied having any alcohol during the day and did not remember any details of the crash. Lucke said Miller allegedly appeared relaxed and had an odd demeanor.

According to a probable cause affidavit for the case, Miller told deputies he had two previous DUII convictions from 2011 and had completed victim impact panels before.

Miller was arraigned in Linn County Circuit Court on April 20, 2022. Misty Rogers, Ronald Rogers' daughter, appeared in court that day, holding her fathers remains. She had made the trip from California.

I dont want anyone else to go through what Im going through right now, she told the judge at the time.

Sentencing

More than a year later, Misty Rogers appeared in court again, holding her fathers remains in the same red box.

Other family members and friends sat on one side of the court room Friday morning while Millers family members sat on the other side, behind their loved one.

Misty Rogers said God has already forgiven Miller, and she hopes that one day she can too. She said she felt bad for Millers family, who is also suffering.

We all have to live with the consequences of his actions, she told McHill.

Misty Rogers said her father was a simple, humble man who always wanted to help others. She said based on police reports, she did not feel like Miller was remorseful of his actions, but she hopes he will reconsider while hes in prison.

I know its a manslaughter, but in my eyes, he murdered my father, she said.

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Ronald Rogers' best friend, Mike Nollen, also gave a statement to the court, expressing frustration at the lengthy court process. Nollen also hopes Miller feels remorse.

I hope everyday hes confined, he thinks about Ron Rogers, he said.

Defense attorney Randall Snow took some responsibility for the drawn out nature of the case. He said his client was in court Friday to take ultimate and complete responsibility for his actions that night.

It took a lot of work, Snow said, on both sides' part to hammer out the plea agreement. Those negotiations led Miller to plead guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree manslaughter as well as one count of DUII. Additionally, Millers drivers license is revoked for life.

McHill followed the agreement and sentenced Miller to 100 months in prison. A typical sentence for second-degree manslaughter is 75 months in prison, but the parties agreed on an enhanced sentence.

You still have an opportunity to make something of your life, McHill told Miller. Remember why youre there.

Moving forward

The two families in attendance, though on opposite sides, extended a hand to the other. They offered support and well wishes following sentencing.

For now, the Rogers family will be putting Ronald Rogers to rest at a place he loved, as they spread his ashes in the ocean.

Although Misty Rogers lives in California, she didnt want her fathers remains to be there.

He loved Oregon, she said. I couldnt take him away from that.

Related stories:
PORTAGE  Police say they encountered a group of scammers Thursday afternoon, who were falsely claiming to be fundraising for a variety of causes involving children.

"Our investigation shows this group has been plying their trade in Louisville, Indianapolis, and the south Chicago suburbs over the past thirty days," the department said.

Officers were alerted to the group and found them soliciting donations along U.S. 6 near POW/MIA Way.

"These subjects were warned they were in violation of city ordinance and subject to fine if they continued and they chose to leave the area," police said.

Portage man faces felony after being nabbed with nearly 1,500 pills, police say The accused told police he had an argument with his wife and said the duffel bag belonged to her.

"Soliciting is allowed in the city of Portage with certain restrictions on location, times, and required safety equipment, but only after obtaining approval from the citys board of public works and safety," police said. "Private property owners may choose to allow solicitation on their property, but those solicitors may not enter into the roadway to accept donations."

Police warn that as the weather warms up, they expect to see more of this type of activity.

Gallery: Recent arrests booked into the Porter County Jail Mark Thomas Jr. Kiaris Williams Jeremy Schiesser Tyler Smith Debra Montoya Zachary Budde Rena Hardt Michael Johnson Jr. Mersadis Schroder Matthew Potocki John Garcia Brandi Gonzales Adrian Lacy Connor Ahearn Shayli Chambers Dylan Evans Joyce Stokes Jessica Thompson Amber Levin Lucas Richards Sharod Marberry Jason Pollock Alphonso Smith Lavareoina Berry Michael Correa Bradley Geistwhite Michael Ward Gregory Wleklinski Jr. Kennel Martinez-Serrano Joshua Strickland Adam Thomas Vincent Fischer Kevin King Brandon Alexander Terrance Burgos Rachel Samis Daniel Souvigny Andres Verduzco Codie McMahon Jeremy Peterson Madelynn Rohder
Social conservatives eager to transform the Hoosier State into Florida by banning school library books have successfully persuaded the Republican-controlled Indiana General Assembly to give them a venue for their grievances.

But the standards for removing a school library book in House Enrolled Act 1447 are so hard to meet, its difficult to see how any school board finds sufficient justification to pull a book unless it puts politics over policy.

Under the plan, every public school board and charter school governing body is required to establish a procedure for the parent of any student, or any person residing in the school district, to request the removal of library materials deemed obscene or harmful to minors.

The procedure may provide for an intermediate response by school personnel to a request to remove a library book, but it must include the school board reviewing, and possibly implementing, each removal request at its next public meeting.

To qualify for removal, an obscene library book must, to the average person applying contemporary community standards, feature a dominant theme that, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest in sex; depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct; and the work, again considered as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.

Similarly, for library material to be considered harmful to minors it must describe or represent, in any form, nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sado-masochistic abuse; considered as a whole appeals to the prurient interest in sex of minors; is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to suitable material for minors; and, again considered as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors.

Rep. Martin Carbaugh, R-Fort Wayne, the sponsor of the plan, acknowledged thats a very high standard since an allegedly obscene or harmful to minors school library book would have to satisfy each prong of the definition to be subject to removal.

Carbaugh said one sexually explicit sentence, paragraph or chapter in a school library book would not qualify, and he said no one will be banning Winnie the Pooh just because the beloved illustrated bear doesnt wear pants.

The legislation also outright prohibits the placement of obscene or harmful-to-minors materials in school libraries.

Any criminal penalties associated with doing so would fall on school board members, not on school employees acting within the scope of their jobs. It does not apply to public libraries or private schools.

Nearly every Republican lawmaker in the House and Senate, except state Rep. Ed Clere of New Albany, and state Rep. Ann Vermillion of Marion, voted in favor of the proposal; while every Democrat in both chambers voted "no," except state Reps. Mitch Gore and Justin Moed of Indianapolis, and state Rep. Rita Fleming of Jeffersonville.

Democrats said the measure doesnt address a real issue in Indiana schools and merely inflames a GOP culture war that seeks to classify as other anyone living a life outside of traditional norms and expectations.

Reading books about different ways of life or different cultures can open children up to a broader worldview, said Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary. Over the years, Ive never been shocked by the book-burners in our society, but Im disgusted that the Indiana General Assembly has moved to give legitimacy to those who are threatened by the wealth of knowledge that books can provide.

You ought to look at what these kids have access to on their telephones.

Supporters of the plan insist that schools have an obligation to be extra sure that library materials are safe for children because parents are required to send their children to school at least six hours a day, five days a week.

This is giving parents greater transparency with whats in their school library, said Rep. Matt Lehman, R-Berne.

In fact, the legislation requires school districts to post a list of the complete holdings of its school libraries on each schools website and provide a printed copy of the library catalogue to any individual upon request.

The measure does not specify, however, whether a district can charge for a printed library catalogue, opening the door for groups of dissatisfied parents to potentially waste school money and staff time by repeatedly demanding printed lists of the thousands of books in each school library.

Aside from the policy, Democrats took issue with Republicans inserting the book-ban language in an unrelated education measure with little public notice, and no opportunity for public comment, in the final hours of the annual legislative session.

Sneaking this through the back door really sends the wrong message to the public, said Rep. Ryan Dvorak, D-South Bend.

The legislation heads to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb to be signed into law. Its due to take effect July 1.

Meet the 2023 Northwest Indiana legislative delegation State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville State Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer State Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie State Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell State Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores
HAMMOND  Growing up in Hessville, John Ratajczak would climb over stopped trains to get to school all the time.

Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. says the top complaint he gets from residents of that neighborhood is stopped trains.

Common Councilman Scott Rakos, D-6, put it simply Wednesday at a public hearing: Hessville has a problem with trains.

With Chicago, the busiest railroad hub in the country, just across the border, trains are constantly traveling through Hammond. The congestion stops traffic, slows emergency response times and puts pedestrians at risk.

In 2019, the Federal Railroad Administration launched a webpage where blocked railroad crossings can be reported. Over the past 12 months, the third- and fourth-highest number of blocked crossings have been reported in Illinois and Indiana, respectively. Of the 210 blocked crossings reported in Lake County, 109 were in Hammond.

Hammond has a problem with trains, but opinions vary greatly when it comes to finding a solution.

Governors Parkway

In 2017, the city of Hammond sought state funding from a pool of money meant to pay for railroad grade separation projects throughout Indiana. Hammond submitted a proposal for a bridge that would lift traffic over the railroad tracks. The bridge, called Governors Parkway, would start at 173rd Street east of Parrish Avenue and end on 169th Street. The project narrative includes a connection to Grand Avenue for the purpose of improving development opportunities.

The project would close at-grade crossings of the Norfolk Southern line on Parrish and Arizona avenues.

In April 2018, Hammond was one of 11 cities that won funding, receiving $6.7 million for the project.

More than 100 people filed into the lunchroom Wednesday at Scott Middle School for a public hearing organized by the Indiana Department of Transportation. Representatives from Crawford, Murphy & Tilly Inc., INDOTs engineering consultants, stood next to poster boards depicting the bridges proposed design.

Project manager Nick Batta said stopped trains are a decades-old problem in Hessville. If there is a train in the area, it can take the local fire station, No. 8, as long as 20 minutes to cover its entire service area. With the bridge, Batta said, response time would drop to a maximum of 6 minutes.

Safety was top of mind for many of the 30-some residents who spoke. Just hours before the meeting, ProPublica and InvestigateTV published an article, video and photo package showing Hammond children crawling between trains to get to school.

Obviously, kids going over stopped trains is unacceptable. We all know that. McDermott told attendees.

However, dozens of speakers said Governors Parkway wont solve the problem.

This is no solution at all

Hessville is home to Morton High and Scott Middle schools, which are off Grand Avenue, and Hess Elementary, which is farther south off Orchard Drive. Many students would have to walk a mile or two to get to school using the proposed train bridge.

The kids are still going to hop the trains if they have to walk an extra two miles to get to school, TJ Gaertig said.

For the past several months, Gaertig and other local environmentalists have been speaking against the bridge during Hammond Common Council meetings. The opponents say there are better, less environmentally invasive solutions.

Activists hope to protect a quiet wooded area thats a few blocks from Scott.

The 32-acre dune and swale ecosystem, known as Briar East Woods, is near the College Bound water tower at Parrish Avenue and 169th Street. Governors Parkway would cut through about 12 acres of the woods, and 300 trees would be bulldozed.

While the city has pledged to replant about 24 acres of trees, attendees said the young saplings scattered throughout the city and surrounding area cant replace the current forest.

Celeste Boles noted that with all of the nearby industry, trees play a vital role in improving Hammonds air quality.

Governors Parkway is not going to solve the problem ... and youre going to lose something priceless in the process, she said.

Multiple speakers said the loss of trees will worsen noise pollution, destroy important habitat used by migrating birds, and reduce the amount of accessible green space in Hessville.

Ken Rosek, founder of the Hessville Dune Dusters  the group has been cleaning up Briar East Woods  said the overpass will make the area more car-reliant.

This is no solution at all. This is what happens when the community is left completely out of the decision-making process, said Rosek, who is running against Rakos in the spring primary. This is a heavily industrialized area. ... I think you need to keep every little stretch of natural space that exists to balance out the environment that we live in.

Alternative routes

If the only way we could keep kids safe was to cut down all the trees, that would be OK, Cathy Perrin of Highland said. But theres a better way to do it.

Governors Parkway opponents have been suggesting an underpass, citing the one completed at the Canadian National Railroad crossing at Calumet Avenue in Munster as a potential model.

Batta ran through all of the alternative solutions INDOT considered: an overpass at Kennedy Avenue, at 169th Street, at Parrish Avenue, at Grand Avenue or at 173rd Street. All of the other options were either too expensive, would force out too many homes and businesses, or would take parking away from a nearby apartment complex.

An underpass at Parrish Avenue was considered, but construction would have cost about $15 million and displaced 13 houses.

Governors Parkway, what INDOT is calling the preferred alternative because no final decisions have been made, would only displace two houses. The total project cost is estimated at $14 million, with construction costs at $10.2 million.

INDOT will make a decision after the public comment period ends May 26.

If the city does not move forward with the bridge, McDermott said, the federal money will be lost.

Well be here 10 years from now talking about stopped trains and nothing will be done, he told the audience. If were going to turn the money down, dont complain when those trains are stopped for four days.

State money will cover about 75% of the project, McDermott said. Hammond has committed $2.5 million to the project; Norfolk Southern Railway is contributing $500,000.

Roseks solution to paying for a pricier underpass?

Get the damn railroad to pay for it.

When it comes to negotiating with the railroad, local governments hands are largely tied.

Over the years Ive been mayor Ive learned a lot about trains, McDermott said during a January public meeting. They are more powerful than the city or state. The Hammond police cant do anything about this. The trains laugh at them if they try to give them a ticket.

Train congestion has always been a problem in Hessville, but freight trains have gotten longer in recent years, blocking even more traffic. A

found that some trains stretch for up to three miles.

Kenny Edwards, the state legislative director at SMART Union, which represents rail workers, traveled from Lafayette to attend the INDOT hearing.

We have great respect for your community, and I want everybody in this room to know that we never intentionally block your crossings, Edwards said. This doesnt have to continue. There are things that the railroad can do to eliminate this problem of blocked crossings, and the Number One thing is to reduce the length of the trains.

For now, Hessville residents are stuck. Stuck between a number of imperfect solutions, stuck behind cost limitations and, of course, stuck behind the next train.

How to submit public comment on the Governor's Parkway project More information about the project is available at laporte.indot.in.gov. Comments on the project will be accepted through May 26. Written comment can be mailed to Crawford, Murphy & Tilly Inc., Attn: Nick Batta, 8790 Purdue Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268; or via email at NBatta@cmtengr.com.

PHOTOS: INDOT public hearing on Hessville train bridge Public hearing to discuss the train bridge proposed for Hessville Public hearing to discuss the train bridge proposed for Hessville Public hearing to discuss the train bridge proposed for Hessville Public hearing to discuss the train bridge proposed for Hessville Public hearing to discuss the train bridge proposed for Hessville Public hearing to discuss the train bridge proposed for Hessville Public hearing to discuss the train bridge proposed for Hessville Public hearing to discuss the train bridge proposed for Hessville Public hearing to discuss the train bridge proposed for Hessville Public hearing to discuss the train bridge proposed for Hessville Public hearing to discuss the train bridge proposed for Hessville Public hearing to discuss the train bridge proposed for Hessville
In a Manhattan courtroom on Thursday, a lawyer for former President Donald J. Trump asked E. Jean Carroll, the writer who has accused Mr. Trump of raping her nearly three decades ago, whether she had screamed for help.

Im not a screamer, Ms. Carroll responded, adding that she was in a panic during the encounter in a dressing room. I was fighting, she said. You cant beat up on me for not screaming.

Mr. Trumps lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, said he was not doing that, but Ms. Carroll, her voice rising, said from the witness stand that women often keep silent about an attack because they fear being asked what they could have done to stop it. They are always asked, Why didnt you scream? Ms. Carroll said.

Im telling you, he raped me, whether I screamed or not, she declared.

The highly charged exchange came as Ms. Carroll underwent hours of cross-examination by Mr. Tacopina, who made it clear he was seeking to undermine her testimony about what she says was a vicious attack by Mr. Trump after they ran into each other at the Bergdorf Goodman store on Fifth Avenue in the mid-1990s.
On Tuesday night, a procession of writers, editors and publishing-industry veterans stepped past the lions outside the New York Public Librarys main branch on Fifth Avenue as they made their way to a dinner celebrating the acquisition of the archives of Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne.

The vast collection, which the library bought in January for an undisclosed price, contains manuscripts, family photos, recipes and financial documents that provide a glimpse into Ms. Didions private life and creative process. At the time of her death at 87 in 2021, she was one of the nations most vaunted writers, and the archive contains everything from letters she wrote to her parents when she was a student at the University of California, Berkeley, to drafts of her books, including The Year of Magical Thinking and Blue Nights.
The Met Gala, which will be held next week, serves as the unofficial birthday party for Vogue magazine. The outfits at Times 100 Most Influential People in the World gala, held last night at Jazz at Lincoln Center, generally dont involve as much forethought, but it is nevertheless an opulent affair. Many of the people on the list attended, and the sparkles were plentiful this year.

Jennifer Coolidge, who hosted the event, was decked out in a black, beaded Balmain dress. She mingled with Steven Spielberg, who was honored at the seated dinner. Tiffany Haddish wore a red and black sequined gown and Natasha Lyonne was in a black Area dress with a bedazzled oyster bodice. The night featured performances from Doja Cat and Lea Michelle.

Last Friday night at the Plaza, Manhattans old and new guard  Rockefellers and at least one TikTok star  also dressed in glittering gowns and filled the hotels soaring grand ballroom for Save Venices annual Un Ballo in Maschera. The storied masquerade party and annual gala dinner raises money to preserve the artworks of the flood-threatened Italian city.

This years theme, the Byzantine ball, was inspired by the Eastern half of the Roman Empire, known aesthetically for mosaics, arches and lots of gold. The crowd included Alex and Eliza Bolen, co-chairs of the event, as well as the designers Fernando Garcia, Laura Kim, Prabal Gurung, LaQuan Smith, the model Ivy Getty and the actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. The event raised $1.2 million and transformed the Plaza into an arms-in-the-air dance party with the D.J. Olivier Meiji, formerly a resident D.J. in St. Tropez.
When did audience members become so wanton and disorderly? Since theaters reopened a year and a half ago, reports of fights, vomiting, public urination, public sex, and the verbal and physical abuse of staff have proliferated. Early in April, police were called to a theater in Britain hosting The Bodyguard, because some ticket holders wouldnt stop singing along, precipitating a near riot. And on Monday night, at the Lucille Lortel Theater in the West Village, a grocer and his wife stormed the stage  well, maybe she didnt storm so much as prance on up  to demand that the company revise its show and hire their apprentice, too. Is there an usher in the house?

Of course, this particular disruption was planned more than 400 years ago. Its right there in the script of Francis Beaumonts The Knight of the Burning Pestle, a tricksy, loopy, wildly self-referential 1607 play that parodies both city comedy and chivalric romance. Excepting the uptown revival of Camelot, these arent genres with a lot of currency. But Red Bull Theater and Fiasco, the co-creators of this revival, dont seem overly concerned. Keep the jokes popping, keep the songs coming, the directors Noah Brody and Emily Young seem to believe, and the contemporaneity will take care of itself.

When the play begins, a troupe of actors, costumed in skirts and breeches that gesture toward the Elizabethan, are about to put on a new show, The London Merchant. George (Darius Pierce) interrupts them. He doesnt think that local business owners have been represented fairly by the theater. With the help of his wife, Nell (Jessie Austrian, a Fiasco founder and a cherry bomb of comedy), he forces them to remake the piece with a grocer as its hero. So Rafe (Paco Tolson) is transformed into the Knight of the Burning Pestle, a cavalier with a colander for a helmet and a pestle for a sword.

The problem with topical comedy, even backward-looking topical comedy like this, is that the references dont always survive. Thats true enough here. Whats also true is that the play within the play  the story of a merchant, a daughter, the daughters lover  isnt so engrossing. It also includes a scene in which the lover, Jasper (Devin E. Haqq), threatens to murder the daughter, Luce (Teresa Avia Lim), in order to test her devotion. Its a frightening moment and categorically abusive. The comedy cant contain it.
Why It Matters

The bills, if they had passed, were likely to be signed into law by Republican governors, and would have been a significant change for state residents. Currently, both South Carolina and Nebraska allow abortion up to around 22 weeks.

Nebraska politicians today voted to keep private health care decisions where they belong  in the exam room between a doctor and their patient, said Andi Curry Grubb, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska.

Both states would have joined a growing list of Republican-dominated states with severe restrictions on abortion. So far, 14 states have active bans on nearly all abortions, though some allow exceptions for rape and danger to the life of the mother. Georgia and Florida also ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, but Floridas ban is on hold pending a court challenge.

South Carolina has become a destination for women seeking abortions as its southern neighbors have shut down access to abortion. The proposed ban would have prohibited abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with narrow exceptions for rape and incest before 12 weeks.

During discussion of the bill, State Senator Mia McLeod, an independent, appealed to her colleagues to protect the rights of women and girls.

If this bill passes, a baby will be forced to carry and deliver another baby, even if it costs her her life, she said.

Background

Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to abortion in its Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision, effectively sending the issue of regulation back to individual states. This year alone, more than 600 abortion-related bills have been proposed in the states. Slightly more than half of them aim to restrict access to the procedure.

Republicans, however, have struggled to reach consensus on just how far abortion restrictions ought to go, and some in the G.O.P. see the issue as a political liability after midterm losses.

Whats Next

With a few weeks left in its session, South Carolina could still pass an abortion ban.

The Senate has already passed a six-week ban, which the House could take up. Both chambers have been unable to reach agreement on a ban. And the states Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that its Constitution includes the right to abortion, but said the state still had an interest in regulating the procedure.
Two U.S. Army helicopters returning from a training flight crashed in Alaska on Thursday with four people aboard, killing three soldiers and injuring the fourth, Army officials said.

The Armys 11th Airborne Division confirmed the deaths late Thursday, saying that the two AH-64 Apache helicopters had crashed near Healy, Alaska, which is more than 200 miles north of Anchorage. Two of the four soldiers were declared dead at the crash site, and a third died on the way to a hospital in Fairbanks, it said.

This is an incredible loss for these soldiers families, their fellow soldiers, and for the division, Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, the divisions commanding general, said in a statement.

The Army said it was withholding the names of the dead until their families could be notified, and that the incident was under investigation. John M. Pennell, a spokesman for 11th Airborne Division, said that he did not yet have details on the injured soldiers condition.
As debates over transgender issues embroil Montanas legislature, the governor has faced lobbying from someone close to him: his son, who identifies as nonbinary and has pleaded with his father to reject what he called immoral, unjust bills backed by Republicans.

In an interview with The Montana Free Press published Wednesday, David Gianforte, who uses he and they pronouns and refers to themself as the governors son, said he had sat down with his father, Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, last month with a prepared statement in hand to read aloud.

David Gianforte, 32, told The Montana Free Press, a nonprofit news outlet, that he had written down why he believed bills that were gaining traction in the State Senate and House would be harmful to the L.G.B.T.Q. community, to which he belongs.

On March 27, he began his meeting with Governor Gianforte and his top health adviser with a familial introduction, according to The Free Press: Hey Dad. Thanks for setting aside time to meet with me.
WASHINGTON  Before her country and her life were suddenly and fundamentally changed in 2021, Mahnaz Akbari was the trailblazing commander of the Afghan National Armys Female Tactical Platoon, an all-female squad that accompanied elite U.S. Special Operations troops as they carried out daring mountain missions, hunted ISIS combatants and freed captives from Taliban jails.

Ms. Akbari, 37, and her soldiers did so at great personal risk. One woman was shot through the neck, suffering a fractured skull. Another was killed shortly before the fall of Kabul. And after the Taliban took over the country, many members of the platoon were forced to flee to the United States.

Now, Ms. Akbari and other members of the Female Tactical Platoon are embarking on another mission: working to convince Congress that their service in Afghanistan has earned them the right to stay in America permanently.

Our missions were for big targets: a Taliban commander or a Daish leader, Ms. Akbari said, using another name for ISIS during a recent interview at her Silver Spring, Md., apartment.
WASHINGTON  House Republicans on Thursday pushed ahead with a sweeping immigration crackdown that would codify several stringent border policies imposed by the Trump administration, after months of internal feuding that led G.O.P. leaders to drop some of the plans most extreme provisions.

The House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees in recent days approved their pieces of the plan, which has little chance of being considered in the Democratic-led Senate but sets up a pivotal test of whether Republican leaders can deliver on their campaign promise to clamp down on record migrant inflows.

For Republicans, who have repeatedly attacked President Biden on his immigration policies and embarked on an effort to impeach his homeland security secretary, the measure is a chance to lay out an alternative vision on an issue that galvanizes its right-wing base.

The legislation, now expected on the floor next month, would direct the Biden administration to resume constructing the border wall that was former President Donald J. Trumps signature project. It would also mandate that employers check workers legal status through an electronic system known as E-Verify and reinstate the Remain in Mexico policy, forcing asylum applicants to wait in detention facilities or outside the United States before their claims are heard.
And on Thursday he jumped straight to the general election, saying, I do look forward to the debate with Joe.

Mr. Biden declared on Tuesday that he would seek a second term. His predecessor claimed at his rally, without evidence, that the video Mr. Biden released to announce his re-election campaign took supposedly seven takes to get it right. The video features a montage of scenes from Mr. Bidens presidency and only a few short clips where he spoke to the camera.

Citing a recent Emerson College poll, Mr. Trump noted that 62 percent of G.O.P. primary voters indicated that they would support him, compared with 16 percent for Mr. DeSantis, who has not yet declared his candidacy. No other Republican was in double digits.

Hes crashing and burning, Mr. Trump said of Mr. DeSantis, suggesting that he had benefited in the past from his association with Mr. Trump but that he was now struggling to get a foothold on his own.

Mr. Trump has never shied away from broadsides against other Republicans, something Ronald Reagan famously frowned upon in what became known as the 11th Commandment. And in New Hampshire, Reagans presidential library was a target for Mr. Trump, who questioned its selection as the venue for the second G.O.P. primary debate. He pointed out that Frederick J. Ryan Jr., the publisher and chief executive of The Washington Post, another frequent Trump target, was chairman of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute.
A BNSF freight train derailed on Thursday in southwestern Wisconsin, injuring four crew members and sending two containers into the Mississippi River but causing no environmental damage, officials said.

BNSF said in a statement that the train derailed at about 12:15 p.m. local time near the village of De Soto, Wis., which hugs the Mississippi River, near the border of Iowa and Minnesota.

Two of the three locomotives and an unknown number of cars carrying freight of all kinds were involved, the statement said. Two containers went into the Mississippi River, but they did not contain hazardous materials, the statement said.

Some of the containers that derailed on the shore contained paint, lithium-ion batteries and oxygen, said Jim Hackett, Crawford Countys emergency management director, at a news conference Thursday night. The materials did not pose a hazard to the public because they remained on land, he said.
Whelan and Jonathan Stafford, the companys artistic director, had been excited to promote Ball. Hes such a technician and this classicist and also contemporary and free  hes an investigator, you know? Whelan said. You always love when you have a dancer like that at your fingertips to guide and help. He could morph.

Ball is looking more toward acting in his future. He just got a part on the ballet-world series Etoile, coming to Amazon, by Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Bunheads. Hes also focused on choreography: His Purcell Suite, a work for New Jersey Ballet, will be performed at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in June. And his personal life has come together, too. He is engaged to the fashion designer Zac Posen, whom he met at City Ballet and became close with during the pandemic.

Ball, disarming and funny, has a spontaneous streak. Much of his life has been erratic and wild, fueled, in part, by drug and alcohol addiction. (He was partial to cocaine, he said; hes been sober for more than five years.) Even Balls childhood was unorthodox. He started ballet training at 4 with the now-defunct Charleston Ballet Theater in South Carolina and performed as a child. I was this little kid, and I was touring with all these adults, he said. During the day, the dancers would take me with them during the lunch break. They would all go to a bar.

When he was about 15, while a student at the City Ballet-affiliated School of American Ballet, he lost his dorm privileges as a result of disciplinary action; with his familys support, he lived on his own in an apartment, he said, with his mother checking in on him periodically from South Carolina, where she and her husband were raising two other sons. Soon, he was fully on his own. It was a really weird situation, Vera Ball, his mother, said, but, yeah, thats what we had to do.
GOLDBERG The jobs that people hold in the highest esteem, or at least pay the most, are the jobs that are the least essential. And also, the absolute cringiest! Youre pumping yourself full of Ambien to sleep and Ritalin to stay awake, so that you can go and be interviewed 

FARAGO  as an authentic person 

GOLDBERG  by someone who has no respect for you.

FARAGO Im sure Kline will find this horrifying, but you know who kept coming to mind as we went through the show? The real predecessor of an art of American consumer culture, with its shiny surfaces and its dirty undersides? Its Jeff Koons  who also uses obviousness, directness and a proud anti-critical stance in the service of an accessible art. They dont have much else in common, but I think theres a certain cruelty to both Kline and Koons, in how they market their one-dimensionality with odes to the common man.

GOLDBERG Well, so much of Klines work says outright: Whats the point? Whats the point of creative labor? Whats the point of any labor thats not literally getting food into peoples mouths? A.I. could do whatever youre doing tomorrow. If A.I. can generate something really beautiful, then maybe Klines work is to generate something really human. And maybe its obvious, but maybe humans are kind of obvious.

FARAGO Theres an important work thats not at the Whitney: a video called Hope and Change, which caused a minor sensation at the 2015 New Museum Triennial. Again, he used facial substitution software to make a bogus celebrity video: in this case, Barack Obama delivering a new inauguration speech thats, essentially, a Eugene V. Debs-style socialist manifesto.

The Whitney leaves that one out, though it proudly presents other facial substitution videos which depict George W. Bush and his cabinet as teary, apologetic war criminals. Maybe the museum has tamed Kline, I dont know, but a visitor could easily look at his climate change dystopias and unemployment tableaus and conclude: well, you better vote blue!
Karin Hindsbo, the director of Norways recently opened National Museum, was on Friday named the new director of Tate Modern in London, one of the worlds most popular museums.

Hindsbo, a Danish-born art historian, will take on the role in September, replacing Frances Morris, who has led Tate Modern since 2016. Last October, Morris announced she was leaving to focus on curatorial projects, and to work on addressing the art worlds climate impacts.

In a news release, Hindsbo, 49, said she was beyond excited to make the move, adding that some of my greatest experiences encountering art occurred at the museum, housed in a former power station on the bank of the River Thames.

The directorship of Tate Modern is one of the European art worlds highest-profile roles, with the museum expected to regularly stage blockbuster exhibitions of contemporary and modern art. Under Morriss leadership, its hosted acclaimed shows including a sold-out Cezanne retrospective, a career-spanning exhibition of the British artist Steve McQueens video pieces and an exploration of work by African American artists during the civil rights era.
In 2008, Swann Auction Galleries in Manhattan sold three Greek-language manuscripts from the 16th and 17th centuries to an antiquities dealer who returned them two years later after concluding they might have been looted.

The dealer was reimbursed but the auction house, its officials said, was unable to reach the person who had consigned the items. So they sat on a shelf for more than a decade, all but lost in the shuffle of daily operations.

Three months ago, though, the manuscripts resurfaced when Swanns chief financial officer went through his office before a renovation. There on a shelf in a long-forgotten plastic bag were the manuscripts, which are believed to have been stolen from a Greek monastery in the midst of World War I.

They are thought to have been lost in 1917 when Bulgarian combatants are said to have plundered nearly 900 items from the Theotokos Eikosiphoinissa Patriarchal and Stavropegial Monastery, often called Kosinitza, in northern Greece.
James Harithas, a celebrated museum director and founder who viewed curation as a form of activism, highlighting iconoclastic, often socially conscious work both by little-known artists as well as maverick luminaries like Yoko Ono and Nam June Paik, died on March 23. He was 90.

His death was confirmed by his sister, Paula Yankopoulos.

Mr. Harithas had been an aspiring painter as a youth, but instead he became an artistic force as the director of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington in the late 1960s, before moving to the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, N.Y., and later the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston.

Never afraid to push boundaries or ruffle feathers, he fought to open the museum experience to artists and patrons well outside the insular establishment art scene.

He looked outside the art world and its hierarchies to a much larger pool of artists whom he thought should have opportunities to present their work in a public forum, Paul Schimmel, former chief curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, said in a phone interview. It was his commitment to social justice, political change, the representation of minority artists that really made him stand out.
The radiation oncology department in the basement of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York does not seem like a regular home for rock n roll. But every business day for almost seven weeks this year, U2 blared over the speakers at my request.

I became a fan in the late 1980s and have attended nine of the bands concerts, though I probably fall short of superfandom. I remember listening to songs from The Joshua Tree album as a preteen on my staticky clock radio, struck by U2s carefully crafted music that builds into anthems, and lyrics exploring weighty but personal themes, like love and religion. In the 1990s, I watched its mesmerizing Zoo TV tour in the pouring rain from the nosebleed seats of the old Giants Stadium in New Jersey. My wife, Amy, and I danced to In a Little While at our wedding. In many ways, the group has provided the soundtrack to my life.

That importance gained new dimension in the summer of 2022, when I was diagnosed with a benign tumor the size of a lime near my pituitary gland. I had surgery to remove it, only to develop a rare bleeding complication that left me in intensive care for about a week. I required emergency transport and five units of blood to survive.

While my complication (thankfully) is on track to heal, a small bit of the tumor remains. In March, I finished a 30-session radiation cycle to keep the mass from growing again. All of my medical drama led to dozens of trips to Mount Sinai. And it brought many chances to request U2.
Rabbi Harold Kushner, a practical public theologian whose best-selling books assured readers that bad things happen to good people because God is endowed with unlimited love and justice but exercises only finite power to prevent evil, died on Friday in Canton, Mass. He was 88.

His death, in hospice care, was confirmed by his daughter, Ariel Kushner Haber.

Several of Rabbi Kushners 14 books became best-sellers, resonating well beyond his Conservative Jewish congregation outside Boston and across religious boundaries in part because they had been inspired by his own experiences with grief, doubt and faith. One reviewer called his book When All Youve Ever Wanted Isnt Enough a useful spiritual survival manual.

Rabbi Kushner wrote When Bad Things Happen to Good People (1981) after the death of his son, Aaron. At age 3, just hours after the birth of the Kushners daughter, Aaron was diagnosed with a rare disease, progeria, in which the body ages rapidly.

When Aaron was 10 years old, he was in his 60s physiologically. He weighed only 25 pounds and was as tall as a three-year-old when he died in 1977 two days after his 14th birthday.
Eleanor Cattons new novel, Birnam Wood, is a rollicking eco-thriller that juggles a lot of heady themes with a big plot and a heedless sense of play  no surprise, really, from a writer who won Britains prestigious Man Booker Prize for her previous novel, The Luminaries, and promptly established herself as a leading light in New Zealands literary community.

On this weeks podcast, Catton tells the host Gilbert Cruz how that early success affected her writing life (not much) as well as her life outside of writing (her marriage made local headlines, for one thing). She also discusses her aims for the new book and grapples with the slippery nature of New Zealands national identity.

You very often hear New Zealanders defining their country in the negative rather than in the positive, she says. If you ask somebody about New Zealand culture, theyll begin by describing something overseas and then theyll just say, Oh, well, were just not like that.  I think that thats solidified over time into this kind of very odd sense of supremacy, actually. Its born out of an inferiority complex, but like many inferiority complexes, it manifests as a superiority complex.

A word of warning, for listeners who care about plot spoilers: Toward the end of their conversation, Catton and Cruz talk about the novels climactic scene and some of the questions it raises. So if youre a reader who prefers to be taken by surprise, you may want to finish Birnam Wood before you finish this episode.
1. The Fed took some of the blame for the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.

In a sweeping internal review, the central bank said it failed to take forceful enough action to address growing risks at Silicon Valley Bank ahead of its collapse last month. It was a rare instance of overt self-criticism from the Fed, and it came as the aftershocks of the banks collapse continue to shake the American financial system.

The review detailed how Silicon Valley Bank grew rapidly in size and risk with limited intervention from supervisors, who missed obvious problems and moved slowly to address the ones they did recognize. It called for the Fed to consider a range of changes, including stronger deterrents against risk-taking and limits on incentive compensation for the heads of struggling banks.

A separate report from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation criticized the poor management and inadequate risk policing practices of Signature Bank, which collapsed soon after Silicon Valley Bank. The F.D.I.C. acknowledged its shortcomings in communicating with Signature Banks management, citing staff shortages.
During the early months of the Covid pandemic, Randi Weingarten and the teachers union she leads faced a vexing question: When should schools reopen?

For years, advocates of public education like Weingarten had argued that schools played an irreplaceable role. School was where children learned academic and social skills. It was where low-income children received subsidized meals. Without public schools, their defenders argued, society would come apart.

On the other side of the ledger, however, was the worst pandemic in a century. Teachers and parents feared that reopening schools before vaccines were available would spark Covid outbreaks, illness and death.

In 2020, the pandemics first full year, Weingarten came down strongly on the side of keeping schools closed. Safety measures were not enough to reopen them, she argued. Instead, Covid became an opportunity for her union, the American Federation of Teachers, to push for broader policy changes that it had long favored. As my colleague Jonathan Mahler writes in a new story in the Times Magazine:

The A.F.T. had issued its own reopening plan in late April calling for adequate personal protective equipment, new cleaning and sanitization regimens in school buildings, a temporary suspension of formal teacher performance evaluations, a limit on student testing, a cancellation of student-loan debt and a $750 billion federal aid package to help schools prepare to reopen safely and facilitate a real recovery for all our communities.

In retrospect, the strategy seems to have failed.

Todays newsletter, like Jonathans story, looks at the lingering costs to public education.
Making It Work is a series is about small-business owners striving to endure hard times.

Hakki Akdeniz, the founder of the Champion Pizza chain in New York City, speaks freely about his past. When he first moved to the United States from Canada in 2001, he was homeless, sleeping in subway cars and at Grand Central Terminal before staying at a shelter for three months.

Mr. Akdenizs experience is featured prominently on the website of Champion Pizza, and the companys dedication to supporting people who are homeless is key to its mission. Mr. Akdeniz, 43, is part of a growing group of small-business owners incorporating some of the most intimate aspects of their private lives into their companys brands, according to experts and business observers.

Company founders telling their personal back stories is not a new phenomenon. These stories are often straightforward, rosy accounts of a determined person who sets out to solve a problem. But a new generation of founders are distinguishing themselves with narratives that arent clean-cut, easily digestible stories of how their businesses came to be, experts say. They include tales of homelessness, addiction, incarceration, mental illness and physical health.

Many small-business owners say they are choosing to be transparent about a difficult period in their lives and, in turn, build deeper relationships with their consumers. But what happens when companies reveal some of the darkest moments of their founders lives? Will consumers relate or be turned off by too much information?
More than 75 members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine demanded on Thursday that the organization explain why it has for years failed to return or repurpose millions of dollars donated by the Sackler family, including some who led Purdue Pharma.

The companys drug, OxyContin, helped set in motion a prescription opioid crisis that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. The New York Times reported this month that even as the Academies advised the government on opioid policy, the organization accepted $19 million from the Sackler family and appointed influential members to its committees who had financial ties to Purdue Pharma.

One report issued by the Academies claimed that 100 million, or 40 percent of Americans, were in chronic pain. The figure, later found to be inflated, was cited by drugmakers to convince doctors to write large numbers of opioid prescriptions.

In a letter delivered to Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academies of Sciences, scientists and economists called on the organization to clarify how research committee members who ran nonprofits heavily funded by Purdue were chosen to provide guidance to federal authorities on opioid policy: How did the system fail in the past? the letter asked.
The gulf between Black and white unemployment rates in New York City is now the widest it has been this century, exceeding even the largest gap during the Great Recession, according to a new report.

In the first three months of the year, the unemployment rate for Black New Yorkers rose to 12.2 percent, the highest rate of any group, while the white unemployment rate dropped to 1.3 percent, the lowest it has been since 2000, according to the report, which was released Thursday by the Center for New York City Affairs at The New School. The overall unemployment rate among New Yorkers was 5.3 percent.

The New York City figures are out of step with the national picture. The nationwide Black unemployment rate was 5.4 percent in the first quarter of the year, and the white unemployment rate was 3.2 percent. National figures include Black Hispanic job seekers, whereas the New York data does not.

The Black and white unemployment rates in New York City have not continuously diverged for at least a year in about 25 years, and it is happening at a time when Black unemployment nationwide is approaching new lows, said James A. Parrott, a co-author of the report and the director of economic and fiscal policy at the center.
A vast majority of Virginias teachers belong to the N.E.A., which tends to cover more rural areas, not the A.F.T., whose members are generally concentrated in big cities. But Weingarten was friendly with McAuliffe from the Clinton days and was supporting his candidacy on Twitter and cable news, and the A.F.T. was helping him develop his education platform. Weingarten told me that she called McAuliffe after the debate to tell him that he was wrong  that parents should have a role in their childrens education. Terry made a very bad mistake, which Youngkin capitalized on, she said. (Through a spokesman, McAuliffe said that he talked to Weingarten regularly during the campaign but has no recollection of her criticizing his remark.)

By the fall of 2021, Americas public schools were fully open, but mask mandates were still being hotly contested. Weingarten had been working to try to rebuild trust between some families and their schools. In late September, just a couple of days after the McAuliffe debate, she held a virtual town hall on mask mandates with Open Schools USA, an anti-masking right-wing parents rights group that was rallying families to pull their children out of public schools, in an effort to foster open dialogue with the unions critics.

Under Weingarten, who was elected president of the A.F.T. in 2008, the national union has gone all in on electoral politics, significantly increasing its political spending in the belief that the best way to serve its rank and file is by electing Democrats. The A.F.T. gave more than $1 million to McAuliffe, and Weingarten even knocked on doors for him in Alexandria. But Youngkin had the momentum in the final weeks of the race. His candidacy received another boost in October when Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered the F.B.I. to help address the rising threats of violence toward some school-board members. The order stemmed from a letter written to the Biden administration by the National School Boards Association, asking that federal law enforcement address threats against public school officials that could be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism. But Republican lawmakers and the right-wing media seized on the language in the letter to falsely accuse Garland of labeling parents domestic terrorists. Youngkin quickly exploited the opportunity, releasing an ad claiming that the F.B.I. was trying to silence parents.

On the night before the election, Weingarten headed down to Virginia to warm up the crowd at McAuliffes closing rally in Fairfax County. She was eager to be on hand for the final push, and her staff asked for her to be given a speaking role at the rally. Because she had been such a generous and loyal supporter of McAuliffes, the campaign didnt want to say no, even though some Democrats worried that they could be handing Youngkin another gift.

Politically speaking, Weingarten played perfectly into Youngkins Parents Matter campaign. That spring, a right-wing watchdog group, Americans for Public Trust, had gotten hold of email communications between top officials at the A.F.T. and the C.D.C. about the agencys school-reopening guidelines through the Freedom of Information Act and had passed them on to The New York Post. The tabloid, which had been gleefully attacking Weingarten for years  dubbing her Whine-garten  trumpeted the story: Powerful Teachers Union Influenced C.D.C. on School Reopenings, Documents Show. The rest of the right-wing media and numerous Republican officials instantly jumped on the narrative. Senator Susan Collins of Maine grilled the C.D.C.s director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, at a committee hearing over what she called the C.D.C.s secret negotiations with the teachers union. Weingarten told me that the C.D.C. had solicited the A.F.T.s input and that the union hadnt suggested anything that the agency wasnt already considering incorporating into its guidelines. But the appearance of a partisan union leader who had privately discussed the future of the nations schools with a government agency could be counterproductive in Virginias charged political climate.
Exhibit #8

Rent or buy it on most major platforms.

Ruben Broekhuiss propulsive thriller mixes documentary and found-footage conventions to tell a sinister and unpredictable story about surveillance and the dark web. The films narrative disruptions suggest that he and the screenwriter Sarah Offringa are devoted students of Michael Hanekes Funny Games.

Elias (Claudio Gabriel Magana Torres) explains on camera that hes making a documentary about a woman named Aisha (Nastaran Razawi Khorasani), who has lived in the Netherlands since the 1990s, when she and her brother, Adin, arrived there from Bosnia as refugees. The young siblings were in a shelter, about to be adopted, when one day Adin mysteriously disappeared.

When Elias and Aisha arrive at the shelter with the camera rolling, blows are exchanged as the administrators question the visitors motives. But then  and heres where the film made me sit straight up  the cameras point of view switches. Subsequent twists explain why one of my found-footage pet peeves  a score  has so far underlined the action; I wont say more, to preserve this films many sneaky detours. A knockout final stretch explains most everything, but the film concludes with a too-twisty coda.
But the Federal Communications Commission said last week that each of them was subject to its environmental and historic preservation reviews that were not conducted before work was begun by CityBridge, the consortium behind the project. We expect CityBridge to take steps to bring these tower structures into compliance by conducting a post-construction review, the agency told CityBridge officials in a letter.

CityBridge said the towers had already gone through reviews to obtain city permits and that the company did not anticipate that the reviews prescribed by the agency would delay the project. Jack Sterne, a spokesman for CityBridge, said the company was working with the F.C.C. to see that it was following federal, state and local regulations and that were building 5G infrastructure consistent with other cities across the country.

Kayla Mamelak, a spokeswoman for Mayor Eric Adams, said that City Hall was committed to enforcing provisions in our telecommunications franchise agreements to see that municipal franchisees like CityBridge adhere to all relevant regulations, including those of the Federal Communications Commission.

Better late than never, said Peg Breen, the president of the New York Landmarks Conservancy, who joined seven other officials in a letter to City Hall in January that said the towers were poorly designed, massive and will cluster the citys streetscapes. She added in an interview this week that it was obvious that this review should have taken place.

The F.C.C. letter, reported earlier by The Daily News, came a week after Representative Jerrold Nadler urged the agency to review the towers under the National Historic Preservation Act, the 1966 law that established the National Register of Historic Places. He said he was concerned that some tower locations were within historic districts listed on the National Register.
Last month, Twitter introduced new pricing tiers for access to its A.P.I. For the M.T.A., the costs associated with the A.P.I. are about $50,000 per month, the agency said, adding that it does not pay tech platforms to publish service information. Ms. Rieara said the same information could be found through the MYmta and TrainTime apps, the M.T.A.s website, email alerts and text messages.

Service alerts are also available on thousands of screens in stations, on trains and in buses, she said.

On Twitter, the M.T.A. responded to dozens of concerned customers, some of whom questioned the decision. Still, the agency doubled down. Weve loved getting to know you On Here, but we dont love not knowing if we can to communicate with you each day, the agency said in a pinned tweet on its feed.

Ridership on the M.T.A., which oversees a complicated network of subways, buses and commuter rail lines that stitch the city together, is improving from the early days of the pandemic. In February, there were more than 84 million subway trips and more than 33 million bus trips, which were about two-thirds of the ridership rates in February 2019, according to the citys comptrollers office.
At Community Solutions, the tensions began after the group was awarded a $100 million grant from the MacArthur Foundation. We went from a smaller organization to one that was a lot bigger, said John Collier, a data analyst at the nonprofit, as well as a union organizer, and we wanted to have a seat at the table, for the people who were actually doing the work to have a voice.

Mr. Collier, along with all but one of his colleagues, voted to join Office and Professional Employees International Local 153 last year. When they informed management of their decision, workers said they were surprised when Community Solutions hired a powerful law firm, Proskauer, to negotiate a contract. (The firm is also representing The New York Times in current contract negotiations with the The New York Times Guild.)

When the employees proposed nondiscrimination clause was rejected, nearly every word cut, it became a turning point for them, said Sandy Colts, a systems improvement adviser at Community Solutions and one of the original members of the organizing committee. This was a value statement, based on our lived experiences, he said. They should trust that we are requesting these protections for a reason.

Community Solutions maintains that they support the idea behind the proposal and are only concerned with the wording. We believe that our shared commitment to addressing harassment or discrimination of any kind is reflected in what we put forward, Ms. Martin said in a statement. The clause that management would like to use, she continued, includes strong anti-discrimination language that is nearly identical to other collective bargaining agreements negotiated by the same union.
Toward the end of 2014, as part of the mayors agenda, the speed limit on most city streets was reduced to 25 miles an hour. During its first five years, Vision Zero brought the installation of more than 360 speed bumps and major bike lane and pedestrian plaza projects; it also increased by more than sevenfold the number of intersections in which pedestrians were now given a head start to cross, in advance of turning cars. Despite the implementation of these and many other measures, over the long term the raw numbers have not been encouraging. Last year saw 257 traffic fatalities in the city; just one fewer than there had been nine years ago, when Vision Zero began.

The pandemic managed both to confirm and undermine New Yorks reputation as the most walkable city in the country. We walked to go places, to achieve equilibrium, to escape, to commune, to protest. The writer David Sedaris sometimes found himself walking 20 miles a day. In a dangerous convergence of trends, persistent fears of public transportation pushed car ownership upward while the stresses of Covid life were causing people to drink more. Speeding and reckless driving were the leading causes of traffic deaths, and in 2021 they reached their highest point in the Vision Zero era. Nationally, there were more pedestrian deaths in 2021 than there had been in 40 years. Covid has receded but some of the dangerous habits it produced obviously have not. A proposed law in the New York State Legislature would lower the permissible level of alcohol in the bloodstream, a measure that some studies have shown acts as an effective deterrent against driving drunk.

Under Vision Zero, the Department of Transportation was tasked with identifying priority corridors  those stretches where pedestrian deaths and serious injuries are most concentrated. One of them was Atlantic Avenue: not merely a few blocks but the whole 10 miles of it, from the western end at Brooklyn Bridge Park to Jamaica, Queens. Since 2020, there have been four deaths on the westernmost mile alone. So far this year, traffic injuries have increased on Atlantic between Fourth and Bedford Avenues by roughly a third over the same period in 2022.

Recently, I asked Mr. Orcutt to walk part of the western tip of Atlantic with me, explain the root of the problems and what might be done to solve them. Atlantic is Brooklyns primary east-west artery, functionally a highway that runs through a series of increasingly dense residential neighborhoods, where construction during the past several years has been more and more active.

We began our analysis on the southwest corner of Atlantic and Hicks Street at the beginning of rush hour, when a steady stream of cars and trucks were aggressively turning left from Hicks, sometimes cramming into three lanes, to make their way onto Atlantics one-lane entrance ramp to the Brooklyn Queens Expressway typically swerving into the crosswalk. Mr. Orcutt pointed out a proliferation of trucks that were so big they were not legally allowed to pass through many streets in the city, especially in the midst of so many dining sheds that worked to obscure drivers and pedestrians from one another.
As Republican candidates enter the 2024 presidential race, Times columnists and Opinion writers will assess their strengths and weaknesses with a scorecard. We rate the candidates on a scale of 1 to 10: 1 means the candidate will probably drop out before any caucus or primary voting; 10 means the candidate has a very strong chance of receiving the partys nomination next summer. This entry assesses Asa Hutchinson, the former governor of Arkansas, who announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination on Wednesday.

How seriously should we take Asa Hutchinsons candidacy?

John Brummett His candidacy should be taken seriously for his diverse, relevant experience and for what he has to say about todays political predicament. But it probably wont be taken that way, considering that his strength is as a workhorse in a game designed for show horses. Hed make a fine and circumspect attorney general.

Matthew Continetti On Earth Two, where Donald Trump never entered American politics, a two-term conservative governor from the South like Asa Hutchinson would be considered a serious candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination. But where we live, and in Trumps G.O.P., Hutchinson is a long shot.

Michelle Cottle As seriously as you would take any little-known, low-key, old-school Republican contender with decades of government experience who has said that Donald Trump has disqualified himself from being president again. So, not seriously at all.
On a visit in February to the site of the Fukushima nuclear plant meltdown in Japan, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York did something refreshing: She discussed radiation exposure and nuclear waste without fanning fear. The radiation she got from her visit  about two chest X-rays worth  was worth the education she received on the tour, she told her 8.6 million Instagram followers. She then spoke admiringly of France, which, she said, recycles their waste, increasing the efficiency of their system and reducing the overall amount of radioactive waste to deal with.

Progressive lawmakers, along with environmental groups like the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council, have historically been against nuclear power  often focusing on the danger, longevity and storage requirements of the radioactive waste. During the 2020 presidential campaign, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont said, It doesnt make a whole lot of sense to me to add more dangerous waste to this country and to the world when we dont know how to get rid of what we have right now. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts echoed these concerns and pledged not to build any new nuclear plants if elected president.

So its no surprise that many Americans believe nuclear waste poses an enormous and terrifying threat. But after talking to engineers, radiation specialists and waste managers, Ive come to see this misunderstanding is holding us back from embracing a powerful, clean energy source we need to tackle climate change. We must stop seeing nuclear waste as a dangerous problem and instead recognize it as a safe byproduct of carbon-free power.

Why is nuclear so important for reducing carbon emissions? The countries that have cleaned up their electricity production the fastest have generally done so with hydroelectric power, nuclear, or a combination of the two. The distinct advantage of nuclear is that it requires little land and can reliably produce lots of power regardless of weather, time of day or season. Unlike wind and solar, it can substitute directly for fossil fuels without backup or storage. The International Energy Agency believes its so crucial that global nuclear capacity must double by 2050 to reach net-zero emissions targets.
The Columbia University professor Mark Lilla, a perspicacious liberal critic of the contemporary right and left, has an essay in the latest issue of Liberties Journal analyzing the appeal and perils of nostalgia. The appeal is universal, he argues: Like late-middle-aged adults flipping through vacation pictures that remind us, or delude us into thinking, that family relations were once simpler and happier than they are now, almost every society finds itself mythologizing and romanticizing its own origin or past. But the peril is inherent in the romance: No less than the utopian futurist, the backward-looking romantic is tempted to violently wrench the present out of joint, to sacrifice lives and treasure on the altar of a lost wholeness, a fantasy of never-was.

Lilla illustrates this peril with a long discussion of the role that nostalgia and imagined pasts played in the rise and shape and savagery of National Socialism in Germany. The Hitlerian politics of nostalgia wasnt confined to fantasies of Teutonic purity, he notes; the Nazis laid claim to the heritage of Greece as well, with Hitler himself drawing a parallel between the Spartan practice of abandoning handicapped children in the wild and his regimes industrialized-scale eugenic cleansing. And that kind of invocation, the conscious linkage of the ancient world to the modern present, was itself an imitation of the spirit of Augustan-age Rome, whose cultural project, embodied most of all by Virgil, was to redirect nostalgia for the past toward the future and raise the prospect of leapfrogging over the present to arrive at a utopian world to come.

In this sense, Lilla argues, the ideologies of modern fascism are all heirs to the Aeneid.

I think this is true, but the nature of its truth suggests a necessary counterpoint to Lillas critique  or maybe an extension and complication of his argument, since I doubt he would fully rule out a constructive role for nostalgia in human civilization. Because Virgils Aeneid is, after all, one of the central artistic works of Western history, and the larger Augustan Age is likewise well remembered for good reason. So the influence of both Virgil and his era runs down through time through countless channels: Renaissance art, 18th-century poetry, early modern political theory, neoclassical architecture and more. The fascists were heirs to Augustan Rome not because of an affinity between their worldviews, but because Augustan Rome had a lot of would-be heirs.

And it had all those heirs and imitators because the phenomenon Lilla describes, the redirection of nostalgia for past greatness toward a vision of the future, is an essential part of human civilization-building. It is not that you have the steady march of progress on the one hand and on the other, people throwing themselves backward into fantasies of lost arcadias as some kind of escapist alternative. The relationship is much more complicated. What we think of as moral and cultural progress is often dependent on backward glances, rediscoveries and recoveries that enable escapes from the cul-de-sac of presentism, the repetitions of decadence. Or alternatively, nostalgic rediscoveries are often necessary to humanize and tame the excesses of progress, to maintain continuities that might otherwise be shattered by social or technological shifts.
Although the three branches of the American government were designed to be coequal, the structure of the Constitution tells us something about the relative power of each branch, as envisioned by the framers.

Article I establishes the legislature. Article II establishes the executive branch. And Article III establishes the federal judiciary. It is true that the branches share powers and responsibilities. But its also true that the framers trusted Congress  the representative branch  with far more authority than it did the president or the Supreme Court.

Congress makes laws. Congress spends money. Congress approves the presidents cabinet and says whether he can appoint a judge or not. Congress structures the judiciary and Congress sets the size of the Supreme Court and the scope of its business.

The upshot of all of this is that when Congress calls, the other branches are supposed to answer  not as a courtesy, but as an affirmation of the rules of the American constitutional order. The modern Congress might be weak, and the presidency, against the expectations of the framers, might be the center of American political life, but its still newsworthy when a member of the executive branch says he or she wont meet with the legislature.
To the Editor:

Re Kamala Harris Really Matters in 2024, by Thomas L. Friedman (column, April 26):

Mr. Friedman identifies the heightened peril of this moment and states that President Biden absolutely has to win. Having declared his candidacy for a second term, Mr. Biden needs to address age-related questions head on. Consequently, his running mate faces greater scrutiny.

Thus far, Vice President Kamala Harris hasnt forged her own identity. By the very nature of the job, she is confined to a supporting role, but she needs breakout moments of not being a tightly programmed V.P. She must trust her own best instincts. Go off script. (Her handlers will be aghast.) Make mistakes and learn from them.

After many years of being the consummate pragmatic politician, Mr. Biden seems to be more fully at ease in his own skin and seems to revel in the daunting challenges his presidency faces  head on with admirable grace and courage. He can free her to dare to do the same.

Barbara Allen Kenney

Paso Robles, Calif.

To the Editor:

Thomas L. Friedman is way off base in suggesting that Kamala Harris may be saved by giving her a variety of portfolios. She simply lacks the foreign policy and defense chops to justify putting her a heartbeat away from the presidency, especially when the president, if re-elected, would be well into his 80s as his second term progresses.
In 1978 a pioneering article by the Yale economist Ray Fair, The Effect of Economic Events on Votes for President, made the case that economic events as measured by the change in real economic activity in the year of the election do appear to have an important effect on votes for president. In January, the model predicted, using his economic projections as inputs, that Biden, if renominated, would get 50.07 percent of the two-party presidential vote next year, with no assumption about the Republican opponent.

Fairs model, which he has tweaked over the years, correctly predicted the winner of the popular vote in every election from 1980 through 2008 except for 1992, when it incorrectly predicted Bill Clinton would get only 43 percent of the two-party popular vote against George H.W. Bush. It hasnt done well lately, though: It predicted the Democrat would get less than half the popular vote in the two-candidate matchup in 2012, when President Barack Obama won a second term; in 2016, when Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but lost to Trump in the Electoral College; and in 2020, when Biden beat Trump.

I asked Fair if it was fair to say that polarization of voters has weakened the predictive value of economic indicators. He acknowledged that Trump, an especially polarizing figure, had underperformed in both 2016 and 2020 given economic conditions that the Fair model considered favorable to him. (And he said it could happen again if Trump is the G.O.P. candidate next year.) But he said hes not convinced that his economic model has lost its predictive power. Personally, I think theres still a pretty big middle group of voters who are influenced by economic factors, he said.

A good example of why its dangerous to overrely on economic models is what happened in the spring of 2020, when Covid hit. Based on historical patterns, several of the best-known models (though not Fairs) put a heavy weight on how the economy performs in the second quarter of an election year, namely April through June. Because of the Covid shutdown, the gross domestic product fell at an annual rate of 29.9 percent in the second quarter of 2020. Going by that one data point, the election should have been a disaster for the incumbent, Trump. But voters understood that Trump couldnt be blamed for Covid. Whats more, the economy grew at an annual rate of 35.3 percent in the following quarter as it rebounded from the shutdown. In the end, Trump did worse than Fairs model had predicted but way better than predicted by models that heavily weighted second-quarter economic growth.

Another problem with some economics-based forecasting models such as Fairs is that they predict the popular vote, rather than the one that really matters, the Electoral College vote, which depends on state-by-state results. Fair is sticking to forecasting the popular vote because he thinks its of academic interest. Some other forecasters have switched to predicting the Electoral College result, but its much trickier. The outcome of the election comes down to a handful of swing states, and within those few states, to the behavior of a small minority of voters whose minds arent made up. The Electoral College throws a monkey wrench into the business, Alan Abramowitz, an emeritus professor of political science at Emory University, told me.
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ezra klein

Im Ezra Klein. This is The Ezra Klein Show. [MUSIC PLAYING] So as I get ready to move to New York, Ive been thinking a lot about the politics of California. From the outside, California, and particularly its two dominant cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco  they have these dual reputations. They are world leaders, right? This is where the culture that everyone consumes is made and where the technology that everyone uses is made. To play with the old William Gibson line, the future is already here. Its just in California. And then, California is also this bogeyman for the Right, and particularly L.A. and S.F. It is often defined by its pathologies  homelessness and inaffordability and inequality and hypocrisy and disorder. And you might think, if your experience of it is on Fox News, that that is all stuck. But Californias politics are really interesting. Republicans are this non-force. They dont hold a single statewide office. They are nonentities in Los Angeles and San Francisco. And so the confrontation here, with what people in California dont like, is a confrontation that has to happen within the Democratic Party, and is happening within the Democratic Party. You have these progressive movements rising inside a Democratic coalition, trying to balance their liberal commitments with an analysis of where liberalism has failed. I dont think my focus on the supply side of progressive policy would be what it is now if I hadnt seen how much damage, failing, on the supply side of progressive policy had done in California. I mean, this is a place where you sometimes have to net out what Republicans are doing nationally and realize that even where Democrats govern, they have not managed to create the progressive outcomes they want, and then try to look at why that is. One politician here has done that really successfully  Scott Wiener, the state senator from San Francisco. And thats particularly true on the central issue here  housing, where Wiener was, for a very long time, this lonely voice trying to radically expand housing supply, only to lose on his biggest bills, year after year after year. But then, slowly, he began to win  small bills, a couple more small bills, medium bills. And now, theres this torrent of both signatures on legislation and proposed legislation on how to make housing construction easier. If you look at what Governor Gavin Newsom is doing and what San Francisco Mayor London Breed is proposing and what L.A. mayor Karen Bass is doing, you see a real push to make housing easier to build. And that work isnt done yet, and whether or not what is being done will be enough  I mean, thats all to be seen. But really, the plate tectonics of this issue have shifted, and Wiener was a big reason for that, and hes really early on that. So I wanted to talk to him to get his view on the political workings of California, where the traditional labels around progressivism break down, what happens when Democrats have to look at the failures of Democrats and cant look at Republicans, why the Right is so interested in San Francisco, and the unusual ways in which what makes this state great and what makes it very difficult and very challenging are braided together. As always, my email  ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com. Scott Wiener, welcome to the show.

scott wiener

Thanks for having me.

ezra klein

So tell me a bit about your path to politics. How did you get here?

scott wiener

It was a really long and winding road. No one in my family had ever been involved in politics before. And when I was a teenager in New Jersey, I started interning for my member of Congress. This is back in the 80s.

ezra klein

Whos your member?

scott wiener

Jim Florio. You might recall him. He subsequently became Governor of New Jersey, and then was defeated for re-election, because he had increased taxes, including extending the sales tax to toilet paper, and that became, like, the rallying cry, and he got tossed from office, which is sad, because he was good. So I interned for him, met some people through him, and started volunteering on campaigns, and just kept going through college. And then, when I came out to San Francisco, I decided I did not want to do politics anymore. I wanted to do community work, L.G.B.T.Q. community work, and got sucked back in and could never quite get away, and eventually decided, OK, Im going to just go with this, and ultimately decided to run.

ezra klein

How did you end up in San Francisco? And maybe a sort of corollary of that  where are we in time here, and what did San Francisco mean to you, as a teenager growing up in New Jersey?

scott wiener

So as a gay kid in New Jersey  I admitted to myself that I was gay in 1987, when I was 17 years old, and came out  started coming out when I was 20, in 1990. And I was very lucky that I had queer people in my family  my aunt on one side who was a lesbian and a cousin on another side who was a lesbian. And so I had an amazing family. But I also knew that in high school, it wasnt an option for me to come out. I would have been physically unsafe in that period of time in suburban New Jersey, and so I was closeted for high school. And I always knew that San Francisco had something going on around L.G.B.T.Q. people. And so as a gay kid, I always thought about San Francisco. And I thought I would go back to Philadelphia, where my family is from  Philadelphia, New Jersey area. But something inside told me to go to San Francisco, like generations of queer people have gone to San Francisco.

ezra klein

And you came here as a lawyer?

scott wiener

Yeah, I graduated from law school in 96, and then in 97, I came out to start working for one of the big firms downtown, and after five years, went to the city attorneys office to do trial work.

ezra klein

How is San Francisco different than  as a cultural space, what it meant to live here and absorb what you might think of as its culture? And how is it different as a political space  the factions and the ideas that dominated?

scott wiener

Yeah, as a cultural space, it is truly, in so many ways, a live-and-let-live kind of place. People here are so mellow about who people are, what theyre doing. And so its an amazing place to live, in that  much less judgment, just about what kind of life youre living. San Francisco has been that way for a very long time. And its true for gay people, and its true for just people who may not fit in elsewhere. Its true for young tech workers who come here. They could work in tech in a lot of places, and they chose San Francisco because of what it represents. Politically, San Francisco is this weird combination of very progressive and quite conservative  very progressive in a lot of the ways that we would consider what is progressive, in terms of having a strong minimum wage and supporting immigrants and supporting L.G.B.T.Q. people and so forth, and getting rid of plastics. On the other hand, its a city that has, in recent decades, been very afraid of change. And this city is all about change, from the time that the city was colonized 170-plus years ago. Its been in a constant state of flux, sometimes chaotic flux. And people recently, I feel like, have gotten very scared of change.

ezra klein

Im always interested in the way material realities end up shaping political ideas and cultures and factions. And one thing I think about when you came is, one, you didnt have the housing costs of today. And I wonder how that changed who was here, who could vote, what was possible. But the other is that something that has been very strange to me since coming here  and I grew up in Southern California, I went to UC Santa Cruz, but I only lived in  first time I came to the Bay Area to live was in 2018. Then I moved into S.F. itself two years later. Much more so than anywhere else Ive ever lived, its like a city without a middle class, which is not to say there literally its not one. But there are people who are very, very rich, and there are people who are very, very poor. And compared to other places Ive been or spent a lot of time  D.C. or Los Angeles or New York  it feels to me like that middle has really shrunk. You see many fewer kids here, because its so expensive to raise a family here. And that does take a profound pressure on the politics. One, Im curious if that feels right to you, and two, then what its been like to see that evolve. Because it wasnt like that when you came.

scott wiener

Well, it was on its way in that direction when I arrived in 1997, because our bad housing policies and bad approaches to housing  very anti-housing policies that started decades before. And when I arrived in San Francisco  I remember I arrived on a Friday night, stayed with a friend of mine in the Sunset, and then Saturday morning, started my apartment hunting. And I thought I would do it the old-fashioned way, like I did in Philadelphia, in Boston, everywhere else. You just go, and you find an apartment, you sign a lease, and youre done.

ezra klein

Such a sweet, naive boy. [LAUGHS]

scott wiener

[LAUGHS] I was naive. I showed up at my first open house. It was in the heat on a Saturday morning, and there was a line down the block. And when I finally got in, people were trying to bribe the landlord to give them the lease. And I wondered to myself, what on Earth is going on here? And that was my first entree into housing in San Francisco. I learned a lot. I learned the reasons why, after that. But it has definitely been on that trajectory for a while, where you look like a neighborhood where  I lived in the Castro for 26 years. It used to be, in the Castro, you could be a working-class family raising three or four kids, just have a house there. That, now, doesnt work. I mean, a home, a decent-sized, family-sized home in the Castro  single-family would be, probably, to two, two and a half million dollars. Even a large condo would probably be 1.5 million. And so it is definitely increasingly a city where its harder and harder to be middle-class, particularly raising a family. There is still a middle class here. There are people who are so committed to the city, and they make it work. And Im in awe of them, because we do not make it easy.

ezra klein

One of the things that I began to realize here after a bit is that its just very strange to live in a place where to own a home means to be making one of two statements about yourself. One is, Ive been here a long time, or the other is, in some way or another, Im wealthy. That is not how it works in every place.

scott wiener

Yeah. Homeownership is a whole different thing here. Im very lucky I was able to, in 2004, really stretch and purchase a 500-square-foot condo. And thats where I live, and thats where Ive been for almost 20 years. I would not be able to afford that condo today. And so I consider myself very lucky. I have friends who will say that they know that theyre never going to own in San Francisco. And we have more long-term renters here, and thats fine. Renting can be a great thing, but it does create more instability to people. And thats why theres so much fear of being evicted. The number of people who will say to me, if I lose my apartment for whatever reason, I will have to leave San Francisco, because there is just no way I will find something that I can afford. And thats a really tragic and unhealthy dynamic in any city.

ezra klein

Theres this term you hear  I heard it all the time growing up. You hear it if you listen to any coverage of the Bay Area, which is Bay Area liberalism. And one of the things you really get a clear sense of, living here, is that that should really be plural. There are all these Bay Area liberalisms that are in competition. Theyre often in conflict. How do you describe the different Bay Area liberalisms? How would you categorize the factions?

scott wiener

I dont like to talk  use the labels, because theyre very misleading. When we say progressive in San Francisco, people mean various things. And there are some strains of, quote unquote, progressivism in San Francisco that are actually quite conservative, because they are opposed to all sorts of positive change, because they want to freeze-frame everything the way it is and just freeze it in amber. When you say liberalism, I assume you mean, writ large. There are sort of the radical  I dont say radical in a pejorative way, but more hard-left socialist. Thats a real undercurrent here in San Francisco, but also in the East Bay. And people who are very much along the sort of Bernie Sanders, we need to just radically restructure the whole system. And that is a very real undercurrent here. You have also people who describe themselves as progressive, but they came up during a time period where there was  anything that was change was viewed as dangerous and terrible. And it came out of the 40s, 50s, 60s, when we were, like, bulldozing entire neighborhoods in the name of progress, and trying to build freeways in the middle of Golden Gate Park, in the name of progress. And so people who came up during that time period came to view any kind of change, development, building anything, as harmful and destructive. And so they consider themselves liberals or progressives, but they oppose new housing. They oppose physical changes to improve public transportation. That attitude has harmed San Francisco. It came out of a reasonable place  we dont want to bulldoze neighborhoods anymore. But it turned into this opposition to all change. They are classified as often progressives or liberals in San Francisco and the Bay Area. I dont think that thats a very progressive approach. Then, there are, for lack of a better word, YIMBYs or abundance liberals or progressives, and people who are very liberal, and they have the opposite point of view around change  that we need to make it easier to create good things, whether new homes or new bus lines or new clean energy or whatever the case may be. And so those are some of the big strains.

ezra klein

And how about the strains that are emergent out of tech? And Id put that a little bit differently, because its never clear to me how many votes  some of the very loud voices in the V.C. class actually command or represent, or what that looks like behind them. But how would you describe the sort of faction that I think emerges and is powerful on Twitter right now, but that is a place where a lot of people now get their political understanding of San Francisco?

scott wiener

In terms of tech, tech is obviously very diverse. And I remember, 15 years ago  this is when I was sort of getting ready for my first run for the Board of Supervisors. And we were starting to see a tech run up, which  or could see it coming. And I remember there were people in politics saying to me, tech is starting to explode in San Francisco. Its going to completely change the politics and make it more middle-of-the-road. Its going to be a whole different ballgame. That turned out to be completely untrue. Because as I mentioned a little earlier, tech workers can often work anywhere. There are a lot of different places in the U.S. where you can be a tech worker. And if youre in the Bay Area, when you think about the battles we had over the Google buses and the Apple buses, all the tech shuttles that were taking San Francisco residents down to Mountain View or Menlo Park or Cupertino to work at one of the big mega tech firms  I dont care how nice that bus was. That was still like a two - to three-hour bus ride, round trip, every day. Those workers were choosing that long commute to live in San Francisco, because they believed in San Francisco and its values. And so it turned out that the tech workers who were moving to San Francisco were often way left, and in some ways, made the city even more left than it was before. So some of the tech folks on Twitter who may have very large followings and be very impactful in various ways  they dont necessarily represent the broad perspective of tech workers. Thats a much more diverse perspective.

ezra klein

Well, I actually think thats become a pretty core driver of some of their politics, I think, in a way that I dont believe this was nearly as true five years ago, 10 years ago  that theres much more conflict now, between the tech bosses and the tech employees, much more frustration. Theyre all together in Slack rooms. Theyre mad at each other. And as you say, the tech employee class is pretty far left, and a lot of the tech bosses are, in some cases, more traditionally right or libertarian but, whatever they are, are very frustrated by their own employees. And so there is this divergence where I actually think theyre getting pushed right by their own people. Their people are getting pushed left by them. Theres a funny internal culture in tech that, I think, shapes a lot of the way San Francisco looks from the outside without actually being, as far as I can tell, as relevant as you would think to its politics.

scott wiener

I think that is right. I think tech has been very complicated for San Francisco and, obviously, great economically. But yeah, its just  it is not a monolith by any stretch of the imagination.

ezra klein

One thing I find interesting about the Bay Area liberalisms  and one reason that being here and watching the politics closely has been helpful for me  is that when youre in D.C. and youre watching whats happening, a lot of the focus, if you want more liberal outcomes, is on Republicans. Right? A debt ceiling crisis or the way Mitch McConnell might wield the filibuster. And here, in the Bay Area specifically, in California at this point more broadly  I mean, theres not a single statewide elected Republican. The Republican Party is too weak to be a major player in outcomes. And so in different ways, all the liberalisms are dealing with the successes, but also the failures, of Democratic governance, and so theyre all, in one fashion or another, reformist movements. So when you look at governance in the Bay Area, but then also governance in California broadly, because youre a state senator, what do you think Democrats have to brag about, where they can say, look, weve made California, we made San Francisco, a model the nation should follow? And what do they have to answer for? What are people like you or some of the people in other factions trying to grapple with that didnt go that well but that has to be understood as a coalitional failure, not an oppositional failure?

scott wiener

Absolutely. And I will say that there are things that were viewed as the liberal, good thing that no longer are  in housing and certain kinds of transportation. I think in terms of what we can be proud of  I mean, you look at clean energy, for example. We have made massive investments in clean energy. The very near brownouts that we had last year because of some of the wildfires and the extreme weather  had we not made those massive investments in clean energy, and energy storage in particular, we would have had rolling blackouts. Weve been on the cutting edge of trying to reduce single-use plastics. There are a lot of environmental strategies that we are the first to employ. And then, of course, in protecting civil rights, protecting reproductive health care  health care in general, we have gone to the limit and beyond, in terms of expanding health care under the Affordable Care Act. Weve expanded Medi-Cal to undocumented people  not of every age, but at least older and younger. And so in a number of ways, weve just done exactly what we want the federal government to do, and were leading the way here. In other areas, we have failed, and were trying to turn that around. Weve absolutely failed on housing. California and Bay Area have just erected so many barriers to new housing, and again, thats sprung out of the  all development is bad, because you want to build freeways through parks and tear down neighborhoods. And so it became a reaction that we have to have as much process as possible for any kind of change, including building new homes by a transit station. We also made it hard to build new public transportation  extremely hard to build it. And so in those kinds of ways, some of these basic needs  new homes, homes for people to live, transit for people to get around  we made it so hard, that we have driven the car into the ditch. We have a multi-million home shortage that is absolutely fueling homelessness and housing insecurity and making people live in overcrowded situations. And we saw what that did during the pandemic, and weve made it really hard to get around.

ezra klein

Do you understand that as an ideological choice that got made along the way, or do you understand that as systems and processes that were erected for, possibly, another use or that most people dont even know about? You talk about running for Board of Supervisors. Most people, I dont think, can tell you what comes before the Board of Supervisors or doesnt. I find this comes up a lot, to the degree to which what we see happening now is an actual choice  like the voters weighed in on it, and this is what they want  or we have what gets called policy drift, and processes built in another era are now weaponized in this era, in a way that is very contrary to the intentions of the people who design them.

scott wiener

Its both. Its both intentional, and it is drift. On the intentional side, you look at housing and the downzoning things that happened in the 70s and 80s. It used to be that you could build apartment buildings, pretty much, anywhere. And then, all of a sudden, the zoning changed, so you can only build single-family homes, which created a math issue  when you could only build one unit of housing per parcel, whereas you used to be able to build five or 10 or 20 per parcel, and that was one of the root causes of our housing crisis. LA in the 80s downzoned and literally eliminated 50 percent, 1/2 of its own housing capacity. San Francisco did something similar in late 70s, and that happened up and down the state. That was all extremely intentional. We dont want multi-unit, we dont want more housing, we dont want change. On the drift side, the poster child for drift is CEQA, the California Environmental Quality Act, which was passed in the early 70s, signed into law by Governor Ronald Reagan. The purpose of it, which is a very important purpose, is to say when youre doing something significant, making a significant decision  youre going to build a new dam, new highway  you should do environmental analysis so you know what the impacts will be. Over time, CEQA came to apply to everything, and it could be absolutely weaponized, so that people who oppose any project, even environmentally beneficial projects, can use this supposed environmental law to stop the project to slow it down, to kill an apartment building right by a BART station, to delay or kill a bus rapid transit line or a bike lane. And so we have this environmental law that is, in some ways, harming climate action. And that was not necessarily intentional, but that was drift over time that has been very harmful.

ezra klein

One reason I think California policy is challenging for liberals is that you often find examples of things where affectively, you think, that sounds great, right? You have the Environmental Quality Act, or theres simply a lot of what at least was intended to be small-d democratic input across the state. Ive spent a lot of time at Board of Supervisors meetings and planning meetings and council meetings. And these are places where people from the community are supposed to be able to come in and weigh in. You have the proposition process and ballot initiatives, right? Where the public can get something onto the ballot and actually vote it into  vote it into power, even if the legislature isnt going to take it up anytime soon. And all that sounds great. And then, you look at the outcomes, and theyre not what people want. People are very unhappy about them. Things get very expensive. Things get slowed down. It seems like the people who show up at the meetings are not always representative of the community. A lot of your bills  one of the things theyve done at different points is try to make it so if, say, affordable housing fulfills basic requirements, you dont have to go through all these different councils and committees and so on. How do you think about that collision between values that a lot of, say, liberals hold dear  you know, environmentalism or participation  and processes that often feel, in the end, like they are moving the other direction? Like youre getting more sprawl out, which is bad for the environment, or youre getting more kind of status quo interests, which is not what you think for small-d democracy.

scott wiener

First of all, when we talk about environmental protection, it should be about what the result is and not what the process is. And so were phasing out single-use plastics in California. We are trying to reduce oil drilling in California. Putting those regulations in place to protect peoples health and protect the environment  thats what its all about. Putting process in place that can actually harm the environment by killing a new rapid bus line or by slowing down or killing a clean energy project  and weve seen CEQA and other environmental laws used to stop clean energy. And Bill McKibben actually just wrote  one of the most respected climate activists in the world just wrote an amazing piece about how this overprocessing of decisions and abuse of environmental laws can actually impede climate action. And so we have to make sure that were looking at the results and not just at the process. If you have an endless process and a bad result  first of all, its not democratic, because the people who show up at a planning commission hearing or a city council meeting or a town hall may or may not represent the broad popular view. In fact, often they dont, because a lot of people dont even know those meetings are happening, or trying to just get their kids to do their homework and eat dinner. And so we have, in some ways, harmed our democratic process by letting it be hijacked through a very, very unrepresentative community process, which can often impede things like climate action.

ezra klein

How do you think about this on a principles level, though? And Ill be honest. This is in a lot of my more recent work on  call it supply-side liberalism, call it abundance progressivism  the place I struggle the most, which is, if you just take an outcomes are what matter kind of attitude, you could lose something that I think is really important in a democracy, which is that ability for different kinds of input to emerge, a kind of, not just sense of the community, but a genius of the collective, right? In theory, democracy is an information-gathering and synthesizing technology, to be very nerdy and San Francisco about the way I put it. And you know, theres, I think, a tendency to say California has a huge housing crisis. We should, say, bump a bunch of this up to the state level. And if it fits the general goals Gavin Newsom has for affordable housing, it should just go through. And theres a very good critique that the way we do it now is a failure. But that feels to me like, at some point, were going to be losing something in the technology and possibility of democracy that we also dont want to sacrifice. What would ideal process look like? How do you make process not just a slur?

scott wiener

Yeah. And to be very, very clear, Im not opposed to process. I think community participation is a good thing. As a former local elected official, when we would have neighborhood problems and you have a community meeting, you would often get excellent feedback. So I think its a bad thing to exclude the public. We need public participation. But there needs to be a beginning, middle, and end of the process. And not everyone is going to get their way. Some people are going to be happier or less happy with the result, but you have to eventually get to that result. And if you look at our housing work, the housing work we do does not exclude the public from the process. Im a big believer that once youve set the rules up, if someone comes forward and says, OK, youve zoned for this height, for this many units, you have these objective design standards, these are the setbacks, et cetera, et cetera  I have a project, and I have checked all the boxes that you have set down in the law, public entity. You should get your permit. Whereas now, what we say is, OK, we know youve complied with every rule that the elected officials have set, but you still have to go through an unpredictable five-year process. And so what we are doing around housing as an example is, cities can still set a lot of the rules. We tell them, you need to zone for 3,000 new homes in the next eight years. And the cities then, through their democratic process, decide where they want to focus that development. And that is a very localized public participatory decision. They get to come up with their design standards. They get to make a lot of these decisions locally. We set the broad parameters, and we say, these are the results you need to achieve. You figure out the best way to achieve it. And once youve set the rules, if someone meets the rules, you need to give them their permit. Thats good government, and it allows public participation. So its a balance.

ezra klein

How do you think about the propositions ballot initiative process  which, in a theoretical way, I find completely inarguable? You should be able to get enough signatures and get something on the ballot and be able to bring at least some things that have very intense support to the direct democracy. And I barely know anybody at this point who doesnt think that process is a mess, who isnt worried about the amount of the budget that is tied up in things that sounded good when somebody put it on the ballot. Theres a sense that you can just  if you have enough money, you can get anything on the ballot. What should we learned from the ballot initiative processes uses and abuses? And add one more fillip to this, Im always so struck that that process emerges out of a feeling that the railroads have bought the entire legislature back in the early  late-19th to early-20th century. And then, you get, later on, Uber and Lyft, sort of modern mega transportation players, use it to make it impossible for the legislature to do anything about gig workers. So you do have this also weird kind of modern version of it, where it was meant to be a way around corporations. Its now a pathway for corporations. What should we learn from that?

scott wiener

One thing Ive learned is that the voters really dislike the ballot measure system for a lot of reasons. But the only thing that they dislike more than the ballot measure system is the idea of giving up their power to politicians. And so I actually, when I was a brand-new supervisor and so many people had said to me on the campaign trail, there are too many ballot measures, you people need to do your job. And so I proposed a very modest reform to San Franciscos ballot measure rules, so that the Board of Supervisors and Mayor, years after something was passed, could make modest changes to it without having to go back to the ballot to account for changed circumstances. I got all sorts of endorsements from editorial boards, got it on the ballot. It got 30 percent of the vote. It got, just, destroyed. And so I learned then that people really dont want to give up power to politicians. But the reality is that the ballot measure system, especially at the statewide level, is not doing what it was intended to do more than 100 years ago when it was created. Its been decades since a volunteer-driven ballot measure was qualified via signature. It usually is more along the lines of Uber and Lyft writing their own industry regulations and putting it on the ballot, and then spending $100 million to get it passed, or the cigarette companies doing a referendum to repeal our restrictions on flavored tobacco. Now we passed a law to say you cant drill for oil right next to someones home or by their kids school. The oil companies have qualified a referendum to repeal that. And then, of course, local government cannot fund itself without going to the ballot. And now, theres a ballot measure being proposed by the business community that would say, to pass any local tax, it has to be a two-thirds vote. So theres a lot of problematic aspects to our ballot measure system that make it hard to fund basic public services and the governance in the state.

ezra klein

When you were talking about the different liberalisms earlier, you mentioned one thats sort of YIMBY liberalism  Yes In My Back Yard liberalism. And I do think of the YIMBYs as one of the much more consequential policy movements Ive seen emerge, just in my time covering politics altogether. And they emerged, in part, around you. I mean, you were on housing quite a bit before most people were. Thats how I first started hearing of you back when I lived in D.C. You had these bills, including a very famous one that would have allowed a lot more development around transit. These became big flash points. And to the extent, I think, some of these movements emerged, they emerged around the idea that, well, passing things like this is what it would look like to be a YIMBY. And so it sort of made it more literal. How did you get into housing? And particularly, how did you get into the view that you just need more of it, which is not where everybody, certainly 10 years ago, who thought about that got?

scott wiener

Well, it was probably a 15-year journey for me. I mentioned earlier, the first apartment open house I went to in 97 was a liner on the block. After that, as a young lawyer, I did a lot of pro bono work representing or defending low-income renters facing eviction. And these were people who  a lot of long-term H.I.V. survivors, who would tell me, if I lose this case, Im going to have to leave San Francisco, and I wont be able to get the H.I.V. care that I need. I then got active in my neighborhood association. And I still remember one excellent project that was entirely within zoning, that had to go through 50  five-oh  zero community meetings before it went to the planning commission. And I remember thinking, why 50? Couldnt we do this in four meetings or five or seven or three? Why 50? It seemed ridiculous to me. And then, I got on the Board of Supervisors, and I quickly saw just the chaos around housing, that everything was a fight, and that we created the rules to allow the loudest voices to obstruct pretty much anything or drag it out and make it more expensive. Meanwhile, I saw the damage that was causing with working-class, low-income people, and I connected the dots. It took me some time, but I finally connected the dots  that this system, this anti-housing system that we had set up, that was designed to make it hard to build housing, was directly harming people, was causing evictions, was pushing people out, pushing people into homelessness. And the more I learned about it, the more horrified I was. And thats why, early on, I did something that no one did back then. I proposed legislation to upset my entire district. Only my supervisor district  I wasnt trying to put it in the whole state, just my district. And it passed, and it had a lot of support. And then, I said to myself, wait, I thought people were supposed to hate new development and new housing. Maybe they actually like it. My neighborhood group did a poll, like an online poll for that ordinance that I proposed to upzone the district, and it got, like, 70 percent support. And so I saw something there. And then, when the YIMBYs  a woman by the name of Sonja Trauss was the first. She started showing up at the Board of Supervisors, sort of berating us about not approving more housing. And I sensed something was happening, and it was a trickle, and then it became a tidal wave.

ezra klein

I think typically, when people think about the dynamics of an issue, they think first about polling. As you just mentioned, you know, would people in your district support that or oppose it? But youve been around a lot of these bills now. Youve passed some, youve failed on a bunch. What is the typical structure of interest group politics on housing in California? Whos kind of always in favor of more? Whos routinely in favor of less? What are the dynamics people might not expect on this from the outside? How does this work inside the maneuvering in Sacramento?

scott wiener

Well, we have over  Im in my eighth year in the legislature. And over those eight years, we have methodically built a huge coalition. In my first year, it was sort of small. And every year when we do more housing bills, there are a few more groups that come out of the woodwork, like Habitat for Humanity or an AARP or a United Way. And once theyre in, theyre in. They stay. But we have the housing advocates, the YIMBY groups, the groups that advocate for more affordable, subsidized housing. We have the anti-poverty groups that have gotten increasingly involved. Theres a group that, just this year, for the first time, got involved  the Inner City Law Center in LA, which is like a pro-bono law firm for people in Skid Row. And they see the big picture on housing, and they have become part of our coalition. We have some of the tenants groups  some of the landlord groups, but not others. The people who build housing  there are environmental organizations that have gotten increasingly involved, because they understand that if youre not building new homes in places like Berkeley and San Francisco and L.A., it means that you are building sprawl, which is so destructive. And then, we also work a lot with labor. Unions are generally very pro housing. Sometimes there are disputes about some of the aspects of different bills, and we have some fights at times. But labor has generally been part of our coalition as well.

ezra klein

Labor is much more powerful, is my impression, in Sacramento than it is in D.C. Maybe thats because Democrats run Sacramento. And its another one of these things where people talk about it as a singular, like Where is labor on the issue? But there are a lot of unions, and they split. So who is sort of early on more housing? Who needs more negotiation? What are some of the flash points or points of tension there that have to be negotiated? How would you describe the dynamics of that?

scott wiener

I am proud that California, in many ways, is a union state. We want to get union membership up, and Im really proud of some of the work that some of our labor unions are doing to organize, particularly low-income service workers. So the building trades and the carpenters have always been involved in different ways in housing policy, because they actually build our new homes, and so theyve always been involved. More recently, additional unions have gotten involved. For example, S.E.I.U. has gotten very involved. They obviously arent building the homes, but they have a lot of low-wage workers who struggle with housing instability. The United Food and Commercial Workers, Im hoping will get more and more involved. They did a survey of their workers, and a big percentage struggle with housing. So were seeing a broader cross-section of labor unions get involved in housing.

ezra klein

Why does San Francisco have such a visible homelessness problem, compared to other places?

scott wiener

Lets look at California as a whole. So California has 12 percent of the U.S. population, but 30 percent of the U.S. homeless population and 50 percent of the unsheltered U.S. homeless population. There are some folks who believe that homelessness is a mental health and drug problem, and thats it. Thats false. It is a housing problem. California does not have more addiction or more mental health problems than other places, but we have higher housing costs, and that is what is driving homelessness  not just in San Francisco, but in Oakland, Sacramento, and San Diego, in L,A,. But in San Francisco, we are the most extreme. The housing costs are so high, that it absolutely pushes people into homelessness. And were 7 miles by 7 miles. This is a very small city geographically. Were very dense. Were very compact. So problems that exist everywhere, whether its homelessness or drug use or untreated mental health, tend to be much more visible here. And some of the people we see on our streets who are in distress because of mental health or addiction problems  theyre not all homeless, right? Because people may be housed, but they might live in a small place. Theyre not going to stay in a small room every day. So there are reasons, because of our setup, physically, why everything is more visible in San Francisco, even if its not necessarily worse.

ezra klein

Why do we have such a significant unsheltered homelessness population? I mean, if you look at numbers, New York does not look better on homelessness than we do, really. But they are better on sheltered homelessness. Right? They dont have as many people unsheltered. We are unusual in how many people are actually out on the streets, even given our homelessness population. Why?

scott wiener

New York made a policy decision decades ago to create what they call a right to shelter and a mandate that the city has to provide shelter to anyone who needs it. And so New York has a massive, massive shelter system. That definitely reduces unsheltered homelessness. It also is a massive drain on resources that could be going to permanent housing. And thats a policy choice. In California, weve not made that choice. Weve decided  and Gavin Newsom, when he was mayor of San Francisco, really focused on this  focusing more on housing, permanent housing solutions, rather than endless construction of new shelters, which is very, very expensive. And so if the desire has been to solve the root cause of homelessness, which is a lack of housing rather than the more triage approach of temporary shelter, there are people on both sides of that argument, and people have good points on both sides. Personally, Im a housing person. I also think we need more shelter beds. We do not have enough shelter beds in San Francisco, and that makes homelessness more visible and means we have more unsheltered homeless people.

ezra klein

Ive never understood if this is a different policy choice California could actually make, given the reality of housing politics, which is to say, one of the big problems with having permanent housing be your main answer is, its expensive to build, its slow to build, and were not succeeding in building enough of it, like flatly. On the other hand, the idea that youre going to get communities to accept a huge increase in shelter construction, which they often oppose even more vociferously than they oppose smaller permanent housing projects  thats a little hard to believe either, given at least what Ive seen happens, when you try to say, were going to build a shelter right here. So I recognize that there is a policy fight between more permanent housing, more shelter, or the sort of why not both contingent. But in terms of the real question Ive always wondered  I mean, if Gavin Newsom and Mayor London Breed and others tomorrow wanted to go the shelter route, could they? Is there the political capacity to just put shelters up all over San Francisco?

scott wiener

There is, and it wouldnt have to be all over. And again, its not just San Francisco. Theres bad homeless problems in other cities.

ezra klein

In fact, LA is actually on my mind here, because Ive reported there on the efforts to try to build shelters and housing, through things like Prop HHH. And the community opposition was ferocious.

scott wiener

So we have actually passed various laws, and Ive authored some of them, to streamline, or make what we call ministerial  so non-discretionary  the addition of supportive housing navigation centers, which are like a better form of homeless shelter, and other tools to make it so that cities cannot block shelters or supportive housing. Cities are required in their every-eight-year housing plan to designate a zone of their city for automatic approval of homeless shelters. And those locations cant be in the middle of nowhere or an industrial area. It has to be in a place that is actually connected to services. And weve passed other laws as well. So cities now, and private individuals, nonprofits, have tools to be able to site these homeless services, homeless shelters, navigation centers, supportive housing, and not have to get approval from a city council or a planning commission.

ezra klein

So why doesnt San Francisco build a lot more of them?

scott wiener

San Francisco definitely prioritizes building supportive housing for homeless people. The Mayor and the city are also, I think, beginning to prioritize mental health, and particularly more mental health beds. And that is a resource choice. The city has the tools, legally, to add more shelter. The city has really focused on housing and mental health beds. And theres a reasonable argument 

ezra klein

I feel like Im watching you get more diplomatic as we talk here. Do you think this is the right choice?

scott wiener

We do need more shelters. I dont want to see us go down New Yorks path, where we put so many dollars into shelter that we dont have the resources to build the housing that we need. I do want to continue to prioritize housing. We do not have enough shelter beds. And its taken us, like, over 50 years to dig ourselves into this hole. Its going to take us time to get out of it. So its not like were going to fix the housing problem in two or three or five years. Its a longer-term process. And so until we get there, we have to have these triage solutions, like navigation centers or other forms of shelters. And we dont have enough of them in San Francisco, but we do need more. And I believe the city should create more.

ezra klein

One of the things that has been dominant in both the politics here while I have lived here, and the way the politics here are then refracted, particularly through right-wing media, is what gets called crime and what I would call disorder. Because  and this has been said by many people now  San Francisco does not look unusual in crime statistics. We actually have a lower murder rate than a lot of the cities that other people talk about as being a place they want to move to, like Miami. But there is a lot of what people experience as disorder on the streets. You walk around, and you see people doing drugs very much out in the open. The Tenderloin is like just  its wild, what happens there. And it is distinctive. I mean, you can find things like this in other places  Skid Row in LA. But there is a sense people have that San Francisco has made a political decision or a policing decision to live with more disorder, for one reason or another. How do you think about that?

scott wiener

Youre absolutely right that we have  of the mid-sized to big cities, we have one of the lowest murder rates. We have a fairly high property crime rate, and that does really impact people when their homes are getting broken into, or their cars are getting broken into, or vandalism happens.

ezra klein

It scares people when your home gets broken into.

scott wiener

Its very scary.

ezra klein

Weve had our car broken into a bunch, but there is a weird thing here that has not happened to me elsewhere, where just, everybody says, you cant leave anything in your car. When people say that, it speaks to a pervasiveness of a fear.

scott wiener

Well, and for people who need their car to get to work, its a problem. And its terrifying when someone breaks into your home, especially if you happen to be there.

ezra klein

Yes.

scott wiener

And so there are crime issues in San Francisco. But we also have to be clear that even if violent crime is low, if youve been victimized, or your friend or your neighbor or your kid or your husband or wife has been victimized, violent crime is high for you. And so I think its really important not just to rely on the statistics, because its also about peoples personal experiences and what theyre going through. And when you see someone on meth on the street, acting in a really bizarre and scary way, that is really scary for people. Because also, they dont know what that person is going to do. And so yes, people are concerned. I think people have a right to be concerned. And there are things happening on our streets that are not OK. And some things  like for example, in the Tenderloin, the open-air drug market there  I dont think that arresting drug dealers is going to end addiction. It wont. People will find another way to get drugs. But that drug dealing has huge impacts, public safety impacts, on that neighborhood. And if youre someone whos raising a kid in the Tenderloin  and there are quite a few kids in Tenderloin  and that kid has to walk through a drug market to get to school, thats a huge problem. And so I think sometimes San Francisco gets unfairly tarred as sort of this Mad Max Thunderdome situation, and its absolutely not. But there are parts of the city where there are real issues, and there are some really legitimate safety issues that we need to do more to deal with.

ezra klein

But let me get at a wrinkle of this. So I lived in D.C. for about 14 years, and crime was much worse there. And violent crime was much closer to me there. The number of my friends who got mugged  one of my dear friends roommates got shot. Terrible things happened constantly. And so they were having a lot of trouble getting crime under control. But what nobody seemed to believe, even if they believed that the policing was ineffective or the government was ineffective, was that the government was tolerating it. And what is different about the politics of crime here, rightly or wrongly  because again, there is actually less crime here than there was in D.C. When I was there, certainly less violent crime  is that there is a perception, widespread, that at least disorder  levels of disorder, levels of basic crimes  shoplifting, things like that  are tolerated here, in a way they arent elsewhere.

scott wiener

Well, I think for a long time  and Im not going to comment on whether this was an intentional policy choice or not  but at least in effect, there were things that were tolerated. So car break-ins  I think for a long time, the attitude was, thats between you and your insurance company. Shoplifting  it was not a high priority. Even the Tenderloin, I think, was, in some ways, effectively a containment zone, which was horrific for the residents, including many older people, people with disabilities, immigrant families, who are living in the Tenderloin. And so I think for some types of problems and crimes, there was a tolerance. And I think thats been changing over time. But the other thing that always keep in mind. So San Francisco is the best city on the planet. People love writing San Franciscos obituary. Its like almost like a national pastime. Every year or two, theres a big article proclaiming that San Francisco is dead. We always come back. So much good is happening in the city. And we, as San Franciscans, love the city, and we expect it to be perfect. We want our city to be amazing and flawless, and so we hold it to the highest possible standards  sometimes realistic, sometimes less realistic. But thats one of the great things about San Francisco. We are all so committed to making it as good as it can be.

ezra klein

Well, I think thats one of the interesting contradictions of the place. I mean, I dont think some of what were talking about is the highest-possible standards, when were talking about the Tenderloin or others. But San Francisco has gotten refracted, in a way that has probably always happened, but Ive been more alert to it while being here, through, practically, right-wing media as, as you put it, a sort of Mad Max post-apocalyptic hellhole. And there was all this talk that all the tech people are going to leave and move to Miami. And you can just look at housing prices here, and you know that has not happened. And A.I. is all located here. It is geographically, intensely concentrated here. So now, A.I. is a big thing. And if you look at the big A.I. companies, theyre in San Francisco or right around it, right? Theres one in London. Thats basically it. And so there is this interesting way in which San Francisco seems  on the one hand, people talk a lot about the quality-of-life issues here. And on the other hand, things like housing would become much cheaper if actually, it was driving people out. But its not. It maintains just an unbelievable desirability.

scott wiener

So when I was deciding  right before I decided to move to San Francisco  it was in 96, I made the decision to go to San Francisco instead of staying in Philadelphia, where my family was. I remember talking to someone who lived in San Francisco for a long time but had moved to Philadelphia. And I asked him his opinion, and he said, well, you should try out San Francisco. Its a fun place. He said, but lets be clear, its a tourist town. Theres no real industry there or any kind of economic base anymore, other than tourism. And so just, you know, go there to have fun. And of course, thats not true of San Francisco  came back again, with tech, with biotech, with health care. We are, in some ways, a boom-bust town. We see that now. Were having problems downtown. Thats a huge problem, a huge risk factor for the city, which I believe we will deal with. And were seeing it with some of the conditions on our streets. And we know what we need to do to address that. And we just need the political will to do it.

ezra klein

I mean, do we know? What do we need to do to address that?

scott wiener

We talked about more shelter, more navigation centers, more housing, more mental health beds, more access to mental health treatment, much more access to addiction treatment. And we also need to  and this is something that can be controversial in some quarters. I actually dont think its that controversial in San Francisco  for people who are debilitated and dying on our streets, we need to give them an extra level of care. And so thats why were, in the legislature this year, trying to expand conservatorships for the people who are truly debilitated, cant make decisions for themselves and are dying. And we all see those folks on the streets every day, and people wonder, why is that person out here, clearly dying, and why is no one doing anything about it? And were trying to change the laws to make that possible.

ezra klein

How much is what we were talking about at the beginning of the conversation and what were talking about now, in a way, the same? Which is to say that when I asked you why you moved here, you were telling me about the tolerance of San Francisco, and you were talking about that, in part, around L.G.B.T.Q., but also then, you sort of talk about tech. And I notice it, too. I mean, people are tolerant of very weird ideas. They are tolerant of very weird ways of dressing. Theyre tolerant of a lot of things people would not be open to elsewhere, and that openness to ideas, I think, is fundamentally what keeps San Franciscos economy powered in the way it is. So people just sit there and listen to you straightforwardly as youre saying the wackiest thing. And in some percentage of those, you get a $52-billion company out of it. And that tolerance has political dimensions, too. I mean, some of what weve talked about around  more is tolerated here. I mean, there is political conflict around what to crack down on and what to not, whereas in cities that are simultaneously less innovative, and in some ways, less disordered, I wonder how much its not the same thing all the way through  that its just, when you have a politics built around tolerance, thats going to give you a different problem set, but also a different benefit set, than a politics built around conformity or built around tighter standards.

scott wiener

Absolutely. And we see that with some of the fights we have around unsheltered homelessness in San Francisco, where, lets say we do have enough shelter for everyone. Lets say we get there, and we have enough shelter. We have a shelter for anyone who needs it. There will still be people who will say that if someone wants to stay on a tent on the sidewalk, even if there is a shelter bed for them, they should be able to 

ezra klein

Can you clear a tent city?

scott wiener

Right. The city can, and the city has done that, but that can become politically controversial in San Francisco. And that springs out of the philosophy that we have, of live and let live, here. But we also need a city thats going to work for everyone.

ezra klein

I want to ask you about another dimension of that, which is, this is a city with a very  again, compared to everywhere Ive lived  a very unusual drug culture. On the one hand, the power elite is sort of drenched in psychedelics, and theres a lot of very interesting psychedelics policy. You have a bill to decriminalize, basically, all the major classes of psychedelics. We also have a very, very bad, now, fentanyl and overdose death problem. Were one of the worst cities for that. How do you think about the broad experiments in drug policy? And just in drug acceptance  and I dont want to paint all this  fentanyl on the streets is not the same as ayahuasca ceremonies that tech executives are attending. But I do think theres something about the way in which San Francisco has kind of always had a different attitude towards drugs that has both created, again, a lot of possibility in consciousness and, at this point, also a lot of dangerous outcomes?

scott wiener

Yeah. I think psychedelics  and also, I do want to give a shoutout to cannabis, because we were the birthplace of medical cannabis during the H.I.V. crisis. And so we are a city that has definitely been very embracing of substance use, particularly cannabis, psychedelic, et cetera. But like everywhere else in the country, yeah, we have problems with opioid addiction. We have problems with meth addiction. In terms of fentanyl, when you look at overdoses, in general, when you look at the cities that are up there with San Francisco, its Philadelphia, its Franklin County, Ohio, its the Bronx. These are all very different demographics, very different kinds of places, and they all have fentanyl problems. I think San Francisco was the first West Coast city to really experience a lot of fentanyl. And so we are  that explains part of it. I dont think our acceptance of, like, cannabis and psychedelics is why we have a fentanyl problem. I think theres a national problem with opioids in general, and with fentanyl, specifically, its spreading everywhere. Meth has always been a huge problem everywhere. These issues are in rural areas, suburban, cities, and San Francisco absolutely has a problem.

ezra klein

Well, one place you do see, I think, more of a throughline is over what policy solutions are being debated here. So tell me a bit about the fight over supervised consumption sites.

scott wiener

Yeah. So we have people who are using drugs on our streets, and in very unsafe ways. Its. Unsanitary for them. Its bad for the surrounding neighborhood. Its not good. And there was a focus group that was done with some people who were injecting in public. Because intuitively, you would think, why would I ever want to do something that private in a public space? And one of the answers that people were giving was, well, then if I overdose, at least someone will see me and try to save my life. And so supervised consumption sites have been used in Europe, in Canada, and Australia for 30 years  a place where you can go inside, in a healthy, safe, clean, sanitized setting  make sure you have a clean needle. If you overdose, they reverse the overdose. In 30 years, not a single death from overdose has ever happened, that we know of, in any of these places around the world. It reduces E.R. visits, because you have care right there, reduces H.I.V. and hepatitis infections. And about 1/2 of the people end up going into treatment  not right away, perhaps, but at some point. So you can connect people to treatment. Sometimes people have concerns. Oh my god, youre enabling drug use. No, were not. These people are already using drugs. No one is going to be like, well, Ive never used drugs before, but I see a safe consumption site, so Im going to start using meth or start using fentanyl. These people are already using. And the question is, do we want them using on the sidewalk or inside, in a safe, healthy space? I did author legislation to allow San Francisco, Oakland, and L.A. to pilot safe consumption sites. Unfortunately, the Governor vetoed that legislation. So now, San Francisco is considering moving forward, despite that veto. We are waiting for guidance from the Biden administration, because this administration has been very progressive on many aspects of drug policy. And we are hoping that the administration will create guidance for cities to do this.

ezra klein

One thing people have been talking about around this debate is that San Francisco has seen a jump in deaths since December, when the citys Tenderloin center, which is kind of an informal supervised consumption site, closed. We obviously dont have the kind of research that would fully make a causal claim there, but it seems to me a lot of people suspect, and have been talking about, the possibility that as people got turned out of that space where they were using drugs under some level of medical supervision, that its led to more O.D.s.

scott wiener

Well, the Tenderloin Linkage Center did a lot of things. It was really not a supervised consumption site and didnt have a lot of the elements that you would have in a supervised consumption site. You know, I think the city absolutely needs to open up actual safe consumption sites. And it also points to the need to make Narcan, which reverses opioid overdoses, available everywhere. And we have bills in the legislature this year to require it in schools and public libraries and bars and nightclubs. And so we need to push out the Narcan everywhere. And its tragic that people should have to carry Narcan around with them in their briefcase or in their purse or wherever. But here in San Francisco and other cities, I think more people need to have access to it.

ezra klein

When you author a bill like that, and you know that both the bill and you will then become refracted  and San Francisco, for that matter  through the right-wing media ecosystem  something you now have, actually, quite a lot of experience with  how do you think about what that is? The interest in the stuff you do particularly, and what San Francisco does particularly, what San Francisco represents culturally on the Right  tell me a bit about the symbolic dimension of your job and this place in the, sort of, broader political culture war.

scott wiener

Well, Im a gay, Jewish Democrat from San Francisco.

ezra klein

Very tall.

scott wiener

Im very tall, too. I think the right wing is OK with my height, but the other pieces, theyre not OK with. And Im sort of their ultimate caricature of everything that the MAGA QAnon world hates. And so they do demonize me a lot and go after me and threaten me. And thats OK. It just sort of energizes me to do the work even more. What I know is that my constituents in San Francisco  Im not saying theyre unanimous. There are people on all sides of a lot of these issues. But on the work we do around drug policy, theres a lot of support here in San Francisco. The work we do around L.G.B.T.Q., civil rights  enormous support in San Francisco. And so I try to always remember that Twitter does not frequently represent public opinion, especially not since a certain person purchased it. And I try to stay very grounded in my own community, and thats why I love writing transit in San Francisco. I love showing up at block parties and just being out and about. Because I actually like it when constituents come up to me and say, hey, I have concerns about this bill that youre doing, and we get to talk about it, and I get to hear those concerns. And it makes me a better elected official, but it also grounds me. And I know what people are saying, and that is very helpful to me.

ezra klein

Give me the renarrativization of this. I would say that the right-wing narrative of San Francisco, which is quite out there now, because its also all over Twitter from people who live in San Francisco  its in The New York Times, for that matter  is that its a place that is collapsing around its own mixture of tolerance and status-quo-ism. At the same time, like, so many people live here, want to live here. So many of the great companies are here. So many of the great technologies are here. How would you describe that contradiction? Like, how would you  how would you try to change San Franciscos political space in the narrative?

scott wiener

Well, I mean, not to pick on Bakersfield or the good people of Bakersfield, but Bakersfield has a much higher murder rate than San Francisco and has the worst air pollution in the state. And you dont see right-wing media talking about that.

ezra klein

Speaker Kevin McCarthy is.

scott wiener

Exactly. Representative McCarthy represents a district that has very high air pollution and a high murder rate. Unfortunately. I wish it were a better situation there. And Im not trying to pick on Bakersfield, but they dont talk about that. They talk about San Francisco. They talk about one murder that happened here. And so in San Francisco, we need to just be better about talking about the  we should not try to erase the challenges that we have. We have real problems here, and we should be transparent about those and acknowledge them and work overtime to solve them. But I think its important for us to really make sure people know the good. And recently, you know, San Francisco tourism is almost as high as it was before the pandemic. Its come back that strongly in the last year or so. Conventions are coming back. Recently, someone gave me a letter that JPMorgan  they do a big health care conference in San Francisco every year. They sent a letter to the mayor talking about what a great experience they had and that their participants had. There are all these good things happen that people dont necessarily hear about. And I also sometimes get feedback from people who say, hey, I just visited San Francisco and I was prepared for this, like, post-apocalyptic situation, and it was amazing and beautiful. And we need to do more to get that out there.

ezra klein

One of the things, broadly, that has been true, I think, about California politics for the last four or five years  true in San Francisco, but true, I think, more broadly statewide  is that a lot of contradictions and difficult decisions have been papered over by money. And particularly during the pandemic, Gavin Newsom had this unbelievable budget surplus to spend. But in San Francisco, the downtown, which drove a lot of revenue, is in pretty unusually bad straits, because so many tech companies are open to remote work. Its not coming back as quickly as it is in some other cities. Theres reason to think that California is not going to have the budget surpluses going forward its had in the past couple of years. How does California kind of politics and policy change, and California liberalism change, if it cant do quite so much through spending?

scott wiener

Well, just, if I can put in a little plug  because there is some short-term spending that is essential for our future economy  and that is were at risk of having our public transportation agencies or systems fall apart.

ezra klein

Yeah, this is a very big problem.

scott wiener

The fiscal cliff  because 

ezra klein

Can you explain the fiscal cliff?

scott wiener

Yeah, so our transit agencies lost 90 percent, 95 percent of their ridership early in the pandemic. Theyve been slowly recovering, but way slower than they want. BART is, like, 30  they were at 5 percent. Theyre now at 30 percent of pre-pandemic ridership. So they dont have the same fare revenue that they had. In Congress, one of the great things that it did during the pandemic was to provide a lot of rescue money to transit systems around the country. Without that money, these systems would probably be gone, and the fare revenue is not recovering quickly enough to replace it. And so if they hit that wall or that fiscal cliff, and the federal money runs out and they dont have the fare money that they need, we will start seeing massive service cuts. So BART might stop running on the weekends, or just run hourly during the week. That would be so devastating for our economic recovery. It would be devastating for our climate goals. More and more people would have to drive. Thered be much worse congestion on bridges and roads. And so we need short-term help from the state, which I am fighting very, very hard and making a lot of noise about, to get money in our budget to backstop that. So that is a money issue. Although, we are also going to be having a hearing soon to talk about all the reforms and restructuring that some of these systems need to do to be more nimble in the future. So they need to reform, and they need money. But in terms of downtown, we need to think differently about downtown. And the fact that we had a downtown where there was really no housing, or almost no housing, is sort of odd. And when you look at what happened in lower Manhattan after 9/11  and granted, they had an enormous amount of federal rescue money  but they turned what was only offices into offices and residential and nightlife, and lower Manhattan is super vibrant now. We need to rethink downtown. We need to consider that there are some office buildings, particularly some older ones, that will need to be torn down and rebuilt into some sort of mixed-use. The crisis that we face in downtown San Francisco, we should not be frozen. It needs to be an opportunity to completely rethink it and make it even better than it was before.

ezra klein

Does that need money or does that just need the regulatory and zoning capacity to shift?

scott wiener

Its both. It will need regulatory change. Because its going to have to happen. Its not something that happens in a year or two. It might happen in 5 to 10 years. But right now, in California, I mentioned the California Environmental Quality Act, which goes well beyond Environmental Protection. It does some really important Environmental Protection things. But any building that is 45 years or older is considered a, quote unquote, potential historic resource. I live in a 1965 condo building that is not architecturally or historically significant in any conceivable way, but it is technically a potential historic resource. And that means that it could get completely caught up in years of process and litigation. Were going to need, probably, some state regulatory relief for downtown San Francisco to allow us to much more nimbly make decisions and allow property owners to make decisions to transform it into something for the future. Because its very hard for many high-rise office buildings to convert them into housing. The plumbing isnt set up correctly. It might not be financially feasible. For some, maybe, but for others, not. We need to be very, very flexible as we pivot downtown San Francisco to the future.

ezra klein

What do you think about the broad housing agenda in California? Theres been this dynamic where for a while, it was like at the end of every session, people like me would pay attention and feel sad as some of the housing bills that you had hoped would make it over the line didnt, and then didnt, and then didnt. And then, they started to, and then more did, and then more did. And then, last year, or two years ago, there was a flood of end-of-the-year housing policy that got passed. I mean, so much, that most of us couldnt even keep up with all that had happened. What, to you, that has come into play will really matter here, and what big parts of the agenda, for you, havent happened? Like, if you had your housing wishlist, three or four  not bills but changes, what would they be?

scott wiener

Well, what weve done  weve done some really significant change that is already having impacts. So actually, I was probably best known for the big bill you mentioned at the beginning that would have rezoned a lot of California. It was Senate Bill 50. And that got  it sucked the oxygen out of the room.

ezra klein

Would have rezoned a lot around transit.

scott wiener

Right. And at the same time that I was pursuing that proposal, I was also authoring a law that effectively forced cities to zone for much more density up and down the state. And that was a bill that really changed how we set housing goals for cities. And we set much higher goals, and we put more accountability in place. And right now, as we speak, cities have rezoned and are rezoning for much more density. We have passed various laws that take sustainable housing proposals out of CEQA entirely, because these are sustainable projects, and have prevented cities from blocking them. And there was one passed last year by my  Im the chair of the Senate Housing Committee. My counterpart in the assembly, Buffy Wicks from the East Bay, passed an amazing law that allows much easier conversion of commercial into residential, so strip malls that are dying, for example. We have made our affordable housing density bonus program much stronger, which means that if you do a higher level of affordability, you get to build taller, more densely, waive some other requirements. I could go on and on, but I wont. But we have  weve taken some really tangible steps that are slowly bearing fruit. Its never as fast as we want, but the seeds have been and are being planted.

ezra klein

But what dont you have that you wish you did?

scott wiener

We still need more streamlining. So when I say streamlining, I mean you set up the rules ahead of time. If someone meets all the rules, with height density, design, et cetera, they get their permit in a matter of months, not years. We have done some of that. And I had one bill that I had authored, and there were a few others that my colleagues authored, to try to really do that kind of expedited permitting. We have a big bill this year  Senate Bill 423, which will make a lot of that streamlining permanent and make it more robust. But we need to move to a model where there is no longer chaotic, politicized discretion, in whether you approve or dont approve housing, and where we have a system where the loudest voices prevail. We need a system, and I think its a good government system, where we set up the rules ahead of time, and if you meet the rules, you get your permit now. That will go a long way in allowing us to build the housing we need.

ezra klein

You opened an exploratory committee. And you said that if Nancy Pelosi decides not to run for reelection, youre likely to run for her congressional seat. Why? And the reason I ask is that youve been working on a bunch of these issues, particularly housing, for a long time. The moment has caught up to the man. The winds are at your back. You chair one of the key committees. Why not keep working on the California-specific issues, as opposed to becoming one of a bunch of Democrats in the House, with the sort of lack of seniority and the difficulties of national politics, the likelihood of being in the minority, that kind of thing?

scott wiener

Well, first of all, to be clear, San Francisco has a member of Congress.

ezra klein

I said youre not going to run unless she doesnt run for reelection.

scott wiener

Shes amazing, and she walks on water, and she saved our democracy. And she was really good at handling Donald Trump, so Im a huge fangirl of her. You know, and if theres an opportunity, then I think it would be very exciting to represent San Francisco in Congress. And I will say that every office Ive ever run for, including for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and then for the state senate, I was told I wasnt going to be able to get anything done. When I ran for the Board of Supervisors, I was told that place is a mess, its crazy, you are never going to get anything done there, youre going to be miserable. I got there, and we got a whole bunch of stuff done. When I ran for the state senate, some of my pro-housing YIMBY supporters told me, we dont even want to support you, because you cant do anything on housing in the state legislature. You should stay on the Board of Supervisors. Well, I think I proved them wrong. Weve done a lot on housing. And I was told that the state legislature is so convoluted and corrupt, that youre never going to be able to get anything done. Thats not true. We got a lot done. So I understand that there are challenges with Congress. We all see what they are. But you also look at, in the last few years, Congress did a lot. I mean, some huge stuff. And its in a different way. But the issues that I care about  housing. We need to get the federal government back into the business of building public housing, or what we now call social housing. Ronald Reagan killed it off, and that helped spike homelessness. We need more social housing, and the federal government needs to get back in that business. I do a lot of work around mental health treatment and helping people with insurance, for example, access to treatment. The federal government can play a huge role, if it wants to, in ensuring people have access to mental health treatment. And we need stronger civil rights laws at the federal level, so all of this toxic bullshit thats happening in Florida and in Texas and Alabama, where they are basically criminalizing trans people and their families, and criminalizing drag queens and saying youre not allowed to talk about being gay  we need civil rights laws that wipe those away. Theres a lot you can do in Congress. It might take a long time, but you can do it.

ezra klein

Always our final question then: What are three books that have influenced you, that you would recommend to the audience?

scott wiener

One is a book called, And The Band Played On, by Randy Shilts, which is, I think, the definitive authoritative history of the public health debacle that fueled the H.I.V./AIDS crisis. And you can learn a lot about what not to do when you have a public health problem or a pandemic. Another is a book called The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros. Its an amazing book of vignettes about this teenage girl, her upbringing, and it ties in a lot about what it means to live in inadequate housing, and peoples dreams, aspirations about housing. And then, a book called Last Call I cant remember the authors name. Its about the history of how prohibition happened. And sometimes people wonder, how on Earth did prohibition not only happen, but get amended into the United States Constitution? And this is an absolutely brilliant recitation of the history of how it happened and how it failed. And it relates directly to the drug war and why drug criminalization doesnt work. And then, I want to just do a shoutout for all of the fantasy nerds out there, because I am a fantasy nerd. And the series, The Wheel of Time, which is one of the 

ezra klein

Going old-school there.

scott wiener

Its old-school, but you know what I love about it? It was written  they started decades ago. Its a great gender parable, like comparing to the real world. Because the hero of the story was a guy, but the women actually were the real heroes, because without the women, the world would have ended, and the guy would have failed. Isnt that often the case in real life?

ezra klein

Scott Wiener, thank you very much.

scott wiener

Thank you. [MUSIC PLAYING]

ezra klein
On warm evenings near Rio de Janeiro, you might find milk fruit trees covered in brownish-orange frogs. While many frogs eat insects, the tree frog species Xenohyla truncata has a taste for the pulp of bulbous fruits and the nectar in the trees flowers.

As they seek that nectar, the frogs dunk their entire bodies into the plants flowers, only their butts sticking out. When they emerge, pollen gets stuck to their heads and backs. Then they hop off, potentially transporting the pollen from their previous stop at the tropical buffet into the next milk fruit flower they encounter.

In other words, the frogs may disperse the plants seeds and pollinate its flowers  which would be the first time this has been seen in an amphibian.

Thats completely, completely new, till now, nobody saw them actually doing that, said Luis Felipe Toledo, head of the Amphibians Natural History Lab at the University of Campinas in Brazil and an author of a study published last month in the journal Food Webs suggesting the existence of this ecological relationship between frog and flowering tree.
The United States is wiring Ukraine with sensors that can detect bursts of radiation from a nuclear weapon or a dirty bomb and can confirm the identity of the attacker.

In part, the goal is to make sure that if Russia detonates a radioactive weapon on Ukrainian soil, its atomic signature and Moscows culpability could be verified.

Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine 14 months ago, experts have worried about whether President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia would use nuclear arms in combat for the first time since the American bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The preparations, mentioned last month in a House hearing and detailed Wednesday by the National Nuclear Security Administration, a federal agency that is part of the Energy Department, seem to constitute the hardest evidence to date that Washington is taking concrete steps to prepare for the worst possible outcomes of the invasion of Ukraine, Europes second largest nation.

The Nuclear Emergency Support Team, or NEST, a shadowy unit of atomic experts run by the security agency, is working with Ukraine to deploy the radiation sensors, train personnel, monitor data and warn of deadly radiation.
We all walk around with baggage. For some, thats holding onto the past or worrying about the future, but for Danny Iwas  the main character in the outlandish play Burnt Toast  it means carrying an aluminum briefcase containing the remains of his dead mother. The case is even handcuffed to his wrist: that way, hell never misplace it.

Written and directed by Trine Falch of the Norwegian theater group Susie Wang, Burnt Toast is a high point of this years edition of FIND, the international festival of new drama held each spring at Berlins Schaubuhne theater. By accident or by design, a large number of the entries in this festival, which runs until April 30, unfold in confined spaces. In many productions, the very setting feels like a main character.

I can safely say that Ive never seen anything quite like Burnt Toast, which mixes sardonic comedy and splatter horror and which was staged on the Schaubuhnes small studio stage. A clammy and rigorously precise chamber work, it takes place entirely in the lobby of a sinister hotel. (The stage-spanning carpet is blood-red.)

Shortly after Danny checks in, he meets Violet, a mother who is nursing her infant. In the unpredictable and unclassifiable play that ensues, Falch unspools a disturbing yet tender tale of love and cannibalism. The English-language dialogue is a mix of the mundane and the outrageous, which the three main actors recite with an exaggerated Southern twang.
WASHINGTON  Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., the author of the majority opinion that overruled Roe v. Wade last June, told The Wall Street Journals opinion pages that he had a pretty good idea who is responsible for leaking a draft of his opinion to Politico.

Justice Alito added that he did not have the level of proof that is needed to name somebody. That echoed language in the Supreme Courts report on its investigation of the leak, which said that investigators have been unable to determine at this time, using a preponderance of the evidence standard, the identity of the person(s) who disclosed the draft majority opinion.

The interview, which was conducted on April 13 and published on Friday, was as interesting for its existence and forum as for its substance, which was mostly familiar.

A few days before the Politico bombshell last May, an editorial in The Journal provided hints about tensions at the court that appeared to be based on inside knowledge. The editorial expressed concern that Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. was trying to undermine a five-justice majority by trying to persuade Justices Brett M. Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett to join him in upholding a Mississippi law that banned most abortions after 15 weeks but to stop short of overruling Roe outright.
When a man who was out on a date in Houston found out he had been duped out of $40 by someone pretending to be a parking attendant, he ran out of the restaurant, fatally shot the scammer and then nonchalantly returned, the authorities said.

The man, Erick Aguirre, 29, was arrested on Tuesday in Aransas County, north of Corpus Christi, Texas, and charged with murder in the death of Elliot Nix, 46, on April 11. He was extradited to Harris County, where he was arraigned on Thursday and jailed on a $200,000 bond, according to court records.

Brent Mayr, a lawyer for Mr. Aguirre, declined to comment on Friday.

According to a charging document, Mr. Aguirre was going out to eat on April 11 with Melanie Castillo, who said in a voluntary statement that she and Mr. Aguirre were dating.

They drove separately to Rodeo Goat, a hamburger restaurant east of downtown Houston. After they parked, a man approached them and said that parking would cost $20 for each vehicle, but that their money would be reimbursed if they presented a receipt from their meal, according to the court document. Mr. Aguirre paid the man, and the couple went to Rodeo Goat.
A California woman and Instagram influencer who reported and posted online about an attempted kidnapping of her young children in 2020 has been convicted of making a false report of a crime, prosecutors said.

A jury convicted the woman, Katie Sorensen, 31, formerly of Sonoma, Calif., on one count of making a false report of a crime, a misdemeanor. She was taken into custody, the Sonoma County District Attorneys Office said in a statement on Thursday.

The district attorney, Carla Rodriguez, said that the verdict would enable us to hold Ms. Sorensen accountable for her crime, while at the same time helping to exonerate the couple that was falsely accused of having attempted to kidnap two young children.

On Dec. 7, 2020, Ms. Sorensen went to a Michaels craft store in Petaluma, Calif., with her two young children, prosecutors said. Petaluma is about 40 miles north of San Francisco.
Last year, Democratic justices on the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that maps of the states legislative and congressional districts drawn to give Republicans lopsided majorities were illegal gerrymanders. On Friday, the same court led by a newly elected Republican majority looked at the same facts, reversed itself and said it had no authority to act.

The practical effect is to enable the Republican-controlled General Assembly to scrap the court-ordered State House, Senate and congressional district boundaries that were used in elections last November, and draw new maps skewed in Republicans favor for elections in 2024. The 5-to-2 ruling fell along party lines, reflecting the takeover of the court by Republican justices in partisan elections last November.

The decision has major implications not just for the state legislature, where the G.O.P. is barely clinging to the supermajority status that makes its decisions veto-proof, but for the U.S. House, where a new North Carolina map could add at least three Republican seats in 2024 to what is now a razor-thin Republican majority. Overturning such a recent ruling by the court was a highly unusual move, particularly on a pivotal constitutional issue in which none of the facts had changed.

The North Carolina case mirrors a national trend in which states that elect their judges  Ohio, Kentucky, Kansas, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and others  have seen races for their high court seats turned into multimillion-dollar political battles, and their justices rulings viewed through a deeply partisan lens.
As part of any reauthorization legislation, proponents of reform hope to impose new limits on the program, including by requiring the government to obtain a warrant before carrying out such queries.

Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat who advocates tightening rules on surveillance, said in a statement that the report highlights the urgent need for reforms to government surveillance programs in order to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans.

In 2021 and 2022, the F.B.I. tightened various rules and modified its systems, leading to a significant drop in the number of queries for information about Americans. One change was to require agents to have a specific reason to believe that relevant information about foreign intelligence or a crime would be in the repository before querying it.

Last month, the F.B.I. disclosed that there had been 204,090 queries for information about Americans in 2022, down 93 percent from about 3.4 million in 2021.

The report also said the F.B.I. is changing how it measures such queries and will screen out duplicates  the practice of recounting multiple queries using the same identifier. Under the new methodology, the report said, the F.B.I. made 119,383 such queries for information about Americans in 2022, down from nearly three million in 2021.

In 2018, the last time Section 702 was about to lapse, Congress imposed a limited requirement that the government obtain a court order before reviewing the results of any query for information about Americans for an existing criminal investigation.

The government has never used that authority and again sought no such orders in 2021, the report said. But in one instance, an analyst failed to comply with the rule, improperly viewing the results of a such a query without obtaining a warrant.
Why are we signing off on allowing Ron DeSantis the ability to not do his job? said State Representative Angie Nixon, a Jacksonville Democrat, who argued during the floor debate that Mr. DeSantis was neglecting his duties as governor.

In the months before the legislative session kicked off in March, it seemed that the bills passage would mark a time for quiet celebration in the DeSantis camp  a tactical milestone for a campaign that seemed to have front-runner status in its grasp. But since then, the governor has frequently seemed to stumble or been stymied at crucial moments, often to the delight of former President Donald J. Trump, a declared candidate who now leads him in the polls.

As Mr. DeSantis seeks to recover his footing, he will hope to present the new laws he has steered through Republican-controlled Tallahassee as evidence of what he might accomplish in the White House, while pointing to his landslide re-election last year as proof that his conservative policies have a broad base of support.

In November, December and January, Republicans all around the country were looking to DeSantis as the future of the party, said Alex Conant, a Republican political strategist who worked as communications director for Senator Marco Rubio of Florida during his 2016 presidential campaign. He was really hot coming off the midterms. But now its not so clear that Republican voters are ready to move beyond Trump.
WASHINGTON  Speaker Kevin McCarthy narrowly passed his first major test this week when he marshaled the votes of his slim majority to muscle through a plan to tie a debt ceiling increase to spending cuts in a bid to force President Biden to negotiate over averting a disastrous default.

It was a bare-minimum victory on a doomed bill, but it reflected how Mr. McCarthy, the California Republican who clawed his way to his position by catering to the hard right, has  for now  won over the ultraconservative wing of his party.

Now comes the hard part.

Having rallied Republicans around a plan he promised would strengthen his negotiating power against Mr. Biden, Mr. McCarthy will have to keep the right flank of his party happy as he seeks to negotiate a fiscal deal with the White House that will almost certainly be far less conservative than the bill the House passed on Wednesday.

Mr. McCarthy succeeded this week by doing what he promised to during his drawn-out race for the speakership: empowering some of the most conservative lawmakers in his conference, the same ones who led the effort to block his election in January.
Dito Telecommunity is banking on the launch of post-paid mobile plans and entry into enterprise this year for growth this year.

Business Inquirer reported, chief administrative officer Adel Tamano said there had been robust demands for those services and forecasted they will boost customer numbers. The operator previously stated an aim of reaching 15 million customers this year, it hit 12 million in November 2022.

The products will appeal to customers through affordable pricing said Tamano, prices can be set at a competitive level due to the operators efficient and modern technology. The company s currently in the process of streamlining technology and commercial support of its new products.

The executive said the Philippines third largest operator by subscribers has a very bright future as infrastructure plans are still on the go, despite being miles behind incumbent duo Globe and Smart.

We have commitments in terms of population coverage, in terms of speed. In fact, we even indicated how much money we are going to put into setting up our network, he said.

Dito pledged to spend PHP27 billion (US$487m) on its network this year, by the end of 2023 the company will spend a projected total of PHP230 billion as it strives to meet coverage targets since gaining its licence in 2019. Currently, Ditos network covers 78% and the target is 80% by years end.

Tamano also revealed the company had registered 40% of SIM cards from its subscriber base which equates to 6 million.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, seemingly in his element as he addressed a gathering of evangelical Christians in Iowa this month, was speaking of the greatest honor of my life, serving in an administration that turned this country around by rebuilding the military, securing the southern border, and unleashing American energy.

But most importantly, most of all, he said, building to a crescendo  but at the moment he was about to claim some credit for his administrations success in overturning the right to an abortion, a booming voice came over the loudspeaker from the sound booth: Check, check, testing, 1-2-3.

It was a small interruption, but one that exemplified the diversions Mr. Pence continues to face as he considers a run for the Republican presidential nomination against the man who was once his greatest benefactor, but also his cruelest tormentor: Donald J. Trump.

On Thursday, however, Mr. Pence faced a much more onerous and grueling intrusion into his potential campaign, and one that he had hoped to avoid, when he was forced to testify for more than five hours before a grand jury in Washington about Mr. Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Those efforts put Mr. Pences life at risk on Jan. 6, 2021, as a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, chanting Hang Mike Pence.
NAIROBI, Kenya  A convoy of buses carrying about 300 Americans left the war-torn capital of Sudan on Friday, starting a 525-mile journey to the Red Sea that was the United States first organized effort to evacuate its private citizens from the country.

The convoy was being tracked by armed American drones that hovered high overhead, watching for threats. The United Nations and many nations have also evacuated their citizens overland, after receiving security assurances from the warring sides.

It renewed questions about why the United States had taken so long to organize a civilian evacuation from Sudan, home to an estimated 16,000 American citizens, many of them dual nationals, when Western and Persian Gulf allies have moved faster and evacuated far more people.

Britain has evacuated 1,573 people since Tuesday from an airfield north of Khartoum, most of them British nationals. Germany and France have evacuated another 1,700 people by air. At least 3,000 more from various countries have been evacuated by sea from Port Sudan to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Saudi authorities said.
The Australia Letter is a weekly newsletter from our Australia bureau. Sign up to get it by email.

When it was first announced in 2017 that Australias oldest power station, Liddell, would close, the news set off a political firestorm.

On the heels of the abrupt closure of another coal plant which caused energy prices to spike, the announcement sparked fears that shuttering Liddell, which opened in 1971 and accounted for 10 percent of New South Wales energy, would have a similar effect.

Politicians accused its owner, AGL Energy, of trying to short the market, while locals in the Hunter Valley expressed concerns about job losses. The Coalition government went as far as to attempt to broker a deal for the power plant to be sold to a competitor willing to extend its operating life, and the news became a flashpoint for a debate about the future of Australias electricity system and renewable energy.

But today, when the final unit of the power station was switched off, it was in a very different environment.
A man who has fathered between 550 and 600 children over the past 16 years is not allowed to donate any more sperm to prospective parents, a court in the Netherlands ruled on Friday.

According to The Hague District Court, the man lied about the number of children he had already fathered, the number of sperm donations he had made and his intention to donate even more sperm.

All these parents are now confronted with the fact that the children in their family are part of a huge kinship network, with hundreds of half siblings, which they did not choose, the court said.

Because of Dutch privacy laws, the government has not publicly named the man, Jonathan Jacob Meijer, 41, in the court proceedings as the donor in question. However, in an email to The New York Times for a 2021 article about him, a spokesman for the health ministry confirmed his identity. Donors must sign an agreement with their clinic that they dont donate sperm at other clinics, Gerrit-Jan KleinJan wrote. The sperm donor you are writing about made this agreement as well. Nevertheless, he donated at more sperm banks resulting in 102 babies.
BRUSSELS  European Union ambassadors agreed on Friday to allow Ukraines grains into the bloc free of tariffs for another year, while granting more than $100 million in aid for farmers in neighboring E.U. countries where crop prices have collapsed with the flood of cheaper imports.

Four of those countries  Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia  had recently enacted unilateral bans on Ukrainian food imports in an effort to contain the problem. But the bans frustrated officials in Brussels and Kyiv, and illustrated how the E.U. tariff waiver, enacted last year to support Ukraine against Russias invasion, had created unintended consequences that threatened to disrupt the blocs united front on the war.

We have a solution which is addressing the concerns both of farmers in neighboring member states and Ukraine, Valdis Dombrovskis, the E.U. trade commissioner, said on Friday in a video announcing the deal, which made some concessions for E.U. nations affected by the glut of grain. Mr. Dombrovskis said it would include a financial support package of 100 million euros, or about $110 million, for farmers in neighboring member states, from an E.U. emergency fund normally reserved to compensate them in case of natural disasters.

In return, the neighboring member states will be withdrawing their unilateral measures, he said, referring to the Ukrainian import bans.
Just days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with Moscows forces massing on the border, officials in the medieval town of Lutzen, Germany, afforded landmark status to a Soviet-era World War II memorial standing outside a kindergarten in the town center.

Glory to the great Russian people  the nation of victors, reads an inscription that was repainted by local officials in June on one side of the 10-foot, pyramidal monument.

Inscribed on another side in bright red is a quote from Joseph Stalin commemorating 12 Soviet prisoners of war who died at German hands while working at the local sugar factory. A bright red star with gold-colored hammer and sickle adorns the pyramids peak.

Lutzen is not an outlier. Scattered across Germany, but primarily in what was once the Soviet-dominated German Democratic Republic in the east, are more than 4,000 protected monuments commemorating the sacrifices of Soviet soldiers in the struggle against Nazism.
Venus is back as an allegory of rebirth and renewal, read a blurb on the companys website.

But some critics complained that turning the Renaissance icon into a modern-day influencer played into old stereotypes about Italy.

Botticellis Venus transformed into Barbie, sniffed one commentator, while another dismissed the campaign as a mishmash of predictable cliches where the only thing missing is the mandolin, which, as is well known, every true Italian strums after eating their pizza. (The campaign featured Venus as a hip fashionista, snapping selfies in Venices St. Marks Square, munching on pizza on Lake Como and posing in front of the Colosseum with a bicycle.)

Undaunted by the criticism, Daniela Santanche, the tourism minister, said she stood by the campaign, which officially begins in May. One of the objectives of this international campaign is to reach out to young people, so we used the instruments and language close to them, she said in a radio interview.

The campaign was also mocked when it was discovered that the German version of the website had been too literal in some translations  rendering the city of Brindisi as Toast (in Italian a brindisi is a celebratory toast when drinking), among other errors. The German version has been taken down.
Pope Francis, who has made welcoming migrants, embracing minorities and warning against nationalism central tenets of his pontificate, began his second visit to Hungary in less than two years on Friday and met with Prime Minister Viktor Orban, perhaps Europes chief opponent of migrants, closest ally of Russia and most vocal critic of gay rights.

The two men, who represent often diametrically opposed views of the future of Europe, had a tete-a-tete in the Castle District of Budapest. It was the start of a three-day visit by the pope to, as he put it, re-embrace Hungarys large but declining Catholic population, and also to call attention to suffering Ukrainians across the eastern border.

Mr. Orban, an astute political opportunist who speaks out frequently against foreign migrants, meddling from Brussels and sanctions on Russia, seized the moment to characterize the popes quick return as a re-confirmation of their common defense of Christian values.

But the pope, whose top officials in the Vatican insisted he would not be made a pawn, made clear he sees those values very differently shortly after the meeting when, in a former monastery, he addressed dignitaries, including Mr. Orban in the front row.
Dmytro raced to the room where two of his children had been sleeping, after a Russian missile thundered into his apartment building in Uman, Ukraine, before dawn on Friday. He forced the door open and stared into oblivion.

There was no room behind the door. Just a cloud of fire and smoke, he said. By the end of the day, he and his wife, Inna, had found no trace of Kyrylo, 17, or Sophia, 11.

Russia on Friday launched its first widespread aerial assault in more than a month against Ukrainian civilian targets, killing at least 25 people, officials said  the deadliest such attack since January. At least 20 died at that one apartment block in Uman, its front face shorn off by the missile blast.

The attack marked a return to a pattern Russia adopted last year after its invasion failed to defeat Ukraine militarily, of launching large-scale barrages of missiles, rockets and drones at cities and towns far from the battlefields in the east and south.
UMAN, Ukraine  Inna stood staring at what was left of her home on Friday, the buildings facade blown nearly completely off. Maybe her children, 17-year-old Kyrylo and 11-year-old Sophia, had been carried away by the blast, she kept repeating into the wind. Maybe they would be found alive.

Her husband, Dmytro, had raced to the kids room moments after a Russian rocket thundered into their nine-story apartment building before dawn in the city of Uman, and forced their door open.

There was no room behind the door, said Dmytro, who asked that only their first names be used. Just a cloud of fire and smoke.

Inna and their youngest child, a 6-year-old-boy, were in another room and unharmed.

I did not know what to do, Dmytro said, still in shock, as rescue crews searched through the rubble of his building. Do I look for my older children or do I help my wife and little one out of the house? Since I could not see my older children, I ran out.
The Timor-Leste (East Timor) government approved the purchase of Brazilian operator Ois stake in Timor Telecom for US$21.1 million, a move that would make the state the majority shareholder.

CommsUpdate reported via news agency Lusa, the transaction still needs approval from the Chamber of Auditors before being fully put through, said finance minister Rui Gomes.

The acquisition involves a 54% stake in Timor Telecom, which is controlled by Telecomunicacoes Publicas de Timor (TPT), in which Oi owns 76.14%, in addition to a direct 3.05% stake held by PT Participacoes SGPS.

The government holds 20.59% stake in Timor Telecom and the rest is held by VDT Operator Holdings (17.86%) and Timorese businessman Julio Alfaro (4.49%).

Trouble operator Oi is selling off assets in an effort to pare down huge debts that have plagued the operator for years.

It was reported last year the Timorese government was planning to acquire the stake for US$14.5 million, and that talks with Oi had been positive.
In Madrid, where it hit around 90 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday, schools were allowed to close early to avoid the heat. In Catalonia, its so dry that the valves of an irrigation canal have been closed for lack of water. And in Seville, the police are investigating the death of a horse pulling a tourist carriage from apparent heatstroke.

With temperatures over 100 degrees in early April, people in Spain have moved into summer mode, looking for shade, hitting the beach. But the extreme heat  so early in the year  has prompted fears that it is no longer a seasonal phenomenon but a new daily reality.

On Thursday, Spains mainland recorded its hottest ever temperature for April, reaching 38.8 degrees Celsius, about 102 degrees Fahrenheit, in the southern city of Cordoba, according to the countrys national weather service. And in several areas of the country, thermometers have exceeded seasonal norms by more than 25 degrees Fahrenheit, reaching values typical of summer.

Coinciding with a long-running drought that has already depleted reservoirs and dried up fields, the extreme heat has left experts and the authorities bracing for an earlier-than-expected return of heat-related disasters, such as wildfires, and revising their predictions.
BRUSSELS  Ukraines grains will continue to enter the European Union tariff-free for another year despite protests from neighbors such as Poland, which have seen their own farmers hurt by the influx of cheaper foodstuffs.

European Union ambassadors meeting in Brussels on Friday agreed to extend the tariff-free access that was put in place a year ago, but with some concessions for Ukraines E.U. neighbors affected by the glut of grain. The agreement was announced by Sweden, which is currently chairing the meetings. The European Parliament is set to give formal approval next month.

The lifting of E.U. tariffs was originally conceived as an emergency measure to create cheap, secure land routes to let vital supplies of grains out of Ukraine and alleviate a global food crisis prompted in part by Russias blockage of Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea.

But the policy, however well-meaning, backfired for Ukraines nearest E.U. neighbors. Tons of Ukrainian grains, significantly cheaper than their E.U. equivalents, flooded neighboring markets and, instead of traveling onward, were stockpiled in warehouses, causing prices in those nations to collapse.
Youve probably noticed, if you read this column regularly, that I think a lot about the interplay between public and private interests: the ways that personal motivations and decisions affect major public events like wars and scandals, but also the ways in which public, structural constraints affect peoples private decisions, shaping their lives and careers, and sometimes their safety.

That idea has informed how I write about corruption (individual decisions to commit crimes, shaped by the broader corrupt equilibrium that means thats the only way to get ahead), coups (if individual elites believe that the way to protect their personal interests is to support the coup, then the plot often succeeds), gender equality (womens success and participation in public life is constrained by institutions that place the burden of preventing violence and overcoming discrimination on the victims rather than the perpetrators), and more. And it is a central theme of a big project that Ive been working on with some of my colleagues, which youll hear more about soon.

My reading list this week has focused on the private element of that equation: the decisions people make to win respect, preserve status or maintain personal relationships, and the implications that has for society as a whole  particularly its creative and literary progress.

In Lives of the Wives, Carmela Ciuraru dissects five literary marriages, tracing in detail how the public literary success of writers like Roald Dahl and Kingsley Amis grew out of the private support of their spouses at home.
Both songs are based on a sequence of four chords in an ascending pattern, but on Thinking Out Loud, the second chord in the progression is slightly different from the one used in Lets Get It On. (Mr. Stewart, the plaintiffs music expert, acknowledged the difference in an analysis submitted to the court, but called the two chords virtually interchangeable.)

The case may hinge on just how distinctive this chord progression is. Mr. Sheerans lawyers argue that the chords are generic building blocks, and fair game for any musician. In filings with the court, Mr. Sheerans musicologist notes more than a dozen songs, including hits like the Seekers Georgy Girl and Donovans Hurdy Gurdy Man, used the same basic sequence before Lets Get It On. A guitar textbook submitted in evidence cites it as a standard progression that can be used by any musician to write a song.

The plaintiffs argue that even if the chords are public domain, the specific way they were used in Lets Get It On, including the songs syncopated rhythmic pattern, is original enough in its selection and arrangement of those elements to be protected by copyright.

What are the stakes?

The trial is being watched closely in music and legal circles as the latest example in a series of cases that have dealt with whether commonplace bits of harmony or melody can be owned by any composer or are part of the public domain.

The trend began in 2015 when a jury found that Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams, in their hit Blurred Lines, had infringed on the copyright of another Gaye tune, Got to Give It Up, and they were ordered to pay more than $5 million in damages. The case shocked many legal experts  and musicians  who believed that Mr. Thicke and Mr. Williams were being penalized for using basic musical building blocks, like harmonies and rhythmic patterns, that had long been considered free for any musician to use.

In 2020, an appeals court decision affirming Led Zeppelins victory over a copyright challenge to its song Stairway to Heaven seemed to steer case law back to more familiar territory. But plaintiffs are free to seek relief if they feel their rights have been infringed, and jury trials over music copyright can be especially unpredictable.
A Brazilian mayor sparked massive controversy earlier this month after legally marrying a 16-year-old girl and then appointing her mother Secretary of Culture and Tourism.

65-year-old Hissam Hussein Dehaini, the mayor of Araucaria City, in southern Brazil, recently married a girl 49 years his junior the day after she turned 16, which is the legal age that someone can get legally married. This alone sparked controversy in the South American country, but the controversial union was also shadowed by serious accusations of nepotism and corruption. The Prosecutors Office in the Brazilian state of Parana is investigating the appointment of the young brides mother to the position of Secretary of Culture and Tourism in Araucaria just a day after the mayors wedding.

Photo: Olivia Bauso/Unsplash

According to Brazilian law, minors over the age of 16 can get legally married only with the approval of their parents, so the appointment of the young brides mother to a well-paid position within the municipalitys administration on April 13 was considered by many a bribe of sorts. Marilene Rode was already an official within the Ministry of Education, but with a much lower salary and less influence.

The news of Mayor Dehainis appointment of his mother-in-law on the day after his controversial wedding sparked a massive scandal in Araucaria, a municipality in the metropolitan area of Curitiba. This scandal grew even larger when it was discovered that the marriage had been made official by Hilda Lukalski Seima, as head of the citys Civil Registry. Selma is also deputy mayor, as she and Dehaini both ran for elections in 2016 and 2020.

In response to the accusations, the mayors office issued a statement that inflamed spirits even more, claiming that the appointment was a discretionary act of the head of the Executive Power, who considered that the official meets the necessary conditions for the exercise of the position, since she has 26 years of experience in public service.



Obviously, the Prosecutors Office disagrees, so Mayor Dehaini and his 16-year-old wife, who was the citys teenage beauty queen, will probably have a somewhat rocky honeymoon.
After meeting as adults, two step-brothers who shared the same father hid their romance from the world for nine years. Now theyre making their relationship public so they can get legally married.

Ana Parra was 20 years old when she met her step-brother Daniel (17) for the first time. Her mother had told her that her biological father had started a new family and had another child, which sparked her curiosity. She looked for her father on Facebook and thats how she discovered Daniels profile. She started a false account and befriended him on the social network. They started messaging each other, discovered that they had very much in common, and Ana ultimately confessed that she was his step-sister. They decided to meet in person, gradually became good friends and then that friendship grew into something more

Photo: Janosch Diggelmann/Unsplash

We tried to maintain that sibling relationship, which is what the canons establish, but we didnt feel that way, Daniel told El Espanol. There was no brotherly feeling. I met a girl who told me she was my sister and who had the same tastes as me and I had a great time with her, but I couldnt classify her as a sister.

Ana and Daniels romance began after they kissed at a party. They both felt guilty about it afterwards, because they knew their relationship was not socially acceptable, but their hearts just said otherwise. As time went on, they let their guard down, and thanks to their friends support  which was a critical factor  they became a couple.

For nine years, Ana and Daniel kept their romance secret from the world. During that time, they had two children together, and earlier this year they decided it was time to make their relationship public, so they could get legally married. They told their controversial story on a Spanish television show and quickly started receiving hate messages on social media.

People wrote to us that we are going to burn in hell, Ana said, adding that they didnt let messages like this affect them.

Society is governed by moral norms and our morality, deep down, prevented us from taking that step, Daniel Parra said. And it is nonsense, since, if you think about it, our relationship is like any other, except for a family book that says that we are blood brothers.

The Spanish Civil Code prohibits marriages between direct relatives, even though incest has not been considered a crime in the European country since 1978. Now, Ana and Daniel hope that their story will convince legislators to change the law and acknowledge that they are not hurting anyone because they simply love each other.



After the media distorted their message, Daniel Parra felt that he needed to clarify that he and Ana never said that a romantic relationship between brothers is natural or normal, they are merely telling their personal story, such as it is.

We simply tell our personal story, we do not claim anything. It happened to us, its something unusual and thats it, Daniel explained. Many people think that we are crazy for defending this type of relationship and that we violate morality, and it is not like that, we only tell what happened to us.
A Colombian woman has spent the last 4,000 days of her 39-year existence in excruciating pain because of a surgical needle forgotten in her belly after an operation.

Maria Aderlinda Foreros decade-long nightmare began in 2012, soon after the birth of her fourth child. The housewife, who lives in the village of San Isidro, in the rural area of El Retorno, decided to undergo tubal ligation surgery to close her fallopian tubes as a form of birth control. The operation was performed in the town of San Jose del Guaviare and seemingly went without a hitch. Maria left the hospital a few days later and return home to take care of her children. However, a few days later, she started experiencing severe pain in her abdomen, but every time she went to the doctor, they would just prescribe her paracetamol for the pain.

Photo: domkarch/Pixabay

The trip from Marias village to the clinic in San Jose del Guaviare can take up to two hours, and since the family only owned a motorcycle, bad weather sometimes prevented them from going. Because of the difficulty of constantly traveling, the Colombian woman used painkillers to deal with the pain in her belly. She treated the pain with stronger and stronger drugs for over 10 years, until November 2022, when an MRI and an ultrasound revealed the true cause of the womans woes  a surgical needle with a long thread lodged in her belly.

39-year-old patient with abdominal pain, predominantly in the lower abdomen () for almost 10 years, after the Pomeroy procedure the result of Maria Aderlinda Foreros MRI reads.

On May 12, the Colombian woman will undergo an evaluation to decide the best course of action, which will hopefully end her 4,000 days of agony for good. As for accountability by the clinic or the doctor who performed her tubal ligation surgery in 2012, that will need to wait until after the evaluation, at least.

I have not been able to file a complaint because they tell me that since they are going to do the evaluation, there is nothing to claim, Forero told El Tiempo.

According to some sources, the surgeon who performed the operation 11 years ago denies any wrongdoing and has actually accused Forero of voluntarily swallowing the needle to then demand financial compensation.
Ruder Finn signs on as North American agency of record for Neo4j, a native graph database and analytics company. The agency will be responsible for implementing an integrated communications program, as well as working to amplify awareness of the company and category. The scope of work will include strategic media relations and executive communications to support corporate and product PR. Antonia Caamano, SVP of RF Tech, will lead the Ruder Finn team handling the account out of New York. "We chose Ruder Finn to achieve our next stage of awareness because of the agency's experience in enterprise IT and deep tech, which allows them to deliver smart strategies and creative executions, as well as their long-running relationships with top-tier media, said Neo4j CMO Chandra Rangan.

Oak Public Relations is named communications agency of record for Custom Cones USA, which produces supplies for cannabis pre-rolls and other cannabis packaging solutions. The agency will work to expand the presence of Custom Cones USA at conferences and trade shows, as well as publicize the companys blog content, and introduce its leadership as industry experts to targeted media. The Custom Cones USA and Oak PR teams align in our passion and dedication working at helping the industry grow, making Oak PR the perfect partner for this next step, said Custom Cones USA co-founder Harrison Baird.

The Sideways Life signs on as PR agency of record for Utu, a skincare brand targeted at outdoor enthusiasts. The agency will handle all public relations activities for Utu, including media relations, gifting and brand partnerships. Utu founder Richard Welch has worked with brands like Tom Ford, Nokia, Estee Lauder, Axe, Diesel, REN and The North Face. Welch said that The Sideways Lifes expertise in the outdoor and adventure space, combined with their nimble and collaborative approach to PR, makes them the perfect partner for Utu.
Camtel, MTN and Orange have been ordered by the Cameroonian government to immediately fix mobile services after subscribers staged protests over the lack of quality service.

ITWeb reported, minister of posts and telecommunications Minette Libom revealed a crisis meeting with all three operators was held yesterday (April 27). All operators pledged to improve their services and presented plans to improve their services, said the minister.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Board (TRB) was also present at the meeting and will conduct regular network checks to ensure operators stay true to their pledges.

Libom also urged the TRB to hasten its reorganisation of the telecoms market to bring down wholesale prices and push competition among operators.

The state will always remain on the side of the population, to ensure their protection in terms of the provision of electronic communications services by the operators, all of which justify the establishment of effective strategies and policies, for the generalised and equitable adoption of said services, and a harmonious and inclusive development of digital technology in our country, said Libom.

Operators have also been given two weeks to reimburse subscribers with data that were not accessible during network downtime. A tariff comparison tool will also be launched to aid subscribers to look for the best deals and combat high prices.

To protest subscribers set their phones to aeroplane mode to cut themselves off their respective networks between 12pm and 2pm on April 25.

Subscribers have bemoaned prolonged network disruption since last year, reported ITWeb.


LA Looks for Community Outreach Partner Wed., Apr. 26, 2023 Los Angeles is looking for a partner to conduct a creative engagement and communications program to support land use policy and zoning proposals for the East San Fernando Valley Transit Neighborhood Plan.
AN Offaly business was named as 2023 winners of the Small Category at the Irish Business Design Challenge last week.

The Factory is a second-generation family run business specialising in the supply of sustainable printing and print products using recycled and sustainable paper, plant-based inks and plastics-free packaging and the reuse of rainwater in its production processes. The Factory has care for the environment and sustainability at the heart of its ethos and the products and services it supplies. It is expanding its services to graphic design and web development.

The winners of Design & Crafts Council Irelands Irish Business Design Challenge 2023 (IBDC) were announced at an awards ceremony in Tangent, Trinity College Dublin by Neale Richmond TD, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Employment Affairs and Retail Business; and at the Department of Social Protection. The three category winners, micro, small and medium, each receive a prize of 15,000. Three runners-up prizes of 2,000 each were also awarded, and two entries were highly commendedby judges.

107 businesses entered this years Challenge, 44 of whom were shortlisted and invited to the awards ceremony. The Irish Business Design Challenge is focused on raising awareness of the importance of incorporating design and sustainability into business strategy, and the benefits it brings to those businesses and the wider Irish economy and society.

Now in its third year, the Irish Business Design Challenge from Design & Crafts Council Ireland supports companies applying design thinking to future-proof their business and support customer needs. This years challenge focused on companies that have used design thinking in their business by making them more sustainable and efficient.

Senator Pippa Hackett, Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity, said I send my heartiest congratulations to The Factory team on winning their category in the Irish Business Design Challenge 2023. With a total of 107 entries, this is no small feat, but it is no surprise that their enterprise outshone the competition. I encourage all small businesses with an interest in sustainability to check out The Factorys new Eco School courses. They are sharing their experience with other businesses to help them on their journey  and there couldnt be a nicer setting or more encouraging bunch of people to learn from. I hope this award, and financial boost, provides extra encouragement to them to keep progressing along the sustainability path and communicate the many benefits as they go.

The awards were presented by Neale Richmond TD, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Speaking at the awards, Minister Richmond said; Programmes such as the Irish Business Design Challenge shine a light on the innate creativity and innovation of Irish MSMEs. The last few years have taught businesses to be flexible and adapt quickly, which has been proven through this years Irish Business Design Challenge winners. I would like to take this opportunity to thank DCCI for their commitment to championing Irish design and the entrants for proving that smaller businesses can do big things when given the platform.

Suzy OKeefe, Head of Digital & Communications at Design & Crafts Council Ireland said: Each of these companies highlighted a deep understanding of how design thinking can be used to increase a businesss efficiency and the impact this can have on an economic and environmental level. It is incredible to see the ingenuity and innovation behind some of Irelands MSMEs and it makes us very hopeful for the future of both Irish businesses and Irish design.

Tom Watts, Head of Design at Design & Crafts Council Ireland said: It is an honour to be able to recognise these companies for the amazing work they have done to transform their businesses into such models of sustainable and circular design. The outcome of this challenge is that six companies have been funded in furthering their commitment to these principles, raising the bar and creating a new benchmark. Support like this will encourage these companies to consider themselves as thought leaders and design thinkers, and that is a great thing to be a part of.

The awards presented were designed by previous Irish Business Design Challenge winners, Notions Creative, with sustainable and circular principles in mind. The awards were created from waste materials which they already had in their workshop - an effective reuse of by-products from manufacturing which were otherwise destined for landfill.

As a testament to the positive impact that the Irish Business Design Challenge is having in driving the design and sustainability agenda across the business community in Ireland, all 44 shortlisted entrants have also been invited to apply to participate in the Circuleire Accelerator Programme.

Commenting, IBDC judge and Circular Lead at the National College of Art and Design, Gwen Cunningham said: Business as usual, is not an option anymore. This years Irish Business Design Challenge celebrates SME's that have recognised this reality, and are demonstrating what it means to do things differently. How do we serve and satisfy peoples needs and wants - such as nutrition, mobility, housing, and basic goods - within planetary boundaries? This is the greatest design challenge of our time.

It's been really heartening to see the calibre of circular design innovation. This year's IBDC winners and runners-up demonstrate how circular business makes common sense - allowing us to decouple economic growth from material use, improve competitiveness and resilience, accelerate innovation and create jobs - all whilst fighting the climate and biodiversity crises.

The Irish Business Design Challenge was open to micro, small and medium Irish businesses offering a prize fund of over 50,000. The judging panel, comprising of Elaine Butler, Circular Design Institute; Gwen Cunningham, Circular Lead, National College of Art and Design; Jamie Maguire, owner and founder of Notions Creative, along with Edwin Jebb, Creative Director at Notions Creative; and Sophie Reynolds, Circular Economy Policy and Innovation Lead, Irish Manufacturing Research, evaluated each entry based on the criteria of sustainability through design in an effort to future proof the business. Previous winners of the IBDC Challenge include GRA Chocolates, Bo Steel, Aqueduct, Notions Creative and Benson Clothing.

For further information on the Irish Business Design Challenge, visit www.dcci.ie/ibdc-2023.
The Banagher College Student Council members attended the ISSUs (Irish Secondary Students Union) An Chomhdhail Bhliaintiul (Annual assembly) 2023 on April 12th and 13th.

The event took place over two days. Day 1 was held over zoom, whereas day 2 was held in person in the Liberty Hall Theatre, Dublin.

Day 1 started off with procedure approval and the election of the ballot committee. It also included a constitutional amendment and a sustainability student voice workshop.

Day 2 began at 9.30am in Liberty Hall, Dublin, with students travelling from all over the country to attend. The Banagher girls got the train from Tullamore at 7.45am, and arrived in Dublin around 8.45am before heading by the Luas from Heuston to Abbey Street, and with a brisk walk, made it to Liberty Hall.

This year is the 15th anniversary of the formation of the ISSU, with over 500 students attending. The day began with an orientation session, including stalls from StudyClix, SIPTU, Conradh na Gaeilge, Ogras and UCCs Nurturing bright futures initiative. After orientation, and taking some photos, the students made their way to the auditorium where they listened to candidate speeches and hustings.

Minister of Education, Norma Foley, and secretary general of SIPTU, Joe Cunningham, also made an appearance and gave inspirational speeches. A Conradh na Gaeilge and Equality workshop helped to pass the day, while they waited for the results of the elections. As well as the results from the elections, which they were delighted with, the day ended with a closing ceremony. It was a brilliant experience, and we hope to return next year and get more involved.
Serco, an international public services company, has promoted its Corporate Development Director Daniel MacGregor to Chief Growth Officer  a new role for the Middle East region.

The promotion of MacGregor into the role comes as Serco continues to strengthen its position in the UAE alongside stellar growth in Saudi Arabia, to support Vision 2030.

The new Chief Growth Officer role will oversee multiple parts of the Serco business responsible for the development and implementation of the Middle East strategy including all customer discovery, solution and proposition development in addition to programme transitions, marketing and communication and managing Sercos user centre design agency ExperienceLab.

Middle East growth

Effective immediately, the new role will be responsible for driving Sercos Middle East growth agenda and bringing global capabilities to region in support of government visions. MacGregors objectives will also include driving greater efficiencies and transparencies in Serco Middle East operations and improved ways of working to continue to support, understand and serve Sercos many varied customers needs.

MacGregor originally joined the Serco Middle East business in 2004, as a Market Intelligence Analyst and was since promoted into his new role to the executive leadership position of Corporate Development Director.

In this role, MacGregor led the overall sales strategy of Serco for the region, in addition to spearheading the implementation of the new Serco business development strategy into new customers including various giga cities. One example of this was the recent launch of the organisations Space division leveraging capabilities from contracts in the European Space Agency, US Space Force and UK Space Command, announced earlier this month.

Business growth

Phil Malem, CEO of Serco Middle East said: I congratulate Daniel on his promotion to Chief Growth Officer. At Serco, it is incredibly important to recognise the exceptional work of colleagues through internal promotions and Daniel is highly deserving of this leadership title. His dedication to Serco is evident from the time he has spent here and the work he has done to date  especially over the last few years as we accelerate Sercos position in Saudi  he has been instrumental to our business growth.

In bringing our business development and growth functions together, and under Daniels leadership, we are strengthening our growth commitment and ensuring a more streamlined, integrated approach that will better support our strategic plans to support governments and organisations in the region realise their visions. It will also create more opportunities for the development, growth and future career paths of fellow team members within Serco.

MacGregor said: It is a privilege to take on this newly created position and work closely with global colleagues to bring the best of Serco capabilities to the GCC. Over the coming years I expect those same colleagues will be drawing on the next generation of services we will be designing and implementing in partnership with regional Middle East customers.

Positive impact

It is a hugely exciting time for the business as we are focused on making a positive impact on people and projects through the design and delivery of human-centred services, this with the purpose of bringing national visions to life. There is no better location in the world to be right now than the Middle East to witness the tremendous transformation and growth of regional economies.

Our purpose is to bring national visions to life and this is a region where governments set the highest bar in that regard. We will continue to solve government challenges and support them with new innovative solutions that place positive outcomes at the centre of our service offerings.-- TradeArabia News Service
Karnataka elections and the push to bag the migrant votes

Bengaluru

oi-Madhuri Adnal

The BJP has lined up over 50 young MLAs and MPs from various states in North India to woo the migrant voters in Bengaluru.

There are scores of migrant settlers in Bengaluru, who hail from both North and South India. This population is turning out to be very important in many constituencies and hence the BJP is going all hog to woo this voter.

Leaders from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra are among the many who are being roped in for the Bengaluru campaign specifically to target the migrant voters. Some of the leaders who would be in the city would be Hardik Patel from Gujarat, M D Sharma from MP, Pravin Ghoghari from Surat, Vinod Tawde from Maharashtra and Manish Jaiswal from Jharkhand.

PM Modis dejection comes from the fact BJP wont win Karnataka: Shivakumar

There are many from North India who are residing in Bengaluru. However in the previous elections, they have not voted as they continued to remain enrolled in their home states. This time however the data shows that the North Indians and other migrants have enrolled with the election body here. The number of such voters is the highest in Bengaluru South.

This is not just restricted to the BJP, but parties such as the Congress which is looking to wrest power have also been wooing the migrant voters. The reason why leaders from other states are being flown in to be part of the campaign is to overcome the language barrier. The main language spoken is Hindi and hence these leaders are being brought in.

Similarly there is a major migrant population from Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Leaders from these states too are being brought in to reach out to this population.

Wait and watch: Deve Gowda on Karnataka assembly polls

The migrant population is being targeted more during these polls unlike the previous ones. The Vokkaligas and Lingayats are the dominant population in Karnataka, but in this election every vote counts and hence the parties are leaving nothing to chance and trying to bag the vote of every single candidate.

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Story first published: Friday, April 28, 2023, 13:16 [IST]
Security guard assaulted by Blinkit delivery executive in Bengaluru | Watch

Bengaluru

oi-Madhuri Adnal

A private security guard of a housing society in Bengaluru was allegedly assaulted a grocery delivery partner associated with Blinkit. The incident took place on Thursday in Chokkanahalli a neighbourhood near Jakkur in North Bengaluru.

According to reports, the assault took place near Nakshatra Apartment after the delivery partners were asked to make an entry before entering the apartment.

Taking to micro-blogging platform Twitter, Parthiban Madhivanan wrote, "@BlrCityPolice Dear Sir, yesterday in an incident our society's security was beaten by Blinkit delivery guys, and later a group came to threatening us. It's was just requested to make the entry. We request you to protect us from these kind of rogues.''

In the CCTV footage, one can see the delivery boys entering the apartment complex and being stopped by the security staff. The rider then points to the security staff, heads towards him, and shoves him.

Video of Modi asking Eshwarappa to ensure BJP victory goes viral

@letsblinkit

Dear Blinkit, the deliver guys you have teamed up, not all are disciplined guys. Yesterday we had some rogue visited our apartment and manhandled the security for asking them to do the entry. We called them to ask whats the issue and he comes with 10 to 15 people. pic.twitter.com/ApfS6hdRrI  Parthiban Madhivanan (@ParthibanMadhi2) April 27, 2023

The pillion rider, who was carrying the Blinkit delivery bag, also joined him during the altercation. They were then seen leaving the complex.

The incident is the latest in a series of episodes of conflicts caught on camera in recent months involving security guards of housing society.

Earlier in the month of October last year, a security guard of a housing society in Noida and a food delivery partner associated with Zomato were arrested after a fight between them went viral on various social media platforms. The duo were booked under CrPC sections 107 (related to maintenance of peace and public tranquillity) and 116 (magistrate's inquiry into the truth of information upon which action has been taken), police officials informed.

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Story first published: Friday, April 28, 2023, 13:30 [IST]
Fact Check: Is this man criticising CM Yogi for the killing of Atiq Ahmed

Fact Check: Clip of BJP poll van being vandalised is not from Karnataka

Fact Check: This image of a loco pilot holding an umbrella is not from Keralas first Vande Bharat Express

Fact Check

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The first Vande Bharat Express, the Kasargod-Thiruvananthapuram Express in Kerala was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 25.

Following there the train was in the news with some reports stating that there was water leakage in it, while it was parked at Kannur.

This lead to a barrage of messages on the social media which were shared with an image of a loco pilot sitting inside the train with an open umbrella in his hand. It was alleged this was the loco pilot of Kerala's inaugural Vande Bharat train. He was protecting himself from the leaking water while making the inaugural journey of the train, it was also said.

Fact Check: BBC survey predicted clear majority for BJP in Karnataka?

"Dear Narendra Modi please stop making things. Clearly you are utterly incapable to make anything right. 'VANDE BHARAT' on the 1st day of inauguration rainwater started leaking from the roof of VB in Kerala. A picture is worth a thousand words," read one tweet.

A reverse image search of the viral photo took us to a post tweeted by journalist, Sucheta Dalal on August 9 2017. The video featured the same loco pilot sitting with an umbrella covering his head. Dalal had tagged then railway minister, Suresh Prabhat and written, 'railway safety? Suresh Prabhu and Rail Minister India need to take a serious look without victimising the whistleblower.'

Railway safety? @sureshpprabhu and @RailMinIndia need to take a serious look without victimising whistleblower pic.twitter.com/Ue7rv0LwTP  Sucheta Dalal (@suchetadalal) August 9, 2017

In the video the assistant of the loco pilot can be heard complaining about the poor working conditions. He also appeals to the viewers to share the video widely.

The first ever Vande Bharat Express which was known as Train 18 was launched by PM Modi on February 15 2019. Hence it makes it clear that the video that has now gone viral is from 2017 and not the recent launch at Kerala.

We also found a post in The Indian Express with the headline, 'Train driver holds umbrella to save control panel from leaky roof, video goes viral.' The report also featured the same video and image.

A video of the same incident was also uploaded on YouTube and you can see the same below.

The video was shot at the Bermo Railway station, which is in the Bokaro district of Jharkhand. It falls under the Dhanbad railway division of the East-Central Railway zone.

The Railway Ministry had responded to the viral video and said that the engine was dead and was being pulled by another engine in front as seen in the video.

Fact Check: Clip of BJP poll van being vandalised is not from Karnataka

When we checked as to what exactly had happened to the Vande Bharat Express, we found news reports that there were heavy rains on the inaugural day. The reports said that the leak was found through the AC vent.

Hence it is clear that the video of the loco-pilot holding an umbrella inside the train is old and not from Kerala.

Fact Check Claim This image shows loco pilot of Kerala Vande Bharat Express sitting inside with an umbrella. Conclusion The video that has gone viral is from Jharkhand and was shot in 2017. Rating False Raise your request for FACT CHECKING. Mail us at [email protected]

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Story first published: Friday, April 28, 2023, 10:36 [IST]
OPINION: Who is responsible for Hindu-Muslim tensions?

Feature

lekhaka-Balbir Punj

One of the myths in circulation, at home and abroad, is: Hindu-Muslim tensions have escalated in India following Modi's ascend to power in 2014. Really? Were the ties between the two communities honky-dory earlier? If that were so, why was India partitioned on communal lines in 1947 and Hindus were forced to flee en masse from Kashmir valley in 1980-90?

Why non-Muslim communities been nearly decimated in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh? And why are Hindu students being harassed by their Muslim classmates in the schools of United Kingdom? It's not that only Hindus are at the receiving end of bullying by Muslims in Great Britain. UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been raising red flags over targeting of vulnerable white girls by gangs of British Pakistani men.

Braverman told media recently: "What's clear is that what we've seen is a practice whereby vulnerable white English girls, ...being pursued and raped and drugged and harmed by gangs of British Pakistani men who've worked in child abuse rings or networks. British Pakistani males, who hold cultural values that are totally at odds with British values, who see women in a demeaned and illegitimate way and who pursue a heinous approach in the way they behave."

Braverman also added: "We do not have blasphemy laws in Great Britain and must not be complicit in the attempts to impose them on this country. There is no right not to be offended. There is no legal obligation to be reverent towards any religion." Warning that respect for freedom of speech was "going in the wrong direction", she said Islam should not expect a "special status" to protect the religion from disrespect.

"There is a long, ignoble history of that, which goes back at least as far as the furore over The Satanic Verses... it's rooted in a view - actually a bigoted one - that Muslims are uniquely incapable of controlling themselves if they feel provoked. And it has excused agitators using fear to force people to bend to their demands," she said.

While English girls are being sexually victimised by British Pakistani men, a report by the Henry Jackson Society has brought out shocking details of anti-Hindu hatred in British schools with Hindu children mocked for worshipping multiple deities and the sacrality of the cow, called "kaffir" by Muslim pupils.

The report titled "Anti-Hindu Hate in Schools" is authored by Charlotte Littlewood and based on interviews with almost 1,000 Hindu parents. This is the first study of its kind looking into anti-Hindu hate in the UK. According to the report, Hindu children were mocked for being vegetarian and for their religious practices. One girl had beef thrown at her because she was Hindu.

A Muslim told a Hindu child if they converted to Islam "the bullying will stop", the report said. According to a parent, Muslim students told my children to watch videos of Zakir Naik and convert because Hinduism makes no sense.

One of the reasons propelling Muslim aggression against non-Muslims in England is the fast growth in population of the community in the island nation. The number of Muslims in the country is four times that of Hindus. According to the latest census, Muslim population grew from 4.9 per cent to 6.5 per cent of the population (27 lakh to 39 lakh), even as 1.7 per cent identified as Hindu, up from 1.5 per cent (8.18 lakh to 10 lakh).

Hindus in the UK are "smart, rich and very well behaved" with just 0.4 per cent found in the country's prisons in 2021, the lowest of any religious group. There are just 347 Hindus in prisons in the UK, said a report in October 2022. The proportion of Muslim prisoners has increased from 8 per cent in 2002 to 17 per cent (14,037) in 2022.

Meanwhile, a group of 25 Christian inmates are planning legal action against the Prison Service for failing to protect them from violent Islamist gangs. Lawyers for the prisoners say wardens have allowed the groups to take control because they fear being accused of racism.

In November 2018, a report by Sikh Mediation and Rehabilitation Team (SMART) alleged systematic sexual exploitation of British Sikh girls by Muslim gangs of predominantly Pakistani men. The report says the girls would be trapped by "fashionably-dressed adult Pakistani men travelling in flamboyant vehicles to predominantly Sikh dominated areas and schools."

Young Sikh women across the UK would reportedly be groomed by one man and then passed round to other members of the family, reveals the report. The study, entitled "The Religiously Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of Young Sikh Women Across the UK", was backed by former Labour Party MP Ms. Sarah Champion.

In a statement, Sarah said: "I was shocked when I first heard about the organised abuse of Sikh girls by mostly Pakistani men. When I started speaking to Sikh women, I could not believe how widespread the grooming and abuse was - and that this has been going on for decades."

Between 2008 and 2010, a child abuse ring that came to be known as part of the "grooming gang" phenomenon operated in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Girls aged between 13 and 15 were trafficked, prostituted, raped and assaulted by the gang. One victim was forced to have sex with at least 20 men in one night; another was forced to drink vodka and was vomiting over the side of the bed while being raped by "countless men". The perpetrators would pass the girls to their friends, often to settle a debt.

In this scandal, nine men were convicted of sex trafficking and other offences including rape and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child, on 8 May 2012, and 10 more were convicted in another investigation in 2015. The men were all British Pakistanis. Most of the convicted men were married and well-respected within their community.

Forty-seven girls were identified as victims of child sexual exploitation during the police investigation. The girls were mainly White British. There was a discussion on whether the failure to investigate them was linked to the authorities fear of being accused of racial prejudice. One gang member convicted of sex trafficking was a religious studies teacher at a mosque and a father of five.

Are the men guilty of these crimes just misguided individuals gone astray? Isn't clear that there is a community underpinning to these sordid episodes? What sort of a dogma or a belief system can motivate a sizeable section of a community to pursue such vile and horrid actions?

Can one find a possible answer to the vexed question in what Dr. B.R. Ambedkar had said in his seminal work 'Pakistan or the partition of India'? He said, "The brotherhood of Islam is not the universal brotherhood of man. It is brotherhood of Muslims for Muslims only. There is a fraternity but its benefit is confined to those within that corporation. For those who are outside the corporation, there is nothing but contempt and enmity."

Gandhiji studied Indian communal riots in depth and analysed the conduct of both, Hindus and Muslims. Writing in Young India (May 29, 1924), he said, "There is no doubt in my mind that in the majority of quarrels, the Hindus come out second best. My own experience but confirms the opinion that the Mussalman as a rule is a bully, and the Hindu as a rule is a coward... Need the Hindu blame the Mussalman for his cowardice? Where there are cowards, there will always be bullies."

Can one hold Modi or RSS responsible for strained ties between Muslims and Hindus in within India, in the neighbourhood and worsening of inter-community relations in distant England? What Gandhiji said about Indian situation, nearly a century back, probably holds good for England, and elsewhere as well, even today. Nothing seem to have changed.

(Mr. Balbir Punj is a Former Member of Parliament and a Columnist. He can be reached at: [email protected])

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
Congress locked up Lord Rama, now it wants to lock up those who worship Hanuman: PM Modi

A free bus ride: How parties from Karnataka to Rajasthan are wooing women voters

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The Congress in Karnataka announced that women will be able to travel free in public transport if it is voted back to power in the state.

The party made the announcement during Rahul Gandhi's election campaign in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts. The Congress had so far made four promise which included free power. Gandhi said that he would had a fifth and said that all women would be allowed to travel free in public transport if the party is elected to power.

The scheme announced by the Congress is very much similar to the one launched by the DMK in Karnataka. Following his swearing-in as chief minister in 2021, M K Stalin had said that all working women in the state could travel free of cost in government-owned city and town buses with immediate effect. The government explained that the main intention behind the scheme was to increase the work participation rate of women and also to promote public transportation.

Karnataka elections and the push to bag the migrant votes

The BJP too had announced a scheme similar to this. Chief Minister, Basavaraj Bommai had announced that free bus pass facility for 30 lakh working women across the state would be given. The government has announced a free bus pass facility to all women working in the organised sector he had said.

Free bus rides for women has been announced in other states as well. On Raksha Bandhan, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath had announced that ladies in the state would for the next 48 hours receive free bus tickets.

Following this the Rajasthan government also announced that the transport department will not charge bus fares to female passengers. Within the state female passengers will be given free transport options, except on AC and Volvo buses, the government had saiid.

The Haryana and Uttarakhand governments too had offered free bus rides to passengers on Raksha Bandhan.

PM Modis dejection comes from the fact BJP wont win Karnataka: Shivakumar

Wooing the women voters is very important for all parties. Experts OneIndia spoke with say that the woman voter has over the years been the more dedicated one. Women vote in larger numbers and hence it becomes important for political parties to reach out to them.

Take the Karnataka case for instance. The first half of the campaign was all about doling out cookers and dinner sets. This was a clear indication that the woman voter is important and hence reaching out to them could possibly change the outcome of the verdict.

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Story first published: Friday, April 28, 2023, 13:52 [IST]
AAP extends support to protesting wrestlers, urges PM Modi to ensure they get justice

India

pti-PTI

AAP leaders on Friday extended support to the wrestlers protesting against Wrestling Foundation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at Jantar Mantar here and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure they get justice.

Delhi Cabinet ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, and AAP spokesperson Reena Gupta met the protesters. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will visit Jantar Mantar on Saturday. The wrestlers have launched a second round of protest against Singh, who is also a BJP MP, over allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation.

As the chorus of support for the protesting wrestlers grew, Delhi Police on Friday filed two FIRs against Singh on allegations of sexual harassment levelled by seven women wrestlers. Atishi said she was heartbroken to see the plight of the wrestlers but the Centre is not bothered.

"I was watching a TV debate yesterday and when I saw the wrestlers here break down, I was heartbroken. "I thought to myself what kind of a central government do we have. Even a person with a heart of stone will break down after listening to the stories of harassment that these wrestlers have faced. But still Modi ji and his government do not care about these athletes," she said.

She lauded the female wrestlers for speaking up about the harassment faced by them. "The prime minister should listen to the voices of our daughters here and ensure that they get justice. Otherwise, today there are around 1,000 people who have gathered here to demand justice and in the days to come, this number would swell to 10 lakh," Atishi said.

Bharadwaj said the wrestlers who have dedicated their lives to bringing glory to the nation are today protesting at Jantar Mantar and this is not a good sign for any society. These wrestlers should ideally be practising for upcoming tournaments but they are sitting at Jantar Mantar and braving the heat, humidity and mosquitoes, he said.

"Our wrestlers who are protesting here are aware that they will have to fight against the conspiracies of the federation and fight a long battle to get their careers back on track. Attempts will be made to put pressure on them ... but despite all this, they are fighting for their dignity," Bharadwaj said.

The wrestlers will definitely win this "battle against the central government", he said. Referring to Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia, the AAP leader said, "Even Lord Ram required the assistance of Bajrang to fight against evil forces. Here we have 'sankatmochan' Hanuman with us and therefore we will certainly will. Even Lord Ram is with us in this fight against the central government."
Congress locked up Lord Rama, now it wants to lock up those who worship Hanuman: PM Modi

Plummeting level of campaign discourse: EC asks parties to exercise restraint in Karnataka

After Sudeep, actor Darshan to campaign for BJP in Karnataka

India

oi-Deepika S

Popular Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa is set to campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party in Kolar and Bengaluru Rural constituencies in Karnataka for the upcoming Assembly elections.

Popularly known as the "Challenging Star", Darshan is considered one of the top 5 stars in Kannada cinema.

According to the itinerary released by the BJP, Darshan will hold multiple roadshows constituencies in the Kolar district including Kolar Gold Field, Bangarapet, and Malur on April 28.

A free bus ride: How parties from Karnataka to Rajasthan are wooing women voters

The Kranti famed actor will also conduct roadshows in Hoskote, Devanahalli, Doddaballapur, and Nelamangala constituencies in the Bengaluru Rural district.

Notably, Darshan Thoogudeepa is the second most popular actor in Karnataka that has extended support to the BJP for May 10 assembly elections.

Earlier, extending support for the BJP, Kichcha Sudeep participated in a massive roadshow along with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and BJP national president JP Nadda in Shiggaon.

He also campaigned for BJP party candidates from Hirekerur, Ranibennur and Hubballi-Dharwad Central.

BJP is leaving no stone unturned in its election campaign in a bid to return to power for the second consecutive term.

Actor Darshan has a huge fan following in Karnataka. Their social media handles are flooded with his pictures, video interviews, and film clips. He is the most dependable star as far as producers are concerned.

Will Kharges 'snake jibe come back to bite the Congress in Karnataka?

However, we have to wait and watch to see how the actors' fan base would react to this development and whether his entry would translate into votes for BJP.

Darshan is an actor, producer, and distributor who works predominantly in Kannada films. He made his debut in 2001 with the film Majestic and has acted in more than 50 films so far.

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Story first published: Friday, April 28, 2023, 14:01 [IST]
Assessing the Chhattisgarh attack and the four motives of the naxalites

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Investigations have shown that the naxalites who carried out the IED blast in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh in which 10 cops and a driver was killed had attempted to snatch weapons.

However this was thwarted by the security personnel in the next vehicle, who opened fire, following which the Maoists escaped from the spot, sources tell OneIndia.

There are multiple assessments which are being carried out. Firstly, it has been found that the naxals carried out the attack as part of the annual tactical counter offensive campaign, which is undertaken during the summers. Secondly, it has been learnt that they were trying to break a human intelligence chain by scaring off the locals through this attack. Weapon snatching was another part of the modus operandi, the source cited above also said. Further it has been learnt that they may been trying to free two arrested naxals, who were being ferried in another vehicle. The vehicle however passed by safely.

In addition to studying the motive and modus operandi, the agencies are also investigating the lack of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). There was no Road Opening Party as should have been the case in a naxal infested area. The second question is why the police personnel were travelling in a rented mini van.

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Naxal attack: Intel was general in nature, may have not been actionable

Following the attack a massive manhunt was launched to track down the naxalites responsible for the incident. Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel told the media that two naxalites had been caught. One of them is in custody, while the other is receiving treatment at a hospital, he said. While no additional details have been provided about the two persons, their arrest itself is a significant development amidst the ongoing investigations.

The authorities will however be able to pull out valuable information from the two. This information would be helpful in preventing further attacks as the interrogation would bring out valuable details about the modus operandi behind this incident.

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Story first published: Friday, April 28, 2023, 9:08 [IST]
Cheetahs from Namibia, South Africa get new names, here is what they are called

Cheetah deaths were within 'expected mortality rates': South Africa

India

oi-Deepika S

Allaying the fear over Cheetah deaths in India, South Africa on Thursday said the deaths of two big cats in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park are within expected mortality rates for a project of this nature.

"The cheetah joined eight of the mammals relocated to India's Kuno National Park from Namibia in September 2022. The two cheetah deaths (one from Namibia and one from South Africa) observed to date are within the expected mortality rates for a project of this nature," the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) South Africa said in a statement.

A total of 20 big cats were relocated to Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh under Project Cheetah, which is the world's first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project.

"Large carnivore reintroductions are extremely complex and inherently risky operations. This is a critical phase of the project, with cheetahs being released into larger environments where there is increasingly less control over their day-to-day wellbeing," the statement said.

"The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) awaits a diagnosis (an autopsy) for the death of the cheetah, but there is no indication that it is any form of infectious disease or that there is a similar threat to any of the other cheetahs", the government of South Africa said in a statement.

Kuno Cheetah 'Uday died due to Cardiopulmonary failure, says autopsy report

"All the South African cheetahs are in larger enclosures and are closely monitored twice daily. As they are wild cheetahs, their behaviour, movements, and body condition must be evaluated from a distance, limiting the ability of teams on the ground to gain precise knowledge of their health status," it added.

"The remaining eleven South African cheetahs will be released into free-ranging conditions over the next two months. Kuno is an unfenced protected area that supports a high density of competing predators including leopards, wolves, sloth bears, and striped hyenas. It is anticipated that, as observed with cheetah reintroductions in Africa, a few of the founder population may be lost within the first-year post-release", it further said.

"Many of the released cheetahs will escape the boundaries of Kuno National Park and may have to go through short-term stress during the recapture process. Once the cheetahs have established home ranges, the situation will stabilise," it said.

Reportedly, Uday, a six-year-old cheetah who was brought to India from South Africa, died on April 23.

Earlier on March 27, five-year-old Sasha, one of the eight cheetahs brought to India from Namibia, succumbed to kidney failure after she was diagnosed with a kidney infection in January.

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Story first published: Friday, April 28, 2023, 16:04 [IST]
Chill in ties: Disengage first, Rajnath tells China after he refuses to shake hands with counterpart

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

India has made it categorically clear that unless troops are withdrawn by the Chinese along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, there would be no improvement in bilateral ties.

Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh told his Chinese counterpart, General Li Shangfu that the violations by the People's Liberation Army had eroded the entire basis of the bilateral relations. The disengagement needs to be logically followed by de-escalation, Singh said in his 55-minute meeting with General Li Shangfu.

The chill in the relations was evident when Singh did not shake hands with General Li.

Reports said that the Chinese side presented a new proposal to re-start military-to-military cooperation just before the bilateral. However it was rejected with the message that it can be only considered if the situation at the border returns to normal.

India has been demanding the disengagement, de-escalation and de-induction of the over 50,000 troops each deployed by the two sides along the LAC. "India can consider the proposal only after the border issue is resolved. India wants relations with China improved, but that can happen only after peace and tranquility is restored at the border," India told China.

'Situation generally stable': China attempts to sideline border issue

The visit by the Chinese defence minister is the first since the People's Liberation Army made several intrusions into eastern Ladakh in April 2020. This had also led to the bloody clash at Galwan Valley in June during the same year, following which the bilateral ties nosedived.

The meeting also comes in the wake of the 18th round of corps commander-level talks that was held on the Chinese side of Chushul-Moldo last Sunday. The talks did not yield any concrete results.

China is yet to disengage at the Depsang Plains as well as the Charding Ninglung Nallah (CNN) track junction at Demchok in eastern Ladakh. On the other hand, the Chinese have upped the ante along the Sikkim-Arunachal frontier. This had led to a clash between the two sides at the Tawang sector.

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Story first published: Friday, April 28, 2023, 12:49 [IST]
DCW seeks action against man "shamelessly masturbating" on Delhi Metro

India

oi-Prakash KL

Delhi Women's Commission Chief Swati Maliwal on Friday issued a notice to the Delhi Police and Delhi Metro over a viral video of a man allegedly masturbating in a metro train.

Photo Credit:

"Came across a viral video where a man can be seen shamelessly masturbating in Delhi Metro. It is absolutely disgusting and sickening. I am issuing a notice to Delhi Police and Delhi Metro to ensure the strictest possible action against this shameful act," she tweeted.

In the viral video, the man is seen sitting and masturbating inside Delhi Metro even as other commuters around him seemed extremely uncomfortable.

"This is a very serious matter," the panel said.

Maliwal said, "A man can be seen in a viral video shamelessly masturbating in Delhi Metro. It is absolutely disgusting and sickening. The accused must be arrested and strict action should be taken in the matter." "More and more such cases are coming to light in the Delhi Metro and exemplary action needs to be taken against such persons so that women's safety is ensured in the metro," Maliwal added.

Responding to the incident, the DMRC said that it will "intensify" the deployment of flying squads in the metro.

"We request the commuters to conduct themselves responsibly while travelling by Metro. If the other commuters notice any objectionable behaviour, they should immediately report the matter on the DMRC Helpline detailing the corridor, station, time etc. DMRC will intensify the number of flying squads comprising Metro and security staff to monitor such behaviour in the Metro and necessary action under relevant provisions of law shall be taken," it tweeted.

With inputs from PTI
Kamal Haasan in alliance with DMK... Need of the hour or Political stunt?

DMK demands apology after Karnataka BJP leader, Eshwarappa stops Tamil anthem

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The DMK has demanded an apology from Karnataka BJP leader, K S Eswharappa after he stopped the Tamil Nadu state anthem at a convention held ahead of the assembly elections in the state.

Reports said that that the anthem was meant to be played at an invocation at the start of the programme aimed at the Tamil voters in Shivamogga on Thursday. However Eshwarappa appeared to be disturbed as it started playing. A few seconds later, he walked towards the organisers and asked them to stop the Tamil song and play the Karnataka state anthem instead. He also suggested that some of the women in attendance sing the Tamil song, but none came forward. The Karnataka anthem was then played.

The incident took place in the presence of Tamil Nadu BJP chief, K Annamalai, who is also the co-incharge for Karnataka.

The incident has sparked a controversy with DMK MP Kanimozhi demanding Annamalai to apologise."How can someone who could not stop his party members from denigrating 'Tamil Thai Vazhthu' care about the people of Tamil Nadu?" she said in a tweet in Tamil.

Annamalai responded with an old video when Tamil Nadu chief minister, M K Stalin was the opposition leader, in which after the National Flag was hoisted, the National Anthem and reportedly not been played.

Politics of poison: Now BJP leader in Karnataka calls Sonia Gandhi 'vishkanya

"Do you need all this with a leader who doesn't know how to play the national anthem after hoisting our national flag? Is it not yours the history of removing the line 'Kannadamung Kalitelungum Kavinmalayalamum Tuluvum' from 'Tamil Thai Vazhthu' to sow the division of the state?" he wrote in a tweet in Tamil.

He further said, "our only mission is to save the Tamil people from you and the DMK's cheap politics. Do not worry."

Annamalai a 2011 IPS-batch officer resigned in 2019 and joined the BJP in 2020. Within one year, he became the president of the party's Tamil Nadu unit.

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Story first published: Friday, April 28, 2023, 16:18 [IST]
ED case: Manish Sisodias bail plea rejected by Delhi Court

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

A Delhi court on Friday dismissed the bail application filed by former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in a money laundering case connected to the alleged excise policy scam.

Special Judge M K Nagpal while denying bail to Sisodia, said the investigation is at such a stage that it doesn't merit granting bail.

Photo Credit:

Sisodia moved the bail application in the money laundering case on March 21.

During the hearings, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had opposed the bail application, claiming that Sisodia had planted fabricated emails to demonstrate public support for the policy and that the investigation was at a 'crucial' stage.

Additionally, the federal agency had stated that it had discovered new evidence of his involvement in the alleged crime.

Delhi court extends judicial custody of Manish Sisodia till May 12

On Thursday, a CBI court had rejected Sisodia's bail application, saying he was 'prima facie the architect' in the criminal conspiracy behind alleged payment of advance kickbacks of around Rs 90-100 crore meant for him and his colleagues in the Delhi government. The court also noted that there were serious apprehensions of Sisodia destroying evidence or even influencing some prime witnesses in the case, if he were to be released on bail.

Sisodia and others have been accused of manipulating the Delhi Excise Policy to facilitate monopolisation of liquor trade in Delhi.

It has been alleged by the CBI that this was done against the advance kickbacks of around Rs 90 crore paid by persons carrying out the liquor business from South India.

To ensure repayment of the said kickbacks, certain provisions in the Excise Policy were inserted to favour the "South lobby" and other members of the cartel, the CBI had alleged.

(with PTI inputs)
Who is Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh, the new Vice Chief of IAF?

LCA Tejas jets in UAE to take part in its maiden foreign air exercise

What led to the emergency landing of Indian Navy chopper off Mumbai coast

IAF carries out daring night rescue operation in Sudan

India

oi-Prakash KL

In a daring operation carried out on the night of April 27 and 28, a C-130J aircraft of the IAF rescued 121 personnel from a small airstrip at Wadi Sayyidna, which is about 40 km North of Khartoum in trouble-hit Sudan.

The passengers included medical cases, including a pregnant lady besides those who had no means to reach Port Sudan.

According to an official from the IAF, the convoy was led by the Indian Defence Attache, who was in continuous touch with IAF authorities all along, till they reached the airstrip at Wadi Sayyidna.

Notably, the airstrip had no landing lights, no navigational approach aids or fuel and the aircrew upon approaching the airstrip used their Electro-Optical/Infra Red sensors to ensure that the runway was free from any obstructions and no inimical forces were in the vicinity, according to a report in ANI.

The eight IAF Guard Commandos, upon landing, secured the passengers and their luggage into the aircraft while the aircraft engines were kept running.

The take-off from the unlit runway was also carried out using NVGs. "The approximately two-and-a-half-hour-long operation between Wadi Sayyidna and Jeddah will go down in the annals of IAF history for its sheer audacity and flawless execution - akin to that carried out in Kabul," said an IAF official.

It has to be noted that it is the same airport where Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shot at a Turkish evacuation plane as it was landing on Friday, damaging its fuel system.

Meanwhile, another batch of the Indian Air Force C-130J flight with 135 stranded Indians took off on Friday. This is the 12th batch of stranded citizens heading to Jeddah.

"An IAF C-130J takes off from Port Sudan with 135 passengers for Jeddah. This marks the 12th batch of stranded Indians evacuated under #OperationKaveri," Arindam Bagchi, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, said.

The deadly fighting between Sudan's army and a paramilitary group, which broke out earlier this month, has reportedly left around 416 people dead and at least 3,551 injured.

With inputs from ANI
In Kamaal Khan vs Manoj Bajpayee case, SC refuses to transfer defamation case to Mumbai

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The Supreme Court has rejected a plea filed by actor and producer Kamaal R Khan which sought a transfer of the defamation case filed against him by actor Manoj Bajpayee.

The matter was heard by a Bench comprising Justices A S Bopanna and Dipankar Datta.

"Heard learned counsel for the petitioner as also learned counsel for the respondent and perused the petition papers as also the reply filed to the transfer petition along with the documents enclosed. Considering that the complaint has been initiated at a place where it is alleged that the complainant had knowledge of the defamatory tweets, we see no reason to accept the request for transfer," the Bench said.

The Bench also went on to dispose of the transfer plea filed by Khan.

Bajpayee had filed the case after he was termed as a drug addict by Khan in a series of tweets in 2021.

SC to hear wrestlers sexual harassment plea against WFI chief today

Khan had moved the Supreme Court contending that the case pending before a court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class at Indore, Madhya Pradesh be transferred to the court if the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Mumbai.

Khan's counsel had argued that since both parties are in Mumbai the case can be shifted to the city.

Bajpayee's counsel on the other hand contended that Khan had not approached the court with clean hands and had suppressed the fact that the ground of jurisdiction had already been rejected by the court. It was also contended that Khan was a habitual offender for posting defamatory content against various celebrities. He has also been prosecuted by the courts for the statements he has made, it was further contended.

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Story first published: Friday, April 28, 2023, 12:34 [IST]
JD(S) aims at the 123 mark, promises to throw out Amul, restore Muslim quota

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The Muslim reservation issue has become a big one in the Karnataka elections. The BJP government had scrapped the four per cent reservation quota for the Muslims and divided it equally between the Vokkaligas and Lingayats, the two most dominant communities in the poll bound state of Karnataka.

While the Congress has said that it would reverse this decision, if it comes to power, the Janata Dal (S) too has decided to make this an issue. The JD(S) released its "Janata Pranalike" (People's Manifesto) for the May 10 elections and promised to restore four per cent reservation for the Muslims. It has also assured that it would throw out Amul and save the Nandini brand.

Photo Credit:

The party went on to add that it would reserve jobs for the Kannadigas in the private sector and provide free-higher education for the economically-weaker students.

Both the Nandini and reservation issues have become a major poll plank in Karnataka. The Congress and JD(S) have been targeting the BJP over these issues.

Furthermore the JD(S) which styles itself as the protectors of farmers in Karnataka has announced the 'Raita Bandhu' scheme, which promises to provide Rs 2,000 to agricultural labour families every month. It also said that girls who marry youths who are farmers will be given financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh.

PM Modis dejection comes from the fact BJP wont win Karnataka: Shivakumar

The JD(S) has also promised in its manifesto Rs 6,000 for pregnant women for six months, a loan waiver for 'Stree Shakti' self-help groups, pension for Anganwadi workers, Rs 2,000 a month for auto drivers, Rs 2,000 for registered security guards and up to Rs 25 lakh for treatment of rare diseases under the CM relief fund.

The party has said that it would launch a separate manifesto for Bengaluru city in the coming days.

The party has set a target of winning 123 seats in the upcoming elections. The magic number to form the government is 113.
Jet Airways CEO-designate Sanjiv Kapoor quits

India

oi-Prakash KL

Jalan Kalrock Consortium (JKC) on Friday announced that Sanjiv Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer-designate for Jet Airways, is departing the company effective May 1, on the conclusion of his notice period.

He had joined the airline as the chief executive officer in April, last year. Monday will be his last working day in the company.

Jet Airways shuttered operations in April 2019 and later went into insolvency proceedings. Jalan Kalrock consortium had emerged as the winning bidder for the once-storied carrier under the insolvency resolution process.

Before Kapoor joined the company, Sudhir Gaur had quit as the interim CEO of Jet Airways. In October 2020, the airline's Committee of Creditors (CoC) approved the revival plan submitted by the consortium of Dubai-based Murari Lal Jalan and the UK's Kalrock Capital. In June 2021, the consortium's bid was approved under the insolvency resolution process, PTI reported.

In a statement, Kapoor said, "I am proud to have been part of a fantastic team that came together with JKC to create history by reviving an airline for the first time in India. It is not an ordinary airline we set out to revive - it is Jet Airways, one of the most loved airlines in India for the last 25 years it operated before ceasing operations in 2019," Kapoor said in the statement today.

"I am proud of the ground breaking business plan we put together and the progress we made, though regrettably the re-start of operations could not happen as planned in 2022. I am a firm believer in the tremendous value that can be created by full-service carriers such as Jet Airways following bankruptcy re-structuring, and I know JKC is fully committed towards the revival of Jet Airways and wish them the very best," he added.

With inputs from agencies
Congress locked up Lord Rama, now it wants to lock up those who worship Hanuman: PM Modi

Karnataka: In two days, PM Modi to address 6 public meetings, hold 2 roadshows

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to poll bound Karnataka starting April 29.

During this visit, he will address six public meetings and hold two roadshows. His itinerary says that he will fly down from Delhi on Saturday morning by a special aircraft to Bidar airport. From there he would take a helicopter to Humnabad in Bidar district and will then address a public meeting at 11 am.

Following this, he will fly to Kudachi in Belagavi where he will address people at around 2.45 pm. Later on the PM will fly to Bengaluru, where he will hold a roadshow in the evening.

After staying in Bengaluru, the PM will depart from Raj Bhavan on Sunday morning to Kolar, where he will address a public meeting at 11.30 am. From there he will fly to Channapatna in Ramanagar district to address a public meeting at 1.30 pm.

Politics of poison: Now BJP leader in Karnataka calls Sonia Gandhi 'vishkanya

Later on he would address a public meeting at 3.45 in the Temple town of Belur in Hassan district. The same evening he will be in Mysuru, where he will hold a roadshow.

After the programme in Mysuru, he will fly back by a special aircraft to New Delhi. The PM will be back again next week, where he will hold more programmes and roadshows.

The PM has visited Karnataka nine times this year. Assembly elections are due on May 10, while the results would be out on May 13.

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Story first published: Friday, April 28, 2023, 15:59 [IST]
Lalu Prasad likely to reach Patna today

India

oi-PTI

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad is likely to reach Patna on Friday after a long stay in Delhi following his kidney transplant surgery in Singapore in December last year.

With the news of Prasad's arrival, RJD workers in the state capital, who have been waiting for him for a long time, are jubilant and are now preparing for his grand welcome.

''Father is coming to Patna, we have lots of work to do'', Tej Pratap Yadav, Bihar Environment, Forest & Climate Change minister and the elder son of RJD supremo, tweeted on Thursday.

According to party insiders, the RJD supremo will be in Patna for quite some days but mass meetings may be avoided due to his health issue.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met the RJD chief at the residence of his daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti in New Delhi on Thursday. The meeting came after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his Deputy, Tejashwi Yadav, had met the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister in Lucknow on April 25.

Land-For-Jobs Scam: Delhi court grants bail to Lalu Yadav, Rabri and other accused

RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad is expected to play an important role in uniting opposition parties ahead of the coming parliamentary and assembly polls in the state. Political observers believe that Prasad's ability to network with anti-BJP leaders is unparalleled. RJD is the largest ally in the Nitish-Kumar- led Grand alliance government in Bihar.

Kumar is already working to unite all opposition parties ahead of the coming general election. The Grand Alliance in Bihar comprises seven parties JD(U), RJD, Congress, CPIML (L), CPI, CPI(M) and HAM which together have more than 160 MLAs in the 243-strong assembly.

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Story first published: Friday, April 28, 2023, 10:40 [IST]
Mob vandalises, sets on fire Manipur CM's programme venue, internet suspended

India

oi-Deepika S

The situation remains tense in Manipur after a mob vandalised and set on fire the venue where Chief Minister N Biren Singh is scheduled to attend a programme here at New Lamka in Churachandpur district.

The administration has suspended mobile internet data in the Churachandpur district with immediate effect and prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) were issued in the district to prevent any untoward incident in the district.

An order issued by an additional district magistrate, Churachandpur district, S Thienlatjoy Gangte cited reports of strong possibility of breach of peace, disturbance to public tranquility, and grave danger to human lives and properties in Churachandpur district.

"In addition, it is also learnt that a total shutdown in Churachandpur district has been called by the Indigenous Tribe Leaders Forum from 8 am to 4 pm on Friday and there is likelyhood of mobilisation of public for protest through social media and networking sites which could lead to escalation of public unrest and unlawful activities in Churachandpur," the order said.

"It is, therfore requested to kindly consider curbing and suspension of mobile internet in Churachandpur district with immediate effect and until the situation improves," it added.

Following the order, the assembly of five or more persons which is likely to turn unlawful and carrying sticks, stones, firearms, weapons, or objects of any description, which can be used as offensive weapons is prohibited in the district.

An angry mob managed to partially torch the newly set-up gym-cum-sports facility at New Lamka which Biren Singh is slated to inaugurate today.

Meanwhile, the Indigenous Tribe Leaders Forum has called for a total Churachandpur shutdown from 8 am to 4 pm.

The Forum has been objecting to the Biren Singh government's survey of reserved and protected forests and similar areas like wetlands.

They claimed that despite repeated requests to the government against an ongoing eviction drive to clear reserved forested areas of farmers and other tribal settlers, the government has shown any interest or sincerity in addressing the plight of the people.
Need to unitedly fight against terrorism: Rajnath at SCO meet

India

oi-Deepika S

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday called upon the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states to collectively work towards eliminating terrorism in all its forms and fix accountability on those who aid or fund such activities.

Addressing the Defence Ministers of SCO member countries in Delhi, Rajnath Singh asserted that any kind of terrorist act or support for it in any form is a major crime against humanity, and peace and prosperity cannot coexist with this menace.

"If a nation shelters terrorists, it not only poses a threat to others but for itself too. The radicalisation of youth is a cause of concern not only from the point of view of security, but it is also a major obstacle in the path of socioeconomic progress of society. If we want to make the SCO a stronger & more credible international organisation, our top-most priority should be to effectively deal with terrorism," Rajnath Singh said according to a government press release.

Rajnath Singh went on to say that India envisions a robust framework of regional cooperation that mutually respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states by taking care of their legitimate interests, the statement said.

He asserted that New Delhi strives to further bolster trust and cooperation among the members of the SCO as it believes in maintaining peace and security based on the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.

Sharing his insights on the vision to ensure collective prosperity, Rajnath Singh called for concerted efforts by the SCO member states, so that the region, with limitless possibilities in today's multilateral world, shifts to the mindset of 'great gain from win-win paradigm' from 'great game of zero-sum, win-lose paradigm'.

"India has always followed the principle of 'Let us walk together and move forward together'. Every era has a zeitgeist (defining idea). The zeitgeist of the present era is 'Win-win cooperation for the great gain'," he said.

Rajnath Singh also elaborated on the concept of 'SECURE' floated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during the SCO summit in Qingdao, China in 2018. He stated that every alphabet of the word 'SECURE' reflects India's commitment towards the multi-dimensional welfare of the region. (S-Security of citizens, E-Economic development for all, C-Connecting the region, U-Uniting the people, R-Respect for sovereignty and integrity, and E-Environmental protection).

Drawing the attention of the member states to various dimensions of 'SECURE', the defence minister stated that today a large part of the world is passing through a food crisis. He urged the SCO member countries to ensure food security under an integrated plan.

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Story first published: Friday, April 28, 2023, 17:26 [IST]
On same-sex marriage, Supreme Court Bar Association counters Bar Council of India

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The Supreme Court Bar Association has objected to the statement made by the Bar Council of India in connection with the same-sex marriage case.

In a statement issued to the media, the SC Bar Association said, " the executive committee feels it is highly inappropriate for the BCI to issue a press statement opposing the heading of the matter before the Supreme Court. It is the duty of the court to hear the petition and decide whether the mater should be adjudicated by the court or left to the wisdom of the Parliament. This resolution in no way should be construed that we are opposing or supporting the petitioner in the matter."

A batch of petitions are being heard by the Supreme Court which seek to legalise same-sex marriages. The Centre has vehemently opposed these clutch of petitions and also questioned the maintainability of the same. The Centre has termed such demands as 'urban elite' views. It also said that it was up to the wisdom of the Parliament to decide on such matters.

The petitioners argued that non-recognition of same-sex marriage causes discrimination and denies the couple as citizens of the country. The Centre however countered the same and said that the accepted view is of a marriage between a biological man and woman.

Granting legal recognition to same-sex marriages falls within domain of legislature: Supreme Court

The petitions were filed nearly five years after homosexuality was decriminalised. The pleas are being heard by a Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud in reference to the Special Marriage Act of 1954, which allows couples to register marriage, if they cannot marry under personal laws. While the matter has been heard at length for over a week, the next date of hearing has been fixed for May 3.

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Story first published: Friday, April 28, 2023, 14:54 [IST]
The U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence welcomed Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets from Auburn University to the home of Army Aviation at Fort Novosel to learn about the mission and capabilities of the Aviation branch April 14.

Maj. Gen. Michael C. McCurry, USAACE and Fort Novosel commander, spoke with the cadets about the purpose of Army aviation during an officer professional development session.

The number one thing about Army aviation is the sacred trust with the soldier on the ground, McCurry said.

When that soldier is on the radio and they call up and they need to know whats over the next hill, youre going to go find out and tell them. When they need a little firepower because theyre in trouble, youre going to maneuver that aircraft and bring that fire to bear for them. When they need to be put in a position of relative advantage against the enemy, youre going to put them there. And, God forbid, if theyre wounded on the field of battle, youre going to get them. If thats what you want to do, then you need to become an Army aviator, McCurry said.

Being an Aviation officer affords an opportunity to take on a level of responsibly straight out of college that most corporations do not offer, he explained.

You get a chance as a 22-year-old to commission from college, he said. All of your friends are out there looking for a job and telling you how hard it is to find one. You get a paycheck right after college, you come to beautiful (Fort Novosel) here, and you get to learn how to fly the aircraft, and then you go out and you get to lead.

That includes taking responsibility for the soldiers in their charge, as well as millions of dollars worth of materiel, he explained.

McCurry fielded questions from the cadets, and shared advice and experiences including about his own children who serve.

Capt. Fernando Rincon, aviation proponent officer at the Organization and Personnel Force Development directorate, led an Army Aviation branch overview session. Topics included Aviation core competencies and aircraft mission sets, information on qualifications they need to meet, and interview tips.

Rincon also addressed common myths about branching aviation and provided an overview of flight school at Fort Novosel and information about career progression.

Since the fall of 2020, when aviators pin their wings, they are now required to commit to a 10-year additional service requirement, Rincon explained.

Being an aviation officer also means a learning commitment beyond flight school.

You will study for the rest of your career, Rincon said to the cadets.

Rincon explained the talent priorities, including being a prudent risk taker, interpersonal skills, spatial intelligence, being innovative and able to multitask.

Rincons office manages the eight personnel development management system life cycle functions, monitors experience gaps in the force, and provides recommendations to the commanding general on how to access and retain talent.

The cadet visits are scheduled throughout the year typically by schools that are able to make the day trip to Fort Novosel, and the goal is to increase Aviation branch awareness.

This is part of the aviation branch awareness and accessions strategy. Part of the strategy is for Army aviation to acquire the most talented and diverse group of officers that we can get for our branch, Rincon said.

The way we execute the strategy is we try to go out and create awareness about what we do, opportunities within the branch, and we try to encourage cadets to see themselves as a future flight student and future aviator. We try to give them information, expose them to experiences, role models and equipment, Rincon said.

Cadets are encouraged to avoid self-eliminating.

One of the main reasons why people dont go for aviation is because they have heard myths, or they dont have the information or someone to tell them what they need to do to be competitive. A big part of this campaign is information and showing them people like them, or that have been in their seat and how they can be successful in the branch, Rincon said.

If they dont think they have a shot in aviation, theyre going to go for that next best branch, he said.

Rincon said the part of the visit that tends to be a cadet favorite and makes the most lasting impression is the touchpoint with the actual aircraft, and the time in simulators are a close second. It was no different for the Auburn cadets.

After taking a turn at the controls in the UH-72 flight simulators during a morning session, they were able to close out the day by strapping in for a group orientation flight in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, which often sparks that desire to fly, Rincon said.

Once they get that bug, and it gets a hold of them, they want to do it, Rincon said.
Operation Kaveri: 117 out of 1,191 passengers evacuated from Sudan put under quarantine

Operation Kaveri: Among those rescued from Sudan, one is aged 102

Indian embassy in Khartoum to be temporarily shifted to Port Sudan

Operation 'Kaveri': 10th batch of 135 Indians departs from war-torn Sudan

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

India evacuated tenth batch of 135 stranded Indians from Port Sudan on an IAF C 130J flight, said the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said on Friday morning. They are headed towards Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

Taking to micro-blogging Twitter, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi wrote,''#OperationKaveri progresses further. 10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah.''

#OperationKaveri progresses further.



10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah.  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) April 27, 2023

Earlier, V Muraleedharan, Minister of State for External Affairs, who is in Jeddah to oversee the evacuation effort updated that the ninth batch of Indian nationals had been safely evacuated from Sudan and arrived at Jeddah airport.

Operation 'Kaveri': Indians evacuated from war-torn Sudan thank PM Modi

Taking to micro-blogging platform Twitter, V Muraleedharan wrote,''Port Sudan to Jeddah. 9th batch, 135 Indians. Welcome to the safe hands..''

Port Sudan to Jeddah



9th batch



135 Indians



IAF C 130 J



Welcome to the safe hands.#OperationKaveri pic.twitter.com/GftjRG1aDK  V. Muraleedharan (@MOS_MEA) April 28, 2023

Under 'Operation Kaveri', India has been evacuating its citizens in buses from conflict-hit Sudan and other troubled areas of the country from where they are being taken to the Saudi Arabia's Jeddah in Indian Air Force's heavy-lift transport aircraft and Indian Navy's ships.

The distance between Khartoum and Port Sudan is around 850 km and the travel time by bus varies from 12 hours to 18 hours considering the prevailing situation and whether the vehicles are operating during the day or night.

No Indian will be left behind says MEA on Sudan crisis

Sudan has been witnessing deadly fighting between the country's army and a paramilitary group that has reportedly left around 400 people dead.

On Thursday, the second batch of 246 Indians were carried in Indian Air Force's C-17 Globemaster and brought to Mumbai.

(with agency inputs)

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Story first published: Friday, April 28, 2023, 10:21 [IST]
Operation Kaveri: 117 out of 1,191 passengers evacuated from Sudan put under quarantine

Operation Kaveri: Among those rescued from Sudan, one is aged 102

Indian embassy in Khartoum to be temporarily shifted to Port Sudan

Operation Kaveri: 362 Indian evacuees from Sudan lands in Bengaluru

India

oi-Prakash KL

A batch of 362 Indian evacuees from Sudan returned to India, as another 'Operation Kaveri' flight landed in Bengaluru on Friday evening.

"India welcomes back 362 Indians as another #OperationKaveri flight touches down in Bengaluru," External Affairs Minister S Jaishanar said on Twitter and shared a few photos of their arrival.

The special flight carrying 362 Indian evacuees had about 31 tribals from 'Hakki Pikki' community. "Bon voyage! Delighted to see off 362 Indians evacuated from Sudan on a flight bound for Bengaluru from Jeddah. Good number of these are from Hakki Pikki tribe," MoS Muraleedharan tweeted before the flight left from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

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Operation Kaveri: 10th batch of 135 Indians take off from Sudan, reports MEA | Oneindia News

The deadly fighting between Sudan's army and a paramilitary group, which broke out earlier this month, has reportedly left around 416 people dead and at least 3,551 injured.

"I am happy and sad at the same time because I left all my friends. They are going to different countries now," says a girl who returned from Sudan, with her family.

India welcomes back 362 Indians as another #OperationKaveri flight touches down in Bengaluru. pic.twitter.com/NzuNU5unmk  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 28, 2023

On the other hand, another batch of Indians is returning to Delhi from Jeddah on IAF C17.

"Glad to see happy and energetic faces of 392 of our nationals returning to Delhi from Jeddah on IAF C17 Globemaster after evacuation from Sudan. Saw them off at the aircraft. They will be with their beloved ones in India soon," Muraleedharan said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, the tenth batch of 326 Indian evacuees from Sudan has reached Jeddah by INS TARKASH as the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in Khartoum and Darfur regions in Sudan.

India has launched 'Operation Kaveri' to bring back Indian nationals stuck in conflict-hit Sudan and other troubled areas of the country.

People are being evacuated in buses from the conflict zones in Sudan and being taken to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia in Indian Air Force's heavy-lift transport aircraft and Indian Navy's ships. The evacuees are then brought to India either by commercial flight or IAF aircraft.
She is 21, he is 74! And they have sex almost every day love is evergreen, indeed!

Facebook most common venue of sex trafficking recruitment in US, says report

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Same-sex marriages destroy the institutions of family: Eminent citizens write to President

India

oi-Prakash KL

A group of former judges and IPS officers have written a letter to President Draupadi Murmu against the legalisation of non-heterosexual marriages in India.

They have urged the President to intervene in "saving Indian cultural traditions, religious tenets, and social values".

"...If we revise the law to make same-sex sexual union rational, acceptable or moral, it will open the doors to same-sex sexual culture. Our society and culture do not accept same-sex behavioural institution because it is offensive to our values, besides being irrational and unnatural..," reads the letter signed by a total of 104 ex-bureaucrats and 16 former judges.

They say same-sex relationships cannot create long-term or stable institutions. "If they are allowed to adopt children, they can't maintain stable and long-lasting relationships with their families, parents, relatives and partners. The health and future of such children will be severely compromised," the open letter further reads.

The eminent personalities stated that the issue is being considered by the constitution bench of the Supreme Court and has become a "rallying point" for some "typical pseudo liberals" who are already "divorced" from Indian values under the bogey of "progressive and liberated thinking."

The letter pointed out that the recognition of same-sex marriages would "change the entire gamut of all personal laws, from marriage to adoption and succession."

"India cannot afford that its future generations live in such an atmosphere, which surely will produce more gays and lesbians, and tear apart and destroy the institutions of 'family' and 'society' irreparably. They won't know about their parents, ancestors, culture, religious tenets and age-old values," reads the letter.

Some of the signatories are: former shipping secretary Gopal Krishan, former home secretary L C Goyal, retired Allahabad HC judge Kamleshwar Nath, retired Rajasthan HC judge RS Rathore, retired Bombay HC judge V G Bisht, former CAG Rajiv Mehrishi, former Maharashtra DGP Praveen Dixit, and former UP DGP Prakash Singh.

On the other hand, the Supreme Court is currently hearing a batch of petitions which seek to legalise same-sex marriages. The pleas are being heard by a Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud in reference to the Special Marriage Act of 1954, which allows couples to register marriage, if they cannot marry under personal laws.

The Centre has vehemently opposed the petitions and also questioned the maintainability of the same. It has termed such demands as 'urban elite' views.

The next date of hearing has been fixed for May 3.
Actor Sooraj Pancholi says he is being defamed in Sushant Singh Rajput case

Sooraj Pancholi reacts after being acquitted in Jiah Khan suicide case

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

A CBI court in Mumbai announced its verdict in the 10-year old Jiah Khan case. Actor Sooraj Pancholi who was accused of killing Jihah was acquitted in the case.

Following the verdict Sooraj sad, 'truth always wins, God is great.' He posted this on his social media account with folded hands and a heart emoji.

The Special CBI Court acquitted the actor from charges of abScreenshot 2023-04-28 at 1.58.29 PM.pngetting the suicide of Jiah Khan in 2013, while citing that there was lack of evidence against him.

Sooraj was charged with Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code which deals with abetment to suicide.

His father Adithya Pancholi told news channels that the verdict of the court is a huge relief for the family. "It is a huge relief not only for Sooraj, but the whole family," he said.

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Jiah Khan case: CBI court acquits Sooraj Pancholi citing paucity of evidence | Oneindia News

The court maintained that although there were 22 prosecution witnesses in the case, that was not enough to prove that the actor was directly involved.

Jiah's mother Rabia maintained that her daughter had been murdered. "I have maintained that she had been killed, but the court has given its judgment on the basis of the abetment to suicide. I respect the judgment of the court. The CBI has not collected evidence. We will go to the High Court," Rabia also said.

Sooraj was the main accused in the case after Rabia accused him of abetting his Daugther's suicide. Last week Judge, A S Sayyad and heard the final arguments before reserving orders on the matter. "Due to paucity of evidence, this court can't hold you (Sooraj Pancholi) guilty, hence acquitted," the court held.
Supreme Court stays Calcutta HC Judge's direction to SC's top official

India

oi-Prakash KL

In a rare sitting held at 8 pm on Friday, the Supreme Court stayed Calcutta High Court Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay's unusual order directing the secretary general of the apex court to produce before him the transcript of his interview given to a news channel by midnight.

Earlier in the day, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay directed the secretary general of the Supreme Court to produce the documents before him which led the apex court to ask Calcutta High Court acting Chief Justice to reassign the West Bengal school jobs "scam" case to another judge.

"For the sake of transparency, I direct the Secretary General of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India to produce before me the report and the official translation of the interview given by me in media and the affidavit of the Registrar General of this Court in original, forthwith by 12 midnight today," PTI quoted Justice Gangopadhyay as stating.

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay further said that he would wait till 12.15 am "to get the said two sets in original which were placed before the Hon'ble Judges of the Supreme Court today."

It came after the Supreme Court asked him to reassign the West Bengal school jobs "scam" case to another judge after examining a report on Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay's interview with a news channel about the matter. The apex court took note of the report of the Registrar General of the Calcutta High Court and said the case has to be reassigned to a bench headed by another judge.

Days ago, Chief Justice D Y Chandachud said that the judges have "no business granting interviews on matters which are pending" after taking strong note of the purported interview.

"The petitioner (TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee) has annexed a translated transcript of an interview of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay on a TV Channel ABP Ananda. The Registrar General of Calcutta High Court is directed to clarify from the judge as to whether he had been interviewed by... of the news channel. The Registrar General is directed to file his affidavit before this court on or before Thursday. We will list it on Friday," the bench said.

With inputs from PTI.
Take suo moto action irrespective of the religion: SC tells states on hate speech

India

oi-Prakash KL

The Supreme Court on Friday directed all the states and union territories to ensure that as and when any hate speech is made, they shall take suo moto action for registration of FIR even without any complaints.

"Immediately, as and when any speech or any action takes place which attracts offences such as Section 153A, 153B, 295A and 506 of IPC etc, without any complaint being filed suo motu action be taken to register cases and proceed against the offenders in accordance with law," Live Law quoted the apex court as saying.

The bench, comprised of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna, further made it clear that "such action be taken irrespective of the religion of the maker of the speech so that the secular character of Bharat as envisaged by the Preamble is preserved."

The court noted that hate speeches are affecting the secular fabric of the country and warned that any delay in filing hate speech cases would be treated as contempt of court.

The top court had earlier directed Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments to come down hard on cases of hate speeches, and register criminal cases against culprits without waiting for a complaint to be filed.

Last month, the SC termed hate speeches as a "vicious circle" and claimed that these utterings were being made by fringe elements which people should restrain themselves from doing so.

The court referred to speeches of former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, saying people from every nook and corner of the country used to gather to hear them.

"Major problem arises when politicians are mixing politics with religion. The moment politics and religion are segregated, this will end. When politicians stop using religion, all this will stop. We have said in our recent verdict also that mixing politics with religion is dangerous for democracy," Justice Joseph had said.

The matter will come up for hearing on May 12.
To let go or not: The dilemma of the Congress in Karnataka

Will Kharges snake jibe come back to bite the Congress in Karnataka?

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

It came as quite a surprise when Congress chief, Mallikarjun Kharge made a personal remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He referred to the PM as a 'snake' but later clarified that he was referring to the entire party.

Photo Credit:

"Modi is like a poisonous snake. If you think it is poison or not and you lick it, you are dead. You may think, is this poison. Modi is a good man. He has given it and we will see it. Then are fully asleep if you lick it,"Kharge said at a poll campaign in Karnataka's Gadag.

The remark was very surprising considering the fact that the Congress in Karnataka at the start of its poll campaign had decided that no personal remarks against the PM or other BJP leaders would be made. The party had also decided that it would not speak on Hindutva during the campaign. The state leadership had made it clear that the focus would be on the poll promises the party had made. The main focus would be on corruption and the leaders would not divert from this.

Mallikarjun Kharge calls PM Modi 'poisonous snake'

It would hardly be surprising if the BJP does not go to town with this comment. It has been noticed in the past that the Congress has never benefitted from making personal comments. It may also be recalled that Kharge had referred to PM Modi as Ravan during the Gujarat campaign.

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Modi is like a poisonous snake, says Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge | Oneindia News

During the 2007 Gujarat polls, the Congress made the 'Maut ka Saudagar' comment, while in 2019 it was 'Chowkidar Chor Hai.' All these three times the Congress was not rewarded by the voter.

In 2014, when Modi was leading the campaign, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar made a 'chaiwala' jibe against him. The BJP went to town and created the 'Chai pe Charcha' campaign. Aiyar once again during the 2017 Gujarat elections called the PM, 'neech Aadmi.'

The timing of the remark has surprised many as it has never paid dividends to the Congress in the past. The BJP however sees this as a turning point and is looking to make the most of it.

Karnataka elections and the push to bag the migrant votes

"This will be a turning point in the Karnataka elections. People here do not accept crass personal comments against anyone, let alone our most loved PM. Just wait and watch how the last nail on the Congress coffin will be hammered on May 10th," BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said in a tweet.
PM Kisan 14th installment date 2023: Here's the step-by-step guide to check beneficiary list

New Delhi

oi-Madhuri Adnal

The 14th installment of PM-Kisan is scheduled to be released soon, and farmers can check their beneficiary status online. Speculations are rife that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may release the 14th installment of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Yojana (Scheme) in the third week of May.

PM Kisan 14th Installment Date:

The government of India has not yet announced the exact date of the PM Kisan 14th installment. However, it is expected to be released in the next few weeks. The government has already disbursed 13 installments under the scheme, and more than 11 crore farmers have benefited from it.

The PM-Kisan is a welfare scheme launched by the Government of India in 2019. Under the scheme, eligible farmers across India receive financial assistance of Rs. 6,000 per year in three installments of Rs. 2,000 each. The scheme aims to provide direct financial support to small and marginal farmers, who are the backbone of Indian agriculture.

Step-by-Step Procedure to Check the Beneficiary List:

Farmers can check their beneficiary status online through the official website of PM-Kisan. Here is a step-by-step procedure to check the beneficiary list:

Step 1: Visit the official website of PM Kisan (https://pmkisan.gov.in/).

Step 2: On the home page, find the option of 'Beneficiary List' and click on it.

Step 3: Select your state, district, sub-district, block, and village from the drop-down menus.

Step 4: After filling in these details, click on 'Get Report' button.

Step 5: The beneficiary list of your village will be displayed on the screen.

Step 6: You can check your name in the list by scrolling down or using the search option.

Step 7: If your name is in the list, you will receive the PM-Kisan installment in your bank account.

Note: To check your beneficiary status, you need to have your Aadhaar number, bank account number, and mobile number registered with the PM-Kisan portal.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, April 28, 2023, 14:28 [IST]
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled Friday that one of the men convicted in a 2007 gangland murder should have the chance to provide evidence related to allegations of police misconduct and treatment in solitary confinement.
The commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command says the window is closing quickly to safely airlift people out of Sudan amid fighting between the country's military and paramilitary forces.
This years groundwater festival was held on three separate days, April 19, 20, and 21. Coffee County fourth grade students enjoyed a fun filled day of hands-on activities while learning about groundwater protection and conservation.

On April 19, 263 students and their teachers from Elba Elementary, Kinston Elementary, New Brockton Elementary, and Zion Chapel attended the festival. On April 20, 256 students and teachers from Brookwood Elementary, Harrand Creek Elementary, Pinedale Elementary, and Rucker Boulevard Elementary attended the festival.

On April 21, 213 students and teachers from Hillcrest Elementary and Holly Hill Elementary attended the festival.

A total of 732 fourth grade students and their teachers enjoyed the festival. All three events were held at the New Brockton Farm Center where each student rotated through three water related activities.

In session one, students built their own bracelet using colored beads to represent the different stages of the water cycle.In session two, students learned about filtration and contamination of groundwater. In the last session, students assembled an edible aquifer using chocolate syrup to represent an oil spill. Eating their aquifer was the most fun of all.

Winners from the poster contest from each school were announced during the awards ceremony. Monetary awards totaling $2,000 were given out to students and their teachers during the three day festival.

Financial supporters of the event include the Wiregrass RC&D, the Choctawhatchee, Pea, Yellow River Watershed Management Authority (CPYRWM), Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), and the Coffee County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD). Agencies assisting with the presentation of activities include the Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Coffee County Extension Service, the Coffee County Engineering Department, CPYRWMA, ADEM, National Association of RC&D Councils, and SWCD.

A special thanks to the many volunteers who assisted with the event and the Coffee County Commission for the use of the farm building.
Brisbane Times 23 Apr 2023

Will Gluck, the director of Easy A and Friends With Benefits, has been doing something rare for a Hollywood film - shooting Sydney..
Russia has fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraine in an attack that killed at least 16 people. Among the dead on Friday were 14 dead when two cruise missiles slammed into an apartment building in central Ukraine. Authorities also said Ukraines air force intercepted 11 cruise missiles and two unmanned aerial vehicles over Kyiv in the first attack against the capital in nearly two months. There were no immediate reports of any missiles hitting Kyiv targets. The two cruise missiles hit a nine-story residential building in Uman which is around 215 kilometers (134 miles) south of Kyiv. The Minister of Internal Affairs said 10 people were killed, while the Ukrainian national police said 17 were wounded. Police said three children were rescued from the rubble.
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The pope will meet Prime Minister Viktor Orban, with Ukraine expected to be high on the agenda. He will also lead an open-air mass outside parliament on Sunday.
A Syrian national allegedly stabbed four people in Duisburg last week and is also suspected of fatally stabbing a 35-year-old man. Investigators believe the attacks could have an Islamist motive.
More than 90 per cent of non-essential workers in the largest group of striking Public Service Alliance of Canada workers took strike action during the first week of the labour stoppage, according to new government figures.
Dr Abdulrahman Babiker cannot get back to work at his hospital as the UK refused to fly him back.
Both the Sudanese army and the RSF paramilitary have accused one another of attacks, threatening a fragile cease-fire. Meanwhile, a Turkish evacuation plane came under fire, as missions continue. DW has the latest.
Mediaite 01 May 2023

An anti-Semitic cartoon of Richard Sharp, the outgoing, Jewish chairman of the BBC has been apologized for and deleted by The..
The sentence of Sean Hogg, who was spared jail after being convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl, should be appealed, Scotland's Lord Advocate has said.
National Beta members from all Enterprise City Schools are celebrating their recent participation in the recent Alabama Beta State Convention.

National Beta State Convention allows students the opportunity to compete in various academic and STEM-based, virtual and performing arts competitions. The state convention was offered as a hybrid event. This gave students the opportunity to compete either virtually or onsite in Montgomery. All victories at the state level provide an opportunity to compete at the national level. The National Convention will be held at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky, during summer 2023.

I am so excited to be Alabamas elementary Beta president. I couldnt have done it without the support and help from all the students, teachers, and volunteers from Holly Hill Elementary School, said Trevor Roen, Holly Hill School fifth grader who was elected Alabama Elementary Beta State President. I ran on not leaving anyone out and I mean that! I want to bring our entire Betas together to help our community. By doing service projects anywhere from helping out at Animal Shelters, local food drives, donating clothes, and spending time at Veterans Homes. Bring everyone together to make a better community. I will be attending a Beta leadership camp this summer in TN and plan on running for national Beta Elementary President in June in Kentucky.

As Alabama Beta Secretary, I feel that it gives me a great opportunity to serve more of my fellow Beta members. Im looking forward to getting more people involved in Beta, and pushing Betas to be the best they can be, said Lexie Maloy, Coppinville Junior High School student who was elected Alabama Junior Beta Secretary. I think this opportunity has really pushed me to show others what Beta has done and what it will continue to do for our communities.

I love everything that Beta Club offers our students, said Sarah McLendon, Alabama Junior State Sponsor. It is teaching them to be leaders and showing them that they can make the world a better place by serving others.

With more than 500,000 active members and 9,000 clubs nationally and internationally, National Beta has become the nations largest independent, non-profit, educational youth organization. National Beta promotes the ideals of academic achievement, character, service and leadership among elementary and secondary school students. National Junior Beta includes grades four through eight and National Senior Beta includes grades nine12. Visit betaclub.org for more information.

Enterprise schools came home with the following award winners:

Brookwood Elementary School:

Elementary Division  fifth grade:

Color Photography-Abby Brucesecond place;

Speech-Rileigh Marler fifth place;

On Site Painting-Izzie Padilla fifth place;

Fiber Arts-Rileigh Marlerfifth place;

Mixed Media-Kinley Davisfourth place;

Performing Arts, SDT Dancer -Rileigh Marler, Hali McCoy, Audrey James third place;

Creative Writing-Hali McCoy-fifth place;

Living Litfirst place;

Apparel Designthird place;

2D Designfifth place;

3D Designfifth place;

Junior Division-sixth grade

Sixth grade Spanish-Josue Truijillo fourth place;

Woodworking-Lainey Alford-first place;

Best in Show-Lainey Alford;

Apparel Designfirst place;

Club

Songfestfourth place;

Harrand Creek Elementary School

Participants in Robotics & Marketing

Elementary Divisionfifth grade

Fiber Arts-Mckenzie Compssecond place;

Social Studies-Josi Searcyfourth place;

Creative Writing-Taylor Possfourth place;

Language Arts-Blake Peterssecond place;

Performing Arts, SDT dancer-Mckenzie Complsfirst place;

Small Group Talent-Lexi Chattin, Mckenzie Comps, Shelby Newell, Sophie Sauls,Josi Searcy,first place;

Premier Performer Dancer-Mckenzie Comps;

Technologythird place;

3D Designthird place;

Portfolio- fourth place;

Musicology-second place;

Apparel Design-fourth place;

Engineering-third place;

Living Literaturesecond place;

Hillcrest Elementary School

Junior Division  sixth grade

Fiber Arts-Katherine Strickland-fifth place;

Mixed Media-Scarlet Hughessecond place;

Performing Arts, SDT Vocalist-Olivia Sellersfourth place;

Premier Performer Vocalist-Olivia Sellers;

Technology-fourth place;

Portfoliothird place;

3D Design-fifth place;

Apparel Design-fifth place;

Club

Junior Songfest-first place;

Junior Performing Arts, Large Groupsecond place;

Holly Hill Elementary School

Elementary Divisionfifth grade

State Elementary President-Trevor Roenwinner;

Math-Jake Murdocksecond place;

Science-Jacob Ernestfifth place;

Spanish-Mayra Rostro Alvarezfourth place;

Spelling Bee Top 8-Jake Murdock;

Onsite Painting-Marley Yatesfourth place;

Performing Arts, SDT Instrumental-Jenna Parkersecond place;

Poetry-Noa Lessin-fifth place;

Sculpture-Gaven Lechnerthird place;

Book Battle-second place;

Engineering-third place;

Robotics-third place;

Campaign Skitthird place;

Junior Divisionsixth grade

Science-Grayson Andinofifth place;

Math-Lucas Garrardfourth place;

Creative Writing-Collin Crawfordfourth place;

Painting-Anson Zouthird place;

Spanish-Juan Hernandez-second place;

Apparel Designfourth place;

Performing Arts, SDT Variety Act-Isla Cate Thornton, Avery Martin, Amelia Twittysecond place;

Roboticsthird place;

2D Designthird place;

Living Literaturefifth place;

Club Award for Convention Growth;

Pinedale Elementary School

Elementary Divisionfifth grade

Performing Arts, SDT Instrumentalist-Easton Waidthird place;

Spelling Bee-Makayla Pattonfifth place;

MathEaston Waidfirst place;

SpanishClara Bellosofirst place;

Social Studies-Jax DeShazofirst place;

Color Photography-Kinley Vestthird place;

Top 8 Musicology;

Top 8 Quiz Bowl;

Junior Division-sixth grade

Color Photography -Madison Colefirst place;

Rucker Boulevard Elementar School

Elementary Division-fifth grade

Performing Arts, Solo Variety-Adalyn Collinsfirst place;

Premier Performer Solo-Adalyn Collins;

Robotics-Nicholas Hokanson, Kalia Harman, Zavier Allison, Austin Marsh, Coleman Rodgers, Emily Blaylock-fifth place;

On Site Drawing-Nicholas Hokanson-fifth place;

Hand Drawn Animation-Emily Blaylock-fourth place;

SculptureElise Hinessecond place;

Musicologyeighth place (Coleman Rodgers, Adalyn Collins, Elise Hines, and Austin Marsh);

Junior Division

On Site Drawing-Giuliana Cianciolofifth place;

Black and White Photography-Maya Turmanfourth place;

Campaign Skit-Giuliana Cianciolo, Emily Bruce, Kasey Monroy, Lucy Hakes, Maya Turmanfifth place;

Club

Junior Songfest-third place;

Coppinville Junior High School

Woodworking-fourth place;

Sculpture-second place;

Portfolio-fourth place

Dauphin Junior High School

Alabama Jr. Beta Secretary-Lexie Maloy;

8th Grade Science-Annabelle Wisefirst place;

Speech Jr.-Julia Waltersfirst place;

8th Grade Social Studies-Jaden Whitingthird place;

8th Grade Spanish-Martin Miquel Franciscofourth place;

Painting-Season Zoufourth place;

Service Learning Showcasefirst place;

Campaign Skitthird place;

Club Trading Pinfourth place;

Musicology-Marcus Ford, Charlie Leonard, Abigail Iffinger, and Jade Fowler second place;

Robotics ShowcaseAiden Mimoso, Ethan Roen, Alana Chestnut, Harvey Kahle, Blake Murdock,

Chris Schultz  fourth place;

Enterprise High School

11th Grade Language Arts-Helen Catherine Rauchfirst place;

9th Grade Language Arts-Isaiah Banisterfirst place;

Poetry, Division I-Isaiah Banistersecond place; and,

Spelling Bee-Jianne Holcombethird place.
People at a community centre in Bristol say they're worried about family members who are still there.
Amid the lack of official support, Sudanese are relying on the help of fellow citizens to flee. Meanwhile, a new humanitarian crisis is unfolding near Egypt. DW spoke to Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries.
The White House is looking to uplift those coming out of the US prison system with a "fresh start," according to a fact sheet from the administration.


As per the ministry of external affairs, the eighth, ninth and tenth batches of stranded Indians have left Sudan for Jeddah. the eighth batch of 135 passengers, ninth batch of 326 and tenth batch with 135 passengers left Sudan for Jeddah, tweeted MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi
Sen. Marsha Blackburn is demanding answers from Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra following reports of 85,000 unaccounted for migrant children in the United States.
Professor Stephen Griffin, chair of Independent SAGE, said people in the UK should wear masks on public transport and go back to regular testing.
Emergency workers and local residents battled to clear debris and extinguish fires in the Ukrainian city of Uman after Russian cruise missiles hit a nine-story residential building.


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For the fifth year in a row, the Republican Women of Coffee County has awarded two $750 scholarships to Alabama Aviation College students to help cover the costs of their certification testing. Student loans and Pell grants cover tuition, but not the testing fees, which can run over $700.

Some students graduate, but then do not have the money to pay the certification testing fees. That is why RWCC decided to establish these scholarships.

The Aviation College faculty determines who receives the scholarships, based on GPA, attendance, comprehensive exam scores, credit hours, and instructor input. This years winners are Iyanna McClain and Suzie Strickland.

The winners were announced at the Aviation Colleges April 18 honors ceremony. Both women are in their last semester of the Aviation Maintenance Technology Program.

For more information on RWCC, contact President Robin Foy at (334) 389-4410.
Trilateral Mechanism the Quad on Sudan released a joint statement on Sudan welcoming the announcement by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to extend the current ceasefire for an additional 72 hours.
A ceasefire in Sudan has been extended for three more days despite continuing reports of heavy fighting in the capital Khartoum and the western region of Darfur.
Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine early Friday, killing at least nine people and striking a residential building in central Ukraine, officials said.
A probe was conducted after Richard Sharp helped arrange a loan  valued at as much as 800 000  to former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, which was not publicly disclosed.
Dutch Advertising Ban Confirmed for July 1st 2023

Published April 28, 2023 by Lee R

The strict new ban on advertising in the emerging Dutch market has exceptions for online ads.

A wide-ranging nationwide ban on gambling advertising is coming to the Netherlands' jurisdiction.

Implementation Date

Dutch Minister for Legal Protection Franc Weerwind has confirmed July 1st as the date that a prohibition on untargeted gambling advertising will come into effect.

Ban History

The ban was first announced a year ahead of time, in July 2022, by Weerwind.

The initial ban targeted adverts in public spaces, television, or radio, effective 1 January, addressing the consensus national priority of preventing children from seeing gambling advertising.

Establishing Priorities

Weerwind recognised the need for advertising to channel players away from unlicensed offshore sites, but the greater government priority has prevailed:

As a government, we also have a duty to protect vulnerable groups against the risks of online games of chance.

Shielding Children

Weerwind further clarified that the ban minimises the contact between vulnerable groups, especially young people and gaming advertisements, limiting the temptation to engage in high-risk games of chance.

Application

The ban specifically targets all television and radio adverts, as well as ads in public spaces, such as on billboards, but online and television-on-demand ads will be allowed, under strict conditions after July 1.

Exceptions

Conditions for online advertising include permissions on social media and targeted marketing if operators prevent ads from reaching audiences under the age of 24.

New Operator Responsibility

Operators will be responsible for demonstrating a minimum of 95% of ads reach people over the age of 24 and offering all consumers the option of not seeing further gambling ads.

NL Spokesperson Explains Exceptions

Netherlands Ministry of Justice and Security Spokesperson Charlotte Hees explained the logic of allowing some ads to NL gaming news site Casinoniews while assuring that the government had taken public consultation feedback into careful consideration:

We have listened carefully to the advice that has been given; that is nowhere realistic, Then you get a total ban on advertising and the risk is too great that people end up on the path of illegal gambling.

Establishing the Minimum

Hees called the 95% minimum strict but appeared feasible based on examining media parties. She also indicated that the government had designated the minimum unfeasible in certain instances:

That may not be feasible on all websites, and advertising is therefore no longer allowed there.

Outlook

With trade associations protesting that the ban disregards the prudence of operators, it looks as if the onus falls to operators to adapt with limited advertising to a market that appears fruitful enough to continue to deliver customers and sufficient revenues.
Looking out of the window of a topless tower in Dubai, we could see sweeping changes taking place all around in front of our very eyes. Till a few years ago, it was skeletons of tall buildings coming up all around, altering the skyline constantly. Now we have to peep into the buildings to see how they are being filled with the most modern technological marvels, ranging from up-to-date computers to robots and artificial intelligence-driven devices to replace humans.

No other city in the world seems to have adopted technology with such speed and scale. If Dubai was the first to have erected a building by 3D printing, it is now experimenting with administering the world through artificial intelligence with speed and efficiency.

Today, reading through the 'Khaleej Times', one realizes that geopolitical changes are gripping not only the UAE but the entire Middle East. Internal and external changes are taking place at lightning speed in directions considered unthinkable even weeks ago. The main headline of the newspaper on April 18, 2023, is Its Official: Tehran Invites Saudi King.

The report says that Iran said on Monday it has formally invited the custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia to visit Teheran, following a reconciliation agreement reached last month between the two sides under a China-brokered agreement.

The picture accompanying the report is that of a detainee belonging to the Iranian-backed Houthi group, released unilaterally by Saudi Arabia embracing a relative at Sanaa Airport. Next to it is a statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia would be a giant leap towards ending the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Unexpected moves, changes all around

Facts can be stranger than fiction not only in technology, trade and European investments, which far exceed Asian activities but also in the emergence of a new world order sweeping the world. Even as the Russia-Ukraine war continues to cause havoc, the rest of the world is engaged in finding new alliances and business methods to build the future.

As for internal social changes, the most telling picture is one of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shaking hands with Saudi Arabias first female astronaut ahead of the launch of the Kingdoms scientific mission to the International Space Station.

On April 19, 2023, a report is about Qatar and UAE restoring diplomatic ties and opening embassies more than two years after Arab states boycotted Doha and thus shattered the western-allied Gulf Arab bloc.

The boycott of Qatar on the ground that it had terrorist links in Egypt sent shock waves around the world and the boycott turned out to be a farce with the close family ties between Qatar and the UAE flourished. The winds of change elsewhere helped resolve this anomaly, establishing cordiality among the GCC countries. It is Shakespeare who said, When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions. In the Middle East, we are witnessing glad tidings coming in battalions.

China's ascendancy

The net effect of these changes is a dramatic rise in Chinas fortunes and a consequent diminishing of US influence. China, which was quietly working on trade and economic relations in the region so far, has projected itself as a global power and President Xi Jinping as a builder of a community with a shared future for mankind. It has also proved that it is capable of stealing a march over the United States in the region.

China had tried to mediate peace talks between Israel and Palestine at least five years ago without much success on account of the commanding position that the US enjoyed. China recently increased contacts with the Arab world and Iran and last year China invited the GCC countries to hold a meeting in China.

President Xi visited Saudi Arabia last year and held several meetings with Arab leaders. High-level exchanges took place between China and Iran also, paving the way for the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

US response on expected lines

The US attitude towards the Chinese role in the Middle East is likely to be negative at this moment because the US policy towards China remains ambiguous. But in matters like the Iranian nuclear issue, the US and China may converge in the future.

A solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict may also be desirable, though there is no immediate possibility of peace breaking out on that front. But if Saudi Arabia also recognizes Israel and Iran eases its opposition to Israel, a larger settlement of the Palestine issue may be possible.

India's diminishing role

India had a major role to play in the Middle East during the Cold War and soon after because India was in dialogue with all sides. Many seminal resolutions on the Middle East were based on the drafts of skillful Indian diplomats and Israel was very tolerant of the Indian position, even though India was pro-Palestine to the core.

After the Camp David Accords, when the Arab countries and Palestine sought to isolate Egypt and expel it from the Non-Aligned Movement, it was India which took the lead in supporting Egypt. Though India could not participate in peace-keeping operations in the Middle East because of technical objections by Israel, the role of India as a peacemaker was all too evident.

But with the more recent developments like the Russia-China alliance and the rise of China in the Middle East as against the United States, Indias role has diminished though the India-Israel-US-UAE grouping (I2U2) may assume some importance in the future.

Peace is a rare commodity these days and any ray of hope of peace should be welcome.
Bengaluru: Evacuated safely from strife-torn Sudan, 25 Malayalis were a stone's throw away from home when trouble came calling.

The passengers, who reached Bengaluru from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, are stuck at the airport because they do not possess a yellow fever vaccine card.

Airport authorities informed them they would not be allowed to leave without the certificate. Those who haven't been administered the vaccine will have to go into quarantine for five days at their own expense.

"We are people who ran away with our lives. None of us has the financial capacity at present to bear the cost of quarantine in Bengaluru," said a Malayali in the group.

As per reports, those who reached other airports, including Mumbai, were allowed to leave without the requirement of a vaccine certificate.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan tweeted that Operation Kaveri, the Indian Government's mission to bring back Indians stuck in Sudan, where the military and paramilitary forces are at war with each other, is going on vigorously.

The third flight carrying 392 people reached Delhi from Jeddah on Friday. The minister clarified that Operation Kaveri will continue until all those who want to return are brought home safely.
Dubai: A US-bound oil tanker manned entirely by Indians, including three Malayalis, was seized by the Iran Navy from the Gulf of Oman on Friday.

Iran's state television showed masked Iranian navy commandos conduct a helicopter-borne raid to seize the oil tanker.

All 24 crew members of the vessel, 'Advantage Sweet' are Indians.

Sam Soman, native of Kottappadam in Malappuram district, Edwin of Koonammavu and Jibin Jose of Kadavanthara, both in the Ernakulam district are the Malayalis part of the crew.

The capture on the Turkish-managed, Chinese-owned vessel represents the latest seizure by Iran amid tensions with the US over advancing nuclear program.

The vessel's manager, a Turkish firm called Advantage Tankers, issued a statement acknowledging the Advantage Sweet was being escorted by the Iranian navy to a port on the basis of an international dispute.

While Tehran says the tanker was seized over it running into another Iranian vessel, it has provided no evidence yet to support the claim and the Islamic Republic has taken other ships as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.

The footage showed the commandos descending on the deck of the Advantage Sweet by ropes from a hovering helicopter.

A photograph showed one commando with his fist in the air after apparently taking the vessel.

The US Navy's 5th Fleet has said the Iranian seizure was at least the fifth commercial vessel taken by Tehran in the last two years.

Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy, it added.

The safety and welfare of our valued crew members is our No. 1 priority, the firm said.

Similar experiences show that crew members of vessels taken under such circumstances are in no danger.

(With inputs from AP via PTI)
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"Either this nation shall kill racism, or racism shall kill this nation." (S. Jonas, August, 2018)



Ze'ev Jabotinsky: the founder of the Zionist/Expulsionist movement(1920s)

(Image by Wikipedia (commons.wikimedia.org), Author: Author Not Given) Details Source DMCA



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Introductory note . This column is based in part on a previous column of mine, "The Clockwork Bibi" which itself was based on earlier columns of mine on Bibi Netanyahu, Israel and the Palestinian conflict. Yes indeed, I have been writing on this subject for quite some time.

What the Political Conflict in Israel over the Power of the Supreme Court Appears to be About; and What it is Really About

It is well-known that currently in Israel there is a major conflict underway over the power and role of the Supreme Court. Indeed, the nation is very closely divided on this issue. And as is also well-known, the current Right-wing government wants to severely curtail the Supreme Court's power. In a nation that has no Constitution* but merely a set of laws and traditions, some of which pre-date the founding of the Nation of Israel in 1948, the struggle is about whether there is to be maintained a separation of powers between the legislative/administrative branch of government --- and in nations with a parliamentary system those two functions are merged --- and the judicial branch. (To my knowledge, among nations which have some form of democratic government, the separation of powers into the three branches found in the United States is unique, a function of its 18th century separation of powers established in its Constitution.)

On the surface (as least as it is perceived in this country) the struggle has to do with the criminal charges that Netanyahu has faced for quite some time now, and the role of the Supreme Court in making the final decision on that matter. However, in my view (and surely in the view of other observers, although this issue does not receive very much attention, at least in this country), THE issue --- presently spoken of in muted terms by all parties --- is rather the matter of the total expulsion of the Palestinian Arabs from what right-wing Israelis call "Greater Israel" and the Palestinians call the "Occupied (Palestinian) Territories." "Greater Israel"/"the Occupied Territories" is the land that lies between the undisputed Eastern boundary of the State of Israel proper that was established after the end of the Six Day War in 1967 and the Jordan River, which is the boundary between Israel (including the Occupied Territories) and the nation of Jordan.

This subject --- that is the creation of "Greater Israel" from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea --- has been talked about in Israel since its founding, but most often in muted terms. Over time, the far-right political forces which would attempt to raise it, occasionally with violence, as with the assassination of Prime Minister Itzhak Rabin, were quickly, for the most part, shut down. However, now such voices, such as the current Minister of Defense, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the current Minister for National Security, are not only members of the Government, but obviously hold powerful positions in it. To my knowledge, neither man currently openly supports Palestinian Expulsion, but in the past each, along with members of their respective Parties certainly have expressed such positions, in one way or another.

In an example from the period of the Obama Presidency (and he was surely interested in achieving a long-term solution to "The Palestinian Question)," the day before Prime Minister Netanyahu (yes, he has been in and out of that position for quite some time now) met with the President, the Deputy Speaker of the Knesset and a prominent Likudnik (Likud being Netanyahu's political party), Danny Danon, said, in an Op-Ed published in The New York Times (May 19, 2011) that Israel should simply go ahead and annex the Occupied Territories. But where and when, you might ask, does the policy of "Expulsionism" of the long-time residents of what became, after the end of World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the Mandate for Palestine, come from?

That is: How Did We Get Here?

In the Woody Allen movie Sleeper, when his character awakens from a (very) deep sleep (very) long after the end of a catastrophic world war which he had obviously survived, he is asked about what started the war. He replies, "well, there was a man named Albert Shanker." (Only older readers, especially from the New York City area, will know who he was. But he was a bad guy, except among his most devoted followers.) For Israel and Expulsionism going back in history, there was a man named Ze'ev Jabotinsky. He was a right-wing Zionist who in the 1920s laid down the dictum that that long-range solution for what would become Israel was to establish an exclusively Jewish state within what has been held for millennia by certain Jews to be the boundaries of "The Land of Israel" "granted to the Jews" "by God." Questions of logic, history, and legality do not figure into this particular configuration for a modern State of Israel.

For Jabotinsky the solution to the problem of the Arab peoples living in the Mandate there was a simple one: expulsion. In the 1930s, the social democrat David Ben Gurion, the future first Prime Minister of Israel, referred to Jabotinsky as the "Jewish Hitler." There is a direct line from Jabotinsky down to the present Israeli leadership. Netanyahu's father was a secretary to Jabotinsky. Ariel Sharon's parents were close associates of his, and the first right-wing Israeli Prime Minister, Menachem Begin (who led the pre-1948 Jewish anti-British terrorist organization Irgun) was strongly influenced by him.

At the time of the UN-sponsored Partition of the Mandate into Jewish and Arab sectors in 1947, the one-third of the membership of the "Jewish Agency" --- the unofficial governing body for the immigrant Jews in the Mandate --- that represented the Jabotinskyites, voted against accepting it. As it happens, Jabotinsky's, position that "'The Land of Israel' is ours and no one else's regardless of who else happens to be living there perhaps for quite some time" is now firmly ensconced in the Israeli government through certain members of its top leadership. One must note that Netanyahu himself has never, to my knowledge, taken an open, definitive position on this question.

Over the time that I have written on the policies of the right-wing Israeli governments towards the original inhabitants of the lands that currently constitute the State of Israel plus the "Occupied Territories," that is the Palestinians, I have been invariably driven to the same conclusion. That is, that since the time of the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995, and the subsequent slow, grinding death of the so-called "Oslo Peace Process," with the almost uninterrupted run of right-wing Israeli governments (under the general label of "Likud"), any settlement other than that resulting from the expulsion of all Arabs living in the so-called "Land of Israel," other than those who are citizens of the State of Israel (and maybe them too), is indeed not in the cards. This policy is of course not openly stated, but every action, and inaction, taken by Likud-led governments in relation to the Palestinian people living within their orbit would seem to reinforce this conclusion. As it is said in the Wikipedia entry on the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin: "Rabin was disparaged personally by right-wing conservatives and Likud leaders who perceived the peace process as an attempt to forfeit the occupied territories and a capitulation to Israel's enemies. National religious conservatives and Likud party leaders believed that withdrawing from any 'Jewish' land was heresy."

Which brings us down to "What's it all about, Bibi?" Well, first of all, it's not primarily about Bibi. It is first and foremost about Expulsionism versus coming to some sort of lasting settlement with the Palestinians, both those living in the "Occupied Territories," in Gaza, and indeed in the State of Israel (in which under successive Likud government Israeli Arab citizens have been treated like second-class citizens in one way or another). For, if the current government were to adopt a series of laws that would inevitably lead to the expulsion of the Palestinians from the Occupied Territories (which more and more are of course being over-run by Israeli "settlements," protected by the government), the Supreme Court, as it is presently constituted, would, in theory at least, have the power to invalidate such laws. And that's what it's about, Bibi. That's what the massive demonstrations by Jewish Israelis --- on the surface about maintaining the present separation of powers, and exposing Netanyahu, finally, to criminal penalties for various financial/political crimes --- are really about: Expulsion. Again, perhaps even of Arab/Israeli citizens.

(What the Expulsionists would do about the world's largest present concentration camp, otherwise known as the Gaza Strip, they have apparently not thought through. The West Bank Palestinians could conceivably be forced into Jordan [although what that country would do if such an attempt were made is anybody's guess]. But as for Gaza, Egypt has made is clear that any attempt to deport its inhabitants to their country would be met with force.)

And so, in summary, that's what the current major political battle in the State of Israel is about. It ain't about Bibi (although he would certainly benefit personally if the Israeli Right can essentially castrate the Supreme Court). It's about Expulsion, just as dear old Ze'ev Jabotinsky wanted it to be. Indeed, the whole future and nature of the State of Israel rest on whether or not its Supreme Court remains as a politically independent institution.

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* While Israel has no Constitution, it does have a Declaration of Independence, dating from 1948. Here is what it has to say about Israeli citizenship:

"The State of Israel will be open for Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering of the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations."

Do you want a definition of the word "irony?" Well folks, in terms of the State of Israel under Likud, here it is.

Postscript, April 30, 2023

As it happens, of course entirely coincidentally, in Israel a poltical party is now forming, with its first principle based in the Declaration of Independence:

THE JERUSALEM POST, Click Here

By GERSHON BASKIN Published: APRIL 30, 2023

"A new political party is founded in Israel for 'All of its Citizens' - opinion. The new political party called 'All of its Citizens' aims to hold Israel to its Declaration of Independence and ensure equality for all of its citizens."

(Article changed on Apr 30, 2023 at 10:46 AM EDT)
OZARK  A gag order imposed months ago by Circuit Judge Bill Filmore on those involved in the capital murder trial of Coley McCraney ended with the delivery of the jurys verdict Thursday and immediately following the dismissal of court, State Attorney General Steve Marshall and his legal team held a press conference in the Ozark Courthouse.

Joining Marshall were Dale County Assistant District Attorney Emmett Massey and Ozark Department of Public Safety Director Chief Charles Ward. The families of victims J.B. Beasley and Tracie Hawlett, killed 24 years ago, stood with Marshall but declined comment.

Minutes earlier the six-man, six-woman jury had delivered a life without parole sentence for McCraney, who they had earlier found guilty on all four counts of capital murder in connection with the July 31, 1999, death of the Dothan teens.

The nine-day trial began April 17 in the Dale County Courthouse for McCraney, 49, who has been in Dale County Jail without bond since his March 17, 2019, arrest in the deaths of Beasley and Hawlett, whose bodies were found in the trunk of Beasleys car parked on Herring Avenue in Ozark. The teens were last heard from on the evening of July 31, 1999, when Hawlett called her mother from Ozark to let her know they were on their way home after getting lost on the way to a party. Some two decades later, McCraney was identified as a suspect after DNA from the crime scene was identified through genetic genealogy testing. A DNA test received from a law enforcement resource center in 2019 had McCraneys name as a possible match with DNA found at the scene when the girls bodies were discovered Aug. 1, 1999. DNA obtained from a swab that McCraney voluntarily provided to police in 2019 led to his arrest.

Genealogy was an investigative tool, a remarkable tool that will continue to be evolving. It was the first time it was used in court in Alabama, said Marshall. One of the most compelling parts of this case was finding soil stains inside of the jeans.

It was DNA evidence that was collected on Day 1 that convicted McCraney, said Marshall. This was a long two weeks with a very emotional courtroom.

One thing that I know and everyone standing behind me knows is that the killer of these girls  for a long time, we simply didnt know his name. This jury found his name and found him guilty based upon the evidence presented. I want to thank very specifically the 12 members of this community who served on the jury, and the skilled law enforcement involved in this, specifically the Ozark Police Department, the SBI, the Dale County Sheriff s Department, the FBI, and Dothan Police Department, all who were very involved in making sure that we had the opportunity to try and convict Coley McCraney for these murders.

I want to be abundantly clear that this case has been surrounded by rumors, innuendos and allegations that are absolutely false, Marshall said. (Assistant Attorney General) Jimmy Thomas and I have not been involved by this case for 24 years but (Dale County Assistant District Attorney) David Emery has and the District Attorneys office here has. The Ozark Police Department has worked very diligently from the very beginning to find out who committed this offense.

To the extent that anybody wants to continue to make an allegation against this (police) department, they are not doing so with facts and with evidence, Marshall said. This case has shown conclusively who committed this offense, who should be held accountable and the jury got it right. I can tell you that I will defend this department to no end against those who somehow would say otherwise.

Marshall called the guilty verdict a validation for everyone involved in the 24-year-old case. He said that he had been called in to the case when Dale County Assistant District Attorney David Emery, who had been preparing for the trial, was in a bicycle accident during which he suffered significant injury. David Emery had a vision for what needed to be done and his 24-year dedication to finding justice has been key.

Massey, who had worked with Emery on the case before Emerys injury, commended the law enforcement officers involved.

In spite of the speculation, the rumors, and conspiracy theories, they continued to strive and work harder and harder each day to try to bring justice and closure for these families, Massey said. On behalf of Dale County District Attorney Kirke Adams, thank you for allowing us to know your girls through you, he told the victims parents. Everyone involved in this case has had a heart for the victims.

Massey had high praise for Dale County Victims Service Officer Ashley Helms. The gift that God has given her to work with victims is amazing.

McCraneys defense attorneys, David Harrison and Andrew Scarborough, told media representatives after the court was adjourned that they had never had a case in which social media played such a role. We believe that some of the jurors may or may not have been posting on social media during deliberations. There is some evidence that one of the jurors may or may not have been posting on social media during the deliberation or maybe during the testimony, Harrison said.

Ive been doing this job 32 years in some 200 criminal trials, said Harrison. I cannot agree that the state proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Scarborough agreed. That courtroom is to have the state prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a person is guilty, he said. The jurys job is to determine if the state has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he is guilty. And in my heart, I could not have convicted him.

A small group of people had gathered outside the courthouse early Thursday morning holding signs with Bible verses and the words Coley Strong on them in support of McCraney.

Support is always appreciated, said Scarbrough when asked his opinion on the group. In my opinion, though, where were those signs and those people when we were trying to get bond for him? Where were those people the last two weeks? They dont show up until after hes convicted. Its almost a little too late.

Harrison said the defense team was disappointed in the jurys verdict. We felt like we put a very vigorous defense on and had very good evidence in our favor, Harrison said. The same jury that convicted him of this crime took about 30 seconds to give him a verdict of life without parole. That seems like an oxymoron to me. Maybe we raised some doubt, we proved that.

Ozark Department of Public Safety Director Chief Charles Ward echoed Marshalls praise of the OPD. Id like to speak on behalf of OPD Deputy Chief Michael Bryan and his staff for what they have done to bring closure to this whole case, Ward said. To the jury, I personally thank them for what theyve done. Its a tough gig and I dont care what they decided, there are people in this community that will think they should have done something else. We need to accept their decision as we move on from this and continue to grow and heal in this community.
The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest in last years fatal shooting of a 25-year-old Portland mother, an innocent victim who lost her life when someone mistakenly pulled up to their familys car and unleashed a hail of gunfire, announced Kieran L. Ramsey, special agent who leads Oregons FBI.

The shooting occurred around 10:35 p.m. on Feb. 20, 2022. Duop, her fiance and her two sons were in an SUV heading home to their Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood apartment from a visit to a grocery store at Southeast 128th Avenue and Foster Road.

Most people can never imagine the horror of having another car pull up alongside yours and unleash a hail of gunfire on you. Adau Duops family lived that nightmare, Ramsey said in a statement.

The FBI released this poster, seeking information in the Feb. 20, 2022, killing of 25-year-old Adau Duop in Southeast Portland.

The young mother missed one sons 2nd birthday and missed her 6-year-old sons first day of school in the past year, according to the FBI. Duop worked two jobs as an in-home caregiver while taking classes at Mt. Hood Community College to become a nurse.

This family deserves justice and the remorseless killers who did this deserve to be behind bars, Ramsey said.

Duops killing marked one of Portlands 101 homicides last year, making it the deadliest year in the citys history. So far this year, there have been 25 homicides in the city. At this time last year, there were 34.

The FBI, along with Portland police, hope that the monetary reward will encourage someone to provide information to help solve Duops killing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI Portland Field Office at (503) 224-4181, a local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or you submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian

Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe
The wife of a Clark County man charged with murdering a woman and her 7-year-old daughter in March has been accused of pilfering from customer accounts at the bank where she worked in Portland, court records show.

Monet Tyler-Warren told investigators she transferred at least $24,500 from two accounts at the Trailhead Credit Union at the behest of her husband, Kirkland Warren, so he could steal (the) money, according to a probable cause affidavit.
A candidate for the Portland school board says an anti-abortion nonprofit listed him as an advisory board member without his permission from 2020 up until a few days ago, when the groups website suddenly went dark.

Derrick Peterson, a retired chief deputy for the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office, said he learned two days ago that the group, California-based 1 Race 4 Life, a nonprofit affiliate of an evangelical megachurch called Harvest International Ministries, had listed him as an advisory board member. Its website included a photo of Peterson and described him as an atmosphere changer [who is] motivated to inspire those within his sphere of influence to be their best selves.

I am not affiliated with this group, nor does it reflect my views, and I gave no permission for my photo or likeness to be used, he said. The photo was a picture of me in my uniform, which was most likely uploaded from the Sheriffs Office website. Upon receiving this information, I contacted the organization and asked them to remove my image from their site along with any implied association, which they did immediately.

Peterson said he did attend a conference sponsored by Harvest International Ministries in early 2020 where he was recognized as an apostle, an honorific given to a church leader. That recognition came because of his association with an entirely different church that he had volunteered with 20 years earlier in Kenya, which was later absorbed into Harvest, he said.

While at the conference, Peterson said he attended a session where founder and senior pastor Che Ahn  who spoke at the January 6, 2021 insurrection outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., but did not enter the building  outlined his vision for 1 Race for Life. Ahn has described it as a new pro-life movement [intended to] defend biblical values in our homeland, that could remove the need for abortion nationwide. When Peterson realized the substance of the meeting, he said he excused himself immediately.

Peterson told The Oregonian/OregonLive that he believes that everyone has the right to make their individual personal choice about what they do with their own body, and that as a school board member he would not seek to restrict services offered by student health centers or the content taught in health courses.

Peterson, a registered Democrat, lost to Nicole Morrisey ODonnell last fall in his bid to be Multnomah County Sheriff. In his campaign for school board, Peterson has received the endorsements of all current school board members, the Willamette Women Democrats, The Oregonian and Willamette Week.

His opponent, retired teacher Patte Sullivan, has said she was inspired to run for the school board after learning about movements among conservative activists to take over school boards and determine the direction of teaching about race and gender identity, among other issues. Sullivan said she wanted to make certain that such views were not represented on the Portland school board.

Peterson was raised in Black churches in North and Northeast Portland, is a graduate of Central Catholic High School and is still involved in the faith community, he said.

In his campaign, he has called for adopting the Portland Street Response model for schools, adding more trained social workers to help de-escalate situations that can turn violent, and provide more mental health supports for students.

 Julia Silverman, @jrlsilverman, jsilverman@oregonian.com
Southwest Washingtons La Center School District has forbidden teachers from asking students for their pronouns, with the superintendent saying that the increasingly common practice amounts to telling students what to think about gender.

We need to provide an inclusive environment for all our students, including those who think differently about the pronoun issue, Superintendent Peter Rosenkranz wrote in an Oct. 28 email to school employees in La Center.

Rosenkranz then went further  in a move thats still roiling the northern Clark County school district of 1,700 students.

In January, the district updated its gender-inclusive schools policy to say students could volunteer to teachers that they use names or pronouns that are different from the ones listed in school records, and teachers would honor those changes. But school leaders also would inform parents of any switch, sparking pushback from families and advocates who say the guidelines could endanger young people with unsupportive parents.

At a board meeting Tuesday, public testimony reflected the communitys polarization on the policy, which states curriculum, instruction and gender affirming activities in schools may cause gender confusion for children. But the public-school district does not appear to be considering revisions, echoing some Republican-led states that have blocked or sought to block protections for transgender youth.

In Oregon, the Portland archbishop in January told local Catholic private schools to use students pronouns assigned at birth.

Back in October, Rosenkranz told district faculty to avoid asking students for their pronouns so that teachers could maintain neutrality.

Asking for pronouns in a public setting can make some feel included and others feel excluded, he wrote in an email.

In November, Rosenkranz reaffirmed his stance, telling faculty to ask students only for their names. In response, a La Center High School teacher who leads the Genders and Sexualities Alliance club, filed a complaint, backed by 30 others, with Lauri Landerholm, La Center School Districts civil-rights coordinator.

The districts directive limits teachers abilities to create an LGBTQ-friendly learning environment and creates a systemic barrier towards full inclusivity of LGBTQ students, the letter said.

The district then commissioned an outside report from a Spokane Valley, Wash., consulting firm, RLR Consulting. In his subsequent report, RLR consultant Gene Sementi noted that a psychologist working with the district is concerned that regularly asking all students about their pronoun preferences could be psychologically damaging at a time in their lives when they are prone to confusion.

Sementi concluded in December that the districts new directive, which prohibits teachers from canvassing all students in their respective classes regarding preferred pronouns, is not a violation of the Civil Rights of Teachers or LGBTQ students.

The La Center School District did not immediately respond to questions about the process it used for choosing the consulting firm.

In January, the district adopted its gender-inclusive schools policy, prompting some students and teachers the following month to file a second complaint with Washingtons Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, which opened an investigation on April 7.

At a school-board meeting on Tuesday, local advocates again took aim at the policy, saying it put children at risk of abuse from unaccepting parents.

Darcie Niemi, a parent in the district, said she works with children who have been physically abused by their parents.

You as educators have an ethical standard to keep children safe, Niemi said. A small minority might be affected by their parents knowing theyre transgender, but they could be in serious danger.

School-board member Win Muffett shot down such comments at the meeting and called the procedures pro-family.

Parents are not dangerous, he said, and urged people to recall him if they disagreed with his stance.

To combat possible danger, school leaders said they would attempt to speak with students about their families attitudes before contacting their parents about their gender-identity expression, according to the policy.

Other parents also criticized the boards viewpoint when addressing LGBTQ+ students.

Students rights, students safety, students ability to succeed and a safe learning environment is your lane, said Erin Smelser, a teacher in the district. It does not matter how many interviews you give claiming to be an expert on biology, or how many extremists you personally invite to our school board meetings to spread misinformation and stroke your ego. You are a state employer.

Patriots United Washington, a conservative group that backs Rosenkranzs decision, asked its hundreds of followers on Facebook and Twitter to go to board meetings in hopes of outnumbering LGBTQ+ activists there.

They are dramatic and unreasonable. Obviously a dark spirit behind those actions. LET THERE BE LIGHT! the group wrote in a post.

Justine Stimmel, a leader for Patriots United Washington, claimed in a livestream video posted to Facebook that Rosenkranz is a close friend and encouraged her to attend board meetings with her allies.

Rosenkranz denied Stimmels assertion.

Justine Stimmel is a member of our school community, and, as such, we have occasional interaction, just as I do with many other individuals and families, he wrote in an email.

People in favor of the new policy, including Stimmel, thanked the board for its work and called gender expression delusion and fantasies.

Teachers are hired to educate and shouldnt be put into difficult positions of hiding serious mental-health issues from families, said Trish Huddleston, a school-board member from neighboring Woodland Public Schools, who said she hoped her district would follow La Centers lead on pronoun policies. I couldnt imagine being a teacher and having to keep up with several students changing their names and pronouns every other day.

-- Lisa Moreno; lmoreno@oregonian.com
When the three candidates for Multnomah County Commission were asked at an endorsement interview how they would seek to improve the countys response to homelessness, two of them spoke of largely staying the course.

Ana del Rocio, a former nonprofit executive director, said the county has a plan, but needs to better communicate it to residents  something she said she would aim to do upon getting briefed about it. Albert Kaufman, a digital marketing entrepreneur, said he would bring his collaborative approach to improving relations with the city. But he added that newly-elected Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, whose East Portland seat the candidates are seeking to fill, is already showing progress on that front.

Julia Brim-Edwards, however, dug in with details. The Portland Public Schools board member and former Nike executive noted the countys lack of a homelessness plan and its poor coordination with the city. If elected, she said, she would prioritize the development with Portland officials of a comprehensive strategy that names specific goals, timelines, delineated responsibilities and ways to measure results. Brim-Edwards, 61, would also seek to coordinate program implementation to avoid overlap in services and budget dollars. And she emphasized the need to build a continuum that helps people living on the street move into temporary shelter and transitional housing where they can access services and gain stability to ensure greater success in permanent housing.

Its this combination of strengths  detailed diagnosis, methodical strategizing and a persistence in follow-through  that makes Brim-Edwards the best pick for voters in District 3, which covers East Portland from about 33rd to 148th Avenues south of Interstate 84. Her advocacy locally and statewide on educational funding, passage of LGBTQ+ non-discrimination legislation and pandemic-related health initiatives reflect a few of her many contributions. And her extensive experience creating coalitions with unions, businesses, nonprofits and elected officials on every level of government has given her a potent network she can tap for assistance. Voters in District 3 should choose Brim-Edwards to bring that disciplined focus and record of success to Multnomah County.

Multnomah County could certainly use the oversight. Despite a lower profile, the county spends the bulk of local homelessness dollars and is responsible for behavioral health services  areas lacking structure, strategy and impact. Add in the failure to address longstanding messes such as the countys neglectful oversight of its animal shelter, and its clear that the commission needs someone asking questions from the inside.

Brim-Edwards is already raising those questions on the campaign trail. She has highlighted the lack of a sobering center and deficiencies across the spectrum of behavioral health programs. She notes the need for targeted budget increases to the district attorneys office to ensure prosecution of violent crime and repeat property crime. And she would press for the state to deliver a solution on the public defender shortage to ensure justice to the accused as well as communities needing cases to be prosecuted.

Shes proven her effectiveness perhaps most notably in her 2017 election to the PPS board, when the districts dysfunction seemed irreversible amid continuing fallout over lead in schools drinking water; an employee exodus and a bickering school board that botched its most important assignment  hiring a permanent superintendent.

Upon her election, Brim-Edwards took over as chair and successfully landed the district its current leader, Guadalupe Guerrero, within weeks. She oversaw the development of a professional misconduct policy after The Oregonian/OregonLive uncovered decades of alleged misconduct by a former educator. And she has championed school bonds and levies and helped craft and lobby for a new statewide corporate tax that has transformed funding for K-12 schools across Oregon.

Certainly del Rocio, 36, has notched her own wins, including the expansion of school-based health services to the David Douglas community while she served on the districts board. She also makes a compelling argument about the importance of having someone in leadership who, like her, is facing the escalating rent and affordability concerns that thousands of county residents are feeling. Shes poised and speaks eloquently about focusing on the root causes that underlie many of our crises. But her responses lacked the command and analysis of problems that Brim-Edwards demonstrated. She also noted that she cant do a great deal independently nor would I want to, but its my job to be the bridge, the convener, the communicator and really understand where the county is headed under the new direction of Chair Vega Pederson for whom she once worked. That does not reflect the independence that the position demands.

Kaufman, 61, brings a strong commitment to climate action. But he views homelessness as a national or global issue for which the county cannot do much and, similarly to del Rocio, appears ready to simply demur to Vega Pedersons judgment. Questioning is part of the job and helps the entire commission get to a better answer.

Voters in District 3 are the only ones to weigh in on the race. And unfortunately, if none of the three wins 50%-plus-one, the top two finishers will face off in November.

The county cannot wait. It needs a strong voice now to steer the commission toward pragmatic solutions and solid results. Voters in District 3 should show up for the county and elect Brim-Edwards as their commissioner.

-The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board

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Tim Knopp and Vikki Breese-Iverson

Knopp, state senator for District 27- Bend, is the Oregon Senate Republican leader. Breese-Iverson, state representative for District 59-Prineville, is the Oregon House Republican leader.

Field trip permission slips. Tattoos and piercings. Contact lenses. These are just some of the examples in which parents are required to provide consent for their children in the state of Oregon.

However, a bill in the Oregon Legislature would knowingly and forcefully strip away parental rights. House Bill 2002 B expands the use of taxpayer dollars for irreversible sex-changing treatments and procedures  including sterilization for those as young as 15  without parental consent. Private insurers under this measure must cover these procedures, allowing minors to undergo treatment on their parents insurance without their knowing. Yes, you are reading that correctly.

In addition, this legislation will allow a minor at any age to have an abortion without parental knowledge or consent. A doctor may not disclose this information to a childs parent unless the child provides explicit written permission  stripping away a parents right to know.

Make no mistake, Oregon law already permits a minor at age 15 to have an abortion without parental consent up until the moment of birth. Our fear with removing the age limit for parental consent is that it leaves children on their own to deal with the consequences of what might have been a crime, or at the very least a significant event deserving of parental guidance. Lawmakers may very well be aiding and abetting pedophiles and sex-traffickers who can pressure kids into telling doctors that a boyfriend got them pregnant to avoid criminal repercussions.

In less than an hour of debate in a recent Joint Ways and Means committee meeting and with minimal time for questions, Democratic leadership forced a vote on this bill knowing there would be no further opportunity for public comment than the one hearing held in March.

During the committee meeting, the Ways and Means Democratic co-chairs audibly gasped when Legislative Counsel confirmed that 10-year-olds would be able to get abortions without parental knowledge  despite one co-chair boasting they were intimately involved with the development of this bill.

Republicans had a multitude of questions that were left unanswered. We asked about the estimated fiscal impact on the health care insurance premiums for Oregonians. The answer? We will have to pass it to find out.

However, as budget committee staff confirmed, we do know that House Bill 2002 B vastly expands the types of irreversible sex-changing treatments and procedures funded by Oregon taxpayers. These services will be offered through the Healthier Oregon program, which provides health coverage to low-income individuals who would qualify for Medicaid except for immigration status and who live in Oregon. According to the Oregon Health Authority, theres no time requirement to establish residency.

We believe it should be standard practice to know how much something costs before approving it. Nothing about this bill or the approach taken by Democratic leadership is fiscally responsible. This is a long and complicated bill. It needs more input, not less.

Dont be fooled, this is not an abortion or equality issue  this is a parental rights issue. This is the state of Oregon effectively telling you that the government understands the needs of your child better than you do. This is an extreme attack on the sacred relationship between a parent and a child.

House Bill 2002 B is scheduled for a vote on the House floor on Monday, May 1. Please call your state representative and state senator and make your voice heard.

Parents  the time to take a stand is now.

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Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan took on a side job in February as a paid consultant for an affiliate of the troubled La Mota cannabis dispensary chain, her office confirmed Thursday.

The owners of La Mota, Rosa Cazares and Aaron Mitchell, and their businesses have collectively failed to pay millions of dollars in Oregon cannabis taxes and federal income taxes and they face a host of workplace complaints and unpaid bills, Willamette Week has reported. The newspaper was the first to report Fagans paid consulting job for the La Mota affiliate Veriede Holding LLC on Thursday.
We might not be the first Portland but we are the best Portland.

Exhibit No. 1,342: The Portland, Maine, news headline: New banners celebrating Portlands history got facts wrong.

Apparently, our magnitudes-smaller name twin to the east has been trying to drum up hometown spirit by making fun of ... us!?!

First of all, we all know hurt (cities) hurt (cities) and who hurt you, Portland, Maine? Bangor? Lewiston? Because it wasnt us.

A banner on a light pole in town, one of 60 unveiled last week, is sporting this cheeky message: We were here first Oregon. Youre not even a port.

First: Lololololololol.

Second: Not even a port?? Ummmm ...

If theyd just talked to a historian, or even a history major, they could have gotten it right, Leigh Rush Olson, a tour guide who runs Old Port Historic Tours, told Bangor Daily News.

I was shocked to read this as its not only insulting to the people of Oregon, but also insulting to the people of Maine who know this is incorrect, Olson added.

Side message to Leigh Rush Olson: Portland, Oregon, welcomes you at any time. Come visit and we will show you historical accuracy and probably some good donuts.

For the rest of Portland who may have read and believed this sign, a bit of news: Rivers can have ports, too! Did you know that many goods are transported via river? That finding a river across the United States used to be a top goal for many? That our city is at the confluence of two rivers, namely the Willamette and the Columbia? And ships, very large ones, carrying goods, frequent our waters? And that many of those ships are both river and ocean-going vessels?

Its OK that you didnt know. We are famous for so many other things, the mountains, the beer, the bagpiping unicycler, the donuts. You cant be expected to know about all of our many fantastic attributes. We couldnt name one of yours, beyond your powerful-sounding name.

The good news? That factually incorrect banner is coming down.

And, look, Portland, Maine, absolutely no hard feelings. Lets all agree that the real enemy is the Isle of Portland in England, the first Portland. The most interesting fact about that Portland is that on the island rabbits are apparently such bad luck that you cant even say the word rabbit out loud.

Not sure how that fits onto a banner, but at least its something to pull out next time one of those British Portlanders tries to tell us they came up with the name first!

 Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052; lacker@oregonian.com; @lizzzyacker

Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe
ELBA  An 18-year-old man charged with killing his father is being held in Coffee County Jail on no bond after a hearing before Coffee County District Judge Josh Wilson at the Elba Courthouse Friday morning.

Wilson set a May 8 hearing for Ethan Stuckey, who is in Coffee County Jail after being extradited from Colorado where he had been in Colorado Springs Jail since his April 8 arrest by members of the Colorado Springs Fugitive Task Force Police Department and the Alabama Fugitive Task Force.

Stuckey was booked into Coffee County Jail at 6:53 p.m. Wednesday, said Coffee County Sheriff Scott Byrd. He is charged in connection with the death of his father Russell Stuckey, 42, who was found shot in the chest in a home in the 300 block of Daleville Avenue in Enterprise on Good Friday.

The elder Stuckey was found dead at about 6 p.m. April 7 by the Enterprise Fire Department during its response to the call of a gas leak at the home in the 300 block of Daleville Avenue, said Enterprise Police Departments Public Information Officer Capt. Billy Haglund.

Haglund said that EPD detectives discovered the victims cause of death was due to at least one gunshot wound to the upper body.

EPD detectives worked through the night with our law enforcement partners to assist in the coordination of this apprehension, Haglund said. Members of the Colorado Springs Fugitive Task Force were able to take the suspect into custody without incident. EPD detectives will begin working on the extradition process to bring the suspect back to Enterprise.

The Enterprise Police Department credit the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Elba Police Department, Colorado Springs Police Department, Colorado Springs Fugitive Task Force, and the ATF for their assistance in the investigation.
April showers ready the terra for May flowers, or so the saying goes.

Of course, many of you will give those flowers to the matriarch of your family on Mothers Day. But what if your dear mom is tired of keeping those flowers you get her away from the cat? Flowers, every year? Mom deserves more.

Yes, she loves your handmade cards, but really, are you going to get her another candle?

Lets break that cycle of subpar gift-giving. Let's also remember this universal truth: Moms love beer.

Why not get mom a six-pack that she can enjoy during one of those upcoming days at the lake or during a quiet Sunday afternoon?

Show her your good taste with a gift that tastes good. Shell also be proud of you for (finally) venturing outside of the candle section of Meijer for her Mothers Day present. Also, a sixer with a bow on top - perfect wrapping!

Dont know what to look for in the beer aisle?

Mother Schmucker's Raspberry Ale Brewer: Grand Armory Brewing, Grand Haven, MI

Style: Blonde Ale infused with raspberries

IBU: 26

ABV: 5%

Appearance: Decent-sized, white head. A light brown color that is standard for this style.

Aroma: Like a PB&J sandwich.

Mouthfeel: Tart and crisp. A dry finish. Leaves a pleasant, slight raspberry aftertaste.

Taste: Unlike other varieties of fruit infused beer, the raspberry tang tastes natural and organic - not cloying. The label suggests that it tastes like "mom's toast and jam." They're not wrong - there's a maltiness there that gives it a pleasant bready character. Very refreshing when served straight out of the fridge. Allowing it to wram up brings out more of the raspberry flavor.

Pairs With: Your mom! Let her pick the food and tunes this week. See More Collapse

Ive got you covered - Mother Schmucker's.

This delightful blonde ale with the saucy name is brewed with 100 pounds of raspberries added to the fermenter. The result is a pint glass filled with a little bit of heaven just in time for May. It's tart with a dry finish. Unlike other varieties of fruit-infused beer, the raspberry tang tastes natural and organic. My quibble with Founder's popular raspberry ale Rubaeus is its syrupy mouthfeel - these Mother Schmucker's are crisp. The label suggests that it tastes like "mom's toast and jam." They're not wrong - there's a maltiness there that gives it a pleasant bready character.

At 5% ABV, it's a nice spring and summer sipper you can both enjoy as you catch up during mom's big day.

Its another goodie made by our friends at Grand Armory Brewing, headquartered in beautiful Grand Haven on Michigans West Coast. If you are up for a road trip, the Armory in the name happens to be a 113-year-old historic facility located at 17 S. Second St. in the heart of the city's downtown district, just blocks away from Lake Michigans pristine beaches.

Now, a six-pack of uncomplicated, Beer Flavored Beer is a perfectly fine gift ... for Father's Day.

Think about all the nice things your mom has done for you. Think back on all the wonderful meals and delectable desserts that mom has prepared. And really, she just wants to spend time with you, you don't get to see each other as much as she would like.

Why not turn your gift into a fun family sip & dish sesh that could easily serve as a dessert course?

As you know by now, explorers, our fun begins by browsing the beer store. Fear not, these days you can find Mother Schmucker's just about everywhere you look. Grab a six-pack of that and we are halfway there. Now, what are some other tastes that mom might appreciate? Chocolate? Peanut butter? Grab those too.

Now, it's time to do a little homework. Mixing beer can be as simple as the Bell's Oberon mimosa (beer + orange juice) or as traditional as an old school Black and Tan (I prefer the Guinness and Bass Ale combo). We live in the age of the remix - the mashup - so why not take an existing hit and put our own personal spin on it? In fact, Grand Armory suggests creating a mix of this raspberry goodness with "Nutter Your Business," their peanut butter stout. It's a delicious take on the PB&J.

Grand Armory suggests if you combine those two together you get 

"Nutter Your Business, Mother Schmucker's."

HEY! You kiss your mother with that mouth?

Our friends at the food and culture magazine Bon Appetit suggest making some small batches until we get the flavor right. Taking half of one beer and mixing it with half of another beer isn't the precise mixology mom deserves. Here are a couple of fundamentals:

 If you are using a lighter, fruit ale or lager partner that with a heavier beer like a stout or porter. Don't use styles or tastes that are going to compete with each other.

 Look for complementary flavors. For instance, that jalapeno spiced larger that has been hanging out in the back in the beer fridge? Introduce it to the mocha, cinnamon number that looks so lonely on the fridge door. Together they might make a fine spicy hot cocoa concoction.

 Be creative. Play mad scientist. If it doesn't work, down the drain it goes. No fuss, no muss.

Chocolate and raspberry is always a winning combination. Lucky for you and mom, there are many, many delicious chocolate-flavored beers on the market. You should be able to track down two beers that are bigger than the Beatles in England - Young's Double Chocolate Stout or Samuel Smith Organic Chocolate Stout. I rummaged around in Lemmy the Beer Fridge until I found a last can of Leinenkugel's outstanding chocolate dunkel. All of these brews share a sweet, almost Hershey's Kiss chocolate character, so be careful with that pour. I ended up 75% Mother Schmucker, 25% chocolate. Add more chocolate as you go.

Onto the PB&J. Same rules apply. I used Midland Brewing Company's Fabian Fournier peanut butter porter - my favorite of that style. That big peanut butter taste and stout character go a long way and can overwhelm that lovely, subtle raspberry flavor. Think about a 60-40 split favoring the Mother Schmucker that's supposed to be the star of the show.

If you want to get really weird, mix the chocolate and peanut beer together and drink with a raspberry ale chaser.

Lastly, Grand Armory suggested the peanut butter-raspberry combination, but I was more intrigued by another one of their offerings, "White Chocolate Blonde." Sure enough, the white chocolate-flavored ale blended wonderfully with the fruity, bready taste of the raspberry beer. To me, the combination added a creaminess and almost marshmallow sweetness. Try 2/3 of a pint glass or raspberry beer and 1/3 white chocolate. Throw a couple of real raspberries in there for garnish. I highly recommend!

Adding beer to your beer can be a fun diversion as you search for your next great pint. Go online and take a look at the many, many recipes and mashups our fellow mixologists have come up with. That should keep you, and your mom, busy until next time, when we can explore some more ... Skoll!

Do you have a craft beer suggestion? Everything I know about beer has come from someone else who has led me on an adventure. If you would like me to review YOUR favorite beer, send your suggestion to david.clark@hearst.com
This deeply disturbing legal reality highlights the limited capacity of our legal system to adequately address such incidents even if we repealed stand your ground laws for civilians and abolished qualified immunity for law enforcement. Even without those unjust laws, the general law of self-defense makes allowances for harboring negative racial stereotypes about Black people by excusing frightened civilians and police officers who act on them.

As long as these widespread stereotypes persist, the law of self-defense will continue to let off police officers and ordinary citizens who use lethal force more hastily against Black people than similarly situated white people. Thats because self-defense doctrine permits lethal defensive force against persons who reasonably appear to pose an imminent threat of serious harm.

Lester has been charged with two felonies, first-degree assault and armed criminal action, and has pleaded not guilty. To escape conviction, hell need to convince a jury that he honestly and reasonably believed that he had to shoot Yarl to avoid being assaulted or suffering a home invasion  even if he was mistaken in his belief that he was under attack.

So how does the law determine whether a shooters beliefs and reactions were reasonable?

Reasonableness in legal discourse is a term of art whose legal usage differs markedly from that of ordinary language. A reasonable attitude or belief in legal discourse is not necessarily rational or right. Instead, the reasonable person is the average, typical person, and reasonable beliefs are typical beliefs. The reasonable person is more appropriately described as the ordinary person (i.e., a person who possesses ordinary human weaknesses).

The laudable moral intuition behind this approach to criminal responsibility is that we should not blame and punish people for ordinary expressions of human frailty. In applying the reasonable person standard, jurors  themselves typical people holding typical beliefs  ordinarily judge the reasonableness of the defendants beliefs by projecting themselves into the shooters situation and asking whether they would have shared his beliefs under similar circumstances.

If the answer is yes, if the shooter arouses their sympathy, they will find his reactions reasonable and acquit.

A major problem arises, however, when anti-Black bias is so typical, ordinary and commonplace in American society. And because it is, actions taken that kill or maim Black people are, in that sense, reasonable.

Polls and studies repeatedly demonstrate that most Americans  consciously or unconsciously  hold negative stereotypes about Black people and crime. For instance, experiments conducted with police officers showed that officers were quicker to decide to shoot an unarmed Black target than a similarly situated unarmed white target. And a comprehensive survey of social science literature by the American Bar Assn.s National Task Force on Stand Your Ground Law in 2015 found that the stereotypical association of Black males with aggression and crime cause fearful people to perceive Blacks as potential threats, which can translate to diminished empathetic responses, greater hostility, and a tendency to respond violently towards Black targets.

Lester, for example, said Yarl was a Black male approximately 6 feet tall. Lester claimed he was scared to death due to the males size. In fact, the teenager is 5 foot 8 and 140 pounds, according to his family. Research has shown that people often adultify Black children, that is, perceive young Black males as bigger and more physically threatening than young white males of the same size. When a police officer shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014, while he was playing in a park, the president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmens Association described Rice as a 12-year-old in an adult body.

Such discriminatory reactions often occur in the cognitive unconscious. But whether conscious or not, the consequences for Black victims are similar. By excusing mistakes rooted in ordinary human frailty, the law of self-defense can be used to defend and forgive racist instincts.

So long as Black boys and men draw racism-based fear, self-defense claims in the shooting of unarmed Black people will continue to be raised. To minimize the harm these stereotypes cause in encounters between police officers and Black folk, we must minimize unnecessary contacts between these armed and anxious state actors and the Black community.

Do we need armed officers enforcing traffic laws, for instance, given how fraught these stops often are, how speculative their benefits, and how often minor traffic infractions are used as pretexts to profile Black and brown people? Reducing the footprint of law enforcement in the lives of African Americans reduces the opportunities for the ordinary human frailty of officers to result in unnecessary tragedies.

One big thing civilians can do to minimize the harms stereotypes cause in interactions with Black victims is get rid of the guns in their lives. Recognize that guns, in the context of ubiquitous unconscious and conscious racism, are a persistent and pervasive menace to Black lives, even in the hands of the well-intentioned. Get them out of your holsters and your homes.

Make gun control a part of your anti-racism activism.

Jody Armour is a professor of law at USC and an author.
Theres a growing body of evidence to suggest consumers are pulling back from sharing data about themselves and their preferences in greater numbers.

In a recent PwC study, half of social media users, and over one-third of consumers of media, third-party travel websites and healthcare services, had heightened concerns about personal data privacy. A shade under half  49 per cent  said they no longer share excessive personal data beyond what is necessary.

The flip side of that figure, however, is the majority  51%  still share a considerable amount of personal data online.

Why? The reason could be the lack of a plausible opt-out or alternative.

If a consumer wants a loan or use a service that requires them to establish their identity, the choice is either to do what the bank or provider asks, and accept the risk of that business becoming a future data breach victim, or not get what they want.

Consumers may see no realistic option other than to over-share their data in exchange for access.

The provider may also be hamstrung  forced by the regulatory environment to collect and store personally-identifiable information (PII) for a (potentially undefined) minimum period of time, and keep it in case anyone ever asks for it. Some high-profile businesses breached had data going back over a decade with no apparent need. This has now created a situation where many Australian organisations are sitting on PII goldmines.

The main mantras

This Privacy Awareness Week, there will almost certainly be no shortage of suggestions and generic advice on what Australian businesses can do (or invest in) to reduce the risk of a privacy breach, and what actions consumers can take to reduce risks on their side.

Ideally, consumers shouldnt be forced to make these kinds of decisions. While not dismissing the notion of personal responsibility, the ideal situation would be for organisations collectively to take a more principled and by-design approach to preserve privacy in every facet of how they interact with their consumer.

Two core mantras immediately come to mind.

First, theres something to be said for adopting a security-paranoid approach to the way you operate. Start from the position that while you can (arguably) probably protect any PII you collect, imagine you failed to do so: what would be the consequences? And more fundamentally, should you have collected and held that PII data in the first place?

Devicie, for example, has taken a hard stance on PII. We try not to acquire any data we dont explicitly need. What little we do collect, we try to sanitise on its way into our environment and also when presented back to our customers and our own people. We currently use data masking  obfuscating the appearance of PII in our systems using symbols or other characters  for this purpose, hashing is a more robust and similarly useful approach that we are moving to where possible.

This works for us, but isnt going to suit every organisation. Some organisations naturally have to collect more PII in the process of doing business. However, it does not preclude them from adopting the second core mantra: put yourself in your customers shoes.

One thing to consider is to think about data uses as if you were the customer of the service. Always picture yourself as the customer and say, Would I be comfortable with this? Indeed, in adhering to standards such as the GDPR appropriate consent for data use is required, which is a good perspective to take. After all, theres always a risk that data acquired for one purpose is stretched to another  inevitably unethical and often in breach of regulations (even illegal)

It may be convenient to gather telemetry data from consumers that interact with your website  and users will probably tolerate it as well. But going to the next level and using social media trackers to see what the consumer does on other peoples websites is likely to be less well-received. The sniff test is if it would irritate or annoy you, dont do it.

Today, social responsibility is as  if not more  valuable than corporate desire. Consumers are increasingly aligning with organisations that act ethically, and that increasingly means being ensuring privacy as well.

A footnote on footprint

Depending on the organisation, a third mantra may also be worth considering: to make it your business to reduce, not add, risk. This is particularly applicable to organisations that serve or service others.

In security circles, theres considerable effort to bring the security of suppliers and other third-parties into line with customer-set standards. Similar efforts exist in decarbonisation and sustainability, where outsourced providers can be a significant contributor to Scope 3 emissions, and customers again are moving to align with providers that offset and reduce their emissions over time.

Privacy is on track to become similar. That is, organisations will choose to work with others that demonstrate a similar commitment to privacy. This is already happening: a Gartner survey last month found almost one-third of respondents had abandoned an agency or channel partner over the last year due to customer trust or privacy concerns.

This may become even more pronounced as changes to the Privacy Act in Australia (and similar reviews across the ditch in NZ and globally) push organisations to hit a collectively higher bar of PII preservation and protection. Given the precarious state of privacy, and a seemingly endless parade of breaches, change is long overdue and  for many consumers  cannot come soon enough.

Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Banjul, Gambia (PANA)  The board of directors of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa began a meeting in Gambia on Thursday with a call on them to formulate strategies to address challenges inherent in their administrations
Khartoum, Sudan (PANA)  The Sudanese government has officially protested to the United Nations World Health Organisation (WHO) against the occupation by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of major hospitals in Khartoum at the expense of ordinary people
BLOOMINGTON  Should state lawmakers fully restore the percentage of Illinois income taxes given to local governments, the city of Bloomington could receive millions in new revenue each year.

That's why Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe was one of many municipal leaders who traveled to Springfield last week to advocate for increasing what is known as the Local Government Distributive Fund, or LGDF. The fund includes the share of residents' income taxes that are returned to communities to be spent on expenses like roads, sewers or salaries.

Mwilambwe and other mayors addressed the House Cities and Villages Committee. Without the allocation of these state funds, some said, municipalities could be forced to increase local fees or taxes.

But because of the financial strain it could have on the state, many local leaders accepted that funding increases would have be implemented gradually.

"I understand if it has to be done incrementally but this is definitely something that's very important to us, because it really helps us for our communities to deliver essential services for our residents," Mwilambwe said.

Illinois established the state income tax in 1969. But to ensure its passage, a revenue-sharing agreement was reached that would grant local governments a percentage of the total income tax collections, courtesy of the LGDF.

Prior to 2011, 10% of income tax collections were dedicated to LGDF to support municipalities and counties. But when the temporary income tax was enacted in 2011, the LGDF's share of tax revenue dropped to 6%.

In 2017, when the General Assembly passed a permanent income tax increase, the LGDF percentage share fell to 5.45% of individual tax collections and 6.16% of corporate tax collections.

As of fiscal 2023, local governments receive 6.16% of the net collections of all income taxes received from individuals, trusts and estates and about 6.85% of the net collections of all income taxes received from corporations.

Bloomington Finance Director Scott Rathbun said the city budgeted $10 million in state income taxes distributed via the LGDF for the 2024 fiscal year.

For every percentage point by which the LGDF contributions were increased, he said, Bloomington could receive an additional $1.5 million in tax revenue.

Municipal leaders from communities of all sizes have expressed support for expanding the fund. Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson also included a request to increase it in remarks he delivered to a special joint session of the General Assembly last week. He said it would benefit communities statewide, adding that "when we build a better, stronger, safer Chicago, we are building a better, stronger, safer Illinois."

Erin Henkel contributed reporting.

States that collect the most property tax revenue States That Collect the Most Property Tax Revenue Property taxes are the second largest source of US state and local tax revenue Over a third of general tax revenue in New Hampshire comes from property taxes 15. Montana 14. Virginia 13. Florida 12. South Dakota 11. New York 10. Nebraska 9. Massachusetts 8. Rhode Island 7. Illinois 6. Vermont 5. Texas 4. Connecticut 3. Maine 2. New Jersey 1. New Hampshire
NORMAL  Why did Kelly Provost drive over 10 hours early Friday morning to the opening of the Illinois State Button Societys annual show in Normal?

To see some of her button-collecting friends, she answered. The Hays, Kansas, woman was among almost two dozen visitors who were browsing for buttons at the shows opening that morning. Provost said she loves buttons, noting that some of them are incredible works of art.

The free-to-attend fastener fair, which features seven dealers and dozens of competitive button displays, ran from 1 to 5 p.m. Friday and continues from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Holiday Inn, 8 Traders Circle in Normal.

Provost, 58, was drawn Friday morning to a dealer booth run by Gary Brockman, returning this weekend to the Twin Cities after attending last years show.

Provost pulled a card of his trade buttons from Birmingham, England, which she said were likely produced between the 1860s and early 1900s.

She planned to pick a few for purchase. Provost said she likes to have a variety in her collection, which she started building 12 years ago.

Her favored types range from fabric buttons of the 1750s to the Bakelite buttons of the 1930s.

Think pink

When collecting buttons, ISBS Vice President Brenda Eilbracht said: I like pretty.

She said this years show theme is Pretty in Pink. The show ran contests to for collectors to curate button trays in several categories, stipulating specific subjects, materials, manufacturing eras and more.

There was also a voted contest on card placement, with one entry using a swan print card.

New this year is a "Button Boutique" table that Eilbracht prepared. She also went big on a poke box, where Eilbracht said collectors can pick through a large, 40-pound pile of buttons. Those sale proceeds will support the ISBS, she said.

Eilbracht said dealer competition entries were down this year due to family illnesses, leading to some big-time competitors being absent. She said 15 people entered 56 cards, and contestants were limited to entering no more than 10 cards each.

Its not the last button show this year in Bloomington-Normal. The Midwest Regional Button Association will hold its 2023 Pearls & Gems show Oct. 12-14 at the same Holiday Inn in Normal.

Little-bitty buttons

Russa Milburn, of Farmer City, also displayed buttons for the contest. She said her sister, Eilbracht, got her into collecting when she took her to a show in Urbana-Champaign, and began picking through poke boxes.

Milburn has been collecting buttons for 12 years since then.

I like the little-bitty realistic buttons, she said.

But its hard for Milburn to pick her favorites. Some of those include a gumball machine, and a little glass Tweety bird, which she said was made in honor of late Minnesota collector Phyllis Paule.

Her most favorite is a lighthouse button, she said.

Elaine Pitra, of Woodridge, won a food-themed tray, which had buttons of pizzas, hamburgers, and many fruits and vegetables.

Another item on that tray was a Campbells tomato soup button. Pitra said she picked it because she worked for 35 years at Pepperidge Farms, which is owned by the soup company.

Eilbracht said they had six card entries in the pink glass button category. Taking home the coveted blue ribbon was victor Kathie Arthur, of Monmouth.

Arthur, 69, also won the red glass button category. Her reaction to winning: Im proud of the red; I was surprised by the pink," she said.

Pieces on her pink tray included an airplane, a glass button with a berry decal, and a piggy-face. Her favorite is a pink-and-black design from the 1960s.

To win, Arthur said she just followed the rulebook. She added the nice thing about collecting buttons is talking to people and showing off buttons at events.

I collected so many other things, and most of those things sat in closets or drawers, she said.

Photos: Critters of all kinds shown at Bloomington reptile & exotics expo 041623-blm-loc-1reptiles.JPG 041623-blm-loc-2reptiles.JPG 041623-blm-loc-3reptiles.JPG 041623-blm-loc-4reptiles.JPG 041623-blm-loc-5reptiles.JPG 041623-blm-loc-6reptiles 041623-blm-loc-8reptiles.JPG 041623-blm-loc-reptiles.JPG 041623-blm-loc-9reptiles.JPG 041623-blm-loc-10reptiles.JPG 041623-blm-loc-11reptiles.JPG 041623-blm-loc-12reptiles.JPG 041623-blm-loc-13reptiles.JPG 041623-blm-loc-14reptiles.JPG 041623-blm-loc-15reptiles.JPG 041623-blm-loc-16reptiles.JPG
Connect Transit 50th Birthday Party

Friday, Jan 27

Heartland Community College, Normal

There was birthday cake (3 to be exact), plenty of great food and interesting historic memorabilia as friends and employees of Connect Transit gathered to commemorate the past 50 years of providing safe and reliable transportation and look forward to the future.
BLOOMINGTON  The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is awarding $6.6 million in grants to boost local tourism efforts and encourage visitors to travel along the historic Route 66.

As Illinois' transportation sector continues to shift to electric vehicles, grants also will focus on building the state's EV infrastructure through the installation of new charging stations.

Among the grant recipients are the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, which was awarded $263,319, and the Logan County Tourism Bureau, which was awarded $29,320.

The millions of dollars the State is investing in local tourism promotion and enhancing the historic Route 66 will do wonders for Illinois tourism industry while boosting local economies and promoting the future of travel," DCEO Director Kristin Richards said in a news release.

The Logan County Tourism Bureau's grant will go toward the installation of two EV charging stations and the painting of Route 66 insignia on the county's roads.

Alice Roate, executive director of the tourism bureau, said the charging stations will be installed in Atlanta and new signage will be installed in Lincoln.

"(Route 66 shields) will also double as wayfinding, since we have a few twists and turns in town where Route 66 runs," Roate said.

If all goes well, Roate said she hopes to incorporate these shields across the entire county.

Bloomington-Normal's grant will go toward the installation of monument gateway signage in five communities on McLean County's leg of Route 66. A charging station that would promote Route 66 also would be financed.

Crystal Howard, president and CEO of the Bloomington-Normal Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the signage would be installed in Bloomington, Normal, Chenoa, Lexington and McLean.

Howard added that the grant funding and projects wouldn't be possible without the involvement of each community.

"We can apply for funds, but when it comes to installing and all the work that goes into it, it takes everyone involved, and we appreciate those efforts," Howard said.

The charging station would be placed in Bloomington, but Howard said the bureau has not selected a specific location yet.

All of the Route 66 projects are expected to be completed by June 30.

Grants also were awarded to the following organizations:

Choose Chicago, $210,756 for the installation of architectural pylons on the north and south sides of Jackson Boulevard where it meets Michigan Avenue.

Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau, $493,032 for the expansion of a mural trail, the creation of interpretive panels at Green Book sites, Route 66 event signage and promotional efforts.

Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau, $1,609,400 for marketing and advertising, Route 66 monuments, murals and charging station and landscaping projects in Lockport, Bolingbrook and Joliet.

The City of Springfield, $623,000 for upgrades to Shea's Gas Station and the creation of 12 murals connecting Williamsville, Sherman, Springfield, Chatham and Auburn to the murals in the Heritage Corridor and Great Rivers and Routes service area.

Visit Oak Park, $475,000 for various projects to add or upgrade iconic stops along Route 66, including an illuminated Route 66 Gateway structure on Ogden Avenue and additional wayfinding signage.

Main Street of America: Route 66 attractions state by state Main Street of America: Route 66 attractions state by state Grant Park (Chicago) Mural City (Pontiac, Illinois) Lauterbach Giant (Springfield, Illinois) Chain of Rocks Bridge (Madison, Illinois) World's Largest Catsup Bottle (Collinsville, Illinois) Henry's Rabbit Ranch (Staunton, Illinois) Old Log Cabin (Pontiac, Illinois) (Former) World's Largest Rocking Chair (Cuba, Missouri) 66 Drive-In Theatre (Carthage, Missouri) Route 66 State Park (Eureka, Missouri) Meramec Caverns (Stanton, Missouri) Wagon Wheel Motel (Cuba, Missouri) Devil's Elbow, Missouri Cars on the Route (Galena, Kansas) Galena Mining & Historical Museum (Galena, Kansas) Brush Creek Bridge (Cherokee County, Kansas) Williams' Store (Riverton, Kansas) Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station (Baxter, Kansas) Milk Bottle Grocery (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) Blue Whale (Catoosa, Oklahoma) Lucille's Service Station and Roadhouse (Hydro, Oklahoma) Allen's Conoco Fillin' Station (Commerce, Oklahoma) Totem Pole Park (Foyil, OK) Cadillac Ranch (Amarillo, Tesas) VW Slug Bug Ranch (Conway, Texas) Midpoint Cafe (Adrian, Texas) Tower Station and U-Drop Inn Cafe (Shamrock, Texas) Leaning Tower of Texas (Groom, Texas) Big Texan Steak Ranch (Amarillo, Tesas) Blue Swallow Motel (Tucumcari, New Mexico) Tee Pee Curios (Tucumcari, New Mexico) Clines Corners Retail Center (Clines Corners, New Mexico) 66 Diner (Albuquerque, New Mexico) El Rancho Hotel (Gallup, New Mexico) Blue Hole (Santa Rosa, New Mexico) Hackberry General Store (Hackberry, Arizona) Winslow Corner (Winslow, Arizona) Angel and Vilma's Original Route 66 Gift Shop (Seligman, Arizona) Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In (Seligman, Arizona) The town of Oatman (Oatman, Arizona) Wigwam Village Motel #6 (Holbrook, Arizona) Grand Canyon National Park Meteor Crater (Meteor City, Arizona) Elmer Long's Bottle Tree Ranch (Oro Grande, California) Emma Jean's Holland Burger Cafe (Victorville, California) Rt. 66 Museum (Victorville, California) Original McDonald's (San Bernardino, California) Cucamonaco Service Station (Rancho Cucamonga, California) Roy's Motel & Cafe (Amboy, California) Santa Monica Pier (Santa Monica, California)
In the workforce, the balance of power has recently shifted, with employees in many Australian sectors in the front seat.

They are more empowered than ever despite continued talk of recession  and the associated effects on organisational hiring and growth trends. Just look at TikTok.

The social media platform has become the Glassdoor of Gen Z and Millennial workers, and the trending hashtags tell you everything you need to know about how employees are feeling. From #bareminimummondays and #actyourwage through to #rageapplying, they are venting about their workplaces, responsibilities, salaries and culture.

Unlike Glassdoor, TikTok gives these views virality, with the ability to influence and inspire employees to ask more of their workplaces  and data support this groundswell.

Power to the people

According to new Gartner research, employees in Australia feel they are doing a great job, but they cant say the same for the organisations they work for. The perception of their individual performance is at 32.2 per cent, the highest since the beginning of 2020, but this effort isnt being supported by workplace well-being practices.

Of those surveyed, a concerning 45.4 per cent werent aware of any wellness programs on offer for mental, physical or financial health at their organisation. This is deeply concerning given overall employee wellness is at its lowest point in two years at 28.7 per cent, with physical, mental and financial health showing a steep decline over the last three months. These programs have never been more important.

Wearables for wellness

In an effort to better support the well-being of their workforces, some companies are looking to technology for help. By deploying wearable devices, organisations are able to use inputs such as blood oxygen, sleep length and quality, movement and heart rate to evaluate the health of employees.

Originally created to monitor the physiological functions of astronauts, the technology has been used to improve health, safety and performance across a variety of use cases, from high-performance athletes to asbestos inspectors.

Indeed, the health benefits of wearables saw a jump in workplace usage during the pandemic, as businesses employed these devices to support social distancing and contact tracing. Unsurprisingly, in this scenario, employees were far more willing to use it.

Outside of potentially dangerous workplace situations, however, the use of wearables can feel a little less like altruism and more like Big Brother. In a hybrid work environment, its not hard to see the benefit to employers of monitoring employee movement and vitals.

For employees, the immediate response is largely one of fear and distrust. Sharing such deeply personal data feels like an invasion of privacy. However, its not just employees who have cause for concern, but employers.

As soon as organisations begin collecting health information on their employees, they can no longer claim to be unaware if their wellness suffers. Businesses looking to implement these devices should know that empowered employees will harness insights for their own benefit and call their organisations to account.

Data sharing is a two-way street

If youre thinking about moving to a company that has invested in technologies like these devices, or your current employer is thinking about doing so, here are the three questions you should ask your manager:

What is your employee health index?

Organisations collecting physical indicators on their employees have the ability to create a comprehensive picture of workforce wellness  and savvy employees should ask just what kind of image it portrays.

If, on average, employees are getting at least six hours sleep and show general heart rate variability (HRV)  a sign of low stress  then they are likely looked after. If not, you may want to look elsewhere.

What are you doing with the data?

While data is a precious resource, its power lies in how it is used. If your employer is collecting information on wellness, they are not only gifted with insight into how their employees are really doing, but responsible for it.

If wearables are reporting low calorie burn and high recovery time, has your organisation implemented walking meetings and subsidised exercise programs to improve fitness? If employees are showing signs of poor-quality sleep, HR should be instigating employee access programs (EAP) and meditation classes.

How are you protecting the data rights of your employees?

Like any business, if your workplace is collecting your data, you have a right to understand what is being collected, the ways in which it is being used, who has access to it, and how it is shared.

Progressive businesses will create an employee data constitution that prioritises transparency and allows employees to opt out of practices theyre not comfortable with.

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BLOOMINGTON  A group of international students visited downtown Bloomington on Tuesday to talk about climate change in a unique format  a museum on wheels that they call the "Bus-eum Project."

Twelve students from the University of Erfurt in Germany have been traveling around the Midwest with the bus-eum to talk with locals about how they view climate change and how it can affect their lives. The exhibit is called "Heartland's future: How we might live together on a changing planet."

David Bernhardt, 25, said the bus helps attract curious onlookers.

"The bus, itself, is kind of an eye-catcher, something that people can walk up to," Bernhardt said, "to discuss with us and talk about solutions to climate change and the problems of climate change."

He said the bus has 12 climate exhibits, covering everything from agriculture to fashion, transportation and agriculture.

Katharina Herz, 23, said the goal is two-fold: to educate as well as learn.

"This, of course, is all our German perspectives," Herz said. "We don't know what it's like to be U.S.  Americans, and dealing with climate change here."

Herz said they have researched and studied climate change in America, "but it's different from speaking with people on the ground. So we're also here to learn about their perspectives, your perspectives, and your approaches."

This is not the first iteration of the bus-eum.

University of Erfurt Professor Michael Luick-Thrams said he created the bus-eum 20 years ago to talk about German migrant relations and their experience in America, including difficult topics like racism and anti-immigrant sentiments.

Luick-Thrams, born and raised in Iowa, received his Ph.D. from Humboldt University in Berlin and has lived in Germany for about three decades.

His original exhibits can still be seen inside the bus, while the exterior of the bus now features facts and discussion about climate change.

According to the Buseum Project's website, the "main exhibit is inside a retrofitted school bus turned into a museum ... with relevant but often overlooked aspects of history and culture."

Luick-Thrams said the reason to change focus to climate change was paramount.

"The planet is on fire," he said.

Svea Benett, 21, said talking about climate change can be uncomfortable.

The bus provides a space for dialogue for people with different experiences.

Herz said, "As Germans, we know history that is hard to talk about and how difficult it can be."

Benett said having those difficult conversations, though, is key to uniting in the fight against climate change.

"We've got different pasts and we've got different opinions ... but those don't define how our future will look," Benett said.

To keep up with the Bus-eum Project, go to heartlandsfuture.com.

Photos: Illinois State University alumna Jane Lynch Founders Day 2017 Founders Day 2017 Founders Day 2017 Founders Day 2017 Illinois Broadcasters Association Illinois Broadcasters Association Jane Lynch, 2022 Jane Lynch, 2003 Jane Lynch, 2009 Jane Lynch, 2010 Jane Lynch, 2019 Jane Lynch, 2019 Jane Lynch, 2022 Jane Lynch, Cubs Jane Lynch, Cubs Jane Lynch, Cubs Jane Lynch, Cubs
LEXINGTON  Planting trees just feels good in your soul, said Krista Kirkham.

The 44-year-old Bloomington woman was one of around 30 volunteers who planted trees Sunday in Lexingtons ParkLands Preserve, as part of a series of Earth Day events this month with the Ecology Action Center.

Kirkham is a member of the EAC and the ParkLands Foundation, and said she knows planting trees is important to both organizations, to the world and to addressing climate change.

She also helped put trees in the ground last year for EAC, which is tasked with planting 10,000 each year for 10 years.

I think if you can help, you should, and this is a great opportunity to volunteer for two good organizations, Kirkham said. Its good exercise  and I love giving back to nature and the environment.

She also said the nature preserves are precious to her.

Remembering Mike Hall

Sundays tree planting project was named in memory of Mike Hall, who died Jan. 7 from cancer at age 67.

EAC Executive Director Michael Brown said Hall was a retired public works director for the Town of Normal, where he worked for several decades.

In addition to serving the town, Brown said Hall also had strong history with the EAC and the ParkLands Foundation. Brown said he hired Hall to do administrative work after he retired from the Town.

He also noted it was fitting that they planted trees near Interstate 55, as Hall was a city engineer who worked on roads.

Trees by the thousands

Sunday's project was also part of EACs Tree Corps initiative to plant 10,000 trees to lower air pollution, sequester carbon, add wildlife habitats and aid watershed protection.

Jake Mehalic, tree coordinator for EAC, said they had planted more than 3,000 trees in the last three weeks in Lexington and other locations. He expected that number to approach close to 4,000 by Sundays shift end.

Other weekend activities EAC was involved in were a Constitution Trail and Sugar Creek cleanup, a rain barrel workshop and a composting workshop, said Brown. He added that Rivian hosted a 5k and 1-mile walk Sunday at Heartland Community College that benefited the EAC.

Brown said they have to plant the trees as soon as possible because: There is no way to water 10,000 trees.

Tree Corps efforts are dependent on spring rains, he continued, with work beginning at the start of April.

The goal is to get them in while the rain is still coming  get them in before it gets hot and dry.

Mehalic said they plant 12 all-native species, including pecan, oak, white oak, burr oak, black oak, hazelnut, sycamore and Kentucky coffee tree.

From 2021 through the end of last year, Brown said they planted at least 24,000 trees. He encouraged the public to volunteer with them.

Grinding away

Mehalic said their volunteers have gone above and beyond. They had groups join from Moses Montefiore Temple in Bloomington and a local FFA program.

Two Illinois State University juniors put roots in the ground Sunday: Sarah Deneve, studying actuarial sciences, and Kathleen Tierney, studying animal sciences.

Deneve said they were looking for ways to get involved and help out nature, and signed up for the Tree Corps opportunity when they saw it.

Tierney said it was their first time out at the Lexington preserve. Deneve said they didnt know there was a preserve in Lexington.

Ian and Kaylee Brugman joined hands, too, to get 70 trees planted. Although the weather was cold, the Normal married couple agreed it was a nice day to get out into nature.

Mrs. Brugman said she wanted to volunteer for an Earth Day project and meet new people.

Also there were Jaxon DeLand and Morgan Barlow, both Bloomington High School seniors.

Barlow said she enjoys meeting new people while volunteering, and that its really fun.

DeLand said they need to finish 60 community service hours before graduation for enrollment with the National Honor Society. He said they were grinding away at that Sunday.

Those looking for tree-planting volunteer opportunities with EAC should visit tree-corps.org

Notable events in the history of Earth Day Notable events in the history of Earth Day September 1962: Silent Spring is published January 1969: Santa Barbara oil spill January 1970: Santa Barbara Environmental Rights Day April 1970: First Earth Day December 1970: Congress authorizes creation of the EPA February 1971: Earth Day recognized by the United Nations October 1972: Congress passes the Clean Water Act April 1980: First Canadian Earth Day April 1990: 20th Earth Day recognized by 141 countries September 1995: Sen. Gaylord Nelson awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom April 2000: Leonardo DiCaprio hosts 30th Earth Day April 2007: Earth Day crowds set records in Chicago April 2010: Earth Day 2010 coincides with International Year of Biodiversity April 2016: Earth Day Network launches 7.8 billion trees campaign April 2016: Paris Agreement opens for signatures April 2017: Earth Day Network co-organizes March for Science August 2018: Greta Thunberg begins School Strike for Climate April 2019: Great Global Clean-up for Earth Day 2019 September 2019: Global climate strike draws more than 4 million April 2021: Earth Day, with a focus on climate change Notable events in the history of Earth Day September 1962: Silent Spring is published January 1969: Santa Barbara oil spill January 1970: Santa Barbara Environmental Rights Day April 1970: First Earth Day December 1970: Congress authorizes creation of the EPA February 1971: Earth Day recognized by the United Nations October 1972: Congress passes the Clean Water Act April 1980: First Canadian Earth Day April 1990: 20th Earth Day recognized by 141 countries September 1995: Sen. Gaylord Nelson awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom April 2000: Leonardo DiCaprio hosts 30th Earth Day April 2007: Earth Day crowds set records in Chicago April 2010: Earth Day 2010 coincides with International Year of Biodiversity April 2016: Earth Day Network launches 7.8 billion trees campaign April 2016: Paris Agreement opens for signatures April 2017: Earth Day Network co-organizes March for Science August 2018: Greta Thunberg begins School Strike for Climate April 2019: Great Global Clean-up for Earth Day 2019 September 2019: Global climate strike draws more than 4 million April 2021: Earth Day, with a focus on climate change
LAKE CHARLES, La.  The Mississippi woman who accused Emmett Till of harassing her shortly before his brutal death in 1955 has died in hospice care. She was 88.

Carolyn Bryant Donhams death was confirmed Thursday by the coroners office in Louisianas Calcasieu Parish, according to Mississippi Today.

In August 1955, Donham claimed Till harassed her at a store in Money, Mississippi, while he was visiting from Chicago. His body was later found beaten and mutilated with a bullet to the head. Till was 14. He became one of the most indelible images of the nations civil rights movement after his mother, Mamie Till, insisted on an open-casket funeral for her son.

I wanted the world to see what they did to my baby, she said.

More than 50,000 people attended his funeral, which inspired the 2022 film Till.

Donhams ex-husband, Roy Bryant, admitted he and his half-brother killed Till after being told the boy acted inappropriately toward his wife  but that confession came after Bryant was acquitted by an all-white jury.

Donham, who divorced Bryant in 1975, had accused Till of whistling at her. The claim has continued to draw skepticism over the years since Tills death.

News of Donhams death may come with some sadness to Tills cousin Patricia Sterling, who in February filed a lawsuit compelling a Mississippi sheriff to serve the elderly woman with a discarded 1955 arrest warrant unearthed in a Leflore County, Mississippi, courthouse last year.

Photos: Pritzker sworn in for second term
Photo: (Photo : Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Paris Hilton has joined forces with lawmakers to introduce a new bill called the "Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act" aimed at ending abuse in the troubled teen industry.

The bipartisan group of lawmakers made the announcement at the Capitol on Thursday, where Hilton shared her own harrowing experiences of abuse while attending such programs as a teenager.

By advocating for reforms in the industry, Hilton hopes to prevent others from enduring similar trauma.

Paris Hilton's Ongoing Advocacy To End Child Abuse

According to FOX5, Paris Hilton, who has been an outspoken advocate for reforming the troubled teen industry, appeared alongside Senators Jeff Merkley, John Cornyn, and Tommy Tuberville, as well as Representatives Ro Khanna and Buddy Carter, at a press conference held at the Capitol on Thursday.

Together, they announced the introduction of a new bill aimed at ending abuse in institutional youth treatment programs.

Hilton expressed her commitment to the cause, saying that she is using all means available to her to advocate for the well-being of these children.

She expressed her concern for children who lack support from their families and who are in the juvenile justice and foster care systems, emphasizing their vulnerability and lack of representation.

The proposed "Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act" would provide greater oversight and data transparency for institutional youth treatment programs, as well as implement urgent recommendations for developing robust information sharing systems among states.

In addition, it would facilitate the sharing of effective strategies for recognizing and stopping institutional mistreatment of minors.

As per Insider, the term "troubled teen" industry pertains to an assortment of residential therapy centers across the nation that seek to aid young people grappling with psychological or behavioral difficulties.

Nonetheless, numerous programs have been charged with instances of sexual, emotional, and physical mistreatment, and several teenagers have perished while enrolled in these establishments.

Critics argue that the programs continue to operate with too little government oversight and without sufficient consequences for abusive centers, which allows them to profit off the abuse of vulnerable children.

Hilton recounted her distressing encounters at four comparable establishments in her adolescence, describing how she was sent to each of them from 16 to 18 years old, with each experience worse than the previous one.

She revealed how she observed and encountered sexual misconduct from adult personnel, and how she also suffered from verbal and emotional abuse.

She added that the staff would immediately hang up the phone and punish her whenever she attempted to tell her parents about the abuse on the phone.

Read Also: Kansas Lawmakers Pass Controversial Abortion-Related Infant Care Law; Providers May Face Criminal Charges

The Troubled Teen Industry

Paris Hilton has been using her platform and voice to advocate for the end of child abuse, supporting lawmakers and organizations working towards this cause. This issue is particularly personal for Hilton.

According to CNN, this revelation comes after she opened up about her own traumatic experience with physical and emotional abuse at the Provo Canyon School, a boarding school for troubled teens in Utah, in the 2020 documentary "This is Paris."

In 2022, Hilton was also seen at the White House, discussing new legislation that aims to strengthen protections for children in residential programs and facilities.

She has also supported the Federal Accountability for Congregate Care Act, which includes creating a Youth in Congregate Care Bill of Rights, establishing a joint commission for research into institutional abuse, and providing funding to address systemic issues.

Related Article: Melatonin Gummies Put Children at Risk: A New Harvard Study Reveals Alarming Findings
Photo: (Photo : Mario Tama / Getty Images)

The Department of Justice is fighting back against Tennessee's discriminatory law targeted at transgender minors. The DOJ filed a lawsuit against the newly enacted law that prohibits transgender minors from receiving gender-affirming healthcare.

This legislation is one of several passed this year by the state's Republican-controlled State House that targets LGBTQ+ individuals.

According to the DOJ, the law violates the Constitution's equal protection clause because it discriminates against individuals based on their sex and transgender status.

Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kristen Clarke emphasized that the federal government seeks to invalidate this statute because every person, regardless of their transgender status, deserves access to necessary medical care.

DOJ Joins Lawsuit Against Tennessee

According to CNBC, the parents of transgender children undergoing gender-affirming care filed the lawsuit on April 20, and the DOJ is now joining that battle. As a result, Tennessee's Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and Health Commissioner Ralph Alvarado are obligated to provide a response to the lawsuit before May 8th.

According to court documents filed by the DOJ, the law's provisions are aimed directly at transgender minors, prohibiting medical procedures to treat gender dysphoria while allowing such treatments for other ailments like physical injuries, congenital defects, and early or delayed puberty in minors who identify with their biological sex.

The federal lawsuit was initiated after Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kristen Clarke sent a letter to state attorneys general last month warning them that federal law prohibits discrimination against transgender youth.

According to the Associated Press, the Justice Department also got involved in a lawsuit last year that challenged a similar ban on transgender medical care for young people, which is still ongoing.

At the start of this year's legislative session, the first proposal filed sought to prohibit gender-affirming care for minors, and Republican Governor Bill Lee signed this bill into law.

Republican leaders claimed that they took this step in response to a Nashville doctor's video that circulated on social media last year, in which he promoted gender-affirming procedures as "huge money makers" for hospitals.

Read Also: US Government Partners With NEH To Document Histories of Indigenous Students at Boarding Schools

Tennessee's Stringent Rules Targeting the Transgender Community

Axios reported that Tennessee's controversial SB 1 bill, which will take effect on July 1, 2023, has faced criticism from advocates and legal challenges from the DOJ.

The DOJ argues that the legislation violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which prohibits states from discriminating on the basis of gender identity.

The bill has also faced opposition from transgender rights activists and parents of transgender children, who argue that it puts young people's health and well-being at risk.

The law's proponents claim that it protects minors from making irreversible decisions they may regret later.

However, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other medical organizations have stated that gender-affirming care is safe and effective for transgender minors and can reduce the risk of anxiety, depression, and suicide.

Furthermore, the state's Republican lawmakers have also introduced a bill aimed at limiting the venues where drag shows can take place, which has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge.

Critics of the bill argue that it is discriminatory and violates the First Amendment's protection of free speech.

Tennessee is not the only state with laws restricting gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

Additionally, as reported by CNBC, 17 other states, all led by Republicans, have similar laws on the books. These states include Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, North Dakota, Utah, Indiana, Texas, West Virginia, and more.

However, courts have blocked these laws in Alabama, Arkansas, and Texas, citing concerns over their constitutionality and potential harm to transgender minors.

Related Article: Paris Hilton, Lawmakers Unveil "Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act" To End Troubled Teen Industry Abuses
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Here are links to three items that have recently been posted on the website of the Interpreter Foundation:

Conference Talks: The Day of Atonement, the Mosaic Temple, and the Christian Sacrament of Communion: Links and Symbols

This presentation was given by Shon D. Hopkin at the Interpreter Foundations 2014 Temple on Mount Zion Conference, on Saturday, 25 October 2014.

The New Testament in Context Lesson 19: Rejoice with Me; for I Have Found My Sheep Which Was Lost: Luke 1217 and John 11

In the 9 April 2023 Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Radio Show, Terry Hutchinson and John Gee and Kevin Christensen discussed New Testament lesson 19, Rejoice with Me; for I Have Found My Sheep Which Was Lost, covering Luke 1217 and John 11.

The other segments of the 9 April 2023 radio show can be accessed at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreter-radio-show-april-9-2023. You will be delighted to know that the Interpreter Radio Show can be heard live on Sunday evenings from 7 to 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640. You can also listen to it live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com.

Come, Follow Me  New Testament Study and Teaching Helps: Lesson 19, May 1  7: Luke 1217; John 11Rejoice with Me; for I Have Found My Sheep Which Was Lost

Once again, as he regularly does, Jonn Claybaugh provides a set of concise notes for Interpreter readers who are students and teachers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

From another front: On Tuesday, my wife and I had our first script meeting with our core group of filmmakers for the Six Days in August project. Its exciting to see things beginning to get underway. I still have a fairly steep fundraising hill to climb, though. And I hate asking people for money.

I had the opportunity yesterday morning of joining with a group at the headquarters of the Temple Square renovation project in Salt Lake City. We were given a presentation about the effort by one of its leaders and, afterwards, we walked over to the site itself. Its a huge, complex, and ambitious undertaking. Very impressive. In fact, I didnt know how big it is; I dont think I remembered that even the Joseph Smith Memorial Building is also wholly or partially shut down. But I cant wait until its finished. Weve been without the Salt Lake Temple for too long already.

This has special personal meaning for us. We were married in the Salt Lake Temple. Even back then, when there were far fewer temples than there are now, I had other favorites that I, at least, personally considered  Oakland and Manti and Cardston, for instance  but none of our families lived near them and, excepting Cardston, none of them had any particular connection to our families. Los Angeles was a possibility, but, given that our families were centered in the Denver and Los Angeles and Salt Lake City areas, the Salt Lake Temple was centrally located. And, given its history and its iconic importance, the decision turned out to be really easy for us. My wifes grandparents could be there, for one thing. The drawback was that the Salt Lake Temple is a very busy wedding venue in the summer, and that we didnt know the temple officiator who performed our sealing. (Ive sometimes envied people who had a father or uncle or grandfather or even a family-friend member of the Twelve officiate at their marriage.). But then, we didnt have any such connections anywhere.

Im impressed by President Russell M. Nelsons willingness to launch this project, knowing, at his age  he is currently in his ninety-ninth year  that its very possible that he will never again in this life be able to enter a dedicated Salt Lake Temple for meetings of the Brethren or for his own personal temple service and temple worship. I hope, though, that he will. Hes in remarkably good health. But the anticipated completion date for the Salt Lake Temples renovation is now 2026. And, if youre already ninety-eight years old, thats a very long way off.

Today, as a theme for what Im sharing from the Christopher Hitchens Memorial How Religion Poisons Everything File, Ive chosen to focus on a trio of horrific ways in which following the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints blights human lives and damages society:

Pornography use at any level harms romantic relationships, says new BYU study

Perspective: The surprising case for marrying young: For many, getting married as a 20-something is no obstacle to fun, professional success or a stable marriage

Too Risky to Wed in Your 20s? Not if You Avoid Cohabiting First: Research shows that marrying young without ever having lived together with a partner makes for some of the lowest divorce rates

Perspective: Cohabitation doesnt help your odds of marital success: As Taylor Swift and lover Joe Alwyn learned, in most cases, living together hurts your odds

Perspective: Is my faith terrible for women? Not if you believe the data: As a scholar and woman of faith, I know the good that religion offers

But I dont want to neglect these three atrocities, which were found in the vicinity of the Hitchens File. They clearly illustrate the nature of the theocratic hellscape that is Utah  where (coincidence?) the Church has its headquarters:

Opinion: For the 16th time, Utahs economic outlook tops the nation: Why is Utah the best? It comes down to preparation

Opinion: Why Utahs 16-year winning streak is no accident: Economic prosperity doesnt come by accident. It requires sound public policies that go beyond merely being business-friendly

Heres why a new study says Utah is ready to host another successful Olympics: Demographic, social, environmental factors favorably position the state, U. policy institute concludes
Ive begun to read Sean McDowell and Jonathan Morrow, Is God Just a Human Invention? And Seventeen Other Questions Raised by the New Atheists (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2010). On pages 11-12, they quote an observation from Timothy Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism:

Three generations ago, most people inherited rather than chose their religious faith. The great majority of people belonged to one of the historic mainline Protestant churches or the Roman Catholic Church. Today, however, the now dubbed old-line Protestant churches of cultural, inherited faith are aging and losing members rapidly. People are opting instead for a non-religious life, for non-institutional personally constructed spirituality, or for orthodox, high-commitment religious groups that expect members to have a conversion experience. Therefore the population is paradoxically growing both more religious and less religious at once.

Here, from page 12, is the comment of McDowell and Morrow on their quotation from Rev. Dr. Keller:

Behold the fruit of pluralism and secularization. It seems a growing number of people  on both sides of the God question  are no longer content to play church. Either what people believe is true and they are going to attempt to live out their faith in all areas of life, or its false and people shouldnt waste their time going through the motions of their childhood faith if it really doesnt make any difference.

Incidentally, Timothy Keller is, to me, an intriguing figure in his own right  a highly successful Christian advocate and pastor in the challenging religious market of New York City  who is well worth more systematic reflection than I have given him thus far. I think that we can learn from him. I was pleased to see an interesting article about him (Kevin DeYoung, An American Evangelist) in the May 2023 issue of First Things, a magazine to which Ive subscribed since its inception.

American Latter-day Saints, at least, and also, I think, those in Europe, are facing the same societal trends that western Christendom is more generally. In that light, the comments of Tim Keller, Sean McDowell, and Jonathan Morrow powerfully remind me of a famous prophecy about Zion, the Saints refuge in the Great Basin West:

In August 16, 1857, Heber C. Kimball stated:

There will also be a day when you will be brought to the test  when your very hearts and your inmost souls will melt within you because of the scenes that many of you will witness. Yes, you will be brought to that test, when you will feel as if every thing within you would dissolve. Then will be the time you will be tried whether you will stand the test or fall away. (Remarks by President Heber C. Kimball, delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, Sunday Morning, 16 August 1857)

In May of 1868 Heber C. Kimball said:

An army of Elders will be sent to the four quarters of the earth to search out the righteous and warn the wicked of what is coming. All kinds of religions will be started and miracles performed that will deceive the very elect if that were possible. Our sons and daughters must live pure lives so as to be prepared for what is coming. After a while the Gentiles will gather by the thousands to this place, and Salt Lake City will be classed among the wicked cities of the world. A spirit of speculation and extravagance will take possession of the Saints, and the results will be financial bondage. Persecution comes next and all true Latter-day Saints will be tested to the limit. Many will apostatize and others will be still not knowing what to do. Darkness will cover the earth and gross darkness the minds of the people. The judgments of God will be poured out on the wicked to the extent that our Elders from far and near will be called home, or in other words the gospel will be taken from the Gentiles and later on carried to the Jews. . . . [T]he Saints will be put to a test that will try the integrity of the best of them. The pressure will become so great that the more righteous among them will cry unto the Lord day and night until deliverance comes. Yes, we think we are secure here in the chambers of these everlasting hills, where we can close the doors of the canyons against mobs and persecutors, the wicked and the vile, who have always beset us with violence and robbery, but I want to say to you, my brethren, that the time is coming when we will be mixed up in these now peaceful valleys to that extent that it will be difficult to tell the face of a Saint from the face of an enemy against the people of God. Then is the time to look out for the great sieve, for there will be a great shifting time, and many will fall. For I say unto you there is a test, a Test, a TEST coming. This Church has before it many close places through which it will have to pass before the work of God is crowned with glory. The difficulties will be of such a character that the man or woman who does not possess a personal knowledge or witness will fall. If you have not got this testimony, you must live right and call upon the Lord, and cease not until you obtain it. Remember these sayings: The time will come when no man or woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be guided by the light within themselves. If you do not have the knowledge that Jesus is the Christ, how can you stand? (Heber C. Kimball, First Counselor in the First Presidency, May 1868, in Deseret News, 23 May 1931; see also Conference Report, October 1930, pages 58-59)

In his talk Be Not Deceived, given in the October 1963 General Conference, Elder Ezra Taft Benson of the Twelve stated:

Those of us who think . . . all is well in Zion . . . (2 Nephi 28:21) in spite of Book of Mormon warning might ponder the words of Heber C. Kimball when he said, Yes, we think we are secure here in the chambers of these everlasting hills . . . but I want to say to you, my brethren, the time is coming when we will be mixed up in these now peaceful valleys to that extent that it will be difficult to tell the face of a Saint from the face of an enemy against the people of God. Then is the time to look out for the great sieve, for there will be a great sifting time, and many will fall. For I say unto you there is a test, a Test, a TEST coming. (Heber C. Kimball, 1856. Quoted by J. Golden Kimball, Conference Report, October 1930, pp. 59-60.)

Speaking during the October 1974 General Conference, Elder Gordon B. Hinckley said the following, and then repeated it verbatim in a July 1990 message of the First Presidency:

In 1856, when the Latter-day Saints were largely alone in the Western valleys, some people thought we were safe from the ways of the world. To such talk, President Heber C. Kimball of the First Presidency responded: I want to say to you, my brethren, the time is coming when we will be mixed up in these now peaceful valleys to that extent that it will be difficult to tell the face of a Saint from the face of an enemy to the people of God. Then, brethren, he went on, look out for the great sieve, for there will be a great sifting time, and many will fall; for I say unto you there is a test, a Test, a TEST coming, and who will be able to stand? (Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1945, p. 446.) I do not know precisely the nature of that test. But I am inclined to think the time is here and that the test lies in our capacity to live the gospel rather than adopt the ways of the world.

We have no reason to be surprised. Weve been told, over and over and over again.
1 Kings 10:1-2, 10-11 (RSV) Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones . . . Then she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones; never again came such an abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. Moreover the fleet of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir a very great amount of almug wood and precious stones.

The Hebrew Sheba is understood by all to be the equivalent of Saba: a kingdom (the Sabaeans or Sabeans) in the southwest of the Arabian peninsula (current-day Yemen). Joel 3:8 refers to the Sabeans, . . . a nation far off. Isaiah 45:14 also makes mention of the Sabeans, as does Job 1:15, while Job 6:19 has the travelers of Sheba and Psalm 72:10, the kings of Sheba (cf. Ezek. 38:13). They were exporters of gold (Ps. 72:15: gold of Sheba; Isa. 60:6: those from Sheba . . . shall bring gold and frankincense), as well as of precious stones and spices (Ezek. 37:22: The traders of Sheba . . . traded with you; they exchanged for your wares the best of all kinds of spices, and all precious stones, and gold), and incenses and perfumes (Jer. 6:20: frankincense . . . from Sheba). Jesus assumes her historicity as well as Solomons:

Matthew 12:42 The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. (cf. Lk 11:31; almost identical language)

Sheba is mentioned in conjunction with four other peoples and trading and commerce in Isaiah 60:6-7. Midian was located in northwestern Arabia. Ephah is also believed to be Arabian, and may have been near present-day Median (Yathrib in ancient times). Kedar, or the Qedarites, attested since the 8th century B.C., were located in northern Arabia, as were the people of Nebaioth, descendants of the Ishmaelites. These were likely associated with Sheba in the Bible because of their being on the incense trade route, which flourished on the western and southern coasts of Arabian peninsula, by the Red Sea and Indian Ocean.

Egyptologist and archaeologist Kenneth Kitchen provides the basic background:

In the late eighth and early seventh centuries we have Assyrian mentions of Itamru (Yithasamar) and Karibilu (Karibil) as kings of Saba . . . Before that, Assyrian sources record Sabaean trade caravans explicitly for the later eighth and implicitly for the early ninth centuries, little more than half a century after Solomon [r. c. 970-c. 931 B.C.]. As they traveled freely north, so could she have done. (1)

Does trade from Sheba date to the Queen of Sheba or even further back, according to secular science? One historian offers near-proof:

In the ancient period, it would seem that South Arabia and the Horn of Africa were the major suppliers of incense, . . . Early ritual texts from Egypt show that incense was being brought to the upper Nile by land traders, but perhaps the most spectacular evidence of this trade is provided by the frescos dated to around 1500 BC on the walls of the temple at Thebes commemorating the journey of a fleet that the Queen of Egypt had sent to the Land of Punt. Five ships are depicted in these reliefs, piled high with treasure, and one of them shows thirty-one small incense trees in tubs being carried on board. (2)

The Land of Punt is generally agreed to be in eastern Africa: modern-day Somalia and/or Ethiopia: directly across from ancient Sheba in present-day Yemen. If Egyptian ships could make it to Punt via the Red Sea, they could just as easily stop by Sheba on the other side of the water. And the queen of Sheba could have (and probably did) travel mostly by water, with a relatively short land journey to get to Jerusalem.

Keall uncovered zoomorphic and anthropomorphic figurines from the site of al-Midammam on the Red Sea in ancient Sheba, dated to between c. 2500 B.C. and the tenth century B.C. (3) Gunnar Sperveslage (4) summarizes an abundance of research findings that establish a date of trade between ancient Yemen and Egypt to some dozen centuries before Solomon and Sheba:

At the end of the 2nd millennium BCE [1000 B.C.] the camel was domesticated on the Arabian Peninsula . . . (5) (6) and it replaced the donkey as a pack animal on long distance trade routes. The ability of the camel to get along without water for days increased the efficiency of trade in desert regions. Although watering holes and wells occur frequently, only the large oases, which are not less than a few days ride apart, were capable of supplying large caravans with enough water . The overland trade of aromatics, and especially of frankincense, was the most important source of revenue for South Arabia, resulting in prosperity and wealth. . . . not long after the domestication of the camel, the ancient South Arabian Kingdom of Saba arose as an ancient civilisation of high culture. (p. 305) * According to recent archaeological fieldwork, the time span of intercultural contacts can be projected back at least as far as the late Old Kingdom. [which ended c. 2200 B.C.] . . . The Italo-American excavations at Mersa Gawasis on the Egyptian Red Sea coast exposed detailed information on the ancient harbour site and its use from the late Old Kingdom to the early New Kingdom (7) (8) . . . Ship timbers and naval equipment, such as blades of steering oars, ropes, anchors and cargo boxes have been found, as well as some fragments of exotic pottery , indicating the wide network of naval activities around 2000 BCE. A few pottery sherds occurred that originated from the Yemeni Tihama and the Aden region. They were found in assemblages dating from the late Old to the late Middle Kingdom [which ended in 1782 B.C.] (9) (10) . . . the presence of South Arabian pottery in Middle Kingdom Egypt illustrates beyond doubt aspects of long distance trade and exchange of goods conducted by people from ancient Yemen long before the rise of the Sabaean Kingdom. (p. 308)

A very recent discovery is even more directly relevant to the question of Solomon and Sheba. Daniel Vainstub, of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, summarizes:

In Eilat Mazars excavations in the Ophel in Jerusalem, a partially preserved inscription engraved on the shoulder of a pithos was found in 2012 in a context dated to the 10th century BCE. . . . In this study, it is argued that the inscription was engraved in the Ancient South Arabian script and that its language is Sabaean. The inscription reads  ]sy ladanum 5. The aromatic ladanum (Cistus ladaniferus),. . . [is] the second component of incense according to Exod 30:34. The inscription was engraved before the locally made vessel was fired, leading to the conclusion that a Sabaean functionary entrusted with aromatic components of incense was active in Jerusalem by the time of King Solomon. (11)

Our knowledge of the ASA [ancient south Arabian] script and the languages spoken and written by the civilizations that developed in the southwest corner of the Arabian Peninsula as of the end of the second millennium BCE has expanded enormously in recent decades . . . [due to, among other things] intensive archaeological excavations in the area, which have yielded stratigraphically datable inscriptions. . . . they have enabled the chronological rearrangement of ASA inscriptions on a firm radiometric basis rather than on their paleographic development alone. (13) This last point is of great importance for the present study. Before the abovementioned 14C analyses, most ASA inscriptions were dated to the 8th century BCE; now, it has become clear that the two branches of ASA scriptthe monumental, generally called musnad, and the minuscule, generally called zaburwere in use in the southwest corner of the Arabian Peninsula as early as the 11th century BCE . . . the letters [of the inscription in question] were most probably written before the end of the second millennium BCE . . . (14) This [is] the first time an ASA inscription dated to the 10th century BCE has been found in such a northern location . . . As the 10th-century BCE South Arabian political scene is well known, there seems to be little doubt that the writer of this inscription was a Sabaean. At this time, the Kingdom of Sheba was the dominant power in South Arabia, with a flourishing economy based on the irrigated cultivation of incense and perfume plants and their marketing over long distances by means of camel caravans . . . The Ophel inscription is the most ancient ASA inscription found so far in the Land of Israel. (15) (16) The Ophel inscription makes an important contribution to the age-old question of the likelihood of a visit by a delegation from the South Arabian Peninsula to King Solomon in the 10th century BCE as related in 1 Kgs 10 and 2 Chr 9; . . . Scholars . . . who have based their opinions on the data of the last two decades, will find strong support of their opinion in the inscription. (17) Many theoretically possible routes have been proposed for the trade between Southwest Asia and the Levant from the Bronze Age onward . . . One of these is the maritime route, sailing around the Arabian Peninsula and along the Red Sea. This is a valid possibility also for the trade route between Sheba and Israel in the 10th century BCE, which could be traveled by sea as far as Eilat and continued northward by land . . . (18) Kitchen notes another interesting factor about the queen of Sheba: * In north Arabia we have a series of executive queens, seemingly queens regnant, in the ninth and early seventh centuries, as Assyrian texts prove clearly. . . . Zabibe (738), Samsi (733), Iatie (703)  and lastly Teelkhunu in 691 . . . After 690, never again do we find any Arabian queen playing any active role whatsoever in history. . . . Thus, in terms of old-fashioned OT scholarship, the queen of Sheba is pre-Deuteronomic (well before 621, the imaginary date for the first publication of Deuteronomy and its religious beliefs). There was no rational reason for inventing a story about a queen . . . visiting Solomon at any time after 650 at the latest . . . Our queen should belong to genuine historical tradition . . . (19) As we saw in the Bible passage above, Hiram brought gold to Solomon and Judah from Ophir, and the queen of Sheba brought very much gold. The gold could have been derived from the same place. Where is this Ophir? In my book, The Word Set in Stone (2023, pp. 23-24), I took the position that it was Mahd Adh Dhahab (Cradle of Gold), a small gold area and mine in the northwest Arabian Peninsula. Geologists believe more 30 metric tons of gold came out of this mine in antiquity. This area was directly in the line of the ancient incense trade route. Besides the biblical connection of Ophir with gold, we have a Hebrew ostracon (likely eighth century B. C.), found in 1951, with the inscription, Gold of Ophir for Beth-Horon  30 shekels. *

In summary, I agree with Kenneth Kitchens assessment: the queen of Sheba may be exotic, but she belongs firmly to this world, not some mere dreamworld. (20) *

FOOTNOTES

1) Kenneth A. Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2003), 116.

2) Himanshu Prabha Ray, The Archaeology of Seafaring in Ancient South Asia (Cambridge University Press: 2003), 31.

3) E. Keall, Possible connections in antiquity between the Red Sea coast of Yemen and the Horn of Africa, in P. Lunde, A. Porter (eds), Trade and travel in the Red Sea region (Oxford: 2004), 45, figures 11-12.

4) Gunnar Sperveslage, Intercultural contacts between Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula at the turn of the 2nd to the 1st millennium BCE, ch. 14 (pp. 303-330), in J. C. Moreno Garcia (ed.): Dynamics of Production in the Ancient Near East 1300-500 BC (Oxford: 2016). (Link)

5) See H.-P Uerpmann & M. Uerpmann, The appearance of the domestic camel in south-east Arabia, Journal of Oman Studies 12 (2002): 235260.

6) See M. Heide, The domestication of the camel: biological, archaeological and inscriptional evidence from Mesopotamia, Egypt, Israel and Arabia, and traditional evidence from the Hebrew Bible, Ugarit-Forschungen 42 (2010): 331382.

7) K. A. Bard & R. Fattovich (eds), Harbor of the Pharaohs to the Land of Punt. Archaeological Investigations at Mersa/Wadi Gawasis, Egypt, 20012005 (Naples: 2007).

8) K. A. Bard, R. Fattovich, & C. Ward, Sea Port to Punt: new evidence from Mersa Gawasis, Red Sea (Egypt), in J. Starkey, P. Starkey & T. Wilkinson (eds), Natural Resources and Cultural Connections of the Red Sea (British Archaeological Report S1661 /Society for Arabian Studies Monographs 5), 143148, (Oxford: 2007).

9) Bard & Fattovich, 130131.

10) Bard, Fattovich, & Ward, 147.

11) Daniel Vainstub, Incense from Sheba for the Jerusalem Temple, Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology (Jan. 2023) 4: 4268. (Link)

12) Vainstub, 45-46.

13) See M.B. Piotrovskij and A. V. Sedov, Field-Studies in Southern Arabia, Ancient Civilizations from Scythia to Siberia (1994) 1: 202219; particularly pp. 204-206; A. Avanzini, Corpus of South Arabian Inscriptions IIII: Qatabanic, Marginal Qatabanic, Awsaniete Inscriptions (Pisa: Edizioni PlusUniversita di Pisa, 2004), 10.

14) See P. Stein, Palaeography of the Ancient South Arabian Script: New Evidence for an Absolute Chronology, Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy (2013) 24: 186195.

*

15) Vainstub, 59.

*

16) See A. De Maigret, A Sabaean Stratigraphy from Baraqish, Arabia (2007 2010) 4: 6795.

*

17) Vainstub, 61.

*

18) Vainstub, 62. See also the media article highlighting this find: Amanda Borschel-Dan, Newly deciphered inscription gives clue to biblical queen of Shebas Jerusalem visit, The Times of Israel, April 3, 2023. https://www.timesofisrael.com/newly-deciphered-inscription-gives-clue-to-biblical-queen-of-shebas-jerusalem-visit/

*

19) Kitchen, 117.

*

20) Kitchen, 120.

*

***

*** Practical Matters: Perhaps some of my 4,200+ free online articles (the most comprehensive one-stop Catholic apologetics site) or fifty-one books have helped you (by Gods grace) to decide to become Catholic or to return to the Church, or better understand some doctrines and why we believe them. Or you may believe my work is worthy to support for the purpose of apologetics and evangelism in general. If so, please seriously consider a much-needed financial contribution. Im always in need of more funds: especially monthly support. The laborer is worthy of his wages (1 Tim 5:18, NKJV). 1 December 2021 was my 20th anniversary as a full-time Catholic apologist, and February 2022 marked the 25th anniversary of my blog. PayPal donations are the easiest: just send to my email address: apologistdave@gmail.com. Youll see the term Catholic Used Book Service, which is my old side-business. To learn about the different methods of contributing, including 100% tax deduction, etc., see my page: About Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong / Donation Information. Thanks a million from the bottom of my heart!

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Photo credit: Solomon And The Queen Of Sheba, by Giovanni Demin (1789-1859) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

***

Summary: Is the queen of Sheba and her famous visit to see king Solomon the stuff of myth and legend or actual history? I provide significant evidence in favor of the latter.
Parkson Vietnam's last mall in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo courtesy of the company

Mall operator Parkson Vietnam on Friday filed for bankruptcy in Ho Chi Minh City, ending its 18 years of operations with million-dollar losses.

It is not commercially feasible to continue Parkson Vietnam operations, the parent company Parkson Retail Asia said in a statement.

Parkson Vietnam has historically operated at a loss, and such losses have been compounded in recent years due to a challenging business environment caused by the pandemic, it said.

The Vietnam operations recorded a pre-tax loss of SGD2.3 million (US$1.72 million) last year against a pre-tax profit of SGD13.7 million in 2021.

Revenue plunged from SGD10.1 million in 2021 to SGD2.4 million last year.

The profit attained in 2021 was largely attributed to the closure of two stores and the exit from tenancies resulting in de-recognition of lease liabilities, and recognition of income from subleasing assets.

By the end of last year Parkson Vietnam had a capital deficiency of SGD30.16 million.

The lack of support from Parkson Vietnams landlord (such as the negligible rental rebate or rental reduction) during the Covid lockdown, when the operation of Parkson Vietnams stores was restricted, adversely impacted the companys financials, the statement added.

Parkson Vietnam therefore has filed a bankruptcy application to the Peoples Court of HCMC and is awaiting its approval.

The exact financial impact of the bankruptcy will only be determined after the application is approved.

Parkson Retail Asia will continue to focus its operations in Malaysia where it is optimistic about its prospects.

It currently has 38 stores in Malaysia and only one in HCMC.

Parkson entered Vietnam in 2005 and developed several large malls in HCMC, Hanoi and Hai Phong. At its peak the company operated 10 malls across the country.
Microsofts peripherals are dead. Long live Microsoft (Surface) peripherals.

After decades of shipping Microsoft-branded peripherals like the Microsoft Modern Keyboard, Microsoft is calling it quits. Instead, Microsoft will shift its emphasis to Surface-branded peripheralswhich include some similar peripherals, sold under the Surface brand. But not all.

Going forward, we are focusing on our Windows PC accessories portfolio under the Surface brand, says Dan Laycock, senior communications manager at Microsoft, in a statement given to The Verge. We will continue to offer a range of Surface branded PC accessoriesincluding mice, keyboards, pens, docks, adaptive accessories, and more. Existing Microsoft-branded PC accessories like mice, keyboards, and webcams will continue to be sold in existing markets at existing sell-in prices while supplies last.

Its not clear, however, how closely Microsofts Surface peripherals lineup will overlap with its existing peripherals, raising the question of whether Microsoft is actually partially withdrawing from the market, or if the logo will simply change on the box. Microsofts Surface Ergonomic Keyboard (sold out, incidentally) looks virtually identical to the Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard, though one is covered in Alcantara fabric and the other is plastic. The Surface Arc Mouse looks pretty much the same as the Microsoft Arc Mouse, too, though in different colors. But others, like the Microsoft Designer Keyboard, dont have any Surface equivalents.

Its an ironic twist given Microsofts news that its Surface business has suffered a 30 percent drop in sales, and that inventories in reseller channels remain high. That usually suggests sales are in the offing.

The problem is that Surface is a premium brand, and Microsoft charges accordingly. At Amazon, the Microsoft Arc Mouse is $48.58, while Microsoft prices the Surface Arc Mouse at $66.99. Microsoft also doesnt make Surface equivalents for everything in its product lineMicrosofts Lifecam webcam, for example. (We asked Microsoft for additional comment, and well update this post accordingly.)

Interestingly, neither Microsoft nor Surface keyboards make the cut in our roundup of the best wireless keyboards, and Microsoft products dont appear in our list of the best webcams, either. But the Microsoft Arc Mouse and Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse make the cut as some of the best computer mice on the marketfor now, anyway.

Microsoft launched the Microsoft Natural Keyboard in 1994, meaning that weve had several decades of Microsoft products. But all good things must come to an end, apparently.
CIMAF Cement has duly introduce a new cement product called "CIMAF KANTINKA 52.5N" to boost the construction industry and to provide Ghanaians with quality cement.



The CIMAF KANTINKA 52.5N Cement is very strong and it is the answer to commercial construction needs of Ghana.



Speaking at the event, the Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Hon Michael Okeyere Baafi who was the guest of honour for the occasion said government has put together a working group to help solve challenges facing the cement manufacturing industry.



He disclosed that, CIMAF is one of the best Cement Industries in Ghana because of the quality of their products, infrastructure and good quality services.



CIMAF Cement can be compared to biggest cement manufacturing names around the world adding that, they also have the best and beautiful surroundings.



He encouraged the management of the company to continue to produce quality products and services.



CIMAF KANTINKA 52.5N will give consumers the best, he added.



The General Manager for CIMAF Cement, Mr Bennis Mohammed said CIMAF Cement has contributed significantly in the Ghanaian construction and economic sector of the country.



"I believe that the construction sector which is the key to the development of Ghana deserves better, hence the birth of the CIMAF KANTINKA 52.5N cement."



He assured consumers and public they are ready to bring out best products for quality services.



Mr Joseph Kobina Aboo, the Director of Sales and Marketing at CIMAF Cement said the CIMAF KANTINKA 52.5N will help those in the construction industry since it is the strongest brand of cement in Ghana.



The quality and strength of the CIMAF KANTINKA 52.5N will also provide value for money for consumers.



Some consumers including Nana Opare Kwafo, Aburi Atwiasin Kyidomhene who doubles as the CEO of Jilcom Construction and Elder Nana .K. Gyasi applauded the Cement industry adding that they are one of the best Cement producers in Ghana.



They urged Ghanaians to buy no other cement than CIMAF KANTINKA 52.5N for good and quality construction of their buildings.





Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline/[email protected]









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Insurance group Hollard Ghana has rewarded the overall best-graduating student, Seidu Joshua Adams from the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), with the Hollard Prize at the schools just-ended 7th congregation in Sunyani.



Seidu Joshua Adams, the recipient of the prize, received a laptop, a cash prize, and a citation from Hollard for graduating with a GPA of 3.78 in Actuarial Science from the Department of Mathematics. The Hollard Prize is awarded under the schools Hollard X Academia partnership with the insurance group to enable the better futures of students by supporting their career development.



The Presentation



Reese Mensah-Daniels, Head, Regional Operations andRegional Markets, gave the presentation with assistance fromEric Adu-Gyamfi, Manager of the Hollard Insurance Sunyanibranch, and Prof. Samuel Fosu Gyasi, Dean of the School of Sciences.



Speaking on the Hollard Prize, which is awarded to valedictorians in Hollard x Academia partner schools, Cynthia Ofori-Dwumfuo, Group Head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs, said the scheme aligns to the insurance giants purpose to enable more people to create and secure a better future, starting with young people.



We are super proud of Joshua for chalking this great feat. We share in his joy at emerging the best student in his year groupafter steady academic progress. With the Hollard Prize, we reward top-performing students like Joshua because its important to show that hard work pays.



Hollard is a caring socially conscious company that believes in enabling our community to create a better future for all. Given the importance of universities in building our human resource capacity, including future insurers, we find it crucial to support their work, she added.



The University of Energy and Natural Resources is one of four schools benefiting from the Hollard X Academia scheme. The comprehensive programme provides a platform to enable the better future of students through Hollards Streetwise Financeinitiative, mentoring, corporate engagement, and experienceopportunities, as well as resource-sharing programmes for three years, subject to renewal.



About Hollard Ghana



The countrys favourite insurance group is Hollard Ghana, with subsidiaries Hollard Insurance and Hollard Life Assurance. The group combines its deep local knowledge of the market having previously operated in Ghana for 25 years as Metropolitan Insurance with the world-class expertise of an international insurance brand in 18 countries across the world. With feet firmly planted on Ghanaian soil but headquartered in South Africa, Hollard delivers innovative insurance solutions customized to the unique risks Ghanaians face. Hollard offers various life and general insurance products including funeral, personal accident, motor, business, travel, home, and more; and can be reached via the following means: 0501603967 (Hollard Insurance) and 0501533698 (Hollard Life). Beyond various nationwide office branches and Hollard 2U franchise shops, Ghanaians can find Hollard at Shell Fuel Station Welcome Shops, Melcom stores and online at www.hollard.com.gh and www.jumia.com.gh for all their insurance needs.











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Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has employed investors from Austria to take advantage of Ghana's economic and political stability to invest in the country.



Speaking at B2B session with the Austrian delegation led by the Federal Chancellor, Karl Nehammer, in Accra under the auspices of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Vice President reiterated Ghana commitment to strategic partnership with the private sector and enhanced efforts for industrialisation and productive transformation to achieve sustainable economic growth.



He said Ghana is open for business and is eager to forge mutual beneficial rewarding relationships with Austria.



"As Ghana and Austria seem to forge stronger bonds we have to sustain such relationship through improved technical and science-based education, technology and also address unfair trade relations among others", he stressed.



He noted that the Austrian Federal Chancellor's

participation at this business forum also demonstrates the commitment of the Austrian government to enhance collaboration between private and public sectors of the two countries for mutual benefits.



He noted that Ghana has a stable political environment, strong democratic culture, safe and happy people underpinned by freedom of expression.



"In volatile West Africa, Ghana is ranked as the most peaceful country and the second most peaceful country in Africa, he emphasised.



He also noted Ghana has an educated and competitive and trainable labour force which should motivate the Austrian investors to consider investing in Ghana.



He observed the timing for the meeting was auspicious as the devastating effects of COVID-19, climate change and ongoing energy and food crisis has demonstrated the need for increased global collaboration.



"These global development has amplified protection and distortions of supply chains with ramifications for economies in the continent including Ghana," he stated.



Dr. Bawumia however noted that Ghana has initiated steps to bounce back stronger.



"Ghana had its fair share of these burdens and is making concrete efforts to bounce back stronger, " he stressed.



As we pull together to revive the global economy and secure our future against economic, environmental, health security treats the contribution of Africa to these efforts cannot be understated.



Dr. Bawumia was pleased ro see the union of Jospong Group and Komptec as the two signed a 30 million Euro agreement to support rice production in Ghana.



With the agreement, Komptec will support the Jospong Group rice project with machinery and technology.



"We see prospects of reassuring and making the case for some your companies to operate from Ghana and export' noted Dr. Bawumia as he witnessed the signing ceremony.

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Thai immigration officials said they have arrested six Chinese, including five men and one woman for illegally working at a factory in Chon Buri Province while on tourist visas.

The arrests came on Thursday after police raided the factory in Ban Bung District, around 70 kilometers from Bangkok, after receiving a tip-off from locals that some Chinese managers working there did not have proper paperwork, Bangkok Post reported.

When asked to furnish work permits, the six could not. They had entered the country on tourist visas.

The six, aged 35-47, were handed over to the police station for working without proper permission.

Thailand, which has witnessed a strong recovery in tourism since late last year, is cracking down on people who overstay their visa and work illegally.

It received 11 million foreign visitors last year, and the government is eyeing 30 million arrivals this year.
Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited, a subsidiary of the Tobinco Group of Companies, partnered with the Church of Pentecost (CoP) Women's Ministry to raise public awareness about malaria on World Malaria Day which was held on Tuesday.



As the world observed Malaria Day, simultaneous nationwide awareness campaigns were conducted by the two parties to eliminate malaria by 2030.



Public Education on Malaria was initiated by separate teams in Jabuaso in the Western Region, Asokwa in the Ashanti Region, and Ho in the Volta Region.



At Juaboso, Tobinco Pharmaceuticals organized a free health screening exercise for hundreds of residents coupled with a cleanup exercise.



The educational campaign in the Greater Accra region centered on the Ashiaman with a massive float.





The float began in Ashaiman, proceeded to Teshie Nungua, and ended at Agbogbloshie market, where thetraders and market women were advised on the importance of maintaining a clean environment to prevent the fatal disease.



World Malaria Day is an annual international observance held on April 25 to recognize global efforts to combat malaria.



The theme of this year's celebration is "Time To Deliver Zero Malaria: Invest, Innovate, Implement."



Dr. Christopher Mensah, Deputy Managing Director of Marketing for Tobinco Pharmaceuticals, urged the government to increase its efforts in the fight against the disease.



He was of the view the float would go a long way to educate the communities on keeping a clean environment and helping to achieve the zero malaria target.



Aside from the float, he said there will also be a health screening at Ashaiman on Saturday, April 29, 2023, adding that those who test positive for malaria will be treated or given medicines.





Health professionals from the Church of Pentecost and other organization also took time off their busy schedules to embark on various media campaigns. They appeared on various radio and TV programmes to educate listeners and views on the dangers of Malaria and how to prevent it.



Dr. Elshadai Aboagye, a medical doctor with the Church of Pentecost Women's Ministry, said it was feasible for Ghana to eliminate malaria within a few years.



She stated, however, that it is only possible if everyone performs their role.



She emphasized, "It is entirely possible to eradicate malaria." Several nations, including El Salvador and Sri Lanka, have been declared malaria-free by the World Health Organization, so it is a distinct possibility. However, this implies that everyone must do their share. It is not solely dependent upon the government, the Ministry of Health, or the Ghana Health Service. Every individual in Ghana is responsible for doing their share, so if you observe stagnant water that could serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes, you must disinfect it. It is feasible, but it depends on the citizen; we blame the government most of the time, but we also play a part in achieving success."



The Leadership of the Church of Pentecost Womens Ministry at Ashaiman called on all to keep clean and stay away from mosquito bites.



The women, who were clad in Lufart branded apparel took time to educate market women and traders on the need to keep their surroundings clean to avoid malaria parasites.



Prior to the public education campaign, Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited on April 5, 2023, presented medicines worth over GHS150,000 to the Police Hospital.



The medicines were Artenate DS Tablet, Vital Syrup, Entrima cream, Entralyn cough syrup, Tobvital syrup, Vedil 6.25mg, Vedil 12.5mg, Vedil 25mg, Vodom 10 Supp, Vodom 30 Supp, Amoflux cap, Entrance Antacid, Entramol tabs MP, Lyten Forte, and Evinal Pessary.



The donation formed part of activities to commemorate World Malaria Day. The presentation was done by the Deputy Managing Director- Marketing for Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited, Dr Christopher Mensah, and the Head of Corporate Affairs of the Tobinco Group of Companies and GJA President, Mr. Albert Kwabena Dwumfour.



Presenting the item to the Heads of the Police Administration, Mr Albert Dwumfour said the Tobinco Boss, Elder Nana Amo Tobbin has observed that the leadership of the Ghana Police Service has been proactive, vibrant, innovative and as well provided a conducive environment for businessmen hence the need to support the service.



As part of supporting the Police Administration, it will be recalled the Tobinco Boss also built a fully furnished ultra-modern two-storey building worth GHC3,982,700, almost GHS 4 million to serve as the Headquarters of the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) of the Ghana Police service.



Last year, at the same time, Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited also donated medicines worth GHS100,000 to the Police Hospital to mark World Malaria Day.







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Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has assured members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the party will retain power beyond the two terms of president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo which ends in 2024.



Bawumia, widely rumoured to be interested in succeeding Akufo-Addo as party flagbearer and president in January 2025 told supporters in the Ayawaso Central Constituency weeks back that the NPP as a party of ideas will win the 2024 polls and by that break the eight.



Break the Eight is a terminology that the NPP has adopted for its 2024 election, referring to retaining political power beyond the eight years that each party has spent before being voted out under the 1992 Constitution.



Bawumia took potshots at the former president John Dramani Mahama, who is expected to lead the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in 2024 labeling Mahama a policy-less politician despite being in politics for the past three decades.



So, dont worry, by the grace of God, we are going to break the eight. We know who the opposition is, we know the way forward, we will fight with our record and our vision, and that is a vision I know the people of Ghana are going to buy into. The NPP is a party of ideas, Bawumia stressed.



Bawumia is seen as a frontrunner in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearership race slated for later this year, even though he has yet to openly declare his candidature, senior aides have assured that he will run to lead the NPP into election 2024.



John Mahama is currently touring the country seeking the National Democratic Congress (NDC_ flagbearership nod to lead the party into the 2024 polls. He will come up against Kwabena Duffuor and Kojo Bonsu in a primary slated for May 13.







Source: ghanaweb.com









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The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu has stated that Parliament will be firm, just and open in the confirmation of nominated Chief Justice, Mrs. Gertrude Araba Esabaa Torkornoo.



Justice Torkornoo, a Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana, has been nominated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to become the next Chief Justice of Ghana.



However, her appointment is still subject to approval by Parliament.



If approved, Justice Torkornoo will succeed Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, who is set to retire on May 24, 2023, as he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 for justices of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.



President Akufo-Addo stated in a letter to the Council of State that Justice Torkornoo has been on the Supreme Court for the last four years and has served in the judiciary for the past nineteen years, making her suitably qualified to perform the duties of Chief Justice.



Read Also: Justice Torkornoo nominated as Ghanas next Chief Justice: Will be 3rd female to hold position



Speaking on Atinka TVs current affairs show, The Agenda with Nana Yaw Fianko, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu said when it is time to confirm Justice Torkornoo, the leadership of Parliament will allow suggestions from the public and that if any allegations of corruption is levelled against her, parliament will let the President know about it and let him know the new Chief Justice cannot assume the position.



However, he said if there are no allegations, Parliament will approve her nomination.



Meanwhile, he said the most important thing people look out for is someone who has practiced in truth without being involved in any corrupt activities.



He was also sure that the President had done his research enough and well convinced that Justice Torkornoo was the right for the position.



I am aware that the President has conducted investigation and nominated her. When she comes to sit in front of the Appointments Committee, if there is something hidden, when we are about to vet her, we will put it out there that the President says this woman should become Chief Justice, we are going to sit outside, and if anyone knows something that does not support her becoming Chief Justice or if she did something that the President would not mention if he knew, please tell us.



"We wont do it in secret, well do it publicly, and if anyone has something to say, theyll bring it to our attention, and if theres proof, well tell the President that the country is grateful, but this nominee cannot be approved based on what weve seen, he said.



He continued, But if there is nothing like that, then we give the President the go ahead that parliament has approved his nomination so he can allow her to assume her post.





Source: ghanaweb.com









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The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, says he still stands by his statement that persons who destroy water bodies through illegal mining should be shot and killed.



In 2018, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu pushed for security agencies to be given the power to shoot those involved in illegal mining popularly called galamsey and were destroying water bodies.



He was of the belief that shooting to kill was the only way to deter criminals from engaging in the act.



He was contributing to a statement on the Floor of Parliament by Kumbugu legislator, Ras Mubarak, who condemned the burning of trucks in his constituency by the military.



His comment was in reaction to the torching of at least 14 tipper trucks and an excavator by a crack team of military personnel after several warnings to sand winners to stop their illegal activity close to the Dalun river.



Prior to that, Officials of the Ghana Water Company had raised concerns about the continuous pollution of the Dalun river due to the activities of sand winners.



The Northern region also rely heavily on dams and rivers for their water supplies but most of these dams and rivers usually dry up in the dry season.



Speaking on Atinka TVs current affairs show, The Agenda with Nana Yaw Fianko, Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu said anyone who mines in water, whether gold, diamond or sand was a wicked person.



According to him, despite Governments effort to stop illegal mining, those involved in the act have decided not to stop it, hence the need to either disable the perpetrators and arrest them or shoot them if they pose threats to the security agencies.



I recall that on that day we were discussing the destruction of water bodies by humans. Someone stated, in reference to the Northern Region, that sand mining in the water had devastated the side from which water was pumped to the Tamale Municipality. When we refer to mining, sand winning is also included, so my contribution was that anyone who exploits minerals in water, be it sand, gold, or diamond, is evil. If I had the power, I would have changed the law to enable us to kill the perpetrator when we encounter him in the act. Regarding the aforementioned statement, I have never altered my position. I believe that if you meet someone with an underwater mining machine, he is bad person, he said.



In the meantime, Mr. Joseph Osei-Owusu stated that people conflate illegal mining with small-scale mining, adding that it is heartbreaking to see how they destroy water bodies while mining.



He stated that Ghanaians are aware of wrongdoing, but continue to commit it while blaming others, especially the government.



Even when a task force was established to combat the galamsey, according to him, the act increased because even those who were sent to do so participated.



He suggested that those who really want to mine should inquire how the Forefathers of the country mined gold without destroying water bodies and open lands, saying mining has been going on for a long time even without the equipment the miners use now.





Source: ghanaweb.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu has disclosed that his out fit is taking steps to ensuring that those involved in illegal mining are made to sign reclamation bond.

According to him, it will protect the vegetative cover which is being destroyed by those engaged in illegal mining popularly known as galamsey.



Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he also explained that they are also taking steps to ensure that those mining in water bodies are also banned as such acts are destroying water bodies which will be making it difficult for Ghanaians to access potable drinking water in future.



"The Environmental Protection Agency has as part of its duties sole responsibility in ensuring the safety of the environment.



"It, however, behooves on us to ensure that the forest and water bodies are protected in the wake of illegal mining.



"Government is committed to fighting illegal mining and we will do our part as an institution to ensure that illegal mining does not affect water bodies and the forest reserves," he said.





Watch Video Below





The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said President Nana Akufo-Addo was never committed to the fight against illegal mining also known as galamsey.The opposition partys position comes at a time the countrys water bodies have been more heavily polluted than in previous years and illegal mining activities soaring by the day.Reacting to a galamsey report authored by former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, the National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, said the revelations in the report vindicates the partys claim that government was never determined to fight illegal mining.Prof. Frimpong-Boateng who is a former Chairman of the now defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, in his report, accused some stalwarts of the Akufo-Addo government of interfering in illegal small-scale mining fight.He mentioned former senior minister Yaw Osafo Maafo who is now an advisor to the President, Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, and leading member of the NPP, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko as persons who interfered in his work.But addressing the media at the Moment of Truth Series at the NDC headquarters, Sammy Gyamfi contends that galamsey was bound to flourish under the NPP government.Galamsey was obviously bound to flourish under the corrupt Akufo-Addo-Bawumia regime because it was the central source for illegal gold purchases used in this complex money laundering scheme which has been uncovered by Aljazeera. This scheme is being perpetrated against the state by highly powerful forces.He added, As we the NDC have always maintained, President Akufo-Addos claim of fighting galamsey was the biggest scam ever to be perpetrated on Ghanaians. Today, the NDC stands to be vindicated as a report authored by former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng has confirmed our long-held opinion. There has never been any genuine commitment or attempt to fight galamsey by the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government. The said report shows clearly that the so-called fight against galamsey was a charade calculated to enable top government and NPP functionaries to appropriate and take over the elicit galamsey trading.

Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline/[email protected]









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President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Dr Joseph Obeng says the publication making rounds that prices of goods will increase from May 1, 2023, is "untrue".



The claim was attributed to the GUTA President but he told NEAT FMs morning show, 'Ghana Montie' that its false, I never said that.



According to him, the association is rather working tirelessly to ensure that prices of goods are stabilised.



I am always praying for prices to rather reduce, he noted.



Adding that, I dont speculate, I will be the last person to speculate about an increase of goods.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana









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A driver and a passenger in a Toyota Corolla with the registration number GT1753- Z are battling for their lives after the car they were traveling with crashed with an articulated truck at Gomoa Onyadze on the Kasoa  Cape Coast Highway in the Central Region.



The incident happened on Tuesday April 25, 2023 around 5:00PM.



Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Winneba, Assistant Divisional Officer Grade 1 ADO1 Ebenezer Fiifi Dadzie in an interview with Kasapa News, Yaw Boagyan explained that the bonnet of the Toyota Corolla car opened and hit the windscreen which blocked the drivers view of the road while he was speeding.



In the event, the driver lost control of the vehicle and hit a stationary articulated vehicle leaving him and the passenger severely injured and in critical condition.



The injured were rushed to the Winneba Specialist and Trauma Hospital where they are receiving treatment.



The Police officers from the Apam Police Station were at the scene to help with rescue efforts and ensure the road is cleared.





Source: kasapaonline









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The Elizabeth Sloane Institute of Technology (ESIT) and the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) of the Republic of Ghana have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build the capacity of Ghanaian Cybersecurity Professionals under a grant programme.



The partnership will bring together, globally recognised and Industry standard Cyber Security Certification programmes to support the Authoritys efforts in promoting the development of cybersecurity in the country.



The MoU was signed in Accra by the Director-General of the CSA, Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako, and the President and Board Member of ESIT, Ms. Melanie Wynter.



The strategic leadership and the policy direction of the Hon. Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, and the immense support of Hon. Herbert Krapa, the then Deputy Minister for Trade who facilitated the engagement as part of his trade mission to the Caribbean, are highly commended in this endeavour.



Dr. Antwi-Boasiako, in his opening remarks, stated that the partnership is an important element among initiatives of the Authority to develop cybersecurity talents and workforce as part of the Accreditation of the Cybersecurity Professionals (CPs).



According to him, in an era of regulations, organizations that need to comply with industry regulations and security standards will be required to engage the services of certified Professionals to safeguard IT systems and infrastructures of organisations.



He further noted that the signing of the MoU was significant as it heralds the CSAs regulatory regime of accrediting Cybersecurity Professionals (CPs). He expressed his optimism that the cybersecurity industry in Ghana, and Professionals alike, can take advantage of such benefits and align with the Authoritys regulatory activities, hoping for smooth collaboration and pledged support to implement the collaboration.



On her part, the President of the ESIT, Ms. Wynter, underscored that there is a huge deficit of cybersecurity professionals in Africa, noting that this challenge is due to several uncertified practitioners. She consequently offered assurance that the programmes offered by the Institute as part of the agreement will ensure that more persons are certified in Ghana and beyond.



The Elizabeth Sloane Institute of Technology (ESIT) is an Online Higher Education provider, offering online self-paced master's degrees and Cybersecurity Professional certificates in collaboration with accredited Universities and reputable Professional Qualification Authorities such as CompTIA and (ISC). ESIT is the learning division of Elizabeth Sloane LLC, a global knowledge consulting firm.



The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) is the regulator of cybersecurity activities in Ghana, with the mandate to promote the development of cybersecurity and provide for related matters.



Subsequently, the CSA is implementing a number of regulatory activities including the Protection of Critical Information Infrastructures and Accreditation of Sectoral Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs).



The Authority has, since March 1, 2023, commenced the regulatory activity of Licensing Cybersecurity Service Providers (CSPs), and Accrediting Cybersecurity Establishments (CEs) and Cybersecurity Professionals (CPs).



Following the commencement of this licensing and accreditation exercise, after September 30, 2023, it will be illegal to offer cybersecurity services without a license, pursuant to Section 49 (1) of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038). The need to develop the industry, the requirements to adopt best practices and standards, and national security considerations are driving such regulatory activities.



The Board of Elizabeth Sloane approved subsidiaries amounting to $14.6 million in October 2022 to upskill and certify ICT professionals across Africa and the Caribbean over the next two years. The programme which was launched in Ghana serves as the launchpad for this Cyber Security Grant Programme.



The programme will provide a grant to cover more than 60% of the training and certification costs associated with selected professional certification programmes, including the following.

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Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor has described as politically sinful the appointment of politically exposed persons as Commissioners of the Electoral Commission of Ghana.



According to the opposition MP, the appointment of two commissioners who his party, the National Democratic Congress have alleged have strong ties to the ruling New Patriotic Party is devilish to the letter and spirit of Ghanas 1992 Constitution.



Its politically unholy & Constitutionally Demonic for our EC to be populated by NPP party apparatchiks such as Jean Mensah, Bossman Asare, Dr. Serebuor, Mr. Tetteh, Dr. Atuahene whore all dye in the wool elephants, he wrote in a Twitter post sighted by GhanaWeb.

There has been uproar against two of three newly sworn-in commissioners of Ghanas Electoral Commission by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



According to the opposition National Democratic Congress, Dr Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani, have deep roots in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and therefore cannot guarantee the neutrality and impartiality of the country's electoral management body.



According to the NDC, Dr Appiahene has been a patron of the NPP student wing at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) since 2017, and was a member of the party's 2020 National Research and Data Analysis Team. The NDC expressed concern that his appointment to the EC would hamper public confidence in the institution and undermine the conduct of free, fair, and transparent elections in Ghana.



The NDC also alleges that Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani is an activist of the ruling party, and that her immediate family has deep roots in the NPP. The party contends that her appointment to the Electoral Commission would compromise the neutrality and impartiality required of a member of the institution.



However, pro-government and New Patriotic Party elements have refuted the claims by the NDC.



In their defence, government and officials of the NPP maintain that the two officers have no power to influence election results while others have sought to dissociate the two from the NPP.



Meanwhile, the NDC has petitioned the Council of State to rescind its advice to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on the recent appointment of the said commissioners.









Source: ghanaweb.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Vice President has provided data to back his claim that the Akufo-Addo government has indeed created over 2 million jobs in the past six years.



The Vice President, recently said at a health walk at Mpraeso that "verifiable data" proves that the Akufo-Addo government has created over 2 million jobs since assuming office in 2017.



While making the claim, Dr. Bawumia dared anyone with contrary figures to come forward and challenge him.



Over the weekend, Dr. Bawumia repeated the claim during his address at the national Eid-ul-Fitr Fitr celebration at the Independence Square when he touched on job creation and opportunities for the youth.



While no one has come forward to officially dispute Dr. Bawumia's claim with contrary figures, some internet users have expressed doubt over the figures.



The Vice President has in a Facebook post furnished Ghanaians with a complete data on the jobs.



The Facebook post, which hit at the "negativity mindset of naysayers", attached a comprehensive data which specified Ministry, the agency or department of the Ministry as well as the number of jobs created under each category from 2017 to 2022.



Dr. Bawumia wrote:



"Dear friends , I recently stated that our government has created over 2 million jobs since 2017. As usual, the naysayers have questioned how we could have done so. Their mindset of impossibility prevents them from accepting that. Well, the data attached shows year by year, ministry by ministry, and agency by agency, the jobs that our government has created since 2017. This excludes jobs under planting for food and jobs and the National Identification Authority. Away with negative thinking! It is possible!"



Find the evidence below:





Click link: Jobs Created By Government From January 2017 to 2022







Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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South Korean actor Jung Kyung Ho poses for a photo at Six Senses Ninh Van Bay Resort in Nha Trang. Photo courtesy of his Instagram

Actor Jung Kyung Ho Thursday shared a photo album on his Instagram, revealing his trip to the beach town of Nha Trang where he stayed at a secluded 5-star resort.

His photos received over 140,000 likes and 840 comments in less than a day.

The 39-year-old and his girlfriend late last month visited Nha Trang, a resort town famed for its long, sandy beaches and scuba diving.

During their trip, the couple stayed at Six Senses Ninh Van Bay located on a pristine bay, around 60 km from Nha Trang.

The resort has 62 villas surrounded by lush greenery and is one of few resorts in Vietnam to protect critically-endangered black-shanked douc langurs.

The only way to access the resort is by a boat that takes around 20 minutes.

Jung started his film career in 2004 and is known for his roles in "I'm Sorry, I Love You" (2004), "Smile, You" (2009) and "Heartless City" (2013).

A series of Korean stars have recently been flocking to Vietnam.

South Korean TV and film star Lee Da-hee chose a high-end resort for her birthday celebration and family vacation to Da Nang last month.

In February, Hani, a member of the Korean group EXID, went on vacation to Ninh Van Bay in Nha Trang.

South Korea sent the highest number of visitors to Vietnam in the first quarter this year at 810,000.
The Director of Local Government Services at the Office of the President, Dennis Miracles Aboagye says the report by Professor Frimpong-Boateng allegedly revealing officials in government involved in galamsey activities is "bogus".



According to Dennis Miracles, Professor Frimpong-Boateng's allegations are born out of bitterness.



Speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show, he wondered why Professor Frimpong-Boateng failed to present the report about his purported saboteurs while he was working as the Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) but waited till the year 2021 after he had vacated his post before sending the report to the Chief of Staff.



To him, Professor Frimpong-Boateng made up the allegations supposedly after he was found to be incapable of executing his duties effectively.



"The fact that you submitted this report in 2021 tells me you didn't do your job well because when I give you work to do, what you do is if you have any struggles and frustrations, you bring the report during the time you are working but not to wait for me to ask for the report before you bring it," he said.



He further questioned the veracity of the allegations raised by Professor Frimpong-Boateng against some officials in government and at the Jubilee House.



"Why are we not calling Professor Frimpong-Boateng and asking Professor Frimpong-Boateng to substantiate these allegations?"



Dennis Miracles vehemently concluded that "Professor Frimpong-Boateng write-up is bogus. It has no substance" and seemingly diverting attention from the fight against galamsey.



"Galamsey is a massive canker and we shouldn't allow such things to cover it up. We need to fight it. We need to fight the politicians. We need to fight the religious leaders. We need to fight the traditional authorities. We need to fight the private people who are involved," he asserted.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has opened nominations in 10 out of the 11 remaining constituencies in the Ashanti Region ahead of the partys parliamentary primaries.



The partys Functional Executive Committee (FEC) had earlier postponed the process in these constituencies to resolve all outstanding grievances. This brings the number of constituencies that have been cleared to hold the parliamentary elections to 46.



Regional Secretary of the NDC, Dr Frank Amoakohene told Asaase Radio that all grievances and issues have been resolved. He however indicated that the election process for Adansi Asokwa is still on hold.



They are no more pending, 10 of them have been released except Adansi Asokwa, Dr Amoakohene said. They have already picked their nominations, they have up to Friday (28 April) to file same and we will vet them on Monday (1 May).



He said interested applicants are expected to file their nominations on the 28th of April to make way for vetting on the 1st of May 2023.



So, by May 13, we would have elected parliamentary candidates in all 46 constituencies in the region with Adansi Asokwa still on hold. We are conducting research in that constituency, and it is not completed, and we will be guided as such, he further explained.



The NDC will be selecting presidential and parliamentary candidates on May 13 ahead of the general elections. The party says it will ensure an incident-free election.





Source: ghanaweb.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has sued Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, a former Minister of Science and Technology, following allegations made against him in a report to the Chief Staff in 2021.



Prof. Frimpong-Boateng in the galamsey report accused Mr. Gabby Otchere-Darko of interfering in the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) which he chaired.



But in a legal suit filed at the Accra High Court, Mr. Otchere-Darko is demanding a sum of GH10,000,000 from the former Minister as General Damages including Aggravated and/or Exemplary Damages for defamation for libel uttered by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng.



Mr. Otchere-Darko also demands an apology and retraction from Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.



An apology for and retraction of the words complained of and the particularized supra. A perpetual injunction restraining the defendant whether by himself, his servants, agents or assigns from repeating similar or other defamatory words against the plaintiff, Mr. Otchere-Darko demanded as part of his reliefs.



Gabby's denial



In an interview with Citi FM, Mr Otchere-Darko, denied interfering with the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM).



"It tells you how weak the [former] Ministers understanding of his position is. If what I did was illegitimate, why didnt he take the right action? He said he had reported me to the President, as if he is a teacher and the President is a headmaster, and I am a prefect, he said.



He further dared the former Minister to "come and say that when I called him, I was pushing an illegitimate point, let him come and say so. I based my intervention on the legality of what my clients were doing and what I saw to be an illegitimate action of the state against a company that the same state had issued permits and licenses to operate its business.



If he has his own issues, let him deal with them, but he should not misinterpret a legitimate action of a lawyer on behalf of a client who had a legitimate case as a matter of interference, he added.



Prof. Frimpong-Boateng fires



The former Minister in response, however, finds Gabby's claim "laughable".



"After listening to the words of Mr. Gabby Otchere Darko I became sad for Ghana. I wondered what happened to us to get to this state, where a person who is supposed to be the lawyer of a mining company exhibited such industrial-scale ignorance about mining laws and regulations."



"Mr. Gabby Otchere-Darko, it is laughable that you claim to have called me to seek information on your client. If you needed any information, you could have called the Minerals Commission. You know I did not operate mining information services. You called to tell me that your client had a valid mining licence and all necessary permits. I told you that Heritage Imperial Co. Ltd. did not possess documents permitting it to undertake active mining," he said.



"That notwithstanding through your intervention the Chinese, who were arrested were released by the task force. The many soldiers who were providing security service to your clients company attacked the IMCIM task force team and damaged the vehicle carrying journalists who were covering the IMCIM operations," he added.



See attached for full writ of summons

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Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Its the last Friday in April and Jim Boscov, the CEO of Reading-based Boscovs is in the Harrisburg area.

Hes having a meeting with employees at the Boscovs store at the Colonial Park Mall on Jonestown Road in Lower Paxton Township.

Boscov, the 73-year-old CEO of the $1.2 billion family-owned company, makes an effort to go to as many of the retailers stores each year as he can. But he has something especially noteworthy to share with these workers today.

Before the store opens, about 30 employees are sitting in comfortable recliners and sofas in the furniture section listening to him.

READ MORE: Maryland company agrees to purchase Colonial Park Mall

Boscov reads off a long list of product categories where this specific store has improved year over year in the company compared to others. That includes bedding and furniture, cosmetics, jewelry, junior sportswear, ladies coats and outerwear, infant department, general housewares, accessories, ladies activewear, and toys.

When he gets to sunglasses sales, which have jumped over nine other Boscovs stores, he jokes, You probably will not have a good sales day today. Unfortunately, rain affects things.

He tells the employees how the company has been making attempts to make a number of changes that include increasing the amount of womens dress shoes for sale, and launching a trial run on self-checkouts in 14 stores.

He also talks about system changes that will make it easier for employees and customers when it comes to coupons and finding other stores that might have more of a certain product.

But on this particular day, Boscov has a specific reason for visiting this particular store. He is here to talk about the struggling Colonial Park Mall and to ease the worries of the employees, assuring them that the 37-year-old store isnt going anywhere.

Were going to be here for the next 100 years, he says and then jokes Im probably not going to be here that whole time.

Boscov had been planning to visit the Harrisburg-area store for this purpose but it turns out to be perfect timing since he just found out some good news.

Then he tells them the mall has found a buyer -- Stonewall Capital.

Heres the good news, you have a prospective purchaser whos really good, he says.

Ray Jackson, the principal of Stonewall Capital in Timonium, Maryland, confirmed the agreement to PennLive on Friday afternoon.

Its a wonderful location and I think it has tremendous opportunity, Jackson said.

After the meeting, Boscov doubles down on his commitment to have the store stay at its current location.

No question about it, he says. Were here.

The company owns the property at the Colonial Park Mall but nonetheless, he says he was very happy to hear that Stonewall Capital wants the retailer to be part of its redevelopment plans moving forward.

I think mixed-use is the way to go, he says. When there is residential, when there is medical  when there are restaurants, its good for everybody.

And he says he has never moved a store because of a poor-performing mall.

Boscov says that at first, when malls started to struggle, there were concerns but the company is not as concerned anymore because theyve learned over time that Boscovs is enough of a destination to survive on its own.

Even when the mall disappears we do OK, he says.

He points to a Boscovs store in New Jersey as an example.

Our Atlantic City store does very, very well at a mall that disappeared, he says.

Boscovs has 49 stores in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Ohio, with a 50th store planned for West Virginia.

And he emphasizes this store on Jonestown Road is doing well.

Our company is showing a sales increase, he said. This store, year to date is showing double the increase that our company is showing. Thats very healthy. Its the relationships that they [employees] establish with customers that you cant find anymore.

Boscovs notes that the customer service that the company offers is not something you see everywhere these days.

Im excited that the prospective owner is a first-class developer that will bring back the vitality and the prominence of the mall, he says But, its really the co-workers here that have developed relationships with the customers in the area that will allow us to succeed whether the malls here or not.

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A Maryland company has agreed to purchase the Colonial Park Mall on Jonestown Road in Lower Paxton Township.

Ray Jackson, the principal of Stonewall Capital in Timonium confirmed the agreement to PennLive on Friday afternoon.

Its a wonderful location and I think it has tremendous opportunity, he said.

Jackson said George Connor, the executive director of Dauphin County Economic Development, encouraged him to look at the property.

The deal with Kohan Retail Investment Group, which owns the mall, could be completed in four to six months, according to Jackson. The deal doesnt involve the former Sears store and related properties, which is owned by Transformco.

Were in conversations with them (Transformco) as well, he said.

In a document obtained by PennLive, Stonewall Capital said it plans to create a mixed-use community that will include retail, restaurants, apartments, for-sale condo units, a medical office building and a hotel. The company said in the letter that it plans to keep as many existing mall tenants in place as possible during demolition and construction.

To create a vibrant main street and retail environment, we will focus on outdoor living, live/work/play spaces, and full-service restaurants and retail, the document said. We are partnering with a regional development partner specializing in retail redevelopment to create additional pad sites for ancillary retail that will complement the existing offerings and create a destination that draws people from throughout the region.

Jackson said its too early for a timeline for the project.

At last count, the struggling mall had about 36 vacancies and about 32 tenants. He said he will work with the existing tenants.

Its very important to me personally and to my company to protect the integrity of the existing tenants, he said.

Jackson said he was unable to reveal the sales price because of a non-disclosure agreement.

The Boscovs store is owned separately from the mall. Jim Boscov, CEO of Boscovs, said the planned purchase and development was good news.

You have a prospective mall purchaser who is really good, Boscov said.

Boscov said the 37-year-old store at the Colonial Park Mall will remain open and the location is doing very well.

Were going to be here for the next 100 years, he said.

Michael Kohan, the owner of the Kohan Retail Investment Group, could not immediately be reached for comment. The owner of the mall, the Kohan Retail Investment Group, has a partnership with 4th Dimension Properties, which jointly manages the property. Felix Reznick, who owns 4th Dimension Properties, declined to comment.

The mall is headed to a sheriffs sale on July 20 for $184,859.39 in unpaid sewer and stormwater bills as well as additional charges. But the mall owner has up until that date to pay the bill. With the pending sale, its more than likely those bills will be paid and the sheriffs sale will be avoided.

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A Wormleysburg man has been sentenced for stealing construction materials from a federal construction site in Harrisburg.

Christopher Gontaryk, 48, has been sentenced for stealing over $10,000 worth of materials from the site of the Sylvia H. Rambo U.S. Courthouse in Harrisburg, according to a press release from the United States Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

The thefts at the federal courthouse took place in October of 2021 and March of 2022. Gontaryk sold copper and brass construction materials taken from the site at a metal scrapyards in Pottsville and York, in amounts totaling $9,919.61 in the first incident and $816.40 in the second.

Gontaryk has been ordered to pay $10,736.01 in restitution, in addition to serve 17 months in prison followed by a three-year term of supervised release.
WILLIAMSPORT  A Lycoming County elevator contractor is headed to state prison for signing contracts and accepting payments for home elevators and lifts he never installed.

Michael W. Bloom, 44, of Williamsport, was sentenced Thursday to 2 to 7 years in state prison on theft by deception counts to which he had pleaded guilty in February.

He already has made full restitution of $106,860 to the seven victims in Pennsylvania and three other states.

Senior Deputy Attorney General Bernard Anderson revealed that Bloom, who owns Keystone Lift and Elevator, has executed a consent decree in which he agrees never again to work in the home improvement field.

The document, to be filed in Luzerne County, will resolve a civil action there involving a metal roof business, the prosecutor said.

Defense attorney Kyle W. Rude argued for probation in the Lycoming County cases citing the payment of full restitution and his client taking full responsibility for his actions.

I cant give him probation, Judge Nancy L. Butts said, noting he was on probation in Luzerne County when he committed the crimes.

The Luzerne County charges covered the period 2017 to 2019 and those in Lycoming County took place in 2021 and 2022, she pointed out.

She also denied him bail pending appeal but allowed him to self-surrender May 5 to begin serving his sentence.

A concern expressed by both the judge and Anderson is that Bloom is employed as a consultant in the construction field despite an invalid contractor registration.

He is an exceptional salesperson, Anderson acknowledged, adding that Bloom knew how to get people to give him money.

Bloom not only did not start work but never ordered the elevators, he said. All but one of his victims was above the age of 60, he said.

Two of the victims addressed the court by phone including one living in Massachusetts who explained the hardship of not having an elevator because knee issues make it difficult for her to go up and down stairs.

Bloom said he never intended to steal and noted his business had installed more than 360 elevators plus lifts. He realizes he is not capable of running his own business, he said.

He blamed the criminal activity on stress in his life brought on in part by the murder of his fiance's granddaughter and the loss of $120,000.

Blooms court appearances are not over.

Jury selection is scheduled next month in Clinton County where he is accused of similar activity but Rude said a plea deal is being worked on. Restitution in that case would be $29,675.

He is scheduled for a May 30 revocation hearing in Luzerne County where he pleaded no contest to a charge of failing to perform work for which he was paid and in July 2021 was placed on three years probation. Restitution there totaled approximately $43,000, Anderson said.

Earlier Thursday, the attorney generals office filed additional charges against Bloom in Williamsport involving two new victims.

A Connecticut resident claims he and his wife who are disabled signed a contract on Oct. 20, 2021, and paid a $9,520 deposit by credit card for a home elevator that was to be installed by Jan. 10, 2022.

They tried to cancel the contract after learning Bloom had been charged but have never received a refund, the charges state.

The second complaint, received from an elderly Lycoming County couple, alleged they signed a contract on Oct. 25, 2021, for an elevator and made a $2,500 deposit.

Bloom is accused of asking for an additional $8,833, which was not paid. He is alleged to have agreed to return the $2,500 deposit but has not.

In both cases, according to the affidavit, seized records show Keystone received the deposits and its supplier had not received an order for elevators.

The new charges are dealing in proceeds of illegal activity, home improvement fraud, fraudulent business practices and theft.

More:

Little Leaguer who fell from Pa. bunk will have lifelong issues: attorney

Victims young sister provides key testimony against two Pa. men in homicide case
A Columbia County man has been sentenced for making threats against several public officials, including the President of the United States.

Robert Maverick Vargo, 26, of Berwick has been sentenced to 37 months in prison for threats made against President Biden, United States Representative Bennie Thompson, and United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Vargo mailed a letter in October to Representative Thompson, threatening to kill him, his family, the president and Judge Mariani.

In the letter, Vargo cited Thompsons role as chair of the congressional committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol Complex. He also invoked the name of domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh, who bombed the federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995, killing nearly 170 people.

Vargos sentenced will begin after he finishes serving a three-to-six year sentence in state prison for a 2022 escape conviction, and upon release he must serve three years on federal supervised release.
Homicide charges lodged against a Shippensburg women for the fatal shooting of Shippensburg resident Beth Ann Schwartz on Easter Sunday have been forwarded to Cumberland County Court.

Cumberland County District Attorneys office said Magisterial District Judge H. Anthony Adams upheld all charges against Breanna E. Black, 33, after a preliminary hearing Wednesday.

Schwartz, a 48-year-old mother of two, was shot in the chest in a parking lot on the 100 block of South Prince Street around 8:39 p.m. April 9, state police said. She was taken to Chambersburg Hospital, then airlifted to WellSpan York Hospital, where she died around 12:30 a.m., April 10.

Court records gave this account of what happened:

Black got into a phone argument with Schwartz on Sunday about some pills Black thought she was owed. When she got off the phone, Black grabbed her girlfriends 9-millimeter Smith & Wesson pistol and went to confront Schwartz in the South Prince Street lot.

Court documents said Blacks girlfriend then heard a gunshot. When she went outside afterward, the girlfriend reportedly saw Schwartz lying on the ground.

Pennsylvania State Police said that before she died, Schwartz called 9-1-1 and told dispatchers she was shot by Bree and believed she was dying.

Schwartz was breathing but unable to talk when emergency responders arrived. She was bleeding from a single gunshot wound, court documents said.

I just shot her, Black told her girlfriend when she asked what happened, according to the affidavit. I dont know what Im gonna do. Im going to jail.

Black regularly carried her girlfriends gun because she feels she needs it for protection, the affidavit said. Court documents said Blacks girlfriend told troopers Schwartz supplied Black with pills.

The affidavit said Black refused to answer any questions after she was taken into custody. The records did not disclose the kind of pills that were the center of the argument.

Prosecutors said Black declined transport Wednesday from Cumberland County Prison, where she has been held without bail since her arrest, and did not personally participate in the hearing.
PHILADELPHIA  Kathi Camp called the Philadelphia Police Departments homicide unit almost every day for four months before the detective assigned to investigate her sons murder finally called her back.

Camp was desperate to know whether police were any closer to locating Marcus Whitehead, the man wanted for killing her 26-year-old son, Diniar, in August. She felt as if her persistence had paid off when the detective said he would visit her South Philadelphia home with an update.

So on that Monday in February, Camp stayed home from work. She moved all calls and appointments, and waited for him.

But the detective never showed. Camp hasnt heard from anyone in the unit since, she said, and her calls continue to go unreturned.

Leaving us in limbo is more harmful than the pain we already feel from losing our child, Camp said. Its like we dont matter.

In Philadelphia, when someone is killed in a homicide, the lone victims assistance officer in the Police Departments Homicide Unit helps families coordinate initial logistics such as obtaining death certificates and applying for funeral reimbursement funds. But in the weeks, months, and sometimes years that follow, its largely the responsibility of homicide detectives to communicate with loved ones and update them on the investigation.

But many families say that rarely happens.

Nearly a dozen families of homicide victims interviewed by The Philadelphia Inquirer described a lack of communication from the unit. Many said they call and send emails to detectives, but rarely hear back. Meetings and calls are promised but not fulfilled.

Tiffaney Flynn, whose 19-year-old daughter Ojanae Thompson was killed in August 2021, said she didnt learn the assigned homicide detectives name until three months after her daughter died, and she met him for the first time in November 2022.

A lack of communication between law enforcement and families of victims is not a new issue, and its not unique to Philadelphia, victims services experts said. It represents a widespread reluctance to invest in adequate care for victims, experts said, and there are solutions.

They dont seem to have a procedure, said Chantay Love, founding director of Every Murder Is Real, a support group for Philadelphia families impacted by homicide. They know theres an issue but they wont take it upon themselves to address it.

Love said she and other groups hope to raise the issue with City Council in coming months.

Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom, commanding officer of the Homicide Unit, acknowledged that many families havent gotten the communication they deserve. He said he is working to finally address it, and is in the early stages of setting communication standards for detectives and their supervisors.

Kathi Camp becomes emotional while talking about the death of her son, Diniar, at her home in Philadelphia, on March 21, 2023. (Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS)TNS

In just his first few months in this role, Ransom said he received numerous emails from families complaining about the issue, and realized this has to stop. A concrete procedure will ensure greater accountability, he said.

Its a work in progress, he said, and although families frustrations may never be fully resolved, if we can minimize it, thats a start.

But he also said that amid the ongoing homicide crisis, detectives are shouldering a crushing workload that often leaves them little time to speak with families, and that loved ones often dont understand how much work is being done behind the scenes on their case.

The families said they understand the heavy workload, but the communication breakdown exacerbates their trauma and builds distrust in the department. Some mothers said it makes them feel as if no one is actively investigating their loved ones death, that their child is just a number whose case is sitting at the bottom of the pile.

As a result, some families take it upon themselves to investigate the crimes on their own. Desperate for leads, they go to the scene of the crime and search for potential witnesses. They scour social media and question friends. They walk through neighborhoods and hand out flyers.

From a human dignity perspective, its very problematic, said Heather Warnken, executive director of Baltimores Center for Criminal Justice Reform. But from a pragmatic perspective, this is an essential piece of cultivating relationships to collaborate with the community to investigate and solve cases.

Checks and balances

Time is the main communication barrier for Philadelphia homicide detectives, Ransom said.

Each detective is assigned 10 to 15 cases a year  more than double the Department of Justices recommended four- to six-case annual load. And since about half of the citys killings go unsolved, the number of families a detective must keep up with only grows over time.

Thats why its important to have those checks and balances in place, so that when a detective does lose focus (on a case), supervisors can pick up the slack, said Ransom.

Ransom said he met with a team last week to begin developing a digital tracking system for detectives and supervisors to log when theyve spoken with a family. He said word of mouth on whether a detective has updated a family is not going to be acceptable. It has to be documented.

And Officer LaTanya Acevedo can also only coordinate so much as the sole victims assistance officer for the Homicide Unit. Acevedo, who has worked in victims services for 20 years, said her focus is largely on coordinating immediate logistics and paperwork for families, such as funeral reimbursement forms and life insurance.

She does field families calls, she said, but because she cant share investigation details its often easier for detectives to answer those questions. She urged families to take advantage of the departments quarterly Next of Kin meetings, where loved ones can meet the detectives handling their cases.

Ransom said that the unit needs additional victims assistance officers, especially people who speak a language other than English, but that the department has limited resources.

The department is short all across the board, he said. But were in such a critical unit here, dealing with the worst of the worst crimes, and those families do need to know. We cant put this all on LaTanya, thats not fair to her.

Amy Durall, who has worked with local and federal law enforcement to expand crime victim services, said departments should create a communication plan for each family, detailing how often they should expect to hear from detectives. More important, she said, agencies must invest in hiring more highly trained victim services personnel, like Acevedo, to work alongside the homicide detectives.

Detectives, she said, shouldnt be solely responsible for supporting victims, and this work cant be substituted through partnerships with community organizations like grief and resource groups, which cannot access sensitive case information.

Tiffaney Flynn stands in front of a wall of photographs and paintings of her son and daughter in her home in Philadelphia. (Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS)TNS

Warnken, from Baltimore, said the issues go beyond that and point to deeper cultural biases in how police departments treat crime victims of color.

Especially for Black and brown victims of gun violence, she said, its so hard to feel like theyre ... a priority when they cant even get a call back.

A grieving mother searches for a witness

At least once a week, Taneesha Brodie visits the corner of 63rd Street and Lebanon Avenue in West Philadelphia, where her 28-year-old son, Quenzell Bradley-Brown, was killed in September.

She freshens up his vigil and makes sure his photo is still hanging on the light pole. She sweeps up trash and broken glass, and says a prayer.

Then, she looks for the man who witnessed her sons murder.

Brodie is one of many relatives of homicide victims in the city taking investigative measures into their own hands. In the absence of information from police, and with little hope that detectives are adequately pursuing the case, loved ones often canvass blocks, pass out flyers, and march through the city to raise awareness and find leads.

Brodies son, a married father of four who loved music and poetry, was killed in what police believe was a case of mistaken identity, shot multiple times outside his apartment as he carried groceries inside for his family.

Brodie knows the witness name and what he looks like. In October, just after her son was killed, he approached her at the scene and told her the shooter had mistaken her son for a drug dealer who hung on that corner. She was in such shock at the time that she didnt ask many questions or get his contact information.

So Brodie regularly returns to this spot, and although the witness has never been here since, she holds out hope that she can persuade him to speak with police, or pass information along to the assigned detective.

But the detective on the case rarely calls her back, she said. In January, after Brodies daughter exchanged Facebook messages with a man who said he had information about the crime, she sent the detective an urgent email, asking him to call her ASAP.

He only recently got back to her, three months later, Brodie said, and asked her to bring screenshots of the exchange to the unit.

At this point, I dont have any trust or hope in the police or the DA or the judicial system, she said. I feel like if it were one of their own, one of their own children, they would have been out here knocking on doors and kicking them in.

Its like they think hes just another Black kid killed, she said. But he is loved, he is missed, and no one is just going to forget about it.

Another mother, Tiffaney Flynn, often passes out flyers to patrons of the Olney shopping center where her 19-year-old daughter, Ojanae Thompson, was fatally shot in August 2021. As Thompson and her boyfriend sat in their car outside the ShopRite, gunmen shot at them more than a dozen times, killing them both. Their murders remain unsolved.

As Flynns daughter fought to stay alive in the first few weeks, a detective in the local police district was assigned to investigate the case. But after she died and the case went to homicide, everything went silent, Flynn said. She just met the homicide detective in person for the first time this past November, when they spoke at police headquarters and he told her there were no new leads.

Hundreds of people were shopping and going to the doctors and post offices, and nobody came forward to say what theyve seen, she said. How could something like that take place and you have no leads?

On Ojanaes birthday and on the anniversary of her death, Flynn sets up a table outside the ShopRite. She passes out flyers with police contact information, and tells anyone who will listen about the bubbly young girl who worked two jobs through high school and was preparing for college  and who was killed in broad daylight.

Detectives doing the work

Not all families have bad experiences.

Denise Singleton, whose son Kyle was killed last May in North Philadelphia, said communication was limited at first, but as of January, the detective on her case has scheduled monthly phone calls or visits. She credits the change to the regular marches her family has hosted near police headquarters, calling for justice.

And Yullio Robbins only has glowing things to say about Detective Gregory Santamala, assigned to investigate her son James Walke IIIs 2016 murder.

Kathi Camp, shown here in Philadelphia, on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. Camp's son Diniar Camp was shot and killed in 2022. (Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS)TNS

The first detective assigned to Walkes case was very uncommunicative, Robbins said. After she complained to police officials, the investigation was reassigned to Santamala. Even after he retired in November, theyve kept in touch, she said.

Hes like family, Robbins said.

Its not all just about solving the (case), said Santamala. Of course families want it solved, but I think they want that connection, to know that you did not forget their loved one and you did not forget them.

In his 30 years on the job, maintaining contact with families was a top priority, he said. He handed out his personal cell phone number and answered calls and texts no matter the time of day. He did this on his own accord, not through any department mandate, because he didnt want families to feel forgotten. Plus, he said, it can help solve a case, since as the saying goes, the streets talk, and families pass along helpful tips.

Santamala said some colleagues would avoid family calls in part because there was often no new information to share. And thats difficult news to relay.

But, he said: If you cant be available, then you shouldnt take that job. ... As painful as something may be, you have to maintain contact.

He said supervisors need to set a standard and the department needs to hire more detectives.

They are taking on caseloads that, in my 20 years, Ive never seen, he said. You cant just keep getting case after case after case. At that point its just a triage.

Ellie Rushing and Jessica Griffin of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote this story.

(c)2023 The Philadelphia Inquirer

Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.inquirer.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Indonesian nationals are evacuated by bus from Khartoum to Port Sudan. Photo by AFP

The first group of Indonesians evacuated from strife-torn Sudan returned home Friday on a charter flight from Saudi Arabia, officials said.

Southeast Asia's most populous country has joined nations around the world in rushing to move their citizens to safety by land, air and sea after clashes between the Sudanese army and paramilitaries killed hundreds and injured thousands.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and military chief Yudo Margono greeted the 385 nationals  248 women and 137 men  who arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta after the 10-hour flight from the Saudi city of Jeddah.

"Considering the evacuees' journey was very long and tiring, they will be temporarily accommodated... in east Jakarta before returning to their respective homes," Marsudi told reporters.

She said another plane of evacuees would depart for Indonesia on Saturday and a final repatriation flight would set off Sunday.

Jakarta has shuffled hundreds of its citizens from the Sudanese capital Khartoum to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast, where they are then being moved by sea and air to Jeddah.

Marsudi said 111 Indonesians remain in Port Sudan and would be flown to Jeddah on Friday.

There are about 1,200 Indonesians registered with their embassy in Khartoum, according to the foreign ministry.

Fighting broke out in Sudan on April 15 between Sudan's army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commanded by his deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

At least 512 people have been killed and 4,193 wounded, according to official figures in Sudan, although the real toll is likely to be much higher.
Sheetz fans are bubbling over with excitement about a social media post on Facebook on Thursday.

The company said on April 27, 2023, Our new drink will make your heart go Boba Boba.

One fan said, Whattttttt! Do you mean boba tea?

Sheetz replied, Maybeee.

The Altoona-based Sheetz has not officially said it will be offering boba - or bubble - tea but the cryptic message on social media seems to imply that.

Sheetz said this on Twitter - Weve got some TEA to spill ... but youll have to wait.

Boba tea originated in Taiwan in the 1980s and have enjoyed a recent growth in popularity. It is a cold beverage that usually has a tea base along with a milk or fruit flavor and edible tapioca balls that is shaken.

Real, chewy tapioca bobas, not squirters like youd put on frozen yogurt and then try to pass off as actual bobas, one fan said.

Another is ready and willing.

Boba at Sheetz? Well that seals it, Im definitely camping out in the parking lot for the rest of my life.

Stay tuned.

READ MORE: Boba Sensei opens in Dauphin County with bubble tea and more.
The Bamboozle, New Jerseys most famous homegrown music festival, has canceled its 2023 event just a week before it was scheduled after Atlantic City refused final permits.

In a statement released Friday afternoon, a spokesperson for Atlantic City  where the three-day festival was to be held May 5 to 7  confirmed Bamboozle would not receive its final permits after organizers failed to submit necessary paperwork by the citys deadline.

There was an ongoing concern we were not getting the required documents from festival organizers in a timely matter, city business administrator Anthony Swan said in the statement. We asked for this information months in advance to protect the city and the taxpayers of Atlantic City. The event was fast approaching, and these issues were still unresolved.

In an email sent late Friday morning to invested parties, festival organizer John DEsposito also confirmed the cancellation, noting After intensive discussions and meetings, we have made the heartbreaking decision to cancel Bamboozle Festival 2023. Thank you and your artists for believing in the vision.

NJ Advance Medias phone call to DEsposito was not answered Friday. Email messages were not immediately returned.

As reported by NJ Advance Media earlier this month, the multi-day festivals anticipated comeback  after a 10-year hiatus  was plagued by fan complaints and demands for refunds. Division of Consumer Affairs said it received at least 22 complaints as of Wednesday.

Fans accused DEsposito of posting misleading advertisements, failing to deliver promised refunds and offering musical acts that didnt align with expectations raised by the organizer on social media.

I hope this is the last time John DEsposito gets the chance to hurt the New Jersey music scene and its loving fanbase, Chris Sicoli, a fan from Jersey City who previously filed a complaint with state Division of Consumer Affairs, said Friday. Hopefully, everyone is able to receive their money back and focus on the good of the scene, instead of on the blemishes.

Chris Sicoli of Jersey City said he bought tickets when they first went on sale and were supposed to be at their least expensive. He said it's unfair that buyers today can use a discount code and get tickets that were cheaper. (Courtesy Chris Sicoli)

The festival, which hosted its last event in Asbury Park in 2012 and announced its 20th anniversary comeback in 2021, was scheduled to take place at Bader Field, a shuttered airfield in Atlantic City. Leading acts were scheduled to include rock bands Papa Roach, Limp Bizkit and Motionless in White, as well as rapper Trippie Redd and EDM star Steve Aoki.

In the festivals heyday  from 2003 to 2012, when it was mostly held in the parking lot of Giants/MetLife Stadium  headliners included Bon Jovi, No Doubt and Foo Fighters, emo-punk staples Fall Out Boy, Paramore and My Chemical Romance and hip-hop icons Drake, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg.

In 2012, Bamboozle hosted an average of more than 20,000 fans per day. DEsposito told NJ Advance Media earlier this month just 6,000 tickets had been sold for the 2023 event.

A statement announcing the cancellation was added to Bamboozles social media pages Friday afternoon as all other posts were erased.

Refunds should be requested at point of purchase, it read.

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier and Facebook.

Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KPMueller.
An Ancient Roman buried nearly 200 coins in an Italian forest and never went back for them.

About 2,000 years later, those coins were finally found.

Live Science reports how a volunteer from an archaeological group had opted to go on a hike in a forest in Livorno  a port city located in the Italian region of Tuscany  where they noticed something glinting in the dirt.

That something, details Live Science, ended up being 175 silver ancient coins, a number of which dated as far back to roughly 157 B.C. and which are worth tens of thousands of dollars today.

The coins [had] definitely been hidden  they constituted a treasure or piggy bank, says archeologist Lorella Alderighi. The easiest way to hide valuables [back then] was to bury them underground, away from homes where no one could find them.

As to who this Ancient Roman was hiding the coins was, Alderighi explains they may have been the savings of a soldier who was ultimately killed in battle. Another historian, Federica Santanelo, posits to Live Science that the coins may have been buried by a merchant who felt uncertainty during a time of war and political upheaval.

A number of people at times of crisis buried their stash of money and for whatever reason were prevented from retrieving it, he explains.

The Miami Herald continues to report how a group of archaeologists excavated the area where the coins were found. However, they remained the only items of any note to be discovered.
The search for an Australian man who fell overboard while on a cruise ship sailing from Hawaii to Brisbane has been suspended, according to news sources.

The passenger was reported missing late Tuesday night while on the Quantum of Seas cruise ship, operated by Royal Caribbean Cruises, according to reports from Fox News and CNN.

After reviewing all relevant information of the case and discussing it with the next of kin, the Coast Guard has made the difficult decision to suspend the active search for the passenger aboard the Quantum of the Seas, Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu search and rescue mission coordinator Kevin Cooper said to Fox News.

For about two hours, the cruise ship stayed on the scene before continuing its journey to Hawaii when he hadnt been found. The search for the missing passenger took place 500 miles south of Kailua Kona, Big Island, according to what the US Coast Guard said in a statement.

The Quantum of Seas cruise ship is 16 stories high with room for 4,500 passengers and a 1,500 crew, according to the cruise companys website.

The ships owner, Royal Caribbean, issued a statement, according to CNN affiliate Nine News, that said, While on its trans-pacific sailing, a guest onboard Quantum of the Seas went overboard. The ships crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation and is working closely with local authorities.

When the Australian man first went missing, a report was sent to the Coast Guard at around 11:03 p.m. Tuesday. Wednesday morning was when the search began, and Coast Guard C-130 Hercules aircrew searched for over six hours, but a decision was made to suspend the aerial survey after speaking with the mans family, according to reports.

Within the hours of search time, the aircrew completed five searches, Fox News reported.

Read More:
Customs and border protection officers seized 72 pounds of marijuana that was in baggage at Philadelphia International Airport that was being loaded onto a flight to Ireland.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the marijuana was stuffed into luggage. A 34-year-old California man was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations and charged with state felony charges of narcotics possession with intent to distribute, the agency said in a news release.

The agency said officers were conducting outbound inspections on Monday, April 24, 2023, for the flight headed to Dublin Airport when an x-ray exam revealed anomalies in two suitcases. A CBP narcotics detector dog then alerted to the two suitcases.

After the traveler associated with the luggage was identified, customs and border protection said the suitcases were taken to an inspection station.

Inside the suitcases, officers discovered numerous black vacuum-sealed packs of marijuana.

The marijuana weighed a combined 32.74 kilograms, or 72 pounds, three ounces. It has a street value of about $160,000 in the U.S.; however, high quality U.S. marijuana can fetch prices many times higher throughout other parts of the world.

For example, the street price of marijuana in some parts of Ireland fetches about $400 an ounce, or about $460,000 for this load, the agency said.

Rene Ortega, acting area port director for CBPs Area Port of Philadelphia, said it is unusual to find travelers that attempt to smuggle bulk amounts of marijuana in passenger baggage to overseas destinations. Bulk marijuana smuggling remains illegal, and Customs and Border Protection officers will continue to deliver consequences when we encounter it.

READ MORE: Coma in a bottle: Phila. customs officers seize 6 gallons of liquid ecstasy.
Two New Cumberland residents have been arrested in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021, riots in the U.S. Capitol Building.

Joseph Pastucci, 49, and Jeanette Mangia, 44, both entered the building and roamed around its halls for several minutes, according to a federal complaint unsealed Thursday.

The complaint stated they wandered into then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosis office, and Mangia sat in Pelosis chair while Pastucci took a photo of her. Then, the two wandered into the Senate chamber, where they walked around before finding chairs assigned to former Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota.

When they left the chamber, however, U.S. Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police asked them to leave.

But the married couple did not go willingly or quietly.

Police pushed Pastucci out of the Capitol building and through the Senate Carriage Door as he resisted, clawing at a wooden table next to a table and pulling against it as he was ousted from the building, court records show.

Meanwhile, Mangia dropped to the ground, rolled around and repeatedly kicked at officers as they tried to lift and carry her out.

Once officers removed the two, Mangia kicked one officer in the groin and Pastucci shoved him in the chest, the complaint stated.

The day was not over for the married couple, according to the court records. They re-entered the Capitol Building through the East Rotunda door and pushed into the Rotunda right before officers shut its door. Officers then began trying to filter occupants outside the building.

Finally, Pastucci and Mangia left the building through the memorial door at around 3:27 p.m., about an hour and 15 minutes after they initially entered.

FBI agents were able to identify Pastucci because he was wearing the same blue Yamaha-branded jacket on Jan. 6 as he was in a dating profile picture. The FBI showed Pastucci and Mangias photos to New Cumberland police, who identified them based on previous interactions.

Both are charged with assault or interfering with a person performing official duties, entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority to do so and disrupting Congress.

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Citing a rising level of tension in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newspaper strike, U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman have asked the National Labor Relations Board to investigate unfair labor practice charges in the dispute.

In a letter sent Wednesday, the Democratic senators  and Pittsburgh area Democratic U.S. Reps. Chris Deluzio and Summer Lee  urged the NLRB to quickly and thoroughly investigate pending unfair labor practices charges filed by the union.

Under the supervision of the NLRB, we hope that both parties can return to the bargaining table and return to contract talks in good faith, the lawmakers wrote.

The letter noted a March 11 altercation between a Post-Gazette driver and two striking workers that resulted in one striker suffering a broken jaw.

According to the Pittsburgh Union Progress, a news website operated by striking workers, more than 100 Post-Gazette employees, including many reporters, have been on strike since October over unfair labor practices.

Specifically, the union walked out over the newspapers refusal to pay for a $19 per week increase in healthcare, which resulted in a loss of coverage for production, distribution and advertising workers.

Workers have been without a collective bargaining agreement since 2020 when the newspaper declared an impasse in negotiations. The unions have been in contract talks with the Post-Gazette since 2017.

An administrative law judge ruled in January that the Post-Gazette, owned by the Block family, had not bargained in good faith and ordered it to restore the previous contract and start negotiating within 15 days, but the paper has appealed that decision.

On Wednesday, the Allegheny-Fayette County Labor Council responded to the lawmakers letter on Twitter.

We have been asking the federal authorities to intervene in this @PittsburghPG conflict before it continues to escalate and before someone gets seriously hurt, the council said. Today, our representatives in DC answered the call and urged the NLRB to get involved immediately.
Three western Pennsylvania school districts, along with several teachers and families, are suing the state Department of Education over new guidelines they describe as woke and thinly disguised political activism.

Attorneys with the conservative, Chicago-based Thomas More Society filed the lawsuit on April 17 in state Commonwealth Court on behalf of the Laurel School District in Lawrence County, Mars Area School District in Butler County, Penncrest School District in Crawford County, and teachers and parents in the districts.

The lawsuit claims that the Education Departments Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Education Program Framework Guidelines issued in November 2022 violate state regulatory review law, infringe on the filers religious and free speech rights, and usurp the school boards authority to determine their own curriculum.

In a statement, Thomas Breth, the More Societys special counsel, said that former acting Education Secretary Eric Hagarty, who served in the Gov. Tom Wolf administration, has issued a regulation without legal authority that mandates adherence to the Administrations ideological tenets.

With Gov. Josh Shapiro taking office in January, Hagarty has since been replaced by acting Education Secretary Khalid Mumin. A Department of Education spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit citing the pending litigation.

They are forcing educators to affirm their belief in these ideological tenets and to impose the same upon their students, Breth said. Its a blatant attempt to impose woke activism into school curriculum.

According to the Education Department, the initiative offers professional development principles for educator training, not students or curriculum, that will enable current and future teachers to better serve students from all walks of life.

Those students would come from varying socio-economic backgrounds and those with different abilities, the department said in a statement to PennLive.

The guidelines represent an effort to create an inclusive learning environment for all students, and provide teachers with methods to handle issues related to mental wellness, trauma informed approaches to instruction, engagement with technological and virtual strategies, and myriad other factors that can inhibit student success in the classroom if unaddressed, said the department.

Additionally, the department said the guidelines were a result of bipartisan feedback from state lawmakers, education experts, teachers, and parents.

Breth, though, said that CRSE guidelines require teachers to rewrite policies and design their teaching approach to identify and question economic, political and social power structures in the school, community, nation and world, as well as honor cultural influences and accept that students have the right to use the language of their culture.

He also said that teachers must believe and acknowledge that microaggressions are real and take steps to educate themselves about the subtle and obvious ways in which they are used to harm and invalidate the existence of others, which Breth said violates the free speech rights of students and teachers.

The Department of Education seeks to restrict, prohibit and eliminate any speech that is subjectively perceived as not in conformity with the ideological tenets of the Department, Breth said. Whats next, loyalty oaths?

The lawsuit asks the court to void the Department of Educations guidelines and to require the department to pay court costs.
A Pennsylvania city has been approved to exit from distressed municipality status under the states Act 47 program after 30 years.

Johnstown in Cambria County was designated as distressed on Aug. 20, 1992, under the Municipalities Financial Recovery Program, known as Act 47 of 1987 (and amended on July 26, 1988).

Johnstown in 1992, according to a news release, had financial problems, a loss of services and was unable to pay contractors and employees.

The removal from Act 47 was announced in a news release today by state Department of Community and Economic Development acting Secretary Rick Siger. Siger was joined by Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, Johnstown mayor Frank Janakovic and other county officials this morning.

Siger signed the termination of Johnstowns distressed status because of the citys ability to effectively utilize the tools offered through the program to significantly improve its financial position and management infrastructure since entering Act 47.

Johnstown has a very bright future ahead, and the Commonwealth is excited to partner with local leaders to realize their vision. This moment has been more than 30 years in the making, and it is truly a day for celebration, Siger said.

The Act 47 coordinator for Johnstown was Deborah Grass of Grass of Grass Root Solutions.

According to the new release, Johnson now has a manageable debt, improved management and fiscal practices, an excess of revenue over expenditures for six years and a $6.9 million reserve fund.

According to DCED, Johnstown is the 21st municipality to emerge from distressed status. Most recently, Mahonoy City, Schuylkill County, exited on Feb. 23, 2023. It had been in the program since 2016.

Act 47 was enacted to help municipalities recover from severe fiscal distress by providing fiscal management oversight, technical assistance, planning, and financial aid to municipalities experiencing severe fiscal distress.

From left, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development acting Secretary Rick Siger; Johnstown Mayor Frank Janakovic; and Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis at a ceremony April 28, 2023, to mark the exit of Johnstown from the Act 47 program. Johnstown will not longer be in "distressed municipality status" after 30 years. (Photo provided by Kirstin Alvanitakis, Communications Director, Office of Lt. Gov. Austin Davis)

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A Montgomery County man is accused of assaulting a Lehigh University student in what the Bethlehem school says was a hate crime on campus.

Michael Joseph Rosta, 21, was arraigned Monday night on felony attempted burglary and two counts of misdemeanor assault in the early morning April 15 incident involving a Black student.

Rosta, of Hatfield, was sent to Northampton County Prison after failing to post $100,000 bail, records show. An attorney has not yet entered an appearance in his case.

Three other men, also from Montgomery County, are facing misdemeanor and/or summary charges in connection with the incident. The other three have preliminary hearings scheduled for May 26.

The university has characterized the incident as a hate crime. Northampton County District Attorney Terry Houck said his office has not been contacted by federal authorities in regards to the incident. Federal hate crimes fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Police said the Black student was walking with a group of friends and fellow Lehigh students on campus, when a car with four people inside drove by and a person yelled a racial slur, court records say.

The Black student chased after the car, hit the trunk and said he briefly touched one of the people in the car before disengaging and walking back with his friends. The group in the car then got out, followed the students and assaulted the Black student, according to police.

Police said surveillance cameras recorded that part of the incident.

The victim ran to his residence hall and went to see a friend in another residence hall, police said. The student used the bathroom, and when he came out the men from the car were waiting outside and attacked him, court records say. The student ran to a friends room and hid.

The victim told police he heard one of his attackers say, get out the gun, records show. The men followed the victim to the room and banged on the door before eventually leaving.

A witness reported seeing the group chasing after the victim and the victim locking himself in a room, records say. A man banging on the door pulled out a firearm from his waistband and either clicked the safety off or racked the slide, police said.

In an interview with police, Rosta reportedly admitted to chasing the student into a residence hall, court records say.

Rosta told officers he owns multiple firearms and has a concealed weapons permit, according to police. Houck said Rosta had a concealed permit, so he wouldnt face a charge in connection with the firearm.

The victim had no serious physical injuries, Lehigh police said.

Police said they later learned a fellow student gave one of the attackers entry into the residence hall by swiping her access card, after assuming he was friends with someone inside.

Lehigh on Tuesday afternoon issued a statement that thanks university police and Houcks office for their prompt and thorough handling of this deplorable hate crime. The statement says the university is pleased that charges were filed.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com.

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The United Nations recently assessed the status of its peacekeeping mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA. U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis Acting Deputy Representative to the United Nations urge(d) the transition government of Mali to demonstrate immediate progress on the political transition, the implementation of the Algiers Accord, MINUSMAs freedom of movement, and the missions ability to implement the entirety of its mandate  including human rights provisions.

Ambassador DeLaurentis called it unacceptable that the Malian authorities denied nearly 300 flight requests during the reporting period:

This threatens the safety and security of the peacekeepers serving in Mali and hinders their ability to implement their mandate. While we fully support MINUSMAs efforts to resolve these restrictions, we emphasize the transition governments obligations under its Status of Forces Agreement to ensure MINUSMAs freedom of movement and access.

Ambassador DeLaurentis expressed great concern over the Mali governments decision to expel MINUSMAs human rights chief:

We condemn the continued obstruction of the UNs human rights mandates in Mali and reject the assertion that human rights are being politicized. This Council has mandated MINUSMA to report impartially on the human rights situation in Mali, and interference with its ability to carry out that mandate is unacceptable.

As we recognize the one-year anniversary of the civilian massacre in Moura, said Ambassador DeLaurentis, we are disappointed the UN has not released its report of the incident. The Malian people deserve an honest and transparent accounting of this incident.

The United States is concerned by the postponement of the March 9 constitutional referendum, but it nonetheless commends the preparations and progress made by transition authorities on fulfilling an ambitious timeline for elections.

The United States offers its full support to MINUSMA and its UN partners as they provide technical assistance and capacity-building support to ensure that Malians can safely go to the polls and see constitutional rule restored.

MINUSMAs success hinges on the full cooperation of the Malian authorities. It would be irresponsible of the Security Council to continue to deploy peacekeepers in conditions where they cannot succeed, declared Ambassador DeLaurentis. We urge the Malian transition government to end its restrictions on MINUSMA and to demonstrate that it will carry out its political commitments.
By Anya Litvak, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)

When a terrible odor blanketed the area around the Shell cracker plant in Beaver County this month, residents had only their noses and sporadically high readings from public air monitors to assess the situation.

Many were left wondering what they were exposed to and whether it was dangerous.

On Tuesday, Shell officials held a virtual meeting to discuss the air monitoring results surrounding the event.

A senior toxicologist from the consulting contractor CTEH  the same company hired by Norfolk Southern in the wake of its derailment in East Palestine  told the community that it was safe.

The levels of benzene, a known carcinogen, detected at the fence line of the petrochemical plant were too low to be associated with even transient discomfort or irritation, said Christopher Kuhlman, the toxicologist that Shell hired to review air data and assess exposure.

Strong odors can certainly cause headache, skin irritation, watery eyes, he said.

Workers onsite who showed some of those symptoms reported they dissipated when they moved away from the smell, Kuhlman said.

Shell had set up a restricted area at the plant where readings of volatile organic compounds and benzene in particular were elevated in order to protect workers.

On Tuesday, Shells General Manager Bill Watson said there were no adverse affects to our employees or to you, members of the community.

Anthony Pizon, chief of medical toxicology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centers Department of Emergency Medicine, who reviewed the air monitoring data on Monday, said the numbers were too low to raise concerns about public health.

Still, Pizon cautioned that looking at air-monitoring data to glean community impacts isnt a straight line.

From my vantage point, its hard to go off those numbers, he said. I would look at the patients themselves.

Shell officials pinpointed the source of the smell to its wastewater treatment plant, which was processing excess hydrocarbons.

Its permit allows it to release up to 11 tons of benzene over a 12-month rolling period.
From the 1976 movie Network, Im mad as hell, and Im not going to take this anymore!

What on Earth is going on in this country?

The other week I was just sitting down to have my coffee while watching CNN, when, they cut to a live shot out of Tennessee: 3 Tennessee Democrats face removal from office in Thursday vote after gun control protest on State House floor. Why, may you ask. They did not follow House decorum and joined the protesters in demanding gun control! Decorum? Really!

Where was the decorum on January 6th when Donald Trump orchestrated and directed a violent protest to topple our democracy? 140 first responder families traumatized for life, several people killed, destruction of public property, waste of taxpayers money to clean this mess up, etc. To what end? Trump is still on the loose screwing things up while leaving his signature orange stain behind. Now thats decorum! Furthermore, Republicans persist in kissing Trumps ample posterior to the point where his butt is redder than a ripe Jersey tomato, decorum?

Fortunately the people spoke and both Justine Jones and Justine Pearsons reinstatements counter Republicans efforts to silence them and their advocacy for gun control. Justin Jones said it best, Today we are sending a resounding message that democracy will not be killed in the comfort of silence.

Republicans (with allies; Christian nationalists, big money, the NRA, and Fox news, etc.) are attempting to rapidly morph our democracy into some form of authoritarian state. Their only goal being to ensure that they remain in power no matter what the cost. This includes inhumanity, intolerance, disdain for the marginalized while promoting science denial, irrational thinking, and gun violence. If they succeed in establishing a fascist state, they wont be returning democracy to us any time soon.

Raymond Cerio, Jr., Marple Township, Pa.
Pennsylvania legislators need to pass the Fairness Act. It would provide equal protections against discrimination in housing, employment and services on the basis of gender or sexual identity. Its the right thing to do.

Advocates like Amanda Arbour, executive director of the LGBTQ Center of Central Pennsylvania, say such protections are desperately needed in todays climate where extremists feel emboldened to attack anyone they perceive as different. She says her center fields numerous calls about LGBTQ+ individuals denied housing or threatened with eviction based on their sexual identity.

State law also does not prohibit employers from firing someone because they are gay or trans or identify as a gender.

Sen. Sharif Street, D-Philadelphia, speaks. Legislators and supporters rally for the LGBTQ House Fairness Act bill. The bill would protect an individual against discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. April 26, 2023. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com

Preston Heldibridle, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Youth Congress, is particularly concerned about youth in the LGBTQ+ community and what the lack of protection means for their future in Pennsylvania. We are, too.

PennLive & The Patriot-News is embarking on a readers survey to better understand issues of importance to the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. We invite or readers to participate in the survey via this link: https://pennlive.com/research.

Its a sad statement that Heldibridle believes the atmosphere has gotten worse for the LGBTQ+ community, especially for youth in schools throughout Pennsylvania. He says its a worse atmosphere for acceptance and inclusion than it was a few years ago when he was in school.

Heldibridle is confident House Bill 300 would help change that.

House Speaker Joanna McClinton speaks. Legislators and supporters rally for the LGBTQ House Fairness Act bill. The bill would protect an individual against discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. April 26, 2023. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com

The Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee has sent the bill to the House floor, and Heldibridle was confident it would pass. If it also passes the Senate, it would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the states nondiscrimination law. Progress on this issue has been a long time coming, to say the least. Advocates have been fighting for decades to protect millions of people who fear persecution because they are not heterosexual.

House Bill 300 call for amending the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, which creates and empowers the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission - the body that investigates and seeks to resolve complaints of discrimination in housing, employment, and services.

State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia, speaks. At right are Reps. Ismail Smith-Wade-El and Patty Kim. Legislators and supporters rally for the LGBTQ House Fairness Act bill. The bill would protect an individual against discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. April 26, 2023. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com

State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia, is one of the bills prime sponsors, and hes right. Pennsylvania is better when its fair.

Gov. Josh Shapiro is backing the bill and made passing it one of his campaign promises. We agree that its long past time to stop discriminating against people based on superficial differences like race, culture and gender. Hes also right in saying Pennsylvania will be a stronger, better place when our laws protect everyone from unfair treatment.

Arbour and Heldibridle told PennLives Editorial Board the House bill has bipartisan support, but even if it passes the House, it could face strong opposition in the Senate. They seem confident the stars are aligned to ensure the bill will pass the Senate and become law this year.

We hope they are right. Pennsylvanias future depends on it. If Pennsylvanians want to attract both business and people to the state instead of watching them leave, we have to send a strong message of fairness and inclusion.

Pennsylvania must be known as a state that protects all residents, whether Black, Brown, queer, trans, white or straight. Pennsylvania legislators need to pass the Fairness Act now.
By Rogette Harris

Likeability, relatability, sense of humor, cleverness, charisma, and appearance are traits used to determine a candidates electability and help them win elections. Policy positions, character and experience in government should be the main job description, but often personality characteristics associated with charisma seem more important to voters.

Focusing strictly on charisma is a horrible idea.

For example, politicians now package themselves as social media-ready personal brands, which means money has become more important in campaigns than actually talking to voters and connecting with them. As an increasingly individualistic county, voters in the United States more and more are valuing a politician/candidates charisma/personality more. This means that personality, rather than performance, plays an increasing role in how leaders are evaluated.

Just ask the average voter about current elected officials. Most say elected officials, regardless of political party, arent doing anything to help the American public. These same voters continue to vote the same people in office and often promote them to a higher office. It defies common sense!

During the 2016 election, commentators focused more on Hillary Clintons pant suits, lack of charisma, and her policies were often called weed-y white papers, instead of praised. Donald Trump was a reality TV star with some catchy slogans. He became the first person without government or military experience to be elected president of the United States, and we all know how that turned out!

Other presidents tried to unify the nation after winning their elections. From day one, Donald Trump seemed to revel in the political fight and often started it. The more than 26,000 tweets he sent as president provided a real-time account of his thinking on a broad spectrum of issues and eventually proved so provocative that Twitter permanently banned him from its platform.

In his final days in office, Trump became the first president ever to be impeached twice  the second time for inciting an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol during the certification of the election he lost  and the nations first chief executive in more than 150 years to refuse to attend his successors inauguration. The former president is now facing Charges in New York, and possibly other states while still preparing another run for president next year.

However, former President Trump has charisma and used to be a TV celebrity.

Focusing on charisma is a mistake because it has very little to do with a candidates policies, their character, or ability to govern. It is subjective. Should an introvert never be in elected office because they are not the life of the party? What if they have the policies, negotiation abilities and skillset to get legislation passed through? Shouldnt that be the goal?

Lets also remember that due to gender roles and stereotypes, many traits attributed to charisma disproportionately benefit some kinds of candidates more than others.

Research confirms that factors like a leaders appearance, race and gender matter a lot for perceptions of charisma and should be reevaluated. In addition, the emphasis on electability, which many consider connected to charisma, often reinforces bias. Both the Republican and Democratic parties often use electability as a core decision maker as to which candidates and in which political races to financially invest.

Unfortunately, due to the bias connection, women and people of color often do not receive the same resources for elected offices since they are often deemed unelectable, especially outside of urban areas.

It is true that voters are more likely to be persuaded by a charismatic leaders message, and persuasive abilities are an important aspect of effective communication. So, there is a place for it, but should not be the number one reason a person casts their vote for a candidate. Talk without substance does not benefit the American public. We must focus on the content of a persons speech and not just the way that they deliver it.

We must look at what policies are fought for and voted for rather than just focus on how many community events these politicians attend. I remember the Black Lives Matter marches in 2020. So many elected officials were marching in the front with their signs but hired very little people of color in their offices or actively advocated for racial equity.

As a society and voters, we need to start assessing what means more and what benefits society more.

Charisma prompts people to focus on a candidates appearance or aspects of their personality rather than engaging in independent moral deliberation about the leaders qualifications or policy proposals. If a voter supports a candidate because they like a slogan, rather than their policy vision, they are making a mistake.

Voters have a civic duty to decide who to support based on issues. Voting is a right and great responsibility as it affects all of us. So, if a person decides to vote, they have a duty to vote well and based on facts  not who they would like to join for dinner.

No matter how appealing a candidate seems, it is always important to look carefully at the issues. Voting based on charm and charisma alone is not worth the risk.

Rogette Harris is a political analyst, chairwoman of the Dauphin County Democrats, and a member of Editorial Board for PennLive and The Patriot-News.
A new Jeopardy! Masters tournament will debut on ABC in primetime in May.

Jeopardy! Masters, produced by Sony Pictures Television, will be hosted by GOAT Ken Jennings, ABC said.

The current six highest-ranking contestants will face off in a champions league style event.

The show debuts at 8 p.m. Monday, May 8, 2023, on ABC.

LIVE STREAM: Watch ABC on Watch ABC on fuboTV (free trial)

The contestants will be Matt Amodio, Sam Buttrey, Andrew He, James Holzhauer, Mattea Roach and Amy Schneider.

Games 1 and 2 will air 8-9 p.m. on the May 8 debut. Games 3 and 4 will air on Tuesday, May 9, and games 5 and 6 will air on Wednesday, May 10.

Amodio had a 38-game winning streak in seasons 37 and 38, winning $1,518,601.

Buttrey is the 2021 Professors Tournament champion and placed third in the 2022 Tournament of Champions.

He was a five-day champion in season 38 and placed second in the 2022 Tournament of Champions.

Holzhauer had a 32-game winning streak in season 35. He won the 2019 Tournament of Champions and finished in second place in the 2020 Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time. His total winnings are $2,962,216.

Roach competed in season 38 and is the youngest contestant currently ranked in the Top 5 for all-time consecutive games won. Roachs winnings are $560,983.

Schneider had a 40-game winning streak in season 38 and won the 2022 Tournament of Champions. Her total winnings are $1,632,800.

What is fuboTV?

FuboTV is a streaming service that offers more than 100 live and on-demand channels and includes cloud DVR. FuboTV has a seven-day free trial. Channels include AMC, E!, HGTV, ESPN, NBC Sports, NFL Network, FS1, MSNBC, Food Network, Great American Living, Magnolia Network, Animal Planet, Bravo, FX, CMT, Comedy Central and Hallmark. The Pro plan is $69.99 a month, Elite is $79.99 a month and Ultimate is $99.99 a month. Add-ons include EPIX, Showtime and Starz.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently met in Brussels with several European leaders in meetings that underscored the importance and vigor of the transatlantic alliance.

After a meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, Secretary Blinken said their discussion included global challenges where United States and European cooperation can make a difference, from Ethiopia to the Central African Republic to the Middle East.

A significant focus of their talk, however, centered around Russias war of aggression against Ukraine.

The United States and the EU continue to work in lockstep, together with a broad coalition of partnersto ensure that Ukraine can defend itself, its people, its territory, the right to choose its own path, said Secretary Blinken.

He pointed out that European partners have spent about $13 billion in military assistance to Ukraine so far, in addition to billions in economic and humanitarian assistance. Moreover, the EU recently announced it will provide Ukraine with an additional 2 billion in euros worth of ammunition through its European Peace Facility. The U.S. also announced a new military aid package for Ukraine that includes $500 million in ammunition and equipment, and $2.1 billion in ammunition, mortar systems, rockets, and anti-armor systems.

The European Union and the United States are also deploying sweeping sanctions and export controls that are degrading Russias capacity to wage war, Secretary Blinken noted.

He praised the European Union for cutting its dependence on Russian gas from nearly 40 percent at the start of the war to about 15 percent by the end of 2022 - aided by the 140 percent increase in U.S. liquified natural gas exports to Europe last year.

Another area of unprecedented cooperation is energy security, which requires a shared commitment to prevent a climate catastrophe. The U.S. and the E.U., Secretary Blinken declared, are determined to accelerate the global clean energy transition, building resilient, secure, and diversified supply chains for renewable energy.

Secretary Blinken noted that running through all the discussions with High Representative Borrell was a joint focus on revitalizing their democracies and democratic values.

The relationship between the United States and the European Union is the most comprehensive, dynamic relationship in the world, said Secretary Blinken, and Im pleased  to continue our work to deliver a stronger and more secure future for people on both sides of the Atlantic.
National Grid today (April 26) announced the launch of a wide-ranging strategic workforce development effort intended to provide individuals from historically underrepresented and marginalized communities career exposure, development, and employment opportunities for everyone from work-ready adults to STEM-oriented middle school students.

The long-term partnership is part of a plan to build the clean energy workforce of the future while ensuring that over the long haul, the workforce reflects the communities National Grid serves across Massachusetts.

As part of this effort, National Grid introduced a Clean Energy Scholars Scholarship in which the Company is providing $300,000 to three Boston-area universities in the first year. Franklin Cummings Tech, Northeastern University, and the University of Massachusetts at Boston, all strategic partners, will each receive $100,000 to be awarded to qualifying students pursuing Engineering or Craft and Trades-related degrees.

A 2021 survey by the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) showed that the US energy sector had a below-average representation of Black, Hispanic, Latino, and women workers. National Grid is committed to doing its part in addressing this nationwide issue. In addition, the utility industry has an aging population, with roughly half of utility employees within ten years of retirement age.

The workforce development program features four academies, including the Energy Infrastructure Academy for work-ready adults, the Clean Energy Careers Academy for college students, the Clean Energy Tech Academy for students in traditional and vocational technical high schools, and the Clean Energy STEM Academy for middle school students.

"National Grid is committed to delivering a safe, clean, fair, and affordable energy future, and having a diverse, inclusive workforce is a vital part of that vision," said Stephen Woerner, President of National Grid, New England. "As we build our workforce, we seek to hire and retain diverse talent to ensure we meet the needs of our customers and communities. We want to provide career pathways for people in our communities. At National Grid, we know a workforce that represents people from different backgrounds and perspectives benefits the whole Company and the communities we serve."

The goal of the Workforce Development strategy is to build a sustainable, systematic pipeline of diverse talent to lead the energy transition and enable that workforce to build and operate a net-zero system. The four-pronged workforce development program reaches out to a variety of audiences:

Energy Infrastructure Academy

The Energy Infrastructure Academy prepares work-ready adults for entry-level to mid-level roles within National Grid's unionized workforce. National Grid has partnered with Franklin Cummings Tech, Training Resources of America, Inc., Community Work Services, and STRIVE Boston to provide professional training for people interested in working in the energy industry. This academy, which launched in March 2023, holds classes in Boston and Worcester and provides nearly 200 hours of instruction to develop a combination of technical skills, soft skills, three weeks of hands-on job experience with National Grid employees, networking, mentorship, and more in preparation for full-time union role opportunities with earn-while-you-learn on-the-job training.

Participants learn about and are trained in National Grid's electric and gas operations and project planning and construction. Participants who successfully complete the academy are encouraged to apply for full-time positions within the Company.

"Connecting our HVAC&R Technology, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Technology, and Computer Information Technology students with professional mentors from National Grid will help the students gain valuable knowledge about their chosen fields and build workforce development skills. This kind of partnership ties directly to our mission at Franklin Cummings Tech, which is to deliver transformative technical and trade education that leads to economic advancement," said Jackie Cornog, Dean of Students at Franklin Cummings Tech.

Clean Energy Careers Academy

College students at Northeastern, Franklin Cummings Tech, and UMass-Boston participate in this academy in which National Grid mentors and others engage students about the energy and utilities field, provide professional development opportunities, and create connections that can lead to future internships, co-ops, and full-time employment within National Grid.

Also, as part of this long-term partnership, the Company announced a $300,000 Clean Energy Scholars Scholarship to support and encourage more students from historically underrepresented and marginalized communities to pursue and persist in obtaining Engineering and Craft and Trades-related degrees. Each partner is receiving $100,000 in the first year of the partnership, with scholarship funds to continue for the duration of the partnership. Students can apply for the scholarship through their respective institutions.

"This new partnership is beneficial on many fronts. It helps National Grid build a workforce more reflective of the communities it serves; it provides Northeastern students access to new career and educational opportunities; and it adds to the university's extensive collection of programs supporting students from historically underrepresented and marginalized communities," said Dr. Gregory Abowd, Dean, College of Engineering, Northeastern University. "If all that weren't enough, it helps enable the future of clean energy. We're proud to be a part of it."

"We could not be more excited about our partnership with National Grid. As the most diverse university in New England and the third most diverse in the country - justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion work is part of our DNA; it's purposefully at the core of everything we do to educate our students and prepare them for successful livelihoods," said Dr. Joseph Berger, Provost and Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, University of Massachusetts - Boston. "And with over 80 percent of our students remaining in state, broadening local pathways for meaningful career opportunities is particularly important. We are grateful to have National Grid as an outstanding partner in this new initiative."

Clean Energy Tech Academy

For students in high school and vocational technical schools, this academy enables students to explore energy field careers and topics and learn about career industry opportunities. The tech academies are being conducted at the Boston Green Academy, Dearborn STEM Academy, and Madison Park Vocational Technical High School, all of which are in Boston, and the Worcester Vocational Technical High School in Worcester. Students who successfully complete the academy will receive a certificate from the Clean Energy Tech Academy and career pathway experiences from mentors at National Grid.

Clean Energy STEM Academy

National Grid mentors will introduce middle-school-age students to the energy industry and provide hands-on activities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and its benefits.

Boston Green Academy, Dearborn STEM Academy in Roxbury, and Forest Grove Middle School in Worcester are program partners. Students who successfully complete the program will receive a certificate from the Clean Energy STEM Academy.
Leading environmental NGOs, students and national defence representatives are attending WindEurope's Annual Event 2023, happening now in Copenhagen. They're joining the wind industry and policy makers to discuss the different topics of biodiversity protection, skills and education, and interaction between wind farms and defence activities. As Europe wants to accelerate the build out of wind energy to meet its climate goals and strengthen its energy security, it's crucial that the industry seeks active cooperation with other sectors and societal interests to pursue the harmonious coexistence of all.

It's not the first time NGOs, students or national defence representatives are coming to WindEurope's Annual Event. And most of the work on the different issues of nature protection, skills and education, and interaction with defence activities is done throughout the year. But this year WindEurope is ramping up both the representation of other sectors and their collaboration with the wind industry and policy makers.

More than 20 NGOs are joining the event to address the coexistence of wind farms with nature. Together with researchers, biologists, sustainable fish farmers and national and European policy makers, they are meeting the wind industry to discuss how we can deploy the volumes of wind energy we need while protecting and restoring the environment. Four sessions are fully dedicated to nature protection, sustainability and community engagement.

One side event, organised jointly with the Renewables Grid Initiative and the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature - OCEaN, is looking more closely at ecological non-price criteria in auctions and their role in integrating nature into offshore wind and grid infrastructure. And several companies offering solutions to avoid, reduce and mitigate wind farms' impacts on biodiversity, such as detection and deterrence systems for birds and bats, are exhibiting at the Event.

Youth is well represented too with 500 students joining the Event on Thursday for the Student Day. They have a special programme with an emphasis on knowledge and networking, and several sessions giving them the opportunity to learn more about the technical, digital, sustainability and market challenges in the wind sector.

In parallel, FLORES - the large-scale partnership to foster offshore renewable energies in the Pact for Skills, co-funded by the European Union, is organising a workshop on tackling the skills demand and supply side in the offshore renewables sector, identifying gaps and mismatches and offering targeted solutions to address them.

Regarding the interaction of wind farms with defence activities, a side event is dedicated to identifying best practice and highlighting the role of wind energy in supporting defence and security goals, with concrete examples from Denmark, Belgium, the UK and the US.

Pierre Tardieu, WindEurope Chief Policy Officer, says: "Europe wants to build a lot more wind farms to meet its climate goals and improve its energy security. The EU just agreed to increase its 2030 Renewable Energy target from the current 32% to 42.5%. This gives us the wind industry a great responsibility to deliver. And that includes delivering on the happy coexistence of wind with the wider society and the environment. We all share the same goal. Now is the time to work together more closely, find solutions and shape the collective future that we want."

Antonella Battaglini, Renewables Grid Initiative CEO, says: "Collaboration is key to stop our climate, energy and biodiversity crises and it's great to see a growing number of sessions at the WindEurope Annual Event that highlight the successes of the wind industry and civil society working together. On behalf of both RGI and OCEaN, I am especially excited that the agenda puts such emphasis on the importance of bringing energy infrastructure deployment and restoration ambitions closer together. Jointly, we have already taken steps in the needed direction, but there is still a lot we need to learn, and we can only succeed if we do it together."

Ariel Brunner, Regional Director BirdLife Europe & Central Asia, says: "Decarbonising our energy system, and restoring the health of our ecosystems are key existential challenges of our time. They must go hand in hand. With good special planning, the best use of science, and cooperation based on good faith, we can make space for both wind power and nature. But this requires hard common work rather than looking for shortcuts such as deregulation of environmental laws."
Eric Diaz Wins CSOP Larry Frank Memorial Event at Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown

April 28, 2023 Chad Holloway Executive Editor U.S.

The night before the World Poker Tour (WPT) $3,500 Poker Showdown was slated to get underway at South Floridas Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, a special charity event was held. In conjunction with Matt Stouts Charity Series of Poker (CSOP), the Seminole Hard Rock hosted the $300 Larry Frank Memorial Charity Event.

The late Larry Frank, also known as Mr. Frank, was a longtime employee at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood and was instrumental in the success of tournament poker in South Florida. Prior to the start of the charity event, both the WPTs Matt Savage and Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Poker Tournament Manager Jason Heidenthal remembered Larry Frank.

As the SHRP blog stated: Larry Frank was a member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Before he passed in 2021, he worked for Seminole Gaming and Seminole Hard Rock Support Services for more than 25 years in various roles, including General Manager of Poker Operations at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood and General Manager of Seminole Casino Classic.

From left to right: Jason Heidenthal (Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Poker Tournament Manager), Matt Savage (WPT Executive Tour Director), Matt Stout (CSOP Founder), and Kayla Scognamillo (Make-A-Wish Southern Florida)

The event attracted 94 runners and offered up a prize pool of $13,700 plus $9,200 in non-cash prizes. Also, $12,620 from the entries went to Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, which was in addition to other funds raised via a silent auction.

In the end, it was Eric Diaz finishing as the last player standing to win $5,000 in cash plus a $3,500 seat into this weekends WPT Main Event. Interestingly, former Seminole Hard Rock Tournament Director Tony Burns, who earlier this year left that position to work with the new Moneymaker Tour, returned to his old stomping grounds and wound up finishing in second place for $2,000.

CSOP Poker Showdown Final Table Results

Place Player Prize 1 Eric Diaz $5,000 + $3,500 WPT seat 2 Tony Burns $2,000 + $1,100 WPT Prime seat 3 David Moreno $1,500 + guitar basket 4 Ted Way $1,200 + duffle bag basket 5 Matt Stout $1,000 + duffle bag basket 6 Anthony Zinno $900 + poker basket 7 Helene Corcoran $800 + poker basket 8 Bryan Kirwin $700 + $400 Seminole seat T-9 Vladimir Grechnikov $300 + $400 Seminole seat T-9 Al AlCantHang Rash $300 + $400 Seminole seat

A couple of other participants also received some bonus money at the first break of the day. Vladimir Grechnikov, winner of last years RGPS Main Event Seminole Coconut Creek, was the chip leader and received a $1,000 bonus. Likewise, poker reporter Terrance Reid had the most entries into the event with six, meaning he too received a $1,000 bonus.

The first elimination at the final table was that of Las Vegas police officer Bryan Kirwin, who happened to be in town for a conference and decided to play a little poker. He wound up getting his last five big blinds all in preflop holding the KJ and was up against the QQ of Diaz. The AQ10 flop was a big one as Kirwin flopped the nuts, but Diaz had a set, meaning he was looking for the board to pair.

The 5 turn was a brick, but the 10 river did in fact pair the board to give Diaz a winning full house. That sent Kirwin out the door in eighth place for $700 plus a free entry into any $400 Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Poker tournament before the end of the year.

Las Vegas police officer Bryan Kirwin

As reported by SHRP officials, the final hand of the night came with the blinds at a staggering 25,000/50,000/50,000 when Burns moved all in from the button for 75,000 holding the K5 and David Moreno called off for 30,000 from the small blind with the 65. Diaz, who held a massive chip lead, called out of the big blind with the Q6 and scored the double knockout after the board ran out KQ634.

Why You Shouldn't Miss the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown

Cops 4 Kids Charity Event in Vegas

The CSOP will now head back to its Las Vegas stomping grounds for the CSOP Event #48: Cops 4 Kids Charity Poker Tournament, which will take place on Friday, May 5 at the Moon Nightclub at Palms. A VIP reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the tournament starting at 7 p.m. Players will start with 10,000 in chips with 5,000 per rebuy. Additionally, there will be a 20,000-chip add-on period at the end of registration.

The event will feature a silent auction, 50/50 raffle, and prizes for the final table, including a $5,000 first-place prize. Proceeds will benefit Cops 4 Kids through the LVPMSA Charitable Foundation, which supports childrens charities, and awards college scholarships to graduating high school seniors in our community.

*Images courtesy of Seminole Hard Rock.

Sharelines Eric Diaz won @TheCSOP @SHRPO #CSOP47: Larry Frank Memorial Charity Event benefiting @makeawishsfla!
After nearly 12 hours of play on Day 2, PokerStars ambassador Sam Grafton has topped a field of 74 entries to claim the title in the 10,200 Mystery Bounty event. The 2023 PokerStars EPT presented by Monte-Carlo Casino is well underway now and the first winner has been crowned, pocketing Grafton a total of 145,400.

Grafton overcame a huge heads-up deficit in order to claim the victory, his first of 2023. Grafton was on the edge of defeat multiple times in his heads-up battle with Sam Greenwood but managed to avoid disaster each and every time. The big turning point for the British poker pro was a two-outer he hit with pocket threes against the pocket jacks of Greenwood. Grafton took a commanding lead after the big double-up and finished the match just moments later.

The two players embraced in a hug after the match and Grafton admitted that he was very lucky to come out as the winner. "You deserved that one, Sam. Very unlucky, sorry about that." Grafton will take it any way he can as he joked earlier in the day that he was playing with the top 0.1% luckiest players in the world.

10,200 Mystery Bounty Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize (EUR) Prize (USD) 1st Sam Grafton United Kingdom  97,900 $107,604 2nd Sam Greenwood Canada  63,200 $69,464 3rd Conor Beresford United Kingdom  45,150 $49,625 4th Artur Martirosian Russia  34,750 $38,194 5th Maksim Vaskresenski Poland  26,700 $29,347 6th Julien Sitbon France  21,250 $23,356 7th Nacho Barbero Argentina  17,000 $18,685 8th Guram Andronikashvili United Kingdom  13,600 $14,948

Day 2 Action

There were 29 players who returned to their seats from Day 1 with late registration open for an additional two levels into Day 2. That encouraged plenty of action for the first hour with stacks coming and going throughout. When all was settled, a total of 74 entries were recorded and just 26 players made it to the first break.

In total, there was 370,000 up for grabs in the bounty prize pool, spread across 26 envelopes. The largest prize was the 50,000 envelope and two of them were made available. The first one belonged to Conor Beresford who was one of the first players to draw from the treasure chest. Couple that with four additional bounties, Beresford managed to walk away with 127,650.

Conor Beresford claimed one of the 50,000 bounties

The other top bounty went to Nacho Barbero who only picked up one knockout on the day. Barbero made good use of it, picking up 50,000 to go along with his seventh-place finish. The other big bounty winners included Erik Seidel (25,000) who failed to cash and Artur Martirosian (25,000) who bowed out in fourth place for an additional 34,750.

The chip lead in the early part of the day belonged to Felipe Ketzer who was dominating the field, but a slight overstep in aggression while chasing down the bounties led to Ketzer becoming the short stack at the hands of Grafton. Ketzer was eliminated just short of the money but was able to pick up a couple of bounties in the process.

The bubble belonged to Sosia Jiang who was grinding the short stack bit couldn't make it last any longer. Her big slick was no match for the suited connectors of Beresford and the money bubble burst on the very first hand. The rest of the field was guaranteed at least 8,700 and some of the min-cashes went the way of Kayhan Mokri, Joao Vieira, Paul Newey, and Guram Andronikashvili.

The eliminations at the final table slowed drastically with just six players left at the dinner break. Over the next two hours, Julien Sitbon was the only player eliminated in that time frame. Eventually, the blinds would catch up with the short stacks as Maksim Vaskresenski and Martirosian were forced to get their chips in the middle with subpar holdings.

It was a swingy match for the final three players who took turns taking the chip lead and spent their fair share on the short stack. Beresford eventually bowed out in third place but not without the dramatics as all three players had their entire stack in the middle at the same time. Greenwood's pocket jacks prevailed which left him as a massive favorite entering heads-up with Grafton.

Greenwood was on the brink of capturing another title multiple times in the heads-up match but a combination of bad luck or no luck at all left the Canadian frustrated. In the end, Greenwood went for the hero call on the river but Grafton was able to turn over the goods with a straight to earn the victory. It is expected that many, if not all of these players, will be back in the ring tomorrow when the single-day 25,000 event takes place.

That wraps up this event for PokerNews but keep it tuned in here as there will be plenty more action over the next week at the 2023 EPT Monte Carlo.
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Republicans have been funneling all manner of issues to judges they know are sympathetic and unreasonable; for example, theres a 5th district court in northern Texas where sanity reliably goes to die.

This is where the Trump judge overturned the abortion pills approval from the FDA, an federal organization over which he does not have oversight.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is calling it out and pushing to end the dangerous practice.

In a letter sent to PoliticusUSA by the Leaders press office, the Senate Majority Leader pointed out that litigants can now effectively choose which judge will hear their cases, undermining free and fair trials and urged the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, David Godbey, to reform the District Courts method of assigning cases.

Schumer highlighted the math, which does look blatantly unfair, Even though there are 16 total judges who could hear cases, many divisions of the District have only one or two judges who will be assigned if a civil case is filed there. Plaintiffs have taken unfair advantage of this practice to hand-pick district judges who they see as sympathetic to their cases.

The only way Republicans could have found a judge Right wing enough to try to muscle out the FDA, without knowledge or expertise on the issue, no less  was to find a Trump-appointed judge with a history of (some of it hidden in the lead up to his confirmation) far right activism on the issue of abortion and LBGTQ rights.

They found that man in Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a controversial appointee with a history of hostility to the LGBTQ community and to womens health and now the only U.S. district judge in the Amarillo division of the Northern Texas District.

Schumer took issue with the fact that because Kacsmarky is the only judge in that division, any case filed there will be assigned to him. Thats functioning like picking a favorable decision rather than assigning a case.

Currently, Judge Kacsmarky is the only judge in the Amarillo Division and subsequently any case filed there will necessarily be assigned to him. In his past rulings, Kacsmarky has shown himself to be sympathetic to the anti-abortion movement, and it is clear that he was targeted specifically for this purpose. His ruling was unprecedented  marking the first time a judge has taken a drug off the market against the objections of the FDA.

Schumer then pointed out that there is no legal requirement to function this way, citing recent precedent in Texas due to judge shopping concerns, Last year, the Western District of Texas changed its case-assignment rules for patent cases filed in Waco.

The Democratic Leader also pointed out that other districts  such as the Northern District of New York  assign cases randomly among all district judges currently serving.

The judge shopping has gotten out of control in Texas to the extent that the Department of Justice has accused Texas of funneling its litigation against the Biden administration to courthouses  often in remote parts of the state  where a single, pre-determined judge is assigned most or all of the cases.

That sounds like the opposite of justice.

The Department of Justice made that point in a brief filed February 28, 2023 (edited for clarity and brevity):

The Office of the Attorney General of Texas has now admitted that it filed this case in the Victoria Division to ensure it would be heard by Judge Tipton: The case is being filed in Victoria, quite frankly, Your Honor, because of our experience with you. Plaintiffs have handpicked [a particular judge] to decide the particular case or motion in question. That admission is critical. Judge-shopping doubtless disrupts the proper functioning of the judicial system. Standing Comm. on Discipline of U.S. Dist. Ct. for Cent. Dist. of California v. Yagman It does so by contraven[ing] the very purpose of random assignment, which is to prevent judge-shopping by any party, thereby enhancing public confidence in the assignment process. Coates v. SAIA Motor Freight Line, LLC.

The Justice Department has lost two judge shopping cases in Texas, the second one being the Kacsmaryk abortion pill case.

The Washington Post explained in March how judge shopping works to get the desired outcome, In the three lawsuits over Biden administration policies, the attorneys general for Texas and a group of other states filed in rural federal courthouses, each staffed by a lone judge with a reputation for ruling against Democratic administration policies. In contrast, most federal court divisions across the country include multiple judges, who are assigned at random to cases as they are filed.

At risk of repeating myself, conservatives have literally taken classes at CPAC from Hungarys Prime Minister Viktor Orban on how to achieve autocratization in a free, democratic country. (The instruction is deliberately mislabeled, its not admitting its true goal.)

There are multiple approaches involving the media and taking control of education (already happening here in Florida, for example) but the big achievements come from using the court system to make it legal to steal rights from people and give your party more power.

Back in 2018, Orban and his party ruling party rammed a law through parliament that poses a new threat to the independence of the countrys judiciary. The law creates a separate administrative court system that will handle cases directly affecting basic human rights, such as elections, right to asylum, right to assembly, and complaints of police violence.

Cut to 2022 and Hungary is no longer considered a full democracy. The lack of decisive EU action has contributed to the emergence of a hybrid regime of electoral autocracy, i.e. a constitutional system in which elections occur, but respect for democratic norms and standards is absent, MEPs say.

Respect for democratic norms and standards is absent.

We are witnessing the lack of respect for democratic norms and standards all around the U.S.

The question now is does anyone have the will to take it on before its too late?

Schumers letter is a good start and the DOJ has already been fighting, but all of these fights need to be escalated appropriately now. There is no time to wait.

**************

The full letter:

Dear Chief Judge Godbey:

I write to you today urging you to reform the method of assigning cases to judges in your federal district. As Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, you have the authority to files orders governing how cases filed in your district are assigned to judges. Even though the Northern District has twelve active judges and another four senior judges who still hear cases, your orders provide that civil cases filed in many divisions are always assigned to a single judge, or to one of just a few. Cases filed in the Amarillo Division are always assigned to Judge Kacsmaryk; cases filed in the Wichita Falls Division are always assigned to Judge OConnor; and cases filed in the Abeline, Lubbock, and San Angelo Divisions are split between just two judges. As a result of your recent assignment orders, plaintiffs in your district can now effectively choose the judge who will hear their cases.

Unsurprisingly, litigants have taken advantage of these orders to hand-pick individual district judges seen as particularly sympathetic to their claims. The State of Texas itself is the most egregious example. It has sued the Biden Administration at least 29 times in Texas federal district courts, but it has not filed even one of those cases in Austin, where the Texas Attorney Generals office is located. Instead, Texas has always sued in divisions where case-assignment procedures ensure that a particular preferred judge or one of a handful of preferred judges will hear the case. That includes the Northern Districts Amarillo Division, where Texas has filed seven of its cases against the federal government. Many other litigants have done the same, including the Alliance Defending Freedom in its case challenging the FDAs approval of mifepristone.

Nothing requires the Northern District to let plaintiffs hand-pick their judges like this. Federal law splits the Northern District into seven divisions, but that is a geographical division only. The purpose of the split is to reduce travel times for jurors, criminal defendants, and other local litigants by allowing cases to be tried locally. Particularly with electronic filing, that division does not need to affect judicial assignments at all. Other district courts with many rural divisions divide civil cases randomly between all their judges, regardless of where the case is filed. The Northern District of New York islike the Northern District of Texasa geographically large district split into many divisions. But the Northern District of New York assigns all of its judges to all of its divisions and randomly divides all cases between all of them, regardless of where the cases are filed. A litigant in the Northern District of New York therefore cannot pick its judge by filing suit in Plattsburgh instead of Utica. The Western District of Missouri is similar. And the Western District of Texas last year changed its case-assignment rules for patent cases filed in Wacoapparently in response to forum-shopping concernsso that such cases are now randomly assigned between all eleven active judges in the district and one senior judge.

The Northern District of Texas could, and should, adopt a similar rule for all civil cases. Currently, a federal statute allows each district court to decide for itself how to assign cases. This gives courts the flexibility to address individual circumstances in their districts and among their judges. But if that flexibility continues to allow litigants to hand-pick their preferred judges and effectively guarantee their preferred outcomes, Congress will consider more prescriptive requirements.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer

United States Senator
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It is unknown what former vice president Mike Pence told the office of special counsel Jack Smith in his testimony, but he ran a red light fleeing the courthouse.

Video of Pence running the light:

Can report they ran a light pic.twitter.com/FcJqYQCBna  Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) April 27, 2023

NBC News reported:

Pences appearance came amid an increased security presence at the federal courthouse in Washington on Thursday. NBC News spotted multiple black SUVs with tinted windows entering the parking garage in the morning. Two black SUVs entered the courthouse garage at around 9 a.m., an entrance that would allow witnesses to head up to the grand jury rooms on the third floor without being seen in the public areas of the courthouse.

The SUVs left the courthouse at about 4:30 p.m.

Given the fact that the SUVs wasted no time getting out of there, with one even running a red light, it sure seems like it wasnt a fun day at the courthouse for the former vice president.

Pences testimony came hours after a federal appeals court rejected Trumps last-ditch attempt to try to block his former vice president from testifying.

Mike Pence testified for hours, and it is well known from other investigations and reports that Donald Trump tried to get him to violate the law and not certify the 2020 election.

Pence was able to dodge the 1/6 Committee and other investigations, but Jack Smith forced him to testify, and what Pence said could be terrible news for Trump and other coup plotters.
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Jack Smiths office has been busy.

Donald Trumps claims of election fraud were found to be false over and over again. But new reporting shows that a second firm retained by his campaign to find election fraud in 2020 also found nothing. In fact, the founder said, Every fraud claim I was asked to investigate was false.

That founder was recently questioned by the Justice Department, according to Josh Dawseys Washington Post interview.

Ken Block, the founder of Simpatico Software Systems, was hired by the Trump campaign in the weeks after the 2020 election to study more than a dozen voter fraud theories and allegations.

No substantive voter fraud was uncovered in my investigations looking for it, nor was I able to confirm any of the outside claims of voter fraud that I was asked to look at, he told the Post. Every fraud claim I was asked to investigate was false.

Block told the Post that not only had he sent his findings in writing to the Trump campaign in late 2020  that is, before the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol  but also that he recently received a subpoena from special counsel Jack Smiths office.

Block said he has met with federal prosecutors in Washington.

This is corroboration of the reveal in March of Trump paying another firm, the Berkeley Research Group, to produce a 29-page report that found no fraud in 2020.

Trump claimed in his infamous phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2, 2021 that thousands of dead people had voted in Georgia.

But the Berkeley report, dated the day before, said the opposite. In fact, they found only nine dead voters in Fulton County (dead voters is usually not fraud, it can be people who filled out an absentee ballot, for example).

The Berkeley report found no evidence of widespread fraud specifically in Georgia or Nevada, where Trumps lawyers had also falsely claimed in a court filing that 1,506 ballots were cast in the names of dead people.

Berkeley Research Group has also been talking with federal prosecutors. They have learned that the firms work was given to a number of top Trump aides, and that Trump was briefed on the research himself by Berkeley employees, people familiar with the project said, the Post adds.

There was no systemic election fraud in 2020, which was the most secure election in U.S. history.

But there were a lot of court filings that were based on known inaccuracies, apparently, and an attack on the U.S. Capitol incited by a former president who knew his claims that he had been cheated out of a win  he hadnt  were false as he was pushing the lie to his armed and angry supporters.
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In 2018, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) omitted key information from the committees report that cleared Brett Kavanaugh of the sexual assault allegations against him.

The Senate report claimed that Kavanaugh had been a victim of mistaken identity in the Deborah Ramirez allegation, but The Guardian found that the person who was blamed for the assault on Ramirez was a high school senior and not attending Yale at the time.

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Via: The Guardian:

Instead, Smith said it was a fellow classmate named Jack Maxey, who was a member of Kavanaughs fraternity, who allegedly had a reputation for exposing himself, and had once done so at a party. To back his claim, Smith also attached a photograph of Maxey exposing himself in his fraternitys 1988 yearbook picture.

The allegation that Ramirez was likely mistaken was included in the Senate committees final report even though Maxey  who was described but not named  was not attending Yale at the time of the alleged incident.

.Brett Kavanaugh is the poison fruit from a corrupted confirmation process. The FBI has since revealed that the investigation into the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh was a sham, with the Trump White House directing the FBI to forward tips about Kavanaughs behavior to them.

The Supreme Courts conservative majority is reeling from allegations of corruption and unethical behavior that include Justices Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch.

However, corruption isnt limited to the justices on the bench in the Supreme Court. It appears that Senate Republicans corrupted the confirmation process to get Brett Kavanaugh confirmed.

Republicans have revealed themselves to be a toxic party that is breaking and warping institutions for partisan political gain.
Newmont Corp. reported adjusted net income of $320 million, or 40 cents per share, and 1.27 million ounces of gold production for the first quarter, including 261,000 ounces of gold for its share of Nevada Gold Mines production, and stated that the first-quarter results were in line with expectations.

The average realized gold price was $1,906 per ounce, up from the average realized gold price of $1,892 per ounce in the first quarter of last year, and the gold price has been higher since the quarter ended on March 31, with the New York spot price on April 27 at $1,987.10 per ounce.

Newmont shows in the first-quarter report that a $100 per-ounce increase in the gold price delivers roughly $400 million more in free cash flow, and Interim Chief Financial Officer Brian Tabolt said in the earnings call that this higher gold price environment results in favorable inventory adjustments, as well as higher royalties and production taxes.

The Denver-based companys adjusted net income was down from $546 million, or 69 cents per share, in the first quarter of last year, and gold production was down from 1.34 million ounces in the first quarter of 2022, according to the earnings report.

Net income without adjustments was $339 million, compared with $432 million in the first quarter of the prior year, and revenue totaled $2.7 billion, down 11% from the first quarter of last year due to lower sales volumes for all metals except copper and lower average realized co-product metal prices, Newmont stated.

The adjusted net income of 40 cents per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 33 cents, and Newmont shares closed at $48.27, up $1.12.

Nevada Gold Mines production for Newmonts 38.5% ownership was down from 288,000 ounces in the 2022 quarter, and all-in sustaining costs were $1,405 per ounce in the 2023 quarter. NGM is operated by Barrick Gold Corp., which owns the remaining 61.5%.

Since transforming Newmonts business four years ago, we continue to lead the gold sector in sustainability, profitable gold production and shareholder returns due to the strength of our team and the quality of our world-class portfolio, Newmonts president and chief executive officer, Tom Palmer, said in the announcement.

Newcrest Mining

In the call, he covered Newmonts efforts to acquire Australia-based Newcrest Mining Co., stating that the companies are now in a due diligence period that ends May 11, so he cant provide many details, but the companys latest offer is for Newcrest shareholders to acquire 0.4% of Newmont shares.

He said the bid is best and firm unless a superior proposal emerges, and he presented a timeline that shows Newmont and Newcrest entered an exclusivity deed on April 10 to begin the due diligence period.

Our proposed acquisition would combine the assets and talents of two of the sectors top senior gold producers and set the new standard for safe, profitable gold mining, Palmer said.

Also on April 27, the companys board of directors declared a dividend of 40 cents per share for the first quarter, which is within the framework of the dividend policy that was calibrated at the mid-point of the $1,700 per-ounce range, according to Newmont, which issued its 2022 Sustainability Report on April 20.

The report on sustainability highlights included zero workplace fatalities in 2022 at its mining operations for the fourth year in a row, continued to work toward conformance with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management, distribution of $11 billion in direct contributions, such as salaries, taxes, royalties and contributions to communities.

Palmer said Newmont worked with Barrick on a detailed investigation of the Jan. 23 fatality at NGMs Goldstrike underground mine north of Carlin.

Along with the gold production from its operations, Newmont reported 288,000 ounces of co-product gold equivalent ounces from copper, silver, lead and zinc in the first quarter, and posted all-in sustaining costs of $1,376 per ounce that the company said were impacted by lower production volumes and continued global cost pressures. The all-in sustaining costs were up 19% from the first quarter of last year, $1,156 per ounce.

Newmont expects costs to decrease throughout this year, however.
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The wife of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts made $10.3 million in commissions from elite law firms.

Business Insider reported:

When I found out that the spouse of the chief justice was soliciting business from law firms, I knew immediately that it was wrong, the whistleblower, Kendal B. Price, who worked alongside Jane Roberts at the legal recruiting firm Major, Lindsey & Africa, told Insider in an interview. During the time I was there, I was discouraged from ever raising the issue. And I realized that even the law firms who were Janes clients had nowhere to go. They were being asked by the spouse of the chief justice for business worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and there was no one to complain to. Most of these firms were likely appearing or seeking to appear before the Supreme Court. Its natural that theyd do anything they felt was necessary to be competitive.

Roberts apparent $10.3 million in compensation puts her toward the top of the payscale for legal headhunters. Prices disclosures, which were filed under federal whistleblower-protection laws and are now in the hands of the House and Senate Judiciary committees, add to the mounting questions about how Supreme Court justices and their families financially benefit from their special status, an area that Senate Democrats are vowing to investigate after a series of disclosure lapses by the justices themselves.

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In other words, no elite law firm with business before the Supreme Court was going to turn down a the wife of the Chief Justice. Jane Roberts changed careers and became a legal headhunter two years after her husband became the Chief Justice, so this isnt a job she held before her husbands elevation on the Supreme Court.

For those keeping score, this is now four of the six conservative Supreme Court justices who have ethics issues. Thomas, Gorsuch, Alito, and Roberts have all been reported to have some ethical conflicts of interest. Brett Kavanaugh might not be on the Supreme Court if it were not for Senate Republicans withholding evidence from their investigation into sexual assault allegations made against him.

The Supreme Court isnt going to fix itself, and the SCOTUS majority has been corrupted. The nation has a crisis in the highest court in the land, and Congress must act.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Windy with a mix of clouds and sun. High 72F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low 46F. WNW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.
A city official has filed a lawsuit accusing an Aiken County resident of defaming him.

Aiken Attorney John Harte filed a lawsuit on behalf of Aiken Economic Development Director Tim O'Briant against Don Moniak and Eureka Research LLC in the Aiken County Court of Common Pleas on Wednesday.

O'Briant is a former Aiken Standard editor who became the city's communications manager in 2017. He was later promoted to economic development director.

Eureka Research LLC is a South Carolina limited liability company formed Aug. 17, 2022. Moniak is the company's registered agent at an address north of Interstate 20 in Aiken County.

O'Briant declined to comment on the lawsuit in a statement sent to the Aiken Standard on Thursday morning. In the statement, he added it was important to note he was pursuing the lawsuit as a private citizen and not in his role as a public employee.

Moniak said he had not been served with a copy of the lawsuit and, therefore, had no comment on it.

In the complaint, O'Briant accuses Moniak, individually and as an agent of Eureka Research, of slander per se and slander per quod.

He said Moniak has engaged in a pattern of harassment and making numerous attempts to publicly damage and harass him without just cause. O'Briant added the pattern of conduct is evidence of actual malice and reckless disregard for the truth.

O'Briant specifically cites two examples: an interaction that occurred during and after the April 10 city council meeting and a Feb. 17 email sent to officers and employees of the city.

Moniak stated O'Briant had committed a form of identity theft at the end of the April 10 meeting. His statement followed an interaction between them during the meeting and comments made by City Council member Andrea Gregory following that interaction.

During the meeting, O'Briant sat directly in front of the media table in the Aiken City Council chambers and Moniak, as is his custom, sat a few rows further toward the Aiken City Council dais, providing an Aiken Standard reporter of a first-hand view of their interaction.

Moniak, who spoke during the public comment period, got up from his seat and moved toward the back of the room as the City Council discussed and ultimately continued consideration of an ordinance dissolving the Aiken Municipal Development Commission.

As he returned to his seat, Moniak began shouting to the council during the council discussion.

O'Briant told him to "Shush" and that the time for public input had ended.

Moniak responded that no one cared what O'Briant thought anyway.

Before the council adjourned, Gregory addressed Moniak's comments to O'Briant.

"I can't sit here and allow people to backtalk aggressively to our staff," Gregory said. "We listen. We take all points. We may not always agree but I'm not going to sit here and not point out that I'm not going to allow anyone to disrespect our staff."

Though the time for public input had ended, Moniak asked when the city's staff had been disrespected and Gregory responded that Moniak's comments to O'Briant were inappropriate and she would not allow comments like that to occur in the chamber.

Moniak turned to O'Briant and offered an apology.

The council then adjourned and O'Briant approached Moniak after the meeting ended.

The two may have spoken for a few seconds before Moniak began speaking loudly to O'Briant.

"No, I don't want to talk to you," Moniak said according to audio captured by the YouTube recording of the meeting.

Moniak said O'Briant had filled out a Freedom of Information Act request form using his personal information.

After Moniak left, O'Briant said Moniak had contacted him for information. He said it is his custom to fill out a Freedom of Information Act request form when people request information from him to allow the city and the requestor to track their request.

"I'm glad you just admitted that," Moniak continued. "That's identity theft, Tim."

O'Briant then walked away from Moniak toward the council dais and the room where the council holds executive sessions.

Moniak followed but stopped at the dais and told the council O'Briant had admitted to filling out the Freedom of Information Act request form for him and that he expected O'Briant to face disciplinary action.

Moniak continued to speak to the council until he was approached by Sgt. Joe O'Connor and another police officer and repeatedly asked to leave the chamber. The other officer told Moniak he could express his concerns with O'Briant's behavior at the April 24 city council meeting.

Moniak did not attend the April 24 meeting.

O'Briant also accused Moniak of publishing, with actual malice or reckless disregard for the truth, false and defamatory statements in a Feb. 17, 2023 email to "various officers and employees of the city of Aiken."

O'Briant said Moniak's email accused him of being a liar  "I have accurately documented Mr. Tim O'Briant's lies."  and altering Freedom of Information Act requests: "I have ample documentation that Mr. O'Briant has altered FOIA requests."

O'Briant said Moniak's statements are slanderous per quod and slanderous per se because the statements individually and together state O'Briant committed the crime of misconduct in office.

"All of the statements made by the defendant Moniak were and are false and, upon information and belief, were known by the defendant Moniak to be false or were made by the defendant Moniak with actual malice or with reckless disregard for the truth," O'Briant said in the suit.

He adds he has suffered embarrassment, humiliation, mental distress and emotional distress because of Moniak's statements.

"The defamation has and will cause difficulties for the Plaintiff in his work and in his dealings with the members of [city] council and other city officials," O'Briant continued in the suit. "The defamation affects the Plaintiffs professional standing and limits and has damaged his future ability to earn and increase his earnings in the future."

O'Briant then said he's entitled to a judgment against Moniak and Eureka Research for actual and punitive damages in such an amount found by the court and jury.
COLUMBIA  The latest push to outlaw nearly all abortions in South Carolina is over for the year, as senators who oppose a ban from conception stood their ground and scuttled the bill.

Senators voted 22-21 on April 27 to "continue" the measure, which means it can't be taken up again until next year.

And Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey made clear there's no appetite in the Senate to make another doomed attempt in 2024 for a bill with limited exceptions to an all-out ban.

As passed by the House in February, the bill allowed abortions for women who are victims of rape or incest  but only through 12 weeks  to prevent the mother's death or lifelong health problems, or when the fetus is not expected to survive outside the womb.

"The Senate does not have the votes to pass a ban before six weeks," the Edgefield Republican said after the vote, a statement he's made repeatedly since September.

The last three days of debate proved it yet again as senators failed four times to muster the 26 votes necessary to end a filibuster. The count only worsened as the debate dragged on, falling from three votes short to five.

"I'm disappointed but not surprised," said Massey, who has consistently supported a near-total ban while being publicly frank about its chances in the Senate. "We gave it our best shot. It's up to the House now."

That bill's defeat tossed the possibility of any further abortion restrictions before 5 months back to House Republicans, who have refused to take up a Senate bill known as the six-week ban.

That measure, which outlaws abortions once an ultrasound detects cardiac activity, is largely the "fetal heartbeat" law the state Supreme Court threw out in January as violating the state constitution, with some tweaks that aim to flip the court's decision.

It appears the session will end May 11 the same way last year's extended session ended  with House and Senate Republicans unable to break a stalemate and pass anything on abortion.

"The House has two weeks to save as many lives as possible," Massey said, urging House leaders to take up the Senate bill.

That seems unlikely.

"I dont think we have the votes," House Majority Leader Davey Hiott, R-Pickens, said after the Senate adjourned. "We have six (legislative) days left. That kind of puts us in a bind. Time is not on our side."

Rep. John McCravy, the author of the House bill, offered more finality.

"I dont see a path forward at all on that (Senate) bill," said the Greenwood Republican, adding that he thinks justices would throw it out, too.

Amid the impasse, South Carolina's abortion numbers are rising as women from neighboring states come here to end their pregnancies. The 22-week ban makes South Carolina the least-restrictive state in the Southeast, other than Virginia, as other legislatures clamped down following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling last June that tossed the legality of abortions back to states.

Nearly half of the 2,927 women provided abortions in South Carolina the first three months of 2023 came from another state, according to provisional data from the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.

"It's happening in scary numbers," said Sen. Penry Gustafson, R-Camden, who called for a compassionate resolution.

She was among the Senate's five women, who refer to themselves as sister senators, leading the filibuster.

They took the podium in turns following a speech from the chamber's chief abortion foe, Sen. Richard Cash, who read from the Bible and compared abortions to the murderous regime of Joseph Stalin and the evils of slavery.

"Only mankind bears the image of God," said the Powdersville Republican, citing from Genesis, as well as Psalm 131 that humans are "fearfully and wonderfully made."

That's true, said Sen. Mia McLeod.

"We are fearfully and wonderfully made, by God, not man, so it was God who decided women and only women are capable of giving birth," said the Columbia independent. "If He wanted our male-dominated Legislature to make that decision, He wouldve given them the biological ability and equipment. But He didn't."

Gustafson went into detailed explanation on what happens to a woman's body throughout pregnancy and the possible medical dangers at every step of the way. If schools taught girls that reality and their birth control options, instead of focusing on abstinence-only sex education, there would be fewer unwanted pregnancies, she said.

"Theres been a lot of preaching, and I understand that, but some of it has sounded condescending, demeaning, cold and judgmental," she said, countering with other Scripture, including the opening of Matthew 7: "Judge not, that ye be not judged."

"This bill leaves no room for empathy or reality or graciousness," she continued. "We need to protect the unborn, but also need to protect women."

The chamber's three GOP females were among the six Republicans who never backed off their position, a week after anti-abortion activists left vertebrae models in their offices with messages to "grow a spine." It was among lobbying efforts that only solidified their opposition.

"I found that to be an inspiration to stand up stronger for all the issues that have no lobbying groups," Sen. Katrina Shealy, R-Lexington, said about the plastic spine.

Known as the children's senator for championing issues for kids in foster care, juvenile detention and human trafficking victims, Shealy said it's infuriating to be called a "baby killer" by anti-abortion activists.

"Call me a child saver," she said, inviting her colleagues to spend time with children who desperately want to be part of a loving home. "The kids I support dont threaten you. They dont protest outside of your church and call you nasty names in front of your kids and grandkids."

Such nastiness over the last few months helps explain why opposition to the bill has only hardened since the Senate rejected a similar ban last fall and why it's unlikely to be debated in 2024, Massey said.

"Theres nothing persuasive about that," he said about some abortion foes' tactics. "Actually it is, but persuasive the other direction."
The failed lender had no branches in South Carolina but had underwritten several dozen home mortgages in Charleston County over the past decade. Read moreFirst Republic Bank seized, sold in fire sale to JPMorgan Chase
SPARKS  Elko District Judge Mason Simons was recently recognized by the Supreme Court of Nevada with a Certificate of Distinguished Achievement in Judicial Education.

Judge Simons was presented the certificate by Chief Justice Lidia S. Stiglich of the Nevada Supreme Court at a conference of the Nevada District Judges Association held this week in Sparks.

This certificate is given to the few Nevada judges who complete at least 640 hours of continuing judicial education.

The certificate stated that the Honorable Mason Simons having demonstrated approval and support of court improvement through continuing judicial education, has completed with honor and distinction the academic curriculum authorized by statute and prescribed by the Judicial Department of the State of Nevada.

It also commended Simons for his  valuable personal contribution to improvement of the quality of the judiciary in the State of Nevada.

Judges are required to complete 13 hours of continuing judicial education every year. This training is provided at judicial conferences, the National Judicial College, and other judicial education and legal seminars nationwide. It includes such areas as the rules of evidence, substance abuse, judicial demeanor and ethics, recent Supreme Court decisions affecting the courts, mental health, and criminal/civil procedure.

Simons completed far more than the required hours, having earned extra hours by teaching classes to fellow Nevada judges on issues such as evidence and judicial independence.

Judge Simons has made education a focus of his career, and is a frequent presenter to local school groups, youth programs, law enforcement professionals and attorneys. Earlier this month, Simons hosted two of Taylor Ricaportes criminal justice classes from Elko High School in his courtroom to discuss the criminal justice process, along with colleagues from the Justice Court, District Attorneys Office and Public Defenders Office.

He has also spoken to hundreds of Elko County elementary school students, distributing backpacks and books, as part of the Reading and Robes initiative at the National Judicial College.

Judge Simons currently serves as the Juvenile Judge of the Fourth Judicial District Court, and as part of those duties oversees the operations of the Court Masters Office, Juvenile Probation Department and the Juvenile Detention Center.

Simons also serves on the Education Committee of the Nevada District Judges Association where he is tasked with helping to develop the educational curriculum that will be presented at the associations annual educational conference held each summer.

This education and experience benefits the people of Elko County directly by having a judge who understands his judicial role, is familiar with current developments in various areas of the law, and is up to speed on judicial best practices so that we can best serve the citizens of this great community, Simons said.
COLUMBIA  The State Law Enforcement Division unveiled its new forensic services laboratory April 27, displaying an analysis capability that's a far cry from when the agency hired its first firearms and fingerprint examiner in 1947.

The $62.8 million lab will allow the agency to better address "emerging threats" in South Carolina, such as gun violence and the proliferation of fentanyl, Todd Hughey, the lab's director, said during the dedication ceremony. It will also help SLED track and analyze sexual assault, he added.

"This new facility will continue to enable SLED to allocate recourses and improve efficiencies as we provide forensic analysis, reporting and testimony for hundreds of law enforcement agencies, coroners and judicial circuits around this state," Hughey said.

It's now home to 12 different disciplines of the agency's forensics work, including analyzing firearms, DNA casework, trace evidence, computer crimes and toxicology, such as alcohol and drug testing.

That analysis capability includes an indoor firing range, where analysts can shoot at a target or a water-filled recovery tank to see bullet fragment patterns or the markings from a gun barrel.

In other rooms, analysts soak shell casings to test for DNA evidence, test evidence in arson cases and operate scanning electron microscopes. A mock crime scene on the building's ground floor features a dummy with a fatal bullet wound and a wall where employees can model blood splatter.

The 117,672-square-foot lab, located on Broad River Road near the northwestern edge of Columbia, will employee 180 workers, according to SLED. It replaces the previous lab space at the agency's headquarters, giving workers and machines more space and better climate control.

The agency finished its move to the new facility in December, after construction first began in March 2020. State lawmakers appropriated funds for the project in July 2018, after SLED had requested a new lab for years, citing a need for more space and cooling, The Post and Courier previously reported.

Political leaders at the dedication ceremony praised the new building, including Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who highlighted the limited space SLED staff had to operate in their old building.

"What looked like a closet, you could open the door and see a whole team of people and equipment packed in a closet, getting the job done for the people of South Carolina," she said, recounting a visit to the old lab when she first became lieutenant governor.

SLED's Chief Mark Keel called the opening of the new lab a "milestone" for the state, and emphasized the importance of the experts who do the actual work and analysis in the lab.

"We can have the best equipment, we can have the best facility ... but if we don't have great people, we have nothing," he said.

Click here for more news from Columbia, S.C.
A simple switch might divert crucial blood flow around a clog in a tube and keep babies who need a heart transplant alive longer, innovators at Medical University of South Carolina said.

That was one of the winning pitches delivered during the Charleston Division Shark Tank competition, one of four that MUSC hosted across the state this year during Innovation Week in South Carolina. There were 128 ideas submitted this year by teams representing 800 people, said Jesse Goodwin, chief innovation officer for MUSC.

Each of the Charleston winners, which were divided into Care, Research and Education categories, received up to $15,000 to help fund their projects.

Second-year medical students Curry Sherard and Savannah Skidmore won in the Research category for their idea of a switch to add to a tube on a device that assists blood flow in babies born with major heart defects. The switch and the devices can help keep the babies alive long enough to receive a heart transplant.

Babies are sometimes born with major heart defects, such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome, where the left side of the heart failed to develop properly and the baby struggles to pump oxygen-saturated blood into the body. A ventricular assist device helps with that blood flow, but it can also suffer "suction events" where the tube taking blood from the heart accidentally sucks in heart tissue, causing the tube to clog. Sometimes it resolves in seconds without harm, but if it clogs longer it can have devastating consequences, Sherard said.

It is one of the reasons half the babies that go on the device die before they can get one of the scarce donor hearts, Skidmore said. Infants waiting for a heart have the highest mortality rate of any group awaiting organs, Sherard said.

There are currently 90 babies less than a year old awaiting a donor heart, and 18 have been waiting more than six months, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

Their idea would be a switch that could seal off the clogged area and either divert blood around it or to holes on the side of the tube that open when the device is engaged. They are working on prototypes and part of their funding would go to 3D-printed models that could then be tested on pig hearts.

Because the suction problem rarely occurs with the adult version of the devices, it is not a problem the industry is focused on solving, Skidmore said. The adult market is so much larger that "big corporations have more of an incentive to work on adult problems whereas this is equally as important, just not as lucrative," she said.

Buying the babies time to transplant over months also allows them to grow, which will help, Sherard said.

"As they get larger, outcomes get better," she said. "But weve got to get them there."

Among the other winners were Drs. Michelle Spiegel and Andrew Goodwin. They led a team that won the Care category for their idea of a simplified decision tool added to the electronic health record that would let providers know when a central venous catheter placed in a patient might need to be removed. Those catheters, which are placed in large veins to deliver fluids or medications, can become a source of hospital-acquired infection when left in too long.

Dr. Edward Kilb won the Education category for a curriculum that helps boost medical students' skills and confidence in using ultrasound to place a central line in a patient.

The Midlands competition in Columbia was won by a project to better help patients find their way from the parking lot to the clinic and the best idea in the Lancaster draw was helping families of kidney transplant recipients with expenses by creating a room in the hospital where they can stay while the patient is there.

In Florence, the winning idea was a sling to help men deal with swelling in the groin area.
Like me, photographer Cathy Therrell was born in the Pine Tree State of Maine, although she was way up north in Bangor, while my hometown was Portland. Cathy was just there until the second grade when her dad, who was in the Air Force, then moved the family to Massachusetts. He later had the Read moreInterview with photographer Cathy Therrell
GOOSE CREEK  A former police officer who kept on his phone pornographic photos of an underage student he was supposed to protect has pleaded guilty to misconduct in office.

Conrad Sands Stayton, of Summerville, was fired from the Goose Creek Police Department in March 2022 after it investigated a complaint that he displayed inappropriate behavior with a student at Stratford High School, where Stayton worked as a school resource officer.

The State Law Enforcement Division subsequently arrested the 41-year-old man on allegations he maintained pornographic images on his phone of the 17-year-old student and failed to take "any documented action to intervene," according to affidavits.

Stayton was charged in August with misconduct in office and third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor  a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The spokesman for the Attorney General's Office, Robert Kittle, said April 28 that prosecutors believed the misconduct charge, which is a misdemeanor offense, was more appropriate based on facts discovered during the investigation.

Stayton, as part of his agreement, also gave up "any and all rights and/or privileges I may have in the future to serve as a law enforcement officer" in South Carolina or anywhere else in the country.

It is unclear how that provision will be enforced.

S.C. Criminal Justice Academy Maj. Florence McCants said the agency does not have the power to enforce the agreement beyond the state. Kittle said that, generally, someone could be held in contempt of court for violating stipulations of a judge's sentence.

SLED investigators executing a search warrant at Stayton's home said they located a phone under his mattress that contained images of the victim engaged in sexual activity as early as December 2021  before the victim had turned 18.

SLED Special Agent Rebecca Gregg testified at a preliminary hearing in December that Stayton had an obligation to protect the victim from exploiting herself. Stayton knew the victim had negative sexual encounters in her past and suffered from mental health issues, the state investigator said.

Staytons attorney, Brady Vannoy, presented the victim's affidavit at the same hearing. In it, she wrote she was seeking attention when she sent Stayton revealing images of herself, but he repeatedly told her to stop, according to Vannoy. The victim claimed in the affidavit that she and Stayton did not engage in a romantic relationship while she was a student at Stratford.

The criminal investigation also ensnared Stayton's supervisor, Shelly Love Ollic, who was charged with misconduct in office.

Authorities allege the 53-year-old former lieutenant knew Stayton maintained an inappropriate relationship with the student  including spending time with her in his hotel room on a police-sponsored trip to Myrtle Beach  but did not take action to stop it.

The Goose Creek Police Department terminated Ollic. Her case is still pending in Berkeley County's General Sessions Court.

The victim's parents filed a civil suit in February against Ollic, Stayton, Goose Creek Police Chief LJ Roscoe, the city of Goose Creek and the Berkeley County School District. The complaint, which was filed in Berkeley County's Court of Common Pleas and removed to Charleston's U.S. District Court, accuses the defendants of negligence and recklessness.

Attorneys for the city and its police chief filed a motion earlier this month to dismiss the lawsuit. A spokeswoman for the school district did not respond to a request for comment April 28.
This story was originally published by ProPublica.

When attorneys arrived for oral arguments in South Carolinas high-profile abortion case last fall, state Supreme Court Justice Kaye Hearn took her seat up front, a ruffly white shirt beneath her black robe, the only woman on the dais. With piercing blue eyes, she scanned the courtroom.

A sea of White men jammed one side of the room. Before them, at a wooden table, sat three male attorneys there to argue in favor of the states law banning abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy.

On the other side of the room, a group composed mostly of women crowded benches behind a female attorney who had challenged the law.

Even in these polarized times, the starkness of the divide stunned Hearn.

South Carolinas high court was among the first to hear an abortion law challenge after the U.S. Supreme Court released its Dobbs v. Jackson decision last June, overturning the countrys landmark abortion rights case Roe v. Wade and kicking the combustible issue to the states. Hearn knew the nation was watching. But she didnt anticipate that the arguments about to begin in that divided courtroom would contribute to an even starker gender divide on the court where she sat.

Three months later, on Jan. 5, the justices struck down the deep red states abortion law. By a 3-2 vote, the majority ruled that the law violated the states constitutional right to privacy. Hearn wrote the lead opinion, a capstone of sorts given she had reached the mandatory retirement age of 72.

While abortion rights supporters rejoiced, the ruling outraged the General Assemblys new supermajority of Republicans, many of whom derided her as an activist jurist. They also saw an opening.

In South Carolina, unlike all but one other state, the legislature alone selects judges. And in just a few weeks, they would vote on Hearns replacement.

The three candidates, whod been put forward by a legislative commission, were all widely respected judges on the state Court of Appeals: one man, two women. Both women had longer tenures on the states second-highest court than the man. One had beat him before: Shed won over legislators in the 2014 race for her appeals court seat. He arrived three years later.

It wasnt certain how any of the candidates might rule on an abortion case. (Before Dobbs, federal courts handled nearly all abortion law.) Nor were the candidates political views obvious; state judicial canon strictly forbids commentary on controversies or issues that may come before the court.

But before lawmakers could cast their votes, the overwhelmingly male lot of Republicans rallied behind the male candidate, Gary Hill, ultimately creating the only all-male state Supreme Court in the nation.

Its all kind of clandestine, cloak and dagger, said Barbara Rackes, president of SC Women in Leadership, which works to boost womens influence and representation in the state. It was not happening in the committee chamber or on the floor. The decision was made in the backroom.

As Republican lawmakers coalesced behind Hill, people who know the female candidates described them as grappling with intense pressure to withdraw quickly. Neither judge responded to requests from ProPublica for comment. Hearn said she had spoken to both, and they were very hurt by the process.

Democratic Rep. Beth Bernstein, an attorney on the state House Judiciary Committee who also chairs the House womens caucus, called outrage over the abortion decision the reason we dont have a Supreme Court justice who is a female. A contingent of lawmakers felt a woman couldnt vote on this issue objectively maybe, which is mind-boggling to me because its impact on women is most substantial.

Justice Hearn agreed: I do think the fact that he was a man was important to some of them.

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Republican Rep. Micah Caskey, a former prosecutor, said he supported Hill because of the acumen he witnessed during Hills 13-year tenure on the circuit bench. But he said the abortion ruling, so fresh at the time, motivated other Republicans.

There are certainly people who voted for Judge Hill on the basis of their understanding of where he would be on abortion, Caskey said.

Following Dobbs, South Carolinas race underscores the newly starring role of states top courts in determining abortion access  and the resulting impact on who gets chosen to serve on them. The machinations have left many in the state fearing increased politicization of their already unusual judicial selection process, which gives near-total power to politicians.

Consequences of an all-male high court are especially pronounced in this state, which consistently ranks at the bottom of lists measuring womens well-being.

Women there already have among the weakest representation in the country. Only 14.7 percent of state lawmakers are women. The house speaker and pro tem are men. Ditto for the senate president. The governor is a man. (The lieutenant governor is a woman.)

Only two women have ever served on the states Supreme Court.

And now there are none.

Stronghold of men

All three judges who vied for the seat are highly regarded in legal circles across the state. Among them, Judge Aphrodite Konduros brought the most experience.

After almost 15 years on the Court of Appeals, she had written more than 400 opinions, signed on to another 800 and served far longer than the other two candidates. The granddaughter of immigrants, she also had been a family court judge and served as counsel for two state agencies.

Earlier in her career, Judge Stephanie McDonald left a law firm during a very difficult pregnancy, then started her own firm so that she could best raise her daughter. She persevered to become a successful trial attorney, circuit judge and appellate judge  the seat she took after beating the male candidate she would face again for the Supreme Court post.

But the women also worked in a state long known for its good old boy culture and the generational legal legacies that elevate certain men in the halls of its courthouses  and in its Statehouse. These men enjoy long-standing relationships with their fellow male attorneys in the legislature, which, in turn, holds near-total power over electing judges.

A key gatekeeper in the process is the states Judicial Merit Selection Commission, a group comprising mostly legislators who screen candidates and choose up to three they deem qualified for each open seat. The entire General Assembly then votes on them.

At a commission hearing in November to interview the candidates, then-Chairman Luke Rankin, a powerful Republican senator, welcomed Hill with familiarity.

Obviously, I know you. We were in law school together. I think maybe Im substantially older than you, but we were there at similar times. But your father and my father were contemporaries, he said before lauding Hills late father, a former president of the South Carolina Bar whom he described as legendary.

I remember meeting him when you and I were punks at Hilton Head with the thought of law school perhaps ahead of us, Rankin said.

Hill, who can trace his family lineage in South Carolina back at least to the 1850s, also clerked for former 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge William Wilkins, an esteemed figure in the states judicial circles. After clerking, Hill went on to join his fathers law firm, and they later opened a firm together.

Yet, early on, it appeared at least one of the women had a decent shot, especially in a contest to replace the only female justice. Hearn and others figured Konduros was the likely front-runner. Although quick to praise all three judges, she called Konduros one of our superstars.

Then, on Jan. 5, came the abortion ruling.

At the time, a new far-right group freshly empowered by gains in Novembers election had grabbed hold of the partys right flank on abortion. Called the Freedom Caucus, its 18 members were determined to get a justice who would uphold a future abortion ban. None of the members ProPublica contacted would comment.

Joining with other Republicans, they coalesced around the male judge, leaving many to wonder if that support stemmed from two intermingled factors: abortion and gender.

Nothing in the judicial record of the two female candidates seemed to be at issue. It was entirely their gender that disqualified them, said Lynn Teague, a lobbyist for the League of Women Voters of South Carolina.

But Republican lawmakers insist they saw important differences among the candidates.

Rep. Anne Thayer said far more people in the legal community in her district, which sits in a conservative part of the state not far from where Hill lives, contacted her to praise him. Konduros was also seen as Hearns close friend and perhaps hand-picked successor. I think that probably hurt her a lot due to Hearns opinion in the abortion case, Thayer said.

McDonald, meanwhile, had practiced law with Republican Sen. Sandy Senn, who opposes the strictest abortion bans, creating the perception she might be like-minded, several lawmakers said.

Republican Rep. Sylleste Davis said of her vote for Hill: Im focused on the person I think is best for the job.

She was among a group of lawmakers who met privately with the candidates to question each of them. She said she came away most impressed by Hill: I could tell he was very thoughtful about every question and every answer.

Republican Rep. Matt Leber had a similar experience meeting with the three candidates after the abortion ruling. He said Hill can quote the Federalist Papers and all this, and he just outshined the other two.

McDonald came across as completely capable, he said. Konduros did, as well, although Leber said she came across as a bit more aggressive and abrasive. That wasnt a deal-breaker for him, he said, but given all three candidates were impressive, every little thing counts.

For many women, that observation may echo expectations that they soften their edges so men dont find their assertiveness off-putting. One former judge said this can be especially challenging for female judges who must control their courtrooms  and the men who appear before them  to ensure fair and proper proceedings.

Some Republicans also said that Hill struck them as the most reliably strict constructionist  meaning he will interpret the literal meaning of language when it was written  something of key importance given they had blasted the abortion ruling as judicial activism.

But when ProPublica asked several of them to name a specific appeals court case in which Hill ruled in a way that made him appear more of a strict constructionist than either female judge, none of them did.

Intense pressure

On Jan. 17, mere hours after the judges were allowed to begin seeking vote pledges from lawmakers, the two female candidates bowed out. The move shocked some observers, who accused Republicans of backroom deals and partisanship that pushed the women to quickly withdraw.

That would be like me running for Senate, and then on the day of the election I pull out 15 minutes before the polls open, said Senn, the Republican who practiced law with McDonald until a decade ago.

In South Carolina, judicial candidates cannot seek commitments  nor can lawmakers give them  until the Judicial Merit Selection Commission issues its final report regarding judges qualifications. It released that report on Jan. 17 at noon.

The House GOP caucus met that morning. Several legislators told ProPublica that one of the female judges began communicating to close supporters that she was withdrawing around that time, before any votes could be legally offered or tallied.

At 4:40 p.m., the commissions counsel emailed members notifying them that both women had formally withdrawn, lawmakers said.

It is customary for judicial candidates who lack support to politely back out before the legislature formally votes. But that doesnt typically happen before at least a few days of jockeying once everyone can discuss pledges.

You could not have run around the House floor fast enough to solicit votes before the two bowed out, Teague said.

Senn soon publicly voiced allegations that shed heard her colleagues in the Republican House caucus had conducted a secret poll before they were allowed to pledge commitments  then used the result to force the women out.

Republican Sen. Katrina Shealy, once the only woman in the Senate, said pressure on the women meant that anyone who wasnt in the House caucus meeting, particularly senators and Democrats, had almost no time to pledge  and try to spread support  for them. She said that she didnt doubt Hills talent but was angry the women dropped out without more of a fight. We had two qualified women running and didnt have an opportunity to vote for them, she said.

Citing caucus confidentiality, nearly all House Republicans reached by ProPublica refused to address whether they took a poll that morning. Speaker Murrell Smith declined to be interviewed, although a spokesperson said the speaker maintains the allegations are baseless.

The few Republicans who would discuss the caucus meeting denied wrongdoing.

I dont think that there were any lines that were crossed or anything like that, said Republican Rep. Neal Collins, who sits on the House Ethics Committee. Nobody was forced into commitments. Nobody asked for any commitments. Nobody made any commitments.

Caskey, who was vice chair of the Judicial Merit Selection Commission at the time and is now chairman, is a former prosecutor who also sits on the House Ethics Committee. He wouldnt elaborate on the caucus meeting other than to say they discussed the race, but he noted that decisions made there are not binding regardless.

Yet, even to him, the womens withdrawal came unusually early: I cant recall any other instance of a judge in any race or any candidates  certainly not both, or certainly not two of three candidates  getting out of the race on the first day.

As the clock ticked on Jan. 17, Hearn began receiving messages that the women lacked support.

My heart sank, she said. I was devastated.

A few days later, Senn blasted her Republican colleagues for pushing out two qualified women. We know it isnt really about the smartest judge or the best candidates, she told the Senate. It is about who you know will demand forced birth.

In early February, 140 of the states 170 legislators voted for Hill, the only candidate left. Eight voted against him; three voted present. None of the five women in the 46-member Senate cast a vote in his favor.

Shealy was among those who voted present. It was a statement, she said.

History repeating

Back in 1999, Hearn was elected the first female chief judge of the state appeals court on the same day the first and only woman on the Supreme Court was elected its chief justice. A decade later, Hearn joined Justice Jean Toal on the high court.

As other states set records for electing female justices, Toal and Hearn remain the only two women to reach South Carolinas highest court. Many other Deep South states arent faring much better. Mississippis Supreme Court has one female justice and eight males. Louisiana has one woman and six men.

Alabama and North Carolina each have two female justices. Neighboring Georgia comes closer to a representative court, with four females and five males. Tennessee is a notable outlier, with a high court comprising 60 percent women. However, the court is small  only five justices  and one of its three women has been on the bench for 27 years.

In South Carolina, women are better represented on the lower court. Half of its Court of Appeals judges are women. Yet the glass ceiling to the top court remains remarkably shatterproof.

The stakes are higher there. That body is the checks and balances for the legislature, Hearn said from her chambers in Conway, a county seat about 15 miles inland from Myrtle Beach. (Retired justices continue to write opinions and do other work on cases they heard previously.) She wore a pale pink suit to signify the importance of women on the bench.

Jessica Schoenherr, who teaches about Americas judicial system at the University of South Carolina, examines challenges to diversifying the bench. She called South Carolina unique in going from at least one woman on the court to none. They went backward, and across the world, that almost never happens, she said.

Agree with it or not, Hearns ruling that overturned the six-week ban was informed by her personal knowledge of the way a womans body works and when she realizes shes pregnant. I do think women have an understanding that this business of six weeks is just impossible, she said. It's not workable.

As she looked out over the divided courtroom that day back in October, she was well aware of the perspective she brought to the case at hand.

Quizzing a male attorney for the male governor, she asked about a privacy provision in the state constitution that some legal experts had argued protects the private and personal right to abortion. What could be more personal than a womans decision to have an abortion? she asked.

The lawyer began to invoke Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Courts now-defunct 1973 decision that guaranteed a right to abortion.

She interrupted: Im asking you. I know youre not a woman, but what could be more personal than that decision?

Your honor, there could be any number of things that could be more personal 

She cut in: Name me one.

In the months since the South Carolina courts explosive ruling, Republicans have repeatedly tried to pass a new abortion ban.

Just this week, the Senates president tried yet again, pushing for a vote on a bill the House passed that would prohibit the vast majority of abortions after conception. But he couldnt overcome a substantial obstacle: the Senates five women. The three Republicans and two Democrats banded together to control debate until the chamber voted to scrap the bill for the session, leaving the House and Senate at an impasse.

If the two chambers ever do agree on a new abortion law, one thing is clear: It will almost certainly reach the Supreme Court. And this time, the women gathered in its stately courtroom would face a bench filled with men.

ProPublica Reporter Jennifer Berry Hawes wants to better understand why some areas of the country have a record number of women serving in public office while others lag far behind. To understand the scope of barriers, we need to hear from women across the political spectrum who have campaigned or served. Have you received comments, social media posts or campaign tactics that targeted you due to your gender? Have you experienced sexual harassment? Other significant barriers? Reporter Jennifer Berry Hawes would like to hear from you. Reach her by email at Jennifer.Hawes@propublica.org or by cell, Signal or WhatsApp at 843-509-9794.

Kirsten Berg contributed research.
MOUNT PLEASANT  Homes that rely on septic tanks near Shem Creek and in the Snowden community will soon be able to switch to sewer line connections thanks to more than $17 million in federal funds.

The work is meant to address failing septic systems that can foul yards and nearby waterways with untreated human waste.

Mount Pleasant Waterworks will contribute another $5 million toward the initiative, and along with the town and Charleston County will provide funds to help homeowners pay sewer connection and impact fees that can exceed $9,000.

The costly project will extend sewer lines, making connections possible, to 113 homes in the vicinity of Shem Creek and another 62 in Snowden. Sewer lines will also be extended in the 7 Mile community, along U.S. Highway 17.

This will be providing new service, where it was not available," said Allan Clum, general manager of the utility. Its for public health, its to protect the environment. We want to eliminate those septic tanks."

Some residents with failing septic systems have complained for years that raw sewage can sit on their properties after a heavy rain, and water testing has repeatedly found fecal bacteria in Shem Creek.

Fecal bacteria comes from human or animal waste, but Charleston Waterkeeper Andrew Wunderley said testing has shown that septic systems are the main problem. He said creeks lined with homes that have sewer connections don't fill with fecal bacteria when it rains, as Shem Creek does.

We find that high bacteria levels are most persistent in watersheds that still have septic tanks," he said. Coastal soils and high water tables are not great for septic systems."

Wunderley said the Mount Pleasant Waterworks plan to extend sewer lines and make more connections available is particularly "good news for people who want to fish, swim or paddle."

In Snowden, which sits between Long Point Road and Foster Creek, a federally funded effort to connect homes to the sewer system after Hurricane Hugo decades ago fell short of money and left many homes on septic systems.

"Since then weve been waiting for them to put the pipes in the ground so that the rest of Snowden could get connected," said community resident Michael German, 70. Its a long overdue improvement."

For years, one roadblock was that Mount Pleasant required properties to be annexed into the town in order to get sewer connections. That changed last year, when the town said homes with septic systems could connect without joining the town.

Money was the other roadblock, and that changed because of the federal American Rescue Plan Act, which narrowly passed in 2021. Among South Carolina's congressional delegation only Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-6th District, supported the legislation.

Last year Charleston County agreed to dedicate $4 million in ARPA funds to the Snowden sewer project, and another $500,000 to helping residents of unincorporated areas connect to the Mount Pleasant sewer system.

Then, Mount Pleasant Waterworks was approved for $10 million in ARPA funds for the Shem Creek watershed project and 7 Mile sewer lines, and another $3 million for Snowden.

It is a costly service," said Clum. "Thats why Mount Pleasant Waterworks couldnt go it alone.

The grants to the utility are part of $1.37 billion in ARPA funds for sewer and water infrastructure projects statewide.

In addition to extending sewer lines to the 62 homes in Snowden that don't have access now, the utility hopes to connect the remaining 40 or 50 homes that have access to existing lines.

Clum said 11 homeowners have signed letters of intent, but some have been waiting to see what sort of assistance might be available, because connecting to the sewer system is expensive.

First there are impact fees charged by the utility, which add up to just over $9,000. Then there's the cost of installing a connection from the home to the utility's sewer line, and the cost of pumping out and filling in a septic system  both of which are paid for by homeowners and could together cost several thousand dollars.

Grants from the utility, the town and the county are expected to cover the impact fees.

The exciting part, to me, is that we have a clean water credit and the town has agreed to match it," said Clum.

Mount Pleasant Waterworks will provide a $4,500 credit to those with septic tanks who tie in to the sewer. Mount Pleasant will match that, for town residents, and the county will match it for county residents who meet income guidelines.

To be eligible for the county's $4,500 credit, applicants would have to earn no more than 80 percent of the area's median income. That's a cap of $51,450 for a single person, $58,800 for a household of two, $66,150 for three, and higher amounts for larger households.

Under federal rules the millions dedicated to the sewer projects must be spent by the end of 2026, and Clum hopes it will be completed sooner.
Ours has been a rural nation for most of its nearly 250 years, and while a far smaller percentage of us now actively work on farms or ranches, these agricultural operations remain critically important, not only to our historical identity but also because they provide our food, contribute to  Read moreEditorial: SC farms are disappearing. The Legislature should try to slow that.
Hours after Disney sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for what it called a "targeted campaign of government retaliation," Nikki Haley appeared on Fox News and took aim.

The takedown took just under 33 seconds.

"You know, as governor, I took a double-digit unemployment state and turned it into an economic powerhouse," Haley boasted on April 26. "Businesses were my partners because if you take care of your businesses, you take care of your economy; your economy takes care of the people and everyone wins. And so that's the way we dealt with it."

Then, she doubled down.

The skyline of downtown Manchester, N.H., appeared behind Haley as she spoke, but her lines of attack were about to put the 2024 race back in her home state of South Carolina, where polling shows DeSantis and Haley are locked in a dead heat among GOP primary voters.

"If Disney would like to move their hundreds of thousands of jobs to South Carolina and bring the billions of dollars with them, I'll let them know. I'll be happy to meet them in South Carolina and introduce them to the governor and the Legislature that would welcome it," Haley said with a smile.

And when she shared the clip on her Twitter account, Haley threw in another zinger, saying South Carolina is "not sanctimonious" about its conservative beliefs  a slam with a clear nod to the disparaging nickname former President Donald Trump has already given DeSantis.

Then, a well-funded pro-DeSantis group fired back. Never Back Down PAC sank six figures into a digital ad attacking Haley online, making sure it gets eyeballs in South Carolina.

The group has also polled Twitter users on whether to start calling her "Mickey Haley," and accused Haley in a tweet of "trying really hard to audition" to be Trump's pick for vice president.

So began an hourslong feud online between Haley and DeSantis, a digital war of words between a declared Republican presidential candidate and a popular GOP figure who is widely expected to enter the Republican presidential primary.

Political watchers interviewed for this story widely agree it illustrates the intensifying fight for South Carolina support, where polling shows both Haley and DeSantis are in a tight contest among GOP primary voters, with 18 and 20 percent support, respectively.

But the back-and-forth also gave voters a preview into how the early stages of the Republican primary might unfold: With GOP contenders locked in a political battle royale to determine which candidate should emerge as the strongest challenger to Trump rather than taking on the race's frontrunner directly.

"Thinning the herd of what you presume to be the weakest gazelles is definitely a strategy, especially if you've determined Trump's base is almost immovable. Then, you're going to need the plurality of other voters. And if that plurality is split up, you've got to take some challengers out before the contest really gets serious," said Scott Huffmon, a political scientist and the director of the Winthrop University Poll.

And there are signs that Haley has been trying to do just that with DeSantis.

The pro-Haley Stand for America PAC has been pummeling DeSantis for weeks in email blasts to reporters. The missives have questioned his initial stance on Ukraine, accused him of "playing games" with immigration, and called his recent trip to Washington a "Disastrous Journey to the Swamp."

In a statement to The Post and Courier, Haley's spokesman Ken Farnaso described Haley's latest comments as a reflection of how her policy positions differ from DeSantis.

"Governor Haley would have passed a stronger parental rights bill and avoided wasting taxpayer dollars on tit-for-tat lawsuits," Farnaso said. "The president needs to be able to stand up for families, hold woke CEOs accountable, and protect their workforce at the same time."

The pro-DeSantis PAC dismissed the argument.

"It's mind boggling any Republican would side with a massive corporation who has an unprecedented level of self-governance over protecting children and families, but I guess 2023 is a strange time," said Erin Perrine, a spokeswoman for Never Back Down.

Jordan Ragusa, a political scientist at the College of Charleston, said the snipes speak to another reality in a primary race: Contrast is everything when all of the candidates share the same political ideology.

"When you strip it down, both Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley would tout themselves as being pro-business. Think about it: He loves talking about the fact that theres not an income tax in Florida," Ragusa said. "I don't think there's that much daylight between them, but theyre just going to emphasize particular features of their background."

He pointed to the 2016 race as an example, when Carly Fiorina tried distinguish herself as a businesswoman.

Rob Godfrey, who was a longtime spokesman for Haley when she was governor, said the back-and-forth between Haley and DeSantis illustrates the political reality of living in an early voting state.

"When you start to see these candidates engage each other like this, it's a preview of the fact that the summer is not only going to heat up but so is the race for president  and it's going to do so right here in South Carolina," he said. "And we'll have to wait and see what the ultimate battle lines are and where they are drawn."

He predicted "a robust debate" among the current and former governors in the presidential race about the trajectory of the country. In addition to Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has also launched a White House bid for the GOP nomination.

But this week also showed the battle isn't limited to the GOP presidential primary fight. During the same interview on Fox News, Haley suggested President Joe Biden would not live through a potential second term.

Asked by Washington reporters about Haley's comment, White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates replied, "As you know, we dont directly respond to campaigns from here. But honestly, I forgot she was running."
INMAN  Heather Moore has been living in the Upstate for 21 years, but it was in 2016 when she and her family moved from Duncan to Inman that she fell in love with the charm of the small city.

Moore knew that she wanted to bring something unique to Inman, so she bought two buildings in the heart of downtown on Mill Street and turned one of the spaces into a brick-and-mortar business.

Inman is like this little gem amongst all these bigger areas, Moore said.

When Moore isnt serving on City Council, she can be found working at her artisan store at 15 Mill St. that opened at the beginning of April.

The Makers Market LLC is an artisan store that sells handmade items and a place where people create projects. Inside, theres a variety of curated retail items from local, small businesses.

Before opening a location in downtown Inman, Moore had a customer base. Two years ago, Moore created The Makers Market. She would offer mobile paint classes at coffee shops, breweries and events.

The Makers Market has modern and antique touches.

The building was constructed in 1920 and has pink and green walls as a nod to the past because those were the colors found on the walls when the space was renovated. An antique checkout counter has been painted emerald green.

Though the process of renovating a 1920s building wasnt easy, it was something that Moore had experience doing. The house that Moore bought when her family moved to Inman was also built in the 1920s and has undergone renovations.

In the front area of the store are handmade wood turned items, jewelry, candles, body products, embroidered items, stationery, tea towels, local spices and local herbal teas. The back area is an open studio where Moore teaches classes and it serves as a space that can be rented for events.

Moore also sells paint kits that can be taken home, or customers can finish the small projects in the studio. Moore said shes open to the idea of other creatives who teach classes using her studio space.

Moore said she loves being part of the growth thats happening in the city. Inman was the only municipality in Spartanburg County selected to be a part of the Main Street South Carolina program this year.

I want us to grow, but in a very smart, sustainable way and bring our small town back and have it thriving, she said.

Since Moore bought two buildings on Mill Street, shes fixing up a building at 13 Mill St. so that she can rent it out to someone who plans on opening a small business.

The Makers Market will soon offer pottery classes. Moore plans to add a small boutique wine shop in the building and offer beer and wine during her classes.
In an hourslong hearing Wednesday, legislative Democrats pressed Gov. Joe Lombardos staff over a sweeping, 95-page omnibus bill aiming to implement the bulk of the governors K-12 education agenda  including a massive and contentious expansion of school choice scholarships.

The hearing marked the first public sparring match between a Republican governor who staked his campaign on promises to fix Nevada schools and expand school choice programs, and a Democrat-controlled Legislature that now wields control over the bill implementing much of that agenda.

It also comes as lawmakers continue to wrestle with an expected $2 billion increase in public school funding headed to districts through implementation of the new K-12 funding formula, the Pupil-Centered Funding Plan, shepherded into law by Democrats in 2019. The funding boost is central to Lombardos agenda.

AB400, presented Wednesday evening in the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, spans four major policy areas and more than a dozen minor ones. That includes the school choice expansion, the creation of the Office of School Choice, the expansion of teacher training pipelines, the re-implementation of provisions that would hold back elementary students who cannot read at grade level and new K-12 accountability measures.

Lombardo Chief of Staff Ben Kieckhefer argued the measure goes hand in hand with the governors recommended budget, which includes $2 billion in additional education funding for the next biennium, up 22 percent from the last budget cycle.

With this investment comes a heightened level of expectation for Nevada students and unprecedented accountability for Nevada school districts and their leadership, he said. We cannot set high expectations and demand accountability, however, without providing the fiscal and policy support necessary for success.

But key Democratic lawmakers  including Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas)  picked the bill apart Wednesday, in particular questioning the bills expansion of school choice funding.

Major business groups, city governments and even the states largest teachers union  the Clark County Education Association  lined up behind the bill.

That included CCEA Executive Director John Vellardita, who was among a half-dozen community proponents presenting the bill Wednesday on behalf of the governors office.

But the bill has also drawn sharp criticism from progressive groups and another major teachers union, the Nevada State Education Association (NSEA), which has opposed most of the bills major provisions including those on school choice and charter schools.

With AB400, Governor Lombardo has dusted off a failed voucher scheme that will do nothing to improve the quality of public education in Nevada, NSEA said on its website.

School choice expansion

Among the most substantial  and politically controversial  changes made by AB400 is a vast expansion of state funding for the Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship Program, more often referred to as Opportunity Scholarships.

Those scholarships, as designed now, provide a limited amount of money to low- and middle-income families to subsidize tuition at dozens of Nevada private schools, including private religious schools. Just over 1,400 students received scholarships in 2022.

Existing guidelines limit access to Opportunity Scholarships to families under 300 percent of the federal poverty line, or roughly $83,000 for a family of four in 2022. Qualifying families can then receive up to a maximum of $8,726 annually in scholarships from one of six participating scholarship organizations  though the actual amount awarded to individual students varies widely, according to reports from the Nevada Department of Education.

But under AB400, that qualifying threshold would jump to 500 percent of the poverty line, or about $150,000 for a family of four. In tandem with the increase, the bill would link the cap on funding for the scholarships (a pool generated by corporate donations exchanged for state tax credits) to a percentage of the state education fund rather than a static dollar amount, increasing that percentage incrementally up through the 2031-32 fiscal year.

That percentage would increase from 0.5 percent in the first biennium (roughly $50 million, or nearly quadruple current appropriations of around $13.2 million) to 5 percent by 2032  or roughly $500 million per biennium.

Speaking to reporters in advance of the bill hearing on Tuesday, Kieckhefer justified the move as one explicitly designed to subsidize the cost of private schools for more families, including characterizing the new $150,000 threshold as middle class income.

School choice is a reality, its just primarily available for wealthy people, Kieckhefer said. And Opportunity Scholarships make it available for low-income people. We think that choice should be available to everyone, and expanding it into middle-income households does that.

But Yeager pressed Kieckhefer on that expansion during Wednesdays hearing, noting the new threshold is more than double the median Nevada household income of $62,000, and arguing that the state shouldnt invest tax dollars in private schools before lawmakers had met existing public education funding goals.

Were having a conversation about school choice, but youre asking us to make the choice to take the states money, the tax revenue, and not put it into the public education system that we all agree is underfunded, and even in the best of circumstances is probably going to take another five years to get there per the Commission on School Funding, Yeager said.

Democrats on the committee also challenged the use of general fund money for religious schools, and raised questions over whether or not the use of Opportunity Scholarships evaded constitutional provisions prohibiting direct spending of state dollars on private schools.

Separately, the bill would also create the Office of School Choice. Designed to provide information and support to a variety of public and private school options including management schools, private schools, micro schools, virtual schools and home-schools, the office would also work with the State Board of Education and the State Public Charter School Authority to increase access to school choice options that produce educational outcomes that are above average for pupils.

The director of that office, a new position created by the bill, would be appointed by the governor.

The expansion of Opportunity Scholarships comes as the most concrete effort by Lombardo to make good on campaign promises to champion school choice policies  but without touching state funding for public K-12 schools. It also marks an abandonment of previous efforts by state Republicans to enact a different school choice policy: Education Savings Accounts (ESAs).

First approved under Republican control of the Legislature in 2015, the program was technically spared by state courts in 2017, but the funding mechanism for the accounts  similar in concept to school vouchers  was not. Democrats later used a legislative trifecta in 2019 to eliminate the program altogether, and Republican lawmakers under Lombardos stewardship have so far shown little appetite to revisit the concept this year. A measure from Sen. Scott Hammond (R-Las Vegas) to revive ESAs, SB200, has been exempted from legislative deadlines, but otherwise remains unheard by lawmakers in the Senate.

Charter schools and zoning

The bill would also allow certain charter schools to receive funding for transportation under the Pupil-Centered Funding Plan. In order to receive funding, charter schools would need to submit a financially viable plan to the Nevada Department of Education for approval. The bill states charter school transportation costs should not exceed, on a per-pupil basis, the average cost for transportation for other public schools operating in the school district in which the charter school is located.

The State Public Charter School Authority (SPCSA) said only a handful of charter schools offer transportation services to their students since these types of public schools arent required to provide transportation options and dont receive this type of state funding. Charter school officials say if they did receive state support to offer transportation, they believe it would help diversify their schools by making their campuses accessible to more families.

Separately, the bill also seeks to enable a city or county to sponsor a charter school  a provision backed during the hearing by the mayors of both North Las Vegas and Henderson.

Kieckhefer told reporters that the development of charter schools could address overcrowding in public schools. He added that the governors office is also looking to add tribal governments to the list in a possible future amendment, and that AB400 would not amount to funding of charter schools by those municipalities. Lance West, co-founder and executive director of the nonprofit Indigenous Educators Empowerment and member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, said he welcomed the inclusion of tribal governments.

Im tired of seeing such poor academic achievement from my Native relatives occurring over and over, he said. It is time for options.

But the proposal comes in opposition to SB344, a bill from Sen. Dina Neal (D-North Las Vegas) that would explicitly prevent cities and counties from funding or operating charter schools, barring several grandfathered exceptions in Las Vegas. In a floor speech Tuesday, Neal argued the bill would prevent city governments from diverting money for critical services toward charter schools otherwise not under their jurisdiction.

But the bill drew stiff opposition from Senate Republicans, and it only advanced ahead of a major bill deadline this week on a party-line vote of 13-8.

The bill also seeks to wholly roll back the existing zoning variance process, creating an open-zoning regime that would allow students to freely move between schools so long as space allows.

We dont believe that students should be hard zoned into failing schools based on their ZIP code, Kieckhefer said. They should be able to enroll there without a burdensome variance process that currently restricts peoples access to other schools within the district.

Under the bill, school districts would not be required to offer transportation to students who attend a school other than the school they are zoned for.

Groups such as Power2Parent came out in support of the bills expansion of school choice. The organizations executive director, Erin Phillips, shared the story of a mom who wanted to enroll her children into charter school to get them out of a school where they faced bullying and low grades, but wasnt able to because of long wait lists.

Her children are still floundering in schools and classrooms that are not meeting their needs because of their ZIP code, Phillips said. AB400 is an investment in education and a way out for some of these middle- and low-income families who dont have time to wait for us adults to figure it out.

But Michelle Booth with the Rogers Foundation, which has successfully blocked ESAs through legal challenges, said her organization is strongly opposed to the governors bill because it diverts more public dollars to unaccountable and discriminatory private schools.

Private schools can continue to discriminate against students for almost any reason, such as being LGBTQ or special needs children, she said. School choice is actually the private schools choice.

Early childhood literacy

AB400 seeks to bring back a 2015 policy to hold back third graders who arent reading at grade level implemented under Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval, and repealed in 2019 through a Democrat-backed bill.

That repeal came in large part, proponents argued at the time, because of growing concerns that thousands of third grade students were on the brink of being held back in one fell swoop once the hold-back provisions kicked in  even as educators broadly praised the program for the large investments in youth literacy programs. About 15 percent of all students were scheduled to be held back based on testing, with many of the lowest-scoring students were also English language learners or students with disabilities.

But as the pandemic and policy decisions surrounding it roiled Nevada schools, Lombardos campaign seized on Read by 3 as an early campaign tentpole, including criticizing the Sisolak administration for including the program as part of COVID-era budget cuts.

The bill includes language that would provide other routes and exemptions for a student to be promoted to fourth grade. In the event that a student doesnt show improvement in reading after being retained, the students family would also have the option to move them to a transitional setting where they can continue working on their reading skills while keeping up with fourth grade learning standards.

Last school year, about 44 percent of elementary schoolers statewide were proficient in English Language Arts, according to state data.

Assemblywoman Sarah Peters (D-Reno) raised concerns about reinstating the hold-back provisions, especially by creating damaging emotional delays in children that maybe we dont understand completely.

Kieckhefer, in response, argued it was necessary and appropriate, in part because Nevada students were both capable of meeting the grade-level reading standards, and because we need to have the sense of urgency that goes along with this policy.

Its a way not just to hold children accountable and schools accountable, but hold ourselves accountable, Kieckhefer said.

Still, it could be years before the new hold-back provisions take effect. Kieckhefer told reporters that the governors office is targeting 2028 as a potential implementation date, a provision that would come in a forthcoming amendment to AB400.

We know that many children are not entering kindergarten ready to learn and we cannot establish retention policies in the third grade if we do not provide resources necessary to get those children prepared for success, Kieckhefer told the committee.

Another section of the bill creates the Early Childhood Literacy and Readiness Account, and authorizes the education department to award grants to support early childhood literacy and readiness programs. The money for the account will be funded through excess money from the states education rainy day fund, the Education Stabilization Account, to the tune of $123 million.

Teacher pipeline

The bill includes various efforts to grow the states teacher pipeline amid the statewide teacher shortage. Those efforts include a measure that would require the Clark County School District to create a career and technical education program for students interested in becoming teachers. It also allows, but doesnt require, other school districts to create similar programs. Under these programs, students have the opportunity to earn college credits through enrollment in dual credit courses at a partner institutions.

Another section of the bill makes changes to the Teach Nevada Scholarship Program, which provides support for college students looking to become teachers, including raising the maximum scholarship amount to match the cost of receiving a bachelors degree at a Nevada public university. It would also allow a scholarship recipient to receive the 25 percent of scholarship money retained by the State Board of Education after maintaining employment at a private school in Nevada for five years.

The bill would also create the Nevada Teacher Advancement Scholarship Program, structured similarly to the Teach Nevada Scholarship Program, that would provide financial support for educators seeking to obtain a masters degree in education or related field of study. It also requires the State Board of Education to retain 25 percent of the scholarship award, which would later be released to a scholarship recipient if they taught at a Nevada public or private school for three consecutive years.

Kieckhefer said Lombardo is also looking to stop the bleeding through a provision that would enable the governor to declare a critical labor shortage in certain positions at a school district or charter school. This would enable retired teachers to return to the job without blocking them from receiving pension payments.

Were not going to fix our educator vacancy crisis with any one strategy, Vellardita said. This is an approach that tries to find an immediate fix, and it can have an immediate effect on our high-vacancy schools as it exists today.

Accountability

Lombardo has stressed that the proposed additional $2 billion for K-12 education in the coming biennium must come with accountability. To that end, one section of the bill directs the Commission on School Funding to review student academic progress using metrics such as graduation rate, standardized test scores, dropout rates and the number of students who enroll in higher education upon graduation.

Under the bill, the commission would also make recommendations for strategies to increase the efficacy, efficiency, transparency and accountability of public schools. Another provision requires districts and charter schools to submit quarterly reports to the commission on how they are using state funding to improve academic performance.

Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas) expressed concerns about the significant workload the bill would add to the commission. But Kieckhefer said there was a million-dollar appropriation in the bill that would support the work.

Committee Chair Daniele Monroe-Moreno (D-North Las Vegas) also pressed Kieckhefer on the scope of remedial actions that the governor could take against certain schools, and whether there were any limits on how the governor could exercise that power.
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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / Companies around the world are working to reduce their impact on the earth, and many are turning to the emissions-tracking platform Energy Expert for help.The software-as-a-service tool created by Alibaba Group's cloud computing arm tracks greenhouse gas output and helps clients develop a path toward carbon neutrality.Powered by AI, it empowers Alibaba and corporate clients to reduce carbon emissions, a step forward in the group's pledge to slash 1.5 gigatons of emissions across its ecosystem by 2035."Energy Expert has helped us simplify the process, reduce errors, and prepare for a compliance exercise that we will be undertaking," said Sharifah Bakar Ali, head of Strategic Business and Market Development at UEM Edgenta Berhad.The Malaysian asset management and infrastructure company has used the tool to streamline its ESG strategies, and it plans to integrate Energy Expert into its own system.Alizila spoke with Ali and William Xiong, Vice President of Alibaba Cloud and General Manager of Enterprise Service Cloud, to learn more.Below is a transcript of this conversation, edited for clarity and brevityTranscriptWilliam Xiong: Recently, interest in carbon neutrality has increased dramatically, especially in the public sector and among enterprises.More and more companies want to take responsibility for carbon emission reduction to contribute positively to the environment. Enterprises really adopt this as a core strategy in their global development.But, generally speaking, there is no end-to-end system or platform that could help them to reach this optimization rapidly.So, Alibaba Cloud provides out-of-the-box solutions, such as Carbon Vision, such as Energy Expert, to help companies save energy and manage their carbon footprint.Sharifah Bakar Ali: UEM Edgenta Berhad is an asset management and infrastructure solutions company.In my current role, I lead a high-power team in setting ESG strategies and sustainability initiatives for our business and our offices all around the world.Because we are in the business of caring for assets, which includes buildings and infrastructure, we need to be mindful of our impact on the environment and what positive work we are doing to take care of the climate.So, our road map required us to calculate our Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions. But this has always been a very manual process. And so this year, we wanted to look at ways to automate it. And hence, we made the decision to use Energy Expert.We are using the platform to count and measure our own emissions and carbon footprint. Now, using Energy Expert has helped us simplify the process, reduce errors, and prepare for a compliance exercise that we will be undertaking. And from a company ESG perspective, understanding the admission alone is just one-half of the job.Energy Expert has helped us simplify the process, reduce errors, and prepare for a compliance exercise that we will be undertaking- Sharifah Bakar Ali HEAD OF STRATEGIC BUSINESS & MARKET DEVELOPMENT, UEM EDGENTAWe need to have targets in place to reduce emissions. Energy Expert has got features that will allow us to do that. And so it has been very, very helpful in helping us implement our ESG strategy.From a client's perspective, we are going to be integrating Energy Expert into AssetTool, our own system. We're going to go out to our clients and give them the service for them to understand what their emission footprint is and what they can do to reduce that overall footprint.With support from a company like Alibaba, there will be a lot of knowledge sharing and creation.And that's something that I hope all of us here at UEM Edgenta will continue to enjoy and that many other companies out there will also experience. It is our commitment and our contribution to protecting our climate and environment.Dig deeper into Alibaba's sustainability efforts hereView original content here.Please refer to https://www.alizila.com/esg/ for additional information about Alibaba's sustainability efforts.Photo Credit: Alibaba GroupView additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Alibaba Group on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: Alibaba GroupWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/alibaba-group Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Alibaba Group
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MONTREAL QC / ACCESSWIRE / April 27, 2023 / Alphinat Inc. (TSXV:NPA) announces revenues of $368,684 for fiscal quarter ended February 28, 2023, an increase of 18.7% as compared to $310,521 for 2nd quarter fiscal 2022 with a decrease in net loss to $(19,430) for the fiscal quarter ended February 28, 2023 compared to a net loss of $(85,157) in the same period of fiscal 2022.During the quarter ended February 28, 2023, Alphinat concentrated most of its commercial efforts on its partnerships and accelerating sales and delivery of digital service to the public sector. Furthermore, SmartGuide software continues being used by federal government departments & agencies, state / provincial and municipal governments to accelerating solution deliveries, enhance productivity gains and user experiences.In order to accelerate future growth, Alphinat has considerably broadened its horizons by now counting five main areas of solution deliveries:SmartGuide Grants and Contributions solution ( www.SmartGrants.ca) was developed in conjunction with a federal department of the Canadian Government. This platform offers unparalleled productivity for federal, state and municipal clients creating calls for grants including financial program creations for applications, adjudication and payments;SmartGuide Portal Edition for Dynamics 3651 ( www.smartD365.com) has optimize the way that clients can now create and deploy online services on top of Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM solutions. This offering is available in SaaS mode as well as onpremises;SmartGuide Green House Gas Registry solutions ( www.SmartGHGR.ca) is a green fintech solution allowing governments and industry to work together in reducing the harmful effects of greenhouse gas. Alphinat currently has three provincial clients for our SmartGHGR.ca solution;SmartGuide Claims solutions ( www.SmartClaims.ca) was developed in conjunction with a major IT consulting partner, which aims at offering unparalleled productivity to federal, state and municipal clients for financial claims applications, adjudication and settlements for financial compensation and class action settlements;SmartGuide CIVIC Portal, CIVIC Portal for Permits & Licensing ( www.PermitSmart.ca) and SmartGuide Municipal Cloud are Municipal Cloud and on-premises solutions front ending partner solutions and other digital services for improved user experience for both the cities and their citizens.The company delivers solutions to various federal, state / provincial agencies and municipalities across North America. In addition, the company continues to be involved in supporting its partners to ensure the delivery of solutions to government customers.For the 3-month period ended February 28, 2023, the Company recorded total revenue of $368,684 compared to $310,521 for the same period in 2022. The net losses for the quarter ended February 28, 2023 amount to $(19,430) or $(0.0003) per common share compared to net loss of $(85,157) or $(0.002) per common share for the same period ended February 28, 2022.Alphinat's financial statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis for the period ending February 28, 2023 can be found on SEDAR, at www.sedar.com 1 Dynamics 365 is a trademark of Microsoft CorporationAbout AlphinatAt Alphinat, we are driven by the passion to make application development easy for everyone and system interoperability issues a thing of the past. We enable people with the vision of how a finished application should look and behave to be a major part of the development process. After all, what better way to ensure a favorable outcome than to provide those closest to an application's endusers with a vested interest in its success throughout its development?That's why we bring you new ways to empower the right people at the right time in the application development process. At the same time, we're constantly working to reduce the need to code in order to make application development and maintenance simpler and less error prone.So, whether you choose to develop your applications with the help of our low-code platform SmartGuide, kickstart your project using one of our pre-built apps or engage us or one of our partners to do the work for you, we're here to help you deploy better applications in record time. Visit us at https://www.alphinat.com for more information. We look forward to hearing from you.Forward-looking statementsCertain statements in this document, including those which express management's expectations or estimations with regards to the Company's future performance constitute forward-looking statements" as understood by applicable securities laws. Forward looking statements are, of necessity, based on a certain number of estimates and hypotheses; while management considers these to be accurate at the time they are expressed, they are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and risks on the commercial, economic and competitive levels. We advise readers that these forward- looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other known and unknown factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in these forward looking statements. A number of factors could cause significant differences between actual results and those described in forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, the Company's capacity to increase acceptance of its products on the market, and to penetrate new markets; the potential existence of defects or undetected problems in the Company's products; the Company's ability to manage its growth; the Company's ability to compete with others; potential commitments; maintaining the Company's intellectual property rights and defending against litigation putting those rights in question; the Company's reliance on the knowledge of its key personnel; and the Company's access to sufficient capital to finance its future needs. This is a partial and non-exhaustive list of factors that could bear on any of our forward-looking statements. Investors are advised to not rely unduly on the forward-looking statements. This advisory applies to all forward-looking statements, whether expressed orally or in writing, attributed to Alphinat or to any individual expressing them in the name of the Company. The Company is under no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new information, future events, or other circumstances. Risks and uncertainties that bear on the Company are described in greater detail in the Company's Annual Report. %0
Lu Ban is an ancient Chinese woodcraft master who represents the Chinese tradition and spirit of craftsmanship.

The Luban Workshop, a Chinese vocational training program, is exactly named after this outstanding Chinese man. It aims to nurture workmen around the world that are highly skillful, professional and innovative.

The program was initiated and firstly implemented by the government of Tianjin municipality. Following the spirit of craftsmanship of Lu Ban, it shares with other countries China's vocational education models and vocational skills, and cultivates competitive local skilled talents.

It energizes the cooperation between Chinese schools and foreign educational institutions, enterprises and governments, paving a new path of development featuring joint contribution and shared benefits.

On March 8, 2016, the Tianjin Bohai Vocational Technical College, sponsored by Tianjin Bohai Chemical Industry (Group) Company Limited, set up the first Luban Workshop outside China in the Ayutthaya Technical College in Thailand. The workshop has increased the number of majors from one to six, and all of the six majors have been endorsed by the Thai Ministry of Education and included in Thailand's national education system. In the following two years, over 2,000 students received vocational training there.

Besides, the Chinese vocational training program has also been launched in more than 20 countries including the UK, Egypt, Cambodia, Portugal, Djibouti and Kenya, shaping a multi-tier international vocational training system that covers vocational middle and high schools, as well as application-oriented bachelor's and master's degree programs.

As a new international cooperation project of vocational education, the Luban Workshop is based on the outstanding achievements of China's vocational education reform and development, and carries the advanced Chinese vocational education philosophy. It has systematic training for overseas teachers, adopts standards and equipment in line with frontier technologies, vocational skill competitions and qualifications, and offers bilingual courses, so as to ensure that all workshops under the program aim at the same goal and are standardized.

The Luban Workshop conforms to the demand for industrial development in host countries and has nurtured a big number of local skilled workers that are urgently needed in these countries' economic and social development.

According to incomplete statistics, over 50 majors have been offered under Chinese-foreign cooperation within the framework of the program, training 9,000 students with degrees for host countries and training 18,000 people for local communities. Many young people in host countries have secured high-quality jobs.

Practices have proved that the Luban Workshop has significantly improved the capability of vocational education in host countries, thus realizing win-win results.

Joe Mucheru, cabinet secretary of the Kenyan Ministry of Information Communications and Technology, believes that the cloud computing and information security training developed by the Luban Workshop is vital for Kenya's development of information technologies.

Afifa Shajia Awais, education attache of the Embassy of Pakistan in China, said Pakistan needs massive technicians in artificial intelligence, cyber security and intelligent technology to assist the country's industrialization, and the Luban Workshop is exactly an example of Pakistan-China cooperation.

Luban Workshop is not just a unilateral education provider, but involves two-way exchanges such as student exchange and mutual recognition of academic qualifications.

By launching short-term mutual visits and exchanges between Chinese and foreign teachers and students, and through international skills and vocational competitions, the program has constantly deepened cooperation between Chinese and foreign young students and teachers.

Academic events based on the program, such as forums on Chinese-foreign vocational education cooperation, have also promoted the reform and development of international vocational education from different perspectives.

Besides, Chinese and foreign teachers under the program have jointly carried out studies on international vocational education and worked to develop relevant resources to comprehensively improve their capability in vocational training.

Friendship, which derives from close contact between the people, holds the key to sound state-to-state relations. Over the past seven years, the Luban Workshop has been committed to mutual learning, serving socioeconomic development of host countries and promoting international capacity production. It has built a bridge of cultural and people-to-people communication between China and foreign countries, and witnessed numerous stories of friendship. In the future, the program will keep playing an important role and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
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NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / April 27, 2023 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until May 8, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in securities class action lawsuits against Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE:CS), if they purchased the Company's securities between February 18, 2021 and March 20, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). These actions are pending in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of Credit Suisse and would like to discuss your legal rights and how these cases might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-cs/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in the class action, you must petition the Court by May 8, 2023.About the LawsuitsCredit Suisse and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.On February 9, 2023, the Company disclosed that, contrary to its prior statements, it had continued to experience large customer outflows through yearend 2022, specifically, outflows of 110.5 billion Swiss francs in the final three months of 2022, a figure which far exceeded market expectations. On this news, shares of Credit Suisse fell $0.56 per ADS, or 15.64%, to close at $3.02 on February 9, 2023.Then, on March 15, 2023, news media sources revealed that the Company's "biggest backer," Saudi National Bank, would not buy any more of the Company's shares due to regulatory grounds. On this news, shares of Credit Suisse fell 13.94% to close at $2.16 per ADS.Finally, on March 20, 2023, the Company announced a merger agreement with UBS, stating that it "represents the best available outcomewe are forced to reach a solution today that provides a durable outcome." On this news, shares of Credit Suisse fell 52.99% to close at $0.9450 per ADS on March 20.The first-filed case is Calhoun v. Credit Suisse Group AG, et al., 23-cv-01297. A subsequently-filed case, Turner v. Credit Suisse Group AG, et al., 23-cv-01476, expanded the class period. A third case filed, Linhares v. Credit Suisse Group AG, et al., 23-cv-02246, further expanded the class period.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.To learn more about KSF, you may visit http://ksfcounsel.com/ Contact:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partner1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
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NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / April 27, 2023 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until May 1, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Dutch Bros Inc. ("Dutch" or the "Company") (NYSE:BROS), if they purchased the Company's securities between March 1, 2022 and May 11, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of Dutch and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-bros/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by May 1, 2023.About the LawsuitDutch Bros and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.On May 11, 2022, the Company disclosed dismal 1Q2022 financial results including a net loss of $16.3 million, compared to a net loss of $4.8 million for the first quarter of 2021 and an adjusted net loss of $2.5 million (a loss of $0.02 per share), which fell below analysts' expectations, due to its failure to "perceive the speed and magnitude of cost escalation within the quarter," among other things.On this news, shares of Dutch fell $9.26, or 26.9%, to close at $25.11 per share on May 12, 2022.The case is Peacock v. Dutch Bros Inc., et al., No. 23-cv-01797.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.To learn more about KSF, you may visit http://ksfcounsel.com/ CONTACT:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partner1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
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NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESSWIRE / April 27, 2023 / Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until May 5, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (NYSE:FIS), if they purchased the Company's shares between February 9, 2021 and February 10, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.What You May DoIf you purchased shares of Fidelity National and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-fis/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by May 5, 2023.About the LawsuitFidelity National and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.On July 31, 2019, the Company announced it had completed the acquisition of payments company Worldpay, Inc. for $43 billion, which became part of the Fidelity National Merchant Solutions business. The Company subsequently, assured investors that the integration of Worldpay was "ahead of schedule," achieved "success in revenue synergies," and ultimately was "successfully completed" throughout the Class Period. Then, on February 13, 2023, the Company disclosed that it would be spinning off Worldpay and recording a goodwill impairment charge of $17.6 billion related to its Merchants Solutions business, a write-down of more than 40% of the purchase price for Worldpay just a few years earlier.On this news, shares of Fidelity National fell more than 12%, from a closing price of $75.43 per share on the prior trading day of February 10, 2023 to a closing price of $66.00 per share on February 13, 2023.The case is Palm Bay Police and Firefighters' Pension Fund v. Fidelity National Information Services, Inc., No. 23-cv-252.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.To learn more about KSF, you may visit http://ksfcounsel.com/ Contact:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partner1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163SOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
PR-Inside.com: 2023-04-28 12:00:51

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Highly accretive acquisition of over US$5.4 million of net revenue purchased for CAD$1.3 million payable in GABY common sharesProducts sold in approximately 15,000 stores including CVS, Walgreens, Publix, Whole Foods, Sprouts Farmers Market, and KrogerApproximately 50% of revenue is comprised of high margin direct to consumer (DTC) salesSAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / GABY Inc. ("GABY" or the "Company") (CSE:GABY)(OTCQB:GABLF), the parent company of San Diego's Mankind Dispensary, is pleased to announce it has entered into a share purchase agreement (the "Share Purchase Agreement") with HempFusion Wellness Inc. ("HF") to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares in the capital of HF's wholly-owned subsidiary Hempfusion, Inc. ("HempFusion"), the parent company of Sagely Enterprises Inc. and APCNA Holdings, LLC (the "Transaction").Through the Transaction, GABY will acquire three high quality CBD brands: HempFusionTM, Sagely NaturalsTM and apothecannaTM (together, the "Brands")."We are always looking for ways to build shareholder value and strengthen the foundation of our business," said Margot Micallef, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of GABY. "This acquisition allows us to expand our CBD division and realize additional revenue from an alternative channel outside the regulated cannabis industry. GABY is extremely fortunate to be able to acquire these high-quality established brands for such great value" she continued. "GABY's management team has extensive experience in building consumer facing brands putting GABY in a strong position to create further shareholder value from this acquisition".As previously announced at the annual and special meeting held on March 25, 2021, holders of GABY shares passed a special resolution approving the consolidation of GABY shares on the basis of 20 pre-consolidation GABY shares for 1 post-consolidation GABY share (the "GABY Share Consolidation").As consideration for the Transaction, GABY has agreed to issue to HF an aggregate of 13,011,148 GABY shares (on a post-GABY Share Consolidation basis) on the closing of the Transaction at the then prevailing market price of the GABY shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") at the time of issuance. The GABY Shares issued on closing will be subject to a lock-up agreement and will be released in three equal tranches of 1/3 each on that date that is six, twelve and eighteen months following closing.A copy of the Share Purchase Agreement will be filed on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com Highlights of The TransactionHempFusionTM is a topicals and ingestibles brand, sold in a variety of retail locations including, natural, Food Drug & Mass, and online. It is unique in market as its topical product is listed with the US Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") as an over-the-counter pain relief topical that includes hemp derived CBD and Omegas as part of the skin nourishing cosmetic blend and has been assigned a National Drug Code number by the FDA. It also has an unparalleled regulatory compliance portfolio including Self GRAS status on its exclusive hemp CBD extract, and validation by the UK Food Standards Agency for Novel Food.[1] HempFusion participated in, what is being referred to as, the largest Human Toxicology Study to date, which illustrated that CBD is safe for human consumption.[2] According to Brightfield Group wave 1 2022, HempFusion was ranked in the top five in brand awareness amongst CBD consumers.Sagely Naturals finished 2021 holding as the number one ranking topical brand in Multi-Outlet[3] retail locations in the US and US Drug with market share held as 14% and 24% respectively.[4] In 2022 its Relief and Recovery Active Roll-On was rated as "Best for Pain Relief" by Men's Health Magazine.apothecanna is primarily a Direct-to-Consumer brand although it is also sold in many retail locations. The products consist of topical creams and oils, capsules and tinctures. It has a strong following amongst the over 55 age demographic and after an aggregate of two million bottles sold still garners a 90% five-star rating by consumers.[5] apothecanna has an extremely loyal online following with nearly 70% repeat purchase activity.[6]The Brands Value: The Brands together generated net revenue of over US$5.4 million in 2022.The Brands Future: Because of their extensive regulatory portfolio, management of GABY believe that the Brands are uniquely poised for growth as soon as legislative clarity is given by applicable United States government officials on the regulatory and legal status of hemp derived CBD. Currently focused on topical products, legislative clarity could open the door for ingestible products that could unlock the potential for significant revenue growth for the Brands.The Brands Growth: The aggregate revenues from the Brands has remained consistent from 2020 to 2022, despite limited investment by HF and HempFusion. Management of GABY believes that, through strategic marketing efforts, the Brands could see substantial revenue growth in 2024 and beyond.GABY's CBD Brands: The Transaction gives GABY the infrastructure to grow its current CBD brands 2RiseTM and Lulu'sTM, which brands currently produce approximately $400,000 of combined revenue annually. Management of GABY believes that by leveraging the newly acquired distribution infrastructure and sales channels GABY's existing CBD business could experience significant growth.Closing of the Transaction is subject to certain third party approvals, the approval of HempFusion shareholders at a special meeting of shareholders to be called by HempFusion, and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions for a transaction of such nature. Subject to satisfaction or waiver of the conditions, the transaction is expected to close towards the end of Q2 of 2023.About GABY Inc.GABY Inc. is a California-focused retailer and the owner of Mankind Dispensary, one of the oldest licensed dispensaries in California. Mankind Dispensary is a well-known and highly respected dispensary with deep roots in the California cannabis community operating in San Diego. GABY curates and sells a diverse portfolio of products, including its own proprietary brands, Dank Space, Kind Republic and Lulu's through Mankind. A pioneer in the industry with a strong management team with experience in retail, consolidation, and cannabis, GABY is poised to grow its retail operations both organically and through acquisition.GABY's common shares trade on the CSE under the symbol "GABY" and on the OTC under the symbol "GABLF". For more information on
PR-Inside.com: 2023-04-28 14:30:39

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ANKARA, TURKEY and CONSHOHOCKEN, PA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / Digital health start-up h2o Therapeutics today announced a collaboration with global healthcare company AmerisourceBergen to support the commercialization of Parky, a prescription mobile app cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for monitoring certain symptoms in adults with Parkinson's Disease.The Parky app, which is compatible with the Movement Disorder API developed by Apple Inc., monitors symptoms such as tremors and dyskinesia in real time via the use of Apple Inc.'s Apple Watch. It is a direct-to-patient tool for sharing meaningful and reliable data between patients and medical professionals regarding the course of the disease. As part of a pilot arrangement, AmerisourceBergen will facilitate patient engagement and health system integration services as part of its DTx Connect solution."Following the recent FDA clearance, we continue to focus on strategies and solutions that will enable us to expand patient access to Parky," said Yagmur Selin Gulmus, the founder of h2o Therapeutics. "Through this arrangement with AmerisourceBergen, our goal is to reduce barriers along the patient journey, improve access and expand our commercial reach. In support of the Parkinson's Disease community, we are proud to launch our patient-oriented technology during Parkinson's Awareness Month." "Digital therapeutics offer tremendous potential, but developers face unique challenges that can affect market access and product potential," said Alex Kilgore, PharmD, Product Manager, Global Products and Solutions at AmerisourceBergen. "We look forward to supporting h2o Therapeutics and will leverage our digital health capabilities to help patients start on the Parky app following a prescription." Parkinson's Disease, the fastest-growing neurological disorder, affects more than 10 million people worldwide, including about one million people in the United States, according to the Parkinson's Foundation. The Parky App aims to help healthcare providers develop a profile of the patient in daily life, bridging the gap between real-life and in-clinic settings.AmerisourceBergen offers a wide range of services to support DTx developers and biopharmaceutical companies across the commercialization journey, including market access consulting, distribution and patient support services. The company in 2022 announced its plans to develop and launch DTx Connect, a cloud-based, fully integrated ordering, dispensing, and fulfillment platform that aims to facilitate patient access to physician-ordered digital therapeutics and digital diagnostics."During Parkinson's Awareness Month, AmerisourceBergen could not be prouder to stand together with Parkinson's Disease patients, their families and healthcare providers, and innovative digital health technology developers like h2o Therapeutics to support the best patient care," said Jason Dinger, Senior Vice President of Global Products and Solutions at AmerisourceBergen.About h2o Therapeuticsh2o Therapeutics is developing digital therapeutics with a focus on wearable technologies, Augmented Reality (AR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI). h2o intends to make real-time human data become a handy tool for disease management in certain therapeutic areas. Our core understanding of digital therapeutics lies in the power of AI, the robustness of their clinical health research, and high levels of user engagement. Parky, a Parkinson's Disease prescription mobile app, received 510(k) clearance from the FDA in 2022.About AmerisourceBergenAmerisourceBergen is a leading global pharmaceutical solutions organization centered on improving the lives of people and animals around the world. We partner with pharmaceutical innovators across the value chain to facilitate and optimize market access to therapies. Care providers depend on us for the secure, reliable delivery of pharmaceuticals, healthcare products, and solutions. Our 44,000+ worldwide team members contribute to positive health outcomes through the power of our purpose: We are united in our responsibility to create healthier futures. AmerisourceBergen is ranked #10 on the Fortune 500 and #21 on the Global Fortune 500 with more than $200 billion in annual revenue. Learn more at www.amerisourcebergen.com Contact InformationHande ErciyesOperations Managerhande@ h2otherapeutics.com Yagmur Selin GulmusFounderselin@ h2otherapeutics.com SOURCE: h2o Therapeutics
PR-Inside.com: 2023-04-28 16:31:34

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / Hagens Berman urges Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPW) investors who suffered substantial losses submit your losses now.Class Period: July 15, 2019- Feb. 22, 2023Lead Plaintiff Deadline: June 12, 2023Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/MPW Contact An Attorney Now: MPW@ hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (MPW) Securities Fraud Class Action:According to the complaint, Defendants made false and misleading statements and failed to disclose that Medical Properties: (1) masked the distressed state of its tenants through sale-leaseback arrangements that were essentially round-robin transactions in that they allowed debt-saddled tenants to meet their obligations in the short term; (2) fraudulently transferred hundreds of millions of dollars in what amounted to a bailout of financially distressed tenants; and (3) concealed its fraudulent transfers with fake construction projects with purportedly high capital expenses, despite the fact that the company entered into "triple-net leases" that obligated its tenants to pay a significant portion of expenses.Investors began to learn the truth on Jan. 26, 2023, when Viceroy Research published a scathing report accusing Medical Properties of "engaging in billions of dollars of uncommercial transactions with its tenants and their management teams in order to mask a pervasive revenue round-robin scheme and/or theft." Then, on Feb. 2, 2023, Viceroy sent and published its letter to Medical Properties' auditor highlighting Viceroy's concerns about severely distressed tenants and round-tripped revenues, uncollectible accrued revenues and impaired asset values.Finally, on Feb. 23, 2023, the company announced Q4 and full-year 2022 financial results that included a whopping $171 million impairment charge relating to four properties leased to Prospect and a write-off of $112 million on unbilled Prospect rent.These revelations drove the price of Medical Properties shares sharply lower."We're focused on investors' losses and proving Medical Properties cooked its books," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.If you invested in Medical Properties and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman.Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Medical Properties should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email MPW@ hbsslaw.com # # #About Hagens BermanHagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com . Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.Contact:Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895SOURCE: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / Hagens Berman urges Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE:RAD) investors who suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now.Class Period: Apr. 26, 2018 - Mar. 13, 2023Lead Plaintiff Deadline: May 19, 2023Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/RAD Contact An Attorney Now: RAD@ hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895Rite Aid Corporation (RAD) Securities Fraud Class Action:The litigation focuses on Rite Aid's compliance with federal regulations concerning its pharmacies' prescriptions practices and its federal healthcare program reimbursement billing.According to the complaint, Defendants made false and misleading statements or failed to disclose that Rite Aid: (1) filled hundreds of thousands of unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances that lacked a legitimate medical purpose until June 2019; (2) ignored evidence that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions and intentionally deleted internal notes about suspicious prescribers written by concerned pharmacists; (4) violated the Controlled Substances Act by knowingly filling unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances; and (5) violated the False Claims Act when it sought reimbursement from federal healthcare programs.Investors began to learn the truth on Mar. 13, 2023, when the US Department of Justice announced it filed a lawsuit against Rite Aid alleging that the company knowingly filled hundreds of thousands of unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances and knowingly submitted false or fraudulent reimbursement claims for such prescriptions to federal healthcare programs. The DOJ alleges these activities violate the Controlled Substances Act and the False Claims Act and states, in part, "[w]hile making millions of dollars [Rite Aid] opened the floodgates for millions of pills of opioids and other controlled substances to flow illegally out of [its] stores." This news sent the price of Rite Aid shares sharply lower."We're focused on investors' losses and proving Rite Aid's decision to put profits ahead of safety enabled it to record illegally-generated revenues," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.If you invested in Rite Aid and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman.Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Rite Aid should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email RAD@ hbsslaw.com # # #About Hagens BermanHagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com . Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.Contact:Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895SOURCE: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP
PR-Inside.com: 2023-04-28 13:00:27

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HOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / ComboCurve, the operating system for energy companies, is pleased to welcome Kirk Hanes as its new Chief Revenue Officer. With over 26 years of sales experience in the energy industry, Hanes is a valuable addition to the team and will play an integral role in driving the company's continued growth.Kirk Hanes Joins ComboCurve as Chief Revenue OfficerHanes brings a wealth of expertise from previous positions having been a key player in the launch of ARIES, which was eventually sold to Landmark. He has built strong relationships both domestically and internationally and is passionate about delivering ideal solutions for customers, driving efficiencies, and moving businesses forward.In his new position, Hanes will be responsible for increasing ComboCurve's market share, introducing newcomers to the significant value and efficiency of true cloud tools, and providing customers with an unparalleled experience never before seen in the industry. He looks forward to the challenges ahead and what he can contribute to the company."I am excited to be joining ComboCurve as the Chief Revenue Officer," Hanes said. "I am impressed with the success ComboCurve has achieved since launching in 2020. It's clear the industry is actively looking for new leading-edge solutions after 30 years of the same antiquated workflows. I am eager to work with every member of the team to leverage the platform's capabilities and benefit even more customers." ComboCurve is dedicated to unlocking the full potential of oil and gas basins. The company combines and accelerates the capabilities of several legacy software applications in a single platform helping energy professionals make confident decisions faster."With Kirk Hanes as our Chief Revenue Officer, we are poised to achieve even greater success and expand our ability to serve an even larger customer base," said Armand Paradis, CEO and co-founder of ComboCurve.About ComboCurveHeadquartered in Houston, ComboCurve is the fastest-growing platform in the energy industry. It helps decision-makers value assets, de-risk decisions, plan for net zero, and save time through an intuitive cloud-based collaboration platform. For more information, contact ComboCurve or follow us on LinkedIn.Contact InformationAlexandra BrasherMarketing Managera.brasher@ combocurve.com 662-614-7722SOURCE: ComboCurve
PR-Inside.com: 2023-04-28 18:30:20

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ROCK HILL, SC / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / This Monday, May 1st is the deadline to file Form 941 for the first quarter of 2023. This form is a filing requirement for businesses that withhold taxes from their employee's wages. This includes Medicare, social security, and federal income taxes. These businesses must file on a quarterly basis with the IRS to report these payroll taxes to the IRS, additionally, they are required to make timely tax deposits.Businesses that are scrambling to meet their deadline, or are just seeking a more effective option for e-filing Form 941 can find a great solution with TaxBandits.Simplified Quarterly 941 E-filingTaxBandits offers a complete 941 e-filing solution for businesses, tax professionals, and service providers of all sizes. Businesses filing one form per quarter, tax professionals filing for multiple clients, and Payroll Service Providers managing the filing requirements of hundreds of businesses can all take advantage of features to meet their needs.Features for High-Volume FilingTaxBandits provides bulk upload templates to help high-volume filers to upload their form data. This enables them to generate and e-file their Form 941 in large batches and eliminates manual form entry. In addition to saving time, TaxBandits also helps their clients save money with a volume-based pricing structure.TaxBandits supports Form 941 Schedule R for PEOs, CPEOs, 3504 agents, and other reporting agents.Features for Accurate FilingThe TaxBandits e-filing process is designed to help their clients file accurate forms. Completed 941 forms are audited using the IRS Business Rules to catch common filing errors that could result in a form rejection.To accommodate employers that are located outside of the U.S., TaxBandits supports Form 941-PR for employers of Puerto Rico as well as Form 941-SS for employers of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands. Besides, TaxBandits also supports prior year filings of Form 941 for 2022, 2021, and 2020 tax years.When asked about today's quarterly Form 941 deadline, the CEO and Co-Founder of SPAN Enterprises, the parent company of TaxBandits responded stating, "The team at TaxBandits is focused on helping our clients meet another quarterly deadline with the IRS. We offer an excellent e-filing option at an affordable price point, that's not to mention the dedicated, live customer support that we provide from Rock Hill, South Carolina." Visit taxbandits.com today to create an account and begin filing Form 941 at just $4.95 per form!About TaxBanditsThe 1099 and W-2 experts! TaxBandits is a SOC 2 Certified, IRS-authorized e-file provider of 1099 Form, Form W2, 1095-B, 1095-C, 940, 941, and W-9, serving businesses, service providers, and tax professionals of every shape and size.About SPAN EnterprisesBased in Rock Hill, South Carolina, SPAN Enterprises has been developing industry-leading software solutions for IRS e-filing and business management tools for over a decade.The SPAN Enterprises portfolio of products includes TaxBandits, Tax990, ACAwise, ExpressExtension, 123PayStubs, and TruckLogics.For any media inquiries, please reach out to Stephanie Glanville, Content Writer at stephanie@ spanenterprises.com SOURCE: SPAN Enterprises
PR-Inside.com: 2023-04-28 15:15:52

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Peak State Global's White Paper addresses the leadership adjustments required for organizations to effectively navigate the future AI revolution.SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / Peak State Global, a leading provider of organizational development solutions, has just published an exciting and insightful White Paper designed to aid businesses in navigating the forthcoming AI revolution. During this period of great change, uncertainty, and disruption, the paper provides valuable insights into the changes organizations must implement to transition successfully.Image Source: Peak State GlobalBusinesses must now acclimatize to the new reality in order to remain competitive in light of the rapid technological advancements and widespread adoption of AI. Customer expectations are in a constant state of change and growth, and businesses must keep up with new technologies and efficiencies to remain competitive. In order to maximize and align employee contributions, this necessitates that organizations alter their traditional approaches to leadership, with everyone in the organization taking on a leadership role at appropriate times.The White Paper identifies three distinct categories of leaders that successful organizations will need in order to adapt to the impending AI revolution. There are Visionary Leaders, Servant Leaders, and Expert Leaders among these individuals. These leaders do not represent specific positions, titles, or levels of hierarchy, but rather the manner in which individuals within an organization assume the role of leader in different contexts.Visionary Leaders are mandated by the White Paper to lead strategic thought and provide organizational direction. Within the organization, Servant Leaders must promote collaboration and foster a culture of empowerment, trust and facilitate the contributions of all others. In a swiftly changing environment, Expert Leaders are required to provide specialized knowledge and support to the organization.According to the White Paper, successful organizations will need to implement a new leadership model in which everyone is a leader and cross-training between Visionary and Servant Leaders is essential. It also emphasizes the significance of Expert Leaders concentrating on knowledge in order to keep up with ongoing environmental change.The White Paper by Peak State Global provides organizations with a road map for successfully navigating the forthcoming AI revolution. The paper highlights the need for organizations to adapt and be prepared for the inevitable disruption that AI will bring to every role, based on extensive interactions with hundreds of Australian leaders across many industries.This comprehensive guide offers invaluable insights into the types of leaders required to maximize and align the contributions of employees, which will prove invaluable to organizations seeking success in this brave new world. The paper stresses the significance of adapting to change, preparing for the inevitable disruption that AI will bring to every role, and adopting new leadership strategies to keep up with the rapid advances in technology.About Peak StatePeak State, founded by Andrew Ramsden, helps organizations meet financial, social, and environmental goals in a changing world. The company believes in disrupting yourself before the fast-changing world does. They aim to boost corporate leadership and innovation so they may expand, transform, disrupt their sector, and become the firm they want to be. The company knows that when teams are happy and empowered in their work and personal lives, they are able to reach their greatest potential and help others do the same.Media ContactCompany: Peak State GlobalPerson: Daisy RamsdenEmail: contact@ peakstate.global Website: https://peakstate.global/ SOURCE: Peak State Global
NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue with Speaker of the Senate of Uruguay Beatriz Argimon Cedeira (R) and Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives Sebastian Andujar (L). (Photo: VNA)

The hosts affirmed that leaders of the parliament of Uruguay attach importance to Chairman Hues visit and believe that it will contribute to strengthening friendly cooperation between the two countries.

Hue stressed that it is the highest-level visit by a Vietnamese leader to Uruguay since the two countries established diplomatic relations three decades ago, which coincides with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties.

The visit demonstrates Vietnam's attaching of importance to strengthening the relations with traditional friendly countries in Latin America and the desire to promote comprehensive cooperation with Uruguay across all levels, fields and channels, contributing to reinforcing the Vietnam-Uruguay cooperative ties as a model in the South-South cooperation, he said.

On the occasion, Hue congratulated Andujar on his election as the Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives of Uruguay.

Speaking highly of Vietnam's efforts in national construction and development with important achievements today, the hosts said Uruguayan leaders, regardless of political affiliation, are interested in and wish to develop ties with Vietnam.

Hailing Vietnam as one of the dynamic developing countries with an important role and position in the Asia-Pacific in the world, they said they believe that cooperation with Vietnam is a great opportunity for Uruguay's regional and global integration process.

They affirmed that Uruguay's opening of an embassy in Hanoi demonstrates the country's determination and efforts to enhance bilateral relations for long-term development.

At the talks (Photo: VNA)

As a member of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), Uruguay expects the bloc to continue expanding multilateral and inter-regional cooperation, including with Southeast Asia and Vietnam, they said.

The top Vietnamese legislator congratulated Uruguay on its early control of the pandemic, economic development and social stability, becoming one of the best-governed countries in Latin America.

Lauding Uruguay's position and role in the South American region and international organisations, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue said the potential and opportunities for bilateral collaboration remain huge.

He suggested that in the near future, the two countries work closely together to hold celebrations of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties, facilitate the exchange of all-level visits, effectively deploy bilateral cooperation mechanisms and strengthen people-to-people exchanges.

NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue expressed his joy at the continued developments in the economic  trade relations between the two countries and the room and potential for cooperation. In the time to come, the two sides should continue to push the trade relations in the bilateral and multilateral frameworks so as to raise two-way trade revenue, he said, adding Vietnam is ready to serve as a bridge for investment and trade activities between Uruguay and the Southeast Asian countries.

He asked Uruguay and members of the MERCOSUR to soon complete procedures of internal consultation and announce the launch of the Vietnam  MERCOSUR free trade agreement together with Vietnam at an early date.

The leaders of the Uruguay parliament stressed that the signing of the cooperation agreement between the two sides manifests the attaching of importance by both the Senate and the House of Uruguay as well as the political parties in the parliament of Uruguay to the strengthening of the relations and cooperation with Vietnam. They expressed their hope that the two sides will effectively implement the agreement, helping strengthen the mutual political trust and understanding between the two countries. Along with the bilateral relations between the parliamentary offices, the two countries can intensify cooperation, the exchange of information and coordination at regional and international multilateral parliamentary forms.

NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and the leaders of the Uruguay parliament agreed that in the time to come, the two sides will continue strengthening contacts and the exchange of delegations to exchange experiences in law-building and perfecting the institution in service of the national development of each country; bring into play the role of the law-making bodies in boosting bilateral relations; and support each others stance on regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Hue extended invitations to the two leaders to pay official visits to Vietnam at a suitable time, and asked the Uruguay parliament to create conditions for Uruguay young members of parliament to join the conference of the young MPs within the framework of the IPU to be held in Vietnam in September./.
PR-Inside.com: 2023-04-28 14:00:36

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During the course of the interview, the founder, owner, and operator of the Lynnwood, Washington-based marketing school for entrepreneurs revealed some fascinating ideas, insights, and opinions.LYNNWOOD, WA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / When founder, owner, and operator of Top Tier Marketing Academy Thomas Brinkly was approached about becoming the featured subject of a new professional profile, he agreed readily, eager to share his accumulated wisdom with the public. The profile, which was conducted by the editorial staff of an online periodical aimed at entrepreneurs and businesspeople, was published on April 18, 2023.At the outset of the interview, Thomas is asked to outline the inspiration behind founding Top Tier Marketing Academy. "At first, I didn't know that starting an academy was something I wanted to do. I came into the web design and e-commerce industry as a salesperson, and in all honesty, I wasn't very good at it. I gritted my teeth for a while and tried to make the most of it, but I knew sales wasn't for me," he replies, elaborating, "Eventually I found myself on the customer service side of things. Once I got situated in that new role, I found that my professional passion was helping people. It was that realization which led me to the idea of creating Top Tier Marketing Academy." Later in the profile, Thomas Brinkly addresses a question about how he measures success, answering, "For me, a good measure of success is reaching a point where I've experienced all sides of all classes. I've been extremely poor, I've been middle class, and now I'm well-off as a result of owning the company. Success for me was recognizing that throughout those other times in my life-as well as now-money itself wasn't something that defined what made me successful in life. During the times when I had virtually nothing, I was just as happy as I am now. So, while success can mean a lot of things, to me, one of the things it doesn't mean is my life revolving around money coming in and out of my pocket." Anyone curious to read the profile in its entirety will find it located here, while anyone interested in learning more about Thomas Brinkly or Top Tier Marketing Academy is encouraged to visit the organization's official website.About Thomas Brinkly:Originally from Bellevue, Washington, Thomas Brinkly left public school in 9th grade to pursue the vocation of carpentry at trade school. He then decided to serve his country by joining the US Marines Corps. Upon his discharge from the military, he founded Top Tier Marketing Academy, an institution dedicated to providing would-be and novice entrepreneurs with an advanced business education.About Top Tier Marketing Academy:Top Tier Marketing Academy specializes in e-commerce website construction and training, as well as cultivating skills regarding marketing tools, social media automation services, and website hosting. Coupled with these services, Top Tier Marketing Academy also offers additional training and support in a number of other areas relevant to small business owners. The academy endeavors to leave a lasting impression on all of its students from an educational perspective, as well as functionally.Media Contact:Email: support@ toptiermarketingacademy.com Website: toptiermarketingacademy.com SOURCE: Top Tier Marketing Academy
Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it.

The Enugu States Governor-elect, Peter Mbah, has promised to grow the states economy from its current level of $4.4 billion to $30 billion when he takes over as governor of the state.

Mr Mbah spoke on Thursday when he inaugurated over 60-member Transition Committee in Enugu ahead of his 29 May swearing-in ceremony as the next elected governor of the state.

The governor-elect said the people of the state elected him with the belief that he would take them through a consequential journey of growth, development, and greatness.

He told the committee members that they were, in turn, chosen because he believes that with their expertise, his incoming administration will be able to reduce the journey to an empirical and verifiable roadmap.

Plans for Enugu

Mr Mbah said he had taken a view of what his incoming administration can achieve within the next four to eight years in office, assuring that he would ensure that Enugu State regains its preeminent position that it has always played in the development of Nigeria.

We have conceived a growth plan that is ambitious both in the economic and social indicators. Therefore, we talked about growing the economy from the current level of $4.4 billion to $30 billion.

We talked about making sure that we achieve a zero per cent rate in our poverty headcount index. We talked about making Enugu State the preferred destination for investment, business, tourism, and living, he said.

The governor-elect also promised to unpack the skills of the youths in digital technology so that he will be able to equip a minimum of 40,000 youths in digital technology and a minimum of 10,000 youths in practical skills yearly.

He contended that his plans, though ambitious, are achievable because they are measurable.

We also know that the growth level we are talking about cannot come from the public sector alone. This growth will happen through constructive investment, and that will come largely from the private sector.

But we are going to provide the key enablers to attract businesses because businesses are not Father Christmas. They are interested in returns on investment, Mr Mbah stated.

He challenged the committee members to craft a document that can give the incoming administration, an implementable action plan.

Speaking, after the inauguration, the chairperson of the committee, Ikechi Chioke, said 0he and other committee members were honoured to be called upon to help to distil and transform Mr Mbahs ambitious vision to implementable plans.

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And I believe we have a task by transforming your manifesto into tangible, actionable and measurable indicators and policies that will enable you to achieve those audacious plans, Mr Chioke, an engineer, said.

He later told reporters that the committee members would work assiduously to make up for the short time available to them ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.

On his part, renowned political economist, Pat Utomi, who joined the event virtually, told the governor-elect to emulate former leaders from the Eastern region such as Nnamdi Azikiwe and Michael Okpara and focus on key drivers of development.

Mr Utomi, a professor, said Mr Mbah must not play with education and other aspects of the development if he hopes to record remarkable achievements in his administration.

A former Nigerias Minister of Power and member of the committee, Chinedu Nebo, told reporters that the committee members were capable of delivering on the tasks assigned to them, describing the committee as a galaxy of erudite scholars from various endeavours.

I think the governor-elect has done well because he has selected a team that will never fail, Mr Nebo, a professor, said.

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Nigerian businessman Femi Otedola divested his newly acquired stake in Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) to Chairman Tony Elumelu, sources told PREMIUM TIMES Friday, pulling the plug on the scramble for the top ownership of the group.

The billionaire sold his substantial shareholding of 6.3 per cent, a haul of 2.6 billion shares bought in separate transactions, to Mr Elumelu.

Earlier, within days of his acquisition of a substantial shareholding, Mr Elumelu had racked up his interest from 2.07 to 25.9 per cent.

Transcorp shares, which had gained 173 per cent from the start of the year, slumped 9.9 per cent on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) in Lagos.

Sources with details of the matter told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Otedolas move to take the peak spot in the conglomerates ownership upset the Transcorp chair, prompting him to open talks. He eventually agreed to compensate the businessman with millions of dollars, sources said.

The Company welcomes this expression of confidence in its leadership and management, Transcorp said in a recent note to the NGX, referring to Mr Otedolas move.

Mr Otedola holds the most shares in FBN Holdings, and the majority-own Geregu Power, which he listed last year.

On Thursday, Transcorp announced its chairman has upped his interest to 25.9 per cent or 10.5 billion shares, conferring more than a fourth of the corporations voting rights on him as the only principal shareholder.

UBA Holdings, which comes next in the hierarchy, holds less than 10 per cent.

Transcorp has three power plants, which account for 2,000 megawatts or more than 40 per cent of Nigerias total power-generating capacity. The conglomerates total assets stood at N464.5 billion at the end of March, compared to N442.7 billion as of the end of last year, going by its first quarters earnings report.

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The Nigerian government has cleared the air on the alleged halting of Nigerians being evacuated from Sudan in the Sahara due to non-payment of bus fare.

A viral video came up on Twitter on Thursday evening where a lady claimed the buses conveying Nigerians to Egypt had stopped moving because the drivers said they had not been paid.

In another video from Channels Television, a student from Sudan claimed their (the students) passports had been confiscated by the drivers until they were completely paid.

When PREMIUM TIMES reached Nigerias Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffery Onyeama for comments, he laughed it off and shared a message he had received from the evacuation coordinating party which did not confirm if the buses stopped or not.

Your Excellency, this is to confirm that the initial 13 buses arrived at the designated Egypt border. They will be airlifted to Nigeria later in the day. There are also strong indications that the bus company will be mobilised today to ensure the despatch of the remaining 27 buses, the message forwarded to this newspaper by Nigerias foreign minister read.

However, a joint memo shared on Thursday night by the foreign ministrys spokesperson Francisca Omayuli for the ministries of foreign affairs and humanitarian affairs confirmed the buses stopped but issues had been resolved.

The initial hitches encountered during the commencement of the exercise, including incidents of bus drivers stopping in the desert due to non-payment have been resolved. The buses have continued towards the Egyptian border. The evacuation exercise is progressing and will continue until all stranded Nigerians are brought back home safely, the memo said.

On Friday morning, a message on the platform where Nigerians in Sudan receive information (WhatsApp and Telegram) by a certain Busari said the Nigerian embassy in Sudan received only $400,000 as advance payment for 40 buses.

Embassy of Nigeria in Sudan wish to clarify to all Nigerian citizens in Sudan from the start of the evacuation that the embassy received $400.000 only, as advance for 40 buses. This made the transport company supply 13 buses, about equivalent to the advance paid, while the company is expecting the balance to be paid to supply the remaining vehicles, Busari said in the message.

The federal government is making arrangements to pay the balance but due to the inherent difficulties of getting money into khartoum arrangements are being made to send the money to Egypt and the company to collect it in Egypt. The embassy is appealing to all Nigerian citizens to remain calm and wait for the federal government to conclude this arrangement, he said.

Mr Onyeama had earlier mentioned that $1.2 million had already been committed into paying buses to convey Nigerians from Sudan to Egypt.

Already, to transport them to Egypt, payment for the buses is already $1.2 million, that is just to evacuate them just to Egypt, he said.

In a separate interview, Mr Onyeama spoke about the challenges being faced with the ongoing evacuation of Nigerians in Sudan including challenges faced with receiving clearance from the military in Sudan.

There were a lot of challenges as you can imagine because we have a a large number of Nigerians in the Sudan our embassy gave us a figure of 5500 migrants in Sudan so logistics of course is going to be a challenge but probably more importantly was the security challenge and so how to get them out of Sudan, Nigerias Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffery Onyeama, told PREMIUM TIMES in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.

By Saturday, the fighting in Sudan between Sudan army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) will complete its second week with over 500 people killed, thousands injured and others fleeing, exacerbating the humanitarian situation in neighbouring countries.

Mr Onyeama noted that Nigerias decision to evacuate its citizens by road is because it is the most viable way. He talked about the danger inherent given the nature of the crisis in Sudan and Nigeria and other countries took advantage of the 72-hour truce brokered by the US albeit partial as gunshots were heard even as the ceasefire was agreed to.

The fighting parties on Thursday (yesterday) at the expiration of the 72 hours, agreed to another 72 hours cease fire as countries continue to evacuate nationals.

At least two Americans have been killed in the ongoing fighting, Nigeria says none of its citizens have been killed.

Mr Onyeama noted that it was a challenge securing vehicles to evacuate from Sudan but the government did secure 40 buses anyway, through private sector means.

When asked if the buses would be sufficient to convey all 5000, he said, we do not know yet the exact numbers that will come to the assembly point because some have already made their way to port Sudan where they have been evacuated with other countries by the Saudis.

The evacuation commenced on Wednesday with persons from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) stationed in Egypt to receive the students.

We have people in place in Egypt to receive them and NEMA. They will now arrange for the transfer; so at least get them to safety and then transporting them to Nigeria. The process has started so were extremely happy about that, he said.

He said it will not take too long for the evacuees to start arriving in Nigeria.

It is a question to see whether they will start ferrying them back as they arrive or whether they want all of them to get there first and then start bringing them back but by this weekend hopefully, he told this newspaper.

The joint memo said the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Air Peace and other Airlines have received clearance to fly to Egypt.

The NAF C-130H is scheduled to leave Abuja tomorrow, 28th April, 2023 to commence the airlifting of the evacuees, it added.

Additionally, the memo said arrangements are being concluded to airlift all Nigerians that have already escaped on their own to safety in other countries neighbouring Sudan.

The joint memo from his ministry and the humanitarian ministry said the Nigerian Mission in Egypt is liaising with the Egyptian authorities to facilitate the evacuation exercise, by providing emergency entry documents and holding shelters, until the stranded Nigerian are airlifted back to Nigeria.

On Nigerians refused entry to Ethiopia

Words went up on the internet (through a viral video) that Nigerians who made it to the Sudan-Ethiopia border were denied entry while their counterparts from other countries were allowed access.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) shared a letter purportedly from the Nigerian embassy in Ethiopia asking the Ethiopian government to act in accordance with international law.

Information at our disposal reveals that about 2500 Nigerian students who have escaped the ongoing military confrontation in Khartoum are now stranded at the Gallabat/Metema border towns between Sudan and Ethiopia. This is consequent on the students not possessing valid entry visas into Ethiopia. The esteemed Ministry may wish to note that it is a war situation in Sudan, and that people are bound to seek refuge in safe places, the memo shared by NiDCOM read in part.

Responding, Mr Onyeama said, it is not true. There was no communication from the Nigerian embassy in Ethiopia on that at all.

Referencing the viral video, he said, I checked with the Nigerian embassy and there were seven Nigerians who apparently had tried to cross from the border.

He acknowledged the sensitivity around the border by Ethiopians because, of course, you know that they have their own security challenges in their country. I was able to speak to the Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia on the phone and I forwarded to him the recording and we made very quick arrangements for the Ethiopian embassy in Khartoum to facilitate the crossings of those seven.

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The governors of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike and Oyo State, Seyi Makinde on Friday paid a visit to the President-elect Bola Tinubu, at the Defence House, Abuja.

Messrs Wike and Makinde, who are members of the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), met with the president-elect alongside other governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The APC governors are Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa and Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Mr Makinde said elections are over, and the country must move toward governance.

We are here to let him know that elections are over  this is governance and we will do our best to give him support, Mr Makinde said.

Mr Wike also expressed support for the incoming Tinubu administration and expressed optimism that he (Tinubu) will turn the country around.

Just like my friend (Mr Makinde) said, a winner has emerged and therefore it is alright to give necessary support in the interest of Nigeria. I have the confidence that he has what it takes to turn Nigeria around, he said.

Messrs Wike and Makinde are members of the G5 governors, which include Samuel Ortom of Benue, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia States, all members of the PDP.

They worked against their partys presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and supported Mr Tinubu of the APC in the 25 February election.

Mr Tinubu won the presidential election in Oyo State, and pulled a surprise result in Rivers State, by defeating Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Atiku.

However, PREMIUM TIMES had reviewed the results posted on the IREV portal by INEC and discovered that Mr Obi, not Mr Tinubu, actually won the election in Rivers State and should have been declared the winner in the state. However, that may not have changed the final outcome of the election.

Meanwhile, Mr Tinubu is expected to be in Rivers on 3 May to commission some projects constructed by the Rivers State Government.

Messrs Obi and Atiku, as well as their parties, are still challenging the result of the presidential election at the election court.

The election court and the Supreme Court are, however, not expected to rule before Mr Tinubu is sworn in as president on 29 May.

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The ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) is enmeshed in a fresh crisis sparked by alleged lack of financial transparency by the Chairman of the party, Abdulahi Adamu, a letter obtained by PREMIUM TIMES revealed.

Salihu Lukman, the national vice chairman(North-west) of the party, in a letter dated 27 April and addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, said he has filed a case against Mr Adamu and National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore, at the Federal High Court Abuja on the matter.

The letter was copied to the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, the Progressives Governors Forum(PGF) and the National Working Committee (NWC) members.

In the letter, Mr Lukman accused the duo of running the party with discretionary power without recourse to the members of the NWC. He noted that the actions of the two officials contravene the constitution of the party.

Your Excellency, as things are, I am painfully left with no option. It is quite disheartening that under the leadership of HE Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, we are failing to abide by the provisions of our partys constitution and the party is being managed based on discretionary decisions of Sen. Adam and Sen. Omisore.

Basic requirements for accountability as enshrined in the partys constitution are being violated, he said.

Mr Lukman further stated that the national chairman has betrayed the trust of Mr Buhari, who nominated him for the position.

He said he had explored all available means to get Messrs Adamu and Omisore to comply with the APC constitution on financial disclosure but that the two had refused to act.

This is very unfortunate. Certainly, this is not the vision that produced the APC. If anything, our inability to comply with provisions of our partys constitution under the leadership of HE Sen. Abdullahi Adamu represents a betrayal of trust and the confidence reposed in us as members of the National Working Committee individually and collectively.

Given the high confidence you had in HE Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, which made you to nominate him to emerge as the National Chairman of our party, the least one would expect is that he will conduct himself strictly based on requirements as provided in the APC constitution, he said.

Lukmans prayers

The case with Suit number; FHC/ABJ/CS/ 573/2023, has APC, Messrs Adamu and Omisore and INEC as first, second, third and fourth respondents respectively.

Mr Lukman is seeking seven reliefs from the court, chief of which is that Messrs Adamu and Omisore should call NWC meeting and disclose the financial record of the party.

The suit seeks, A DECLARATION that by the provisions of Articles 13.4 (II) and 25.2 of the APC Constitution, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Defendants are under an obligation to call for or cause to be called and held quarterly or at the request of one-third of members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the APC at which the Defendants shall present quarterly reports containing the activities of the APC to the members of the National Executive Committee.

A DECLARATION that by the provision of Article 13.4 (vi) and 25.2 of the APC Constitution, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Defendants are under an obligation to call for or cause to be called and held quarterly or at the request of one-third of members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the APC at which the Defendants shall present proposed guidelines and regulations governing the conduct of elections to the Party offices at all levels, and procedure for selecting Party candidates for elective offices, including the selection and zoning of leadership of the National Assembly to the members of the National Executive Committee.

Lukmans fight with Adamu Omisore

Mr Lukman had last month called on Mr Adamu to resign to pave the way for a Christian politician to emerge as the national chairman in order to ensure religious balance in the party since Mr Tinubu and his deputy, Kashim Shettima, are Muslims.

He also called for the resignation of Mr Omisore over the failure of the APC at the 2022 governorship election in Osun State.

Also, Mr Lukman, during an interview on AIT on Tuesday, alleged that money was given to Mr Omisore for the prosecution of the Osun election but that the national secretary has yet to give an account of the money.

The then governor and candidate of the APC, Gboyega Oyetola, lost the election to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ademola Adeleke. Mr Adeleke has since been sworn in.

Mr Lukman said the APC handed over funds to prosecute the campaign for the election to Mr Omisore, a former deputy governor of the state, but that he mismanaged it.

Mr Omisore has, however, denied the allegation and demanded a public apology and payment of N500 million in damages.

The national secretary, in a letter, through his lawyer, Gboyega Oyewole, dated 15 March, said the statement by Mr Lukman is false because he was not given money by the party for the election.

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has asked a former minister of Niger Delta Affairs and senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North-West District, Godswill Akpabio, to report at its headquarters in Abuja for interrogation over a corruption investigation against him.

Mr Akpabio is one of the contenders for the office of the Senate president in the 10th National Assembly.

The EFCC asked Mr Akpabio to personally report to the anti-graft agency on 9 May.

This was contained in the EFCC follow-up letter, dated 13 April, to Mr Akpabio through his lawyer, Umeh Kalu, SAN.

Mr Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, was earlier invited by the EFCC in March but Mr Kalu, in a letter to the commission dated 27 March, said his client would not be able to honour the invitation due to a scheduled medical appointment overseas.

According to Mr Kalus letter, the senator-elect was suffering from pneumonia and cardiac arrhythmia and was advised to seek medical treatment abroad.

Pneumonia is an acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs making breathing painful and limiting oxygen intake, while cardiac arrhythmia on the other hand is an irregular heartbeat.

It is in the light of the above, that we respectfully request that our clients appointment with you be rescheduled to a date convenient to your officers, preferably after the Easter and Ramadan holidays, Mr Uche, the lawyer said in his reply to the EFCC on behalf of Mr Akpabio.

It is unclear, for now, if the invitation was in connection with his activities while serving as minister of Niger Delta Affairs or during his tenure as governor of oil-rich Akwa Ibom.

A spokesperson to Mr Akpabio, Jackson Udom, told PREMIUM TIMES, Friday, he was not aware of the EFCCs invitation.

This newspaper in June 2015 reported how the EFCC began an investigation into the alleged theft of N108.1 billion of Akwa Ibom State funds. The investigation was triggered by a petition to the commission by an Abuja-based lawyer and activist, Leo Ekpenyong.

Four months later, the EFCC detained Mr Akpabio over the alleged fraud.

Mr Akpabio after leaving the EFCC headquarters denied being detained but said he was summoned to respond to corruption allegations.

A young lawyer from my state, apparently referring to Mr Ekpenyong, has been petitioning the EFCC accusing me of corruption, Mr Akpabio explained why he was invited by the EFCC.

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Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State says that members of the Ebonyi House of Assembly forfeited their three-year constituency project funds for the completion of the states new international airport.

Mr Umahi made the disclosure during the test-run of flight operations at the airport christened Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, at Onueke on Thursday.

The governor stated that the assembly led by its Speaker, Francis Nwifuru, made tremendous sacrifices for the actualisation of the airport, which he said cost N36 billion.

When we were seeking N10 billion to procure equipment for the airport, the speaker recalled the members who were on recess to approve the fund.

The members did not only approve the fund, they also forfeited their three-year constituency project funds to ensure the project is completed, he said.

He also expressed appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for his unquantified support towards the realisation of the airport.

The president approved the sum of N10 billion for the construction of the domestic and international wings of the airport.

When we were constrained on funds to procure equipment, he directed the Ministry of Finance to source funds for us even if it is a loan.

The airport is named after Buhari as approved by the House of Assembly and if you say he is not good to you, he is to me and Ebonyi.

We will continue loving him and before a fortnight, he will be in Ebonyi to inaugurate the project, he said.

He said the government would prevail on the federal government to take over the airport, which he said had created over 500 jobs, and concession it.

Government is a poor manager of resources but we are seriously interested in the revenue generated from the facility, he said.

A representative of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Oladipo Adebayo called on Ebonyi residents to ensure the maintenance and protection of the airports facilities because it has opened them to the world.

Speaker of the Ebonyi House of Assembly, Francis Nwifuru thanked God for the project and Mr Umahi for his commitment towards actualising it.

Mr Nwifuru, who is the Ebonyi Governor-elect, said that the governor had put him under severe pressure due to the monumental projects that he would inherit and maintain.

Collins Oti, a representative of Air Peace airlines, which two aircraft landed at the airport, urged the states incoming administration to maximise the airports potentials.

Goodwill messages were delivered at the occasion by a former governor of the state, Martin Elechi, representatives of the clergy, traditional rulers, among others.

(NAN)

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The Governor-elect of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, has expressed sadness over the murder of Dons Udeh, a former governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the state in the just-concluded 2023 general elections.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the body of the late Mr Udeh was found in a bush at Ninth Mile Bypass in Udi Local Government Area of the state, a few days after he went missing.

In a statement on Thursday by the head of his media office, Dan Nwomeh, Mr Mbah described the death of the politician as painful, horrendous and unacceptable.

I received with a deep sense of loss the news of the death of Engr. Dons Udeh, an illustrious son of Enugu State, he said.

The governor-elect said the deceased was a political associate and patriot who gave his best in service of the state and the country at large.

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The circumstances of his death make it even more painful. It is horrendous, unacceptable, most condemnable, and must never go unpunished. I, therefore, urge security agencies to do everything within their powers to unravel the killers and bring them to book, Mr Mbah said.

He commiserated with the family of the deceased and prayed to God to grant them the inner strength to bear the irreparable loss.

He equally asked God to grant the deceased a peaceful repose.

Frank Nweke Jr. speaks

Also reacting to the murder of Mr Udeh, the APGA candidate in the just concluded 2023 general elections, Mr Nweke Jr., said he was still in shock over the kidnap and murder of the deceased.

The APGA candidate, in a Twitter post on Thursday, said it was incredibly sad to observe that the present society had debased the value of human life.

I am particularly heartbroken to see another prominent son of Ozalla (Community) attacked in such a manner. While I acknowledge the high level of insecurity across the state and indeed, Nigeria, this is one murder too many, Mr Nweke Jr. said.

He called for better societal values and definitive actions from the political leaders and security agencies to reverse the trend.

I urge the security agencies to ensure that this murder and previous attacks that are yet to be resolved in the state are treated with utmost urgency. The perpetrators must be brought to book and sanity restored to our way of life, he stated.

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The first batch of 1,600 Nigerians evacuated from Sudan are expected to arrive in Abuja on Friday, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said.

Officially, there are about 5,500 Nigerian students who are expected to arrive from Sudan in the evacuation that commenced on Wednesday.

A convoy of 13 buses conveying the first batch of the evacuees from Khartoum in Sudan is moving to the holding area in Aswan, Egypt where they will be airlifted to Nigeria. NEMA is in touch with the Nigerian airline, Air Peace, that volunteers the airlift and prepositioned aircraft for immediate departure as soon as the Nigerians arrive Aswan to bring them home, NEMA tweeted.

Nigerias Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffery Onyeama, confirmed the arrival of the buses in Aswan to PREMIUM TIMES.

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A joint memo by the ministries of foreign affairs and humanitarian affairs said the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Air Peace and other airlines had received clearance to fly to Egypt.

The NAF C-130H is scheduled to leave Abuja tomorrow, 28th April, 2023 to commence the airlifting of the evacuees, NEMA added.

Bus companies were engaged in transporting the evacuees from Sudan to Aswan, Egypt, accompanied by staff of the Nigerian Embassy in Sudan, according to NEMA.

NEMA added that there are lots of challenges to overcome in Sudan due to the volatile security. It appealed to Nigerians to be calm and cooperate with officials that are helping to move our brothers and sisters to safety and eventually airlift them back home.

It said situation reports will be constantly compiled and shared with partners to ensure a hitch-free operation.

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At the signing ceremony (Photo: VNA)

The signing at the office of the Uruguay parliament was held within the framework of the official visit by NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

This is the first time the NA of Vietnam and the two of Uruguay signed a cooperation agreement, manifesting the importance they and political parties in the Uruguay parliament attach to the strengthening of relations and cooperation with Vietnam.

Under the document, the sides will push up efforts aimed at strengthening the relations of friendship and cooperation through information exchange, consultation, training and delegation exchange. They also pledge to share experiences in law building, and provide mutual assistance and support to each other at international forums.

To reach the said goal, the NA of Vietnam and the Senate and the Chamber of Uruguay will conduct the holding of and coordination in boosting the exchange of delegations at various levels, and conduct visits to exchange experiences.

The three will also coordinate in organising conferences meetings to boost mutual understanding; supervise the implementation of international bilateral and multilateral conventions and agreements to which the two countries are signatories and members; boost the exchange of ideas on regional and international issues of mutual concern; coordinate and consult at regional and international inter-parliament forums; support the cooperation between parliaments of Latin America and those of ASEAN members; and accelerate the cooperation in a number of fields the two countries have potential in.

Within the framework of the official visit to Vietnam by the Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives of Uruguay in 2015, the NA of Vietnam and the Chamber signed a cooperation agreement.

* Later, at the office of the Uruguay parliament, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, Speaker of the Senate of Uruguay Beatriz Argimon and Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives of Uruguay Sebastian Andujar attended a ceremony to circulate a stamp on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Uruguay  Vietnam diplomatic relations.

* Earlier, in Montevideo, NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and his delegation lay wreaths at the monument to General Jose Gervasio Artigas, a national hero of Uruguay./.
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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has led a team of Nigerian businessmen and government officials to Kinshasa for the Democratic Republic of Congo/Nigeria Business Council Summit.

According to a statement by Mr Obasanjos media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, the team left Nigeria on Thursday for the summit scheduled to begin on Friday in the DRC capital.

Members of the team include Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State and the Executive Secretary of the National Action Committee on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and former head of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Olusegun Awolowo.

Also in the team are Wale Adeosun, an industrialist; and Leke Adebiyi, a diplomat and deputy secretary-general of the council.

They were received on the ground in Kinshasha by the President of the Council and former Director-General of the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nteranya Sanginga, Nigerian businessman, Jimi Lawal, and representative of Oyo State governor, Debo Akande.

Expected to join at the meeting are Kaduna State Governor and Deputy President of the DRC/Nigeria Business Council, Nasir El-Rufai, Aliko Dangote of the Dangote Group, and Stella Okoli of Emzor Paracetamol among others.

At the last summit held in Lagos in December, President Muhammadu Buhari expressed satisfaction with the establishment of the Council, saying it would boost trade relations between the two countries.

Meanwhile, the deputy secretary of the council, MrAdebiyi, said no fewer than 30 prospective investors from Nigeria,drawn from the health, education, agriculture, communications, power and finance sectors, will be attending the summit.

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The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved Action Plan 2022-2026 for the promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the weekly meeting of the council chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, in Abuja.

The plan was formulated by the stakeholders in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government.

He said the approval followed the Buhari administrations compliance with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) judgement and payment of N135 million in compensation to victims and family members of the 18 September 2013 Apo six killings.

Mr Malami also said the report of the committee for the protection of journalists, equally adjudged Nigeria as the only African country that has been in full compliance in terms of the protection of the rights of the journalists.

The minister said: This is taking into consideration that not a single incidence of death of a journalist has been recorded in Nigeria arising from infractions, relating thereto.

According to Mr Malami, the policy is intended and targeted at consolidating and upscaling the Nigerian observance of the Human Rights posture in view of the successes and achievements of Nigeria as it relates to human rights under the current administration.

He said: As you will recall, the administration of Buhari has established a record of being the first and only administration in the history of Nigeria that has indeed tolerated, accommodated and enforced the decision of the Human Rights Commission.

And in this respect, talking of the Apo Six, taking into consideration, the commission adjudged the government as being in breach of the human rights of certain individuals popularly referred to as Apo Six, which unfortunate incidents predate the government of Buhari.

The Human Rights Commission adjudged the government liable to pay about N135 million to the family of the victims of the alleged infractions.

Mr Malami said the Buharis administration took steps to ensure payment of the N135 million to the Apo Six in compliance with the recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission/

The minister said: Thereby giving teeth to the Human Rights Commission in terms of compliance with the recommendation, he added.

Now with those local and international successes in mind, the need has now arisen for Nigeria to indeed consolidate on the gains.

This is with the view to upscaling its provision from a local observance of the protection of the human right to international standard by way of ensuring compliance with the best practices.

According to him, the new action plan will help prove that Nigeria is working in tandem with International best practices with regard to the protection of human rights.

So, the essence of the presentation of the council memo today is to deliberate on the action plan, review it and seek approval for its conservation or presentation before the International Human Rights committee for the purpose of establishing the following:

That Nigeria is no longer operating at a local scale in terms of the observance and promotion of human rights, but indeed upscaling its international observance to international best practices as far as the human rights, promotion and protection of human rights is concerned.

I am happy to report that the council deliberated and the council approved the action plan presentation before the International Committee on Human Rights, he said.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who also spoke on the outcome of the council meeting again assured that the indigenous airline  Nigeria Air, would take off on or before May 29.

According to the minister, the infrastructure and staffers are ready and only await final approval by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

He also assured the workers in the aviation sector that all issues relating to their agitations on minimum wage would be taken care of by relevant government agencies and ministries.

The minister further disclosed that the council approved N9 billion for the procurement, installation, and inauguration of voice and data recorders in nine airports across the country.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, also disclosed that the 137km Kano to Zaria and 73 km Zaria to Kaduna expressways, as well as the second Niger bridge projects would be handed over to the federal government on May 15 for inauguration.

According to him, the 116 km Lagos to Ibadan will also be handed over to the government on 30 April, while the Loko-Oweto bridge linking Nasarawa and Benue states and the Utor bridge in Delta had been completed.

(NAN)

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Russia has been ordered to pay around $142.7 million in compensation to Georgia, almost 15 years after the war in the South Caucasus.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) announced this in Strasbourg on Friday.

The order follows a ruling by the court in 2021, when the judges found that Russia had been responsible for inhumane acts against Georgian citizens after the end of the fighting, which lasted from 9 August 2008 until 12 August 2008.

Georgia lost control of its breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the war against Russia.

The court concluded that Russia could not be held responsible for human rights violations during the five-day war.

After the ceasefire, however, the Russian authorities were responsible for the situation in the conflict region and should have enforced the Human Rights Convention, the judges said at the time.

Russia, however, had allowed looting, pillaging, abuse and torture by South Ossetian forces.

Georgian civilians had been taken prisoners, driven from their homes or killed. Until now, the question of compensation had remained unanswered.

Whether Georgia will actually get the money seems doubtful.

Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe because of its war against Ukraine and is, thus, no longer a member of the European Convention on Human Rights, which the ECHR ensures is observed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced that he would no longer recognise rulings by the court.

The Council of Europe, the Human Rights Convention and the court are all independent of the EU.

(dpa/NAN)

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Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, where he will speak at the 2023 Mo Ibrahim Governance Weekend (IGW).

The theme of the forum is, Global Africa.

The vice president was received at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by top Kenyan government officials and the Nigerian High Commissioner to Kenya, Yusuf Yunusa, alongside other government functionaries.

The Mo Ibrahim Foundation, the organiser of the annual forum, was established in 2006 with a critical focus on the importance of good governance and leadership for Africa.

The forum will bring together leading voices from across Africa and beyond to discuss germane issues around the progress of the African continent.

Kenyan President William Ruto, former President of the African Development Bank, Donald Kaberuka and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO among others will also speak at the forum.

Mr Osinbajo will attend the IGW Africa Leadership opening ceremony on Friday and speak at the first session on Saturday.

He will join other leaders to discuss the topic, Africas Weight in the World, Highlighting the Continents Assets and Potentials.

The vice president is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with Ruto and the British Minister of State for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell.

The forum will be attended by leaders from Africa and across the world.

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The Nigerian Army on Friday completed pre-deployment training for 197 troops for a peace-keeping mission in Gambia.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the troops of the Nigerian Company 8 ECOWAS Mission in the Gambia (NIGCOY 8 ECOMIG), began the pre-deployment training on 3 April.

The training was held at the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peace Keeping Centre (MLAILPKC) in Jaji, Kaduna State.

Addressing the contingent, the Chief of Operations, Army, Taoreed Lagbaja, reaffirmed the commitment of Nigeria to deploy quality peacekeepers as part of its contributions to international peace and security.

He said that this was in tune with the policy direction of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr Lagbaja, who was represented by the Commandant of MLAILPKC, Emmanuel Undiandeye, said the training was aimed at refreshing and polishing the knowledge and expertise of the troops in peace support operations.

Secondly, the training was to enable you to have a firm grasp of all the rudiments involved in the protection of a civilian-mandated mission,  he said.

He explained that the tactical skills imparted to the contingent will put them in good stead to accomplish assigned tasks in fulfilment of the ECOMIG mandate.

Mr Lagbaja, a major-general, said: I was also informed of your commendable performance during the pre-deployment training.

This is a testimony to your enthusiasm to the training and the upcoming deployment to the mission area.

I implore you to remain focused and committed throughout your tour of duty in the Gambia.

He also urged the troops to deliver excellent services and exemplary leadership to promote the image of the Armed Forces and Nigeria at large.

I must warn you to desist from any form of untoward incidents that could tarnish the image of the Armed Forces and Nigeria at large.

As such you must at all times conduct yourselves professionally, he added.

Mr Lagbaja reminded the troops that the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the United Nations have zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse.

Therefore, appropriate sanction will be applied against defaulters for violating such policies and directives.

Additionally, you must endeavour to adhere to the Rules of Engagement of the Mission and respect the host nations cultural and religious sensitivities.

By the powers reposed on me, I hereby affirm and confirm that the troops of Nigeria Company 8 to the ECOWAS Mission in the Gambia have successfully completed the pre-deployment training at MLAILPKC and are certified suitable for deployment to the Gambia, Mr Lagbaja said.

Earlier, the Deputy Commandant of MLAILPKC, Sunday Makolo, said the 4-weeks training was intense, comprehensive, and conducted in line with UN core pre-deployment training manuals and curriculums.

He said that the aim of the training was to equip the contingent with the requisite skills to function effectively in the Gambia.

The pre-deployment training focused on both tactical, as well as contemporary cross-cutting issues like sexual exploitation and abuse, conflict-related sexual violence, conduct and discipline as well as protection of civilians amongst others.

This graduation is a reflection of the quality of human resources and training facilities in the centre.

To the men of the Nigerian Company 8 ECOMIG, you must not forget that you are ambassadors of our great nation.

Therefore, you must strive to bring to bear all what you have learnt at the centre to protect yourselves in implementing the missions mandate,  he said.

Mr Makolo, a brigadier-general, commended the officers, instructors, facilitators and other staff of the centre for their commitment to the training.

I must also thank the commandant for his relentless support and guidance, he added.

(NAN)

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The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) is targeting a $ 22 billion investment from Delta State as a special economic zone.

The Managing Director of the agency, Adesoji Adesugba, made this known at the presentation of the licence to the Delta Special Economic Zone on Wednesday in Abuja.

While commending the state governments efforts in reactivating the free trade zones scheme, the managing director restated NEPZAs commitment towards supporting full implementation and the success of the project.

According to him, the Free Trade Zones scheme has been able to turn the tide of economic development in different nations.

We need to be very competitive and that is why NEPZA is very happy to be working with you, he said.

We can replicate whats happening in Lagos

Everybody is talking about Lagos. There are about 22 billion dollars in investments in free zones in Lagos and we believe that we can replicate what is happening in other states.

Delta stands to gain. It is well positioned, and all it needs is that leadership and vision which you have shown and we pray that your successor will key into this and ensure we actualise it.

NEPZA is willing, ready and capable of giving you all the necessary support, Mr Adesugba, a professor, said.

While emphasising the need for the Nigerian market to be more competitive, Mr Adesugba said that the free trade zones scheme turned the tides of economic development of different nations.

Also speaking, Kayode Adetokunbo, the consultant for the project, noted the importance of the project, which includes creating jobs for the teaming Nigerian youth.

Mr Adetokunbo said the state government invested heavily in peace and security, capital investment, health, and education and has created the enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

The opportunities are eminent, Delta is relatively safe and set for business, he said.

Also, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa commended the NEPZA boss for his commitment and support towards realising the licence for the project, while calling for more collaboration.

According to him, the state has a great advantage as it produces a lot of gas and oil.

We are also very much involved in agriculture and putting all these things together, I believe that we are set for this nation and the world, he said.

Mr Okowa said despite the challenging times and troubles in many states of the nation, the state was relatively peaceful and has provided an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

We are ready for the partnership, not only with NEPZA but with the rest of Nigerians, particularly the organised private sector and the global community, he said.

And we are there as a state to ensure that we are able to provide a competitive, peaceful and welcoming environment, he added.

We will work with the rest of Nigerians to ensure that we are able to develop the human capital which will also be needed for the growth of industries.

I believe that we are ready to ensure that this special economic zone works for all, Mr Okowa said.

(NAN)

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About 5,500 Nigerian students in Sudan will be evacuated due to the violence in the North African country, an official has said.

The chairperson of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said this Thursday at the weekly ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team.

She said there are over three million Nigerians residing in Sudan and efforts are being made to evacuate as many of them as possible, if the war persists. Priority will, however, be given to children, students and women, she said.

Mrs Dabiri-Erewa said already, 13 buses carrying Nigerians have departed Sudan for the Egyptian border Aswan, from where the returnees would be airlifted back to Nigeria. The first batch are expected in Nigeria today, Friday, her spokesperson quoted her as saying at the breifing.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Nigerian government earlier announced that it had loaned 40 buses for the evacuation. The buses cost $1.2 million, an official announced Wednesday.

We have some buses that have departed from the African International University in Khartoum, Sudan and as I speak, I think they are just about two hours away from Aswan in Cairo, Mrs Dabiri-Erewa said Thursday. Others departed from the Elrazi University also in Khartoum. All in all, 13 buses have departed for Aswan border in Egypt where they will be received by the Nigerian Ambassador there and the Director General of the National emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Habib Ahmed, who is already there with some officials.

She allayed the fears that the buses conveying the Nigerians would be attacked by either of the two factions fighting in Sudan, saying the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, already secured the understanding of the leaders of the factions before the transportation of Nigerians by road.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how fighting started on 15 April between the Sudanese army and paramilitary RSF, both headed by army generals. Over 400 people have been killed in the violence and many counties including the US and Saudi Arabia have commenced the evacuation of their citizens.

Diaspora voting

Mrs Dabiri-Erewa also said it is time for Nigeria to focus more on Nigerians in Sudan and other parts of Africa because there are many of them residing there.

When we were talking about Diaspora voting, some people were saying when we do that, it may not augur well. But we said no, we need to go to places like Sudan where we have millions of Nigerians who migrated there years ago and they have relationships and businesses there.

The data is being worked on but I want to tell you categorically that by the time we finish the research we are doing, perhaps Sudan would be one of the largest areas where we have the largest concentration of Nigerians in Diaspora. Everytime we focus on Europe, America and all that, it is time to focus on Africa and Africans in the Diaspora, she said.

Nigerian laws currently do not allow citizens in the Diaspora to vote. However, there has been clamour that the laws should be amended. The electoral commission chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, is one of those who have asked that Nigerians in the Diaspora be allowed to vote.

Stipends for Returnees

Mrs Dabiri-Erewa said as the evacuees return to Nigeria, they will be given stipends to help them settle down before joining their families.

NEMA will decide what would be given to the returnees because the funding is with the Ministry of Humanitarian affairs and Disaster Management. Usually is just a little amount. The last one, we gave them we evacuated people, we gave them $100. So, it depends on the budget they have.

But we in NIDCOM, we give them recharge cards, SIM cards and sometimes phones. Usually they get $100 just to hold and these are students coming back to their families. They are not refugees, they have homes, she stressed.

She also said challenges associated with the evacuation process are already being addressed. She urged NEMA to establish rapid response squads in all parts of the country and in the diaspora, to help address unforeseen circumstances.

I think that moving on, it is very important for NEMA to have Rapid Response Squads with military formations in all parts of Nigeria and then in the diaspora with military attaches. There really has to be those teams set in place. It shouldnt be when the crisis happens we start running around, the NIDCOM chairperson said.

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President Muhammadu Buhari has said the fighting power of Nigerias military increased significantly under his administration.

He said the country now ranks fourth in Africa as opposed to the seventh position it occupied in 2015 when he was elected president.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Buhari stated this at the Nigerian Army Trooping and Presentation of Colours Parade 2023 on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the fighting power of the nations military was at a low ebb as of May 2015. He said the firepower improved significantly under his administration.

The president also said the military made and continues to make remarkable progress in the fight against insurgents, militants, oil bunkers, kidnappers, and other criminal elements in the country.

Mr Buhari said his administration improved the militarys fighting power, training, operations, manpower, remunerations, and medical services.

These are in addition to maintenance, efficiency, accommodation, and expansion of forces.

The improvements in these areas have collectively enhanced the armys capacity to effectively carry out its constitutional mandate.

The fighting power of our army was at a low ebb as of May 2015. Seven years later, its fighting power has increased significantly, making it fourth in ranking among African militaries as against seventh in 2015, NAN reported.

Checking the claims

The Global Fire Power (GFP) is an organisation which ranks every countrys military capacities annually based on factors such as the number of serving military members  the naval, and air force and fuel availability for military operations, the number of jet fighters, the defence budget, and logistic flexibility.

In its 2023 ranking, there are a total of 38 countries in Africa whose military powers were reviewed.

The data by the Global Firepower ranking, which was last updated in January 2023 said the Armed Forces of Nigeria has one of the largest combat services in Africa with estimated 215,000 personnel including 80,000 paramilitaries.

Nigerias land army strength encompasses 177 tanks, 15,748 vehicles, 30 self-propelled artillery, 339 Towered artillery, 37 rocket artillery, and a total aircraft of 144, the breakdown by GFP ranking said.

Also, Nigeria has 25 high-power naval vessels with total naval assets standing at 136 with an estimated budgetary defence allocation of about $3.4 billion.

Thus, the organisation ranked Nigerias military the fourth most powerful military force in Africa.

The Global Firepower placed Nigeria below Egypt, Algeria, and South Africa, but ranked it above Ethiopia, Angola, Morocco, DR Congo, Tunisia, and Sudan.

Verdict: The presidents claim on the countrys firepower ranking is accurate.

Another claim made by the president at the event was that the military in 2015 (when he came on board) its fighting power was at a low ebb and its firepower was ranked seventh in Africa.

But the Global Firepower ranked Nigeria fifth position in 2015. Thus, under Mr Buharis administration, Nigerias military only rose by a step. The country maintained fourth position in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Verdict: The claim by President Buhari that Nigeria was placed in seventh position in the ranking in 2015 was inaccurate.

While Nigeria is ranked 4th position in the African firepower ranking, globally it was placed at the 36th positions out of the 145 countries considered for the annual global Firepower ranking review in 2023.

Nigeria holds an index score of 05587. A score of 0.0000 is considered perfect. Though Nigeria remains in the fourth position, its index score improved significantly between 2015 to date, Dataphyte reported.

Meanwhile, America, Russia, China, India, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Pakistan, Japan, France and Italy, are the top ten most powerful countries, globally, according to their military ranking.

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The estate of a former minister in the defunct Western Region, Gabriel Akindeko, has sued the majority shareholders and directors of a frontline civil engineering and construction firm, Soleh Boneh, over alleged mismanagement of the deceased officials shares in the company.

Mr Akindeko was the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources in the Western Region between 1957 and 1963.

He was said to have owned 30 per cent shares of the firm which he devolved to his estate before he died in November 1987, according to the estates court filing. He was aged 74.

The administrators of his estate  Adewusi Olatunji, Olanrewaju Akin-Deko, and Adegboyega Akin-Deko  are, in their petition filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, demanding N2 billion for the shares of the firm they claimed to have lost to the alleged manipulations by the respondents.

According to the petition filed on 22 September 2022, the majority shareholders/directors ran Solel Boneh aground by surreptitiously diverting its assets and businesses to other companies which they exclusively control.

They added that the defendants ran the firm unlawfully, unfairly and prejudicially without proper oversight of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

The effect of this, they said, was with the effect of transferring the shares and assets of the company two other firms  Reynolds Construction Co. Limited and Reynolds Construction Company Limited.

The two Reynolds firms which allegedly unlawfully received the shares and assets of Solel Boneh are sued as the 1st and 2nd respondents.

Other respondents sued by the petitioners include Shikun & Binui Solel Boneh and SBI International Holdings Limited AG described as the majority shareholders of Soleh Boneh.

The petitioners also sued Musa Nakhla, said to be the Managing Director of the Managing Director of Soleh Boneh and director at the two Reynolds firms.

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Other co-respondents include Adedayo Odeyemi, and Adamu Safuratu Idowu, a board member and secretary at the Reynolds companies, respectively.

There are also three other respondents  C&D (Nigeria) Limited, Shari Arison, and Naty Saidoff  who are connected to the controlling shares of the other firms intricately linked to the ownership of Solel Boneh.

The rest of the co-respondents Solel Boneh (Nigeria) Limited, the subject matter of the suit, and the CAC, the regulatory body on company matters.

Petition

The petition, marked: FHC/ABJ/PET/38/2022, alleges that the late Mr Akindeko facilitated the incorporation of Solel Boneh in Nigeria after he left office, and in which he held 30 percent equity and served as Chairman for about 20 years until his death in 1987.

The petitioners further stated, in court documents, that before the deceaseds death, his 30 percent shares in Solel Boneh and his interest in the company devolved on them as a matter of share transmission under the company law.

They alleged that the directors and majority shareholders of Soleh Boneh conspired to acquire the shares and assets of the 5th respondent (Solel Boneh) for their benefit by whatever means necessary.

They contended that Solel Boneh was never wound up properly as required by law or at all, but that the 1st to 4th, 6th, and the 8th to 12th respondents rendered the company inactive as a result of the unlawful misappropriation of the assets, goodwill and contracts of the company in the construction industry and the co-mingling of the same with the affairs of other companies, including the 1st and 2nd respondents, to the detriment of the interests of the petitioners in the company.

They stated that the 1st and 2nd respondents (the Reynolds companies) were incorporated ostensibly to conceal the co-mingling of the assets, goodwill and resources of the company (Solel Boneh) perpetuated by the 1st to 4th, 6th and 8th respondents.

Prayers

The petitioners pray that the 1st to the 4th, the 6th, and the 8th to the 12th respondents be compelled to pay them N2 billion for their entire shares in Solel Boneh, as compensation for the missed opportunities of capital appreciation and returns on investment, due to the years of misappropriation, co-mingling and oppressive conducts and the profits that the petitioners could have made over the years, but for the unfairly prejudicial and oppressive conduct of the 1st to 4th, 6th, and the 8th to 12th respondents.

They also seek a consequential order directing that the N2 billion payable for the purchase of the shares of the petitioners shall be paid jointly and severally by the 1st to 4th, 6th, and the 8th to12th respondents to the petitioners within three days from the date of judgment, and upon default, with interest at the prevailing bank rate. 

Service of petition

On 14 March, the judge, Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, granted the petitioners ex parte for substituted service of the petition and other processes in the case on the respondents resident outside Nigeria.

They are the 3rd, the 4th, the 11th and 12th respondents (namely Shikun & Binui Solel Boneh, SBI International Holdings, Arison and Saidoff) at their last known addresses in Israel, Switzerland, and the United States of America.

The respondents are expected to file their defence upon being served with the petition.

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The Nigerian government has added nine grounds of appeal to the four it hurriedly filed last year to block the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), from custody.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja ordered Mr Kanus release from the custody of the State Security Service (SSS), after dismissing the charges against Mr Kanu in October last year.

The treasonable felony and terrorism charges related to Mr Kanus campaigns for the secession of South-east Nigeria and other neighbouring places as the independent Republic of Biafra.

Mr Kanu, who initially fled the country around September 2017, pausing his trial that started in 2015, was apprehended in Kenya and brought back to Nigeria under controversial circumstances in June 2021.

The shady mode of bringing him back to Nigeria was cited by the Court of Appeal as the basis for dismissing the charges against him and ordering his release in October 2022.

But to block Mr Kanus release, the federal government hurriedly filed a four-ground notice of appeal against the Court of Appeals decision at the Supreme Court. It then approached the Court of Appeal to suspend the execution of the order for the release of Mr Kanu from custody pending the Supreme Courts decision on the competence of the charges.

The court granted the federal governments request allowing it to pursue its appeal at the Supreme Court while Mr Kanu remains in custody.

Having gained enough time to strengthen its appeal, the government has now filed nine additional grounds to the four it filed in the wake of the Court of Appeals 13 October 2022 decision discharging Mr Kanu.

Laying the basis for questioning the decision discharging Mr Kanu, the government said the Court of Appeal was wrong to have only considered the procedure of the IPOB leaders extraordinary rendition from Kenya without examining the gravity of the alleged crimes he was being tried for.

Below are the highlights of the total 13 grounds of appeal on which the federal government anchored its appeal.

GROUND 1:

In ground 1, the government said the Court of Appeal erred in law by allegedly failing to consider the relevant provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, a law that regulates criminal proceedings in federal courts.

Citing section 221 of the ACJA, the government argued that the Jummai Sankey-led five-member panel of the Court of Appeal failed to give legal effect to the law which stops courts from entertaining preliminary objections to charges at an interlocutory stage.

It added that the courts decision caused a miscarriage of justice.

GROUND 2:

The government queried the appellate courts decision on the basis that it refused to be bound by established judicial precedent laid down by the Supreme Court on the mode of entry of defendant charged with the commission of an offence.

The federal government contended that the Court of Appeal caused a miscarriage of justice when it held that Mr Kanus extradition from Kenya is unlawful.

Citing the case of Patrick Njovens & others V the state (1973), it said the appellate courts decision was a clear departure from the precedent set by the apex court.

The government further said the Court of Appeal misdirected itself when it relied on the manner (of Mr Kanus extradition) in robbing the trial court of its jurisdiction, adding it was inconsistent with the judicial precedent of the Supreme Court

GROUND 3:

On another ground, the prosecution said the Appeal Court was wrong to have relied heavily on international legal instruments and cases decided from foreign jurisdictions in arriving at its decision freeing Mr Kanu.

It contended that the courts reliance on foreign laws like the Organisation of African Union Charter on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism as well as the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights was at the expense of laws governing criminal procedure in Nigeria.

The court below misdirected itself when it gave binding force to treaties, conventions and foreign judgements that are inconsistent with our Nigerian legislation, the governments filing said.

READ ALSO:

GROUND 4:

The government complained of being denied a fair hearing by the Court of Appeal.

It said the appellate court justices failed to determine the competence of Mr Kanus preliminary objection to the competence of the charges against him, thereby denying the government the right to fair hearing.

The nature of entry of the respondent (Mr Kanu) is not relevant in the determination of the merit of the charges, the government submitted.

GROUND 5:

Contesting the courts order releasing Mr Kanu, the government argued that the appellate court erred when it held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to try the IPOB leader because of his extraordinary rendition from Kenya.

There was no evidence led by Mr Kanu before the court of first instance and the court below to show how he was allegedly abducted and rendered to Nigeria, the government said.

Referencing section 94 of the ACJA and section 32 of the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act 2013, the government argued that the Federal High Court was clothed with adequate jurisdiction to hear the case against the separatist leader.

It further argued that the mode of bringing Mr Kanu back to the country cannot vitiate the criminal charges of treason, treasonable felony and terrorism pending against him.

The government told the Supreme Court that the IPOB leader was standing trial at the Federal High Court, but flouted the orders of the court and jumped bail.

However, Mr Kanu blamed his absence from court on the Nigerian militarys invasion of his home in Abia State.

GROUND 6:

The government canvassed this ground to argue that the Court of Appeal did not consider the issues that predated Mr Kanus extraordinary rendition.

The IPOB leader, the government said, was standing trial for the commission of offences of conspiracy, treasonable felony and terrorism before his escape.

It said the appellate court failed to provide justice for the state whose laws and normative values (were) broken and also provided no justice to the victims of Mr Kanus criminal act.

GROUND 7:

On ground seven, the government said the Court of Appeal was wrong when it failed to consider that it was the illegality of Mr Kanus act of jumping bail and his refusal to make himself available for trial that necessitated his return to Nigeria.

The government argued that it was under a legal duty to bring the IPOB leader before the trial court to answer to charges preferred against him.

It explained that the trial judge, Binta Nyako, granted Mr Kanu bail on 25 April 2017, but on the following adjourned date of 11 and 12 July 2017, the IPOB leader was absent from court having jumped bail and absconded outside the country.

Citing section 104 of the ACJA, the government said it was its responsibility to bring Mr Kanu to court to face trial.

GROUND 8:

The government posited that the Jummai Sankey-led panel of the Court of Appeal erred in law and occasioned grave injustice on the appellant (government) when it held that the extraordinary rendition of Mr Kanu robbed the trial court of the jurisdiction to entertain the charges pending before the court even before the IPOB leader jumped bail and absconded.

GROUND 9:

It is the contention of the prosecution that the Court of Appeal acted without jurisdiction when they entertained Mr Kanus appeal, the said decision of the Trial Court having been made without jurisdiction in breach of section 396 (2) of the ACJA.

GROUND 10:

The government argued that the Justices of the Court of Appeal erred in law when they relied on Mr Kanus affidavit in support of his preliminary objection to conclude that the respondent was illegally brought back to Nigeria.

GROUND 11:

The government also said the appellate court was wrong when it held that the failure of the appellant to respond to some paragraphs of the affidavit in support of Mr Kanus preliminary objection amounts to the appellant conceding to the facts therein.

GROUND 12:

The government challenged the Court of Appeals jurisdiction to entertain Mr Kanus interlocutory appeal which was filed without leave of the Federal High Court.

It said the Federal High Courts decision which Mr Kanu appealed against was interlocutory, that is, filed in the course of trial.

GROUND 13:

On this ground, the government argued that the Justices of the Court of Appeal were wrong when they relied on the alleged non-compliance of the federal government with the provisions of the Extradition Act in concluding that Mr Kanu  was unlawfully brought into Nigeria and therefore the trial court lacked jurisdiction to continue his trial.

Prayers

In the court filings signed by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar, the government urged the court to grant its appeal and set aside the Court of Appeals judgement.

It further prayed to the Supreme Court to restore the charge against the IPOB leader for him to be tried at the Federal High Court.

Mr Kanus lead lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), confirmed receipt of the filing on Thursday.

Mr Ozekhome, a law professor, disclosed that he was served with a copy of the court document on Wednesday, a day before Thursdays proceedings during which the Supreme Court validated the additional filing by the federal government.

The Supreme Court granted leave to the federal government to update its filings with the additional grounds on Thursday.

The Inyang Okoro-led five-member panel of the court then adjourned proceedings until 11 May for a hearing.

Thursdays proceedings set the stage for the full hearing of the appeal challenging the lower Court of Appeals October 2022 judgement that dismissed the charges against the IPOB leader.

Background

Mr Kanu, who leads a separatist campaign for the secession of the mainly Igbo-speaking South-east states and parts of neighbouring states as the independent Biafra Republic, is being incarcerated at the headquarters of the State Security Service (SSS) in Abuja.

His trial on charges of treasonable felony and terrorism started after his arrest over his separatist activities in 2015. But the case went into a pause after he fled the country in the wake of a military invasion of his home in Afara-Ukwu, Abia State, while he was on bail in September 2017.

The IPOB leader was forcibly brought back from Kenya by the Nigerian government in June 2021 to face trial.

However, ruling on an application Mr Kanu later filed to challenge the entire 15 charges, the trial Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed eight of the counts it adjudged not to be inappropriate.

Displeased with the partial discharge handed down by the court, Mr Kanu proceeded on appeal to the Court of Appeal in Abuja to attack the rest of the seven counts.

The Court of Appeal acceded to his request by dismissing the remaining seven counts and ordering his release from custody in its judgement handed down on 13 October 2022.

The appellate court based its decision on its finding that the extraordinary rendition mode of returning Mr Kanu to Nigeria breached both local and international laws.

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Inside a Taiwanese company in Hai Phong (Photo: NDO)

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, as of March 20, Taiwan (China) ranked 4th after the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Japan in the list of countries and territories investing the most in Vietnam. Hai Phong is a locality receiving significant investment capital of Taiwanese enterprises. Currently Taiwanese partners have 60 projects in the port city, with a total capital of USD1.8 billion, including 27 projects located in industrial parks and economic zones with a total capital of USD1.6 billion.

Hai Phong has one of the most modern seaports in the North, which is a pole in the growth triangle of Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh. This is also a locality that converges all 5 types of road, sea, railway, inland waterway and air traffic, which is very useful for economic activities. With open policies in attracting investment, the care and support of the city's leaders and the Hai Phong Economic Zone Authority (HEZA), the city is very attractive to investors," Mr. Chen Hung Chin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Wieson Company, and Head of the delegation of the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (TEEMA), said.

Since September 2022, there have been 4 delegations of Taiwanese enterprises to Hai Phong to explore investment opportunities. Particularly for TEEMA, on April 19, it was the second time it was back to Hai Phong with nearly 50 enterprises in the field of high-tech manufacturing. It is known that the production value of enterprises in this association accounts for 50% of industrial production value in Taiwan (China).

Previously, in October 2022, the HEZA delegation also successfully organized investment promotion activities in Taiwan (China), attracting 15 businesses. After the promotion program, some businesses came to invest in the city.

Taiwanese large investors in the port city include Pegatron Vietnam Co., Ltd. with investment capital of USD800 million, Universal Scientific Industrial Vietnam Co., Ltd. with capital of USD215 million, and Lite On Vietnam Co., Ltd with USD89 million. These are all large enterprises in the field of manufacturing electronic components for televisions, computers, industrial gases, machines, equipment and packaging.

Among these, the most impressive is Pegatron Vietnam Co., Ltd (belonging to Pegatron Group), which has the largest total investment capital in Hai Phong so far. Currently, Pegatron is the main supplier of electronic auxiliary components to Apple, along with Foxconn and Wistron Corp of Taiwan (China). Pegatron is expanding the second project, with a total investment of about USD481 million.

As planned, Pegatron will continue to invest in the third project with a scale of USD500 million in the period of 2025 - 2026. With the continued investment of Pegatron Vietnam to expand the scale in Hai Phong, it once again shows Hai Phong still has a lot of room for Taiwanese investors. The expansion of Pegatron's investment also helps to develop ancillary businesses and banks. Up to now, Taiwan's Megabank has a branch in Hai Phong to welcome the wave of businesses to invest in the city.

With the view that "the success of investors is also the success of the city", Mr. Le Trung Kien, Head of HEZA, affirmed the city will always support and create the best conditions for businesses and investors, including Taiwanese investors./.
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Members of the National Economic Council (NEC) including all state governors and some members of the federal cabinet rose from the monthly NEC meeting today with words of commendation and praise for the Chairman of the Council, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

The governors and other council members who were having a physical meeting for a long time rounded up their accolades for the VP when they all rose up singing for he is a jolly good fellow in unison and a round of applause at the end of the meeting Thursday inside the Council Chambers in the Presidential Villa.

Speaking on behalf of all the 36 state governors and under the auspices of the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal commended  Mr Chairman and the Vice President for leading the council very very well. And under your leadership, the NEC has been very regular and effective. You have managed the affairs of NEC with a sense of fairness and patriotism. NEC has been proactive and pragmatic under your leadership. Many atimes when the situation demands, NEC under your leadership has risen to the challenges of our national survival even beyond the scarce economic matters.

And therefore Mr Chairman and the Vice President, on our behalf, we congratulate you for raising the bar, for doing the nation proud and for doing very well and for serving this country in this capacity. We thank you for your leadership, you provided a level playing field for every one of us to make his contributions irrespective of our various and varying backgrounds devoid of partisanship but maintaining focus and fairly managed a platform of NEC.

Thank you very much and we pray that God Almighty shall continue to guide you and members of your family as you continue with the journey, stepping aside. You remain indeed an asset, a reference, a rallying point for our country, as you continue to improve on issues of good governance and entrenchment of democratic action.

Thank you very much. We thank God for your gift, we pray God continue to guide you as you serve out your term as the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Chairman of National Economic Council. On behalf of all of us, we thank you for your interventions, we thank Mr President through you for his interventions, especially at those very difficult times when states were battling a lot of challenges, especially during the 2016 period when a number of states could not even pay salaries, bailouts and such other interventions really helped all of us, various states to really discharge our constitutional roles per state. The Vice President, Mr Chairman, we thank you, we cant thank you enough, we thank you very much.

Earlier, Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai spoke at the meeting saying the 8 years that VP Osinbajo chaired NEC showed the council as the best of all the executive bodies spelt out in the Nigerian constitution.

According to him, Out of all the Federal executive bodies, only this functions according to the Constitution and this is because of the way the VP chairs the Council. I want to appreciate you and your leadership. God will reward your leadership in this country.

He was immediately joined by the Jigawa State Governor Badaru Abubakar who said All of us share the sentiments expressed by Governor El-Rufai. We thank you for your patience, support and understanding.

In a similar vein, Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade commended the Vice President for your spirit of tolerance. I have borrowed from your maturity.

Later at the media briefing on the outcome of Thursdays NEC, Governors Bala Mohammed and Hope Uzodinma of Bauchi and Imo states respectively, again lauded the VP in glowing terms.

In his response at the end of the meeting, Mr Osinbajo expressed his appreciation for the gesture.

His words: Thank you very much. Your Excellencies, Ill like to thank you very much for the singing of Hes a jolly good fellow. Thank you very much.

I would like to thank Your Excellencies, members of the National Economic Council for your commitment and patriotism and the way that you have worked so hard to ensure that our country is not just properly advised by the Federal Government, but the country at all times is kept 

I think that the stabilizing voice of the National Economic Council has already been very well-acknowledged including by Mr President himself on several occasions when he has had cause to comment on the work of the National Economic Council and your Excellencies, the governors.

The National Economic Council has been advising especially the questions around subsidy, reports. There were also situations where the National Economic Council had to advise on very many matters concerning the economy of the country. And your advice is always objective, your advice is always genuine in the overall interest of the country.

I must say that in very many ways, the National Economic Council in the past few years or 10 to 15 years has demonstrated that our country has quality leadership. Your political leadership has shown in very many ways, that we respect working together as a country.

I must commend you for ensuring that in all our decisions, the unity of our country has played the most important role. So Id like to thank you very much for working with us in the past 8 years or so and I pray that all of you, more than you think, will be rewarded by the Almighty God for your contributions to your states and to our nation.

I also pray for those who are continuing, the Governors who are continuing and those who are coming in, that you will experience the best years yet of our nation and that our nation under you, and your states under you, will prosper and that the decisions we elect will be one that will be celebrated for years to come.

The Vice President also presented a Legacy Document of NEC in the last eight years at Thursdays meeting.

According to him The Legacy Document is a report of the activities of the National Economic Council from 2015 to 2023. It is of course a summary of all the activities including the major contributions of the National Economic Council from 2015 to 2023.

So on your behalf, it is my very special privilege to officially present the National Economic Council Legacy Report of 2015 to 2023. Thank you all very much.

Also, at the NEC meeting, the finance minister provided an update on the issue of fuel subsidy disclosing that the council agreed on the need to remove the subsidy in an orderly and well-considered way.

She said it had been decided at the Transition Council with members from the Buhari administration and the incoming administration that the fuel subsidy would not be removed during the transition period.

NEC also had a section of the meeting to hold the Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority as the Governors are the members of the NSIA Governing Council.

The Chairman, Board of Directors of the NSIA, Farouk Gumel, and the Managing Director/CEO, Aminu Umar-Sadiq, made presentations to the council. NEC then received the NSIA reports and approved Management prayers thus:

The Council also received the NSIA Consolidated & separate financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2022 which were presented by a representative of the PWC who authored the statements.

Council also received presentations from the Ad-Hoc Committee of the NEC on Flood Relief and from the NECs Human Capital Development unit.

According to the Jigawa State Governor who chairs the Ad-Hoc Committee 16 States have sent in the required report of the extent of damage occasioned by flooding across this country during the last rainy season.

He said however a further extension of one week would be granted to states who have not yet sent in their reports.

Laolu Akande

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity

Office of the Vice President

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The Ministry of Defence (MoD), on Friday, presented cheques totalling N2.6 billion (N2,597,744,287) to families of 804 deceased members of the Armed Forces.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the presentation, which was done in Abuja, was under the 2021/2022 Group Life Assurance Scheme of the Armed Forces.

The Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, in his remarks after the presentation of the bank drafts to the beneficiaries, urged them to utilise the money judiciously.

Mr Magashi said that though the money was not much, it could provide them with some level of comfort.

I believe these cheques will help in ensuring and providing you with some level of comfort.

We as a ministry and government will continue to provide you with comfort because we cherished the services rendered by our deceased men and officers.

We are not happy with their deaths, but happy they died in service to the nation, and we believe they have done the country proud.

So this presentation is a step in the right direction, and I urge you to utilise the money judiciously to provide some comfort for yourselves and the children left behind, the minister said.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke with the NAN commended the federal government and the ministry for the concern shown.

They added that the money will go a long way in alleviating the hardship of the sudden and untimely demise of their breadwinners and loved ones.

They urged the federal government to continue with the good works.

Meanwhile, NAN reports that the next of kin of 644 deceased army officials, next of kin of 70 deceased Nigerian Navy officials and next of kin of 90 deceased officials of the Nigerian Air Force was presented with drafts.

(NAN)

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The Taraba Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the security agencies in the state to arrest its former state chairman, Ibrahim ElSudi, for alleged impersonation.

James Ahmadu, acting state chairman of the party, made the call on Friday while addressing journalists in Jalingo.

Mr Ahmadu said the purported suspension and expulsion of some members of the party was illegal, stating that Mr ElSudi ceased to be the state chairman of APC on 10 February.

He called on the national leadership of the party to call Mr ElSudi to order to avoid creating unnecessary confusion in the party in the state.

We are responding to the purported expulsion of David Kente and our Senator-elect for Taraba South Senatorial district, David Jimkuta by the former state chairman, Ibrahim El-Sudi.

I and members of my state executive as well as members of APC in Taraba state received the pronouncement with rude shock and utmost disappointment, he said.

He said the removal of Mr El`Sudi was duly communicated to and acknowledged by the partys National Working Committee (NWC)

He thus stands removed as the chairman of the party and has no legal standing to act in that capacity, he said.

He said that as the then deputy chairman and the highest-ranking official of the state executive, he was unanimously and legally endorsed as the state acting chairman of the party

Therefore, by the provision of the APC constitution, El`Sudi ceased to function as chairman since Feb. 10 and has no legal right to suspend or expel any member from the party.

We find his actions in this sad development as an act of desperation from a drowning man who is acting the script of his paymasters, he said.

We also call on the national leadership of our great party to expediently call him to order before he creates confusion in the party.

He said that Messrs Kente and Jimkuta remain members of the APC in Taraba.

Uten Efu, chairman of APC in Kente Ward in Wukari Local Government Area, denied signing any petition for the suspension and the expulsion of Mr Kente.

Also, Siman Yunusa, chairman of the APC in Bete Ward, Mr Jimkuta`s ward, said that the ward executive did not sign any petition for the suspension of the senator-elect.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ElSudi-led faction of the party had announced the expulsion of Messrs Kente and Jimkuta from the party.

(NAN)

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Nigerian students who have been evacuated from Sudan will no longer arrive in Nigeria Friday as earlier announced by the government, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report.

Sources within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) who have no clearance to speak to the media told this newspaper that evacuees would not return due to logistics and diplomatic issues.

According to the ministry source, As of 0700hrs on 28th April 2023, nine buses have arrived at the Sudanese side of the Arkin border, and four buses have also arrived at the Wadi Halfa border. They are waiting for clearance from the Sudanese end to cross to the Egyptian side.

Wadi Halfa border is the one approved for our people, and this was communicated to our Mission in Khartoum. However, the fact that some of the drivers chose to go to another border post (about 200 km) away from the approved entry point, we have raised another team to go there and assist.

The source added that there are thousands of people at the borders and as such there will be delays in getting Nigerians into Egypt.

In a similar tone, the source at NiDCOM noted that there are not so serious diplomatic hitches at the border and the Nigerian embassy in Egypt is trying to get diplomatic cover for the students.

It appears Egypt wants the students to be profiled, he told PREMIUM TIMES.

In another development, NiDCOM in a statement signed by Gabriel Odu said over 7,000 people, including Nigerians, fleeing Sudan have been denied access to Egypt since their arrival late Thursday evening.

According to the statement, NiDCOMs boss, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, called on those concerned with passages and movement of persons and services along contiguous borders of Sudan to create a humane condition to allow unfettered access.

She added that the Nigerian mission in Egypt has been working tirelessly on this as the Egyptian authorities are insisting on visas by fellow Africans to transit back to their countries, Mr Odu said.

None of the sources could say for certain when the challenges would be resolved and when the Nigerians would return to their country.

However, the agencies involved had expressed readiness to airlift the Nigerian evacuees immediately after they arrive in Sudan.

NiDCOM and NEMA at different times announced that about 1,600 Nigerian evacuees from Sudan were expected in Abuja on Friday.

Officially, there are about 5,500 Nigerian students who are expected to arrive from Sudan in the evacuation that commenced on Wednesday.

According to NEMA, 13 buses conveyed the first batch of the evacuees from Khartoum in Sudan to Egypt from where they will be airlifted to Nigeria.

Nigeria has hired a total of 40 buses for the evacuation.

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted the comments of President Muhammadu Buhari on reasons opposition parties lost the 2023 presidential election.

Mr Buhari had on Thursday when he received the APC governors at his residence in the State House cited overconfidence and bad tactical moves as some of the reasons opposition parties lost the election.

A combination of overconfidence, complacency and bad tactical moves made them lose, plain and clear. This has created more problems in their camp. Why did they fail to remove us? he said.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, while reacting to the presidents comment at a press conference on Friday, insisted that the candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, did not lose the presidential election as declared by the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu.

The PDP spokesperson maintained that the presidents comment against the opposition parties indicated that he undermined the importance of democracy.

He, therefore, called on the international community to impose visa and travel ban restrictions on Mr Buhari after handing over to the incoming government.

The PDP in clear terms tells President Buhari and his APC that our party and candidate, Atiku Abubakar clearly won the February 25, 2023 presidential election as shown by the authentic results from the majority of Polling Units across the country, he said.

The PDP did not lose the Presidential election as claimed by President Buhari and we are not willing to surrender the mandate freely given to our party by the people irrespective of the threats, bullying and manipulation by the APC-led administration.

Nigerians believed and expected President Buhari to leave a legacy of a free, fair and credible election based on his numerous undertakings and promises but he is leaving an ignoble, dishonourable and disgraceful legacy of enabling and superintending over the worst election conducted in the history of democracy in Nigeria.

Having clearly undermined democracy in Nigeria, the PDP calls on the International Community to accordingly impose sanctions including Visa ban and travel restrictions on President Buhari and his family immediately after he vacates office on May 29, 2023, the party demands.

This demand for sanction is in line with President Buharis request on February 17, 2022, in Brussels, Belgium, wherein he called on the European Union (EU) to impose weighty sanctions on those engaged in unconstitutional change of governments as well as those influencing the process and outcomes of elections.

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The Jigawa State High Court has sentenced four persons to death by hanging for murder in the Ringim Local Government of the state.

The court in a separate judgement also sentenced one Ibrahim Isah, a teacher, to life imprisonment for the defilement of a minor.

The judge, Ahmad Abubakar, convicted Salahu Yau; Aminu Salmanu; Salmanu Shafiu; and Yusuf Sale to death by hanging punishable under Section 221(b) of the Penal Code (Cap. 3) Laws of Jigawa State 2014.

The defendants, all from Kalawa Village, Ringim Local Government area, were arraigned before the court on a four-count charge of criminal conspiracy, criminal trespass, unlawful assembly and culpable homicide.

The spokesperson, Jigawa State Ministry of Justice, Zainab Baba-Santali, in a statement on Friday, said the offences were contrary to Sections 100, 342, 97 & 221 of the penal Code Cap. 3 Laws of Jigawa State.

In proving their case, the Prosecution through its counsel, Sabo Shehu, called 4 witnesses and tendered extra judicial statement and a medical report while the Defendants testified in their defence and called 2 other witnesses.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Ahmad Muhammad Abubakar convicted and sentenced all the Defendants to 2 years imprisonment or pay a fine of N10,000 for the offence of unlawful assembly punishable Section 103 of the same code, 2 years imprisonment or pay a fine of N10,000 for the offence of unlawful assembly punishable Section 342 of the same code and the offence of criminal conspiracy, the judge convicted and sentenced all the defendants to three months imprisonment or pay a fine of N1,000 for the offence of criminal conspiracy punishable under Section 96 of the same code. They were all sentenced to death by hanging without an option of fine, the spokesperson said.

Rape case

Meanwhile, the judge, Mr Abubakar, also sentenced Mr Isah to life imprisonment after he was found guilty of rape.

She said the offence is punishable under Section 3 of the Penal Code Law of Jigawa State 2014 (Miscellaneous Amendment) Law.

Mrs Baba-Santali said the accused person, a school teacher, lured one of his pupils, a 5-year-old girl (name withheld) into an empty classroom and violated her.

He was arrested and charged to court with rape, the official said.

Justice Ahmad Muhammad while delivering the judgment stated that the prosecution had successfully proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt, thereby convicted and sentenced Ibrahim Isah to life imprisonment for the offence of rape punishable under Section 3(1) of the Penal Code Law of Jigawa State 2014 (Miscellaneous Amendment) Law, the spokesperson stated.

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The Labour Party has rejected the statement by President Muhammadu Buhari that opposition parties lost the 2023 general elections because there were complacent and overconfident.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the statement by Mr Buhari during which he also accused the opposition parties of bad tactical moves.

The ruling party, APC, won the presidential election, defeating the two main opposition parties, PDP and Labour Party. APC candidate Bola Tinubu is expected to be sworn in as president on 29 May although the Labour Party and the PDP are challenging the results of the election in court.

In its reaction to Mr Buharis statement, Labour Party said contrary to the presidents claim, it won the election but was rigged out.

In fact, Labour Party won the election but it was brazenly stolen by APC. Mr. President is aware of the fact that APC did not win the election and that it was stolen, party spokesperson Obiora Ifoh wrote in a Friday statement.

Read the full statement below.

LABOUR PARTY RESPONDS TO PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI SAYS LP WON 2023 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BUT WAS STOLEN AND PRESIDENT BUHARI IS AWARE OF THE TRUTH.

The Labour Party is very worried and disturbed with the statement from the office of the President wherein he said that the opposition parties lost the 2023 presidential election because of their overconfidence, complacency and bad tactical moves, and which he claimed created more problems for them.

According to a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, he asserted that while the APC was working hard to retain power in the recent elections, the combined opposition was busy telling their foreign backers that they would defeat the APC.

We want to point it out clearly to President Muhammadu Buhari that his position on the outcome of the said election was false, untrue, and it is not a true reflection of what played out during the election.

There are several reasons why opposition political parties lost the 2023 election; the first is that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC snubbed the electoral act wherein it failed to upload the result from the polling unit in real time as promised and in disregard to the laws guiding the election. The INEC by so doing, created room for that election to be rigged.

Again, the current APC president elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu didnt win the election, because the said election, particularly, the presidential election was manipulated and rigged beyond comprehension. So political parties didnt loose election because of over confidence or complacency as proffered by Mr. President, APC in collaboration with the various government agencies simply rigged the election and rigged themselves into power.

Let me remind Mr. President of the magnitude of violence, ballot snuffing, snatching and manipulations of result from the collation centres using security agencies, which included police, army amongst others as well as thugs to manipulate elections in favour of the ruling party.

ALSO READ: APC denies involvement in Labour Party crisis

Recently, we saw the show of shame that took place in Adamawa. What played out in Adamawa was a microcosym of what played out in all over the states during February 25 and March 18 elections in Nigerian. Why the case of Adamawa was given huge publicity and attention was because of the involvement of an INEC National commissioner who was a victim, thus forcing INEC to take prompt action. From Lagos to Rivers, from north to southern parts of the country, all over, violence characterised that election. In most cases, some agents and supporters were not allowed access to the polling units.

All of these put together, do they amount to over confidence and complacency on the part of the opposition party? It shows that the President who promised Nigerians that he was going to give Nigerians a free, fair and credible election simply failed in his duty in giving Nigerians the election they deserved.

The 2023 general election is the worst election the country ever had since the current republic; since 1999 to date. The 2023 general election is the worst ever as reported by virtually all the international observers and communities. In fact, the election took Nigeria back to the days of First and Second republics where political thugs, where violence and thuggery characterised politics and election.

So Mr. President is completely wrong. I believe that he was ill advised. It was erroneous for him to say that opposition parties lost election because of over confidence. In fact, Labour Party won the election but it was brazenly stolen by APC. Mr. President is aware of the fact that APC did not win the election and that it was stolen.

SIGN

Obiora Ifoh

Acting National Publicity Secretary

LABOUR PARTY

28  04  2023

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Some gunmen have abducted a yet-to-be identified man in Nnobi, a community in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, south-east Nigeria.

The incident happened on Thursday along Oraukwu-Adazi Road in the community, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

A video clip of the incident has been circulating on various WhatsApp groups.

In the clip, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, some gunmen, operating in a Prado SUV, double-crossed the victim, who was driving an ash-coloured Lexus SUV and zoomed off with the victim and his vehicle.

The clip showed that some of the gunmen were dressed in police uniform.

It has happened in front of our house. I recorded this video myself. They were dressed in police uniform, but they are not policemen. They are kidnappers, a voice was heard speaking in the background of the clip.

The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident on Friday during a press conference on behalf of the Commissioner of Police in the state, Echeng Echeng.

A text of the conference was made available to PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, said some police operatives later intercepted the gunmen in the two SUV vehicles alongside the abducted victim.

The police spokesperson said the police operatives were conducting a stop and search operation at Afor Nnobi Road at 7:50 p.m. on the same Thursday, when the gunmen attempted to pass the road.

The gunmen in the vehicle who refused to stop when the police operatives flagged them down, started shooting sporadically to escape police screening.

The operatives engaged the armed men in a gun battle, rescued one of their victims and arrested three of the gang members suspected to be members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the militant wing of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), he said.

Mr Ikenga gave the names of the arrested suspects as Hyacinth Ujwuika 45, Samuel Akpan, 31, and Chinonso Offor, 24, otherwise known as Wolf.

The police spokesperson said some of the gunmen escaped during the shootout and that the three of them who were arrested by the police have already confessed to being members of the ESN and IPOB.

He further said the arrested suspects also mentioned the various criminal hideouts where they operate from.

Efforts are already emplaced to arrest other fleeing gang members, he stated.

Three AK-47 rifles, two cell phones, two bulletproof vests, two walking talkies, a police uniform (camouflage), four AK-47 magazines and 120 live ammunition were among the items recovered from the hoodlums during the operation, according to the police.

Others are: one police belt, a hand glove, a pair of police boots, two police caps, one military T-shirt and one blue police uniform.

Increased attacks

Like other states in Nigerias south-east, security has deteriorated in Anambra State with frequent attacks by armed persons.

The latest attack comes about two days after gunmen abducted another unidentified man close to the location of the previous attack in the same council area.

Apart from attacks on security agencies and their facilities, several other persons  mainly government officials  have been abducted and killed.

The attacks have been attributed to IPOB, which is agitating for a sovereign state for the Igbo-speaking people in the south-east.

But the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.

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New York, April 28, 2023Nigerian authorities should revise recent statements falsely characterizing CPJs research on the press freedom situation in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.

On Thursday, April 27, the state-run News Agency of Nigeria reported that Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami described CPJs research in a meeting the previous day as finding Nigeria as the only African country that has been in full compliance in terms of the protection of the rights of the journalists.

That report quoted Malami as saying that no journalists had been killed in the country arising from infractions, relating thereto.

CPJ research has for years documented a steady stream of attacks, prosecutions, and harassment of journalists in Nigeria, including for publishing alleged false news. CPJ research shows at least 24 journalists have been killed in Nigeria since 1992. At least 12 of these journalists are confirmed to have been killed in connection with their work.

CPJs research on press freedom in Nigeria, showing years of attacks on members of the pressincluding killingsstrongly contradicts comments by Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami about the press freedom situation in the country, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator. Malamis misrepresentation of CPJ research is particularly alarming and tragically ironic given how frequently Nigerian journalists are accused and prosecuted for distributing alleged falsehoods.

Malami gave his remarks at a briefing to promote the Nigerian governments human rights agenda, which was chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.

In January, Ministry of Justice spokesperson Umaru Gwandu similarly mischaracterized CPJs research at an event on the safety of journalists during elections.

Earlier, in 2020, Malami mischaracterized the fact that Nigeria was not included in CPJs annual Impunity Index as an achievement by Nigerian authorities. However, Nigeria was no longer included in the 2020 index because it tracked only killings from the previous 10 years, and therefore no longer included a killing from 2009. Nigerian authorities have not achieved full accountability for any journalist deaths that CPJ has documented. Malami repeated that claim in 2022, according to local media reports.

When CPJ contacted Malami for comment via messaging app, he asked to see CPJs evidence on journalists killings. When CPJ sent him records of journalists slain in Nigeria, he said he would review them and then said, Our conclusion is based on your reports as released. You may wish to refer to your previous releases establishing same position.

CPJ also called Gwandu for comment but he did not answer.

Contacted via messaging app, Presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu asked if CPJ had found the Nigerian government responsible for the killings of journalists. CPJ sent findings in its database showing that since 1992 government officials are suspected of involvement in the killings of at least four journalists: Okezie Amaruben in 1998, Fidelis Ikwuebe in 1999, Precious Owolabi in 2019, and Onifade Emmanuel Pelumi in 2020. In response, Shehu said, I work as spokesman to the President and that Malami could speak for himself.

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Now that she is 60, she should look at what she has done in the past and what God has enabled her to do and give thanks, while preparing herself for the future. She is still a young lady. My prayer is that Gods grace will continue to abound in her.

Obiageli (Oby) Ezekwesili is like a daughter to me. Even when she was a minister, I treated her the same way I treated my biological daughters. She is a dynamic young woman who is competent, reliable, and very enterprising. As she, therefore, clocks 60 today, I cannot but thank God for her life, as I wish her more fulfilling and glorious years and decades ahead.

Oby and I met through Transparency International, an initiative started by Peter Eigen, who had worked at the World Bank and saw the need for more integrity in the public arena. While Oby and Peter collaborated, I chaired the advisory council. Due to her hard work and dedication to duty, and because I naturally like working with intelligent people, it was easy for me to warm up to Oby at the time.

When I came out of prison in 1998, I travelled to the United States, essentially to thank those who had worked for my release; people who cared, like the CNN founder, Ted Turner; people at Ford Foundation, where I used to be Board of Trustees member, and others. I remember Oby came to see me on the day I was meeting with most of my children, sharing my prison experience and looking ahead to what I believed at the time to be a more private life. Oby was then at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

When opportunity afforded itself that I became president, I already knew that I had somebody to bring into government.

From the Due Process Office, I appointed Oby as minister in charge of solid minerals. At that period, illegal mining was being carried out in several parts of Nigeria and most of the people in the business I shared my frustration with said we needed to put in place the requisite regulation. They also suggested that we needed someone tough to handle that ministry. So, knowing Oby very well, I could not see a more perfect fit for the sector.

Before I appointed Oby a minister, I first assigned her to work closely with me in what we called the Price Intelligence Unit, which she headed and was domiciled within the Presidential Villa. It later became the Due Process Office, which earned her the nickname, Madam Due Process. The idea was to cut down on waste and bring transparency and accountability into the award of contracts, which she did excellently. The point is, in government, you cannot accurately eliminate sharp practices; but if you have good public officials like Oby, you will reduce it to the barest minimum. That exactly was what she did at a period all contracts had to go through her office. Obys stewardship in the Due Process Office brought about substantial reductions in the costs of contracts, which, of course, saved the government billions of naira at the time.

Given her involvement in the global demand for more transparency in the oil and gas sector, she was a founding member of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. The NEITI, Nigerias version of EITI, that we have today is by dint of her efforts and the support I gave, especially in the days of a difficult beginning.

From the Due Process Office, I appointed Oby as minister in charge of solid minerals. At that period, illegal mining was being carried out in several parts of Nigeria and most of the people in the business I shared my frustration with said we needed to put in place the requisite regulation. They also suggested that we needed someone tough to handle that ministry. So, knowing Oby very well, I could not see a more perfect fit for the sector. That was why I sent her to the ministry, and she did excellently there.

After we had gone far in our transformation reforms in the Ministry of Solid Minerals, I realised that we had not done much in education. At that time, I knew that the Ministry of Education required reforms and the three people who I thought I could use were already heavily involved in other things. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was still in Finance, Nasir el-Rufai was handling the Federal Capital Territory, which had almost been destroyed with deviation from the original master plan. Then I had just put Oby in solid minerals. I had a conversation with the Head of Service who felt that I could redeploy Oby for the assignment. I was hesitant because I did not want to disrupt what she was doing at the Ministry of Solid Minerals. Sir, is the solid minerals ministry more important than that of education? queried the HoS. That question settled it for me. I sent Oby to education, and I told her to recommend a replacement for the solid minerals ministry.

I recall when Oby informed me that she was given a job at the World Bank, I did not want her to go because I really needed her. But then I said to myself, Let her go, it may be part of Nigerias contribution to global development, especially in Africa. She went to the World Bank and did her best. She was, for me, one of the best from Africa.

As president, I tried to expose some of the brightest talents I had in government to opportunities available to be the best they could possibly be. Without any doubt, Oby was one of the best talents I had working with me. On a lighter note, when Oby worked with me, she was quite young, but very intelligent. There were three of them at that time who used to drag age, and I enjoyed their banters: Oby, Frank Nweke and Nenadi Usman. The three of them were under 40 and then in council. They were always arguing among themselves about seniority of age, and Ngozi used to treat them as juniors. But it was all fun.

I recall when Oby informed me that she was given a job at the World Bank, I did not want her to go because I really needed her. But then I said to myself, Let her go, it may be part of Nigerias contribution to global development, especially in Africa. She went to the World Bank and did her best. She was, for me, one of the best from Africa.

Now that she is 60, she should look at what she has done in the past and what God has enabled her to do and give thanks, while preparing herself for the future. She is still a young lady. My prayer is that Gods grace will continue to abound in her.

Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, is former President of Nigeria (1999 to 2007).

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BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense on Thursday warned Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities against letting in U.S. defense companies, comparing the move to "inviting a wolf into the house."

Spokesperson Tan Kefei expressed grave concerns at a press conference when commenting on the visits of U.S. defense companies to Taiwan.

Tan reiterated that matters related to Taiwan are the internal affairs of China and allow for no external interference.

The U.S. defense companies have always been keen on selling arms and exporting wars and chaos across the world in return of huge profits, he said, adding that what the DPP authorities have done will only drag the people of Taiwan into disaster.

Tan urged the U.S. side to fully grasp the highly sensitive nature of the Taiwan question and the complicated situation across the Taiwan Strait, and to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques.

He urged the U.S. side to stop meddling in affairs related to Taiwan, cease arms deals and cut off military contacts with Taiwan.

The Chinese armed forces will follow the situation across the Strait closely, maintain high alert, and take necessary counter measures against any form of separatism for "Taiwan independence" and external interference, he pledged.

Editor: ZAD
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Way back in 1960, when France was trying to destroy Guinea because the people said no to colonialism, Castro and the Cuban government were providing support. By 1963, Cuba was providing medical assistance to Algeria. In the liberation struggles of Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Guinea Bissau, Cuba was with the people and many of their people died in the struggles. Their friendship with Africa has remained deep and sincere.

Yesterday, the Cuban Embassy held a briefing session on their recently held elections, which took place in March. Cuba, with a population of just over 11 million, has a National Assembly of 470, with each member representing just about 30,000 people. This means constituents actually know their representatives. Their National Assembly is not full time, members remain on their work posts and run their normal life and simply go to parliament when it is in session. While the National Assembly is directly elected by the people, its President is elected indirectly; that is, by the National Assembly. The high level of participation in the elections, 75%, in a context of deep economic crisis provoked by the American blockade, was widely seen by both pro- and anti-government groups as a litmus test for gauging support of the Cuban leadership at this time. Once again, the message seems to be that the legendary resilience of both the people and government of Cuba remains strong. No wonder the Cuban President, Miguel Diaz-Canel hailed the vote as a victory for the Cuban people.

Cubas electoral system does not allow for opposition parties, so most parliamentary candidates are members of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC). Nonetheless, candidates still must receive 50% of votes to be elected. Opposition groups, primarily outside Cuba, had encouraged voters to stay at home in protest, saying the elections had no meaning in a one-party system, with no formal opposition or international oversight. The people, apparently, did not listen to the advice.

Cuba is largely defined by the Castro legacy. He ran Cuba from 1959 to 2008 and died at the ripe age of 90 years, having survived 634 assassination attempts on his life by the American intelligence. That is why he is a legend, when compared with the mere legendary cat with only nine lives. A combination of God, Marx and the people protected him, and ensured that he died a natural death due to old age. This is an edifying story but it is not really what the Fidel Castro legacy is about.

The first element of the Castro legacy is the belief in a set of principles and remaining dogged in its pursuit, in spite of massive threats to his life and his country. He called it simply the imperative of defending the revolution. The second element of the legacy is the commitment to improving the lives of the people, not with ideology, but by developing science and technology to uplift them in real terms. The third element of the legacy is international solidarity, with particular commitment to Africa. Way back in 1960, when France was trying to destroy Guinea because the people said no to colonialism, Castro and the Cuban government were providing support. By 1963, Cuba was providing medical assistance to Algeria. In the liberation struggles of Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Guinea Bissau, Cuba was with the people and many of their people died in the struggles. Their friendship with Africa has remained deep and sincere.

Each year, malaria kills 800,000 African children. Millions of working hours are lost to the disease each year and our medical facilities are inundated with those suffering from this preventable disease. Malaria is a central factor in the vicious cycle of the reproduction of poverty on the continent and it is for this reason that Cuba, working with ECOWAS and the 15 countries in the region, took up the issue of eliminating the vector that causes this devastating disease in our region.

Cuba has survived a permanent trade embargo by the United States since 1960. Donald Trump raised the embargo to a complete economic blockade when he was president and President Biden has so far not lifted it. Cubas friends over the decades, such as the defunct Soviet Union and left governments in Latin America, rose and fell but Cuba remained resilient and, on its feet, in spite of the reality of the economic impact of the measures taken against the country.

One of the most important elements of Cubas achievements is the long and illustrious history of the country in biotechnology and medical sciences. The country has the highest doctor to population ratio in the world of eight per one thousand. It produces its vaccines, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment and sends doctors all over the world on technical assistance missions. Way back in January 2013, I published in this column an article entitled: Lenin, the Cubans, Revolutionary Strategy and the Mosquito. It was about a Cuban project to wipe out malaria throughout West Africa. The method is simple: the Cubans have invented a system of biolarvicides that will simply eat up the mosquito eggs and their Venezuelan comrades had proposed to fund the whole project, as the last gift of Hugo Chavez to Africa before his death.

Each year, malaria kills 800,000 African children. Millions of working hours are lost to the disease each year and our medical facilities are inundated with those suffering from this preventable disease. Malaria is a central factor in the vicious cycle of the reproduction of poverty on the continent and it is for this reason that Cuba, working with ECOWAS and the 15 countries in the region, took up the issue of eliminating the vector that causes this devastating disease in our region.

In the areas in the West that suffered from mosquito infestation and malaria, the policy adopted was to eliminate the mosquitoes through the use of chemical insecticides such as DDT. These substances had negative impact on the environment but the decision taken was that in spite of the negative impact, it was strategically in the interest of the countries concerned to eliminate the disease at whatever cost. The outcome is that today, malaria is a major problem only in the poorest areas in Africa and Asia.

The African experience over the past two decades is that the West is committed to reducing malaria but does not want it eliminated. ECOWAS therefore took the decision to listen to the Cubans and the Venezuelans offered to build production factories that will supply the agents. Then the Venezuelan economy was crashed and the project died. My view is that Nigeria should have risen to the challenge and supplied the resources.

Over the past two decades, billions of dollars have been invested by the West through the Global Fund, the Bill Gates Foundation and other agencies in the war against malaria. However, since 1995, the West has taken the decision that Africa must not eliminate malaria; it should only try to control it through insecticide treated nets and anti-malaria drugs. Everybody knows that this approach can only reduce the problem and never solve it. The big question is: Why is the West so obstinately against the elimination of malaria and why is the United Nations system keeping quiet? Why cant Africans dream about, but more importantly, work towards the complete elimination of malaria?

What is revealing about the present context is that science has developed to a stage where the technical capacity to eliminate malaria through the use of chemical larvicides is available. It was in this context that the Cubans intervened to develop effective and safe biolarvicides that can protect the environment and eliminate malaria. This technique has been successfully used to control malaria in Vietnam. In addition, microbial larvicides can be safely added to drinking water and in environmentally sensitive areas, as they do not persist or accumulate in the environment or in body tissues and are not toxic to animals and crops, according to WHO.

The West, Bill Gates, and the Global Fund are however resolutely against the strategy of elimination of the mosquito. It was Vladimir Lenin who explained that there are no morals in politics, there is only experience. The African experience over the past two decades is that the West is committed to reducing malaria but does not want it eliminated. ECOWAS therefore took the decision to listen to the Cubans and the Venezuelans offered to build production factories that will supply the agents. Then the Venezuelan economy was crashed and the project died. My view is that Nigeria should have risen to the challenge and supplied the resources. Looking back, had the Cuban project been implemented starting from 2013, malaria would have been eliminated throughout West Africa by 2020. This is one of the challenges we need to place before the in-coming Nigerian president. It is imperative that this revolution succeeds, especially now that the World Health Organisation has accepted that the application of biolarvicides is ecologically sound, sustainable, safe and indeed recommended. Let us allow the Cubans shame the West in Africa.

A professor of Political Science and development consultant/expert, Jibrin Ibrahim is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development, and Chair of the Editorial Board of PREMIUM TIMES.

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Ikime is another national icon whose works helped put Nigerian history on the scrutinised, refined, and tailored academic approach that is now widely used. Yet, this hallowed historian has not enjoyed the attention and respect that should be accorded to a national hero because, in Nigeria, we marginalise the living and forget the dead. Professor Ikimes story should serve as a wake-up call for the veneration of those whose existence  or otherwise  has sparked the fire of remembrance.

Our long-lived king, the Obaro of Ikime, has committed death. Death does not kill a king; rather, the king requests the services of death to host a meeting at a secure location. Ikime has gone to the loft. He has left the darkness of errors, the errors of horrors, the errors of darkness, and the horrors of errors. I knew Ikime very well. He was no ordinary person! At Ibadan, Benin, Abuja, and Kano, all at meetings, great meetings. Twice, at his request, I read his last brilliant book, Can Anything Good Come Out of History? He asked me for comments and to compose a blurb. The book did so well that it was reprinted.

Let me transform the Obaro of Ikime into the masquerade we expect in June. Veneration is a timeless phenomenon of human society that has found its way into holy books, religious doctrines, societal rules and norms, and the most intricate fabrics holding humans together. It is human to give honour to whom honour is due, pay homage, and pay respects  this fundamental concept of honouring deserving people scaled up into veneration. Although it could be argued that disrespect and condescension are some of the commonest human traits, we have a history of venerating people as assent to their deeds and achievements, and this has not only birthed myths, legends, and cognomens but also laid the foundation for some religions today. At the core of human civilisations are mythologies rooted in the veneration of individuals whose accomplishments have earned them the awe of members of society and made them so revered as gods. This phenomenon existed in several human societies across the world, including the Greeks, Yoruba, Igbo, Indigenous Americans, and Mayans, to name a few.

Some things in life are meant to be; some peoples societal positions are set in stone. For Ikime, his was a higher calling, both in his secular life in service to society and in his religious life in service to God and the Church. During his lifetime, Ikime was an Archdeacon of the Anglican Communion  a Venerable of the Holy Order  one of the highest positions anyone can aspire to in the church. Also, he was a professor of History  the highest purely academic position anyone can aspire to. Today, many call for this renowned historians official veneration to immortalise his name and keep his achievements evergreen. He was a historian who walked and worked diligently so that several other historians and academics might fly gloriously. Of a truth, Venerable Professor Obaro Ikime deserves to be venerated.

Professor Ikimes story is yet another proof of how powerful a mans talents and intelligence can be in making a name for him. Born 87 years ago in his hometown of Anibeze, it could have seemed difficult for relatives, family, friends, and parents to imagine that Ikime would one day become an internationally renowned scholar until his intellectual prowess and abilities began to emerge. It is often said that talent is universal, but opportunity is not; however, in the case of Ikime, his talent was so outstanding that it crafted the paths to opportunities for him.

Professor Ikime was one of the finest academic commentators to have come out of Africa. Although he retired early, this historian contributed heavily to the body of knowledge on African history, and his works were pivotal to shaping how we have come to understand and conduct research on inter-group relations in Africa and Nigeria, as well as how such relations tie back to nation formation, nationalism, cultural history, and civilisation.

This eminent professor of history rode on the wings of his stellar academic performance throughout his secondary school education and on to the university, earning himself a spot at one of the oldest departments in Nigerias oldest and foremost higher institution, the University of Ibadan  an opportunity that could only have come through exceptional talent. The scholar must have recognised the enormity of the weight that rested on his shoulders  the people whose confidence in him he had to prove right, the family, friends, and fellow inhabitants of the same hometown that he had to make proud, as well as the academic pathways that he had to exhaustively explore. At the young age of 29, Ikime got his PhD at the University of Ibadan; at 37, he became a professor of History in the same institution, where he spent decades as a member of the teaching staff and served till his retirement in 1999.

The Obaro of Ikime was never one to give in to his tribulations or succumb to adversity. Although the details of his abrupt retirement  perhaps we could call it forced retirement  remain sketchy to many, this in no way affected Ikimes love and passion for history or his commitment to the body of historians and academics. He was touted to have continued in service to the Ibadan School of History, sometimes offering his services for free. For him, it was more about sharing his body of knowledge and contributing to the growth of the academic community. This same spirit of commitment, service, and altruism was manifested in his service to the Anglican Church as a vicar, rising through the ranks to become an Archbishop, due to his doggedness and commitment. How the Venerable Professor Ikime combined two full-time and taxing professions  an academic, professor, and a high-ranking priest  will go down as one of the biggest lessons anyone can learn from his life. All this he did while staying excellent in the discharge of his duties and also building a lovely family with his wife.

Professor Ikime was one of the finest academic commentators to have come out of Africa. Although he retired early, this historian contributed heavily to the body of knowledge on African history, and his works were pivotal to shaping how we have come to understand and conduct research on inter-group relations in Africa and Nigeria, as well as how such relations tie back to nation formation, nationalism, cultural history, and civilisation. If you have read one or more of Professor Ikimes books, you would be familiar with his lucid writing style, making his books a joy to read.

Professor Ikime was a nationalist whose loyalty to and love for his alma mater was never questioned. He diligently delivered his services to the benefit of the Town, thereby being one of the most outstanding facilitators of the Town-Gown relationship of his generation. He was a man whose convictions and resolve extended beyond his experiences.

In staying true to his personal philosophy of commitment, Ikime took his service to society a notch higher in his volunteer service as President of the Historical Society of Nigeria, a member of the University of Ibadan Governing Council, and a serial executive council member of the University of Ibadan Alumni association  both in Ibadan and at the national level. Professor Ikime was a nationalist whose loyalty to and love for his alma mater was never questioned. He diligently delivered his services to the benefit of the Town, thereby being one of the most outstanding facilitators of the Town-Gown relationship of his generation. He was a man whose convictions and resolve extended beyond his experiences. An existentialist to the core, Ikime lived on the fundamental belief that existence is a precursor of the essence and that to exist does not mean living just for the fun of it; rather, it is a call to be relevant and exude essence.

Today, Professor Ikime is no more. His loved ones will miss him; academia will miss him; History as an academic discipline will miss him; colleagues, mentees, and friends will miss him. But we are not sad. He has gone to rest. He is now free from the tribulations and pains of this world. He is at peace, fulfilled.

Ikime is another national icon whose works helped put Nigerian history on the scrutinised, refined, and tailored academic approach that is now widely used. Yet, this hallowed historian has not enjoyed the attention and respect that should be accorded to a national hero because, in Nigeria, we marginalise the living and forget the dead. Professor Ikimes story should serve as a wake-up call for the veneration of those whose existence  or otherwise  has sparked the fire of remembrance.

Sleep well, King Obaro Ikime. You are one of the best, the most prolific to ever do it. I promise not to disturb your rest.

Toyin Falola, a professor of History, University Distinguished Teaching Professor, and Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at The University of Texas at Austin, is the Bobapitan of Ibadanland.

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As the host city of CAETE, Changsha will organise the China-Africa Cities Forum, with the theme of Deepening China-Africa Cooperation for a Bright Future, to bring into play the citys strengths and promote diversified cooperation. The sub-venue of the exhibition is located at the China-Africa Economic and Trade Innovation Park in the Yuhua District of China (Hunan) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

In the effort to promote greater economic and trade activities between China and Nigeria, a Promotion Conference for the Third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) was successfully held in Guangzhou on 17 April. Chen Huaming, Deputy Director General of the Trade Development Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), and Zhou Yue, Deputy Director General of the Department of Commerce of Hunan Province, attended the event. More than 120 representatives from the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province, Africa Guangdong Business Association (AGBA), other related business associations in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), export industrial clusters and renowned enterprises engaged in China-Africa trade were present.

Towards the attainment of its set goals, two other sessions of the CAETE Promotion Conference have been held in Beijing and Jiande, Hangzhou. The third session, held in Guangzhou, aims to pool the business resources at the Canton Fair and leverage the growing trade between GBA and Africa to expand channels for attracting international traders and buyers, with participants from various industries, such as construction engineering, energy and mining, information technology, trade and logistics.

Chen Huaming, Deputy Director General of the Trade Development Bureau, MOFCOM, highlighted that the CAETE serves as a national platform for China and Africa to focus on economic and trade cooperation, policy exchange and experience sharing, and welcomed all interested parties to actively participate in the Third CAETE and make greater contributions to further expanding China-Africa economic and trade cooperation in the new era and building a closer China-Africa community with a shared future.

Zhou Yue, Deputy Director General of the Department of Commerce of Hunan Province, said that the third session will be enriching, exquisite, effective, and exceptional, so as to make a larger number of participants feel more engaged and fulfilled and deliver a distinctive and far-reaching event that is well-conceived, and fruitful.

Huo Jiangtao, Vice President of the AGBA, expressed her anticipation for a more robust Hunan-Guangdong-Africa economic and trade service network by innovating the service model for China-Africa SMEs, which will help more Chinese companies in developing trade and economic cooperation with African nations. Additionally, representatives from Transsion Holdings and JUMIA, a renowned cross-border e-commerce platform in Africa, shared their valuable experiences of successfully starting and growing their businesses in the African market.

As the host city of CAETE, Changsha will organise the China-Africa Cities Forum, with the theme of Deepening China-Africa Cooperation for a Bright Future, to bring into play the citys strengths and promote diversified cooperation. The sub-venue of the exhibition is located at the China-Africa Economic and Trade Innovation Park in the Yuhua District of China (Hunan) Pilot Free Trade Zone. It is a hub of six national platforms, including the core area of the Pilot Zone for In-depth China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation. In the past two years since its completion, focused on building three centers, the park has been improving its functions and supporting facilities and forming a cluster of Africa-related industries for better development, which has successfully facilitated cross-border RMB settlements with 22 African countries in areas such as cross-border trade, clearing and settlement, investment, and financing. The park has also promoted a new pilot barter trade model.

Li Xinyu, international observer, is based in Beijing.

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On the average, Nigeria had one of the highest in Africa in 2019; but this declined from 17 then, to seven in 2021. It started climbing again in 2022 to 10 and by April 2023 when new investments had started trickling back into the country it had gone up to 24. The new development in the industry is attributable to the return of confidence in the sector in Nigerian and a reflection of investors acceptance of the effective implementation of the PIA by the regulator, NUPRC.

There is absolutely no doubt that Africa is a very rich continent, both in terms of human and natural resources. It is this massive wealth, particularly of natural resources, that has continued to attract both the developed and developing worlds to its embrace. The developed countries often come with rapist tendencies, but pose as developers and partners. They see Africa as a raw material enclave. They explore and exploit to these their advantage and leave the continent either threadbare or desolate at the hint of more convenient alternatives.

Among other resources, the continent is endowed with massive energy potentials; and it has a huge hydrocarbon belt which sustains the economy of some of the richest countries. Crude oil and gas have come to define the economic status of some of the biggest economies in the continent. Both also attract some of the biggest investors, who see the two energy resources as the lifeline for industrial and social sustenance of their own economies. Now with cleaner and cheaper alternatives, they see fossil fuel as a threat to the environment. Crude oil is associated with carbon emission and gas has become the transition fuel on the route to a carbon-free energy regime.

Although Africa looks like the target of the zero-emission campaign, some major petroleum producing countries in the Asian and Gulf region are also apprehensive of the energy transition timetable, given their huge belt of undeveloped hydrocarbon reserves. The zero-emission campaign and the accompanying defunding of hydrocarbon projects have found the alternative thinking cap of African producers. They are now finding ways of not just navigating the transition period, but flowing with the inevitable renewable energy tide. Once in a year, industry players within the African continent in particular and others around the world gather at the Nigeria International Energy Summit to take some strategic look at the energy industry and chart a way forward for growth and sustainable development, especially in the face of the threatening global energy transition proposal. The theme of the sixth edition of the summit, which held in Abuja from Monday 19 to 23 April, was Global perspectives for a sustainable energy future, an indicator of divergent perceptions about the sustainability of certain aspects of energy sources and resources.

Particularly so, some countries are deeply worried about the conversations going on and which are being escalated on global theatres with regard to climate change, a phenomenon that has come to link its nemesis to carbon emissions. Although Africa has about the lowest carbon emission levels in the world, even despite the advanced levels attained by the developed countries in green and renewable energy sources, the continent is more worried than others because the developed world continues to point accusing fingers at fossil fuels as a major threat to the ozone layer rescue mission, and the march towards a carbon-free world.

The thinking has refocused investment attention from the development of the vast fossil fuel reserves, which lie largely untapped and underdeveloped in Africa, to renewable energy, which is seen as cleaner and probably cheaper in some aspects. Government and industry players in Nigeria are particularly worried because the petroleum industry is the countrys biggest foreign exchange earner. The national budget is largely based on resources from this revenue stream.

Nigeria has about 37.064 billion barrels of oil, with a daily production of over 1.5 million barrels currently. It ranks second in Africa, eighth among Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and 11th in the world in terms of reserves. In terms of actual crude production, Nigeria occupies the first position in Africa, sixth in OPEC and 15th in the world. Even though crude oil contributes over 85% to Nigerias foreign exchange earnings, its contribution to GDP is about 6.33%, while Algerias is 10.2%. For Angola, it is 30% and Libya, over 50%. The GDP per capita for Nigeria stands at $1,998, which puts it in the 12th position among OPEC member states and 22nd in Africa. So, Nigeria has real cause to fret whenever the phrase energy transition is mentioned, because it has implications on the investment budget and consequently production returns.

The enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 and efforts made by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to breathe life into its provisions have brought some relief to both the sector and operators. Before then, investment in the countrys oil and gas sector had taken a southward trajectory due to three major reasons: regulatory uncertainty, de-funding of fossil fuel development occasioned by the energy transition, and the scourge of COVID-19, which shut the world down between 2019 and 2021.

Between 2014 and 2022, there was a consistent decrease in capital expenditure (CAPEX) by international oil companies (IOCs), most of which deprioritised Nigeria in their portfolios and redirected the funding of capital projects in the upstream sector to other countries. That automatically meant a decline in upstream operations and output. It was double wahala for Nigeria. The countrys total annual upstream capital expenditure went down by 74% during the period, from $27 billion in the year 2014 to less than $6 billion in 2022. The breakneck competition from regional peers also adversely affected the proportion of the overall upstream investment attracted by Nigeria.

The under-investment expectedly affected a number of operational facilities and activities, including the countrys rig count. On the average, Nigeria had one of the highest in Africa in 2019; but this declined from 17 then, to seven in 2021. It started climbing again in 2022 to 10 and by April 2023 when new investments had started trickling back into the country it had gone up to 24. The new development in the industry is attributable to the return of confidence in the sector in Nigerian and a reflection of investors acceptance of the effective implementation of the PIA by the regulator, NUPRC.

Fortune continued to smile on the industry with the high energy prices in the last two years. The oil and gas industry globally is experiencing positive inflows, which could be directed to capital investment in upstream operations. Projections by industry experts over the next few years look good. Industry players therefore have a chance to leverage this opportunity by up-scaling every effort to attract more investments to revive the Nigerian upstream sector. NUPRC Chief Executive, Engineer Gbenga Komolafe is optimistic. During the NIES 2023 in Abuja, he stated that Nigeria is a nation where needs meet opportunity. He was not just referring to crude oil and gas, he mentioned vast potentials in blue energy, solar, wind, biomass, as well as other sources of renewable energy, which he noted could be leveraged for the right energy mix in the energy transition regime.

While Komolafe, like every other major industry player in Africa, worries about the not-so-encouraging foreign investment in fossil fuel development around the world, especially in Africa, he has always been alive to the reality of green transition. At the just concluded energy summit, he reiterated the need for oil and gas producers in Africa to face the reality and take strategic positions to leverage the opportunities presented by the unfolding era, as pressure from the clean energy crowd mounts.

He used that opportunity to also state that even as moves are already afoot to flow along the renewable energy corridor, Nigeria is already charting a new course in the upstream petroleum sector and is poised to secure a blossoming energy future through effective implementation of the PIA. The Act has relevant legal, governance, fiscal and regulatory frameworks for guiding industry operations. In line with its mandate, the NUPRC is developing forward-thinking technical and commercially viable regulations as instruments to promote transparency, efficiency, and innovation for sustainable development of Nigerias hydrocarbon resources.

Walking along international benchmarks in implementing the PIA provisions, the Commissions focus is targeted at achieving reduced unit cost per barrel, transparency in hydrocarbon accounting, operational efficiency, conducive operating environment, increase in oil and gas reserves and production, and reduction in carbon footprint. Within the 20 months of its existence, the Commission has already successfully gazetted five regulations, developed thirteen fresh regulations currently under review and another six at consultative stages with industry stakeholders.

The target is to grow reserves through deliberate oil and gas exploration, deep drilling, prospects maturation appraisal, field studies and improved oil recovery. Results are already showing. The national hydrocarbon reserves position as at the beginning of this year was 31.060 billion barrels for oil and 5.906 billion barrels for condensate. Associated gas reserves stood at 102.32 trillion cubic feet; while the Non-associated sas reserve is 106.51 trillion cubic feet.

Komolafe believes that with a population of over 200 million people and abundant energy sources to achieve the right energy mix for sustainability of energy supply, Nigeria as a nation state is suitably positioned to become a superpower in the unfolding energy transition regime.

Akpandem James, a journalist and commentator on contemporary issues, lives in Abuja.

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Introduction

The journalist and prose writer in me screams to manifest today. Far away from gladiatorial courtroom litigation and suffocating trenches. They urge me to move away today from the classroom, soapbox and television screen. I am today compelled to write on the topical trending issue of the moment GO TO COURT. Yes, you heard me right: go to court. Nigeria is a great country, but a very interesting one with spectacular oddities and oxymorons. Every day is new. I love her to no end.

Why Got To Court?

Politicians, sorry, Politricians, have popularised Go to Court in their morbid desperation to acquire power at all cost. By hook or by crook. They are desperados. They have been very successful in messing up our hard-earned democracy. They carry out unspeakable acts  bizarre acts drained of logic, legality, constitutionality and morality  and then tell you to your face, Go to Court. This is a sad sarcasm of their obvious derisive, pejorative and derogatory euphemism for our beleaguered justicedelivery systems.

What the Politricians are saying cheek-in-tongue, in effect, shorn of all pretences, affectation and braggadocio, is that they believe you cannot get justice in the courts. So, they taunt you to go to court. Before, during and after elections, they kill, maim, burn, thumbprint; steal and allocate ballot boxes and paper; steal BVAs machines; propel their candidates to win at all costs; select their winners; and collude with INEC to announce their preferred victors. Then, they humour you with, Go to Court. For you, my readers, if you do not like this my introductory part, please, do me a favour  go to court.

Expanding Nigerias Political Lexicon

The new refrain in town  go to court  is therefore an obvious addition to our ever-elastic warped political lexicon. Webster, Oxford, Collins, Longman, Black  all Dictionary exponents  must be green with envy from their cold graves.

I have since added new words to our political vocabulary and encyclopedia  Electionocracy; Selectocracy; Judocracy; Executocracy and Legislatocracy.

The Flawed 2023 General Elections

The last Presidential, NASS, Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections were the worst I have ever witnessed in this contraption called Nigeria since the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates by Lord Frederick Lugard (22nd January, 1858  11th April, 1945), on the 1st of January, 1914, to found Nigeria. If you do not like this opinion of mine, go to court.

I guffawed when I heard President Muhammadu Buhari, in congratulating Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on his presumed victory at the 25th February, 2023 presidential election, say, None of the issues registered represents a challenge to the freeness and fairness of the elections. Mr. President, did I hear you correctly sir? I can already see through the eyes of the minds of his handlers and coterie of media snipers, and those of Tinubu, calling me out. I can hear them telling me to go to court if I do not like the Presidents biased stance expressed in the face of stiff challenge by his co-contestants. My simple response is, go to court if you do not like my own critique.

No sir, Mr President. I humbly disagree, sir. The last elections were neither free, fair, transparent, honest, respectable, nor imbued with any iota of integrity and dignity. They represented an abysmal retrogression into Australopithecus stone-age election farce. The elections were clearly shambolic, unsystematic, mismanaged, violent, vicious; highly compromised; and drained of any local or international respect and recognition. The outright rejection of, or at best, very lukewarm tolerance of (not wholesome acceptance or embrace) by the international community, speaks volumes of the elections lack of rectitude and honour. Any final emergent product of the fundamentally flawed presidential election will have a moral burden to contend with  even if court judgements were to favour him. The moral burden will hang like an albatross, on his neck throughout his entire tenure of office. It will be more like an ignoble trophy or diadem. I shudder to conjecture the ricocheting effect and dire consequences this forebodes for Nigeria. I am not a seer or clairvoyant, but I can tell Nigerians categorically to brace up for harder times ahead. If you are not comfortable with these humble views of mine, then go to court.

The Binanigate

The hallmark of this go to court mantra finally crystallised last week during the gubernatorial election in Adamawa state. The events there represent the shame of a country whose citizens, having experienced too many doses of travails, now appear unshockable. I have since been stressed and distressed. Can this shame be wiped off our electoral slate, or democracy syllabus? I do not know. Or, do you? The deeds and misdeeds that attended the Adamawa macabre dance of death remind me of the regretful and symbolic words of Macbeth, in William Shakespeares epic Macbeth (Act II, Scene II).

In bemoaning his unprovoked decision to assassinate King Duncan, Macbeth lamented that all the oceans of the world would not be capable of washing the blood from his hands. This was even before killing King Duncan. Hear Macbeth: Will all great Neptunes Ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red. If you do not like my taking you back to Shakespearean literature to allegorize and metaphorize these points of mine, then, go to court.

Like many Nigerians, I keenly followed the Binani phenomenon  now BinaniGATE (most unfortunately). I like the Senators quiet mien, respectable carriage, calm disposition and ever-smiling exterior. She appears incandescent, even if shy. These qualities belied a steely, strong-willed Margaret Thatcher of an iron lady, who had taken Adamawa politics by storm, breaking down chauvinistic barriers, and mauling entrenched fixations and stereotypes. My love went straight to her, like the one I had for my late dear mother who died in 1997. I had grown up with my parents in Iviukwe town, in the 60s and 70s. I went to the farm, and far-flung streams with my late mother and late father, who died in 1992. I followed her to dig and plant into ridges, groundnut, beans, cocoyam, maize and yam. I fetched firewood from scorpion-infested dried trees. I fetched water from stagnant spirogyra-infested streams and dirty ponds, with calabashes. We then used alum to purify the water. So, I saw my mother in Binani. I also suddenly saw in Binani, my dear wife  my pillar of strength; my soulmate; my girlfriend; my confidant and sister; my mother and best friend in the world. For these reasons, and propelled by her top-notch political credentials, I, like many Nigerians, silently yearned that she won in a free, fair and transparent election. This, for me, notwithstanding that the big home boys holding fort in Adamawa are my elder and younger friends, respectively  former VP, Waziri Atiku Abubakar and Governor Ahmadu Fintiri. But what did we see? A damnatory and ruinous anti-climax.

A sad summersault indeed! Binani was declared winner of an election whose supplementary results were still being collated and counted. It was done by an unauthorized and illegal person  the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC)  rather than the INEC-appointed Returning Officer. This, even while she was trailing her main opponent, Governor Fintiri, by over 31,000 votes! Wonders shall never end. She had wanted to foist on INEC, the courts and sympathetic Nigerians (like me), a situation of fait accompli. She will then tell Fintiri to go to court. The INEC RECs audaciousness and brazen acts appear modeled after the INEC leadership itself, which had condoned and facilitated huge electoral malpractices, and told Nigerians to go to court.

The Background To the Failed Coup

Let us have a historical background to this electoral fraud which was actually, a failed coup detat.

On 18th March, Adamawa residents went to the polls, hopeful of the workings of democracy  a concept defined by Abraham Lincoln (with penetrating erudition) in his Gettysburg Declaration on 19th November, 1863, as government of the people, by the people and for the people. At the close of voting, sitting Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, garnered a total of 421,522 votes to lead in 13 of the 21 LGAs of Adamawa State. He beat his closest rival, Aisha Dahiru (A.KA. Binani) by over 32,000 votes, as she trailed with 390,275 votes obtained in 8 LGAs. Mohammed Mele, a Professor of English at the University of Maiduguri, who was the INEC-appointed Returning Officer (and who is the only statutorily authorized person under section 25 of the Electoral Act, 2022, to declare governorship results and announce the winner), however, announced that the election was inconclusive. His reason was that the margin of victory by Fintiri was less that the total votes expected from 69 polling units in 20 LGAs affected by serious electoral issues. In those polling units, there are 42,785 registered voters. But those who collected their PVCs were only 36,955.

All very well and good, if, this was systematic and methodical. It was not. Why didnt the same INEC use a similar yardstick to withhold declaring Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State as the winner of the same 18th March, 2023 gubernatorial election, when the challenger, Chief Oladipupo Adebutu only trailed Abiodun by a mere 13,915 votes, with only 18,835 votes rejected? Why the duplicity and double standards by INEC in declaring Abiodun the winner then, as against its refusal to declare Fintiri the winner at the first election of 18th March, 2023, under the same circumstances? Abiodun and APC (and even INEC) had simply told Adebutu to go to court. Go to court, he has since done.

The Adamawa Circus Show

What happened next could be taken straight from a poorly acted local movie, with desperate script writers and caricature choreographers. It was like a dramatic circus show; a Baba Salas Alawada Keri Keri piece of histrionics.

During the supplementary election that took place on April 15, 2023, Fintiri had been clearly leading, with 19,337 votes, to Binanis 6,513. The gap difference was 2, 824. This was, however, only in 10 LGAs of the 20 LGAs in which voting took place. When you add these 2,824 votes to Fintiris March 18 lead of 31,247, Fintiri was surely galloping home to victory with 34,071 votes ahead of Binani. Then some unseen hands struck. They usually behave like witches and wizards in a coven.

With results from 10 out of 20 LGAs already in, the Returning Officer adjourned proceedings to 11 am of the following day. Suddenly (like Fela Kuti of blessed memory would say), one Hudu Ari, the Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), struck at 9 am, before the 11 am earmarked for the continuation. Surrounded and escorted by an armada of recruited armed-to-the-teeth Soldiers, DSS operatives, Civil Defence goons, the Police, and thugs, Ari casually strolled into the collation centre, brandishing a folded written piece of paper that contained no final result.

To the shock of all present, he proceeded to announce and declare Binani as the winner of the election, whose results were still being collated. The loser who was trailing behind by over 34,000 votes was declared winner. Their agenda? Go to court? And bam! Binani accepted her victory. She was undoubtedly part and parcel of the orchestrated charade and shameful events. If not, how would she have prepared an acceptance speech for results she had not yet seen or known about, just like others? How come only NTA (the Federal Governments megaphone) was the only media that covered the vaudeville and travesty? In her 21 seconds clip of historical profanity and feminine remissness and delinquency, she told angry Adamawa citizens that youve made history in electing the first female governor in our dear country, Nigeria. This will no doubt broaden political participation by encouraging our daughters, aunties, mothers and indeed our girl child. Oh blimey! The sentiments! The emotionalism!

Binani not done, even audaciously approached the Federal High Court (yes, in fulfillment of the go to court carol), through an ex parte application and urged Justice Inyang Ekwo on 17th April, 2023, to give judicial imprimatur to her sins, in motion No FHC/ABJ/CS/510/2023. Ekwo was a Daniel come to Judgement. He rejected the ex parte application. The cerebral Jurist suo motu raised the critical issue of jurisdiction. He directed Binanis Counsel to return on 26th April, 2023, to convince him that the court has jurisdiction over the matter.

For once, INEC acted swiftly, salvaging whatever remains of its bruised image in the Adamawa theatrics. It suspended further collation; recalled Ari to Abuja; declared null, void and of no effect, the purported declaration of Binani as winner, as it amounted to usurpation of the powers of the Returning Officer. It also vowed to petition IGP (Usman Baba) to investigate and possibly prosecute Ari. INEC also requested the SGF, Boss Mustapha, to brief Buhari (the appointing authority), about Aris show of shame.

Will Ari, the DSS, Police, Military, FRSC, Civil Defence Personnel and even Binani be prosecuted under sections 64, 120 and 121 of the Electoral Act, 2022, to set a clear signal that Nigeria is not a banana Republic? Only time will tell. But, for now, go to court. Did the alleged bribery with the sum of N2 billion actually change hands to bring about this attempted monumental heist and thievery? Who will dig in and inform Nigerians? Which rat will bell the cat? Only time will tell. But, for now, go to court.

As at today, Fintiri has been properly pronounced re-elected Governor of Adamawa State. For those who are dissatisfied with this, go to court. For those who enjoyed this write-up, go to court. For those who loathe what I have written, go to court. For all Nigerians, go to court. For the Judges who will sit over this election matters, go to court. Finally, for the court themselves that harbour the Judges who will hear the matters, go to court. Let us all go to court.

Mike Ozekhome is a senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

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The mother of Yusuf Ali, top Nigerian journalist, has passed on. Hawau Yusuf died on Sunday, April 23 at 89, the journalist, managing editor (north) at the privately-owned The Nation, said in an announcement on his Facebook Page.

The deceased, according to her son, transited after a brief illness, few months to her 90th birthday. I am grateful that Allah has called my mother, Mr Yusuf, a former editor of the daily The Punch, said. May Allah grant my irreplaceable mum Aljanna Firdaus (paradise).

Mrs Yusuf was buried a few hours after her death in line with Islamic rites, with her children, other family members, friends, associates and sympathizers by her graveside to bid her emotional goodbyes.

Lowering my mother into her grave was emotional but I thank God the story was not opposite, Mr Yusuf wrote shortly after his mother was interred. We struggled together, I am consoled you enjoyed the fruits of your labour. May Allah grant Hajiya Hawau Yusuf Aljanna Firdaus.

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An eight-day prayer session (Fidau) has now been fixed for Saturday, 29 April in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, to enable her family and sympathizers to gather to pray for the repose of her soul. The event will hold at the M&M Event Centre, near St Anthony Secondary School, Ilorin.

Meanwhile, condolence messages have been pouring in from Mr Yusufs friends, associates and well-wishers.

In his 24 April message to the journalist, President Muhammadu Buhari said Mrs Yusufs philanthropic efforts would continue to mark her legacy through generations to come.

President Buhari prayed for the repose of the soul of the deceased and urged the family members to take solace in the good record left behind by their mother.

According to the President, the deceased will be remembered for filling peoples lives with happiness and joy. Condolences to Yusuf Alli and the rest of the family and her admirers. May her soul rest in peace.

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Suka rides a horse to patrol mountains in Hemu Village of Kanas, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 30, 2023. Hemu Village is located at Kanas scenic spot along the starting point of G219 national highway. Suka, the party secretary of the village, is leading the locals on the journey to rural revitalization. Joining in the horse team is an important source of income for villagers. Each member can take two horses to the team to provide services for tourists. At present, 68 of the team members have shrugged off poverty, and their annual income is increasing year by year. This year, Suka plans to adopt universal costumes and saddles for the horse team. In addition, team members will be sent for training in order to improve the quality of service. After the road from Burqin to Hemu was built, the tourism resources here soon turned into economic benefits for villagers. Hemu Village was lifted out of poverty in 2016, and the per capita net income of the villagers reached 44,000 yuan (about 6,355 U.S. dollars ) in 2022. In order to achieve the goal of rural revitalization, Suka has expanded homestay business together with the locals. He has also set up a cooperative of mountain nectar farming. Investment has been brought in to build a ski resort and a mineral water factory as well. As he devotes to the development of tourism and related services, Suka is concerned about environmental protection. He believes that only if the environments of the village and its surrounding areas are well protected can the business of tourism last. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

This photo taken on March 30, 2023 shows Hemu Village at sunrise in Kanas, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Hemu Village is located at Kanas scenic spot along the starting point of G219 national highway. Suka, the party secretary of the village, is leading the locals on the journey to rural revitalization. Joining in the horse team is an important source of income for villagers. Each member can take two horses to the team to provide services for tourists. At present, 68 of the team members have shrugged off poverty, and their annual income is increasing year by year. This year, Suka plans to adopt universal costumes and saddles for the horse team. In addition, team members will be sent for training in order to improve the quality of service. After the road from Burqin to Hemu was built, the tourism resources here soon turned into economic benefits for villagers. Hemu Village was lifted out of poverty in 2016, and the per capita net income of the villagers reached 44,000 yuan (about 6,355 U.S. dollars ) in 2022. In order to achieve the goal of rural revitalization, Suka has expanded homestay business together with the locals. He has also set up a cooperative of mountain nectar farming. Investment has been brought in to build a ski resort and a mineral water factory as well. As he devotes to the development of tourism and related services, Suka is concerned about environmental protection. He believes that only if the environments of the village and its surrounding areas are well protected can the business of tourism last. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

Suka (1st L) rides down a hill with members of a horse team in Hemu Village of Kanas, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 30, 2023. Hemu Village is located at Kanas scenic spot along the starting point of G219 national highway. Suka, the party secretary of the village, is leading the locals on the journey to rural revitalization. Joining in the horse team is an important source of income for villagers. Each member can take two horses to the team to provide services for tourists. At present, 68 of the team members have shrugged off poverty, and their annual income is increasing year by year. This year, Suka plans to adopt universal costumes and saddles for the horse team. In addition, team members will be sent for training in order to improve the quality of service. After the road from Burqin to Hemu was built, the tourism resources here soon turned into economic benefits for villagers. Hemu Village was lifted out of poverty in 2016, and the per capita net income of the villagers reached 44,000 yuan (about 6,355 U.S. dollars ) in 2022. In order to achieve the goal of rural revitalization, Suka has expanded homestay business together with the locals. He has also set up a cooperative of mountain nectar farming. Investment has been brought in to build a ski resort and a mineral water factory as well. As he devotes to the development of tourism and related services, Suka is concerned about environmental protection. He believes that only if the environments of the village and its surrounding areas are well protected can the business of tourism last. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

This aerial photo taken on March 29, 2023 shows scenery in Hemu Village of Kanas, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Hemu Village is located at Kanas scenic spot along the starting point of G219 national highway. Suka, the party secretary of the village, is leading the locals on the journey to rural revitalization. Joining in the horse team is an important source of income for villagers. Each member can take two horses to the team to provide services for tourists. At present, 68 of the team members have shrugged off poverty, and their annual income is increasing year by year. This year, Suka plans to adopt universal costumes and saddles for the horse team. In addition, team members will be sent for training in order to improve the quality of service. After the road from Burqin to Hemu was built, the tourism resources here soon turned into economic benefits for villagers. Hemu Village was lifted out of poverty in 2016, and the per capita net income of the villagers reached 44,000 yuan (about 6,355 U.S. dollars ) in 2022. In order to achieve the goal of rural revitalization, Suka has expanded homestay business together with the locals. He has also set up a cooperative of mountain nectar farming. Investment has been brought in to build a ski resort and a mineral water factory as well. As he devotes to the development of tourism and related services, Suka is concerned about environmental protection. He believes that only if the environments of the village and its surrounding areas are well protected can the business of tourism last. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

This photo taken on March 30, 2023 shows the early morning in Hemu Village of Kanas, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Hemu Village is located at Kanas scenic spot along the starting point of G219 national highway. Suka, the party secretary of the village, is leading the locals on the journey to rural revitalization. Joining in the horse team is an important source of income for villagers. Each member can take two horses to the team to provide services for tourists. At present, 68 of the team members have shrugged off poverty, and their annual income is increasing year by year. This year, Suka plans to adopt universal costumes and saddles for the horse team. In addition, team members will be sent for training in order to improve the quality of service. After the road from Burqin to Hemu was built, the tourism resources here soon turned into economic benefits for villagers. Hemu Village was lifted out of poverty in 2016, and the per capita net income of the villagers reached 44,000 yuan (about 6,355 U.S. dollars ) in 2022. In order to achieve the goal of rural revitalization, Suka has expanded homestay business together with the locals. He has also set up a cooperative of mountain nectar farming. Investment has been brought in to build a ski resort and a mineral water factory as well. As he devotes to the development of tourism and related services, Suka is concerned about environmental protection. He believes that only if the environments of the village and its surrounding areas are well protected can the business of tourism last. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

Suka (C) and members of a horse team look over Hemu Village on a platform in Kanas, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 30, 2023. Hemu Village is located at Kanas scenic spot along the starting point of G219 national highway. Suka, the party secretary of the village, is leading the locals on the journey to rural revitalization. Joining in the horse team is an important source of income for villagers. Each member can take two horses to the team to provide services for tourists. At present, 68 of the team members have shrugged off poverty, and their annual income is increasing year by year. This year, Suka plans to adopt universal costumes and saddles for the horse team. In addition, team members will be sent for training in order to improve the quality of service. After the road from Burqin to Hemu was built, the tourism resources here soon turned into economic benefits for villagers. Hemu Village was lifted out of poverty in 2016, and the per capita net income of the villagers reached 44,000 yuan (about 6,355 U.S. dollars ) in 2022. In order to achieve the goal of rural revitalization, Suka has expanded homestay business together with the locals. He has also set up a cooperative of mountain nectar farming. Investment has been brought in to build a ski resort and a mineral water factory as well. As he devotes to the development of tourism and related services, Suka is concerned about environmental protection. He believes that only if the environments of the village and its surrounding areas are well protected can the business of tourism last. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

Suka (1st R) rides up a hill with his team in Hemu Village of Kanas, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 30, 2023. Hemu Village is located at Kanas scenic spot along the starting point of G219 national highway. Suka, the party secretary of the village, is leading the locals on the journey to rural revitalization. Joining in the horse team is an important source of income for villagers. Each member can take two horses to the team to provide services for tourists. At present, 68 of the team members have shrugged off poverty, and their annual income is increasing year by year. This year, Suka plans to adopt universal costumes and saddles for the horse team. In addition, team members will be sent for training in order to improve the quality of service. After the road from Burqin to Hemu was built, the tourism resources here soon turned into economic benefits for villagers. Hemu Village was lifted out of poverty in 2016, and the per capita net income of the villagers reached 44,000 yuan (about 6,355 U.S. dollars ) in 2022. In order to achieve the goal of rural revitalization, Suka has expanded homestay business together with the locals. He has also set up a cooperative of mountain nectar farming. Investment has been brought in to build a ski resort and a mineral water factory as well. As he devotes to the development of tourism and related services, Suka is concerned about environmental protection. He believes that only if the environments of the village and its surrounding areas are well protected can the business of tourism last. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

Suka rides back to a horse farm in Hemu Village of Kanas, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 30, 2023. Hemu Village is located at Kanas scenic spot along the starting point of G219 national highway. Suka, the party secretary of the village, is leading the locals on the journey to rural revitalization. Joining in the horse team is an important source of income for villagers. Each member can take two horses to the team to provide services for tourists. At present, 68 of the team members have shrugged off poverty, and their annual income is increasing year by year. This year, Suka plans to adopt universal costumes and saddles for the horse team. In addition, team members will be sent for training in order to improve the quality of service. After the road from Burqin to Hemu was built, the tourism resources here soon turned into economic benefits for villagers. Hemu Village was lifted out of poverty in 2016, and the per capita net income of the villagers reached 44,000 yuan (about 6,355 U.S. dollars ) in 2022. In order to achieve the goal of rural revitalization, Suka has expanded homestay business together with the locals. He has also set up a cooperative of mountain nectar farming. Investment has been brought in to build a ski resort and a mineral water factory as well. As he devotes to the development of tourism and related services, Suka is concerned about environmental protection. He believes that only if the environments of the village and its surrounding areas are well protected can the business of tourism last. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

This aerial photo taken on March 29, 2023 shows tourists posing for a group photo on a bridge in Hemu Village of Kanas, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Hemu Village is located at Kanas scenic spot along the starting point of G219 national highway. Suka, the party secretary of the village, is leading the locals on the journey to rural revitalization. Joining in the horse team is an important source of income for villagers. Each member can take two horses to the team to provide services for tourists. At present, 68 of the team members have shrugged off poverty, and their annual income is increasing year by year. This year, Suka plans to adopt universal costumes and saddles for the horse team. In addition, team members will be sent for training in order to improve the quality of service. After the road from Burqin to Hemu was built, the tourism resources here soon turned into economic benefits for villagers. Hemu Village was lifted out of poverty in 2016, and the per capita net income of the villagers reached 44,000 yuan (about 6,355 U.S. dollars ) in 2022. In order to achieve the goal of rural revitalization, Suka has expanded homestay business together with the locals. He has also set up a cooperative of mountain nectar farming. Investment has been brought in to build a ski resort and a mineral water factory as well. As he devotes to the development of tourism and related services, Suka is concerned about environmental protection. He believes that only if the environments of the village and its surrounding areas are well protected can the business of tourism last. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

This aerial photo taken on March 30, 2023 shows scenery in Hemu Village of Kanas, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Hemu Village is located at Kanas scenic spot along the starting point of G219 national highway. Suka, the party secretary of the village, is leading the locals on the journey to rural revitalization. Joining in the horse team is an important source of income for villagers. Each member can take two horses to the team to provide services for tourists. At present, 68 of the team members have shrugged off poverty, and their annual income is increasing year by year. This year, Suka plans to adopt universal costumes and saddles for the horse team. In addition, team members will be sent for training in order to improve the quality of service. After the road from Burqin to Hemu was built, the tourism resources here soon turned into economic benefits for villagers. Hemu Village was lifted out of poverty in 2016, and the per capita net income of the villagers reached 44,000 yuan (about 6,355 U.S. dollars ) in 2022. In order to achieve the goal of rural revitalization, Suka has expanded homestay business together with the locals. He has also set up a cooperative of mountain nectar farming. Investment has been brought in to build a ski resort and a mineral water factory as well. As he devotes to the development of tourism and related services, Suka is concerned about environmental protection. He believes that only if the environments of the village and its surrounding areas are well protected can the business of tourism last. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

Suka (L) and the captain of a horse team discuss the upgrading of a racecourse in Hemu Village of Kanas, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 30, 2023. Hemu Village is located at Kanas scenic spot along the starting point of G219 national highway. Suka, the party secretary of the village, is leading the locals on the journey to rural revitalization. Joining in the horse team is an important source of income for villagers. Each member can take two horses to the team to provide services for tourists. At present, 68 of the team members have shrugged off poverty, and their annual income is increasing year by year. This year, Suka plans to adopt universal costumes and saddles for the horse team. In addition, team members will be sent for training in order to improve the quality of service. After the road from Burqin to Hemu was built, the tourism resources here soon turned into economic benefits for villagers. Hemu Village was lifted out of poverty in 2016, and the per capita net income of the villagers reached 44,000 yuan (about 6,355 U.S. dollars ) in 2022. In order to achieve the goal of rural revitalization, Suka has expanded homestay business together with the locals. He has also set up a cooperative of mountain nectar farming. Investment has been brought in to build a ski resort and a mineral water factory as well. As he devotes to the development of tourism and related services, Suka is concerned about environmental protection. He believes that only if the environments of the village and its surrounding areas are well protected can the business of tourism last. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

This photo taken on March 30, 2023 shows Hemu Village at sunrise in Kanas, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Hemu Village is located at Kanas scenic spot along the starting point of G219 national highway. Suka, the party secretary of the village, is leading the locals on the journey to rural revitalization. Joining in the horse team is an important source of income for villagers. Each member can take two horses to the team to provide services for tourists. At present, 68 of the team members have shrugged off poverty, and their annual income is increasing year by year. This year, Suka plans to adopt universal costumes and saddles for the horse team. In addition, team members will be sent for training in order to improve the quality of service. After the road from Burqin to Hemu was built, the tourism resources here soon turned into economic benefits for villagers. Hemu Village was lifted out of poverty in 2016, and the per capita net income of the villagers reached 44,000 yuan (about 6,355 U.S. dollars ) in 2022. In order to achieve the goal of rural revitalization, Suka has expanded homestay business together with the locals. He has also set up a cooperative of mountain nectar farming. Investment has been brought in to build a ski resort and a mineral water factory as well. As he devotes to the development of tourism and related services, Suka is concerned about environmental protection. He believes that only if the environments of the village and its surrounding areas are well protected can the business of tourism last. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

Suka (front) inspects the route up the mountain with members of a horse team in Hemu Village of Kanas, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 30, 2023. Hemu Village is located at Kanas scenic spot along the starting point of G219 national highway. Suka, the party secretary of the village, is leading the locals on the journey to rural revitalization. Joining in the horse team is an important source of income for villagers. Each member can take two horses to the team to provide services for tourists. At present, 68 of the team members have shrugged off poverty, and their annual income is increasing year by year. This year, Suka plans to adopt universal costumes and saddles for the horse team. In addition, team members will be sent for training in order to improve the quality of service. After the road from Burqin to Hemu was built, the tourism resources here soon turned into economic benefits for villagers. Hemu Village was lifted out of poverty in 2016, and the per capita net income of the villagers reached 44,000 yuan (about 6,355 U.S. dollars ) in 2022. In order to achieve the goal of rural revitalization, Suka has expanded homestay business together with the locals. He has also set up a cooperative of mountain nectar farming. Investment has been brought in to build a ski resort and a mineral water factory as well. As he devotes to the development of tourism and related services, Suka is concerned about environmental protection. He believes that only if the environments of the village and its surrounding areas are well protected can the business of tourism last. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

Suka (L) tells a villager about the rules on house renovation in Hemu Village of Kanas, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 30, 2023. Hemu Village is located at Kanas scenic spot along the starting point of G219 national highway. Suka, the party secretary of the village, is leading the locals on the journey to rural revitalization. Joining in the horse team is an important source of income for villagers. Each member can take two horses to the team to provide services for tourists. At present, 68 of the team members have shrugged off poverty, and their annual income is increasing year by year. This year, Suka plans to adopt universal costumes and saddles for the horse team. In addition, team members will be sent for training in order to improve the quality of service. After the road from Burqin to Hemu was built, the tourism resources here soon turned into economic benefits for villagers. Hemu Village was lifted out of poverty in 2016, and the per capita net income of the villagers reached 44,000 yuan (about 6,355 U.S. dollars ) in 2022. In order to achieve the goal of rural revitalization, Suka has expanded homestay business together with the locals. He has also set up a cooperative of mountain nectar farming. Investment has been brought in to build a ski resort and a mineral water factory as well. As he devotes to the development of tourism and related services, Suka is concerned about environmental protection. He believes that only if the environments of the village and its surrounding areas are well protected can the business of tourism last. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

This aerial photo taken on March 30, 2023 shows Suka (L) helping a villager sort out the clutter at home in Hemu Village of Kanas, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Hemu Village is located at Kanas scenic spot along the starting point of G219 national highway. Suka, the party secretary of the village, is leading the locals on the journey to rural revitalization. Joining in the horse team is an important source of income for villagers. Each member can take two horses to the team to provide services for tourists. At present, 68 of the team members have shrugged off poverty, and their annual income is increasing year by year. This year, Suka plans to adopt universal costumes and saddles for the horse team. In addition, team members will be sent for training in order to improve the quality of service. After the road from Burqin to Hemu was built, the tourism resources here soon turned into economic benefits for villagers. Hemu Village was lifted out of poverty in 2016, and the per capita net income of the villagers reached 44,000 yuan (about 6,355 U.S. dollars ) in 2022. In order to achieve the goal of rural revitalization, Suka has expanded homestay business together with the locals. He has also set up a cooperative of mountain nectar farming. Investment has been brought in to build a ski resort and a mineral water factory as well. As he devotes to the development of tourism and related services, Suka is concerned about environmental protection. He believes that only if the environments of the village and its surrounding areas are well protected can the business of tourism last. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

Editor: WXL
MONACO, April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei hosted the Global Data Center Facility Summit with the theme of "Smart DC, Building the Green Future" in Monaco. Nearly 200 data center industry leaders, technical experts, and ecosystem partners from around the world shared their insights into the development trends of the data center industry and their innovative practices for sustainable development.

Preferred Choices for Large Data Centers: PowerPOD 3.0 and Smart Fan Wall

Huawei launched the next-generation PowerPOD 3.0 and Smart Fan Wall Chilled Water Cooling Solution to enable green power supply and efficient cooling for large data centers and ultimately drive low-carbon development.

Huawei developed the PowerPOD 3.0 to build integrated power supply systems that deliver high density, efficiency, and reliability for large data centers.

Green: The ultrahigh-density UPS and flapping-wing load switches are optimized through component integration. The number of cabinets is reduced from 18 to 10, saving more than 30% of space. When the UPS works in S-ECO mode, it boosts the end-to-end efficiency from 95.4% to 98.4%.

Simple: Prefabricated busbars are used to replace cables. They are pre-commissioned in the factory and implement plug-and-play onsite, shortening the delivery period from two months to two weeks.

Smart: Digital and intelligent technologies are used to ensure that all links are visible, manageable, and controllable, improving O&M efficiency and automating the power supply system.

Reliable: The iPower intelligent feature measures temperatures at more than 150 points and predicts the lifespan of key components to implement predictive maintenance.

The cooling system consumes more than 30% of the power demanded in a data center. Huawei uses innovative architecture and multiple energy-saving technologies to build a new-generation fan wall chilled water cooling solution that is efficient and reliable, enabling cooling systems in large data centers to consume less energy.

Green: The water inlet temperature can reach 20C, reducing the energy consumption of chillers by 15%.

Simple: Key components are hot-swappable and can be replaced within 1 minute without service interruption.

Smart: Fault self-diagnosis facilitates fast fault locating, identification, and analysis to accelerate service recovery.

Reliable: PFC embedded in fans ensures a THDi less than 5% and a power factor greater than 0.99.

Building a Solid Foundation for Digital Transformation to Embrace a Smart World

Sun Xiaofeng, President of Huawei Data Center Facility and Critical Power Business Unit, delivered an opening speech, envisioning new opportunities for global data center development and presenting Huawei's strategy in the data center facility field.

According to Mr. Sun, driven by digital and low-carbon transformations, the data center industry is facing unprecedented opportunities. Huawei is eager to join hands with all community members, to drive the transformations of data centers to be green, simple, smart, and reliable, and jointly promote the sustainable development of the data center industry.

Li Huiyong, General Manager of Huawei Data Center Facility Marketing Dept, said that the surge in AI computing power drives rapid development of data center industry. Huawei proposes the concept "GSSR" (Green, Simple, Smart, Reliable) to respond the challenges of new era. To help customers build sustainable data centers and embrace a green future, Huawei launches the innovative PowerPOD 3.0 and Smart Fan Wall solutions.

Global industry leaders shared data center technology trends, corporate strategies, and innovative practices, setting the direction for sustainable development of data centers.

Stephen Beard, Partner and Global Head of Data Centers for Knight Frank, said that when it comes to embodied carbon and the general form of construction, many people don't know but today, 90% of new colocation facilities can meet BREEAM or LEED excellent. There is now a greater drive away from concrete and towards pre fab modular forms of construction and even cross-laminated glulam wood which has been adopted by EcoDC in Sweden.

Simon McCormick, Chief Technical Officer of Echelon Data Centers, said that Echelon Data Centers aims to be a sustainable prosumer of energy. This encompasses sustainability's three pillars: economic, environmental, and social.

Carlo Malana, CEO of ST Telemedia Global Data Centers (Philippines), said that the Philippines is witnessing its viability as a data center hub in the high-growth Southeast Asia region. Key technologies such as lithium-ion batteries and fan walls, are designed and deployed for sustainability, flexibility and customer needs in the face of hyperscalers expansion.

Experts present at the panel discussion include Sanjay Kr Sainani, Global SVP & CTO of Huawei Data Center Business, John Belton, Global Director of Development at Colt Data Centre, Carlo Malana, CEO of ST Telemedia Global Data Centers (Philippines), Martien Arts, Director of Mission Critical Facilities at Royal HaskaoningDHV, and Mark Acton, Global Head of Technical Due Diligence at Future-Tech. They exchanged insights around issues such as data center sustainability and technology trends.

Highlights of DataCloud Global Congress

During the DataCloud Global Congress, Huawei showcased its PowerPOD 3.0, EHU indirect evaporative cooling solution, FusionModule2000 solution, and other GSSR-based solutions for small, medium, and large data centers. The exhibition reflects Huawei's technological innovations and explorations in the data center facility field. At the conference, Sanjay Kr Sainani, Global SVP & CTO of Huawei Data Center Business, and Richard Pimper, SVP & CTO of Huawei Data Center Facility in Europe, shared their thoughts on data center construction and communicated with other industry experts.

Looking ahead, Huawei will work with customers and ecosystem partners to explore more possibilities for sustainable development. Huawei will develop advanced green data center solutions based on its technological expertise and innovation strengths to drive low-carbon and intelligent transformation, ultimately accelerating carbon neutrality across the industry.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2064677/image_5003324_35642265.jpg

SOURCE Huawei
Female-owned watch brand Abingdon Co. partners with the National WASP WWII Museum to kick off honoring the legendary WWII female pilots.

LAS VEGAS, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Abingdon Co., the female-owned company that creates watches for women, launches its new watch series: Legends, a series that pays homage to the incredible women throughout time that have broken barriers and defied all odds. To kick off the series, the company created a small-batch of commemorative aviation watches in collaboration with The National WASP WWII Museum to honor the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). The watch will be unveiled to the public during the museum's annual WASP Homecoming Celebration and Fly-in this weekend in Sweetwater, Texas. After the unveiling, the watches will take their first flight on a BT13 aircraft with the Chick Fighter Pilots, an active all-female flight group, at the historic Avenger Field where the WASP trained during WWII, followed by a live auction.

The watch features the official WASP wings insignia on the face, and the words "WASP - Women Airforce Service Pilots" engraved on the back. It has the number 38 on the dial in memory of the 38 WASP who died in service. On the functional side, the watch features three time zones, four hands, a date function, Super Luminova markings, and a bi-directional rotating bezel for tracking a third time zone. In total, there will only be 1,102 watches created as part of collaboration to honor the 1,102 WASP who served during WWII. The limited-edition watches come in two color options, silver and two-tone, featuring a smooth and durable brown leather band and starting at $775 and offered in a special collectors box.

The WASP Watch honors the legacy of the first women to fly military aircraft for the United States. The women used their skills to transport and test planes, train male pilots, and even tow targets for live ammunition practice. In total, there will only be 1,102 watches created as part of collaboration to honor the 1,102 WASP who served during WWII. The limited-edition watches come in two color options, silver and two-tone, featuring a smooth and durable brown leather band and starting at $775. In August, Abingdon Co. will be expanding the WASP collection to include a gun metal watch, offered in a special collectors box. Abingdon Co., alongside The National WASP WWII Museum, will gift 14 watches to the remaining 14 WASPs who currently live across the country.

The watch features the official WASP wings insignia on the face, and the words "WASP - Women Airforce Service Pilots" engraved on the back. It has the number 38 on the dial in memory of the 38 WASP who died in service. On the functional side, the watch features three time zones, four hands, a date function, Super Luminova markings, and a bi-directional rotating bezel for tracking a third time zone. The interior consists of a silver sunray dial, rivet hour markings, softened stainless steel carvings, and a Ronda 505.24H Swiss quartz.

About Abingdon Co.

Founder and CEO Abingdon Mullin founded the Las Vegas-based company in 2006 during a roundtable conversation with energetic pilots and mechanics who expressed their desires for a fully functional watch. With a market that predominantly serves the male consumer, women have struggled to find purpose-built watches designed to withstand all. The Abingdon Co. offers a range of watches that meet the needs of women who do more including innovative technology including surgical-grade stainless steel, sapphire crystals, Japanese and Swiss movements and genuine leather bands. Abingdon Co. watches are available for purchase at www.abingdonco.com . For additional information including a full list of retailers visit the brand website or Instagram or YouTube

About The National WASP WWII Museum

The National WASP WWII Museum began in 2002 with the vision of two women, WASP Deanie Bishop Parrish and her daughter, Nancy Parrish. They believed the history of the Women Airforce Service Pilots should be showcased at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas on the grounds where most of the WASP trained during World War II. Today, the museum features a beautiful exhibit gallery and sponsors a plethora of programs dedicated to preserving the history of the WASP and its airfield to promote their legacy down to our youngest generation. For more information, visit www.waspmuseum.org.

Contact:

Lisa Liu

7025309438

[email protected]

SOURCE Abingdon Co.
Vitalli Bio is the ninth company formed by Aditum Bio

OAKLAND, Calif., April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aditum Bio, the biotech investment firm cofounded in 2019 by former Novartis CEO Joe Jimenez and former President of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) Dr. Mark Fishman, today announced the formation of Vitalli Bio, a portfolio company created for the development of novel therapies for immunological disorders. Vitalli Bio is being formed in connection with the in-licensing of a highly selective dual inhibitor of Interleukin-2-Inducible T-Cell Kinase (ITK) and Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) from Daewoong Pharmaceutical, which is anticipated to close in early May. The compound will be renamed VIT-801 and is anticipated to enter Phase 1 studies in 2023.

Unlike current treatments, which are generally limited to inhibiting only individual cell types, VIT-801 is a dual-target inhibitor that simultaneously inhibits B cells, T cells and other immune cells, potentially providing a best-in-class profile in immune disorders where multiple cell types are implicated. In addition to VIT-801, Vitalli Bio will be granted an option to license earlier stage dual-target inhibitors in development by Daewoong.

"Aditum Bio's translational medicine approach is unique in the industry, and we are excited to move this exciting compound into the clinic in immunological disorders" said Joe Jimenez, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Aditum Bio. Dr. Mark Fishman, Co-Founder and Chair of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Boards, added, "VIT-801 has a unique profile that selectively inhibits a range of relevant immune cells, suggesting it has the potential to represent a safe and effective alternative in these difficult to treat populations."

Vitalli Bio is the ninth company launched by Aditum Bio, whose mission is to give large patient populations access to medicines which otherwise may not be developed. To speed these drugs to market, Aditum Bio fosters an incubator model, focusing on the translational phase of drug development. The "spin out" model enables a nimble, start-up culture with a dedicated team of managers supported by Aditum's in-house team of operational and technical area experts, ranging from nonclinical pharmacology and CMC to regulatory affairs and clinical operations.

About Aditum Bio

Aditum Bio is committed to improving public health by accelerating R&D in disease areas with both large and more targeted patient populations, where medical innovation can have a huge impact. Aditum Bio focuses on basic mechanisms of disease, in-licenses promising drug candidates directed at such pathophysiologies, and spins out individual companies dedicated to bringing each candidate through Phase II clinical trials. Aditum Bio uses data, software and technology to help bring innovative medicines through the clinical trial phase more quickly and with lower costs than traditional pharmaceutical companies. For more information, please visit www.aditumbio.com.

About Daewoong Pharmaceutical

Established in 1945, Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a leading South Korean pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, and commercializes pharmaceuticals for both domestic and international markets. With a strong and innovative in-house R&D and advanced manufacturing facilities, Daewoong provides a total healthcare solution to customers across the globe. Continuing on their course of building a strong global healthcare company, Daewoong has broadened international operations by establishing branch offices and research centers throughout Asia and the United States. Daewoong has also expanded strategic partnerships in more than 100 countries worldwide.

In 2022, Daewoong expanded its global market presence by entering into a license agreement worth USD 923 million, which granted permission for the use of 'Fexuclue', a medicine licensed for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, in the Philippines and Ecuador within the first year of its launch. Additionally, Daewoong successfully launched 'Envlo', the first-ever sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor for the treatment of diabetes to be developed in Korea, and signed an export contract worth USD 84.36 million with Brazil and Mexico. For further information on Daewoong Pharmaceutical, please visit our official website.

SOURCE Aditum Bio
LAVAL, QC, April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. ("Couche-Tard" or the "Corporation") (TSX : ATD) announced today it has reached an agreement to acquire 112 fuel and convenience retail sites to be carved out from MAPCO Express Inc. ("MAPCO"). The acquisition is contingent on a separate transaction whereby MAPCO and its remaining locations are sold to a third party.

The transaction includes a strong network of modern, high-quality, well-located sites in attractive and desirable markets predominantly in Tennessee and Alabama, but also in Kentucky and Georgia. All 112 sites are company-operated, and most of the real estate is owned. The transaction also includes surplus property and a logistics fleet.

The transaction is expected to close in the second half of calendar year 2023, subject to standard regulatory approvals and closing conditions, and will be financed using the Corporation's available cash and/or existing credit facilities, including its U.S. Commercial Paper Program.

"We are delighted to add MAPCO's high-quality sites to our footprint in the Southeastern U.S.," said Alex Miller, Couche-Tard's Chief Operating Officer. "As we continue to grow our presence in the region, we look forward to bringing the Circle K experience to new customers and making their lives a little easier every day."

About Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

Couche-Tard is a global leader in convenience and fuel retail, operating in 24 countries and territories, with more than 14,300 stores, of which approximately 10,900 offer road transportation fuel. With its well-known Couche-Tard and Circle K banners, it is one of the largest independent convenience store operators in the United States and it is a leader in the convenience store industry and road transportation fuel retail in Canada, Scandinavia, the Baltics, as well as in Ireland. It also has an important presence in Poland and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of People's Republic of China. Approximately 122,000 people are employed throughout its network.

For more information on Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., or to consult its audited annual Consolidated Financial Statements, unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements and Management Discussion and Analysis, please visit: https://corpo.couche-tard.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release may constitute forward looking statements within the meaning of securities legislation, including those with respect to the potential transaction. Positive or negative verbs such as "believe", "can", "shall", "intend", "expect", "estimate", "assume" and other related expressions are used to identify such statements. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Couche-Tard and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties outside of Couche-Tard's control. Couche-Tard would like to point out that, by their very nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties such that its results, or the measures it adopts, could differ materially from those indicated in or underlying these statements, or could have an impact on the degree of realization of a particular projection. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Couche-Tard disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information in this release is based on information available as of the date of the release.

SOURCE Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
SAN DIEGO, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American College of Physicians (ACP) announced today a new initiative aimed at advancing equitable access to obesity care. ACP plans to utilize physician education, advocacy, and partnerships to advance a stigma-free culture in which patients and clinicians collaborate to prevent and manage this increasingly common chronic condition, to ensure equitable access to care for patients and to help counter public misinformation about the causes of obesity, the stigma around it and the equity issues around how it's treated. The announcement was made at a press conference held at the San Diego Convention Center during ACP's Internal Medicine Meeting 2023.

The American College of Physicians (ACP) announced a new initiative aimed at advancing equitable access to obesity care. Tweet this Christina Wee, M.D., MPH, ACP Vice President and Senior Deputy Editor, Annals of Internal Medicine.

Participants in the press briefing included: ACP President, Ryan D. Mire, M.D., MACP, a practicing internal medicine physician in Nashville, TN; Christina Wee, M.D., MPH, ACP Vice President and Senior Deputy Editor, Annals of Internal Medicine; and Davoren Chick, M.D., FACP, ACP Chief Learning Officer and Senior Vice President, Medical Education.

ACP's new initiative will expand upon and complement existing organizational efforts and resources on obesity management. Internal medicine physicians regularly encounter challenges related to obesity in patient care, and ACP recognizes that obesity and health equity are not simple issues with easy, clear solutions. Plans for the new initiative include developing new clinical guidelines and recommendations on obesity, and expanded physician education resources to help diffuse and dispel levels of misinformation and forms of bias which have centered around the topic.

Health equity is a central tenant of ACP's policy and advocacy efforts. ACP advocates for improving high-value and comprehensive health care for all members of society in ways that move us closer to health equity. This includes addressing disparities in health and health care and social determinants of health to improve patient care and promote health equity. Inadequate access to nutritious food negatively impacts the health of many Americans, which in turn can significantly exacerbate food and nutritional insecurity and other social factors impacting health. ACP advocates to address food and nutrition insecurity so that all persons have access to nutritious and healthful foods, to strengthen the federal food-insecurity response and empower physicians and other medical professionals to better address those social drivers of health occurring beyond the office doors.

ACP also plans to partner with like-minded organizations across specialties and subspecialties to amplify efforts and messages. Later this year ACP will convene a summit with the Council of Subspeciality Societies to address many aspects of obesity and health equity prioritized in this initiative.

ACP's obesity care initiative comes at an important time, as the prevalence of obesity continues to increase, now impacting more than 42 percent of the U.S. population. Obesity is associated with the leading causes of death, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancers. The mixed messaging around obesity and weight management causes, treatment, management, and stigmas, give need for more coordination and access to resources for physicians and their patients. Predictors of obesity are often influenced by healthcare access and other socioeconomic factors. Secular contributors to obesity disproportionately affect disadvantaged groups which results in a disproportionate rise in prevalence. The exclusive focus on individual behavioral change in treatment paradigms disadvantages the disadvantaged. Effective behavioral intervention/change requires discretionary time and financial resources.

"This initiative is ambitious, but health equity provides an intentional lens to align our efforts to increase access to care and treatments, reduce stigma and bias for patients, and address health disparities in marginalized populations," said Ryan Mire, M.D., MACP, president of ACP. "With focused efforts, we are confident we can ensure equitable access for patients and help counter public misinformation about the causes of obesity, the stigma around it and the equity issues around how it's treated."

Dr. Wee discussed contributing factors to America's obesity problem, issues associated with current screening and measures for obesity, and stigma in the exam room. Dr. Wee also announced that Annals of Internal Journal has curated a collection of obesity- and overweight-related content and resources published in the journal to help clinicians keep up with the science related to obesity and its management.

Dr. Chick discussed ACP's educational efforts and resources, including the Obesity Management Learning Hub, comprising materials developed to increase physicians' confidence in initiating patient conversations and providing counseling on treatment options to patients with obesity. She discussed the organization's desire to advance awareness and use of these resources, and as evidence-based information evolves, to continue to update, develop and disseminate educational materials to improve outcomes.

About the American College of Physicians

The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 160,000 internal medicine physicians, related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

SOURCE American College of Physicians
GOTHENBURG, Sweden, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Zinzino AB (publ.) announces that the company's annual report for 2022 in Swedish is now published on the company's website, zinzino.com. The English version will be published within approximately 45 days.

The 2023 Annual General Meeting will be held at the company's premises at Hulda Mellgrens gata 5 in Vastra Frolunda on May 31 at 1:30 p.m. The nomination committee's proposals for board members, the board's remuneration and auditors are presented in the notice to the annual general meeting. For further information about the annual general meeting, refer to the company's website www.zinzino.com.

Link to the report:

https://www.zinzino.com/site/SE/sv-SE/om-oss/investerare/

For more information please contact :

Dag Bergheim Pettersen CEO Zinzino +47 (0) 932 25 700, email: [email protected]

Fredrik Nielsen CFO Zinzino +46 707 900 174, email: [email protected]

Images for free publication :

[email protected]

Certified Adviser: Erik Penser Bank Aktiebolag, +46 (0) 8 463 83 00, email: [email protected]

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/10976/3760502/2021433.pdf Press Release Zinzio Annual Report 2022

SOURCE Zinzino
Fitch Ratings Upgrades Auna's Credit Rating to 'B' with Positive Outlook

MEXICO CITY and LIMA, Peru, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Auna S.A.A. ("Auna" or the "Company"), one of the largest players in the Latin American healthcare industry and with presence in Mexico, Colombia and Peru, announced today that Fitch Ratings ("Fitch") upgraded the Company's Long-Term Foreign and Local Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) to 'B' with a Positive Rating Outlook. Fitch also upgraded Auna's 2025 notes to 'B'/'RR4'.

According to a related report from Fitch, the upgrade reflects Aunas extended debt maturity profile and reduction of immediate liquidity risks following the Companys recently completed refinancing. The positive outlook reflects Fitch's expectations of ongoing improvement in Auna's internal cash flow generation and an expected deleverage trend that should, in Fitch's opinion, support the refinancing of the Company's US$ 300 million senior notes due 2025 in the next 12 months-18 months.

The Company had strong 2022 results including audited consolidated pro forma revenue of USD $812 million and pro forma Adjusted EBITDA (as defined under the Companys outstanding senior notes) of USD $177 million, with net leverage of 4.84x. Furthermore, based on preliminary results which are still subject to change, pro forma first quarter 2023 results demonstrate the momentum in Aunas operating and financial performance and as a result, a decrease in net leverage for a third straight quarter.

About Auna

Founded in 1989, Auna is one of the largest companies in Latin America's healthcare industry. The Company operates 16 hospitals and 10 healthcare centers at all levels of complexity in Mexico, Peru and Colombia. Auna is the leading provider of oncology healthcare plans with a fully integrated model that services over one million members in Peru, and as of recently, 2.5 million members in dental and vision insurance in Mexico. Since 2018, Auna has expanded rapidly, not only through growth in its oncology segment and execution of organic developments, but also through the acquisition of important healthcare players in the high growth markets of Mexico and Colombia.

For more information visit www.aunainvestors.com

SOURCE Auna S.A.A.
Meet Otto Lang, our Bouncing Baby Rhino!

SONOMA, Calif., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- We're thrilled to announce that our baby rhino has finally been named!

Born on April 2, Otto Lang was named in honor of Safari West founder Peter Lang's father. After receiving several name suggestions from our staff and visitors, the name Otto was embraced by Peter as it honors the memory of his beloved father, a noted Hollywood film producer.

"While Dad was laying out shots and directing his actors," Peter remembers, "I was playing with the animal costars of shows like Daktari and Sea Hunt. On those Hollywood backlots I met lions, chimpanzees, and other amazing creatures. They fascinated me and that fascination has never faded. I guess you could say I discovered my passion." These backstage experiences sparked a lifelong passion that would eventually lead Peter to the hills of Sonoma County and the founding of Safari West.

Otto Lang 's birth is not only a reason for joy and celebration, but it also serves as a living reminder of the importance of wildlife conservation efforts. The birth is a small, yet significant, triumph in our collective efforts to safeguard these magnificent creatures.

Otto is healthy and an active baby rhino. He has become a beloved addition to our family and has captured our hearts with his curious, playful spirit and sweet nature. We look forward to watching him grow up and cannot wait for you to meet him!

MEDIA LINKS INCLUDE PHOTO STILLS AND UNEDITED VIDEO CLIPS BY WILL BUCQUOY

CONTACT:

Aphrodite Caserta

[email protected]

707-575-5275

SOURCE Safari West
ZHENGZHOU, April 24 (Xinhua) -- In a vegetable greenhouse, farmer Zhang Xueyun is busy preparing for the pollination of honeydew melons, whose bumper harvest is expected in two months, as per usual.

The greenhouse is located in a village of Lankao County, central China's Henan Province. It covers an area of six mu (0.4 hectares). It was taken over by Zhang six years ago, who at the time was a layman growing melons.

"Some experts personally taught me planting techniques and scientific management methods for honeydew melons, which now earns me more than 100,000 yuan (about 14,528 U.S. dollars) every year," Zhang said.

The experts Zhang refers to are volunteers from a service group under the county's association for science and technology. Wearing red vests, they are active in the fields all year round and are dedicated to solving technical problems in agricultural production for the local farmers.

Once the volunteers receive a call from the growers, they immediately rush to the fields and use their professional knowledge to help solve any problems, said Wu Xianjiang, deputy head of the service group.

In recent years, more than 90,000 such service groups have been set up in China, covering a total of 4.2 million workers from the country's associations for science and technology at all levels. Volunteers have been long committed to teaching and helping people in villages, factories, workshops and schools.

Lankao is one of the key regions where the sci-tech volunteers provide help. In 2017, it withdrew from the country's list of impoverished counties, while facing obstacles in its industrial development.

At the time, Local farmers in the county were less experienced in planting techniques and land management methods, resulting in poor quality agricultural products that sold for a low price.

Therefore, a group of technical experts, who used to be engaged in fields such as pest control, agriculture protection and rice cultivation, were organized to guide the county's farmers in scientific planting. It was the predecessor of the service group that Wu worked for.

Ren Jie, once a poor household in Lankao, mastered tomato planting techniques under the help from the experts. He soon became rich after his high-quality tomatoes were sold to the big cities like Beijing and Shanghai. Now, he is also a volunteer of the service group.

"My life is getting better, and I want to impart useful planting skills to more villagers," Ren said.

As more experts and technical workers have joined the service group, the number of volunteers has expanded to more than 300. They have solved a total of over 16,000 technical problems related to planting honeydew melons, fruit trees and vegetables.

Lankao has an annual crop planting area of about 800,000 mu, of which more than half have the footprints of the service group, said Chen Guoping, former leader of the county's association for science and technology. 

Editor: JYZ
The 2023 Professional Excellence Awards Recognizes Excellence in the Pennsylvania and Delaware Legal Community

PHILADELPHIA, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Berger Montague, an international plaintiffs' class action and commercial litigation law firm, is proud to announce that the Firm and its lawyers have been honored with five Legal Intelligencer Professional Excellence Awards. The Firm is also a finalist for Law Firm of the Year.

Each year, The Legal Intelligencer's Professional Excellence Awards honor Pennsylvania law firms and attorneys who have left an indelible mark on the legal profession and the legal community in Pennsylvania and beyond. Each award winner demonstrates an unwavering dedication to the profession and a consistent record of professional excellence. Honorees will be recognized, and the Law Firm of the Year will be announced, at an awards ceremony on June 14, 2023 at the Lowes Philadelphia Hotel.

This year, five of Berger Montague's lawyers were recognized for their achievements.

Eric L. Cramer , Chairman of the Firm and Co-Chair of the Firm's antitrust department, received a Distinguished Leader award for his impressive legal results and achievements as well as his demonstrated leadership. He is now in his fifth year as head of the Firm, having overseen substantial growth, including opening new offices in San Francisco and Toronto. He also maintains an active antitrust class action litigation practice, and is responsible for winning settlements for his clients totaling well over $3 billion. The Distinguished Leader Award is just one of many accolades Mr. Cramer has earned in recent years, a list which includes being honored as one of Law360's Titans of the Plaintiffs' bar and as Philadelphia's Antitrust "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers.

Chair Emeritus and Executive Shareholder Sherrie Savett won a Lifetime Achievement award, which recognizes the contributions she has made to the legal profession throughout her storied career as a litigator, leader, and trailblazer. Ms. Savett has been recognized by Legal Intelligencer multiple times, most recently in 2019 when she received the "Distinguished Leader" award. In 2008, she was also recognized by the publication as one of their "25 Pennsylvania Women of the Year." Over the years, Ms. Savett has recovered billions of dollars on behalf of investors, consumers, and taxpayers. Most recently, she helped see a False Claims Act case against Santa Barbara County and its Behavioral Wellness Agency through to a $28 million settlement, one of the largest False Claims Act settlements against a public entity, in United States ex rel. Judith Zissa v. Santa Barbara County Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Services, et al.

Berger Montague's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force , led by Shareholder Camille Fundora Rodriguez , was also recognized. This award recognizes lawyers and law firms who made a significant contribution to diversity and inclusion efforts in Pennsylvania's legal community in the past year. Under Ms. Rodriguez's leadership, the Task Force has enacted a broad range of DEI initiatives, including efforts to hire and retain diverse attorneys and legal professionals and to foster an inclusive work environment through, for example, yearly firmwide trainings on implicit bias in the workplace. Under her leadership, Berger Montague also started to sponsor local university student organizations dedicated to underrepresented and marginalized communities, including Latinx student groups at University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

Associate Reginald Streater won in the Power Players category, an award that recognizes lawyers who through their advocacy, made a significant impact in 2022 on public policy, legislation, or jurisprudence in Pennsylvania. Mr. Streater is the current president of the Board of Education and a U.S. Justice Eisenhower Fellow. In 2022, he was the recipient of Legal Intelligencer's Diversity Initiative award. He is a member of the Firm's Employment & Unpaid Wages, Anti-Trust (No-Poach), and Consumer Protection practice groups.

Associate Najah Jacobs was recognized as a "Lawyer on the Fast Track." Recipients of this award are lawyers under 40 years old whose dedication to law is already helping to shape the legal profession. Ms. Jacobs works in the Firm's Consumer Protection and Employee Benefits & ERISA practice groups, and was recently named to the Plaintiff's Leadership Development Committee in the new Hair Relaxer Multidistrict Litigation in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. This year, the Philadelphia Business Journal also recognized Ms. Jacobs as one of the professionals on their 2023 "40 Under Forty" list.

Berger Montague PC is a national, full-spectrum plaintiffs' law firm that litigates complex civil cases and class actions in federal and state courts throughout the United States. For 53 years, Berger Montague has played lead roles in consequential, precedent-setting cases and has recovered more than $36 billion for its clients and the classes they have represented. A pioneer in the use of class actions in antitrust and securities litigation, the firm has since expanded into consumer, employment, environmental, and insurance litigation. Today, Berger Montague has more than 75 lawyers across six offices, including Philadelphia, Minneapolis, San Diego, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Toronto.

Media Contacts:

Caroline Cornell

[email protected]

Melania Stepanenko

[email protected]

SOURCE Berger Montague
PANAMA CITY, Republic of Panama, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. ("Bladex" or "the Bank") announced today that the Bank filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 (the "2022 Annual Report") with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").

The 2022 Annual Report and audited financial statements can be accessed by visiting either the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or Bladex's website at www.bladex.com. The Bank can also provide a copy of the Bank's audited financial statements or annual report on Form 20-F, upon a written request and without charge.

Bladex, a multinational bank originally established by the central banks of Latin-American and Caribbean countries, began operations in 1979 to promote foreign trade and economic integration in the Region. The Bank, headquartered in Panama, also has offices in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, the United States of America, and a Representative License in Peru, supporting the regional expansion and servicing of its customer base, which includes financial institutions and corporations.

Bladex is listed on the NYSE in the United States of America (NYSE: BLX), since 1992, and its shareholders include: central banks and state-owned banks and entities representing 23 Latin American countries, commercial banks and financial institutions, and institutional and retail investors through its public listing.

For further information on Bladex, please access its website at www.bladex.com or contact:

Carlos Daniel Raad  Chief Investor Relations Officer

E-mail address: [email protected] / [email protected] Tel.: (+507) 366-4925 ext. 7925

Head Office Address: Torre V, Business Park, Ave. La Rotonda, Urb. Costa del Este,

Panama, Republic of Panama

SOURCE Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S.A. (Bladex)
JERSEY CITY, N.J, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. announces the release of market assessment report on "Global Carbon Credit Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Voluntary Market, Compliance Market), Type of Project (Avoidance/Reduction Projects, Removal/Sequestration Projects (Nature-based, Technology-based)), Application (Aviation, , Energy, Building, Power, Industrial, Transportation)- Market Outlook And Industry Analysis 2031".

According to the latest research by InsightAce Analytic, the global carbon credit market size is valued at US$ 402.58 Billion in 2022, and it is expected to reach US$ 4433.81 Billion in 2031, recording a promising CAGR of 30.72% during the forecast period of 2023-2031.

A carbon offset also indicates a genuine reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere, resulting in the development of a carbon credit. The distinction is that the credit is earned as a consequence of a project with defined boundaries, a title, project papers, and a verification plan.

Carbon offsets, in most situations, result in reductions outside of the organization and, more significantly, outside of any regulatory necessity. Companies are compelled by environmental cap-and-trade regulations in certain countries, such as the European Union and California, to offset their carbon impact. Cap-and-trade allows the Market to determine the most cost-effective strategy to reduce emissions while stimulating technological innovation and economic growth.

Request for Sample Pages: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/request-sample/1742

In addition, international non-profit organizations are investing in the carbon credit market to support and promote scalable climate and environmental measures. For example, the World Bank, an international financial organization, established the Climate Change Fund Management Unit in 2019 intending to develop new financial instruments for climate-resilient development, low-carbon, and scale-up climate action.

Some of the prominent players in the Carbon Credit market are:

3 Degrees

AltaGas

Bluesource Llc

Carbon Care Asia Limited

Carbon Credit Capital

Carbonbetter

Carbonfund

Clearsky Climate Solutions

Climate Impact Partners

Climate Trade

Climatepartner Gmbh

Climeco LLC

Climetrek Ltd.

Cool Effect, Inc.

Degrees Group Inc.

EcoAct

Eki Energy Services Ltd.

Enking International

Finite Carbon

Forest Carbon

Green Mountain Energy

Moss Earth

Native Energy

Natureoffice Gmbh

South Pole Group

Sterling Planet , Inc.

, Inc. Sustainable Travel International

Tasman Environmental Markets

Terrapass

WGL Holdings, Inc.

Carbon Credit Market Report Scope

Report Attribute Specifications Market size value in 2022 USD 402.58 Bn Revenue forecast in 2031 USD 4431.8 Bn Growth rate CAGR CAGR of 30.7 % from 2023 to 2031 Quantitative units Representation of revenue in US$ Billion, and CAGR from 2023 to 2031 Historic Year 2019 to 2022 Forecast Year 2023-2031 Report coverage The forecast of revenue, the position of the company, the competitive market statistics, growth prospects, and trends Segments covered Type, Type of Project, Application Regional scope North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; Middle East & Africa Country scope U.S.; Canada; U.K.; Germany; China; India; Japan; Brazil; Mexico; The UK; France; Italy; Spain; China; Japan; India; South Korea; Southeast Asia; South Korea; Southeast Asia

Curious about this latest version of the report? Enquiry Before Buying: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/enquiry-before-buying/1742

Market Dynamics:

Drivers:

Due to increased investment in the carbon credit industry, the global carbon credit market is predicted to rise significantly during the forecast period. Currently, the carbon credit market is only available to businesses dealing with carbon emissions and laws. The rapidly expanding global carbon credit market, on the other hand, is likely to attract funding from a variety of financial institutions, including venture capitalists, banks, and others.

Challenges:

The pressing need to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius is driving stricter emission limitations and reduced supply permits, which will promote carbon credit prices in the future years. Furthermore, engagement by giant global corporations, financial institutions, speculative traders, and investors has fueled worldwide carbon credit trades. To attain the global net-zero aim, businesses must reduce their own emissions as much as possible. However, to some companies, reducing emissions with today's technologies is too expensive, even though the costs of those technologies may fall over time.

Regional Trends:

Asia Pacific carbon offset/carbon credit market is expected to register a major market share in terms of revenue and is projected to rise at a high CAGR in the near future. Asia Pacific is predicted to develop at a rapid pace. The formation of a new and regulated carbon credits market also allows India to experiment with it while the concept is still in its infancy on a global scale. It creates tremendous opportunities for Indian organizations involved in creating knowledge and providing consulting services to global clients to learn and assist in creating and implementing such carbon markets globally, which could even be decentralized to meet the specific needs of diverse economies.

Additionally, the industrial expansion in the Europe region has been substantial, which has resulted in rising demand for carbon credit trading systems. Investments in clean power generation, electrification, and the replacement of aging infrastructure are driving regional market expansion.

Leading manufacturers of this field focus on offering high quality and customizable services to the clients. Also, partnerships, collaborations, mergers, and acquisitions are helping market players to boost their businesses.

Key developments in the market:

In Jan 2023 , ClimeCo announced the purchase of 3GreenTree Ecosystem Service Ltd. (3GreenTree) in order to improve the sustainable management of nature and provide environmental, social, and economic advantages. Resilient systems depend on locally produced and market-based solutions, according to ClimeCo, a worldwide sustainability consultancy with a symphony of industrial and nature-based carbon solutions that satisfy the different objectives of their customers' climate programmes.

ClimeCo announced the purchase of 3GreenTree Ecosystem Service Ltd. (3GreenTree) in order to improve the sustainable management of nature and provide environmental, social, and economic advantages. Resilient systems depend on locally produced and market-based solutions, according to ClimeCo, a worldwide sustainability consultancy with a symphony of industrial and nature-based carbon solutions that satisfy the different objectives of their customers' climate programmes. In November 2022 , 3Degrees collaborated with Merge Electric Fleet Solutions to give existing and new fleet customers actionable analysis and decades of knowledge. Merger's charging will be monetized in the fuel states (CA, OR, WA), and all EV charging will be offset with RECs.

Market Segments

Market Size (Value US$ Bn) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2023 to 2031 based on Type

Voluntary Market

Forestry and Land Use



Renewable Energy



Chemical Processes/Industrial Manufacturing



Energy Efficiency/Fuel Switching

Compliance Market

EU ETS



California CAP and Trade



Others

Market Size (Value US$ Bn) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2023 to 2031 based on Type of Project

Avoidance/Reduction Projects

Removal/Sequestration Projects

Nature-Based



Technology-Based

Market Size (Value US$ Bn) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2023 to 2031 based on Application

Aviation

Building

Energy

Industrial

Power

Transportation

Others

Market Size (Value US$ Bn) & Forecasts and Trend Analyses, 2023 to 2031 based on Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa

North America Carbon Credit market revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2023 to 2031

U.S.

Canada

Europe Carbon Credit market revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2023 to 2031

Germany

France

Italy

Spain

Russia

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific Carbon Credit market revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2023 to 2031

India

China

Japan

South Korea

Australia & New Zealand

Latin America Carbon Credit market revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2023 to 2031

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa Carbon Credit market revenue (US$ Million) by Country, 2023 to 2031

GCC Countries

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa

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SHENZHEN, China, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CCELL, the world's leading technology brand focused on creating trendsetting vape hardware products and advanced vaporization technology, announced today attendance at Pocono 420, and successful brand awareness and sales initiatives during the 4/20 holiday season.

The Company celebrated the 4/20 holiday season with attendance at the Pocono 420 event, also known as the Pennsylvania Cannabis Festival, which took place on April 22nd and 23rd. Across two days, tens of thousands of avid consumers descended upon Long Pond, Pennsylvania for the event, where attendees were able to camp, attend concerts, and be fully immersed in the cannabis culture. CCELL was proud to be a Gold Sponsor of the event and made valuable connections with their fans during the festival.

CCELL's attendance at the Pocono 420 festival was the first time that consumers on the East Coast were able to see the company's entire range of batteries up close, and in every color. CCELL sold their batteries to attendees and ran exclusive 4/20 discounts throughout the festival with some of their new products being their top sellers. The most popular products at the festival included their airflow and temperature adjustable Palm Pro, in ombre metallic champagne and forest green, and their haptic feedback-enabled and temperature adjustable Rizo in black and silver, which vibrates upon inhalation to provide consumers an additional sensation to their buzz.

CCELL was also proud to be featured in several high profile 4/20 roundups and gift guides, including High Times, LA Weekly, Cannabis Tech, Cashinbis, and Splash Magazine, which is a testament to the robust consumer recognition of their products.

Keep in touch with CCELL to see their new products and learn more about the company's vaporization technologies. You can also visit https://www.ccell.com/ to stay up to date with CCELL's future announcements.

About CCELL

CCELL is a technology brand and global innovator in the portable vaporizer space that revolutionized the industry by introducing the ceramic heating component. CCELL was born in the headquarters of Shenzhen Smoore Technology Limited, which has more than 10 years of expertise in the vaporization industry. With advanced R&D resources, patented technologies, strong production capability, and reliable quality control systems, CCELL is recognized around the world for its exceptional vaporization technology and top-quality devices.

Learn more about CCELL at www.ccell.com as well as on LinkedIn , Instagram , Facebook , Twitter, and YouTube .

SOURCE CCELL
BEIJING, April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Nations (UN) World Data Forum (WDF) that concluded on Thursday in Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, called for better data governance and more cooperation between governments to help create a sustainable future.

"Today, in the twenty-first century, data represents what oil represented in the twentieth century  a driver of development and progress," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "Data  when used responsibly  is the bedrock of a sustainable future."

China shared its experience with data governance at the forum and promised to contribute more to global data governance by organizing more international trainings and promoting the development of the UN Global Platform for Big Data China Hub.

In his congratulatory message to the forum, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the country is willing to work with other countries to help implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through data governance.

China is also willing to deepen international data cooperation within the framework of the Global Development Initiative, Xi said.

Digital transformation that works

The Chinese government has been working on digital transformation and helping enterprises to do the same with big data.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of China has been carrying out censuses about the country's population, agriculture, economy, among other fields. The collected data enables the bureau to pinpoint the key social problems, analyze the economy and provide key facts for policymaking.

Data technology has also provided great convenience for China's logistics industry, enabling the enterprises to predict future workloads, and allocate personnel and equipment even before the orders arrive. As a result, the logistics chain is optimized to transport more goods with the same resources.

China is not only putting resources on data technology domestically, but also providing technical support for other countries, according to Shaida Badiee, managing director and co-founder of Open Data Watch, a U.S.-based non-profit of data experts.

Cooperate for a greener future

A greener future for the world will not be achieved with only one country's effort, and China's strategy on big data requires solid cooperation with the rest of the world.

China has been a strong partner of the UN Statistics Division, helping the division implement data projects and training sessions, according to Francesca Perucci, assistant director of the division.

Kang Yi, head of NBS, said China is serious on the opening up of statistics and will share advanced data technology with other developing countries.

China will hold more international training sessions through investment trusts and get deeply involved in the research and development of the UN Global Platform for Big Data, so as to make China's contribution to global data governance more prominent, he added.

Link: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-04-27/World-Data-Forum-calls-for-data-governance-for-sustainable-development-1jlJGCwgVTa/index.html

SOURCE CGTN
BEIJING, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from People's Daily: Chinese President Xi Jinping held phone talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday. The two sides exchanged views on China-Ukraine relations and the Ukraine crisis.

The international community paid high attention to the phone talks and fully recognized China's objective and fair position on the Ukraine crisis and the country's efforts in promoting talks for peace.

Xi said China's readiness to develop relations with Ukraine is consistent and clear-cut, and no matter how the international situation evolves, China will work with Ukraine to advance mutually beneficial cooperation.

Xi stressed that on the Ukraine crisis, China always stands on the side of peace, and its core stance is to facilitate talks for peace.

China will send the Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs to Ukraine and other countries to have in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, Xi said.

Zelensky thanked China for providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and welcomed China's important role in restoring peace and seeking diplomatic solution to the crisis.

Since the full escalation of the Ukraine crisis, China has been actively speaking out for peace and facilitating talks for peace. Xi has put forward four principles, called for joint efforts in four areas and shared three observations on Ukraine.

Chinese Foreign Ministry has released a 12-point position document on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, including respecting the sovereignty of all countries and resuming peace talks.

China's efforts to promote peace talks are broadly understood and recognized by the international community.

This March, Xi paid a state visit to Russia and had an in-depth and candid exchange with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The two heads of state signed joint statements, stressing that responsible dialogue is the best way for appropriate solutions.

The Russian side highly praised China's objective, impartial and balanced position, and expressed that Russia has carefully studied China's position paper, and is open to talks for peace. Russia welcomes China to play a constructive role in this regard.

China's objective and fair position on the Ukraine issue and efforts to promote talks for peace are recognized and supported by both Russia and Ukraine.

A prolonged Ukraine crisis serves no one's interests. An early ceasefire will serve the interests of all parties concerned and also the whole world, and political settlement is the only right way out.

In April this year, Xi held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Beijing. During a trilateral meeting with Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Xi reiterated that China independently decides its position based on the merits of issues, and China's position on Ukraine boils down to supporting talks for peace.

Von der Leyen and Macron said they appreciate China's efforts to promote a political settlement and look forward to China playing a more important role. They also said that they are prepared to work with China to find a way to facilitate talks for peace.

When Xi and Brazilian President Lula da Silva held talks in Beijing, the two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. They appealed to more countries to play a constructive role for a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. The two presidents agreed to stay in communication on the issue.

China believes that with rational thinking and voices now on the rise, it is important to seize the opportunity and build up favorable conditions for the political settlement of the crisis.

China did not create the Ukraine crisis, nor is it a party to the crisis. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible major country, China would not sit idly by, nor would it add oil to the fire, still less exploit the situation for self gains.

China's position is clear-cut and consistent. Between peace and war, it chooses peace. Between dialogue and sanctions, it chooses dialogue. Between lowering the temperature and fanning the flames, it chooses the former.

Everything China does is aboveboard. China does not have selfish political interests or engage in geopolitical manipulation. Instead, China is sincerely committed to promoting peace talks and a ceasefire.

A review of history shows that conflicts in the end have to be settled through dialogue and negotiation. The more difficulties there are, the greater the need to keep space for peace. The more acute the problem is, the more important it is not to give up efforts for dialogue.

As long as all parties embrace the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and pursue equal-footed, rational and results-oriented dialogue and consultation, they will find a reasonable way to resolve the Ukraine crisis.

China will continue to stand firm on the side of peace and dialogue, and on the right side of history. It will work together with the rest of the world to play a constructive role in its own way for the political settlement of the Ukraine issue.

SOURCE People's Daily
COLLIERVILLE, Tenn., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ClearBags seeks to provide Opportunities to Thrive for Employees, Customers, Vendors, and Communities around the world.

ClearBags exists to provide opportunities to thrive. They do this by focusing on team members, customer needs, innovation, and synergy. It is important that each person within the company focuses on improving themselves. ClearBags seeks to provide these opportunities to team members through encouragement, training, access to a variety of resources, core action discussions, internal communication, educational opportunities, a focus on dream fulfillment, and a focus on serving others.

Team members are encouraged to take part in community events and serving opportunities. ClearBags has supported local community events like 5K runs, school fundraisers, non-profit events, and entrepreneurial fairs.

ClearBags has also focused on humanitarian work in many developing countries. They have contributed to the development of a place in Uganda through a foundation called Hands for an African Child that serves as a home and community for many orphaned children. Many team members choose to support this project by providing monthly contributions to this organization.

Bright Water Foundation is another non-profit that ClearBags has contributed to. They seek to bring safe and clean water to those who don't have it readily available.

Through these efforts, ClearBags strives not only to provide opportunities for their team members to thrive but for people around the world to flourish as well. ClearBags understands that everyone deserves an opportunity to thrive and loves to be part of making that happen.

About ClearBags

An innovative product packaging company for over 30 years, ClearBags offers the widest range of high-quality, flexible packaging solutions that ship and store flat with low minimums for customization, ease of ordering, speed of delivery, and the support of packaging experts. Explore and learn more about how ClearBags is empowering businesses of all sizes with memorable, and affordable packaging for their year-round needs. https://www.clearbags.com/

Media Contact:

Julie Vang

1 800-233-2630

[email protected]

SOURCE ClearBags
CHICAGO, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The global Cloud-Based Quantum Computing Market is projected to grow from an estimated USD 798 million in 2023 to USD 4,063 million by 2028, at a CAGR of 38.5% from 2023 to 2028 according to report by MarketsandMarkets. The growing adoption of quantum computing solutions across several verticals and the increasing accessibility of quantum computers by the cloud drive market growth.

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By vertical, research, and academia to account for the largest market size during the forecast period.

Quantum computing is a research area combing quantum physics and computer science. Researchers from academia and the quantum computing field are expected to work together in the coming years to speed up fundamental research. Additionally, several use cases of cloud-based quantum computing exist in research and academia. Teachers can use cloud-based quantum computing to help students better understand quantum mechanics and test quantum algorithms. Scientists and researchers can use cloud-based quantum resources to test quantum information theories and compare architectures. Various partnerships took place in the Cloud-Based Quantum Computing Market. In May 2021, IBM announced that it partnered with 11 top-tier academic institutions, including the IISc and IIT Kharagpur, to allow over-the-cloud access to its systems to accelerate advanced training and research in quantum computing.

By service, professional services to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period.

Professional services are typically offered on-demand or are project-based. They provide various services, including digital transformation, business strategy, management consulting, data architecture and visualization, UX/UI design, and more. An organization might choose professional services in consulting, cloud migration, deployment, and advanced troubleshooting. Consulting services are provided by consultants and industry experts that assist clients in recognizing new business values by implementing cloud-based quantum computing technology. They also offer customized roadmaps to help clients in adopting the solutions. For instance, IBM offers consulting services, along with quantum computers and QCaaS. 1QBit provides consulting services to customers to solve large-scale and complicated computational problems using complex algorithms and software development tools. These complex algorithms and software development tools use classical methods, quantum computers, and quantum annealing hardware.

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By region, North America accounts for the largest market size during the forecast period.

North America is one of the most advanced regions regarding security technology adoption and infrastructure. It is experiencing a rise in the use of technologies such as artificial intelligence(AI) and cloud-based applications. This region is a key market for cloud-based quantum computing software & services as it is home to several key players, such as IBM, Microsoft, Google, and AWS. Several standards and regulations also govern the Cloud-Based Quantum Computing Market in the North American region, specially in countries like US and Canada. The implementation of such privacy laws has prompted organizations to adopt cloud-based quantum computing solutions. Additionally, in recent years, the region witnessed several partnerships and initiatives between organizations and governments concerning cloud-based quantum computing offerings.

Key Players

The major vendors in cloud-based quantum computing include IBM (US), Microsoft (US), Google (US), AWS (US), Baidu (China), Rigetti Computing (US), Xanadu (Canada), Oxford Quantum Circuits (UK), IonQ (US), and Zapata Computing (US).

MarketsandMarkets segments the Cloud-Based Quantum Computing Market by offering, technology, application, verticals, and region. The report's scope covers detailed information about the major factors, such as drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges, influencing the market's growth. A detailed analysis of key industry players was carried out to provide insights into their business overviews, solutions & services, key strategies, product launches, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, agreements, collaborations, and recent developments associated with the Cloud-Based Quantum Computing Market.

Browse Adjacent Markets: Cloud Computing Market Research Reports & Consulting

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- Exclusive rights for the development and commercialization of DWP213388 in the global market to Vitalli Bio, a portfolio company of Aditum Bio, the biotech investment firm

- Targeting the KRW 146 trillion global autoimmune disease market with partner who has top global drug development expertise

SEOUL, South Korea and OAKLAND, Calif., April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Daewoong Pharmaceutical (CEO Jeon Sengho and Lee Chang-jae) announced today that it had signed a Global License Agreement for its autoimmune disease drug candidate DWP213388 with Vitalli Bio, a US biotechnology company, on April 28.

(From left) Lim In-Taek, Head of health and medical policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Jeon Sengho, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, Mark Fishman, co-founder of Additum Bio, and Cha SoonDo, Head of the Korea Health Industry Development Institute

With this agreement, Daewoong Pharmaceutical will grant exclusive rights for the development and commercialization of DWP213388 in the global market to Vitalli Bio, a portfolio company of Aditum Bio. Daewoong Pharmaceutical will retain rights in some Asian regions including Korea. In return, Daewoong will receive over $10 million in upfront commitments, and the deal is worth up to $477 million. In addition, Vitalli Bio will be granted an option to license earlier stage dual-target inhibitors in development by Daewoong.

DWP213388, which is being developed by Daewoong Pharmaceutical, targets Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) and Interleukin-2-inducible T-cell kinase (ITK), which are involved in the activation of immune cells such as B cells and T cells. Unlike existing treatments that inhibit only one of B cells and T cells, DWP213388 is a first-in-class new drug that can inhibit both BTK and ITK simultaneously as targets. In last August, Daewoong Pharmaceutical received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial of DWP213388. In addition, excellent efficacy has been confirmed in various autoimmune disease animal models such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).

Aditum Bio, the biotech investment firm cofounded in 2019 by former Novartis CEO Joe Jimenez and former President of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) Dr. Mark Fishman, who is also currently a professor at Harvard Medical School. During Dr. Fishman's tenure, NIBR discovered and brought through successful clinical trials for 90 new medicines in more than 120 indications. Vitalli Bio is the ninth company formed by Aditum Bio, whose unique investment and operating model enables rapid company formation, planning, and execution to advance novel drug candidates into the clinic and speed their delivery to the patients in need. With Aditum Bio's management, who has extensive experience in the global pharmaceutical industry and clinical development, actively participating in the development of DWP213388, Vitalli Bio offers world-class development capabilities in major overseas countries such as the US and Europe.

Jeon Sengho, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, said, "We are very pleased that this Agreement proves not only the excellence of DWP213388, but also Daewoong Pharmaceutical's new drug development technology. Daewoong Pharmaceutical will continue to introduce innovative new drugs that are recognized in the global pharmaceutical market."

Aditum Bio CEO Joe Jimenez said, "Aditum Bio has been very impressed with the biotechnology research capability of Daewoong, and are looking forward to working together to bring this new therapy to patients in need."

An autoimmune disease is a disease that occurs when the immune system inside the human body recognizes normal cells inside the human body as antigens, rather than external antigens such as bacteria and viruses, and attacks them. According to IQVIA, a global market research institute, the global autoimmune disease treatment market is growing at an average annual rate of 5% to reach $115 billion in 2022.

About Daewoong Pharmaceutical

Established in 1945, Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a leading South Korean pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, and commercializes pharmaceuticals for both domestic and international markets. With a strong and innovative in-house R&D and advanced manufacturing facilities, Daewoong provides a total healthcare solution to customers across the globe. Continuing on their course of building a strong global healthcare company, Daewoong has broadened international operations by establishing branch offices and research centers throughout Asia and the United States. Daewoong has also expanded strategic partnerships in more than 100 countries worldwide.

In 2022, Daewoong expanded its global market presence by entering into a license agreement worth USD 923 million, which granted permission for the use of 'Fexuclue', a medicine licensed for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, in the Philippines and Ecuador within the first year of its launch. Additionally, Daewoong successfully launched 'Envlo', the first-ever sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor for the treatment of diabetes to be developed in Korea, and signed an export contract worth USD 84.36 million with Brazil and Mexico. For further information on Daewoong Pharmaceutical, please visit our official website.

About Aditum Bio

Aditum Bio is committed to improving public health by accelerating R&D in disease areas with both large and more targeted patient populations, where medical innovation can have a huge impact. Aditum Bio focuses on basic mechanisms of disease, in-licenses promising drug candidates directed at such pathophysiologies, and spins out individual companies dedicated to bringing each candidate through Phase II clinical trials. Aditum Bio uses data, software and technology to help bring innovative medicines through the clinical trial phase more quickly and with lower costs than traditional pharmaceutical companies. For more information, please visit www.aditumbio.com.

SOURCE Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd
People visit an exhibition of the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 26, 2023. The 6th Digital China Summit will take place in the city of Fuzhou in east China's Fujian Province from April 27 to 28.

The five-day exhibition is unveiled Wednesday as part of the summit to display the latest achievements and successful practices of digitalization on 11 fronts highlighted in the February plan, including digital infrastructure, the economy, and society. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

Intelligent vehicles are displayed at an exhibition of the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 26, 2023. The 6th Digital China Summit will take place in the city of Fuzhou in east China's Fujian Province from April 27 to 28.

The five-day exhibition is unveiled Wednesday as part of the summit to display the latest achievements and successful practices of digitalization on 11 fronts highlighted in the February plan, including digital infrastructure, the economy, and society. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

This photo taken on April 26, 2023 shows a view of the exhibition of the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province. The 6th Digital China Summit will take place in the city of Fuzhou in east China's Fujian Province from April 27 to 28.

The five-day exhibition is unveiled Wednesday as part of the summit to display the latest achievements and successful practices of digitalization on 11 fronts highlighted in the February plan, including digital infrastructure, the economy, and society. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

This photo taken on April 26, 2023 shows a view outside the exhibition venue of the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province. The 6th Digital China Summit will take place in the city of Fuzhou in east China's Fujian Province from April 27 to 28.

The five-day exhibition is unveiled Wednesday as part of the summit to display the latest achievements and successful practices of digitalization on 11 fronts highlighted in the February plan, including digital infrastructure, the economy, and society. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)

This photo taken on April 26, 2023 shows a view of the exhibition of the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province. The 6th Digital China Summit will take place in the city of Fuzhou in east China's Fujian Province from April 27 to 28.

The five-day exhibition is unveiled Wednesday as part of the summit to display the latest achievements and successful practices of digitalization on 11 fronts highlighted in the February plan, including digital infrastructure, the economy, and society. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)

This photo taken on April 26, 2023 shows the lighting installations set in the exhibition venue of the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province. The 6th Digital China Summit will take place in the city of Fuzhou in east China's Fujian Province from April 27 to 28.

The five-day exhibition is unveiled Wednesday as part of the summit to display the latest achievements and successful practices of digitalization on 11 fronts highlighted in the February plan, including digital infrastructure, the economy, and society. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)

This photo taken on April 26, 2023 shows a view of the exhibition of the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province. The 6th Digital China Summit will take place in the city of Fuzhou in east China's Fujian Province from April 27 to 28.

The five-day exhibition is unveiled Wednesday as part of the summit to display the latest achievements and successful practices of digitalization on 11 fronts highlighted in the February plan, including digital infrastructure, the economy, and society. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)

This photo taken on April 26, 2023 shows a view of the exhibition of the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province. The 6th Digital China Summit will take place in the city of Fuzhou in east China's Fujian Province from April 27 to 28.

The five-day exhibition is unveiled Wednesday as part of the summit to display the latest achievements and successful practices of digitalization on 11 fronts highlighted in the February plan, including digital infrastructure, the economy, and society. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

A staff member presents an intelligent platform to visitors at an exhibition of the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 26, 2023. The 6th Digital China Summit will take place in the city of Fuzhou in east China's Fujian Province from April 27 to 28.

The five-day exhibition is unveiled Wednesday as part of the summit to display the latest achievements and successful practices of digitalization on 11 fronts highlighted in the February plan, including digital infrastructure, the economy, and society. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

A visitor displays a cup of coffee purchased with China's digital yuan, or the e-CNY, at an exhibition of the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 26, 2023. The 6th Digital China Summit will take place in the city of Fuzhou in east China's Fujian Province from April 27 to 28.

The five-day exhibition is unveiled Wednesday as part of the summit to display the latest achievements and successful practices of digitalization on 11 fronts highlighted in the February plan, including digital infrastructure, the economy, and society. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)

A visitor tries to remote control a vehicle supported by King Long 5G technology at an exhibition of the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 26, 2023. The 6th Digital China Summit will take place in the city of Fuzhou in east China's Fujian Province from April 27 to 28.

The five-day exhibition is unveiled Wednesday as part of the summit to display the latest achievements and successful practices of digitalization on 11 fronts highlighted in the February plan, including digital infrastructure, the economy, and society. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)

This photo taken on April 26, 2023 shows a view outside the exhibition venue of the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province. The 6th Digital China Summit will take place in the city of Fuzhou in east China's Fujian Province from April 27 to 28.

The five-day exhibition is unveiled Wednesday as part of the summit to display the latest achievements and successful practices of digitalization on 11 fronts highlighted in the February plan, including digital infrastructure, the economy, and society. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)

Editor: JYZ
Logistics Workers Secure Representation at DHL's Largest Hub in North America

HEBRON, Ky., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters scored a massive organizing victory today for more than 1,100 DHL Express workers at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). Ramp and tug workers voted to join Teamsters Local 100 in Cincinnati after a yearlong campaign for representation.

"This was a long time coming!" said Steve Fightmaster, a ramp lead and DHL Workers United for Change committee member. "We stood strong to become Teamsters and changed over 1,000 people's lives for the better."

"This victory is a testament to what can be achieved when workers are united for a better future," said Bill Hamilton, Director of the Teamsters Express Division. "These workers overcame a tough anti-union campaign and fought hard against the retaliation and misinformation from management. Ultimately, they prevailed because they were determined to bring real change to their workplace."

Negotiations will begin for a first Teamster contract for DHL-CVG workers following certification of the election by the National Labor Relations Board.

"We are thrilled that more DHL Express workers have successfully fought to join our union," said Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman. "Our entire union stands with these workers, ready to keep holding DHL Express accountable."

"Today, DHL Express workers made the decision to join the most powerful union in the world. These new Teamsters showed courage and conviction in their organizing drive and we couldn't be more honored to welcome and protect them," said Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien. "Whether it's at DHL, Amazon, or UPS, Teamsters never stop in our fight to hold corporations accountable and to get the best contracts for our members."

Throughout their organizing campaign, DHL-CVG workers were fiercely supported by existing DHL Teamsters around the country. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 6,000 members at DHL in the U.S.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters .

Contact:

Kara Deniz, (202) 497-6610

[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
County Proposes Stripped Deal for Municipal Workers

DUBUQUE, Iowa, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With a contract expiring July 1 for nearly 50 public sector workers in Dubuque County, Teamsters Local 120 has spent the last several weeks negotiating a new deal for members. In a blow to these essential workers, the Dubuque County Board of Supervisors have proposed a contract that would strip workers' contracts down and remove critical language about seniority, vacation time, and other benefits.

"The proposal from the Dubuque County Board of Supervisors is a non-starter," said John Klootwyk, Business Agent at Local 120. "It is shameful that a historically pro-union town like Dubuque is treating its municipal workers with such disrespect. The Teamsters remain committed to getting the absolute best contract for our members  and what the county is offering is not that."

Additionally, the Dubuque County Board of Supervisors has hired notorious union-busting law firm, Lynch Dallas out of Linn County, to negotiate this deal.

"We are disgusted that Dubuque County is using our taxpayer dollars to pay an anti-union law firm to strip our contracts," said Ken Thill, a 20-year veteran of the Dubuque County Roads Department and member of Local 120. "We play a key role in our community and deserve a contract that reflects our hard work. My co-workers and I are urging members of the Dubuque community to call the County Board of Supervisors and demand they offer us a fair contract. Our livelihoods and the well-being of our community depend on it."

Mediation between Local 120 and the Dubuque County Board of Supervisors is slated to begin on May 4.

Teamsters Local 120 represents nearly 12,000 members in four states: Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Local 120 represents workers at over 300 employers in both the private and public sector. For more information, visit teamsterslocal120.org/

Contact:

Matt McQuaid, (202) 624-6877

[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
DXC Secure Network Fabric Co-Developed with Hewlett Packard Enterprise and AMD Pensando

ASHBURN, Va., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC), a leading Fortune 500 global technology services provider, today announced the availability of DXC Secure Network Fabric, an integrated data center solution that is optimized for the hybrid cloud. Built in collaboration with Hewlett Packard Enterprise and AMD, DXC Secure Network Fabric is a scalable software-defined data center solution that simplifies, modernizes, automates, and secures the data center network at a lower cost.

This solution comes at a time when increasingly important workloads critical to digital businesses are running on data center networks, and enterprises are seeking both performance and security from their providers.

Leveraging HPE Aruba Networking CX 10000 Series Switch and AMD Pensando DPU technology, DXC Secure Network Fabric provides 800G of processing capacity to serve concurrent workloads. It provides more control and visibility at the network edge and integration across physical and virtual components.

"DXC Secure Network Fabric is a result of DXC's strategic partnership with Hewlett Packard Enterprise and AMD Pensando", said Jayant Tulsiani, VP and Global Network Services Lead, DXC Technology. "This allows us to collaborate at the highest levels to deliver services that enhance data center network capabilities to benefit our customers."

"DXC Technology and Hewlett Packard Enterprise share a commitment to deliver secure, reliable connectivity for enterprises applications regardless of where they live, on-premises, at the edge, in colocations or in the public cloud," said William Choe, Vice President, Switching and Data Center Networking, HPE Aruba Networking. "DXC's Secure Network Fabric delivers this next generation of innovation helping organizations simplify, secure, and accelerate their data-first modernization journey."

The solution provides several benefits to customers including reduced costs; increased automation; simplified operations; high performance with uncompromised security; and transformation at speed and with zero risk. Backed by DXC's global workforce, DXC Secure Network Fabric is a safe pair of hands to guide your organization on its end-to-end transformation journey.

"The HPE Aruba Networking CX 10000 Series Switch represents a new category of data center switches. Combined with AMD Pensando DPU, it is designed for next-gen data centers and delivers software-defined services at scale and with an impressive TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)," said Soni Jiandani, corporate vice president, Network Technologies & Solutions Group, AMD. "We're delighted to collaborate with DXC on the DXC Secure Network fabric offering to bring these leadership capabilities and benefits to the entire DXC customer base."

This news was announced onstage during Atmosphere, the organization's flagship event, taking place April 23-28 at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas. Register here to watch the keynotes live online and learn how HPE Aruba Networking provides the necessary network infrastructure, security, and automation to ensure networks deliver the right business outcomes.

About DXC Technology:

DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC) helps global companies run their mission-critical systems and operations while modernizing IT, optimizing data architectures, and ensuring security and scalability across public, private and hybrid clouds. The world's largest companies and public sector organizations trust DXC to deploy services to drive new levels of performance, competitiveness, and customer experience across their IT estates. Learn more about how we deliver excellence for our customers and colleagues at DXC.com.

SOURCE DXC Technology Company
Impressive accolades for advancing innovative, high-value primary care

SAN FRANCISCO, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Elation Health , the clinical-first technology company powering innovation in primary care, today announced it has received multiple industry awards, marking it a record-setting quarter.

"It is fantastic news that Kyna and Elation are being recognized for the work of making high-quality primary care more accessible and sustainable for the American healthcare system," said Anthony Woolf, Partner at Generation Investment Management. "Kyna and the team have built something special to deliver better clinical-first experiences. Thanks to the team members, customers, and partners without whom advancement in care wouldn't be possible."

Wins over the last two quarters include:

Inc.'s Female Founders 200: Kyna Fong was named to the 2023 list of the most dynamic women entrepreneurs . The exclusive Female Founders 200 Inc. list highlights women that are transforming the "future of everything."

Best in KLAS for the EMR-Centric Virtual Care Platform category: In addition to its category leadership, Elation received top grades for customer loyalty, operations, services, relationship, and value. Key findings from the report also indicate Elation was the top ranked EMR telehealth vendor in delivering strong experiences for patients that lead to improved outcomes.

RockHealth Top 50 in Digital Health: The Top 50 in Digital Health Awards recognized Kyna Fong for her exceptional digital health leadership in making healthcare massively better for all.

Slice of Healthcare's Top Digital Healthcare Leader: Kyna Fong was named to Slice of Healthcare's Top Digital Healthcare Leader list for 2023.

Goldman Sachs Most Exceptional Entrepreneur Award: Goldman Sachs recognized Kyna Fong last year as one of the most exceptional entrepreneurs for her extraordinary contributions in the healthcare industry. Fong joined the latest class of prestigious leaders during the 2022 Gold Sachs' Builders and Innovators Summit .

About Elation Health

Since 2010, the company has delivered clinical-first solutions  built on a collaborative electronic health record (EHR)  that helps primary care organizations start, grow, and succeed in delivering the highest-quality personalized care to patients. Elation supports primary care clinicians by relieving administrative burden and restoring the doctor-patient relationship so that they can return to the craft of medicine. The company serves 24,000 clinicians caring for more than 12 million Americans, including thousands of small independent practices and large prominent digital health innovators. Learn more at elationhealth.com , LinkedIn , and Twitter .

SOURCE Elation Health
WALTHAM, Mass., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Eleanor Health team was battling a constant daily grind of manual billing and coding work. Due to their specialty contracts with payers, they have a unique process in which every service rolls up into a monthly bundled rate. Each month the team sends one claim for all services to each payerand each payer has different requirements. To ensure each payer was getting the right information, the team spent significant time manually reviewing all services and the payers' requirements. It took them over 15 days to complete billing and claim submission at the end of the month. To reduce the manual workload, the team needed to find a way to automate their complex processes.

The RCxRules team worked with Eleanor Health to create a custom AI solution to address their unique workflow requirements. "The implementation team was incredibly helpful and easy to communicate with. They were able to immediately understand whatever I was trying to explain, there wasn't a lot of back and forth needed to get results," explains Elizabeth Strohminger, Revenue Systems Manager at Eleanor Health. "I would definitely recommend working with RCxRules. The team is so knowledgeable and able to help with custom functionality to address unique issues. I love their honestyeveryone was candid about what the solution can and can't do. The whole process was very transparent."

Prior to implementing RCxRules, the average charge entry lag was nine days. It's now down to four, and the Eleanor Health team is able to close out their month in one day instead of fifteen. They have also been able to expand their business without hiring additional billing and coding staff.

About RCxRules: Founded in 2010, RCxRules partners with leading medical groups and RCM companies across the country, raising the bar on automation, speed, and cost savings. The company's AI-driven solutions simplify revenue cycle and risk adjustment workflows and help healthcare organizations succeed with both value-based care and fee-for-service billing models by tapping into the time-saving power of automation. Visit www.RCxRules.com to learn more.

About Eleanor Health:

Eleanor Health is a provider of mental health treatment and substance use and associated behavioral disorder treatment based in Massachusetts that currently operates 32 clinics across seven states.

Visit https://www.eleanorhealth.com/ to learn more.

SOURCE RCxRules
Consolidated turnover up to 256.5 million euro (+10.9%), EBITDA rising to 33.6 million euro (+4.3%); Operating income stood at 9.4 million euro and net profit at 1.2 million euro .

Record year for MRI (+50.7%). Growing all lines of business.

Backlog rose by 120% compared to the previous year.

Esaote confirms its strong vocation for international markets, which represent 66.4% of total revenues.

30 million euros invested in R&D. The first Sustainability Report has been drawn up.

GENOA, Italy, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Shareholders' Meeting of Esaote S.p.A., met today in Genoa, approved the company's financial statements at 31.12.2022.

Net sales revenues up to 256.5 million, +10.9% up on 2021; EBITDA rising to 33.6 million euros (+4.3% on 2021); Group operating income of 9.4 million euro, in line with the previous year; consolidated net profit of 1.2 million euro, down from 4 million euro in 2021: these are the main figures relating to the Group consolidated for 2022.

Franco Fontana, CEO Esaote Group

"In 2022 Esaote reached another important milestone with an increase in sales revenues of almost 11%. The Group confirms its growth and innovation objectives, positioning itself among the world's leading players in diagnostic imaging. An even more significant result if we consider the complex macroeconomic scenario of 2022, characterized by the rise of costs of raw materials, components, energy and transport, and the difficulties and delays in production chains. Despite this, we have managed to ensure production continuity, increase investments in R&D and increase sales in the three strategic sectors: ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging and Medical IT  commented Franco Fontana, CEO of Esaote S.p.A. The higher backlog at the end of the year, another extremely significant figure, allowed us to start 2023 with revenues in the first quarter increasing sharply compared to 2022. A confirmation of the validity of the strategy that focuses on technological innovation and growth in high-potential markets".

During 2022, the Esaote Group invested 30 million euros in R&D, corresponding to approximately 12% of turnover, up 4.5% compared to the previous year.

In the ultrasonic systems sector, revenues increased by 7.2%, exceeding average market trend and gaining significant market shares. Specifically, revenue growth was driven by the new medium-high range ultrasound scanners launched over the last eighteen months and intended for highly specialized public and private hospitals.

During 2022, the dedicated and open MRI sector recorded an increase in revenues of 50.7%: a result that confirms the uniqueness and completeness of the range of Esaote products, praised for combining excellent image quality in musculoskeletal applications with ease of installation, patient comfort and low energy consumption. The introduction of Esaote's first open magnet "total body" resonance, the Magnifico Open system, has certainly contributed to the extraordinary result of 2022.

The Medical IT sector  development of software for the management of diagnostic processes and quantitative analysis software for cardiovascular applications  grew by 3%, confirming the expansion process undertaken by the Group with the diversification of sales channels and the ability to generate demand for the digital transformation of healthcare.

The international markets, jointly accounting for about 66.4% of sales, by Western Europe (18.4%), North America (14.4 %) and China (10%). Double-digit revenue growth in Latin America and the Far East. Italy is confirmed as the main market for Esaote.

At the end of 2022, the Group's had around 1,250 employees, more than half of whom in Italy. During the year, the process of enhancing internal resources continued with the creation of continuous training programs accompanied by welfare support tools and improvement of selection policies both in terms of brand reputation and efficiency, continuing the experience of the Academy launched in 2021.

After joining the United Nations Global Compact initiative, in 2022 Esaote S.p.A. published his first Sustainability Report, on the themes of innovation, quality, integrity and the social. As far as the environment is concerned, the company has operated through regeneration projects, rational use and optimization of resources and attention to the environmental impact of logistics, with a commitment to continuous improvement.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2064698/Franco_Fontana.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1793998/Esaote_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Esaote S.p.A.
Montgomery previously served as Espire's SVP of Finance and Accounting

DENVER, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Espire Dental, a fast-growing, elite, cosmetic and multi-specialty group practice, founded and operated by dentists with a vision to create something extraordinary, today announced its appointment of Sarah Montgomery, CPA as CFO.

Montgomery brings 13 years of financial leadership experience and has spent over two years as Espire's SVP of Finance and Accounting. In that role, she led Espire's finance and accounting operations in addition to its M&A functions, which included six dental practice acquisitions in 2023 already. As CFO, Montgomery will oversee the financial strategy of the business as it looks to expand its footprint by providing quality dental care and cosmetic dentistry throughout the western U.S.

"Since Sarah started at Espire, she has flawlessly demonstrated her leadership and ingenuity to our entire team and equity partners," said Espire CEO Tim Hill. "She's accomplished so much as a member of our team so far, and we're thrilled to see her continue her success in this role."

Her experience encompasses a blend of public accounting and industry experience with private equity portfolio companies, including multi-site healthcare organizations.

"Entering my new role as CFO at Espire will help me pursue my passions of scaling financial and account functions while partnering with leadership teams to drive above market growth through organic and acquisition strategies," said Montgomery. "I look forward to leading our team into its next stage of growth."

Montgomery earned her MBA from the University of Denver Daniels school of Business and her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Colorado Denver.

About Espire Dental

Espire Dental is a group of practices founded by doctors with a vision to create something extraordinary: a dental setting where excellence in dentistry meets inspired hospitality. Espire is pioneering a new practice category, operating as an Integrated Dental Organization (IDO) instead of a DSO to create a large, top quality and unique group practice operating under a single, trusted brand. With a focus on cosmetic dentistry and elevated quality, multi-specialty care, and creating exceptional experiences for patients and employees, Espire believes that we bring out the best in people. Espire is a fast-growing group of 26 practices, looking to build its presence in the Western United States. Learn more at www.espiredental.com.

Contact Espire Dental

Dentists interested in joining Espire Dental may complete an inquiry form: EspireDental.com/practice-transition

Media Contact: Sophie Kelner, [email protected]

SOURCE Espire Dental
BEIJING, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from chinadaily.com.cn:

The art exhibition "A Universal Genius: Salvador Dali" opened at the Guiyang International Fashion Center in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, on April 27. It will last until Aug 31.

The art exhibition is a special activity of the 2023 China-Spain Year of Culture and Tourism campaign. [Photo provided to eguizhou.gov.cn]

This is the first activity launched by Spain in China to celebrate the 2023 China-Spain Year of Culture and Tourism campaign, as this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Spain.

Salvador Dali is regarded as one of the greatest surrealist artists of the 20th century. He is known for his unique and abundant imagination, as well as his bizarre and strange imagery.

Whether as a painter, graphic designer, illustrator, sculptor, playwright, or writer, Dali had always been able to create a new artistic path. He is a benchmark figure in the modern art world.

"This exhibition brings together some of the most famous works of this Spanish surrealist master," said Spanish Ambassador to China, Rafael Dezcallar Mazarredo, at the exhibition's opening ceremony. He hopes that many people in Guiyang will appreciate this exhibition, and that people can make interesting discoveries while visiting.

He also hopes that the exhibition will inspire people's interest in Spain and that it will encourage them to travel to the country.

Sun Chengyi, vice-chairman of the Guizhou Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, stated that this is an international top-level art exhibition. This visual cultural event will open a new chapter in cultural exchange between Guizhou and Spain.

"We sincerely thank the beautiful city of Guiyang for choosing us," said Juan Manuel Sevillano, CEO of the Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation. "Guiyang is a city with a bright future that is full of vitality. Guiyang is a Chinese city that lives up to high expectations, much like Dali, who was a genius whose creations were ahead of his time."

It is the first time that the exhibition has been held in Guizhou, and the third time it has been held in China after the Beijing exhibition in 2000 and the Shanghai exhibition in 2015.

This exhibition has the largest number of Dali's original works, as well as the longest run time of any Dali exhibition ever organized in China. The exhibition includes eight exhibition areas that feature 121 original works by Dali, three replicas, six installation art pieces, and two films about Dali.

SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn
Latest Funding Will Spur the Transition to Clean School Transportation for Children Across the Country

CINCINNATI, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- First Student, the largest operator of electric school buses in North America, applauds the Biden-Harris Administration for announcing $400 million in grants for electric school buses. First Student Head of Electrification Kevin Matthews issued the following statement:

"This latest round of funding from the U.S. EPA is an important step toward ensuring cleaner air, better learning experiences, and healthier futures for children across the country. Replacing just one diesel school bus with an electric school bus can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 54,000 pounds each year, improving health outcomes for children and communities. This latest funding recognizes the importance of electric school buses in meeting our nation's climate goals and improving the lives of future generations.

"First Student is proud to lead the way on school bus electrification with our commitment to transition 30,000 diesel buses to electric by 2035. We look forward to working with the communities we currently serve as well as other school districts to apply for this new U.S. EPA funding, helping accelerate the transition to electric and creating a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of our student passengers."

About First Student

As a leading school transportation solutions provider in North America, First Student strives to provide the best start and finish to every school day. With a team of highly trained drivers and the industry's strongest safety record, First Student delivers reliable, quality services, including full-service transportation and management, special-needs transportation, fleet electrification, route optimization, and scheduling, maintenance, and charter services with a fleet of more than 46,000 buses.

Contact

Liza Joenler

[email protected]

SOURCE First Student
Loxam brings a track record of success to an experienced management team.

NEW YORK, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gameto, a female-led biotech company developing therapies to improve the female reproductive journey, today announced the expansion of its executive team with the appointment of Teri Loxam as its first Chief Financial Officer. In this new role, Teri will oversee Gameto's financial function, as well as play a key role in overall company strategy.

Teri Loxam

"Teri is a proven CFO and an impressive female leader, whose decades of experience will immediately add value to our company," said Dina Radenkovic, co-founder and CEO of Gameto. "Her depth of knowledge in capital markets and financing in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries comes at an exciting time for the company as we work on clinical development and go-to-market strategy for our lead program, Fertilo, to make the IVF process shorter, safer and more effective for women. Teri's personal passion for women's health is extremely important to us as we continue to grow."

Teri joins Gameto with over 20 years of diverse experience in strategy, investor relations and finance across the pharmaceutical, biotech, and TMT industries. Prior to joining Gameto, Teri was Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer at Kira Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biotech company developing transformative therapies for people with complement-mediated diseases. There, she built financial and operational functions across the U.S. and China locations to get the company public-ready. Prior to Kira, Teri served as CFO of SQZ Biotechnologies, a novel cell therapy company developing treatments for cancer, infectious disease and other serious conditions, where she raised over $200M, including taking the company public in October 2020. Prior to joining SQZ, Teri held various positions at Merck, IMAX Corporation, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Teri is also a member of the board of directors and audit chair of Vaxcyte, Inc. and Cardiol Therapeutics, Inc. She has a B.S. in Biology from the University of Victoria, B.C. Canada and an MBA from the University of California, Irvine.

"Gameto's highly innovative platform and dedication to improve and support women's health is impressive," said Teri Loxam, Chief Financial Officer of Gameto. "I am eager to work with a talented team of professionals who are passionate about transforming the traditional IVF processes and advancing developments for women."

Teri's appointment is one of many new senior hires this year. Gameto recently appointed Jean-Pierre Gotteland as Head of Development to the management team. Prior to joining Gameto, Jean-Pierre was Chief Scientific Officer and Head of R&D at ObsEva SA, a clinical-stage biotech company developing innovative women's reproductive health therapeutics. There, he led the development and approval of linzagolix, for uterine fibroids, and brought to clinical trials nolasiban, for increasing live birth rate following IVF. Jean-Pierre also served as Chief Development Officer at PregLem SA where he led the development and EU approval of ulipristal acetate for uterine fibroids and infertility. Prior to joining PregLem, Jean-Pierre held various R&D positions at Serono, a world-leading pharmaceutical company before its acquisition by Merck KgA.

Jean-Pierre will facilitate clinical development of Gameto's lead program, Fertilo. These new senior hires expand the multidisciplinary team of stem cell engineers, computational biologists, embryologists and physicians Gameto has brought together.

About Gameto

Based in New York and Madrid, Gameto is a biotechnology company using cell engineering to develop therapeutics for diseases of the female reproductive system. Gameto brings together an experienced scientific management team with vision and passion to develop a product offering that will support women throughout their reproductive journey. Gameto is currently working on its first program, Fertilo, a product for IVF and egg freezing, aiming to make the process shorter, safer and more effective. The preclinical studies for Fertilo found that it can increase egg yield per cycle and maturation for both conventional and reduced stimulation cycle. Gameto is currently conducting preclinical studies with partners Inception Fertility, Spring Fertility, Extend Fertility, RMA, Pozitivf, Ovation Fertility, ReproART, Clinica Tambre, and Hospital Ruber Internacional, Eugin Group.

Gameto is led by physician-turned-entrepreneur Dina Radenkovic as CEO and serial entrepreneur and leader in the fertility space Martin Varsavsky as Chairman. For more information, go to gametogen.com or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @gametogen.

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Gameto
On Friday morning, the Ukrainian Air Force shot down 21 out of 23 enemy cruise missiles, as well as two UAVs, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny said.

"At about 04.00, Russian invaders attacked Ukraine from Tu-95 strategic aircraft from the Caspian Sea area. The anti-aircraft missile forces of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in cooperation with the air defense of other components of the Defense Forces, destroyed 21 out of 23 X-101/X-555 cruise missiles, as well as two UAVs of the operational-tactical level," he wrote on the Telegram channel.

Zaluzhny noted that the targets were destroyed in the areas of responsibility of the Center Air Command, the East Air Command and the South Air Command.
ST JULIANS, Malta, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gaming Innovation Group Inc. (GiG) publishes its interim report for the first quarter 2023 before market opening on Thursday 4 May 2023.

CEO Richard Brown will present the Q1 2023 results via livestream at 10:00 CET. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A-session, and investors, analysts and journalists are welcome to participate. The presentation will be given in English.

Link to the livestream:

https://www.redeye.se/events/894847/live-q-gaminginnovationgroup

For further information, please contact:

Tore Formo, Group CFO, [email protected], +47 91668678

About Gaming Innovation Group (GiG)

Gaming Innovation Group is a leading iGaming technology company, providing solutions, products and services to iGaming Operators. Founded in 2012, Gaming Innovation Group's vision is 'To be the industry leading platform, sportsbook and media provider delivering world class solutions to our iGaming partners and their customers. GiG's mission is to drive sustainable growth and profitability of our partners through product innovation, scalable technology and quality of service. Gaming Innovation Group operates out of Malta and is dual-listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GIG and on Nasdaq Stockholm under the ticker symbol GIGSEK. www.gig.com

SOURCE Gaming Innovation Group
The channel drop, which sold out in an hour, successfully closed on April 27th, validating demand for bringing Creators and Fans together as partners.

CHICAGO, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GigaStar , a startup bringing Creators and Fans together as partners, announced that its first YouTube Creator's securitized revenue share offering on GigaStar Market has successfully closed, validating its business model.

With his channel drop opening on April 6, YouTube Creator Brian Kim, owner of the channel ClearValue Tax, offered 10% of his channel's future revenue to his Fans, digitally represented by 2,500 Channel Revenue Tokens (CRTs).

"GigaStar made a win-win partnership with my Fans a reality." - Brian Kim, ClearValue Tax YouTube Channel Tweet this GigaStar fuels human creativity by bringing YouTube Creators and Fans together as partners

The drop sold out in an hour, meeting 100% of its $60,000 target raise and resulting in over 7,700 new GigaStar Market accounts. An investor waitlist of an additional 500% of the target had accumulated by the offering close date.

"I'm excited to share my journey and my channel's future with my Fans, and their support has boosted my motivation," said Brian Kim. "GigaStar made a win-win partnership with my Fans a reality, and I'm already seeing increased engagement across my channel."

"The success of Brian's drop underscores our mission to fuel human creativity" said GigaStar CEO, Hazem Dawani. "Our business hypothesis that Fans want to invest in Creators and help them grow their channels has been validated. We're as committed as ever to empowering Creator Economy entrepreneurs."

Learn about GigaStar Market at https://gigastarmarket.io/ .

About GigaStar

GigaStar fuels human creativity by bringing YouTube Creators and Fans together as partners in revenue sharing securities. Fans can invest in YouTube Creators to support their channel's future, unlock special perks, and share in the Creator's journey. GigaStar leverages blockchain technology to give Creators streamlined access to funding, a new way to innovate Fan engagement, and the potential to bolster channel growth by transforming thousands of their fans into an army of promoters. Learn more at https://gigastar.io and join the GigaStar Discord at https://discord.gg/gigastar .

Creator Networks, Inc.(dba GigaStar). GigaStar is the Parent Company of GigaStar Portal, LLC (dba GigaStar Market), an SEC registered funding portal member of FINRA, and GigaStar Technologies LLC, offering blockchain and smart contract solutions via GigaStar Portfolio.

Investment offerings are speculative, illiquid, and involve a high degree of risk, including the risk of loss of your entire investment. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

SOURCE GigaStar
NOTTINGHAM, United Kingdom, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The INKEY List, a pioneering U.K.-based skincare brand on a mission to simplify the beauty industry by making it accessible, efficacious, and simple for all, is delighted to announce the appointment of Stephanie Davis Michelman as Chief Executive Officer. Michelman will spearhead the company's next phase of global expansion, commencing May 22, 2023. Co-founders Colette Laxton and Mark Curry will maintain active roles as founders and executive directors, working alongside Michelman to drive global growth and further the brand's mission.

Stephanie Davis Michelman, CEO, The INKEY List

Established in the U.K. in 2018 by Laxton and Curry, The INKEY List has experienced extraordinary growth, with a staggering six-fold revenue increase over the past three years. The brand's range of skincare and scalp care products have quickly achieved cult status, with bestsellers like their Caffeine Eye Cream and Hyaluronic Acid Serum selling out within seconds of restocking worldwide. On average, one INKEY List product is sold every four seconds. Amassing a dedicated digital community of over one million, the brand ranks among the top four skincare brands to surpass one billion views on TikTok. To date, The INKEY List has sold over 50 million products worldwide, continuously innovating based on real-time consumer insights through its service vertical, askINKEY, which has provided assistance to over one million customers seeking skincare advice.

Laxton and Curry, the brand's co-founders, expressed their enthusiasm for the new appointment: "We are incredibly excited to welcome Stephanie into the INKEY family. The brand has seen phenomenal growth over the last four and a half years, and we have ambitious plans to maintain this momentum by making skincare simple and accessible globally. Stephanie is an ideal fit for us, possessing the brand DNA, beauty industry, and commercial expertise necessary to continue INKEY's exponential growth."

Michelman brings over twenty years of experience driving growth and profitability within the rapidly evolving and highly competitive consumer industry. She most recently held the position of Global Chief Marketing Officer for Benefit Cosmetics, a prestigious global beauty brand owned by Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH). Throughout her career, Michelman has guided public and private companies in crafting unique brand identities, fostering seamless consumer connections, and promoting profitable growth through omnichannel marketing, digital integration, and distribution expansion. Prior to her tenure at Benefit Cosmetics, Michelman served as General Manager of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, North America (part of Estee Lauder Companies), CMO at NEST New York (formerly NEST Fragrances), and held various leadership roles at L'Oreal.

"I am beyond excited to join Mark and Colette and their team at The INKEY List. In a short time, Mark and Colette have built an incredibly strong brand that has carved out a unique space in the beauty industry. Their commitment to deliver high-performance products, bring simplicity and education to complex categories, and be a true partner to their consumers, puts them in a class by themselves," noted Michelman, newly appointed CEO of The INKEY List. "Even with all their accomplishments, this brand is just getting started. I look forward to partnering with Mark and Colette as we design The INKEY List's next growth phase."

About The INKEY List: Founded in 2018 in the U.K. by Colette Laxton & Mark Curry, The INKEY List's mission is to lead with knowledge, demystifying the beauty category through knowledge-driven solutions at an accessible price point, as well as to support consumers throughout their personal skincare journey. Their single-ingredient led skincare, hair and scalp treatments offer simple to understand and easy-to-use formulas. To date they have had nearly 5 million consumer interactions through their askINKEY service, a 24/7/365 offering that enables the curious and confused to have their skin, hair, or scalp questions answered by human experts in real-time. The INKEY List is available exclusively in Sephora/on Sephora.com in over 30 countries, as well as Cult Beauty, Boots, and on www.theinkeylist.com. @theinkeylist

Media Contacts:

Bux + Bewl Communications

UK: Lauren Mills / [email protected]

US: Lara Casse / [email protected]

SOURCE The INKEY List
LONDON, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Horizon Capital Growth Fund IV (HCGF IV) exceeded its target size today, doubling commitments to $254 million and becoming the 1st fund in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) to be awarded 2X Flagship Fund status, 1 of circa 10 funds globally who have achieved this distinction, and 1 of only 2 such funds who are women-founded and women-led. The Fund will provide growth capital to back visionary entrepreneurs in Ukraine and Moldova. HCGF IV is managed by Horizon Capital, a U.S. private-equity firm investing in fast-growing tech and export-oriented companies in Ukraine and the near region, and led by Founding Partner and CEO Lenna Koszarny.

Ukrainian tech continues to demonstrate improvement in gender diversity, accelerated by long-standing traditions of STEM education as well as demand for talent. Beyond the sharp increase in the share of women in tech, up from 7% in 2012 to 27% in 2021, the industry has already produced numerous global success stories of women founders, including Creatio and BetterMe among others. HCGF IV will apply a gender lens to its investment strategy with the intent of building a portfolio of over 30% of 2X eligible investments, further building on its current track record with the firm meeting 4 of 5 2X Challenge criteria.

International Finance Corporation ("IFC"), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ("EBRD"), US International Development Finance Corporation ("DFC"), the Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft ("DEG") and a subsidiary of KfW Group, the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank ("FMO"), Societe de Promotion et de Participation pour la Cooperation Economique ("Proparco"), the Swiss Investment Fund for Emerging Markets ("SIFEM"), Swedfund International AB ("Swedfund"), Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation Ltd. ("Finnfund"), Western NIS Enterprise Fund ("WNISEF") and Danish Investment Fund for Developing Countries ("IFU") have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Horizon Capital to award HCGFIV as the first 2X Flagship Fund in CEE, due to its commitment and intentionality on promoting women's economic empowerment at the fund manager level and the portfolio level.

Lenna Koszarny, Horizon Capital's Founding Partner and CEO, said: "Horizon Capital has been a trailblazer since its launch in 2006 with many firsts to be proud of. We look forward to expanding our leadership amongst our peers and inspiring others as the first Flagship Fund in the CEE region, further reaffirming our commitment to advancing women in private equity. Investing in companies with a strong commitment to gender diversity is good business, as this leads to improved financial performance, higher employee satisfaction and better outcomes. We firmly believe that companies with diverse leadership teams are more innovative, resilient, and ultimately, make better decisions and achieve greater results. This is more important now than ever in Ukraine, where agility, rapid decision-making and mobilizing the talents of diverse teams may make the difference between surviving and thriving. Adopting a gender lens investment approach both promotes gender equality and supports economic growth, while contributing social impact that is so important for Ukraine during these challenging times. For Horizon Capital, being recognized as a 2X Flagship Fund confirms our long-standing, demonstrated commitment to gender equity in doing business in Ukraine and Moldova."

Jessica Espinoza, CEO of 2X Global said: ""Raising a $250 million fund is a huge achievement  and unheard of in times of war. Lenna and her team have not only been navigating the full-scale invasion of Ukraine over the past year, supporting their 26,000 person extended Horizon Capital family through the portfolio companies that they back with growth capital in Ukraine, but has also raised tens of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid for the country. Her brave leadership and deep commitment to building a gender-smart financial and entrepreneurial ecosystem in the face of war and during a time when women and girls of Ukraine are facing severe impacts, is a huge contribution towards inclusive tech-enabled innovation, economic resilience, and freedom."

Contact: Tetyana Bega, +380684481625, [email protected]

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1906660/3678499/Horizon_Capital_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Horizon Capital
Dr. Cho elaborated on the "mobility platform provider" strategy at the 44 th Vienna International Motor Symposium.

He presented the business expansion strategy being applied on new growth areas, such as UAM, robotics, and PBVs.

Dr. Cho said, "Advancement of the mobility technology will improve the quality of life and values of people."

VIENNA and SEOUL, South Korea, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Mobis (KRX 012330) CEO Sung-hwan Cho attended an international symposium and illustrated the company's strategy that had previously been announced at this year's CES for taking the business to the next level as a mobility platform provider. He also implied the company's willingness to strengthen its key competitiveness in the future mobility sector, such as with electrification, autonomous driving, and connectivity, and to advance the new businesses that will be the next growth drivers for Hyundai Mobis.

Hyundai Mobis announced on 28 that the CEO Sung-hwan Cho was invited to the 44th International Vienna Motor Symposium held in Vienna, Austria as a lecturer where he presented on the topic, "Strategic Approach of Hyundai Mobis for the Vision of Hyundai Motor Group on Future Mobility."

The Vienna Motor Symposium is an internationally recognized annual symposium in the automotive industry. This year, the symposium focused on the theme of electrification of the powertrain, which has become a huge wave of change in the global automobile industry. Allegedly over 1,000 people from global automakers, automotive suppliers, and academics from 25 countries flocked to Vienna for the event.

In the lecture, Dr. Cho introduced Hyundai Motor Group's vision for the future mobility and gave a clear picture of Hyundai Mobis' strategy in connection with the group's approach. Dr. Cho stressed in the presentation that "Hyundai Mobis will deliver a differentiated platform to customers in the electrification, autonomous driving, and connectivity sectors based on software with exceptional quality and optimum semiconductors."

He also expressed the company's intention to promote the new businesses that will be the next growth engines for the company. That is, using electrification element technology, such as the battery system it has already secured, to propel new businesses forward like UAM and robotics. Hyundai Mobis is mass producing and supplying the battery system assemblies (BSA), the electric drive units, and the integrated charging control units (ICCU) that are installed on EV platforms. The company plans to give shape to its strategy of scaling up such key electrification technology to new growth engine businesses in the near future.

At the symposium, Dr. Cho also emphasized that innovation in mobility technology is vital to enhancing the value and quality of people's lives. He explained, "Hyundai Mobis strongly believes that mobility technology is an important key to contribute to solving universal problems including climate change, urban overcrowding, and aging population, and that our innovation must support sustainable growth."

His vision for future technology was also disclosed at CES this year. Hyundai Mobis has revealed M.VISION TO, a Purpose Built Vehicle (PBV) concept at CES 2023. M.VISION TO is an autonomous electric vehicle that is designed to not only increase the freedom to move without the need to drive, but also serve various other purposes depending on user needs, including letting people with disabilities or in wheelchairs get in and out with ease or carrying cargo.

The 44th International Vienna Motor Symposium was attended by Hyundai Mobis CEO Sung-hwan Cho, Thomas Schmall, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, Bosch-CEO Stefan Hartung, and Vice President of Mercedes-Benz Christoph Starzynski. Fervent discussions on the future of the mobility industry and the global transition to electrification were held throughout the symposium centering around the presentations by above lecturers.

About Hyundai Mobis

Hyundai Mobis is the global no. 6 automotive supplier, headquartered in Seoul, Korea. Hyundai Mobis has outstanding expertise in sensors, sensor fusion in ECUs and software development for safety control. The company's products also include various components for electrification, brakes, chassis and suspension, steering, airbags, lighting, and automotive electronics. Hyundai Mobis operates its R&D headquarters in Korea, with four technology centers in the United States, Germany, China and India. For more information, please visit the website at http://www.mobis.co.kr/

Media Contact

Jihyun Han: [email protected]

Choon Kee Hwang : [email protected]

SOURCE Hyundai Mobis
Company implements plan to reduce debt and enhance liquidity to accelerate growth

ATLANTA, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Internap Holding LLC ("INAP" or "the Company") today announced that it has taken an important step in the Company's evolution to a stand-alone cloud business by restructuring its finances, in collaboration with its lenders, establishing a strong foundation for growth by reducing debt by more than 80% and significantly enhancing liquidity.

The Company is proud to take this final step in its transformation to become a better, faster cloud business, with a strong emphasis on its bare metal platform, which is well positioned to compete and win in the marketplace. In preparation for this milestone, over the past three years, INAP has worked diligently to streamline its business via numerous strategic initiatives, including rationalizing certain locations and services, as well as divesting non-core and non-cloud lines of business. To support this next phase, the Company will receive a substantial capital infusion from its existing lenders to modernize its server fleet and network infrastructure, increase automation, enhance product offerings and improve customer experience.

"With a balance sheet that is stronger than ever, INAP is ready to go on offense. Customers can continue to rely on us as they always have while we complete our recapitalization process and take comfort that this action will enable us to invest in enhancing every aspect of our service offerings, making us the right choice today, tomorrow and into the future," said Michael Sicoli, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We appreciate the strong support of our investors and their belief in this business, especially its potential for growth."

To effectuate a swift and efficient restructuring, INAP has voluntarily filed petitions under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. This action will enable INAP to reduce debt and certain other obligations, while also enhancing liquidity to drive investment in the growth of its cloud business, for the benefit of its customers, employees and other stakeholders. The Company expects to complete the process within the next 2-3 months, with no disruption to its existing cloud customers, emerging fully positioned for growth.

Further information about the Company's Chapter 11 cases can be found at cases.stretto.com/Internap or by dialing 888-519-5791 (Toll-Free) or 949-620-6677 (International).

About INAP

INAP is a global provider of secure, performance-oriented infrastructure built to serve enterprises and digital innovators alike. We bring together interconnected bare metal, security, and data protection services on a single technology platform to support customers ranging from the Fortune 500 to emerging startups. INAP operates in 11 metropolitan markets, including 8 in the US, 2 in Europe and 1 in Asia. For more information, visit www.INAP.com.

Media Contacts:

Rachel Chesley / Jennifer E. Mercer

[email protected]

SOURCE Internap Holding LLC
DUBAI, UAE, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- EIRA Water, a leading provider of premium bottled water, is proud to unveil its new refined brand identity with a fresh descriptor, "Pure Norwegian. Mineral Water." This transformation reflects the company's commitment to providing consumers with the purest and highest quality water while celebrating the rich culture and heritage of Norway.

EIRA WATER REFINED BRAND IDENTITY EIRA WATER'S REDESIGNED WORDMARK EIR MONOGRAM

The story behind EIRA Water, "The Power of EIR - Through the Purity of Water," embraces the essence of Norway, the happiest place on earth, and the purity of its water sources. EIRA Water is low in minerals and perfected by nature, unfiltered and bottled straight at the source, ensuring the highest quality and taste for our consumers.

EIRA Water's redesigned wordmark features a modern classic typeface with roman style serifs that create a sense of history and culture. The display font is inspired by vintage travel posters and magazines, adding an exotic touch to the brand. Spaced-out lettering further enhances the ultra-premium appeal synonymous with EIRA Water.

The unique EIR monogram, which will soon be featured on all of EIRA's bottles, is inspired by the runic alphabet of Norse mythology. It is a bind rune that spells out the name of Eir, the healer of Asgard and the goddess of health and youth, from which the name EIRA is derived.

EIRA Water is excited to announce the launch of a redesigned PET range featuring a wider array of formats and an all-new aluminum range in Q4 of 2023. The shape of the new EIRA Water PET bottle is inspired by perfume bottles, evoking a sense of ultra-premium quality. Its elixir-like iconic shape stands out in the sector and is truly unique. The simplicity of the bottle design draws from Norwegian design codes, which take their inspiration from nature itself.

In addition to these exciting developments, EIRA Water is also working on a new state-of-the-art website to be launched in Q3 of 2023. This website will offer an enhanced user experience and provide customers with easy access to our full product range and latest news.

As a company, EIRA Water remains dedicated to providing exceptional water that embodies the purity and power of Eir, while celebrating Norway's rich heritage. Our new refined brand identity strengthens our commitment to delivering only the finest water to our consumers worldwide.

For more information about EIRA Water's new brand identity and upcoming product launches, please visit our website at www.eirawater.com or contact our marketing team at [email protected].

SOURCE EIRA Water
Kyiv-Based Horizon Capital Surpasses its $250m Target at In-Person Signing Ceremony with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Investors

U.S., EU and Global Institutions Join Forces to Boost Growth Capital Available for Ukrainian Entrepreneurs, Championing the First 2X Flagship Fund in Central and Eastern Europe

KYIV, Ukraine, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Horizon Capital, a U.S. private-equity firm investing primarily in fast-growing tech and export-oriented companies in Ukraine, announced that its latest fund, Horizon Capital Growth Fund IV (HCGF IV, the "Fund") has reached $254 million at its Interim Closing held today in Kyiv, Ukraine. In besting its $250m target size at this second closing, the Fund demonstrates strong investor appetite for compelling opportunities in high-growth, high-impact tech and export-oriented companies, including light manufacturing, food processing, innovative consumer goods, fintech and more. Fund investments are expected to contribute to Ukraine's ongoing resilience, including supporting growth and job creation, expanding the tax base, increasing availability of capital for SMEs, and promoting gender equality.



Lenna Koszarny, Founding Partner and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Today, Horizon Capital and our esteemed group of investors have made history, as the first growth capital and largest fund raised since the onset of the full-fledged invasion. Global institutions are uniting today to back a reputable team with a bold vision, proven investment strategy and track record. They have chosen to look past the headlines, to be brave, to move forward quickly and decisively and in doing so, to demonstrate to the leadership and people of Ukraine that they stand with Ukraine at this defining moment. For several of HCGF IV's international backers, this marks their first commitment to Ukraine since the onset of the full-fledged invasion, and paves the way for billions of dollars in financing for other worthy projects to follow". She added: "As we look to the future, we are inspired by the entrepreneurs driving Ukraine's business resilience and their unwavering commitment, heroic actions and steadfast belief in the country and its victorious future. We look forward to continuing to back these visionary entrepreneurs to grow and develop their businesses, and plan to conclude the Fund's first investments within one to two months."

At today's historic ceremony, the Fund welcomed increased commitments since first closing from the International Finance Corporation ("IFC") and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ("EBRD"); a new commitment from existing investor Societe de Promotion et de Participation pour la Cooperation Economique ("Proparco"); as well as attracting investments from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation ("DFC"), the Swedfund International AB ("Swedfund"), Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation Ltd. ("Finnfund") and Danish Investment Fund for Developing Countries ("IFU"). These esteemed parties joined existing investors, including Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft ("DEG") and a subsidiary of KfW Group, the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank ("FMO"), the Swiss Investment Fund for Emerging Markets ("SIFEM"), the Western NIS Enterprise Fund, and the Zero Gap Fund, an impact investing collaboration between The Rockefeller Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

HCGF IV also became the first fund in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) to be awarded 2X Flagship Fund status, 1 of circa 10 globally attaining the highest 2X Challenge designation for funds, and an estimated 1 of 2 such funds led by a female Founding Partner & CEO. 2X Challenge was launched at the G7 Summit 2018 as a bold commitment to invest in the world's women and promote gender equality in finance.

Horizon Capital (www.horizoncapital.com.ua) is the leading private equity firm in Emerging Europe with $1.4 billion in assets from investors with a capital base exceeding $630 billion, raising over $700 million in growth capital to back visionary entrepreneurs from Ukraine and Moldova (the "Region") in just over 5 years. Horizon Capital-managed funds have invested in over 160 companies employing more than 77,000 people in the Region.

This press release is provided for information purposes only. Horizon Capital is not hereby providing investment advice or providing any person with any right to rely on the contents of this press release. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy limited partnership interests in Horizon Capital Growth Fund IV LP (the "Interests") or any other security in any jurisdiction and shall not, in any circumstance, constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which, or to any persons to whom, such offering, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. There is no public offering of the Interests. The Interests are being offered by means of a private placement to suitable investors.

Media contact:

Tetyana Bega

+380684481625

[email protected]

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1906660/3678499/Horizon_Capital_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Horizon Capital
MSIDA, Malta, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday, the celebrations for the MALETH project took place with a special keynote presentation from Dr. James Green, NASA's Former Chief Scientist. From Singleron, Dr. Samuel Kerr joined to present the yeast research studies aboard the International Space Station.

The MALETH Project, which was led by Professor Joseph Borg from the University of Malta brought internationally excelling scientists together to analyze samples of human skin tissue and yeast cells that were sent into space to understand how the conditions of the harsh environment in space and at the International Space Station ISS affected the samples.

Professor Borg commented: "This international collaboration, to which Singleron contributed with their expertise on single cell analysis, is opening the window into profiling the microbiome in the context of space and the microgravity environment. Collectively, we are improving precision medicine and overall research in life and health sciences. Looking forward to more exciting projects that allow us to look and even reach the stars yet with feet on the ground to deliver applied science where it matters most."

This is where the scientist, who feels at home in space, speaks our mind: "Enhancing health and quality of life is our mission at Singleron! We were very proud to join this project and thankful for the opportunity!", concludes Dr. Bruno Monschau, GM at Singleron Biotechnologies GmbH.

About Singleron:

Founded in 2018, Singleron develops and commercializes single cell multi-omics products that can be used in both research and clinical settings. Its current product portfolio includes instruments, microfluidic devices, reagents, software analysis and database solutions that facilitate high-throughput single cell analysis. Singleron's sample services offer expert execution and generation of high-quality results for academia, clinics, and biotech.

The company currently has offices, laboratories, and manufacturing facilities in Germany, Singapore, China, and the US. Its products are used in over 2,000 laboratories in hospitals, research institutes, and pharmaceutical companies.

Public Relations Contact:

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Singleron Biotechnologies GmbH
BOSTON, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE: PDT) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC and subadvised by Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC, announced today sources of its monthly distribution of $0.0975 per share paid to all shareholders of record as of April 13, 2023, pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan. This press release is issued as required by an exemptive order granted to the Fund by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Notification of Sources of Distribution

This notice provides shareholders of the John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE: PDT) with important information concerning the distribution declared on April 3, 2023, and payable on April 28, 2023. No action is required on your part.

Distribution Period: April 2023

Distribution Amount Per Common Share: $0.0975

The following table sets forth the estimated sources of the current distribution, payable April 28, 2023, and the cumulative distributions paid this fiscal year to date from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short term capital gains; net realized long term capital gains; and return of capital or other capital source. All amounts are expressed on a per common share basis and as a percentage of the distribution amount.





For the period 04/1/2023-04/30/2023

For the fiscal year-to-date period

11/1/2022-04/30/2023 1 Source

Current

Distribution ($)

% Breakdown

of the Current

Distribution

Total Cumulative

Distributions ($)

% Breakdown

of the Total

Cumulative

Distributions Net Investment Income

0.0221

23 %

0.2760

47 % Net Realized Short- Term Capital Gains

0.0000

0 %

0.0000

0 % Net Realized Long- Term Capital Gains

0.0000

0 %

0.0000

0 % Return of Capital or Other Capital Source

0.0754

77 %

0.3087

53 % Total per common share

0.0975

100 %

0.5847

100 %

















Average annual total return (in relation to NAV) for the 5 years ended on March 31, 2023

4.77 %





Annualized current distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of March 31, 2023

9.69 %





Cumulative total return (in relation to NAV) for the fiscal year through March 31, 2023

-0.52 %





Cumulative fiscal year-to-date distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of March 31, 2023

4.84 %

__________ 1 The Fund's current fiscal year began on November 1, 2022 and will end on October 31, 2023.

You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's managed distribution plan.

The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income."

The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The Fund has declared the April 2023 distribution pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan (the "Plan"). Under the Plan, the Fund makes fixed monthly distributions in the amount of $0.0975 per share, which will continue to be paid monthly until further notice.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact your financial professional or call the John Hancock Investment Management Closed-End Fund Information Line at 1-800-843-0090, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time.

Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined by the United States securities laws. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Fund's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

An investor should consider a Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing.

About John Hancock Investment Management

A company of Manulife Investment Management, we serve investors through a unique multimanager approach, complementing our extensive in-house capabilities with an unrivaled network of specialized asset managers, backed by some of the most rigorous investment oversight in the industry. The result is a diverse lineup of time-tested investments from a premier asset manager with a heritage of financial stewardship.

About Manulife Investment Management

Manulife Investment Management is the global brand for the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than a century of financial stewardship and the full resources of our parent company to serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto, our leading capabilities in public and private markets are strengthened by an investment footprint that spans 18 geographies. We complement these capabilities by providing access to a network of unaffiliated asset managers from around the world. We're committed to investing responsibly across our businesses. We develop innovative global frameworks for sustainable investing, collaboratively engage with companies in our securities portfolios, and maintain a high standard of stewardship where we own and operate assets, and we believe in supporting financial well-being through our workplace retirement plans. Today, plan sponsors around the world rely on our retirement plan administration and investment expertise to help their employees plan for, save for, and live a better retirement. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com.

SOURCE John Hancock Investment Management
As a result of an enemy missile attack on Uman on Friday morning, ten people were killed, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reports on its Telegram channel, citing Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.

"Unfortunately, the death toll in Uman has increased. As soon as the rescuers got three more bodies of the dead residents of Uman out of the rubble. There are 10 victims of Russian aggression as of 10.05," Klymenko informed.
RESTON, Va., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LDOS) today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.36 per outstanding share of common stock of Leidos Holdings, Inc. The cash dividend is payable on June 30, 2023, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 15, 2023.

About Leidos

Leidos is a Fortune 500 technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets. The company's 45,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $14.4 billion for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2022. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Media contact:

Melissa Lee Duenas

(571) 526-6850

[email protected]

Investor Relations:

Stuart Davis

(571) 526-6124

[email protected]

SOURCE Leidos
ORLANDO, Fla., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lug, a leading brand in the handbag and accessory industry, is excited to announce the launch of its Spring 2023 Apparel Line on QVC. The Spring Line includes various pieces, including dresses, tops, and loungewear, designed to provide style and functionality. In addition, Lug's unique prints and colors are reflected throughout the collection, making it easy for customers to mix and match their favorite pieces.

Lug Boomerang Relaxed Tee & Cropped Pant Set Lug Swing High Low Dress Lug Shimmy Brushed Jersey Zip Up with functional Eyeglasses Holder

"We're thrilled to bring our Spring Apparel line to QVC and introduce our lugnuts to our new apparel collection," said Ami Richter, Co-founder of Lug. "Our apparel line is an extension of our brand and values, providing practical and stylish solutions that fit the needs of modern women."

Lug has a loyal fan base of "lugnuts" who collect and appreciate Lug's unique prints and colors. The Spring Apparel line builds on this community by offering versatile and fashionable pieces that fit seamlessly into their lifestyles.

"Lug has perfected the art of functionality in their handbags and accessories, and now they are bringing those elements that our customers know and love to this loungewear collection," said Lauren Smith, DMM, Accessories and Footwear, QVC. "This collection perfectly blends comfort and fashion with essential must-have pieces in stylish colors and prints. Our customers will be excited to add Lug to their wardrobes."

The Lug brand has a reputation for creating high-quality and functional products that its customers love. With its Spring Apparel line launch on QVC, Lug is continuing its success story and expanding its reach to a broader audience.

"We've put a lot of thought and care into designing this new line, and we're confident that customers will love it as much as we do," said Jason Richter, Co-founder of Lug. "We're excited to partner with QVC to bring these products to a wider audience, and we can't wait to see the response."

Lug's Spring 2023 Apparel makes its debut on QVC on Friday, April 28th, 2023, and customers can expect the same quality and style that the brand is known for. With a range of pieces, there's something for everyone in this exciting new collection.

About Lug:

Founded in 2005 by Ami and Jason Richter, Lug is a leading designer and manufacturer of lifestyle bags and accessories. Focusing on innovative design and attention to detail, the company offers various products, including travel bags, handbags, and accessories. Lug's mission is to provide customers with fashionable, functional, and durable products that make life more organized and enjoyable.

Lug has been featured in the media, including InStyle, O, The Oprah Magazine, and People StyleWatch, which has helped the brand to gain a loyal following among consumers. The brand has also been the official bag for the SAG Awards and Golden Globe Awards for multiple years, which is a testament to the quality and style of its products.

Lug will also be the presenting sponsor of The Walt Disney Company's most significant event of the year, at Destination D23 this September in Orlando, Fl, celebrating Disney's 100th Anniversary.

For more information, please visit www.luglife.com.

SOURCE The Lug Companies
~ The Natural Diamond Council continues to promote transparency by releasing analysis addressing the myths and misconceptions about the diamond industry ~

MUMBAI, India, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Natural Diamond Council , the authoritative resource on natural diamonds, has released its 2023 analytical report entitled, Diamond Facts: Addressing myths and misconceptions about the diamond industry. Through this report, the Natural Diamond Council (NDC) has set out to address misinformation about both natural diamonds and their synthetic counterparts.

From left to right: CVD (Carbon Vapor Deposition) seed crystal laboratory-grown diamonds, Natural rough diamonds Natural Diamonds

"In an age where consumers are more inquisitive and enlightened than ever, they wish to know about the values and responsible business practices from the companies and indeed the wider industry from which they are purchasing," says David Kellie, CEO of the NDC. "At the Natural Diamond Council, we want to support consumers in taking informed decisions by providing information transparently."

The report tackles common misconceptions about the diamond industry. Examples of facts from the report include:

Highlight: Laboratory-grown diamonds can be detected from natural diamonds.

Supporting Facts:



All laboratory-grown diamonds can be detected using professional verification instruments.





Mass-produced in just a few weeks, unlike the billions of years it takes for a natural diamond to form under the earth's surface, laboratory-grown diamonds exhibit specific growth-related features and patterns.

Highlight: Not all laboratory-grown diamonds are sustainable.

Supporting Facts:



Laboratory-grown diamonds replicate the natural diamond creation process which requires a mass amount of electricity, mostly from the national grid.





Over 60% of laboratory-grown diamonds are mass-produced in China and India where 63% and respectively 74% of grid electricity results from coal.

and where 63% and respectively 74% of grid electricity results from coal.



The manufacturing of laboratory-grown diamonds can require temperatures similar to 20% of the temperature of the Sun's surface.

Highlight: The process of natural diamond formation means that they are inherently rare. They are a finite natural resource.

Supporting Facts:



Formation takes place across the span of millions, sometimes billions, of years and occurs in limited zones of the earth's mantle at extreme temperatures and pressures.





Global natural diamond recovery peaked in 2005 and has decreased by over 30% in the last 16 years.





The annual recovery of 1 carat diamonds is equivalent in volume to an exercise ball.

Highlight: Laboratory-grown diamonds have experienced significant price depreciation in recent years.

Supporting Facts:



From 2016 to 2023, the average price of a 1.5 carat laboratory-grown diamond has decreased by over 74%.





Whilst the natural diamond prices have also fluctuated, over the last 35 years, on average, they have risen by 3% per annum.

Highlight: Ethical sourcing is a priority for the natural diamond industry.

Supporting Facts:



Under the Kimberley Process, mandated by the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, the trading of rough diamonds is strictly regulated to ensure it is conflict-free.





Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) warrants responsible sourcing through third party audited certifications.





Brands, retailers, and jewelers are increasingly implementing ethical sourcing protocols and policies bringing transparency to their supply chains.

Highlight: Natural diamonds help protect the biodiversity over an area equivalent to New York City , Chicago , Washington D.C. , and Las Vegas combined. This is close to four times the land used by NDC member companies for natural diamond recovery, globally.

Supporting Facts:



De Beers Group, a leading diamond company, is partnering with Kelp Blue, exploring kelp's potential to store carbon, whilst improving marine health.





The Diamond Route is a network established by De Beers Group to protect critical wildlife habitats in South Africa and Botswana .

and . Highlight: Natural Diamonds benefit the countries from which they originate. The natural diamond industry supports the livelihood of 10 million people worldwide.

Supporting Facts:



Up to 80% of rough diamond value remains with local communities in the form of local purchasing, employment benefits, social programs, investment in infrastructure as well as the taxes, royalties and dividends paid from the industry to respective governments.





For NDC members, 85% of all procurement is local.





In Canada , the natural diamond industry contributes to 24% of total GDP in the Northwest Territories , $17 billion went toward (NWT) businesses and $7.5 billion to Indigenous owned (NWT) businesses.

For additional facts about the diamond industry where topics including traceability, stockpiling and other misconceptions are addressed visit:

https://www.naturaldiamonds.com/ae/diamond-guide-ae/diamond-facts/

The findings of this analysis have been derived from a thorough review of a wide range of secondary research conducted by globally respected third-party organizations. Industry experts and independent sustainability advisors were also consulted on the topics covered.

About Natural Diamond Council:

The Natural Diamond Council (NDC) inspires and informs consumers about the incredible world of natural diamonds through its Only Natural Diamonds platform. The platform is the authoritative publisher on all things natural diamonds including celebrities and pop culture, epic diamonds and jewelry trends, engagements and weddings, and diamond buying guides. The NDC supports the integrity of the natural diamond industry by providing transparency and insight on the progress of this sector and its commitments to further betterment. NDC is global organization whose members' operations span four continents and ten countries including Canada, South Africa, and Botswana. Their operations support the livelihood of 10 million industry employees and their families around the world. The NDC operates in the US, China, India, UAE, and Europe. For more information, please visit https://www.naturaldiamonds.com/ .

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2059357/Lab_Grown_and_Natural_Diamonds.jpg

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2059358/Natural_Diamonds.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2059356/Natural_Diamond_Council_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Natural Diamond Council
GUANGZHOU, China, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MINISO Group Holding Limited (NYSE: MNSO and HKEx: 9896, "MINISO Group" or the "Company"), a global value retailer offering a variety of design-led lifestyle products, today announced that it plans to release its March quarter 2023 financial results before the U.S. market opens on Tuesday, May 16, 2023.

The Company's management will hold an earnings conference call at 5:00 A.M. Eastern Time on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 (5:00 P.M. Beijing Time on the same day) to discuss the financial results. The conference call can be accessed by the following zoom link or dialing the following numbers:

Access 1

Join Zoom meeting.

Zoom link: https://dooyle.zoom.us/j/84572519529?pwd=WWpSOVM3dlZKNmlva2ViTWF1Y2FDZz09

Meeting Number: 845 7251 9529

Meeting Passcode: 9896

Access 2

Listeners may access the call by dialing the following numbers by using the same meeting number and passcode with access 1.

United States Toll Free: +1 213 338 8477 (or +1 646 518 9805) Mainland China Toll Free: 400 182 3168 (or 400 616 8835) Hong Kong, China (Charge Fees): +852 5803 3730 (or +852 5803 3731) United Kingdom (Charge Fees): +44 203 481 5237 (or +44 131 460 1196) France (Charge Fees): +33 1 7037 9729 (or+33 1 7037 2246) Singapore (Charge Fees): +65 3158 7288 (or +65 3165 1065) Canada (Charge Fees): +1 438 809 7799 (or +1 204 272 7920)

Access 3

Listeners can also access the meeting through the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.miniso.com/.

The replay will be available approximately two hours after the conclusion of the live event at the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.miniso.com/.

About MINISO Group Holding Limited

MINISO Group is a global value retailer offering a variety of design-led lifestyle products. The Company serves consumers primarily through its large network of MINISO stores, and promotes a relaxing, treasure-hunting and engaging shopping experience full of delightful surprises that appeals to all demographics. Aesthetically pleasing design, quality and affordability are at the core of every product in MINISO's wide product portfolio, and the Company continually and frequently rolls out products with these qualities. Since the opening of its first store in China in 2013, the Company has built its flagship brand "MINISO" as a globally recognized retail brand and established a massive store network worldwide. For more information, please visit http://ir.miniso.com/.

Investor Relations Contact

Raine Hu

MINISO Group Holding Limited

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +86 (20) 36228788 Ext.8039

Eric Yuan

Christensen Advisory

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +86 1380 111 0739

SOURCE MINISO Group Holding Limited
ONTARIO, Calif., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Founder and CEO of the National College Resources Foundation (NCRF) and the Black College Expo  Theresa Price will deliver Chaffey College's keynote address at its 106th commencement ceremony. The event will take place at 4 p.m. on May 18 at the Toyota Arena in Ontario.

With a career spanning more than two decades dedicated to providing educational access and resources to underserved students, Price has helped secure and distribute more than $1.5 billion in scholarships and grants while helping more than 600,000 students get into college.

"It is an honor for Chaffey College to have Dr. Theresa Price serve as our keynote speaker at this year's commencement ceremony," said Superintendent/President Dr. Henry D. Shannon. "Through her work with the Black College Expo and the NCRF, our own students, as well as students all over the country, have been able to realize their dreams of going to college. We look forward to her joining us for our big day."

A Compton native, Price founded the organization in 1999 in response to the passing of California's Prop. 209 that banned affirmative action programs in California colleges. Since then, more than 450,000 first-generation students have been able to get into colleges thanks to hundreds of College Expo events the foundation has produced.

Based in Southern California, the National College Resources Foundation is a nonprofit organization that continues to grow each year through its flagship outreach event, Black College Expo , which connects thousands of students to Historically Black College and University (HBCU) representatives, helping to boost their chances of getting enrolled in college.

In 2022, Price worked with HBCU presidents to launch a dual enrollment program for high school students to get college credits. This historic partnership is designed to help increase enrollment and matriculation among students of color.

"It is an honor and a pleasure to be among future leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs to remind them of their greatness. This is one of the most exciting times in their lives where these students finally get the light shined on them for all their hard work and sacrifice. I feel so blessed to be a part of this momentous occasion," said Price.

Price has received numerous awards and commendations across the country for her work in the community at the local, regional and national level. Among her many accolades received, she has been honored by the National Council of Nero Women, National University Women, The Oral Lee Brown Foundation, San Gabriel Valley NAACP, and numerous other organizations.

In addition, she was recently ESPN's 2021 Hometown Hero and was also featured on Black News Channel and CBS Morning with Gayle King.

To learn more about Price and the foundation, please visit ncrfoundation.org.

A photo of Price is available for download online.

SOURCE Chaffey College
OSLO, Norway, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Navamedic ASA (OSE: NAVA), a Nordic pharma company and reliable provider of high-quality products to hospitals and pharmacies, announce that the company has published its Annual Report for 2022, which was approved by the Board of Directors on 27 April 2023.

The report is attached to this notice and is available at navamedic.com/investors. In addition, the company has published its annual financial statements in European Single Electronic Format (ESEF).

"The year 2022 can be summarised by Navamedic successfully delivering on its growth ambition through both acquisitions and new product launches."

For the full year of 2022, revenues amounted to NOK 382.1 million, up 37 per cent compared to 2021. The company's gross margin was 42.8 per cent compared to 40.1 per cent in 2021. Operating profit (EBIT) amounted to NOK 44.4 million compared to NOK 11.5 million in 2021.



"Looking ahead to 2023, we are well underway to achieve our mid-term ambition of operating a NOK 1 billion revenue company with a 15 per cent EBITDA margin. The achievements of 2022 would not have been possible without the dedicated Navamedic team, who have worked incredibly hard to get us to where we are today. I also extend my gratitude to our investors and stakeholders who have supported us along the way. This is an exciting time for the company, and I look forward to keeping you all updated on our achievements as we go," commented Kathrine Gamborg Andreassen, CEO, Navamedic.

For further information, please contact:

Kathrine Gamborg Andreassen, CEO, Navamedic

Mobile: +47 951 78 680

E-mail: [email protected]

Lars Hjarrand, CFO, Navamedic

Mobile: +47 917 62 842

E-mail: [email protected]

About Navamedic

Navamedic ASA is a full-service provider of high-quality healthcare products to hospitals and pharmacies. Navamedic meets the specific medical needs of patients and consumers by leveraging its highly scalable market access platform, leading category competence and local knowledge. Navamedic is present in all the Nordic countries, the Baltics and Benelux, with sales representation in the UK and Greece. Navamedic is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker: NAVA). For more information, please visit www.navamedic.com.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5 -12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

CONTACT:

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/17619/3760807/2021627.pdf Navamedic Annual Report 2022 https://mb.cision.com/Main/17619/3760807/2021628.zip NavamedicASA-2022-12-31-en.zip

SOURCE Navamedic ASA
ANAHEIM, Calif., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Navistar announces the delivery of the first International eMV Series with ePower to Sysco, a leading global foodservice distribution company. The companies jointly will partner to accelerate sustainability efforts in the Class 6 all-electric refrigerated straight truck segment.

International Logo Sysco logo

The International eMV Series was first introduced at ACT Expo in 2021. With the availability of the factory-installed ePower and electric power take-off (ePTO) electrical system options, fleets now have the ability to spec International eMV Series Class 6 and 7 battery electric trucks for additional market applications.

The ePower option pulls power directly from the electric vehicle's battery pack and is the foundation for electric transport refrigeration unit (eTRU) applications. The eTRU is an especially important solution to help customers meet sustainability goals and regulatory requirements.

"We worked closely with transport refrigeration unit partner Thermo King and body builder Morgan Truck Body to ensure optimal integration of ePower," said Debbie Shust, VP, Medium-Duty Truck Business, Navistar. "It's a proud moment to be able to demonstrate this first eTRU in the market on an electric vehicle alongside Sysco."

This partnership supports both Navistar and Sysco's science-based climate goals. Sysco will meet its goal, in part, by electrifying 35% of the company's U.S. fleet by 2030, or the equivalent of adding 2,800 electric vehicles.

"As the global foodservice leader, Sysco is proud to partner with Navistar, Thermo King and Morgan Truck Body to pilot the first all-electric Class 6 refrigerated straight truck," said Marie Robinson, Executive Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer, Sysco. "Collaboration with like-minded OEMs is required to further advance fleet electrification in our industry and meet our goal of reducing operational emissions by 27.5% by 2030."

Through this partnership, Navistar and Sysco will pilot an International eMV Series with ePower which will be on display in Thermo King Booth 5484 during the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Conference at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. on May 1-4.

The International eMV Series will also be available to experience first-hand at the ACT Expo Ride and Drive.

About Navistar

Navistar, Inc. ("Navistar") is a purpose-driven company, reimagining how to deliver what matters to create more cohesive relationships, build higher-performing teams and find solutions where others don't. Based in Lisle, Illinois, Navistar or its subsidiaries and affiliates produce International brand commercial trucks and engines, IC Bus brand school and commercial buses, all-makes OnCommand Connection advanced connectivity services, and Fleetrite, ReNEWeD and Diamond Advantage brand aftermarket parts. With a history of innovation dating back to 1831, Navistar has more than 14,500 employees worldwide and is part of TRATON SE, a global champion of the truck and transport services industry. Additional information is available at www.Navistar.com.

About Sysco

Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. With more than 71,000 colleagues, the company operates 333 distribution facilities worldwide and serves approximately 700,000 customer locations. For fiscal year 2022 that ended July 2, 2022, the company generated sales of more than $68 billion. Information about our Sustainability program, including Sysco's 2022 Sustainability Report and 2022 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report, can be found at www.sysco.com.

For more information, visit www.sysco.com or connect with Sysco on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SyscoFoods. For important news and information regarding Sysco, visit the Investor Relations section of the company's Internet home page at investors.sysco.com, which Sysco plans to use as a primary channel for publishing key information to its investors, some of which may contain material and previously non-public information. In addition, investors should continue to review our news releases and filings with the SEC. It is possible that the information we disclose through any of these channels of distribution could be deemed to be material information.

About Thermo King

Thermo King  by Trane Technologies, a global climate innovator  is a worldwide leader in sustainable transport temperature control solutions. Thermo King has been providing transport temperature control solutions for a variety of applications, including trailers, truck bodies, buses, air, shipboard containers and railway cars since 1938. For more information, visit thermoking.com or tranetechnologies.com.

SOURCE Navistar International Corporation
NEW YORK, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Neuberger Berman High Yield Strategies Fund Inc. (NYSE American: NHS) (the "Fund") has announced a distribution declaration of $0.0905 per share of common stock. The distribution announced today is payable on May 31, 2023, has a record date of May 15, 2023 and has an ex-date of May 12, 2023.

Under its level distribution policy, the Fund anticipates that it will make regular monthly distributions, subject to market conditions, of $0.0905 per share of common stock, unless further action is taken to determine another amount. The Fund's ability to maintain its current distribution rate will depend on a number of factors, including the amount and stability of income received from its investments, the cost of leverage and the level of other Fund fees and expenses. There is no assurance that the Fund will always be able to pay a distribution of any particular amount or that a distribution will consist only of net investment income.

Due to an effort to maintain a stable distribution amount, the distribution announced today, as well as future distributions, may consist of net investment income, net realized capital gains and return of capital. In compliance with Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, a notice would be provided for any distribution that does not consist solely of net investment income. The notice would be for informational purposes and not for tax reporting purposes, and would disclose, among other things, estimated portions of the distribution, if any, consisting of net investment income, capital gains and return of capital. The final determination of the source and tax characteristics of all distributions paid in 2023 will be made after the end of the year.

About Neuberger Berman

Neuberger Berman, founded in 1939, is a private, independent, employee-owned investment manager. The firm manages a range of strategiesincluding equity, fixed income, quantitative and multi-asset class, private equity, real estate and hedge fundson behalf of institutions, advisors and individual investors globally. With offices in 26 countries, Neuberger Berman's diverse team has over 2,700 professionals. For nine consecutive years, the company has been named first or second in Pensions & Investments Best Places to Work in Money Management survey (among those with 1,000 employees or more). Neuberger Berman is a PRI Leader, a designation, since last assessed, that was awarded to fewer than 1% of investment firms for excellence in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. In the 2021 PRI Assessment, the firm obtained the highest possible scoring for its overarching approach to ESG investment and stewardship, and integration across asset classes. The firm manages $436 billion in client assets as of March 31, 2023. For more information, please visit our website at www.nb.com.

Statements made in this release that look forward in time involve risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the adverse effect from a decline in the securities markets or a decline in the Fund's performance, a general downturn in the economy, competition from other closed end investment companies, changes in government policy or regulation, inability of the Fund's investment adviser to attract or retain key employees, inability of the Fund to implement its investment strategy, inability of the Fund to manage rapid expansion and unforeseen costs and other effects related to legal proceedings or investigations of governmental and self-regulatory organizations.

Contact:

Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC

Investor Information

(877) 461-1899

SOURCE Neuberger Berman
Health insurers make healthcare more challenging in the Tar Heel state by denying millions of claims, raising premiums and reporting billions in revenue.

RALEIGH, N.C., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The North Carolina Center for Health & Democracy released a new white paper, "How Do We Fix Healthcare in North Carolina," authored by health insurance payment reform advocate, bestselling author and former health insurance executive, Wendell Potter.

"The United States healthcare system is facing rising costs, lack of access to care and disparities in health outcomes. As a former healthcare executive, I've consistently called for reforms to one of the main problems I see in healthcare: health insurers," Wendell Potter writes in the white paper. "The complicated landscape of healthcare and the challenges brought on by health insurers negatively impact patients, who expect transparent, high-quality and affordable healthcare."

Potter and Dr. David McLennan, professor of political science and director of the Meredith Poll at Meredith College, released the white paper at an in-person panel at Meredith College on Wednesday, April 26 to business, community leaders and students. Dr. McLennan detailed consumer sentiments from his fall 2022 Meredith Poll on how North Carolinians feel about their health insurers, reporting that just 8.3 percent of North Carolinians think health insurers have their best interests in mind.

Key themes from the white paper include:

Record profits amassed from higher annual premiums. For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina reported $10.7 billion in revenue in 2021 and a net income of $559.3 million .

For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield of reported in revenue in 2021 and a net income of . Increased claims denied for in-network care. BCBSNC denied more than 2.9 million in-network claims in 2020 and 2021 for those with coverage through the ACA marketplace.

BCBSNC denied more than 2.9 million in-network claims in 2020 and 2021 for those with coverage through the ACA marketplace. Limited specialists' networks. In one example, United Healthcare cut ties with North Carolina anesthesia providers, leaving thousands of patients out-of-network with pending surgeries and procedures.

McLennan and Potter urged North Carolina policymakers to consider stronger regulation of the state's insurance companies to ensure affordable access to care for North Carolinians and the long-term sustainability of the state's providers.

To download the white paper, visit https://www.nchealthanddemocracy.org/how-do-we-fix-healthcare-in-north-carolina/.

The North Carolina Center for Health and Democracy examines the status of health care in the state, educating audiences about the role health insurance companies have on costs, access, care outcomes and the long-term sustainability of care for North Carolinians.

SOURCE North Carolina Center for Health and Democracy
SAN FRANCISCO, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Newfront , the tech-driven insurance brokerage firm based in San Francisco, is proud to announce that its CEO and Co-Founder, Spike Lipkin, has been named to the 2023 San Francisco Business Times 40 Under 40 list. The publication recognizes 40 business leaders under the age of 40 making significant contributions to the Bay Area community as well as to their company.

Newfront CEO and Co-Founder Spike Lipkin has been named to the 2023 San Francisco Business Times 40 Under 40 list. Tweet this Newfront CEO and Co-Founder Spike Lipkin

To be considered for this award, candidates must meet strict requirements and are evaluated on their achievements and contributions to their companies and larger communities in the Bay area. Winners were honored at a banquet this week at the Westin St. Francis Hotel.

"This honor is really a recognition of our team," said Lipkin. "I just have the privilege of representing them."

The goal of transforming the antiquated insurance industry led Lipkin to start Newfront. Since then, Newfront has grown and transformed into a successful business. In 2022, the company became a top 40 broker based on revenue, expanded nationally, and hired more than 250 employees.

Prior to starting Newfront, Lipkin was one of the first Opendoor employees, where he helped grow the five-person start-up into a business at scale. He also was an investor at Blackstone, where he served the startup team that built Invitation Homes into the largest owner of single-family real estate in the United States.

The full list of winners to this year's 40 Under 40 award from the San Francisco Business Times can be viewed here .

To learn more about Newfront, visit www.newfront.com .

About Newfront

Newfront is transforming the delivery of risk management, employee experience, insurance, and retirement solutions by building the modern insurance platform. Transparent data delivered real-time translates into a lower total cost of risk and greater insights. Newfront makes insurance work for you. Headquartered in San Francisco, Newfront has offices throughout the country and is home to more than 850 employees who serve clients across the United States and globally.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Traci Johnson

Newfront

[email protected]

Natasha Koleas

PAN Communications

949-397-7582

[email protected]

SOURCE Newfront
As of 12:00 Friday, the number of victims of an enemy missile attack on a high-rise building in Uman has increased to 11 people, and nine people have been hospitalized, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reports on its Telegram channel.

"Uman. Latest news as of 12:00. Some 11 of our citizens died, and nine people were hospitalized," the message says.

"We have deployed headquarters, tents, where our citizens from neighboring houses and from the house that suffered the most can wait until the local authorities provide them with places of refuge. At the moment, the local authorities have provided everyone with food. There is also a hotline where relatives and friends of those citizens who lived in this and other houses that suffered in this area can apply," the Ministry of Internal Affairs quoted Minister Ihor Klymenko as saying.
Introducing the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine

HARRISON TOWNSHIP, N.J., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In what was a landmark day for veterinary medicine nationallyand for New JerseyGov. Phil Murphy and other state officials and veterinary medicine leaders joined the Rowan community on April 28 to celebrate a $30 million gift for the state's first veterinary school.

The gift from South Jersey businessman and staunch animal welfare advocate Gerald B. Shreiber was announced during a groundbreaking ceremony on Rowan's West Campus in Harrison Township, N.J.

Rowan will be one of only two institutions in the nation to offer three medical degrees: D.V.M., D.O., and M.D. Tweet this New Jersey business leader and animal welfare advocate Gerald B. Shreiber has given a $30 million gift for the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine at Rowan University. The school is New Jersey's first veterinary school. Shreiber is chairman of J&J Snack Foods Corp., based in Pennsauken, N.J.

The school will be named the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine, a fitting tribute to the successful business leader and entrepreneur from South Jersey who has generously supported education and animal health and wellness for decades.

"Just think about itthere's going to be a very good chance that not too far in the future, graduates of Rowan University will be providing medical care to every member of a family living in New Jersey," Murphy said to the capacity crowd at the future home of the veterinary school adjacent to the South Jersey Tech Park of Rowan University.

"When the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine is added to all else that Rowan University does so well, this institution is truly living up to its motto, 'Education, hope of the world.'"

Learn more about Shreiber and the gift here.

Three medical degrees

With the addition of the veterinary school, expected to welcome its first class in 2025, Rowan will be one of only two universities in the nation to offer three medical degrees: D.V.M., D.O., and M.D. Currently, there are just 33 veterinary schools in the United States and only five on the east coast.

Shreiber's gift, announced by Rowan President Ali A. Houshmand to thundering applause and a prolonged standing ovation, is the third-largest gift to the University (and the second-largest gift from an individual).

A generous supporter of the University for more than two decades, Shreiber in 2019 pledged $3 million to establish the Shreiber Family Pet Therapy Program. Since then, the program has provided group and individualized therapy animal visits for more than 8,000 Rowan students and employees.

'His confidence in us is both humbling and inspirational'

With Shreiber's gift to the veterinary school, the University will have the means to offer scholarships to veterinary students, Houshmand said. The school will address an increase in demand for veterinary professionals in New Jersey and across the nation. It will help keep state residents seeking veterinary careers in New Jersey and also attract out-of-state students.

The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges has predicted a shortage of 15,000 veterinarians in the nation within two decades.

"Gerry Shreiber's generosity has literally changed the lives of students at Rowan University. His confidence in us over the years is both humbling and inspirational," Houshmand said.

"Thank you, Mr. Shreiber, for your investment in Rowan, in New Jersey, in education, and in the health and welfare of animals for years to come. Your gift will be used to support scholarships, making attaining a veterinary degree more accessible and affordable. And that will happen in perpetuity."

Addressing affordability

Affordability is an important issue for veterinary students, Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine Founding Dean Matthew Edson said. The gift and its support of scholarships will distinguish the Shreiber School as it works to keep veterinary students in New Jersey, said Edson, who earned his D.V.M. degree from Kansas State University.

"Affordability of veterinary education is one of the big problems that we have in our industry," Edson said. "Folks come out with a large amount of debt and that's a struggle. We don't want to be that program. Donations like what Mr. Shreiber has provided for us are really going to allow us to fill that gap and our students can pursue that career that they want after they graduateand not just pursue a paycheck."

Lifelong animal lover

Chairman of J&J Snack Foods Corp., Shreiber said he is pleasedand proudto support the veterinary school.

In 1971, Shreiber, who grew up outside Atlantic City, purchased a bankrupt soft pretzel company and transformed it into a multi-billion-dollar snack food and beverage industry that has been listed on the FORBES list of "200 Best Small Companies' seven times. The company's brands include SUPERPRETZEL, ICEE, LUIGI'S and Minute Maid.

A lifelong animal lover, Shreiber has used his business success to generously support education and animal welfare. He created SAFE (Shreiber Animal Foundation Enterprise), which made a transformational gift to establish a pet therapy program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

"I've been very fortunate in business over the years," he said. "I'm honored to give this gift. Animals are my passion, so I couldn't think of a better way to give something back to make a positive impact on their lives," Shreiber said.

"I'm excited to see the development of the veterinary school and to know I have a role in that. I believe New Jersey needs better veterinary care and if I can do my small part to help that, I'm happy to."

SOURCE Rowan University
SAN JOSE, Calif., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- OmniIndex has won a major contract to improve the educational outcomes of thousands of students across Africa from Future-X Education.

With over 1,500 public schools, 138,000 students and 12,000 teachers using its Education Management Information System (EMIS) Future-X Education is targeting huge growth in 2023. Its mission is to digitize the educational system in Africa to bring transparency and authenticity to student records that can be referenced with ease at any point in time.

Traditional EMIS systems are designed for the collection, integration, processing, maintenance and dissemination of data and information to support decision-making, policy-analysis and formulation, planning, monitoring and management at all levels of an education system.

However, one of the biggest challenges in educational data use today is preventing data misuse. While the use of data can help improve educational outcomes by enabling more personalized instruction and identifying areas where students and schools may need additional support and facilities, there are also huge risks and privacy concerns associated with collecting and storing this highly sensitive, confidential, and regulated information.

OmniIndex solves this problem by ensuring data is secure and private at all times. This is achieved through our patented encryption technology enabling data to be fully encrypted while stored, shared, and analyzed.

Future-X Education CEO Dr Patrick Adeneye, stated: "Thanks to Omnilndex, Future-X Education is adding industry-leading security and privacy to our Cloud- based Education Management Information System (EMIS). We will now be able to expand to more schools and help even more teachers and students in Africa securely access the data they need without any risk of third-party access or exposure."

The blockchain data storage at the heart of the OmniIndex Platform enables a more transparent system for managing this data. This is because data is immutable with any changes always saved as a new block in the chain  for example edits to a document or spreadsheet would be saved as a new entry with the original version preserved. This enables users to see what changes have been made, by who, and when.

With OmniIndex's Data Platform, Future-X Education's data can be distributed to those who need it with no risk of exposure and can be analyzed in a fully encrypted state. This aids Future-X and their EMIS in achieving their goals of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Omnilndex CEO Simon Bain added: "Omnilndex is delighted to welcome Future-X Education and the network to our Web3, Fully Homomorphic Encryption and AI Data Platform. Its mission of transparent data management matches our own beliefs in data security and privacy, and we look forward to adding our Web3 security and encrypted analytics to Future-X Education's EMIS."

For more on OmniIndex go to https://www.omniindex.io/

SOURCE OmniIndex
Statement by CEO and President Robin Koval

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- It was a year ago today that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed rules to remove menthol cigarettes and all flavored cigars from the U.S. marketplace, a historic move to help end the enormous harm resulting from the predatory and deadly practices of the tobacco industry. As we continue to wait for a final rule, Truth Initiative is calling on the FDA to take action without any further delay to get these deadly, flavored combustible products off the market and put the health of Americans over tobacco industry profits in a bold and meaningful way.

Removing menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars from shelves nationwide will protect young people and future generations from nicotine addiction and reduce health inequities, especially among Black Americans. The tobacco industry has used predatory marketing campaigns for decades, luring young people with flavors and targeting Black communities and other populations, leading to 88.5% of Black smokers using menthol products today. Menthol increases the intensity of nicotine's reinforcing effects and withdrawal symptoms, making it easier to start and harder to quit. As a result, more than 40 percent of current high school smokers use menthol cigarettes, with half of all young people who ever tried smoking starting with this flavored product.

Flavors are also driving the persistent youth e-cigarette crisis  according to the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey, of the 2.5 million middle and high school students who use e-cigarettes, nearly 85 percent use flavored products, and among them, 26.6 percent use menthol. Nearly 75 percent of youth cigar smokers cite flavors as their reason for choosing to use cigars.

Since the FDA's announcement of a proposed rule one year ago, the tobacco industry has worked tirelessly to thwart efforts to take menthol and flavored products off the market. In California, tobacco companies have repeatedly challenged state and local bans in court, with the Supreme Court declining earlier this year to hear one suit against Los Angeles County's flavored tobacco product law, and refusing late last year to block California's law from taking effect. In a flagrant move to evade the California law after it took effect, R.J. Reynolds has introduced new products that synthetically mimic menthol using descriptors like "cool" and "crisp" to target menthol smokers. And following age-old tactics used by the industry for years, Black lawmakers and community leaders have been offered campaign donations and hundreds of thousands of dollars to oppose policies restricting menthol cigarettes. The companies doing this include RJ Reynolds, whose parent company British American Tobacco has recently been the subject of a massive $629 million penalty to the U.S. government to avoid criminal charges for doing business with North Korea in violation of U.S. sanctions.

It was against this backdrop that youth activists from across the country came to Washington, D.C. last week as part of truth's Moment of Action to declare that "Nicotine Addiction Shouldn't Taste Like Candy," shedding light on the tobacco industry's continued tactics of using menthol and flavors that can attract young people, putting their physical and mental health at risk. Young changemakers took to the streets of D.C as well as the halls of Capitol Hill and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to call for the FDA to take action on this important issue.

The FDA must move forward with this critical action to remove menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars from the market without further delay, and despite aggressive tobacco industry interference.The industry's blatant hypocrisy of promoting a smoke-free world when doing everything in its power to stop the removal of these deadly products should not be tolerated. Every day of delay costs precious lives and continues to waste the FDA's time and taxpayers' money.

About Truth Initiative

Truth Initiative is a national public health organization dedicated to achieving a culture where all young people reject smoking, vaping and nicotine and a future where tobacco and nicotine addiction are a thing of the past. In 2020, we celebrated 20 years of saving lives and preventing millions of youth from smoking. Our impact has helped drive the teen smoking rate down from 23% in 2000 to under 2% in 2022. The truth about tobacco and the tobacco industry are at the heart of our proven-effective and nationally recognized truth public education campaign. As youth e-cigarette use threatens to addict a new generation to nicotine, we are leading the fight against tobacco and nicotine addiction in all forms. Our rigorous scientific research and policy studies, community and youth engagement programs supporting populations at high risk of using tobacco, and innovation in tobacco dependence treatment are also helping to end one of the most critical public health battles of our time. Based in Washington D.C., our organization, formerly known as the American Legacy Foundation, was established and funded through the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. To learn more, visit truthinitiative.org.

SOURCE Truth Initiative
Two new local projects will add 400 megawatts of non-emitting capacity, helping PGE integrate more clean energy into its portfolio

PORTLAND, Ore., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Portland General Electric Company (NYSE: POR) today announced the procurement of 400 megawatts (MW AC ) of new battery storage projects  a critical tool in Oregon's clean energy transition and the largest single procurement of standalone energy storage to date by a utility in the U.S. outside the state of California. These projects, located at substations close to electrical demand, will store enough electricity to power all PGE customer homes in a city the size of Portland for an entire evening on battery-delivered energy alone.

An aerial photograph of Eolian, L.P.s Madero & Ignacio battery energy storage facility, a 200 MW/2.5+ hour duration storage system in Texas.

These battery storage projects are designed to address a number of grid challenges, providing flexibility to PGE's grid operators to meet changing conditions and help manage costs. Stored energy can be reliably deployed within seconds to customers during extreme weather events or times of high demand, reducing dependence on energy markets and fossil fuel generation.

The projects include:

Seaside: A 200 MW AC facility, to be owned and operated by PGE, located in North Portland and delivered by Eolian, L.P. (Eolian). Seaside has been developed by Eolian since 2017 and is expected to begin service by the middle of 2025.

A 200 MW facility, to be owned and operated by PGE, located in and delivered by Eolian, L.P. (Eolian). Seaside has been developed by Eolian since 2017 and is expected to begin service by the middle of 2025. Troutdale : A 200 MW AC facility, owned and to be operated by NextEra Energy Resources and developed by Eolian since 2018. This project is located at a key substation in Troutdale and is expected to begin service by the end of 2024. PGE will purchase the output from a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources through a 20-year Storage Capacity Agreement.

"Battery storage is an important component of the clean energy economy. These new, Oregon-based projects are a significant addition to our wind, solar and hydro resources  providing grid reliability, resiliency and flexibility while helping us manage costs," said Maria Pope, CEO and President at PGE. "At PGE, we are leading the way to a clean energy future reliably and affordably."

Project details

These battery energy storage facilities allow PGE to optimize the renewable power in its portfolio and deliver electricity even when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing. As PGE integrates more intermittent clean energy resources, like wind and solar plants, battery storage systems provide consistency, facilitating the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and making progress toward Oregon's 2030 clean energy target.

Both projects will feature four-hour duration lithium-ion battery storage. Collectively, the 400 MW AC can provide enough emissions-free electricity to power about 260,000 homes for four hours during times of typical peak demand (5  9 p.m. on weekdays).

"Anticipating the need for resilient, flexible and carbon-free grid-balancing resources to serve the dynamic growth of the Portland metro area led us to focus on the development of battery energy storage sites at key substations directly serving load in the region," said Eric Stoutenburg, Director of Energy Storage at Eolian. "PGE's groundbreaking energy storage acquisition will utilize proven technology to improve grid reliability while accelerating the integration of increasing volumes of renewable energy with the flexible capacity provided by these systems."

"PGE is truly taking the lead in providing a clean energy future for the residents of Oregon and we are pleased to continue to work with them to help them achieve their decarbonization goals," said Rebecca Kujawa, CEO and President at NextEra Energy Resources. "The Troutdale battery storage project, in addition to the Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facilities, the first utility-scale energy facilities in North America to co-locate wind, solar and battery storage, really demonstrate the tremendous results that great collaboration can achieve."

Sited locally, the new projects will bring family wage jobs and tax revenue to Oregon. Employment opportunities in the local economy supported by these projects include roles in development, engineering, construction and installation, logistics, operations and maintenance.

A piece of PGE's decarbonization strategy

These battery storage additions, procured from PGE's 2021 Request for Proposal, are just one example of the kinds of non-emitting energy resources PGE is utilizing to advance decarbonization and bolster resource adequacy  a strategy outlined in the utility's recent Clean Energy Plan & Integrated Resource Plan.

Earlier this year, PGE completed the Faraday Repower & Resiliency Project, a multi-year modernization effort to improve the efficiency, reliability and operational safety of a historic hydropower plant. Additionally, Pachwaywit Fields, Oregon's largest solar farm at 162 MW, began commercial operations this month, supported by large customers and municipalities enrolled in PGE's Green Future Impact program. PGE purchases the output from Pachwaywit Fields, which is owned and operated by AVANGRID, through a Power Purchase Agreement.

About Portland General Electric Company

Portland General Electric (NYSE: POR) is a fully integrated energy company that generates, transmits and distributes electricity to over 900,000 customers in 51 cities across the state of Oregon. For more than 130 years, Portland General Electric (PGE) has powered the advancement of society, delivering safe, affordable, reliable and increasingly clean energy. To deliver on its strategy and meet state targets, PGE and its approximately 3,000 employees committed to partnering with stakeholders to achieve at least an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from power served to customers by 2030 and 100% reduction by 2040. PGE customers set the standard for prioritizing clean energy with the No. 1 voluntary renewable energy program in the country. Additionally, for the fifth year in a row, PGE was recognized by the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index which highlights companies committed to creating a more equal and inclusive workplace. As a reflection of the company's commitment to the community it serves, in 2022, PGE employees, retirees and the PGE Foundation donated nearly $5.5 million and volunteered more than 18,000 hours with more than 400 nonprofits across Oregon. For more information visit www.PortlandGeneral.com/news .

About Eolian, L.P.

Eolian, L.P. (Eolian) owns and operates a growing portfolio of energy storage projects and develops and invests in renewable energy and clean molecule projects across the U.S. For nearly 20 years, Eolian's founding management has worked together to build the assets at the core of the company, creating unique and proprietary structures that have directly funded the development of more than 21 GW of successfully operating energy storage, solar, and wind generating capacity across the country. Eolian is owned by its employees and funds managed by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a global, independent infrastructure investor. Read more at www.eolianenergy.com.

For more information contact:

PGE Communications Team

503-464-2067

[email protected]

Source: Portland General Company

SOURCE Portland General Company
WASHINGTON, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) is pleased by the reintroduction of one of our top priorities for 2023, the "Federal Insurance Office Elimination Act" by Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA). The Federal Insurance Office Elimination Act will protect the successful state insurance regulatory system by repealing the FIO, an unnecessary federal bureaucracy created by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank).

"In 2010, advocates of federal insurance regulation succeeded in getting the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) established as part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank lawbut PIA has never given up on repealing it," said Jon Gentile, PIA vice president of government relations.

"Many of the FIO's duties are examples of federal overreach in the context of our system of state insurance regulation," Gentile said. "In addition, the FIO has consistently sought new ways to expand its mandate beyond the intent of Congress, which put specific limits on its authority."

In 2016, PIA was the first national insurance association to call for the repeal of the FIO. Throughout the last decade, the FIO has called for federal regulation of mortgage insurance; for its inclusion in supervisory colleges with state regulators; and for uniform national standards for state guaranty associations. In addition, it may soon seek to administer the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers (NARAB). Each of these actions is an overreach.

In recent years, its authority has continued to expand. The Biden administration issued a 2021 Executive Order (EO) asking the FIO to assess climate risks to carriers and identify possible sources of coverage disruption in geographic areas prone to climate change. After the EO was issued, the FIO contacted state insurance departments requesting zip-code-level data regarding property insurance coverages, liabilities, and losses and, through Treasury, announced its intent to conduct a climate-related financial risk data call, among other activities. The FIO is also using this directive to actively delve into other areas, like flood insurance.

"As long as the office continues to exist, it will remain a very real threat to the successful state-based system of insurance regulation. To do nothing and allow this office to accrue more power over time is tantamount to endorsing an increased federal role in the regulation of insurance. PIA draws a line in the sand on this issue and will not back down from this effort," said Gentile. PIA will continue to build a base of support among lawmakers for repeal of the FIO.

Founded in 1931, PIA is a national trade association that represents member insurance agents and their employees who sell and service all kinds of insurance but specialize in coverage of automobiles, homes and businesses. PIA's web address www.pianational.org



This press release is online here

You can view Rep. Cline's press release here

SOURCE National Association of Professional Insurance Agents
CAMBRIDGE, England, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PocDoc, the Cambridge-based digital health platform today announces it has launched in 4 major community pharmacy chains across the UK, giving it access to over 300 locations nationwide.

In addition to Dears Pharmacy in Scotland, PocDoc is now partnered with Knights Pharmacy Group, Weldricks Pharmacy Group, Greenlight Pharmacy Group and Lincolnshire Co-op Pharmacy.

PocDoc launches with Lincolnshire Co-op Pharmacy group with Health Checks in Lincoln PocDoc is able to deliver the full end-to-end cardiovascular health check pathway, including a quantified, lab-grade 5 marker cholesterol test with results in the app, in under 10 minutes per person

Across its partnership network, PocDoc is being used both in pharmacy and out of pharmacy in the community, targeting areas of health inequality to dramatically increase cholesterol testing, either as part of existing blood pressure clinics or as a standalone Health Check service.

Cardiovascular Disease has been identified as the single biggest condition where lives can be saved by the NHS over the next decade and the Company Chemist Association estimates that pharmacies alone can save 15,000 heart attacks and strokes in the next 3 years through focusing on CVD prevention measures1.

The evidence is clear: the more people tested, the more people can be treated and the more heart attacks and strokes can be prevented.

PocDoc is an app-based technology platform that combines proprietary lateral flow tests and cloud-based AI diagnostics to deliver end to end digital pathways for the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of major diseases.

PocDoc is able to deliver the full end-to-end cardiovascular Health Check pathway, including a quantified, lab-grade 5 marker lipid (cholesterol) test with results in the app, in under 10 minutes per person.

The PocDoc app collects all the information required for a Health Check, including blood pressure and BMI. The app displays all results, including blood marker values, in a health dashboard with comparison to NHS clinical guidelines.

The patient receives a copy of their results emailed to them automatically and results can be sent to the patient's record from PocDoc's diagnostic cloud. The pharmacy can also access the PocDoc clinical dashboard to assess future treatment pathways in real time, including prescription of statins where appropriate.

The PocDoc solution consists of a proprietary lateral flow test combined with an app downloaded onto a smartphone or tablet  it's convenient for busy pharmacies with space constraints, it requires no calibration nor maintenance and there is no cost for large machines.

In addition to a growing pharmacy customer base, PocDoc has recently been awarded 2 major NHS contracts to dramatically increase access to cholesterol testing outside of a traditional GP surgery environment, including at-home, on the high street and in other community settings.

In March, PocDoc announced a major round of investment led by Forward Partners, MMC Ventures and Simplyhealth, one of the UK's leading health insurance providers.

Steve Roest, CEO of PocDoc, says, "We are excited to announce our continued expansion in Community Pharmacy. We strongly believe that Community Pharmacies have a major role to play in delivering a step change increase in access to cardiovascular screening, both in pharmacy and in community settings. We're pleased that PocDoc has seen such positive reactions from pharmacists and their customers across the UK and we are proud to support our pharmacy partners in their incredible efforts to improve their health of their customers."

"Knights Pharmacy plays a critical role across the UK in providing services to those most in need in the community. We are always looking for new services that address key health issues for the public and the NHS so we are pleased to be rolling out the PocDoc cholesterol test and health screening app as part of our mobile health clinic, targeting areas of greatest health inequality." - Pete Horrocks, Clinical Standards Director, Knights Pharmacy.

"Weldricks has a strong and proud reputation throughout its history of delivering services to customers that make a real difference and address their health concerns. Recently, it has become clear that heart and cardiovascular health is a big concern for both our customers and the NHS. We are pleased to be rolling out the PocDoc quantitative cholesterol test, we feel it's the right product for pharmacy and for customers." - Richard Hackett  Head of Pharmacy, Weldricks Pharmacy.

"As one of the leading London-based independent chains, we are seeing a huge rise in demand for services such as health checks from customers, including cholesterol testing. PocDoc is able to deliver a digital-first health check with a cholesterol test in a really patient friendly, pharmacy friendly way and we're excited to offer it across our estate." - Paras Shah, Lead Pharmacist, Greenlight Pharmacy Group.

Notes to Editors

Available for interview on request:

Steve Roest  CEO & Co-Founder, PocDoc

To book in an interview or for more information please contact: [email protected]

1About Cardiovascular Disease:

There are 7.6 million people living with CVD in the UK, and Cardiovascular Disease is a leading cause of premature disability, mortality, and health inequalities, and responsible for one in four deaths each year.

(https://www.bhf.org.uk/what-we-do/news-from-the-bhf/contact-the-press-office/facts-and-figures#:~:text=Heart%20and%20circulatory%20diseases%20cause,men%20and%203.6%20million%20women.)

The UK Health Security Agency estimates that the annual healthcare costs in England relating to CVD are around 7.4 billion, with an annual cost to the wider economy of 15.8 billion.

(https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2019/02/14/health-matters-preventing-cardiovascular-disease/).

Company Chemist Association reference article: https://www.chemistanddruggist.co.uk/CD136951/CCA-Hypertension-case-finding-service-to-halt-15k-cardiovascular-events-by-2026

About PocDoc:

Founded by Dr Kiran Roest, Dr Vladimir Gubala and Steve Roest, PocDoc's mission is to make diagnostic testing as accessible and affordable as possible. The PocDoc platform allows anyone with a smartphone or tablet to test themselves for a range of major diseases and conditions, receive a full health assessment and be offered solutions to address any health-related issues that arise, including real-time prescription of medication and clinical support.

The PocDoc platform has been designed to work with the company's own set of proprietary, quantitative blood tests which have been developed in house and are focused on preventative disease areas, starting with cardiovascular disease.

PocDoc has a number of NHS contracts, has won multiple Innovate UK awards, an SBRI award and a MedTech Breakthrough Award.

Its technology has CA and CE marks and is patented in Europe and the US.

www.mypocdoc.co.uk

About Steve Roest:

Steve is the CEO and founder of PocDoc, where he has raised multiple rounds of private investment, is a multiple time Innovate UK grant award winner, as well as a member of the UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders review board.

Steve is a huge advocate for innovation and pushing boundaries of what is possible with technology. He is passionate about the people and companies who are changing the world, especially in HealthTech and Healthcare.

Steve presents the HealthTech Hour on UK Health Radio which was born from his desire to provide a showcase for companies, leaders, founders, CEOs and clinicians who are genuinely changing the world, leading the healthcare revolution in the UK and beyond. Notable guests include Matt Hancock, Ali Parsa and Jessica Ennis Hill among others.

The show, which has over 60,000 listeners live per week from over 30 countries, with more listening on demand via Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music and Google Podcasts and YouTube, focuses on the unique journeys of each guest, how they are changing the world and how they stay on their mission.

www.healthtechhour.co.uk

https://www.youtube.com/@healthtechhour

https://open.spotify.com/show/5pZb65BCLauYxbJrbzDQfP?si=4229d00f85ec4b84

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ7p_oiTrIY

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2064863/PocDoc_PR_Image.jpg

SOURCE PocDoc
Abby Phillip, Lauren Wesley Wilson, Gayle King, Jonathan Capehart, April Ryan, Cecilia Vega, Jim Acosta, Alicia Menendez, Symone Sanders-Townsend, Rachel Scott and more to serve on the Host Committee.

NEW YORK, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Politics & Inclusion will host its annual dinner on Friday, April 28 in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the bi-partisan diverse voices in politics and media, both rising stars and established industry leaders. Abby Phillip, Anchor of Inside Politics Sunday on CNN and Lauren Wesley Wilson, CEO of ColorComm Corporation are co-hosts of the Politics & Inclusion Dinner.

In its second year, the dinner held during White House Correspondents' Weekend will bring together 50 journalists of color representing major news networks and traditional print and online media.

"Recognizing and celebrating journalists of color and leaders in the newsroom who spearhead the political dialogue and storytelling of our nation's elected officials is indicative of our industry's future. This event is a celebration of the progress that our industry has made and a push for greater diversity in the newsrooms," said Abby Phillip, Anchor of Inside Politics Sunday.

"Hosting the Politics & Inclusion Dinner during White House Correspondents' Weekend is an opportunity to honor inclusivity. We celebrate the rising stars, established journalists and executives who help strengthen the voices of those who are often underrepresented in the media industry and political discourse," said Lauren Wesley Wilson, CEO of ColorComm Corporation.

Google, Moet Hennessy USA and Walmart will sponsor the event.

SOURCE Politics & Inclusion
Company initiates search for successor

PORTLAND, Ore., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Portland General Electric Company (NYSE: POR) ("PGE" or the "Company") today announced that Jim Ajello, senior vice president of finance, CFO, treasurer and corporate compliance officer, has informed the Company of his intent to retire. Ajello will transition from his current roles, effective June 30, 2023, and serve as a senior advisor to the Company through August 31, 2023.

"Jim joined us in 2020, bringing a wealth of knowledge and deep experience that helped us to enhance our strategic focus, strengthen our financial foundation and drive superior customer service," said Maria Pope, PGE president and CEO. "Importantly, under Jim's leadership, we have reset our balance sheet to support higher levels of clean energy investments, reliability and smart grid improvements. On behalf of the board and management team, I wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement."

"It has been a privilege to have worked alongside Maria and the talented team at Portland General," said Ajello. "Together, we have advanced critical initiatives to provide outstanding service to our customers and positioned the Company for growth as we accelerate our clean energy transition. While I look forward to a retirement filled with travel, time with my family and grandkids, and continued service on the boards of professional and educational organizations, I am proud of what we have accomplished and am confident in the Company's continued success."

The Company has initiated a search to identify its next CFO and will consider both internal and external candidates.

First Quarter 2023 Financial Results and Conference Call

PGE also separately announced its first quarter 2023 financial results. The Company will host a conference call with financial analysts and investors today, April 28, 2023, beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET. The conference call will be webcast live on the PGE website at investors.portlandgeneral.com. A webcast replay will also be available on PGE's investor website "Events & Presentations" page beginning at 2 p.m. ET on April 28, 2023.

About Portland General Electric Company

Portland General Electric (NYSE: POR) is a fully integrated energy company that generates, transmits and distributes electricity to over 900,000 customers in 51 cities across the state of Oregon. For more than 130 years, Portland General Electric (PGE) has powered the advancement of society, delivering safe, affordable, reliable and increasingly clean energy. To deliver on its strategy and meet state targets, PGE and its approximately 3,000 employees committed to partnering with stakeholders to achieve at least an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from power served to customers by 2030 and 100% reduction by 2040. PGE customers set the standard for prioritizing clean energy with the No. 1 voluntary renewable energy program in the country. Additionally, for the fifth year in a row, PGE was recognized by the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index which highlights companies committed to creating a more equal and inclusive workplace. As a reflection of the company's commitment to the community it serves, in 2022, PGE employees, retirees and the PGE Foundation donated nearly $5.5 million and volunteered more than 18,000 hours with more than 400 nonprofits across Oregon. For more information visit www.PortlandGeneral.com/news .

For more information contact:

PGE Communications Team

503-464-2067

[email protected]

Source: Portland General Company

SOURCE Portland General Company
XIAMEN, China, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Qudian Inc. ("Qudian" or the "Company") (NYSE: QD), a consumer-oriented technology company in China, today announced that it filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 28, 2023 (U.S. Time). The annual report on Form 20-F can be accessed on the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.qudian.com.

Qudian will provide a hard copy of the annual report containing its audited consolidated financial statements, free of charge, to its shareholders and ADS holders upon request. Requests should be directed to Investor Relations department, Level 39, Tower A, AVIC Zijin Plaza, Siming District, Xiamen, Fujian Province, The People's Republic of China, 361000.

About Qudian Inc.

Qudian Inc. ("Qudian") is a consumer-oriented technology company in China. The Company historically focused on providing credit solutions to consumers. Qudian is exploring innovative consumer products and services to satisfy Chinese consumers' fundamental and daily needs by leveraging its technology capabilities.

For more information, please visit http://ir.qudian.com.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

In China:

Qudian Inc.

IR team

Tel: +86-592-596-8208

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Qudian Inc.
NEW YORK, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD).

To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:

https://claimyourloss.com/securities/rite-aid-class-action-loss-submission-form/?id=38579&from=4

The lawsuit seeks to recover losses for shareholders who purchased Rite Aid between April 26, 2018 and March 13, 2023.

Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until May 19, 2023 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.

According to a filed complaint, Rite Aid Corporation issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) until at least June 2019, Rite Aid filled at least hundreds of thousands of unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, including for potentially lethal opioids such as oxycodone and fentanyl; (2) Rite Aid pharmacists filled these prescriptions despite clear "red flags" that indicated that the prescriptions were unlawful; (3) Rite Aid ignored evidence that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions, and intentionally deleted internal notes about suspicious prescribers written by concerned pharmacists; (4) by knowingly filling unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances, Rite Aid violated the Controlled Substances Act and, where Rite Aid sought reimbursement from federal healthcare programs, also violated the False Claims Act; (5) as a result, it was at risk of prosecution by federal authorities such as the United States Department of Justice; and (6) as a result, defendants' statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all times.

Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:

JAKUBOWITZ LAW

1140 Avenue of the Americas

9th Floor

New York, New York 10036

T: (628) 895-0423

F: (212) 537-5887

SOURCE Jakubowitz Law
Another dead man has been found from under the rubble of a high-rise building in Uman destroyed by an enemy missile, the number of victims has increased to 12 people, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reports.

"Another body was pulled out from under the rubble in Uman. As of 12:30, some 12 of our citizens were killed, and nine people were hospitalized," the ministry said on the Telegram channel on Friday.
CHICAGO, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The global RTLS market for healthcare is projected to grow from USD 2.0 billion in 2023 to USD 5.8 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 23.5% during the forecast period according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. RTLS solutions are being increasingly deployed in supply chain operations to save time and minimize errors while improving the inventory turnover ratio, thereby saving costs and increasing return on investment (RoI). RTLS solutions do not just track assets and personnel, but they also enable healthcare facilities to manage their assets to boost productivity by analyzing the data captured and forecasting any potential errors.

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=19089515

Browse in-depth TOC on "RTLS for healthcare Market"

162  Tables

62  Figures

224  Pages

RTLS for healthcare Market Report Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $2.0 billion Estimated Value by 2028 $5.8 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 23.5% Market Size Available for 20192028 Forecast Period 20232028 Forecast Units Value (USD Million/Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Hardware, Technology, Application, Facility Type, Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of World Key Market Challenge Trade-offs while designing RTLS solutions Key Market Opportunities Increasing demand for RTLS solutions in developing countries Key Market Drivers Rising security and safety concerns of patients/staff

The market for software segment is expected to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period.

RTLS software possess various capabilities such as location tracking or asset tracking, analytics, and the ability to manipulate data or reporting, which allows the examination of specific pieces of location or data, alerting, and non-location sensor information. 2 types of software are providedstandalone software and full-stack RTLS solution. A large number of companies use standalone asset tracking software, whereas the demand for full-stack RTLS solution is also increasing gradually. Technological advancements in the field of information technology have led to customized software platforms based to meet specific requirements of clients. Moreover, the penetration of system applications and products (SAP) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for the data processing application in RTLS solutions helps in building a strong platform.

Personnel locating & monitoring is one of the key applications of RTLS solutions and it is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR.

Personnel locating & monitoring is one of the most crucial needs for healthcare facilities to ensure smooth operations and safety of its staff and patients. Many hospitals are focusing on maximizing resource utilization and reducing costs by eliminating manual, time-consuming workforce management processes. An RTLS ensures that each department or specialty is appropriately staffed, providing patients with the highest quality and most timely care. RTLS platforms are increasingly being used in hospitals to monitor the workflow on the operational floor. Keeping track of people/patients/staff inside a predetermined area is the main concern of many organizations. In healthcare, keeping track of personnel can provide valuable information to the organization. This might help organizations to make split-second decisions, protecting staff and averting disasters. For this purpose, various gadgets such as tags/badges and gateways are being used.

Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=19089515

North America region is anticipated to dominate the RTLS market for healthcare during the forecast period.

The RTLS Industry for healthcare in North America has been segmented into the US, Canada, and Mexico. In North America, US is the largest contributor to the market growth and it is expected to hold the largest share during forecast period. The presence of prominent RTLS vendors in the US is one of the key factors driving the market growth during the forecast period. Securitas Healthcare, LLC (US), Zebra Technologies Corporation (US), Aruba Networks (US), Impinj, Inc. (US), CenTrak, Inc. (US), and TeleTracking Technologies, Inc. (US) are some of the dominant players in the RTLS market for healthcare in the US. These market players are continuously focusing on increasing their market share and strengthen their market position by adoption strategies such as acquisitions, partnerships etc. Additionally, the declining ASPs of UWB tags and long-term high return on investment are expected to be the prominent reasons for the growing adoption of advanced UWB technology-based RTLS solutions in North America in the next few years.

The key players in RTLS Companies for healthcare include Securitas Healthcare, LLC (US), Zebra Technologies Corporation (US), Aruba Networks (US), Impinj, Inc. (US), Savi Technology (US), TeleTracking Technologies, Inc. (US), CenTrak, Inc. (US), Advantech Co., Ltd. (Taiwan), and GE HealthCare Technologies Inc. (US).

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STOCKHOLM, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Skanska has signed a contract with the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments to make improvements to the California State Route 57/60 interchange that runs through the City of Diamond Bar and the City of Industry in California, USA. The contract is worth USD 267M, about SEK 2.8 billion, which will be included in the US order bookings for the second quarter of 2023.

The purpose of the project is to reduce traffic at the State Route 57/60 interchange that is part of the State Route 57/60 confluence. This approximately 3 kilometer stretch of highway is the sixth most congested freeway segment in the country and third most congested in California. Improvements include the reconstruction of an overpass bridge, reconfiguration of various on- and off-ramps, and the construction of an approximately 800 meters long elevated bypass.

Construction will commence in June 2023 and expected completion is June 2028.

For further information please contact:

Meghan Carvalho, Communications Manager, Skanska USA, +1 (951) 675-2337

Andreas Joons, Press Officer, Skanska AB, tel +46 (0)10 449 04 94

Direct line for media, tel +46 (0)10 448 88 99

This and previous releases can also be found at www.skanska.com.

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/95/3760050/2018682.pdf 20230428 US freeway improvements

SOURCE Skanska
SHANGHAI, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Unicorn CEO Conference 2023 and Unicorn Awards Dinner, hosted in Guangzhou on April 18th , saw Soul App join the Hurun Research Institute's Global Unicorn Index 2023, alongside ByteDance, Ant Group and OpenAI.

Across the global economy, unicorns (privately held startups valued at over US$1 billion) are considered a mirror of the growth potential of emerging enterprises and industry innovation capacity as well as a barometer of new economic development.

Soul App Listed on the Hurun Global Unicorn Index 2023

The rise of unicorns has transformed the way people live and consume, and their relentless innovation has fueled robust, sustainable industry development. Among those unicorns on the list, social network platform Soul App has consistently displayed high growth potential in recent years, garnering widespread market interest.

SOUL's updated prospectus reports that the average time spent per DAU (daily active user) on the app hit 46.4 minutes while 63.7% of MAUs (monthly active users) were active for at least 15 days in 2022, reflecting strong user stickiness. In the same year, Generation Z represented more than 78% of the MAUs on SOUL, cementing its status as one of the online products with the greatest penetration among younger generations.

The app has gone to great lengths to strengthen technological innovation and build a solid platform ecosystem, with an eye towards providing the optimal user experience. For instance, it has developed a suite of proprietary technologies in-house  in particular, its smart recommendation system Lingxi and 3D avatar rendering engine NAWA  and it will continue to develop new features centered around users' socializing needs as well as more diverse and immersive interaction scenarios to enhance its appeal to young users.

SOUL has two secret sauces for its strong showing. First, its expansive, sticky and highly active user base underpins steady growth. Second, a friendly, inclusive platform culture and a diverse, innovative range of engagements have attracted a young cohort of high-value users, who finally have a space to share their thoughts and emotions without holding back.

As unicorns attract deep-pocket capital and epitomize market vibrance, SOUL's appearance on the Global Unicorn Index underscores the strong momentum and bright prospects of China's social network industry.

SOURCE Soul App
ATLANTA, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Spelman College formally installed Helene D. Gayle, M.D., MPH, as its 11th President at the investiture ceremony held today, April 28, at the Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. International Chapel.

Helene D. Gayle, M.D., MPH, Investiture Ceremony Helene D. Gayle, M.D., MPH, Investiture Ceremony

During the ceremony, attended by Spelman's Board of Trustees, higher education peers, distinguished guests, family and friends, Dr. Gayle was officially bestowed the title of president. The inauguration theme of "Honoring Our Past, Claiming Our Future" paid homage to the great leaders that came before her, as well as her hope and vision for continued success of this storied institution.

During her inaugural address, Dr. Gayle acknowledged and thanked the past five Spelman presidents in attendance, as well as many individuals who have played an important role in her life. During her remarks she reaffirmed her commitment to Spelman and aspirations for the future

"I am here to honor the vision and mission of the founders," said Dr. Gayle. "I am here to continue the legacy of all the past presidents who made it possible for me to inherit an institution with few problems and many possibilities. I am here for the same reason this institution has always been here: to ensure there is a special place  that there will always be a special place  where a young Black woman with a dream of making the world better will be nurtured and affirmed, educated wholly, and encouraged to be and become her best and authentic self. It is an amazing calling. And I am humbled to accept this mantle of leadership."

Rosalind Gates Brewer, C'84, chair of the Spelman Board of Trustees and president and CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, presided over the investiture ceremony. Guest speakers included: Mary Schmidt Campbell, 10th president of Spelman College; David A. Thomas, president of Morehouse College; Sian Beilock, president of Barnard College; Charlayne Hunter-Gault, American Civil Rights activist and journalist; and Sylvia Mathews Burwell, president of American University.

Dr. Gayle began serving as the 11th president of Spelman College on July 1, 2022, following an extensive national search led by the Board of Trustees. She succeeded President Emerita Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., who served as president from 2015 - 2022.

The four-day line-up of inauguration events began on Thursday, April 27, with an academic symposium, a campus celebration following the investiture on Friday, day of service on Saturday, and will conclude on Sunday with an interfaith service at Spelman's historic Sisters Chapel, featuring an inauguration sermon by Bishop Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.

Dr. Gayle previously served as president and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust, one of the nation's oldest and largest community foundations, from October 2017 to June 2022. Under her leadership, the Trust adopted a new strategic focus on closing the racial and ethnic wealth gap in the Chicago region. For almost a decade, she was president and CEO of CARE, a leading international humanitarian organization. A pediatrician and public health physician with expertise in economic development, humanitarian, and health issues, she spent 20 years with the Centers for Disease Control, working primarily on HIV/AIDS. She led the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's programs on HIV/AIDS and other global health issues.

Dr. Gayle serves on public company and nonprofit boards, including The Coca-Cola Company, Organon, Palo Alto Networks, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Brookings Institution, Center for Strategic and International Studies, New America and the ONE Campaign. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, Council on Foreign Relations, American Public Health Association, National Medical Association, and American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr. Gayle is from Buffalo, N.Y. She earned a B.A. in psychology at Barnard College, an M.D. at the University of Pennsylvania, and an M.P.H. at Johns Hopkins University. She is a tenured Full Professor in the Department of Environmental and Health Sciences at Spelman College and has received 18 honorary degrees. She also holds faculty appointments at the University of Washington and Emory University.

For more information about the inauguration of Dr. Helene D. Gayle, or to watch the video broadcast, please visit www.spelman.edu/inauguration.

About Spelman College

Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a leading liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent. Located in Atlanta, the College's picturesque campus is home to 2,100 students. Spelman is the country's leading producer of Black women who complete Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The College's status is confirmed by the U.S. News & World Report, which ranked Spelman No. 51 among all liberal arts colleges, No. 19 for undergraduate teaching, No. 5 for social mobility among liberal arts colleges, and No. 1 for the 16th year among historically Black colleges and universities. The Wall Street Journal has ranked the College No. 3, nationally, in terms of student satisfaction. Recent initiatives include a designation by the Department of Defense as a Center of Excellence for Minority Women in STEM, a Gender and Sexuality Studies Institute, the first endowed queer studies chair at an HBCU, and a program to increase the number of Black women Ph.D.s in economics. New majors have been added, including documentary filmmaking and photography, and collaborations have been established with MIT's Media Lab, the Broad Institute and the Army Research Lab for artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Outstanding alumnae include Children's Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman, Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Rosalind Brewer, political leader Stacey Abrams, former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman's first alumna president Audrey Forbes Manley, actress and producer Latanya Richardson Jackson, global bioinformatics geneticist Janina Jeff and authors Pearl Cleage and Tayari Jones.

To learn more, please visit spelman.edu and @spelmancollege on social media.

SOURCE Spelman College
SAN JOSE, Calif., April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lincoln Law School of San Jose announced today that Steve Wozniak, technology innovator and cofounder of Apple Inc., will serve as keynote speaker for its Scholarship Gala on Friday, May 19th, at 6pm in the San Jose Grand Corinthian Ballroom. Cocktail hour will begin at 5pm. Tickets are available at www.lincolnlawschool.edu/gradgala.

Technology Visionary Steve Wozniak

"I am absolutely excited to keynote," said Steve Wozniak. "I feel great pride being able to drive by a law school in the city of my birth. While I receive many speaking invitations, Lincoln Law School touches my heart and senses keenly."

"We are thrilled to have Steve Wozniak join us," said Claude Fletcher, Chairman of the Board of Trustees. "His dedication to advancing technology and his commitment to social justice aligns perfectly with our mission."

Lincoln Law School of San Jose is a non-profit equal opportunity law school that provides legal education to those who may not otherwise have a chance to earn a law degree. With an 85% BIPOC and 71% female student body, the school is committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession. Notable graduates include Kenneth Fung, the first Chinese American ever admitted to the California Bar, and State Senator, Dave Cortese, among others. Prior Deans include Maya Harris, Hillary Clinton's Policy Advisor during her 2016 presidential campaign and 2020 presidential primary campaign chairperson for her sister, Kamala Harris.

"Learning to navigate the intersection between technology and the law is becoming increasingly important, especially in emerging areas like artificial intelligence," said Lincoln Law School Dean, Dr. Arthur Jue, "A visionary who revolutionized the computer industry, Steve Wozniak brings a unique perspective. His insights are sure to be fascinating and thought-provoking!"

This year's gala will be held in memory of Hon. Teresa Guerrero-Daley, a judge well known and beloved for her advocacy of justice and equality. Inaugural scholarships in Judge Daley's name will be awarded during the event.

The gala will be emceed by veteran NBC news anchor and tech reporter, Scott McGrew. It will also feature a silent auction and dancing. Proceeds will go to benefit student scholarships and academic programming. Businesses are encouraged to support Lincoln Law School's efforts to advance diversity in the legal profession by sponsoring the gala.

Contact:

Corrina Jennings, Marketing Director

408.209.3400

[email protected]

SOURCE Lincoln Law School of San Jose
The global tactical footwear market is driven by factors such as an increase in demand from military & law enforcement agencies, rise in interest in outdoor activities, and advancements in materials & manufacturing technologies.

PORTLAND, Ore., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Tactical Footwear Market by Product Type (Boots, Shoes), by End Use (Men, Women), by Sales Channel (Hypermarket and Supermarket, Online Stores, Specialty stores, Business to business, Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2031". According to the report, the global tactical footwear industry generated $1.6 billion in 2021, and is anticipated to generate $2.9 billion by 2031, witnessing a CAGR of 6.2% from 2022 to 2031.

Download Sample Copy of report: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/13437

Prime determinants of growth

The global tactical footwear market is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, driven by factors such as an increase in demand from military & law enforcement agencies, a rise in interest in outdoor activities, and advancements in materials & manufacturing technologies. However, tactical footwear production affects the environment, which in turn, restrains the market growth. Moreover, a rise in investment by major players to deliver quality trademark products to enhance precision, speed, safety, and performance in the field acts as a key driving force of the global tactical footwear market.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20222031 Base Year 2021 Market Size in 2021 $1.6 billion Market Size in 2031 $2.9 billion CAGR 6.2 % No. of Pages in Report 289 Segments covered Product, end use, sales channel, and region Drivers Increase in demand for tactical footwear from military personnel Rapid penetration of e-commerce platforms and strong distribution channels Opportunities Increase in investments by manufacturers to deliver high-quality trademark products Restraints Tactical footwear production effects on the environment

Covid-19 Scenario

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic had a moderate impact on the global tactical footwear market.

The shutdown of retail shops and disruption in the distribution chain affected the sales of tactical footwear.

Stringent regulations including nationwide lockdown and restriction on the movement led to disruption in the supply chain as well as a constraint on personnel movement.

However, the tactical footwear market is quickly reaching its pre-COVID levels, and a healthy growth rate is expected during the forecast period driven by the economic revival in most of the developing nations.

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The boots segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on product type, the boots segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than two-thirds of the global tactical footwear market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Boots are sturdy, strong, and durable, which make them ideal for use in unfavorable conditions such as extreme snowfall and heavy rainfall, which fuel their demand. However, the shoes segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 6.8% from 2022 to 2031. As they are frequently slick and fashionable, tactical shoes are a popular option for everyday wear. There is something to suit everyone's taste because they are available in a variety of colors and styles.

The men segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on end use, the men segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than four-fifths of the global tactical footwear market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to the high demand for quality performance in harsh circumstances while remaining comfortable and agile on the wearer's feet among mens. However, the women segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 7.5% from 2022 to 2031. This is attributed to the rising demand for fitness and healthy lifestyle in social environment among women.

The business-to-business segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period

Based on sales channel, business to business segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for nearly three-fifths of the global tactical footwear market revenue, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to the high demand for footwear in the armed force and police services. However, online stores is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 9.5% from 2022 to 2031. This is attributed to easy availability and the benefits such as information about the attributes of the products, time-saving features, and the facility of home delivery provided by online platform.

North America to maintain its dominance by 2031

Based on region, North America segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the global tactical footwear market revenue, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to the presence of key players and the surge in demand from people participating in adventurous activities in the region. However, Europe is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 7.0% from 2022 to 2031. The demand for tactical footwear has witnessed an upsurge in Russia and Ukraine as well as in other European countries.

Enquire before buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/13437

Leading Market Players: -

Adidas AG

Apex Global Brands

Asics Corporation

Belleville Boot Company

Garmont International S.r.l.

Maelstrom Footwear

Nike, Inc.

Puma SE

Under Armour, Inc.

5.11 Tactical

Military 1st

McRae Footwear

RNS Footwear Pvt. Ltd.

Qingdao Glory Footwear Co. Ltd

Elten Gmbh

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global tactical footwear market. These players have adopted different strategies such as collaborations, merger, partnership and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

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Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
CHICAGO, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE: TDS) and United States Cellular Corporation (NYSE: USM) will be webcasting their first quarter operating results conference call on May 5, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. central time.

The companies will release their financial results on May 4, 2023 after market close.

To listen to the webcast, please visit the events & presentations pages of investors.tdsinc.com or investors.uscellular.com. The presentations will be webcast both live and on-demand. It is recommended that you register at least 15 minutes before the beginning of the presentation to register, download and install any necessary multimedia streaming software.

About TDS

Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS), a Fortune 1000 company, provides wireless; broadband, video and voice; and hosted and managed services to approximately 6 million connections nationwide through its businesses, UScellular, TDS Telecom and OneNeck IT Solutions. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Chicago, TDS employed 9,300 people as of December 31, 2022.

For more information about TDS and its subsidiaries, visit:

TDS: www.tdsinc.com

UScellular: www.uscellular.com

TDS Telecom: www.tdstelecom.com

OneNeck IT Solutions: www.oneneck.com

SOURCE Telephone and Data Systems
Workers Approve Agreement Including Better Pay, Safety Protections

PALMDALE, Calif., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Amazon drivers and dispatchers voted unanimously to ratify their first union contract today, securing immediate safety protections and pay increases at the notoriously anti-worker company. The Teamster contract is the first union agreement covering workers in Amazon's massive delivery network.

The 84 workers at Amazon's Delivery Service Partner (DSP) Battle-Tested Strategies organized with Teamsters Local 396 in Los Angeles. Battle-Tested Strategies agreed to voluntarily recognize the union.

"These workers have been delivering Amazon packages as unionized drivers for a week now," said Randy Korgan, Teamsters Amazon Division Director and Teamsters Joint Council 42 Director of Organizing. "Fulfilling the promise of the contract will require fundamentally changing Amazon's exploitative business model and we will keep fighting until that happens. These drivers and dispatchers are showing that by building power in the workplace, you can take on the richest corporations and get what you deserve. We are proud to stand alongside them as fellow Teamsters."

"No one understands Amazon's business better than the workers who deliver their packages, and in Palmdale those workers are Teamsters now," said Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien. "Teamsters stand up to bullies and these workers stood up to one of the biggest corporate bullies on the planet. This win is historic, but it's only just the beginning. Amazon better pay attention because there's more to come."

"We shouldn't have to put our lives on the line to deliver Amazon packages in a heat wave," said Rajpal Singh, a driver. "We shouldn't have to worry about whether our kids will have enough to eat when we are working full time. We organized a union to protect ourselves and our families. The workers have spoken. Will Amazon listen?"

The union contract will bring driver wages to $30 per hour by September. It also guarantees the rights of workers to drive safe equipment and refuse unsafe deliveries. Under the contract, workers cannot be disciplined based solely on Amazon's dystopian surveillance technology.

The Amazon drivers organized with the Teamsters over concerns for their safety in extreme temperatures, which regularly exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit during Palmdale summers.

The contract preserves the workers' right to strike during the length of the agreement to enforce the contract and protect their safety.

"People don't realize how dangerous delivering for Amazon can be. We all have experiences with aggressive dogs or other close calls when making deliveries for Amazon. Now we have the right to refuse unsafe deliveries thanks to our union contract. Amazon needs to respect that," said Jessie Medina, a driver.

The workers also will receive paid holidays, including Martin Luther King Day, Cesar Chavez Day, and Juneteenth.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

Press Contact:

Kara Deniz, (202) 497-6610

[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
DUBLIN, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Energy/Electricity Futures, Options, and Derivatives" training has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This proven program is for energy and electric power professionals who are looking for a comprehensive and clearly explained understanding of natural gas, oil and electricity financial instruments, the markets they trade in, and how these powerful tools can be used to manage risk and structure profitable transactions.

What You Will Learn

How to use futures contracts, options, swaps, trigger deals, "The Master Energy Hedging Equation" and other techniques to create customized risk management solutions to protect your company from natural gas, oil and electricity price risk, basis & LMP risk, delivery risk and volumetric (intermittency) risk.

How physical and cash settled futures contracts, over-the-counter energy swaps and physical forward contracts are traded and the purposes served by these markets.

How the ICE and CME-NYMEX futures exchanges and electronic marketplaces function, and what the differences are between ICE OTC, ICE Futures, CME Globex, CME Clearport Services and The Nodal Exchange.

How "cash margining" is done with a futures exchange, its cash management impact and the role of the Clearinghouse.

What the differences are between a futures commission merchant ("FCM"), over-the-counter broker, trader, market-maker, power marketer and wholesale energy merchant.

What basis risk is, and how basis, spread, LMP and delivery risks can blow up your energy and electricity hedges.

Why Trigger Deals are so popular, and what the difference is between the financial and physical basis ("fin" and "phys").

How to structure profitable energy, electric power, and petroleum transactions without exposure to price risk; and how to financially turn one commodity into another.

How to make money by buying valuable energy options from your customers and suppliers, and how your company may be missing a significant financial opportunity.

Why "extendible" deals can be profitable, and how energy trading floors "trade around assets."

What the terms "Contango" and "Backwardation" mean.

What You Will Also Learn

What The Master Energy Trading Equation is, and why trading energy and electricity is different from trading financial products and other commodities.

The many different types of energy and electricity trading, why traders specialize, and the different ways energy traders can get an "edge" on the competition.

What the rationale, concepts and mechanics are for basis trading, spread trading, trading around assets and structured transactions.

The fundamentals of energy and electricity options, the implications of high energy price volatility, and why merchant energy and electric power assets are valuable Call options.

How to hedge energy and electricity price risk with CME-NYMEX options contracts, cash settled OTC options and physical peaking options; and how to create price caps, price floors and "no cost" collars.

How to calculate annualized volatility, the fundamentals of pricing options and why the Black and Black-Scholes models need to be modified to price energy and electricity options.

The put-call option parity equation, synthetic option positions and how to delta hedge.

What Tolling Deals, Asset Optionality, and the petroleum industry's "Carry Trade" are, and how they work.

Why a merchant fossil fuel generating plant is a call option on the spot spark spread, and you will learn a simple rule that will optimize your daily decisions on whether to use or idle an electric generator, storage facility or transportation asset.

How heat-rate-linked power transactions can effectively convert natural gas futures, options, and swaps into electric power financial instruments which can then be used to manage electricity risks or structure profitable transactions (optional additional class material offered at 4:30 pm on Day 1).

Who Should Attend:

Among those who will benefit from this seminar include energy and electric power executives; attorneys; government regulators; traders & trading support staff; marketing, sales, purchasing & risk management personnel; accountants & auditors; plant operators; engineers; and corporate planners. Types of companies that typically attend this program include energy producers and marketers; utilities; banks & financial houses; industrial companies; accounting, consulting & law firms; municipal utilities; government regulators and electric generators.

Prerequisites and Advance Preparation

This fundamental level group live seminar has no prerequisites. No advance preparation is required before the seminar.

Agenda

DAY ONE

Overview of the three different energy & electric power forward markets, terminology, the purposes served by these markets, price & spread hedgers and the basics of energy and electricity physical transactions.

The differences between futures commission merchants ("FCM"), over-the-counter brokers, traders, market-makers, and energy/power marketers.

The four different methods used to manage energy and electricity price, basis, spread, delivery, operational, and volumetric (intermittency) risks.

The dangers of liquidity risk, and when it can blow up a company.

What physically-settled energy futures contracts are; why only 1% of physical energy futures go to physical delivery and what the difference is between a physically-settled energy future contract and a physical forward contract.

How the CME and ICE futures exchanges are structured and the role of the CME and Ice Clear Clearinghouses.

How physically-settled and cash-settled energy futures contracts trade electronically on CME Globex and ICE Futures.

The broker account maintenance, margin deposit, cash management and "funding risk" issues associated with clearing a financial or physical energy transaction through the CME, Ice Clear or Nodal Exchange Clearinghouses.

LUNCH

How buyers and sellers hedge natural gas, crude oil, heating oil and gasoline price risk with CME physically-settled futures contracts.

The "political" risks of hedging and the factors that can weaken the effectiveness of a futures hedge.

How "Active Hedging", "Dynamic Hedging" and "Hedgulation" can hurt your company's hedging program.

What the difference is between the locational "basis" and a locational price spread.

The five different ways the term "basis" is used in the energy markets.

How the "Master Energy Hedging Equation" is defined, and what its implications are.

What basis risk is, and how it can destroy your futures hedges.

Two examples of natural gas "basis blowout" and how it relates to LMP spread risk in ISO electricity markets.

The difference between a commodity swap, contract-for-differences ("CFD"), cash-settled futures contract and cash-settled swap futures contract.

The definition and use of common energy/electricity cash-settled financial instruments including fixed-for-floating, penultimate, exchange-indexed, basis, index, swing, dart, outright swap and cash-settled futures products.

How buyers and sellers use cash-settled futures contracts and swaps to hedge natural gas, oil and electricity price, basis, spread, and LMP risk.

How buyers and sellers can use cash-settled financial instruments to turn natural gas into virtual oil or virtual electricity (And vice-versa); Day Ahead LMP into Real Time LMP (And vice-versa); An average of daily prices into a fixed or monthly index price; and many other forms of "slicing & dicing."

An overview of how the "ICE OTC" energy & electricity trading platform works.

What the differences are between ICE OTC, ICE Futures, CME Globex, CME Clearport Services CME Direct and The Nodal Exchange.

Where to find the four different Master Sales & Purchase Agreement templates which contain the standard industry bilateral contract language for physical & financial natural gas and electric power transactions.

How basis & spread swaps work; and how these swaps relate to cash-settled futures contracts.

The difference between the financial and physical locational basis ("fin" and phys").

What a "trigger deal" is, and why it is economically and politically efficient.

Why so many energy industry buyers and sellers outsource the execution of their hedges and risk management solutions.

How the "Master Energy Hedging Equation" is a simple and powerful way to quickly understand many different types of energy transactions and to quickly convert one form of transaction into another.

How the "Master Energy Hedging Equation" underlies the structure of a firm's energy trading books.

The basics of the "Value-at-Risk" ("VaR") calculation, and why to be careful.

Additional Electricity Material ( Optional Session at 4:30 pm ).

). How heat-rate-linked power transactions can convert natural gas futures, options, and swaps into electric power financial instruments which can then be used to hedge electricity risks or to structure profitable power deals.

DAY TWO

"Puts", "Calls", extrinsic value and other energy option terminology and concepts.

The difference between exchange-traded, over-the-counter and physical energy/electricity options.

What American, European and Asian style options are.

Why one should rarely exercise an option before its expiration date.

Mean reversion & price jumps--Why the Black and Black-Scholes option pricing models may not accurately price energy and electricity options.

The services often used to price energy options.

The methodology used to calculate "annualized volatility" for the energy markets.

The important implications of high energy price volatility

Why trading energy and electricity is different from the trading equities, bonds and other commodities.

The many different types of energy and electricity trading.

Why traders specialize, and the different ways energy traders can get an "edge" on the competition.

How the many types of energy & electricity trading can be summarized by one simple three dimensional graph and "The Master Energy Trading Equation."

Why many traders trade the 'basis" or price spreads, and how it works.

Why merchant energy and electric power assets are valuable Call options on spreads.

What asset "optionality" means.

What the terms "Contango" and "Backwardation" mean, and how the energy "carry trade" works.

Why having ownership or contractual control of physical energy assets gives a significant advantage to a trading company.

What "trading around assets" means

Why a merchant fossil fuel generating plant is a call option on the spot spark spread.

A simple rule that will optimize your daily decisions on whether to use or idle a merchant electric generator, storage facility or transportation asset.

What a "tolling deal" is.

What "structured transactions" are, and why they can be a "win/win" for all parties involved.

How energy and power marketers make money by buying valuable energy options from their customers and suppliers, and how your company may be missing a significant financial opportunity.

What "extendible" deals are, and why they are so profitable for energy marketing companies.

How to create price caps, price floors and "no cost" collars with energy options.

What the option "Greeks" are, and the basic concept of delta hedging.

The basics of the valuable put-call option parity equation,.

Four common "synthetic option" positions, and why it is valuable to know them.

Speakers:



John Adamiak

President

PGS Energy Training



John Adamiak is President and Founder of PGS Energy Training and an expert in energy derivatives and electric power markets. Mr. Adamiak is a well-known and highly effective seminar presenter who has over 20 years experience in the natural gas and electric power industries.

His background includes 15 years as a seminar instructor, 9 years of energy transaction experience, and 6 years of strategic planning and venture capital activities. John's academic background includes an M.B.A. degree from Carnegie Mellon University.



For more information about this training visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/tm6ahh

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
FUZHOU, China, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 6th Digital China Summit took place in the city of Fuzhou in East China's Fujian province on April 27, 2023. The event is co-hosted by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council and the Fujian Provincial People's Government.

A Glance at the 6th Digital China Summit

Themed "Accelerating Digital China Construction and Promoting Chinese Modernization", the summit of this year will focus on the latest achievements and best practices of digital China, and share development experiences, according to the Organizing Committee. The program of the summit includes the opening ceremony, the main forum and 20 sub-forums, highlighting on various topics such as digital silk road, data resources, digital government and smart energy. The summit will also host the Digital China Achievement Exhibition, the Digital Product Expo, the Digital China Innovation Contest, and a series of special events such as the Cloud Ecosystem Conference and the Artificial Intelligence Ecosystem Conference, aiming at further promoting the collaborative innovation and common development of the eco-chain in key industries.

The Digital China Summit has been successfully held in Fuzhou for five consecutive years. Over the past five sessions, the Summit has released nearly 100 major national policies and key reports, invited almost 1,500 exhibitors, held nearly 150 forums and seminars, and witnessed more than 1,300 experts and scholars delivering keynote speeches. At the same time, the Summit has organized almost 100 negotiations, facilitating the contract signing and the implementation of 1,976 digital economy projects with a total investment of nearly RMB 1.4 trillion.

Image Attachments Links:

Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=440482

Caption: A Glance at the 6th Digital China Summit

SOURCE The Organizing Committee of the 6th Digital China Summit
Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko considers it necessary to study the question of why the tendency to ban the use of the social network TikTok in public institutions in Western countries began.

"I once downloaded TikTok for two days before the war and then I realized: this is not for me, and not because it is not interesting, but because it is a completely different content. This is not Telegram channels, and this is not like other social networks. It is necessary to study the question of why such a trend has begun regarding the ban on the use of TikTok in public institutions," Tkachenko said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine, answering the question whether Ukraine sees the need to introduce the same restrictions for this social network as in a number of Western countries.

As reported, a number of countries have banned the use of TikTok apps on all government devices. In particular, similar initiatives have already been introduced in Australia, Denmark, and Canada. In addition, the TikTok application will be banned on the gadgets of officials in the United States, Estonia, the UK, as well as on corporate devices in the European Commission.
New collaboration supports data retrieval and input into the Open Data Commons for Spinal Cord Injury, a first step toward field-enabling knowledge sharing and data transparency

SHORT HILLS, N.J., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and the University of Alberta announced a joint three-year initiative, supported by a $250,000 Reeve Foundation grant, to accelerate open data via the Open Data Commons for Spinal Cord Injury (ODC-SCI). The initiative aims to facilitate data standardization, knowledge sharing and scientific replicability and translation to spur more pre-competitive therapeutic research opportunities and reduce fundamental challenges within the research community that slow progress.

University of Alberta logo

"Our partnership with the Reeve Foundation is an exciting next step in the development of the ODC-SCI, which has the potential to improve treatment for up to half a million people living with spinal cord injuries worldwide and also influence research in other areas of health, science and rehabilitation," said Karim Fouad, Ph.D., Professor, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine - Physical Therapy at the University of Alberta and the co-director of the ODC-SCI. "We're enthusiastic about working with the Reeve Foundation and the entire SCI research community to grow the availability of open-source SCI data for the benefit of all those impacted by SCI and paralysis."

The ODC-SCI was established in 2017 by researchers at the University of Alberta and the University of California, San Francisco, with support from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, Wings for Life Spinal Cord Research Foundation and International Spinal Research Trust. It serves as a dedicated data sharing portal and repository for the field of SCI. Through the ODC-SCI, academics, scientists and industry peers can share data in a protected space and publish data directly to the public with a digital object identifier (DOI), making it easily searchable via the internet. The ODC-SCI also complies with the FAIR data principles: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable for both humans and machines.

"The Reeve Foundation is committed to increasing transparency throughout the field of SCI research. Success in advancing real-world therapies that improve quality of life requires shared resources and information," said Marco Baptista, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at the Reeve Foundation. "Our partnership underscores a critical sea change in the field, where scientists and others prioritize progress over individual and organizational interests."

Increasing transparency systematically  around lab gains and failures  helps remove long-entrenched barriers to discovery, eliminating time wasted duplicating unsuccessful hypotheses and allowing researchers to refine or redirect their focus as more data becomes publicly available. Most significantly, data sharing supports more expansive success throughout the field, accelerating drug discovery and device development as more pieces of the puzzle become visible to everyone.

The Reeve Foundation-University of Alberta partnership further supports evolving national and international policies that emphasize the importance of open data. In late January, the National Institutes of Health announced its requirements for data management and sharing plans for all research generating scientific data. In the coming years, the US government's open data requirements will expand to cover all scientific disciplines receiving federal research grants. Other funders in the European Union and Asia are also establishing country-specific data sharing obligations.

"Despite these swift-moving policy changes, data sharing is still a new and somewhat daunting concept for many SCI researchers. Lack of unified data sets, data entry expertise and time and budget constraints contribute to paucity, especially when a manuscript associated with data to be shared was published in the past," adds Dr. Baptista.

Thus, this partnership seeks to address such barriers and maximize the investment of SCI foundations through the position of a Data Recovery Specialist who will serve as the primary liaison between laboratories and the ODC-SCI, helping manage and reformat data and perform data checks.

"We're eager to see the volume of open SCI data grow over the next three years. Our partnership with Dr. Fouad and the University of Alberta represents an important step for the Foundation toward field-enabling research investments, whereby impact extends beyond the scope of discrete studies so that the SCI community can benefit from faster and more effective science," said Dr. Baptista.

About the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta in Edmonton is one of the top teaching and research universities in Canada, with an international reputation for excellence across the humanities, sciences, creative arts, business, engineering and health sciences. The university and its people remain dedicated to the promise made in 1908 by founding President Henry Marshall Tory that knowledge shall be used for "uplifting the whole people."

About the Reeve Foundation

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research and improving the quality of life for individuals and families impacted by paralysis. By uniting the brightest minds in the field, we are working tirelessly to accelerate scientific discovery across the field of spinal cord research by investing in labs across the globe. Additionally, through a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living, the Reeve Foundation's National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC) promotes the health, well-being, and independence of people living with paralysis, providing comprehensive information, resources, and referral services assisting over 120,000 individuals and families since its launch in 2002. The Reeve Foundation is committed to elevating our community's voices and needs to achieve greater representation and independence. We meet all 20 of the Better Business Bureau's standards for charity accountability and hold the BBB's Charity Seal. For more information, please visit www.ChristopherReeve.org or call 800-225-0292.

SOURCE Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
A roundup of the week's most newsworthy culture press releases from PR Newswire, including a new report of women's experiences in the workplace

NEW YORK, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help journalists covering different cultural groups stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a roundup of stories from the week that shouldn't be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

PR Newswire Weekly People & Culture Press Release Roundup, April 24-28, 2023. Photo provided by Honda. https://prn.to/3V6ujGj

Read more of the latest culture-related releases from PR Newswire and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @PRNmltcult on Twitter.

Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News

These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists.

Once they're signed up, reporters, bloggers and freelancers have access to the following free features:

Customization: Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more.

Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Photos and Videos: Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story.

Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story. Subject Matter Experts: Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles.

Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles. Related Resources: Read and subscribe to our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, for media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more.

About PR Newswire and PR Newswire for Journalists

For more than 65 years, PR Newswire has been the industry leader with the largest, most comprehensive distribution network of print, radio, magazine, television stations, financial portals and trade publications. PR Newswire has an unparalleled global reach of more than 200,000 publications and 10,000 websites and is available in more than 170 countries and 40 languages.

PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ) is an exclusive community that includes over 20,000 journalists, bloggers and influencers who are logging into their PRNJ accounts specifically looking for story ideas. PR Newswire thoroughly researches and vets this community to verify their identity as a member of the press, blogger or influencer. PRNJ users cover more than 200 beats and verticals.

For questions, contact the team at [email protected].

SOURCE PR Newswire
A roundup of the week's most newsworthy policy and public interest press releases from PR Newswire, including a campaign to boost pet adoptions and the latest hurricane preparedness guide.

NEW YORK, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help journalists covering the policy and public interest industries stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a roundup of stories from the week that shouldn't be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

PR Newswire Weekly Policy & Public Interest Press Release Roundup, April 24-28, 2023. Photo provided by Hill's Pet Nutrition. https://prn.to/3AyauhJ

Read more of the latest policy-related releases from PR Newswire and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @PRNpolicy on Twitter.

Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News

These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists.

Once they're signed up, reporters, bloggers and freelancers have access to the following free features:

Customization: Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more.

Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Photos and Videos: Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story.

Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story. Subject Matter Experts: Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles.

Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles. Related Resources: Read and subscribe to our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, for media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more.

About PR Newswire and PR Newswire for Journalists

For more than 65 years, PR Newswire has been the industry leader with the largest, most comprehensive distribution network of print, radio, magazine, television stations, financial portals and trade publications. PR Newswire has an unparalleled global reach of more than 200,000 publications and 10,000 websites and is available in more than 170 countries and 40 languages.

PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ) is an exclusive community that includes over 20,000 journalists, bloggers and influencers who are logging into their PRNJ accounts specifically looking for story ideas. PR Newswire thoroughly researches and vets this community to verify their identity as a member of the press, blogger or influencer. PRNJ users cover more than 200 beats and verticals.

For questions, contact the team at [email protected].

SOURCE PR Newswire
NEW YORK, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Turning Rock Partners ("TRP" or "Turning Rock"), a private investment firm based in New York, announced the close of a $45 million senior secured credit facility to support the medical technology solutions provider MedShift. MedShift is a founder owned and led company based in Charlotte, NC and founded in 2015.

Turning Rock's structured loan to the company was contributed as part of a broader $108M financing round led by management and existing shareholders. Turning Rock Partners targets debt, equity and hybrid investments in underserved or capital constrained lower-middle market businesses in North America. TRP structures bespoke financing solutions for companies across the private market landscape.

Turning Rock's structured loan to the company was contributed as part of a broader $108M financing round. Tweet this

"Turning Rock was able to provide a structured debt solution to support the company's growth," said Turning Rock Senior Managing Director Erin Andrew. "Our capital investment and insights helped develop a strong working relationship with the management team of the innovative and tech-enabled medical equipment business and set them up for continued growth. We thank all the parties involved for a successful outcome. Notably, we also wanted to thank our Senior Advisors on the deal, Alex Jung and Dan Nalawade, who provided invaluable insights on the business."

"We thank Turning Rock for its support and for being an engaged partner during this period of growth," said MedShift Executive Chairman and Co-Founder Brian Phillips. "Turning Rock's appreciation for high growth, technology focused businesses was paramount in our decision to partner."

For more information, please visit Turning Rock Partners' website: www.turningrockpartners.com. For Turning Rock investor relations, please contact [email protected].

About Turning Rock Partners:

Turning Rock Partners (TRP) targets debt, equity and hybrid investments in underserved or capital constrained lower-middle market businesses in North America. TRP structures bespoke financing solutions for companies across the private market landscape. For more information, please visit Turning Rock Partners' website: www.turningrockpartners.com. For Turning Rock investor relations, please contact [email protected].

About MedShift:

MedShift, a medical technology company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Charlotte, NC, is an emerging leader in the healthcare industry. MedShift is one of the largest and fastest growing solution providers to the aesthetic industry and is differentiated by its technology and software as a service focus. The company brings opportunities to drive growth and scale to medical device manufacturers as well as individual medical providers across various markets, including Dermatology, Gynecology, Plastic Surgery, and MedSpa. MedShift's business is centered around three technology divisions, Specialty Device Subscription, Connected Medical Device (IoT), and the Velocity Technology Suite (Enterprise Software as a Service), and a range of complementary products and services that streamline the complex supply-and-demand landscape of device consumables and injectables. MedShift's mission is to drive business transformation and power sales through the use of modern technology. The company currently has partnered with 25 aesthetic manufacturers and distributors, a portfolio of 80+ devices and over 2,000 active medical providers.

Media Contact:

Kate Shepherd

[email protected]

317-442-1674

SOURCE Turning Rock Partners
Cobb to also announce live podcast event coming to Denver in June

DENVER, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Coming off the heels of a 2023 NAACP Image Awards nomination for Outstanding Society & Culture Podcast for 'Comeback: with Erica Cobb', TV host Erica Cobb is excited to announce her platform is partnering with daytime talk show 'Daily Blast Live', known as 'DBL', for a special episode airing on Friday, April 28, 2023.

The live podcast event will take place in Denver, Colorado at Varone Market Venue. Tweet this Comeback: with Erica Cobb -- A Live Podcast Event Photo Image Comeback: with Erica Cobb podcast logo

The episode will feature guests who embody the spirit of the 'Comeback: with Erica Cobb' brand, which is all about folks who are getting ready and staying ready for their next chapter. 'Comeback: with Erica Cobb' is a weekly podcast featuring testimony teachers, experts, and celebrities sharing their biggest comebacks and providing listeners with tools and inspiration to help them on their own comeback journeys.

The 'Comeback' episode of 'Daily Blast Live' will feature the following guests:

Andre Norman who is known as "The Ambassador of Hope". Norman was sentenced to more than 100 years in prison for trying to kill eight people in 1985. While in prison, he taught himself to read and studied law to the point he was able to appeal his own conviction.

who is known as "The Ambassador of Hope". Norman was sentenced to more than 100 years in prison for trying to kill eight people in 1985. While in prison, he taught himself to read and studied law to the point he was able to appeal his own conviction. Caitlin Conner has completed seven triathlons, competed on a weightlifting team, became the first U.S. woman amputee competitive boxer, and won nine medals at the Texas Regional Games, an annual competition for athletes with disabilities. She did it all after spending several weeks in the hospital following a motorcycle crash in which she was hit by a driver who was texting. Following the crash, Caitlin learned she was pregnant and had to choose between saving her baby or saving her leg. She saved the baby and now has a healthy daughter and runs a nonprofit.

Ramona Pierson is Co-Founder and CEO of Declara, a startup using artificial intelligence to power its collaborative knowledge platform. Her story is one of perseverance after a drunk driver hit her and left her for dead at age 22. She was in a drug-induced coma for 18 months. After rehabilitation, she slowly started to rebuild her life.

During the special episode of 'Daily Blast Live', Cobb will announce her 'Comeback with Erica Cobb: A Live Podcast Event' happening on June 16, 2023. The live podcast event will take place in Denver, Colorado at Varone Market Venue. It will feature special guests, food, and bazaar-style shopping including beauty, clothing, and skincare vendors.

Erica Cobb is a co-host on 'Daily Blast Live'. 'DBL' brings viewers the latest trending stories in a real, honest, entertaining, and live format each weekday. You can check your local listings at www.dailyblastlive.com/listings

SOURCE Comeback with Erica Cobb
CHICAGO, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- North Park senior Chase Friel and graduate Joel Beyar C'22 have been named recipients of the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program award.

Friel, a double-major in biblical and theological studies and politics and government, will use her Fulbright grant to pursue a Master's Degree in Inequalities, Interventions, and New Welfare State at the University of Turku in Finland. During the two-year program, she will receive a full-tuition scholarship and additional funds to pursue studies and research on social policy and intervention design.

Joel Beyar, who received a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Arabic Studies, will use his Fulbright award to work in the Middle Eastern country of Jordan as an English teaching assistant at a local school. He will also receive funding to continue studying the Arabic language.

In addition, Theodore Hallam C'22, was named as a Fulbright semifinalist and will receive a smaller award to work as an English teaching assistant in Lithuania.

Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected in an open, merit-based competition that considers leadership potential, academic and/or professional achievement, and record of service. Their careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands of Fulbright alumni, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Notable Fulbright alumni include 62 Nobel Prize laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize recipients, 78 MacArthur Fellows, and 41 who have served as a head of state or government.

More than 2,000 diverse U.S. students, artists, and early career professionals in more than 100 different fields of study receive Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards annually.

For further information about the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State, please visit https://fulbrightprogram.org or contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Press Office at [email protected].

ABOUT NORTH PARK UNIVERSITY

North Park University is city-centered, intercultural, and emerging as the model for Christian higher education in 21st Century America.

SOURCE North Park University
Known for its spectacular customer experience, United Regions Van Lines provides exceptional service during a normally stressful time.

MILWAUKEE, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- United Regions Van Lines is known for its extreme commitment to exceptional customer service that makes moving a breeze for thousands of Americans. With professionally-trained movers and the newest equipment and moving trucks, United Regions Van Lines has earned its outstanding reputation over 25 years of service. United Regions Van Lines believes in reliability, speed, and professionalism for every single move, no matter how far or large.

United Regions Van Lines Applauded for 5-Star Customer Service

Top-Notch Equipment

Many moving companies use old, outdated equipment and moving trucks that cause jostling during transportation, resulting in scratches and dings. Even in packaging services, United Regions Van Lines provide superior protection with higher quality materials like rigid packing boxes and professionally trained staff who know how to handle fragile items in small spaces. Teams use the right packing materials for each item, and moving trucks are newer vehicles designed for smooth long-distance drives. Plus, United Regions Van Lines has a unique security system of biometrics and video surveillance that keeps valuables protected. An experienced moving coordinator is determining the best route for travel plus monitors for any unforeseen circumstances that might arise.

Richard of Maryland explained that United Regions Van Lines offered the best suggestions for moving hard-to-maneuver large furniture pieces. He said, "We hired this company for a particularly complicated move because we felt they were the only ones who would be able to handle it without charging an exorbitant rate. A couple of other companies that suggested the same thing gave us ridiculously expensive estimates. We hired this team and they pulled it off exactly as planned without any incident."

Highly-Trained Movers

Unfortunately, most moving companies hire the cheapest labor, resulting in broken items, ruined belongings, lost cargo, and an overall disappointing customer experience. United Regions Van Lines requires workers to be company certified with a minimum of 2 years of commercial experience, ensuring the most professional movers and packers are working with customers. Movers are highly skilled, offering premium "white glove" experience as well as specialized packing services.

Stuart of St. Augustine, Florida said, "The moving crew was excellent in the care that they took. There were no scratches on my floor and walls both in the new house and the old."

Innovative Service

Many long-distance moving companies have been doing the same process for years without improving the customer experience. This often causes frustration in an inefficient booking process, unclear quotes, or haphazard service. United Regions Van Lines works tirelessly to provide a hassle-free booking experience and clear, transparent quotes.

Allan of Maryland wrote, "We had the perfect moving experience, thanks to the great team at United Nation Van Lines. They were punctual and hardworking, as well as very polite to us."

According to Salesforce Research, 89% of customers will return to make another purchase after a positive customer experience, and United Regions Van Lines takes this principle to heart. Thousands of customers recommend their service to friends and family, and thousands of happy movers have left positive reviews on top review websites.

"Moving is often a stressful yet exciting time of someone's life, and it shouldn't mean sub-par service, broken items, and lost belongings," said NAME, TITLE at United Regions Van Lines. "We love knowing that we've helped turn a difficult, frustrating time into a smooth experience for thousands of clients over the years."

Trusted by customers during one of the most pivotal times of their lives, United Regions Van Lines offers general and fragile packing and handling, assembly and disassembly, storage solutions, packing materials, vehicle relocation, and transfers to multiple locations. Their services are completely comprehensive, eliminating the need for multiple movers, and using a single point of contact, movers can relocate across the country without a hiccup. Plus, for incredible quality and customer service, United Regions Van Lines aims for competitive, affordable pricing, helping you make your move within your budget.

Shin V. of the United States recently reviewed 5-stars and said, "If you're looking for a moving company that truly cares about your move, look no further than United Regions Van Lines. Their team provided excellent customer service from start to finish, ensuring everything was taken care of to my satisfaction. Their packing services were also fantastic, using high-quality materials to keep all my belongings safe and secure. I highly recommend their services for anyone looking for a smooth and stress-free move."

To learn more about United Regions Van Lines' long-distance moving services, get a free quote today. Explore high-quality relocation and packing services, and receive the best moving experience on the market with United Regions Van Lines.

Media Contact:

Jonathan Bleach

(877) 770-1707

[email protected]

SOURCE United Regions Van Lines
DUBLIN, April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Today's U.S. Electric Power Industry, Renewable Energy, ISO Markets, and Power Transactions" training has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

If you want to better understand the U.S. electric power industry and the different ways power is bought and sold, this in-depth seminar is for you.

This program provides a comprehensive and clear explanation of the structure, function, and current status of today's U. S. electric power industry; the many industry topics listed below; ISO day-ahead energy auctions, and detailed examples of how physical and financial (virtual) power transactions, power purchase agreements (PPAs), tolling, and heat rate deals are done.

Each part of this complex industry will be explained piece by piece, and then the pieces will be integrated so that you will leave the seminar with an understanding of "how it all fits together."

Who Should Attend:

Among those who will benefit from this seminar include energy and electric power executives; attorneys; government regulators; traders & trading support staff; marketing, sales, purchasing & risk management personnel; accountants & auditors; plant operators; engineers; and corporate planners. Types of companies that typically attend this program include energy producers and marketers; utilities; banks & financial houses; industrial companies; accounting, consulting & law firms; municipal utilities; government regulators and electric generators.

What You Will Learn

The properties and terminology of electricity - current, power, var, voltage, etc (pre-seminar reading material)

The electric service system, and how it works

The structure and function of the North American power grids.

How control areas and balancing authorities function to "keep the lights on."

The pros, cons, and levelized costs of different types of electric generation

Fundamentals of utility cost-of-service regulation, open access markets

Why utilities sometimes resist renewable energy, distributed energy resource (DER"), rooftop solar, and conservation projects.

The various industry participants are and what their roles are.

Federal vs state regulatory conflicts, and why restructuring today's power industry and the building new power lines is such a complicated task.

The difference between regulated and merchant high voltage power lines, and what FERC market-based transmission rates are.

The structure and functions of ISOs, RTOs, the Western Energy Imbalance Market ("WEIM"), and the new Southeast Energy Exchange Market ("SEEM").

How ISO day-ahead energy auctions work, and how they add value to the power industry

What locational marginal pricing (LMP) is, and why LMP is used

What demand response ("DR"), distributed energy resources ("DER"), and battery energy storage systems ("BESS") are, and how these resources can be aggregated to form virtual power plants.

The challenges and opportunities facing wind energy, solar, batteries, demand response, and DER and other renewables.

Why understanding generation reserve margin, forward capacity markets, capacity payments, resource adequacy, and California's "FRACMOO" is important.

"FRACMOO" is important. A summary of today's key industry issues and where the U. S. electric power industry is headed, including a discussion of the interconnection queues, renewable energy, and the building of new transmission lines.

The difference between auctions and bilateral bulk power markets

Introduction to bilateral energy and electricity markets: Important concepts and terminology

The difference between brokers, ICE OTC, futures exchanges, market-makers, traders, and power marketers, and how they add value.

Four different ways to manage price, price spread, and asset development risk.

The fundamentals of bilateral physical power transactions and important deal-making terminology.

How power marketers and traders use "seller's choice" to create virtual trading hubs.

The standard industry contracts used for physical and financial power transactions, how to buy transmission service using OASIS, how to schedule delivery using NERC tags, and how financial "book-outs" work. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

Financial power contracts, commodity swaps, CFDs, FTRs. CRRs, and ISO Incs, Decs, and virtual/convergence bidding. Includes examples

How financial power contracts work in combination with ISO day-ahead energy auctions to create a win/win situation, and why few power marketers or traders ever go to physical delivery within and ISO footprint.

How power marketing is done within an ISO location, how power can be "transported" virtually, NITS, TAC, UCAP, and ancillary services charges, and how FTRs, CRRs, and swaps can help hedge basis risk. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

The different types of heat rates and spark spreads, and why they are important.

The difference between power purchase agreements ("PPAs") and "Tolling Deals." Includes detailed Appendix and deal Term Sheet.

The magic of how heat rate transactions can be used to hedge electricity risk and structure profitable deals. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

Key Topics Covered:

DAY ONE

The properties and terminology of electricity - current, power, var, voltage, etc (pre-seminar reading material)

The electric service system, and how it works

The structure and function of the North American power grids.

How control areas and balancing authorities function to "keep the lights on."

The pros, cons, and levelized costs of different types of electric generation

Fundamentals of utility cost-of-service regulation, open access markets

Why utilities sometimes resist renewable energy, distributed energy resource (DER"), rooftop solar, and conservation projects.

The various industry participants are and what their roles are.

Federal vs state regulatory conflicts, and why restructuring today's power industry and the building new power lines is such a complicated task.

The difference between regulated and merchant high voltage power lines, and what FERC market-based transmission rates are.

The structure and functions of ISOs, RTOs, the Western Energy Imbalance Market ("WEIM"), and the new Southeast Energy Exchange Market ("SEEM").

How ISO day-ahead energy auctions work, and how they add value to the power industry

What locational marginal pricing (LMP) is, and why LMP is used

What demand response ("DR"), distributed energy resources ("DER"), and battery energy storage systems ("BESS") are, and how these resources can be aggregated to form virtual power plants.

The challenges and opportunities facing wind energy, solar, batteries, demand response, and DER and other renewables.

Why understanding generation reserve margin, forward capacity markets, capacity payments, resource adequacy, and California's "FRACMOO" is important.

"FRACMOO" is important. A summary of today's key industry issues and where the U. S. electric power industry is headed, including a discussion of the interconnection queues, renewable energy, and the building of new transmission lines.

DAY TWO

The difference between auctions and bilateral bulk power markets

Introduction to bilateral energy and electricity markets: Important concepts and terminology

The difference between brokers, ICE OTC, futures exchanges, market-makers, traders, and power marketers, and how they add value.

Four different ways to manage price, price spread, and asset development risk.

The fundamentals of bilateral physical power transactions and important deal-making terminology.

How power marketers and traders use "seller's choice" to create virtual trading hubs.

The standard industry contracts used for physical and financial power transactions, how to buy transmission service using OASIS, how to schedule delivery using NERC tags, and how financial "book-outs" work. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

Financial power contracts, commodity swaps, CFDs, FTRs. CRRs, and ISO Incs, Decs, and virtual/convergence bidding. Includes examples

How financial power contracts work in combination with ISO day-ahead energy auctions to create a win/win situation, and why few power marketers or traders ever go to physical delivery within and ISO footprint.

How power marketing is done within an ISO location, how power can be "transported" virtually, NITS, TAC, UCAP, and ancillary services charges, and how FTRs, CRRs, and swaps can help hedge basis risk. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

The different types of heat rates and spark spreads, and why they are important.

The difference between power purchase agreements ("PPAs") and "Tolling Deals." Includes detailed Appendix and deal Term Sheet.

The magic of how heat rate transactions can be used to hedge electricity risk and structure profitable deals. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

Speakers:



John Adamiak

President

PGS Energy Training



John Adamiak is President and Founder of PGS Energy Training and an expert in energy derivatives and electric power markets. Mr. Adamiak is a well-known and highly effective seminar presenter who has over 20 years experience in the natural gas and electric power industries. His background includes 15 years as a seminar instructor, 9 years of energy transaction experience, and 6 years of strategic planning and venture capital activities. John's academic background includes an M.B.A. degree from Carnegie Mellon University.



For more information about this training visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/p81duq

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Today's U.S. Electric Power Industry, Renewable Energy, ISO Markets, and Power Transactions" training has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

If you want to better understand the U.S. electric power industry and the different ways power is bought and sold, this in-depth seminar is for you.

This program provides a comprehensive and clear explanation of the structure, function, and current status of today's U. S. electric power industry; the many industry topics listed below; ISO day-ahead energy auctions, and detailed examples of how physical and financial (virtual) power transactions, power purchase agreements (PPAs), tolling, and heat rate deals are done.

Each part of this complex industry will be explained piece by piece, and then the pieces will be integrated so that you will leave the seminar with an understanding of "how it all fits together."

Who Should Attend:

Among those who will benefit from this seminar include energy and electric power executives; attorneys; government regulators; traders & trading support staff; marketing, sales, purchasing & risk management personnel; accountants & auditors; plant operators; engineers; and corporate planners.

Types of companies that typically attend this program include energy producers and marketers; utilities; banks & financial houses; industrial companies; accounting, consulting & law firms; municipal utilities; government regulators and electric generators.

What You Will Learn

The properties and terminology of electricity - current, power, var, voltage, etc (pre-seminar reading material)

The electric service system, and how it works

The structure and function of the North American power grids.

How control areas and balancing authorities function to "keep the lights on."

The pros, cons, and levelized costs of different types of electric generation

Fundamentals of utility cost-of-service regulation, open access markets

Why utilities sometimes resist renewable energy, distributed energy resource (DER"), rooftop solar, and conservation projects.

The various industry participants are and what their roles are.

Federal vs state regulatory conflicts, and why restructuring today's power industry and the building new power lines is such a complicated task.

The difference between regulated and merchant high voltage power lines, and what FERC market-based transmission rates are.

The structure and functions of ISOs, RTOs, the Western Energy Imbalance Market ("WEIM"), and the new Southeast Energy Exchange Market ("SEEM").

How ISO day-ahead energy auctions work, and how they add value to the power industry

What locational marginal pricing (LMP) is, and why LMP is used

What demand response ("DR"), distributed energy resources ("DER"), and battery energy storage systems ("BESS") are, and how these resources can be aggregated to form virtual power plants.

The challenges and opportunities facing wind energy, solar, batteries, demand response, and DER and other renewables.

Why understanding generation reserve margin, forward capacity markets, capacity payments, resource adequacy, and California's "FRACMOO" is important.

"FRACMOO" is important. A summary of today's key industry issues and where the U. S. electric power industry is headed, including a discussion of the interconnection queues, renewable energy, and the building of new transmission lines.

The difference between auctions and bilateral bulk power markets

Introduction to bilateral energy and electricity markets: Important concepts and terminology

The difference between brokers, ICE OTC, futures exchanges, market-makers, traders, and power marketers, and how they add value.

Four different ways to manage price, price spread, and asset development risk.

The fundamentals of bilateral physical power transactions and important deal-making terminology.

How power marketers and traders use "seller's choice" to create virtual trading hubs.

The standard industry contracts used for physical and financial power transactions, how to buy transmission service using OASIS, how to schedule delivery using NERC tags, and how financial "book-outs" work. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

Financial power contracts, commodity swaps, CFDs, FTRs. CRRs, and ISO Incs, Decs, and virtual/convergence bidding. Includes examples

How financial power contracts work in combination with ISO day-ahead energy auctions to create a win/win situation, and why few power marketers or traders ever go to physical delivery within and ISO footprint.

How power marketing is done within an ISO location, how power can be "transported" virtually, NITS, TAC, UCAP, and ancillary services charges, and how FTRs, CRRs, and swaps can help hedge basis risk. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

The different types of heat rates and spark spreads, and why they are important.

The difference between power purchase agreements ("PPAs") and "Tolling Deals." Includes detailed Appendix and deal Term Sheet.

The magic of how heat rate transactions can be used to hedge electricity risk and structure profitable deals. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

Agenda

DAY ONE

The properties and terminology of electricity - current, power, var, voltage, etc (pre-seminar reading material)

The electric service system, and how it works

The structure and function of the North American power grids.

How control areas and balancing authorities function to "keep the lights on."

The pros, cons, and levelized costs of different types of electric generation

Fundamentals of utility cost-of-service regulation, open access markets

Why utilities sometimes resist renewable energy, distributed energy resource (DER"), rooftop solar, and conservation projects.

The various industry participants are and what their roles are.

Federal vs state regulatory conflicts, and why restructuring today's power industry and the building new power lines is such a complicated task.

The difference between regulated and merchant high voltage power lines, and what FERC market-based transmission rates are.

The structure and functions of ISOs, RTOs, the Western Energy Imbalance Market ("WEIM"), and the new Southeast Energy Exchange Market ("SEEM").

How ISO day-ahead energy auctions work, and how they add value to the power industry

What locational marginal pricing (LMP) is, and why LMP is used

What demand response ("DR"), distributed energy resources ("DER"), and battery energy storage systems ("BESS") are, and how these resources can be aggregated to form virtual power plants.

The challenges and opportunities facing wind energy, solar, batteries, demand response, and DER and other renewables.

Why understanding generation reserve margin, forward capacity markets, capacity payments, resource adequacy, and California's "FRACMOO" is important.

"FRACMOO" is important. A summary of today's key industry issues and where the U. S. electric power industry is headed, including a discussion of the interconnection queues, renewable energy, and the building of new transmission lines.

DAY TWO

The difference between auctions and bilateral bulk power markets

Introduction to bilateral energy and electricity markets: Important concepts and terminology

The difference between brokers, ICE OTC, futures exchanges, market-makers, traders, and power marketers, and how they add value.

Four different ways to manage price, price spread, and asset development risk.

The fundamentals of bilateral physical power transactions and important deal-making terminology.

How power marketers and traders use "seller's choice" to create virtual trading hubs.

The standard industry contracts used for physical and financial power transactions, how to buy transmission service using OASIS, how to schedule delivery using NERC tags, and how financial "book-outs" work. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

Financial power contracts, commodity swaps, CFDs, FTRs. CRRs, and ISO Incs, Decs, and virtual/convergence bidding. Includes examples

How financial power contracts work in combination with ISO day-ahead energy auctions to create a win/win situation, and why few power marketers or traders ever go to physical delivery within and ISO footprint.

How power marketing is done within an ISO location, how power can be "transported" virtually, NITS, TAC, UCAP, and ancillary services charges, and how FTRs, CRRs, and swaps can help hedge basis risk. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

The different types of heat rates and spark spreads, and why they are important.

The difference between power purchase agreements ("PPAs") and "Tolling Deals." Includes detailed Appendix and deal Term Sheet.

The magic of how heat rate transactions can be used to hedge electricity risk and structure profitable deals. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

Speakers:



John Adamiak

President

PGS Energy Training



John Adamiak is President and Founder of PGS Energy Training and an expert in energy derivatives and electric power markets. Mr. Adamiak is a well-known and highly effective seminar presenter who has over 20 years experience in the natural gas and electric power industries. His background includes 15 years as a seminar instructor, 9 years of energy transaction experience, and 6 years of strategic planning and venture capital activities. John's academic background includes an M.B.A. degree from Carnegie Mellon University.

For more information about this training visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/4oy56n

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
CHICAGO, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Is there a link between Agent Orange and bladder cancer? Do automobile mechanics, shoemakers and painters have a higher risk of bladder cancer? Can your bladder cancer get worse by smoking?

Researchers will be presenting these bladder cancer and environmental exposure study findings at the 118th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association. Martha Terris, MD, Professor of Surgery at the Medical College of Georgie at Augusta University, will moderate a virtual press session featuring the following three abstracts.

Urologists explore environmental exposures and bladder cancer at AUA2023.

Stephen Williams, MD, from the University of Texas Medical Branch, examined the relationship between Agent Orange exposure and bladder cancer risk in Vietnam Veterans. "Association Between Agent Orange Exposure and Risk of Bladder Cancer: A Nationwide Cohort Study."

Stella Koutros, PhD, MPH, from the National Cancer Institute, evaluated exposure to solvents and risk of bladder cancer in 1182 incident cases and 1408 controls from a population-based study. "Occupational exposure to organic solvents and risk of bladder cancer."

Hannah Kay, MD, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill investigated the association between current smoking status and Health Related Quality of Life measures among bladder cancer patients following their cancer diagnosis. "Impact of smoking on longitudinal health related quality of life measures among bladder cancer survivors."

"Research like this is important for all clinicians to hear because it shows the innovation of the field of urology," said Dr. Terris. "There is a lot of unknown between certain environmental exposures and bladder cancer so new data needs to be disseminated."

NOTE TO REPORTERS: Presenting authors and moderators are available to discuss their findings. To arrange an interview with an expert, please contact the AUA Communications Team at [email protected].

About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology and has nearly 24,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy.

Media Contact:

Corey Del Bianco, Corporate Communications and Media Relations Manager

410-689-4033, [email protected]

SOURCE American Urological Association
The time has come to include an expert assessment of how the state should interact with the Telegram social network, Ukrainian Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko believes.

"Telegram has created a community within itself that is closed from society, at a time when all media falling under the law on media are open, their owners are known, there is certain reporting, etc. Therefore, Telegram is a matter that requires a real expert discussion," Tkachenko said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine, answering a question about whether the ministry has a vision of how to treat Telegram in connection with its growing popularity.

The minister noted that the advantage of this social network is in the rapid delivery of information, including for the population located in the temporarily occupied territories.

"On the other hand, there are anonymous Telegram channels and a lot of Russian activities there. In addition, Telegram has no feedback. Whatever it is on Facebook or Google, but it is - we at least know who to contact. Who to contact on Telegram is a difficult question," he added.

When asked whether any state control or ban will be introduced regarding Telegram, the minister noted that he did not talk about a ban, but rather about a certain regulation.

"Because Telegram channels collect funds, and we don't know if they pay taxes - this is the first question. The second is again in terms of transparency, ownership, cooperation with society and understanding how this interaction takes place," Tkachenko added.

At the same time, the minister noted that the so-called Telegram regulation is still under discussion at the "let's talk" level. "But I think that the time has come to conclude an expert assessment of how the state should interact with Telegram," he stressed.

In addition, when asked if the ministry had already communicated with Telegram on any issues, Tkachenko complained that the department had invited the social network to dialogue, but they were not making contact there. "They don't need it, because they are completely out of the regulation zone. They are not interested, they exist in their own 'bubble.' We take this opportunity to invite them to a dialogue," the minister added.

As for the rumors about the connection of Telegram with the Russian special services, the head of the department said that the authorities did not have accurate information.

"It's quite difficult to make sure that there are traces of the FSB or someone else there. But the fact that there is no communication with Telegram raises many questions and doubts," Tkachenko summed up.
CHICAGO, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Is kidney stone information on TikTok reliable? Is alkaline water better than tap water for uric acid stone patients? Do videos on social media align with AUA recommendations?

Researchers will be presenting these kidney stone study findings at the 118th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association. Brian Inouye, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery/Urology at Albany Medical Center, will moderate a virtual press session featuring the following two abstracts.

Urologists explore kidney stone information on social media and alkaline water for uric acid stone patients at AUA 2023.

Paul Piedras, from University of California, Irvine, analyzed five commercially available alkaline water products to assess their electrolyte and organic anion composition. "Alkaline Water: Help or Hype for Uric Acid Stone Patients?"

Bassel Salka, from University of Michigan, evaluated the reach and quality of kidney stone prevention information on TikTok. "TikTok as an Education Tool for Kidney Stone Prevention."

"The incidence of kidney stones in the United States is increasing, and patients who have a stone for the first time have a high likelihood of forming another one. While the American Urological Association has guidelines to manage the prevention of stone formation, social media presents a platform for additional recommendations that may not be beneficial," said Dr. Inouye. "By highlighting the lack of evidence of popular social media content, we will find a need to continue to popularize our guidelines with the public to prevent recurrent stone formation and its impact on patients and healthcare."

NOTE TO REPORTERS: Presenting authors and moderators are available to discuss their findings. To arrange an interview with an expert, please contact the AUA Communications Team at [email protected].

About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology and has nearly 24,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy.

Media Contact:

Corey Del Bianco, Corporate Communications and Media Relations Manager

410-689-4033, [email protected]

SOURCE American Urological Association

SOURCE American Urological Association
CHICAGO, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Which YouTube videos can you trust talking about penile augmentation? Has the average size of a penis increased? Are there meaningful differences in drug choice for men with coronary artery disease and erectile dysfunction?

Researchers will be presenting these sexual health study findings at the 118th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association. Petar Bajic, MD, Assistant Professor of Urology at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, will moderate a virtual press session featuring the following four abstracts.

Urologists explore online educational content, erectile dysfunction drug choices and physical therapy to treat premature ejaculation at AUA 2023.

Federico Belladelli, MD, from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, characterized the trend of penile length over time. "Worldwide temporal trends in penile length: a systematic review and meta-analysis."

Nicolas Seranio, MD, from Stanford Health Care, investigated the quality and reliability of YouTube videos on the topic of penile augmentation. "Size Matters: Characterizing penile augmentation content from 100 YouTube videos."

Albert Ha, MD, from Columbia University, demonstrated that tadalafil, with its high affinity to PDE5 receptors compared with sildenafil, may provide greater clinical benefits in reducing major adverse cardiac events. "Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitor Use and Progression to Heart Failure in Men with Coronary Artery Disease and Erectile Dysfunction."

Antonio Luigi Pastore, MD, from Sapienza University of Rome, studied the long-term follow-up outcomes of pelvic floor muscle (PFM) rehabilitation in males suffering from lifelong premature ejaculation (LPE). "Long term follow-up outcomes of pelvic floor rehabilitation in subjects suffering from lifelong premature ejaculation: retrospective multicentre study."

"A number of exciting new studies in the area of Sexual Health are being presented at AUA2023. Highlights include a study showing commonly prescribed erectile dysfunction treatments reduce life-threatening cardiovascular diseases, and another study utilizing physical therapy to treat premature ejaculation," said Dr. Bajic. "Online educational content for penile enhancement and ejaculation are shown to promote non-evidence-based techniques and concepts, raising alarms on the dissemination of medical misinformation."

NOTE TO REPORTERS: Presenting authors and moderators are available to discuss their findings. To arrange an interview with an expert, please contact the AUA Communications Team at [email protected].

About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology and has nearly 24,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy.

Media Contact:

Corey Del Bianco, Corporate Communications and Media Relations Manager

410-689-4033, [email protected]

SOURCE American Urological Association
CHICAGO , April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- What is MV140 and how does it help prevent rUTI? How many women experience financial toxicity when getting treated for urinary incontinence? Can women trust information about UTIs on YouTube?

Researchers will be presenting these women's health study findings at the 118th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association. Wai Lee, MD, Director of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery at the Smith Institute for Urology, will moderate a virtual press session featuring the following three abstracts.

Urologists explore treatments for recurrent UTIs, the financial burden of UTIs and UTI information on social media at AUA 2023.

J. Curtis Nickel, MD, from Queen's University, evaluated MV140, a novel bacterial sublingual vaccine for prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections. "MV140 sublingual vaccine reduces risk of recurrent urinary tract infection (rUTI) in North American women: Results from the first North American clinical experience study."

Benjamin Green, from Montefiore Medical Center, performed the first study to characterize financial toxicity associated with the treatment of urinary incontinence. "Evaluation of Financial Toxicity Associated with Urinary Incontinence Treatment."

Lynn Stothers, MD, from University of British Columbia, documented the quality, veracity, and comprehensiveness of recurrent UTI information on YouTube to increase health care workers' awareness of UTI-related content online. "Misconceptions about women with recurrent urinary tract infection in YouTube educational videos; Incongruence with AUA guidelines - health equity findings."

"Urinary incontinence and recurrent urinary tract infections are prevalent, yet impactful conditions that disproportionately affect women. For our media session, we wanted to highlight contemporary research on the financial toxicity of urinary incontinence treatment and share the promising results of a clinical trial evaluating a vaccine used to treat recurrent urinary tract," said Dr. Lee. "Another goal is to shed light on the misinformation encountered by the public related to recurrent urinary tract infections, by discussing a study on YouTube educational videos and their incongruence with the guidelines set out by the American Urological Association. We hope our viewers find our session informative and thought provoking."

NOTE TO REPORTERS: Presenting authors and moderators are available to discuss their findings. To arrange an interview with an expert, please contact the AUA Communications Team at [email protected].

About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology and has nearly 24,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy.

Media Contact:

Corey Del Bianco, Corporate Communications and Media Relations Manager

410-689-4033, [email protected]

SOURCE American Urological Association
DUBAI, UAE, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Following Gulfood Dubai 2023, the world's largest food exhibition that took place earlier this year, Vinamilk has announced plans to participate in other trade promotion events such as Japan Foodex Fair, and FHA Singapore Fair, International SME Fair in Guangzhou, China to seek new export opportunities, as well as developing new sales channels in existing ones.

Vinamilks booth attracts many visitors at Gulfood Dubai 2023 Vinamilks partner is satisfied with the companys products and services Vinamilks milk powder products have been introduced to new markets across the region

Despite economic uncertainty, Vinamilk, Vietnam's leading dairy brand and the sixth most valuable dairy brand globally, has shown its determination to expand its global reach by actively seeking new export markets. Underlining Vinamilk's expansion plans, the dairy manufacturer has secured a total value of USD 100 million for the company's six-month export plan, in which the Middle Eastern region has accounted for 85%.

With a population of approximately half a billion people spanning 17 countries, the Middle East has been one of Vinamilk's key export markets since 1997. In some Middle Eastern countries, Vinamilk's baby products, especially Dielac milk powder and RiDielac baby nutrition powder have been very well-received and trusted by consumers across the region.

The demand for dairy products has consistently increased despite the region's various challenges and business environments. Vinamilk and its partners seek to meet these growing demands with innovative solutions that enable consumers to access high-quality products at competitive prices while providing them with the required essential nutrition, such as the infant formula product Dielac Premature.

Vinamilk's primary partner in the Middle East, Zia Ahmad Mohd Asmail, shared, "We have been in business with Vinamilk for the past ten years when we started with the Afghanistan market. They provide good service and quality products. We want to expand and make Vinamilk products accessible to consumers across the region."

In addition, Vinamilk's main export products, such as Dielac milk powder, Ridielac nutritional powder, condensed milk, Probi drinking yogurt, and coconut drink, have been introduced to new markets across the region.

Actively participating in trade activities enhances Vinamilk's exposure to the world and contributes to promoting Vinamilk's position in the dairy industry. "This year, potential partners actively came looking for us because they had previously known Vinamilk as the sixth largest brand value in the world," a Vinamilk representative shared at Gulfood Dubai.

Despite humble origins in Vietnam, a country that does not have a long history in the dairy industry, Vinamilk has grown to be the country leading dairy manufacturer, with 13 farms that supply a capacity of more than one million liters of raw milk per day. Aside from the Vietnam market, Vinamilk also exports to 58 other countries and territories worldwide, with accumulated export revenue of USD 3 billion.

For more information, visit www.vinamilk.com.vn/en.

About Vinamilk

Headquartered in Vietnam, Vietnam Dairy Products JSC (Vinamilk) is the leading national dairy company specializing in dairy products and juices for the domestic market and exports to over 58 countries with total export revenue of more than $3 billion. It is the 36th largest dairy company in the world in terms of revenue, with a brand value in the Top 10 most valuable global brands. Vinamilk currently manages 13 farms with a supply capacity of up to 1 million liters of fresh milk daily.

International Business Contact: Mr. Vo Trung Hieu, [email protected]

Media Contact: Ms. Pham Hong Hanh, [email protected]

SOURCE Vinamilk
Zelenskyy after missile attack on Uman: Russian terror can only be defeated by sanctions, jail terms

Russian terror can only be defeated by sanctions and fair [prison] sentences, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted on Friday.

"Uman... The rubble is still being cleared. There are already 13 dead. Two of them are children that cant be identified. The fate of their parents is unknown... The rescuers will work until they make sure that no one else is left under the rubble," he wrote.

"We can defeat Russian terror together only - with weapons for Ukraine, the toughest sanctions against the terrorist state, and fair sentences for the Russian killers," Zelenskyy stressed.
Reznikov: I will not say if Patriot system used at night

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said that he could not confirm or deny the use of Patriot air defense systems by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine this night during a massive Russian missile attack.

"I won't tell you if they (Patriot air defense systems) were used at night, because then it will be clear where they are. If the Air Force command decides later to say that they used them somewhere, then we will notify," the minister said at a press conference on Friday.

In addition, he recalled that it was planned to train the Ukrainian military to use the systems for 10 months, but they mastered the Patriot in 10 weeks.

Earlier it was reported that Ukraine received Patriot air defense systems provided from the United States, Germany and the Netherlands. Two divisions are already deployed.
Aden : , April 28 (IANS) A senior commander of Yemen's government forces was killed in a roadside bomb blast in the country's southern province of Abyan, a security official told an international news media portal.

"Fawzi Shaif Bakri, who served as the commander of the third battalion of the government Security Belt forces, died due to a roadside bomb that went off close to the convoy he was travelling in," the local security official said on condition of anonymity on Thursday.

He added that the explosion also wounded three of his guards, Xinhua news agency reported.

The injured guards were immediately transported to a nearby hospital to receive medical treatment, according to the official.

Tensions have been escalating in Abyan as al-Qaida gains a foothold in the region, exploiting the current instability caused by the years-long military conflict raging in Yemen.

The Yemen-based al-Qaida terror group has been responsible for a surge in attacks against government forces, intelligence officials, and military infrastructure, further exacerbating the already dire situation in the war-ravaged Arab country.

In an effort to combat the mounting terror threat, government forces backed by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition conducted several large-scale military operations on al-Qaida hideouts in recent months.

However, the Yemeni government forces have not been successful in eliminating the terror groups entrenched in various mountainous areas of Abyan and other neighbouring southern provinces.

Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthi rebels fighting against the internationally-recognised government and its allies, which include a Saudi Arabia-led coalition.
United Nations, April 28 : Ahead of an international meeting convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on dealing with the Taliban, the Security Council in a rare show of unanimity has voted unanimously to condemn the regime's ban on women working for the world organisation in Afghanistan.

The Council resolution adopted on Thursday also expressed "deep concern at the increasing erosion of respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls" and demanded that the Taliban "swiftly reverse" the restrictions placed on them.

Special representatives for Afghanistan from several countries are scheduled to convene on May 1-2 in Doha for the meeting to be chaired by Guterres to work out a united approach to deal with the Taliban.

India was one of about 20 countries from Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America invited to the meeting.

The unanimous adoption of the Council resolution proposed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Japan and co-sponsored by about 90 countries underlines the Taliban regime's isolation and signals international unity before the Doha meeting.

The UAE's Permanent Representative Lana Zaki Nusseibeh said: "This cross-regional support makes our fundamental message today even more significant: the world will not sit by silently as women in Afghanistan are erased from society.

"The resolution also makes it clear that stability, economic recovery, and political reconciliation is not possible in Afghanistan without the inclusion of Afghan women and girls." The US Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs Robert Wood called the Taliban's edicts on women "indefensible" and said, "Muslim-majority countries have spoken out against the Taliban's rationale for these decisions".

The Taliban invokes the Islamic Sharia law to justify its actions.

"In January, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation emphasized that Islamic law calls for women's education, work, and participation in public life," Wood said.

The Taliban extended its ban to about 600 Afghan women working for the UN earlier this month.

In protest, the UN asked all its employees -- about 2,700 Afghan men and 600 international workers, including 200 women who were exempt from the ban -- to stay home, disrupting the humanitarian work in the country.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Russia's Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia, who presided over the Council meeting said: "We are happy that we were unanimous, but we were not completely happy because there is the resolution did not reflect all the issues relating to Afghanistan." Russia's reservation, also shared by China, was that the resolution did not demand that the US release the $7 billion Afghan Central Bank money frozen by it after the August 2021 Taliban takeover of the war-torn nation.

Washington has set up a $3.5 billion trust fund for Afghanistan out of the frozen accounts in Switzerland to allow some of it to be used for that country.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, April 28 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to approach former Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Satya Pal Malik on Friday in connection with an alleged bribery case of Rs 60 crore.

The case pertains to a health insurance scheme that he was allegedly asked to push, but had cancelled when he was the Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Malik had claimed that he was offered a bribe for clearing the files during his tenure as the J&K Governor between August 23, 2018 and October 30, 2019.

The CBI team is likely to visit his home to record his statement and gather more information.

Last year, the CBI had lodged a case in this respect and conducted raids in six states.

On March 23, 2022 a letter was received from Dr Mohammad Usman Khan, JKAS, Deputy Secretary, General Administration Department, Government of J&K regarding a matter of malpractice in awarding a contract for the Employees Health Care Insurance Scheme to Reliance General Insurance Corporation Limited.

"The allegations mentioned in the written communication prima facie disclosed that unknown officials of Finance Department of Govt. of J&K by abusing their official position in conspiracy and connivance with Trinity Reinsurance Brokers Ltd., Reliance General Insurance Company Ltd. and other unknown public servants committed the offences of Criminal Conspiracy and Criminal Misconduct to cause pecuniary advantage to themselves and caused wrongful loss to the state exchequer during the period 2017 and 2018 and thereby in this manner cheated the Govt of J&K," a CBI source said.

After preliminary inquiry, the CBI lodged a case under sections 120-B read with sections 420 of RPC and Section 5(2), Section 5(1)(d) of J&K PC Act.

(Atul krishan can be approached at atul.k@ians.in)
After the end of the war with the Russian Federation, the number of players in the Ukrainian media market will decrease, and the market itself will be very difficult to recover, said Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko.

"Now, with my colleagues, including with the help of our Western partners, we will do research on forecasts. Of course, there will be the reformatting of the market, many media will either close or change their profile, accents. The main thing for us is not to lose the media market, because the fall differs in its different segments. The biggest drop is in television. Therefore, we can say for sure: the number of players will be smaller, and the market itself will be very difficult to recover," Tkachenko said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

The minister stressed that in this regard, some state support or support from partner countries will be required.

Asked whether the media market will remain the prerogative of big business after the war or whether the state can be expected to stimulate the development of independent media, Tkachenko said that he could not say yet.

"It is unlikely that anyone will make a more accurate forecast for you. But the fact that the number of players will be smaller and the market will not recover quickly and the help of both partner countries and the state will be required is a fact," the minister summed up.
Cairo, April 28 : Egypt has received more than 16,000 foreigners fleeing the deadly violence in neighbouring Sudan, including over 14,000 Sudanese national, the Foreign Ministry in Cairo said in a statement.

The foreigners are from 50 countries and six international organisations, Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said in the statement.

"The Egyptian efforts continue around the clock to facilitate the reception of citizens fleeing military clashes in Sudan, work to alleviate their suffering, and provide them with the necessary humanitarian assistance," Xinhua news agency quoted Abu Zeid as saying.

Egypt has managed to evacuate 2,679 Egyptians from Sudan as of Wednesday, official data showed.

The armed conflict that broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forves (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15 has killed at least 459 people and injured more than 4,000 others so far, according to the World Health Organization.

In the latest development, the SAF and RSF have agreed to extend the existing ceasefire, which expired at midnight Thursday, for three more days.

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the Army's general commander, gave initial approval for the extension late on Wednesday for another 72 hours, the SAF said in a statement, reiterating it unilaterally approved the truce extension.

In response, the RSF said that it agreed "to extend the humanitarian truce for an additional 72 hours" starting at midnight Thursday.

"We reaffirm our commitment to the terms of the humanitarian truce, considering the circumstances of the Sudanese people and to facilitate the evacuation of diplomatic and foreign nationals," the statement added.

The current truce failed to stop fighting in the Sudanese capital Khartoum and other regions, but it created a lull for foreign countries to evacuate their diplomats and citizens from the conflict-ravaged country.
Jerusalem, April 28 : The Israeli Army said that soldiers shot and killed a knife-wielding Palestinian who attempted to ram people at a junction near a Jewish settlement in the West Bank.

Surveillance camera footage circulated on social media showed the suspect arriving in his car at the Gitai Avisar Junction on Thursday outside the Jewish settlement of Ariel, reports Xinhua news agency.

He was then seen stepping out of the car and approaching a policeman before soldiers shot him dead.

The Israeli military said in a statement that the suspect "first deviated to the opposite lane of the road and attempted to ram civilians and security personnel who were at the junction".

"Afterward, he exited his vehicle while carrying a knife and attempted to stab a police officer." Soldiers who were in the area opened fire toward him, the army confirmed.

No injuries were reported among the Israelis.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Ministry of Health identified the victim as 39-year-old Ahmad Taha but did not provide any additional details on the incident.

Also on Thursday, dozens of Palestinians gathered in the West Bank village of Ain al-Bayda to protest against the Israeli settlers' assaults on their properties, Palestinian sources said.

Local Palestinian sources said that the demonstrators chanted slogans against settlers, and Israeli soldiers fired teargas to disperse them.

The latest incidents come amid a surge in Israeli-Palestinian violence this year.

Since the start of this year, more than 90 Palestinians -- militants and civilians -- have been killed by Israeli forces.

Eighteen Israelis, a Ukrainian and an Italian -- all civilians, except for an Israeli paramilitary police officer -- have been also killed in attacks by (or suspected to have been carried out by) Palestinians and, in one case, an Israeli Arab.
Mogadishu, April 28 : The European Union (EU) has launched a program aimed at supporting political stabilisation and reconciliation in Somalia.

The rapid nationwide stabilisation program, which runs for 18 months, will contribute to rebuilding crucial government infrastructure, such as police posts and stations, and installation of solar streetlights in the newly liberated areas, Xinhua news agency quoted the EU as saying in a statement on Thursday.

The program will rehabilitate damaged water infrastructure, including boreholes, nature-based water catchments, and other water-related activities in response to reported damage caused by attacks by the al-Shabab terror group, said the bloc, noting that the program will also enhance peacebuilding in newly liberated areas.

"We are delighted to launch this program and to contribute towards political stabilisation and reconciliation in Somalia. We are confident that this program will help the government establish services to the people," said Tiina Intelmann, the Ambassador of the EU to Somalia.

Minister of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation of Somalia Ahmed Fiqi welcomed this program.

"We fully support this program and its ability to foster overall stabilisation within Somalia," Fiqi was quoted as saying in the statement.
Seoul, April 28 : South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating inched down slightly but remained at the 30 per cent level after his remarks on Ukraine and Taiwan raised tensions with Russia and China, a new poll revealed on Friday.

In the poll of 1,001 adults aged 18 or over conducted by Gallup Korea from Tuesday to Thursday, positive assessment of Yoon's performance inched down 1 percentage point from the previous week to 30 per cent, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The President's disapproval rating was 63 per cent, up 3 percentage points from the previous week.

In the latest poll, diplomacy was the factor most cited by respondents in giving either positive or negative assessments of Yoon's performance.

The pollster suggested that this may have been influenced by Yoon's recent interview with Reuters, where he signaled a shift away from the country's policy of providing only non-lethal aid to Ukraine.

In the interview, the President also expressed opposition to changing the status quo by force with regard to tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

Both Russia and China bristled at the remarks.
Kolkata, April 28 : Although the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has summoned a bureaucrat and two police officials from West Bengal to New Delhi for explanation in connection with the rape and murder case of a minor girl at Kaliyaganj in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district, it is unclear whether they will appear before the commission or not.

Sources from the state secretariat said that although they have heard about the commission sending the summons to the said officials, any decision on whether they will be appearing before it in the national capital will be taken by the highest administration of the state after reviewing the contents of the summons.

The three officers summoned by NCSC are: North Dinajpur district magistrate Arvind Kumar Mina, Superintendent superintendent of Police of the same district Sana Akhtar and the Inspector General of Police (north Bengal) DP Singh. They have been asked to appear at the commission's office at New Delhi within seven days.

NCSC's vice chairman Arun Halder has alleged that when the commission's team visited the area where the tragic incident took place, the entire administration resorted to "non-cooperation" and hence the commission has decided to summon them to New Delhi and seek their explanation in the matter.

Already Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed dissatisfaction over the commission's team visiting Kaliyaganj and said the teams from different national panels are coming to the state even on minor incidents.

For the last few days tension is brewing in Kaliyaganj, and on Tuesday, pockets in the belt turned into virtual battlefields following clashes between the police forces and agitators protesting over the rape and murder of the minor girl.

Governor C. V. Ananda Bose has already sought a report from the state government on the matter.

Meanwhile on Thursday, Calcutta High Court's single-judge bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha has sought a report from the state government on the case.

Justice Mantha also directed the state government to furnish a copy of the said report to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).
Beirut, April 28 : Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar has called on Turkey to exchange information about the displaced Syrians returning home from Ankara with authorities in Beirut.

During his meeting with Ankara's Ambassador to Beirut Ali Baris Ulusoy, the Minister expressed his concern that the Syrian refugees returning home from Turkey would be displaced again and pile into Lebanon, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We fear that the Syrians returning from Turkey to Syria will flee again to Lebanon if an agreement is reached between the Syrian and Turkish sides," Hajjar said.

Hajjar said he hopes that Ankara will exchange information about the displaced Syrians returning from Turkey to Syria with the Lebanese General Security.

The two officials noted that the two countries are both concerned about facing heavy repercussions due to the great number of displaced Syrians on their lands.

The Lebanese government on Wednesday tightened regulations on Syrian refugees as tensions between the displaced and the local citizens continues to grow.

According to the UN Refugee Agency, Lebanon is currently facing its worst socioeconomic crisis in decades and hosts the highest number of refugees per capita and per square kilometre worldwide.

The government estimates 1.5 million Syrian refugees and 13,715 refugees of other nationalities.

Ninety per cent of Syrian refugees are living in extreme poverty, with the majority of them settled in the Bekaa region.

While prices are skyrocketing due to a severe economic crisis, almost half of the Lebanese and 2/3 of the 1.5 million Syrian refugees are food insecure.

Some 90 per cent of Syrians, 73 per cent of Palestinian refugees, and over 50 per cent of Lebanese households currently need assistance.

Lebanon has struggled to deal with emergencies like the Beirut port blast, Covid-19, and a cholera outbreak earlier this year.
Kolkata, April 28 : Normal life was hit in the eight districts of North Bengal on Friday after a 12-hour bandh call was given by the BJP over the alleged killing of a Rajbangshi youth and party activist Mrityunjay Burman in police firing at Kaliyaganj in north Dinajpur district.

In Cooch Behar district, clashes broke out between the ruling Trinamool Congress and opposition BJP activists on Friday morning. The BJP leadership alleged that goons backed by the ruling party unleashed unprovoked attacks on their supporters while the latter were undergoing peaceful picketing in support of the 12-hour bandh.

However, Trinamool Congress leadership said the clashes broke out after the local people protested against the forceful attempts by the BJP supporters to disrupt normal life in the district over the bandh. The ruling party leadership also alleged that the BJP supporters pelted stones at buses carrying passengers to enforce the bandh.

At places in Cooch Behar district, the BJP supporters were seen resorting to road blockades and protesting by burning tyres.

Clashes between police forces and the BJP supporters have also been reported from the Jalpaiguri district.

As Trinamool Congress's national general secretary and the party Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee is supposed to hold a public meeting in the district on Friday, there has been a massive deployment of police force in the district. Since Friday morning, the security personnel tried to prevent the BJP supporters from enforcing the bandh, which resulted in clashes in certain pockets of the district.

A total of 16 BJP supporters, including the party legislator from the Kumargram Assembly constituency in Jalpaiguri district, were arrested by the police on Friday morning while they were picketing in support of the bandh.

Tension also broke out at Siliguri, the prime township in Darjeeling district as the BJP supporters led by the local party legislator Shankar Ghosh started protesting by sitting in front of the police vehicles. This led to a scuffle between the police personnel and agitating BJP supporters. Ghosh was arrested later. "Police are working as agents of the ruling party. A Rajbangshi youth was shot by police. BJP had the courage to hit the streets in protest," Ghosh said.

Stray incidents of clashes either between the ruling and opposition party activists or between the police personnel and bandh supporters were also reported from other districts in north Bengal, namely Malda and North Dinajpur.

The North Bengal development minister Udayan Guha alleged that the BJP supporters being isolated from the people in general are resorting to such hooliganism to enforce the bandh. "But this will isolate them from people further," he said.
Jaipur, April 28 : After powering Rajasthan Royals past the 200-run mark with his fiery 15-ball 34 and playing a crucial hand in a 34-run victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK), young batter Dhruv Jurel revealed his mantra as a player is to bat and let other things take care of themselves.

Jurel had played a couple of blistering innings in the first half of IPL 2023 and on Thursday at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, he smashed three fours and two sixes in his quick cameo which gave Rajasthan much-needed momentum in the fag end of their innings.

"I'm very feeling really good and happy that we won the match. It's a much-needed win for us. My mantra is to bat, and rest will take care of itself. I just played the situation and I've done three-four hours of batting every day," he said in the post-match press conference.

Jurel also gave a glimpse into his mindset while batting, saying he aims to utilise whatever balls are left in the innings to try and change the course of the match in hi' side's favour.

"I make sure I'm getting something from my batting. This is a spot which was given by the management, so I practice like that.

"It doesn't feel like if I'm getting runs or I have less amount of balls, I've to score big runs, it doesn't matter. I have to hit six for every ball because I've done so many times, so I couldn't ask myself to do what I haven't done in my batting practice," he added.

Rajasthan had come into the match on the back of defeats to Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Jurel thought the side wasn't able to make the most out of crunch moments, which led to those defeats.

"I don't think we lack anything in the team. Every game is different, and we have different scenarios. We sometimes lack things in those moments, and that is where we lose. But what is important is that we learn from it and get better in the future matches," he added.

Jurel was run out by a bullseye throw from Chennai skipper M.S. Dhoni. But he chose to look at the positive side and called himself lucky to have been sharing the same field with the legendary wicketkeeper-batter.

"I'm fortunate enough to share the field with MS Dhoni. Since childhood, I have always dreamt of it while watching him represent the nation. I don't feel the pressure; I feel motivated. He's behind me, and he's watching me, that's enough for me." On top of the points table, Rajasthan will now face five-time winners Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday evening.

Latest updates on IPL 2023
San Francisco, April 28 : Vice Media is laying off more than 100 employees as part of restructuring its global organisations, along with shutting down its Vice News Tonight broadcast, reports said.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the embattled media company has been looking to sell itself for several months.

"We are transforming VICE News to better withstand market realities and more closely align with how and where we see our audiences engaging with our content most," co-CEOs Bruce Dixon and Hozefa Lokhandwala said in a note to staff seen by WSJ.

Vice World News produces digital and TV news content for international audiences.

Vice said Vice News would be its singular news brand worldwide, effectively putting an end to the Vice World News brand. Vice Media earlier this year secured $30 million in debt financing from Fortress Investment Group.

At its peak, Vice was valued at nearly $6 billion. Last month, reports said that Group Black had submitted a bid to buy Vice for about $400 million. Last week, popular news outlet Insider announced to lay off 10 per cent of its workforce that includes staff writers.

The layoffs reflect a media market still adjusting to a struggling economy. The Pulitzer Prize-winning news arm of BuzzFeed.com is also being shut down, CEO Jonah Peretti announced. The media outlet said that it is reducing the workforce by approximately 15 per cent across business, content, tech and admin teams, and beginning the process of closing BuzzFeed News.

Several media outlets, like ABC News, NPR, Vox Media, CNN and others have laid off staff members in recent months.
Kochi, April 28 : Mollywood pan-India star Prithviraj Sukumar's hit film 'Jana Gana Mana' is celebrating its first anniversary Friday, and Prithviraj Sukumaran couldn't help but feel nostalgic.

"Jana Gana Mana will always stay with me. It's unbelievable that the film has completed a year. It was an incredible experience working with Dijo. The excitement we went throughout the shoot is still fresh in my mind. The film received immense love and appreciation, and even today it continues to receive praise. I am glad the audience liked my work and I hope they keep showering their love."

'Jana Gana Mana' had struck a chord with audiences with its unique plot and stellar performances. Apart from Prithviraj Sukumaran, the film included co-stars like Suraj Venjaramoodu and Mamta Mohandas.

The film, which was released amid considerable anticipation, lived up to the hype and garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews from both critics and audience.

This film displayed a strong patriotic tone that resonated with the audience. The movie had been a hit with the audience, becoming one of the highest-grossing film of the year in Malayalam.

On the work front, Prithviraj Sukumaran has a busy year ahead with the release of 'Salaar', 'Bade Miya Chote Miya', 'Aadujeevitham' and apart from this he will work on his own directorial venture 'L2: Empuraan'.

-- Syndicated from IANS
The ambassadors of the member states of the European Union have supported the extension of trade liberalisation with Ukraine, the Swedish Presidency of the EU reported on its Twitter page.

"Coreper [the Permanent Representatives Committee] just supported a renewal of Regulation on temporary trade liberalisation supplementing trade concessions under the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. This will support Ukraines economy following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine," they said.

Further, this decision shall be approved by the European Parliament, followed by a formal decision of the European Council. The procedure shall be completed by the end of May.

A day earlier, on Thursday, the European Parliament's International Trade Committee gave its green light to renew the suspension of import duties, anti-dumping duties, and safeguards on Ukrainian exports to the European Union for another year to support the country's economy. The draft report is scheduled to be voted by all MEPs during the 8-11 May plenary session.
Mexico City, April 28 : Ross Branch and Sebastian Buhler finished stage 4 in the 7th and 11th positions respectively as Hero MotoSports Team Rally successfully completed the fourth and penultimate Stage of Sonora Rally 2023.

Competing in the premier Rally GP class, Stage 4 was a better day for Branch, except for a mishap around the road book error. He found himself enjoying the Stage on his Hero 450 Rally bike, which performed at its peak. His consistent run through Rally finds him a spot in the overall top-10 of the Rally GP class at the 7th position, the team informed in a release on Friday.

Buhler had a tough day battling the broken terrains of the s'age's route and lost some time in the latter half of the stage. However, his consistent performance in the Rally places him in an overall 10th place in the Rally GP class.

Due to a mistake in the road book, several competitors missed the route at around 76 km and ended up losing time trying to find their way back. They were able to re-join the rally route only by about 93 kms. FIM officials analyzed the issue and proposed a solution that shuffled the top-order results.

Clocking almost 500 km on the saddle, the competitors found the second loop around Puerto PeAasco difficult, exhausting, and at times, confusing.

The day started off with some fast riding, which soon shifted gears to careful riding through stretches of broken pistes. Around four portion' of today's route were common with that of Stage 3, and the terrain was completely broken by the cars that raced on the route - adding a lot more danger for the bike competitors today.

The penultimate stage also introduced more dunes and maintained the essence of Dakar with its varied terrains, extreme heat, and complicated navigation.

With just one stage left in the race, the competitors will now focus on going all in for a final dash to improve their positions. Stage 5, the finale, will resume a northwest course towards San Luis RAo Colorado, the "home" of the Sonora Rally. The journey to the border will be a 398 kms ride, of which 139 kms will be timed. The 9th edition of the Sonora Rally will close with a podium ceremony in the border city.

"It was a really good day - the bike was incredible, and the terrain was amazing - riding in the Mexican desert is a lot of fun. Unfortunately, there was a small issue with the road book from the organisers, and we had to turn around and try and find our way. It was a bit difficult, but it is what it is, and I'm sure they will take care of fixing it. I'm looking forward to the last stage," said Ross Branch at the end of the day.

"Stage 4 started with very fast pistes, but soon it went on to become a really hard stage with a lot of broken pistes. We rode in some parts from stage 3, where the cars had broken the terrain a lot; and riding through fesh fesh always has some surprises. So, I'm glad to be back in one piece, happy with my result, and looking forward to Stage 5," Sebastian Buhler said.
New Delhi, April 28 : Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) announces the addition of the 100th hotel to its portfolio of the iconic brand, Taj in Cochin. Established in 1903, the Taj with its world-renowned landmarks from modern business hotels, and idyllic beach resorts to authentic Grand Palaces, each offering an unrivalled fusion of warm Indian hospitality and world-class service.

It has been ranked as the World's Strongest Hotel Brand and India's Strongest Brand as per Brand Finance Hotels 50 Report 2022 and India 100 Report 2022.

Speaking on the milestone occasion, Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director & CEO, IHCL said, "This is a momentous occasion as Taj's portfolio will offer 100 hotels across India and in key international destinations. This growth is a testament to the unwavering trust our stakeholders have consistently placed in us. I would like to thank all our owners, partners, guests, and employees who have supported us in this journey." He added, "With the signing of our second Taj hotel in the city, we look forward to offering yet another address in the port city of Cochin. We are delighted to partner with Cochin International Airport." The 211 key hotel is strategically located a short distance from the airport. It will offer an all-day dinner, a bar, a lounge, and an open-air specialty restaurant. It will feature banqueting spaces and meeting rooms, a spa, a swimming pool, and a gymnasium.

A major hub for commerce in southern India, Kochi is also well-renowned for its rich cultural heritage. It is one of the most visited tourist destinations in India with its picturesque beaches on the southwest coast of Kerala.

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)
Chitradurga : , April 28 (IANS) Karnataka Police have registered an FIR in connection with the sacrifice of three goats at a public place in Chitradurga district following a complaint by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), India.

The goats were sacrificed during the festival of 'Ugadi' -- New Year's Day according to the Hindu calendar celebrated in Karnataka -- in Parasurampura village.

The slaughter was caught on video in full public view, and the footage shows the accused standing in front of three goats and beheading them one after the other with a sword-like weapon, PETA stated on Friday.

The FIR was registered under sections 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the Karnataka Prevention of Animal Sacrifices Act, 1959; sections 34 and 429 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860; and Sections 3, 11(1)(a), and 11(1)(l) of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

"PETA India commends the Chitradurga police for taking steps to send the message that cruelty to animals will not be tolerated," says PETA India Cruelty Response Coordinator Saloni Sakaria.

"Just as human sacrifice is now treated as murder, at a time when India is embarking on space missions, the archaic practice of animal sacrifice must end. PETA India also recommends that this man undergo psychiatric evaluation and receive counselling, as abusing animals indicates deep mental disturbance." The Supreme Court has ordered that animals can be slaughtered only in licensed slaughterhouses and that municipal authorities must ensure compliance with this ruling. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001, and the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, permit the slaughter of animals for food only in licensed slaughterhouses equipped with species-specific stunning equipment.

Gujarat, Kerala, Puducherry, and Rajasthan already have laws in place prohibiting the religious sacrifice of any animal in any temple or its precinct.

Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana prohibit it in any place of public religious worship or adoration or its precinct or in any congregation or procession connected with religious worship on a public street.
New Delhi, April 28 : Eight Indian Navy officers, who have been in the custody in Qatar since the past eight months on espionage charges, are learnt to be facing a potential death sentence, according to a Pakistan media report.

The Express Tribune report claims that the officers are accused of spying for Israel.

The accused have been identified as working for the India's intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and were reportedly caught carrying out espionage activities in Qatar, the report further claimed.

The arrested officials reportedly provided Israel details of Qatar's secret programme to buy advanced submarines from Italy, says The Express Tribune.

The CEO of a private defence company and the head of international military operations of Qatar have also been arrested in the same case, according to the report.

All eight officers of the Indian Navy were also employed in the same company, it added.

The newspaper further claimed that the accused are set to face serious charges, including the possibility of death penalty, at their upcoming court hearing on May 3.

Qatari authorities said that they have technical evidence supporting the allegations, it added.
Bhubaneswar, April 28 : The BJP has constituted a four-member inquiry committee to probe violence during Hanuman Jayanti procession in Odisha's Sambalpur on April 12 and 14.

According to a statement issued by BJP, party President J.P. Nadda has formed the panel, which will visit the violence-hit Sambalpur and submit its report to the President.

The team comprises four BJP MPs Brij Lal, Samir Oraon, Aditya Sahu and Jyotirmay Singh Mahato.

Recently, Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal along with several other party leaders had written a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking an NIA probe into the communal violence that erupted after stones were allegedly pelted at the bike rally taken out to celebrate Hanuman Jayanti on April 12 evening.

Several police personnel and civilians were injured in the clash.

Similarly, incidents of violence again occurred in the town on April 14 when a Hanuman Jayanti procession was underway.

A youth was allegedly stabbed to death, a few shops were torched and ransacked.

Later, the state government clamped a curfew and suspended internet services in the town for several days.
New Delhi, April 28 : The Supreme Court on Friday ordered proceedings pending before Calcutta High Court judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay against Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, in connection with the multi-crore scam in the recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in state-run schools in West Bengal, be transferred to some other judge.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and P.S. Narasimha said it has considered the transcript of the interview, and the transcript has been authenticated by the interpreting officer on the original side of the high court. The bench said, "we direct the Chief Justice shall reassign the pending proceedings in the case to some other judge of the Calcutta High Court." During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that this isn't a first and there have been instances in the past when other judges in the Calcutta High Court were also targeted after they passed orders against a particular political dispensation and certain persons. Mehta urged the Chief Justice to protect high court judges in Calcutta.

Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar contended that any judge who is anywhere in the country should not feel that he is being cowed down.

Mehta said please say something so that there is no demoralizing effect, so that judges are not cowed down by people barging into courtrooms and abusing them.

The Chief Justice said, "You are correct, there should be no effort to browbeat the judges and if we come across that then we will take action on the administrative side," and added that the court is only reassigning the case due to the transcript of the interview.

The top court said the judge to whom proceedings are reassigned would be at liberty to take up all applications moved in that regard.

The top court passed the order on a plea by Banerjee against the High Court's order allowing his questioning by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

On April 24, the top court said that judges have no business granting interviews to news channels on matters pending before them.

The court took strong exception to sitting Calcutta High Court judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay's interview to a news channel in connection with Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee, even as a case concerning Banerjee was being heard by him.

The Chief Justice said, "judges have no business granting interviews to television or whatever channels on matters which are pending before them". Justice Narasimha said, "how can they, given an interview..."
Bhubaneswar, April 28 : The Odisha government has demanded Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to introduce Vande Bharat Express trains on three routes.

In a letter to the Minister, state Commerce and Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu has demanded for introduction of Vande Bharat express train on Puri-Howrah, Puri-Raipur and Bhubaneswar-Hyderabad routes.

Odisha has been a significant contributor to the growth engine of the country, emerging as an eastern gateway to the nation. With rapid growth, the aspirations of people are rising constantly, Sahu said.

"Odisha has been witnessing rapid economic growth in the last two decades and attracted the highest investment during the last couple of years. We have been demanding rapid expansion of the rail network in the state, time and again, as the state can contribute immensely to the country's economy," the Minister said.

"Vande Bharat express trains have been introduced across the country to give faster connectivity, except in Odisha," Sahu said.

She requested Vaishnaw to introduce Vande Bharat express train between Puri and Howrah to offer faster travel options to passengers.

Stating that there are very few faster trains that connect western Odisha and state capital Bhubaneswar, Sahu demanded for introduction of the express train between Puri and Rourkela connecting Sambalpur. It will boost intra-state economic activity and connect the airports in Jharsuguda, Rourkela and Bhubaneswar, she added.

Stating that a large number of people from Odisha are staying in Hyderabad, the Transport Minister requested Vaishnaw to run another Vande Bharat express train connecting Bhubaneswar and Hyderabad to facilitate faster movement of passengers between the two capital cities.

She further urged the Railway Minister to consider the genuine demands of the state which will offer better passenger convenience and faster travel options to businessmen, tourists and aspiring people of Odisha.

Meanwhile, a trial run of Vande Bharat express train from Howrah to Puri is being conducted on Friday. The train reached Puri this afternoon.

"We are conducting a trial run of The Vande Bharat express train. After successful completion of the trial run, a decision will be taken on full-fledged running of the train," said Girish Kumar, additional divisional railway manager (ADRM), Bhadrak.

As per the present capacity of the railway tracks, the trial-run of the train is being done with a maximum speed of 130 kmph, he informed.
Gaza, April 28 : Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, announced its decision to stop receiving donations via the digital currency Bitcoin.

The group said in a statement that the decision was taken "within the framework of ensuring the safety of the donors and not subjecting them to any harm", reports Xinhua news agency.

"We took the decision, especially in light of the intensification of the pursuit and the doubling of the hostile effort against anyone who tries to support the resistance (Hamas) through this currency," said the statement.

Hamas called for the continuation of donations in various available ways other than donating funds with Bitcoin.

Israel Radio reported that the Israeli counterterrorism office for economic affairs last week seized funds in crypto-currency which amounted to more than half a million shekels.

According to the report, more than 80 digital accounts of exchange companies working to serve Hamas in the Gaza Strip were seized.

The Al-Qassam Brigades previously called for providing financial support through digital currency to help it to deal with financing challenges.

Bitcoin, the worldwide cryptocurrency and digital payment system, was released as open-source software in 2009.

The system works without a central repository or administrator, and the transactions take place between users directly.
Tunis, April 28 : Tunisia and the European Union (EU) held discussions on issues of common interest, including the joint fight against illegal migration and human trafficking.

Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar met with visiting European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson here on Thursday, according to a statement released by the Foreign Ministry in Tunis.

Ammar "highlighted the importance of the European support for Tunisia to carry out its socio-economic reforms and establish an inclusive and equitable development model to better manage common challenges, including the migration issue", Xinhua news agency quoted statement.

The Tunisian top diplomat underlined the need to deal with migration issues using a global approach based on a balance between the socio-economic development and promotion of legal channels of mobility, on one hand, and the fight against trafficking in human beings and migrants, on another hand.

For her part, Johansson reiterated the EU's solidarity with Tunisia and its sustained commitment to supporting the North African country in the economic, financial, and social fields.

She also reiterated the bloc's commitment to deal with the migration issue by promoting new vocational training and employment opportunities, as well as improving joint efforts to fight human trafficking and illegal migration.
Seoul, April 28 : South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol warned that North Korea will be met with an "overwhelming" nuclear response in the event it tries to use nuclear weapons.

Yoon issued the warning during a meeting with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon, saying he agreed with his American counterpart Joe Biden the previous day to strengthen Washington's extended deterrence commitment to Seoul, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Extended deterrence refers to the US commitment to mobilising all of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its ally.

"Should North Korea attempt to use nuclear weapons, it will be faced with a resolute and overwhelming response, including the US' nuclear capabilities, from the South Korea-U.S. alliance and the Republic of Korea Armed Forces," Yoon, who is on a state-visit to the US, said.

"I urge North Korea to realize that it can do nothing with nuclear weapons and decide to denuclearise for true peace and mutual prosperity on the Korean Peninsula," he said.

The President also expressed confidence in the US, saying, "I fully trust the US' firm extended deterrence commitment".

On his part, Austin assured Yoon that the US' extended deterrence commitment covers the full range of American capabilities, including conventional, nuclear and missile defence capabilities.
State leaders pay tribute to President Ho Chi Minh ahead of Reunification Day

A delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam, state, National Assembly (NA), government, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) came to pay tribute and lay wreaths at the President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi on April 28 on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day (April 30, 1975).













The delegation including State President Vo Van Thuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Do Van Chien, paid tribute to the late president, and then offered incense at the Martyrs Monument in Bac Son Street.







Former Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, former State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, former NA Chairman Nguyen Van An, former NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung and other officials joined the delegations.









The same day, a delegation of officials from the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Hanoi Party and Peoples Council, Peoples Committee and VFF Committee also paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at the mausoleum, and martyrs monument.
Death toll from missile attack on Uman rises to 17, three-day mourning announced in Cherkasy region

The number of victims of Russia's missile attack on Uman, Cherkasy region, increased to 17, a three-day mourning has been announced in the region, Head of Cherkasy Regional Military Administration Ihor Taburets has said.

"Rescuers have removed two more deceased from under the rubble: at the moment, we have 17 civilians of Uman killed by Russia," he said on the Telegram channel on Friday.

The rescue operation continues, the official said.

"This is a terrible tragedy for the entire Cherkasy region. A three-day mourning is announced in the region," Taburets said.
Lucknow, April 28 : A team of palliative care experts, from the King George's Medical University (KGMU) will soon start home visits for terminally ill patients in the state capital.

Prof Sarita Singh, senior faculty member, department of anaesthesia, said, "We are working to form teams from among paramedical and nursing students/staff which can visit houses of terminally ill patients and explain to the family about taking care and dealing with emergency situations, including the time of death." "Breaking bad news has a way so that it is accepted by patients. A medical staff member needs to understand the manner in which such news is to be broken so that the patient does not go into depression but accepts it gradually," said another faculty member.

Prof GP Singh, head of department, anaesthesia, said, "Once formed, the teams will remain in touch with family members of a terminally ill patient. They shall visit and guide the family over the telephone in an emergency." It is palliative care that gives quality to life at the end stage. There are life-limiting diseases that patients suffer from, and many times, they are sent home by hospitals. In such a situation, proper care gives life quality," said Prof Sarita Singh.
London, April 28 : BBC Chairman Richard Sharp resigned on Friday over a report into whether he failed to properly disclose his involvement in the facilitation of a loan to former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Barrister Adam Heppinstall was appointed by the Commissioner of Public Appointments to investigate the claims which had first appeared in the Sunday Times, says the BBC.

Confirming his resignation, Sharp said the report, which was published on Friday, found "that while I did breach the governance code for public appointments, he states that a breach does not necessarily invalidate an appointment".

He said the report finds he did not play "any part whatsoever in the facilitation, arrangement, or financing of a loan for the former Prime Minister".

But he said with hindsight he should have disclosed his role in setting up a meeting between Cabinet Secretary Simon Case and Sam Blyth -- a businessman who was offering the then PM financial help -- to the appointments panel during the scrutiny process ahead of him taking up the senior role.

Sharp said not doing so was an "oversight" and apologised for it.

In a statement, he said he did not want to be a "distraction", adding that it had been an honour to chair the BBC.

He will remain in post until June until a successor is appointed.

In response to his resignation, the BBC board said: "We accept and understand Richard's decision to stand down. We want to put on record our thanks to Richard, who has been a valued and respected colleague, and a very effective chairman of the BBC.

"The BBC board believes that Richard Sharp is a person of integrity." The board added that Sharp had a been a "real advocate for the BBC, its mission, and why the corporation is a priceless asset for the country, at home and abroad".

Sharp, a former banker, was appointed as Chairman of the BBC on February 10, 2021. He previously worked at JP Morgan for eight years, and then for 23 years at Goldman Sachs.
Mumbai, April 28 : Rakhi Sawant was spotted dancing to the dhol during the wedding ceremony of 'Indian Idol 12' contestant Mohmmad Danish. She was wearing yellow lehenga along with heavy jewellery.

She also interacted with the media and spoke about her relationship with Adil Khan Durrani.

Rakhi also sung the song,'Sabki barate aayi' and danced on it. She spoke to the media and shared that Adil lied to him and never fulfilled his promise. That is why she attends every wedding dressed up like a bride.

Danish's haldi and mehndi pictures went viral on social media. It is still not known who he got married to. However, he has shared several pictures from the pre-wedding ceremony on his Instagram handle. He also posted a picture of him dressed up as a groom.

Danish wrote in the caption: "Baarat."

She even told the media that she is not at all missing Adil and said: "I would have beaten up Adil, had he been here." Rakhi announced her divorce with Adil last month and said that he is free to get married to anyone.

Rakhi and Adil got married on May 29, 2022, but they kept it under wraps.

-- Syndicated from IANS
Islamabad, April 28 : Pakistan's Awami National Party (ANP) has filed a plea at the Peshawar High Court (PHC) for the formation of a judicial commission to probe Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hamid for helping militants resettle in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

The plea also demanded immediate and concrete measures to restore peace in the province and the rest of the country, The News reported.

It also sought the court's intervention to stop further resettlement of militants and spillover of militancy to other areas.

The plea was filed by ANP provincial chief Aimal Wali Khan and apart from Khan and Lt Gen (retd) Faiz, the petition also names President Arif Alvi, former KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and former spokesman of the KP government Barrister Saif as respondents, The News reported.

The federal and provincial governments have also been made parties in the petition.

The petitioner claimed that Khan with the alleged assistance of Hamid allowed the settlement of militants in the country after the terrorism was eliminated.

He said the former Prime Minister had admitted for several times on the media that he had facilitated the resettlement, The News reported.

The petition asked for a judicial inquiry by the PHC chief justice to find out as to who helped the Taliban to resettle in the province in the last few years.

It stated that peace was restored after great sacrifices by the police, and other security forces as well as efforts and sacrifices of the ANP government
Manila, April 28 : The Philippines has deposited its Instrument of Ratification (IoR) of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) here said on Friday.

Philippine ambassador to ASEAN Hjayceelyn Quintana handed over the depository of the RCEP agreement to ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn on Thursday, reports Xinhua news agency.

"The RCEP Agreement will enter into force for the Philippines on June 2," the ASEAN Secretariat said.

In handing over the document, Quintana highlighted RCEP's "timely entry into force for the Philippines given the country's ongoing economic reforms".

"The Philippine participation in RCEP is important, especially as it will make our industries more competitive. It also complements existing government support programs with the measures committed in the free trade agreements (FTAs) to open up trade," she added.

The Philippine Senate ratified the RCEP in February.

The RCEP comprises 15 Asia-Pacific countries including the 10 ASEAN member states of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, and their five trading partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

It represents the world's largest free trade area covering about 30 per cent of the world's population, as well as 30 per cent of the world's economic and trade volume.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh along with other Defence Ministers during the group photograph at Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi on Friday, April 28, 2023. (Photo:Qamar Sibtain/ IANS) Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, April 28 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday called upon the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states to collectively work towards eliminating terrorism in all its forms and fix accountability on those who aid or fund such activities.

Defence Ministers of China, Russia, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan were present in the SCO meeting here.

Addressing the defence ministers of the SCO countries, Singh asserted that any kind of terrorist act or support to it in any form is a major crime against humanity, and peace and prosperity cannot coexist with this menace.

"If a nation shelters terrorists, it not only poses a threat to others, but for itself too. Radicalisation of youth is a cause of concern not only from the point of view of security, but it is also a major obstacle in the path of socio-economic progress of society. If we want to make the SCO a stronger and more credible international organisation, our top-most priority should be to effectively deal with terrorism," the Defence Minister said.

Rajnath Singh added that India envisions a robust framework of regional cooperation which mutually respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states by taking care of their legitimate interests. He asserted that New Delhi strives to further bolster trust and cooperation among the members of the SCO as it believes in maintaining peace and security based on the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.

"India has always followed the principle of 'Let us walk together and move forward together'. Every era has a zeitgeist (defining idea). The zeitgeist of the present era is 'win-win cooperation for the great gain'," he said.

Singh also elaborated on the concept of 'SECURE' (S - Security of citizens, E - Economic development for all, C - Connecting the region, U - Uniting the people, R - Respect for Sovereignty and Integrity, E - Environmental protection) floated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the SCO summit in Qingdao, China in 2018. He stated that every alphabet of the word 'SECURE' reflects India's commitment towards the multi-dimensional welfare of the region.

Drawing the attention of the member states to various dimensions of 'SECURE', the Rajnath Singh stated that today a large part of the world is passing through a food crisis. He urged the SCO member countries to ensure food security under an integrated plan.

Singh also touched upon the two defence-related activities launched by India, as the SCO chair, to increase interoperability among member states.

He voiced India's commitment towards defence capacity building of SCO member states through training and co-manufacturing and co-development of items. He stated that as security challenges are not limited to any one country, India is moving forward with a collaborative approach in the field of defence partnership, keeping in mind the shared interests.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, Rajnath Singh described the SCO as an evolved and strong regional organisation, underlining that India views it as an important entity to promote defence cooperation among the member states.

At the end of the deliberations, all the SCO member countries signed a protocol, expressing their collective will to make the region secure, peaceful and prosperous. In his closing remarks, Singh called for joint efforts to ensure prosperity in the region while dealing with contemporary challenges.

After the meeting, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane stated that all the member nations arrived at the consensus on several areas of cooperation, including dealing with terrorism, security of vulnerable populations in various countries as well as HADR. He stated that all member states were unanimous in their statements that terrorism, in all its forms, must be condemned and eliminated. He exuded confidence that many areas identified for cooperation will be acted upon in the times to come and India, as the SCO chair, will lead from the front in ensuring a safe and secure future for the region and the world as a whole.

The Defence Ministers discussed issues of common concern, including issues of regional and international security under the charter of SCO during the meeting, Aramane added.
Mumbai, April 28 : Shreyas Talpade, who is known for his work in Marathi and Hindi film industry, spoke about the sequel to his 2014 Marathi film 'Poshter Boyz' starring Dilip Prabhavalkar, Hrishikesh Joshi, Aniket Vishvasrao in lead roles and Pooja Sawant, Neha Joshi in female lead cast.

The film was produced by Shreyas.

Shreyas said: "To have a hit film is a good accomplishment but to have such a hit film that people demand a second part is the greatest feeling in the world. I have big dreams for the sequel and I just hope it does as well as the first." Talking about his role in 'Poshter Boyz 2', he said: "My role in this movie is essentially the presenter and my wife will be producing this film. It was the same equation when we had produced the first part in Marathi in 2014. It will remain the same unless my director wishes, then I would love to do a cameo or a guest appearance in this one as well just the way I had done in 'Poshter Boyz'. The main cast and crew which includes Dilip Prabhavalkar, Aniket Vishwasrao and Hrishikesh Joshi along with the gorgeous Pooja Sawant and the wonderful Neha Joshi." He added: "So the first part was set in Maharashtra but this time the film is travelling out of India. It is extremely contemporary which all the ages will relate with. The story is desi and the characters are desi and it tells of their struggle in a different country. The movie as a whole is going to be a complete family entertainer and a clean entertainer. I'm looking forward to producing this one once again after 9 years for my audience who have been waiting a long time for this."
Mumbai, April 28 : A CBI special court here on Friday acquitted actor Sooraj Pancholi, who was accused of abetment in the suicide of actress Jiah Khan in 2013.

Pancholi, 32, was present in the court along with his parents Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab when Special Judge A.S. Sayyed pronounced the much-anticipated verdict before a packed courtroom this afternoon.

"Due to paucity of evidence, this court can't hold you guilty. Hence acquitted," said Special Judge Sayyed.

He also said that Rabiya Khan, Jiah's mother, could appeal in the matter in the Bombay High Court.

A visibly upset Rabiya, who has been relentlessly pursuing the case since the past 10 years, later said that she will file an appeal against the court verdict.

A relieved Aditya Pancholi reacted by saying, "the truth always wins! God is great!", while his wife Zarina was in tears and barely able to speak.

Nafisa Rizvi Khan, 25, famous as Jiah, was found dead in her Mumbai flat in Sagar Sangeet apartments, Juhu, around midnight on June 3, 2013, sparking a huge sensation in Bollywood circles.

The tragedy took place hours after Sooraj had left her home after living with her for two days, and later the Juhu Police Station recovered a note left by Jiah.

In the note pointing the needle of suspicion at Sooraj, she had narrated her troubled relationship, the ordeal, intimacy, physical and mental abuse and tortures, allegedly perpetrated on her by the actor.

Based on the note, the Mumbai Police booked and arrested Sooraj under IPC Sec. 306 (abetment to suicide) on June 10, 2012, and he remained in jail for nearly a month till the Bombay High Court granted him bail of Rs 50,000, on July 1, 2013.

As Rabiya pursued the matter, a year later in July 2014, the Bombay High Court transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), after which Aditya Pancholi hit back by slapping a Rs 100 crore defamation suit against Jiah's mother.

The Mumbai Police probe in 2013 had concluded that it was a suicide as Sooraj had broken off their relationship, and her career was not going ahead. Subsequently the CBI also upheld the case as 'suicide' in February 2016.

Undeterred, she challenged the CBI investigation report in the high court which was dismissed.

In view of Rabiya's continued allegations of 'murder' against Sooraj, the prosecution attempted to enhance the charges to rape and murder in 2017, and he was charged with 'abetment to suicide' in 2018.

In 2022, Rabiya moved the Bombay High Court seeking to reopen the case, suspecting alleged errors in the previous probe and other things, but her plea was rejected.

She reiterated the allegations that her daughter was "murdered" and sought an investigation afresh by an independent or special agency with help from the Federal Bureau of Investigation as Jiah was a US national.

Jiah is best remembered for her role as a teenager in love with a senior citizen Amitabh Bachchan in 'Nishabd' (2007), and other superhits like 'Ghajini' (2008) with Aamir Khan and Asin, and then the multi-starrer 'Housefull' (2010) in which she rubbed shoulders with Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Arjun Rampal, Lara Dutta and Deepika Padukone.

Sooraj Pancholi worked as an Assistant Director for 'Guzaarish' (2010), 'Ek Tha Tiger' (2012), and then took to acting with his award-winning debut in 'Hero' (2015), 'Satellite Shankar' (2019), 'Time To Dance' (2021) and currently working in a biopic, 'Hawa Singh', likely to be released this year.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)
New Delhi, April 28 : A batch of 326 Indian citizens from violence-hit Sudan reached Saudi Arabia's Jeddah on Friday on their way to India.

This is the 10th batch of evacuees, who arrived in Jeddah on the Indian Navy warship INS Tarkash.

Earlier in the day, a batch of 362 Indians evacuated from Sudan, took off on a flight bound for Bengaluru from Jeddah.

Many of them belonged to Karnataka's Hakki Pikki tribe.

Minister of state for external affairs V. Muraleedharan tweeted these details on Friday.

On April 18, a war of words had broken out between former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, when the former had asked the central government to immediately evacuate Hakki Pikki tribals from war-torn Sudan.

Jaishankar had reacted by saying that he was "simply appalled" at the former chief minister's comments.

"Hakki Pikki in Sudan are left stranded without food since the last few days and the government is yet to initiate action to bring them back. BJP government should open diplomatic discussions and reach out to international agencies to ensure the well-being of Hakki-Pikkis," Siddaramaiah had tweeted.

"Simply appalled at your tweet! There are lives at stake; don't do politics. Since the fighting started on April 14th, the Embassy of India in Khartoum has been continuously in touch with most Indian nationals and PIOs in Sudan," Jaishankar had tweeted in his response to Siddaramaiah's tweet.

The government is evacuating Indian citizens from violence-hit Sudan under Operation Kaveri.

There are around 3,000 Indian citizens in Sudan.

Since April 14, the African nation has been facing violence after fighting erupted between the nation's army and paramilitary forces.
Kolkata, April 28 : Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of Calcutta High Court has sought a transcription copy of his television interview submitted to the Supreme Court by this midnight.

He has asked the registrar general of the Supreme Court to forward the transcription copy by 12 a.m. and for that purpose he will be waiting at his chamber till 12.15 a.m.

Justice Gangopadhyay has also sought a copy of the report submitted to the apex court on this count by the registrar general of Calcutta High Court. He said that he had sought these two documents for the sake of transparency.

The justice said this a couple of hours after the apex court ordered the transfer of the case from him.

While confusions are still prevailing on whether all cases relating to recruitment or just the one relating to Kuntal Ghosh's allegation and letter accusing central agencies of putting pressure on him to name Abhishek Banerjee in the recruitment scam has been transferred from Justice Gangopadhyay's bench, former justice of the Supreme Court Justice Asok Kunar Ganguly (retired) has raised question on whether the apex court has the right to shift any case at any high court from one bench to a different bench.

"Probably the apex court has its own reasons to give such an order. With due respect to the Supreme Court, I am saying that the transfer of any case from one bench to the other in any high court is the prerogative of the chief justice of that high court. Under the provisions of the Indian Constitution, any order by any high court can be turned down by the Supreme Court. But there is no provision for the apex court to decide on which bench of a high court will hear which matter or case," he said.

However, he accepted the Supreme Court's observation that judges have no business in giving interviews to news channels on matters pending before them as correct.

Earlier, in the day the Supreme Court ordered that the proceedings pending before Calcutta High Court judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay against Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, in connection with the multi-crore scam in the recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in state-run schools in West Bengal, be transferred to some other judge.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he had addressed Chinese President Xi Jinping during their phone conversation with a call to assist in the return of Ukrainian children deported to Russia.

"We spoke [with Xi Jinping] about the return of our people, prisoners and the return of our deported children. There are about 20,000 of them. These are the moments when we must involve everyone we can, different countries of the world, so that they put pressure on aggressor and terrorist  Russia, which stole so many of our children," Zelenskyy said during a press conference with the presidents of the Czech Republic and Slovakia in Kyiv.

However, he said, the process of returning minors to Ukraine from Russia is very complicated.

"I'll be frank that only Ukraine is helping Ukraine in the issue of returning children. There are no bad messages here. It's just really difficult to do. The UN is trying, many people want to do something, but so far the results are weak. Therefore, with this appeal, I also addressed the leader of China," Zelenskyy said.
Gurugram, April 28 : In a major crackdown against cybercriminals involved in fraud, Haryana Police carried out multiple raids at cybercrime hot-spot areas in Nuh district.

102 teams of Haryana Police comprising more than 5,000 police personnel raided 300 locations in 14 villages in Nuh district late at night on Friday, and apprehended 125 cybercriminals.

During raids, the police seized a huge amount of gadgets including smartphones, laptops, Aadhaar cards, and ATM swipe machines along with other items.

DIG Special Task Force (STF) Simardeep Singh on Friday said that following the directives of DGP Haryana P.K. Agrawal, the police launched this operation against the cybercriminals.

He informed that after getting intelligence and other inputs related to cyber fraud in different areas of Nuh district, they conducted raids simultaneously with a massive police force.

For this operation, Haryana Police formed separate teams of more than 5,000 policemen, in which 1 SP, 6 Additional SPs, 14 DSPs and other policemen launched a massive crackdown against cyber offenders.

"The crackdown on cyber fraudsters was carried out by 102 police raiding parties. Different teams of police simultaneously raided 14 identified villages of Punhana, Pinangwa, Ferozepur Jhirka and Bichhore areas," Singh said.

The police first fixed the targets by mapping 14 villages considered to be hotspots of cybercrime in the district. Villages namely Khedla, Luhinga Khurd, Luhinga Kalan, Gokalpur, Godhola, Aminabad, Mahu, Gulalta, Jaimat, Jakhopur, Nai, Tirwara, Mamlika and Papda were identified as cybercrime hotspots and raids were carried out and since, April 8, 20 criminals involved in cyber fraud cases have already been arrested by the police in district Nuh," SP Nuh, Varun Singla said.

The highest number of 31 cyber criminals have been nabbed from Nai village, followed by 25 from Luhinga Kalan village, 20 each from Jaimat and Jakhopur, 17 each from Khedla and Tirwara, and 11 from Aminabad.

Police have also nabbed one criminal carrying a reward of Rs 10,000.

A total of 66 smartphones, 65 fake SIMs, 166 Aadhaar cards, 3 laptops, 128 ATM cards of different banks, 2 ATM swipe machines, 01 AEPS machine, 6 scanners, 5 PAN cards, etc. were recovered from the suspects.

7 country-made pistols, 2 cartridges, 2 cars, 4 tractor-trolleys and 22 motorcycles have also been recovered. The raids were conducted by the police targeting 69 accused involved in cyber and other criminal cases.

"In the initial investigation, the connection of the apprehended accused with cyber criminals of other states has also come to the fore, and further investigation in this regard is underway," Singh added.
Hyderabad, April 28 : The Telangana High Court on Friday refused to pass any orders on a petition seeking probe by the CBI into the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) exam paper leak case.

The court directed the SIT to submit a report on June 5 on the status of the investigation. The court observed that the probe by the SIT is somewhat satisfactory but not progressing swiftly.

It was hearing the petition of NSUI leader Venkat Balmoor, seeking direction for a CBI probe. The court made it clear that at this juncture it can't pass any orders.

The court also wanted to know how long SIT would take to complete the investigation. It remarked that even after a month-and-a-half, the SIT has not completed the investigation.

Advocate General B. S. Prasad informed the court that the SIT is waiting for the report from Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).

SIT counsel conveyed to the court that the SIT has questioned TSPSC chairman, secretary and a member.

The court was told that the investigation was on under the supervision of Hyderabad police commissioner.

The judge wanted to know if SIT questioned all outsourcing employees of TSPSC and how many people benefited from paper leak.

The court directed SIT to submit a report on June 5 on the progress made in the investigation and adjourned the hearing.

Last week, SIT had arrested a man and his son from Mahabubnagar, taking the number of persons arrested so far to 19.

The TSPSC scam came to light on March 12 which led to the arrest of 15 accused besides the cancellation of the Group 1 preliminary examination, Assistant Engineers, AEE, and DAO exams.

Praveen Kumar, who worked as an assistant section officer at TSPSC and Rajashekar Reddy, a network admin at ATSPSC, had allegedly stolen question papers of some exams from a computer in a confidential section of the Commission and sold it to other accused.

The SIT had earlier informed the Telangana High Court that it had arrested 17 accused in the case since March 13. It also informed the court that it was making efforts to arrest another accused from New Zealand.

The exam paper leak case created a sensation in Telangana as opposition parties Congress and BJP blamed the BRS government for the leak that affected lakhs of unemployed in the state.

The SIT has also examined TSPS chairman Janardhan Reddy, secretary Anita Ramchandran and member B. Linga Reddy.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also probing money laundering charges in the case. Last week, it questioned Praveen Kumar and Rajashekar Reddy.

The ED officials are believed to have questioned the two accused based on the information obtained from Shankara Lakshmi, incharge of the confidential section room at TSPSC. She had appeared before the ED on April 11 and was grilled for over 10 hours.

Praveen and Rajasekhar are said to have stolen question papers of various exams conducted by the TSPSC for recruitment in government departments from computer in the confidential section.
New Delhi, April 28 : Chinese authorities banned most Uyghurs praying in mosques -- and even in their homes -- during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in many parts of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, residents and police said, the media reported.

People aged 60 and older were allowed to pray in a local mosque under heavy police surveillance during Eid, Radio Free Asia reported.

Since 2017, China has restricted or banned ethnic customs and religious rituals among the mostly Muslim Uyghurs in an effort to stamp out "religious extremism", RFA reported.

During this year's Eid, the most important Muslim holiday, authorities in Xinjiang patrolled city streets and searched houses to prevent people from secretly praying inside their homes, sources said, RFA reported.

An administrative staffer from Yarkowruk town in Akesu Prefecture said one mosque there was open for Eid prayers.

"Our police officers went to the mosque to watch the people," the employee said. "I don't know if people needed permission to go to the mosque because I did not go there." Likewise, only one mosque was open for Eid prayers in Bulung town, Bay county, an officer at the local police station said, though only residents over 60 years old were allowed to pray if they wanted.

The government issued a notice that people younger than 60 could not pray on the Eid holiday, he added, RFA reported.

Only a dozen Uyghur elders in Bulung attended Eid prayers in a mosque as three police officers and several auxiliary police staffers observed and wrote down the Uyghurs' names, said the officer from the town's police station.

"The mosque was open yesterday, and we went there to surveil people," the police officer said, adding that he told residents under 60 not to go to the mosque.
Ankara, April 28 : The Turkish Defense Ministry said on Friday that its evacuation plane was shot at as it arrived in conflict-torn Sudan, but no injuries were reported.

The Turkish C-130 plane, which was landing at Wadi Seidna Airport outside Sudan's capital Khartoum for evacuation, was shot at, said a statement from the ministry, Xinhua news agency reported.

The plane landed safely, no injuries were reported for the personnel, and the aircraft is parked for inspection, the statement added.

Turkey has been running an evacuation operation since last Sunday for its citizens in Sudan where fierce fighting erupted between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Sudan's army accused RSF of opening fire on the Turkish evacuation aircraft, while the RSF denied firing at the plane.
Mumbai, April 28 : Actress Aishwarya Lekshmi and actor Vikram and Karthi, whose period film 'Ponniyin Selvan: 2' released in theatres on Friday, feel that a certain level of unfairness has been meted out to the indigenous empires or dynasties of India by our education system, largely.

Recently, the removal of references to the Mughal dynasty from the coursebooks in Uttar Pradesh sparked a controversy and caused debate around what should be the part of academics in history.

The indigenous empires of India have very less mention in the school level history books compared to the dynasties that arrived in India as a part of the conquest.

Talking to IANS, Aishwarya Lekshmi said: "From what I know, yes there has been some level of unfairness towards the indigenous empires of India. It would take a lot of research to get a little bit of information about them in that direction. Kalki's novel 'Ponniyin Selvan' (on which the Mani Ratnam magnum opus is based) is actually a window to the 10th century of southern India, how progressive we were at that time and how much chasing westernisation led us to go back in time." Actor Vikram seconded Aishwarya's as he feels that Indian society was quite progressive back then for its time. He said: "At that time, America wasn't even discovered and we had thriving societies under different empires." Karthi, who plays Vallavaraiyan, in the film, shared with IANS: "Only when the British came, they started doing a lot of research and started documenting the history. I'm sure a history student would know a lot more about each dynasty as per their specialisation. But, for school level history a proper panel of intellectuals should sit and decide what should be included in the course material to give a holistic view."
New Delhi, April 28 : The body of a Nigerian woman was found wrapped in bedsheets and tucked away in a box bed in a flat at south Delhi on Friday, police said on Friday.

The flat had been rented by a Nigerian national identified as Obizone Alexander, who is now missing and considered absconding.

Initial investigations suggest that the woman may have been killed several days before her body was found.

According to police, a police control room phone was received at 11.21 a.m at Maidangarhi police station.

"The caller told police that a foul smell is coming from a flat on the third floor of the Sriram Apartment. The flat has been closed for the last three days," Deputy Commissioner of Police, South, Chandan Chowdhary.

Acting on the call, a police team rushed to the spot and the owner of the flat, Ravinder Sehrawat, a resident of Chirag Delhi, was called to the spot. A key maker also called and the flat was opened," she said, adding that the body, wrapped in bedsheets, in the bed in the right side room of the flat.

"The owner of the flat told police that he had rented out the flat to Obizone for Rs 12,000. However, he was not found on the spot," the DCP said.

Police teams are also scanning CCTV cameras in the area to ascertain the crime sequence and nab the accused.

"Legal action is being taken and urther investigation is in progress," the DCP added.
Ahmedabad, April 28 : The appeal filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi against the Surat sessions court's order denying a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case will be heard by a new judge of the Gujarat High Court on Saturday.

According to the cause list published by the high court, Justice Hemant Prachchhak will hear the matter on Saturday.

Justice Gita Gopi, who was earlier assigned to hear the matter, had recused herself from the hearing on April 26.

On March 23, a metropolitan magistrate's court in Surat had sentenced Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed by Gujarat BJP MLA Purnesh Modi. Following the verdict, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a Member of Parliament (MP) under the Representation of the People Act.

The Congress leader then challenged the order in a sessions court in Surat, along with an application seeking a stay on the conviction. The court, while granting bail to Rahul Gandhi, refused to stay his conviction. A stay on the conviction could lead to Rahul Gandhi's reinstatement as an MP.

The criminal defamation case was filed against Rahul Gandhi for his remark made during an election rally in Kolar, Karnataka, in April 2019, where he had said, "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?"
San Francisco, April 28 : Overture Life, a Spanish startup, which developed a sperm-injecting robot that can be controlled using a PlayStation controller, has successfully fertilised human eggs, giving birth to two healthy babies.

According to a report by MIT Technology Review, one of the engineers involved in developing the world's first insemination robot had limited experience in the field of fertility medicine. However, they were able to utilise a Sony PlayStation 5 controller to help with the development process.

A student engineer from a startup successfully steered a small, mechanised needle during in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) procedures, using a specialized controller.

Through this technique, individual sperm cells were carefully deposited into human eggs over a dozen times.

According to the researchers, the procedures resulted in healthy embryos, which led to the birth of two baby girls. The researchers claim that these babies are the first known individuals to be born after fertilisation with the aid of automated technology, the report said.

"I was calm. In that exact moment, I thought, 'It's just one more experiment'," Eduard Alba, the student mechanical engineer who commanded the sperm-injecting device, was quoted as saying.

Moreover, the startup said that its device is an initial step towards automating in vitro fertilisation, or IVF, and potentially making the procedure far less expensive and far more common than it is today.

At present, in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratories are typically operated by highly skilled embryologists, who can earn over $125,000 annually, and are responsible for carefully manipulating sperm and eggs with the aid of ultra-thin hollow needles and powerful microscopes.

Further, the report mentioned that Overture has received the most funding thus far: approximately $37 million from investors such as Khosla Ventures and Susan Wojcicki, the former CEO of YouTube.

According to the experts, this is just the first step towards fully automating the process.

"The concept is extraordinary, but this is a baby step," Gianpiero Palermo, who developed the now-commonplace intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedure in the 1990s, was quoted as saying.

He added that Overture's engineers still had to manually load sperm cells onto the injector needles, which means "this is not yet robotic ICSI".
New Delhi, April 28 : After suffering his third straight ATP Masters 1000 opening-round defeat at the Madrid Open, former world No. 1 British Andy Murray hinted that he could make his first appearance at Roland Garros since 2020.

The British former world number one lost 6-3, 7-6(7) to Italian Andrea Vavassori in the first round on Thursday, his second opening-round loss on clay after losing Alex de Minaur in Monte-Carlo.

Eyeing his first win on clay this season, the Brit could compete in Rome, where he has not competed since 2017. Beyond that, Murray has been targeting a return to the French Open next month, which would be his only second appearance on Parisian clay since his run to the 2017 semifinals.

Clarifying his thinking on Roland Garros, Murray said he was hoping to play in the year's second Grand Slam.

"There are a few different opinions in my team about what I should be doing. I would like to play, just purely because I don't know if I'll get another opportunity to play again. Whilst I feel fit and healthy, I would like to give it a go," Murray was quoted by the ATP Tour website.

Besides the clay-court major, Murray is ambitious to compete in the grass-court major, Wimbledon, where the Brit has enjoyed a lot of success in the past, winning two of his three major titles in 2013 and 2016.

"I also have ambitions of competing for Wimbledon titles and that sort of stuff, and I know that sitting here today that probably doesn't sound realistic, but I do believe that that's a possibility. I obviously want to do the right thing there," he added.
Lakki Marwat : , April 28 (IANS) Multiple attacks, suspected to be terror incidents, were reported from across different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan on ThursAday night, but there was no official word from military or security agencies regarding the incidents, or the number of casualties, media reports said.

A powerful explosion, followed by several blasts and heavy gunfire, rocked Lakki Marwat city on Thursday night, official sources said, the Dawn reported.

Sources said the blast took place near the Government Postgraduate College, which houses security forces and a military camp, Dawn reported.

Residents said that after the first explosion, several other blasts were also heard, followed by heavy gunfire, which partially damaged houses in the settled area.

People came out of their homes after the first blast shook the area, but subsequent explosions and gunfire drove them back indoors, Dawn reported.

Citing preliminary reports, sources said militants had attacked a military compound late in the night. "It was a bomb and gun attack," they said, adding that troops retaliated and a fierce gun battle continued for about an hour.

The management of the district headquarters hospital called doctors and paramedics to duty to cope with any possible emergency.

Muhammad Ashfaq Khan, Lakki Marwat's district police officer, said that the exchange of fire stopped and no casualty had been reported.

The attack came after three militants, who had targeted a retired colonel in his guestroom, were killed on April 24 in a shootout with counterterrorism and police officers in the Paharakhel Thall village of Lakki Marwat.

CTD inspector, Javed Iqbal, who was wounded in the exchange of fire, later succumbed to wounds at a hospital in Bannu.

Meanwhile, a number of other incidents were also reported in the early hours of Friday; two in the Janikhel area of Bannu district and one in the Mir Kalam area of Tank district. However, neither police nor Inter-Services Public Relations offered any information, Dawn reported.
URCS Tracing Service receives over 5,200 requests since beginning of year from people who lost connection with relatives in wartime

The Tracing Service of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) received over 5,200 requests since the beginning of the year from people who have lost connection with their relatives in wartime.

"In January-March 2023, over 5,200 applications were received and processed. The basic are requests for assistance in clarification of the fate of relatives with whom connection was lost because of the war," the URCS said on Facebook on Friday.

The URCS also said that it receives the requests by e-mail and through its hotline.

In addition to consultations and clarifications, the families that apply for assistance also meet with URCS volunteers who provide them with psychosocial support, humanitarian aid in the form of food and hygiene packages, vouchers, hygiene items, access to clothes banks.

"Around 500 families from Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Chernihiv regions have received such services since the beginning of the year," the URCS said.
Chandigarh, April 28 : Aiming to develop it on the Dubai pattern, Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Friday said Global City, being built in Gurugram, will excel in every aspect and will write a new chapter of state's development on a global platform.

The layout of Global city will give people an impression as they have arrived in an international city like Dubai or Singapore, he said, adding that many iconic buildings will also be built here on the lines of Dubai.

The Deputy CM was presiding over the meeting of officers regarding the construction of Global City here.

Additional Chief Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Anand Mohan Sharan and other senior officers were present at the meeting.

Chautala directed the officers that a university of excellence should also be established in Global City. Both national and international students will come there.

While reviewing the map prepared for the city, he gave suggestions on various aspects like residential, institutional, and commercial areas to be built there. Directing to expedite its construction, he said the quality in the construction work should not be compromised with under any circumstances.

The Global City will be built on Pataudi Road, near Dwarka Expressway, on about 1,000 acres. The norms set for utility tunnel, road, sewerage, fire fighting system. etc. will be completed in advance so that the work can be smoothly commenced.

Chautala said utility tunnels would be made for underground wiring of electricity, telephone and water pipes. All wires will pass through the tunnel, and in case of any problem they can be fixed from it. Only sewer lines will be laid separately.
Raipur, April 28 : Heartbreaking scenes were witnessed at Kasoli village in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Friday where a large number of tribals, including women and children, had gathered to bid adieu to their local hero, Lakhmu Markam, one of the 10 District Reserve Guard (DRG) jawans killed in a Maoist attack in the district on Wednesday.

While the family members and villagers were busy performing tribal rituals to pay last respect to the martyr amid "Saheed Jawan Amar Rahe" slogans, Markam's grieving wife lay down on her husband's funeral pyre.

While the aggrieved family members surrounded Markam's body kept just a few metres from the pyre, his inconsolable wife continued to lie on it. When the woman was asked to come down, she said she cannot see her husband's body going up in flames.

Despite her resistance, the villagers somehow managed to convince her to come down from the pyre after which Markam's last rites were performed.

A local journalist reporting from the ground clicked pictures of the heartbreaking scenes and shared them on social media.

As per official information, Markam was a trained cop who was earlier associated with 'Salwa Judum', a militia group of local tribals formed to counter Maoist activities, which was dissolved following a Supreme Court order in 2011.

Later, he was inducted into the DRG which was formed by the Chhattisgarh government in Dantewada district in 2015. DRG is a special force of the Chhattisgarh police, which mostly involves local tribals and surrendered Maoists, for carrying out anti-Maoist operations.

As per official information, five out of the 10 DRG personnel killed in the Dantewada ambush were surrendered Maoists who had joined the force after laying down their arms.

"Local tribals are recruited in DRG because they are more familiar with the surroundings, and have better knowledge about Maoist activities in their areas. DRG teams have carried out several successful anti-Maoist operations from time to time, which is why they have become targets of the Maoists," said a Raipur-based journalist.
Seoul, April 28 : The ruling People Power Party in South Korea referred an opposition lawmaker to the parliamentary ethics committee on Friday after he accused President Yoon Suk Yeol of sexual abuse for giving a kiss on the cheek to a child during a state visit to the US.

Rep. Jang Kyung-tae of the main opposition Democratic Party said during a party meeting on Wednesday, "Kissing a child on the lips or elsewhere without consent is considered sexual abuse in the US," referring to the kiss on the cheek Yoon gave to the child, Yonhap news agency reported.

After landing at Joint Base Andrews near Washington on Monday for his state visit, Yoon received a welcome bouquet from a child and gave the child a kiss on the cheek in return.

On Friday, the ruling party's spokesperson Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok and a senior party official submitted a motion calling for disciplinary action against Jang to the National Assembly's special ethics committee for breaching the duty to maintain decency as a lawmaker.

About 20 lawmakers of the ruling party signed up to the motion.
New Delhi, April 28 : The Delhi High Court on Friday asked Mandoli jail authorities to give a hearing on the 'punishment ticket' issued to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, arrested for fraud and a Rs 200 crore money laundering case, depriving him of the canteen facility for 15 days.

A lawyer for the Delhi government stated that a post-facto hearing would be provided to the accused after which a new decision will be made in accordance with the law on the second punishment handed to Chandrashekhar stopping him from the "mulaqat" (meeting/phone call facility.

While disposing of the petition, Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma said: "Without going into the issue of minor and major punishment and particularly in view of the fact that the matter is pending before the Supreme Court, let a post facto hearing be given for punishment no. 1 (stoppage of canteen facility)." The alleged conman is lodged in the national capital's Mandoli Jail.

The High Court had, on Wednesday, issued notice on Chandrasekar's plea against punishment handed to him by jail authorities.

Starting from May 1 till 15, the jail authorities' order stopped him from meeting family, using phone and canteen facilities.

It was Chandrashekhar's prayer before the court to set aside and quash the order dated April 17 passed by the office of the Jail Deputy Superintendent of Prison, Mandoli and put a stay on it until the adjudication of the instant petition as the two punishment tickets were issued to him without hearing him.

On Chandrashekhar's plea, Justice Sharma had issued notice to the jail authorities and directed them to file a report on the matter.

Appearing for the petitioner (Chandrashekhar), advocate Anant Malik had argued that principle of natural justice is being violated and that it is a serious issue as the family of the petitioner's mother resides in Bengaluru.

There is an urgency and the punishment should be stayed, Malik had said.

The plea said that the Jail's Deputy Superintendent has arbitrarily, erroneously and without any application of mind, awarded two punishment tickets against the petitioner, depriving him of the canteen facility and the mulaqat/phone call facility for 15 days.

It was contended by the petitioner that these restricted facilities are the only ways to communicate with his aged mother, who is currently residing in Bengaluru and cannot travel to meet her son due to her health condition.
Mumbai, April 28 : After being part of projects like 'Ghar Waapsi' and 'Crash Course', Anushka Kaushik, who is currently seen in the political thriller 'Grami', visited 'The Kapil Sharma Show' (TKSS) to promote her latest release, where she revealed about mimicking the popular characters from TKSS during her school days.

Anushka said: "During my school days, I used to mimic all the popular characters of 'The Kapil Sharma Show', be it Gutthi or Palak. During free periods in school, my friend and I used to enact the whole episode of 'TKSS' and entertain students. Gradually, we became so popular in school that teachers from different classes started inviting us to their class to enact the show in front of students.

"Since then, I used to actually wonder if I will ever get a chance to appear on 'TKSS' as a guest. By God's grace it happened with Tigmanshu Dhulia's 'Garmi'." Narrating an interesting anecdote from her initial days of career, Anushka shared: "I played a small part alongside Jimmy Shergill in my debut film and after all these years, I was sitting next to him on 'TKSS'. I am happy that my mother, who accompanied me on the film set back then, also came with me for 'TKSS' and she was happy to witness my journey." Apart from Arbaaz Khan's 'Patna Shukla' where she will be seen alongside seasoned actors like Raveena Tandon and the late Satish Kaushik, Anushka is also doing an anthology for Netflix, followed by a feature film for Maddock Films.
New Delhi, April 28 : Investigating several high-profile cases like Jessica Lal's murder, Sanjeev Nanda BMW hit & run, Charles Sobhraj's escape from Tihar Jail, among others, gave Amod K. Kanth, former Director General of Police, an opportunity to delve deep into the criminal justice system and find out how the rich and powerful could play with it and get away with impunity.

His latest book 'Khaki on Broken Wings: Police Diaries Book 2: Cases That Shocked India', published by Bloomsbury, hit the stands recently.

Excerpts from an interview: IANS: Jonathan Swift once said, "Laws are like cobwebs, which may catch small flies, but let wasps and hornets break through". What is your opinion on this with respect to the criminal justice system in India? Kanth: India's criminal justice system (CJS) is tailor-made for the rich and powerful; it is essentially meant for those who may buy off its processes and components or browbeat the stakeholders. While the system deals with crimes and justice it is constituted by the lawyers as Prosecutors, defenders, and presenters of the offenders, victims, and witnesses; the judiciary consists of the magistrates, judges, and multiple types of functionaries who decide or give the judicial verdicts; and those who run the jails and the so-called correctional systems.

In my 34 years of hardcore law-enforcement career, I have found the Indian police to be all over, the omnipresent and the most visible, albeit much maligned among the government functionaries performing all types of duties, legal and extra-legal, the overarching 'Khaki on the Broken Wings' of the CJS.

At the highest levels in the country, there appears to be a serious concern about the ailments that afflict our justice delivery system, which is evident from a recent statement by the Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, who made a distinction between law and justice, expressing anguish about the laws themselves becoming the instruments of oppression.

IANS: Police system is the prime mover of CJS that first comes into the picture when dealing with cognisable offences. Do you think PS has been by and large effective in discharging its duties diligently? Does the Police System do its work in a scientific and technically proven manner so as to build a watertight case? Kanth: Although there are several law enforcement agencies in the country, other than the police, who are making waves and headlines, the Indian Police in its myriad State, Union Territories, and Central Government level formations-from 16000 police stations to the highest central police organisations like the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and NIA (National Investigation Agency), decidedly remain the 'prime movers' of India's CJS.

Strictly speaking, under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) 1973, the designated and empowered police officers are supposed to register the FIR, investigate a cognizable offence, arrest a person, and undertake other legal actions to take the FIR to its logical conclusion of submitting the Final Report to the court of jurisdiction.

But, in practice, directly saddled with the myriad legal responsibilities concerning the maintenance of law and order, securities, regulations, and the overall enforcement of laws and processes, the distinctions between the so-called cognisable and non-cognisable offences (offences in which the police officer has no authority to arrest without warrant) get blurred, and the Indian Police finds itself performing duties almost everywhere. Despite serious legal infirmities, inadequacies of manpower, resources, forensic and technical limitations, and the 'endless mutinies' always in hand within India's vibrant and boiling democracy, the 2.5 million policemen for 1.40 billion population aren't doing so badly in discharging their duties.

IANS: In the Jessica Lal murder case, one realized how deep the networking ties of the Page 3 crowd run that even higher officials from the Police make a beeline for these parties. Do you think this kind of hobnobbing adds impetus to the mighty rich to commit a crime and also get away with it? Kanth: Some of the cases which I happened to investigate and closely supervise, like, the Jessica Lal murder, Sanjeev Nanda BMW Hit & Run, Charles Sobhraj Tihar Escape, and the maverick mafia Romesh Sharma's cases, gave me an opportunity to go deep into the criminal justice system and I was aghast to find how the rich and powerful could play with the system and get away with impunity.

Each one of these cases, and many more that I handled during my police career in Delhi, Goa, Pondicherry, Arunachal Pradesh, and most significantly in the CBI, confronted me with the harsh realities of the loopholes in the laws and the systemic privileges given to the mighty and rich and the denial of justice to the poor, helpless and deprived in huge proportions.

The much-talked-about Jessica Lal murder case was unique and a landmark in many ways. No other criminal case in the country so prominently exposed the page-3 socialites of the metropolitan cities like Delhi and Mumbai as the hundreds of them making a beeline at an illegal joint, including the well-known persons in the business-particularly in the show-biz, professionals, even top-cop, who all turned out to be hollow-men of straw.

The South Delhi Police team carried out an excellent investigation in lightning speed identifying the main accused Manu Sharma, son of a top politician, and others while collecting highly convincing evidence, but 35 witnesses, including several very well-placed ones, were bought- over and turned hostile. All accused were let off in a superficial judgment.

Outcries like 'No One Killed Jessica' led to national-level campaigns with candlelight demonstrations and strong demands for change in the law etc. that moved the government and generated unprecedented debates in the media. Based on the same evidence that we had collected earlier, as per the law, we filed the appeal in the Delhi High Court followed by arguments by the legal luminaries on both sides, resulting in the conviction of the killer and his life sentence.

IANS: Last year in December, Charles Sobhraj was released from Kathmandu prison two years ahead of his full sentence of 20 years. How did Charles time and again give slip to the law? You mentioned in your book that David Richard Hall started "singing" and made some "cathartic" disclosure. What made you think that David would hold the key to Sobhraj's modus-operandi of grand escape? Kanth: An inveterate Jail-bird, counting from his early youth when he went to jail in Paris, Charles Sobhraj served in the jails for more than 42 years, the latest being the Kathmandu prison where he spent nearly 19 years before his premature release on health ground. Perhaps, it was for the first time that Charles, who had turned 79, did not cheat the jail authorities. Since Charles' cardiac surgeon himself wrote all about him, we have to believe that he had to undergo open-heart surgery in Nepal.

Earlier, he was able to dupe the police and jail officials all his life in India and other countries across the globe. Among the two longest spells of incarceration in Asia's largest and arguably the most talked-about Prison Tihar Jail, he spent nearly 10 years from 1976 to 1986-when he engineered perhaps the most devious and meticulously planned jail escape.

He conspired to escape from the jail with half-a-dozen other dreaded criminals by drugging all on duty, from the jail to the police guards on the gate, his prime co-conspirator being David Richard Hall, a creative director who had been arrested in a drugs case and got released by Charles through a false medical certificate and his clout in the jail and in the judicial process.

Charles had planned his escape at a time when he was almost being released to get into another prolonged jail sentence, from 1986 to 1997, in order to avoid a death sentence in Thailand, as he apprehended, coming through the Interpol Red Corner Notice that was to lapse during that period. It was David Hall, an emotional person deeply attached to his wife, who gave out all the minute details about Charles when I shared with him my homemade lunch prepared by my wife. David, who was not eating at all for a couple of days, cried and started 'singing' for hours together, disclosing all the facts which couldn't be known otherwise.

IANS: Indian prisons today are bursting at the seams with millions of undertrials awaiting hearings. Do Police often-times act under political pressure to catch offenders without sufficient evidence against them? In your long and illustrious career as a law enforcer, what changes did you try to bring in? Kanth: It's a very sad story that 76 per cent of nearly half a million prison inmates and custodial detainees in India happen to be under-trial prisoners. The majority of these prisoners, possibly about 75 per cent of them, might never be convicted since the courts will not pronounce them guilty. Going by the basic jurisprudence espoused within the Indian Constitution and the legal system that we follow a person is deemed to be 'innocent until proven guilty', grave injustice is being caused to these undertrials in the country's most complicated CJS.

Political pressure is just one of the many forms of pressure that the police officers investigating crimes have to face while they decide to arrest, investigate or prosecute a person who is accused of a crime. Most of the time, the arrest or detention of any person suspected of having committed an offense takes place right in the beginning of the investigation without collecting any cogent evidence to justify his or her detention, rather on some pretext or other the custodial interrogation becomes the ground for arrest or detention.

There are numerous changes in the laws and the rulings handed down to the investigators which prohibit them from arrests in the majority of cases, but these laws and court rulings are routinely flouted. Legally speaking, it is obligatory on the part of the Prosecution, judiciary, and the police investigating officers to follow these legal provisions and dictates-the senior police officers must adhere to them instead of taking short-cut routes to control crimes and maintain law and order.

IANS: The soul of CJS is the concept of 'proof beyond reasonable doubt'. In your active service while investigating some of the most sensational cases, how meticulously you and your team were in gathering evidence to corroborate the charge sheet against the offenders? Kanth: In the given framework of the CrPC and the Evidence Act, collecting 'admissible' evidence that can be judicially relied upon by the court to prove a case beyond reasonable doubt may itself be a tall order in a large number of cases. By denying the judicial credibility to a major part of oral and circumstantial evidence collected directly by the police which forms the crux of any investigation a situation is created wherein the falsehood becomes the order of the entire process.

The FIR being an admissible document though recorded by the police, many times, acquires a concoction on which false cases are built creating inherent weaknesses that destroy the entire process. During these times when such cases and false encounters are becoming the order of the day, I look back to the numerous cases I had the opportunity to investigate or supervise.

My two volumes of police memoirs -- 'Khaki in Dust Storm' and 'Khaki on Broken Wings' -- I have preferred to call them 'Police Diaries' since they contain completely evidence-based factual and truthful accounts of the investigations and trials.

Except for the Transistor Bomb Blast cases of the post-1984 riots terrorist strikes which killed over 85 persons and left over 150 injured, in most of the other cases we succeeded on account of the meticulously collected evidence based upon the existing laws.

To name a few, Lalit Maken, Arjun Das, General A.S. Vaidya and Rajiv Gandhi assassinations, besides Jessia Lal, BMW, Romesh Sharma, and Charles Sobhraj cases - all of them finally succeeded in the courts despite serious challenges and extraordinary pressures, thus establishing the people's faith in the Rule of Law.

IANS: Lastly, you have emphasised much about CJS being archaic and colonial and therefore in need of radical reforms. Where to start with it and who will bring that change? Kanth: India's CJS is confronted with a peculiar dilemma in having two different types of laws co-existing in the same legal system, which appear to be diametrically opposed to each other. On the one hand, we have the basic architecture within the troika of criminal laws, namely, Cr.PC, IPC, and the Evidence Act along with the Indian Police Act of 1861, which were the by-product of the 1857 Revolt against the British rule or India's First War of Independence.

The British Crown took over from the East India Company and created these laws to bring India into their perpetual subjugation. Somehow, this anti-people, colonial, and alien legal structure has mostly survived and got handed over to the post-Independence governments run by the powers that be.

On the other side, conforming to the articles and spirit of India's Constitution - our dream document which is acquiring more and more significance with the passage of time - there are numerous social legislations to protect the deprived, poor and needy, the vulnerable children, women, elderly and the specially-abled. One of the biggest problems today is not the absence of progressive laws in India, but their lack of implementation within the given structure and mindset.

During my 34 years of association with the social and voluntary sector alongside the police, which I served for about the same period, I realised that without changing the basic architecture of the CJS, it would be extremely difficult to serve the needs of those people in the country who deserve them the most.
Chandigarh, April 28 : The Punjab Police's Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) has arrested three people involved in procuring and providing passports on fake particulars to gangsters and criminals to facilitate their escape from the country, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said here on Friday.

The arrested have been identified as Onkar Singh, Sukhjinder Singh, and Prabhjot Singh of Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh.

The police have seized at least nine passports, besides recovering several photocopies of passports of absconding gangsters prepared using fake particulars.

DGP Yadav said acting on tip-off about the involvement of an interstate travel agents in preparing passports using fake particulars, AGTF teams, headed by ADGP Promod Ban and assisted by AIG Sandeep Goel, in an overnight operation busted the gang.

"Investigations reveal that the gang, having links in states, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat and Maharashtra, had facilitated a number of gangsters and criminals and other states to flee from the country on fake passports," he said.

The DGP said five more persons linked with the gang rounded up and investigations are on to unearth the entire network.

During the preliminary interrogation, accused Prabhjot Singh has revealed that one of his conduits, Charanjit Singh, who has been arrested by Delhi Police, had made a passport using fake particulars for gangster Deepak Boxer, who was recently deported from Mexico.

Another accused Sukhjinder Singh disclosed to have procured a passport on fake particulars for Deepinder Singh, alias Deepu, of Ajnala, who has a criminal background and is an associate of absconding gangster Harry Chatha.
New Delhi, April 28 : The Supreme Court on Friday directed all states and Union Territories (UTs) to register cases against those making hate speeches even if no complaint has been made, while stressing that both judges on the bench are apolitical and "they do not care about party A or party B or party C".

The bench of Justices K.M. Joseph and B.V. Nagarathna termed hate speech a serious offence capable of affecting secular fabric of the country and added that the court had passed the order last year with public good in mind for suo motu action against hate speech.

"This is something which goes to the heart of our republic...about dignity of people....", said Justice Joseph.

During the hearing, the bench made it crystal clear that both judges are apolitical and they do not care about party A or party B, or party C, "we only know the Constitution and the laws of the country... let us be very clear about it... whatever order we pass, it is allegiance to the oath we have taken".

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said there is no dispute about it and also there is no doubt about it.

When counsel cited instances of hate speeches in various parts of the country,the bench orally observed: "Don't bring in politics. If the attempt is to bring in politics, we won't be a party to this...we said in our order, irrespective of religion (action should be taken), what more do you want...".

The bench warned that any delay in registering cases will be treated as contempt of the court and emphasized that its October 21, 2022 order shall be made applicable irrespective of religion.

It said it is entertaining petitions against hate speeches in different parts of the country for "larger public good" and to ensure establishment of "rule of law".

Advocate Nizam Pasha, counsel for the petitioner, said the court ordered the police to take suo motu action and if police are not acting, it will be contempt. Mehta said let all states be joined in the matter.

The bench said respondents shall ensure immediately when any speech or any action takes place which attracts offences under various sections of the IPC, without any complaint being filed suo moto action can be taken to register cases.

It said that such action be taken irrespective of the religion of the maker of the speech, so that the secular character of the country as envisaged by the Preamble is preserved.

Last year, the apex court had directed Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Uttarakhand to crack down hard on those making hate speeches, calling them shocking for a country and also warned that any delay in taking action on this "very serious issue" will invite the court's contempt.

The top court was hearing a batch of pleas in connection with hate speech. One of the petitioners had initially sought direction against Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to register cases against those delivering hate speeches.
Ratnagiri : , April 28 (IANS) On the fifth day of the ongoing protests against the proposed Ratnagiri Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd coming up with Arab help, police burst teargas shells and cane-charged protesters who attempted to block the ongoing soil survey work in the affected villages, here on Friday.

The problems started this afternoon when over 400 villagers, including many women, attempted to stop a team conducting soil testing work in one of the villages, according to activists.

The Ratnagiri Police, which had already clamped prohibitory orders in the region till May 31 to enable the soil testing work, accosted the villagers and attempted to disperse them but they resisted.

As they started running towards the soil testing team, the police stopped them and tried to push them away from the officials, but the locals continued to defy and tried to enter the testing area.

Amid the huge ruckus, screaming, shouting, at one point the police caned the protesters running and burst teargas shells to drive them away.

According to an activist, Sachin Chavan, the police bundled off more than 500 villagers in six waiting vehicles from the soil testing site and took them into detention, though the number of arrests is not clear yet.

"We are not allowed to go to these areas. The mobile phones of the villagers have been seized, several of our activists have been externed for two weeks from the district, and the media are facing restrictions," said Sachin Chavan.

Another activist of Sustainable Konkan Movement, Satyajit Chavan, said in Mumbai that "the people in the region are being repressed by the use of police force", and not allowed to protest in a democratic manner.

Satyajit Chavan said that the police had arrested him and others under political pressure and "democracy is in danger", appealing to the people of Konkan to unitedly oppose the proposed RRPL project.

In Mumbai, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that there was no caning (lathi-charge) by the police though videos of the incident were being aired on social media and several local television channels.

Shinde said that the project will not be implemented without taking the locals into confidence, even as the villagers' leader Kashinath Gorle said the agitation has been suspended for 3 days to hold talks with the government.

The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana and others have slammed the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party regime, accusing it of excesses on the protesting villagers.

At least one injured person has been injured, hundreds have been detained, many fell ill in the fields owing to the scorching 40 degrees Celsius temperature in the afternoon during the agitation.

Earlier on Friday morning, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut was detained and prevented from going to the soil testing areas.

Nationalist Congress Party's Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule, MP, state Congress president Nana Patole, chief spokesperson Atul Londhe, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, SSS president Raju Shetti have criticised the Eknath Shinde government.

They called upon the government to immediately hold negotiations with the villagers, understand their problems or objections, and not push through the projects.

Appealing for discussions, Industry Minister Uday Samant reiterated that as assured by the chief minister, the project will not be taken up without the consent of the locals, but made it clear that the government will not entertain 'any outsiders'.

The villagers have set preconditions -- remove the police force in the region, stop the soil testing immediately, release people under detention, withdrawal of police notices/cases against the protesters, etc., before the talks with the locals on the project.

Protests and a political slugfest again hit the planned Rs 300,000-crore RRPL mega-venture - promoted by IOCL, HPCL and BPCL - coming up in Rajapur taluka with the help of Saudi ARAMCO and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, and would be the world's biggest single location refinery.

The RRPL project will be barely some km from the proposed world's largest Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant (JNPP) in Ratnagiri, which has also been mired in controversies, strong opposition and protests by the locals since over a decade.
Amaravati, April 28 : Political leaders should use their talent to create assets but not to loot the state, TDP supremo and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said on Friday.

Addressing a massive public gathering as part of the 'Edime Kharma Mana Rashtraniki' programme at Gundlapalem of Medikonduru mandal in Tadikonda Assembly segment, he observed that if assets are created people will get benefits.

"I have developed Hyderabad and wanted Amaravati too to be on a par with that city. As the state then did not have enough funds, I brought in the land pooling scheme to mobilise enough land for Amaravathi," he said.

Maintaining that 29,000 farmers donated 33,000 acres is a world history, the former Chief Minister said that all these farmers wanted a good capital to be built. Even when the condition of the roads was so bad, the Private Public Partnership was introduced to improve the condition of the roads following which beautiful rodas are now a reality, he recalled.

Reforms were brought in sectors like ports, power generation, airports and telecom due to which without spending even a single rupee from the exchequer the Hitech City was built in Hyderabad which changed the total scenario of the whole city, Naidu fondly recalled.

Observing that once an acre of land in Hyderabad was Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 which now went up to anywhere between Rs 30 crore to Rs 40 crore, the former Chief Minister said that the ruling party here should feel ashamed for the comments made by the Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao that the rates of land are far higher in Telangana than in Andhra Pradesh.

Recalling the statement made by the Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy, before the 2019 elections that Amaravati will remain the capital and that he has built his house too here, Naidu expressed anger at the change of tack by him now and making statements on three capitals. "Had he made a similar statement before the polls, the people would have totally rejected him," he felt.

The former Chief Minister also said that the campaign on scams in Amaravati too were completely proved to be false. "The people of Andhra Pradesh want that the capital should be in Guntur district and Amaravati is located in the heart of the State. This Chief Minister is making totally false allegations sitting in the Assembly and in the Secretariat built by me," he stated.

Giving a call to the people that the YSRCP should not win even a single Assembly seat in the combined Guntur district, Chandrababu Naidu pointed out that the government employees are not getting any benefits, including the Pay Revision Commission (PRC).
As of 17:00, the death toll from a Russian missile attack on a residential building in Uman has increased to 20 people, the Interior Ministry of Ukraine said.

"Uman: the number of victims of the Russian strike is increasing... another body was pulled out from under the rubble. As of 17:00, some 20 people killed," the Ministry of Internal Affairs said on the Telegram channel.
London, April 28 : A British-Indian businessman has been sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months, after admitting abuse of an interest-free loan offered by the UK government to businesses to cope with the Covid-19 lockdown.

Rajesh Dhirajlal Vaghela, 46, from Stanmore, who had received a 25,000-pound loan before closing his business in an effort to avoid repaying the taxpayer loan, pleaded guilty to fraud by abusing the Bounce Back Loan scheme.

He was caught through new powers granted to the Insolvency Service in December 2021, which allow it to investigate directors of dissolved companies who are suspected of closing their business to avoid repaying Covid-19 support loans.

Vaghela, who was a director of RKV Consultancy Ltd, which had traded as a consulting firm from Stanmore since its incorporation in March 2019, applied for a 25,000 pound Bounce Back Loan from his bank on behalf of the consultancy in May 2020.

The loan was paid into the company's bank account but within a week of receiving the money, Vaghela filed paperwork with Companies House to have the business dissolved, and later transferred all the loan money to personal bank accounts.

The striking-off application to dissolve a company makes clear that creditors, such as a bank with an outstanding loan, should be notified within seven days of applying to close the business and that failure to notify interested parties is a criminal offence.

After RKV Consultancy Ltd was dissolved, in October 2020, the Insolvency Service and cross-government counter-fraud systems identified its closure as probable Bounce Back Loan fraud.

Investigators found that Vaghela had not informed his bank of his application to dissolve the consultancy -- a breach of the law.

"Directors who abused the Covid-19 financial support schemes, which were provided by the government to support genuine businesses in need of help during the pandemic, have exploited taxpayers," Peter Fulham, Chief Investigator of the Insolvency Service's Criminal Investigation Team, said in a statement.

"This sentence reflects the thoroughly dishonest conduct of Rajesh Vaghela and should serve as a warning to others who engaged in this behaviour that they are at risk of criminal prosecutions and could potentially end up in prison," Fulham added.

Vaghela pleaded guilty to charges under the Companies Act 2006 and Fraud Act 2006 at Willesden Magistrates Court in February 2023 and was sentenced by His Honour Judge Donne KC, on 13 April 2023 at Harrow Crown Court.

He was also ordered to pay 2,150 pound court costs, and had repaid the loan in full before being sentenced.

The sentence follows six other criminal prosecutions of company directors for Covid loan abuse by the Insolvency Service in the last year, all of which resulted in convictions, including one immediate imprisonment.
Kolkata, April 28 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has traced multiple cash deposits at frequent intervals in amounts slightly less than Rs 50,000 in the different bank accounts held by Sukanya Mondal, the daughter of Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal, who is presently in ED custody for her alleged involvement in the cattle-smuggling scam in West Bengal.

Sources said the investigating officers believe that the transactions in amounts ranging from Rs 45,000 to Rs 49,500 were made deliberately to avoid mentioning the Permanent Account Number (PAN) in the deposit slips.

As per banking rules, mention of the PAN in the deposit slips is mandatory in case of cash deposits of Rs 50,000 and above.

Sukanya Mondal is in ED custody after she was arrested by the central agency on April 26 in connection with the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam.

Sources said that the ED is currently questioning her on the details of such multiple cash deposits. However, she has denied knowledge about such deposits, the sources said.

The sources also said that the persons employed at the residence of Mondal, such as the cook or the driver, were used for depositing cash in amounts slightly less than Rs 50,000 into Sukanya Mondal's accounts.

As per the sources, Sukanya Mondal is sticking to her "denial of knowledge" strategy with regard to the sources of funds found in the companies where she is the director, or the rice mills where she is a partner, or the huge property in Birbhum district in her name.

The two companies with Sukanya Mondal as the director are Neer Developer Pvt Ltd and ANM Agrochem Foods Pvt Ltd, which have their offices in the same address as Bholebam Rice Mill in Birbhum's Bolpur town, which is also owned by her.

As per the records accumulated by both the ED and the CBI, which is conducting a parallel probe into the cattle-smuggling scam, there is also a personal bank fixed deposit of Rs 16 crore in her name.
New Delhi, April 28 : The Delhi High Court has been apprised by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) that a new expert committee has been formed for the conservation, restoration, and proper functionality of the Jantar Mantar monument.

The ASI made its submission, in a short affidavit, before the bench of Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, while responding to a contempt plea moved by Ravindra Nath Sharma in 2011.

Sharma was aggrieved by non-compliance of a division bench order passed on September 22, 2010, which recorded an undertaking provided by the ASI that Jantar Mantar shall be made operational and would, to the best of their abilities, be restored to its former grandeur. The bench had also directed the Central and the Delhi governments to extend necessary support to the ASI.

After Justice Arora's recent order passed on January 20, the government agency filed the short affidavit in the matter.

In order to set up a meeting of the freshly constituted expert committee and to provide recommendations for carrying out conservation and restoration of the monument, the ASI requested for eight weeks' time in the affidavit.

Opposing the prayer, Sharma's counsel submitted that ASI's response was "deliberately vague" and that the inaction on its part showed lack of regard for the pendency of the matter.

The court, however, accepted ASI's request "in the interest of justice".

"It is however, reasonably expected that the newly constituted committee shall hold the meeting at the earliest so that steps taken for preservation, restoration and proper functionality of the monument can be placed on record before the next date of hearing," the court said.

Accordingly, the court listed it for further hearing on August 31.

The Superintending Archaeologist, who filed the affidavit on behalf of ASI, was also directed by the court to remain present in court on the next date of hearing.

"It is directed that the status report indicating the steps initiated for conservation, preservation, restoration and proper functionality of the monument be filed one (1) week prior to the next date of hearing," the court added.
Hubballi : , April 28 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi will only help the BJP win more seats in the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka.

Addressing a public rally here, Shah said, "Sonia Gandhi had called Modi 'Maut Ka Saudagar'. Rahul Gandhi calls him a lower caste man. But no matter how much you humiliate the Prime Minister, lotus will bloom in Karnataka. More threats to Modi will only create a pro-BJP wave." Shah's remarks cam a day after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge likened Prime Minister Modi to a "poisonous snake", drawing strong rebuke from the BJP. Kharge later retracted his comment, saying that his remarks were not aimed at the Prime Minister, but at his party.

Addressing the rally, Shah said that former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa had presented a special budget for the agriculture sector and had worked for their welfare.

"He (Yediyurappa) brought happiness in the lives of the farmers of north Karnataka," the Home Minister said.

"People should decide for the comprehensive development of the state. If the BJP comes to power, development will take place. But if the Congress comes to power, the state will suffer in terms of development," Shah said.

The Home Minister also said that the Congress has always betrayed the farmers.

"Farmers were shot during the Congress regime. The future of the state depends on the upcoming elections. The Congress led by Rahul 'baba' will provide a reverse gear government. Do you want a reverse gear government," Shah asked the gathering.
New Delhi, April 28 : Another 754 Indian citizens have been evacuated from violence-hit Sudan and brought back home on Friday by the government under Operation Kaveri.

While 392 people arrived in New Delhi in a C-17 Indian Air Force aircraft, another batch of 362 Indians were brought to Bengaluru.

With this, the total number of Indians who have been brought back from the troubled African nation, is now 1,360, as per official data.

The people have been brought home from the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, where India has set up a transit camp for the evacuees.

The first batch of 360 evacuees was brought to New Delhi in a commercial plane on April 26.

The second batch of 246 evacuees arrived in Mumbai in a C-17 Globemaster on April 27.

Under Operation Kaveri, India has been rescuing its citizens in buses from conflict zones in Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan.

From there, they are being taken to Jeddah and from the Saudi Arabian city, they are being brought back to India.

India has set up separate control rooms in Jeddah and Port Sudan, while the Indian embassy in Khartoum has been coordinating with them and the External Affairs Ministry here.
Patna, April 28 : At least 6 persons, part of a convoy of leading industrialist Umesh Sharma alias Bhola Babu, the younger brother of late JD-U leader 'King' Mahendra Prasad, sustained injuries during stone pelting in Jehanabad district on Friday afternoon, police said.

Sharma, along with company employees, were on the way to a village in Ghosi area and as they reached Bharthu village under Ghosi police station, around 20 persons chased his convoy and pelted stones on them.

The window panes of 4 vehicles broke down in the attack but luckily, Sharma escaped unhurt.

In a statement to police, Sharma said: "We were on the way to a village to participate in an event organised by my company under CSR scheme, when around 20 persons pelted stones on my convoy. 6 persons, who were inside the vehicles, were injured." Following the incident, a large number of police force reached the village. They are making efforts to identify the accused. The reason for stone pelting is not ascertained yet.

King Mahendra, who hailed from Jehanabad, was a Rajya Sabha MP of the JD-U as well as the founder of Aristo Pharma. After his demise, his younger brother Umesh Sharma is looking after the company.
New Delhi, April 28 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said that they recently carried out search operations at five locations - Pune, Pachmarhi and Indore (MP), Jalandhar, and Kolkata - in connection with the church funds embezzlement case.

During the searches, various incriminating documents were recovered and seized, it said.

The ED initiated investigation on the basis of the FIR registered by the EOW, Jabalpur (MP) under various sections of the IPC against P.C. Singh, Chairman of the Board of Education, Church of North India, Jabalpur.

"Prima facie, various office bearers of CNI, including P.C. Singh and earlier Managing Director of a trust under the CNI, were found involved in the gross misappropriation of Church properties through sale/renting out at much lower prices by showing the properties as deteriorating and encroached," an ED official said.

"For example, 1 acre land with building at Satpura National Park & Hill Station, Panchmarhi was rented out for the period of 15 years on Rs 12,500 per month to a private entity namely Satpura Resorts Private Ltd." Earlier searches were conducted by the ED at six premises related to Singh at Jabalpur, Mumbai, Ranchi, and Nagpur on March 15 and at 3 premises at Ranchi on March 18.

During searches an amount of Rs 5,37,500 was recovered from the residence of Singh, along with various incriminating documents.

Singh was arrested on April 12, and presently he is in judicial custody.

The ED probe, so far, has, prima facie, revealed multiple instances of diversion of crores of rupees meant to be paid to the trust under CNI against sale of properties.
New Delhi, April 28 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached movable and immovable properties worth over Rs 54 crores in an ongoing investigation against the Rose Valley Group of Companies and its promoters in a PMLA case.

The ED had earlier attached and seized properties having a value of Rs 1117.71 crores. The total attachments in this case till now are worth Rs 1171.71 crores.

The attached properties consist of insurance policies in the name of Gautam Kundu and his wife, and buildings, plots of land located in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, which were found to have been acquired by the companies of Rose Valley Group from the funds collected from investors.

The ED initiated the investigation under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, against the companies of Rose Valley Group and its chairman along with other persons on the basis of a FIR.

During the course of investigation it was learnt that Rose Valley Group collected funds from the public by floating fake and fictitious schemes and defaulted on the repayments.

Kundu, the promoter/owner/chairman of the Rose Valley Group of Companies, was arrested by the ED in March 2015 and is presently in judicial custody.

The ED has filed two prosecution complaints in the case. One Arun Mukherjee was convicted and awarded a seven-year jail term along with a fine of Rs 2,50,000 in the matter.

Further investigation in the matter is on.
Bengaluru, April 28 : A court here on Friday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) president Srinivas B.V. on whom former Assam unit IYC chief Angkita Dutta has levelled harassment allegations.

The bail petition was dismissed by a Bengaluru court judge, K.S. Jyothisri.

Following the development, Srinivas faces the threat of arrest.

Senior counsel K.N. Phaneendra has submitted that "the complainant's dignity and honour has been damaged and the victim has registered her statement before the court under section 164".

The Special Public Prosecutor from Assam placed arguments in favour of the Assam police objecting to Srinavas' anticipatory bail plea.

After Angkita Dutta lodged a harassment complaint, Assam police went to the Bengaluru residence of Srinivas. Sources said that a team of Assam police including a senior IPS officer visited Bengaluru.

An FIR has also been lodged against Srinivas at the Vidhana Soudha police station here in connection with obstructing the duty of election officers recently.

According to police, Srinivas obstructed election officers when they were conducting a search and inspection during a meeting held by him at a hotel on April 23 in Bengaluru.

Srinivas allegedly did not cooperate with the officials and got into an argument with them.
New Delhi, April 28 : A 35-year-old man was shot dead in broad daylight by three assailants in Central Delhi on Friday, the police said.

The deceased has been identified as Imran alias Nanhe, a resident of Laxmi Nagar.

According to the police, at around 3:30 p.m. on Friday, an incident of firing was reported from Kabutar Market near Dargah Sheikh Kalimullah.

When the SHO of Jama Masjid police station along with his team reached the spot, they found that an injured person has been taken to the hospital, where he died during treatment.

"On inquiry, it was revealed that three persons had come on foot and pumped in three bullets into Imran, who was sitting in his shop in Kabutar Market," said a senior police officer.

"Several teams have been formed to nab the assailants. CCTV footages from the nearby areas are being scanned," the officer added.
Ukraine and the Czech Republic have prepared six projects for the joint production of weapons and ammunition, training aircraft and the repair of tanks with the possibility of full production work on Ukrainian territory, Czech leader Petr Pavel said.

"We have prepared six key projects for joint production on the basis of both Ukrainian and Czech companies. As for specific projects, these are the production of weapons, ammunition, the repair of tanks like the T-62, as well as the potential production of training aircraft. For us, the transfer of technology and production is a priority so that this production can be partially or completely carried out on the territory of Ukraine. The end result will be used taking into account the technologies that are in both countries," he said at a joint press conference with the presidents of Ukraine and Slovakia in Kyiv.

Pavel also said cooperation between the Czech Republic and Ukraine will continue to deepen not only in terms of military assistance, but also in other forms, in particular, in the field of commerce.

In addition, according to him, the Czech Republic is ready to offer Ukraine support, assistance and cooperation in the sectors of energy, economy, transport infrastructure, and housing. It will be sent as part of the restoration program to Dnipro and Dnipropetrovsk region.

"I am glad that we have reached an agreement with Mr. Zelenskyy on these issues. We have reached an understanding that there must be cooperation and that we must move quickly to implement it... The restoration of Ukraine must begin now," the Czech President said.
New Delhi, April 28 : The Supreme Court, in a late evening hearing on Friday, stayed the order passed by Calcutta High Court's Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, directing the apex court's Secretary General to produce the report and official transcript of an interview he had given to a news channel.

A bench of Justices A.S. Bopanna and Hima Kohli observed that the order of present nature ought not to have been passed in judicial proceedings, keeping in view the judicial discipline and stayed the order passed by the high court judge in the suo motu proceeding.

The bench said the order was improper and against judicial discipline and directed the Secretary General to convey its order to Justice Gangopadhyay.

Earlier during the day, the top court asked the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court to assign the recruitment scam in government schools in West Bengal to some other judge, instead of Justice Gangopadhyay, who heard the matter so far, after considering his interview to a news channel. The top court passed the order on a plea by Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee against the High Court's order allowing his questioning by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Within hours of the top court's order, Justice Gangopadhyay himself registered a case as "In Re: The Court on its own motion" and directed the apex court's Secretary General to produce before him transcripts of the translation of his interview to a TV channel furnished before the top court.

Following this, a bench of Justices Bopanna and Kohli considered the matter in a special sitting after 8 p.m.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said it is unfortunate that this order was passed and asked the apex court to stay the order.

On April 24, the top court said that judges have no business granting interviews to news channels on matters pending before them.

The court took strong exception to sitting Calcutta High Court judge Justice Gangopadhyay's interview to a news channel in connection with Abhishek Banerjee, even as a case concerning Banerjee was being heard by him.

The bench said: "Judges have no business granting interviews to television or whatever channels on matters which are pending before them... how can they, given an interviewa." --IANS

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Patna, April 28 : With politics over release of Anand Mohan Singh on peak, Bihar Minister and JD-U leader Ashok Chaudhary on Friday accused BJP leaders of shifting their stances on the issue, as per their convenience.

He noted that senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi advocated the release of Anand Mohan, having said that if the convicts in former PM Rajiv Gandhi's assassination can be released, than what is a problem with Anand Mohan.

"The state government has a power of remission. It has been doing remission on Republic Day and Independence Day in the past. There is no provision in the jail manual for accused convicted in the murder of a public servant in other states. Hence, the Bihar government has removed it," Chaudhary said.

"Sushil Modi had given a statement for release of Anand Mohan. He also said that if the killers of Rajiv Gandhi can be released, then why not Anand Mohan. When the state government released Anand Mohan, then he said that the decision of the state government was not right and it is an anti-Dalit decision. This incident has actually shown dual characteristics of the BJP," he added.

"In place of Anand Mohan, if any other prisoners were released from jail, they would not even notice them. As Anand Mohan is a big leader, he also has a political party. His wife was MP, his son is MLA. Hence, BJP is making hue and cry over this issue," he claimed.
New Delhi, April 28 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday met his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu in the national capital on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meet.

The Ministry of Defence said that during the meeting, both the ministers discussed various matters related to regional peace and security.

Singh and Shoigu held wide-ranging discussions on several issues of bilateral cooperation, including defence and industrial partnerships. The two ministers also discussed the participation of Russia's defence industry in the 'Make in India' initiative, and ways to further accelerate it.

It has been learnt that both expressed satisfaction "at the continued trust and mutual respect between India and Russia, particularly in the defence sector, and reiterated their commitment towards strengthening mutual partnership".

Meanwhile, during the meeting, Shoigu slammed the US and groupings like Quad while showing inclination towards China. India is part of Quad, which also comprising Australia, Japan and the US.

The Russian Defence Minister said that "a front is being set up to stop China".

He said that tensions around the 'so-called' Taiwan issue have been deliberately raised.

Shoigu said "the supporters of Washington are pursuing their strategic agenda of provoking other countries for a military confrontation with other countries, especially Russia and China".

At the conclusion of the SCO meeting, SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming also met Rajnath Singh. Various activities undertaken by India under its chairmanship were discussed.

The Defence Minister told the Secretary-General that India is committed to contribute constructively to the implementation of the SCO's mandate.

Rajnath Singh also held bilateral talks with the Defence Ministers of Uzbekistan, Belarus and Kazakhstan on the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers' meeting.

He held bilateral meetings with the Minister of Defence of Uzbekistan, Lt Gen Bakhodir Kurbanov; Defence Minister of Belarus, Lt Gen Victor Khrenin; and Minister of Defence of Kyrgyzstan, Lt Gen Bekbolotov B. Asankalievich.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said: "The entire gamut of defence cooperation with the three countries was reviewed during the meetings, with a focus on identifying beneficial avenues for furthering bilateral ties. Issues of mutual interest were also discussed."
Gandhinagar, April 28 : Additional Director General K.R. Suresh, Coast Guard Commander (Western Seaboard), who is on a three-day visit to the Coast Guard Region (North West), on Friday reviewed the operational preparedness and readiness of the region towards its mandated Coast Guard charter, and the progress of various infrastructure projects.

ADG Suresh, who arrived here on April 27, called on Gujarat Governor Acharya Devrat on the same day.

ADG Suresh and his wife Jayanthi Suresh, President of the Coast Guard Wives Welfare Association (Western Seaboard), will also visit forward formations at Mundra, Vadinar, Veraval, and Pipavav and interact with ICG officers, personnel, and their families.

Upon arrival, the ADG was received by Inspector General A.K. Harbola, Commander Coast Guard Region (North West) and his wife Kavita Harbola, President of the Coast Guard Wives Welfare Association (North West Region).

The Flag Officer is responsible for overseeing the Indian Coast Guard along the entire Western Seaboard from Gujarat to Kerala, including Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands.

The visit is an opportunity for the CGC (WS) to assess the overall operational preparedness and readiness of the Coast Guard Region (North West) and ensure it is equipped to carry out its mandated duties effectively, a statement said.
Shillong, April 28 : Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said on Friday that the young women in the state are at high risk due to child birth without the spacing of three years, adding that some of them are even giving birth to more than five children by the age of 23.

Speaking at the national seminar on 'Representation of Women of North East India in Multi - Disciplinary Discourse' at the Don Bosco College in Tura, the Chief Minister said that the government has conceptualised a programme to empower women through different economic activities.

Through the Self Help Group (SHG) movement, the government is ensuring that the women become financially independent, he said.

Sangma said "We had to come up with a solution which is long-lasting and ensures the health and well-being of a mother. The Safe Motherhood Programme addresses the concerns of the women. We have also introduced an initiative that empowers women financially through income generating activities launched through SHGs." Economic empowerment of women is of paramount concern for the government, he told the seminar.

He also informed that Meghalaya is one of the few states in the country where 95 per cent of the women from rural areas are part of the SHG movement.

Sangma said that there are over four lakh women under the SHG movement in the state, which was around 35,000 prior to 2018.

He also said that the government is working with a positive mindset to provide different opportunities to enable economic empowerment of women.

There are different problems confronting women, but the government is working with an approach to provide effective solutions to those problems.

"Having a positive mindset does not mean that we overlook the problems. However, we have come up with a perspective to address the concerns and improve things. It is a challenge but we have to come up with an approach to ensure real change," he said.

The seminar was attended by scholars from different parts of the country.
New Delhi, April 29 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth Rs 37.26 crore, belonging to Punjab government engineer Surinder Pal Singh alias Pehalwan, his family, and family's entities/associates in a PMLA case.

These include 63 immovable properties - both land and buildings in various districts of Punjab, and pertaining to three companies associated with Singh and his family members and certain other properties registered in name of other closely associated entities/individuals.

Attached assets also include movable properties in the form of balances available in several bank accounts pertaining to Singh, his family members and companies managed/ controlled by Singh.

The ED initiated investigations on the basis of an FIR registered and charge sheet filed by the Vigilance Bureau, Punjab under various sections of the IPC and PC Act.

"Singh, who was posted as Executive Engineer/Superintendent Engineer/Chief Engineer at various offices of the Punjab Mandi Board and the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), had incorporated several companies through his family members and deposited in the accounts of such companies huge quantum of funds earned by him through illicit means," an ED official said.

Singh also misused his official position and allotted multi-crore projects to his favoured firms/companies, thereby ensuring illegal monetary gains for himself as well as various other persons belonging to his own family, etc.

In this connection, the ED had earlier conducted searches at various premises connected with Singh, his associates and others as a result of which proceeds of crime lying in the form of term deposits, totalling Rs 5.93 crore were ordered to be frozen.

During investigation conducted by the ED, Singh and his family members and associates were not able to prove the genuineness of the business/financial transactions of such companies incorporated by him in name of his family members, which clearly established the fact that the companies were floated only with the purpose to launder his illicit income earned by misuse of his official position in the government.

Also, no supporting documents were ever submitted by them during investigation with regards to huge cash deposits in the bank accounts of the companies managed and controlled by Singh.
New Delhi, April 29 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Friday that it has attached movable and immovable properties worth Rs 4.09 crore belonging to Deepak Kumar, Ramesh Kadel, his relatives and his associates in a PMLA case lodged against Mumbai-based firm Yogeshwar Diamonds and others.

The attached properties include immovable properties and bank balance of one proprietorship concern, Naina Jewellers owned by Deepak Kumar.

The ED initiated investigation under PMLA against Yogeshwar Diamonds and others on the basis of an FIR registered by the Maharashtra Police in 2015, which was later transferred to the Economic Offences Wing, Mumbai Police.

The ED probe revealed that Yogeshwar Diamonds and others remitted funds on the basis of forged entries to companies based in Hong Kong.

Star Grace Limited was one such shell foreign entity which had received huge amount of illegal proceeds of crime through this modus operandi. Documents collected by the the ED proved that Deepak Kumar was the director and he was not responding to ED's summons for the last few years.

On February 25, on his return from Dubai, Kumar was arrested by the ED. Presently, he is in judicial custody.

"Scrutiny of his and his firm's bank accounts in India revealed that Kumar is part of a larger web of shell entities which are engaged in sending large amount of unaccounted funds to foreign shell entities in the guise of forged/fabricated bills of entry in the diamond trading business," said an ED official.

Kumar was the authorised director of the Hong Kong company, but is not the ultimate beneficial owner of Star Grace Limited. As per the investigation done till date, it is established that Ramesh Kumar Kadel is the beneficiary of these funds who is absconding and not responding to summons by the ED. He is presently in Dubai.

The ED has carried out a fund trail investigation and found that dummy proprietors, directors and partners were appointed in the shell companies, who helped in laundering operations for commission.

The ED has identified the available assets of the main beneficiary, Kumar, and other proprietors of shell entities and issued the provisional attachment order.
Ramallah, April 29 : At least two Palestinians, including a teenager, were injured during an Israeli Army's operation at the refugee camp of Jenin in northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Friday that two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy, were moderately injured by Israeli soldiers who stormed the Palestinian refugee camp, Xinhua news agency reported.

Palestinian security sources said that an Israeli Army force, backed by armoured vehicles, stormed the outskirts of the refugee camp, and intensive gunfire was heard in several areas.

The armed wing of several Palestinian factions said in separate statements that its militants exchanged fire with Israeli soldiers who stormed the area of Jenin and detonated roadside bombs against the Israeli Army vehicles.

Meanwhile, an Israeli Army spokesman said in a press statement that upon security data, an Israeli Army force raided the Jenin refugee camp and arrested a Palestinian wanted by Israeli security for being involved in carrying out attacks against Israel.

The spokesman added that during the military operation, several gunmen threw hand grenades and gunfire was exchanged, while no injuries were reported among the soldiers.

For several months, the Israeli Army has carried out daily raids on Palestinian towns, villages, and refugee camps, mainly in the northern West Bank, aiming to arrest Palestinian militants wanted by Israeli security forces.

During the tension that had mounted since early January, official Palestinian figures said more than 90 Palestinians were killed, while Israel said that 19 Israelis were killed during the same period by Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Moscow, April 29 : The recent nuclear agreement reached by the US and South Korea will have a negative effect on regional security and undermine global stability, said the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"We took note of reports on an agreement that was reached between the US and the ROK (the Republic of Korea) on joint planning with regard to the use of nuclear weapons," said the Ministry's spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, in a statement on Friday.

"This development is clearly destabilising... and will have serious negative consequences for regional security and will impact global stability," the statement added.

According to the statement, by committing to policies of "extended nuclear deterrence," the US and its allies are duplicating schemes that Washington has been practicing for decades following the Cold War, and still practices with its NATO allies.

It added that such practices will ultimately undermine international security, lead to a further escalation of tensions, spur security crises, and provoke an arms race, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We call on the US and its allies...to refrain from steps that lead to the weakening of the overall level of security for all states," said the statement.

The US and South Korea jointly issued the Washington Declaration on April 26 as one of the outcomes of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's visit to the US.

According to reports, the declaration says that the US will upgrade the extended deterrence it provides to South Korea, including enhanced consultation over a nuclear crisis, increased military exercises and training activities, table-top simulation, the establishment of a new Nuclear Consultative Group, and a further expansion of the US regular visibility of strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula.
Juba, April 29 : South Sudan has said it hopes to use the recently extended ceasefire agreement in Sudan to push for face-to-face talks between the warring parties.

Deng Dau Deng, acting minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, said on Friday that President Salva Kiir has already held talks with Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) who accepted direct talks with his rival Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

"We hope that this particular ceasefire will have an impact on the lives of Sudanese people, those who are in Khartoum and those who are outside. We are hoping that then the attention will shift to how to get face-to-face talks because war cannot be won on the battlefield," Deng told foreign diplomats in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, during a briefing on the situation in neighbouring Sudan.

On April 17, the regional body Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) appointed Kiir to lead ceasefire negotiations in Sudan alongside Kenyan President William Ruto and Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh, Xinhua news agency reported.

Deng said that South Sudan's experience has shown that foreign interference complicates conflict.

"Our position is that Sudanese are capable of resolving their internal differences." South Sudan has so far received about 16,000 people fleeing fighting since violence erupted in Sudan on April 15 between the SAF and the RSF.

Deng said due to the ever-rising number of people crossing into South Sudan across the border with Sudan, Juba is talking to partners on how to allocate returnees and refugees to different parts of the country to avoid congestion.

He added that in the Bahr El Ghazal region alone, about 500 people arrive daily from the 12 border crossing points with Sudan.
Vitali Klitschko: Support for Ukraine and restoration of peace is one of the key topics at the world summit of mayors in Denver

One of the key issues on the agenda of the first Cities of the Americas Summit in Denver is the return of peace and support for Ukraine. This was announced on Friday by Mayor of the city of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko on his Telegram channel.

"The world congress of mayors. A group of Ukrainian mayors is also participating in the discussion of the key challenges that exist in the world today. And one of the key issues is the return of peace and support for Ukraine. We raise this issue and do our best to make support for Ukraine even stronger," Klitschko said.

He wrote that about 2,000 city mayors and representatives of local self-government from 35 countries are taking part in the Summit.

"At the Cities of the Americas Summit, we are talking about the recovery assistance that cities of different countries can provide to Ukrainian cities. After all, it is local self-government, its development and cooperation between cities that is the idea of this Summit, which is being held for the first time at the initiative of the U.S. Department of State and with the support of USAID," the mayor of Kyiv said.

Klitschko met with Special Representative of the U.S. State Department for City and State Diplomacy Nina Hachigian. We talked at the main platform of the Summit about the role of cities in global leadership and local self-government as the basis of democracy, he said.

Klitschko also met with U.S. Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez. It was about the future restoration of Ukrainian cities and reforms that need to be implemented in Ukraine.

Klitschko plans to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and mayors of several American cities soon.
Buckeye Opportunity Zone Fund The Buckeye OZ Fund converts rural land in Opportunity Zone (OZ) areas into income-producing properties that support sustainable high-profit OZ businesses. Staying ahead of growth and development, the Independent Concepts team are beyond fund professionals, they are also community builders.

Buckeye Opportunity Zone Fund (Buckeye OZ Fund, LLC) launches a private equity fund seeking accredited investors for investment into Ghost Town theme-park development projects across Arizona. The executive management team led by Tammy Cline Founder of Independent Concepts, LLC are raising $25,000,000 in a Series A Round. The Buckeye OZ Fund is now open for and seeking capital gains Investors.

The Buckeye OZ Fund converts rural land in Opportunity Zone (OZ) areas into income-producing properties that support sustainable high-profit OZ businesses. Staying ahead of growth and development, the Independent Concepts team are beyond fund professionals, they are also community builders. The investment into recreational land and tourism businesses are naturally low risk and high yield assets like RV Camping, off-road vehicle rentals/tours, and old west themed parks and venues. (Land preservation is an indirect benefit to the development projects proposed).

The Buckeye OZ Fund was created to raise the necessary capital of $25 million in round A to invest in ghost towns located in Opportunity Zones. Revitalizing historically significant towns that have been left abandoned and making them economically viable through development of off-road recreational attractions; preserving the cultural pastimes of the working class ahead of progress through community inspired development. The Fund will utilize the tax break incentives created by the Tax Cuts and Job Acts of 2017 for designated Opportunity Zones in the U.S. The Buckeye OZ Fund has recognized and targeted enough property to sustain and grow for a decade or better for the growth of investor profit and gains. An alternative to the 1031 exchange, investors will realize a smoother method of real estate investment portfolio growth without lifetime commitments to the 1031 program. This tax-incentive program is only being offered for a limited time and will expire in 2047 forever.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 created Qualified Opportunity Zones ("QOZs") to provide potentially significant tax benefits to investors who re-invest capital gains in long-term investments in communities designated for economic development. There are 8764 QOZs across all US states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. They offer investors the ability to positively impact communities struggling to attract capital to generate sustainable economic opportunity for their community and offer investors the ability to positively impact struggling communities while deferring capital gains tax on realized gains if they are invested in a Qualified Opportunity Fund within 180 days of the sale.

Benefits of investing capital gains into a Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF):

-Temporary Deferral of Taxes on Previously Earned Capital Gains.

-Investors can defer tax on any prior Capital Gains deposited into a Qualified Opportunity Zone Fund (QOF) until 2026.

-Permanent Exclusion of Taxable Income on New Federal Capital Gains Tax.

-For investments held for at least 10 years, investors pay no taxes on any capital gains produced through their investment in the Opportunity Fund.

Why Ghost Towns in Opportunity Zones?

-550% underserved market for adventure seekers and explorers in a $2.6 billion industry.

-Land and development costs are lower than all other RE projects.

-Future land value is higher than other development projects once assets reach maximum earning potential.

-Future developments are made simpler with infrastructure mostly in place.

Initial investment project:

Crag Ghost Town Campground / Off-Road theme park.

Arizona is the mecca for off-roading, camping and outdoor activities. Buckeye OZ Fund is starting with the development of Camp Crag. Situated in an abandoned area of the Arizona desert that is now in the path of expansion and population growth, Interstate 11 will be within sight of the campground in the not-so-distant future. Near the Ghost Town of Crag, Arizona is also 1000s of acres of Solar panel farms, changing the desert view dramatically. Currently this area is used by OHV and 4x4 vehicles for recreational activities such as camping, target practice, and offroad exploring. With the expansion of areas in the Phoenix metro area this area is beginning to see RV campers, Hikers, and naturists. This has created the perfect opportunity to convert the 120-acre area near the Ghost Town into servicing a recreational community of over 2 million people. Crag would join an industry that in 2018 was generating 1.86 billion dollars in revenue just for Arizona off-road businesses. The team behind this project are all enthusiasts to this type of venture and are outstanding members of this off-road community. Starting with a 3-phase plan to scale into a community resource in both physical nature and need for basic essentials; Camp Crag will provide. Water, rest and recreation are not available currently in this area for MANY miles. By investing into off-road ghost town development, there is an indirect benefit to preserving land and wildlife ahead of massive development projects while utilizing the amazing tax incentives that the OZ program offers.

The Buckeye OZ Fund team is a diversified management team with 50+ years of combined experience.

Tammy Cline

Co-Founder | CEO

Tammy Cline, CEO of Independent Concepts LLC and Co-Founder of the Buckeye OZ Fund, is a progressive leader with over 2 decades of success in the charter school education business. With 2 successful startup charter schools, in roles from chairperson to business administrator, Tammy was a service to great education systems. Before her time in the schools, Tammy was a franchise area manager for a national salon chain. With all the experience and skills acquired in growing and maintaining a successful learning institution it is easy to see how well Tammy will perform in her role as the Administrative Manager of a highly productive and stringently regulated private equity fund and Real Estate development team leader. The team that Tammy has built to manage this fund and asset development is stellar.

Nicci Thurman

Co-Founder | CFO

Nicci Thurman balances the administrative team for Independent Concepts LLC as the Chief Financial Officer and Fund Management and Marketing. Hailing from Central Florida with her MBA in Marketing from University of Central Florida, Nicci has been an integral member of the telecommunications tower construction industry. With extensive regulation, Nicci was proficient at maintaining 100% compliance and automating tasks for error reduction. This uncommon skill set is paramount to a successful Qualified Opportunity Fund that must report on a semiannual basis to maintain compliance and regulatory.

Thomas Dobczyk

Co-Founder | Director of Development

Co-Founder of the Buckeye OZ Fund and providing 32 years of experience in land and real estate development, Thomas, a General Contractor in Arizona, Florida, and Illinois, was brought onto Independent Concepts as Co-managing Developer. In the role of Director of Development and Design, Thomas contributes his experience with historical renovations and 30 years of working with Historical Societies and Main Street Inc. city beautification committees. This team for Ghost Town theme-park development is possibly the ONLY specialized crew in the country. The investors gain the benefit of having an experienced leader at the helm of design in a highly specialized asset class.

Esai Bolderoff

Chief Operations Officer

Esai Bolderoff, a multifaceted member of the Independent Concepts team has designed the Operations and Procedures for the various aspects of asset development and management of those assets. Easi and his family worked out many sustainable businesses in his homeland of Australia. With the example and experiences set forth by his uncles and father, Esai has been able to create and launch multiple start-up operations and businesses since coming to Arizona over 6 years ago to start his own family. With success in Crypto, Esai has been eager to work in a community development project reminiscent of the work his family has done for centuries.

Roman Rubio

Public Relations and Economic Development Officer

Roman Rubio, the native to Arizona and co-representative of the Off-Road community, is the strength in the Independent Concepts organization. With a background in the rural areas, Roman gain acknowledgement by being able to rise above poverty in a border town to become a community builder through his real state businesses. Romans strength comes from the growth and experience in-power divided roles gives a man. Buckeye OZ investors will experience this strength advantage through profit growth.

Status: Open To Investors

Type of Fund: LLC Reg D

Asset Classification: Multiple Assets

Active Potential Investments: 5

Fund Administration: OZInvested.com

Anticipated Returns: 28%

Fund Terms:

Round A $25,000,000

Minimum Subscription $50,000

Invest Today!

Contact:

Tammy Cline  CEO Co-Founder

Nicci Thurman  CFO

Thomas Dobcyzk  Director of Development

Phone: 602-888-9199

Email: Invest@BuckeyeOZ.com

For more information, please visit http://www.BuckeyeOZ.com

DISCLAIMER:

Articles featured on this page are for informational purposes only. This is not an offer to sell nor a solicitation to buy Buckeye OZ Fund, LLC. That can only be done by our current Confidential Private Placement Memorandum (CPPM). Securities offered by Buckeye OZ Fund, LLC. For accredited Investors only. Limited liquidity. The shares being sold in this offering have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission or any states securities division. Nor has the Securities and Exchange Commission or any state securities department passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the CPPM or the disclosures provided therein. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by Buckeye OZ Fund, LLC and while we endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
Founder and Managing Partner Joshua J. Coe, Esq. is nationally recognized for his in-depth legal knowledge and outstanding litigation skills. He provides clients unmatched counsel in a broad range of practice areas, with particular focus on personal injury, business law, estate planning, and non-profit law.

Joshua consistently earns top rankings and the Superb ranking on the Avvo national legal registry. He was also recognized as a Cambridge Whos Who among young professionals, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Jim White Community Fitness Foundation, Virginia Beach Home Now, Inc., and Mid-Atlantic Teen Challenge. Joshua was selected to the Rising Stars list from 2014 to 2020. This is his second year being selected to the Super Lawyers list.

Partner Anthony M. Gantous, Esq. is a skilled attorney who handles a variety of practice areas, including personal injury, medical malpractice and business litigation. Anthony brings extensive knowledge and a unique prosecutorial focus to his practice, having spent the early part of his career representing medical professionals, hospitals, and pharmaceutical and insurance companies as a defense attorney.

Anthony was selected to The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers list, and he achieves consistent top rankings. He served on the Virginia Beach Bar Association Mentoring Committee, among several other organizations, and is a current volunteer for the Eastern District of Virginia Criminal Justice Act Panel. Anthony was selected to the Rising Stars list from 2012 to 2015 and the Super Lawyers list each consecutive year since 2019.

Partner Macayla M. Nicolaison, Esq. is consistently recognized for her legal work with non-profit organizations, entrepreneurs, and business owners, and performs pro bono services. She helps many different business owners with structuring, navigating, and protecting their companies.

Macayla is a proud member of the Virginia Bar Association and the Funding Review Committee for the United Way of South Hampton Roads. She also served as an adjunct faculty member at Regent Universitys Graduate School of Communications, where she taught courses on wills, trusts, and probate. Macayla has been selected to the Rising Stars list each consecutive year since 2021.

Super Lawyers recognizes attorneys in more than 70 different practice areas throughout the country. Each attorney undergoes an extensive multi-phase selection process that includes peer nomination and recognition, professional achievements, and independent research.

Those who are seeking legal advice can count on Anchor Legal Group, PLLC. Call 757-LAW-0000 or visit http://www.anchorlegalgroup.com to schedule a consultation. Located in Virginia Beach, the firm serves clients throughout the state.
y255 venture team wins Herbert B. Jones Foundation $15,000 grand prize at 20th annual WSU Business Plan Competition Interest in, and access to, entrepreneurial learning is growing at WSU and throughout our region. That is clearly evident by the diversity represented in this years venture teams and their business ideas."

Innovative business software solutions and mobile app technology for social good were collective themes presented at Washington State University's 20th annual Business Plan Competition Thursday, April 27.

y255 was the big winner, walking away with the Herbert B. Jones $15,000 grand prize.

y255, an advertising agency founded by David Barr and Andrew Oberaa, helps businesses advertise to Gen Z through video games. The agency will help companies create product placement marketing within tailored, in-game experiences.

Student teams presented their business ideas and competed for cash and in-kind prizes totaling $86,000 at the competition, hosted by the WSU Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE).

Three hundred forty-six students from seven WSU colleges, five universities, and six high schools across Washington and Idaho formed 123 venture teams that competed in three different leagues. More than 120 entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders joined virtually and in person to judge the competition.

Venture teams in the Open League participated in two fully virtual rounds: a screening round and final presentations on Friday, April 21. Teams in the WSU College League and High School League competed virtually in preliminary screening rounds where the final five teams in each league advanced to the in-person finals hosted on the WSU Pullman campus, Thursday, April 27.

Winners celebrated; awards and big checks presented at annual awards banquet

The winning teams from all three leagues were invited to an awards banquet immediately following the WSU and High School Leagues final presentations. Emmy award winning TV journalist and WSU alum Nikki Torres served as master of ceremonies for the banquet. After dinner and a keynote address by seasoned technology industry executive Thor Culverhouse, CEO of Submittable, prizes and checks were awarded. The College Leagues Herbert B. Jones grand prize and the Open and High School Leagues first place awards were among the nights highlights.

University of Idaho venture team StrapWell won first place in the Open League. StrapWell is a bag that universally adapts to tie downs for more secure shipments in the transportation industry.

In the High School League, venture team Mai Bowl, from Sammamish High School, won first place. Mai Bowl is a fresh fruit, low-calorie smoothie bowl providing a healthier dessert option.

Growing interest in entrepreneurship will benefit regions future workforce

The competition was the largest and most diverse in WSUs history. The unique teams represented a wide variety of academic majors and programs of study as well as genders, ethnicities, and socio-economic backgrounds.

Interest in, and access to, entrepreneurial learning is growing at WSU and throughout our region. That is clearly evident by the diversity represented in this years venture teams and their business ideas, said Marie Mayes, director of the WSU CFE. This growth is building a future workforce from our region that will be prepared to bring innovative solutions to the most pressing business and social concerns of today and tomorrow.

Some of the innovative ideas presented by the student venture teams included apps for improving campus safety, foster care resources, and business efficiency; snack carts, video game advertising, and tenant management tools.

Winning teams announced

Academic and industry professionals judged teams based on presentation, development of a solution for a customer problem, value proposition, market opportunity, competitive advantages, go-to-market strategy, financials, and investment analysis. The teams also were evaluated on the merit of their ideas and business plans.

In addition to sponsoring the grand prizes, the Herbert B. Jones Foundation sponsored merit awards worth $2,500 each for best-written plan, best presentation, best technology venture, and best social impact business. BECU sponsored a FinTech merit prize, awarded to the team that presented the most innovative idea in the financial technology space. Foster Garvey sponsored the Open League. In the High School League, the Believe in Me Foundation sponsored all the prizes except for the grand prize, which was sponsored by the Herbert B. Jones Foundation.

The winning teams are:

WSU College League:

1. y255, $15,000

y255 is an advertising agency that helps businesses market to Gen Z through customized video game experiences.

2. Small App, $10,000

Small App is a platform that enables small brick and mortar retailers to manage and sell their inventory digitally.

3. Totally Rad Pretzels, $7,000

Totally Rad Pretzels is an after-hours food cart delivering pretzel snacks on WSUs Greek Row.

4. U-Shield, $4,000

U-Shield is a campus safety app that bridges the gap between student concerns and university resources.

5. Central Solutions Group, $2,000

Central Solutions Group is a software platform that enables non-emergency medical transportation companies to consolidate business processes.

Open League:

1. StrapWell, $5,000

StrapWell is a bag that universally adapts to tie downs for more secure shipments in the transportation industry.

High School League:

1. Mai Bowl, $5,000

Mai Bowl is a fresh fruit, low-calorie smoothie bowl providing a healthier dessert option.

2. Oval, $2,000

Oval is a dashboard tool that streamlines tenant management for real estate investors and landlords.

3. Wellness Rediscovered, $1,000

Wellness Rediscovered is a customizable, self-care subscription box that contains handmade, natural products.

4. Furst Pick Dog Grooming, $500

Furst Pick Dog Grooming provides pet owners with affordable, conscientious grooming services.

5. Luxe Tech, $2,500

Luxe Tech develops secure, smart accessories like watches and wallets.

Herbert B. Jones Merit Prize Winners:

 Best Written Plan: Totally Rad Pretzels, $2500

 Best Presentation: Totally Rad Pretzels, $2,500

 Best Technology Venture: y255, $2,500

 Best Social Impact Business: two-way tie: U-Shield, RYSE, $1,250 each

BECU Merit Prize Winner:

 BECU Best FinTech: CARE, $5,000

Awards banquet video available here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=213290268089964
The SF Market Food Recovery Program

The SF Market, San Franciscos original wholesale produce market, home to 26 independent merchant businesses, has reached a historic milestone in recovering and donating seven million pounds of nutritious, quality surplus produce since the program began in 2016.The SF Markets Food Recovery Program works with Market merchants each weekday to recover surplus produce that merchants cant sell for cosmetic or other reasons. The program recovers an average of 4,000 pounds of fruit, vegetables, and other food every day, ensuring this food stays out of the landfill and is distributed to food-insecure Bay Area residents via a network of community partners.

We are deeply grateful to our community partners, merchants, and funders who support our work. None of what we do would be possible without them, said Carolyn Lasar, Food Recovery Project Manager at The SF Market. Lasar has been instrumental in the success of the Food Recovery Program, helping to launch the program in 2016 and continuing to spearhead the Markets food recovery efforts since then.

The SF Markets Food Recovery Program is part of a larger, robust regional and national effort aimed at ensuring a reduction of food waste. With the implementation of Californias SB 1383 last year - which mandates that food businesses donate surplus edible food rather than send it to compost or landfills - the Food Recovery Program was exceptionally well-positioned to implement the policy at The SF Market and serve as a model for others statewide. We have been proud to support The SF Markets food recovery program, said Alexa Kielty, Residential Zero Waste Senior Coordinator at the San Francisco Environment Department. We are especially pleased to continue our partnership as we implement SB 1383 across the city. The Markets food recovery program is a wonderful example and critical component of reaching San Franciscos zero waste goals. The SF Markets food recovery program has prevented an estimated equivalent of nearly 9,000 tons of CO2 emissions since its launch in 2016. By keeping food from being disposed of in landfills, we can eliminate additional methane emissions.

In addition to achieving significant impact at the local level, The SF Market has been nationally recognized for their efforts by being named a U.S. Food Loss & Waste 2030 Champion by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They are the first wholesale market to be involved in this arena.

Core to the programs success is the partnerships with a diverse network of community organizations that receive donations and distribute them to food-insecure clients across the Bay Area. We have partnered with The SF Markets Food Recovery Program since its early days. We trust the Market to give us high-quality, nutritious, and often unique produce that our clients dont typically have access to. To date, weve recovered more than 90,000 pounds, and look forward to continuing this critical collaboration for our community, said Cathy Davis, of Bayview Senior Services.

The SF Markets Food Recovery Program has a bright future ahead with plans to build a permanent home for the program as part of the Markets broader Reinvestment Plan. The program is also piloting an initiative to recover non-produce items such as grains, beans, and other shelf-stable products from nearby businesses, and include these as part of their donations.

ABOUT THE SF MARKET

The SF Market makes things growfor farmers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, restaurants, and communities. Home to 26 merchants in a single vibrant San Francisco marketplace, our diverse range of produce businesses supplies the widest, best-tasting selection of fresh produce available in Northern California. The SF Market is a platform for critical access and scaleproviding the food infrastructure, programs, and relationships that help hundreds of farmers, Bay Area food businesses, and their communities thrive. The SF Market is San Franciscos originaland onlywholesale produce market. As a pillar of the Bay Areas food economy and a non-profit social enterprise, we create jobs for over 500 people and foster efficiency, diversity, and innovation. The market moves millions of pounds annually of fresh produce through the Bay Area, occupies 485,000 sq. ft. of food-focused warehouse and logistics space in San Franciscos Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood, and has reinvestment plans to upgrade our facility designed to support new food businesses and an engaged community. The SF Markets focus on growth extends to the entire food systemwith programs directed toward healthy food access, food waste reduction, and much more. Learn more at http://www.thesfmarket.org.
Lord Laidlaw accepting the Galleon - Yacht of the Year Award "On behalf of The Royal Thames Yacht Club, I would like to congratulate Lord Laidlaw for his remarkable achievement in winning the esteemed Galleon  Yacht of the Year award for the second time." - Jon Redding, Rear Commodore Sailing of The Royal Thames Yacht Club

Lord Laidlaw, Chairman of the Laidlaw Foundation, is a distinguished philanthropist, accomplished sportsman, and serial entrepreneur. He has been an active member of The Royal Thames Yacht Club for many years and is renowned for his fervour and dedication towards sailing. His passion and enthusiasm for the sport have earned him numerous accolades over the years, including being named the Monaco Yacht Club Sailor of the Year in 2020. The Yacht of the Year Award is a prestigious honour, and Lord Laidlaw is thrilled to receive this recognition from The Royal Thames Yacht Club.

Speaking about the award, Lord Laidlaw said, I am honoured to receive the Yacht of the Year Award. This award really goes to the whole Highland Fling team. Their skill, dedication and team work is truly remarkable and I am delighted to share this award with them.

Jon Redding, Rear Commodore Sailing of The Royal Thames Yacht Club said, On behalf of The Royal Thames Yacht Club, I would like to congratulate Lord Laidlaw for his remarkable achievement in winning the esteemed Galleon  Yacht of the Year award for the second time. The committee responsible for selecting the winner comprises distinguished sailors and dedicates a significant amount of time and effort into compiling a list of exceptional candidates each year. Lord Laidlaws achievement of winning the 2022 Maxi Regatta with Highland Fling was uppermost in the committees mind.

About the Laidlaw Foundation

The Laidlaw Foundation believes that education is the single most powerful tool to break the cycle of poverty and reduce inequality in the world. We invest in the education of the underprivileged and the underrepresented to create systemic change. Our goal is to develop a new generation of engaged global citizens and leaders, who embrace research, make evidence-based decisions, and believe that there is a moral imperative to act with integrity.

Media Contact

Peter Vojnits

contact@laidlawfoundation.com
Amplify Surgical, Inc., a medical device company focused on innovative minimally-invasive surgery for the lumbar spine, announced positive data from the first comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis on its dualPortal Spinal Endoscopy, also known clinically as biportal spinal endoscopy'. The study, Clinical Outcomes and Complications after Biportal Endoscopic Spine Surgery: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 3673 Cases, was recently published in the European Spine Journal, led by principal investigator, Don Y. Park, M.D., Vice Chair of Quality and Safety of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in Los Angeles, California. Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37079079/ and https://amplifysurgical.com/news/press-release-23/.

Results from the study demonstrated that dualPortal is a safe and successful surgical technique, with favorable clinical outcomes and a low complication profile. The study analyzed 3,673 cases that utilized the dualPortal endoscopic approach, across three procedure types: 2,402 decompressions, 1,056 discectomies, and 261 transforaminal lumbar interbody fusions (TLIF). Patients reported an average of 80% overall satisfaction. Moreover, researchers found that post-operative VAS-back, VAS-leg and ODI scores all significantly improved, from their review of 42 papers, in accordance with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Complication rates were comparable and even lower than those of open and microscopic techniques previously published, with durotomies, inadequate decompressions, and epidural hematomas occurring < 4% of the time.

Dr. Don Y. Park notes, My impetus of performing this study was to determine the overall outcomes and complication profiles for dualPortal endoscopic spine surgery, as a whole, by compiling all the relevant studies throughout the scientific literature. I wanted to have definitive answers on what the results of the technique were, so that I can let my patients know how successful and safe the technique can be when performed appropriately. Now I can confidently tell my patients and colleagues what I have been seeing in my own practice: that dualPortal endoscopic spine surgery has excellent outcomes with low rates of complications.

Drawing comparisons to trends in arthroscopic utilization in knee and shoulder pathology, the investigators anticipate greater demand for dualPortal spine surgery from both physicians and patients in the future. The researchers also noted the advantages of dualPortals direct visualization, hemostasis via hydrostatic pressure, and ultra-minimally invasive approach to surgeons.

This latest clinical study adds to a growing body of promising new research on Amplify Surgicals technologies. A recent study on Amplify Surgicals dualLIF System (the synthesis of dualPortal Spinal Endoscopy and dualX Dual-Expanding Interbody Technology) published in Neurospine, additionally demonstrated favorable clinical outcomes. Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37016859/ and https://amplifysurgical.com/news/press-release-22/.

The dualPortal technique is Amplify Surgicals novel two-portal endoscopic approach to the spine that allows surgeons to easily learn and perform a wider array of lumbar spine procedures than the conventional one-portal technique. Also referred to as (unilateral) biportal endoscopy, dualPortal provides flexibility to perform endoscopic lumbar fusions with the dualX Dual Expanding Interbody Fusion System.

About Amplify Surgical, Inc.: Amplify Surgical is a privately-held spinal device company located in Irvine, CA. The companys mission is to revolutionize minimally invasive spine surgery by transforming ordinary procedures with groundbreaking surgical solutions that improve patient safety and outcomes.
Howler Head Banana Flavored Bourbon Strikes Gold at Prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition To come away with a Gold Medal in the first spirits competition we have ever entered is a real testament to Howler Heads exceptional quality standards as an 80-proof true Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey with all-natural banana flavoring.

The 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition has awarded a coveted Gold Medal to Howler Head Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey with Natural Banana Flavor. This is Howler Heads first entry in the prestigious competition and an outstanding result in the crowded and competitive Flavored Whiskey category.

Howler Head is the official flavored Bourbon whiskey partner of UFC, the worlds premier mixed martial arts organization, and is one of the fastest-growing whiskey brands in the world  flavored or unflavored.I loved Howler Head the first time I ever tasted it, said UFC President Dana White. Now, to have a group of industry experts, including bar owners, bartenders, and spirit editors, award it a Gold Medal really validates what I have been saying about this whiskey for years. I am proud and honored that Howler Head won the Gold Medal at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.The San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) is the largest and oldest spirits competition in the world, receiving nearly 5,000 entries across multiple categories.

Each category is judged by a panel of 36 esteemed industry experts awarding top prizes only to the best of the best.

Out of 55 entries in the Flavored Whiskey category, only seven received a Gold Medal, including Howler Head.To come away with a Gold Medal in the first spirits competition we have ever entered is a real testament to Howler Heads exceptional quality standards as an 80-proof true Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey with all-natural banana flavoring, said Simon Hunt, CEO of Catalyst Spirits, maker of Howler Head.

We are very pleased to be recognized by the judges for giving consumers an elevated Bourbon experience with a delightfully sweet hint of banana, tapping into the broad consumer appeal of the red-hot flavored whiskey category.Howler Head is the original banana-flavored super-premium Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. It starts with real, handcrafted Bourbon made with the finest grains and mineral-rich water. The resulting Bourbon is then aged for two years in charred American white oak barrels. Following the aging, the fine Bourbon is then blended with natural banana flavor.

With Howler Head being one of the rare 80-proof flavored whiskeys, the Bourbon takes the spotlight, with a subtle sweet kick of banana on the finish. It is best served neat or on the rocks to appreciate the rich Bourbon flavor but can also be enjoyed as a flavorful shot, paired with a beer or a hard seltzer, and in cocktails.

Through its partnership with UFC, Howler Head is promoted to more than 688 million fans and 198 million social media followers through placement in broadcasts and in-arena event venues.

Howler Head retails in the U.S. for $29.99 for a 750ml. It is also available in Canada, the U.K., Brazil, and Australia, and is rapidly expanding across the globe.

Howler Head is owned by Catalyst Spirits with Campari Group holding a minority interest.

The brand is distributed globally by Campari Group, except in the U.K., where it is distributed by Maverick Drinks.More information on Howler Head can be found at http://www.howlerhead.com and on social media:

Instagram Facebook Twitter

ABOUT CATALYST SPIRITS

Catalyst Spirits is a global spirits company focused on leveraging the new economy and our vast experience to build and rapidly grow premium brands consumers truly want. Our fine spirits portfolio includes Howler Head, the original banana flavoured Bourbon and the official flavoured whiskey of UFC; The Oceanus Hibernicus, a unique blend of Irish and Scottish malt whisk(e)y; and a number of other exciting brands in development.

The Catalyst Spirits team leverages hundreds of years of in-depth industry know-how to develop impactful brands and bring them to market with pace, building them with exceptional marketing, retail, ecommerce and distributor support. Catalyst Spirits is a remote-work company with team members spread across North America and Europe.

For more information on Catalyst Spirits, visit http://www.catalyst-spirits.com, and for Howler Head visit http://www.howlerhead.com.
CHT's IT & technology consulting services offer expert guidance in cloud services, ERP integration, and cybersecurity, empowering businesses to thrive in the ever-evolving tech landscape. "Their expertise and dedication will be essential as we continue to expand and grow in 2023" - Chestnut Hill Technologies' Managing Partner, Jack McCarthy.

Chestnut Hill Technologies (CHT), a leading technology consulting firm specializing in cloud services, ERP integration, and cybersecurity, is pleased to announce several key promotions and new hires to support the company's rapid growth.

Matthew Marshall, who has been with the company for nearly 4 years as a Senior Technical Recruiter, has been promoted to Director of Sales and Recruitment for South Florida. Marshall's promotion is a testament to his industry expertise and proven track record of success at CHT and in the field. As an integral part of the company's growth strategy for 2023, he will help expand the company's sales and recruitment efforts.

In addition, Austin Outen has joined CHT as the newest Account Director. Outen brings over 20 years of industry experience and a track record of success to the CHT team. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Outens expertise will be instrumental in expanding the company's presence and brand in the Southeast market.

After five years with the company, CHT is excited to welcome Khareem Dunn as Infrastructure Lead. Dunn is an accomplished IT infrastructure professional with extensive experience in designing, implementing, and managing core network infrastructure. Dunn will be leading various projects for continued company growth and success.

These key personnel changes reflect CHT's commitment to delivering exceptional service to its clients while fostering a culture of growth and innovation. The company's rapid growth has been driven by its focus on delivering cutting-edge solutions to help businesses achieve their strategic goals.

"We are thrilled to welcome these new hires and to recognize the contributions of our existing team members," said Jack McCarthy, Managing Partner of Chestnut Hill Technologies. "Their expertise and dedication will be essential as we continue to expand and grow in 2023."

As Chestnut Hill Technologies celebrates these recent promotions and hires, the company remains committed to delivering exceptional service to its clients while fostering a culture of growth and innovation. These key personnel changes are expected to strengthen CHT's position as a leading technology consulting firm in the areas of cloud services, ERP integration, and cybersecurity.

With a focus on delivering exceptional results and customer satisfaction, CHT remains committed to helping businesses navigate the ever-evolving world of technology. For more information about Chestnut Hill Technologies, please visit https://www.chestnuthilltechnologies.com/.

About Chestnut Hill Technologies

Chestnut Hill Technologies is a technology consulting firm that specializes in providing clients with cutting-edge cloud services, ERP integration, and cybersecurity solutions. With a focus on delivering exceptional results and customer satisfaction, CHT is dedicated to helping businesses navigate the ever-evolving world of technology to achieve their strategic goals.
Becoming an accredited claims adjuster in Florida is a smart career move. Florida is one of the states with the highest number of insurance claims in the United States, which provides ample job opportunities for those in the insurance industry.

Florida is known for its high frequency of natural disasters and calamities, which in turn leads to a high demand for accredited claims adjusters. With the increasing demand for accredited claims adjusters, it is an excellent time to become an accredited claims adjuster in Florida as detailed in Educational Services & Consultings (ESC) newest article entitled, Why you should consider becoming an accredited claims adjuster in Florida.

"Becoming an accredited claims adjuster in Florida is a smart career move," ESCs co-owner and Chief Strategy Officer, Natalie Zimmerman said. "Florida is one of the states with the highest number of insurance claims in the United States, which provides ample job opportunities for those in the insurance industry."

Becoming an accredited claims adjuster in Florida can provide numerous benefits, including job security, career advancement, flexibility, and a high earning potential. The average salary for claims adjusters in Florida is around $60,000 per year, with top earners and those in a specialized area making more than $100,000 per year. Additionally, with additional certifications and experience, claims adjusters can increase their earning potential further.

"As an accredited claims adjuster, you have the opportunity to help others during their time of need, which is a rewarding experience," Zimmerman said. "Accredited claims adjusters play a crucial role in helping people get their lives back on track after natural disasters or other catastrophic events."

In addition to the financial and personal rewards of being an accredited claims adjuster, the career offers a high level of flexibility in work schedules.

Since many insurance claims arise due to natural disasters and other emergencies, claims adjusters often work outside of regular business hours, Zimmerman said. This can provide them with greater flexibility in their work schedules and the opportunity to work remotely and around the needs of their family members or other hobbies.

Zimmerman recommends if people are looking for a career that offers job security, career advancement, and the opportunity to help others, becoming an accredited claims adjuster in Florida may be the right choice.

"It's a profession that provides excellent opportunities for growth and development, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the insurance industry, Zimmerman said.

Educational Services & Consulting offers a 40-hour self-paced online course for individuals looking to earn their 6-20 Accredited Claims Adjuster (ACA) designation. ESC also offers a 40-hour self-paced online course for individuals looking to earn their 4-40 Registered Customer Service (RCSR) designation. Both of these courses offer an online final exam and when passed candidates can apply for their license. Once individuals pass ESCs end-of-course final exam they are exempt from having to take the Florida state licensing exam.

Educational Services & Consulting has partnered with several colleges and universities to assist educational institutions with expanding their course offerings. Enrolled college students can take either of ESCs online designation courses through their school. Students register for the ESC courses as any other college class and ESC offers a revenue share to the participating schools.

In addition to its educational partnership program, ESC also partners with all branches of the U.S. military. Both the 6-20 Accredited Claims Adjuster designation and the 4-40 Registered Customer Service designation courses have been very attractive opportunities for military personnel who are retiring or taking active leave. The ACA designation has been most popular with military personnel in part due to the roles and responsibilities as an All-Lines Adjuster. Over the years ESC has had several military personnel earn their ACA designation and eventually work as an independent insurance adjuster with great success.

Educational Services & Consulting is located at 4327 S Highway 27, Suite 204 in Clermont, Florida 34711.

For additional information on registering for ESCs 6-20 Accredited Claims Adjuster (ACA) designation course or their 4-40 Registered Customer Service (RCSR) designation course, visit online at: https://escconnected.com/ or call 1-800-309-2549.
We were struck by Emmas courage and the unwavering support she received from her family, so we wanted to give them something so they could step away from being Emma the cancer patient, said Erik Thompson, VP and Chief Marketing Officer at Mercury Insurance.

Emma Frommeyer is a typical teenager in so many ways. She loves music, makeup, and hanging out with friends. Shes also an incredibly smart honor roll student, however, there is one thing that sets her apart from most teenagersEmma has a brain tumor and is fighting for her life.

She called me one day to come get her from school, which is not her, said Emmas mother Dacia Wood. Three hours later doctors told us she had a tumor. Tears were running down my face, but she laughed and said, I knew it.

Nine days after her 13th birthday, Emma was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of brain cancer (group 3 medulloblastoma). Since then, her life has revolved around hospitals, going through radiation, and a lot of therapy, but Emma has faced these challenges with grace and joy. She had successful surgery to resect the tumor, then went to inpatient rehab to build her strength and endurance. She is currently going through a year of IV chemotherapy.

We always say that I was probably the best one (in her family) to get cancer, said Emma. I made it good. The only time it was sad was when I would get emotional or upset about it. Other than that, it was a fun time. Its brought me closer to my family, especially my mom and my aunt. Were always together and we laugh a lot.

If ever there was proof of every storm cloud having a silver lining, Emmas fight is it. She has spent these last few years battling through adversity, all the while remaining positive and optimistic. And this has allowed her to build an unbreakable connection with her mother. The time spent traveling to and from the hospital for treatment provided opportunities for the two of them to talk, laugh, and sometimes cry. These regular trips, however, came with a financial cost as gas prices hit record highs.

This is where the Bear Fund became an invaluable part of team Emma.

It was 50 miles one way, back and forth each time, and she had 30 visits, said Wood. Thats 100 miles. And gas, of course, is expensive. The Bear Fund stepped in by providing gas cards, which was a huge help. We wanted to focus on Emmas treatment, so not having to worry about gas to get her to her appointments was a big deal for us.

The Bear Fund was founded by Heather and Nick Baker after their youngest child, Barrett (Bear), was diagnosed with a rare liver cancer. During that time, the couple saw first-hand the economic challenges some families on the hospital floors were facing. They decided they wanted to help, so they established The Bear Fund, in partnership with the Cancer Support Community, to provide financial support and navigation services to families with children diagnosed with cancer.

We walked by rooms to see children having to go through treatment or recover from surgery alone, and we realized theres got to be something we can do to help, said Heather Baker. Parents shouldnt have to worry about missing work, or the cost to find childcare for their other children, so they can be with their kids during treatment. We wanted to do what we could with the help of amazing donors to make this tough journey just a little bit easier.

Among the Bear Funds many partners is California-based Mercury Insurance, and their philanthropic initiative, Mercury Cares. The company was introduced to Emma and her incredible story through the Bear Fund and the Cancer Support Community and decided to give Emma an experience to remember.

Mercury Cares partners with like-minded organizations that are committed to providing valuable services to the customers and communities we help protect, said Erik Thompson, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Mercury Insurance. We were struck by Emmas courage and the unwavering support she received from her family, so we wanted to give them something so they could step away from being Emma the cancer patient. We wanted her to enjoy an experience as Emma, the 13-year-old girl who loves her family.

Since her diagnosis, Emma hasnt had the opportunity to do the things many 13-year-olds are able to do. To remedy that, Mercury Cares gifted Emma and her family the trip of a lifetime, sending the entire family to Southern California, away from hospitals and treatments, so they could spend time together creating memories.

Mercury showed how much they care when they gifted a dream to trip to Los Angeles so Emma could see one of her favorite music artists and enjoy some beach time with her family, said Tara Conner, Emmas Aunt. Shed never seen the ocean, and we are so thankful for the joy that its brought.

Emmas story is captured in a series of videos, allowing everyone to get to know this amazing young woman and watch her journey, as she shares her story to inspire and empower others.

I always wanted to have a close relationship with my family, so when I finally got that, I was really happy, said Emma Frommeyer.

About Mercury Insurance

Mercury Insurance (NYSE: MCY) is a multiple-line insurance carrier predominantly offering personal auto, homeowners and renters insurance through a network of independent agents in Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia, as well as auto insurance in Florida. Mercury writes other lines of insurance in various states, including commercial, business owners and business auto, landlord, home-sharing, ride-hailing and mechanical protection insurance.

Since 1962, Mercury has provided customers with tremendous value for their insurance dollar by pairing ultracompetitive rates with excellent customer service. Mercury has earned "A" ratings from A.M. Best and Fitch, as well as ranking highest in the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Insurance Digital Experience Study,SM recognized as one of the "Best Insurance Company in America for 2022" by Forbes and four consecutive "Best Auto Insurance Company" awards from Insure.com. For more information visit http://www.MercuryInsurance.com or follow the company on Twitter or Facebook.
President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel said he has no doubts about the future membership of Ukraine in the European Union and NATO and for his part intends to provide active assistance in this matter.

"My colleagues [in the EU] and I brought news to the Ukrainian government that we would be on their side. Since it is absolutely clear that Ukraine fully deserved membership in NATO and the EU. Ukraine deserved it for its stamina, courage, its opposition and struggle for freedom. For all of us, it is an example. I have no doubt that Ukraine will become a member of the EU and NATO. The only question is when," the Czech president said in Kyiv.

The Czech leader also said the Czech Republic is ready to provide active assistance to Ukraine on issues of accession to the EU and NATO within the framework of partnership.

"Negotiations on Ukraine's EU membership should begin before the end of the year. Mr. Zelenskyy assured that Ukraine is not ready to get EU membership just like that. Very active work is underway, there is something to offer, there is experience, active cooperation is underway in this direction. We are ready to actively provide assistance within the partnership," he said.

According to Pavel, the Czech Republic supports the creation of an international Special Tribunal to investigate Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
We greatly value our partnership with Hillwood, says Tanya Mendenhall, Vice President at FirstService Residential Texas. Our management and lifestyle teams thrive when they are able to bring people together as friends and neighbors to create a culture of belonging.

Hillwood Communities, the award-winning master-planned residential and mixed-use developer based in Dallas, was honored with 15 McSAM Awards during a ceremony hosted by the Dallas Builders Association on April 22nd at The Statler Hotel. Topping the list of awards, Hillwood Communities was selected as the Dallas-Fort Worth Developer of Year for the second consecutive year. In addition, the developer also achieved its third consecutive year wins in the categories of Master-Planned Community of the Year, Peoples Choice Community of the Year, Best Community Amenity, Lifestyle Director of the Year, and Lifestyle Program of the Year.

The annual McSAM Awards recognize builders, developers, and associates in the Dallas area who have made significant contributions in the industry through specific achievements in product design, architecture, and sales and marketing categories.

Recognition from industry peers is thrilling because it helps validate that we are creating exciting and vibrant communities that stand the test of time for todays homebuyers, said Fred Balda, president of Hillwood Communities. These awards are also a great sense of pride for our amazing associates, without whom none of this is possible.

Pecan Square by Hillwood was named Master-Planned Community of the Year for a second time. Its Town Square concept was also named Community Amenity; this 5-acre walkable square is the beating heart of this Northlake Lifestyle by Hillwood community.

Pecan Square was also voted Peoples Choice Community of the Year for a second time. This award is based on a consumer survey of the communitys most recent buyers asking for feedback on everything from home design, sales experience, customer service, community lifestyle, and overall satisfaction. They were also asked to rate the community on a scale from zero to 10 on how likely they would be to recommend it to a friend or family member.

It has been such a joy watching Pecan Square grow, the streets full of life, parks brimming with excited kids, and the Town Square vibrating with energy, explained Andrew Pieper, Hillwood Communities Vice President. It is such a special place, and these awards are a tremendous recognition for our project team, the Town of Northlake, our builder partners, and the HOA team, all of whom contributed to bringing this unique vision to life. Pieper was also named Project Manager of the Year for his leadership during the launch years of the community.

Two more awards of note were wins for Lifestyle Director and Lifestyle Program of the Year for Union Park. Trusted homeowners association partner, FirstService Residential Texas, has led the creation of a new standard for lifestyle programming with multiple back-to-back wins in these two categories. Lifestyle by Hillwood is includes this one-of-a-kind lifestyle program that builds a sense of community and activates the masterplan and thoughtful amenity design.

We greatly value our partnership with Hillwood, says Tanya Mendenhall, Vice President at FirstService Residential Texas. Our management and lifestyle teams thrive when they are able to bring people together as friends and neighbors to create a culture of belonging.

Hillwood Communities is a leading privately-owned real estate developer with a reputation for creating sustaining value for communities, homeowners, and other stakeholders in the DFW, Houston, and Austin metro areas. Their master-planned communities help set benchmarks for quality, innovation, and lifestyle in new home communities. The developer purposefully designs each residential development around the needs and desires of todays homebuyers.
Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against Henkel Corporation call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

The San Francisco employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action complaint alleging that Henkel Corporation violated the California Labor Code. The Henkel Corporation class action lawsuit, Case No. C23-00812, is currently pending in the Contra Costa County Superior Court of the State of California. A copy of the Complaint can be read here.

According to the Complaint, the company's non-exempt employees were allegedly unable to take off-duty meal breaks due to their rigorous work schedules. California labor laws require an employer to provide an employee required to perform work for more than five (5) hours during a shift with, a thirty (30) minute uninterrupted meal break prior to the end of the employee's fifth (5th) hour of work and a second uninterrupted meal break when employees are required to work ten (10) hours. The Complaint claims that the company did not provide their employees who forfeited meal breaks additional compensation.

The Complaint further claims Henkel Corporation failed to pay employees their accurate sick pay wages, which violates California Labor Code Section 246. Employees routinely earned non-discretionary incentive wages which increased their regular rate of pay. However, when paid sick pay wages, it was allegedly paid at the base rate of pay rather than the higher regular rate of pay.

For more information about the class action lawsuit against Henkel Corporation call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is an employment law firm with offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside and Chicago that dedicates its practice to helping employees, investors and consumers fight back against unfair business practices, including violations of the California Labor Code and Fair Labor Standards Act. If you need help in collecting unpaid overtime wages, unpaid commissions, being wrongfully terminated from work, and other employment law claims, contact one of their attorneys today.

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The mixed-income unit structure makes the development accessible for residents at a broad range of income levels, encouraging economic diversity and inclusion within the community.

McShane Construction Company and their joint venture partner, Powers & Sons Construction, have completed the construction of 23rd Place at Southbridge for The Community Builders and McCaffery Interests. Located on the site of the former Harold Ickes Homes on Chicagos Near South Side, the community offers 206 mixed-income apartment units and 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space across two buildings.

23rd Place at Southbridge is a beautiful community at the crossroads of South Loop, Chinatown, Bronzeville, and the Motor Row District, stated Mat Dougherty, President at McShane. The mixed-income unit structure makes the development accessible for residents at a broad range of income levels, encouraging economic diversity and inclusion within the community.

Approximately 50 percent of units are affordable to households earning 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI) or less through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. Units boast spacious floor plans, nine-foot ceilings, quartz countertops, and plank flooring. All units have full-size appliances and in-unit washers and dryers, and select units offer balconies.

First-floor retail units bring convenience and commerce to the surrounding community. Additionally, the Community Life Center resides on the ground floor of 2344 S. State Street.

The development includes extensive amenity space on the first and sixth floors, including lounges, a fitness center, and terraces. A new public right-of-way, 23rd Place, connects the two buildings and can be closed off to create public gathering space for community activities. Both buildings feature covered passageways to provide retail customers with convenient access to stores.

23rd Place at Southbridge is a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) located adjacent to the Cermak-McCormick Place Green Line L stop and near the Chinatown Red Line stop. This makes the property accessible for residents without cars as well as for community members visiting the developments retail stores. By reducing the need to drive, Transit-Oriented Developments lower the areas carbon footprint and negative impact on the environment.

Nia Architects and Antunovich Associates provided architectural services for 23rd Place at Southbridge.

About McShane Construction Company

McShane Construction Company was established in 1984 and is headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois with regional offices in Auburn, AL, Irvine, CA, Madison, WI, Nashville, TN, and Phoenix, AZ. The female-owned and led firm offers integrated design-build and build-to-suit construction services for the multi-family, industrial, commercial, health & fitness and institutional markets. For more information, visit the firms website at http://www.mcshaneconstruction.com.
Revitalizing local areas can help improve the quality of life for countless individuals

Industry leaders will discuss the benefits of community redevelopment on an episode of Empowered with Meg Ryan. The educational documentary series will address ways to improve local communities to increase appeal for future residents and tourists. Producers from Empowered secured content for the episode from related content providers.

Empowered is hosted by American actress, producer, and director Meg Ryan. The episodes cover a variety of topics to bring awareness to various issues and innovations that are shaping the world.

Community redevelopment is a strategy many local governments are implementing to boost economic issues to eliminate and prevent conditions that are poorly affecting local areas. Communities that are in various states of deterioration are in need of redevelopment to create places of appeal to residents and future tourists.

Areas needing community redevelopment typically have declining neighborhoods, limited job opportunities, persistent criminal activity, unsuitable land uses, and insufficient transportation routes.

While developing a community that is attractive to tourism is concerning for some, tourism does increase income. Retail stores, restaurants, and a variety of businesses have the potential to bring in greater earnings when the community is appealing to tourists. Business owners and employees, as a result, are more able to spend within the local economy, helping boost the community overall.

Revitalizing local areas can help improve the quality of life for countless individuals. The Empowered episode will expand further on redeveloping communities.

Empowered with Meg Ryan is an informational series made to enlighten audiences from all walks of life. The show is aired on multiple networks and is created by a creative team that boasts decades of combined experience in educational media.


Kenneth Rosenfeld Surpasses 25 years as California Criminal Defense Attorney It has been an incredible and rewarding 20 years, said Rosenfeld of this milestone. I plan to continue giving my all as an attorney in the years to come.

The Rosenfeld Law Firm announces that principal attorney Ken Rosenfeld has marked his 25th year as a celebrated attorney at law in the state of California. Rosenfeld arrives at this career landmark having strung together a collection of record wins in the state; furthermore, over the past two decades Rosenfeld has had repeat successes defending an array of challenging, high-profile criminal defense cases across the state.

Rosenfelds most historic win within the past 25 years as a California criminal defense attorney includes his 2015 win of the states largest criminal defense case for Roni Deutch, in which 1,600 Counts were dropped, $34 million in fines were dismissed, and no jail time was given.

Rosenfeld also won several other high-profile media cases in California in these 25 years as a criminal defense attorney, including a case against Facebook in 2016 and the Big Sur Mental Health Case in 2018 in which a charge of attempted murder of a law officer against a mental health client was dismissed with zero prison time.

Rosenfeld remains the lead attorney for the ongoing cases against Dana Stubblefield and Sharon Simas. Entitled to practice law in the State of California and admitted to the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Northern Districts of California, Rosenfeld continues to practice law across the following areas:



A graduate of American University, Rosenfeld is a member of the American Bar Association and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. He has spoken as an expert criminal law commentator and legal expert in numerous national and local media appearances, and also acts as a California Bar Exam instructor. He has been named Litigator of the Year for the past two consecutive years by the American Institute of Trial Lawyers.

It has been an incredible and rewarding 20 years, said Rosenfeld of this milestone. I plan to continue giving my all as an attorney in the years to come.

About The Rosenfeld Law Firm

With offices in Sacramento, San Jose, and Palm Springs, The Rosenfeld Law Firm provides aggressive defense of a wide range of high-profile criminal defense cases. California criminal defense attorney Ken Rosenfeld defends such cases as first-degree murder and sex offense cases, and also provides DUI defense. In addition to mental health criminal defense, The Rosenfeld Law Firm also practices federal criminal defense and juvenile defense, as well as appellate law and prison law. As a skilled criminal law commentator for 12 years, Rosenfeld made regular appearances on KTXL TV and FOX40's Ask An Attorney. Rosenfeld was named Litigator of the Year by the American Institute of Trial Lawyers.

For more information, please contact Ken Rosenfeld directly at (916) 447-2070, or visit http://www.therosenfeldlawfirm.com.

Press release writing by WebSiteText and Proofreading Services by The Proofreaders. Ken Rosenfeld recommends Brian Murphy, Wrongful Death Attorney for Elder Abuse & Nursing Home Malpractice Lawsuits.
Sandler Partners, a leading independent Technology Solutions Distributor, and one of the nations fastest-growing private companies, welcomes Steve Lisacek as Director, Channel  Canada. In his new role, he will help build and support the Canadian market by assisting Partners in sourcing the ideal technology solutions for their customers.

Steve first entered the industry with Sprint Canada, working with connectivity (mobile/cable/fiber) before moving into the channel with notable brands including T-Systems, China Telecom, Level 3 Communications, and most recently 8x8. He has a deep understanding of the Canadian market, is bilingual (English/French), and worked with government (Canadian and abroad), businesses, and other organizations to deliver and facilitate technology solutions.

A winner of numerous sales awards, including multiple President Club top performer recognitions, Steve lists customer relationship management, solution selling, complex negotiations, global interactions, MPLS, LAN, WAN, VLAN, fiber optics, CCaaS, UCaaS, Salesforce, public/private Cloud, SD-WAN, Colo, and Data Center as technology areas in which he is particularly adept.

Creating this new position helps us formalize our expansion into Canada, states Mark Phaneuf, Senior Vice President, Channel - East. Were now moving from a simple presence, to growing our community and expanding the level of support they receive. Steve is a great match with Sandler Partners  extremely knowledgeable, experienced, well versed in the Channel and the Canadian market, and passionate about his community. Its a large region that has so much potential and untapped demand, were going to rely on his energy and all the talent he brings to the table. So glad to have you on board Steve, and we look forward to helping serve the needs of Partners and their customers throughout Canada!

The Sandler Partners community has officially arrived North of the 49th Parallel, states Steve. Im very proud to be able to directly support our Partners who have already been trailblazing here, and help grow our numbers by introducing the many benefits Sandler Partners can offer my fellow Canadians! The tools, people, and supportive family-style attitude of Sandler Partners is well known throughout the industry, and now we can make it well known from La Belle Province of Quebec (my home) to the west coast of British Columbia. Lets talk, and get to work!

About Sandler Partners

Sandler Partners is Americas fastest-growing independent Technology Solutions Distributor of Connectivity and Cloud services. Theyve expanded beyond their telecom roots to deliver best-in-class Cloud, Colocation, Mobility, Continuity, and Cybersecurity. With over 200 suppliers, theyre able to remain vendor agnostic, empowering the Partner community of sales agents, VARs, and MSPs to deliver the best price, performance, and products that address the challenges, and meet the goals, for organizations of all size, industry, and complexity, both now and as they evolve into the future.

How Partners, and Their Customers, Benefit

Independently owned. Independent spirit. The Sandler Partner community gains access to an industry leading support network of sales, marketing, and engineering professionals, plus the Sandler Portals Marketing Center (with customizable campaigns), and sales tools like SCOUTs real-time cable pricing and the Solution Finder. Partners can rely on whatever level of support they need. Sandler Partners also have the industrys strongest agreements and a proven track record of ensuring all commissions are found, tracked, and paid.
"We are grateful to the Glass Packaging Institute & Clear Choice Awards panel for recognizing our dedication & our valued clients for entrusting us with creating one-of-a-kind glass bottles that truly embody their brand values," said Philippe Barnagaud, President & General Manager of Saverglass.

Saverglass, the world's leading manufacturer and decorator of luxury and high-end glass bottles for wines and spirits, and its customer, Castle & Key, were recognized by the Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) as winners of the 2023 Clear Choice Awards (CCA) in the Spirits category.

The CCA recognizes North America's top brands and manufacturers creating remarkable glass product designs that shape dynamic consumer experiences. This highly esteemed recognition in the alcohol beverage industry honors excellence in packaging and design. The award acknowledges Saverglass' commitment to innovation and quality in creating unique and captivating glass bottle packaging solutions.

Winner: Castle & Key Restoration Rye Dark Label

The restoration of a Kentucky distillery built in 1887 is the inspiration for this uniquely shaped bottle made from premium flint glass. The bottle is an expression of the distillery  now known as Castle & Key  with its modern design of historic elements. This premium, durable glass is perfect for patiently aging the premium whiskey inside.

"This award is a testament to Saverglass' unwavering commitment and creative passion in crafting exceptional Spirits glass packaging that stands out in a competitive market," said Philippe Barnagaud, President & General Manager of Saverglass. "We are deeply grateful to the Glass Packaging Institute and the Clear Choice Awards judging panel for recognizing our dedication as well as our valued clients for entrusting us with creating one-of-a-kind glass bottles that truly embody their brand values."

In the first quarter of 2023, Saverglass made a notable presence at esteemed wine and spirits trade events, including the Unified Wine Symposium, Oregon Wine Symposium, American Crafts Spirits Association Convention, and Napa RISE, where they showcased their latest innovations in glass bottle design. Among the highlights were Alto, Zebra, Supreme Decanter, Champenoise Terroir, Vertuo, and Merveilleuse from its latest eco collection, which garnered attention from distillers and producers. Saverglass will also present at the ADI Craft Spirits Conference in Las Vegas on August 23-24, 2023, for those interested in learning more about their premium packaging offerings.

To learn more about Saverglass, please visit https://www.saverglass.com/en. To stay updated on coming news, follow Saverglass on Instagram @saverglassofficial and LinkedIn @saverglass.

About Saverglass

Saverglass is an industrial group of French origin specializing in the manufacture and decoration of glass bottles for spirits and fine wines. The Group employs 3,700 employees worldwide, with 25% based in North America. Its global industrial presence includes 1 production plant and 1 decoration plant in Mexico, 3 glass production plants and 3 decoration plants in France, 1 glass production plant in Belgium, and 1 plant in the United Arabic Emirates.

With its glassmaking and decorating expertise, recognized for its innovation, the quality, and design of its products, make Saverglass the preferred partner of high-end spirits and wine brands in over 90 countries, including Mexico, the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, and Central America.
If you would like to know more about the Warby Parker lawsuit, please contact Attorney Jackland Hom today by calling (619) 255-9047.

The Northern California labor law attorneys at Zakay Law Group, APLC and JCL Law Firm, APC, filed a class action complaint against Warby Parker Inc. and Warby Parker Retail, Inc. (collectively, hereinafter, "Warby Parker") for allegedly failing to provide meal and rest breaks. The class action lawsuit, Case No. 21CV414694, is currently pending in the Santa Clara County Superior Court of the State of California. A copy of the Complaint can be read here.

According to the lawsuit, Warby Parker allegedly violated California Labor Code Sections  201, 202, 203, 204, 210, 226.7, 510, 512, 558, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 1198 and 2802 by failing to: (1) pay minimum wages; (2) pay overtime wages; (3) provide required meal and rest periods; (4) provide wages when due; (5) provide accurate itemized wage statements; and (6) reimburse for required business expenses.

As a result of their rigorous work schedules, Warby Parker's employees were allegedly unable to take off duty meal breaks and were not fully relieved of duty for meal periods. Specifically, the lawsuit alleges employees were from time to time interrupted during their off-duty meal breaks to complete tasks for Warby Parker. Employees were allegedly required to perform work as ordered by Warby Parker for more than five (5) hours during a shift without receiving an off-duty meal break. Further, the lawsuit alleges Warby Parker failed to provide employees with a second off-duty meal period each workday in which these employees were required by Warby Parker to work ten (10) hours of work. Warby Parker's policy allegedly caused employees to remain on-call and on duty during what was supposed to be their off-duty meal periods. Employees therefore allegedly forfeited meal breaks without additional compensation and in accordance with Warby Parker's strict corporate policy and practice.

If you would like to know more about the Warby Parker lawsuit, please contact Attorney Jackland Hom today by calling (619) 255-9047.

Zakay Law Group, APLC, and JCL Law Firm, APC are labor and employment law firms with offices located in California that dedicate their practices to fighting for employees who have been wronged by their employers due to unfair employment practices. Contact one of their attorneys today if you need help with workplace issues regarding wage and hour, wrongful termination, retaliation, discrimination, and harassment.

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PTI Fact Check: 2017 photo of water leakage in dead train engine falsely shared in name of Keralas first Vande Bharat Express flagged off in April this year

New Delhi, Apr 28 (Abhinav Gupta / Pratyush Ranjan PTI Fact Check): A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off Keralas first Vande Bharat Express from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, several social media users shared a photo of a loco pilot holding an umbrella in a train engine, claiming there was rainwater leakage in the engine of the semi-high-speed train before its debut journey on April 26.

In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check Desk found that water leakage from the AC vent in one of its compartments was reported when it was parked at Kannur on April 25, and the railway officials repaired it on April 26. There was no water leakage in the engine of the train. The Desk subsequently found that the photo shared in the social media posts was a screenshot of a video shot in a dead engine in Jharkhand in 2017. The old and unrelated photo was shared on social media with a false claim.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Indias 16th and Keralas first Vande Bharat Express on April 25. There were reports of leakage through the AC vent in one of its compartments during the trains maiden journey, which the Railways technical department staff fixed soon after.

Claim

A Twitter user shared a photo of a loco pilot (train driver) sitting inside a train engine and holding an umbrella. The user claimed that he was the driver of the Kasargod-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express in Kerala, recently inaugurated by PM Modi, who was trying to save himself from rainwater leakage during the trains maiden journey.

MODI's "VANDE BHARAT" is a disaster same, like Modi. On the 1st day of the inauguration, rainwater started leaking from the roof of VB in Kerala. Picture speaks for itself, read the April 26 Twitter post, which garnered over 66K views, along with more than 1700 likes and 800 retweets so far.

Here is the link and archive link to the tweet, and below is a screenshot of the same:

Investigation

Starting the investigation, the Desk conducted a Google Reverse Image Search on the photo shared in the social media post. The search results led to another Twitter post carrying the same image and claim.

Here is the link and archive link to the tweet, and below is a screenshot of the same:

The search results also led to a video tweeted by journalist Sucheta Dalal on August 9, 2017. The video showed the same loco pilot holding an umbrella over his head.

Railway safety? @sureshpprabhu and @RailMinIndia need to take a serious look without victimising whistleblower, read the Twitter post.

Here is the link to the tweet, and below is a screenshot of the same:

In the video, purportedly shot by another railway official, the loco pilot can be seen driving the train while saving himself from water leaking from the roof. The person recording the video also complained about the water leakage and urged viewers to share the video.

Taking a cue from the date of the Twitter post shared by Dalal, the Desk conducted a customised Google search with specific keywords and came across a report by The Indian Express, published on August 11, 2017.

The report headline read: Train driver holds an umbrella to save control panel from a leaky roof, video goes viral.

Here is the link to the report, and below is a screenshot of the same:

Along with Sucheta Dalals Twitter post, the report also included a response by the Railway Ministry on the incident. It stated that it was a dead engine, hauled by another machine in the front.

We r concerned, had enquired. The fact that it was a dead(non-working)engine hauled by another engine in the front can be seen in the video, read the reply by the Railways Ministry on August 9, 2017.

Here is the link to the tweet, and below is a screenshot of the same:

On further scanning the Google search results, the Desk found an extended version of the same video uploaded on YouTube by a Bengali news outlet named Sangbad Pratidin on Aug 11, 2017.

Here is the link to the YouTube video, and below is a screenshot of the same:

At the 00:16-minute timestamp, the person recording the video addresses the loco pilot as BK Mandal from Chandrapura, a town in Jharkhand's Bokaro district.

Further watching the video closely, we noticed the station signage of Bermo at the 1:17-minute timestamp.

A Google search found that Bermo Railway Station is in the Bokaro district of Jharkhand and falls under the Dhanbad railway division of the East-Central Railway zone.

In the next part of the investigation, the Desk conducted a Google search with the keyword Kerala Vande Bharat Express leakage reports. The search results led to an April 26 Times Now report with the headline: New Kerala Vande Bharat Express 'Leaks' Amid Rain in Kannur; Repaired.

Here is the link to the report, and below is a screenshot of the same:

Subsequently, the Desk concluded that a six-year-old video of leakage in a train engine was falsely linked to the newly inaugurated Vande Bharat Express in Kerala.

Notably, India's first Vande Bharat Express train, initially called Train 18, was flagged off by Prime Minister Modi on February 15, 2019. It runs between Delhi and Varanasi.

Claim

Leakage in the Kasargod-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express in Kerala, recently inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, forced the loco pilot to drive the train holding an umbrella in his hand.

Fact

The photo was taken inside a dead engine, hauled by another machine, in Jharkhand in August 2017.

Conclusion

Several social media users shared a photo of a loco pilot sitting inside a train engine and holding an umbrella in his hand to save himself from water leaking from the roof of the train. The users claimed he drove Keralas first Vande Bharat, recently flagged off by PM Modi, when the train was on its maiden journey. In its investigation, the Desk found that the photo was of an incident from Jharkhand, dating back to August 2017, when another engine was hauling a dead machine. The six-year-old video was shared on social media recent with a false claim.

You can contact PTI Fact Check on WhatsApp Number +91-8130503759 and share any claim or social media post you think is essential to fact-check and want us to verify.
In a joint declaration adopted on Friday, the Presidents of Ukraine, the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic agreed that "a sovereign, free and democratic Ukraine is one of the key factors for ensuring security and stability in Europe."

They deplored "attempts of the Russian Federation to forcefully change the internationally recognized borders threatening both the foundations of peace and stability in Europe and international security, which thus must be faced collectively and globally."

The leaders of the three countries "reiterate that the Russian Federation must immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw all of its military and paramilitary forces from the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine and suspend the military operations as specifically stipulated in the Order of the International Court of Justice of 16 March 2022; underline that Ukraine has the exclusive right to decide about the modalities of the future peace talks to achieve lasting and just peace for the generations to come, and express their support to President Zelenskyy's Peace Formula towards a Global Peace Summit to be convened when conditions are ripe."

Slovakia and the Czech Republic also "express their readiness to contribute to processes regarding the new international security arrangements for Ukraine before its NATO membership; welcome Ukraine's significant progress in advancing on the path of Euro-Atlantic integration, in particular with regard to the country's growing interoperability with NATO standards; confirm their commitment to strengthen joint efforts to ensure further progress towards implementation of EU and NATO standards by Ukraine on its path towards the membership in both organizations; note that the Slovak and the Czech Republics as two NATO members stand ready to intensify their support of Ukraine's ambition to join the Alliance once the conditions allow for it," the presidents said in the declaration.

The presidents "underline their firm commitment to bring to justice and ensure full accountability for all those responsible for acts that constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity and other most serious crimes under international law committed against Ukraine and its people, including the crime of aggression, and support efforts towards the establishment of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine."

"The Slovak and the Czech Republics are ready to continue supporting dynamic accession process of Ukraine to the EU based on its reforms progress, notably with regard to the seven recommendations outlined in the EC's Opinion, as well as gradual integration of Ukraine into the EUs policies and actions with special focus on the internal EU market," according to the text.

Slovakia and the Czech Republic also "agree to further encourage robust international political, practical and material support for Ukraine aimed at ensuring its abilities to effectively defend its territories on land, at sea and in the air; reaffirm their intention to cooperate at European and international fora with regard to liberation of Ukraines territories temporarily occupied by Russia, particularly by promoting President Zelenskyy's Peace Formula and the International Crimea Platform," according to the declaration.
"I have only the vaguest understanding of what TikTok is, said Ann Patchett, owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville. So she still doesnt quite grasp how savvily Sarah Arnold, Parnassuss marketing manager, has leveraged the platform to promote the bookstoreor what a microcelebrity Patchett herself has become on the app.

When Arnold took over the @parnassusbooksnashville TikTok account in January 2022, she was excited to have a new tool for connecting with readers. One of the best parts of working at an independent bookstore is getting that face-to-face interaction with customers and talking books with them, she said. TikTok quickly became a way we could take those interactions and recommendations online and get them to more readers.

Arnold credits a former coworker with starting the account in October 2021, just as the power of BookTok, the literary corner of the app, was becoming apparent. But since taking the helm, she has implemented her own vision for the account that has clearly resonated with TikTok users: as of this writing, @parnassusbooksnashville has more than 37,000 followers. (For reference, New York Citys renowned indie bookstore the Strand has 3,100 followers.)

Part of the accounts appeal can be attributed to its recurring video series. Arnold does a program called Rapid Recs, where a bookseller pulls a slip of paper with the name of a genre written on it out of a Parnassus-branded mug and then has to recommend a book in that genre on the spot. Arnold recently invited Dana Schwartz, a visiting author, to participate in the series, and says shed love to have more authors get in on the fun. The account also posts a New to You video every Friday, in which Patchett or a Parnassus bookseller recommends a backlist favorite.

Other videos happen when inspiration strikes, Arnold said, mentioning a recent one that showed a day in the life of writer Maggie Smith. Its fun to capture the behind the scenes. After much trial and error, and more than 260 videos, shes learned that sometimes the simplest ideas are the most successful.

But the videos starring Patchett, who is also a popular novelist, draw most viewers to the Parnassus account. Clips of Patchett sharing her reading recommendations are pretty much an instant hit, Arnold said.

Patchett only started appearing on Parnassuss social media after the pandemic began, but she quickly proved to be a natural. Now shes a fixture of the TikTok account, where she offers her recommendations for all kinds of literature, such as her favorite works of Irish fiction, favorite books about pirates, and favorite novels by Edwidge Danticat and John le Carre. One video of her recommending books by brothers Geoffrey and Tobias Wolff has garnered more than 346,000 views.

Whats funny is that Ann doesnt have a social media presence of her own, nor does she have any interest in starting one, Arnold said. She doesnt even have a phone!

Much of Patchetts popularity can be explained by her authenticityher approach to content creation is guided by her genuine interests. I usually go through my bookshelves at home and find something I love, Patchett said. Sometimes its connected to a book thats about to come outfor example, Andre Dubus IIIs upcoming Such Kindness made me want to talk about my favorite Andre Dubus III book, Townie. It also has to do with whats in stock at Ingram. Its very common that I have a great idea for a backlist videosay, Ruth Reichls memoirs, starting with Tender at the Bone, such a wonderful bookonly to be told its out of print.

Despite her lack of familiarity with social media, Patchett is happy to support Arnolds vision for the stores TikTok presence. Im good at reading; Im good at talking about books, she said. If Sarah tells me well sell more books, and bring more attention to overlooked books, because I talk about them while she makes a video, Im all for it.

Parnassus isnt the only store to carve out a niche on TikTok, of course. More and more booksellers are getting in on the app; Arnold particularly admires the TikTok accounts run by booksellers at Chapters Books and Gifts in Seward, Nebraska; The Dog Eared Book in Palmyra, N.Y.; Little District Books in Washington, D.C.; and Novel Neighbor in St. Louis. Combined, the four stores have more than 290,000 followers.

Arnold couldnt say for sure if Parnassuss popularity on TikTok has directly translated into sales for the store, but she feels that BookTok has generally been a boon. The books that blow up on TikTok sell in a big way here at Parnassus, she said, citing titles by such BookTok favorites as Colleen Hoover, Emily Henry, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and TJ Klune. I think BookTok has played a significant role in getting folks who havent stepped through our doors before to not only come see us but get excited about coming to a bookstore.

Ultimately, Arnold sees TikTok as an ideal marketing tool for bookselling. TikTok is fantastic for doing what booksellers already do all day long: talk about books, she says. You can organically build an audience of fellow book lovers by talking about the books and authors you care about, and in the process youll be getting your stores name out there.
As Ukraine prepares for a counteroffensive, its partners cannot have any defense taboos, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

"Every aid provided to Ukraine, air defense system, military aircraft, every cannon and armored vehicle that we use to defend ourselves against Russian aggression is the saved lives of our people. I think that one of the main conclusions from our conversation today [with the leaders of the Czech Republic and Slovakia] should lead to the conclusion that there can be no defense taboos in matters of security assistance. Every artificially chosen restriction for Ukraine is just another terrorist opportunity for Russia," Zelenskyy said at a press conference with the leaders of the Czech Republic and Slovakia in Kyiv on Friday.

It is absolutely fair to provide Ukrainian soldiers with everything that is necessary to protect people's lives, he said.

"In particular, this concerns long-range weapons, modern aviation, a sufficient number of artillery and armored vehicles. We are preparing for a counteroffensive," the president said.

Zelenskyy also said he had discussed with Petr Pavel and Zuzana Caputova how to stop Russsia and bring to justice all Russian killers for crimes in Ukraine.

In addition, the interlocutors discussed the need to strengthen the EU and NATO through integration with Ukraine and preparations for the NATO summit in Vilnius.

"We are waiting for ambitious decisions that will enhance security. It is time to remove any uncertainty in Europe regarding it," the head of state said.
The hundreds of guests attending the Mystery Writers of America's 77th Edgar Awards Banquet at Manhattan's Marriott Marquis hotel last night rose to their feet twice to give standing ovations, honoring two authors with something else in common, despite being at very different stages of their career.

Michael Connelly, one of the two writers named a Grand Master, an honor given to those deemed to represent "the pinnacle of achievement in mystery writing," was expected to garner the cheers customarily given to a genre legend so-honored by MWA. When his selection was announced in January, MWA cited his LAPD protagonist Harry Boschs mantra from the first book in the long-running series, 1992's The Black Echo, Everybody counts or nobody counts. MWA noted that [w]hat those five words have meant to the readers of mystery fiction in the past 37 years cant be overstated.

The primacy of treating people equally was at the heart of the moving remarks from one of the other honorees, recognized in a category that usually doesn't lead to those in attendance rising to their feet and applauding. Kellye Garrett, who was a nominee for Best Novel for Like a Sister (Mulholland), is one of the three founders of Crime Writers of Color, a recipient of the 2023 Raven Award, which recognizes "outstanding achievement in the mystery field outside the realm of creative writing."

CWOC was founded by Garrett five years ago, along with Gigi Pandian and Walter Mosley. That group, which now numbers over 400 members, was inspired in part by Garrett's much-less-warm experience when she'd first attended the Edgars in 2016, the year when Mosley became MWA's first Grand Master of color. Garrett stated that she was just "one of a handful of Blacks in a room full of white people," and was viewed warily by a best-selling white author, a situation she'd encountered at other crime fiction gatherings as well. She implored the attendees to be more sensitive and more inclusive, and, with a frankness and directness not usually found in Edgar acceptance speeches, Garrett called for the mystery writers community to no longer make excuses for bad behavior, and to not work with problematic people. She also listed positive actions that could make marginalized authors feel less so, including having them serve on panels that are not focused on diversity issues, noting that "marginalized authors can also talk about cosies, and pacing."

Prolific British author Anthony Horowitz won for Best Television Episode Teleplay for Episode 1 of his adaptation of his own novel, Magpie Murders, (Masterpiece/PBS), which impressively-translated the fair-play clues of the book into visuals, a challenge that had led the BBC to pass on the project, deeming it "too complicated." Horowitz said the plaudit should have been shared with his wife, the series' producer, Jill Green, who told him that his first script draft was "terrible," and the second one, "worse."

Several winners acknowledged their parents. Louisa Luna, who won the G.P. Putnams Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award for Hideout (Doubleday), thanked her father for allowing her to use the protagonist of his decades-old unpublished novel in her book. Ellery Queen Award winner Andrew Gulli, the editor of the Strand Magazine, credited his parents for a lifetime in books for having convinced him that the cool thing for a kid to do on a Friday night was to read.

Best First Novel by an American Author winner Eli Cranor, for Dont Know Tough (Soho Crime), expressed gratitude to 2018 Grand Master Peter Lovesey, whose own career as a published author began when he won a competition in 1969; Lovesey paid the success of his career forward by declining his publisher's suggestion for a gala in his honor when he'd reached the half-century mark as a writer, and advocated for a contest instead. Granor won the inaugural Peter Lovesey First Crime Novel Contest, which rescued his book, after it had been rejected by over 300 agents. Cranor joined those who'd thanked a parent, praising his mother for patiently listening to him read portions of his first draft out loud.

Other winners of the evening included Danya Kukafka, who took home the Best Novel award for Notes on an Execution (William Morrow); Martin Edwards, who won the Best Critical/Biographical award for The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their Creators (Collins Crime Club); and June Hua, who was awarded the Best Young Adult prize for The Red Palace (Feiwel & Friends).
The American Library Association's State of America's Libraries 2023 report is out this week, and it's well worth a read. An annual staple of National Library Week, the report outlines the challenges and successes of libraries, but in a year when librarians and library workers have face withering threats and the freedom to read is under a coordinated political assault, the takeaway from this year's report is that we cannot take our nation's libraries for granted. Librarians and library workers need to be defended. Advocacy has never been more important.

"Many libraries and their staffs nationwideschool, public, college and university, special, carceral, and consortialfound themselves contending with reduced funding and staffing, threats to personal safety in the form of bomb scares and to professional livelihoods from firings and job losses, and bills threatening to criminally charge librarians or defund libraries altogether for making certain materials available on their shelves or findable through reference services," writes Tracie D. Hall in an intro to the report. "Despite these pressures, libraries have proven themselves to be among the most adaptable of public and community-serving institutions."

From Bloomberg City Lab, a really cool graphic article from visual storyteller Ariel Aberg-Riger that explores "the threats libraries face, their historical context, and how activists are mobilizing to protect a diversity of thought." In 2019, Aberg-Riger also did a visual piece on "how libraries came to be a critical piece of social infrastructure."

In the Tennessean, recently retired Nashville librarian Kent Oliver (now a senior fellow with the ALAs Office of Public Policy and Advocacy) editorializes about the current wave of book bans. "Every book is not for every reader, but every reader deserves to see themselves on the shelves of a library," Oliver writes. "The strife caused by these mass book challenges is taking a toll on the librarians that National Library Week was instituted to honor. Although polling over the past decade consistently shows that voters overwhelmingly trust and have a high regard for them, the professional, psychological, and even physical well-being of librarians is at risk."

In a major development, the New York Times reports that the College Board twill once again revise its AP African American Studies course after the academic community accused the company of altering the course under political pressure in Florida. "The College Board said on Monday that it would revise its Advanced Placement African American studies course, less than three months after releasing it to a barrage of criticism from scholars, who accused the board of omitting key concepts and bending to political pressure from Gov. Ron DeSantis," the Times report states. "While written in couched terms, the College Boards statement appeared to acknowledge that in its quest to offer the course to as many students as possibleincluding those in conservative statesit watered down key concepts."

The Indiana Capital Chronicle reports that lawmakers in Indiana have passed a "harmful to minors" library bill in the closing hours of the legislative session. The measure now heads to the governor. "The bill requires school libraries to publicly post lists of books in their collection and create a formal grievance process for parents and community members who live in the district to object to certain materials in circulation," the report states. "Language in the proposal also seeks to remove 'educational purposes' as a reason that schools or district board members could claim legal protection for sharing 'harmful material' with underage students. The charge is a felony."

 It places an undue emotional burden on librarians. On top of having to do their job  they have to worry about going to jail for a year. 

Kansas City NPR affiliate KCUR reports on the plight of librarians facing intense political pressure in Missouri. "Between a new state law and efforts to end funding for libraries, the wave of efforts from Missouris Republican-controlled legislature to restrict public libraries has thrown the future of these institutions into doubt," the report states. It places an undue emotional burden on librarians. On top of having to do their job...they have to worry about going to jail for a year, Joe Kohlburn, an academic librarian at Jefferson College, told reporters. There may be consequences, but I think librarians have to make this stand.

In Louisiana, the local Daily Advertiser reports that a Louisiana Senate panel has advanced a bill to restrict minors' access to allegedly "sexually explicit" library books without allowing the opposition a chance to testify at the hearing. The legislation would require libraries to "create a tiered card system in which parents can decide whether their children can check out material deemed questionable. It also gives local library boards the final say on what is sexually explicit rather than librarians," the report states. "If libraries violate the proposed law, the bill would allow their governing bodies to withhold funding."

The Independent has a long story about book bans and Louisiana librarian Amanda Jones's legal battle against the men who publicly accused her of wanting to distribute pornography to children after she spoke against banning books at a public meeting. "Towns across Louisiana are among dozens across the country wrapped up in a movement against titles like This Book Is Gay, joining a pressure campaign against LGBT+ people that is dominating state legislatures. Over the last two years, lawmakers have flooded statehouses and Congress with nearly identical bills that aim to control and restrict LGBT+ Americans, particularly trans youth, and their families," the report notes.

Meanwhile, Patch reports on a similar situation in New Jersey, where high school librarian Roxana Russo Caivano has filed a defamation suit against a group of individuals who have allegedly publicly labeled her a "child predator" for making Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer available in the library. Caivano "has faced personal attacks as a result of these claims," according to her husband, Anthony, an attorney who is also representing her in the case.

Fox News also reports on Caivano's lawsuit. The article claims that two of the women named in the suit are being sued for "speaking out" rather than for personal attacks on Caivano's character. "We spoke to the fact that these are our children, nobody elses," the women told Fox. "And we have the right to direct their upbringing and those books do not match the morals and values that I teach in my home."

In New York, CNY Central reports that state senator Rachel May and assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell have teamed up to introduce the the Freedom to Read Act. The bill would require school districts ensure "school libraries and librarians are able to provide students with access to the widest array of age-appropriate materials available." according to the text of the legislation.

From Book Riot, Kelly Jensen begins her exhaustive weekly roundup of censorship news by writing about the United Daughters of the Confederacy, a group that came together at the turn of the 20th Century to lobby and advocate for the teaching of a pro-confederacy version of history in southern classrooms. The UDC playbook, she points out, is being used by pro-censorship groups today: Being aware of the history of these 'liberty' minded groups, bent on erasing entire groups and legacies of people with their false narratives, lies, and work to codify christian nationalism and whiteness as law, is crucial in order to keep fighting the good fight.

Meanwhile, in New York City, NBC News reports that it appears that the New York Public Library will be spared from some deep cuts being proposed to close a serious city budget shortfall, although Spectrum News NY1 reports that cuts appear to still be on the table. "While the five boroughs' public libraries will no longer face $52.7 million in cuts, they still face a proposed reduction of $36.2 million," Spectrum reports.

The Seattle Times reports that the Seattle Public is joining Brooklyn Public Librarys Books Unbanned initiative, offering free access to e-books to young people nationwide who are particularly affected by current book censorship efforts. We heard a lot of interest from our patrons and our staff in that program, and we started wondering what it would look like to have a partner in that program, Andrew Harbison, director of SPLs library programs and services division, told the reporters, adding that BPL librarians were "excited to have more libraries participating and advocating for access and intellectual freedom.

From CBS Bay Area, a student occupation of UC Berkeley's anthropology library is approaching the one-week mark. The protest going on inside UC Berkeley's Anthropology and Art Building is a bit unusual. No chanting, no bullhorns. You can hear a pin drop. In fact, except for the beds strewn around the room, you wouldn't know anything was going on. But that's what happens when you occupy a library, the report notes. The library is being targeted for closure as a cost-cutting measure.

In Utah, the Salt Lake Tribune reports on the movement to unionize at the Salt Lake City Public Library. Wewho serve the public, who help keep our branches clean and safe, who directly implement and feel the effects of every policydeserve to have real input in the decision-making processes that affect us and the public, and we deserve to be compensated appropriately for it. A union can help us achieve that, librarian Jacob Rosenzweig said in a statement

And finally, via American Libraries, Cindy Hohl, director of policy analysis and operational support at Kansas City (Missouri) Public Library, has been elected 20242025 president of the ALA. We have a lot of good work ahead of us in libraries, and I look forward to listening to feedback, hearing your ideas, and moving forward with that inspiration to uphold the professional ethics of our trusted profession as we highlight the high value of libraries," Hohl said in a statement.

The Week in Libraries is a weekly opinion and news column. News, tips, submissions, questions or comments are welcome, and can be submitted via email. Previous columns can be viewed here.
As part of its plan to cut 5% of its North American workforce force by June 30, HarperCollins has closed its Harper Design unit this week, among other layoffs. The closing of Harper Design is part of a mandate from HC parent company News Corp to reduce expenses by 5% to offset declines in sales and earnings over the last few quarters.

A spokesperson said that Harper Design titles are being moved to other imprints. A source confirmed that some other jobs had been cut this week, but said social media posts that put the number at 20 were wrong.

The downsizing began last fall, picking up momentum in January, when another round of layoffs were made. Results from HCs most recent quarter are due to be released in early May.
COVID-19 showed that the U.S. pandemic response plans of the past were no match for a protracted nationwide health emergency. With this pandemic's emergency phase over, it's time to consider how we can do better next time against a yet-unknown threat.

The upcoming reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) offers such an opportunity. As a key step toward modernizing preparedness and response capabilities at all levels of government, Congress could consider requiring a national after-action analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the PAHPA reauthorization.

PAHPA dates back to 2006, and its previous authorizations have responded to other crises that the United States was underprepared for, from hurricanes to anthrax. This time around, it's three years of pandemic that pushed public health departments and health care systems past their breaking point. What lessons were learned that could help the United States effectively protect its population and other vital national interests going forward?



With this pandemic's emergency phase over, it's time to consider how we can do better next time against a yet-unknown threat. Share on Twitter

That's where an after-action analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic response comes in. It could capture the failings, adaptations, and best practices identified, collating them from individual after-action reports for each state, territory, and tribal government. It's clear, for instance, that any future national pandemic plan will need to consider (and balance) public health measures alongside economic, educational, and other costs to society at large. It might also address how to issue effective (and consistent) public communication, as well as to combat misinformation.

Tracking a future pandemic in real time, and adjusting responses as needed, will require collecting and analyzing a uniform set of outcome measures across states and nations, and doing so consistently. So an after-action report could also carefully take stock of our lingering gaps in knowledge, consistent high-quality data, and technology infrastructure.

An after-action analysis could also take a hard look at incentives and disincentives that would lead to more-effective collaboration and resource-sharing during emergencies. Every corner of the nation was affected by pandemic-driven shortfallsin equipment, beds, supplies, manpowerbut not all at the same moment. This meant that some states' and localities' public health and health care systems had excess resources and capacity at the very moment others were desperate. Figuring that piece out will be critical to ensuring an improved response for all kinds of public health emergencies and natural disasters into the future.

Preparation means more than stockpiling. It requires more than bolstering what already exists. Share on Twitter

Preparation means more than stockpiling. It requires more than bolstering what already exists. Public health officials, like the proverbial generals, shouldn't prepare to fight the last war. Instead, this is the time to consider new paradigms for tracking emerging threats. To do the kind of data analysis that will continually measure risk, lots of novel information will need to be shared across agenciesparticularly as the social, political, and climate environment changes.

PAHPA needs reauthorization before the end of the fiscal year, so policymakers have already begun asking some of these questions. The answers they settle on will set priorities not just for the Department of Health and Human Services, but also for the Food and Drug Administration, Homeland Security, and the Pentagon. A formal after-action analysis could help lawmakers and policymakers at all levels of government as they decide what's required for the United States to have a comprehensive, multi-agency health security strategy.

Mahshid Abir is an emergency physician and senior physician policy researcher at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation.

This commentary originally appeared on Governing on April 27, 2023. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
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Netflix announced Thursday that Adam Brody has been cast in the still untitled Kristen Bell comedy. Brody will play Bell's rabbi.

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The streaming service previously announced Bell's involvement with the comedy in March. Erin Foster created the show and Steven Levitan executive produces.

Bell will play Joanne, an agnostic who meets rabbi Noah (Brody). Meeting Joanne challenges Noah, who previously "is stuck in his ways and used to playing things safe" according to Netflix.

Bell is also an executive producer along with Foster, Craig DiGregorio, Danielle Stokdyk, Oly Obst and Josh Lieberman. Steven Levitan Productions produces with 20th Television.

The Good Place and Veronica Mars star Bell previously starred in Netflix's thriller parody The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window. Brody's television career dates back to Gilmore Girls and The O.C. and he recently co-starred in Fleishman is in Trouble.

Foster, an actor as well, previously wrote for The New Normal and executive produced her series Barely Famous. Levitan created Just Shoot Me! and the recent Reboot, and co-created Modern Family with Christopher Lloyd
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Child's body found under rubble of destroyed house in Uman, death toll rises to 23

As of 19:00, the body of another child was found under the rubble of a house destroyed by a Russian missile attack in Uman, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine said.

"The number of dead is 23, of which four are children," the ministry said on the Telegram channel.

As reported, on Friday night, Russia launched a missile attack on Uman, hitting a multi-storey residential building and warehouses was recorded. Earlier it was reported about 22 killed, including three children, and 18 injured, including nine people hospitalized.
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This week, the University of Georgia announced upcoming updates for DegreeWorks and the Single Sign-On service.

According to separate emails from the Registrar Office and ArchNews, DegreeWorks will undergo maintenance from April 26-28 and be down April 29 in preparation for a May 1 update. Effective May 18, the login process for systems that use Single Sign-On, including eLC, Athena and OneUSG, will change for students, faculty and staff.
Many people aspire to own their own business one day, but local business owner Liz McShane did not stop there. The University of Georgia alum owns three businesses, and as part of her vision, currently runs her digital marketing agency with all women UGA students and alumni employees.

In addition to two photography businesses, McShane founded On Trend Creative Studio to help companies navigate the uncertain waters of social media and unpredictable trends.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba calls not to perceive the Ukrainian counteroffensive as a decisive battle, since the final battle is the one that will lead to the complete liberation of Ukrainian territories.

"The counteroffensive should not be considered a decisive battle. The decisive battle is the one that will lead to the complete liberation of Ukrainian territories. This conclusion can be drawn at the end, not at the beginning of the battle," Kuleba said at a joint briefing with the foreign ministers of the Nordic countries on Friday.

He said people who view the counteroffensive as a decisive battle "distort the picture of Ukrainian efforts."

"If one counteroffensive is needed, there will be one; if two or more are needed, it will be so. This is not a conflict that can be frozen," the minister said.

The head of the Foreign Ministry said Ukraine will fight until victory.
The Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) has stayed the ban imposed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Samir Jain, vice-chairman and managing director of Bennett, Coleman & Co (BCCL), his wife Meera Jain, and six others.

Photograph: Shailesh Andrade/Reuters

BCCL owns news media organisations The Times of India, and The Economic Times.

Last month, the regulator had refrained Jain from accessing the securities market for allegedly violating minimum public shareholding (MPS) norms in PNB Finance and Industries (PNBFIL) and Camac Commercial Company (CCIL), which are listed on the Calcutta Stock Exchange.

Granting interim relief, the SAT noted that the directions issued by Sebi will have a direct impact on the functioning of the companies and its directors in their day-to-day functioning.

However, the SAT has directed the appellants to pay 25 per cent of the penalty within four weeks, and directed the couple to not accept any new post of directorship, or managerial position, in any limited company till the pendency of the matter.

In two separate orders, Sebi alleged that PNBFIL and CCIL did not make adequate disclosures about their promoter entities.

The market watchdog alleged that the entities misrepresented the company to be professionally run with no promoters, even as the Jain family was in direct control of management.

It noted that through connected entities and crossholding in various corporate houses, the Jain family had 91.51 per cent holding in PNBFIL, and 94.45 per cent in CCIL.

According to MPS norms, a listed company must have at least 25 per cent public shareholding.

Sebi had imposed a penalty of Rs 12 crore on PNBFIL, while Rs 1.41 crore each was imposed on Jain and his wife.

The tribunal has provided time till July 3 for filing a reply and rejoinder.
Prime ministers turning up with such frequency to launch trains is an indication of the political mileage resident in public transport.

Will our railways step out of the government's shadow?

After all, they are the ones manufacturing trains and running them, notes Shyam G Menon.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi flags off Kerala's first Vande Bharat Express between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargod at Thiruvananthapuram Central Station, April 25, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo

By and large, people in Kerala enjoy a comfortable life. More comfortable than in many parts of India.

With a remittance economy for steroid, spending power is high. Proof may be found in the assets accumulated, a lot of it just for show.

Yet, in land of the well-settled, residents are never short of complaints.

As a relative put it, "We deserve the best." According to him, getting the state the best of what is on offer should be every elected representative's job.

Kerala's chosen bunch for the task, he felt, had failed to deliver. Rail travel to Kerala and within the state, has always been a sore point in this regard.

Kerala is in the extreme south of India. It is a long way from Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.

At the same time, Kerala is unique for nearly half of its total population being elsewhere. They are in other parts of India and abroad.

In the past, trains to Kerala were few and securing a ticket used to be a headache.

The number of trains have increased since, but it won't be wrong to say that both the quality of trains allotted to Kerala and their maintenance have stayed debatable.

My relative was therefore thrilled to hear of the imminent introduction of Kerala's first Vande Bharat train.

Next morning as I approached the Ernakulam Town station to catch my Jan Shatabdi to Thiruvananthapuram, I saw the hero of the times pull in on its first trial run in Kerala.

Given Vande Bharat made its debut in India in February 2019 and had thereafter graced the railway lines in several states, it -- arguably -- took its own sweet time to reach Kerala despite the state's highly mobile population.

But that didn't seem to matter. There was a clutch of curious onlookers at Ernakulam Town; there was the selfie brigade and there was the politically correct reached in time to behold and welcome Vande Bharat.

In the 1930s, the Third Reich had hoped to convey its vision to the German people by driving in a people's car (for the record, the Beetle's peak sales happened after World War II).

As a vehicle for public transport, Vande Bharat is a wholesale phenomenon but unlike the Beetle which touched one or a few every time it was sold, the white and blue train is capable of leaving many with a retail feel of India's industrial progress and the vision of the central government.

Even if that 'many' be drawn from income brackets, which can afford the service.

That's the impact of improvements in public transport.

The BJP has been very smart in spinning marketable motifs from its initiatives in the infrastructure space.

Evidently, my relative was among those floored and its symptoms amplified deeper into the chat when he supported some of the genuinely contentious views of the political Right-Wing.

Thanks to a new train, a lot else about the political Right-Wing appeared overlooked.

IMAGE: Modi waves to onlookers at Thiruvananthapuram Central Station. Photograph: PTI Photo

It's what happens when infrastructure is identified too closely with political parties.

On the one hand, infrastructure becomes an extension of party propaganda.

On the other hand, politics becomes the stuff of technocrat's view of world; all efficiency, execution and performance with little awareness of the larger values, social justice, inclusiveness, human rights -- and above all, love for freedom - that go into sense of democratic country.

Serious ethical deficiencies on the part of government get overlooked because they are giving the people, swanky infrastructure; a chance for society to seem modern without being comprehensively and convincingly so.

The fault isn't infrastructure's; the fault lay in the opportunistic spins.

On April 19, 2023, the Financial Express newspaper noted in its report on Kerala's Vande Bharat train, 'earlier in the month, the Prime Minister had launched semi-high speed Vande Bharat Express trains on four different routes -- Rani Kamlapati-New Delhi, Secunderabad-Tirupati, Chennai-Coimbatore, and Ajmer-Delhi Cantonment.'

Prime ministers turning up with such frequency to launch trains is an indication of the political mileage resident in public transport.

Years ago, Maruti, Sanjay Gandhi and the Congress had seemed one package.

To the credit of the automobile manufacturer and subsequent governments, Maruti stepped out of that shadow.

Will our railways step out of the government's shadow? After all, they are the ones manufacturing trains and running them.

IMAGE: Modi interacts with students aboard the Thiruvananthapuram Central-Kasaragod Vande Bharat Express. Photograph: PTI Photo

Hours after I saw the Vande Bharat train in Ernakulam, the halo it inspired began to correct.

The publicity surrounding its introduction in Kerala had included graphs in the media depicting the time taken by existing trains to cover similar distance (Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur) in the state.

Given the curves in Kerala's railway tracks and its high population density, experts had said that the train won't run as fast as it does in other states.

The graphs showed the saving in time to be significant and yet, upon reflection, hard to decide how much it actually counted as emblem of a society's advancement.

As some felt in the case of the SilverLine project mooted earlier by the state's Left Democratic Front (on April 17, Congress politician K. Muraleedharan said that with Vande Bharat in Kerala, SilverLine should now be abandoned), it makes one question the relevance of speed as sole differentiator in public transport.

Perception is a heterogenous chaos in Kerala.

Like the state's chai-kadi (tea and snacks) counters rooted in common sense, there are those who assess public transport from the angle of affordability, functional comfort and reasonable time taken to destination.

Then, there are those who identify with experiences and pictures from overseas; people with children and grand children abroad who wish for a Kerala that resembles the tony lands the younger generation visits from.

There are also those sold on the technological marvel modern city states are and who wish to see those standards replicated in Kerala.

For the latter two, Vande Bharat would no doubt be an emblem of state having arrived.

IMAGE: A boy flashes the victory sign while a woman clicks a group selfie against the backdrop of the Kerala's first Vande Bharat Express. Photograph: Chandan Kumar/PTI Photo

Amidst this, relevance that transcends niche appeal and economic strata typically encompasses making what already exists, more efficient and attractive.

Simply put-- maintaining the existing well.

This means, trains that are already running should be looked after properly.

They should be clean, their seats, snack trays and bathrooms should work.

Rolling stock should be good. The very same relative who was excited about Vande Bharat, listed complaints regarding existing trains.

I was thinking of all this as my Jan Shatabdi brought me on time to Thiruvananthapuram.

The picture of the white and blue Vande Bharat was still in mind as I ambled along the platform to the exit.

That was when I noticed the outside of the premium compartment, I had just travelled in.

The paint on it and adjacent others seemed stained or peeled off considerably; probably the aftermath of advertisements removed.

Whatever, it was a shoddy-looking train.

A far cry from the clean white and blue I had seen that morning. It was April 17, 2023.

A day later, news broke that Vande Bharat would run from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod.

Further, the curves in Kerala's main railway line would be straightened in two phases.

With the train's flag-off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 25 and Kerala now highlighted as a prized electoral target by the BJP, more excitement around Vande Bharat would be in the pipeline.

There will be more selfies and in the countdown to the polls of 2024, heated political arguments within families.

Shyam G Menon is a Mumbai-based columnist.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
'We will bring up students with an imperfect understanding of their own history and a superficial understanding of science.'

'This is not what we should be doing to future generations.'

A chapter on the Mughals in school text books. Control Alt Delete.

A chapter on Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. Control Alt Delete.

A chapter on Darwin's theory of evolution. Control Alt Delete.

From the chapter 'Heredity and Evolution', Evolution disappears.

This is how NCERT textbooks are changing of late.

When Darwin's theory of evolution vanished from the school text books, more than 1,800 scientists, science teachers and educators wrote an open letter expressing their concern.

"We should decide what is the minimum knowledge a student who finishes school should have in science, history, languages as well as other subjects. If we do not agree on and seek to provide that common minimum knowledge, these students will not be prepared to deal with the world," Dr Gautam Menon -- Dean (Research) and Professor, Departments of Physics and Biology, Ashoka University -- tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier.

As a professor of science, what came to your mind when you heard about NCERT removing the chapter on Darwin's theory of evolution from the 10th standard textbook?

First, I wanted to check if it was actually true. So, I went to the NCERT Web site to examine the list of changes they had made.

I found that it was true that many of the important aspects of the theory of evolution, developed by Darwin, had indeed been removed from the textbook.

Evolution is the most important scientific insight we have into life on earth.

It is central to the way we think about biology.

The idea of a school level education is to ensure a common background for all students in what we believe is central to knowledge about our world.

This omission is a serious error of judgment.

What could be the reason according to you, for omitting such an important part of science? First, they tampered with history, now science...

The ostensible reason is that they wanted to lighten the load for students.

It is certainly true that we burden the students with lots and lots of material and that school-level education has largely become an exercise in memorisation as opposed to an exercise in understanding.

Even then, to leave this particular aspect out makes little sense.

There are many things that could have been left out, or at least dealt with in less detail, if they really wanted to reduce the burden.

Some have raised the possibility that this is a deliberate act, as part of what the government wanted to emphasise, to stress non-scientific ways of thinking about life on earth, perhaps even approaches based on religion.

I do not know if this is true, but I am willing to give them the benefit of doubt on this issue, provided their logic can be explained.

The NCERT says it is a curriculum rationalisation exercise. Can they justify dropping topics like evolution, acquired and inherited traits, evolution by stages, etc, a rationalisation exercise?

To me, this has little meaning.

If there is anything that should be kept in the curriculum, it is Darwin's theory of evolution and most of the attendant discussions.

As I pointed out earlier, evolution is very fundamental to the way we think about biology.

All living creatures are a product of evolution. All natural diversity comes from evolution.

Therefore, you cannot leave this out of the textbook when everyone who graduates from school should be expected to know this, at the minimum, even if they will never do biology or even any science after this.



IMAGE: Dr Gautam Menon, Dean (Research) and Professor, Physics and Biology, Ashoka University. , Dean (Research) and Professor, Physics and Biology, Ashoka University.

When this is the most basic part of biology and life itself...

That's right. Another part that has been dropped from the 10th standard science textbook is the periodic table of elements. Again, I cannot understand this.

The periodic table and the logical organisation of elements is fundamental to chemistry and for the understanding of chemistry.

To leave that out is not preparing students adequately for things they may have to learn in future.

All students should be expected to have a knowledge of these basic aspects of chemistry.

Again, I don't see any rationale behind this particular omission either.

Several scientists, teachers and academicians have written an open letter expressing their concern. They were of the opinion that such omissions would affect the scientific temper of the students. What can the scientific community and the teachers do about this?

In this case, they can only exert moral pressure on NCERT to reinstate these omitted chapters, and to examine whether the reduction in syllabus can be achieved by cutting other areas which are less central.

You can concentrate on those areas for reduction and not areas that are core to science.

You should not tamper with the areas that are fundamental to science.

I hope they will go back and re-examine this.

I notice there is nothing on their webpage concerning the committee that made these changes.

There is no explanation on why these parts were dropped from the textbook.

The public should know who was appointed to the committee that made such a decision and why they came to such a conclusion. They owe the Indian public this much.

Do you feel the NCERT should first appoint a group of experts like teachers, scientists and historians in the committee, and they also have to be transparent about exercises like these?

Absolutely. We should know who were the people who made such a decision. We should know why these decisions were made.

It is good to have broad based committees with teachers, lecturers, scientists and possibly parents in them, to decide how much has to be taught, and what changes should be made, if something has to be changed in the syllabus. This should not be hard to do.

After NCERT decided to drop chapters in many subjects, the Kerala government is planning to provide books with those dropped chapters. Of course, this will be done only in some states. But will this solve the problem?

It is only a temporary solution and not an optimal solution.

The optimal solution should be a careful examination of the textbooks to find out whether they need to be improved, whether the material needs to be reduced and if so, how do we reduce, etc. but in a public way, with discussions and explanations.

I do not want to argue that textbooks cannot be changed at all.

We should decide what we should teach, and at what level, and what is the minimum amount of background any student should have.

This can be done only after a reasonable broad discussion on what should go into a textbook.

And, certainly, textbooks should be re-examined periodically to make sure they are achieving the purpose for which they are intended and to ensure that they are up-to-date.

Do you think the time has come for a national debate on what children should study in school?

I think there should be a debate on what should go into textbooks, based on ideas from a broad expert committee who have knowledge of these areas.

This is not rocket science -- many countries have made similar decisions.

I found earlier NCERT textbooks actually were very good from many points of view.

But such a committee should make their deliberations public, to avoid situations like the current one.

They have a responsibility to show that there is a definite logic behind their acts and that political considerations did not enter their discussions.

What kind of impact will tampering of history, science, etc have on the future generations?

We will bring up students with an imperfect understanding of their own history and a superficial understanding of science.

This is not what we should be doing to future generations.

We should prepare them to deal with and understand politics, scientific issues, history etc. and to be able to look at them critically.

This is the only way we can have good citizens which, after all, should be the goal of an education.

The less we provide them the ability to do so, the worse off generations of future students will be in terms of their intellectual development.

The complaint by industry about India's education system is that even though it produces thousands and thousands of engineers, majority of them are not employable. With this kind of approach by the NCERT, will it not become worse?

That is a problem with higher education. We need to address that separately. But at least we should not exacerbate the problem by having students who are ill-prepared at the input stage.

First, we should decide what is the minimum knowledge a student who finishes school should have in science, history, languages as well as other subjects.

If we do not agree on and seek to provide that common minimum knowledge, these students will not be prepared to deal with the world. That will impact their ability to profit from higher education.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
'This is a politically motivated decision.'

'Nitish Kumar is desperate to win as many parliamentary seats as possible.'

IMAGE: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with Anand Mohan Singh at his son MLA Chetan Anand's engagement in Patna, April 24, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

Amitabh Kumar Das, a former Indian Police Service officer, is one of the few public voices in Bihar who have criticised the Nitish Kumar government for amending prison rules to facilitate Anand Mohan Singh's release.

Anand Mohan was sentenced to death -- which was then commuted to life imprisonment -- for the 1994 murder of G Krishnaiah, a 1985 IAS officer and the then district magistrate of Gopalganj.

The Bihar government released Anand Mohan from Saharsa prison early on Thursday, April 27, 2023.

Early this month, the state home department notified a change in rule 481 (1-a) of the Bihar Prison Manual, 2012.

The notification deleted the phrase 'or murder of a Government servant on duty', which facilitated Anand Mohan Singh's release.

A 1994 batch IPS officer, Das has filed a public interest litigation in the court against the amendment in the prison manual. "Anand Mohan's release is an insult to G Krishnaiah's martyrdom," Das tells Rediff.com Senior Contributor M I Khan.

Most political parties -- in the Mahagathbandan or in the Opposition -- have either supported Anand Mohan's release or are maintaining a silence.

This is a politically motivated decision and a special favour to gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan.

This is a part of the political strategy of the Mahagathbandhan-led government to make a dent in the BJP's Rajput votes.

As the Lok Sabha election is 12 months away, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is desperate to win as many parliamentary seats as possible.

It is a perception that Anand Mohan has a strong grip over his caste men Rajput, particularly the youth.

This appears to be the reason why all political parties, except the Left, have been defending and backing him.

IMAGE: Anand Mohan Singh was freed from prison on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

Why have you opposed Anand Mohan's release when state government officials claim that rules have been followed to release him.

I am opposing Anand Mohan's release because the government amended the Bihar Prison Manual, which is arbitrary, unreasonable and malafide. It goes against the public interest.

How the amendment in the prison manual was made without any consultation itself exposes the government's motive to help Anand Mohan.

Is it not true that Nitish Kumar fulfilled a promise made to Anand Mohan's caste to release him early this year while addressing a rally in honour of the legendary Maharana Pratap?

As I have mentioned, his release is political in nature.

On April 15 I wrote a letter to the Bihar governor seeking his intervention, but nothing happened.

Anand Mohan's release is an insult to G Krishnaiah's martyrdom.

I have also filed a PIL on April 27 in the Patna high court.

Several other PILs have been filed and we will request the honourable court to club them all together for a hearing soon.

I have requested the court to quash the amendment to the prison manual.

I have been in touch with Uma Krishnaiah. She will be moving the Supreme Court directly for quashing of the amendment.



IMAGE: Amitabh Kumar Das, former IPS officer.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Amitabh Kumar Das/Twitter

The Bihar IAS Association and his IAS batchmates in the state are silent.

The central IAS Association based in Delhi questioned his release and demanded that the government reconsider it. The National Commission of Scheduled Castes has issued a notice to the Bihar government seeking its reply over the amendment.

It is very shameful that the IAS Association in Bihar is silent so far and maintaining a different attitude on the issue.

Krishnaiah would have become chief secretary if he was alive today.

IAS officers in Bihar do not raise their voice against their political masters.

Can you recall what was your first reaction after news of Mr Krishnaiah's killing reached you?

On that fateful day (in December 1994) I was an IPS trainee at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy in Mussoorie. I was shocked and expressed my anger by crying loudly.

Santosh Mathew, a batchmate of Krishnaiah, addressed the probationers and we maintained a two minute silence for him that day.

Do you think the central government will take a stand against Anand Mohan's release?

The BJP has no moral ground to oppose Anand Mohan's release as Bilkis Bano's rapists were released in Gujarat.

People of Bihar should take to the streets to show their courage.

WATCH:

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
More than 120 eminent citizens, including retired high court judges and former bureaucrats, have written to President Droupadi Murmu opposing what they called "highly objectionable attempts" to legalise same-sex marriages.

They said Indian society and culture do not accept same-sex behavioural institution as it is irrational and unnatural.

The signatories said they were "shocked" over the "continuous onslaught" against the country's basic cultural traditions and religious tenets, in particular the "highly objectionable attempts" towards legalisation of same-sex union.

The deliberation regarding human institutional relations like that of a marriage is "essentially a legislative function", they said, claiming that the courts should "refrain" from creating or recognising or demolishing the institution of marriage either by way of ajudicial interpretation or striking down or reading down the existing legislative framework for marriages.

The issue is being considered by the Constitution bench of the Supreme Court and has become a "rallying point" for some "typical pseudo liberals" who are already "divorced" from Indian values under the bogey of "progressive and liberated thinking", they said.

The signatories to the April 27 letter include former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Rajiv Mehrishi, former home secretary L C Goyal, former foreign secretary Shashank, former RAW chief Sanjeev Tripathi, Justice (retired) S N Dhingra and Justice (retired) Lok Pal Singh.

They said it was imperative to let the Supreme Court know the accurate estimation and outcome of such a "culturally disastrous" step in the name of a "path-breaking approach".

"If we revise the law to make same-sex sexual union rational, acceptable or moral, it will open the doors to same-sex sexual culture. Our society and culture do not accept same-sex behavioural institution because it is offensive to our values, besides being irrational and unnatural," the letter read.

They claimed that it was "widely appreciated" that same-sex relationship "can't create long-term or stable institutions".

"If they are allowed to adopt children, they can't maintain stable and long-lasting relationships with their families, parents, relatives and partners. The health and future of such children will be severely compromised," they claimed.

The letter also claimed India "cannot afford" that its future generations live in such an atmosphere, "which surely will produce more gays and lesbians, and tear apart and destroy the institutions of family and society irreparably. They won't know about their parents, ancestors, culture, religious tenets and age-old values".

They requested the President that the "Indian social fabric, conventions, traditions, values and religious tenets should not be hastily shredded in the name of elitist progressiveness".
Jammu and Kashmir police on Friday claimed that the terror plot in last week's Poonch ambush has been uncovered and six locals have been arrested for sheltering the terrorists before they carried out the attack on an army vehicle using explosives and weapons that came from Pakistan through drones.

IMAGE: An Army vehicle moving between Bhimber Gali and Poonch in the Rajouri sector in J-K was fired on by terrorists, April 20, 2023. Photograph: ANI on Twitter

Director general of police Dilbag Singh said the April 20 attack was a well-planned one and executed by three to five terrorists.

They first did a recce of the area, understood the terrain and then chose the spot of attack.

He said over 200 people have being questioned till now and the operation to neutralise the terrorists involved in the attack is on.

"Six persons (of a module) have been arrested. They include those who have provided material (weapons, ammunition, explosives) to the terrorists besides shelter and food and guided them from one to another place," Singh told reporters during a visit to Rajouri district.

"We are getting clues during questioning. We are working on that," he said.

Singh, who visited Darhal and remote Budh Khanari area in the foothills of snow-covered Pir Panjal mountains, also said that such incidents are not possible without local support.

"One full module in this has been caught. They were giving them support for past two to three months. A local named Nisar and his family were providing all support from food to shelter. The material (explosives) had come from Pakistan through drone. They picked up the weapons and provided them to the terrorists. Weapons, grenades and ammunition explosives were included in that," he said.

He added that security forces are identifying more local support.

"They will be working on it strongly. The terrorists choose places close to forests, where they get local support and also have escape route into forests," he said.

Giving further details about the module, Singh said Nisar has been a terrorist for a long time.

"He was working as OGW of Pakistan origin LeT commander in the 1990s. He was under our radar. We had picked him two to three times in the past for interrogation. He was in our list of suspects and was picked this time too," he said.

"When interrogated, we found he was fully involved along with other family members," the DGP said.

On the modus operandi, he said that the terrorists first did recce of area, understood the terrain and considered aspects like speed of the vehicle to come down to zero in view of downhill terrains and sharp turn at the place of attack.

"They came close and ambushed the vehicle. Then they fired on the vehicle which got damaged. The troops got injured. They planted an IED, set it afire and exploded it," he said.

Singh said there is floating population of terrorists coming from Pakistan.

"They remain here for several months. They do recce and such acts. We have neutralised several of them also in the past. Two to four such terrorists remain active during a period of time," he said.

According to Singh there are 10 to 12 such elements operating in the area.

On the use of Chinese steel core ammunition, he said that it was used in the Dhangri incident too.

"The terrorists come better prepared for such attacks," he said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart, General Sergei Shoigu, vowed on Friday to strengthen the India-Russia military partnership while expressing satisfaction over the continued trust and mutual respect in the ties.

IMAGE: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh meets with his Russian counterpart General Sergei Shoigu on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting, in New Delhi on Friday. Photograph: ANI Photo

Singh and Shoigu held extensive talks, covering the regional security situation and key aspects of bilateral defence relations, including industrial partnership, at a meeting on the sidelines of a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in New Delhi.

An Indian readout of the meeting said the two ministers also discussed the Russian defence industry's participation in the 'Make in India' initiative in the defence manufacturing sector and ways to provide further impetus to it.

It said Singh and Shoigu discussed matters relating to regional peace and security as well.

'They expressed satisfaction over the continued trust and mutual respect between the two countries, particularly in defence, and reiterated their commitment towards strengthening the partnership,' the defence ministry said.

'They acknowledged the unique, long-lasting and time-tested relationship between India and Russia,' it added.

The ministry said Singh and Shoigu discussed wide-ranging issues of bilateral defence cooperation.

'The two ministers discussed wide-ranging issues of bilateral defence cooperation, including military-to-military ties as well as industrial partnership,' it said.

'They also discussed the Russian defence industry's participation in the 'Make in India' initiative and ways to provide further impetus to it,' the ministry added.

In a tweet, Singh described the meeting as 'excellent'.

Shoigu's visit to India came days after Russian Deputy Prime minister Denis Manturov travelled to the country.

During his India visit, Manturov held extensive talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Singh also held separate bilateral meetings with his Uzbek counterpart, Lieutenant General Bakhodir Kurbanov, and Kyrgyzstan's Lieutenant General Bekbolotov B Asankalievich.

He also held talks with Belarusian Defence Minister Lieutenant General Victor Khrenin.

'The entire gamut of defence cooperation with the three countries was reviewed during the meetings, with a focus on identifying beneficial avenues for furthering bilateral ties,' the defence ministry said.

'Issues of mutual interest were also discussed,' it added.

Singh also met SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming and discussed various activities undertaken by India under its SCO chairmanship with him.

The defence minister informed Ming that India is committed to contributing constructively to the implementation of the SCO's mandate.
BBC chairman Richard Sharp resigned on Friday after a report found he broke the rules by failing to disclose the role he played in helping former British prime minister Boris Johnson secure an 800,000-pounds loan.

IMAGE: A screen inside BBC headquarters broadcasts a statement by Richard Sharp following his resignation, in London, on April 28, 2023. Photograph: Henry Nicholls/Reuters

The 67-year-old former Goldman Sachs banker, who has been the chairman of the UK taxpayer-funded licence fee-backed British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), said the investigation found he had breached the governance code for public appointments.

The independent review, led by barrister Adam Heppinstall, looked at Sharp's appointment and his involvement in facilitating an 800,000-pound loan guarantee for Johnson -- just weeks before the former prime minister appointed him.

'Mr Heppinstall's view is that while I did breach the governance code for public appointments, he states that a breach does not necessarily invalidate an appointment,' Sharp said in a statement.

'Indeed, I have always maintained the breach was inadvertent and not material, which the facts he lays out substantiate. Nevertheless, I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC. I feel that this matter may well be a distraction from the Corporation's good work were I to remain in post until the end of my term. I have therefore this morning resigned as BBC Chair to the Secretary of State, and to the Board,' he said.

'To chair this incredible organisation has been an honour,' he added.

Heppinstall was appointed by the UK's Commissioner of Public Appointments to investigate claims which appeared in The Sunday Times newspaper.

Sharp said the report finds he did not play 'any part whatsoever in the facilitation, arrangement, or financing of a loan for the former prime minister'.

But he said with hindsight he should have disclosed his role in setting up a meeting between UK Cabinet Secretary Simon Case and Sam Blyth -- a businessman who was offering the then prime minister financial help -- to the appointments panel during the scrutiny process ahead of him taking up the senior role at the 100-year-old public broadcaster.

He admitted not doing so was an 'oversight' and apologised for it.

Sharp has said he will remain in his post until a replacement is found, which is likely to be until June.

The BBC chairman is a post filled on the recommendation of the government.

The broadcaster's neutrality had come under severe scrutiny over revelations that Sharp -- a donor to the governing Conservative Party -- had been involved in the arrangement of a loan for Johnson in 2021.

Sharp also happens to be British Prime Minister Sunak's former boss during his days in the private sector.

Sunak has previously declined to be drawn into the controversy, saying: 'Richard Sharp went through an independent appointments process at the time that I had nothing to do with -- he was appointed before I was prime minister.'

Reacting to the BBC Chairman's resignation on Friday, Sunak said he has not seen the report into Sharp and did not guarantee a non-political figure would replace him.

Speaking to reporters in Glasgow, Sunak said: 'There's an appointments process that happens for those appointments. I'm not going to prejudge that.'

Tim Davie, Director-General of the BBC, said Sharp had made a 'significant contribution to the transformation and success of the BBC'.
A Bharatiya Janata Party delegation on Friday met the Election Commission and requested the poll panel to register a criminal case against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and bar him from campaign in the Karnataka assembly polls over his "poisonous snake" barb at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

IMAGE: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addresses during a public meeting ahead of Karnataka assembly elections, at Ron in Gadag district, Karnataka, April 27, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

Union minister Bhupender Yadav, who led the BJP delegation, told reporters that Kharge's comment was not merely a slip of the tongue but part of the Congress' "hate politics".

BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh said Kharge is a "habitual offender".

Yadav said the Congress has a history of launching personal attacks on Modi.

The BJP has demanded registration of an FIR under IPC Sections 499 and 500, which deal with defamation, and Section 504, which deals with the offence of deliberate insults and provocation.

The delegation also included BJP chief spokesperson Anil Baluni and party leader Om Pathak.

Addressing a campaign rally for the May 10 Karnataka assembly polls, Kharge likened Modi to a poisonous snake. As a row erupted, he later sought to clarify that his remarks were not aimed at the prime minister but at the ruling BJP.
His outfit may be taking baby steps in Karnataka's political arena dominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular but mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy is confident his newly floated party will grow big enough by 2028 to catapult him to the ruling saddle, as he tests the waters with the electoral debut of his Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha in the ensuing elections to the state Legislative Assembly.

IMAGE: Janardhana Reddy, who is re-entering Karnataka's electoral politics from outside Ballari district, is contesting the upcoming assembly polls from Gangavathi in Koppal district. Photograph: @GaliJanardhanar/Twitter

A former BJP minister, Janardhana Reddy, who had severed ties with the saffron party and floated KRPP in December last year, said he has not launched it with the objective of becoming CM right away in 2023.

"I am patient. We will build a solid foundation in 2023 and by 2028 we will come to power on our own strength, with a thumping majority, he said.

When asked if he aimed for Chief Minister's post, Reddy said aiming for CM's post--that's not the thing (now). But, when I floated the party...you can understand. But, yes my target is 2028 elections, and Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha will form the government in Karnataka on its own then," Reddy told PTI.

Janardhana Reddy, asked on the reason for floating KRPP, said public have confidence in him because they know whatever I commit, I will fulfill it.

Earlier I had worked for BJP. How I served the people they know very well. So based on that today public have lots of expectations from me. So, I have started my own party, Janardhana Reddy said, amid the hectic ongoing election campaigning.

Karnataka votes on May 10, with the results slated to be declared on May 13.

He said the KRPP is contesting in 47 constituencies and "our target is that we will win in at least 25 seats".

Janardhana Reddy, who is re-entering Karnataka's electoral politics from outside Ballari district, is contesting the upcoming assembly polls from Gangavathi in Koppal district.

He exuded confidence that he is going to win by thumping majority from Gangavathi.

He has been barred by the Supreme Court from entering Ballari in Karnataka and Anantapur and YSR Kadapa districts in Andhra Pradesh in connection with illegal mining case.

Whether seeks to be a king maker, Janardhana Reddy said it depends on the results and will be known on May 13.

When asked whom he would support, the BJP or the Congress in the event of a hung Assembly, whoever supports my party's agenda like the promises I made to the public from my party, whoever supports...I will go with them, Janardhana Reddy said.

He said some parties indulge in politics based on caste and religion.

"We want to be away from such things. Our party is guided by the principles of Basaveswara (12th Century philosopher) for the establishment of an equitable and welfare state", he said, adding "both Congress and BJP are our rivals".

In the 2008 assembly elections, when the BJP fell short of a majority by a few seats, he was among those who played a key role in "Operation Kamala"- by ensuring defection of other party MLAs and their re-election on saffron party ticket which helped BJP form a government on its own in Karnataka for the first time, under the leadership of party strong man B S Yediyurappa.

Janardhana Reddy had been inactive politically for nearly 12 years now, since the time he was arrested by the CBI for his alleged role in the mining scam.

Unfortunately, I had to be away from people for 12 years because of political conspiracies. It was due to the conspiracies there had been a situation for the past 12 years that I was (kept away)," he claimed.

According to Janardhana Reddy people in Karnataka had hope from the BJP that it will do works for the betterment of people. "But BJP failed to fulfill it".

People have seen the rule of both BJP and Congress and now want a new party which they can trust upon, Janardhan Reddy said adding not only North Karnataka, Kalyana Karnataka, People from across Karnataka have belief in me.

Janardhana Reddy further said his wife Aruna Lakshmi, who is contesting the polls from Ballari city assembly segment against his elder brother G Somasekhara Reddy, will also win by huge majority.

When asked about what does he feel about his wife contesting against his brother -- a political fight between family members, he said, "We don't think who is the opponentsit is an electoral fight.

Ahead of the 2018 assembly polls, the J P Nadda-led party had disassociated itself from the mining baron, with the then BJP national President Amit Shah stating that "BJP has nothing to do with Janardhana Reddy."
North Macedonia joins coalition on establishment of Special tribunal for crime of aggression against Ukraine  Kuleba

The coalition of countries (Core Group) working on the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine already includes 36 countries, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.

"North Macedonia has become the 36th country to join the collation on the establishment of a Special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. I appreciate our Macedonian friends joining our fight for justice. Support for the Special Tribunal keeps gaining steam," Kuleba said on Twitter.

The first meeting of the Core Group took place on January 26, when 21 countries took part in the discussion.
Despite limited staff, the Indian embassy in Sudan operated round-the-clock to evacuate those stranded in the war-torn country, said some of the people who arrived in Mumbai from the African nation under 'Operation Kaveri' mission.

IMAGE: Indian nationals evacuated from violence-hit Sudan under Operation Kaveri, on their arrival at the Mumbai airpoty. Photograph: @DrSJaishankar/Twitter

These passengers, who landed in Mumbai on Thursday, narrated their harrowing experiences of the last seven days.

Abdul Kadir, a 39-year-old businessman, said after the situation in Khartoum worsened, India's ambassador B S Mubarak and his team of eight officials worked tirelessly.

"With limited staff, they did unlimited work," he said, adding that the Indian embassy was operating 24x7 during this period.

Mubarak himself was stuck in the worst-affected part of the city, but he was continuously in touch with the staff and volunteers, he said.

The ambassador created WhatsApp groups of Indians in each locality and ensured that every person got help, Kadir added.

Defence attache Gurpreet Singh took risk and brought Mubarak to a safe area, he said.

Kadir, who was living in Sudan since 2017, said they were used to the tense situation in the country, but this time things took a bad turn unexpectedly, though they were hoping that tensions would decrease in the holy month of Ramadan.

"Within one hour, the situation went out of control," he said, adding that they did not get a chance even to buy food and groceries.

"We got the benefit of being Indians. We were allowed to pass peacefully through numerous checkpoints," Kadir said, adding that the Indian community at Port Sudan not only opened their homes but also their hearts for the rescued compatriots.

Another passenger said the situation was very bad, and the work done by the embassy staff could not be described in words.

"I only pray to Allah that all our stranded brothers and those in the embassy reach home safely," he added.

Many people were still waiting for their relatives to reach Mumbai from Sudan. Anita Pandey, a resident of Kalyan, was one of them.

Her husband had been working as a fitter in Khartoum for the last one year.

"My husband's friend told me that he has been rescued and is safe. I don't know where he is at present, but we are waiting for his arrival....," Pandey said.
India on Friday brought home 754 people under its mission to evacuate stranded Indians from strife-torn Sudan.

IMAGE: Indian nationals land at Mumbai airport after being evacuated from Sudan under Operation Kaveri, on April 28, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

While 392 people arrived in New Delhi in a C-17 heavy-lift aircraft of the Indian Air Force, another batch of 362 Indians were brought to Bengaluru.

The total number of Indians brought home now stands at 1,360, according to official data.

'Another C-17 flight carrying 392 passengers reaches New Delhi,' External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted.

'India welcomes back 362 Indians as another #OperationKaveri flight touches down in Bengaluru,' he said in another tweet.

The people were brought home from the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah where India has set up a transit camp for the evacuees.

The first batch of 360 evacuees were brought to New Delhi in a commercial plane on Wednesday.

The second batch of 246 evacuees arrived in Mumbai in a C-17 Globemaster on Thursday.

Under Operation Kaveri, India has been rescuing its citizens in buses from conflict zones in Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan from where they are being taken to Jeddah in Indian Air Force's transport aircraft and Indian Navy's ships.

From Jeddah, the Indians are being brought home in either commercial flights or IAF's aircraft.

India has set up separate control rooms in Jeddah and Port Sudan and the India embassy in Khartoum has been coordinating with them and the MEA's headquarters in Delhi.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly fighting between the country's army and a paramilitary group that has reportedly left around 400 people dead.

On Monday, Jaishankar announced the launch of Operation Kaveri to evacuate Indians from Sudan.

On Thursday, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said 1,700-2,000 Indians were moved out of the conflict zones.

'Our objective and target is to take the stranded Indians out of harm's way as early as possible... Our effort is to get every stranded Indian out of harm's way and into an area of relative safety and then to Port Sudan and back here (India),' he said.
A Delhi court on Friday dismissed the bail application of Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam.

IMAGE: AAP leader Manish Sisodia being brought to Rouse Avenue Court, in New Delhi on Thursday. Photograph: ANI Photo

Special Judge M K Nagpal denied the relief to Sisodia, saying the stage was not fit to grant him bail.

The judge had reserved the order after hearing arguments on Sisodia's plea seeking relief claiming that his custody was no longer required for investigation.

The judge stated that 'this case of economic offences has serious repercussions upon the general public and society at large as the evidence collected during investigation speaks volumes of his involvement in the commission of the said offence'.

The court also noted that some evidence is also alleged to have surfaced during the investigation to show that some part of the kickback or bribe amount received from 'South lobby' was spent or utilised in connection with the election campaign of the AAP in Goa and some cash payments through hawala channels are alleged to have been sent to Goa for bearing the said expenses and even some fake invoices are alleged to have been created as a cover-up for the cash amounts transferred through hawala channels.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had opposed the application, asserting the investigation was at a 'crucial' stage and claiming the senior AAP leader had planted fabricated e-mails to show there was public approval for the policy.

The federal agency also said it had found fresh evidence of his complicity in the alleged crime.

The court had on March 31 dismissed Sisodia's bail application in a corruption case, being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), saying he was 'prima facie the architect' in the criminal conspiracy behind alleged payment of advance kickbacks of around Rs 90-100 crore meant for him and his colleagues in the Delhi government.

The court had observed that the release of Sisodia, at the moment, would 'adversely affect the ongoing investigation'.

The CBI and the ED had arrested Sisodia for alleged corruption in the formulation and execution of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 and for laundering the money so generated.

-- with inputs from ANI
After no handshake with China, Defence Minister General Li Shangfu on Thursday vouched for a "comprehensive, long-term and strategic perspective," with India.

IMAGE: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with Chinas Defence Minister General Li Shangfu, right, and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, center, before a group photo during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Defence Ministers' Meeting, in New Delhi on Friday, April 28, 2023. Photograph: Manvender Vashist Lav/PTI Photo

At a nearly 45-minute meeting with Li, amid the three-year border row, Singh also conveyed to the Chinese defence minister that the development of India-China ties is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the border.

Notably, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh did not exchange handshake with Li ahead of the bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Li, while, he had handshakes with Tajik, Iranian and Kazakh counterparts ahead of the bilateral.

In a statement, the defence ministry said the two ministers had "frank" discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations.

IMAGE: It is also learnt that no memento was given to the Chinese minister during the meeting with Rajnath. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

"The raksha mantri categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders," it said.

"He added that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments," the ministry said.

It said Singh reiterated that violation of existing agreements has "eroded" the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation.

Singh conveyed to Li that India wants to improve relations with China but it can happen only after peace and tranquillity are restored at the border, the sources said.

IMAGE: Li Shangfu, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation join the defence ministers. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

The meeting between the two defence ministers took place days after the Indian and Chinese armies held the 18th round of military talks on ending the three-year border row.

In the Corps Commander talks on April 23, the two sides agreed to stay in close touch and work out a mutually acceptable solution to the remaining issues in eastern Ladakh at the earliest.

However, there was no indication of any clear forward movement in ending the row.

Singh also held separate bilateral talks with his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Iran and Tajikistan and presented them mementoes. It is learnt that no memento was given to the Chinese minister.
With the election campaign in Karnataka witnessing a bitter war of words between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, both the parties rushed to the Election Commission on Friday seeking ban on electioneering by top leaders of the other side.

IMAGE: Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses a public meeting for the Karnataka assembly elections, at Navalgund, in Dharwad on Friday. Photograph: ANI Photo

While the BJP sought a first information report (FIR) and a bar on campaigning by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress demanded restrictions on Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Kharge is under attack from the BJP after he likened Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a 'poisonous snake' during a poll rally.

Shah and Yogi have been accused of flaring communal passions and creating disharmony in the poll-bound state with their statements against minorities.

Union minister Bhupender Yadav led a BJP delegation and urged the poll body to file a criminal case against Kharge and bar him from campaigning in the Karnataka assembly polls.

He later told reporters that Kharge's comment was not merely a slip of the tongue but part of the Congress' 'hate politics'.

BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh said Kharge is a 'habitual offender' and noted that Congress leaders have made a number of 'hateful' personal attacks on Modi.

The BJP has demanded registration of an FIR under Indian Penal Code Sections 499 and 500, which deal with defamation, and Section 504, which deals with the offence of deliberate insults and provocation.

The delegation also included BJP chief spokesperson Anil Baluni and party leader Om Pathak.

After the row erupted over his 'poisonous snake' barb, Kharge later clarified that his remarks were not aimed at the prime minister but at the ruling BJP and its ideology.

In retaliation to Kharge's remarks, BJP MLA from Vijayapur Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Friday likened former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to a 'vishkanya' (venomous maiden).

'Kharge should be barred from campaigning in Karnataka elections so as to contain the spread of such acrimonious campaign and set an example that the Commission will not brook any violation of MCC or other laws of the land,' the BJP memorandum to EC said.

Comparing anyone to a poisonous snake in Indian society projects such an individual as an 'enemy, untrustworthy, unfaithful, treacherous, and deceitful', it said, adding that Kharge and his party are repeat offenders.

The Congress reached the Election Commission in the evening and urged it to ban Shah and Adityanath from campaigning for the May 10 Karnataka assembly polls for their alleged derogatory statements against the minority community that create an atmosphere of communal disharmony.

The delegation including Abhishek Singhvi, Pawan Kumar Bansal and Mukul Wasnik, met the chief election commissioner and the election commissioners, and requested the poll panel to ensure a level-playing field in the southern state.

The Congress will also seek all legal options with regard to the 'vishkanya' remark.

Alleging that Shah and Adityanath made 'false', 'partisan' and 'communal' statements during the poll campaign in Karnataka with a view to seek electoral gains, and said they should be banned from campaigning in the state, the Congress accused them of trying to create an atmosphere of communal disharmony.

'The ECI should impose a clear and complete ban on Mr Amit Shah from all campaign activities till the conclusion of the election and further direct a ban on circulation of the videos of the rally with offending portions,' a memorandum to the poll panel signed by All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Randeep Surjewala said.

Briefing reporters outside the EC office in New Delhi, Singhvi said, "We have just finished a very productive and important meeting with the EC. We complained specifically about the highly objectionable, blatantly partisan, communal and false statements coming from the top BJP leadership, in particular Home Minister Amit Shah and the Uttar Pradesh chief minister.

"They have made statements clearly against the minority community... We have asked for a ban on campaigning by such persons."

The Congress memorandum alleged: "Shah, in his desperation to improve their chances in the upcoming election, has sought to incite the law-abiding voters of the state of Karnataka by knowingly delivering false, baseless and uncertified statements before tens of thousands of voters, the video recording of which has even been circulated by the BJP to a far larger audience."

Quoting the home minister, the opposition party claimed that Shah had said, "Siddaramaiah, former chief minister of Karnataka, had released all PFI workers who were earlier kept in custody, and it was the BJP government that had to locate and jail them again."

The opposition party also claimed that Adityanath also told a poll rally on April 26 that 'the Congress is an expert in appeasement politics as they are supporting the banned outfits like PFI in Karnataka ...BJP's 'double engine' government banned PFI and broke its backbone. There were no riots or curfew in Uttar Pradesh in the last six years'.

'We ask that the ECI ban Shri Yogi Adityanath from all campaign activities till the conclusion of the election,' the memorandum said.

Another issue raised by the Congress is against BJP candidate from Chamarajanagar and Varuna constituencies V Somanna, for offering bribe of Rs 50 lakh to Janata Dal-Secular candidate Mallikarjun Swamyand promise to a government vehicle in return for withdrawing his candidate from the assembly elections.

The Congress has sought cancellation of his nomination from both the constituencies.

He is also the BJP candidate against Siddharamaiah, who is the Congress' chief ministerial aspirant.
The Supreme Court on Friday eased out Calcutta high court judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay from the West Bengal school jobs 'scam' case over an interview he granted to a TV news channel on the raging controversy, prompting him to ask the top court's secretary general to place before him the official translated copy of his interview by midnight.

IMAGE: A view of Calcutta high court. Photograph: ANI Photo

However, the apex court also stayed in the evening Justice Gangopadhyay's order asking for the transcript of his interview.

Justice Gangopadhyay said that he will abide by the SC's order.

He maintained that everybody has to abide by the Supreme Court's directions and as part of the high court judiciary, he will also do the same.

"A discipline has to be maintained and because the Supreme Court is the highest court of the country, as a high court, we must abide by its directions," he told reporters while leaving the high court a little before 10 pm, following the stay order.

Asserting that he will not resign, the judge said, "I am not a man to run away."

Earlier in the evening, a bench of Justices AS Bopanna and Hima Kohli hurriedly assembled after the normal court hours and stayed the controversial order passed by Justice Gangopadhyay, hours after the SC asked the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta high court to reassign the school jobs 'scam' case to another judge.

The apex court had recently voiced displeasure over Justice Gangopadhyay's interview to TV news channel ABP Ananda.

Justice Bopanna said Justice Gangopadhyay's order soon after the apex court's direction to the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta high court was not proper.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta agreed with the view of the bench and said the judge should not have passed the order.

'On hearing the Solicitor General, as has been rightly pointed out, the order of the present nature ought not have been passed in judicial proceedings. More so, keeping in view the judicial discipline. The present proceedings are closed and the order of the high court is stayed,' the bench said.

The bench then directed the secretary general of the apex court to immediately convey the order to the Calcutta high court registrar general.

"As the matter stands, no further proceedings needed in this case," Justice Bopanna said.

Hours before the SC bench met for an urgent hearing to stay his order, Justice Gangopadhyay wanted the official translation of his controversial interview, in which he was alleged to have spoken against Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, to be brought before him.

'For the sake of transparency, I direct the secretary general of the Supreme Court of India to produce before me the official translation of the interview given by me in media and the affidavit of the registrar general of this court in original, forthwith by 12 midnight today,' he said in his order.

'This is required for the sake of transparency, I will be waiting in my chamber till 12.15 in the midnight to get the said two sets in original which were placed before the judges of the Supreme Court today,' he added.

'I direct the registrar general of this court to communicate this order forthwith to the secretary general of the Supreme Court of India so that those two sets in original, which were before the judges today, can be placed before me as this has become now records of the court as the adjudication thereof is over,' Justice Gangopadhyay had said.

Earlier, an apex court bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and also comprising justice P S Narasimha, heard the plea of TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee alleging that the judge, who gave the interview to ABP Ananda about the case, was rendered incapacitated from hearing it.

'Pursuant to the order of this court, the registry has placed the affidavit. We have considered the note by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay and have also perused the transcript of the interview. Having considered the transcript, we direct that the Hon'ble Acting Chief Justice of the high court of Calcutta shall re-assign the pending proceedings in the case to some other judge of the Calcutta high court.

'The judge to whom the case will be reassigned by the Acting Chief Justice would be at liberty to take up all the applications which may be moved in the case,' the bench ordered.

The top court also took note of the concerns raised by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), that there has been a trend of individuals trying to browbeat judges the moment a judgement or an order goes against them.

"This is quite disturbing. There is a pattern going on whenever an order goes against a particular dispensation and a person, judges are targeted. Before Justice Gangopadhyay, there was one more judge. I am not naming him. His courtroom was blocked, virtually locked. He was not permitted to come out," he said.

"Even in the court of Justice Gangopadhyay, people went with paperweight and slippers in their hands and posters were pasted outside his house," he said.

"This sends a very demoralising message to the judiciary. They are right or wrong, that is entirely Lordsdhips' discretion (to decide). I have nothing to say... if such elements are emboldened then similar activities will also take place before other judges. Judges should not be cowed down by the people barging into the courtroom and abusing them. This is on video," the law officer said.

"No effort anywhere in the country should be made to browbeat the judges ... undoubtedly there is no question about that. I will take it up as the Chief Justice of India on the administrative side," CJI Chandrachud assured the top law officer, who claimed TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee named Justice Gangopadhyay at a public rally and attempted to put pressure on him.
After India firmly told China that its violation of the border pacts has "eroded" the entire basis of bilateral ties, China's defence ministry on Friday said the situation at the border is generally stable and both sides should put the boundary issue in an appropriate position and promote its transition to normalised management.

IMAGE: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in a bilateral meeting with state councillor and Minister of National Defence of China, General Li Shangfu, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers meet, New Delhi, April 27, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

China's defence minister General Li Shangfu, who is in New Delhi to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers conference, held a 45-minute-long meeting with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on Thursday during which the two ministers discussed the standoff at the eastern Ladakh area since May 2020.

At the meeting, Singh told Gen Li that China's violation of border agreements "eroded" the entire basis of ties between the two countries and that all issues relating to the frontier must be resolved in accordance with the existing pacts.

A Chinese defence ministry statement issued in Beijing on Friday said that during the meeting the two sides exchanged views on militaries and bilateral relations.

Gen Li pointed out that currently, the situation on the China-India border is generally stable and the two sides have maintained communication through military and diplomatic channels.

The two sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalised management, he said.

It is hoped that the two sides will work together to continuously enhance mutual trust between the two militaries and make proper contributions to the development of bilateral relations, Li told Singh.

He said that as major neighbouring countries and important developing countries, China and India share far more common interests than differences.

The two sides should view bilateral relations and each other's development from a comprehensive, long-term and strategic perspective, and jointly contribute wisdom and strength to world and regional peace and stability, he said.

The Indian government sources in New Delhi said Singh conveyed to Li that after disengagement in remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh, there should be a movement towards de-escalation and expressed hope for a "positive response".

In a statement, India's defence ministry said the two ministers had "frank discussions" about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations.

"The raksha mantri categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on the prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders," it said.

"He added that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments," the ministry said in New Delhi.

Singh "reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation," it said.

The talks took place hours after Li arrived in Delhi to attend the meeting of defence ministers of the SCO on Friday.

Singh also conveyed to Li that India wants to improve relations with China but it can happen only after peace and tranquillity are restored at the border, the sources said.

Defence Minister Singh categorically stated in the meeting that military cooperation between the two countries can progress only if peace and tranquillity are established at the border, they said.

In a tweet, Singh said: "Held discussions with China's Defence Minister, General Li Shangfu, in New Delhi."

India has been slamming China's deployment of a massive number of troops and its aggressive behaviour along the LAC in eastern Ladakh in violation of pacts on border management.

The meeting between the two defence ministers took place days after the Indian and Chinese armies held the 18th round of military talks on ending the border row.

In the Corps Commander talks on April 23, the two sides agreed to stay in close touch and work out a mutually acceptable solution to the remaining issues in eastern Ladakh at the earliest.

However, there was no indication of any clear forward movement in ending the three-year row.

On March 2, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang on the sidelines of a conclave of the G20 grouping in New Delhi.

In the talks, Jaishankar conveyed to Qin that the state of India-China relations is "abnormal".

In line with a decision taken at the 16th round of military talks, the two sides carried out disengagement from Patrolling Point 15 in the Gogra-Hotsprings area in September last year.

The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Lake area.

The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process on the north and south banks of the Pangong Lake and in the Gogra area.

Singh also held separate bilateral talks with his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Iran and Tajikistan and presented them with mementoes. It is learnt that no memento was given to the Chinese minister.

Chinese foreign minister Qin is also set to visit India next week to attend a conclave of foreign ministers of SCO member countries in Goa. The meeting is slated for May 4 and 5.

India is hosting the SCO defence ministers' meeting under its presidency of the Beijing-based grouping.
Glimpses from the battleground that is Ukraine.

IMAGE: People pay tribute to Ukrainian soldier Yurii Moroz, who was killed in a fight against Russian troops near the frontline town of Bakhmut during a funeral ceremony at Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photograph: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters

IMAGE: Former Chernobyl nuclear plant staff member Oleksandr Zabirchenko, 76, visits a memorial dedicated to his colleagues who died after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster during a night commemorative service in Slavutych. Photograph: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters

IMAGE: Staff of the Chernobyl nuclear plant hold candles at a memorial in Slavutych dedicated to firefighters and workers who died after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Photograph: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters

IMAGE: Rescuers carry the body of Iryna Osadcha, the 55-year-old director of a local museum, who was killed by a Russian missile strike in the town of Kupiansk, Kharkiv region. Photograph: Viktoriia Yakymenko/Reuters

IMAGE: A local resident and a rescuer stand on debris of a building of local museum heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike in Kupiansk, Kharkiv region. Photograph: Viktoriia Yakymenko/Reuters

IMAGE: Rescuers and volunteers work at the site of the local museum heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike in Kupiansk, Kharkiv region. Photograph: Viktoriia Yakymenko/Reuters

IMAGE: Medics help an injured Ukrainian soldier at a frontline medical stabilisation point in Donetsk region. Photograph: Anna Kudriavtseva/Reuters

IMAGE: A man places Ukrainian flags which commemorate Ukrainian soldiers killed during the war with Russia at Independence Square in Kyiv. Photograph: Roman Pilipey/Getty Images

IMAGE: A Ukrainian soldier writes a message on a howitzer shell at a position in a front line in the Donetsk region. Photograph: Anna Kudriavtseva/Reuters

IMAGE: Ukrainian soldier prepare to fire a howitzer near the city of Bakhmut. Photograph: Sofiia Gatilova/Reuters

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has likened former All India Congress Committee chief Sonia Gandhi to a 'Vishakanya' (venomous maiden) in retaliation to Congress president M Mallikarjun Kharge's 'venomous snake' barb hurled at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the comments drawing sharp response from the opposition party which sought the legislator's expulsion.

Photograph: PTI Photo

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka and its leaders have lost their mental as well as political balance.

"The entire world appreciates Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The US had not given him visa once upon a time, but today he has emerged as a world leader who receives a red carpet welcome and rubs shoulders with world leaders," Yatnal said at a public meeting on Thursday.

"He (Modi) is compared with a cobra and is called venomous. Is Sonia Gandhi, whom you go dancing about in your party, a Vishakanya. Sonia Gandhi, who ruined the country, works as an agent of China and Pakistan," Yatnal, who is seeking re-election in the May 10 Karnataka elections from Vijayapura. charged.

His outburst came after Congress President Kharge likened Modi to a venomous snake on Thursday at a public meeting, which had triggered a row, prompting the BJP to seek an apology from Kharge.

Kharge later sought to clarify his remarks were not aimed at the PM but instead at his party, the BJP.

Addressing a public meeting at Ron in Gadag district, as part of the party's campaign for the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka, Kharge said: "Don't make a mistake. Modi is like a venomous snake. If you say, 'no, it's not venomous, let's lick it and find out.' Don't lick it. If you lick, you die."

Kharge further added, "(if you think that) no, no, this is not venom because Modi has given it, good man Prime Minister has given it, let's try it and lick it'--if you lick that venom then you will sleep forever".

The Congress hit out at BJP over Yatnal's remarks.

"Facing a complete rout in the assembly elections, the BJP leadership is frustrated to the core and is hurling filth and muck, which is the product of their ugly character and dirty mindset of denigrating and insulting the Congress leadership. They have lost all sense of propriety, political balance and even a remote iota of decency and decorum," Surjewala said in a statement.

"Instructed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and supported by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, BJP leader and Modi Ji's personal favourite Basangouda Patil Yatnal has stooped to the lowest by calling UPA chairperson and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi as Visha Kanye and Agent of China and Pakistan," Surjewala said.

He said it is the "worst kind" of sacrilege and abuse being hurled upon Sonia Gandhi and the Congress leadership at the "instance of Prime Minster Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai".

"The BJP leadership and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have made a profession of abusing the Nehru Gandhi Family. PM Modi himself has, in the past, called Sonia Gandhi as Congress Ki Vidhwa and even used filthy language like calling her Jersey Cow," the AICC general secretary in-charge for Karnataka said.

Such language hurled at Sonia Gandhi, wife of a former prime minister who was martyred for the country, reflects the "absolutely debased and undignified character" of the BJP and its leadership, Surjewala alleged.

The Congress leader claimed the sad part is that all of this has the "tacit approval of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, J P Nadda and Basavaraj Bommai".

"If Prime Minister has even an iota of decency or dignity, he should immediately expel Basanagouda Patil Yatnal from the Bharatiya Janata Party. Otherwise, it will be proved that the debased, ugly and deranged remarks being made by Yatnal against Sonia Gandhi are at the instance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai," he said.

The party also demanded Modi and Bommai tender an unconditional public apology to Sonia Gandhi as also to the Congress leadership.

Congress General Secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal tweeted, "every election, they hurl new abuses to insult Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji, who has led her entire life with utmost dignity and grace. BJP continues to stoop to new lows, with their filthy language against our leaders. Modi ji, do you endorse these words? Yadha raja thada Praja (sic)."
Six Leopard 2A4 tanks donated by Spain are on way to Ukraine  media

Six Leopard 2A4 tanks donated by Spain are in Poland and are being transported by rail to Ukraine, The Objective said, citing Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles.

"After a meeting with French and German defense ministers Sebastien Lecornu and Boris Pistorius, Robles said the tanks sent by Spain arrived this Friday at a Polish port, and from there they are going by train to join the Ukrainian deployment," the publication said on Friday.

Robles thanked the German Defense Minister for "that his country contributed to this operation, since, as a manufacturer, it had to allow the export of tanks."

"This is a very important step in helping Ukraine, as well as a very important step in achieving peace," the minister said.
The Supreme Court on Friday questioned the Uttar Pradesh government why gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were paraded before media while being taken to hospital for a medical checkup in police custody in Prayagraj.

IMAGE: Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed being escorted to a hospital by police for a medical checkup, in Prayagraj before they were shot dead by three men. Photograph: PTI Photo

The top court, which was hearing a plea by advocate Vishal Tiwari seeking an independent probe into the killing of Ahmad and his brother Ashraf, also asked the UP government how the killers got the knowledge that they were being taken to hospital.

"How did they know? We have seen it on TV. Why were they not taken to the ambulance right from the entry gate of the hospital? Why were they paraded?" a bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta asked senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for the UP government.

Rohatgi informed the bench the state government is probing the incident and has constituted a three-member commission for this. A UP Police special investigation team is also investigating the matter, he said.

"This man and his entire family are embroiled in heinous cases for last 30 years. This incident particularly is a gruesome incident. We have apprehended the killers and they said they did this to gain importance," Rohatgi said.

"Everyone saw the killings on the television. The killers came in the guise of news photographers. They had passes, were carrying cameras, and were even carrying identity cards that were later found to be fake. There were 50 people there and more people outside. This is how they managed to kill," Rohatgi told the bench.

The court directed the UP government to submit a status report on steps taken after the incident.

"A comprehensive affidavit would be filed indicating the steps taken to inquire into the deaths which occurred on April 15 near Moti Lal Nehru Divisional Hospital, Prayagraj. The affidavit shall also disclose the steps taken with respect to the incident that occurred immediately prior to the one in question and also disclose the follow-up steps taken following Justice BS Chauhan commission report. List after three weeks," the bench said in its order.

Former apex court judge Justice Chauhan headed a commission to probe the encounter of gangster Vikas Dubey in 2020.

Atiq Ahmad (60) and Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college.

The plea also sought an inquiry into the 183 alleged criminals killed in police encounters in UP since 2017. UP Police recently said they have gunned down 183 alleged criminals in encounters in six years of the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government and this included Ahmad's son Asad and his accomplice.

The plea sought the setting up of an independent expert committee to probe the killing of Ahmad and Ashraf.

"Issue guidelines/directions to safeguard the rule of law by constituting an independent expert committee under the chairmanship of a former Supreme Court justice to inquire into the 183 encounters which had occurred since 2017 as stated by Uttar Pradesh Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) and also to inquire into the police custody murder of Atiq and Ashraf," it said.

Referring to Ahmad's killing, the plea said "such actions by police are a severe threat to democracy and rule of law and lead to a police state".

"In a democratic society, the police cannot be allowed to become a mode of delivering final justice or to become a punishing authority. The power of punishment is only vested in the judiciary," the plea submitted.

It said extra-judicial killings or fake police encounters have no place in the law.

When the police turn "daredevils then the entire rule of law collapses and generates fear in the mind of people against the police which is very dangerous for democracy and this also results in more crimes," the plea stated.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday said the proposed refinery project at Barsu village in Ratnagiri district will not be implemented without the local people's consent, and appealed for calm in the area.

IMAGE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Photograph: ANI Photo

Earlier in the day, police used tear gas in Barsu and Solgaon villages in Rajapur tehsil to disperse the protesters who are opposing the refinery, and detained Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut.

"A former chief minister himself had suggested the Barsu site to the Union government. After losing the CM's post, he is opposing the project. One can not have such double standards," Shinde told reporters in Mumbai, apparently referring to Shiv Sena-UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray whose party is now backing the section of villagers opposing the refinery.

"We are a people's government and we are not against them. We will not proceed without the local people's consent," the chief minister added.

Shinde also claimed that more than 70 percent of locals support the project as it will generate employment.

"We will explain the benefits of the project to the remaining 30 percent who are opposing it," he said, adding that there should be no politics on the issue.

Police detained Shiv Sena-UBT MP Vinayak Raut at Barsu village after he joined the protesters in the afternoon.

He was released in the evening, officials said.

"Besides, as many as 167 protesters were apprehended. They would be produced in the Rajapur court on Saturday," police said.

"The police asked the protesters, who have been agitating since the last four days in Barsu-Solgaon to return home. But as they refused to budge, the police personnel started evicting them," said an official.

Police also used tear gas to disperse protesters from the site, the official said.

Two companies of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), around 1,000 police constables and 120 officers were deployed at the protest site.

Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar said the government should take locals into confidence and handle the issue sensitively.

"Industries minister Uday Samant told him that not a single house or village would be displaced due to the project," Pawar said.

"Chief Minister Shinde had spoken to NCP chief Sharad Pawar over the issue, and the latter gave him some suggestions," he said.

On Uddhav Thackeray's alleged U-turn, Ajit Pawar said though he had written a letter to the Centre recommending the Barsu site, now he has taken a stand that his party will support the local people.

"The protest against any project is justified if the project is detrimental to the region or if there is any danger to the coming generations, but if the project is beneficial and brings financial prosperity, it should be seen from that angle also," the NCP leader added.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Periods of rain. High around 55F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Overcast. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 41F. Winds light and variable.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Cloudy. Some light rain will fall throughout the day. High 53F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Overcast. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 41F. Winds light and variable.
Afghan refugee families and other community members gather at St. Michaels Catholic Schools cafeteria in Brattleboro to break the fast on the first day of Ramadan on March 23, 2023.
NEW YORK (AP)  Recent turmoil in the banking industry may have you worried about your money.

The collapses earlier this year of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, which catered mostly to the tech industry, were the second- and third-biggest bank failures in U.S. history.

Now there are concerns about a third bank, First Republic Bank. Shares tumbled earlier this week after the bank revealed that depositors withdrew more than $100 billion in the wake of the Silicon Valley Bank collapse.

A report Friday from the Federal Reserve found that Silicon Valley Bank failed due to a combination of extremely poor bank management, weakened regulations and lax government supervision.

After Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank failed, regulators stepped in to guarantee all deposits at the two banks and created a program to help shield other banks from a run on deposits.

Here's what you need to know:

IS MY MONEY SAFE?

Yes, if your money is in a U.S. bank insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and you have less than $250,000 there. If the bank fails, you'll get your money back.

Nearly all banks are FDIC insured. You can look for the FDIC logo at bank teller windows or on the entrance to your bank branch.

Credit unions are insured by the National Credit Union Administration.

If you have over $250,000 in individual accounts at one bank, which most people don't, the amount over $250,000 is considered uninsured and experts recommend that you move the remainder of your money to a different financial institution, said Caleb Silver, editor in chief of Investopedia, a financial media website.

If you have multiple individual accounts at the same bank, for example a savings account and certificate of deposit, those are added together and the total is insured up to $250,000. (Read on for more about how joint accounts are protected.)

Federal officials have been taking steps to make sure other banks aren't impacted.

You shouldnt be too concerned about your money if its in one of the bigger banks, and even in some of the regional banks and the credit unions, Silver said.

ARE THERE RED FLAGS I SHOULD LOOK FOR WITH MY BANK?

If you are worried about your bank closing in the near future, there are some things you can watch out for, according to Silver:

 Watch the stock price.

 Keep an eye on the quarterly and annual reports from your bank.

 Start a Google alert for your bank in case there are news stories about it.

You want to make sure you pay close attention to the way your bank is behaving, Silver said.

If they're trying to raise money through a share offering or if they're trying to sell more stock, they might have trouble on their balance sheet, said Silver.

Public companies, including banks, do sell shares or issue new ones for various reasons, so context matters. First Republic did so this year when the hazards it faced were well known, and it kicked off an exodus of investors and depositors.

SHOULD I LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVES?

If you have more than $250,000 in your bank, there are a few things you can do:

 Open a joint account

You can protect up to $500,000 by opening a joint account with someone else, such as your spouse, said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate, a financial services company.

A married couple can easily protect a million dollars at the same bank by each having an individual account and together having a joint account, McBride said.

 Move to another financial institution

Moving your money to other financial institutions and having up to $250,000 in each account will ensure that your money is insured by the FDIC, McBride said.

 Do not withdraw cash

Despite the recent uncertainty, experts don't recommend withdrawing cash from your account. Keeping your money in financial institutions rather than in your home is safer, especially when the amount is insured.

Its not a time to pull your money out of the bank, Silver said.

Even people with uninsured deposits usually get nearly all of their money back.

It takes time, but generally all depositors  both insured and uninsured  get their money back," said Todd Phillips, a consultant and former attorney at the FDIC. "Uninsured depositors may have to wait some time, and may have to take haircut where they lose 10 to 15% of their savings, but it's never zero.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR INSURED MONEY TO BE AVAILABLE IF A BANK FAILS?

Historically, the FDIC says it has returned insured deposits within a few days of a bank closing. The FDIC will either provide that amount in a new account at another insured bank or issue a check.

HOW MUCH MONEY CAN BE INSURED IN JOINT ACCOUNTS?

If you have a joint account, the FDIC covers each individual up to $250,000. You can have both joint and single accounts at the same bank and be insured for each.

So if a couple each has individual accounts and a joint account where they have equal withdrawal rights, they can each have up to $250,000 insured in their single accounts and up to $250,000 in their joint accounts. That means each of them will have up to $500,000 insured.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER INVESTMENTS?

Customers should take a close look at the types of investments they have in their bank to know how much of their assets are insured by the FDIC. The FDIC offers an Electronic Deposit Insurance Estimator, a tool to know how much of your money is insured per financial institution.

FDIC deposit insurance covers:

 Checking accounts  Negotiable Order of Withdrawal (NOW) accounts  Savings accounts  Money Market Deposit Accounts (MMDAs)  Certificates of Deposit (CDs)  Cashiers checks  Money orders  Other official items issued by an insured bank

FDIC deposit insurance doesn't cover:

 Stock investments  Bond investments  Mutual funds  Life insurance policies  Annuities  Municipal securities  Safe deposit boxes or their contents  U.S. Treasury bills, bonds, or notes  Crypto assets

HOW DOES A CREDIT UNION COMPARE TO A BANK?

Both credit unions and banks allow customers to open savings and checking accounts, among other financial products.

The key difference is that credit unions are not-for-profit institutions, which tends to translate into lower fees and lower balance requirements, while banks are for-profit. Sometimes it also means that its easier for credit union customers to be approved for loans, McBride said.

Usually, customers are allowed to join credit unions based on where they live or work.

Credit unions serve a smaller number of customers, which also allows for a more personalized experience. The tradeoff is that banks tend to have larger staff, more physical branches and newer technology.

When it comes to the safety of customers money, both banks and credit unions insure up to $250,000 per individual customer. While banks are insured by the FDIC, credit unions are insured by the NCUA.

Whether at a bank or a credit union, your money is safe. Theres no need to worry about the safety or access to your money, McBride said. ___

Associated Press Writer Ken Sweet contributed to this report.

___

The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.
Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media

STAMFORD  Hart Magnet Elementary School presented its spring art exhibition Wednesday, featuring creative works from children in Kindergarten through fifth grade.

The students made art with the theme "How We Celebrate!" and assembled pieces representing meaningful celebrations through pictures.
Less than 5% of employees of the Farmak pharmaceutical company, who left Ukraine after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, remained abroad, HR Director Viktoria Kondrashykhina has said.

"Less than 5% of our employees left and stayed abroad. The last wave of migration was observed in November 2022, when blackouts began. Under such conditions, we allowed office workers to work remotely, which is not possible for production specialists who must stay at the plant. There are cases when people quit their jobs in the autumn, and now they are returning to Ukraine and want to work at Farmak again," she told Interfax-Ukraine.

At the same time, according to Kondrashykhina, the company has established scientific partnerships with more than 50 companies and research institutions around the world, so "it is not difficult for our employees to get a job abroad, but they have decent working conditions at home."

"There was no significant outflow of personnel because of the war," she said.

The top manager said that despite the fact that Farmak exports products to more than 50 countries, the main group of managers who are involved in the development of international business work in Kyiv, and in most of the six international representative offices and companies of Farmak most of them are local experts who "have a good understanding of the market, language, mentality and needs of a particular country or region."

At the same time, the expert believes that the full-scale war affected the overall picture of Ukraine's personnel potential, in particular, she expressed fears that the young people who emigrated might not return to Ukraine.

"It has never been easy for knowledge-intensive industries to find employees. Therefore, Farmak has been educating its future staff from the university for many years," she said.

Kondrashykhina recalled that Farmak is implementing many programs aimed at training qualified personnel.

In particular, the company signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, which students will have the opportunity to practice at the production site and in the laboratories of Farmak. In addition, the company will take part in the creation of the BioMed-Science Hub educational and scientific center, which is being designed on the basis of the university.

In total, according to Kondrashykhina, more than 70 employees of the company are currently serving in the military. At the same time, Farmak continues to pay them wages and saves jobs, provides its employees at the frontline with accoutrements, drones, bulletproof vests, long-range vision devices, household items and, in some cases, cars.

Commenting on the existing employee booking system, the HR director said that the new system, adopted since the end of January, has become more regulated, but at the same time "does not solve the main issues that the business had before." In particular, it was established that the number of reserved employees cannot exceed 50% of the total number of those liable for military service in the enterprise. At the same time, the norm, which makes it impossible to book employees with scarce military specialties, remained.

"For example, Farmak has highly qualified personnel who ensure the uninterrupted operation of pharmaceutical production and have unique skills and experience. But we cannot reserve them. As well as replace them, there are only a few such specialists on the market. The possible consequences of calling on such experts are clear," she said.

She also said that in the updated booking procedure there are no clear deadlines for the consideration of documents and decisions by authorized government bodies, which creates a situation of uncertainty in which it is difficult to plan activities.

Kondrashykhina said that Farmak did not stop material payments to personnel during the war, despite the fact that the company suffered significant losses due to the destruction of the main warehouse of the enterprise with finished products and primary packaging by the aggressor.

"When Farmak restored the assortment, and the situation in Kyiv relatively stabilized, we raised the salaries of all employees. Also, Farmak continues paying bonuses, providing a social package, organizing corporate deliveries to and from the plant, and training employees," she said.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  The Federal Reserve blamed last months collapse of Silicon Valley Bank on poor management, watered-down regulations and lax oversight by its own staffers, and said the industry needs stricter policing on multiple fronts to prevent future bank failures.

The Fed was highly critical of its own role in the banks failure in a report compiled by Michael Barr, the Feds chief regulator, and released Friday. As Silicon Valley Bank grew rapidly beginning in 2018, banking supervisors were slow to recognize problems that eventually contributed to the banks downfall, including an increasing amount of uninsured deposits and inadequate safeguards against a sudden change in interest rates. Once those problems were identified, supervisors appeared unwilling to press the banks management to address the issues, the report said.

The passive approach stemmed from actions taken by Congress and the Fed in 2018 and 2019 that lightened rules and regulations for banks with less than $250 billion in assets, the report concluded. Both Silicon Valley Bank and New York-based Signature Bank, which also failed last month, had assets below that level.

The changes increased the burden on regulators to justify the need for supervisory action, the report said. In some cases, the changes also led to slower action by supervisory staff and a reluctance to escalate issues.

A separate report from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said the failure of Signature Bank was likely fallout from the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. The FDIC also found its own regulatory deficiencies, notably insufficient staffing to adequately supervise Signature Bank, which was based in New York. The agency also took a light-handed approach to regulation, the report found.

Both SVB and Signature had large amounts of deposits that exceeded the FDICs insurance cap, making them vulnerable to a panic. SVBs wealthy clients, many in the tech industry, fled after the bank said it needed to raise capital. Signatures customers appeared to get nervous about the developments at SVB, as well as Signatures large exposure to cryptocurrencies, which accounted for 20% of its assets.

In its report, the Fed said it plans to reexamine how it regulates larger regional banks such as Silicon Valley Bank, which had more than $200 billion in assets when it failed, although less than the $250 billion threshold for greater regulation.

While higher supervisory and regulatory requirements may not have prevented the firms failure, they would likely have bolstered the resilience of Silicon Valley Bank, the report said.

The report is likely to reignite a debate about the proper scope of bank regulation that has ebbed and flowed since the 2008 financial crisis and the Dodd-Frank legislation that followed two years later that imposed a new set of rules on banks. In 2018 a law that passed with bipartisan support in Congress and that was strongly supported by the banking industry, sought to loosen those rules, particularly for banks smaller than the largest global lenders.

Randal Quarles, who preceded Barr as the Fed's vice chair for supervision, in 2019 then pushed to loosen some of the Fed's bank regulations, including by exempting smaller banks from some capital requirements.

But Quarles strongly disputed the Fed report's conclusions that deregulatory moves contributed to Silicon Valley's collapse. In a statement, Quarles said the report provides no evidence that policy changes forestalled effective supervision of the bank.

Banking policy analysts said the critical reports make it more likely regulation will be tightened, though the Fed acknowledged it could take years for proposals to be implemented.

The reports provide a clear path for a tougher and more costly regulatory regime for banks with at least $100 billion of assets, said Jaret Seiberg, an analyst at TD Cowen. We would expect the Fed to advance proposals in the coming months.

Alexa Philo, a former bank examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and senior policy analyst at Americans for Financial Reform, said the Fed could adopt stricter rules on its own, without relying on Congress.

It is long past time to roll back the dangerous deregulation under the last administration to the greatest extent possible, and pay close attention to the largest banks so this crisis does not worsen, she said.

The Bank Policy Institute, a trade group that represents the largest banks, said the Fed report was wrong to single out deregulation as a contributing factor to Silicon Valleys collapse. Instead, the BPI said, the Feds report points to the failure of bank supervisors to enforce existing rules, suggesting that the regulations were fit for purpose, but the examiner response was inadequate.

The Fed's report, which includes the release of internal reports and Fed communications, is a rare look into how the central bank supervises individual banks as one of the nation's bank regulators. Typically such processes are confidential, and rarely seen by the public, but the Fed chose to release these reports to show how the bank was managed up to its failure.

Bartlett Collins Naylor, financial policy advocate at Congress Watch, a division of Public Citizen, was surprised at the degree to which the Fed blamed itself for the bank failure.

I dont know that I expected the Fed to say mea culpa  but I find that adds a lot of credibility, to Federal Reserve leadership, Naylor said.

The Fed also criticized Silicon Valley Bank for tying executive compensation too closely to short-term profits and the companys stock price. From 2018 to 2021, profit at SVB Financial, Silicon Valley Banks parent, doubled and the stock nearly tripled.

However, there were no pay incentives tied to risk management, the report says. Silicon Valley Bank notably had no chief risk officer at the firm for roughly a year, during a time when the bank was growing quickly.

The report also looks at the role social media and technology played in the Silicon Valley Bank's last days. The Fed notes that social media was able to cause a bank run that happened in just hours, compared to days for earlier bank runs like those seen in 2008.

Although regulators guaranteed all the banks deposits, customers at other midsize regional banks rushed to pull out their money  often with a few taps on a mobile device  and move it to the perceived safety of big money center banks such as JPMorgan Chase.

The withdrawals have abated at many banks, but First Republic Bank in San Francisco appears to be in peril, even after receiving a $30 billion infusion of deposits from 11 major banks in March. The banks shares plunged 75% this week after it revealed the extent to which customers pulled their deposits in the days after Silicon Valley Bank failed.

___

Sweet reported from New York. Reporter Fatima Hussein contributed from Washington.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal had a conversation with President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel and President of Slovakia Zuzana Caputova, during which issues of economic and military cooperation were discussed, the government's press service said.

"The partners discussed the prospects for deepening military cooperation. In particular, the possibility of training the Ukrainian military and repairing equipment on the territory of Slovakia and the Czech Republic," the Cabinet of Ministers said on Friday.

Shmyhal also called for tougher sanctions against Russia. He noted, in particular, the importance of including sanctions against the nuclear industry of the aggressor country in the 11th EU sanctions package.

"The Prime Minister expressed Ukraine's readiness to help diversify Europe's nuclear energy. In his opinion, European countries should get rid of dependence on Russian nuclear fuel and technologies as soon as possible," the government said.

Shmyhal expressed gratitude for the solidarity in the early restoration of Ukraine, in particular, for his supervision of partner regions.

"The appointment by the Czech Republic of a special representative for the restoration of Ukraine is especially important. We expect the same decision from Slovakia, because this will improve our cooperation in the restoration," the Prime Minister said.

During the meeting, the issue of creating a Special International Tribunal to hold Russia's top political leadership accountable was discussed.

The Presidents of the Czech Republic and Slovakia noted the importance of holding the Russian Federation accountable for war crimes and also reaffirmed their full support for Ukraine.

"Thank you for your support and solidarity with Ukraine and for this symbolic visit to Kyiv. Slovakia and the Czech Republic are reliable partners of Ukraine at the international stage. We highly appreciate it. I am also grateful for the support of our Euro-Atlantic course, for military support and support with sanctions. Thank you for the financial assistance and for the acceptance of our refugees," the Prime Minister said.
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) of South Africa, issued a statement linked to the death of the two cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park on Thursday, saying such mortality rates for a project of this sort are expected.

In a statement issued by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE), South Africa said, "The cheetah joined eight of the mammals relocated to India's Kuno National Park from Namibia in September 2022. The two cheetah deaths (one from Namibia and one from South Africa) observed to date are within expected mortality rates for a project of this nature."

As part of an initiative to expand the cheetah meta-population and to reintroduce cheetahs to their former range, the cheetahs were brought to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

The statement further said, "Large carnivore reintroductions are extremely complex and inherently risky operations. This is a critical phase of the project, with cheetahs being released into larger environments where there is increasingly less control over their day-to-day wellbeing. 

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) awaits a diagnosis (an autopsy) for the death of the cheetah, but there is no indication that it is any form of infectious disease or that there is a similar threat to any of the other cheetahs", the statement added.

The statement additionally said, "All the South African cheetahs are in larger enclosures and are closely monitored twice daily. As they are wild cheetahs, their behaviour, movements, and body condition must be evaluated from a distance, limiting the ability of teams on the ground to gain precise knowledge of their health status.""The remaining eleven South African cheetahs will be released into free-ranging conditions over the next two months. Kuno is an unfenced protected area that supports a high density of competing predators, including leopards, wolves, sloth bears, and striped hyenas. It is anticipated that, as observed with cheetah reintroductions in Africa, a few of the founder population may be lost within the first-year post-release", the statement said.

Reportedly, a six-year-old cheetah named Uday, who was brought to India from South Africa, died on April 23 following the death of five-year-old Sasha, on March 27, one of the eight cheetahs brought to India from Namibia, who succumbed to kidney failure after she was diagnosed with a kidney infection in January.
Two FIRs have been registered in New Delhi's Connaught Place police station by Delhi Police on complaints given by the protesting wrestlers against BJP parliamentarian and WFI president Brij Bhushan Saran Singh.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi district) Pranav Tayal said, "In the matter of complaints received from female wrestlers, two FIRs have been registered in PS Connaught Place, New Delhi District. The first one pertains to allegations levelled by a minor victim which is registered under POCSO Act along with relevant IPC sections concerning outraging of modesty etc. The second FIR is registered for carrying out comprehensive investigations into the complaints tendered by other, adult complainants under relevant sections pertaining to outraging of modesty etc.. Investigation into both the FIRs is being taken up in right earnest."
Gunmen killed 15 villagers and abducted five aid workers in separate attacks in Nigeria's troubled northern region, authorities said Thursday.

The assailants arrived in Benue states Apa area and opened fire on villagers in their homes, according to David Olofu, a senior state government official. He said military personnel were among those shot in the attack and many houses were razed as villagers fled to safety.

The incident in Benue is the latest in a spiral of violent attacks in which armed groups are targeting remote communities across Nigeria's northwest and central regions, often defying government and security measures.

More than 80 people have been killed in Benue in the past month in such attacks. No group has claimed responsibility for the killings, though authorities have blamed Fulani herdsmen, a group of mostly young pastoralists from the Fulani tribe caught up in Nigerias conflict between host communities and herdsmen over limited access to water and land.

In northeastern Nigeria, meanwhile, Islamic extremists abducted five aid workers in Ngala, Borno state, where an insurgency against the government has raged on for more than a decade.

The aid workers included three staff members and two contractors of the international non-government organization FHI 360, all working to provide lifesaving medical care to the people of Nigeria, the organization said Thursday, without further details on the incident.

FHI 360 condemned the abduction of the workers and called for their unconditional, immediate and safe return, according to a statement from Iorwakwagh Apera, the NGO's director in Nigeria. Our priority at this time is to support our team and their families, said Apera.

The Boko Haram extremist group has been waging a bitter war against Nigeria since 2009, and the insurgency has spread over the years to the neighboring countries of Cameroon, Niger and Chad. A breakaway faction of the group formed in 2016 and became known as the Islamic State in West Africa Province and is notorious for targeting security forces and aid workers.
After South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol concluded his trip to the United States, China summoned a senior diplomat from South Korea on Thursday. According to the South China Morning Post, Beijing summoned the South Korean diplomat to express their strong dissatisfaction over the two nations joint statement on Chinas presence in the Indo-Pacific region. As per the report by the Chinese news outlet, the Director of Asian Affairs at the Chinese Foreign Ministry held a meeting with South Korean embassy minister Kang Sang-Wook. In the meeting, Beijing urged Seoul to adhere to the one-China policy.

The meeting came after the US and South Korea called for an establishment of the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. In the joint statement, it was stated that both Yoon and his American counterpart strongly opposed any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific. Importance of preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the region, they reiterated. Both the nations pledged to preserve, unimpeded commerce, freedom of navigation and overflight, and other lawful use of the sea, including in the South China Sea and beyond, as per the report by SCMP.

What are the Chinese claims?

The Chinese claim on Taiwan and the South China Sea is well known. While Taiwan has a democratically elected government, Beijing regards the island region as a breakaway province. Most countries in the world, including the US and South Korea, do not consider Taiwan a sovereign nation since to establish diplomatic communications with China, one has to adhere to Beijings One China Policy. Meanwhile, China also claims much of the South China Sea and has indulged in territorial disputes with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.

In the midst of all the chaos, diplomatic ties between the United States and South Korea increased under the Yoon administration. During Yeols visit, he and his American counterpart announced a key agreement on Wednesday to deter the aims of North Korea in the Korean peninsula. According to CNN, the deal included the US' commitment to deploy nuclear-armed submarines in South Korea. This will be the first time since the 1980s that nuclear-armed weapons will be deployed in South Korean waters. The alliance formed in war and has flourished in peace, Biden said from the White House. Our mutual defence treaty is iron clad and that includes our commitment to extend a deterrence  and that includes the nuclear threat, the nuclear deterrent, he added as per the report by CNN. Following the announcement of the agreement, China has expressed its displeasure over it and urged the two leaders to not provoke Pyongyang.
A Dutch court on Friday banned a man from donating any more of his sperm after he fathered at least 550 children in the Netherlands and other countries and misled prospective parents about the number of offspring he helped to conceive.

A judge at The Hague District Court ordered the halt in an injunction brought by the parents of a child conceived with the donors sperm and a foundation representing other parents.

The court noted that under Dutch guidelines, sperm donors are allowed to produce a maximum of 25 children with 12 mothers and that the donor lied to prospective parents about his donation history.

The donor, identified as Jonathan M. under Dutch privacy guidelines, provided sperm to several Dutch fertility clinics and to a clinic in Denmark as well as to many other people he connected with through advertisements and online forums, the court said in its written judgment.

The donors lawyer said in a court hearing that he wanted to help parents who would otherwise be unable to conceive.

The judge who heard the civil case said that the donor deliberately lied about this in order to persuade the parents to take him as a donor, the court said in a statement.

All these parents are now confronted with the fact that the children in their family are part of a huge kinship network, with hundreds of half-siblings, which they did not choose, the court said, adding that this has or could possibly have negative psychosocial consequences for the children. It is therefore in their interest that this kinship network is not extended any further.

The court said in a statement that the case was about conflicting fundamental rights. On the one hand, the right to respect for the privacy of the parents and the donor children ... and on the other hand, the same right of the donor.

The court ruled that the interests of the donor children and their parents outweigh the interest of the donor in continuing to donate sperm to new prospective parents.

The court ordered him immediately to halt all donations and said he must pay 100,000 euros ($110,000) per case if he breaches the ban.
Militants targeted Pakistani security forces in three overnight attacks in the country's volatile northwest, triggering shootouts that killed three soldiers and seven militants, the military said Friday.

The near-simultaneous attacks late Thursday night in Lakki Marwat, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, lasted several hours.

A military statement said the attackers were repulsed but that three soldiers embraced martyrdom while responding to the attacks.

In one of the attacks, a suicide bomber riding on a motorcycle blew himself up near a compound housing security forces. The military said troops were still searching the area for the militants who escaped following the attacks.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attacks but suspicion is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban who have been behind past attacks in the region and have a strong presence in the province.

The militants, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, are a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in the neighboring country in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout.

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has emboldened the Pakistani Taliban, who have stepped up attacks in recent months.
Irans top diplomat visited Lebanons border with Israel on Friday where he expressed support for the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group in its struggle against their common enemy: Israel.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian began his visit to Lebanon since Wednesday, meeting top officials and expressing Tehrans readiness to help build power stations in an effort to try to end the Mediterranean countrys prevailing electricity crisis.

Lebanon is in the throes of the worst economic crisis in its modern history, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by the small nations ruling class. The crisis erupted in October 2019 and has plunged three quarters of Lebanons 6 million people, including 1 million Syrian refugees, into poverty.

Amirabdollahian visit to the border village of Maroun al-Ras came three weeks after Israel launched rare strikes into southern Lebanon , hours after militants fired nearly three dozen rockets from there at Israel, wounding two people and causing some property damage. The Israeli military said at the time that it targeted installations of the Palestinian militant Hamas group in southern Lebanon.

Iran is a main Hezbollah backer and has supplied the militant group over the past decades with weapons and funds.

We are here today ... to declare again with a loud voice that we support the resistance in Lebanon against the Zionist entity, Amirabdollahian told a gathering that included several Hezbollah legislators.

The Iranian diplomat's visit to Lebanon is the first since Iran and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement in China last month to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after seven years of tensions.

In neighboring Syria, a pro-government newspaper reported that Irans President Ebrahim Raisi will begin a two-day visit to Damascus next Wednesday, the first by an Iranian president to the Syrian capital since 2010.

Iran has also been a main backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad since the uprising that turned into war began in Syria in March 2011, killing nearly half a million people. Tehran has sent Iran-backed fighters from around the Middle East to fight alongside Assads forces, helping tip the balance of power in his favor.

The pro-government Al-Watan said Raisi would meet with Assad to boost strategic cooperation between the two allies. Several agreements and memorandums of understanding would also be signed during the visit.

Some oil-rich Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, have been slowly reconciling with Assad after supporting opposition fighters for years.
Thailands Supreme Court upheld a death sentence for an ex-elementary school principal convicted of killing three people, including a toddler, during an armed gold shop robbery in 2020 .

The court ruled Wednesday that Prasitthichai Khaewkao did not deserve a reduction in his original sentence, calling the shooting in a shopping mall in Lopburi province outrageously, ruthlessly inhuman" in a statement released Friday. Four people were injured in the attack and a salesclerk, a security guard and a 2-year-old boy were killed.

Prasitthichai was found guilty in August 2020 and given a death sentence on charges including first-degree murder, killing in commission of another crime and illegally carrying a gun. The Appeal Court also upheld the death penalty in 2021.

The Supreme Court said the defendant, as a teacher and a headmaster, should have behaved as a good role model for students, but instead committed a serious crime. Therefore, it said there was not enough grounds to grant his appeal for a sentence reduction.

Security footage of the shooting was widely broadcast and sent a shockwave across the country. One video showed a man dressed in a black ski mask and camouflage trousers, with a backpack across his chest, carrying a pistol with a silencer as he entered the Robinson Lopburi mall. Another camera at the gold shop showed the man firing his pistol, and the toddler, who had been walking hand-in-hand with an adult, suddenly falling to the ground. The man grabbed a number of gold necklaces before fleeing.

Speaking to reporters after his arrest, Prasitthichai denied that he deliberately shot the toddler and other victims. He said he opened fire to intimidate shoppers and security guards so he could flee easily.

According to the data from the Department of Corrections, Thailand had 250 inmates on death row as of the end of February, of which 23 had their sentence upheld by the Supreme Court.

Seven people have been executed since Thailand switched from using a firing squad to lethal injection in 2003. Thailands most recent execution was in 2018.
Kuleba calls on Northern Europe MFAs to apply every effort for speedy start of training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 aircraft

Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba has called on his counterparts in Northern Europe, who arrived in Odesa, to make every effort for speeding up the decision to start training Ukrainian pilots on Western aircraft, primarily F-16.

"I turned to my colleagues, as friends, with a request to make every effort to speed up the decision to start training Ukrainian pilots on aircraft, primarily F-16. Which over time will lead to a decision to provide aircraft to Ukraine. We must drop Russia from the sky. To do this, we need not only air defense, but also combat aircraft. They are needed to cover our brigades that will launch a counteroffensive," he said at a press briefing on Friday.

The minister also noted that Ukraine needs modern fighters to protect the Black Sea and coastal areas.

"We talked a lot about this today. And there is a feeling that colleagues favorably treat this issue, for which I am grateful," he said.

The minister also noted that last night the Ukrainians were again subjected to a missile strike by Russia, and most of the missiles were shot down, in particular thanks to the air defense systems transferred to Ukraine with the participation of countries whose representatives are now in Odesa.

Representatives of Latvia, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and Finland visited Odesa on Friday.
Are the horrors of aging catching up to the 80-year-old President of the United States Joe Biden? The 46th US President recently forgot his much-talked-about trip to Ireland which took place earlier this month. It all happened on Thursday when Biden was taking part in a light-hearted Q&A session with children. Hundreds of children wore big boy/girl shoes, to participate in the 'Take Your Child to Work' event which was organised at the White House. During the Q&A session, the US President was all over the place, from forgetting his way back to forgetting his son Hunter Bidens love child, Bidens event was filled with a plethora of goof-ups.

The last country Ive travelled, Im trying to think of the last one I was in, the US president said while answering a question posed by a kid at the event. After taking a long and awkward pause, Biden finally gave up and went on to state that he has met 89 heads of state. Ive been to, met with 89 heads of state so far. So, uh, trying to think where was the last place I was; its hard to keep track, the US president blurted. Much to his dismay, Biden was reminded about his trip to the European nation by a child who was presented at the event. Ireland, the child shouted helping Biden to get out of his intense struggle. Yeah, youre right, Ireland. Thats where it was. Howd you know that? the 80-year-old US President quipped. Earlier this month, the Democratic leader visited the country where he met the Irish President Michael D. Higgins and relieved his old Irish heritage. Meanwhile, the video of the whole ordeal went viral online, adding to the list of viral gaffes the US President is famous for.

BIDEN: "I'm trying to think where the last place I was? It's hard to keep track!"



Biden's last trip was to Ireland less than two weeks ago. pic.twitter.com/UVc53KNtkB  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 27, 2023

Biden forgets Hunter Bidens love child

In the same Q&A session, the US President forgot to mention or chose not to mention his son Hunter Bidens love child with former stripper Lunden Roberts. When asked about his grandchildren the 80-year-old politician asserted that he has 6 grandchildren, ignoring his 7th one. I have six grandchildren and I am crazy about them. I speak to them every single day, not a joke, the US President asserted. The US president then went on to list his six grandchildren. The list included Naomi, 29; Finnegan, 23; Maisy, 22; Natalie, 18; Robert Hunter Biden II, 17; and Beau Jr., 2. However, it did not include Hunter Bidens 4-year-old love child named Navy Joan Roberts.

BIDEN: "I have six grandchildren..."



Unmentioned: Hunter's 4-year-old daughter, who the Bidens refuse to acknowledge pic.twitter.com/XRrgPollou  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 27, 2023

Earlier this week, the Arkansas judge ruled that the 50-year-old Hunter Biden must attend all the court proceedings in the child support case in which he is involved with Roberts. The Biden offspring has missed countless court proceedings in the past. During the Thursday hearing, the US President also managed to forget his sense of direction as well. Flustered Biden struggled to get on the podium and managed to point everywhere except the right place, it took a person to help him to get out of his distraction.

Biden is lost and confused again pic.twitter.com/sEzh7muuks  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 27, 2023

Concerns over US President's age

On Tuesday, the US President announced his candidature for the 2024 US Presidential elections. Every generation has a moment where they have had to stand up for democracy. To stand up for their fundamental freedoms. I believe this is ours. Thats why Im running for reelection as President of the United States. Join us. Lets finish the job, the US President wrote on Twitter. However, his age has always been a matter of concern. Biden is currently the oldest president to sit in the oval office in American history. These constant gaffes, goof-ups, and controversies do not put his case in a good light. Hence, it will be interesting to see what Biden administration 2.0 will look like if gaffe-prone Biden manages to win the re-election in the intense 2024 race.
Beijing wants to control the flow of information and contact with foreign companies or individuals

A cameraman works near surveillance cameras on top of the National Museum overlooking Tiananmen Square during a ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Chinese Communist Party at Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, July 1, 2021.

China's ruling Communist Party has granted itself more powers under an amended espionage law, expanding the definition of what constitutes "spying," amid ongoing raids on U.S. consultancy firms in China.

The National People's Congress passed amendments to the Counter-Espionage Law on April 26 that broaden the scope of material that can be used to back up allegations of spying.

"Documents, data, materials, and items related to national security and the national interest," are now treated as state secrets under the law, state news agency Xinhua reported.

The raids come amid growing concern that the amended law will give state security police and other investigators new powers to access corporate facilities and electronic equipment. Theres also concern that normal business activities like gathering intelligence on local markets, competitors and partners could be treated as "espionage" amid growing tensions between Beijing, the United States and its allies.

The Chinese authorities have typically employed a highly elastic definition of what constitutes a state secret, and national security charges are frequently leveled at journalists, rights lawyers and activists, often based on material they posted online.

The newly amended law gives no definition of what constitutes a matter of national security or the national interest, but expands the definition of espionage to cover cyberattacks against government departments or critical information infrastructure, Xinhua said.

Under the amendment, authorities may now access data and electronic equipment and issue travel bans to individuals.

The move came as police in Shanghai visited U.S. management consultancy Bain & Co.'s office in Shanghai and questioned staff there.

We can confirm that the Chinese authorities have questioned staff in our Shanghai office. We are cooperating as appropriate with the Chinese authorities, Bain & Co. said in a written statement sent to Reuters and the Associated Press on April 26.

Meanwhile, The Financial Times reported that police took away computers and phones but did not detain any employees, and that they had made more than one visit to the office.

Last month, authorities in Beijing raided the office of U.S. due diligence firm Mintz, detaining five Chinese nationals in the process.

Japan seeks clarification

Japan said on Wednesday that it had asked Beijing to clarify exactly which activities constitute espionage, and that it was advising its nationals to be alert regarding the revised law. At least 17 Japanese nationals have been detained in China on "spying" allegations since the law first took effect in 2014.

An employee of Japanese drugmaker Astellas Pharma was detained in March on suspicion of "spying," prompting a protest from Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi during a visit to Beijing this month.

Visitors stand near a surveillance camera post in Tiananmen Square during the National Day holidays in Beijing, China, Oct. 4, 2021. Credit: Ng Han Guan/AP





Jeremy Daum, a senior fellow at Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center, told Reuters that the amended law has adopted "an expansive understanding of national security."

The EU Chamber of Commerce in China said the investigation of Bain would affect investor confidence in the wake of three years of stringent pandemic restrictions.

"At a time when China is proactively trying to restore business confidence to attract foreign investment, the actions taken send a very mixed signal," the chamber said in a statement on Friday.

U.S.-based economist Xia Yeliang said Sino-US relations are at their lowest ebb in 50 years.

"There is a kind of us-and-them relationship that is emerging out of tense diplomatic relations and [recent] military and strategic confrontation," Xia said. "China uses its wolf-warrior diplomacy to smear the United States and other Western countries."

"Foreign companies should be sensitive to this risk and divest if necessary," he said.

Rising risk of doing business in China

New York-based lawyer Chen Chuangchuang said the risk of doing business in China is likely to keep on rising with the ongoing clampdown on the flow of information in China under supreme leader Xi Jinping.

"The Chinese market isn't easy to operate in, and if you can manage to get a foothold and stay there, it suggests that your company doesn't ... care about justice or human rights," Chen said.

He said the Chinese authorities already had the ability to surveil and search foreign company executives even before the amendments were passed.

"This has been going on for a long time," Chen said. "It's just that foreign companies feel that they used to enjoy special treatment in China, whereas it was just that they didn't dare to go after them before because they wanted good relations with the United States."

He said it is likely that consultancy firms and other companies gathering information in China could be deemed too sensitive to be allowed to operate there under the current regime.

"It's very simple. Xi Jinping wants to stabilize the country to minimize threats to his [grip on power], so all external contacts must be controlled by the government," he said.

"It all depends on whether you benefit the Chinese Communist Party in any way," Chen said. "If you don't, you'll have to leave."

Translated by Luisetta Mudie.
Other dissidents are also facing trouble renting in what appear to be coordinated tactics.

Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang seen on a laptop screen in Beijing as he speaks via video link from his home in Jinan, in Chinas eastern Shandong province, April 23, 2020.

A human rights lawyer and his family were forced to move out of their home after their landlord shut down their water and electricity  a tactic used recently on other activists as authorities seek to drive dissidents and rights lawyers out of Beijing.

Wang Quanzhang and his wife, rights activist Li Wenzu, have lived in a community in Beijings Shunyi district for almost three years. Recently, their landlord asked them to move out, and on Wednesday, the utilities were shut off.

Look at our house. Its pitch dark, Li said in a video posted online. Quanzhang lit up a candle. Its dim, but It still sheds some light in the house.

Never would I have imagined that we would need to live with candlelight in Beijing, she said.

Wang was a prominent target of a nationwide crackdown that saw more than 300 human rights lawyers and associates detained beginning on the night of July 9, 2015  known as the 709 Crackdown. He was subsequently jailed for several years after he was found guilty of subversion of state power, and later sued the authorities over his treatment while in detention.

Security officers surround Li Wenzu, center, the wife of detained Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang, as she attempts to deliver a petition to the Supreme Peoples Court petition office in Beijing, Dec. 28, 2018. Credit: Mark Schiefelbein/AP





Lately, his family has dealt with unreasonable demands from the landlord, including multiple rent increases and home renovations, Wang said.

Theyve also faced stability maintenance measures from authorities in Beijing and Wangs home province of Shandong  steps aimed at forestalling any form of public protest or criticism of the government during key political events or politically sensitive dates in the calendar.

Last year, the Beijing Municipal Peoples Congress passed a rental ordinance that forbids landlords from forcing tenants out of leasing agreements by shutting off utilities. But the landlords actions, and his insistence that the family leave, ignore that ordinance, Wang said.

I feel that behind the landlords insistence, there must be some sort of approval or encouragement that motivated him to do so, he said.

Wang said Beijing authorities have been pushing him to move back to Shandong, but havent had a clear-cut legal basis to force the move. This week, he called the police over the utility shut-off.

The police seemed to have come prepared, he said. They asked a few simple questions and left, after telling me that this is not a criminal case but a civil dispute.

In March, state security police surrounded their home on International Womens Day. They did the same in December on Human Rights Day, Wang said.

Beijing has become intense

Li Heping, another lawyer persecuted in the 709 Crackdown, is also facing eviction from his Beijing home. He and his family have encountered many obstacles in finding another place to live.

We had tried to rent in various locations. However, in just three or four hours after signing a leasing contract, the police would visit our landlord, said Lis wife, Wang Yuling.

The landlord would then refuse to rent the property and would change the locks, she said. Additionally, the family has been followed by plain-clothes police and has faced other surveillance measures.

Recently, for reasons unknown, the situation in Beijing has become intense, she said.

A protester holds a picture of Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang during a protest outside the Chinese liaison office in Hong Kong, July 13, 2018. Credit: Vincent Yu/AP





Independent journalist Gao Yu told Radio Free Asia that authorities are evicting non-Beijing registered human rights activists with the same tactics used in the past to expel so-called low-end unregistered migrant workers.

Ji Feng, a student leader in the 1989 Tiananmen protests who has lived in Beijings Songzhuang artists village for eight years, has faced similar treatment.

The local party secretary visited Jis new landlord, who then terminated his lease, and State Security officials have told Ji they would help him relocate to Hebei, Gao said.

This is coordinated, Gao said. The political persecution is continuing. Persecutions after persecutions.

Translated by Min Eu. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.
Gonpo Kyi has held protests in Lhasa since last year despite threats of imprisonment.

A Policeman approaches Gonpo Kyi after covering her with a black cloth outside of the high court in Tibets capital, Lhasa, April 26, 2023.

The sister of a businessman who is serving a life sentence has again been arrested and beaten for publicly protesting for her brothers release in front of the high court in Tibets capital, Lhasa.

Gonpo Kyi and her husband were removed by Chinese police from the area in front of the court on Monday, according to a source who spoke to Radio Free Asia. Police covered her with a large black banner as they took her away, the source said.

Kyi and her husband were arrested on Wednesday and detained for two nights at Lhasas detention center, where they were both beaten and tortured, another source said.

They have been released but the Chinese police have warned them to stop protesting or else they will land themselves in prison, the second source told RFA.

Kyis brother, Dorjee Tashi, was arrested in July 2008 following mass Tibetan protests against Chinese rule that spring and branded a secessionist for alleged covert support to the protesters and for political connections with the Tibetan community in exile, which he later denied.

Though the political allegations against him were dropped, Tashi was indicted for loan fraud and sentenced to life in Drapchi Prison in Lhasa on what rights groups and supporters say were politically motivated charges.

Previously beaten

Last month, Kyi went to the prison to plead for his release. When she refused police demands to stop, she was detained overnight and tortured, sources said.

Kyi also staged a peaceful protest at the courthouse in December 2022 and held sit-ins outside another courthouse in the capital in June 2022.

The Chinese authorities are planning to imprison us but we are also ready to go to prison to protect my brother even if it costs our lives, she told Radio Free Asia on Friday.

She and her husband have the right and entitlement to appeal for Tashis release under the law, she said.

Before his arrest, Tashi was a member of the Chinese Communist Party and a successful businessman who owned a luxury hotel chain and real estate companies in Tibet, according to International Campaign for Tibet, a rights group.

He was praised for his philanthropic activities that contributed to poverty alleviation and economic development in the region.

Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFA Tibetan. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.
They now must file a form with a local official and have a city resident vouch for them.

This photo taken during a government organized media tour for journalists shows a Tibetan Buddhist circumnaviging the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, western China's Tibet Autonomous Region, June 1, 2021.

Tibetans heading to the capital of Lhasa for pilgrimages or for other reasons must obtain a permission letter from a local official assuring that the traveler will not instigate or participate in any protests that would disrupt social order, Tibetans inside the region said.

Many Tibetan Buddhists travel to Lhasa, which has a population of about 560,000, to visit the major religious sites such as the Potala Palace, Barkhor Street, Jokhang Temple and Norbulingka Palace.

The journey is often made on foot to accumulate good karma  a belief that the sum of a person's actions will decide their fate in future incarnations.

In 2018, Chinese authorities tightened restrictions on Tibetans traveling to Lhasa from other parts of the Tibet Autonomous Region and from Tibetan-majority areas of Chinese provinces for pilgrimages. They made Tibetans obtain a special permit to travel to the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

But beginning this year, Tibetans must fill out a separate application form from a local official and submit it to an office in Lhasa, and a resident of the city must provide assurance that the traveler will not engage in protests.

Beijing views any sign of peaceful protests and self-immolations as acts of separatism, threatening Chinas national security.

Authorities told a group of Tibetans who went on a pilgrimage to Lhasa from Kyungchu county of Ngaba, a Tibetan region in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan, to register their names in an office in the Tibetan capital, said one of the sources who declined to be named for security reasons.

But since they didnt know anyone in Lhasa who could [vouch] for them, they were not able to book hotels and had to turn back, he said.

Actually, one must obtain a permit letter from their respective county or village office to enter Lhasa beforehand, the source said. And then, once you get that, you need a resident in Lhasa to verify that you will not engage in any sort of riots.

Lhasa residents who verify a traveler must sign a document upon the latters arrival in Lhasa, he added.

Discriminatory practice

The new security process for Tibetans began after COVID-19 restrictions were eased, he said.

A few Tibetans traveling from Ngaba, Ngakrong and some other parts of Qinghai were forced to return since they did not know anyone in Lhasa to sign for them, the source said.

Another Tibetan source from the region, who also declined to be identified for safety reasons, said the change is another way that China has stepped up its repression of Tibetans.

If you are Chinese, you can just show your identity card to enter Lhasa, but for Tibetans, the Chinese government has leveled up their restrictive tactics and implemented an extra process, he said.

If a Tibetan has been involved in anti-China political activities in the past or appears suspicious, then authorities make it very difficult for them to enter Lhasa, he added.

Chinese authorities have placed a growing number of restrictions on Tibetans in or entering Lhasa and increased police presence there since 2008. In March of that year, police violently suppressed peaceful Tibetan protests, which led to the destruction of Han Chinese shops in the city and deadly attacks on Han Chinese residents.

The event sparked a wave of demonstrations against Chinese rule that spread into Tibetan-populated regions of western Chinese provinces. Security forces quelled the protests and detained, beat or shot hundreds of Tibetans.

Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFA Tibetan. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.
Kamile Wayit was apprehended after posting a video about the 'white paper' protests across China.

Kamile Wayit, a 19-year-old college student at a university in Chinas Henan province, was detained by police in December after returning to Xinjiang on winter break.

A Uyghur college student who supported the white paper protests in China is being detained in Xinjiang pending an investigation into her communication with her brother who lives in the United States, a state security agent said.

Kamile Wayit, a 19-year-old preschool education major at a university in Chinas Henan province was detained in December after posting a video about Novembers white paper protests across China.

When she returned to her home in Atush, the capital of Xinjiangs Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture, for winter break, city police apprehended her, her brother Kewser Wayit told Radio Free Asia in an earlier report.

She was one of dozens of young people around China detained in relation to the protests sparked by a fatal lockdown fire in an apartment building in Xinjiangs regional capital Urumqi that killed about 40 Uyghurs.

The demonstrators also opposed the rolling lockdowns, mass surveillance and compulsory testing under Chinas zero-COVID policy, with some holding up blank sheets of printer paper and others calling on President Xi Jinping to step down.

Authorities now are reviewing Wayits case for potential prosecution, said a State Security Bureau police officer in Atush, adding that she was apprehended for communicating with her brother who lives in the United States, but also related to her posting on TikTok about the fire in Urumqi.

The State Security Bureau detained her, the agent said. After her case reaches the prosecutors office, her lawyer can review her case, [which is] related to state security [and is] vastly different from other social cases.

The agent also expressed some uncertainty over the crime Wayit would be charged with.

I dont know what her real crime was or what relevant organizations determined her crime to be based upon, she said.

Arrest echoes suffering of many others

The agent said she didnt know exactly how long Wayit would be held at the national security detention center, but that once the prosecutors office reviewed her case, it would be submitted to the court for trial.

It may take two to three months for her case to reach the prosecutors office, and then they will inform the accuseds family about inviting lawyers to defend her rights, or the government will appoint a lawyer for her free of charge, she said.

The state security police officer suggested that RFA contact Hawagul, an official at the Bureau of Justice in Atush, for information, but she was out of the office.

Wayits detention has raised concern among some American institutions that have publicly called attention to her case in recent weeks.

The editorial board of "The Tufts Daily," the student newspaper at Tufts University near Boston published an opinion piece on Wayit, whose brother is a mechanical engineering graduate student at the institution.

Kamile Wayits arrest echoes the stories of millions of Uyghurs who have suffered years of oppression from the Chinese Communist Party, the April 12 editorial said.

It went on to say that advocacy for the detained Uyghur could include reaching out to officials in powerful institutions, signing petitions and connecting with local Uyghur organizations.

In addition to being aware of the atrocities taking place throughout the world, there is a responsibility for those with the privilege of freedom to support those within our community and beyond who suffer from systems of injustice, the editorial said.

On April 20, the U.S. State Departments Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor tweeted that Wayit would not be spending the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, with loved ones because of her detention.

We are concerned by her detention by the Peoples Republic of China, and we call on the PRC to ensure respect for her human rights and fundamental freedoms, including all fair trial guarantees, and to immediately and unconditionally release all unjustly detained persons, the tweet said.

Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.
Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.

I'm Abubakar Siddique, a senior correspondent at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

The Taliban has intensified its war with the rival Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) extremist group, killing several senior leaders and commanders in recent months.

Among them, according to the United States, was the alleged mastermind of a suicide bombing outside Kabul airport in 2021 that killed some 170 Afghans and 13 American soldiers.

The White House on April 26 announced that the alleged mastermind, whose identity has not been revealed, was killed in a recent Taliban operation. But it did not say when or where he was killed.

The Taliban has not commented on the reported death of the IS-K member.

Why It's Important: The Taliban has waged a brutal war to eliminate IS-K, the biggest threat to its rule in Afghanistan. The Taliban appears to have weakened the group, whose attacks have waned in recent months.

But the Taliban also appears to be trying to use its campaign against IS-K to burnish its counterterrorism credentials and boost its legitimacy in the eyes of the international community.

Under the U.S.-Taliban deal signed in 2020, the militants pledged to prevent any group from using Afghan soil to attack other countries.

The international community, particularly Afghanistans neighbors, considers IS-K a significant security threat because of the groups global ambitions.

What's Next: Despite its efforts to eliminate IS-K, the Taliban is believed to be sheltering members of Al-Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban. That is likely to temper hopes that the Taliban can be a reliable counterterrorism partner.

On April 14, the foreign ministers of China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan said the Taliban has links with some extremist groups based in Afghanistan that pose a serious threat to regional and global security.

They include the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, the Baloch Liberation Army, Jundallah, Jaish al-Adl, Jamaat Ansarullah, and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

The Week's Best Stories

A growing number of teenage Afghan girls, who are banned from attending school, are turning to Taliban-run madrasahs to get an education. The Taliban has allowed girls of all ages to attend Islamic seminaries, which have surged in number since the hard-line Islamist group seized power in 2021.

Afghans are defying a ban on using Iranian rials or Pakistani rupees, as their economy struggles following the Taliban takeover. In Zaranj, Nimroz Province, the Iranian rial is the most common currency. Elsewhere in Afghanistan, Pakistani rupees are widely used.

What To Keep An Eye On

The United Nations will hold a closed-door meeting on May 1-2 that will bring together envoys to Afghanistan from various countries.

Ahead of the meeting in Doha, Amina Mohammed, the UN deputy secretary-general, sparked controversy after she said the participants would discuss the possible recognition of the Taliban.

Many Afghans vented their anger at Mohammeds comments. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch called for a firm line that only a reversal of the Talibans oppressive policies will open the door to further engagement.

In an open letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Amnesty International and other rights groups demanded that the world body ensure that Afghan womens full, equal, and meaningful participation is central to the international communitys next steps.

Why It's Important: The meeting will be crucial in crafting a united response to the Talibans repressive policies, including its ban on Afghan women working for the UN and foreign NGOs.

It remains unclear if the international community can pressure the Taliban to rescind its restrictions on Afghan women or whether the world body will decide to leave Afghanistan.

In a sign that the UN is likely to take a firm stand, the UN Security Council on April 27 unanimously condemned the Talibans ban on Afghan women working for the world body, calling it unprecedented in the history of the United Nations.

That's all from me this week.

Until next time,

Abubakar Siddique

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.
ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Actions carried out by Kyrgyz and Tajik forces during a four-day conflict along the Central Asian countries contested border that left more than 100 civilians and soldiers dead in September included serious violations of the laws of war by both sides, Human Rights Watch said.

The report, released on May 2, is the first by a major rights watchdog since the most lethal incident yet in a conflict that has its roots in border disagreements originating from when both countries were part of the Soviet Union.

HRW said many of the actions by the countries likely amount to war crimes, in what was at the time the second large-scale conflict between the two neighbors in 18 months.

Incidents highlighted in the report included attacks on civilian vehicles and ambulances, the indiscriminate use of explosives, extrajudicial killings by military forces, and arson attacks on homes and civilian infrastructure.

In a series of recommendations, the group called on both governments to hold perpetrators to account for serious violations of international humanitarian law and train their armed forces personnel on the application of international humanitarian law in conflict situations.

The group also said that any agreement reached in ongoing border demarcation talks should acknowledge the rights of local populations to education, adequate housing, and water in the fertile but densely populated and water-stressed region.

HRWs 89-page report drew on 86 interviews, including 69 with eyewitnesses, victims, or relatives of victims; 10 days of onsite investigations in October and November 2022; a review of medical records and other documents; an analysis of satellite imagery; the verification of 12 videos showing attacks and their aftermath; and 3D modeling to analyze the impact of a laser-guided bomb attack and attacks on medical vehicles.

The focus of the report was the conflicts impact on civilians rather than military personnel.

HRW documented 37 civilian deaths, five of them children, and injuries to 36 others on both sides. But considering media reports and official victim lists, the full number could reach 51 civilians killed and 121 injured, HRW said, not including casualties among military personnel.

WATCH: There are burned-out shops, destroyed homes, and many stories of death and destruction on both sides of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border following clashes between the two countries that have claimed around 100 lives. (Published on September 19, 2022)

Well over 100,000 people were displaced in Kyrgyzstan during the conflict. Tajikistan has not released a figure for the number of people displaced in the conflict.

Prior to April 2021, when dozens died in brutal clashes, conflicts tended not to spread or to result in full-scale military mobilizations along the frontier.

The report does not draw a conclusion as to who started the September conflict.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly just days after the conflict, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said that Tajikistan attacked Kyrgyzstan.

The Tajik Foreign Ministry accused Kyrgyzstan of "an attack on the territory of Tajikistan along the entire line of the border with Kyrgyzstan."

In an interview with RFE/RL ahead of the reports release, HRWs Senior Crisis and Conflict Researcher Jean-Baptiste Gallopin said that international humanitarian law applies equally to all parties of a conflict.

Whether an army is attacking or defending, it has the same duty not to violate the laws of war, Gallopin said. "That means in particular the principle of distinction between military and civilian targets and the principle of proportionality in the use of force."

HRW said that the third day of the conflict -- September 16 -- was particularly packed with violations.

At around 5 p.m. that day, the evidence indicated that Kyrgyz forces used a Bayraktar TB-2 drone to deliver a laser-guided bomb near Tajik forces minutes after they arrived in the central square in Ovchi Kalacha, a Tajik town on the border, HRW wrote.

The explosive hit at a time when local civilians were gathering next to a mosque after a funeral, killing 10 and wounding 13 others, HRW said, describing the strike as a disproportionate and apparently indiscriminate attack.

WATCH: Fresh clashes erupted at the border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on September 16, with both sides accusing each other of using heavy weaponry in fighting that has killed at least three people and wounded dozens over three days. (Published on September 16, 2022)

On the same day, Tajik soldiers repeatedly fired on cars carrying Kyrgyz civilians fleeing the fighting, the report stated.

One Kyrgyz woman interviewed said that her family crawled out of their car to avoid being killed in it if it exploded after Tajik soldiers shot at them, injuring her husband and son.

The family lay still for some time, but Tajik soldiers opened fire again when they moved, she said.

The report also said Kyrgyz combatants likely fired at ambulances, which enjoy special protection under humanitarian law.

One attack on two "clearly marked" ambulances and a private car carrying civilians on a bridge near the Tajik village of Chorbog in Tajikistan left 10 people dead, including four children and two medical workers.

HRW used 3D modeling to reconstruct the attack and judged that the fire had come from the Kyrgyz village of Dostuk, some 110 meters away.

The group noted that to intentionally direct attacks against [the ambulances] when they are clearly marked is recognized as a war crime in an international armed conflict, under the statute of the International Criminal Court.

HRWs report documented that Tajik forces occupied Kyrgyz villages during the conflict, leaving several virtually destroyed.

On September 16, Tajik forces overran Kyrgyz forces and, accompanied by Tajik-speaking people in civilian clothes, entered Kyrgyz villages on the border. During this brief occupation, Tajik forces killed at least six civilian men, including three while they were apparently fleeing, and two in apparent extrajudicial executions, HRW said.

The brief seizure saw wide-scale looting by Tajiks in plainclothes under the watch of Tajik forces, with hundreds of homes as well as kindergartens, schools, medical facilities, and administrative buildings burned in an apparent attempt to clear the area of its population, the group added.

Human Rights Watch issued a separate recommendation to Tajikistan to investigate these events.

Almost half of the 970-kilometer Kyrgyz-Tajik border has yet to be demarcated, and Kyrgyz President Japarov said on April 17 that progress on border demarcation had slowed, and blamed Tajikistans commitment to a map from 1924 as the reason for the lack of progress.

In the past year, I said that we will finish everything by May, because the parties were agreed and work was moving quickly. Unfortunately, nothing has been completed yet, he said.

Tajikistan has not commented on the progress of the talks.

HRWs Gallopin said that Tajiks and Kyrgyz living at the border were weary and hungry for peace after having their lives turned upside down by conflicts in successive years.

Our interviews with people on both sides of the border showed that local populations are tired of these terrifying conflicts and are really yearning for peace, Gallopin told RFE/RL.
National Clean Air Day was not a cause for celebration this year in Tehran, where many residents were shuttered in their homes for their own safety to avoid exposure to the Iranian capital's infamous and deadly smog.

In the run-up to January 19, the day Iran dedicates to promoting air quality, students were prevented from attending universities and schools in the city of nearly 9 million people, the standard procedure when air pollution levels exceed safe levels.

Local officials decried the fact that there had only been two days of clean air recorded over the previous 10 months and called for more to be done to address the crisis.

And amid the criticism, which targeted the authorities' use of dirty mazut fuel oil to provide heat and power during a brutal cold snap, the national government presented a draft budget that would cut expenditures for combating air pollution by half.

Conflicting Approaches

The government's response highlighted the conflicting approaches and decades of misguided environmental policies that have contributed to Iran's air-pollution crisis, rendering toothless strict regulations passed in 2017 with the aim of tackling the issue.

As debates raged over government inaction, the Interior Ministry and Education Ministry backed the idea of lowering the air pollution index threshold that keeps students out of school.

Parliament passed the new budget in February, cutting funding for implementing the country's Clean Air Act from a mere $8 million to $4 million while emphasizing economic growth.

And answering calls for the Clean Air Act's strict standards to be enforced, the Tehran Prosecutor's Office pressed criminal charges against five unidentified bureaucrats who were in step with the government's pursuit of increased development and industrial production.

The management-level personnel, who work for various ministries that oversee Iran's environmental protection efforts and lucrative petroleum sector, stand accused of failing to adhere to standards set in the country's Clean Air Act on vehicle emissions and gasoline quality, and for failing to limit pollution from mazut-fueled industrial plants.

'Denying People A Breath'

Tehran and other major Iranian cities have long been among the world's worst when it comes to air pollution. Iran overall ranks sixth in the world in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Global Carbon Atlas, having more than doubled CO2 emissions in the past two decades.

"Tehran is one of the most polluted cities in the world, and air pollution is estimated to contribute to thousands of premature deaths each year" across the country, Iran environmental expert Shirin Hakim told RFE/RL in written comments. "Air pollution has led to the closing of businesses and schools, impacting economic productivity, and has contributed to a variety of health conditions, including respiratory conditions and cancers."

Iranian media and officials have decried the steadily rising levels of deadly sulfur dioxide recorded over Tehran in recent years, while experts at the air pollution research center at Tehran University have estimated that 40,000 premature deaths per year can be attributed to the smog and dust that fouls Iran's air.

Lawmaker Mohammad Reza Sabaghian put it simply in comments ahead of Clean Air Day, saying: "We are denying the people a breath."

Outdated cars and motorcycles burning low-quality fuels are frequently singled out as the major reasons for the air pollution that has plagued Tehran and other major cities, but they are far from the only ones.

"The overexploitation of water resources and climate change are contributing to the desertification of farmland and the drying up of bodies of water, which has contributed to dust and sandstorms that also diminish air quality," said Hakim, senior fellow at the Berlin-based Center for Middle East and Global Order (CMEG) and fellow at the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center.

Accelerated development and industrial activity outside urban centers have also contributed to increased emissions, Hakim said, as well as the rising migration of people to cities, which adds to the use of vehicles, dirty fuels, and acid rain and other pollutants.

Clean Air On Paper

The Clean Air Act, introduced in 2017 under then-President Hassan Rohani, was supposed to be the road map for solving Iran's environmental problems.

Among other things, the law targeted the use of mazut by greatly lowering the limits of sulfur allowed in fuel oil. It also called for the country's aging transportation network to be overhauled and required the Oil Ministry to produce higher standard and cleaner-burning "Euro 4" gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, and other petroleum products.

Punishments and fines were set for industries and individuals that violated the regulations. But when natural gas shortages hit during the hard winter months this year, the Clean Air Act

was cast aside.

Faced with public anger over natural gas shortages that left many homes without heat and factories without power, officials gave the green light to burning more mazut to fuel thermal stations and industrial plants. The move sent plumes of noxious smoke into the air in Isfahan and other major cities, as well as in Tehran, despite official insistence that mazut was not used.

Officials in Isfahan demanded details of the government's decision, according to state news agency IRNA, declaring the burning of mazut a "serious danger" to human health. United Nations special rapporteur on human rights and the environment David Boyd called on Iran to halt the practice, declaring it a human rights violation.

Official Oil Ministry reports viewed by RFE/RL's Radio Farda showed that the country intensified its use of mazut in December to 38.5 million liters per day, a 22 percent increase, and 42 million liters per day in January. The report also showed that the production of mazut with a sulfur content of 3.5 percent -- up to seven times higher than the level allowed under the Clean Air Act -- rose significantly, and that only one-third of the gasoline produced in the country was of the required Euro 4 standard.

In response to the outcry, Iranian officials said the air pollution problem would be alleviated in the future by the increased production of natural gas and improvements to infrastructure, which have been stymied by international sanctions that have denied Iran access to foreign technologies.

Ali Salajegheh, the head of Irans Department of Environment, also remained bullish about the Clean Air Act, telling IRNA in January that the implementation of the legislation would be accelerated by the increase of "green tax" allocations separate from the state budget. Salajagheh did not provide a specific figure, only saying that 20 percent of the green taxes would be earmarked. Green taxes are those levied on activities that are deemed harmful to the environment.

The environment was seen as one of the biggest challenges faced by President Ebrahim Raisi when he took office in 2021. During his campaign, Raisi presented an "environmental charter" promising sustainable development and environmentally friendly policies as key components to Iranians' right to a "healthy environment, clean climate, and pollution free life."

But such promises have fallen short. Iran has increasingly turned to oil and gas production to pull it out of its extended economic crises. In addition to the increased production of mazut and other dirty fuels, Tehran has exempted some automotive manufacturers from installing air filters until international sanctions imposed over Iran's nuclear program are lifted.

Raisi's presidency has been marked by protests in areas of the country hit hard by drought and the scarcity of water needed to sustain agriculture, despite the continued and contentious construction of new dam projects.

Failed water governance has fueled such unrest in the past, according to Hakim, and "is contributing to desertification and the drying up of rivers and lakes that have contributed to economic and social ramifications."

The government has also failed to submit a carbon-cutting plan related to the Paris Agreement on climate change since 2015. Officials have said that Iran will not ratify the accord until international sanctions are lifted, arguing that access to modern foreign technology is key to reducing emissions.

Raisi stated that the goal of the governments new budget was economic growth, reducing unemployment, and lowering skyrocketing inflation. The budget, 40 percent bigger than the last, is dependent on the export of 1.4 million barrels of oil per day despite international sanctions that hamper the country's ability to trade.

The cuts to expenditures on fighting air pollution "may have been driven by heightened social and economic tensions in the country," said Hakim. "The Islamic republic has routinely prioritized economic gains over social and environmental concerns."
Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Oleksandr Tkachenko believes that with some Russians in the future, after the end of the war, some cooperation in the field of culture is possible.

"These are not 'good Russians' because there are no good Russians, but 'useful Russians'  they exist, they frankly express their position. These are artists, writers, and in the future some kind of cooperation with them is absolutely normal, logical process, because they share the values shared by Ukrainian society. In particular, freedom, not interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, they criticize Putin. Therefore, the possibility of further cooperation is clear," Tkachenko told Interfax-Ukraine, answering the question of how he sees the post-war state policy towards Russian artists and other cultural figures.

As for the Russian cultural figures, who today have taken a neutral position and do not speak out in support of any of the parties to the conflict, according to the minister, they will not be in demand "in physical appearance here in Ukraine for quite a long time."

"In addition, public opinion, which in Ukraine has a very strong influence on the adoption of any political decisions at the state level, will be on the side of not using the services of 'silent people' and the so-called z-patriots," he said.

The minister drew attention to the fact that today it is difficult to say how much Russian tracks will be in demand on Spotify and Apple Music, how much Russian films will be watched on pirated resources.

"If we produce Ukrainian-language content, including content on current topics, if we collaborate with leading Western institutions, then the trend will change. We are already seeing more attention to Ukrainian performers," Tkachenko said.

When asked whether the government would somehow restrict the activities of Russian artists in Ukraine, or somehow separate them, the minister said "as soon as we reach the lists, we immediately turn into a very specific state." "The sanctions that are imposed are another matter, they understood the process. There are sanctions  that's all, goodbye. Everything else is civil society," he said.

Tkachenko said there were several discussions with the deputies on how the state can regulate this area.

"And at the stage of discussion, a lot of questions arose. How is it? What are the parameters for compiling a list of 'silent people'? This one was waiting a lot, or not much? Is it possible or not? Regulatory mechanisms are sanctions. If something else is the work of civil society, ministries with promotion companies involved in the import of these artists, explanatory work in the information plane. In particular, that there is a huge number of artists who came here during the war, who are here performed in the metro, and not, so to speak, 'the great Russian world," Tkachenko said.
Fuminori Tsuchiko uses donations from Japan to run a free cafe for residents of Ukraine's war-hit city of Kharkiv.

This was the scene inside FuMi Caffe as local residents flocked to the cafe in Kharkivs northeastern Saltivka district on April 27. The suburb of the Ukrainian city was hit heavily by Russian shelling in the early days of the 2022 Russian invasion. Saltivka remains damaged and largely depopulated.

The cafe is run by Fuminori Tsuchiko (pictured) who, together with a team of volunteers, hands out free food to around 500 Kharkiv locals during a three-hour window that the cafe is open each day. The 75-year-old says the aid operation is funded mostly from donations coming from Japan.

Tsuchiko first arrived in Ukraine in early February 2022. At the urging of the Japanese Embassy, he left for Poland shortly before the full-scale Russian invasion was launched. Soon, however, he returned to Ukraine. The Tokyo native spent seven months living alongside Kharkiv residents inside the citys subway system as Russian shells and rockets rained down through much of 2022.

Tsuchiko told a Ukrainian journalist, I will live in Kharkiv after the victory. I do not have a house in Japan. I sold everything. So I am here forever and will help Kharkiv."
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed bills into law that dramatically increase punishments for citizens opposed to his war in Ukraine and authoritarian rule, his latest move to crush any trace of dissent in the country.

Putin on April 28 signed legislation raising the maximum sentence for state treason to life in prison, up from a limit of 20 years, and for sabotage to 20 years from 15. Those convicted of carrying out actions to "destabilize" the country could face up to 20 years, while those found guilty of facilitating terrorism will now serve a minimum of seven years rather than five.

Meanwhile, Putin also approved a bill depriving Russians of their citizenship for "discrediting" or spreading "fake" information about the armed forces as well as for actions considered a national security threat.

The latter bill only concerns those who applied for and received citizenship, such as Ukrainians and Central Asians, and not those who received citizenship upon birth.

At the same time, Putin eased the process for people to receive citizenship, including those who sign contracts to serve at least a year in the armed forces.

Putin's signing of the bills comes less than two weeks after one of his fiercest critics, Vladimir Kara-Murza, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for treason and other charges in what experts say was a signal to others who might contemplate voicing dissent.

Russia filed treason charges against Kara-Murza for an address he made to U.S. officials in March 2022 denouncing the war in Ukraine and calling Putin a war criminal.

The number of individuals in Russia charged with treason has dramatically increased this year.

Targeting Ukrainians

On April 27, Putin signed a decree that allows the deportation of residents of illegally annexed Ukrainian territories who refuse Russian citizenship, prompting accusations of ethnic cleansing and war crimes by Moscow.

The decree, published on April 27 on Russia's official Internet portal for legal information, says that Ukrainians living in territories annexed by Russia must either become Russian citizens or officially refuse to do so.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensives, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

According to the decree, those citizens who "declared their desire to retain their existing citizenship or remain stateless" and did not take the oath of a Russian citizen will be considered foreigners" from July 1, 2024.

Residents of the annexed territories who are given foreigner or stateless status and threaten Russia's "national security" may be subject to deportation from Russia.

Since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it has been accused of deporting Ukrainians from their homeland to parts of the country it controls, or to Russia itself.

Evidence of the deportations, especially of children, prompted the International Criminal Court on March 17 issued arrest warrants on war crimes charges for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Moscow's commissioner for children's rights.

Hanna Malyar, Ukraine's deputy defense minister, said the move showed Russia is trying to "influence a change in the ethnic composition of the temporarily occupied territory within Ukraine."

"In this way, the enemy seeks to destroy Ukrainian statehood and the national self-identity of society in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories," she said on her Telegram channel.

Meanwhile. the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on April 27 recognized the deportation and forcible transfers of Ukrainian children to Russian territory as genocide. It also called upon the International Criminal Court to consider the possibility of criminal responsibility for the crime.

Under a second decree, signed by Putin on April 28, people who lived in the occupied Ukrainian territories on the day when they were annexed and citizens who previously lived in those territories and moved to Russia but declared their desire to retain their Ukrainian citizenship will also be considered foreigners.

The new decree apparently targets critics of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, as well as labor migrants in Russia from former Soviet republics in Central Asia and the South Caucasus who either recently obtained Russian citizenship or are expecting to receive it soon.

Many naturalized citizens from former Soviet republics have complained that Russian military conscription officials were forcing them to mobilize for the war in Ukraine. A considerable number of them have either openly refused to serve or have fled Russia for their native countries.

"Those who pose a threat to national security, advocate forcible change in the foundations of the constitutional order, finance terrorist and extremist activities, or participate in unauthorized actions" can be deported, the decree says.

Putin on September 30 signed documents formalizing Russia's attempt to annex Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhya regions, parts of which are occupied by Russian forces.

Earlier, Moscow held sham wartime referendums in the four regions that were broadly rejected by the international community.

The four regions together with Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, make up around 20 percent of Ukraine, including some of its most industrialized territory.
Siberian hydrocarbon fields co-owned by German oil and gas giant Wintershall and Russias Gazprom have been linked to fuel supplies used by Russian military and intelligence units, including some believed to be fighting in Ukraine, a new investigation has found.

The findings, by RFE/RL and the British anti-corruption group Global Witness, raise new questions about Wintershalls continued investments and business dealings in Russia amid sweeping Western sanctions imposed after Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.



Rail freight data provided to Global Witness by the Anti-Corruption Data Collective, a European research organization, showed that gas condensate sourced from Wintershalls fields in western Siberia continues to be shipped to a refinery in Salavat, in the central Russian region of Bashkortostan.



That refinery supplies diesel fuel to several Russian military and security agencies, including the Federal Protection Service (FSO), which is responsible for President Vladimir Putins personal security, among other roles.



The western Siberia fields are owned by a joint venture between Wintershall, which is majority-owned by German industrial conglomerate BASF, and Russian state-owned natural gas giant Gazprom. The fields are part of a geological formation known as the Achimov deposits, where substantial amounts of gas condensate have been identified.

The data and other evidence reviewed by RFE/RL and Global Witness are not detailed enough to prove conclusively whether any given barrel of diesel from the Salavat refinery contains product refined from gas condensate extracted by Wintershalls joint venture. But recipients of Salavat refined diesel include a unit of the FSO.

But recipients of Salavat refined diesel include a unit of the FSO and, evidence suggests, a unit of the National Guard that has had at least one member killed in Ukraine.

Last November, Der Spiegel reported that Wintershalls gas condensate may have been used to produce fuel for Russian Air Force jets. The company denied the allegations and accused the media of failing to provide concrete evidence of the connection between its products and the Russian military.

Wintershall has said it no longer has control of its Russian joint ventures and its shared bank accounts with Gazprom. Company executives have debated how to compensate shareholders, and the company is considering applying for compensation from the German government.

Asked to comment on the findings, a Wintershall official told Global Witness that it was not involved in any hydrocarbon transport and marketing in Russia and that there was "no proof that condensate from the Achimov formation has been used to produce fuels for the Russian military for the war of aggression in Ukraine.



But the invasion itself, now in its 15th month, may also be making it harder for Wintershall itself to assess where its hydrocarbon supplies are going. The Kremlin has expanded the number of military and intelligence agencies that are exempt from public procurement disclosures. The list includes the FSO.

Supply Chain To Salavat



For years, Wintershall has had multiple joint ventures in Russia, two of which are with Gazprom and its subsidiary, Gazprom Dobycha Urengoi.



In January 2023, 11 months after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Wintershall said that Russian government interference meant its assets in the country had been "economically expropriated, and that it would exit Russia.



The companys annual report published a month later, however, reported continued ownership of 50 percent and 25 percent of shares in the two joint ventures with Gazprom: Achimgaz and Achim Development. Russian corporate records also showed continued ownership.

The Achimov deposits produce a significant portion of gas condensate handled by a processing plant in the nearby city of Novy Urengoi. That plant is controlled by a different Gazprom unit.

Once processed, the gas condensate is distributed for refining. In 2022, according to railway data, 66 percent of gas condensate leaving Surgut went to a station used by a refinery in Salavat, operated by another Gazprom subsidiary, Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat.

Located in the central Russian region of Bashkortostan, the Salavat refinery, whose final products include diesel fuel, is supplied overwhelmingly by gas condensate, according to company statements.

Sprawling Supply Chains, Military-Linked Customers

Just months before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian military approved various Salavat diesel products for military use. Around the same time, rail deliveries of fuel from a station next to Salavat to regions bordering Ukraine increased markedly.

Shipments to Russian regions bordering Ukraine remain consistent throughout the invasion, then spiked again in late 2022, according to the railway data.

An analysis of Russian government procurement records, conducted by Global Witness and RFE/RL, showed that in 2022, the Salavat refinery sent diesel directly to companies with a history of military and other contracts.

One firm that received multiple deliveries of diesel from Salavat between April and October 2022 is called Kedr. The company has signed several contracts with the Russian military since 2021, agreeing to deals to supply gasoline and diesel to military units known as 38953-K and 69793.

Unit 69793 is part of the FSO. The agency says officers from those two units operate in Sochi, the Black Sea resort city where the Russian presidential residence is located and where Putin spends a significant amount of time.

Based in Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula occupied by Russia since 2014, Kedr operates a network of fueling stations there under the brand name ATAN, according to Russian media reports.

Last month, Kedr, which employs at least one local lawmaker from the ruling United Russia political party, signed a contract to supply gasoline to a former paramilitary group that provides support to the Russian police on the occupied peninsula.

Stavropol Connection

More evidence pointing to Wintershalls gas condensate supplies making their way to Russian military units can be found the southern Russian region of Stavropol, where the Russias 49th Combined Arms Army is based.

Wholesale fuel dealer Agro-Snab signed several contracts to store oil products such as diesel for military unit 2432 in Stavropol between 2014 and 2017. Rail freight data reviewed by Global Witness and RFE/RL showed that Agro-Snab received several shipments of diesel from Salavat in 2022, as well as received over 550 tons of diesel from the plant in January 2023.

In 2015, a second wholesale fuel company, Promkhim, signed contracts to rent out its diesel storage tanks to military unit 5559, which is part of the Russias National Guard, also known as Rosgvardia. Promkhim received several shipments of diesel from Salavat in June 2022, four months after the invasion began. It is unclear whether the contracts remained in place at that time.

At least one member of unit 5559 has been killed in Ukraine, according to a casualty database maintained by the Russian-language news site Mediazona.

Compensation For Wintershall?

In February, Wintershalls chief financial officer was quoted by the Financial Times as saying that the company once hoped cash from its Russian operations would be dividend-ed back to shareholders after the war concluded. In the same article, Chief Executive Mario Mehren declined to comment on whether they would sell their Russian businesses.

Wintershall executives have also considered seeking compensation for its losses in its Russian ventures by turning to German government guarantees. If paid out, those guarantees would be effectively funded by German taxpayers.

Written by Mike Eckel based on reporting by RFE/RL Russian Service correspondents Mark Krutov and Sergei Dobrynin and Global Witness researchers.
I'm Steve Gutterman, the editor of RFE/RL's Russia/Ukraine/Belarus Desk.

Welcome to The Week In Russia, in which I dissect the key developments in Russian politics and society over the previous week and look at what's ahead. To receive The Week In Russia newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Russian President Vladimir Putin decided on the large-scale invasion of Ukraine about a year before he launched it in late February 2022, and his main motives were personal, an investigative report released at a potentially crucial juncture in the devastating war concludes.

Here are some of the key developments in Russia over the past week and some of the takeaways going forward.

Resentment And Revenge

When pundits claim they know what Putin is thinking, there's often a justified backlash: We know what he says out loud, and we often have a good idea of why he said it and whether it's true or false, but to guess what's in his mind can be counterproductive.

But a new report about the run-up to the February 2022 invasion -- from factors that emerged two decades ago to the increasingly deafening drumbeat of war in the months before the onslaught -- sets out a stark conclusion in its very first sentence.

"Putin's motives for starting a war with Ukraine were personal resentment and a desire for revenge," it says.

The report by the Russian-language investigative outlet Vyorstka is based largely on conversations with former and current officials and other members of the political establishments in Russia and Ukraine, most of whom are cited anonymously.

Among its other key conclusions: Putin made the decision to invade Ukraine in February-March 2021, not earlier or later, so preparations were being made for almost a year. However, "all this time, the Kremlin was proceeding from inaccurate assumptions and calculations," the report says.

Almost anyone commenting for such a report may have their own motives for their remarks, of course: to deflect criticism, for example, or to assign blame to a person or group that is their rival for influence or standing in one of those establishments.

Beyond The Donbas

But it widens the scope of evidence about the factors that played into Putin's decision to launch the unprovoked invasion. And it points to the primacy of personal motives -- or, in some cases, geopolitical motives steeped heavily in animus, resentment, and spite -- over reasoned consideration of Russian security concerns.

"I struggle to imagine a moment of sober lucidity in Putin's decision-making between extended periods of snarling revanche," Brian Milakovsky, an analyst who spent several years in Ukraine's Donbas region amid the separatist war that Russia fomented there in 2014, wrote in an April 24 article.

The Vyorstka report suggests Putin's decision to launch the large-scale invasion nearly eight years later, massively escalating a conflict that had been limited to the Donbas, had much more to do with snarling revanche than with sober lucidity.

"Lots of interesting details in this piece, but one thing that's clear is Putin's decision to invade was driven much more by personal grievances and historical delusions than 'NATO expansion,'" Seva Gunitsky, an associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto, wrote on Twitter of the journalistic investigation.

He was referring to Putin's frequent, sometimes fiery criticism of the enlargement of NATO, which has taken in 15 Central and Eastern European countries seeking improved security and protection from potential Russian threats in the years since the Soviet collapse in 1991, and to Moscow's stated concerns that Ukraine would pose a threat to Russia if it joined the alliance.

The Vyorstka report also adds to evidence that a list of sweeping proposals made in draft agreements Russia sent to the United States and NATO in December 2021 were, as many in the West suspected, not a genuine effort at diplomacy but a ploy to create grounds to blame Kyiv and the West for an invasion that Putin had already decided to unleash.

The proposals -- which looked more like demands and were sometimes described that way by Russian officials -- called for a substantial rollback of the results of the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the collapse of communism in the countries to its west, leaving them more vulnerable while sharply increasing Moscow's power to shape the fate of nations in the region and beyond.

Revising History

In addition to barring Ukraine, Georgia, and other countries in the region from joining NATO, the proposed agreements would have prohibited NATO military deployments beyond the borders of the alliance as of 1997 -- before any of the former Warsaw Pact nations or the Baltic states became members.

One of the mantras of Putin's Russia is "indivisible security," the notion that one country should not increase its own security at the expense of another country's security. But the proposals Moscow laid out before the United States and NATO would have done just that to a swath of nations from the Baltics to the Black Sea, many analysts say.

Furthermore, the investigation casts additional light on steps, statements, and signals by Putin in the year or two before the invasion that caused alarm at the time, but only a limited amount of alarm: In the weeks and even days before the invasion on February 24, 2022, many observers clung to the belief, or at least the hope, that he would not go ahead with it.

Before the massive military buildup in the fall of 2021 but after an initial buildup that spring had raised concerns about Putin's intentions, those signals included several spoken and written remarks in which he sought to cast doubt on Ukraine's legitimacy as a sovereign state and suggest it has no right to independence.

This included a July 12, 2021, article about Ukraine and Russia that one commentator called "tortured" and another described as "over the top," "off the rails," and "completely deranged."

Analysts disagreed about what it meant: Was it a disturbing, ill-mannered, and historically inaccurate but ultimately unimportant reflection of Putin's psyche and his "fixation" on Ukraine? Or was it a "final ultimatum to Ukraine," as political observer Mikhail Rostovsky put it?

"I would draw your attention to one very important detail that is buried in the text and is of fundamental importance," said Aleksei Venediktov, then editor in chief of the Moscow radio station Ekho Moskvy. "Putin lays out territorial pretensions to Ukraine."

Those who read it as a concrete threat turned out to be right, even if they were reading between the lines: According to Vyorstka, Putin had wanted to include a more specific threat to Ukraine in the article but was talked out of it by associates -- something that certainly did not happen when it came to the invasion itself.

A Clouded Future

As has been widely reported in the 14 months since the assault began, Vyorstka concluded that Putin made the decision without seeking advice from anyone beyond a handful of cronies -- a big part of the reason it has, given that the apparent goal was to swiftly subjugate Ukraine, been a spectacular failure so far.

The Russian invasion has killed tens of thousands of Ukrainians, driven millions from their homes, and destroyed cities, towns, and villages across parts of the country where Putin has falsely claimed he is trying to protect residents. Instead, Russia is killing them.

Russian soldiers stand accused of widespread atrocities against civilians in Ukraine, and the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin last month on suspicion of war crimes over the illegal transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia.

Putin signed a decree this week that allows occupying forces to "deport" Ukrainians from Russian-controlled areas if they refuse to accept Russian citizenship, prompting additional accusations of war crimes.

Putin's decision to invade Ukraine has also led to the deaths or wounding of what Western estimates say are some 200,000 Russian soldiers and has darkly clouded his country's future, prompting hundreds of thousands of people to flee and worsening living standards for millions who remain.

In recent years, Russia's "decision-making became utterly subsumed to the personalistic, paranoid, (a)historically obsessed vision of one man, Vladimir Putin," Milakovsky wrote.

The Vyorstka report comes ahead of a potentially crucial juncture in the war as Ukraine prepares for what officials have signaled could be a major counteroffensive against Russian troops who hold large swaths of territory in the east and south including Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Moscow occupied in 2014.

That's it from me this week.

If you want to know more, catch up on my podcast The Week Ahead In Russia, out every Monday, here on our site or wherever you get your podcasts (Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts).

The next edition of The Week In Russia will be issued on May 12.

Yours,

Steve Gutterman
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko held a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during which he noted the need to hold Russia accountable for its crimes.

"The terrorist state must be punished, the war criminals must finally be brought to justice. Since Russia is not going to stop. And it continues to kill civilian Ukrainians, in particular, women and children. It deliberately bombs residential buildings, commits genocide of the Ukrainian people. The sooner a civilized, democratic world will help Ukraine stop the barbarians, the sooner there will be peace and stability in Europe," Klitschko said during a meeting with Blinken on the first day of the Cities Summit of the Americas in Denver.

"At this critical moment, the assistance of partners should be strengthened, both armed and economic," the mayor of Kyiv said on his Telegram channel on Friday.
European Commission reaches agreements in principle with five countries regarding export of Ukraine's agri-food products

European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis says the European Commission has reached agreements in principle with Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia regarding the export of goods from the Ukrainian agricultural industry.

"We have a deal," he said on Twitter on Friday.

Dombrovskis said that the European Commission has reached "an agreement in principle with Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia regarding Ukraine's agri-food products." "We have acted to address concerns of both farmers in neighbouring EU countries and Ukraine  with Janusz Wojciechowski [European Commissioner for Agriculture]," he said.

The Vice President also named the key elements of the deal, which were also agreed with Ukraine. These elements provide for the lifting of unilateral measures by Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Hungary. Further, "exceptional safeguard measures for four products: wheat, maize, rapeseed, sunflower seeds and EUR 100 million support package for affected farmers in five Member States are envisaged."

In addition, Dombrovskis announced an investigation into some other products, including sunflower oil.
AFTER Labours stranglehold of the mayoral role for half a century, could it finally be time for another party to have a turn?

The first citizen position has been the possession of the ruling group since the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham was created on April 1, 1974.

Members voted last week for Cllr Rob Taylor to become mayor, with his newly-chosen deputy Cllr Sheila Cowen set to follow in wearing the main chains in 2024/25 if she retains her seat in the local elections next summer.

But the opposition benches used the opportunity to air feelings of unfairness about the role, which they say should be shared across the chamber based on how many seats the parties hold.

The Tories nominated Cllr Adam Tinsley against Labours choice of Cllr Cowen for deputy mayor, with group leader Cllr Simon Ball calling him one of the hardest working councillors in the chamber.

Party colleagues cited his efforts for the Ukraine cause, and overcoming obstacles for communities to hold Remembrance Day parades, and his role as a community first responder.

Cllr Ball described Cllr Tinsley as one of the hardest working councillors in the chamber.

He added: Ive been with him having a pint in the local, when hell suddenly disappear, only to find him outside checking the defibrillators are in working order.

Cllr David Fisher added: A quick look at his social media will show you the hard-working councillor that he is.

Because of this, hes gained respect from residents around Maltby and the borough.

Cllr Tim Baum-Dixon said Cllr Tinsley would be an amazing ambassador for Rotherham  but asked how many suitable candidates had been passed over like this because of the internal wranglings of Labour and the system we have in place.

Independent Cllr Michael Bennett-Sylvester accused the ruling group of using the mayoral position to its political advantage.

Theres not one person on that [Labour] side who will remove one little finger from their grip on power to acknowledge a community councillor, he added.

Lib Dem group leader Cllr Adam Carter said it was high time the mayoral position represented the political make-up of the borough by switches between various parties.

We see it in other boroughs, such as Sheffield, he added.

Long-standing Labour member Cllr Alan Atkin pointed out that Tories Michael Clarke and Chris Middleton had nearly become mayor  but admitted that proportionality may be the way to go.

The ruling group said afterwards that Cllr Atkins was a personally-held view but proportionality could be a possibility in the future.

Former mayor Cllr Rose McNeely said she was proposing Cllr Cowen because she leads by example, is a mum of three, cares for her elderly mother, has been a member of the RAF and Royal British Legion and was a teacher in Barnsley for 27 years.

Another former mayor, Cllr Maggi Clark, said she was left furious and shaking at opposition shouts of cowards as Cllr Tinsley was rejected.

Cllr Lewis Mills, Conservatives, said he could not even recall Cllr Cowen speaking in the town hall chamber.

Speaking on another matter later in the meeting, Cllr Cowen responded: Sometimes, from my life experience, a modicum of silence can be more effective in the political arena.

Labours Cllr Victoria Cusworth said Cllr Cowen may not shout as loudly or post as often on Facebook but that did not mean hard work was not being done.

She added: If you cut Sheila open like a stick of rock, you will see inclusivity and social justice running through her very core.
On Monday, May 1, at 12.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency will host a discussion entitled "Influence of dynamics of global events on course of war, internal situation in Ukraine." Participants include: political strategist, political expert Taras Zahorodniy; political expert Kostiantyn Matviyenko; co-founder of the Ukrainian National Platform for Resilience and Social Cohesion Oleh Saakyan (8/5a Reitarska Street). The event will be streamed on the Interfax-Ukraine YouTube channel. Admission of journalists requires registration on the spot.
THE hard work and determination of a star apprentice and a top teacher have been recognised with awards from Rotherhams oldest charity.

The Feoffees of the Common Lands of Rotherham awarded their Level 3 apprenticeship award to Jasmine Harrison, who works for maintenance firm Equans.

A spokesperson for the charity said: Since starting her course, Jasmine has developed significantly and she is described as approaching every task with interest and vigour.

Her employers believe she is a great asset to the team with her infectious approach and determination to succeed, particularly so because she is in what is mainly a male workforce.

Jasmine, an apprentice electrician, was presented with her award by Nigel Elmhirst, the Feoffees Little Greave for 2022/23.

The Feoffees teaching bursary award was made to Amy Leonard, who took up her first teaching position at Treeton CofE School last September.

The bursary is paid to outstanding newly qualified teachers who have taken up their first teaching position in primary or infant school in Rotherham and is organised in conjunction with the Institute of Education at Sheffield University.

Amy is the fifth recipient of the bursary since its inception in 2016.

The Feoffees spokesperson said: We wish her every success in the future and hope she enjoys significant personal benefit from the award.



Amy Leonard
TOUCHING tributes have been paid following the death of a pioneering professor and doctor dubbed the grandfather of gastroenterology in South Yorkshire.

Prof Karna Dev Bardhan OBE, known as Chandu, died peacefully on April 5 aged 82.

The Wickersley doctor was the first ever recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Society of Gastroenterology, which said it was saddened to hear of his passing, noting how he inspired a generation of doctors both within South Yorkshire and way beyond.

A Freeman of the Borough, Prof Bardhan (below) was honoured as Rotherham Citizen of the Year in 2000 and awarded the OBE a year later.

The father of two and grandfather of three went on to set up a research unit and a family charity.

Born in India, he graduated from The Christian Medical College in Vellore, where he met his wife Gouri and was named an outstanding student of his year.

He came to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar in 1964 before going on to become a registrar in Sheffield.

Gouri came to the UK to study in 1969 and the couple met again, before marrying in 1972.

They moved to Rotherham after Prof Bardhan became a consultant physician with an interest in gastroenterology, aged just 32, at the former Doncaster Gate Hospital in 1973, later going on to work at Rotherham Hospital.

He was the first gastroenterologist in Rotherham  as his field was not regarded as a speciality at the time  and went on to set up a research unit which became an internationally-recognised centre of excellence for gastrointestinal diseases.

Gouri, who worked as a consultant in Doncaster, said Prof Bardhan had worked with pharmaceutical companies and run clinical trials which showed test drug cimetidine was effective in relieving symptoms and healing stomach ulcers.

The drug went on to be extensively used to treat miners and steelworkers affected by the condition.

Prof Bardhan used the financial income this produced to fund PhD, MD and MSC students.

The research unit later became The Bardhan Research and Education Trust, which had 54 students by the time Prof Bardhan retired in 2011.

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals has also run The Bardhan Fellowship annual research prize for more than 20 years, and called Prof Bardhan the grandfather of gastroenterology in South Yorkshire, citing his inspiration and guidance for many of its own developments.

Post retirement, Prof Bardhan taught sessions on different clinical systems, enabling students to practise techniques and skills in a less pressured environment.

He also began his memoirs, working with his secretary Beverley Mason and writer Ray Hearne.

After he suffered a stroke last September, his wife teamed up with Beverley and Ray to produce the book, An Improbable Journey in Medicine: A Story of Courage and Enterprise, which was published by Amazon in March.

Gouri said: Medicine meant a lot to him. He did what all the doctors tried to do, to treat the patient as a whole, not just a stomach or a colon as sometimes can happen.

He was a pioneer in many, many ways but more importantly, he was kind, compassionate and he treated everybody equally.

Rotherham Hospital chief executive Dr Richard Jenkins described Prof Bardhan as an inspirational and dedicated consultant, adding: He will be greatly missed by many people.

* Prof Bardhans funeral will take place at Rotherham Crematorium at 2pm on Tuesday, May 2.
Delta Air Lines Network and Southwest Airlines have recorded the highest marketing carrier on-time arrival rates in February, according to the latest Air Travel Consumer Report by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

In February, air carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 79.5 percent, up from 76.2 percent reported in January.

Delta Air Lines Network has the best on-time arrival rate of 83 percent. It is followed by Southwest Airlines (82.1%) and American Airlines Network (79.4%).

The lowest on-time arrival rate for February was recorded by Frontier Airlines, 69 percent. In the next worst positions are JetBlue Airways (71.9%) and Hawaiian Airlines (73.5%).

Allegiant Air, with 0.7 percent, has the lowest rate of canceled flights in February, followed by Hawaiian Airlines (0.8%) and Spirit Airlines (1.3%).

Alaska Airlines Network cancelled the most number of flights - 2.7 percent. Southwest Airlines (2.1%) recorded the second highest flight cancellation rate, followed by America Airlines Network (1.9%).

For the first two months of 2023, cancellations have stayed below 2 percent and are far lower than last year's 2.7 percent cancellation rate. The Department of Transportation said it is currently investigating several domestic airlines to ensure that they are not engaging in unrealistic scheduling of flights.

The Department received a high volume of air travel service complaints and inquiries against airlines and ticket agents in recent months. The Department's Office of Aviation Consumer Protection is working diligently to process the large number of complaints and inquiries received.

In February, airlines reported 12 tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights, compared to 18 tarmac delays reported in January. In February, airlines reported four tarmac delays of more than four hours on international flights, compared to zero tarmac delays reported in the previous month.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

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Hyundai has started testing a new compact SUV  Spy shots have emerged on the internet

Hyundai is one of the leading automotive manufacturers in the Asian subcontinent. The South Korean brand is known for updating their cars aggressively. We got the current Creta SUV in March 2020. In 2021, Hyundai started testing Creta facelift. In 2022, it was launched in international markets. India launch of Creta facelift is expected later this year or early next year.

Now a new Hyundai SUV has been spied on test in South Korea. It is difficult to say for sure what this new SUV is, but from the spy shots, it looks like something that is compact in size. It is the India-spec Creta facelift, which is due for gen early next year, or is it the next gen Venue?

New Gen Hyundai SUV  Creta or Venue?

It is a massive departure from current Hyundai Creta or Venue in terms of features and creature comforts. Overall silhouette is likely to be similar, but there will be a more prominent fascia at the front along with a tech-laden package including ADAS suite.

The test mule was spotted in South Korea. It gets heavy cladding to hide its identity. Design-wise, it will stay true to the overall silhouette of the existing Venue or Creta. An upright front fascia and a strong side profile will stay similar as seen in spy shots. Hyundais parametric grille on the outgoing model is similar in concept too.

Palisade-inspired vertically stacked headlights add a lot of presence. Above the headlights, we find its LED DRLs with a unique signature. It doesnt follow Tucson facelift design, which have some bits in their parametric grille doubling as LED DRLs. Instead, it gets a prominent and thick upper LED bar and multiple LED squares below it. This design lends a unique touch.

Creta Facelift To Get ADAS

The spy shots reveal a square radar module integrated into its lower bumper. This enables ADAS suite with multiple active safety assistance tech to reduce road hazards. Exact list of ADAS features is unknown. 2024 Creta is also seen with a front camera, and will get a 360 camera feature. Kia Seltos facelift has also been spied testing with the ADAS module, and it is likely to launch later this year.

Tata Nexon facelift is rumoured to get ADAS too. That said, none of the Nexon facelift test mules till now donned a bumper-mounted radar module. In that case, the new gen Hyundai Venue is likely to be the first subcompact SUV in India to get ADAS tech. By the time the new Venue reaches India, more players might normalize ADAS already.

If this test mule is of Creta facelift for India, it wears a different design language to the international spec Creta facelift. It will launch in India early next year. Upon launch, it will take on the likes of Grand Vitara, Toyota HyRyder, Skoda Kushaq, VW Taigun, etc. Ahead of Creta facelift, Hyundai will launch Exter small SUV.

What will it pack when launched?

In the case of Venue new gen, it is likely to pack the same 1.2L 4-cyl NA petrol (82 bhp, 114 Nm, mated to 5-MT), a 1.0L 3-cyl turbo petrol (118 bhp, 172 Nm, mated to 6-iMT) and a 1.5L 4-cyl diesel (113 bhp, 250 Nm, mated to 6-MT). There are also reports which indicate that the new Venue will get an all electric variant to rival Nexon EV. 2024 Hyundai Venue prices will remain in line with the segment.

If this test mule is of the new Creta facelift for India, it will be powered by a 1.5 liter petrol turbo engine delivering 160 PS power, making it the most powerful compact SUV in the country. It will also get 1.5 liter NA petrol as well as 1.5 liter diesel engine option. Transmission options will include MT, AT as well as DCT. Prices of 2024 Creta facelift are likely to range from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.
Rebadged Innova Hycross will be Marutis new flagship and the costliest model ever to be sold by the carmaker

As part of Toyota-Suzuki global partnership, multiple rebadged models have been launched in India. It has helped both companies expand their portfolio. Toyota has been able to augment its entry-level line-up with Glanza (rebadged Baleno), whereas Maruti Suzuki is looking to strengthen its presence in premium segment. Towards that end, Maruti will soon launch a rebadged version of the bestselling Toyota Innova Hycross.

While Glanza is manufactured by Maruti and supplied to Toyota, the rebadged version of Innova Hycross will take the opposite route. Toyota already manufactures and supplies Grand Vitara to Maruti. Both Grand Vitara and Toyota HyRyder have emerged as popular options in compact SUV segment. In March, Grand Vitara and HyRyder were positioned at 2nd and 4th place, with sales of 10,045 units and 3,474 units, respectively.

Maruti Suzuki Engage trademarked

Maruti Suzuki has filed an application for registration of Maruti Suzuki Engage word mark. This is likely to be used for upcoming rebadged version of Toyota Innova Hycross. Although there are various other names registered by Maruti Suzuki, it is only Engage that seems relevant for an automobile.

However, there is no absolute surety at this point of time, as the Engage word mark is yet to be approved. The application status currently reads Formalities Chk Pass. If the Engage trademark is objected to or denied, Maruti will have to consider other options for rebadged Innova Hycross.

As Maruti rebadged Innova Hycross is expected to be launched in just two months, it is imperative that a name is finalized and registered as soon as possible. A cars name defines its core character and plays a key role in shaping consumer perceptions. Thats why its important to get it right.

In case of Marutis rebadged Innova Hycross, the Engage name doesnt necessarily seem to be the most appropriate. Innova Hycross is all about comfort, convenience and poise, whereas Engage seems more like a fast-moving automobile. Engage name seems more relevant for a proper SUV.

Maruti rebadged Innova Hycross to get a new face

To create a unique look, Maruti rebadged Innova Hycross will have a refreshed front fascia. It is expected to get a new set of alloy wheels as well. Most other features will be largely the same as Toyota Innova Hycross. It remains to be seen if Maruti copies the entire line-up or focuses exclusively on hybrid variants of Innova Hycross.

Maruti rebadged Innova Hycross will be manufactured at Toyotas Bidadi plant in Karnataka. Innova Hycross is already witnessing a massive demand, with waiting period touching 2.5 years in specific cases. To meet increased demand, which will soon include rebadged Innova Hycross as well, Toyota is working to increase production at its existing facility. It will be made possible by starting a third shift. As of end-March 2023, Toyota had pending orders of more than 1.20 lakh units.
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Carlsbad police have joined the ranks of San Diego County agencies using body-worn cameras to document daily law enforcement activities.

Police say the new technology  which officers started using Monday  adds another dimension to evidence collection, improves interactions with residents, and has the potential to change the way officers do their jobs. People should expect almost any encounter with an officer to be recorded.

We are encouraging officers to get out in front of it, and tell people they are being recorded, said Carlsbad police Lt. Jason Jackowski.

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Police Department employees who will be using the cameras  everyone from non-sworn community service officers to the chief of police  underwent four days of four-hour training classes in late October, Jackowski said.

Other police agencies in the county already using body cameras include Sheriffs Department and the San Diego, Chula Vista, Coronado and Escondido police departments.

No one in the Carlsbad department has objected to the cameras so far, Jackowski said. The handful of officers who used them during a two-month pilot program earlier this year all wanted to keep using the devices when the program concluded, he added.

Each camera also comes with a smart phone that allows officers to review the video while its still in the camera. When the officer finishes a shift, the camera is placed in a docking station to recharge and to download its video for long-term storage.

The citys 11-page policy for using the cameras states that employees should activate the device anytime they believe it would be appropriate or valuable to record an incident, including all anticipated enforcement actions and investigative contacts.

It also states that anyone being recorded should be told in advance, but employees are not required to advise the public of a recording when it would be contrary to the mission of the department.

Routine stops with no anticipated enforcement action do not need to be recorded. Also, the policy states that victims of sexual assault, child abuse, or who are partially clothed or nude should not be recorded.

Most officers wear the camera mounted on a magnetic plate attached to the front of their shirt. Motorcycle and K-9 officers have the option of using a different style camera that can be attached to a helmet or eyeglasses.

Cameras can be useful in many everyday situations, Jackowski said. A volunteer community service officer issuing a parking ticket, for example, may find the camera can be a valuable tool by showing a No Parking sign, painted lines on curbs, and the clear location of an illegally parked vehicle.

Body cameras are just part of the future, Police Chief Neil Gallucci said Tuesday. They are a phenomenal resource, really,

The cameras are a good example of how technology is changing police work, Gallucci said.

Drones are likely to be the next high-tech addition to police work, he said. The remotely controlled aircraft are a faster, cheaper and often safer way to do whats now handled by officers in helicopters.

You can search a wide area in a short amount of time with a drone, he said.

Voice recognition software is another technology helping to reduce some of the drudgery in police work.

Officers soon will be able to dictate their incident reports without manually writing them, Gallucci added, freeing them from one of their more tedious and time-consuming duties.

Robots are another often cited example of rapidly advancing technology. SWAT teams and bomb squads have been using robots for years in high-threat situations, and the devices are constantly improving.

Carlsbad officers are still learning all the ways they will use their new body-worn cameras.

Officials from law enforcement agencies across San Diego County agreed earlier this year on a shared policy to guide the public release of videos from officer-involved shootings.

The policy strikes a balance between the publics desire to know and the due process everyone is entitled to, San Diego County Assistant Sheriff Mike Barnett said, when the policy was announced in August.

Videos will not be released if criminal charges are filed in the case, the policy states.

Individual cities also have their own policies on the general use of police body cameras.

Carlsbads policy was developed based on the departments own pilot program and using regional and national examples. It became effective Aug. 1. It outlines how the cameras will be used, how long the video will be retained, who will have access to the recordings, when the use of cameras is prohibited, and more.

The City Council approved a contract June 7 to pay $156,409 annually for the Taser Axon Flex Camera system, along with training, maintenance and storage of the video data. The city also paid $19,503 to install the hardware and will continue to pay $14,873 annually for a separate internet connection to a secure, cloud based storage system.

philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @phildiehl
Randall Godinet, former executive director of the Oceanside Boys & Girls Club, speaks about the troubles in the citys Eastside neighborhood while standing along San Diego Street at the edge of Balderrama Park.

Gang violence in Oceansides Eastside neighborhood that was beaten back years ago, in part by residents determined to take back their streets, has returned in recent months, threatening the progress the largely Latino community has made in improving the area.

A 15-year-old girl was killed in September at the neighborhoods signature park, one of three slayings in Eastside since June.

The murders have sounded the alarm in the community prompting neighborhood leaders, law enforcement and city officials to renew efforts to prevent future violence.

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Weve been down this road before, said Randall Godinet, former director of the Boys and Girls Club of Oceanside and one of many people worried that the neighborhood could plunge back into its dark past. We can do it again.

Gang violence plagued Oceanside in the 1990s, especially the Eastside neighborhood. Godinet said there were two dozen murders in the city in 1995 until community leaders brought rival gangs together for a truce.

The Sept. 3 shooting death of 15-year-old Annebell Flores at Balderrama Park has stoked old fears. Two suspected gang members, Daniel Ramos and Elias Ramos, were arrested charged last week in her murder and both have pleaded not guilty.

Though the slaying has shaken the neighborhood, police and residents agree that crime is not nearly as dire as it was 25 years ago

We belong to this community and weve seen some great strides. Do we have work to do? Yes, we have work to do, said police Capt. Tom Aguigui said. But I know that, being here almost 29 years, were moving in the right direction.

Joining in the call for action is Robert Espinoza, Annebells grandfather. He made an emotional plea for help to the City Council on Wednesday night, just hours after attending the arraignment of the two defendants.

We need programs for these kids who are 13, 14 years old. You guys have the power to do that, said Espinoza, whose family made Oceanside their home 41 years ago after he left the U.S. Marines.

These communities should have funding for programs available. I come to you as a grandfather and father asking for change and solutions, he said.

Espinoza has become involved in a community group called Save Our Streets that was formed to prevent violence nearly a decade ago, after Oceanside Police Officer Dan Bessant was shot to death by teenage gang members.

The group is led by Wayne Godinet, Randalls brother and a longtime community advocate, who said attendance at Save Our Streets meetings have increased since September, galvanized by Annebells death.

About two dozen people attended a recent meeting at the Joe Balderrama Recreation Center including council members Esther Sanchez and Jack Feller, the citys Neighborhood Services Director Margery Pierce, former Mayor Terry Johnson and members of Annebells family.

Ive never heard or felt the response that weve been getting now, Wayne Godinet said. Its an outcry. Its a plea and its at the point now that there needs to be a response Superficial rhetoric is not going to work.

One of the main pleas from the community was a need for more after-school programs in the neighborhood and longer hours at the recreation center, which is open weekdays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Some of the centers programs were cut and city staff was laid off during the Great Recession, and only recently has the city started boosting funding for neighborhood programs.

Activists say if the recreation center had been open a little later, perhaps the girls death could have been prevented.

Police were called to the park around 2:30 a.m. Sept. 3 and found Annebell mortally wounded near the playground. She died before she could be taken to the hospital.

If we close our centers down at 5 or 6 oclock in the evening, then whos serving those kids? Randall Godinet asked. If our doors were open and she could walk in one of those doors and she could meet with somebody or talk to somebody or just sit there, one person could have made a difference that day.

Earlier this year, the City Council designated nearly $200,000 in its budget for afterschool and gang prevention programs, including $75,000 for Project Reach in Libby Lake, $60,000 for Project Reach in Eastside and $60,000 for North County Lifeline in Crown Heights.

Advocates say those programs are a good start but they can only serve a limited number of children. They would like to see partnerships between volunteer groups and the city to serve more children.

Pierce, the citys neighborhood services director, said shes willing to consider those proposals but they need to be fleshed out.

Im not afraid to push things forward but we need to have something concrete, Piece said. I need to understand what Im talking about. Who, what, when and how?

Wayne Godinet said there has been something of a disconnect between the community and City Hall, particularly since Concha Hernandez Greene, a longtime community advocate, became ill and died two years ago. She was part of a neighborhood coalition that organized marches and cleanup efforts in the 1990s aimed at reclaiming Balderrama Park, which was then overrun with gangs, drug pushers and prostitutes.

Greene, whose own son was murdered in 1996, understood the neighborhood and knew how to get attention from police and city officials.

Concha was a dominant physical force and a voice, Wayne Godinet said. She had no problem coming out to scold the homeboys. She was loud and proud. Someone like her is way missing. What we need is people that understand the plight of young boys and girls as they get peer pressure and start finding their identity.

He said the group is trying to fill that void by bringing voices from the community, including members of the Flores family, together with city and police officials to make things happen.

That seems to be paying off.

Annebells mother said during the Save Our Streets meeting that she wanted to install a memorial for her daughter, perhaps a bench, at Balderrama Park.

Pierce said the department would support the idea if the family submits a proposal.

edward.sifuentes@sduniontribune.com

@EdwardSifuentes
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, April 28. Around 300 joint ventures with Azerbaijani capital currently operate in Uzbekistan, the head of the Main Directorate for the CIS countries of the Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan Shokhrukh Gulamov said in an interview with Trend.

"It is worth noting that this figure is increasing every year, and, thus, we have a growing level of mutual trade. Last year we our trade reached $181 million, up 54 percent year-on-year. And this year we are also seeing a growth trend in trade," he said.

Gulamov pointed out that Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan maintain regular contacts at the highest level, and personal trusting relations between the heads of the two states give impetus to further expansion of cooperation in all areas, and of course, in investment cooperation.

"Last year, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan launched a number of projects in the fields of oil and gas, petrochemistry, the textile industry, and sericulture. We had a number of visits by business delegations. In February, for example, the first Uzbek-Azerbaijani forum was held, following which we also signed a number of documents and agreements, which will further expand cooperation in the sphere of investments" he added.
Details added: first version posted on April 27, 14:00

BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 27. A press conference was held at the office of the International Eurasia Press Fund in connection with the mine incident that occurred on April 26 in Azerbaijan's liberated Sugovushan village, Trend reports.

At the event with the participation of representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) and media, a statement made by the International Eurasian Press Foundation was addressed to international organizations, UN agencies, civil society structures and the international community as a whole due to the mine incident.

Following the incident, an employee of the International Eurasian Press Foundation (IEPF), driver Khazar Babashov was seriously injured. Babashov, whose right leg was amputated below the knee as a result of the incident, has been working at the IEPF since 2013, the statement said.

According to the statement, for more than 20 years, IEPF, having joined the mine threat control program, has implemented numerous projects in this direction, initiated campaigns, repeatedly made statements and took an active part in organizing various local and international events, conferences, seminars, striving to contribute to the solution of this problem through his humanitarian activities.

Operating since 2002, the IEPF special team has cleared more than 10,000 hectares of land from mines and unexploded ordnance. Unfortunately, Azerbaijan is among the most mine-contaminated countries. During the 30-year period of Armenian occupation, Azerbaijani territories were seriously contaminated by mines, the statement noted. The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action is conducting intensive demining operations in the liberated territories of our country.

The statement also noted that Armenia did not provide reliable maps of minefields, which grossly contradicts the provisions of the Geneva Convention.

Mines pose a serious threat to the lives of civilians since they were planted by Armenian military units not only in places of military purpose but also in areas with civilian infrastructure, around power lines, on cemeteries, river banks, on country and intra-settlement roads, the statement stressed.

Besides, according to the statement, since the signing of the trilateral statement dated November 10, 2020 (by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders following the second Karabakh war) to date, as a result of the explosion of mines laid by the armed forces of Armenia, a total of 51 people, including military personnel and civilians, have died, and 244 people received injuries of varying severity.

Moreover, in the last week three mine incidents took place, as a result of which five people became victims of mines, the statement said.

The statement authors further noted that its main purpose is to bring the situation with mine contamination in Azerbaijan to the attention of international organizations, governments and the public to the current and call on the international community to take the necessary measures to support peace and sustainable development in the region.

In conclusion, the IEPF called not to remain indifferent to this issue and to provide support for its solution.
As part of an overall economic and social reform strategy, Saudi Arabia made it possible for women to apply to serve in the Armed Forces in 2019.

The first batch of Saudi Arabia's women soldiers graduated in 2021 from the Armed Forces Womens Cadre Training Center.

Read More: Inspirational Saudi Women

Read More: Saudi Women to Participate More in the Labor Market

The Saudi Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday that applications are now being accepted for a number of military positions for both men and women.

A high school diploma, a bachelor's degree, and a diploma are prerequisites for both genders. A diploma from an industrial secondary school is the sole qualification that is specific only to men.

Women are eligible to serve in the Saudi Arabian Army, Royal Saudi Air Defense, Royal Saudi Navy, Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force, and Armed Forces Medical Services.

Read More: 255 Saudi Women Join Special Security Forces

According to the ministry, women might be hired as soldiers, lance corporals, corporals, sergeants, and staff sergeants.

The action is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 strategy which brings forth reforms that help Saudi Arabian women grow in a variety of professions.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree amending the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated December 23, 2000, No. 432 "On additional measures related to the implementation of the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On Privatization of State Property", Trend reports.

According to the amendment, if documents or information intended for the privatization of non-residential premises are available in the relevant state institution through the electronic government information system, these documents or information will not be requested from the tenant, persons wishing to participate in the auction, or the customer.

In cases where access to such documents or information through the electronic government information system is not possible, their provision will be requested by the relevant government agency on the basis of a request with the consent of the tenant or provided by the tenant, the person wishing to participate in the auction, or the customer.
The sled dog Balto has been celebrated in books and movies for his role in delivering desperately needed diphtheria antitoxin to Nome, Alaska, in 1925. He belonged to a population of small, fast, and fit sled dogs imported from Siberia. By sequencing his genome from his taxidermied remains and analyzing these data in the context of large comparative and canine datasets, scientists now show that Balto and his working sled dog contemporaries were more genetically diverse than modern breeds and may have carried variants that helped them survive the harsh conditions of 1920s Alaska.

It has been almost 100 years since Balto helped save the community of Nome, Alaska, from a diphtheria outbreak.

Today, Balto symbolizes the indomitable spirit of the sled dog.

He is immortalized in statue and film, and is physically preserved and on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Balto represents a dog population that was reputed to tolerate harsh conditions at a time when northern communities were reliant on sled dogs.

Investigating Baltos genome sequence using technologies for sequencing degraded DNA offers a new perspective on this historic population.

Baltos fame and the fact that he was taxidermied gave us this cool opportunity 100 years later to see what that population of sled dogs would have looked like genetically and to compare him to modern dogs, said Dr. Katherine Moon, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California Santa Cruz.

I was enthralled growing up with sled dogs, said Dr. Heather Huson, a researcher at Cornell University.

Theyre amazing athletes, theyre fast, but they have a lot of endurance. Mentally, they have to be tough.

What are the genes that make them an awesome sled dog? Why can they do these amazing things that your average dog cant do?

While Balto was clearly a sled dog, his owner, Leonhard Seppala, was one of the founding breeders of the Siberian husky, raising the potential for some interesting overlap.

Dr. Moon, Dr. Huson and their colleagues were able to extract Baltos ancient DNA  a difficult task, given how degraded and unstable the genetic material becomes over time  and they conducted the DNA sequencing and analysis.

They then compared the results with data, provided by the Zoonomia Project, of 240 mammal species and 682 genomes from dogs and wolves of the 21st century.

They found that Balto clusters most closely with Alaskan sled dogs, with a high genetic diversity and a lower burden of potentially damaging genetic variants.

He also had substantial ancestral similarity to Siberian huskies, Alaskan malamutes, Greenland sled dogs and outbred dogs from Asia.

Siberians were kind of being created at the same time as the modern Alaskan sled dogs. This shows Balto is at the crux of that, Dr. Huson said.

He is showing that early foundation thats actually similar between sled dogs and Siberians.

There is something to be learned from any dog  even unfamous ones  whose genetic diversity has changed over time.

Its kind of funny, because for evolutionary geneticists, what Im looking at is a drop in the bucket, the 1930s versus the 2000s, while they are looking at thousands to millions of years.

Yet, the domestication of most modern breeds has been in the last couple hundred years, so theres been a huge selection intensity on dogs in that time.

The study appears in the journal Science.

_____

Katherine L. Moon et al. 2023. Comparative genomics of Balto, a famous historic dog, captures lost diversity of 1920s sled dogs. Science 380 (6643); doi: 10.1126/science.abn5887
Often left on the surfaces of a crime scene or on the clothes of an accused criminal, blood back spatter can be used as evidence for forensic scientists to reconstruct what occurred. However, the fluid dynamics at play are complicated, and neglecting the interaction between the blood and the muzzle gases from the firearm could skew the results.

In Physics of Fluids, by AIP Publishing, researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago and Iowa State University modeled the behavior of blood drops during secondary atomization to examine how the phenomenon affects a crime scene.

"Primary atomization of blood is caused by a gunshot (bullet). It results in multiple drops spattered in the air," said author Alexander Yarin. "Some of these drops are big enough to be significantly distorted and torn apart by the air drag forces acting on a drop in flight. Smaller droplets arise during this process, which is called secondary atomization."

The team examined different starting droplet sizes and confirmed their model with experiments. They found the effect of secondary atomization was significant and predictable: The smaller droplets were easier to sweep up by the firearm's gases and turn around toward the victim.

"Muzzle gases form a turbulent vortex ring which moves toward a victim from a shooter and pushes the blood droplets from the shooter back to the victim," said Yarin. "Droplets are also deflected aside, and our predictions showed that some can even land behind the victim, even though initially they were moving from the victim toward the shooter."

This discovery could explain how a short-range shooter might stay clean from blood stains, like in the famous case of Phil Spector presumably murdering Lina Clarkson while keeping his outfit practically clean.

"The results reveal the usefulness of multiphase flow fluid mechanics for the forensic discipline of back spatter analysis," said Yarin. "Hopefully, code based on the present results would be used in future crime scene investigations."

In the future, the group is interested in studying the spatter of brain tissue in similar short-range shooting events. They believe such work could help distinguish between a suicide and a staged homicide.
Nature documentaries will tell you that lions, cheetahs, wolves and other top predators target the weakest or slowest animals and that this culling benefits prey herds, whether it's antelope in Africa or elk in Wyoming.

This idea has been widely accepted by biologists for many years and was formalized in 2003 as the healthy herds hypothesis. It proposes that predators can help prey populations by picking off the sick and injured and leaving healthy, strong animals to reproduce.

The healthy herds hypothesis has even been used to suggest that manipulating predator numbers to protect prey might be a useful conservation strategy. Even so, hard evidence supporting the hypothesis is scarce, and in recent years many of its assumptions and predictions have been questioned.

In a study published online April 26 in the journal Ecology, a University of Michigan-led research team used a pint-sized predator-prey-parasite system inside 20-gallon water tanks to test the healthy herds hypothesis.

Their study system consisted of predatory fly larvae that feed on the water flea Daphnia dentifera, which hosts a virulent fungal parasite.

The researchers found that while high predation levels reduced parasitism in Daphnia -- providing partial support for the healthy herds hypothesis -- populations of those poppy seed-sized crustaceans were often dramatically reduced, as well. In some cases, Daphnia populations were nearly wiped out by predation.

The findings may have implications for conservation efforts involving much larger animals, according to the study authors. Specifically, the results suggest that caution is warranted when wildlife managers manipulate predator numbers in the hopes of promoting healthy herds of prey.

"The appeal of the healthy herds hypothesis lies in the alignment of multiple conservation goals -- simultaneous conservation of predators, reduction of parasitism, and protection of vulnerable populations -- as well as the potential to reduce spillover risk to other populations, including humans," said U-M aquatic and disease ecologist Meghan Duffy.

"But even when predators reduce disease in their prey populations, that does not necessarily lead to increased prey population size, as our study shows," said Duffy, senior author of the new study and a professor in the U-M Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

One well-known example of "healthy herds" gone wrong involves the culling of badgers in the United Kingdom in an effort to reduce bovine tuberculosis in livestock. In that case, the culling can be viewed as a particularly efficient form of predation by humans.

The assumption behind those campaigns was that higher predation of badgers, which are a wildlife reservoir of bovine tuberculosis, would drive healthy livestock herds. Instead, the campaigns increased bovine tuberculosis in cattle. In another example, the culling of bats to reduce the spread of rabies has not been effective at reducing rabies in domestic dogs or wildlife.

Findings of the new study, and others like it, could help explain why some attempts to control disease by manipulating predators fail, according to the authors.

"Unless we develop a more comprehensive understanding of when and how predators influence disease, management strategies that propose to reintroduce or augment predator populations could backfire," said study lead author Laura Lopez, a former postdoctoral researcher in Duffy's lab who now works for the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance in Australia.

Duffy has used Daphnia as a model organism to investigate the causes and consequences of infectious disease outbreaks for nearly 20 years -- work that has included several studies of the healthy herds hypothesis.

For the latest study, the researchers experimentally manipulated the density of a predator in their three-organism study system, then monitored Daphnia population sizes and infection levels.

The predators were larvae of the phantom midge, which commonly prey on Daphnia in North American temperate lakes. The parasite was the virulent fungus Metschnikowia bicuspidata.

The predator-prey-parasite interactions occurred inside 48 experimental water tanks called mesocosms, which also contained nutrients and green algae.

At the highest levels, predation completely eliminated the fungal pathogen. However, the highest predation levels often dramatically reduced Daphnia population sizes, as well -- an outcome that does not support the healthy herds hypothesis.

"If your primary concern is the overall population size of a vulnerable animal species, then adding high levels of predation that eliminate disease could be detrimental," Duffy said.

"Interestingly, intermediate predation levels reduced parasitism in our study without incurring a cost in terms of overall prey density. Any management decisions would need to weigh the potential costs and benefits associated with increasing predation."

The authors of the Ecology study warned that achieving and maintaining a predation level that reduces parasitism without harming prey population size "might be equivalent to threading the proverbial needle."

In addition to Duffy and Lopez, the study authors are Michael Cortez of Florida State University, Turner DeBlieux and Spencer Hall of Indiana University, Ilona Menel and Carla Caceres of the University of Illinois, and Bruce O'Brien of the U-M Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

The work was supported by the National Science Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
First version published at 13:22

BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. An expanded delegation headed by the Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Azerbaijan Mazahir Panahov went on a visit to Uzbekistan to monitor the progress of the referendum on the draft constitutional law "On the Constitution of Uzbekistan", which will be held on April 30, 2023, the CEC chairman told Trend.

The visit was carried out at the invitation of the Chairman of the CEC of Uzbekistan Zainiddin Nizamkhodjaev.

During the visit, Panahov will hold meetings with his Uzbek counterpart, other officials, as well as with representatives of organizations involved in observing the referendum, and heads of top electoral bodies of foreign countries.

Representatives of the Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan participate as international observers in supervising of the referendum in Uzbekistan's Tashkent as part of the Organization of Turkic States and the Commonwealth of Independent States. The representatives of the CEC on the day of voting will monitor polling stations in the regions of the country.
Physicists at The Australian National University (ANU) are using nanoparticles to develop new sources of light that will allow us to peel back the curtain into the world of extremely small objects  thousands of times smaller than a human hair  with major gains for medical and other technologies.

The findings, published in Science Advances, could have major implications for medical science by offering an affordable and effective solution to analyse tiny objects that are too small for microscopes to see, let alone the human eye. The work could also be beneficial for the semiconductor industry and improving quality control of the fabrication of computer chips.



The ANU technology uses carefully engineered nanoparticles to increase the frequency of light that cameras and other technologies see by up to seven times. The researchers say there is no limit to how high the frequency of light can be increased. The higher the frequency, the smaller the object we are able to see using that light source.

The technology, which requires only a single nanoparticle to work, could be implemented into microscopes to help scientists zoom into the world of super small things at 10 times the resolution of conventional microscopes. This would enable researchers to study objects that would otherwise be too small to see, such as the inner structures of cells and individual viruses.

Being able to analyse such small objects could help scientists better understand and fight certain diseases and health conditions.

Conventional microscopes are only able to study objects bigger than about a ten-millionth of a metre. However, there is growing demand across a range of sectors, including the medical field, to be able to analyse much smaller objects down to one billionth of a metre, lead author Dr Anastasiia Zalogina, from the ANU Research School of Physics and the University of Adelaide, said.

Our technology could help meet that demand.

The researchers say the ANU-developed nanotech could help create a new generation of microscopes that can produce much more detailed images.

Scientists who want to generate a highly-magnified image of an extremely small, nanoscale object cant use a conventional optical microscope. Instead, they must rely on either super-resolution microscopy techniques or use an electron microscope to study these tiny objects, Dr Zalogina said.

But such techniques are slow and the technology is very expensive, often costing more than a million dollars.

Another disadvantage of electron microscopy is that it may damage delicate samples being analysed, whereas light-based microscopes mitigate this issue.

Beams of light that we perceive as different colours of the rainbow are electromagnetic waves that oscillate with different frequencies.

What we see as red is the lowest frequency that our eyes can detect. Even lower frequencies not visible to the human eye are called infra-red. Violet has the highest light frequency that we can see. Ultraviolet, which has an even higher frequency, is invisible to the human eye.

Although our eyes cannot detect infra-red and ultraviolet light, it is possible for us to see it using cameras and other technologies.

Co-author Dr Sergey Kruk, also from ANU, said researchers are interested in achieving very high frequencies of light, also known as extreme-ultraviolet.

With violet light we can see much smaller things compared to using red light. And with extreme-ultraviolet light sources we can see things beyond whats possible using conventional microscopes of today, Dr Kruk said.

Dr Kruk said the ANU technology could also be used in the semiconductor industry as a quality control measure to ensure a streamlined manufacturing process.

Computer chips consist of very tiny components with feature sizes almost as small as one billionth of a metre. During the chip production process, it would be beneficial for manufacturers to use tiny sources of extreme-ultraviolet light to monitor this process in real-time to diagnose any problems early on, he said.

That way manufacturers could save resources and time on bad batches of chips, thereby increasing yields of chip manufacturing. Its estimated that a one per cent increase in yields of computer chip manufacturing translates into two billion dollars in savings.

Australias booming optics and photonics industry is represented by nearly 500 companies and accounts for about $4.3 billion of economic activity, making our high-tech ecosystem well positioned to adopt new types of light sources in order to reach new global markets in nanotechnology industries and research.

This work was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University of Brescia, the University of Arizona and Korea University.
Andy Weir's bestselling 2011 book, The Martian, features botanist Mark Watney's efforts to grow food on Mars after he becomes stranded there. While Watney's initial efforts focus on growing potatoes, new research presented at the 54th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference by a team of interdisciplinary researchers from the U of A suggests future Martian botanists like Watney may have a better option: growing rice.

As outlined in the team's abstract, Rice Can Grow and Survive in Martian Regolith with Challenges That Could be Overcome Through Control of Stress-Related Genes, one of the biggest challenges to growing food on Mars is the presence of perchlorate salts, which have been detected in the planet's soil and are generally considered to be toxic for plants.

The team was able to simulate Martian soil using basaltic rich soil mined from the Mojave Desert, called the Mojave Mars Simulant, or MMS, which was developed by scientists from NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The teams then grew three varieties of rice, including one wild-type and two gene-edited lines with genetic mutations that better enable them to respond to stress, such as drought, sugar starvation or salinity. These varieties were grown in the MMS, as well as a regular potted mix and a hybrid of the two. While plants were able to grow in the Martian simulant, they were not as developed as those grown in the potting soil and hybrid mix. Replacing just a quarter of the Martian simulant with potting soil resulted in improved development.

The team also experimented with the amount of perchlorate in the soil, finding that 3 grams per kilogram was the threshold beyond which nothing would grow, while mutant strains could still root in 1 gram per kilogram.

Their findings suggest that there might be a way forward for genetically modified rice to find purchase in Martian soil.

Next steps will include experimenting with a newer Martian soil simulant called the Mars Global Simulant, as well as other rice strains that have increased tolerance for higher salt concentrations. An important part of the research will be determining to what degree perchlorate may be leeching into the plant from the soil. Farther down the road, the researchers would like to introduce rice into a closed habitat chamber and place it in a Mars simulation chamber that replicates the temperature and atmosphere of the planet.

Whether humans ever colonize Mars, the team's research could have applications here on Earth. Second author on the abstract, Abhilash Ramachandran, a post-doctoral fellow at the Arkansas Center for Space and Planetary Sciences, noted that he spoke with an Australian researcher from an area where the soil had high salinity, and saw their work as a potential way to grow food there. He added, "We could use Earth as a terrestrial analog before the seeds ever get sent to Mars."

First author on the abstract, Peter James Gann, a doctoral student in cell and molecular biology, said that the project began when he met Ramachandran for coffee in the student union. "He was new here at the university, and we shared the things we were doing in our respective laboratories. Since he works on planetary science, and I specialize in cell and molecular biology, we decided to try out plants."

They were joined by co-authors Yheni Dwiningsih, a post-doctoral associate in plant sciences; Dominic Dharwadker, an undergraduate student in the Honors College; and Vibha Srivastava, a professor in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences who has a joint appointment with the U of A System Division of Agriculture.

Gann, for one, is pleased with how his initial conversation with Ramachandran has turned out. "Relevant and interesting research can emanate from talking to strangers over a cup of coffee or a glass of beer," he said, before adding: "Ain't that cool?"
Ever since scientists first read the complete genetic codes of creatures like fruit flies and humans more than two decades ago, the field of genomics has promised major leaps forward in understanding basic questions in biology.

And now comes a major installment of that promise. In what Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and HHMI Professor Beth Shapiro calls a treasure trove of research, more than 150 researchers from 50 institutions are publishing 11 different papers in the April 28, 2023, issue of Science. The research brings new insights from the Zoonomia Project, an unprecedented collaborative effort led by Elinor Karlsson, director of the Vertebrate Genomics Group at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, that compares and analyzes the complete genomes of 240 different mammalian species, from aardvarks to zebus.

The findings from this enormous amount of genetic data include pinpointing genes that underlie the ability to hibernate or how brains grew larger, as well as identifying the small fraction of genes that makes humans unique. "These 11 papers are just a sampling of the type of science that can be done with the new genetic data," says Shapiro, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. "They show how important these large consortia and foundational datasets really are."

Two of the papers, co-authored by Shapiro and her Santa Cruz team, break new ground by showing how much valuable information can be found in genomes of a single species, such as endangered orcas, or even in the DNA of an individual. That individual is a sled dog named Balto, who has been immortalized in movies and a statue for helping to bring lifesaving diphtheria antitoxin to Nome, Alaska in an epic journey across the Alaskan wilderness in the winter of 1925. With just a snippet of the dog's preserved skin and "these amazing new techniques we didn't have before, we were able to do this cool scientific thing," says HHMI postdoc Katie Moon, lead author of the Balto paper and a member of Shapiro's team.

Mass extinctions

One of Shapiro's new papers tackles a high-stakes, urgent question in conservation. Humans are now causing mass extinctions and a serious loss of biodiversity across the planet. But which species are most at risk? Traditionally, conservationists tackled the question by painstakingly counting how many individuals are in a population and estimating how much habitat remains. Such efforts show that some species, like pumas in California, which Shapiro's team has also worked on, are seriously endangered.

But what if the animal in question is one of many thousands of species for which no good population or habitat data exist? For those, Shapiro's team wondered, might it be possible instead to estimate the threat of extinction simply by looking through the creatures' genomes for "bad" genes or genetic evidence of inbreeding -- the tell-tale signs of trouble?

To answer the question, co-lead authors, HHMI scientist Megan Supple and Aryn Wilder of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, used the International Union for Conservation of Nature's "Red List of Threatened Species" to rank the 240 mammals in the Zoonomia Project along a continuum from "least concern" to "critically endangered." Then they looked for the worrisome signals in each animal's genome.

The results show that the genomes are remarkably revealing. "Information encoded within even a single genome can provide a risk assessment in the absence of adequate ecological or population census data," the paper reports. No good data exist on numbers or habitats for the Upper Galilee Mountains blind mole rat, a small tunnel-digging rodent, for example. But its genome shows the species is doing just fine, thanks. In contrast, both the genomic and ecological data for orcas confirm that killer whales are in serious danger.

The genomes' predictive power can be harnessed in the effort to identify and save endangered species, Shapiro suggests. "We know we'll never have enough conservation dollars to go around, but by using even one genome, we can triage species," she explains -- quickly and inexpensively identifying those creatures most at risk.

Champion sled dog racer

The stakes were lower for the second paper from Shapiro's team, the sled dog effort, but it was a lot more fun, the researchers say. "I hope people enjoy reading about Balto as much as I enjoyed working on the project," says Moon.

The origins of the project actually go back a few years. Heather Huson, a champion sled dog racer turned Cornell University animal geneticist, was giving a talk at a meeting of sled dog veterinarians when one of the vets in the audience wondered if it would be possible to extract and analyze DNA from preserved hide. He even had a potential study subject in mind -- Balto, whose taxidermied body is displayed in a glass case at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Huson was hooked on the idea. "I grew up on the stories about Balto," she recalls. But she had no experience working with old DNA, "and I wasn't going to screw this up," she says. So she reached out to the ancient DNA research community. The path quickly led to Beth Shapiro, a pioneer in revealing the genetic secrets of extinct creatures like mastodons and of ancient humans in the field called paleogenomics. "I reached out to Beth, and she said, 'We can do this,'" says Huson.

The researchers got a sample of Balto's skin from the Cleveland Museum and extracted the dog's DNA from the sample. Moonthen did the heavy genetic lifting in UC Santa Cruz's high-tech ancient DNA lab, reading the code of Balto's snippets of DNA enough times to cover his entire genome 40 times over.

Normally, scientists would learn about the genetics of a species in part by looking at genetic variations among different individuals. Balto was just one individual, though, so "the challenge was how to make a research project out of one dog," says Huson. But the team had an ace up their sleeve. In addition to being able to compare the sled dog's genome to the 240 mammals in the Zoonomia Project, they also could tap a genetic repository created by the Broad Institute's Karlsson that has complete genomes of 682 dogs from a wide variety of breeds. "It's an incredible dataset," says Moon. Because of the information it contains "we know so much about dogs -- what parts of the genome make them look the way they do or perform the way they do," Moon explains. Or as Shapiro adds, the Balto project "was an opportunity to bring these two datasets together."

Exciting moment

Using just the information in Balto's genes, Kathleen Morrill, then a PhD student in Karlsson's lab at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, was able to predict both the dog's precise height and the fact that his black coat had tan highlights at the edges -- which don't even show up in most pictures. A talented artist, Morrill was able to draw a rendering, based on the genetics, that was more accurate than many pictures. "Her drawing was what Balto would have looked like," says Moon. "It was the first time anyone has done this on an individual that's been gone for almost 100 years -- and it was a really exciting moment for me." It also validates the idea that scientists can use genomics to accurately envision what long-extinct species -- for which no pictures exist -- really looked like. "It shows we can do a pretty good job predicting their physical appearance," says Huson.

There were plenty of other scientific nuggets in Balto's DNA as well. Born in the kennel of famous sled dog breeder Leonard Seppala in 1919, Balto was descended from dogs imported from Siberia. "But one of the coolest things is how close Balto is to modern Alaskan sled dogs as well as to the Siberian husky," says Huson. His genome shows a mix of ancestors, with fewer deleterious genes compared to modern purebred breeds like Siberian huskies and Alaskan Malamutes. His DNA is also rich in so-called tissue development genes, which are involved in functions like muscle growth, metabolism, and oxygen consumption. "That's exactly what you would need in a working dog," says Moon.

Yet the genetics also reveal Balto's limitations. Sled dogs were originally bred for great endurance, but since Balto's time, breeders added in more speed. "Balto might have been a tough sled dog with a lot of endurance, but he wouldn't have been very fast," says Huson.

In fact, sled dog experts know that Balto wasn't actually the real hero of the lifesaving 1925 journey. That honor belongs to a dog named Togo, who led Seppala's team on the longest leg of the 674 mile trek, an astonishing 264 miles (compared to Balto's 53 miles on the final segment). "Balto was the 2nd string dog," says Huson. Not being prime progenitor material, he was neutered, in contrast to Togo, "who is the dog -- the foundation of a lot of sled dogs," says Huson. So, the next step, she suggests, is getting a sample from Togo's remains, now preserved in Nome, in order to reveal the next chapter in this canine genetic drama.
First version posted 16:12

BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. The protest action of Azerbaijani environmental activists on the Lachin-Khankendi road will be temporarily suspended from 18:00 (GMT+4), Trend reports.

On April 28, in the morning, at the invitation of Azerbaijani officials, a regular meeting was held with a group of participants of an environmental protest lasting 138 days on the Lachin-Khankendi road.

The meeting, held in the administrative building of the Special Representative Office of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Shusha district, was attended by 10 eco-activists who represented the participants of the rally.

At the meeting, Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan in the Shusha district, Aydin Karimov, noted that a new situation has arisen in connection with the establishment of a checkpoint on the border with Armenia at the beginning of the Lachin-Khankendi road by the units of the State Border Service on the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan on April 23. Therefore, the participants were once again asked to suspend the protest.

Eco-activists declared that they were very pleased with the creation of a border check mechanism by Azerbaijani border guards at the beginning of the Lachin-Khankendi road, which ensures transparency, the rule of law, and traffic safety.

Will be updated
First version published at 17:44

BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. The unfounded accusations voiced by French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna at a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on April 28, 2023, are unacceptable, Trend reports via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.

As the ministry said, those who make unfounded claims accusing Azerbaijan of interference in the territory of Armenia should be reminded that the party that has been pursuing a policy of occupation and ethnic cleansing for 30 years is Armenia.

"Unfortunately, the French side, positioning itself as "striving" for the settlement of the conflict, has never condemned Armenia for its illegal occupation policy in 30 years. The Armenian side has not yet completely withdrawn its armed forces from the territory of Azerbaijan, as well as has not stopped the occupation of eight Azerbaijani villages. On the contrary, it still continues military and political provocations," said the ministry.

At the same time, interference in the establishment of a border checkpoint on Lachin-Khankendi road by Azerbaijan on its sovereign territory, which is an internal matter of the country, contradicts the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, noted the ministry.

"Thus, it is completely wrong to assess the creation of this point, which will regulate the regime of entry and exit at the border, as a road closure. Instead of demonstrating biased approaches, it would be more useful if the French side would encourage Armenia to fulfill the obligations arising from the agreements and would keep it from doing provocations against Azerbaijan," the ministry noted.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. The French embassy in Azerbaijan has issued a statement in connection with the mine explosion in Azerbaijans Terter district, which killed 3 civilians, Trend reports.

"I am deeply saddened by the news of the death of three civilians as a result of a mine explosion in Terter. I express my deep condolences to the families and friends of the victims. France continues to support humanitarian demining measures in Azerbaijan," French Ambassador Anne Boillon wrote on Twitter.

The explosion of an anti-tank mine in the village of Tapgaragoyunlu of Azerbaijan's Tartar district, on Friday killed three people.

Employees of RPS Energy Ltd. company Yusifov Nadir Panah, Gozalov Sakhavat Ismayil and Sadiyev Farid Mehman were killed in the blast.
The new amphitheater has become a popular spot in Laingsburg.

New directional signs in Laingsburg.

New directional signs in Cass City.

A mural depicting a chapter of Ironwood history.

A new amphitheater, downtown outdoor seating, increased wayfaring signage and a more unified community are some of the changes the city of Laingsburg has undergone in recent years.And, according to Laingsburgs clerk and treasurerPaula Willoughby, residents of this Shiawassee County community are all about it.[The outdoor seating] is constantly full, and the businesses love them, she said.In 2019, the city of about 1,400 residents participated in the Michigan State University Extensions First Impressions Tourism Assessment (FIT) program, which works with small Michigan communities to offer objective, first impressions of their towns. These assessments are followed up by constructive feedback for improvement to be more welcoming to visitors, tourists and potential new residents.The program gives communities a snapshot, typically in the warmer time of year, of what essentially a group of people experience and see in their community for about a 24-hour period, said Andy Northrop, who created and runs the program.The process generally takes between nine and 12 months. Communities begin by assembling a Community Leadership Team (CLT), a cross-section of leaders, stakeholders and other town representatives who are responsible for communicating results with the public and implementing change.Then, like secret shoppers, FIT assesses communities through an anonymous group of five people who visit the place for a day and record their experiences. The team is made of people of different ages and demographics with little to no knowledge of the community to offer a fresh pair of eyes and varying perspectives.The collective information is then organized into a report, which is shared with the public through a formal, half-day Community Report Forum.The argument that we make is that communities are a business, Northrop said. If youre not projecting to your visitors good business ethics, people arent going to come back  Its about putting your best foot forward.For Laingsburg, about 30 miles northeast of Lansing, one of the motives for participating in the program was to figure out how to tap into the tourism market from nearby Sleepy Hollow State Park, which sees 300,000 visitors a year. But the subsequent changes also had a significant impact on the quality of life for itsresidents.One of the biggest takeaways was a need for more arts and culture downtown, which prompted the building of the amphitheater, among other things. Since its opening in 2021, its become a popular site for concerts, outdoor movies, plays and school graduations, Willoughby said.But better marketing  especially digitally  was another area for improvement.A significant part of FIT is not just an in-person assessment of a location but a virtual one. Prior to visiting, team members research their locations online, as a potential visitor would, and consider an itinerary for the day.Laingsburg took that feedback to update the citys website and increased promotional materials, including adding a QR code to fliers to direct people to more information online, plus additional wayfaring signage.While the city is in the process of measuring the specific impact of the program, Willoughby said businesses have seen an uptick in Sleepy Hollow tourists and the results are palpable.We learned how to really get a big group of people listening, and everybody [has been] pretty excited about the whole thing, she said.Cass City, a village of about 2,500 in the Thumb, participated in the FIT program in 2019. And while the assessment found weaknesses in the communitys retail options, Village Manager Debbie Powell said they were surprised to learn people werent aware of Casss existing assets, like access to the river and the amenities of its municipal park.The Tuscola County village decided to implement more wayfaring signs, which had overwhelming support from the community, Powell said.It was like the talk of the town for five days, she said. It was like, Wow, these are great! Why didnt we think of this sooner?Since it began in 2015, FIT has worked with 21 communities in Michigan, with four more taking part in the program this year.After living in different countries overseas for more than a decade  where he gained a lot of experience as an outsider in communities  Northrop returned home and saw a need to help Michigans rural areas, which were struggling.[Michigan] was in a pretty rough state, he said, [There was] the 2008 economic collapse and the state has been bleeding people for decades.While first impressions programs have been going on throughout the country since the early 1990s, Michigan has become a nationwide leader and is assisting in creating similar programs both within the United States and abroad, Northrop said.In 2020, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) got involved and began offering grants for its Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) to participate in FIT.Michelle Parkkonen, managing director of the MEDCs Technical Assistance Programs, said FIT complements the mission of the RRC.Because communities that are participating in RRC are really focused on economic development and their customer and visitor experience, and the implementation of a community vision  FIT assessments are a great next step, she said.For some communities, FIT was a validation of existing efforts and offered additional tips that hadnt been considered.We kind of know who we are, but we just want to get that expert opinion, said Tim Erickson, a community development assistant for the city of Ironwood in the Upper Peninsula.Ironwood, home to about 5,000 residents in the far-western U.P., had already been experiencing an upward trajectory in population and tourism growth when it underwent the FIT assessment in 2019.Assessors, however, identified a lack of diverse restaurant options and limited operating hours for businesses as weaknesses, which Erickson said was not something the village could control. They did, however, establish a monthly first Friday event in the summer with a concert series, art installations and vendors, which encouraged some businesses to stay open later. They also used the FIT assessment to justify more signage.Since 2018, the Gogebic County community has seen a 30 percent increase in its 5 percent room tax for lodging  an indication of more tourism  and he expects the number to grow, Erickson said.Overall, what weve been doing has been working, and the FIT was part of that, he said.The village of Cassopolis underwent the FIT assessment in 2021, three years after establishing its Imagine Cass movement. That project has been a massive undertaking to reignite the city with a new downtown streetscape, a new beach and pier, an amphitheater and a lakeside boardwalk, among other changes.Alexis OFlynn, who works in the villages community development, said FIT helped officials recognize a need for more signage to make people aware of the changes, especially to mark its new beach, which is hidden from the highway.To us, its this exciting thing that just opened  but we didnt realize that for people who are passing by, they probably dont even realize theres a beach down there, she said. So something as simple as putting up a sign that says beach this way with an arrow is something that was pointed out.Cassopolis, the county seat of Cass County in southwestern Michigan, is also planning on adding a mural inside its viaduct  a tunnel that goes under the train  after feedback that the sight was unwelcoming.The program is targeted at small rural communities, but Northrop said they will do major destinations as well, scaling the number of assessors and the amount data accordingly.But for a small city like Cass, which never saw itself as a tourist destination, Powell said the program gave the community a whole new outlook.[All communities] have people who are passing through, they have family members who are coming to visit, she said. When you look at it from that perspective, through that filter, you see a need for programs [like FIT].
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. Design estimates are being prepared for the construction of complete secondary schools for 960 pupils in Azerbaijans Zangilan and Kalbajar cities, the Ministry of Science and Education of Azerbaijan told Trend.

According to the ministry, the construction work is scheduled to begin in the above cities in September-October 2023.

The ministry said that the construction of a complete secondary school named after academician Mehdi Mehdizade and a complete secondary school No. 1 (both for 960 pupils) began in Jabrayil and Aghdam cities.

The construction of the school in Aghdam is planned to be completed by September 15, 2023.

Besides, design estimates are also being prepared for the design and restoration of a real school with the preservation of the historical building in Shusha city.

In September-October this year, its planned to begin work on the construction of the Fuzuli Vocational Lyceum.

Capital repairs of secondary school No. 2 in Lachin City have begun.

The construction of a complete secondary school No. 1 for 960 pupils in Shusha city has been going on since May 12, 2021, and its construction is planned to be completed by September 15 this year, added the ministry.

The Action Plan of the First State Program of the Great Return to the liberated territories of Azerbaijan was approved by the decree of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, signed on November 16, 2022.

According to the action plan, the Ministry of Science and Education was instructed to prepare proposals for the construction and restoration of educational institutions in settlements in accordance with the territorial planning documents for 2022-2026.

In accordance with the action plan, its planned to construct and restore seven preschool and general education institutions in the Shusha district, 29 in the Aghdam district, 23 in the Fuzuli district, 21 in the Zangilan district, 30 in the Kalbajar district, 21 in the Lachin district, 16 in the Gubadli district, 25 in the Jabrayil district, 20 in the Khojavand district, and five in the Tartar district (including Sugovushan and Talish settlements).
BART will change schedules in September and run trains every 20 minutes across all five lines at all hours on weekdays and weekends.

Agency officials said the changes, announced Thursday, attempt to adapt the regional rail system to compete against the Bay Areas disrupted travel patterns. To date, BART scheduling has mostly resembled 2019 service, with trains running every 15 minutes on all five lines during weekdays and less frequently during evenings and weekends.

Starting Sept. 11, weekday and weekend schedules will closely resemble one another. Trains will run at least every 20 minutes on each line from open to close, benefiting night and weekend riders who now wait 30 minutes or longer on some trips.

BART will also run more trains to San Francisco and Oakland international airports on weekdays.

No other route will benefit more from the new changes than BARTs Yellow Line to Antioch.

The Antioch line is the systems workhorse line, and its trains are closest to resembling the packed weekday crowds before the pandemic. The Yellow Line averages 99 passengers per train car during peak travel times, about twice the amount of any other BART line. BART will run six trains per hour, or every 10 minutes, on the Yellow Line on weekdays until 9 p.m.

There are some tradeoffs to the schedule changes, which will not raise operating costs for the fare-dependent agency.

Added frequencies on evenings and weekends come at the expense of adding five minutes to wait times on weekdays, particularly on the Blue Line to Dublin/Pleasanton.

BART ridership has stagnated since last fall, with weekday ridership about 40% of pre-pandemic levels. Downtown office workers accounted for a significant share of BARTs ridership in 2019, but many of them now only commute to work two or three times a week, if at all. Most Bay Area employers have already made long-term decisions on return-to-office requirements.

Agency officials said they will track ridership data to determine whether the changes succeeded in growing BARTs customer base. They acknowledged that success depends on improving BARTs reliability, which has seen a decline since last year.
A scientific journal has issued a correction to a 2008 brain study co-authored by Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne, The Chronicle has learned. The study is one of at least six scholarly articles under investigation by the universitys trustees for potentially falsified data.

The correction issued by The EMBO Journal, based in Germany, concerns a study by 11 authors, including Tessier-Lavigne, showing how two proteins signal nerve cells in the brain to stop growing or to change direction. The studys purpose was to shed light on how brain damage might be repaired.

The editors contacted the authors after becoming aware of potential image aberrations in the paper, says the correction posted on Wednesday.

It points to problems with four images, two of which have been retracted and replaced. Another was retracted entirely and the last was corrected.

However, the data that Dr. Tessier-Lavigne was responsible for was not subject to the corrigendum, Bernd Pulverer, head of scientific publications at EMBO, told The Chronicle. He noted that the article itself has been updated to reflect the corrections.

Tessier-Lavigne, a neuroscientist who has led Stanford since 2016, did not respond to a request for comment. But since the Stanford Daily student newspaper began raising questions in November about the accuracy of data in some of the university presidents scholarly papers, Tessier-Lavigne has issued several statements denying wrongdoing in any articles he has submitted. His CV lists 229 published studies.

I have never submitted a paper without firmly believing that the data were correct and accurately presented, Tessier-Lavigne wrote in a statement he posted on Dec. 5.

Four months ago, as questions emerged about the images, lead author Valerie Castellani took full responsibility for problems with the EMBO studys data and figures in comments she posted on the academic integrity site Pubpeer.

Castellani, a neuroscientist and research director at the University of Lyon in France, said the EMBO study was done early in her career and that her lab benefited from collaborating with Tessier-Lavigne and two other senior scientists.

They provided reagents and scientific input, but none contributed in the generation of the data and figures of the manuscript, she wrote.

At least five other papers co-authored by Tessier-Lavigne are under scrutiny, including three published in 2001 and 1999 for which he is a senior author. But the number of papers under inspection for potential manipulation could be more than a dozen, according to the Stanford Daily, which was the first to report questions of data integrity in four papers co-authored by Tessier-Lavigne.

Based on the Dailys reporting, the universitys trustees established a special committee to look into the accuracy of the research. The committee hired former federal Judge Mark Filip and the law firm Kirkland & Ellis to lead the review.

Filip set up a scientific panel of five experts to conduct the inquiry, which announced on May 1 that it expects to finish its probe in mid-July.

Courtesy the EMBO Journal

Among the six studies in question, four have formal expressions of concern attached to them: two in the journal Science for studies published in 2001, a 2009 Nature study, and one in Cell.

Published in 1999 with Tessier-Lavigne as senior author, the Cell study found that fibers in the nervous system that attract brain molecules called netrins have receptors that, when working together, can flip from attracting the netrins to repelling them.

In December, Cells editors attached an editorial expression of concern to the study noting that it contained spliced and duplicated images, a problem they said the corresponding author  Tessier-Lavigne  brought to their attention in 2015.

Initially, the editors took no action because in 1999 we did not have policies prohibiting the unmarked splicing of images seen in six of the studys figures, and they had too little information about the question of intent around a duplicated figure, they wrote.

But new potential problems caused them to reconsider. The editors said that multiple areas appeared to be duplicated in one figure, and there were two other possible duplications in another.

A university investigation is underway, and its outcome will inform any further action that we may take, Cells statement said.

Academic integrity specialist Elisabeth Bik, who has reviewed the six studies, told The Chronicle that the Cell study is for me by far the biggest concern of all papers listed here.

But the Stanford Daily has focused considerable attention on another study after four former scientists at Genentech  and recently, a fifth  told the paper that the 2009 study published in Nature contained falsified data.

Tessier-Lavigne, a former chief scientist at Genentech and the studys lead author, has lashed out at the Daily, calling its reporting replete with falsehoods.

Theo Baker, a Stanford freshman who broke the story about the presidents articles and recently became the youngest winner of the prestigious Polk journalism award for his continuing coverage, has said that he and the Dailys advisers fully stand by our reporting.

The Dailys report prompted Genentech to conduct its own inquiry into the integrity of the 2009 Nature study, which sought to explain the role of certain proteins in causing brain degeneration in Alzheimers disease.

On April 6, Genentech released its findings, which revealed that in 2012 the company ended its efforts to develop drugs based on the Nature study because the findings could not be consistently replicated.

Tessier-Lavigne and other senior Genentech leaders knew of the inconsistent binding results, the company said in its report. Although senior leaders urged that the 2009 Nature paper should be retracted or corrected, only Tessier-Lavigne or a co-author could ask Nature to do so, the report said.

The study remains publicly accessible and had no expression of concern attached to it until March 15, when the editors added this message: Concerns have been raised regarding some of the figures in this paper. Nature is investigating these concerns, and a further editorial response will follow as soon as possible. In the meantime, readers are advised to use caution when using results reported therein.

Genentechs inquiry revealed that the company reported to Nature that the 2009 study contained duplicate images in two figures, and another area with a composite of two images. The companys report says, We have not determined how these anomalies occurred.

In his response to the Daily article that prompted Genentechs inquiry, Tessier-Lavigne wrote: I reject in the strongest terms the accusation that I behaved improperly. I am confident that a full airing of the facts will vindicate my position.
Jacom Stephens/Getty Images

Authorities are looking for two men who tried to steal a catalytic converter before fleeing in a Maserati SUV, according to Berkeley police.

The men brandished a long rifle and a handgun at a victim while trying to steal the converter from a car near the intersection of Bancroft Way and McGee Avenue, Berkeley police said. The suspects fled at a high rate of speed with paper plates on the vehicle.
As college-bound high school seniors spend the month of April deciding where the next four years will take them, many hoping to attend a University of California school in the fall are left in limbo  on the waiting list.

Its a tense waiting game with unpredictable odds, and for many students it may be months before they know where theyll be attending in the fall.

Data from the past three UC admissions cycle show just how much the odds of success can vary from year to year and from campus to campus.

For example, in fall 2022, the more selective campuses, like UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC San Diego, also tended to be selective about their waiting lists.

UC Berkeley accepted only 1% of students from the 2022 waiting list: 48 of the 4,650 students who opted in. UCLAs rate was nearly as low, with 3.3% of waiting list applicants accepted, though the actual numbers were higher: 372 of 11,169 students who opted in. UC San Diego accepted 6.7% of waiting list applicants: 2,401 of 36,137 opt-ins.

Other campuses had higher percentages of wait-listed students admitted: UC Santa Cruz accepted 13%, UC Davis accepted 19%, UC Santa Barbara accepted 27% and UC Riverside accepted 40%.

But its important to remember that one years numbers do not have any bearing on what happens in the next year, according to Ariel Mazel-Gee, a college admissions consultant based in San Francisco, and Dale Leaman, executive director of undergraduate admissions at UC Irvine.

In fall 2020, for example, waiting list admissions were very high across the board as students grappled with new challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, choosing to defer admission rather than have a remote first year of college, or changing plans for financial reasons. The next year, the numbers were much lower at most schools.

How the waiting list works

Most colleges and universities, public and private, have waiting lists where admissions officers place students who didnt quite make the first cut in admissions, but could still get in if room opens up in the enrolling class.

That means that during March, when students were receiving admissions decisions from UC campuses, some, rather than getting a yes or a no, got offered a place on the waiting list.

It is common for students to apply to more than one UC, and thousands of students are placed on the waiting list for each UC campus every year.

While they can accept only one offer of admission, students can accept multiple waiting list offers  and many do both, taking a guaranteed spot at a less preferred campus while hoping to still get into their dream school.

Jessica Christian/The Chronicle 2022

Students offered a waiting list spot had an opt-in deadline of April 15. Statements of intent to register by those accepted in the first round are due May 1. Wait-listed students wont find out whether they made the second cut until after that deadline  anytime between May and July  as colleges calculate the number of spots available after admitted students accept their spots.

That means wait-listed students may have chosen a college by May 1, only to have those plans upended if they get off the waiting list for another school they prefer.

It makes me anxious

Marianne J., an 18-year-old senior at Sequoia High School in Redwood City, was wait-listed at UC Davis and UC San Diego and opted in to both. She said the extended uncertainty is stressful.

Liz Hafalia/The Chronicle 2016

It makes me anxious. I dont like thinking that I have to wait past May 1, said Marianne, who asked that her last name be withheld as the admissions process continues. Its like everyone else has decided around me, and Im here waiting for something I might not even get.

UC admissions officers emphasized that there is no way to predict how many students will be admitted from the waiting list at any campus. Because schools have a limited number of spots each year, it depends on how many admitted students choose to enroll, which means that the numbers vary from year to year, and from major to major.

Its important to realize that wait lists are a strategy for colleges to ensure that they have a full incoming class, said Mazel-Gee, the admissions consultant.

Leaman of UC Irvine added that students can do little to affect or even predict their chances of getting in.

Its just waiting, he told The Chronicle. I know its frustrating for students. I know its frustrating for parents. I know its frustrating for families. But we are really trying to use this process to provide as many opportunities as possible to students.

And for UCs, the waiting lists arent ranked, Mazel-Gee explained. If an admitted student who planned to major in biology and had a passion for art decides not to enroll, the school is likely going to look for someone with a similar profile.

They are looking to fill different niches within a class, she said.

Tips and strategies

Steps that students can take to increase their chances depend on the campus, according to Iris Berkley, a college admissions consultant based in Southern California.

Some campuses allow students to write a brief statement when they opt in to the waiting list, in which they can describe why the campus is right for them and anything theyve accomplished since the original application, she said. Others do not ask for any extra information to join the waiting list, nor will they consider any if a student offers it.

UCLA, for example, allows for an update letter, where students can reiterate their interest in a school and provide any new information about their academics or extracurriculars, Mazel-Gee said. In that letter, applicants can describe specific opportunities at the school and explain how those factors make the it a great match for them. But most others review only the original application when making waiting list decisions.

The admissions department at UC Berkeley will not consider anything beyond the initial application, including any extra letters of recommendation or letters of continued interest, a spokesperson for the school confirmed.

Berkeley only considers the applicants waitlist opt-in form and original application when determining who to admit off the waitlist, the spokesperson said in an email.

Brant Ward/The Chronicle 2010

The situation is similar at UC San Diego, said Jim Rawlins, associate vice chancellor of enrollment management.

Any movement of students off the waitlist is based on enrollment needs, and the waitlist is not ranked, he said. While a lot of students hear that they should write a letter of further interest, or have someone write a letter of support, we make our decision solely based on what the student has already provided  they do not need to take any additional steps.

If you are on a waiting list, UC admissions officers and college consultants recommend that you still accept a spot elsewhere.

All students should accept an offer at a school they have been accepted to, Mazel-Gee said. There is no guarantee that youll be admitted from a waitlist.

While it varies by UC campus, students who are let off the waiting list typically have no more than a week to accept the offer. While the good news is that they will still be eligible for housing and financial aid, students who accepted a spot at another UC will have to give up any deposit they made at that school, and deposits cannot be transferred between UCs. Deposits at UCs for undergraduates are $250.

What not to try

Leaman said that there are a few other misconceptions when it comes to the waiting list. Students cannot, for example, change their major in hopes of getting in through a different major, or try to offer their spot to a friend on a waiting list.

Admission is nontransferable, he said.

But the most important thing to remember during the process? Admission to any college wont make or break you, Leaman said.

Students are going to be successful wherever they go, he said. Dont let a college admission decision define you as a human being.

Marianne, the Sequoia High senior, said that even if she receives an offer from either of the two UC campuses where she is wait-listed, she doesnt think at this point her plans will change. Hoping to break into the creative industry, she accepted a spot at the Parsons School of Design in New York, which she visited  and loved  over spring break.

She said that going through the admissions process has shown her that no matter what classes you take or activities you do in high school, theres only so much you can control.

Ive really learned how much this system is a lottery, she said. Ive come to accept that its so random, its not something I should continue thinking about.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. According to the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of Defense signed between Azerbaijan, Turkiye and Georgia, a trilateral meeting of the heads of military educational institutions of these countries was held at the National Defense University, Trend reports with reference to Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry.

Rector of the National Defense University, Professor, Lieutenant General Heydar Piriyev welcomed the guests and emphasized the importance of discussion and exchange of experience.

Lieutenant General H. Piriyev noted that the close cooperation between the 3 countries serves to ensure peace and security in the region. He expressed confidence that such meetings will contribute to the further strengthening of friendly ties between professors, officers and teaching staffs of military educational institutions.

Commandant of Turkish Military Academy, Major General Gultekin Yaral, and Rector of the National Defence Academy of Georgia, Brigadier General Mamia Balakhadze expressed their gratitude to the Azerbaijani side for the high-level organization of the meeting and hospitality. They emphasized that holding such meetings would make a worthy contribution to the exchange of experience between military educational institutions, the implementation of joint programs and projects.

The guests signed the Book of Honor of the university.

Then the Turkish and Georgian delegations visited the Military Institute named after Heydar Aliyev.

The Monument of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and the Memorial Complex in memory of the Shehids (Martyrs) of the Patriotic War were visited, flowers were laid and their memory was honored.

The guests got acquainted with a photo board depicting the life and political activity of the Great Leader in the museum of the military institute.

Then a meeting was held at the Military Institute. Rector of the Military Institute named after Heydar Aliyev, Major General Fizuli Salahov discussed with the guests a number of issues of mutual interest in the field of military education. A briefing on the history and activities of the institute was presented.

Afterward, the delegations got acquainted with the territory of the institute, educational buildings, material and technical base, as well as the conditions created for the cadets and watched the educational process.

In the end, the sides exchanged presents and a photo was taken.
San Francisco police are investigating a theft-turned-shooting on Market Street that killed a person Thursday evening.

The victim, 24, was shot around 6:30 p.m. on the 800 block of Market Street, near the Walgreens store at Market and Fourth streets, police said. The victim died at a nearby hospital, they added.

Officials from the Young Women's Freedom Center, a San Francisco nonprofit that supports trans and female youth, identified the victim as Banko Brown, a community organizer at the organization.

He was a smart and funny young man, and though shy, made friends easily, said Julia Arroyo, co-executive director at YWFC. He was resilient and tenacious, and loved by our whole community.

In their preliminary investigation, police said that during the incident a theft occurred.

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said at a news conference Friday that the shooting was a shoplift that went bad. The person that was shot was allegedly shoplifting and it was a confrontation and the shooting happened from there.

The suspect was identified as 33-year-old Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony, who was working as a private security guard during the encounter, police said. The Police Department spokesperson declined to answer a question about whether Anthony was working for the Walgreens store near the site of the shooting.

Anthony was booked into San Francisco County Jail on a homicide charge, police said.

A spokesperson for Walgreens said the company was thinking of the victim and their family during this difficult time and cooperating with local authorities. The spokesperson did not respond to a question about whether Anthony was working as a security guard for the Walgreens store.

Anyone with information is asked to call the SFPD 24-hour tip line at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD. You may remain anonymous.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Mallory Moench contributed to this report.

Editors note: This story was updated to accurately represent the victims name.
At Harris Restaurant, one of San Franciscos oldest steak houses, the espresso-toned leather booths are a little less full than they were before the pandemic. In 2022, 11% fewer diners made reservations at the restaurant through the platform OpenTable than in 2019, said Harris director of operations David Buhagiar.

For San Francisco, that was better than average. Data analyzed by OpenTable show the number of diners at S.F. restaurants seated through the platform in 2022 was down 41% from 2019.

OpenTable compared seated diners  tallying online reservations, phone reservations, and walk-ins  across a sampling of U.S. cities from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2022, comparing against the same dates in 2021, 2020 and 2019. The dataset included only restaurants that use OpenTable, a paid service, which is based in San Francisco. OpenTable did not adjust data to account for restaurants closing or moving to different reservations services, which could make numbers appear worse.

Still, San Franciscos figures were far below a regional average of Bay Area cities, including San Jose, Berkeley and Oakland, which showed a 15% decline in reservations made on OpenTable compared to 2019. And San Franciscos recovery was slower than peer cities like Boston and Los Angeles, according to the OpenTable data.

While its possible that OpenTable has lost an unusual number of customers in San Francisco compared to these other cities, the most likely explanation is a dining scene that has been most devastated by the impact of COVID-19.

San Francisco was among the U.S. cities where restaurants were hit hardest by the pandemic, Amy Wei, chief revenue officer at OpenTable, wrote in an email to The Chronicle. These numbers reflect the culmination of many factors: the loss of business in the downtown core, the citys population decline and pandemic restaurant closures.

On OpenTable in Chicago, there were 26% fewer diners in 2022 than 2019, according to the data; Boston was somewhat better, down just 16% on OpenTable; OpenTable diners in Los Angeles were down only 10%; and Miami made the strongest recovery, surging from a pandemic negative of 46% to a 33% increase of diners seated on OpenTable.

In 2020, like so many restaurants across the city and country, Harris closed its dining room and relied on Paycheck Protection Program loans and whatever grants they could access to stay afloat. In an effort to keep steady revenue, the restaurant began to sell its finely marbled cuts of beef directly to customers. The restaurants number of diners seated on OpenTable in 2020 was down 78% from 2019, worse than the city OpenTable average of 76%.

Laurie Thomas, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, a San Francisco restaurant trade group, noted that the citys recovery has been uneven. Some neighborhoods have experienced restaurant recoveries at or above pre-pandemic levels, she wrote in an email. However, Downtown recovery lags, as many workers continue to work remotely either full or part time, Thomas wrote.

SFNext is Chronicle coverage devoted to the city's most vexing problems. To become involved: Send feedback, ideas and suggestions to sfnext@SFChronicle.com

Chris Lehman, the general manager at Union Square gastropub Bartlett Hall, said his 2022 OpenTable reservations were down 60% compared to 2019. Elsewhere, numbers were more encouraging. Rich Troiani, general manager at the Embarcaderos WaterBar, said the restaurant had its strongest yearly revenue in 2022. One sore spot, however, was no-shows. Around 15% of reservations, for which the restaurant uses OpenTable, didnt arrive, said Lehman. OpenTables data did not account for no-shows, meaning the number of actual paying diners could be lower

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

Harris location, between Nob Hill, Russian Hill and Pacific Heights, helped it survive, said Buhagiar, the restaurants director of operations. It was supported by neighbors and regulars celebrating with aged prime rib and martinis.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

Nationwide, restaurant sales are actually trending upward. Spending on food services and drinking places was 12.3% higher in March of 2023 than the year before, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau report.

Buhagiar believes his restaurant will have a good 2023, but hes worried about regular business closings, people leaving the city and the slow return of tourism and conventions. On Friday night at Harris, there were still plenty of open tables to be found on OpenTable.

While the unusually cold and rainy start to the year dampened dining and tourist activity, which OpenTable reports brings in 30% of S.F. reservations, some, like Thomas of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, see hope as the days continue to warm up.

We are hopeful that we will have a strong summer tourist season, Thomas wrote.
WASHINGTON (AP)  With COVID-19 immigration restrictions set to expire, the Biden administration on Thursday announced measures meant to stop migrants from illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, both by cracking down on many of those who do come, and by creating new pathways meant to offer an alternative to the dangerous journey.

The effort includes opening processing centers outside the United States for people fleeing violence and poverty to apply to fly in legally and settle in the United States, Spain or Canada. The first processing centers will open in Guatemala and Colombia, with others expected to follow.

The administration also plans to swiftly screen migrants seeking asylum at the border itself, quickly deport those deemed as not being qualified, and penalizing people who cross illegally into the U.S. or illegally through another country on their way to the U.S. border.

But it is unclear whether the measures will do much to slow the tide of migrants fleeing countries marred by political and economic strife. Further increasing the pressure is the looming end of public health rules instituted amid the pandemic that allowed for quickly expelling many migrants and set to expire on May 11.

This is a hemispheric challenge that demands hemispheric solutions, said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas during a news conference as he laid out how the U.S. is working with other countries in the region.

Mayorkas also warned that migrants and human smugglers should not interpret the upcoming deadline to mean that everyone should come: Let me be clear, our border is not open and will not be open after May 11."

Immigration has vexed Biden throughout his presidency, with top GOP leaders hammering him as soft on border security. Immigrant advocates, meanwhile, argue that the president is abandoning humanitarian efforts with stricter measures meant to keep migrants from coming illegally.

The topic isnt going away. As he announces his 2024 reelection bid, Biden is trying to strike a balance that could be difficult to achieve, particularly if crowds of migrants end up in border facilities after May 11.

The administration has also repeatedly pointed to Congress, saying it has been unable to come to an agreement on comprehensive immigration reform.

The efforts announced Thursday build on a carrot-and-stick approach to immigration that the administration has been increasingly using, whereby they offer incentives like humanitarian parole visas for hundreds of thousands of people and harsh consequences for many who come to the border. Those have so far included:

 Processing centers: The administration will open migration centers in numerous countries starting with Guatemala and Colombia to be run by the International Organization of Migration and the U.N. agency tasked with helping refugees. There potential migrants can get information on various ways they can migrate to the United States, such as applying for refugee status or a worker program. The administration said both Canada and Spain have said they'd take migrants referred from these centers, although no specific numbers were given. The U.S. also said it would double the number of refugees taken from Central and South America. No specific number was given there, either, but during fiscal year 2023 the U.S. pledged to accept 15,000 refugees from Latin America and the Caribbean.

 Stiffer, faster penalties: The administration says it will process asylum-seekers who come to the southern border faster  in days, not weeks  with the goal of sending people back quickly who don't clear initial screenings. Those removed from the country would be barred from entering the U.S. for five years. The administration says it aims to dramatically increase flights on which migrants are sent home from the U.S. Officials also said a previously announced rule which would limit asylum for those who pass through another country without first seeking protection there, or who enter the U.S. illegally, is also set to go into effect before the May 11 deadline passes.

 No family detention: The administration stopped short of saying they'd detain families crossing the border illegally. That step would have sparked widespread condemnation from immigration advocates and Biden allies. But they said they'd monitor families through things like curfews and GPS monitoring and stressed that families would be removed if found unqualified to stay in the U.S.

 Family reunification: DHS is creating a new family reunification parole process for people from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Colombia. And the agency is modernizing the existing family reunification process for people from Cuba and Haiti.

 Smuggler crackdown: Mayorkas stressed efforts to more strictly combat smuggling networks that facilitate travel from across the region to the U.S. border.

Andrew Selee, who heads the Migration Policy Institute, said the plans announced are the clearest weve seen of a strategy" from the administration on how to deal with immigration. But he cautioned that it would still require a lot of time and commitment for the plan to be successful.

"I think its the closest weve seen to a comprehensive plan," Selee said. He said the administration was betting a lot on the processing centers, and said potentially they can serve to give people information about migration options in a way that a U.S. Embassy, for example, cannot.

But Selee said they would have to be closely linked to local networks in various countries so prospective migrants know about them, and so local organization who know the people who are most desperate to flee can refer them to the centers.

Thursday's announcement was met with criticism by many immigration advocates, including members of the president's own party who have been troubled by Biden's increasing efforts to make it harder to access asylum at the border.

Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, said he was disappointed in the plan, especially after spending recent weeks urging the White House to adopt a different immigration strategy, including extending temporary protected status to people from several Central American countries. He also cast doubt on how parts of the plan would be implemented.

The question is, how are we going to set up those processing centers? What are the entities that will be there to make sure that a person is being processed in the appropriate way? What are we doing with third countries to be able to accept individuals and make sure that they are safe?" said Menendez.

Many groups that work to assist refugees and other migrants said they welcomed some aspects of the president's plan, such as allowing in more refugees from South and Central America and speeding up family reunification efforts. But they said that shouldn't come at the expense of people applying for asylum at the border.

The International Refugee Assistance Project said in a statement that it is concerned at the lack of details in the plan, how it will be implemented and where the money will come from. The group also said that the U.S.'s refugee resettlement program is still struggling to recover after cuts during the Trump administration.

We have more questions than answers, said Lacy Broemel, a project policy analyst.

Others, including right-leaning groups already intensely critical of Biden, lambasted the plan, saying that faster processing of migrants simply means they're entering the country faster. The Federation for American Immigration Reform said the initiatives amount to a massive and illegal scheme designed to accommodate unlimited numbers of migrants."

___

Spagat reported from San Diego. Stephen Groves in Washington and Valeria Gonzales in McAllen, Texas, contributed to this report.

___

This story was first published on April 27, 2023. It was published again on April 28, 2023, to correct the name of an organization to the International Refugee Assistance Project, not the International Refugee Assistance Program.
Regarding If As leave for Las Vegas, blame Giants for helping drive them from Bay Area (Giants, SFChronicle.com, April 26): To blame the Giants for the demise of the Oakland As and their probable move to Las Vegas is nonsense.

Newsflash: The San Francisco Giants are in business to make money. Keeping the As out of what had long been established as Giants territory was simply good judgment. There was nothing personal about it.

What company does not work to defeat its competitors to increase its customer base? You dont think McDonalds has done all it can to knock off Burger King?

Why should it be any different for the Giants in their effort to increase shares by keeping their competitors at bay?

Keep building BART

Regarding Pause BART expansion (Letters to the Editor, April 27): Rather than pause the BART extension into downtown San Jose, I can think of three reasons to build it now: timing, jobs and livability.

BART ridership may be low at this post-COVID moment to justify the construction, but housing is still in demand and traffic congestion in this area is already epic. It will take a decade before this extension is open, so why wait until relief is desperately needed before beginning to break ground?

In the meantime, the construction jobs will help reboot the economy as we build a network that finally links the regions three biggest cities together and (with an electrified Caltrain) that offers a viable, zero-emission alternative to the automobile on both sides of the Bay.

Peter Albert, San Francisco

Assault case can proceed

Regarding Man accused of attacking ex-S.F. official released from jail after commissioner skips court (Crime, SFChronicle.com, April 27): San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins was wrong when she stated that Don Carmignanis testimony is necessary for us to prove these charges.

Had Carmignani succumbed to his injuries, he would not be available to testify, but the same video would provide solid evidence of murder. The charge is assault only because he survived, but the evidence of the illegal conduct is just as strong.

The video shows Carmignani hit in the back of the head as he was running away, for which there is no justification for this vicious attack, even if he had previously maced the attacker.

Neil Hallinan, San Francisco

Hold Big Oil accountable

As a public health nurse, I am pleased by the Supreme Courts decision to allow local governments to sue oil companies for their contribution to climate change.

Climate change poses significant risks to public health from extreme weather events, air pollution, waterborne diseases, food insecurity and it causes mental health problems. Oil companies prioritize profits over community health despite being aware of their role in climate change.

I respectfully disagree with Chevrons attorney, who dismissed these lawsuits as harmful to the economy. Taking action to address climate change is crucial for the economy.

I hope policymakers take immediate action to address climate change by transitioning to clean energy sources and implementing policies that hold corporations accountable for their actions.

Negin Zahedikia, San Francisco

S.F. taxes are worth it

San Francisco property taxes were due this month, and I was more than happy to pay.

On April 8, my wife was having severe difficulty breathing. My daughter and I couldnt move my wife to take her to the hospital, so as a last resort I called 911. The dispatcher assured me in a measured voice that help was on the way, asked me questions pertaining to my wifes problem, and, as she hung up, again assured me help was coming.

Within seven minutes Fire Department personnel were at our front door. They took control and moved my wife to a gurney, asked me which hospital I wanted to have her sent to, checked if it was accepting patients and assured me they would have her in an ambulance and to the emergency room soon.

The professionalism of the Fire Department team was above reproach. I am more than happy to pay my taxes.

John Schram, San Francisco
Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers are turning to law-enforcement strategies to address the fentanyl crisis on the streets of San Francisco.

On this episode of the Fifth & Mission podcast, Capitol reporter Sophia Bollag joins host Dominic Fracassa to discuss how the California Highway Patrol and National Guard will be deployed to battle open use and trafficking in the city. Plus, why legislators are holding up some bills that would crack down on dealers.
A 2018 California law was intended to protect immigrants from deportation by preventing prison officials from holding imprisoned migrants after their sentences and allowing federal agents to seize them for removal. But a new lawsuit says state prisons are flouting the law by reporting every foreign-born inmate  including U.S. citizens, legal residents and even those who merely look foreign  to federal immigration agencies.

The California prison system is undermining California values of equality, fairness and justice, said Sana Singh, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California, which sued Thursday on behalf of immigrants and their advocates. Despite its laws, she said, California operates a system of double punishment that rips apart immigrant and refugee families and communities.

Or as one plaintiff, Anouthinh Choy Pangthong, put it in a statement released by his attorneys, For nearly two decades, I lived with the fear and trauma caused by (the prisons) discriminatory ICE notification policy based on where I was born.  It got to the point that I almost hoped to stay in (prison) custody to just avoid being ripped apart from my home and family after release.

Pangthong, born in a refugee camp in Thailand, became a naturalized U.S. citizen after his parents emigrated to the United States when he was an infant. He was convicted of a murder in Stockton in 1997, when he was 15, and spent 19 years in prison before being paroled.

Because of his foreign birth, the suit said, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which runs the prisons, notified U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, which immediately listed him to be held for deportation after his release. A lawyer persuaded ICE to remove Pangthong from the list shortly before his parole, the suit said, but in the meantime he had been denied access to education and rehabilitation programs because of his custody status.

Each year, without ICEs direction and on its own initiative, CDCR identifies hundreds of people in its custody whom it believes were born outside of the United States, often based simply on their appearance, said the suit, filed in Alameda Superior Court.

Then, under a policy in effect since at least 2005, the suit said, CDCR sends lists of all foreign-born  and perceived foreign-born  individuals in its custody to ICE without regard to whether they are U.S. citizens or otherwise not deportable.

The state agency then makes those inmates ineligible for minimum-security placement, for prison jobs such as firefighting and some kitchen and laundry work, and from placement in camps that would allow them to gain credits that could shorten their sentences, the attorneys said.

They said the policy violates the California Constitutions prohibitions against racial and ethnic discrimination as well as the 2018 law known as the California Values Act. It prohibits the Department of Corrections from penalizing inmates because of their national origin or immigration status, and  except for those convicted of violent or serious felonies  from keeping immigrants in custody after their sentence is over and notifying ICE so they can be picked up for deportation.

Although the law does not forbid all contact with ICE, a study in 2019 found that arrests by the immigration agency at jails in California declined by 41% in the first five months that the law was in effect. Pending legislation, AB1306, would prohibit the Department of Corrections from sending ICE several categories of inmates, including those convicted of crimes as youngsters and those who are eligible for early release because of their age or severe medical conditions.

There was no immediate response from the Department of Corrections or Gov. Gavin Newsoms office to a request for comment on the lawsuit.
Gov. Gavin Newsom will deploy California Highway Patrol officers to combat open-air drug dealing in San Franciscos Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods starting Monday.

The CHP officers will investigate opioid trafficking cases and train local police on identifying drugs and intoxicated drivers and others engaging in drug crimes. They will also help local police patrol the neighborhoods to deter and disrupt drug dealing, which could include arresting dealers, California Highway Patrol Commissioner Sean Duryee said Friday.

Duryee declined to say exactly how many officers will be deployed, citing officer safety concerns, but noted there are 75 CHP officers already stationed in San Francisco. He said the officers who volunteered for this operation are from San Francisco. The governors office didnt say when the operation will end.

Fourteen members of the California National Guard will also assist to crack down on the supply of fentanyl, the powerful opioid thats caused a spike in overdose deaths during the pandemic, but they wont be deployed on the ground in San Francisco. Instead, they will help with intelligence gathering to map drug cartels and build investigations, which they do in other areas including San Diego, Maj. Gen. Matthew Beevers said.

State Attorney General Rob Bonta also announced that the California Department of Justice will provide legal help in prosecuting cases in any operations that cross jurisdictions.

This is not about criminalizing people struggling with substance use  this is about taking down the prominent poison peddlers and their connected crime rings that prey on the most vulnerable, and harm our residents and our reputation, Newsom said in a statement. While its true that San Francisco is safer than many cities its size, we cannot let this rampant crime continue.

Newsoms polarizing plan comes amid heated debates among residents and state lawmakers over how to address the overdose crisis. Locally, the move to bring more law enforcement into the city has drawn cheers from increasingly vocal moderates and resistance from criminal justice reform and public health advocates who argue that more cops on the streets wont solve the causes of drug dealing or addiction and could criminalize people who use drugs, pushing back against the governors assurance.

Newsom announced state intervention a week ago but offered scant details until Friday. The move followed his visit to the Tenderloin last week and requests for state and federal help from local officials, including Mayor London Breed and Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, to curb the crisis. Overdose deaths in the city jumped more than 40% in the first three months of this year compared with last year.

They heard the pleas and the cries of the community asking for help, asking for something different. Well this is something different, and I am looking forward to a real change in our city, Breed said Friday at a news conference at City Hall flanked by state and local law enforcement leaders, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and Peskin.

Breed said accountability is essential and the initiative will send a strong message to criminals holding communities hostage. And in a recurring recent refrain, she rejected the negative narrative of a crime-ridden San Francisco by describing positive events this week.

Its time for us to write our own narrative about what San Francisco is because we live it and breathe it every single day, she said.

Its not clear whether CHP presence will have any immediate or lasting impact on San Franciscos long-troubled areas.

Newsom sent the CHP to Oakland for three weekends in September 2021 to enforce traffic laws as the city dealt with a wave of violent crime. After the operation, then-Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong said sideshow activity dropped during that month. But a year and a half later, Oakland continues to struggle with sideshows and fatal freeway shootings.

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said success will be measured not necessarily in arrests, but by whether there is lasting change on the streets.

The last thing we want to do is clean the streets up for a week, two weeks, a month and then everybody goes back to their regular way of doing things and it starts all over again, he said. We have to sustain this effort.

Breed said I hope the operation will have more success than past efforts such as a U.S. attorney-led initiative in the Tenderloin that resulted in hundreds of charges from mid-2019 to the end of 2020, but not lasting change on the streets.

Breed has been trying since December 2021 to crack down on open-air drug dealing in the Tenderloin, with mixed success. She deployed more officers in the neighborhood, most recently at the request of business owners, which led to some cleared blocks, according to proponents. Breed has said vacancies in the Police Department are hindering her efforts, and poured money into beefing up the police budget to try to retain and recruit officers.

Jenkins, whom Breed appointed, pledged to be tougher on fentanyl dealers than her predecessor and won a November election to fill the remainder of Chesa Boudins term after he was recalled.

Officials said last year that in the first three months after Jenkins appointment, drug seizures, arrests and felony narcotics cases filed all jumped compared with the year before. The share of resolved cases that ended in a jail or prison sentence climbed, and narcotics cases leapt this year.

Breed and Jenkins also support treatment for people addicted to drugs, which the mayor has increased, but have said there should also be accountability.

Critics say more enforcement wont fix what they believe is fundamentally a social issue.

If a drug dealer is arrested, someone might take their place the day after, said Brian Cox, a deputy San Francisco public defender. It isnt solving the underlying issue or treating the reason why people are using drugs.  What we should be focusing on is solving those social problems.

Supervisor Matt Dorsey, a former police spokesperson who represents SoMa and is in recovery from drug addiction, disagreed that street-level dealers are easily replaceable and wants to see more prosecution of them.

Its time to focus on the lives of drug addicts and not the livelihoods of drug dealers, Dorsey said.

Peskin, who has asked Newsom and Breed to take more action against street drug peddlers, said we have to send out the message that this kind of open-air drug dealing behavior is not going to be tolerated by also arresting and booking people for selling on the streets.

Supervisor Dean Preston, who represents the Tenderloin, was not available for comment Friday, but tweeted Tuesday that Newsoms plan was a radical proposal and sent letters to state officials and city departments demanding information about any deployments in his district.

Preston has consistently opposed Breeds proposals for more police funding. Instead, he proposed spending $10 million on non-police public safety measures, including more community ambassadors and a street dealing intervention team that would prevent violence, connect dealers who are addicted to treatment and transition people off the streets, possibly through alternative employment.

Del Seymour, a Tenderloin business owner and nonprofit leader in recovery who once sold drugs, does not support more cops on the streets, but welcomes state coordination to go after suppliers. However, if the intervention was successful, he also predicted repercussions for people struggling with substance use in the Tenderloin, such as higher prices that could lead to property crime and more acute withdrawal for people addicted to drugs if the supply is disrupted.

Its going to be a mess down there if this works, he said.
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Cloud storage company Dropbox and once-booming audio community Clubhouse are the latest San Francisco tech firms to conduct mass layoffs.

Dropbox will lay off 500 employees or 16% of its workforce, CEO Drew Houston said in a memo.

Clubhouse will lay off over half of its workforce, founders Paul Davison and Rohen Set wrote in a memo. The company didnt disclose how many workers would be affected, but late last year Davison told TechCrunch that Clubhouse had nearly 100 employees.

The layoffs add to another brutal week for San Francisco companies, including those outside the tech sector: Gap Inc. said Thursday it would cut 1,800 jobs and First Republic Bank plans to cut 20% to 25% of its workforce, or up to around 1,800 people. Experts said the bank is at risk of collapse.

Houston cited the rise of artificial intelligence as a major reason for restructuring Dropbox in order to capitalize on the sector.

Houston said our next stage of growth requires a different mix of skill sets, particularly in AI and early-stage product development. Weve been bringing in great talent in these areas over the last couple years and well need even more.

Slowing growth, an economic downturn and cuts to some projects with less potential than expected also led to the cuts.

Dropbox has sharply reduced its office space due to remote work and reported a $175.2 million loss in February related to the Bay Area real estate downturn. The company has sought to sublease most of its Mission Bay headquarters, but demand has been weaker than expected.

San Franciscos unemployment rate, a lagging indicator, rose to 3% in March, up slightly from 2.9% in February and a full percentage point higher than Decembers 2%.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Clubhouse soared in popularity during the pandemic as people yearned to socialize safely. Celebrities including Oprah Winfrey and tech moguls like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg made appearances, and millions of users signed up.

But as the world has opened up post-COVID, its become harder for many people to find their friends on Clubhouse and to fit long conversations into their daily lives. To find its role in the world, the product needs to evolve. This requires a period of change, Davison and Set said.

They said the companys current size was hindering communication and coordination and cutting down to a smaller product-focused team was necessary. Remote work  one of the trends that helped make Clubhouse popular in the first place  was also an obstacle, they said.

We arrived at this conclusion reluctantly, as we have years of runway remaining and do not feel immediate pressure to reduce costs. But we believe that a smaller team will give us focus and speed, and help us launch the next evolution of the product, they said.
Californias first heat wave of the year is coming to an end this weekend as rounds of marine air over the Pacific Ocean comes thrashing through the Golden Gate Bridge and back into San Francisco Bay.

Its going to take some time before all the cool air in the bayside spills into the rest of the region. But by Sunday morning, residents across the Bay Area can expect to wake up to the mistier, foggier and cooler weather, with some residents experiencing as much as a 20-degree cooldown.

A chilly farewell to April

Out with the heat wave, in with the cold low.

This weekends weather maker will be a cold low-pressure system thats set to swap places with the ridge of high pressure responsible for this weeks warmth. This system will slowly settle off the coast of Sonoma County, reeling in rounds of marine clouds and sea breezes toward the shoreline.

As the system digs deeper into the atmosphere, it will carve out a path for colder, moister air to stream into the wider Bay Area. Weather models signal that the most pronounced changes to temperature and cloud cover will kick off around Sunday morning, with residents in the interior valleys of the North Bay, East Bay and South Bay likely to experience a 15 to 20-degree cooldown compared to daytime highs on Friday and Saturday.

Baron/Lynx

Residents in San Jose, Walnut Creek and Santa Rosa will be the target of this weekends low-pressure system, with temperatures likely to only reach the lower 60s once the marine air infiltrates all the inland valleys.

Winds are also looking to kick up during the big cooldown, with gusts to 30 mph possible along the immediate coastline, including Point Reyes and Bodega Bay. Expect 15 to 20 mph gusts across the wider Bay Area, along with more clouds in the sky.

Baron/Lynx

As for whether or not stratus clouds  also called high fog  return to the coast, bays and delta, it looks like the highest chances for foggy conditions are slated for Saturday and Sunday mornings. Residents on the west side of San Francisco, who have already gotten a taste of that fog earlier this week, are likely to see more of it this weekend. Eventually, some of the fog will reach the delta and some of the hillsides east of the Caldecott Tunnel, but that wont be the case until after all the cool air finally makes it out to the inland valleys on Sunday.

All in all, its shaping up to be a sudden shift back to grayer skies and cooler air  just in time for the start of May Gray.

Weekend outlook

San Francisco: The high-pressure system responsible for this weeks heat is on its way out Friday and into the weekend, allowing the marine layer to slowly flow back into the Inner Sunset and Richmond. The return of cool, moist winds off the Pacific Ocean will also keep daytime temperatures on the west side closer to the upper 60s Friday, falling to the mid-60s Saturday and lower 60s Sunday. Cooler temperatures will also be possible by Saturday and Sunday over Twin Peaks and Diamond Heights as high fog streams over Mount Sutro and drops daytime temperatures to the lower 60s.

The cooling trend is also looking to reach residents east of Sutro Tower, where daytime highs in the Castro, Mission, SoMa and downtown will go from lower 70s Friday to the lower to mid-60s by Sunday. Expect more widespread fog Sunday morning as mist spills into the hillside and winds raise gusts to 20 mph.

Pacific Coast and Peninsula: A big cooldown is coming to the Peninsula as the marine layer bounces back over the course of the weekend. Look for breezy 15 to 25 mph gusts along the coast and San Bruno Gap every afternoon and for the steady return of high fog to the hillsides along Highway 1 between Half Moon Bay and Pacifica. This rush of cold air will allow for a 7 to 10 degree fall in daytime temperatures, so that coastal residents experiencing daytime highs in the upper 60s Friday can expect those same daytime highs to fall all the way to the upper 50s by Sunday.

Residents along the I-280 and 101 corridors  including Redwood City and Menlo Park  can look for an even sharper fall in daytime highs, with a 15 to 20-degree difference between Fridays highs in the lower 80s and Sundays highs in the lower 60s.

North Bay: Bayside towns of Sausalito and Tiburon have been spared from some of the warmest air in the region this week and that trend is looking to continue into Friday. Marin County residents by the water and near Battery Spencer can expect temperatures around the 70-degree mark Friday afternoon, while residents farther inland will once again experience daytime highs in the mid to upper 80s.

But cool weather is looking to arrive Saturday. A rush of fog and misty winds are slated to skim the waters of the Golden Gate Bridge. This colder air mass will expand into the bays and delta over the course of the weekend, dropping daytime temperatures by 10 degrees along the water and 15 degrees inland. This means that bayside and delta residents can expect daytime highs to fall from the upper 60s Saturday to the 60-degree mark by Sunday.

More pronounced cooling is on tap for the Santa Rosa, Napa and Petaluma valleys, where Saturdays daytime highs in the mid-80s will fall to the lower 70s by Sunday.

East Bay: The bay and delta breezes are looking to clear out all the hot air sitting over Alameda and Contra Costa counties this weekend. Fridays daytime highs mid to upper 70s in bayside cities like Richmond, Oakland and Hayward will be swept away by cooler, mistier winds over the water. Look for daytime highs in the upper 60s Saturday and lower 60s Sunday as temperatures return to whats typical for the last weekend of April.

Residents in the San Ramon and Livermore valleys will experience an even more dramatic cooldown as the delta breeze spills into Walnut Creek, Dublin and Pleasanton between Friday and Sunday. Fridays balming highs in the upper 80s will only make it to the lower 80s Saturday and the 70-degree mark Sunday.

South Bay and Santa Cruz: The Santa Clara Valley is looking to catch a break from the recent hot weather. A cool air mass is setting its sights on the South Bay starting Friday, reeling in cool, moist air from both San Francisco and Monterey bays. This air mass will raise light winds in the valley and along Highway 17 between Pasatiempo and Los Gatos, resulting in a cool down for both the South Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains.

San Joses daytime highs will go from the upper 80s Friday, upper 70s to lower 80s Saturday and lower 60s Sunday. This cooling trend will also be felt in mountain towns like Felton, Ben Lomond and Scotts Valley where Fridays upper 70s will fall to the mid-60s by Sunday.

While this clash of the air masses takes place inland, residents along Monterey Bay can look forward to daytime highs hovering between the upper 60s to lower 70s all weekend long.

Reach Gerry Diaz: gerry.diaz@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @geravitywave
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. Free practice of Formula 1 teams has started within the framework of the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2023, Trend reports.

The practice of the teams will last one hour.

The Formula 1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan has started officially on April 28.

On the first day of the competition, which will be held on April 28-30, Baku is holding free practice sessions of Formula 1 and Formula 2 teams and a rating round.

The second practice session of the Formula 1 teams and the sprint races of the Formula 1 and Formula 2 teams will take place on April 29.

Meanwhile, the main competitions will be held on April 30 and the winners will be determined.

Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix of 2023 will last until April 30. The majority of those who bought tickets for the Grand Prix are citizens of the UK and the Netherlands.

The first Formula One Grand Prix to be held in Azerbaijan was the 2016 European Grand Prix, which took place at the Baku City Circuit. A year later, in 2017, the same venue hosted the first Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The suspect in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 280 in San Mateo County was charged with five felonies and one misdemeanor, county District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told SFGATE on Thursday.

Constellatia Martin, 24, was charged Thursday with vehicular manslaughter while under the influence of drugs, driving under the influence of drugs causing death, driving under the influence of drugs causing great bodily injury, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and leaving the scene where great bodily injury was caused  all felony charges. Martin was also charged with driving the wrong way on a divided highway resulting in death, a misdemeanor.

Martin allegedly drove the opposite way of traffic on I-280s southbound lanes near Woodside on Saturday and collided head-on with another vehicle, California Highway Patrol said.

A 54-year-old San Francisco woman, identified as Eden Palmer, died at the scene after Martin allegedly crashed into her vehicle, officials said. Palmers 14-year-old son was also in the vehicle and sustained serious injuries, CHP said.

Wagstaffe said Martin was charged with drug-related crimes because she allegedly refused to take field sobriety tests or make any statements. He added that at this point, there is no evidence of alcohol at the scene, such as bottles or the smell of alcohol, but officials are waiting for the results of a blood sample test.

The DA also alleged that Martin displayed other symptoms associated with being under the influence at the scene.

Following the crash, some witnesses told CHP that Martin pulled off her clothes and tried getting into other vehicles, CHP spokesperson Arturo Montiel told SFGATE on Tuesday.

Martin, who also had severe injuries, was arrested Saturday, CHP said.

She was booked into the San Mateo County Jail on Wednesday after being released from the Stanford Medical Center, said CHP spokesperson Andrew Barclay.

Martin appeared in court Thursday in San Mateo County for her arraignment, Wagstaffe said. She will remain in custody with no bail, at the request of the DAs office, due to public safety concerns, he said. Her plea hearing is scheduled for May 11 at 9 a.m.
Exxon Mobil more than doubled its profit during the first quarter, producing more oil to overcome energy prices that have declined during a period of economic unease.

The nation's second-largest oil company, Chevron, also beat expectations, but did so more through its refining operations.

Exxon's et oil and gas net production jumped by nearly 300,000 oil-equivalent barrels per day compared with the same period last year, which was marked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and soaring energy prices. Last year at this time, a barrel of U.S. crude was trading above $100, about 30% higher than today.

A month after the invasion of Ukraine began Exxon said that it would pull out of Russia, where it valued its operations in excess of $4 billion, and cut off new investment in the country. In October, the company said its operations had been expropriated by Moscow after it had tried to wind them down in an orderly fashion,

The company boosted production in Guyana by 40% since then, which more than offset our divestments in the expropriation of one which we no longer account for but which importantly remains part of global supply, said Chairman and CEO Darren Woods on Friday.

Exxon earned a record $11.43 billion, or $2.79 per share, for the three months ended March 31. Per-share adjusted earning were $2.83, topping Wall Street projections of $2.65, and it more than twice the $5.48 billion, or $1.28 per share, it earned during the first quarter last year.

Exxon does not adjust its reported results based on one-time events such as asset sales.

Revenue for the Irving, Texas-based company was $86.56 billion, down from $90.5 billion a year earlier, and just shy of analyst expectations.

Net production was 3.8 million oil-equivalent barrels per day, up nearly 160,000 oil-equivalent barrels per day compared with the year-ago period. Excluding divestments, entitlements and the Sakhalin-1 expropriation, net production climbed almost 300,000 oil-equivalent barrels per day driven by projects in Guyana and the Permian.

The price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude has fallen more than 6% this year, however, and it's fallen 29% over the past 12 months. Central banks have been attempting to cool their respective economies because of elevated inflation and evidence of those maneuvers have begun to appear.

The U.S. reported this week that its economy slowed sharply from January through March, decelerating to just a 1.1% annual pace as higher interest rates hammered the housing market and businesses reduced their inventories.

U.S. benchmark crude oil was at $75.25 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange on Friday, while brent crude, the international standard, was at $78.74 per barrel.

Chevron Corp., based in San Ramon, California, posted a profit of $6.57 billion. Its adjusted earnings totaled $3.55 per share, while revenue came in at $50.79 billion.

The company refining operations churned out nearly $1 billion in profits, more than doubling earns from a year ago in that division.

Shares of Exxon Mobil Corp. rose more than 2% at the opening bell while shares of Chevron rose less than 1%.
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BEIJING (AP)  Foreign companies are under growing pressure in China from anti-corruption, national security and other investigations as President Xi Jinpings government tightens control over business, clashing with efforts to lure back investors after the pandemic.

This week, Bain & Co. said police questioned staff in its Shanghai office. The consulting company gave no details of what investigators were looking for. Last month, the corporate due diligence firm Mintz Group said its Beijing office was raided by police who detained five employees. Also last month, an employee of a Japanese drug maker was detained on spying charges and the government announced a security review of memory chip maker Micron Inc.

The ruling Communist Party is trying to reignite investor interest i n China despite increased political control over the economy. Business groups have said global companies are shifting investment plans to Southeast Asia, India and other economies.

At a time when China is proactively trying to restore business confidence to attract foreign investment, the actions taken send a very mixed signal, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said Friday in a statement.

A foreign ministry spokesperson said she didn't know about the Bain & Co. case but defended Chinese law enforcement.

China welcomes foreign companies to invest and do business in China. We are committed to building an internationalized, market-oriented and law-based business environment, said Mao Ning. All companies in China should operate in compliance with law.

Xi, Chinas most powerful leader in decades, is in the midst of multiple campaigns to tighten ruling party control over entrepreneurs, root out official corruption and reduce reliance on foreign technology and expertise.

Chinas relations with Washington, Europe and Tokyo are strained by disputes about human rights, Taiwan, security and technology. But there is no indication whether the investigations were politically motivated. Chinese companies have been targeted for more severe action.

The Beijing office of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu was fined 211.9 million yuan ($30.8 million) in March on charges that it failed to adequately audit state-owned China Huarong Asset Management Co. That came after Huarongs former boss was sentenced to death in 2021 on charges of taking bribes.

The ruling party has tightened legal restrictions on access to information about companies and their employees. That has increased uncertainty for firms including Bain & Co. and Mintz Group that help clients spot fraud or other misconduct by business partners or acquisition targets.

We can confirm that the Chinese authorities have questioned staff in our Shanghai office. We are cooperating as appropriate with the Chinese authorities, Bain & Co. said in a written statement.

This week, Chinas legislature expanded the scope of its espionage law to give authorities powers to gain access to electronic information. The law covers all documents, data, materials and items related to national security, said the official Xinhua News Agency, though it did not say how national security is defined.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Friday expressed concern about the law's impact on firms that are fundamental to establishing investor confidence.

The additional scrutiny of firms providing essential business services dramatically increases the uncertainties and risks of doing business in the Peoples Republic, the Chamber said. This is a matter of serious concern for the investor community and likely is as well for their local business partners in China.

Foreign companies have for years advised employees visiting China not to carry computers or mobile phones with confidential information because they might be seized by authorities or stolen by industrial spies.

An employee of Japanese drugmaker Astellas Pharma Inc. was detained in March on what the foreign ministry said were suspicions of spying. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi protested during a visit to Beijing this month.

The Chinese ambassador to Tokyo, Wu Jianghao, on Friday defended the handling of the case of the Astellas employee, whom he identified as Kan Nishiyama.

The core of this incident, it's a spy that involves China's national security. The facts are becoming more and more conclusive, Wu said. He gave no details.

Tens of millions of Japanese friends have dealt with China. How many over decades have been arrested? the ambassador said. We welcome normal, friendly activities and economic activities. But engaging in illegal espionage, we must ban in accordance with law.

Also last month, the government announced Micron's technology and manufacturing would be scrutinized for possible risks under China's cybersecurity law. The company is a leading supplier to Chinese factories.

The ruling party also has tightened control over private sector Chinese success stories including e-commerce giant Alibaba Group and ride-hailing service Didi Global Inc. by launching anti-monopoly and data security investigations.

Didi Global moved trading in its shares from the New York Stock Exchange to Hong Kong last June. The company was fined 8 billion yuan ($1.2 billion) the following month on charges it mishandled customer information.

The crackdowns are a jarring backdrop for official efforts to reverse a decline in foreign business interest in China. The ruling party wants foreign companies in electric cars and other fields to bring in technology and provide competition to force Chinese companies to improve.

Business groups earlier said global companies were shifting investment plans to Southeast Asia, India and the United States due to the difficulty of visiting China, as well as higher costs and more cumbersome regulations.

At a forum in March with business leaders including Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook, the countrys top economic official, Premier Li Qiang, promised broad space for foreign competitors.

___

AP researcher Wanqing Chen in Beijing and AP Business Writer Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Some engineers for the Federal Aviation Administration wanted to ground the Boeing 737 Max soon after a second deadly crash, but top officials in the agency overruled them, according to a government watchdog.

The inspector general of the Transportation Department said in a new report that FAA officials wanted to sort out raw data about the two crashes, and held off grounding the plane despite growing international pressure.

The inspector generals office said that it reviewed emails and interviewed FAA officials. The investigation revealed that individual engineers at the Seattle (office) recommended grounding the airplane while the accident was being investigated based on what they perceived as similarities between the accidents.

One engineer made a preliminary estimate that the chance of another Max crash was more than 13 times greater than FAA risk guidelines allow. An FAA official said the analysis "suggested that there was a 25% chance of an accident in 60 days" if no changes were made to the planes.

However, this document was not completed and did not go through managerial review due to lack of detailed flight data, the report said.

FAA officials at headquarters in Washington, D.C., and the agency's Seattle office opted not to ground the plane. Instead, they waited for more detailed data to arrive, the watchdog said in the report, which was made public Friday.

The first Max crash occurred in October 2018 in Indonesia and was followed by the second in March 2019 in Ethiopia. In all, 346 people died.

The FAA was the last major aviation regulator to ground the Max  three days after the second crash.

The FAA did not let the planes fly again until late 2020, after Boeing altered a flight-control system that autonomously pointed the plane's nose down before both crashes.

The inspector generals office said the FAAs caution on grounding the Max fit with its tendency of waiting for detailed data  an explanation that agency officials offered at the time.

Still, the watchdog recommended that FAA document how key and urgent safety decisions are made and make several other changes in how it analyzes crashes.

The FAA said in a response attached to the inspector generals report that it is committed to measures that will improve safety and has started to update procedures based on the Max tragedies.

In a statement to The Associated Press, the FAA said it concurs with the inspector generals recommendations and had already identified the issues outlined in the report.

Safety advocates and lawmakers have harshly criticized the FAA for its decision to certify the Max  FAA officials did not fully understand the flight-control system implicated in both crashes. Congress passed legislation to reform the process of reviewing new aircraft.
Here it is: The complete list of Connecticut Magazine's 2023 Best Restaurants awards, including the results of our latest reader poll and additional selections chosen by our panel of experts. Below we have highlighted the readers and experts picks for places for restaurants with raw bars.

Planning a special evening out with a certain someone? You'll surely find plenty of great options below, but to take things up a notch for a truly memorable night out, read more about our Experts' Picks for the 25 most romantic dining spots in the state, as well as our take on what makes a great romantic restaurant.
Artist Amy Sherald, left, will be speaking with guest curator Allison Glenn at NXTHVN on May 11. Credit: Courtesy of NXTHVN/ Jenny Risher/ Contributed photo

Artist Amy Sherald, left, will be speaking with guest curator Allison Glenn at NXTHVN on May 11. Credit: Courtesy of NXTHVN/ Jenny Risher/ Contributed photo

As an arts center dedicated to promoting and empowering artists and curators of color, NXTHVN will feature artist Amy Sherald for its keynote conversation May 11.

Long before Sheralds painting of Breonna Taylor graced the cover of Vanity Fair magazine in September 2020 or the official portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama was unveiled in 2018, NXTHVNs guest curator Allison Glenn was a fan of Sheralds work. In the summer of 2015, Glenn was directing a Chicago art gallery, Monique Meloche Gallery, and included Sherald in a group show and later gave the artist a solo show. Born in Columbus, Ga. in 1973, Sherald is now based in New York City.

Glenn is eager to delve into Sheralds painting choices in their conversation and share these with Connecticut audiences. The artist is known for using the grisaille technique, seen in her portrait of the former First Lady, which focuses on the use of gray colors.

Im really excited to talk about how approachable the work is. Im going to talk about the moment of installing her portrait of Breonna Taylor and how the placement of it was important, Glenn said. Amy often hangs her work at a certain height in relation to the body so Im going to ask her to talk through those decisions.

Other choices Sherald makes in terms of how she sources her subjects, how she builds up the background in her paintings and where the paintings come from will also likely be discussed in their conversation, Glenn added. In recent years, Sheralds work has seen an evolution of style from her earlier paintings, where typically only one person was pictured at a time. She has also added more texture to the backgrounds of her subjects.

I want to tease out the shift to a more flattened background and understand these subtle shifts and changes in her painting practice; why those decisions were made and the impact they have made on the work, Glenn said.

Kalia Brooks, director of programs and exhibitions at NXTHVN, said that the arts center is honored to have Sherald coming to speak.

"Sherald has been an important part of the contemporary wave of artists representing the Black experience in the states," Brooks said.

As a curator accustomed to the power of an image, Glenn plans to project photos of Sheralds work on stage as they discuss her paintings and a likely candidate includes For love, and for country.

This 2022 oil painting is a fine example of how Sherald has made a career out of focusing on contemporary African American sitters and their experiences while re-examining American history that can be racially biased. Glenn said this particular painting is clearly inspired by Alfred Eisenstadts famous 1945 photograph of a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square on V-J Day. In Sheralds version though, both subjects are Black men; race and representation are common themes in her work.

Her paintings are widely collected and the keynote talk will highlight the range of oeuvre, including works from her late 2022 solo exhibition, The World We Make at Hauser & Wirth Gallery in London.

Asked what she is most looking forward to, Glenn said, Im really excited to have this in-depth conversation about why shes painting, who shes painting for, and what U.S.-based American histories she is looking at adding to and who were the anchors for her early on in her career.

Referencing the arts centers goal of supporting artists of color, Glenn said that to get to a place of visibility, as Sherald has, an artist first needs support. She is also excited to be at NXTHVN and hopefully inspire emerging artists in the audience and that the keynote will hopefully resonate for everyone.

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to clarify the year when Glenn included Sherald in an art show.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. The Baku Higher Oil School of SOCAR (BHOS) has hosted the opening ceremony of the 4th International Student Research and Science Conferences dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev.

The event began with the performance of the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the screening of the film Heydar Aliyevs ingenious personality.

The ceremony was opened by the keynote speech of Rector of Baku Higher Oil School Elmar Gasimov, in which he provided information about the scientific conferences, noting that BHOS has a great honour to organize events dedicated to the Great Leader.

As is known, 2023 was declared the Year of Heydar Aliyev by the relevant Order of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and the 100th anniversary of the Great Leader is being celebrated at the highest level. President of SOCAR Rovshan Najaf approved an Action Plan. The 4th International Student Research and Science Conferences, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev, are being held today at our university in accordance with this plan. Training and supporting young scientists is one of the most important missions of our school. We view these conferences as a platform that will give impetus to the development of science, and we are confident that they will play a big role in rejuvenating science. Such conferences are a great contribution to Azerbaijani science. The doctoral students and several teachers of our university have participated in these scientific conferences in the past, and presently, they are conducting scientific research at the international level.

Speaking at the event, Vice-president of ANAS Irada Huseynova wished success to the participants of the conferences and said that the topics of the conferences differ in their relevance and cover areas that serve sustainable development.

Director General of the Institute of Petrochemical Processes named after Academician Yu. G. Mamedaliyev of the Ministry of Science and Education, academician Vagif Abbasov, spoke about the importance of scientific conferences held at Baku Higher Oil School, noting that these conferences contribute to increasing the interest of young people in science.

In his speech, Chairman of the Board of the Education Development Fund under the Ministry of Science and Education, Elnur Nasibov, highly praised the organization of scientific conferences at Baku Higher Oil School. He stressed that such events contribute to the development of science.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chief Operating Officer of the Caspian Innovation Centre of SOCAR, a teacher and doctoral student at Baku Higher Oil School, Orkhan Guliyev, gave recommendations to the young scientists and shared his experience.

The 4th International Student Research and Science Conferences cover such topics as Petroleum Engineering and Geoscience, Digital Transformation  2023, Towards Sustainable Chemistry and Chemical Engineering: Innovations for Building a Better World.

In total, 238 theses were presented to the conferences this year. 184 of them were prepared by students and researchers from Baku Higher Oil School.

In addition to Azerbaijani universities, theses were presented to the conference from the University of Stuttgart (Germany), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China), University of Valladolid (Spain), A.N. Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry (Russia), and the University of Oklahoma (USA).
For horror movie aficionados, the late '70s and early '80s were the golden age of slasher movies. Now-iconic movies like Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween and My Bloody Valentine offered up plenty of frights and gore to appease horror fans while making an argument for horror being a profitable genre in Hollywood.

At this time, Connecticut filmmaker Gorman Bechard was studying film at the New School for Social Research in New York City. Inspired by an Art of Alfred Hitchcock class, Bechard took on his first horror movie, Disconnected, in the fall of 1983. I think the reason I looked into horror at that time was that in terms of breaking in and getting something sold, horror was the easiest genre to sell, Bechard said. The funny thing is, it still is.

Mara Lavitt / Hearst Connecticut Media file

Filmed in his Waterbury apartment as well as various locations throughout the city with a crew of roughly seven people, Bechard made the most out of his $40,000 budget, editing the film at his school.

Bechards next film would become his most notable horror movie: 1987s Psychos in Love, which he describes as the Marx Brothers, Charlie Chaplin, Monty Python and Woody Allen all got together to do a slasher film. The success of Psychos in Love, especially as a midnight film, led Bechard to a four-picture deal with Charles Band and Empire Pictures. The deal soured due to issues with post-production interference, forcing Bechard to disown two of his movies and eventually step away from filmmaking for some time.

Bechards story is just one of many in the history of low-budget horror and science-fiction movies shot in Connecticut. Though the state has not produced the same caliber of motion pictures that has come out of New York or Hollywood, Connecticut has established a storied history of B-movies (low-budget) that have become pivotal for the horror genre.

History of low-budget horror movies in Connecticut

The early '60s can be pinpointed as the beginning this era of low-budget with the works of auteur Del Tenney. Tenney made three horror movies in the span of two years in Stamford: Violent Midnight, The Curse of the Living Corpse and The Horror of Party Beach. The latter of which has gone down in infamy as being one of the worst-reviewed, low-budget horror movies of all time.

"The Horror of Party Beach" is part musical, part creature feature that borrows heavily from the 1954 classic, "Creature from the Black Lagoon." However, the sea monsters in this flick are wearing cheap-looking masks that never change emotions, only offering a blank stare. When the monsters are swimming, viewers can even see the the un-costumed actors bodies below the surface.

The peak of these B-movies came in 1972 when fledgling director Wes Craven and producer Sean S. Cunningham made their first movie, The Last House on the Left. The movie, which was scrutinized for its depictions of violence, was filmed around the Westport area on a budget of $90,000, according to IMDb. Despite the strong response to the contents of the film, The Last House on the Left was the launch pad for Craven and Cunningham's lengthy careers in the horror genre. The Last House on the Left received a 2009 reboot, which was not filmed in Connecticut.

The '70s continued to be a monumental era for low-budget movies in Connecticut with films like Lets Scare Jessica to Death, The Stepford Wives and I Spit On Your Grave all going on to receive cult status among film enthusiasts.

By the '80s, Connecticut had a reputation for being a horror movie capital. In 1981, the production of Friday the 13th Part 2 was brought to Kent and New Preston, marking one of the first higher-budget horror movies to film in the state with a cost of $1.25 million.

Low-budget horror movies at the time began to get more creative and ostentatious with their subject matter. Between the married serial killers of Bechards Psychos in Love to the killer dolls on a remote island (Stamford) in Attack of the Beast Creatures, Connecticuts low budget movies from the '80s served as a victory lap for the genre before lying dormant until the next century.

By the time the 2000s rolled around, Connecticuts low-budget horror movie scene had become a relic. Big budget movies like The Stepford Wives remake, Steven Spielbergs War of the Worlds and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull all shot in Connecticut over the past two decades, in large part thanks to the states tax incentives for larger movie productions.

Movie Poster Image Art/Getty Images

However, B-movies have been quietly making a resurgence with direct-to-streaming or direct-to-DVD movies. Synthetic Cinema International, based in Rocky Hill, has been responsible for producing a number of Connecticut-shot, low-budget movies in recent years. Though the company is primarily known for its Christmas movies, which typically air on Hallmark, Synthetic Cinema International has also produced movies like Alien Opponent, Banshee!!!, Dead Souls and Deep in the Darkness  all of which were shot in Connecticut, according to IMDb.

Before his ongoing success with the X trilogy, director Ti West filmed two, relatively low-budget horror movies in Connecticut that helped launch his career in horror: 2009s The House of the Devil and 2011s The Innkeepers.

Why is Connecticut popular for shooting horror movies?

Vinegar Syndrome, a film preservation company and boutique film label based in Bridgeport, has been restoring cult and low-budget movies for more than a decade. The company has released movies from all over the globe, but some of their most notable work has been the restoration of Connecticut movies.

Brandon Upson, Operations Coordinator and Lead Restoration Artist at Vinegar Syndrome, is a big fan of the Connecticut movies that his company has restored. Among those are The Children" and Bechards aforementioned movies. For Upson, the popularity of filming low-budget movies in Connecticut is the states old-world look and the rare variety in its landscape.

You kind of have everything youre looking for in a movie, I would argue, Upson said. All within a two hour range, you can get to big cities, but you can also get to a haunted, abandoned-looking forest.

Upson added that back in the heyday of low-budget horror movies, private investors had a higher chance to make their money back by investing in cheap horror movies. According to Vulture, major studios in the 80s mass-produced slasher movies because the movies were easy to film and generally profitable.

Bechard also said that the state is ripe with horror locations, and that were close enough to New York where you get a lot of people who studied film and still live in Connecticut, but havent made the trek to go to Hollywood."

Though he's focused on documentaries since his return to filmmaking in the early 2000s, Bechard said that if he were to film another narrative movie, it would be a horror movie. Bechard believes the horror community is what has preserved these films legacies  whether its a big budget production or something filmed in someones backyard.

The horror fanatics are a legion. They are so dedicated and they dont care if you have Tom Cruise in your film. None of that matters. Come up with something original, and thats all they care about, Bechard said. In this day and age, the horror fans are the real film geeks.
A look at some of the top performances from high school boys volleyball from the past week, and a few upcoming games to watch. For consideration, submit your week's top performers to david.stewart@hearstmediact.com by Wednesday evenings.

Austin Ashby, Trumbull: The senior had 12 kills and 13 digs in a 3-0 victory against Ridgefield.



Jostin Barahona, Westhil-Stamford: The junior had 17 kills and nine digs in a 3-0 win over Staples-Westport on Friday.



Dylan Bouteiller, Southington: Bouteiller, a junior, collected 22 kills and six blocks to help the Blue Knights defeat Conard-West Hartford in five sets.



Rylen Brennan, Pomperaug-Southbury: The freshman had a double-double with 13 kills and 23 digs during a 3-2 loss to Masuk-Monroe.



Anthony Cannatelli, Southington: The senior libero led the Blue Knights with 24 digs in a 3-2 victory over Conard.



Nico Carlson, Greenwich: The senior had a double-double with 11 kills and 14 digs as well as a pair of blocks in a 3-1 victory over Stamford.



Brennan Cutter, Trumbull: The senior had 19 kills and four blocks to help lead the Eagles to a 3-0 shutout of Ridgefield.



Zack Farren, Pomperaug-Southbury: Farren, a senior, dished out 41 assists to go along with eight digs, four kills and six blocks during a 3-2 loss to Masuk.



Daniel Ferris, Masuk-Monroe: The sophomore had 11 kills, six digs and 11 aces during the Panthers; five-set victory over Pomperaug.



TJ Howlett, Lewis Mills-Burlington: The senior middle had 15 kills, 10 digs and two blocks during a four-set loss to Newington.



Keegan Johnston, Norwich Free Academy: Johnston, a sophomore, had 14 kills, 13 digs, three aces and a pair of blocks during a five-set victory over Wolcott Tech on Friday.

Thomas Kopec, Shelton: Kopec, a senior, collected 16 kills, eight digs, and four blocks in the Gaels 3-0 victory over Kolbe Cathedral-Bridgeport on Wednesday.



Matt Lagace, Newington: The senior led Newington with 20 kills in a four-set victory over Lewis Mills. He also had two aces, two blocks and two digs.



Jacob Lawless, Newington: The senior setter racked up 41 assists with four digs, five kills and two aces to help Newington defeat Lewis Mills 3-1.



Nic Limone, New Canaan: The senior had four aces, 13 kills, 11 service points and one dig in the Rams 3-0 shutout of Westhill on Monday.



Alex Llach, Joel Barlow-Redding: The junior collected 14 kills and 12 digs in a 3-0 win over Kolbe Cathedral on Monday, and 15 kills and seven digs in a 3-0 win over Brookfield on Friday.



Sawyer Makl, Staples-Westhill: The sophomore had a double-double with 20 kills and 12 digs in a five-set loss to Norwalk on Wednesday,



Nate McCauley, Masuk: McCauley, a senior, had 22 kills, six blocks and nine digs in the Panthers 3-2 win over Pomperaug.

Lexus Sanchez, New Britain: Sanchez, a senior outside hitter, racked up 27 kills, 15 digs and nine blocks during a four-set loss to Southington.



Jake Tierney, Cheshire: The sophomore racked up 31 assists along with five digs and one aces to help the Rams defeat Daniel Hand-Madison 3-1 on Wednesday.



Will Webster, New Canaan: The senior setter racked up 40 assists in a 3-0 victory against Westhill on Monday.

Games to Watch

Darien at New Canaan, Friday, 4:30 p.m.: The Blue Wave winning streak is now at 59 following a 10-0 start. New Canaan, a Class M finalist last spring, takes a shot at ending that run here, after winning its last four matches.

Simsbury at Newington, Monday, 5 p.m.: Simsbury is on a five-match win streak which boosted its record to 8-2 and into fifth place in the Class L standings. Newington has been on a bit of a roller coaster at 5-4 and will try to top the Trojans on its home court.

Ridgefield at New Canaan, Wednesday, 4:30 p.m.: After squaring off with unbeaten Darien, New Canaan gets another challenge when it hosts the 7-2 Tigers. Both of Ridgefields losses were to Trumbull, including a five-setter.



Conard at Glastonbury, Wednesday, 5 p.m.: Two CCC contenders go head-to-head. Conard has won five of six matches, while Glastonbruy has split its first 10.



Southington at Cheshire, Thursday, 5 p.m.: The 7-1 Blue Knights visit the 6-3 Rams in a CCC-SCC battle. Southington has won five straight, including a pair of five-setters with New Britain and Conard.
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BOISE, Idaho (AP)  Prosecutors say the mother charged in a triple murder case took part in a complex conspiracy that included unusual spiritual beliefs and efforts to kill those who stood in the way of her goals. Here, a look at the defendants and some of the witnesses in the trial of Lori Vallow Daybell:

THE DEFENDANT:

Lori Vallow Daybell, 49, is a beautician by trade, a mother of three, and a wife  five times over. Shes pleaded not guilty to murder, conspiracy and grand theft charges in the deaths of her two youngest kids and her new husbands previous wife.

Vallow Daybells first marriage, to a high school sweetheart when she was just 19, ended quickly. She married again in her early 20s, and had a son named Colby before divorcing. In 2001, Vallow Daybell married again, this time to a man named Joseph Ryan. The couple had a baby girl named Tylee in 2002, but divorced just a few years later. Ryan later died in his home of a suspected heart attack.

Charles Vallow, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, entered the picture several months later. Vallow Daybell joined the LDS church and the pair married in 2006. They later adopted Joshua Jaxon JJ Vallow.

But by 2019, that marriage had also soured. Charles Vallow filed for divorce, contending in court papers that Vallow Daybell also believed herself to be a deity tasked with helping to usher in the Biblical apocalypse.

The two were estranged but still married when Vallow Daybells brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed Charles Vallow outside his Phoenix suburban home.

Cox told police the shooting was in self defense, and was never charged in the case. Shortly after Charles death, Vallow Daybell moved to eastern Idaho with JJ, Tylee and her brother Cox.

Chad Daybell became her fifth husband on November 5, 2019  roughly two weeks after his previous wife Tammy Daybell died under suspicious circumstances.

Meanwhile, JJ and Tylee were missing. They were last seen in September, and they were declared missing in November after extended family urged police to investigate. Their bodies were found the following year buried in Chad Daybells yard.

CHAD DAYBELL:

Daybell, 54, was also a member of the LDS church and a self-published author who wrote doomsday-focused fiction loosely based on church teachings. He married Tammy Daybell in 1990, and they had five kids.

Prosecutors say he met Vallow Daybell at a conference in Utah in 2018. The two purportedly felt an instant connection and claimed they had been married to each other in a past life, according to police records. Friends of the couple told investigators that the pair shared the same unusual beliefs, including that they could tell if someone had been taken over by an evil spirit.

Chad and Lori led a group of friends in trying to cast out the supposed evil spirits by praying and doing energy work, prosecutors said. Friends told police that in some cases they determined a person had become a zombie, fully controlled by the evil spirit. Vallow Daybell claimed the only way to get rid of a zombie was to destroy the persons body, prosecutors say, and one friend told police she heard Vallow Daybell call the children zombies before they disappeared.

Tammy Daybell was initially described as having died in her sleep of natural causes. But an autopsy showed she was asphyxiated to death, Prosecutor Lindsey Blake told jurors earlier this month.

Chad Daybell is also charged in the triple murder case. Like Vallow Daybell, he has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. He is expected to stand trial several months from now.

COLBY RYAN:

Ryan, 27, is Vallow Daybells only living child. Though he was born of Vallow Daybells second marriage, when his mother remarried Colby took Joe Ryans last name.

Colby Ryan, who testified that he had a happy childhood, started crying on the stand when prosecutors showed him photos of Tylee and JJ, and talked about how Tylee was receiving social security benefits because her biological father Joe Ryan died in 2018. Sometimes she would send money to Colby Ryan through a phone app, and sometimes his mom would put money into Tylees account to send to him, he said.

After Ryan moved out of the family home, he continued to exchange texts with Tylee. But shortly after what would have been Tylees 17th birthday in September of 2019, the tone and syntax of those texts changed. Tylee had last been seen alive a few weeks earlier, but at the time Ryan didnt know she was missing.

The occasional money transfers continued too, though through a different phone app under his mothers name, he said.

After his siblings bodies were found, Ryan confronted his mother in an emotional recorded phone call that was played for jurors.

The call starts with Ryan asking Vallow Daybell if she thought she could keep hiding from him.

Im not hiding, why would you think Im hiding? she responds.

Probably because you murdered my siblings! Maybe you should understand, Ryan continued, before his mother interrupted:

I didnt. Im sorry you feel that way, she said.

KAY WOODCOCK:

Woodcock is JJs grandmother, and she convinced Idaho police to check up on JJ after her normally regular phone calls and visits with the boy dried up. That welfare check in November of 2019 revealed that both kids were missing.

JJs father, Charles Vallow, is actually Woodcocks brother: He adopted JJ as a baby because JJs biological parents  including Woodcocks son  were unable to care for the child.

Woodcock was the first witness in the trial. She told jurors that JJ was born with some disabilities and was diagnosed with autism. After Charles died, Woodcock feared Vallow Daybell no longer wanted the boy. She was also worried that JJ may had witnessed his fathers death.

We were so worried about JJ, and did he see what happened to his dad, Woodcock told jurors.

SAMANTHA GWILLIAM:

Gwilliam is Tammy Daybells sister  the only two girls in a family of five kids. As adults, they talked nearly every day, Gwilliam told the jury, and Tammy seemed healthy and was training to run a race just two weeks before her death.

Tammy's funeral happened so quickly  just three days after her death  that some family members couldn't attend, Gwilliam said. She was devastated when she learned Chad Daybell remarried just a couple of weeks after Tammy died, she said, but he told her that he and his new wife connected because they were both grieving over deceased spouses.

Chad Daybell said his new wife's name was Lori Ryan, and that her previous husband had died of a heart attack. He also said they were both empty nesters, with no young kids at home, Gwilliam told the jury.

Gwilliam later found out Lori was also associated with the last name Vallow and did an internet search. That's when she realized Charles Vallow had been shot to death. An online comment under Vallow's obituary also mentioned two kids  and that was the first time Gwilliam heard anything about Lori's son and daughter, she told the jury.

Eventually the last conversation I had with Chad was in December, of 2019, Gwilliam told the jury. It was just to ask him to stop lying about what was going on.
Investigators found that images of nude underage girls were transmitted on an email account they linked to billionaire philanthropist T. Denny Sanford, documents unsealed Thursday showed, but they were unable to prove who sent them or where that person was at the time.

Sanfords attorney said in a statement that the newly released documents contain only allegations and various individuals had documented access to the electronic devices at issue, including signs of hacking.

Sanford, South Dakota's richest man, was not charged after the state attorney generals office said its investigation into child pornography allegations found no prosecutable offenses within its jurisdiction.

Sanford's attorneys fought to keep the affidavits used to issue search warrants sealed, but the Sioux Falls Argus Leader and ProPublica argued they should be made public and the state Supreme Court ruled this month that they would be unsealed.

Sanford has given billions to hospitals, universities and charities, and the Sanford Health system is named for him. He made his fortune as the founder of First Premier Bank in South Dakota, which is known for issuing high-interest credit cards to peple with poor credit.

According to the affidavits, investigators searched Sanford's email account and cell and internet service providers for evidence of possession of child pornography in 2019, after his accounts were flagged by a technology firm.

In the affidavits, a special agent with the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation wrote that several images of nude underage girls were sent via email over three days in May and June 2019. The age of the youngest was estimated at 8 to 12 years.

The account was believed to belong to Sanford because things like his drivers license and a receipt from a hotel stay that included his name were sent from it.

Beyond questions his attorney raised about whether Sanford was always in possession of the phone and email account, the agent wrote in the affidavit that he was unable to determine the location of the individual who was accessing and using the email account on those days.

The agent noted that Sanford had homes in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Scottsdale, Arizona, and La Jolla, California. And he found that IP addresses in all of those areas were used to access the account.

Additionally, the agent noted, a user could access computers in those locations remotely.

Not being able to pinpoint where the geolocation is may bring in the jurisdictional issues, said John Baker, an assistant professor of criminal justice studies at St. Cloud State University.

The state attorney generals office said in a statement Thursday that its investigative file was forwarded to the U.S. attorneys office in South Dakota, which forwarded it to the Department of Justice. The file was also sent to authorities in Arizona and California.

To date, none of those authorities have lodged charges against Sanford, according to the statement provided to the Argus Leader.

The attorney general's office did not immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press seeking comment, nor did the U.S. attorneys office in South Dakota.
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MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Crews have secured two container cars that began floating away in the Mississippi River after a freight train derailed in southwestern Wisconsin, officials said Friday.

Thursday's derailment in Crawford County involved two of the trains three locomotives and 10 cars carrying a variety of freight, including paint and lithium-ion batteries, said BNSF Railway spokesperson Lena Kent. Four railway employees received minor injuries.

Kent said officials are still investigating what caused the derailment near De Soto, a village located about 85 miles (137 kilometers) northwest of Madison.

She said the derailment blocked the main railway track in both directions and sent the two cars into the river. Neither contained hazardous materials but an absorbent boom was put in place to reduce the possibility of pollution, she said.

Kent said Friday morning that the two container cars had been removed from the river but she later said that was not the case; that those containers had been "secured to the shore" and are not floating in the river.

Marc Myhre, a specialist with Crawford County Emergency Management, said two containers had been tied to a group of trees along the river to prevent them from drifting farther south. He said BNSF had a barge headed to the site Friday afternoon to lift the cars out of the river.

The Federal Railroad Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates safety across the nations railroads, tweeted that it was sending a team to the site to gather information and help local emergency workers. Nearly 30 state, local and public agencies responded to the derailment, according to Crawford County Emergency Management Director James Hackett.

Rock was being brought to the scene from nearby quarries to build a platform for providing officials with access to remove the train, said De Soto Fire Chief Chris Mussatti.

After the derailment about 12:15 p.m. Thursday, four BNSF crew members were taken to a hospital and treated for minor injuries and released, Kent said.

Gov. Tony Evers visited the derailment site Friday, surveying the scene from the air before he spent about two hours on the ground, getting an update from officials and visiting with emergency personnel, said his spokesperson Britt Cudaback.

Evers said Thursday that he was getting regular updates from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the Department of Natural Resources and state emergency management officials.

Cudaback said Thursday that it wasnt clear if the derailment caused any environmental contamination. Email messages were left Thursday and Friday with a spokesperson for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Thursday's derailment came almost three months after a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Officials there ordered a widescale evacuation of residents and decided to release and burn toxic vinyl chloride from five tanker cars to prevent a catastrophic explosion.

Hundreds of people also had to evacuate in Raymond, Minnesota, last month after a BNSF train hauling ethanol and corn syrup derailed and caught fire.
CORCORAN, Calif.  Just west of this normally dusty prison town, a civic nightmare is unfolding: Tulare Lake, a body of water that did not exist just two months ago, now stretches to the horizon  a vast, murky sea in which the tops of telephone poles can be seen stretching eerily into the distance.

Anxious residents in this Central Valley city of 22,000 know all too well that the only thing keeping this growing lake from inundating their homes and businesses  as well as one of the states largest and most crowded prison complexes  is a 14.5-mile-long dirt levee that rises up from sodden earth to the west, south and east.

And that levee, according to city officials and local farmers, could be in big trouble.

They worry that this nondescript earthwork may be too low to hold back the millions of gallons of melted snow that are expected to course into the Tulare Lake Basin as summer sunshine warms the slopes of the Sierra Nevada. They worry even more that with water sloshing against the levee for up to two years, it may start to erode and breach.

Many here say they are perplexed and frightened that state and federal officials dont seem to be taking the threat seriously, since the federal government has estimated that flooding would cause $6 billion worth of damage. They note that both California State Prison, Corcoran, and the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility  a dual prison complex that holds about 8,000 incarcerated men and employs many local residents  stand in the path of potential destruction.

Nobody has ever seen that much snow, said Jason Mustain, a clerk at the Corcoran hardware store and a former firefighter. Of course Im stressed.

Mustain is not alone.

A bottle of Tums antacid tablets rattled in the cup holder of Kirk Gilkeys truck recently as he drove around the area surveying the rising water.

Gilkeys family has been farming in the area for generations. He said this is the first year in decades that his farm wont plant cotton because of flooding. But what distresses him most is not the financial pain big farmers will experience but the hardship that will be visited upon workers and their families who are dependent upon agriculture for their livelihoods.

People are scared, he said. If Corcoran floods, itll be a ghost town after. It wont survive.

City Manager Greg Gatzka, who for weeks has been waging an unsuccessful campaign to marshal state and federal funds to bolster the levee, said he is beyond frustrated by the difficulty of accessing emergency funding.

Local officials want to see the levee reinforced and raised by 3.5 feet  an engineering feat that would cost $21 million, according to Gatzka.

In the meantime, the Cross Creek Flood Control District, which is responsible for the levee, has tapped reserve funds to begin gathering dirt to reinforce it. But Gatzka said the agency has exhausted its resources and needs state help.

As a desperate last resort, Gatzka said, the agency may also ask local farmers  including Pasadena-based cotton-growing giant J.G. Boswell Co.  to make donations to support the work.

Officials at Boswell and the Cross Creek Flood Control District did not respond to a request for comment.

My biggest fear, Gatzka said, is that the levee will become compromised through erosion or deterioration, and then water is going to be heading toward the city, and we will have to be looking at evacuation.

He said the city has heard that state and federal officials are working on assistance for the levee, but it needs to come faster.

For their part, officials at several state and federal agencies said they are monitoring the situation closely but referred questions  and responsibility  back to local officials.

The Army Corps of Engineers, which helped shore up the levees around Corcoran in 1969 and 1983, said Tulare Lake and the Corcoran levee system do not fall under [Army Corps] authority.

Officials with the state Department of Water Resources said its Flood Operations Center has deployed technical specialists to inspect the levee and is conducting modeling and mapping to develop tools to assist with local decision making.

Assemblyman Devon Mathis, R-Visalia, said in a statement that the city is working with private entities to secure funding for levee repairs. He added that his office is trying to secure additional funding.

State Sen. Melissa Hurtado, D-Sanger, said her office has been in frequent contact with state and local officials and farmers to ensure strategic action has been taken. She added, We are continuing to monitor this situation and will continue to work to facilitate conversations between state, local and federal partners to ensure the community of Corcoran is safe from potential flood impacts.

But as the days grow longer and warmer, people in Corcoran and elsewhere in the region are increasingly worried that not enough is being done to prevent catastrophic flooding.

City officials, in plea after plea, have laid out the stark math of their problem.

Parts of Corcoran are 174 feet above sea level. The water pooling just west of town has reached 178 feet  and could rise higher.

The levees current height is 188 feet.

The earthwork should be strong enough to hold back 1 million acre-feet of water, Gatzka said.

But what if more water than that comes coursing down from the mountains? The snowpack in the southern Sierra is estimated to be 300% of normal. And farmers upstream are not clamoring to siphon off as much water as they would in drier years. Whats more, the ground beneath Corcoran has sunk, the result of overpumping of water from aquifers that has caused the earth to become compressed  a phenomenon known as subsidence.

Adding to the uncertainty are questions about the integrity of the levee itself. Local officials worry that it will be unable to withstand the pressure of water sloshing against it for up to two years, which is how long it may take for Tulare Lake to recede. (A thick layer of clay underlies the Tulare Lake region, preventing floodwaters from percolating into aquifers.)

The threat of flooding is one the region has faced for decades. Corcoran is situated at the edge of what was once a giant lake  that is, until farms diverted the water from the Kings, Kaweah, Tule and Kern rivers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Corcoran was incorporated in 1914. Like many towns in the San Joaquin Valley, its founder was a real estate developer with dreams of making it rich. But many here regard J.G. Boswell as the citys real founding father. His namesake company, among the largest agricultural interests in California, was established in Corcoran in 1921 and remains the towns most influential employer.

The majority-Latino town  along with smaller hamlets scattered about the Tulare Lake Basin, such as Allensworth, Alpaugh and Stratford  has been threatened with flooding just about every time there is a monster snowpack in the Sierra.

In 1969  a year so wet that a pair of ranchers and their sons set off on a boat trip through Tulare Lake all the way to San Francisco  the Army Corps of Engineers partnered with local officials to build levees to protect Corcoran. By April, the lake had reached 188 feet above sea level and was rising approximately 1 foot per week. The levees built that year were 192 feet high.

Some of those levees were removed once the water receded.

In 1983, another series of storms pounded the region. The Army Corps again came to the towns rescue, constructing the current levee around Corcoran but extracting a promise that the Cross Creek Flood Control district would be responsible for maintaining it.

In 2015, the levee was raised after officials grew alarmed by increasing subsidence. Two years later, after a particularly wet winter, officials discovered that it had sunk by 2 feet. Roughly $14 million in Corcoran taxpayer dollars was spent to raise it once again.

Complicating matters is an additional bit of infrastructure in Corcoran: a massive prison complex run by the state of California.

The California Department of Corrections opened the Corcoran prison in 1988. Welcomed by local leaders as a potential economic boon, it was constructed on the south end of town. A decade later, the state opened the adjacent Substance Abuse Treatment Facility. Together, the two institutions house about 8,000 people on properties adjacent to the levee.

In Facebook groups for families of inmates, women with loved ones in the prison said fears about the levees integrity fill them with anxiety.

Meanwhile, around town, rumors abound that the prison is secretly evacuating prisoners in advance of flooding. A spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections said via email that there is no immediate danger and that no inmates have been evacuated. But, she added, the facility has stopped accepting new prisoners because of the situation.

Still, the potential for disaster has been a boon for at least one business in town: the Lake Bottom Brewery & Distillery on Whitley Avenue, the towns main street. The wood-paneled watering hole has seen a flood of water tourists and journalists from around the country.

Everyone wants to talk about the same thing, said General Manager Jose Hinojosa: They all want to know if were actually going to have the whole town flooded out.
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NEW HAVEN  After 186 years, a man who escaped slavery to seek education and became the first known Black person to study at Yale University is getting his degree.

The universitys board of trustees voted to confer an honorary masters degree for the Rev. James W.C. Pennington, along with the Rev. Alexander Crummell, who attended Yale three years after Pennington, the university president announced earlier this week.

The conferrals came as a result of the universitys research into Yales ties to slavery and slave trade. President Peter Salovey said more work remains and that more programs and projects will be announced as the groups findings will be published early next year.

Pennington attended Yale from1834-37, and Crummell from 1840-41. Both studied theology. They werent, however, allowed to formally register in classes nor participate in classroom discussions or access library resources because they were Black, according to the university.

Although we cannot return to Pennington and Crummell the access and privileges they were denied when they studied at Yale, we recognize their work and honor their legacies by conferring on them these M.A. Privatim degrees, Salovey said.

Pennington was born enslaved and escaped from Maryland in 1828 at age 19. It was illegal at the time in Connecticut to educate African Americans from other states. He later served as a pastor at Dixwell Avenue United Church of Christ in New Haven and became an abolitionist in New York.

The university has worked to honor Pennington in the past decades, most recently by naming a Yale Divinity School classroom and a Yale-funded scholarship for New Haven high school graduates to attend historically Black colleges and universities after him.

With these honorary degrees, we aim to extend the remembrance of Pennington; to broaden the understanding and commemoration of Crummell; and to inscribe, for perpetuity, their names in the official records of the university, Salovey said.

The university will host a ceremony to commemorate the conferral in the fall.

Several student groups were behind the call to the university administration to award Pennington a degree in the past years, one of them being the Pennington Legacy Group.

Noah Humphrey, a third-year Divinity School student from Hawaii and the groups founder, said Thursday the decision brought the truth to light after he has been working on it for two years.

We are still not done, but this means that we have set a foundation that is forever, he said.

However, Humphrey said it took too long for the university to come to this decision, as he thought the universitys scholars were supposed to be the leaders of life and the leaders of pushing things like this through.

I mean, the fact that we have some of the brightest scholars in the world, but we couldn't come to an agreement on giving the first Black student their rightful degree is insane, Humphrey said.

Previous attempts, whether through petitions or open letters, to demand a degree for Pennington by student groups either were rejected or went unacknowledged, according to the Yale Daily News, as the university cited its policy against awarding posthumous degrees.

For Humphrey, he said it means standing up against an institution to keep pushing for correcting the injustices.

Asked what more Yale should do, Humphrey said while this was good news, its also important for the university to invest more in the community from its endowment fund, which was valued at $41.4 billion as of last June.

The university has increased voluntary contribution to the city by a total of $52 million, from a previously-estimated $83.4 million over six years to a projected $135.4 million.
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BOISE, Idaho (AP)  Why did 2,500 sheep cross the road? Because the grass was greener on the other side.

In Idaho, it's not unusual to see ranchers moving a bleating herd of sheep up to higher elevation at this time of year. But the sight of 2,500 wooly beasts trotting across a highway earlier this week brought a crowd about 300 people.
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GREENWICH  Mark Zuccerella will soon trade in his captains bars for a single star, marking him as a deputy chief in the Greenwich Police Department.

Zuccerella is currently in charge of the Greenwich Police patrol division and will be promoted in a ceremony set for May 9. In his new role, he will run field services, which includes the patrol and the detective divisions.

Zuccerella will fill the role previously held by Deputy Chief Robert Berry, who left Greenwich last month to become the new chief of police at Western Connecticut State University.

Police Chief Jim Heavey nominated Zuccerella for the position Thursday at the Board of Selectmens regular meeting. He said Zuccerella was chosen after considering other internal and external candidates.

I, without reservation, recommend him for the position of Deputy Chief for the Police Department, Heavey said.

The Selectmen approved Zuccerellas nomination, with First Selectman Fred Camillo and Selectwoman Lauren Rabin voting in favor. Selectperson Janet Stone McGuigan abstained.

Stone McGuigan said she withheld her vote over process concerns, not as an indication of Zuccerellas fitness for the role. Stone McGuigan and Rabin were not included in the deputy chief hiring process. Heavey said this is the same process that was used before; Camillo said the town would review the language around hiring senior police and fire staff.

With Zuccerellas promotion, there will be an opening for a new captain to helm the patrol division. Patrol is the largest division in the department, composed of uniformed patrol officers, the domestic violence unit, the K-9 unit, the bike unit and the Organized Retail Crime Activity Unit, known as ORCA.

Zuccerella is a Greenwich native. He worked as a police officer in Florida before returning to Greenwich where he spent eight years as a patrol officer before beginning to climb the department's leadership ladder.

Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media

Zuccerella won the Dr. John A. Clarke Award for officer of the year in 2016 when he was a sergeant and led the special victims and cold case sections and the departments restorative justice programs. He was promoted from lieutenant to captain in 2020.

Zuccerella has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Sacred Heart University and a masters degree in human resource development and administration from Barry University.
Language barriers, cultural differences and systemic health inequities are among the reasons many Latino people, particularly men, avoid doctor visits  and that could lead to dire outcomes, experts warn.

Studies have suggested that of all racial and ethnic groups in the United States, Hispanic people are least likely to seek medical care for an illness. In a 2022 Pew Research Center survey, Hispanic adults were less likely than all U.S. adults to say they had seen a health care professional within the previous year.

"Forgoing needed medical care when needed or not having access to preventive medicine can have disastrous consequences in health, even in the short term," said Dr. Cesar Caraballo Cordovez, a postdoctoral associate at the Yale School of Medicine Center for Outcomes Research & Evaluation.

In the long term, medical conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes can be silent for years and wreak havoc on people's health if diagnosed late, he said. High blood pressure, or hypertension, and diabetes increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

"Early diagnosis in these conditions is important, and if you don't have a usual source of care or if you don't go to the doctor regularly, they can be missed for years," Caraballo said.

The reasons many Latino people stay away from the doctor's office are complex. Lack of insurance, cultural and language barriers, cost of care and immigration status all influence why people don't go.

Research shows that men in general are less likely to visit a doctor than women, a trend that cuts across race. In a 2022 Cleveland Clinic survey of about 1,000 adult men, 53% of white men said they don't get regular health screenings. For non-white men, it was 63%.

Diana Sanchez, chair of the psychology department at Rutgers University in New Jersey, said her research shows that men with more traditional views of masculinity tend to avoid routine medical screenings to appear "brave and self-sufficient." This strong sense of masculinity, or "machismo," is ingrained in Latino culture, she said.

"Given the sort of emphasis on machismo culture in the Latinx community," Sanchez said, "it's not surprising that you might see Latino men particularly disinclined to seek medical care.  They see it as a sign of weakness or vulnerability."

Regardless of gender, there is evidence that a health care professional's race and ethnicity matter to Latino patients. They respond better when they see a doctor of a similar background, Sanchez said. But the number of Hispanic physicians has not kept pace with the rapid growth of the Latino population, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. While Hispanic people make up nearly 19% of the U.S. population, AAMC data shows about 7% of physicians identified as Hispanic in 2021.

Language also can be a barrier, Sanchez said. Spanish is spoken in 13% of U.S. households, census data show. The number of Spanish-speaking physicians varies, but a study published last year in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine showed 22% of family physicians reported providing care in Spanish.

"So, if we're talking about a Latino community whose primary language is Spanish, identifying a doctor who they can easily communicate with might also be a challenge," Sanchez said.

Even taking time off work can pose difficulties. "Depending on whether people are underemployed or have other issues with the workplace that they're in, where they don't get paid if they leave, for example, people can't afford literally to go to the doctor or take the time to go to the doctor," she said. "And of course, not having insurance is a huge barrier because medical expenses are so high."

Caraballo coauthored a 2021 study published in JAMA that showed lack of insurance prevailed as a major obstacle to health care among Hispanic people. Latino people "persistently had the largest prevalence of lack of health insurance," he said. "It was significantly reduced after 2010 with the Affordable Care Act, but still in 2018 it was three times higher than that of white people."

Other studies have found Spanish-speaking immigrants without legal U.S. status face additional obstacles to seeking preventive medical care. As a result, many of them depend on visits to the emergency room.

Regardless of the reason, experts say the reluctance to see a doctor could spell trouble because of a higher risk for certain chronic health problems among Latinos, such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension.

Caraballo said it is imperative to improve access to affordable care and insurance for Latino people. Census estimates suggest the Hispanic population could make up 28% of the U.S. population by 2060.

Establishing high-quality clinics and doctor's offices staffed by Spanish-speaking personnel in Latino neighborhoods can go a long way toward providing medical care and education about preventive health, he said.

Some Latino communities already are reaching out to recent immigrants through community health workers who serve as liaisons between residents and the health care system, Caraballo said.

"They could have profound impacts within communities by advocating for preventive medicine or maintenance of good health or healthy lifestyles," he said. "Those would be magnificent strategies to improve the health of the Latino and Hispanic population."

Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. Permission is granted, at no cost and without need for further request, for individuals, media outlets, and non-commercial education and awareness efforts to link to, quote, excerpt from or reprint these stories in any medium as long as no text is altered and proper attribution is made to American Heart Association News.

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HEALTH CARE DISCLAIMER: This site and its services do not constitute the practice of medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always talk to your health care provider for diagnosis and treatment, including your specific medical needs. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem or condition, please contact a qualified health care professional immediately. If you are in the United States and experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or call for emergency medical help immediately.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. The Central Park is being created in Azerbaijan's Fuzuli district liberated from Armenian occupation in order to reconstruct the infrastructure and restore the ecological balance, Trend reports with reference to the Karabakh Revival Fund of Azerbaijan.

According to a new project within the framework of the city's master plan, the park is planned to be laid out on an area of 22.47 hectares.

Currently, by order and with the financial support of the fund, one of the companies is developing design and estimate documentation for the construction of the Fuzuli Central Park. It is planned to create recreation and picnic areas, sports, an amphitheater, cafes, restaurants and other facilities on the territory of the park.

In the park, in accordance with the terrain and the ecological environment, it is expected to plant such tree species as Eldar pine, oriental plane tree, Leyland cypress, Italian stone pine, maple tree, willows, olive trees, and others, as well as various ornamental shrubs and flowers.

Information about the upcoming work on the project of the Fuzuli Central Park was presented during the visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva to the Fuzuli district in May last year.

Trend presents to the readers photos of the park project.
NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (AP)  A judge ordered a former student who opened fire at an Indiana middle school in 2018, wounding another student and a teacher, to remain in custody after a corrections employee said Thursday that he fist-bumped her breast.

The former student, who was 13 at the time of the shooting, had been detained since shortly after he opened fire at Noblesville West Middle School on May 25, 2018. He shot a seventh-grade science teacher and another 13-year-old student. The teacher, Jason Seaman, cut the shooting short when he tackled the shooter and pinned him to the ground.
Jackass star Brandon "Bam" Margera surrendered to Pennsylvania State Police on Thursday morning for allegedly punching his brother during an altercation four days earlier at their home in the Philadelphia suburbs.

PDF: Read the full PSP criminal complaint here.

Margera was arraigned and pleaded not guilty, according to his lawyer, Michael van der Veen. The wild rumors regarding his behavior this week are absolutely false. He is in good health and in good spirits, van der Veen said in a written statement.

Margera released a statement on his Instagram shortly after turning himself in that partly reads:

"I just got out of the courthouse with my lawyers. Everything went great and the false accusations of what my brother says are not true and he will be sued for defamation as well as being evicted from castle bam sooner than later."

Pennsylvania State Police had issued an arrest warrant for Margera, 43, on Monday.

Margera is accused of punching his brother in the face during a fight at their home, which is located outside of Philadelphia and the Wilmington, Delaware area.



Margeras brother, Jesse Margera, told police that Bam Margera had pounded on and kicked his locked bedroom door, and punched him in the eye, nose and ear during a later confrontation in the kitchen, according to the Associated Press.

Police said Margera fled into a wooded area before troopers arrived. He had not been seen until Thursday morning.



He was charged with simple assault, harassment and four counts of terroristic threats.

Court records say Margera was released on $50,000 unsecured bail. He may not have any contact with his brother, father or two other people who were in the house at the time, according to his bail conditions. Margera also has to stay away from the house, according to reports from the Associated Press.



Margera is best known for his appearances in the MTV reality stunt show "Jackass" and his own spinoff shows, including "Viva La Bam" and "Bam's Unholy Union."

Over the years, Margera has struggled with alcoholism. In June of last year, TMZ revealed that he was reported missing after fleeing a rehab center.

In March of this year, TMZ reported that Margera was arrested twice, once for domestic violence and once for public intoxication.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jerry Springer was known by many across the United States. He was a politician, journalist, talk show host and actor. It may come as a surprise to some that he was not born in America.

Springer was born in London on Jan. 1, 1944. His parents were German Jews who sought safety in England during the Holocaust. They were hiding in an underground railway station being used as a bomb shelter when he was born.
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OLD SAYBROOK  Every time Michael Pace gets in his town vehicle, he says, he covers his face with a handkerchief.

It's not COVID that is prompting Pace's precaution. Instead, it's the dual-facing cameras Old Saybrook has decided to install in 12 non-police vehicles to monitor for erratic driving.

Pace, who works for the Department of Public Works and is president of the town employees union, is one town staffer impacted by the decision. He says he does not want the camera to collect his facial data, as he is unsure of where it will go and how it will be used; he will wear a covering until he is reassured that "everything's on the up-and-up," he said.

Its not my intention every day to go to work looking like Kenny from South Park, but thats what its turned into," he said, referring to the television character that covers his face with a hood.

In an email, First Selectman Carl Fortuna said he learned about the technology at an insurance conference, calling it a proactive way to prevent accidents." Town vehicles have been involved in three crashes in recent years, he said.

But according to union leaders, some employees are worried the technology could lead to possible privacy infringement. The cameras impact public works staff, the fire marshal and the building inspector, union representatives said.

Tricia Johnson, who represents the Old Saybrook Town Employees Union, AFSCME Local 1303-278, expressed confusion over what prompted the decision to install the cameras.

The move would make sense if we had high accident levels or if there was an incident that gave the town pause to do this, Johnson said.

Thats not the case here. It really feels like spying, she said.

Johnson, a staff representative attorney for the labor union Council 4, reached out to colleagues to research the issue and only identified one other Connecticut town  South Windsor  that uses cameras in its public works vehicles.

Council 4 represents 15,000 municipal and Board of Education employees in Connecticut, according to a spokesperson.

Old Saybrook purchased its cameras from the tech company Samsara, according to correspondence between the town and the labor union, a copy of which was shared with the Register. The documents include product literature about the cameras.

The Samsara camera automatically uploads video footage of harsh braking, acceleration, turning and crashes, the literature says. It also has space for 60 hours of footage and stores continuous recordings on-camera, available for over-the-air retrieval on-demand.

In a statement, Adam Simons, Samsaras head of corporate communications, said vehicle safety technology is proven to reduce risky driving. He pointed to a study by Together for Safer Roads that found more than half of about 500 surveyed professional drivers viewed themselves as safer after in-cab camera installation.

The cameras are being installed in 12 vehicles, according to Fortuna. He will have access to their data, he said, as might the public works director.

A second camera controversy

A different controversy is heightening concerns over Old Saybrooks decision to install the cameras: earlier this month, a Hearst Connecticut Media investigation found the town Police Department could access footage from officers cameras even if officers never pressed the activation button.

Police body cameras are designed to constantly capture soundless footage in a mode known as passive recording. However, many departments program their cameras to tape over that footage every 30 seconds until an officer presses the activation button, at which point the camera saves the last half-minute of passive footage and begins to record sound.

Some agencies, including Old Saybrook, have access to additional passive footage. UPSEU-COPS, a regional union representing the towns Police Department members, has said the town did not inform officers their entire shifts were being recorded.

Meanwhile, town officials said they believed most department members knew or should have known about the technology. Middlesex County States Attorney Michael Gailors office looked into the matter and has determined that no criminal charges are appropriate in this case, a spokesperson for Gailor said in an email.

Yet the issue has sown mistrust and made town employees particularly wary of the new cameras, according to Johnson.

For example, the cameras are capable of recording audio. The town has told the union it does not intend to use that feature.

Please be advised that as an optional feature these cameras allow for audio recording within the vehicle, Pat McHale, an attorney for the town, wrote in a March 2 letter to Johnson. The Town does not intend to elect that option and so audio recording within the vehicles will not be performed.

Pace, the president of the town employees union, said the public works crew has concerns about privacy because of what happened at the Police Department.

Some town supervisors share similar concerns, according to their union representative.

We dont trust anything after whats gone on with the (police department), said John DeVito, the representative for Old Saybrook Town Supervisors Union, AFSCME Local 818-36, which includes the fire marshal and building inspector. If this didnt happen at the (police department), then my people  their angst wouldnt be as high, but now theyre worried about being recorded with everything they do.

A reporter shared those perspectives with Fortuna and asked whether he had any concerns about labor relations. He said he did not.

Other concerns

Johnson said the cameras make her union members very uncomfortable, especially given how much time some employees spend in their trucks.

They take breaks in their vehicles, they sleep in their vehicles if there is a plowing season, she said.

She and DeVito also raised privacy concerns for the residents whom employees encounter.

At the scene of fires, the fire marshal sometimes allows residents into his car to keep warm, DeVito said. He wondered whether they would be recorded.

Meanwhile, the building inspector visits private homes, he said.

As for public works employees, they go to the town beaches and to ballfields where children are playing, Johnson said. That is all going to be captured on camera.

These are town vehicles. The employees will be able to cap the camera on breaks or if they were to have someone in their car during an emergency, said Fortuna when asked about the privacy concerns. We were crystal clear with the (Department of Public Works) that during snowstorms, all rules are considerably relaxed.

He shared his statement in an email that also emphasized the cameras were not being installed for discipline. Johnson had worried over what would qualify as distracted driving, wondering whether employees could face consequences for tapping their phone to answer a work call or for taking a sip of coffee.

Pace, of the Department of Public Works, said he would feel better if the data was maintained in-house and not by a third-party tech company.

In an email, Simons, the Samsara spokesperson, emphasized that the company prioritizes customer privacy. The company hosts the data on its platform, he said, but only accesses the data "as instructed by the customer."

Our customers own their data and are in charge of directing and controlling how Samsara collects and processes it, he wrote. As a policy, we will not provide customer data to a third party absent express customer consent or an appropriate court order legally requiring us to do so.

Samsara products have controls restricting who can access the data, according to Simons, who also said the company encrypts all data captured on its devices.
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  Three people were killed and another injured in a shooting in a Philadelphia residential neighborhood Friday, authorities said.

It wasn't immediately known what spurred the shooting, which was reported around 3:35 p.m., or how many shooters may have been involved.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  A Tennessee teacher was grazed when a gun discharged in a high school classroom Friday, but no other injuries were reported, police said.

It appears the gun was in a student's backpack when it discharged in a classroom at West High School and the teacher was grazed either by the bullet or bullet fragment, Knoxville Police said in a tweet.
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Ten months after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade and a nationwide right to abortion, states are pushing in opposite directions on the issue.

This week, one state adopted a ban, two states tried to but didn't get support from enough lawmakers and three states advanced measures to protect abortion access. These are the latest developments among a slew of legislative and court actions on abortion.

Here's what's happening:

BANNING ABORTION

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum on Monday signed a law that made his state the 14th with a ban in effect on abortions at all stages of pregnancy.

The ban has narrow exceptions. Abortions of pregnancies caused by rape or incest are allowed only in the first six weeks. And they're allowed later only for specific medical emergencies.

The practical impact in the state is expected to be small since there have been no abortion clinics there since one moved last year from Fargo to nearby Moorhead, Minnesota.

And the ban is expected to face a court challenge, just like the one that it replaced, which was put on hold by a court last year.

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FALLING SHORT

Two conservative states tried and narrowly failed to adopt abortion bans on Thursday.

In Nebraska, the unicameral legislature came one vote short of breaking a filibuster to enable a vote on setting a ban on abortions after cardiac activity can be detected  around six weeks into pregnancy and often before women realize they're pregnant.

In conservative South Carolina, the five women in the Senate, including three Republicans who describe themselves as pro-life, also filibustered against a bill that had already passed the House and would have banned abortion at all stages of pregnancy. Six Republicans helped defeat the effort in a 22-21 vote to shelve the bill for the rest of the year.

The state Senate has previously passed a ban after cardiac activity can be detected.

South Carolina has become a major destination for abortions for women in Southern states with bans in place.

The state Supreme Court last year blocked enforcement of a ban after cardiac activity last year and then struck it down permanently in January. But a change in the makeup of the court has anti-abortion groups optimistic that a ban could stick if lawmakers could agree on how restrictive it should be.

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ABORTION PILL ACCESS

Both chambers of Vermont's legislature passed bills on Thursday to protect access to abortion and gender-affirming care, moves echoing those made in other liberal states recently.

But the Vermont legislation has a new wrinkle: It includes keeping legal medication that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for termination of a pregnancy as of January 1, 2023, regardless of the medications current FDA approval status.

That's a reference to another continuing saga over the legal status of mifepristone, one of two drugs used in a regimen that's the most common way to obtain an abortion in the U.S. A federal judge in Texas ruled in April that its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2000 should be reversed. The U.S. Supreme Court this month said it will be kept legal for now. The next step in the case is arguments before the New Orleans-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit on May 17.

Advocates of the Vermont law say that if the approval is pulled, it would still be available in the state under its law, so long as Republican Gov. Phil Scott signs it.

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ADDING PROTECTIONS

At least 19 states have adopted laws or executive orders since last year protecting access to abortion, largely through measures aimed at protecting out-of-state patients, medical providers and other helpers from investigations by states where abortion is banned.

In a growing number of states, those laws apply both to those who seek abortion and gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers and hormone treatment for transgender people.

On Thursday, the Democratic governors of Minnesota and Washington state signed such laws.

Minnesota shares borders with three states that have abortion bans, including North Dakota now that a ban is in place.

Washington's neighbor is Idaho, where a law signed this month made it illegal for an adult to help a minor get an abortion without parental consent.

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SOFTENING RESTRICTIONS - A BIT

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Friday signed a law to soften the state's strict abortion ban a bit.

The Republican had previously said it did not need changes.

The revised law still does not include exceptions in the cases of rape or incest but does allow doctors to use reasonable medical judgment when determining an abortion is necessary to prevent the death of a pregnant patient or to prevent irreversible, severe impairment of a major bodily function. Lawmakers also clarified that doctors may provide abortion services for ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages.

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NEW RESTRICTIONS IN A DIVIDED STATE

In Kansas, Republican lawmakers continue to push for restrictions even after voters last year decisively affirmed abortion rights.

Under laws adopted this week in Kansas with overrides of vetoes by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, health care providers could face criminal charges over accusations about their care of newborns delivered during certain abortion procedures. The state is to provide $2 million to centers run by abortion opponents. Clinics would also be required to tell patients that medication abortions can be stopped using a drug regimen.

Medical providers say the reversal procedure is ineffective and potentially dangerous and babies born during abortions are very rare.

With these policies, too, the divisions run deep: The neighboring state of Colorado has a ban on treatments to reverse medication abortions. On Friday, a federal judge there said he would not block the state from enforcing it. The state has said it doesn't plan to anyway until regulators develop rules.

In another new restriction, Montana's health department said that beginning Monday, it will require documentation that an abortion is medically necessary before the state's Medicaid health insurance program for lower-income people will pay for it.

___

IN COURT

A court has blocked an abortion ban from being enforced in Utah, but lawmakers there are trying another novel approach to reduce availability of abortions provided: banning clinics that provide them.

Under the law signed in March, clinics will no longer be able to apply for licenses as of May 3. The Planned Parenthood Association of Utah says that absent intervention, it will shut down its three clinics in the state on May 3.

A judge on Friday said he would rule on the ban next week.
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Christopher Tounsel, University of Washington

(THE CONVERSATION) The sight of diplomats fleeing Sudanamid chaotic scenes reflects the gravity of the situation, but also the extent of international interest in the strife-torn nation.

Days into fighting that has left at least 400 people dead, governments from across the Middle East, Europe, Asiaand the Americas evacuated nationals  teachers, students and workers, as well as embassy staff  from the capital, Khartoum.

Of course, expat employees are to be found in all countries. But as a scholar of Sudanese history, it is difficult to ignore the fact that, in the words of one analyst, everyone wants a chunk of Sudan. While a 2019 coup ended the brutal dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir, the years since have not given way to democracy. Rather, it has led to a period in which various overseas governments have sought to capitalize on the transition of power and Sudans strategic importance and mineral wealth.

And while a descent into all-out civil war would be devastating for Sudan, it would also create ripples that would be felt throughout the geopolitical world.

Where things stand

The evacuation of foreign nations followed the eruption of violence between the Sudanese military, led by the countrys leader, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, generally known by the name Hemedti.

The two men jointly ran the government but now find themselves deadlocked in a power struggle. On April 25, 2023, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. brokered a three-day ceasefire. Despite sporadic fighting, that ceasefire was later extended.

Efforts of international governments to broker peace may hint not only at a desire to halt the bloodshed, but also a desire to limit the fallout that the situation will have for world politics.

Sudans regional, economic and strategic importance

Sudan is located at a critical nexus, geographically. It borders Egypt and Libya in North Africa, Ethiopia and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa, the East African nation of South Sudan, and Central Africas Chad and the Central African Republic.

Sudan is the site where the White and Blue Nile Rivers merge to form the main Nile and is home to more than 60% of the Nile River Basin. Safe management of the Niles water is crucial for stability of the region. Northern neighbor Egypt is 90% dependent on the river for its water supply, while Ethiopia to the east is looking to double the countrys electricity generation through the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

The project has been a source of contention, though  Ethiopia began filling the dam in 2020-2021 without an agreement with Egypt, and last year Egypt protested Ethiopias planned third filling of the dam to the U.N. Security Council. The United Nations has called on the three nations to negotiate a mutually beneficial agreement over the Niles management  something that will be difficult should Sudan fall into a prolonged period of instability.

Sudan also has a strategic location on the Red Sea, a body of water that approximately 10% of global trade passes through, with the Suez Canal connecting Asian and European markets.

And then there are Sudans immense mineral resources. The nation is Africas third-largest producer of gold, has major oil reserves and produces over 80% of the worlds gum arabic  a component of food additives, paint and cosmetics.

Sudanese gold, Russias war

As a result of this strategic and economic importance, Sudan has attracted willing international partners. Gulf oil states Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, for example, saw Bashirs ouster as a chance to stabilize the region and invest in everything from agricultural projects to Red Sea ports.

Sudans leaders have seemingly been none too picky about who they partner with. While much of the international community shunned and sanctioned Russia after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Sudan provided Moscow with an economic lifeline through its gold reserves.

Russias interest in Sudans gold dates back to 2017, when after a meeting between Bashir and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the two countries established the Meroe Gold corporation  a subsidiary of the Wagner Group network of mercenaries.

Since the 2019 coup, Moscow has increasingly aligned itself with Hemedti, as the RSF leader sought to control more and more of the countrys richest gold mines. In July 2022, Sudanese sources told CNN that at least 16 Russian gold smuggling flights had embarked from Sudan over the previous year and a half.

The Wagner Groups involvement in Sudanese gold extraction and its role in supplying fighters in Ukraine have prompted many observers to suggest that Sudanese gold is being used to finance Moscows war.

In return, Russia has provided political and military assistance to Sudans paramilitary leadership. According to U.S. officials, the Wagner Group has offered weaponry, including surface-to-air missiles, to the RSF.

Hemedti is not alone in currying Russian support. Theodore Murphy, Africa director at the European Council of Foreign Relations, has suggested that the RSF leaders now-rival, Burhan, would also be open to working with Moscow.

China a winner in Sudan scramble

China also has considerable interests in Sudan as part of its Belt and Road global infrastructure initiative. From 2011 to 2018, Beijing granted Sudan an estimated US$143 million in loans and has invested in projects such as the construction of Sudanese oil pipelines, Nile bridges, textile mills and railway lines.

Indeed, China was one of the main investors to Sudan during the rule of Bashir and one of the few countries to supply the regime with weapons.

China relies on Africas mineral resources to meet its own expanding industrial needs. China-Sudan mining cooperation dates back to the 1970s, and over 20 Chinese enterprises have operated in Sudanese mining with a total investment of over $100 million.

However, this relationship is not entirely one-way. Sudan exported $780 million worth of products to China in 2021 and in the previous quarter-century increased its exports to China at an annual rate of 10.6%. Indeed, China is Sudans second-largest trading partner after the UAE, and the African nations biggest supplier of goods.

Although the U.S. revoked long-standing sanctions against Sudan in 2017, allowing for American companies to pursue business interests in Sudan, Washington is still playing catch-up with China.

Concerns of contagion

The United States strategic interest in the Sudanese crisis can be considered through the lens of its opposition to Russias war in Ukraine and concern over regional contagion  that is, the spread of instability.

Sudans potential to prop up Moscows war effort would make Western leaders wary of the RSF gaining an upper hand in the current fighting; the paramilitary group could reward Russias friendship with Sudanese gold. But with an apparent willingness of both sides of the current fighting to exploit the countrys gold mines in return for Moscows military assistance, a better outcome for the West  and indeed the Sudanese people  would be a transition away from military rule altogether.

Of perhaps more concern to Washington is the impact of an unstable Sudan on the region. In recent years, the U.S. has benefited from a warming relationship with Sudans leaders, especially through counterterrorism cooperation. The Biden administration will surely be fearful of Sudans instability providing the kind of conditions in which terrorist groups, such as al-Shabaab, may thrive. or that the situation could trigger a refugee crisis on Sudans borders, especially in Ethiopia and South Sudan  countries that are already struggling to keep fragile peace deals in place.

While the people of Sudan have the most to lose should the current fighting descend into civil war, the geopolitical significance of the country means millions in the surrounding regions  and indeed around the world  also stand to be impacted.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/sudans-plunge-into-chaos-has-geopolitical-implications-near-and-far-including-for-us-strategic-goals-204453.
FOND DU LAC, Wis. (AP)  A vehicle crashed into a central Wisconsin cellphone store Thursday, injuring five people, including one critically, authorities said.

The vehicle crashed at about 12:30 p.m. into a Verizon store in Fond du Lac, the city's police and fire departments reported.

The vehicle, which was driven by a 20-year-old man, traveled about 100 yards (91 meters) off-road through parts of a terrace and parking lot before jumping a curb and slamming into the store's showroom.

A 29-year-old woman was airlifted to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. The vehicle's driver, a 49-year-old woman and two other men, ages 30 and 23, were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.

The driver was arrested on suspicion of operating while impaired causing great bodily harm.
BOISE, Idaho (AP)  The sister of a woman killed in what prosecutors say was a doomsday-focused plot told jurors Friday that her sister's funeral was held so quickly that some family members couldn't attend and that she was devastated when she learned her former brother-in-law remarried just a few weeks later.

You dont get married four weeks after you just buried your wife of almost 30 years  you just don't do that, Samantha Gwilliam said, explaining that she later learned that Lori Vallow Daybell married Gwilliam's former brother-in-law, Chad Daybell, just two weeks after Gwilliam's sister Tammy Daybell died.

The testimony came in the triple murder trial of Vallow Daybell, who is accused along with Chad Daybell in Tammy Daybell's death and the deaths of her own two youngest children, Joshua JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan. Idaho prosecutors say the couple espoused strange doomsday-focused beliefs involving demonic possession and zombies to further their plan to kill the kids and Chad Daybell's previous wife and to collect life insurance and survivor benefits.

Both have pleaded not guilty to murder, conspiracy and grand theft charges, and they are being tried separately. Daybells trial is still months away.

Vallow Daybell has also been charged in Arizona in connection with the the death of her fourth husband, Charles Vallow.

He was shot and killed by Vallow Daybells brother, Alex Cox, outside of his Phoenix-area home in July 2019. Cox told police the shooting was in self-defense and was never charged in the case. He died of natural causes later that year. Vallow Daybell has not yet had the opportunity to enter a plea in the Arizona case.

Tammy Daybell died Oct. 19, 2019, of what was originally reported as natural causes. Emergency dispatchers and first responders described how Chad Daybell appeared distraught when he reported Tammy Daybell's death, telling authorities that he'd woken to find his wife's body hanging halfway off of their bed after she'd spent part of the night coughing and vomiting.

Cammy Willmore, an EMT who was a deputy coroner for Fremont County at the time, responded to the scene. She said she was concerned because Tammy Daybell was just 49 and also had quite a bit of foamy pink sputum coming from her mouth. Willmore said that seemed odd but she didn't see any unusual bruises.

Fremont County Coroner Brenda Dye also went to the home and discussed the possibility of doing an autopsy with Willmore, the deputy coroner said. Chad Daybell declined the procedure.

He told the coroner that the 49-year-old school librarian had recently had fainting episodes and low blood pressure and that she sometimes had leg convulsions or seizures, Dye said. Based in part on that information, she determined Tammy Daybell had died of natural causes.

Authorities later grew suspicious and had the body exhumed for an autopsy, which determined Tammy Daybell died of asphyxiation.

Gwilliam told jurors that her sister was fit  she took a clogging class and was training for a running race  and that she'd never heard her complain of any seizures or fainting episodes. Chad Daybell scheduled the funeral for just three days after her sister's death, so soon that some family members couldn't attend, Gwilliam said.

She said she was devastated when she learned Chad Daybell remarried just a couple of weeks after Tammy died. She said he told her that he and his new wife connected because they were both grieving over deceased spouses.

Chad Daybell said his new wifes name was Lori Ryan and that her previous husband had died of a heart attack. He also said they were both empty nesters with no young kids at home, Gwilliam told the jury.

Gwilliam said she later found out the new wife was also associated with the last name Vallow and did an internet search. Thats when she realized Charles Vallow had been shot to death. An online comment under Vallows obituary also mentioned two kids  and that was the first time Gwilliam heard anything about Vallow Daybell's son and daughter, she told the jury.

Eventually, the last conversation I had with Chad was in December, Gwilliam told the jury. It was just to ask him to stop lying about what was going on.

The two children were last seen alive that September. At the time, JJ was just 7 and Tylee was a few days short of her 17th birthday. Their bodies were found the following June, buried in Chad Daybell's yard.

Earlier in the trial, former friends of Vallow Daybell told jurors about the couples purported spiritual beliefs, which included the idea that evil spirits could take over a persons body, forcing the persons soul out and turning them into a zombie. The only way to get rid of the evil spirit was to kill the body, former friend Melanie Gibb told jurors.

Vallow Daybell called JJ and Tylee zombies several times before they died, Gibb told investigators.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. The number of real estate properties for which ownership rights have been registered this year has increased, the State Service on Property Issues under the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan told Trend.

According to statistics, some 129,751 property rights were registered from January through March 2023, which is 76.9 percent more than during the same time in the previous year, including 22,223 (17.1 percent) for primary registration, and 107,528 (82.9 percent) for re-registration.

The number of initial property registrations increased by 23.6 percent from January through March 2023 compared to the same period last year.

Some 11,458 objects, for which ownership was registered, were private houses and country houses, 22,451 apartments, 93,097 land plots, 753 non-residential buildings, 1,797 non-residential areas, 163 property complexes, 32 multi-story residential buildings in the first quarter of 2023.

During the reporting period, some 22,323 properties registered by the state belong to Baku, and the remaining properties to the regions.
WATERBURY  A local man knowingly deceived federal authorities investigating gang activity in the city, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Connecticut.

Shan Thompson, 25, lied about a fatal 2017 shooting in interviews with the FBI, the U.S. attorneys office said. Thompson previously pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of making a false statement to a government agent, the office said. He was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
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WEST HAVEN  Rosalie Celotto Loewenbaum and Addy Parise both returned to Washington School Wednesday, viewing memorabilia and records from the hallways they once walked years ago as students at the elementary school.

The alumnae, who graduated 70 years apart  in 1947 and 2017, respectively  both said they wanted a last look at the 114-year-old school before its demolition planned for this summer as school officials prepare for the construction of a new building that will be more accessible and compliant with modern educational and architectural needs.

"It's like nothing changed," said Parise, who said the artwork in the halls leading into the gymnasium was just as she remembered it. However, the gymnasium itself now looks much smaller now that she's grown, she said.

Loewenbaum said her reason for returning to the school was merely to see it for both the first, and last, time since she graduated.

Many alumni older than Parise said it was their first time in the gymnasium at all, which didn't exist when they had attended the school.

Joan McDuff Beatty, from the class of 1951, said her class held its commencement ceremony at a different school because of the lack of gymnasium or auditorium.

"Outside there was a dirt playground, there was no gym," she said. "Being here is like being in a space station."

Her 1951 classmate Annette Langevin Wolcott said the school also lacked a cafeteria, and students were expected to walk home for their lunch period then return to school. She said her walk to her home on Anderson Avenue was much longer than McDuff Beatty's.

McDuff Beatty said one of her fondest memories of her time at the school was participating in a choir of eight students, who would harmonize Christmas carols in the hallways during the holiday season.

Diane DellaCamera, who was in the school's final seventh-grade class, said she sent her two daughters to the school. Although her overall memories are positive  she arrived at Wednesday's event with a screen-printed sweatshirt commemorating the school  she said her most distinctive memory was a sad one.

"It was the day (President John F.) Kennedy was shot. The teachers told us to go home early. They told everyone to go right home," she said.

School Principal Alicia Limosani said that as the school construction project worked its way through various regulatory authorities and approval processes, she had heard from alumni that they wanted to see the school  a request that school staff felt unable to act upon due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in the building's final moments, staff looked through their desks and called in the city's historical society for various records of the school's history including ledgers, yearbooks, photos, formal citations, newspaper clippings and screen-printed class T-shirts. Tables of materials organized roughly in chronological order from 1909 to present day spanned about half the perimeter of the school's gymnasium Wednesday.

"Some people told me they were even looking forward to reconnecting today," Limosani said.

For Judy Anderson, the school has come to define much of her life for roughly 30 years: she has been a special education paraprofessional in the school since 2003 and has two sons who graduated, in 1998 and 2004.

"I've been walking up 47 stairs every day since then," she said. "I love this school and the kids. The kids come first and they're the best part of my day."

Former principal Steven Lopes also paid a visit to the school where he served as principal for six years. He said he believed the proposed new building is "going to be fantastic for students, teachers and families."
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Alert: Colorado governor signs 4 gun control bills after the state's latest mass shooting, at LGBTQ nightclub
LAS VEGAS (AP)  State emergency managers are projecting clean-up and repair costs of at least $10.6 million following severe winter storms that affected rural parts of Nevada in March.

Nevada Division on Emergency Management spokeswoman Gail Powell said Friday the amount is expected to increase as state, tribal and local entities complete assessments and apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance.

The cost estimate came after President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration authorizing FEMA cost-sharing funds for damage from flooding, landslides and mudslides from March 8 to March 19 in Douglas, Eureka, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral and Storey counties.

All but four of Nevada's 17 counties and Yomba Shoshone tribal lands were included in an emergency declaration initially enacted March 9 by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo following a series of wet winter storms that swept off the Pacific Ocean, dumping extraordinary amounts of snow in the Sierra Nevada and rain on rangelands.

U.S. 95, a key highway between Las Vegas and Reno, was closed for several days due to a rock fall near Walker Lake in Mineral County.

Eric Holt, emergency services director in Lincoln County, said it will cost several million dollars just in his eastern Nevada county to repair roads, a washed-out spillway at the Echo Canyon dam and other infrastructure.

He pointed to a 75% cost share from FEMA and said there was no way Lincoln County would have been able to cover repair costs itself.

The declaration from the president, a Democrat, said federal funds also will be available for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
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BEIJING (AP)  Chinas defense minister says conditions along the tense, high-altitude border with India are stable overall, in sharp contrast with the far more pessimistic view from New Delhi.

The remarks from Li Shangfu came in a statement issued shortly after a meeting Thursday with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh in New Delhi.

China and India have far more common interests than differences, Li was quoted as saying.

At present, conditions on the China-Indian border are stable overall, Li said. The sides should take a long-term view, put the border issue at an appropriate place in bilateral relations, and promote the normalization of the border situation as soon as possible, he said.

In its own statement, Indias defense ministry quoted Singh as saying China had eroded the entire basis of ties between the countries by violating bilateral agreements, in reference to a nearly 3-year-old standoff involving thousands of soldiers stationed along their disputed border in the Ladakh region.

The development of India-China relations is premised on the prevalence of peace and tranquility at the borders and all border issues need to be resolved in accordance with existing agreements and commitments, the ministry said in a statement.

The differing tone of the statements reflects India's desire to draw attention to what it says is the deployment of a large number of Chinese troops, their aggressive behavior, and attempts to unilaterally alter the border status quo between the countries.

China, for its part, has tried to downplay moves to consolidate its border presence and often portrays the frictions as part of deliberate U.S. attempts to sow discord between the two nuclear-armed Asian giants.

A clash three years ago in Ladakh killed 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese. It turned into a long-running standoff in the rugged mountainous area, where each side has stationed tens of thousands of military personnel backed by artillery, tanks and fighter jets.

Days before Lis visit, top Indian and Chinese army commanders held an 18th round of talks in an attempt to work out a disengagement of troops from tense areas. Such discussions have helped lay protocols to avoid clashes but have done little to nothing to resolve the larger issue.

Both India and China have withdrawn troops from some areas on the northern and southern banks of Pangong Tso, Gogra and Galwan Valley, but continue to maintain extra troops as part of a multitier deployment.

A Line of Actual Control separates Chinese and Indian-held territories from Ladakh in the west to Indias eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims in its entirety. As its name implies, the demarcation line divides the areas of physical control rather than territorial claims.

India and China fought a bloody monthlong war over their border in 1962 and tensions have remained high in the region ever since, with the dispute at times fueling strong anti-China sentiment in India.

According to India, the de facto border is 3,488 kilometers (2,167-mile) long, although China promotes a considerably shorter figure.

In all, China claims some 90,000 square kilometers (35,000 square miles) of territory in Indias northeast, including Arunachal Pradesh with its mainly Buddhist population.

In the western sector, India says China occupies 38,000 square kilometers (15,000 square miles) of its territory in the Aksai Chin Plateau, which India considers part of Ladakh, where the current face-off is happening.

Li is visiting New Delhi to attend a meeting of the defense chiefs of the Chinese and Russian-dominated Shanghai Cooperation Organization on Friday.

The group, formed originally to constrain U.S. influence in the region, consists of China, India, Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

___

Find more of APs Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific
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WASHINGTON (AP)  Growing anger at the FBI from both parties in Congress has become a major hurdle for U.S. intelligence agencies fighting to keep their vast powers to collect foreign communications that often sweep up the phone calls and emails of Americans.

Key lawmakers say they won't vote to renew the programs under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that expire at the end of this year without major changes targeting the FBI. Many blame problems with how the FBI's special agents search for U.S. citizens using Section 702  along with publicly revealed mistakes in other intelligence investigations by the bureau.

Among the revelations since the law was last renewed in 2018: The bureau misled surveillance court judges in seeking to wiretap a 2016 campaign aide for former President Donald Trump, and agents didn't follow guidelines in searching Section 702 databases for the names of a congressman on the House Intelligence Committee, a local political party, and people of Middle Eastern descent.

Two successive chief judges of the primary U.S. surveillance court criticized the bureau in written opinions, with one saying the frequency of mistakes in the bureau's investigation of Russian election interference calls into question whether information contained in other FBI applications is reliable.

The debate is of great consequence to U.S. intelligence officials, who argue that the law is perhaps their most critical tool to stopping terrorism, enemy spies, and cyberattacks. According to the intelligence community, 59% of the items in the briefing given daily to President Joe Biden last year featured information the National Security Agency captured under Section 702.

And the classified Pentagon documents leaked online in recent weeks make clear how much the U.S. relies on electronic snooping, with dozens of items on allies and foes alike sourced to what's known as signals intelligence.

Section 702 has kept American citizens safe and our U.S. service members abroad out of danger, said Rep. Mike Turner, the Ohio Republican who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, in a statement. "However, changes must be made in order to prevent further FBI misuse and abuse of this vital national security tool.

Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, issued a joint statement in March saying the FBI was searching for Americans at an alarming scale and calling for an overhaul of the program.

The FBI says it uses foreign communications for its national security investigations and tightly controls how agents access Americans' data. Bureau officials this week released a checklist their agents are supposed to use in conducting searches. They also have overhauled their computer systems and added new mandatory training for agents in December 2021.

Searches likely to bring back 100 or more results must now be cleared first with an FBI attorney, and the deputy director must personally approve what the FBI calls certain types of sensitive queries, including searches of U.S. public officials.

Like any major institution, we have made mistakes, FBI Director Chris Wray testified before Congress in March. To me, the mark of a leading organization is not whether it makes mistakes or not ... but whether or not we learn from those mistakes. And I think we have.

Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said he supported the FBI's changes and wanted them to be included in a renewed surveillance law.

Himes argued some Republican critics were motivated by the investigations against Trump, including the search that the FBI conducted last year of his Florida residence.

I think anger at the FBI has become an article of faith in the Republican conference, he said in an interview.

Under Section 702, the U.S. collects foreign communications without a warrant  and with the required participation of American telecom companies  to create databases that analysts can search for intelligence purposes. They can target foreigners outside the U.S. for collection.

Agencies cannot target American citizens or foreigners on U.S. soil, or go after a foreigner with the purpose of collecting a U.S. citizen's emails or phone calls.

The FBI disclosed that it conducted as many as 3.4 million searches of Section 702 data for Americans in 2021  a figure that dropped sharply to 204,000 last year, according to an annual report released Friday by the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

The FBI said it introduced new counting methods for Fridays report that lowered the 2021 and 2022 figures to about 3 million and 110,000, respectively, by removing duplicative searches.

The bureau said it had run only 16 searches between December 2021 and November 2022 to seek evidence of a crime without a foreign intelligence purpose.

But civil liberties advocates have long argued that the program may violate the Fourth Amendment by giving the FBI warrantless access to vast amounts of Americans communications.

Patrick Toomey, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union's National Security Project, said Section 702 has become a domestic spying tool for the FBI.

The rules are extraordinarily permissive in practice, and yet FBI agents still regularly violate them, Toomey said in an email. "Congress should require a warrant for these searches to protect Americans, because the FBI cannot be left to police itself.

Some lawmakers also support requiring the FBI to get warrants for every search of Section 702 data. National security officials oppose a warrant requirement, saying it would flood courts with thousands of new cases and make many uses of the program impractical.

Majority Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee are instead pushing for new criminal penalties against agents who willfully provide false information to a surveillance court, according to multiple people familiar with their plans who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

That proposal is driven by a perception that the FBI won't punish agents who abuse their authorities and a concern from Republicans that the bureau and Wray won't answer their questions about disciplinary actions taken, said Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah.

One thing that societies cannot sustain is when they feel they cannot trust their own law enforcement, their own intelligence agencies, he said. We have to implement reforms to regain some of that trust.

A senior FBI official declined to say how many agents have been dismissed or disciplined for violations, but said the bureau had found that deliberate misconduct by agents was rare. The official spoke on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the bureau.

Members of both parties have also discussed moving to extend the terms of judges on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which holds classified proceedings and approves wiretaps as well as the intelligence community's Section 702 rules each year.

They also want the court to transcribe all hearings for appeals and to expand the use of outside advocates  known as amicus curiae  who can oppose FBI requests before the court, the people said.

Lawmakers may push for a short extension into next year so they can complete a package of long-term changes. But the future of the program at present is uncertain.

Rep. Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat who also sits on the committee, said that while he supports changes to the law, it was critical for Congress to keep it in place.

If we lose this program, we just go blind overnight in a lot of critical areas, he said.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  Days out from a surgery and with a young son undergoing chemotherapy, Kyle McHenry was scrambling to figure out if his Florida family will still be covered by Medicaid come Monday.

One form on the state's website said coverage for their sick 5-year-old son, Ryder, had been denied. But another said the family would remain on Medicaid through next year. Still, a letter from the state said McHenry now makes too much money for him, his wife and their older son to qualify after the end of the month.

Three phone calls and a total of six frustrating hours on hold with Florida's Department of Children and Families later, the McHenrys finally got the answer they were dreading on Thursday: Most of the family is losing Medicaid coverage, although Ryder remains eligible because of his illness.

Im trying not to go into panic, McHenry's wife, Allie McHenry, told The Associated Press earlier in the week. The state agency did not respond to AP's request for comment.

The McHenrys are among the first casualties in an unprecedented nationwide review of the 84 million Medicaid enrollees over the next year that will require states to remove people whose incomes are now too high for the federal-state program offered to the poorest Americans.

Millions are expected to be left without insurance after getting a reprieve for the past three years during the coronavirus pandemic, when the federal government barred states from removing anyone who was deemed ineligible.

Advocacy groups have warned for months that confusion and errors will abound throughout the undertaking, wrongly leaving some of the countrys poorest people suddenly without health insurance and unable to pay for necessary medical care.

Medicaid enrollees are already reporting they've been erroneously kicked off in a handful of states that have begun removing people, including Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire and South Dakota, according to data gathered by the AP.

Trevor Hawkins is seeing the problems play out firsthand in Arkansas, where officials told the AP that the state is moving as fast as possible to wrap up a review before year's end.

Hawkins spends his days driving winding roads across the state providing free legal services to people who have lost coverage or need help filling out pages of forms the state has mailed to them. In between his drives, he fields about a half-dozen phone calls daily from people seeking guidance on their Medicaid applications.

"The notices are so confusing," said Hawkins, who works for Legal Aid of Arkansas. "No two people have had the same experience with losing their coverage. Its hard to identify whats really the issue.

Some people have been mailed pre-populated application forms that include inaccurate income or household information but leave Medicaid enrollees no space to fix the state's errors. Others have received documents that say Medicaid recipients will lose their coverage before they've even had an opportunity to re-apply, Hawkins said. A spokesman for Arkansas' Department of Human Services said the forms instruct enrollees to fill in their information.

Tonya Moore, 49, went for weeks without Medicaid coverage because the state used her 21-year-old daughter's wages, including incomes from two part-time jobs that she no longer worked, to determine she was ineligible for the program. County officials told Moore she had to obtain statements from the businesses  about an hour's drive from Moore's rural home in Highland, Arkansas  to prove her daughter no longer worked there. Moore says she wasn't able to get the documents before being kicked off Medicaid on April 1.

By last week, Moore had run out of blood pressure medication and insulin used to control her diabetes and was staring down a nearly empty box of blood sugar test strips.

I got a little panicky, she said at the time. I dont know how long its going to take to get my insurance.

Moore was reinstated on Medicaid as of Monday with Legal Aid's help.

The McHenry family, in Winter Park, Florida, also worries the state has mixed up their income while checking their eligibility for Medicaid.

After their son Ryder was diagnosed with cancer in September 2021, Allie McHenry quit her job to take care of him, leaving the family with a single income from Kyle McHenry's job as a heavy diesel mechanic. She signed the family up for Medicaid then but says they were initially denied because the state wrongly counted disability payments for Ryder's cancer as income. She's concerned the state included those payments in its latest assessment but has been unable to get a clear answer, after calling the state three times and being disconnected twice after staying on hold for hours.

It is always a nightmare trying to call them, Allie McHenry said of her efforts to reach the state's helpline. I havent had the heart or strength to try and call again."

Notices sent to the McHenrys and reviewed by the AP show they were given less than two weeks' warning that theyd lose coverage at the end of April. The federal government requires states to tell people just 10 days in advance that theyll be kicked off Medicaid.

The family's experience isn't surprising. Last year, Congress, so worried that some states were ill-equipped to properly handle the number of calls that would flood lines during the Medicaid process, required states to submit data about their call volume, wait times and abandonment rate. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will try to work with states where call wait times are especially high, a spokesperson for the agency said.

Some doctors and their staffs are taking it upon themselves to let patients know about the complicated process they'll have to navigate over the next year.

Most of the little patients pediatrician Lisa Costello sees in Morgantown, West Virginia are covered by Medicaid, and she's made a point to have conversations with parents about how the process will play out. She's also encouraging her colleagues to do the same. West Virginia officials have sent letters to nearly 20,000 people telling them that they'll lose coverage on Monday.

Some people might not realize they no longer have Medicaid until they go to fill a prescription or visit the doctor in the coming weeks, Costello said.

A lot of it is educating people on, Youre going to get this information; dont throw it away, she said. How many of us get pieces of mail and toss it in the garbage because we think its not important?

Every weekday, about a dozen staffers at Adelante Healthcare, a small chain of community clinics in Phoenix, call families they believe are at risk of losing Medicaid. Colorful posters on the walls remind families in both English and Spanish to ensure their Medicaid insurance doesnt lapse.

That's how Alicia Celaya, a 37-year-old waitress in Phoenix, found out that she and her children, ages 4, 10 and 16, will lose coverage later this year.

When she and her husband were laid off from their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, they enrolled in Medicaid. Both have returned to working in the restaurant industry, but Celaya and her children remained on Medicaid for the free health care coverage because she's unable to come up with the hundreds of dollars to pay the monthly premiums for her employer-sponsored health insurance.

The clinic is helping her navigate the private health insurance plans available through the Affordable Care Act's marketplace and trying to determine whether her children qualify for the federal Children's Health Insurance Program, known in Arizona as KidsCare. Celaya said shed never be able to figure out the marketplace, where dozens of plans covering different doctors are offered at varying price points

Im no expert on health insurance," she said.

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Snow reported from Phoenix. Associated Press correspondents Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas, Anthony Izaguirre in Tallahassee, Florida, and Leah Willingham in Morgantown, West Virginia, contributed to this report.
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP)  A large number of Islamic extremists launched an attack on Burkina Faso's military in the country's east, killing 33 soldiers and wounding a dozen others, the army said Friday.

The assault took place Thursday in the Gourma province town of Ouagarou, according to an army statement.

During particularly intense combat, the soldiers of the detachment showed remarkable determination when faced with an enemy that came in very large numbers, the statement said, adding that 40 jihadis also were killed.

Fighters linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have waged a violent insurgency in Burkina Faso for seven years. The violence has killed thousands of people and displaced around 2 million.

It also has divided a once peaceful nation and fueled frustration that led to two coups last year. The new junta leader, Capt. Ibrahim Traore, has promised to secure the country. But some civilians say they also fear Burkina Fasos security forces, which they accuse of extrajudicial killings and the disappearance of untold numbers of others accused of supporting the militants.

Meanwhile, attacks are intensifying and spreading as jihadis blockade villages, preventing hundreds of thousands of people from moving freely.

Earlier this month, gunmen killed at least 40 members of Burkina Fasos security forces in the northern part of the country, and dozens of others were wounded.

Local residents have accused the security forces of brutally killing civilians in the north. The United Nations has called for a thorough and independent investigation into what it called the horrific killing of civilians.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. Amendments have been made to the "Rules of Storage and Use of the State Grain Fund" approved by Resolution No. 105 of July 7, 2009, of the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

Azerbaijan's Prime Minister Ali Asadov has signed a corresponding resolution.

According to the amendments, grain supply and grain renewal in the Fund are carried out by the decision of the state customer and in agreement with the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan, and the use of grain from the Fund is carried out by the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan. The period of storage of grain should not exceed 24 months from the year of grain harvest.

The use of grain from the Fund is carried out in order to meet consumer demand for these products, fulfill international obligations, as well as to ensure the stability of the country's grain supply, and prevent short-term sharp fluctuations in prices for grain products on the domestic market.

The sale of grain from the Fund for use is carried out based on the market price of grain. At the same time, the need to maintain the price of grain taking into account the price situation of the domestic market is considered.
NEW DELHI (AP)  Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh urged the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on Friday to work together to eliminate terrorism and ensure accountability for those who aid or fund such activities, his ministry said.

"Any kind of terrorist act or support for it in any form is a major crime against humanity, the Defense Ministry quoted Singh as saying at a one-day meeting of SCO defense ministers in New Delhi.
TALLINN, Estonia (AP)  Russian authorities have cracked down on more human rights groups, ordering one to shut down and raiding the homes of advocates from another  the latest steps in a clampdown that has intensified to unprecedented levels since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine.

And President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed amendments introducing into law life imprisonment as the punishment for treason. Previously, the maximum sentence on this charge, which has been increasingly levied against Russians in recent years, was 20 years.

Police on Friday searched the homes of three lawyers with a rights group that advocates against torture and offers legal aid, Team Against Torture.

The group said in an online statement that the raids in Nizhny Novgorod, a large city in western Russia, came as part of a criminal probe launched earlier. No other details were given out of concerns for safety of the people the group is helping, the statement said.

On Thursday, a court in Moscow ordered the shutdown of the Sova Center, a prominent non-governmental organization that monitors racism and xenophobia in Russia, as well as implementation of anti-extremism laws.

The authorities accused the organization of violating its legal registration in Moscow by participating in events outside the Russian capital.

Earlier this year, Russias oldest rights group  the Moscow Helsinki Group  was shut down over the same violation. The group appealed the decision, but an appellate court on Friday upheld it.

In a statement following the court hearing, Sova Center rejected the accusations and vowed to appeal the ruling, continuing its work in the meantime.

The move against the group prompted criticism in the West.

German government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann said Russia's domestic crackdown appeared to have been stepped up in parallel with the attack on Ukraine.

This closure adds to a sad list of important non-governmental organizations shut down by the Russian government, including Memorial and the Moscow Helsinki Group, Hoffmann said.

Its a fact that there is no freedom of opinion anymore in Russia, she told reporters in Berlin.

Hoffmann also accused the Kremlin of constantly seeking new excuses to extend" the imprisonment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is facing a new trial in coming weeks on the charges of extremism and yet one more criminal probe, this time on terrorism charges.

The politician, who is already serving a nine-year prison term, said he could be looking at a life sentence, if charged and convicted of terrorism.

Navalny, 46, was arrested in January 2021 upon returning to Moscow after recuperating in Germany from nerve-agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin.

He initially received a 2-year prison sentence for a parole violation. Last year, he was sentenced to a nine-year term for fraud and contempt of court. He is currently serving time at a maximum-security prison 250 kilometers (150 miles) east of Moscow.

Hoffmann called on Russia to ensure Navalny receives necessary medical treatment denied him despite the obvious worsening of his health"  something his allies have reported recently.

Asked whether Germany would again give Navalny shelter if he were able to return to Germany, she said: I strongly assume so.

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Jordans reported from Berlin.
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WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Scholars and historical institutions from around the world are coming to the defense of a Polish researcher who is under fire from her countrys authorities after saying that Poles could have done more to help Jews during the Holocaust.

Barbara Engelking said in a television interview last week that Polish Jews felt disappointed in Poles during World War II, referring to what she described as widespread blackmailing of Jews by Poles during the Nazi German occupation.

The historian and the independent television broadcaster have been threatened since then with consequences by government institutions  turning the matter into a campaign issue before an election scheduled for this fall.

Polands conservative government and pro-government media have described the remarks by Engelking, who is Polish, as an attack on the nation. They accuse her of distorting the historical record and not giving due credit to the Poles who risked  and sometimes lost  their lives to help Jews.

It is the latest eruption of an emotional debate that has been going on for years in Poland over Polish-Jewish relations, particularly the behavior of Poles toward their Jewish neighbors during the war  when Germans committed brutal crimes against Poles, whom they considered subhuman, and against the Jews, a population they sought to exterminate in its entirety.

Poles reacted in various ways to the German treatment of the Jews. Some helped the Jews, an act punishable with execution by the occupation forces. Others denounced or blackmailed them, motivated by antisemitic hatred or for personal gain. Many Poles lived in fear and sought to survive the war without getting involved either way.

Polish nationalists don't deny that some Poles preyed on their Jewish compatriots, but say they these cases shouldn't lead to generalizations about society at large. They fear scholarship on Poles who betrayed Jews is distorting a history of heroism by Poles who resisted the Germans. And they argue it risks unfairly shifting the responsibility of the German crimes onto Poles.

Engelking spoke on the 80th anniversary of the uprising in the Warsaw ghetto. She was being interviewed by private broadcaster TVN about an exhibition she helped create on the fate of civilians in the ghetto,  Around Us A Sea of Fire," which opened last week.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki reacted to the interview with a long social media post describing Engelking's comments as scandalous opinions" and part of an anti-Polish narrative.

Morawiecki referred to the more than 7,000 Poles recognized by Israel's Holocaust institute Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations. A Polish institute is trying to document cases that have so far not been recorded.

We know that there could be tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of such cases, Morawiecki said.

This week, Education Minister Przemysaw Czarnek threatened the funding of the institution where Engelking works, the Polish Center for Holocaust Research, which is part of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

I will not finance an institute that maintains the kind of people who simply insult Poles, Czarnek said.

He said that Poles "were the greatest allies of the Jews, and if it had not been for the Poles, many Jews would have died, many more than were killed in the Holocaust.

According to Yad Vashem, around 3.3 million Jews lived in Poland on the eve of the Sept. 1, 1939 German invasion, and only 380,000 survived the war.

About 3 million other Polish citizens who weren't Jewish were also killed during the war.

Poland's state broadcasting authority has also opened an investigation into TVN, which is owned by the U.S. company Warner Bros. Discovery. The broadcaster also faced government criticism recently for a report claiming that St. John Paul II had covered up cases of clerical abuse in his native Poland before becoming pope.

Government critics see an attempt to exploit the issue to win votes before the election  as the ruling party risks losing votes to a far-right party, Confederation, which has been surging in popularity.

Liberal media and commentators warn that media and academic freedoms are being threatened.

Yad Vashem chairman Dani Dayan said that he called Engelking to show support for "freedom of expression and of academic research, in the face of blatant and menacing attacks.

By Friday, more than 600 scholars of the Holocaust and related subjects in Poland and abroad had signed a statement expressing opposition to the "political attack on Engelking.

They said they regard such censorious tendencies ... as extremely dangerous and unacceptable," adding: We object to the idea of making a subject that calls for meticulous and nuanced research  as carried out by Professor Engelking  part of an election campaign.

The POLIN Museum of the History of the Polish Jews, where the exhibition about civilians in the Warsaw ghetto is being shown, also defended Engelking in a statement Wednesday.

The museum argued that the feelings of disappointment expressed by Jews during the war are a fact," and that they appear in almost every account of those who survived the Holocaust, as well as those who managed to leave a record of their fate, but did not survive.

Poland's chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, and other Jewish leaders said in a statement that they considered attempts by the state to censor the opinions of independent historians as unacceptable.

Engelking more than a decade ago also angered some Poles by saying death for Poles then was simply a biological, natural matter ... and for Jews it was a tragedy, it was a dramatic experience, it was metaphysics.
ROME (AP)  Austrian authorities on Friday handed over to Italy one of the suspected smugglers of the boat which capsized in February off southern Italy in a tragedy that killed 92 migrants, Italian police said.

The suspect, a 27-year-old Turk identified by police as Ufuk Gun, was arrested on March 7 near Graz, Austria.

Prosecutors in Calabria, in the toe of the Italian mainland, are investigating the shipwreck, near the beach town of Cutro. There were 80 survivors, many of whom staggered ashore or were pulled to safety by local residents.

They are also investigating whether the Italian coast guard should have been dispatched hours earlier, in time to prevent the deaths.

After the shipwreck, the conservative government of Premier Giorgia Meloni sharply raised criminal penalties against people smugglers who cause death but denied any blame for the tragedy.

Italian police said in a written statement that authorities arranged for the suspect, sought on a European arrest warrant, to be returned to Italy at the border town of Tarvisio. After formalities, the man will be brought to Crotone, the headquarters of prosecutors near Cutro, for continued investigation, police said.

Survivors had indicated the suspected smugglers to investigators. At the time, a warrant for Gun was issued, court documents indicated his whereabouts as unknown and no lawyer for him was listed.

It's common for smugglers to try to mingle with their passengers in hopes of avoiding arrest, and then attempt to slip out of Italy. Three other suspected smugglers have previously been arrested in the shipwreck investigation.

The boat had set out from Turkey. Afghans, Pakistanis, Iranians, Somalis and Palestinians were among those who paid about 8,000 euros (then $8,700) apiece for the trip, which they hoped would reach Europe so they could find work or reunite with family.

Italy's interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, has dismissed contentions by opposition lawmakers and rights groups that the shipwreck could have been avoided. He argued that the smugglers could have brought the boat to shore hours earlier but deliberately kept it at sea in hopes of avoiding police on shore.

Just offshore, the boat, rocked by tall waves, slammed into a sandbank, splintering and rapidly taking on water. Bodies washed up on beaches for days afterwards.

Italy decided at first only to send border police boats, which couldn't handle the rough seas, and not coast guard vessels, better equipped for rescue in adverse marine conditions, after the migrant boat was spotted by surveillance aircraft.

At a Cabinet meeting held in Cutro, 11 days after the shipwreck, Meloni and her government had issued a decree establishing a new crime  people smuggling that results in death of migrants  punishable by up to 30 years in prison, an exceptionally stiff sentence for crimes involving facilitating illegal immigration.

Despite the crackdown, the migrants keep coming. Since the start of this year, nearly 40,000 had arrived by Thursday on Italy's southern shores, some four times more that the number of migrants arriving in the same period last year.

The tiny Italian isle of Lampedusa has been struggling to temporarily house many of the migrants, who come ashore either unaided or after rescue by coast guard boats, before they can be sent elsewhere for screening of their asylum bids.

While boats still set out from Libya and Turkey, lately many of the smugglers' precariously constructed vessels are being launched from Tunisia.

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GENEVA (AP)  Experts working with the United Nations on Friday denounced reports of human rights violations including abduction, deportation and enforced disappearances against ethnic minorities in Russian-occupied Crimea, calling on Moscow to do more to protect the rights of Tatars and others there.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, as part of a regular, rotating review of U.N. member states, took a look at Russia  and areas that it controls  along with five other countries this month. The impact of Moscow's war in Ukraine on rights and racial hatred drew particular scrutiny.

In its review of Russia, the committee of independent experts focused on just one particular aspect of the war  the impact on racial discrimination  which has seen a litany of other rights abuses and violations, including murder, summary execution, rape, arbitrary detention and much more, according to U.N. and other rights monitors.

The committee cited reports of destruction of and damage to Crimean Tatar cultural heritage, including tombstones, monuments and shrines, and cited a lack of information about efforts to protect such sites from vandalism.

It pointed to reports of barriers on the use and study of Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages, and called for the reinstatement of the Mejlis, a representative body of Crimean Tatars that was disbanded in 2016.

The experts cited the refusal of Russian envoys to provide information, and suggested that Crimea, under international law, remains part of Ukraine despite Russias annexation of the peninsula in 2014.

The panel cited reports of numerous and serious human rights violations against members of ethnic minority groups and indigenous peoples in Crimea, in particular abductions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, and the forcible transfer or deportation of inhabitants from these territories to the Russian Federation.

The committee aims to help countries uphold their commitments under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which Moscow  then the capital of the Soviet Union  ratified more than five decades ago.

After skipping a U.N.-backed Human Rights Committee review last year, Russia deployed a delegation of nearly 20 people to attend and field questions in the review, a first by Russian envoys to a U.N. rights review in Geneva since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

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PEKANBARU, Indonesia (AP)  A speedboat carrying 74 people capsized in rough seas in western Indonesia, killing at least 11 and leaving one person missing, officials said Friday.

Many of the dead were women and children, said Nyoman Sidakarya, chief of the Pekanbaru Search and Rescue Agency. He said 62 people had been rescued, including some who were unconscious after drifting in the choppy waters for hours. They were hospitalized and were in stable condition, he said.

The Evelyn Calista 01 was carrying 68 passengers, mostly people returning from visits to their hometowns to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr holiday with their families, and six crew members, Sidakarya said. He revised the number of people on board from an initial estimate of 78.

Television video showed people standing on an overturned boat trying to reach a fishing boat packed with survivors.

The boat sank Thursday afternoon about three hours after leaving Tembilahan, a town in Indragiri Hilir Regency in Riau province. It was bound for Tanjung Pinang in the Riau Islands chain, a 200-kilometer (125-mile) trip.

The cause of the sinking was still being investigated, but some survivors told authorities that the boat swayed suddenly and capsized after hitting a large log while traveling in strong winds, local police chief Norhayat said.

Two tugboats and two inflatable boats battled high waves in the overnight darkness as they searched for survivors, said Norhayat, who uses a single name. He said a tugboat pulled the capsized boat to shore to ease the search efforts.

Boat tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where ferries are often used as transport and safety regulations are sometimes ignored.

In 2018, an overcrowded ferry carrying about 200 people sank in a deep volcanic crater lake in North Sumatra province, killing 167 people.

In one of the countrys worst recorded disasters, an overcrowded passenger ship sank in February 1999 with 332 people aboard. There were only 20 survivors.
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TACNA, Peru (AP)  Stranded for five days under the scorching desert sun alongside a highway, Venezuelan Rosmary Morales looked on helplessly Friday at a wall of police officers blocking her passage into Peru.

The 45-year-old waits alongside hundreds of others who have set up a makeshift refugee camp on the Chilean side of the border they cant cross because they lack the proper documentation. There isnt even an awning, Morales said, adding she felt she was being treated like a dog.

Morales is among the Venezuelans, Colombians and Haitians stranded for two weeks along the Peru-Chile border, eager to return home as living costs skyrocket and as lawmakers in both countries propose penalties for undocumented migration.

Political leaders, meanwhile, are discussing how to facilitate their passage through Peru at a time when migrants increasingly are being blamed for rising crime on both sides of the border.

Chile said Friday it would start registering all the undocumented migrants who want to leave the country, and Peru started letting some of them through to its border offices.

Morales says that while shes grateful that Chile took her in when she left Venezuela, shes now ready to go back to her native country because the cost of living has risen, jobs have become scarce and shes finding it difficult to survive without the proper documentation, which she says has been impossible to obtain.

We can no longer make ends meet, Morales said.

Now she and others are having to endure the elements at the Atacama Desert, one of the driest on the planet, with heat during the day and cold at night.

Many mothers are there, with children, with the flu, fever, constant vomiting, dehydrated, unable to eat a good lunch, unable to bathe, Morales said.

Chiles acting interior minister, Manuel Monsalve, said Friday the government will set up registration points in the border region to enroll undocumented migrants who want to leave the country so their fingerprint, face and name can be recorded.

Monsalve said Chile wants to let the migrants return to their country but also noted its the governments responsibility to ensure that people who have committed crimes are not leaving Chile.

The president of Chile's lower house of Congress, Vlado Mirosevic, had proposed Thursday that a humanitarian corridor be created to allow the migrants to return home, without elaborating on details of such a corridor.

Peruvian Interior Minister Vicente Romero said on Friday on local radio RPP that at the level of the foreign ministry, we are working with Chile, Ecuador, and also with Venezuela to find a way for migrants to cross borders without problems.

The important thing is to provide the necessary security to all foreigners who voluntarily wish to return to their country, Romero said.

Romero, who has been in the Peruvian border region with Chile since Thursday night, added that he met with local authorities to consider opening temporary shelters for people waiting to leave.

Migrants have set up improvised tents with blankets and braved the elements without access to running water and other basic services. Others have found help in the nearby Chilean border complex of Chacalluta.

We want to go back to our country, Venezuela. Weve achieved what we came to do in Chile," Omar Dominguez, 47, said at the border. We don't want to stay in Peru."

According to official figures from Chilean prosecutors, approximately 10,000 undocumented immigrants have entered Chile this year, and an additional 1,194 have requested to leave.

The crisis along the border comes at a time when officials in Chile are increasing controls on undocumented migrants. Earlier this month, Chile's National Prosecutors Office called on prosecutors to request preventive detention for anyone caught committing a crime who could not prove their identity.

In both Peru and Chile, lawmakers are seeking to toughen laws against undocumented migrants.

A measure set to be debated in Chiles lower house of Congress would classify undocumented immigration as a crime and proposes jail sentences up to 18 months for anyone caught entering Chile through unofficial channels.

In Peru, a lawmaker from the Somos Peru party proposed a bill Thursday to imprison migrants who enter the country illegally for up to 10 years. A lawmaker from the far-right Renovacion Popular said Perus border patrol should enjoy legal protections so they can shoot migrants if necessary.

Peruvian President Dina Boluarte attributed criminal acts to migrants earlier this week. ----- Associated Press journalists Franklin Briceno in Lima, Peru and Eva Vergara in Santiago, Chile contributed to this report.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  A Dutch court on Friday banned a man from donating any more of his sperm after he fathered at least 550 children in the Netherlands and other countries and misled prospective parents about the number of offspring he helped to conceive.

A judge at The Hague District Court ordered the halt in an injunction brought by the mother of a child conceived with the donors sperm and a foundation representing other parents.

The mother, identified by the foundation only as Eva, welcomed the court's decision.

"I hope that this ruling leads to a ban on mass donation and spreads like an oil slick to other countries. We must stand hand in hand around our children and protect them against this injustice, she said in a statement.

The court noted that under Dutch guidelines, sperm donors are allowed to produce a maximum of 25 children with 12 mothers and that the donor lied to prospective parents about his donation history.

The donor, identified as Jonathan M. under Dutch privacy guidelines, provided sperm to several Dutch fertility clinics and to a clinic in Denmark as well as to many other people he connected with through advertisements and online forums, the court said in its written judgment.

The donors lawyer said in a court hearing that he wanted to help parents who would otherwise be unable to conceive.

The judge who heard the civil case said that the donor deliberately lied about this in order to persuade the parents to take him as a donor, the court said in a statement.

All these parents are now confronted with the fact that the children in their family are part of a huge kinship network, with hundreds of half-siblings, which they did not choose, the court said, adding that this has or could possibly have negative psychosocial consequences for the children. It is therefore in their interest that this kinship network is not extended any further.

The court said in a statement that the case was about conflicting fundamental rights. On the one hand, the right to respect for the privacy of the parents and the donor children ... and on the other hand, the same right of the donor.

The court ruled that the interests of the donor children and their parents outweigh the interest of the donor in continuing to donate sperm to new prospective parents.

The court ordered him immediately to halt all donations and said he must pay 100,000 euros ($110,000) per case if he breaches the ban.

Lawyer Mark de Hek called the ruling "a clear signal and, as far as I am concerned, a final warning to other mass donors.
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP)  Gunmen killed 15 villagers and abducted five aid workers in separate attacks in Nigeria's troubled northern region, authorities said Thursday.

The assailants arrived in Benue states Apa area and opened fire on villagers in their homes, according to David Olofu, a senior state government official. He said military personnel were among those shot in the attack and many houses were razed as villagers fled to safety.

The incident in Benue is the latest in a spiral of violent attacks in which armed groups are targeting remote communities across Nigeria's northwest and central regions, often defying government and security measures.

More than 80 people have been killed in Benue in the past month in such attacks. No group has claimed responsibility for the killings, though authorities have blamed Fulani herdsmen, a group of mostly young pastoralists from the Fulani tribe caught up in Nigerias conflict between host communities and herdsmen over limited access to water and land.

In northeastern Nigeria, meanwhile, Islamic extremists abducted five aid workers in Ngala, Borno state, where an insurgency against the government has raged on for more than a decade.

The aid workers included three staff members and two contractors of the international non-government organization FHI 360, all working to provide lifesaving medical care to the people of Nigeria, the organization said Thursday, without further details on the incident.

FHI 360 condemned the abduction of the workers and called for their unconditional, immediate and safe return, according to a statement from Iorwakwagh Apera, the NGO's director in Nigeria. Our priority at this time is to support our team and their families, said Apera.

The Boko Haram extremist group has been waging a bitter war against Nigeria since 2009, and the insurgency has spread over the years to the neighboring countries of Cameroon, Niger and Chad. A breakaway faction of the group formed in 2016 and became known as the Islamic State in West Africa Province and is notorious for targeting security forces and aid workers.

___

Umar reported from Maiduguri, Nigeria.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov met with head of Russia's Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, Trend reports via the minister's Twitter account.

"At the meeting with Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, we exchanged views on the development of Azerbaijani-Tatarstan relations, the work done to strengthen economic cooperation and expand business ties," the minister said.

Earlier, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Tatarstan announced that the second Azerbaijan-Tatarstan business forum will be held in Kazan on April 28.

According to the chamber, the business forum will be attended by Azerbaijani business circles interested in cooperation with enterprises and organizations of Tatarstan.

The second forum is aimed to establish closer ties between enterprises. The first forum was held in November last year in Baku.

The Azerbaijani delegation at the forum will include representatives from a wide range of industries, including private agriculture and food industry, construction and trade, light industry, finance, information, and communication technology.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Mexicos president returned to his morning press briefings Friday after recovering from COVID-19, and he came out swinging.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, 69, said he had tested negative after his third bout of the coronavirus.

His return came the same day that opposition legislators continued to hold protests in the Senate, after senators from Lopez Obradors Morena party refused yet again to approve appointments to the national information-access agency.

The transparency agency has been unable to function for more than a month because of a lack of committee members. Lopez Obrador came out Friday and said the agency should be dissolved to save money.

Let the federal comptroller's office, which belongs to another branch of government, the legislative branch, take over this function and let this agency disappear. Enough playing with appearances, Lopez Obrador said.

Formally known as The Institute for Information Access and Transparency, or INAI, the government-funded agency is autonomous and decides what information the government must release to the public. Its autonomy is meant to ensure that no branch of government can prevent public access to information.

With currently only four committee members  there should be seven, but it can function with five  the institute cannot make decisions.

Legislators from Lopez Obrador's Morena party voted late Thursday against approving the appointment of a fifth committee member, prompting opposition senators to stand in front of the speakers' podium with banners reading INAI Now! and Appointments for the INAI now!

A leader of the Morena delegation in the Senate, Cesar Cravioto, was seen slapping and punching opposition lawmakers' hands in a bid to rip the banners away from them.

After the scuffle, it was unclear whether the Senate would be able to meet Friday in the Senate chamber.
The Bay Area weather really is taking everyone for a ride this year.

After a seemingly endless barrage of winter rainstorms, temperatures in the region skyrocketed Thursday, marking the first 90-degree day of 2023, Bay Area National Weather Service meteorologists said.

On April 27, multiple Bay Area cities hit grueling temperatures. In the North Bay, Santa Rosa reached 90 degrees, while San Rafael rose to 91. On the Peninsula and in the East Bay, both Redwood City and the Livermore Airport recorded a sweltering 90 degrees, weather service meteorologist Roger Gass told SFGATE.

It was definitely a warm day out there across the region, Gass said. On Friday, however, Gass said he anticipates that the Bay Area will experience slighter more forgiving weather.

We are expecting lower to middle 80s today compared to upper 80s to 90s from yesterday, he said, explaining that the interior East Bay valleys and Santa Clara Valley area will likely be the hottest regions throughout the bay. The warm weather spell will likely persist through Saturday, before cooling down by 10 to 15 degrees on Sunday, April 30, he said.

Despite this brief heat wave, next week might get wet again: Theres a slim chance that it will rain in San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, forecast data shows. Though this oscillating weather pattern is not unheard of, meteorologists know just how to describe it.

We're definitely on the roller coaster ride of transitioning from winter to spring, Gass said.
WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Northwestern Williamson County in south central Texas...

Llano County in south central Texas...

Burnet County in south central Texas...

* Until 430 PM CDT.

* At 318 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from near Lampasas to near Oxford, moving east at 45 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Georgetown, Burnet, Marble Falls, Kingsland, Llano, Bertram,

Buchanan Dam, Leander, Gainesville, Granite Shoals, Liberty Hill,

Jarrell, Florence, Buchanan Lake Village, Highland Haven, Inks Lake

State Park, Watson, Bluffton, Lake Victor and Baby Head.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Large hail, damaging winds, and continuous cloud to ground lightning

are occurring with these storms. Move indoors immediately. Lightning

is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear

thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

Southern Kinney County in south central Texas...

* Until 415 PM CDT.

* At 319 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 11 miles south of

Standart, or 11 miles west of Spofford, moving east at 35 mph.

Brackettville, Spofford, Anacacho, Fort Clark Springs, Laughlin

AFB Aux Field, U.S. Highway 277 and Farm to Market Road 693.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

Severe Weather Statement

National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX

407 PM CDT Fri Apr 28 2023

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM CDT

FOR NORTHERN MAVERICK COUNTY...

At 404 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Darling, or 10

miles northeast of Quemado, moving east at 25 mph. Another severe

thunderstorm was located 2 miles northwest of Elm Creek and was

moving southeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to

roofs, siding, and trees.

Locations impacted include...

Quemado, Radar Base, Normandy, Darling, Paloma and Elm Creek.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Milam County in central Texas...

Bell County in central Texas...

Southwestern Falls County in central Texas...

* Until 515 PM CDT.

* At 411 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from Lott to near Rogers to near Jarrell, moving

southeast at 55 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Killeen, Temple, Harker Heights, Belton, Rockdale, Cameron,

Nolanville, Morgan's Point Resort, Bartlett, Salado, Little

River-Academy, Troy, Rosebud, Thorndale, Rogers, Holland, Lott,

Buckholts, Belton Lake and Alcoa Lake.

This includes Interstate 35 between mile markers 278 and 312.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for central Texas.

For your protection get inside a sturdy structure and stay away from

windows.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

East central Maverick County in south central Texas...

* Until 615 PM CDT.

* At 520 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near El Indio,

moving east at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Ping pong ball size hail and 60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail

damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect

wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Chula Vista, Rosita and Farias Lake.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a

Southern Robertson County in central Texas...

* Until 600 PM CDT.

* At 519 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Calvert, or

near Hearne, moving southeast at 30 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

Hearne, Calvert, Benchley and Mumford.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for central Texas.

For your protection get inside a sturdy structure and stay away from

windows.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Central Hamilton County in central Texas...

Northeastern Mills County in central Texas...

Southeastern Comanche County in central Texas...

* Until 230 PM CDT.

* At 125 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 12 miles south of

Gustine, or 17 miles southeast of Comanche, moving east at 30 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Hamilton, Shive, Lamkin, Olin, Priddy, Whiteway, Aleman, Indian

Gap, Energy, Pottsville, Gentrys Mill, Pecan Wells, Fairy, Caradan

and Ireland.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for central Texas.

For your protection get inside a sturdy structure and stay away from

windows.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

Severe Weather Statement

National Weather Service Fort Worth TX

357 PM CDT Fri Apr 28 2023

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN SOMERVELL...

WESTERN JOHNSON AND EAST CENTRAL HOOD COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 400 PM

CDT...

The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe

limits. Therefore the warning will be allowed to expire. However

small hail is still possible with this thunderstorm.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for central Texas.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for

north central Texas.

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 415 PM CDT

FOR SOUTHEASTERN KINNEY COUNTY...

At 358 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Spofford,

moving east at 20 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to

roofs, siding, and trees.

Locations impacted include...

Spofford, Anacacho and Laughlin AFB Aux Field.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 430 PM CDT

FOR NORTHWESTERN WILLIAMSON...SOUTHEASTERN LLANO AND CENTRAL BURNET

COUNTIES...

At 358 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from near Harker Heights to Highland Haven, moving east at

45 mph.

HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail.

SOURCE...Public. At 3:45 PM, half dollar size hail was observed in

Burnet. Additionally, 60 to 65 mph winds were also

estimated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect considerable

tree damage. Wind damage is also likely to mobile homes,

roofs, and outbuildings.

Georgetown, Burnet, Marble Falls, Kingsland, Bertram, Leander,

Granite Shoals, Liberty Hill, Jarrell, Florence, Highland Haven, Inks

Lake State Park, Watson, Oatmeal, Briggs, Sun City, Mahomet, Longhorn

Cavern State Park, Joppa and Andice.

Continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms.

Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature's leading

killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to

be struck by lightning.

The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

Bell County in central Texas...

Southeastern Coryell County in central Texas...

* Until 700 PM CDT.

* At 358 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 3 inches of rain

have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are

possible. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas,

highways, streets, and underpasses as well as other

poor drainage and low lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Killeen, Temple, Copperas Cove, Harker Heights, Belton, Fort Hood,

Nolanville, Morgan's Point Resort, Salado, Little River-Academy,

Troy, Rogers, Holland, Kempner, Stillhouse Hollow Lake, Belton

Lake, Mother Neff State Park, Sparks, Union Grove and Ding Dong.

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northern Johnson,

southeastern Tarrant, northwestern Ellis and southwestern Dallas

Counties through 445 PM CDT...

At 359 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near

Cleburne, moving northeast at 45 mph.

HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and penny size hail.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is

possible.

Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Irving, Grand Prairie, Mansfield,

Desoto, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Burleson, Lancaster, Cleburne,

Midlothian, Crowley, Forest Hill, Glenn Heights, Kennedale, Everman,

Keene and Joshua.

This includes the following highways...

Interstate 35W between mile markers 24 and 43.

Interstate 35E between mile markers 412 and 420.

Interstate 20 between mile markers 440 and 468.

Interstate 30 between mile markers 27 and 38.

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio

stations and available television stations for additional information

and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

LAT...LON 3228 9742 3248 9758 3284 9699 3260 9674

TIME...MOT...LOC 2059Z 236DEG 39KT 3240 9741

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN

MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

FOR SOUTHEASTERN CORYELL AND BELL COUNTIES...

At 401 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Temple, moving

east at 50 mph.

SOURCE...Trained weather spotters.

Killeen, Temple, Copperas Cove, Harker Heights, Belton, Fort Hood,

Nolanville, Morgan's Point Resort, Salado, Little River-Academy,

Troy, Belton Lake, Stillhouse Hollow Lake, Union Grove, Ding Dong,

White Hall, Maxdale, Cedar Valley, Moffat and Owl Creek.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Northern Johnson County in north central Texas...

Southeastern Tarrant County in north central Texas...

Northwestern Ellis County in north central Texas...

Dallas County in north central Texas...

* Until 500 PM CDT.

* At 402 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Keene, moving

northeast at 45 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Irving, Grand Prairie, Mesquite,

Carrollton, Mansfield, Euless, Desoto, Cedar Hill, Duncanville,

Burleson, Lancaster, Cleburne, Farmers Branch, Balch Springs,

University Park, Midlothian and Addison.

This includes the following highways...

Interstate 35W between mile markers 24 and 43.

Interstate 35E between mile markers 413 and 441.

Interstate 20 between mile markers 439 and 481.

Interstate 30 between mile markers 25 and 53.

Interstate 45 between mile markers 273 and 284.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection get inside a sturdy structure and stay away from

windows.

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 430 PM CDT

FOR SOUTH CENTRAL MCLENNAN...EAST CENTRAL CORYELL AND NORTH CENTRAL

BELL COUNTIES...

At 404 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Troy, or 9

miles north of Temple, moving east at 35 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to

roofs, siding, and trees.

Locations impacted include...

Troy, Moody, Mother Neff State Park, Belton Lake, Whitson, White

Hall, The Grove, Meadow Grove, Flat and Owl Creek.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for central Texas.

The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a

Central Kerr County in south central Texas...

Blanco County in south central Texas...

Gillespie County in south central Texas...

Southeastern Llano County in south central Texas...

Northern Kendall County in south central Texas...

Southwestern Burnet County in south central Texas...

* Until 445 PM CDT.

* At 404 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from Highland Haven to near Bankersmith, moving east at

40 mph.

Kerrville, Fredericksburg, Marble Falls, Comfort, Blanco, Round

Mountain, Granite Shoals, Horseshoe Bay, Johnson City, Meadowlakes,

Ingram, Hunt, Stonewall, Spicewood, Blowout, Tivydale,

Kerrville-Schreiner Park, Rocky Hill, Waltonia and Rocky Creek.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Large hail, damaging winds, and continuous cloud to ground lightning

are occurring with these storms. Move indoors immediately. Lightning

is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear

thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. The third meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission of Azerbaijan and Tatarstan was held, Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov wrote on Twitter, Trend reports.

"At the third meeting of Azerbaijan-Tatarstan Joint Intergovernmental Commission, we exchanged views on the diversification of economic cooperation, strengthening ties in the fields of industry, trade, tourism and digitalization," the minister added.

Earlier, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Tatarstan announced that the second Azerbaijan-Tatarstan business forum will be held in Kazan on April 28.

According to the chamber, the business forum will be attended by Azerbaijani business circles interested in cooperation with enterprises and organizations of Tatarstan.

The second forum is aimed to establish closer ties between enterprises. The first forum was held in November last year in Baku.
WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

Severe Weather Statement

National Weather Service Fort Worth TX

430 PM CDT Fri Apr 28 2023

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN JOHNSON AND

NORTHWESTERN ELLIS COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

The severe thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out of

the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for

north central Texas.

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM CDT

FOR SOUTHEASTERN TARRANT AND DALLAS COUNTIES...

At 429 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Cedar Hill

State Park, or near Cedar Hill, moving northeast at 60 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to

roofs, siding, and trees.

Locations impacted include...

Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Irving, Grand Prairie, Mesquite,

Carrollton, Mansfield, Euless, Desoto, Cedar Hill, Duncanville,

Farmers Branch, Balch Springs, University Park, Addison, Highland

Park, Cockrell Hill, Pantego and Cedar Hill State Park.

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING

FOR BELL AND SOUTHEASTERN CORYELL COUNTIES...

At 430 PM CDT, local law enforcement reported thunderstorms

producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 2 and 3 inches

of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts up to 1 inch are

possible. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Law enforcement reported.

IMPACT...Flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas,

highways, streets, and underpasses as well as other poor

drainage and low lying areas.

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Killeen, Temple, Copperas Cove, Harker Heights, Belton, Fort Hood,

Nolanville, Morgan's Point Resort, Salado, Little River-Academy,

Troy, Rogers, Holland, Kempner, Stillhouse Hollow Lake, Belton

Lake, Mother Neff State Park, Sparks, Union Grove and Ding Dong.

The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Bandera County in south central Texas...

Southeastern Kerr County in south central Texas...

Northwestern Hays County in south central Texas...

Blanco County in south central Texas...

Southeastern Gillespie County in south central Texas...

Kendall County in south central Texas...

* Until 515 PM CDT.

* At 430 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from near Meadowlakes to 11 miles northwest of Medina,

moving east at 30 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Medina, Kerrville, Boerne, Fredericksburg, Dripping Springs,

Comfort, Blanco, Bandera, Round Mountain, Vanderpool, Fair Oaks

Ranch, Johnson City, Stonewall, Bear Creek, Kendalia,

Kerrville-Schreiner Park, Rocky Hill, Kreutzberg, Cypress Mill and

Blumenthal.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Large hail, damaging winds, and continuous cloud to ground lightning

are occurring with these storms. Move indoors immediately. Lightning

is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can hear

thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Northeastern McLennan County in central Texas...

Southeastern Hill County in central Texas...

* Until 600 PM CDT.

* At 452 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Aquilla Lake,

or 11 miles south of Hillsboro, moving east at 20 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Hillsboro, West, Hubbard, Aquilla Lake, Abbott, Leroy, Mount Calm,

Ross, Malone, Penelope, Aquilla, Birome, Tours, Wiggins and Pelham.

This includes Interstate 35 between mile markers 348 and 362.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for central Texas.

For your protection get inside a sturdy structure and stay away from

windows.

TX

. TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

COLLIN DALLAS DENTON

ELLIS FANNIN GRAYSON

HOOD HUNT JOHNSON

KAUFMAN NAVARRO PARKER

ROCKWALL SOMERVELL TARRANT

BELL BOSQUE CORYELL

FALLS FREESTONE HILL

LEON LIMESTONE MCLENNAN

MILAM ROBERTSON

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM CDT

FOR EAST CENTRAL MAVERICK AND WEST CENTRAL ZAVALA COUNTIES...

At 455 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 13 miles northwest

of Cometa, or 18 miles southwest of La Pryor, moving east at 20 mph.

HAZARD...Ping pong ball size hail and 60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail

damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect wind

damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

Locations impacted include...

La Pryor.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

Severe Weather Statement

National Weather Service Fort Worth TX

527 PM CDT Fri Apr 28 2023

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM CDT

FOR SOUTHERN MILAM COUNTY...

At 527 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from 8 miles southwest of Hearne to near Alcoa Lake, moving

southeast at 35 mph.

HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect considerable

tree damage. Wind damage is also likely to mobile homes,

roofs, and outbuildings.

Locations impacted include...

Rockdale, Thorndale, Alcoa Lake, Milano, Hoyte, Elevation, Hanover,

Minerva, Praesel, Branchville and Gause.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for central Texas.

...FLOOD ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 830 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Urban and small stream flooding caused by excessive

rainfall is expected.

* WHERE...A portion of central Texas, including the following

counties, Milam and Robertson.

* WHEN...Until 830 PM CDT.

* IMPACTS...Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...

- Doppler radar indicated heavy rain due to thunderstorms. This

will likely cause urban and small stream flooding. Low lying

and/or poor drainage areas will experience minor flooding in

the advisory area. Around 1 inch of rain has fallen.

Additional rainfall amounts up to 1 inch are possible.

- Some locations that will experience flooding include...

Rockdale, Cameron, Hearne, Franklin, Thorndale, Rogers,

Calvert, Bremond, Buckholts, Twin Oak Reservoir, Alcoa Lake,

Camp Creek Lake, Lake Limestone, Milano, Crossroads,

Yarrelton, Silver City, Jones Prairie, Hoyte and Elevation.

The National Weather Service in Austin San Antonio has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Frio County in south central Texas...

* Until 630 PM CDT.

* At 528 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Bluff, or 11

miles west of Pearsall, moving east at 25 mph. Another severe

thunderstorm was located 3 miles southwest of Moore, moving east

at 25 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Pearsall, North Pearsall, Moore, Goldfinch, Derby, Divot, Bigfoot,

Bluff, Frio Town, Schattel, Three Oaks, U.S. Highway 57 and

Interstate 35.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, April 28, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

Severe Weather Statement

National Weather Service Fort Worth TX

557 PM CDT Fri Apr 28 2023

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN ROBERTSON COUNTY

WILL EXPIRE AT 600 PM CDT...

The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.

Therefore the warning will be allowed to expire.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for central Texas.

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN MCLENNAN AND

SOUTHEASTERN HILL COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 600 PM CDT...

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for

north central Texas.

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM CDT

FOR FRIO COUNTY...

At 557 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Pearsall,

moving east at 20 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to

roofs, siding, and trees.

Locations impacted include...

Pearsall, North Pearsall, Moore, Goldfinch, Derby, Divot, Bigfoot,

Bluff, Schattel, Three Oaks and Interstate 35.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHERN MILAM COUNTY IS

CANCELLED...

The storms which prompted the warning have moved out of the area.

Therefore the warning has been cancelled.

The National Weather Service in League City has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Burleson County in southeastern Texas...

Northern Grimes County in southeastern Texas...

Brazos County in southeastern Texas...

Central Washington County in southeastern Texas...

Southwestern Madison County in southeastern Texas...

* Until 645 PM CDT.

* At 559 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from near Kurten to near Snook to near Dime Box, moving

southeast at 40 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and nickel size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

College Station, Bryan, Navasota, Caldwell, Somerville, Snook,

Kurten, Burton, Wixon Valley, Millican, Lake Somerville Dam, Lake

Somerville State Park & Trailway, Kyle Field, Bryan Utilities Lake,

Iola, Carmine, Lyons, Deanville, Independence and Quarry.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with these storms, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN ZAVALA COUNTY IS

The severe thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out of

the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 PM CDT for

south central Texas.

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM CDT

FOR NORTHWESTERN DIMMIT COUNTY...

At 559 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Winter Haven,

or near Carrizo Springs, moving east at 30 mph.

Carrizo Springs and Winter Haven.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CANCELLED TORNADO WATCH 177 FOR

THE FOLLOWING AREAS

IN TEXAS THIS CANCELS 7 COUNTIES

IN CENTRAL TEXAS

BELL BOSQUE CORYELL

FALLS HILL MCLENNAN

MILAM

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF CAMERON, CLIFTON, COPPERAS COVE,

FORT HOOD, GATESVILLE, HILLSBORO, KILLEEN, MARLIN, MERIDIAN,

ROCKDALE, TEMPLE, VALLEY MILLS, AND WACO.

TORNADO WATCH 177 REMAINS VALID UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR

IN TEXAS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 4 COUNTIES

FREESTONE LEON LIMESTONE

ROBERTSON

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF BUFFALO, CALVERT, CENTERVILLE,

FAIRFIELD, FRANKLIN, GROESBECK, HEARNE, JEWETT, MEXIA, NORMANGEE,

OAKWOOD, TEAGUE, AND WORTHAM.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CANCELLED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM

WATCH 178 FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS

IN TEXAS THIS CANCELS 5 COUNTIES

IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS

DENTON GRAYSON HOOD

PARKER SOMERVELL

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF BRIAR, CARROLLTON, DENISON, DENTON,

FLOWER MOUND, GLEN ROSE, GRANBURY, LEWISVILLE, OAK TRAIL SHORES,

SHERMAN, AND WEATHERFORD.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 178 REMAINS VALID UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS

EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS

IN TEXAS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 10 COUNTIES

COLLIN DALLAS ELLIS

FANNIN HUNT JOHNSON

KAUFMAN NAVARRO ROCKWALL

TARRANT

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ALLEN, ARLINGTON, BONHAM, BURLESON,

CLEBURNE, COMMERCE, CORSICANA, DALLAS, ENNIS, FORNEY, FORT WORTH,

FRISCO, GREENVILLE, HEATH, KAUFMAN, MCKINNEY, MIDLOTHIAN, PLANO,

ROCKWALL, TERRELL, AND WAXAHACHIE.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 29, 2023

_____

HIGH WIND WARNING

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX

158 PM CDT Fri Apr 28 2023

...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM CDT /MIDNIGHT

MDT/ SATURDAY...

* WHAT...Northeast winds 35 to 45 mph with gusts up to 65 mph are

expected.

* WHERE...Guadalupe and Delaware Mountains in Texas.

* WHEN...Until 1 AM CDT /midnight MDT/ tonight.

* IMPACTS...Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile

vehicles.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around

trees and branches. If possible, remain in the lower levels of

your home during the windstorm, and avoid windows. Use caution if

you must drive.

...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT /7 PM MDT/ THIS

EVENING...

* WHAT...North winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph are

* WHERE...Southeast New Mexico and most of southwest and western

Texas.

* WHEN...Until 8 PM CDT /7 PM MDT/ this evening.

* IMPACTS...Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects.

Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may

result. Blowing dust will lower visibility locally creating

difficult travel conditions.

Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high

profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects.

...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM CDT SATURDAY...

* WHAT...North winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph are

expected. Locally stronger winds in the higher terrain.

* WHERE...Terrell, Central Brewster and Lower Brewster Counties,

Chinati and Davis Mountains, and Marfa Plateau and Chisos

Basin.

* WHEN...From 4 PM this afternoon to 1 AM CDT Saturday.

* IMPACTS...Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree

limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...

Southern Hamilton County in central Texas...

Northwestern Coryell County in central Texas...

* Until 245 PM CDT.

* At 159 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado

was located 10 miles southwest of Hamilton, moving east at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and hail up to two inches in diameter.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without

shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed.

Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree

damage is likely.

* This dangerous storm will be near...

Evant around 220 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include

Purmela, Shive, South Purmela, Whiteway, Aleman and Ireland.

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile

home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and

protect yourself from flying debris.

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 215 PM CDT FOR WEST

CENTRAL HAMILTON COUNTY...

At 200 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado

was located 9 miles northwest of Evant, or 11 miles southwest of

Hamilton, moving southeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and two inch hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without

shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage

to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is

likely.

This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of

west central Hamilton County, including the following locations...

Aleman and Shive.

TAKE COVER NOW! If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a

vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter now! Get to an

interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building and avoid

windows.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
Hikma Pharmaceuticals upgraded full-year guidance after a stronger-than-expected start to the year for its generics business but expressed concern about the impact of the current conflict in Sudan on operations.

"The safety and wellbeing of our colleagues in Sudan is a top priority and we are doing what we can to support them. Our current guidance does not take into account any potential impact this evolving situation could have on our business. In 2022 sales from Sudan in our branded and injectables businesses represented 2.5% of group revenue," the company said on Friday.

"We have also had a stronger than expected start in our generics business, leading us to upgrade our guidance for the full year."

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com
The Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Shaktikanta Das, said that a resilient future-ready bank needs to be financially, operationally and organisationally strong. Addressing the global conference on financial resilience organised by the College of Supervisors here, Das said that in order to be resilient, a bank should have adequate capital buffers and should be able to generate earnings even in times of severe macroeconomic shocks.

"It should also have adequate liquidity to meet its obligations in various situations. Therefore, financial resilience is closely linked to a bank's business model and strategy. The Reserve Bank has, therefore, started looking at the business models of banks more closely," Das said. Hinting at cyber risks, the RBI Governor said that it has been identified as the foremost in top 10 operational risks for 2023 based on a global survey of financial institutions.

"Robust IT and information security governance will help in increased predictability and reduction of uncertainty in operations, minimise losses from information security related incidents and enhance operational resilience," he noted. Das said that even the G20 Finance Ministers and central bank Governors are focusing on risks arising from third party dependencies.

"The RBI has taken a slew of measures in the recent years with the usage of advanced analytical and surveillance tools along with techniques like phishing simulation and cyber reconnaissance exercises to push for enhanced IT and cyber security governance processes in banks and other supervised entities. "In the context of the growing exposure of regulated entities (REs) to various risks from dependency on third-parties which provide technology and IT-enabled services, the Reserve Bank had on April 10 issued comprehensive guidelines on information technology outsourcing by banks, NBFCs, and other regulated entities," he added.

"In recent times, we have seen a proliferation of digital lending by NBFCs, FinTechs and loan apps. Such lending also brought with it certain challenges, especially with regard to fair practices and consumer protection. "To address these challenges, the Reserve Bank had laid down comprehensive guidelines for digital lending in September 2022. These guidelines aim to ensure that lending activities are conducted by the REs and their partners such as loan service providers in a prudent, fair, transparent and responsible manner," Das concluded.
Japanese, a custom current generations crush into from Anime to its top Cuisine which is recognized worldwide for its complexity, harmony, and beauty, which make it One Piece among the World's most popular cuisines. Japan is already well-known for its extensive culinary legacy embedded in tradition and culture. And these cuisines have become a crucial part of global food culture and are trending in India nowadays. Japanese Cuisine has evolved to suit the Indian palate while retaining its traditional flavor and beauty. In this article, we will have a tour on cultural significance of Japanese Cuisine and its evolution in India.

The Essence of Japanese Cuisine and Why it's so Special

Japanese Cuisine also known as Washoku is a unique culinary art form. These cuisines are based on harmony, balance, and simplicity, which have evolved through centuries, fusing traditional and modern techniques. If you're wondering what makes Japanese Cuisine makes, you say 'oishii' is because it highly prioritizes on fresh and high-quality ingredients. This essence of using fresh ingredients aims to bring out the flavors and textures of the ingredients in the recipes also known as Umami. Japanese Cuisine mainly focuses on health and well-being. These meals use fresh vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy cooking methods such as grilling, steaming, and simmering.

The importance of healthy eating is what makes Japanese Cuisine popular. It is also well-known for its unique presentation. Kaiseki or the art of food presentation is vital part in Japanese Cuisine as you may be seen. Kaiseki is a multi-course meal consisting of several small, elegantly presented dishes; each intended to emphasize a different flavor, texture, or cooking method. Each dish's presentation is carefully organized, focusing on balance, harmony, and beauty. Many traditional Japanese foods are profound from cultural and historical roots, and this Cuisine has shaped Japanese identity, culture, and tradition around the world.

The cultural significance of Japanese Cuisine

Japanese Cuisine has great cultural significance and has shaped Japans identity and culture. Many traditional Japanese meals have historical roots that go back to ancient times, such as sushi, which began as a way of preserving fish and now its eaten at celebrations and events. The art of Kaiseki, or food presentation, is also deeply rooted in Japanese culture and passed down through generations of chefsJapanese aesthetic Wabi-sabi, which means celebrate imperfection and impermanence. Furthermore, Japanese Cuisine represents Japan's dedication to health and well-being.

Exploring the Adaptations & Fusion of Japanese and Indian Flavors

Japanese food has grown popular in India, with the number of restaurants increasing nationwide in major cities. The first Japanese restaurant in India, "Wasabi by Morimoto," was opened in Mumbai in 2004; since then, Japanese Cuisine has become a city's mainstay. While many Japanese restaurants in India serve traditional Japanese dishes such as Sushi, ramen, and tempura, Some Indian adaptations and innovations in Japanese Cuisine have also emerged. Many restaurants have developed fusion dishes that combine Japanese flavors and ingredients with Indian spices and methods. Another factor for Japanese Cuisine's appeal in India is the growing interest in international Cuisine. As Indian customers travel more and get exposed to diverse cultures, they are curious about new and exotic foods. With its unique flavors and presentation is why Japanese Cuisine has become popular.

The Influence of Japanese Cuisine on Indian Food Culture

Japanese Cuisine has already gained popularity in India during the last few years. As seen by the increasing number of Japanese restaurants, chefs, and culinary festivals around the country. The future of Japanese Cuisine in India looks promising as more Indians become exploratory eaters searching for fresh and unusual food experiences. With the introduction of new flavors, ingredients, and cooking techniques, Japanese food has profoundly impacted Indian culture. Sushi with mango and avocado, as well as Japanese-style curry with Indian spices have already become popular at many Japanese restaurants in India. Japanese food has also influenced a new generation of Indian cooks who blend Japanese ingredients into their cooking styles. Furthermore, the popularity of Japanese Cuisine has increased knowledge and admiration of Japanese culture in India. Overall, the future of Japanese food in India appears to have a long-term positive impact on Indian culture.

A Look at Popular Japanese Dishes Trends in India

Let's see what's on the Menu; the Japanese dishes trending across the country are Sushi, a traditional Japanese dish of rice, seafood, or vegetables, famous among food lovers. Maki rolls, nigiri, and sashimi are some of the popular varieties of Sushi. Ramen some people are familiar with this dish, the famous ichiraku from Naruto; it's a hearty noodle soup famous around. Yakitori, grilled chicken skewers, and tempura, a dish of battered and deep-fried seafood or vegetables. Additionally, Japanese desserts like matcha ice cream and mochi, a sweet rice cake, are some of the Food Trends in India.

In conclusion, Japanese cuisine has established itself as a unique and valued culinary tradition all over the world, and India is no exception. It is fascinating to think of the creation of fresh, cutting-edge meals that combine Indian and Japanese culinary traditions as Japanese cuisine continues to change and adapt to the local flavours. So, if you haven't already tried Japanese cuisine, go ahead and say "itadakimasu" before you start your meal and "Sayonara" as you bid farewell to your dining experience.
Shivam Dube's fighting fifty (52 off 33) went in vain as Rajasthan Royals beat Chennai Super Kings by 32 runs in Match No. 37 of IPL 2023 at Sawai Mansingh Stadium. With this win, Rajasthan went to the top of the table with five wins while CSK, who also have five victories, dropped down to third spot.

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal attacking fifty (77 off 43) propelled Rajasthan Royals to 202/5 in 20 overs. Apart from Jaiswal, the likes of Dhruv Jurel (34 off 15), Jos Buttler (27 off 21), and Devdutt Padikkal (24 off 12) contributed to the Royals' big score on a batting-friendly pitch.

Chasing a huge total, CSK were off to a sedate start, scoring just 13 runs in the first three overs as both Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad were too cautious in their approach. Ruturaj then decided to free his arms and got a few crucial four and sixes off Jason Holder and Ravichandran Ashwin in the next few overs but Conway had a torrid time out in the middle as he just couldn't put the ball away to the boundary. The dots piled up and Conway (8 off 16) eventually ended up getting out by hitting one straight to mid-on in Adam Zampa's over, leaving CSK to 42-1 at the end of the powerplay.

The wicket brought the in-form Ajinkya Rahane to the crease and along with Gaikwad, he had the responsibility to give some impetus to CSK's innings. However, Rajasthan bowlers with their disciplined line and lengths didn't allow CSK batters to bat freely. With the required run-rate increasing, the pressure was mounting on the chasing team and Ruturaj tried to take on Zampa but he mistimed the ball horribly to get caught for 47. After Zampa, it was Ashwin's turn to make an impact and he got rid of both Rahane (15) and Impact Substitute Ambati Rayudu (0) in the same over, putting CSK in deep trouble at 73-4 after 10.4 overs.

CSK were crumbling but Shivam Dube and Moeen Ali kept their hopes alive by hitting some crucial boundaries and sixes. Continuing his brilliant form, Dube was dealing in sixes and Moeen raced to 23 off just 12 balls before Zampa gave his side a timely breakthrough by removing the England left-hander.

Chennai needed 78 from the final five and it was again Dube, who kept them in the hunt with his timely boundaries and sixes. On the other hand, Ravindra Jadeja struggled to get going initially but later he also found some boundaries but the target was becoming too big for CSK.

With 58 runs required off 18 balls, Sandeep executed his plans well and gave just 12 runs, bringing the equation to 46 off 12. And then Holder bowled an excellent over to concede just 9 runs. Eventually, CSK required 37 off the last over and they were able to get just four runs off Kuldip Yadav, getting restricted to 170/6 in 20 overs.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  TikTok trends have ranged from the cute to the sometimes-dangerous and bizarre -- including users running through their neighbors backyard fences like the Kool-Aid Man -- but now the social media apps latest trend has escalated to grand larceny auto.

The NYPD has posted a series of warnings on Twitter to alert Staten Islanders to the so-called Auto Theft challenge, which has gone viral on TikTok and other social media platforms.

According to police, the challenge involves exploiting vulnerabilities in Kia and Hyundai vehicles in which would-be thieves can bypass the ignition with the use of common household items, including an everyday USB cable.

The NYPD tweeted that the trend is linked to a series of motor vehicle thefts[.]

Police are suggesting that owners of such vehicles take to employing the use of a steering wheel lock to help deter possible theft.

According to another NYPD tweet, both Kia and Hyundai have updated current vehicle security software to combat the challenge, and owners of the aforementioned vehicles should contact the auto manufacturers to receive the free update.

All Kia and Hyundai vehicles manufactured after Nov. 1, 2021, already come with anti-theft immobilizers that prevent unauthorized moving or starting of the vehicle.

The Kia/Hyundai Challenge is a social media trend linked to a series of motor vehicle thefts targeting Kia/Hyundai vehicles. Thieves use common household items such as a usb cable to start your car successfully. Please use the helpful tips below to keep your vehicle safe. pic.twitter.com/UBPjHacQq6  NYPD 121st Precinct (@NYPD121Pct) April 27, 2023

ATTORNEY GENERALS URGE RECALL

Last week, attorneys general in 17 states urged the federal government to recall millions of Kia and Hyundai cars because they are too easy to steal, a response to the sharp increase in thefts across the nation fueled by the viral social media challenge.

In Los Angeles, thefts of Hyundai and Kia cars increased by about 85% in 2022, now accounting for 20% of all car thefts in the city, according to the California attorney generals office.

These social media-inspired thefts have often ended in tragedy, with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration blaming the stolen car trend for 14 reported crashes and eight deaths. In October, a police commissioner said that a car crash in Buffalo, New York, that left four teenagers dead may have been linked to the social media challenge. In the incident, a total of six teenagers were in a speeding Kia that crashed, Buffalo police said. The car had been reported stolen.

The bottom line is, Kias and Hyundais failure to install standard safety features on many of their vehicles have put vehicle owners and the public at risk, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a news release. Instead of taking responsibility with appropriate corrective action, these carmakers have chosen instead to pass this risk onto consumers and our communities.

Bonta and the other attorneys general sent a letter on April 20 to NHTSA requesting a nationwide recall. The letter also was signed by attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia.

Kia said in a statement that it is focused on the issue, and we continue to take action to address the concerns these attorneys general have raised. The automaker says more than 165,000 customers have had the software update installed, and over 2 million owners have been contacted about it. The company says the vehicles comply with federal safety standards, so a recall isnt necessary.

Hyundai also said its vehicles comply with federal anti-theft requirements. The company says it rolled out the software upgrade to prevent the thefts two months ahead of schedule, but it did not answer a question about how many vehicles have received it. We are communicating with NHTSA on our many actions to assist our customers, the company statement said.

Associated Press material was used in this report.

MORE STATEN ISLAND & NY NEWS:

>> Driver, 17, charged in Staten Island crash horror that killed 3 teens in July

>> Steven Spielbergs production company acquires film rights to Staten Island authors upcoming book

>> This Staten Island Party City is closing. What you need to know about the locations deep discounts.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A 44-year-old man from New Jersey sold a powerful form of Ecstasy to an undercover officer in Stapleton, authorities allege.

Eric Jones of McKinley Avenue in Carteret was arrested in April after he allegedly exchanged the drug, also known as MDMA, for cash with an undercover officer on Canal Street, according to the criminal complaint based on an investigation by Narcotics Borough Staten Island.

Officers recovered from the defendant a blue-colored zipper bag containing cocaine and broken white pills of the sedative alprazolam, the complaint alleges.

Jones has been charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell.

The suspect has been released under supervision and is due back in Criminal Court on June 5, according to public records.

Attorney Joanna Cowen, who is representing Jones, declined to comment at this time.



OTHER STATEN ISLAND NEWS:

>> NYPD: Man tries to escape through window in Staten Island raid; gun, drugs found

>> Husband charged with murder in stabbing death of wife in Richmond

>> NYPD probes stabbing where woman died, two men were injured on Staten Island

>> Carjackings, threats, scams on Staten Island prompt warning about selling, buying cars on Facebook Marketplace

>> NYPD identifies man, 66, who died crossing Staten Island street

>> NYPD details terrifying attempted abduction on Staten Island; cops search for two males in brown van

>> NYPD seeks tips in alleged assault on MTA bus on Staten Island
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The 17-year-old charged in a crash last summer that claimed the lives of his three teenage passengers was arraigned this week in state Supreme Court, Youth Part.

Hes charged in the case with manslaughter, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and third-degree assault.

The July 10 tragedy, which made national news, occurred around 8:50 p.m. along Hylan Boulevard in Pleasant Plains, according to law enforcement officials.

The defendant, who was 16 when he was allegedly behind the wheel of the 2018 Ford Mustang, recovered from his injuries at a hospital on Staten Island.

Considered an adolescent offender, the unidentified defendant cannot be held with adults at the police station, the courthouse, or in a detention or placement facility, per state law.

When detained during a criminal case minors are held at a specialized secure juvenile detention facility for older youth.

As the case pushes forward, court proceedings in youth part are similar to those for adults, but with a few notable exceptions.

First, the identity of the defendant and details of the criminal complaint are kept sealed from the public.

Fernanda Gil, 15, left, Jesie Gil, 16, upper right and Ashley Rodriguez, 15, were all killed in a crash Sunday night along Hylan Boulevard.

Also, if convicted on any of the charges, the judge can sentence him to a period of incarceration which would at first be served in facilities administered by the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). Until he would turn 21, at which point any additional time if applicable would be served in a state prison.

At the time of the incident, police sources told the Advance/SILive.com that the driver only had a learners permit and should have had a licensed adult in the car. Charges were filed by the district attorneys office nine months later.

A statement issued Friday by the Richmond County District Attorneys office explained the delay was necessary in building a solid case.

Our office, in coordination with the NYPD and in communication with the victims families, conducted a thorough investigation into this tragic and terrible case that led directly to todays indictment. We look forward to prosecuting this case in the weeks to come in pursuit of justice under the law.

The Legal Aid Society, which is representing the defendant, did not return a request for comment Friday.

A pair of memorials face one another from opposite sides of Hylan Boulevard after a fatal crash killed three teens. (Staten Island Advance/Joseph Ostapiuk)

THE AFTERMATH

Among those lost in the tragedy were brother-and-sister, Fernanda, 16, and Jesie Gil Paez, 15, who were passengers in the defendants car. Also in the car was 15-year-old Ashley Rodriguez who also died of her injuries.

Police said the Mustang collided with a 2017 GMC Yukon near Hylan Boulevard and Richard Avenue.

A New Jersey man driving the Yukon was arrested for allegedly driving without a valid license. That vehicle was carrying four passengers, all of whom sustained minor injuries.

The four teens in the Mustang had just left a friends birthday gathering in Tottenville  accompanied by a Honda Civic also occupied by teens from the party  to grab snacks at a nearby store, according to a friend of the Gil family who spoke with the Advance/SILive.com.

It was my brothers birthday said the friend, who owns the Civic that he said his younger brother was driving. The friend said that, based on his brothers account, after both cars left the store parking lot, the Mustang zoomed off ahead of the Civic. By the time his brother reached Hylan Boulevard and Richard Avenue, he saw Jesies body on the ground.



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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- After an influx of battery energy storage systems (BESS) began cropping up on Staten Island over the past few months, filling formerly residential lots with rechargeable lithium-ion Tesla units, the facilities have become a hot-button issue in the borough, with many residents and elected officials voicing concerns over their placement. And while safety, neighborhood incongruity and lack of time-tested evidence have headlined the apprehension, experts note that New York Citys need for power should also be considered when balancing this debate.

New York City as a whole is hungry for electricity -- it uses a lot -- and if you want to provide power to NYC, you need to generate it within the city or bring it in with big transmission lines, noted Eric Hittinger, associate professor of public policy at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Currently, the solution is to sort of do both. A lot of power lines bring in power to NYC from various directions, and a bunch of fossil-burning power plants are located there as well. Both New York State and New York City are trying to get rid of those fossil power plants, because they put out emissions right where theres a lot of people.

Hittinger, who has a background in electricity system policy, operation and economics, with a focus on understanding the benefits and limitations of energy storage and renewable electricity sources, said thats where batteries come in.

Energy storage can be an alternative to running power plants in and around New York City, he explained.

Several lithium-ion battery storage units have been installed at Littlefield Avenue. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel)

And given Gov. Kathy Hochuls ambitious framework for the state to achieve a nation-leading six gigawatts of energy storage by 2030, Hittinger said theres an urgency to build these systems rapidly.

Its a very ambitious plan, and a lot needs to get done, he said. 2030 is only seven years away, and thats not a long span in terms of building new infrastructure.

Hittinger said theres a sense that were going to need this type of energy storage all over the state, and BESS is the only type of storage suitable for the city right now. He said he believes that both assumptions hold some weight.

Unless we can build a lot more large-scale transmission lines into NYC -- which is very tricky -- this is probably the solution we need, he said.

This Nelson Avenue site, sandwiched between a residential home and a gas station, has drawn criticism from Borough President Vito Fossella. (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel)

When asked about facility placement in close proximity to several Staten Island gas stations, Hittinger said thats a tricky question that is always relative.

These battery energy storage systems are storing large amounts of energy. And any time you have energy storage like that -- whether its in batteries or gasoline -- there is potential for things to go wrong. But if the facility is designed safely, then the risk is somewhat low.

Calling gas stations a fire safety hazard that weve gotten used to, Hittinger said these BESS facilities -- if well-maintained and monitored -- should be viewed as a similar risk.

I would say battery energy storage is less dangerous than a gas station, its just newer and more foreign to us, he said.

COMMUNITY OPPOSITION

At least two BESS sites have already been thwarted by community opposition  one proposed near Holtermanns Bakery in Great Kills was denied by a Land Use Committee due to lack of time-tested research, another suggested for the parking lot of Our Lady of Pity Church in Bulls Head was withdrawn after residents complained about its proximity to six nearby schools.

Another, located at the corner of Hylan Boulevard and Littlefield Avenue in Eltingville, directly across the street from a Shell gas station, is now complete, and Borough President Vito Fossella has voiced his opposition to a site at the corner of Nelson Avenue and Hylan Boulevard that abuts a Citgo station.

New Leaf Energy, the BESS project developer that is currently constructing several sites on the borough, with plans to build more, hosted a lecture at the Staten Island Economic Development Corporations (SIEDC) annual Business Conference this week to demystify the stigma that surrounds these units.

We are one of the leading BESS developers in the U.S., Corina Solis, project developer for New Leaf, noted at the lecture. We have the largest portfolio of energy storage in New York City with a concentration in Downstate N.Y., and in particular, Staten Island.

SAFETY IS OUR TOP PRIORITY

Solis said the company has thus far developed over a gigawatt of solar, or a citys worth of energy capacity, and is motivated to continue this work to provide benefits for the community.

Safety is our top priority, she said. Each of our units is equipped with a comprehensive safety system.

Siting regulations were recently questioned after several battery energy storage system sites were approved for construction on residential blocks. (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel)

When exploring the question of why Staten Island has been chosen for the bulk of these projects, Solis said its because the borough has clear energy needs.

New York City has an aging power grid and is prone to equipment failure when pushed to the limit during the hottest days of the year, Solis slide presentation noted. For years, this has resulted in blackout and brownouts that can be highly disruptive to Staten Island residents and businesses.

A DELICATE BALANCE

Ultimately, the usefulness [of these units] comes from their proximity to energy users, Solis added later in the presentation. It is a delicate balance. We want to be in a place where people feel comfortable with it being there and reaching the folks who need it. Were not trying to place something the community opposes; something thats not going to be safe.

Nick Petrakis, owner of Energy Safety Response Group, which was hired by New Leaf to articulate the safety and compliance of their projects, said there is a tremendous amount of scrutiny and testing that goes on before one of these systems is approved.

The rules are strenuous, Petrakis said. There is a strong need in New York City for energy storage, and every hazard and risk is being thoroughly investigated and mitigated before these units are constructed and put into use.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  New York State Assembly Assistant Majority Leader Charles Fall (D-North Shore) commended the dedicated service of Staten Islands first responders at his annual Community Iftar dinner on April 20. This years event was held at the Albanian Islamic Cultural Center.

It is a great privilege for me to honor our men and women in law enforcement and the Fire Department, Fall said. The sacrifice of getting that call and having to miss your childs birthday party or a family gathering; the sacrifice of responding to an incident or a fire and not knowing if you will make it back home  these men and women meet every challenge with courage and bravery. I am so grateful for their service. They truly embody what it means to be the finest and bravest in New York City.

Fall, who was first elected in 2019, most recently proposed a legislation package aimed at alleviating roadway congestion and adjusting the placement of speed cameras near schools.

Meanwhile, law enforcement officials on Staten Island have been combatting surging auto thefts and violence, which elected officials including Fall recently addressed at a joint press conference on the heels of a stabbing on the Great Kills train platform.

The FDNY, which has battled numerous fires across the Island over the last month, from Shore Acres to Midland Beach to Dongan Hills, remains committed to serving the people of this community.

When e-bike lithium batteries started causing destructive fires across the city, which resulted in multiple tragedies of civilians and firefighters, the first person to call me and ask what he can do to help was Assemblyman Fall, said Uniformed Firefighters Association trustee Eric Bischoff.

I am so grateful for his service in the State Assembly and glad to know that we have an ally who will continue fighting for our members in the FDNY,' Bischoff said. Just recently we saw our members from Squad 8 battle a fire that injured 22 and left 3 seriously wounded. I also wanted to recognize our members from Rescue 5, who recently rescued five boys from the citys sewer system after they had crawled into a tunnel.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Installation for three megawatts of solar are underway at nine New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments -- a total of 93 buildings, including three developments on Staten Island: Richmond Terrace Houses, New Lane Area and Mariners Harbor Houses -- which is expected to result in reduced electricity rates for many low-to-moderate-income households.

The New York City Housing Authority and Mayor Eric Adams announced the solar project on Wednesday as part of the plan to advance their Accelerating Community-Empowered Shared Solar (ACCESSolar) program.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The newest Staten Island Ferry boat has officially set sail.

On Friday, the Dorothy Day, the third of three new Staten Island Ferry boats, completed its maiden voyage, carrying hundreds of passengers from St. George to Lower Manhattan.

The $85 million vessel, which will be placed into regular passenger service next week, is named in honor of one of the boroughs foremost religious icons, Dorothy Day, renowned Staten Island journalist and social activist.

It is with joy and gratitude that we can remember Dorothy Day as her namesake ferry plies the beautiful waters of her beloved New York Harbor, carrying visitors and workers to their destinations on a daily basis, said Martha Hennessy, social justice activist and granddaughter of Day. Thank you all for making this possible.

Day rode the Staten Island Ferry for decades, traveling from her South Shore cottage to the soup kitchen in Manhattan, where she fed the hungry.

We know that during her life, Day loved riding this ferry  and she was like Staten Islanders who know that a short ferry ride can serve as a peaceful, even meaningful, escape from the hustle and bustle of life in our city, said Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.

On Friday, the Dorothy Day, the third of three new Staten Island Ferry boats, completed its maiden voyage, carrying hundreds of passengers from St. George to Lower Manhattan. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel)

The Dorothy Day is just the third Staten Island Ferry vessel ever to be named after a specific woman, in addition to the now-decommissioned Mary Murray and the Alice Austen, which continues to provide overnight service. The Gold Star Mother ferryboat, launched in May 1937, was named in honor of the mothers of soldiers killed in the First World War.

Day, who was bestowed the title of Servant of God and is being considered by the Vatican for sainthood, was baptized at Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Tottenville in 1927.

In 2015, Pope Francis, in his address to a joint session of Congress, invoked the name of Day as a model for social activism and for her treatment of the poor and oppressed.

During the Great Depression, Day met Peter Maurin, a French peasant-philosopher who would inspire her future work to aid the needy.

Between them, they established the Catholic Worker newspaper and co-founded the Catholic Worker Movement, which offered food and shelter to the destitute during the Depression.

Day began a cooperative farm on Bloomingdale Road in Pleasant Plains in 1950, operating it for the needy and followers of her philosophy until 1964, when it was sold.

Her outspokenness against U.S. involvement in Vietnam earned her new respect among the youth movement of the 1960s, and in 1973, she was jailed for the eighth and final time for picketing on behalf of striking farm workers.

Dorothy Day is one of those unique individuals whose life encourages students to see the world differently, Kevin Ahern, director of the Dorothy Day Center at Manhattan College and co-chair of the Dorothy Day Guild. We hope that some of the young people who ride this ferry will be inspired to learn more about her and join in the work to build a more merciful and peaceful world.

We know that during her life, Day loved riding this ferry  and she was like Staten Islanders who know that a short ferry ride can serve as a peaceful, even meaningful, escape from the hustle and bustle of life in our city, said Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel)

ABOUT THE NEW BOATS

The Dorothy Day is the third of three boats in the new Ollis-class, the first new boats added to the Staten Island Ferry fleet since 2005, representing a major upgrade from past boats in terms of aesthetics, functionality, comfort, safety and amenities.

The trilogy of Ollis Class ferries is now complete with the arrival of this state-of-the-art ship honoring the pioneering and courageous Dorothy Day, said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. The Staten Island Ferry is an iconic piece of the fabric of New York City and the Adams Administration fully understands this ferry system is a critical mass transit link for Staten Islanders.

The class is named after the first of the three new boats, the SSG Michael H. Ollis, dedicated to hometown hero Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis, a New Dorp native who died at age 24 while saving a Polish soldier from a suicide bomber in Afghanistan in August 2013.

The second new boat, the Sandy Ground, is named after the nations oldest continuously inhabited free Black settlement, which is located in Rossville.

While the Ollis is regularly shuttling passengers between Staten Island and Lower Manhattan, the Sandy Ground remains out of commission following an engine room fire during an evening rush hour trip on Dec. 22.

The $85 million Ollis-class vessels feature sleek, modern, well-lit interiors, with room for 4,500 passengers spread across the boats three decks.

The benches installed throughout the vessel offer more comfortable seating than older Staten Island Ferry boats, with additional phone-charging outlets to benefit the modern commuter.

For those looking to take a stroll and drink in the views of New York Harbor, the oval-shaped, upper-deck promenade doubles as an outdoor walking track, giving riders their first chance to make a full loop around the exterior of a Staten Island Ferry boat.

The new storm-resilient vessels are better-equipped than previous Staten Island Ferry boats to operate in a wide range of weather conditions and locations  and can be used in emergency evacuations, if necessary.

Todays inaugural ride of the Dorothy Day is a moment of pride for the Eastern Shipbuilding workforce that built this cutting-edge vessel for the millions of passengers who will get to enjoy her, said Joey DIsernia, CEO of Eastern Shipbuilding Group Inc. Dorothy Day joins the Ollis Class with state-of-the-art features to provide safe and comfortable passage for decades to come.

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MTAs OMNY card vending machines coming to NYC this fall

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Staten Island bus route S76 detoured until Memorial Day, due to delayed $77M infrastructure project

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MTA now allowing e-bikes on buses, subways, commuter rails

MTA nabs toll evaders with fines exceeding $1.5M in enforcement blitz at 2 NYC bridges

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NYC comptroller sets higher wages for Staten Island Ferry engineers

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  In remembrance of those who have died, here is a collection of obituaries posted on SILive.com. Viewing times and guestbooks can be found here.

Elizabeth Betty Rhatigan, 86, passed in her sleep on the morning of April 26, 2023. Born on Staten Island and raised in Port Richmond, she married her husband of 55 years, George Rhatigan, in 1958. Together, the two raised six children on the island before retiring to Palm Coast, F.L. Shortly after George passed in 2014, she returned to New York to live in the continuing care retirement community at Woodland Pond at New Paltz. Betty was a devout Christian, volunteering a great deal of time, even while working part-time in the Office of Student Activities at the College of Staten Island. She helped organize a folk group that provided music at St. Sylvester RC Church in Concord, and was involved for many years with the Lamb of God prayer group that gathered at Mount Manresa. After Betty and George moved, she continued to devote time to the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Flagler Beach, F.L., alongside her participation with Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church. For the full obituary, click here.

Maureen Michelle Miller (nee OBrien) passed away peacefully on April 14, 2023, after a valiant battle with cancer surrounded by friends and family. Our mother never met a stranger and raised her kids and grandchildren to be as kind and generous as she was. Her love of helping others and being part of community had an impact on many people. Her memory will always be in our hearts and her legacy lives on in the lessons she taught us and the wisdom she imparted. For the full obituary, click here.

YESTERDAYS OBITUARIES:

Bernard John Ernst, Jr., 68, a 30-year resident of Ortley Beach and Toms River, passed away peacefully on April 21, 2023. Born on Staten Island, he was proud of his parochial school education and pursued a pre-med curricula for three years, until bitten by the theatrical production bug. He began producing shows, designing sound, lighting and scenery, also constructing sets for Off-Broadway and Broadway shows in his first efforts in working with Staten Island high schools, community theater and other civic groups. Since forming his own production company in 1966, theatrical enterprises eventually led to producing television shows, ballet and rock & roll tours, film, commercials, and trade show exhibition. During the 1970s, Bernie took the roles of Production Manager, Tour Manager, lighting designer, set builder, or as Marvin Gaye called him, his good luck charm  Bernie being the last person he passed before going on stage! He toured with numerous musicians, including Journey, Kiss, The Who, Twisted Sister, U2, Pink Floyd (built The Wall), The Eagles, Ozzy Ozborne, Santana, Cindi Lauper, Led Zeppelin, Donna Summer and many more. In the 1980s Bernie focused on production tours with American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, plus television and film productions, such as Billy Graham Crusades, Court TV, Universal Studios Press Junkets, and Pirates of Penzance. Bernie began building trade show exhibits, and another world opened to expand his design creativity in the area of business conventions, with clients like Buena Vista TV, Museum of Modern Art, Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals, Viacom, Westinghouse Broadcast & Cable, and Medtronics. By 1990 Bernie expanded his scope by going international, building exhibits for clients, such as the German Agricultural Marketing Board, ICEX (The Commercial Office of Spain), Messe Dusseldorf GmbH, Univision, and ITC (Italian Trade Commission). In 1992 as Bernies career was thriving, he won the bid to produce a $6.1 million event for ITC at the Park Avenue Armory in Manhattan. The 41-day exhibition (including set-up and tear-down), a first-time international event, was attended by the public, mayor, governor, ambassadors, and over 200 dignitaries. On closing night, Bernie responded to a fire alarm in a section of the armory, unrelated to the event, following orders from the New York City Fire Department. The burning material was highly toxic (later tested as cyanide-like); however, Bernie was able to contain the blaze in the 145-year-old landmark building, until firefighters arrived. Ultimately, he was credited by the NYFD with saving 200 lives; unfortunately, as the only injured employee during the entire seven-week event, he sustained permanent, progressive injuries as a result. Trade shows, concert productions and special events filled Bernies business schedule, sometimes traveling three weeks-a-month, country-wide, and as far as Europe. Then came September 11, 2001, and he decided to reassess his priorities, since his health certainly was not 100% after the fire. Bernie joined Knights of Columbus Council 8415 on November 26 stages the next year. He was elected Grand Knight in 2003 and appointed District Deputy in 2004. In 2013, after approximately 30 hospitalizations  most, near death - Bernie formed Knights of Columbus Council 10899 at St. Maximilian Kolbe Roman Catholic Church in Toms River, NJ. He became its first Membership Director, with 70 members the first year, growing to 120 by its third year. In 2016 Bernie considered the highlight of his wonderful life, career and travels the invitation to be part of the Knights of Malta pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, returning home in improved health, with the firm belief that the Grottos healing waters worked, despite the prediction in 1995 he only had 2 more years to live! For the full obituary, click here.

Margaret Grace, 87, of Livingston, Staten Island, was called to God on April 22, 2023. She attended Resurrection Grammar School in Brooklyn, and St. Edmunds High School, also Brooklyn. She was a devout Catholic, and was very proud of her Irish heritage. Her career was in investment banking at Merrill Lynch & Co., Manhattan. She worked as a registered representative and secretary for many years. For the full obituary, click here.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Mayor Eric Adams unveiled his latest proposed 2024 fiscal budget on Wednesday, scaling back budget cuts for the Parks Department but remaining well-below his campaign commitment of delivering 1% of the citys overall purse to the agencys operations.

The plan, which will have to undergo negotiations with the City Council before becoming finalized this summer, sets aside roughly $610 million for the Parks Departments operations, which is separate from its capital allocation and used to fund its workforce.

That total is approximately 0.59% of the proposed $106.7 billion executive budget, despite the city Parks Department maintaining 30,000 acres across 14% of the citys land area.

The first iteration of Adams spending plan, released in January, included around $582 million toward the Parks Departments operations out of the $102.7 billion proposal. While a slight climb from that initial ask, which was lower than last years Parks Department operations budget, the baby-step increases have drawn concern from advocates.

What we are looking for is meaningful investment in the future, not a negotiation around the crumbs that are on the outskirts of the budget table, Adam Ganser, executive director of New Yorkers for Parks, told the Advance/SILive.com.

Adams has not yet backed down on the Percent for Parks promise he signed while running for mayor, but it appears unclear how exactly that goal will be attained during the course of his tenure.

Since taking office, this administration has made significant investments in our parks and green spaces, said a City Hall spokesperson in January. We are committed to working toward the goal of 1% for parks, which must be done wisely and efficiently to strengthen and improve our parks for all New Yorkers.

Advocates contend getting to 1%  a threshold intended to be a floor for Parks Deaprtment funding and not a ceiling  will take significant steps forward the Adams administration has not yet shown an affinity for taking.

The operations budget is the source for boots-on-the-ground labor needed to manage the citys sprawling green spaces, and a larger dollar amount would enable the agency to rely less on seasonal workers. Reports have found the Parks Department, after years of disinvestment, is already hamstrung to fully meet that task.

New Yorkers for Parks called for 1,000 new junior parks workers positions to be budgeted in the citys plans, and the City Council supported that ask in its preliminary budget; however, no mention of the jobs were included in the latest proposal, said Ganser.

The areas where we need people the most, which is in basic boots on the ground maintenance across the city, theres no theres no movement there at all, said Ganser of the latest budget proposal. And thats in a budget that has grown by several billion dollars at a time when were all shouting from the rooftops for safer, greener parks in New York City.

Parks in New York City offer billions of dollars in benefits, said a report issued last year. It found residents visit the 50,000 acre-network of city, state and federal parks a combined 527 million times annually, with 99% of people living within a 10-minute walk to a nearby park.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for green spaces as city residents flocked to parks for exercise and an escape from work-from-home routines. Studies have found green spaces are tied to positive health impacts that reduce long-term healthcare costs.

Additionally, parks serve as vital buffers to flooding by absorbing runoff that would otherwise be pumped into sewers, streets and waterways, offering up to $2.43 billion in avoided stormwater treatment costs, the report said.

Those benefits cross socio-economic and demographic boundaries, according to research, magnifying the importance of adequately funding the workforce centered on maintaining the parks system.

The Parks Department budget is a rounding error in the city budget, said Ganser. To not be pushing it to a billion dollars, which would be roughly 1%, it is just an unbelievable missed opportunity to improve the lives of every single New Yorker.

MORE STATEN ISLAND & NY NEWS:

>> Driver, 17, charged in Staten Island crash horror that killed 3 teens in July

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>> This Staten Island Party City is closing. What you need to know about the locations deep discounts.
San Mateo, CA (94402)

Today

Cloudy with occasional showers this afternoon. Thunder possible. High 57F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low around 50F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. FlyArystan, a Kazakh low-cost flight operator, will launch direct flights from Astana, Kazakhstan to Uzbekistans capital Tashkent, Trend reports, citing FlyArystan.

The air carrier says that the first flight on Astana  Tashkent  Astana route is scheduled for July 3, 2023. Regular flights in this direction will be carried on Airbus A320/neo aircraft, twice a week  on Mondays and Wednesdays.

The price of the one-way ticket in this direction is set at 21,800 Kazakh tenge ($48). The price includes a seat and the right to carry one piece of luggage.

The tickets can be purchased via the company website and mobile application.

Recently, the company resumed flights from Almaty, Kazakhstan to Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The flights on Almaty  Samarkand  Almaty route take place twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The 2-hour-long flights are carried out on Airbus aircraft.
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Eating outSolo dining Solo dining surging in popularity as Melbourne chefs and diners relish the solitude (and special perks) It might be special portions or special attention, but dinner for one is increasingly a chance for restaurants to spoil their guests. Dani Valent April 28, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

Stigmas around dining solo are shifting as more people embrace alone time and restaurants recognise the value of welcoming all customers. The result is a more inclusive dining culture and, in some cases, a sense of personal empowerment. Solo dining was recommended to me by a therapist to gain some confidence and a bit of independence, says tertiary student Sarah Cowley. I started trying out different places and I found that it was really helpful. Its an investment in yourself and experiencing something just for you. She leaves her phone at home or turns it off, forcing her to embrace being alone. Theres no armour, its just me, she says. Its part of getting over the fear and normalising the action of eating by yourself. Restaurateur Nicki Morrison and solo diner Sarah Cowley at Flint in Fitzroy. Wayne Taylor

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Cowley tends to choose small venues  such as Flint on Smith Street  where she can sit at the bar or kitchen counter. You can have intimate and informative chats with the staff, she says. Conversation makes you feel welcome and you get to learn about the produce and processes. Ive been given new dishes to try and new wine to taste. Has it worked as therapy? I do feel more confident and it feeds into other areas of my life, she says. 10 of Melbourne's best restaurants for solo diners Flint owner Nicki Morrison is thrilled to welcome solo diners. I go crazy for them, she says.

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Having been single for five years now, one of my major drivers is to go above and beyond. If you want a half serve, half a bottle of wine, we will do that. If you want to eat and be quiet, thats fine, but if youre open to a chat, well go all out. Part of the reward is the attentiveness of solo diners. I know if I go out with a group, Im not as focused on the food or the experience but when Im on my own I take everything in, says Morrison. If you want to eat and be quiet, thats fine, but if youre open to a chat, well go all out. Nicki Morrison, Flint Vue de Monde chef Tristan Spain says solo diners are his favourite guests because of their focus. They dont book for an occasion or social reason but purely to appreciate the food, beverage and service that we offer, he says. I love taking them dishes and giving explanations, and they often appreciate our insight and detail more than other diners. It gives us an opportunity to be more engaging and stimulating in our methods of hospitality.

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Vue de Monde restaurant in Melbourne takes extra special care of solo diners. Luis Enrique Ascui He recalls one occasion where a man dining alone requested a photo with the whole team. We had a manager take his photo at the table while all of us from the kitchen crept up behind him. He didnt notice until he saw the photo himself. At a recent lunch service at Cicciolina in St Kilda, owner Barb Dight was surprised to notice that six of the 12 tables were solo diners. There was a time that she worried singletons may spend less than larger tables, risking the days profits. Not anymore  you never know, she says. We had a solo diner enjoy a negroni, entree, steak, dessert and wine in two hours while five women at the next table shared one bottle of pinot grigio.

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Tresna Lee is building Gemini Bar & Pantry in Coburg for a winter opening. Welcoming solo diners is integral to the design and concept. We will make this space accessible and joyful for everyone, including if youre on your own, she says, pointing to countertop seating and dishes that are satisfying and substantial as standalone meals. Venues should create a sense of community. Its not just transactional  we want to be woven into peoples lives and sense of belonging. Solo specialists Bowltiful

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The late-night Lanzhou soup noodle specialist has special solo-slurping nooks along one wall. If its not too busy, you can also ask to be seated at a table with a mesmerising view of the noodles being hand-stretched by talented chefs in the glass-walled kitchen. 382-384 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, 0460 822 222, bowltiful.com.au Bowltiful has nooks for solo noodle-slurpers. Kristoffer Paulsen Hazel The city restaurant and its downstairs sister bar Dessous make special efforts for solo diners. They made me feel so comfortable by suggesting half serves so I could try more of their menu, says research coordinator Vivien Yii. As someone who is hyper aware of overstaying my welcome, I felt like I was so fine to sit there with my journal for hours.

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164 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, 03 9070 4938, hazelrestaurant.com.au Trader House group All of Andrew McConnells Trader House restaurants come up again and again when chatting solo wins with frequent diners. Lawyer Sarah Harvey reports that she was offered a book to read at Cumulus Inc and says, Ive had the best table at Gimlet most times I have been there by myself. Supernormals long bar and snack-happy menu is often mentioned by hungry solos, too. 180 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, 03 9650 8688, supernormal.net.au

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We Live For Hotpot Alone doesnt mean lonely is the motto at this Japanese hot pot restaurant, which has partitioned nooks for solo diners and a menu of sukiyaki soup sets that works for leisurely dining experiences for one. Level 1, 217 Russell Street, Melbourne, 0431 498 890, weliveforhotpot.com.au The Woodhouse Restaurant Bendigo steak specialist Tony Panetta allocates a number of solo bookings every service, noting that the large health sector in the regional city means many diners come on their own.

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We seat them against the wall looking over the whole restaurant so they can enjoy the service and feel celebrated, he says. Well do menu adjustments for sides, such as reducing portions and coupling it with a second option for the price of one, if thats preferred. 101 Williamson Street, Bendigo, 03 5443 8671, thewoodhouse.com.au

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Eating outRegional guides Three reasons to visit Geelong (and beyond) from Moonah pop-up to mussel tasting tours Theres a bounty of good reasons to plan a trip to Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula over the coming months. Dani Valent April 28, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

Moonah, The Age Good Food Guides Regional Restaurant of the Year, is popping up in Geelong on weekends in June. Usually a 12-seat fine diner overlooking a billabong in quiet Connewarre, Moonah will transform into a 30-seat restaurant at the venerable Geelong Club, an 1889 heritage building that is normally a members-only affair. The $210 tasting menu will be refashioned as a more accessible $100 four-course dinner, and Sunday evening sessions will showcase a local winemaker. We hope its something new and exciting for our customers and anyone that hasnt been yet, says Moonah chef and owner Tobin Kent. Its more central, a different price point, a fun and relaxed environment. Moonah will bring its dry-aged duck dish to its Geelong pop-up. Supplied The menu will feature bistro-style dishes larger than Moonahs usual petite tasting plates but with the same premium produce. Ill do dry-aged duck, wild venison and a Port Phillip Bay snapper ceviche, says Kent.

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Hes also resurrecting a couple of old favourites. One is a side dish of potatoes cooked in seawater and dressed with seaweed powder, another is a dessert of baked custard ice-cream with Jerusalem artichoke caramel, hazelnut crumble and a drizzle of new-season olive oil. After the adventures of June, the restaurant will take a month off in July. The Geelong Club, 74 Brougham Street, Geelong; Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in June, dinner only. Pre-paid tickets go on sale Saturday, May 6 at moonahrestaurant.com.au. Ben McLachlan (left) and Jackson Fort at Bistrot Plume in Belmont. Supplied In Geelongs south, French favourite Bistrot Plume has new owners after founders Kate and Nathan Veach decided to take their Francophilia to the next level by purchasing a country house in Burgundy. The new owners of the one-hat restaurant are Ben McLachlan and Jackson Fort, the team behind The Local Geelong bakery and enoteca. Fort was also head chef at regional high-flyer Tulip and cooked at two-hat Igni before that.

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Bistrot Plume really appeals because its a little French bistro but with an Igni vibe, says Fort. Its just 26 seats with a small team and we all work together across a four-day week. Its a good lifestyle. Hes added shared dishes including a rib-eye with cafe de Paris butter and roasted duck a lorange, and will continue to lean into local producers such as Schulz Organic Dairy and small-scale Kinsfolk Farm. Bistrot Plume, Friday-Sunday lunch, Thursday-Saturday dinner, 56a Mount Pleasant Road, Belmont, 03 5245 8483, bistrotplume.com.au. Portarlington Mussel Tours include mussels cooked two ways. Supplied Theres a new opportunity to get onto the water with renowned mussel farmer Lance Wiffen, who has just launched Portarlington Mussel Tours for up to 12 people at a time.

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Wiffen and his wife Lizzie welcome seafood fans for a three-hour experience on a refurbished trawler. Youll kick off with local bubbles, a produce platter and just-harvested native Angasi oysters, then power out to the leases and pull up mussels before enjoying them in two different dishes. Local wines and beers are on hand throughout. Ive always known there was something special about what I do, being on the water, working with a delicious and sustainable product, says Wiffen, who has previously only been able to take out the odd chef on a rough-and-ready working boat. (Ben Shewry was famously charmed and Wiffens mussels have featured at Attica.) Mussel farmer Lance Wiffen is hosting tours on a refurbished trawler. Supplied I wanted to be able to share that with more people in a comfortable and intimate setting. My vision has finally come true and Im pretty pleased with it. Departures from Portarlington Pier are timed to coincide with the arrival and departure of the Docklands ferry. Tours run select weekends, $230 per person, portarlingtonmusseltours.com.au

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Eating outRestaurant news Three-Michelin-starred New York restaurant Eleven Madison Park is coming to Sydney But it wont come cheap. The nine-course vegan tasting menu set you back a whopping $550. Sarah Norris April 28, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

One of the worlds most celebrated restaurants will be in Sydney for a two-week residency in June, headlining Vivids inaugural Vivid Food program. The three-Michelin-starred New York restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, and its chef-owner, Daniel Humm, will take over the kitchen of harbourside restaurant Aria for 14 days. The US team will work alongside Arias culinary team, including its executive chef Matt Moran and head chef Thomas Gorringe. Chef Daniel Humm is bringing three-Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park to Sydney for Vivid. Supplied Both teams will prepare two menus: a nine-course tasting dinner menu and a shorter lunch option. It wont be cheap, setting punters back $550, or $395 if youre dining during the day. A beverage pairing will be additional. As at the New York restaurant, the menu will be plant-based, but Humm says itll incorporate produce from New South Wales.

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Tonburi with avocado, fava bean and mint from the plant-based Eleven Madison Park menu. Supplied We could not be more thrilled to participate in Vivid Sydney and bring Eleven Madison Park to the iconic Aria Restaurant, he said in a statement. This years [Vivid] theme of naturally closely resonates with our core values and journey as a restaurant. Were excited to delve into New South Wales fresh and local ingredients to bring a creative, beautiful and delicious menu to life with Chef Matt and his team. So much of what we eat is part of our identity, and we look forward to sharing our language of food. While Eleven Madison Park is highly awarded  it took the top honour at the 2017 Worlds 50 Best Restaurants awards and was the first vegan restaurant to be awarded three Michelin stars  it has courted controversy, including allegations of treating staff badly and food waste. Eleven Madison Park took the top honour at the 2017 Worlds 50 Best Restaurants awards. Supplied Humm announced in 2021 that Eleven Madison Park would no longer serve opulent meats and seafood and would go completely vegan, surprising many people. The current food system is simply not sustainable, in so many ways, Humm said at the time

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The results have not always been successful. In 2021, the New York Times food critic Pete Wells said a beetroot served by the restaurant tasted like Lemon Pledge and smells like a burning joint. This is the first time Sydneys winter festival Vivid will include a food program as part of its line-up. Other international names include Rishi Naleendra from Singapores two-Michelin-starred Cloudstreet, and Cape Towns Mmabatho Molefe, who was one of the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants 50 Next hospitality pioneers in 2022. Singapore-based Aussie Dave Pynt from Burnt Ends will also be here, as will a number of high-profile local chefs such as Mitch Orr and Danielle Alvarez.



This residency announcement follows another for Aria. The three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay will also take over the harbourside eatery on May 8, 9 and 10 (sold out). The Eleven Madison Park Aria residency begins June 6.



Tickets go on sale at 11am Friday. For more information and to book visit vividsydney.com

One of the world's top restaurants, Eleven Madison Park, is going vegan

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A passionate love of music and shared secrets has cultivated a rich friendship of more than 40 years between New York-based concert pianist Lisa Moore, 62, and Sydney composer Elena Kats-Chernin, 65.

Lisa Moore, left and Elena Kats-Chernin. Wed drink espressos and smoke cigarettes in Piccolo Bar at Kings Cross, talking incessantly about great composers. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

Lisa: Elena and I were students at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music when we met in 1978. Sydney was like a sleepy country town back then. I was struck by Elena because she was just so alive. Shed arrived from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, with her family when she was 19; she had all this hair, wore capes and had an intensely European air about her. Wed drink espressos and smoke cigarettes in Piccolo Bar at Kings Cross, talking incessantly about great composers. Neither of us was interested in teaching beginners in the suburbs.

Elenas talent and modesty irritated me a bit. But she had been supporting her family by playing the piano for dance classes from age 12. She already had this incredible work ethic.

In 1980, after our degrees, we went our separate ways. I went to New York and she went to Germany and had three children. Phone calls were expensive back then and neither of us had time to write letters, but we heard about each others work. She was making a name for herself as one of Australias most successful composers. [Kats-Chernin has written several operas, two piano concertos and compositions for many performers and ensembles, including the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.]
He noted that in a criminal context allegations of the type made in the [media outlets] ... truth defences usually, although not always, involved fact-finding conducted by a jury comprised of ordinary men and women. It is perhaps arguable that the ends of justice, including public confidence in the resolution of these disputes, might be promoted if a jury hears and determines at least some factual issues, rather than a judge, Lee wrote. Having said this, given the vast publicity already afforded to these allegations, the multiplicity of proceedings and other logistical matters, I am sensible of potential difficulties in ordering a jury. If a jury was ordered and the case proceeded to trial, it would be the first time a jury was used in a Federal Court defamation case. Lehrmanns barrister, Matthew Richardson, SC, told the court in Sydney on Friday it was extremely unlikely his client would support a jury trial.

The jury in the criminal trial was derailed; people have extremely strong views on this, Richardson said. Loading The chances of a hung jury are obviously high. Its the most publicised rape case in probably Australian history and the entire community is divided on it. Matthew Collins, KC, for Ten, and Sue Chrysanthou, SC, for Wilkinson, said a jury trial would add considerably to the length of the trial. From our perspective, it seems to us that what Mr Richardson says has merit, having regard to what happened in Canberra last year [during the aborted criminal trial], Chrysanthou said.

Lee said that if it was a case which didnt have this profile, I would regard it as a no-brainer that I would order a jury. University of Sydney Professor David Rolph, an expert in defamation law, said that although trial by jury has been ordered once before in a defamation case in the Federal Court, we havent actually seen a matter go to trial. Civil trials, including defamation cases, must be conducted by a judge alone in the Federal Court unless it orders otherwise, and the court has previously made clear that the circumstances in which it will order a jury are rare. In state courts, either party has a right to elect for a jury in a defamation case. This might be one of those exceptionally rare cases where trial by jury would be the appropriate mode of proceeding, Rolph said. Lee told the parties on Friday that the court was empowered to order a jury trial even if everyone opposed it, but Im not suggesting Im going to do that. He invited written submissions from the parties on the question.

Lee said his decision on the limitation period did not involve a consideration of the merits of either case. In order to succeed in his application to extend the limitation period to sue Ten and News Corp, Lehrmann needed to persuade the court that it was not reasonable for him in the circumstances to commence the proceedings within one year. Lee found he had met this test. Loading Lehrmanns legal team had argued it was not reasonable because of legal advice he received to delay filing proceedings pending any criminal process, and health concerns including mental health issues. But the media parties had pointed to text messages Lehrmann sent to his girlfriend and others immediately after the Higgins interview was aired on Ten, which suggested he had received legal advice a criminal trial was off the cards completely but he could file defamation proceedings.

Lehrmann gave evidence last month in court that he fabricated that advice to placate his girlfriend, and his lawyer had in fact told him that any defamation case would need to await the conclusion of the criminal process. Lee concluded that text messages Lehrmann sent to his then-girlfriend and a friend were an unreliable basis on which to conclude he was advised he would never face a criminal charge. Lehrmann was flailing around and saying what he thought he needed to say to put the best spin on the situation, Lee said. He was satisfied Lehrmann was being untruthful when he texted that he had received advice that criminal proceedings were off the table. Lehrmann was named in the media in August 2021 after he was charged with sexual intercourse without consent. He pleaded not guilty to the charge. His trial was aborted in October last year due to juror misconduct. The charge was later dropped altogether amid concerns about Higgins mental health. Lehrmann has always maintained his innocence.
The battle between Barb and Ted Grimley, the parents of missing fraudster Melissa Caddick, and the victims their daughter defrauded has escalated with the Grimleys foreshadowing legal action against the court-appointed receivers handling Caddicks estate.

Barrister Robert Newlinds, SC, who is representing the Grimleys, told the Federal Court on Friday that his clients want the receivers, Bruce Gleeson and Daniel Soire of Jones Partners, to personally pay the interest on the mortgage of his clients Edgecliff apartment.

Melissa Caddick at the Dover Heights property during the raid by the AFP.

He said this was because the receivers were not complying with a previous order of the court.

Last July Justice Brigitte Markovic granted the application from the receivers to use funds from the sale of Caddicks Dover Heights house to discharge the mortgage on an Edgecliff apartment.
If it werent for the warm weather, Sydneys revitalised city centre brimming with bike lanes and the light rail might have fooled Denmarks Crown Princess Mary into thinking she was back in Copenhagen.

But it was the Australian accents that greeted her as she cycled through the CBDs streets that confirmed the Hobart-born royal was in her home country.

On her first royal trip in a decade, Crown Princess Mary  who is originally from Australia and married Denmarks Crown Prince Frederik in 2004  cycled from Hyde Park to Circular Quay after the 9am traffic rush on Friday.

Beginning at College Street, near St Marys Cathedral, she was joined by seven other Danish officials and myriad security and police officers as she travelled past the Archibald Fountain. Construction workers and members of the public  a few recognising the royal  were greeted by waves and a smile as she passed by.
Students are more likely to be excluded from the states schools for physical violence than any other reason, making up a record 45 per cent of all long suspensions in the first half of 2022.

New figures reveal that across public primary and high schools about 22,600 students received a suspension in the first half of last year, a reduction of about 15 per cent from the same time in 2021.

Students are more likely to be excluded from the states schools for physical violence than any other reason. Credit: Janie Barrett

Less than 1 per cent of primary students were suspended  the lowest rate in five years  and about 6 per cent of high school students received a suspension.

But physical violence is now the reason almost half of all long suspensions are issued, rising from 39 per cent in 2013. Violence has also overtaken persistent misbehaviour as the most common reason about 7000 students in the states schools received a long suspension of up to 20 days.
A cartel of organised criminals including several prominent bikie gangs has ordered cocaine dealers around the nation to freeze supply in a bid to reverse a recent slump in the price of the popular party drug.

Those who break ranks and continue to flood the market with high-quality cocaine face serious consequences, according to leaked internal messages obtained by this masthead which also quote Warren Buffett and Henry Ford.

Images of the leaked messages directing dealers to withhold supply. Credit: The Age

The messages shared on encrypted apps reveal a plan by the cartel to stop the distribution of large shipments of cocaine for the next four weeks to inflate prices and expose overseas traffickers attempting to undercut local suppliers.

The freeze was to begin in Sydney on Friday, while dealers in other states will be expected to curb supply from May 3.
Councils will have to foot the bill for increased security when dealing with rowdy protesters after the state government refused to provide any additional funding while downplaying the extent of the problem.

The City of Monash on Wednesday became the latest council to have one of its public meetings targeted by members of groups including My Place and Reignite Democracy Australia, which espouse views often associated with alt-right or conspiracy theory thinking and can be hostile to the LGBTQ community.

Police and security staff wrangled a crowd of almost 200 people who descended on the councils Glen Waverley offices, many to protest against a sold-out drag queen story time event planned for children and parents at Oakleigh Library next month.

Protesters verbally abused attending residents and repeatedly labelled councillors paedophiles, forcing the council to temporarily adjourn proceedings. The drag queen hosting the library event, Sam T, says she has also received death threats.
Gloucester Parks $60 million revamp doesnt pass the pub test, says the man accusing the board of offering up its golden goose in a one-horse race.

Duro Margaretics grievances with the WA Trotting Association were laid bare in the Supreme Court on Thursday, when the former board member took the stand in his bid to overturn a member vote he claims breached the associations by-laws.

The proposed Gloucester Park redevelopment and Duro Margaretic, inset.

Margaretic told the court he believed members were kept in the dark about the exclusive nature of the racing bodys deal to sell part of its land to Adrian Fini and Ben Lisles Hesperia, which plans to build a new 4000-spectator grandstand, hospitality venues, and apartment towers at the East Perth trotting site.

And he took aim at an alleged conflict of interest during his two-hour-long grilling, revealing that the board was briefed about the development and its marketing pitch by Hesperia director Kyle Jeavons, the son of WATA vice-president Kevin Jeavons.
When future historians ponder the so-called climate wars, today  Friday, April 28, 2023  is likely to be underlined as a key date.

The last coal-fired turbine at Liddell Power Station near Muswellbrook in the Hunter Valley was switched off, to be replaced by a giant battery that will store renewable energy generated by solar and wind power.

The Liddell Power Station closed on Friday after 52 years. Credit: Janie Barrett

The industrial colossus  the largest power plant in the country when completed in 1973 and able to power a million homes  will be dismantled over the next two years, with 90 per cent of the materials recycled, according to its owner, energy company AGL.

The symbolism is strong because the closure of Liddell is an important step along the way to replacing coal-fired power with solar and wind, said Frank Jotzo, the director of the Centre for Climate and Energy Policy at the Australian National University.
The revised forecast for net overseas migration is a sharp increase on the estimate of 235,000 in the October budget and reflects the sudden arrival of students after their home countries, such as China, removed restrictions on their travel. Loading Of the increase of 165,000 in the forecast since October, about 70 per cent are students. Of the 400,000 in net overseas migrants this year, about half are students. Net overseas migration is the net gain or loss of population through international migration to and from Australia. It is calculated by measuring overseas migrant arrivals and subtracting overseas migrant departures. The Australian Bureau of Statistics measures this by considering whether a traveller is in or out of the population for 12 months during a period of 16 months after their arrival or departure.

Coalition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan has ramped up the political debate on the migration intake in recent days by accusing Labor of planning a big Australia by stealth and losing control of temporary worker arrivals. Loading With debate building on housing policy  canvassed in this mastheads Broken Dream series on the issue over the past week  Greens leader Adam Bandt has called on the federal government to get the states and territories to impose a rent freeze nationwide. But Albanese called on the Greens and the Coalition to back the governments $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, which is currently stuck in the Senate, as the best way to finance new homes. The $2 billion measure outlined on Friday will support the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation to raise finance for social and affordable rental homes and help community housing providers.

The tax changes comprise a cut in the withholding tax rate from 30 to 15 per cent for managed investment trusts with foreign investors when they invest in build-to-rent properties after July 2024, along with an increase in the depreciation rate from 2.5 per cent to 4 per cent per year for eligible new build-to-rent projects when construction starts after 9 May this year. The effect is expected to be an increase in investment in affordable housing because the financial returns are greater. The budget forecasts will show the Australian population remains lower in the years ahead than forecast before the pandemic, when net overseas migration slumped to a rare negative result of 85,000 in the 2021 financial year because departures exceeded arrivals. This means the cumulative migration intake will take until 2029 to recover to the levels forecast before the pandemic, according to a government official aware of the forecasts but not authorised to speak publicly on the issue.

The unusual spike in arrivals this year mirrors the trend after the Spanish influenza pandemic that followed the First World War, when net overseas migration amounted to 3 per cent of the population in 1919. This years intake will be 1.5 per cent of the population. Loading Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil is working on three policy measures that are expected to reduce the migration intake from the rare high this year. The first is an increase in the income benchmark applied to all temporary workers, known as the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold and due to rise from $53,900 to $70,000 in July in a decision ONeil announced on Thursday. This removes an incentive for low-paid foreign workers to enter the country. The second is, by July, reducing the hours a foreign student can work to 24 each week, ending the unrestricted work rights the Morrison government introduced during the pandemic.

A broader reform of the foreign student program will be decided by ONeil with Education Minister Jason Clare and Skills Minister Brendan OConnor in the next few months to prevent people using the system to take low-paid jobs. The three measures are expected to lead to a lower forecast for net overseas migration when Treasury updates the outlook in future budgets. Now that borders have reopened, 70 per cent of the new intake are foreign students. Credit: Edwina Pickles University of Melbourne demography professor Peter McDonald has cautioned against some of the concern in the media about the social pressures from the migration intake, noting that very little of the increase comes from permanent resident visas. The impacts of this temporary surge in net migration on the labour force and housing are complex and cannot be interpreted in the simplistic terms now evident in much of the media, he wrote in The Conversation.
OUR GROWN-UP GAP YEAR

Carriages in The Mall, London, during a rehearsal for the coronation of King Charles III. Credit: Getty

We are self-funded retirees and we wish to live in the UK for 12 months. My husband has a British passport, is there any impediment to us living there and would we be entitled to the National Health Service? We intend to rent a property there. M. Vincent, Longueville NSW

As an Australian citizen married to a British passport holder you should be entitled to enter and stay in the UK on a spouse visa - see gov.uk/uk-family-visa. One of the requirements is that your British-citizen partner must have settled in the UK - for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence.

Since you have been living in Australia this might complicate your application, however proof of an existing UK residential address is not among the documents youll be required to produce for this visa. It would seem therefore that your spouse visa application falls within the requirements. However, the spouse visa can be expensive and take several months to process. Depending on how long you plan to stay, and since you are retirees and presumably not planning to work, it might be simpler to enter the UK on your Australian passport, which allows you to remain in the UK for up to six months without a visa. Treatment under the UK National Health Service is residence-based. Most NHS services are free to people who are ordinarily resident in the UK. Ordinarily resident means living in the UK on a lawful and properly settled basis for the time being, and proof is required.
Sacked Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson, host of Tucker Carlson Tonight, seemed unaware Fridays show would be his last. Credit:AP Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Washington: Tucker Carlsons final words as a Fox News host were uttered between mouthfuls of pineapple pizza after an hour-long show reprising some of his favourite themes: white nationalism, gender identity, election interference. Unaware that the broadcast would be his last, the prime-time presenter looked typically at ease as he sat at his desk chatting to his final studio guest for the night: a pizza delivery driver who went viral after a video showed him tripping a car thief fleeing police. What a great way to end the week, Carlson said cheerfully as he signed off last Friday. Well be back on Monday. The decision to sack Tucker Carlson is said to have come from Rupert Murdoch and son Lachlan. Credit:Bloomberg He never returned. In a seismic shift that has reverberated for days, the 53-year-old was dismissed on Monday, after getting a call from Fox News chief executive Suzanne Scott to tell him he would be parting ways with the network. When Carlson repeatedly asked why, Scott would only tell him that the decision came from above  a reference to Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan, the chief of parent company Fox Corp. About 10 minutes later, a public statement  three paragraphs long and devoid of any explanation for the momentous decision  was released by the company.

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The abrupt dismissal stunned America, drawing celebrations from the left and condemnation from many conservatives. But it also raised lingering questions about the future of a media giant that had built an empire giving its audience what it wanted  even if it meant amplifying extreme views and damaging lies. Was Fox finally changing tack, or just in damage control after this months historic Dominion defamation settlement? And with an election looming, will the departure of its biggest star affect the political landscape? After all, Carlson wasnt just a highly popular host, drawing about 3.3 million daily viewers to his 8pm show, Tucker Carlson Tonight. He was also an influencer of Republican politics who had shaped the parameters of political debate for years; both a vehicle of Donald Trumps brand of populist conservatism and a bullhorn for right-wing conspiracy theories. And until now, just about everyone  including Carlson himself  thought he was untouchable. As media reporter Brian Stelter, author of the book Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth, put it this week: This is a guy who thought he could say and do anything, and suddenly that has been disproven. What an incredible reminder of who really has the power here: the network, not the star. Yet, days after Carlsons abrupt departure, the reasons still remain unclear.

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Was it the fallout from the $US787.5 million ($1.17 billion) Dominion settlement, which revealed how Carlson and others at Fox peddled Donald Trumps lies about the election, despite knowing they were not true? Was it punishment for some of the vulgar messages he sent, including one that described a senior executive using the c-word? Loading Or was it damage control over another set of lawsuits filed by his former producer, Abby Grossberg, who claims he oversaw a sexist and hostile work environment that included pictures of former speaker Nancy Pelosi in a bathing suit being plastered across her workspace? One bizarre theory, reported by well-connected Vanity Fair contributor Gabriel Sherman, even suggested the last straw for Murdoch may have been an overtly religious speech Carlson made at the Heritage Foundations 50th Anniversary gala last Friday night. During a 36-minute keynote address, the soon-to-be-sacked Fox host warned that national politics had become a Manichaean battle between good and evil. He then urged people to pray more, rather than engage in fraudulent debates with those who opposed them. That stuff freaks Rupert out, an unnamed source was quoted as saying. He doesnt like all the spiritual talk.

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Whatever the case, Carlsons dismissal represents a reversal for the billionaire Murdoch family, who have championed him for years, and stood by him even as advertisers boycotted the show because of his inflammatory views. But whether its emblematic of a broader shift in the companys values, or an acknowledgment the network had become too extreme, is open to debate. Attorney Justin Nelson, representing Dominion Voting Systems, speaks outside court after the defamation lawsuit against Fox was settled on April 18. Credit:AP Angelo Carusone, president of the non-profit watchdog group Media Matters, is not convinced that Carlsons departure will mark a long-term shift for Fox, noting that it was the network that empowered him to grow in the first place by giving him the invaluable 8pm prime-time slot in 2016 and paying for him to throw red meat to his audience ever since. Theres also the chance that whoever replaces him could find an audience just as loyal and loud. Tucker served as the bridge between Fox News and the most extreme parts of the right-wing base  laundering anti-trans paranoia, Infowars nonsense, election lies and venomous rhetoric, including the great replacement conspiracy theory, Carusone said. But even without Tucker Carlson, Fox News is still Fox News. Stelter, on the other hand, who was also fired last year from his role as the anchor of CNNs Reliable Sources media show, is more optimistic. I would like to believe that maybe Rupert Murdoch wants to drag his network back to a more reality-based place, he said, speaking on The Bulwark Podcast this week.

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Were going to look back and say that firing Tucker was about Rupert reasserting control. After being humiliated by the Dominion lawsuit, and revealed to be this passive guy who just sat on the sidelines and let the democracy burn, maybe, in his final act, hes trying to drag it back to reality. The fact the shake-up took place only a week after the company agreed to a settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over charges that Fox baselessly accused the company of rigging its voting machines is significant. Loading After all, the lawsuit posed the biggest crisis the Murdochs faced since the News of the World scandal, whereby employees of the British tabloid illegally tapped into voicemail messages of crime victims, politicians and celebrities  including princes William and Harry  searching for salacious stories. The phone-hacking controversy led to the Murdochs shutting down the newspaper and abandoning a bid for control of a popular satellite TV service, British Sky Broadcasting. It also resulted in a string of high-profile resignations, with Murdoch and his son James called before a parliamentary committee in 2011 as the fallout continued. This is the most humble day of my life, Rupert Murdoch told the committee at the time. The Dominion lawsuit was also humbling for Fox, with a trove of damning emails and text messages filed in court exposing how the network relegated truth for fiction regarding the 2020 election, amid fears of losing its audience and profits to competitors.

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Maple Gold completes first phase of JV deep drilling at douay and joutel

Maple Gold Mines Ltd. (TSX-V: MGM) (OTCQB: MGMLF) (FSE: M3G)A (\Maple Gold\ or the \Company\  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/maple-gold-mines-ltd/ ) is pleased to announce the completion of the first phase of deep drilling at the Companya?s Douay and Joutel Gold Projects (\Douay\ and \Joutel\, respectively) located in Quebec, Canada, which are held by a 50/50 joint venture (the \JV\) between the Company and Agnico Eagle Mines Limited. The JV completed more than 13,100 metres (\m\) of drilling across Douay and Joutel prior to winter break-up.

Deep Drilling Program Summary and Observations:

In the Telbel mine area at Joutel, the JV drilled a total of 7,343 m in three (3) master drill holes and four (4) successful wedge drill holes.

All Telbel drill holes intersected broad zones of semi-massive to massive sulfide mineralization.

Drill hole TB-22-003 and its associated wedges intersected three mineralized zones and bottomed in mineralization, with sphalerite observed in drill core and elevated zinc values observed via pXRF analysis at site (see Figure 1 and Plate 1).

At Douay, the JV drilled a total of 5,792 m in five (5) drill holes testing beneath the Douay West, Porphyry, Central and 531 Zones, as well as one (1) shallow NW Zone step-out hole (see Figure 2).

The most compelling visual core observations at Douay were in the final hole (DO-23-326X), collared near the Central Zone and extending beneath the Porphyry Zone at depth), with significant alteration, deformation, and mineralization (abundant fine-grained pyrite) from approximately 850 m to 1,400 m down-hole (see Figure 3 and Plates 2 & 3).

aEarly indications from the JVa?s first phase of deep drilling are encouraging, particularly at Telbel with the upper mineralized zones in TB-22-003, which are well north of the main Mine Horizon, and the fact that both TB-23-001W1 and TB-23-003W2 intersected the down-dip continuity of the sulfide-rich main Mine Horizon,a stated Matthew Hornor, President and CEO of Maple Gold. aSphalerite is a key indicator of VMS style of mineralization, and we look forward to the gold and multi-element assay results from these holes with the aim of vectoring towards a significant mineralized zone at depth. At Douay, we are also excited by what wea?ve observed in the drill core beneath the Porphyry Zone and look forward to the assay results and valuable data that this first phase of deep drilling will generate.a

The Company has completed final core splitting and has sent final sample shipments to the lab. Assay results are expected in Q2 2023 and will be reported once they are vetted and interpreted. The Company has identified additional targets that were previously permitted and approved for drilling at Douay but will wait on the additional assay results and internal 3D model updates before commencing the next phases of drilling at Douay/Joutel, as any successes from the first phase of deep drilling could significantly impact target priorities and corresponding JV capital allocation.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical data contained in this press release was reviewed and prepared under the supervision of Fred Speidel, M. Sc., P. Geo., Vice-President Exploration of Maple Gold. Mr. Speidel is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Speidel has verified the data related to the exploration information disclosed in this press release through his direct participation in the work.

About Maple Gold

Maple Gold Mines Ltd. is a Canadian advanced exploration company in a 50/50 joint venture with Agnico Eagle Mines Limited to jointly advance the district-scale Douay and Joutel gold projects located in QuAbec\-s prolific Abitibi Greenstone Gold Belt. The projects benefit from exceptional infrastructure access and boast ~400 km2 of highly prospective ground including an established gold resource at Douay (SLR 2022) that holds significant expansion potential as well as the past-producing Eagle, Telbel and Eagle West mines at Joutel. In addition, the Company holds an exclusive option to acquire 100% of the Eagle Mine Property.

The district-scale property package also hosts a significant number of regional exploration targets along a 55 km strike length of the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone that have yet to be tested through drilling, making the project ripe for new gold and polymetallic discoveries. The Company is well capitalized and is currently focused on carrying out exploration and drill programs to grow resources and make new discoveries to establish an exciting new gold district in the heart of the Abitibi. For more information, please visit www.maplegoldmines.com.

ON BEHALF OF MAPLE GOLD MINES LTD.

\Matthew Hornor\

B. Matthew Hornor, President & CEO

For Further Information Please Contact:

Mr. Joness Lang

Executive Vice-President

Cell: 778.686.6836

Email: jlang@maplegoldmines.com

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger & Marc Ollinger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PRESS RELEASE.

Forward Looking Statements:

This press release contains \forward-looking information\ and \forward-looking statements\ (collectively referred to as \forward-looking statements\) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation in Canada, including statements about exploration work and results from current and future work programs. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, uncertainties and management\-s best estimate of future events. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company\-s expectations and projections. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Maple Gold Mines Ltd.\-s filings with Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com or the Company\-s website at www.maplegoldmines.com. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
China needs gold

From January to March 2023, China\-s gold consumption has gone up by 12 percent compared to the same period last year.

China is the world\-s largest consumer of gold. Compared with the first three months of the previous year, demand for coins and bars rose by 20.5 percent. Gold jewelry was up 12.3 percent. A decline in gold consumption was recorded in the industrial and other sector. Gold production was up 6.9 percent in the first quarter of 2023. Gold is in high demand, so it\-s no surprise that there are always counterfeits and crimes related to the precious metal. Just recently, six Chinese were arrested for carrying almost 200 counterfeit gold bars. The counterfeit gold was accompanied by real gold, which they cut into pieces in order to convince their victims of its authenticity. The fraud had a value of about 265,000 euros. The perpetrators also claimed to own a gold mining concession.

So, all in all, China needs quite a bit of gold imports to meet demand. The Middle Kingdom itself produced about 330 tons of gold last year. The second-placed country, Australia, produced a good 320 tons of gold. Worldwide gold production in 2022 was around 3,100 tons. Since 2008, the annual global gold production volume has been increasing. Since 2015, it has always been above 3,000 tons. In terms of the largest gold reserves of central banks and states, the United States is in the lead, followed by Germany. Investors who want to invest part of their portfolio in gold, but who are also looking for diversification in the gold sector, can add stocks of royalty companies to their portfolio.

Here, Osisko Gold Royalties  https://www.commodity-tv.com/play/osisko-gold-royalties-ceo-update-on-2023-catalysts-and-growth-outlook/  pleases with its commitment to North America. 2022 brought the company record revenues from streams and royalties.

The successful and dividend-paying company GoldRoyalty  https://www.commodity-tv.com/play/gold-royalty-strong-growth-of-royalty-revenue-in-tier-1-jurisdictions/  is focused on North, Central and South America. Further growth is expected in 2023.

Current corporate information and press releases from GoldRoyalty (- https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/companies/gold-royalty-corp/ -) and Osisko Gold Royalties (- https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/companies/osisko-gold-royalties-ltd/ -).

In accordance with A34 WpHG I would like to point out that partners, authors and employees may hold shares in the respective companies addressed and thus a possible conflict of interest exists. No guarantee for the translation into English. Only the German version of this news is valid.

Disclaimer: The information provided does not represent any form of recommendation or advice. Express reference is made to the risks in securities trading. No liability can be accepted for any damage arising from the use of this blog. I would like to point out that shares and especially warrant investments are always associated with risk. The total loss of the invested capital cannot be excluded. All information and sources are carefully researched. However, no guarantee is given for the correctness of all contents. Despite the greatest care, I expressly reserve the right to make errors, especially with regard to figures and prices. The information contained herein is taken from sources believed to be reliable, but in no way claims to be accurate or complete. Due to court decisions, the contents of linked external sites are also co-responsible (e.g. Landgericht Hamburg, in the decision of 12.05.1998  312 O 85/98), as long as there is no explicit dissociation from them. Despite careful control of the content, I do not assume liability for the content of linked external pages. The respective operators are exclusively responsible for their content. The disclaimer of Swiss Resource Capital AG also applies: https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/disclaimer/
Brazil's Lula decrees six new Indigenous reserves



Brasilia, April 28 (AFP) Apr 28, 2023



Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday decreed six new Indigenous reserves, the first after a dearth of such expansion under his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.

Under the decree, Indigenous people are guaranteed exclusive use of natural resources on these lands, considered by scientists as a bulwark against Amazon deforestation -- a major challenge in the fight against global warming.

Lula signed the official decrees on the final day of a gathering of Indigenous people from around the country in the capital Brasilia.

"It is a time-consuming process, but we are going to make sure that as many Indigenous reserves as possible are legalized," the president said.

"If we want to achieve zero deforestation by 2030, we need registered Indigenous reserves."

Under four years of Bolsonaro, who had vowed to not cede "one more centimeter" of land to Brazil's Indigenous communities, average annual deforestation had increased by 75 percent compared to the previous decade.

Bolsonaro instigated policies that favored the agriculture and logging industries, which are mostly responsible for deforestation.

Two of the six new reserves are in the Amazon.

The largest, named Unieuxi, was allocated to 249 members of the Maku and Tukano peoples on more than 550,000 hectares in the northern state of Amazonas.

Two other reserves are in the country's northeast, one in the south, and one in central Brazil.

Friday's announcement was made at a closing ceremony for the 19th edition of "Terra Livre" (Free Land), a gathering of thousands of Indigenous peoples from across the vast country.

According to the latest census, dating from 2010, Brazil is home to about 800,000 Indigenous people. Most of them live on reserves that take up 13.75 percent of the national territory.



- 'Fighting to recover' -



The last declaration of a new Indigenous reserve in Brazil dates to five years ago, when then-president Michel Temer granted the Guato people rights to 20,000 hectares of ancestral land in the western Mato Grosso state.

More are in the pipeline: Indigenous Minister Sonia Guajajara announced last month that 14 Indigenous reserves were ready to be legalized. These included the six announced Friday,

Lula, who took office on January 1, has vowed to approve new reserves "as soon as possible."

Indigenous people, he said last month, "do not occupy anyone's land, they are fighting to recover what they have been deprived of by invaders since 1500" when the first Portuguese colonizers arrived, he said.

Lula said the reserves "will help us take care of the climate. Otherwise humanity will disappear because of our irresponsibility."

He created a ministry of Indigenous Peoples, the first in Brazil's history.
Italy lifts block on ChatGPT, AI chatbot owner says



Rome, April 28 (AFP) Apr 28, 2023



Italy has lifted its block on ChatGPT after temporarily banning it over data privacy concerns last month, the artificial intelligence chatbot's owner said Friday.

"ChatGPT is available again for our users in Italy. We are delighted to welcome them back and remain committed to protecting their personal data," an OpenAI spokesperson said.

ChatGPT caused a global sensation when it was released last year for generating essays, songs, exams and even news articles from brief prompts.

But critics have fretted over how ChatGPT and its competitors collect and process their data.

In March, Italy became the first Western country to take action against the popular AI chatbot.

The country's data protection watchdog had said that US firm OpenAI, which developed ChatGPT, had no legal basis to justify the mass collection and storage of personal data for training the algorithms underlying the operation of the platform.

The authority also highlighted a lack of clarity over whose data was being collected.

It said that inaccurate information being provided by the chatbot was not being handled properly and accused the firm of exposing children to "absolutely unsuitable answers".

OpenAI now has information on its website "about how we collect and use training data" and "greater visibility" on the homepage of ChatGPT and OpenAI about the policy regarding personal data.

The company also said it had implemented a tool "to verify in Italy the age of users" once they log in.

The Italian Authority acknowledged on Friday "the steps taken to combine technological progress with the respect of people's rights".
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. Tajikistans imports of machinery and transport equipment from Georgia from January through March 2023 have registered a significant growth year-on-year, Trend reports via the National Statistics Office of Georgia.

During the corresponding period, Tajikistan imported Georgian machinery and transport equipment for $8.2 million, which is an increase of 4.2 times over $1.9 million in 1Q2022.

Tajikistan imported machinery and transport equipment from Georgia for $2.6 million in January 2023, $3.1 million in February 2023, and for $2.4 million in March 2023.

In general, Tajikistan imported from Georgia goods for $9.8 million in 1Q2023, which is 3.7 times or $7.2 million more than in 1Q2022 ($2.6 million).

Tajikistan's imports from Georgia in March this year amounted to $3.3 million, in February - to $3.7 million, and in January - to $2.6 million.

Notably, the Georgian statistics do not provide data for exports from Tajikistan in 1Q2023, as well as for the same period of 2022.

Last year, machinery and transport equipment accounted for the main share of Georgian exports to Tajikistan ($17.5 million).
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BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP)  Workers seeking to unionize at a Ben & Jerry's retail shop in Burlington, Vermont, the city where the ice cream brand was founded announced Friday that the company has signed the fair election principles.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont Independent who has been a vocal supporter of Starbucks labor organizers, congratulated the Ben & Jerry's workers at a press conference in his home city.
STAMFORD  Members of the city's Board of Finance said they were worried about how to pay for a new Westhill High School even with substantial help from the state.

"Are we going to run out of money?" asked board chairman Richard Freedman during a virtual meeting Wednesday.

The total cash needed to pay for the work in each of the next four fiscal years is high: it's estimated to be $52.66 million in fiscal year 2024-25, $106.8 million the following year and $90.4 million the next, with more payments in future years.

The total project is estimated to cost $301.3 million, of which the state has agreed to pay for 80 percent of eligible expenses.

The final price tag for the city's share is estimated to be between $90 million and $110 million, depending on how much of the project is deemed eligible for state reimbursement.

However, the city will still need to pay for the full project with reserve funds before receiving refunds from the state, an ongoing payment process that will take place throughout the design and construction of the new Westhill school building. Expenses eligible for reimbursement by the state cannot be paid for with bonded money, said Katherine LoBalbo, the recently hired director of school construction.

The tricky part is making sure the city has enough reserve funds at any one time to pay the costs upfront, which is what Freedman said he wanted to see an analysis of. The figures get even more complicated when factoring in other large construction projects happening concurrently, such as a new $86 million Roxbury Elementary School.

"It seems to me like we have enough money to maybe do those two things at the same time, but we're going to be damn close to running out after those two," Freedman said.

LoBalbo said the state would likely reimburse the city once every two months.

"So that is another hurdle we have to map out when we're looking at this cash flow analysis," she said.

The reserve account that the city will use is known as "Fund 57," which was created last year to raise $20 million for school construction projects through an increased tax rate. Mayor Caroline Simmons proposed raising another $20 million in the upcoming fiscal year.

But on the same night that Board of Finance meeting took place, Simmons announced an agreement with the Board of Representatives to reduce that amount to $15 million.

In a letter to the Board of Representatives, Simmons noted that the Board of Finance already cut her proposed operating budget for city government by $6.3 million and cut the Board of Education's budget by $1.25 million. She argued that any further cuts by the Board of Representatives would negatively impact city services for residents.

Simmons said in her letter that she and leaders of the Board of Representatives agreed on a $5 million reduction to the school construction reserve in lieu of other cuts.

While I would have preferred that the full $20M remain in the budget given the enormity of the work ahead of us to maintain momentum on our Long-Term Facilities Plan, I am confident that we can absorb this reduction and the city will still be able to meet our commitment to our large capital school construction projects, Simmons said.

Simmons wrote that a deeper cut could spell bad news for a new Westhill.

"Further cuts to this fund would jeopardize the Westhill High School project and the more than $260,000,000 in state aid previously authorized by the Board of Representatives and Board of Finance," she wrote.

A smaller Fund 57 would create even more cash flow challenges, as school officials would have to make payments using money from the fund while replenishing the outgoing money with reimbursements from state refund checks. Making sure there is enough cash in the account for such large payments figures to be a recurring balancing act.

On Wednesday, board officials also questioned some of the assumptions made in the financial documents presented by city and school employees.

For instance, the state's reimbursement rate was estimated to be 75 percent in the presentation instead of 80 percent, under the assumption that some of the expenses the city believes are eligible now will be deemed ineligible by the state.

LoBalbo said she preferred to take a conservative approach to the numbers.

"I'm concerned that if we promise perfect and we dont hit perfect, will find ourselves in trouble," she said.

Freedman said that "small assumption" of 5 percent less reimbursement would equal about an extra $13 million the city would have to cover.

"A small percentage of a huge number is a huge number," he said.

Further, the project includes a $11 million contingency line item, which was included in the list of expenses ineligible for state funding.

Freedman and fellow board member Dennis Mahoney said most of those expenses would likely be eligible, however.

Again, LoBalbo cautioned the board not to make such assumptions.

"My approach here is so conservative because there are just so many things that are out of our control at this point and that are unknowns," she said.

The construction of the new Westhill is scheduled to begin in July 2025.

One item that is likely to draw some debate is the inclusion of a swimming pool in the plan, at a cost of about $11 million.

Board of Finance member Mary Lou Rinaldi said the board previously discussed the pool, and she said the majority opinion was that it was too expensive to include.

"I thought this board made it clear that a swimming pool was probably not in the cards," she said.

Freedman said the board did in fact talk about it, but never held a vote on the item. He said they would be able to chime in on whether or not to include the pool in the final design later in the process.

Also during the meeting, the Board of Finance voted in favor of a $2.75 million contract with Colliers Project Leaders to provide advisory services throughout the construction process of the new Westhill school.

Beyond Westhill, the city is embarking on a roughly 20-year plan to upgrade all school buildings, including rebuilding some and shuttering others for a total price of $1.5 billion, of which the state is expected to pick up roughly half.
Cathy Zuraw/Hearst Connecticut Media

Two women have been charged with stealing a total of nearly $17,000 from state public assistance programs, according to the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice.

Kathleen Kennedy Nason, 36, of Stafford, and Irma Reyes, 59, of Bridgeport, were arrested on separate warrants, charging each of them with first-degree larceny. Kennedy was also charged with two counts of second-degree making false statements, the DCJ said in a news release Thursday.
DANBURY  Construction on the first physical rehabilitation hospital in the Danbury area is expected to begin after gaining a key state approval.

Encompass Health Corporation, whose plans to build a $36 million 100,000-square-foot facility on Danburys west side were approved by zoning officials in May 2021, has been waiting for state approval of the Certificate of Need application it filed in August 2020.

A certificate of need is required for health care providers looking to make major changes to the health care landscape, according to the state Office of Health Strategy.

With its certificate granted last week, construction on Encompass Healths new rehabilitation hospital near the intersection of Reserve Road and Winding Ridge Way can at last commence.

State Rep. Patrick Callahan, R-New Fairfield, said he doesnt know why the state approval process took so long, but hes happy the certificate of need was finally granted.

Im pleased that after two years, Encompass has been approved by the state to build this inpatient hospital so families can be near their loved ones during the rehabilitation process, he said. Beds of this type are extremely limited, and these services will aid in recovery from physical and neurological injuries.

The 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital will serve people who have suffered strokes, heart attacks, and neurological ailments by providing physical rehabilitation, occupational therapy and speech therapy.

In addition to private patient rooms, the facility will feature a therapy gym, dining room, pharmacy and therapy courtyard.

This rehabilitation hospital will fulfill an important need in the Greater Danbury area community, bringing specialized care for neurological disorders and physical injuries to the citys westside, state Rep. Rachel Chaleski, R-Danbury, said in a statement.

The facility will become part of Encompass Healths national network of rehabilitation hospitals and be the companys first rehab hospital in the state of Connecticut.

Representatives with Encompass Health could not be reached for comment on Wednesday afternoon.
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TRUMBULL  Affordable housing should be done to fit into the community's characteristics, and most agree that such housing should be more available to seniors, according to those who responded to a recent town survey on the topic.

The survey results, which included responses from about 1,300 residents, were part of a presentation about affordable housing at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting Tuesday. The commission was updated on the status of the creation of an Affordable Housing Plan, required by state legislation passed in 2017 requiring municipalities to create such plans to increase affordable housing every five years.

The town is scheduled to hold its second public meeting on affordable housing on May 3. After the session, officials aim to present a draft of its plan to the Planning and Zoning Commission by June for a vote.

The plan will include background on housing in Trumbull, along with strategies that we may take to advance housing diversity and housing affordability into the future, said Economic and Community Development Director Rina Bakalar.

Affordable housing is generally available to people in Connecticut who make at most, 80 percent of the area median income.

For Trumbull residents, that 80 percent figure for a one-person household is $58,184. For a four-person household, its $83,120.

Trumbull had 716 housing units that qualified as affordable housing as of 2022, which Glenn Chalder of the land-use consulting firm Planimetrics, said accounts for one in every 18 units in the town.

This is housing for working people or retired people with modest incomes, perhaps even fixed incomes, said Chalder during his presentation to planning and zoning officials.

According to a Trumbull review of census data, nearly 3,000 households living in the town are earning 80 percent or less of the area median income.

Thats roughly one in four households in town are currently eligible, Chalder said.

In the survey, 51 percent of participants disagreed with the statement that Having more housing options and choices would make Trumbull an even better community. Slightly more, 57 percent, disagreed that Affordable housing options and choices should be located in all areas of Trumbull."

About 60 percent of the survey respondents agreed Trumbull should consider whether any town property could be used to provide affordable housing to seniors. A little over half, 53 percent, agreed the same should be done for those working as teachers, police, store clerks, wait staff or other jobs.

Meanwhile, 40 percent of respondents agreed Trumbull should consider whether any town property could be used to provide affordable housing for families, while 49 percent disagreed with the statement.

About 31 percent of them agreed the town should increase the number of affordable housing units through the purchase, construction and rehabilitation of properties, while 56 percent disagreed.

About 85 percent agreed it was important to guide the design of housing options so it fit into Trumbull's physical characteristics. This statement drew the most support in the survey.

In the survey, most respondents also disagreed with requiring new residential developments to provide affordable housing units. Most of them also disagreed with a statement to offer incentives for new residential developments to provide affordable housing, along with another to offer incentives for new developments to deed restrict a portion of affordable units.

During Tuesdays meeting, some Planning and Zoning commissioners expressed concern with some of the surveys results. Vice Chair Anthony Silber, a Democrat, took issue with what he called a profound ambivalence in the responses.

Its going to be very difficult to do any of this because of this ambivalence, Silber said. In a practical basis, itll be so hard, very hard, to get any of this done.

It seems like we have a definitive slant toward doing something for seniors, but then not necessarily helping anyone else when it came to how they would find housing, which was a striking statement, said Michael Miller, another Democratic member.

During the meeting, Chalder suggested potential strategies for Trumbull to adopt, including partnering with groups like Habitat for Humanity to build affordable housing, offering home purchase incentives and down payment assistance, and finding ways to help older residents age in place, such as offering tax relief or supportive services. He also recommended the town consider creating a local fund to support affordable housing efforts.

However, Bakalar called housing funds a "nightmare to administer."

"I wouldn't get in the way of a housing fund," Bakalar said. "I don't know that it accomplishes a whole lot and it's an administrative effort that is to me more 'feel good.'"
Months after Stone Academys closure, more than 800 students across the state are waiting to hear the impact the nursing schools abrupt end will have on the months or years theyve spent studying to become licensed practical nurses.

A state-funded audit of their coursework and clinical hours is expected to determine a path forward in the coming months for the students, mostly women, who now realize they saw warning signs that the school was on shaky footing.

Many have said it feels like theyre grieving the death of a loved one  the loved one being their dream. Many have said theyve been struggling mentally  stuck with uneasy feelings of uncertainty, depression and even suicidal thoughts. They all recall countless sacrifices they made for their programs  time away from family, thousands of miles traveled, leaving jobs and deteriorating relationships.

Many have asked themselves, What do I have to show for it?

Here are some of their stories.

Jarlinne Brooks, 33.

Jarlinne Brooks said her stomach had looked like a shark had taken a bite out of it as she recovered from a bad C-section birth in the early months of 2020.

Bed-bound at her grandmothers house in New London, the television was always stuck on a telenovela or Telemundo. Every day she was taunted by a commercial that played so often that she took it as a sign.

It wasnt a catchy jingle. It wasnt a funny advertisement that sticks in your head. It was a Black woman speaking about being enrolled in one of Stone Academys programs. The words Start your medical career, Flexible class schedules, and Job placement assistance floated on the bottom of the screen.

It had always been Brooks dream to become a nurse, but she had been too scared to pursue it, she said.

She has wanted to become a nurse since she was 5 years old. By the time she was 7, she was helping manage her grandmothers unstable diabetes. She learned how to identify when someones blood sugar is too low and how to administer insulin.

A few years after high school she decided to pursue a career in health care. It began with medical billing and coding before she became a certified nursing assistant. From there, life took her through a whirlwind of jobs: in childrens behavioral health, with developmentally disabled adults and even career counseling for a college in Massachusetts.

But with two children under the age of 2, finishing up healing from an open wound and unemployed, Brooks thought it was the time to take the leap, so she did.

Becoming an LPN will help with financial stability, it will offer myself and my babies a sturdy foundation to lean on and help keep us afloat, Brooks wrote on her application, dated June 22, 2020. I could actually start to save for them so they can one day go to college and consider paths theyd like to go on. Most importantly, Id be able to work toward getting them our own place.

She enrolled in a 15-month program, but, almost three years later, Brooks still doesnt have any credentials.

This is embarrassing. Ive been in this for three years that I have nothing to show for. My grandmothers not alive [anymore] to see me become a nurse, Brooks said, crying. This is so disgusting. It makes me want to throw up every time I think of everything that I dealt with at this school.

In the beginning of her program, she noticed red flags, like a clinical director resigning the day after she met her in the beginning of a semester. Some days, her clinicals consisted of taking temperatures for several hours.

According to the states nursing education programs and licensure requirements, during clinicals, practical nursing students are supposed to spend at least 750 hours collecting data and perform[ing] therapeutic nursing interventions. This traditionally includes things like helping administer medicines, taking vitals, charting medical records, inserting and caring for urinary catheters and changing bandages.

In addition to only performing temperature checks, some days Brooks clinicals were canceled with no notice or she was told to write her name on a piece of paper and go home, she said.

They didnt care about us, and you knew it was a failing system, Brooks said, adding that she tried to transfer out of the program within two months but didnt because she felt she would take a huge financial hit due to the schools refund and transfer policies.

Im literally asking to become a nurse. That shouldnt be hard. Im asking to become someone, something  a nurse  and Im asking for the educators to help me get there, that is it, Brooks said.

Beyond program delays, Brooks failed her exit exam twice, something she says was a product of the school setting her up for failure.

I will say skill set wise, I have a good amount of skills. But lets say, knowledgeably, I dont believe I was ready, Brooks said. I wasnt prepared appropriately [by the school] as I should have been.

Brooks said she often had to teach herself the material.

For example, during COVID-19, instead of having online classes, teachers would only hop on the Zoom meeting for a few minutes to to assign homework and tell the students what chapters to read, then they were tested the following week, Brooks said.

Brooks also felt the institution preyed on young women of color who are trying to break generational curses but instead leaves them trapped with broken self-esteem.

It was a misleading advertisement to attract individuals like me, who may have not had the best upbringing, and who is currently a single parent, and whos struggling to make ends meet while I work and take care of my kids, Brooks said. So they post these types of schooling to attract us. Yeah, I was attracted because, you know, Fast, fast, fast  15 to 18 months for your LPN. OK, Im gonna do it.

Throughout her time at Stone, Brooks lost her grandmother, who was her sole motivation in becoming a nurse. Determined to still make her proud, Brooks began leaving her infant son with her grandfather three times a week and her daughter with her mother while she was in classes. She said she put over 60,000 miles on her car by traveling from New London to East Hartford.

So much wasted time. So much wasted time. So much wasted time, Brooks said.

She was in Stones remedial program at the time of its shutdown and preparing to take her exit exam again. Since the schools closure, Brooks said shes been stuck in a mental fog, thats taken a toll on me mentally, physically and emotionally.

But, I know Im going to become a nurse, Brooks said.

She hopes that however she gets her LPN or RN certification in the future, that shell be able to work at a correctional facility or psych ward.

Patty Bapst, 50.

Many people leave their jobs behind.

Patty Bapst was tired of jobs leaving her behind.

She had moved from Buffalo, N.Y., to Connecticut because of a romantic relationship. For the next 18 years, she worked in a factory making industrial pipe fitting covers. With five days warning, the company had decided to shut down. She then spent six years at Talbots, first as a saleswoman before working her way up into a management position, but the impact of COVID-19 killed the store.

I wanted something that wasnt going to close. I mean, being an industrial penetrator, which was the job title at the first job, thats not a highly sought skill, Bapst said. I just wanted somewhere where I could be stable and do something that I enjoy and help people.  So I decided to go into a nursing program.  Theres always a need for nurses.

Bapst grew up in a family full of veterinarians, so the medical field was in her blood already, she said. She had taken certified nursing assistant classes in New York several years ago and had been putting that education to use after her sister moved in with her in 2012 because of serious health issues.

After a stroke left Bapsts sister unable to go up and down stairs, and suffering from a condition called alien hand syndrome, she was later moved to a nursing home. Bapst said she couldnt let go, so she decided to work there part-time to still care for her sister.

All of those events led to an internet search for LPN programs. Stone Academys 22-month program was enticing. It was also the closest program to her home in Norwich.

Bapst enrolled in June 2021.

That first semester was really good. I actually felt like we were getting somewhere, and then it started going downhill from there, Bapst said.

Teachers were in constant rotation  Bapst recalled a teacher quitting mid-test. Attendance stopped being taken. Her cohort fell behind in clinicals because of lack of staffing and space. Bapsts graduation date was set for May 2023, but she was already expecting it to be delayed for months because of issues with clinical hours.

On top of stress from school, Bapsts close friend Conrad Jurgensen, whom she considers an adopted father-in-law, was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, in late 2022.

He underwent a surgery to remove his jaw, then was in chemotherapy and radiation treatment. One day while Bapst was leaving the hospital, she heard nurses talking about Stone Academy closure rumors.

She decided to stop by campus and ask what was going on. The staff told her they had no idea.

Within days, the school had sent an email saying it was shutting its doors. A text group chat among her clinical group began spamming with questions and expletives.

Its like a death almost  no, it is the death of a dream, Bapst said. I just was sitting there shaking my head. That was all I could do. I was just like, I dont know what to do.

In the last few weeks since the closure, Bapst said she has had to compartmentalize to not think about the uncertainty with school.

I just been doing day to day. I dont have the mental capacity to deal with this and deal with my job where Im dealing with people with Parkinsons and people with dementia and people with large injuries, Bapst said.  Im hanging from a string on the end of a rope.

A small piece of her feels like the closure may have been a blessing in disguise as she continues to take care of Jurgensen. But the other part of her knows, if the state comes back and says she has to restart her education, its the end of her nursing journey.

I dont even know that I want to say that I went to school at Stone, because its so bad, Bapst said. Its wasted time, broken dreams, stolen futures. Theyve wasted our time and destroyed my dreams. And I dont think Im going to be able to go into the medical field if it goes this way.

Ashley Garcia, 36, and Christina Carlson, 37.

Anytime Ashley Garcia puts her mind to something, she says she has to drag her best friend, Christina Carlson, along for the ride.

Thats how the best friends went from working together at a Subway in their early 20s to obtaining their CNA certification before they went separate ways for their careers. The two reconnected when they began working at the same hospital in northwestern Connecticut and have been inseparable since.

Garcia had always wanted to be a nurse. She went to a local college to pursue an RN degree. She finished her prerequisites then applied to the competitive program three times.

When she was denied her third time, she hopped into Carlsons car and cried.

Afterwards, she grabbed her best friend and told her, Get your checkbook out, were going to become LPNs instead then.

Carlsons path was a little different. She didnt know what she wanted to do or who she wanted to become, but her best friend became her inspiration, booster and positivity, she said.

She always had the belief in me whereas I dont, Carlson said. Ive always had in my mind that Id love to be a nurse, but I make excuses. Im not smart enough. I cant do this. I cant do that. [So the day she didnt get in], we researched LPN programs, and I came across Stone Academy.

The pair decided to drive over to Stone Academys Waterbury campus, but their GPS was accidentally set for Porter and Chester. They laugh about it now because it feels like it was a sign.

They enrolled in Stone Academy in June 2019. What was supposed to be a 22-month program has been ongoing for nearly four years.

They failed their initial exit exams before being put into a 16-month remediation program. They said only two of 24 students passed their cohorts exit exam.

The best friends were supposed to graduate this July, but that seemed unlikely too. They were waiting for their clinical placements for several months and didnt believe theyd finish in time with enough hours.

Ive got three and a half years, and I have nothing to show for it, and now I feel so defeated. Im not saying 37 is old, but I dont know what is going to happen. Nobody has the answers for us, Carlson said. I dont want to be in my 40s going back to school. It already is hard with everyday life. I put my life on hold and I put having kids on hold because I knew I couldnt be pregnant and be in school. And now Im at the point where Im at the age where I dont even know if I can have kids because Ive waited too long.

For Garcia, the delays meant she had her second child while she was enrolled at the nursing school.

I have a husband, I have two boys. Thats my responsibility as the mother, and I was supposed to be done with school and it was going to be no worries having another baby, Garcia said, adding that she was hopeful her second child wouldnt have to undergo the same sacrifices her first son had.

I would barely see my older son. Hes going to be 7 next month. I literally would get him off of the bus and leave, and when I got home, he was sleeping, Garcia said. I missed out on all that time that I could spend with him going for a walk  anything  playing a game, reading a book, whatever.  I would leave at four oclock in the afternoon. I didnt get back until almost 11 oclock at night.

The pair said they began noticing the quality of the program decline during COVID-19. For an eight-week class, they had six different instructors. Then, they no longer had to sign in for attendance. Test scores were inaccurate. The school even raised the passing grade for the exit exam, so the score that wouldve allowed the friends to graduate was invalid and too low by the time the change was made.

Garcia and Carlson didnt have class the night Stone Academy closed. Carlson had seen school closure on a news channel but thought it was because of the weather.

It didnt pertain to us because we didnt attend school on Tuesdays, and Im like, Oh, thats bizarre, but I continued on. Im about to make some coffee, get ready to sit down and study and then everything blew up, Carlson said.

Yeah, it was an afternoon. It was 3:30, I had just woken up from a nap [with my newborn], Garcia said. I was going to get my [6-year-old] son from school, and I just happened to open up my email and I saw a letter from Stone Academy. I opened it real quick, and they said that they were going to be closing and I just was Is this a bad dream? Like, am I not awake?

Since the schools closure, the friends have stayed busy through their work at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, but its hard.

Every day I go to work and everyones asking me about this, and Im kind of at the point where I wish I could record myself and just push play because I have to repeat myself every day, and it gets emotional, Carlson said. People commend me for being composed and holding myself together, but at the same time, Im not. I dont know what to feel anymore. Ive already cried. Ive already got angry. Its kind of like no more emotion.

After the audit comes back, the best friends said theyre more than willing to redo their clinical hours, if needed.

I dont know, somewhere deep inside theres like a little piece of me that is like Youre gonna make it. Youre gonna be OK. Everythings gonna work out. Whats meant to be is meant to be, Garcia said.

However, if their programs need to be restarted, theyre split.

Im at the point where I just try not to be negative, but I just feel like my dream has been taken away from me, Carlson said. I only speak for myself, but I cannot go through all that heartache, sweat, tears, sleepless hours of studying again for something Ive already completed.

As Carlson spoke, Garcia shook her head.

I told her theres no such thing as giving up, Garcia said.

I didnt give up, Carlson said. My dream was taken from me. I didnt give up.

Susan Anthony, 32.

Every day I go to work and everyones asking me about this, and Im kind of at the point where I wish I could record myself and just push play because I have to repeat myself every day, and it gets emotional, Carlson said. People commend me for being composed and holding myself together, but at the same time, Im not. I dont know what to feel anymore. Ive already cried. Ive already got angry. Its kind of like no more emotion.

After the audit comes back, the best friends said theyre more than willing to redo their clinical hours, if needed.

I dont know, somewhere deep inside theres like a little piece of me that is like Youre gonna make it. Youre gonna be OK. Everythings gonna work out. Whats meant to be is meant to be, Garcia said.

However, if their programs need to be restarted, theyre split.

Im at the point where I just try not to be negative, but I just feel like my dream has been taken away from me, Carlson said. I only speak for myself, but I cannot go through all that heartache, sweat, tears, sleepless hours of studying again for something Ive already completed.

As Carlson spoke, Garcia shook her head.

I told her theres no such thing as giving up, Garcia said.

I didnt give up, Carlson said. My dream was taken from me. I didnt give up.

Susan Anthony, 32.

When Susan Anthony goes in to work at Hartford Hospital, sometimes she sees nursing students, and it brings tears to her eyes.

That should be me, she says.

It took a week to call her mom and tell her she was no longer a student at Stone Academy because the school had shut down eight months into her 22-month program.

At first, she just got a headache. It was a surreal feeling when she got the email saying the school would not be continuing classes. The feeling reminded her of when Michael Jackson died, Anthony said with a small laugh.

Thats just how sudden it was. It didnt feel real, Anthony said.

Then, when the news finally hit her, she couldnt stop crying. Some days, when she would go in to work, she would break down in tears in her coworkers arms. She didnt know how to spend her free time, which was usually occupied by reading her text book, watching nursing videos on YouTube or studying.

Two months later, she still has days where she wants to go into the back room and cry. She struggled with suicidal thoughts for a few weeks.

It felt like I was grieving. I was this close to calling the resource counselors that they have for employees at work just to see if I can have someone to talk to, Anthony said. I felt like I was going to need counseling after this, like emotional counseling. I needed someone. I needed constant reassurance that I was going to be OK. There were times where I went to work and Id be very angry. Id be very sad. Id be crying.

It felt like cruel timing, she said.

Anthony, who is originally from New York City, previously worked as a medical assistant at a hospital in Brooklyn. She had been accepted into a nursing internship, then the hospital shut down and filed for bankruptcy.

It just feels like a big slap in the face. It feels like history repeating itself 10 years later, it just broke my heart, Anthony said. I dont like being a pessimist. I dont like being a negative thinker. Its just more of, is nursing really right for me? All of this hitting me like this.

When she moved to Hartford a few years ago, she enrolled at Goodwin University in East Hartford for its registered nursing program. She transferred out of the school after feeling misled and said an academic advisor was trying to make her take additional classes and prerequisites she already completed. She needed another school with flexibility and applied to three other Connecticut nursing programs including at Capital Community College and Stone Academy. She was waitlisted at Capital, and her eagerness got the better of her.

I was so desperate to start because I was so frustrated about being waitlisted in the RN programs and stuff. I was very, very desperate, and desperate times call for desperate measures, Anthony said. I just wanted to pursue my career in nursing regardless of what route I took to get there. I just wanted to get it done.

She never had suspicions about the academics at Stone Academy when she was enrolled. She went through her program thinking, Whatever. Dont question anything. Just do the damn thing. Go through it, she said.

The waiting game to see if any of those eight months counted toward completing her certification is the worst part now.

Her motivation through the program was the excitement to transition from being a personal care assistant to an actual nurse  something shes wanted since she was young.

I just feel like I enjoy making people feel better, because it makes me feel better knowing that I go home and I feel good about myself knowing that Ive made a difference in someones life, Anthony said. And I was trying to see thats why I wanted to do nursing my whole life  to see if I can try to do that more of an absolute level.

Now, she has to depend on affirmations, prayer and staying busy to get by the next few months as she waits for answers.

All the encouragement that Ive been receiving, gave me a lot of strength.  But, progress is not perfection, Anthony said. Im not going to lie. Im not OK. I was always told if youre not OK, yell it out, and Im not OK. Itll get to someones ear. Something will be done about it.  [But right now,] a lot of us arent OK.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Armed private guards aboard a famous yacht once owned by the late Welsh actor Richard Burton fired on approaching ships on Friday in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen, in an intense gunfight. The authorities said the guards mistakenly opened fire on Yemeni Coast Guard members but the ship's manager insisted they shot at pirates.

The shooting reportedly killed one Yemeni Coast Guard member and wounded another person in a hail of gunfire  the guards are said to have shot as many as 200 rounds of ammunition. It shows the danger faced by both shippers and security forces in the waters off the Arab world's poorest country, even as it remains crucial for global commerce.

Details of what happened to the Kalizma remain unclear and contested, hours after the incident. The British militarys United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations initially reported it as an attack with gunfire off Nishtun, in Yemens far east near the border with Oman.

But by Friday afternoon, the British military operation providing support to ships across the Mideast described the attack in the Gulf of Aden as being confirmed by authorities as government agency activity, without elaborating.

Ambrey, a maritime intelligence company, said in a brief that a Yemeni Coast Guard contingent had approached a Cook Islands-flagged yacht which hadn't responded to radio calls.

According to the Coast Guard, an armed security team ... onboard the yacht then opened fire on the approaching Yemenis and attempted to escape perceived pirates, Ambrey said. The Coast Guard returned fire and followed the yacht for approximately an hour until communications with the yacht could be established and the misunderstanding between the parties resolved.

Ambrey said one Yemeni Coast Guard member was killed. A later statement from the Yemeni Coast Guard, posted online, acknowledged the death and said its forces along with Yemen's navy tried to stop the Kalizma as it was operating in a very suspicious way close to the shore and did not answer radio calls.

The yacht penetrated territorial waters and sailed in them without raising the flag of the yachts country, as well as (it) refused to respond and stop in clear violation of international maritime law, the Yemeni Coast Guard said.

Aashim Mongia, the owner of Mumbais West Coast Marine Yacht Services which manages the Kalizma, later told The Associated Press that one of the guards on board the vessel suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder. He insisted that "pirates" attacked the vessel first and came back in several waves to try to take the Kalizma, forcing the ship's three guards to fire upward of 200 rounds to protect the nine crew on board.

If it was the Yemeni Coast Guard, why did they open fire? Mongia asked.

Satellite tracking data analyzed by the AP showed the Kalizma far closer to shore than other traffic that gives Yemen a wide berth. Asked why the ship was so close to shore, Mongia said that was the planned route the vessel had for going from Salalah, Oman, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The satellite tracking data analyzed by the AP, cross-referenced with coordinates authorities earlier offered for the site of the incident, identified the Cook Islands-flagged Kalizma as the yacht involved in the shooting.

Photos from the ship showed what appeared to be bullet holes from small arms fire scattered across the luxurious Kalizma.

Initially built in 1906, Burton bought the Kalizma for $220,000 in 1967 It was on board the ship where he gave actress and his twice-wife Elizabeth Taylor a 69.42-carat, pear-shaped diamond now known as the Taylor-Burton Diamond.

The ship later was purchased by Indian investor Shirish Saraf, according to a profile by magazine Boat International. Requests for comment to Saraf's investment firm Samena Capital went unanswered Friday.

Nishtun is held by forces allied to Yemens internationally recognized government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition. The Gulf of Aden is a crucial route for global trade and has seen attacks attributed to Yemens Iranian-backed Houthi rebels during the country's yearslong civil war. Somali pirate attacks that once plagued the region have mostly stopped in recent years.

However, attacks have happened there before. In December 2020, a mysterious attack targeted a cargo ship off Nishtun. In Yemen's war, bomb-carrying drone boats, as well as sea mines, have been used.

Also in the waters near Oman, Iran on Thursday seized an oil tanker carrying crude for Chevron Corp. on its way to Houston.

___

Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.
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ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP)  Voters will decide Sunday whether to stay with the party that has governed Paraguay for seven decades or back a broad opposition coalition that has mounted a strong challenge amid discontent over health, schools and corruption.

The elections for president and Congress could also have geopolitical implications as Paraguay is the only country in South America with political ties to Taiwan and the opposition coalition has vowed to review that relationship.

The landlocked country, which enjoys a relatively stable economy even as it suffers high levels of poverty and corruption, has been practically immune to political change and the social movements that have swept the region, including the feminist wave.

But analysts say the political landscape may be due for alteration given that popular anger is at high levels over corruption and the deficiencies in the health and education systems that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Efrain Alegre, the leader of the Liberal party, the second-largest political force in Congress, is the presidential candidate of the opposition coalition that has united disparate parties in their desire to oust the long-governing Colorado Party.

Santiago Pena, a former finance minister who is Colorados presidential candidate, is former aide to powerful former President Horacio Cartes, who has been accused of corruption and links to terrorism by the United States.

Pena's party is South Americas longest-ruling political party, essentially governing Paraguay since 1947.

This is a very unique electoral process, said Diego Abete Brun, a political science professor who heads the Latin American and Hemispheric Studies program at George Washington University. There are two competing visions: one to continue with a 70-year hegemonic system and the other a coalition project, an unprecedented political experiment in Paraguay that has joined together different parties from the center-right to the left.

Although all signs point to close elections, Abete Brun says he sees more wind in favor of the opposition.

As for Taiwan, Alegre has said Paraguay's relationship with Taipei is too costly.

Under current circumstances, Paraguay is making a significant effort, despite being a small country, by choosing to maintain relations with Taiwan instead of pursuing opportunities with China. We do not see Taiwan making a similar effort, Alegre said in an interview with The Associated Press. We believe that this relationship is unfair, and as a result, we have a critical stance.

Pena has defended the countrys relationship with Taiwan, but says he would seek more trade with China, without explaining how that would come about.

Paraguay must insert itself in the world, in all the markets, including the Chinese market of 1.4 billion people, Pena told AP.

Alegre, a 60-year-old lawyer, is making his third bid for the presidencv, though this time he is representing a mix of political parties that all call for change and an end to Colorado's reign.

People are convinced that change will come on April 30, and that we will begin a new era in Paraguay, Alegre said. We all understand that this is Paraguays decision for the next 15 or 20 years. This isnt just one election, its not just for five years. Its about an exhausted system and the need to reclaim the true Paraguay.

The responsibility for ensuring the continuity of the Colorado Party falls on Pena, who was finance minister in the Cartes government of 2013-2018 and, until recently, a member of the board of Banco Basa, a local bank owned by the former president.

Penas presidential campaign was hit by U.S. economic sanctions against Cartes for alleged bribery and ties to Hezbollah, which the United States designates as a terrorist organization.

The State Department said Cartes is one of the wealthiest individuals in Paraguay and charged he has engaged in a concerted pattern of corruption, including widespread bribery of government officials and legislators.

The sanctions blocked Cartes, who is president of the Colorado Party, from the U.S. financial system and cut off funding and loans for the Colorado Partys campaign.

The sanctions have been lethal, said Abete Brun. Cartes was the financing chief of the Colorado Party. The cash box was left empty.

Pena said the accusations against Cartes are groundless.

Paraguay doesnt have a runoff, so whoever of the 13 candidates receives the most votes Sunday will be the countrys next president.

One key factor will be turnout, considering that on average only around six-in-10 Paraguayans go to the polls.

The low participation numbers are at least in part due to the Paraguayan migrant population in Argentina, Spain and the United States that, despite having the legal right to vote, does not, historian Milda Rivarola said.

The May 1 Labor Day holiday could also decrease participation by voters.

___

Associated Press journalists Paul Byrne in Asuncion and Daniel Politi in Buenos Aires, Argentina, contributed to this report.
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Silenced by her Republican colleagues, Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr looked up from the House floor to supporters in the gallery shouting Let her speak! and thrust her microphone into the air  amplifying the sentiment the Democratic transgender lawmaker was forbidden from expressing.

It was a brief moment of defiance and chaos. While seven people were arrested for trespassing, the boisterous demonstration was free of violence or damage. Yet later that day, a group of Republican lawmakers described it in darker tones, saying Zephyr's actions were responsible for "encouraging an insurrection.

Its the third time in the last five weeks  and one of at least four times this year  that Republicans have attempted to compare disruptive but nonviolent protests at state capitols to insurrections.

The tactic follows a pattern set over the past two years when the term has been misused to describe public demonstrations and even the 2020 election that put Democrat Joe Biden in the White House. Its a move experts say dismisses legitimate speech and downplays the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. Shortly after, the U.S. House voted to impeach him for incitement of insurrection.

Ever since, many Republicans have attempted to turn the phrase on Democrats.

They want to ring alarm bells and they want to compare this to Jan. 6," said Andy Nelson, the Democratic Party chair in Missoula County, which includes Zephyr's district. Theres absolutely no way you can compare what happened on Monday with the Jan. 6 insurrection. Violence occurred that day. No violence occurred in the gallery of the Montana House.

This week's events in the Montana Legislature drew comparisons to a similar demonstration in Tennessee. Republican legislative leaders there used insurrection to describe a protest on the House floor by three Democratic lawmakers who were calling for gun control legislation in the aftermath of a Nashville school shooting that killed three students and three staff. Two of them chanted Power to the people through a megaphone and were expelled before local commissions reinstated them.

As in Montana, their supporters were shouting from the gallery above, and the scene brought legislative proceedings to a halt. Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton condemned the Democratic lawmakers.

(What) they did today was equivalent, at least equivalent, maybe worse depending on how you look at it, of doing an insurrection in the Capitol, Sexton, a Republican, told a conservative radio station on March 30.

He later clarified to reporters that he was talking just about the lawmakers and not the protesters who were at the Capitol. He has maintained that the Democratic lawmakers were trying to cause a riot.

To Democrats, Republicans' reaction was seen as a way to distract discussion from a critical topic.

They are trying to dismiss the integrity and sincerity of what all these people are calling for, said Tennessee Democratic Rep. John Ray Clemmons. Theyre dismissing what it is just to avoid the debate on this issue.

Legal experts say the term insurrection has a specific meaning  a violent uprising that targets government authority.

Thats how dictionaries described it in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the term was added to the Constitution and the 14th Amendment, said Laurence Tribe, a constitutional law professor at Harvard University.

Protests at the capitols in Montana and Tennessee didnt involve violence or any real attempts to dismantle or replace a government, so its wrong to call them insurrections, Tribe said.

Michael Gerhardt, a law professor at the University of North Carolina, said insurrection is understood as a coordinated attempt to overthrow government.

Disrupting things is a far cry from insurrection, Gerhardt said. Its just a protest, and protesters are not insurrectionists.

Nevertheless, conservative social media commentators and bloggers have used the word insurrection alongside videos of protesters at state capitols in attempts to equate those demonstrations to the Jan. 6 attack, when thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to halt certification of the presidential vote and keep Trump in office. Some of the rioters sought out then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and shouted Hang Mike Pence as they roamed the Capitol.

Republicans use of the term insurrection in these cases isn't just wrong, it's also strategic, said Yotam Ophir, a University at Buffalo communications professor who focuses on misinformation. Repeating a loaded term over and over makes it lose its meaning and power, he said.

The term also serves two other purposes for Republicans: demonizing Democrats as violent and implying that the accusations against Trump supporters on Jan. 6 were exaggerated, Ophir said.

In Montana, one widely shared Twitter post falsely claimed transgender insurgents had seized the Capitol, while the right-wing website Breitbart called the protest Democrats second insurrection in as many months.

The Montana Freedom Caucus, which issued the statement that included the insurrection description, also demanded that Zephyr be disciplined. The group includes 21 Montana Republican lawmakers, or a little less than a third of Republicans in the Legislature. It was founded in January with the encouragement of U.S. House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Matt Rosendale, a hardline Montana conservative who backed Trumps false statements about fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

Republican lawmakers eventually voted to bar Zephyr from participating on the House floor, forcing her to vote remotely. Notably, Republicans largely avoided referencing insurrection when discussing the motion, but some did accuse Zephyr of attempting to incite violence and putting her colleagues at risk of harm.

The Montana and Tennessee examples follow at least two other statehouse protests that prompted cries of insurrection from Republicans.

Donald Trump Jr. cited insurrection in February in a tweet claiming transgender activists had taken over and occupied the Oklahoma Capitol. But according to local news reports, hundreds of supporters of transgender rights who rallied against a gender-affirming care ban before the Republican-controlled Legislature were led in through metal detectors by law enforcement and protested peacefully.

In Minnesota, some conservative commentators used the word insurrection earlier this month as demonstrators gathered peacefully outside the Senate chambers while lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled Legislature debated contentious bills ranging from LGBTQ issues to abortion. There was no violence or damage.

The rhetoric lines up with the refusal among many Republicans to acknowledge that the Jan. 6 attack was an assault on American democracy and the peaceful transfer of power.

My colleagues across the aisle have spent so much time trying to silence the minority party that anyone speaking up and amplifying their voice probably strikes them as insurrectionist, even though it doesnt resemble anything like it, said Clemmons, the Democratic lawmaker in Tennessee.

___

Kruesi reported from Nashville and Swenson from New York. Associated Press writers Kate Brumback in Atlanta; Steve Karnowski in St. Paul, Minnesota; Sam Metz in Salt Lake City and Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed to this report.
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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  In massive victories for Republicans, the newly GOP-controlled North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday threw out a previous ruling against gerrymandered voting maps and upheld a photo voter identification law that colleagues had struck down as racially biased.

The partisan gerrymandering ruling should make it significantly easier for the Republican-dominated legislature to help the GOP gain seats in the narrowly divided U.S. House when state lawmakers redraw congressional boundaries for the 2024 elections. Under the current map, Democrats won seven of the states 14 congressional seats last November.

The court, which became a Republican majority this year following the election of two GOP justices, ruled after taking the unusual step of revisiting redistricting and voter ID opinions made in December by the courts previous iteration, when Democrats held a 4-3 seat advantage. The court held rehearings in March.

Friday's 5-2 rulings also mean that state lawmakers should have greater latitude in drawing General Assembly seat boundaries for elections next year and the rest of the decade, and that the voter ID law approved by the legislature in late 2018 could be carried out soon.

In another court decision Friday along party lines, the state justices overturned a trial court decision on when the voting rights of people convicted of felonies are restored. That means tens of thousands of people will have to complete their probation or parole and pay any fines to qualify to vote again.

Republican legislators celebrated the sweeping series of favorable decisions that are assuredly the result of the changing makeup of the states highest court. Outside groups spent millions on the two Supreme Court campaigns in 2022.

The decisions handed down today by the NC Supreme Court have ensured that our constitution and the will of the people of North Carolina are honored, House Speaker Tim Moore said in a news release.

But the remaining Democratic justices and their allies lambasted the decisions that reversed new precedents on redistricting and voter ID.

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who leads a national Democratic group whose affiliate helped support the redistricting litigation, said Fridays mapping decision was a function of political personnel and partisan opportunism by Republicans.

History will not be kind to this courts majority, which will now forever be stained for irreparably harming the legitimacy and reputation of North Carolinas highest tribunal, Holder said.

Chief Justice Paul Newby, writing the majority opinion in the redistricting case, said that the previous Democratic majority erred by declaring that the state constitution outlawed extensive partisan gerrymandering. The court last year struck down maps the General Assembly drew because they said it gave Republicans outsized electoral advantage compared to their voting power.

But Newby said a partisan gerrymandering prohibition is absent from the plain language of the constitution. He argued that current and former colleagues who declared otherwise had wrongly wrested power away from the General Assembly, which the state constitution designates as the mapmakers.

In its decision today, the Court returns to its tradition of honoring the constitutional roles assigned to each branch, Newby wrote. This case is not about partisan politics, but rather about realigning the proper roles of the judicial and legislative branches.

Associate Justice Anita Earls, writing the dissenting opinion, said the court correctly ruled last year to ensure all North Carolina residents "regardless of political party, were not denied their fundamental right to vote on equal terms.' ... Today, the majority strips the people of this right.

North Carolina Republicans also had appealed a decision on the congressional map to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the justices to expand the powers of state legislatures at the expense of state courts on matters of congressional redistricting and elections.

The U.S. justices heard oral arguments in December but later asked the legal parties what effect, in any, the state Supreme Courts reconsideration of the issue should have on the case. The responses varied, but President Joe Biden's administration suggested the court should dismiss the case, even before Fridays state court decision.

On voter ID, the Republican majority reversed a trial court decision that struck down the 2018 law. The trial court had ruled that GOP legislators passed the law in part to retain General Assembly control by discouraging Black Democrats from voting in legislative elections. But Associate Justice Phil Berger Jr. wrote, in part, that the trial judges erred in relying on a federal court ruling striking down a 2013 voter ID law as tainted by racial discrimination.

Although a federal lawsuit challenging the voter ID law is still pending, the State Board of Elections said Friday that staff would start working toward a smooth rollout of the ID requirement with municipal elections this fall.

Voters also previously approved a separate photo voter ID mandate for the state constitution, although that amendment remains stuck in litigation that wouldnt affect Fridays ruling.

On the process for restoring voting rights, the court upheld a law passed in 1973  when Democrats controlled the legislature  that automatically restored voting rights only after the unconditional discharge of an inmate, of a probationer, or of a parolee.

A panel of trial court judges last year declared that the law disproportionately harmed Black offenders and violated the constitution. The plaintiffs' lawyers said the 1973 law remained rooted in Reconstruction-era efforts by white politicians to intentionally prevent Black residents from voting.

Most of the people affected by the law  about 56,000 on probation, parole or supervision at the time of a 2021 trial  got the chance to vote last November.

Shakita Norman, a plaintiff in the case who was able to vote in 2022, called Friday's decision just plain wrong. If youre telling us we can no longer vote, are you also telling us that we dont have to pay taxes? This isnt right.

Associate Justice Trey Allen wrote in the majority opinion that the trial court wrongly imputed" discriminatory views of 19th century lawmakers upon others who later "made it easier for eligible felons of all races to regain their voting rights.

It is not unconstitutional to insist that felons pay their debt to society as a condition of participating in the electoral process, Allen wrote.

__

Associated Press writer Mark Sherman contributed to this report.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. Representatives of the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan met with representatives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program on the CAREC Advanced Transit System and Information Common Exchange (CATS/ICE) project, Trend reports with reference to the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan.

During the meeting, the parties discussed further practical steps for implementation, reviewed the text of the Memorandum of Understanding on CATS/ICE, and also announced the appointment of the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan as the coordinating body for this project.

CATS/ICE is an Electronic System for controlling the movement of transit goods through the CAREC member States (Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, People's Republic of China, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), modeled on the New Computerized Transit System (NCTS) of the EU.

The aim of the project is to increase the security of the supply chain in the CAREC region, as well as to reduce the overall costs of transit trade.
Wednesday was Yom Ha Atzmaut, the day that celebrates the proclamation of an independent state of Israel. And this year, Yom Ha Atzmaut marks that states 75th birthday.

It was on the fifth of Iyar in the Jewish year 5708  May 14, 1948  at 4 p.m. on a hot and humid Friday afternoon, two hours before the start of the Jewish sabbath, that the state of Israel came into being.

Invoking the 1947 United Nations plan for the partition of Palestine into two states  United Nations Resolution 181  members of the National Council representing the Jewish people in Palestine and the Zionist movement of the world proclaimed the establishment of the Jewish state in Palestine, to be called Israel.

It was a painful birth. The surrounding Arab world, rejecting the United Nations partition plan, was intent upon ridding the region of this Zionist entity. The ensuing Arab Israeli war was a hard-fought battle for Israels right to exist. With victory in this 1948 war of independence, the Jewish people, eternally tied to this Land, returned home after nearly 2,000 years in exile. Israels existence was truly a miracle.

And its accomplishments in the 75 years of its existence are amazing in many ways.

Over the past three-quarters of a century, so many have given so much to help build and defend this incredible state and to strive to live up to its core commitment to liberal democracy, said J Street, the pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy organization, in a statement celebrating this anniversary as a welcome opportunity to honor all that the Israeli people have done to create such a vibrant, diverse and successful nation.

The J Street statement goes on to say that this is also a time to reflect on the many intense challenges and threats that Israel faces, and on the work that can and must be done to overcome them.

Much of the commentary about this anniversary, made by many different people, describes Israel as at a crossroads and warns of the danger ahead if the wrong path is taken. Most of these commentators invoke the vision found in Israels declaration of independence, holding it up as a beacon that illuminates the correct path to take at this treacherous crossroads.

The state of Israel will promote the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; will be based on precepts of liberty, justice and peace taught by the Hebrew prophets; will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens without distinction of race, creed or sex; will guarantee full freedom of conscience, worship, education and culture; will safeguard the sanctity and inviolability of shrines and holy places of all religions; and will dedicate itself to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

Faced now with the most far right, religious extremist, ethno-nationalist, anti-democratic government in its history  a governing coalition without any moderating force  Israel is headed in a direction antithetical to that founding vision, one that forsakes those foundational Jewish and democratic values, abandoning the precepts of liberty, justice and peace taught by the Hebrew prophets.

Dominated by an increasingly narrow religious perspective, it begins to turn its back on non-Orthodox Jewry in the Diaspora. At a time of growing antisemitism throughout the world, Israel risks its destruction as a haven for all Jews.

Those of us who care about the future of Israel, and who dream of a state rooted in democracy and human rights, must mark this 75th anniversary by fighting for that vision, Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of Truah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, said in an article in the Forward (first appeared on JAT.org).

And, indeed, Israelis, supported by Diaspora Jews, are fighting for that vision. Week after week, hundreds of thousands of Israelis have been demonstrating against the government in an existential fight to protect and advance that foundational vision.

Also critical to the advance of this vision is an end to the more than half-century occupation of territory that Palestinians call home.

The founding values enshrined in our Declaration of Independence said J Streets Israel director Nadav Tamir, demand an end to the injustice of occupation and discrimination, and the realization of true peace, justice and democracy.
WEST HARTFORD  A five-story 150-unit mixed-use housing development could be coming to the former Puritan Furniture site on New Britain Avenue in Elmwood.

If approved, the project  which has been called Elmwood Lofts in filing documents  would be the first to make use of the town's new ordinance establishing a transit-oriented district in that part of town.

Todd Dumais, West Hartford's town planner, said the ordinance was designed using the four D's of "distance, density, diversity and design" to encourage housing developments that take advantage of non-vehicle modes of transportation, like the nearby Elmwood and Flatbush CTfastrak bus stations.

"As weve defined it locally, it revolves around distance," Dumais said. "We in West Hartford are focused on a five to 10 minute walk to a fixed transit station. Were looking to support and encourage relatively high populations or employment densities. Theres also a diversity of mixes of land uses. We want to encourage live, work, play opportunities."

The district encompasses areas near those stations that have frontage or access to Darcy Street, Flatbush Avenue, Jefferson Avenue, New Britain Avenue, New Park Avenue, Prospect Avenue and South Street.

In exchange for building there, the town gives developers the opportunity for higher density occupancy, reduces the amount of required parking spaces and provides incentives for affordable housing. The project also doesn't need public hearings or Town Council approval, just the authorization of town administrators.

Its a package of benefits that the developer of the Puritan site, Sami Abunasra, said was appealing to him.

"It helps tremendously," Abunasra said. "We dont have to go through loops and hoops of meetings and special design district types of things. It gives you a higher density as of right. Once you rezone an entire section, it just helps property values and brings in more investors. Even you as a developer, you feel more confident about the area because there will be more interest in the long term. Its an investable type of neighborhood."

Abunasra bought the property in 2020, and noticing the nearby CTfastrak station, realized the site could be prime for housing. An early meeting with the town gave validation to his vision and a nearly $1 million grant from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Developments Brownfield Remediation Program helped clean up the blighted site, which also operates an Ashley HomeStore Outlet.

"When I met the town officials, which I have to commend tremendously, it gave us a really good feeling about what the town wants and what their direction is," he said. "They're looking to revitalize the area. Thats what actually pushed us."

Contributed photo / Phase Zero Design

Initially pitched as a 131-unit housing development, the plan has grown to include 150 units of housing, with a spread of 15 studio apartments, 84 one-bedroom units, 47 two-bedroom units and four three-bedroom units. Abunasra said 20 percent of those units  30 in total  would be marked as "affordable" at 80 percent of the area median income. The site plan also makes room for five ground-floor commercial spaces, which could be used by a mix of restaurants and other retail.

"Really, we are trying to make it as special as it can be but without going overboard with costs," Abunasra said. "Were trying to design every dwelling with a working den to help with a work from home type of environment. Well have conference rooms in the lobby to work in. Well have a roof deck. Well have a community room, a fitness center. It was done to appeal to young professionals. Thats the theme. Thats the long term demographics we should be shooting for which will make the project more viable."

Restaurants and retail are already a major part of New Britain Avenue's character, with popular eateries like The Corner Pug across the street, and others like Frank Pepe's Pizza, Frida and Beachland Tavern just down the road. The GastroPark and other eateries are also a quick walk down New Park Avenue, which is slated to receive a roadway overhaul that could include some form of protected bike lanes.

Abunasra said he hopes the small-city urban style the area carries appeals to prospective tenants.

"New Britain Avenue has a very high occupancy rate when it comes to commercial," Abunasra said. "If you look at our design, the endcap restaurants, one has a patio and one has a roof deck, so were cognizant of the outdoor part. That became a pillar of COVID and post-COVID and everybody likes it. Its also good for the economy of the town. You keep these young people (in West Hartford)  and in the state overall  these college students want the urban lifestyle, but maybe not a big city."

Dumais said that part of the transit-oriented district's requirements include a building being right up on the street, working to activate the streetscape. Restaurants and retail on the front floor, with parking either tucked away to the side, rear or underground, can make this happen.

"It did require that those buildings be placed up next to the street and activate street fronts," Dumais said. "If the building is not up on the street, and there arent windows or doors, then you dont have an opportunity to engage. Traditionally, its been a parking lot, and the building behind the parking lot. If you walk in West Hartford Center or on Park Road you get that interaction and interplay."

Abunasra's plans currently call for 209 parking spaces to be included on site, with 69 of those as ground level spaces to be utilized by retail and restaurants. The other 140 spaces are for the residential units, meaning there's a fewer than one parking space per unit. Plans say that 128 of those spaces will be basement level parking, while the other 12 will be ground level.

Abunasra recently had plans reviewed by the town's Design Review Advisory Committee, which Dumais said responded favorably. Once the project meets the standards of the town's zoning ordinance, staff can give the project an automatic approval.

If approved, the housing development would bring West Hartford close to having 1,000 new units of housing become available across town at several sites across town, with some having opened recently, others currently being built and a few more approved but not yet under construction. About 25 percent of those units  some of which are set aside for adults with disabilities and senior citizens  will be "affordable" units for people at varying income levels.

"The Town Council is certainly excited and staff is excited that we have the first development looking to use this new ordinance," Dumais said. "Its exciting for the community and Elmwood with this being the first of its kind to come through."
L ondon and Birmingham-based law firm AxiomDWFM is to rescue the legal business of the collapsed Ince Group, saving close to 700 jobs.

The Ince Group  once Londons largest listed law firm  announced that it would enter administration earlier this month. The 150-year-old company formerly known as Gordon Dadds Group said a lengthy auditing process, after BDO LLP determined there were matters outstanding with its accounts in Hong Kong, put increasing pressure on its cash flows.

The Aldgate-headquartered business, which employed over 700 staff and had revenues of over 100 million in the year to March 2021, was at one point the largest listed law firm in the UK.

The deal will only cover the groups legal arm, which will go by Ince & Co, and not its other business such as financial advisory services. However, a spokesperson said the amount of jobs saved in the acquisition would be close to 700, located around the world.

Donald Brown, CEO of the Ince & Co. legal business, said he was thankful his team had secured new ownership, but also hit out at previous management of the wider group, which he took over the day-to-day operations of after administration.

This acquisition of the Ince businesses will give the firm, our team and our clients a simple and clear corporate and capital structure under professional, knowledgeable and robust ownership, he said. We are underpinned by a group of immensely talented lawyers with deep expertise in our key sectors.

After taking over the management of the PLC group, it quickly became apparent that we needed to address a series of poorly structured and executed transactions and expansions.

Existing pay and contracts for Ince employees will be transferred to the new business.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28. Deputy FM of Turkmenistan Vepa Hajiyev took part in the China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers meeting, Trend reports citing the Turkmen Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The meeting, which took place on April 27 in the Chinese city of Xi'an, was attended by the heads of the foreign ministries of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and China, priority issues of cooperation were discussed, topical areas of further partnership were outlined.

The participants of the event noted the important role of cooperation in the Central Asia  China format in the context of intensifying joint efforts aimed at strengthening the constructive partnership of the participating countries of the format on a wide range of issues.

Vepa Hajiyev noted that the Turkmen side expresses confidence that it is the proximity and coincidence of approaches to fundamental issues of the regional and global agenda, based on the vast experience of interaction and good-neighborliness, that provides a unique opportunity to develop modern tools for further establishing cooperation between the countries of Central Asia and China.

Following the meeting, an Information Communique on the fourth meeting of foreign Ministers of the Central Asia  China format and the Minutes of the meeting were signed.
O il giant BP is expected to report its second-highest first-quarter profit in more than a decade next week, despite a dip from last years massive spike.

Analysts expect the company to report that underlying replacement cost profit  the way the company prefers to measure its earnings  reached 4.27 billion dollars (3.4 billion) in the first three months of the year.

Apart from last years 6.2 billion dollars, it would be the single best first quarter that the oil major has had since 2012 when it made 4.7 billion dollars.

If the oil majors  Shell is also reporting next week  were hoping to get away from the controversy brought by last years record profits they might have to wait longer yet.

2023 - 4.3 billion

2022 - 6.2 billion

2021 - 2.6 billion

2020 - 791 million

2019 - 2.4 billion

2018 - 2.6 billion

2017 - 1.5 billion

2016 - 532 million

2015 - 2.6 billion

2014 - 3.2 billion

2013 - 4.2 billion

2012 - 4.7 billion

Although profits have fallen significantly since last year, fossil fuel prices have far from returned to the levels traders had been able to expect historically.

So both BP and Shells profits are likely to be accompanied by calls from politicians and non-governmental organisations.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats have already repeatedly called for a more punishing windfall tax to be levied against the oil majors

The Government has responded by pointing to its current windfall tax, which Chancellor Jeremy Hunt already made more onerous in the autumn statement.

Shell is expected to report adjusted earnings of 7.965 billion dollars for the first quarter when it reports. It will be a reduction from the 9.1 billion it made a year earlier.

The results will come just a week after protesters had to be escorted out of BPs annual general meeting.

Climate change activists were furious with the oil giant which had watered down its climate change ambitions at its annual results in February.

The business said that while it was increasing its spending on drilling for oil and gas by 8 billion dollars, it was also increasing spending on the transition to a green economy by the same amount.

Shareholders in both companies are likely to hope for a small expectations beat to help the value of their investments rise.

Shares in Shell are so far up around 1.5% this year, while BP has risen around 8.5%.

BP reports on Tuesday and Shell on Thursday.
D eutsche Bank is set to buy mini-investment bank Numis for 410 million, in a deal the German titan says will help it grow its ties with Londons top firms.

But it warned some jobs could be lost, while adding that these cuts are not expected to be material.

Deutsche Bank will pay 350p per Numis share, valuing the business at 410 million. Numis shares closed at 204p yesterday

Fabrizio Campelli, Deutsches head of corporate bank and investment banking, said the lender had been looking for a way to get closer to the UKs biggest companies for some time.

We have been evaluating how to accelerate the growth of our business in the UK and, as a leading UK franchise with a long history of successfully delivering superior client service and growth, Numis represents a compelling strategic fit, he said.

The combination enables us to realise greater revenue opportunities across our shared client base and to deepen our engagement with UK corporates.

Deutsche Bank added that it could offer new products like M&A advisory services and foreign exchange markets to Numis clients, which include 64 FTSE 350 companies.

The acquisition may create fears of City job losses, particularly as Deutsche Bank announced yesterday that it would aim to cut management-level staff as it aims to save a further 500 million. Numis, meanwhile, sparked job cut fears when it warned earlier this month it had been hit by a lack of floats.

Deutsche Bank pointed out that the purpose of the deal was to grow in the UK, not reduce numbers. But it said there was a possibility of a small number of cuts.

Rationale for this transaction is to grow our UK footprint and is not driven by headcount reductions, a spokesperson said. However, in light of the strategic plans for the combined Numis and Deutsche Bank franchises, in addition to natural attrition, there may be headcount reductions which are not expected to be material.

The leadership and integration teams will collectively determine the need for, and focus of, any such headcount reductions, subject to any required consultation with employees and/or their representatives.

Numis - which is based between St. Pauls and the Guildhall and employs 344 people - was founded in 1989 as RZH before adopting its current name in 2000. Besides the UK, it also does business in the US and Ireland, where Deutsche may bring Numis services under its own operations.

The deal is set to close in the final quarter of this year. When it does, Numis co-CEOs Alex Ham and Ross Mitchinson will lead Deutsche Banks UK corporate arm, which currently employs 35.

Shares in the broker and advisor rocketed by 137p to 341p this morning. Deutsche Bank shares are up 0.07 to 9.87 in Frankfurt.
L ondon stocks slumped into the red on Tuesday after oil majors tumbled despite the latest set of bumper profits from BP.

It came amid a nervy session across global markets as traders await fresh economic data and central bank interest rate decisions.

The FTSE 100 moved 1.24%, or 97.54 points, lower to finish at 7,773.03.

HSBC published its results early this morning, with quarterly profit rising to $12.9 billion thanks mostly to the impact of the reversal of a write-down on its French business as the likelihood of a sale falling through increased, plus a $1.5 billion gain on the emergency 1 purchase of Silicon Valley Bank UK.

BP, meanwhile, saw profits come in ahead of expecations, but they were still below last years record highs.
T he average rent being asked outside London has reached a new record high of 1,190 per month, according to a property website.

Rightmove, which released the figures, said asking rents across Britain outside of London have been rising every quarter since the end of 2019.

Within London, average asking rents have surpassed 2,500 for the first time to reach a new record of 2,501 per month in the first quarter of 2023, Rightmove said.

However, the pace of the increases generally across Britain has been slowing, it said.

Supply remains very constrained in the rental market, with a significant imbalance between renters looking for properties and the availability of homes to rent, however there are some slow signs of improvement this year, Rightmove added.

It said there is a particular gap between supply and demand in the terraced houses sector.

Rightmoves director of property science Tim Bannister said: We have seen some early signs of improvement on squeezed supply levels this year, though with no significant influx of new properties becoming available to rent currently on the horizon, the mismatch is set to continue for some time.

Many agents are having to manage a very high volume of tenant inquiries for every property that they let in the current market.

Properties in popular areas within an affordable asking rent range of that local area are likely to be snapped up almost immediately, and on average homes are finding a tenant much more quickly than this time in 2019.

Although there are some early signs that the gap between supply and demand is starting to narrow a little, it will still feel very competitive for tenants trying to secure a home.

Craig Webster, managing director of Tiger Sales & Lettings in Blackpool, Lancashire, said: The rental market remains very busy, with multiple applicants competing over a shortage of property to rent.

Were seeing more tenants staying put in their current home, which is having a knock-on effect for the rest of the market and contributing to the shortage.

We are also seeing some of our landlords decide to sell up for a variety of reasons  more legislation to navigate, higher mortgage costs, or because they can now get a good price for their home.

However, for new or existing landlords looking to grow their portfolio, yields remain very strong, with a mix of property types, both houses and flats, proving popular.
Monzos iconic hot coral  cards / Monzo

Paul Rippon

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Paul Rippon is best known for being one of the founding members of Monzo, one of the biggest fintechs in the UK which was valued at nearly 4 billion at its most recent funding round.

He set the business up in 2015 with serial entrepreneur Tom Blomfield, who had already established himself as a major player in the fintech industry after setting up payments company GoCardless and joining Anne Boden to help grow challenger bank Starling.

But despite rapid success, in the end Rippon decided the world of fintech was not for him. In 2020 He quit to set up his own Alpaca farm in Northumberland with his wife Debbie. Together the pair are now the proud owners of over 300 alpacas, using their fleeces to make knitwear which they sell in their own shop. Monzo cards are accepted.

View the full rich list here.

View the rich list methodology here.
The UKs tech industry reached $1 trillion in value last year, making it only the third country ever to hit this milestone after the US and China.

London on its own has created more than 20 unicorns  firms worth more than $1 billion  since 2021. That has been helped on by a string of IPOs over the past two years, including the likes of takeaway app Deliveroo and payments firm Wise.

In fintech, the capitals speciality, London has even been able to overtake New York and San Francisco in funding, attracting around 8 billion in investment last year alone.

Those successes have built extraordinary wealth for many of the firms founders, as the Standard today reveals in its inaugural tech rich list.

The 100 people who appear on this list have a combined wealth of more than 60 billion  more than a tenth of the entire GDP of London. That is a mark of both their own success, and the success of the capital in building an ecosystem in which these companies can thrive.

Founders have a real passion and a real belief that what theyre doing is not only different but also better, said Janine Hirt, CEO of Innovate Finance.

They have resilience  you have to keep working hard and its not easy to be an entrepreneur and look at obstacles as opportunities.

The tech industry is not without its own faults and vulnerabilities  it has an obvious diversity problem, and some workers have complained of poor employment practices. The near-collapse of Silicon Valley Bank UK last month before its rescue by HSBC, which threatened to force dozens of companies into insolvency, highlighted the precarious finances of some in the sector, who often take years before they become profitable.

But amid these challenges, there are hopes that Londons emerging tech sector can flourish to become world-leading, scaling up unicorns into so-called decacorns  firms worth more than $10 billion. That will create wealth not just for the handful of founders who appear on this list but for the hundreds and thousands of staff they employ.

Its a priority for the UK if we want to compete our international competitiveness, Hirt said. But weve got to ensure we have the right environment to help the tech community scale globally. Making sure we are talking about the UK brand is a really critical part of that.

This list profiles some of the leading tech stars who grew up in, or started a company in the UK. The list uses live market data and will be updated throughout the year to reflect changing corporate valuations and market conditions.

View the rich list methodology here.
A resignation was inevitable. The report into Richard Sharp has found the BBC chairman breached the rules in failing to declare, prior to his appointment, his involvement in facilitating an 800,000 loan guarantee to Boris Johnson.

The investigation by Adam Heppinstall KC concluded that Mr Sharp contravened the code on public appointments by not informing the digital, culture, media and sport committee of his financial relationship with the then-prime minister. MPs on the committee previously said Mr Sharp made significant errors of judgment, which undermine confidence in the public appointments process.

The BBC chairman ought to be above reproach. Even the perception of a conflict of interest is damaging to the Corporation, which has only recently come through the Gary Lineker affair and is bracing itself for a challenging and potentially tumultuous pre-election period. As the BBC cannot remove its own chairman, it is right that Mr Sharp chose to step down. The next decision is now the vital one  finding a new BBC chairman to take it forward.

Stand by Ukraine

Air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv and across Ukraine as Vladimir Putin signalled his ongoing commitment to waging death and destruction. A mother and her three-year-old daughter are among the at least 13 people killed as missiles rained over populated areas of the country. That figure is likely to rise as emergency services continue the desperate search for survivors amid the rubble.

And yet the damage might have been even worse  21 of 23 cruise missiles fired and a further two attack drones were shot down by Ukraines air defence system, according to officials. These latest indiscriminate attacks come as Ukrainian forces prepare for a counter-offensive backed up by new equipment supplied by Western allies, including British Challenger 2 tanks.

The UK continues to be a leading voice in Europe in supporting Kyiv. That must not change. The fundamental right of the Ukrainian people  that of self-determination  has not shifted. We must continue to work closely with our allies, maintaining a united front to ensure that the country has the support it needs. And that when peace comes, it will be the best possible one for Ukraine.

HMVs bold return

Browsing through records at the iconic HMV store on Oxford Street was a rite of passage for music lovers. So it was a shock to many when the shop shut its doors in 2019.

But the music retailer is back  returning to the location of its first shop on Oxford Street, founded in 1921. Even better, it is replacing an American candy store. HMVs financial renaissance has enabled it to reclaim this site, and will form part of what is hoped to be a broader reinvigoration for the street, which has suffered badly from the pandemic.

Streaming music may be dominant, but there is nothing quite like browsing through a record store.
T here was a time when the Tories were considered the party of business, the sensible guardians of the economy. But the Conservatives switched  after the growth of UKIP post the 2008 global banking crisis  to become the party that focused on controlling immigration. We know the history: Take Back Control, Get Brexit Done and an 80-seat majority.

And immigration is still dominating headlines because of the rise in the number of small boats and people drowned in the sea. The work of vicious people smuggling gangs and a dramatic increase in the number of Albanian economic migrants (the largest number crossing last year) have played just as big a part. And the root problems that fuelled anger and anguish over freedom of movement  lack of housing, good jobs, crowded, underfunded schools and a cavernous gap between the South and the North  remain.

The divisive language emanating from Home Secretary Suella Braverman and those such as Home Office Minister Robert Jenrick is obviously intended as ammunition for MPs on the doorstep in the Red Wall. On Wednesday, ahead of the Illegal Migration Bill getting its final reading in the House of Commons (it passed by 289 to 230), we heard from Braverman and Jenrick that Channel migrants have values that are at odds with British people. Obviously, there wasnt any data to back this claim up.

We dont need more inflammatory words coupled with weak action. But the trouble with criticising what the Tories are trying to achieve is that you also need to have an alternative. And were not hearing one from Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Party.

What we do need is compassionate, thoughtful language about successfully integrating those who come here, combined with tough action to stop the people smuggling. Im certainly not sure the Migration Bill is the answer. But more importantly, we must also foster open and honest dialogue about how much legal immigration and how many refugees we can realistically accommodate, and plan accordingly.

Mass migration is one of the defining characteristics of the 21st century.

How many of you reading this can decide what number of asylum seekers arriving annually in the UK is morally right and economically viable? There is no shortage of the desperate on this planet. We average nine asylum seekers per 10,000 currently, while the EU 27 averages 14 per 10,000 population. And we dont ignore our humanitarian responsibilities. Last year 154,000 Ukrainians were offered sanctuary, the largest intake of refugees in our history, alongside those from Hong Kong and 21,000 Afghans between 2021 and 2022. Many of those Afghans are still languishing in hotels. And we have a duty to find them homes and help them build new lives.

Personally, I believe we should fight any rogue individual judgments stemming from the ECHR but we dont want to leave the Convention itself. We must support human rights in our continent, not give others an excuse for ignoring them. The Prime Minister has said if we successfully close illegal routes, such as the small boats, it will allow us to take more refugees by invitation, as we did with the Afghan resettlement scheme. So what number do you think sounds right? The same as the EU? 14 per 10,000? Double that?

It is true that we do not have a safe legal route, given you can only claim asylum status once in the country. If we make it much easier to claim asylum, say on French shores or further afield, numbers applying will rise dramatically. Then what?

Im not surprised that the Government allowed Tim Loughton MPs amendment to the Bill, which said local councils had to have a say in the number of legal refugees we will in future invite in. Who can afford what differs around the country. And guess what, the rich and privileged are best at locking the poor out of their backyard.

In the year ending June 2022, long-term immigration into the UK was estimated to be a staggering 1.1 million, an estimated 504,000 more people arriving here than departing according to the Office for National Statistics. This included foreign students (and their families), Ukrainians and vital doctors and nurses we are urgently recruiting from India and African countries to hold up our NHS. There are no easy decisions here.

I dont have the answers  no one does. But I do know we need to have a more intelligent and honest debate about what next. Justified anger over whatever Suella has just said now will not solve the problem.

Milf Manor makes me sick

Yes, yes, I know by writing about Milf Manor I am only breathing more publicity into this ridiculous show, which is exactly what they want. But seriously, Discovery, are you that desperate for a hit that you feel the need to put Milf mothers and their young sons in a large hotel, then get the women to compete for the other female competitors offspring to have sex with?

No doubt there will be some fake feminist defence applied, along the lines of its not just older men that should freely date younger women without judgment. But first, lots of women already openly date younger men (see Sienna Miller), with no raised eyebrows. And secondly, imagine the uproar if this was Dilf Manor, with older dads competing for another mans young daughter.

And why, oh why, the porn-like aspects such as blind-folding the women and getting them to identify their own sons naked torso by touch from a half-naked line-up?

I have an 18-year-old son and I cant imagine anything that would possibly gross us out more. And no, I wont be watching.

Meghan looks just fab

So Meghan has unveiled a new glossy look and cue the obvious bitching, plus unfair speculation about God-knows-what procedures behind closed doors that she has taken in achieving it.

As one who feels the passing years ever more brutally, I want what shes having. Lucky her, that she can afford the multi-million pound lifestyle of personal trainers, stylists, a vast luxury wardrobe and an army of beauticians to get there. She looks amazing.
I t was announced today that Karin Hindsbo, Director of The National Museum, Oslo, has been appointed the new Director of Tate Modern. Shes taking over from Frances Morris, who has left this month after being in post since 2016.

Hindsbo, 49, said she was beyond excited to take over, calling Tate Modern a leading art museum and a ground-breaking institution.

Tate Modern has always been a special place for me and I have had some of my greatest experiences encountering art there, she went on. I am eager to continue the magnificent work being done, creating a unique and inspiring museum for a wide and diverse audience.

Hindsbo was the founding Director of Norways National Museum, appointed in 2017. The institution was created under her leadership, consolidating the countrys former National Gallery, Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Architecture, and National Touring Exhibitions.

The new museum, which cares for a collection of 400,000 items, was opened in June 2022, in a new 54,600 m2 building. It is the largest museum in the Nordic countries. So on that level, even though Tate Modern is the worlds most popular museum of modern and contemporary art, attracting millions of visitors a year, it should be a breeze  the Tate collection overall numbers around 70,000 artworks.

Tate Modern / Alex Lentati

Maria Balshaw, Director of Tate, said: Im thrilled to welcome Karin as Director of Tate Modern. The success of the new National Museum in Oslo  delivered in the midst of a global pandemic  is a testament to her skill as a leader. Her nuanced and diverse approach to expressing national and transnational artistic ecologies chimes with Tate Moderns ethos brilliantly. Working alongside the outstanding team at Tate Modern, I know Karin will bring vision, creativity and a spirit of artistic ambition that will enable us to continue reaching new heights in the years to come.

Before taking on her role in Oslo, Hindsbo worked as Director of several art institutions and museums in Norway and Denmark, including Kode in Bergen (2014-17), Srlandets Kunstmuseum in Kristiansand (2012-14), Kunsthal Aarhus (2009-11), and Den Frie Centre for Contemporary Art in Copenhagen (2006-08). She was previously Editor in Chief of Danish cultural journaljeblikket, an external lecturer at the Institute of Art and Cultural Studies at the University of Copenhagen, and an assistant manager and curator at Overgaden, a contemporary art institute in Copenhagen. She studied at the Aarhus University and Humboldt Universitat zu Berlin.

Hindsbo will step down from her current role this summer and will begin as Director of Tate Modern in September 2023.
I ts likely that the image of Ben Stillers purple lycra outfit, his golden quiff and his inexplicably awful handlebar moustache is still burned into the memory of those who saw the 2004 comedy Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.

Well, this iconic look might just be returning to the silver screen once more  a Dodgeball sequel is reportedly in the works.

While details are still very sparse about what to expect from a sequel, according to Deadline, Vince Vaughn is already signed up for part two  he starred as Average Joes Gym owner in the original film.

Jordan VanDina, who wrote Hulus 2020 series The Binge (also starring Vaughn), is currently attached as the films scriptwriter. 20th Century Fox is developing the sequel.

According to Deadline, the new plot will continue the story of Vaughns character, Pete LaFleur. The original film followed a motley crew who sign up for a Las Vegas dodgeball competition to try and win its $50,000 prize. At stake was Average Joes, a modest local gym set to be bought and demolished by mega-corp Globo Gym. In charge of the takeover? Stillers character, the macho and ambitious White Goodman. Much of the film centred around their attempts to bring him down.

The story may indeed sound a bit harebrained, but it also made for a hilarious watch. The film became a massive success: Dodgeball has made $168 million worldwide. Not bad for a film made on a $20 million budget.

As of now, its not yet clear which other actors will be joining Vaughn in the sequel, or whether Ben Stiller will be returning for part two.

The original was jam-packed full of stars, with Hank Azaria, Justin Long, Stephen Root, Alan Tudyk, Gary Cole, Jason Bateman, William Shatner and Missi Pyle all starring in the hit comedy.

Similarly, its not yet known whether Rawson Marshall Thurber, who directed and wrote the original will be involved in the spin-off film. In November 2021, in an interview with Deadline, he said: I never thought about Dodgeball as a series, but that actually might be fun. Im really proud of Dodgeball  its my first film and something people still really like, it seems.

Thurbers latest major project was 2021s Red Notice, which remains Netflixs most-watched English language film.

Vince Vaughn has recently starred in Curb Your Enthusiasm, and is set to have roles in the upcoming TV series Bad Monkey from Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence, and in John Krasinskis forthcoming American fantasy comedy film, IF.
S ir Kenneth Branagh will return to the stage for the first time in seven years to direct and play the title role in William Shakespeares King Lear.

The British actor and filmmaker, 62, last appeared on stage in November 2016 when he took on the role of failing comic Archie Rice in The Entertainer.

On Friday, the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company (KBTC) announced its new production of King Lear is set for 50 performances at Wyndhams Theatre in Londons West End.

The play, presented by Fiery Angel and the Shed, will then transfer to the Sheds Griffin Theatre in New York in autumn 2024.

Sir Kenneth will next be seen playing Hercule Poirot as Agatha Christies famous Belgian detective returns for another mystery, starring alongside Fifty Shades Of Grey star Jamie Dornan in A Haunting In Venice.

Dornan, from Northern Ireland, also starred in Belfast, the autobiographical drama written and directed by Sir Kenneth.

Set during the Troubles, it is partly based on the 62-year-old actor, writer and directors experiences as a boy, and earned him a best original screenplay Oscar last year.

Tickets for the London run of King Lear, which previews from October 21 and has an official opening night on October 31, will go on sale at midday on June 5.
T icking off an almost unfathomable amount of boxes on the internet bingo sheet, Pedro Almodovars upcoming short film Strange Way Of Life sees theatre veteran Ethan Hawke and actings current daddy of choice Pedro Pascal starring as a newly-reunited cowboy and sheriff.

Initially, its portrayed as any old reunion, but as a new trailer reveals, romantic tensions from the past begin to kick up the wilderness. Years ago you asked me, what two men could do living together on a ranch, husks Pascals character Silva, as he tenderly cares for a seemingly-wounded Sheriff Jake. Now Ill answer you.

"Its a queer Western, in the sense that there are two men and they love each other, explained director Pedro Almodovar, on the Dua Lipa: At Your Service podcast. Its about masculinity in a deep sense because the Western is a male genre. What I can tell you about the film is that it has a lot of the elements of the Western. It has the gunslinger, it has the ranch, it has the sheriff, but what it has that most Westerns dont have is the kind of dialogue that I dont think a Western film has ever captured between two men. And now I think Im telling you too much.

While Almodovar has certainly used his distinctive signature style to put his own spin on the genre, hes not the only director to explore queer themes by venturing out into the Wild West. Ahead of Strange Way Of Life premiering at Canne Film Festival, here are some other classics from the LGBTQ+ cowboy canon.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Based on a 1997 short story of the same name by American novelist Annie Proulx, Brokeback Mountain stars Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger as ranch-hands Jack and Ennis. Far from the gunslinging shoot-outs and epic chase scenes you might expect from a classic Westerns, it begins with a dreamscape unfolding on its rural ranges; while tending to sheep far out in the wild, Jack and Ennis become romantically involved. Afterwards, theyre left pretending that it never happened, and fearing for the brutal consequences theyd face if found out. A love story that never has a hope of trotting off into the sunset, its a desperately sad spin take on a genre usually steeped in performative masculine symbolism.

Zorro, The Gay Blade (1981)

After being reduced to a sobbing wreck by Brokeback Mountain, the zexy, zany and zensational swashbuckler Zorro, The Gay Blade feels like a perfectly ridiculous remedy. The premise of this campy parody is simple: following the sudden death of his father, sword-slinging lothario Don Diego de la Vega learns that he is to inherit the coveted title of Zorro, but is quickly sidelined by an injury. So who does he call? His gay twin brother Bunny, of course, who throws himself into the role with panache and a hugely over the top glittery gold take on Zorros trademark costume. Completely farcical? Absolutely - but doesnt it make a refreshing change from queer tragedy?

Johnny Guitar (1954)

In the majority of classic Westerns, women tend to take a back seat - mostly appearing as swooning damsels in distress amid the macho gun-fire, or propping up the bar in town saloons. In Johnny Guitar, meanwhile, strong-willed saloon owner Vienna runs the whole show, much to the chagrin of the fuming male locals, and her fiercest rival Emma. Though its never explicitly spelled out, the queer subtext is strong with this one  in one scene, the titular Johnny begs Vienna to lie about her apparent love for him (How many men have you forgotten? he asks. As many women as youve remembered, she quips right back) while other characters seem strangely threatened by Vienna for reasons they struggle to pin down. Never seen a woman who was more of a man, says her cook. She thinks like one, acts like one, and sometimes makes me feel like Im not. Emma wants Vienna dead, sure, but theres something else simmering beneath the surface that means she just cant give up the chase. 1954s answer to Killing Eve, if you will.

The Power of the Dog (2021)

A critical smash hit, this revisionist Western adapts Thomas Savages 1967 novel of the same name. Set on a Montana ranch, the story examines tense interpersonal relations and toxic masculinity as scheming brothers Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George (Jesse Plemons) attempt to manipulate everyone around them. Particularly cruel and self-loathing, there seems to be more to Phils resentful facade than meets the eye - and it later emerges that hes battling to hide who he really is.

Cowboys (2022)

Another subversion of the archetypal Western and its roaming loner, 2022s Cowboys follows a Montana father and son who escape together into the wilderness on horseback. Dad Troy has recently separated from his wife Sally, who refuses to allow Joe - their son, who is trans - to live as his authentic self. As the pair race towards the Canadian border, with the police in hot pursuit, a complex and intensely moving story about family dynamics and gender identity unfolds.
Review at a glance









W hat does it take to make an opera? Music, of course, at least one singing voice, some text to be sung. Then you need action, if not necessarily a plot. Beyond that, the possibilities stretch on and on.

Lasting about an hour, Henryk Goreckis Third Symphony  which carries the subtitle Symphony of Sorrowful Songs - has music, a voice and text; of action there is none. Gorecki wrote it in 1976. In 1992, London Sinfoniettas recording, with Dawn Upshaw the soloist, unexpectedly sold a million copies: unheard of for a modern symphony.

Still, its not an opera, so its surprising that English National Opera is closing its current season by staging it. Gorecki wrote the piece for a string-heavy orchestra and the music moves dolefully, hypnotically, through three movements. Each has text depicting a womans despair: a 15th-century lamentation, a prayer scratched on the wall of Gestapo HQ during the Second World War, a folk song (all sung in the original Polish; ENO breaking its own cardinal rule). A sombre piece, it has an underlying optimism in the resilience of the human spirit.

Isabella Bywaters staging doesnt quite avoid the temptation to overload it with surplus action: she describes it as almost an installation. The music opens with a barely audible whisper from the double basses  under conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya, the orchestra plays superbly throughout. We see three still figures: a man on a chair, a prone body suspended in mid-air, a woman apparently mourning its death.

CLIVE BARDA/ArenaPA

At first it seems that they might go the full Tilda Swinton, remaining motionless throughout, but soon theres movement: the man slopes off, the woman drags herself across to his chair. Soon shes joined by several silent figures, companions or antagonists, who crawl, march and writhe their way throughout. The woman is soprano Nicole Chevalier, whose voice strikes the right balance between misery and soaring passion. She is a commanding presence whose stillness renders the zombie-like supernumeraries nearly redundant.

The set consists of two walls coming together at a point to the rear of the stage, their surfaces endlessly shifting thanks to inventive lighting and video design, which provide all the action needed. The costumes, meanwhile, are sourced from charity shops, a gesture towards Jerzy Grotowskis concept of poor theatre.

Bywaters production is bold, often mysterious. If it doesnt entirely work, thats no reason not to try it. Before curtain-up, Stuart Murphy, ENOs imminently-departing chief executive, delivered a speech taking wry digs at those responsible for the mishandled attempt to move ENO to Manchester. Nicholas Serota of Arts Council England and Michael Gove were among those warned that History is watching you. Im not sure theyll take much notice, but the sentiment was warmly received.

London Coliseum, to May 6; eno.org
T op Boys third  and final  season will be heading to screens sooner than expected.

At its Whats Up Next event on Wednesday, Netflix announced that the acclaimed show would be airing in September 2023  and released a teaser trailer alongside it.

Though it doesnt reveal much, the trailer teases the return of gangsters Dushane and Sully (Ashley Walters and Kane Robinson) moving around crowded city spaces. They seem to be squaring up for a fight  and indeed, the trailer shows them pushing each other around.

If were not monsters, were food, Sully says. And I can never be food.

Top Boy has had quite a journey to the small screen. Written and created by Ronan Bennett, the show told the story of the gangsters and drug dealers vying for power on the fictional Summerhouse Estate in Hackney. It ran for two seasons from 2014 on Channel 4, but was then cancelled by the channel; however, in 2017, it was revived by Netflix with the backing of Canadian rapper Drake, who was one of the shows executive producers.

Its protagonists, Dushane and Sully, were joined in the revived series by Jamie (Micheal Ward), a young drug dealer attempting to assert his dominance in the borough. Jamie was ultimately taken under Dushanes wing, but (spoiler alert) was shot by Sully in the final moments of season two  setting the stage for an epic showdown between the two older gangsters.

Since its revival, the show has gone onto be nominated for several awards, including the Baftas for Best Mini-Series, and for Best Supporting Actress for Jasmine Jobson (who plays drug dealer Jaq). It also went onto win British Academy Television Craft Awards for best original music and best scripted casting.

Top Boy has also been credited with launching the careers of several of the shows main cast  including Jobson, Walters and Ward, who recently starred in the film Empire of Light opposite Olivia Colman. With the exception of Ward (we assume  it didnt look good), they should all be returning for the new series, as well as musician and actor Little Simz, who plays Shelley, Dushanes love interest.

In 2022, rumours started to swirl that the last series of the show had been delayed due to creative differences, but in early 2023 Netflix confirmed that it would be going ahead.

Producers Cowboy Films, Easter Partisan, and Netflix temporarily paused production on the final season of Top Boy to allow for further creative discussion, a Netflix spokesperson said. Production has now recommenced and the show will launch as planned in 2023.
W hile the UK days might be getting gradually longer and the weather slightly warmer, there are still far more warmer destinations you can reach through direct flights from London.

Get ahead of the school holiday rush by jetting off in May and be rewarded with sunny destinations without the crowds.

To offer you some inspiration, here are eight holiday destinations that you can fly direct to from London in May, all with average temperatures of 20 or higher in the month of May.

Rhodes, 22

Rhodes is one of the hottest destinations in May / Serhat Beyazkaya / Unsplash

With direct return flights from London Stansted, you can visit the largest of Greeces Dodecanese islands.

Known for its beaches and various ruined churches and castles, theres plenty to do and plenty of places to unwind if all you want to do is nothing.

Take a dip in the Med, or enjoy some delicious Greek cuisine while you explore Rhodes.

Formentera, 23

Relax on the beach in Formentera, Spain / David Svihovec / Unsplash

Often overshadowed by its party-loving neighbour, Ibiza, Formentera is most loved for its long beaches and clear water, making it the ultimate beach holiday island.

The Spanish island is ideal for snorkeling and sailing, with equipment rentals and boat charters available.

Whats more, you often get higher temperatures than mainland Spain  although they are sometimes more unpredictable as well.

Madrid, 22

Madrid combines Spanish sun with city convenience / Alex Vasey / Unsplash

If you prefer a city escape, Madrid has the same Spanish warmth, but also offers shopping, restaurants, and all the other city comforts.

Its well-known for its rich collections of European art, including the Prado Museums works by Goya, Velazquez, and other Spanish masters.

However, the very streets of Madrid are art in themselves, with various architectural styles lining the streets.

Lisbon, 22

Lisbon is the ideal spot for a warm getaway / Aayush Gupta / Unsplash

For a coastal city, Lisbon is remarkably hilly, so prepare yourself for a hike.

Nonetheless, the sights of the city are well worth the workout, with the pastel buildings of the Old Town providing a stunning backdrop.

Plus, theres a string of gorgeous beaches just a stones throw from the city and ripe for the taking.

Athens, 25

Athens has beaten traditional budget-friendly eastern European destinations to be ranked the cheapest location for a city break on the Continent / Vita / Alamy / PA

Once the heart of Ancient Greece, a powerful civilization and empire, theres plenty of history to uncover in Athens.

From the tips of the Acropolis to the now-exposed ruins of the Forum, the sun-bleached stones of the old city will keep you entertained all day.

Plus, theres food and drink galore to try out in the sprawling Greek capital, as well as easy access to other Greek islands.

Nice, 20

Good food and a stunning coastline, what more do you need? / Pixabay

As the capital of the Alpes-Maritimes department on the French Riviera, Nice enoys its position on the pebbly shores of the Baie des Anges.

Once founded by the Greeks, Nice captures the same Mediterranean pace of life, having later acted as a retreat for 19th-century European elite.

Theres also a long history of artistry in the city, with former resident Henri Matisse remembered through a collection of paintings at Musee Matisse.

San Francisco, 20

San Francisco boasts a number of famous sites, as well as comfortably warm weather in May / Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

If you fancy going a little further away, why not head across the pond to San Francisco?

The trolley-filled streets are a sight in themselves, but make sure you also visit the Golden Gate, Alcatraz, and other famous sights.

At 20, this is the perfect time to visit the city ahead of the stifling summer months.

Rome, 24

History is around every corner in Rome - as well as gelato / David Kohler / Unsplash

Another ancienct city ready for you to explore, Rome has the Colosseum, vibrant street life, and some of the best Italian cuisine.

As the capital city, its a metropolitan hub, offering everything from spas to museums, galleries to bars.

The Amalfi coast and Pompeii are all a day trip away as well.
I n keeping with the great English tradition of confiding over a cuppa, Jeremy Deller has something to admit as we sit in a cash-only caff on Holloway Road. Im probably the only person whos ever cried at a Motorhead concert, he says conspiratorially when I ask him if he is easily moved. It was so beautiful, the scene, it was elemental and simple and elegant, the whole stage set-up and the power of it. It was just overwhelming, the classicism. This is the essence of rock music, this thing I love, distilled down to the simplest thing: these men playing, the racket theyre making.

That little anecdote sums up the unique way Deller perceives the world. He has a knack for finding beauty in absurdity and, in turn, can weaponise absurdity to make pertinent social commentary (see 2017s Strong and stable my arse poster). And he is completely devoid of snobbery; inspiration is everywhere, there for the taking. So, when I compliment him on his ice-creamcoloured windbreaker, he doesnt insist we return to the work but rather tells me he got it on sale and later, frustratingly, saw it further marked down at Bicester Village. Huh? I cant really imagine you at Bicester Village, I say. Going there is a spectacle, isnt it? Its just fascinating, anthropologi - cally. It was chaos. It was amazing. I believe him, he probably did find it fascinating.

We are not here to discuss his shopping habits, however, but Art is Magic, The best book by Jeremy Deller, as it states, tongue in cheek, on the cover. The hand-scrawled blurb meanwhile proclaims that It will bring you good luck & help you do sex better. A great sell and a good joke, sure, but for fans of Dellers work the opportunity to take an exhilarating dive into the artists mind is probably impetus enough to buy.

I felt like I was dying in a sense. Youre taking everything from your inside and just laying it out.

Art is Magic unites 30 years of the 57-yearold Turner Prize-winners work: from the inflatable Stonehenge to his Iggy Pop life-drawing class, the Somme centenary piece Were Here Because Were Here (where he sent out 1,600 volunteers in First World War uniforms) to his anti-Brexit T-shirts (Comme des F*** BREXIT). These are framed alongside the cultural touchstones, people, places and things that have inspired him, a broad buffet of influences including, but not limited to: bats, Andy Warhol, crop circles, acid house, Mary Beard.

Dellers work defies easy categorisation. Im very lucky that I can sustain a career doing many different things in many different ways, he says, offering me a slice of Marmite toast (go on! Ive had six). When you think about it theres no logic to it [but] for me its just part of my everyday life. Pressed on whether he can find any emerging themes by bringing it all together, he says: I think its people if its anything.

Maybe its easier to ask what compels him to create? Boredom, anger. Sounds like punk, doesnt it? he says. Being amazed with the world but being angry at it at the same time. Theres plenty to be angry about, of course, and as a result there is often a political bent to his work. Deller has a knack for truffling out the comedy in dire situations, and is as much a satirist as an artist. At the moment he feels more like crying than laughing. Theres not that much to laugh about, there hasnt been for a long time. Theres comedy to be found, but theyre still in power, arent they? Theyre still doing damage. A Radio 4 devotee, he consumes hours of news daily. Is he an addictive person? No. Im obsessive but thats a different thing. Curious? Curious and a bit scared.

The curiosity is apparent on every page of Art is Magic. Not a word is superfluous, even the captions are full of spirit and insight. The easy, lively, often very funny tone is at odds with what he describes as the mortifying experience of writing it. Why? Hes a natural. I felt like I was dying in a sense. Youre taking everything from your inside and just  he splats his hand on the page  laying it out. For an Englishman, that is a terrible thing, isnt it? Some artists dont want that. They want things to be difficult and obscure purposefully. Im the opposite.

Although he admits he is part of the establishment and that prizes are both nice and useful, he seems allergic to pomposity (hence why were talking over builders tea and Marmite on toast). You dont want to be pretentious either, but sometimes pretentiousness has a place. Pomposity never really has a place. Its something you instinctively want to prick and its the role of the artist to do that, like its the role of the comedian.

Art is Magic is, like a lot of Dellers work, generous in spirit. It should, I think, be essential reading not just for the culturally curious but for the next generation looking to put their own artistic stamp on the world. As we get up to say goodbye I ask him if he has any advice for those about to take their art GCSEs? Use your imagination, he says. Dont go down the traditional route, turn it on its head and see what happens.

Art is Magic 30, is out 4 May. Hear Dellar discuss his book at the Southbank Centre on 31 May
S oaring energy prices have dominated the headlines over the last year. In the oil sector, the wholesale price of Brent crude oil (a key oil industry measure), is almost five times higher now than in April 2022, and motorists have faced record petrol prices at the pumps.

As a result, both oil and gas companies have enjoyed bumper profits, with industry leviathan BP recently announcing a trebling of its quarterly profits.

Shell, another major energy player, and BP are also forecast to pay combined dividends of 9 billion in 2022, according to broker AJ Bell. Dividends are payouts to shareholders met out of companies profits.

Despite the impressive figures, Emma Wall, head of investment analysis and research at Hargreaves Lansdown (HL), warns that investors looking to make money from oil should proceed with caution. She adds: as we have seen over the past couple of years, commodities are a volatile asset class.

With that warning in mind, heres a closer look at the potential benefits - and downsides - of investing in oil along with the different options of gaining exposure to the market.

Note: market-based investments can go down as well as up, and you may lose some, or all, of your money. You should seek financial advice before deciding whether to invest.

Invest in a wide variety of commodities Explore gold, silver, oil, wheat and more on eToro Start Investing

77% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Oil price levels

As with other commodities, the price of oil is a function of global supply and demand.

On the demand side, oil is a critical commodity for the global economy, providing the raw materials for fuel and electricity generation. However, Dan Lane, senior analyst at Freetrade, comments: Were quick to assume the whole oil industry exists in lorries and pipelines. Its less obvious to consider the plastics, tyres and smartphone components it helps create.

For this reason, economic growth will stimulate demand to meet the energy, transportation and manufacturing needs of industries, while demand will fall during a recession. In contrast, the global transition towards clean energy is likely to reduce future demand for fossil fuels.

On the supply side, one of the main factors is the influence of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in setting production levels for its members. Other factors impacting supply include extreme weather events, production issues and geo-political events such as the war in Ukraine.

Cost benchmarks

The oil market is dominated by Brent Crude, which originates from the North Sea, and US-produced West Texas Intermediate. According to the electronic trading platform ICE, the Brent benchmark is used to price 75% of global crude oil traded.

Figure 1 shows how the average Brent Crude oil price has changed over the last 20 years, with the price rising from around $25 (21) in 2002 to $108 (94) at the end of July 2022.

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Figure 1: the average Brent Crude oil price from 2002 to 2022

Source: Statista

The price dropped sharply in 2009 after the global financial crisis, again in 2014 due to excess production and during the pandemic. However, the price has more than doubled since early 2020 as travel and industrial production resumed, while recent sanctions on Russia have constrained supply.

Investing in oil

Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, says that with oil prices so much in the news, its natural for investors to look again at investing in oil and oil stocks.

For retail investors - the likes of you and me - this incorporates two main options.

Investing in oil companies

Freetrades Dan Lane says that this year has shown us how far we are from waving goodbye to oil with oil being a huge ecosystem with a lot of angles for investors.

In addition to the oil giants, he points to the investable universe encompassing exploration and production among Alternative Investment Market minnows, royalty trusts [special-purpose financing vehicles for oil rights] like BP Prudhoe Bay and commodity traders like Glencore.

At the same time, HLs Emma Wall believes that the most compelling long-term investments in this space are those [companies] that are diversifying their revenue streams and looking to support, and indeed profit, from the carbon transition.

Historic returns

Outside the Middle East, the largest global oil producers (by market capitalisation) are ExxonMobil and Chevron in the US, while BP and Shell also make the top 10. The table below shows returns over the last five years:

Company (and ticker) 1-yr return 5-yr return (annualised) Dividend yield (5-yr average) ExxonMobil (XOM) 80% 8% 5.4% Chevron (CVX) 67% 11% 4.4% Shell (SHEL) 38% 4% 5.8% BP (BP) 27% 3% 6.5%

Source: Morningstar, trailing total returns and average dividend yield (based on a 5-year average) as at September 2022

Investors have enjoyed particularly high returns over the last year, with ExxonMobil delivering an 80% return. However, the returns are more modest over a five-year period, with annual returns ranging from 3% for BP to 11% for Chevron.

IGs Chris Beauchamp comments: Rising oil prices arent a given, of course, and they tend to rise and fall in line with the global economy, but with oil firms there is an objective of smoothing out the peaks and troughs, and the dividend helps to offset the swings in share prices.

Oil companies may also appeal to income-seekers, with the selected companies above trading on dividend yields (that is, the dividend divided by the current share price) of between 4.4% to 6.5%.

Share ideas

Investing in oil companies is high-risk given the current volatility in oil prices and geo-political uncertainty. However, investors looking for an income-stream with a longer-term investment horizon might like to consider BP as a possible option.

HLs Emma Wall highlights the appeal of BPs dividend and buyback policy, alongside its increasing investment in the renewables sector. She comments that Hydrogen is BPs focus, which they say has moved forward 15 years in the last two, thanks to increased demand.

According to Ms Wall, BPs infrastructure projects in Oman and Australia, together with its disposal of less attractive assets and stake in Russian oil giant Rosneft, are proof that its stance on renewables is more than just rhetoric.

2. Investing in oil-based funds

Would-be investors looking to gain indirect exposure to oil via funds have two main options. Both of these involve collective investment products that pool money from investors to be invested in a basket of shares or commodities:

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) : ETFs are a simple, low-cost way of investing in oil, either tracking shares in oil companies or, for exchange-traded commodities, the price of oil itself.

: ETFs are a simple, low-cost way of investing in oil, either tracking shares in oil companies or, for exchange-traded commodities, the price of oil itself. Actively-managed funds: there are a small number of actively-managed funds that focus on the energy sector.

Historic returns

The table below shows the top two highest-returning funds in each of these categories:

Fund 1-year return 5-year return iShares Oil & Gas Exploration & Production UCITS ETF 101% 13% iShares S&P 500 Energy Sector UCITS ETF 106% 12% BlackRock BGF World Energy 86% 10% BlackRock Natural Resources Growth & Income 39% 11%

Source: Morningstar, trailing total returns as at September 2022. Funds selected on the basis of the highest total returns over the last five years, based on data from Trustnet.

Its worth noting that three funds comfortably surpassed both the one-year and five-year returns of the four oil companies highlighted earlier. One of the advantages of funds is that their diversified portfolio reduces the risk of one company underperforming, with an average portfolio size of 46 among these four funds.

Broader funds

In addition to specialist energy funds, another option for investors is to consider more broadly invested funds that contain an allocation to the oil sector.

HLs Emma Wall selects Artemis Income as a possible option for investors looking for oil and gas exposure with some active management sorting the wheat from the chaff. She comments that the fund is run by three experienced managers who look for sustainable dividends from companies with dependable cash streams.

Ms Wall points to the fund investing in UK dividend stocks, including oil companies, with BP being the second-largest holding in the fund. According to Trustnet, Artemis Income is a top-quartile performer over the last five years with a total return of 19%.

With some of the largest oil companies in the world represented in the UKs FTSE 100 Index, passive investments such as tracker funds that follow this index are another way of gaining indirect exposure to the sector.

3. Trading in oil derivatives

Another option for making money from the oil sector is to speculate on the commoditys spot and futures prices using spread betting companies and sophisticated investments such as contracts for difference. Note that these are extremely high-risk options that are only suitable for professional investors.

Invest in a wide variety of commodities Explore gold, silver, oil, wheat and more on eToro Start Investing

77% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Disadvantages of investing in oil

The main disadvantage of investing in the oil sector is its volatility. Freetrades Dan Lane comments: Dividends are high for now but investors need to look for sustainability of revenue streams from the largest cap firms too.

According to Emma Wall: Profits are dictated by supply and demand, and while some of this dynamic is easy to model  seasonal fluctuations, new sources and technology  so-called once in a lifetime events, such as a pandemic or war can completely disrupt your calculations.

Oil is highly dependent on the state of the economy, and is a poor hedge against an economic downturn compared to other commodities such as gold . Investing in fossil fuels, rather than green energy sources, may also pose ethical problems for investors.

In addition, Mr Lane comments that changes in environmental legislation can cause a particular issue for smaller companies. This can also trigger lengthy legal disputes such as drilling firm Rockhoppers successful lawsuit against the Italian government for banning drilling in an area in which the company had an exploration licence.

With soaring energy prices and oil companies paying significant dividends, investors may be looking to increase their exposure to the oil sector. However, investors should also be comfortable with the high-risk nature of investing in oil, particularly given the current geopolitical uncertainty and the likely price volatility over the next year.

Any investment in oil should therefore form part of a balanced portfolio and commodities should not represent more than, say, 5% of your overall portfolio.
A mother who caused the death of her three-year-old son by fasting him of food and water during the Covid-19 lockdown was insane at the time, a jury has found.

Olabisi Abubakar, 42, from Cardiff, was found thin and dehydrated next to the body of her son Taiwo at their flat in Cathays, Cardiff, in June 2020.

Cardiff Crown Court has heard Abubakar, who came to the UK from Nigeria as an asylum seeker in 2011, is a devout Pentecostal Christian who has fasted for many years as part of her faith.

During her trial, two psychiatrists said Abubakar was suffering with paranoid schizophrenia during the coronavirus pandemic.

The former hairdresser became engulfed by her religious beliefs and began fasting for long periods along with her young son due to fears over the pandemic as well as personal pressures, the court heard.

The evidence suggests that in 2020, fearful of the coronavirus pandemic and under personal pressure, she caused Taiwo to fast both of food and water along with her

She was sectioned the day after police forced entry to her home on Cwmdare Street on June 29 2020, following concerns for her welfare from a friend, and found Abubakar malnourished and her son dead inside.

A post-mortem examination found Taiwo, who had been dead for some time, weighed just 22lb and had died from malnutrition and dehydration.

Abubakar, who is detained in hospital for treatment for paranoid schizophrenia, was later charged with manslaughter and two counts of child cruelty.

On Friday, a jury at Cardiff Crown Court found her not guilty by reason of insanity to the three charges against her after four hours of deliberations upon which the defendant became visibly distressed.

Discharging the jury, Mrs Justice Jefford thanked the panel for their work.

It has been an unusual trial and this has been very different from most trials due to the agreement between the prosecution and the defence and the very sad circumstances of this case where someone had been a sociable, good and caring mother suffered from a serious mental illness which resulted in the death of her child, she said.

She told them she was likely to impose hospital orders under Sections 37 and 41 of the Mental Health Act when the defendant returns to court next Tuesday.

During the trial, Mark Heywood KC, prosecuting, described how police officers forced entry into Abubakars flat and found a tragic and distressing scene.

Ms Abubakar is a deeply religious Pentecostal Christian, for whom fasting is a tenet of her faith, he said.

Her religion makes it clear that fasting is an act of devotion, and children  too young to understand this  should not fast.

The evidence suggests that in 2020, fearful of the coronavirus pandemic and under personal pressure, she caused Taiwo to fast both of food and water along with her.

Police officers who searched Abubakers flat after Taiwos body was discovered found a note on food in a fridge, stating: Do not touch anything, whooping cough, virus, save yourself.

Abubakar wrote a series of notes while in an ambulance and in hospital, stating she was very hungry and cant stand up as well that Taiwo was dead.

In hospital, Abubakar told a police officer: I dont eat, I cant cook, because of coronavirus I cant go and buy food.

Doctors found Abubakar was suffering delusions and she was sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983 on June 30 2020.

It is believed Abubakar had been fasting for at least three to four months before she and her son were discovered by police.

Abubakar, who has attended her trial via video link from hospital, accepted she did the acts alleged but said she was not guilty by reason of insanity.

In police interview, she described how she had been locking herself away due to Covid-19 and believed she had fallen asleep on June 26, before being brought back from heaven when police arrived.

She told officers: I saw myself among the dead in heaven. I was saying: I dont want to die. Then I saw the angels of God and they brought me back to life.

Following the verdicts, Taiwos father released a statement in which he described his son as an amazing boy.

The first time I saw Taiwo, he gave me such joy, I was fulfilled, he said.

I wish Taiwo was still with us, but I want to remember him as the happy, talkative boy that he was.
A ctress Eva Green has won her High Court battle with a production company over the collapse of an abandoned sci-fi film.

The 42-year-old sued White Lantern Film after production on A Patriot was shuttered in October 2019, claiming she was entitled to her million-dollar (810,000) fee for the film, despite its cancellation, under the terms of their agreement.

White Lantern Film and lender SMC Speciality Finance (SMC) brought a counter-claim against Ms Green, alleging she undermined the independent films production and renounced the contract.

In a judgment on Friday, Mr Justice Michael Green found in Ms Greens favour, ruling she was entitled to the fee and dismissing the counter-claim.

During the trial in London earlier this year, Max Mallin KC, for White Lantern and SMC, said Ms Green showed a categorical and unequivocal refusal to perform.

But Mr Justice Michael Green said: I do not believe that any of the defendants witnesses truly considered that Ms Green had withdrawn her services from the film and renounced the artist agreement.

The judge said the allegation Ms Green renounced her obligations under the agreement has the feel of being constructed after the event in order to be able to mount some sort of defence to the claim brought by Ms Green, adding it was based on false evidence from witnesses.

He added: There is no doubt that Ms Green did not make any conclusive decision or statement that she would not comply with her obligations under the artist agreement.

Nor could anyone have reasonably understood her to have made such a decision.

Referencing some of the messages sent by Ms Green to her associates, he added: When she says we have to pull out or we are pulling out or we had to get out, these have to be understood in the context of a heightened emotional state where Ms Green is venting her fury at (executive producer Jake Seal) and the state of the production of the film she is desperate to make.

She is being open with the people she trusts.

The judge continued: She recognised that she could still be forced to make the film in those circumstances, which itself assumes that she had not withdrawn her services under the artist agreement.

Some of her explanations for the language she used and the feelings she expressed  such as they were down to her 'Frenchness'  were not credible or adequate

During the 11-day trial, the court was told Ms Green described potential crew members as shitty peasants, the production as a B-shitty-movie and Mr Seal as pure vomit in other private messages.

Ms Green is also said to have described Mr Seal as a sociopath and a real mad dictator who wants to prove he is right so he could be ready for anything.

However, Mr Justice Michael Green found: She may have said some extremely unpleasant things about Mr Seal and his crew at Black Hangar, but this was borne from a genuine feeling of concern that any film made under Mr Seals control would be of very low quality and would not do justice to a script that she and the former directors were passionate about.

Discussing Mr Seals time in the witness box, the judge added: I have to say that, having heard him give evidence, I can see how it might be possible to take an instant dislike to him. In giving evidence he was at times patronising, sarcastic and denigrating.

I found him to have an innate aggression and can understand why Ms Green and others might have been displeased to be told that they had to make the film under his full control, he continued.

Mr Justice Michael Green also said the actress, who gave oral evidence at the High Court in London over two days in January, was in some senses a frustrating and unsatisfactory witness, adding she was surprisingly under-prepared.

He added: I understand the torment it must have been for her to have all her private texts and WhatsApp messages revealed in open court and scrutinised for what they disclosed about her true state of mind and intentions in relation to the film.

She said it was humiliating but some of her explanations for the language she used and the feelings she expressed  such as they were down to her Frenchness  were not credible or adequate.

However I do think allowances need to be made for the heightened emotions that were clearly present when some of the messages were written and for the fact that these were assumed to be personal correspondence between friends that would never have been imagined to be seen by anyone else and certainly not analysed to the extent they were.
T he alleged killer of a Metropolitan Police Sergeant who was shot dead at a south London custody centre has denied a charge of murder.

Louis De Zoysa, 25, is accused of shooting Matt Ratana in the chest while handcuffed during a search at a police station in Croydon in the early hours of September 25, 2020.

At a hearing in front of Mr Justice Jeremy Baker at Northampton crown court on Friday, De Zoysa entered a not guilty plea via videolink from hospital.

Sitting in a wheelchair with his right arm in a sling, De Zoysa used a whiteboard with the words not guilty written on it to enter the plea to the murder charge.

De Zoysa is due to stand trial on June 6 at Northampton crown court.

PA

He is accused of discharging four bullets in a holding cell at Croydon Custody Centre after he was arrested in the street in Norwood.

The first bullet struck 54-year-old Sgt Ratana in the chest, causing a fatal wound, while he was also hit in the leg. De Zoysa himself was also shot in the incident.

Sgt Ratana was taken to St Georges Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, while De Zoysa survived after he was treated by officers and London Ambulance staff.

The defendant, from Norbury and who had been staying in Banstead at the time, remains in custody until his trial.
T wo teenagers who killed an 88-year-old pensioner when her home was set on fire with a firework stuffed through the letterbox have been jailed.

Kai Cooper, 19, declared people are going to get terrorised tonight as he and a 17-year-old friend bought fireworks and two lighters in Romford, northeast London.

The teens set off fireworks in the street, aiming them at terrified pedestrians, a nearby restaurant and pub, and parked cars.

Cooper handed a Megaburst firework to the 17-year-old, who put it through the letterbox of Josephine Smiths home.

The pensioner is believed to have been asleep in bed when the firework let off two successive explosions and set her home ablaze on October 28 2021.

The clock in her hallway stopped at 8.23pm when the fireworks went off, but it was not until nearly two hours later that neighbours smelled smoke and called firefighters, but Mrs Smith was already dead.

Sentencing the killers at the Old Bailey on Friday, Judge Mark Dennis KC said: The victim was a vulnerable person who was in no position to protect or save herself from the fire that had been ignited downstairs in her home.

Josephine Smith died in a blaze started when a firework was put through the letterbox of her home in Romford, east London (Metropolitan Police/PA) / PA Archive

Cooper was found guilty of manslaughter and arson, while his friend admitted the charges. They both pleaded guilty to affray.

Cooper was sentenced to six and a half years in prison with an extra two years on licence, while the 17-year-old was sentenced to three years and eight months.

Prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe KC said the younger teenager visited the Co-Op to buy fireworks but was denied by the shopkeeper due to his age.

However he simply handed money to Cooper to purchase the fireworks and got the older teen to also buy lighters.

At the time of the purchase, Cooper said: I want something that is going to go far and quick and his friend explicitly admitted the aim was to fire them at people, said Ms Stonecliffe.

Cooper said Im going to fire them at peoples faces, while the 17-year-old told the shopkeeper he wanted one that went boom.

Cooper told his girlfriend: Hey babes, come here. Im trying to get fireworks, let them off at people. People are going to get terrorised tonight.

CCTV captured the two teenagers firing the rockets in the street, whooping as passersby were left trembling and terrified, the court heard.

The pair were complete strangers to Mrs Smith as they approached her home in Queens Park Road, where she lived alone.

They acted as a team as they did this, with Kai handing the 17-year-old the fireworks before they were lit and Kai encouraging (him) to do this, said Ms Stonecliffe.

The 17-year-old took a Megaburst firework and ran across the road towards Mrs Smiths house, where she was in bed and likely asleep. He then lit the firework and put it through the letterbox.

It was a dare from his friend, with what can only be described as devastating, tragic, and ultimately fatal results, said the prosecutor.

A wall clock, perhaps rather poignantly, stopped at 8.23pm in Mrs Smiths hallway when the firework exploded twice.

It was 10pm that night that neighbours smelled smoke, when fire had been established for two hours.

Mrs Smith was found dead in her upstairs bedroom, and efforts to revive her were unsuccessful.

Cooper denied at trial that he had encouraged or assisted the other teenager, but evidence from his own girlfriend confirmed he had been laughing as his younger friend ran across the road to Mrs Smiths house.

Ms Stonecliffe said: It was her view that (the 17-year-old) would not have put the firework through the door if Kai had not suggested it.

The court heard less than 24 hours before the firebombing of Mrs Smiths home, both teenagers had been involved in a brutal attack on a woman which was captured on film and posted on Snapchat.

Ms Stonecliffe said the first clip, shot by Cooper, showed the 17-year-old brandishing a large pole and lashing out to strike the woman.

In a second clip, the woman is on the ground as the teenager used his feet to attack her.

As Cooper repeatedly shouted one boot to the face and stamp it, his friend stamped his foot on the womans face, said the prosecutor.

Both teens admitted the attack and were sentenced to youth detention last year.

The judge received victim impact statements from Mrs Smiths family but asked for them not to be read in open court because he believed it would upset the teenagers, who have mental health difficulties.

Jenni Dempster KC, representing the younger teenager, said he is deeply and genuinely remorseful, and he never intended or sought the consequences that happened.

He doesnt seek forgiveness, but the regret and remorse he now feels is remarkable.

Christine Agnew KC, for Cooper, said his conviction is more than a wake-up call.

Mr Cooper appreciates - much too late in the day  the enormity and the stupidity of his actions in the days, months, and years leading up to that dreadful night, she said.

A reporting restriction remains in place to protect the identity of the 17-year-old boy.
A white woman whose accusation against black teenager Emmett Till led to his lynching and murder has died.

Carolyn Bryant Donham, 88, died in a hospice in Louisiana on Tuesday.

Prosecutors sought charges against her for the killing of the 14-year-old up until the year before her death.

Last year, they failed to convince a grand jury that she should be put on trial for kidnapping and manslaughter.

A statement from the Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley Institute said that they wish mercy on her soul, even as we regret that she never took responsibility for her role in the boys murder.

While the world saw the horrors of racism in Emmetts murder, the real consequences of hatred, what the world will never now see is remorse or responsibility for his death.

Heres what you need to know about Emmett Till.

Who was Emmett Till?

Emmett Louis Till was born on July 25, 1941, in Chicago, Illinois.

He was the only child of Louis and Mamie Till, and never knew his father, who was a private in the United States Army during World War II.

Ms Till was a single mother, and worked long hours for the Air Force as a clerk in charge of secret and confidential files.

His mother recalled: Emmett had all the house responsibility. I mean, everything was really on his shoulders, and Emmett took it upon himself. He told me if I would work, and make the money, he would take care of everything else. He cleaned, and he cooked quite a bit. And he even took over the laundry.

What happened to Emmett Till?

Emmett went on a trip to Money, Mississippi, with his uncle, Moses Wright.

On August 24, 1955, Emmett and a group of teenagers entered Bryants Grocery and Meat Market to buy refreshments after a long day picking cotton in the hot afternoon sun.

Emmett bought bubblegum and bystanders later said he either whistled at, flirted with, or touched the hand of the stores white female clerk (and wife of the owner) Carolyn Bryant Donham.

Her husband and brother-in-law kidnapped the boy at gunpoint, tortured him, and threw his body into the river, for flouting the states racist social codes.

His body was shipped to Chicago and his mother decided to have an open-casket funeral, with Emmetts body on display for five days so all could see the evidence of such a horrific hate crime.

Emmetts burial, and the subsequent murder and kidnapping trial of Roy Bryant and J W Milam, was covered by two Black publications, Jet magazine and the Chicago Defender.

Graphic images of Emmetts corpse were published and, by the time the trial started on September 19, his murder was a source of outrage throughout the nation.

At the time, black citizens were barred from serving jury duty, so the two men appeared before an all-white, all-male jury.

Emmetts uncle Mr Wright went to the stand and identified Byrant and Milam as his kidnappers and killers putting his own life in danger to do so.

Yet despite the overwhelming evidence, on September 23, the panel acquitted the two men of all charges, with deliberations lasting just 67 minutes.

Several months later, in January 1956, Byrant and Milam confessed to committing the crime, in an article for Look magazine which paid them $4,000 (3,226).

But they could not be retried under US law at the time (double jeopardy), and both are now dead.

Emmetts death went on to act as a catalyst for the American civil rights movement.

Who accused Emmett Till?

Carolyn Bryant Donham accused the 14-year-old of making improper advances towards her, which ultimately led to his murder by her husband and his half-brother.

More than 50 years after the murder, she admitted that Emmett hadnt grabbed her.

Speaking to historian Timothy B Tyson, who was writing a book about the case, she said: Nothing that boy did could ever justify what happened to him.

The revelations werent made public until 2017, when the book was released.

In 2022, an arrest warrant for Carolyn Bryant Donham was found in the files of a Mississippi courthouse basement  but she died in 2023.

President Joe Biden signed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, which makes lynching, kidnapping, and similar acts a federal hate crime.
G reat Ormond Street Hospital said it has serious concerns over whether it can be safely staffed during the planned nurses strike over the bank holiday weekend.

The world famous childrens hospital said it had no choice but to declare a business continuity incident ahead of the walkout by the Royal College of Nursing union from Sunday evening to Monday evening.

Its chief executive Mat Shaw said: We urgently need safety exemptions for our intensive care units and other areas of the hospital.

Nurses have already walked out twice this year - on 6 and 7 February and on 18 and 19 January - but on those dates there were exemptions, so nursing cover was maintained in critical areas.

During the upcoming strike, nurses will not provide emergency care in A&E or on cancer wards.

Measures being taken at Great Ormond Street amid the concerns about staffing levels include discharging patients who are safely able to return home.

Mr Shaw added: We respect the right of our staff to take part in lawful industrial action, but after exhausting all options, at the moment we have serious concerns over how we will safely staff our hospital during the strike.

There is nothing more important than the safety of our patients and so we have no choice but to declare a business continuity incident.

These children have no voice in the debate and we must protect them.

It comes after St Thomas Hospital has already warned it would have a significantly reduced service in A&E.

RCN General Secretary Pat Cullen previously said the union was looking for a significantly improved offer as soon as possible in order to prevent strike action.

The RCN has had to cut short what was a planned 48 hour walkout from Sunday after losing court action taken by the Government questioning the legality of the strike.

The judge ruled the RCNs six-month mandate for strike action would have lapsed by Tuesday - so the walkout will end on Monday evening instead.

Separately, Unite on Friday rejected a pay offer from the Government after recommending members to vote against the deal.

Members voted by 52 per cent against the offer of a 5 per cent wage rise this year and a cash payment for last year. The turnout was 55 per cent.

Unite said the result showed very high figures of rejection for grades mostly in frontline services with patients.

Members of the union at Guys and St Thomas Trust in south London, and the Yorkshire Ambulance Trust, will go ahead with a strike on Monday, the union announced.

GMB are expected to announce results of their ballot on the pay deal on Friday afternoon. The result of the vote is key as it could determine whether the NHS staff council, which is comprised of several different unions, vote in favour of the Governments pay offer.

Unison, the largest health union, and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) have voted in favour of the deal.

NHS workers will also take part in a protest march in central London on Monday.
J ust Stop Oil protesters have warned the Home Secretary that new legislation to crack down on marches wont stop them, as the group moved demonstrations to major east and west London thoroughfares on Friday.

Supporters blocked traffic along Uxbridge Road in Ealing and Putney and Mile End Road, in east London, around 8am, in a fifth conseuctive day of protests.

Metropolitan Police said protesters crossed Putney Bridge just before 9am.

Officers were quickly on scene and explained that Section 12 Public Order conditions would be enforced if they did not move out of the road. Protesters moved off the road by 09.03am, the Met said in a statement.

Police are quickly on scene and engaging with protesters to minimise disruption to Londoners.

Just Stop Oil

It comes a day after Suella Braverman introduced new laws giving officers the ability to intervene and stop the slow walking tactic, which is widely used by Just Stop Oil.

Previous days marches, which have concentrated on key roads in Westminster and Lambeth, prompted police to issue Public Order Act (S12) notices to remove supporters from the roads.

A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said: People marching to protect their rights, lives and livelihoods is a time honoured method of resistance. We are doing what the Suffragettes did and what the Civil Rights movements did.

We wont be deterred by changes to protest laws or how strongly the police enforce those laws.

Just Stop Oil protest on Waterloo Bridge | April 2023 1 / 14 Just Stop Oil protest on Waterloo Bridge | April 2023 Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Just Stop Oil Metropolitan Police

On her Public Order Bill, which will pass into law after being approved by the House of Lords on Wednesday, Ms Braverman said: Selfish, disruptive protesters are wreaking havoc in peoples everyday lives across the country and this must be brought to a stop.

Not only will the Public Order Bill introduce new criminal offences for causing serious disruption, this new legislation permits the police to clear the roads of slow-marching protesters who are hell-bent on causing chaos across the UK.

Last year Just Stop Oil changed its approach and deployed the tactic of slow marching widely after several activists were arrested for blocking roads.

The new legislation will support the Bill by clearly setting out what is meant by serious disruption to the life of the community.

The Government says this will give police the clarity they have asked for on when they can use existing powers to break up the selfish, guerrilla slow-marching tactics used to halt traffic across the UK.

The Public Order Bill creates a new criminal offence of interfering with key national infrastructure such as roads, airports and railways, with perpetrators facing 12 months behind bars.

People who lock themselves on to others, objects or buildings will face up to six months in jail or an unlimited fine. Police will also be allowed to stop and search protesters they believe are setting out to cause serious disruption.

On Saturday supporters plan to march from Parliament Square to the Home Office in solidarity with protesters Morgan Trowland and Marcus Decker, who were sentenced last week for their part in the Dartford Crossing protests that caused traffic chaos in October last year.
A luxury West End hotel has been ordered to pay 70,000 after a customer was hospitalised by an orange and chocolate-flavoured dessert containing nuts.

The woman tucked into the dome-shaped orange mousse on chocolate salami base during a 2019 Christmas afternoon tea at the Strand Palace Hotel, unaware that the dessert contained pistachios, almonds and hazelnuts.

Westminster magistrates court heard she had told staff at the Haxells restaurant in the hotel about her nut allergy before the 39-per-head festive tea and a bottle of Prosecco.

She was taken to hospital by ambulance with stomach pains after suffering an allergic reaction to the nuts, and received treatment for anaphylactic shock. She was discharged later the same day.

The four-star Strand Palace Hotel and Restaurants, which sits opposite Somerset House, has been convicted of health and safety breaches. Bosses were ordered to pay a 50,000 fine, with more than 15,000 in costs to Westminster council, which brought the prosecution, and a 5,000 compensation payment to the customer.

The hotel was reported to the council in December 2019, two days after the woman had gone for the tea with colleagues. The customer had highlighted to the staff that she had an allergy to tree nuts, such as pistachios, cashews, brazil nuts and walnuts several times.

The dessert in question on a tray / Handout

The customer advised staff that only items with a trace of nuts would be acceptable. Staff confirmed that the afternoon tea menu did not contain any nuts, but that some items may contain traces of nuts.

An investigation by the council revealed that packaging from suppliers was used as the source of information on ingredients in the menu. Allergen details for a dish called chocolate orange bombe had been relied on to advise diners that no nuts were in the orange mousse dessert.

However, investigators discovered the two desserts were different, and one did contain nuts. Tests showed the pudding served to the woman included almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios.

The hotel was found guilty of three charges of food safety breaches. The Strand Palace Hotel said it was disappointed with the verdict and is taking legal action against the supplier.
R enewed calls for the creation of a social housing champion for London have been knocked back by Sadiq Khan.

The citys mayor said he instead wanted to see a similar role created, but covering the whole country, not just London.

The London Assemblys housing committee have long called for the capital to have its own social housing commissioner, saying that such a figure would give tenants a louder voice on issues affecting the quality and safety of their homes.

But Mr Khan has argued that such a role would only be effective at a national level, and has refused to approve the creation of a London-wide version of the post.

The housing committee - a cross-party body of City Hall politicians, first called for the roles creation in 2018.

In a new letter to the Mayor, the committees Labour chair Sem Moema has made the request again.

She wrote: As you know, the Grenfell disaster highlighted the importance of the quality and safety of social housing.

It also served as a powerful reminder of why it is vital that social housing residents are listened to, that they have avenues for raising complaints, and that their landlords are adequately and swiftly responding to their concerns

Sem Moema, Labour London Assembly Member for Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest - and chair of the Assemblys housing committee / London Assembly

A London Commissioner would have experience of living in social rented housing in London, and would use this experience to champion the interests of Londons social tenants Given the changing nature of Londons housing market, we believe this is still required.

Responding to the committees letter, a spokeswoman for Mr Khan said: There are no current plans to appoint a London Social Housing Commissioner. Responsibility to improve the standard of existing social housing in London rests with the Government, not the Mayor.

This is why he has repeatedly called on the Government to find real solutions and push for higher standards in social housing, including appointing an independent national Commissioner, who would sit on the board of the regulator, to ensure the voice of those living in social housing are heard by national policymakers.

The letter also called for City Hall to encourage social housing providers in London to conduct reviews of their complaints systems, to identify and address any shortcomings.

At a February meeting of the committee, members heard from a panel of speakers - including campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa - about the problems that can affect people in social housing.

The Government has committed to a programme of reform to improve the quality of social housing. This includes providing social housing tenants with access to free training and webinars offering advice on their rights and how to hold their landlord to account. The Government is also consulting on whether it could set updated standards, to establish new minimum quality requirements for homes.
S cottish Tory leader Douglas Ross looks set to use his conference speech to row back on previous comments suggesting a push for tactical voting to unseat the SNP in Scotland.

Mr Ross caused consternation in his own party last month when he used an interview in the Daily Telegraph to say voters should get behind the candidate best placed to defeat the SNP.

But within hours of the comments a spokesman for the UK Conservative Party said it was emphatically not their position, while a report in the Scotsman quoted senior Tory MSPs saying they were not consulted about the comments.

The best way that Scots can do this in seats right across our country is to vote for the Scottish Conservatives

Speaking at the Scottish Tory conference in Glasgow on Friday, Mr Ross is expected to tell attendees the best way to beat the SNP is to vote for the Scottish Conservatives.

He will say: This failing SNP Government, mired in scandal and sleaze, cannot focus on governing our country.

They cannot tackle the big challenges Scotland faces.

It is painfully obvious that Humza Yousaf is not up to the job of being First Minister.

At the general election next year, people across Scotland have a choice.

They can give Humza Yousaf a blank cheque; the thumbs up to continue to lead an incompetent government and to focus on the priorities of the SNP.

Or they can unseat SNP MPs and their referendum obsession, and send a strong signal to Humza Yousafs Government to focus on their real priorities.

And the best way that Scots can do this in seats right across our country is to vote for the Scottish Conservatives.

Mr Ross is also expected to announce his party will push to ensure local communities will have a final say on energy developments in their area, attacking Scottish Government overturning of planning decisions on wind farms as a Holyrood power grab.

That is why I am announcing today that we will bring forward a Community Energy Benefit Law, he will tell party members.

This would ensure that communities, not the SNP Government, have the final say on energy developments in their local area.

And it would force developers and operators to negotiate deals that make meaningful financial payments to communities  which could be used directly for cutting energy bills.

This would not only create an incentive to unblock planning barriers to energy infrastructure, but also ensure that families and communities benefit from living close to windfarms or power stations.

Mr Ross will also use his speech to attack the ongoing turmoil within the SNP, claiming the events of recent months have blown a huge hole in the economic case for independence.

He will say to the party faithful: The SNP cannot even manage their own accounts, how can they be trusted on the finances of an independent Scotland?

Nobody will ever believe a nationalist on currency, pensions and balancing the books ever again.

We have always known that our arguments on trade, currency and jobs were stronger  and the 2014 referendum proved that.

But now the SNP lack any credibility.

Through their own blunders, the nationalists have crashed the case for independence.

Shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray said Mr Ross will be rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic at the partys two-day conference, adding: After 13 years of failure, the Tories are out of touch and out of time.

This economically illiterate and morally bankrupt party has been a disaster for Scotland and provided endless cover for the SNP, the Labour MP said.

They crashed the economy and it will cost Scots thousands of pounds for years to come.

They will continue to sink to new lows as they get more and more desperate, but change is coming with a Labour government.
F oreign Secretary James Cleverly has urged all UK nationals wishing to flee Sudan to come forward as quickly as possible despite a three-day extension to the ceasefire being agreed.

The British evacuation mission was potentially bought more time when the rival generals made the deal as the midnight deadline for the resumption of fierce fighting loomed.

The RAF has airlifted nearly 900 people from an airfield near the capital Khartoum but thousands more British nationals may remain in Sudan.

Flights were scheduled to continue regardless but intensified clashes would add extra pressure to the operation and Mr Cleverly had warned that the mission could become impossible.

However, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces joined the Sudanese military in agreeing to extend the 72-hour truce that has seen fighting lull to allow citizens and foreign nationals to flee.

Mr Cleverly said: The UK calls for its full implementation by the generals.

British evacuation flights are ongoing.

I urge all British nationals wishing to leave to proceed to the airport as quickly as possible to ensure their safety.

Britain had been urging the rival generals to extend the ceasefire, which should help stave off a feared humanitarian crisis in Africas third largest country.

More than 2,000 British nationals in Sudan have registered under the evacuation plans but the true number of citizens there could be far higher.

As of 4pm on Thursday, the Foreign Office said that 897 people had been evacuated over eight RAF airlifts.

The Foreign Office, which has not said how many of the evacuees are Britons or foreign nationals, had been urging citizens to head to the airstrip before the ceasefire ended.

The flights were however scheduled to run past midnight and around 1,000 people are expected to have been lifted to safety by Friday morning.

Military chiefs say they have the capacity to fly at least 500 people per day out of the Wadi Saeedna airfield, north of Khartoum.

Earlier in the day, Mr Cleverly warned that resumption of fighting could jeopardise the evacuation efforts.

We cannot predict exactly what will happen when that ceasefire ends, but what we do know is it will be much, much harder, potentially impossible, he told Sky News.

So, what were saying to British nationals is if youre hesitant, if youre weighing up your options, our strong, strong advice is to go through Wadi Saeedna whilst the ceasefire is up and running.

There are planes, there is capacity, we will lift you out. Im not able to make those same assurances once a ceasefire has ended.

UK passport holders have been told to make their own way to the airfield and are not being provided with a military escort.

Downing Street rejected calls from people, including Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman Alicia Keans, to widen the eligibility for evacuation beyond British passport holders and their immediate family.

But the Prime Ministers official spokesman said: There is an element of discretion for people on the ground as you might expect, given the circumstances and the challenging situation people will be facing.

We recognise these are very challenging circumstances and, as we have done on previous occasions, we obviously empower people on the ground to make decisions.

British ambassador to Sudan Giles Lever had been speaking to the warring parties  the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces  to try to get a ceasefire extension.

The diplomat, who was not in Sudan when the fighting broke out, was being relocated from London to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to play a key role in efforts to end the fighting.

Africa minister Andrew Mitchell warned that an end to the ceasefire could result in a humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan.

It is essential that a ceasefire is maintained and that a political process is secured, he told the foreign affairs think tank Chatham House.

If not, the humanitarian consequences will be incalculable.
R on DeSantis has been hosted in the UK by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly as the Florida governor seeks to burnish his credentials ahead of a possible run against Donald Trump to be the Republican choice in the race for the White House.

The conservative firebrand and Mr Cleverly discussed ties between Britain and the US state he represents while visiting the Foreign Office on Friday.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was attending Tory conferences in Scotland and Wales, will not be meeting Mr DeSantis, who has been criticised by the LGBTQ community over the dont say gay law banning discussions of sexual orientation or gender identity in schools, which Joe Bidens administration has called hateful.

Like Mr Trump, the Florida governor has not announced his intention to run for the Republican nomination but is widely expected to do so.

His visit presents a diplomatic challenge to ministers, who will want to be accommodating but not risk provoking the ire of Mr Trump by being seen as taking sides in the contest.

Mr DeSantis, who was wrapping up his trade mission in the UK after stops in Japan, South Korea and Israel, also met with Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch.

The Foreign Office said Mr Cleverly and the governor discussed the close and important partnership between the UK and Florida.

This meeting was an opportunity to strengthen ties with the fourth-largest US state, and support bilateral economic cooperation that is already worth more than 5 billion a year, a statement added.
Hungarian budget airline Wizz Air plans to station its fourth passenger jet at western Georgia's Kutaisi International Airport in December and resume direct flights from the location to Copenhagen, United Airports of Georgia Director Irakli Karkashadze announced, Trend reports with reference to Agenda.

Karkashadze said a significant agreement had been reached with the airline enabling the Airport to gradually grow the Wizz Air base into a medium-sized base, which he called essential to continuing sustainable growth and development.

Evelin Jeckel, the Acting Network Officer at Wizz Air, said the agreement represented the good cooperation between Wizz Air, the Government of Georgia and the United Airports, noting new future opportunities are expected on the basis of constantly increased demand.

We are discussing the relationship between Georgia and Europe and vice versa, as well as the relationship between Georgia and the European Union. Hungary is assisting Georgia in its path for European integration, Anna Siko, the Ambassador of Hungary to Georgia, said in her comments for the event.

Maia Omiadze, the Head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration, said the stationing of the fourth jet and increased flight frequencies would result in a huge growth in the number of tourists and prove crucial for the domestic tourism sector.

She said the upcoming summer season was expected to draw in increased numbers of visitors for a remarkable and enjoyable season.

The airline launched flights from Kutaisi International Airport after it opened its first Caucasian base in September 2016, operating majority of Georgia's direct flights to Europe from the facility.

The companys flights to Copenhagen will carry passengers twice a week, with frequency of services set to also increase for other destinations, up to three or four per week for some connections.
T he Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is working with health leaders to provide some staff during its bank holiday strike, as hospitals including Great Ormond Street issued warnings over patient safety.

The RCN, which is holding a strike from 8pm on Sunday until 11.59pm on Monday evening, previously said it will not agree to derogations  broad areas of care where unions agree to provide staffing during industrial action.

This means nurses in intensive care, A&E and cancer care will be on strike.

However, in a new development, it has agreed with NHS England that safety critical mitigations may be required for a period to maintain safe patient care.

It comes as Great Ormond Street Hospital in London warned on Friday that it had serious concerns over safely staffing the hospital during the strike.

The world-renowned childrens hospital said it has declared a business continuity incident, adding that wards will not be able to be staffed to usual levels.

Some children may need to be sent home in order for care for those who remain to be safe, it said on its website.

The RCN said some safety critical mitigations were being agreed in advance with individual NHS organisations, and the union plans to post these on the RCN website by region.

Information from the RCN said: Once the RCN has approved a safety critical mitigation, a local trust will contact nursing staff and seek their return to work.

The RCN will also post to its website that the safety critical mitigation has been agreed so that it is easy for members to verify it.

Where a mitigation has been confirmed, members should return to work to protect patient safety.

An RCN spokeswoman said: There are no entire exemptions seen across the country.

But we are taking reasonable and clinically urgent mitigations to protect life and limb as everybody would expect.

The spokeswoman added: It is painfully clear the NHS cannot cope without its nursing staff. If the Government treated them fairly, this sorry situation would be finished.

Nurses are intensifying the action because the strike so far has not produced a good enough offer from ministers  too valuable to strike but not valued enough to pay fairly.

Nursing staff will always make sure life and limb care is protected and the NHS acknowledges the RCN is agreeing mitigations on request.

In a statement, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, told the PA news agency: Health leaders are working hard to finalise their plans ahead of the most dramatic strikes the RCN has staged so far, with no national exemptions in place.

Although the strike will be a day shorter than originally planned, disruption is still expected and so, we hope that RCN representatives at local levels will allow their members to cross the picket line in the event of emergencies where life is at immediate risk.

He said health leaders will wait with bated breath to understand the collective view of the NHS Staff Council  made up of health unions, employers and Government representatives  which is meeting on Tuesday to discuss the Governments 5% pay offer.

With waiting lists and feelings of staff burnout being so high, they are keen for the disruption caused by industrial action to be brought to an end with a funded pay deal that satisfies the majority, and for the Government to significantly increase its support for the NHS with a workforce strategy that will help tackle the 124,000 vacancies across the service, Mr Taylor added.

As the NHS prepares to cope with the strike, NHS England is urging the public to use the health service wisely.

It said emergency and urgent care would remain the priority, with people asked to use other services such as pharmacies and 111 where possible.

Nurses make up a quarter of NHS staff and are the biggest proportion of the health service workforce.

NHS England warned that staffing levels for some areas of the country will be exceptionally low, lower than on previous strike days.

The NHSs deputy chief nurse, Charlotte McArdle, said there is likely to be significant impact upon local services over the bank holiday weekend.

She added: We are now entering the sixth month of industrial action across the NHS and this has a cumulative impact on staff who have gone above and beyond to maintain safe patient services during an incredibly challenging period.

We acknowledge that every appointment postponed has an impact on the lives of individuals and their families and creates further pressure on services and on an already tired workforce.

If you need non-urgent care I would encourage people  as always  to use services such as pharmacies and 111 online and if you have a life-threatening emergency, please seek help in the usual way by dialling 999.

Importantly, if you havent been contacted to say otherwise, please still attend your appointments as planned.

NHS England said the number of rescheduled appointments due to strike action is set to hit half a million next week.

A High Court judge ruled on Thursday it would be unlawful for the RCN strike to continue into Tuesday as originally planned, meaning it will now end just before midnight on Monday.
B ritons still in war-torn Sudan have been urged to get to the airport as quickly as possible after rival factions agreed to a last-minute ceasefire extension.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said British evacuation flights are ongoing from an airfield north of Khartoum but the Government was accused of betrayal over NHSdoctors still trapped in the country.

Roughly 900 British citizens had left on eight Government flights by Thursday night, with more due to arrive.

But a row has broken out over only UK passport holders being able to board escape planes.

Sudanese-born NHS doctor Abdulrahman Babiker was visiting family for Eid when fighting broke out.

He told the BBC he is due back on shift as a registrar at the Manchester Royal Infirmary on Tuesday.

However, despite having a UK work permit, he is not allowed on evacuation flights because the Government only accepts British passport holders.

At least 24 NHS doctors are believed to be in the same position, Newsnight reported.

To be honest I feel totally betrayed, Dr Babiker said. I worked throughout Covid and Im so disappointed.

The Foreign Office said British nationals are being prioritised and while work permit holders are allowed to enter the UK, they must make their own way there.

A UK government spokesman added: The evacuation response from Khartoum is open to all British nationals and their eligible dependents who wish to leave Sudan.

Those who have existing entry clearance for the UK but are not the dependent of a British passport holder can still come to the UK via other points of exit, such as crossing the border into Egypt.

Despite Sudans army and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreeing to a further 72-hour truce last night, there were reports of armed fighters rampaging through the ravaged region of Darfur, battling each other and looting shops and homes.

Mr Cleverly said: British evacuation flights are ongoing. I urge all British nationals wishing to leave to proceed to the airport as quickly as possible.

Ministers are still under pressure over the speed of the evacuation of ordinary citizens after removing diplomats from the country earlier this week.

At least 512 people have been killed in the fighting so far and almost 4,200 injured, although there were warnings on Friday that real number of deaths could be much higher.

The UK Government has been urged by chair of the Defence Select Committee Tobias Ellwood to move its embassy to Port Sudan to show it is not abandoning the country.

David Miliband, a former Foreign Secretary and the head of the International Rescue Committee, said: The fact that for the last 10 days the vast bulk of political attention has been on getting out thousands of people and not on the need to tend to millions of people really sticks in the gullet.

Of course the lives of the thousands who need to evacuate are important, but what about the 45 million who are left?

The ceasefire extension has not stopped the fighting completely but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese people to flee to safer areas in the east of the country and given foreign nations time to evacuate thousands more of their citizens by land, air and sea.

It has brought easing of violence in Khartoum and its neighboring city Omdurman for the first time since the military and a rival paramilitary force began fighting on April 15.

Both the military, led by General Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, said that they accepted the extension of the truce.

But explosions and heavy gunfire were reported in at least one Khartoum neighbourhood late last night.

A joint statement by mediators, including the African Union, the UK and the US, highlighted the breadth of international peace efforts, which have so far failed to end the fighting.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was very actively working to extend the truce.
T he scandal-hit Confederation of British Industry (CBI) will be renamed, its new boss has said, after sexual misconduct and rape allegations have left the lobby group fighting for survival.

Rain Newton-Smith, who took over as director general on Wednesday (April 26), promised root and branch reform, and said a rebranding of the CBI would be needed as part of attempts to rebuild trust.

Personally, over time, Im sure were going to see a new name for the CBI, but thats just the wrapper that goes on the outside. What matters is what we do, what we deliver and our purpose, Newton-Smith told the Financial Times.

More than 50 large businesses, including John Lewis and NatWest, have suspended their membership or cut ties with the group in the wake of the scandal.

Rain Newton-Smith took over from sacked boss Tony Danker, who said his reputation has been completely destroyed after being fired following complaints about his behaviour and sexual misconduct allegations.

Three other CBI employees have also been suspended pending further investigation into a number of ongoing allegations.

In light of damaging claims from 2019, including alleged drug use and serious sexual assault, which are being investigated by City of London police, experts are now saying one of the UKs largest business groups is completely finished.

And now, even with a new boss at the helm, critics say they will not recover from the scandal.

Taking over, she said: I want to recognise the courage of the women who came forward and say how profoundly sorry I am for how our organisation let you down, she said. I hope to reward your bravery by finding a better path forward.

But critics are still not convinced the organisation has a future, saying it is finished.

Well-known City fund manager Baroness Morrissey, a long-serving financier, told the BBC: Im sure she is wonderful in lots of respects but it doesnt quite cut the mustard if youre trying to show that youre embracing a new approach to all of this.

Asked if she thought the CBI was finished, she said: I do, Im afraid, and added that the firms actions are too little, too late.

Since the original allegation, the Government has suspended its relationship with the CBI.

"I'm afraid they've left it too little too late."



Baroness Helena Morrissey, who campaigns for diversity on boards, tells @JustinOnWeb that business lobby group CBI needs to "completely start again" after allegations of sexual assault.https://t.co/8ZAfCSNH8c | #R4Today pic.twitter.com/iJRypGoFIT  BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) April 25, 2023

But what is the CBI, what are the claims against its former director general, and what firms have distanced themselves from the organisation?

What is the CBI?

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) was established in 1965 and claims to represent more than 190,000 businesses across the UK. Members are companies as well as trade associations.

The CBI acts as a lobby group on behalf of its members and is the countrys largest organisation of its kind. It can seek to advise the British Government on issues affecting its members.

Its website says it has an ambitious vision for the economy of the future, and the desire to create a more carbon-neutral economy with levelling-up elements.

We champion business so it can lead, not fear, the changes that are all around us, its website says.

A CBI statement issued after the news of Mr Dankers sacking said: The CBI exists to help British business flourish. This is a privilege and responsibility which we take extremely seriously and cannot take for granted.

We represent our members not just in how we advocate for them, but also through our values as an organisation. It means we must be a place where colleagues are safe, valued, and respected, and where there is zero tolerance for behaviour that falls short of those expectations.

Who is Tony Danker and what is he accused of?

Northern Ireland-born and raised Mr Danker was a special adviser to Gordon Browns administration from 2008 to 2010. From 2010 to 2017, he held top board roles at the Guardian.

The CBI said concerns about him were raised in early March. It organised an independent investigation conducted by Fox Williams, an employment law specialist.

The BBC reported that the investigation concerned his conduct towards a female employee. However, it is thought his behaviour related to how he acted towards more than one person.

As a result of the investigation, he was fired without a redundancy package.

Tony Danker [has been] dismissed with immediate effect following the independent investigation into specific complaints of workplace misconduct against him, a statement read. It added that he was not subject to any of the further allegations reported in the Guardian.

His termination letter cited four reasons for his dismissal  for organising a secret karaoke party for 15 people, for viewing the Instagram accounts of CBI staff, for sending non-work-related messages to staff, and for inviting junior staff to breakfasts, lunches, or personal meetings.

He had previously said on Twitter that he was shocked at the allegations. He apologised for unintentionally making colleagues feel uncomfortable.

I recognise the intense publicity the CBI has suffered following the revelations of awful events that occurred before my time in office, he tweeted. I was appalled to learn about them for the first time last week.

I was nevertheless shocked to learn this morning that I had been dismissed from the CBI, instead of being invited to put my position forward as was originally confirmed.

Many of the allegations against me have been distorted, but I recognise that I unintentionally made a number of colleagues feel uncomfortable and I am truly sorry about that. I want to wish my former CBI colleagues every success.

Mr Danker said his name had been wrongly associated with an allegation of rape and other sexual assault claims that occured before he joined the CBI, claiming he had been made the fall guy by the lobbying group.

In his first interview since his dismissal, Mr Danker acknowledged that he had made some staff feel very uncomfortable, saying: I apologise for that.

But he told the BBCs Today Programme last week: I have had a week of coverage saying, Tony Danker sacked in rape scandal.

And these stories have been about rape and sexual assault and cocaine and bullying  none of that was anything to do with me. And it was all before my time.

Its so clear  Ive been made the fall guy. Not only did they throw me under the bus, they reversed the bus back over me I feel I have to clear my name.

The CBIs chairman, Brian McBride, said Mr Danker was dismissed on strong legal grounds, telling the BBC that Mr Dankers description of events was selective and he was free to seek redress if he felt unfairly treated.

Tony Danker (left) with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak / Jacob King / PA Wire

What companies have quit the CBI?

So far, firms that have quit their relationship with the CBI include John Lewis, BMW, Virgin Media O2, NatWest, Mastercard; B&Q owner Kingfisher, ITV, the Association of British Insurers as well as Aviva, Zurich, the Phoenix Group and the British Insurance Brokers Association, Energy UK, investment firm Schroders, auditor EY, and Lloyds of London.

Companies that have suspended membership include GSK and AstraZeneca, Heathrow, major high-street retailers Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, and M&S, Santander, PwC, the National Grid, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power, Diageo, Rolls Royce, British Land, Manpower, and BT.

Shell and BP are understood to have paused membership, according to the BBC.

Can a new director general save the CBI?

The CBI is facing a crisis and has acknowledged serious failings in how it has acted as an organisation. We must do better, and we must be better, the CBI statement said.

New head Rain Newton-Smith, the CBIs former chief economist, is the second woman to take the role.

The CBI statement added: We know it will take time for these steps to make a difference and rebuild trust. We will not hesitate to take any measures necessary in the meantime to act on further findings or complaints that arise from ongoing investigations.

However, many have questioned whether someone who has worked at the CBI beforehand is the right person to head the organisation when it is reeling from so many damaging claims.

Commenting on Ms Newton-Smiths appointment, the chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, Ann Francke, said: Im not sure there was a huge amount of openness and transparency around the process and, obviously, you can question whether somebody who was there is the right change agent to change the culture.
N early half of Britons think the King is performing well as monarch, while the Princess of Wales is the most popular member of the royal family, polls suggest.

In a survey by polling company Ipsos, 49% said Charles is doing a good job as King, 32% said he is doing neither a good nor bad job, and 9% said he is doing a bad job. The remaining 10% of people said they did not know whether he was doing well in the role.

In a separate Ipsos poll, some 57% said they were satisfied with the way Charles is doing his job, a decrease of eight percentage points since May 2022 when the same question was asked of his job as the Prince of Wales.

His son, William, had a higher majority of public confidence, with 62% saying they were satisfied with his job as the Prince of Wales.

Support for the Prince and Princess of Wales was clear, with Kate topping the list of royal family members most liked by the public.

Asked to select from a list which two or three members of the royal family they liked the most, the Princess of Wales was named in 38% of answers.

William followed his wife at 34%, then any of the Kings grandchildren in third place at 27%, and the Princess Royal in fourth at 25%.

Charles received 20% of mentions, putting him in the middle of the ranking.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were among the less popular family members, at 14% and 10% respectively, while the Queen Consort attracted only 10% of mentions by those surveyed.

Around 18% said they liked no member of the royal family.

Ipsos polled more than 4,000 adults in three samples between March 31 and April 11.
A tech start-up described as the Etsy for food is offering a range of home-cooked meals to people keen to try something different from regular takeaways.

All About The Cooks allows talented cooks to sell their homemade food to people across Bristol and Bath via its marketplace website.

People can purchase authentic cuisine, such as Thai, Turkish, Persian, Filipino and Mexican, as well as birthday cakes or order a special menu for a dinner party.

With collection arranged directly from the cook who whipped it up, it offers an alternative to junk food.

One of the cooks, Nesrin Ayad, who moved to Bristol from Egypt with her family, explained how the All About The Cooks service has helped her settle in the city.

Growing up in Egypt, I learnt to cook traditional Egyptian food, and I always dreamed of opening an Egyptian food business that could appeal to everyone

I hadnt thought about earning money from food before I came to the UK. I used to cook alongside my mother and sister in Egypt so I learned a lot from them before getting married, she said.

I faced some big challenges when I first moved to Bristol, particularly as I had difficulties with the language and understanding all the different accents.

Ive made friends through All About The Cooks and I feel lucky to have these kind people around me.

Ive even made friends with the customers from the platform who now order from me regularly and I love it when they come around to collect and we can catch up.

I work as a receptionist and housing administrator during the week, but I didnt know I could also make some money doing what I love.

Food has allowed me to express myself in a country where I struggled with the language

I got lots of support from All About The Cooks. They helped with my food hygiene checks and organised to get some great photos taken of my food.

They got my page ready on the website with all the food I wanted to sell, and then helped promote my food on social media.

Ms Ayad specialises in cooking traditional Egyptian dishes, such as Koshari, which consists of pasta, Egyptian fried rice, lentils, tomato and chilli sauce and crispy fried onions.

Growing up in Egypt, I learnt to cook traditional Egyptian food, and I always dreamed of opening an Egyptian food business that could appeal to everyone  vegans, vegetarians and meat-eaters, she said.

I use food now to remember special times from Egypt with my mum and sister.

Something I really love about selling my food to local people in the city I now live is that I get to share my culture and heritage with them.

Food has allowed me to express myself in a country where I struggled with the language.

My favourite thing is when people love to eat my food as much as I love to cook it.
C ouncils across England and Wales are failing to issue fines to wayward landlords who are flouting minimum energy efficiency laws, data has revealed.

Landlords of private rentals have been required to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of band E or above since April 2020, or they could be fined under law.

An EPC gives a property an energy efficiency rating from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) and is valid for 10 years. Landlords must order a certificate before selling or renting a property.

Problems with heating, insulation, damp and mould would affect a homes rating, such as leaky single glazed windows found in older properties and inefficient boilers.

There were almost 400 confirmed breaches of these regulations between April 2020 and early 2023, according to data from 24 councils obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS UK).

Only 26 breaches resulted in fines in that time period, according to the data provided, and 17 councils hadnt issued a single fine to landlords breaking the guidelines.

Camden Council, the only London council included in the data, said it has carried out a review this year on the issue. It found that 99 properties in the borough currently did not comply with the EPC ratings.

A spokesperson told the Standard: We have issued all 99 properties with compliance notices - they have 28 days to respond and should they fail to do so, a fine will be issued.

Between April 2020 and earlier this year, only 11 councils had issued compliance notices to landlords, while just seven confirmed a breach of regulations and seven issued fines to landlords.

Nottingham, Newcastle and Exeter issued more than one fine, with twelve, eight and two, respectively, totalling 72,500. Coventry, Bristol and Cambridge issued one fine each, totalling 6,000.

Bristol and Bath recorded the most confirmed breaches of the law, with 177 and 161 respectively, but only issued one fine between them - a 3,000 fine issued by Bristol County Council.

Larissa Kennedy, President of SOS UK, said: The Government needs to close the loophole and ensure all properties, including homes of multiple occupancy, require energy performance certificates.

Upholding energy standards is crucial in the face of the cost of living crisis and the climate crisis. Councils need more support to enforce regulation.

Students are among the worst affected by poorly insulated accommodation, because some multi-occupancy properties (HMOs) are exempt from the EPC requirements, SOS UK said.

A survey carried out by the charity revealed the extent of the problem.

More than half of student respondents reported damp or mould in their homes, and less than half, 48 per cent, had double glazing.

The lack of light and lack of heating led to just a really, really difficult November through February, a student, who did not want to be named, told the Standard.

Her radiator broke and spilled water into the lounge, bumping up already expensive energy bill.

The radiator was replaced in early February so thats a couple of months with no radiator, she said.

A Liberal Democrats Members Bill proposed in the House of Commons last month seeks to outlaw rental properties that sit below the EPC rating of band C by 2033.

The party found that more than half of London properties would currently not meet this proposed higher standard.

The bill, proposed by MP for Richmond Park Sarah Olney, would require all buildings, including offices, to reach at least EPC Band C by 2033 where practical, cost-effective and affordable.

This week analysis by the Specialist Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (SIGOMA) revealed that 12.6 million properties in England have an EPC Rating of D or below.

Chair of SIGOMA, Councillor Sir Stephen Houghton, said an immediate investment of 10bn for retrofitting properties would help to improve the efficiency of 10 per cent of the most deprived households across England.

Currently, around 56 per cent of all dwellings in England have an EPC rating of D or below, SIGOMA said.

Across Yorkshire and Humber, the figure stands at 63 per cent, with the West Midlands at 61 per cent and the North West at 59 per cent.

In London the percentage of dwellings with EPC Band D or below is 50 per cent, while in the South East, it stands at 54 per cent.
A n NHS doctor has said he feels betrayed by the UK after being turned away from a Sudan evacuation flight.

Dr Abdulrahman Babiker travelled to Sudan to visit his family for Eid but has not been able to return to the UK despite frantic evacuations from the war-torn country.

The doctor, who is due back at work at Manchester Royal Infirmary on Tuesday, has a work permit but does not possess a UK passport.

The Foreign Office has said it is prioritising the evacuation of British nationals from Sudan amid the fighting between the army and a rival paramilitary group.

To be honest I feel totally betrayed. I worked throughout Covid and Im so disappointed, Dr Babiker told BBC Newsnight.

Fighting has gripped the capital city Khartoum over the last two weeks resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people.

The Government has already removed diplomatic staff and their families, while separate evacuation flights have removed an estimated 897 UK nationals as of Thursday afternoon.

Dr Babiker, who has worked at the Manchester hospital for four years, had queued for 16 hours to be one of those to be evacuated from the site north of the capital.

They said, we are really sorry, this is the guidance from the Home Office. And a soldier took me out, he said.

According to Dr Nadia Baasher of the Sudanese Junior Doctors Association, there at least 24 NHS doctors in a similar situation after having returned home to celebrate Eid.

"People are heartbroken by the whole situation," she said.

"It's not safe. This is is very disappointing to see that they weren't treated with some consideration."

This comes as another three-day ceasefire has been agreed in Sudan.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: The UK calls for its full implementation by the generals. British evacuation flights are ongoing.

I urge all British nationals wishing to leave to proceed to the airport as quickly as possible to ensure their safety.

More than 2,000 British nationals in Sudan have registered under the evacuation plans, according to reports.

Downing Street has rejected calls from people, including Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns, to widen the eligibility for evacuation beyond British passport holders and their immediate family.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: There is an element of discretion for people on the ground as you might expect, given the circumstances and the challenging situation people will be facing.

We recognise these are very challenging circumstances and, as we have done on previous occasions, we obviously empower people on the ground to make decisions.

A UK Government spokesperson told the Standard: The evacuation response from Khartoum is open to all British nationals and their eligible dependents who wish to leave Sudan.

Those who have existing entry clearance for the UK but are not the dependent of a British passport holder can still come to the UK via other points of exit, such as crossing the border into Egypt.
T wo train unions have announced a fresh wave of strikes in May and June, including on the days of the Eurovision Song Contest and FA Cup finals.

In the latest event in a long-running dispute between unions and train operating companies, drivers working for over a dozen train operators will walk out on Friday 12 May, Wednesday 31 May and Saturday 3 June - the FA Cup final. An overtime ban will also be put in place.

The RMT union has also announced another walkout on May 13, the day of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest final.

Staff will walk out at more than a dozen train operators, including all the crucial long-distance and commuter rail firms.

UK Train & Tube Strike | Tuesday 21 June 2022 1 / 38 UK Train & Tube Strike | Tuesday 21 June 2022 Passengers arrive at Kings Cross Station, London, as train services continue to be disrupted following the nationwide strike by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union along with London Underground workers in a bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions PA Commuters on the Central Line at Stratford Station Getty Images Passengers wait for Stratford station to open in London, as train services continue to be disrupted following the nationwide strike by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union along with London Underground workers in a bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions PA Traffic on the A1203 near Kings Cross in London, as train services continue to be disrupted following the nationwide strike by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union in a bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions. PA People walk on London Bridge, the day after a national rail strike, during six days of travel disruption REUTERS Passengers wait for Stratford station to open in London PA Commuters arrive at Stratford Station Getty Images People walk on London Bridge in view of The Shard, the day after a national rail strike, during six days of travel disruption REUTERS Passengers await their trains to be announced, at a quiet Euston station, in Londo AP A group of passengers board a number 87 double-decker bus to Aldwych at a stop outside Clapham Junction station PA Supplied Passengers walk after getting off a train at the Waterloo Station REUTERS The picket line outside Bristol Temple Meads station, as members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union begin their nationwide strike in a bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions PA Southeastern trains sit in sidings in Ashford, Kent PA A passenger rests her head on her luggage as she sits on the station concourse on the first day of a national rail strike at Manchester Piccadilly Station REUTERS People look at the departures board at Victoria Station, in London REUTERS Passengers board a bus outside Victoria Station, in London REUTERS Cyclists ride at Parliament Square on the first day of national rail strike REUTERS Passengers pass a picket line at Liverpool Lime Street Station AFP via Getty Images A passenger waits at Great Malvern train station in Worcestershire, as members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union begin their nationwide strike in a bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions PA A woman stands outside the closed entrance to the Westminster Undeground Station REUTERS A general view of Waterloo Station, on the first day of national rail strike in London REUTERS Hammersmith Gareth Richman/Evening Standard Merseyrail trains lined up on the track at Kirkdale Depot, as members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union begin their nationwide strike in a bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions PA A man stands with his bike at the Waterloo Station, on the first day of national rail strike in London REUTERS A woman walks her dog into an almost empty London Bridge station in London AP Passengers walk after getting off a train at the Waterloo Station REUTERS Passengers at Birmingham New Street station, as members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union begin their nationwide strike in a bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions PA Striking sail staff picket outside Cowlairs maintenance depot and signal centre in Glasgow, Scotland Getty Images

The RMT had been in talks over a new pay offer with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), but it claimed the operators had torpedoed discussions.

A statement from the RMT said: Following further discussions between the union and RDG, the employer issued a clarification on the offer RMT has been considering.

The RDG is now saying they would only implement the first-year payment of 5% if the union terminated its industrial mandate, meaning no further strike action could take place.

Stage 2 discussions which are part of the offer made by the employer would then have to begin without the union having any industrial leverage at the negotiating table.

For almost a year, millions of train passengers have had their journeys disrupted due to disputes about pay, job security and working arrangements between train unions and rail companies.

So amid the chaos, just how much does the average rail worker earn and when are the rail strikes in May and June?

What dates are the May and June rail strikes?

Aslef has instructed all its train driver members working for 16 train operators to strike on Friday 12 May, Wednesday 31 May and Saturday 3 June.

The RMT union has called its members out on strike on Saturday 13 May.

The train firms affected include:

Avanti West Coast

CrossCountry

East Midlands Railway

Great Western Railway

LNER

TransPennine Express

Greater Anglia

GTR (Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern, Thameslink)

Southeastern

South Western Railway

Chiltern Railways

Northern Trains

West Midlands Trains

The c2c, which runs from the City of London to south Essex, will also be affected by the RMT strike on 13 May.

How much do rail workers earn?

Rail workers  not including train drivers  earn a median salary of 36,800, according to the ONS.

The median salary for rail travel assistants, such as ticket collectors, guards and information staff, is 33,310.

The median salary for rail construction and maintenance operatives is 34,998.

Rail transport operatives, such as signallers and drivers assistants, earn a median salary of 48,750.

However, the RMT says the median salary for rail workers is closer to 33,000, because the ONSs figures do not include cleaners salaries, which make up about 10,000 of RMT members.

How much do train drivers earn?

The median salary for train and tram drivers was 59,189 in 2021.

But train drivers are not part of the workers striking, as they are represented by their own union, the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (Aslef), not the RMT Union.

Around 96 per cent of train drivers in Britain are a part of Aslef, and the other 4 per cent are not union members.

The transport secretary described the strike escalation as incredibly disappointing.
A uthor James Shapiros remarkable and compelling book about Shakespeare has claimed the Baillie Gifford Prize For Non-Fictions winner of winners award.

The 25,000 prize marks the 25th anniversary of the contest by selecting the best of its 24 previous winners, spanning investigative journalism, biography and history.

1599: A Year In The Life Of William Shakespeare won the prize in 2006 and explores a pivotal year in which Shakespeare produced some of his greatest works.

Jason Cowley, chairman of the judges, commended it as a poised and original re-imagination of biography that transforms our understanding  not only of the great works but also of the social atmosphere of his times.

The book was announced as the overall winner during a ceremony hosted at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, on Thursday evening.

A professor of English at Columbia University where he teaches Shakespeare, Shapiro has written a number of book about the Bard, including 1606: The Year Of Lear and Shakespeare In A Divided America.

It comes in the same year as the 400th anniversary of the first printed edition of Shakespeares collection of plays, commonly referred to by modern scholars as the First Folio.

Author and academic Sarah Churchwell, who sat on the judging panel, said the anniversary had not been in their minds when they considered the shortlist.

She said: We are not going to hold the fact it is a book about one of the greatest writers ever against it.

We cant say that we have an objection to a book about Shakespeare. The thing about this one is that it is a book about four masterpieces. For me, he reinvents those masterpieces.

He makes me look at four major plays in totally different ways.

It is a good enough book if you can make me look at Hamlet differently.

But if you can do Henry V and Julius Caesar and As You Like It and then Hamlet  if all of those come out reinvented and refreshed then that is an extraordinary achievement.

We were thinking about it more in those terms than about Shakespeares anniversary.

Ms Churchwell said the fact Shapiro was a white man writing about a white man who lived some five centuries ago was something the judges considered at length but that they were limited to the 24 previous winners.

The vast majority of the books that we were given were by white men about Western themes and subjects, she said.

That was overwhelmingly the majority of the books that we had, and the prize organisers were also conscious of that.

I think thats one of the reasons they appointed three women as judges, not to counteract it but to make sure that there were other perspectives being brought to bear.

Ms Churchwell added that over time the prize had begun to better reflect a changing sense of values and perspectives.

There have been many more women who have won in recent years, she said.

Its still an overwhelmingly white cohort of winners. It just is.

Out of our 24 we had, I think, one non-white author so it was almost certainly going to be a white winner, just statistically.

Other works that made the shortlist included Nothing To Envy: Real Lives In North Korea by Barbara Demick, Empire Of Pain: The Secret History Of The Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe, and Margaret Macmillans Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed The World.

Also featured were Wade Davis Into The Silence: The Great War, Mallory And The Conquest Of Everest and Craig Browns One Two Three Four: The Beatles In Time.
T he Stone of Destiny is returning to England for the first time in more than a quarter of a century, where it will play a key role in the coronation, amid tight security.

At Edinburgh Castle on Thursday a special ceremony was held to mark the legendary stone  which has become a symbol of Scottish nationhood but for 700 years was housed in Westminster Abbey  starting its journey south.

The procession was led by the Lord Lyon King of Arms  the monarchs representative in Scotland  and attended by First Minister Humza Yousaf in his capacity of Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland and one of the commissioners for the safeguarding of the regalia.

Mr Yousaf said after the service, which saw the historic stone piped out: It was a very significant, historical moment. Im delighted to be a part of it.

REUTERS

The stone will now make its way to Westminster Abbey, where it will be placed in the Coronation Chair for the enthronement of Charles, before returning to Scotland and put on display in the Crown Room at Edinburgh Castle in the weeks that follow.

Colin Muir, senior stone conservator at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), has the task of helping to ensure that the stone gets to London safely and is installed into the Coronation Chair.

Weve assembled a team thats involved in the transportation and installation of the stone and as part of todays events we were carrying it as a symbolic gesture through Edinburgh on its departure, he said.

The stone weighs 125kg but the team of six who carried it were lifting around 164kg given the equipment needed to transport it out of the Great Hall.

The Coronation Chair was specially built with the stone underneath, and getting it back in will be a challenge.

Its extremely tight. In fact it will not go in straight. Its got bare millimetres to spare, Mr Muir said.

The stone is more fragile than it appears after it was repaired in the 1950s, and HES experts built a 3D print of the stone and chair to better work out how to reunite them.

Kathy Richmond, head of collections and applied conservation at HES, said: Weve been working together with the collections team at Westminster Abbey to make sure that thats all done really carefully.

Weve got to look after both objects because youve got to remember that the chair is also a very historic object that dates to around about 1300.

So the teams have been working to come up with a plan, and theyve done all sorts of testing just to make sure that its going to go smoothly.

It is a high-security operation, with the stone a polarising object for many.

REUTERS

In 1950, it was taken from the Abbey in a daring raid by Ian Hamilton, Gavin Vernon, Kay Matheson and Alan Stuart, with it eventually being found at Arbroath Abbey.

Ms Richmond said: Weve been working very closely with Police Scotland to ensure that the transportation of the stone happens smoothly.

Rhe Lord Lyon said: This occasion is not only historic but underpins the traditions and values of Scottish life.

The stone has played its role in many royal occasions, and it is fitting it returns to Westminster Abbey to have its rightful position in the coronation of their majesties.

It will be in safekeeping and returned to Scotland for future events.

The stone will be transported in a special carrier constructed largely from Scottish oak, which was made by the in-house carpentry team at HES to protect it while in transit.

The Stone of Destiny has been used for centuries in the coronations of monarchs and the inauguration of Scottish kings.

The earliest use of the stone and exactly how and when it became associated with king-making remains unknown, but legends around its origin strongly link it with kingship and the emergence of Scotland as a nation.

The last Scottish King to be inaugurated using a Stone at Scone was John Balliol in 1292.

Since then it has been used by English monarchs, and then British ones when James VI of Scotland ascended to the English throne upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603.

The last time it featured in a ceremony was for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

It was officially returned to Scotland in November 1996 and put on display at Edinburgh Castle on St Andrews Day that year.
Russian, Iranian, Syrian, and Turkish foreign ministers may hold a meeting on issues of the normalization of relations between Ankara and Damascus in early May, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday, Trend reports citing Turkish media.

"Several dates were suggested and we said which were convenient for us. Now we are waiting for an answer from other countries and then we will wait an invitation from Russia. With a high degree of probability, a meeting between foreign ministers will be held in Moscow in the first ten days of May," he said in an interview with the TRT television channel.
E vacuation flights for British nationals out of Sudan will cease at 6pm on Saturday (UK time), deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden said on Friday evening.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Dowden said that 1,500 people had already been evacuated from the war-torn country on flights bound for Cyprus.

But he added: In the past 24 hours weve seen a significant decline in the British nationals coming forward. People should expect that by 6pm on Saturday that we will cease those flights.

Every single British national that has come forward has been put safely onto a plane. We are seeing those numbers declining significantly and - like other countries - we have put an end date on this.

Beyond this we will maintain consular support to Sudan.

He claimed the evacuation was the longest and largest of any western country.

Updated guidance on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) website urged those wishing to leave Sudan to travel to the Wadi Saeedna airfield by 12pm local time on Saturday to be processed for the last flight.

Only British passport holders and their immediate family who have existing clearance to enter the UK are currently authorised for evacuation.

It comes after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces joined the Sudanese military in agreeing to extend the 72-hour truce, which has allowed citizens and foreign nationals to flee.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly previously urged all UK nationals wishing to flee Sudan to come forward as quickly as possible, despite the extended truce.

Labour has called on the Government to widen the eligibility for evacuation beyond British passport holders and their immediate family.

Concerns have been raised that the current approach could see families split up or some members left behind, with Labour urging ministers to use the longer window to extend eligibility for evacuation before it is too late.

Asked whether Britain was leaving behind people struggling to get to the site or to coordinate with family members stuck in the country, Mr Dowden said: I wouldnt accept that characterisation. The first thing I would say is that every single British national that has come forward and their eligible dependants have been put safely on to a plane.

The war in Sudan is being fought between the Sudanese army commanded by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and paramilitary forces led by his rival General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.

The fighting erupted in mid-April and has so far led to the deaths of more than 500 people, while turning residential areas into war zones.
T he Metropolitan Police has still not learned from its calamitous litany of failures in the case of serial killer Stephen Port, as inspectors have warned that history could repeat itself.

A report from His Majestys Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services discovered officers at the force were still inexperienced, untrained and poorly supervised.

Meanwhile, relatives of Ports victims accuse the Met of institutional homophobia over its bungled investigation.

Heres what you need to know about Stephen Port.

Who is Stephen Port?

Stephen Port is originally from Dagenham, and trained as a chef after dropping out of art school.

He lived at home until his early 30s, after coming out as gay, and purchased a one-bedroom flat in Barking which would be the setting for his disturbing crimes.

Towards the end of 2013, he became a GHB user and had come to the attention of police for supposedly drugging and raping a man on New Years Eve.

It was reported he had a revolving door of boys coming and going at his flat.

His neighbour Ryan Edwards said he had a voracious appetite for meeting very young men.

But he later became so concerned that Port was spending time with vulnerable boys that he considered he might have paedophile tendencies.

Mr Edwards was also worried about Ports drug use, but was reassured by Port that the drugs were for personal use only - although the truth was more sinister.

Why is he called the Grindr killer?

Port is called the Grindr killer as he met his victims online, through the dating app Grindr.

He lured the victims to his flat, then drugged and raped them, before dumping their bodies close by.

The serial killer drugged his victims Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor with overdoses of GHB and disposed of their bodies near his flat in Barking, east London, between June 2014 and September 2015.

The deaths were not seen as suspicious by police until after the fourth death.

A solicitor representing the families said they believed the polices actions were driven by homophobia.

How was Stephen Port finally caught?

It was only after Jack Taylor was murdered that action was taken.

PC Jon Taylor, a parks officer who was first on scene, went to see Jacks family, who insisted he was anti-drugs and had no reason to be in Barking.

The police constable  who had no prior experience on investigatory work  then began contacting those who last saw Jack alive.

He found CCTV in Barking train station which showed Jack meeting an unidentified tall man, who weeks later was identified as Port.

Eventually, on 15 October 2015, Port was arrested on suspicion of causing the deaths of all four of his victims by administering drugs.

Jacks father, Colin, believes his sons life could have been saved if police had only listened.

He told the inquest: We think because the police treated Jack as a drug addict the police didnt look any further.

If they had done something from the start Port could have been stopped.

If the police had listened to all those people from the first murder... this would not have happened.

They should have listened, just listened to people.

In 2016, Port was found guilty of the murders and several sex assaults against other men in 2016, and was given a whole-life jail sentence.

The families solicitor Neil Hudgell said relatives had been left traumatised by their treatment at the hands of the police.

Where is Stephen Port now?

Port, 47, is serving a whole-life term for the murders of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor in Barking, East London.

A spokesman for Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the quality of the Mets investigation into the murders raised a number of concerns, particularly around homophobia.

He added: It is vital that Londons LGBTQ+ community has confidence in our police and the Met are able to gain the trust and confidence of all the communities it serves so that every Londoner, regardless of background or postcode can feel safe, protected and served.
A woman whose claims are said to have led to the notorious lynching of Emmett Till has died from cancer aged 88.

Carolyn Bryant was 21 when she accused African American Till, 14, of making advances to her at a shop in Money, Mississippi, in 1955.

A cousin of Till claims he had whistled at a woman, flouting the states racist social codes of the time. Till was tortured, killed and thrown in a river after a woman apparently identified him to his killers.

Last year a Mississippi grand jury declined to indict Bryant over the death after the discovery of an old arrest warrant.

Carolyn Bryant rests her head on her husband Roy Bryant's shoulder after testifying in court about the murder of Emmett Till / AP

An all-white jury cleared her husband and another man of the murder, but they later admitted to it.

When Till disappeared in Mississippi, Ollie Gordon  her 7-year-old cousin  was living with Tills mother and family in Chicago.

Gordon said that in the days after he went missing, their home was full of fear, because people knew there was a strong likelihood he had been killed.

Gordon said she had mixed emotions about Donhams death.

She was never tried in the court of man, Gordon said. But I think she was judged by God, and his wrath is more punitive than any judgment or penalty she could have gotten in a courtroom. I dont think she had a pleasant or happy life.

Carolyn Bryant in court in 1955 / AP

Parker is the last living witness to Tills abduction. He has said in interviews and speeches that he heard Till whistle at the woman working behind the counter at Bryants Grocery and Meat Market.

Days later, Parker saw men kidnap Till at night from their uncles home in Mississippi, where the teenagers were staying. Parker said on Thursday that his heart goes out to Donham.

As a person of faith for more than 60 years, I recognise that any loss of life is tragic and dont have any ill will or animosity toward her, Parker said in a statement. Even though no one now will be held to account for the death of my cousin and best friend, it is up to all of us to be accountable to the challenges we still face in overcoming racial injustice.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that President Joe Biden was proud to sign the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act last year to make lynching a federal crime.

The president is committed to ... dealing with racial hatred, Jean-Pierre said.
A former BBC journalist has been killed on the front line in Ukraine, the corporation has reported.

Oleksandr Bondarenko died in action, according to the BBC, but it is not yet known how he came by his death.

Mr Bondarenkos friends reportedly said only that death caught up with him in a battle.

Former colleagues and friends have paid tribute to Mr Bondarenko - who was known as Sasha or Sashko - as an extraordinary man and a human with a will of steel.

Mr Bondarenko is understood to have volunteered for Ukraines territorial defence when Russia launched its invasion last February, first working in communications before becoming part of the military.

According to the BBC, Mr Bondarenko was in charge of special projects for leading Ukrainian communications agency, RMA at the beginning of the war.

Vasyl Samokhvalov of RMA described him as a human with a will of steel...A human with the clearest motivation...A human with the best music playlist.

The former head of the BBCs Ukrainian Service, Maciek Bernatt-Reszczynski, said the corporation was extremely lucky to have him on the Kyiv team: It was always new challenges with this extraordinary man. Including the last, heroic one, to defend his country from aggression.

Mr Bondarenko was originally from Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, according to the BBC.

He reportedly worked as a journalist for the corporations Ukrainian Service from 2007 to 2011, after starting his career in Ukrainian local radio and moving to television.

He worked for the BBC as a news reporter, presenter, and editor of radio programmes in Ukraines capital Kyiv, before going on to work at other news outlets and later moving into communications.

Marta Shokalo, BBC Ukraines editor-in-chief, told the BBC: I look at our photos together and cant stop crying even though I can only remember our carefree days in the Kyiv office and how we laughed together.

Mr Bondarenko was also a keen athlete and skilled swimmer, described by those who knew him as brilliant at everything.
P ope Francis arrived in Hungary on Friday morning for a three day visit amid controversy over the countrys position on Ukraine and the tough anti-migrant stance of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Hungarian officials say Franciss three day pastoral visit was designed primarily for the Pontiff to meet the countrys Catholic community and encourage its members in their faith.

But with the war in Ukraine over Hungarys border and Mr Orbans position on migration, the first full visit since Francis became Pope 10 years ago is set to carry strong political overtones.

Hungary has refused to back military aid for Kyiv and maintained relations with Russias Vladimir Putin.

It will also be a journey to the centre of Europe, over which the icy winds of war continue to blow, the Pope said ahead of his visit.

Mr Obans tough anti-migrant stance is in contrast to the 86-year-old pontiffs compassion for all refugees.

Pope Francis, Hungary's Prime Minister Victor Orban and President Katalin Novak attend a welcome ceremony / REUTERS

After landing at Budapests Liszt Ferenc airport, Francis met with Mr President Katalin Novak and Mr Orban, and was then schedule to deliver a speech to Hungarian authorities and diplomats.

He has a chance to speak to Hungarian society and Europe at large in his final event Sunday, when hell address academic and cultural figures at Budapests Catholic University.

Pope Francis signs a visitor's book as Hungary's President Katalin Novak looks on, during his apostolic visit to Hungary at the Sandor Palace in Budapest / via REUTERS

In between, Francis is set to meet with some of the 35,000 Ukrainian refugees who have remained in Hungary after 2.5 million fled across Ukraines border with Hungarys early on in Russias invasion.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Francis would use his time in the heart of Europe to outline his vision of the continents future.

Its difficult to not think about the European Union and all of Europe, Bruni said of the trip. He noted that the passion for Europe had perhaps faded over the years and that Francis aimed to revive the Europe of peoples, with its own history and responsibility in the commitment to global peace.
T hree children were among at least 22 people killed on Friday as Russia launched a series of missile strikes against cities across Ukraine, officials said.

Vladimir Putins forces fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at the capital Kyiv and other parts of the country.

Seventeen people died including two 10-year-old children and 17 people were injured in the central city of Uman after two missiles hit a nine storey residential building at around 4.30am, the regional governor said.

It was feared the death toll could rise further as images showed rescuers in a desperate search for survivors in the rubble. Three children were rescued.

A woman, 31 and her daughter, said to be aged two or three, were killed in the city of Dnipro and another three people wounded, officials said.

There were also explosions reported in the cities of Kremenchuk and Poltava.

AFP via Getty Images

Air raid sirens sounded around Kyiv in the first attack against the city in nearly two months.

Fragments from intercepted missiles or drones damaged power lines and a road in one neighbourhood in the capital. There were no immediate reports of any casualties or direct hits there.

Twenty-one out of 23 missiles and two attack drones were shot down by Ukraines air defence system across the country, Ukraine said.

The countrys president Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attacks saying they showed further international action needed to be taken against Russia.

Evil can be stopped by weapons - our defenders are doing it. And it can be stopped by sanctions - global sanctions must be enhanced, he said in a tweet.

On Telegram he wrote: This Russian terror must face a fair response from Ukraine and the world. And it will.

Every such attack, every evil act against our country and people brings the terrorist state closer to failure and punishment, not vice versa, as they think.

We will not forget any crime, we will not let any invader avoid responsibility.

REUTERS

Survivors of the Uman strikes recounted terrifying moments as the missiles hit when it still was dark outside.

All the glass flew out, everything flew out, even the chandelier fell. Everything was covered in glass, resident Olha Turina said.

Then there was an explosion. ... We barely found our things and ran out, she said.

Turina, whose husband is fighting on the frontlines, said one of her childs classmates was missing.

I dont know where they are, I dont know if they are alive, she said. I dont know why we have to go through all this. We never bothered anyone.

One of the 10 people killed was a 75-year-old who was in her apartment in a neighbouring building and suffered internal bleeding from the shockwave of the blast, emergency personnel said.

Moscow has frequently launched long-range missile attacks during the 14-month war, often indiscriminately hitting civilian areas.

Firefighters work at an apartment building badly damaged by a Russian attack in the town of Uman / AP

Ukrainian officials and analysts have alleged the strikes are part of a deliberate intimidation strategy by the Kremlin.

Russia has denied its military aims at civilian targets.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the latest long-range air-launched cruise missiles launched overnight were aimed at places where Ukrainian military reserve units were staying before their deployment to the battlefield.

"The strike has achieved its goal. All the designated facilities have been hit," Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, the Defense Ministry's spokesperson, said. He didn't mention any specific areas or residential buildings getting hit.

The attacks come as Ukrainian forces are preparing for a counter offensive with new equipment, including tanks, supplied by Western allies.

Nato announced that its allies and partner countries have delivered more than 98% of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine to launch its offensive.

Along with more than 1,550 armoured vehicles, 230 tanks and other equipment, vast amounts of ammunition and trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian brigades, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

More than 30,000 troops are estimated to make up the new brigades. This will put Ukraine in a strong position to continue to retake occupied territory, Stoltenberg said in Brussels.

Russia has struggled to make headway in a winter offensive including a 10-month battle for control of the strategically important city of Bakhmut.
A man who is believed to have fathered more than 550 children has been banned from donating sperm after he was accused of misleading hundreds of women.

Serial donor Jonathan Jacob Meijer, 41, had been summoned to a Dutch court as part of proceedings brought by the countrys Donorkind Foundation and a woman named Eva, who gave birth to a child conceived with his sperm in 2018.

Mr Meijer, originally from The Hague, had already been banned from donating sperm in the Netherlands after concerns were raised in 2017, by which point he was thought to have fathered at least 102 children.

He has now also been banned from donating sperm abroad. The court noted that under Dutch guidelines, sperm donors are allowed to produce a maximum of 25 children with 12 mothers and that the donor lied to prospective parents about his donation history.

The decision was welcomed by Eva.

I hope that this ruling leads to a ban on mass donation and spreads like an oil slick to other countries. We must stand hand in hand around our children and protect them against this injustice, she said in a statement.

The donors lawyer said in a court hearing that he wanted to help parents who would otherwise be unable to conceive.

The judge who heard the civil case said that the donor deliberately lied about this in order to persuade the parents to take him as a donor, the court said in a statement.

All these parents are now confronted with the fact that the children in their family are part of a huge kinship network, with hundreds of half-siblings, which they did not choose, the court said, adding that this has or could possibly have negative psychosocial consequences for the children. It is therefore in their interest that this kinship network is not extended any further.

The court said in a statement that the case was about conflicting fundamental rights. On the one hand, the right to respect for the privacy of the parents and the donor children ... and on the other hand, the same right of the donor.

The court ruled that the interests of the donor children and their parents outweigh the interest of the donor in continuing to donate sperm to new prospective parents.

The court ordered him immediately to halt all donations and said he must pay 100,000 euros (87,000) per case if he breaches the ban.

Lawyer Mark de Hek called the ruling a clear signal and, as far as I am concerned, a final warning to other mass donors.
W hilst you may invest time and money in your skincare regime, your facial hair, and the skin beneath it, often falls by the wayside.

Thats why were here with a list of the best beard grooming kits on the market so you can treat your whiskers to the goodness they need, and keep them looking in check, too.

Alongside your electric shaver, and perhaps a single blaze razor to keep the edges looking sharp, these sets boast all of the mane-taming essentials you need in one handy spot so theyre great for travelling.

Some have trimming utensils like scissors or a razor whilst others are dedicated to styling or care - whichever you choose, your bristles will be given the glow up they deserve.

Whether youre looking for an oil that will at once provide nourishment, tame flyaway hairs and smell amazing, a conditioner for optimum hydration or even a comb to keep everything looking neat, your facial hair will look all the better after being treated to the quality products on offer.

Keep scrolling for the best.
B arry Humphries has been laid to rest in a private funeral less than a week after he passed away aged 89.

The beloved Australian actor and comic, who was best known for his drag persona Dame Edna Everage, died on April 22 following complications from hip replacement surgert.

The service took place at the Bowral estate of longtime friend and artist Tim Storrier on Friday in New South Wales Southern Highlands, with family and close friends given just 24 hours notice.

Among mourners were Humphries two sons, Oscar and Rupert, who flew in from London, as well as his daughters Emily and Tessa, brother Christopher and sister Barbara.

Another attendee was film director Bruce Beresford, who described it as a small affair, just family and close friends.

Plans are currently underway to honour Barry Humphries publicly in his native Australia / PA Archive

Mr Beresford said no speeches were made, but excerpts from some of Mr Humphries favourite poems were read, including three verses from his favourite poem, The Heart of a Friend by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

It was very touching, very warm. Everybody was either related or a great friend of Barrys, he added to The Australian

Victorias Creative Industries Minister Steve Dimopoulos revealed earlier this week that discussions were being had with the entertainers loved ones about how best to honour his legacy publicly in his home country.

The primary mover of these things is the family because its their gift effectively to decide in conversation with government, Mr Dimopoulos said.

Adding: So, yes, it could be that [a state funeral]. It could be many other things.
R ichard Sharp has resigned as BBC chairman after being found to have broken the rules by failing to disclose he played a role in getting Boris Johnson an 800,000 loan guarantee.

Adam Heppinstall KCs review found the former Tory donor twice breached the code governing public appointments, risking the perception he was not independent from the then-prime minister.

Mr Sharp spared forcing Rishi Sunak to decide on his fate by announcing he will stand down from the influential role overseeing the public broadcasters independence at the end of June.

The barristers review published on Friday morning said Mr Sharp risked a perception that he was recommended for the role because he assisted Mr Johnson in a private financial matter ahead of his appointment in 2021.

Mr Heppinstall also said there was the risk it would be perceived that he influenced Mr Johnson to recommend him by notifying the former prime minister of his application before submitting it.

Failing to disclose both issues were found to have caused breaches of the governance code for public appointments.

In his resignation statement, Mr Sharp insisted that his breach of the rules was inadvertent and not material.

Nevertheless, I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC, the former Goldman Sachs banker added.

I feel that this matter may well be a distraction from the Corporations good work were I to remain in post until the end of my term.

I have therefore this morning resigned as BBC chair to the Secretary of State, and to the Board.

The Prime Minister defended himself from suggestions he should have sacked Mr Sharp weeks ago, arguing it was right to follow the proper process.

Mr Sunak declined to commit to ensuring Mr Sharps replacement is not a political appointment, telling broadcasters on a visit to Scotland he will follow the established procedure.

The review was ordered after it emerged he introduced his friend Sam Blyth, a distant cousin of Mr Johnson who wanted to help him with his financial troubles, to Cabinet Secretary Simon Case ahead of being recommended for the role by the Government.

The BBC Board said: We accept and understand Richards decision to stand down.

BBC director-general Tim Davie thanked Mr Sharp for his service to the BBC and the drive and intellect he brought to his time as chairman.

Working with him over the last two years has been rewarding and Richard has made a significant contribution to the transformation and success of the BBC, Mr Davie said.

The focus for all of us at the BBC is continuing the hard work to ensure we deliver for audiences, both now and in the future.

I feel that this matter may well be a distraction from the Corporations good work were I to remain in post until the end of my term

Labours shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell said Mr Sharp had caused untold damage to the reputation of the BBC and seriously undermined its independence as a result of the Conservatives sleaze and cronyism.

The Prime Minister should have sacked him weeks ago. Instead it took this investigation, called by Labour, to make him resign, she added.

In a letter to Mr Sharp, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said that he his held in high regard by the BBC board but added that I understand and respect your decision to stand down.

You have clearly demonstrated your commitment to public service and I especially applaud the work you did during the pandemic, she said.

Your decision to step down in the wider interests of the corporation is further testament to that commitment.

Thank you, once again, for your service and I wish you well for the future. I am sure there will be further opportunities for you to make a significant contribution to public life.

She accepted the decision that he should remain in post until the next board meeting on June 27 when a temporary replacement will be appointed.

Mr Heppinstalls report considered how Mr Sharp had told Mr Johnson that he wished to apply for the role ahead of his application in November 2020.

And it considered how he met Cabinet Secretary Simon Case the following month regarding the introduction to Mr Blyth over the then prime ministers financial affairs.

Mr Sharp failed to disclose potential perceived conflicts of interest to the panel which interviewed candidates and advised Ministers, the barrister ruled.

He formally took up the four-year appointment, ultimately approved by Mr Johnson, in February 2021.

The outgoing chairman insisted he made the introduction with the best of intentions to ensure all rules were being followed.

He said he believed by reminding Mr Case he was in the running for the job that he had removed any perceived conflict of interest.

I understood this recusal to be absolute. This was my error, Mr Sharp said.

I would like once again to apologise for that oversight  inadvertent though it was  and for the distraction these events have caused the BBC.

Mr Sharp, then acting as an adviser to the Treasury during the pandemic, sought to argue to Mr Heppinstall that he was duty bound to tell Mr Johnson he was applying for the job.

He said Mr Johnson was akin to being his boss and it was right to give the then PM the opportunity to persuade him to stay in the role.

Mr Heppinstall said it would have been appropriate for Mr Sharp to tell the interview panel of the conversation.

He was Mr Sharps current boss but he was also the person who would make the final decision on the recommendation for appointment and also a person from whom Mr Sharp would have to maintain independence if so appointed, the barrister wrote.
Russias COVID-19 case tally rose by 6,548 over the past day to 22,839,878, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Friday, Trend reports with reference to TASS.

A day earlier, 6,503 daily cases were recorded.

As many as 905 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day, down 11.4% from a day earlier. The number of hospitalized patients increased in 34 regions, while in 36 regions the figure decreased. The situation remained unchanged in 15 regions. A day earlier, 1,022 people were rushed to hospitals.

Moscows COVID-19 cases surged by 926 over the past day versus 904 cases a day earlier, reaching 3,505,248, according to the anti-coronavirus crisis center. St. Petersburgs COVID-19 cases increased by 615 over the past day versus 630 a day earlier, reaching 1,938,551.

Russias COVID-19 recoveries rose by 7,775 over the past day, reaching 22,236,983, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Friday.

A day earlier, some 7,213 patients recovered.

Russias COVID-19 death toll rose by 31 over the past day, reaching 398,239, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Friday.

A day earlier, 33 COVID-19 deaths were registered.
A ctress Eva Green said justice prevailed after winning her High Court battle with a production company over the collapse of an abandoned sci-fi film.

The 42-year-old sued White Lantern Film after production on A Patriot was shuttered in October 2019, claiming she was entitled to her million-dollar (810,000) fee for the film, despite its cancellation, under the terms of their agreement.

White Lantern Film and lender SMC Speciality Finance (SMC) brought a counter-claim against Ms Green, alleging she undermined the independent films production and renounced the contract.

In a judgment on Friday, Mr Justice Michael Green found in Ms Greens favour, ruling she was entitled to the fee and dismissing the counter-claim.

This was not part of some unlawful conspiracy or deceit, the judge said.

In a statement after the ruling, the actress said: I fought tooth and nail to defend the beautiful film that I loved and had signed on for.

A film that spoke of a cause I hold dear  climate change and warned of the resource wars and mass migration that would occur if we dont address the problem. I stood my ground, and this time, justice prevailed.

During the trial in London earlier this year, Max Mallin KC, for White Lantern and SMC, said Ms Green showed a categorical and unequivocal refusal to perform.

But Mr Justice Michael Green said the allegation Ms Green renounced her obligations under the agreement has the feel of being constructed after the event in order to be able to mount some sort of defence to the claim brought by Ms Green, adding it was based on false evidence from witnesses.

He added: There is no doubt that Ms Green did not make any conclusive decision or statement that she would not comply with her obligations under the artist agreement.

Nor could anyone have reasonably understood her to have made such a decision.

If I had been called to set, I would have done this film even though it would have been a disaster

Ms Green  who was cast as soldier Kate Jones in the dystopian thriller which was also set to feature Game Of Thrones star Charles Dance and Twister star Helen Hunt  said there was a serious lack of preparation for the film, such as an absence of stunt training.

The court heard from one of the assistant directors on the project who said the proposed studios in Hampshire were like a morgue and were an aircraft hangar with leaks and no soundproofing.

However, Ms Green said: If I had been called to set, I would have done this film even though it would have been a disaster.

Referencing messages sent by Ms Green to her associates, Mr Justice Michael Green said: When she says we have to pull out or we are pulling out or we had to get out, these have to be understood in the context of a heightened emotional state where Ms Green is venting her fury at (executive producer Jake Seal) and the state of the production of the film she is desperate to make.

She is being open with the people she trusts.

The judge continued: She recognised that she could still be forced to make the film in those circumstances, which itself assumes that she had not withdrawn her services under the artist agreement.

During the 11-day trial, the court was told Ms Green described potential crew members as shitty peasants, the production as a B-shitty-movie and Mr Seal as pure vomit in other private messages.

Some of her explanations for the language she used and the feelings she expressed  such as they were down to her 'Frenchness'  were not credible or adequate

Ms Green is also said to have described Mr Seal as a sociopath and a real mad dictator who wants to prove he is right so he could be ready for anything.

However, Mr Justice Michael Green found: She may have said some extremely unpleasant things about Mr Seal and his crew at Black Hangar, but this was borne from a genuine feeling of concern that any film made under Mr Seals control would be of very low quality and would not do justice to a script that she and the former directors were passionate about.

Discussing Mr Seals time in the witness box, the judge added: I have to say that, having heard him give evidence, I can see how it might be possible to take an instant dislike to him. In giving evidence he was at times patronising, sarcastic and denigrating.

I found him to have an innate aggression and can understand why Ms Green and others might have been displeased to be told that they had to make the film under his full control, he continued.

Mr Justice Michael Green also said the actress, who gave oral evidence at the High Court in London over two days in January, was in some senses a frustrating and unsatisfactory witness, adding she was surprisingly under-prepared.

During her evidence, Ms Green blamed her Frenchness for a message describing a producer and writer on the film as weak and stupid.

But the judge said: I understand the torment it must have been for her to have all her private texts and WhatsApp messages revealed in open court and scrutinised for what they disclosed about her true state of mind and intentions in relation to the film.

She said it was humiliating but some of her explanations for the language she used and the feelings she expressed  such as they were down to her Frenchness  were not credible or adequate.

However I do think allowances need to be made for the heightened emotions that were clearly present when some of the messages were written and for the fact that these were assumed to be personal correspondence between friends that would never have been imagined to be seen by anyone else and certainly not analysed to the extent they were.

In her statement after the ruling, Ms Green said she was forced to stand up to a small group of men, funded by deep financial resources, who tried to use me as a scapegoat to cover up their own mistakes.

White Lantern and SMC said the actress had made a completely unwarranted suggestion that their legal action was motivated by gender-based bullying.

Their statement said: The evidence presented at court and about which Ms Green now complains were things that she herself wrote and said.

SMC has a long and proud record of financing and championing producers, directors, writers and acting talent of all genders, from Oscar winners to first-time female directors.

It is preposterous to suggest that Ms Greens gender played any role in our decision to defend ourselves against this legal claim.

White Lantern and SMC are considering their potential next steps, including an appeal.
F ormer nemeses Shaun Ryder and Gillian McKeith have become the first two contestants to be eliminated from Im A Celebrity South Africa.

Fridays episode of the ITV reality show saw six celebrities chained together in pairs to take part in the first survival challenge of the series  Savage Safari.

Andy Whyment and Jordan Banjo, Phil Tufnell and Georgia Toffolo, and Ryder and McKeith, all competed to free themselves from one another and hit a buzzer first.

Campmates were surprised after Ryder announced he had selected the TV nutritionist as his partner, with McKeith exclaiming: Oh for Gods sake no!

The challenge involved removing spanners from boxes filled with various creatures to loosen the chains.

Whyment and Banjo stormed the challenge and were first to free themselves, while McKeith was paralysed by touching snakes in the first box.

During the trial, when asked if he regretted his decision to choose McKeith as his partner, Ryder replied: A little bit but shes my mate now and I cant slag my mate off.

The pair said that they had come full circle following their fiery clashes during their previous appearances on Im A Celebrity in 2010.

Now were off to get married, Ryder joked.

Following her exit, McKeith said participating in the series had been a very positive experience.

It was just a different feeling when I went into camp this time, she said.

People just seemed to be really open and wanting to get on with each other. There was no negativity, it felt positive from the minute I got there.

Everybody wanted to gel. I could feel that it was a very different experience from 2010.

Ryder said that he had loved the experience.

Im a bit of a slow learner to say the least, so it takes me a while to adapt, but I loved it, he said.

Whilst youre at it and doing it, you dont realise and I was thinking once I left, god yeah there were some great moments in there. I was over the moon.

Earlier in the episode, tensions flared briefly in camp after several celebrities were busted over bringing contraband into camp.

Former royal butler Paul Burrell, Myleene Klass and McKeith were all found guilty of smuggling items into camp.

Tufnell noted that the drama had made the camp atmosphere flat.

Toffolo told the Bush Telegraph: Theres been a bit of a bizarre turn of atmosphere in the camp. Im hoping everyones going to get a belting nights sleep.

Klass had brought in various spices, while Burrell had brought a little bit of coffee.

However, campmates were shocked, and even slightly impressed, after McKeith revealed she had smuggled in a whole tuck shop in her underpants.

The TV nutritionist produced a range of products from her spicy knickers, including thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, stock cubes and 30 tea bags.

She had a whole tuck shop in her underpants, former boxer Amir Khan told the Bush Telegraph.

Im A Celebrity South Africa airs weeknights at 9pm on ITV and ITVX.
V ick Hope has admitted to struggling for years with body image issues.

The radio presenter, 33, said she spent years being cruel to herself trying to fit into the mould of whats usually presented as the perfect celebrity figure.

One thing I have become in recent years is very body confident, because I used to not be, said the BBC Radio 1 star.

I struggled a lot with my image  basically being very cruel to myself and my body to try and fit a mould, she recalled looking back to her time as a young student at Cambridge university.

And its being through lots of therapy, lots of growth, learning to love my body.

Vick Hope now embraces her figure and would be happily naked all the time / Getty Images

Hope said shes now turned such a corner that she sleeps in the nude and "would happily be naked if I could all the time.

She added: When I started to love the way I looked was when I stopped caring as much about how I looked  when I realised how important my friends are, my friendships, my relationships.

These days, instead of obsessing over her body image, Hope is happily focused on her media career and relationship with her fiance, DJ Calvin Harris.

It was recently reported that the pair will wed in an intimate ceremony in front of a handful of friends and family this year.

The Scottish music star proposed to Hope last May, just five months into their relationship.

Hope and Calvin Harris are said to be having an intimate wedding ceremony at some point this year / WireImage

Speaking of the upcoming nuptials, a source claimed to The Sun: Calvin and Vick have kept their relationship out of the public eye for the most part, so arent having a massive wedding to parade their love in front of the world.

Instead, they want it to be a much more intimate and simple day.

Harris is said to have proposed to the former Strictly star with a million pound diamond ring under a tree at his 138 acre Ibiza farm, Terra Masia.
E astEnders star Rita Simons is in talks with another TV drama series that shes hinted could be Coronation Street.

The 46-year-old, who plays the bolshy Roxy Mitchell on the BBC soap who is thought to be dead, confirmed today on Good Morning Britain that another show has reached out to her.

When GMB host Adil Ray asked her if it might be a rival, Corrie, which is set in Manchester, the star teased, Im not telling ya!" in a Mancunian accent.

He added, vaguely: All I can say is Ive left it so the fans finally understand Roxy may not be dead so in the future who knows, but right now, Im really having a lovely time, not there, and potentially going somewhere else.

On last nights EastEnders, the stars character Roxy, who is meant to have long died, made a comeback in daughter Amys imagination.

The scene showed Amy, who struggles with mental health issues, in a family therapy session saying if she could ask her mother anything it would be if she ever really loved her."

Imaginary Roxy told her: You were the one thing that I had, the one good thing. I was fighting for you!

The emotional appearance incited fans to take to social media to plead for her permanent return.

Simons joined the soap in 2007 and left 10 years later after her tragic accident with sister, Ronnie, played by Samantha Womack.

Back in 2017 wedding scenes, the pair drowned together in harrowing episodes.
H ollywood actress Eva Green is set to discover whether she has won a multimillion-pound High Court case over the collapse of a sci-fi film.

The Casino Royale star was due to play the lead role in dystopian thriller A Patriot, but the production collapsed in October 2019.

The 42-year-old sued the production company behind the project after the film was abandoned, claiming she is entitled to her million-dollar (810,000) fee under the terms of their agreement.

White Lantern Film and lender SMC Speciality Finance brought a counterclaim against Ms Green, alleging she undermined the independent films production and renounced the contract.

Mr Justice Michael Green is due to give his written ruling on the case on Friday after overseeing a trial in London earlier this year.

Edmund Cullen KC, for Ms Green, previously told the court that the actress had been subjected to a character assassination, adding it was based on some of the cheapest and nastiest sorts of stereotypes around.

The court heard that the actress described potential crew members as shitty peasants, the production as a B-shitty-movie and executive producer Jake Seal as pure vomit.

During two days of cross examination, Ms Green told the judge that she had a very direct way of saying things.

The French actress also said she was not called to the studio for rehearsals or stunt training, describing it as so strange and later absurd with a capital A.

She said: If I had been called to set, I would have done this film even though it would have been a disaster.

Ms Green later denied undermining the production, telling the court: I didnt have to do anything to make the film fail they made it fail on their own with their incompetence.

Max Mallin KC, representing White Lantern, said Ms Green had shown a categorical and unequivocal refusal to perform.

The production company also claimed that she made excessive creative and financial demands and had expectations that were incompatible with the films low budget.

Mr Mallin said it was not up to Ms Green whether or not she was called to set, adding: What is within her control is whether she responds to that call or not and, in my submission, she is making quite clear that she was not.

He added that she was so concerned about what would happen if she were expressly called upon to perform that she had suggested her agent invent a story about Ms Green being hospitalised.

Mr Justice Michael Green is expected to issue his ruling at 10am on Friday.
J ames Corden has marked the end of his Late Late Show alongside guests, including special friends Harry Styles and Will Ferrell, as he received a slew of goodbyes from other American late night hosts.

Corden announced a year ago that he would be ending his show after eight seasons, citing a desire to return to the UK to be closer to family and loved ones.

His parents were seated in the audience for the final show, and his sisters, he joked, were in town too  but at a bar instead.

Styles has been a frequent visitor to the show, and has even guest-hosted twice. Hes been game for a number of taped bits with Corden including the time the host directed a music video for Styles song Daylight for just $300 (240).

As a friend, Im so incredibly proud of you, Styles told Corden. On a personal note, youve been a safe space to me always as a friend.

He added that he was selfishly very excited that youre coming home. Styles, Corden and Ferrell then embraced in a group hug.

James Cordens Late Late Show airs for last time 1 / 21 James Cordens Late Late Show airs for last time The Late Late Show CBS CBS CBS CBS CBS CBS CBS CBS CBS CBS CBS CBS CBS CBS CBS

There were also goodbyes from the other late night hosts. Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and David Letterman all appeared in a pre-taped segment with Corden. They joked that since Corden was ending his show, they could each call dibs on one of his segments.

They all chose Carpool Karaoke, referencing Cordens most popular sketch where he drives around Los Angeles with celebrities and sing songs. Paul McCartney, Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder and Chris Martin are a few of his Carpool Karaoke passengers.

Corden closed out the night by playing a piano and singing a song with the crew and staff gathered around the stage.

Part of me thinks I should stay here forever but deep in my heart I just know, Corden sang. No more shows to be showing, its time I was going, Its time. Thanks for watching, thats our show.

Ahead of the final episode airing, Corden said it had been a surreal day.

The British comedian was joined by Tom Cruise and Adele for an hour-long primetime special ahead of the main show on US network CBS.

The special opened with Corden on the roof of the CBS studios in Los Angeles singing an ode to the city, the show and its various segments, while flanked by disco dancers.

Corden joked that after the conclusion of the show, the set would be dismantled and placed in the Smithsonian museum in Washington DC.

He later thanked everyone involved in the production of The Late Late Show and looked back on highlights of the past eight years.

This is a surreal day for all of us here, its crazy to me what weve done. Weve done 1200 Late Late Shows in the last eight years and we are reaching the end, he said.

He then introduced a reel of clips, featuring a slew of celebrity guests who had been on the show and participated in some of its most memorable segments.

The first sketch of the special saw him challenge Hollywood star Cruise to participate in a stage performance of the Lion King, as payback for years of life-threatening scenarios.

The pair later appeared onstage as Timon and Pumba to shrieks of delight from the unexpecting audience.

After a rendition of Can You Feel The Love Tonight, punctuated by clips of Cruises appearances on the show, the pair appeared on a helipad.

Thank you for everything youve done for my show, Corden told him.

Imitating one of his famous lines from film Jerry Maguire, Cruise replied: Shut up. You had me at hello.

In the final Carpool Karaoke segment, previously released online, global megastar Adele returned to the car, this time driving Corden to work.

Adele arrived at Cordens home, waking him up with cymbals, before starting the trip, during which they sang several of her hits and a musical number, and reminisced about the past eight years of his tenure on The Late Late Show.
K hloe Kardashian has shared the severity of the surgery she underwent to remove a melanoma last year.

The Good American founder gave fans their first look at the large vertical incision on her left cheek in a new trailer for the upcoming installment of The Kardashians.

In a brutal post-op image, a doctor is seen holding a ruler up to the freshly stitched wound to highlight its length of four centimetres.

The reality TV star, who is predisposed to melanoma, previously had surgery to remove it on her back 19 years ago.

Now in the newly-released Disney+ teaser, viewers watched as the famous family reacted to her latest skin cancer scare and expressed their concerns about her wellbeing.

Her younger sister Kylie Jenner, 25, is seen speaking to the 38-year-old and says with concern: Mom just told me that its melanoma.

The TV personality admits in the teaser: This was way more serious than I anticipated it to be / Disney+

Then momager Kris Jenner shares her worries in a confessional: This on her face is very concerning, before showing footage of the TV personality sporting a large bandage across her face.

Her friend Malika Haqq then remarks that shes never seen her this low while sister Kendall Jenner, 27, comments she doesnt sleep, she lost a lot weight as scenes of Khloe play of her holding her newborn son and undergoing scans in a hospital.

Reflecting on the health scare, Khloe says earnestly: Melanoma is deadly. This was way more serious than I anticipated it to be.

Back in October, the mother-of-two took to her Instagram to address photos of her bandaged face, explaining that she had a tumour from her cheek removed, which was fortunately caught early.

At the time, she wrote: After noticing a small bump on my face and assuming it was something as minor as a zit, I decided to get it biopsied 7 months after realising it was not budging.

She revealed that two doctors had biopsied the lump as what they were seeing was incredibly rare for someone of her age.

Continuing her posts, she added: A few days later I was told I need to have an immediate operation to remove a tumour from my face. I am grateful to share that Dr. Fischer was able to get everything  all my margins appear clear and now we are onto the healing process.

So here we are youll probably see a scar (and an indentation in my cheek from the tumour being removed) but until then I hope you enjoy how fabulous Im making these face bandages look.

Khloe told fans that the reason she was speaking out was to encourage others to get themselves checked if they spot anything unusual.

Season three of Kardashians is available to stream in the UK on Disney+ from May 25
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A mysterious Russian spacecraft appears to be chasing a confidential US military satellite.

Russias Kosmos-2558 was launched in August last year, and has repeatedly come close to the American military satellite USA-326, which the Pentagon said is meant to gather intelligence.

Experts have flagged Kosmos-2558 as an inspector satellite, capable of moving close to others and gathering data.

The Evening Standards inaugural tech rich list for the UK. Our tech reporter, Simon Hunt, runs through some of the names making the list and reveals the big milestone achieved by the UK tech sector.

Nasa has developed a method to extract oxygen from lunar soil in whats being described as a big step towards living on the Moon.

Scientists successfully removed oxygen from simulated lunar soil within a vacuum environment for the first time ever - using a high-powered laser to create a carbothermal reaction.

And the rest

A Muslim dating app loses its appeal against Tinder owner Match Group, Lego 3D printer builds human skin tissue and Wikipedia will not perform Online Safety Bill age checks.

Plus, Clubhouse cuts half of its staff in mass layoffs and the science behind why we take selfies.

Listen above, and find us on your Spotify Daily Drive or wherever you stream your podcasts.
S amsung phone owners can now get Microsofts Bing AI chatbot on their keyboard thanks to an update to the Swiftkey Beta app.

With it, you can consult OpenAIs most powerful AI assistant, GPT-4, on a range of apps and services, from email through social media to WhatsApp.

Swiftkey replaces the virtual keyboard on phones and tablets. This means Bing Chat will be only a shortcut tap away whenever you need to write a message on your phone.

For now, Samsung owners can access the bot by downloading the Microsoft Swiftkey Beta app from the Google Play Store.

As its name implies, this isnt the main version of the app, but its experimental sibling that gives you access to new features before theyre released to the wider public.

Microsoft originally debuted the AI chatbot on Swiftkey earlier this month, but it wasnt available on all phones.

Bing boasts three major features on Swiftkey: Chat, Tone, and Search. The three functionalities allow you to summon the bot to help with things such as crafting a flirty Tinder message (chat); making a work email sound more professional (tone); or checking the weather (search).

As it is built into the keyboard, you no longer need to leave an app to consult ChatGPT or Bing Chat on their respective websites. Who cares if youre accused of being unoriginal  sometimes even the smartest person in the room needs some inspiration.

How to download the Swiftkey keyboard with Bing AI

If you already have Swiftkey, or Swifkey Beta, installed on your phone, you can use Bing by pressing the dedicated icon at the top right of the keyboard. Firstly, though, you should head to your phones app store to check for an update to the Swiftkey app.

Those who dont have the app will need to install it from the App Store or Google Play. The app guides you through the process of replacing your phones default keyboard with the Microsoft alternative.

Some of the warnings from your phone may sound quite imposing; a malicious keyboard app could collect your input and, for example, steal your bank details. However, we think you can trust Swiftkey as much as your phones baked-in one. It was one of the most popular phone keyboards years before it was acquired by Microsoft in 2016.

An account sign-in from Microsoft will be required, too.

How does Bing Chat work?

Bing Chat uses OpenAIs GPT-4 artificial intelligence tech. This follows a $10 billion (8bn) investment in the company by Microsoft, announced in January 2023. Outside of Bing, GPT-4 is available to only paying users signed up to the ChatGPT Plus service.

Microsoft has been a long-term investor in the AI firm. It invested $1bn (800 million) in 2019. It also pumped in an additional $2bn (1.6bn) between 2019 and 2023, according to the New York Times.

OpenAI has its own GPT-4-based chatbot, the famous ChatGPT. It also developed the DALL-E image-generation AI, which creates pictures based on text input.
The Israeli military traded fire with Gaza militants Tuesday in a flare-up of violence following the death in Israeli custody of a Palestinian prisoner on hunger strike.
It was a bittersweet goodbye, as staff at Brampton Animal Services helped load King into the back of his new owners car.

The 8-year-old dog had been staying at the shelter for more than two years before growing increasingly despondent, sparking a recent news story that was shared widely online.

Mike Mulick, manager at Brampton Animal Services said they were flooded with calls and inquiries about the sad dog.

It was so nice to see, he said, adding that not only were people from across the GTA interested in him, but some as far as Sudbury and even Quebec and Prince Edward Island.

Some people even donated money specifically for his care.

Staff say the right match was a retired man from the Hamilton area, who heard about Kings story online.

The man had previously owned three German Shepherds and didnt have other pets or children in the home.

Mulick said the man also has a big backyard for him to play.

King went home on April 21 and has reportedly been spending plenty of time on the couch and in the yard.

Thats really all we wanted for him, Mulick said, explaining that over recent months he was getting more and more aloof, just lying on his bed in the kennel.

He said staff worked hard to keep him engaged, going for walks and playing with toys, but were worried about the day when he would lose interest altogether.

They get attached to the animals, Mulick said of his staff, noting that it was a tearful goodbye. A lot of them had fought for him to keep going.

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Kiersten Sanchez, a parent to two children, ages four and six, said no summer camp spots were available at Fleming Centre when she logged into register earlier this month.



While spring has just arrived, many Lincoln parents have summer on the mind as they struggle to find coveted spots in town-run camp programs for their children.

It's definitely scary because without these programs and services, how do the parents survive throughout the summer? asked Vicki Bentley, mother to two children, ages seven and two.

Either forced to take vacations or rely on family members, Bentley said she couldnt go to work without someone to look after her children. For her, summer camps like the ones offered by the Town of Lincoln are crucial.

It's a system, right? Then I can't pay my bills.

Her seven-year-old son has six of the eight weeks covered at a summer camp, but Bentley is still on the wait-list for the other two, hoping other people bail.

She said she wouldnt know what to do this summer if she hadnt gotten her son into the camp and that child care is a huge issue in Lincoln.

In 16 minutes, they (camp spots) were sold out, she said, acknowledging there are a couple of other smaller options, but they are either religiously run or through the school board.

The town, she said, is growing too fast and the support services needed to keep up with demand are insufficient.

Associate director of recreation and culture at the Town of Lincoln, Sarah Ane, said daycare centres and summer camp shortages are happening nationwide and recognizes Lincoln is facing challenges in serving the growing community.

Its a problem that probably needs to be addressed from a higher level, Ane said. With respect to summer camps, specifically in the town of Lincoln, I would say that, yes, we have seen a demand and an increase in demand.

Recently, the town reached an agreement with the District School Board of Niagara to use West Niagara Secondary Schools double gymnasium once the school opens, with the goal of expanding recreation programs.

We are always looking at what is trending. Is there a lot of demand for it? And then we make adjustments accordingly, she said.

According to Ane, town staff will review all areas of need in the existing programs along with their possible gaps and make recommendations to the council for the 2024 budget in order to develop appropriate programs at the school.

It is absolutely imperative that we have a variety of child care options in our community that are available to people. And I think we do we do have that here in Lincoln.

Limited summer camp spaces remain available at Jordan Arena for registration, explained Ane, who encouraged parents to register their children, even if there is a wait-list. She said spots will likely open, and wait-lists will be moved accordingly.

Parents should also look into other camp providers in the community, such as Cave Springs Camp, NPCA programs, area churches and the YMCA West Niagara, explained Ane.

According to the town, the pandemic led recreational programs to operate in a very limited way, under heavy restrictions, and other camps in Niagara have experienced similar demand.

Kiersten Sanchez, a parent to two children, ages four and six, said no spots were available at Fleming Centre when she logged in on April 3.

Over March break, she had the same issue and couldnt find a camp for her son in Lincoln but managed to send him to a camp in Smithville.

I have heard others are having the same issues, Sanchez said. I suspect there's probably not enough funding or there's not enough staff.

She guaranteed three weeks for her six-year-old this summer but will probably have to change shifts with her husband, use vacation time, or call in sick to cover the rest of the time.

If I can't work and I can't get paid, I can't provide for my family, Sanchez said. It's something that I have to rely on.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: When reporter Beatriz Baleeiro heard summer camp spots at town-run programs were filled up, she wanted to connect with parents to see how this impacted them and find out what the town was doing to address the concerns.

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Egyptian efforts to facilitate the crossing of refugees from Sudan over the past few days have resulted in the entry of over 16,000 foreign nationals as of 27 April, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Abu-Zeid, stated on Thursday.

14,000 Sudanese citizens, along with 2,000 citizens from 50 countries and six international organisations, entered Egypt, Abu Zeid clarified.

Efforts continue around the clock to receive citizens fleeing military conflict, alleviate their suffering and provide them with necessary humanitarian aid.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Transportation reported that 10,194 individuals from different countries entered Egypt through border crossings between 21 and 25 April.

The ministry also highlighted its cooperation with the Egyptian Red Crescent, which opened a relief centre earlier this week, providing necessary meals and medicine for refugees.

Egypt has around 10,000 citizens in Sudan, including 5,000 students, trying to evacuate amid clashes that have killed 427 people, including two Egyptians and wounded thousands.

As per the most recent update from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, 2,679 Egyptian citizens have been successfully evacuated from Sudan thus far.

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A hard film to watch, but an important one.

The film Prey will be shown for free at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake on May 18 at 6 p.m.

Niagaras William OSullivan is helping to host the screening.

OSullivan is a victim of sexual abuse by disgraced ex-priest Donald Grecco, who, in October 2017, received an 18-month sentence for sexually abusing three boys between 1975 and 1982.

His total number of known victims is six.

Since publicly sharing his story, OSullivan has become well known across Niagara for his advocacy work, and for protesting outside of St. Kevins Church where his abuse happened.

OSullivan refers to the movie as a docu-film, and it follows the story of Rod MacLeod, who has a similar story to OSullivans.

Hes a survivor in Windsor of Father Hodgeson. His nickname was Hod, and it has his whole deposition in this documentary, he said of the film. It is an absolutely amazing documentary. Disgusting, but absolutely amazing. If I can give any credit to a priest, I can give it to this Father Hod, because when he did his deposition, he knew he was dying and he gave it all up. Everything. All the names, all the boys, all of them. So and it's not very often you hear of a priest doing that.

Prior to the pandemic, OSullivan had been planning regular educational movie nights where he would show similar documentaries and there would be discussion and guest speakers. He got to show one film, Night Spotlight, before the pandemic cancelled his plans.

OSullivan said hes had people question why and how hes able to show such a film at a church, but he said its all about building rapport.

(People) just assume that I hate God, I hate Jesus, I hate people that walk in those buildings. And it doesn't have anything to do with Jesus, God, it has nothing to do with that, he said. This has to do with the most powerful institution on this planet getting away with trafficking children.

The free movie night will include guest speakers, and OSullivan promises awareness and education.

RELATED STORIES BEHIND THE CRIMES: Child sexual abuse survivor finds his voice and uses it to fight for change

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Eric Amayomayorga decided it was no longer safe in his native Nicaragua.

With the countrys Sandinista government clamping down on any form of dissent, Amayomayorga, as a university professor, became a target.

Its a dictatorship in Nicaragua, he said. A political process started in 2018. Students were protesting the government, and I supported my students.

As things escalated, he and his wife decided to leave their three children, ages five, 17 and 21, in the care of relatives and find a safer place to live.

In possession of a U.S. visa from when hed worked with American universities, he first thought of settling there.

But the U.S. has high crime, and a lot of people have guns, Amayomayorga said.

Canada became an option after hearing about the flow of refugees entering Canada via Roxham Road on the Quebec border with New York state. He arrived in Canada on Feb. 15 and since then, he and his wife are among the 2,500 refugees being housed in hotels in Niagara Falls.

Amayomayorga was also among 52 who were at the Niagara Falls Public Library on April 28 for an information session put together by Gloria Garcia, the executive director of SignUp Canada, which provides services to newcomers, international students and new immigrants. Representatives from agencies such as the Employment Help Centre, Strive Niagara and property rental agency MetCap Living outlined services that are available to help connect the refugees with the resources needed to help the establish their new life in Canada.

All of these people came through Roxham Road, Garcia said. I was working as an interpreter with two Catholic churches in Niagara Falls (Our Lady of the Scapular and St. Ann) for their clothing program.

Another speaker was Maria Garay, a senior leasing co-ordinator for MetCap, a property management company with apartments in Niagara. She was on hand to take questions from the attendees concerning what it would take to set up a home in Canada.

I just helped them learn about everything they would need, Garay said. I told them they would have to sign a lease agreement, what things are included (with rent).

While those are technical things, she said that the most important thing the newcomers need to do is to learn to speak English.

They need to learn English to get a job as soon as possible so they can pay rent.

Linda Rodrigues outlined the support programs Strive Niagara had available for the community.

People were asking about what they can do for their children, she said. We provide support for the family.

Strive Niagara, through programs such as Healthy from the Start, helps with lifestyle and nutritional support for women at risk, as well as child care for children ages infant to six years old.

We provide prenatal vitamins, Rodrigues said. If a woman is breastfeeding, well provide vitamin D.

Garcia, meanwhile, said she decided she wanted to do something to help and hosting an information session about resources available in the community for refugees was a good place to start. She has been in the same shoes as many of the people who came to the session.

Ive been settled here for 18 years, Garcia said. I see they need a lot of help and I love to help.

More sessions will be held in the future, she added.

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Phil McInerneys apartment is supposed to offer wonderful views of a wooded ravine and creek that run alongside the building.

Instead, he said his balcony looks out over a dump where thousands of pieces of garbage have been discarded, and people gather to inject illegal drugs.

All the crap, garbage and junk. Its just a dropping spot for everything. Its frustrating to watch, said McInerney, who moved into the apartment at Crown Tower Apartments about a year ago. Its just a greenspace gone for s--t, and nobody cares.

Meanwhile, he said his nights are regularly disrupted by the shouts from people who frequent the wooded area near Glenridge Avenue in St. Catharines, adjacent to the 40-bed Southridge Shelter.

McInerney said his concerns are shared by other residents of the building, particularly those whose apartments face the ravine.

Theyre out at night howling like wolves and we have to listen to this ... We have to listen to them at night in the summertime, he said. But its the garbage, the junk, the filth, the dirt, the needles.

He said emergency crews are called to the area most days, and he suspects theyre responding to reports of drug overdoses.

Its four times a week, but Ive seen it twice in a day, he said.

St. Andrews Ward 2 Coun. Matt Harris said he too has had to deal with similar disturbances in the area.

He said his evenings are often disrupted by wailing emergency sirens passing by his home on Glenridge Avenue, a few blocks north of Southridge Shelter.

Harris said the issues have become significantly worse after the shelter began allowing people using drugs to stay. It previously operated as a dry shelter, meaning anyone presenting with signs of alcohol or drug use was not permitted entry. But that changed during the pandemic.

In an email, Niagaras homelessness services director Cathy Cousins said Southridge now offers a low- barrier, trauma informed approach which is consistent across shelters within Niagaras homelessness serving system.

All shelters in Niagara operate under shelter guidelines, that are updated from time to time to reflect the newest and best practices to generate the best outcomes, she said. This approach is based upon evidence and research as outlined by the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness and Built for Zero Canada.

But Harris suspects the church-run shelter does not have the resources needed to assist people struggling with addictions.

I like Southridge. I like the idea of what they originally intended to do, but I dont think they have the expertise to navigate people with mental health issues and addiction issues, Harris said. When you drive down Glenridge and you see people doing drugs in the bus shelter, and you think to yourself, could you imagine your daughter going to Brock and she has to deal with that?  Eventually, the neighbourhood is going to rebel and say enough is enough.

While Harris said he supports the work being done at Southridge, he said more needs to be done to ensure it does not diminish the quality of life for neighbouring residents.

Its great to be compassionate, but its also OK to be compassionate to regular citizens as well.

There needs to be some accountability, he said.

Harris said he and fellow St. Andrews Ward 2 Coun. Joe Kushner as well as Mayor Mat Siscoe have a meeting scheduled with Southridge Shelter management on May 3 to discuss the concerns.

Meanwhile, emergency responses to disturbances, including suspected overdoses, have continued to increase in St. Catharines.

Niagara Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Bryce Brunarski said paramedics responded to 60 suspected overdoses region-wide in March  a 53.8 per cent increase over February. He said the bulk of those calls were in St. Catharines.

Calls to Southridge Shelter to discuss the concerns were not returned.

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Armed with cameras, cellphones and drones, a couple hundred people lined the west wall of the Welland Canal in Port Colborne Friday morning, eagerly awaiting the arrival of a historic passenger ship.

Also packed was a viewing stand at West and Sugarloaf streets as the 91.5-metre long S.S. Keewatin came in off Lake Erie under tow by McKeil Marines Molly M I and Wyatt M.

The Molly M I towed the vessel from its home in Port McNicoll, on the south shore of Georgian Bay, and was assisted by at least two other tugs along the way.

S.S. Keewatin down Lake Erie to Port Colborne

As it arrived offshore of Port Colborne, McKeil Marines Wyatt M headed out on the lake to help bring the vessel in.

Two small boats and a man on a personal watercraft, Nigel Hay of Fort Erie, got close-up views of the Keewatin on the lake and the canal.

Hay goes by @LakeErieVlogger on Twitter, where hes already posted videos of the two, and has a YouTube channel  www.youtube.com/@NigelHay  where he posts videos of storms and his sea doo adventures.

The Keewatin was one of six ships owned by Canadian Pacific Railways to sail the Upper Great Lakes and was built in Glasgow, Scotland, on the River Clyde, according to the website sskeewatin.com.

From 1907 to 1965, it transported passengers and freight on a two-and-a-half-day journey across the Great Lakes from Port McNicoll, on the south shore of Georgian Bay, to Fort William and Port Arthur, now Thunder Bay.

The Keewatin docked on the east wall of the Welland Canal for inspection and then headed to Hamiltons Heddle Shipyards for repairs.

Approximately $2 million will be spent to replace the promenade decking, reinforce the funnel, paint the ships two masts and rebuild the wheelhouse.

It will then be towed to Kingston and prepped for a spring 2024 unveiling.

According to a story in Metroland Medias Midland Mirror, Skyline Investments, which owned the vessel, donated it to the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes in Kingston in March.

With files from Andrew Mendler/Midland Mirror

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Inmates at Niagara Detention Centre in Thorold say they were semi-successful in a hunger strike regarding grievances within the walls of the institution.

The hunger strike started last Wednesday before dinner, after inmates at the institution declared action on issues they said had been going unheard by detention centre staff. It ended Sunday.

What we were doing it for, we were trying to get certain privileges back, said Jon-Luc Williams, an inmate at the Niagara Detention Centre (NDC), during a phone call with The Standard.

Prior to the hunger strike, inmates could only have about $100 in their accounts for canteen, where they can buy snacks, toiletries, and other incidentals.

Williams said this was causing stress on inmates families due to the increase in cost for gas and time needed to constantly travel to the detention centre.

Our families come here every week to put $100 into our account (for canteen), it was getting costly with the hike of gas and everything else, so theyre raising it now to $280.

He said some other grievances they had were regarding mail, either not getting their mail when received, or getting letters half photocopied, which made reading them difficult, especially pertaining to family or personal issues.

Some other things we were trying to go for werent reached, like the frequency of strip searches, every time they come in, they take our laundry, and they strip search us, he said.

Williams and other inmates stressed at times the hunger strike was tough, causing some to mentally break and begin to bicker with each other.

Personally, not eating for that many days affected my mental health and a lot of other peoples mental health too, he said.

Theres many people that just break, it was like a scene out of a movie.

As of Sunday, staff and inmates had entered into negotiations, leading to an end to the hunger strike.

Advocacy groups had been monitoring, through inmates families and friends, the progress of the hunger strike at the jail, as conditions within the walls of detention centres and correctional institutions can influence the wider society, they said.

Its not something prisoners arrive at lightly, said Cedar Hopperton, volunteer with the Barton Prisoners Solidarity Project, which has protested inmates conditions at the detention centre in the past.

The decision to do a hunger strike is a serious one because everybody understands its putting their health and safety at risk, and prisoners only get to that when conditions have deteriorated.

She said supporting inmates when they take a stand is important because conditions existing inside of prisons affect everyone.

With an average incarceration time at 45 days, it means more people are going to exit the institutional system with more negative outcomes, she added.

Almost everybody who touches into a provincial institution will be released very shortly afterwards and having them released with more trauma and harm doesnt make our communities any safer or better.

Hopperton went on to say inmates within the institutional system in Canada by its very nature are being punished by being locked up and should not have to endure further punishments due to conditions of detention centres.

We should make sure prisoners have opportunities for social advancement and health while theyre locked up, she said.

Unfortunately, that is not the case, and the conditions inside of prison, frankly, the violence people face is seen as an inescapable part or desirable part of locking people up.

Inmates are saying this institution is dreadful and despite being locked up they still have many of the same rights as anyone else, said Sara Ramalho, criminal lawyer with Brenda V Sandulak and J. Ronald Charlebois Criminal Lawyers.

The conditions at the jail are deplorable, theres illness, overcrowding and lockdowns for 23 to 23-and-a-half hours a day still ongoing, she said.

My clients, in there right now, are telling me this is the worst stint theyve ever done in custody, ever.

Ramalho stated when it comes to hunger strikes theyre (inmates) not making demands, theyre asking to be treated like human beings.

When it comes to conditions in the NDC many people in there are awaiting trial, which means they are innocent until proven guilty, said Brenda Sandulak, of Brenda V Sandulak and J. Ronald Charlebois Criminal Lawyers.

Thorold is more of a holding jail youre talking about people who are, in many cases, being held on pretrial detention. she said.

Thats an important factor to keep in mind, because people who are in pretrial detention have not been found guilty of anything.

She said whether they are guilty or not, they are still human and are entitled to be treated the same way you or I are, minus the freedom of movement.

The reality is their quality of life is going to be diminished to a certain extent, but that doesnt mean they need to be treated in an inhumane way, said Sandulak.

Sandulak contends treatment of inmates has been an ongoing issue, since starting her practice over 30 years ago.

This problem is going to get worse because sentences being meted out are going up, and more people are being sentenced to custodial dispositions and longer custodial dispositions, she said.

Were going to see an explosion, at some point, and the hunger strike is the tip of the iceberg.

The Standard reached out to the Office of the Solicitor General for comment but did not receive one before deadline.

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A driver and his female passenger were taken to hospital with serious injuries after an SUV crashed into a Walmart in St. Catharines Friday.

The collision happened around 12:40 p.m. when the Saturn SUV hit the front of the store on Welland Avenue under an awning.

Niagara Regional Police said Niagara Emergency Services paramedics and the St. Catharines Fire Service treated two people in the vehicle.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. Police said its suspected the driver may have suffered a medical incident.

Niagara EMS spokesman Bryce Brunarski said the male patient was transported with life-threatening injuries to a local helipad where Ornge air ambulance took him to an out-of-region hospital.

The female passenger had serious injuries and was transported by Niagara EMS paramedics to an out-of-region hospital.

Police said the wall of the store has significant damage. An estimate of the value was not immediately available.

Its believed the SUV was totalled.

No charges were laid.

Police are asking anyone who witnessed the collision to contact officers at 905-688-4111 ext. 1024233 and reference incident 23-42865.

There have been at least four crashes into buildings in St. Catharines this year.

In January, a man in his 80s was taken to an out-of-region hospital with serious injuries after his vehicle struck a medical building on Vine Street South near Welland Avenue.

Earlier that month, a vehicle crashed into the Bank of Montreal at the corner of King and Queen Streets downtown causing so much damage the building was declared unsafe. A 37-year-old man was arrested for impaired operation of a motor vehicle in that case.

In March, a car crashed through a window into the St. Catharines Hospital on Fourth Avenue where Niagara Health office space is located. The 86-year-old driver and a passenger sustained minor injuries.

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For many years, there was a missing link in Niagaras workforce.

There were employers looking to hire, and immigrants and newcomers entering the region seeking employment  but no one was connecting those two elements.

Now, Workforce Collective, under a new name with a new objective, is taking the lead, with its role in connecting employers and newcomers crystallizing. It is part of the National Network of Immigrant Employment Councils.

(The government) hears a lot from immigrant settlement service provides but that employer voice and advocacy piece wasnt there, said Rachel Crane, learning and engagement lead for the collective.

Learning about what they need in order to get connected with newcomers, to access the talent pool and then to support them to get more equitable employment.

In its new role, Crane said the collective is not looking to duplicate work being done in the community through immigrant services, instead it is filling the gaps while working with those partners.

It is still relatively early in the process, sorting what comes next and what is needed. In March, the collective released a two-page topic brief, Equitable Employment for Immigrants: A win-win for all, trying simply to gather and report data such as how many newcomers are in Niagara, including permanent residents and asylum claimants, their needs, the barriers they face and engaging employers better.

Weve packed a lot into those two pages, but its meant to be starting many more conversations and other engagements, said Crane.

There are a variety of ways the collective is looking to engage the workforce, such as holding design labs and focus groups. By getting people with different perspectives in the same room  including employers, immigrants, settlement service providers and local groups such as Niagara College  it can figure out the challenges within Niagaras system.

In the early results, one issue that came up is newcomers not experiencing the same type of positive outcomes when seeking employment as a Canadian-born person. So Crane said its about figuring out why employers arent hiring newcomers, despite being equally trained and educated.

We have a lot of employers (who will) identify we have bias, our hiring systems are biased, and I think that language is more in the mainstream now and is more known, said Crane, adding its then about figuring out how to address those systems.

Other times, employers simply dont know how to connect to those groups.

As of March, there were 2,487 asylum claimants living in Niagara Falls hotel rooms. Crane said employers have reached out to the collective, unsure how to get in touch with those individuals other than going to Niagara Falls and sitting outside a hotel.

Crane said the collective is still figuring out the answer, because it is relatively recent and because of an increased engagement from employers. As a result, there is gap.

The immigrant settlement service system, theyre supporting all other immigrants who are coming here from all the pathways. But the refugee one  we just have so many right now in our backyard who are not being supported, she said. Theres a gap  but we can rally and do things that arent being done.

The collective is working with a small group of employers in Grimsby, creating an employer navigation service, who have decided engaging with refugees is a priority.

Its very new and were actually going to hire someone to support them and get them connected, she said, whether that is a potential job fair or information session to get the two groups connected one-on-one.

Over the past year or so, the collective has also been working to address concerns from immigrants who are more settled, coming to Canada through the economic immigrant pathway because their talent and skills fill a labour need. And yet, theyre not finding employment.

The collective is also setting up systems in anticipation of what is to come, with expectation there could be as many as 500,000 immigrants arriving in Canada each year.

We stayed tuned to obviously the news and then our immigrant settlement partners and then from there, we learn whats needed, she said.

It is a unique time also for employers who are facing labour shortages, and as a result, they are having to think creatively about the talent pool theyre pulling from. But that is good news for Crane, because employment has an impact on the lives of newcomers, allowing them an opportunity to successfully settle in a new country, she said.

Thats obviously a big contributing factor to their well-being and overall ability to flourish. I think that its very hopeful what were doing and theres a lot of opportunity for any employer out there.

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Its a challenge sweeping across Ontario and Canada. The shortage of health-care workers  doctors, nurses and other clinical staff  is already impacting Niagara and has reached a critical point.

We dont have enough physicians to continue operating as we always have.

Some people claim COVID-19 created this problem. I disagree. The pandemic exposed, and accelerated, challenges our industry has faced for years, even decades. Fewer health-care workers helping more and more people. Increased wait times. Burnout.

Because of these challenges, and the unique needs of Niagaras growing and aging population, we are driving transformational change at Niagara Health, change that will increase our capacity, enhance patient care and encourage more people to pursue careers in health care in our community.

When it comes to health human resources, the do nothing and hope for the best approach simply wont work. Weve made tough decisions to cope with staffing shortages, including temporarily closing the Port Colborne and Fort Erie urgent care centres. Most recently, an ongoing anesthesiologist shortage caused a wind-down of after-hours emergency surgeries at Welland hospital. For the past few summers, weve asked physicians to forgo vacations, work overtime and stretch themselves thin. We cant keep doing that. We wont.

Niagara Health is working to mitigate impacts to patient care, but these short-term actions are untenable in the long term. To manage the anesthesiologist shortage, we have explored other models of care, including deploying anesthesia assistants and supervised nurse sedation. Similar staffing pressures are being felt in general internal medicine and emergency departments where we are attempting to recruit physician assistants to work along-side physicians. And our organization is working closely with post-secondary institutions, including McMaster and Brock universities and Niagara College to help fill gaps in our workforce.

But without long-term solutions, the challenges we face will only fester, leading to more burnout, deteriorating service and less capacity.

There have been calls for a national plan to address this crisis and demands for increased government funding. But what good are more funds if there arent enough individuals looking for employment? What is certain is for meaningful solutions to actualize, we must take a collaborative, all-hands-on deck approach that includes officials from health associations, hospitals across Ontario and all levels of government.

At Niagara Health, we are charting a path forward to transform how we deliver services over the next decade. This path is focused on implementing a new, regional model and approach to care. It will allow us to make best use of the staff resources we have, while positioning us to attract more talent in the future.

This is our Transforming Care plan. It will build a leading, modern and responsive health system across three cornerstone hospitals in Welland, south Niagara and St. Catharines, allowing us to provide the right care at the right time, for everyone in Niagara.

At 1.3 million square feet (120,775 square metres) with almost 500 beds, the state-of-the-art south Niagara hospital will not only transform how we deliver care but will help attract the best and brightest. We need an all-hands-on-deck approach to help recruitment, with local government and communities working with us to attract workers.

Today, we are doing everything we can to invest in our people. From deploying training and wellness programs, to leveraging innovative technology to reduce administrative burdens on our staff, Niagara Health is committed to championing solutions for health-care workers. And we are ready and eager to work with our partners to achieve our common goals.

Looking ahead, we must prioritize attracting more people to careers in health care while moving full steam ahead with our regional model to make best use of our front-line workers. The status quo is not enough to keep pace with demands on our system.

Through our Transforming Care plan, a resilient and robust health-care workforce is attainable. While we do everything we can, and work to reimagine health care in our region, we will continue to call on community leaders to come to the table and work with us to address the challenges we face.

Together, we will ensure Niagara continues to be the best place to live, work and raise a family.

Lynn Guerriero is president and chief executive officer of Niagara Health

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Newspapers history columns should be collected

Re: The fate of the Penmor building on St. Catharines market square, April 7

Im a local historian and feel the Niagara Dailies newspapers and their contributing columnists Dennis Gannon and Mark Allenov should be commended for publishing their historical series, St. Catharines Yesterday and Today and Welland Then and Now.

The pictures invariably have not been seen before, and the accompanying texts are well researched and written, descriptive and informative.

Indeed, each picture is worth a thousand words.

By happenstance, they sometimes offer even more in their showing.

For instance, the recent Penmor photo shows an impressive building block that was once part of the local St. Catharines streetscape. But, it also shows a row of automobiles  when cars were cars  which, with a good wash and some polish, would look good even today at a Friday cruise night.

The recent articles featuring factory sites in Welland highlight Wellands and Crowlands once major industrial might, which has now been replaced with industries of a different kind, new housing and brownfields. What remains, though, is the enduring ethnic heritage and legacy that was planted by those who came here, singly or with families, laboured in these factories, and gained a better life.

These articles should be collected and published as separate volumes, and find a place in every school library and home.

John Burtniak

St. Catharines

Conservative attacks over strike not surprising

I was not surprised to see Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre stand up in Parliament and attack the Trudeau government for allowing the legal strike action now under way by government employees.

These same employees went over and above their duties during two-plus years of COVID-19 disruption and have worked without a valid contract for quite some time. Their strike action was a last resort effort to achieve a just contract and was supported by a majority of the membership.

It is ridiculous hypocrisy see Conservatives claiming to be concerned over the disruption and the inconvenience caused by these workers. It is in sharp contrast to the warmth with which Poilievre embraced the illegal and often threatening behaviour of protesters that Canada witnessed in the winter of 2022.

Just like the Conservatives under Stephen Harper, Poilievres bunch prefers the heavy-handed use of back to work legislation rather than collective bargaining in good faith.

I am concerned that, like the Republicans in the U.S., the Conservative Party of Canada is more concerned with gaining power than it is to work for all the people in Canada, including union workers. Poilievre is starting to look more and more like a Trump Mini Me!

Richard Murri

Niagara Falls

Letters welcome

We welcome letters from our readers. Send them to letters@niagaradailies.com or mail to PO Box 5031 Stn Main, St. Catharines, Ont., L2R 7T4. Letters should be 250 words or less, and may be edited for length and clarity. Please include your name, address and phone number for verification purposes.

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NEW YORK - Canada won Volkswagens lucrative new electric vehicle battery plant despite way, way more U.S. dollars on the table, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday as he talked up the virtues of his progressive approach to industrial policy.

Trudeaus two-day trip to New York, aimed at keeping up the momentum from last months presidential visit to Ottawa, culminated in an earnest sales pitch that framed Canada as a conscientious and forward-thinking place to invest.

Just look at Volkswagen, said Trudeau, which ultimately settled on the one-time industrial manufacturing hotbed of St. Thomas, Ont., despite what the prime minister said were richer offers from south of the border.

Ill be honest: there were places in the United States that were putting up way, way more money than we put on the table, Trudeau told a moneyed audience of bankers and academics at the Council of Foreign Relations.

Canada wasnt just kicking tires, though: ultimately, subsidies worth up to $13 billion plus a $700 million grant no doubt played a key role in keeping the so-called gigafactory from being built on U.S. soil.

But to hear Trudeau tell it, the abundance of clean energy and critical minerals riches, Canadas carbon price regimen, a well-educated workforce and a long-term investment in those workers were what really sealed the deal.

Volkswagen said, OK, were showing up with a plant thats not going to be there for five years, or 10 years. Its going to be there for 50 years, maybe even more, Trudeau said.

We need to invest in a community that is going to be invested in itself and in that future.

Without doubt, the VW plant and the 3,000 jobs it is expected to produce is the most towering victory so far in what the federal Liberal government hopes is the ongoing evolution of Canada into a critical minerals powerhouse.

But the modern-day riches poised to power the new industrial revolution  lithium, cobalt, magnesium, nickel and copper, to name but a few  are still largely in the ground, and business leaders are clamouring for more certainty around the regulatory regime that will govern how they are extracted.

Trudeau offered no specific details on that score Friday, except to reiterate that whatever framework emerges will reflect the importance of fighting climate change and working with Indigenous communities.

The framework, when complete, will be a stronger and clearer process that is both faster and more predictable, while of course making sure were protecting communities interests and protecting the environment, he said.

During a recent meeting with the prime minister in Ottawa, U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Suzanne Clark described Canadas regulatory regimen as more efficient than that south of the border, Trudeau said.

Thats not a universally held view, however.

A 2019 Deloitte study described Canadian businesses as facing outsized regulatory burdens, and that it typically takes five months longer in Canada to obtain a construction permit than in the U.S.

And a 2020 World Bank ranking of countries based on ease of doing business placed Canada in 23rd place, well back of the U.S. in sixth. New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong topped the list, in that order.

High environmental and labour standards and the carbon-price regimen will likely come at a price to those sourcing their critical minerals from Canada, Trudeau acknowledged earlier in the day.

If were being honest ... the lithium produced in Canada is going to be more expensive, he said.

The world needs to decide  and is still in the process of deciding  whether or not were actually going to value the things we value throughout our supply chain.

Its important, he added, to build democratic values into decisions about where to source minerals, and its not just about telling companies not to get them from countries such as China.

We should simply commit to sourcing our critical minerals from places that ban forced labour, that have safety standards, that pay their workers a living wage, that have high environmental protections, that work in partnership with Indigenous Peoples.

Trudeau spent the bulk of the day Thursday focused on promoting efforts to advance sustainable development outside North America, in particular the global South.

He faced pointed questions about a 15 per cent cut in humanitarian aid spending in the last federal budget, a decline he attributed to recent crises and conflicts like the COVID-19 pandemic and Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Baseline aid levels will keep going up, even though there will likely be more humanitarian disasters before the end of the fiscal year that will demand Canada make additional commitments, he said.

Trudeau also announced a new five-year, $195-million investment  plus $43 million every subsequent year  in womens rights advocacy around the world.

Trudeau said the program, Womens Voice and Leadership, has helped more than 1,500 organizations since it was launched in 2017, far exceeding the original target of 400 groups, who receive the assistance without strings.

Abortion rights have been under legal siege in recent months in the U.S., Trudeau acknowledged as he seized on the opportunity to depict his government as pro-choice  and its Conservative rivals as the opposite.

The U.S. courts have played host to seismic shifts in access to abortion over the last year, most notably the Supreme Courts decision last June to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that established federal abortion rights.

Advocates had feared that a legal stalemate over access to the so-called abortion pill, mifepristone, would end much the same way, before the high court opted late last week to maintain the status quo  for the time being.

The U.S. Department of Justice is fighting a Texas court decision that, if allowed to stand, would effectively rescind the Food and Drug Administrations 23-year-old approval of the drug.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2023.

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The head of the Sudanese Armed Forces General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan announced on Thursday that he has agreed to extend the ceasefire with the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for three more days, according to Sky News Arabia.

Al-Burhan's announcement came a few hours before a US-brokered 72-hour ceasefire between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF was set to come to an end on Thursday night.

The extension of the ceasefire came in accordance with the efforts of both the United States and Saudi Arabia to calm the situation in the country, according to Al-Burhan.

The report also confirmed that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend the truce and promised to use it to ease the suffering of the Sudanese people.

The RSF stressed its commitment to the conditions of the truce in order to support the efforts to evacuate citizens, foreigners, and dipolmatic missions so that they could return safely to their families.

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Great, now we dont know if emojis are sincere?

Before we get going today, I must address the outraged ruffians of Leafs Nation  including my brother Kris  calling for an unsportsmanlike misconduct because a column this week left them feeling like I was a Judas Iscariot, ankle-wobbling in Bauers on thin ice. I never told you to defect from Leafs Nation.

By all means, keep painting your cheeks. Keep waving your flags.

And when the Leafs are eliminated, Ill send you a thoughts-and-prayers emoji.

From hieroglyphics to Ikea instructions, we are conditioned to, well, draw meaning from pictograms. But are the emojis now flying at Mach 5 in the ether an accurate reflection of how we truly feel? Or as a CBS story put it this week: Are people really being honest when they pick these emotion emojis?

A recent study out of Japan suggests the answer is no.

You can read it in the journal, Frontiers in Psychology. Warning: its long and larded with citations and the social science jargon that makes me want to inject Red Bull into my retinas just to get through the introduction. But this sentence sums it up: Interestingly, smiling faces do not necessarily express happiness but are also used to de-intensify and mask emotions that are not appropriate for expression.

In other words, emojis might be deceptive.

That eggplant a weirdo just texted might not necessarily reflect BDE.

Ive come around on these goofy toons of digital comms. When emojis first gained cultural traction, it felt odd to send someone a picture instead of words. It felt juvenile. But we have busy lives. And emojis are as convenient as seat warmers. They are also free. Or Id be in debt over the crying-laughing emojis I fling every day.

You know what else? Emojis are a beautiful conversation killer. If Im en route to the market and my wife texts to request cauliflower, I can reply with a thumbs up. Then when I ignore her disgusting request and stock up on ribs, I send a sad face to pretend the cauliflower was sold out even though it wasnt. Happy face!

Im not casting aspersions on this Japanese study. However, having spent six years as a TV critic that included watching utterly deranged Tokyo game shows, I would suggest there might be cultural and confounding variables that do not translate into universal emoji insight. Id also question why researchers studied 1,289 participants, of whom 1,085 were between the ages of 12 and 19. And only 78 were male.

That is flawed methodology. Sigh face!

My teen daughters emoji proclivities are not representative of Noam Chomsky.

But even if everyone is prone to dishonest emojification  I just made up a word  why is this surprising in a world where white lies are a crucial social lubricant? At home, at work, with family, with friends, with strangers in public spaces, our faces are living emojis. We fib because we care. Do I believe your new dress is gorgeous? Hard no. You look like a zebra that was run over by an 18-wheeler. But I say you look gorgeous because that is what good people should do. We lie to soothe. Happy face!

Youre at a restaurant. The server comes over to ask how youre enjoying the entree. Why they always ask when you are chewing is a different column. But what do you say? Great! Fantastic! Mmm! Our lizard brains are hard-wired to accentuate the positive even with a mouthful of fettuccine that tastes like packing peanuts.

If your boss asks if you agree with an operational plan, chances are you will send back a 100% emoji. You go with the flow. You want to be a good soldier. Also, there is no emoji that means, That is a terrible idea! This place is doomed!

The only truly honest citizens among us are those who suffer from road rage. Im not defending them. They are terrifying. But they are in touch with their feelings. They are not inclined to sugar-coat any visceral reactions. That 10-second honk and trembling middle finger is the ultimate multimedia emoji. You know what they mean.

Emoji, invented by Shigetaka Kurita, is a Japanese portmanteau for letter and picture. The global nuances in emojification are fascinating. In China, according to Digital Information World, clapping hands is most popular. The crying laughing I overuse is most popular in 75 countries. The heart emoji leads the way in Russia, which is grimly ironic given the heartbreak it has unleashed on Ukraine in its barbaric invasion. But an aggregated look at emoji usage across the planet shows that most countries just yearn for love and laughter. Emojis are sweet. Emojis are aspirational.

The CBS story this week offered a suggestion: So, the next time youre faced with a screen full of emojis, experts suggest choosing one that truly matches your mood.

Thumbs down to those experts.

No critical information is ever relayed via emojis. CSIS is not contacting clandestine sources overseas with cryptic pictures of clasped hands or birthday cakes. Emojis are about shorthand. And if that sideways laughing face with streaming tears shooting out like blue lasers masks a sad apprehension, so be it.

We can both get on with our days and sort it out later.

We lie all the time for the benefit of others. Emojis should not be exempt.

Go Leafs Go!

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CHILLIWACK, B.C. - A 64-year-old man has been taken into custody after an attempted armed robbery at a CIBC bank in Chilliwack, B.C.

RCMP say officers, including the integrated emergency response team, air support and police dogs, were called to the bank just after noon on Thursday.

Police issued a statement asking the public to stay away from the area.

An RCMP news release says the man was taken into custody without incident about 90 minutes later.

The statement says no one was hurt and RCMP victim services is available to support those affected.

CIBC spokesperson Tom Wallis said in a statement that the company is relieved the situation ended safely and grateful there were no physical injuries.

While incidents like this are thankfully rare, they can be very difficult for anyone involved, he said.

Our focus is on supporting the mental and emotional well-being of our team and our clients through services including counselling to help deal with a situation like this.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2023.

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Fans scrambling to grab Drake tickets Thursday morning for the Toronto shows were faced with steep presale prices.

The Toronto artist will wrap up his North American Its All a Blur tour at home staging at the Scotiabank Arena on Oct. 5 and 7.

Drake will also perform in Montreal on July 14 and 15 before hitting the Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Aug. 28 and 29.

The presale queue on Ticketmaster opened at 10 a.m. on Thursday morning.

Available level 100 and premium seats for both concert dates sold out quickly before noon, with some seats still available hours after the presale started for the 200 and 300 levels.

Ticket prices sat anywhere between $719 and $1,148 by Thursday afternoon.

Fans were quick to respond on social media, with some users calling the prices absurd while others expressed frustration over the inevitable website crashes while attempting to secure their seat.

Earlier this year, a Montreal law firm expanded the scope of a class-action lawsuit against Ticketmaster arguing the ticket giant intentionally misleads consumers for their own financial gain, including Drakes Montreal concert.

The suit started with a Montreal man who purchased two Official Platinum seats for Drakes upcoming Its All A Blur tour at the Bell Centre on July 14 for $789.54 each. The next day, the law firm said, Drake added a second show for July 15 and the same seats were available for more than $350 less.

The suit further alleges Ticketmaster knew Drake would perform two concerts in Montreal, but concealed this information in order to squeeze out as much money as possible from fans buying tickets for the first show, and illustrates Ticketmasters greed, anticompetitive conduct, dominance of monopolistic position as the only primary seller and failure to respect the law.

Ticketmaster and Live Nation did not respond to the Stars numerous requests for comment before publication.

Drake tickets will be on sale to the general public on Friday.

With files from Alessia Passafiume

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TACNA, Peru (AP)  Stranded for five days under the scorching desert sun alongside a highway, Venezuelan Rosmary Morales looked on helplessly Friday at a wall of police officers blocking her passage into Peru.

The 45-year-old waits alongside hundreds of others who have set up a makeshift refugee camp on the Chilean side of the border they cant cross because they lack the proper documentation. There isnt even an awning, Morales said, adding she felt she was being treated like a dog.

Morales is among the Venezuelans, Colombians and Haitians stranded for two weeks along the Peru-Chile border, eager to return home as living costs skyrocket and as lawmakers in both countries propose penalties for undocumented migration.

Political leaders, meanwhile, are discussing how to facilitate their passage through Peru at a time when migrants increasingly are being blamed for rising crime on both sides of the border.

Chile said Friday it would start registering all the undocumented migrants who want to leave the country, and Peru started letting some of them through to its border offices.

Morales says that while shes grateful that Chile took her in when she left Venezuela, shes now ready to go back to her native country because the cost of living has risen, jobs have become scarce and shes finding it difficult to survive without the proper documentation, which she says has been impossible to obtain.

We can no longer make ends meet, Morales said.

Now she and others are having to endure the elements at the Atacama Desert, one of the driest on the planet, with heat during the day and cold at night.

Many mothers are there, with children, with the flu, fever, constant vomiting, dehydrated, unable to eat a good lunch, unable to bathe, Morales said.

Chiles acting interior minister, Manuel Monsalve, said Friday the government will set up registration points in the border region to enroll undocumented migrants who want to leave the country so their fingerprint, face and name can be recorded.

Monsalve said Chile wants to let the migrants return to their country but also noted its the governments responsibility to ensure that people who have committed crimes are not leaving Chile.

The president of Chiles lower house of Congress, Vlado Mirosevic, had proposed Thursday that a humanitarian corridor be created to allow the migrants to return home, without elaborating on details of such a corridor.

Peruvian Interior Minister Vicente Romero said on Friday on local radio RPP that at the level of the foreign ministry, we are working with Chile, Ecuador, and also with Venezuela to find a way for migrants to cross borders without problems.

The important thing is to provide the necessary security to all foreigners who voluntarily wish to return to their country, Romero said.

Romero, who has been in the Peruvian border region with Chile since Thursday night, added that he met with local authorities to consider opening temporary shelters for people waiting to leave.

Migrants have set up improvised tents with blankets and braved the elements without access to running water and other basic services. Others have found help in the nearby Chilean border complex of Chacalluta.

We want to go back to our country, Venezuela. Weve achieved what we came to do in Chile, Omar Dominguez, 47, said at the border. We dont want to stay in Peru.

According to official figures from Chilean prosecutors, approximately 10,000 undocumented immigrants have entered Chile this year, and an additional 1,194 have requested to leave.

The crisis along the border comes at a time when officials in Chile are increasing controls on undocumented migrants. Earlier this month, Chiles National Prosecutors Office called on prosecutors to request preventive detention for anyone caught committing a crime who could not prove their identity.

In both Peru and Chile, lawmakers are seeking to toughen laws against undocumented migrants.

A measure set to be debated in Chiles lower house of Congress would classify undocumented immigration as a crime and proposes jail sentences up to 18 months for anyone caught entering Chile through unofficial channels.

In Peru, a lawmaker from the Somos Peru party proposed a bill Thursday to imprison migrants who enter the country illegally for up to 10 years. A lawmaker from the far-right Renovacion Popular said Perus border patrol should enjoy legal protections so they can shoot migrants if necessary.

Peruvian President Dina Boluarte attributed criminal acts to migrants earlier this week. ----- Associated Press journalists Franklin Briceno in Lima, Peru and Eva Vergara in Santiago, Chile contributed to this report.

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King Charles has officially been appointed the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) commissioner-in-chief, the RCMP said in a press release on Friday.

Today marked a proud moment in the historical relationship between the RCMP and the Royal Family, the release said.

The Mounties added that Charles will play a titular role in recognizing the importance of the RCMP at home and abroad.

Charles formally accepted the title at a ceremony at Windsor Castle in England. In attendance was RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme and Canadas High Commissioner in the United Kingdom Ralph Goodale who presented the RCMPs ninth musical ride horse to the King, named Noble.

His Majesty The King is continuing the proud, decades-long tradition of accepting RCMP horses as gifts, which began with his late mother, Duheme said. The RCMP and the Royal Family have enjoyed a long-standing, personal relationship for many decades, and I look forward to it continuing for many more.

The Star previously reported that the RCMP is sending a delegation of five Musical Ride members to attend the coronation of King Charles, cementing the organizations century-long relationship with the Royal Family.

Today, the musical ride troop contains up to 32 riders, all mounted police officers, who perform intricate drills, exercises and formations to music. The performances last about 30 minutes and demand the utmost control, timing, and co-ordination, according to the troops website.

During Queen Elizabeth IIs reign, the RCMP gave the royal family eight horses, three of which are currently in use as charger horses for the royal family: George, Sir John and Darby.

Also in attendance at Fridays ceremony were musical ride members that are in the UK for King Charles coronation procession.

Three of these members and the three previously-gifted charger horses, as well as Noble, will participate in the coronation ceremony on May 6.

MH Mahdis Habibinia is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Reach her via email: mhabibinia@thestar.ca

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My neighbour Brian surprised me a few days ago when he said he had always thought of himself as a monarchist and a big supporter of the British Royal Family.

But I now realize I was really just a fan of Elizabeth, he said, referring to the late queen who died last September. She epitomized duty and grew into her role with grace and dignity.

As for King Charles III, whose title will be formalized in an over-the-top coronation ceremony in barely a weeks time in London, the only thing Brian would say was coolly blunt: I dont have a view of him other than hes Elizabeths son.

Like my neighbour, I hold no ill will towards Charles and wish the best for the Royal Family and its often disfunctional members.

But Charles isnt my king (I know, I know, technically he is the King of Canada) and his coronation drives home yet again to me the realization that its inevitable that Canada will break from the British monarchy.

Im not alone in feeling this way. In fact, a poll earlier this week indicates that more and more Canadians oppose having Charles declared King of Canada and being our head of state. And most of us dont want to swear an oath to King Charles, dont want to sing God Save the King and dont want to see Charles on our $20 bills or $2 coins.

At the same time, barely nine per cent of Canadians surveyed are really looking forward to the coronation of Charles. Gee, even in the U.K. less than 10 per cent say they are very interested in the coronation.

Despite these pathetically low numbers, our national TV networks CTV, the CBC and Global are planning hours and hours of breathless commentary and flag-waving coverage from London that can best be described as fawning over anachronistic symbols of privilege and inherited wealth.

While Im trying to avoid the media onslaught about Charles and the monarchy thats about to be unleashed on all of us, I will console myself with the knowledge that only 27 per cent of Canadians want Canada to remain a constitutional monarchy for years to come. That number was surprisingly consistent across the entire country.

Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute, told Toronto Star reporter Joshua Chong earlier this week that changing demographics have led us to a place where people are looking at this institution and either are sort of shrugging their shoulders and going, Whats the point of this? or even more firmly saying, Why are we continuing to profess ties to an institution that increasingly has very little to do with modern Canadian society?

The truth is the monarchy is totally irrelevant today, an utterly useless institution thats nothing more than a non-stop soap opera  from Harry and Megan to Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein.

So, please Justin Trudeau, dont declare a national holiday as the tiny, but vocal gang of monarchists are demanding you do to honour Charles. And thank you Ottawa for keeping coronation day celebrations on Parliament Hill to a minimum.

With the coronation, its now time to think seriously about finally cutting our ties with the British monarchy. It can be done with the approval of the House of Commons, the Senate and all 10 provincial legislatures.

While some academics insist it would be too hard to do, the Angus Reid poll shows more than half of the respondents in every region of Canada favour severing relations. Why not hold a national referendum? If the results are the same as the poll it would be easily conceivable that Ottawa and every province would do what the people want and dump the monarchy.

Until then, I hope to get my hands on one of Britains hottest-selling coronation souvenir items: a yellow T-shirt that reads Not My King.

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NEW YORK (AP)  Tucker Carlson emerged Wednesday, two days after Fox News fired him, with a two-minute, campaign-style monologue that didnt address why he suddenly became unemployed.

He posted a video on Twitter shortly after 8 p.m. Eastern, the time his Fox show used to begin, that talked about a lack of honest political debate in the media.

Carlson said one of the things he noticed, when you step away from the noise for a few days, is how nice some people are, and how hilarious some are.

The other thing you notice when you take a little time off is how unbelievably stupid most of the debates you see on television are, he said. Theyre completely irrelevant. They mean nothing. In five years we wont even remember we heard them. Trust me, as somebody who participated.

Fox fired its most popular personality on Monday without explanation, less than a week after settling a lawsuit concerning the spread of lies about the 2020 presidential election.

The mystery about why Fox Corp. leadership, Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan, decided to suddenly dismiss Carlson lingered. The company has not explained it, although some media reports Wednesday centered on material uncovered during Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit but redacted from court papers.

Private messages sent by Carlson with highly offensive and crude remarks were a catalyst in Foxs decision to cut him loose, according to The New York Times.

Both The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post said one redacted message included a slur against a senior Fox executive. Each of the reports relied on sources that were not identified.

Some of the Dominion evidence that was publicly revealed showed some offensive remarks by Carlson, including use of a vulgarity to refer to Sidney Powell, the Trump supporter who was pushing bogus election conspiracy theories on Fox and elsewhere.

A Fox News representative did not comment on the reports or Carlsons reemergence, instead referring to Mondays statement where the company said, we thank him for his service.

Carlson dressed in a suit and tie for his Twitter message. While he didnt mention Fox, it was reminiscent of the monologues he delivered on the network for the last six years, talking about the people in charge hurting the country. Debates on big topics like war, civil liberties, emerging science, demographic change and corporate power are not permitted by corporate media or political parties, he said.

Where can you still find Americans saying true things? he said. There arent many places left but there are some and thats enough. As long as you can hear the words, there is hope. See you soon.

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OTTAWA - Canada says the United Nations controversial move to enter dialogue with the Taliban must include women, as the organization mulls recognizing the terrorist group as the government of Afghanistan.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is set to meet with Taliban officials for closed-door talks next week in Doha, the capital of Qatar, to find what his spokesman called a durable way forward for Afghanistan.

Guterres deputy, Amina Mohammed, caused a stir this month by saying the UN was pondering a principled recognition of the Taliban as the government.

No country has made that endorsement, although Canada has had frequent talks with the group it deems a terrorist organization in order to keep abreast of mounting humanitarian crises.

On Thursday, Canadas ambassador for women, peace, and security, Jacqueline ONeill, endorsed a letter calling for women to be at the table.

In a tweet reposted by Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, ONeill wrote that Afghan women must be equal partners in decision-making about the future of their country.

Their insights are critical to success and legitimacy, ONeill wrote.

She posted a letter from the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, which warned Guterres that not having female leaders, persecuted minorities and human rights defenders at the meeting next week could set a grave precedent.

The letter said the meeting is a critical test for principles the UN has advocated in recent decades and needs to include diverse voices if it actually touches on who has legitimacy to speak for Afghans.

Mohammeds comments on April 17 came in a speech at Princeton University.

Out of that, we hope that well find those baby steps to put us back on the pathway to recognition (of the Taliban), a principled recognition, Mohammed said.

Is it possible? I dont know. (But) that discussion has to happen. The Taliban clearly want recognition, and thats the leverage we have.

Last month, Afghanistans pre-Taliban ambassador to Ottawa urged Canadians to fight gender apartheid by isolating the regime.

Hassan Soroosh said countries should engage more with civil-society groups, sanction Taliban leaders and make ongoing talks conditional on the regime ending certain practices.

Meanwhile, members of the UN Security Council were discussing a resolution Thursday that calls on the Taliban rulers to reverse their increasingly harsh restrictions on women and girls, and condemns their ban on Afghan women working for the UN.

The draft resolution expresses deep concern at the increasing erosion of respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls in Afghanistan by the Taliban and reaffirms their indispensable role in Afghan society.

It calls on the Taliban to swiftly restore their access to education, employment, freedom of movement and equal participation in public life.

The draft urges all other UN member nations to use their influence to promote an urgent reversal of the Talibans policies and practices toward women and girls.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2023.

 With files from The Associated Press

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OTTAWA - A city in Quebec has exhausted its legal avenues to avoid paying thousands of dollars in damages after it failed to deploy enough firefighters to prevent a fire from ravaging a building.

Canadas highest court says it wont hear an appeal from the City of Trois-Rivieres, Que., which had sought to have a lower court decision overturned.

A June 2012 fire destroyed a building belonging to a snow-clearing company, Deneigement F.L.

The city was supposed to deploy 10 firefighters within 10 minutes, but only six responded to the fire.

It was claimed in court that Quebecs fire safety law granted the city immunity, an argument that was rejected by the Quebec Superior Court and on appeal.

Trois-Rivieres will have to pay the business, its owner and an insurance company almost $145,600  a quarter of the costs incurred in the fire.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2023.

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OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to attend the coronation of King Charles in London next week alongside dignitaries from around the world.

Trudeaus office is expected to officially confirm his itinerary for the trip to the United Kingdom next week.

The coronation of the 74-year-old monarch will take place at Westminster Abbey on May 6 in a religious ceremony conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The confirmation came as the Mounties announced that the King has taken on a new title: the RCMP Commissioner-in-Chief.

His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, had been the first person to adopt that title in 2012.

His Majesty will play a titular role in recognizing the importance of the RCMP at home and abroad by highlighting the rich history between the RCMP and the monarchy, which dates back to the genesis of the RCMP during the reign of Queen Victoria, the force said in a news release on Friday.

The Mounties say that interim Commissioner Mike Duheme and Ralph Goodale, Canadas high commissioner in London, presented a horse named Noble to the Royal Family at Windsor Castle.

During the coronation procession, RCMP members will ride Noble and other horses gifted to the family during Queen Elizabeth IIs reign.

Buckingham Palace said in its own statement Friday that the King received a commemorative sword that was designed to celebrate the RCMPs 150th anniversary on May 23.

Back at home, Canadians will be able to celebrate the Kings coronation at a special event in Ottawa the same day.

The federal Heritage Department says an hour-long program is being prepared to mark the occasion featuring music, art and poetry.

Canada Post is also set to reveal its first stamp with the Kings image at the event.

Its unclear how interested most Canadians are in the coronation or the reign of King Charles, with some recent public opinion polls showing his popularity in Canada is much lower than that his mother enjoyed.

Canada is one of 15 countries that currently recognize King Charles as head of state, but there is a growing movement, particularly in the Caribbean, to drop the monarchy in favour of becoming republics.

Barbados did so in 2021 and Jamaica began the process of transitioning last year. Australia is expected to hold a referendum on the monarchy as early as 2025.

But Trudeau said Friday he will not be diving into constitutional negotiations over an issue like this, citing more pressing concerns and a lack of a clear alternative.

Canada does have one of the most stable democracies around, and there are obviously a number of people who feel that a different system would serve us better, he said during a trip to New York City.

Those people can make those arguments, but what those people cant do is agree on what alternative would be better.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2023.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version incorrectly stated the Kings age.

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Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry affirmed that Egypt does not believe in the presence of any military solution to the crisis in Sudan in a phone call on Thursday with UKs Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs James Cleverly.

During the phone call, Shoukry and Cleverly agreed to cooperate to preserve Sudanese state institutions and to support international efforts to extend the truce and foster dialogue between belligerents in Sudan, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Cleverly expressed his appreciation for Egypts help in evacuating British citizens from Sudan, saying he looks forward to Egypt continuing this effort to evacuate the remaining number.

In addition to evacuating more than 5,300 of its own citizens from Sudan, Egypt has also taken in over 16,000 foreign nationals, including 14,000 Sudanese citizens and 2,000 nationals from 50 states and six international organisations, as of Thursday, the foreign ministry said.

The exodus from Sudan over the past week comes after clashes erupted in mid-April between the Sudanese Armed Forces and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that have killed more than 400 people and injured thousands others.

The conflicting parties agreed Thursday night to extend the ceasefire for another three days, though heavy clashes continued to rock the capital, Khartoum, on Friday morning.

Egypts foreign ministry has called on its citizens in Sudan to head to the Egyptian Consulate General in Port Sudan, or the Arqeen or Qustul border crossings.

In a statement Friday, the ministry said that its consular sector's operations room continues to receive phone calls from the citizens at home and abroad around the clock on the following numbers:

01281943533 - 01283176900 - 01281943599 - 01283176913 - 01283176857 - 01283176881 - 01283176903 - 01283176894 - 01281943990 - 01283176866.

Egypt, Sudans northern neighbour, has been pushing for an end to hostilities in the country and has been calling for both conflicting sides to resort to negotiations to stop the bloodshed.

Shoukry has also stressed the need to refrain from any foreign interference in the Sudanese crisis in phone calls with his counterparts worldwide.

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Wanted: two watchdogs.

The Ontario legislature has launched job searches to replace both the auditor general and the financial accountability officer after their respective terms expire.

Auditor general Bonnie Lysyks 10-year tenure ends Sept. 2 and financial accountability officer Peter Weltman finishes his five-year post on May 6.

Speaker Ted Arnott has asked the two officially recognized parties in the legislature  the Progressive Conservatives and the New Democrats  to strike panels to select replacement fiscal watchdogs.

Tory MPP Stephen Crawford (Oakville) is his partys representative to choose Lysyks successor. The NDP is expected to confirm France Gelinas (Nickel Belt) will be its panelist.

For Weltmans replacement, the panel consists of Tory MPP Rick Byers (Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound) and New Democratic MPP Catherine Fife (Waterloo).

The Liberals and the Greens have no say in the selection because they lack the necessary 12 seats for official party status in the 124-member legislature.

But all MPPs get to vote on whether to hire the new legislative officers once candidates have been chosen.

Because Weltmans term ends so soon, its expected his deputy, Jeff Novak, will take the reins on an interim basis.

However, MPPs could grant Weltman a temporary extension and, by law, he can reapply for another five-year posting.

Lysyk, whose role is governed by different legislation, can only have her term extended by a majority vote of MPPs.

Given the controversy that has swirled around some of her work  both Tory Premier Doug Ford and his Liberal predecessor Kathleen Wynne have criticized her methods and conclusions  thats unlikely to happen.

But if no permanent auditor is selected before Sept. 2, assistant auditor general Nick Stavropolous would temporarily assume the job.

There are two other job search panels for key posts ongoing at Queens Park.

Legislative Affairs Minister Paul Calandra and NDP MPP John Vanthof (Timiskaming-Cochrane) are looking for a new clerk of the legislative assembly to succeed the retiring Todd Decker.

And Tory MPP Trevor Jones (Chatham-Kent-Leamington) and NDP MPP Jennie Stevens (St. Catharines) are selecting a new sergeant-at-arms to replace Jackie Gordon, who retired in December.

Robert Benzie is the Stars Queens Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie

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The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPR) informs that on Thursday 85,969 people entered Romania through the border crossing points, including 8,863 Ukrainian citizens.

According to a press release sent on Friday to AGERPRES, about 197,200 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, with more than 53,600 means of transport, have gone through the control formalities at the border points throughout the country, both on the way in and on the way out.As of February 10, 2022 (pre-conflict period), 4,087,200 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania, Agerpres informs.In the areas of jurisdiction, crossing points and "green border," the police found 46 illegal acts (36 offences and 2 contraventions) committed by both Romanian and foreign citizens, and the value of the fines imposed amounted to over 8,500 lei.Goods worth approximately 495,800 lei were seized for confiscation.On Thursday, 16 foreign citizens were not allowed to enter the country because they did not meet the conditions provided by the law and 13 Romanian citizens were not allowed to leave the country for various legal reasons.
The Bucharest Court of Appeal rejected, on Thursday, as unfounded, the request of Euroins Romania to suspend the Decision by which the Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF) ordered the withdrawal of the operating authorization of the insurer, ASF (Financial Supervisory Authority) informs.

The Council of the Financial Supervisory Authority decided, on March 17, 2023, to withdraw the operating authorization of the Euroins Romania Asigurare-Reasigurare S.A. Company, noting the signs of the company's state of insolvency.

According to the provisions of art. 7 paragraph (2) of GEO no. 93/2012, ASF is the only authority able to pronounce on the appropriateness, assessments and the qualitative analyzes on the grounds of which its documents are being issued, states the same source.

Eurohold Bulgaria AD is an energy and financial group that operates in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, and is listed on the Stock Exchanges of Bulgaria and Warsaw respectively. Eurohold owns Euroins Insurance Group AD (EIG) which offers a complete range of insurance products, serves more than 4 million clients in 11 countries and has more than 3,000 employees. Eurohold is the owner of Electrohold, an energy group from Bulgaria, with a 40% share in energy distribution. Electrohold has 3,000 employees and serves over 3 million consumers in the country. AGERPRES
The mayor of the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, Borys Filatov, labeled the missile attacks launched by the Russian army on his city on Friday morning as an "act of terror against the civilian population".

He declared for AGERPRES that there are no military targets in the hit area, Agerpres informs.As a result of the attacks, two people, a woman and a child, lost their lives, and three other people were injured, after the missile hit a house."This attack has no rational explanation. Its target was, once again, a private civilian objective. Again, civilians died. Thus, we can only qualify this attack as an act of terror against the civilian population. In the area where it fell, there was no military or commercial target. This is already the fifth or sixth missile attack on private targets," said Filatov.The mayor of Dnipro claims that the defense system of the Ukrainian army, located in the range of the Dnipropetrovsk region, shot down no less than 21 Russian missiles in the night from Thursday to Friday."Dnipro is bombed more than other regions of Ukraine, because it is close to the front line and is between three fronts: the southern direction of attacks, the Kharkiv direction and the Donbas direction. Given that we are close to the front line, they find it easier to launch missile attacks on us because what they're doing is acts of terror. Wherever they can go, they hit. We have to have our air defense systems working, they have to be effective and I can tell you that 90 pct of the Russian missiles are shot down. Last night the Russians launched more than 20 missiles and our anti-aircraft systems shot down 21," added Borys Filatov.He emphasized that he cannot evacuate the population from the locality, in the conditions in which the city has almost one million inhabitants."This is the war and we must fight, not evacuate and run away. It is our country and we will not give it to anyone. We will fight until victory," concluded the mayor of the city of Dnipro.
The European Investment Fund (EIF) and Patria Bank signed the first agreement in Romania within the InvestEU Capacity Building Investment Product, the value of the loan contract being 5 million euros, according to a press release from the banks.

"In difficult times, it is often the smallest players in the economy who struggle the most. This new agreement between Patria Bank and EIF builds on our excellent long-term cooperation that began more than 10 years ago. Until currently, more than 6,500 low-income clients who usually struggle to obtain traditional loans have been able to access financing thanks to our joint support. The new subordinated loan supported by InvestEU will boost Patria Bank's institutional capabilities and support the bank in its mission to facilitate financial and social inclusion in Romania," said Marjut Falkstedt, general director of the EIF, Agerpres informs.The transaction for a subordinated level II loan, supported by Invest EU, will contribute to the consolidation of Patria Bank's capital position, thus facilitating its continued growth and development, with the ultimate goal of improving access to financing for micro-entrepreneurs in rural and small urban areas from Romania. This is the first EIF transaction signed within the InvestEU investment product for capacity building."We are happy to expand our collaboration with EIF, which will further support us to help clients and continue our mission to facilitate access to banking and financial services for as many local entrepreneurs as possible. Looking at our long-term partnership with EIF, we strongly believe that the portfolio of guarantee products is a real support for all micro-enterprises (through our EASI product we have offered more than 6,500 loans) and with this financial instrument we will continue to play an active role in the local market and contribute to the stability of the economy of Romania," said Burak Yildiran, general director of Patria Bank.Patria Bank is a Romanian bank dedicated to increasing the level of banking in Romania and supporting entrepreneurs and local businesses. Listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, Patria Bank has a national physical presence and offers 100% online banking products and services to all Romanians, wherever they are.
Former MP Cristian Rizea has been expelled from the Republic of Moldova and taken over by Romanian police, to be taken to a Romanian prison to serve a sentence of 4 years and 8 months received in 2019 in a corruption case.

"This evening, April 27, the Romanian Police was requested by the authorities of the Republic of Moldova to take over a 54-year-old man, against whom the Bucharest Court has issued a warrant for the execution of a prison sentence. He was taken over with the support of the Border Police and is to be placed in a penitentiary of the National Administration of Penitentiaries," the Romanian Police said on Thursday.

Also on Thursday, the General Inspectorate for Migration of the Republic of Moldova announced Rizea's expulsion and that he has been declared undesirable for a period of 15 years.

"The citizen of Romania, Rizea Cristian, has been declared by the General Inspectorate for Migration (IGM) to be inadmissible to the territory of the Republic of Moldova for a period of 15 years. In accordance with legal procedures, the foreigner was removed under escort from the national territory by specialist staff of the IGM. We remind you that declaring a foreigner as an undesirable person is an insurance measure, ordered against a foreigner who has carried out, is carrying out or in whose regard there are strong indications that he/she intends to carry out activities likely to endanger national security or public order. The measure in question shall be ordered by the competent authority for foreigners ex officio or at the proposal of other authorities with competence in the field of public order and national security that have data or solid indications in the sense indicated above," a press release from the IGM in the neighbouring country read.

Former MP Cristian Rizea was under international investigation by the Romanian authorities after he fled Romania to escape a 4-year and 8-month prison sentence for influence peddling, money laundering and influencing statements.

Rizea was sent to trial by the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) on charges that he directly demanded from businessman Lucian Coltea the sum of 300,000 euros, disguised as two fictitious loan contracts. The money was demanded in exchange for Rizea's promise, later fulfilled, that he would intervene at the Autonomous Administration of the State Patrimony Administration (RAAPPS) and at the Chiajna Town Hall in order to solve certain personal interests that the businessman had at the level of the two authorities.

Rizea is also accused that in December 2015, after the criminal investigation was launched, he approached two of the witnesses and asked them not to tell the truth to the prosecution. He promised the two that, if he became mayor of the 5th district of the capital, he would offer them free commercial space in the Cotroceni area to open a new clinic. AGERPRES
The German Ambassador to Romania, Peer Gebauer, visited, on Friday, the humanitarian hub in Suceava, which is located near the "Stefan cel Mare" Airport, and talked with representatives of the county and local administration, the president of the Suceava County Council (CJ), Gheorghe Flutur informed.

The meeting with the German official was also attended by representatives of the Suceava Emergencies Inspectorate, the institution that manages the activity in this hub.

The situation of the operation of the hub since its establishment was presented, and the multiple international missions carried out through it were reviewed.

At the same time, Flutur presented the situation for the year 2022 regarding the involvement of local, county and national authorities, as well as civil society and the population.

Flutur said that, during the discussions, he requested the involvement of the embassy to attract German investors to Suceava, in the industrial park near the airport and beyond, in the food industry, car construction, light industry, tourism, environment.

He also emphasized that international flights Suceava - Memmingen and Suceava - Dortmund are good opportunities for opening new collaborations between Germany and Romania, between Suceava and other regions in Germany.

Flutur proposed that representatives of the German Embassy participate in a working meeting with the partners from the Schwaben region of the county administration, together with whom, throughout the 25 years of collaboration, they had many achievements, "true stories of success at the European level'', a meeting to be attended by the partners of the county of Cernauti and those of Mayenne - France.
Despite expectations for a good agricultural year, Romanian farmers request the European Commission's support to avert the risk of "a total blockage" caused by massive Ukrainian exports, Florentin Bercu, executive director with the National Union of the Plant Sector Cooperatives (UNCSV) said in Brussels.

"Ukrainian products are prioritized ahead of Romanian products, and we want to help them under fair and balanced terms for the Romanian and European population. The transit lanes must be implemented through seals and GPS monitoring - both upon entry and exit from the country, for the requirements to be respected, and pesticide residue tests are also needed. Please support us with the next harvesting campaign. A good agricultural year is being forecast and we'll be facing a total blockage due to the surplus of products from Ukraine. We are concerned about the next crops because of lack of storage space and there will also be no transport available if the measures proposed by the main affected states are not implemented," Florentin Bercu said."We hope that the authorities will understand the difficulties and the magnitude of this situation and will act accordingly in order to avoid a deadlock. If things are not sorted out, we will join forces in an action with EU-wide impact. We are forced to act in whatever way is necessary in order to protect the farmers and European production," Bercu said.Regarding the average consumption of plant protection products, Bercu said that in Romania it stands at 640 grams per hectare, while the EU average is 2.2 kilos, Agerpres informs."New diseases and pests appear, and attacks have intensified, so we need more tools and solutions. We see what happens because of imports from Ukraine. A lot of products that enter the market from there include GMOs. We cannot go along with duality. European farmers are required to comply with very high quality standards, and for this reason they have much higher production costs. You cannot put the equal sign between these products and others coming from third countries that are not equally safe," Bercu added.The representatives of the Alliance for Agriculture and Cooperation participated in the meetings of the COPA / COGECA presidencies held in Brussels on April 27 and 28.
The head of the Prime Minister's Chancellery and the national coordinator for the Three Seas Initiative (I3M), Mircea Abrudean, stated that Romania aims to include Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia as partners in the I3M projects, within the participation, on Thursday, in the seminar on the theme "Opportunities and Challenges for the Energy Cooperation within the Three Seas Initiative," organized in Vilnius by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, the Embassy of Romania and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the Republic of Lithuania.

According to a release of the Government, on the sidelines of participating in this event, the Romanian delegation was welcomed by Chancellor of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jovita Neliupsiene, alongside the Lithuanian I3M national coordinator, Ambassador Gediminas Varvuolis, and Dalia Tamosiuniene, presidential advisor, Agerpres informs.On this occasion, Mircea Abrudean mentioned that among Romania's objectives for the Summit organized in Bucharest between 6 and 7 September 2023, there is also included the reaffirmation of the character of the Three Seas Initiative as a political platform to promote the strengthening of infrastructure on the North-South axis.Moreover, Romania aims to include Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia as partners in the I3M projects.The intervention of the Chancellery head of Romania's Prime Minister within the seminar was aimed at strengthening the cooperation between the I3M states on the energy dimension, through solidarity and joint efforts, with the aim of transforming challenges into opportunities."Romania proved to be a regional leader through the steps taken by the authorities to diversify energy sources, as well as transport routes," the press release states.Furthermore, Abrudean underscored Romania's role in maintaining functional the energy sectors in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, during crisis, through the support granted in the interconnection process of electric grids, on the one hand, and the emergency electricity supply, on the other hand.Secretary of state with the Energy Minister Dan Dragan was also part of the Romanian delegation.
The literacy rate of Romanian students aged 6 to 14 is low, with 42% of them rated non-functional, 47% barely functional, and just 11% functional, according to the 2023 National Literacy Report released on Friday at the Symposium Hall of the National Library of Romania.

Compared with the first report made in 2021-2022, the results remain "similar, without notable changes."According to the report, after completing two formal educational cycles, students do not make much progress in terms of literacy: the report captures a decrease in the level of non-functionality by only 4% and an increase in the level of high functionality by only 1.5%, Agerpres informs.Girls perform better than boys, with the degree of non-functionality among them being 39.98%, while boys register a slightly higher percentage at 43.65%.Boys register a lower percentage also when it comes to high functionality as against girls, 9.27% to 13.25%.The report, presented by Gabi Bartic, Brio CEO, was made by the Brio platform of standardised tests for students, together with seven other educational non-profit organisations.The National Literacy Report is said to be designed to evaluate the Romanian children in terms of functional literacy skills (writing, reading, understanding texts) against a special evaluation methodology in which students of all ages are involved."Literacy skills have a crucial role in a person's life, helping them develop their capacities of reflection and expression, critical thinking and empathy, ensuring integration and participation in society in the components of life," according to the report.In 2022, the National Literacy Report showed that 42% of students from grades one to eight did not understand what they read, cannot argue hypotheses and conclusions, cannot establish similarities and differences between characters, facts or concepts and cannot place reality in a general context.The collection of data for the report was carried out over 15 months, between January 2021 and April 2022, and was possible through free access to the literacy test on a total database composed of 14,796 valid applications by first to eighth graders.
Vodafone Egypt and Telecom Egypt (WE) have started offering free phone calls and SMS to Sudan for three days and one week respectively amid the deadly clashes that have wracked the neighbouring country since mid-April.

WE said in a Facebook statement that it would allow free landline calls to Sudan for a week starting Friday so that people can check on their families and beloved ones.

Meanwhile, Vodafone Egypt started offering free calls and SMS to and from Sudan for three days starting Thursday, said the company.

This comes as Egypt has stepped up its evacuation of thousands of its citizens from Sudan amid the ongoing clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that have killed more than 400 people and injured thousands others.

Over the past week, Egypt has evacuated more than 5,300 of its own citizens from Sudan out of 10,000 citizens, half of which are students, according to the Egyptian governments figures.

Egypt has also taken in over 16,000 foreign nationals, including 14,000 Sudanese citizens and 2,000 nationals from 50 states and six international organisations, as of Thursday, the foreign ministry said.

Egypts Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on its citizens in Sudan to head to the Egyptian Consulate General in Port Sudan, or the Arqeen or Qustul border crossings.

In a statement Friday, the ministry said that its consular sector's operations room continues to receive phone calls from the citizens at home and abroad around the clock on the following numbers:

01281943533 - 01283176900 - 01281943599 - 01283176913 - 01283176857 - 01283176881 - 01283176903 - 01283176894 - 01281943990 - 01283176866.

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The representatives of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) will gather, on Friday and Saturday, in a Congress meeting, in Timisoara.

The current leader of the party, Deputy Prime Minister Kelemen Hunor is running for a new mandate as chairman of the UDMR.

"The chairman mandate lasts four years and now we have elections for this position. And I said that, after 12 years as the chairman of the Union and after 26 years of politics, I have the necessary experience, the necessary force to run for a new mandate. I, personally, want to be part, and then the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania, of everything that is happening in our country, because this paramount decade is coming, when Romania's face and opportunity will also change. It is a possibility, a great chance, we have money to develop Romania from European sources, from the budget of the European Union, the PNRR [the National Recovery and Resilience Plan] plus the cohesion funds. We have investments, we can create jobs, we can increase economy, thus, we'll have the national budget for public investments and I want to participate in and put my shoulder into what is to happen. That is about all I can say before the Congress," the UDMR chairman told AGERPRES, in an interview.

According to him, the Congress will also pass a strategic document, "which will show the priorities of Romania, the priorities of the Hungarian community for the coming years and this will refer to all important areas: economic, social, political and related to the rights of national minorities."
President Klaus Iohannis sent, on Friday, in a message to the participants of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) congress that the Union must be aware of the major role it has in supporting and maintaining our country on its pro-European path.

"The challenges which we have to respond to are becoming more and more complex, and the political class must find the right solutions, so that the citizens feel as little as possible the consequences of the crises we are facing," reads the message of the head of state, read on Friday by Catalina Galer, state counselor within the Presidential Administration, Agerpres informs."The fact that the UDMR currently holds ministerial portfolios proves that it is a mature formation, whose members assume the responsibility of being part of the government even in difficult times. The Hungarian community in Romania certainly has great expectations from your party and wants its representatives from the central and local institutions to protect their interests and ensure a good involvement and participation of its members in the decision-making processes," Iohannis added."Defending democracy and Euro-Atlantic values is a duty that belongs, unequivocally, to every political force. UDMR must be aware of the major role it plays in supporting and maintaining our country on its pro-European path. Ensuring stability and prosperity depends on how we will know to oppose revisionist and extremist tendencies and discourage all actions aimed at maintaining artificial conflicts," Klaus Iohannis also transmitted.
The acting chairman of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR), Kelemen Hunor, said on Friday, at the opening of the Conference of Local Elected Members of the UDMR, that the Union wants to remain in government, because it is a "job" that it has undertaken for four years, but that it remains to be seen "what will happen after we have the new prime minister", while the UDMR will hold on "with teeth to the positions" it holds.

In the opening of the Conference, Kelemen Hunor said that from the end of 2020 the Union assumed its governmental role and "stated that governance makes sense" if it will be possible to govern "for the community".He spoke about the change of the prime minister, saying that although it is not part of the agreement, the UDMR wants to remain in government, Agerpres informs.The representatives of the Hungarian Democratic Union from Romania are meeting in the congress, Friday and Saturday, in western Timisoara.The current leader of the formation, Deputy Prime Minister Kelemen Hunor, is running for a new four-year term as president of the UDMR.The UDMR meeting began, at 1:00 p.m., with the Conference of Local Elected Members of the Hungarian Democratic Union in Romania.The works of the UDMR Congress are scheduled to start at 4:00 p.m., and Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL), and the chairman of the Chamber of Deputies, the leader of the social democrats, Marcel Ciolacu, will also speak in the opening.On Saturday, the speech of the candidate for the position of chairman of UDMR and the actual vote are scheduled.
The Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) has represented and continues to be a pole of stability and professionalism, Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Liberal Party Nicolae Ciuca declared on Friday at the opening of the Union's 16th Congress taking place in Timisoara.

Ciuca added that when the government rotation happens, there is need for continuity and also for solutions to ensure continuity after next year's elections.

He also remarked that all the ministers are equally competent and thanked them for their work.

"We worked and continue to work with professionals, with people who know what they are doing and who, regardless of the opinion divergences we had on various subjects, have always found a balance so that we were able to move on. This tells a lot about this attribute - seriousness. I interpret is as being not about people, but rather about goals, about what we want to do in politics," said Ciuca
The $100 million second phase of The Boulevard, a retail and office development across Brentwood Boulevard from the Galleria, will break ground early next year.

The office, retail and residential complex just south of the existing Boulevard development is expected to be complete by the end of 2019.

The Boulevard is a great brand that appeals to many residents and visitors in the St. Louis region, said Sol Barket, a St. Louis native and founder of Chicago-based Condor Partners. This next phase will undoubtedly further enhance the development by offering more opportunities for people to live, work, play and dine.

A joint venture of Condor and Edwards Realty Group purchased the Boulevard late last year from Pace Properties, which had long planned a second phase. The original Boulevard, opened in 2004, contains Missouris only Crate and Barrel and the metro areas only Soft Surroundings, as well as office space and apartments.

The next phase will contain about 200,000 square-feet of new retail and 75 apartments, similar to the first phase. It will also include about 100,000 square-feet of office space, garage parking and a sky bridge connection between the offices and garage.

The Boulevards location and amenities are unique to the area and, with Clayton experiencing vacancy rates at all time lows, this project couldnt come at a better time, said Dave Biales, who specializes in office leasing for commercial real estate firm JLL. JLL is marketing the project.

Richmond Heights last year approved $15.3 million in tax increment financing to assist the project. The developers will also receive assistance through a special 1 percent sales tax on purchases through a Transportation Development District.

Pace said the project was expected to cost up to $90 million when the former project owner pitched it for TIF assistance last year, rather than the $100 million anticipated now. The first phase cost $45 million to develop.
A new 241-lot subdivision is in the works in Wentzville.

Ciana Realty VII LLC, registered to Dan Beldner, is proposing to develop 69 acres into 241 single-family residential lots.

The plan is part of a larger, 225-acre site targeted for development known as Westhaven.

The real estate, west of Peine Road and north of Peine Park, is owned by Peine 240 LLC, which lists John Berra Jr. of J.H. Berra Construction Co. in south St. Louis County as a contact.

The Wentzville Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to consider the development plan at its meeting Tuesday.

The large subdivision is one of many in the booming St. Louis exurb. The Wentzville School District is the fastest-growing district in Missouri.
A company with roots in St. Louis is proposing to redevelop a site containing a deteriorating factory building in an industrial area between Interstate 70 and Bellefontaine Cemetery.

Obax Worldwide Limited Construction hopes to establish an office on a 2.9 acre site in the Mark Twain neighborhood for light manufacturing of construction materials.

Obax, which says it has offices in Houston, Nigeria and China, focuses on oil and gas infrastructure and is interested in expanding a construction material division, said Walle Amusa, a representative for the company. The company was originally founded as Arlou Inc. in St. Louis and is led by Patrick O'Basuyi.

Obax is proposing to purchase a St. Louis Land Reutilization Authority-owned building and land at 4658 Rosalie Street for $270,000. A $6.6 million redevelopment project estimated to take about three years would generate about 40 to 45 employees at the new facility, according to a city report on the proposal.

The city-owned land has been part of a redevelopment area for nine years and and the developer would be eligible for 10 years of tax abatement. The St. Louis Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority recommended approval of the plan Tuesday. It needs final approval from the Board of Aldermen.
Egypt has ramped up the preparedness of hospitals in its southern governorates to provide medical support to Egyptians, Sudanese and other foreign nationals fleeing Sudan.

The move comes as Egypt has been evacuating its citizens from Sudan amid the ongoing clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces that have resulted in the deaths of over 400 people and injured thousands others.

Egypt's Ministry of Health announced on Friday that medical teams have been deployed to air, land and sea crossings to test arrivals from Sudan for infectious diseases.

Each entrant is handed a health monitoring card that includes their residence in Egypt and a telephone number to follow up on their health condition for two weeks from arrival.

The ministry has established a database to track all patients arriving from Sudan and has raised surveillance in quarantine clinics at all land, sea, and air ports nationwide.

The ministry has also increased the number of medical staff and is providing additional medicines and medical supplies at these crossings.

The ministry has stationed five ambulances with self-sterilisation systems at each of the Aqeen and Qustul crossings between Egypt and Sudan. Additionally, the ministry has increased the number of mobile clinics at the crossings from five to 10.

The ministry has also sent additional doctors of all specialties to the hospitals in Aswan and neighbouring governorates.

According to Amr Qandil, deputy minister of health and population for preventive medicine, a total of 35 patients among the arrivals from Sudan have been transferred to hospitals. Two of them are in the intensive care units, while the other 24 have already left the hospitals after their health conditions improved.

The ministry announced that it has vaccinated 487 children under 15 years of age against polio and 197 children under six years of age against measles, mumps and rubella.

The number of preventive medicine teams in Aswan and border areas has doubled, Qandil said, adding that the ministry has taken strict measures to minimise rodents and other disease vectors.

Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on its citizens in Sudan to head to the Egyptian Consulate General in Port Sudan, or the Arqeen or Qustul border crossings.

The ministry has set up an operations room that continues to receive phone calls from citizens at home and abroad around the clock.

As of Thursday, Egypt has taken in over 16,000 foreign nationals, including 14,000 Sudanese citizens and 2,000 nationals from 50 states and six international organisations.

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David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

In some takeovers, a cost-cutting target of more than $300 million would mean a lot fewer employees at the acquired company.

Thats not how German chemical and pharmaceutical giant Merck KGaA approached its 2015 purchase of Sigma-Aldrich. Udit Batra, who runs Mercks MilliporeSigma unit from offices in Billerica, Mass., said the focus since the merger had been on maintaining growth, not closing facilities or laying off workers.

MilliporeSigma employs 2,000 people in St. Louis, about the same number Sigma-Aldrich had before the merger. A few top-level jobs went away, but new ones were created to support growth initiatives.

Two of the companys major initiatives, an e-commerce platform and a gene editing business, which won a key European patent last year, originated here as projects within Sigma-Aldrich. St. Louis also plays a role in a third growth initiative, the manufacturing of powerful cancer-targeting molecules called antibody drug conjugates.

Merck KGaA met its three-year cost-cutting target, but thats not the number Batra mentions when evaluating the success of the merger. Hes more interested in top-line growth. You have to focus on the customer and make sure youre maintaining sales growth, he said. If you dont, you go into a death spiral.

The reality has far exceeded anyones expectations, he added. Its rare you are able to maintain sales growth, let alone accelerate it, but we brought two terrific teams together.

Profit margins also are improving. Merck KGaAs life-sciences segment, which includes MilliporeSigma, reported earnings before interest and taxes last year equal to 14.2 percent of sales, up from 9.8 percent in 2016 and 9.0 percent in 2015.

Batra was in St. Louis last week to help celebrate the German parent companys 350th birthday. Merck KGaA, which began in 1668 as a small pharmacy in Darmstadt, Germany, now has 52,880 employees around the world. (Merck & Co., based in New Jersey, was expropriated by the United States during World War I and has no connection with the German firm.)

Batra said employees asked a variety of questions, from scientific ones to pointed ones about compensation and benefits. I would have sensed there was a problem if the people were quiet, he said. I assure you they were not.

Central to Batras message was that he wants MilliporeSigma to be an employer of choice. We are in hot areas, so we want to make sure people want to work here, he said.

To that end, the company has invested $20 million to $25 million in its St. Louis operations, including moving a small Millipore facility from St. Charles County to Sigmas offices in midtown St. Louis and equipping a plant on South Second Street for antibody drug conjugate manufacturing.

MilliporeSigma also has committed money and volunteer time to BioSTL, the industry group that promotes the local life-sciences industry, and donated lab equipment to Washington University. The BioSTL commitment includes mentoring entrepreneurs and promoting science education.

Anything that makes the region more attractive to scientific talent will also help MilliporeSigma, Batra explains. We are a dynamic business that is doing very well, he said. St. Louis has and will continue to play a dynamic role in that business.

Batra even says, smiling, that hes glad a certain large company decided not to put its second headquarters here because it might have poached some of the 300 employees who run MilliporeSigmas e-commerce platform.

His joke may not be funny to the local officials who hoped to lure Amazon, but it says a lot about the value a German company places on its St. Louis workforce.

Photos: Millipore Sigma's local laboratories MilliporeSigma MilliporeSigma MilliporeSigma MilliporeSigma MilliporeSigma MilliporeSigma MilliporeSigma MilliporeSigma MilliporeSigma MilliporeSigma MilliporeSigma MilliporeSigma
Kansas City developer NorthPoint Development broke ground Thursday on its first warehouse in a new Hazelwood industrial park north of the St. Louis Outlet Mall.

The 250,000 square-foot speculative industrial building will be the first in the new Hazelwood TradePort and should be completed this fall.

The building could be the first of as many as eight industrial and logistics buildings on the 385-acre site. The developer has recently built out Hazelwood Logistics Center, a fully-developed 150-acre business park that includes tenants such as Amazon and Bunzl Distribution.

Hazelwood has approved 18 years of property tax abatement for the buildings, worth about $55.5 million over the life of the subsidy. The city has extended generous incentive packages for many of its business parks.

The buildings will be elevated out of the 500-year flood plain along the Missouri River, and Hazelwood Mayor Matthew Robinson said "were eager once again to work with NorthPoint on another massive industrial business park that will drive economic growth for the entire region.

NorthPoint has broken into the St. Louis market in a big way in recent years. It developed the massive 1.1 million square-foot warehouse serving the General Motors plant in Wentzville. St. Louis County is likely to select NorthPoint as the redeveloper of the dead Jamestown Mall following an extensive request for proposal process that drew only one response.
The Florissant Marketplace anchored by a Schnucks grocery store on Lindbergh Boulevard has been acquired by a New York investment firm.

Polimeni International, based in Long Island, acquired the 146,257 square-foot shopping center for $16.6 million. It had been owned by an entity of California-based Strategic Realty Trust.

The market has consistently maintained occupancy levels at, or in excess of, 95 percent for nearly a decade, and many of the tenants are respected national brand names, CEO Michael Polimeni said in a statement.

The brokers for the deal were CBRE, Inc. led by company vice president Chase Young of the St. Louis office.
Lutheran Development Group and Rise Community Development are hosting the opening of the new Intersect Arts Center space on Saturday in the rehabbed building at 3636 Texas Ave.

The project was part of a $6.1 million reinvestment into two old church buildings near Jefferson Avenue and Miami Street. The project included sprucing up the former Holy Cross Lutheran School at 3630 Ohio Street to make way for an EAGLE College Preparatory charter school.

Intersect Arts Center moved from that building across the street into the nearby Texas Avenue structure, which once served as a Lutheran seminary but has been vacant many years.

The Intersect Arts Center will feature 25 working-artist studio spaces, a dance studio, music recording studio, woodshop, ceramics, metals, printmaking, papermaking and stained glass studios as well as a commercial kitchen.

Intersect Arts Center will include a 4,000 square-foot gallery to host exhibitions and neighborhood events, and free educational programming will be available six days a week.

The open house starts Saturday at 4 p.m. at 3636 Texas Ave. It will feature work by local artists, live music and participatory art projects.
St. Louis-based construction firm Tarlton Corp. has finished a $28 million rehab of the former Shriners Hospital for Children and Central Institute for the Deaf into the 160-unit Core Apartment Residences.

The apartments, on Euclid Avenue in the Central West End, are owned by a Washington University development arm, which got the buildings placed on the National Register of Historic Places to qualify for historic tax credits.

The two buildings were designed by celebrated St. Louis architect William B. Ittner in the Renaissance Revival style. The 78,000 square-foot Shriners Hospital was constructed in 1924 and was the largest in a national network of free hospitals created by The Shriners fraternal society to treat disabled children. The 51,000 square-foot Central Institute for the Deaf, founded by Dr. Max Aaron Goldstein, opened in 1929 as a school for deaf children and to train teachers in deaf education.
Twain Financial Partners plans to move down Washington Avenue into its own digs.

Twain, which specializes in transactions involving tax credits and other complex financing, operates in offices in the 1200 block of Washington Avenue now. It plans to move down to 2200 Washington Avenue after it finishes a $3.7 million rehab of the building it purchased for $1.16 million.

The company plans to add about 25 employees to its headcount of about 55.

The new building, when rehabbed, will have 30,000 square-feet of office space. It was most recently an adult day care.

The city's Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority last week advanced a measure granting five years of property tax abatement on 90 percent of the value of building improvements.
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Plastomics, a Creve Coeur startup that wants to improve crops using a cell called the chloroplast, has raised $7.1 million to advance its work on soybeans and corn.

The Series A venture capital round was led by Lewis & Clark Agrifood, a fund based in Clayton. Several St. Louis area firms that were previous investors in Plastomics also participated: iSelect, Yield Lab, BioGenerator and the state-funded Missouri Technology Corp.

Plastomics' technology introduces desirable traits to a plant through chloroplasts, which are the cells where photosynthesis happens. The company said the funding would let it take its soybean work from the laboratory to the field and complete its proof-of-concept research in corn.

Steve Welker, an operating partner at Lewis & Clark Agrifood, will join Plastomics' board along with John Peryam of Fulcrum Global Capital, based in Kansas City. In a statement, Welker called Plastomics' technology "a game changing solution that pushes the boundaries of what is possible."
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TCare, a St. Louis startup with software designed to help family caregivers, has acquired a New York company called Ruby Home Services.

Ruby, created by New York venture firm 25madison, provides software and services to help people age safely at home. Ali Ahmadi, TCare's chief executive, said he was impressed with Ruby's software for assessing a home's safety.

"Family caregivers have tremendous challenges in navigating day-to-day needs of their loved ones," Ahmadi said in a statement. "Not having confidence in the safety of their home should not be one of them."

TCare's software uses predictive analytics to prevent caregiver burnout and refers caregivers to community resources. TCare won a $50,000 Arch Grant in 2019 and raised $3 million in capital last year.
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Capacity, a University City firm that uses artificial intelligence to automate help-desk functions, has raised $38 million of capital.

The financing, a Series C venture capital round, includes $11 million that was announced in October. Capacity said the money came from previous investors, but did not list them.

A company statement quotes Jonathan Freed, of TMC Emerging Technology Fund in San Diego, as saying that Capacity "is part of the next evolution of mortgage technology." Several of Capacity's customers are mortgage companies that use its software to answer ' questions and automate support tasks.

Capacity, originally known as Jane.ai, has raised a total of $62 million since it was founded in 2017 by David Karandish and Chris Sims. The company said it would use the new funding to add staff and enhance product capabilities.
BioSTL announced Tuesday that it's launching a center that will bring health-care innovation to rural areas.

The Center for Rural Health Innovation will look worldwide for technologies like telehealth that can benefit rural medical providers. It grew out of the industry group's GlobalSTL initiative, which has already connected three overseas companies with providers in Missouri.

Babylon Health, a British company, has launched its mobile app in 10 southeast Missouri counties. The app allows patients to contact a primary care physician at any time of the day or night.

Uniper Care, based in Israel, has made its wellness platform available to the Veterans Administration in St. Louis to address social isolation in older people. And Sword Health, of Portugal, is serving rural Missouri communities with its virtual physical therapy platform.

"BioSTL sees innovation and convening rural buying power as key levers for bringing a new model of health and economic vitality to rural areas and for bridging the urban-rural divide," GlobalSTL leader Vijay Chauhan said in a statement.

The rural health center will be privately funded. BioSTL previously launched two other centers of excellence, the Center for Defense Medicine and the Center for National Pandemic Resiliency, with the help of federal grants.
Ahram Online explains which official documents Sudanese citizens need if they want to enter Egypt, as they flee fighting between rival branches of their countrys armed forces.

As of Thursday, over 14,000 Sudanese have entered Egypt through the Qustul and Arqeen border crossings, according to Egypts Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

However, thousands more are still waiting to enter.

Egypt has already eased requirements for Sudanese and other nationalities wishing to enter through these crossing points, including:

Women, children and men above the age of 50 may enter without a prior visa, but must still have a valid passport and vaccination card.

Men between the age of 16 to 49 are required to have a valid passport and visa in addition to a vaccination card.

Egypts embassy in Khartoum, its consulate in Port Sudan and its consulate office in Wadi Halfa near the Arqeen crossing are responsible for issuing visas.

From its side, the Sudanese government is also working to ease the crossing process, taking into consideration that many of those fleeing the fighting may have done so without passports or with ones that are expired, according to the Sudanese Consul in Aswan Ambassador Abdel-Kader Abdel-Allah.

For instance, children who do not have yet a passport are allowed to be added to at least one of their parents as long as they have a national ID number in Sudan. Also, expired passports may be renewed with an official Sudanese stamp for another six months.

The Sudanese government is still waiting for the Egyptian government to approve these changes, according to media statements on Thursday.

Huge crowds had gathered at border crossings between the two countries following the spread of rumours online that Egypt was allowing the entry of men ages 16-49 years old without a visa. At Arqeen, buses stood for over 48 hours waiting to make the crossing, according to Abdel-Allah.

The Sudanese diplomat pleaded in a video interview with the official news agency SUNA that Sudanese citizens without passports should head to safe Sudanese states instead of the border crossings because they make it harder for Sudanese and non-Sudanese citizens who have passports and have to wait for long hours.

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David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Alex Quinn is passionate about improving the television viewing experience.

The 23-year-old began working in high school on artificial intelligence software that can make smart TVs smarter, able to answer viewers questions about what theyre watching and serve up ads that are relevant to their interests.

A deal reached this month, Quinn believes, puts his technology closer to reaching living rooms across the land. This definitely accelerates things, he said. Id be surprised if it is not deployed next year, and with a number of manufacturers.

Quinn sold his St. Louis startup, Disruptel, to Samba TV of San Francisco, a leader in audience analytics and targeted advertising. Samba TVs software is already running on 46 million TV sets made by two dozen companies, a scale that would have taken Disruptel years to reach.

Quinn said he approached Samba TV last year about a partnership, and it didnt take long for things to advance beyond that. When the idea of an acquisition was floated, he said, It excited me as a way to not have to work on this alone.

Samba TVs co-founder and chief executive, Ashwin Navin, liked Disruptels technology but was most impressed by Quinn himself.

We are most interested in the Disruptel team, who are like-minded entrepreneurs  hungry and ambitious and ready to change the world, Navin said in an email. It reminded me of our company when we were just getting started and everyone was betting against us as a small startup trying to establish itself in the massive TV industry.

Quinn will remain in St. Louis and will lead a team working on artificial intelligence for Samba TV. The company introduced its Samba AI content-recognition product this year and Navin said it expects to unveil new features as soon as Januarys Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Terms of the acquisition werent disclosed but Frank Hopper, managing director of the Capital Innovators accelerator fund, said Disruptel investors are in a position to do well.

Capital Innovators invested in Disruptel in 2019, less than a year after Quinn graduated from high school in Red Bud, Illinois. Hopper recalls meeting an entrepreneur who was young but highly motivated.

It felt very much like a Silicon Valley prototype, someone who was going to work on a startup rather than go to college, Hopper said. He was a visionary, he was really bright, and he quickly grew into the CEO role.

Part of the credit for his rapid success, Quinn said, goes to his mentors and backers in St. Louis. After landing the investment from Capital Innovators in 2019, he won a $50,000 Arch Grant in 2020.

At T-Rex, the downtown technology incubator, he met fellow entrepreneurs and venture capitalists such as Brian Matthews, co-founder of Cultivation Capital.

Talking to people who had been through this really accelerated my progress, Quinn said. It was a huge motivation at my age to meet people like that.

Now, with a successful exit behind him, Quinn gets to remove some of the many hats hes worn as a startup founder. He can worry less about things like as marketing and finance and concentrate on making the technology work.

Like most tech companies, Samba TV will hire people wherever it can find them, but Quinn hopes to find some machine learning and artificial intelligence talent close to home. Im not going anywwhere, and assuming we can find the right candidates, I would love to expand in St. Louis, he said.
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Joe Fischers entrepreneurial journey began with an empty cereal box and grew into Greetabl, an e-commerce business with more than $5 million in revenue.

Now, having nurtured the company for nearly a decade, Fischer has decided to move on to something new. Greetabl was sold last month to Business Crossing, a company formed by Ashland, Missouri, investor Gary McKinney.

It really felt like a good time to change gears and get on to a new adventure, he said. His co-founder, Zoe Scharf, moved to New York last year and Fischer, who was single when he started the company, is now married with three children and living on his familys farm near Washington, Missouri.

Greetabl also has expanded well beyond Fischers original idea, which was a greeting card that could be personalized with photos and text, then folded into a small gift box.

Early on, he and Scharf realized that consumers liked the box but didnt know what to put in it, so they launched a line of curated gift items such as candy, candles and socks. More recently, Greetabl has become more of a business-to-business company, with much of its growth coming from corporate gift programs.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought both opportunity and challenge. Demand for personalized gifts soared when people werent able to meet friends and family in person, but printing giant R.R. Donnelley closed the St. Louis unit that filled Greetabls orders. During one of its busiest periods, the company had to switch to a fulfillment center in Memphis.

Looking back, I couldnt ask for a better education, Fischer said. I think we did something really interesting in the space that people took note of.

Jerome Katz, an entrepreneurship professor at St. Louis University, remembers when Fischer brought a cut-up cereal box to class. The corners were cut out to create a foldable gift box, Katz recalled. That made him distinctive among students: He had created a prototype so he could show people what his idea would look like.

Katz now mentions Greetabl three times in his entrepreneurship textbook. He said he was impressed by the way the small firm used data to understand its clientele. Their loyal customers really appreciated that Greetabl had a great sense of design and style and a real passion for supporting gift-giving, Katz said.

Along the way, Greetabl won a $50,000 Arch Grant and raised $2.5 million from investors, including the Capital Innovators accelerator fund, state-run Missouri Technology Corp. and members of the Billiken Angel Network.

Gabe Angieri, executive director of Arch Grants, believes Fischers success will hearten other aspiring entrepreneurs. Greetabl was a great growth story, he said. The more success stories of startups we have in St. Louis, it draws others to the community and creates a virtuous cycle.

Fischer, who worked for Goldman Sachs in New York before launching Greetabl, plans to return to his finance roots by starting a fractional CFO business. In that role, hell lend his expertise to startups and other small businesses that cant afford a full-time chief financial officer.

As he prepares to launch that new business, Fischer has had time to reflect on what made Greetabl work. It was simple, he decided: We delivered a lot of happiness. It sounds cheesy, but we created a tool that never existed before, and it has brought people closer together.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Banking regulators carry a big stick, but sometimes they can get results without actually using it.

Last month, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a report on the $15.5 billion a year that banks collect in overdraft fees. The agency has studied the issue before, but this research was accompanied by a pointed statement from its director, Rohit Chopra.

Many banks have become hooked on overdraft fees to feed their profit model, Chopra said. We will be taking action to restore meaningful competition to this market.

The mere threat of action is already producing results. The same day the report came out, Capital One announced that it was eliminating overdraft fees and a related fee for non-sufficient funds, which customers incur when a transaction is denied because they dont have enough money.

Several big banks have followed Capital Ones lead. Bank of America reduced its overdraft charge from $35 to $10. Wells Fargo and U.S. Bank said they will give customers a 24-hour grace period before levying overdraft charges. All three are eliminating the non-sufficient funds, or bounced check, fee.

Its a remarkably swift surrender on something that, according to the CFPB, accounts for nearly two-thirds of large banks fee revenue from checking accounts.

It is a big change, but theres a lot of reputational risk for banks that derive a large chunk of revenue from something that skews toward younger and lower-income consumers, said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com.

McBride said the banks were motivated by competitive pressure as well as the threat of regulation. Fin-tech startups such as Brigit and Chime Financial were already luring young consumers with the promise that theyd never pay for overdrafts, and online-only Ally Bank did away with its overdraft fee last summer.

It didnt used to be a competitive thing but its rapidly becoming so, McBride said. When you see the likes of Ally and Capital One moving to no fees, that puts more pressure on the traditional banks.

Consumer advocacy groups say the fees take advantage of low-income families, who sometimes must choose between paying $35 for an overdraft or being late with a rent payment. An earlier CFPB study found that 9% of account holders accounted for 79% of fees, with the median frequent overdrafter paying more than $700 a year.

Carter Dougherty, a spokesman for Americans for Financial Reform, hopes the CFPB will go ahead and put limits on overdraft fees. We believe there still needs to be strong federal regulation, particularly as regards the number of overdrafts allowed and the cost of overdrafts, he said. The power dynamic here is incredibly asymmetrical.

Consumers find it costly to switch banks, and Dougherty doubts that all 6,000 U.S. banks will voluntarily limit the fees. The Brookings Institution found last year that a few small banks collected overdraft fees that accounted for more than 100% of profits.

Whats not clear yet is how banks that are reducing overdraft fees will fill the revenue gap. McBride fears that theyll raise other fees, including monthly fees for maintaining a checking account.

Im not optimistic that the trend toward free checking is going to continue to be on an upward trajectory, McBride said. This is a big revenue gap that needs to be filled somehow.

If hes right, consumers in the aggregate may not save money, but at least the banks will no longer be playing a gotcha game with their poorest customers.
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Rural Americans are older and sicker than urban residents, but they have less access to health care. Industry group BioSTL is attempting to close that gap with technology.

The group already has brought a British companys telemedicine technology to 10 southeast Missouri counties and a remote physical therapy program to hundreds of rural residents served by Concordia Health Plans. It has arranged a pilot project for elderly veterans that shows promise for improving their physical and mental health.

The three projects were made possible by an effort called GlobalSTL, which brings in foreign technology companies to meet with local health care systems. Once BioSTL realized that several of those companies could meet an urgent need in rural communities, it decided to formally launch a Center for Rural Health Innovation.

Bringing the person to health care is the old model, but technology makes it possible to bring health care to the person, said Vijay Chauhan, project lead for GlobalSTL. In rural communities, that is the better approach.

When Uniper Care, an Israeli company, presented its technology at a GlobalSTL event in 2019, it caught the attention of officials at the Veterans Administration in St. Louis. The VA knows that older veterans, especially those in rural communities, are prone to social isolation, which is bad for their health.

Many older patients arent comfortable using a computer or smartphone, but Uniper turns an ordinary television into a two-way communication device. In a pilot project, its connecting 100 veterans in Missouri and Illinois with exercise classes, bingo games, discussion groups and virtual physician visits.

Early results are encouraging. The Uniper users report that theyre exercising more, have fewer days when they feel unhealthy and are less prone to feelings of anxiety or depression.

Were looking to take care of the social aspect of isolation, which leads to depression and can affect the health of the veteran, said Kyle Robinson, a clinical coordinator at the St. Louis VA. Weve had positive feedback from almost all of our veterans.

Sword Health, a remote physical therapy company founded in Portugal but now based in Salt Lake City, also reports promising results from its Missouri users.

After an initial video consultation, Swords therapists load a treatment program on a tablet. It is delivered to the patients home along with sensors to record, for example, how far the person can raise an arm after a shoulder injury.

The programs instant feedback helps the patient learn to do the exercises correctly, and lets the therapist see how the patient is progressing.

People are more likely to do the therapy their doctor prescribes when it doesnt require a long drive to the therapists office. Compliance with in-person physical therapy is not great, said Peter Welsh, a Sword regional vice president. Our data show its only about 30%, but with our program, 89% of recommended sessions are completed.

More foreign companies are coming to town next week for a GlobalSTL innovation summit, and Chauhan said several of their products will be useful in rural areas. The new center will also look for domestic technologies that fit the rural market.

The centers initial focus is on Missouri and Illinois, but Chauhan has had discussions with providers in Indiana, Kansas and Tennessee. He thinks the center could eventually have a nationwide footprint.

Technology companies, Chauhan said, usually look to launch their products in urban areas where they can scale up quickly. He wants to open their eyes to areas with less population density, but plenty of pressing needs.
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St. Louis has built a vibrant biotechnology sector over the last two decades, but it cant grow without talent.

In a region with a stagnant population, finding workers is a challenge for all employers, especially those with above-average skill requirements. To understand the scope of that challenge, industry group BioSTL recently commissioned a study of workforce needs in the plant, life and medical sciences.

The study, released Monday, covers an industry that employs 19,165 people in greater St. Louis. Thats a small but important fraction of the areas 1.4 million jobs: The average bioscience worker earns $116,000 a year, double the areas median wage.

The sectors 836 employers include research labs, medical labs, manufacturers and distributors, from startups to giant companies like Bayer and MilliporeSigma. The study doesnt cover health care providers, a much larger industry with some of the same skill needs.

Not surprisingly, 80% of bioscience jobs require some training beyond high school. Even in this high-tech industry, though, nearly half of all jobs can be filled by people with two years or less of post-secondary training.

Even our leaders were surprised to see there are so many jobs in bioscience manufacturing that can be done with short-term training, said Justin Raymundo, BioSTLs director of regional workforce strategy.

Those are the elusive middle-skill jobs that allow workers to live a middle-class lifestyle without going into debt for a four-year degree. Every region wants more of them.

Area educators have long been aware of the industrys staffing needs. St. Louis Community Colleges biotechnology program, based at the Danforth Plant Science Center, has a job-placement rate above 90%. Last year the college launched a course to help employees of Thermo Fisher Scientific, a biologics drug manufacturer that was expanding in Berkeley, upgrade their skills.

MilliporeSigma has also enrolled workers in the course, which may expand to other employers. Theres a huge workforce need in the biosciences but the worker shortage is not just a St. Louis problem, its an industry problem, said Elizabeth Boedeker, the community colleges district director for plant and life sciences.

At NewLeaf Symbiotics, an agricultural research firm in Creve Coeur, seven of 35 employees are graduates of the community colleges biotech program. Its really helped our company grow, said Natalie Breakfield, NewLeafs vice president of research and discovery.

When she talks to high school teachers, Breakfield tries to spread the word about middle-skill careers in her industry. When I was growing up in Jefferson County, I didnt realize these kinds of jobs existed, she said. I thought if you were interested in science you became a doctor or a nurse.

Spreading the word is also among the recommendations in the workforce report. It calls for expanding STEM education initiatives into disadvantaged neighborhoods and connecting employers with schools to publicize career opportunities.

Education isnt the only need. Other services, such as a new YWCA day-care center in Olivette, can help biotech workers stay in the workforce. Its not just about a skills gap, its about whatever is constraining the opportunities here in the region, Raymundo said.

The report estimates that employers need to fill 1,400 bioscience jobs annually. Many of those openings represent turnover rather than new positions, but the industry has grown. The region has added 850 bioscience jobs since 2016, even as the coronavirus pandemic caused total private sector employment to fall 3.5%.

Such resiliency makes this relatively small sector vital to St. Louis future. If the region cant find those 1,400 workers each year, the jobs may go elsewhere.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Greater St. Louis Inc. certainly didnt have a sophomore slump.

The civic organization, formed at the beginning of 2021 in a merger of four groups, pledged to bring order to the regions often chaotic economic development efforts. Its first-year successes included landing a Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt and crafting a 10-year job growth plan.

This years wins include a $25 million federal grant to fund a manufacturing technology center and a string of employer announcements totaling about 1,000 jobs.

Chief Executive Jason Hall told me 2022 also was the year Greater St. Louis built its own capacity, recruiting key staffers from successful regions like Boston and San Francisco. Kurt Weigle, the new point person for downtown development, comes from New Orleans and Steven Pearce, the new chief business attraction officer, comes from Charlotte.

It was another year of maturing, another year of scaling, Hall said. We are seeing better opportunities that this team is bringing to the table.

Among this years wins were three factory expansions announced in a single week in October. Plants making auto parts in Wentzville, building products in Crystal City and battery components in South St. Louis represent more than $1 billion in investment, Hall said.

They represent an early payoff from Greater St. Louis emphasis on advanced manufacturing, one of five industry clusters highlighted in the groups STL 2030 Jobs Plan. The federal technology grant, won in a competition among hundreds of regions, was a key part of the strategy.

A macro trend is the resurgence of American manufacturing, and you have to be able to capitalize on macro trends, Hall said.

St. Louis hasnt always done that. Employment here has grown just 5.8% in 20 years, compared with 17.6% nationwide. Demographics  a population thats aging and barely growing  are the regions biggest challenge.

That, Hall said, is why his organizations focus on inclusive growth is important. If employers need workers, he said, its crucial to create opportunities for groups that historically have had relatively low rates of workforce participation, including inner city residents and members of minority groups.

Hall isnt shying away from other challenges, either, including crime and the large amount of vacant space downtown. Greater St. Louis was criticized for not mentioning crime in the 2030 jobs plan, but Hall now says public safety is moving up the priority list for our members.

Weigle, who arrived in November, will have more to say about a strategy for downtown, but Hall said its encouraging that the biggest empty building, the AT&T tower, has drawn interest from a developer.

Perhaps Greater St. Louis biggest accomplishment has been creating a strong, unified voice for the areas business community. It has weighed in on legislative issues such as funding for the Missouri Technology Corp. and on ballot propositions such as last years tax increase for St. Louis Community College.

Recently, the group has advocated for a new airport terminal and issued a white paper on how local leaders should spend the Rams lawsuit windfall.

The document says the money should be invested in a long term trust fund or used for catalytic, economy-building projects. The implied warning is that if local governments use the money to plug short-term budget holes, the region will have missed a giant opportunity.

For too long, such consistent advocacy for pro-growth polices was either missing or highly diluted in St. Louis. The two-year-old Greater St. Louis organization has already scored big wins for the region, and more success lies ahead if political leaders will heed its advice.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

The pitch sounded audacious: Turn a plant that most farmers considered a weed into a cash crop.

It was 2012, and some visiting scientists made a presentation about field pennycress at the Danforth Plant Science Centers innovation showcase. The seeds oil content showed promise for renewable fuel production, and the federal government had funded research.

Former Monsanto executives Vijay Chauhan, Dennis Plummer and Mike Roth were intrigued enough to form a company around the idea. They got early backing from BioGenerator, a seed fund and business incubator, and would eventually raise money from other local investors including Cultivation Capital, Yield Lab, the St. Louis Arch Angels, St. Louis Countys Helix Fund and the state-backed Missouri Technology Corp.

Creating a new cash crop is a tall order, but the startup would improve pennycress yield enough to make it commercially viable. It also found partners willing to process the seed into biofuel. Last Monday, their efforts paid off when agribusiness giant Bayer bought majority ownership of CoverCress Inc., now a 25-employee company based in Creve Coeur.

Financial terms werent disclosed but Charlie Bolten, senior vice president at BioGenerator, said the investors all made big gains. I think everyones very happy, he said.

The CoverCress acquisition comes less than a year after Benson Hill, another local agriculture startup, made its stock market debut. That makes two high-profile exits for investors who bet on St. Louis as a center of ag entrepreneurship.

This is another big moment, Bolten said. It proves that we have the talent to do this in St. Louis. Nothing counts until you start getting returns.

Its a heck of a St. Louis story, echoed Jerry Steiner, CoverCress chairman and former chief executive. In its early days, he recalled, the company had cheap office space at the countys Helix Center and was able to squat on lab equipment owned by St. Louis Community College. This area has a really good system for getting companies going, Steiner said.

No one has introduced a major cash crop in North America since canola was developed from rapeseed a half-century ago. CoverCress plans a commercial introduction this fall, planting 10,000 acres.

CEO Mike DeCamp said the plan is to expand to 250,000 acres in three years and 3 million acres by 2030. Farmers will be won over by the economics were able to offer, he said.

CoverCress is planted in fall and harvested in spring, so it lets farmers profit from a crop when their corn and soybean acres would otherwise be idle. It also serves as a cover crop, reducing winter soil erosion.

Jennifer Ozimkiewicz, senior vice president for corn and soy strategy at Bayer Crop Science, said the prospect of producing low-carbon fuel while improving soil health made CoverCress a compelling investment. It is a great and tangible example of our commitment to sustainability and innovation, she said.

Bayer owns 65% of CoverCress, with Bunge and Chevron remaining minority shareholders.

Each owner brings strategic value. Bayer knows how to sell seed to farmers, Bunge knows how to process oilseeds, and Chevron knows how to produce and sell biodiesel. We think weve built a strong team, DeCamp said.

Its also a team with deep roots here. The majority of CoverCress employees formerly worked for Monsanto, which Bayer bought in 2018. Plenty of non-employees, at institutions such as BioGenerator and the Danforth Center, also contributed to the homegrown success story.

Decades from now, when historians describe how a weed became a valuable crop, theyll know it happened in St. Louis.
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In less than two years as chief executive of Emerson, Lal Karsanbhai hasnt been afraid to make bold moves.

Hes sold legacy businesses and made a big push into software, transforming the 132-year-old manufacturer into a smaller, more focused company with better growth prospects.

The big question is whether Karsanbhais next bold move will be to move the headquarters out of St. Louis.

He raised the possibility Monday after announcing that private equity group Blackstone will pay $14 billion for a controlling interest in Emersons climate control business, which represents about a quarter of the companys revenue.

The spun-off climate venture will acquire Emersons headquarters campus in Ferguson, where Emerson will lease space for at least three years while looking for a new home either in or outside the St. Louis area.

Jeff Windau, an analyst at Edward Jones, thinks Texas may be high on Emersons list. It already has a big presence in Austin, and the oil and petrochemical industries are among the biggest customers of its factory automation business.

Emerson has businesses located in Texas and they might like to get a little closer to their customers, Windau said.

Not that St. Louis is conceding anything to the Lone Star State or anyplace else. Jason Hall, chief executive of business group Greater St. Louis Inc., talked with Karsanbhai shortly after Mondays announcement, and he thinks St. Louis has a good chance of retaining Emerson.

St. Louis is well positioned, he said. We have certain advantages to be the place where the next generation of the companys headquarters plays out.

Karsanbhai has been on board with many of Greater St. Louis priorities, Hall said, including luring a nonstop flight to Germany, creating an advanced manufacturing innovation center and supporting technology entrepreneurs through organizations such as Arch Grants.

Hall understands why Emerson is rethinking its headquarters. There are a couple of things going on here, he said. Theres the transformation of the firm, and secondly, people are thinking about their real estate differently coming out of COVID.

Indeed, the spread of remote work has made other St. Louis companies rethink their office needs. Caleres put its Clayton headquarters up for sale and Centene vacated nearly 1 million square feet while canceling plans for a campus in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Offloading the 200-acre Ferguson campus fits with Emersons new image as a lean, focused company. Analysts and shareholders pressured it for years to sell the climate-control business and concentrate on factory automation, but Emerson resisted. Even Karsanbhai said last year that he didnt see a need to split the company in two.

Now, hes done just that. The new Emerson will be more vulnerable to economic downturns  its automation business takes a hit whenever the oil and gas industry dials back investment  but it should grow faster, which may earn it a higher valuation on Wall Street.

Flush with $9.5 billion in cash from the Blackstone deal, its also likely to be an active acquirer. Karsanbhai told analysts he will pursue sizable opportunities in large markets.

Emerson, then, is likely to be a dynamic company no matter where its based. Hall promises an all-out effort to keep it here, but he says the region will need to make some investments, including an airport terminal makeover thats in the planning stages.

We are approaching this with confidence, Hall said. We think St. Louis can stack up against any city to meet the needs of a Fortune 500 technology company headquarters.
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Federal securities regulations usually dont have much effect on a Missouri farm, but Garrett Hawkins fears thats about to change.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is proposing to make publicly traded companies disclose information about their exposure to climate change, including extensive data about carbon emissions throughout their supply chains. If big companies like Tyson Foods have to know more about the carbon footprint of their beef, Hawkins fears that it will raise operating costs for farmers like him.

This quickly becomes complicated and wildly burdensome, not just for farmers and ranchers but for everybody in the value chain, said Hawkins, who raises cattle, sheep and hay near Appleton City in western Missouri. He worries that large farms, better able to afford the cost of compliance, would gain an advantage in dealing with companies like Tyson, while smaller operations like his might be forced out of business.

Hawkins is president of Missouri Farm Bureau, which submitted a letter to the SEC opposing the proposed rule. The agency received more than 3,000 comments, including pleas for relief from groups representing aerospace manufacturers, restaurants, car-rental companies and shoe stores. The National Federation of Independent Business said small firms cannot afford the burden and expense of tracking and reporting climate-related information.

Andrew Tuch, a Washington University law professor, believes farmers and small businesses are right to be worried. The scope of the disclosures required here is unprecedented in recent history, he said. The breadth and the specificity are enormous.

Business groups are most concerned about the treatment of so-called Scope 3 emissions, which are related to a companys activities but outside its operational control. For McDonalds, such reporting could cover everyone from the farms that produce its beef to the paper mills that make its napkins to the trucks that supply its restaurants.

The SEC does acknowledge the cost of such reporting; it says companies can use estimates or industry averages for Scope 3 data. Pressed by investors, though, companies may compete to be as specific as possible. There are clearly incentives in the proposal for companies to do more than rely on estimates or averages, Tuch said. The SEC is hoping for better investment decisions, and its pretty hard to compare companies if theyre all relying on the same sources of data for their supply chains.

The audience for the proposed disclosures is the large number of investors who are concerned about sustainability. Assets of ESG funds, which focus on environmental, social and governance issues, grew 50% last year to $2.7 trillion.

At Kennedy Capital Management in Creve Coeur, an ESG fund is a growing part of the business. Chris McDonald, the funds portfolio manager, is eager to see the kind of standardized disclosures the SEC is talking about.

Theres a tremendous amount of inconsistency and noncomparability in the types of disclosures provided by companies, McDonald said. In my view, this is a step forward to allowing investors to get a complete picture of the impact of climate change on a company.

While he thinks the data will help him make better investment decisions, McDonald is sensitive to the costs for businesses large and small. If done thoughtfully, I believe this can be done in a cost-effective manner, he said.

The SECs critics blast the proposal as a political move, part of President Joe Bidens climate-change agenda, but there is a real demand from investors for better emissions data. The challenge now is to provide that data without placing an undue burden on bystanders like Hawkins.
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Cold, hard cash lured Akash Vidyadharan and his geospatial startup to St. Louis, but it was the connections he made that convinced him to stay.

Vidyadharan, 27, co-founded InfraLytiks in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2017 with fellow Iowa State University engineering graduate Tyler Carter. He came to St. Louis last year for a 13-week business accelerator program sponsored by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and Missouri Technology Corp. and run by Capital Innovators.

The program came with $100,000, which comes in handy for any startup, but the real value was the introduction to a government agency that might be able to use InfraLytiks software.

InfraLytiks uses machine learning to describe whats in images, including drone video, satellite photos and 3-D laser scans. For instance, the software took less than an hour to analyze more than 100,000 acres for a wind farm developer that needed to place turbines away from trees, buildings and roads.

Early customers were insurance and engineering firms, but the founders believed their technology had national-security uses too.

They had participated in other accelerators, including one sponsored by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. Vidyadharan said the NGAs program was the most results-oriented.

We were assigned a mentor from the NGA and given a clear objective of what we needed to build, he said. In other accelerators we had to propose a solution, but this was a solution they needed engineered.

By the end of the 13 weeks, it became clear that InfraLytiks should have a permanent presence in St. Louis. It was after the NGA and Capital Innovators accelerator that we realized how large a geospatial hub St. Louis is and is planning to become, Vidyadharan said.

InfraLytiks won a $50,000 Arch Grant later in 2021, which reinforced his decision to stay here. Vidyadharan has enrolled in the PhD program at St. Louis Universitys new Taylor Geospatial Institute, and he has an office at the T-Rex incubator downtown, which has devoted an entire floor to geospatial enterprises.

In short, hes taken advantage of many of the resources that have been put in place since 2019, when St. Louis commissioned a GeoFutures report to learn how it could participate in the fast-growing geospatial industry.

Andy Dearing, who headed the GeoFutures effort, said InfraLytiks is one of several startups that have located here in recent years. The interrelationship of the programs that are being created is what makes the ecosystem work for them, he said. Its mentorship, its money and its market validation for their technology.

About half of the 24 companies that participated in the NGA Accelerator have established an ongoing presence in St. Louis, said Frank Hopper, Capital Innovators managing director. Hes awaiting word on NGAs budget, but is hopeful that the program will be funded for three more years.

Its a key piece of the geospatial ecosystem, Hopper said. If were going to be on the world stage for geospatial, we have to help capitalize and stand up these early stage companies.

Gabe Angieri, Arch Grants executive director, considers InfraLytiks one of his groups success stories. With the traction theyve been able to get and the introductions to defense contractors, theyve hit the business development milestones we like to see, he said.

For now, Vidyadharan is the lone InfraLytiks employee here. His colleagues are scattered in Iowa, Illinois, North Carolina and Dubai. Based on his experience, however, he doesnt expect to remain a one-person office.

Moving forward, we will be hiring primarily from St. Louis just because of the ecosystem here, he said.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Missouri lawmakers, haggling over tax cuts in a special session this month, know they can buy popularity with some timely election-year largesse.

They need to be reminded, however, that the way they structure the cuts can help or hinder the states economy.

A growing body of research shows that changes in a states income tax rate matter a great deal to the entrepreneurs who start businesses, create jobs and create wealth.

Economists Enrico Moretti, of the University of California, and Daniel Wilson, of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, found that star scientists are especially mobile  and especially sensitive to changes in the top tax rate. Joshua Rauh, of Stanford University, found that a 2012 California tax increase accelerated the out-migration of high earners from the state.

Missouris top rate of 5.3% isnt particularly high. California charges high earners 12.3%, New York 10.9% and Minnesota 9.85%. Gov. Mike Parsons proposed cut to 4.8%, though, should help attract and retain the innovators who are creating jobs in fields like agricultural science, health care and geospatial technology.

You have St. Louis building up a better ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship, said Aaron Hedlund, an associate professor at Purdue University and chief economist at the Show Me Institute. This would be like jet fuel added to that.

By contrast, a competing proposal to send Missourians $325 rebate checks would do nothing to change future entrepreneurs incentive to invest, build or hire in the state. Parson vetoed a rebate plan this spring, but some legislators are trying to revive it in the special session.

Anything that puts money in taxpayers pockets is valuable, Hedlund said, but if were talking about what we really need to do, which is to increase growth in the state, the more you can reduce marginal rates the better.

The Show-Me Institute, whose billionaire founder Rex Sinquefield has been a longtime advocate for eliminating Missouris income tax, isnt the only think tank that thinks a lower marginal rate is feasible.

The Missouri Budget Project, a non-partisan organization that tracks state spending, crafted a tax-cut plan with the same 4.8% top rate as Parsons, but with a lower overall cost, $586 million instead of $700 million. Its proposal also beefs up some credits for low-income people who wouldnt benefit from Parsons plan.

The savings would come from eliminating a loophole that allows certain taxpayers, who organize their businesses as partnerships or limited liability companies, to avoid taxes on 20% of so-called pass-through income.

Traci Gleason, the Missouri Budget Projects vice president for external affairs, said the loophole encourages companies to game the system, and theres not a good rationale for it. Missouri passed the tax break in 2014, copying an even more generous Kansas law that later caused severe budget problems in that state.

The ideal tax system is one that funds public services with the broadest possible base and the lowest possible rate. Down the road, Missouri should look for other ways to trim its thicket of special-interest deductions and credits, perhaps with an eye toward trimming the tax rate even further.

For now, a cut to 4.8% would be a good start. Politicians may like the message that rebate checks deliver to constituents mailboxes, but economists prefer the message that a lower tax rate sends to innovators deciding where they want to live, work and invest.

In todays work-from-anywhere world, the competition to attract entrepreneurs and knowledge workers will only intensify. Missouri shouldnt miss this chance to send a positive message.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

In a decade, Andrew Brimer and Abby Cohen have taken their respiratory care company from student project to successful exit.

Along the way they won various honors, including recognition from the White House. They won regulatory approval for Wing, the inexpensive diagnostic device they invented as engineering students at Washington University, and launched a service called Lift, which has provided virtual rehabilitation sessions to more than 2,000 people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. Their entrepreneurial journey ended last month with the sale of their company, Sparo Health, to a better-funded competitor called Wellinks. Terms of the deal werent disclosed, but Brimer and Cohen said theyre excited about being able to help more patients manage their COPD. Both are staying with Wellinks, Brimer as senior product designer and Cohen as senior program manager.

They were introduced to Wellinks by an academic researcher who was gathering data on both companies effectiveness. Both firms were trying to fill an unmet need: COPD is the third leading cause of U.S. deaths from disease, and the fifth most costly chronic condition, but the U.S. has only one rehab clinic for every 18,000 COPD sufferers. Because of distance and disability, those hospital-based clinics are inaccessible for many patients.

The dearth of care was personal for Cohen, whose grandfathers both suffered from COPD. I understand the complexities of the disease, she said. Most of the time COPD coexists with other conditions like heart disease and diabetes. Theyre managing a lot.

Sparo offered preprogrammed online classes, while Wellinks also offers one-on-one virtual therapy sessions. The combined company, Brimer said, will provide a range of solutions that meets patients where they are.

The entrepreneurs both credit St. Louis institutions with making their journey possible. They received a $50,000 Arch Grant in 2013, shortly before graduating from Washington U., and were early tenants of the T-Rex technology incubator downtown. Some of Sparos $3.5 million in funding came from local investors, including the St. Louis Arch Angels and Missouri Technology Corp.

Cliff Holekamp, who taught Brimer and Cohen in a business class called the Hatchery, said the Sparo team definitely stands out among his former students. Their growth is very impressive, he said.

Holekamp also notes that the pair had fortunate timing. They graduated shortly after institutions such as Arch Grants and T-Rex were established to nurture new companies.

Holekamp keeps track of the student-led startups he mentored. Between 2008 and 2012, 51% of them stayed in St. Louis. Between 2013 and 2019, that jumped to 91%. It was a major difference, and the difference was the strength of the St. Louis entrepreneurship community, he said.

By now, Brimer and Cohen are almost senior members of the local startup scene, and they plan to stay in St. Louis. Wellinks is based in New Haven, Connecticut, but at least half of its employees are remote, spread in various parts of the country.

Having built and sold one startup, do they ever envision launching another one?

Both are noncommital. We got to where we wanted to go, Cohen said. Were letting this transition happen and focusing our efforts on that.

Never say never, Brimer echoed, but right now were focused on taking the work weve done with Sparo and integrating it into the Wellinks team.

Holekamp, though, guesses that his former students might have another startup in their future. I dont think they will be able to be contained to only one, he said.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Having watched her cookie business crumble once, Susie Wilson is determined to rebuild it. Step one was getting her name back.

Wilson founded Soozies Doozies in 2003 in her Chesterfield kitchen and quickly got her gourmet cookies on the shelves at Dierbergs and Straubs stores. She sold the business in 2007 to SKU Foods of Union, Missouri, but remained involved and believed she owned a minority interest.

She continued representing the brand and even arranged a meeting with a buyer at Walmart. Then, in 2017, the company terminated her role.

Wilson sued SKU and two of its officers in 2018, alleging that they had duped her out of her share of the cookie business. By then, SKU had taken on outside investors, including the Capital Innovators and Prosper accelerator funds and members of the St. Louis Arch Angels. The company also had switched from baking cookies to selling frozen cookie dough, which was available in supermarkets in 38 states.

The most hurtful part, Wilson said at the time, was that SKU removed all mention of her from its marketing materials. A Facebook page implied that there wasnt a real Soozie (or Susie) behind the clever brand name.

According to Wilson, that was an intentional obfuscation of the real origin story. Her suit says SKUs chief operating officer, Robert Stanton, once told Wilson she would always be associated with the brand, like Wally Amos with Famous Amos cookies or Colonel Sanders with Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Wilsons lawsuit, originally filed in federal court and later moved to St. Louis County Circuit Court, was dismissed in February. Wilson said it was settled for an undisclosed sum. She also regained control of the Soozies Doozies trademark, which was transferred to her at the end of July.

I guess they thought I would go away, but I had no reason to go away, she says of her persistence in pursuing the trademark.

The Soozies Doozies brand disappeared from supermarkets in 2020, and Wilson isnt sure why, but shes working on a plan to bring it back.

The plan is to return to the original concept: Freshly baked, gourmet cookies, made from recipes she spent thousands of hours perfecting.

She is already selling a few cookies around Mountain Home, Arkansas, where she now lives, and plans to set up a web page and start an e-commerce business.

She hopes some supermarkets, including those that once sold her cookies in St. Louis, will remember Soozies Doozies and want to offer them again. She also has some new ideas, such as adding muffins to the product line.

Wilson, a 63-year-old grandmother of five, says shes both smarter and healthier than when she launched the business 19 years ago. She was recovering from back surgery at the time, and later suffered arm problems because of repetitive strain from mixing so much cookie dough.

This time, she says, shell start small and enlist help where she needs it, while always making sure to keep control of the brand name. She knows there is no guarantee of success, but shes just happy to again have control of something thats a big part of her identity.

Im at ground zero, but thats OK, she said. The only place you can go is up. I am positive about it. Soozie is back, and were going to make cookies.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

After decades of industrial decline in St. Louis, it may finally be time to retire the term Rust Belt.

It was an appropriate label for a metro area that lost 40% of its factory jobs between 1990 and 2010, but manufacturing employment here has been steady or growing for the past dozen years. Now, flush with a $25 million federal grant, the region is betting part of its future on a rebirth of manufacturing.

The grant, announced Sept. 2, will help build an advanced manufacturing innovation center in North St. Louis and fund job-training and entrepreneurship programs. Officials see the center as a catalyst for industrial innovation and growth, just as the 1998 opening of the Danforth Plant Science Center was a magnet for up-and-coming agricultural firms.

St. Louis may never again be the mass-production powerhouse it was in the mid-20th century, when local factories churned out everything from electric motors to Corvettes to candy. The region still, however, supports 119,000 manufacturing jobs, and employers in the sector are eager for an image upgrade.

This will raise awareness of manufacturing and give us more resources, said Chris Seyer, owner of aerospace manufacturer Seyer Industries in St. Peters. He says recruiting is his No. 1 challenge: Hes seeing 75% fewer applicants for machinist positions than he got two years ago.

Seyer thinks too many high school graduates  and their parents  are stuck in the Rust Belt view of manufacturing. Theres the perception that its dark and dirty  but if you come into our facility youll see how clean and automated everything is, he said. And its a career where you can start out debt-free and make $60,000 a year or more.

Greater St. Louis Inc., a business and civic organization, led the federal grant application. The groups jobs plan, issued last year, identified advanced manufacturing as one of five industry clusters that could produce quality jobs and drive inclusive growth over the next decade.

While there have been a lot of changes in that sector, it is a huge base of good-paying jobs, said Jason Hall, chief executive of Greater St. Louis. It is a strength on which we must build.

Global trends should help St. Louis meet its aspirations in manufacturing. After being battered by COVID-19, trade tensions and Russias invasion of Ukraine, companies are rethinking their supply chains. Instead of offshoring production to cut costs, they are onshoring to ensure a reliable source of key components.

A $1 million portion of St. Louis grant, for example, supports a pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturing program in the Cortex district. The government is encouraging domestic production to alleviate shortages.

St. Louis central location should make it a desirable link in other industries supply chains too. Theres a huge structural shift brewing in the economy, Hall said. We have to be positioned to take advantage of it.

Hall said he hopes ground can be broken next year for the advanced manufacturing innovation center, which will be located next to Ranken Technical College, which is near Kingshighway and Page boulevards. It will help manufacturers develop new technologies and production processes, while partners such as Ranken and St. Louis Community College and Southwestern Illinois College will train the workers they need.

And its a good bet that, unless the centers designers include a sculpture that pays homage to St. Louis industrial past, nary a speck of rust will be found in the place.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Even as Americans wonder whether theyre in a new recession, St. Louis isnt close to recovering from the last one.

As of June, the metro area remains 34,000 jobs short of the number it had in early 2020, before the coronavirus pandemic put the economy in the deep freeze for a few months. Moreover, the areas recovery seems to have stalled.

When the pandemic hit, metro St. Louis lost 188,000 jobs in March and April of 2020. The advent of vaccines and easing of restrictions brought 150,000 people back to work by the end of last year, but the first five months of 2022 showed a net loss of 1,000 jobs.

Junes preliminary number makes the picture brighter, with St. Louis gaining 5,000 jobs in the first half of the year. At that pace, the area wont get back to pre-pandemic employment until 2025.

Even that might be too optimistic. The bad news is that those remaining jobs will take a long time to recoup, especially in the current economic environment, said Karl Kuykendall, a regional economist with S&P Global Market Intelligence.

I really dont see a scenario where St. Louis gets back to pre-pandemic employment levels anytime soon, Kuykendall added. I think St. Louis will get there, but the question is whether it will be three years from now, five years or maybe longer.

There are bright spots in the regional economy. The relatively high-wage professional services industry employs 8,000 more people than it did three years ago. The number of jobs at restaurants, bars and hotels, however, is down by 9,000.

Job growth now is being held back by both limited supply and limited demand. Restaurants and other businesses have cut back their hours because they cant find enough workers, while a slowing economy will cause firms in cyclical industries to rethink hiring plans.

Its rare to see a case where we are still recovering from the pandemic-induced downturn and are now teetering on the brink of another downturn, Kuykendall said.

St. Louis is far from alone. Chicago has 100,000 fewer jobs than it did before the pandemic. San Francisco is 80,000 jobs short, Minneapolis 65,000 and Cincinnati 30,000. At the same time, growing metros like Atlanta, Austin and Nashville have more people working than ever.

The nation as a whole is on pace to get back to its pre-pandemic employment level in the next couple of months  provided a new recession doesnt throw job growth into reverse.

In St. Louis, that milestone remains distant. For the foreseeable future, the area economy will continue to be held back by an eroding industrial base and a slow-growing, aging population.

A dearth of young workers is a big handicap in an era when COVID-19 has accelerated retirement plans for many older people. If St. Louis leaders want a growing economy, they must invest both in amenities that will attract migrants from elsewhere and in education and training for the young people who are already here.

More challenges lie ahead: Nearly 1,000 jobs will disappear when U.S. Steel ends steelmaking in Granite City in 2024, and Boeings fighter plane factory lacks orders beyond mid-decade.

Sluggish recoveries have become the norm for St. Louis. After the dot-com recession of 2000, the metro area needed five years to regain its previous employment level. After the financial crisis hit in 2008, it took seven and a half years.

Were currently climbing back from a much different setback but, unfortunately, the pattern is the same.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Erik Schindler learned the hard way that noncompete agreements can make life miserable.

When he tried to leave his employer, a small pharmacy benefits company in St. Louis County, for another health-care job, he thought he was in the clear. He wouldnt be competing directly with his old company, and a lawyer told him his noncompete was unenforceable.

That didnt matter. The company fought him in court, and the potential new employer didnt want to wait out a legal battle. Schindlers boss punished him by taking away job duties, converting his job from salaried to hourly and ordering fellow employees to shun him.

He was put under video surveillance, and filed a police report over personal possessions that were taken from his office.

He wanted to share his experience, which happened in 2014, in hopes that other workers will soon be spared the same fate. The Federal Trade Commission has proposed a ban on noncompete agreements, alleging that firms use them to unfairly suppress wages.

Schindler is sure that was his employers motivation. Being made an example of was tough, he said. They were doing this to control salary.

Research shows that Schindler and the FTC are probably right. One study found that when Oregon barred noncompete agreements for hourly employees, affected workers wages rose as much as 21%.

Noncompetes do hold down wages and often lead to unwanted career disruption for workers subject to them, says Jake Rosenfeld, a Washington University sociology professor whos written a book about pay practices.

Workers often arent told about a noncompete clause until after theyve accepted a job. Many times, as happened to Schindler, employees whove been on the job for months or years are presented with an ultimatum: Sign this or youre fired.

Decades ago, noncompetes were required mostly for executives, scientists and other highly skilled workers with access to trade secrets. In recent years theyve spread to an estimated 20% of the workforce, including hairdressers, manicurists and, in one famous case, Jimmy Johns fast-food workers.

Its hard to argue that a sandwich maker knows any trade secrets. Theyre really used as a way of protecting against competition for talent, Washington University Law Professor Pauline Kim said.

Employers argue that they need noncompetes to protect their investment in research and training. Studies indicate, however, that handcuffing workers to their jobs may actually discourage innovation.

Anne Marie Knott, a Washington University business professor, found that California and Minnesota were the states with the most effective research spending by public companies. Neither state enforces noncompete agreements, and Knott believes thats no coincidence.

The record indicates that innovative employees dont want to go to work for a company if they know they wont be able to get another job in the same industry, she said.

Its no accident that Silicon Valley, the nations most entrepreneurial region, is in a state that doesnt enforce noncompetes. Getting rid of these onerous contracts nationwide could make the U.S. economy more vibrant and competitive.

Mostly, though, the FTCs proposed ban would make workers lives better. Schindlers battle with his employer lasted nine months and cost him about $20,000 in legal fees. He eventually found a job with another health-care firm that was willing to ignore his old bosss threatening letters, but says the stress affected him for years.

I made a vow that I would never sign a noncompete agreement again, Schindler said. If the FTC can prevent someone else from having the same experience, I would love to see it.
If Shaun Hayes rise in the banking world was meteoric, his fall was even more so.

Like that rare shooting star that crashes to Earth, he left major damage in his wake: three failed banks, numerous lawsuits, a painful divorce and eventually a federal fraud conviction that would send him to prison for three years.

Hayes, 63, was released in May 2020, but his lifestyle now is much different from the one he led as a $500,000-a-year bank chief executive. He drives a St. Louis school bus and has delivered groceries for DoorDash.

In the past year, while battling cancer and other health problems, he also found time to write a book called The Gray Choice: Lessons on My Journey from Big-time Banking to the Big House (and Back). Hayes hopes to build a career as a motivational speaker, helping other people avoid the mistakes he made.

Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, Hayes was the golden boy of St. Louis banking. He ran corporate banking for UMB Bank at age 26 before leaving to buy a small bank in Kahoka, Missouri, which he renamed Allegiant Bank. He then made a series of acquisitions in St. Louis to grow the banks assets from $11 million to $2.5 billion. Allegiants share price quintupled in eight years before it was sold to National City, a Cleveland bank, in 2004.

The gray choice of the books title refers to the many times when Hayes blurred the lines between ethical and unethical behavior, between following the rules and stretching them. Once, for example, Allegiant was overdrawn at the Federal Reserve and nearly got shut down because a man who was going to buy $250,000 worth of loans, providing urgently needed cash, was stuck on a delayed airline flight.

Hayes was comfortable with pushing the envelope, but after leaving National City he veered from ambiguity into clear illegality.

He got involved with three troubled banks: Sun Security Bank in St. Charles County, Truman Bank in Clayton and Excel Bank in Sedalia. All three would fail, costing the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. $193 million.

Federal prosecutors said, Hayes caused Excel to buy delinquent loans on a property he co-owned and concealed other substandard loans from the banks board. Hayes pleaded guilty to bank fraud and misapplication of funds.

The problem, Hayes said in a recent interview, was that he started to believe in his own invincibility and no longer had trusted associates to use as a sounding board. What I lost when Allegiant sold was great friends and partners, he said. I was alone at Sun, Excel and Truman.  I didnt have that group of people around to bounce things off of and hold me accountable.

In prison, Hayes signed up for an alcohol treatment program that would shorten his sentence and let him move from the Marion, Illinois, penitentiary to a prison camp in Pensacola, Florida. He got much more than a warmer climate: The program helped him think rationally about his actions and take responsibility for them.

Hayes owes nearly $5 million in restitution as part of his plea agreement. He isnt paying it back very fast on a bus drivers wages, but said he takes the debt seriously and hopes to pay more if his speaking career takes off.

Its a long road to redemption, Hayes said. My hope is that somebody reads this book and can avoid experiencing what I have gone through.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Had Edward Jones been a bit quicker, it might be in the banking business by now. Instead, the century-old brokerage firm appears to have hit a political roadblock.

Edward Jones, based in Des Peres, applied in 2020 to own a Utah-chartered bank, saying it wanted to offer clients a centralized source for saving, spending and borrowing. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. had just approved similar charters for financial technology firm Square and student-loan giant Nelnet.

This month, though, Edward Jones withdrew its application. The firm said it determined that approval by the FDIC board is not expected at this time. We remain focused on meeting the saving, spending and borrowing needs of our more than 8 million clients and are committed to helping them achieve financially what is most important to them and their families.

The political winds shifted after Edward Jones filed its application. Two years ago, the FDICs board had a Republican majority and a chairwoman, Jelena McWilliams, who vowed to speed new-bank approvals.

The agencys board now consists of three Democratic appointees. Its acting chairman, Martin Gruenberg, voted against Squares application in 2020.

The type of charter that Square got, and Edward Jones sought, is called an industrial loan company. ILCs, which can be owned by companies that arent primarily in the banking business, have been controversial since Walmart applied unsuccessfully for one in 2005.

Critics, including banking and consumer groups, complain that ILCs are more lightly regulated than other banks. They also say ILCs are risky because the parent companies arent required to cover losses.

Im not sure the ILC charter should exist, said Jesse Van Tol, chief executive of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, which opposed Edward Jones application. It is a loophole that allows certain entities to get the privileges of being a bank while avoiding some of the obligations that other banks face.

Only two dozen ILCs exist today, owned by companies that include Toyota, investment giant UBS and insurance giant United Healthcare. They represent less than 1% of U.S. bank assets and James Barth, an Auburn University finance professor who has studied the industry, says they tend to be better capitalized and more profitable than other banks.

Barth isnt surprised that banking groups oppose new competition, but he thinks they overstate the risk of ILCs.

A bill has been introduced in Congress to eliminate the ILC charter, and its sponsors argue that mixing banking and commerce makes the financial system less stable. Barth isnt so sure. The troublesome aspect is a lack of evidence, he said. ILCs havent caused a crisis.

What community banks and credit unions are really worried about is new competition. They raise the specter of a Walmart or Amazon someday opening a bank and using its market power to squash rivals.

Meanwhile, Edward Jones can offer other banks CDs and mortgages to its customers, but it cant cut out the middleman and issue its own. The Edward Jones application looked like horizontal integration, said Joseph Haslag, an economics professor at the University of Missouri. It looked like the kind of product expansion and innovation that is customer-based.

Edward Jones could opt to become a bank holding company and acquire a commercial bank, as its St. Louis rival Stifel Financial did 15 years ago, or it can wait and hope that the political winds shift back in ILCs favor.

Given the banking industrys lobbying clout and its fear of competition, that might be a long wait.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Larry Swedroe has lived through one revolution in investing. Now hes advising clients through a second.

The first was the creation of passive index funds, which enabled ordinary investors to earn market returns at a low cost instead of paying for stock-picking advice. The second, still in its early stages, is the rise of sustainable investing, the notion that portfolio decisions should be based partly on whats good for society or the planet.

Swedroe, the chief research officer at Clayton-based Buckingham Strategic Wealth, has written 16 books about passive investment strategies. His 17th title, co-authored with California money manager Samuel Adams, guides people through the issues that arise when they try to do well while doing good.

Swedroe said he decided to write Your Essential Guide to Sustainable Investing after seeing more interest from investors and reading more academic literature on the topic.

In that literature, the answer to whether one can achieve high returns while pursuing social goals has shifted from a firm no to a hopeful maybe.

An earlier generation of socially responsible funds defined themselves by what they excluded, such as tobacco companies or gun manufacturers. Academic theory was clear: Investors in such funds would sacrifice some return as the price of their beliefs.

Modern sustainable funds tend to use the acronym ESG, indicating a focus on environmental, social and governance issues. Such funds assets grew 50% last year to $2.7 trillion and, globally, they hold about one-third of all managed money.

Instead of taking an exclusionary approach, ESG funds strive to buy companies that are rated highly on a variety of environmental, social and governance measures.

ESG funds have outperformed regular index funds in recent years, largely because so much money is flowing into sustainable strategies, but investors shouldnt necessarily expect such results going forward.

That pushes the price of green stocks higher and higher, and the same amount of money cant keep coming in forever, Swedroe said in a recent interview.

When a stock becomes more popular, and hence more expensive, investors should expect lower future returns. But ESG proponents offer a solid reason why their favored investments deserve a premium: Theyre less risky.

A firm that doesnt pollute wont incur stiff fines, and one that treats workers well can avoid labor unrest. A well-governed company is less likely to destroy value with ego-driven acquisitions.

The sustainable investing landscape, however, is filled with pitfalls for investors. Seven major firms rate ESG performance, and their opinions can differ widely. One firm ranks Facebook in the top 1% of ESG companies; another puts it in the bottom 5%.

If youre intrigued by ESG funds, Swedroes book can help you avoid the pitfalls. What were trying to do is educate people so they can make an informed decisions that reflects their values in the right way, he said.

The book also presents evidence that sustainable investing has pushed companies to do things like reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It is changing corporate behavior, Swedroe said. Well get moving toward a sustainable planet faster than would be the case if investors didnt care.

Investors clearly do care, but the investment world doesnt make it easy to separate the truly forward-thinking companies from those that are simply greenwashing their data. For anyone who wants to align their money with their values, Swedroe and Adams provide a valuable primer.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

As a graduate student, Erica Barnell knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur but wasnt sure her dream could happen in St. Louis.

She saw few female role models among the high-profile startups that were raising money here. And, as recently as 2019, an American Express survey ranked St. Louis near the bottom for the success of women-led businesses.

Now, Barnell is part of a wave of entrepreneurs who are upending the regions male-centric image. Pitchbook, a firm that gathers data on venture capital, recently reported that investments into female-founded firms were growing faster in St. Louis than in any other metro area.

Pitchbook compared money raised in the last two and a half years with the total between 2008 and 2019. Women-led startups here achieved 187% growth, compared with 164% in second-place Phoenix and 102% in Silicon Valley, the venture capital industrys epicenter.

In St. Louis, 40 firms founded or co-founded by women have raised $494.5 million since 2020. That is smaller than Phoenixs $626 million, and a pittance compared with Silicon Valleys $30 billion, but it represents progress.

It also represents dreams realized. Geneoscopy, the company that Barnell and her brother, Andrew, co-founded in 2015, raised $105 million last year to push its colorectal cancer screening test into clinical trials.

The test is based on research Barnell began at Washington University, and the company expects to have enough data soon to apply for Food and Drug Administration approval.

Raising money as a female entrepreneur was sometimes challenging, Barnell said. Some potential investors asked, Whats the difference between you and Elizabeth Holmes? (Holmes, the disgraced founder of blood-testing startup Theranos, was convicted of fraud in January.)

A supportive St. Louis ecosystem, Barnell said, helped Geneoscopy get to the point where it could attract investors. Washington Universitys Skandalaris Center provided early advice, BioGenerator provided lab space and Arch Grants handed the company $50,000 in 2016.

All those resources led to the ultimate success, Barnell said. That infrastructure needs to be in place and accessible to companies, and even to people who dont have a real company yet.

Mary Jo Gorman, a veteran St. Louis health-care entrepreneur, sees two reasons for the regions improved ranking: the persistence of longtime investment groups such as BioGenerator and the St. Louis Arch Angels, and an intentional focus by Arch Grants and others on backing women and people of color.

Historically it was harder to raise money in St. Louis in general, and it was also relatively harder for women than for men, Gorman said. On all of those counts, St. Louis has gotten much better.

Martha Schlicher is executive chair of one agriculture technology startup, Plastomics, and chief executive of another, Impetus Agriculture. Both successfully raised money last year.

Schlicher says her gender hasnt been a barrier, partly because she had good mentors and strong executive experience at Monsanto.

She and other female members of the St. Louis Arch Angels are trying to help other entrepreneurs follow the same path. There are women investors who will reach out and help you practice your pitch, Schlicher said. There are a lot of women reaching out to other women.

Women have a long way to go to achieve parity with men in the high-stakes startup world. Nationally, just 2% of venture capital goes to female-founded companies.

St. Louis at least appears to be on the right track. As Barnell, Schlicher and others succeed, they can start a virtuous cycle by being the female role models and mentors that were rare until recently.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Granite City has been making steel since 1895, so it will be a sad day for the town when two giant blast furnaces are converted to pig iron production.

Around 950 jobs will disappear with the conversion, which is scheduled to happen in 2024. Local officials and union leaders are vowing to fight the change, but their fight will almost certainly be in vain.

The writings been on the wall for Granite City Works for years. Even in 2018, when Donald Trump came to town to take credit for getting the blast furnace restarted, officials at parent company U.S. Steel didnt see a long-term future for the mill.

They made investments in other aging facilities, but not in Granite City. Then they bought Big River Steel, which was building a brand-new mill 250 miles down the Mississippi River in Arkansas.

Once they made the play for Big River, the fate of Granite City became almost inevitable, said Philip Gibbs, an analyst at KeyBanc Capital Markets.

The Arkansas plant uses electric arc furnaces, a modern technology that accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. steel production. When Big River finishes doubling its capacity in 2024, Granite Citys blast furnaces will be relegated to producing pig iron for it and other mills.

SunCoke Energy, which has a nearby plant that supplies coke to fuel the steel mill, will take over the blast furnaces and retain about 400 workers to make pig iron. U.S. Steel has agreed to buy the iron from SunCoke for 10 years.

While local officials are understandably upset about the end of steelmaking in Granite City, they should be glad that the shutdown isnt total. When U.S. Steel permanently closed its blast furnaces at Great Lakes Works, near Detroit, last year, it laid off nearly 1,500 workers.

This is the best possible outcome, Gibbs said. If Granite City were to shut down completely, youd not only lose the jobs there but youd probably lose the jobs at SunCoke too.

Trumps tariffs, then, at best prolonged steelmaking at Granite City for a few years. The tariffs werent fixing the fundamental problems with the technology and labor costs, Gibbs said. They were not a long-term fix to the industrys systematic problems.

Scott Lincicome, director of trade policy studies at the Cato Institute, argues that the tariffs may even have accelerated the transition to newer technology. They created windfall profits that the steel industry plowed into facilities like Big River. U.S. Steel also opened a new electric arc furnace two years ago in Alabama.

It demonstrates quite plainly that tariffs are not pro-worker, Lincicome said. In this case, tariffs gave U.S. Steel management the financial cushion they needed to buy facilities elsewhere and invest in newer technology.

U.S. Steel certainly is prospering: It reported record profits in 2021 and the first quarter of 2022, and said the second quarter will set another record. Chief Executive David Burritt earned $18.8 million last year as a reward for that performance, but his workers in Granite City remain at the mercy of the market.

The case for modern mills like Big River is compelling: They use 30% less energy than a blast furnace and produce 90% less greenhouse gas emissions.

With numbers like that against them, local leaders are unlikely to persuade U.S. Steel to change course. They should focus on building a safety net for the 950 people losing their jobs, and be thankful that the toll isnt higher.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Clad in jeans and a tweed jacket, the nonagenarian looked out of place in a room full of New York power suits, and he was mostly being ignored.

Then the suits, who worked for high-speed trading firms, mentioned a thorny computing problem. The gray-haired guy said he had done similar coding years before and proceeded to wow them with his technical knowledge.

The wizards of Wall Street had been introduced to the wonder that was Jerry Cox, a modest St. Louisan who had much to be proud of. John Pyrovolakis, an Omaha, Nebraska, investor and friend of Cox who arranged the New York meeting, recalled how Cox won over the elite audience.

It was one of the most powerful and humble displays of intellectual firepower Ive seen, Pyrovolakis said. They went from dismissive to starstruck.

Cox, 97, died Tuesday after a battle with prostate cancer. His career began near the dawn of the computer age, and he was at the center of many innovations that society takes for granted today.

As a young researcher at Central Institute for the Deaf, he helped invent a hearing test for infants thats still standard. After joining Washington University in 1964, he founded the Biomedical Computer Laboratory, a precursor of todays McDonnell Genome Institute. His team helped develop positron emission tomography, or PET, scans, a valuable diagnostic tool.

He recruited computing pioneer Wesley Clark from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and worked with him on a machine called LINC, which laid the groundwork for modern personal computers.

Cox became the first chair of Washington Universitys computer science department in 1975, and later in life his research led him to become an entrepreneur. In 1997, he and two colleagues founded Growth Networks, which made chips that sped the flow of data through large networks.

The company moved to Silicon Valley and was bought by Cisco Systems for $355 million. Cox could have had a lucrative career at Cisco but didnt want to move his family to the West Coast.

Nor did he want to change his lifestyle much. Some of his share of the sale proceeds went to Washington U to fund an endowed professorship. His biggest splurge, he wrote in a recently published memoir, was a lovely and somewhat ostentatious brick driveway for his familys Sunset Hills home.

Cox founded another networking firm called Blendics in 2004, and pivoted in 2015 to a cybersecurity startup, Q-Net Security. It invented a device that uses hardware, not software, to block electronic intruders and is running pilot projects with utilities, manufacturers and the U.S. military.

Even at his advanced age, Cox was an active member of the Q-Net team. I remember wishing I had the level of energy now, in my 40s, that he had in his 90s, Washington University colleague Patrick Crowley said.

Cox was a mentor to generations of Washington University students and faculty. Jim McKelvey, a co-founder of payment technology company Square, grew up knowing Cox as a family friend.

As an undergraduate, McKelvey didnt like his computer science textbook, so he wrote his own. Some professors didnt like the idea of a student publishing a textbook, but Cox was supportive. I had tremendous role models, including Jerry Cox, who were very accomplished but personally modest, and thats a rare combination, McKelvey said.

Coxs memoir is called Work Hard, Be Kind. Those four words were his lifelong motto, and family members say the book should be available soon through Amazon.

Before starting his academic and professional career, Cox served in the Army during World War II. He was discharged after suffering a foot infection, and his unit later suffered heavy losses in northern Italy. If the Army doctor hadnt sent him home to study at MIT, Cox muses in the memoir, his life might have turned out differently.

St. Louis and the whole world are vastly richer because of that doctors decision.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Clever Real Estate, a 4-year-old University City firm that offers home-sale commissions as low as $3,000, has raised $8 million in capital and plans to more than double its staff next year.

Clever has 75 employees, up from 30 when it last raised capital in 2019, and said it expects to have 200 employees by the end of next year.

The firm also said it plans to expand into the mortgage-referral business. Its $8 million series B venture capital round was led by Cultivation Capital of St. Louis and The Mortgage Collaborative, a San Diego mortgage company.

Clever uses online marketing tools to generate leads for agents who agree to charge just $3,000 per transaction, or 1% for houses worth more than $350,000. Based on a standard sell-side commission of 3%, Clever said it has saved sellers $80 million since launching in 2017.

Buy-side commissions, typically 2.5% to 3%, still apply, but buyers who work with a Clever agent can get a rebate of up to 0.5%.

Clever said it is on pace to sell more than 6,000 houses this year, with annualized revenue up 3,000%.

Clever was founded by Ben Mizes and Luke Babich. Babich, the firm's chief operating officer, said expanding into the mortgage business would let Clever save buyers more money. "Online lenders offer the best rates but lose out because they don't have the tools to support a home buyer through their whole journey," he said in a statement. "Clever fills this gap."

Clever has now raised a total of $13.5 million in capital. Cultivation led two previous funding rounds; Clever also participated in the Capital Innovators accelerator program and won an Arch Grant in 2018.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

St. Louis attorney Jerry Schlichter is two for two at the U.S. Supreme Court.

The court ruled Monday that lower courts must consider a suit that Schlichter's firm brought on behalf of Northwestern University employees, who alleged that their retirement plan charged excessive fees.

A lower court had dismissed the case, ruling that Northwestern had met its fiduciary duty by offering some low-cost investment options alongside the high-cost funds in its 403(b) retirement plan. The Supreme Court rejected that argument.

"If the fiduciaries fail to remove an imprudent investment from the plan within a reasonable time, they breach their duty," the high court ruled in an opinion written by Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

The ruling was a unanimous 8-0 decision. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who served on the federal appeals court that previously heard the case, did not participate in the decision.

Schlichter's firm also won a unanimous Supreme Court decision in 2015 in a case brought by workers at Edison International, a California electric utility. Like the Northwestern employees, the Edison workers said their retirement plan charged excessive fees.

In the Northwestern lawsuit, workers allege that the university failed to seek competitive bids for managing its 403(b) plan, resulting in overpayments of at least $3 million. They also allege that the plan contained many high-cost retail mutual funds, even though it was large enough to obtain lower-fee institutional versions of the same funds.

The Schlichter Bogard & Denton firm has been suing employers over retirement-plan fees for 15 years and has won settlements totaling more than $500 million.

The investment industry had been watching the Northwestern case closely. The Investment Company Institute, a mutual fund trade group, filed a brief in support of the university's position. AARP and the U.S. solicitor general were among parties submitting briefs on behalf of the workers.
Suitsupply, a European mens fashion brand known for its expert tailoring, while-you-wait alterations and service, is opening its first St. Louis retail location at 44 Maryland Plaza.

Renovation of the 5,200-square-foot, two-story location will begin in August with a grand opening scheduled for winter 2017, just in time for the holidays, of course.

St. Louis has been on our wish list for a long time. Our online sales in the area have been growing rapidly over the past few years, said Suitsupply vice president, Nish de Gruiter in a press release.

Speaking by phone, Bob Koplar, general counsel for Koplar Properties, said they were happy to lure Suitsupply as a long-term Central West End tenant.

"The impact of having Suitsupply here will be huge," said Koplar as the deal was finalized Wednesday. "It's one of the hottest trends in retail and they've been growing like crazy."

Meanwhile, 10Denza has announced the closure of its boutique selling an eclectic high-end mix of mostly women's but also men's apparel, elusive accessories and home goods at 44 Maryland Plaza on Tuesday after six years in business.

The final day for the boutique will be June 30.

The building owners have been lobbying the Preservation Board for the city of St. Louis since February to alter the facade to make accommodations for Suitsupply, suitsupply.com, a company with headquarters in Amsterdam and New York.

Koplar Properties' first proposal of facade alterations was rejected as being too damaging to the historic building. But a second proposal in March was approved after making "reasonable accommodations," according to Richard Callow, chairman of the preservation board.

In the Koplar proposal the history of the space was celebrated: "44 Maryland Plaza is the centerpiece of three commercial buildings that established a high-style shopping area on the south side of Maryland Plaza in the mid-1930s." It states that, "Historically, stores with cachet, such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Montaldos were located on Maryland Plaza. The area is again attractive to such retailers."

It then laid out changes needed to entice Suitsupply to locate its first business in the region in the Central West End. Men's boutiques have thrived in the neighborhood before but maintaining traffic has been tricky for most. It could help that soon Suitsupply will expand to include women's suiting options as well.

Chris Lanter of 10Denza said that it wouldn't have been his idea to close his location now, but "it's time. I'm going to take a little time off and figure out what happens next. Six years was a great run."

10Denza (or tendenza) was named after the Italian word for trending or to drift in a direction. Lanter described the space as a retail lounge that included "hard to find products that define modern cultural living."

Lanter previously worked in logistics and transportation. This was his first boutique but he says it may not be the last. Customers can expect the normal going out of business dominoes to fall, but the one-of-a-kind shop likely won't be lined with clearance racks and must-sell-now signs.

New store hours announced with the closure are 11 a.m to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
ST. LOUIS  Anheuser-Busch InBev said Friday it would forfeit "all financial benefit" from its joint venture in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.

The world's largest brewer, which has its North American headquarters in St. Louis, said it had also asked the controlling partner in the venture to suspend the production and sale of Budweiser in Russia.

"We are focused on supporting our employees, their families and the humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine while wishing for peace," the company said in a statement.

The decision follows similar decisions from other international brewers earlier this week. Dutch brewer Heineken NV and Danish brewer Carlsberg both said they would stop advertising, producing and selling their namesake brands there. They join a long list of Western companies pausing Russian operations, including Apple, Boeing and McDonalds.

A-B InBev said joint venture employees in Ukraine and Russia will continue to be paid. It also said it was providing housing for its Ukranian employees and their families and working with other organizations to provide food, water, blankets and medical supplies to the besieged country and refugees.
FRANKFURT, Germany  Germanys three biggest asset management groups said they would not vote for the reelection of Bayer Chairman Norbert Winkeljohann on Friday because of his numerous board commitments.

An ouster of Winkeljohann, who won wide investor praise for securing former Roche executive Bill Anderson as Bayers CEO-designate, could add to upheaval at the health care and agriculture group, which has attracted activist shareholders and is facing costly litigation.

DWS, Union Investment and Deka Investment, who according to Refinitiv data hold a combined 3.8% in Bayer, said separately they would not vote for the supervisory board chairman when his term comes up for renewal at the annual shareholder meeting on Friday.

Major shareholder advisory firms Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), for their part, have said they would back Winkeljohann.

Singapores sovereign wealth fund Temasek, a major shareholder in Bayer, would also vote for Winkeljohann, German magazine WirtschaftsWoche reported this month.

According to shareholder remarks made available to Reuters before the AGM, Janne Werning, head of stewardship at Union Investment, said the chairman was accumulating mandates.

Hendrik Schmidt, a corporate governance expert at DWS, was set to tell Winkeljohann at the AGM that the Bayer job was particularly demanding, allowing little distraction.

Five years ago, you accepted one of the most challenging mandates to be found in the German board governance landscape, Schmidt would say, according to prepared remarks.

In 2018, Bayer acquired Creve Coeur-based Monsanto for $63 billion.

Union Investment has previously said it would not back the reelection, but the other two mutual fund firms had not previously disclosed their voting intentions.

Winkeljohann, a former head of six European countries at auditing and consulting firm PwC, has chaired Bayers nonexecutive board since 2020 and has been a member since 2018.

But he is also Deutsche Banks deputy chairman, chairman at unlisted wholesale trade groups Sievert SE and Bohnenkamp AG as well as a board member at steelmaker Georgsmarienhuette GmbH.

In its notice of the AGM, Bayer said the supervisory board has satisfied itself that Winkeljohann is able to make time for his duties.

The AGM is the last for Bayer CEO Werner Baumann, who steps down in June. He said on Friday that the company was in a very good strategic position, while also acknowledging that its stock market value was too low.
FRANKFURTBayer is facing demands from activist investor Bluebell Capital Partners to break up, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters, pushing shares in the diversified health and agriculture group to a five-week high.

The source said Bluebell had invested in Bayer a few months ago and is pushing for a sale of the company's consumer health unit and, at a later stage, for a separation of Bayer's pharmaceuticals and agriculture businesses.

Bluebell is also seeking to have supervisory board Chairman Norbert Winkeljohann and Chief Executive Werner Baumann replaced, the person said.

Bluebell did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The size of Bluebell's holding was not immediately clear.

On Monday, another activist investment fund, hedge fund veteran Jeffrey Ubben's Inclusive Capital Partners, said it had also acquired a stake in Bayer.

The German industrial icon has seen its market value slide in the wake of its 2018 takeover of Monsanto.

Bayer's stock was up 3% at 1016 GMT, for a sixth consecutive trading session of gains. Bluebell's investment was first reported by Bloomberg late on Tuesday.

A Bayer spokesperson said the company was open in general for constructive dialogue with stakeholders and declined to comment further.

Bluebell, launched three years ago, has a history of challenging the policies and executives of some of the world's biggest companies, including GSK, Glencore and Vivendi, while owning very small stakes.

It was instrumental in the ouster of the boss of French food giant Danone in 2021 and recently has been campaigning for BlackRock CEO Larry Fink to quit, in part because of the fund giant's environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts.

Bayer CEO Werner Baumann, who shortly after his promotion in 2016 started pursuing the troubled Monsanto deal, was given a new contract in 2020 and said at the time he would leave the company when that term expires in 2024.

Markus Manns, a portfolio manager at top-10 Bayer shareholder Union Investment, said it would be the responsibility of a new chief executive to review the company structure.

"It's too early for a break-up but the separation of consumer health would be an obvious way to create additional value," said Manns, adding that Union Investment was not in contact with Bluebell.

The upswing in Bayer shares this week, fueled by the prospect of billions in additional sales from its drug development pipeline, has done little to change the bigger picture of years of market underperformance.

The stock has been weighed down by litigation over weed killer Roundup and over environmental pollution with chemicals known as PCBs, which are legacy issues from the takeover of Monsanto for more than $60 billion in 2018.

Despite strong demand for its farming products, improved prospects of its pharmaceuticals business and a number of recent courtroom victories for the German group, the company is valued at $57 billion on the stock market, well below the price tag for Monsanto.
As St. Louis-based designers take advantage of the citys low cost of living, eager online consumers are validating claims that production in the region is sustainable, practical and contagious.

Designers such as Reuben Reuel Riddick, 31, who moved from Brooklyn to join the St. Louis Fashion Incubators inaugural class in January, are content to make slow strides alongside a burgeoning community of slow fashion entrepreneurs who collectively are balancing the scales of a relentless global fast fashion craze.

Riddicks brand, Demestik by Reuben Reuel, employs a team of two with part-time seamstresses on standby for busy periods. His small core team and their families relocated to St. Louis from New York as he begins his two-year program at the incubator.

I didnt ask them to come, he said. To be honest, I didnt want to be responsible.

Needless to say, he was thrilled that they joined him here. Recreating his business without them would have been daunting and costly. But his team didnt just relocate because its a close-knit crew. They came because St. Louis made sense to all of them. According to various cost-of-living calculators, moving from New York City or Brooklyn to St. Louis translates into a roughly 50 percent pay increase.

That means that a small, established business like Riddicks brand suddenly has the space and funds to experiment. He sells about 100 garments a month in good times and he produces classic styles of womenswear in audaciously colorful African prints with an average price of about $200.

Room for entrepreneurs

Although the fast fashion industry continues to barrel into closets full steam ahead, analysts say it has also triggered an equal and opposite reaction.

Mid-market retailers that used to dominate apparel sales are struggling, and its not just e-commerce that has taken a toll. Jim Blasingame, a small business expert based in Florence, Ala., says the retail bell curve (once high in the middle) now resembles a barbell. Retailers in the once-expansive, customer-rich middle are now dying, he said. Those legacy stores that took the status quo for granted are in big trouble.

That means nimble entrepreneurs on the ends of the scale are poised to dominate in the long run. So the Riddicks of the world dont have to compete with Amazon.com to be viable, they just have to maintain their individuality and quality.

Theres never been a time in my lifetime when small, high-touch businesses had an opportunity like this, said Blasingame, who defines high touch as extremely personalized. Smaller fashion houses like Riddicks, where almost everything is made-to-order, fit the definition.

Meanwhile behemoth fast-fashion chains like Uniqlo, Zara and H&M are spending more than the gross national product of small nations to build the infrastructure to enable them to crank out hundreds of thousands of hyper-trendy products in two weeks or less.

Riddicks brand Demestik (pronounced domestic) can rush a garment  at a premium price  in a day or two, if you need it, but two to six weeks is the usual pace. And if you live in St. Louis, he might even hand-deliver it to your office.

The new consumer wants two very different experiences, Blasingame said. Youll demand high tech from Amazon and yet desire high touch from a boutique.

That means low-tech production is viable in a one-click, buy-it-now, free-shipping, rush-delivery world.

In New York, Riddick said his company had gross income in the low six-figures when he launched in 2012. It afforded him a decent paycheck after expenses. But he still lived with a roommate (an upgrade from once having three roommates). Before his move he had lucked into a live-work space with a basement studio where he and his production manager worked on product development, packing and shipping, but he spent hours traversing the city to deliver and pick up fabric and garments from the seamstresses operating out of their homes.

Now, his entire team works at the incubator space on Washington Avenue and lives within walking distance.

But Riddick is a special case. Other designers in the incubator are looking to create teams here, but finding people with the right skills and availability hasnt been easy. There is little infrastructure to support building a local design house from scratch.

Audra Noyes, 28, another designer in the incubator, graduated from a renowned design school in Georgia, trained under some of the worlds top designers in France and launched her sophisticated designer collection in delicate fabrics and an understated palette from Paris three years ago. Her garment prices range from $375 to $3,000  an entry level for high-end design. Shes launching an e-commerce site soon, but her garments are currently produced in New York and sold in notable stores around the world including London, Hawaii and California.

When I say that my shirts are $500, some people think thats absurd, but Im not making any money on that yet, Noyes said as she confesses a fashion industry open secret. For the first few years of operation, most designers are lucky to break even no matter what their price point.

St. Louis-based Liv and Kiss has a career wear line for plus-size women for $40 to $80, and designer Whitney Jones, 30, of Florissant, said that so far all of her profits are going back into operating costs.

Going through the hoops and hurdles of designing and making physical items with strict quality control needs without guaranteed sales is always a gamble, and it couldnt be more of a crapshoot than in the fickle world of fashion. The best path to success is streamlining operations.

Noyes said that despite New Yorks reputation as the place to be for fashion designers, she wants to transfer her entire operation to St. Louis.

Resources for designers

The citys garment district past means that there are some displaced skilled workers in the region. Some have been downsized from other manufacturing operations, while some relocated from other cities and now work in different fields. But this is a disparate group.

Eric Johnson, the executive director of the incubator, has launched an effort to develop a specialized fashion industry directory as a resource for designers.

The directory will include little-known specialists and freelance contractors who can do everything from fashion photography for promotional materials to computer-assisted pattern-making that makes it possible to render garments in the necessary size range.

For instance, New York-transplant Lydia Merritt works for the St. Louis-based Soft Surroundings womenswear and lifestyle brand by day and operates a productive fashion manufacturing facility called Elyse Theo Designs in the basement of the T-Rex business incubator on Washington Avenue by night. She runs one of a handful of shops in town that could handle production, when shes not working on projects for select national companies.

But for those designers that dont need or cant afford a factory team, there are hundreds of home-based professionals that the incubator is looking to locate and catalog.

Riddick, who has become a bit of an ambassador for the incubator, is leaving next week to talk to some small niche New York production teams and garment-making specialists about the possibility of relocating to St. Louis. The proposition is no longer far-fetched.
ST. LOUIS  Budweiser announced plans Wednesday to help connect pubs, music venues and stadiums around the world to renewable energy.

The effort, called The Energy Collective, is the latest step in a goal to have net zero carbon emissions across Anheuser-Busch AB InBev's supply chain by 2040, according to the company.

The collective has already helped more than 2,000 local pubs in Brazil and Ireland to convert to renewables, and officials said they plan to pilot the program in Colombia in 2022.

"Our bold dream is that every bar, venue and stadium in the world that serves Budweiser would be powered by renewable electricity," Budweiser's vice president of global marketing Todd Allen said in a news release.

Budweiser later said that it would not bring the program to the United States. A spokesperson for the company said "local laws governing the sale and distribution of alcohol vary by market," but did not further explain.

Editor's note: This story was updated with Budweiser comments.
LOS ANGELES  Walt Disney Co. sued Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday, asking a court to overturn state efforts to exert control over the companys Walt Disney World theme parks in Orlando, intensifying a political battle between one of the largest U.S. companies and a potential White House contender.

The lawsuit marks the companys response to escalating efforts by DeSantis and his supporters to bring to heel Disney, which draws millions of visitors every year to its massive amusement parks, the first of which opened in 1971.

The company is left with no choice but to file this lawsuit to protect its cast members, guests, and local development partners from a relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain State officials, the company said in its lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges that a newly formed DeSantis-appointed tourist board violated Disneys contract rights, and did so without just compensation and deprived it of due process. Disney also argues it was denied its First Amendment rights to free speech. The company is asking the court to declare Floridas legislative action unlawful.

The battle began last year after the company criticized a state law banning classroom discussion of sexuality and gender identity in schools.

Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger has called the retaliation against the company anti-business and anti-Florida. The company employs roughly 75,000 people in the state.

A spokesperson for DeSantis did not immediately respond to a request for comment. DeSantis, who is seen as a likely candidate for the Republican 2024 presidential nomination, is currently traveling in Asia as part of a visit to several other countries.

Disney shares were up marginally on Wednesday.

State Republicans last year targeted Disney after it publicly clashed with DeSantis, widely considered a 2024 presidential candidate.

Florida lawmakers passed legislation that ended Disneys virtual autonomy in developing 25,000 acres in central Florida where its theme parks are located.

But before the takeover by DeSantis appointees, Disney pushed through changes to the special tax district agreement that limit the boards action for decades.

Shortly before news of the lawsuit broke, Floridas new oversight board said Disneys plans for potential expansion of the Walt Disney World Resort did not comply with state law, and declared that agreement void.

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board unanimously supported an attorneys findings of legal flaws in the developers agreement Disney reached in February with a previous board, including a lack of proper public notice.

What our lawyers have told us is, factually and legally, what they created is an absolute legal mess, said board Chairman Martin Garcia. It will not work.

The tussle could boost DeSantis support among U.S. Republican voters, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found, but also hurt him among the wider electorate.

Seventy-three percent of respondents  including 82% of Democrats and 63% of Republicans  said they were less likely to support a political candidate who backs laws designed to punish a company for its political or cultural stances.
A new food hall named The Eatery at the One Metropolitan Square building in downtown St. Louis opens Monday.

The building owner invested $2.5 million to renovate a former ground-floor restaurant and common area into the new 9,628-square-foot dining destination.

The food hall, a first for downtown, includes a 1,000-square-foot outdoor patio.

Tenants include Arista Gourmet, Dinos Deli, and Kimcheese Asian Fusion, the first downtown location for each of the restaurants. The building's leasing agent, JLL, is in talks with tenants for the two remaining spaces.

The Eatery will be open from 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

"Now workers from One Metropolitan Square and the surrounding area will get to experience the great food served by these unique restaurants," Rick Spector, senior vice president of retail brokerage JLL, said in a statement Thursday.
America, home of the free and land of self-storage.

Of all the self-storage in all the world, more than 75 percent of it is in the United States. There are nearly 50,000 self-storage facilities in the United States. The rest of the world has about 15,000 combined, according to the Self Storage Association.

And this summer, St. Louis is getting at least 1 million more square feet of it, give or take.

Demand for self-storage is most often attributed to four major life events that the industry calls the four Ds: divorce, death, downsizing or dislocation (i.e. job loss).

The big driver is change, said Brad Schwer of Morningstar Equity Research. In one way or another, people are looking for stability.

The U.S. has an estimated 2.6 billion square feet of self-storage, according to the Self Storage Association. Thats about 8.1 square feet per person, and thats growing.

Were not sure how long this trend will last. We think maybe were at the top of the bell curve, said Mike Blackett, a senior vice presidents with the Alexandria, Va.-based trade group. But the demand is there, and facilities are expanding, so you will see some price wars, competition and see whos left standing.

When a steady income or residence is elusive, leasing a small square of storage space for possessions can provide peace of mind, according to Beau Reinberg, co-owner of the 10-year-old W-Ave Storage facility downtown and the two-week-old Extra Space Storage at 10300 Watson Road.

When the economy took a dip, he maximized income at W-Ave Storage by leasing to Urban Harvest, a food roof-farming tenant. Part of the parking lot is a paid lot, but the other part is leased to St. Louis Volleyball, which trucked in tons of sand to host matches for 200 teams.

But he has five to six new storage facility sites in the works, and they will be strictly storage. He no longer needs to diversify, he said.

Sticky situation

The reality is that most people rent storage much longer than they expect, overvalue the sentimental items inside and rarely shop for better pricing elsewhere once their belongings have been stored.

Schwer, the analyst, calls the success of retaining self-storage customers stickiness. That viscous quality helped establish the sector.

You couldnt be in a better property sector from 2011 to 2015, explained David Rogers, the chief executive officer of Life Storage (formerly Uncle Bobs Self Storage) at an investor forum recorded in June. Now growth is slower, but there are still opportunities. Rogers called the market for self-storage in St. Louis tremendous, thanks in particular to vacant buildings already zoned for warehousing storage.

The vast majority of self-storage facilities are mom-and-pop shops, but corporate mega-businesses are fighting for a bigger share of the business. Life Storage has 700 properties nationwide and 14 facilities in the St. Louis region.

Out of the shadows

Once upon a time, self-storage consisted of sketchy properties on the outskirts of town with dubious security. Now, theyve become integrated into communities. The buildings are nicer, year-round climate control is standard, theres personnel on-site, security is sophisticated and payments are automated.

Until recently, Blackett said, self-storage was a well-kept real estate investment secret. The intense new attention from outsiders or newbies to the industry is a shift, he said.

Now theres maybe a lot of people trying to make a quick buck and throwing their hat in the ring, Blackett said.

But the factors that make self-storage great for investors are not always appealing to communities.

Each facility typically employs only two or three people. They generate minuscule traffic, which is not great for nearby retailers or neighborhoods that want to appear lively.

Usually not generating a lot of traffic is a good thing, but the two biggest challenges are finding available land and getting projects approved by the city in an area that you want to be in, said Benjamin Hagedorn of Northpoint Development, which has launched a new storage company that opened its first two 300,000-square-foot facilities under the name Beyond Self Storage in the St. Louis region this summer.

Even though, were quiet, we dont pollute, and the building is nice too. Self-storage is just not the sexiest use. Some places would rather see an active Starbucks, he said.

But self-storage can be a practical compromise and a reliable source of income for communities in need of new businesses.

Some redevelopment costs are just too high for a typical retail business. They just cant make it work economically, where a self-storage business can, Hagedorn explained.

So a vacant four-story, 155,000-square-foot property at 725 North 23rd Street with two freight elevators, four loading docks and adjacent parking can easily get a new life as CubeSmart Self Storage, coming soon (the companys first local location is in St. Charles), instead of being laboriously retrofitted to become lofts or more likely left to decay.

The property stood vacant a few years after Commercial Letter Inc., a direct mail company, consolidated its operation to an Earth City facility and the buildings price was reduced twice before reaching its final sale price of $1.2 million.

The 300,000-square-foot National Candy Building complex had been vacant for more than 20 years. Built in 1927, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but it had been vandalized and presented many challenges for developers. The seven-story building at 4230 Gravois Avenue was bought in 2015 by U-Hauls parent company, Amerco Real Estate Co., for $1.5 million and now its an equipment rental site and self-storage facility.

Good business?

Schwer called it smart for investors, but when asked if it was smart for customers, he hedged.

Its a good business to be in, he said. The reason its a good business is because theres a low bar for entry and the industry has proven that you can raise rents on existing customers by 5 to 10 percent every eight to 10 months or so, and they will stay. Most are on auto payments, Schwer explained, and the incremental increases arent typically enough to spark a reaction.

People arent going to move into  a new space even if its half the price. Nobody is going to go and take the trouble to pick up all of our stuff and move it, Rogers of Life Storage explained to investors.

Clutter-clearing professionals and certified organizing specialists have a different perspective on good. Its not surprising that they do not approve of the thriving self-storage trend.

Sue Anderson initially stopped short of calling self-storage insidious, then she thought better of it and said, I think they should be ashamed. Wait, is there ever a good reason? Hmm, I dont know, fire maybe. A parents death and you need time to cope. Maybe.

The problem is that legitimate, unassailable reasons for stowing stuff are rare, she said.

People are always gonna do something with the stuff, said Anderson of Simplified Living Solutions Inc. Im gonna knit that afghan, refinish that table, do a report, make a scrapbook, you could fill in the blank. But what they are doing is avoiding reality.

She said that people are literally buying time.

Others suggest an element of willful delusion about the precious cargo in self-storage.

Amazon, eBay and Craigslist have made it easier to accumulate more faster  They have also nurtured thousands of forms of niche consumption (for example, collecting of a sort that used to take people half a lifetime of hunting through flea markets), explained Heidi Aronson Kolk, a cultural historian in the American Culture Studies program at Washington University. She emailed her response from New York where she is participating in a research fellowship. Much of what we put into storage is of uncertain value. We may not even remember how we came to have it or feel any sense of attachment to it, but eBay and Antiques Roadshow have taught us that it will probably be worth something someday.

She said that self-storage compounds the very American problem of overaccumulation by directing the flow into an off-site receptacle.

Kolk agrees that storage is an avoidance tactic that lets people skirt pragmatic questions about our possessions  what they mean to us, why we have them, and what to do about them.

You should not keep anything that you dont need, use or love, Anderson said. And the reality is that if you need it, use it or love it, its going to be in your house.

She said clients always thank her profusely for helping them clean out storage units.

Its just a storage full of delayed decisions, Anderson said. They are like what is all this crud and thats after $100 to $300 (a month) of renting for years.

Yeah, sometimes our biggest competitor is the dumpster, Hagedorn said as a fact, not a joke. But he isnt anti-minimalism, nor does he bemoan the clutter specialists who disparage self-storage.

The reality is that sometimes people do plan on temporary use of three to six months but end up renting long term, he said. People have different reasons, some of them are storing memories and they just want someone to take care of thing that are important to them. And if its important to the customer, then its important to us.
The long vacant Missouri Theatre building in Midtown's Grand Center district will open in a year with a 146-room hotel, restaurant, rooftop bar and headquarters for Bull Moose Industries, developer Steve Smith said at a dedication event Thursday.

A renovation of the 12-story building at 634 N. Grand Boulevard, next to Powell Hall, has been planned for several years and the project was initially slated to open this summer. Smith said now the mixed-use project is slated to open in late summer 2018. The Lawrence Group, led by Smith, is the developer, and Paric is the general contractor.

Enterprise Bank & Trust and the Bank of Springfield are lenders on the project, which is receiving a New Markets Tax Credit loan and historic tax credits.

The City of St. Louis Clean Energy Development Board also approved more than $10 million of commercial PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) funding for the project. Ladue-based RAHILL Capital served as the owners' representative in securing the PACE funding, which is used for efficiency improvements in lighting systems, windows and heating and cooling equipment.

"This is the last empty historic building standing on Grand Boulevard," said Grand Center president and CEO Karin Hagaman at the event dedicating a plaque to the building's namesake, Andag Paul.

Angad Paul, a former CEO of Caparo Group, died in November 2015 in London. Caparo Group is a British steel company that has an ownership stake in the Midtown building and owns Chesterfield-based manufacturing company Bull Moose Industries. Bull Moose is relocating its 75 corporate employees to 25,000 square feet of space in the newly named The Angad Paul Building. The hotel will be called the Angad Arts Hotel.

"This is a city that has gone through a tremendous transformation," Angad Paul's father, Swraj Paul, who founded Caparo, said at the dedication where the plaque honoring his son was unveiled. Swraj Paul holds the title Lord Paul of Marylebone.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Missouri was once a leader in using taxpayer dollars to stimulate investment in innovative companies. Thanks to $94.9 million in federal money, it has a chance to make up for five years of lost momentum.

The state-funded Missouri Technology Corp. has invested $45 million in 140 companies over the past decade, but has been operating at a reduced level since former Gov. Eric Greitens slashed its budget almost 90% in 2017.

The new federal grant, from last years American Recovery Program Act, offers hope that MTC can once again be a catalyst for dozens of promising startups each year.

Gov. Mike Parson, in his budget, proposes directing the $94.9 million to the Department of Economic Development, and business groups say most or all of that should flow to MTC. In addition, the governor recommends $4 million in state funds for MTC, up from $3 million last year.

If the Legislature goes along, the money would beef up the agencys signature venture capital program, while also providing assistance to very small businesses and firms considered socially or economically disadvantaged.

The grant restarts a federal program called the State Small Business Credit Initiative, which began in 2011. Jason Hall, chief executive of Greater St. Louis Inc. and a former MTC chairman, said Missouri was the first state to match private venture-capital investments with the federal dollars.

When the Treasury reviewed SSBCI in 2017, Missouri was among the top five states in using the money to close venture capital deals. It was in the top 10 for leveraging private capital  which says a lot, given that venture capital activity is concentrated on the coasts.

Missouri is sort of the reason venture capital approaches became popular with these dollars, Hall said. We showed how it could be done in a thoughtful way, and obviously we did something right.

States are often criticized for using investment incentives to pick winners and losers, but Hall said thats not true of MTC. The public dollars merely match, and amplify, private investment decisions.

The opportunity for a new cash infusion comes as some of Missouris early investments are paying off. Benson Hill, an agricultural technology firm, was lured here from North Carolina in 2013 by MTC and other investors. It went public last year and employs more than 350 people.

A 2011 MTC investment helped keep Confluence Life Sciences, founded by former Pfizer researchers, in town. Its now part of a billion-dollar company called Aclaris Therapeutics.

The impact isnt confined to St. Louis. MTCs investments include Payit, a payment company in Kansas City, and Compatio, a Springfield e-commerce firm.

A recent MTC strategy report, though, mentions concern that Missouri is beginning to lose the deal flow and investment momentum it has built. TechStars, an international accelerator fund, pulled out of Kansas City in December after an eight-year run.

Ben Johnson, vice president for programs at industry group BioSTL, agrees that the infusion of new money is timely. Missouri has lagged behind other states in business formation, particularly in underserved rural and urban counties, he said.

MTC calculates that its $45 million of past investments were matched by $1.1 billion of private capital. If it achieves the same kind of success with the new federal money, $2 billion more would flow to Missouri businesses.

Such an infusion should help launch, at a minimum, several more companies the size of Benson Hill or Confluence. Missouri created a formula for success, and now it has an opportunity to fund it properly.
ST. LOUIS  A plan to build 18 apartments near Tower Grove Park moved forward Monday after a city board gave an initial green light.

The St. Louis Preservation Board, which reviews projects in historic districts, voted 4-2 to grant preliminary approval to local developer AHM Group to build the new apartments on vacant land at 3000-3004 Minnesota Avenue, a half-mile east of Tower Grove Park. The project entails two buildings with six apartments each and six additional carriage house apartments with one-, two- and three-bedroom units.

The approval doesnt mean the project will happen: AHM Group needs to secure all of its financing and work with the Cultural Resources Office on final designs before shovels hit the ground.

Two commissioners, Michael Allen and Michael Killeen, wanted to delay a vote on the project for a month to give the areas new alderwoman, Alisha Sonnier, an opportunity to review it and meet with developers after Sonnier said Monday that she and other constituents knew nothing about it.

Rob Maltby with AHM Group said his company had met several times with the neighborhood association and the areas previous alderwoman, Christine Ingrassia.

Ultimately, the board voted to move the project forward.

They have done their due diligence, said Commissioner Tiffany Hamilton. Its just the timing of the transition of power.
Highlands Plaza One, a 146,000-square-foot Class A office building in the city of St. Louis, has been sold to local real estate investment firm Altus Properties.

Altus acquired the building, at 1001 Highlands Plaza Drive, from Sun Life Assurance for $23.7 million in a deal that closed at the end of April.

The facility is located on the site of the old St. Louis Arena and was developed by Balke Brown Transwestern. Its tenants include Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation, iHeartMedia and Daniel & Henry Co. Centene recently signed a lease to occupy more than 60,000 square feet of office space in the building near the intersection of Highway 40 (Interstate 64) and Hampton Avenue.

The deal is one of the largest office building purchases to-date this year, according to data from Real Capital Analytics. Year-to-date commercial real estate sales volume have topped $1 billion, a figure that is about flat from this point last year.

Altus has over 5 million square feet of office, industrial, retail and multifamily properties, mostly in the St. Louis area. The firm has developed or invested in properties worth $2.3 billion.

Earlier this year, the Lofts at the Highlands, the 200-unit apartment complex situated just south of Highlands Plaza One, was sold by KBS Legacy Partners Apartment REIT for $44.4 million to Elite Street Capital Equity, a real estate investment firm out of Houston.That deal was part of a broader two-property portfolio sale worth $104.5 million.

Both the apartments and office building are part of the larger 26-acre Highlands development that Balke Brown Transwestern developed for nearly $40 million in the mid-2000s.
Tesla Inc. supervisors at a Florida service center violated U.S. labor law by telling employees not to discuss pay and other working conditions or bring complaints to higher level managers, a U.S. labor board official has ruled.

Managers at the Orlando repair shop illegally silenced workers in 2021 after some of them complained that new hires were being paid more, according to the decision issued Tuesday by National Labor Relations Board Administrative Law Judge Michael Rosas.

The judge ordered Tesla to cease and desist from violating workers rights and to post notice of the violations in the service center and email it to employees.

The ruling is the latest loss for Tesla before the labor board as it also faces lawsuits alleging widespread race and sex discrimination at its assembly plants.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to the decision, in late 2021 employees became aware that new hires at the collision center were being paid a higher hourly rate than existing workers.

Several workers complained, including a technician who contacted a Tesla vice president and had his complaint forwarded to the companys head of human resources, according to the ruling.

Supervisors at the service center held a meeting where they instructed the facilitys 25 employees not to discuss their pay and other working conditions and not to file complaints with higher level managers, Rosas said. Weeks later, the technician who had complained was fired, according to the decision.

The technician filed a complaint against Tesla with the NLRB last year, and Tuesdays ruling came after Rosas held a hearing in February.

Tesla had argued that it had quickly repudiated the managers comments by posting a notice in the service center that Tesla policy allowed workers to discuss their pay.

The judge said that attempting to silence employees violated their fundamental right under U.S. labor law to band together to advocate for better working conditions.

The decision came about a month after a U.S. appeals court upheld an NLRB ruling that Tesla CEO Elon Musk broke the law by tweeting that employees would lose stock options if they joined a union. The company is also appealing an NLRB decision that said it unlawfully barred factory workers from wearing union t-shirts.

The worlds most valuable automaker is also facing a series of race discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuits, most involving its flagship assembly plant in Fremont, California. Tesla has denied wrongdoing in those cases.
OSLO, Norway  Norways $1.3 trillion wealth fund will vote next week to support top management at German drug and farm products maker Bayer AG, but will vote against the remuneration package of CEO Werner Baumann, it said on Sunday.

Shareholders will vote on April 29 at Bayers annual general meeting on whether to ratify the executive boards business conduct during 2021, a standard procedure at German AGMs.

The Norwegian fund owned 2.27% of Bayers shares at the end of 2021, valued at $1.19 billion, making it the companys fifth largest shareholder according to Refinitiv data.

"The board is responsible for attracting the right CEO and setting appropriate remuneration," Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), which operates the fund, said in a statement.

It cited the need for a "substantial proportion of annual remuneration" to be provided as shares locked in for five to 10 years, transparency to avoid "unacceptable outcomes" and that all benefits should have a clear business rationale.

While the AGM vote is largely symbolic, with no bearing on managements liability or tenure, it is nevertheless seen as a key gauge of investor sentiment.

Baumann, whose contract as CEO runs until 2024, is under pressure to boost return on investment which has been lagging that of its rivals following the $63 billion takeover of agribusiness Monsanto in 2018.

Bayers shares tumbled in the months that followed the acquisition when jurors found Monsanto liable in several U.S. lawsuits for not warning of alleged cancer risks linked to its weedkiller Roundup.

The Norwegian fund joined a majority of shareholders at the 2019 AGM in rebuking Bayers management, but did, however, give its backing to Baumann and his team for the following two years.
Sheep herders in the U.S. West have banded together to sue their employers, accusing them of operating an illegal cartel that artificially suppresses their wages, according to court documents filed Wednesday in Nevada.

The case could have implications for how antitrust laws are applied to labor markets, according to legal experts, as the Biden administration pushes for greater competition in every sector of the economy.

The suit alleges that ranches coordinate through the Western Range Association (WRA), a ranching trade group, to suppress sheepherder wages and avoid competing for labor.

Herders apply to jobs through the WRA which then assigns them to ranches, leaving no room for the herders to negotiate or shop around among ranches, the complaint said.

The arrangement violates the Sherman Act, a 130-year-old antitrust law that prohibits wage-fixing agreements among employers, the suit alleged.

Even workers who make some of the lowest wages in our economy should be able to benefit from the fair competition that our antitrust laws ensure, said David Seligman, executive director of Towards Justice, which brought the suit.

Ellen Jean Winograd, WRAs general counsel, said the suits allegations appear to lack merit, but that the group could not comment in more detail.

Sheepherders are typically men from rural Peru who come to the United States on agricultural H-2A visas and live in isolated areas, according to the complaint. Their wages have stagnated even as pay for other agricultural labor has risen in recent years, the complaint said.

An earlier version of the suit was dismissed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in 2017 because the court said the herders had not sufficiently proven collusion. Several antitrust experts have argued the case was wrongly decided.

There are around 100,000 sheep farms in the United States that sell about $750 million of sheep, lambs, and wool annually, according to Department of Agriculture data.
Egypts Minister of Education Reda Hegazy stated on Thursday that German will be taught as an elective second language starting in first grade in public schools for the academic year 2024-2025.

This comes as part of the cooperation protocol signed on Thursday between the Ministry of Education and Technical Education and the German Goethe Institute as part of the Schools: Partners for the Future initiative that was signed in 2008.

During the signing ceremony at the ministry's headquarters in the New Administrative Capital, Hegazy emphasised the ministrys close relations and cooperation in the field of education with Germany.

Goethe Institute is one of the most important partners working to support knowledge of the German language in Egypt. [The institute] fosters cultural cooperation between the two countries, especially in projects that target sustainable teacher development, Hegazy stated.

The ministry attaches great importance to the German language and work is underway to establish 100 Egyptian-German schools, similar to the Egyptian-Japanese schools, Hegazy explained.

For his part, Head of the German Language Department at Goethe Institute Sebastian Foerster expressed his great pleasure at signing this protocol, which confirms the depth of the relations between the two countries.

Last year, Egypts Ministry of Education and Goethe Institute signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish cooperation in the fields of German Language teaching.

The MoU aimed to increase German language instruction in schools by offering pre-qualification and continued professional development of German language teachers and school leaders.

Ever since the signing of the Egyptian-German cultural agreement in 1959, the Goethe Institute has successfully played a vital role in promoting German cultural activities in Egypt, supporting German language learning as well as international cultural cooperation.

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Australian coal miner Coronado Global Resources confirmed on Wednesday it was in confidential discussions with Peabody Energy Corp regarding a potential "combination transaction."

The Australian, citing sources, reported on Tuesday that discussions were happening in New York, but said there was no clarity on the nature of these talks.

As of Tuesday's close, Coronado had a market capitalization of A$3.26 billion ($2.05 billion), while U.S.-based Peabody was valued at $3.80 billion.

Stocks of both coal miners have sharply rallied this year, as customers from Europe to Asia scramble for alternative sources of fuel in the aftermath of the European Union's sanctions on gas-rich Russia.

Coronado had held merger talks with U.S.-based peer Arch Resources Inc. earlier this year, but that didn't materialize into a deal.

Coronado, which owns coal mining facilities in Virginia and West Virginia state, said no agreement had been reached with Peabody and it did not divulge any details on a potential deal.

Peabody told the Post-Dispatch late Wednesday that it had no comment, while acknowledging that "the company considers business opportunities from time to time."

Bryce Gray from the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Nolan Ruiz fell in love with the Golden Arches as a child when his uncle bought a McDonalds franchise in central California.

I spent a whole day playing in the PlayPlace, he recalled. The possibility of being a McDonalds owner-operator was planted then. It was something I was excited about for the rest of my life.

It wasnt quite a straight line from that PlayPlace to owning 19 restaurants halfway across the country, but Ruiz, 39, is the second-largest McDonalds franchisee in the St. Louis area. We sat down in the Brentwood store, his busiest, to discuss his entrepreneurial journey and his relationship with the iconic brand.

To get the culinary questions out of the way first: His favorite sandwiches are the classic double cheeseburger and the Filet-O-Fish, with a tomato slice. Hes a daily consumer of McCafe coffee, black.

Ruizs parents  his dad had been a schoolteacher with a homebuilding business on the side, his mom a homemaker  followed his uncle into the restaurant industry by buying a McDonalds in Sacramento. Ruiz served customers and cleaned tables as a teenager, and loved it.

After high school, a fast-food career seemed less appealing. He earned a business degree and a law degree and worked for four years as a prosecutor in Sacramento, but he missed the family business.

It was through that lens as a prosecutor that I realized how much good we did, how much we lifted up others at McDonalds, he said.

Ruiz bought his own McDonalds in Sacramento in 2013. A couple of years later, with siblings wanting to join the business and limited expansion opportunities in his hometown, he started looking elsewhere.

He bought three St. Louis County locations in 2015, including a Crestwood store that was Missouris first McDonalds. He had never visited the area, but when he met the restaurants team he knew he could succeed here.

The first thing that hit me about St. Louis was a sense of community and family, he recalled.

More acquisitions would bring him to 19 locations. Ruiz doesnt rule out buying more but says his immediate priority is building a first-class infrastructure for his 1,000-person organization. He recently hired a director of human resources and plans to add a training supervisor.

As a board member of McDonalds National Hispanic Owner Operator Association, Ruiz is an advocate of the company as a place where people from diverse backgrounds can realize the American dream.

Hes aware of lawsuits that accuse McDonalds of discriminating against Black franchise owners, but said hes not familiar with those situations. I can only speak to my experience, Ruiz said. From Day One, and the opportunities my uncle and my father had, our experience has always been one of a positive partnership with a brand and a company that appreciates diversity.

Ruizs parents and two sisters own eight McDonalds in Sacramento. A brother, Francis, followed him to St. Louis and owns two stores here.

McDonalds advertises itself as Americas best first job, and Ruiz said that was certainly true for him. Amid a nationwide worker shortage, the chain is emphasizing benefits like tuition assistance to attract young workers.

Ruiz also has raised wages several times, but when he has the ear of a young person, he emphasizes the jobs non-financial benefits.

It helped so much with my personal growth, he said. We teach critical values, like hard work and the importance of relationships. You also realize that when you come to work at McDonalds, its where the community comes together.

Note: An early version of this column incorrectly stated that Ruiz is the largest McDonalds franchisee in the St. Louis area. He is second-largest
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

When Panera Bread went private four years ago, longtime CEO Ron Shaich had nothing good to say about the public markets he was leaving behind.

In a series of interviews and speeches, he lambasted Wall Streets fixation on quarterly results and the activist investors who sometimes targeted his company. Our public markets have become increasingly shortsighted, and indeed hostile, to companies like Panera, he told the National Press Club in 2019.

Now, Panera is returning to those very same markets. Panera Brands, which also includes the Einstein Bros. Bagels and Caribou Coffee chains, announced Tuesday that it plans to file for an initial public stock offering.

Shaich is no longer with the company, having left in 2019 amid acrimony over three employees he tried to hire for a new venture. The companys IPO plans raise an interesting question, though: Have the markets changed, or were the complaints about short-termism exaggerated all along?

Radhakrishnan Gopalan, a professor of finance at Washington Universitys Olin Business School, believes the latter. This idea of public markets and short-termism is a bogeyman that companies raise whenever they want to go private, he said.

Shares do sometimes plummet after a quarterly earnings surprise, but thats just part of the process of digesting new information. From the perspective of the CEO, the market may seem to be overreacting to short-term bad news, Gopalan said. But research has shown that short-term bad news is often a sign of long-term trouble.

Going private does bring advantages. Private firms tend to be more nimble, and their owners are often willing to shoulder more debt, which has tax advantages and can magnify returns.

Being publicly traded also has its pluses. Public companies can tap enormous pools of capital and can use their shares to compensate employees or buy other businesses.

For anyone whos scared of activist investors, the private-equity world is the wrong place to look for refuge. According to one survey, private equity owners replace 58% of CEOs within two years of buying a company.

If you go private, you have a private equity firm looking over your shoulder and they are more activist than any activist in the public markets, Gopalan said.

Meanwhile, its not hard to find examples of public markets being extremely patient and forward-looking. Amazon and Tesla lost money for years, but investors believed in their visions.

Ken Crawford, senior portfolio manager at Argent Capital Management, doesnt put too much emphasis on short-term results, and he doesnt think other investors do either. Investors realize that short term gains are nice to have, but they give management the benefit of the doubt over the long term, he said.

The largest owners of public companies these days tend to be index funds, which are the ultimate buy-and-hold investors. Private buyers dont necessarily have such a long-time horizon.

They may not be quarter-to-quarter focused, but most private equity funds are looking to sell to another buyer, or go public, in three to five years, said Richard Ryffel, director of wealth management at Clayton-based First Bank.

As it happens, thats exactly how long JAB Holding, a Luxembourg company controlled by Germanys Reimann family, kept Panera private.

Shaich was targeted by activist investors a couple of times, but he fought them off and delivered investors a 9,000% return over 18 years. The public markets provided the capital for Panera to grow from fewer than 100 bakery cafes to 2,000, and the company was worth $7.5 billion when JAB bought it.

Those are pretty good results for someone operating in allegedly hostile territory.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

When you see a Lufthansa plane taking off from St. Louis Lambert International Airport this summer, imagine it carrying a check for $16,000.

On a per-round-trip basis, thats how much St. Louis businesses and a county government agency will pay the German airline to make nonstop flights to Frankfurt. To local officials, the $5 million in incentives is the cost of placing St. Louis on the global map.

International airlines are eager to serve big hubs like Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas, but cities with mid-size airports must pay to play. Pittsburgh struck a $3 million deal with British Airways in 2019 for flights to London, and Indianapolis landed a Delta flight to Paris in 2018 for $5.5 million. Baltimore, Raleigh and other cities also have put up cash for European connections.

The hope is that a flight to Frankfurt will make St. Louis a more attractive branch-office location for European companies. Bayer and Merck KGaA already have large operations here, and German seed company KWS has a research presence.

Economic development officials say that when they talk to other firms looking for a U.S. site, the lack of a direct flight often gets St. Louis crossed off the list.

Ideally, Lufthansa will find the St. Louis flights profitable enough to continue after the subsidies run out. That doesnt always happen.

Megan Ryerson, a University of Pennsylvania professor, examined $171.5 million worth of incentive deals signed between 2012 and 2015. Forty percent of the money went to routes that stopped flying as soon as the subsidy ended.

As far as airlines are concerned, markets get the service they are willing to pay for, said Robert Mann, a former TWA executive whos an airline consultant with R.W. Mann & Co. in Port Washington, New York.

Mann isnt sure whether St. Louis can generate enough Germany-bound passengers to make the route profitable without subsidies. The difficulty is there are no obvious feeders to St. Louis for the flight, he said. Lufthansa is presuming theres enough origin and destination demand there to make it work.

If the only thing thats paying for the service is the subsidy, I dont think its going to last very long, Mann added. But if there is enough demand there, including business and leisure traffic, theres a chance it could keep going.

Mann said that hes seen cities where airlines found untapped demand and that St. Louis, which has lacked direct flights to Europe since 2003, could be such a place. Airlines are slaves to their data, he said. They can see what has previously been flown and make decisions that way, but sometimes the prior data isnt any good because things have changed.

The coronavirus pandemic could make this a difficult time to launch new service. Some subsidized flights, including the Indianapolis-Paris route, have been suspended since the pandemic began.

Business travelers, whom Lufthansa is counting on to fill premium seats in its A330s, may be slow to return to their old globetrotting ways. Its hard to believe international business travel is going to be a big component in 2022, Mann said.

The Global Business Travel Association forecasts that business travel spending, which fell 54% when the pandemic hit, wont return to its previous level until 2024.

Coincidentally, thats when the St. Louis County Port Authority and business interests organized by Greater St. Louis Inc. are scheduled to write their last checks to Lufthansa. Well learn then whether they made a good investment when they paid to put their city on the map.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Greater St. Louis Inc. can boast of many accomplishments in its first year of existence. It helped recruit big employers, won political victories and helped secure a new Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt.

The new groups greatest feat, though, may be enabling the regions business and civic community to speak with one voice. That matters when, for example, lobbying for Medicaid expansion in Missouri or a minority contracting bill in Illinois.

It also matters when applying for federal grants. Greater St. Louis, formed last Jan. 1 by merging five civic groups, took the lead in pursuing federal funding for an advanced manufacturing innovation center on the citys near north side. Local leaders have worked on the idea for six years.

Greater St. Louis application is among 60 finalists for $1 billion in American Rescue Plan funds. The plan was endorsed by political, business and non-profit leaders from throughout the region, and Chief Executive Jason Hall thinks thats why it is moving forward.

Its clear evidence of the value of regionalism, Hall said.

Before the merger that formed Greater St. Louis, he added, The business community would have had difficulty coordinating among itself on what to do, let alone forming relationships with the public sector.

In recent years, some of Greater St. Louis predecessor groups made more headlines for turmoil than for accomplishments. Centene, the regions largest company, left Civic Progress in an apparent disagreement over policy. The St. Louis Regional Chamber suffered an exodus of key staffers, and Downtown STL Inc. was criticized for the way it ran a taxing district.

The new group has avoided such turmoil while winning the trust of political leaders across the region. St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern, who criticized some of the predecessor groups for being too Missouri-focused, said he has a good relationship with Greater St. Louis.

They are the most inclusive group Ive worked with in my term of office, Kern said. Theyre putting coalitions together, and anytime weve requested something they have been willing to help.

St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann, who expressed concern early on about the groups priorities, also believes it had a successful first year. They certainly have been moving in the right direction, he said.

He praised Greater St. Louis role in a downtown safety initiative and in persuading Lufthansa to fly between Germany and St. Louis. Their first big achievement was a truly regional achievement, Ehlmann said of the Lufthansa flights. I really think its going to attract some international businesses to St. Louis, including St. Charles County.

Greater St. Louis first-year achievements also include recruiting Accenture, which plans to hire up to 1,400 people in west St. Louis County, and American Foods Group, which is building a 1,300-employee meatpacking plant in Warren County.

Hall said Greater St. Louis has 138 major corporate backers, 60% more companies than supported its predecessor groups. More donors means more resources for economic development, where other cities once capitalized on St. Louis weakness.

Every time a big deal came up around the country, the question was, why wasnt St. Louis competing? he said. We really had atrophied in our business attraction capacity.

Greater St. Louis still has just 30 employees. Hall said similar organizations employ 80 people in Houston and 100 in Indianapolis. He expects the staff to grow, but he wanted to spend the first year laying a firm foundation.

Hall thinks hes done that. Youre hearing growth being articulated as a civic priority again, he said. For years, that voice wasnt out there.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Jerry Schlichter has made workers retirements more secure by billions of dollars, and hes still fighting against excessive fees that threaten that security.

On Monday, that fight goes before the U.S. Supreme Court. An employee class-action suit against Northwestern University was dismissed by a lower court and Schlichter, a St. Louis attorney who represents the workers, is trying to get it reinstated.

The high court, which hears just 1% of the cases appealed to it, decided this one was important. Its only the second retirement-fee case to make it this far; the other, also brought by Schlichters firm, was decided in workers favor in 2015.

In the Northwestern case, the lawsuit alleges that the university failed to seek competitive bids for administering its 403(b) plan, resulting in overpayments of at least $3 million.

It also alleges that more than 100 of Northwesterns investment offerings were retail mutual funds, when lower-cost institutional classes of the same funds were available to a plan with $2.5 billion in assets.

Schlichter has been making the same allegations against corporate 401(k) plans for 15 years, and hes been winning. In 2016, he began suing prominent universities over their 403(b) plans, which are the nonprofit sectors equivalent of a 401(k).

Of the 30-some suits hes filed, about 20 have been settled or adjudicated. The settlements, with major employers including Caterpillar, Northrop Grumman and Columbia University, total more than $500 million, and all include language that require employers to use low-cost funds and monitor overhead costs in the future.

Moreover, by shining a light on what used to be a murky topic, Schlichters suits have made employers across the land pay closer attention to retirement-plan fees. With more than $8 trillion stashed in 401(k) and 403(b) plans, even a slight reduction in cost leaves billions more in workers accounts.

Litigation is definitely one of the factors bringing down fees, said Brooks Herman, executive director of research firm ISS Market Intelligence. Plan sponsors do not want to get sued.

When they do, though, some employers vigorously defend their high-cost plans. Northwestern claims that it offers low-cost funds alongside the expensive ones, and that employees could avoid the high fees if they wanted to. To limit choices, it says, would be paternalistic.

Schlichter, on the other hand, argues that employers have a fiduciary duty to vet every option they offer to employees. Theyre saying they could have a Bernie Madoff fund in the plan, a total scam, and it would be OK because they offered other choices, Schlichter said.

The mutual fund industry is watching this case closely. The industrys trade group, the Investment Company Institute, filed a brief in support of Northwestern.

The workers side has high-powered supporters too, including AARP and the U.S. solicitor general. The governments brief urges the court to clarify that federal law requires fiduciaries to work actively to limit a plans expenses and remove imprudent investments.

If youre handicapping the outcome, its worth noting that the court ruled unanimously in the previous 401(k) case in 2015. Six of the nine justices who decided that case are still on the court.

Schlichters team also highlights, in one of its filings, a white paper by Virginia-based Euclid Specialty Managers that calls the Northwestern case ominous for plan sponsors. It says the universitys recordkeeping and investment arrangement is, at best, problematic.

And thats coming from an insurance company that would like to see Schlichters brand of litigation batted down. It sounds like he has a chance to score another big win on workers behalf.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

In four decades as a business journalist, Ive always loved a good takeover fight. High stakes and big egos invariably make for dramatic stories.

I sometimes use such occasions to opine that a hostile bid is good for long-suffering shareholders, or criticize a management team that adopts a poison pill or other measures to protect itself.

Right now, however, the drama is a little too close to home. Alden Global Capitals hostile offer for Lee Enterprises, the Post-Dispatchs parent company, is causing angst in the newsroom and the community.

Lee shows every sign of fighting to stay independent. It adopted a poison pill, which makes it prohibitively expensive for Alden to increase its stake. It rebuffed Aldens attempt to nominate three board members, and on Thursday it formally rejected the $24-a-share offer.

That bid, though, always seemed like merely an opening gambit. Lees shares were above $24 as recently as September, so the price wasnt all that lucrative.

The stock market is betting that Alden, or someone else, will bid higher. Lee shares have consistently traded above $24 since Aldens offer was made public, and they closed Thursday at $27.70.

Alden, a New York hedge fund that owns newspapers including the Chicago Tribune and the Denver Post, may now slink away and pursue someone else, as it did after being rejected by Gannett in 2019. But Alden also is capable of maintaining a long siege: It began pursuing Tribune Publishing in late 2019 and finally closed the deal in May of 2021.

I dont really know, but it looks like were more at the start of this than the end of this, said Rick Edmonds, media business analyst at the Poynter Institute.

My colleagues, naturally, are worried about job cuts if Alden becomes our owner. When it bought Tribune, Alden reduced newsroom staffing at least 10%, and that was after deep cuts by the previous management.

In its letter to Lee, Alden portrayed itself as having a substantial commitment to the newspaper industry and a desire to support local newspapers over the long term.

Keith Herndon, dean of the University of Georgias journalism school, said Aldens and Lees long-term strategies arent all that different: Both companies realize that their future depends on turning online readers into paying digital subscribers.

Lee, in an earnings announcement Thursday, emphasized that it now has 402,000 digital-only subscribers, up 65% in the past year.

Alden, Herndon added, seems more eager to cut costs while it waits for the long-term strategy to bear fruit. I think they are more focused on cutting costs than on growing revenue, he said.

Lee runs a lean operation in the first place, but I would bet Alden is looking to cut it some more, Edmonds added.

Some people have wondered whether a white knight might offer a higher price for Lee. Edmonds sees that as possible but not likely. One of the few possibilities, he said, would be another hedge fund, Chatham Asset Management, which bought the McClatchy newspapers out of bankruptcy last year.

Barring that, we appear to be left with two possible outcomes: Either Alden drops its bid and goes away, or it continues the siege and raises its offer.

Either way, Lees management will be under pressure. Even if it wins this battle, it needs to speed up the transition to a digital subscription model. If it cant, Alden or some other vulture fund will return with a vengeance.
Youll need to charge elsewhere occasionally. Thats when charging time becomes a big deal.

Charging an EV battery takes longer than the 5-10 minutes to fill a gas tank, but how long depends on a couple of factors.

First, voltage from the charger. Getting 250 miles of range when youre charging overnight at home is good, but its a deal breaker if youre going on a 300-mile trip.

In that case, youll want to look for a public 400v DC fast charger. Theyre not as common as 240v public chargers yet, but you can find the nearest DC fast charger from the Department of Energy. Companies that build charging stations, like EVgo and Electrify America, have apps showing their networks.

Charging at 400v, a Ford Mustang Mach-Es range goes from 5% to 80% in 45 minutes. Thats about 216 miles for an AWD Mach-E with the 270-mile extended-range battery.

But why stop at 80% when we fill the gas tank to the brim? Because batteries are different from fuel tanks.

A fuel tank is like a bucket of water, a single container. An EV battery is more like an ice tray.

The Mach-Es extended-range battery pack consists of 376 individual batteries. When all of the cells are near empty  about a 5% charge  fresh electricity immediately finds an open cell. As each cell reaches capacity, the battery controller finds another that still has room for electricity, and monitors as they top up, like when most of an ice trays compartments are full.

Charging to 80% is easy and fast. Finding space for the last 20% could take as long as the first 80. The most time-effective thing is filling to 80, getting back on the road and filling to 80 again when the battery runs low again, rather than charging for three to four hours and getting only an extra 54 miles.

Theres another factor: your EVs onboard charger, which regulates how fast the battery can accept electricity. For instance: The Mustang Mach-E adds 216 miles of charge in 45 minutes and has an 11 kW onboard charger.

The Chevy Bolt EUV has a 7 kW onboard charger; connected to the same 400v, it adds 95 miles of charge in 30 minutes.

The holy grail all automakers chase is a full charge in 10 minutes. Theyll probably achieve it, but nobody knows when.
Authorities in Nepal have denied reports that the famed "Hillary Step" on Mount Everest has collapsed, despite a veteran climber saying he saw it first hand during an ascent last week.

Mountaineer Tim Mosedale, from Everest Expedition, said he passed the sheer rock face near the summit on May 16 and all that remains of it are some blocks, "probably a few tonnes each," that pose a potential danger to climbers.

Named after Edmund Hillary, the first climber to conquer the mountain with Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, the "Hillary Step" is considered the final test of endurance for Everest climbers.

The large rocks were "on quite an incline," Mosedale said. "My suspicion is that if anyone was to try and clamber over that remaining rubble and debris that it would cause it to move."

"It would probably be quite unstable, and would cause significant hazard to anyone who was below the climber. So really I think it's an area to be avoided now," he said.

However, Gyanendra Shrestha from the Nepal Tourism Board and Ang Tshering Sherpa, the President of Nepal Mountaineering Association, disputed Mosedale's suggestion that the "Hillary Step" has disappeared.

"This is a false rumor," Ang Tshering Sherpa said. "After this news surfaced ... I checked with Sherpas, climbers, and officials at the Base Camp. Hillary Step is intact."

He said the rock face had been covered by "excessive snowfall ... so some people assumed it had collapsed."

Shrestha said the step had been completely covered by snow so it "made it easier for climbers."

This season, 375 climbers received permission to attempt an ascent of Everest, the largest number since the summit was first reached in 1953.

It has already claimed a number of lives this year, including three in the past weekend.

Since Friday, more than 200 people have successfully scaled Everest, taking the total number this season to around 250, Shrestha said.

Recent deaths on the mountain

The three climbers who died over the weekend have been named as American Roland Yearwood, Slovakian Vladamir Strba and an Australian named in local media as Francesco Enrico Marchetti.

Yearwood, the 50-year-old American climber, died near the mountain's summit Sunday morning.

"Sherpas associated with the American climber are expected to reach the Base Camp this afternoon," Murari Sharma, managing director of Everest Parivar Treks told CNN. "Only then we'll get more details of his death."

Slovakian climber Vladamir Strb died near the "Balcony," a small platform near the summit in the so-called "death zone," also on Sunday, according to the Nepal Tourism Department.

Officials at the Tibet Mountaineering Association told local media the Australian climber passed away "at an altitude of 7,500 m (24,600 ft) on (the) Tibetan side when he was descending to lower camps after suffering from altitude sicknesses at around 8,000 m (26,247 ft)," officials said.

In addition, an Indian climber, Ravi Kumar, has been missing since Saturday. Kumar was on his way down the mountain after reaching the summit when he became separated from his Sherpa guides near the Balcony, Thupden Sherpa, general manager of Arun Treks and Expedition said.

Sherpas accompanying the 27-year old have reached Camp 4 and three other Sherpas have been sent from Camp 2 to look for the missing climber, he said.

"Helicopters cannot fly at that altitude. So, only on-foot search is possible."

As many as 90% of deaths on the mountain occur while descending, Shrestha from the Nepal Tourism Board told CNN.

"They need to manage their energy, (their) oxygen accordingly. It's not only about making it to the top.

"Equally important is how you save energy to make it back to the lower bases. Most people force themselves to the top, leaving them with no energy to come back. You can't force yourself on Everest."
Twitter has major security problems that pose a threat to its own users' personal information, to company shareholders, to national security, and to democracy, according to an explosive whistleblower disclosure obtained exclusively by CNN and The Washington Post.

The disclosure, sent last month to Congress and federal agencies, paints a picture of a chaotic and reckless environment at a mismanaged company that allows too many of its staff access to the platform's central controls and most sensitive information without adequate oversight. It also alleges that some of the company's senior-most executives have been trying to cover up Twitter's serious vulnerabilities, and that one or more current employees may be working for a foreign intelligence service.

The whistleblower, who has agreed to be publicly identified, is Peiter "Mudge" Zatko, who was previously the company's head of security, reporting directly to the CEO. Zatko further alleges that Twitter's leadership has misled its own board and government regulators about its security vulnerabilities, including some that could allegedly open the door to foreign spying or manipulation, hacking and disinformation campaigns. The whistleblower also alleges Twitter does not reliably delete users' data after they cancel their accounts, in some cases because the company has lost track of the information, and that it has misled regulators about whether it deletes the data as it is required to do. The whistleblower also says Twitter executives don't have the resources to fully understand the true number of bots on the platform, and were not motivated to. Bots have recently become central to Elon Musk's attempts to back out of a $44 billion deal to buy the company (although Twitter denies Musk's claims).

Zatko was fired by Twitter in January for what the company claims was poor performance. According to Zatko, his public whistleblowing comes after he attempted to flag the security lapses to Twitter's board and to help Twitter fix years of technical shortcomings and alleged non-compliance with an earlier privacy agreement with the Federal Trade Commission. Zatko is being represented by Whistleblower Aid, the same group that represented Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen.

John Tye, founder of Whistleblower Aid and Zatko's lawyer, told CNN that Zatko has not been in contact with Musk, and said Zatko began the whistleblower process before there was any indication of Musk's involvement with Twitter.

After this article was initially published, Alex Spiro, an attorney for Musk, told CNN, "We have already issued a subpoena for Mr. Zatko, and we found his exit and that of other key employees curious in light of what we have been finding."

CNN sought comment from Twitter on more than 50 specific questions regarding the disclosure.

In a statement, a Twitter spokesperson told CNN that security and privacy are both longtime priorities for the company. Twitter also said the company provides clear tools for users to control privacy, ad targeting and data sharing, and added that it has created internal workflows to ensure users know that when they cancel their accounts, Twitter will deactivate the accounts and start a deletion process. Twitter declined to say whether it typically completes the process.

"Mr. Zatko was fired from his senior executive role at Twitter in January 2022 for ineffective leadership and poor performance," the Twitter spokesperson said. "What we've seen so far is a false narrative about Twitter and our privacy and data security practices that is riddled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies and lacks important context. Mr. Zatko's allegations and opportunistic timing appear designed to capture attention and inflict harm on Twitter, its customers and its shareholders. Security and privacy have long been company-wide priorities at Twitter and will continue to be."

Some of Zatko's most damning claims spring from his apparently tense relationship with Parag Agrawal, the company's former chief technology officer who was made CEO after Jack Dorsey stepped down last November. According to the disclosure, Agrawal and his lieutenants repeatedly discouraged Zatko from providing a full accounting of Twitter's security problems to the company's board of directors. The company's executive team allegedly instructed Zatko to provide an oral report of his initial findings on the company's security condition to the board rather than a detailed written account, ordered Zatko to knowingly present cherry-picked and misrepresented data to create the false perception of progress on urgent cybersecurity issues, and went behind Zatko's back to have a third-party consulting firm's report scrubbed to hide the true extent of the company's problems.

The disclosure is generally much kinder to Dorsey, who hired Zatko and whom Zatko believes wanted to see the problems within the company fixed. But it does depict him as extremely disengaged in his final months leading Twitter -- so much so that some senior staff even considered the possibility he was sick.

CNN has reached out to Dorsey for comment. A person familiar with Zatko's tenure at Twitter told CNN the company investigated several claims he brought forward around the time he was fired, and ultimately found them unpersuasive; the person added that Zatko at times lacked understanding of Twitter's FTC obligations.

Zatko believes his firing was in retaliation for his sounding the alarm about the company's security problems.

The scathing disclosure, which totals around 200 pages, including supporting exhibits -- was sent last month to a number of US government agencies and congressional committees, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice. The existence and details of the disclosure have not previously been reported. CNN obtained a copy of the disclosure from a senior Democratic aide on Capitol Hill. The SEC, DOJ and FTC declined to comment; the Senate Intelligence Committee, which received a copy of the report, is taking the disclosure seriously and is setting a meeting to discuss the allegations, according to Rachel Cohen, a committee spokesperson.

Sen. Dick Durbin, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee and also received the report, vowed to investigate "and take further steps as needed to get to the bottom of these alarming allegations."

Sen. Chuck Grassley, the same panel's top Republican and an avid Twitter user, also expressed deep concerns about the allegations in a statement to CNN.

"Take a tech platform that collects massive amounts of user data, combine it with what appears to be an incredibly weak security infrastructure and infuse it with foreign state actors with an agenda, and you've got a recipe for disaster," Grassley said. "The claims I've received from a Twitter whistleblower raise serious national security concerns as well as privacy issues, and they must be investigated further."

The Whistleblower

Zatko first came to national attention in 1998 when he took part in the first congressional hearings on cybersecurity.

"All my life, I've been about finding places where I can go and make a difference. I've done that through the security field. That's my main lever," he told CNN in an interview earlier this month.

The events leading to his decision to become a whistleblower began before he worked at Twitter, with a devastating hack in 2020 in which the Twitter accounts of some of the world's most famous people, including then-presidential candidate Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama, Kim Kardashian and Musk, were compromised. Twitter told CNN that in response to the incident, the company began compartmentalizing access to customer support tools.

After the attack, Dorsey recruited Zatko, a well-known "ethical hacker" turned cybersecurity insider and executive who previously held senior roles at Google, Stripe and the US Department of Defense, and who told CNN that he'd been offered a senior, day-one cyber position in the Biden administration.

What Zatko says he found was a company with extraordinarily poor security practices, including giving thousands of the company's employees  amounting to roughly half the company's workforce  access to some of the platform's critical controls. His disclosure describes his overall findings as "egregious deficiencies, negligence, willful ignorance, and threats to national security and democracy."

After the January 6 insurrection, Zatko was concerned about the possibility someone within Twitter who sympathized with the insurrectionists could try to manipulate the company's platform, according to his disclosure. He sought to clamp down on internal access that allows Twitter engineers to make changes to the platform, known as the "production environment."

But, the disclosure says, Zatko soon learned "it was impossible to protect the production environment. All engineers had access. There was no logging of who went into the environment or what they did.... Nobody knew where data lived or whether it was critical, and all engineers had some form of critical access to the production environment." Twitter also lacked the ability to hold workers accountable for information security lapses because it has little control or visibility into employees' individual work computers, Zatko claims, citing internal cybersecurity reports estimating that 4 in 10 devices do not meet basic security standards.

Twitter's flimsy server infrastructure is a separate yet equally serious vulnerability, the disclosure claims. About half of the company's 500,000 servers run on outdated software that does not support basic security features such as encryption for stored data or regular security updates by vendors, according to the letter to regulators and a February email Zatko wrote to Patrick Pichette, a Twitter board member, that is included in the disclosure.

The company also lacks sufficient redundancies and procedures to restart or recover from data center crashes, Zatko's disclosure says, meaning that even minor outages of several data centers at the same time could knock the entire Twitter service offline, perhaps for good.

Twitter did not respond to questions about the risk of data center outages, but told CNN that people on Twitter's engineering and product teams are authorized to access the production environment if they have a specific business justification for doing so. Twitter's employees use devices overseen by other IT and security teams with the power to prevent a device from connecting to sensitive internal systems if it is running outdated software, Twitter added.

The company also said it uses automated checks to ensure laptops running outdated software cannot access the production environment, and that employees may only make changes to Twitter's live product after the code meets certain record-keeping and review requirements.

Twitter has internal security tools that are tested by the company regularly, and every two years by external auditors, according to the person familiar with Zatko's tenure at the company. The person added that some of Zatko's statistics surrounding device security lacked credibility and were derived by a small team that did not properly account for Twitter's existing security procedures.

But Twitter's security concerns had come to light prior to 2020. In 2010, the FTC filed a complaint against Twitter for its mishandling of users' private information and the issue of too many employees having access to Twitter's central controls. The complaint resulted in an FTC consent order finalized the following year in which Twitter vowed to clean up its act, including by creating and maintaining "a comprehensive information security program."

Zatko alleges that despite the company's claims to the contrary, it had "never been in compliance" with what the FTC demanded more than 10 years ago. As a result of its alleged failures to address vulnerabilities raised by the FTC as well as other deficiencies, he says, Twitter suffers an "anomalously high rate of security incidents," approximately one per week serious enough to require disclosure to government agencies. "Based on my professional experience, peer companies do not have this magnitude or volume of incidents," Zatko wrote in a February letter to Twitter's board after he was fired by Twitter in January.

The stakes of Zatko's disclosure are enormous. It could lead to billions of dollars in new fines for Twitter if it's found to have violated its legal obligations, according to Jon Leibowitz, who was chair of the FTC at the time of Twitter's original 2011 consent order.

The agency now has another opportunity to show the tech industry it is serious about holding platforms accountable, Leibowitz added, after officials opted not to name top Facebook execs including Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg in the FTC's $5 billion privacy settlement with that company in 2019.

"One of the big disappointments in the Facebook order violation case was that the FTC let executives off the hook; they should've been named," Leibowitz told CNN in an interview. "And if there's a violation here  and that's a big if  then I think the FTC should very seriously consider not just fining the corporation but also putting the executives responsible under order."

Twitter told CNN its FTC compliance record speaks for itself, citing third-party audits filed to the agency under the 2011 consent order in which it said Zatko did not participate. Twitter also said it is in compliance with relevant privacy rules and that it has been transparent with regulators about its efforts to fix any shortcomings in its systems.

Zatko's allegations are based in part on a failure to grasp how Twitter's existing programs and processes work to fulfill Twitter's FTC obligations, the person familiar with his tenure told CNN, saying that misunderstanding has prompted him to make inaccurate claims about the company's level of compliance.

Foreign threats

Twitter is exceptionally vulnerable to foreign government exploitation in ways that undermine US national security, and the company may even have foreign spies currently on its payroll, the disclosure alleges.

The whistleblower report says the US government provided specific evidence to Twitter shortly before Zatko's firing that at least one of its employees, perhaps more, were working for another government's intelligence service. The report does not say whether Twitter was already aware or if it subsequently acted on the tip.

Last year, prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Agrawal  then Twitter's chief technology officer  proposed to Zatko that Twitter comply with Russian demands that could result in broad-based censorship or surveillance of the platform, Zatko alleges.

The disclosure does not provide details of Agrawal's suggestion. Last summer, however, Russia passed a law pressuring tech platforms to open local offices in the country or face potential advertising bans, a move western security experts said was intended to give Russia greater leverage over US tech companies.

While Agrawal's suggestion was ultimately discarded, it was still an alarming sign of how far Twitter was willing to go in pursuit of growth, according to Zatko.

"The fact that Twitter's current CEO even suggested Twitter become complicit with the Putin regime is cause for concern about Twitter's effects on U.S. national security," Zatko's disclosure says.

Zatko's report is becoming public just two weeks after a former Twitter manager was convicted of spying for Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi case underscores the gravity of the allegations Zatko now levels at Twitter. His report could further inflame bipartisan concerns in Washington about foreign adversaries and the cybersecurity threats they pose to Americans, ranging from the theft of US citizens' data to manipulating US voters or stealing technology and trade secrets.

Twitter did not respond to specific questions about its alleged foreign intelligence vulnerabilities.

The Musk element

Zatko's disclosure comes at a particularly fortuitous moment for Musk, who is engaged in a legal battle with Twitter over his attempt to back out of buying the company. Musk has accused Twitter of lying about the number of spam bots on its platform, an issue that he claims should let him terminate the deal.

While the binding acquisition agreement that Musk signed with Twitter in April did not include any bot-related exemptions, the billionaire claims that the number of bots on the platform affect the user experience and that having more bots than previously known could therefore impact the company's long-term value. After Musk moved to terminate the purchase, Twitter responded with a lawsuit alleging that he is using bots as a pretext to get out of a deal over which he now has buyers' remorse following the recent market downturn, and asking a court to force him to close the deal. The case is set to go to trial in Delaware Chancery Court in October.

User numbers are vital information for any social media business, as advertising revenue depends on how many people could potentially see an ad. But figures about how many users a service has, or how many people actually view a given ad on a site, are notoriously unreliable throughout the tech and media industries due to manipulation and error.

Alone among social media companies, Twitter reports its user numbers to investors and advertisers using a measurement it calls monetizable daily active users, or mDAUs. Its rivals simply count and report all active users; until 2019, Twitter had worked that way as well. But that meant Twitter's figures were subject to significant swings in certain situations, including takedowns of major bot networks. So Twitter switched to mDAUs, which it says counts all users that could be shown an advertisement on Twitter -- leaving all accounts that for some reason can't, for instance because they're known to be bots, in a separate bucket, according to Zatko's disclosure.

The company has repeatedly reported that less than 5% of its mDAUs are fake or spam accounts, and a person familiar with the matter both affirmed that assessment to CNN this week and pointed to other investor disclosures saying the figure relies on significant judgement that may not accurately reflect reality. But Zatko's disclosure argues that by reporting bots only as a percentage of mDAU, rather than as a percentage of the total number of accounts on the platform, Twitter obscures the true scale of fake and spam accounts on the service, a move Zatko alleges is deliberately misleading.

Zatko says he began asking about the prevalence of bot accounts on Twitter in early 2021, and was told by Twitter's head of site integrity that the company didn't know how many total bots are on its platform. He alleges that he came away from conversations with the integrity team with the understanding that the company "had no appetite to properly measure the prevalence of bots," in part because if the true number became public, it could harm the company's value and image.

Experts on inauthentic behavior online say it can be difficult to quantify "bots" because there isn't a widely agreed upon definition of the term, and because bad actors constantly change their tactics. There are also many harmless bots on Twitter (and across the internet), such as automated news accounts, and Twitter offers an opt-in feature to allow such accounts to transparently label themselves as automated. Twitter told CNN that the claim it doesn't know how many bots are on its platform lacks context, reiterating that not all bots are bad and adding that to focus on the total number of bots on Twitter would include those the company may have already identified and taken action against. The company also does not believe it can catch every spam account on the platform, Twitter said, which is why it reports its less-than-5% figure, which reflects a manual estimate, in its financial filings.

But Zatko told CNN he thinks there would still be value in attempting to measure the total number of spam, false or otherwise potentially harmful automated accounts on the platform. "The executive team, the board, the shareholders and the users all deserve an honest answer as to what it is that they are consuming as far as data and information and content [on the platform ... At least from my point of view, I want to invest in a company where I know what's actually going on because I want to invest strategically in the long-term value of an organization," he said.

Twitter says that it allows bots on its platform, but its rules prohibit those that engage in spam or platform manipulation. But, as with all social media platforms' rules, the challenge often lies in enforcing its policies.

The company says it regularly challenges, suspends and removes accounts engaged in spam and platform manipulation, including typically removing more than one million spam accounts each day. Twitter said the total number of bots on the platform is not a useful number. The company declined to answer questions about the total number of accounts on the platform or the average number of new accounts added on the platform daily as context around its daily bot deletion figure.

But in casting doubt on Twitter's ability to estimate the true number of fake and spam accounts, Zatko's allegations could provide ammunition to Musk's central claim that the figure is much higher than Twitter has publicly reported.

By going public, Zatko says, he believes he is doing the job he was hired to do for a platform he says is critical to democracy. "Jack Dorsey reached out and asked me to come and perform a critical task at Twitter. I signed on to do it and believe I'm still performing that mission," he said.
Chinas military flew 38 fighter jets and other warplanes near Taiwan, the Taiwanese defense ministry said Friday, in the biggest such flight display since the large military exercise in which it simulated sealing off the island earlier in April.

Naval vessels were also seen in the area as part of Chinas long-running campaign of intimidation against Taiwan.

Later Friday, China's Peoples Liberation Army issued a protest over the flight of a United States Navy P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft through the Taiwan Strait, which separates mainland China from the self-governing island democracy claimed by Beijing.

Calling Thursdays flight a provocation that the U.S. openly hyped up, the PLAs Eastern Theater Command said it scrambled fighter jets to monitor the planes flight.

Such acts fully prove that the U.S. is a disruptor of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and a creator of security risks," the statement said. Theater troops maintain a high level of alert at all times and resolutely defend national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability.

The U.S. 7th Fleet said Thursdays flight was in accordance with international law and demonstrates the United States commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate anywhere international law allows including within the Taiwan Strait, the statement said.

The U.S. remains Taiwan's closest military and political ally, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between them. U.S. law requires Washington to treat all threats to the island as matters of grave concern, though it remains ambiguous over whether American forces would be dispatched to help defend the island.

Beijing has threatened to bring Taiwan under its control by force if necessary, and China's intensely nationalistic leader Xi Jinping has sworn never to give up a single inch of territory claimed by his country  a pledge that applies to Taiwan, the disputed border with India, and the South China Sea that China claims almost in its entirety.

In addition to the latest Chinese warplane flights, Chinese navy vessels were spotted in the area from 6 a.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday, the island's Defense Ministry said.

Nineteen of the aircraft flew across the midline in the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from the mainland, the ministry said. It said they included five SU-30 and two J-16 fighter jets, along with one drone: a large, long-endurance TB-001 Scorpion capable of carrying a variety of bombs and missiles that circled the island in a relatively rare move, according to a diagram from the Defense Ministry.

It wasn't clear what, if anything, prompted the large-scale Chinese action, but China's efforts to train for a potential attack, wear down the island's military and impact Taiwan's politics have become increasingly ambitious.

U.S. military officials recently said they are increasingly concerned that a massive buildup in China's military capabilities makes the potential for a conflict more likely.

China held exercises simulating the sealing off the island after the sensitive April 5 meeting between Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California. China opposes any exchanges at the official level between Taiwan and other governments.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 following a civil war that ended with the Communist Party in control of the mainland. The island has never been part of the Peoples Republic of China, but Beijing says it must unite with the mainland, by force if necessary.

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The Japanese space agency JAXA said it made history Saturday by successfully landing two unmanned rovers on an asteroid.

"The two rovers are in good condition and are transmitting images and data," a JAXA statement said after the rovers separated from the Hayabusa2 spacecraft and landed on the asteroid Ryugu.

The rovers are collectively known as MINERVA-II1. The space agency reported that MINERVA-II1 is the world's first mobile exploration robot to land on the surface of an asteroid.

"I felt awed by what we had achieved in Japan. This is just a real charm of deep space exploration," said Takashi Kubota, a spokesman for the space agency.

The Hayabusa2 began its approach to Ryugu from an orbiting altitude of around 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) on Thursday afternoon.

As the craft approached to within 100 meters (328 feet) of the space rock, it sent back a photo showing Hayabusa2's shadow projected onto its barren, cratered surface.

Beneath their desolate surfaces, asteroids are believed to contain a rich treasure-trove of information about the formation of the solar system billions of years ago.

The 1 kilometer-wide space rock, which is shaped like a diamond, is expected to be "rich in water and organic materials," allowing scientists to "clarify interactions between the building blocks of Earth and the evolution of its oceans and life, thereby developing solar system science," JAXA said in a statement.

A series of specially designed cameras -- four on the first rover and three on the second -- will take stereo images of the asteroid's surface. The rovers are also equipped with temperature gauges and optical sensors as well as an accelerometer and a set of gyroscopes.

A third rover called MASCOT will be launched from Hayabusa2 in early October.

Later in the mission, scheduled for the end of October, the spacecraft will land on the asteroid after blowing a small crater in it using explosives, so samples that haven't been exposed to space can be gathered from below the object's surface.

After examining the far distant object and taking samples, Hayabusa2 will depart Ryugu in December 2019 before returning to Earth by the end of 2020 with its cargo of samples.

If successful, JAXA has said it will be the "world's first sample return mission to a C-type asteroid."

Japanese scientists are racing NASA for that achievement, with the US agency's sample retrieval mission due to arrive back on Earth in 2023.
Several years after Microsoft began retreating from the smartphone market, the company now appears to be trying to break back in.

Microsoft teased a new phone at its annual Surface press event on Wednesday. The new device, called the Surface Duo, is foldable with two 5.6-inch displays side by side and works with Android.

"You're going to talk about it as a phone, and I get that," Panos Panay, Microsoft's chief product officer, said at the event. "And you're going to talk about it as a communication device, and it does both those things incredibly well for sure." But, he added, "make no mistake, this product is a Surface."

In an unusual move, however, Microsoft teased the product well before it's expected to hit the market. The Surface Duo will launch in the 2020 holiday season, more than a year from now, according to the company.

Over the years, Microsoft has suffered a number of high-profile hardware missteps, including a massive $7.6 billion writedown of its acquisition of Nokia's handset business.

Conversely, it's thrived recently in large part by focusing not on consumers, but enterprise customers. Under CEO Satya Nadella, the company has made a successful years-long bet on cloud computing, positioning it as one of the two dominant players in this fast-growing market along with Amazon.

But Wednesday's press event highlighted that Microsoft isn't giving up on hardware either, both for consumers  with multiple new products including the phone  and business customers.

In addition to the Duo, Microsoft teased a new dual-screen device called the Surface Neo that also won't be available until next holiday season. The device combines two 9-inch screens and folds inward. You can flip it, reverse it and surf Netflix. It's also possible to expand a single app across the two screens or use two apps at the same time.

"Neo is not only the next new Surface, it's the next category," Panay said.

The product may remind longtime Microsoft watchers of the Courier, a two-screen tablet concept that pre-dated the iPad. Former CEO Steve Ballmer famously killed that device.

Microsoft also took direct aim at Apple with the launch of its new Surface Earbuds, wireless earbuds that are clearly intended as a rival offering to Apple's AirPods. Earbuds will work with some Microsoft Office products, such as allowing you to access your Outlook calendar and email, and boast a full day of battery life, according to the company.

The product will be available later this year for $249, compared to the $199 Apple charges for AirPods with a wireless charging case.

Beyond these products, Microsoft refreshed its hardware lineup with the introduction of the Surface Pro 7, an updated tablet with USB-C and deeper integration with Microsoft Office, and the Surface Pro X, a laptop and tablet hybrid with a new processor, 4K video and an edge-to-edge display.

Microsoft said the Surface Pro X is the first Windows PC to have an integrated AI engine, which will correct a video call and bring the eye gaze up so if you're talking to someone on a call, they appear to be making eye contact.

The tablets start at $749 and $999, respectively.

Microsoft is also expanding its hardware lineup with the Surface Laptop 3, a new laptop that instantly turns on when you open it and comes in an aluminum finish that's the color of "sandstone."

Panay said the new laptop is "three times more powerful" than Apple's MacBook Air. A 13-inch model will start at $999 and a 15-inch model will start at $1,199. Both will be available starting October 22.
NASA has long been able to check out Mars on the ground with rovers and landers and from far above with orbital spacecraft. Now, it wants to prove that it can sustainably fly around the planet's thin atmosphere at low altitude -- with a tiny helicopter.

NASA announced Friday it will send the Mars Helicopter to the Red Planet with the previously announced Mars 2020 rover, set to launch in two years from Florida.

The hope is that aircraft like this one -- flying mechanical scouts -- will eventually give scientists another vantage point from which to observe Mars.

The helicopter will be mankind's first attempt to fly a heavier-than-air craft -- think helicopter or airplane -- in an atmosphere other than Earth's, the space agency said.

Its mission will be to take five test flights after it lands with the rover in February 2021.

"After the Wright Brothers proved 117 years ago that powered, sustained, and controlled flight was possible here on Earth, another group of American pioneers may prove the same can be done on another world," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's science mission directorate in Washington.

3,000 revolutions per minute

The small copter -- its main body will be about the size of a softball -- will be attached to the rover's belly pan. After the rover lands, it will place the helicopter on the ground and move away.

After the helicopter's solar cells charge its lithium-ion batteries, NASA controllers on Earth will prepare the craft for its tricky test flights.

To rise into the Mars' thin atmosphere, the helicopter's two counter-rotating blades will turn at nearly 3,000 revolutions per minute, or more than 10 times as fast as a helicopter's blades on Earth, NASA says.

"The altitude record for a helicopter flying here on Earth is about 40,000 feet. The atmosphere of Mars is only 1% that of Earth, so when our helicopter is on the Martian surface, it's already at the Earth equivalent of 100,000 feet up," Mimi Aung, the Mars Helicopter project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a news release.

"To make it fly at that low atmospheric density, we had to scrutinize everything, make it as light as possible while being as strong and as powerful as it can possibly be," she said.

Hoping to see 'what lies beyond the next hill'

On the first test flight, NASA intends to have the helicopter climb 10 feet into the air and hover for 30 seconds.

NASA says it hopes to fly the aircraft incrementally father and longer in the four subsequent test flights, with distances up to a few hundred meters and durations as long as 90 seconds.

Because Earth will be several light minutes away, "there is no way to joystick this mission in real time," Aung said.

"Instead, we have an autonomous capability that will be able to receive and interpret commands from the ground, and then fly the mission on its own," she said.

If the tests work, NASA will be closer to exploring the Red Planet in a different way.

"The ability to see clearly what lies beyond the next hill is crucial for future explorers," Zurbuchen said. "We already have great views of Mars from the surface as well as from orbit. With the added dimension of a bird's-eye view from a 'marscopter,' we can only imagine what future missions will achieve."

Other Mars missions

The Mars 2020 rover will have a mission of its own -- including seeking signs of life for two years and using instruments to help NASA learn more about how to safely land humans there. It also will have microphones allowing NASA to hear sounds on the surface for the first time.

Two other rovers, Curiosity and Opportunity, continue exploring Mars, sending back photos of the surface and searching for signs of past life.

Opportunity landed on Mars in 2004 and has outlived its original plan for a 90-day mission. Curiosity landed in August 2012. Both rovers have found evidence that conditions were once fit for ancient life, as well as signs of active, ancient organic chemistry.

Earlier this month, NASA launched its InSight probe, expected to land near Mars' equator in November. It, among other things, is scheduled to burrow 10 to 16 feet into the planet's crust, giving scientists new insights into Mars' interior.

CNN's Ashley Strickland contributed to this report.
Grab, the most popular ride-hailing app in Southeast Asia, will end 2018 with $3 billion in new funds as it seeks to fend off rivals in a region of more than 600 million people.

The Singapore-based startup has raised more than $2.7 billion so far this year and will get to $3 billion "before New Year's bell," President Ming Maa said in an interview Tuesday with CNN Business.

The new funding, which includes a $1 billion investment from Toyota (TM) in June, values Grab at over $11 billion, according to a person familiar with the company.

Grab made international headlines in March when it bought Uber's operations in eight Southeast Asian countries. The startup now dominates those markets, but it no longer wishes to be known as a ride-hailing company.

Instead, Grab wants to be a "daily lifestyle platform," Maa said, as it expands into areas like digital payments and health care services, according to Maa.

Building a super app

It's seeking to follow in the footsteps of Tencent (TCEHY), which built China's wildly popular WeChat app. WeChat has become a place where more than one billion people can do everything from ordering rides and playing games to making online payments and booking doctor's appointments.

Such apps are particularly appealing in Southeast Asia because most users have low-end smartphones that don't have space for lots of different apps.

But Grab is positioning itself as an app for everything at a time when tech companies in the United States and elsewhere are coming under increased scrutiny for mishandling users' data and privacy. Having one company that knows when you order a ride, what you like to eat, how much you pay for a haircut and which doctors you visit may not sit well with all consumers.

Maa said Grab is "very focused" on security and privacy and is open with users and business partners regarding the data it collects and how it is handled.

"I think the challenges are when you are not transparent about how you're using data," he said. "Then you get into some very significant challenges."

First Uber, now GoJek

Grab's growing clout in Southeast Asia  it now has 125 million users  has brought the company intensified criticism from regulators, customers and drivers who accuse it of running its business like a monopoly.

"We certainly do not have a monopoly in these markets," Maa said. "There is vibrant competition in every single market that we operate in."

The biggest challenge comes from Indonesian startup GoJek, which launched a beta version of its ride-hailing app on Grab's home turf of Singapore last week.

GoJek, which is backed by Tencent, is reportedly seeking to raise $2 billion for expansion. It's also positioning itself as an app for everything  and has invested heavily in mobile payments and on-demand deliveries like food and groceries.

Grab is already ahead of GoJek in the Indonesian ride-hailing market, providing well over half the rides in the country, according to Maa. And he welcomed the new competition in Singapore.

"I think it'll be very interesting to see how they perform and how they compete when they are out of their home court," he said.

More than $1 billion in revenue

Grab has its own heavyweight backers, including Japan's SoftBank (SFTBY) and China's top ride-hailing startup, Didi Chuxing. Uber also ended up with a stake of nearly 28% in the company when it sold its regional operations.

Grab first launched ride-hailing services in Malaysia in 2012, followed by the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore in 2013. It's now in 8 countries.

It will make more than $1 billion in revenue this year and wants to double that number in 2019, according to Maa. But like many other top ride-hailing startups, it's yet to turn a profit.

"We're working on it," Maa said.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  Internet Explorer is finally headed out to pasture.

As of Wednesday, Microsoft will no longer support the once-dominant browser that legions of web surfers loved to hate  and a few still claim to adore. The 27-year-old application now joins BlackBerry phones, dial-up modems and Palm Pilots in the dustbin of tech history.

IE's demise was not a surprise. A year ago, Microsoft said that it was putting an end to Internet Explorer on June 15, 2022, pushing users to its Edge browser, which was launched in 2015.

The company made clear then it was time to move on.

"Not only is Microsoft Edge a faster, more secure and more modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer, but it is also able to address a key concern: compatibility for older, legacy websites and applications," Sean Lyndersay, general manager of Microsoft Edge Enterprise, wrote in a May 2021 blog post.

Users marked Explorer's passing on Twitter, with some referring to it as a "bug-ridden, insecure POS" or the "top browser for installing other browsers." For others it was a moment for 90's nostalgia memes, while The Wall Street Journal quoted a 22-year-old who was sad to see IE go.

Microsoft released the first version of Internet Explorer in 1995, the antediluvian era of web surfing dominated by the first widely popular browser, Netscape Navigator. Its launch signaled the beginning of the end of Navigator: Microsoft went on to tie IE and its ubiquitous Windows operating system together so tightly that many people simply used it by default instead of Navigator.

The Justice Department sued Microsoft in 1997, saying it violated an earlier consent decree by requiring computer makers to use its browser as a condition of using Windows. It eventually agreed to settle the antitrust battle in 2002 over its use of its Windows monopoly to squash competitors. It also tangled with European regulators who said that tying Internet Explorer to Windows gave it an unfair advantage over rivals such as Mozilla's Firefox, Opera and Google's Chrome.

Users, meanwhile, complained that IE was slow, prone to crashing and vulnerable to hacks. IE's market share, which in the early 2000s was over 90%, began to fade as users found more appealing alternatives.

Today, the Chrome browser dominates with roughly a 65% share of the worldwide browser market, followed by Apple's Safari with 19%, according to internet analytics company Statcounter. IE's heir, Edge, lags with about about 4%, just ahead of Firefox.

5 things to know about the Internet of Things Intro Where you find IoT devices in everyday life How IoT devices communicate The types of information IoT devices collect and transmit How IoT data is used Risks to your network of devices

***

How businesses are accelerating the growth of internet-connected smart devices How businesses are accelerating the growth of internet-connected smart devices Business spending on IoT has increased by more than 10% for the last three years There are an estimated 18 billion IoT devices today The devices are projected to create 90 zettabytes of information by 2025 The economic value of IoT could reach $5.5 trillion to $12.6 trillion by 2030 China is estimated to capture more than 26% of the total value of IoT devices by 2030
Have you ever wondered how the BlackBerry smartphone got its name? Or how about the Swiffer mop, or the Impossible burger?

Just ask David Placek. For three decades, his company, Lexicon Branding, has been hired by the likes of Intel, Apple, Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola, to help name hundreds of products and launch corporate rebranding campaigns.

The Sausalito, California-based firm is behind the name for Intel's Pentium brand of processors, Apple's PowerBook, Coca-Cola's Dasani bottled water and many other recognizable brands.

The story behind BlackBerry's name is one of Placek's favorites.

In 1998, Waterloo, Canada-based Research in Motion had reached out to Placek for help naming their new smartphone.

"They had this little rectangular device and were trying to name it for weeks. They were frustrated," he recalled.

Placek had his team do some field research.

"There was a Starbucks around the corner from us. We held up a sign near it that said we wanted to speak to people who used email regularly. We would pay them with a $10 coupon for five minutes of their time," he said.

After the team spoke with nearly two dozen people, Placek was able to offer RIM's executives a key insight: "We told them the product name shouldn't stress or elevate their blood pressure, but do the exact opposite and be calming," he said. "Like a summer vacation or a long walk, or fresh fruit."

Placek and his team wrote a variety of words on a big sheet of butcher paper. Someone wrote "strawberry." Another wrote "blackberry." It caught his attention.

"So I flew to Waterloo and presented the name BlackBerry. The executives thought I was crazy," he said. "I said it would work because none of their competitors would have had the courage to use BlackBerry as a name."

The rest is history. RIM officially changed the company name to BlackBerry in 2013.

The value of a good name

The naming process, according to Placek, typically takes around eight weeks and can involve as many as 10 to 12 people working on the creative process and trademark research. Clients pay anywhere from $50,000 to $150,000, depending on the project.

In 2015, Melinda Gates' investment and incubation firm, Pivotal Ventures, turned to Placek seeking help.

"Lexicon Branding had a very impressive record of clients," said Catherine St-Laurent, director of brand and special initiatives with Pivotal Ventures.

"The challenge was to capture Melinda's goal for the organization to be a force for positive change, to do important work, and to get results," recalled Placek. His team began brainstorming on names in September 2014 and by the following February, they presented Pivotal Ventures. "The definition of 'pivotal', meaning of vital or critical importance, was what made us all excited about the name."

"In the end, 'Pivotal' was the perfect solution."

The hidden power of "B" and "V"

Back in college, Placek was more of a political junkie than a wordsmith, majoring in political science at the University of California, Los Angeles. "But I did enjoy writing," he said.

He went to graduate school at Georgetown University. He then took a job in Washington DC, working as a staff member for the US Senate Commerce Committee. After that, he moved to Missouri to write speeches and handle communications for the campaign of a candidate running for Senate.

When that candidate lost, Placek decided to return to California. But instead of politics, he jumped into the advertising industry. "I did ad writing and helped with new product development for clients," he said.

The advertising experience gave him the idea to launch a business centered exclusively around linguistics that would help companies create names for new products.

"That was our niche."

Placek launched Lexicon Branding in 1982, self-funding it with $45,000 from his savings and credit cards. Today, his firm is profitable and generates about $8 million in annual revenue.

While Placek himself wasn't an expert in linguistics, he made sure to hire people who were. Among his first employees was Will Leben, a linguistics professor at Stanford University who now oversees the firm's in-house linguistics team and network of 90 linguist partners globally. Another early hire, Bob Cohen, helped develop the firm's linguistics-based model.

Cohen and Leben helped Placek research the science behind effective names and what makes one name perform better than another in the marketplace. Together, they formulated a three-step creative process to engineer brand names. It involved an area of linguistics called "sound symbolism" -- or how the mind processes certain words -- and an analysis of letter structures and patterns.

"We always begin with... [identifying] a specific role for the name," said Placek. A good name, he said, should be easy to process, highly noticeable in its product category, and noteworthy. From there, his team conducts preliminary trademark research on a subset of brand name candidates.

A linguistic evaluation of the name follows. Placek said Lexicon's network of global linguists complete an initial research evaluation of each brand name and ensure the name does not carry negative associations.

Then a separate sound symbolism analysis is conducted to study sound quality and the feelings evoked by the letters in the alphabet.

"Research shows 'B' is perceived to be one of the most reliable sounds in the English language," he said. "'V' is a daring sound. Think Viagra or Corvette."

Simply arriving at a name consumers like, though, isn't enough, added Placek.

"The market is so cluttered with new products that we're always so distracted as consumers," he said. "So memorability [in a name] is very important, too."

Case in point: Swiffer.

Procter & Gamble introduced its Swiffer line of floor mop products in 1997.

"Procter & Gamble came to us in 1995 with their idea of an improved mop. I looked at it and said this isn't a mop at all. It was so different," he said. Placek had his team conduct consumer research.

"Consumers told us mopping was their least pleasant household activity," he said. "Immediately we thought the name we come up with had to put some joy into the activity,"

Starting with sound words like "swipe," "swish," "swiff" ultimately led to Swiffer. "We settled on swiff and added an 'e' at the end, then an 'r.' Boom. That was it."

Impossible Foods, the company behind the popular plant-based Impossible Burger, was another client.

"This was a difficult one for us," he said. "This is a company that has reimagined healthy food." After throwing around a few names, someone wrote the word "impossible" on the list.

"I took it to the company and told them it was a lot like them, 'Impossible,' in that they were doing something that was almost impossible with their food innovation. They loved it," said Placek.
MEXICO CITY  Farmers in the United States are urging their government to challenge a looming Mexican ban on genetically modified (GM) corn under a regional free trade agreement, warning of billions of dollars of economic damage to both countries.

A late 2020 decree by Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador would phase out GM corn and the herbicide glyphosate by 2024. Supporters of the ban say GM seeds can contaminate Mexicos age-old native varieties, and point to research showing adverse effects of glyphosate.

Mexico prides itself as the birthplace of modern corn but it imports about 17 million tonnes of U.S. corn a year and is on track to import even more this year, experts said.

Some in Mexicos government, including Agriculture Minister Victor Villalobos, have signaled that yellow corn imports for livestock feed will not be disrupted. U.S. farmers remain wary since no official document states that, according to a U.S. agriculture official familiar with recent meetings with Mexican officials.

Also, Lopez Obrador this month said firmly: We do not accept GMO corn.

Corn for human consumption, including white corn used in food products like tortillas, accounts for between 18% and 20% of Mexicos total U.S. corn imports. There are still questions about whether such GM imports will be eliminated by 2024.

Mexicos health regulator COFEPRIS has not authorized new strains of glyphosate-resistant GM corn seeds for import since 2018. The National Corn Growers Association, representing U.S. farmers, wants the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to launch a dispute settlement proceeding under the USMCA trade pact, which includes Canada and Mexico.

Angus R. Kelly, the associations director of public policy, trade and biotechnology, said it objects to the precedent-setting nature of the decrees and to Mexico rejecting biotech crop traits without any scientific basis.

Washington could potentially raise a dispute under the agriculture chapter of the USMCA stipulating cooperation between members on an individual governments regulation of imports, according to Raul Urteaga, a former Mexican government official and founder of consulting group Global Agrotrade Advisors.

A dispute settlement can apply under some USMCA chapters when a country considers one member government has nullified or impaired a benefit that was in place when the pact was signed.

Mexicos agriculture ministry and the U.S. embassy in Mexico declined to comment. The USTR and the USDA did not respond to requests for comment.

Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), representing biotech companies including Bayer, said it supported the (U.S.) administration taking enforcement action on Mexicos treatment of agricultural biotechnology if dialogue fails.

Federico Zerboni, Argentina-based president of agriculture chamber MAIZALL which sent a delegation to Mexico in August, said denial of new GM seeds made it seem like Mexicos regulator favors a very old and unfeasible production system to feed the world.

COFEPRIS, in a statement to Reuters said its decisions were based on scientific evidence and risk assessments.

In 2020, Bayer agreed to pay billions of dollars to settle lawsuits by people who claimed they were harmed by its weedkiller.

A March report by the U.S. consulting firm World Perspectives Inc projected that Mexicos ban could cost the country $4.4 billion over 10 years for corn imports, push the price of tortillas up 42% by the second year and cause major risks to food security.

The United States could see a $16.5 billion drop in economic output over 10 years, the report found. It did not differentiate between white and yellow corn.
WASHINGTON  The Transportation Department (USDOT) said Thursday the largest U.S. airlines had made significant changes to customer service plans with nearly all agreeing to offer passengers meals and overnight stays for delays within their control.

Reuters first reported Wednesday many of the changes to the customer service plans that came after Secretary Pete Buttigieg told airlines on Aug. 19 that he would publish a dashboard comparing customer protections airlines were committing to offer ahead of the busy U.S. Labor Day travel weekend.

USDOT said the changes came after Buttigiegs urging  and 9 of the 10 largest U.S. airlines made significant changes to their plans to improve services provided to passengers.

The 10 largest carriers account for 96% of domestic flights.

Airlines have canceled or delayed tens of thousands of flights this summer as they cut flights and struggled to ramp up staffing as demand returned from historic lows that resulted from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Buttigieg said in the first six months, roughly 24% of U.S. airlines domestic flights were delayed and 3.2% were canceled.

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and JetBlue Airways received checkmarks in all five categories for both delayed and canceled flights for issues within their control.

The categories include meal vouchers for three-hour delays, providing hotels and paying for transportation to lodging for stranded passengers and rebooking passengers on the same or another airline.

Ultra low cost carrier Allegiant did not receive any checkmarks and did not immediately comment. Both Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines received four checkmarks out of five, while Spirit got three and Frontier two.

Airlines downplayed changes arguing they largely already had policies in place  even if they were not detailed in customer-facing plans. USDOT said airlines incorporating them into those plans makes them enforceable and easy for passengers to access.

USDOT said it will hold airlines accountable if they fail to provide the promised services and it has not ruled out writing regulations to mandate the customer amenities. USDOT is also writing other customer service regulations.

Trade group Airlines for America said it welcomes opportunities to simplify, clarify and increase transparency for travelers.

Delta said weve updated some of our language to be explicitly clear about the services and amenities we provide customers when they are inconvenienced.

USDOT said no airline unconditionally guaranteed meal vouchers or hotels before Buttigiegs letter. Now nine out of ten had committed to offering meal vouchers  with Allegiant the exception  and all but Allegiant and Frontier committed to providing hotel accommodation.
LONDON  British antitrust regulators on Wednesday blocked Microsoft's $69 billion purchase of video game maker Activision Blizzard, thwarting the biggest tech deal in history over worries that it would stifle competition in the fast-growing cloud gaming market.

The Competition and Markets Authority said in its final report that "the only effective remedy" to the substantial loss of competition "is to prohibit the Merger." The companies vowed to appeal.

The all-cash deal announced 15 months ago faced stiff opposition from rival Sony, which makes the PlayStation gaming system, and also was scrutinized by regulators in the U.S. and Europe over fears it would give Microsoft and its Xbox console control of hit franchises including Call of Duty and World of Warcraft.

The United Kingdom watchdog's decision "came as a surprise to most people" and heightens global uncertainty over the deal, said Liam Deane, a game industry analyst for research firm Omdia.

"It's a big enough market to throw a pretty serious spanner in the works from Microsoft and Activision's perspective, but things will get a lot worse if they also get the wrong decision from the European Commission in a few weeks time," he said.

The U.K. watchdog's concerns centered on how the deal would affect cloud gaming, which streams to tablets, phones and other devices and frees players from buying expensive consoles and gaming computers. Gamers can keep playing major Activision titles, including mobile games like Candy Crush, on the platforms they typically use.

Cloud gaming has the potential to change the industry by giving people more choice over how and where they play, said Martin Colman, chair of the Competition and Markets Authority's independent expert panel investigating the deal.

"This means that it is vital that we protect competition in this emerging and exciting market," he said.

The decision underscores Europe's reputation as the global leader in efforts to rein in the power of Big Tech companies. A day earlier, the U.K. government unveiled draft legislation that would give regulators more power to protect consumers from online scams and fake reviews and boost digital competition.

The U.K. decision dashes Microsoft's hopes that a favorable outcome could help it resolve a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. A trial before the FTC's in-house judge is set to begin Aug. 2. The European Union's decision, meanwhile, is due May 22.

Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft signaled it wasn't ready to give up.

"We remain fully committed to this acquisition and will appeal," President Brad Smith said. The decision discourages tech innovation and investment in Britain, he said.

"We're especially disappointed that after lengthy deliberations, this decision appears to reflect a flawed understanding of this market and the way the relevant cloud technology actually works," Smith said.

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said in a blog post that both companies are working on an appeal to the U.K.'s Competition Appeal Tribunal.

Regulators concluded that if the Activision Blizzard deal went through, it would reinforce Microsoft's advantage by giving it control of key game titles.

To ease concerns, Microsoft struck deals with Nintendo and some cloud gaming providers to license Activision titles such as Call of Duty for 10 years  offering the same to Sony.

Sony's European press office did not respond to a request for comment.

The watchdog said it reviewed Microsoft's remedies "in considerable depth" but found they would require its oversight, whereas preventing the merger would allow cloud gaming to develop without intervention.

Cloud gaming is a small piece of Britain's $6.2 billion video game market but is expected to see explosive growth in coming years.
A record number of books faced official censorship attempts last year, with familiar LGBTQ titles crowding the new annual banned book list. "Gender Queer," "All Boys Aren't Blue" and "The Bluest Eye" lead the top 10, according to the American Library Association.

Actually, the list includes 13 this year as the ALA counted several books as tied for having the most challenges.

"In 2022, ALA tracked the highest number of censorship reports since the association began compiling data about library censorship more than 20 years ago," the group said in a news release. ALAs Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 2,571 unique titles targeted for censorship, a 38% increase from the 1,858 unique titles targeted in 2021, it said. Most of the targeted books were written by or about members of the LGBTQ community and people of color.

The ALA counts reported challenges to libraries and schools, which may differ some from removals dictated by state legislatures or from counts by the PEN organization. The ALA defines a challenge as a formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness. A complaint to a library, or a report in the media, does not necessarily mean the book was removed permanently from shelves.

Because many book challenges are not reported to the ALA or covered by the press, the data represents only "a snapshot of book censorship" throughout the year, the ALA says.

Last year, the ALA formed the new Unite Against Book Bans effort. This week is National Library Week and the ALA declared April 24 "Right to Read Day."

The ALA reported the majority of complaints in 2022  nearly 60%  come from parents and library patrons, the Associated Press said. Political/religious groups such as the conservative Moms for Liberty account for just 17% of complaints, but they object to a disproportionate number of books, according to Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of ALAs Office for Intellectual Freedom. Moms for Liberty, which advocates for parental rights in schools, objected to more than 1,000 books in 2022, the AP says.

Caldwell-Stone said the web site booklooks.org, a popular resource for conservatives to evaluate books that defines itself as unaffiliated with Moms for Liberty, but does communicate with other individuals and groups with whom there is an intersection of mission and values.

Here are the ALA's most challenged books of 2022:

1. Gender Queer, by Maia Kobabe. Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit

2. All Boys Arent Blue, by George M. Johnson. Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit

3. The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison. Reasons: depiction of sexual abuse, claimed to be sexually explicit, EDI content

4. Flamer, by Mike Curato. Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit

5. (TIE) Looking for Alaska, by John Green. Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, LGBTQIA+ content

5. (TIE) The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky. Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, LGBTQIA+ content, depiction of sexual abuse, drugs, profanity

7. Lawn Boy, by Jonathan Evison. Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, claimed to be sexually explicit

8. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie. Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, profanity

9. Out of Darkness, by Ashley Hope Perez. Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit

10. (TIE) A Court of Mist and Fury, by Sarah J. Maas. Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit

10. (TIE) Crank, by Ellen Hopkins. Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, drugs

10. (TIE) Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, by Jesse Andrews. Reasons: Claimed to be sexually explicit, profanity

10. (TIE) This Book is Gay, by Juno Dawson. Reasons: LGBTQIA+ content, sex education, claimed to be sexually explicit

Messenger: Librarians defend the homeland from the latest GOP culture war in Missouri A proposed funding cut is just one part of a strategy to use libraries as pawns in the battle over LGBTQ rights.

Book bans are soaring in US schools, fueled largely by new laws in Republican-led states Fearing criminal penalties, public schools throughout Missouri removed hundreds of books from their libraries after state lawmakers last year made it illegal to provide students with sexually explicit material  a new law that carried punishment of up to a year in prison. The dangers are playing out in public school districts and campus libraries across the United States, First Amendment ...

Missouri debates ban on LGBTQ education for all grades The proposal is modeled after a Florida education law derided by opponents as a Dont Say Gay law.
Ahram Online spoke to a number of prominent Egyptian archeologists and historians about the ongoing controversy surrounding Queen Cleopatras ethnicity and race that erupted following the release of a trailer for the upcoming Netflix docuseries.

The trailer released on 12 April features claims that Cleopatra had black skin with curly hair, with one historian saying I remember my grandmother saying to me I don't care what they tell you in school, Cleopatra was black.

In response, many Egyptians slammed the trailer, claiming that the historical records show that Cleopatra, who was born in 69 BC, was Macedonian-Greek. An Egyptian lawyer has even filed a case with Egypts Prosecutor-General demanding they block Netflix in Egypt.

Meanwhile, former Minister of Antiquities Zahi Hawass condemned the appearance of Queen Cleopatra in the documentary and described it as completely fake.

According to Hawass, Cleopatra was Greek, meaning that she was light-skinned, not black.

Statues of Queen Cleopatra uncovered in Taposiris Magna in west Alexandria are the best evidence of her true features and her Macedonian origins, he added.

The ancient Egyptian civilization is not a black civilization. Scenes engraved on ancient Egyptian temples and tombs depict the pharaoh striking the enemies and in front of him are people from Africa, Libya and Asia, and we will not find any similarities between the pharaoh and the neighbouring people, Hawass said.

Netflix is trying to provoke confusion by spreading false and deceptive facts that the origin of the Egyptian civilization is black, he added.

I am not against black people at all, but I found it my duty as an archaeologist to clarify the facts and declare that Cleopatra was not black, Hawass asserted.

Mostafa Waziry, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, confirmed that Netflixs depiction of the heroine is a forgery and blatant historical fallacy, especially since the film is classified as a documentary film and not a dramatic work. He called on the shows producers to investigate the matter and to rely on historical and scientific facts to ensure that history and peoples' civilizations are not falsified.

It is necessary to consult archaeologists and anthropologists when making these kinds of documentaries and historical films, which will remain witness to the civilizations and history of nations, he said.

There are many artefacts of Queen Cleopatra, including statues and depictions on coins that confirm her features, all of which show the Hellenistic (Greek) features of Queen Cleopatra in terms of light skin, drawn nose and thin lips, he added.

Waziry argues that his rejection of the docuseries stems from a defense of history, rather than racism, emphasising his respect for African civilisation.

Nasser Mekkawi, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Department at the Faculty of Archeology, Cairo University, explains that Cleopatras appearance in the docuseries contradicts the simplest historical facts and the writings from the time. Historians such as Plutarch and Dio Cassius, who recorded Roman history in Egypt during the reign of Queen Cleopatra, confirmed that she was light-skinned and had pure Macedonian origins.

Queen Cleopatra descended from an ancient Macedonian family that ruled Egypt for nearly 300 years under the Ptolemaic Dynasty founded by King Ptolemy I in 305 BC, who was a leader in the army of Alexander the Great, he explained.

Ptolemy I married Queen Berenice I, also from Macedonia, and they gave birth to King Ptolemy II, after whom his sons and grandchildren continued to marry their female sisters according to the customs of this era, until Queen Elizabeth VII and her brother Ptolemy XIV, they maintained the purity of their Macedonian race during all this period of time.

Samia Al-Marghani, former director-general of the Centre for Research and Conservation of Antiquities at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that the biological anthropology and DNA studies that were conducted on ancient Egyptians' mummies and human bones confirmed that the Egyptians did not bear the features of Sub-Saharan Africans, whether in the shape of the skull, the width of the cheeks and nose, the widening and advancement of the upper jaw, nor the apparent shape of the hair, the proportions of body parts, height, distribution and density of body hair.

The great diversity that we see in the features of Egyptians is due to the ancient construction of this land, the stability of its inhabitants and their melting of every stranger within their crucible, she pointed out.

The inscriptions and statues left by the ancient Egyptians on their temples and tombs, she added, portray features that are as close as possible to contemporary Egyptians in terms of eye, hair and skin colour, the degree of smoothness and density of hair for men and women, even the colour of the skin and the presence of a proportion of coloured eyes.

Even when some mummification techniques changed in the 21st Dynasty and they began to paint the mummy's skin to look as it did in life, they painted the skin in brick color and painted the woman's skin in light yellow, which confirms what was drawn on the walls.

Catarina Martinez, head of the Dominican mission and worker at the Taposiris Magna Temple in western Alexandria, said that statues and coins left by the queen confirm her Hellenistic features. For example, a marble bust from the first century BC that is now preserved in the Berlin Museum shows her with almond eyes, a drawn nose and thin lips.

In addition, another marble bust preserved in the Vatican shows her with soft features while a number of coins show her in the same Hellenistic form.

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Ian Froeb Ian Froeb is the restaurant critic for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Ian Froeb Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

If My Marie Restaurant is your introduction to Haitian cuisine, you should probably begin with its jerk chicken. I dont recommend this based on my experience as a critic or any special knowledge of Haiti. The opposite, in fact. My Marie has also been my introduction to Haitian cuisine, and on my first visit to its Benton Park West storefront, I reflexively ordered jerk chicken. The dish was eye-opening  though not in the literal sense Id expected.

I girded myself for the hellacious heat and giddy rush of scotch bonnet chiles. Instead, My Maries jerk chicken sneaks its modest heat behind a warm, sweet, peppery wave of flavor reminiscent of allspice. Beneath its generous ladling of sauce, the chickens skin retains a nicely charry crisp, and the dark meat tastes intensely of its own juices, more than enough to hold its own against the jerk seasoning.

My Marie marks the St. Louis debut for its chef and owner, Marie Louis-Jeune. As far as I know, it is also the only restaurant in the metro area to open with Haitian cuisine as its main focus. (The Crooked Boot, chef Coria Griggs excellent food truck and St. Charles restaurant, has expanded its menu to include some Haitian dishes alongside its original Creole fare.)

Embarrassed, I didnt want to mention my ignorant assumption about Louis-Jeunes jerk chicken when I interviewed her by phone later. I didnt need to. She herself noted that while the cuisines of Jamaica and Haiti are familiar, they arent identical. More specifically, Louis-Jeune draws from a lifetime in the kitchen. As a child, the native of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince was already cooking for family and neighbors, and she went on to attend culinary school and open a restaurant in her home country.

After the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti, Louis-Jeune and her family relocated to the United States. They were able to reopen their restaurant in Haiti within six months, but in 2015, given the countrys precarious situation overall, they closed the restaurant permanently.

Meanwhile, they had settled in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where Louis-Jeune opened the original My Marie in 2019. She and her family decided to relocate the restaurant and themselves to St. Louis in part to be closer to a larger Haitian population. The new My Marie opened in September on a tree-shaded stretch of Cherokee Street a few blocks west of the neighborhoods Mexican-restaurant heart. The space (previously Tower Tacos) is small. The dining room consists of a few tables just inside the entrance, though additional seating is available on a side patio.

If you dont want to begin with the jerk chicken, Louis-Jeune considers the coconut curry with either chicken or shrimp one of her signature dishes. The curry sauce carries a thin, prickly edge of heat  just enough to balance the coconuts sweetness and no more.

Louis-Jeune applies a soigne touch to her sauces. As excellent as the curry sauce is, I would still rate it behind the sauces gilding her jerk chicken and Haitian-style oxtail. The latter is nearly as rich as an uncut demi-glace, and if you werent already compelled to dig each last morsel of meat from the oxtail bones, you would do so just to have something to swish around in this swaggering sauce.

If My Maries lamb stew isnt quite so brawny, it does round out the meats grassy flavor and adds depth to the potatoes and carrots. The griot fritay brings a plate of fried pork as crisp-edged and luscious as your favorite carnitas in town, though I was disappointed that my serving of the dish, a signature of Haitian cuisine, lacked its typical accompaniment of pikliz, a spicy condiment of pickled vegetables.

Your main course includes your choice of two side dishes, and Louis-Jeune fashions as much love on these as on her sauces. The mac and cheese is a soul-food classic, with a delightfully chewy mahogany crust atop the noodles in sticky-stretchy cheese. It is difficult not to default each time to this mac and cheese and the collard greens, cooked tender in their own juices and larded with a little bit of chicken, but then you would miss the fried plantains (crisp-savory green or sweet-supple ripe) and the red beans and rice in a sauce that rivals the main courses for richness.

The name My Marie is telling. I undertook this review knowing I had everything to learn about Haitian cuisine. I publish it knowing I still must learn so much, though now I am more excited to revisit Louis-Jeunes singular cooking. And if I cant return for a full meal immediately, she does offer her Hatitian patties  beef, chicken or vegetable inside a flaky shell  in a counter display, one for $3 or two for $5, a perfect hearty snack when youre on the run.

Rating Recommended  The Post-Dispatch evaluates restaurants on the following scale, lowest to highest: Not Recommended, Recommended, Highly Recommended, Essential. The rating reflects how the restaurant succeeds on its own terms  and how it meets a diner's good-faith expectations of quality food and hospitality  regardless of cuisine, location or cost.

How much Coconut curry chicken  $12.99 Jerk chicken  $14.99 Oxtail  $24.99

Where My Marie Restaurant, 3147 Cherokee Street  More info 314-499-7059  Menu Haitian cuisine  Hours Lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday (closed Monday)
DECATUR, Ga. (AP)  Every decision Assata Salim makes for her young son is important. Amid a spike in mass killings, questions of safety were at the top of her mind when choosing a school. Next on her checklist was the schools culture.

Salim and her 6-year-old, ChoZen Waters, are Black. In Georgia, where they live, public schools are prohibited from teaching divisive concepts, including the idea that one race is better than another or that states are fundamentally racist.

To Salim, the new rules mean public schools might not affirm ChoZens African roots, or accurately portray the United States history of racism. I never want to put his education in the hands of someone that is trying to erase history or recreate narratives, she said.

Instead, ChoZen attends a private, Afrocentric school  joining kids across the country whose families have embraced schools that affirm their Black heritage, in a country where instruction about race is increasingly under attack. At ChoZens school, Kilombo Academic & Cultural Institute in an Atlanta suburb, photos of Black historical figures hang on the walls. And every single student and teacher identifies as Black or biracial.

In recent years, conservative politicians around the country have championed bans on books or instruction that touch on race and inclusion. Books were banned in more than 5,000 schools in 32 states from June 2021 to June 2022, according to free-speech nonprofit PEN America. Instructional bans have been enacted in at least 16 states since 2021.

Even when a topic isnt explicitly banned, some teachers say the debates have caused them to back away from controversy. The situation has caused more Black families to leave public schools, opting for homeschooling or private schools that embrace their identity and culture. Public school enrollment of Black students between pre-K and 12th grade has declined each year measured in federal data since 2007.

I think it is important to teach those harsh moments in slavery and segregation, but tell the whole story, said Salihah Hasan, a teaching assistant at Kilombo Institute. Things have changed drastically, but there are still people in this world who hate Black people, who think we are still beneath them, and younger children today dont understand that. But that is why it is important to talk about it.

Kilombo goes further, focusing on the students' rich heritage, from both Africa and Black America. I want him to know his existence doesnt start with slavery, Salim said of her son.

The private, K-8 school occupies the basement of Hillside Presbyterian Church just outside Decatur, an affluent, predominantly white suburb. Families pay tuition on a sliding scale, supplemented by donations.

Classrooms feature maps of Africa and brown paper figures wearing dashikis, a garment worn mostly in West Africa. In one class, the students learn how sound travels by playing African drums.

The 18-year-old school has 53 students, up a third since the start of the pandemic. Initially, more parents chose the school because it returned to in-person learning earlier than nearby public schools. Lately, the enrollment growth has reflected parents increasing urgency to find a school that wont shy away from Black history.

This country is signaling to us that we have no place here, said Mary Hooks, whose daughter attends Kilombo. It also raises a smoke signal for people to come home to the places where we can be nourished.

Notably, the student body includes multiple children of public school teachers.

Simone Sills, a middle school science teacher at Atlanta Public Schools, chose the school for her daughter in part because of its smaller size, along with factors such as safety and curriculum. Plus, she said, she was looking for a school where all students can feel affirmed in who they are.

Before Psalm Barreto, 10, enrolled in Kilombo, her family was living in Washington, D.C. She said she was one of a few Black children in her school.

I felt uncomfortable in public school because it was just me and another boy in my class, and we stood out, she said.

Racial differences are evident to babies as young as three months, research has shown, and racial biases show up in preschoolers. Kilombo provides a space for kids to talk about their race.

Im Blackity, Black, Black! said Robyn Jean, 9, while spinning in a circle. Her sister, Amelya, 11, said their parents taught them about their Haitian American heritage  knowledge she thinks all children should have. I want them to know who they are and where they come from, like we do, Amelya said. But in some schools, they cant.

Last year, Georgia passed a bill known as the Protect Students First Act, which prohibits schools from promoting and teaching divisive concepts about race. Elsewhere, bills that restrict or prohibit teaching about race- and gender-related topics passed in states including Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. In other states, such as Arkansas, restrictions have come via executive orders.

Proponents say the restrictions aim to eliminate classroom discussions that make students feel shame or guilt about their race and the history and actions of their ancestors.

The bills have had a chilling effect. One-quarter of K-12 teachers in the U.S. say these laws have influenced their choice of curriculum or instructional practices, according to a report by the RAND Corporation, a global policy think tank.

At Kilombo, daily instruction includes conversations about race and culture. Founder Aminata Umoja uses a Black puppet named Swahili to welcome her students, ask how they are doing and start the day with morals and values rooted in their African heritage.

The puppet might say: Lets talk about iwa pele. What does that mean? and then one of the children will tell us that it means good character, said Umoja, who teaches kindergarteners through second graders.

Teaching life skills and values, Umoja said, has its roots in freedom schools started during the Civil Rights Movement, in response to the inferior sharecroppers education Black Americans were receiving in the South.

The school follows academic standards from Common Core for math and language arts and uses Georgias social studies standards to measure student success. But the curriculum is culturally relevant. It centers Black people, featuring many figures excluded in traditional public schools, said Tashiya Umoja, the schools co-director and math teacher.

We are giving children of color the same curriculum that white children are getting. They get to hear about their heroes, she-roes and forefathers, she said.

The curriculum also focuses on the childrens African heritage. A math lesson, for instance, might feature hieroglyphic numerals. Social studies courses discuss events in Africa or on other continents alongside U.S. history.

When she was in public school, Psalm said she only learned about mainstream Black figures in history, such as Barack Obama, Martin Luther King Jr. and Harriet Tubman. Now, she said, she is learning about civil rights activist Ella Baker, journalist Ida B. Wells and pilot Bessie Coleman.

Said Psalm: Honestly, I feel bad for any kids who dont know about Black history. Its part of who we are."

Data journalist Sharon Lurye contributed reporting from New Orleans.

The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  For most of her life in New Mexico, Christina Wood felt like she had to hide her identity as a transgender woman. So six years ago she moved to Oregon, where she had readier access to the gender-affirming health care she needed to live as her authentic self.

Once there, Wood, 49, was able to receive certain surgeries that helped her transition, but electrolysis, or permanent hair removal, wasnt fully covered under the states Medicaid plan for low-income residents. Paying out-of-pocket ate up nearly half her monthly income, but it was critical for Wood's mental health.

Having this facial hair or this body hair, it doesnt make me feel feminine. I still look in the mirror and I see that masculine person, she said. Its stressful. It causes anxiety and PTSD when youre having to live in this body that you dont feel like you should be in.

That is likely about to change. Oregon lawmakers are expected to pass a bill that would further expand insurance coverage for gender-affirming care to include things like facial hair removal and Adam's apple reduction surgery, procedures currently considered cosmetic by insurers but seen as critical to the mental health of transitioning women.

The wide-ranging bill is part of a wave of legislation this year in Democratic-led states intended to carve out safe havens amid a conservative movement that seeks to ban or limit gender-affirming care elsewhere, eliminate some rights and protections for transgender people and even bar discussion of their existence in settings such as classrooms.

More than a half-dozen states, from New Jersey to Vermont to Colorado, have passed or are considering bills or executive orders around transgender health care, civil rights and other legal protections. In Michigan, for example, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last month signed a bill outlawing discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation for the first time in her state.

Trans people are just being used as a political punching bag, said Rose Saxe, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union's LGBT and HIV Project. Denying this health care doesnt make them not trans. It just makes their lives much harder.

Gender-affirming care includes a wide range of social and medical interventions, such as hormone treatments, counseling, puberty blockers and surgery.

Oregon's bill would bar insurers and the states Medicaid plan from defining procedures like electrolysis as cosmetic when they are prescribed as medically necessary for treating gender dysphoria. It also would shield providers and patients from lawsuits originating in states where such procedures are restricted.

Were actually very committed to accessibility of coverage. Because you can say something is legal, but if its not truly affordable or accessible, that is not a full promise, said Democratic state Rep. Andrea Valderrama, the bills chief sponsor.

Access to procedures such as electrolysis is also necessary as a matter of public safety, said Blair Stenvick, communications manager for the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Basic Rights Oregon.

Facial hair can be a trigger for harassment, Stenvick said, and being able to present as a woman helps folks to not get targeted and identified as a trans person and then attacked.

The bill has sparked fervent debate, with hundreds of people submitting written testimony both for and against it and an emotionally charged public hearing at the Capitol in Salem last month that went on for several hours. The Democratic-controlled House is expected to vote on the bill Monday over Republican opposition before it heads to the Senate, which is also dominated by Democrats.

Oregon's measure mirrors a nationwide trend in Democratic-led states.

Shield protections similar to what is being proposed in Oregon have been enacted this year in Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey and New Mexico, and other bills are awaiting the signatures of Govs. Jay Inslee in Washington and Tim Walz in Minnesota. California, Massachusetts and Connecticut passed their own measures last year. They largely bar authorities from complying with subpoenas, arrest warrants or extradition requests from states that have banned gender-affirming treatments.

Meanwhile a measure passed last month by lawmakers in Maryland would expand the list of procedures covered by Medicaid, and Democratic Gov. Wes Moore has said he plans to sign it.

And lawmakers in Nevada's Democratic-held Legislature are also pushing to expand gender-affirming health care and develop policies regarding the treatment of transgender prisoners, among other things.

The series of bills face an uncertain fate under Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, who has shied away from the anti-transgender rhetoric and policy proposals that fellow GOP officeholders and candidates across the country have embraced. Lawmakers have just over a month to vote on them before the legislative session ends in June. But regardless of their outcome, an open debate over transgender health care protections in the important swing state promises to further heighten national attention on the issue.

They know that this is not a political stunt, state Sen. Melanie Scheible, the bill's sponsor and member of Nevadas newly formed LGBTQ+ Caucus, said of the governors office. Im not trying to give them a bill to veto just so I can complain about it later.

Some opponents of gender-affirming health care say they're concerned that young people may undergo certain physical transition procedures that are irreversible or transition socially in settings such as schools without their parents' knowledge.

Advocates for gender-affirming health procedures counter that they can be, literally, a matter of life or death.

Kevin Wang, medical director for the LGBTQI+ Program at Swedish Health Services in Seattle, said such care alleviates the depression, anxiety and self-harm seen in patients with gender dysphoria. Studies show that transgender people, particularly youth, consider and attempt suicide at higher rates than the general population.

These are not aesthetic procedures, Wang said. Accessing these services can be absolutely life-saving because were preventing future harm.

Some legal experts, however, warn that laws that protect gender-affirming care but lack strong enforcement mechanisms or funding to investigate violations may not result in meaningful change.

For example, Oregon already bars insurance companies from discrimination on the basis of gender identity. And the state agency overseeing health insurance rules already requires companies to cover procedures deemed medically necessary by a doctor to treat gender dysphoria and bars them from defining them as cosmetic.

But insurers have rarely faced major consequences for violations, said Ezra Young, a civil rights attorney and visiting assistant professor of law at Cornell Law School.

Wheres the task force thats going to enforce the law? Young said. Where are the lawyers that are going to do this? Where is the funding to educate insurance adjusters that they cant do this?

"If youre leaving it to relatively poor transgender people to litigate a case in court  thats not a meaningful remedy.

Christina Wood, the transplant to Oregon, said she was lucky to have had the resources and ability to move to a state where she could more easily complete her transition, compared with other states that have fewer protections.

Its scary to live in this world right now. But ... Im not going to back down, and Im going to advocate for people in my situation, Wood said.

I never had a voice when I was younger. Christopher never had a voice. Christina has a voice. And so thats what I plan to do.

Associated Press writers Gabe Stern in Carson City, Nevada, Joey Cappellitti in Lansing, Michigan, and Brian Witte in Baltimore contributed to this report.

Rush and Stern are corps members for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Crabcakes, beef short ribs and a deconstructed banana split have made the cut for this week's White House state dinner honoring South Korea's seven decades of relations with the United States.

First lady Jill Biden and her team previewed the menu and decor on Monday.

Biden said her mother taught her that setting a table can be an act of love and she learned from her husband, President Joe Biden, that all politics is personal.

We hope to bring those two ideas together as we welcome the President and Mrs. Kim, honoring the 70 years of our alliances with symbols and moments of beauty that reflect both our countries, the first lady said, speaking of President Yoon Suk Yeol and Mrs. Kim Keon Hee.

Some 200 guests are expected at Wednesday's glamorous black-tie dinner, which will be held in the East Room, the largest room in the executive mansion. Guests will move down the hallway to the State Dining Room to be entertained after dinner by a trio of Broadway stars: Norm Lewis, Lea Salonga and Jessica Vosk.

Jill Biden enlisted Korean American celebrity chef Edward Lee to add his special flair to the meal. Lee's specialty is the intersection of American cuisine with Korean flavors.

Chef Lee creates meals that are both familiar and surprising, she said. A fusion of different worlds that finds a perfect balance.

The crabcake appetizer features what Lee described as an updated coleslaw of cabbage, kohlrabi, fennel and cucumber topped with a vinaigrette made using gochujang, a red chili paste, and a small bowl of yellow squash soup. The main course, braised beef short ribs topped with sorghum-glazed carrots are served atop a dollop of grits made from butter beans instead of dried corn.

Dessert is the deconstructed version of a banana split, an American classic, featuring lemon bar ice cream, caramelized bananas, fresh berries and mint ginger snap cookie crumble drizzled with a caramel sauce infused with doenjang, a fermented soybean paste.

We really wanted to do spring, something thats fresh, said Lee, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, and made his home in Louisville, Kentucky.

Ive wanted to take some of my favorite American foods and just, just tinker with it a little bit, and this is also how I cook in my restaurants. Just add a little bit of Korean touches to it, Lee added. Its not traditional Korean food but just gives you a little hint of Korean flavors.

Asked which dish was her favorite, the first lady said: The first. It's so American, the crabcake. But I love them all. She predicted that the president, who likes ice cream, would lean toward dessert.

Joes favorite will be the last, she said.

Guests will be seated at a mix of round tables covered with light blue silk cloths or oblong tables with teal plexiglass tops. Every table will be topped with a towering 6-foot (1.8 meter)-tall vase centerpiece filled with blooming cherry blossom branches, along with smaller arrangements of pink orchids and peonies. Azaleas, native to Korea, will adorn tables at a pre-dinner cocktail reception.

Wednesdays state dinner will be the Biden administrations second. Bidens first state dinner was held last December, honoring Americas friendship with France.

The White House worked on the details with Jung Lee, the Korean American founder and creative director of Fete, a New York-based design firm.
WASHINGTON  The showdown occurred  as they often do with Sen. Josh Hawley  in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The committee meets in a large room in the Hart Senate Office Building, with most senators seated behind a carved wooden desk. Its from there that the Missouri Republican peers down on his witnesses and begins his inquiries  combative moments that later get chopped and put on social media and land him an interview on Fox News, where hell get another five minutes to sound off on his issue of the day in front of a larger conservative audience.

In March, the witness was Attorney General Merrick Garland and the issue was whether there was an anti-Catholic bias in the FBI.

Attorney General, Hawley said, are you cultivating sources and spies in Latin Mass parishes and other Catholic parishes around the country?

For someone not tapped into conservative media, Hawleys question may have seemed unusual  after all, President Joe Biden, who appointed the FBI director, is Catholic and goes to church regularly. Hawley is not Catholic, even though he went to Rockhurst High School, a Catholic Jesuit prep school in Kansas City. When he lived in Columbia, he attended Evangelical Presbyterian services at The Crossing Church.

But the line of questioning shows how a relatively obscure event  like an FBI memo targeting a small sect of the Catholic Church  can quickly be amplified by lawmakers and spun into the larger political culture wars.

I dont know about the Latin Mass. Im not Catholic. I dont know the nuances, Hawley told The Kansas City Star. But it doesnt matter, right? Religious doctrine. Its a principle in this country, our First Amendment, that you shouldnt be targeted by government because of your religious beliefs.

The Latin Mass  called the Tridentine Mass  came out of the Council of Trent, which ended in 1563. The liturgy was performed in Latin and the priest faced away from the congregation. No matter where a Catholic went, anywhere in the world, they participated in the exact same service.

Theres a certain aura, a certain mystique, said Thomas Groome, a theology and education professor at Boston College. And it was the same yesterday, today and forever. You could be in Central Africa or Brazil or the United States or Poland and basically you had the same Mass everywhere.

In the 1960s, the Vatican moved to modernize the ritual. Called the Ordinary Form or Novus Ordo, priests turned and faced the congregation. They started using everyday language. In some parishes, they started using a more modern folk music.

While there was some early backlash, most Catholics accepted the new way of celebrating Mass and came to appreciate the fact that it allowed for more participation. But there was a small group that preferred and sought out the traditional Latin Mass. That group is growing in the United States, even though last year Pope Francis discouraged the form, saying it is a source of division in the Church.

There is no universal reason some Catholics are drawn to the Latin Mass, though it has been associated with a right-wing tilt in American politics. Some are drawn to the tradition, others might appreciate the Gothic aesthetics, others might have more conservative views about Pope Francis attempts to make the church more open and welcoming. Others are outright hostile to the changes in the church that took place in the 1960s. Sometimes, its a combination.

People are called traditionalists because of their aesthetic tastes, said Richard Garnett, the director of the Program on Church, State and Society at Notre Dame University. And thats given some political baggage like theyre hostile to the pope or they dont believe in the Second Vatican Council, and thats a mistake.

Garnett said that could have been the mistake an FBI agent in Richmond, Virginia, made when crafting a memo in January. In it, the agent wrote about how people classified by the FBI as racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists were increasingly drawn to radical-traditionalist Catholicism  which it characterized as people who reject the changes made by the Vatican in the 1960s and could be seen as heretics by the Church.

It suggested that Catholic dioceses in Richmond could be a good place to cultivate sources for people driven toward extremism. The redacted copy of the report does not cite a specific threat that concerned the FBI but wrote that there could be concerns over legislation or judicial decisions involving abortion, immigration, affirmative action and LGBTQ issues.

The memo was leaked by a former FBI agent in February and quickly picked up attention in conservative news media and religious publications. By February, the House Judiciary Committee demanded documents from the FBI. On March 20, they sent up a follow-up letter asking for the documents.

Hawley questioned Garland about the memo in between the two House letters. A religious conservative, Hawley said the issue wasnt about the ideology of people who gravitate toward Traditional Latin Mass. Instead, he said the FBI wasnt respecting religious liberty because he said they were targeting Catholics drawn to the Traditional Latin Mass, highlighting the FBIs conflation between the more extremist elements of the radical-traditionalist movement and those drawn to the old style of Mass.

It has nothing to do with church doctrine. I dont know about that, I dont care about that, in terms of from a governmental perspective, Hawley said. From a constitutional perspective, it doesnt matter. What matters is the government cannot target people on the basis of their religious faith because they think its suspicious.

Garland said the Justice Department does not do investigations based on religion. He called the FBI memo appalling and said he agreed with Hawley that it was inappropriate. The FBI has retracted the memo, saying it didnt meet its standards.

The Justice Department does not do that, Garland said in response to Hawley. It does not do investigations based on religion. Its appalling. Im in complete agreement with you. I understand that the FBI has withdrawn it and is now looking into how this ever could have happened.

Garnett, who focuses on First Amendment law, said he believed it was appropriate for Garland to retract the memo but added just the fact that it existed didnt necessarily mean the FBI had violated anyones religious freedom.

I think that just the existence of a memo probably doesnt cross that line, but its a step in the wrong direction to be classifying citizens on the basis of worrisome religious beliefs and non-worrisome religious beliefs, Garnett said. Thats not really a road we want governments going down, generally speaking.

Asma Uddin, a fellow for religious liberty at the Freedom Forum, said the FBI memo felt similar to when the New York Police Department was monitoring Muslim communities in New York City after the 9/11 attacks.

You cant just spy on entire communities because of a very particular limited risk, Uddin said. There has to be a way to narrow down the way the government does it.

Hawley told the Star he would have raised an issue with the surveillance of a mosque, saying it would be equally inappropriate.

In April, the FBI turned over the same memo to the House Judiciary Committee with fewer redactions. The committee sent out a press release, saying it learned that the FBI suggested reaching out to churches and religious groups to sensitize their congregations to the warning signs of radicalization.

Rep. Jim Jordan, the Ohio Republican who chairs the committee, then subpoenaed the FBI, saying he wanted more information.

Immediately after, Hawley again criticized Garland  this time in a letter  and demanded answers to whether the FBI had undercover agents in other Catholic churches.

This is an unconscionable assault on American Catholics First Amendment rights and an abdication of your duty to enforce the law without fear or favor, Hawley wrote. He claimed there was an emerging pattern of FBI bias against Catholics because of the memo and the September arrest of a man who was accused of shoving a 72-year-old who escorted women into a Philadelphia abortion clinic.

That evening, Hawley appeared on Sean Hannitys show on Fox News, claiming Garland lied to him.

They regard churches apparently as the enemy, Hawley said. And church-going Americans as akin to terrorists.

Days later, he sent out a fundraising email under the headline The FBI is ATTACKING Catholics.

In Joe Bidens Godless administration, people of faith are under attack by the federal government, the email said. Your right to practice your faith is in jeopardy  and we MUST take action.

His supporters could take action by clicking on a link that said defend your freedom to worship. It directed them to a site where they could donate to his campaign.
The dilapidated Chippewa Street corridor running parallel to and a half-mile south of the once-blighted, now-thriving Cherokee Street business district could be on the verge of a similar revival.

A tenacious group of developers working independently is stacking up redevelopments like dominoes along a strip of defunct buildings between South Jefferson Avenue and South Grand Boulevard. Chippewa could be a few groundbreakings away from achieving critical mass for a comeback.

Right now, the biggest problem is vacancy, said Jason Deem, one of the developers with plans to rehabilitate at least four buildings on the street within the next two years. Two projects, he said, will begin this summer.

I know some people are skeptical that we know what were doing. They are completely right to be skeptical. And some are calling this gentrification, but thats not what were interested in doing, Deem said. Now is the time to stabilize some of these historic buildings and keep them safe.

He said the difference with the projects being proposed now and the proposals of developers in the past is that the new development plans include the population already living in the neighborhood.

In years past, some St. Louis developers assumed that the only way to revitalize was to push out the current population. Deem said that he plans to generate housing priced to suit the income of the current neighborhood residents and attract businesses that are looking to employ residents of the immediate area.

In the 90s, there was a wave of development that didnt see the historic buildings, and the people here were invisible to them, said Jack Pittman. Hes been called an urban pioneer and an architectural savior by admirers because of his efforts as a one-man preservation society. Pittman has been buying up as many properties along Chippewa as he could to protect them from demolition.

Hes won a few and lost a few. Now he owns nine buildings; one is his residence, and two he leases out to pay for the upkeep and taxes on the others. Hes sold a few that he wrestled away from the city, and those are all being occupied by families, including 2736 Chippewa Street. He spent three years of building sweat equity before he sold it to a family that has lived there for 10 years.

Pittman moved to Chippewa about 27 years ago when he relocated from California and discovered that he could buy a fixer-upper for a few thousand dollars, which was all he could afford.

If Im lucky, maybe I could still sell it for that price today, Pittman said. Im not a real estate person. I scraped together what little money I have to get those houses. I couldnt let the city tear them down.

Despite signs that the neighborhood was going to get worse before it got better, he bought his second property, at 2740 Chippewa, in 1993. Its still vacant, but he pays the utility bills. He said the city was letting too many buildings fall into ruin so that they would have an excuse to bulldoze and sell to developers who would have little incentive to construct something that wasnt, in his opinion, God awful.

Pittman said he bought them because it was the right thing to do, not the smart thing to do. Financially, he admits, the investments make no sense.

Waiting for something to happen

Chippewa Street was never the commercial district that Cherokee Street was before that neighborhood fell on hard times and became known for its poverty, crime rates and dubious activity.

The resurrection of Cherokee was a return to its bustling past, but that was never Chippewa. The sister street to the south was a cozy neighborhood with an array of mom-and-pop corner stores. It was quaint and homey with modest housing before it was downtrodden. To return to its glory days would be a return to quiet, communal living, which is not usually a sexy proposition for developers.

However, Deem noted that everyone with a project proposal for the street isnt just a developer but a resident who lives in the city. Some live within walking distance.

People recognize you when you walk down the street, Deem said. As if on cue, a man drives by and greets Deem as he stands along the street. Deem said that he remembers when the driver was walking to work before he could afford a car.

You develop relationships with people, and little by little you see their lives change and improve, and thats what we want for this area, Deem said. A business has to be up for the challenge and interested in providing services to this community.

David Godbout of Novation Church bought the Melvin Theatre property in 2016 and is developing plans to convert the single-screen theater building into a community-based neighborhood center with the ability to show films. The emphasis will be on mentorship programs focused on music, dance and drama, primarily serving the families living within the 63118 ZIP code, he said.

Pittman said that hearing talk like that gives him hope. A few developers gave presentations at the last Chippewa Broadway Business Association meeting in front of about 35 people, the biggest crowd the group has attracted in years. Pittman said he got the distinct impression that they were on the right track.

I believe these developers would run if they didnt see the people who are here and want to work with them, Pittman said. Now, Im just waiting for something to happen.

Are you done yet?

Chris Shearman of Lutheran Development Group compared the difference of Chippewa and Cherokee to Morganford and South Grand  two parallel streets with low vacancy rates, stable businesses and very different personalities. Like Morganford, Chippewa is the quiet homebody who likes discount shopping, cafes and the occasional cocktail, but its extrovert sibling street nearby likes to socialize, eat exotic foods and party late into the night.

Shearmans group has partnered with Rise Community Development, a nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting neglected communities. The groups are looking to build market rate and affordable housing, particularly in areas where we see the potential to enhance diversity of all types  social, cultural, lifestyle and economic.

Shearman and Rise have announced a proposal called the Chippewa Park Scattered Site Development, including the complete historic renovation of 46 residential units in 16 buildings and the construction of a 7,000-square-foot restaurant incubator for four participants, all of which will open in buildings that are currently vacant.

Shearman said the project is centered on Chippewa Street because of its ability to support retail and commercial activity. The project will be part of an amended redevelopment area with some financial incentives from the city but the process wont be complete until the fall.

I know part of the skepticism that well do what we say comes from the you said you were going to do this, but that was two years ago, Shearman said from a seat at the Gelateria Del Leone, which he owns, on South Grand. People are like, Whats taking so long?

When youre talking to aldermen and the city and working on tax credits, tax abatement and making plans to revive multiple properties efficiently, things are necessarily complicated, said Mark Stroker, the director of real estate development for Rise.

Stroker said that instead of traditional low-income housing, he and Shearman are looking to build affordable workforce housing for people with jobs but making near or below the median neighborhood income. Its yet another element of the project that requires a lengthy paperwork process, but after the final plans are approved this fall, Shearman said work will begin immediately, and he expects the project to be done 14 to 16 months from now. He has delivered on ambitious scattered site developments in the past.

Not my neighborhood

The south side of Chippewa is the Dutchtown neighborhood and the north side is Gravois Park.

So it teeters on the edge of two neighborhoods, although all but the last block before Grand Avenue in the 20th Ward, under Alderman Cara Spencer.

Spencer touts the population density of the region as a strong indicator that growth is imminent. She did some calculations and determined that Gravois Park is the most densely populated region in the entire city. There are only seven neighborhoods in the city with more than 10,000 people per square mile, she said.

The other areas are some of the citys most economically vibrant, including the historic Skinker/DeBaliviere neighborhood adjacent to Washington University.

Dutchtown is also densely populated, and both neighborhoods bordering Chippewa contain the regions highest density of the prized under-18 population, Spencer said.

OK, so we have poverty, but you also have our regions future right here, Spencer said. She said that makes it really important to provide incentives for projects in areas that will have the biggest impact on the community thats already here.

Build it, but who will come?

Gooseberries cafe is cited by everyone connected to Chippewa as a shining example of the streets potential. It opened three years ago next to a barbershop that opened at the same time.

It was rough the first year or so, Im not going to lie, said Kim Bond, who co-owns the business with her husband, Ross Lessor. The duo are also the cooks at the cafe.

Bond and her husband have lived near Cherokee Street and Oregon Avenue for 17 years, so they knew exactly what they were getting into, and they knew, improbably, success was possible. Some early Google and Yelp reviews made the location close to Interstate 55 a frequent stop for travelers. Thats something she didnt expect.

And of the neighborhood, she says?

Some people were suspicious, but we won them over, Bond said.

Jeffery Rogers, who lives at Chippewa Courtyard, was walking to Aldi when, unprompted, Rogers called the cafe a treasure.

Its the only sit-down eatery along the corridor, and you can grab cookies for a $1, savory hand pies for $2.50 or a hearty entree with some locally sourced ingredients for less than $10.

We cant wait for more businesses to open up. Weve been waiting, Bond said. But so far, Gooseberries and Montecristos Hair Center next door are among a handful of businesses along the street, which includes a pawnshop, mini marts and coin laundry.

The barbershops owner, Monte Clemons, lives just a few blocks away and says he would have bought some of the buildings now scheduled for development if he had been able.

The biggest thing we need is a place for kids to go, Clemons said. He noted that there needs to be more opportunities than prostitution, drugs and crime.

It wont be easy, but it needs to happen, said Clemons, who said that he has lost employees and customers to violence over the last three years.

Pittman says the neighborhood needs those who will appreciate its good and bad sides, because you cant take whats good and ignore the bad.

If youre worried about crime, stay where you are, he said. My family visits, and Ill be honest, they wont leave their car here overnight. And I dont walk to the Motomart ( down the street) at night, but I chose to live here. Its home.

We cant all be afraid to live in the city. What would happen? The city is the city.

He said that Chippewa is never going to be the more precious neighborhoods of Benton Park or Tower Grove.

And I say that as a good thing, he said. I dont want to have to keep my yard up to that standard.
Cast Paper Art

Owner  Steve Deines

Age  63

Home  Glendale

Family  Mary Beth, wife of 19 years; and son Connor, 24, in Denver

What he sells  Fine handmade paper products and stationery that incorporates wedding bouquets, centerpieces and other floral arrangements. Or request plantable paper products embedded with a combination of 12 varieties of perennial wildflowers seeds  Corn Poppy, Blue Salvia, White Yarrow, Patridge Pea, Annual Gaillardia, Perennial Gaillardia, Rocket Larkspur, Lance-Leaved Coreopsis, Plains Coreopsis, California Poppy, Crimson Clover, Black-Eyed Susan and Baby Blue Eyes. Prices vary, but the custom wedding cards are $2.25 each or $112.50 for a minimum of 50 cards. Plantable seed thank you cards are $20 for a pack of 10.

How to buy  Visit 811 Lafayette Avenue or castpaperart.com; 314-968-6896 or (toll free) 1-877-922-4766; email customerservice@castpaperart.com

It started with my mother making paper in Seattle, Steve Deines said. His mom, Joyeanna Chaudiere, had been making paper ornaments because she was always creative, he said. And it sparked his imagination. She introduced him to papermaking, and he thought it could become a business. He was also looking for a steady occupation. He launched the business in a garage in Glendale the fall of 1996 and married after a long-distance romance in 1997.

Blooming business  Some of his first products included making blooming wedding favors that guests could plant in honor of the couples special day. It took some trial and error, Deines said, because they had to keep the seeds from sprouting during the process. From there, they thought to manufacture wedding invitation paper, pet memorial cards, sympathy cards and thank-you notes. Soon he realized that instead of just embedding seeds he could really personalize the bridal stationery by including the flowers used the day of the wedding. Its also a great way to repurpose those beautiful but costly floral arrangements.

Emotional correspondence  Its a little tricky that we exist in the (funeral) memorial industry and the wedding industry, but those are all times when people want something beautiful, unique and personalized, Deines said, noting that its the same balance that floral designers must consider.

Recycled goods  To create the cards, Deines and his nine employees use 100 percent recycled cotton that is shipped to him from North Carolina. The mill processes fiber, and the natural byproduct is tons of lint that makes great pulp for paper.

Something to sing about  Deines spent 12 years singing in regional opera productions after doing his graduate studies in Vienna. He was a tenor but jokes that hes more comfortable with a baritone now. Although sadly, he doesnt sing much these days, just around the house and in the shower when theres an audience he notes with a wink.
Daily Disco

Designer  Abbey Eilermann

Age  24

Home  The Hill

Family  Dolly Purton, her cat

What she makes  Retro enamel pins, all $10, and she does custom chain stitch embroidery on jean jackets.

How to buy  TheDailydisco.com, or contact her for custom orders or information on boutiques that stock her pins at abbey.eilermann@gmail.com.

Dare to flair  Im kind of the bubbly person who giggles a lot, so you have got to take it or leave it, Abbey Eilermann said. I like to wear the pins. Its flair. Its fun, and so I started designing them as a hobby, just very organically about seven months ago. At the time, she used her graphic artist background to design the pins and got them manufactured elsewhere. Shed wear them and sell them. I discovered a great community of female pin makers that showed me there was a market, she said. I rarely go anywhere without being decked out in pins, my own and my favorites (from others).

Hello, Dolly  As you might have guessed by her cats name, Dolly Purton, a fluffy white blue-eyed kitty, Eilermann is obsessed with all things Dolly Parton. I just love her. I think Dolly and I are very similar people, she said of the 71-year-old entertainer, noting that they both like to speak their minds, not take life too seriously and they love all things kitsch. Eilermann said that one of her favorite Parton quotes is: It costs a lot of money to look this cheap.

Dolce & Banana  Eilermann invested in a 1874 stitch embroidery machine so that she could create designs on the back of jean jackets mimicking the look of midcentury teens and a Gucci-inspired embroidery trend sweeping runways right now. The designs that take up most of the real estate on the back of the jackets start around $150 and cost up to $350 for an image and words. That part of her business gave her the motivation to quit her day job as a graphic designer in a marketing department and work Daily Disco full-time. She had a waiting list of 25 people, and every other day more orders were coming in. She almost had a blockbuster week with a request from MTV to do 50 jackets, but she had to turn down the order because they needed them in a week. She just hired her first part-time employee.

Cactus and cotton candy  Those were two of her first pins, as well as a mint green camper (inspired by the one her parents own). Among her other pins is an image of Dolly Purtons face, who unlike her namesake looks perennially peeved. Her pins now include flamingos, cowboy boot roller skates, margaritas, a beer can with an umbrella in it and a sparkly pink word: Dolly.

Work hard, play hard  Its hard not to be excited and inspired by it all, Eilermann said. I feel like the universe senses that Im taking this seriously, and its helping me find my way. Its really fun to bring joy to other people in a small way. She recently moved into a place on the Hill that she uses as her studio, so shes doused it in color to keep her inspired. Its got a pink couch, and of course theres my white fluffy cat. All the walls are painted pink. I like to be surrounded by it, and because I work all the time and live there, its so nice to make that as inspiring as possible, she said. And as youd expect, there are disco balls and pinatas hanging from the ceiling, You know, everything fun.
Everest watch bands





Designers  Michael DiMartini, 38, and David Barnes, 59

Home  DiMartini lives in Creve Coeur and Barnes in St. Louis

Family  Theresa, DiMartinis wife of nine years; their two sons Luca, 5, and Rocco, 19 months; and a little girl is due in December. Barnes is single

What they sell  Sporty, casual aftermarket Rolex watch straps custom-made in Switzerland for $210 to $250

How to buy  everestbands.com or more than 200 select retailers

Michael DiMartini admits that his wife was less than enthusiastic the day he told her that he wanted to launch a niche speciality business manufacturing rubber watch bands for Rolex watches. She was in the hospital at the time, recovering from that days events: the birth of their first child. So, in her defense, she may have been distracted.

Like, are you crazy, is what he remembers as her first impression. DiMartini was a builder by trade, hed owned a construction company and worked for a developer. He said he didnt know anything about working with rubber or making a watch band for one of the most exclusive watch status symbols in the world, so he understood her hesitation.

But he wasnt discouraged, and she knew he was an entrepreneur at heart. DiMartini said that he explained his idea again later after mother and child were released from the hospital. She was a lot more receptive and supportive of the idea.

Ill admit, maybe it was the wrong time to be having that conversation, DiMartini said with a smile, but the birth of his first child clearly gave him a strong drive to found a company with a future. Luckily his business partner, David Barnes, didnt need convincing; he was a watch lover and Rolex owner and instantly loved the idea.

Why Rolex?  As these types of stories often are, DiMartinis reasoning is complicated, but ultimately he saw an opening. Whether youre in a Fossil or an Apple watch, guys have proved that they want options, DiMartini said. Aftermarket watch bands are hot sellers. And thats with a $200 watch, can you imagine the guy with an $8,000 watch going crazy that there werent options to personalize his watch. There is at least one other company making bands for the Rolex, but they were still in early days when Everest launched. Rolex doesnt make options for switching out watch bands, but there are different band options available at purchase. The Rolex brand is unique in that they sell a status symbol notable for being distinct and instantly recognizable, meaning very few options. But todays consumer clearly wants more variability from their investment, DiMartini said.

Borrowed time  Ironically, DiMartini admits that he didnt have a Rolex of his own when he developed the idea for his product line. Hed owned a construction company and a stable of apartments until the market took a dive and he lost it all. He had to sell his own Rolex. So I was bankrupt, broke and didnt own a Rolex, DiMartini said. I cant believe how many people helped me along the way. A close friend let me borrow his Rolex so that we could develop the Everest band. Making a band for a Rolex is trickier than it sounds because of some unique construction elements that have to be accounted for. Next were a series of missteps; a first attempt with a local manufacturer was an atrocious failure. Another attempt in New York went awry because of materials. Finally they found a Swiss company with the right credentials and expertise, but sealing the deal required everything but a blood oath. DiMartini said the company, like many in the country, is notoriously secretive so it took a lot for them to do business with him, including a nondisclosure agreement and a super secret double handshake, he joked. But seriously, Thats really all I can say about them.

The kick off  Everest used Kickstarter, online crowdsourcing, to launch their product in 2012. They started by raising nearly $15,000 with only 70 preorders. The product sells for about $250, but during the Kickstarter early supporters got a steep discount. A second Kickstarter in 2014 raised $25,000 in support of the leather band, And Ill say that I was still pretty broke to be honest, so we just worked our butts off. Today, about 200 stores carry the product in 33 states and 26 countries; they grow by about 12 new stores a month.
Native Bride

Designer  Anna Friss Taylor

Age  35

Home  Webster Groves

Family  Husband Jon; son, Simon, 8; seven weeks pregnant; dog, Trooper

What she makes  Rustic, bohemian farmhouse-style custom wooden signs (starting at $25.99) for weddings and homes and customized mugs ($13.97).

How to buy  Visit etsy.com/shop/TheNativeBride or TheNativeBride on Facebook

Baby scissor hands  Ive just always been good with my hands, says Anna Friss Taylor. When I was a baby, you know like less than a year, my mom says that she would prop me up on pillows and Id sit for hours with a stack of magazines, cutting out faces. Just faces? Yup, just faces. Who the hell knows why? But thats where I first honed my cutting skills, I guess. By the time she was a toddler, Taylor was wheeling a knife to cut and peel her own fruit. My grandmother would be yelling, Shes going to kill herself, but I was just really good with my hands.

Born entrepreneur  One of her first projects was creating a fashion magazine that 10-year-old Anna sold door-to-door with a friend. They were selling the magazines for $5 each and managed to sell one to a kind-hearted neighbor. Taylor said, I think he felt sorry for us, but he got his moneys worth. We even had contests in there for our one reader. Around the same time, she discovered that people went to the store to buy worms. Worms, she thought, but I have a yard full of those. This struck her as a business opportunity. She managed to sell a few bags before she gave up the venture. Its much harder to find the worms than Id thought, and you have to wait for it to rain; I was like forget this, she said. Later at around 12, she developed the sewing skills to make hair scrunchies. Taylor hosted a garage sale  but only sold scrunchies. It was a little ridiculous. I had like 300 scrunchies.

Whoa, Nelly  In high school, Taylor gained a reputation for making club clothing. She was 15 when she was referred to Nelly by a customer with connections. She started making jumpsuits and matching track suits for the emerging rap star and his crew. Taylor mom persuaded her to accept her admission to the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago and get a good job. Taylor graduated with a degree in fashion design in 2003. Yeah, my mom told me, Dont worry, hell never be famous  yeah, I bring that up sometimes, Taylor said with an eye roll. I remember the first time I saw his video on TV, and I called my mom up. After she graduated, she drove from Chicago to Los Angeles. Within a week, she was working in production as a fabric buyer at BCBG.

West Hollywood chic  Still driven by the entrepreneurial spirit, she started Taylor Studio, a screen-printing shop operated out of her one-bedroom apartment. She developed a bit of a cult following on the gay night club scene because of her signature designs, but when she was expecting her son, she moved back to St. Louis for the lower cost of living and to be near her parents once again.

Am I blue?  Once she was back in St. Louis, she didnt wait long to launch a custom jeans business called Blue Bird Denim. She describes it as the biggest pain in the  that failed miserably, but she managed to keep her small production warehouse open for nearly six years and during that time, she secured spots in boutiques across the country. She sold her clothing online and shipped internationally. Taylor launched a clothing line to go along with the custom denim and says the clothing did better because it could be sold wholesale, but it didnt do well enough. In 2013, she even opened a store also called Blue Bird on Washington Avenue then moved it to Delmar Boulevard. That venture lasted a year.

Now  In addition to Native Bride, which made its first sale within days of launching on her Etsy page, she also launched Native Home because she figured that once she had a customer, she wanted to keep them by selling other goods that might fit their style. By day, Taylor works and travels to oversee overseas production for a local company that designs and manufacturers accessories for licensed and private label goods. But in her very limited spare time, when shes not filling Native Bride orders, shes enrolled in an intensive LaunchCode course for computer programming that shell complete in April.

Future  She dreams of buying farm land with a barn for events, weddings and retreats in Northern Michigan. Shed live by coding part-time, keeping up her Native franchise and hosting barn weddings on her property. And her husband could make as much noise as possible with his drum set. Originally from a city outside Tel Aviv, on the bustling Mediterranean coast, she said that shes ready for the quiet  maybe. Her family moved from Israel in 1999 because of her fathers work as a software developer and later computer architect. They expected to stay for six months. Its now 30 years later. They want to go back, but Im ready for something different. Land thats all my own to do what I want, she said.
That puts the future of Daewoo Shipbuilding, which has been managed by main creditor Korea Development Bank, on the line again after the EU antitrust watchdog cited concerns that the merger could threaten competition in the global market for large liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.

The EU has blocked a mega-merger between Korean shipbuilders Hyundai Heavy Industries and Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering. Hyundai Heavy had been seeking to absorb Daewoo Shipbuilding for the past three years.

Hyundai Heavy needs approval from all the countries where it operates, and even one veto could jeopardize the deal. China and Korea have already given the go-ahead since Hyundai Heavy signed a contract with KDB back in 2019 to acquire and absorb Daewoo Shipbuilding.

The two Korean shipbuilders would account for a 60-percent share of the global market for LNG carriers. If Hyundai Heavy and Daewoo Shipbuiling jack up LNG vessel prices, the EU fears shipping companies like Maersk of Denmark and CMA CGM of France could suffer damage. Among six countries Hyundai Heavy sought approval from, China, Singapore and Kazakhstan have given their unconditional approval.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Daewoo must find a new owner and pledged to come up with a new plan to strengthen the shipbuilder's competitiveness.
K Ferrara Color

Designer  Kathy Ferrara

Age  52

Home  Frontenac

Family  Daughters Alexandra, 29, and Natalie, 27 and son Giovanni, 25; pets: one dog and five chickens

What she sells  A collection of 12 curated nail polishes that are vegan and cruelty-free, as well as free of five common ingredients identified as potentially harmful. Her polish line does not contain toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor and dibutyl palate. They are $22 each or $240 for the entire collection, kferraracolor.com.

After more than 25 years working as a model and actor in front of the camera, as well as behind the scenes as a producer at commercial video and fashion photography shoots, Kathy Ferrara has an eye for styling. When she was inspired to launch her own business, she knew she wanted to do something in the beauty category, but she didnt just want to just provide another choice; she wanted to provide a solution. In this case, she introduced a line of polishes that are formulated with less harmful ingredients and in a range of cant go wrong colors that she has manufactured in Los Angeles. She officially launched the business June 1, so its still a family affair with dad running down to the basement to carefully package orders in sleek black boxes nestled in white and silver crinkle paper and foil so that it feels special.

Nailed it  I know what its like to go into a salon and go to the wall of colors. Its overwhelming, Ferrara said. There are a million nudes and reds, but in this line for a more sophisticated woman, you could pick any of these and feel confident that you made the right choice. Her full curated collection is called Everything You Need. She says shell add some shades, but she never wants to overwhelm customers with options.

Practice, practice  Im always in polish 24/7, especially now with the brand, and so I do my own because they always have to be perfect so I change it at least once a week, Ferrara said. She said that the act of polishing calms and relaxes her, but she does understand that some people get stressed out about mistakes and the fine motor skills required to polish both hands. Its all about the practice, Ferrara said. I love it and usually take the time while Im sitting and watching a movie. But if all else fails, you can just pack your polish and head to a manicurist.
Dakota Grizzly Designer  Donovan Smith

Age  52

Home  St. Louis

Family  Wife Jennifer and sons, Seattle, 18, and Sage, 16.

What he designs  A rugged collection of flannel with a modern fit and details that set it apart from other outdoor brands.

Where to buy  Outlets throughout the country including Cabelas, Sierra Trading Post and online at dakotagrizzly.com.

Not that California  Dakota Grizzly became a division of the Missouri-based California Manufacturing Co. in 2008, when they formed a partnership with the brands creator Scott Nussbaum (now deceased) based in Costa Mesa, Calif. But the 71-year-old California Manufacturing Co. got its name from the city California, Mo., not the state. The original manufacturing facility for the brand post-World War II was based in California, Mo. The facility is still in use as a distribution center for the company, and they do some embroidery work on products. The fact that the companys history involves two separate Californias is just a coincidence.

Post-war purpose  The California Manufacturing Co. was founded in 1946 on Washington Avenue in St. Louis as a mens outerwear manufacturer. Founder Lester Handelman bought a company that had been making pants for the military and repurposed it after the war, according to current co-owner Rob Rosenblum, 56, of Creve Coeur. For the companys first 60 years, they made outerwear exclusively. Now the company is adapting again with the nearly 10-year-old Dakota Grizzly rugged sportswear line.

Grizzly business  The flagship line of the company got the name Grizzly from its creator Nussbaum, but Rosenblum said that they didnt have rights to the name nationally. Dakota was added because we really just liked the sound of it. It had the connotation of what we were about.

Urban outdoors  We found out our customer had a place in their closet for some rugged outdoor apparel, even if they werent going to go fishing or camping or climb a mountain, Rosenblum said. There was just an affinity for something rugged and masculine and people said that they were missing that in their wardrobe.

New geography  When Dakota Grizzly launched with a founder from the west, the focus was more on western-influenced outdoors apparel. After Nussbaum passed away, the brand was relocated to Missouri and operates out of the CMC Brands headquarters in Maryland Heights. Without changing things entirely, we brought Donovan (Smith) on (in March 2016) and switched the focus to a rugged urban lifestyle. Meanwhile CMC Brands continues brisk business producing private label items in various categories, including some womenswear.

Grooming grizzly  Smith was a freelance designer when he joined the company last year. Before that hed had a career at May Co., then worked at Target, J.C. Penney, Kohls, you name it  but opportunities like this were few and far between, he says. To devote yourself to one brand in St. Louis was something I couldnt pass up.

Midwest sensibility  I have a cabin up in Idaho that I stay in part-time, and Ive brought some of that sensibility with me. Im also really interested in vintage clothing. We take nuances and bring them all together. I like all the details of the snap buttons, the gusset, the stitching, the work wear details, Smith said. Oddly enough, he noted that a lot of design houses out of Japan have been inspired by retro American apparel and then theres the success of Ralph Laurens vintage Double RL line. We call our look mountain modern, Smith said; or urban rugged, said social media and branding partner Sam Parada, 22, of St. Louis. You know items you can wear out to Castlewood (State Park) and then maybe out to a club later. Not just a straight-up fashion hybrid, but more of a particular guys point of view about durability and styling.

Untucked  The stuff on the runways with guys wearing shirts out and down to their knees is not our customer base, Smith said. None of us are big tuck-in-the-shirt guys, but we design shirts to fit well even if they are untucked. Theres a trim look thats great for layering under jackets.
Hello Dobson

Designer  Blair Dobson

Age  26

Home  Clayton

What she makes  Fashion and home decor inspired by happy preppy classics but infused with modern styling. Prices include pillows $158 and shirts $86 to $156.

Where to buy  Visit hellodobson.com or find select items at Lusso, 165 Carondelet Plaza, Clayton, and Rusted Chandelier, 118 North Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood.

Shifting focus  Originally, Blair Dobson thought shed become a nurse because she said shed been too afraid to leave home for fashion school in New York. I didnt want to move that far away from home and brave the cold and the fast pace, Dobson said. But I never forgot about that dream. Instead she opted on nursing school, starting at University of Missouri-St. Louis and then transferring to the school of nursing at Barnes-Jewish College. Then one day she realized that she didnt want to finish. I was going to school and accruing all this student debt for something that I wasnt even sure I wanted to do, so I decided that if I was going to do something, it should be something I was passionate about.

Making Dobson  After dropping out of the nursing program, she started working in grant writing and development for a nonprofit ministry group and was also a traveling sales rep for a Canadian fashion designer Joseph Ribkoff. I learned a lot about customer service and developing really authentic relationships with people, so it was another type of education I needed for what Im doing now, Dobson said. She said that Hello Dobson includes all the skills that shes ever learned including caring for people in various ways. She said her clothes are designed to make people happy.

Pre-production  Dobson thanks the team at the City Sewing Room in Kirkwood for making this venture possible. The sewing center offers a co-working type space that allows her to rent space and learn from the experts on staff. They taught me everything I needed to know about sewing, said Dobson, who had never sewn before starting her brand in April. Now, she develops the prototypes and samples for the line, and I help out as much as I can. Her seamstress works out of the sewing room facility, and Dobson helps with cutting fabric, shipping orders or whatever is needed, she said.

Textile tactiques  She started with textiles. She didnt just want to make clothing, she wanted to create a lifestyle brand and design prints and fabrics for the entire home, including wallpaper, fabric by the yard and bed linens. Its a very specific person who wants pink pineapple wallpaper in their house, a very specific person, but  theyll be ecstatic when they discover Hello Dobson, she said. The clothing is for people who love the look but maybe dont want to live in a pink pineapple or purple Dalmatian-dotted room. Some people buy clothing like food; they want it for a specific purpose or event, not forever. The wallpaper and home goods are more permanent, so she doesnt expect those to be as popular, she said. But make no mistake, shes a pink pineapple wallpaper person. Her home is a Hello Dobson pink princess palace, she said. I use my home as the backdrop for photo shoots so that designers can see how it looks in practice.
Sisters Amanda Helman and Susan Logsdon have the kind of parallel lives youd expect from twins, not siblings three years apart, but their close bond destined them to go into business together. They grew up among the orange groves and not much else on Golden Gem Road in Apopka, Fla., where their parents still live on eight acres. Their collection pays homage to where they grew up, but the sisters have clearly acclimated to their new home in St. Louis. Among their best sellers are a banner that simply reads, Midwest ($30) and another that features the letters S-T-L with a fleur-de-lis ($30). In the edgy category of their offerings, theres a small pocket knife engraved with the phrase, Dont call me, baby ($30).

Mirror image  Aside from complementary tattoos too numerous to count, the sisters both graduated from Greenville College in Illinois and met two guys from small towns in Illinois. Somehow they all ended up in St. Louis.

Pop start  They officially launched Golden Gems in July 2016 after years of talking about working together. We had all kinds of ideas, said Helman. And we were like finally we just have to do it or shut up about it, they said in unison. So the first venture was a pop-up shop at Urban Outfitters that led to them opening an Etsy shop.

Meow  Helman, who has the letters M-E-O-W tattooed across her knuckles, said that shes the one who is usually trying to push the boundaries of provocative wordplay. Logsdons the one that reins me in, but Helman noted that Logsdon approved of the enamel pin pun shaped like a cat head that says, Show me your kitties. And it was in fact Logsdon who came up with, Bitch Please to Helmans delight and surprise.

Naughty by nature  If it was up to me there would be f-words on everything, Helman confides. I had drawn up an item that read, I will seduce you like F. Scott Fitzgerald and ... umm... make love to you like Hemingway, she explained. We havent tweaked it yet, but I want to. We might find another way to use it. In the meantime, they live by a mantra on another banner ($30) and key chain ($5) that reads Give Em Hell.

Nasty  Among their popular items is a biker badge of an unfurling scroll that reads, Nasty woman. They will be releasing it in a peel-and-stick version instead of just the iron-on so that it can be placed on anything they want to make cooler.

Professional tats  Considering that both sisters are decorated with more tattoos than you can readily count in a style reminiscent of vintage sailor body art, most would be surprised to learn that one works for a church and the other is a college professor. Helman teaches art at Greenville College (she earned her masters degree in fine art from Washington University in 2015). Logsdon is a graphic designer at a United Methodist church by day, and she is fond of wearing her Nasty woman patch to the office.

Tumbling  Logsdon also sings and writes songs for an indie pop band, Scarlet Tanager, that includes both of their husbands. The band has a few claims to fame, including Tumbleweed, a song from their American Songbird album about new love and growing up that has an elaborate and delightful music video with puppets, as well as some airtime on MTV and national commercials.

Golden Gems

Designers  Sisters Amanda Helman, 26, and Susan Logsdon, 29

Home  Both live in Tower Grove

Family  Amandas husband, Ben Helman, two cats, Winston and Marshall; Susan lives with Michael Logsdon and two cats, Penelope and Clementine

What they sell  Enamel pins and handmade goods and home accessories that range from minimalist to cheeky with an edge.
The majority of the worlds commerce lies outside the United States, yet exporting remains a challenge for most small businesses.

Thats why United Parcel Service is sponsoring its third X-Port Challenge, says Bill Seward, a top executive with the Atlanta-based shipping giant. UPS is hosting a dozen regional contests, including one focused on Missouri businesses.

The top 10 applicants from each market will pitch their business to a panel of judges from the local international business community. Judges will select the top three finalists as prize winners.

The first-place winner wins $10,000 in credits and a chance to compete nationally for a top prize of $25,000 in export shipping credit. Second- and third-place finishers will receive $2,500 and $1,000 in UPS export shipping credits respectively.

The winner of each market competition will be included in a virtual runoff, where UPS employees will vote on which product is export-worthy. The top three contestants with the most votes will be invited to a national competition for an opportunity to win prizes of $25,000, $15,000 or $10,000.

Interested companies that qualify in participating markets may submit an application online at global.ups.com/x-portchallenge2017 listing their specialty, global appeal and market challenges. A team of UPS employees will evaluate the applications based on criteria such as uniqueness, presentation, market demand and global readiness. Applications must be received by Aug. 20.

Among last years winners was Fusion Gates of Edwardsville, which won a $1,000 shipping credit for their customizable brand of baby and pet gates. Mobility Designed, a medical device startup in Kansas City won the $10,000 regional grand prize.

Lunch money

BoxLunch, a philanthropic retailer offering novelty pop-culture and licensed products, opened its first regional location this week at St. Clair Square. The shop with a charitable mission donates a healthful meal to a person in need for every $10 spent on merchandise.

The store operates in partnership with Feeding Americas nationwide network of food banks, including the St. Louis Area Foodbank, which will directly receive a percentage of the donations raised at the St. Clair Square BoxLunch store.

The location is one of more than 60 from the California-based retailer dedicated to national hunger-relief efforts. It opened just in time to entice do-gooder back-to-school shoppers looking to stock up on backpacks, notebooks, pencil cases, pens and apparel.

The St. Clair store will celebrate its grand opening weekend Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m. with DJs, in-store giveaways and trivia games.

Burlington job fair

Burlington Stores is hosting a community job fair at 212 Turner Boulevard, St. Peters, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 9, 10, 15 and 16 for a range of available positions in its new St. Peters store in the Shoppes at Mid Rivers.

The store opens in September and there are approximately 75 positions available, including full time and part time.

The nearly 41,000-square-foot store is looking for supervisors, cashiers, customer service associates, receiving associates and front-end associates. Prior to attending the job fair, candidates are asked to complete the online application at burlingtonstores.jobs and bring a copy of their resume.

Burlington has about 600 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico, and a Springfield, Mo., location is scheduled to open this fall at 2860 West Washita Street. That location will also employ 50 to 100 people in full-time and part-time positions.

Sprint also hiring

Sprint is also hiring in Missouri. The wireless phone company announced that it will be opening 30 new stores throughout Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and Nebraska, creating more than 200 jobs.

Locations opened in late June at 8218 North Lindbergh Boulevard and 2518 South Brentwood Boulevard. A third location opened in Springfield.

There are now three more locations planned for the St. Louis area before the year ends, but the sites havent been negotiated yet.

The five St. Louis locations will account for approximately 35 jobs.

Currently, Sprint has more than 1,200 regional employees and operates more than 280 branded retail locations throughout the Midwest . Those interested in applying for open positions should visit sprint.com/jobs.

Sprint has launched a 1Million Project, designed to provide free devices and service to help high school students complete their online assignments, and it will soon be expanding to the region.
Ten years ago, Lori Coulter launched her eponymous St. Louis-based swimwear collection with a grand announcement of a partnership with Macys. The major department store deal was a surprise coup for a fashion newcomer.

Today, Coulter is among the entrepreneur apparel designers deftly bypassing traditional retail outlets.

Direct-to-consumer e-commerce models continue to chip away at retail dollars with crushing effects for department stores.

Coulter and Reshma Chamberlin co-founded a swimwear brand, Summersalt, with the backing of an investor group and launched it May 23. Coulter says her company had to hit the reset button to figure out how to appeal to customers spending more and more time online.

Summersalt, at gosummersalt.com, isnt just a new brand; Coulter says it had a new attitude.

She founded her company with TrueMeasure technology that included 3-D digital body scanning and made-to-measure swimsuits delivered in four to six weeks. Meanwhile, Summersalt items can be purchased online and shipped the next day.

Coulter has long since closed her body imaging booths, but her ready-to-wear Lori Coulter brand remains online. The designer wont commit to ending her namesake brand, but she says that shes not putting much energy behind it these days. The styles are more conservative, and she said the customer for them skews a bit older.

Currently, all but one item on her loricoulter.com e-commerce page has been deeply discounted.

The site also handles her private label business and custom uniforms that have been lucrative for the brand.

The new Summersalt line has more of an athleisure influence thats sporty and playful to appeal to adventure seekers, she said. So far, Coulter said sales have been good (in the thousands was as detailed as shed get in discussing the lines $95 swimsuits). Shes waiting for more stock to replenish sold-out items from the New York manufacturer producing her line.

As luck would have it, just as she was preparing to launch the brand, one of the nations biggest e-commerce distribution centers opened a warehouse in St. Louis. The Quiet Logistics facility in Hazelwood will be handing the shipping of merchandise.

Coulter said that the timing couldnt be more perfect. The distribution center opened a little over a month ago, around the time she launched the new line.

The company is headquartered at the T-Rex building downtown, with nine employees including Coulter and Chamberlin.

Appetite for Sugarfire barbecue grows

After announcing a recent eastward expansion to Indianapolis, Sugarfire Smoke House will soon be opening in OFallon, Ill. The barbecue restaurant is a three-time member of the Post-Dispatch food critic Ian Froebs STL 100 list.

There are five locations in Missouri.

The OFallon City Council will vote on final approval of the Green Mount Development Group proposal to include the eatery at its July 17 meeting.

According to the agenda, the 3,800-square-foot restaurant will be constructed at 1405 Green Mount Road.

Sugarfire, founded by Master Chef Mike Johnson and partner Christina Fitzgerald, opened in Olivette in 2012.

The operation has since expanded to downtown St. Louis, St. Charles, Valley Park, Washington, Mo., and OFallon, Mo. Another outlet is planned for Farmington, Mo.
It's not the first time Karlie Kloss of Webster Groves has landed in trouble for being part of something considered racially insensitive, but the latest controversy seems particularly ill-conceived.

The March "diversity" issue of Vogue features a spread shot in Japan with a white, Midwestern Kloss dressed as a Japanese geisha including a photo with a sumo wrestler. It's pretty much the definition of cultural appropriation, and Kloss was quick to acknowledge this in a Twitter apology.

The spread was photographed by Mikael Jansson and styled by Phyllis Posnick. In one photo, Kloss has a long crown of black hair, and another shows her walking down the stairs of a tea house, all while her attire alludes to traditional geisha ensembles.

A New York Times blog said the dubious spread was likely an homage to Richard Avedons shoot of German model Veruschka von Lehndorff that appeared in Vogue in 1966.

In the past, Kloss has apologized for appearing in a Native American headdress in 2012 on the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show runway in New York. The lingerie company apologized and did not include the outfit in the show's television broadcast.

And this isn't the first time Vogue has dressed her up to look Asian. In a 2011 Vogue spread that includes a sort of visual diary of her trip to China shot by Mario Testino, Kloss is in a short, blond wig with dark roots in a style that mimics a edgy Asian female aesthetic.

There wasn't much controversy to that Vogue spread, although it raised a few eyebrows.

Normally, Kloss is the epitome of the good girl, girl-next-door supermodel who bakes cookies and brings them to photo shoots. She's only 24 and has been a top model for years and seems pretty much universally admired and beloved.

Vogue and its international Vogue affiliates have a longer history of cultural insensitivity, including a persistent lack of cover diversity, spreads with models in blackface, controversial images of African-American athletes and a white model wearing accessories labeled as "slave earrings", among other incidents.

The cover itself has received a modest amount of criticism for it's the allegedly diverse body types and skin tones on display. One of the models on the cover is a plus-size model. Don't peek and tell us how long did it take you to spot her?

From left to right: Liu Wen, Ashley Graham (plus-sized), Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Imaan Hammam, Adwoa Aboah, and Vittoria Ceretti.
St. Louis Premium Outlets in Chesterfield has added Missouri's first True Religion Outlet to its roster.

The Los Angeles-based True Religion clothing brand is known for its denim, anything-but-subtle styling and horseshoe-shaped logo.

Were thrilled, said the outlet mall's general manager Davis Bethel. Their fearless style and bold creative expression is sure to be a perfect fit.

True Religion Outlet is located on the north end of the center, near Columbia Factory Store.

For more information, visit premiumoutlets.com/outlet/st-louis.

Correction: The press release included an incorrect spelling of Davis Bethel's name. It has been corrected.
There's a lot more to Irish cuisine than stout and spuds, although both should be high on your must-try list when visiting the island of Ireland.

That rich green patchwork that greets the eye as your plane descends produces some of the world's finest beef, lamb and dairy, while the gray-blue waters that froth against its shoreline are alive with fish and shellfish.

Irish butter is rightly celebrated and is most delicious when soaking into a pile of floury potatoes or spread thick on one of the many local breads you won't find for sale outside of the country.

Here are Ireland's most-loved foods that visitors should pile on their plate.

Seafood

Chowder: When winds are bracing and there's a bite in the air, there's no finer way to restore one's spirits than with a warming bowl of chowder. This thick soup is made with cream or milk and a dash of white wine and should be swimming with hearty chunks of salmon, haddock, shellfish and potato. While chowder is not unique to Ireland, the local twist is that it comes served with sweet dense slices of brown soda bread  more on which later.

Oysters: The best day to feast on oysters is on Bloomsday, Dublin's annual celebration of the writer James Joyce held on June 16. Purists love to suckle the salty flesh straight from the shell, but the more cautious can enjoy them grilled with bacon or baked with breadcrumbs and garlic. The drink of choice is chilled white wine or  best of all  a glass of creamy stout.

Cockles and mussels: These tasty mollusc morsels became part of Dublin mythology through the song "Molly Malone," but you can enjoy them anywhere within reach of the coast. Cockles can be eaten raw with vinegar or steamed in their shells, while mussels are often eaten Belgian-style with white wine, parsley and butter and a side order of chips (or fries, as they're known in the US).

Smoked salmon: Salmon is native to North Atlantic waters and the Irish enjoy vivid orange-pink slivers of the smoked variety with eggs for a posh breakfast, with potato bread or boxty (see below), or on brown soda bread as an open sandwich. Alternatively, baked salmon is an enticing dish when cooked with Irish whiskey and honey.

Meat dishes

Bacon and cabbage: Yes, that's right  the Irish original is bacon, not corned beef. And to confuse matters more, in Ireland corned beef is a processed meat often sold in a can; what Americans call "corned beef" is known as "salt beef" in Ireland and the UK. However, you'll struggle to find bacon and cabbage sold in many Irish restaurants, or even served up in Irish homes. The fact is there are too many tasty alternatives more in line with current culinary fashion.

Irish stew: This is the dish Irish people are most likely to roll out for St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Hearty chunks of lamb are slow-cooked in a rich gravy with onion, potatoes, carrot and parsley. Coddle is a traditional Dublin stew with sausages, onion, potato and bacon  or rashers as they're known locally. And then there's beef and Guinness stew: a dark booze-enriched concoction with carrot and potato. It's Ireland's answer to beef bourguignon or goulash.

Crossover classics: Unsurprisingly for two neighboring islands with a long shared history, a lot of the British classics you'll be familiar with are also popular Irish fare. Weekend treats include fish and chips on a Friday night and a roast dinner on a Sunday afternoon. Round off a weekend break by stopping into a pub or restaurant for juicy servings of grass-fed Irish beef, lamb or even venison served with potatoes, gravy and vegetable sides.

Full Irish breakfast: So what makes an Irish fried breakfast distinctive from its English counterpart? There'll be the usual bacon, eggs, sausages, mushroom, baked beans and fried tomato, but the Irish version will often include black and white pudding. Black pudding is an iron-rich blood sausage, while white pudding is the same grain-filled sausage minus the blood. One of the biggest pork sausage brands is Denny; Oscar nominee Paul Mescal got his big break in a Denny TV ad a few short years ago. An Ulster Fry, found in the north of the country, will also feature fried potato bread and soda bread.

Bread, butter and cheese

Soda bread: This is a yeast-free bread made with buttermilk and is thick, filling and fabulous in both its white and wholemeal varieties. Brown soda bread  known as wheaten bread in Northern Ireland  is usually in loaf form and is at its utmost deliciousness when toasted, with pools of butter melting into its every cranny (Kerrygold is the nation's favorite spread). White soda bread is often enjoyed as farls, toasted or fried and laid high with bacon and eggs, or in sweet varieties made with sultanas or even treacle.

Veda: Passionately loved in Northern Ireland and little known anywhere else, Veda is a commercially produced malt loaf made with treacle. It must be toasted  novices make the mistake of eating it straight  and loaded with butter, perhaps with a topping of cheese or jam.

Cheese: Gubbeen  from the Irish word gobin, meaning small mouthful  is a nutty, semi-soft cow's milk cheese made in County Cork. Cashel Blue is a mild blue-veined cheese from Tipperary, named after the nearby Rock of Cashel. Try them with a dollop of Ballymaloe Relish, a tomato-based bestseller.

The majestic spud

Colcannon: This side dish is a fluffy mound of mashed potatoes mixed with cabbage or kale, plus butter and milk or cream. And if you want less of those do-gooding greens, a Northern Irish alternative is champ, which is creamy mashed potatoes mixed with scallions.

Boxty: Boxty is a potato cake made from grated potato and flour which is then fried on a griddle, with delectable results. Potato bread or potato farls are thin bread slides made from mashed potato and potato mixed into a dough. You can buy them in stores and fly them up or pop them in the toaster before spreading them with  yes, you guessed it  a lovely slather of butter.

Tayto crisps: The flavored potato chip was invented in 1954 by Joe "Spud" Murphy (yes, really), who founded Tayto Crisps, Ireland's most iconic snack. Cheese and onion is the original and definitive flavor and it also works great in a crisp sandwich (let actor Jamie Dornan show you how). There are two separate Tayto companies, one in the Republic of Ireland and one in Northern Ireland, both with their own Mr Tayto mascots. If you want to know which tastes better, you'll need to try them both yourself.

Treats and snacks

Kimberley, Mikado and Coconut Creams: Once produced by the Jacobs factory in Dublin and now available through a variety of manufacturers, these are the traditional tea-time treats that have graced Ireland's homes for decades and are a staple in international grocery aisles for the homesick Irish abroad. The exotically named Mikado, with its two lines of pink coconut-speckled marshmallow piped down a soft ginger biscuit (or cookie, as Americans would call it), with a thinner line of jam between, is the first you should try.

Traybakes: Traybakes  sweet and gooey confections made in sheet trays, with or without the use of actual baking, then cut into squares  are a particular favorite in Northern Ireland, where you'll see them for sale in every cafe and rows upon rows of them in convenience stories and gas stations. Fifteens might just be the sugariest of all: They're equal parts digestive biscuits, marshmallows and glace cherries, combined with condensed milk and dessicated coconut. You'll need a cup of tea to wash it down.

Dulse and yellowman: You might not think to pair dried purple seaweed with brittle yellow honeycomb toffee, but the two flavors have gone hand in hand at the Ould Lammas Fair in the seaside town of Ballycastle, County Antrim, for hundreds of years. If you're visiting on the last weekend of August, you can combine it with a trip to the Giant's Causeway UNESCO site.

Barmbrack: This sultana-studded loaf  sweeter than regular bread but not as sweet as cake  is served plain or toasted and is often improved with a smear of butter. Traditionally it was baked at Halloween, with prizes such as rings or coins hidden inside for the eaters.

Guilty pleasures and old-school classics

Chicken fillet roll: The ingredients might not sound particularly Irish, but this is a deli item the nation has taken to its heart. In convenience stores across the land you'll find baguettes prepared on site with breaded chicken, lettuce, mayo and condiments galore. The morning sandwich of choice is a breakfast roll: Comedian Pat Shortt (from "The Banshees of Inisherin") even had a No. 1 hit extolling its virtues.

Irish salad: Before the words vinaigrette or rocket were ever heard on these shores, a salad consisted of sliced ham, lettuce, pickled beetroot, slices of boiled egg and fresh tomato, and perhaps some chopped scallions. You'll still find this protein-rich dish being served up in more traditional rural homes.

Lasagne and coleslaw: Italians may balk at what the Irish  particularly outside major metropolises  like to serve with their stacked-layer dish of pasta and ragu. The hot carb-heavy dish is often accompanied by a cold side of mayo-heavy coleslaw as well as additional carbs such as chips and garlic bread. All we can say is: Don't knock it till you've tried it.

Feed after midnight: There are a number of late-night food options that have achieved legendary status. A curry chip or gravy chip is thick-cut fries slathered in a MSG-heavy curry sauce or a meaty gravy. A spice bag is a fusion dish sold in Chinese takeways: Fries are accompanied by shredded salt and chilli chicken, red and green peppers, fried onions, chopped chili and a variety of spices. And if you simply want a good old burger, Supermac's is the nation's biggest fast food chain. If you're wondering about that name, it successfully won two trademark lawsuits raised by McDonald's.

Drinks

Tea: Ireland is, in consumption per capita, the world's biggest tea-drinking nation after Turkey. And like Tayto, the choice of brew gets tribal (we didn't even get into the Tayto vs. King crisp debate). There's Barry's Tea, started 1901, Lyon's Tea, started 1904, and in the North there's Punjana, going strong since 1896. Whatever you do, brew it strong and make sure you have the good biscuits ready for visitors.

Minerals: The Irish aren't as gasping for booze as the stereotype has it: Ireland's not even in the global top 10 for frequency of alcohol-drinking and there is a sizable population of teetotalers. Minerals is a quaint term for soda that you might still hear used by older people and one of the most distinctive soft drinks is Club Rock Shandy, a zingy mix of orange and lemon. Shloer is the festive drink of choice in many low-alcohol homes: it's a sparkling juice that comes in "white" and "red" flavors for that sophisticated wine-style feel.

Guinness and Baileys: Here come the big dogs. A "pint of plain" does, scientifically, taste better on home turf and sampling a glass of Guinness, or some of Ireland's other stouts, in one of the country's many celebrated pubs is an essential part of any beer-drinker's visit. Baileys Irish credentials are weak  the liqueur was invented by a South African marketing guy in London in 1973  but it's so moreish we'll forgive it everything. The hardcore drink it with brandy  the liquor cuts through the sweetness, creating a superlative cocktail.

Whiskey: Ireland's whiskey industry is booming, with more than 40 distilleries currently operating on the island. So move beyond bestseller Jameson and try newcomer Teeling, Northern Ireland's mighty Bushmills, or the ultra-premium offerings from Midleton Very Rare and Craft Irish Whiskey. As for cocktails, the essential is the Irish Coffee, the picturesque glass of coffee, whiskey and sugar topped by a layer of cream, which was invented at Shannon Airport in 1942 to wow high-class transatlantic passengers on their way to the States.

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Yield: 6 cups

1 quart (4 cups) very thinly sliced peeled yellow onions

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

6 cups rich chicken stock

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

12 slices toasted bread or crostini to fit in soup bowls

3 cups grated Comte, Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Fresh chives for garnish

1. Thinly slice the onions and place in a large bowl. Toss to separate the rings and set aside.

2. Melt the butter in a 5-quart pot over medium low heat. Add the onions and salt.

3. Caramelize the onions very slowly over medium-low heat. It will take 30 to 50 minutes or more, stirring occasionally as needed.

4. As the onions cook they will release water, but if you notice sticking to the pan, add small amounts of water to prevent burning and release any flavorful pieces that develop on the bottom of the pan.

5. You want the onions to reach a deep brown  almost the color of bourbon. At that point they are fully caramelized.

6. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the cooking onions, stirring it in completely to evenly distribute the flour. You dont want lumps in the flour before you add the stock next.

7. Pour 2 cups of stock over the onions, whisking as you go. Add the remaining 4 cups of stock in 2 cups at a time, whisking still to make sure no lumps are forming that need to be stirred down.

8. Bring the soup to a simmer and allow it to cook for 30 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, then stir in the sherry vinegar and ground pepper.

9. Turn the broiler on to medium high.

10. Portion the hot soup into 6 oven-proof bowls. Arrange 2 pieces of toasted bread on the surface. Top each bowl with  cup of grated cheese, taking care to cover the bread.

11. Place under the broiler to melt the cheese. Keep a good eye on this as it only takes a few minutes, 2 to 4 minutes depending on the broiler.

12. Garnish each bowl with chopped chives.

Per serving: 622 calories; 34g fat; 19g saturated fat; 97mg cholesterol; 29g protein; 50g carbohydrate; 11g sugar; 3g fiber; 1,225mg sodium; 660mg calcium

To print the recipe, click here, then click the printer icon.
Debt-ridden Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering will be sold to Hanwha Group for W2 trillion (US$1=W1,431).

State-run Korea Development Bank, DSME's main creditor, said Monday that Hanwha has been chosen as the preferred bidder for the shipbuilder.

DSME entered a debt-restructuring program in 1999 after the spectacular implosion of parent Daewoo Group during the Asian financial crisis. KDB became DSME's biggest shareholder when its loans were converted into equity in 2000.

Earlier, Hanwha failed in an attempt to acquire DSME for around W6 trillion back in 2009. Under the new deal, Hanwha will participate in a W2 trillion capital increase of DSME to acquire a 49.3 percent stake, while KDB's 55.7 percent stake will fall to 28.2 percent.
Something to consider as you search for happy hours to celebrate National Margarita Day: The delicious concoction's main ingredient is threatened by changing weather and new strain on the agave plant's vital pollinator  the bat.

Agave-based liquor like tequila and mezcal was the fastest growing spirits category in 2022, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. Analysts even say it might soon surpass vodka as the best-selling liquor in the country.

But scientists from around the world have made it clear that climate change-fueled water shortages will continue to put enormous pressure on food production. Wine and spirits, unfortunately, are not spared from that forecast. A 2019 study found that the climate crisis, coupled with overgrazing from cattle ranching and other human activities, may disrupt the distribution and cultivation of agave, the main ingredient of tequila.

While agave is a drought-tolerant plant that can thrive in hot weather with little to no water, Omanjana Goswami, a food and environment scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the life cycle of agave is too fragile to endure the major weather whiplash the climate crisis is generating  from extreme drought to deadly storm deluges like the one California just experienced.

"Agave is a desert plant, so of course, anything that is moving towards that desert-like weather is going to help this crop thrive," Goswami told CNN. "But unfortunately, climate effects are not linear. It doesn't mean that as temperatures warm that will remain consistent."

"With extreme weather in conjunction with unpredictability, it's so hard to predict where this is going to go in the future," she added.

The animals that pollinate agave

Aside from agave plants being sensitive to weather whiplash, there's also a significant climate threat to pollinators. Bees, butterflies and bats pollinate roughly 30% of the food that ends up on our tables. Bats, like birds, are also considered a major seed disperser. But as temperatures warm, weather gets more extreme and seasons shift, those pollinators are at risk of major disruption.

Warming temperatures have become a growing concern for the Mexican long-nosed bat  a key species for tequila.

"You wouldn't have tequila if you had no bats, because that's the only thing that pollinates the agave plant that makes tequila," Ron Magill, the communications director and a wildlife expert at Zoo Miami, previously told CNN.

There are hundreds of species of agave, but only one  the Weber Azul agave plant  makes tequila. Other agave species were abandoned in Mexico and in the desert regions of the Southwest U.S.. By law, to be considered authentic "tequila," the spirit must come from the Tequila region in Mexico. Otherwise, agave liquors produced in places like California can only be labeled as an agave spirit.

Because of the high demand for agave spirits, it's easy for farmers to fall into the practice of monoculture, where they reuse the same soil to grow a single crop, leading to a loss in genetic diversity, scientists told CNN. That includes places like California, where farmers do not rely on external pollinators like bats to grow their agave crops.

But some researchers like Ron Runnebaum, an assistant professor of viticulture and enology at the University of California, Davis, are looking to explore more of that genetic diversity to see what variants besides the blue agave can adapt and survive in a changing climate to avoid the loss in diversity.

"For us, in the United States, and especially in California, there are just a lot of questions around how we would be able to grow this economically as a crop as a way of diversifying the portfolios of farmers, as they're facing water shortages, as well as these other extreme events whether extended droughts or an abundance of water in a short period of time," Runnebaum told CNN.

Economic opportunity

Agave plants require little watering and can allow farmers to plant crops on land that would have otherwise been fallowed due to lack of water. And while it takes six to eight years for agave plants to mature, scientists say agave plants can also suck planet-warming carbon pollution out of the atmosphere.

Given these benefits  and as the West is mired in a multi-year drought  Craig Reynolds, an agave grower and founding director of the California Agave Council, said he sees agave spirits as an economic opportunity in a hotter and drier future.

Eight years ago, Reynolds began growing agave in Northern California as an experiment to see if it would be a viable crop in response to water scarcity.

"We've gotten a lot of attention, because the biggest issue (for farmers) is the water," he told CNN. The "severe cutbacks and groundwater allowances in state and federal water project deliveries, and the fallowing of hundreds of thousands of acres in California and projected long-term fallowing of farmland" is causing the growing interest, he said.

With the help of UC Davis, more resources are going into researching the viability of the low-water crop, especially under a rapidly changing climate. Reynolds said industries need to start adapting and thinking about ways to survive in a hotter and drier future.

"There's going to be some failures and setbacks here and there," Reynolds said. "I'm not hoping for the climate to change. I'm just realistic in that we need to do everything we can to slow climate change, but we also have to simultaneously have adaptation strategies to the climate change that is happening  and agave is just part of the adaptation strategy."

___

These cities are better at enduring extreme heat. Here's how they're doing it Beating the heat Medellin, Colombia: Grow trees on the streets, not just in parks Vienna: Splish, splash, splosh Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Use old cooling techniques and modernize them Miami: Target heat traps Athens: Work with what you've got Los Angeles: Paint the town white Paris: Get really organized Seville, Spain: Name your heat waves
When I was a line cook at a small restaurant in Richmond, Virginia, although my station was savory, I was often called upon to come up with desserts. At the time, my fellow chefs grumbled about having to dip into the pastry side of the kitchen, but I didnt mind. Despite my culinary school background, I didnt have much of a repertoire when it came to sweets, but I loved thumbing through cookbooks for inspiration, and one of the first desserts I memorized was Michel Richards Le KitKat from his 2006 cookbook Happy in the Kitchen.

The Kit Kat-inspired confection combines a layer of wafery crispiness (thanks to Corn Flakes, because lets not forget Michel Richard was a genius) with a lighter-than-air chocolate mousse to create a dessert that transcends its origins while still managing to be delightfully playful.

Because so many ingredients are forbidden at Passover (wheat, rice, corn, the list goes on), the lineup of desserts can be a bit repetitive. You see a lot of matzo toffee, which I love. Coconut macaroons and chocolate-covered fruit are also regulars on the dessert spread. But I wanted something that felt more like a composed dessert for Passover this year, and memories of my time cranking out Kit Kats came rushing back to me, whispering, Make it with matzo. So I listened.

The dessert combines a crunchy chocolate-matzo layer topped with a light chocolate mousse layer. One of my daughters insisted on adding Farfel to the title, because the crunched-up matzo reminded her of matzo farfel, tiny pieces of matzo, the middle ground between matzo and matzo meal, thats popular in Passover cooking and sold in canisters in the Jewish section of grocery stores. Although you can buy matzo farfel, for this recipe I prefer the texture of slightly irregular shards that comes from crushing matzo with a rolling pin. It also allows you to use whatever type of matzo you prefer, including gluten-free matzo.

Matzo Farfel Kit Kat is a simple recipe that requires zero baking and is satisfying enough to enjoy year-round, not just during Passover (although to be sure, I consume a lot of it during that long chametz-free week). This treat keeps for up to four days in the fridge, so it can easily be made ahead for snacking on for several days.

I happen to love the gluten-free Yehuda matzo above all others, so thats what I use for this recipe, but any matzo will do. Just make sure to crush it by hand (I use a plastic bag and a rolling pin), not in a food processor, to ensure proper matzo shards, which will make the crisp bottom layer even more satisfyingly crunchy.

Matzo Farfel Kit Kat

Makes 16 bars

3 matzo sheets

7 ounces dark or bittersweet chocolate (about 60% cacao), divided

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3/4 cup kosher for Passover or regular chocolate-hazelnut spread

1 1/4 cups cold heavy cream

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder (optional)

1. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with plastic wrap, making sure there is excess hanging over the sides.

2. Place 3 sheets of matzo in a large zip-top bag, press out the air, and seal. Crush with a rolling pin into small shards (1 to 1 1/4 cups). Do not over crush to the point of matzo meal.

3. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Place 2 ounces of the dark chocolate and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in a medium heatproof bowl that can fit onto the saucepan without the bottom touching the water. Heat, stirring occasionally with a heatproof spatula, until melted and smooth.

4. Remove from the bowl from the heat, add 3/4 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread, and stir to combine. Add the matzo and stir until combined. Transfer to the baking dish and spread into an even layer. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes or up to two days.

5. Bring the water in the saucepan back to a simmer over medium heat. Place the remaining 5 ounces dark chocolate in another heatproof bowl, fit over the saucepan, and heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside to cool until lukewarm, about 5 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, place 1 1/4 cups cold heavy cream in a stand mixer (or large bowl if using an electric hand mixer or whisking by hand). Whisk with the whisk attachment on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 3 1/2 minutes.

7. Add a little bit of the chocolate into the whipped cream and stir until just combined. Add the remaining chocolate and gently fold until just combined. Transfer to the baking dish and spread into an even layer. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours and up to three days.

8. Uncover the bars. Grasping the excess plastic wrap, lift the slab out of the baking dish onto a cutting board. Run a large knife under hot water or dip into a tall glass of hot water, dry, and use the warm knife to cut the slab into 16 rectangular pieces (cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into 4 rectangular pieces). Warm and dry the knife between each cut for the cleanest cuts. Dust lightly with 1 teaspoon cocoa powder if desired.

Recipe notes

Substitution: Corn flakes cereal or feuilletine can be substituted for the matzo for the crunchy layer.

Storage: The bars can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days.
On St. Patrick's Day, it might seem appropriate to knock back a shot of Jameson Irish Whiskey. However, when it comes to the luck of the Irish, U.S. whiskey-makers might have the upper hand.

American-made whiskey is one of the fastest-growing spirits in the United States, with sales soaring nearly 11% last year to $5.1 billion, according to a recent report from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS). In particular, sales of premium whiskeys from both small and large U.S. distilleries are spurring growth, as customers increasingly treat themselves to a high-quality drink.

"Spirits consumers appreciate the rich heritage, tradition and authenticity of American whiskey," Lisa Hawkins, senior vice president for public affairs for DISCUS, told CNN. She added that's there's a "shared passion" among whiskey drinkers because they want to know where it's made, the type of grains that are used and its age.

One of the most recognizable brands is Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey. Brown-Forman, its parent company, said in an earnings call last week that Jack "continued to be the largest driver" of sales, which grew 12% year over year.

Brown-Forman has even expanded its Jack Daniel's product line to include pricier whiskeys, called Jack Daniel's Bonded, along with the upcoming U.S. launch of its Jack and Coke canned cocktail.

Another factor in the growth of the American whiskey market is small distilleries that are becoming attractions themselves, where people can sample the whiskey and see how it is made.

"These unique experiences have helped to introduce more consumers to American whiskey and build excitement for both legacy and newer brands in the category," Hawkins said.

Westland Distillery, near Seattle, is one of those experiencing a boost. Matt Hofmann, managing director and co-founder of the distillery, told CNN that its sales are "growing faster than ever" following a COVID-induced slowdown.

Westland focuses on making single-malt whiskey that "bridges the gap" between Irish whiskey  which Hofmann describes as "very elegant and approachable"  and American-made whiskeys, which he said are "bolder" in taste.

Hofmann also credited the rise of international sales for helping boost American-made whiskey's popularity. Whiskey exports grew 30% last year to $1.28 billion, according to DISCUS  a welcome reprieve after retaliatory tariffs were dropped. American whiskey is the most popular top spirit to be exported, with the European Union being its biggest market.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Irish whiskey isn't popular. It generated more than $1.4 billion in sales last year and played a "key role" in spirit revenue surpassing beer in 2022, DISCUS said.
After spending 38 years in the Alabama prison system, one of the most violent and crowded in the nation, Larry Jordan felt lucky to live long enough to regain his freedom.

The decorated Vietnam War veteran had survived prostate cancer and hepatitis C behind bars when a judge granted him early release late last year.

I never gave up hope, said Jordan, 74, who lives in Alabama. I know a lot of people in prison who did.

At least 6,182 people died in state and federal prisons in 2020, a 46% jump from the previous year, according to data recently released by researchers from the UCLA Law Behind Bars Data Project.

During the pandemic, a lot of prison sentences became death sentences, said Wanda Bertram, a spokesperson for the Prison Policy Initiative, a nonprofit that conducts research and data analysis on the criminal justice system.

Now, Jordan worries about his longevity. He struggles with pain in his legs and feet caused by a potentially life-threatening vascular blockage, and research suggests prison accelerates the aging process.

Life expectancy fell in the United States in 2021 for the second year in a row, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That decline is linked to the devastating effect of covid-19 and a spike in drug overdoses.

Some academic experts and activists said the trend also underscores the lasting health consequences of mass incarceration in a nation with roughly 2 million imprisoned or jailed people, one of the highest rates in the developed world.

A Senate report last year found the U.S. Department of Justice failed to identify more than 900 deaths in prisons and local jails in fiscal year 2021. The report said the DOJs poor data collection and reporting undermined transparency and congressional oversight of deaths in custody.

Thousands of people like Jordan are released from prisons and jails every year with conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and infectious diseases they developed while incarcerated. The issue hits hard in Alabama, Louisiana, and other Southeastern states, which have some of the highest incarceration rates in the nation.

A major reason the U.S. trails other developed countries in life expectancy is because it has more people behind bars and keeps them there far longer, said Chris Wildeman, a Duke University sociology professor who has researched the link between criminal justice and life expectancy.

Its a health strain on the population, Wildeman said. The worse the prison conditions, the more likely it is incarceration can be tied to excess mortality.

Mass incarceration has a ripple effect across society.

Incarcerated people may be more susceptible than the general population to infectious diseases such as covid and HIV that can spread to loved ones and other community members once they are released. The federal government has also failed to collect or release enough information about deaths in custody that could be used to identify disease patterns and prevent fatalities and illness inside and outside of institutions, researchers said.

Over a 40-year span starting in the 1980s, the number of people in the nations prisons and jails more than quadrupled, fueled by tough-on-crime policies and the war on drugs.

Federal lawmakers and states such as Alabama have passed reforms in recent years amid bipartisan agreement that prison costs have grown too high and that some people could be released without posing a risk to public safety.

The changes have come too late and not gone far enough to curb the worst effects on health, some researchers and activists for reform said.

Still, no one has proven that incarceration alone shortens life expectancy. But research from the early 2000s did show the death rate for people leaving prison was 3.5 times higher than for the rest of the population in the first few years after release. Experts found deaths from drug use, violence, and lapses in access to health care were especially high in the first two weeks after release.

Another study found that currently or formerly incarcerated Black people suffered a 65% higher mortality rate than their non-Black peers. Black people also make up a disproportionately high percentage of state prison populations.

The enactment in 2000 of the Death in Custody Reporting Act, and its reauthorization in 2014, required the DOJ to collect information about deaths in state and local jails and prisons.

The information is supposed to include details on the time and location of a death, demographic data on the deceased, the agency involved, and the manner of death.

But a recent report from the Government Accountability Office found that 70% of the records the DOJ received were missing at least one required data point. Federal officials also lacked a plan to take corrective action against states that didnt meet reporting requirements, the GAO found.

The deficiency in data means the federal government cant definitively say how many people have died in prisons and jails since the covid-19 pandemic began, researchers said.

Without data, we are operating in the dark, said Andrea Armstrong, a professor at the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, who has testified before Congress on the issue.

Armstrong said federal and state officials need the data to identify institutions failing to provide proper health care, nutritious food, or other services that can save lives.

The DOJ did not make officials available for interviews to answer questions about the GAO report.

In a written statement, agency officials said they were working with law enforcement and state officials to overcome barriers to full and accurate reporting.

The Justice Department recognizes the profound importance of reducing deaths in custody, the statement said. Complete and accurate data are essential for drawing meaningful conclusions about factors that may contribute to unnecessary or premature deaths, and promising practices and policies that can reduce the number of deaths.

Department officials said the agency is committed to enhancing its implementation of the Death in Custody Reporting Act and that it has ramped up its efforts to improve the quality and quantity of data that it collects.

The DOJ has accused Alabama, where Jordan was incarcerated, of failing to adequately protect incarcerated people from violence, sexual abuse, and excessive force by prison staff, and of holding prisoners in unsanitary and unsafe conditions.

Jordan served 38 years of a 40-year sentence for reckless murder stemming from a car accident, which his lawyer argued in his petition for early release was one of the longest sentences in Alabama history for the crime. A jury had found him guilty of being drunk while driving a vehicle that crashed with another, killing a man. If he were convicted today instead, he would be eligible to receive a sentence as short as 13 years behind bars, because he has no prior felony history, wrote Alabama Circuit Judge Stephen Wallace, who reviewed Jordans petition for early release.

With legal help from Redemption Earned, an Alabama nonprofit headed by a former state Supreme Court chief justice, Jordan petitioned the court for early release.

On Sept. 26, 2022, Wallace signed an order releasing Jordan from prison under a rule that allows Alabama courts to reconsider sentences.

A few months later, Jordan said, he had surgery to treat a vascular blockage that was reducing blood flow to his left leg and left foot. A picture shows a long surgical scar stretching from his thigh to near his ankle.

The Alabama Department of Corrections refused an interview request to answer questions about conditions in the states prisons.

Jordan said his vascular condition was excruciating. He said he did not receive adequate treatment for it in prison: You could see my foot dying.

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  State agencies and local governments in North Carolina would not be allowed to deny employment to someone who refuses to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or prove they've been vaccinated, under legislation passed Wednesday by the state House.

The bill passed the House 73-41, with three Democrats and all present Republicans voting in favor, and was sent to the Senate.

Beginning in January 2024, the state's public schools, community colleges and universities would also be prohibited from requiring students to get the COVID-19 vaccination or a booster shot. Private schools and businesses could still require their students or employees to receive the vaccine.

Rep. Brian Biggs, a Randolph County Republican and one of the bill's primary sponsors, expressed his concerns on the House floor that such requirements pressure and rush people to make a serious medical decision before taking the time to consider if it's the right choice for them.

It's not intended for everyone, he said of the COVID-19 vaccine. It's not a one size fits all. We just want to give people the option.

North Carolina law requires students at public, private and religious colleges and universities to receive other immunizations in most circumstances, including for mumps, measles and polio. The coronavirus vaccine is not currently required.

Rep. Maria Cervania, a Wake County Democrat and epidemiologist, explained the early development of coronavirus vaccines and touted their importance in preventing more deaths.

To say its discrimination to choose not to show proof of the vaccine when were trying to control outbreak and death ... is derelict to my profession and to other medical professionals, she said during floor debate.

The bill includes certain exceptions for jobs and educational programs at facilities certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that require their employees to get the shot.
FRIDAY, April 28, 2023 (HealthDay News)  For the first time since the mpox outbreak began last spring, no new cases have been reported in more than a week, fresh government data shows.

At the peak of the outbreak, there were 500 new infections reported daily, but by late last year that number was 16, CDC statistics show.

While the Biden administration ended the public health emergency for the virus that was previously called monkeypox late last year, its not clear how much time is required with zero cases to declare the outbreak over, CBS News reported.

And a resurgence is still possible, public health officials have warned.

"If mpox reintroduction occurs and no additional vaccination or sexual behavior adaptations occur, the risk of a resurgent mpox outbreak is greater than 35% in most jurisdictions in the United States," modelers for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in April.

Other countries continue to report new cases, while a site in central Virginia that tests wastewater continues to detect the virus in samples. This could be because of unresolved but previously reported infections, CBS News reported.

"The most recently reported case of mpox in the Central Region of Virginia occurred in November 2022," Cheryle Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the state's health department, told CBS News.

The reason for the slowed case numbers may because people have died or developed immunity from infections. Other reasons may include changes in behavior and availability of a vaccine called Jynneos.

The virus typically has been seen in men who have sex with men during the outbreak. Deaths have disproportionately been among Black men, CBS News reported. About 87% of deaths were in Black men, many of whom had advanced HIV, the CDC reported.

"Infection-induced immunity of the individuals at the core of the sexual network generated 'network immunity,' which halted the epidemic," Dr. Christophe Van Dijck, of the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Belgium, suggested earlier this month during the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, CBS News reported.

"An alternate explanation could be that countries with vaccination also mounted more aggressive responses overall, with strong campaigns to change behavior and raise awareness," the CDC's Andrea Stewart said recently during the Epidemic Intelligence Service conference, CBS News reported.

"Countries that experienced more aggressive outbreaks early may have been more likely to implement vaccine campaigns early as well. Their outbreaks could have declined quickly due to population dynamics," Stewart said.

Since the outbreak began last May, more than 30,000 people have been infected with the virus, which causes painful lesions, and 42 people have died, according to CDC data.

More information

The World Health Organization has more on mpox.

SOURCE: CBS News
WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Dealing with discrimination at work -- from bosses or coworkers -- may be enough to send your blood pressure through the roof, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that among more than 1,200 U.S. workers, those who felt they often faced on-the-job discrimination were 54% more likely to develop high blood pressure, versus workers with little exposure to such bias.

Over eight years, people who'd often experienced workplace discrimination developed high blood pressure at a rate of about 4% each year. That compared with 2.5% per year among people who rarely or never had those experiences.

Experts said the study, published April 26 in the Journal of the American Heart Association, cannot prove cause and effect.

"But our findings suggest workplace discrimination as a potential risk factor for high blood pressure," said lead researcher Dr. Jian Li, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.

For one, he said, the study followed workers over time, showing that their experiences of discrimination preceded their high blood pressure diagnosis.

Plus, Li said, there are "biologically plausible" reasons that the stressful situation could contribute to rising blood pressure.

During times of stress, the body responds in various ways, which includes a release of hormones that "activate" the cardiovascular system. Over time, chronic stress may add to the wear and tear on the body, and impede its ability to recover from situational stressors.

It's also possible, Li said, for ongoing stress to take a health toll in "indirect" ways -- making it harder to exercise, disrupting sleep, or pushing people to cope in unhealthy ways, like smoking or drinking.

Studies have long dug into the connection between chronic stress and physical health, and more recently research has started to focus on the health consequences of systemic racism. But little has been known about the potential effects of work discrimination specifically, according to Li.

So, his team looked at data from a long-term study of middle-aged Americans' health and well-being. They focused on 1,246 participants who were working and free of high blood pressure when they entered the study back in 2004-2006.

At the outset, participants answered questions about workplace discrimination, such as, "How often do you feel you are ignored or not taken seriously by your boss?" and "How often do your coworkers use ethnic, racial or sexual slurs or jokes?"

Over the next eight years, 319 participants said they'd been newly diagnosed with high blood pressure. And the odds rose in tandem with the amount of workplace discrimination participants had reported.

The one-third who'd reported the most exposure to discrimination were 54% more likely to develop high blood pressure than the one-third with the least exposure. That was after the researchers factored in many other variables -- such as age, race, income and education level, and exercise, smoking and drinking habits.

Given that people spend so much of their lives at work, it's "very important" to study the health effects of job exposures, said Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, chief medical officer for prevention at the American Heart Association.

"The stressors in life may be related to cardiovascular health in ways we may not have thought of," said Sanchez, who was not involved in the study.

Both doctors said that employers can use findings like these in creating a better work environment.

"In the past, we often used the term 'working conditions' to describe our work environment," Li said. "Nowadays, we need to consider more broadly the quality of work life, which includes more human factors and psychosocial factors."

That's important not only for employees, but businesses, too, Sanchez pointed out.

"Addressing discrimination is the right thing to do," he said. But in addition that, he noted, it's also in employers' interests to have healthier, happier employees.

It's not only bosses who matter, however -- as the study asked people about interactions with coworkers, too.

People should be aware that even words they consider "jokes" can have lasting effects on others, Sanchez said.

"I see this as 'do unto others,'" he said. "We need to be thoughtful about the words we use, and how we interact with each other."

More information

The American Heart Association has advice on stress and blood pressure.

SOURCES: Jian Li, MD, PhD, professor, Fielding School of Public Health and School of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles; Eduardo Sanchez, MD, MPH, chief medical officer for prevention, American Heart Association, Dallas; Journal of the American Heart Association, April 26, 2023, online
At age 93, struggling with the effects of a stroke, heart failure and recurrent cancer, Teri Sheridan was ready to end her life using New Jerseys law that allows medically assisted suicide  but she was bedbound, too sick to travel.

So last Nov. 17, surrounded by three of her children, Sheridan drank a lethal dose of drugs prescribed by a doctor she had never met in person, only online. She died within minutes.

Soon, others who seek Sheridans final option may find it out of reach, the unintended result of a federal move to roll back online prescribing of potentially addictive drugs allowed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

How much should one person suffer? said Sheridans daughter, Georgene White, 68. She wanted to just go to sleep and not wake up.

Online prescribing rules for controlled drugs were relaxed three years ago under emergency waivers to ensure critical medications remained available during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has proposed a rule that would reinstate most previously longstanding requirements that doctors see patients in person before prescribing narcotic drugs such as Oxycontin, amphetamines such as Adderall, and a host of other potentially dangerous drugs.

The aim is to reduce improper prescribing of these drugs by telehealth companies that boomed during the pandemic. Given the ongoing opioid epidemic, allowing continued broad use of telemedicine prescribing would pose too great a risk to the public health and safety, the proposed rule said. It also cracks down on how doctors can prescribe other less-addictive drugs, like Xanax, used to treat anxiety, and buprenorphine, a narcotic used to treat opioid addiction.

The rule would allow some of these drugs to be prescribed with telemedicine for an initial 30-day dose, though patients would need to be seen in person to get a refill. And patients who have been referred to a new doctor by one they had previously met in person could continue to receive prescriptions for the drugs via telemedicine.

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram called the plan telemedicine with guardrails.

The agency, with input from the Department of Health and Human Services, is working to finalize the rule by May 11, when the COVID public health emergency officially ends, an HHS spokeswoman said. If approved by then, the new requirements would take effect in November.

The proposal has sparked a massive backlash, including more than 35,000 comments to a federal portal and calls from advocates, members of Congress and medical groups to reconsider certain patients or provisions.

They completely forgot that there was a population of people who are dying, said Dr. Lonny Shavelson, a California physician who chairs the American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying, a coalition of doctors who help patients access care under so-called right-to-die laws.

Among the biggest complaints: The rule would delay or block access for patients who seek medically assisted suicide and hospice care, critics said. Many of the comments, including nearly 10,000 delivered in person to DEA offices, came from doctors and patients protesting the effect of the rule on seriously ill and dying patients.

Please do not make the end of life harder for me, wrote Lynda Bluestein, 75, of Bridgeport, Connecticut. In March, Bluestein, who has terminal fallopian tube cancer, reached a settlement with the state of Vermont that will allow her to be the first non-resident to use its medically assisted suicide law. By the time shes ready to use the drugs, she expects to be too ill to travel to see a doctor in person for the prescription, she wrote.

The clash between desperate patients who need treatment and DEAs efforts to bar telehealth companies from overprescribing dangerous medications was inevitable, said David Herzberg, a historian of drugs at the University of Buffalo.

The balancing act is so tricky, he said.

Laws in 10 states and Washington, D.C. allow dying people with a prognosis of six months or less to end their lives with a lethal combination of medications covered by the DEA rule. But such patients are often too sick to visit a doctor in person   or they live hundreds of miles from the nearest willing and qualified provider, Shavelson said.

There are similar issues for the 1.7 million Medicare recipients enrolled in hospice care in the U.S., said Judi Lund Person, who oversees regulatory compliance for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. Rolling back online prescribing flexibilities could mean a dying patient would wait for days for drugs to ease pain and other symptoms.

They just dont have time for that, she said.

Shavelson and his colleagues called for an exception to the rule for the hundreds of patients a year who qualify for medically assisted suicide. Both the American Medical Association and the California Medical Association sent letters asking the DEA to carve out provisions for doctors prescribing the most dangerous category of drugs to patients receiving hospice or palliative care.

These patients are extremely fragile and their medical conditions do not allow them to easily access a physicians office, wrote Dr. Donaldo D. Hernandez, president of the California group. Such people pose a reduced risk for abuse given their clear need for the medications.

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THURSDAY, April 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Jobs that regularly expose you to certain chemicals appear to steadily increase your risk of pancreatic cancer, a new analysis reports.

People with more than 20 years of exposure to some chemical agents had a 39% increased risk of pancreatic cancer, compared with an 11% higher risk for 11 to 20 years exposure and a 4% higher risk for 1 to 10 years exposure, researchers found.

Our findings revealed that the risk of pancreatic cancer increases significantly for each additional year of exposure among workers exposed to these chemicals, said study author Ro-Ting Lin, an associate professor of occupational safety and health at China Medical University in Taiwan.

The analysis evaluated 12 industrial chemicals and found that five significantly increased the risk of pancreatic cancer in workers, Lin said.

The No. 1 chemical that most increased a persons risk of pancreatic cancer was ethylene oxide, followed by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, rubber dust and fumes, styrene, and metalworking fluids, Lin said.

These chemicals are predominantly used in the chemical, metal, plastic, rubber and petroleum industries, researchers said.

The study adds to mounting evidence that workplace exposure to certain chemicals is associated with a higher risk of cancer, said Dr. Steven Nimmo, president of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine in the United Kingdom.

What this new meta-analysis adds is a definite dose-response relationship. The longer people are exposed, the more likely they are to develop pancreatic cancer, said Nimmo, who also edits the journal in which the study was published on April 27, Occupational Medicine.

Its another piece in the jigsaw puzzle, he said. That the risk increases with time of exposure is a quite important bit that adds toward whether there is direct causation.

However, Nimmo noted that while the relative risk of pancreatic cancer rises significantly in people exposed to these chemicals, the overall risk of this cancer remains low.

Pancreatic cancer accounts for about 3% of cancers in the United States and 7% of all cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society.

Its an increase in a very tiny risk, Nimmo said.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the top five causes of cancer death globally, and is usually found at an advanced stage, researchers said in background notes. Fewer than 10% of patients survive.

For the study, Lin and her colleagues combined info from 31 occupational health studies around the world, a data pool that included more than 288,000 people.

Overall, they found that occupational exposure to chemical agents accounts for 9% to 47% of pancreatic cancer cases among workers.

Some chemicals like ethylene oxide, styrene and metalworking fluids significantly increased the risk of pancreatic cancer even with brief exposure of less than 10 years, Lin said.

But longer exposure to higher concentrations of these dangerous chemicals more than doubled a workers risk, she said.

Our findings revealed that the risk of pancreatic cancer increases significantly for each additional year of exposure among workers exposed to these chemicals, Lin said.

Ethylene oxide is a gas often used in the manufacture of chemicals and the sterilization of medical devices, Lin said. Styrene is used to make insulation, rubber and plastics.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are compounds produced when organic substances like coal, oil or natural gas are burned.

PAHs pop up here, there and everywhere as being carcinogenic, Nimmo said.

Health and safety regulations that would protect workers from these chemicals vary widely between countries, he noted. For example, the U.S. bases its regulations on general rules set for industry, while the U.K. has a risk-based approach that assesses each specific potential hazard.

Lin noted that most of the chemical agents targeted in this study enter the body by inhalation.

We recommend reducing exposure by shortening the working duration in the risky operation, enclosing chemical operations, improving ventilation, and ensuring effective personal protective equipment is worn, but ultimately high-risk chemical processes should still be phased out, Lin said.

Men with more than 10 years of exposure on the job were found to be the most at risk, the results showed.

Based on that, researchers said employers should monitor male employees for symptoms and signs of pancreatic cancer, if theyve been exposed to known cancer-causing chemicals for more than a decade.

Nimmo said thats not realistic, given that pancreatic cancer is often a silent killer.

The bottom line is that there aren't early symptoms of pancreatic cancer. There is also no screening test for it, Nimmo said. Being mindful of symptoms is not really an option.

More information

The American Cancer Society has more about pancreatic cancer.

SOURCES: Ro-Ting Lin, PhD, associate professor, occupational safety and health, China Medical University, Taichung City, Taiwan; Steven Nimmo, MB ChB, president, Faculty of Occupational Medicine, London, U.K.; Occupational Medicine, April 27, 2023
WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2023 (HealthDay News)  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved a new drug for people who have a rare, inherited type of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

The medication, toferson (Qalsody), targets a mutation in the SOD1-ALS gene. ALS attacks and kills nerve cells that control voluntary muscles. With ALS, patients lose nerve cells that affect chewing, walking, breathing and talking. The muscles weaken, and that leads to paralysis.

The newly approved medication is made by the company Biogen, which is based in Cambridge, Mass.

The FDA approved the drug based on evidence of a reduction in plasma neurofilament light, a blood-based biomarker of nerve injury and neurodegeneration. It did not show that the drug slowed the disease, the Associated Press reported.

Still, the findings are reasonably likely to predict a clinical benefit in patients, the FDA said in a statement.

Since SOD1 mutations were first identified as a cause of ALS 30 years ago, the familial ALS community has been searching for genetically targeted treatments," Jean Swidler, chair of Genetic ALS & FTD: End the Legacy, said in a Biogen news release. "Qalsody offers families who have lost generation after generation in the prime of their life to this devastating disease a therapy targeting the underlying cause of SOD1-ALS. Today marks an important moment in ALS research as Qalsody is the first ALS treatment approved based on a biomarker. We are excited to see what future therapies are developed now that it is understood that lowering levels of neurofilament provides important evidence that a treatment is affecting the neurodegenerative process.

In the meantime, Biogen will be required to continue studying toferson in people who carry the mutation but dont yet have symptoms, the AP reported.

Between 16,000 and 32,000 Americans have ALS, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 2% of them have the SOD1 gene mutations. The CDC estimates that fewer than 500 Americans have SOD1-ALS.

Patients will receive Qalsody through a spinal injection from a healthcare professional, with a dose of 100 milligrams (mg) each time. SOD1-ALS patients will receive the first three doses at 14-day intervals, followed by a maintenance dose every 28 days.

Side effects for those using the medication include joint and muscle pain, fatigue and increased brain and increased white blood cells in spinal cord fluid.

More information

The National Institutes of Health has more on ALS.

SOURCE: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, news release, April 25, 2023; Associated Press
Samsung and SK Hynix are expected to be allowed to keep their factories in China despite U.S. sanctions against Beijing.

The U.S. Department of Commerce on Monday announced details of so-called "guardrail" provisions under the CHIPS and Science Act that punishes global companies for investing in China.

Large-scale new investments in China are still forbidden if Korean companies want American subsidies, but the details have been watered down in negotiations between Seoul and Washington.

That means companies that receive U.S. government subsidies for any reason can keep their factories in China and even expand them by up to five percent over the next 10 years. Existing production lines can be expanded by up to 10 percent.

And if more than 85 percent of a company's Chinese output is actually sold within China, then they can expand even more than 10 percent and build new factories.

The chipmakers expressed relief. One industry insider said, "It looks like the government took active steps that led to more favorable provisions."

Samsung and SK said they will look closely at the details to come up with a response. Samsung has invested W33 trillion in its semiconductor factories in China so far, while SK pumped in W35 trillion (US$1=W1,311).
WASHINGTON  U.S. health officials have approved the first pill made from healthy bacteria found in human waste to fight dangerous gut infections  an easier way of performing so-called fecal transplants.

The new treatment from Seres Therapeutics provides a simpler, rigorously tested version of stool-based procedures some medical specialists have used for more than a decade to help hard-to-treat patients.

The Food and Drug Administration cleared the capsules on Wednesday for adults who face risks of repeat infections with Clostridium difficile, a bacteria that can cause severe nausea, cramping and diarrhea.

C. diff is particularly dangerous when it reoccurs, leading to between 15,000 and 30,000 deaths per year. It can be killed with antibiotics, but they also destroy good bacteria that live in the gut, leaving it more susceptible to future infections. The new capsules are approved for patients who received antibiotic treatment.

More than 10 years ago, some doctors began reporting success with fecal transplants  using stool from a healthy donor  to restore the guts healthy balance and prevent reinfections.

The FDA approved the first pharmaceutical-grade version of the treatment last year from a rival drugmaker, Ferring Pharmaceuticals. But that companys product  like most of the original procedures  must be delivered via the rectum.

Cambridge Massachusetts-based Seres will market its drug as a less invasive option. The treatment will be sold under the brand name Vowst and comes as a regimen of four daily capsules taken for three consecutive days.

Both of the recent FDA approvals are the product of years of pharmaceutical industry research into the microbiome: the community of bacteria, viruses and fungi that live in the gut.

Currently most fecal transplants are provided by a network of stool banks that popped up at medical institutions and hospitals across the country.

While the availability of new FDA-approved options is expected to decrease demand for donations from stool banks, some plan to stay open.

OpenBiome, the largest stool bank in the U.S., said it will keep serving patients who arent eligible for the FDA-approved products, such as children and adults with treatment-resistant cases. It supplied more than 65,000 stool samples for C. diff patients since 2013.

OpenBiome is committed to maintaining safe access to fecal transplantation for these patients as a vital last line of defense, said Dr. Majdi Osman, the groups medical chief.

OpenBiomes standard stool treatment costs less than $1,700 and is typically delivered as a frozen solution within days of ordering. Seres did not disclose the price it will charge for its capsules in a statement Wednesday evening.

We want to make the commercial experience for physicians and patients as easy as possible, the companys chief executive officer, Eric Shaff, said in an interview ahead of the announcement. Ease of administration  in our view  is one of the aspects of the value were delivering.

Seres will co-market the treatment with Swiss food giant Nestle, which will also split the profits. Seres said it will receive a $125 million milestone payment from Nestle in connection with the FDA approval.

Overseeing the fledgling industry of U.S. stool banks created regulatory headaches for the FDA, which doesnt traditionally police homemade products and procedures used in doctors offices. In the early days of the trend, the FDA warned consumers about the risks of potential infections from the fecal transplants, as some people sought out questionable do it yourself methods from videos and websites.

Seres executives say their manufacturing process relies on the same techniques and equipment used to purify blood products and other biologic therapies.

The company starts with stool provided by a small group of donors screened for various health risks and conditions. Their stool is tested for dozens of potential viruses, infections and parasites.

The company then processes the samples to remove the waste, isolate the healthy bacteria and kill any other lingering organisms. Thousands of capsules can be made from each stool sample, making it a more efficient process than current fecal transplants, the company said.

The FDA warned in a release Wednesday that the drug may carry a risk of transmitting infectious agents. It is also possible for Vowst to contain food allergens.

The FDA approved the treatment based on a 180-patient study in which 88% of patients taking the capsules did not experience reinfection after eight weeks, compared with 60% of those who received dummy pills.

Common side effects included abdominal swelling, constipation and diarrhea.

What drug ads disclose to consumers  and what they don't What drug ads disclose to consumersand what they don't Benefits, risks, and side effects Approved use of a drug Who shouldn't take it and when you shouldn't take it Generic name of drug What they don't have to tell you
JEFFERSON CITY  The Missouri ACLU on Monday sued to block new state restrictions on both adults and children seeking gender-affirming health care, which are set to kick in Thursday.

ACLU, Lambda Legal and Bryan Cave Leighton LLP attorneys representing transgender Missourians and health care providers asked a St. Louis County judge to stop the first-of-its-kind rule from taking effect.

They argue that Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey has no authority to use a state consumer-protection law to regulate gender-affirming care through emergency rule-making.

The rule is a baseless and discriminatory attempt to limit the health care options for transgender individuals, who already face several barriers accessing necessary and life-saving medical care, said Dr. Samuel Tochtrop of plaintiff Southampton Community Healthcare, in a statement.

Before gender-affirming medical treatments can be provided by physicians, the regulation requires people to have experienced an intense pattern of documented gender dysphoria for three years and to have received at least 15 hourly sessions with a therapist over at least 18 months. Patients also would first have to be screened for autism and social media addiction, and any psychiatric symptoms from mental health issues would have to be treated and resolved.

Some individuals will be allowed to maintain their prescriptions while they promptly receive the required assessments.

Bailey marketed the restrictions as a way to protect minors from what he describes as experimental treatments when he announced plans to create the rule in March. He applied limits to adults as well in the final rule.

We have serious concerns about how children are being treated throughout the state. But we believe everyone is entitled to evidence-based medicine and adequate mental health care, Bailey spokeswoman Madeline Sieren said after the rule was filed April 13.

The rule is an unusual step by Missouris attorney general, who has limited jurisdiction under state law. The office is responsible for defending state laws, handling felony criminal appeals, and prosecuting financial crimes and consumer fraud.

The lawsuit alleges the rule is an improper, extra-legislative overreach by an un-elected political appointee seeking to use the states consumer-protection law, which plaintiffs describe as an act purposed on making sure that cars are sold with titles and that hardware stores abide by a warranty on a vacuum.

If the rule takes effect, doctors who provide gender-affirming health care must first provide a lengthy list of potential negative side effects and information warning against those treatments.

Health care providers will need to ensure any psychiatric symptoms from existing mental health comorbidities of the patient have been treated and resolved before providing gender-affirming treatments under the new rule. Physicians also must screen patients for social media addiction, autism and signs of social contagion with respect to the patients gender identity.

The FDA approved puberty blockers 30 years ago to treat children with precocious puberty  a condition that causes sexual development to begin much earlier than usual. Sex hormones  synthetic forms of estrogen and testosterone  were approved decades ago to treat hormone disorders or as birth control pills.

The FDA has not approved the medications specifically to treat gender-questioning youth. But they have been used for many years for that purpose off label, a common and accepted practice for many medical conditions. Doctors who treat transgender patients say those decades of use are proof the treatments are not experimental.

Critics have raised concerns about children changing their minds. Yet the evidence suggests detransitioning is not as common as opponents of transgender medical treatment for youth contend, though few studies exist and they have their weaknesses.

Heather Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kan.

Missouri AG investigates attempt to hack transgender tip line The line had attracted attention on social media, and users suggested flooding the tip form with spam.

Wash U. says ex-employee's claims about transgender center in St. Louis are unfounded Washington University staff followed "accepted standards of care" in treating transgender youths, according to an internal review. A former employee made scathing claims of malpractice at the center earlier this year, but the review found them unsubstantiated.

Patients scramble to secure gender-affirming care in Missouri before April 27 restrictions Planned Parenthood held a popup clinic at its Central West End location on Monday for people seeking gender-affirming care, 10 days before new rules that would make Missouri the first state to greatly restrict care for transgender adults go into effect.

AG issues new regulations for transgender care as Missouri House votes to approve limits And the Missouri attorney general signed off on Thursday on emergency regulations, for adults as well as children, he said are designed to put "guardrails" on medical care for transgender individuals.

Planned Parenthood sues Missouri AG over transgender care investigation Planned Parenthood argues in its lawsuit that its clinic has nothing to do with the Transgender Center at St. Louis Childrens Hospital.
A federal judge in Texas soon could make one of the two pills used in medication abortions harder to come by, even in blue states that support abortion rights.

Officials and advocates in those states arent waiting for the judge to rule. Theyre trying to ensure continued access to the drugs that a growing number of Americans are using to end their pregnancies at home.

Last week, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that his states government would stop doing business with Walgreens because the pharmacy chain decided earlier this month that it wont sell mifepristone in states where Republicans have threatened legal action, even in those states where abortion remains legal.

And in February, Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, both Democrats, filed a complaint in a U.S. district court against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for what they argue is its excessive regulation of mifepristone. The case was joined by attorneys general in 10 other abortion rights states  Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Abortion rights advocates also are trying to inform the public that the Texas judges ruling will not make using the pills illegal.

Even if U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump and is known for his conservative views, orders the FDA to revoke its approval of mifepristone, legal experts say the abortion medication will not disappear from pharmacy shelves overnight, and possession and use of the pills will remain legal.

The judge wasnt asked to ban mifepristone, and he wasnt asked to take it off the market, said David Cohen, professor of law at Drexel University in Philadelphia and co-author of a legal analysis that outlines the limits of the Texas judges authority.

The lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction compelling the FDA to withdraw or suspend its 2000 approval of the drug, as well as its 2016 ruling extending the gestation period in which the drug can safely be used from seven to 10 weeks, and its 2021 ruling allowing the medication to be prescribed without an in-person doctors visit.

The FDA has discretion granted by Congress to undertake a public process for suspending or withdrawing approval of a drug. That could take months or years, Cohen said. In the meantime, the Biden administration likely would appeal any decision against the FDA.

And even if the FDA were eventually to remove its 2000 approval of mifepristone, it could use its enforcement discretion to allow manufacturers to keep producing the in-demand drug, as it did last year with infant formula, Cohen pointed out.

In addition, the FDA and Danco Laboratories, one of two makers of mifepristone, are the only parties named in the case, which means the Texas judges decision will not affect health care providers, patients or the generic maker of mifepristone, Cohen explained.

Still, abortion providers are preparing for a worst-case scenario, developing new protocols for ending an early pregnancy using only the second drug, misoprostol, which is safe and widely used throughout the world to end pregnancies but can involve more side effects.

The publicity surrounding the impending Texas court ruling has sowed fear and confusion among abortion patients, and some providers worry that people who use the medications wont seek the follow-up care they may need because of legal concerns.

No matter what happens in the Texas case, its likely to make it more difficult for people to access abortion with pills as providers, state officials and law enforcement try to process the legal issues surrounding abortion pills, said Farah Diaz-Tello, senior counsel and legal director for If/When/How, which provides legal advice and support for people seeking abortions.

Were worried that people will come away with a message that abortion pills are illegal to use, which is not what a ruling in any direction would mean, she said.

Even so, police and local prosecutors may still investigate and arrest people who self-manage their abortions, as they have in the past, despite the fact that the pills remain legal to use, Diaz-Tello said.

A question of safety

The Texas case was filed in November by anti-abortion groups that argued that mifepristone, which ends a pregnancy by blocking the hormone progesterone, is a dangerous drug, and that the FDA failed to adequately research its risks when it approved the medication in 2000.

According to their complaint, the FDA failed Americas women and girls when it chose politics over science and approved chemical abortion drugs for use in the United States. And it has continued to fail them by repeatedly removing even the most basic precautionary requirements associated with their use.

In December 2021, the FDA made permanent a COVID-era ruling that mifepristone and misoprostol could safely be administered using telemedicine with pills delivered by mail, rather than requiring an in-person doctors visit.

Out of more than 3.7 million U.S. patients who used mifepristone and misoprostol to end an early pregnancy, 26 people have died, and the agency said it was unclear whether any of those deaths were directly related to use of the drug.

Clarke Forsythe, senior counsel at Americans United for Life, which filed a brief in the Texas case on behalf of members of Congress who oppose abortion, said state and federal public health agencies have failed to capture adequate data on the health risks of abortion pills.

The bleeding, hemorrhaging, infection and toxic shock cases are showing up in the ER, but theyre being miscoded, Forsythe said. Instead of being attributed to mifepristone, theyre being attributed to miscarriage or heavy period or something else. The negative repercussions of chemical abortion are basically being filtered out of public health data collection.

Elizabeth Nash, principal policy associate at the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit research organization that supports abortion rights, disagrees.

The science on the safety of medication abortion is clear, she said. The fact that this case wasnt laughed out of court is incredibly disturbing. Should mifepristone become unavailable because of alleged health risks, it will further stigmatize abortion pills and limit access to abortion unnecessarily, particularly for Black and brown people and low-income individuals.

Amy Merrill, digital director and co-founder of Plan C, an organization that helps people get access to abortion pills from domestic and foreign sources, said, We absolutely know that mifepristone does not cause harm, and that any harm that may occur is being caused by the courts and politicians who are enacting these bans to access.

The Washington state complaint filed by 12 Democratic state attorneys general argues the FDA applied excessive restrictions to mifepristone that typically are reserved for high-risk medications such as opioid pain relievers and psychiatric drugs. The attorneys general asked the court to order the FDA to remove all remaining restrictions, including a requirement that patients sign for the pills and attest that they plan to use them to end a pregnancy.

Of the more than 20,000 drugs approved by the FDA, only 60, including mifepristone, fall under a set of regulations known as Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy.

Increasing use

In 2020, medication abortion accounted for more than half of all reported abortions, and the number has been increasing ever since the Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion this past summer.

Medication abortions are vastly undercounted since self-managed abortions are not necessarily reported to the CDC, Merrill said, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Her organization estimates that at least 30,000 people self-managed abortions using mifepristone and misoprostol, or misoprostol alone, within the first six months after last summers decision.

This year, the use of abortion pills is expected to far outpace clinical abortions, spurring continued legal and political battles over their use.

In addition to the Texas and Washington state cases, two other lawsuits filed in January by a drug maker in West Virginia and a physician in North Carolina challenge the constitutionality of state laws restricting abortion medications under the legal premise that federal FDA rules preempt state laws.

In 2021, the FDA eased rules requiring an in-person doctors visit to get a prescription for abortion pills. But some states still have laws on the books that require it. This year, a handful of lawmakers in states that already ban most abortions doubled down and proposed new restrictions on medication abortion.

In Missouri, a bill would outlaw trafficking of abortion-inducing drugs and levy penalties against pharmacies that dispense them. In Texas, a bill would allow pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions for mifepristone and misoprostol. And in West Virginia, a bill would require doctors and patients to be physically present in the same location for abortion pills to be prescribed.

Drexels Cohen speculated the bills were proposed to make medication abortions more difficult to access, as a hedge against the chance the states abortion bans would be blocked by state courts.

Cohen and other legal experts predict a flurry of additional legal actions on medication abortions this year. But for now, advocates on both sides of the debate are waiting for Kacsmaryk to rule.
THURSDAY, April 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) declined significantly during the pandemic and was slow to rebound to prepandemic levels, according to a study published in the April issue of AIDS Patient Care and STDs.

Tyler N. Lescure, M.D., from Boston Medical Center, and colleagues assessed the impact of COVID-19 on STI/HIV testing at an urban safety-net hospital. Hospital-wide chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV testing volume and positivity rates were compared for the prepandemic (July 1, 2019, to Feb. 29, 2020), peak-pandemic (March 1, 2020, to May 31, 2020), and post-peak-pandemic (June 1, 2020, to Aug. 31, 2021) periods.

The researchers found that STI and HIV test volume dropped sharply in March 2020, with STI testing during the peak-pandemic period only 42 percent of prepandemic baseline (mean, 1,145 versus 2,738 tests/month), reaching a low in April 2020 (766 tests/month). Similar trends were seen for peak-pandemic HIV testing, which was 43 percent of the prepandemic baseline (mean, 711 versus 1,635 tests/month), reaching a low in April 2020 of 438 tests/month. Most of these tests were concentrated in emergency department and inpatient settings. For a full year, STI and HIV testing rates did not return to baseline. Compared with the prepandemic baseline, STI and HIV test positivity rates were higher in the peak-pandemic period.

"Given the precipitous decline in STI and HIV testing during the pandemic, safety-net settings should develop low-barrier alternatives to traditional office-based testing to mitigate testing gaps, high positivity rates, and associated morbidity," the authors write.
THURSDAY, April 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- As more Americans try to get their hands on the prescription medication Wegovy while they try to shed significant amounts of weight, an even more powerful obesity drug is poised to enter the fray.

On Thursday, drug maker Eli Lilly & Co. announced that its type 2 diabetes drug tirzepatide (Mounjaro) helped people with diabetes who were overweight or obese lose nearly 16% of their body weight, or more than 34 pounds, over 17 months.

This late-stage study of the drug adds to earlier evidence published last summer in the New England Journal of Medicine that showed overweight or obese people without diabetes lost up to 22% of their body weight over that period with weekly injections of the drug. For a typical patient on the highest dose, that meant shedding more than 50 pounds.

Results from both studies will now be part of the companys application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for fast-track approval of the drug for weight loss.

We have not hit 15% in any other phase 3 trial for weight management in this type 2 diabetes population, Dr. Nadia Ahmad, an associate vice president at Eli Lilly and medical director of obesity clinical development for the company, told CNN.

Importantly, this data has not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a medical journal.

In the last year, [it] has been really exciting just to have more tools in the toolbox, so to speak. And tools that, you know, were seeing really achieving outcomes that patients for the longest time have been hoping to achieve, Dr. Kimberly Gudzune, medical director of the American Board of Obesity Medicine, told CNN.

Tirzepatide works by stimulating the body to produce insulin after eating, lowering blood sugar while helping people feel full longer by slowing foods movement from the stomach, CNN reported. Side effects have included nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

These successes could make the drug a stiff competitor of semaglutide, sold as Ozempic for diabetes patients and Wegovy for those seeking weight loss who have at least one weight-related health issue. That drug is made by Novo Nordisk. When approved by the FDA last summer, trials showed Wegovy led to a 12.4% average weight loss in obese and overweight people who did not have diabetes.

Eli Lilly now plans to pit Mounjaro against Wegovy in a study of 700 participants around the United States and Canada.

Some of the excitement surrounding these powerful diabetes drugs has prompted off-label use of the medications and triggered shortages for type 2 diabetes patients who need the drugs for blood sugar control.

I am aware of and Ive heard, you know, it [Mounjaro] being sort of used off-label for weight loss and individuals who do not have diabetes, Gudzune said.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on obesity.

SOURCE: CNN
CLAYTON, Mo. (AP)  A Missouri judge on Wednesday temporarily halted enforcement of a first-of-its-kind rule that restricts access to gender-affirming health care for transgender kids and adults, just hours before it was set to take effect.

The rule enstated by Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey places requirements on both minors and adults before they would be allowed to receive gender-affirming treatments, such as puberty blockers or hormones. It was set to take effect Thursday, but transgender Missourians and health care providers sued to stop it from being enforced.

St. Louis County Circuit Judge Ellen Ribaudo said Wednesday that she would like more time to review the matter before deciding whether to issue a temporary restraining order. She delayed implementation of the rule until 5 p.m. Monday, saying she anticipates she will issue a ruling before then.

Bailey has touted the rule as a way to shield minors from what he describes as experimental medical treatments, though puberty blockers and sex hormones have been prescribed for decades. But the lawsuit claims that Bailey sidestepped the GOP-led Legislature and acted beyond his authority in attempting to regulate gender-affirming health care under the states consumer-protection laws.

Attorney Tony Rothert with the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri told Ribaudo at a court hearing Wednesday that the regulations "will cause immediate, severe and potentially irreparable harm for people who could lose access to medications that include puberty blockers and sex hormones.

He and other attorneys said that transgender people who cant get gender-affirming care are at risk of suicide.

Assistant Attorney General Joshua Divine argued that Baileys order does not ban gender-affirming care.

The rule will require people to have experienced an intense pattern of documented gender dysphoria for three years and to have received at least 15 hourly sessions with a therapist over at least 18 months before receiving puberty blockers, hormones, surgery or other treatment. Patients also must first be screened for autism and social media addiction, and any psychiatric symptoms from mental health issues would have to be treated and resolved.

Some people would be able to maintain their prescriptions while undergoing required assessments.

Divine said the rule provides basic procedural guardrails. He cited studies showing that a high percentage of kids seeking to transition are dealing with mental health issues. He said that rather than transition they should undergo talk therapy.

Those suing argue Bailey sidestepped the GOP-led Legislature and acted beyond his authority,

We dont allow attorneys general to legislate, and we dont allow them to play doctor, Rothert said.

Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said that with the delay, transgender and non-binary Missourians will still be able to receive treatment on Thursday. And while this is temporary relief, our patients always deserve the highest standard of care, without the intervention of politicians who have no grasp of medicine, she said.

A spokesperson for Bailey said the office will continue fighting for all patients to have access to adequate health care.

Bailey issued the restrictions following an investigation he launched in February into the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Childrens Hospital. The investigation was prompted by a former employee who alleged the center was providing children with gender-affirming care without informed consent, not enough individualized case review and wraparound mental health services. An internal review by the university found no misconduct and determined that the former employee's claims were unsubstantiated.

Baileys efforts to crack down on gender-affirming health care come as Republican lawmakers across the country have proposed hundreds of laws aimed at transgender people. At least 13 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors.

The Food and Drug Administration approved puberty blockers 30 years ago to treat children with precocious puberty  a condition that causes sexual development to begin much earlier than usual. Sex hormones  synthetic forms of estrogen and testosterone  were approved decades ago to treat hormone disorders or as birth control pills.

The FDA has not approved the medications specifically to treat gender-questioning youth. But they have been used for many years for that purpose off label, a common and accepted practice for many medical conditions. Doctors who treat transgender patients say those decades of use mean the treatments are not experimental.

Critics have raised concerns about children changing their minds. Yet the evidence suggests detransitioning is not as common as opponents of transgender medical treatment for youth contend, though few studies exist.

Missouri House Minority Leader Crystal Quade said Wednesday that she sent letters to President Joe Biden and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services earlier this week, asking for an executive order to extend coverage for Missourians who seek gender-affirming care in other states. She also sent letters to the governors of Kansas and Illinois, asking that their health care systems accept Missouri patients for such care.

-

Ballentine reported from Jefferson City, Missouri.

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The name of the judge has been corrected.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  Kansas health care providers could face criminal charges over accusations about their care of newborns delivered during certain abortion procedures after the Republican-controlled Legislature on Wednesday overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of their legislation.

The new law takes effect July 1 and will require that heath care providers exercise the same degree of professional skill, care and diligence to preserve the health of newborns delivered during an abortion procedure that a reasonably diligent and conscientious provider would with other live births. The newborns will have to be transported to a hospital, and violating the law will be a felony, punishable up to a years probation for a first-time offender.

GOP lawmakers and anti-abortion groups pushed for the new rule and other anti-abortion measures even though a decisive statewide vote in August 2022 affirmed abortion rights. Abortion opponents argued that voters still left room for reasonable restrictions, while abortion rights lawmakers said the bills broke faith with voters.

The new measure may be largely symbolic: Providers say the cases covered by the new law rarely, if ever, occur in Kansas because of how the state already regulates abortion. But abortion rights advocates also see the law as designed to sow confusion and fear so that doctors don't want to provide abortion care and women are afraid to seek it.

The words in these laws do not have any kind of real meaning," said Elisabeth Smith, state policy and advocacy director for the Center for Reproductive Rights, which defends access to abortion. "Doctors and hospitals and clinics that are trying to interpret them don't know what they mean and they don't know how a prosecutor or a district attorney will be reading those laws.

The Kansas law is similar to laws in at least 18 other states requiring that such newborns go to a hospital while also imposing criminal penalties for doctors who dont provide the same care other providers would other live births. In Montana, voters rejected a proposed born alive law in November 2022.

Abortion opponents argued that the new law is a commonsense measure that protects newborns.

We do have a culture of death, said Republican state Rep. Ron Bryce, a southeastern Kansas physician. The value of life is of the utmost importance.

The votes on overriding Kelly's veto were 87-37 in the House and 31-9 in the Senate, with two-thirds majorities needed.

Jeanne Gawdun, who lobbies for Kansans for Life, the state's most influential anti-abortion group, said lawmakers stood together for compassion and basic human decency.

Kelly also scotched a bill that would have required providers to tell patients that a medication abortion can be stopped after the first dose by using a drug regimen that major medical groups reject. She vetoed a proposal to give $2 million in state tax dollars to centers run by abortion opponents that provide free services to encourage people to carry pregnacies to term.

The House voted 84-40 and 86-38 to overturn those vetoes, and the Senate is expected to vote on overriding them Thursday.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June 2022 that the U.S. Constitution allows states to ban abortion. But the Kansas Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that under the state constitution, access to abortion is a matter of bodily autonomy and a fundamental right. The statewide vote last year  the first state referendum after the U.S. Supreme Court decision  rejected stripping out protection for abortion access out of the Kansas Contitution.

But abortion opponents and Republican lawmakers have argued that Kelly's stance on abortion is too far to the left, even after last year's vote. House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said Wednesday's rebuke was for the most radical in the pro-abortion movement.

As Rep. Clark Sanders, a Republican from central Kansas, called the veto an egregious wrong," Rep. Stephanie Clayton, a Kansas City-area Democrat, took a bathroom break.

She muttered outside the chamber, Im not going to listen to some old guy telling me how my body works.

The new law includes a requirement for providers to file annual reports with the state health department on infants born alive during abortion procedures. Like most states, Kansas doesn't collect such statistics.

Abortion opponents argue that there are likely hundreds of newborns delivered during abortion procedures each year in the U.S. Anti-abortion groups extrapolate from data from the handful of states requiring reports of such live births and data from most Canadian provinces.

It is proper to offer medical care to a living, breathing, heart-beating, muscle-moving human being, Sanders told his colleagues.

But abortion rights supporters are skeptical because Kansas bans most abortions at the 22nd week. None past that point have been reported in the state since 2016.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says almost no infants survive if they are born before 23 weeks. Providers sometimes induce labor to deliver a fetus early if it has a severe medical problem, expecting death to follow within minutes or even seconds.

Abortion opponents argue that the new law only applies when abortion procedures are involved, but abortion rights advocates argue that doctors may worry it can be applied more broadly and then order futile medical care for a full-term but dying newborn.

Symbolic in the abortion context, Smith of the Center for Reproductive Rights said, describing the law. Potentially very harmful in a limited number of cases where people, last moment with a dying infant, could be affected.

Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna
THURSDAY, April 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Women having a mastectomy for earlier-stage breast cancer may be overtreated if doctors evaluate their lymph nodes while they are still on the operating table, a preliminary study suggests.

Researchers found those patients were much more likely to receive aggressive treatment  surgical removal of their underarm lymph nodes, often with radiation  versus women whose surgeons took more time on the decision.

It's a concern, experts said, because removing those lymph nodes can cause women to develop chronic lymphedema  sometimes severe and debilitating swelling of the affected arm.

At issue is a practice that was once routine, but has been on the wane in more recent years: evaluating patients' underarm lymph nodes during breast cancer surgery, rather than waiting until later.

Traditionally, the idea was to remove and examine the "sentinel" armpit nodes nearest to the location of the breast tumor, to catch signs that the cancer has begun to spread. If so, doctors can surgically remove many of the remaining underarm nodes, in a bid to thwart a cancer recurrence.

Evaluating the sentinel nodes in "real time"  during breast cancer surgery instead of sending them to a pathologist to examine later  helped avoid having women come back for a second procedure.

However, experts said the real-time approach has become much less common over the years. That's in large part because research has shown that with modern treatments  including breast radiation and hormonal therapies  many women can avoid surgical removal of their underarm lymph nodes.

Plus, surgeons today benefit from extensive imaging done before breast cancer surgery, explained Dr. Freya Schnabel, a surgical oncologist at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center, in New York City.

That means surgeons have a good idea of what they'll see going in  including whether a woman has only one or two sentinel nodes with signs of cancer, and can therefore avoid having underarm nodes removed.

"It's unusual to be 'surprised' with extensive [underarm node] disease in the operating room," said Schnabel, who was not involved in the new study.

For all of those reasons, she said, the need for real-time evaluation of the sentinel lymph nodes has petered out.

It has, in fact, become routine to do it after surgery for women undergoing a lumpectomy (where only the breast tumor is removed).

But for women having a mastectomy, real-time evaluation has not gone away.

"A lot of institutions have moved away from it, but there's still variability," said senior study author Dr. Olga Kantor, a breast surgical oncologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston.

So, Kantor and her colleagues wanted to see how that variability is altering the rest of patients' treatment.

The researchers used a national database to find information on just over 8,200 U.S. women who underwent mastectomies in 2018 to 2019. All had tumors that were no bigger than 5 centimeters and only one or two sentinel lymph nodes with evidence of cancer.

Most of the time  about 63% of cases  the nodes were evaluated after surgery. However, that left more than one-third of women who did have evaluations in the operating room (OR). And, Kantor's team found, they were far more likely to get aggressive treatment.

About 40% of those women had additional underarm nodes removed and received radiation to the area. That compared with only 5% of women whose sentinel nodes were studied after surgery.

According to Kantor, timing can make a critical difference. When sentinel nodes are evaluated after surgery, other doctors involved in a patient's care have a say in the decision-making. So it's not an on-the-spot decision by the surgeon, who may not know a patient's overall treatment plan.

Schnabel agreed the findings suggest that waiting has benefits.

OR evaluations, she said, "did not lead to better surgical decision-making, and may have led to overtreatment  exposing patients to an increased risk of side effects."

The findings were scheduled for presentation Thursday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, held in Boston. Studies released at meetings are generally considered preliminary until they are published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Kantor said she hopes the results sway more surgeons on the timing of sentinel node evaluations. She thinks some medical centers still do them in the OR to spare patients a second surgery.

But, Kantor noted, in this study that happened to only 12% of women who had their nodes evaluated after their mastectomy.

Waiting is nothing "radical," she said. It's been proven in clinical trials, and incorporated into medical guidelines.

"I think it's just been slower to be incorporated into practice," Kantor explained.

More information

The American Cancer Society has more on breast cancer surgery.

SOURCES: Olga Kantor, MD, MS, breast surgical oncologist, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and assistant professor, surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston; Freya Schnabel, MD, surgical oncologist, Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone, and professor, surgery, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York City; presentation, American Society of Breast Surgeons annual meeting, Boston, April 27, 2023
A Russian court on Thursday fined the Wikimedia Foundation, which owns Wikipedia, two million rubles ($24,510) for not deleting what it said was "banned content" related to the Russian military, Interfax reported.

It said this was the seventh fine imposed on Wikimedia in 2023 for not removing prohibited information. The fines now total 8.4 million rubles.

The latest penalty was for not removing an article about a military unit that contained "classified military information" about its location, composition and equipment, including information related to the progress of what Russia calls its special military operation in Ukraine.
JEFFERSON CITY  Missouri lawmakers want to make it harder to cheat on drug tests by outlawing the distribution and sale of synthetic urine.

A measure that has already cleared the Missouri House would ban the distribution, delivery and sale of a drug masking product  making the offense a class A misdemeanor, which carries a maximum one year in jail and $2,000 fine.

A drug masking product would include synthetic urine, human urine, or substances for adding to human urine, hair or saliva for the purpose of defrauding an alcohol or a drug screening test.

The measure, part of a wide-ranging crime bill awaiting action in a Senate committee, is supported by Quest Diagnostics, a company that says it conducts millions of drug tests each year.

Sarah Schlemeier, lobbyist for Quest Diagnostics, told the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on Monday that the company partners with private employers for employee drug tests.

She said often when a drug test comes back inconclusive, you cannot tell if that is because they are using a drug masking product or because it was an invalid sample.

She said the inconclusive tests cause companies to use unnecessary resources on retesting.

Debate on the measure follows voter passage in November of a constitutional amendment legalizing marijuana for recreational use.

The amendment says that even though marijuana is legal, an employer can take adverse action against an employee if they were on the clock while high.

Drug masking products arent the only goods lawmakers are going after this legislative session.

A measure to ban counterfeit lighters that infringe on someones intellectual property rights as well as lighters that dont comply with an industry standard awaits debate in the Senate.

The legislation is House Bill 1108.
An artificial womb resembling a plastic bag has been used to keep premature lambs alive for four weeks outside of their own mother's womb and could one day be applied to premature babies.

The sealed bag, made of polythene, contains amniotic fluid to provide all the nutrients and protection needed for growth, an interface delivering oxygen just as an umbilical cord would, and exchanging gases just like a placenta.

The system works to mimic the environment of a natural womb and the team hopes to one day adapt the technology for use on premature babies.

"We've developed a system that, as closely as possible, reproduces the environment of the womb and replaces the function of the placenta," said Dr. Alan Flake, a fetal surgeon and director of the Center for Fetal Research in the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) who led the research, published Tuesday.

"This, in theory, should allow support of premature infants," he said, adding that his team's goal is to "meet the unmet need of extreme prematurity."

One in ten US births are premature (younger than 37 weeks gestational age), according to the team. And about 30,000 per year are critically preterm, meaning they are born younger than 26 weeks. The average human gestation period is 40 weeks.

Flake adds this level of extreme prematurity is the leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity in the US, accounting for one-third of all infant deaths and one-half of all cases of cerebral palsy attributed to prematurity.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in the UK also report poor survival of babies born at gestations below 24 weeks, despite great progress in neonatal care.

Globally, more than one in 10 pregnancies will end in preterm birth. In babies born preterm, the chance of survival at less than 23 weeks is almost zero, while at 23 weeks it is 15%, at 24 weeks 55% and at 25 weeks this increases to about 80%, according to UK maternal and fetal research charity, Tommy's.

Flake's team hope their new system may improve survival rates among this group of babies in the future, but acknowledge it will take at least a decade.

How it works

To show the potential of their system, the CHOP team worked with six premature lambs aged 105 to 111 days, as they are developmentally similar to a human fetus at 23 weeks, said Flake. "We supported these lambs in a very stable fashion for up to four weeks," he said.

The system was comprised of a few main factors to support stable development: a circulatory system, a closed fluid environment and use of the fetus' own heart to pump blood around the system -- not an external pump.

It all works together so that blood flows to and from the fetus, through a gas-exchange interface similar to what would occur across a placenta, while the fetus remains in a stable fluid environment.

"Fluid is very important in terms of fetal lung development," said Flake. It also helps insulate and protect a fetus from infection and maintains temperature, pressure and light. "It continuously exchanges amniotic fluid ... in the same way that amniotic fluid is exchanged in the uterus," he said during a press briefing.

And the team's efforts were successful, with the lambs showing normal circulation, blood pressure, metabolic processing, growth, lung development and brain development after four weeks inside the artificial womb.

"All the parameters that we measured in the fetal lamb system appeared normal. Our intent is to support premature infants in that very early range," said Flake, adding "it may ultimately have other applications as well, relating to fetal transition."

Moving forward, slowly

The team at CHOP now plan to refine the system by downsizing it for human infants who are one-third the size of the lambs, as well as develop the ideal amniotic fluid for human use.

But it will take time. Flake hopes it could be used clinically in humans in a decade.

"This is a really attractive concept, and this study is a very important step forward. There are still huge challenges to refine the technique, to make good results more consistent and eventually to compare outcomes with current neonatal intensive care strategies," said Colin Duncan, professor of reproductive medicine and science at the University of Edinburgh, who was not involved in the research.

"This treatment will not enter the clinic anytime soon," Duncan added, citing the example of steroid injections for women at risk of delivering a premature baby now used to help accelerate fetal lung development, which was discovered using sheep models.

"That treatment took well over 20 years to get into clinical practice," he said.
BANGKOK (AP)  Human rights organizations urged Thailand on Thursday to improve conditions in its immigration detention facilities after a second asylum seeker from Chinas Muslim Uyghur minority died in custody within two months.

Human Rights Watch called for an end to Thailands inhumane and counterproductive policy of indefinitely detaining people accused of violating immigration law after Uyghur rights groups reported Mattohti Mattursun, 40, died last Friday of suspected liver failure shortly after being taken to a hospital weeks after falling ill.

Thai authorities are putting people seeking refugee protection at grave risk by keeping them for years in awful conditions in immigration detention centers, Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in an emailed statement. Mattohti Mattursuns death should sound the alarm to end this abusive policy of incarcerating asylum seekers and refugees for prolonged periods.

Rights groups have long criticized conditions at immigration detention facilities. The Thailand-based Coalition for the Rights of Refugees and Stateless Persons charged in a statement Thursday that detainees do not have access to adequate medical care and are confined indoors 24 hours a day in overcrowded, unsanitary cells without access to adequate or halal food, physical exercise, or appropriate medical treatment.

Mattursun fled to Thailand from China in 2014 and had been detained for more than nine years, according to a statement from the World Uyghur Congress and the Uyghur Human Rights Project.

He was the second Uyghur detainee in Thailand to die in the past two months. Aziz Abdullah, 49, reportedly died from pneumonia in February. Both men were transferred to the Immigration Detention Center in central Bangkok in July 2022, the statement said.

Repeated calls seeking comment from the police Immigration Bureau were unsuccessful.

Chalida Tajaroensuk, president of the Peoples Empowerment Foundation, a Thai human rights promotion group that works with migrants, confirmed Mattursun's death. She said she has been informed that several Uyghur detainees at the facility were sick and have had difficulties seeking treatment, although there are readily available volunteer doctors.

What we are urgently asking the authorities is to allow a doctor to go in there to perform a health check for them, she told The Associated Press. You cant just let them keep falling ill and keep dying.

Chalida said Mattursun is the fifth Uyghur refugee who has died while being detained in Thailand, and that 43 others are currently being held in the Bangkok center. Several other deaths of immigration detainees have been reported over the years.

Up-to-date statistics about the number of people being held for violating immigration laws are difficult to find. The Immigration Bureau said in March 2021, when there was particular concern because of the coronavirus pandemic, that there were 1,615 detainees in Bangkok at that time, including 1,125 at the main detention center in central Bangkok.

In 2015, Thailand sent 109 members of the Uyghur minority back to China against their will because of Chinese pressure despite fears they would face official persecution and possible torture.

Advocates for the Uyghur minority, along with independent researchers, contend that a million or more people from Uyghur and other minority groups have been forced into detention camps in Chinas Xinjiang province, where many say they were tortured, sexually assaulted and forced to abandon their language and religion.

China denies the allegations and argues its policies in Xinjiang are aimed at quashing extremism.
THURSDAY, April 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Selfie shots might seem shallow but theyre actually serving a deeper psychological purpose, a new study suggests.

So-called "third-person" photos -- shots taken to include the photographer, such as selfies or group shots -- are better at depicting the deeper meaning of an event in a persons life, by showing them actively participating in that moment, according to researchers.

On the other hand, "first-person" photos -- the photographer's eye view of a scene -- best represent the physical experience of an event, the authors explained.

These results counter the view that people post selfies on sites like Instagram just to promote themselves, said study co-author Lisa Libby, professor of psychology at Ohio State University.

These photos with you in it can document the bigger meaning of a moment, Libby said in a university news release. It doesnt have to be vanity.

Previous studies have suggested that two important motivations for taking photos could be to either capture the physical experience of an event or portray the events broader meaning.

Researchers provided two examples involving a trip to the beach. A photo of the ocean would capture the physical experience of a beautiful day, but a selfie with a friend would capture time spent with a loved one.

The researchers teased out these differences in a series of six studies involving just over 2,100 participants.

In one online study, participants read a scenario in which they might want to take a photo, such as spending the day at a beach with a close friend.

Results showed that the higher participants rated the meaning of the event to them, the more likely they would take a photo with themselves in it.

Another study asked people to examine photos they posted to their Instagram accounts, to figure out the intuition people use to decide the perspective of their pics.

Participants opened their most recent post featuring their own photo and were asked whether the pic made them think more about the physical experience or the bigger meaning of the moment.

If the photo featured the participant in the shot, they were more likely to say the photo made them think of the bigger meaning of the moment, researchers found. Photos featuring the scene from their own visual perspective made them think of the physical experience.

The researchers also found that people dont like photos as much if the snap doesnt capture their intended goal.

In another experiment, participants again opened their most recent Instagram post featuring one of their photos.

Researchers asked whether they were trying to capture the bigger meaning or the physical experience of the moment, and then asked them to rate how they felt about the photo.

We found that people didnt like their photo as much if there was a mismatch between the photo perspective and their goal in taking the photo, Libby said.

For example, if their goal was to capture the meaning of the moment, they liked the photo more if they were included in the image, researchers said.

Overall, the results suggest that people have an intuition about what perspective to use in their photos, said lead author Zachary Niese, a doctoral graduate of Ohio State who is now a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Tubingen in Germany.

The study was published April 27 in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.

I hope this study increases peoples knowledge about how photo perspective affects how they react to photos, Niese said in the release. That way, they can make sure they consciously choose the perspective that will meet their goal.

The results also suggest people may be posting photos on Instagram and elsewhere for more than just their audience, he said.

This work suggests people also have very personal motives for taking photos," Niese added. "Even on social media, it appears that people are curating images for themselves to look back on to capture the experience or the meaning of the event."

More information

The American Psychological Association has more about the potentially harmful effects of Instagram.

SOURCE: Ohio State University, news release, April 27, 2023
More than 150 years ago, French carpenter Antoine Reeb immigrated to the little village of Florissant and built a small frame home with a mansard roof on the banks of Fountain Creek.

Reeb and his wife had three children, two daughters and a son. By historic accounts, Reeb was a hard-working and honest man.

On Feb. 20 of this year, the little house with the mansard roof went up in flames. The man who lived there, Daniel Gove, 57, is accused of starting the fire. And the towns nonprofit preservation group, Historic Florissant Inc., is working to save the house. If it cant get the funds or resources to do so, the owner plans to raze it.

This is a special little house, said group president Gina Siebe. While it is not the oldest home in Florissant  that one dates to 1790  it is a great example of French architecture, she explained, and one of only two historic buildings in Florissant with mansard roofs. So it would be a big blow to the historic district to lose that house.

The two-bedroom home, about 1,000 square feet, is in the 400 block of St. Charles Street. The owners, Brian and Sheila Walsh, are willing to sell it to Historic Florissant for $1.

Siebe is on a resource-finding mission to see how much it would cost to save, and if they can get contractors to work on it for the cost of materials, which she estimates would be $250,000.

If the group cannot take on the project, Brian Walsh plans to have the building razed because he doesnt have the time or resources to take it on himself, he said.

Im ready to move on, he said. But at the same time, he said, hed hate to see history go away.

The home had served as a private residence and as a business over the years, and it was home to a title company in 2014 when the Walshes bought it to turn into an antique shop. They ran it for several years and then rented it to Gove a few years ago. They knew him as a customer from the antique shop. Gove was otherwise a good tenant, Brian Walsh said, and even wanted to buy the home.

But at about 3:30 a.m. on Feb. 20, a neighbor spotted flames shooting out the window. The fire department responded. Gove wasnt at home. According to court documents, earlier that morning, Florissant police went to a disturbance at a nearby gas station and saw Gove filling a gas can. Later that morning, police eventually tracked down Gove, who gave them conflicting statements about the fire and when he was home.

A witness said she saw Gove on the phone talking about the fire, and he described how he punctured cans of chemicals and placed them in the stove. He said that Frazier, an alternative personality, started the fire. Cell phone records show he was near the home at the time. He was charged with second-degree arson.

Captain Jason Drezek of the Florissant Valley Fire Protection District said that while the fire was put out relatively quickly, they were on scene longer than usual, about three hours, because of how the house was built. There were several layers of walls and ceiling, and instead of using hooks to poke the layers and find fire inside, firefighters had to use chainsaws. It was very challenging, because it was inside those walls. If we didnt get inside those walls, the house would have burned to the ground, he said.

While the front part of the house is largely intact, the back half has the most damage. Some roof trusses need to be replaced as well as a support beam along the back wall.

Brian Walsh has found colored glass, parts of lanterns and jars in the ground and underneath the porch, evidence of families who lived here long ago.

Siebe said Historic Florissant might rent or sell the home, or maybe open it as a museum. Antoine Reeb built the frame home next door, so its a little historic district within itself. The group has already saved 10 houses from possible demolition and works out of the brick Gittemeier House, a historic brick home that belonged to a German immigrant.

Florissant has the oldest homes in St. Louis County. The French first came here as fur trappers in the 1700s. The Spanish owned the land, and gave villagers space to build houses and fertile common fields from Coldwater Creek to the Missouri River, which was attractive to the French. The French built homes in the lower part closer to the common fields, and the later German immigrants built homes in the upper part.

The Old St. Ferdinand Shrine, located across from the Reeb home, dates to the early 1800s. Reebs son attended St. Ferdinand School and the daughters attended the Loretto Academy next to the shrine. The academy was destroyed by fire in 1919, prompting the establishment of the Florissant Valley Fire Protection District.

The board is in support as long as we can get the community help, said Siebe. We need funding, and we need services. Lots of people are concerned about the house and they want it to be restored.

To donate or help Historic Florissant with resources or cleaning out the house, visit historicflorissant.com or call 314-565-1468.
Astronobeads

Designer/Founder  Bea Doheny

Age  21

Home  Brentwood

What she sells  Astronomy-inspired jewelry

How to buy  Visit astronobeads.com; Challenger Learning Center gift shop in Ferguson; Star Talk Radio podcast online shop, startalkradio.net/shop; or Hazel 2 Blue in Alton.

Alhough Bea Doheny has had a lifelong fascination with what it means to look up at the stars, her astronomy business started with a clever idea for a simple friendship gift to classmates at Nerinx Hall High School in Webster Groves. She made her first solar system bracelets as graduation gifts along with a note reading, Whenever you look down, remember that I think youre out of this world. Needless to say, All of my friends loved them. But thats not when she launched her business.

Cosmic encounter  During her sophomore year at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Doheny sought advice from professor Gregory Bier, who also happens to be the director of the University of Missouris Entrepreneurship Alliance. He convinced her that she didnt have to wait to finish her business degree to start an enterprise from her dorm room. He liked the idea and saw my potential and set me up with a mentor, she said. And although it seemed far-fetched, she said there seemed to be an eager Earth-bound customer for her cosmic accessories.

Out of this world  She didnt have to court renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, long. Shes one of Tysons millions of fans and has a unique story, so she figured shed send him a note. It was a long shot, but she sent him a message last year telling him that she was a 20-year-old jewelry designer and thought his followers and listeners would like her line. I said something like, it would be nice if you gave me a shout-out, Doheny said. She wasnt trying to be cocky, just honest and sincere. Tyson didnt respond, but one of his staff at the Star Talk podcast did. Doheny started corresponding with them and eventually she sent a package of items including a mens Jupiter and Galilean moons bracelet ($20) that was later worn and photographed on Tyson. The online store associated with his podcast is now one of the top sellers of her work.

Long story short  Each item includes an educational component to spark interest in the stars, not just quirky adornments. For instance the Jupiter bracelet includes this backstory: When Galileo spotted four little moons revolving around Jupiter, he knew it was time to question everything. He helped prove the heliocentric theory that we are not the center of the universe and there is always room for discovery, Doheny writes on her website. She said, It really means question everything. When Galileo discovered the moons revolving around the other planets, he realized things were revolving around something bigger, so he figured out that we cant be the center because there were other things revolving around the sun. But at the time the church ruled a lot of theory, and they didnt like his new theory. So even if it goes against the norm. We have to discover more.

Need space  One of Dohenys not-so-secret passions is also space wordplay. She loves the heartfelt (I love you to the moon and back) and the ones that make you groan (Youve got the whole world in your hands). She started by selling a friendship package of three bracelets  Earth, moon and sun  that she marketed as a great gifting trio.

Blue dot  One of her favorites is the Pale Blue Dot necklace featuring a light blue bead along a lengthy chain of black beads to symbolize the Earth drifting in the vastness of space. For Earth Day, she promoted a #myspotonthedot contest for customers to post photos of them lifting up their arms and having others guess where the photo was taken. No matter where you are, what you believe or what language you speak, the sun and the planets remind us just how connected we are and how much we have yet to explore and learn, she said. A fan from New Zealand wrote to tell Doheny that she was one in billions of billions.
Cheree Berry Paper

Designer  Cheree Berry

Age  39

Home  Clayton

Family  Jeff York, 39, husband; children Elizabeth Biz, 5; Harry, 4; and Alexander Zander, 19 months

What she sells  Customized graphic design services and products specializing in stationery.

How to buy  Visit the Cheree Berry Paper studio at 215 North Meramec (note theyll be moving in July); find options at Target stores and target.com; or online at Paperless Post or chereeberrypaper.com where you can see other collaborations including an adorable line of baby booties.

Cheree Berrys St. Louis-based company is celebrating 10 years in business, but according to her, none of this was planned. She worked in the graphic design department of Kate Spade in New York from 2003 until starting her company in 2007. Thats where she honed her sweet, unique style of clever, coy elegance.

Change of address  Berry, who is from St. Louis, was living in New York when she met her husband through a mutual friend. She was home visiting her parents, and he was living in St. Louis. After about a year of managing a long-distance relationship, she said, I needed to decide. New York (and her fifth-floor walk-up apartment) lost. It was too exhausting. It became the perfect opportunity to start her own business. She now has 22 employees.

Modern etiquette  Berry says her love of correspondence was fostered by her mothers instilling the ritual of thank-you notes and greeting cards. Now Berrys oldest is in kindergarten: Her birthday is in June, so this will be the first year that shell write her own thank-you notes. Ill give her a template to follow, and well have her first visit to the post office to send them. Berry said Biz is a natural. She signs her name with flourish, drawing a star or a heart instead of a dot above the i. And, of course, Biz has her own stationery embellished with bumble bees to play off her name and the sound of the busy pollinators.

Digital dilemma  Though her first love is written stationery, Berry said shes acquiesced to the times by producing a variety of electronic cards through Paperless Post.  Its a different time; some things just lend themselves to electronic invitations, said Berry, noting that its quicker and easier to post updates or send reminders. But her company doesnt do electronic wedding invitations. You have to draw the line somewhere.

Uncommon correspondence  We love the playful, the unexpected and the clever, Berry said. Oh, and gold foil on everything. She said the joy of designing invitations and correspondence is that youre putting together a puzzle. How does the RSVP card nestle into the invitation? What are the elements and how do they emerge from the envelope? Whats the first piece you see, the second? Organization is just as important as the design, she said. And shell ask questions like, What type of ink will you use and are you a script person or a block letter person? It all matters.
Artist Timothy Bolts love of the city, its architecture, and its urban character shows in the watercolors he paints of the built environment. He comes by his fascination with architecture honestly. When I was growing up, my parents built the homes we lived in, he says. My grandfather was a carpenter, and Ive always been interested in buildings.

He walked the neighborhoods of south St. Louis with his parents because they also owned a paper route. We would go door to door, up and down Scrubby Dutch steps, collecting bills for the newspapers. Those were the olden days, but I would look at the fancy brickwork, the styles of houses, see how different flowers grew  all those things made an impression on me, he says.

South by Southeast  Bolt attended grade school on the south side at Holy Family and Horace Mann, then put in a short stint at Roosevelt High School. A move to southeastern Missouri in his teenage years started him on the path to making art. My parents built a house in Fletcher, Missouri, just outside of DeSoto. That's where I met Juanita Wyman, my high school art teacher, who was a game changer. She taught a watercolor section in her class, so I stuck in there learning watercolors. I was active in the art club, which she ran, and that's how I got started painting.

After graduation he enrolled at Jefferson College in Hillsboro and earned an associate's degree in architecture. The plan was to finish a bachelors degree there and go into architecture, he says, but best laid plans sometimes go awry.

My parents moved back to St. Louis, and I went to the University of Missouri in St. Louis where I got a bachelors degree in art history. While he was a student, he worked at the St. Louis Art Museum in the drawings, prints and watercolor section. I matted things, cataloged and did some framing, he says.

Life happens  His work life didnt follow the blueprint hed established in his studies. After graduation, he got married and worked as a caseworker for the state of Missouri for a bit, then broke into selling real estate for a number of years, which fit with his love of buildings. The knowledge gained in real estate led to a long career in banking and mortgage lending, which provided support for his family. Making art took a back seat.

Art transpires  A frank conversation with his sister got him back to his art. I would dabble in watercolors, but not really take it on. And then my sister Mary kicked me in the butt, he says. Were very close, and I love her to death, but she said You need to do something with this talent you have.'

His sister didnt stop with a straightforward conversation. That was in 2010. She drew up a contract on a piece of scratch paper. Tim Bolt will do four sets of four seasons of Holly Hills landscape paintings. He will put them out and sell them within the next year, by April 1st.

With encouragement from his sister, his wife, and his daughters, Bolt cleared out a corner of the basement of their house in Holly Hills and made a studio. By 2011, hed found his metier  painting watercolors of the St. Louis built landscape  and sold his first paintings.

Art and life  Bolt and his wife, who taught drama at Cor Jesu Academy for many years, raised their three daughters in south St. Louis. Sarah, who lives in Connecticut, and Emily, now in Los Angeles, are both working actors. Katherine taught theater and speech in Rockwood Summit. After their children left home, the Bolts downsized twice, first to Lafayette Square, and then to their home in the Arcade Building downtown in 2015.

The developers planned to lease space to qualifying artists who would actively produce work in the newly renovated building. Bolts art paved the way.

I qualified, and we got in, he says. We have a two-bedroom apartment. The second bedroom is my studio, he says.

Bolts advice to anyone who wants to make art is simple. Just do the work and whatever you want will come. Put it out there, even if you think it's not perfect. Do it.

Timothy Bolt, Watercolor Artist

Artist  Timothy Bolt

Age  66

Family  Bolt has been married to Laura VonderHaar Bolt for 42 years. They have three daughters and five grandchildren. Their dog Millie loves living downtown with them.

Home  Downtown

What he makes  Bolt is a watercolorist who specializes in painting landmarks, neighborhoods and scenes from St. Louis, his hometown. He also paints commissions of private homes and businesses.

Where to buy  Bolt sells his work directly from his website, timboltwatercolor.com, and through Instagram. His work is available at Benton Park Cafe and at Artisans in the Loop. He also does art shows throughout the area.

How much  Prices for original 13.5-inch-by-10.5 inch watercolors range from $150, matted, to $200, matted and framed. Greeting cards start at $5.
I was 10-weeks pregnant and craving pizza while on vacation in Germany. We picked a well-reviewed restaurant, only to be told that no tables would be available that night. My husband, who meant well, suggested we try our luck at a different restaurant a few doors down. But it didnt serve pizza, and for me at that moment, nothing but pizza would do.

So, naturally, I burst into tears.

Thankfully, we swiftly found another option and my highly specific food craving was satisfied. But traveling while pregnant is tricky, assuming its safe for you to do so (always talk to your doctor or midwife first). Not only might you be dealing with nausea, fatigue, food cravings you may not be able to accommodate in other countries, and other maladies, but also some travel activities can be unsafe during pregnancy.

I traveled a few times while pregnant, both for work and leisure, leaning on a few helpful credit card perks to make the experience as comfortable as possible. Your cards benefits could smooth the way to a less chaotic, and more enjoyable, travel experience.

WHEN BOOKING TRAVEL: INSURANCE AND SEAT UPGRADES

Travel protections like trip cancellation insurance can come in handy if you need to back out of your trip due to a covered reason, like illness. Note that what counts as a covered reason can vary by card, and some situations related to pregnancy may not be covered. This can include travel after a certain week in your pregnancy, or if you become pregnant with multiples before booking travel . Review what your card does and doesnt cover, and consider additional travel insurance if needed.

Thanks to big sign-up bonuses, airline credit cards speed up the time it takes to earn a substantial number of miles. Booking flights directly through airlines with those miles can give you an out if you need to cancel your trip. Some airlines will refund your miles with no fees if you back out, even close to your travel date.

If youre accustomed to toughing it out in the back of the plane, this might be a good time to cash in miles earned from airline cards on a seat upgrade. A dangerous health issue to avoid is deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot that can travel to your lungs. Your risk of DVT increases in pregnancy. More spacious seating with increased mobility could decrease lower extremity swelling and venous stasis, which can increase the risk of DVT, Dr. Meghan Zysik said in an email. Zysik is an attending obstetrician and gynecologist at Albany Medical Center, part of the Albany Med Health System in Albany, New York.

AT THE AIRPORT: DITCH THE LUGGAGE AND LINES, EMBRACE THE LOUNGES

The times I traveled alone, I didnt want to hoist my carry-on bag into the overhead compartment, and theres never a guarantee a kind stranger will offer to help (especially if you arent visibly pregnant yet). With airline cards, you typically get a free checked bag, saving you $60 in bag fees per round trip flight. Everybody has to pay attention to their body, says P. Fadwah Halaby, a certified nurse midwife in West Palm Beach, Florida. Dont lift it if it feels like its going to hurt. Halaby recommends limiting lifting any bags weighing more than 25 pounds.

Now that you can move through the security line unencumbered by baggage, dont let that statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry go unused. Not only is this benefit worth at least $78 in value , but itll also get you out of line, and off of your feet, faster. Prolonged standing can lead to physical discomfort and worsen lower extremity swelling, Zysik said. Take the time saved with PreCheck to eat a meal, sit, and rest or doing calming routines such as meditation.

A perfect place to do all those things is an airport lounge, which some travel cards grant you free access to.

DURING THE TRIP: HOTEL FREEBIES AND AWAY-FROM-HOME MEDICAL CARE

Your credit card company may offer referrals to local medical providers if you need assistance during your trip. This can include providing names of English-speaking doctors and hospitals, and even helping you stay in contact with your family . Youd have to pay any out-of-pocket costs for these services, but youll get help during a stressful time.

Hotel credit cards come packed with extras to make your stay more relaxing. One of my cards earned me status, granting free access to a lounge at our hotel in Berlin that provided breakfast, happy hour and all-day snacks . You can also get a few more hours of rest with late checkout, another benefit of cards that give you automatic status at hotel brands.

TAKE REASONABLE PRECAUTIONS

Before heading out of town, talk with your doctor or midwife because some medical conditions during pregnancy may increase your risk of health complications. Certain activities are off limits, like scuba diving . Your medical provider can also recommend medications that can ease pregnancy symptoms.

And, of course, they may insist you refrain from travel entirely. You have to use common sense. It really needs to be said, Halaby says. Do you have a diagnosis? Are you being treated for something in particular that may or may not be good for traveling? If any of that is the case for you, a relaxing staycation may be the more medically sound option.

This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Sara Rathner is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: srathner@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @SaraKRathner.

RELATED LINK:

NerdWallet: How to Choose a Travel Credit Card https://bit.ly/nerdwallet-how-to-choose-a-travel-credit-card
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  I won't forget the first time I took a ride in a car without anyone sitting in the driver's seat.

It happened one night last September when a Chevy Bolt named Peaches picked me up outside a San Francisco bar. Our ensuing half-hour ride together produced, at first, a titillating display of technology's promise. Then an unexpected twist made me worry that the encounter had turned into a mistake I would regret.

Peaches and I were getting along great for most of our time together as the car deftly navigated through hilly San Francisco streets similar to those that Steve McQueen careened through during a famous chase scene in the 1968 film Bullitt. Unlike McQueen, Peaches never exceeded 30 miles per hour (48 kilometers per hour) because of restrictions imposed by state regulators on a ride-hailing service operated by Cruise, a General Motors subsidiary, since it won approval to transport fare-paying passengers last June.

It was all going so smoothly that I was starting to buy into the vision of Cruise and Waymo, a self-driving car pioneer spun off from a Google project that is also trying launch a ride-hailing service in San Francisco.

The theory fueling the ambition is that driverless cars will be safer than vehicles operated by frequently distracted, occasionally intoxicated humans  and, in the case of robotaxis, be less expensive to ride in than automobiles that require a human behind the wheel.

The concept does sound good. And the technology to pull it off is advancing steadily, just like other artificial intelligence applications such as chatbots that can write college-level essays and produce impressive pieces of art within seconds.

But when something goes awry, as it did near the end of my encounter with Peaches, that sense of astonishment and delight can evaporate very quickly.

DESTINATION: UNCERTAIN

As we approached my designated drop-off location near the Fairmont Hotel  where presidents have stayed and Tony Bennett first sang I Left My Heart In San Francisco"  Peaches advised me to gather my belongings and prepare to get out of the car.

While I grabbed my bag as the robotaxi appeared to be pulling over to the curb, Peaches suddenly sped up and  inexplicably  started driving away in the opposite direction.

After seeing the dashboard display screen indicating I was now somehow an estimated 20 minutes away from my destination, I grew frantic. I asked Peaches what was going on. There was no response, so I used a feature on Cruise's ride-hailing center that enables a passenger to contact a human in a call center.

The Cruise representative confirmed that Peaches had gotten confused, apologized and assured me the robotaxi had been reprogrammed to get me to my original destination.

Indeed, the car did seem to be headed back to where I requested. Then it started doing the old same thing again, making me wonder whether Peaches might like me a little too much to let me go. Feeling more like I was stuck on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Disneyland than riding in an artificially intelligent car, I contacted Cruise's call center. Peaches, they told me apologetically, seemed to be malfunctioning.

Suddenly, Peaches came to a halt right in the middle of the street. I bolted from the Bolt, marooned several blocks away from my destination shortly before 10 p.m.

Fortunately, I know my way around San Francisco, so I walked the rest of the way to where I needed to be. But what if this had happened to tourists? Would they know where to go? How would they feel being forced to walk around a strange neighborhood in a big city late at night?

MAYBE DON'T STOP HERE

When I discussed the incident during an interview for a recent story about robotaxis, Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt apologized and assured me the problem had been fixed.

Sure enough, I was picked up and dropped off at my designated destinations in rides I took with another Associated Press reporter in two different Cruise robotaxis  one named Cherry and the other Hollandaise  on a mid-February night in San Francisco. But Cherry chose to drop us off at a bus stop just as a bus was trying to pull up to pick up a bunch of passengers. They weren't happy about their ride on mass transit being delayed; they began jeering us.

My experience apparently isn't isolated. The San Francisco County Transportation Authority has raised a red flag about robotaxis making unexpected, prolonged stops in the middle of streets and identified other problems that threaten to cause headaches and potentially imperil public safety.

Earlier this month, Vogt revealed that Cruise had voluntarily recalled the software in 300 robotaxis after one of them rear-ended a bus in San Francisco and declared the problem that led to the fender-bender had been fixed. Not long after that, five Waymo vehicles blocked traffic after becoming disoriented in San Francisco's famously foggy conditions and coming to a stop.

And my experience with Peaches? Whenever I reminisce about that ride, I am also reminded of another trip to New York that I took two days after the robotaxi couldn't deliver me to my destination.

After I landed at JFK Airport, I hopped into an old-fashioned taxi driven by a fellow named Talid. I remember having a pleasant conversation with Talid, who chuckled as I recounted what happened with Peaches. At the end of the ride, Talid dropped me off at Grand Central Terminal, as I had requested. Then his cab drove off  with, of course, a human still behind the wheel.

Michael Liedtke covers technology for The Associated Press. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/liedtkeSFC
India's defense minister accused China on Thursday of eroding the "entire basis" of ties between the countries by violating bilateral agreements, a reference to a nearly 3-year-old standoff involving thousands of soldiers stationed along their disputed border in the eastern Ladakh region.

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met with visiting Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu and "had frank discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations," India's Defense Ministry said.

Singh told Li that "development of relations between India and China is premised on the prevalence of peace and tranquility at the borders," and that all border issues need to be resolved in accordance with existing agreements and commitments, the ministry said in a statement.

There was no immediate comment on the talks by the Chinese side.

India says the deployment of a large number of Chinese troops, their aggressive behavior and attempts to unilaterally alter the border status quo violate agreements between the countries. The violations have "eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations," Singh said.
Hiking is so much more enjoyable when you can take your four-legged sidekick along. Finding the perfect place to hike with your pup may require a bit more digging, but its certainly time well spent.

While it may be intuitive to think that all hiking trails are dog friendly, thats not always the case. While most parks allow dogs, they typically have trails specifically designated as dog friendly.

In addition, some trails require dogs to be leashed while hiking, while others allow dogs to be off-leash. Another consideration is the dog-friendly trails rating. They can range from easy to very strenuous. You need to determine if your dog (and you) are beginner, intermediate, or advanced hikers.

The good news is that there are many dog-friendly hiking trails in parks across the United States.

We've plucked out some of the fan-favorites, from coast to coast!

Pisgah National Forest

Pisgah National Forest is located in western North Carolina in Brevard, NC. However, it surrounds almost all of the ever popular pet-friendly destination, Asheville, NC. Pisgah National Forest boasts over 500,000 acres of some of the most majestic mountain scenery, and is one of the best places for outdoor exploration in eastern North America. You and your pooch will find whitewater rivers, waterfalls, along with hundreds of miles of hiking trails.

One of the more popular dog-friendly trails is Sam Nob Trail. Its a moderate trail that is 2.5 miles and takes about 1.5 hours to complete. Its well maintained, has beautiful views, and portions of the trail have stairs. Dogs must be on-leash.

Find pet-friendly places to stay in Asheville.

Acadia National Park

Located in the bayside town of Bar Harbor, Maine, this spectacular park is Maines only National Park -- but it sure is a must-visit for hikers and their pups. Located on Maines amazing coast, across from the infamous Mount Desert Island, this park is sure to please two and four-legged visitors. Dogs are welcome on almost all trails and carriage roads. With approximately 100 miles of dog-friendly hiking trails  youll find trails for all skill levels.

One of the more popular dog-friendly beginners trail is the Wonderland Trail. Its a short, 1.5 mile trail that takes you out to the ocean and through Maines lush forest. Hiking pups must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet.

Find pet-friendly places to stay in Bar Harbor.

Shenandoah National Park

Shenandoah National Park is located in the glorious Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. It lies just west of Washington, D.C. The Park stretches 105 miles with entrances at Waynesboro, VA and Front Royal, VA. This scenic park boasts towering waterfalls, lots of wildlife, and spectacular views. They have approximately 100 miles of hiking trails. And the good news is most are dog friendly.

A popular dog-friendly trail is the Hawksbill Loop Trail. Its considered a moderately challenging 2.7 mile route. It takes approximately 1 hours to complete. The general rule is that dogs must be on-leash. However, there are some areas of this trail that allow dogs to be off-leash.

Find pet-friendly places to stay in Waynesboro and Front Royal.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Cuyahoga Valley National Park lies along the Cuyahoga River between the Ohio cities of Cleveland, OH and Akron, OH. Dog-friendly Cuyahoga has over 100 miles of trails that welcome dogs. Known as a refuge for native plants and wildlife, this dog-friendly park provides visitors with a plethora of discoveries. The spectacular winding Cuyahoga River sweeps into deep forests and rolling hills -- making hiking with your dog a real adventure!

A top rated moderate dog-friendly trail loop to hike is the Salt Run, Kendall Lake and Cross Country Trail Loop. It's a 6.9 mile loop and it takes about 2.75 hours to complete. There are areas of the trail that allow dogs to be off-leash. For an easier jaunt, take the ever-popular Towpath Trail to follow the historic route of the Ohio & Erie Canal. Dogs must be on-leash for this trail.

Find pet-friendly places to stay in Cleveland and Akron.

Olympic National Park

Theres something for everyone (including your dog) at Olympic National Park. In addition to plenty of hiking trails, this popular spot has beaches, waterfalls, and breathtaking, lush rain forests. Located near Port Angeles and Squim, WA, Olympic National Park allows pups on a number of hiking trails as well as various sections of the beaches.

Devils Punchbowl via Spruce Railroad Trail is a great dog-friendly hike. It takes you along the shoreline of the lake. This trail is considered easy and takes about 50 minutes to complete. Most of the trail is paved, but it becomes unpaved when approaching to Devils Punchbowl. Dogs must be on-leash.

Find pet-friendly places to stay in Port Angeles and Squim.

Grab your four-legged hiking buddy and hit the trails!

About TripsWithPets

TripsWithPets is a leader in the pet travel industry  providing online reservations at pet-friendly hotels across the United States and Canada.

With a vast inventory of pet-friendly accommodations, TripsWithPets provides pet travelers with a wide variety of pet-friendly options.

Pet parents go to TripsWithPets.com for all they need to find and book the perfect place to stay with their pets  including detailed, up-to-date information on hotel pet policies and pet amenities.

As passionate animal advocates, TripsWithPets supports local and national 501(c)(3) animal welfare organizations by raising much needed funds through their annual Partners for Animal Welfare Series (PAWS)
LONDON (AP)  British antitrust regulators on Wednesday blocked Microsofts $69 billion purchase of video game maker Activision Blizzard, thwarting the biggest tech deal in history over worries that it would stifle competition for popular titles like Call of Duty in the fast-growing cloud gaming market.

The Competition and Markets Authority said in its final report that the only effective remedy to the substantial loss of competition is to prohibit the Merger. The companies have vowed to appeal.

The all-cash deal announced 15 months ago faced stiff opposition from rival Sony, which makes the PlayStation gaming system, and also was being scrutinized by regulators in the U.S. and Europe over fears that it would give Microsoft and its Xbox console control of hit franchises like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft.

The U.K. watchdog's decision came as a surprise to most people and heightens global uncertainty over the deal, said Liam Deane, a game industry analyst for research firm Omdia.

Its a big enough market to throw a pretty serious spanner in the works from Microsoft and Activisions perspective, but things will get a lot worse if they also get the wrong decision from the European Commission in a few weeks time, he said.

The U.K. watchdogs concerns centered on how the deal would affect cloud gaming, which streams to tablets, phones and other devices and frees players from buying expensive consoles and gaming computers. Gamers can keep playing major Activision titles, including mobile games like Candy Crush, on the platforms they typically use.

Cloud gaming has the potential to change the industry by giving people more choice over how and where they play, said Martin Colman, chair of the Competition and Markets Authoritys independent expert panel investigating the deal.

This means that it is vital that we protect competition in this emerging and exciting market, he said.

The decision underscores Europes reputation as the global leader in efforts to rein in the power of Big Tech companies. A day earlier, the U.K. government unveiled draft legislation that would give regulators more power to protect consumers from online scams and fake reviews and boost digital competition.

The U.K. decision further dashes Microsofts hopes that a favorable outcome could help it resolve a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. A trial before the FTCs in-house judge is set to begin Aug. 2. The European Unions decision, meanwhile, is due May 22.

Activision lashed out, portraying the watchdog's decision as a bad signal to international investors in the United Kingdom at a time when the British economy faces severe challenges.

The California-based game maker said it would work aggressively" with Microsoft to appeal, asserting that the move contradicts the ambitions of the U.K." to be an attractive place for tech companies.

"We will reassess our growth plans for the U.K. Global innovators large and small will take note that  despite all its rhetoric  the U.K. is clearly closed for business, Activision said.

Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft also signaled it wasn't ready to give up.

We remain fully committed to this acquisition and will appeal, President Brad Smith said in a statement. The decision rejects a pragmatic path to address competition concerns" and discourages tech innovation and investment in Britain, he said.

Were especially disappointed that after lengthy deliberations, this decision appears to reflect a flawed understanding of this market and the way the relevant cloud technology actually works, Smith said.

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said in a blog post that both companies have begun working on an appeal to the U.K.'s Competition Appeal Tribunal.

Its not the first time British regulators have flexed their antitrust muscles on a Big Tech deal. They previously blocked Facebook parent Metas purchase of Giphy over fears it would limit innovation and competition. The social media giant appealed the decision to the tribunal but lost and was forced to sell off the GIF sharing platform.

Microsoft already has a strong position in the overall cloud computing market, and regulators concluded that if the deal went through, it would reinforce the companys advantage by giving it control of key game titles.

In an attempt to ease concerns, Microsoft struck deals with Nintendo and some cloud gaming providers to license Activision titles like Call of Duty for 10 years  offering the same to Sony.

Sony's European press office did not respond to a request for comment.

The watchdog said it reviewed Microsofts remedies in considerable depth but found they would require its oversight, whereas preventing the merger would allow cloud gaming to develop without intervention.

Cloud gaming is a small piece of Britains 5 billion pound ($6.2 billion) video game market. But an expert forecast suggested it will see explosive growth over the coming years, with user numbers tripling from the start of 2021 to the end of 2022 and the cloud game market expected to grow to a value of 1 billion pounds by 2026, regulators said.

They dropped concerns last month that the deal would hurt console gaming, saying it wouldn't benefit Microsoft to make Call of Duty exclusive to its Xbox console.

AP Technology Writer Matt O'Brien in Providence, Rhode Island, contributed to this report.
ST. LOUIS  The first months after America's entry in World War II were filled with bad news overseas and worry on the home front. German submarines roamed the Atlantic. The Japanese navy sank Allied cruisers in the Java Sea. Remnants of the U.S. Army in the Philippines retreated to Corregidor Island.

Just when Americans needed something to smile about, along came shy, grinning Edward H. "Butch" O'Hare, south St. Louis boy and Navy flying ace. St. Louis gave him a joyous ticker-tape homecoming parade on Saturday, April 25, 1942. Stories and photos ran four pages in Sunday's Post-Dispatch.

Two months earlier, O'Hare had flown his stubby Wildcat fighter into a formation of Japanese bombers and shot down five of them. A government hungry for heroes whisked O'Hare to Washington, where President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented him with the Medal of Honor. With O'Hare in the White House was his wife, Rita, a former nurse at old DePaul Hospital on North Kingshighway. They had been married for seven months.

The O'Hares flew into Lambert Field to adoring crowds. Seated on the back of a convertible Ford Phaeton, Lt. Cmdr. O'Hare rode with his wife and mother, Selma O'Hare, through streams of confetti along Washington Avenue and Broadway. The sidewalks were jammed with noisy admirers shouting, "Atta boy, Eddie!"

During a ceremony at Soldiers Memorial, Mayor William Dee Becker said O'Hare's courage and dash "give voice to our pride and joy in this hour."

Befitting the bravado of the times, O'Hare told reporters, "It will be a relief to get back to my real job, which is flying and fighting."

In a separate interview, Rita O'Hare said she was proud of her husband, adding, "I worried only when I didn't know where he was."

She had plenty more time for that. O'Hare returned to the Pacific and became lead fighter pilot on the carrier Enterprise. On the night of Nov. 26, 1943, he was shot down in his new Hellcat fighter near the Tarawa atoll. O'Hare was 29 and the father of an infant girl when he was killed. After the war, St. Louis leaders pondered building a new airport and naming it after O'Hare. Chicago scored a beat in 1949 by naming its airfield in his memory. Thus, O'Hare International Airport.

O'Hare had lived only occasionally with his father, Edward J. O'Hare, who divorced his mother in 1932 and moved to Chicago. The elder O'Hare ran a racetrack there and was gunned down by mobsters in 1939.

Honoring Edward H. O'Hare Edward H. O'Hare Edward H. O'Hare Edward H. O'Hare Edward H. O'Hare Edward H. O'Hare Edward H. O'Hare Edward H. O'Hare o'hare tibbets
On April 27, 1878, a couple billed as "a genuine giant and giantess" arrived in St. Louis for a visit. The Capt. and Mrs. M.V. Bates, both nearly eight-feet tall, arrived at Union Depot and were followed by children. They stayed in special accommodations at the Lindell Hotel and later visited the Evening Dispatch newspaper.

The Evening Post office was invaded yesterday afternoon by Captain Bates and his wife. The reporter saw them coming in the door, and hurriedly made for the waste-basket under the table.

Whether the giant and giantess saw the diminutive reporter or not they kept on corning in, and the scribe saw no other way out of it than to dive into the ample recesses of the basket and nestle upon a bed of school girl poetry, statesmen's essays and applications from last year's and the coming year's college graduates for managing editorships.

There is a barbaric sesquipedalianism (which is a good long word to ring in in an article upon six-storied people) and a prevailing atmosphere of suffocation in such a waste-basket, but nevertheless the reporter crouched closer as the Brobdingnagian people approached with a rabble that noised their heels upon the floor, and their tongues against the roofs of their mouths, that made things sound as if Russia and England had set down their combined forces in the Evening Post office, with the intention of driving the senses of its whole staff out through the roof of the building.

But all this was seraphic bliss compared with the awful moment that the giant deliberately sat down on the table just over the waste basket.

The table groaned and the reporter moaned. The fleeting seconds magnified themselves into centuries, and the reportorial self shrank into a homeopathic pill. The table apparently stood the pressure a great deal better than the man under it, and it was some time before the latter came to reconcile himself to the safety of his clandestine situation. When he did he peeped out.

The sight that met his gaze was a curious one. There was the great towering giantess of pleasing, features, and with nothing of the fee-fo-dum air about her, quietly seated in the editor's chair, taking in the situation quietly. and as if she hud been used to the thing since Adam's father was bald-headed.

And there were the editors and news hunters gazing on admiringly, with one or two of them particularly awe-stricken and wild-eyed. But the background was the thing. It was a circus in itself.

At the doors and windows, upon tables and chairs, and perched away up an inoffensive and weak partition, as high us the giant himself in his stocking feet, was a ghastly array of gaping mouths in a setting of eager and dirty faces.

Inside and out, high and low, anywhere, everywhere, newsboys till you couldn't rest, with a dim and distant horizon of visitors who had been tempted in by the unusual scene This was what the reporter saw from his waste basket observation.

After the usual pleasantries had been interchanged and the reporter was in a fit frame of mind to understand what was going on, having been reconciled to the strength of the table, the editor remarked:

"I had a young fellow assigned to interview you. Captain, but I don't know where he is just now."

Just here there was a commotion. The giant's foot swung back and collided with the waste basket. To say it was a big foot would be like calling Cheops a brickbat, or the Colossus an Italian plaster-cast.

At any rate, the collision between the foot and the basket caused the recondite reporter to disclose his whereabouts. .The managing editor qualified his conduct as unbecoming a newspaper man, and the giant himself requested the reporter to come forward.

"You won't make a watch charm out of me?" queried the reporter apprehensively.

"No, no!" answered the giant assuringly.

"Nor a scarf-pin?"

He said he wouldn't.

This allayed the reporter's fears and he came forth from the respectfully-declined atmosphere in which he had been confined.

Capt. M.V. Bates greeting was most kind, and so was that of the giantess, his wife. The reporter saw at once from the gracious manner in which they received him that there had been no necessity for his previous timidity, and, managing to get within a couple of yards of the giant's ear, excused his awkward action.

Capt. Bates is 32 years of age, stands 7 feet 11 inches in height and weighs 453 pounds. He is well put together, handsome in feature and genial in speech, and is a sharp, shrewd man of the world. Mrs. Bates is 29 years old, of the same height as her husband, although she really looks to be taller, and turns the scales at 417 pounds. She is thinner in form, but of excellent physique, is handsome and has the same frank and smiling countenance as her husband.

She likes the show business, she says, because it brings her into contact with so many persons. The Captain, however, does not care very much about it now, having been in the business nine years. It was his desire to live in private quiet on his farm in Ohio, where the couple have a house built expressly with doors, windows, etc., on a giant scale, but they had received so many good offers that they left the sod to take to the sawdust, and forsook the plow for the platform.

The visit of a giant and giantess to a newspaper office is not, however, an everyday occurrence, and it is worth while recording; and common occurrences in the life of a pair of domesticated giants are not by any means microscopic affairs and are equally worthy of public notice.

The reporter suggested, as he nearly dislocated his neck in looking up at the towering couple, that it would have been a nice thing to have been around when they were making love to each other, but Mrs. Bates remarked that that was rather a delicate and personal question, and the reporter subsided into thinking how a fellow must feel with four hundred and odd pounds of sweetheart upon his knee, Himalayan hugging going on around him, and love-sighs that needed a Jacob's ladder to come from the heart-depths playing above his head like mountain zephyrs around the Pike's Peak signal station.

"You were afraid of her big brother. Captain, were you?" timidly interrogated the reporter.

"Oh, no, not at all," answered the Captain.

"If you sat down on him once you could have sold him for a bundle of tissue paper, couldn't you?"

"That's not it. my boy. She didn't have any big brother."

"Oh, yes, I see." Then the discourse turned into other channels, of special interest.

"It must be a gigantic thing when the Captain comes home late at night from the lodge, you know, falls in through the kitchen window into a pan of dishes, stumbles up stairs and gets into bed with his boots on?" the reporter insinuated as he looked at the giantess.

"Oh, he never does that!"

"And it looks as if he didn't care to?" added the newspaper man.

"No, he never does." The giantess looked knowingly at the giant and the giant at the floor.

"Captain, how do you like traveling?"

"Very well, indeed," he replied.

"How are hotel accommodations?"

"Well, about so and so."

"And you don't have to hang your head or feet out of the end of the bed?"

This last question disgusted the Captain, and he rose from the table indignantly, as did Mrs Bates from the editorial chair, and doubling themselves up as they reached the doorway like a boy who has an attack of green apples at the stomach, they majestically swept out of the office, stepped into their carriage and drove away.
Joe Holleman Joe Holleman is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Joe Holleman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of Israel, U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner and legislators from both parties passed a resolution Tuesday to mark the milestone.

The bipartisan passage of this resolution reaffirms our commitment to the people of Israel and promotes vital security assistance so they can defend themselves in the face of an increasingly aggressive Iran, said Wagner, a Republican from Town and Country.

As vice chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Wagner introduced the resolution along with the chair, Michael McCaul, R-Texas.

The resolution passed by a vote of 401-19. One of the opposing votes came from U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis.

The anniversary of the nations founding in 1948 was officially celebrated on Tuesday and Wednesday in Israel.

The resolution also called for the expansion of the Abraham Accords, a series of treaties signed in 2020 between Israel, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.

Through the agreements, brokered by a U.S. congressional caucus that included Wagner, the four Arab nations joined Egypt and Jordan in making peace with Israel.
Joe Holleman Joe Holleman is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Joe Holleman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

The issue of radioactive contamination in the Hazelwood School District now has full congressional coverage, thanks to U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis, sponsoring legislation to clean up Jana Elementary School in Florissant.

On Tuesday, Bush introduced a bill that serves as a companion to legislation proposed in February by U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri. On Wednesday, Hawley secured unanimous consent from the full Senate.

The Hawley and Bush bills  both dubbed Justice for Jana  call for testing all Hazelwood School District property for radiation, as well as helping pay for new construction in districts affected by decades-old nuclear contamination.

In March, the school district announced that the school would be shut down permanently, the result of testing by a private company that showed high levels of radioactivity in the school and around the playground.

Different reports have examined the issue and, despite comparable findings, have differed on whether the results represent a real risk to human health, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has said. On Tuesday, the Corps issued a report that repeated its earlier finding that Jana Elementary is radiologically safe, based on testing it performed last fall.

The school sits on the flood plain of Coldwater Creek. That creek was contaminated with radioactive waste from the storage of uranium residue created by the U.S. atomic weapons program in the 1940s.

"The worst part of this is that the federal government has refused to clean this up," Hawley said on the Senate floor. "The Biden Administration has for spent the last eight months pointing their fingers at each other."

Our government created this waste to construct the most deadly nuclear weapon in history, Bush said. They have a responsibility to clean it up and ensure that the safety and well-being of our community is a top priority."
Joe Holleman Joe Holleman is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Joe Holleman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Not to be left behind in the natural-solutions sweepstakes, Missouris senior U.S. senator, Josh Hawley, coaxed a presidential cabinet member to commit to cleaning up messes.

In a hearing Thursday, according to news reports, Republican Hawley was told by U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm that she would support Hawleys legislation  aka Justice for Jana  to address nuclear waste at Jana Elementary in the Hazelwood School District.

Granholm said she backed the proposal to test all Hazelwood schools property for radiation, as well as pay for new construction in districts affected by decades-old nuclear contamination.

In March, the school district announced that the school would be shut down permanently, the result of testing by a private company that showed high levels of radioactivity in the school and around the playground.

The school, which opened in 1970, sits on the flood plain of Coldwater Creek in Florissant. That creek was contaminated with radioactive waste, the result of storing residue from uranium processing for the nations atomic weapons program beginning in the 1940s.

The initial school closure in October affected about 400 students, who were dispersed to five other schools within the district.
Joe Holleman Joe Holleman is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Joe Holleman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

The federal government will again this year allow the sale of high-grade ethanol during summer months, an action that brings politicians from both parties together  provided they come from corn states.

On Friday, U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, Ill., applauded the decision by the Biden Administration to allow E15 ethanol  which uses more corn than the E10 variety  to be sold during the summer, June 1 to Sept. 15.

Budzinski said use of the more-corn potion reduces our dependence on foreign oil, supports good-paying jobs and saves consumers money at the gas pump.

Budzinski, whose central Illinois district includes parts of St. Clair and Madison counties, is a co-sponsor of a bill that would allow E15 ethanol to be sold all year long.

Late last year, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, praised a similar waiver for summer 2022 and urged the federal government to allow E15 sales all year, something that had been allowed during the Trump Administration.

When it comes to corn, Illinois trails only Iowa among states with the highest yearly production; and Missouri usually is in the top 10 for lending ears to the nation.
LAUNCH CODE: A nondescript metal building sits quietly in a Jefferson County industrial park, giving no clue that this place builds rocket launchers.

But thats what brought U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, R-Salem, to Arnold Defense, to meet with employees on Monday and find out first-hand what its like to deal with the federal government  especially when it comes to money.

War is not cheap, Smith said as he toured the plant with company vice president Frank Ferrante, who said the launchers cost anywhere from $10,000 to $60,000. (The rockets that the launchers fire, the Hydra 70, are made by another company, he said.)

The company employs 35 to 40 people, most of them from Jefferson County, and has been making rocket launchers at its Arnold plant for about 30 years.

In fact, we are the sole provider of the 2.75-inch rocket for all branches of the military, Ferrante said. He added that the company recently had filled one order of 40 launchers for Ukraine, with another order in the works.

Smiths visit was part of a trip he made back to his district, where he spent time meeting with constituents to hear about how government is, or is not, working for them.

Smith is the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the oldest committee of Congress and generally considered its most powerful. It has jurisdiction over all taxation and revenue-raising measures. His district includes much of Jefferson County and all of Ste. Genevieve and St. Francois counties.

Jefferson County Executive Dennis J. Gannon and Donna L. Litton, executive director of the countys Economic Development Corp., also attended the meeting at Arnold Defense.

Ferrante spoke of the difficulties his company has trying to keep people working while the federal budget is being debated. He said that government requirements concerning cost estimates also pose a problem, Ferrante said.

His company has to predict months in advance how much an item will cost to make, even though his materials suppliers will guarantee prices only for several weeks at best, he said.

Smith said the federal government could save hundreds of billions of dollars if it had more consistency in its funding.

These trips back home allow Smith to just hear the issues that small businesses are facing, he said, adding that he has heard similar, if not necessarily rocket-related, complaints from other industries.

I was in Cape Girardeau (earlier Monday) and met with restaurant owners, whom Smith said had problems with how tax issues are handled.

Smith said he also met with members of the trucking industry, who said the age to drive large trucks should be lowered to 18, instead of the existing mandate of 21. Smith believes such a change could offer career opportunities to high-school graduates.

On that note, he mentioned meeting with representatives of the new Ranken Technical College campus in Perryville.

Such programs are important to combat the countrys labor shortage, Smith said, and offers a better alternative than people staying on (government) welfare programs.

BOTH SIDES NOW: The issue of radioactive contamination in the Hazelwood School District now has full congressional coverage, thanks to U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis, sponsoring legislation to clean up Jana Elementary School in Florissant.

On Tuesday, Bush introduced a bill that serves as a companion to legislation proposed in February by U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri.

Hawley on Wednesday got unanimous consent for the bill from the full Senate.

The Hawley and Bush bills  dubbed Justice for Jana  call for testing all Hazelwood School District property for radiation, as well as helping pay for new construction in districts affected by nuclear contamination.

In March, the district announced that the school would be closed permanently, the result of testing by a private company that showed high levels of radioactivity in the school and around the playground.

Different reports have examined the issue and have differed on whether the results represent a real risk to human health, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has said.

On Tuesday, the Corps issued a report that repeated its earlier finding that Jana is radiologically safe, based on testing it performed last fall.

The school sits on the flood plain of Coldwater Creek, which was contaminated with radioactive waste from uranium residue created by the U.S. atomic weapons program in the 1940s.

The worst part of this is that the federal government has refused to clean this up, Hawley said Wednesday on the Senate floor. The Biden Administration has for spent the last eight months pointing their fingers at each other.

Our government created this waste to construct the most deadly nuclear weapon in history, Bush said. They have a responsibility to clean it up and ensure that the safety and well-being of our community is a top priority.
Joe Holleman Joe Holleman is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Joe Holleman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Stopping one step short of directly endorsing Donald Trumps bid to be reelected president, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley said he feels confident that Trump will be the Republican nominee.

In a short exchange earlier this week with the Washington Post, the senior senator from Missouri said, Trump is going to be the nominee, I think its inevitable.

Hawley, a Republican, said the recent action of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg  who has charged Trump with multiple counts of falsifying business records  has helped galvanize support for Trump.

After what (Bragg) did, I think that Donald Trump is absolutely going to be the nominee, Hawley said, then added, and yeah, Ill support him.

Hawley, who has already said he is not interested in being vice president, still maintains a bit of wiggle room, given that he would in all likelihood support whomever would be the GOP nominee.

Other top possible GOP contenders include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis; former Trump vice president Mike Pence; and Nikki Haley, former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador.

Hawleys Senate state-mate, Republican Eric Schmitt, already has thrown his support to Trump, as have 10 other U.S. senators.

Of the U.S. House members representing the St. Louis area, two Illinois Republicans already have endorsed Trump: Mike Bost, whose district includes parts of St. Clair and Monroe counties; and Mary Miller, who represents a portion of Madison County.
United Nations human rights experts on Thursday accused China of forcing hundreds of thousands of Tibetans into programs that threaten their cultural identity and could lead to forced labor.

Six UN special rapporteurs voiced concern over claims that the so-called vocational training and labor transfer programs were being used as a pretext to undermine Tibetan religious, linguistic and cultural identity, and to monitor and indoctrinate Tibetans.

"Hundreds of thousands of Tibetans have reportedly been 'transferred' from their traditional rural lives to low-skilled and low-paid employment since 2015, through a program described as voluntary -- but in practice their participation has reportedly been coerced," the experts said.

They said the labor transfer program was facilitated by a network of vocational training centers, "which focus less on developing professional skills and more on cultural and political indoctrination in a militarized environment." They found that Tibetans in the program were reportedly prevented from using the Tibetan language and discouraged from expressing their religious identity.

The statement was signed by the special rapporteurs on contemporary slavery, people trafficking, contemporary racism, cultural rights, minority issues and the right to development. Special rapporteurs are mandated by the UN Human Rights Council but are unpaid, independent experts who do not speak for the United Nations.
Joe Holleman Joe Holleman is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Joe Holleman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

The Metro East areas newest member of the U.S. Congress has opened some new offices, including one in the St. Louis area.

U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-13th District, now has opened a regional office in downtown Belleville, as well as ones in Champaign, Decatur and Springfield.

Budzinski, a former adviser to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, was elected in 2022. Her district includes parts of Madison and St. Clair counties. For this first term, she has secured seats on the Agriculture and Veterans Affairs committees.

Providing excellent constituent services is the most important part of my job as a member of Congress, and that starts with having a presence in our communities, she said in a statement.

Budzinskis office in Belleville is at 1 South Church Street, suite 500-B. The telephone number is 618-212-7333.

Staffers are available to meet with constituents from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Appointments can be made by going to budzinski.house.gov/meeting-request.
Joe Holleman Joe Holleman is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Joe Holleman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

A nondescript metal building sits quietly in a Jefferson County industrial park, giving no clue that this place builds rocket launchers.

But thats what brought U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, R-Salem, to Arnold Defense, to meet with employees on Monday and find out first-hand what its like to deal with the federal government  especially when it comes to money.

War is not cheap, Smith said as he toured the plant with company vice president Frank Ferrante, who said the launchers cost anywhere from $10,000 to $60,000. (The rockets that the launchers fire, the Hydra 70, are made by another company, he said.)

The company employs 35 to 40 people, most of them from Jefferson County, and has been making rockets launchers at its Arnold plant for about 30 years.

In fact, we are the sole provider of the 2.75-inch rocket for all branches of the military, Ferrante said. He added that the company recently had filled one order of 40 launchers for Ukraine, with another order in the works.

Smiths visit was part of a trip he made back to his district, where he spent time meeting with constituents to hear about how government is, or is not, working for them.

Smith is the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the oldest committee of Congress and generally considered its most powerful. It has jurisdiction over all taxation and revenue-raising measures. His district includes much of Jefferson County and all of Ste. Genevieve and St. Francois counties.

Also attending the meeting at Arnold Defense was Jefferson County Executive Dennis J. Gannon and Donna L. Litton, executive director of the countys Economic Development Corp.

Ferrante spoke of the difficulties his company has trying to keep people working while the federal budget is being debated. He said that government requirements concerning cost estimates also pose a problem, Ferrante said.

His company has to predict months in advance how much an item will cost to make, even though his materials suppliers will guarantee prices only for several weeks at best, he said.

Smith said the federal government could save hundreds of billions of dollars if it had more consistency in its funding.

These trips back home allow Smith to just hear the issues that small businesses are facing, he said, adding that he has heard similar, if not necessarily rocket-related, complaints from other industries.

I was in Cape Girardeau (earlier Monday) and met with restaurant owners, whom Smith said had problems with how tax issues are handled.

Smith said he also met with members of the trucking industry, who said the age to drive large trucks should be lowered to 18, instead of the existing mandate of 21. Smith believes such a change could offer career opportunities to high-school graduates.

On that note, he mentioned meeting with representatives of the new Ranken Technical College campus in Perryville.

Such programs are important to combat the countrys labor shortage, Smith said, and offers a better alternative than people staying on (government) welfare programs.
Tony Messenger Tony Messenger is the metro columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Tony Messenger Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

CLAYTON  Its not often that Anthony Rothert finds himself in total agreement with an opposing lawyer during a court hearing.

But there he was on Wednesday, doing just that. Rothert is an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union. This week, the ACLU, Lambda Legal and the private law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner filed a lawsuit in St. Louis County. Theyre trying to block a proposed rule by Attorney General Andrew Bailey that would effectively ban all transgender health care in Missouri, including for adults.

Bailey tried to move the lawsuit to federal court, where a Zoom hearing was held Wednesday. Baileys top deputy, Solicitor General Josh Divine, complained to U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey that Rothert and his colleagues were using their legal challenge to paint Bailey as an out-of-control despot.

Guilty as charged, Rothert admitted.

That is absolutely true, Rothert told the judge. That is what he is.

Indeed, Baileys proposed rule  applying a consumer law that is normally used to protect Missourians from fraudulent landlords and car dealers  is so unprecedented that even rabidly anti-LGBTQ Republicans like Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and state Sen. Mike Moon have called it a step too far.

The hearing in federal court was nothing but a distraction, an attempt to delay the inevitable.

That came later in the day, when Circuit Judge Ellen Ribaudo put the new rule on hold, at least until May 1, when she will issue a further ruling. But the attempt to move the case to federal court was telling; it exposed the emptiness of Bailey and Divines legal cupboard.

This is the bizarre new Republican reality. For most of my career, conservatives have railed against activist judges and venue shopping and government overreach. But those are the new planks of the Republican platform, where overly aggressive attorneys general try to block legislative action by finding a friendly judge in Louisiana or Texas or Florida. And they hope that judge will ignore precedent, overturn the will of the voters and tyrannically strip the freedoms of entire classes of people.

On Wednesday, Divine appeared before a judge who was appointed by a Republican president. He was seeking some sort of a pass but instead received a lecture on the law.

You cant just file something in federal court because you want to be in federal court, Autrey told Divine, who used to work for Sen. Josh Hawley and clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. There is this little thing called jurisdiction.

Divine tried a Hail Mary pass, asking Autrey for a delayed ruling because Divine couldnt get from Jefferson City to St. Louis County in time for the hearing that day. That strategy backfired too, with Autrey reminding Divine that the attorney generals office has lawyers stationed locally.

Doesnt the attorney general have an office here in St. Louis in the Wainwright Building? Autrey asked.

The lack of preparation and attention to legal principles became even more obvious in the later hearing in front of Ribaudo.

It seems that something got lost in translation, Rothert said of Divines arguments.

Divine is asking a Missouri judge to approve a rule that Divine says was designed on an emerging consensus in socialist countries in Europe to step away from the gender-affirming care in question here.

While its true that health officials in the United Kingdom and some Scandinavian countries have hit the pause button on some gender-affirming care for minors, the key is that health experts in those countries are making the decisions  and they come nowhere near to what Bailey is proposing out of thin air.

What he does try to present withers away to nothing, Rothert said of Baileys arguments for the rule. We in this country defer to medical professionals. In this system, the Legislature makes law, not one unelected individual. We dont allow attorneys general to legislate, and we dont allow them to play doctor.

Rothert then gave Bailey, whom he called a despot in the previous hearing, a new moniker: Dr. Frankenstein.

The AG has taken misrepresented quotes out of context and sown them together, Rothert said. This rule is a monster.

Editors note: This article has been edited to correct the spelling of the judges last name.
Tony Messenger Tony Messenger is the metro columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Tony Messenger Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

ST. LOUIS  Four prescription pill bottles tell a story.

They were sitting on a table, one next to another, in the courtroom of Circuit Judge Scott A. Millikan on Monday morning. They belonged to Alex Polta, an assistant circuit attorney who sat at the table to answer for not showing up to a murder trial last week.

That failure caused the judge to issue an order for Poltas boss, Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, to explain what happened. She risked being held in criminal contempt of court.

It was a big step for a judge to take, but one that was years in the making. Gardners office has missed hearings and deadlines, dropped and refiled cases, and faced a litany of criticism about not performing basic public safety functions.

Gardner wasnt in court Monday, though she sent attorneys in her place. Gardner doesnt think she did anything wrong. She blames Polta, who was on leave to deal with medical issues, as represented by the pill bottles.

On Friday, Gardner filed a legal brief explaining to the judge that she cant be held in contempt because the mistake wasnt hers. Yes, Polta was on leave, Gardner wrote, but he didnt properly communicate about the case in question. She shared a series of texts between Polta and another staff member.

Ms. Gardner and the (circuit attorneys office) do not understand, and do not believe they are in the position to answer this Court, regarding Mr. Poltas actions or intentions with regard to the April 17 trial setting, Gardners private attorney, Michael Downey, wrote.

The brief made arguments similar to the ones Gardner is making in the action by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who is trying to remove her from office. In both cases, Gardner blames her staff for failures and says she cannot be held responsible for their mistakes because the law requires her actions to be intentional.

In an office that is running out of prosecutors  two more left last week  such arguments might be good legal strategy for helping Gardner avoid responsibility. But they once again highlight her failure of leadership, as she drives the bus over her remaining staff members in one case, then backs it up over their damaged bodies in another.

Ms. Gardner is not throwing anybody under the bus, one of her attorneys said in a hearing last week on Baileys action. The tire marks on Poltas back tell a different story.

When asked by Millikan whose fault it was that nobody from the office showed up at the murder trial, Polta paused, stiffened his back and offered the sort of answer Gardner fails to give:

I apologize, he said. There really is no excuse for somebody not showing up to trial. I am the attorney of record.

Millikan dropped the contempt charge but issued Gardner a warning.

What Im trying to do is bring some semblance of order to this circuit, he said. I think were going to see more of these (contempt) orders.

Thats because there are too few employees left in Gardners office to get the job done. They face many murder trials on the spring and summer calendars, with public defenders rightly pushing for speedy trials and bond reductions as their clients waste away in jail. Gardners office struggles to get cases to trial, and then too often drops them on the eve of trial, only to refile them the next day.

Thats what Millikan fears will happen to the case against Jonathan Jones, who is scheduled for trial on June 5. The judge denied public defender Cecilia Appleberrys motions for a dismissal and a bond reduction, despite agreeing that the delays put Jones right to due process at risk.

We were prepared, Appleberry told the judge. We were here. We were ready.

Gardners office was not, and that means delayed justice for the family of 29-year-old Brandon Scot, who was shot and killed near the Gateway Arch in 2021. It means Jones stays in jail, unable to properly face the charges against him. And it means the new June court date sits as a placeholder, with little guarantee that the case wont be dropped and refiled at that point.

This sort of thing is going to happen more and more, until order is brought to the circuit attorneys office, Millikan said.

The only prescription is for Gardner to lead or get out of the way.

Unwilling to do either, Gardner has driven the judicial bus in St. Louis into the ditch. Until she takes her hands off the wheel, it will stay there.
ST. LOUIS  St. Louis activists and the citys chief public defender protested on the steps of the downtown St. Louis courthouse Monday over bond practices they say have increased the citys jail population in recent months.

Leaders of the Freedom Community Center, which advocates for alternatives to incarceration, argued that since a high-profile crash in February involving a man who was free on bond caused a wave of scrutiny on city prosecutors and judges, both parties have become more strict about bail, causing the number of inmates at the St. Louis City Justice Center to spike.

The crash injured Janae Edmondson, a 17-year-old girl from Tennessee who was visiting St. Louis for a volleyball tournament. She was pinned between two cars, and both her legs were amputated as a result.

The driver in the crash, Daniel Riley, was free on bond in a pending robbery case despite violating the conditions of his GPS monitor several dozen times.

Since then, advocates and defense lawyers say the court system has become increasingly harsh when it comes to setting and revoking defendants bail ahead of trial.

We know that theyve been revoking peoples bond and denying peoples bond in response to political pressure, said Sarah Nixon, the groups pretrial organizer. Its our responsibility to let them know that the political pressure is on the other side.

Since the day of the crash, the number of people in jail in St. Louis has increased about 16%, from 534 the day Edmondson was injured to 618 Monday, according to city data.

The protest focused on one of two judges who oversee initial bond hearings in St. Louis: Judge Rochelle W. Woodiest. According to the organizations own tracking, Woodiest went from denying bond in about 54% of cases over a 12-month period ending in 2022 to denying bond in 74% of hearings so far in 2023.

A statement from a spokesman for the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court said Monday that judges need to review various factors when deciding to release a defendant.

Without considering other important information such as the nature and severity of charges, criminal history and potential safety risk to the community, the snapshot of available data in 2023 is too narrow to draw meaningful conclusions, the statement reads. The court invites members of the public to observe the bond review process for themselves and always welcomes feedback on how the court can better serve citizens of St. Louis.

The Freedom Community Centers court watchers also tracked an uptick in Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardners office recommending that judges deny bond, going from requesting no bond in 88% of detention hearings over a year ending in the fall of 2022 to 95% of hearings so far in 2023, according to the organizations tally shared at the protest Monday.

A spokesperson for Gardners office argued in a statement Monday that prosecutors review each case to form bond recommendations that prioritize public safety.

We applaud the Freedom Community Centers support of the type of reforms that the Circuit Attorney Office champions, the statement reads. But as a minister of justice, we must ensure justice is sought for the accused and victims alike. We do not have the luxury of one-sided advocacy, so we expect to have disagreements from time to time.

Matthew Mahaffey, chief public defender in St. Louis, emphasized that the trend disproportionately hurts Black men awaiting trial in the city.

This court needs to be a space for the potential for brokenness to heal, he said. If it was, it would look different than this.
ST. LOUIS  St. Louis homicide detectives have taken over the investigation into a fatal shooting that they initially thought happened in Venice, Illinois.

Douglas Sanders, 31, of Florissant, died after being shot March 4 on the McKinley Bridge. St. Louis police on Tuesday said they have no suspects in the killing.

Police found one shell casing on the Missouri side of the bridge, and one shell casing on the Illinois side. After talking with one witness, police were led to believe the shooting happened on the Illinois side of the bridge, so Venice police said they would handle the probe.

But that changed Monday, nine days after Sanders died. Venice police called St. Louis homicide detectives to say that they determined Sanders actually was shot in Missouri.

The witness was able to clarify that the car Sanders was traveling in was shot up in the center of the bridge, after crossing into Missouri, Venice police said.

Sanders was among four men in a car that had just left a strip club in Illinois. They were heading back home to Missouri when someone in another car began firing shots at them on the bridge about 2:50 a.m. on March 4. Sanders and another man, 37, were hit by gunfire.

One of the uninjured men in their car drove their injured friends to a hospital in St. Louis.

Sanders died at the hospital March 4, St. Louis police said. Sanders lived on Pamela Drive in the city of Florissant. His relatives could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

The 37-year-old injured man was listed in critical condition.
ST. LOUIS  A judge filed Monday to hold St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner in contempt of court for the second time in a week after prosecutors failed to show up for a hearing in an assault case.

A prosecutor in Gardners office, Chris Desilets, missed a hearing Monday after also missing the first day of trial in the same case earlier this month because of a medical emergency.

Another prosecutor told Judge Michael Noble on the first day of trial that Desilets was headed to a doctors office due to complications with a knee injury, so Noble scheduled a hearing on Monday for Desilets to provide proof of the medical appointment and discuss scheduling. Desilets did not show up for the hearing, so Noble ordered Gardner to show cause for why she should not be held in contempt.

It marks the second time in a week a judge has filed to hold Gardner in contempt. Last week, Judge Scott Millikan heard arguments about a murder case where no prosecutors showed up for the first day of trial. He declined on Monday to hold Gardner in contempt, but he said it was clear the case fell through the cracks when the assistant circuit attorney handling the case went on leave.

In Desilets case, Steven L. Vincent Jr., 28, is facing nine charges, including first-degree assault, after police say he shot a gun in the citys Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood and hit an apartment building, striking an 11-year-old girl in the arm as she sat in her bedroom.

The show cause hearings come as Gardner is facing several other legal threats. The states attorney general has filed a lawsuit to remove her from office, and the Missouri Legislature is considering a bill that would strip her of most of her power.

Noble is set to hear arguments about whether to hold Gardner in contempt at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
UPDATED with bail information, other details from state's attorney spokesman

ST. CLAIR COUNTY  A man from Belleville has been charged with a 2017 murder at the Norman Owens housing complex in East St. Louis.

U.S. marshals and officers with the Illinois State Police arrested James D. O'Neal Jr. on Tuesday, on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm. He is being held on $1 million bail.

O'Neal, 33, is accused of shooting two men on Aug. 13, 2017, in a robbery attempt on the parking lot of the housing complex.

Phillip S. Smith, 21, of East St. Louis, died after being shot in the head and chest as he sat in a parked car. His backseat passenger, Teon Slaughter, also 21, survived but was severely hurt after being shot in his upper body.

The St. Clair County state's attorney filed the charges Monday. Two co-defendants, Devonte Lindsey and Shavon Brownlee, were charged and convicted years ago.

O'Neal's name surfaced in the cases years ago and his role was alleged in court documents related to Brownlee's appeal. It wasn't clear why O'Neal is only now facing charges.

Chris Allen with the St. Clair County State's Attorney's Office told the Post-Dispatch that the charges this week against O'Neal are based on a "followup investigation by the Illinois State Police." These charges are the first filed against O'Neal for the death of Smith, Allen said.

The Illinois State Police refused to answer any questions Wednesday about their probe, referring a reporter to the prosecutor.

O'Neal's defense attorney, Porsha O'Neal, said she was still waiting for discovery documents from prosecutors and declined comment for now.

Court documents in Brownlee's case said Slaughter told police that he had been asleep in the back seat of Smith's car. He woke up to find that he was injured and Smith was dead. He couldn't use his phone to call for help because his wrists were injured, so he walked to the nearest apartment for help and banged on the door with his head.

Brownlee told police that he, Lindsey and O'Neal approached a man sleeping in a car at the housing complex and tried to take a bag from the car, court records said. When Lindsey reached through the passenger side window for the bag, Smith woke up and was attacked, according to an Illinois appeals court document in Brownlee's case from last September.

Lindsey was sentenced to a total of 14 years in prison on two counts of aggravated battery, Allen said.

Brownlee pleaded guilty of first-degree murder and was initially sentenced to a 40-year prison sentence. He later tried to withdraw his plea; the court wouldn't let him but did reduce his sentence to 35 years in prison.
ST. CHARLES COUNTY  A driver was charged last week with felony DWI in an October 2022 crash that killed a man and woman on Interstate 70 in St. Charles County.

Larry L. Larsen Jr., 55, of O'Fallon, Missouri, was charged April 17 with DWI resulting in the deaths of two or more people in an Oct. 23 crash that killed Steven Anderson, 59, and Kristi Anderson, 61, both of West Des Moines, Iowa, on I-70 westbound east of Lake Saint Louis Boulevard.

The crash happened when Larsen's 2022 Chevrolet Corvette was too closely following the Toyota Prius driven by Steve Anderson in a careless and imprudent manner, according to a Missouri Highway Patrol crash report.

Both vehicles swerved off the road and into an embankment. Neither Steven nor Kristi Anderson were wearing seatbelts, and they were both ejected from the car, according to the Highway Patrol.

They were pronounced dead at the scene.

Charging documents allege that Larsen smelled of alcohol and refused to provide troopers with a breath sample. After investigators got a search warrant, a blood sample about four hours after the crash showed Larsen had a blood alcohol content of .09%, above the legal limit of .08%.

Larsen posted a $200,000 bail in the case and is no longer in custody.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY  Friends and family gathered in Spanish Lake on Monday morning to remember and mourn Jerome Hightower, the 34-year-old bystander killed earlier this month during a St. Louis County police chase.

Hightower lay in a satin-lined white casket at the front of the William C. Harris Funeral Chapel as his family spoke of his deep faith in God and his willingness to help anyone in need.

He was so holy. Jerome, he had so much boldness, said his mother, Cynthia Hall Hightower. Every chance he had, Jerome shared the love in his heart that he had for God.

Hightower was killed April 4 when a car fleeing police crashed into his vehicle. He died at a hospital that afternoon.

The three people in the fleeing car are accused of stealing a cart of laundry detergent from a Dollar General store, assaulting the stores assistant manager and fleeing from police in both St. Louis and St. Louis County.

On Monday, Hightowers 13-year-old son, Jeron Hightower, wore a T-shirt adorned with pictures of his dad and script that read I love you dad. The teenager read a poem during the service titled Five Minutes that talked about all the things he would have done if hed known he wouldnt see his father again.

Several attendees spoke during the service, offering condolences and reminding the Hightower family that their faith would get them through their loss.

Hightowers sister, Precious Hightower, said her younger brother showed her unconditional love through the toughest of times and was always humble.

Whenever I would see my brother, he would have the biggest smile on his face, she said. Ill never forget that about him.

Hightower worked for Amazon but also had a knack for entrepreneurship. He started a moving company, a lawn care company, an online womens clothing company and also restored old cars. He delivered food in the fall and winter.

Its hard to explain, but I wouldnt be the person I am today without my brother, Precious Hightower said. He held me up when I was really, really low.

Just a year and a half ago, Hightowers brother, Dewon Hightower, died too.

My heart is broken, said Hightowers mother. I dont know whats happening to my family.

Charles Hightower said his sons death was tragic, but he wanted to focus on the love and support people have shown his family.

Regardless of all the negativity we see going on in this world, I still choose to believe that theres a lot more love still in this world, Charles Hightower said. Its times like this that the people of love need to shine most.

Pastor Bishop Michael Wilson in his eulogy touched on the violent crime that plagues the region and caused Hightowers death. He called on young men to step up and put down the guns.

Start praying for one another, he said. Start interceding for one another. God is not happy with all this killing, and weve got a job to do, brothers. And that job is to reach out to one another and start praying for one another.

Hightowers death is one of at least 10 caused by police chases in the last year and a half, including several people who were not involved in the pursuits.

Jeron Hightowers mother, Brianna Whitley, also spoke during the service. She said she fell in love with Hightower when she was 15.

He taught me everything, she said. He loved his family so much, he really did love us. He was always a great man, he did everything for us.

Family and friends gathered for a balloon release at the crash site, near Dr. Martin Luther King Drive and Cora Avenue in north St. Louis, following Hightowers burial Monday.
At a United Nations Human Rights briefing Tuesday, spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani called on the Singapore government to adopt a "formal moratorium" on executions for drug-related offenses. "Imposing the death penalty for drug offences is incompatible with international norms and standards," said Shamdasani, who added that increasing evidence shows the death penalty is ineffective as a deterrent.

Although Tangaraju was not caught with the cannabis, prosecutors said phone numbers traced him as the person responsible for coordinating the delivery of the drugs. Tangaraju had maintained that he was not the one communicating with the others connected to the case.

Tangaraju Suppiah, 46, was sentenced to death in 2018 for abetting the trafficking of 1 kilogram of cannabis. Under Singapore laws, trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis may result in the death penalty. Tangaraju was hanged Wednesday morning and his family was given the death certificate, according to a tweet from activist Kirsten Han of the Transformative Justice Collective, which advocates for abolishing the death penalty in Singapore.

Singapore on Wednesday executed a man accused of coordinating a cannabis delivery, despite pleas for clemency from his family and protests from activists that he was convicted on weak evidence.

Singapore authorities say there is a deterrent effect, citing studies that traffickers carry amounts below the threshold that would bring a death penalty.

The island-state's imposition of the death penalty for drugs is in contrast with its neighbors. In Thailand, cannabis has essentially been legalized, and Malaysia has ended the mandatory death penalty for serious crimes.

Singapore executed 11 people last year for drug offenses. One case that spurred international concern involved a Malaysian man whose lawyers said he was mentally disabled. The Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network condemned Tangaraju's execution as "reprehensible."

"The continued use of the death penalty by the Singaporean government is an act of flagrant disregard for international human rights norms and casts aspersion on the legitimacy of Singapore's criminal justice system," the statement said.

Relatives and activists had sent letters to Singapore's President Halimah Yacob to plead for clemency. In a video posted by the Transformative Justice Collective, Tangaraju's niece and nephew appealed to the public to raise concerns to the government over Tangaraju's impending execution.

An application filed by Tangaraju on Monday for a stay of execution was dismissed without a hearing Tuesday. "Singapore claims it affords people on death row 'due process', but in reality fair trial violations in capital punishment cases are the norm: Defendants are being left without legal representation when faced with imminent execution, as lawyers who take such cases are intimidated and harassed," said Maya Foa, director of non-profit human rights organization Reprieve.

Critics say Singapore's death penalty has mostly snared low-level mules and done little to stop drug traffickers and organized syndicates. But Singapore's government says that all those executed have been accorded full due process under the law and that the death penalty is necessary to protect its citizens.

British billionaire Richard Branson, who is outspoken against the death penalty, had also called for a halt of the execution in a blog post, saying that "Singapore may be about to kill an innocent man."

Singapore authorities criticized Branson's allegations, stating that he had shown disrespect for the Singaporean judicial system as evidence had shown that Tangaraju was guilty.
CHILLICOTHE, Mo.  A former respiratory therapist has pleaded guilty in the deaths of two patients at a Missouri hospital two decades ago.

Jennifer Hall, 42, initially was charged with two counts of first-degree murder but pleaded guilty instead Friday to reduced first-degree involuntary manslaughter counts in the deaths of 75-year-old Fern Franco and 37-year-old David Wesley Harper, The Kansas City Star reported. She also pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree assault.

Franco and Harper were among nine patients who died at Hedrick Medical Center in Chillicothe over several months in 2002 in what charging documents describe as medically suspicious events.

From December 2001, when Hall started working at the hospital, until she was placed on administrative leave the following May, there also were 18 cardiac arrests or Code Blue events, up from an average of one a year before then.

The case was revived after an analysis of Francos tissue samples found morphine and a powerful muscle relaxant used in anesthesia in her system. Neither drug was prescribed or ordered for her by her doctors, investigators said.

Some staff at the hospital believed Hall was responsible because of her proximity to the stricken patients, her access to deadly pharmaceuticals, and because she notified staff of every patients cardiac emergency, according to court documents.

Hall had previously denied any involvement in the deaths.

Families of patients who died during Halls employment later sued the hospital.
ST. LOUIS  A former prosecutor says she wants to turn over evidence in a lawsuit that seeks to oust her former boss, but the St. Louis Circuit Attorneys Office is trying to stop her.

Natalia Ogurkiewicz resigned from the circuit attorneys office on April 14 after handling homicides and other violent felonies. Before she left, the Missouri Attorney Generals Office, which filed suit earlier this year to remove Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner from office, ordered Ogurkiewicz through a subpoena to turn over documents about her training, authority to make offers for plea agreements, and other case data.

But attorneys for Gardners office filed a motion to throw out several subpoenas, including the one for Ogurkiewicz, claiming they were overly broad and violated state law. Ogurkiewicz says they have no authority to do so, and she wants to turn over the documents.

Ms. Ogurkiewicz recognizes the importance of the issues at stake to those she took an oath in this litigation, and accordingly intends to comply with the subpoena directed to her, the filing states.

The filing is the latest jab in a legal battle over the future of the Circuit Attorneys Office. Gardner has faced criticism for years for understaffing and dysfunction in her office. Those complaints came to a head in February when Daniel Riley, a 21-year-old who was out on bond in a pending robbery case despite violating the conditions of his GPS monitor dozens of times, was charged in a car crash that injured a teen volleyball player visiting St. Louis.

Politicians of all persuasions called for Gardner to stop down. The state legislature ramped up an effort to strip her of most of her power, and Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a lawsuit to remove her.

Last week, Gardner appeared for the first time in the removal suit. Attorneys for her office said they should not have to turn over the bulk of items listed in a 59-point subpoena from the attorney generals office.

On Wednesday, they doubled down on many of those points in a filing, arguing that Baileys office had deliberately created a scenario of overbroad requests.

He asks for that which he cannot receive, hoping to complain of not receiving it, attorneys wrote.

But Ogurkiewicz questioned whether those attorneys  one from a Washington D.C.-based law firm and the offices chief warrant officer, Chris Hinckley  could even argue subpoenas be quashed at all.

The Circuit Attorneys Office, she argued, operates as a branch of the city that should be represented by the city, not a standalone entity that can hire its own attorneys.

They do not have the authority to stop her from turning over documents Ogurkiewicz has compiled herself, the filing states.

Ms. Ogurkiewicz is ready, willing and able to comply, it says.

Attorneys for all parties are set to appear again Tuesday for another hearing in the case.
UPDATED with details from court documents on what Dobbs told detectives

ST. PETERS  The girlfriend of a man charged in the March 3 shooting outside a St. Peters Schnucks grocery store has now also been charged in the case.

Jayana Dobbs surrendered to police on Monday after prosecutors charged her with robbery, being an accessory to first-degree assault and being an accessory to armed criminal action.

Dobbs, 22, lives in the 5200 block of Paulian Place in St. Louis. She was held on $1 million cash bail Tuesday.

St. Peters police Detective David Beckman said in court papers that Dobbs admitted to being the getaway driver for her boyfriend. Dobbs said they drove around looking for victims so they could get money for drugs, Beckman said.

Her boyfriend, Tyrone Miller Jr., turned himself in to St. Charles County authorities on Monday, along with Dobbs.

Miller, 24, of O'Fallon, Illinois, had been charged last week in at-large warrants. He faces charges of first-degree assault, attempted robbery and armed criminal action. His bail is also set at $1 million cash.

Police said Miller shot a woman March 3 during a purse snatching outside a St. Peters Schnucks grocery store. The shooting happened about 8 p.m. that day on the Schnucks parking lot, at 48 Plaza 94.

Police said a 52-year-old woman was sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle while her husband loaded groceries into the back seat. Miller walked up to the woman and shot her in the ear while trying to steal her purse, court documents allege.

The victim's husband told St. Peters police he heard his wife yell: No! before the sound of gunshots, court documents say. The husband saw a man getting into a silver SUV, which was parked in the same row as the husband's car but two or three spaces away.

The victim was rushed to a hospital where she was considered stable. Court documents said the bullet entered her right ear and exited her lower jaw. Police have not released an update on her condition.

St. Peters police matched fingerprints on the victims car to Miller, who was also suspected in a string of similar purse snatchings. Those crimes included a robbery outside a Dierbergs grocery store in Shrewsbury on March 3, about 6 hours before the St. Peters shooting.

St. Peters police Sgt. Melissa Doss told a reporter Tuesday that Miller was the boyfriend of Dobbs.

According to court documents, the SUV used by the attacker had been rented from an Avis in St. Peters in February. The woman who rented it told police she rented it for Miller and Dobbs.

Beckman, the St. Peters police detective, interviewed Dobbs on Monday. Beckman said Dobbs described how she and Miller were driving back and forth from St. Peters Walmart to Schnucks Plaza 94, looking for victims, when Miller spotted the victim leaving Schnucks.

Dobbs said she watched as Miller approached the woman and grabbed her purse, Beckman said. When the victim struggled for the purse, Miller shot her, police said.

After the shooting, Miller jumped into the back seat of the SUV and Dobbs drove him into St. Louis city, where he traded the gun for drugs, Beckman said. They then drove to East St. Louis and hid at Miller's mother's home for a few days, Dobbs told the detective.

Kim Bell of the Post-Dispatch staff can be reached at kbell@post-dispatch.com
CHICAGO  Illinois lawmakers effort to end cash bail is in the state Supreme Courts hands after justices heard arguments Tuesday on behalf of top Democrats, and a group of prosecutors and sheriffs who are challenging the law.

The state Supreme Court ordered in January that the provision would not take effect as anticipated and agreed to an expedited review following a Kankakee County judges ruling that the General Assemblys elimination of cash bail was unconstitutional.

Brief arguments before the Supreme Courts seven justices in Springfield on Tuesday largely centered on whether lawmakers have the authority to make such a sweeping change to pretrial procedures.

The clampdown on courts that require a monetary payment before a defendant can be released from jail ahead of a criminal trial is part of a criminal justice package that Illinois Democrats wrote following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in 2020.

The package, dubbed the SAFE-T Act, passed the General Assembly in January 2021  and was later amended to increase the type of offenses still eligible for cash bail as the change came under intense criticism from some law enforcement officials and Illinois Republicans.

Deputy Solicitor General Alex Hemmer, representing Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Democratic legislative leaders, argued that the legislature has set policy for decades that affect the pretrial process for Illinois criminal defendants. The previous ruling overturning the law was clearly wrong on the law, he argued.

If the Supreme Court struck down the change, Hemmer said it would call 60 years of legislative work on bail law into question. He also compared it to lawmakers frequently crafting laws that set mandatory jail sentences tied to certain convictions.

Upholding the local courts decision would tie the General Assemblys hands for decades to come, prohibiting it from setting public policy in the area of criminal procedure, he said.

Several justices questioned whether the law impeded judges ability to manage their courtrooms.

Jim Rowe, the states attorney for Kankakee County, argued that judges should have the option to set a cash bail as a tool in the toolbox to ensure that defendants come to the courthouse for trial.

Rowe faced several questions about whether prosecutors and sheriffs have legal standing to bring the case. Other justices questioned how the SAFE-T Act changes to cash bail differ from lawmakers ability to set minimum criminal sentences or a list of factors that judges should consider when determining bail.

Alan Spellberg, a states attorney representing Will County, argued that the elimination of cash bail differs from those examples. In the case of cash bail, he argued that lawmakers have mandated the outcome.

We know from history, monetary components are an important incentive for ensuring that a defendant appears for trial, Spellberg said.

The justices gave no timeline for when a decision in the case will be released.
ST. LOUIS  A judge on Monday declined to hold St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner in contempt of court but said her stressed, understaffed office allowed a murder case to (fall) through the cracks when a prosecutor went on leave.

Jonathon Jones, 18, was set to face trial last week on charges he shot and killed 29-year-old Brandon Scott near the Gateway Arch grounds in 2021, but no one from Gardners office showed up for the first day of trial. Judge Scott A. Millikan filed for Gardners office to show cause for why she should not be held in criminal contempt for the no-show and ordered to pay a fine or face jail time.

On Friday, Gardner filed a response blaming the attorney assigned to the case, Alex Polta, for not communicating with the office while he was on approved leave. Polta told the office before he left that he had no trials set to begin while he was away.

But Millikan on Monday said the office should have covered his docket or at least communicated with the judge or defense attorney about the case.

I understand the office is under a lot of stress, Millikan said. But at the end of the day, it is, I think, Ms. Gardners responsibility to make sure people are doing what theyre supposed to do.

Gardners office has struggled for years with understaffing, but the issue has become especially dire in recent weeks. Multiple prosecutors handling high-profile cases have resigned, leaving just a handful of prosecutors to handle hundreds of serious felony cases. Hearings and trials are regularly delayed, and cases have repeatedly been dismissed and refiled because prosecutors arent ready to proceed.

Gardner is facing a lawsuit from Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey that seeks her removal from office and a bill from the Missouri Legislature that would strip her of most of her power.

But on Monday, attention was fixed on Jones, who was charged in September 2022 alongside Mark Perry, 37, in the fatal shooting.

Scott was found Sept. 6, 2021, in the drivers seat of a blue Dodge Charger on steps leading up to the arch grounds, according to court documents. Police found two different types of bullet casings at the scene.

Scotts family said he had just returned to St. Louis from a commercial drivers license program when he was killed. His girlfriend was pregnant at the time with a son who is now 2.

Polta, the prosecutor who had been assigned the case, appeared Monday before Millikan, arguing he had been sick since he went on leave in early April. He said he tried to notify everyone of his upcoming cases, but there was confusion.

He also said it would typically be the chief trial assistants job to make sure all hearings and trials are covered. That position has remained vacant since last month when Marvin Teer announced he would leave after roughly a year on the job. There was no excuse for the offices absence, he said.

There is nothing more important than showing up for court on time, Polta said.

Gardner did not appear for the hearing, but her attorney, Michael Downey, apologized to the court.

We are not looking for a fight, he said. We are not looking to cause trouble.

Ultimately, Millikan said he would not find Gardner in contempt, noting it was a high legal burden to meet.

He also considered a request from Jones attorney, Cecilia Appleberry, to dismiss the case altogether. In December, she filed to invoke Jones right to a speedy trial, which in Missouri requires him to face trial within 120 days of his arraignment. That date is set to expire April 26.

She also asked for Jones to be released on bond.

Millikan denied both requests, saying he feared that dismissing the case would prompt prosecutors to refile it, which would push a trial back even further.

Instead, he set a new trial date for June 5.

Outside the courthouse, Scotts family spoke to a group of reporters, saying they were frustrated their loved ones case has gained attention and outrage only because of the failings of the Circuit Attorneys Office.

Scotts mother said Gardner should not be in office. His sister, April Scott, said she just wanted justice for her brother.

We just want to focus on the case at hand, she said.

Later Monday, a second judge filed to hold Gardner in contempt of court when another of her prosecutors missed a hearing in an assault case.
PINE LAWN  A former Pine Lawn employee claims in a lawsuit filed this week that Mayor Terry Epps fired her for telling other city officials that a co-worker had sexually harassed and physically assaulted her.

The workplace discrimination lawsuit claims Epps fired the woman in August in retaliation and that the city did nothing to stop sexual harassment of women in the workplace, violating the Missouri Human Rights Act, a labor law forbidding workplace discrimination.

The alleged harasser touched the woman inappropriately on at least three occasions, including grabbing her from behind, rubbing himself on her, and attempting to stick his hand down her pants, the lawsuit claims.

The woman repeatedly told the man his advances were not welcome and eventually reported the incidents to two Pine Lawn aldermen, a resident on one of the citys commissions and another city co-worker. The suit did not name the individuals.

But word reached both the harasser and the mayor, the lawsuit claims, due to the small, close-knit environment of the city hall and its employees. The lawsuit does not detail how the mayor learned of the complaints but alleges the mayor and harasser had a personal friendship.

Pine Lawn, a 0.6-square-mile city of about 2,700 residents in north St. Louis County, employed 13 full-time employees as of April 2022, including the mayor and seven aldermen, according to records.

Epps, the citys mayor since 2016, denied the allegations but referred questions to the citys contracted attorney, Anthony Gray.

We think the suit has no merit, and were going to defend it vigorously, Gray said.

Neither the mayor nor the harasser was named as a defendant in the lawsuit  only the city of Pine Lawn. The man is still a Pine Lawn employee.

The Post-Dispatch is not naming him because he has not been charged with a crime. He told the Post-Dispatch he denies the allegations but declined further comment.

The woman suing Pine Lawn referred comment to an attorney, who did not return messages seeking comment. The Post-Dispatch does not typically name victims of alleged assaults.

The suit

The accuser in the lawsuit was hired to work part time for the city in February 2020. At work, according to the lawsuit, she was subject to a regular barrage of unwanted sexual comments and advances by a male co-worker, including sexually inappropriate comments, during working hours at Pine Lawn City Hall, 6250 Steve Marre Avenue.

The lawsuit details two occasions when the man grabbed the plaintiff around her hips and waist and pulled her close to him. Both times she rebuked him, and once he tried to put his hand down the front of her pants but the woman pushed him away, according to the suit.

The man then made sexual remarks asking if he could bite her lips. The woman left the room upset and told an alderwoman about the incident.

On Aug. 12, after the woman told other staffers about the incident, Mayor Epps ordered the woman to clean restrooms in Pelton Jackson Park for an upcoming event, the suit claims. The mayor told her that another worker  the man she would later accuse of assault  would drive her to the park, but she refused and said she would drive herself.

The request was unusual and outside the scope of the womans job duties, according to the lawsuit, because the park was known to be an unsafe place for women to work alone. After the woman raised concerns, she was told a police officer would meet her at the park.

But when she arrived, no one was there, according to the suit.

The woman returned to city hall and told several people there that she wouldnt clean the park and restrooms alone.

Three days later, on Aug. 15, Epps fired the woman for abandoning her job, according to the suit.

Gray, the attorney for Pine Lawn, said Epps did not know about the womans complaints.

If he had gotten a whiff of this, he would have immediately asked me to look into it and investigate, and he would have tried to get to the bottom of it, he said. We cant investigate something we didnt know about.

In October, the plaintiff filed a complaint with the Missouri Human Rights Commission and the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The resulting lawsuit seeks at least $50,000 in damages, in addition to legal fees, for emotional distress, loss of income, loss of sleep and anxiety the woman suffered as a result of the citys actions.

Pine Lawn officials, the suit claims, did nothing to stop harassment and had no recognized or known system for reviewing employee complaints of sexual harassment or alerting employees that harassment would not be tolerated.

The city will launch an inquiry into the allegations, he said. Gray declined further comment, claiming it a personnel matter.

It was unclear if the womans alleged assault was reported to police.

Pine Lawn is one of several north St. Louis County suburbs that contracts policing services with the Vinita Park-based North County Police Cooperative. Chief Jon Buchannan referred questions to Vinita Park City Attorney Doug Rudman, who declined comment.
ST. LOUIS  Prosecutors charged a man last week with attempting to rape women at two MetroLink stops in downtown St. Louis.

Dartarius Gibson, of Cahokia Heights, is facing two charges of first-degree attempted rape and one charge of first-degree sodomy.

Documents say he stopped one woman on April 18 to ask for directions at the Convention Center MetroLink platform at 600 North Sixth Street. He walked away, then returned with his genitals exposed.

The woman ran away, but Gibson punched her several times until she fell, then pulled down her pants and touched her, court documents say. Bystanders started screaming, and Gibson fled.

The following day, he approached a different woman at the MetroLink platform at Eighth and Pine Streets. He also asked that woman for directions and then returned to her with his genitals exposed, court documents say.

He then choked the woman, wrapped his arms around her torso and touched her breast, police said. The woman started to run away, but he wrestled her to the ground and pulled down her pants. She was able to get away and called police, authorities said.

Bi-State Development, which runs MetroLink, said in a statement that its new camera system through the Real Time Camera Center helped find Gibson. The organization also pledged to continue to improve security on its platforms.

Still, Bi-State security manager Kevin Scott said, that doesn't mean they can prevent every incident because the platforms are "not immune to crime occurring in the neighborhoods we serve and those incidents do spill over to our system."

"What we can guarantee is that we will have rigorous collaboration with our police partners and will always provide a professional response to gain the confidence of the transit riding public," he said.

Gibson is currently being held in the St. Louis jail without bond. He does not yet have an attorney listed in court documents.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday with a statement from Bi-State Development.
EDWARDSVILLE  A Madison County jury found a man guilty Thursday in a 2021 murder outside a Granite City tire shop

Fred W. Williams, 33, was convicted of first-degree murder in the June 25, 2021, killing of tire shop employee Delas M. Carter, 30, of Alorton.

Prosecutors argued Williams shot Carter 10 times at close range outside the shop in the 1500 block of Madison Avenue.

Assistant States Attorney Luke Yager, in his closing argument, called it an execution in broad daylight."

Evidence presented at trial included security footage of the shooting with the shooter's face covered, cell phone data, license plate tracking and a DNA match on clothing found in a getaway car," according to the office of Madison County State's Attorney Tom Haine.

The motive for the killing was not clear during the trial.

Williams faces a sentence of between 45 years to life in prison.

Another man police initially suspected in the shooting, Dionta O. Moore, 31, died by suicide when he was apprehended by police during a police chase after the shooting.
JEFFERSON CITY  If Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey is successful in removing St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner from office for failing to uphold her duties, she could go back to voters in the next election and ask for another term.

But, under a proposal floated by a south St. Louis County lawmaker Wednesday, the embattled Democratic prosecutor would be barred from running for circuit attorney again if shes booted from office.

I cant believe it wasnt law before I looked into it, said Rep. Brad Christ, R-Sappington.

The proposal was added into a crime bill being crafted in the House in the final weeks of the annual legislative session. The package needs another vote in the House before it heads back to the Senate for further debate.

Along with Christs amendment, the legislation also would allow Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, to appoint a special prosecutor for certain types of violent crimes in St. Louis and other high-crime jurisdictions in the state.

Gardner, a former member of the Missouri House, has faced criticism for years for mishandling cases, understaffing and organizational dysfunction. The criticism spiked in February when a 17-year-old volleyball player visiting downtown St. Louis from Tennessee was pinned between two cars in a crash. Both of the girls legs were amputated. The man charged in the crash was free on bond in a pending robbery case despite violating the conditions of his GPS monitor several dozen times.

Bailey, who was appointed attorney general by Republican Gov. Mike Parson, filed a lawsuit soon after the incident, saying she needs to be removed from the job for failing to prosecute cases by dismissing charges and allowing others to languish, failed to keep victims informed and failed to review thousands of cases submitted by St. Louis police.

Gardner said Bailey is attempting to thwart the will of St. Louis voters, who have elected her twice.

The two sides are preparing for a possible trial in September.

Christs bill would affect all public officials who are removed from office through the proceeding being employed by Bailey.

Its a rare occurrence in Missouri. An attorney for Gardner said last week that only 13 previous public officials in the state have been ousted using a legal process known as quo warranto.

Those removals included corrupt officials who misstated public funds, gave kickbacks to friends or intentionally turned a blind eye toward notorious organized crime due to their own involvement in those same offenses, the attorney said.

During debate Wednesday, Rep. LaKeySha Bosley, D-St. Louis, raised concerns that a white lawmaker was targeting a Black prosecutor.

Theres nothing about race in this legislation, Christ said.

Rather, he said, You must have done something egregious to be removed.

The legislation is Senate Bill 186.
Korean first lady Kim Keon-hee had a busy schedule during President Yoon Suk-yeol's state visit to the U.S. On Wednesday, she was given a private tour with her U.S. counterpart Jill Biden of the National Gallery of Art's Mark Rothko exhibits. The two also met the painter's son.

First lady Kim Keon-hee (left) and her U.S. counterpart Jill Biden look at paintings by Mark Rothko in the National Gallery of Art in Washington on Wednesday. /AP-Yonhap

Later that day, Kim met the mother of Otto Warmbier, an American college student who was imprisoned and tortured in North Korea in 2016 on a charge of subversion and died after he was released by North Korea in a vegetative state a year later. Presidential spokesman Lee Do-hoon said the first lady told Cindy Warmbier, "The news of your son was a huge shock not only to me but to all [South] Koreans."

First lady Kim Keon-hee meets with the mother of Otto Warmbier along with human-rights activists at the Old Korean Legation Museum in Washington on Wednesday. /Yonhap

When Warmbier's parents sought to meet former President Moon Jae-in during a visit to Seoul in 2019, they were coolly rebuffed due to "scheduling difficulties." Being told about the Warmbiers' support for North Korean defectors, Kim said, "The international community must join hands to inform the world about the dire human rights situation in North Korea and work to improve it."
ST. LOUIS  A judge on Thursday announced he will appoint a special prosecutor to build a contempt case against St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner and one of her assistants after they failed to show up for a pair of court dates in an assault case.

Judge Michael Noble said evidence suggested Gardner and her assistant, Christopher Desilets, were guilty of indirect criminal contempt after Desilets didn't show up for a scheduled trial and a subsequent hearing earlier this week.

Gardner's office appears to be a "rudderless ship of chaos that forces attorneys to handle untenable caseloads, Noble said.

"It appears that Ms. Gardner has complete indifference and a conscious disregard for the judicial process," he said.

Gardner was not in court for Thursdays hearing but sent a deputy, Rob Huq, in her place. Huq was unable to give many answers to a barrage of questions from Noble about Desilets conduct, the offices victim notifications, and whether the office had investigated its failures to appear.

Gardners attorney, Michael Downey, was also present. He declined comment after the hearing.

Nobles decision marked the latest legal controversy for Gardner, whose office has been criticized for years for understaffing and dysfunction. Those issues reached a boiling point in recent months when the handling of a robbery case sparked calls for Gardners resignation. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a lawsuit seeking her removal.

Then, on Monday, Noble ordered Gardner to show cause for why she shouldnt be held in contempt over the case of Steven L. Vincent Jr. 28, who faces nine charges, including first-degree assault, after police say he shot a gun in the citys Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood and hit an apartment building, striking an 11-year-old girl in the arm as she sat in a bedroom.

His trial was supposed to begin on April 10, but Desilets did not appear. Another prosecutor told Noble at the hearing that Desilets was dealing with a medical issue and was on his way to the doctors office. Noble set a status hearing for two weeks later.

But on that date  Monday  Desilets did not appear again.

He told Noble on Thursday that he had to take care of business in front of another judge for a trial setting that morning, but once he finished up there, he showed up to Nobles courtroom and the doors were locked.

Noble asked Desilets why he didnt inform the court that he was running late, and Desilets said it is common practice in St. Louis courts for attorneys to bounce between judges and divisions for hearings on any given day. Many people regularly show up late, he said.

Its really not unusual, he said.

But staffing shortages in Gardners office have made such waiting periods more frequent. Multiple prosecutors have stepped down in recent weeks, leaving fewer and less experienced attorneys to pick up their cases.

In one case, Judge Scott Millikan filed last week to hold Gardner in contempt after nobody from her office showed up for the first day of a murder trial. The prosecutor assigned to the case was on leave.

Millikan declined to hold Gardner in contempt but lamented that the case fell through the cracks.

On Thursday, Noble also focused on those failings, noting that a caseload like Desilets, which included nearly 105 felonies, is likely to create countless, irreconcilable conflicts with hearings and trials. He blamed Gardner for not staying on top of it.

It does not appear (Gardner) has made any reasonable efforts to prevent the resulting chaos, he said.

Noble said he will allow Gardner and Desilets to retain attorneys and seek evidence to defend themselves against the contempt charge.

If they are found in contempt, they could face jail time and/or a fine.

A hearing in the case is set for 9:30 a.m. on May 30.
A St. Charles County police officer shot and killed a man who authorities say pulled a gun after running from officers early Monday.

Tracy E. Hayes was shot about 12:30 a.m. on Siedentop Road, north of Technology Drive West, in the Weldon Spring area. Hayes, 40, lived in the Harvester area of St. Charles County.

The scene was less than a half-mile from the Missouri Highway Patrols Troop C headquarters, near Highway 94 and Highway 40 (Interstate 64).

Cpl. Barry Bayles of the St. Charles County Police Department said two police officers were sitting in police cars in a parking lot, in a largely isolated area, when a car pulled alongside one of the police cars.

The car, with two men inside, had just left the lot of a business that was closed and had no night shift. Hayes was in the passenger seat.

The driver asked one of the officers for directions, Bayles said, and the officers walked over to talk with the men.

A few minutes later, Hayes jumped out of the car and ran off, Bayles said. Officers chased him, while the driver stayed put. Bayles said the officers caught Hayes, but he fought back and pulled a gun. Thats when one officer shot Hayes, Bayles said. Hayes died at a hospital.

No officers were hurt.

The officer who fired the shot is 23 and has been with the department for two years.

The Post-Dispatch has requested video footage from the officers dashboard cameras and body cameras. All St. Charles County police officers wear body cameras, and all of the departments patrol cars are equipped with cameras. Police wouldnt release them Monday. Bayles said the county prosecutor could decide if those videos are released to the Post-Dispatch once the police investigation is completed.

Bayles said it wasnt clear why Hayes ran.

Hayes has a lengthy criminal history and was cited in February for violating terms of his probation in a 2021 weapons case in Lincoln County.

Charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, Hayes pleaded guilty in Lincoln County in December 2021, and Judge Milan Berry sentenced him to four years in prison. Berry, however, suspended imposition of the sentence and put Hayes on five years probation instead, according to online court records. A probation violation was listed in court papers about two months ago, but no hearing was held on that. Having a gun Monday, as police allege, would have been another violation.

His previous convictions included receiving stolen property in 2006 and theft in 2012 in St. Charles County. He also had convictions in Montgomery County for drug distribution in 2012 and unlawful use of a weapon and property damage in 2013.

Hayes lived in the 3200 block of Brightwood Drive. His relatives could not be reached for comment Monday. His attorney in the weapons case, Matt Weber, did not immediately reply to a message.

Bayles initially described the incident Monday as a traffic stop based on a dispatchers conversation log, but he later updated the account to explain how the officers were parked and the car approached the officers.

The St. Charles County Critical Incident Response Team is handling the investigation. St. Charles County formed the response team in February 2022. It includes lieutenant commanders and detectives from the St. Charles County, Cottleville, Lake St. Louis, OFallon, St. Charles, St. Peters and Wentzville police departments.

The investigators eventually turn over their findings to the St. Charles County prosecutor.

The shooting marks at least the 10th time this year across the St. Louis region where an officer either fired at a suspect or a suspect fired shots at officers.

A Hermann, Missouri, officer was killed and another was critically injured in March at a convenience store in Hermann. Two St. Louis officers were injured in a Soulard shooting in February.

Twice this year, police fatally shot a suspect  and both of those shootings were in St. Charles County. In addition to Mondays shooting in Weldon Spring, the other one was Jan. 17 when Sonny J. Vincent, 36, of Montgomery County, Missouri, was shot and killed by officers after a chase into Wentzville.

Officers with a St. Charles County task force had tried to pull over a car near Interstate 70 and Highway 79 because it bore license plates that didnt match the vehicles description. The driver sped off, leading police 12 miles west, from St. Peters to Wentzville. The car turned out to be stolen.

Two officers  one from St. Charles and one from St. Peters  shot at Vincent when he pulled a gun on them as he ran away, police said. Vincent died at a hospital.

The St. Charles County Critical Incident Response Team investigated the fatal Wentzville shooting as well, but authorities havent released its findings.
ST. LOUIS  More than 20 people on Saturday applied to work for St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardners office during a job fair held by her office.

Applicants were vying for non-attorney roles such as investigators, clerks and victim services positions.

Gardners office has struggled for years to hire and retain attorneys, employing now about half the number of prosecutors as when she took office. The embattled prosecutor has for years faced criticism over dysfunction and understaffing in her office, and that criticism came to a head in February when Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey sued to remove her from office.

Staffing levels for non-attorney positions in Gardners office have not been as widely documented as attorney positions, but a former prosecutor noted in her resignation letter earlier this month that the office has struggled with hiring and retaining support staff too.

These vindictive attacks ... didnt just start. I would say its a crescendo of efforts to force her out office or to put the office in such a space where people would leave because of the negative connotations that are associated with what we have been doing and the misreporting and misinformation about the office, Khatib Waheed, director of community engagement and strategic partnerships for Gardners office, told the Post-Dispatch on Saturday.

Waheed oversaw the job fair on the first floor of the Carnahan Courthouse in downtown St. Louis and said no applicants had asked about the pending litigation against the office. But Waheed said he believes without a doubt the offices staffing shortages can be largely attributed to the criticism Gardner has faced during her six years in office.

He also noted the post-COVID labor market in general has created staffing challenges for everyone, from St. Louis police to Amazon.

So we are not the only agency or company in the country experiencing this, Waheed said. Let me put it like this: We are not going to lay down to the challenges in the labor market or the relentless vindictive political attacks on our office.

Lisa Davis, of St. Louis, recently lost her job and attended Saturdays job fair. She told the Post-Dispatch residents voted for Gardner and she believes they need her to stay in office.

We want her to stay here and do her job, she said, noting her son has been incarcerated for 10 years, an his case is being reviewed by the Conviction Integrity Unit, a unit established by Gardner to revisit guilty verdicts to determine if mistakes were made. Gardner established the unit after receiving a federal grant in conjunction with the Midwest Innocence Project.

Davis said she wants to work with victims so she can make their voices heard and advocate for them, ensuring the truth comes out and justice is served correctly.

Theres a lot going on in St. Louis, and I just want to help out the community, she said.

Another attendee, Arnita Norman, said she was ready to put her criminal justice degree to use after years as a housekeeping manager. She said Baileys lawsuit didnt factor into her decision to apply on Saturday.

I am just trying to get in my field for what I went to school for, she said.

Another applicant told the Post-Dispatch hes been busy studying to take the bar exam and wasnt aware of the criticism faced by the circuit attorneys office.

We really want people, whether they are attorneys or support staff, who care about people, who are willing to do the just and right things in spite of any political pressure or adverse circumstances, Waheed said.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY  County council members unanimously agreed this week to spend $1.6 million to hire more than two dozen new officers for the jail, after recently raising concerns about budget mismanagement.

Short staffing affects jail safety, and adding workers could affect the amount of overtime paid to jail staff, jails director said in making the funding request to the council.

The Post-Dispatch found that some jail employees have made more than half their base salary in overtime in recent years.

Since January, the jail has spent more than $750,000 on employee overtime, according to county payroll data. The top overtime-earning employee at the jail has been paid $21,000 in overtime so far this year. In total, the jail spent more than $4 million in overtime in 2021 and 2022.

Much of the overtime has been paid to the same group of jail lieutenants and sergeants since at least 2020, payroll records show.

There is absolutely no fiscal responsibility in the jail, one correctional officer told the Post-Dispatch on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

St. Louis County Council members Lisa Clancy, Mark Harder and Rita Days, who questioned and criticized Buzz Westfall Justice Center director Scott Anders about jail overtime pay at an April 20 meeting, did not return request for comment about their votes to allocate the $1.6 million. Anders told the Post-Dispatch that the reports that spurred their earlier criticism were incorrect.

Data from the jails website says 72 positions are currently vacant in the jail, but the jails director told the Post-Dispatch that 54 of those positions have not been funded. The jails current budget can support more than 200 officers.

A third-party audit of Buzz Westfall Justice Center released last summer recommended staff makeup not be as top-heavy, by reducing the large ratio of supervisor and manager positions to line workers. Staffing issues have also led to the 930-plus jail detainees being placed on lockdown longer, the audit corroborated.

Employees have agreed with Anders plea to the county council that short staffing poses safety risks. Last year, a jail supervisor disclosed to the Post-Dispatch that officers were forced to violate the jails policy that requires them to double up on their shifts because of staffing shortages. The day before Thanksgiving, a guard supervising 60 inmates alone was attacked by an inmate, before other inmates intervened.

We honestly cannot afford to lose another worker, the corrections officer said.

Staff shortages on the jails medical side have left nurses not being able to distribute vital medicine to pretrial detainees, a nurse previously told the Post-Dispatch. Meanwhile, the county spends millions to fill the gap in temporary staffing contracts for medical staff. Two inmates at the jail have died this year.

Staffing shortages might contribute to another source of increased costs: Lawsuits stemming from inmate deaths, which largely allege medical neglect, have cost the county at least $2.7 million since the beginning of 2021, according to Post-Dispatch coverage of settlements. Other suits are still pending.

Previously, the county council approved a $28 million annual budget for the jail, which could produce $3 million in revenue if the jails administration opts to renew a contract to house federal inmates. The jail has also allocated funds for educational classes and skill-based programs such as barber schools. Recently, the administration introduced a partnership it established with the county prosecutors office for mental health diversion services.
UNIVERSITY CITY  A three-alarm fire early Wednesday destroyed a popular pub and the apartments above it on the Delmar Loop.

One University City firefighter suffered minor injuries when the roof of the Three Kings Public House at 6307 Delmar Boulevard collapsed. No one else was hurt in the fire, which broke out around 3:30 a.m., while the pub was closed. Residents living in apartments above the pub were evacuated safely.

Authorities say the fire may have started in the kitchen, which was in a single-story annex extending out from the main building into the rear lot.

That annex collapsed in the fire. The rest of the three-story building housing the Three Kings, a mainstay in The Loop business district since it opened in 2011, was charred and hollowed out.

But the pubs owners vow to return to the Loop, the flagship location for a business that expanded to additional locations in Des Peres, south St. Louis County and St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

We chose the Loop because of the eclectic, vibrant and diverse nature of the area owners Derek Deaver, Derek Flieg, and Ryan Pinkston said in a written statement. The Loop is our home, and we love it here.

The Three Kings Public House will be back. We will be even better, and we will always be an active part of this amazing community in University City.

Firefighters found a heavy fire on the roof of the pubs rear annex when they were called to the scene about 3:30 a.m., University City Fire Chief Bill Hinson said.

The age of the building posed a challenge to firefighters because there were several layers of floors and roofs built in over the years that left voids for flames to travel into, Hinson said. The structure was originally erected in 1920, according to property records.

The rear annex also included a rubber membrane that kept water from going through the roof into the building below until it collapsed partially, Hinson said. And firefighters had to work around utility poles and electrical wires in the back alley that blocked fire trucks from getting close to fight the flames, Hinson said.

It took a little longer than we would like for it to set up a ladder truck here, just because we were dodging electrical lines, he said.

Fire trucks also had to position around electrical lines from Loop Trolley, which runs down Delmar Boulevard, but the Trolley wires did not pose an obstacle, Hinson said.

We know its here, we trained for it to be here, so it really wasnt in the way, Hinson said.

Fire crews ensured electricity from the Trolley lines was shut off before battling the fire. Bi-State Development Agency, which operates the Trolley, expects to resume service Thursday after a winter hiatus.

Firefighters were able to save Iron Age tattoo parlor and apartments just next door to the pub from any significant damage, Hinson said.

The St. Louis County bomb and arson squad is investigating the cause of the fire. Hinson said the unit usually investigates fires of this size, and there is no indicated the fire was suspicious.

Fire crews from St. Louis and St. Louis County assisted in battling the blaze.

George Kidera, a co-owner of Nobu restaurant down the street, came in to work shortly before 10 a.m. to find the pub up in smoke.

Im relieved that no one was hurt, but as a restaurant owner, its devastating, Kidera said.

Kidera, whose restaurant opened in the Loop last year, said Deaver  then president of The Loop Special Business District  was instrumental in helping Nobu relocate after its prior location near Olive Boulevard and Interstate 170 was cleared the area to make way for new Costco-anchored development.

Three Kings is a landmark here, Kidera said. I hope theyll be able to bounce back.

Delmar remained closed to vehicle traffic until Wednesday afternoon. Passerby watched firefighters as they worked.

Its a real blessing that no one was hurt, said David Woods, of west St. Louis County. Woods, a member of Jehovahs Witnesses, was visiting the Loop as part of the denominations public ministry. Hed been to Three Kings several times for good food, he said.

It seems like theyre a solid part of the Loop, he said. I would think they would come back.

Editor's note: This report was updated Thursday to correct an opening date for The Three Kings on Delmar.

Kim Bell of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.

Photos: Three-alarm fire destroys Three Kings pub in University City
ST. LOUIS COUNTY  A semi-truck driver from Michigan faces felony DWI charges in the Sunday crash that injured two Missouri Highway Patrol troopers and a Glendale police officer.

James L. Gibbs, 62, of Flint, Michigan, was charged Sunday with two counts of DWI resulting in an injury to law enforcement officers and one count of failing to yield to emergency vehicles.

The crash happened about 2:30 a.m., when two highway patrol vehicles and a Glendale police SUV were blocking two lanes of eastbound Interstate 44 near South Lindbergh Boulevard. The officers were responding to an abandoned 2015 Honda Pilot that had broken down in the middle of the highway.

All three vehicles had emergency lights activated when Gibb's semi-truck came down the highway at full speed and crashed into the back of the patrol vehicles and the side of the Glendale police SUV, court documents allege.

After the crash, Gibbs admitted to investigators that he had taken another person's prescription drugs before driving. He also "performed poorly" on several field sobriety tests, a highway patrol trooper wrote in charging documents.

Two troopers and a Glendale officer inside the vehicles at the time of the crash were transported to a hospital with injuries. All three have since been released, but charges say one trooper sustained a concussion and another has serious back injuries and broken ribs.

The semi totaled both highway patrol vehicles  a 2020 Dodge Charger and a 2023 Ford Explorer. The Glendale police SUV had moderate damage, according to the patrol crash report.

Gibbs' cash-only bond was set at $100,000.
SHREWSBURY  The Old Cathedral near the Gateway Arch would become the home parish for downtown Catholics under a third round of proposals to reorganize the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Maps for about half of the archdioceses 15 planning areas, or geographic subdivisions, were adjusted based on feedback from a planning committee made up of priests, deacons, parish staff and lay leaders from across the region.

The third draft models for the plan called All Things New released Friday also show St. Alban Roe in Wildwood and St. Clare of Assisi in Ellisville added to a list of 41 standalone parishes that would not have a shared pastor. Another 137 out of the total 178 parishes will be joined in groups of one or more to share a pastor along with the possibility of other partnerships.

Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski will spend the next month deciding on the final configuration before releasing the details by May 28, Pentecost Sunday. Rozanski could recommend closing or merging a number of parishes based on their viability for the next 10 to 15 years, according to archdiocesan leaders.

The initiative, which is being closely watched by the more than 400,000 Catholics in the archdiocese, is expected to drastically alter the blueprint of the church in response to declining numbers of worshipers and priests. The archdiocese comprises the city of St. Louis and 10 counties in Missouri: Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, Perry, St. Charles, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, St. Louis, Warren and Washington.

The 18-month restructuring process was launched in 2022 to address declining numbers of Catholics attending Mass and priests to serve them.

We are grateful for all the parishioners and parish ministries who have provided feedback, gathered, reviewed, and synthesized data, volunteered in many ways, and most importantly who continue to pray for the success of All Things New, said the Rev. Chris Martin, the archdioceses vicar of strategic planning, in a statement.

Changes in the new models include:

 Basilica of St. Louis, King of France (Old Cathedral) becomes the territorial or geographic parish for downtown St. Louis with St. John, Apostle & Evangelist as an alternative worship site.

 Our Lady of Lourdes in University City now shares a pastor with one other parish, St. Luke the Evangelist in Richmond Heights.

 Little Flower in Richmond Heights, St. Mary Magdalen in Brentwood and Immaculate Conception in Maplewood share a pastor.

 St. Jude in Overland shares a pastor with Holy Spirit in Maryland Heights.

 Five parishes including St. Rita in Vinita Park, Christ the King and All Saints in University City, St. Joseph in Clayton and St. Roch in St. Louis share a pastor.

 St. Alban Roe in Wildwood and St. Clare of Assisi in Ellisville are no longer grouped together and each has a pastor.

 St. Peter in St. Charles is grouped with St. Charles Borromeo and St. Francis of Assisi in Portage des Sioux.

 Sacred Heart in Elsberry shares a pastor with Immaculate Conception in Old Monroe.

 In Franklin County, St. Gerald Mission shares a pastor with Holy Martyrs of Japan and St. Anthony in Sullivan.
CLAYTON  A St. Louis County judge on Wednesday ordered the delay of an emergency rule that aims to restrict gender-affirming health care for Missourians of all ages, ending a day of legal maneuvering hours before the sweeping measure was set to take effect statewide.

Circuit Court Judge Ellen Ribaudo delayed the enactment of a rule issued by Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey that uses an emergency provision in a state consumer protection law to significantly limit gender-affirming care.

The rule, originally set to be enacted at midnight Thursday, is delayed until at least 5 p.m. Monday. Ribaudo is expected to issue a second ruling before then on whether to issue a temporary restraining order to block the rules for a longer period of time.

The delay comes as part of a lawsuit filed Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri and Lambda Legal on behalf of a group of transgender people and health care providers. The suit argues Bailey lacks the authority to use a consumer-protection law to make broad health care rules.

ACLU attorney Tony Rothert argued in St. Louis County court Wednesday that allowing the rule would allow a lone partisan official to turn back the clock on decades of medical care for thousands of transgender people across the state.

He does not have authority, and we have to stop even pretending he does, Rothert argued.

Josh Divine, solicitor general in the Attorney Generals Office, appeared by video call to the hearing to argue that a consumer protection law  the Merchandising Practices Act  gives the office extraordinarily broad leeway to pass emergency measures to regulate nearly any type of business practice.

Should it go into effect, the attorney generals rule would apply to both children and adults, a more broad application than similar efforts by Republican leaders across the country that have aimed to regulate or ban treatments like hormones, puberty blockers and surgeries only for transgender youths.

The measure includes requirements that patients wait months before receiving care. They would need to attend 15 separate, hourly therapy sessions over at least 18 months and provide documentation of an intense pattern of gender dysphoria for at least three years. Providers would also be required to ensure that any patients mental health conditions have been treated and resolved.

Providers would also be required to give patients a list of warnings about treatment side effects and would have to screen patients for autism, social media addiction and signs of social contagion with respect to the patients gender identity.

The new regulation says current patients may continue with a specific intervention that has already begun. But the patient would need to promptly seek to initiate the treatments and assessments called for by the state.

The ACLU suit filed Monday argued the measure is an improper, extra-legislative overreach by an un-elected political appointee that uses a statute meant for making sure that cars are sold with titles and that hardware stores abide by a warranty on a vacuum rather than regulating health care policy.

Attorney Jim Lawrence told the court Wednesday that plaintiffs hes representing in the case include a 36-year-old transgender man who is 10 years into hormone therapy and has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.

Lawrence argued that ADHD is a mental health condition the man would need to be screened for under the rule, but is chronic and cant be resolved as the rule requires.

Thats irreparable harm, Lawrence argued.

Divine, of the attorney generals office, argued the order is necessary because of potential harms of gender transition treatment, including infertility and the possibility that people later regret procedures. He cited the growing number of people seeking care across the state.

If this isnt an emergency, your honor, I dont know what is, Divine said.

The hearing happened after a series of legal hurdles on Tuesday and Wednesday.

At about 9 p.m. Tuesday, Baileys office filed to move the suit to federal court. The ACLU filed an emergency request to move the case back to state court, arguing it was a tactic to delay the suit long enough for the rule to go into effect. U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey agreed to send the case back to state court.

You just cant file something in federal court because you feel like being in federal court, Autrey told Divine in a hearing Wednesday afternoon.

The attorney generals office then requested a change of judge in St. Louis County. Ribaudo was assigned the case just minutes before the hearing over whether to delay the rule began. She issued the stay to give her more time to review arguments for a longer delay, her order states.

Bailey said earlier this month that his office sought the restrictions as an emergency measure while it investigates allegations of mistreatment of patients made by a former case manager at the Washington University clinic for transgender youths at St. Louis Childrens Hospital, but the office later clarified the rules will also cover adults.

The text of the rule argues an emergency measure was necessary to protect the public health, safety, and welfare of consumers.

Bailey announced plans for the rule on March 20 as Republican-backed legislation barring doctors from providing puberty blockers or hormones to minors for gender transition began to make its way through the Missouri Legislature.

LGBT advocates and gender-affirming health care providers quickly spoke out against the measure, arguing the rules could be so onerous that they may prevent providers from taking on new transgender patients altogether.

Baileys lack of medical expertise shows, Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri said in March. Scientific evidence shows  and the medical community agrees  that gender-affirming care is safe, effective and life-saving.

Advocates emphasize that many of the countrys leading medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association, support gender-affirming care as medically necessary.

Bailey took office in January after his appointment by Gov. Mike Parson. He said he is running for a four-year term in 2024.

A transgender woman, Geddy Cary-Avery, was among the observers in St. Louis County court Wednesday.

Cary-Avery said her doctor gave her a longer, three-month prescription for her hormones in anticipation of the rule. Should the measure go into effect, she said she doesnt know how shell be impacted.

It requires I be screened for mental health conditions that I dont think are the governments business, she said. If this happens, I feel like no transgender people are safe. A lot of people who I love will need to move out of state.
LIBERTY, Mo.  A man who runs a little-known, low-budget radio station in suburban Kansas City says he is standing up for free speech and alternative viewpoints when he airs Russian state-sponsored programming in the midst of the Ukrainian war.

Radio Sputnik, funded by the Russian government, pays broadcast companies in the U.S. to air its programs. Only two do so: One is Peter Schartel's KCXL in Liberty and one is in Washington, D.C.

Schartel started airing the Russian programming in January 2020, but criticism intensified after Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

Schartel said people accuse him and his wife of being traitors to the U.S. and occasionally issue threats. Some critics say he is promoting propaganda and misinformation, but Schartel maintains most people who call to complain haven't listened to the program.

Some will talk to me, but others will still call me a piece of whatever," he said. "What I am thankful for is we are still living in a country where they can call me up. Even if they arent thinking about free speech theyre exercising that right.

Radio Sputnik is produced by the U.S.-based branch of Rossiya Segodnya, a media group operated by the Russian government.

Its content prompted the National Association of Broadcasters to issue an unusual statement on March 1 calling on broadcasters to stop carrying state-sponsored programming with ties to Russia or its agents.

The statement from NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said the organization is a fierce defender" of free speech but that given Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukraine, we believe that our nation must stand fully united against misinformation and for freedom and democracy across the globe."

During one recent broadcast of The Critical Hour that aired on Schartel's station, the hosts and their guests echoed false and unsupported claims about Ukraines government.

They repeated Russian state media lies about the Russian militarys attacks on civilian targets and its destruction of entire neighborhoods, as well as Russian President Vladimir Putins baseless claim that his enemies in Ukraine are Nazis.

The Kansas City Star said in an editorial that Schartel is putting his financial needs above ethics by spreading Russian propaganda.

Much like the National Association of Broadcasters, we advise KCXL to drop all programming that paints Putin in a positive light. The Russian president is no victim; he is for sure no war hero, The Star wrote.

Schartel acknowledged that he initially accepted the Radio Sputnik contract because he was struggling to keep KCXL afloat. The station operates out of a dilapidated, cluttered building. He said he stopped taking a salary months ago, though he does nearly all the work.

Schartel's Alpine Broadcasting Corp. is paid $5,000 a month to air Radio Sputnik in two three-hour blocks each day, according to a U.S. Justice Department Foreign Agent Registration Act filing in December 2021.

KCXL's other programming includes shows that are heavily religious, offer opinions across the political spectrum and promote conspiracy theories. One program, TruNews, has been criticized by the Anti-Defamation League for spreading antisemitic, Islamaphobic and anti-LGBTQ messages.

Schartel said he airs programs that are not commercially viable and don't depend on advertising, which he contends influences news reporting. He said he is promoting free speech by providing a platform for people who otherwise aren't heard.

Roy Gutterman, director of the Tully Center for Free Speech at Syracuse University, said all radio station owners in the U.S. have a right to air whatever content they want.

It this station thinks its going to make a mark in Missouri by playing Radio Sputnik, they have the right to do so, Gutterman said.

The Federal Communications Commission, which regulates licensing of radio and television broadcasts, does not censor content unless it intentionally endangers public safety or is found to be obscene, indecent or profane.

Radio Sputnik listeners hear discussions not only about Russia but also current issues in the U.S. and other countries. The theme throughout the broadcast is that U.S. policies intentionally damage the U.S. and other countries while benefiting other corrupt governments, the rich and big business.

The deal that brought Radio Sputnik to the small Missouri station was brokered by RM Broadcasting, based in Florida, which is run by Anthony Ferolito. He signed a similar deal in 2017 with Way Broadcasting, which agreed to lease WZHF-AM's airtime in Washington, D.C., to RM Broadcasting.

Because of his contracts with Rossiya Segodnya, the Justice Department required Ferolito to register as a foreign government agent in 2018, citing a 1938 law for people lobbying for or acting on behalf of a foreign government. Ferolito lost a lawsuit over the registration.

Ferolito did not return messages from The Associated Press, but RM Broadcasting said in a statement that the company stands with Ukraine and all victims of oppression and aggression. It said RM Broadcasting is dedicated to freedom of speech.

The public is explicitly notified throughout the broadcast day of the source of the material, so that people can make an informed decision on whether to listen or turn the dial  and that freedom of choice is the ultimate underpinning of our republic, the statement said.

Gutterman, of Syracuse University, noted that state-produced content from countries not friendly with the U.S., including Russia and China, is already available on some cable stations and online, although some providers have dropped Russian content since the war began.

Modern media has changed the radio landscape we grew up with, he said. Even if stations drop it, people can find this content.

For his part, Schartel doesnt think the uproar over the Radio Sputnik broadcasts will last.

Russian state-controlled RT America, the television counterpart to Radio Sputnik, closed its U.S. branch this month and laid off most of its staff. Schartel said that likely means his contract won't be renewed when it ends in December.
JEFFERSON CITY  The Missouri attorney generals office on Monday was investigating after an alleged hack attempt last week prompted officials to remove an online tip form for reporting questionable transgender care.

Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican, announced the online tip form March 23 as he continued to investigate the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Childrens Hospital, more than a month after Jamie Reed, a former case manager at the center, alleged substandard care. (Washington University released a report last week finding her claims unfounded.)

The line had attracted attention on social media, and users suggested flooding the tip form with spam, the news outlet Truthout reported April 19.

In launching the portal last month, Baileys office urged individuals subject to illegal or abusive behavior surrounding gender transition intervention procedures to contact his office through an online form.

But on Friday, a spokeswoman for Baileys office told the Riverfront Times that far left activists were trying to hack our system to silence victims of the exact network were attempting to expose.

In order to ensure the integrity of a government website, the page is temporarily down while we investigate these matters, said Madeline Sieren, spokeswoman for Bailey. We will not back down in the fight to protect children.

On Monday, the attorney generals office was tight-lipped.

As we are investigating the incident, I am declining to comment any further at this time, Sieren said Monday.

Regulations Bailey issued this month will create new restrictions for accessing transgender care  such as an 18-month therapy requirement and three years of documented gender dysphoria.

The regulations affecting treatments such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries are set to take effect Thursday.

While most attention in the Legislature has focused on restrictions for minors, Baileys move will also affect adults, making Missouri the first state to greatly limit such care.

But whether the restrictions actually take effect is an open question.

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a fellow Republican, has predicted the rules wont stand.
President Yoon Suk-yeol met Tesla chief Elon Musk on Wednesday and asked him to pick Korea to build an electric-car factory.

Presidential secretary Choi Sang-mok said Musk had asked for the meeting. "Korea has world-class robotic manufacturing facilities and highly skilled workers" and "is a country where Tesla will be able to achieve optimum efficiency in operating its giga-factory," he quoted Yoon as saying.

The EV maker has "giga-factories" in the U.S., China and Germany that seek to maximize production efficiency and is casting around for an Asian production base.

Yoon pledged to provide active support including tax breaks once Tesla picks Korea.
JEFFERSON CITY  Lawyers working for Attorney General Andrew Bailey withdrew last week from a lawsuit lodged against Missouri by a politically connected company that has flooded the state with unregulated slot machines.

The action follows tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to a political action committee supporting Bailey from committees that have received contributions from the plaintiffs in the case.

The committees are also tied to Steve Tilley, a lobbyist for the two plaintiffs in the case, Torch Electronics and Warrenton Oil.

Warrenton Oil in December contributed $1,000 directly to Baileys PAC, called Liberty and Justice.

Torch Electronics, a Wildwood firm, and Warrenton Oil, which offers Torch games at its gas stations, in 2021 asked a Cole County judge to issue an order stopping the Missouri Highway Patrol from seizing machines as part of a crackdown on illegal gambling. The case is pending.

The contributions to Bailey raised questions about whether Baileys attorneys withdrew from the case because of a conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest.

Our office followed our longstanding practice of retaining conflict counsel to avoid any appearance of impropriety, Madeline Sieren, spokeswoman for Bailey, said in a statement to the Post-Dispatch on Tuesday.

The Post-Dispatch reported in 2021 that a spokesman for then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt, a Republican, said Schmitts U.S. Senate campaign returned a contribution from the owner of Torch Electronics after conflict of interest concerns were raised.

Sieren did not respond to a question asking why Bailey didnt return the money and continue work on the case.

Court records show assistant attorneys general David McCain and Jason Lewis withdrew from the case on Wednesday.

In their place, private attorney Scott Pool, of Gibbs Pool and Turner PC, filed an entry of appearance as the Department of Public Safetys new counsel.

It was initially unclear how much money taxpayers would pay the private law firm because of the decision to remove state attorneys from the case.

Were paying them the same contract rate we pay all outside counsel, Sieren said.

Records show five political action committees associated with Tilley gave a total of $25,000 to Baileys PAC in December.

The committees  the MO Majority PAC, the Missouri Senior PAC, the Missouri C PAC, the Missouri AG PAC, and the Missouri Growth PAC  all received $40,000 in contributions from Torch in May.

Warrenton Oil, meanwhile, sent $75,000 to the five PACs in question last year.

The attorney generals campaign committee accepted $2,825 from all five committees in question on March 27, the maximum allowed to a campaign committee under state law, ethics commission records show.

One of his potential rivals in the attorney generals race criticized Bailey for not returning the money and hiring private lawyers instead.

Andrew Bailey wants to keep his campaign contributions from illegal gambling companies, said Elad Gross, a Democrat running for attorney general, said on Twitter. So now, instead of enforcing the law, hes making the state spend more taxpayer money to hire a private attorney to do his job!

The donations come as Bailey gears up for what is expected to be an expensive GOP primary between the attorney general, appointed to the post by Gov. Mike Parson, and Will Scharf, a former federal prosecutor from Clayton who has attracted support from high-profile Republican donors.

While Bailey has used the state Merchandising Practices Act to limit medical care for transgender people, he has taken no similar action to protect consumers from unregulated slot machines that dont require a minimum payout. (State-sanctioned slots must pay out 80%.)

A second state law gives the attorney general the ability to file lawsuits against gambling houses to enjoin illegal gambling activity.

Efforts to crack down on the unregulated machines have failed in the Legislature for years amid lobbying by Torch.

Past legislation wouldve clearly classified unregulated games as illegal, erasing any ambiguity from current law.

After a Platte County judge ruled another company had violated

current state law on illegal gambling, one state senator last year expressed disappointment that more prosecutors hadnt taken action against unregulated slots.

Its always frustrating when it takes a second law to deem something thats illegal ... to try to address it because of the lack of action of the prosecutors, said then-Sen. Dan Hegeman, R-Cosby.

Moments after being sworn in as the states 44th attorney general in January, Bailey signaled he was fine with the status quo.

That is an issue thats up to local law enforcement investigators and local prosecutors, Bailey said.
JEFFERSON CITY  The Missouri House Monday rejected a plan to reinstate the states presidential preference primary for 2024.

For voters, that likely will mean heading to closed party caucuses to choose who will be at the top of the ballot next year, rather than casting a vote for a candidate at a traditional polling place.

The measure, sponsored by Rep. Cyndi Buchheit-Courtway, R-Festus, faced little debate before it was rejected on a 65-56 vote, with 31 members voting present. Legislation needs 82 votes in the House to become law.

In arguing in favor of restoring the primary, Buchheit-Courtway said forcing people to attend caucus meetings will suppress turnout.

If we do not right this wrong, well be saying we support the closed-door caucus system, she said.

Party leaders on both sides of the aisle earlier called on lawmakers to approve the switch in order to include as many people as possible in the election process.

But lawmakers were reluctant to reverse course after they eliminated what is considered a nonbinding beauty contest last year.

The primary was cut last year after lobbying by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a Republican, who has said the contest doesnt actually matter, given party caucuses decide how delegates are awarded.

Ashcroft, who is running for governor in 2024, said the elimination will save election administration costs.

It is unlikely that the measure can be resurrected before the legislative session ends on May 12.

The legislation is House Bill 267.
JEFFERSON CITY  Missouri lawmakers could wipe away residency requirements for all city of St. Louis workers, expanding a current exemption for police and firefighters.

A plan is moving in the Missouri Senate to bar St. Louis from requiring city employees to live in the city.

The measure removing the requirement was added to a wide-ranging crime bill in the House, which now awaits a vote in a Senate committee.

The sponsor, Rep. Travis Wilson, R-St. Charles, said he worked with a lobbyist for the city of St. Louis on removing current residency requirements.

He said the city, led by Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, supports the change.

Very much so, he said Monday.

But contacted on Monday, a spokesman for Jones declined to comment.

Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, in 2020 signed legislation removing the residency requirement for police and firefighters for three years.

The exemption is now set to expire in September  meaning a residency requirement could apply to those hired after Aug. 31.

Wilsons legislation would extend the exemption in perpetuity.

The 2020 law also allows the city to require that first responders live within a one-hour response time. That provision would apply to all workers under Wilsons legislation.

In 2020, then-Mayor Lyda Krewson supported removing the residency requirement, saying it would boost recruitment efforts.

Wilson echoed that sentiment on Monday.

Everyone is looking for good people and theyre wanting to make sure that they are able to hire as many of those good people as possible, he said. This enables that to happen.

He said he has spoken to St. Louis lawmakers about the change.

Sen. Karla May, D-St. Louis, has sponsored a similar effort that would extend the residency exemption for first responders to September 2028.

It would also expand the exemption so that it applies to all city employees.

The current effort follows a failed city vote in 2020 to repeal the residency requirement for civil service workers.

Though 50% of voters backed the amendment to the city charter, the measure needed 60% for approval.

The legislation is House Bill 1108.
JEFFERSON CITY  Senate Republicans on Wednesday resumed debate on a measure that would ask voters to make it more difficult to amend the state constitution, but made little headway after hours of discussion.

Republicans returned to the legislation nearly a month after initially debating it. At the time, Democrats blocked a vote on the plan, and Republicans set it aside without action.

The bill was set aside for a second time shortly after 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, as Senate Democrats successfully blocked action again.

Legislation that has already cleared the House would raise the threshold needed to amend the constitution to 60% from a simple majority.

On Wednesday, Sen. Sandy Crawford, R-Buffalo, proposed a different plan: about 57% of voters would need to approve an amendment; or a simple majority as well as a simple majority in at least five congressional districts, would be needed to enact a constitutional amendment.

Senators were debating the plan Wednesday evening, with Democrats holding the floor and blocking a vote through a filibuster.

Proponents argue constitutional changes should enjoy wide support from the public and say special interests have too much influence in the process.

But opponents have characterized the effort as an anti-democratic power grab by Republicans who oppose many citizen-led initiative petitions.

If the 60% threshold had been in effect in previous elections, constitutional amendments to expand Medicaid and legalize recreational marijuana wouldve failed despite winning clear majorities at the ballot box.

If approved by lawmakers, the issue would be placed on the November 2024 ballot, unless Gov. Mike Parson opts to call a special election on the question.

The Missouri effort comes as abortion rights advocates are pursuing an initiative petition that would enshrine reproductive rights in the state constitution, undoing the states near-total abortion ban.

A similar move to limit voter power in Arkansas failed last year by a wide margin.

Crawfords proposal would also give the lawmakers exclusive authority to enact laws enforcing provisions in this constitution relating to ballot measures.

The proposal touches several issues including voter qualifications and foreign influence in the initiative process.

In addition to the higher threshold for passage, Crawfords proposed ballot summary would also ask voters if only U.S. citizens should be allowed to vote on initiatives and if foreign countries should be barred from the initiative process.

Voters would also be asked if legislators should be restricted from reversing laws that voters pass. Lawmakers cant repeal a constitutional amendment, but can alter statutory changes that voters make.

The U.S. citizen requirement, included in the House plan, has drawn charges from opponents that Republicans were inserting ballot candy into the measure to deceive voters.

This is what entices a person to go in, and the first thing they see is non-citizens are voting? What? said former state Sen. Robert Johnson, R-Lees Summit, on Wednesday. I cant be for that. So, yes, its ballot candy; its a sweetener. Its not relevant.

U.S. citizenship is already a requirement to vote in Missouri.

Johnson, who served in the Missouri Senate between 1979 and 1993, appeared at the Capitol on Wednesday to speak out against the plan.

Its very difficult to get a petition, and to make this more restrictive against the citizens, to discourage the citizens from participating in placing an issue on the ballot, is just simply wrong, he said.

The legislation is House Joint Resolution 43.

Editors note: An earlier version misstated how many congressional districts would need to approve an amendment for it to take effect under Crawfords plan, and it also inaccurately described her ballot summary.
JEFFERSON CITY  Exempting guns and ammunition from sales taxes in Missouri could defund the police and lead to cuts at state-owned hunting land and shooting ranges, opponents of the proposal said Monday.

Under legislation sponsored by Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, sales of firearms and ammunition made in Missouri would be exempt from taxes beginning in August.

But the measure, which earlier won approval in the Senate, could cost local governments nearly $95 million in lost revenue, while the state would see a $78 million reduction, according to a nonpartisan fiscal analysis of the bill.

Richard Sheets, executive director of the Missouri Municipal League, told members of the House Ways and Means Committee that ending the collection of sales taxes on guns could reduce funds for local law enforcement.

I think we need to understand these local sales taxes are important to our citizens, Sheets said. Reducing those services would harm the community.

Aaron Jefferies, deputy director of the Department of Conservation, said the loss of revenue could affect maintenance at the states 70 unstaffed shooting ranges, less trash pickup at conservation lands managed by the agency and less mowing of the areas where people hunt, fish and hike.

It would impact the citizens of the state, Jefferies told the panel.

Brattin dismissed those concerns, arguing the the fiscal analysis outlining the projected costs was wildly outlandish and that people shouldnt be taxed based on the Second Amendment right to bear arms.

The impetus of this for me is that its a constitutional right, Brattin said. For us to levy those taxes against a constitutional right I feel is a bad move on our part as a government.

The measure narrowly passed out the Senate on a vote of 19-15. Five Senate Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the legislation, which awaits a vote in the House committee.

Democrats on the panel panned the proposal as yet another example of Republicans who control state government backing legislation that puts more guns on the street.

This is abhorrent on so many levels, Rep. Barbara Phifer, D-Kirkwood, said.

I think there are other areas we need to be focused on. These taxes are important to our daily lives, said Rep. Del Taylor, D-St. Louis.

Other groups also urged lawmakers to reject the measure.

Kyna Iman, representing the Nature Conservancy, said it could have an effect on outdoor activities.

Were huge outdoor enthusiasts. There are some other sales taxes that we could get rid of, Iman said. I feel like its a luxury tax.

Tyler Schwartze, executive director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri, said the revenue losses would certainly hinder the Department of Conservation. It would take a tool out of their toolbox.

Susan Myers, a Springfield-area resident who helps lead a chapter of Armed Women of America, was the lone witness to testify in favor of the bill.

She said ammunition prices have remained high following pandemic-related price spikes. She said a tax cut on bullets could make the products more affordable.

Brattin downplayed the effect of any revenue losses due to the passage of his proposal.

I just dont see the impact as dire as what was testified, Brattin said. Gun ownership is not a luxury. It is a right. Its No. 2 in the constitution.

The legislation is Senate Bill 131.
ST. LOUIS  Mayor Tishaura O. Jones said Tuesday that the state of the city is good, and getting better. But she said it could do without the far right-wing Republicans in Jefferson City whose policies undermine St. Louis.

Jones, a Democrat who is passing the midpoint of her four-year term, spent a good chunk of her second annual State of the City address blasting GOP officials on a raft of culture war issues like abortion, transgender rights and gun policy.

She cast efforts to curb teachings on racism in public schools as attempts to whitewash history and lie to students. She said new rules curbing access to transgender health care for minors were attacks on children and their families. And she said doing all that while refusing to restrict access to guns for youths was the height of absurdity.

To Jefferson City, she said, a 12-year-old receiving gender-affirming health care is a bigger threat than a 12-year-old with an assault rifle.

It was red meat for the mayor's progressive base and a crowd of fellow Democratic elected officials, staff and supporters gathered at St. Louis University for the midterm update, who cheered as Jones vowed to do everything she could to support abortion rights, transgender residents and gun control.

And they got another round as Jones lambasted officials pushing a plan to put a board controlled by the governor in charge of the city police department after a decade under the mayors office, saying it would do nothing to make St. Louis safer. She pointed out that Kansas City has a similar board, and just had one of its most violent years on record.

We have 99 problems, she said, and the state stepping in and taking over our criminal justice system aint one.

Alderman Rasheen Aldridge, a Democrat who until recently was a state representative, applauded the broadside.

St. Louis is under attack, he said, and we need to speak up.

But her speech drew criticism from state Rep. Brad Christ, R-south St. Louis County, whos been calling for a state takeover of city police.

Tonight, instead of offering a new approach that recognizes and addresses our greatest challenges, Mayor Tishaura Jones doubled down on failed approaches, misguided ideas and extreme ideologies, he said in a statement. There is no plan for crime.

New initiatives

Jones also spent time touting progress on her priorities.

She highlighted the passage of bills through the Board of Aldermen budgeting hundreds of millions of dollars to aid lower-income residents and rebuild struggling neighborhoods, including several on the long-suffering, majority Black North Side.

She pointed out that she pushed for across-the-board pay raises for city employees in the current years budget and the proposed plan for next year as her administration works to fill its many vacancies.

She also talked up her new police chief, Robert Tracy, lauding him for getting more than 75 community meetings in his first 100 days on the job and posting some encouraging numbers to start the year.

Homicides are down 18% year-over-year as of Monday, and reports of robberies and aggravated assaults down through March. Reports of property crimes have also dipped after spikes in January and February. And while stolen vehicles remain a problem, Jones said the city was addressing that by suing Kia and Hyundai for declining to install common anti-theft measures in their cars and making them easy targets for thieves.

Jones also announced some new initiatives, like a plan to create an Office of New Americans in the mayors office dedicated to making St. Louis more welcoming for refugees, like the more than 700 Afghans who came to the city last year.

She said her team is also working to reimagine the site of the old city jail known as the Workhouse, in far north St. Louis. Jones emptied the facility, which she and activists called inhumane, last summer, sending all inmates to a new facility downtown.

She offered few details on her vision for the site, but invited the public to fill out a survey to share theirs.

The survey, found at www.aftertheworkhouse.com, asks visitors if the jail should be demolished, redeveloped or sold. It also asks if part of the site should be turned into a memorial.

Jones conceded ongoing, high-profile challenges. She said understood residents frustrations with inconsistent or unreliable trash collection. She said the city is still working on fixing a 911 system known for lengthy delays.

And she said the city is still struggling with a labor shortage and a human resources department constrained by decades-old hiring procedures designed to defend against patronage.

There is still a lot of work to do to bring city operations into the 21st century, she said.

But she said her administration is working on that, day by day. She said the city is pushing raises for trash truck drivers to aid recruitment and retention and putting money toward a new 911 dispatch center.

And she said in the past month, the Personnel Department took a big step forward by introducing computers to track employment history, retiring the old typewriters.

I wanted to bring a typewriter and destroy it on stage for you all tonight, but my staff said no, she told the audience, to laughs. We apparently still need the parts.
ST. LOUIS  A special city commission looking at ways to compensate Black residents for the damage caused by slavery and discrimination held its first public hearing Monday night. And they got an earful.

A slew of activists and some residents urged panel members to do something about almost everything: Access to decent housing. The criminal justice system. Mental health. Minority participation requirements on government contracts.

It was raw, Dr. Will Ross, the commissions vice chair, said after the meeting, with a smile on his face.

And its only the beginning. Commissioners outlined a yearlong process Monday night dedicating their first four months to gathering public input from as many residents and subject-matter experts as possible. After that, theyll start drafting recommendations for policymakers, and then put those out to the public around the end of 2023 for another round of feedback.

The commission is joining a discussion already well underway in several cities across the country reckoning with longstanding injustices in the wake of nationwide protests sparked by the killing of a Black man in police custody in Minneapolis.

Similar advisory panels have been formed in Boston, San Francisco and Providence, Rhode Island. And officials in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, have actually approved plans to compensate for discriminatory housing policies by giving grants to Black people to help pay for mortgages, down payments and home improvements.

Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, the citys first Black female mayor, appointed St. Louis volunteer-run committee in December, with a mandate to dig into the citys often-ugly racial history, report on the present-day consequences, and propose a plan to make reparations.

Commissioners said Monday that getting that done will take hearing from more and more people in the coming months, and urged attendees to bring their friends and family members out next time.

You have the power, the Rev. Kevin Anthony, bridge pastor at Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ, told the audience at the end of Mondays meeting. And we need you behind us.

The next hearing will be at 6 p.m. on May 22 at the Emerson Performance Center at Harris-Stowe, 3026 Laclede Avenue.
After years of being abandoned at a bank and a 16-month search to find its rightful place, a Purple Heart has found its proper home.

The four children of Kenneth R. Wiest of OFallon, Illinois, finally received the esteemed military decoration that was found in 2019 in an abandoned safe deposit box in OFallon, Illinois.

Dad was a good soldier, a loyal friend and dedicated father, said Andrea Wiest Schone, youngest of Weists four children, who attended a presentation ceremony this week in Springfield.

Purple Hearts are awarded to members of the U.S. military who were injured or killed while serving.

The medal search involving Weists award was spearheaded by the office of Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs.

In November 2021, Frerichs released a list in of 11 Purple Hearts that had been left in safe deposit boxes across the state. The treasurers office received them as part of the offices unclaimed property program.

Originally, Frerichs office had only the barest of bones when it came to information: Just the surname Wiest, and that the medal had been forwarded to the treasurers office in October 2019.

But after months of research, the effort paid off and Wiest was identified as the recipient.

An Army specialist, Wiest earned the medal while serving in Vietnam, where he was wounded by enemy fire while inside a helicopter. He also served later in the Gulf War, and service medals from that campaign also were returned.

Wiest, who died in 1998, was born in 1950 in Pennsylvania and then moved to Mascoutah as a boy. After graduating from Mascoutah High in 1968, he went into the Army and was sent to Vietnam.

After leaving the military, he worked as an analyst for the Department of Defense. He also was a member of St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church in OFallon, the treasurers office reported.

My brother and sisters are grateful to have these medals that honor his legacy, said Schone, who lives in OFallon, Missouri.
WASHINGTON  A Republican lawmaker on Thursday accused the FBI of wrongly searching for his name in foreign surveillance data, underscoring the challenges ahead for U.S. officials trying to persuade Congress to renew their authorities to collect huge swaths of communications.

Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., did not say why the FBI may have searched his name in information collected under a provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act known as Section 702, and a spokesman for the lawmaker did not respond to a request for further clarification.

At a hearing of the House Intelligence Committee, LaHood pressed FBI Director Chris Wray to acknowledge that his agency and others had at times violated the rules on the use of data collected through electronic snooping.

We clearly have work to do, and were eager to do it with this committee, to show that we can be worthy stewards of these important authorities, Wray said.

In a statement, the FBI said that though it could not comment on specific queries, it has made extensive changes over the past few years to address compliance issues.

The White House and U.S. intelligence officials are pressing Congress to renew Section 702, which expires at this years end. They face sharp criticism both from Republicans who accuse the FBI of having abused surveillance powers against allies of former President Donald Trump and Democrats who believe there are insufficient protections of civil liberties.

Section 702 allows the U.S. to collect foreign communications without a warrant and query the data for a variety of reasons, from countering China to stopping terrorism and cyberattacks. The intelligence agencies end up incidentally collecting large amounts of emails and communications from U.S. citizens. They can access U.S. citizen data under strict rules for law enforcement and intelligence purposes, but the agencies have acknowledged violating those rules in some circumstances.

LaHood will lead an effort by House Republicans on the intelligence committee to recommend changes to Section 702. While he and other Republicans on the committee say they support the law, LaHood criticized those violations as making a renewal more difficult.

There are far too many members of Congress on both sides of the aisle that question whether the executive branch can be trusted with this powerful tool, he said. And thats because in the past and currently, theres been abuses and misuses of 702 by the FBI.

LaHood cited a 2021 report from the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence on compliance that notes an instance of searches for data on an unnamed congressman. Officials evaluating the incident determined the searches were for a foreign intelligence purpose but were overly broad and therefore not compliant with agency rules.

Wray did not directly address LaHoods claim, but in its statement, the FBI said its changes included a new internal audit office focused on FISA compliances and new requirements governing particularly sensitive queries. Searches involving the elected officials now require the approval of the deputy director, the FBI said.

Wray also said he was mindful of surveillance errors made during the FBI investigation into Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, including bungled applications to monitor the communications of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

A Justice Department inspector general report on that investigation describes conduct that I considered totally unacceptable and unrepresentative of the FBI, Wray told lawmakers Thursday, adding that substantial reforms have been made since then.

Though those mistakes occurred under a different section of the law than the one that's up for renewal, the blowback from the errors have complicated FBI efforts to make the broader case for the reauthorization of Section 702.

The bureau made several compliance changes and also reformed how it searches Section 702 data, he said, adding that the numbers of U.S. citizen searches had fallen sharply over the last two years.

The White House launched an effort earlier this year to convince Congress that Section 702 powers are critical to U.S. intelligence. Top officials have given broad examples of successes under the program, saying that they used its data in the operation to kill al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri last year.

A key Democrat this week pushed the Biden administration to make a stronger case for the law. Sen. Mark Warner, the Virginia Democrat who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, told intelligence officials Wednesday that he and his colleagues are going to push you to declassify more information so that we can again convince the American public.
CHICAGO  Mark Niehaus-Rincon, 67, has lived in Omaha, Nebraska, for 12 years but says life is too short to stay there.

He and his husband, Alex, a native of Omaha, have faced the silent treatment from others at their gym for 10 years. Theyve also dealt with uncomfortable and hostile workplace environments and homophobic slurs.

That treatment, combined with Nebraskas current legislative agenda  which includes restricting womens access to reproductive health care and limiting the rights of the LGBTQ community  helped push Niehaus-Rincon and his husband to relocate to Chicago. He said they are done compromising and hiding their true identities.

We are just over it, Niehaus-Rincon said. We arent welcome here.  I am ashamed to say I live in Nebraska  and I dont want to be ashamed of where I live.

Niehaus-Rincon is not the only one relocating to Illinois from a state with a conservative legislative agenda and what he describes as an unwelcome environment.

Although there is no data cataloging these moves, real estate experts said a number of households have relocated to Illinois, or are preparing to relocate, in search of a safer and more welcoming environment for the LGBTQ community.

Roman Patzner, a real estate agent with Fulton Grace Realty in Chicago, said relocation activity picked up after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, ending the constitutional right to an abortion and leaving many in the LGBTQ community worried about whether their same-sex marriage rights would continue to be protected.

Because you had what was widely viewed as a federally protected right and the rug was pulled out from (under you), Patzner said of Roe v. Wade. In the LGBTQ community, everyone viewed that as a problem for marriage equality, federally.

Real estate agents said Illinois, which has since signed legislation expanding protections for abortion patients, has emerged as an attractive state for those looking to relocate. But its also expensive to move, particularly to larger urban environments like Chicago, where housing tends to be less affordable.

Legislative agendas create fear

Lizzie Maldonado, 35, who uses she or they pronouns, moved her family to Illinois  where she and her husband grew up  last summer after having lived in Fort Worth, Texas, for nearly 15 years.

She said she moved for a variety of reasons, including wanting to be closer to family, wanting better support for her children who have learning disabilities and due to the attacks on reproductive, LGBTQ and immigrant rights in Texas.

As birthing-aged people, it makes us really nervous to have the state be that involved in health care decisions, said Maldonado, who works for a nonprofit. Raising kids and not knowing what their futures look like and wanting to be in a state that is not hostile to children felt important.

Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said that many families with transgender children are caught between staying in their hometown, where health care may be restricted, or moving to get the treatment their child needs.

We are hearing from more and more families all the time who are gravely concerned about this, said Heng-Lehtinen, who noted that there have been about 135 bills aimed at limiting health care access for transgender individuals this legislative year. One hundred thirty-five is astounding and unprecedented and really strikes fear into parents hearts.  It is very scary for trans people themselves and leaving a lot of families scrambling to figure out what they need to do next.

The American Civil Liberties Union reports that over the last few years, a record number of bills that target LGBTQ rights have been introduced in state legislatures. For the 2023 legislative session, the ACLU finds that there have been 467 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in state legislatures, with none reported in Illinois, as of April 18. Abortion is legal in Illinois but many of its neighboring states have banned or are in the process of banning it.

Bob McCranie runs a website called Flee Red States as a part of his Texas Pride Realty Group, which is part of a North Texas-based real estate company. He started Flee Red States in June and works with members of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance across the country to help members of the LGBTQ community move. So far, he said his company has helped about 25 families, including Maldonados.

There is a migration going on. We need to be aware of it and help people, and we need to document it, McCranie said. (Right-wing lawmakers) need to know that their hate is causing this.

Redfin found that about half of 1,023 survey respondents among people who recently moved to a new metro area favored living in a place where its illegal to discriminate based on gender/sexual orientation, as of 2021.

After considering leaving, some people also decided to stay in Chicago.

Kevin Romero, 41, who grew up in New Mexico, said he knew in high school that he wanted to move closer to a big city to find a larger LGBTQ community and because he was afraid he wouldnt be accepted elsewhere as a gay man.

In Chicago since 2007, he now lives in Andersonville with his husband, Philip Maziarz, as they wait for renovations to be completed on a house they bought in 2020 in Uptown.

Before buying the Uptown home, the couple considered buying a house in the western suburbs where Romero works in IT for a health care group. But the couple, Romero said, decided to stay in the city because they felt they would be better supported and less singled out because of the larger LGBTQ population.

The last time I was called the word faggot was in the western suburbs of Chicago, Romero said. Shortly before the pandemic, when he was walking back to his car from a Starbucks in Downers Grove, someone rolled down their window and shouted that at him. That experience helped frame a choice  about whether we would move out of the city.  There are still a lot of feelings that other people feel the right to express in areas where LGBTQ people are less common.

Costs are barrier to moving

Not all people have the option to leave, or they face affordability challenges when trying to leave.

Jayne Walters, 52, is a childrens librarian and library branch manager in Indianapolis who said she is scared for her familys safety as members of the LGBTQ community and as educators.

Having lived in the city for 27 years, she said she is now facing a legislature that is restricting health care options for transgender youth, seeking to ban books and prosecute people who give children reading materials that their parents or the state do not approve of.

As someone who works with a lot of queer youth who havent told their parents about their sexuality or gender identity, Walters said she is afraid that she or her wife  who writes about gender and sexuality for young adults  could be put in jail for trying to help those children.

So far, Walters has applied for about 70 jobs in eight states and Washington, D.C., in the past two months, with Illinois atop her list of places she wants to move to because of its proximity to family in Indiana.

Walters said the tipping point for her was when her wife had a panic attack a couple of months ago.

I am genuinely afraid every single day my wife goes to work, because she is visibly transgender and proud of it, said Saundra Mitchell, Walters wife.

But Walters and Mitchell are facing issues related to housing costs.

If we sold our house right now, we wouldnt be able to find a house the same price in Chicago, said Walters, who is looking to leave the state with her wife and child as soon as possible.

We are facing homelessness to get to some place safe to live, Mitchell said.

Zillow data shows that in areas with explicit legal protections for the LGBTQ community, the typical cost of buying a home as of June 2020 was 63% more than in areas without protections. Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia have protections in place, with Illinois prohibiting housing discrimination on the basis of someones sexual orientation or gender identity, according to Zillow.

Stephen Hnatow, real estate agent at Keller Williams OneChicago, said more than half of his clients are looking to move because of anti-LGBTQ legislation or limited access to reproductive health care.

I see people coming from across the country who maybe want Midwestern values and dont want to live on the coasts, because its not affordable, Hnatow said. People are coming to raise their families and dont want their kids dealing with the judgment of political pundits and the hate that they spread.

Niehaus-Rincon is from California and said he and his husband, who met in San Francisco, have been priced out of the state, so they looked to Chicago for its increased affordability.

He said the scariest part of moving is finding jobs. Niehaus-Rincon is retired but plans to resume work as a pastry chef once he moves to Chicago.

During the pandemic, he was laid off from a job where he said he faced jokes from co-workers about his sexuality.

I want to go back to work, but I dont want to go back to work in Omaha, Niehaus-Rincon said. I dont want to deal with some of the stuff I had to deal with, working at small companies, being the only gay guy in the kitchen.

Niehaus-Rincon said his husband, who works in retail, will have much better work opportunities in Chicago, and that the two of them will be able to live comfortably off the money that comes from their Nebraska houses sale while they settle in Chicago.

The couple is looking to move in June and is searching for a home in the Rogers Park, Andersonville and Edgewater areas.

Maldonado moved from Texas to DeKalb  partly because of greater housing costs closer to the Chicago area  and said she has already seen benefits. She said her kids have much more quickly been able to receive disability services in the school system in Illinois compared with Texas.

But she acknowledges that discrimination exists everywhere in the United States and that moving isnt always the right choice for everyone.

Everyone leaving in some sort of mass migration can also leave people behind, and it breaks a lot of ties in communities and families, Maldonado said. Everyone needs to do whats right for them while we work to make every state safe and livable for everyone.

Mitchell, 49, the young adult author, has lived in Indiana her entire life and said she tried really, really hard to stay in Indiana.

Mitchell wrote the novel version of the musical The Prom  a story about two girls who want to go to prom together in Indiana but are not allowed to because of their sexuality  and said that in hindsight, she would have changed the ending of her book.

When I wrote that book in 2020, I still had my lead character, a queer girl in Indiana, say, I am going to stay in Indiana because it doesnt get better if we all leave, Mitchell said. I would not write that ending now.
White House National Security Council official John Kirby on Wednesday told the Chosun Ilbo the decision will be announced at the G7 summit in Hiroshima next month.

President Yoon Suk-yeol and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden are considering including Japan in a consultative group that would decide on the deployment of American nuclear weapons in an emergency.

Kirby said the three countries have an "enormous opportunity" in the security sector since their modern militaries know how to work and carry out operations together. On cybersecurity, they are discussing the possibility of a trilateral "intelligence alliance."

Touching on the possibility of bringing Japan into the nuclear consultative group, National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo said, "The chances are high, and we can take it into consideration case by case."

Kirby said Biden is "excited" to see that Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are taking "audacious initiatives" to improve bilateral relations.

But he added Korea and Japan need to make continued efforts to improve bilateral relations for better security cooperation.
CHICAGO  Illinois had a three-year head start on legalizing recreational marijuana, but in many ways, Missouri has surpassed it after just one month.

The two states came to legalization very differently, which makes the laws in each state very different  and means Missouri is cutting into the Illinois market.

In February, its first month of legal sales, legal marijuana sales in Missouri totaled $103 million.

In Illinois, sales to out-of-state shoppers dropped 15% in that time  and as much as 30% in stores near Missouri, market analyst Cantor Fitzgerald reported. Thats important because sales to out-of-state residents make up almost a third of all cannabis revenue in Illinois.

Illinois had $120 million in recreational sales alone in February, which outpaced Missouri. But Illinois sales have plateaued somewhat recently, and historically, sales continue increasing after legalization.

Some cannabis customers say they prefer buying in Missouri, which unlike Illinois, offers home delivery, drive-thru windows and deli-style service, in which customers can see and smell the product before they buy it.

People from Illinois are blown away, former Missouri medical marijuana dispensary worker Michael Lasley said. This is how its supposed to be. Its all a function of competition.

One reason the rules in Missouri are so different is that the states voters approved legalizing recreational cannabis by referendum, with 53% of the vote approving the measure in November 2022. In contrast, the Illinois lawmakers wrote a much more restrictive law when they voted to legalize recreational weed effective in 2020.

As a result, while Missouris population of 6 million is just about half of Illinois, the Show Me State has nearly twice as many licensed marijuana stores, with more than 200.

Missouri, where medial marijuana has been legal since 2018, also has nearly three times as many licensed cultivation sites, and allows anyone 21 or older to grow at home, while Illinois only allows medical cannabis patients to grow their own weed.

Importantly for customers, Illinois products often cost roughly twice as much, often running $40 or more for an eighth of an ounce of flower, the part of the plant that smokers use. Missouri has what Cantor Fitzgerald says is the cheapest legal weed in the Midwest, as low as $20 for an eighth of an ounce.

Perhaps the most striking difference is that Missouri taxes retail marijuana sales at a flat 6%, although a large number of cities and counties have measures on the April 4 ballot to add another 3%. Illinois has a scale that goes up to a hefty 35%.

Illinois residents may possess up to 30 grams of cannabis flower, while customers in Missouri may possess nearly three times as much.

In response to Tribune questions about the discrepancies between the states, Illinois regulators issued a statement emphasizing the states social equity licensees, meant to increase minority ownership.

We prioritized social equity so that those most affected by decades of harsh drug policy had their fair shot at the industry, not just massive corporations run by the already-wealthy. Thats why weve issued 195 conditional social equity dispensary licenses so far with capital and other supports to help these businesses get off the ground.

Weve also issued 88 Craft Grow licenses, 100% of which are social equity. Thats also why weve directly reinvested over $144 million of cannabis tax revenue into the communities hardest hit by the War on Drugs, which was possible because of the $487 million in tax revenue brought in just last year, with revenue continuing to increase year over year.

With social equity dispensaries opening their doors, record tax revenue, and money flowing to communities that have faced historic disinvestment, Illinois intentional and deliberate approach to cannabis legalization is paying off and we look forward to continuing to build on that success.

But due to delays in issuing licenses and in getting financing for small startups, only a handful of social equity businesses have opened.

Meanwhile, majority white male-owned cannabis businesses in Illinois have expanded into multi-state giants, and own many of the 100-pluspot stores in the state.

Both states laws were written largely by industry advocates and benefited existing medical marijuana growers by letting them add recreational sales immediately. Missouri has plans to add micro-businesses to expand diversity in the industry.

And while the Missouri law allowed for automatically expunging most nonviolent marijuana offenses, Illinois, which legalized recreational weed effective in 2020, already has expunged hundreds of thousands of such offenses.

Lasley, the former Missouri dispensary worker, lives near Carbondale and writes for the cannabis website Illinois News Joint. He so prefers the Missouri market, including its quality and variety, that he even got a medical marijuana card there, which the state allows for out-of-state residents.

Greenlight Dispensaries, with 15 dispensaries and two growing facilities in Missouri, has been doing great business since full legalization, co-owner Tom Bommarito said. He and his brother own auto dealerships, and were self-financed with partner and CEO John Mueller, who had run cannabis businesses in Nevada.

The prices are an obvious draw for Illinois residents, he said.

They come over to buy gas and cigarettes, so why not weed? he said. The taxes are lower and were just cheaper, so thats going to be a problem for Illinois.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, who chairs the Senates Aviation Subcommittee, said she spoke with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Friday about the necessity to extend MetroLink to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport.

Metro East leaders for years have touted this proposed MetroLink expansion as a vital link to help travelers by connecting MidAmerica with St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

I actually talked to Secretary Buttigieg yesterday about that MetroLink expansion, Duckworth said Saturday. I mentioned to him how important that was.

The state has already awarded a $96 million grant toward the extension of MetroLinks mainline about 5.5 miles to a new passenger station at the airport.

Duckworth also met with MetroLink officials and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, in Washington, D.C., in the past week to discuss federal funding for MetroLink and safety on the system.

As leader of the Senates Aviation Subcommittee, Duckworth said she is working on a proposed five-year reauthorization bill for the Federal Aviation Administration, and she met with regional airport officials on Saturday at the DoubleTree Hotel in Collinsville about the issue.

Duckworth said this plan for the FAA is one of the top priorities that the U.S. Congress needs to handle this year.

The previous plan was approved in 2018, and at that time it had up to $96.7 billion in funding for the FAA, according to a report by Aviation International News.

Duckworth said the proposed budget for the FAA has not been set.

Were in the process of getting things put forward right now, she said.

Along with funding, the proposed bill also will include the language that tells the FAA how to do things, Duckworth said.

For instance, Duckworth said she wants the FAA to use its civil prosecution authority and added that the agency did not pursue civil penalties against Boeing after two Boeing 737 Max planes crashed. One crash was in Ethiopia in 2019 when 157 people died, and the other was in Indonesia in 2018 when 189 people were killed.

Duckworth also said she wants the reauthorization bill to triple the amount of grants for workforce development.

We need more mechanics, we need more pilots, we need more people in aviation in general, she said.

Serving as chair of the Aviation Subcommittee fits into Duckworths experience as a pilot. She was a Blackhawk helicopter pilot for the U.S. Army in Iraq, where she lost both of legs when an RPG hit her helicopter on Nov. 12., 2004.

Regional airports

It was really important to sit down with my aviation leaders here in this part of the state, Duckworth said.

Duckworth met with officials from MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, St. Louis Downtown Airport and St. Louis Regional Airport. Other airports included Quad Cities International Airport, Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, Mount Vernon Outland Airport, Decatur Airport and Central Illinois Regional Airport.

The senator said she gets lots of feedback from larger airports such as Chicago Midway International Airport, OHare International Airport and others across the country.

But its really important to remember that we have so many other airports around the country and in particular Illinois that are major engines for the economy that are vitally important for economic growth, she said. Really in many ways, in a very exciting way, its where the growth is happening, where businesses are expanding.
CHICAGO  All barge traffic will be halted across a wide swath of the Upper Mississippi River for weeks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Thursday, as record winter snowfall in the upper Midwest is now melting and flooding into waterways.

The closures will force grain and fertilizer shippers to find alternative, potentially more costly, transportation by truck or rail, freight experts said.

Such floods have become part of a volatile cycle for the U.S. waterway, a major transportation artery moving some 60% of American grain exports from the heartland to the global market via the Gulf Coast.

Just last fall, drought plagued the lower and middle Mississippi River valley, sending river levels plunging to historic lows, halting barge shipments.

Now, all locks and dams above Lock 17 near New Boston, Ill.  will be closed for the next three weeks, and no freight is being accepted along the Twin Cities and mid-Mississippi portions of the river, USDA said in a weekly transportation report.

Such closures are pushing down barge freight rates.

Though it is not a busy export period for the United States, the closures will affect the delivery of any remaining soybeans or grain for the export market, said Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition.

It's also creating a logistical headache for fertilizer suppliers and buyers, who typically rely on northern-bound barges to haul their goods to the Midwest ahead of spring planting.

"It's those shipments that are concerning, and will have to be diverted off the river and moved north on rail or by truck," Steenhoek said.

As the river levels rise, the trouble is spreading: As far south as Lock 22  near Saverton, Mo., just south of Hannibal  high water could force the locks and dams to be shuttered and stay closed until mid-May, USDA said.
LONDON  BP is abandoning its stake in Russian oil giant Rosneft in an abrupt and costly end to three decades of operating in the energy-rich country, marking the most significant move yet by a Western company in response to Moscows invasion of Ukraine.

Rosneft accounts for around half of BPs oil and gas reserves and a third of its production and divesting the 19.75% stake will result in charges of up to $25 billion, the British company said, without saying how it plans to extricate itself.

I have been deeply shocked and saddened by the situation unfolding in Ukraine and my heart goes out to everyone affected. It has caused us to fundamentally rethink bps position with Rosneft, BP Chief Executive Bernard Looney said.

The rapid retreat represents a dramatic exit for BP, the biggest foreign investor in Russia, and puts the spotlight on other Western companies with operations in the country including Frances TotalEnergies and Britains Shell, amid an escalating crisis between the West and Moscow.

It also underscores growing pressure from Western governments on their companies to curtail operations in Russia as they widen a net of economic sanctions against Moscow.

British Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, who on Friday had expressed concern over BPs Rosneft, welcomed the decision.

Russias unprovoked invasion of Ukraine must be a wake up call for British businesses with commercial interests in (President Vladimir) Putins Russia, Kwarteng said on Twitter.

Rosneft blamed BPs decision on unprecedented political pressure, Russian news agencies reported, saying 30 years of successful cooperation had been ruined.

Susannah Streeter, senior investment analyst at British retail stock broker Hargreaves Lansdown, said it will be highly difficult for BP to recover anywhere near what was considered to be the full value of Rosneft.

Last week, Looney said that BP was sticking to its Russian business and would comply with any Western sanctions on Moscow.

Earlier, Putin put Russias nuclear deterrent on high alert in the face of Western reprisals for his invasion of Ukraine, which included blocking access to the SWIFT international payment system for some Russian banks.

And Norways $1.3 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the worlds largest, will divest its Russian assets after the Ukraine invasion, its prime minister said.

Dividend blow

BP said its move and financial hit will not impact its short and long term financial targets within its strategy to shift away from oil and gas to low-carbon fuels and renewables energy.

But Hargreaves Lansdowns Streeter said a write down of this magnitude is likely to limit the extent to which BP can continue to accelerate its transition towards renewables.

Looney and his predecessor as CEO Bob Dudley will both step down from the board of Rosneft, which BP acquired a shareholding in as part of its $12.5 billion TNK-BP stake sale in 2013.

BP held a board meeting on Friday and another on Sunday where the decision to quit Rosneft, as well as two other joint ventures BP has with Rosneft in Russia, was taken, a spokesperson for the company said.

It will take an $11 billion foreign exchange non-cash charge after the exit from Rosneft, which BP will no longer include in its accounts. BP said it also expects a second non-cash charge of up to $14 billion, for the carrying value of Rosneft.

BP received revenue from Rosneft in the form of dividends which totalled around $640 million in 2021, roughly 3% of its overall cash flow from operations.

The company currently has around 200 employees in Russia, most of whom are local staff, the BP spokesperson said.

Many other Western energy companies have operations in Russia, including TotalEnergies which holds a 19.4% Novatek stake and 20% of the Yamal LNG project.

In the current environment any European or American company with assets in Russia must be considering similar moves, Eurasia Group analyst Henning Gloystein told Reuters.
WASHINGTON  A federal judge in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit by eight citizens of Mali who sought to hold Hershey Co., Nestle SA, Cargill Inc. and others liable for child slavery on Ivory Coast cocoa farms.

U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich said the plaintiffs in the proposed class action lacked standing to sue because they did not show a traceable connection between the seven defendant companies and the specific plantations where they worked.

The judge said the plaintiffs also did not adequately explain the role of intermediaries in the cocoa supply chain, noting that the companies did not monitor activity in free zones where about 70% to 80% of the cocoa is produced.

Mali and the Ivory Coast share a border in West Africa.

The plaintiffs said they were trafficked as children after being approached by unfamiliar men who promised paying jobs, but were ultimately not paid for their labor, threatened with starvation if they did not work, and required to live in squalor.

Their lawyer, Terry Collingsworth, said the plaintiffs plan to appeal, hoping to force the companies to keep their own promises and end this abhorrent system they have created.

The other defendants included privately-held Mars Inc., Mondelez International Inc., Barry Callebaut AG and Olam International Ltd.

In court papers, the seven defendants said they strongly condemn the use of forced labor and were working to address non-forced child labor in cocoa supply chains.

But they said the plaintiffs overbroad legal theory could leave too many people liable for forced child labor, including consumers and retailers who might benefit from lower prices.

The plaintiffs had sued under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.

Last June, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out a similar lawsuit by six Malian citizens against Cargill and Nestle brought under the Alien Tort Statute, a 1789 federal law.

That decision was the latest in a series of rulings limiting access to federal courts based on human rights abuses outside the country.

Friedrich was nominated by former President Donald Trump and confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 97-3 in 2017.

The case is Coubaly et al v Cargill Inc. et al, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, No. 21-00386.
LONDON (AP)  Google users in the U.S., Europe, India and other parts of the world were briefly unable to access their Gmail accounts, watch YouTube videos or get to their online documents during an outage Monday.

Tens of thousands of complaints popped up around 7 a.m. Eastern along the East Coast of the U.S. The vast majority of those people, about 90%, could not log in, according to the site Downdetector.

The inability to sign in prevented users accessing other platforms through Google, including mobile video games.

"We're aware of a problem with Gmail affecting a majority of users," a status update on a Google dashboard said, followed by another message that said service has been restored for some users. "We expect a resolution for all users in the near future."

There were similar updates for Google's many other services, such as Docs, Hangouts and Chat. The company did not reply immediately to a request for comment.

Downdetector, which tracks website outages, reported the problem affected users across the world, but appeared especially widespread in the northeastern U.S., Britain and other parts of Europe. Japan, Malaysia and India also looked to be more affected.

---

CNN -- Google's services were down Monday in a massive outage that prevented many people from watching YouTube videos, accessing their Google Docs or sending email on Gmail.

The company's workspace status dashboard was red across the board, with every single Google service indicating an outage.

"We are aware that many of you are having issues accessing YouTube right now -- our team is aware and looking into it," YouTube said in a statement on Twitter. "We'll update you here as soon as we have more news."

Downdetector, a service that registers complaints about unavailable internet services, showed tens of thousands of people were unable to use Google and its apps.

Internet services fail from time to time for a variety of reasons: server errors, incorrectly installed maintenance routines or a host of other potential goofs and glitches. Google's most recent major outage took place in September, when Google Docs went down for several hours.

50 fascinating facts about the internet

Stacker looks at 50 milestones from internet history, technology, culture, and trivia, using various sources including the Internet Hall of Fame and Pew Research.
WASHINGTON  Human rights groups on Monday raised concerns about hate speech on Twitter and the power that its takeover by Elon Musk would give the billionaire after the self-described free speech absolutist clinched a deal to take the social media platform private.

Musk, who is also chief executive of electric car maker Tesla Inc., has described himself as a free speech absolutist who has been critical of Twitter's policies of moderating content on the platform.

He has said Twitter needs to become a genuine forum for free speech.

In a statement after securing the deal on Monday, Musk described free speech as the bedrock of a functioning democracy.

Twitter is not just another company, human rights advocates noted.

Regardless of who owns Twitter, the company has human rights responsibilities to respect the rights of people around the world who rely on the platform. Changes to its policies, features, and algorithms, big and small, can have disproportionate and sometimes devastating impacts, including offline violence, Deborah Brown, a digital rights researcher and advocate at Human Rights Watch, told Reuters in an email.

Freedom of expression is not an absolute right, which is why Twitter needs to invest in efforts to keep its most vulnerable users safe on the platform, she added.

Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment on concerns raised by the groups.

While Elon Musk is an ACLU card-carrying member and one of our most significant supporters, theres a lot of danger having so much power in the hands of any one individual, Anthony Romero, executive director at the American Civil Liberties Union, told Reuters after the deal was announced.

Amnesty International said it was concerned about any potential decision that Twitter may take after Musk's takeover to erode enforcement of the policies and mechanisms designed to moderate hate speech online.

The last thing we need is a Twitter that willfully turns a blind eye to violent and abusive speech against users, particularly those most disproportionately impacted, including women, non-binary persons, and others, Michael Kleinman, director of technology and human rights at Amnesty International USA, said on Monday.
WASHINGTON  Russia and Belarus are edging close to default given the massive sanctions imposed against their economies by the United States and its allies over the war in Ukraine, the World Banks chief economist, Carmen Reinhart, told Reuters.

The specter of Russia defaulting on $40 billion of external bonds  its first major such default since the years following the 1917 Bolshevik revolution  has loomed large over markets since a raft of sanctions and countermeasures by Moscow have largely cut the country out of global financial markets.

Both Russia and Belarus are in square default territory, Reinhart said in an interview. Theyre not rated by the agencies as a selective default yet, but mighty close.

Fitch on Tuesday downgraded Russias sovereign rating by six notches further into junk territory to C from B, saying a default is imminent as sanctions and trade restrictions have undermined its willingness to service debt.

Reinhart said financial sector repercussions had been limited thus far, but risks could emerge if European financial institutions were more exposed to Russian debt than assumed.

Around half of Russias sovereign hard-currency bonds are held by foreign investors and Moscow must make $107 million in coupon payments on two bonds on March 16. Russian corporates have just under $100 billion in international bonds outstanding.

Foreign banks have exposure of just over $121 billion to Russia with much of that concentrated in European lenders, according to data from the Bank of International Settlements.

I worry about what I do not see, Reinhart said. Financial institutions are well-capitalized, but balance sheets are often opaque ... There is the issue of Russian private sector defaults. One cannot be complacent.

China also rapidly expanded its lending to Russia after its 2014 annexation of Crimea, she said.

Ukraines difficult situation

Analysts say Ukraine will also need debt relief this year given its massive war-related outlays and a heavy debt burden of $94.7 billion at the end of 2021, although the country has vowed to service its debt on time and in full.

Reinhart said it was reasonable to expect Ukraine to seek cash-flow relief, and expressed confidence that creditors would be receptive given the current situation. Ukraine could also miss an upcoming coupon payment, at least during the grace period, without its credit rating suffering, she said.

Ukraine has and will have open doors given its very difficult financial situation, she said. Youre not declared in default as long as youre still within the grace period.

Ukraines sovereign debt includes $1.6 billion owed to Paris Club creditors, and $4.9 billion to non-Paris Club creditors, most of which is held by China, according to debt experts.

Additional reporting by Karin Strohecker in London.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)  A Missouri man already imprisoned for life for killing two brothers from Wisconsin over a cattle contract has been sentenced to more than 30 additional years for a related federal crime.

Garland Joseph Nelson, 28, of the northwestern Missouri town of Braymer, was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City to 32 additional years in prison and also ordered to pay $261,000 in restitution for defrauding Diemel's Livestock of Wisconsin.

Nelson pleaded guilty in September to two counts of first-degree murder in the 2019 deaths of 24-year-old Justin Diemel and 35-year-old Nicholas Diemel, of Shawano County, Wisconsin. He was sentenced to life without parole.

The Diemels father reported them missing July 21, 2019, after they didnt return from a visit to Nelsons farm, where they had gone to collect a $250,000 debt. The Diemel family had sent livestock to Nelsons farm to be cared for and sold between 2018 and 2019. However, the animals were neglected and many died. Nelson charged the family full price, according to court documents.

Prosecutors said Nelson shot the brothers and drove their pickup truck off of his farm. He told authorities he put the mens bodies in 55-gallon barrels and burned them. Nelson told investigators he dumped the remains on a manure pile and hid the barrels on his property. The remains were later found in Missouri and in a livestock trailer in Nebraska that had been purchased in Missouri.

Federal prosecutors said Nelson tried to cover up the cattle fraud scheme by killing the brothers. He pleaded guilty to the fraud charge days after the guilty plea in the killings.
Kansas City Star. April 20, 2023.

Editorial: Biden isnt banning gas stoves. But facts dont stop Missouri and Kansas GOP outrage

Its not a surprise anymore when prominent politicians focus their energies on rabble-rousing culture war battles instead of doing the hard stuff of governing, but we still feel compelled to point out when Kansas and Missouri leaders actively mislead their constituents.

That brings us to Sen. Roger Marshall, the Kansas Republican, and his Twitter feed.

Like many conservatives, Marshall has lately made a big deal about proposed new federal regulations for gas stoves being offered by the Biden administration. The rules would simply mandate that new stoves for sale meet more stringent environmental and safety standards than the models currently on the market  but the Fox News set has treated this as a fresh opportunity for demagoguery. They havent quite resorted to youll take my stove from my cold, dead hands sloganeering, but theyve come awfully close.

Certainly, thats what Marshall seemed to suggest this week. On Tuesday, he linked to a report about his role in a group of Republican senators challenging the proposed regulations. And he posted this commentary:

I dont know about you, but Im certainly not inviting the Department of Energy into my home to inspect my kitchen appliances. #GOVERNMENTOVERREACH

With that tweet, Marshall painted a picture of government agents invading private residences to ensure that gas stoves conform to the Biden administrations standards. And that would be alarming if that was really what we could expect to happen. But its simply not true.

Just to be sure, we reached out to the U.S. Department of Energy, which is formulating the new rules. The department confirmed that the gas stove regulations would apply only to new products and only at the point of manufacture. There will be no home invasions by jack-booted agents terrifying your family because you like to cook over an open flame.

The Department of Energy proposes efficiency standards all the time  for lightbulbs, washers and dryers, refrigerators, and more, a spokesman said in a written statement. Does it mean theyre coming to ban those appliances? Of course not.

Thats right. The stove you have in your home has almost certainly met the federal standards that already exist for such appliances. Have you seen a federal inspector in your house to look at your stove, ever?

No?

There is nothing different about this new round of regulations  except that some Republicans, including Marshall, see an opportunity to frighten their constituents.

We think there are good reasons for adopting new, better standards to regulate gas stoves in the United States. Studies suggest that the appliances often leak harmful fumes into the homes they serve, harming the health of family members and pets. There is reason to believe the new standards will save American consumers on energy costs.

But reasonable people can disagree about the issue. Whats not reasonable, however, is for Marshall to mislead and frighten the Kansans who look to him for responsible leadership.

He is far from the only regional GOP leader guilty of such demagoguery. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday blamed President Joe Biden for the protests that sprung up following the Kansas City shooting of teenager Ralph Yarl. Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt regularly fulminates on Twitter about climate alarmists despite the very real threats posed by climate change. And Sen. Josh Hawleys social media feed seems designed to keep his followers in a near-constant state of high dudgeon. Its exhausting.

Among our most prominent local Republicans, only Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas seems to have an interest in the nitty-gritty details of governing. His Twitter feed is filled with boring, normal topics such as the new Amelia Earhart museum in Atchison, Veterans Administration policies and even the rules surrounding organ transplants. He rarely tries to provoke his followers. And thats quite a relief.

Marshall, unfortunately, has not decided to follow the example of Kansas senior senator. Instead, he decided this week to unnecessarily frighten his constituents. He may profit from such demagoguery, but Kansans wont.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch. April 23, 2023.

Editorial: Missouri Republicans offer every remedy to school shootings but the obvious one

Missouri Republicans have some ideas for protecting the states kids from mass shootings: Better locks on school doors. Automated external defibrillators. Bleeding control kits. An app that alerts emergency responders to an active shooting. All told, Missouri is on track to spend more than $70 million on these and other school-safety ideas  all while its ruling party refuses to take even the mildest steps toward reining in unfettered access to weapons of war, even for domestic abusers and the mentally ill. This is akin to fighting a raging house fire with a hose in one hand and flamethrower in the other.

Its not that the improvements theyre pursuing are bad ideas. Schools should be secure, and defibrillators belong in crowded public spaces generally. But you would think that when political leaders feel the need to suggest schools be equipped with kits specifically designed to stanch massive bleeding because of the increasing likelihood of school mass shootings, the thought process might, at some point, bend toward preventing such shootings in the first place.

There is no better way to do that than to institute common-sense gun regulations. Yet Gov. Mike Parson and his fellow Republicans who run Missouri have instead been going in the opposite direction in the past several years, systematically dismantling almost every firearm law the state used to have.

Today, anyone in Missouri can sell a gun to a stranger, with no license or background check required and no questions asked. That renders one of the states few remaining gun laws  the prohibition on felons buying firearms  effectively unenforceable. And police in Missouri are hampered from confronting guns in public because theres no longer any state law requiring any kind of permit to carry them.

The Legislature also passed a constitutionally ludicrous state law declaring federal gun laws null and void here, which will eventually be overturned in court but in the meantime has further hobbled law enforcement. And lawmakers determined refusal to pass a red-flag law empowering courts to disarm those deemed mentally dangerous directly contributed to the two innocent deaths in last years St. Louis school shooting, because the shooters family had no legal way to keep weapons away from someone they knew was mentally ill.

None of these situations arose by accident. They are the result of an intentional project by Missouris Republican leaders to give their state some of the loosest gun laws in America. Its no coincidence that the states once-average firearms death rate has concurrently risen to among the nations highest.

Against all this, they offer better locks on school doors? Thats an improvement over thoughts and prayers, but not by much. The kit hasnt been invented that will wash the blood from the hands of Missouris ruling party the next time children die in this states classrooms  as they inevitably will.

END
Opinion articles written in the style of their author. These texts are to be based on verified facts and must be respectful towards people, even though their actions may be criticized. All opinion articles written by individuals from outside the staff of EL PAIS shall feature, along with the authors name (regardless of their greater or lesser renown), a footer stating their office, academic title, political affiliation (if any) and main occupation, or the occupation related to the topic being assessed

The Supreme Court has shaped social, political and civil life for Americans, more so than any other institution. It has weighed in on the death penalty (first against, then for) - and on abortion (first for, then against). However, one issue for which its rulings have always followed the same direction is freedom of the press. This is due to the First Amendment, which states that Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. Even highly conservative panels of judges have been compelled to exercise tolerance in this domain.

The late New York Times journalist Anthony Lewis, who reported on the Supreme Court for decades, wrote in his essay Freedom for the thought that we hate: a biography of the First Amendment, - a legal text enacted in 1791, - that Americas commitment to free speech is fascinating because it stems from a particularly repressive society, that of Reformation England and the Europe that later rose up against the effects of the French Revolution.

The First Amendment accounts for a number of rulings that serve as legal landmarks for freedom of speech. The case of Hustler Magazine v. Falwell (1988) - beautifully recounted in Milos Formans film The People vs. Larry Flynt - is one such reference: he had published a cartoon ad depicting him having drunken sex with his mother in a toilet. In the film, his lawyers speech, played by Edward Norton, before the magistrates is particularly heartwarming: I am not trying to suggest that you should like what Larry Flynt does. I dont like what Larry Flynt does, but what I do like is the fact that I live in a country where you and I can make that decision for ourselves.

However, there is an even more interesting ruling that characterized Dominions recent lawsuit against the ultra-conservative Fox network, which it accused of deliberately lying by holding the company responsible (with no proof and against all evidence) for manipulating the election results - The New York Times v. L.B. Sullivan (1964). Sullivan, a Montgomery police chief, denounced the newspaper for an advertisement intended to raise funds for the defense of Martin Luther King (who was a reverend in the Alabama capital from 1954 to 1960). The text contained some inaccuracies, stating, for example, that King was arrested seven times, when in fact he was apprehended four times. The climate against the newspaper in the Old South was so hostile that, during the trial, its lawyer had to hide in a motel some 40 kilometers from Montgomery because he was at risk of being lynched, according to Lewis.

However, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of The New York Times. The judges argued that journalists have the right to be mistaken and that it would be impossible to produce a newspaper with no errors. Their description of the profession echoes the old definition that David Randall provided in The Universal Journalist: All newspapers should publish an explanatory note in all their editions reading as follows: This newspaper, and the hundreds of thousands of words it contains, have been produced in about 15 hours by a group of fallible human beings, who work at overcrowded desks trying to find out what has happened in the world by turning to people who are sometimes reluctant to do so and are sometimes decidedly opposed to doing it.

The judgment states that for defamation to occur there must be actual malice and that the onus of proof must be on the person allegedly defamed. A law that would require criticism of officials conduct to guarantee the truth of all statements of fact amounts to something resembling self-censorship, holds the ruling, which defends that freedom of expression enables the rest of the freedoms to breathe.

Russell Crowe as Roger Ailes in 'The Loudest Voice'.

All of Foxs hopes in its lawsuit with Dominion hinged on this ruling. They eventually settled by paying the company $787 million, convinced that they faced an uphill battle because dozens of internal e-mails proved that the networks anchors and executives were fully aware of their lies and that Donald Trump had lost the election. The documentation made it abundantly clear that actual malice was involved and that lies were commonplace.

On the strength of the Supreme Court rulings, which serve as a guiding light for freedom of expression throughout the world, the Fox network succeeded in growing and prospering on the basis of a tolerance that it denied to others. One movie (Bombshell) and one TV series (The Loudest Voice) portrayed the toxic atmosphere at the network, under the domination of its founder, Roger Ailes, who was ultimately fired for sexual abuse, along with flagship anchor Bill OReilly.

Nevertheless, they also showcased the enormous power he achieved in the conservative sectors of the United States. And his blatant disregard for the truth: Ailes purpose was not to tell what was going on, but what his viewers wanted to hear. He undermined one of the institutions underpinning a democratic society - agreement on facts, disagreement on policies. The lies spread by numerous Spanish media outlets and politicians about the perpetrators of the 11-M attacks, for example, are straight out of the Fox school. Their legacy is an unending trail of lies that reaches all of us. And there is nothing to indicate that, once the corresponding paycheck has been signed - as Pepe Isbert says in Bienvenido mister Marshall: As your mayor, I owe you an explanation and I will pay you for it-, things will not go the same way.

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ST. LOUIS (AP)  The city's elected prosecutor was not in contempt of court as a result of her office's failure to have a prosecutor present when a murder trial was due to begin, a St. Louis judge ruled Monday.

Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner's office let fall through the cracks the fact that the prosecutor for the case, Alex Polta, was out on medical leave and no replacement was assigned, Judge Scott A. Millikan determined after a 45-minute hearing. But Millikan said the mistake didn't rise to the level of contempt of court.

The ruling comes amid efforts by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to remove Gardner from office. A hearing is scheduled for September. Bailey alleges that too many cases, including homicides, have gone unpunished under Gardner's watch, that victims and their families are left uninformed, and that the prosecutor's office is too slow to take on cases brought by police.

For her part, Gardner alleges that the Republican attorney generals effort to remove her is politically and racially motivated. A Democrat, she is St. Louis first Black circuit attorney. She has also received scrutiny for her attempts to charge then-Gov. Eric Greitens with a felony.

The contempt of court hearing took place in connection to the first-degree murder case of 18-year-old Jonathon Jones, initially scheduled to begin on April 17. At Monday's hearing, Jones' attorney asked Millikan to dismiss the charge, noting that his client has been incarcerated and awaiting trial for two years. The judge declined to do so and set a new trial date of June 5.

Four relatives of the man killed in the drive-by shooting, Brandon Scott, 29, were at the hearing. Thank you, Scott's aunt, Felicia Cooper, said quietly when Millikan said the charge would remain.

Gardner was not at the hearing. A spokeswoman said she had no comment. Her attorney, Michael Downey, told Millikan that Gardner regretted the oversight.

Certainly, Ms. Gardner does apologize to the court, apologizes to the family of the victim," Downey said.

Criticism of Gardner escalated earlier this year after 17-year-old Janae Edmondson, a volleyball standout from Tennessee, was struck by a speeding car after a tournament game in downtown St. Louis. She lost both legs.

The driver, 21-year-old Daniel Riley, was out on bond on a robbery charge despite nearly 100 bond violations that included letting his GPS monitor die and breaking terms of his house arrest, according to court records. Critics questioned why Riley was free despite so many bond violations.

Jones was just 16 when he was arrested and accused of killing Scott in a drive-by shooting near the Gateway Arch. Scott was found dead inside a vehicle on the steps that lead to the Arch grounds. Jones was certified to stand trial as an adult last year.

Polta told the judge that he became ill days before the murder trial was to begin and took the proper steps to inform his supervisors. Millikan determined the mistake was unfortunate, but not intentional.

It just seems like ... it fell through the cracks, Millikan said.

Jones' attorney, Cecilia Appleberry, told the judge that Jones' constitutional right to a speedy trial was violated. Millikan said that dismissing the case would likely prompt prosecutors to refile it, pushing the case back even further.

Cooper, Scott's aunt, was thankful that Jones will still face trial.

He took the life of a good son, Cooper said. Why should you be able to take a life like that and walk free?

Gardner gained national attention in 2018 when she charged then-Gov. Eric Greitens with felony invasion of privacy, accusing him of taking a compromising photo of a woman during an extramarital affair. The charge was eventually dropped. But Greitens, a Republican who was also under investigation by Missouri lawmakers, resigned in June 2018.

The case drew scrutiny that led to the conviction of Gardners investigator. Gardner received a written reprimand for failing to produce documents and mistakenly maintaining that all documents had been provided to Greitens lawyers.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP)  A man was fatally shot late Wednesday after a confrontation with police officers in Kansas City, Kansas  the second fatal shooting by police in the city this year.

The shooting happened around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday near a bridge that crosses the Kansas River, the Kansas City Star reported. An officer pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation, said Officer Donna Drake of the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department, which is handling the investigation as part of an agreement between the two agencies.

Police on Thursday identified the man as Amareeya Henderson, of Kansas City.

Drake said a confrontation ensued after the traffic stop and ended when the officer shot the driver. No further details about the confrontation were immediately released. The police officer was treated for minor injuries.

The name of the involved officer has not been released.

In February, police in Kansas City, Kansas, fatally shot a man after he allegedly fled on a bicycle from a house where two people had recently overdosed on fentanyl, the Star reported. Police said the man had a gun.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)  A man who was freed from prison last year after his murder conviction was set aside alleges in a lawsuit that Kansas City police framed him in the killing.

Keith Carnes, 53, was released from prison in April 2022 after serving 18 years of a life sentence for first-degree murder and armed criminal action.

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, Carnes alleges police and former Jackson County assistant prosecutor Amy McGowan coerced witnesses and issued fraudulent reports that led to his conviction in the 2003 shooting death of 24-year-old Larry White, in a Kansas City parking garage.

The Kansas City police department said it does not generally respond to ongoing lawsuits to ensure fairness to all involved.

The Missouri Supreme Court set aside Carnes' conviction in 2022, in part because because an eyewitness account from a confidential informant that might have led to his exoneration was not given to Carnes defense team.

The Jackson County Prosecutor's office said it would not retrry Carnes because although its case review did not establish Carnes' innocence, there was insufficient evidence to convict him a second time.

In the lawsuit, Carnes' attorneys said a feared Kansas City drug dealer killed White in a dispute over territory and that officers who struggled to find witnesses decided to pin the murder on Carnes.

Two witnesses who identified Carnes as the killer recanted their testimony in 2014, alleging police and prosecutors pressured them to name Carnes as the shooter.

The Kansas City police practices described in this lawsuit  fabricating evidence to secure convictions and propel officers own careers forward  amount to corruption, one of Carnes' attorneys, Locke Bowman, said in a statement.

One of the witnesses testified in 2021 that she recanted her original testimony after threats from Carnes supporters. The second witness testified at the same hearing that she could no longer remember the night of the murder clearly.

Prosecutors have said case evidence was tainted from all directions.

Two other Kansas City area men who were exonerated in recent years after serving years in prison for murders they did not commit have also sued the Kansas City police department. Kevin Strickland, who spent more than 40 years in prison; and Ricky Kidd, who served nearly 25, each sued the department over its investigations.
Day 2 of the NFL draft is a wrap. The second and third rounds ended with 16 trades, including the Tennessee Titans moving up eight spots to s
CHILLICOTHE, Mo. (AP)  A former respiratory therapist has pleaded guilty in the deaths of two patients at a Missouri hospital two decades ago.

Jennifer Hall, 42, initially was charged with two counts of first-degree murder but pleaded guilty instead Friday to reduced first-degree involuntary manslaughter counts in the deaths of 75-year-old Fern Franco and 37-year-old David Wesley Harper, The Kansas City Star reported. She also pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree assault.

Franco and Harper were among nine patients who died at Hedrick Medical Center in Chillicothe over several months in 2002 in what charging documents describe as medically suspicious events.

From December 2001, when Hall started working at the hospital, until she was placed on administrative leave the following May, there also were 18 cardiac arrests or Code Blue events, up from an average of one a year before then.

The case was revived after an analysis of Francos tissue samples found morphine and a powerful muscle relaxant used in anesthesia in her system. Neither drug was prescribed or ordered for her by her doctors, investigators said.

Some staff at the hospital believed Hall was responsible because of her proximity to the stricken patients, her access to deadly pharmaceuticals, and because she notified staff of every patients cardiac emergency, according to court documents.

Hall had previously denied any involvement in the deaths.

Families of patients who died during Halls employment later sued the hospital.
GUANGZHOU, China  Investors in financial products issued by China Evergrande Group protested outside the cash-strapped companys offices in Guangzhou on Tuesday, with many worried that their returns would be sacrificed to keep real estate projects afloat.

Members of the crowd of roughly 100 people shouted Evergrande, return our money!, reprising a chant used by disgruntled investors and suppliers last autumn as the deterioration in its financial position became apparent.

On Friday, Evergrande announced a dial-back of plans to repay investors in its wealth management products, announcing that each could expect 8,000 yuan ($1,256) per month in principal payment for three months starting in January, irrespective of when their investment matures.

Once Chinas top-selling developer but now reeling under more than $300 billion in liabilities, Evergrande had previously agreed to repay 10% by the end of the month when the product matured, without specifying an amount.

The change sparked investor fear that they wont get their money back.

I think its hopeless, and Im scared, but if we dont fight for our rights, thats worse, said a retired woman surnamed Du who was among those outside Evergrandes offices in the southern Chinese metropolis and said she had invested one million yuan in Evergrande wealth management products.

The economys not good at the moment, these are ordinary people and they need this money for kids, for supporting their parents, she said.

China Evergrande did not respond to a request for comment on the protest or on the concerns of the investors.

By midday, about 60 of those protesting had been hemmed in by rows of security personnel. Videos circulating in WeChat groups showed several people being detained at the scene.

In the afternoon, a group of 20 remaining protesters were told to leave a street near Evergrandes offices, while security stopped and took the details of at least three people who tried to describe their experiences to a Reuters reporter.

High yields and Gucci bags

Lured by the promise of yields approaching 12%, gifts such as Dyson air purifiers and Gucci bags, and the guarantee of Chinas top-selling developer, tens of thousands of investors bought wealth management products through Evergrande.

More than 80,000 people  including employees, their families and friends as well as owners of Evergrande properties  bought products that raised more than 100 billion yuan in the past five years, said a sales manager of Evergrande Wealth, launched in 2016 as a peer-to-peer (P2) online lending platform that originally was used to fund its property projects.

We worry we will be sacrificed, said a 34-year-old protester who works in e-commerce and would only give her name as Sophie, for fear of reprisal from authorities.

Its OK for younger people like me, we can still earn it back, but Im worried about the older ones who put everything into this, she said.

Protesters and members of messaging groups of people owed money by Evergrande have said they had been told by police not to cause trouble, and had seen their chat groups blocked.

Sophie said police had taken her to the station four times since she joined protests at Evergrandes headquarters in the nearby city of Shenzhen in September.

We dont know what happens to our money but were expected to keep quiet, its not right, she said.

($1 = 6.3718 Chinese yuan renminbi)
Bolsheviks to Putin: A history of Russian defaults

LONDON (Reuters)  In 1918, Soviet revolutionary Leon Trotsky told Western creditors aghast at the Bolsheviks repudiation of Russias external debt: Gentlemen, you were warned.

He reminded them that dismissal of Tsarist-era debt had been a key manifesto of the failed uprising in 1905. More than a century later, Russia stands on the brink of another default but this time there was no warning.

Few expected the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine to elicit such a ferocious response from the West, which has all but severed Russia from global financial and payment systems.

These are Russias major debt events over the past century:

1918: REPUDIATION

Just before the 1917 revolution, Russia was the worlds largest net international debtor, having borrowed heavily to finance industrialization and railways.

But seeing the Tsarist industrialisation drive as failing the working class, the Bolsheviks repudiated all foreign debt.

They said we are not paying and even if we could, we wouldnt pay. And that was a political statement, said Hassan Malik, senior sovereign analyst at Loomis Sayles and the author of the book Bankers and Bolsheviks: International Finance and the Russian Revolution.

Despite Trotskys reminder, the default shocked the world, especially France, whose banks and citizens suffered massive losses.

Investors didnt take it seriously because they thought it would be so self-harmful, Malik said, estimating the debt to be worth at least $500 billion at 2020 prices and possibly more.

It took until the mid-1980s for Moscow to recognize some of that debt.

1991: USSR TO RUSSIA

Following the break-up of the USSR in 1991, Russia stopped servicing part of the overseas debt it inherited from former Soviet states.

Andrey Vavilov, Russias deputy finance minister between 1994 and 1997, said the Russian Federation held around $105 billion in Soviet-era debt at the end of 1992, with its own debt amounting to $2.8 billion.

For accepting the inherited debt, the Paris Club recognized Russia as a creditor nation, Vavilov wrote in his book The Russian Public Debt and Financial Meltdowns. And as Russia agreed with the group of nations to restructure $28 billion in debt in 1996, it was allowed to shift major Soviet-era debt payments to the next decade.

But with a financial crisis around the corner, it would take until 2017 to clear the Communist-era arrears.

1998: RUBLE DEBT DEFAULT

By 1997, crashing oil prices slashed Russian export revenues. External debt, which stood near 50% of GDP in 1995, had swelled by 1998 to 77%, according to Vavilov, who blamed hefty IMF/World Bank loans for contributing to the pile.

Russia raised very little tax revenue and relied on short-term Treasury bills known as GKO to cover expenditure. But it found it harder and harder to roll these over and was soon spending ever-increasing amounts to defend the ruble.

The more the government insisted that it would stand by the currency and repay its debts, the more investors concluded it was time to sell, said Chris Miller in his book Putinomics: Power and Money in Resurgent Russia.

A month before the default, the IMF put together a $22.6 billion aid package, but the market was expecting the announcement of an additional $20 billion, Martin Gilman, the IMF representative in Moscow at the time, wrote in his book No Precedent, No Plan: Inside Russias 1998 Default.

On Aug. 17, 1998, Russia threw in the towel, devaluing the ruble, announcing it could no longer pay ruble debt and introducing a three-month moratorium on some external debt.

Russian banks that had invested heavily in T-bills and had extensive foreign currency exposure soon went under.

2022: A FORCED DEFAULT

Through dire financial straits in 1998, Moscow made sure to continue Eurobond payments. Now it has plenty of cash but may not dodge default.

To sidestep sanctions, the Kremlin is suggesting foreign creditors open Russian bank accounts to receive payments in alternative currencies to the dollar.

Non-U.S. investors can in theory agree, but U.S. bondholders cannot, after a U.S. Treasury license allowing them to accept Russian payments expired in May.

Miller, author of Putinomics, said Russia would fight tooth and nail to dodge a Eurobond default.

The officials on the central bank and the finance ministry have built their careers on restabilizing Russia as a creditor that can be trusted in international markets, he said.

Its built into their identity to make sure a default doesnt happen again.
LONDON  Russia said on Sunday that it was counting on China to help it withstand the blow to its economy from Western sanctions, which it said had frozen nearly half of its gold and foreign currency reserves.

We have part of our gold and foreign exchange reserves in the Chinese currency, in yuan. And we see what pressure is being exerted by Western countries on China in order to limit mutual trade with China. Of course, there is pressure to limit access to those reserves, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said.

But I think that our partnership with China will still allow us to maintain the cooperation that we have achieved, and not only maintain, but also increase it in an environment where Western markets are closing.

Western countries have imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russias corporate and financial system since it invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what it calls a special military operation.

Siluanovs comments in a TV interview marked the clearest statement yet from Moscow that it will seek help from China to cushion the impact.

The two countries have tightened cooperation in recent times as both have come under strong Western pressure over human rights and a raft of other issues.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing on Feb. 4 and announced a strategic partnership they said was aimed at countering the influence of the United States, describing it as a friendship with no limits.

The sanctions on Russian reserves have become one of the most painful measures for the Russian economy.

A month ago, Siluanov said Russia would be able to withstand sanctions thanks to abundant reserves and was even considering offering Eurobonds to foreign investors once the market volatility subsides.

On Sunday he said the sanctions had frozen around $300 billion out of $640 billion that Russia had in its gold and forex reserves.

Siluanov also said Russia will fulfill its state debt obligations and will pay rubles to its debt holders until the state reserves are unfrozen.
Our society has experienced plenty of disruptive technology over the past couple of centuries, but nothing has been as disruptive as artificial intelligence promises to be.

Ever since ChatGPT was released to the public in November, people have been scrambling to figure out what the social and economic ramifications will be. The potential benefits and harms are so varied, so significant and so speculative, that one can find opinions ranging all the way from doomsday scenarios to ushering in a future filled with vast improvements in every area of human life.

Most expert predictions, however, fall somewhere between those two extremes, depending largely on how the companies designing and implementing AI models deal with a number of ethical concerns. Those concerns are focused on things like who will have oversight, the transparency with which they operate, the guidelines programmed into the systems and the amount of autonomy AI may develop over time.

Several of these concerns were highlighted recently when advance testers with access to Microsofts Bing AI chatbot reported alarming conversations. Since those results have been so widely reported, I wont describe them here. Lets just say they were creepy. Microsofts response was to pull the chatbot from public use and to send it back for further development.

But what happens next? What if companies such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon are able successfully to address the chief ethical concerns with AI? What if a version of AI is able to integrate seamlessly into our personal and professional lives, making it easier to find and use information, to process that information into useful documents, laws, policies, research papers, letters, designs, contracts, artworks, and who knows what else? And what if we are able to do that without manipulating, deceiving, exploiting or otherwise harming anybody? Will that be good for humanity?

Consider the stated aim of the company that developed ChatGPT: OpenAIs mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence (AGI)  by which we mean highly autonomous systems that outperform humans at most economically valuable work  benefits all of humanity.

Imagine all the things that implies, all the ways in which human beings put words and images together to communicate with one another. And then imagine that much of that is done by some kind of entity that has no self-awareness, no personhood, but is capable of precisely imitating the full range of expressive activities that, up to this point in worlds existence, have been the exclusive province of human beings.

Imagine that in the future an AI bot will be capable of writing letters to a friend, composing a note of condolence to comfort someone in sorrow, writing a speech to motivate people to support a cause, creating a sermon to be preached on Sunday, vows to be spoken at ones wedding or a prayer to be said at a parents funeral.

Dont suppose that people will not use AI for such things. Of course they will. Once AI is advanced enough to simulate the subtleties of a wide range of human expression, it will certainly be called upon to help people on those occasions when expression is difficult, when it is most important to find just the right words for the occasion.

We had a glimpse of such a use recently when an administrator at Vanderbilt University used ChatGPT to compose an email to students in response to the mass shooting at Michigan State. The email called for promoting a culture of respect and understanding and urged members of the community to continue to engage in conversations. It closed with a plea to come together as a community to reaffirm our commitment to caring for one another.

Vanderbilt students were predictably outraged. We want to know that the words spoken to us, especially words used to move us  to comfort, console or encourage us  are sincere. We want assurance that what someone says to us is what they really mean.

The truth is, human beings have always wrestled with the question of whose words to trust. That is especially evident today when so many of our social relations are tainted by a deep and pervasive skepticism.

The assurance of sincerity, which is essential to so much we take for granted in our society, is acquired incrementally, through a willingness to engage earnestly with others in a thousand little gestures of mutual respect and attention.

Will AI help us do that? Will AI help us find our way into deeper, more meaningful relationships with others? Will it help us to love our neighbors more genuinely? Or will it drive the wedge of skepticism deeper into the heart of our relationships, causing us to doubt the sincerity of all our interactions and become even more distrustful, suspicious, and lonely?

People working in technology fields tend to restrict what they call ethics to problems of implementation. They dont ask whether the technology is inherently unethical. How will it shape our understanding of our lives together? Does the best, most well-intentioned and effective use pose the greatest threat?

Those are the questions I wish more people would ask.
Its not just crime victims being victimized by Kim Gardner

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner is unjustly causing Black people to be unnecessarily imprisoned because they arent getting speedy trials. I cannot believe the American Civil Liberties Union isnt suing her.

David Sickels  Lake St. Louis

Thomas continued presence denigrates the Supreme Court

It is such a shame that the revelation of the rot and graft in the U.S. Supreme Court swirling around Justice Clarence Thomas and his insurrectionist wife, Virginia, did not come fully into public view when the court was busy taking away womens rights in the Roe v. Wade decision. Using the rights to the abortion pill as a deflection to all of this is a win for women but does not solve the corruption we see at the highest court in our land.

Thomas should have resigned when his wifes activities were discovered during the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021. He should resign and live his luxurious life without the scrutiny and oversight that should have been exposed all of this long ago. He is a huge, nasty cloud hanging over the head of what should be the most revered court of the land.

Jackie Daugherty  St. Peters

St. Louis outmoded residency requirement is hurting hiring

Regarding Missouri lawmakers could erase St. Louis residency requirement for city workers (April 24): The citys residency requirement is crippling the citys efforts to fill crucial jobs with qualified employees more than most people realize. As someone who spent the better part of 40 years recruiting and vetting city workers, I can testify to the severe and unnecessary handicap placed on the city by the residence requirement.

Look at the numbers: We are a city of under 300,000 in a metro area of about 2.8 million. How is the St. Louis city government expected to fill jobs with the best and brightest workers when we require them to sell their homes, pull their kids out of schools to accept a job that is, frankly, paid under market value? Lets finally ditch the badly outdated residence requirement.

Roger McCurley  St. Louis

Carjacking is a form of terrorism against St. Louis drivers

Isnt carjacking an act of terrorism? When a veteran has to drive through downtown St. Louis to arrive at the John J. Cochran Veterans Hospital and cant consciously bring himself or herself to drive a decent automobile because of carjacking and car thefts and rampant driving habits through that part of the city, that, to me, is an act of terrorism and should be dealt with as such by law. It is people denying law-abiding, tax-paying veterans, as well as the general public, the right to a safe travel route.

David Knouse  Cedar Hill

Read letters online at STLToday.com
Regina Jose Galindo had eight pieces of pure gold extracted from the mines of her country, Guatemala, embedded in her teeth by a dentist. These expensive fillings were subsequently taken out by another odontologist in Berlin. The pieces that were removed from her mouth have since become small sculptures on display at the MoMA in New York and they play a part in the social debate in which museums have been embroiled for several years - decolonization.

Chosen Memories, the exhibition that presents more than 60 works donated by the Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Collection (which has invited this newspaper to see the display) to the museum over the past 25 years, carries no nostalgia or direct political criticism. Its not a debate that this collection touches on, but I believe that many of the works on display do so in a subtle way, says Ines Katzenstein, curator and director of Latin American art at the New York museum.

The piece Saqueo, by the Guatemalan artist, denounces the violence of the extractive economies in its title. In other words, how excessive and indiscriminate mining in Guatemala has evolved into a new colonialism, the present-day form of the resource plundering of Latin American countries. We are eternally despoiled people, but we are also resilient, writes Regina Jose Galindo.

'Tulum, after Catherwood [The Castle]', by Leandro Katz, 1985. A donation from the Patricia Phelps de Cisneros collection through the Latin American and Caribbean Fund in honor of May Castleberry. Cortesia del MoMA

Her work resonates with that of 38 other Latin American artists who might not convey their messages as directly, but imagine reparative paths to portray their worlds. Such is the case of the landscapes from Colombias Jose Alejandro Restrepo and the lithographs by Argentinas Leandro Katz. Their creations present a clear critical vision of how the European perspective has been imposed on Latin American territories and bodies for centuries. In Chosen Memories the colonial perspective no longer applies.

Many artworks can be political when they provoke thought, and not necessarily when they define themselves as high-impact political art, explains the curator, who believes that the debate on the decolonization of museums is more confined to those institutions that house archaeological pieces, and less so to contemporary art museums such as MoMA.

Two women admire the artwork titled 'Quindio Way' by Colombian artist Jose Alejandro Restrepo at MoMA. Angel Colmenares (EFE)

Perhaps one thing that the most modern artists, such as those featured in Chosen Memories with artwork from the end of the 20th century to the beginning of the 21st, have succeeded in doing is confirming that colonization was also artistic, with greater ease than the mesoamerican vestiges, for instance. Through means like video, sound installations, assemblage and photography they attempt to unravel this story. As the signs in the exhibition show, the colonial structures are being challenged. These structures still condition the ancestral cultures, even though centuries have passed since the independence of Latin American countries.

Only one interpretation

Although the Cisneros collection has always been closely associated with Latin American geometric abstraction, its founder quickly realized that there was only one interpretation of Latin America, says Gabriel Perez-Barreiro, the collections former director and chief curator, now an advisor to Cisneros, one of the worlds largest private art collectors. For this reason, she began to search for indigenous works, including Afro-American artwork, something that has become increasingly important in the United States. It was not very hard to find these pieces. History has marginalized these artists, but Cisneros and her husband, Gustavo, have spent years trying to learn what Latin American creators are doing. She is a true, hands-on collector, she wants to know the artists, to see how they work, she is guided by their interests. Her husband is very familiar with the history of Latin America, how these countries were constituted. It was not difficult for them to find them.

The art specialist believes that at the present moment an intentional and politicized interpretation is given to these questions, but in some way they have been in the collection for a long time. That reflection on history and identity predates this specific moment.

'Thread' by the Brazilian artist Cildo Meireles, at MoMA in New York. Angel Colmenares (EFE)

Many of these pieces have belonged to Cisneros collection for more than 15 years. She always strived to deconstruct a paradigm of Latin America, which was Mexican muralism, Frida Kahlo or magical realism, continues Perez-Barreiro. Over a hundred pieces were donated by the collector to MoMA in 2016 and were not intended to be classified as a Latin American wing, an isolated section, but to be integrated into the museums narrative as part of the History of Art.

Katzenstein, the third in command of Latin American art at this museum since the 1990s, has approached this challenge in two ways. On the one hand, she manages 5,000 pieces by artists from this region, but not as an independent department. She ensures that areas such as that of the drawing or sculpture sections of the museum consider these pieces when rearranging the rooms of the permanent collection, which is constantly changing.

In addition, in the three decades that MoMA has had a director of Latin American art, efforts have been focused on monographic exhibitions. Now, under Katzensteins leadership, it goes one step further with this collaborative and thematic exhibition. Although those in charge do not want it to be seen as part of the current debate on the decolonization of museums, they do feel that history is a living organism, in permanent interpretation and reevaluation, according to the Brazilian photographer Rosangela Renno.

Chosen Memories, April 30-September 9 at MoMA.
The struggle and the pursuit for freedom is preserved at historic sites and museums across America. Some of those sites are small, other are large, but all share a singular mission: to tell the story of American freedom seekers and the history of Black Americans.

Jims Journey: The Huck Finn Freedom Center

Mark Twains boyhood home in Hannibal, Missouri, draws faithful fans each year to visit the sites preserved and dedicated to the real people Twain immortalized within the pages of his masterworks, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures Huckleberry Finn: Becky Thatcher, Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer and Hucks friend Jim. Jims story is explored at Jims Journey: The Huck Finn Freedom Center.

Like most of Twains characters, Jim was based on a real man. Daniel Quarles, a slave owned by Twains uncle, who was a childhood companion he called Uncle Danl. Quarles legacy and the importance of Jim as a literary figure became the inspiration for the museum, whose collection of artifacts present Hannibals African-American history and freedom seekers. That story is richly illustrated through exhibits and interactive presentations.

Jims Journey: The Huck Finn Freedom Center, 509 North Third Street, Hannibal; 1-217-617-1507; jimsjourney.org. The museum open Memorial Day to Labor Day, but tours are available by appointment.

Milton House

Underground Railroad sites often are based on oral traditions, legends and lore. Few surviving stations can document their history and have been lost in time. But thats not the case at the Milton House, located in Milton, Wisconsin, about 45 minutes south of Madison. What would become a station on the Underground Railroad was built as an inn by Joseph Goodrich in 1845. The complex features a three-story hexagonal grout (concrete) house  a rarity in its day, which served as both an inn and the Goodrich home. About 10 feet from the rear of the inn is a log cabin, which was built as Goodrichs first home. It connects to the inn via an underground tunnel.

Fugitive slaves would enter the cabin, then slip through a trap door to enter a tunnel that lead to the basement of the inn where Goodrich provided food and a safe hideaway. Post-Civil War documents and narratives of those freedom seekers who received refuge at Milton House has been substantiated, allowing Milton House to achieve the designation as an official Freedom Site by the National Parks Service.

Visitors to Milton House can venture through the same tunnel, which was modified in 1954 when it was enlarged and lined with stone to better accommodate 20th-century visitors.

Milton House, 18 South Janesville Street, Milton, Wisconsin; 1-608-868-7772; Miltonhouse.org. Open for tours year round by appointment, though in summer walk-ins are welcome. $12 for adults.

Martin Luther King National Historical Park

A mile outside downtown Atlanta is the historic African-American neighborhood known as the Sweet Auburn District. Named for the neighborhoods main drag, Auburn Avenue, the Sweet Auburn District is a National Landmark and contains some of the countrys most revered and important sites of the Civil Rights Movement. Within its borders is the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s birthplace, the Ebenezer Baptist Church where King was baptized and preached as a child and his gravesite. Sites are collectively preserved by the National Parks Service as the Martin Luther King National Historical Park.

Self-guided or ranger-led tours of Kings birthplace begin at the MLK National Parks Visitors Center. Plan time to explore the various exhibits, which include Freedom Road and Children of Courage, an exhibit especially designed for young visitors that tells the story of the children of the Civil Rights Movement.

Martin Luther King Jr National Historical Park, 450 Auburn Avenue NE, Atlanta; 1-404-331-5190; nps.gov/malu. Open for tours and free.

The APEX

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s the Sweet Auburn District flourished with black-owned businesses, churches and community services, a success that attracted the attention of Fortune Magazine in 1956, which named Auburn Avenue the richest Negro street in the world. To explore the story of Auburn Streets success and history visit the permanent exhibit at the APEX Museum, Sweet Auburn: Street of Pride.

APEX, an acronym for African American Panoramic Experience, houses an extensive collection of artifacts and materials chronicling African American history, contributions and culture. Elements presented in its most powerful exhibit, Africa: the Untold Story, illustrate 400 years of accomplishments along with the story of enslavement, which includes a replica of the infamous 17th century slave ship the White Lion.

The APEX Museum, 135 Auburn Avenue, Atlanta; 1-404-5232739; apexmuseum.org. APEX is currently open Tuesdays through Saturdays. $12 adults

National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel

Experiences shared and the desired to preserve the history of the Civil Rights Movement inspired the establishment of the U.S. Civil Rights Trail in 2018. The trail recognizes sites from 55 cites in 15 states and the District of Columbia and includes important destinations as symbols of freedom as the Lincoln Memorial to symbols to sites of remembrance such as the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, site of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination.

After undergoing a recent multimillion dollar renovation, the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel now connects two buildings. The Legacy Building, the boarding house where assassin James Earl Ray allegedly fired the fateful shot in 1968, and the Lorraine Motel and museum.

On the first floor of the Legacy Building, curators have created a U.S. Civil Rights Movement Timeline, dating from 1619, the date when the first slave ship came to the colonies, to April 1968, the King assassination. The Lorraine Building preserves the original motel facade. Among its exhibits is Room 306, the room King occupied before his death. The remainder of the building holds an extensive collection of artifacts, oral histories, film and interactive exhibits, which includes the traveling Smithsonian exhibit The Negro Motorist Green Book now until Jan. 3. The Green Book, published from 1936 to 1967, provided the names of businesses that would accept black customers. The Lorraine Motel was one of the listings found within the Green Books pages.
Among the hotels, airlines, cruise ships and group trip operators that offer sustainable features  like solar panels, carbon offsets or electric vehicle charging stations  few marketing teams shy away from making them known.

At the 44-room Le Barthelemy Hotel & Spa in the French West Indies, you can dine at the boutique hotels zero-waste kitchen. Linens come from ethically traced organic cotton, and all fertilizers, plants and soil on the property are organic.

Airlines such as United Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have pledged to be 100% green by 2050 by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Southwest offers carbon offsets and bonus Rapid Rewards points as an incentive to buy them.

The government of the Bahamas signed an agreement in March to allow the development of a $56 million residential and yacht resort community. Itll be solar-powered, and its swimming pools will be made from recycled shipping containers. Its the countrys first fully sustainable, zero-carbon residential and yacht resort community.

And those are just a few examples of the many travel businesses capitalizing on green initiatives in their value propositions. But do travelers actually care?

American travelers among the least likely to choose travel companies by sustainability policies

In November 2022, market research firm YouGov surveyed more than 19,000 people worldwide (including 1,503 in the U.S.) on tourism-related topics for its 2023 Global Travel & Tourism whitepaper.

YouGov asked respondents how much they agreed that it was important to choose travel companies that have a strong sustainability policy. While 48% of all respondents said they agreed, only 33% of U.S. respondents did  barely edging Denmarks 32% and ranking as the second-lowest response among the 18 countries surveyed.

The survey then asked respondents the following question: "How much do you agree or disagree with the statement 'I am willing to pay more for responsible, eco-friendly, and sustainable trips?'

Only 29% of U.S. respondents said they agree versus 42% of overall respondents  the lowest response to this question of any population in the report.

(Chart courtesy of YouGov)

The U.S. figures are certainly low. Other than Denmark, there's not a single country where a higher percentage of respondents said they agree with being willing to pay more for sustainable trips versus those who simply said choosing companies with strong sustainability policies was important.

Among the starkest disparities is in Spain, where 52% of Spanish respondents said it was important to choose sustainable travel companies  yet only 39% agreed theyd pay more for them.

Caring about the environment  until it costs more

The Lufthansa Innovation Hub, the future travel trend research arm of Lufthansa Group (which also owns the airline of the same name), sought to understand the disparity between travelers wanting more sustainable tourism options versus their willingness to actually pay more for it. It partnered with travel booking app Hopper to conduct three experiments involving about 10,000 Hopper users, the outcomes of which were published in a February 2020 report.

The first experiment randomly asked users questions such as, Would you like to see sustainable travel options when booking a flight? The majority of respondents, 78%, responded yes to that specific question.

The next experiment asked Hopper users if theyd be willing to pay extra to offset the impact of their travel through tree planting or flying on more fuel-efficient aircraft. For the former, a majority  73%  said yes. However, 40% of these respondents said they would only pay a maximum of $5 more for reforestation.

And a third experiment sought to see if customers actually would pay more. It sent a notification to users who had booked a flight with Hopper within the previous 24 hours, asking for a donation to offset the impact of their flight. Only 1% of travelers ended up donating.

Note: The 36% of users who reported a willingness to opt for more fuel-efficient aircraft in the second experiment (and even pay an average of $42 more for it) couldnt be further questioned for this final test since its not currently possible for travelers to select specific aircraft at booking.

Travelers dont put their money where their mouth is, according to Lufthansas analysis of the experiment. Compensation rates of 1% really surprised us because there are many survey findings of how people eagerly want to travel more sustainably.

Easy ways to travel more sustainably (that might even save you money)

Paying more money isnt necessarily the only way to be a green traveler. In fact, many sustainable habits are easy or free. Shut off the hotel air conditioner or heat when you leave. Dont take food from the buffet that you wont actually eat.

Other sustainable practices may actually save you money. For example, when renting a car, ditch the fancy muscle car in favor of a humble (and more fuel-efficient) sedan, or choose the economy seat over first class. An analysis by the World Bank Environment and Energy Team, Development Research Group estimates that first class fares can cause up to nine times more emissions than economy fares because of the space they require on aircraft.

Even a single trip where you spend more time in one place might be better than destination-hopping, where you end up taking multiple flights to myriad places (but dont spend much time in each location). Not only will you cut the flights, but youll only face jetlag once. Especially if you can work remotely, spending a few weeks out of town (when typically your company wouldnt let you take that much time off in a row) might finally be feasible.

And then theres perhaps the most sustainable way to travel of them all  taking fewer trips that require a plane, period. If youre taking a road trip with multiple friends or family members, driving is a more economical option anyway.

Sally French writes for NerdWallet. Email: sfrench@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @SAFmedia.
MURFREESBORO, ARKANSAS  Avid rock hounds, wed returned for the third time recently to Crater of Diamonds State Park in southwest Arkansas, wondering if this time wed get lucky and unearth treasure (or maybe meet someone who had). The crater, near Murfreesboro, is the only currently active diamond mine in the country. Its also the only one anywhere that invites visitors to come, and for a modest fee, dig  and keep whatever they might find.

Though diamonds are the most desired, theyre not the only gems found here (some 40 different minerals occur at the mine). On our previous visits weve dug up a number of the other stones: amethyst, garnet, peridot, quartz and calcite, though we havent found any diamonds. Not yet.

But a lot of folks have. Since the crater was opened to the public as part of the 911-acre state park in 1972, more than 35,000 of the gems have been uncovered. And thats enough to draw more than 100,000 hopeful prospectors a year to this 37.5-acre field of lamproite, a soil mixture atop an eroded volcanic pipe where the diamonds were created millions of years ago.

Some gems from here have become famous. There were the 40.23-carat Uncle Sam (1924) and the 34.25-carat Star of Murfreesboro (1964), the two largest diamonds yet found in North America; also the 15.33-carat Star of Arkansas (1956); and among others, the 4.25-carat yellow Kahn Canary diamond (1977) that Hilary Rodham Clinton wore at the 1993 and 1997 presidential inaugural balls.

Diamonds were first discovered in Arkansas in 1906 by farmer John Wesley Huddleston. One day while slopping his hogs, he spotted, in the gravel of his barnyard, two round pebbles with fiery eyes that blazed up at him and wondered if they could be diamonds. He arranged for the stones to be sent to a jewelry store in Little Rock for appraisal. The jeweler confirmed they were indeed diamonds, one white weighing 2.63 carats, the other yellow weighing 1.38 carats, both of fine grade.

Before the discovery, no diamond had been found in its original location anywhere in the Western Hemisphere, so wed learned years ago at the craters visitor center museum. Pity Huddleston, who, incredibly, did not scour his 160-acre farm for more of the gems, but promptly sold it for $36,000 to three Little Rock investors, who formed the Arkansas Diamond Co. (Huddleston died penniless.).

The land changed hands several times over the years as a number of commercial mining ventures came and went. General Earth Minerals of Dallas, last to commercially mine here, eventually turned its operation into a tourist attraction. Three years later the state bought the crater and surrounding land to establish the park (which, in addition to the visitor center/gift shop/museum, includes a Discovery Center, a fine campground and Diamond Springs Water Park).

There are several ways to prospect for diamonds, one, by simply walking the furrows. The land is plowed once a month, weather permitting, to help reveal new material, and people do sometimes get lucky and find gems lying on the ground.

Spading up diamond-bearing soil then dry sifting it through a screening tray is another method, but wet sluicing is usually the most successful  and also the most work. After filling a screening tray with the soil, you shake and rotate it in a large tub of water. As diamonds are heavier than other material, they sink to the bottom of the tray, so when its flipped over, theyll be glistening on top. (Only hand tools are allowed for digging; bring your own or rent them at the Discovery Center. Staff there will identify rocks and minerals visitors find, and also, for free, certify diamonds for the lucky few.)

We first came here 30 years ago, with hopelessly optimistic expectations: in addition to an array of digging tools, wed brought a five-gallon bucket. On that occasion we met two long-retired men who several years earlier had formed a friendly rivalry. James Archer and Angelo Cela came to dig for diamonds six days a week, rain or shine, each trying to out-dig the other. Theyd both found dozens of diamonds.

Watching them work, I asked Cela how, probing the soil, he could tell the difference between the quartz, calcite and diamonds he was unearthing. He looked up knowingly through Ben Franklin glasses that had slipped low on his nose and said, Its apples and oranges, kid.

Once youve seen a diamond-in-the-rough, the differences are obvious: the diamond has a metallic luster and smooth surface, while the quartz and calcite have distinct facets (and no metallic luster).

Park interpreter Sarah Reap said between 800 and 1,000 diamonds in a wide range of size, color and quality are found every year. White diamonds are the most common, followed by brown, with yellow the rarest. A whiteboard at the Discovery Center keeps track of the finds, usually one or two a day. The day before our October visit two had been found, a three-point yellow gem and a 100-point (the equivalent of a one-carat) white diamond.

On our earlier visits, each time a diamond was found and identified, a deafening siren shriek would announce the news. But no more. Discovery Center manager J.R. Hall said the noise was alarming to visitors, whod sometimes mistake it for an emergency warning.

On this recent occasion, walking around the field where dozens of hopefuls were at work with spades and screening trays, we stopped to watch a particularly animated and determined prospector. This was Jan Breiligam of Chattanooga, Tennessee, who, smeared with mud and wearing a grin the size of a Cheshire cats, was vigorously jostling her screening tray in a tub of water. A mound of material shed already screened this mid-morning and examined  no diamond yet  lay on the table before her.

Shed first come here five years ago, she explained while she worked. It took 150 hours of digging before she found her first diamond, but after that, she was totally hooked. And ever since, shes driven here three times a year to dig, and thus far has unearthed 13 diamonds, one for nearly every visit. No luck so far this morning, she said, but the day was young and she thinks positive.

Nonetheless the mood was somewhat different at the Discovery Center, when we returned there to see what the whiteboard might show. Nothing yet, but as Emmett Yaeger, 7, and his father, Karl, were pacing around at the counter, and facility manager Hall had disappeared into a back room, we knew that something was up.

Emmett, grinning from ear to ear, was too excited to wait for us to ask, though of course we knew. Weve been digging all morning, and I just found a diamond! he said, about to burst with pride.

Karl Yaeger said theyd driven from home in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania (more than 1,200 miles) for the sole purpose of digging for diamonds. It was their first visit to the crater, and theyd been at it for several days.

Shortly, Hall reappeared with Emmetts diamond, now certified as a 13 point treasure, shining up through the clear convex lid of a little plastic jewelry box, and handed it to a beaming Emmett. He happily agreed to pose for a photo with his diamond. His father said theyd take a break for lunch, then get back to work.
Who and where  From left: Sandy and Judi MacLean of Clayton; Brian MacLean and Stefanie Doyle of St. Louis; and Tammy and Kent MacLean of Brentwood on the National Geographic Islander II. In the background is an iconic rock formation, Kicker Rock off San Cristobal Island.

The trip  The family traveled to the Galapagos for Christmas.

Travel tip  Because this is a very remote place, travel with only carry-on luggage. If your bags dont arrive with you, you may not get them until the end of the trip.
Who and where  Gary and Monica Gaddis of University City standing in the Latvija (Latvia) welcome sign in the Old Town of Riga, Latvia.

The trip  The couple visited Latvia after extending a work-related trip to Lithuania in May.

Travel tip  Latvia and Lithuania are both former Soviet-occupied nations. It is impossible to over-estimate how much Latvians and Lithuanians detest Russia. ... Many flags of Ukraine flew along side the Lithuanian and Latvian nations flags in public spaces.
The airline gurus are predicting a boom in transatlantic travel this summer. They're also saying that airfares will be higher than pre-pandemic  maybe up to 30 percent. And last but not least, airports will remain swamped with travelers, with long lines everywhere. I can't disagree. But you may well be going, anyhow, so you need to do what you can to get your best deal and minimize hassles. As usual, finding the right air trip can be a hassle. In no particular order, you need to make some key decisions up front.

Airlines: Beyond the regular legacy lines  American, Delta, United, British, Air France, Lufthansa and such  a few low-fare lines are trying to capture a share of the market:

 Although it isn't strictly a low-fare line, JetBlue is often a fare leader. It's already serving London from Boston and New York and plans to add Paris this summer. So far, it hasn't announced any plans for transatlantic flights in its new A220 planes  small, but with transatlantic range  presumably linking its US hubs with smaller European cities. Be on the lookout for some announcements.

 Norse Atlantic  the sort-of successor to Norwegian  will fly to London/Gatwick from Boston, Ft. Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Orlando, San Francisco, and Los Angeles; to Berlin from Ft. Lauderdale, Los Angeles, and New York; to Oslo from Ft. Lauderdale, Los Angeles, New York and Orlando, and to Paris from New York and Rome (flynorse.com/en-US). French Bee (us.frenchbee.com/en) will fly from Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco to Paris.

No transatlantic airline offers an outstanding hard product in economy  they all offer insufficient legroom and seat width for a comfortable flight. French Bee is an outlier: It provides two to three inches more legroom than the others, but in the narrowest seats flying anywhere. The legacy lines now offer premium economy on wide-body flights, with substantially wider seats and greater legroom than in regular economy. But fares are roughly double the best economy fares, and "40 percent more room than economy," per Air France, for 100 percent more money is a tough sell. And so far I haven't seen any of the big-time fare promotions in business class that the mavens have been predicting.

The Iceland Play. Both incumbent Icelandair (icelandair.com/) and newbie Play (flyplay.com/) are beefing up summer schedules and pitching the Iceland connection/stop. As I look at summer fares, I see that an Icelandic line sometimes undercuts competition but not always. The Iceland lines are a no-brainer if you want to stop over in Iceland for a day or two  which I highly recommend  but otherwise they're just in the mix with others.

No matter where you do it, connecting flights are always a hassle. If your home airport is a big U.S. hub or major destination for at least one line and you can catch a nonstop to your preferred destination, avoiding a change is probably worth at least $100 in reduced aggravation and potential delay. But if you have to change somewhere, try to avoid both the perennially clogged big U.S. East Coast gateways and the giant European hubs such as Amsterdam, DeGaulle, Gatwick, and Heathrow. Long lines and big delays are rife. Instead, look favorably at one of the Iceland lines if it can connect you once at Keflavik.

Searching for the best airfare is a pain, in part because so many lines add a stiff charge for "options" such as a checked bag that are actually near-necessities. The best search engines are imperfect, but Kayak lets you make first-screen comparisons based on whether you want a checked bag, and Expedia lets you filter for whether you want a seat assignment or no cancellation, or change fees. One of these days one of the search engines will combine all the relevant filters and have a real winner. Nevertheless, no matter how you find it, grab a good deal when you see it. Preferably, grab on a line that will let you keep the difference as a credit if you find a better deal.
Plan for a family fly-fishing adventure and youll wake up in some of the countrys most pristine places.

Here are five fabulous destinations to consider:

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

For an extraordinary angling experience, consider an overnight trip on the South Fork of the Snake River. On day one, youll hone your skills floating through some of the most coveted water in the western United States.

Later, as the sun sets, arrive at the South Fork Hilton, a fully outfitted camp tucked in the pines with a steep canyon wall as a backdrop. The overnight includes a deluxe dinner, tall tales, roasted marshmallows around a campfire, and a good nights rest in cozy platform tents.

The second day promises stunning scenery, 16 miles of braided waters and the opportunity to expand the adventure wading around gravel bars and up side channels. The trip is ideal for a multi-generational outing.

Western Montana

Stunning scenery, diversity of waterways, plentiful fish and an enthusiastic community of guides combine to make Montana a top-notch base camp for a fly-fishing adventure. Spend a day on the Madison River with Joe Dilschneider, owner of Ennis, Montana-based TroutStalkers and your family members will go home with more than basic casting skills. Youll learn to match the hatch and fish pocket water from a raft, and how to maximize a day on the famed Madison River, the Yellowstone River, a long stretch of blue-ribbon trout habitat or nearby spring creeks.

Formed by the confluence of the Gallatin, Jefferson and Madison rivers at Three Forks, the mighty Missouri River flows 700 miles across Montana and is considered one of the most productive trout fisheries in the west.

The small town of Craig is among the numerous launch points from which families explore this storied river. Expect a picturesque landscape, trophy trout and the opportunity to imagine Lewis and Clark navigating the same waters.

Jackson County, North Carolina

With more than 3,000 miles of trout streams and 1,100 miles of hatchery-supported trout waters in the mountains alone, North Carolina is a fly-fishing haven. Its also home to the nations only designated fly-fishing trail, the Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail, which takes anglers to 15 prime spots in the Great Smoky Mountains to cast a line. Expect a variety of options from wide-open rivers to small, secluded streams. The heart of the trail, the Tuckasegee River, or the Tuck, as its known to locals, is the countys largest body of water. Designed by two outdoorsmen and fly-fishing guides, the trail is an ideal way for fly-fishers of all skill levels and ages to learn the art of fly-fishing.

Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania

The Letort Spring Creek, Big Spring Creek and Yellow Breeches Creek (two classic limestone spring streams and one freestone stream) are considered hallowed waters and have enticed fly-fishermen to the area since the 1800s. Enthusiasts can expect to cast for brook, brown and rainbow in the local streams, where a variety of riparian ecosystems provide diverse fly-fishing opportunities. Consider a stay at the Orvis-endorsed Allenberry Resort, where fly-fishing packages are offered. The Valley is also home to the Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Museum.

Sun Valley, Idaho

This mountain town is perhaps best-known for its famous ski slopes, but the regions gold-medal waters make for yet another reason to nudge Sun Valley higher on your family vacation list. Youll be on the hunt for rainbow, brown, brook and cutthroat trout on Silver Creek, the Big Lost and the Wood rivers as well as in pristine mountain lakes.

Tap into the towns vibrant cultural scene or strap on skates for a whirl around the ice rink at the famed Sun Valley Lodge.

___
After giving up his corporate career to pursue an acting career, Young Mazino has two buzzworthy roles. Currently, he portrays Steven Yeuns buff younger brother, Paul, in the hit Netflix rage series BEEF. Mazino also is the star of the Sundance-supported dramedy series Good Boy  premiering May 1 on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@goodboyteevee)  where he plays a streetwear designer pursuing his dreams and bucking conventions of who he should be. The actor said he can relate. I didn't see anyone who looked remotely like me until I saw Daniel Dae Kim on Lost, Mazino said in a Zoom interview from his Los Angeles home. Media is powerful in what they show and wont show. So [acting] wasn't even a path to consider [for a long time]. And then I remember seeing Steven Yeun on The Walking Dead and took note of how particularly good he was. Later, once I made that formal decision to pursue acting, that's when I realized he was quite a formidable force in nature. Born and raised in Maryland, Mazino lived in New York before moving to California. For more information on Good Boy, you may follow @goodboyteevee on social media.

Q: You dont have a traditional Korean surname. Is it your nom de guerre?

A: [Laughs.] Ive been waiting for someone to ask. Youre officially the first. When I joined the Screen Actors Guild in 2018, there were too many people with my legal name. Young is my given Korean [middle] name and while Mazino isnt a Korean name, it originates from a Korean artist named Slave in Utero [born Lee Jong-hui] who created a manhwa called Tower of God. I was obsessed with this story and the world that he created. The premise is whatever wishes or desires you have, anything that you want can be achieved if you can climb to the top of this tower. Mazino is this character within this world. He doesn't even care about getting to the top. He wants to get out of the tower. The character really resonated with me, so I decided to make Young Mazino my stage name.

Q: Do you have a trip that stands out?

A: I do. Before 2021, I wasnt particularly an outdoor person. But a friend who I had grown up with was this outdoorsman bikepacker and together we cycled across the country from the border of Mexico to Canada. It was one of the most brutal adventures I've ever done, but it also opened my eyes to how beautiful the United States is. That trip kind of changed my whole outlook on life, going through sometimes arduous times. We went through Del Norte, Colorado, and stumbled upon the 38th Parallel there, [which is famous for] separating North and South Korea, and my friend mentioned we should backpack across Korea later. That stop wasnt something we had planned. We were going to just pass through that city quickly, but we had to stay a few days due to injuries I sustained from a bad fall. And thats when we met a filmmaker, Sam Bricker, who showed us the spot!

Q: As a visible minority, did you ever feel unsafe in your travels?

A: We went through some sundown towns where POC arent welcome there, especially at night. So that trip was us kind of almost reclaiming our identity as Americans.

Q: I know you are planning on doing a bike trip in Korea. When was the last time you were there?

A: I was in Korea 14 years ago [when I was a 17-year-old] high schooler. I was traveling with a church-based symphonic orchestra. All our time was spent traveling, performing and rehearsals. And the concerts were held in churches, orphanages and community centers. I just remember my lower back hurting from the endless rehearsals. Not the best memories.

Q: Besides the bike trip, why do you want to travel to Korea?

A: I think it would be poetic to go to Korea where my blood runs and cycle through that country. With age, Ive come to realize the distance that my parents and their parents had to endure just to get me to a place where I'm even allowed to chase a dream.

Q: What was a memorable childhood trip?

A: My parents weren't too wealthy. But when I was nine or 10, we did drive 15 hours to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. That was a hellish journey. I made the mistake of traveling with my friend's family [instead of in my parents car]. They had the front of the minivan blocked off so we couldn't really get to them. [Laughs.] I remember my friend had to pee, so they gave him a water bottle but he missed. I just remember traveling the rest of the eight hours in a urine-smelling minivan that felt very claustrophobic.

Q: What are your five favorite cities?

A: St. John [U.S. Virgin Islands], Manhattan, Madrid, Missoula and Busan [South Korea].

Q: What have you learned from your travels?

A: Go slow to go fast.
On Tuesday, the Justice Department sued to block JetBlue Airways from taking over Spirit Airlines in a $3.8 billion deal.

The complaint, filed in Massachusetts in conjunction with New York and the District of Columbia, claims the consolidation would violate antitrust laws and make travel less affordable for price-sensitive consumers.

It alleges that the consolidation would make it easier for the remaining airlines to coordinate to charge higher fares or limit capacity, which would mean higher prices or fewer seats.

The complaint also asserts that Spirits existence as a budget airline benefits travelers because other airlines are forced to lower fares to compete.

JetBlue and Spirit responded in a news release that they will continue plans to become the fifth-largest airline in the country. JetBlue plans to retrofit Spirit planes by creating more legroom and adding free amenities, according to the release. The airline also argues the consolidation would force competitors to lower prices, which it calls the JetBlue effect.

We believe the DOJ has got it wrong on the law here and misses the point that this merger will create a national low-fare, high-quality competitor to the Big Four carriers which  thanks to their own DOJ-approved mergers  control about 80% of the U.S. market, JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said in the release. The Big Four carriers are American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines.

The suit is the latest effort by the Biden administration to combat consolidation and increase competition. In a 2021 executive order, President Joe Biden singled out multiple industries, including agriculture, information technology, health care services and prescription drugs, shipping, telecommunications and transportation.

Companies in every industry should understand by now that this Justice Department will not hesitate to enforce our antitrust laws and protect American consumers, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in the suit.

The case could take months before it heads to trial.

Anna Helhoski writes for NerdWallet. Email: anna@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @AnnaHelhoski.
Squinting into the wind and rain, we marched from a desolate parking lot on the southwest tip of Ireland down a slippery path. I turned a corner and the mean-looking surf was still a long walk away. Noticing my questioning look, my guide, Conner, egged me on. He was hell-bent on showing me the tracks of tetrapods.

I was exploring the much-loved Ring of Kerry, assuming Id be seeing quaint pubs, sheep farms, and plush Emerald Isle beauty. But Conner was determined to complement the traditional sights by introducing me to a different side of this touristy destination (a.k.a. the Iveragh Peninsula). Its so crowded with tour buses that all the companies have agreed to tour counterclockwise in a convoy to keep traffic from getting jammed up.

We finally reached the waters edge. On a shiny slab of mud-turned-to-rock, Conner reverently showed me faint tracks, declaring, These are tetrapod tracks. He told me many archaeologists believe this is the place where the first fish slithered out of the water on four stubby legs 385 million years ago onto what would become the Isle of Saints and Scholars.

Remembering it was also the Island of Blarney, I skeptically countered, ...at least many Irish archaeologists.

In a way only an Irish tour guide can, Conner explained  using evidence all around us and reminding me that tetrapods eventually evolved into bipeds  how communication is a big part of the story of this friendly island home of the legendary gift of gab.

He pointed to the distant, barely visible Skellig Michael Island breaking the horizon far out at sea. The 700-foot-tall rock has a tiny cluster of abandoned igloo-like beehive huts clinging near its summit like stubborn barnacles. In the sixth century Irish monks settled there to communicate with God. Inspired by the earlier hermit monks in the Egyptian desert, these Irish hermits, too, used the purity and silence of extreme isolation as a tool to get closer to God. They collected rainwater in cisterns and lived off fish and birds. Chiseling the most rudimentary life out of solid rock, the monks lived a harsh, lonely, disciplined existence. For over 500 years they were all about meditating and praying  in other words, heavenly communication.

They were also about human communication. Irish scribes, like those living on Skellig Michael, kept literate life alive in Europe through the darkest depths of the so-called Dark Ages. In fact, around the year 800, when the ruler Charlemagne (the greatest European ruler of that age) needed good literate people to help run his empire, he brought in monks from this part of Ireland to be his scribes.

Then, moving from evolution and literacy to modern communication, my guide pointed past Skellig Michael to a passing transatlantic ship. A thousand years after those Irish monks nursed Europes fragile and flickering flames of literacy, this is where the fastest communication came to Europe from America.

In the mid-19th century, Reuters  who provided a financial news service in Europe  couldn't get his pigeons to fly across the Atlantic. So he relied on ships coming from America to drop a news capsule overboard as they rounded this southwest corner of Ireland. Reuters boys would wait right here  just a short walk from those first tetrapod tracks  in their little boats with nets on long poles to "get the scoop." It's said that Europe learned of Lincoln's assassination in 1865 from a capsule tossed over a boat and scooped out of these waters.

Taking early communication one step further, the first telegraph cables were laid (from the largest ship of its day by a company that would become Western Union) across the Atlantic from this same corner of Ireland to Newfoundland. Now the two hemispheres had telegraphic communication. Queen Victoria was the first to send a message  greeting an American president in 1858. (The cable broke more than once, but it was finally permanently secured in 1866.)

Radio technology pioneer Guglielmo Marconi, who was half-Irish, set up an early wireless telegraphic station in this corner of Ireland before he achieved the first wireless transatlantic communication in 1901 from England to Newfoundland. And when Charles Lindbergh ushered in the age of transatlantic flight in 1927, the first bit of Europe he saw was this stony perch  where those tetrapods first dried off.

Conner and I dropped by a schoolhouse in the nearby town of Knightstown. Its humble museum tells the stories of these quirky bits of local history with intimate black-and-white photos and typewritten pages.

Driving away, under the 21st-century cellphone - and satellite-tower crowning a hilltop above me, I gazed out at Skellig Michael and told Conner how impressed I was by the communication theme he had woven together that day. Saying, Great. Lets have a pint and talk about it, he pulled into a pub.
Author James Shapiro holds his book 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare, which has won the Winner of Winners Award at the 2023 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction.

An account of a pivotal year for English history and literature has been named the greatest-ever winner of the U.K.s leading nonfiction book prize. James Shapiros 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare won the Bailli An engrossing account of how Shakespeare became Shakespeare has been named the greatest-ever winner of the U.K.s leading nonfiction book prize.

James Shapiros 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare won the Baillie Gifford Prize Winner of Winners award on Thursday. It was crowned from a field of six finalists drawn from the 24 winners of the Baillie Gifford Prize, which marks its 25th edition this year.

Shapiro, professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University, was awarded the 25,000-pound ($31,000) prize at a celebratory dinner in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Shapiro said it was extraordinarily gratifying that the book is still read and recommended, almost 20 years after it was first published.

I hated Shakespeare in high school, said Shapiro, now regarded as one of Americas leading Shakespearean scholars. (I) wanted to write a book for people who, like me, didnt necessarily get what this writer and his books were about.

I think thats one of the reasons why this book still has legs.

The nonfiction award  launched in 1999 and known until 2015 as the Samuel Johnson Prize  celebrates English-language books from any country in the fields of current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts. It has been credited with bringing an eclectic slate of fact-based books to a wider audience.

Shapiros book, which won the prize in 2006, explores Shakespeares life in teeming Tudor London in the year he turned 35, completed Henry V, wrote Julius Caesar and As You Like It and produced the first draft of Hamlet, widely regarded as his greatest play.

The book is really about how Shakespeare became Shakespeare, Shapiro told The Associated Press.

The author has said that winning the original award in 2006 changed his life, by giving him the chance to work with theater troupes including the Royal Shakespeare Company, which in turn changed his understanding of Shakespeare.

Actors care about Shakespeare probably more than anyone else does, and they love the book, Shapiro said. And that is always one of the great rewarding thigs for me.

Youre talking to a very lucky writer whose book found him as much as he found the book.

Author and academic Sarah Churchwell, one of the four prize judges, said Shapiros book does so many things remarkably well.

Its a biography of one of the greatest writers who ever lived, about whom we know almost nothing, she said, and a biography of the mind of a genius at work.

Churchwell said the judges felt it was important the book that won showed what creative nonfiction can do.

1599 beat five other books, including British writer Craig Browns One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time, Canadian author Wade Davis mountaineering odyssey Into the Silence and Canadian Margaret MacMillans history of the post-World War I peace talks, Paris 1919.

The two other finalists were American: Barbara Demick, for Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea, and Patrick Radden Keefe for opioid expose Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty.

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For most, Positano is simply the most romantic and chic stop on Italys Amalfi Coast. South of Naples, the famous coast is blessed with beaches, sunshine, and picturesque towns spilling down steep hillsides. Many who visit Positano want only to shop and lay on the beach. But the tour guide in me simply must put a little historic and cultural meat on your visit.

Downtown Positano gathers around a single pedestrian street, tumbling past fine shops and restaurants down to a delightful beach. While Positanos ceramic and linen industries (Moda Positano) date from the 1950s, they boomed when tourists discovered the village in the 1970s. Today youll find lots of these shops on this street, along with galleries featuring the work of local artists (and an abundance of much-used ATM machines).

Another cottage industry is sandal making. Local artisans craft leather sandals to order while you wait  a Positano tradition. You drop into a shop, select your design and color, and get measured. The craftsman makes the sandals, checks the fit, and sends you off with a wearable souvenir in 10 minutes time. (If Im hungry, Ill stroll in my new sandals over to the wonderful Delicatessen to pick up a picnic to go.)

Youll also see La Zagara, a pastry shop with a welcoming terrace. Tempting delicacies such as baba (soaked in rum  a local favorite) fill the window display. Across the lane, Hotel Palazzo Murat fills what was once a grand Benedictine monastery.

Walking past the gauntlet of local artisans displaying their goodies, you come to the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, originally the abbey of Positanos 10th-century Benedictine monastery. Built in the Romanesque style, it was abandoned  along with the lower town  when pirates ruled. In the 18th century, when the coast was clear, the church got an extreme Baroque makeover. Inside is a fine manger scene  so popular in Italian churches  with its original 18th-century figurines dressed in folk costumes of the age.

The Black Madonna icon-like painting above the altar was likely brought here by Benedictine monks in 12th century. But locals prefer their romantic legend: Turkish (or Saracen) pirates had it on their ship as plunder. A violent storm hit; it was sure to sink the evil ship. Then the painting of Mary spoke, saying Posa, posa (Lay me down), and the ship glided safely into this harbor. The pirates were so stricken they became Christians. Locals kept the painting and the town became known as Posa-tano (after Marys command).

Walking around the church, you come to the entry to an underground Roman exhibit. This spot was the site of a Roman villa buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Only part of the villa has been excavated, but a small museum provides views of a surviving fragment of a large Roman fresco.

The church above, with its colorful, glazed, Majolica-tile dome, faces a tiny square and the beach. Once Positano was a notable naval power with shipyards along this beach. These eventually became fishermen's quarters and then todays tourist restaurants. Roofs all around town have the regions characteristic white domes filled with sand, a low-tech form of insulation that keeps homes warm in winter and cool in summer.

The Positano beach is mostly private (and will cost you a pretty penny for a lounge chair, umbrella, shower facilities, and drink service). As is the case with private beaches anywhere along the Mediterranean, whether you use the gear for 10 minutes or 10 hours, the price is the same.

Come back in the evening, when the beach becomes the gathering point for local boys trying to hustle tourist girls into the chic Music on the Rocks nightclub. This club is all thats left of the 1970s disco scene when Positano really rocked. While nothing is happening until about 11 p.m., its open for drinks much earlier. Even those not ensnared in the charms of a local Romeo can appreciate its cool, troglo-disco interior while sipping a pricey cocktail.

Now that youve toured the town, leave the tourists and the hustlers for a well-deserved break. Follow the locals who hike 10 minutes from the touristy main beach, past a 13th-century fort from pirate days, to enjoy the humble  and cheaper  Fornillo Beach. Settle in, and savor a delightful dose of Mediterranean splendor.
I love to scamper, at low tide, shoes in my hands, far from shore, across the mudflat in the vast Bay of Mont St-Michel. Splashing across black sand and through little puddles, I head for a dramatic abbey reaching to heaven from a rock surrounded by a vast and muddy solitude.

Since the sixth century, hermit monks in search of that solitude lived here. Location, location, location. The word hermit comes from an ancient Greek word meaning desert. The next best thing to a desert in this part of Europe was here.

Imagine the desert this bay provided as the first monk climbed the rock to get close to God. Mix in the mythic tide, which sends the surf speeding eight miles in and out with each tide cycle. Back then, before a causeway and later a bridge was built, Mont St-Michel was an island. Pilgrims would approach across this mudflat mindful of a tide that swept in at the speed of a galloping horse (well, maybe a trotting horse ...12 mph, or about 17 feet per second).

Quicksand, the thoroughly disorienting fog, and the fact that the sea can encircle unwary hikers added to the peril. Braving these devilish risks for centuries, pilgrims kept their eyes on the spire crowned by their protector, St. Michael, and eventually reached their spiritual goal.

Whether scampering across the treacherous mudflats or riding a shuttle bus across the modern bridge, the sight of the distant silhouette of the Gothic island-abbey Mont St-Michel sends tired sightseers' spirits soaring today just as it did the spirits of weary pilgrims in centuries past.

Though a dreamscape from a distance, through the midday Mont St-Michel becomes grotesquely touristic. In summer, Mont St-Michels main street, lined with shops and hotels leading to the abbey, can be a human traffic jam. Its some consolation to remember that, even in the Middle Ages, this was a commercial gauntlet, with stalls selling souvenir medallions, candles, and fast food. Today, the villages seven full-time residents continue to live solely for its visitors.

While on Mont St-Michel, indulge in some local culinary treats: mussels, seafood platters, lamb (fed on the local saltwater grass), and inexpensive Muscadet wine. Puffy omelets are the islands specialty. For touristy fun, poke your head into Restaurant La Mere Poulard on the main drag. In their theater-kitchen, old-time-costumed cooks beat traditional omelets  creating a fun rhythm that can be heard many doors away. The quick omelets were popular for pilgrims who, before the island was connected to the mainland, needed to beat the tide to get out. And  even at todays rip-off prices  theyre still a hit with 21st-century tourists.

The actual abbey of Mont St-Michel is the reason to visit. Its been an important pilgrimage center since AD 708, when (according to legend) the Archangel Michael told the local bishop to build here and build high. With uncanny foresight he reassured the bishop, If you build it  they will come. Saint Michael, whose gilded statue decorates the top of the abbeys spire, was the patron saint of many French kings, making this a favored sight for French royalty through the ages.

Todays abbey is built on the remains of a Romanesque church, which was built on the ruins of a ninth-century Carolingian church. Visiting the abbey, imagine the headaches and hassles the monks had when they built it. They ferried granite from across the bay and hiked it uphill.

A walk in the abbey is a one-way route through fine  but barren  Gothic rooms. A rented audio guide or English-language tour make this historic sight more meaningful. Visitors may explore the impressive church, delicate cloisters, and refectory (where the monks ate in austere silence), and then climb down into the dark, damp Romanesque foundations. A highlight is the giant treadwheel, which six workers once powered hamster-style to haul two-ton loads of stones and supplies from the landing below. This was used until the 19th century.

From the abbeys veranda, survey the bay stretching from Normandy to Brittany. The river below marks the historic border between the two lands. Brittany and Normandy have long vied for Mont St-Michel. In fact, the river used to pass Mont St-Michel on the other side, making the abbey part of Brittany. Today, the rivers route is stable and the abbey is just barely  but thoroughly  on Norman soil.

Hang out until after dark when the tourists are gone and the island is magically floodlit. Ramble on the ramparts. Ponder the promise of desolation and a simple life of solitude that attracted monks to this dramatic spot so long ago.
Salamancas Plaza Mayor, Spains grandest square, seems to celebrate life. Strolling across the square with Carlos, my guide, we passed a young man walking alone who suddenly burst into song. I asked Carlos why and he said, Doesnt it happen where you live?

Northwest of Madrid (1.5 hours by high-speed train), Salamanca is youthful and untouristy, displaying its mighty monuments, clusters of cloisters, and magnificent square with quiet pride.

Carlos and I sat down at a table with a prime view of the square and all its people-action. Carlos ordered us a simple but elegant meal: a plate of cured ham, patatas bravas (chunks of potatoes with tomato sauce), and glasses of robust local red wine. When the ham arrived, he told of his grandpa thinly carving a jamon, supported in a jamonero (ham holder) during Christmas, painting a holiday image that reminded me of my dad carving the turkey at Thanksgiving.

Our view was filled with people. Plaza Mayor has long been Salamancas community living room. The most important place in town, it seems to be continually hosting some kind of party. Spaniards love their paseo (evening stroll)  its like multigenerational cruising without cars. While the old-timers gossiped and tsk-tsked at the young people, those young singles were out to see and be seen. Carlos explained that historically, the square was a big viewing arena where the men circulated one way and the women circled the other so everyone got a chance to check everyone out. Flirting still rages, as the boys are on a quest for the perfect queso (cheese), meaning a cute dish. Perhaps the best time of all for people-watching is Sunday after Mass, when the grandmothers gather here in their Sunday best.

The Plaza Mayor is just the starting point for a Salamanca visit. Salamanca's University, the oldest in Spain (1218), was one of Europes leading centers of learning for 400 years. Columbus came here for travel tips. Today many Americans enjoy its excellent summer program. The old lecture halls around the central cloister, where many of Spain's Golden Age heroes studied, are open to the public. Some of the rooms are still used by the university for prestigious academic ceremonies. The entrance portal of the university is a great example of Spains Plateresque style (Spains version of Flamboyant Gothic)  the style named for masonry so intricate it looks like silverwork.

In the University's Hall of Fray Luis de Leon, the tables and benches are made of narrow wooden beams, whittled down by centuries of studious doodling. The professor used to speak from the church-threatening catedra, or pulpit. It was here that freethinking Fray Luis de Leon angered Inquisition forces by bringing the scriptures to the people in their own language. After being jailed and tortured for five years, he returned to his place and started his first post-imprisonment lecture with, "As we were saying..."

Near the university stands the Church of San Esteban, dedicated to St. Stephen (Esteban) the martyr. The church contains impressive cloisters, a pantheon of tombs, and a museum with illustrated 16th-century choir books. But everything is overwhelmed by the churchs Churriguera altarpiece, a textbook example of the style named after the artist. Quietly ponder the gold-plated cottage cheese as tourists shake their heads and say "too much" in their mother tongue.

Salamancas many students help keep prices down. The young people congregate under the stars until late in the night, chanting and cheering, talking and singing. Over the centuries, the universitys poorer students earned money to fund their education by singing in Salamancas streets in a tradition called tuna music. The name tuna, which has nothing to do with fish, refers to a vagabond student lifestyle and later was applied to the music these students sing. This 15th- to 18th-century tradition survives today as groups of students, dressed in the traditional black capes and leggings, sing and play mandolins and guitars, serenading the public in the bars on and around the Plaza Mayor. While they make their serious money performing for weddings on weekends, youll likely see them out singing for tips on summer weeknights.

For a fun meal, do the tapa tango. Salamanca bars offer a great selection of tapas, or appetizers, featuring a tasty variety of treats  seafood, salads, meat-filled pastries, deep-fried goodies, and so on. Wash down your tapa with iced gazpacho (spicy tomato soup), a cool treat on a hot day.

Dont miss the charms of the sunny sandstone city of Salamanca  with Spains grandest plaza, its oldest university, and a fascinating history all swaddled in an affordable and fun-loving college-town ambience.
Booking a flight involves navigating a maze of decisions. Is it better to fly with a budget airline or full-service one? How about basic economy versus regular economy? And would you prefer pretzels or a cookie?

Choosing between a single round-trip or two one-way tickets is the most basic decision and  you might be surprised to learn  one of the more nuanced.

The cost between the two is usually the same for domestic flights but can vary significantly for international routes.

Given that airfare was 26% more expensive in January 2023 than January 2022, according to the latest consumer price index data, budget travelers need to save every penny they can.

In general, it can be more convenient to book a round-trip flight for a trip with specific start and end dates, but other considerations, such as cancellation policies and pricing, could make booking one-ways more appealing in some cases. And everything works differently for flights booked with miles.

Lets break it down.

Domestic flights

For flights within the United States on the same airline, round-trip tickets almost always cost the same as two one-ways.

Theres one caveat here: Booking two one-way tickets between separate destination or arrival airports can, in some cases, save money (or cost more).

Fares dont have to be booked as returns, says Laura Lindsay, travel trends expert at SkyScanner, a travel booking platform. Look at flying out with one airline and back with another, or out of one airport and back into another to save money.

Many online travel tools will automatically compare prices for these mismatched airline or airport itineraries and automatically include them in search results.

But it might be worth checking manually, especially for plans that involve different local airports or for airlines that dont appear in search results, such as Southwest.

All that said, for domestic flights, the difference is almost always a wash.

International flights

For international tickets, the logic changes completely. Round-trip tickets are usually cheaper than one-ways, sometimes significantly so.

NerdWallet compared fares across multiple international routes and found that, typically, buying two one-way tickets costs 20% more than a single roundtrip.

To determine these differences, we compared routes between four U.S. airports and two airports in each destination region.

The effect is more pronounced when flying to some regions, such as Africa and Asia. That said, for flights between the U.S. and every region we looked at, it costs more to book two one-ways than a single round-trip.

In some circumstances, such as open-ended trips where you dont know when youll be returning, one-way flights might still make the most sense. But for most international travel, round-trip fares are the clear winner.

Are round-trip or one-way flights cheaper if booking with points?

What about the cost difference between one-way and round-trip fares when using points or miles?

Generally, airlines break these fares into one-way sections, meaning there is no meaningful difference between the two, in terms of cost. Yet a few caveats apply:

Taxes on award flights can be higher when booking two one-ways. Delta Air Lines, for example, tends to charge more fees for flights originating in Europe.

Some airlines, such as ANA, do not allow one-way award flights, period.

Flights booked with credit card points using a travel portal (i.e. not transferred to an airline partner) follow the same rules as cash fares.

Other considerations

Its also worth considering the impact of changes and cancellations on the two options.

Most airlines have eliminated change fees, making it easier to change and cancel both kinds of tickets. But canceling one leg of a round-trip ticket can sometimes be more complicated than canceling a one-way ticket.

In some cases, you might need to call customer service, instead of canceling online, to make sure the change doesnt cancel your other flight segments as well.

And finally, theres the question of simplicity.

Is the simplicity of having a single itinerary, managed by one round-trip confirmation code, worth these other trade-offs? This simplicity, paired with the fact that round-trip tickets are almost never more expensive than two one-ways, means that these fares make sense for most travelers.

Sam Kemmis writes for NerdWallet. Email: skemmis@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @samsambutdif.
Travel brand loyalty is nothing new. Ever since Texas International Airlines and American Airlines created the first frequent-flyer programs in the late 1970s and early 1980s, travelers have been racking up miles, seeking elite status and pouring their airfare dollars into brands that offer the most perks.

Yet sticking with a single airline, hotel or rental car program comes with built-in limitations. It means narrowing ones comparison shopping, for one thing, which can effectively increase prices. A person whos loyal to, say, Delta Air Lines might pay $100 more for a flight on Delta in order to earn miles and status. Is that trade-off worth it?

It has to be a really good deal for me to fly with another airline, says Joanne Herd, travel advisor at Girasole Travel, a luxury travel booking service, who has been loyal to American Airlines for years.

She recently took a business-class flight with Singapore Airlines because it cost thousands of dollars less than those available on an American Airlines partner.

I almost regretted it because I barely made the status I wanted, she says.

Navigating these trade-offs is particularly fraught for semi-frequent travelers, who may not travel enough to earn high-level elite status perks, but still want to earn and use miles. Collecting a few hundred points from a smattering of loyalty programs might be more trouble than its worth, yet sticking with one program can limit travel options.

Heres how to decide whether going monogamous with a travel brand makes sense.

Big payoffs for big spenders

Travel brands like United Airlines and Marriott maintain their loyalty programs for a simple reason: They want to attract big spenders, particularly business travelers. To this end, loyalty programs will lavish benefits on travelers in proportion to how frequently they travel (and how much they spend).

This might sound simple, but it affects the value of these programs for ultra-frequent travelers relative to leisure travelers. For example, a traveler with the lowest-level Hilton status will get about $2 back in value for every $100 they spend, according to a NerdWallet analysis, while someone with the highest-level status will get about $49 in value for every $100 they spend.

This is an enormous gulf, and highlights how the juice might not be worth the squeeze for low-level status. Katy Nastro, a travel expert at flight deals website Going, emphasized the same goes for airline elite status, which disproportionately rewards high rollers.

It takes a lot of short flights to even reach the lowest rung of the ladder, Nastro said in an email. So you may be foregoing cheaper  and quite possibly better flights  for the potential of a reward in the future.

Because the perks are so valuable for very frequent travelers, it almost always makes sense for them to maintain some travel loyalty, even at the cost of convenience.

Other trade-offs to consider

While limiting ones loyalty to a single travel brand can offer benefits for frequent travelers, it also has hidden drawbacks. Claire Sturzaker, who writes about travel on her blog Tales of a Backpacker, began traveling full-time seven years ago. Yet despite her bonafide frequent traveler status, she mostly avoids loyalty programs and the elite status rat race.

I want something different when I travel; thats why I travel, she says. I would rather stay at a small guest house. I know money is going back into the community where I am, rather than a giant global corporation.

Sturzaker acknowledges that chain brand hotels offer reliability and convenience, but says those arent usually her top priorities. And she likes to visit off-the-beaten-path destinations, where no single airline alliance flies. Instead, she tries to fly nonstop with budget airlines whenever possible.

So, who should bother with travel elite status programs? Those travelers for whom they were designed  frequent business travelers. Semi-frequent travelers who take a few trips per year might see some benefit from loyalty, but these perks are often offset by the increased cost of limiting ones shopping choices.

And sticking with a single brand might make you miss the most magical aspect of travel  the unexpected.

I stayed at a family-run place in a small village in Honduras, run by a husband and wife and three boys, Sturzaker says. There was a power outage during my stay, so we all just sat around and chatted. That would never happen at a Hilton.

This article was written by NerdWallet and was originally published by The Associated Press.

Sam Kemmis writes for NerdWallet. Email: skemmis@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @samsambutdif.
How to Serve Your Digital Audience Better in Hybrid Events

What are some optimal approaches to fully including online/digital audiences in hybrid events rather than sidelining them in favor of the in-person attendees? Chris Pfaff, CEO, Chris Pfaff Tech Media, Producers Guild of America (PGA), VR AR Association (VRARA) discusses this topic with Alex Lindsay, Head of Operations, 090 Media, and John Porterfield, Webcast Producer, Social180Group, in this clip from Streaming Media Connect 2023.

Lindsay breaks down the three major types of events: digital-first, hybrid, and physical in-person. He says that 090 Media takes as much of an inclusive approach as possible with their digital-first events. The digital audience is as least as important as the physical audience, he says. When we do that, we take the speakers off the stage when we put them on either a screen or an LED wall, because now the speakers can be present with all of the audiences they have. We can put eight screens in front of them. We can have, This is Cape Town, this is L.A., this is New York. We can also bring other speakers in from anywhere in the world. And they're all on an even footing with the current speakers, so they all look equal. We can still have return cameras, we can still talk to the people in the main plenary, but that main plenary can be in eight cities and all of them have a front row experience.

Thats a great production decision, Pfaff says. He says to John Porterfield, You were talking about what you do in breakout rooms. What's your experience there? Because I tend to agree with Alex about multiple rooms and events. But that's from a producer's point of view. I think [with] breakout rooms and the level of interactivityI'll be honest, I think that most people haven't evolved to a point where they're really comfortable interacting digitally. But tell us what you've experienced with that.

Porterfield says, So I kind of come at it from two different fronts. [When] I was in the house of worship, the technologies progressed where we did a major broadcast [where] everybody was connecting through different broker devices, [such as] Apple TV, and things. The way of connecting that and having some kind of local eventit's one direction. I think the challenge to everybody we're talking about here ishow do you get them to engage and communicate? And I think that goes back to like trying to look at ways to create unique value.

Porterfield mentions current projects hes working on that take a build-out approach from physical events to digital. That approach, he says, Builds some momentum a bit. And then you build out the framework by which [you] produce the event and maybe want to bring some other elements in that make it unique and tell the story for a nonprofit that has a very unique message to their audience, but at the same time, they want to build awareness. So I think the challenge is getting them to engage in that one. And I think on the corporate event side in breakout rooms, that's still a bit of a challenge. How do we create the right message or value that gains interest?

He mentions the way that these events have evolved. If I went to an AWS event years ago, or one of the Summit Events, and I sat in the main platform, there were three different venues, and each one had different headphones for different presentations that were occurring. That's great if you're physically there. But how do we take that? And I think that's one of the things we need to work on, really trying to help make sure that we support the clients in doing that. We need to really understand the value because the technology, from my perspective, is there. It's a matter of planning and doing itwe have to really make sure that it brings the right value.

Learn more about hybrid events at Streaming Media East 2023.

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Ateliere Leadership Appointments Enable Seamless Customer Cloud Transition

Ateliere Creative Technologies, an innovative cloud-native content supply chain and distribution platform, continues on its mission to help the industry transition to a next-generation media supply chain in the cloud with the appointments of Heather Wells

Beverly Hills, CA( )

Ateliere is a customer-first company. Everything we do, we do with the intention of making our customers' lives easier by solving their problems, says Dan Goman, CEO at Ateliere. We pride ourselves on being true collaborative partners with our customers, not just a vendor. With the additions of Heather and Sonny, were able to better serve our growing customer base with world class support and professional services, making their transition to the cloud even more seamless.

In her role as Senior Vice President, Global Customer Support, Heather will be responsible for leading Atelieres customer support team. With a background in digital video supply chains and 20+ years of leadership experience across Disney+, Netflix, Amazon Video, STARZPLAY, Redbox and MGM Studios, Heather has a long history of successfully establishing strategic partnerships and building collaborative relationships with cross-functional teams in pursuit of a common goal.

Im thrilled to be joining the talented and passionate team at Ateliere, says Heather. Atelieres cloud-native platform, thoughtfully designed to enable our customers to manage their content at scale from concept to consumer, is beyond exciting. I look forward to partnering with our customers as we prioritize strategies and develop best practices to better serve them. Through collaborative communication, curiosity and innovation, my team and I will actively listen and respond expeditiously to our customer queries, apply a structured problem-solving and customer-focused framework, and execute on solutions that deliver value.

Prior to joining Ateliere as Senior Vice President of Global Services, Sonny brings with him more than 13 years of IT leadership experience and deep expertise in digital asset management. He previously held a senior director role at Cognizant where he led over 200 technology consultants to implement enterprise content management systems and served as thought leader for digital asset management, regularly writing white papers, speaking at conferences, and consulting clients. At Ateliere, Sonny will work with customers to define innovative new ways to deliver content and get them up and running as fast as possible.

I was initially drawn to Ateliere for its cutting-edge technology, but the culture of customer commitment Ive come to know makes me incredibly excited, says Sonny. Im looking forward to helping the company move through our next growth phase and working with our customers to define innovative ways to deliver content and solve their most pressing challenges.

Heather and Sonnys appointments are just the latest for Ateliere. Most recently, the company enhanced its executive team with the addition of Ryan Kido as Chief Technology Officer and the installation of its expanded advisory board. These appointments drive Ateliere towards its vision of creating the industrys first cloud-native platform that manages the entire content journey - from concept to consumer - to support market demands.

For more information, please visit https://ateliere.com/about/.

About Ateliere

Ateliere Creative Technologies is a leading cloud-native media supply chain company that empowers media companies and content creators to reach consumers on a global scale. The Ateliere suite of SaaS solutions incorporates cutting-edge workflows and formats to make the vision for a studio in the cloud a reality. The nucleus of the Ateliere platform, Ateliere Connect, delivers core competencies in IMF, parallel scaling, and geographically distributed workflows. Ateliere is built by a team of experts with decades of combined experience at companies such as Amazon, HBO, Netflix, and Microsoft.

Find out more at https://www.ateliere.com, and follow us on Twitter (@TeamAteliere), Instagram (@AteliereTech), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ateliere-creative-technologies/), and Facebook (@AteliereCreativeTechnologies).






TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWORE / April 28, 2023 / AI/ML Innovations Inc. (the "Company") (CSE:AIML)(OTCQB: AIMLF)(FWB:42FB), a company committed to acquiring and advancing Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning technologies that address urgent societal needs, reports that it has named Tim Daniels as its interim Chief Financial Officer while the Company undertakes a search for a new Chief Financial Officer to assist with its next phase of growth. Mr. Daniels assumes the position of CFO from Dave Cross. Mr. Cross's CPA firm, Cross Davis & Company, will continue to provide accounting support services to the Company.

Mr. Daniels has a degree in Finance, 14 years previous experience serving in the position of CFO for a publicly traded company, in addition to 27 years experience as a CEO, Board member and Audit Committee member of public and private companies. Mr. Daniels also currently serves as the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company.

The Company would like to thank Dave Cross for his services.

About AI/ML Innovations Inc.

AI/ML Innovations Inc. has realigned its business operations to capitalize on the burgeoning fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), with an initial investment focus on emerging digital health and wellbeing companies that leverage AI, ML, cloud computing and digital platforms to drive transformative healthcare management solutions and precision support delivery across the health continuum. Through strategic partnerships with Health Gauge (100% owned by AIML), Tech2Heal (up to 22% ownership rights, with 9.44% currently owned), AI Rx Inc. (70% owned by AIML) and other planned accretive investments, the Company continues to capitalize on expanding growth areas, to the benefit of all the Company's stakeholders. AI/ML's shares are traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol "AIML", the OTCQB Venture Market under "AIMLF", and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under "42FB".

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Tim Daniels, Executive Chairman

For more information about AI/ML Innovations :

For detailed information please see AI/ML's website at https://aiml-innovations.com/

The Company's filed documents at www.sedar.com.

Official YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCfOj2P_Fu3TOK6Jl1G9vEQ

For further information: Blake Fallis at (778) 405-0882 or [email protected]

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For AI/ML Innovations Investors

Certain statements made in this press release that are not based on historical information are forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, AI/ML Innovations' expectations concerning management's plans, objectives and strategies, including strategies for defending the Company's intellectual property. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. AI/ML Innovations Inc. undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise except as expressly required by applicable securities law. Further information regarding the uncertainties and risks can be found in the disclosure documents filed by AI/ML with the securities regulatory authorities, available at www.sedar.com.

SOURCE: AI/ML Innovations Inc.

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Honeygain, a crowdsourced web intelligence network, provides businesses with the required resources to perform, for example, travel fare aggregation across the web. As the travel industry is experiencing increasing demand for affordable flights and accommodation, companies need solutions to perform data-intensive operations and Honeygain is offering a trailblazing network for the booming travel industry before the summer season.

LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / The Honeygain network is a valuable asset to various industries as it provides companies with the necessary public web data, especially before high-demand periods. Namely, travel businesses need large amounts of publicly accessible online information to scan competitor prices for flights or travel deals across the web and adjust their strategy accordingly as the summer season approaches.

Honeygain

Honeygain is a leading crowdsourced web intelligence network.

Notably, 68% of the closed sales within the travel industry were done online in 2022, with a trend to dominate the selling process in upcoming years. That is why Honeygain is a vital tool to its business partners, as the network provides the means to maintain competitive prices online and attract customers for its business partners.

As countless companies need to compare their prices online in their niche markets, Honeygain plays an important role for renowned brands to allow travel fare aggregators to observe real-time data and correct their prices daily.

Moreover, popular travel destinations are often fully booked within a couple of days. Consequently, Honeygain enables the supply of the needed information to its business partners so that travel companies can react to rate changes as well as flight and accommodation bookings almost instantaneously.

That's why Honeygain is the leading crowdsourced web intelligence network playing a crucial part in the process of providing publicly available online data to global companies.

While Honeygain developed a trail-blazing crowdsourced web intelligence technology, the company continues to take extensive security measures. Honeygain exclusively partners with reputable companies and ensures safe traffic usage at endpoints by monitoring and preventing illicit activities.

On the other receiving end are Honeygain users, who get monetary compensation for sharing their unused Internet resources with the network. Every user is awarded credits according to the amount of traffic they share that can be converted to fiat currency. The network is accessible globally to everyone wanting to try out the app.

About the Company:

Honeygain is the first-ever application that allows users to generate passive online income by sharing their Internet connection. It is the world's first crowdsourced web intelligence network that provides services to global industries for price comparisons, advertisement verification, brand protection, and more.

Contact Information

Monika Ezerinskaite

Lead Copywriter

[email protected]

SOURCE: Honeygain

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Cummins

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / Cummins Inc. President and CEO Jennifer Rumsey recently visited Spain to tour the new Accelera by Cummins electrolyzer manufacturing facility under construction there, meeting with employees as well as government and university leaders during her visit.

Electrolyzers are critical technology for producing no-carbon, green hydrogen. Green hydrogen could play a crucial role in global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The action-packed day commenced in Madrid with two meetings with the Vice President of the Spanish Government and Minister for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, and the Secretary General for Industry, Francisco Blanco, who spoke about the future of the hydrogen market, the public funding landscape, and the timeline and regulatory factors required to make that future a reality, as well as proposed future legislation to reduce on-highway emissions.

The day continued with a tour of the plant site in Guadalajara to see the progress that has been made in a relatively short amount of time. Just five months after breaking ground, the building is starting to take shape. Rumsey also met with the team working at the facility, where she said she found their energy and enthusiasm inspiring.

When making such a significant investment, it is important to work in partnership with communities, public authorities and academia. One of the main purposes for Rumsey's visit was to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Alcal de Henares at City Hall in Guadalajara. The University of Alcala is close to the Accelera by Cummins manufacturing site and shares the business segment's goal of making a positive impact on communities, people and the environment.

The MoU establishes a general framework of cooperation and coordinated action between the parties with the objective of promoting cultural, educational and training activities of common interest. How Accelera by Cummins trains the employees working at the plant is vital to the new facility's future success.

The clean-tech jobs and related skills at the new plant will help Europe do its part to address climate change and achieve the aims of the Paris climate agreement. They also align with Cummins' Destination Zero product decarbonization strategy. The power of partnerships is critical to achieving Cummins' decarbonization efforts, and that theme was very present throughout Rumsey's trip.

Cummins President Jennifer Rumsey (second from right) meets with university officials during her recent visit to Spain.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Cummins Inc. on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Cummins Inc.

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/cummins-inc

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: Cummins Inc.

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What would happen if a group of humans, fleeing from the climate catastrophe, moved to another planet and found a majestic, virgin and pristine landscape? What would they do? How would they colonize that habitat? Would they have learned from their mistakes, or would their predatory instincts surface again? These were the questions that British photographer Gareth Phillips pondered while visiting the remote South Island of New Zealand. There, experimenting with a macro lens under the exuberance of one of the few remaining wild territories, the author created Caligo, a fictitious alien Eden that took the form of a book-sculpture.

Initially, the installation was shaped like a vertically suspended seven-meter accordion book (a format known as leporello). From there, the author experimented until he reached the horizontal format that earned him a recognition at the Aesthetica Art Prize 2023. The work is exhibited at the York Art Gallery in London, along with that of the 20 other winners. Measuring 295 centimeters (9.7 feet) wide and 460 centimeters (15 feet) high, and made up of five pages created with 33 images and a text, this imaginative response to the serious and unstoppable environmental deterioration that permeates our present and marks our future is presented as an autonomous work of art that can be seen as an object, a sculpture or an installation.

Detail from 'Caligo'. Gareth Phillips. Edicion horizontal, 2023. Detail from 'Caligo'. Gareth Phillips. Edicion horizontal, 2023. Detail from 'Caligo'. Gareth Phillips. Edicion horizontal, 2023. Detail from 'Caligo'. Gareth Phillips. Edicion horizontal, 2023. 'Caligo'. Photobook-sculpture. Gareth Phillips. Edicion horizontal, 2023. Image from 'Two Thousand Words'. Roberto Aguirrezabala. Self-published (2021). Image from 'Two Thousand Words'. Roberto Aguirrezabala. Self-published (2021). Image from 'Two Thousand Words'. Roberto Aguirrezabala. Self-published (2021). Image from '+', by David Salcedo. Ediciones Posibles, 2022. Image from '+', by David Salcedo. Ediciones Posibles, 2022. Image from '+', by David Salcedo. Ediciones Posibles, 2022. Image from '+', by David Salcedo. Ediciones Posibles, 2022. Image from '+', by David Salcedo. Ediciones Posibles, 2022. Image from '+', by David Salcedo. Ediciones Posibles, 2022. Image from 'Samizdat'. Roberto Aguirrezabala. Self-published (2022). Image from 'Samizdat'. Roberto Aguirrezabala. Self-published (2022). Image from 'Samizdat'. Roberto Aguirrezabala. Self-published (2022). Image from 'Samizdat'. Roberto Aguirrezabala. Self-published (2022).

The photographer, who currently alternates between living in Spain and the United Kingdom, aims to create something that stands out within the saturated photobook market; a book that goes beyond the established parameters to redefine the limits set by the industry. The project will also have a print run of 20 small, handmade photobooks.

The photobook as an object, sculpture, or installation, is a relatively new entity, Phillips notes. Of course, others have experimented and created books as objects, and I am very inspired by the path they have already traveled. But the possibilities to challenge and broaden the perceived interpretations through this format fascinate me.

Despite having spent 15 years doing documentary photography, the artist does not hesitate to resort to fiction for his personal projects. I couldnt accept restrictions when creating, which is why I want to think outside the box and not be limited by labels, he adds. Fiction can be a very useful and interesting tool, especially at a time when we are continually forced to question the truth in different ways. It will play a very important role in reaching the public, as is already happening with the use of artificial intelligence. It could be argued that documentary photography is also fiction, in the sense that photography may not always serve the truth.

Caligo has to do with the idea of colonizing a new planet and with climate change, but its also a celebration of our landscape, Phillips notes. In any case, all that is destined to remain of Earth is the record of what it once was, and this is my contribution to that archive.

Two Thousand Words by Roberto Aguirrezabala. Self-published.

Exploring the limits of visual narrative

The photobook-sculpture phenomenon has also gained strength in Spain in recent times. One noteworthy example is Two Thousand Words, by Roberto Aguirrezabala, a publication about the peaceful resistance of the period known as the Prague Spring; through a page-folding technique, the book becomes a sculpture that extends almost seven times its size. This work was a finalist in the Authors Book category at the Arles Meetings photography festival in 2021. The creator repeated his candidacy the following year with Samizdat, an artists book that, even if it does not fit within the definition of sculpture, stands out for the variety of resources it offers the reader through the incorporation of different designs, types of paper, fonts and narrative styles. It is a reflection on the clandestine actions carried out in Eastern Europe to avoid the editorial censorship imposed during the Soviet hegemony. The publication was also a finalist in the latest edition of the Lucie Photobook Price.

A drop + a drop is not two drops, it is a bigger drop that is talking about the sea, writes David Salcedo before introducing the reader to the dark illusion that is +, a work in which the author explores the limits of visual narrative to offer the reader a set of images, previously unconnected, which generate different interpretations through different combinations while redefining the space in which the action unfolds through interaction with the reader.

The authors intent has always been to deceive the eye and baffle the viewer. In 2012 he began to work with a series of black and white diptychs, which he combined in different ways; some images captured in the streets, with others filled with intimate connotations for the author. In 2015, Salcedo won the FNAC New Talent award with this project. Still, it would take him seven more years to come up with the right form of photobook to accommodate this complex puzzle. It is a living book, he claims. My intention was that every time a reader returned to the book, they would find different meanings. Thus, the two groups of 33 photographs that make up the piece give rise to multiple compositions arranged in diptychs, triptychs or quadriptychs. Drop by drop, Salcedo offers a sea of images over a black background, a space to navigate through chance and mystery.

Caligo. Gareth Phillips. Aesthetica Art Prize 2023. York Art Gallery. London. Until June 2.

Two Thousand Words. Roberto Aguirrezbala. Self-published.

Samizat. Roberto Aguirrezbala. Self-published.

+. David Salcedo. Possible Editions. 132 pages. 35 euro.

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Speech Recognition PaaS Tech Expert, eDist Turns 50!

BONITA SPRINGS, FL / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / eDist, a renowned distributor of Nuance Dragon Speech Recognition software and hardware, Philips, and Olympus dictation solutions, proudly marks its 50th anniversary this month. This remarkable milestone highlights the resilience, perseverance, and vision of the company's founders, leaders, and dedicated employees.

Established in 1973 as Eastern Electronics, eDist began as a modest storefront in Queens, New York, specializing in business and telecommunications equipment distribution. The company expanded its presence across the United States, opening offices in New Jersey, California, Illinois, South Carolina, and Nevada. In 1999, eDist acquired SRT, becoming North America's exclusive value-added distributor of Nuance Dragon.

In 2003, eDist rebranded to better reflect its modern e-commerce support and eliminate geographic confusion. Today, the company is headquartered in picturesque Bonita Springs, Florida, with a sales and operations center in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, and a Canadian division founded in 2009.

eDist pioneered the transition to cloud technology in 2016 by developing dictation.cloud, a leading Platform as a Service (PaaS) specializing in speech automation needs. This innovation enabled Dragon Medical One software as a service (SaaS) to be marketed through a network of value-added resellers (VARs) to hundreds of thousands of independent medical practices.

In 2022, eDist acquired Accelerated Workflow Solutions (The Dragon People) to enhance its expertise in support, training, and project management for Nuance software solutions. As an exclusive International Nuance Authorized Sales Agent and the leading independent implementation team for deploying Nuance solutions, The Dragon People enable eDist to empower other VARs for comparable customer success.

Next year, eDist plans to launch the next generation of its PaaS, facilitating unmatched sales and marketing for any product, subscription, or service, as well as upcoming Nuance releases such as Dragon Ambient Experience (DAX).

eDist stands today as a leading multi-national organization and the world's premier wholesale distributor of voice automation solutions, state-of-the-art technical support, logistics, next-level marketing services, and the epitome of a Value-Added Distributor. Remaining privately held and self-funded, eDist is dedicated to further investing in its growth. The company's purpose is embodied in three simple words: Saving. People. Time.

For more information about eDist and its exclusive reseller program, please visit www.edist.com or contact the company directly to start earning recurring revenue today.

About eDist:

eDist is a leading multi-national organization and the world's top wholesale distributor of voice automation solutions, providing state-of-the-art technical support, logistics, and next-level marketing services, and exemplifying the concept of a Value-Added Distributor. With a focus on Saving People Time, eDist is dedicated to helping businesses succeed and grow.

Media Contact: Elisabeth Marrone I [email protected]

Contact Information

Elisabeth Marrone

Media Contact

[email protected]

800-962-7566

SOURCE: eDist

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / Entergy Corporation:

April is National Volunteer Month and Entergy is celebrating in the best possible way, by giving back. Our employees are getting involved and volunteering at several Earth Week activities that are taking place this week across our communities in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

Our employees and retirees logged a total of 110,810 volunteer hours in 2022. The hours employees spent volunteering last year increased by 10,200 hours compared to 2021, creating an economic impact of over $3 million across our service area.

We are passionate about giving back to our communities and making the world a brighter, more sustainable place to live. Throughout the year, Entergy strongly encourages employees and retirees to volunteer in the local communities, providing several volunteer resources and opportunities - and time to take off to do so.

"We're proud of our employees and their commitment to give back year-round," said Patty Riddlebarger, vice president of corporate social responsibility. "In honor of National Volunteer Month, Entergy continues its journey towards achieving our environmental goals and making a difference in our communities today, tomorrow and for future generations."

Over the past decade, in addition to volunteer service, Entergy's legal department employees have performed nearly 20,000 hours of pro bono services. That's a $5.6 million in-kind donation to our local communities. Last year, our legal professionals donated more than 2,200 hours of pro bono time.

For more than 100 years, Entergy has proudly served its communities through charitable giving, volunteerism and advocacy. This achievement of reaching more than 110,000 volunteer hours is a significant milestone that reflects the company's longstanding commitment to sustainability and the passion of its employees to make a positive impact across our region.

Our corporate social responsibility initiatives help create and sustain thriving communities, position the company for sustainable growth and are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Our top CSR priorities are education/workforce development, poverty solutions and environmental programs. Each year, Entergy shareholders contribute $16-18 million in grants to more than 2,000 nonprofit organizations in the communities where we operate.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Entergy Corporation on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Entergy Corporation

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/entergy-corporation

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: Entergy Corporation

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Former Cathedral Stand Out and Cincinnati Bengals Center Teddy Karras Launches Indy 500 Merchandise to Benefit the Village of Merici

INDIANAPOLIS, IN / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Ted Karras launched The Indy Hat online merchandise store to support adults with developmental disabilities in Indianapolis through the Village of Merici. These items are just in time for the month of May in Indianapolis. The Indy Hat website sells hats, polos, and t-shirts with a signature logo featuring a checkered flag.



Ted Karras Cincinnati Bengals

Indy Hat and Polo



The Cincy Hat is also a philanthropic endeavor to benefit the Village of Merici. Bengals fandom quickly took notice of the hat, and sales skyrocketed. To date, Karras has sold over 10,000 hats with a revenue of $375K. Karras contributed an impressive $100K of his own money to the project to get the ball rolling.

Karras has been a longtime supporter of Village of Merici, its mission and the people it serves. The organization provides direct support services, learning opportunities, and independent living through partnerships with various developers. Village of Merici currently supports more than 75 people throughout Indianapolis with a goal of self-reliance.

Matt Renie, longtime friend of Karras and partner in The Cincy Hat project, said with the explosion of sales, it seemed only natural to add an Indy hat to the mix. The month of May is the best month of the year for many Indianapolis with the Indy 500. With that being top of mind, Renie says they decided to design The Indy Hat. The hat features the iconic checkered flag race fans know and love. Sales of The Indy Hat began April 6 and have sold about $20K in revenue so far.

"My family is a big Indy 500 family, and it's always top of mind this time of year," Renie says. "The Indy Hat project is more of a grassroots effort than The Cincy Hat. So, we knew it wouldn't be an explosion of sales like The Cincy Hat, but I'm proud of what we've already accomplished."

Karyl Davis, Director of Development for Village of Merici, says The Cincy Hat has been instrumental to the organization's success. The funds raised from the sales of the hats and donations will help to finish a third building full of affordable housing for individuals with disabilities.

About the Village of Merici

Village of Merici (VOM) provides an innovative approach to services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities focused on independent living. Merici's mission focuses on three main areas: one-on-one direct service support, affordable housing, and a variety of learning opportunities. VOM currently serves approximately 75 individuals within the local Indianapolis community with plans to significantly increase the number of individuals served over the next two years with two additional housing projects currently underway. By the end of 2023, VOM will transition from managing 20 affordable apartments to overseeing 100 units in Lawrence and Carmel communities.

Contact Information:

Karyl Davis

Director of Development

[email protected]

317-601-0513

SOURCE: Village of Merici

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QUEBEC, QC / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / NuRAN Wireless Inc. ("NuRAN" or the "Company") (CSE:NUR) (OTC PINK:NRRWF) (FSE:1RN), announces that it has changed its auditor from Mallette S.E.N.C.R.L. (the "Former Auditor") to Jeremy Levi, CPA (the "Successor Auditor").

The Former Auditor resigned as the auditor of the Company and the board of directors of the Company have appointed the Successor Auditor as the new auditor until the next Annual General Meeting of the Company.

The Successor Auditor is a Montreal-based firm with extensive tax and global company experience and is part of the Ecovis International global network. In Mauritius, the Company has engaged Ecovis (Mauritius) Ltd to audit NuRAN Wireless (Africa) Holding including the consolidation of its underlying entities in Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The local offices of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited (PWC) in Cameroon and the DRC have been engaged to audit NuRAN Wireless Cameroon Ltd and NuRAN Wireless DRC SARLU respectively.

The Company confirms that there were no reservations or modified opinions in the Former Auditor's audit reports, nor any reportable events as defined in National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations ("NI 51-102") in connection with the audits by the Former Auditor for the period commencing at the beginning of the Company's two most recent financial years and ending on December 31, 2022. The Company's board of directors approved the resignation of the Former Auditor and the appointment of the Successor Auditor. There were no reportable events (as defined in NI 51-102) between the Company and the Former Auditor.

In accordance with National Instrument 51-102, the Notice of Change of Auditor, together with the required letters from the Former Auditor and the Successor Auditor, have been reviewed by the board of directors and have been filed under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

About Ecovis International:

Ecovis is a leading global consulting firm with its origins in Continental Europe. It has almost 9,300 people operating in more than 80 countries. Its consulting focus and core competencies lie in the areas of tax consultation, accounting, auditing and legal advice. The particular strength of Ecovis is the combination of personal advice at a local level with the general expertise of an international and interdisciplinary network of professionals.

About NuRAN Wireless:

NuRAN Wireless is a leading rural telecommunications company that meets the growing demand for wireless network coverage in remote and rural regions around the globe. With its affordable and innovative scalable solutions of 2G, 3G, and 4G technologies, NuRAN Wireless offers a new possibility for more than one billion people to communicate effectively over long distances efficiently and affordably. "Bridging the Digital Divide, One Connection at a Time."

Additional Information:

For further information about NuRAN Wireless:

www.nuranwireless.com

Francis Ltourneau,

Director and CEO

[email protected]

Tel: (418) 264-1337

Frank Candido

Investor relations

[email protected]

Tel: (514) 969-5530

Cautionary Statement: Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as, "expects", "is expected", "anticipates", "intends", "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results projected, expressed or implied by these forward looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements, such as the uncertainties regarding include risks such as the uncertainties regarding the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, and measures to prevent its spread, risks relating to NuRAN's business and the economy generally; NuRAN's ability to adequately restructure its operations with respect to its new model of NAAS service contracts; the capacity of the Company to deliver in a technical capacity and to import inventory to Africa at a reasonable cost; NuRAN's ability to deal with global supply shortages for telecommunication equipment and its ability to find alternate suppliers; NuRAN's ability to obtain project financing for the proposed site build out under its NAAS agreements with Orange, MTN and other telecommunication providers, the loss of one or more significant suppliers or a reduction in significant volume from such suppliers; NuRAN's ability to meet or exceed customers' demand and expectations; significant current competition and the introduction of new competitors or other disruptive entrants in the Company's industry; NuRAN's ability to retain key employees and protect its intellectual property; compliance with local laws and regulations and ability to obtain all required permits for our operations, access to the credit and capital markets, changes in applicable telecommunications laws or regulations or changes in license and regulatory fees, downturns in customers' business cycles; and insurance prices and insurance coverage availability, the Company's ability to effectively maintain or update information and technology systems; our ability to implement and maintain measures to protect against cyberattacks and comply with applicable privacy and data security requirements; the Company's ability to successfully implement its business strategies or realize expected cost savings and revenue enhancements; business development activities, including acquisitions and integration of acquired businesses; the Company's expansion into markets outside of Canada and the operational, competitive and regulatory risks facing the Company's non-Canadian based operations. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. Other factors which could materially affect such forward-looking information are described in the risk factors in the Company's most recent annual management's discussion and analysis that is available on the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

SOURCE: NuRAN Wireless Inc.

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Santa Cruz County Bank (OTCQX: SCZC), with assets of $1.73 billion , is a top-rated community bank headquartered in Santa Cruz County . Today the Bank announced the planned retirement of William J. Hansen , Founding Director and Chairman of the Board, from its Board of Directors, effective May 24, 2023 upon conclusion of the Annual Shareholder's Meeting at which point the new Chairman will be elected and announced.

Chairman William J. Hansen stated, "I have truly enjoyed the past twenty-five years with Santa Cruz County Bank. The initial five years to organize and the last twenty years operating has provided many experiences, successes, challenges and lifelong memories. I will now enjoy my time with my family and focus my talents on our other businesses requiring my undivided attention. I have enjoyed working with the directors and employees of Santa Cruz County Bank and I look forward to their continued success."

During Mr. Hansen's tenure the Bank grew assets from the beginning on February 3, 2004 at $13.2 million to today over $1.7 billion . Several milestones for the Bank took place under Mr. Hansen's leadership including the successful merger with Lighthouse Bank in 2019, expansion into growing markets in 2021 and 2022, the Bank's first stock split in March of 2022 as well as continual dividend growth over the past several years. Mr. Hansen's successor will be named following the conclusion of the 2023 Annual Shareholder's Meeting.

ABOUT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BANK

Santa Cruz County Bank was founded in 2004. It is a top-rated, locally-owned and operated, full-service community bank headquartered in Santa Cruz, California . The bank has branches in Aptos , Capitola , Cupertino , Monterey , Salinas , Santa Cruz , Scotts Valley and Watsonville . Santa Cruz County Bank is distinguished from "big banks" by its relationship-based service, problem-solving focus and direct access to decision makers. The bank is a leading SBA lender in Santa Cruz County and Silicon Valley and a top USDA lender in the state of California. As a full-service bank, Santa Cruz County Bank offers competitive deposit and lending solutions for businesses and individuals; including business loans, lines of credit, commercial real estate financing, construction lending, asset-based lending, agricultural loans, SBA and USDA government guaranteed loans, credit cards, merchant services, remote deposit capture, mobile and online banking, bill payment and treasury management. True to its community roots, Santa Cruz County Bank has supported regional well-being by actively participating in and donating to local not-for-profit organizations.

Santa Cruz County Bank stock is publicly traded on the OTCQX U.S. Premier marketplace under the symbol SCZC. Stock purchase orders may be placed online, through a brokerage firm, or through Market Makers listed in the Investor Relations section of the bank's website. For more information about Santa Cruz County Bank, visit www.sccountybank.com .

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chairman-and-founding-director-william-j-hansen-to-retire-from-santa-cruz-county-banks-board-of-directors-301811263.html

SOURCE Santa Cruz County Bank
The annual publication is a tourism-relevant resource highlighting buyer statistics and demographics, case studies, travel professional experiences and more.

HUNT VALLEY, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Arch RoamRight has released its 2023 Travel Insurance Playbook, a reference guide for travel industry professionals. The Travel Insurance Playbook provides insights into travel trends, valuable statistics, travel insurance case studies and inside tips from travel advisors and industry specialists.

2022 was a remarkable year for the travel industry, and 2023 is shaping up to be even more promising, says Linda Fallon, Executive Vice President of Travel, Accident & Health at Arch Insurance. Even with a challenging economic forecast, people are making travel a priority. Our Travel Insurance Playbook covers all things travel related, and it can help travel advisors design customized experiences for their clients. From issues that concern travelers to the top three travel trends in 2023, the Travel Insurance Playbook has it all.

The Travel Insurance Playbook features details about the most used travel insurance benefits, popular domestic and international destinations and top motivators when booking a trip. Included are travelers purchase habits and factors that influence vacation planning.

Learn what travel professionals have shared, where they see travel going in the future, and what they are doing to optimize their sales strategies. Find out how social media is increasingly influencing travel through compelling visuals and insights into destinations around the world.

To request a printed copy or digital download of the Travel Insurance Playbook, visit https://www.roamright.com/playbook/

About Arch RoamRight

Arch RoamRight (www.RoamRight.com) is the co-branding of Arch and RoamRight marks used by Arch Insurance Company to market its travel insurance that insures U.S. residents traveling around the world. From trip cancellation to travel medical insurance plans and an award-winning mobile app and website, Arch RoamRight is an industry leader in innovation and technological solutions. In 2021, Arch RoamRight won multiple American Business Awards and was named one of the Best in Travel Insurance for 2021 by Money.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for forwardlooking statements. This release or any other written or oral statements made by or on behalf of Arch Capital Group Ltd. and its subsidiaries may include forwardlooking statements, which reflect the Companys current views with respect to future events and financial performance. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in or incorporated by reference in this release are forwardlooking statements.

Forwardlooking statements can generally be identified by the use of forwardlooking terminology such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe" or "continue" or their negative or variations or similar terminology. Forwardlooking statements involve the Companys current assessment of risks and uncertainties. Actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. A non-exclusive list of the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements includes the following: adverse general economic and market conditions; increased competition; pricing and policy term trends; fluctuations in the actions of rating agencies and the Companys ability to maintain and improve its ratings; investment performance; the loss of key personnel; the adequacy of the Companys loss reserves, severity and/or frequency of losses, greater than expected loss ratios and adverse development on claim and/or claim expense liabilities; greater frequency or severity of unpredictable natural and man-made catastrophic events, including pandemics such as COVID-19; the impact of acts of terrorism and acts of war; changes in regulations and/or tax laws in the United States or elsewhere; ability to successfully integrate, establish and maintain operating procedures as well as integrate the businesses the Company has acquired or may acquire into the existing operations; changes in accounting principles or policies; material differences between actual and expected assessments for guaranty funds and mandatory pooling arrangements; availability and cost to the Company of reinsurance to manage the our gross and net exposures; the failure of others to meet their obligations to the Company; a disruption caused by cyber-attacks or other technology breaches or failures on the Company or the Companys business partners and service providers, which could negatively impact the Companys business and/or expose the Company to litigation; and other factors identified in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The foregoing review of important factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with other cautionary statements that are included herein or elsewhere. All subsequent written and oral forwardlooking statements attributable to us or persons acting on the Companys behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forwardlooking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Source  Arch Insurance North America

Tag  arch-insurance

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230427005890/en/

Tim Dodge, VP / CMO

Arch Insurance Company

[email protected]

Source: Arch Insurance North America
CHANGHUA, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AUTOGRIP, Taiwan's leading manufacturer of power chucks/rotary cylinders, is now ushering in the establishment of its India service center located in Mumbai. The mission of this new base in India is to provide customers with more immediate and comprehensive support, which is a milestone for AUTOGRIP to enter the India market.

Founded in 1989, AUTOGRIP machinery has over 30 years of experience in the design and manufacturing of automatic clamping solutions for lathe, milling, and special purpose machines. Their product lines include power chucks, collet chucks, rotary cylinders, facing heads, synchronous clamps, and rotary valves. Now AUTOGRIP has two factories based in Taiwan with a ground area 23,000 square meters and a shop floor area over 15,000 square meters. Equipped with advanced machine tools and facilities, AUTOGRIP has built a complete in-house production line from 3-inch chucks up to 79-inch chucks. In past decade, AUTOGRIPs products are well known among customers in the East Asia region as they have successfully captured a significant market share among machine builders in Taiwan and China. Not content with the current status, AUTGRIP now competes with all well-known brands in the global market more aggressively.

According to the director of AUTOGRIP India service center, Mr. Brijesh C Patel, AUTOGRIP has started to cooperate with several India lathe makers to supply chucks and cylinders as standard components since 2018. Although sales declined during Covid-19, it is now recovering with a surge in inquiries from customers. AUTOGRIP India service center was established at the perfect time to enhance customer experience and satisfaction. In addition, the 2,000 sq. ft. Morbi warehouse is also located in a strategic area in Gujarat, where it is ideally positioned to serve the OEM cluster in the Rajkot area.

Next step, AUTOGRIP is planning to establish a production base in India. AUTOGRIPs vice president Victor Chen says that they have acquired 2 acres of land in Origins by Mahindra world city in North Chennai, Tamil Nadu. As the impact of the epidemic fades away and the trend of reshaping of the global supply chain system, this investment marked the determination of AUTOGRIP to expand their business in the India machine tool industry.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230427005028/en/

AUTOGRIP India Service Center

Mr. Brijesh C Patel

Cell: +91 9867599055 / 9869432729

E-mail: [email protected]

Source: AUTOGRIP
MANSFIELD, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Gorman-Rupp Company (NYSE: GRC) announced that at the Annual Meeting of the Shareholders of The Gorman-Rupp Company held April 27, 2023, Charmaine R. Riggins was elected to the Board of Directors.

Charmaine R. Riggins, age 50, is the Chief Executive Officer of Loparex, LLC Company, a global company that designs, manufactures and sells release film liners. Ms. Riggins joined Loparex in April 2021 as Chief Talent and Culture Officer and was named CEO in January 2022. Prior to joining Loparex, Ms. Riggins was employed by LORD Corporation, a Parker Hannifin Company (NYSE: PH) subsidiary, from 1995 to 2021, in various executive business management, technology, finance, sales, operations, customer engagement, business development, strategy, marketing, human resources and compliance roles. Ms. Riggins will join both the Compensation Committee and the Governance and Nominating Committees of the Board of Directors.

Also as previously announced, Rick R. Taylor notified the Company this past January that he would not stand for re-election as a Director at the Companys 2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Mr. Taylor has served as a Director of the Company since 2003.

Ms. Harlan, Lead Independent Director of the Gorman-Rupp Board commented, We are delighted that Charmaine is joining our Board of Directors. She brings vast cross-functional, cross-industry, and leadership experience that will add important insight to our Board discussions and decisions.

In addition to welcoming Charmaine, we also want to thank Rick for his 20 years of service as a Director on our Board. During his tenure, Rick has provided tremendous leadership and great expertise, including service in Board leadership roles. We appreciate the many significant contributions he has made to the Board and the Company over the years.

About The Gorman-Rupp Company

Founded in 1933, The Gorman-Rupp Company is a leading designer, manufacturer and international marketer of pumps and pump systems for use in diverse water, wastewater, construction, dewatering, industrial, petroleum, original equipment, agriculture, fire suppression, heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC), military and other liquid-handling applications.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230427005809/en/

Brigette A. Burnell

Corporate Secretary

The Gorman-Rupp Company

Telephone (419) 755-1246

For additional information, contact James C. Kerr, Chief Financial Officer, Telephone (419) 755-1548.

Source: The Gorman-Rupp Company
Companys 25th Location Serving New Yorkers with Quality Health Plans

JAMAICA, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Healthfirst yesterday celebrated the opening of its Jamaica, NY, office with community leaders, lively performances, and a photo exhibit by Nat Valentine of the Cultural Collaborative Jamaica. Located at 161-21 Jamaica Avenue, in the heart of a bustling Queens shopping district, the 4,200 square foot office is designed to support the needs of Healthfirst members and the community at large in a variety of wayshosting health education seminars, exercise classes, and events in partnership with local community-based organizations, to name a few.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005263/en/

Healthfirst, one of New Yorks largest not-for-profit health insurance companies, celebrates its Jamaica community office opening. (Photo: Business Wire)

Healthfirst understands our members needs because we are from their neighborhoods, we speak their languages, and we embrace their diversity, said Miguel Centeno, Healthfirsts Vice President of Community Engagement. With this new community office strategically located in the multicultural mecca that is Queenswhere we serve more than 350,000 membersHealthfirst looks forward to strengthening our presence as a community resource. Healthfirst team members fluent in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Hindi, Twi, and French Creole, are ready to assist with benefit enrollments, renewals, Medicaid recertifications, and other customer service needs.

Local community leaders who attended the grand opening included:

Deputy Queens Borough President Ebony Young

New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams

District Manager of Queens Community Board 12 Yvonne Reddick

The ribbon-cutting ceremony included lively performances by the Blue Angels Drumline, Edge School of the Arts, Bangladesh Institute of Performing Arts, Abakua Afro-Latin Dance Company, Sister Aviola Joseph from the Jamaica Seventh-day Adventist Church, and a photo exhibit by Nat Valentine of the Cultural Collaborative Jamaica.

We are thrilled that Healthfirst has chosen Jamaica as the home for their new community office, said Tyra Emerson, Executive Director of the Cultural Collaborative Jamaica, who spoke at the grand opening ceremony. We look forward to working together to improve healthcare access and outcomes for the southeast Queens community.

Also in attendance was Bruce J. Flanz, President & CEO of MediSys Health Network and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, who said, On behalf of everyone at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, we welcome Healthfirst to the neighborhood and know the opening of this new location in Jamaica will undoubtedly have a positive impact on our community. MediSys is one of Healthfirsts sponsor hospitals and part of the consortium of hospitals that founded the company 30 years ago.

The Jamaica location is open to the public Monday to Saturday, 9am5:30pm.

About Healthfirst

Healthfirst, one of New Yorks largest not-for-profit health insurance companies, has earned the trust of more than 1.8 million members by ensuring access to affordable and high-quality healthcare. Sponsored by downstate New Yorks leading hospital systems, Healthfirsts unique advantage is rooted in its mission to put members first by partnering closely with its broad network of providers on shared goals. Healthfirst is also a pioneer of the value-based care model, now recognized as a national best practice. For nearly 30 years, Healthfirst has worked with its network of hospital systems, community providers, and partners to improve health outcomes and advance health equity through better access to careespecially in underserved communities adversely impacted by disease, health disparities, and socioeconomic barriers to optimal health. Healthfirst has built its reputation in the community for top-quality products and services New Yorkers can depend on. It offers market-leading products to fit every life stage, including Medicaid plans, Medicare Advantage plans, Long-Term Care plans, Qualified Health plans, Essential Plans, and individual and small group plans. Healthfirst serves members in New York City and on Long Island, as well as in Westchester, Rockland, Sullivan, and Orange counties. For more information on Healthfirst, please visit healthfirst.org.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005263/en/

Media:

Maria Ramirez

[email protected]

Source: Healthfirst
The company held its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders at the Torre Iberdrola in Bilbao today, April 28th, 2023.

ORANGE, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Iberdrolas shareholders have resoundingly approved all resolutions on the agenda at the companys annual shareholders meeting in Bilbao, with an average affirmative vote of more than 98% across all 22 items on the agenda, which covered results, dividends and corporate management; corporate governance and sustainability; remuneration; and the appointment and re-election of directors.

The Iberdrola Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, held at the Torre Iberdrola in Bilbao, registered a quorum of 72%.

During the meeting, shareholders were informed about the relevant position of the company, which today is the largest European electricity utility and one of the two largest in the world by market capitalization, valued at more than 76 billion. The company has grown from the 20th largest in the world two decades ago. In this time Iberdrolas share price has increased in value from 3.5 euros to 11.8 euros, with an additional 6.5 euros per share distributed in dividends.

Galan discussed the highlights of 2022, Iberdrolas record year of investment, financial strength, international expansion and results, as well as social contribution, employment and emissions reduction.

During 2022, Iberdrola invested 11 billion to build more clean energy, smarter grids and storage. Net profit reached a record 4.34 billion, and financial solidity was enhanced by strong operating cash flow and FFO / Adjusted Net Debt ratios. The companys international footprint contributed to reaching 40,000 MW of installed renewables capacity, with new projects in Asia Pacific, the EU, US and UK, and 1.2 million km of transmission and distribution networks.

The year also saw a record of 17.8 billion purchases, supporting suppliers who employ more than 400,000 people across the world. Global Tax contribution reached 7.5 billion in countries where Iberdrola operates, and Iberdrola made 4,700 new hires, making 2022 a record year for job creation and economic activity.

Clean energy investments allowed the company to register a record reduction in emissions, to only 59 gCO2/kWh in Europe,  of EU average.

On top of all this, more than 20 million euros was committed by the company's foundations, to support education, skills, and social initiatives.

Speaking at the meeting, Ignacio Galan, said: The Iberdrola we present here today is a more solid, sustainable and diversified company than ever, allowing the Board of Directors to propose to this General Shareholders' Meeting a record shareholder remuneration, of 0.49 per share, with an increase of more than 10 per cent.

Iberdrola is currently accelerating the delivery of its 2023 to 2025 business plan, which will see investments of 47 billion worldwide. Already 60% of planned additional renewables capacity of 12,000 MW is under construction or secured and all of the electricity networks investments are part of frameworks already agreed or in advanced negotiation.

The companys asset rotation and partnership targets are also now 100% achieved, improving financial strength and accelerating investments: this includes an agreement to sell 60% of Iberdrolas business in Mexico for $6 billion and scaling up co-investment partnerships with GIC to co-invest in transmission in Brazil, and Norges Bank to develop new renewables.

Mr Galan said: By 2025 we will deliver 12,000 new hires and continue making our workforce a benchmark for equality, diversity and inclusion. Our purchases, that will reach 50 billion euros over the next three years, will create even more employment opportunities at our thousands of suppliers and will generate billions in tax contributions in addition to the more than 20 billion euros we expect to contribute.

More information on the Shareholders Meeting can be seen here: https://www.iberdrola.com/corporate-governance/general-shareholders-meeting/documents

About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. Headquartered in Orange, CT with approximately $41 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: networks and renewables. Through its networks business, AVANGRID owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in New York and New England. Through its renewables business, AVANGRID owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. AVANGRID employs more than 7,500 people and has been recognized by JUST Capital in 2021, 2022 and 2023 as one of the JUST 100 companies  a ranking of Americas best corporate citizens. In 2023, AVANGRID ranked first within the utility sector for its commitment to the environment. The company supports the U.N.s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the Worlds Most Ethical Companies in 2023 for the fifth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. AVANGRID is a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005513/en/

MEDIA:

Sarah Warren

[email protected]

585-794-9253

Source: AVANGRID, Inc.
Former U.S. president Barack Obama, film director Steven Spielberg and singer Bruce Springsteen with the staff of Restaurant Amar in Barcelona on Thursday.

Former U.S. president Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, arrived in Barcelona on Thursday night and were taken to Gran Hotel La Florida, where they joined movie director Steven Spielberg and rock star Bruce Springsteen, who is scheduled to play a concert in the Catalan capital on Friday. The Obamas and Spielberg, who are attending the event, dined with the musician at Amar restaurant, located inside the Palace Hotel.

A large security deployment Thursday outside the luxury hotel on Gran Via  the former Ritz  indicated that something unusual was going on at the establishment. A row of black cars were parked in the taxi and bus lane in front of the hotel, and remained there for a few hours while the police diverted traffic. Drivers and plainclothes policemen occupied the vehicles. A while later, Pol Perello, the restaurants head waiter, posted a photo on Instagram confirming that the Obamas, Spielberg and Springsteen had dined there.

Amar, run by the chef Rafa Zafra, opened in spring 2022 and specializes in top-of-the-line fish and seafood. The menu features oysters, which are prepared in eight different ways, and caviar.

Before the concert, scheduled for 9:00 p.m. at Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, the Obamas are expected to go on a cultural tour of Barcelona, with possible stops at the Sagrada Familia, the famous basilica designed by Antoni Gaudi, and the Picasso museum.

The Obamas and Spielberg will watch the concert inside a safe capsule prepared especially for them near the stage, after they declined to be seated in the box, where some local authorities are expected to be. All three will be escorted into and out of the premises.

Bruce Springsteen leaving his hotel in Barcelona. Europe Press Europa Press

The 2023 tour marks the live return of Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band after their 14-month The River Tour ended in Australia in February 2017. Springsteen has stated that, after six years, I cant wait to see our incredible and loyal fans again.
Tuesday, May 2, 2023

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority will hold its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, beginning at 9:15 a.m. A quorum of the Port Commission, along with executive leadership, will be present in the boardroom of the Port Houston Executive Office Building, located at 111 East Loop North, Houston, TX 77029.

It will be conducted as a hybrid meeting open to the public to attend in person or accessed virtually via WebEx webinar. The agenda and instructions for accessing Port Houston public meetings are available at https://www.porthouston.com/about/public-meetings/agendas-minutes/

The Port Commission Business Equity Committee meeting will also meet the same day on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, beginning at 10:00 a.m. or following the adjournment of the Port Commission Monthly Meeting.

Upcoming Port Commission Regular Meetings (subject to change):

Tuesday, May 23 at 9:15 a.m.

Tuesday, June 27 at 9:15 a.m.

Sign-up for public comment is available up to an hour before the meeting by contacting Erik Eriksson at [email protected] or Liana Christian at [email protected]

About Port Houston

For more than 100 years, Port Houston has owned and operated the public wharves and terminals along the Houston Ship Channel  the nations largest port for waterborne tonnage and an essential economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas, and the U.S. nation. The more than 200 private and eight public terminals along the federal waterway supports the creation of nearly 1.35 million jobs in Texas and 3.2 million jobs nationwide, and economic activity totaling $339 billion in Texas  20.6% of Texas total gross domestic product (GDP)  and a total of $801.9 billion in economic impact across the nation. For more information, visit the website: https://porthouston.com/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005591/en/

Lisa Ashley-Daniels, Director, Public Relations, Port Houston

Office: 713-670-2644; Mobile: 832-247-8179; E-mail: [email protected]

Source: Port Houston
CONCORD TOWNSHIP, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ranpak Holdings Corp. (NYSE: PACK) announced today that it will release its first quarter results at approximately 7:30 a.m. (ET) on Thursday, May 4, 2023 and will host a conference call and webcast at 8:30 a.m. (ET) on that day.

The conference call and earnings presentation will be webcast live at the following link: https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/561171603. Investors who cannot access the webcast may listen to the conference call live via telephone by dialing 888-330-2446 or 240-789-2732 and use the passcode: 8498994.

A telephonic replay of the webcast also will be available starting at 11:30 a.m. (ET) on Thursday, May 4, 2023 and ending at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Thursday, May 11, 2023. To listen to the replay, please dial 800-770-2030 or 647-362-9199 and use the passcode: 8498994.

About Ranpak

Founded in 1972, Ranpak's goal was to create the first environmentally responsible system to protect products during shipment. The development and improvement of materials, systems and total solution concepts have earned Ranpak a reputation as an innovative leader in e-commerce and industrial supply chain solutions. Ranpak is headquartered in Concord Township, Ohio and has approximately 850 employees.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005485/en/

For Investors:

[email protected]

Source: Ranpak Holdings Corp.
TORRANCE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sonsray is hosting an Innovation Showcase to display sustainable solutions for temperature control in the transport industry in San Leandro, CA. The event will take place on Thursday, May 11 from 11 AM to 4 PM at 1470 Doolittle Drive, San Leandro, CA 94577. All are welcome and guests can expect free lunch.

Attendees will have the opportunity to discover Thermo Kings diverse product lines. This includes refrigeration units, cold chain monitoring technology and the latest electrification innovations. The event will feature Thermo Kings 3rd Generation TriPac Auxiliary Power Unit. This is their latest CARB and EPA compliant solution for 2024 regulations. The e1000 will also be showcased. This all-electric refrigeration system has the cooling capacity of a diesel engine system with zero-emissions from an all-electric performance.

Additionally, visitors can learn more about upcoming CARB regulations and get up to speed on other Thermo King solutions with product specialists who will be in attendance. Guests will have the chance to learn more about Sonsray Fleet Services and network with other professionals in the industry.

To RSVP and get more information about the event, please visit this page.

About

Sonsray Fleet Services is the largest Thermo King authorized sales, service, parts and warranty dealership in North America.

www.sonsrayfleetservices.com

Sonsray services 5 industries: Agriculture, Construction, Transportation, Rental Transportation and Rental Construction with locations across the US.

www.sonsray.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005599/en/

Jasmine Sim

Brand Marketing Assistant

[email protected]

323-319-1900

Source: Sonsray
Availability of informational documents

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

The shareholders of Sopra Steria Group (Paris: SOP) are invited to attend the Combined General Meeting to be held on 24 May 2023, at 2.30 p.m., at the Pavillon Dauphine, Place du Marechal de Lattre de Tassigny, 75116 Paris.

Notice of the Combined General Meeting, containing the agenda and draft resolutions, was published on 28 March 2023 in the BALO, issue no. 37.

Documents and information required by Article R.225-83 of the French Commercial Code will be available to shareholders in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations:

Up to the fifth day, inclusive, prior to the Combined General Meeting, all holders of registered shares may request that the company send them these documents and information. Holders of bearer shares who wish to exercise this right must produce a certificate proving that the shares are registered on the bearer share accounts maintained by an authorised intermediary.

All shareholders may inspect these documents at the companys registered office during a period of 15 days prior to the Combined General Meeting.

The documents may also be consulted on Sopra Steria Groups website: https://www.soprasteria.com/investors/investors-relations-shareholders/shareholders-meetings?year=2023

Disclaimer

This document is a free translation into English of the original French press release. It is not a binding document. In the event of a conflict in interpretation, reference should be made to the French version, which is the authentic text.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005196/en/

Investor Relations

Sopra Steria Group

Olivier Psaume

[email protected]

+33.1.40.67.68.16

Press Relations

Image Sept

Caroline Simon-Felip

[email protected]

+33.1.53.70.74.65

Source: Sopra Steria Group
Release the Dubbelneck Belgian-Style Dubbel

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Tennessee Brew Works, Gibson, and Country Malt Group have joined forces to create a unique Belgian-style Dubbel that celebrates the art of craft brewing and the love of music. The Dubbelneck Belgian-style Dubbel is the result of a collaboration between two esteemed Tennessee-based companies and a leading North American supplier of brewing ingredients. Together they have blended the rich history of Gibson guitars with Tennessee Brew Works craft brewing expertise, using quality ingredients from Country Malt Group.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005472/en/

Above: the Dubbelneck Belgian-Style Dubbel, shot on location at the Gibson Garage in Nashville, TN. (Photo: Business Wire)

The limited edition Dubbelneck is a full-bodied Abbey ale that showcases complex flavors derived from the malted barley and Belgian yeast including caramel, toffee, dark cherry, and subtle notes of nutmeg. At 7% ABV, 27 IBUs this reddish-brown ale is perfect for sipping on a night out with friends or enjoying while listening to your favorite guitar solos. The beer's name pays homage to the iconic Gibson Doubleneck guitar, which has been a symbol of rock and roll for decades.

"We're excited to partner with Gibson and Country Malt Group on this special beer," said Christian Spears, Founder and CEO of Tennessee Brew Works. "It is a privilege to work with such legendary partners. The Dubbelneck collaboration is a reflection of our shared passion for great beer and music."

Tennessee Brew Works is an award-winning independently owned Nashville-based brewery that specializes in brewing high quality creative and delicious craft beers using only natural ingredients. Founded in 2013, the brewery is known for their celebration of the land, traditions, and culture of Tennessee, commitment to sustainability, and use of local ingredients.

Gibson is an iconic and world-renowned instrument brand that has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians across genres for over 130 years. Headquartered in Nashville, TN, Gibson has a legacy of world-class craftsmanship, legendary music partnerships, and progressive product evolution that is unrivaled among musical instrument companies.

Country Malt Group is a leading provider of high-quality malted barley, wheat, and other grains for craft brewers across the country. With locations across North America, the company is committed to providing the best possible ingredients to brewers of all sizes.

At the heart of Music City is creativity, camaraderie, and craftmanship, adds James JC Curleigh, President & CEO of Gibson. We are proud of our collaboration between Gibson and Tennessee Brew Works with the exciting launch of the Dubbelneck Belgian Dubbel beer. Cheers!

The Dubbelneck will be available at Tennessee Brew Works, 809 Ewing Ave, Nashville, as well as select retailers in Tennessee starting Friday, May 5, 2023. It will also be showcased at the annual Craft Brewers Conference, which will be held in Nashville, Tennessee May 7-10, 2023. For more information about the beer and where to find it, visit www.tnbrew.com.

ABOUT TENNESSEE BREW WORKS

Tennessee Brew Works is an independently owned and operated craft brewery that opened in 2013 with a mission to create high quality craft beer that pays homage to the land, traditions, and culture of Tennessee.

Tennessee Brew Works proudly introduced the states first All-Tennessee grain beers in 2018 with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. Our all-Tennessee grain State Park Blonde Ale is the official beer of the Tennessee State Parks and benefits the TSP Conservancy for the preservation of the states 57 State Parks.

We brew beers with integrity, using only quality natural ingredients and source them from local farms whenever possible. We cater to those that appreciate the difference. Tennessee Brew Works is owned and operated by folks in Tennessee. Our motto: We work hard to create high quality craft beer that makes Tennessee proud. Our culture places importance on family, friends, and community, and we hope youll be a part of it.

To learn more, visit Tennessee Brew Works at tnbrew.com.

ABOUT GIBSON

Gibson, the leading iconic guitar brand, has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers across genres for 130 years. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Nashville, Gibson Brands has a legacy of world-class craftsmanship, legendary music partnerships, and progressive product evolution that is unrivaled among musical instrument companies. The Gibson Brands portfolio includes Gibson, the leading guitar brand, as well as many of the most beloved and recognizable music brands, including Epiphone, which has been on every stage since 1873, Kramer, the original MADE TO ROCK HARD guitar brand, MESA/Boogie, the home of tone, KRK, behind great music for over 30 years, and Maestro, the founder of effect pedals. Gibson Brands is dedicated to quality, innovation, and sound excellence so that music lovers for generations to come will continue to experience music shaped by Gibson Brands. Explore more at Gibson.com, Gibson App, and on Gibson TV, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and visit us at the Gibson Garage.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005472/en/

For Tennessee Brew Works, contact:

Mayter Scott

[email protected]

(615) 516-8142



For Gibson, contact:

PRIME PR GROUP, INC.

Libby Coffey

[email protected]

Source: Tennessee Brew Works
ELC licenses the TOM FORD trademark to Zegna Group for fashion and accessories and Marcolin Group for eyewear

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) (ELC) announced today that it has completed its acquisition of the TOM FORD brand and is now the sole owner of the TOM FORD brand and all its intellectual property.

ELCs stewardship and its licenses with Ermenegildo Zegna N.V. (NYSE: ZGN) (Zegna Group) and Marcolin Group provide continuity and allow for the further evolution of the TOM FORD brand as one of the preeminent global luxury brands of the twenty-first century.

As previously announced, the deal values the total enterprise at $2.8 billion. At closing, ELC paid approximately $2.25 billion. This amount was funded by cash on hand and proceeds from the issuance of commercial paper, as well as $250 million received from Marcolin. An additional aggregate amount of $300 million in deferred payments from ELC to the sellers becomes due beginning in July 2025. The remainder of the total enterprise valuation is reflected in the acquisition of TOM FORD FASHION by Zegna Group.

# # #

The forward-looking statements in this press release, including those relating to the benefits and other expectations for TOM FORD involve risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those forward-looking statements include current economic and other conditions, including volatility, in the global marketplace, actions by retailers, suppliers and consumers, competition, the transition and ongoing success of the collaborative relationship of the parties involved in the acquisition and licenses, the abilities to implement the forward business plans, and those risk factors described in ELCs annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2022.

About The Estee Lauder Companies

The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the worlds leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of outstanding luxury and prestige brands globally. The companys products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estee Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, MAC, La Mer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, and the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005308/en/

Media Relations:

Jill Marvin

[email protected]



Investor Relations:

Rainey Mancini

[email protected]

Source: The Estee Lauder Companies Inc.
MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Canada urgently needs innovation and adaptation of new technologies to enable electrification based on renewable energy sources coupled with research into how society will be transformed by such change.

Today, Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Francois-Philippe Champagne announced that Concordia University will receive a Canada First Research Excellence Fund grant of $123,160,035 to support the activities and initiatives encompassed in Electrifying Society: Towards Decarbonized Resilient Communities.

This investment represents the largest single research award in the universitys history. It will significantly amplify Concordias already formidable expertise in several areas related to electrification, smart buildings and net zero communities, furthering Concordias leadership in helping Canada achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

Together, the university and its partners will establish a world-leading research program designed to apply novel technologies to create innovative energy sources, secure critical infrastructure and deliver affordable, green energy to municipalities and communities across Canada, from coast to coast to coast.

Quotes

This bold investment from the Government of Canada speaks to Concordias reputation as a leader in sustainability research. We and our partners are part of the fabric of communities across the country, and this historic funding will help chart a course for a more sustainable, resilient future for Canada and the world.

- Graham Carr, president and vice-chancellor, Concordia University

The Canada First Research Fund is extremely competitive in nature, with only 11 being granted this year, so we should feel very proud of this accomplishment. It speaks to Concordias ability to create meaningful partnerships with government, industry and community. None of this would have been possible without the tireless efforts of our faculty, researchers and staff.

- Dominique Berube, vice-president of research and graduate studies, Concordia University

Quick facts on electrification research at Concordia

With the expertise of more than 140 researchers from different disciplines, Concordia aims to be a world leading institution in addressing the challenges of achieving decarbonized, resilient and sustainable communities.

The university recently announced its PLAN/NET ZERO project, demonstrating our steadfast commitment to decarbonizing our own campuses and achieving carbon neutrality before 2040. This bold move aligns closely with the objectives of the Electrifying Society initiative.

Concordias core strength in this field is also evident from its Canada Excellence Research Chair in Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Communities and Cities, two award-winning Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Strategic Research Networks in Smart Net-Zero Energy Buildings and our leadership in the $160 million-plus Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canadafunded Cyber Security Innovation Network (CSIN).

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Media Relations

[email protected]

Tel: (514) 848-2424 ext. 4880

Source: Concordia University
Guillaume Jesel named President and CEO, TOM FORD

Peter Hawkings appointed Creative Director, TOM FORD

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The TOM FORD brand, now owned by The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL), announced the appointments of Guillaume Jesel to President and CEO, TOM FORD, and Peter Hawkings to Creative Director, TOM FORD, effective at the closing of the acquisition. Ermenegildo Zegna N.V. (NYSE: ZGN) (Zegna Group) has appointed a CEO of TOM FORD FASHION who is expected to be announced in July and assume the role in the third quarter of calendar 2023. These leaders will work together to ensure a consistent and cohesive image across all products, brand communication and retail.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005335/en/

Guillaume Jesel named President and CEO, TOM FORD

The Estee Lauder Companies (ELC) acquired the TOM FORD brand today in a transformational deal that establishes the company as the sole owner of the TOM FORD brand and all its intellectual property. The stewardship of the brand by ELC and the new leaders announced today, and through its licenses with the Zegna Group for fashion and accessories, and Marcolin Group for eyewear, provides continuity and allows for the further evolution of the TOM FORD brand as one of the preeminent global luxury brands of the twenty-first century. The Zegna Group acquired operations of the TOM FORD fashion business (TOM FORD FASHION) necessary to perform its obligations as a licensee of ELC.

Tom Ford and Domenico De Sole will continue to serve as brand advisors through the end of calendar 2023. About the new leadership appointments, Tom Ford said, I could not be happier with the acquisition of the TOM FORD brand by The Estee Lauder Companies. The team there has been a great partner and Guillaume is an exceptional leader, with not only a strong business understanding of beauty, but a great understanding of fashion as well.

I am also pleased that the Zegna Group will continue to manufacture and distribute TOM FORD fashion and accessories, and operate retail for TOM FORD FASHION. I have worked closely with Zegna for more than 30 years, first at Gucci, then at Yves Saint Laurent. When contemplating the creation of the TOM FORD brand there was simply no other partner that we would have turned to, to produce high quality fashion products and a flawless retail experience.

Marcolin has been an excellent partner in producing and distributing TF eyewear since the inception of the brand and I have enjoyed close collaboration with Maurizio Marcolin and his talented team for many years now.

These companies, under the brand stewardship of The Estee Lauder Companies, provide me with confidence that the TOM FORD brand will continue to be something that I will be proud of for many years to come.

Domenico De Sole said, "I am delighted with this acquisition. We have had a long-standing partnership between the TOM FORD brand and The Estee Lauder Companies dating from the brands inception, as well as a close relationship with Gildo Zegna and the Zegna Group over the past 30 years. Given our long and successful histories together, I am certain that the two companies, together, will carry on the legacy that Tom and I have built over the past 18 years. I am grateful to Tom for his magnificent vision and leadership, and I thank our amazingly talented TOM FORD team for their dedication to and hard work for the brand."

GUILLAUME JESEL NAMED PRESIDENT AND CEO, TOM FORD AND LUXURY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, THE ESTEE LAUDER COMPANIES

Guillaume Jesel brings nearly a decade of successful brand leadership of TOM FORD BEAUTY to his new executive leadership position at the TOM FORD brand. As President and CEO of TOM FORD, Guillaume will have oversight across all verticals and set a holistic luxury strategy for the brand. Guillaume will report to ELC executive leaders Jane Hertzmark Hudis, Executive Group President, and Tracey T. Travis, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Guillaume has been instrumental in shaping the luxury beauty sector of our business. His ability to articulate the TOM FORD brand has resulted in TOM FORD BEAUTY achieving remarkable global success, making him ideally suited to lead the TOM FORD brand into its exciting future, said Fabrizio Freda, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Estee Lauder Companies.

Under Guillaumes tenured leadership at TOM FORD BEAUTY, where he worked directly with Tom Ford and his team, the brand spearheaded iconic innovation and strategically expanded its global reach, firmly establishing TOM FORD BEAUTY as a powerhouse in luxury beauty. Since 2014 when Guillaume started with TOM FORD BEAUTY, he has led the brand to achieve strong net sales growth on a compound annual basis and significantly improved ranking in global prestige fragrance and makeup, respectively.

PETER HAWKINGS APPOINTED CREATIVE DIRECTOR, TOM FORD

Peter Hawkings has been working alongside Tom Ford for nearly twenty-five years, most recently as Senior Vice President of TOM FORD Menswear. In his ascension to Creative Director, Peter will succeed Tom Ford with respect to his responsibilities as Creative Director of Fashion, including womenswear, menswear and accessory categories, assuming the role of lead designer for the fashion segment and fashion shows.

Peter will be responsible for upholding the TOM FORD brands vision, ensuring consistency of creative direction and decisions across all fashion categories and ushering the TOM FORD brand into its next chapter. He will report directly to Guillaume and matrix report to the CEO of TOM FORD FASHION.

In Peter Hawkings the brand has found the perfect Creative Director, said Tom Ford. Peter began working with me 25 years ago as a menswear design assistant at Gucci and rapidly worked his way up to become the senior mens designer at the company when he left to join me at the TOM FORD brand. Since the creation of TOM FORD menswear, Peter has been instrumental in the success of the brand. He is an incredibly talented leader with tremendous industry experience, and his appointment gives me confidence that my commitment to creating fashion products with the highest level of design and quality will continue.

Peter began his career in 1998 at Gucci under the helm of Tom Ford and worked closely with him on the development of the highly successful Gucci menswear collections. Peter left Gucci in 2006 to join Tom Ford in the launch of his eponymous brand where he was charged with overseeing the design and production of all categories of TOM FORD menswear including tailoring, sportswear, leather goods, and accessories.

Peter is one of the worlds most accomplished menswear designers. His design experience working under Tom Ford is unparalleled and his commitment to quality is relentless, said Guillaume. There is no one more perfectly suited than Peter to carry the founders legendary creative vision into the future.

TOM FORD FASHION LEADERSHIP

The CEO of TOM FORD FASHION has been appointed and is expected to be announced in July and assume the role in the third quarter of calendar 2023. The leader will be responsible for the end-to-end TOM FORD FASHION business from collection development, to merchandising, through to production as well as retail and wholesale distribution.

Ermenegildo Gildo Zegna, CEO of Ermenegildo Zegna Group said, We are delighted to appoint a strong leader for TOM FORD FASHION and look forward to leveraging the leaders luxury business acumen and international experience to further grow the TOM FORD FASHION business globally. I am thrilled about the opportunities that this transaction brings to all of us as we continue the journey started by Tom and Domenico whom we congratulate for their remarkable achievements.

About The Estee Lauder Companies Inc.

The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the worlds leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of outstanding luxury and prestige brands globally. The companys products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estee Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, MAC, La Mer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, and the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD.

About TOM FORD

In April 2005, Tom Ford announced the creation of the TOM FORD brand. Ford was joined in this venture by former Gucci Group President and Chief Executive Officer Domenico De Sole, who served as Chairman of the company. In that same year, Ford announced his partnership with Marcolin Group to produce and distribute optical frames and sunglasses, as well as a partnership with The Estee Lauder Companies to create TOM FORD BEAUTY. In April 2007, the brands first directly owned flagship store opened in New York on Madison Avenue which coincided with the debut of the TOM FORD menswear and accessory collections. In September 2010, during an intimate presentation at his Madison Avenue flagship, Ford presented his highly anticipated womenswear collection. In February 2018, Ford debuted TOM FORD timepieces and his underwear collection for the first time on the runway. Presently, there are over 100 freestanding TOM FORD stores and shop-in-shops globally. In 2023, The Estee Lauder Companies became the sole owner of the TOM FORD brand and all its intellectual property.

About Ermenegildo Zegna Group

Founded in 1910 in Trivero, Italy, the Ermenegildo Zegna Group (NYSE: ZGN) is a leading global luxury group. The Group is the owner of the world-renowned ZEGNA and Thom Browne brands, and operates TOM FORD FASHION through a long-term license agreement with The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. The Group also manufactures and distributes the highest quality fabrics and textiles through its Luxury Textile Laboratory Platform. At the Groups core is a uniquely vertically integrated supply chain that brings together the best of Italian fine craftsmanship. Responsibility towards people, community and the natural world has been at the heart of the Ermenegildo Zegna Groups belief since its founding by the Zegna family over 100 years ago. Ensuring the highest quality of products without compromising the quality of life for future generations is a commitment carried from the Groups home in Italy to its operations around the world. Today the Group operates in approximately 80 countries around the world through 500 ZEGNA and Thom Browne stores, of which 304 are directly operated by the Group as of March 31, 2023 (242 ZEGNA stores and 62 Thom Browne stores). At the end of 2022, Ermenegildo Zegna Group had more than 6,000 employees and revenues of approximately 1.5 billion.

About Marcolin

Marcolin is a worldwide leading group in the eyewear industry founded in 1961 in the heart of the Veneto district, Italy. It stands out for the unique ability to combine craftsmanship with advanced technologies through the constant pursuit of excellence and continuous innovation. It signed a long-term license with The Estee Lauder Companies for TOM FORD eyewear as a substantial extension of its license with TOM FORD since 2005. Its portfolio includes proprietary brands, as well as more than twenty licensed brands. Through its own direct network and global partners, Marcolin distributes its products in more than 125 countries. At the end of 2022, Marcolin Group had about 2,000 employees and net sales of 547.4 million.

The forward-looking statements in this press release, including those in the quoted remarks and those relating to the closing of the transactions and benefits and other expectations for TOM FORD and TOM FORD BEAUTY involve risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those forward-looking statements include current economic and other conditions, including volatility, in the global marketplace, actions by retailers, suppliers and consumers, competition, the transition and ongoing success of the collaborative relationship of the parties, contingencies set forth in the various transaction agreements, the abilities to implement the forward business plans, and those risk factors described in ELCs annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2022.

ELC-B

ELC-L

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ELC:

Investors: Rainey Mancini

[email protected]

Media: Jill Marvin

[email protected]

Zegna Group:

Investor Relations/Group Communications/Media:

Francesca Di Pasquantonio

[email protected]

+39 335 5837669

Clementina Tito

[email protected]

Marcolin Group:

Investor Relations

[email protected]

Group Communication

Clara Magnanini

[email protected]

Source: The Estee Lauder Companies Inc.
Availability of preparatory documents

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

Tikehau Capital (Paris: TKO) informs its shareholders that the Combined General Meeting of the Shareholders is convened on Tuesday 16 May 2022 at 3:00 p.m. at Centre de Conferences Etoile Saint-Honore, 21-25 rue Balzac, 75008 Paris

The meeting notice (avis de reunion), which includes the agenda and the draft resolutions, was published in the Bulletin des Annonces Legales et Obligatoires (BALO) on 31 March 2023 (Bulletin n39  Notice n2300729  journal-officiel.gouv.fr/pages/balo/).

The convening notice (avis de convocation) was published this day in the Bulletin des Annonces Legales et Obligatoires (BALO) and in a journal of legal notices. It will be addressed to the shareholders whose shares are held in registered form and made available to institutions holding securities accounts for the shareholders holding shares in bearer form.

The documents referred to under article R.22-10-23 of the French Commercial Code can be accessed on Tikehau Capitals website at: www.tikehaucapital.com (section : Shareholders > General Meetings > Combined General Meeting 16 May 2023).

The documents and information mentioned under the second paragraph of article R.225-89 of the French Commercial Code can be accessed on Tikehau Capitals website at: www.tikehaucapital.com (section : Shareholders > General Meetings > Combined General Meeting 16 May 2023) and are made available to the shareholders in accordance with applicable regulations:

All registered shareholders may, until the fifth day (included) before the General Meeting, request from Tikehau Capital or Societe Generale Securities Services* that these documents and information be sent to them using the request form attached to the convening notice. For holders of bearer shares, exercising this right is contingent upon the provision of a registration certificate in the accounts of bearer shares held by the authorised custodian.

These documents are made available to all shareholders at the registered office of Tikehau Capital for a period of 15 days prior to the date of the General Meeting.

__________________________

* Societe Generale Securities Services, Assemblees Generales, 32 rue du Champ de Tir, CS 30812, 44312 Nantes Cedex 03.

ABOUT TIKEHAU CAPITAL

Tikehau Capital is a global alternative asset management group with 39.7 billion of assets under management (at 31 March 2023).

Tikehau Capital has developed a wide range of expertise across four asset classes (private debt, real assets, private equity and capital markets strategies) as well as multi-asset and special opportunities strategies.

Tikehau Capital is a founder led team with a differentiated business model, a strong balance sheet, proprietary global deal flow and a track record of backing high quality companies and executives.

Deeply rooted in the real economy, Tikehau Capital provides bespoke and innovative alternative financing solutions to companies it invests in and seeks to create long-term value for its investors, while generating positive impacts on society. Leveraging its strong equity base (3.1 billion of shareholders equity at 31 December 2022), the firm invests its own capital alongside its investor-clients within each of its strategies.

Controlled by its managers alongside leading institutional partners, Tikehau Capital is guided by a strong entrepreneurial spirit and DNA, shared by its 742 employees (at 31 December 2022) across its 14 offices in Europe, Asia and North America.

Tikehau Capital is listed in compartment A of the regulated Euronext Paris market (ISIN code: FR0013230612; Ticker: TKO.FP). For more information, please visit: www.tikehaucapital.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005274/en/

PRESS CONTACTS:

Tikehau Capital: Valerie Sueur  +33 1 40 06 39 30

UK  Prosek Partners: Matthieu Roussellier  +44 (0) 7843 279 966

USA  Prosek Partners: Trevor Gibbons  +1 646 818 9238

[email protected]

SHAREHOLDER AND INVESTOR CONTACTS:

Louis Igonet  +33 1 40 06 11 11

Theodora Xu  +33 1 40 06 18 56

[email protected]

Source: Tikehau Capital
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Trinity Place Holdings Inc. (NYSE American: TPHS) (the Company) announced that its annual meeting of stockholders will be held at 77 Greenwich Street, New York, New York on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 beginning at 10:00 a.m. local time. Further details regarding the Annual Meeting have been made available to stockholders in the Companys proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) today.

The Company also advises that its audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, included in the Companys annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC, contained an audit report from its independent registered public accounting firm with a going concern uncertainty paragraph due to the Companys pending debt maturities during the next 12 months, the refinancing or extension of which had not yet been secured as of the date of their opinion. Announcement of this information is required by Section 610(b) of the NYSE American Company Guide. It does not represent any change or amendment to any of the Companys filings for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.

ABOUT TRINITY PLACE HOLDINGS

Trinity Place Holdings Inc. is a real estate holding, investment, development and asset management company. The Companys largest asset is a property located at 77 Greenwich Street in Lower Manhattan, which is nearing completion as a mixed-use project consisting of a 90-unit residential condominium tower, retail space and a New York City elementary school. The Company also own a 105-unit, 12-story multi-family property located at 237 11th Street in Brooklyn, New York as well as a property occupied by a retail tenant in Paramus, New Jersey. In addition to its real estate portfolio, the Company also controls a variety of intellectual property assets focused on the consumer sector, a legacy of its predecessor, Syms Corp. The Company also had approximately $275.8 million of federal net operating loss carry forwards at December 31, 2022, which can be used to reduce the Companys future taxable income and capital gains.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and projections about future events and are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve risks and uncertainties that cannot be predicted or quantified, and, consequently, the actual performance of the Company may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For a more complete description of these and other possible risks and uncertainties, please refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as well as to our subsequent filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or otherwise, except as required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005520/en/

Linda Flynn, (212) 235-2191

[email protected]

Source: Trinity Place Holdings Inc.
Jonathan M., 41, the Dutch sperm donor to whom up to 550 children are attributed in and outside the Netherlands must stop his activity immediately. If he persists, he is liable to a fine of 100,000 euros (110.000 dollars) for each new donation. This has been ordered by a court in The Hague, which has issued precautionary measures this Friday in virtue of the lawsuit filed by one of the mothers who had offspring with the help of M. He deceived her by saying that he did not plan to have more than 25 children, the limit set by the current regulations. The ruling also prohibits the defendant from advertising on the Internet and from collaborating with prospective parents in search of a child. If he does so, he will be sanctioned. In addition, he must inform the court if he has made donations through other centers abroad. This is the first time the courts have dealt with such a case.

The judges have also ordered the destruction of the semen samples currently stored in fertility clinics, with the exception of those reserved for families who already have a child of his and wish to give him or her a sibling. The case of Jonathan M. has come before the Dutch courts after both a mother - who calls herself Eva - and the Donorkind Foundation sued him for endangering the mental and physical health of the children born from his sperm. I asked the donor to respect our interests because the children need reassurance and I feel supported by the court. I hope this ruling will put an end to mass sperm donations and spread to other countries. Esther de Lau, a member of the board of Donorkind, which connects people born by this method, now hopes that the Ministry of Health will set up a central registry of sperm donors for everyone, whether they do it through clinics or privately.

The foundation has underlined the risk of incest or inbreeding derived from massive and uncontrolled sperm donation. Hence, their claim emphasized the interest of the minor. Jonathan M. has gone to at least 13 Dutch clinics and has offered his services internationally through the Internet and various digital platforms. The donor himself estimates that he can have at least 550 children, and claims that his approach is novel. I dont believe in evolution, but in creation, he declared in April, during the speedy trial that brought him to justice. When the judges asked him if he had evaluated the pain he could cause to so many children, and the impossibility for them to establish fraternal bonds, he answered: That depends on the parents. We are dealing with a new concept, and it is up to us, the adults, to shape it. Both the mother and Donorkind called his action a bizarre social experiment that must end immediately. In his defense, M. lamented being portrayed as a rabid bull, and argued that people have control over their bodies. Thus, imposing a veto on him would amount to an attempt at chemical castration, in the words of his lawyer, Richard van der Zwan.

According to the current Dutch rules, a donor can have a maximum of 25 children, or support 12 families

The situation was known since 2017, because the Dutch Association of Gynecologists and Obstetricians warned that M. already had 102 children with the mediation, then, of 11 clinics. According to current Dutch rules, the same donor can have a maximum of 25 children, or help 12 families. As those who choose this route usually have one or two children, the final number of offspring is more or less the same. The defendant had assured that he was no longer active since 2019, but the court has nevertheless issued the battery of prohibitions in view of the lies previously and frequently told. Jonathan M. deliberately deceived the prospective parents about the number of children he had and induced them to accept him as a donor, the sentence states. All of these parents now find that they are part of a huge kinship network that they did not choose, and this has negative psychosocial consequences, they conclude.

Anonymous sperm donations have been banned since 2004 in the Netherlands. There is a national registry with medical information about the donor that may be relevant for their children, in addition to their first and last name, date of birth and place of residence. However, fertility clinics do not share this data with each other, which is why Jonathan M. has remained active for so long. From the age of 16, children can consult this list, which has been kept for 80 years. The International Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989 and in force since 1990, states that everyone has the right, as far as possible, to know his or her biological parents.

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Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has agreed to acquire Einr AS, a Norwegian business consulting company specialized in high volume logistics solutions using SAP technologies to optimize the flow of products from manufacturers to consumers. The acquisition will further enhance Accentures SAP capabilities, helping it accelerate supply chain reinvention for organizations within the retail and consumer electronics industries. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 2015, Einr is headquartered in Oslo, Norway. Once the acquisition is completed, its 42 employees will join the Accenture SAP Business Group in the Nordics. With specific competencies in retail and supply chain management, transportation management, warehouse management and assortment planning, Einrs employees will bolster Accentures SAP offerings in the market.

In times of disruption, organizations need to reinvent their supply chains to meet rapidly changing customer expectations, grow and become more profitable, said Emma McGuigan , senior managing director and Enterprise & Industry Technologies lead at Accenture. With the acquisition of Einr, we will strengthen our SAP supply chain and logistics capabilities, which help our clients move to more responsive, resilient and sustainable supply chains.

Per Atle Steinsland, managing director, Einr AS, added, "For the past eight years, we have delivered high volume logistics, retail and supply chain management solutions that helped our clients transform and grow within their industries. Together with Accenture, we will be able to deliver these highly specialized capabilities at scale, while creating exciting new development opportunities for our people."

The agreement to acquire Einr shows Accentures commitment to serve as our clients preferred partner in end-to-end SAP transformations and supply chain reinvention, said Carsten Sachmann, Accentures Nordic lead. The combined strength of Accenture and Einrs experienced SAP business consultants will further enhance our market position with clients and SAP in the Nordic countries.

Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions.

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the worlds leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen servicescreating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent and innovation led company with 738,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the worlds leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. We are uniquely able to deliver tangible outcomes because of our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Accenture Song. These capabilities, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360 value, enable us to help our clients succeed and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360 value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as may, will, should, likely, anticipates, aspires, expects, intends, plans, projects, believes, estimates, positioned, outlook, goal, target, and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance nor promises that goals or targets will be met, and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These risks include, without limitation, risks that: Accentures results of operations have been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic and political conditions and the effects of these conditions on the companys clients businesses and levels of business activity; Accentures business depends on generating and maintaining client demand for the companys services and solutions including through the adaptation and expansion of its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings, and a significant reduction in such demand or an inability to respond to the evolving technological environment could materially affect the companys results of operations; if Accenture is unable to match people and their skills with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the companys business, the utilization rate of the companys professionals and the companys results of operations may be materially adversely affected; Accenture faces legal, reputational and financial risks from any failure to protect client and/or company data from security incidents or cyberattacks; the markets in which Accenture operates are highly competitive, and Accenture might not be able to compete effectively; Accentures ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; Accentures environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments and disclosures may expose it to reputational risks and legal liability; if Accenture does not successfully manage and develop its relationships with key ecosystem partners or fails to anticipate and establish new alliances in new technologies, the companys results of operations could be adversely affected; Accentures profitability could materially suffer if the company is unable to obtain favorable pricing for its services and solutions, if the company is unable to remain competitive, if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful or if it experiences delivery inefficiencies or fail to satisfy certain agreed-upon targets or specific service levels; changes in Accentures level of taxes, as well as audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in tax laws or in their interpretation or enforcement, could have a material adverse effect on the companys effective tax rate, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition; Accentures results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; changes to accounting standards or in the estimates and assumptions Accenture makes in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements could adversely affect its financial results; as a result of Accentures geographically diverse operations and strategy to continue to grow in key markets around the world, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; if Accenture is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; Accenture might not be successful at acquiring, investing in or integrating businesses, entering into joint ventures or divesting businesses; Accentures business could be materially adversely affected if the company incurs legal liability; Accentures global operations expose the company to numerous and sometimes conflicting legal and regulatory requirements; Accentures work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment; if Accenture is unable to protect or enforce its intellectual property rights or if Accentures services or solutions infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company loses its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others, its business could be adversely affected; Accenture may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the Risk Factors heading in Accenture plcs most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, the timing and amount of costs related to our business optimization actions and the nature and extent of benefits realized from such actions are subject to uncertainties and other factors, including local country consultation processes and regulations, and may differ from our current expectations and estimates. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accentures expectations.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230427006001/en/

Francine Fiano



Accenture



+ 1 917 452 7393



[email protected]

Lars Wodschow



Accenture



+45 25288288



[email protected]

Source: Accenture
The TOM FORD brand, now owned by The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL), announced the appointments of Guillaume Jesel to President and CEO, TOM FORD, and Peter Hawkings to Creative Director, TOM FORD, effective at the closing of the acquisition. Ermenegildo Zegna N.V. (NYSE: ZGN) (Zegna Group) has appointed a CEO of TOM FORD FASHION who is expected to be announced in July and assume the role in the third quarter of calendar 2023. These leaders will work together to ensure a consistent and cohesive image across all products, brand communication and retail.

The Estee Lauder Companies (ELC) acquired the TOM FORD brand today in a transformational deal that establishes the company as the sole owner of the TOM FORD brand and all its intellectual property. The stewardship of the brand by ELC and the new leaders announced today, and through its licenses with the Zegna Group for fashion and accessories, and Marcolin Group for eyewear, provides continuity and allows for the further evolution of the TOM FORD brand as one of the preeminent global luxury brands of the twenty-first century. The Zegna Group acquired operations of the TOM FORD fashion business (TOM FORD FASHION) necessary to perform its obligations as a licensee of ELC.

Tom Ford and Domenico De Sole will continue to serve as brand advisors through the end of calendar 2023. About the new leadership appointments, Tom Ford said, I could not be happier with the acquisition of the TOM FORD brand by The Estee Lauder Companies. The team there has been a great partner and Guillaume is an exceptional leader, with not only a strong business understanding of beauty, but a great understanding of fashion as well.

I am also pleased that the Zegna Group will continue to manufacture and distribute TOM FORD fashion and accessories, and operate retail for TOM FORD FASHION. I have worked closely with Zegna for more than 30 years, first at Gucci, then at Yves Saint Laurent. When contemplating the creation of the TOM FORD brand there was simply no other partner that we would have turned to, to produce high quality fashion products and a flawless retail experience.

Marcolin has been an excellent partner in producing and distributing TF eyewear since the inception of the brand and I have enjoyed close collaboration with Maurizio Marcolin and his talented team for many years now.

These companies, under the brand stewardship of The Estee Lauder Companies, provide me with confidence that the TOM FORD brand will continue to be something that I will be proud of for many years to come.

Domenico De Sole said, "I am delighted with this acquisition. We have had a long-standing partnership between the TOM FORD brand and The Estee Lauder Companies dating from the brands inception, as well as a close relationship with Gildo Zegna and the Zegna Group over the past 30 years. Given our long and successful histories together, I am certain that the two companies, together, will carry on the legacy that Tom and I have built over the past 18 years. I am grateful to Tom for his magnificent vision and leadership, and I thank our amazingly talented TOM FORD team for their dedication to and hard work for the brand."

GUILLAUME JESEL NAMED PRESIDENT AND CEO, TOM FORD AND LUXURY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, THE ESTEE LAUDER COMPANIES

Guillaume Jesel brings nearly a decade of successful brand leadership of TOM FORD BEAUTY to his new executive leadership position at the TOM FORD brand. As President and CEO of TOM FORD, Guillaume will have oversight across all verticals and set a holistic luxury strategy for the brand. Guillaume will report to ELC executive leaders Jane Hertzmark Hudis, Executive Group President, and Tracey T. Travis, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Guillaume has been instrumental in shaping the luxury beauty sector of our business. His ability to articulate the TOM FORD brand has resulted in TOM FORD BEAUTY achieving remarkable global success, making him ideally suited to lead the TOM FORD brand into its exciting future, said Fabrizio Freda, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Estee Lauder Companies.

Under Guillaumes tenured leadership at TOM FORD BEAUTY, where he worked directly with Tom Ford and his team, the brand spearheaded iconic innovation and strategically expanded its global reach, firmly establishing TOM FORD BEAUTY as a powerhouse in luxury beauty. Since 2014 when Guillaume started with TOM FORD BEAUTY, he has led the brand to achieve strong net sales growth on a compound annual basis and significantly improved ranking in global prestige fragrance and makeup, respectively.

PETER HAWKINGS APPOINTED CREATIVE DIRECTOR, TOM FORD

Peter Hawkings has been working alongside Tom Ford for nearly twenty-five years, most recently as Senior Vice President of TOM FORD Menswear. In his ascension to Creative Director, Peter will succeed Tom Ford with respect to his responsibilities as Creative Director of Fashion, including womenswear, menswear and accessory categories, assuming the role of lead designer for the fashion segment and fashion shows.

Peter will be responsible for upholding the TOM FORD brands vision, ensuring consistency of creative direction and decisions across all fashion categories and ushering the TOM FORD brand into its next chapter. He will report directly to Guillaume and matrix report to the CEO of TOM FORD FASHION.

In Peter Hawkings the brand has found the perfect Creative Director, said Tom Ford. Peter began working with me 25 years ago as a menswear design assistant at Gucci and rapidly worked his way up to become the senior mens designer at the company when he left to join me at the TOM FORD brand. Since the creation of TOM FORD menswear, Peter has been instrumental in the success of the brand. He is an incredibly talented leader with tremendous industry experience, and his appointment gives me confidence that my commitment to creating fashion products with the highest level of design and quality will continue.

Peter began his career in 1998 at Gucci under the helm of Tom Ford and worked closely with him on the development of the highly successful Gucci menswear collections. Peter left Gucci in 2006 to join Tom Ford in the launch of his eponymous brand where he was charged with overseeing the design and production of all categories of TOM FORD menswear including tailoring, sportswear, leather goods, and accessories.

Peter is one of the worlds most accomplished menswear designers. His design experience working under Tom Ford is unparalleled and his commitment to quality is relentless, said Guillaume. There is no one more perfectly suited than Peter to carry the founders legendary creative vision into the future.

TOM FORD FASHION LEADERSHIP

The CEO of TOM FORD FASHION has been appointed and is expected to be announced in July and assume the role in the third quarter of calendar 2023. The leader will be responsible for the end-to-end TOM FORD FASHION business from collection development, to merchandising, through to production as well as retail and wholesale distribution.

Ermenegildo Gildo Zegna, CEO of Ermenegildo Zegna Group said, We are delighted to appoint a strong leader for TOM FORD FASHION and look forward to leveraging the leaders luxury business acumen and international experience to further grow the TOM FORD FASHION business globally. I am thrilled about the opportunities that this transaction brings to all of us as we continue the journey started by Tom and Domenico whom we congratulate for their remarkable achievements.

About The Estee Lauder Companies Inc.

The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the worlds leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of outstanding luxury and prestige brands globally. The companys products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estee Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, MAC, La Mer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, and the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD.

About TOM FORD

In April 2005, Tom Ford announced the creation of the TOM FORD brand. Ford was joined in this venture by former Gucci Group President and Chief Executive Officer Domenico De Sole, who served as Chairman of the company. In that same year, Ford announced his partnership with Marcolin Group to produce and distribute optical frames and sunglasses, as well as a partnership with The Estee Lauder Companies to create TOM FORD BEAUTY. In April 2007, the brands first directly owned flagship store opened in New York on Madison Avenue which coincided with the debut of the TOM FORD menswear and accessory collections. In September 2010, during an intimate presentation at his Madison Avenue flagship, Ford presented his highly anticipated womenswear collection. In February 2018, Ford debuted TOM FORD timepieces and his underwear collection for the first time on the runway. Presently, there are over 100 freestanding TOM FORD stores and shop-in-shops globally. In 2023, The Estee Lauder Companies became the sole owner of the TOM FORD brand and all its intellectual property.

About Ermenegildo Zegna Group

Founded in 1910 in Trivero, Italy, the Ermenegildo Zegna Group (NYSE: ZGN) is a leading global luxury group. The Group is the owner of the world-renowned ZEGNA and Thom Browne brands, and operates TOM FORD FASHION through a long-term license agreement with The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. The Group also manufactures and distributes the highest quality fabrics and textiles through its Luxury Textile Laboratory Platform. At the Groups core is a uniquely vertically integrated supply chain that brings together the best of Italian fine craftsmanship. Responsibility towards people, community and the natural world has been at the heart of the Ermenegildo Zegna Groups belief since its founding by the Zegna family over 100 years ago. Ensuring the highest quality of products without compromising the quality of life for future generations is a commitment carried from the Groups home in Italy to its operations around the world. Today the Group operates in approximately 80 countries around the world through 500 ZEGNA and Thom Browne stores, of which 304 are directly operated by the Group as of March 31, 2023 (242 ZEGNA stores and 62 Thom Browne stores). At the end of 2022, Ermenegildo Zegna Group had more than 6,000 employees and revenues of approximately 1.5 billion.

About Marcolin

Marcolin is a worldwide leading group in the eyewear industry founded in 1961 in the heart of the Veneto district, Italy. It stands out for the unique ability to combine craftsmanship with advanced technologies through the constant pursuit of excellence and continuous innovation. It signed a long-term license with The Estee Lauder Companies for TOM FORD eyewear as a substantial extension of its license with TOM FORD since 2005. Its portfolio includes proprietary brands, as well as more than twenty licensed brands. Through its own direct network and global partners, Marcolin distributes its products in more than 125 countries. At the end of 2022, Marcolin Group had about 2,000 employees and net sales of 547.4 million.

The forward-looking statements in this press release, including those in the quoted remarks and those relating to the closing of the transactions and benefits and other expectations for TOM FORD and TOM FORD BEAUTY involve risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those forward-looking statements include current economic and other conditions, including volatility, in the global marketplace, actions by retailers, suppliers and consumers, competition, the transition and ongoing success of the collaborative relationship of the parties, contingencies set forth in the various transaction agreements, the abilities to implement the forward business plans, and those risk factors described in ELCs annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2022.

ELC-B

ELC-L

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005335/en/

ELC:



Investors: Rainey Mancini



[email protected]

Media: Jill Marvin



[email protected]

Zegna Group:



Investor Relations/Group Communications/Media:



Francesca Di Pasquantonio



[email protected]



+39 335 5837669

Clementina Tito



[email protected]

Marcolin Group:



Investor Relations



[email protected]

Group Communication



Clara Magnanini



[email protected]

Source: The Estee Lauder Companies Inc.
Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura announced Friday that Japan will provide as much as $1.8 billion in subsidies for a slate of storage battery and chip-related projects, marking Tokyo's latest push towards greater supply chain security.

The Japanese government plans to give up to 184.6 billion yen ($1.38 billion) in subsidies for eight storage battery-related proposals and up to 56.4 billion yen for two semiconductor-related projects, Nishimura told reporters.

Among the proposals that will be subsidized is a plan announced Thursday by automaker Honda (NYSE: HMC) and battery maker GS Yuasa Corp to invest about 430 billion yen to boost storage battery production, with the ministry providing up to 158.7 billion yen in subsidies for the project.

"We have great expectations that this will lead to the stable supply of storage batteries and the promotion of GX (green transformation)," Nishimura said.

In a statement, Honda, GS Yuasa and their battery joint venture Blue Energy Co Ltd, said they planned to start production in April 2027 and would start mass production in October 2027.

They said they would start by building a new plant that would target an annual production capacity of at least 20 gigawatt hours (GWh), but did not specify a location or give further details.

"We would like to respond to a wide range of battery demand in Japan, which is expected to expand in the future, mainly for BEVs (battery electric vehicles)," Honda Chief Executive Toshihiro Mibe said in the statement.

Shares of HMC are up 0.04% in pre-market trading on Friday.

By Michael Elkins | [email protected]
Protect Pharmaceutical Corp.s (OTC: PRTT) (Company) President Ali Yildiz addresses the Companys shareholders with a corporate update on expansion and forward-looking progress.

The Company has entered into new shipment route agreements throughout the Black Sea. These new routes open-up vast opportunities throughout the region and provide a very consistent growth opportunity for the Company. These routes range from product transportation to taxis that also transport people. Also, the Company added substantially to its existing volume of ground shipments on the European routes and Turkey - Georgia routes.

The Company would also like to provide further guidance regarding its future operational expectations. The intention of auditing the Company as previously announced is under the planning stages. We expect to retain an auditor soon and will communicate to shareholders upon the engagement of an auditor. We also plan to rename the company in the future to a name more suitable to our current operations. As we proceed with these undertakings, we believe the Company will be ready to uplist to an exchange after filing registration documents with the US SEC. The completion of the acquisition of Antarax Limited was the first step towards achieving our goals.

About Antarax Limited:

Antarax Limited provide services in the field of international road, seaway, airline freight as well as intermodal transportation/ freight. The company also provides customs clearance and insurance services, which represent an important process of supply chain management. Managements goal is to assist companies and individuals in the ever-changing world of logistics and economic supply chains.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Except for historical matters contained herein, statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as may, will, to, plan, expect, believe, anticipate, intend, could, would, estimate, or continue, or the negative other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risk, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Also, forward-looking statements represent our managements beliefs and assumptions only as of the date hereof. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in the Company's filings with OTC Markets. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Contact:

Ali Yildiz +90 (531) 452 82 27 [email protected]

Source: Protect Pharmaceutical Corp.
American carmaker, Stellantis (NYSE: STLA) announced alongside Alliance Nickel Friday the signing of a binding offtake agreement for the supply of 170,000 tons of nickel sulphate and 12,000 tons of cobalt sulphate in total over an initial five-year period.

This represents approximately 40% of forecast annual production of the NiWest Nickel-Cobalt Project in Western Australia. Pricing for the nickel and cobalt sulphate is linked to index prices.

In addition to the offtake deal, Stellantis agreed to purchase 9.2 million (AUD15 million) in new equity in Alliance Nickel, giving it an 11.5% shareholding on completion and rights to nominate one director to the Alliance board.

The commitments of Dare Forward 2030 and our industry-leading decarbonization drive are built on the foundation of a guaranteed supply of key materials for our battery electric vehicles, said Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares. The partnership with Alliance Nickel is an important element of our plan to provide clean, safe and affordable mobility for people throughout the world.

The binding agreements with Stellantis, one of the worlds leading and most forward-thinking vehicle manufacturers, are transformative for the future of Alliance. It validates our development strategy for the NiWest Nickel-Cobalt Project and opens critical new funding options by securing a premier Tier 1 cornerstone customer and investor, said Paul Kopejtka, Alliance Managing Director and CEO. We look forward to a long partnership with Stellantis as we continue to execute our strategy to become the next Australian supplier to the global markets of premium battery-grade nickel and cobalt sulphate. This is truly a We Win Together outcome for both companies.

Stellantis is assembling a roster of key partnerships to ensure a stable supply of key materials for its electrified future. In addition to Alliance Nickel, Stellantis has partnerships with McEwen Copper, Terrafame, Vulcan Energy, Element 25 and Controlled Thermal Resources.

Shares of STLA are down 2.25% in pre-market trading on Friday.

By Michael Elkins | [email protected]
Toyota (NYSE: TM) affiliate Daihatsu rigged part of the door in side-collision safety tests carried out for some 88,000 small cars, most of which were sold under the Toyota brand, the companies said on Friday.

Daihatsu said it had discovered the rigged safety test after a whistleblower report. It said it had reported the issue to regulatory agencies and stopped shipment of affected models.

They said the door trim on the affected vehicles had been modified with a "notch" to minimise the risk in testing that the door interior could break with a sharp edge and cause injury to an occupant when the side airbag deployed in an accident.

Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda said the companies were investigating how the side-panel of Yaris and other models had been changed for safety testing and apologized for what he called an "unacceptable" violation of consumer trust.

It was not immediately clear who had rigged the doors for crash testing, how widespread the knowledge of the action had been within Daihatsu and whether senior managers had approved the step.

"We'll proceed with a detailed investigation from here on, but promise to decisively understand what happened at the site, investigate the true intentions and sincerely work to prevent a recurrence," Toyoda told reporters.

"We're going to need some time to do that," he said.

Toyota said it had not received any report of an accident or injury related to the rigged side-crash test.

The affected models include Toyota Yaris Ativs made in Thailand from last August, and Perodua Axias manufactured in Malaysia starting from February.

Daihatsu said it would run new safety tests in the presence of regulators and confirm the safety of the models before resuming shipments.

"We have to find the cause of what happened, including examining the environment in which it happened, and once we've confirmed that to take appropriate action to address the underlying cause," Toyota President Koji Sato said.

"We can't run away from this or hide," he said.

Shares of TM are down 0.57% in mid-day trading on Friday.

By Michael Elkins | [email protected]
FILE PHOTO: The Boeing 737 MAX aircraft is displayed at the Farnborough International Airshow, in Farnborough, Britain, July 20, 2022. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Some Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) engineers recommended grounding the Boeing 737 MAX in March 2019 after a second fatal crash and before the agency took action, a report released Friday said.

The Transportation Department's Office of Inspector General said in a report that its review of emails and interviews of FAA officials revealed individual engineers recommended "grounding the airplane while the accident was being investigated based on what they perceived as similarities" between two fatal Boeing 737 MAX crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. "Yet agency officials at headquarters and the Seattle (Aircraft Certification Office) opted not to do so."

The FAA ultimately grounded the MAX on March 13, 2019 and lifted the flight prohibition order in November 2020 after Boeing made a series of software upgrades and training changes.

The crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia led to a 20-month grounding for the best-selling plane, costing Boeing more than $20 billion and prompting lawmakers to pass sweeping legislation reforming airplane certification.

Boeing declined comment.

The report FAA officials "expressed frustration that foreign civil aviation authorities were grounding the aircraft before they had data that linked the two accidents."

The report said FAA has not updated the underlying order and related guidance for its post-event risk assessment processes in over a decade and lacks "quantifiable human factors data, such as pilot reactions to non-normal situations." It also said FAA

engineers "are not all following or receiving the same guidance or training." It made seven recommendations for improvements for risk assessments and other issues.

The FAA said it agrees with the Inspector General's recommendations. "We also continue to look for additional opportunities to apply lessons learned from the Boeing 737 MAX's return to service," the agency said Friday.

The report also says following the Ethiopian Airlines crash an FAA engineer drafted a preliminary risk analysis for the MAX on March 12, 2019 that "showed a fleet risk for the MAX that was over 13 times" the agency's recommended guidelines.

"An FAA official noted at the time that the analysis suggested that there was a 25% chance of an accident in 60 days and that there were only 'a matter of days' to implement a fix."

The inspector general added the engineer's risk analysis was not completed and did not go through managerial review citing a lack of detailed flight data.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
Award Comes With $1 million Grant to Kingmakers of Oakland

Oakland, CA, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OAKLAND (April 28, 2023) - Kingmakers of Oakland announces that CEO Chris Chatmon is named The Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education [CAFE Group] 2023 Luminary for his contribution to Innovation in Teaching and Learning. The award comes with a $1 million grant. Chatmon was one of five 2023 Luminaries selected.

Kingmakers of Oakland builds capacity for school districts in addition to providing direct services to students, families and their communities that centers Black boys while leveraging a Targeted Universalism framework in the Bay Area, Washington and Georgia. Previously, Education Week Magazine named Chatmon as a Leader to Learn From and Campaign for Black Male Achievement selected him as a Social Innovation Accelerator because of his commitment to improving life outcomes for all youth and especially African American males.

All Black males are brilliant, beautiful, and possess innate greatness, he explained. So we truly value having these additional resources to expand, remain relevant, and improve how we serve Black boys and all children as the entire ecosystem improves with our targeted approach, said Chatmon upon being notified of his selection.

For this years Luminary grants, we received over 400 applications from Black leaders in education, said Liz Thompson, The CAFE Group President. We were particularly impressed by Chris unapologetic commitment to Black boys, rooted in his personal experience.

Chris Chatmon joins other Luminaries this year including Alexandra Bernadotte, Beyond 12 (Oakland, CA); Reuben Ogbonna, the Marcy Lab School (Brooklyn, NY); Carmita Semaan, The Surge Institute (Chicago, IL); and Brittany Young, B-360 (Baltimore, MD).

The cohort will be honored May 17, 2023 during the third annual 1954 Project Luminary Awards , a live-streamed virtual event that will also feature Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones of the 1619 Project, Spelman College president, Dr. Helene Gayle , and New York Times best-selling author and social entrepreneur, Trabian Shorters . Registration for the ceremony is now open.

Kingmakers of Oakland aims to further expand its footprint in California, the pacific northwest and the Southern United states to increase synergies for existing partners. School districts in these areas can complete the following intake form now to pursue a partnership and other resources for the upcoming school year. As part of one of its key drivers, Black Male Teacher Recruitment and Retention, Kingmakers of Oakland welcomes current and prospective educators to contact the organization about becoming a facilitator and teacher.

###

Kingmakers of Oakland (KOO) is an award winning nonprofit that supports school districts around the country to improve the educational and life outcomes of Black Boys. Chatmon founded Kingmakers of Oakland following the success of the African American Male Achievement (AAMA) program he led for Oakland Unified School District which was recognized by the White House as one of the 25 leading programs to improve educational outcomes for Black boys. Learn more at kingmakersofoakland.org.

The 1954 Project is an initiative of The Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education Group (The CAFE Group). The CAFE Group is a 501c3 that provides financial and programmatic support to Leaders of Color whose proximity to current and historic challenges in education allows them to influence philanthropic decisions and create meaningful and relevant solutions. By leveraging their lived experiences and the genius within our communities, The CAFE Group has created a glidepath from College Intern to Established Leader designed to catalyze lasting systemic change. Learn more at thecafe.org .

Attachments
FORT WORTH, Texas, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Elevate will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students at No-Cost for a 4th time in the Fall of 2023. The AI Bootcamp in Fort Worth will be targeted at underserved high school students (9th-12th grade) and will introduce these high school students to basic AI concepts and skills.

Elevate is one of 28+ host companies selected to host camps across the US in Fall 2023.

The Elevate Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 14th and ending on November 4th. The bootcamp will run each Saturday from 1-5pm CT and if accepted, high school students must commit to attending all 4 sessions.

The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/elevatepr. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend.

With AI being a relevant topic on many news sources, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few. Participants will also learn how Large Language Models like ChatGPT are changing life as we know it by answering questions, telling original stories, and even writing computer code.

Students will benefit from volunteer corporate mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about AI, ML and data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 4-hour curriculum, students will work with open source tools each day to build their own AI applications related to Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing and Generative AI.

The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains corporate volunteer mentors, and recruits and scores applications for local student selected to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and Elevate work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no-cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

It was a lot of fun, I learned things I didn't even know were possible with A.I. and their real-world applications showed me just how much it will change our world." - Brandon B., 10th Grade, 2022 AI Bootcamp Participant

Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted no-cost AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 900+ students to date and has a goal to increase that number year over year.

Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Friday, September 8th, 2023 at markcubanai.org/elevatepr. To see our 2023 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq.

Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban FoundationPhone: 309-840-0348Email: [email protected]

Source: Mark Cuban Foundation
The French government has given the green light for the establishment of a registry to monitor the more than 200 minors who have returned from Syria or Iraq in recent years, according to a government decree approved on April 7. The purpose of the data list, the text specifies, is to guarantee their protection and prevent their participation in a process of delinquency or radicalization.

The database will include, in addition to the childrens names, details such as their parents location, the conditions of their arrival in France, whether they were born in areas where terrorist groups operate, and which public services are responsible for their tracking. Lawyers and relatives of the minors have expressed concern that the registry will further stigmatize them, and they are planning to appeal against the measure.

The inter-ministerial decree gives the go-ahead for the Ministry of the Interior to automate personal data relating to the care of minors returning from areas of activity of terrorist groups. The purpose of the registry, argues the ministry, is to better coordinate the diverse services in charge of the administrative, judicial, medical and socio-educational support for these children. According to the ministry in an email, the database excludes any security dimension and is purely preventive. One of the intentions is also to avert the disruption of assistance programs.

Meanwhile, the relatives reject these arguments. We have been slapped in the face, a spokesman for the Collectif des Familles Unies (United Families Collective), a French organization that advocates for the repatriation of minors and their mothers, said in a telephone interview. Were talking about kids who are about seven or eight years old, and they want to chart them until they come of age. Its nonsense, he bemoans.

In excess of 200 children of French jihadists have returned to France since the fall of the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2019. Approximately one hundred of these minors have been repatriated, according to data from the Ministry of Justice. Originally, the official approach of the French government was to study the potential return of minors from Syria or Iraq on a case-by-case basis, without authorizing the return of adults. However, in July 2022, the government reversed course and announced the repatriation of 35 minors and 16 women from camps in northeastern Syria, where they were being housed.

Since then, two other mass repatriations have taken place (in October and January), but nearly 100 French minors are still in the Syrian camps under surveillance of Kurdish forces. Upon arrival, the children are entrusted to the social services for minors and undergo a medical examination, as well as other processes. Many of them enter in poor physical and psychological condition and have never received any schooling.

The registry will include personal and family identification details (languages spoken, siblings, persons exercising parental authority, whether or not parents are incarcerated) and other details regarding the accompaniment of minors (date of arrival in France, type of schooling, whether or not they are incarcerated, date of last medical check-up). The State may hold this data until the child reaches the age of majority, according to the decree published in the Official Gazette.

The document also specifies who can be granted access to this data. The list includes state representatives, prosecutors, assistants specialized in radicalization, deans, academic heads and officials in the healthcare sector. In the view of Vincent Brengarth, a lawyer for a French jihadist who is still in Syria with her three children, the information the register may contain is extraordinarily wide-ranging, as is the list of people who potentially have access to it.

The lawyer continues: I believe that the creation of this file is highly problematic, in light of the suspicion it casts on minors who are accused of mirroring the actions of their parents.

The department in charge of the prevention of delinquency and radicalization, within the Ministry of the Interior, has justified the compilation of the database on the grounds of the difficulties encountered by the departmental councils, which are responsible for the care of these minors. Nevertheless, the authority does not specify what type of difficulties it is referring to. It believes that the data will help reduce issues of coordination or avoid any interruption in the monitoring of a child in the event that a change of residence occurs.

These children are mere victims

Meanwhile, lawyer Patrick Baudouin, president of the Human Rights League, is critical that minors are being labeled as potential criminals and terrorists from the outset. It is absolutely appalling. Baudouin admits that monitoring is imperative, but warns that stigmatizing them can be counterproductive.

These are children who have endured years of mistreatment, victims whose childhood years have been wasted in camps and dreadful detention conditions, in an environment of violence, he insists over the phone. And when they return, they continue to be stigmatized and blamed, he says.

For attorney Marie Dose, who supports women and children held in camps in northeastern Syria, the registry is also a form of stigmatization. In an interview with broadcaster France Info, the lawyer indicated that she is studying the possibility of appealing the decree with other lawyers in an attempt to have it revoked.

According to Dose, France has been condemned on three occasions for abandoning these children. Now it is actually going to humiliate them more by registering them after four years of hell in Syria. No child registry can ever fulfill the need for protection, she concluded. The attorney insists that more educators are needed and that children should be able to get to see their detained mothers on a more frequent basis.
HONOLULU, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Odom Corporation will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students at No-Cost for a 2nd time in the Fall of 2023. The AI Bootcamp in Honolulu will be targeted at underserved high school students (9th-12th grade) and will introduce these high school students to basic AI concepts and skills.

The Odom Corporation is one of 28+ host companies selected to host camps across the US in Fall 2023.

The Odom Corporation Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 14th and ending on November 4th. The bootcamp will run each Saturday from 8-12pm HST and if accepted, high school students must commit to attending all 4 sessions.

The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/coca-colahipr. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend.

With AI being a relevant topic on many news sources, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few. Participants will also learn how Large Language Models like ChatGPT are changing life as we know it by answering questions, telling original stories, and even writing computer code.

Students will benefit from volunteer corporate mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about AI, ML and data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 4-hour curriculum, students will work with open source tools each day to build their own AI applications related to Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing and Generative AI.

The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains corporate volunteer mentors, and recruits and scores applications for local student selected to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and The Odom Corporation work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no-cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

It was a lot of fun, I learned things I didn't even know were possible with A.I. and their real-world applications showed me just how much it will change our world." - Brandon B., 10th Grade, 2022 AI Bootcamp Participant

Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted no-cost AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 900+ students to date and has a goal to increase that number year over year.

Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Friday, September 8th, 2023 at markcubanai.org/coca-colahipr. To see our 2023 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq.

Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban FoundationPhone: 309-840-0348Email: [email protected]

Source: Mark Cuban Foundation
HOUSTON, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Perficient will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students at No-Cost for a 3rd time overall in the Fall of 2023. The 2nd AI Bootcamp in Houston will be targeted at underserved high school students (9th-12th grade) and will introduce these high school students to basic AI concepts and skills.

Perficient is one of 28+ host companies selected to host camps across the US in Fall 2023.

The Perficient Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 14th and ending on November 4th. The bootcamp will run each Saturday from 1-5pm CT and if accepted, high school students must commit to attending all 4 sessions.

The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/perficienthtxpr. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend.

With AI being a relevant topic on many news sources, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few. Participants will also learn how Large Language Models like ChatGPT are changing life as we know it by answering questions, telling original stories, and even writing computer code.

Students will benefit from volunteer corporate mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about AI, ML and data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 4-hour curriculum, students will work with open source tools each day to build their own AI applications related to Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing and Generative AI.

The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains corporate volunteer mentors, and recruits and scores applications for local student selected to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and Perficient work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no-cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

It was a lot of fun, I learned things I didn't even know were possible with A.I. and their real-world applications showed me just how much it will change our world." - Brandon B., 10th Grade, 2022 AI Bootcamp Participant

Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted no-cost AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 900+ students to date and has a goal to increase that number year over year.

Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Friday, September 8th, 2023 at markcubanai.org/perficienthtxpr. To see our 2023 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq.

Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban Foundation

Phone: 309-840-0348

Email: [email protected]

Source: Mark Cuban Foundation
INDIANAPOLIS, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Corteva will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students at No-Cost for a 2nd time in the Fall of 2023. The AI Bootcamp in Indianapolis will be targeted at underserved high school students (9th-12th grade) and will introduce these high school students to basic AI concepts and skills.

Corteva is one of 28+ host companies selected to host camps across the US in Fall 2023.

The Corteva Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 14th and ending on November 4th .The bootcamp will run each Saturday from 2-6pm ET and if accepted, high school students must commit to attending all 4 sessions.

The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/cortevapr. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend.

With AI being a relevant topic on many news sources, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few. Participants will also learn how Large Language Models like ChatGPT are changing life as we know it by answering questions, telling original stories, and even writing computer code.

Students will benefit from volunteer corporate mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about AI, ML and data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 4-hour curriculum, students will work with open source tools each day to build their own AI applications related to Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing and Generative AI.

The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains corporate volunteer mentors, and recruits and scores applications for local student selected to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and Corteva work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no-cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

It was a lot of fun, I learned things I didn't even know were possible with A.I. and their real-world applications showed me just how much it will change our world." - Brandon B., 10th Grade, 2022 AI Bootcamp Participant

Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted no-cost AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 900+ students to date and has a goal to increase that number year over year.

Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Friday, September 8th, 2023 at markcubanai.org/cortevapr. To see our 2023 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq.

Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban Foundation

Phone: 309-840-0348

Email: [email protected]

Source: Mark Cuban Foundation
MIAMI, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Miami Dade College (MDC) will once again host the Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp in Miami for high school students at no-cost during the fall 2023 term. The Bootcamp aims to introduce underserved high school students to basic AI concepts and skills.

The Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays from Oct. 14 to Nov. 4, and each session will be from 2-6 p.m. If accepted, students must commit to attending all four sessions.

With AI being a relevant topic on many news sources, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few. Participants will also learn how Large Language Models like ChatGPT are changing life as we know it by answering questions, telling original stories, and even writing computer code.

Students will benefit from volunteer corporate mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about AI, ML and data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the four-hour curriculum, students will work with open-source tools each day to build their own AI applications related to Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing and Generative AI.

The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains corporate volunteer mentors and recruits and scores applications for local student selected to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and MDC work together to provide food, transportation and access to laptops for students at no-cost throughout the Bootcamp.

It was a lot of fun, I learned things I didn't even know were possible with A.I. and their real-world applications showed me just how much it will change our world." - Brandon B., 10th Grade, 2022 AI Bootcamp Participant

Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted no-cost AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 900+ students to date and has a goal to increase that number year over year.

Students/parents can apply now at markcubanai.org/mdcpr. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend.

The deadline to apply is Friday, Sept. 8. View the 2023 camp locations and learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps at markcubanai.org/faq.

MDC Media Contacts: Irene Munoz, interim director of communications, 305-237-3030, [email protected]; Sue Arrowsmith, director of media relations, 305-237-3710, [email protected].

Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban Foundation Phone: 309-840-0348 Email: [email protected]

Source: Mark Cuban Foundation
Donation Endows Scholarships for Finance Majors

University of Kentuckys Board Names Finance Department in Mr. Stewarts Honor

LEXINGTON, Ky., April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MiddleGround Capital, an operationally focused private equity firm that makes control investments in North American middle market B2B industrial and specialty distribution companies, today announced that its Founder and Managing Partner, John Stewart, has gifted $10 million to the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky.

The gift will be used, in part, to endow the MiddleGround Scholarship, which will be awarded annually to a minority finance undergraduate or graduate student. Additionally, $3 million will go toward endowing the student scholarships in the Wall Street Scholars program, whose mission is to assist students beginning their careers in fields including investment banking, asset management, private wealth management, consulting, and corporate finance.

I am humbled by the ability to support the faculty and students at the University of Kentucky with this gift, which will foster an enhanced experience and scholarship opportunities for high-achieving students at the Gatton College of Business and Economics, said Mr. Stewart. Throughout my life, I have always maintained a quest for knowledge and continual education. I am a firm believer that a college education is still very relevant and necessary for most young people prior to entering the workforce. Throughout my career, I have learned that success is not an individual accomplishment, it is a community event. By recruiting, hiring, and developing the smartest and most capable people, regardless of racial, gender, or any other social bias and then providing them with the best work environment, rewarding assignments, opportunities for professional development and the opportunity to earn a fair wage for their efforts, I have been able to build a highly effective and diverse firm headquartered right here in Lexington, Kentucky. Diversity enables MiddleGround to make the best decisions for our investors. Of the many students graduating from universities with finance degrees, most are white males. I recognize the importance of making change happen with real tangible actions by individuals. I am proud to make this donation to demonstrate my commitment to making real change in our industry. We cant wait for the governments of the world to solve the worlds problems. It is the responsibility of individuals to make the world a better place. I hope that my efforts inspire others to do the same.

The University of Kentuckys Board also approved naming Gatton Colleges finance department the John Maze Stewart Department of Finance and Quantitative Methods in Mr. Stewarts honor, and held a naming ceremony to celebrate his contributions by revealing the departmental signage on the third floor of the Gatton College of Business and Economics. The ceremony was officiated by Provost DiPaola, Gatton College Dean Simon Sheather, together with John Stewart, founding partner of MiddleGround Capital, and Scot Duncan, founding partner of MiddleGround Capital.

We were thrilled to hold such a great event in celebration of John Stewarts contributions to the university that will help us to enhance the experience for finance majors, ensuring they have access to excellent resources for scholarship opportunities, said Simon J. Sheather, dean of the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky. This generous donation will also provide our faculty with more support as we continue to expand our program to provide students with unparalleled investment banking and private equity experience.

About MiddleGround CapitalMiddleGround Capital is a private equity firm based in Lexington, KY with over $3.3 billion of Assets Under Management. MiddleGround makes control equity investments in middle market B2B industrial and specialty distribution businesses. MiddleGround works with its portfolio companies to create value through a hands-on operational approach and partners with its management teams to support long-term growth strategies. For more information, please visit: https://middleground.com/.

About The University of KentuckyThe University of Kentucky is increasingly the first choice for students, faculty and staff to pursue their passions and their professional goals. In the last two years, Forbes has named UK among the best employers for diversity, and INSIGHT into Diversity recognized us as a Diversity Champion four years running. UK is ranked among the top 30 campuses in the nation for LGBTQ* inclusion and safety. UK has been judged a Great College to Work for" three years in a row, and UK is among only 22 universities in the country on Forbes' list of "America's Best Employers." UK ranked among the top 10 percent of public institutions for research expenditures  a tangible symbol of our breadth and depth as a university focused on discovery that changes lives and communities. Patients know and appreciate the fact that UK HealthCare has been named the states top hospital for five straight years. Accolades and honors are great. But they are more important for what they represent: the idea that creating a community of belonging and commitment to excellence is how we honor our mission to be not simply the University of Kentucky, but the University for Kentucky. For more information visit us online at https://www.uky.edu/.

About Gatton College of Business and EconomicsThe Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky is an AACSB accredited school offering undergraduate, masters and Ph.D. degrees in the business disciplines for Kentuckians and beyond. For more information visit us online at gatton.uky.edu.

MiddleGround Capital Media ContactsDoug Allen/Maya HanowitzDukas Linden Public Relations[email protected] +1 (646) 722-6530

Source: MiddleGround Capital
PASADENA, Calif., April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pasadena Educational Foundation will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students at No-Cost for a 3rd time in the Fall of 2023. The AI Bootcamp in Pasadena will be targeted at underserved high school students (9th-12th grade) and will introduce these high school students to basic AI concepts and skills.

Pasadena Educational Foundation is one of 28+ host companies selected to host camps across the US in Fall 2023.

The Pasadena Educational Foundation Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 14th and ending on November 4th. The bootcamp will run each Saturday from 11-3pm PT and if accepted, high school students must commit to attending all 4 sessions.

The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/pefpr. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend.

With AI being a relevant topic on many news sources, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few. Participants will also learn how Large Language Models like ChatGPT are changing life as we know it by answering questions, telling original stories, and even writing computer code.

Students will benefit from volunteer corporate mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about AI, ML and data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 4-hour curriculum, students will work with open source tools each day to build their own AI applications related to Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing and Generative AI.

The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains corporate volunteer mentors, and recruits and scores applications for local student selected to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and Pasadena Educational Foundation work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no-cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

It was a lot of fun, I learned things I didn't even know were possible with A.I. and their real-world applications showed me just how much it will change our world." - Brandon B., 10th Grade, 2022 AI Bootcamp Participant

Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted no-cost AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 900+ students to date and has a goal to increase that number year over year.

Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Friday, September 8th, 2023 at markcubanai.org/pefpr. To see our 2023 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq.

Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban FoundationPhone: 309-840-0348Email: [email protected]

Source: Mark Cuban Foundation
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patagonia Gold Corp. (Patagonia or the Company) (TSXV: PGDC) announces its audited results for the financial year ended December 31, 2022 (YE 2022). The audited consolidated financial statements for YE 2022, together with the related managements discussion and analysis, are available on the Companys website and under the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Highlights

Generated revenue of US$12.3 million in YE 2022.

Produced 6,490 gold equivalent ounces (1) and sold 6,782 gold equivalent ounces (1).

Spent US$5.4 million for the exploration of key projects in Argentina.

In August 2022, the Company presented the Environmental Impact Study for the development of the Calcatreu project (the EIA). In March 2023, the Rio Negro provincial Mining Department provided a favorable opinion on the EIA. The EIA is currently being reviewed by the provincial Environmental Department and it continues to progress within the administrative framework established by the applicable authorities for review and approval of such studies.

Completed a 3,102-meter diamond drill program at Tornado/Huracan in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina, which encountered anomalous, precious metal mineralization (2).

Completed a 728.2-meter diamond drilling program at Cap-Oeste, in the province of Santa Cruz, to obtain samples for metallurgical testing and for mineral resource block model confirmation (2).

Completed 1,384 meters of RC drilling at the Abril Project, in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina (2), which encountered anomalous, precious metal mineralization.

Notes:

(1) Consisting of 5,080 gold and 116,286 silver ounces of production and 5,310 gold and 121,184 silver ounces sold, converted to a gold equivalent using a ratio of the average spot market price for the commodities each period. The ratio for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 82.41:1 (2021  73.03:1). (2) Please refer to news releases issued on May 18 and May 26, 2022, November 16 and November 29, 2022 and December 22, 2022 (and available on the Companys website and under the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com) for additional information on drilling at Tornado/Huracan, Capo-Oeste and Abril, respectively.

Qualified Persons Statement

Donald J. Birak, an independent, consulting geologist, Registered Member of SME and Fellow of AusIMM and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this news release.

About Patagonia Gold

Patagonia Gold Corp. is a South America focused, publicly traded mining company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company seeks to grow shareholder value through exploration and development of gold and silver projects in the Patagonia region of Argentina. The Company is primarily focused on the Calcatreu project in Rio Negro and the development of the Cap-Oeste underground project. Patagonia, indirectly through its subsidiaries or under option agreements, has mineral rights to over 430 properties in several provinces of Argentina and Chile and is one of the largest landholders in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements with respect to, among other things, the review and approval of the EIS, advancement and development of gold and silver projects in the Patagonia region of Argentina, and the anticipated growth in shareholder value. Wherever possible, words such as may, will, should, could, expect, plan, intend, anticipate, believe, estimate, predict or potential or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect managements current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management as at the date hereof.

Forward-looking statements involve significant risk, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Christopher van Tienhoven, Chief Executive Officer Patagonia Gold Corp T: +54 11 5278 6950 E: [email protected]

Source: Patagonia Gold Corp.
Washington, DC, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) will hold a public hearing on its draft assessment of Resmetirom and Obeticholic Acid for Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis: Effectiveness and Value. Patients from around the United States and Canada will participate in the public meeting, convened virtually by the Midwest Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council (CEPAC).

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading cause of chronic liver disease. NAFLD is a chronic progressive condition of which NASH is the more advanced form, where the extra fat turns into inflammation (swelling) and fibrosis (scarring) of the liver. If severe enough, NASH can lead to cirrhosis, cancer, the need for a transplant, or death. Diagnosis and treatment of NASH are imperative to stem these more serious outcomes. ICERs modeling and analysis demonstrate a serious mischaracterization of the disease and of the potential benefit to patients who do not currently have any FDA-approved medications.

ICER should give serious consideration to the input of the patient community provided today during the public comment session and policy roundtable in addition to those which have already been shared during GLIs NASH Externally Led Patient-Focused Drug Development Meeting meeting in 2021. We request that ICER fully integrate patient perspectives on the weights of various health states and the preferences for different combinations of side effect profiles in the context of their disease into their final evidence report, while also factoring them in when making policy recommendations. Additionally, we appeal to the ICER Midwest CEPAC voting panel to carefully consider these comments and their vote to reflect sound science and reality-based medical practice.

Donna Cryer, President & CEO of Global Liver Institute and 28-year liver transplant survivor said, NASH is a chronic, progressive illness. That is not a scientific debate. What is uncertain is who is a fast progressor, the rate of progression, and the relative contributory factors of various drivers or comorbidities in the disease progression of any one individual. The ICER model does not effectively capture this.

Other flaws in the ICER model and review around mischaracterization of the disease, misinterpretation of the placebo groups, intermixing of US and EU quality of life and cost data, and myriad other faulty assumptions and limited data undermine the validity of the review and any recommendations that follow. GLI calls on ICER to take these patient experiences seriously in its evaluation in the final assessment of resmetirom and obeticholic acid for the treatment of NASH. Approval of and access to these initial effective NASH treatments is essential to our community and to encourage continued innovation in what is now a very robust field of research.

In addition to Global Liver Institute, representatives from GLI Liver Action Network (LAN) members presenting at the ICER Public Hearing on April 28 include Fatty Liver Alliance, Fatty Liver Foundation, and NASH kNOWledge. Through collaboration and innovative initiatives, GLI and LAN members work to solve problems that matter to patients and families, improving the health of communities.

======================================

GLI is a patient-founded and led 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to liver health which focuses on advancing patient-centered research, education, and care delivery models for those living with NAFLD/NASH. Global Liver Institutes NASH Council, which launched in 2017 at the Milken Institute at the George Washington School of Public Health, coalesces a diverse set of more than 80 stakeholders around the urgency for developing preventive, diagnostic, and treatment solutions for all stages of NAFLD and NASH in the U.S. and abroad. GLI equips advocates to identify and solve the problems that matter to liver patients. Follow GLI on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Christine Maalouf Global Liver Institute [email protected]

Source: Global Liver Institute
Lack of Data and Faulty Assumptions Weaken Usefulness of ICER Recommendations

Washington, DC, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) will hold a public hearing on its draft assessment of Resmetirom and Obeticholic Acid for Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis: Effectiveness and Value. Patients from around the United States and Canada will participate in the public meeting, convened virtually by the Midwest Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council (CEPAC).

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading cause of chronic liver disease. NAFLD is a chronic progressive condition of which NASH is the more advanced form, where the extra fat turns into inflammation (swelling) and fibrosis (scarring) of the liver. If severe enough, NASH can lead to cirrhosis, cancer, the need for a transplant, or death. Diagnosis and treatment of NASH are imperative to stem these more serious outcomes. ICERs modeling and analysis demonstrate a serious mischaracterization of the disease and of the potential benefit to patients who do not currently have any FDA-approved medications.

ICER should give serious consideration to the input of the patient community provided today during the public comment session and policy roundtable in addition to those which have already been shared during GLIs NASH Externally Led Patient-Focused Drug Development Meeting meeting in 2021. We request that ICER fully integrate patient perspectives on the weights of various health states and the preferences for different combinations of side effect profiles in the context of their disease into their final evidence report, while also factoring them in when making policy recommendations. Additionally, we appeal to the ICER Midwest CEPAC voting panel to carefully consider these comments and their vote to reflect sound science and reality-based medical practice.

Donna Cryer, President & CEO of Global Liver Institute and 28-year liver transplant survivor said, NASH is a chronic, progressive illness. That is not a scientific debate. What is uncertain is who is a fast progressor, the rate of progression, and the relative contributory factors of various drivers or comorbidities in the disease progression of any one individual. The ICER model does not effectively capture this.

Other flaws in the ICER model and review around mischaracterization of the disease, misinterpretation of the placebo groups, intermixing of US and EU quality of life and cost data, and myriad other faulty assumptions and limited data undermine the validity of the review and any recommendations that follow. GLI calls on ICER to take these patient experiences seriously in its evaluation in the final assessment of resmetirom and obeticholic acid for the treatment of NASH. Approval of and access to these initial effective NASH treatments is essential to our community and to encourage continued innovation in what is now a very robust field of research.

In addition to Global Liver Institute, representatives from GLI Liver Action Network (LAN) members presenting at the ICER Public Hearing on April 28 include Fatty Liver Alliance, Fatty Liver Foundation, and NASH kNOWledge. Through collaboration and innovative initiatives, GLI and LAN members work to solve problems that matter to patients and families, improving the health of communities.

======================================



GLI is a patient-founded and led 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to liver health which focuses on advancing patient-centered research, education, and care delivery models for those living with NAFLD/NASH. Global Liver Institutes NASH Council, which launched in 2017 at the Milken Institute at the George Washington School of Public Health, coalesces a diverse set of more than 80 stakeholders around the urgency for developing preventive, diagnostic, and treatment solutions for all stages of NAFLD and NASH in the U.S. and abroad. GLI equips advocates to identify and solve the problems that matter to liver patients. Follow GLI on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
PONTIAC, Mich., April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- United Wholesale Mortgage will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students at No-Cost for a 2nd time in the Fall of 2023. The AI Bootcamp in Pontiac will be targeted at underserved high school students (9th-12th grade) and will introduce these high school students to basic AI concepts and skills.

United Wholesale Mortgage is one of 28+ host companies selected to host camps across the US in Fall 2023.

The United Wholesale Mortgage Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 14th and ending on November 4th. The bootcamp will run each Saturday from 2-6pm ET and if accepted, high school students must commit to attending all 4 sessions.

The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/uwmpr. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend.

With AI being a relevant topic on many news sources, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few. Participants will also learn how Large Language Models like ChatGPT are changing life as we know it by answering questions, telling original stories, and even writing computer code.

Students will benefit from volunteer corporate mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about AI, ML and data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 4-hour curriculum, students will work with open source tools each day to build their own AI applications related to Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing and Generative AI.

The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains corporate volunteer mentors, and recruits and scores applications for local student selected to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and United Wholesale Mortgage work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no-cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

It was a lot of fun, I learned things I didn't even know were possible with A.I. and their real-world applications showed me just how much it will change our world." - Brandon B., 10th Grade, 2022 AI Bootcamp Participant

Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted no-cost AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 900+ students to date and has a goal to increase that number year over year.

Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Friday, September 8th, 2023 at markcubanai.org/uwmpr. To see our 2023 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq.

Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban Foundation

Phone: 309-840-0348

Email: [email protected]

Source: Mark Cuban Foundation
A new opposition platform that aspires to steer away from radicalism and reduce polarization in the public debate has emerged in Venezuela recently. It is fronted by three distinguished political leaders of the opposition - Timoteo Zambrano, Luis Augusto Romero and Antonio Ecarri. Today, Venezuela is a much more diverse country than it may seem. More than 70% of Venezuelans want nothing to do with the political class that has ruled for the last 25 years. It is outdated and the country wants to find alternatives, says Ecarri in a telephone interview.

This Thursday in Madrid, the three leaders held a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Albares. They were accompanied by Juan Fernandez Trigo, Secretary of State for Ibero-America, who had just flown back from the summit of diplomats held in Bogota following the request from Gustavo Petro to address the Venezuelan crisis. The 20 convened nations failed to reach an agreement and at the end of the summit, the Colombian Foreign Minister read out a three-point agreement that entailed no new developments: the date for the 2024 elections must be established; the agreements between the Chavist government and the opposition must be accompanied by the easing of sanctions; and the dialogue process in Mexico must recommence simultaneously with the creation of a fund for social investment in the country.

Ecarri argues that this is not merely a typical opposition platform, but that it will integrate leading figures of different backgrounds, including Chavism dissidents. We are in the process of building the platform with people from both sides of the divide. We want to diversify the country, so that there are not only two blocs. We have to depolarize the country. This is the only way out of the crisis we are immersed in, explains Ecarri, secretary general of the Alianza del Lapiz, the leading opposition group in Caracas, the countrys capital.

On his visit to Madrid, the opposition leader quoted the former president of the Spanish Courts, Torcuato Fernandez Miranda, during the Transition, who said that Spain could not suffer any more. I think the exact same thing: Venezuela cannot suffer any more. There must be a smooth transition, he insists. In the meeting with Albares, the problem of Venezuelan migration came up. An estimated six million have left the country and Ecarri believes that this must be combated by providing more opportunities for the population. Otherwise, we will continue to generate waves and waves of migrants, he adds.

The platform does not have much faith in the dialogues in Mexico, where the pro-Chavista government and the Unitary Platform, an alliance of the main opposition parties, are engaged in negotiations on a solution to the severe political and social crisis in the country. They are also working towards the organization of presidential elections in 2024 with guarantees that the opposition will have a realistic chance of overcoming the current president, Nicolas Maduro. The dialogue is destined to fail, Ecarri states bluntly. Not all Venezuelan parties are involved. These are the two most rejected political fronts in the country, both Maduro and the G-4. We need a more pluralistic dialogue.

The launch of the platform, under the working name of the Independent Pact for Popular Change, is planned for July. Negotiations have taken place concerning the incorporation of the Communist Party of Venezuela, as well as the Alianza del Lapiz, headed by Ecarri himself; Cambiemos, Timoteo Zambranos party, which boasts a substantial parliamentary representation; and Avanzada Progresista, led by Romero. The emergence of this alliance comes at a time of considerable fragmentation within the opposition, which has failed to define its position in the last few years. The now-defunct interim government under the leadership of Juan Guaido proved to be unsuccessful and the rest of the parties have not succeeded in unifying for a common stance against Chavism, although efforts are being made to settle the matter. When an election date is set, the opponents will hold primaries that will yield a single candidate who will be endorsed by the others. The new platform will present its own candidacy independently.

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Ghent, April 28, 2023  18.30 CET  Press release / Regulated information

Following the publication of its annual figures on 30 March 2023, and to announce the Annual General Meeting of 31 May 2023, ABO-Group announces today its annual report for 2022. The annual report can be consulted on the ABO-Group's website: https://www.abo-group.eu/en/investors/shareholder-information/shareholders-meetings/ .

There you will find the following documents:

Convocation ordinary general meeting 2023

Information for the shareholders

Ballot paper ordinary general meeting 2023

Procuration ordinary general meeting 2023

Statutory Annual accounts 2022

Report from the commissioner on the statutory financial accounts 2022

Report from the commissioner on the consolidated financial accounts 2022

About ABO-Group

ABO-Group Environment is a specialized, listed engineering office focusing on geotechnology, environment and soil remediation. Through its Consultancy and Testing & Monitoring departments, ABO-Group operates in Belgium, the Netherlands and France, as well as internationally. ABO-Group guarantees its clients a sustainable solution. Please consult the ABO-Group website ( www.abo-group.eu ) for a more detailed description of the activities of the Group.

For more information:

Frank De Palmenaer

CEO ABO-GROUP Environment NV

[email protected]

T +32 (0)4 96 59 88 88

Derbystraat 255, Maaltecenter Building G, B-9051 Ghent (SDW), Belgium

Attachment
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today marked the official Naming Ceremony of the future HMCS William Hall, the fourth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) underway at the Halifax Shipyard for the Royal Canadian Navy. The six AOPS are named to honour other prominent Royal Canadian Navy heroes who served their country with the highest distinction. The naming of a ship is a steeped in history and naval tradition. Dating back centuries, this ritual is believed to bring good luck and safe travel to the vessel and crew.

The ships sponsor, Chief Superintendent Craig Gibson (Retd), officially named the ship during a ceremony attended by the Minister of National Defence , The Honourable Anita Anand, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, , Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, The Honourable Arthur J. Leblanc, The Honourable Tim Houston, Premier of Nova Scotia, The Honourable Barbara Adams, NS Minister of Senior and Long-Term Care as well as descendants of William Hall, the ships company and Halifax Shipyard shipbuilders.

As part of the event, Craig Gibson broke a bottle of Nova Scotias Avondale Skys Blanc de Noir (2013) sparkling wine against the ships bow and participating in Navy Tradition declared: I name you William Hall. Bless this ship and all who sail in it.

Craig Gibson is a retired 34-year veteran of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who, in August 2012, became the first black person to be promoted to the rank of Chief Superintendent as the Commanding Officer for L Division, Prince Edward Island. Craig Gibson was raised in Gibson Woods, a small black community where Gibson families (relations of William Hall) settled as Black Loyalists.

William Hall was the first Black person, the first Nova Scotian and one of the first Canadians to receive the British Empires highest award for bravery, the Victoria Cross. Hall received this recognition for his service at the Siege of Lucknow during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The son of former American slaves, Hall was born in 1827 at Horton, Nova Scotia, where he also attended school. He grew up during the age of wooden ships, when many boys dreamed of travelling the world in sailing vessels. As a young man, Hall worked in shipyards at Hantsport for several years, before going to sea on merchant ships and joining the Royal Navy in 1852.

Joining Craig Gibson at todays ceremony were several descendants of William Hall as well as a number African Nova Scotian organizations including the Africadian Empowerment Academy, the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre, the Black Cultural Centre, Africville and the Defence Visible Minority Advisory Group (DVMAG).

The Halifax Shipyard will deliver one AOPS per year to the Royal Canadian Navy ending with the sixth ship in 2026. A further two AOPS variants will be built for the Canadian Coast Guard. In 2024, the company will commence construction of the first of 15 Canadian Surface Combatants.

QUOTES:

I was happy to preside over the Assumption of Command ceremony at Government House, and I am confident that Commander Keleman and members of his Command Team, will uphold the finest traditions of the Royal Canadian Navy, and build upon the remarkable legacy of William Hall by enhancing the values of equity, diversity and inclusion.

The Honourable Arthur LeBlanc, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia

Throughout his military career, Petty Officer William Hall demonstrated bravery, perseverance, and duty. A proud Nova Scotian, he became the first Black person, and one of the first Canadians, to win the Victoria Cross. I join Canadians in paying tribute to Petty Officer Hall for his outstanding service to our country. I thank all those who will be serving in HMCS William Hall in the future. I look forward to watching them carry out vital missions to defend our values, our way of life and our country.

The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence

Today is the latest example of how our governments National Shipbuilding Strategy is delivering positive economic and social benefit to our region while supporting our Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard. This ship is a testament to the hard work and ingenuity of our shipbuilders, and the importance of the shipbuilding industry to our local economy and national defense. It is also a proud moment for the African Nova Scotian community, as this ship will bear the name of Petty Officer William Hall, a trailblazing African Nova Scotian whose story and bravery inspires us all.

Andy Fillmore, MP for Halifax and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry.

Today is a proud day for Canada, in particular the community of Hantsport, and for the family of William Hall. We continue to draw inspiration from V.C. William Halls bravery, and the work being done at the Irving Shipyard to modernize and equip Canadas Navy is important to ensure our heroes of today, the men and women of the Royal Canadian Navy, have access to the tools needed to protect our freedom.

Kody Blois, Member of Parliament for Kings-Hants

The legacy of William Hall lives on and his service will inspire a new generation of Nova Scotians thanks to the ship that bears his name. On behalf of a proud and grateful province, thank you to the hardworking staff of the Halifax Shipyard who are delivering the highest quality patrol vessels to our nation.

The Honourable Barbara Adams, Minister of Seniors and Long-term Care

Today marks a momentous event for our fleet, as the fourth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship is officially named. Named for naval heroes, like William Hall, these ships epitomize the courage and resilience needed to operate throughout Canadas Arctic and around the world. These modern and multifunctional ships will ensure we can patrol, secure, and protect Arctic waters for decades to come.

Commander Royal Canadian Navy, Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee

As a Black Canadian from Nova Scotia and Kings County, I am very proud and humbled to have been asked to serve as the sponsor of HMCS William Hall at this historic event.

Heroes are important. We look to them for inspiration and strength on our own journeys. William Hall received our countrys highest award for his valour and bravery. The son of former slaves, he is also a proud symbol of someone who broke through the colour barrier. We stand on the shoulders of righteous people of courage and character like William Hall.

To Commander Keleman and the crew of the future HMCS William Hall, it is an honour to associated with your commitment to service, love of country and bravery. I look forward to being an active champion for this ship, the crew, and the legacy of William Hall attending as many functions as possible to celebrate the history of William Hall. I wish you fair winds, following seas and always a safe return to this harbour and province that we all love so much.

Craig Gibson, Ships Sponsor, HMCS William Hall

The naming of the fourth Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship  the future HMCS William Hall is a significant milestone. Today is the culmination of 4 years of hard work by thousands of people across Canada. We are proud of our 2,300 skilled shipbuilders. This ship is 90% complete and will be delivered for 44% fewer hours than the first ship of the class. This improvement in efficiency is a tribute to the determination and skill of the entire shipbuilding team that includes Canada and our industry partners.

For our shipbuilder team, HMCS William Hall is special to us because it represents the diversity, we are committed to achieving with our Pathways to Shipbuilding Program through valued community partners like the Africadian Empowerment Academy.

Dirk Lesko, President of Irving Shipbuilding

About Irving Shipbuilding:

Irving Shipbuilding is Canadas National Shipbuilder, selected in 2011 to build the new fleet of combat vessels to the Royal Canadian Navy. To date, three Arctic and Offshore Patrol ships (AOPS) have been delivered and a further three are underway. The company will also build two custom AOPS for the Canadian Coast Guard before commencing the larger Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) Fleet. To date over $5.34 billion in investments have been made across Canada as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. Our team of 2300 shipbuilders are proudly based in Halifax, NS and include the largest team of apprentices in Atlantic Canada. www.shipsforcanada.ca

CONTACT: Mary Keith Vice President, Communications [email protected] Office: 902-484-2435 | Cell: 506-650-8209

Photos accompanying this announcement are available athttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/693db214-a91c-472a-b5aa-7ffe520e0ec3https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d146507c-bbe5-48af-a690-4319fa1ea656https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5cfee234-5ad3-4a98-aabe-f1107291a313https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9a9dd2f7-9542-4489-bc32-1d23145644dd

William Hall William Hall HMCS William Hall HMCS William Hall HMCS William Hall HMCS William Hall HMCS William Hall From Left to Right: Vice Admiral Angus Topshee, Royal Canadian NavyRoss Langley, Vice Chairman of Irving ShipbuildingJenna Belony, Daughter of Ships SponsorDebbie Gibson, Wife of Ships SponsorMinister of National Defence Anita AnandCraig Gibson, Ship SponsorLieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, The Honourable Arthur LeBlancJim Irving, Co-CEO J.D. Irving, LimitedDirk Lesko, President of Irving ShipbuildingCommander Scott Kelemen, Commander of the future HMCS William Hall

Source: J.D. Irving, Limited
UNION TOWNSHIP, N.J., April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Elizabethtown Gas will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students at No-Cost for a 2nd time in the Fall of 2023. The AI Bootcamp in Union Township will be targeted at underserved high school students (9th-12th grade) and will introduce these high school students to basic AI concepts and skills.

Elizabethtown Gas is one of 28+ host companies selected to host camps across the US in Fall 2023.

The Elizabethtown Gas Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 14th and ending on November 4th. The bootcamp will run each Saturday from 2-6pm ET and if accepted, high school students must commit to attending all 4 sessions.

The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/etgpr. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend.

With AI being a relevant topic on many news sources, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few. Participants will also learn how Large Language Models like ChatGPT are changing life as we know it by answering questions, telling original stories, and even writing computer code.

Students will benefit from volunteer corporate mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about AI, ML and data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 4-hour curriculum, students will work with open source tools each day to build their own AI applications related to Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing and Generative AI.

The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains corporate volunteer mentors, and recruits and scores applications for local student selected to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and Elizabethtown Gas work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no-cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

It was a lot of fun, I learned things I didn't even know were possible with A.I. and their real-world applications showed me just how much it will change our world." - Brandon B., 10th Grade, 2022 AI Bootcamp Participant

Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted no-cost AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 900+ students to date and has a goal to increase that number year over year.

Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Friday, September 8th, 2023 at markcubanai.org/etgpr. To see our 2023 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq.

Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban Foundation

Phone: 309-840-0348

Email: [email protected]

Source: Mark Cuban Foundation
In the first quarter of 2023, the SBA Textile Group Utenos trikotazas (hereinafter the Group) sold products and provided services for EUR 6.1 million, i.e. 29.8 percent less than in the same period of the previous year, when the Groups sales reached EUR 8.6 million. According to the companys representatives, this performance is due to macroeconomic developments, particularly the trend of declining consumption in the main export markets.

Results due to low demand

At the moment, the textile sector, as well as the whole industry in Lithuania, is facing significant challenges due to the declining consumption in export markets, especially in Germany and Scandinavian countries. The industry in our country is already in recession, and high energy costs at the beginning of the first quarter of the year made the situation even more difficult. All of this has led to a decline in sales of Utenos trikotazas in the first three months of this year, compared to the results for 2022, says Nomeda Kaucikiene, CEO of Utenos trikotazas.

Separately, Utenos trikotazas generated revenue of EUR 5.3 million in the first three months of 2023, with sales revenue decreasing by EUR 2.6 million, or 32.4 percent, compared to the same period of 2022. The companys export sales revenue was 80.1 percent.

Compared to the same period last year, sales of the Groups largest sales segment, on-demand jersey garment production, decreased by 31.7 percent to EUR 4.7 million, while sales of own brands decreased by 42.8 percent to EUR 0.6 million.

Strategic transformation continues

Utenos trikotazas continues the strategic transformation of the company started at the end of last year, during which it has focused its energy and resources on the most profitable segment of its business  high value-added outsource manufacturing.

Although the market is challenging, strategic direction and strong discipline help us to deliver results consistently and purposefully. We continue to successfully increase the number of new clients, bring new products to the market and maintain our high sustainability standards. In March, products of Utenos trikotazas won prizes at Performance Days, the sectors largest functional materials exhibition in Munich, based on the amount of CO2 emissions reduced by their production, says N. Kaucikiene.

According to the CEO of Utenos trikotazas, the main focus of the company is on the production of products with higher complexity and higher price level, especially functional wool and its blends. We are actively working with world-renowned clients in the textile sector, which strengthens the position of Utenos trikotazas in the global textile market. All these ongoing changes, despite the market situation, are yielding positive results and the companys profitability is improving, says N. Kaucikiene.

Improved performance

Utenos trikotazas reduced its losses by more than 70 percent in the first quarter of this year  losses amounted to EUR 264 thousand before taxes, compared to EUR 942 thousand a year ago. EBITDA of Utenos trikotazas remains negative at EUR -42 thousand, but profitability has improved significantly despite the fall in sales and was EUR 658 thousand higher than in the same period of 2022, when EBITDA was negative at EUR -700 thousand.

In the first three months of the year, the Groups loss before tax decreased compared to the same period last year and amounted to EUR 248 thousand (2022: EUR 1,246 thousand). The Groups EBITDA was positive and amounted to EUR 19 thousand , i.e. EUR 860 thousand more than in the same period in 2022.

In addition to Utenos trikotazas, the Group of companies currently includes Aboutwear, Gotija, Satrija and Mrija (Ukraine). In the first 3 months of this year, the Group exported 82.3 percent of its production. Sales of functional-technical clothing produced by Satrija increased by 16 percent.

Utenos trikotazas is the largest and one of the most sustainable jersey manufacturing companies in Central and Eastern Europe. The main activities of Utenos trikotazas are custom-made clothing production and development of innovative materials.

More information:

Zivile Jonaityte

CFO

AB Utenos trikotazas

J. Basanaviciaus g. 122, LT-28214, Utena

+370 686 51938

www.ut.lt

[email protected]

Attachments
WASHINGTON, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Booz Allen will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students at No-Cost in the Fall of 2023. The AI Bootcamp in Washington, D.C. will be targeted at underserved high school students (9th-12th grade) and will introduce these high school students to basic AI concepts and skills.

Booz Allen is one of 28+ host companies selected to host camps across the US in Fall 2023. This initiative is part of Booz Allens overall commitment to drive AI Education opportunities and inclusive pathways to future-focused careers. This follows the recent Booz Allen Foundation-hosted 2023 DC Capital Region AI Education Summit and the firms multi-year commitment to expand the geographic reach of the AI Education Project.

The Booz Allen Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 14th and ending on November 4th. The bootcamp will run each Saturday from 2-6pm ET and if accepted, high school students must commit to attending all 4 sessions.

The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/bahpr. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend.

With AI being a relevant topic on many news sources, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few. Participants will also learn how Large Language Models like ChatGPT are changing life as we know it by answering questions, telling original stories, and even writing computer code.

Students will benefit from volunteer corporate mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about AI, ML and data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 4-hour curriculum, students will work with open source tools each day to build their own AI applications related to Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing and Generative AI.

The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains corporate volunteer mentors, and recruits and scores applications for local student selected to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and Booz Allen work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no-cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

It was a lot of fun, I learned things I didn't even know were possible with A.I. and their real-world applications showed me just how much it will change our world. - Brandon B., 10th Grade, 2022 AI Bootcamp Participant

Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted no-cost AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 900+ students to date and has a goal to increase that number year over year.

Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Friday, September 8th, 2023 at markcubanai.org/bahpr. To see our 2023 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq.

Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban FoundationPhone: 309-840-0348Email: [email protected]

Source: Mark Cuban Foundation
San Francisco, California--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2023) - Author LA Smith recently released her provocative romance debut, How to Be A Mistress: You Need a Mind in order to Shine. This tantalizing read puts a new spin on the relationship between love, power, and greed, all set against the unique background of a historic city that knows the blues.





Book cover ofHow to Be A Mistress

How to Be A Mistress follows the life of Miracle Beharry, a stunning Creole temptress who moves from New Orleans to Memphis to care for her dying mother and escape the network of a powerful Colombian drug lord who killed a federal detective in front of her. Assuming the name of Deliyah Wilson, she finds work as a stripper but soon begins seducing high-profile men throughout the city. After realizing that she can use her connections to build a business empire of her own, Miracle is determined to create a future free of her complicated past and those of whom she fears the most if her past doesn't catch up with her first.

How to Be A Mistress is perfect for fans of exotic romantic fantasies that feature strong women, adulterous affairs, and organized crime. This riveting novel showcases the realities of living in the City of Blues as told from a resident's perspective.

Unlike the stars of many books in the romance and suspense genres, Miracle is a complex character who isn't afraid to break the rules and reject society's expectations for modern women. She uses her wits and business talent to get ahead in a situation where few would be able to survive and thrive.

How to Be A Mistress: You Need a Mind in order to Shine is available for purchase on Amazon.com or wherever books are sold. The chapter series book is part of a set of 12 chapters with two companion series, Beale Street Blues and The Bible Belt State, that are currently in development. Smith has specially created a video trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSM-DYNXmoE.

LA Smith has had a lifelong passion for writing and music. After graduating with a master's degree in English and creative writing, she launched a successful business selling online journals and educational materials. She credits her mother with pushing her to follow her passion and start writing creatively. Smith, who currently resides in Memphis, believes in the improvement of her community as she recently became a foster mom. She takes pride in helping children that have been abandoned and abused by working through the foster care system to encourage and enhance positive childhood development. Visit her online at her Youtube channel, Binge Watchers.





Author photo of LA Smith

Source:

Charlotte Simmons

[email protected]

Dabb Media

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164105
Sydney, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 27, 2023) - Established gold producer Austral Gold Limited(ASX: AGD) (TSXV: AGLD) (the "Company" or "Austral") is pleased to advise that the following documents were dispatched to shareholders today for its Annual General Meeting to be held on Tuesday, 30 May 2023, at 8:30am AEST in Sydney, Australia:

Notice of Annual General Meeting

Shareholder proxy for shares traded on the ASX (where applicable)

Shareholder proxy for shares traded on the TSX.V (where applicable)

2022 Annual Report (to those shareholders who have requested a printed copy)

The Notice of Annual General Meeting and the two sample Proxy Forms will be available at http://www.asx.com.au, on the Company's website at www.australgold.com and on Sedar under the company's profile.

Austral Gold Limited is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: AGLD) and the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: AGD). For more information, please consult Austral's website.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Release approved by the Chief Executive Officer of Austral Gold, Stabro Kasaneva.

For additional information please contact:

Jos Bordogna

Chief Financial Officer

[email protected]

Phone: +61 466 892 307

Gareth Quinn

Media and Investor Relations

[email protected]

Phone: +61 417 711 108

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical, and consist primarily of projections - statements regarding future plans, expectations and developments. Words such as "expects", "intends", "plans", "may", "could", "potential", "should", "anticipates", "likely", "believes" and words of similar import tend to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include the Company's Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, 30 May 2023 at 8:30am AEST in Sydney, Australia and Austral continues to lay the foundation for its growth strategy by advancing its attractive portfolio of producing and exploration assets.

All of these forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied, including, without limitation, business integration risks; uncertainty of production, development plans and cost estimates, commodity price fluctuations; political or economic instability and regulatory changes; currency fluctuations, the state of the capital markets especially in light of the effects of the novel coronavirus,, uncertainty in the measurement of mineral reserves and resource estimates, Austral's ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and management, potential labour unrest, reclamation and closure requirements for mineral properties; unpredictable risks and hazards related to the development and operation of a mine or mineral property that are beyond the Company's control, the availability of capital to fund all of the Company's projects and other risks and uncertainties identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's continuous disclosure documents filed on the ASX and on SEDAR. You are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used. Austral cannot assure you that actual events, performance or results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements, and management's assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Austral's forward-looking statements reflect current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof and Austral does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

About Austral Gold

Austral Gold is a growing gold and silver mining producer building a portfolio of quality assets in the Americas. Austral continues to lay the foundation for its growth strategy by advancing its attractive portfolio of producing and exploration assets.

OPERATIONS

Guanaco and Amancaya mines, Antofagasta Province, Chile (100% interest)

Open pit and underground.

2022 Production: 27,686 gold equivalent ounces

2023 Forecast: 34,000-38,000 gold equivalent ounces

Recently extended the life of mine with an expected production level of 30,000-35,000 gold equivalent ounces per year over the next three to four years, plus a further 10,000 gold equivalent ounces of production per year for the following seven to eight years until 2033 per the 43-101 Technical Report on the Guanaco-Amancaya Operation, Antofagasta Region, Chile, dated 25 March, 2022, with an effective date of 31 December 2021.

Casposo/Manantiales Mine Complex, San Juan Province, Argentina (100% interest)

Gold and silver mine currently in care and maintenance. Strategy is to restart profitable mining operations.

EXPLORATION

CHILE ARGENTINA Paleocene Belt, Chile

Guanaco District

Amancaya District

Las Pampa District Triassic Choiyoi Belt

Indio Belt

Deseado Massif



EQUITY INVESTMENTS

Unico Silver Limited, an ASX listed company

Pampa Metals Corp, a CSE listed company

Rawhide Mine, private vehicle, Fallon, Nevada, USA

Ensign Minerals Inc., private vehicle, Utah, USA

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164049
Nanjing, China--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2023) - Higgs Technology has recently announced the launch of its highly-anticipated Web3.0 computer. Developed after years of research and development, this innovative product is set to solve long-standing pain points and difficulties of Web2.0, and is designed to greatly enhance efficiency and user experience while creating new value and models.

The Higgs Web3.0 computer is set to be available for global sale on May 1st through Higgs' official website. This product has made significant technological breakthroughs, expanding the role of blockchain technology in various application scenarios, and empowering diverse business ecosystems.

As a technology-driven company, Higgs Technology is dedicated to providing secure, reliable, efficient, and sustainable solutions that create greater value for its customers and partners. With the launch of the Higgs Web3.0 computer, the company is set to disrupt the industry with its innovative approach to Web3.0 technology.

Providing a Comprehensive Solution for Web3 Ecosystem Development

Higgs Technology specializes in blockchain infrastructure, Web3 DApp development, smart contract programming, NFTs, and more, actively promoting the deep integration of blockchain technology with the real economy to create greater value for its customers and partners. Higgs Technology believes that achieving decentralization is a long-standing issue of Web3.0.

The real-time nature, transparency, efficiency, decentralization, and disintermediation of blockchain technology break the original situation where data and information are controlled by specific internet platforms, and data is jointly owned by builders and users, making the internet "decentralized."

However, Higgs Technology believes that Web3.0 is still in its infancy, with commonly seen applications including cryptocurrencies, decentralized exchanges, digital identity verification, decentralized financial services (DeFi), blockchain games, and NFTs, among others. Yet, the Web3 domain has been lacking a product that combines the above fields, and each has been working on its own.

In this context, the Higgs Web3.0 computer was born. As a supercomputer born for blockchain and decentralized applications (DApps), the Higgs Web3.0 computer supports the metaverse, NFTs, artificial intelligence, smart contracts, and DApps, enabling users to enter the world of Web3.0 with just one click.

Higgs Web3.0 Computer Provides Fast, Secure, and Convenient Access to the Entire Web3 Network, allowing applications and data to run on a public, secure blockchain-based virtual machine, supporting metaverse, NFTs, AIGC, smart contracts, DApps, and more. The Higgs Web3.0 computer saves users a lot of time and improves efficiency.

Integrating blockchain capabilities, entering Web3.0 with one click

Introducing the Higgs Web3.0 computer, a supercomputer designed for blockchain and decentralized applications (DApps). It operates on HUNIU OS, an independent operating system based on the native system, which integrates blockchain infrastructure and sandbox isolation technology to provide a secure, user-friendly, scalable, cost-effective, and developer-friendly operating environment for Web3 DApps.

HUNIU OS not only provides end-users with common decentralized applications but also offers essential tools for market participants and developers, including development tools, blockchain browsers, DApp stores, SocialFi and News. This reduces the difficulty of DApp development and integration, allowing developers to focus on implementing business logic and combining features into the Web3 ecosystem.

Users can use Web3 DApps in the same way as traditional apps, with the network effects of other internet applications. The sandbox technology used by Higgs Web3.0 computer ensures the absolute security of user assets and data. The computer also provides rich development tools and frameworks, such as Remix, Hardhat, and Truffle, to help developers build and test Web3 applications better. It also provides APIs for third-party developers, allowing their DApps to fully utilize the OS's features and seamlessly integrate with the OS.

The Higgs Web3.0 computer, backed by blockchain technology and extensive Web3 expertise, is set to provide utilities for people and applications alike. Its open platform for application development has the potential to make blockchain technology mainstream across the industry.

Contact information:

Higgs Website: http://www.higgs.technology

Higgs Twitter: https://twitter.com/HiggsWeb3

Email: [email protected]

Media Contact

Company Name: Nanjing Baishitong Digital Technology Co., Ltd.

Contact: Eve XU

Address: DDP China Dubai Digital Park Office A7, Dubai Silicon Oasis

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.higgs.technology

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164061
Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2023) - E-Power Resources Inc (CSE: EPR) ("E-Power" or the "Company") announces the resignation of Allan Miller, PhD from the Board of Directors. Current and future demands due to Dr. Miller's practice as a consulting economic geologist preclude him from consistently contributing as a Director of the Company. The Company thanks Dr. Miller for his contributions and wishes him all the best.

The company is currently in talks with suitable candidates to replace Dr. Miller. An announcement will be made in due course.

About E-Power Resources Inc.

E-Power Resources Inc. is an exploration stage company engaged principally in the acquisition, exploration, and development of graphite properties in Quebec. Its flagship asset, the Tetepisca Graphite Property, is located in the Tetepisca Graphite District of the North Shore Region of Quebec, approximately 215 kilometers from the Port of Baie-Comeau. For further information, please refer to the Company's disclosure record on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) or contact the Company by email at [email protected].

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance are "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company based on information currently available to it. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in filings made by the Company with securities regulatory authorities, which may cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.

The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164179
A health and wellness brand focuses on all-natural ingredients to make high-quality, affordable products.

Hollywood, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2023) - Entrepreneurs Dzmitry Mikhnavets, and Dimyan Vladimiravich, founded Healing Drops in 2017 as their first venture into the wellness industry. Healing Drops announced record earnings of $1.1 million for the previous year in April 2023. According to Mikhnavets, the company's dedication to producing high-quality goods has resulted in its success and development in recent years. "We created a feedback system, and we are listening to our customers. That is how we create and launch our new products. The needs of the market require it. "

According to Mikhnavets, "We have seen an increase in demand for high-quality wellness brands, and we believe that health and well-being are the most important factors for success." Thus, they created Healing Drops to provide a gateway to health and longevity. Due to Healing Drops' success and the company's record earnings, a new, all-natural product, Gummy Bears with Sea Moss and Mushroom Complex, was recently introduced to the market.

Looking forward to 2023-2024, Healing Drops is set to release new innovative products. The company plans to improve the quality of its supplements in gummy form, responding to high demand from the southern states of the USA, countries in Africa, Australia, and other heat-affected regions. The non-meltable gummies will be made from pectin and agar, which will ensure that the products retain their shape and consistency even in hot and humid conditions.





Healing Drops all natural product



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9401/164129_dcfe2652942dcbb6_001full.jpg

"The health and wellness industry is continuously evolving, and we are committed to staying ahead of the curve by offering innovative products that cater to the changing needs of our customers," said Mikhnavets. "Our goal is to continue making high-quality, affordable products not only in the IT niche but also in the wellness sector to enhance the quality of life for our customers."

Healing Drops products are available on its official website, www.healingdrops.store, affiliated websites, and at Amazon and Walmart.

For more information, please visit the Healing Drops" website at www.healingdrops.store or contact Healing Drops" at [email protected].

###

Contact details

Company: Healing Drops

Website: https://healingdrops.store/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164129
Despite shortages in its long-range missile arsenal, Moscow has demonstrated that it still maintains the ability to terrorize the Ukrainian population. In the early hours of Friday morning, Russian strategic bombers fired over 23 missiles, one of which struck a residential building in the city of Uman, 134 miles south of Kyiv. In the southeastern city of Dnipro, a 31-year-old woman and her two-year-old daughter were killed when a shell hit their home, bringing the civilian death toll in this latest wave of air strikes to 25.

Kyiv was also targeted for the first time in almost two months, although there were no reports of any targets hit. The city government said Ukraines air force intercepted 11 cruise missiles and two unmanned aerial vehicles over the capital. Ukrainian officials and analysts have alleged the strikes are part of a deliberate intimidation strategy by the Kremlin. Russia, meanwhile, has denied its military aims at civilian targets.

This is the second most deadly Russian attack in terms of civilian casualties so far this year after the one Moscow carried out on January 14, in which around 30 people were killed when a missile hit a residential building in Dnipro.

After a sustained period of attacks designed to knock out the Ukrainian power grid and inflict misery on the civilian population throughout winter, Moscow has been progressively decreasing its long-range bombardments over the past three months due to the reduction of its missile arsenal after more than a year of war. The Ukrainian Air Force even suggested last week that Russia had practically run out of stocks of Kh-101 and Kh-555 air-launched cruise missiles, which were among the barrage aimed at Ukrainian targets on Friday. The head of the Defense Ministrys intelligence services, Major General Kyrylo Budanov, said on Monday that Kyiv believed whatever long-range missiles were still available to Moscow were being held in reserve to respond to the expected Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Rescuers work at the site of a residential building heavily damaged by a Russian missile in the town of Uman, Cherkasy region, Ukraine April 28, 2023. STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE OF UKRAI (REUTERS)

The attacks came as NATO announced that its allies and partner countries have delivered more than 98% of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine during Russias invasion and war, strengthening Kyivs capabilities as it contemplates launching a counteroffensive. Along with more than 1,550 armored vehicles, 230 tanks and other equipment, Ukraines allies have sent vast amounts of ammunition and trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian brigades, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

Fridays bombardment marked a shift in Russias recent strategy, in which the Kremlins forces had concentrated firepower on the Donetsk front, where most of the fighting is currently taking place. Russian bombers based in the Caspian Sea fired 23 missiles in total, of which 21 were shot down according to the Ukrainian Air Force. The attack caused power outages in the Obolon district of the capital and damage to power lines and roads, but no casualties were reported.

The last large-scale bombardment of Kyiv was launched on March 9. In recent months, Ukrainian defense systems have been reinforced with some of the most modern anti-aircraft batteries in the world, such as the American Patriot or the German Iris-T. The only missiles that remain difficult to intercept, and which Russia uses sparingly, are ballistic rockets such as the Kinzhal. Ukraines effectiveness in intercepting long-range missiles is matched by the armed forces ability to detect and shoot down drone-bombs, particularly the Iranian-produced Shahed, which Moscow has increasingly deployed as its missile stocks have dried up. These drones are regularly used to identify the positions of anti-aircraft batteries, according to Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat.

In a recent interview with EL PAIS, Ukrainian General Sergei Melnik reiterated that the priority for the Armed Forces of Ukraine is air defense systems. Melnik also advocated attacking airfields on Russian territory to prevent attacks like Fridays, when Tu-95 bombers took off from the Caspian Sea, fired their missiles hundreds of miles from their targets and returned to their base in the knowledge that Ukraine has no means of shooting them down.

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Clayton, Missouri--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2023) - Perimeter Solutions (NYSE: PRM) ("Perimeter" or the "Company"), producers of PHOS-CHEK long-term fire retardant and other high-quality firefighting products and lubricant additives, announced today it will release its financial results for the first quarter 2023 on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, before the market opens.

The Company will host a conference call to discuss these results at 8:30 a.m. ET on the same day. The presentation will be led by CEO Haitham Khouri and CFO Charles Kropp.

The live webcast of the call can be accessed through Perimeter's investor relations website at https://ir.perimeter-solutions.com/ and as follows:

When : Wednesday May 10, 2023, at 8:30 AM (ET)

Dial-in Number : 877-407-9764 (Toll-Free), 201-689-8551 (Toll) (No access code needed)

Conference Name : Perimeter Solutions First Quarter 2023 Earnings Call

Materials Available At: https://ir.perimeter-solutions.com/

Replay Available : Wednesday, May 10, 2023 to June 9, 2023 (11:59 PM ET)

Replay Number : 877-660-6853 / 201-612-7415

Internet Access : https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=MdcT5fW2

About Perimeter Solutions

Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Perimeter Solutions (NYSE: PRM) is a premier global solutions provider, producing high-quality firefighting products and lubricant additives. The company develops products that impact critically important issues of life - issues where there often is no room for error and the job doesn't offer second chances. At Perimeter, we characterize the solutions we develop as 'Trusted Solutions that Save' - because it underscores what we are trying to accomplish for our customers and the world at large. Perimeter Solutions produces major brands known throughout the world like PHOS-CHEK and FIRE-TROL retardant, foam concentrates and gel products; AUXQUIMIA and SOLBERG firefighting foam concentrates; and BIOGEMA extinguishing agents and retardants. For more info on how we use our experience, responsibility, and integrity to deliver trusted solutions that help improve firefighting performance, visit: www.perimeter-solutions.com.

Investor Relations Contact:

Seth Barker

Head of Investor Relations and VP of Financial Planning and Analysis

[email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164108
Lachute, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2023) - Qubec Innovative Materials Corp. (CSE: QIMC) ("QI Materials" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Ming Jang as Chief Financial Officer following the resignation of Elyssia Patterson, effective immediately.

We would like to thank Elyssia for her contributions to QIMC and wish her all the best in her future endeavors. We are pleased to have Mr. Jang join our team as CFO and are confident that his extensive financial management experience and expertise will be a valuable asset to the Company.

About Ming Jang

Ming Jang is a professional accountant with over 25 years of experience in senior financial management roles across various sectors, including mining, nonprofit organizations, and the medical wellness industry. He has successfully executed several companies' public listings, including Numinus Wellness Inc. and most recently, Adaptogenics Health Corp.

Mr. Jang currently serves as a financial consultant to various private and publicly listed companies, providing robust financial management and oversight in the structuring and implementation of financial and regulatory processes.

About Quebec Innovative Materials Corp.

Quebec Innovative Materials Corp. (CSE: QIMC) (previously Quebec Silica Resources Corp.) is a mineral exploration, and development company with a diversified portfolio of natural resource assets including high grade silica, hydrogen, and helium properties. QIMC is working toward becoming a sustainable supplier of resources which are essential in advanced batteries and the electrification of the new green economy. The Company has a 100% interest in the Charlevoix Silica Project, near Clermont, Quebec, Canada, as well as its various other silica properties in Quebec.

Additional information on Quebec Innovative Materials is available at www.qimaterials.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

QUEBEC INNOVATIVE MATERIALS CORP.

"Raymond Wladichuk, P.Geo."

Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact:

Investor Relations

Tel: +1 (833) 474-5422

Email: i [email protected]

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor it's Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the CSE policies) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements". Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Quebec Innovative Materials Corp.'s actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur.

Although Quebec Innovative Materials Corp. believes the forward-looking information contained in this news release is reasonable based on information available on the date hereof, by their nature, forward-looking statements involve assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Examples of such assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, assumptions, risks and uncertainties associated with general economic conditions; the Covid-19 pandemic; adverse industry events; future legislative and regulatory developments in the mining sector; the Company's ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favorable terms; mining industry and markets in Canada and generally; the ability of Quebec Innovative Materials Corp. to implement its business strategies; competition; and other assumptions, risks and uncertainties.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While the Company may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164060
Fuzhou, China--(Newsfile Corp. - April 27, 2023) - The 6th Digital China Summit (the "Summit") has opened in Fuzhou, Fujian province, China on April 27. The theme of this summit is "Accelerating China's Digital Development and Promoting Chinese-style Modernization". It aims to showcase the latest achievements and excellent practices in China's digital development, and share relevant development experiences.







The Summit is centered on the promotion and implementation of the Overall Layout Plan for the Construction of Digital China. It features an opening ceremony, a main forum, and 20 sub-forums, with a focus on various fields, including the Digital Silk Road, data resources, digital government affairs, and smart energy. In addition, the Summit includes exhibitions, contests, and events, such as the Digital China Achievements Exhibition, Digital Products Expo, Digital China Innovation Contest, Cloud Ecology Conference, and AI Ecology Conference, etc. These characteristic activities aim to promote collaborative innovation and common development in key sectors, industrial chains and ecological chains.







As an important part of the Summit, the Digital China Achievements Exhibition is scheduled to be held from April 26 to 30 for five days. It has attracted 320 government departments, enterprises, and institutions from 28 provinces and cities across China. The exhibition showcases 11 display sections, including digital infrastructure, digital economy, digital society, and digital technology innovation and so on. New technologies and products, such as 5G, blockchain, and artificial intelligence, are also featured, comprehensively demonstrating new trends in digital technology and new achievements in digital applications, promoting high-quality development through digital China construction, and supporting Chinese-style modernization.







The Summit has been successfully held in Fuzhou for five consecutive years, and it has released nearly 100 national major policies and important reports, with nearly 1,500 units participating in the event. The Summit has held about 150 forums and seminars, with more than 1,300 experts and scholars giving keynote speeches. Also, the Summit has organized nearly 100 matchmaking events, resulting in 1,976 digital economy projects being signed and landed, with a total investment of about 1.4 trillion yuan.

Media contact

Contact: Ivy Huang

Company Name: Digital China Summit

Website: http://www.szzg.gov.cn/2023/cgz/

Email: [email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/163964
High River, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2023) - The Western Investment Company of Canada Limited (TSXV: WI) ("Western" or the "Company") announced today that it will not be filing its annual financial statements, accompanying management's discussion and analysis and related chief executive officer ("CEO") and chief financial officer ("CFO") certifications for the financial year ended December 31, 2022 (collectively, the "Annual Filings"), within the period prescribed for the filing of such documents under Parts 4, 5 and 6 of National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Obligations and pursuant to National Instrument 52-109 Certification of Disclosure in Issuers' Annual and Interim Filings, namely within 120 days of year-end, being May 1, 2023 (the "Filing Deadline").

The delay at Western is related to reporting matters including finalization of the audited financial statements of one of Western's investee companies. The transition to a new auditor has added additional complexities to the audit which is taking longer then anticipated.

Western is working closely with its auditor Ernst & Young LLP, and is making every effort to submit the Annual Filings in a timely fashion and expects to file no later than May 15, 2023.

Western CEO Scott Tannas made the following statement. "We support the provision of extra time to allow auditors and management of this particular investee company to satisfactorily complete the 2022 audit, and ensure that their financial statements are accurate in all respects."

The Company is providing this default announcement in accordance with National Policy 12-203 Management Cease Trade Orders ("NP 12-203"). The Company has made an application to the Alberta Securities Commission, as principal regulator of the Company, a management cease trade order ("MCTO") under NP 12-203 in respect of the default regarding the Annual Filings. The MCTO will prohibit the CEO and the CFO from trading in securities of Western for so long as the Annual Filings are not filed. The issuance of the MCTO, if issued, does not affect the ability of persons other than the CEO and the CFO of the Company to trade in the Company's securities. The application for the MCTO remains subject to the risk factors described in "Forward Looking Information and Risk Factors" below, including the risk that the MCTO application may not be successful or may not be completed prior to a securities commission issuing a failure-to-file cease trade order against the Company following the Filing Deadline.

The Company confirms that it intends to satisfy the provisions of the alternative information guidelines found at sections 9 and 10 of NP 12-203 respecting Cease Trade Orders for Continuous Disclosure Defaults for so long as it remains in default as a result of the late filing of the Annual Filings. During the period of default, the Company will issue biweekly default status reports in the form of further news releases, which will also be filed on SEDAR. The Company confirms that there are no insolvency proceedings against it as of the date of this news release. The Company also confirms that there is no other material information concerning the affairs of the Company that has not been generally disclosed as of the date of this news release.

ABOUT WESTERN

Western is a unique publicly traded, private equity company founded by a group of successful Western Canadian businesspeople and dedicated to building and maintaining ownership in successful Western Canadian companies, and helping them to grow. Western's shares are traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol WI.

For more information on Western, please visit its website at www.winv.ca.

CONTACT INFORMATION - The Western Investment Company of Canada Limited

Scott Tannas President and Chief Executive Officer (403) 652-2663 [email protected]

Forward Looking Information and Risk Factors

This news release contains statements and information that may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, including statements identified by the use of words such as "will", "expects", "positions", "believe", "potential" and similar words, including negatives thereof, or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts.

Such forward-looking information is not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Company's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. Generally, such forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information contained herein may include, but is not limited to, information concerning the estimated filing date of the Annual Filings, and whether the Alberta Securities Commission will grant the Company's application for an MCTO.

By identifying such information and statements in this manner, the Company is alerting the reader that such information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information and statements. Some of these risks include, but are not limited to, the risk that the Annual Filings are filed later than anticipated, the risk that the Company's application for an MCTO is not successful for any reason, in which case there is a risk that trading in the Company's securities may halted by the TSX Venture Exchange and/or cease traded temporarily by the Canadian securities commissions after the Filing Deadline until such time as the Annual Filings are filed on SEDAR.

Additional information regarding risks and uncertainties of the Company's business are contained under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form for the financial year ended December 31, 2021 and the Company's other public filings which are available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended.

In connection with the forward-looking information contained in this news release, the Company has made certain assumptions. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking information and statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/164253
Vitalli Bio is the ninth company formed by Aditum Bio

OAKLAND, Calif. , April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aditum Bio, the biotech investment firm cofounded in 2019 by former Novartis CEO Joe Jimenez and former President of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) Dr. Mark Fishman, today announced the formation of Vitalli Bio, a portfolio company created for the development of novel therapies for immunological disorders. Vitalli Bio is being formed in connection with the in-licensing of a highly selective dual inhibitor of Interleukin-2-Inducible T-Cell Kinase (ITK) and Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) from Daewoong Pharmaceutical, which is anticipated to close in early May. The compound will be renamed VIT-801 and is anticipated to enter Phase 1 studies in 2023.

Unlike current treatments, which are generally limited to inhibiting only individual cell types, VIT-801 is a dual-target inhibitor that simultaneously inhibits B cells, T cells and other immune cells, potentially providing a best-in-class profile in immune disorders where multiple cell types are implicated. In addition to VIT-801, Vitalli Bio will be granted an option to license earlier stage dual-target inhibitors in development by Daewoong.

"Aditum Bio's translational medicine approach is unique in the industry, and we are excited to move this exciting compound into the clinic in immunological disorders" said Joe Jimenez , Co-Founder and Managing Director of Aditum Bio. Dr. Mark Fishman, Co-Founder and Chair of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Boards, added, "VIT-801 has a unique profile that selectively inhibits a range of relevant immune cells, suggesting it has the potential to represent a safe and effective alternative in these difficult to treat populations."

Vitalli Bio is the ninth company launched by Aditum Bio, whose mission is to give large patient populations access to medicines which otherwise may not be developed. To speed these drugs to market, Aditum Bio fosters an incubator model, focusing on the translational phase of drug development. The "spin out" model enables a nimble, start-up culture with a dedicated team of managers supported by Aditum's in-house team of operational and technical area experts, ranging from nonclinical pharmacology and CMC to regulatory affairs and clinical operations.

About Aditum Bio

Aditum Bio is committed to improving public health by accelerating R&D in disease areas with both large and more targeted patient populations, where medical innovation can have a huge impact. Aditum Bio focuses on basic mechanisms of disease, in-licenses promising drug candidates directed at such pathophysiologies, and spins out individual companies dedicated to bringing each candidate through Phase II clinical trials. Aditum Bio uses data, software and technology to help bring innovative medicines through the clinical trial phase more quickly and with lower costs than traditional pharmaceutical companies. For more information, please visit www.aditumbio.com.

About Daewoong Pharmaceutical

Established in 1945, Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a leading South Korean pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, and commercializes pharmaceuticals for both domestic and international markets. With a strong and innovative in-house R&D and advanced manufacturing facilities, Daewoong provides a total healthcare solution to customers across the globe. Continuing on their course of building a strong global healthcare company, Daewoong has broadened international operations by establishing branch offices and research centers throughout Asia and the United States . Daewoong has also expanded strategic partnerships in more than 100 countries worldwide.

In 2022, Daewoong expanded its global market presence by entering into a license agreement worth USD 923 million , which granted permission for the use of 'Fexuclue', a medicine licensed for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, in the Philippines and Ecuador within the first year of its launch. Additionally, Daewoong successfully launched 'Envlo', the first-ever sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor for the treatment of diabetes to be developed in Korea , and signed an export contract worth USD 84.36 million with Brazil and Mexico . For further information on Daewoong Pharmaceutical, please visit our official website.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aditum-bio-announces-formation-of-vitalli-bio-focused-on-immunological-disorders-301810339.html

SOURCE Aditum Bio
LAVAL, QC , April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. ("Couche-Tard" or the "Corporation") (TSX : ATD) announced today it has reached an agreement to acquire 112 fuel and convenience retail sites to be carved out from MAPCO Express Inc. ("MAPCO"). The acquisition is contingent on a separate transaction whereby MAPCO and its remaining locations are sold to a third party.

The transaction includes a strong network of modern, high-quality, well-located sites in attractive and desirable markets predominantly in Tennessee and Alabama , but also in Kentucky and Georgia . All 112 sites are company-operated, and most of the real estate is owned. The transaction also includes surplus property and a logistics fleet.

The transaction is expected to close in the second half of calendar year 2023, subject to standard regulatory approvals and closing conditions, and will be financed using the Corporation's available cash and/or existing credit facilities, including its U.S. Commercial Paper Program.

"We are delighted to add MAPCO's high-quality sites to our footprint in the Southeastern U.S. ," said Alex Miller , Couche-Tard's Chief Operating Officer. "As we continue to grow our presence in the region, we look forward to bringing the Circle K experience to new customers and making their lives a little easier every day."

About Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

Couche-Tard is a global leader in convenience and fuel retail, operating in 24 countries and territories, with more than 14,300 stores, of which approximately 10,900 offer road transportation fuel. With its well-known Couche-Tard and Circle K banners, it is one of the largest independent convenience store operators in the United States and it is a leader in the convenience store industry and road transportation fuel retail in Canada , Scandinavia, the Baltics, as well as in Ireland . It also has an important presence in Poland and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of People's Republic of China . Approximately 122,000 people are employed throughout its network.

For more information on Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., or to consult its audited annual Consolidated Financial Statements, unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements and Management Discussion and Analysis, please visit: https://corpo.couche-tard.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release may constitute forward looking statements within the meaning of securities legislation, including those with respect to the potential transaction. Positive or negative verbs such as "believe", "can", "shall", "intend", "expect", "estimate", "assume" and other related expressions are used to identify such statements. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Couche-Tard and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties outside of Couche-Tard's control. Couche-Tard would like to point out that, by their very nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties such that its results, or the measures it adopts, could differ materially from those indicated in or underlying these statements, or could have an impact on the degree of realization of a particular projection. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Couche-Tard disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information in this release is based on information available as of the date of the release.

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SOURCE Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
More than 33 million small businesses empower America's economy. AmePower's owners lead twice in the state of Florida .

MIAMI , April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman , head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and voice in President Biden's Cabinet for America's 33 million small businesses, announced the 2023 Small Business Persons of the Year from each of the 50 states.

AmePower's President, Karina Doracio, and CEO, Luis Contreras have been awarded as "Small Business Person of the Year" for both South Florida and the State of Florida for their stellar leadership of their business  an industry leading technology company providing innovative solutions in high power conversion that improve the efficiency and reliability of power electronic systems in the transportation and renewable energy sectors. AmePower's founders were recognized for their invaluable contribution, influence, and impact in the energy and transportation industries, developing custom solutions that solve complex problems including obsolescence related to areas such as Rail, Wind Turbine, Solar, Energy Storage Solutions and EV Chargers.

ABOUT AMEPOWER

Celebrating 20 years in business, AmePower was founded in 2002 and commenced its operations with a focused expertise on Power Electronics. As entrepreneurs and strategic thinkers, Karina and Luis have always embodied the spirit of innovation and began to develop innovative technical solutions for their clients, and now design and manufacture power electronics systems for some of the world's most notable technology firms.

AmePower serves some of the nation's most recognized transit authorities including LA Metro, New Jersey Transit, Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, RTD Denver, Tren Urbano in Puerto Rico , and internationally. AmePower is also a Buy America compliant manufacturer and their current operations function as a central piece to the assurance of resilience in infrastructure and transportation both within the U.S. and abroad.

A VISIONARY COUPLE

Karina was born and raised in Argentina . An ambitious, practical and solutions-oriented leader with an unwavering dedication to improving our planet through sustainable development, Karina is passionate about making a positive global impact through the work they do.

Luis, seasoned executive with more than 30 years of experience in the Technical and Business Development fields, left his home country of Venezuela 25 years ago with hopes and dreams which have been realized through the hard work and dedication invested in AmePower. He is committed to developing technologically advanced solutions that surpass any design challenge and fosters a 'solutions-focused approach' throughout the company.

"To design and manufacture a reliable product is the number one priority of AmePower, and to be recognized for that is an honor. This would not be possible without our Partner and CTO Juan Munoz , who has surpassed all expectation in overseeing our entire technology department, and of course our team of very talented individuals who consistently go further in all they do," said Luis Contreras about the award. "I'm very grateful to the U.S. SBA for this award and the recognition of our work, to Brian Van Hook for nominating us, our team for their hard work and bringing our vision to life, and our family who is our rock." (Karina Doracio).

AmePower is a thriving family business as a result of the resilience and tenacity of its founders, always in the search of generating a positive impact on future generations and for our planet. Karina Doracio and Luis Contreras will be recognized with an official award during the recognition ceremony of the National Small Business Week in Washington, D.C. held on April 30 and 1st. May 2023 .

Media Contact:

Cristina Rosati , [email protected], +13055940722

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SOURCE AmePower
WASHINGTON , April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear issued the following statement on the California Air Resources Board's adoption of its "Advanced Clean Fleets" regulation, saying the decision to force motor carriers to purchase zero-emission vehicles ignores the fact that these trucks are early-stage technologies and the infrastructure to support them does not exist:

"Today, an unelected Board in California voted to force trucking companies to buy zero-emission trucks. Fleets are just beginning to understand what it takes to successfully operate these trucks, but what they have learned so far is they are significantly more expensive, charging and refueling infrastructure is nonexistent, and ZEVs are not necessarily a one-for-one replacementmeaning more trucks will be needed on California roads to move the same amount of freight.

" California is setting unrealistic targets and unachievable timelines that will undoubtedly lead to higher prices for the goods and services delivered to the state and fewer options for consumers. As it becomes clear that California's rhetoric is not being matched by technology, we hope the Board will reverse course and allow trucking companies the freedom to choose the clean technologies that work best for their operations.

"ATA-member companies work tirelessly to deliver the nation's freight while deploying the cleanest technologies available. Over the past 35 years, those efforts have produced a 98% reduction in truck emissions. We continue to say, 'Yes' to advancing cleaner technologies, but achievable targets and realistic timelines matter."

American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation's freight. Follow ATA on Twitter or Facebook. Trucking Moves America Forward

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SOURCE American Trucking Associations
AMORY, Miss. , April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the recent tornadoes that have devastated parts of Mississippi , BougeRV, a leading provider of RV and outdoor equipment, has stepped up to offer assistance to the affected communities. The company formed a team of volunteers and donated portable solar panels, portable refrigerators, and energy storage systems to help those affected maintain their basic living standards.

The tornadoes that swept through the southern United States in March and April caused severe damage, destroying homes and businesses and leaving many people homeless. In a quick response to the crisis, BougeRV immediately formed a team of volunteers to help those in need. The team quickly put together a shipment of portable solar panels, portable refrigerators, and energy storage systems and dispatched it to the affected areas.

In addition, BougeRV enlisted the assistance of friends, contacts, and partners to make sure that the delivery of the donated items to local relief agencies quick, was accurate, and safe. The donations were met with enthusiastic approval from relief workers and residents alike.

"Thank you so much to BougeRV and your team for sending these supplies to us and for reaching out and finding us," said Wayne Knox , director of the Amory Regional Museum in Mississippi . "We can provide these to our first responders and our medical communities so that they can maintain life-saving medication and blood supplies and things like that, and get them to the people who need the most. This is a really valuable resource for us in a place where we repeatedly lose power due to storms."

The BougeRV team has also prepared for a second wave of donations of essential items for the affected communities and continues to support those affected by the tornadoes. The company has demonstrated its commitment to social responsibility and its determination to help those in need during times of crisis. The company is proud to have played a role in the relief effort in Mississippi and will continue to support communities in need. BougeRV would also encourage others to join the effort to help those affected by recent natural disasters.

About BougeRV

Founded by a group of outdoor mobile adventurers, BougeRV is dedicated to serving its customers with products acting like companions on their travels as the ultimate one-stop solution for all your outdoor needs. BougeRV provides long-lasting power-solar panels, portable refrigerators, portable power stations, and related accessories and componentsso users can bring the technology outdoor, to live better with the nature.

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SOURCE BougeRV
BEIJING , April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Nations (UN) World Data Forum (WDF) that concluded on Thursday in Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province , called for better data governance and more cooperation between governments to help create a sustainable future.

"Today, in the twenty-first century, data represents what oil represented in the twentieth century  a driver of development and progress," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres . "Data  when used responsibly  is the bedrock of a sustainable future."

China shared its experience with data governance at the forum and promised to contribute more to global data governance by organizing more international trainings and promoting the development of the UN Global Platform for Big Data China Hub .

In his congratulatory message to the forum, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the country is willing to work with other countries to help implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through data governance.

China is also willing to deepen international data cooperation within the framework of the Global Development Initiative, Xi said.

Digital transformation that works

The Chinese government has been working on digital transformation and helping enterprises to do the same with big data.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of China has been carrying out censuses about the country's population, agriculture, economy, among other fields. The collected data enables the bureau to pinpoint the key social problems, analyze the economy and provide key facts for policymaking.

Data technology has also provided great convenience for China's logistics industry, enabling the enterprises to predict future workloads, and allocate personnel and equipment even before the orders arrive. As a result, the logistics chain is optimized to transport more goods with the same resources.

China is not only putting resources on data technology domestically, but also providing technical support for other countries, according to Shaida Badiee , managing director and co-founder of Open Data Watch, a U.S. -based non-profit of data experts.

Cooperate for a greener future

A greener future for the world will not be achieved with only one country's effort, and China's strategy on big data requires solid cooperation with the rest of the world.

China has been a strong partner of the UN Statistics Division, helping the division implement data projects and training sessions, according to Francesca Perucci , assistant director of the division.

Kang Yi , head of NBS, said China is serious on the opening up of statistics and will share advanced data technology with other developing countries.

China will hold more international training sessions through investment trusts and get deeply involved in the research and development of the UN Global Platform for Big Data, so as to make China's contribution to global data governance more prominent, he added.

Link: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-04-27/World-Data-Forum-calls-for-data-governance-for-sustainable-development-1jlJGCwgVTa/index.html

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SOURCE CGTN
Russias invasion of Ukraine has rekindled Polands old fear of its giant neighbor. Amid escalating tensions, the Kremlin is now rewriting one of its darkest chapters  the 1940 massacre of over 22,000 Poles in the Katyn Forest (in Russias Smolensk region) by Soviet forces. This comes 13 years after the Duma (the Russian Parliament) apologized to Poland for that war crime during the early years of World War II. The Federal Security Service (FSB), the principal security force of Russia and successor agency to the Soviet Unions KGB, has now released a document attributing this war crime to Nazi Germany and exonerating the USSR.

The debate on responsibility for that bloodbath seemed to have been settled during the rapprochement between Warsaw and Moscow more than a decade ago, but times have changed and friction between the two countries is red hot. The debate in Russia over the unclear circumstances of the Katyn case continues, states an article published in the Russian Foreign Ministrys official journal. This is partly because of the openly hostile position Poland has taken towards Russia in recent years and the destruction of monuments to Red Army soldiers who died during the liberation of that country from the Nazis, says the article, echoing the publicly released FSB document.

The declassified FSB document contains a statement by Arnaud Duret, a German convict forced to fight in a Nazi prisoner battalion. Duret testified in the USSRs Leningrad (present-day St. Petersburg) trials in 1946 of soldiers accused of executing civilians in occupied territories. Duret, who escaped capital punishment, said the Nazi SS forced him and other prisoners to dig trenches 15 to 20 meters deep in Katyn in September 1941.

The FSB document was released by RIA Novosti, the Kremlin news agency. In an article citing unnamed Russian experts and historians, RIA says most of testimony about the massacre remains classified, and claims that the Katyn case was a provocation by the Third Reichs secret services to divide Poland and prevent the Red Army from crossing the country to the German border. The release of Durets testimony as evidence to exonerate the USSR of responsibility for the Katyn massacre has been challenged by independent Russian news media. The Insider reported that Duret, after returning to Germany in 1954, retracted his statements from that trial claiming he had been coerced by Soviet authorities.

The new revelation also directly contradicts the USSRs official investigation opened in 1990, and finally closed in 2004 during the early years of Vladimir Putins presidency, when the military prosecutors abandoned their efforts because all the responsible parties had died. In the early 1990s, Moscow released Closed Package Number 1, a compilation of confidential documents showing that the Soviet politburo had ordered the executions of Polish prisoners.

The Katyn massacre case was closed, but the wound remained open. In November 2010, the Russian Parliament acknowledged that the USSR was responsible for the execution of thousands of Poles. The published materials that were kept classified for many years not only show the magnitude of that terrible tragedy but also that the Katyn crime was directly ordered by Stalin and other Soviet leaders, says the Dumas formal apology to Poland.

A 1943 photo of corpses being exhumed from mass graves in the Katyn Forest in the Russian municipality of Smolensk. EFE

Ukraine, Poland and the Kremlin

Poland honors the Katyn massacre victims on April 13 every year. That is the day when Nazi Germany announced in 1943 the discovery of enormous mass graves with the bodies of thousands of Polish prisoners shot by the NKVD secret police during the Soviet occupation of eastern Poland between 1939 and 1941. Most of the executed prisoners were notable Polish politicians, government officials and army officers, and the massacre decapitated the local resistance. The Polish government in exile broke off relations with Moscow, but after World War II, the country became a USSR satellite state governed by its communist party. Several former Soviet republics, including Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic countries, have recently begun reevaluating their Soviet heritage as hostilities with Russia escalate.

Poland is one of Kyivs main supporters in its war with Russia, a relationship that has been tested by wave after wave of disinformation. One of the Kremlins false pretexts to justify its invasion is that Poland (and sometimes Romania and Hungary) wants to annex western Ukraine. Its a relentless message on social media from Russian supporters and in public statements by Putin himself.

In his speech at the annual meeting of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights on December 7, Putin said, There are latent nationalist elements in Poland who want the return of its so-called historical territories  the western areas of Ukraine that Stalin gave it after World War II. Just two months after annexing the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, Putin said, Only Russia can be the guarantor of Ukraines territorial integrity and sovereignty within its current borders. Russia invaded and annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014.

Franciszek Herzog from Poland shows a photo of his father, who was executed in the Katyn Forest in 1940. Jessica Hill

Stanislav Kuvaldin, a journalist and historian with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, aptly writes: In the Kremlins twisted logic, Ukraine is an artificial construct, and only Russia  as the successor of the country that once granted Ukraine its current borders by seizing land from its neighbors  can now ensure the inviolability of Ukraines western territories. Therefore, says Kuvaldin, the Kremlin believes Ukrainians should join Russia out of fear of being partitioned by its Western neighbors. Other senior Russian officials like Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and chief Russian peace negotiator Vladimir Medinsky have parroted the same message. Early in the war, Sergey Naryshkin, director of Russias Foreign Intelligence Service, said that Washington and Warsaw were plotting to establish strict military and political control over Polands historical territory in Ukraine.

A Telegram post on April 22 by Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, said that Poland dreams of reunifying with Ukraine and restoring its sea-to-sea empire. Medvedev was referring to Poland in the 16th and 17th centuries, when it stretched from the Baltic Sea nearly to the Black Sea, encompassing much of Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania. Medvedev went even further and said that Poland is an enemy of Russia.

These days, Polands borders with Ukraine and Belarus are a glaring red line in Eastern Europe. The accidental landing of a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile on Polish (and therefore NATO) territory in November last year alarmed the western military alliance. The incident resulted in two deaths and ratcheted up anxiety in the country, which is feeling increasingly threatened by the Kremlin and its Belarusian ally, Alexander Lukashenko. Belarus has provoked a humanitarian crisis by sending massive numbers of refugees from other countries to its border with Poland, and Russia has deployed a military force to Belarus that may soon include tactical nuclear weapons.

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- Exclusive rights for the development and commercialization of DWP213388 in the global market to Vitalli Bio, a portfolio company of Aditum Bio, the biotech investment firm

- Targeting the KRW 146 trillion global autoimmune disease market with partner who has top global drug development expertise

SEOUL, South Korea and OAKLAND, Calif. , April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Daewoong Pharmaceutical (CEO Jeon Sengho and Lee Chang-jae ) announced today that it had signed a Global License Agreement for its autoimmune disease drug candidate DWP213388 with Vitalli Bio, a US biotechnology company, on April 28 .

With this agreement, Daewoong Pharmaceutical will grant exclusive rights for the development and commercialization of DWP213388 in the global market to Vitalli Bio, a portfolio company of Aditum Bio. Daewoong Pharmaceutical will retain rights in some Asian regions including Korea . In return, Daewoong will receive over $10 million in upfront commitments, and the deal is worth up to $477 million . In addition, Vitalli Bio will be granted an option to license earlier stage dual-target inhibitors in development by Daewoong.

DWP213388, which is being developed by Daewoong Pharmaceutical, targets Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) and Interleukin-2-inducible T-cell kinase (ITK), which are involved in the activation of immune cells such as B cells and T cells. Unlike existing treatments that inhibit only one of B cells and T cells, DWP213388 is a first-in-class new drug that can inhibit both BTK and ITK simultaneously as targets. In last August, Daewoong Pharmaceutical received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial of DWP213388. In addition, excellent efficacy has been confirmed in various autoimmune disease animal models such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).

Aditum Bio, the biotech investment firm cofounded in 2019 by former Novartis CEO Joe Jimenez and former President of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) Dr. Mark Fishman, who is also currently a professor at Harvard Medical School. During Dr. Fishman's tenure, NIBR discovered and brought through successful clinical trials for 90 new medicines in more than 120 indications. Vitalli Bio is the ninth company formed by Aditum Bio, whose unique investment and operating model enables rapid company formation, planning, and execution to advance novel drug candidates into the clinic and speed their delivery to the patients in need. With Aditum Bio's management, who has extensive experience in the global pharmaceutical industry and clinical development, actively participating in the development of DWP213388, Vitalli Bio offers world-class development capabilities in major overseas countries such as the US and Europe .

Jeon Sengho, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, said, "We are very pleased that this Agreement proves not only the excellence of DWP213388, but also Daewoong Pharmaceutical's new drug development technology. Daewoong Pharmaceutical will continue to introduce innovative new drugs that are recognized in the global pharmaceutical market."

Aditum Bio CEO Joe Jimenez said, "Aditum Bio has been very impressed with the biotechnology research capability of Daewoong, and are looking forward to working together to bring this new therapy to patients in need."

An autoimmune disease is a disease that occurs when the immune system inside the human body recognizes normal cells inside the human body as antigens, rather than external antigens such as bacteria and viruses, and attacks them. According to IQVIA, a global market research institute, the global autoimmune disease treatment market is growing at an average annual rate of 5% to reach $115 billion in 2022.

About Daewoong Pharmaceutical

Established in 1945, Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a leading South Korean pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, and commercializes pharmaceuticals for both domestic and international markets. With a strong and innovative in-house R&D and advanced manufacturing facilities, Daewoong provides a total healthcare solution to customers across the globe. Continuing on their course of building a strong global healthcare company, Daewoong has broadened international operations by establishing branch offices and research centers throughout Asia and the United States . Daewoong has also expanded strategic partnerships in more than 100 countries worldwide.

In 2022, Daewoong expanded its global market presence by entering into a license agreement worth USD 923 million , which granted permission for the use of 'Fexuclue', a medicine licensed for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, in the Philippines and Ecuador within the first year of its launch. Additionally, Daewoong successfully launched 'Envlo', the first-ever sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor for the treatment of diabetes to be developed in Korea , and signed an export contract worth USD 84.36 million with Brazil and Mexico . For further information on Daewoong Pharmaceutical, please visit our official website.

About Aditum Bio

Aditum Bio is committed to improving public health by accelerating R&D in disease areas with both large and more targeted patient populations, where medical innovation can have a huge impact. Aditum Bio focuses on basic mechanisms of disease, in-licenses promising drug candidates directed at such pathophysiologies, and spins out individual companies dedicated to bringing each candidate through Phase II clinical trials. Aditum Bio uses data, software and technology to help bring innovative medicines through the clinical trial phase more quickly and with lower costs than traditional pharmaceutical companies. For more information, please visit www.aditumbio.com.

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SOURCE Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd
County Proposes Stripped Deal for Municipal Workers

DUBUQUE, Iowa , April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With a contract expiring July 1 for nearly 50 public sector workers in Dubuque County , Teamsters Local 120 has spent the last several weeks negotiating a new deal for members. In a blow to these essential workers, the Dubuque County Board of Supervisors have proposed a contract that would strip workers' contracts down and remove critical language about seniority, vacation time, and other benefits.

"The proposal from the Dubuque County Board of Supervisors is a non-starter," said John Klootwyk , Business Agent at Local 120. "It is shameful that a historically pro-union town like Dubuque is treating its municipal workers with such disrespect. The Teamsters remain committed to getting the absolute best contract for our members  and what the county is offering is not that."

Additionally, the Dubuque County Board of Supervisors has hired notorious union-busting law firm, Lynch Dallas out of Linn County , to negotiate this deal.

"We are disgusted that Dubuque County is using our taxpayer dollars to pay an anti-union law firm to strip our contracts," said Ken Thill , a 20-year veteran of the Dubuque County Roads Department and member of Local 120. "We play a key role in our community and deserve a contract that reflects our hard work. My co-workers and I are urging members of the Dubuque community to call the County Board of Supervisors and demand they offer us a fair contract. Our livelihoods and the well-being of our community depend on it."

Mediation between Local 120 and the Dubuque County Board of Supervisors is slated to begin on May 4 .

Teamsters Local 120 represents nearly 12,000 members in four states: Minnesota , Iowa , North Dakota , and South Dakota . Local 120 represents workers at over 300 employers in both the private and public sector. For more information, visit teamsterslocal120.org/

Contact:

Matt McQuaid , (202) 624-6877

[email protected]

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SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
VANCOUVER, BC , April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Fineqia International Inc. ("Fineqia" or the "Company") (CSE: FNQ) (OTC: FNQQF) (Frankfurt: FNQA), the digital asset and fintech investment business, is pleased to announce that it intends to undertake a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") of up to 100,000,000 units (the "Units") at a price of C$0.01 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to C$1,000,000 .

Each Unit will consist of one common share of Fineqia (a "Common Share") and one warrant to purchase one Common Share (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will be exercisable for a period of three years from the closing of the Offering at an exercise price of C$0.05 per Common Share.

The Company may, at its option, accelerate the expiry date, provided that closing price trades at or above $0.10 per share for any 20 consecutive trading day period at any time after four months and one day after the issuance of the warrant. Warrant holders will be notified by the issue of a press release by the Company announcing such acceleration. In such a situation, the expiry date shall be deemed to be the 20th day following the date of issuance of the press release.

Fineqia intends to use the proceeds from the private placement for working capital purposes and to pare down debt.

All references to dollars ($) above are to Canadian dollars (C$).

The issuance of certain of the Units to directors and officers of the Company pursuant to the Offering will each be considered a "related party transaction" as defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company will rely upon exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a), respectively, with respect to the issuance of the Units to the directors and officers.

These securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"). Accordingly, these securities may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, a U.S. person or person in the United States (as such terms are defined in regulations under the 1933 Act), absent an exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act and applicable state laws. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States or in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Fineqia International Inc.

Fineqia (www.fineqia.com) is a digital asset business that builds and targets investments in early and growth stage technology companies that will be part of the next generation of the Internet. It also provides a platform to support and manage the issuance of debt securities in the UK . Publicly listed in Canada (CSE: FNQ) with offices in Vancouver and London , Fineqia's portfolio of investments includes businesses at the forefront of tokenization, blockchain technology, NFTs, and fintech.

ON BEHALF OF THE FINEQIA BOARD

Bundeep Singh Rangar

CEO and Director

T. +44 20 7097 1469

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information (as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws) ("forward-looking statements"). All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that Fineqia (the "Company") believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential acquisitions and financings) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, the failure to obtain sufficient financing, and other risks disclosed in the Company's public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made except as may be required by applicable securities laws. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement except to the extent required by applicable securities laws.

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SOURCE Fineqia International Inc.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. , April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kansas City Life Insurance Company recorded a net loss of $3.2 million or $0.33 per share in the first quarter of 2023 compared to a net loss of $7.7 million or $0.79 per share in the first quarter of 2022.

These results included improvements in premiums, net of reinsurance, and contract charges in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the first quarter of 2022. In addition, investment revenues increased over the prior year, reflecting increases in yields earned on certain investments and higher realized investment gains. In addition, operating expenses and interest credited to policyholder account balances were lower than one year earlier. Conversely, policyholder benefits were higher in the first quarter of 2023 than in the first quarter of 2022. A decrease in death benefits, net of reinsurance, was more than offset by an increase in benefit and contract reserves compared to the prior year.

Kansas City Life Insurance Company (OTCQX: KCLI) was established in 1895 and is based in Kansas City, Missouri . The Company's primary business is providing financial protection through the sale of life insurance and annuities. The Company operates in 49 states and the District of Columbia . For more information, please visit www.kclife.com.

Kansas City Life Insurance Company Condensed Consolidated Income Statement (amounts in thousands, except share data)



Quarter Ended

March 31

2023

2022 Revenues $ 125,969

$ 119,231 Net loss $ (3,241)

$ (7,676) Net loss per share, basic and diluted $ (0.33)

$ (0.79) Dividends paid $ 0.14

$ 0.27 Average number of shares outstanding

9,683,414



9,683,414













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SOURCE Kansas City Life Insurance Company
MUSCATINE, Iowa , April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- KENT Pet Group, a global leader in high-performance and sustainable litter products, marked a significant milestone on Thursday by celebrating the launch of construction for its new Muscatine -based manufacturing plant.

The groundbreaking ceremony represents a monumental chapter in the company's history as KENT Pet Group's flagship World's Best Cat Litter brand celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

Since its inception, the KENT Corporation subsidiary has sold nearly 1.5 billion pounds of litter and is expected to reach its goal of donating over 3 million pounds of litter to cat shelters before the end of year.

"Our corn-based cat litter is in high demand," said KENT Pet Group President Steve Gordon . "Expanding our footprint will allow us to continue to enable the love and boundless joy of pets through innovative products and brands around the world."

The 113,000-square-foot facility will sit on 70 acres adjacent to the KENT Distribution Center. It will feature state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment, research, development, and room for future growth plans.

"Today's announcement is an excellent example of a great Iowa business taking a raw commodity like corn and adding even more value to it, which in turn creates new jobs and builds an even stronger future for Iowa agriculture," said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig . "KENT Corporation has deep roots here in Muscatine and I'm grateful they chose Iowa as the place to continue to grow their business."

When complete, the facility will create approximately 30 new jobs.

"It is great to see one of the largest employers in Muscatine advancing the local economy," said Muscatine Mayor Brad Bark . "The new facility is truly a 'win-win' for the city, state, and all project stakeholders."

Building on the success of the KENT Nutrition Group Feed Mill Expansion Project in Sheldon, Iowa , KENT Pet Group is partnering with WL Port-Land Systems, Inc. for the design, engineering, and construction of this facility.

Construction is expected to be completed in mid-2025.

About KENT Corporation

With origins in the livestock feed business, today KENT Corporation is a diversified, family-owned company headquartered in Muscatine, Iowa (USA) with operating subsidiaries involved in corn wet milling, the production of animal feeds, and the manufacture of food, beverage, and pet products. KENT is led by third generation family member, Gage A. Kent . KENT serves customers across the world and employs approximately two thousand people in 40 locations across 20 states and seven countries.

Media contact:

Carol Reynolds

[email protected]

563-264-4532

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SOURCE Kent Corporation; KENT Pet Group
ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Language Connects Foundation (LCF), a new not-for-profit supported by ACTFL, in partnership with Klett World Languages are thrilled to announce the launch of the inaugural LCF/Klett Award for Sustainable Development Education in the World Language Classroom. This exciting initiative aims to celebrate and reward K-12 educators, higher education educators, and college or university students who have effectively integrated United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their classroom curriculum and projects, and through these efforts promote global awareness and social responsibility among their students and peers.

making a difference in the world language classroom by promoting global awareness and social responsibility

The LCF/Klett Award for Sustainable Development Education in the World Language Classroom will award $1,000 each to a K-12 educator, an educator from higher education, and one college or university student. Awardees will have demonstrated excellence in promoting sustainable programs and initiatives that are diverse, inclusive, and encourage meaningful communication to foster global citizenship in and out of the classroom.

"We are proud to sponsor this award, recognizing the efforts of those who are making a difference in the world language classroom by promoting global awareness and social responsibility among their students and peers," said Klett World Languages' Marketing Director Maria Jesus Abilleira , acknowledging the importance of the award in promoting sustainable development education.

Nominations for this prestigious award are currently being accepted through June 30, 2023 . Winners will be announced at the ACTFL Professional Awards Ceremony during the 2023 ACTFL Annual Convention and World Languages Expo in Chicago .

LCF Director Kit Hall expressed gratitude to Klett World Languages for their generous support of this innovative award. "We are delighted to partner with Klett World Languages to highlight the critical importance of global citizenship and social responsibility among language students and educators so to ensure a brighter future for generations to come. Klett has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to issues of sustainability, which align well with the goals of both ACTFL and, in particular, the Language Connects Foundation."

About LCF:

Launched in November 2022 , The Language Connects Foundation (LCF) is a national not-for-profit and philanthropic organization created in partnership with our parent organization, ACTFL, to elevate the language education profession and promote the transformative power of language learning.

LCF's ultimate goal is to help ensure a diverse, well-prepared, and highly skilled language educator workforce today and for generations to come.

About ACTFL:

Providing vision, leadership and support for quality teaching and learning of languages, ACTFL is an individual membership organization of more than 11,000 language educators and administrators from elementary through graduate education, as well as government and industry. Since its founding in 1967, ACTFL has become synonymous with innovation, quality, and reliability in meeting the changing needs of language educators and their learners. It is where the world's educators, businesses, and government agencies go to advance the practice of language learning.

ACTFL's work as a trusted, independent center of excellence empowers educators to prepare learners for success in a 21st century global society; helps government agencies build language capacity in the U.S. and abroad; and connects businesses with the resources and relationships they need to succeed.

About Klett World Languages:

Klett World Languages is the Chicago -based arm of the Klett Group, one of the leading educational institutions in the world. Since its foundation in 1897, the Klett Group has achieved strong economic success and innovation in the areas of education and culture. The company produces tailor-made educational media for students and adults, as well as course books for learners of all ages in the United States and Europe .

Their product portfolio includes high-quality educational products for Spanish, German, French and Italian from textbooks to a broad range of readers, grammar and vocabulary products, exam preparation materials, and digital offerings.

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SOURCE ACTFL
The company strengthens its Federal vertical with series of promotions to further support its transformation to a full-service engineering and consulting firm

PITTSBURGH , April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael Baker International, a global leader in engineering, planning and consulting services, today announced that the firm has promoted Brian May to President, Federal Programs and Services. In this role, Mr. May joins Michael Baker's Executive Committee and will lead the firm's efforts to accelerate growth in Federal markets by expanding its client roster and relationships with defense and civilian agencies. He will continue the firm's focus on capturing more of the Federal market and delivering quality projects by bringing the best people and resources to the work, while also promoting collaboration and leveraging the firm's expertise to win new work. Additional promotions within Michael Baker's Federal vertical include George Guszcza , D.Eng , CPEM, C.C.M., to Chief Transformation Officer, Lori Stump-Ganter , to Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Director, Federal Operations and Dean Hartman , to National Market Lead  Air Force and U.S. Space Force.

"Michael Baker has a legacy of service to the U.S. federal government dating back to 1940 and the firm has consistently delivered innovative solutions to complex infrastructure challenges," said James E. Koch , Ph.D., P.E., Chief Operating Officer at Michael Baker International. "Under Brian's leadership, I am confident our Federal Programs and Services vertical will continue to support the infrastructure that is critical to meeting the goals of our Federal clients and achieving mission readiness for our military partners."

Mr. May , Dr. Guszcza , Ms. Stump-Ganter and Mr. Hartman all bring extensive experience to their new roles.

Brian May , President, Federal Programs and Services, joined Michael Baker in 2019 as National Market Lead  U.S. Air Force and Space Force, where he used the firm's relationship-focused account management approach to expand its work and position Michael Baker for greater growth opportunities with the Air Force and Space Force.

Prior to his tenure with Michael Baker, he served in the Air Force over a 25-year career as a civil engineer. He retired in 2017 at the rank of Colonel. With the Air Force, Mr. May helped lead engineering and planning projects that resulted in the implementation of new facilities including medical, housing, administration, training, aviation buildings and infrastructure. Mr. May holds a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, a Master of Arts degree in Military Operational Art and Science from Air University, a Master of Business Administration degree from Saint Martin's University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame.

George Guszcza , D.Eng , CPEM, C.C.M., has more than 25 years of military, Federal and private sector experience, and in his new role as Chief Transformation Officer, he will establish the company's Transformation Office to bring a heightened pace and rhythm to the planning and execution of the company's highest priority imperatives. The Transformation Office will assist in advancing the company at greater speed and strengthen its culture of accountability around delivery.

Most recently, Dr. Guszcza served as National Director  Federal Programs and Services, where he focused on Federal Operations, cultivating collaboration across the company. Previously at Michael Baker, he led the firm's D.C. Metro Area , comprised of Delaware , Maryland , Northern Virginia , Washington, DC . and FEMA nation-wide as Senior Vice President and Office Executive and as Vice President of Cost Management.

Before joining Michael Baker, Dr. Guszcza was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Adams and Associates, Inc. He holds a Doctor of Engineering degree in Engineering Management & Systems Engineering from George Washington University, a Major Programme Management (MSc) degree from the Said Business School at the University of Oxford, and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology/Computer Information Systems Engineering from the United States Military Academy, West Point.

Lori Stump-Ganter , CFO and Director, Federal Operations, has a proven track record in all aspects of business management, including business planning, budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, strategic planning, project control, contract administration and continuous improvement. In her new role, Ms. Stump-Ganter will partner closely with the Federal vertical's leadership and the firm's Federal Centers of Excellence (FCOEs), improving all aspects of sales pipeline visibility and supporting Federal Project Managers on project performance. She will also contribute to improved pursuit strategies and better leverage the use of processes and technology. Since 2022, she has served as CFO for the Federal team, and prior to that as Director of Business Analytics.

Prior to Michael Baker, Ms. Stump-Ganter was Vice President, Business Process Management at PNC Bank. Earlier in her career, she was a Project Engineer and Assistant Project Manager at several firms. Ms. Stump-Ganter holds a Master of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh's Katz Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Engineering from Grove City College.

Dean Hartman , National Market Lead  Air Force and Space Force, will drive Michael Baker's growth efforts with the Air Force and Space Force, working with client service teams, local offices and practice leads to effectively address the spectrum of opportunities, from tactical plans through strategic positioning. Mr. Hartman brings a proven record of success with strategic planning, organizational management, budget development, program management and program execution. He is a recognized leader in asset management, built infrastructure investment program build, facility engineering, installation operations, readiness and emergency management and environmental quality.

Mr. Hartman joined Michael Baker in 2021 as Program Manager  Federal, playing an important role serving the firm's Air Force clients. Prior to Michael Baker, he spent 30 years in the Air Force, including as Director, Planning & Integration Directorate at the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC). Mr. Hartman holds a Master of Science degree in Military Operational Art and Science from Air University, a Master of Science degree in Engineering and Environmental Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of Florida.

About Michael Baker International

Michael Baker International is a leading provider of engineering and consulting services spanning four distinct Verticals: Infrastructure, Design-Build Services, Federal Programs and Services and Consulting and Technology Solutions (CTS). The firm's Practices encompass all facets of infrastructure, including design and civil engineering for diverse bridge, highway, water, rail and transit and aviation projects, as well as planning, architecture, environmental and construction and program management. For more than 80 years, the company has been a trusted partner to clients, providing comprehensive services and solutions, delivering expertise and quality, and embracing emerging technologies and the latest innovations  like intelligent transportation, engineered models and public safety software as a service (SaaS).

The firm's more than 3,500 employees across nearly 100 locations are committed to Making a Difference for clients and communities through a culture of innovation, collaboration and technological advancement while Reimagining Michael Baker to become a full-service engineering and consulting firm over the next five years.

To learn more, visit https://mbakerintl.com/.

Contact: Julia Covelli

[email protected]

(866) 293-4609

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SOURCE Michael Baker International
Introducing the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine

HARRISON TOWNSHIP, N.J. , April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In what was a landmark day for veterinary medicine nationallyand for New JerseyGov. Phil Murphy and other state officials and veterinary medicine leaders joined the Rowan community on April 28 to celebrate a $30 million gift for the state's first veterinary school.

Rowan will be one of only two institutions in the nation to offer three medical degrees: D.V.M., D.O., and M.D.

The gift from South Jersey businessman and staunch animal welfare advocate Gerald B. Shreiber was announced during a groundbreaking ceremony on Rowan's West Campus in Harrison Township, N.J.

The school will be named the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine, a fitting tribute to the successful business leader and entrepreneur from South Jersey who has generously supported education and animal health and wellness for decades.

"Just think about itthere's going to be a very good chance that not too far in the future, graduates of Rowan University will be providing medical care to every member of a family living in New Jersey ," Murphy said to the capacity crowd at the future home of the veterinary school adjacent to the South Jersey Tech Park of Rowan University.

"When the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine is added to all else that Rowan University does so well, this institution is truly living up to its motto, 'Education, hope of the world.'"

Learn more about Shreiber and the gift here.

Three medical degrees

With the addition of the veterinary school, expected to welcome its first class in 2025, Rowan will be one of only two universities in the nation to offer three medical degrees: D.V.M., D.O., and M.D. Currently, there are just 33 veterinary schools in the United States and only five on the east coast.

Shreiber's gift, announced by Rowan President Ali A. Houshmand to thundering applause and a prolonged standing ovation, is the third-largest gift to the University (and the second-largest gift from an individual).

A generous supporter of the University for more than two decades, Shreiber in 2019 pledged $3 million to establish the Shreiber Family Pet Therapy Program. Since then, the program has provided group and individualized therapy animal visits for more than 8,000 Rowan students and employees.

'His confidence in us is both humbling and inspirational'

With Shreiber's gift to the veterinary school, the University will have the means to offer scholarships to veterinary students, Houshmand said. The school will address an increase in demand for veterinary professionals in New Jersey and across the nation. It will help keep state residents seeking veterinary careers in New Jersey and also attract out-of-state students.

The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges has predicted a shortage of 15,000 veterinarians in the nation within two decades.

" Gerry Shreiber's generosity has literally changed the lives of students at Rowan University. His confidence in us over the years is both humbling and inspirational," Houshmand said.

"Thank you, Mr. Shreiber , for your investment in Rowan, in New Jersey , in education, and in the health and welfare of animals for years to come. Your gift will be used to support scholarships, making attaining a veterinary degree more accessible and affordable. And that will happen in perpetuity."

Addressing affordability

Affordability is an important issue for veterinary students, Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine Founding Dean Matthew Edson said. The gift and its support of scholarships will distinguish the Shreiber School as it works to keep veterinary students in New Jersey , said Edson, who earned his D.V.M. degree from Kansas State University.

"Affordability of veterinary education is one of the big problems that we have in our industry," Edson said. "Folks come out with a large amount of debt and that's a struggle. We don't want to be that program. Donations like what Mr. Shreiber has provided for us are really going to allow us to fill that gap and our students can pursue that career that they want after they graduateand not just pursue a paycheck."

Lifelong animal lover

Chairman of J&J Snack Foods Corp., Shreiber said he is pleasedand proudto support the veterinary school.

In 1971, Shreiber, who grew up outside Atlantic City , purchased a bankrupt soft pretzel company and transformed it into a multi-billion-dollar snack food and beverage industry that has been listed on the FORBES list of "200 Best Small Companies' seven times. The company's brands include SUPERPRETZEL, ICEE, LUIGI'S and Minute Maid.

A lifelong animal lover, Shreiber has used his business success to generously support education and animal welfare. He created SAFE (Shreiber Animal Foundation Enterprise), which made a transformational gift to establish a pet therapy program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

"I've been very fortunate in business over the years," he said. "I'm honored to give this gift. Animals are my passion, so I couldn't think of a better way to give something back to make a positive impact on their lives," Shreiber said.

"I'm excited to see the development of the veterinary school and to know I have a role in that. I believe New Jersey needs better veterinary care and if I can do my small part to help that, I'm happy to."

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SOURCE Rowan University
PASAY CITY, Philippines , April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Glenn Paul Anover Embodo is among the 'Yolanda' scholars helped by SM Foundation, Inc. of the SM Group, following the devastation of the super typhoon in the country in 2013.

That's why Glenn was elated to share the good news to SM that he's now a Certified Public Accountant. This came after a long wait for the accounting licensure exams that were put on hold during the pandemic and resumed only in 2022.

Glenn's achievement is a story that inspires SM to keep paying it forward and extend the gesture of gratitude to the different communities it serves for all the support the brand has received for over 60 years.

SM Investments Corporation strives to create real, positive community impact not only through the accessibility of goods and services, but in the creation of socio-economic ventures leading to over 140,000 jobs created across the group in 2022.

"As we grow, we work to ensure that we create and share value with our partners and our communities, helping build strong social foundations," SM Investments Corporation President and CEO Frederic C. DyBuncio said.

In 2022, SM's partnership with suppliers, tenants, and brand affiliates grew. Around 68 percent of SM Supermalls tenants were MSMEs, and the group provided over PHP62.72 billion outstanding loans through its banking businesses, BDO Unibank and China Banking Corporation.

Developing our communities

The attainment of equal access to education is a commitment shared across SM. This passion continues to bridge innate Filipino potential to quality education for all.

SM's School and Classroom Building Program has laid the building blocks to house future leaders, and inspiring educators, which has turned over 342 school buildings and 1,110 classrooms built and refurbished to date. The Scholarship Program has supported a total of 11,750 scholars to date.

Working closely with the Department of Health (DOH) helped give people access to basic health services, especially in grassroots communities.

The Group's efforts to empower community health have translated to the renovation and refurbishment of 317 health centers and medical facilities with 1,847 medical missions conducted to date. SM believes in the power of these centers to ensure the welfare of communities and to help reduce the impacts of health outbreaks akin to COVID-19.

To date, over 6.3 million patients have been served by SM's medical missions and wellness center initiatives.

This is in addition to over 10.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered across 77 participating mall vaccination sites by the end of 2022.

Forests of the future

SM has been a long-time advocate for environmental stewardship and recently launched the Grow Trees Community through its social good arm, SM Foundation, in partnership with the Fast Retailing Foundation.

The program focuses on developing long-term reforestation by involving an ecosystem of community partners to care for all seedlings planted.

SM's tree planting initiatives have resulted in over 2.6 million trees planted and maintained through SM Foundation, Belle Corporation, Hamilo Coast and Carmen Copper Corporation.

More stories of SM's communities can be found in the third iteration of its Integrated Report for 2022 in line with the group's Annual Stockholder's Meeting (ASM) on April 26, 2023 . View the full report at https://bit.ly/2022-SMIC-IR

About SM Investments Corporation

SM Investments Corporation is a leading Philippine company that is invested in market-leading businesses in retail, banking, and property. It also invests in ventures that capture high growth opportunities in the emerging Philippine economy.

SM's retail operations are the country's largest and most diversified with its food, non-food, and specialty retail stores. SM's property arm, SM Prime Holdings, Inc., is the largest integrated property developer in the Philippines with interests in malls, residences, offices, hotels and convention centers as well as tourism-related property developments. SM's interests in banking are in BDO Unibank, Inc., the country's largest bank, and China Banking Corporation, the 6th largest bank.

For information, please visit www.sminvestments.com

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SOURCE SM Investments Corporation
CHICAGO , April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Is online information about recurrent UTIs reliable? How does TikTok relate to medical misinformation? Is YouTube helpful for patient education?

Researchers will be presenting these Validity of Urologic Information on Social Media study findings at the 118th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association. Justin Dubin , MD, urologist and andrologist focusing on men's health at Memorial Healthcare System, will moderate a virtual press session featuring the following four abstracts.

Kymora B. Scotland, MD , from the University of California, Los Angeles, characterized the public's interaction with online information on recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI), and recurrent UTI patient concerns. "Public Interest in Online Information on Recurrent UTIs is Greatest for Information with the Poorest Publication Quality."

John Fastenau , from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, identified how TikTok contributes to misinformation regarding the COVID-19 virus, vaccination, and male infertility. "Misinformation on TikTok about the Effect of COVID-19 Infections and Vaccinations on Male Fertility."

Annie Chen , MD, from the Renaissance School of Medicine with Stony Brook University, investigated the quality of information on YouTube for medical education. "YouTube an Effective Patient Educational Resource? Content Analysis of the Top 50 BPH Videos."

Arshia Sandozi , DO, from Maimonides Medical Center, evaluated the presence of misinformation and quality of TikTok posts related to overactive bladder (OAB). "Quality of Overactive Bladder Videos on Social Media: What is the Public Learning from TikTok?"

"For better or worse, social media has become an integral part of the average American's life. It has impacted our culture, our politics, and now we are starting to learn, potentially our health," said Dr. Dubin . "A large portion of Americans are turning towards YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms for health problems before ever consulting a healthcare provider. If we as physicians are going to provide good care, we must understand how patients are getting their health information and learn how to address the problems that come with medical misinformation online."

NOTE TO REPORTERS: Presenting authors and moderators are available to discuss their findings. To arrange an interview with an expert, please contact the AUA Communications Team at [email protected].

About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland , the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology and has nearly 24,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy.

Media Contact:

Corey Del Bianco , Corporate Communications and Media Relations Manager

410-689-4033, [email protected]

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SOURCE American Urological Association
The fierce clashes that broke out on April 15 in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the countrys most powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have brought Khartoum to the brink of total collapse. The extent of the destruction caused by the fighting is difficult to estimate, and the activities of the state and social welfare groups have been largely suspended. But amid this general paralysis, more informal neighborhood networks have mobilized and are attempting to fill the void, organizing the distribution of basic goods, coordinating medical care, planning evacuations and building a movement to oppose the war.

We are not counting on the generals, because we know they dont care about us. We are counting on the people, sums up a young man named Mohamed Elobaid. Although citizen initiatives have been very diverse, at the forefront of these efforts are the so-called resistance committees, such as the one to which Elobaid belongs in Omdurman, one of the satellite cities that make up the metropolitan area of the capital.

The history of these committees extends back at least to the 1990s, but they gained greater exposure during the 2018 and 2019 social mobilizations that led to the downfall of former dictator Omar al-Bashir after nearly 30 years in power. Even then, this extensive informal network of revolutionary groups  largely made up of young people and deeply rooted in the neighborhoods  demonstrated an instinctive ability to evade the regimes repressive tactics. Strong local ties and their decentralized character also proved key to their leading role in protests against the coup detat staged against the transitional government in 2021 by the two generals now at war with each other  Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the leader of the RSF, and Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who commands the Sudanese Armed Forces. Today, these same organizations are trying to mitigate the effects of the fresh onslaught.

We are not counting on the generals, because we know they dont care about us. We are counting on the people Resistance committee member Mohamed Elobaid

From politics to food distribution

They face a huge task, however. Shortages of food, water, medicine, electricity and fuel are increasingly acute. Many people have no access to cash, and the banking system is largely paralyzed. A local doctors committee reported that 70% of general hospitals in Khartoum and nearby states have had to cease operations since the conflict broke out, while the rest can only provide very basic services. And movement through some areas of Khartoum, especially those hardest-hit by the fighting, is extremely dangerous and requires careful planning.

When the violence erupted, many of the resistance committees formed emergency cabinets to coordinate their action. Although they were originally born as eminently political groups, they put material support at the center of their agenda as well, as the four activists consulted by EL PAIS, who belong to four different committees in Khartoum, explain. They distribute food, water and other essentials, such as baby formula, insulin and first aid supplies, to hundreds of families.

The situation is very difficult for the committee because of the deteriorating economic situation, high prices and lack of safe roads. But we do what we can, says Muhamad Ali, a young man from Bahri. And [this is] thanks to donors from inside and outside Sudan and from the committee itself, without whom the situation would have been even worse. In Alis committee there are nine members and six volunteers.

Hajoj Kuka, a committee member from Khartoum who was out of the country when the fighting began, says that in his case they have been fortunate because there are some farms in his area and this has made it easier to access food to distribute. We try to gather food for people who dont have access to it, or are too scared to go home to get food, or who dont have any money, he says via telephone.

To try to alleviate the collapse of the health system and shortages in hospital, some committees are collecting donations to purchase medicines, medical equipment and supplies, and assisting in coordinating medical personnel in their areas. Kuka says that in his neighborhood they have set up a room to perform basic medical interventions because the nearby hospitals are closed.

In neighborhoods where clashes have taken place, committees have mobilized to evacuate trapped residents, providing them with safe passage to other neighborhoods or outside the capital. Ali says the committees have put residents who wanted to escape the city but could not afford the costs in touch with fuel and vehicle donors. Most citizens of Khartoum are unable to flee because they cannot afford skyrocketing transport prices, Ali says, and most of those who do leave make for states near the capital, where the security situation is more stable.

Muzdalifah Izz Al-Din, an activist in a committee in southern Khartoum, says that in her neighborhood they have organized a night patrol to protect the area from theft and looting, which is sometimes carried out by soldiers from one of the warring sides, especially the RSF, which has embedded itself in some areas of the city. The committee members interviewed acknowledge that the internal organization of their groups has been affected by the violence and the departure of some of their members. But they also say that the close links between committees and the distribution of responsibilities prior to the clashes has facilitated their mobilization and coordination.

Everyone has their role and their way of doing things, whether it is by internet or meeting [in person]. And even amid the clashes this didnt stop, because the goal is to serve the neighborhood, says Al-Din. You organize with the people in your neighborhood, so you can go to each others houses, you make sure everyone is okay, and people still meet a lot, because everyone lives nearby, adds Kuka.

If people are not killed by a bullet, they will be killed by hunger, they will be killed by thirst Muzdalifah Izz Al-Din, committee activist in southern Khartoum

Committees remain neutral in battle between RSF and armed forces

Despite their efforts, the interviewees note that their ability to stave off an even greater catastrophe is limited and that the return of international humanitarian organizations with infrastructures and resources far greater than their own, or at least the channeling of resources through NGOs to the committees, is a matter of great urgency. If people are not killed by a bullet, they will be killed by hunger, they will be killed by thirst, Al-Din says. I hope we dont starve; I hope the state of the country improves, I hope for many good things, God willing. We are optimistic, and we believe that this crisis will pass, as all the previous ones did.

The committees, in addition to coordinating and distributing aid, are remaining as politically active as possible. Many of them have issued communiques in which they state they do not support either of the warring parties, declaring themselves hostile to the leaders of both sides and calling on the population to protect themselves and to continue working to achieve their objectives of disbanding the militias and restructuring the Sudanese Army. Kuka says that is committee has launched a campaign against the war, with graffiti on the streets and posts on the internet. Its all on a small scale, because its still too dangerous to gather a lot of people together. But we are trying to find ways for the voice of the resistance committees to be heard so that this does not become something where the only protagonists are the international community, the politicians, the military, he says. [We] want to preserve the idea that we, as civilians, have power.

At the end of February 2022, four months after the coup detat in Sudan, the Khartoum resistance committees reached an important milestone when they agreed on and published a political charter, which outlined the main points of a proposal for a path out of the crisis the country had been plunged into, as well as the bases on which they wanted to build a new Sudan. The charter attributes Sudans failure to make strides since independence to an elitist political approach incapable of addressing the roots of the countrys economic, social and cultural problems. The document also states that the inability to adopt a development vision that ensures a fair and equitable distribution of power and wealth led to the rapid collapse of previous transition attempts. It calls for the construction of a modern, democratic, civilian-led state.

After it was published, a process was initiated to discuss the document with all Sudanese resistance committees, some of which had published charters of their own, in order to reach a consensus on a unified text. Despite their political activism and their organization and influence within Sudanese society, the countrys political elite, the generals who led the coup and the international community made no attempt to include the committees in negotiation processes following the removal of the transitional government.

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A man walks near a damaged car and buildings at the central market during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan April 27, 2023. REUTERS/ Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

By Khalid Abdelaziz

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Strikes by air, tanks and artillery rocked Sudan's capital, Khartoum, and the adjacent city of Bahri on Friday, witnesses said, mocking a 72-hour truce extension announced by the army and a rival paramilitary force.

Hundreds have been killed and tens of thousands have fled for their lives in a power struggle between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that erupted on April 15 and disabled an internationally backed transition toward democratic elections.

The fighting has also reawakened a two-decade-old conflict in the western Darfur region where scores have died this week.

In the Khartoum area, heavy gunfire and detonations rattled residential neighbourhoods. Plumes of smoke rose above Bahri.

"We hear the sounds of planes and explosions. We don't know when this hell will end," said Bahri resident Mahasin al-Awad, 65. "We're in a constant state of fear."

The army has been deploying jets or drones on RSF forces in neighbourhoods across the capital. Many residents are pinned down by urban warfare with scant food, fuel, water and power.

At least 512 people have been killed and close to 4,200 wounded, according to the United Nations, which believes the real toll is much higher. The Sudan Doctors Union said at least 387 civilians had been killed.

The RSF accused the army of violating an internationally brokered ceasefire with air strikes on its bases in Omdurman, Khartoum's sister city at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers, and Mount Awliya.

The army blamed the RSF for violations.

The ceasefire is supposed to last until Sunday at midnight.

The violence has sent tens of thousands of refugees across Sudan's borders and threatens to compound instability across a volatile swathe of Africa between the Sahel and the Red Sea.

"From the war planes to the tanks and rockets, we had no other option than to leave," said Sudanese man Motaz Ahmed, who arrived in Egypt's capital Cairo after a five-day trip. "We left behind our homes, our work, our belongings, our vehicles, everything, so we can take our children and parents to safety."

Foreign governments airlifted diplomats and citizens to safety over the past week. Britain said its evacuations would end on Saturday as demand for spots on planes had declined.

The U.S. said several hundred Americans had departed Sudan by land, sea or air. A convoy of buses carrying 300 Americans left Khartoum late on Friday on a 525-mile trip to the Red Sea in the first U.S.-organized evacuation effort for citizens, the New York Times reported.

DARFUR DEATHS

In Darfur, at least 96 people had died since Monday in inter-communal violence rekindled by the army-RSF conflict, U.N. human rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said.

Releases and escapes from at least eight jails, including five in Khartoum and two in Darfur, were compounding chaos, she added.

In El Geneina, capital of West Darfur, a major hospital supported by medical charity MSF was looted over the past two days, the group said.

"Many people are trapped in the midst of this deadly violence. They fear risking their safety and lives trying to reach the rare health facilities that are still functional and open," said Sylvain Perron, MSF's deputy operations manager for Sudan.

The United Nations said its offices in Khartoum, El Geneina and Nyala were also ransacked. "This is unacceptable - and prohibited under international humanitarian law. Attacks on humanitarian assets must stop," U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths posted on Twitter.

Relief agencies have been largely unable to distribute food to the needy in Africa's third-largest country, where a third of its 46 million people were already reliant on donations.

Among Sudan's neighbours, Egypt said it had taken in 16,000 people, while 20,000 had entered Chad and the U.N. refugee agency said over 14,000 had crossed into South Sudan, which won independence from Khartoum in 2011 after decades of civil war.

Some had walked from Khartoum to South Sudan's border, a distance of over 400 km (250 miles), a spokesperson for the U.N. refugee agency said. One of Africa's largest cities, Khartoum had long been untouched by Sudan's string of civil wars.

Despite global appeals for talks, army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan told U.S.-based Arabic language broadcaster Al Hurra it was unacceptable to sit down with RSF head Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo whom he called "the leader of the rebellion".

Dagalo, better known as Hemdeti, told the BBC that the RSF would not hold talks until fighting ends. Saying the armed forces were "relentlessly" bombing his fighters, he blamed Burhan for the violence.

"Cease hostilities. After that we can have negotiations," Dagalo said.

(Reporting by Khaled Abdelaziz, Eltayeb Siddig in Khartoum, Aidan Lewis, Alaa Swilam and Sherif Fahmy in Cairo, Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber and Emma Farge in Geneva, Denis Elamu in Juba, Ayenat Mersie in Nairobi; writing by Mark Heinrich, Andrew Cawthorne and Cynthia Osterman; editing by William Maclean and Diane Craft)
(Reuters) - Armenia and Azerbaijan will hold talks in the near future on a peace deal to try to settle their long-running differences, Russia's TASS news agency quoted the secretary of Armenia's Security Council as saying.

The official, Armen Grigoryan, did not say when, where and at what level the talks would happen.

TASS also reported that Armenia's defence minister had discussed the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, the focus of two wars in the past three decades, with the new commander of Russian peacekeepers in the region.

The mountainous enclave is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, but populated by about 120,000 ethnic Armenians.

Azeris identifying themselves as environmental protesters have since Dec. 12 partially blocked the Lachin corridor, the only highway and supply route that runs across Azeri territory which connects Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijan went further last Sunday by setting up a checkpoint on the road, which Armenia called a major breach of a 2020 ceasefire deal. Baku said the move was necessary to stop the route being used to transfer fighters and weapons.

Despite years of attempted mediation between them, the two countries have yet to reach a peace agreement that would settle outstanding issues such as the demarcation of borders and return of prisoners.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna has visited Azerbaijan and Armenia in the past two days, urging both sides to undertake confidence-building moves and resume talks on a settlement.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
By Brendan Pierson

(Reuters) - The Biden administration has asked a federal appeals court to put on hold a judge's ruling striking down the Affordable Care Act's mandate that insurers cover preventive care, including screenings for certain cancers and pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV (PrEP), at no extra cost to patients.

In a filing Thursday evening with the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. Justice Department said the order, from U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, "has no legal justification and threatens the public health." It asked the court to stop the order from taking effect until it can fully hear the administration's appeal.

O'Connor's order last month came in a lawsuit by conservative businesses and individuals challenging the mandate to cover PrEP, which they said required them to support behavior they objected to on religious grounds.

A lawyer for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

However, the judge's order reached far beyond the case. He found that the federal task force that decides what preventive care must be covered under the federal healthcare law, also known as Obamacare, was unlawfully appointed, voiding all of that task force's determinations since 2010. The decision drew sharp criticism from major U.S. medical groups.

More than 150 million people were eligible for preventive care free of charge as of 2020 under Obamacare, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data. The Justice Department said that if O'Connor's ruling is not paused, insurers will be able to charge patients copays and deductibles for such services when they enroll in new plans, either when they switch insurance or re-enroll in a plan at the end of the plan year.

The conservative America First Legal Foundation is helping to represent the plaintiffs. The group was founded by Stephen Miller, who served as an adviser to Republican former President Donald Trump.

O'Connor previously drew attention in 2018 for ruling the entire ACA, the signature achievement of Democratic then-President Barack Obama, was unconstitutional in a decision that was later overturned.

(Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Jonathan Oatis)
ADEN (Reuters) -Britain's Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said on Friday a vessel off Yemen's southern coast was involved in an "incident" with a government boat, downgrading the event from its initial assessment of an attack.

The agency had previously said the vessel was under attack and that shots were fired, adding that three boats, each with three or four people aboard, were also sighted.

UKMTO later said it had confirmed the event by authorities as government agency activity, terming the event incident rather than an attack.

Yemen's coast guard, when contacted by Reuters, confirmed a report in Yemeni news outlet Aden al-Ghad that a military police officer on board a coast guard boat had been shot and killed in the incident.

Maritime security company Ambrey said that, based on information provided to them, the vessel in question was a Cook Islands-flagged yacht, which was approached by Yemen's Coast Guard (YCG) after it did not respond to radio calls.

"According to the YCG, an armed security team, non-Ambrey, onboard the yacht then opened fire on the approaching Yemenis and attempted to escape perceived pirates," Ambrey said.

"The YCG returned fire and followed the yacht for approximately an hour until communications with the yacht could be established and the misunderstanding between the parties resolved."

Several vessels have been attacked in recent years off the coast of Yemen which has been torn apart by an eight-year conflict between the Iran-aligned Houthi group and a Saudi Arabia-led military coalition which backs Yemen's internationally recognised government.

(Reporting by Adam Makary, Hatem Maher, Mohammed Alghobari, Lisa Barrington and Jonathan Saul; Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Christopher Cushing, Nick Macfie and Susan Fenton)
Lucy Williams, from Aberfan, holds her son Daniel Williams, one, as he takes the handbag of Catherine, Princess of Wales, during her visit with her husband the Prince of Wales, to the Aberfan memorial garden, to pay their respects to those who lost their

LONDON (Reuters) - British royal Kate was briefly dispossessed of her handbag on Friday by a baby she met while greeting wellwishers on a visit to Wales.

One-year-old Daniel Williams took hold of the small black bag from Kate, wife of heir to the throne William, and started playing with it as she chatted to his mother Lucy.

Lucy, who was holding her son, told him to give the bag back and tried to wrestle it from him before Kate indicated he could keep hold of it while she greeted other members of the public.

"Don't eat it now," Lucy told her son while Kate's back was turned.

The encounter occurred on a visit by Kate and William, the Prince and Princess of Wales, to the village of Aberfan to commemorate a disaster where a coal-tip landslide destroyed a primary school in 1966, killing 144 people.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson said the couple "recognise the huge significance of this historic disaster to the people of Wales and wanted to pay their respects to those whose lives were lost as well as to meet people living in Aberfan now."

(Reporting by Alistair Smout and Michael Holden, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)
FILE PHOTO: The logo of oil company Chevron is seen in Los Angeles, California, United States, April 12, 2016. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

By Sabrina Valle

HOUSTON (Reuters) -Oil major Chevron Corp beat market expectations on Friday as profit nudged higher in the first quarter, with earnings from refining compensating for slides in energy prices as well as oil production.

Net profit climbed 5% from a year ago to $6.57 billion or $3.46 per share. Results beat consensus by 4%, according to Refinitiv data. The company's standout business was refining, where higher margins drove that unit's income up five-fold to $1.8 billion.

Shares were up less than 1% to $168.26 in afternoon trading.

Chevron's profit from oil and gas production tumbled 25% on big year-over-year declines in prices.

Production growth in its shale operations disappointed, with Wall Street focusing on tepid results from its Permian shale business. The company said non-operated assets hurt results there.

Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil, traded at an average of $82 per barrel during the first three months of the year, down 16% from a year earlier.

"Brent prices are high, yet down quite a bit. But you are still seeing mid-double-digit returns" for every dollar spent by the company, Chief Financial Officer Pierre Breber told Reuters.

The second-largest U.S. oil firm ended the quarter with $15.7 billion in cash, down 11% from a year ago but some $10 billion above what it needs run the business, Breber said. The company considers it "economically inefficient" to hold so much cash, he said.

"The intent over time is that cash will be returned to shareholders in a steady way," Breber said.

Chevron would only use the money to pursue deals if there were benefits to shareholders, he added.

"We are always looking," he said when asked if Chevron was currently discussing acquisitions. "And we have a very high bar because we don't need to do a deal."

Capital spending jumped 55% from a year ago to $3 billion, primarily driven by investments in U.S. projects.

Chevron has been increasing production in the United States while decreasing it elsewhere. Total output fell 3% from a year ago to 2.98 million barrels of oil and gas per day on a contract expiration in Thailand and the sale of South Texas shale properties.

(Reporting by Sabrina Valle; Additional reporting by Mrinalika Roy; Editing by Edwina Gibbs, Mark Porter and Nick Zieminski)
FILE PHOTO: Volunteers assist forensic experts and homicide detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), to exhume bodies of suspected followers of a Christian cult named as Good News International Church, whose members believed they

By Ayenat Mersie

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Children account for most of the 109 bodies so far recovered in mass graves linked to a cult in Kenya, the interior minister said on Friday, the latest details in a case that has shocked the country and prompted calls for tighter regulation of religious fringe groups.

Followers of the Good News International Church near the coastal town of Malindi reportedly believed they would go to heaven if they starved themselves.

"The reports we are getting are that many of the recoveries are of children... Children are the majority, followed by women. Men are fewer," minister Kithure Kindiki told reporters.

"The preliminary reports we are getting is that some of the victims may not have died of starvation. There were other methods used, including hurting them, just by physical and preliminary observations," Kindiki said.

Kindiki, who called those behind the deaths terrorists, also announced the launch of an air search over the Shakahola forest, where the bodies were found and are being exhumed. He said autopsies on the recovered bodies would start on Monday.

The government would be announcing new measures governing churches next week, he said.

PASTORS ARRESTED

The leader of the Good News International Church, Paul Mackenzie, has been in police custody since April 14. Kenyan media say he is accused of persuading his followers to starve themselves to death.

Mackenzie has made no public comment. Reuters spoke to two lawyers acting for Mackenzie, but both declined to comment on the accusations against him.

On Thursday, a pastor at a separate nearby church, Ezekiel Odero, was arrested. He appeared in court in the coastal city of Mombasa on Friday, but was not charged and was ordered to reappear on Tuesday. He remained in police custody.

A police document presented in court and seen by Reuters said police have established that several deaths were recorded at Odero's New Life Ministry between 2022 and 2023 and that those bodies may have been moved to Shakahola forest.

Police are investigating Odero for crimes including murder, aiding suicide, abduction and child cruelty, the document said.

Odero's lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Thursday, he did not respond to questions from journalists as he was escorted into a police station.

(Reporting by Ayenat Mersie; Additional reporting by Humphrey Malalo and George Obulutsa; Editing by Frances Kerry)
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, not pictured, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken host a State Lunch at the U.S. State Department for Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol at the U.S. State Department in Washington, U.S., April 27, 2023. REUTERS/Tom B

BEIJING (Reuters) - China expressed "strong dissatisfaction" to South Korea over its joint statement with the United States about the need for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, a foreign ministry statement said on Friday.

Department of Asian Affairs Director-General Liu Jinsong met with South Korean Embassy Minister Kang Sang-wook on Thursday evening to emphasise China's stance on Taiwan and urged South Korea to strictly adhere to the "One-China" principle, the ministry said.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is on a six-day visit to the United States, during which Yoon and President Joe Biden held talks that covered tensions between China and Taiwan and Chinese military activities in the South China Sea.

In a South Korea-U.S. joint statement, the presidents stressed the need for peace in the Taiwan Strait and said they opposed "any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific, including through unlawful maritime claims, the militarization of reclaimed features, and coercive activities."

(Reporting by Liz Lee; Editing by Stephen Coates)
FILE PHOTO: The former office of the America ChangLe Association, described by U.S. authorities as a Chinese 'secret police station' masquerading as a social gathering place for people from China's Fujian province, on the fourth floor of the Royal East Pl

By Luc Cohen

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. charges last week against two people for allegedly running a Chinese "secret police station" in New York marked the latest case in a broad ramp-up in the use of a century-old law meant to curb the activity of foreign agents.

The law, Section 951, was passed as part of the 1917 Espionage Act - enacted partly to combat resistance to the World War One draft - and makes it illegal to operate in the United States subject to a foreign government's direction or control without notifying the Attorney General.

The Justice Department last year charged at least 25 people with violating or conspiring to violate the law. That was the highest number since at least 2003, according to a Reuters review of Justice Department statements and court records. Prosecutors have charged at least nine since the start of this year.

Alarmed by the efforts of Russia, China and others to influence U.S. elections and intimidate political opponents on American soil, the U.S. government has prioritized suspected cases of spying, illegal lobbying and harassment.

In the New York case, Lu Jianwang and Chen Jinping are accused of working on behalf of China's Ministry of Public Security. They were charged with conspiring to violate Section 951.

The Chinese government has denied maintaining overseas police stations but has said there are volunteer-run centers outside China that help Chinese citizens renew documents and offer other services.

The record number of foreign agent cases "shows that this issue of foreign agents in the U.S. is a national security priority and the Department of Justice and the FBI are devoting a ton of time and resources to identifying and charging those cases," said Brandon Van Grack, a former Justice Department national security prosecutor now at law firm Morrison Foerster.

The unit responsible for enforcing foreign agent laws has grown in the past five years to five lawyers and five analysts, along with a dedicated FBI employee and support staff, according to a Department of Justice official.

In response to questions from Reuters, Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn who brought the New York charges, said the Department of Justice has been "sounding the alarm" about so-called transnational repression efforts. He added that his office uses the foreign agent statute and other tools to combat the trend.

Lu and Chen have not yet entered pleas. Their lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A RARELY TESTED STATUTE

While once mainly used against traditional espionage, Section 951 cases brought in recent years have targeted "influence operations" and harassment of U.S.-based dissidents.

The broad increase in enforcement of Section 951 and a related law, the Foreign Agents Registration Act, started as a response to Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election. In 2022 most of the cases involved "transnational repression" by people acting on behalf of China.

Despite the surge in cases, the more recent applications of the statute have rarely been tested at trial, because many cases have ended in guilty pleas or remain open because the defendants are overseas. The law requires proving a defendant intended to act at another country's direction, which can be difficult, experts said.

The Justice Department has had some recent setbacks with Section 951 cases. Earlier this year, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn dropped charges against a New York City police officer arrested in 2020 for allegedly acting as a Chinese agent, stating that more evidence became available.

Last November, former Donald Trump fundraiser Tom Barrack was acquitted on charges of acting as a United Arab Emirates agent. He said his interactions with Emirati officials were part of his job as a private equity executive.

"Not only did Tom Barrack's actions never cross the line, they never came anywhere close to the line," Barrack's lawyer Michael Schachter said in a statement.

After the acquittal, Justice Department official Jay Bratt told a conference the department would "continue to bring hard cases."

David Aaron of law firm Perkins Coie said much of the activity being charged under Section 951 "has probably been going on for decades."

"It's just become more of a priority to disrupt it," said Aaron, a former national security prosecutor.

(Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York, Editing by Don Durfee and Alistair Bell)
By Jan Strupczewski and Balazs Koranyi

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Last month's turmoil in the banking sector barely affected European Union lenders but there remains an urgent need to make the sector even more resilient given how fast social media-created runs can sink banks, top EU officials said on Friday.

EU finance ministers were briefed by heads of the EU's Single Supervisory Mechanism and the Single Resolution Board on lessons that could be drawn from the collapse of U.S. lenders Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, and the forced takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS in the bloc's neighbour Switzerland.

"The speed with which recent events in the financial sector have unfolded is a key theme that emerged from our discussion today," Paschal Donohoe, chair of the ministers said after they met for regular talks outside Stockholm.

He stressed that EU banks were resilient and stabile thanks to rules the EU put in place since the banking crisis in 2008, but told a news conference: "Recent events have reminded us of the work that we still need to do."

In March, depositors fled Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O), withdrawing $42 billion in 24 hours, some via their mobile phones. Information about the bank's difficulties spread fast online, creating a social media-driven bank run.

"The fact is that with social media today, when there are risks, or withdrawals of deposits, it goes much faster than in the past," the head of the euro zone's ESM bailout fund Pierre Gramegna told the news conference.

Officials said the bank turbulence added urgency to discussions of a European Commission proposal to broaden the EU's bank resolution framework, now applied to just over 100 of the biggest European banks, to smaller and medium-sized lenders.

The proposal, called Crisis Management and Deposit Insurance (CMDI) was requested by EU finance ministers in mid-2022. It would ensure that the resolution of smaller banks could be paid for from the EU's resolution fund, financed by banks, rather than by taxpayers.

It would also provide money for winding down failing lenders from national deposit insurance schemes which are also financed by banks, and guarantee deposits of up to 100,000 euros not only for individuals, as now, but also for companies and other institutions.

"The second phase of how we can deepen our resilience is responding back to the Commission policy with regard to reviewing the framework for crisis management, deposit insurance schemes targeted in particular, the small- and medium-sized banks within the European Union," Donohoe said.

But the Commission's proposal is opposed by Germany, which is worried it could disrupt a system used by its own regional banks.

Some central bankers said Europe should be ready for change even though there is no immediate pressure from a banking crisis.

"We must remain acutely aware of the dangers ... where memories of banking crises fade over time and vested interests call for regulatory rollbacks," said Spain's central bank governor Pablo Hernandez de Cos, who also chairs the international Basel Committee of bank regulators.

"It is important to keep an open mind at this stage about whether any potential revisions to the global regulatory and supervisory framework are needed."

(Editing by Catherine Evans)
Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) graffiti in Caracas. Miguel Gutierrez/EFE (EFE)

The Maduro regimes relationship with one of its traditional allies  the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV)  has sunk to a new low. Their differences, which until recently seemed tolerable, have grown more acrimonious recently. Communist leaders increasingly support opposition labor unions demanding better wages and have loudly denounced the rampant corruption at top levels of the government, calling for an investigation that includes President Nicolas Maduro himself.

The PCV party has also called for an independent investigation into the death of Leoner Azuaje, former president of the state-owned cardboard factory, Cartones de Venezuela. Azuaje was jailed during Maduros recent anti-corruption purge and allegedly committed suicide in his cell a few days after being locked up.

The frequent clashes in the National Assembly between PCV representatives and the legislative leadership headed by Jorge Rodriguez have grown more heated recently. The PCV is against the presidents liberalization of the economy and has demanded a thorough investigation into top-level government corruption. Meanwhile, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Venezuelas ruling party since 2010, has accused the PCV of colluding with the opposition and the United States to subvert Hugo Chavezs Bolivarian revolution. The PCV countered by claiming that its two representatives in the National Assembly have been denied the right to respond to these accusations on the Assembly floor.

A recent statement from the PCV politburo blames the increasingly tense relationship on  the systematic breach of the PSUV-PCV Unity Agreement signed in April 2018, and the implementation of an aggressive, ultra-liberal program against the people. The statement was referring to the governments economic liberalization measures in response to the nations financial collapse.

PCV Secretary General Oscar Figuera says they have evidence of a plan by the Maduro administration to abolish the PCV through legal maneuvers used against other allies-turned-critics of the chavismo movement, such as the Patria Para Todos and Podemos parties. The PCV has accused Diosdado Cabello of spearheading the effort. Cabello is the first vice-president of the PSUV and the second most powerful figure in the party.

The PCV has been part of the Bolivarian revolution since Hugo Chavez was elected president in 1999. It banded together with Patria Para Todos, the Tupamaro Movement, and other minority leftist organizations to create an alliance with the PSUV called the Polo Patriotico, a political voting bloc established by Chavez to defeat the opposition.

The relationship between the PCV and the Chavez-Maduro administrations has survived several crises, usually related to its knee-jerk rejection of any threats against its independence. Venezuelas oldest political party refused to merge with the various leftist movements that gave birth to the PSUV in 2006, despite Chavezs personal appeal. These disagreements were amicably settled and the countrys communists have steadfastly supported Maduro in his economic decisions and efforts to neutralize the opposition. But for the last three years, cracks in the relationship have grown wider and deeper.

In late 2022, the PCV denounced the Maduro government in Havana (the holy city of the Latin American orthodox left) during the 22nd International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties hosted by the Communist Party of Cuba. When he was given the floor, PCV politburo leader Hector Rodriguez told a surprised audience, Venezuelas recent experience reveals the limits of progressivism. It has abandoned anti-imperialist policies of nationalizing strategic industries, confronting large landowners, and defending social and labor rights in favor of a neoliberal economic agenda of privatization, price liberalization, landowner capitulation, labor deregulation and the dismantling of social achievements.

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FILE PHOTO: Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser testifies before a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing on "Annual Oversight of the Nation's Largest Banks", on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 22, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Carolina Mandl

NEW YORK (Reuters) - When Wall Street investors, dealmakers and chief executives meet in Beverly Hills next week to strategize on how to make money given the concerns swirling around markets, much talk will revolve around the letter R - as in regional banks, rates, regulatory regimes and recession.

Other topics on the agenda at the 26th annual Milken Institute Global Conference include reconstruction efforts related to the year-old Ukraine War, as well as the U.S. debt ceiling and the post-lockdown environment with more employees returning to offices.

The four-day event, from April 30 through May 3, promises to bring together the "best minds in the world to tackle its most urgent challenges."

Banking executives including Citigroup Inc CEO Jane Fraser and Wells Fargo & Co CEO Charlie Scharf will mix with investment industry leaders including Franklin Resources CEO Jennifer Johnson, pension fund CalSTRS chief investment officer Christopher Ailman, Carlyle Group Inc CEO Harvey Schwartz and Peng Zhao, CEO of market making firm Citadel Securities.

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders are also scheduled to speak.

As last year's runaway consumer prices are moderating, attendees said they expect one more Federal Reserve rate hike before debate turns to when the central bank will start cutting again.

Talk will also center on the vulnerability of smaller U.S. banks holding swaths of office building loans even as many employees around the country are still working from home. And more resilient corporate earnings will lead to forecasts about market movements later this year, several people said.

But mostly people said they want to hear how to profit in uncertain markets. "Investors are asking, 'How do I get through the storm with my house still standing?'" said Max Gokhman, a senior vice president at Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions who helps invest $45 billion. "We are at the inflection point of an unprecedented business cycle and people are looking for which way the wind is blowing before their assets get swept up."

A Milken spokesman said roughly 3,500 guests are expected this year, about the same number as last year.

Part of the Milken appeal, said several repeat guests, are the exclusive parties where executives can rub shoulders with some of the world's most prominent investors. But some said the mood feels more muted this year with more invitations for smaller dinners at nearby restaurants instead of invites to lavish affairs at private mansions.

(Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Carolina Mandl in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
FILE PHOTO: Israeli then-Minister of Regional Cooperation Tzachi Hanegbi attends a session of the International Donor Group for Palestine at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, January 31, 2018. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Lebanon's Hezbollah was behind a rare roadside bomb attack last month that wounded a motorist in northern Israel, Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said on Friday.

Israel's military said that security forces had killed a man carrying an explosive belt after he apparently crossed from Lebanon into Israel and detonated a bomb on March 13 near Megiddo junction in northern Israel.

A possible link to Iran-backed Hezbollah was being investigated, officials said at the time.

Asked on Channel 12 television whether a political crisis in Israel regarding the government's plan to overhaul the country's judiciary has emboldened Israel's enemies, Hanegbi said: "We estimate that for now it may lead to operations that were not considered in the past."

"We saw operations like that by Hezbollah, for example the attack in Megiddo, which failed, but it was a kind of opposition we were not used to," he said.

Hezbollah could not be reached for immediate comment.

Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fought a month-long war in 2006 and have traded fire on several occasions since but have avoided a large-scale confrontation.

(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Brazil's Vice President Geraldo Alckmin is pictured during a news conference after meeting with John Kerry, U.S. Special Envoy for Climate (not pictured), at the Itamaraty Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, February 27, 2023. REUTERS/Adriano Machado

By Gabriel Araujo

IRACEMAPOLIS, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazil's ability to produce and sell hybrid cars that can run on 100% ethanol is a huge asset for its auto industry as global economies push for decarbonization to tackle climate change, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin told Reuters.

Alckmin on Thursday attended the opening of a factory by Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motor Co Ltd that will produce hybrid cars, including a flex-fuel pickup called Poer.

"It brings together ethanol - a clean, renewable energy - and electricity. In a continental-sized country, that is a wonderful alternative to protect the environment," Alckmin said in an interview on the sidelines of the event.

Brazil has one of the world's largest ethanol industries, and most cars in the country can run on 100% biofuel made from sugarcane or corn.

GWM's launching in Iracemapolis, Sao Paulo was the second auto-related event for Alckmin in a week, having already received executives from Japan's Toyota in Brasilia last Thursday to discuss their investment plans in the country.

Toyota, which has been betting big on hybrid flex-fuel products in Brazil, announced this month it would invest 1.7 billion reais ($341.5 million) to produce a new compact car with those specifications.

Stellantis and Volkswagen are also investing in the technology, in contrast with U.S.-based General Motors and Ford, which have focused on fully electric cars.

Alckmin, who is also President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's minister of development, industry and trade, welcomed GWM's investments and said his meeting with Toyota had also been "very fruitful".

He highlighted the export opportunities hybrid cars manufactured in Brazil can bring for the country as it pushes for re-industrialization, a process in which he sees the auto industry playing a key role.

"It is very important because it is an industry of cutting-edge technology, with semiconductors and the whole decarbonization area," said the vice president. "It has a very long, value-adding chain, so it generates a lot of jobs."

Toyota had announced it would look to export its new hybrid car to 22 Latin American countries from Brazil, with engines to be built at is Porto Feliz plant in Sao Paulo state.

GWM, which will start operating its plant in the country on May 1, 2024 and eyes creating about 2,000 direct jobs, also said it planned to ship Brazil-made cars abroad, with Latin American nations seen as key destinations.

"We want to strengthen industrial exports," Alckmin said, adding that a proposed tax reform, more international agreements and export credit measures were on the government's agenda to reach that goal.

($1 = 4.9771 reais)

(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by David Gregorio)
FILE PHOTO: A girls colors an electoral map of the United States in either red or blue as returns are announced for the U.S. general election at Republican Governor Pat McCrory's election-night party in Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. November 8, 2016. REU

By Joseph Ax

(Reuters) -North Carolina's highest court on Friday ruled that state law does not bar lawmakers from drawing congressional and state legislative maps for partisan benefit, boosting Republicans' odds next year of maintaining their narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The decision - divided along party lines - appears to clear the way for the Republican-controlled legislature to craft new, political advantageous maps for the 2024 elections, which could net them as many as four additional U.S. House seats.

Republicans currently control the 435-member House by a narrow nine-seat margin.

Friday's ruling vacated the court's previous decision, issued barely more than a year ago when Democratic judges controlled the court, that had found partisan gerrymandering violated the state constitution.

After the court threw out a Republican-drawn map, the two parties split the state's 14 seats evenly in November under a court-approved map.

In the same election, Republicans flipped two Democratic seats on the North Carolina Supreme Court, securing a 5-2 conservative majority. In February, the new majority agreed to rehear the redistricting case at the request of Republican lawmakers, an extraordinarily rare move in the court's history.

In a 146-page opinion on Friday, Chief Justice Paul Newby noted that the U.S. Supreme Court had also found that federal courts have no jurisdiction to address partisan gerrymandering.

"Our constitution expressly assigns the redistricting authority to the General Assembly subject to explicit limitations in the text," Newby wrote for the majority. "Those limitations do not address partisan gerrymandering."

In a scathing dissent, Justice Anita Earls, a Democrat, accused the court's Republicans of pursuing their own political agenda at the expense of voters' rights, calling it one of the court's "darkest moments."

"Today, the Court shows that its own will is more powerful than the voices of North Carolina's voters," she wrote.

'WORST DECISION EVER'

Voting rights groups decried the decision as an attack on democracy itself.

"I think it's the worst decision the North Carolina Supreme Court perhaps has ever made," Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina, told reporters.

In a statement, Phil Berger, the Republican leader in the North Carolina Senate, said the ruling affirmed "that our constitution cannot be exploited to fit the political whims of left-wing Democrats."

In a separate decision, the court's conservative judges also upheld a Republican-backed voter identification law that the court's previous Democratic majority had struck down as racially discriminatory.

Friday's ruling also calls into question whether the U.S. Supreme Court will issue a decision in one of the year's most important cases.

North Carolina Republicans had appealed last year's redistricting decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, where they advanced a once-fringe legal theory that has gained traction in conservative legal circles: the independent state legislature doctrine.

Under the theory, state courts have no authority to review lawmakers' actions regarding federal elections, including redistricting and voting rules.

Democrats have warned that adopting the theory would allow Republicans to enact new restrictions that undermine fair elections, while Republicans contend it would rein in state judges intent on usurping lawmakers' power.

When the North Carolina court agreed to rehear the case, however, the U.S. Supreme Court asked for additional briefing from the parties about whether it still had legal jurisdiction over the matter.

Now that the North Carolina court has vacated the decision that formed the basis for the U.S. Supreme Court's review, the U.S. Supreme Court may conclude it no longer has a role to play in resolving the matter.

(Reporting by Joseph AxEditing by Bill Berkrot and Aurora Ellis)
FILE PHOTO: Nishimura Yasutoshi, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), talks during an interview with Reuters in Tokyo, Japan, April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou

By Daniel Leussink

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan will provide as much as $1.8 billion in subsidies for a slate of storage battery and chip-related projects, Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Friday, marking Tokyo's latest push towards greater supply chain security.

The government plans to give up to 184.6 billion yen ($1.38 billion) in subsidies for eight storage battery-related proposals and up to 56.4 billion yen for two semiconductor-related projects, Nishimura told reporters.

Among the proposals that it will subsidise is a plan by automaker Honda Motor Co Ltd and battery maker GS Yuasa Corp to invest about 430 billion yen to boost storage battery production, with the ministry providing up to 158.7 billion yen in subsidies for the project.

"We have great expectations that this will lead to the stable supply of storage batteries and the promotion of GX (green transformation)," Nishimura said.

In a statement, Honda, GS Yuasa and their 14-year-old battery joint venture Blue Energy Co Ltd, said they planned to start production in April 2027 and would start mass production in October 2027.

They said they would start by building a new plant that would target an annual production capacity of at least 20 gigawatt hours (GWh), but did not specify a location or give further details.

"We would like to respond to a wide range of battery demand in Japan, which is expected to expand in the future, mainly for BEVs (battery electric vehicles)," Honda Chief Executive Toshihiro Mibe said in the statement.

Shares of GS Yuasa were on course to post their biggest one-day gain since early February following the news, rising 7% to 2,365 yen, while Honda shares rose 1.7% to 3,574 yen.

($1 = 133.9600 yen)

(Reporting by Daniel Leussink; Additional reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Jamie Freed)
FILE PHOTO: Bottles of Jose Cuervo Tequila rest on a shelf in Mexico City, Mexico, February 8, 2017. Picture taken February 8, 2017. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido

By Isabel Woodford

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexican distiller Becle, the world's largest tequila producer, narrowed down its forecasts for its 2023 sales growth, an executive said on Thursday, after profits slumped over the first three months of the year.

Becle, which produces the popular Jose Cuervo tequilas, now forecasts annual growth in the high single digits, down from a February guidance for "high single digits to low teens." In an earnings call, executives said they wanted to proceed with caution.

"We just wanted to be cautious on the performance for the rest of year ... on an FX neutral basis, knowing what we already know about the first quarter," Chief Financial Officer Fernando Suarez Gerard said.

Becle posted a nearly 10% slump in first-quarter net profit this week as price increases failed to cushion negative currency exchange effects, high inflation and supply chain issues in Latin America.

Executives on Friday added it was too early to assess the impact of recent price increases in places like Mexico.

The company also said on Friday it would be launching a share buyback program of up to 2 billion pesos ($111 million) at a shareholder meeting later today, as well as a proposed cash dividend payment of 0.49128 peso per share.

In afternoon trading, Becle's share price was down nearly 5%.

Becle, based in Mexico City, sells Jose Cuervo family tequilas as well as Creyente and 400 Conejos mezcal, Stranahan's whiskey, Three Olives vodka, Boodles gin and Kraken rum.

While the industry has struggled with extended shortages of glass, used to bottle spirits, Becle executives said these appeared to be easing and should have limited performance impact for the remainder of 2023.

"We are still not out of the woods yet, but we don't think there should be a very big impact on our portfolio performance due to supply chain this year," said Olga Limon Montano, Becle's managing director for Mexico and Latin America.

($1 = 17.9925 Mexican pesos)

(Reporting by Isabel Woodford; Editing by Steven Grattan, Josie Kao and Jonathan Oatis)
FILE PHOTO: A Microsoft logo is seen a day after Microsoft Corp's $26.2 billion purchase of LinkedIn Corp, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 14, 2016. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

(Reuters) -Microsoft Corp said on Friday it signed a 10-year deal with Nware to bring Xbox and Activision Blizzard games to the Spanish cloud-gaming platform, days after Britain blocked its $69 billion buyout of the "Call of Duty" maker.

The agreement marks the latest effort by Microsoft to ease fears its purchase of Activision would hinder competition in cloud gaming, which was the reason cited by the Competition and Markets Authority to veto the biggest deal in gaming.

"While it's still early for the emerging cloud segment in gaming, this new partnership combined with our other recent commitments will make more popular games available on more cloud game streaming services than they are today," Microsoft President Brad Smith said.

The Xbox console maker, which plans to appeal CMA's decision, has signed similar deals with the owners of streaming platforms including Valve Corp, Nvidia and Boosteroid.

It had also offered Sony - a vocal opponent of the deal - a 10-year "Call of Duty" license, in line with an agreement to bring the multi-billion dollar franchise to Nintendo's Switch.

In its decision on Wednesday, the CMA said Microsoft had an estimated 60%-70% of global cloud gaming services as well as competitive advantages including owning Xbox, PC operating system Windows and cloud provider Azure.

The Activision deal is the biggest involving technology companies the regulator has blocked. Europe will decide on the deal by May 22. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is also seeking to block it.

Microsoft shares were slightly lower in U.S. premarket trading, while those of Activision ticked up 0.2%.

(Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra ELuri)
South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks at the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., April 28, 2023. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

By David Brunnstrom and Eric Beech

(Reuters) -South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Friday it was necessary to ensure Russias invasion of Ukraine does not succeed and that Seoul was considering its options when it came to lethal aid to Kyiv.

In a speech at Harvard University's Kennedy School on the fifth day of a state visit to mark the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-South Korean alliance, Yoon said the Russian invasion was a violation of international law and the rights of Ukrainians.

"We should prove that such attempts will never reach success, to block further attempts being made in the future," he said, according to simultaneous translations of his remarks.

Yoon was asked about the possibility of South Korea providing lethal aid to Ukraine, and replied:

"We are closely monitoring the situation that's going on the battlefield in Ukraine and will take proper measures in order to uphold the international norms and international law.

"Right now we are closely monitoring the situation and we are considering various options."

On Wednesday, Yoon met U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House and the United States pledged to give South Korea more insight into its nuclear planning over any conflict with North Korea, amid anxiety over Pyongyang's growing arsenal of missiles and bombs. The two also discussed the situation in Ukraine.

Yoon told Reuters in an interview last week before leaving for the United States that Seoul might extend its support for Ukraine beyond humanitarian and economic aid if it comes under a large-scale civilian attack, signaling a shift in his stance against arming Ukraine for the first time.

Answering another question, Yoon rejected the notion that the Washington Declaration he agreed with Biden meant they were accepting North Korea as a nuclear-armed state, adding that he was against treating North Korea's possession of the weapons as a disarmament issue.

"If we were to accept nuclear weapons by North Korea, South Korea may have to possess nuclear weapons... and this would lead to a situation of disarmament. This is not something that we want to see happen," he said.

Yoon said the Washington Declaration required Seoul to keep respecting the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and not acquire its own nuclear weapons.

He said there were opinions in South Korean society that said Seoul should acquire nuclear weapons and had the technological capabilities for this, but it was complex equation about politics and economics too.

"We would need to give up many of the values that we've been upholding if we decide to develop our weapons," he said. "Those opinions saying that we need to have our own nuclear arsenal are not considering all these things."

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom, Patricia Zengerle and Eric Beech; Editing by Chris Reese and Diane Craft)
Pope Francis boards the papal plane ahead of his apostolic visit to Hungary at Fiumicino airport in Rome, Italy, April 28, 2023. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

By Philip Pullella, Krisztina Than and Boldizsar Gyori

BUDAPEST (Reuters) -Pope Francis, starting a trip to Hungary, on Friday pointedly warned of the dangers of rising nationalism in Europe and told the Budapest government that accepting migrants along with the rest of the continent would be a true sign of Christianity.

In a hard-hitting speech to government leaders including Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has had a series of run-ins with the European Union, Francis also urged a rejection of "self-referential forms of populism" and strictly nationalist interests.

Francis called for a return to the "European soul" envisioned by those who laid the groundwork for modern Europe after World War Two, saying nations had to "look beyond national boundaries".

Speaking on the day that Kyiv vowed an "iron fist" response after Russia hit Ukraine with the first large-scale air strikes in nearly two months, Francis made another appeal for an end to the war there, calling for "creative efforts for peace" to drown out the "soloists of war".

The three-day visit is the 86-year-old pope's first trip since he was admitted to hospital for bronchitis in March.

Looking cheerful, Francis, who has a knee ailment, used a cane to walk by welcoming dignitaries and children in national dress at the airport. In recent arrivals, he used a wheelchair.

Asked by reporters about his health on the flight from Rome, the pope joked, saying "I'm still alive" and "stubborn weeds never die".

Francis is keeping a promise of an official visit to Hungary after a stop of only seven hours to close a Church congress in Budapest in 2021 on his way to Slovakia left many feeling slighted.

Orban, 59, and the pope have differing views on handling migration from the Middle East and Africa to Europe, with Francis believing migrants fleeing poverty should be welcomed.

Orban, whose government built a steel fence on the border with Serbia to keep out migrants, has refused to let Hungary be transformed into an "immigrant country" like he says others in Europe have become.

He asked Francis in 2021, during the pope's last visit, "not to let Christian Hungary perish".

HUNGARY'S FOUNDER SAINT

In his speech in the presidential palace overlooking the River Danube, after separate private meetings with President Katalin Novak and Orban, Francis quoted St Stephen, the 11th century founder of Christian Hungary.

"Those who profess themselves Christian, in the company of the witnesses of faith, are called to bear witness to and to join forces with everyone in cultivating a humanism inspired by the Gospel and moving along two fundamental tracks: acknowledging ourselves to be beloved children of the Father and loving one another as brothers and sisters," Francis said.

"In this regard, Saint Stephen bequeathed to his son extraordinary words of fraternity when he told him that those who arrive with different languages and customs 'adorn the country,'," Francis said, quoting the saint's command to 'welcome strangers with benevolence and to hold them in esteem'.

But Francis appeared to give comfort to Orban's rejection of the imposition of what he says are liberal values by outsiders. Francis denounced any form of "ideological colonization" on issues such as "so-called gender theory" or "the right to abortion".

Later, addressing bishops, priests and nuns in St. Stephen's Cathedral, Francis urged Hungarians to confront "the rapid pace of social change and the crisis of faith affecting our Western culture".

Orban, who has said that Hungary and the Vatican are the only two European states that can be described as "pro-peace," later posted on his official Facebook page that the pope's words were a "confirmation" of Hungary's desire for peace in Ukraine.

Hungary supports a sovereign Ukraine but still has strong economic ties to Russia. Orban's government has refused to send weapons to Ukraine. The pope has said sending weapons to Ukraine for self defence is morally permissible.

(Reporting by Philip Pullella and Krisztina Than, additional reporting by Krisztina Fenyo and Boldizsar Gyori; Writing by Jason Hovet; Editing by Christina Fincher and Hugh Lawson)
This image shows the jet and the black holes shadow at the center of the galaxy M87, capturing the two together for the first time.

For the first time, scientists have observed the powerful jet of matter ejected from a supermassive black hole in real time. This unprecedented cosmic phenomenon occurred at the center of the Messier 87 (M87) galaxy, located 55 million light-years away from our own, and was captured in 2018. This black hole became famous worldwide for being the first to be photographed.

Most galaxies harbor a supermassive black hole at their centers. Although black holes are known to gobble up everything, they can also launch powerful jets of matter that extend far beyond their galactic neighborhoods. This new image of the M87 galaxy has been reproduced thanks to an array of 14 radio telescopes located all over the Earths surface. This same group also successfully captured the black hole Sagittarius A* at the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

Astronomers report that this international scientific project, developed to capture these titanic galactic phenomena, helps to better understand how these mysterious gargantuan objects can launch such powerful jets. As Ru-Sen Lu of the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory in China explains in a note, We still dont fully understand how it happens, but we know that the jets are ejected from the region surrounding the black holes. In order to study it directly, scientists needed to analyze the phenomenon in much greater detail than they have been able to do thus far.

Now, for the first time, the image published by the international team captures everything, showing how the matter in the jet is connected to the accretion disk rotating around the supermassive black hole. Previous research had managed to photograph this black hole at the center of M87 (which is 6.5 billion times more massive than the sun) and its jet separately but never together, until now.

The characteristic ring shape that can be seen in the image is due to the black hole ejecting matter that continues to orbit it as it heats up and emits light, which the photo then recaptures. The dark region in the center is the black holes shadow, which has already been imaged by the international Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) consortium.

The ALMA radio telescopes, an observatory consisting of 66 high-precision antennas located at an altitude of 5,000 meters in northern Chile.

The importance of timing and the positioning of telescopes around the world served to properly capture these astronomical objects. These include the Global mm VLBI Array (GMVA), the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Greenland Telescope (GLT). ALMA consists of 66 antennas in the Chilean Atacama Desert; as astronomer Lu notes, because of its location, it was possible to reveal the black holes shadow and see the jet emission in greater depth at the same time.

This time, a wavelength longer than that of the EHT made it possible to see how the jet emerges from the emission ring around the central supermassive black hole, explains Thomas Krichbaum, of the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, in a note from the European Southern Observatory. In the new results provided by the GMVA telescope network, astrophysicists point out that the image of the black hole is 50% larger and thicker than the one taken by the 2018 EHT, suggesting that there is more material falling than could be detected at the time.

In the future, the work of the telescope network is far from over. Scientist Eduardo Ros, also from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, explains that his team plans to continue observing the region around the black hole at the center of M87, at different radio wavelengths, to further study the jet emission. The astronomer anticipates more discoveries: The next few years will be exciting, since we will be able to learn more about what is happening near one of the universes most mysterious regions.

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FILE PHOTO: A motorcade transporting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert mission, escorted by the Russian military, arrives at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict outside Enerhodar in the Zaporizh

VIENNA (Reuters) - Russia has informed the U.N. nuclear watchdog that equipment spotted at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Russia controls, will be used to fix a power transmission line that leads to Russian-held territory, the watchdog said on Friday.

The planned restoration of the downed power line could heighten Ukrainian fears that Russia is preparing to connect Zaporizhzhia, Europe's largest nuclear power plant, to the power grid of territory that it controls.

A small number of International Atomic Energy Agency officials are present at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), which is operated by Ukrainian staff working under the orders of Russian forces and the Russian nuclear company Rosatom.

"The (IAEA) Team observed, and following questions were subsequently informed, that a large piece of equipment being transported into the turbine hall of Unit 3 was a transformer to replace the damaged 'Kakhovka' node in the ZNPP open switchyard," the IAEA said in a statement.

"The Kakhovka line is one of the four 750 kV (kilovolt) lines that were operational before the military conflict. This line is linked to the currently Russian-controlled electrical grid, to the south of the ZNPP site," it added.

Only one of those four power lines is currently working and is the only source of external power to the plant, which it needs to keep cooling the fuel in its six reactors even though they are shut down. Failing to cool that fuel could lead to a potentially catastrophic nuclear meltdown.

The IAEA said it also had not had access to the switchyard at a nearby thermal power plant (TPP) that can supply backup power to Zaporizhzhia. The IAEA last visited that switchyard in December, when damage from shelling was observed.

"Two weeks ago the team was informed that access would be granted in the coming days. It is important that ISAMZ (the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia) gets the necessary access to the ZTPP open switchyard given the implications on nuclear safety and security at ZNPP."

(Reporting by Francois Murphy, Editing by William Maclean)
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday that its strategic bombers had carried out what it called high-precision missile strikes on Ukrainian army reserve units overnight to prevent them from getting to the frontline.

The attacks, the first large-scale Russian air strikes in nearly two months, were reported to have killed at least 17 people, according to Ukrainian authorities. They said the victims included several children who were killed in strikes on homes.

Russia's defence ministry, which denies deliberately targeting civilians, said the aim of the strikes was to prevent Ukraine - which says it is poised to launch a counter-offensive against Russian forces - from bringing reserve forces to the front line.

"Overnight, the Russian Air Force carried out a collective rocket strike using long-range high-precision weapons targeting temporary deployment sites of Ukrainian army reserve units," Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told a briefing.

"The target of the strike was achieved. All designated facilities were struck. The advance of the enemy's reserves into combat zones was thwarted," Konashenkov said. The Ukrainian military said it had shot down 21 out of 23 cruise missiles fired by Russia.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Osborn/Mark Trevelyan)
A view shows a burnt-out minibus hit by shelling in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, April 28, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

DONETSK (Reuters) - The top Russian-installed official in Ukraine's occupied Donetsk region, Denis Pushilin, accused Ukraine in a social media post of killing seven people on Friday, including a child, with a rocket that set a minibus alight in the city of Donetsk.

A Russian Investigative Committee officer who declined to give his name said a residential area had been struck by multiple Grad rockets.

He said all the passengers "including children" died, and the only survivor was the driver.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the number of casualties or who was to blame. Ukrainian officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Russian-installed mayor of Donetsk, Alexei Kulemzin, said on Telegram that 19 people had been wounded by shelling on Friday in various parts of the city, in addition to the seven who had been killed.

Donetsk, capital of the Ukrainian province of the same name, has been controlled by Russian proxy forces since 2014, but remains close to the front line of Russia's war with Ukraine.

Early on Friday, Russia launched its first large-scale air strikes on Ukraine in nearly two months, killing at least 21 civilians including several children.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
(Reuters) - Private equity firm Silver Lake disclosed on Friday it had raised its stake in Software AG, days after announcing a 2.2 billion-euro ($2.42 billion) tender offer for the German business software developer.

Silver Lake said in a regulatory disclosure that it had acquired a 5% stake in Software AG at or below its acquisition bid of 30 euros per share from existing shareholders.

This adds to its agreement to buy a 25.1% stake in Software AG from a charitable foundation that is the principal shareholder in the company. The consummation of that agreement is not subject to Silver Lake's offer being accepted by a majority of Software AG's shareholders, Silver Lake said.

Silver Lake's positioning could make it more difficult for a rival bidder to succeed, given that its deal with the charitable foundation does not allow it to entertain another offer. Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing sources, that Bain Capital, another private equity firm, has amassed an unspecified stake in Software AG and is offering to buy it and combine it with Rocket Software, a company it already owns.

Bain and Software AG did not respond to requests for comment.

It remains unclear whether either private equity firm will be successful in its pursuit of Software AG. Software AG has said it is "highly supportive" of Silver Lake's offer and intends to recommend it to the company's shareholders.

Silver Lake also disclosed on Friday that it had secured debt financing for its offer for Software AG.

(Reporting by Greg Roumeliotis in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
FILE PHOTO: Chinese and Taiwanese flags are seen in this illustration, August 6, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

TAIPEI (Reuters) - A new type of Chinese combat drone that China's state media says can carry a heavy weapons payload has flown around Taiwan, the island's defence ministry said on Friday, in the latest uptick in military tensions.

China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has increased military pressure on the island over the past three years as it tries to force Taipei to accept Beijing's sovereignty claims.

This month China staged war games around Taiwan after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met in Los Angeles with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Taiwan's defence ministry, in its daily update of Chinese military activities from the previous 24 hours, said 19 military aircraft had entered the island's air defence identification zone.

One of those aircraft was a TB-001 drone, which flew around Taiwan, first crossing the Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan from the Philippines, then up the east of Taiwan before crossing back toward the Chinese coast, according to a map provided by the ministry.

Chinese state media has referred to the TB-001 as the "twin-tailed scorpion" and has shown pictures of it with missiles under its wings, saying it is capable of high altitude, long-range missions.

China's air force has flown what it calls "island encirclement" missions with the nuclear-capable H-6 bomber.

No shots were fired and Chinese aircraft have not flown in Taiwan's airspace. The air defence identification zone, or ADIZ, is a broader area Taiwan monitors and patrols to give its forces more time to respond to threats.

Chinese military aircraft have since last year regularly crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which normally serves as an unofficial barrier between the two sides, though China says it does not recognise this.

Taiwan's government rejects China's sovereignty claims and says only the island's people can decide their future.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
FILE PHOTO: U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres attends a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not pictured) at the U.S. State Department in Washington, U.S., April 27, 2023. REUTERS/Tom Brenner

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has not invited the Taliban administration to a meeting that he is convening with special envoys on Afghanistan from various countries in Doha next week, a U.N. spokesperson said on Friday.

"The Secretary-General has not extended an invitation to the de facto authorities," said U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

Last week the United Nations had to stress that the meeting will not focus on the possible international recognition of the Taliban administration after comments by the deputy U.N. chief sparked concern and confusion.

The gathering in Qatar on Monday and Tuesday is instead intended to focus on reinvigorating "the international engagement around common objectives for a durable way forward on ... Afghanistan," Dujarric has said.

Guterres' deputy, Amina Mohammed, had suggested last week that the meeting in Doha "could find those baby steps to put us back on the pathway to recognition."

The Taliban seized power in August 2021 as U.S.-led forces withdrew following 20 years of war.

In December, the 193-member U.N. General Assembly approved postponing, for the second time, a decision on whether to recognize the Afghan Taliban administration by allowing them to send a United Nations ambassador to New York.

The U.N. Security Council unanimously condemned on Thursday a Taliban administration ban on Afghan women working for the United Nations in Afghanistan and called on Taliban leaders to "swiftly reverse" a crackdown on the rights of women and girls.

The Taliban says it respects women's rights in accordance with its strict interpretation of Islamic law. Taliban officials said decisions on female aid workers are an "internal issue."

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Diane Craft)
TUNIS (Reuters) -Coastguards have retrieved 41 bodies from Tunisian waters, a national guard official said on Friday, raising the number of victims of migrant shipwrecks off the country's coast to 210 in 10 days.

The bodies were in a decomposed state, suggesting they had been in the water for several days, said Houssem Eddine Jebabli told Reuters.

The cumulative total of fatalities was unprecedented over such a short period, he said.

Numbers of boats carrying migrants - most from sub-Saharan Africa, Syria and Sudan - trying to reach Italy from Tunisia have risen sharply in recent months, in part due to a crackdown on departures by authorities in neighbouring Libya.

Tunisia is struggling to contain the surge, and some morgues are running out of space to bury the victims.

(Reporting by Tarek Amara; Writing by Tala Ramadan in Dubai; Editing by Jon Boyle and John Stonestreet)
FILE PHOTO: Semiconductor chips are seen on a printed circuit board in this illustration picture taken February 17, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo

SEOUL (Reuters) - The U.S. secretary of commerce and her South Korean counterpart agreed to "minimise uncertainties" of chipmakers' investments amid new U.S. semiconductor subsidies, Korea's industry ministry said on Friday.

Companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, the world's No. 1 and No. 2 memory chipmakers, are concerned about the criteria for subsidies from the CHIPS Act, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has said.

Industry Minister Chang-Yang Lee asked Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to help resolve chipmakers' uncertainties about subsidy requirements, such as providing "excessive" corporate information and sharing excess profit with the U.S. government, the ministry said in a statement.

Raimondo and Lee agreed in a joint statement to "continue discussions on the requirements and opportunities of the CHIPS Act" to "minimize uncertainties of corporate investments and business burdens".

Samsung is building a chip plant in Texas that could cost more than $25 billion and has said it is reviewing the criteria, while SK Hynix parent SK Group plans to invest $15 billion in the U.S. chip sector, including an advanced chip-packaging factory, and has said it may apply for funding.

The Department of Commerce said last month it will protect confidential business information and expects the requirement to share excess profit to only trigger when projects significantly exceed projected cash flow.

Lee also told Raimondo that Korean companies are "highly concerned" that the one-year waiver of export controls they received to bring in necessary chip equipment to their China plants will expire in October, the ministry said.

SK Hynix, which has chip plants in Wuxi and Dalian, China, has expressed hopes the waiver would be extended.

In the joint statement, Raimondo and Lee agreed to cooperate on chip export controls to "protect national security while minimizing disruptions to global semiconductor supply chains" and "maintaining viability of semiconductor industries".

(Reporting by Joyce Lee. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Joseph Yun arrives at a meeting with the media in Bangkok, Thailand December 15, 2017. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States needs to accelerate diplomatic "catch up" with the Pacific island region in the face of Chinese competition, a U.S. diplomat said on Friday, adding that he was sure President Joe Biden would be warmly welcomed there if he decided to visit.

Joseph Yun, a special presidential envoy who leads renegotiation of agreements with three Pacific island states, was asked at a U.S. think tank about what officials from Papua New Guinea say are plans by Biden to make a brief stop there on May 22.

"Obviously for the Pacific, I am sure they would welcome President Biden, if he were to go there," Yun told the Hudson Institute.

"I don't think that decision has been fully made," he said while adding: "It is a good thing whenever heads of state get engaged on new issues."

A spokesperson from the PNG prime minister's office told Reuters on Thursday that Biden will stop in the capital Port Moresby for three hours on the way from a G7 meeting in Japan to Australia to attend the a summit of the Quad countries - the United States, Japan, India and Australia.

A Pacific islands source told Reuters that Biden was also expected to meet with more than a dozen Pacific islands leaders, but the White House National Security Council has not responded to request for comment on the plans.

Yun said the level of Chinese coercion in the region that is crucial to U.S. national security, but that had been neglected by the United States, is concerning.

"So now we're playing ... a little bit of catch up, I would say, and but you know, we need to accelerate our catch up."

Yun has been leading talks to renew so-called Compact for Free Association (COFA) agreements with the Marshall Islands, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia under which the United States retains responsibility for the islands' defense and gains exclusive access to huge strategic swaths of the Pacific. The deals are due expire this year and next.

Yun said the "topline" agreements in the negotiations with the nations would provide them with a total of about $6.5 billion over 20 years.

He said he was very optimistic the agreements would be finalized and that the U.S. Congress would approve them in a short time, but there is still some hard work ahead.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; writing by Jasper Ward; Editing by Alistair Bell)
FILE PHOTO: Workers unload a truck with GMO yellow corn imported from the U.S. at a cattle feed plant in Tepexpan, Mexico March 15, 2023. REUTERS/Raquel Cunha

By Adriana Barrera

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Trade consultations requested by the United States on Mexico's plan to limit the use of genetically modified corn are an "unacceptable violation" of Mexican law and feed the interests of seed "oligopolies," a top Mexican official said on Thursday.

The United States, Mexico's main trading partner, requested the consultations in early March under the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) agreement, which calls for a science-based approach to domestic regulations.

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has said Mexico's policy is not based in science, while the Mexican government claims it is consistent with USMCA regulation.

"The United States' request to Mexico follows the interests of seed, agrochemical, and other food-producing oligopolies," said Mexican Deputy Agriculture Minister Victor Suarez.

Suarez said that seed makers Bayer AG, Corteva Inc, ChemChina's Syngenta and BASF are "winning" under the U.S.' trade and agricultural policies, but that they do not represent all U.S. growers.

Washington requested consultations after Mexico softened an original plan to ban GMO corn across the board and instead opened its use for animal feed and industrial use.

However, Mexico retained plans to prohibit GMO corn's use for human consumption, which applies to flour, dough or tortilla made from the grain.

The consultations are a first step toward a trade panel under the treaty, which could ultimately rule in favor of slapping Mexico with punitive tariffs.

The Mexican policy "does not affect U.S. corn producers in any way," Suarez said, contradictory to the U.S.' claims.

"It is the U.S.' own agricultural and trade policies, as well as its food development model, which distorts prices and creates gaps between small-scale producers and large transnationals," Suarez added.

Suarez told Reuters in October that Mexico was exploring agreements with farmers in the U.S., Argentina and Brazil to import non-GMO yellow corn.

Mexico may have found some allies in the endeavor.

Some U.S. corn growers told Reuters they were open to Mexico's restrictions, arguing in favor of a free market in which they could sell the non-GMO corn at a premium.

(Reporting by Adriana Barrera; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday shrugged off Disneys lawsuit against him as politically motivated, and said that it was time for the iconic company to stop enjoying favorable treatment in his state.

Disney sued DeSantis on Wednesday over the Republicans appointment of a board of supervisors in its self-governed theme park district, alleging the governor waged a targeted campaign of government retaliation after the company opposed a law critics call, Dont Say Gay.

The legal filing is the latest salvo in a more than year-old feud between Disney and DeSantis that has engulfed the governor in criticism as he prepares to launch an expected 2024 presidential bid.

Theyre upset because theyre having to live by the same rules as everybody else. They dont want to pay the same taxes as everybody else and they want to be able to control things without proper oversight, DeSantis said during a visit to Israel. The days of putting one company on a pedestal with no accountability are over in the state of Florida.

DeSantis was speaking on the third leg of an international trip meant to burnish his foreign policy credentials ahead of a potential campaign for the Republican presidential nomination as a key rival to former President Donald Trump.

DeSantis has dived headlong into the fray with Disney, a major driver of tourism and a font for employment in Florida, as business leaders and White House rivals have bashed his stance as a rejection of the small-government tenets of conservatism.

The fight began last year after Disney, in the face of significant pressure, publicly opposed a state law that bans classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades, a policy critics call Dont Say Gay.

DeSantis then took over Disney Worlds self-governing district and appointed a new board of supervisors to oversee municipal services in the sprawling theme parks. But before the new board came in, the company pushed though an 11th-hour agreement that stripped the new supervisors of much of their authority.

The Disney lawsuit asks a federal judge to void the governors takeover of the theme park district, as well as the DeSantis oversight boards actions, on the grounds that they were violations of the companys free speech rights.

In a speech to a conference at Jerusalems Museum of Tolerance, DeSantis also spelled out his Middle East policy, speaking of the importance of the U.S.-Israel alliance. He said Israel was the only authority that could protect freedom of worship for all in combustible Jerusalem and that the U.S. embassy was rightfully moved to the city by the Trump administration, despite opposition from Palestinians.

He repeated his opposition to the deal that aimed to rein in Irans nuclear program, saying it empowered that countrys rulers rather than held them back. The Iran nuclear deal passed under former President Barak Obama. His successor, Trump, revoked the U.S. agreement to it.

In a critique of President Joe Biden, DeSantis also said that the U.S. shouldnt interfere in the way that Israel chooses to be governed. Biden voiced concerns last month about a contentious Israeli government plan to overhaul the countrys judiciary.

DeSantis began his multi-country trip in Japan and then traveled to South Korea. After Israel, he heads to Britain.

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Owner of Acropole Hotel in Khartoum Thanasis Pagoulatos , who was evacuated from Sudan, reacts during an interview with Reuters in his house, in Athens, Greece, April 28, 2023. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

By Karolina Tagaris

ATHENS (Reuters) - Thanasis Pagoulatos kept the family-run Acropole Hotel in Khartoum open throughout all the coups, wars and uprisings that Sudan has periodically endured - until the war that tore through the capital this month finally forced him out.

"It's as if a part of mine is taken from us," said the 79-year-old Greek, now in his Athens home, his voice cracking with emotion.

"I'm nearly 80. I have lived all my life there so Khartoum - or Sudan - is part of my life."

Among the city's oldest hotels, the Acropole was opened in 1952 by Pagoulatos' father Panaghis, who went to Khartoum from Greece in 1944, in the final days of World War Two.

The unassuming, sand-coloured colonial building in central Khartoum has played host to foreign journalists, aid workers, diplomats and business people throughout its 71-year history.

"Nothing fancy," Pagoulatos says. "It has always been, from the very beginning, a family business."

Thanasis and his younger brothers George and Makis - who was born in the Acropole - have run the hotel for decades, and their charm and attentive service have earned it a legendary reputation among its foreign clientele.

When fighting between the army and a rival paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), intensified in Khartoum this week, Pagoulatos and his sister-in-law were holed up in the Acropole with four guests and three staff for 10 days without power or running water.

When RSF fighters forced them to abandon the hotel, they fled on foot, through streets Pagoulatos said were littered with bodies, taking only their passports, his laptop and a change of clothes.

"We had seen a lot of coups, a lot of changes, but never such a thing," said Pagoulatos, a tall, soft-spoken man who arrived in Athens this week as part of a wider exodus of foreign nationals. "That was something really out of this world."

In recent years, as Khartoum was gripped by a growing number of protests, the owners decided to move into the hotel. And even now, Pagoulatos said leaving Sudan had never crossed his mind.

"Even my movements in the last moments was finding somewhere safe to stay ... for the situation to calm down, and then to continue my work," he said. "But leaving Sudan? No."

The hotel is now closed and it is not safe for any friends in Khartoum to check up on the premises. But still Pagoulatos is hopeful he might be able to go back.

"Visiting once more Sudan, at least maybe for the last time - it will happen. It has to materialise. Because everything, the whole thing, our work, our belongings, everything is there. We left with nothing, absolutely nothing."

(Additional reporting by Hannah Ellison; Editing by Alison Williams)
United States Securities and Exchange Commission

Washington, D.C. 20549

Notice of Exempt Solicitation

Pursuant to Rule 14a-103

Name of the Registrant: The Hershey Company

Name of persons relying on exemption: American Baptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS)

Address of persons relying on exemption: Investor Advocates for Social Justice, 40 S Fullerton Ave. Montclair, NJ 07042

Written materials are submitted pursuant to Rule 14a-6(g) (1) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Submission is not required of this filer under the terms of the Rule, but is made voluntarily in the interest of public disclosure and consideration of these important issues.

The American Baptist Home Mission Society (the Proponent), along with four co-filers, urges shareholders to vote FOR Proposal 5, the shareholder proposal requesting a report describing if, and how, Hersheys living wage position statement and planned implementation steps will put the company on course to eradicate child labor in all forms from the companys West African cocoa supply chain by 2025, at The Hershey Company (the Company or Hershey) Annual Meeting of Shareholders on May 16, 2023.

Summary of the Proposal

The proposal requests that Hershey issue a public report describing if and how Hersheys Living Wage & Income Position Statement and planned implementation steps will put the company on course to eradicate child labor in all forms from its cocoa supply chain by 2025. Specifically, the report should include information on how Hershey plans to achieve 100% sourcing visibility at the farm level of its cocoa by 2025; whether and/or how Hershey plans to raise farm gate prices; and how Hershey plans to partner with the Ghanaian and Ivorian governments and cocoa industry peers to promote living income for cocoa farmers.

Proponent Rationale for Engagement

The proponent, American Baptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS), is a faith-based institution whose vision and values promote the care of the earth, the rights and dignity of all people, racial equity, peace and social justice through its ministry work and investments. ABHMS believes that, through improving human rights and addressing systemic inequalities, companies can become more sustainable and contribute to a more positive and equitable society.

Members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, of which ABHMS is a member organization, have engaged with Hershey for over twenty years about the corporate responsibility to eradicate child labor from the West African cocoa supply chain, including by ensuring adult cocoa farmers receive a living income. While investor dialogues with the company have led to incremental improvements in disclosure, child labor persists in Hersheys supply chain. A business model that continues to depend on exploitative labor practices is not only immoral, but unsustainable, and must be transformed in order for the company to meet both its human rights responsibilities and maintain profitable growth. Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 calls for an end to all forms of child labor by 2025, a goal that can only be achieved in the cocoa supply chain with urgent actions by Hershey and its peers, in collaboration with governments and civil society.

40 S Fullerton Ave, Montclair, NJ 07042  973-509-8800  [email protected]  www.iasj.org

The proponents therefore offer this proposal - supported by strong reputational and financial risk arguments - to Hershey and its shareholders as an invitation to deeply examine its business model and to make the necessary changes to contribute to a more equitable and sustainable future - a future in which children do not have to work on cocoa farms and cocoa farmers are paid a living income.

Support for this proposal is warranted and in the best interest of shareholders because:

1. Child labor is still rampant, and has even increased in Hersheys cocoa supply chain, despite the Company signing the Harkin-Engel Protocol over two decades ago;

2. Failure to eradicate child labor exposes Hershey and its investors to financial, legal, regulatory, and reputational risks; and

3. Hersheys Human Rights Policy and Cocoa for Good strategy have failed to meaningfully address systemic poverty as a root cause of child labor.

Arguments in Favor of the Proposal on Living Wage and Income Report to Eradicate Child Labor

1. Child Labor is Still Rampant, and Has Even Increased in Hersheys Cocoa Supply Chain, Despite the Company Signing the Harkin-Engel Protocol Over Two Decades Ago;

Hazardous child labor on cocoa farms, which includes using machetes and harmful pesticides, meets the International Labor Organizations definition of the worst forms of child labor.1 Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 calls for the elimination of all child labor by 2025, yet international agreements and company initiatives have repeatedly failed to eradicate hazardous child labor from the cocoa supply chain.2 An estimated 1.56 million children engage in hazardous work on cocoa farms in Ghana and Cote dIvoire, where 60% of cocoa is produced.3 Hershey continues to profit from the worst forms of child labor, despite signing the Harkin-Engel Protocol in 2001, in which the Company committed to certify its cocoa beans are grown without the use of child labor by 2005.4 Far from ending child labor, the U.S. Department of Labor documented that child labor in the cocoa industry in Ghana and Cote dIvoire had increased 62% between 2009 and 2019.5

Systemic poverty in cocoa farming in West Africa is a driver of child labor in the sector, and interventions aimed at eradicating child labor must effectively address unfair pricing and insufficient farmer income.6 Corporations like Hershey have distinct responsibilities and roles to play in working with partners to address root causes of child labor in the cocoa sector. Hershey and its peers are creating demand for cocoa and profiting from an exploitative labor system to meet that demand.7 As a result, it is incumbent on Hershey and its peers to pay a fair price to cocoa farmers in order to dismantle this business model dependent on hazardous child labor.

40 S Fullerton Ave, Montclair, NJ 07042  973-509-8800  [email protected]  www.iasj.org

Despite committing to eliminate and prevent child labor in its cocoa supply chain,8 Hershey has failed to make meaningful progress, and in some cases, has undermined its own commitments. For example, Hershey cannot identify the source of 32% of its cocoa volume in West Africa. According to its most recent ESG report, the Company only has 68% sourcing visibility.9 Furthermore, Hershey does not plan to reach 100% sourcing visibility until 2025, the same year in which the SDGs aim to eradicate child labor. Without sourcing visibility to the farm level, Hershey cannot eradicate child labor from its cocoa supply chain.

Hersheys practices have also undermined its goal to promote a living income for its cocoa farmers.10 In 2019, Ghana and Cote dIvoire implemented a Living Income Differential (LID), by which the government agreed to impose a levy of $400 per ton of cocoa sales. In 2020, both governments accused Hershey of conspiracy and machinations for changing its buying practices to circumvent the LID.11 The LID has been deemed largely unsuccessful, in part due to allegations of Hershey and its peers undermining the program. Ghana and Cote dIvoire canceled all sustainability programs Hershey was involved in and threatened to terminate its license to operate.12

2. Failure to eradicate child labor exposes Hershey and its investors to financial, legal, regulatory, and reputational risks

As long as child labor exists in its cocoa supply chain, Hersheys chocolate will never be sustainable. Moreover, the Company will continue to face material financial, legal, regulatory, and reputational risks as long as it fails to meet its promises on eradicating child labor. In fact, Hershey currently faces a series of high-profile lawsuits, in addition to mounting regulatory actions to combat forced labor. As a consumer-facing brand that markets its products to children, Hershey faces significant reputational risk if its business practices are continually connected to the worst forms of child labor.

Litigation

In 2021, a lawsuit filed on behalf of former child slaves alleged Hershey knowingly profited from the illegal and systematic use of child labor.13 The plaintiffs, eight Malians who were trafficked as children and were forced to perform hazardous work on cocoa plantations in Cote dIvoire, sued Hershey and its peers under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.14

On June 28, 2022, the District Court dismissed the case for lack of standing, since the plaintiffs could not trace the child slave labor to particular farms from which Hershey sourced cocoa.15 Ironically, this inability to connect the conduct to particular cocoa farms, in itself, highlights one of the most pervasive problems in the cocoa industry, and in Hersheys supply chain in particular - the fact that Hershey does not know where 32% of its cocoa volume comes from. It is important to emphasize that the Courts dismissal did not conclude that Hershey did not source cocoa from farms that employed forced child labor from the plaintiffs, but instead, that the plaintiffs could not establish a traceable connection between the plaintiff[] [childrens] injur[ies] and the complained-of-conduct of the defendant[s].16 An appeal is currently pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit .17

Furthermore, in October 2021, Hershey and the Rainforest Alliance were sued for false and deceptive marketing of chocolate products labeled as sustainably or responsibly produced.18 According to the complaint, reasonable consumers are misled by Hersheys Rainforest Alliance certified chocolate products, since such products have a well-documented connection to child labor and other exploitative labor practices, and the certification does little to guarantee sustainability in the cocoa supply chain.19 The case is still ongoing in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

40 S Fullerton Ave, Montclair, NJ 07042  973-509-8800  [email protected]  www.iasj.org

Regulatory Risks

Hersheys continued sourcing of cocoa from West Africa also subjects the company to regulatory risk under section 307 of the Trade Act of 1930. According to section 307, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) can prevent entry into the U.S. of imports produced in whole or in part by forced labor.

In 2020, human rights groups filed a petition with CBP asking them to initiate an enforcement action under section 307, regarding cocoa imported from Cote d'Ivoire.20 According to the petition, cocoa importers, like Hershey, have been knowingly benefiting from the use of forced or trafficked child labor for at least 20 years, and during this time have repeatedly made empty and false promises to stop relying on child labor. Their failure to take real steps requires action to ban the importation of their cocoa from [Cote d'Ivoire.].21 The petitioners sent a follow up request to the CBP in 2022, urging them to take swift and concrete action.22 The petition is currently pending.

Hershey faces mounting regulatory risk as the U.S. increases its enforcement of Section 307 to prohibit imports produced with forced labor. From 2020 to 2021, the value of imports targeted by CBP increased almost 900%. CBP targeted 2,398 shipments in 2022, valued at $466 million.23 New legislation and increased enforcement amplify risks to Hershey if it continues sourcing cocoa connected to forced labor.

Reputational Risks

Hershey also faces reputational risk from its cocoa operations that are tied to child labor in West Africa, which may result in financial loss for the Company. Indeed, Hershey recognizes this risk in its 2023 Proxy Statement, by stating [o]ur Companys reputation or brand image might be impacted as a result of issues or concerns relating to the quality and safety of our products, ingredients or packaging, human and workplace rights, and other environmental, social or governance matters, which in turn could result in litigation or otherwise negatively impact our operating results.

Hershey has faced numerous consumer campaigns that highlight its poor sourcing practices. In 2011, Hershey was the center of a campaign to alert supermarket buyers of the Companys use of child labor and generated over 100,00 letters to Hershey to demand better sourcing practices.24 A companys reputation can meaningfully influence its financial performance, and a damaged or lost reputation is difficult to repair. According to the Conference Board, companies with a high reputation ranking perform better financially than lower ranked companies, and executives find it is much harder to recover from a reputational failure than to build and maintain reputation.25

Corporations with a good reputation benefit from strong market capitalization, better business efficiency, and recruitment and retention of strong talent.26 Given the reputational risks posed by sourcing cocoa produced with child labor, eradicating child labor in the West African cocoa sector is of wide and mainstream interest.

3. Hersheys Human Rights Policy and Cocoa for Good strategy have failed to meaningfully address systemic poverty as a root cause of child labor

40 S Fullerton Ave, Montclair, NJ 07042  973-509-8800  [email protected]  www.iasj.org

While Hershey has a Human Rights Policy and Cocoa for Good strategy, these initiatives have failed to meaningfully address systemic poverty, a root cause of child labor. Furthermore, Hersheys Child Labor Remediation and Monitoring System is clearly insufficient at measuring the Companys exposure to child labor. On its website, the Company claims, Our CLMRS programs found no evidence of forced child labor in Hersheys cocoa supply chain in 2021, and we have found no instances since launching the programs in 2018.27 This statement is directly undermined by Hersheys own admission that it lacks visibility into nearly a third of its cocoa volume, in addition to numerous lawsuits and reports that connect Hersheys operations to child labor.28 The company can and should do more to eradicate child labor from its West African cocoa supply chain.

In 2021, Hershey published its Living Wage & Income Position Statement, which recognizes living wage and living income as a human right.29 However, the only concrete commitment made by the statement is to pay a living wage to its own employees, thereby leaving uncovered the countless cocoa farmers in its supply chain. Additionally, Hersheys Living Wage & Income Position Statement has been criticized for lacking a concrete, timebound commitment and accompanying action plan to realize it.30 Investors lack sufficient information to assess how the position statement will help eradicate child labor in Hersheys cocoa supply chain.

Central to the debate on addressing systemic poverty in West Africa, and as a result, eradicating child labor, is the importance of raising the farm gate price, which is the price cocoa farmers receive from selling their cocoa. Without higher farm gate prices, the living income gap will not be bridged and sustainability in the cocoa sector will be only a pipe dream.31

In its Statement of Opposition, Hershey states it has no control over farm gate prices in the West African countries, since farm gate prices are set by each countrys government annually through a process in which Hershey and other similarly situated companies are not permitted to participate.32 This assertion is misleading, since the farm gate prices set by the countries is a price floor, not a ceiling. While it is true companies cannot participate in the governmental price-floor setting, they are free to pay premiums over and above the LID in an effort to pay a higher farm gate price.

In fact, Living Income Reference Prices (LIRP), which are supplemental, direct payments to farmers, developed by Fairtrade and Tonys Chocolonely, are already being implemented in other companies' cocoa supply chains.33 By implementing a LIRP, Hershey can raise the amount of money paid directly to cocoa farmers in its supply chain, thereby ensuring farmers receive a living income.

Instead of committing to raising farm gate prices for cocoa farmers in West Africa, Hershey touts its new Income Accelerator, which was slated to launch in Spring of 2023, as a way to increase economic resilience for cocoa farmers.34 Notably, the Income Accelerator is limited only to Cote dIvoire, excluding Ghana. The Income Accelerator program consists of cash transfers and village savings and loan associations. However, the Income Accelerate does not specify how much money will be given to cocoa farmers through cash transfers, nor when. It also critically fails to specify which cocoa farmers will receive cash transfers. Ultimately, the Income Accelerator does not address low farm gate prices. Instead of paying a higher premium to raise farm gate prices - the actual money cocoa farmers receive from cocoa sales - Hershey makes vague commitments to improve cocoa farming communities - commitments that lack specificity and appear to be aimed at avoiding paying higher prices for cocoa.

40 S Fullerton Ave, Montclair, NJ 07042  973-509-8800  [email protected]  www.iasj.org

Fundamentally, Hershey lacks visibility of its cocoa supply chain to the farm level. Although Hershey has committed to achieve 100% sourcing visibility to the farm level in Cote dIvoire and Ghana by 2025, Hershey has failed to meet its commitment on child labor in the past.35 For almost a third of its cocoa volume, the Company currently cannot identify which cocoa farms it sources from, cannot pay higher premiums to its cocoa farmers, and cannot ensure child labor is not present on its cocoa farms.

Studies show that increased transparency and traceability can increase farmers income and help companies substantiate their sustainability claims.36 Additionally, under the European Unions proposed Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, chocolate companies may be required to comply with more stringent human rights due diligence and transparency in their cocoa supply chains.37

Conclusion

Proponents encourage all Hershey shareholders to support Proposal 5: Living Wage and Income Report to Eradicate Child Labor

For more information, please contact: Aaron Acosta, Senior Program Associate at Investor Advocates for Social Justice and representative of the American Baptist Home Mission Society, via email: [email protected] or phone: 973-509-8800.

40 S Fullerton Ave, Montclair, NJ 07042  973-509-8800  [email protected]  www.iasj.org

1 https://www.norc.org/Research/Projects/Pages/assessing-progress-in-reducing-child-labor-in-cocoa-growing-areas-of-c%C3%B4te-

d%E2%80%99ivoire-and-ghana.aspx ; https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/business/hershey-nestle-mars-chocolate-

child-labor-west-africa/ ; https://www.ilo.org/ipec/Campaignandadvocacy/Youthinaction/C182-Youth-orientated/worstforms/lang--en/index.htm

2 https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/?Text=&Goal=8&Target=8.7

3 https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/our-work/child-forced-labor-trafficking/child-labor-cocoa

4 https://www.cocoainitiative.org/sites/default/files/resources/Harkin_Engel_Protocol.pdf

5 https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/our-work/child-forced-labor-trafficking/child-labor-cocoa

6 https://voicenetwork.cc/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Cocoa-Barometer-2022.pdf ;

https://www.worldcocoafoundation.org/blog/combatting-poverty-in-cocoa-farming-by-changing-pricing-

mechanisms/#:~:text=any%20cocoa%20farmers%20and%20their,prices%20smallholder%20farmers%20can%20charge .

7 https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/business/hershey-nestle-mars-chocolate-child-labor-west-africa/

8 https://www.thehersheycompany.com/en_us/home/sustainability/sustainability-focus-areas/cocoa/child-labor-monitoring-and-

remediation-system.html#:~:text=Hershey%20defines%20child%20labor%20according,is%20distinct%20from%20forced%20labor.

9 https://www.thehersheycompany.com/content/dam/hershey-corporate/documents/pdf/hershey_2021_esg_report.pdf

10 https://www.thehersheycompany.com/en_us/home/sustainability/sustainability-focus-areas/human-rights/living-wage-and-income.html

11 https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-12-01/chocolate-war-cocoa-growers-hershey-mars-ghana-ivory-coast ;

https://voicenetwork.cc/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/220920-Cocoa-Barometer-Living-Income-Compendium.pdf

12 https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-12-01/chocolate-war-cocoa-growers-hershey-mars-ghana-ivory-coast

13 https://www.internationalrightsadvocates.org/cases/cocoa

14 https://www.internationalrightsadvocates.org/cases/cocoa

15 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-dcd-1_21-cv-00386/pdf/USCOURTS-dcd-1_21-cv-00386-0.pdf

16 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-dcd-1_21-cv-00386/pdf/USCOURTS-dcd-1_21-cv-00386-0.pdf

17 https://ecf.cadc.uscourts.gov/n/beam/servlet/TransportRoom?servlet=CaseSummary.jsp?caseNum=22-7104&dktType=dktPublic&incOrigDkt=Y&incDktEntries=Y

18 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5810dda3e3df28ce37b58357/t/6181623e5f967e246dd8c416/1635869247075/RFA+and+Hershey+

Press+Release+FINAL+no+logo.docx.pdf

19 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5810dda3e3df28ce37b58357/t/618167d28dd7f307c90da0e4/1635870679248/CAL+v.+Hersheys+

and+RA_Stamped+Complaint.pdf

20 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/608276df0e35bd790e38eff3/t/63fe5b6b1aaa02040c61865c/1677613932462/2.14.20+307+cocoa+petition.pdf

21 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/608276df0e35bd790e38eff3/t/63fe5b6b1aaa02040c61865c/1677613932462/2.14.20+307+cocoa+petition.pdf

22 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/608276df0e35bd790e38eff3/t/63fe5bb9e60e737c4b6f1421/1677614009410/2.14.22+FINAL+Letter+to+CBP.pdf

23 https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/trade

40 S Fullerton Ave, Montclair, NJ 07042  973-509-8800  [email protected]  www.iasj.org

24 https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/32603-consumers-use-smart-phone-codes-in-supermarkets-to-campaign-against-child-labor-in-hershey-bars

25 Reputation Risk, The Conference Board, 2007, p. 6, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1077894.

26 https://www.provokemedia.com/research/article/link-between-corporate-reputation-market-value-strengthens-study ;

https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/publication/documents/2018-05/unlocking_value_of_reputation-may_2018.pdf ;

ttps://hbr.org/2016/03/a-bad-reputation-costs-company-at-least-10-more-per-hire

27 https://www.thehersheycompany.com/en_us/home/sustainability/sustainability-focus-areas/cocoa/child-labor-monitoring-and-remediation-system.html

28 https://www.thehersheycompany.com/content/dam/hershey-corporate/documents/pdf/hershey_2021_esg_report.pdf ;

https://waltonian.eastern.edu/archive/hershey-park-child-labor-w-coco-beans/

29 https://www.thehersheycompany.com/content/dam/hershey-corporate/documents/sustainability/HSY_Living_Wage_Income_Position_Statement.pdf

30 https://www.thehersheycompany.com/content/dam/corporate-us/documents/sustainability/HSY_Living_Wage_Income_Position_Statement.pdf ;

https://webassets.oxfamamerica.org/media/documents/Business-briefing-Issue-1-V3.pdf?_gl=1*1ei0guo*_ga*MTI5NTI4MjAzNi4xNjM4Mzg5OTk3*_ga_

R58YETD6XK*MTYzODM4OTk5Ny4xLjEuMTYzODM5MDAwNC41Mw ..

31 https://cocoabarometer.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Cocoa-Barometer-2022.pdf

32 https://hershey.gcs-web.com/static-files/2227ed0e-784d-488e-b30e-5ae5e5a4fdcc

33 https://cocoabarometer.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Cocoa-Barometer-2022.pdf

34 https://hershey.gcs-web.com/static-files/2227ed0e-784d-488e-b30e-5ae5e5a4fdcc

35 https://www.iveypublishing.ca/s/news/case-study-feature-the-hershey-company-broken-pledge-to-stop-using-child-labour-

MCQGOAECI55RFLJMB5MJ2MILY3JA

36 https://voicenetwork.cc/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/221017-Transparency-Accountability.pdf

37 https://cocoabarometer.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Cocoa-Barometer-2022.pdf ;

https://commission.europa.eu/business-economy-euro/doing-business-eu/corporate-sustainability-due-diligence_en

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WASHINGTON  The Air Force has graduated its first group of airmen who became American citizens during basic training as part of an accelerated naturalization process, which the service hopes will help solve recent difficulties in recruiting.

Fourteen foreign-born men and women who joined the Air Force were naturalized during several weeks of basic training this month at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas, the service said. They graduated from basic training and signed their U.S. Certificate of Citizenship on Wednesday.

I will always be grateful for every opportunity I have here in the best country of the world, said Airman 1st Class Natalia Laziuk, a member of the inaugural group and a native of Russia.

The enhanced process lets foreign-born recruits settle legal citizenship requirements immediately upon entering basic training. During seven and a half weeks, they can supply all the needed paperwork, take the citizenship test and satisfy other requirements to become naturalized Americans by the time that they graduate.

Their desire to become citizens exemplifies their commitment and dedication to the United States, said Air Force Col. John ODell, commander of the 37th Training Wing at Lackland. When we began  we asked all trainees who would be interested in starting their application, and 111 raised their hands.

The Air Force worked with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services earlier this year to arrange the accelerated citizenship program, which shaves off many months from the old process. Previously, if a foreign-born enlistee wanted to speed up their citizenship application, they first had to finish initial training and then six months of continuous active service.

The new initiative is one of many that the Air Force is using to attract qualified candidates during a time of deep recruiting shortages across the military. In recent years, the services have come up short of recruiting targets due to several factors. This year, the Air Force said it expects its total force -- the number of new and existing members  to be short about 10,000 airmen.

Under the program, if a foreign-born enlistee doesnt complete all the citizenship requirements in basic training, they can get it done later during their first assignment or at technical school. A big part of the process is online, where candidates can begin their application, study for their citizenship test and sit for a virtual naturalization interview.

The Air Force said its first group were natural born citizens from nearly a dozen countries -- Mexico, South Africa, the Philippines, Turkey, El Salvador, Jamaica, Russia, the Ivory Coast, Kenya and Cameroon.

These trainees volunteered to serve a country they arent yet citizens of, and now we get to formally recognize them upon their graduation as American airmen, ODell said.

I am dedicating myself to my country, said Airman Miguel Angelo Flores, a native of the Philippines and new American citizen.

The Navy implemented its accelerated citizenship process for its recruits in March 2022 and the Army followed last fall.

Accelerated citizenship is one of numerous efforts across the military to expand whats become a limited candidate pool. According to recent Pentagon data, only 23% of Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 qualify for military service academically and physically.

Some of the other incentives that the Army has adopted, for example, include promotions for enlistee referrals, a new recruiting ribbon and choice of station right out of basic training.

The Air Force is offering tens of thousands of dollars in enlistment bonuses to attract new members  especially for certain specialty positions, such as pilots.
The United States recently redirected a tanker attempting to ship Iranian crude oil to China, an action that likely triggered Tehrans seizure this week of an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, U.S. officials say.

Iran may have retaliated as part of a well-established pattern of behavior when the U.S. or other countries enforce economic sanctions leveled against them, a U.S. official familiar with the matter, who was not authorized to speak on the record, told Stars and Stripes on Friday.

A tanker carrying oil to China was redirected toward the United States, the British newspaper Financial Times reported Friday, citing three unnamed U.S. officials.

Irans seizure on Thursday of the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker Advantage Sweet followed the DOJ action.

The DOJ did not respond Friday to a Stars and Stripes request for comment.

Advantage Sweet was traveling in international waters Thursday when it issued a distress call, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet said in a statement the same day.

The Navy called for the ship to be released, saying the action was unjustified and a further example of Irans destabilizing activity at sea.

Advantage Tankers, which lists the MT Advantage Sweet as one of its 18 oil tankers, said in an email Friday night that their ship is being held at the Port of Bandar Abbas on the southern coast of Iran.

The fully laden oil tanker was sailing from Kuwait to Houston, Texas, with 24 crew on board with 23 from India and one from Russia, the statement said.

Iran said its navy intercepted the tanker as it fled after colliding with a fishing vessel, injuring two crew members, the Iranian state news agency IRNA reported.

The ship was directed toward Irans coastal waters, according to the IRNA report, which cited the Iranian army.

But the company operating the ship had no knowledge of any collision, Mark Clark, director at a crisis response company representing Advantage Tankers, said Friday.

The Iranian government has not yet contacted the company, Clark said, adding the Indian and Russian embassies have been contacted regarding their citizens.

Over the past two years, Iran has unlawfully seized at least five commercial ships in the Middle East, the Navy said in a statement.

Those ships include two Greek-flagged oil tankers and a British-flagged vessel, each of which were held for several months, according to the Navy. The Greek ships, seized in May, were released in November.

"Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy," U.S. 5th Fleet said in the statement.

Iran and the U.S. have accused each other of being a destabilizing force in the Middle East, which analysts say is locked in a shadow war between Tehran and Washington.

In recent months, the U.S. Navy has seized thousands of rifles, ammunition, rockets and other military equipment at sea that it says were shipped from Iran for use by rebels in Yemen.

The U.S. also has accused Iranian companies of involvement in the delivery of aerial drones to Russia, which Moscow has used in attacks against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

Politicians in Tehran, meanwhile, have blamed the U.S. for the spread of popular protests across Iran over the last year.

The Advantage Sweet seizure came on the same day that Washington announced sanctions on four officials from Tehrans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and accused them of helping wrongfully detain Americans in Iran.
WASHINGTON  House lawmakers pressed Navy and Marine Corps officials on Friday to make quality-of-life improvements for sailors and Marines, from mental health care to gender parity to child care.

Members of the House Armed Services Committee said they continue to hear from service members who complain of long waitlists for child care, poor living conditions, sexism and insufficient access to suicide prevention services.

Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., said troops in her district are contending with a military child care waitlist that has ballooned to 4,000 children. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a Marine Corps veteran, said the services are also failing to properly advertise a new 988 suicide prevention hotline. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said he constantly hears about junior sailors struggling with subpar housing.

Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., admonished Navy and Marine Corps leaders for failing to properly address the hazing, harassment and sexual assault of women in naval aviation. She focused on Naval Air Station Pensacola, where she said men make sexual jokes and pull down womens flight suit zippers and male instructors forcibly kiss female trainees.

The part that makes me see red and the part that truly speaks of the dearth of leadership in the Department of Navy and in our Marine Corps is when these women step forward to report these things, they're shut down, said Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot. Is this the price that women are expected to pay to serve our nation?

Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, who appeared before the committee to defend the services fiscal 2024 budget, said both services need far more women in their ranks. He disputed they would face a hostile environment in the military, however.

Im looking for tough women to join the Navy and the Marine Corps and inspiring them in ways that proves to them that despite what Ms. Sherrill said, actually that there is hope for women, that they will be able to advance to the highest ranks in both the Marine Corps and the Navy, he said.

Navy and Marine Corps officials did acknowledge persistent problems with providing troops and their families with access to child care and mental health services, describing them as among the top quality-of-life issues plaguing the services.

Gen. David Berger, commandant of the Marine Corps, said the average wait time for child care is an unacceptable 100 days. Much of the delay is due to the slow pace of hiring child care providers and competition with private child care centers that might offer more competitive wages, he said.

We have got to cut down the application time, Berger said. We have brought up the pay now to be corresponding with outside the gate but the wait time is a real challenge.

Adm. Michael Gilday, chief of naval operations, said child care provider staffing is at about 80% and the waitlist for child care across the Navy has decreased from 8,000 last year to 5,500 this year. Still, the service is sometimes offering providers wages that are $5 above the market median and recruiting from colleges to help alleviate a surge of demand for child care in the summer, he said.

Efforts are also continuing to a mitigate a similar shortage of mental health care providers, service officials told lawmakers.

Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-Va., said she heard mental health professionals aboard the USS George Washington are overwhelmed with the needs of sailors. The aircraft carrier, which has been docked for repairs since 2017, has become known in recent years for a spate of suicides among its crew members.

Unfortunately, these sailors are not alone and several sailors assigned to other ships undergoing refueling and complex overhaul at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center in Norfolk have died by suicide within the past five years, McClellan said. I know for many of our sailors this seems like an unrelenting tragedy.

Del Toro said the Defense Department is aggressively recruiting mental health professionals from the private sector but he believes the solution is for the Navy to grow our own mental health staff by training corpsmen to become mental health technicians.

We need to actually train far many more corpsman and we're moving in that direction, it may take a year or two to get the number of mental health technicians that we need, he said. But it's tough to compete with the private sector they're also extremely short-handed.

In the meantime, the Navy is placing more chaplains on ships to offer sailors guidance and trying to minimize time spent aboard docked ships, Del Toro said. A government watchdog report last year found morale dropped among crew members who lived on ships undergoing maintenance.

Gilday said the services are doing their best to get sailors into barracks despite constraints in the law that do not allow junior service members on sea duty to receive a basic housing allowance, which forces them to stay on docked ships. Some of those restrictions are being waived, Gilday said, and the Navy is working with landlords to offer below market rents on apartments.

He implored Congress to approve the Navy and Marine Corps request for a significant bump in construction and restoration spending and said service members should be a top priority for lawmakers as they craft the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, an annual bill that lays out Pentagon priorities.

I ask for your help now to invest in their quality of life, Gilday said. Weve got to invest in where they live, where they work, where they eat, where they work out, all of that. Theyve earned it. We have to deliver.

House lawmakers will address these issues in more depth on a new quality-of-life subcommittee, led by Bacon, that will launch in June.
The southwestern German town of Zweibruecken has been associated with horses for centuries.

In the mid-1700s, a duke who presided over the area began breeding a type of horse for military and courier work. The popular Zweibruecker, as it was called, would eventually gain admiration from Prussias Frederick the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte of France.

Some years later, the town started to hold horse shows. It also was among the first in Germany to stage organized horse races, which it did from at least 1821, according to historical documents.

Today, horse enthusiasts can find related activities in the town throughout much of the year.

Zweibrueckens large grass racetrack, or grasrennbahn, is unique in that its virtually in the center of town, not far from several U.S. military installations.

It hosts two race days per year that include harness races, in which horses pull two-wheeled carts that carry riders, and others in which jockeys ride on horseback.

Contests are spaced about a half-hour apart, which might seem like a long interval, but the time passes quickly.

During the breaks, bartenders are busy pouring sparkling wine and making Aperol spritzes while spectators line up for snacks in the festive atmosphere.

Theres also a steady stream of people making their way to the betting area. There are various ways to place a wager, and it should be possible to find an assistant to explain the options in English.

The races are broadcast throughout Germany, and people also wager on them online and at betting shops across the country.

Despite the prevalence of gambling and booze, the race days are surprisingly family-friendly. Childrens laughter is regularly heard from the wooden bleachers and the grassy seating area closer to the track. Dogs are welcome, too.

The years first race day was held in mid-April. The second is scheduled for July 16.

For those more interested in horse riding than racing, the nearby Zweibruecken State Stud hosts several contests.

Its one of 10 historical German state studs, or breeding farms, that date back to when horses were essential for transportation, agriculture and the military. Today, the studs are geared toward breeding for equestrian sports.

With only 15 breeding stallions, the Zweibruecken stud is the smallest of the 10 but one of the oldest, established by Duke Christian IV in 1755.

Successive conflicts destroyed its original structures. The present facilities were built after American bombs destroyed much of the town during World War II.

Still, a sense of history is palpable around the grounds, which include a stallion stable, an outdoor riding area and two riding halls, all of which are located on a picturesque tree-lined street near the Schwarzbach tributary.

Five jumping competitions and two dressage contests will be held later this year. A schedule can be found on the studs website.

If you attend an outdoor event, be careful when standing under the trees. Theyre home to many crows nests, and bird droppings are common.

In addition to the competitions, the stud offers guided tours in German. If you want to explore it by yourself, thats possible too, according to officials, who say visitors are always welcome.

The informational signs throughout the grounds can be read in English with a phone translation app.

Visitors who are interested in learning even more about the towns horse history can check out the Zweibruecken Stadtmuseum, which is about a 10-minute walk from the racetrack and the stud farm.

From the 1700s until today, this small town has had an outsized affection for horses. Witnessing this tradition firsthand can make for a very interesting day out.

On the QT

Addresses: Zweibruecken Grass Racetrack, Saarlandstrasse, 66482 Zweibruecken; Zweibruecken State Stud, Gutenbergstrasse 16, 66482 Zweibruecken; Zweibruecken Stadtmuseum, Herzogstrae 9-1, 166482 Zweibruecken. Zweibruecken is about a 30-minute drive from Ramstein Air Base. Trains and buses are also available.

Times: For July 16, the racetrack will be open from around 11 a.m. with races expected to be held from about 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. Events at Zweibruecken State Stud are held at various times. The Zweibruecken Stadtmuseum is open Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Wednesday to Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m.

Cost: Tickets for the July 16 race day can be purchased in advance or at the door. General admission is 7 euros with discounts for children. Ticket prices vary for events held at the Zweibrucken State Stud. Admission to the Zweibrucken Stadtmuseum is 3 euros for adults, 1.50 euros for students and free for children under 16.

Information: Zweibruecken Racing Club: https://pfaelzischer-rennverein-zweibruecken.de, info@pfaelzischer-rennverein-zweibruecken.de, +49 637-299-5200; Zweibruecken State Stud: https://landgestuet-zweibruecken.de, +49 6849-7779015, info@landgestuet-zweibrucken.de; Zweibruecken Stadtmuseum: stadtmuseum@zweibruecken.de, +49 6332 871-380.
The city of Seoul is a vibrant and thriving place with an endless number of things to do, from ascending to more than 1,600 feet at the Lotte Tower to riding rollercoasters at Everland Resort.

But history buffs will find the Gyeongbokgung Palace is a perfect place to spend an afternoon.

This historical site in the heart of Seoul was first erected in 1395 and is one of the first and largest of the royal palaces built during the Joseon Dynasty.

It served as the royal palace until 1592 when it burned down during the first Japanese invasion of the Imjin War. It was rebuilt in 1865 into the beautiful palace we see today.

There is more to this place than its history. Not only will you be able to take great pictures, but you will also get a glimpse into the royal culture and architecture.

You can explore the palace grounds including the Gyeonghoe-ru Pavilion, Hyangwonjeong Pond and sculptures of Geunjeongjeon. You can also check out the National Folk Museum of Korea. It has a number of exhibits featuring historic objects, showing the national life of Korea through the ages.

Another way to immerse yourself in the culture thats easier on your wallet is to come to the palace dressed in traditional attire called the hanbok and tour the palace grounds for free. A few shops close by rent or sell the garments and provide group tours with English-speaking guides.

The changing of the palace royal guard is a worthwhile subject for photos or videos and decent social media fodder, too. Its a reenactment of the guard-changing ceremony that took place during the Joseon dynasty, and a great way to see a traditional ceremony. The guards wear brightly colored clothes with traditional period weapons while playing traditional music.

This palace is like stepping into the past, as well as something fun to do with your friends and family. I recommend it to anyone who loves history and getting to know other cultures.

On the QT

Directions: A short walk from the Gyeongbokgung Palace Subway Station.

Times: Open daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Tuesdays.

Costs: 3,000 won for adults; 1,500 won for ages 7 to 18.

Food: There are several restaurants in the area.

Information: Phone: +82-2-3700-3900; Online: www.royalpalace.go.kr
NAIROBI - Renewed fighting convulsed Sudan and its battered capital Friday, and Turkey reported that one of its evacuation planes had been shot at, despite world leaders trumpeting the renewal of an already flagging cease-fire.

In Sudan's western Darfur region, ethnic fighting in one city between African and Arab armed groups erupted in a dark reminder of the brutal conflict that once racked the whole area, while French troops swooped across the border from Chad to evacuate U.N. staffers in another city.

Millions have been left stranded after fighting erupted between the military and the heavily armed paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15. On Thursday night, a fifth cease-fire was announced, intended to last for three days, but like the others, it was immediately violated, with fighting in the capital and elsewhere even as world leaders welcomed the warring parties' "readiness to engage in dialogue towards establishing a more durable cessation of hostilities and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access."

The cease-fires, while never total, have occasionally resulted in reduced violence in some parts of the capital, allowing locals to flee and some evacuation flights for foreigners to take place.

Those flights, from an airfield just north of Khartoum, could be in danger after Turkey announced early Friday that "light weapons were fired on our C-130 evacuation plane, which was going to Wadi Sayidna for the mission of evacuating our citizens who were stuck in Sudan, where the clashes continued." No Turkish personnel were injured, and the plane landed "safely," the message said, without specifying when the attack occurred. Images posted online showed at least one bullet hole in the plane.

The army and RSF blamed each other for the attack. The airfield is secured by foreign troops and has been used to evacuate citizens from more than 41 nations so far, including France, Germany and Britain. The evacuations from the airfield included a handful of American citizens.

But many are still trapped. Among them are members of one American family with two young girls who reported shooting on their street in Khartoum on Friday morning that peppered the lower walls of their home with bullets. They said that they have been trying to find a driver for more than six days to take them to safety but that prices are sky-high, petrol is scarce and drivers are afraid to enter neighborhoods where there is fighting.

Muawiya Jaden, 29, said there had been fighting in southern Khartoum since 7:30 a.m. He lives just under a mile from the army's air defense command, he said.

"I am now talking to you from under the bed," he said by phone. "There is no water, and we have not eaten any food since yesterday due to these clashes."

Muhammad Abdul Rahman Abdullah, 24, said planes were bombing RSF positions near Jabal Awlia Hospital. "There is heavy deployment of the Rapid Support Forces infantry inside the neighborhoods after the battles intensified," he said. "This area is densely populated."

Conditions at the borders also are dire as thousands of people wait days in the desert, trying to flee through undermanned border crossings into Egypt or cram onto boats sent by Saudi Arabia to ferry people to Jiddah. At least two people have died at the Egyptian border crossing of Argeen, and others have needed intravenous fluids or CPR, witnesses have said.

In the vast and arid western region Darfur, the scene of savage civil conflict in the past, a truce largely held until recently. Fierce fighting has occurred this week in the city of Geneina, which was spared the initial violence.

In an echo of the ethnic strife that plagued the region two decades ago and led to accusations of genocide, a witness told The Washington Post that the sudden outbreak of fighting has been mainly between the ethnically African Masalit groups and Arab militant groups.

The specter of renewed violence looms over Darfur, where hundreds of thousands of people were killed during a 20-year civil war that pitted Arab militant groups, known as the Janjaweed, against ethnically sub-Saharan African rebels.

The militant groups attacked the city from four directions Thursday morning, said the witness, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for security reasons. "They came with motorbikes, and they have some other vehicles," he said. Eventually, a former rebel group known as the Sudanese Alliance, which signed the 2020 peace agreement that ended the war, repelled the attackers. The witness said 119 people had been killed in the fighting, adding to the 96 reported killed in the previous days. Markets and many homes and businesses had been looted, he said.

The dead were being collected in one place so people could try to identify them, he said, adding that many displaced families, including women and children, had been killed. The militant groups reportedly also burned down government offices.

"They are still picking up the bodies," he said. "We have a small clinic in our area, and they are listing the names of the victims and those who are injured."

On Friday, the Sudanese Alliance was patrolling the streets in armored vehicles.

"Janjaweed militias are targeting any Black person," the witness said. "I fear this conflict in West Darfur will be a civil war."

Meanwhile, in the North Darfur town of El Fasher, French troops who crossed the border from Chad after sunset evacuated aid workers from an airfield, one evacuee confirmed.

"With very close coordination and cooperation between the two fighting parties and the government of North Darfur, we managed to facilitate the evacuation of 113 humanitarian workers from different U.N. agencies and international nongovernmental organizations from El Fasher to Chad," North Darfur's governor, Maj. Gen. Nimir Abdulrahman, told The Post in a text message.

The Washington Post's Kareem Fahim in Istanbul contributed to this report.
The U.S. Coast Guard Academy and its Japanese counterpart are preparing to resume in-person training and exchanges after their respective leaders recently signed a letter of intent, a first for the two schools.

Rear Adm. William Kelly, superintendent of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and Rear Adm. Mitsuru Eguchi, superintendent of the Japan Coast Guard Academy, signed the letter together during an April 21 ceremony in New London, Conn., according to news releases from both organizations.

We will further develop our long history of friendship with the Japan Coast Guard Academy, which will lead to the enhancement of education and training, Kelly said in a Tuesday news release from the Japanese academy.

The agreement is part of SAPPHIRE, or the Solid Alliance for Peace and Prosperity with Humanity and Integrity on the Rule of Law-based Engagement, an ongoing operation between the U.S. and Japanese coast guards that began in May 2022.

"I'm certain that the relationship between the two academies will become stronger through academic and student interactions," Eguchi said in the release.

The two services have a long history of cooperation; the Japan Coast Guard Academy was even modeled after its U.S. counterpart. But the letter of intent marks the first formal agreement between the two academies and signifies their commitment to sustained partnership in developing both nations future leaders, U.S. academy spokesman Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Abban told Stars and Stripes by email Thursday.

The two academies over the past several months have already organized a series of academic exchanges between faculty and cadets, Abban said, and they have several more scheduled in the near future.

Cadets will also have a chance to sail aboard their academy counterparts respective training ships, the Coast Guard cutter Eagle and the JCG Kojima, as soon as this summer, he added.

Additional exchanges have yet to be decided, a Japan Coast Guard Academy spokesman said by phone Tuesday, but the academy hopes the agreement will increase recruitment and provide a model for cooperation between other coast guard academies.

Japanese officials customarily speak to the media on condition of anonymity.
Republican legislators in Kansas have enacted what may be the most sweeping transgender bathroom law in the U.S. on Thursday, overriding the Democratic governors veto of the measure without having a clear idea of how their new law will be enforced.

The vote in the House was 84-40, giving supporters exactly the two-thirds majority they needed to override Gov. Laura Kellys action. The vote in the Senate on Wednesday was 28-12, and the new law will take effect July 1.

At least eight other states have enacted laws preventing transgender people from using the restrooms associated with their gender identities, but most of them apply to schools. The Kansas law applies also to locker rooms, prisons, domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers.

When I go out in public, like Im at a restaurant or up on campus or whatever, and I need to go to the bathroom, theres definitely going to be a voice in my head that says, Am I going to get harassed for that? said Jenna Bellemere, a 20-year-old transgender University of Kansas student. It just makes it so much more complicated and risky and unnecessarily difficult.

Republican legislators argued that theyre responding to peoples concerns about transgender women sharing bathrooms, locker rooms and other spaces with cisgender women and girls. They repeatedly promised that the bill would prevent that.

We want to have safety, said state Rep. Brenda Landwehr, a Wichita Republican and the chair of the House health committee.

The Kansas law is different than most other states laws in that it legally defines male and female based on the sex assigned at birth and declares that distinctions between the sexes in bathrooms and other spaces serves the important governmental objectives of protecting health, safety and privacy. Earlier this week, North Dakota enacted a law that prohibits transgender children and adults from having access to bathrooms, locker rooms or showers in dormitories of state-run colleges and correctional facilities.

Kansas law doesnt create a new crime, impose criminal penalties or fines for violations or even say specifically that a person has a right to sue over a transgender person using a facility aligned with their gender identity. Many supporters acknowledged before it passed that they hadnt considered how it will be administered.

The bill is written broadly enough to apply to any separate spaces for men and women and, Kellys office said, could prevent transgender women from participating in state programs for women, including for female hunters and farmers. As written, it also prevents transgender people from changing the gender markers on their drivers licenses  though it wasnt clear whether that change would occur without a lawsuit.

Critics of the new law believe it is an attempt to legally erase transgender people while also refusing to recognize gender fluid, gender non-conforming and non-binary people. They argued that the bills vagueness will prompt harassment of transgender people.

The lack of clarity is by design because it allows them to disclaim the worst possible interpretation while also allowing for the worst possible outcome to happen, said Micah Kubic, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, which opposed the law.

When she vetoed the bill, Kelly suggested it was discriminatory and said it would hurt the states ability to attract businesses.

The new law is part of a larger push by Republicans across the U.S. to roll back LGBTQ+ rights, particularly transgender rights. At least 21 states, including Kansas, restrict or ban female transgender athletes participation in female sports. At least 14 states  but not Kansas  have restricted or banned gender-affirming care for minors.

The new Kansas bathroom law borrows language  and a title  from three national groups anti-trans Womens Bill of Rights.

One of those groups, Independent Womens Voice, said the new law will prevent judges, unelected bureaucrats, and administrators in Kansas from unilaterally redefining the word woman to mean anyone who identifies as a woman.

Under the new law in Kansas, legally sex means biological sex, either male or female, at birth, though it allows accommodations for intersex people if their conditions are considered disabilities under U.S. law. Intersex people can have ambiguous external genitalia at birth or conditions involving external genitals that dont match a persons sex chromosomes.

The new law declares that females have a reproductive system at birth developed to produce ova, while males have one developed to fertilize the ova.

Supporters said they expect that most school districts, cities and counties already are in line with the new law in how they handle sex-separated spaces. They also dont expect local officials to actively police who uses which restrooms.

Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, said he expects police to intervene if theres any kind of harassing behavior but transgender people still will use facilities associated with their gender identities if theyre discreet about it.

He compared the new law to existing decency laws, but in Sedgwick County, home to Wichita, District Attorney Marc Bennett, an elected Republican, said that in general, if a law doesnt list explicit elements for a defined crime, the elected prosecutor would not have enforcement authority.

Both supporters and critics suggest the new law will prompt court cases if someone has a complaint about how local officials or even businesses handle the use of facilities by transgender people.

Brittany Jones, policy director for the conservative Kansas Family Voice, which backed the law, said the law will come into play as officials and courts deal with conflicts.

It would be as the cases arise, Jones said.

Yet critics believe that the new law will prompt harassment not only of transgender people but nonbinary, gender-fluid and gender-nonconforming people.

Tomboys, people who just arent really that into femininity as a woman, they cant freely express themselves without being worried that theyre going to be called out and removed from the spaces that they rightfully belong in, said Adam Kellogg, a 19-year-old transgender University of Kansas student.

Former state Rep. Stephanie Byers, the first elected transgender Kansas lawmaker who now lives in Texas, predicted that legal chaos is coming to her former home state.

While the attack on transgender people is not physical, Byers said, Theyre taking us out in every possible way.

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YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan  The aircraft carrier USS George Washington will return next year to this naval base south of Tokyo, where it will replace the USS Ronald Reagan as the centerpiece of the U.S. 7th Fleets carrier strike group, the Navy announced Friday.

The move was first reported March 1 by Nikkei Asia, citing U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman Lt. Brian Cunningham.

The George Washington is undergoing its mid-life nuclear refueling and maintenance at Newport News shipyard in Virginia. The Navy did not disclose the date the George Washington will arrive, but further details will be announced closer to the actual movement of the carriers, according to a news release Friday from Naval Forces Japan.

The United States values Japan's contributions to the peace, security and stability of the Indo-Asia-Pacific and its long-term the release said. These forces, along with their counterparts in the Japan Self-Defense Forces, make up the core capabilities needed by the alliance to meet our common strategic objectives.

The carrier strike group now centered on the Ronald Reagan was previously led by the George Washington from 2008 to 2015. The carriers scheduled four-year refit began in 2017 but was significantly delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and other setbacks.

The refit includes refueling two nuclear reactors and significant repairs, upgrades and modernization, the Navy said.

The Navy positions many of its most advanced capabilities in Japan in recognition of the importance of our alliance, Naval Forces Japan spokeswoman Cmdr. Katie Cerezo told Stars and Stripes by email Friday. This turnover will ensure continued carrier presence in the region.

Following the George Washingtons arrival, the Ronald Reagan will relocate for maintenance to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Wash., according to the release.

The Ronald Reagan has spent eight years in Yokosuka, approaching the 10-year limit for Navy ships deployed overseas.

Congress set the limit in the fiscal year 2019 Defense Department budget following the back-to-back collisions in 2017 of the destroyers USS John S. McCain and USS Fitzgerald. Both had been based at Yokosuka more than a decade when they separately collided with commercial vessels.

More than 240 Navy families moved to Yokosuka in the months ahead of the George Washingtons arrival in 2008. When the Ronald Reagan replaced the George Washington in 2015, they swapped nearly two-thirds of their respective crews.

A spokesperson for the U.S. 7th Fleet did not immediately respond Friday to a request for comment.

One upgrade to the George Washington is the ability to embark the MQ-25A Stingray, a 50-foot drone that can refuel other aircraft in flight and extend the carrier air wings range, Nikkei Asia reported March 1.

The Stingray can fly 500 nautical miles and deliver up to 16,000 pounds of fuel mid-air to F-18 Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers and F-35C Lightning II stealth fighters, according to manufacturer Boeings website.

The drone is the worlds first operational, carrier-based unmanned aircraft and a critical part of the future for carrier strike groups and air wings, according to U.S. Naval Air Systems Command.
GAPYEONG, South Korea  A Canadian with a penchant for fostering the memory of his nations military service recently walked nearly 200 miles to a hilltop where his countrymen distinguished themselves in the Korean War.

Guy Black spent more than 2  years planning and training for his trek, which began in British Columbia and concluded at the Kapyong battlefield east of Seoul. He timed his walk to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the conflicts end.

I hope that I can inspire more people to do something for remembrance, he said April 21 at the Kapyong memorial. I want people to just know more about the Korean War. I would like veterans to get more recognition and I hope that this walk gets people to remember and also do something that was worthy of a tribute to these people.

The Battle of Kapyong, or Gapyeong, April 23-25, 1951, belonged to the outnumbered Canadian and Australian troops of the 27th British Commonwealth Infantry Brigade who prevailed over their adversaries in three larger Chinese regiments.

Ten Canadians lost their lives and another 23 were wounded, according to Veterans Affairs Canada. The Australians lost 32 killed and 59 wounded. An estimated 2,000 Chinese soldiers were killed or wounded.

ANZAC Day

The battle concluded April 25, ANZAC Day, on which Australians and New Zealanders remember their war dead. Australian air force Group Capt. Lyle Holt, who leads U.N. Command, Rear, at Yokota Air Base, Japan, delivered the address at the ANZAC memorial at Kapyong on Wednesday.

The 3rd Royal Australian Regiment, on Hill 504 north of Kapyong village, fought off waves of Chinese attackers starting April 24, 1951, Holt said by Facebook Messenger on Friday. 3RAR held firm, and on the afternoon of 25 April the exhausted Chinese abandoned their attack, he said.

During his speech and while walking the Australian positions, I could vividly imagine what this valley might have looked like 72 years ago, he said. The men who fought then, and their families, would be proud of what their sacrifices enabled across [South Korea] today.

Holts uncle, Patrick Joseph Holt, fought at Kapyong.

While the Australians fought, Lt. Col. Jim Stone, commander of Canadian battalion, ordered his 700 men to dig in atop nearby Hill 677. The Chinese troops pummeled the Canadians with heavy fire and eventually surrounded them. Stone refused to withdraw, and the Canadians instead called for artillery strikes on their own position and resupplied by air kept their attackers at bay.

For their deeds at Kapyong, the 2nd Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and the 3rd Royal Australian Regiment were awarded U.S. Presidential Unit Citations, a rare honor for foreign military units.

Battlefield pilgrimage

Black said he has written newspaper and magazine articles about Canadas part in the Korean War, and helped with more than 35 proclamations honoring that service for communities in British Columbia.

The first leg of his trek began with a 16-mile walk from Blacks home in Coquitlam, British Columbia, to the Gapyeong Stone Korean War Memorial in nearby Langley, and then more than 60 miles to Vancouver Airport, where he departed for Seoul.

After arriving April 14 in South Korea, Black, his wife and their two sons walked 20 miles from the airport their first day and 21 miles the next day.

Black made a shorter, commemorative walk two years ago to mark the 70th anniversary of the battle itself.

After I did the walk in 2021, I just kept training a lot more running, like hill running every week and long walking, he said. That makes up for my age.

Along his route this year in South Korea, he was joined by members of South Korean Veterans Association, Freedom League and Democratic Peaceful Unification Advisory Committee.

His entourage walked 15 miles with him to the Commonwealth memorials. They were joined by cadets of the South Korean military academy and hikers they met along the way, Black said.

The weeklong, 186-mile trek concluded on April 21 with an ascent of steep, narrow Hill 677 in Buk-myeon overlooking the Kapyong River Valley.

The support from everyone was really cool, I hope will be spread to a lot of people and they'll know more about Canada's contribution to the Korean War.

green.christopher@stripes.com

Twitter: @ChrisJGreen8
SEOUL  North Korea has been firing off missile after missile after missile this past year  in fact, Kim Jong Un's regime has launched more than 100 since the beginning of 2022. Nearly every time, the regime's propagandists claim they have made significant advancements in their nuclear and weapons program.

The flurry of tests shows these claims are not just empty words and reflect actual progress, analysts say, as Kim is making his arsenal of missiles easier to launch, harder to track and one day capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Diplomacy remains far out of reach, and North Korea has dug in its heels over its nuclear ambitions. Last September, North Korea updated its nuclear doctrine and announced that there would be "absolutely no denuclearization, no negotiation and no bargaining chip to trade" even if international sanctions were lifted.

The North's rhetoric and advancements have only fueled South Koreans' desire for their own nuclear deterrent and during South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's visit to the United States, President Biden pledged that any North Korean nuclear attack on the South "will be met with a swift, overwhelming and decisive response," with a full range of U.S. capabilities, "including nuclear."

So what has North Korea achieved so far?

Solid-fuel missiles

One of the most notable recent developments is Pyongyang's launch this month of a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-18.

Kim has long wanted this technology. It's no wonder, since solid-fuel propellants are easier to operate than liquid-propelled missiles and most countries with ICBMs maintain a mix of both types.

For solid-fuel missiles, fuel and oxidizer are mixed together into a hard chemical mixture, then packed into a metal cylinder ready for ignition.

That means the missile can be rolled out into the open with the fuel inside it, ready to launch. The solid propellants are more cost-efficient in terms of management, storage and deployment, said Shin Seung-ki, a research fellow at the Seoul-based Korea Institute for Defense Analysis.

In contrast, liquid-fuel missiles use fuel and oxidizer pumped into a combustion chamber, which combust when mixed and burned. The fuel and oxidizer need to be loaded on-site ahead of launch, which can be time-consuming.

Although far from perfect, the recent test "marks the first big step for North Korea's propulsion system technology, toward its goal of sending a nuclear warhead to the U.S. mainland," Shin said.

Multiple launch methods

In case of a conflict on the peninsula, a high priority for South Korea and the United States will be to find and destroy as many nuclear-capable North Korean launchers as possible. North Korea is now making this a much more difficult task.

"North Koreans are saying, if you want to play whack-a-mole with our nuclear force, we're going to have more moles than you can track and going to be hiding them in places you previously didn't have to think about," said Ankit Panda, nuclear policy expert at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace.

North Korea has test-fired numerous short-range ballistic missiles from a variety of locations, such as trains, submarines, and mobile launchers.

It has been experimenting with submarine-launched missiles since 2015. Last month, Pyongyang said it fired two cruise missiles from the 8.24 Yongung, its ballistic-missile submarine. A missile launched from a submarine has a complex trajectory that is hard to intercept, making it a major maritime threat.

North Korea also appears to now have the capability to launch missiles from underground. Photos suggest that during military drills in March, it fired a missile from a buried silo, allowing prelaunch preparations to be conducted without early detection.

These silos are especially useful for sheltering long-range missiles that North Korea is developing. One drawback of silos is that they are exposed to an aerial survey. Satellite photos from earlier this year captured possible signs of silos in North Korea.

Testing short-range missiles

Most of North Korea's recent testing has been of short-range ballistic missiles, as the country works to improve capabilities in this range  which can reach South Korea.

The KN-23 is similar to the Russian SS-26 but has a significantly greater range, according to research by the Council of the European Union. The KN-24 is a solid-fuel ballistic missile launched from a mobile launcher, and is similar to the U.S. Army's Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).

The KN-25 is a multiple rocket launcher system capable of firing multiple missiles in quick succession. The system is described by North Koreans as that of "super-large caliber."

These systems are known to be operable and are "mature systems with sufficient sophistication that could present a real threat against the South," said Go Myong-hyun, defense analyst at Asan Institute in Seoul.

Launching a spy satellite

North Korea said last week it is ready to launch its first military reconnaissance satellite, which would also help the regime hone its ICBM technology, Shin said. The regime's space program is considered a pretext for developing missiles and rockets, and is banned under United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Such technology would help North Korea develop strategic situational awareness capabilities, which it currently lacks, Panda said. The spy satellite would give North Korea independent ability to detect a potential attack, which could allow the North to justify a preemptive strike against its enemies.

North Korea has not disclosed the anticipated timeline of the launch but its neighbors are already braced for it. Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada this week ordered the military to be ready to shoot down the North's satellite rocket if necessary. Antimissile defense systems have been deployed in southern Japan.

Reentry testing

The United States and its allies have never shot down a test missile fired by North Korea, which is typically launched on a high, or "lofted," angle so that it doesn't travel too far and land on neighboring countries' territory.

However, North Korea in February warned that its missiles would soon be able to hit targets in the Pacific, threatening to turn the ocean in to a "firing range."

"The frequency of using the Pacific as our firing range depends upon the U.S. forces' action character," said Kim Yo Jong, powerful sister of the North Korean leader. She also warned the U.S. and its allies against intercepting its test missiles, saying it would be considered a "declaration of war."

North Korea could soon launch an ICBM at a normal angle to experiment with its reentry technology, said Kim Dong-yub, a former South Korean navy officer who teaches at University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

Over the course of its flight, an ICBM exits and then falls back into the Earth's atmosphere, exposing itself to extreme temperature changes. A reentry vehicle is necessary to shield the missile's warhead from fiery heat during its high-velocity descent through the air. Unless the aerodynamics of reentry are worked out precisely for a proper shield, the warhead will burn up and fail to hit the target on the ground.

North Korea is looking for distant testing grounds to perfect its reentry technology. The test missile, if fired into American waters, would mark a major geopolitical escalation, Kim Dong-yub said. "North Korea is pushing the limits of what it can do under the name of a 'test,' to demonstrate its weapons in a chillingly warlike situation," he said.

What about nuclear warheads?

For all its technological advances in recent years, there is one key thing that North Korea has not proved it can do: Make a nuclear warhead that is small enough to put on a missile. That process is called miniaturization  and it's difficult.

Last month, the North Korean leader unveiled what he said was a small new nuclear warhead that could fit into short-range missiles. It was called the "Hwasan-31," meaning "volcano."

"North Korea has clearly been making its nuclear warheads smaller and lighter," said South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, in reference to the new Hwasan-31. He told lawmakers this month that the North's achievements so far are "not negligible" and have to be assessed closely.

Lee said that North Korea has completed preparations for a new nuclear test, in what would be the first since 2017. Experts say the test would shed more light on how far North Korea has advanced in its goal to miniaturize nuclear warheads to mount on tactical weapons aimed at South Korea or Japan.

Tactical nuclear weapons are designed for limited use on the battlefield. They have shorter ranges and lower explosive yields than strategic weapons intended for targets bigger and farther away. These "smaller nukes," often exploited for saber-rattling still have the destructive power to cause a large number of fatalities, experts say.

Lee reported from Tokyo.
WASHINGTON  Protesters smeared black and red paint on the case and pedestal of Edgar Degas's "Little Dancer Aged Fourteen" sculpture at the National Gallery of Art in D.C. on Thursday to bring attention to the climate crisis and demand that President Biden declare a climate emergency.

The protesters - a man and a woman, dressed in black suits - slathered their hands, then crouched down to paint the pedestal on which the ballerina sculpture is displayed. They then stood up and smeared their hands across the clear case protecting the artwork. Police removed the two people in handcuffs and ushered out the people inside the gallery.

Declare Emergency, the climate group that organized the stunt, identified the protesters as Joanna Smith, 53, of New York City and Tim Martin, 54, of Raleigh, N.C.

"The Earth is beautiful, and we're destroying it with climate change," Smith said as security officials asked the small crowd to back away from the sculpture.

Kaywin Feldman, the director of the National Gallery of Art, condemned the protest in a statement. The museum closed the gallery where "Little Dancer" was on display, as well as other connecting rooms. The museum has removed the defaced case so experts can assess the damage, and the FBI is assisting in the investigation, the statement said.

"We unequivocally denounce this physical attack on one of our works of art and will continue to share information as it becomes available," Feldman said in the statement.

This follows protests around the world targeting galleries and museums. In Europe, climate activists threw cans of tomato soup on one of Vincent van Gogh's most famous paintings, "Sunflowers," in London's National Gallery and smashed cream pie into the face of King Charles's wax statue at Madame Tussauds in London. Activists have also flung mashed potatoes on a Claude Monet painting at the Museum Barberini in Potsdam, Germany. Climate activists glued themselves to a painting by Sandro Botticelli at the Uffizi museum in Florence and glued their hands to the frame of Pablo Picasso's "Massacre in Korea" in Australia.

Climate activists are turning to these types of disruptive tactics because they feel the world is running out of time to curb catastrophic, irreversible warming, said Dana R. Fisher, a University of Maryland sociology professor who studies protests and social movements. She noted suffragists had slashed artwork in the past, and these recent protests target protective casings or frames as opposed to damaging the art.

The point, Fisher says, is to draw attention. And research shows these kinds of "radical tactics" can persuade people who are sympathetic to the climate issue to be more supportive of moderate perspectives, she said.

"This is purely performative protest. It's disruption as shock," Fisher said. "Nobody's going to like these guys for throwing paint at 'Little Dancer' . . . but that's okay. That's not their point. If the goal here is to get general attention and to shift the conversation to focus more on climate change, there's a lot of evidence that this is more effective."

A recent U.N. climate report warned that the world is on track to pass a dangerous temperature threshold within the next 10 years that would result in catastrophic warming that could cause millions of people to die.

Declare Emergency, which is seeking governmental action on climate change, wrote in a news release that two demonstrators who are supporters of the climate group were arrested. The U.S. attorney's office for D.C. could not immediately confirm the arrests or provide additional information about the incident.

Declare Emergency said this demonstration was part of a wave of actions to demand that Biden declare a climate emergency and halt all fossil fuel projects on federal and Indigenous lands. The group also organized demonstrations in the region that resulted in protesters being arrested for blocking traffic.

In the quiet gallery Thursday morning, Smith knelt at the base of the statue, poured red paint into her hand and began to draw what appeared to be a tree on fire. Next to her, Martin used black paint to draw a house and a cloud.

Visitors to the gallery swiveled their heads and slowly assembled around the two protesters. They took out their phones and started recording the protest.

"For our children, we are worried like most of Americans, about climate and about biodiversity crisis," Martin said. "And we need our leaders to step up, put their differences aside and simply be responsible."

Two Washington Post journalists who were covering the protest were briefly detained by law enforcement with the National Gallery of Art protection services. They were released after The Post's counsel intervened.

Smith, according to the news release, has family members sickened by polluted air and is deeply concerned about the planet and the future.

"That is why we decided to come visit this beautiful, beloved child that the world knows," she said, sitting in front of the artwork with her legs crossed and hands covered in red paint facing out to the small crowd. "She's imperfect like we all are imperfect, but she's strong and she's not resigned to destruction."

Morgan, 14, of New York City - whose father allowed her to speak on the condition that The Post identify her only by her first name to protect her privacy - stood among her eighth-grade classmates who were on a school trip to the nation's capital. She wasn't entirely sure what was happening but managed to make out that people who were "very upset" were trying to bring attention to the environment and the future for children.

"I think it's good because it gets people's attention, but I don't think it's good because it's ruining property," she said. "It made me not afraid to use my voice."

This was the first time Judy Norinsky, 66, of Stamford, Conn., visited the National Gallery of Art - and she was shocked.

Norinsky referred to herself as a "good liberal" who wants more people to be aware that nEarth is warming and believes the world needs to take action. But she did not approve of the act of protest that she witnessed.

"This is an important institution, and I suppose there are legitimate rights that people have, and it could be a legitimate way to protest," Norinsky said. "But I frankly found it shocking and offensive."

Fisher, the professor who has studied the climate movement since the 1990s, predicts the lack of significant government action and a warming planet will push protesters to take more drastic action to bring attention to the climate crisis.

"It leads to general strikes and leads to sit-ins. It leads to blockades. That's where this is going. This is not going toward more people's climate marches on a weekend day with a legal permit and a banner in the front," Fisher said. "Desperation, in terms of frustration, is leading them so far to be disruptive but still completely nonviolent."
A former Fort Bragg soldier accused of threatening violence against racial minorities pleaded guilty this week to possessing an illegal firearm, Justice Department officials announced Wednesday.

Noah Edwin Anthony, 23, faces up to 10 years in prison after admitting to possession of an unregistered short-barrel rifle, according to the Eastern District of North Carolina U.S. Attorneys office. The weapon, a 3D-printed FGC-9 rifle with no serial number, was found in Anthonys barracks room by Fort Bragg military police, who searched his quarters after finding another firearm and Nazi-type memorabilia in his car in March 2022.

Federal prosecutors said they had uncovered evidence on electronic devices that Anthony had possessed that he sought to carry out an operation intending to physically remove as many [Black and brown people] from Hoke, Cumberland, Robeson and Scotland counties by whatever means need be. Those counties are in southeastern North Carolina, with Fort Bragg spanning parts of Cumberland and Hoke counties. Robeson and Scotland counties border South Carolina.

Then a specialist, Anthonys troubles began March 3, 2022, at a gate at Fort Bragg where his car was flagged for a random vehicle inspection, according to court documents. Gate guards discovered a loaded 9mm-like handgun in Anthonys center console, which prosecutors described as a ghost gun, meaning it had no serial number.

Military police then searched the rest of Anthonys vehicle, in which they found two extended magazines, ammunition, and an American flag with a swastika, instead of a blue field and stars alongside other Nazi-type patches, according to the U.S. Attorneys office.

In Anthonys barracks room, military police found the illegal FGC-9 rifle, which had a barrel less than 16 inches in violation of the National Firearms Act, according to federal prosecutors. Officers also found firearms parts, magazines, white supremacist literature, clothing and patches.

The Army discharged Anthony from the service in February as a result of the March 3, 2022, incident, Maj. Russell Gordon, a spokesman for the Fort Bragg-based 1st Special Forces Command, said Friday. Anthony has been held in federal custody since last year, Gordon said.

At the time of Anthonys arrest, he had been an intelligence analyst assigned to the 389th Military Intelligence Battalion, 528th Sustainment Brigade, which is part of 1st Special Forces Command. Anthony was not a Green Beret, Gordon said.

The Justice Department said the FBI, the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives were continuing to investigate the case.

It was not immediately clear Friday when Anthony would be sentenced.

These crimes and conduct are incompatible and not tolerated in the Army or Special Operations, Gordon wrote in an email. They go against the high values we expect, which the overwhelming majority of our soldiers embody and follow every day in service.

dickstein.corey@stripes.com

Twitter: @CDicksteinDC
WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service)  The House rejected on Thursday a resolution that would require the White House to remove hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in Somalia as part of counterterrorism efforts.

Lawmakers voted 102-321 against the concurrent resolution from Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., that would require the president to withdraw the forces within one year of enactment.

The House pushed the vote on the resolution back to Thursday after earlier this week raising the prospect that it could be part of a Wednesday agenda that had Republican leaders scrambling for votes for a debt ceiling bill. Gaetz was one of the holdouts on that bill, and said consideration of his resolution wouldn't affect that vote.

Gaetz has been a thorn in the side of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., since the beginning of the 118th Congress. Along with two co-sponsors of his Somalia resolution  Reps. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn, and Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.  he was among the Republican opponents of the debt ceiling bill the House passed in a 217-215 vote.

In January, Gaetz was one of several Republicans who withheld support even in the final vote that gave McCarthy the speaker's gavel.

Gaetz's Somalia measure was the second time he's taken up floor time for legislation given no chance of passage. In forcing the floor vote, he relied on a provision of the 1973 War Powers Resolution that permits expedited votes on privileged resolutions to force the withdrawal of U.S. troops from conflict zones. Republican Reps. Paul Gosar of Arizona, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, and George Santos of New York were co-sponsors.

Gaetz used a similar privilege last month to get a House vote on a resolution that would require the withdrawal of U.S. troops in Syria to combat the Islamic State. The House rejected that effort, 103-321, with 56 Democrats joining the backers of that plan.

And the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday approved yet another Gaetz measure in order to close off his opportunity to force another floor vote. That resolution would direct the Pentagon to transmit to the House any plans for current or future military assistance to Ukraine related to the deployment of U.S. troops in that country.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who acted as chair for part of the markup, said that if the committee didn't act, the bill would automatically go to the floor. "We have statutory responsibility to. The privilege ends today at the end of our vote," Issa said.

Gaetz had only one less supporter for his Somalia measure Thursday than he got for the Syria one in March, but six fewer Democrats.

Fewer than 500 U.S. special operation forces are estimated to be in Somalia as part of a permanent troop presence to counter the al-Shabab terrorist group. They were deployed nearly a year ago by the Biden administration in a reversal of the decision by former President Donald Trump to remove the approximately 750 troops previously deployed to the Horn of Africa country.

Gaetz used the floor debate to call the resolution the second in a series about the places where Congress believes the 9/11 attacks in 2001 justify a U.S. troop presence. Putting the number of troops in Somalia around 900, he said they weren't enough to save the country from terrorists. He said later that he may introduce a similar one on Niger.

"If what it takes to protect the 17 million people in Somalia is 900 U.S. troops forever, I don't have high hopes for them," he said on the floor. "I have far more confidence in the strategy that Congresswoman Omar laid out, which was the Somali government working to create some sense of national identity among Somali clans. And no one has made a compelling argument that we are essential to that process."

House Foreign Affairs ranking member Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, D-N.Y., opposed the resolution, saying it doesn't end hostilities in the region and prevents crucial cooperation. He said local forces have made steady gains against al-Shabab in recent years. "This resolution would roll back some of the gains that have been made," he said.

"Our forces on the ground in Somalia are there to provide security training and intelligence support," he said. "No American has been killed in Somalia in over four years."

Rep. John James, R-Mich., the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, joined the opposition but acknowledged that "war should never be on autopilot or open-ended." He said allowing terrorists to fill vacuums of influence is a threat to the U.S.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., a Somali immigrant, backed the resolution but regretted that it didn't address the "expansive" use of a 2001 authorization to use military force against terrorism. "I and many Somali Americans support this resolution," she said.

Mark Burnett contributed to this report.

2023 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Visit cqrollcall.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The militarys media wing clarified on Friday that a former army chief's off the record claims about Pakistan armys "combat worthiness" were quoted out of context in the media.

Recently, there have been discussions in media on Pakistan armys combat worthiness in view of the condition of certain weapon systems on its inventory, stated the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The militarys media wing added that the views of former army chief on future threat to Pakistan, which he shared with media persons in an off the record interactive session, have been quoted out of the context.

Army assures the people of Pakistan that we always took and will continue to take pride in our operational preparedness and utmost combat worthiness, the ISPR further added.

The statement maintained that "Pakistans Armed Forces always did and will continue to keep their weapons, equipment and battle hardened human resource ever ready for the defence of the motherland."

The ISPRs statement comes as former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa reportedly, in an off the record interview, stated that Pakistan Army lacked weapons due to financial crunch.

Earlier this month, it was reported that incumbent Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir visited the Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT), where he was briefed on the progress of ongoing projects and the latest developments in defence production.

According to the ISPR, the army chief was briefed during his visit on the technical capabilities of the HIT, the progress of ongoing projects, indigenisation efforts, and recently undertaken modernisation measures.

The COAS also visited various factories of HIT and witnessed the manufacturing, rebuilding, and upgradation of tanks, Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), enhanced protection solutions, remote weapon systems, and indigenous 155mm artillery gun barrels for the Pakistan Army.
Rep. Zooey Zephyr, D-Missoula, walks out of the Montana House of Representatives after lawmakers voted to ban her from the chamber on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, in the State Capitol in Helena, Montana

Montanas Zooey Zephyr spent her first day in legislative exile Thursday on a bench just outside the House chambers from which Republicans voted to banish her a day earlier.

Zephyr, a transgender lawmaker from Missoula, defiantly stayed put even after Republicans said she couldnt be there and a Capitol police officer threatened to move the bench, where she had set up her laptop to vote remotely.

As cameras snapped and espresso beans churned in a machine behind a nearby snack bar, Zephyr and Democratic leaders said she would remain in the public eye unless Republicans elected to further restrict where she could go in the Capitol.

There are many more eyes on Montana now, Zephyr said in an interview with The Associated Press. But you do the same thing youve always done. You stand up in defense of your community and you ... stand for the principles that they elected you to stand for.

Republicans had wanted Zephyr to participate from behind the doors of the House Minoritys offices a day after they voted to ban her from the House floor for the rest of the session.

The motion Republicans passed bans Zephyr from the House, the gallery and a waiting room, but not the public space in the hall where she set up. Minority Leader Kim Abbott said the lawmaker would be voting there, within public view. Abbott said she told Regier that if he wanted to further restrict Zephyrs access, he could amend the motion.

Zephyr was thrust into the national spotlight last week when she was prevented from speaking in the House after telling lawmakers backing a bill to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors that they would have blood on their hands.

The Republican response to her comments, and her refusal to apologize for them as demanded, have transformed the lawmaker into a prominent figure in the nationwide battle for transgender rights and placed her at the center of the ongoing debate over the muffling of dissent in statehouses.

The attention is a new phenomenon for Zephyr, a 34-year-old serving her first term representing a western Montana college town after being elected in November.

Lawmakers banned her from the House in response to participation in a protest that disrupted Mondays floor session. Protesters upset that she was prevented from taking part in House debates after making her comments packed the gallery and chanted, Let her speak!

She stood by the remarks even after House Speaker Matt Regier said they violated decorum rules and demanded that she apologize.

The Montana House will not be bullied, Regier said this week. He said the only person preventing Zephyr from speaking was Zephyr herself.

In her interview with the AP, Zephyr likened efforts to silence her to the decision by Tennessee lawmakers to expel two Black representatives for disrupting proceedings when they participated in a gun control protest after a school shooting in Nashville that killed three children and three adults. The two were quickly reinstated.

Thats exactly what Im talking about, is when young Black men stand up and say, We have a gun violence problem in this country and you are failing to recognize it, youre failing to take action on it, she said.

Tennessee lawmakers not only rejected gun control laws, but by expelling the lawmakers they sent a message saying: Your voices shouldnt be here. Were going to send you away, Zephyr said.

GOP leaders in Tennessee had said their actions were necessary to avoid setting a precedent that lawmakers disruptions of House proceedings through protest would be tolerated.

Zephyrs stand has drawn attention from lawmakers throughout the country. On Tuesday, Tennessee Rep. Justin Pearson, one of the lawmakers who was expelled earlier this month, called the Montana standoff anti-democratic.

We will not let our democracy die without fighting for every voice. We are in this fight from Memphis to Montana! he tweeted.

The attack in Montana on Rep. Zephyr is an attack on all of us, said Nebraska state Sen. Megan Hunt.

Hunt, who has a transgender son, has spearheaded the charge against a similar proposal to ban gender-affirming care. She was served notice Wednesday of an official complaint filed against her that she said was an effort to silence her voice on the issue.

Its so important that we not be silent about this from state to state to state. And its so important that people stand up against this rising movement, this radical movement, and say it is not welcome, Hunt said.

Zephyr is undeterred. She said throughout the events of the past week, she has both aimed to rise and meet the moment and continue doing the job she was elected to do: representing her community and constituents.

Its queer people across the world and its also the constituents of other representatives who are saying, They wont listen when it comes to these issues. Its staff in this building who, when no one is looking, come up and say Thank you, she said.

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is charged with possession of cannabis with intent to sell or supply.

A BUSINESSMAN was found with more than 400,000 worth of cannabis at his workplace, including hundreds of bags of jellies, it has been alleged.

A court was told Jason Tuthill (49) signed for a suspected 340,000 bag of the drug before the rest was found in situ in a raid of his business premises in Co Kildare.

He was remanded in custody with consent to 20,000 bail when he appeared in Dublin District Court.

Mr Tuthill, of Barrowhouse, Co Laois is charged with possession of cannabis with intent to sell or supply. The offence is alleged to have happened at his vehicle cleaning supplies business, Autochem at Athy Business Campus yesterday, April 27.

Garda Zoe McInerney said the accused made no reply when charged and cautioned at Kildare garda station at 10.40pm last night.

Objecting to bail, she cited the nature and seriousness of the charge and alleged the accused was caught red-handed.

She said a search was carried out at the premises following an intelligence-led operation. It was alleged that the accused was the only person present and accepted and signed for a 17kg package of suspected cannabis with an estimated value of 340,000.

A further 3kg of the drug worth 60,000 was in situ, along with 272 individual packages of cannabis jellies worth 13,600, Gda McInerney said.

Applying for bail, defence barrister Gareth Casey said Mr Tuthill had no prior convictions and no bench warrant history.

He said the accused had lived with his wife at his current address for the last five years and had lived in Ireland all his life. He had four children from a previous relationship.

Tuthills company had not been making much money for the last couple of years since Covid, Mr Casey said.

He argued that there were no grounds for an outright refusal of bail.

Judge Smyth granted bail in the accuseds own bond of 500, with an independent surety of 20,000 in view of the seriousness of the charge. Half of this must be lodged in cash, he said.

Under conditions, the accused must sign on twice weekly at his local garda station, surrender his passport and provide a contact phone number to gardai.

The garda applied for a curfew on the accused but the judge refused, saying he did not think it was appropriate in the case.

He remanded Mr Tuthill in custody with consent to bail to appear in Cloverhill District Court on May 3.

The accused has not yet indicated a plea.

The search was part of a joint operation conducted by Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, the Kildare Divisional Drugs Unit and personnel attached to the Revenue Customs Service.
The court heard that there was a much different man behind the scenes compared to the outward persona that he gave.

A former GP will be sentenced next Wednesday for the possession and distribution of child pornography.

Dr Ronan Keogan (51) of College Square, Terenure, pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly distributing child pornography at an unknown location within the State on March 26, 2017.

He also pleaded guilty to one count of possessing three child pornography images at an address in Templeogue, Dublin, on May 15, 2017.

He has no previous convictions and has not come to the attention of the gardai since 2017.

Detective Garda Stephen Byrne told Eoin Lawlor BL, prosecuting, that on March 27, 2017, a woman presented to Clontarf Garda Station. She told gardai that the previous month she joined the Ashley Madison website, where people who want to have affairs can meet.

Det Gda Byrne said she began communicating with a man who went under a pseudonym, but told her that he was a GP in Templeogue. The pair continued to communicate on a different online platform called 'Kik', and discussed her dressing up like a schoolgirl; they arranged to meet, which resulted in the two engaging in sexual activity.

The court heard that Keogan sent the woman a text saying, This girl is 15, followed up with three pictures. He later claimed to gardai that this girl was 17.

Det Garda Byrne agreed with defence counsel that the three images seem to have been taken by the girl herself, and only one of the images is considered child pornography.

The woman then asked Keogan, What is the lowest you would go? and he replied, 15, I think. The woman did raise concern over the sharing of the images, but the accused told her, She was ok with me showing it, the court heard.

On the foot of this information, gardai obtained two search warrants for Keogans medical centre and his home. On May 15, 2017, at 6.45 pm, gardai executed the search warrant on the medical centre.

During the search, Keogan handed over his mobile phone and pin and was fully cooperative with gardai. He was asked if he had sent images of a young girl to a woman, and he replied, Was she in a bath? She is from Cork. She is 17 years old. Thats what she told me.

Gardai also asked the accused if he ever gave the impression that he was into underage girls, and she said, No, 19 or 20, in school uniforms, but Im not into underage girls.

The court heard that a warrant was then executed on his family home, but nothing of evidential value was found.

The court heard that Keogan had 383 folders of images of women on his phone, resulting in over 10,000 images in total from women of all ages. Of these 10,000 images, three were of a child pornography nature.

During a garda interview, Keogan said anyone he has had sexual contact with was at or above the age of consent, He said he would not knowingly engage in sexual activity with someone not capable of giving consent.

Det Gda Byrne agreed with Lorcan Staines SC, defending, that at the time, his client was in his mid-forties and a GP who ran his own practice. He was an employer in the community, he was a very well-respected man in the community, and he was a married man and father to two children.

The garda agreed with counsel that he had the task of trawling through all of Keogans devices and that there was a much different man behind the scenes compared to the outward persona that he gave.

Mr Staines said his clients marriage had broken down. He said his client had a huge appetite for sexual activity and was active on many online dating websites. He said he was also suffering from stress due to a pending inquest. He was also under the care of a doctor and taking medication for anxiety and depression.

He said his client was involved in thrill-seeking behaviour and was meeting many women for sex. Counsel said his client sent and received naked photos to and from many women.

The court heard that the image sent to the woman on Kik was a selfie taken by the girl in the image with no suggestion of any violence in the image. Two other images found on his phone were also selfies taken by the girl in the image.

Mr Staines said his client's behaviours ultimately cost him everything. He has now been removed from the Medical Council, his practice has closed, and he will never practice as a doctor again, all due to his own actions. He has also lost all forms of income. His practice was also previously vandalised due to media coverage.

He asked the court to take into account that this is at the lowest level of offending compared to what this court is used to dealing with. Counsel asked the court if an additional punishment of a custodial sentence was warranted.

Ms Justice Patricia Ryan adjourned this case until Wednesday, May 3, 2023, for sentencing.
Thompsons barrister said no record or notes of the procedure around the Garda identification had been taken

Lawyers for gangland criminal 'Fat' Freddie Thompson have argued that his conviction for the murder of David 'Daithi' Douglas in Dublin in 2016 should be overturned due to the lack of records on how he was identified by gardai from CCTV footage.

Mr Douglas (55), a father of one, was shot six times as he had lunch at a counter in his partners shop, 'Shoestown', on Bridgefoot Street, Dublin 8, on July 1, 2016.

A semi-automatic pistol with its serial number removed was found next to his head.

Thompson (42) of Loreto Road, Maryland, Dublin 8, had pleaded not guilty to his involvement in the murder of Mr Douglas but was jailed for life at the the Special Criminal Court in August of 2018.

In sentencing Thompson, Mr Justice Tony Hunt said this was an execution involving "intricate advanced planning and coordination".

The judge pointed out that the prosecution did not suggest that Thompson was the person who fired the shots, but that he was one of the people involved.

Specifically, Thompson had been driving a Ford Fiesta that was involved in the murder plot.

The Fiesta was seen interacting with other vehicles and individuals involved in the plot on the morning before the shooting.

It also drove past 'Shoestown' four minutes before the shooting, in what Justice Hunt said was a "final check" before the gunman arrived to carry out the "planned execution".

Fat Freddie Thompson

At the Court of Appeal today, John D Fitzgerald SC, for Thompson, said the grounds of appeal against his client's conviction related to CCTV identifying Thompson driving the Fiesta at White Swan Industrial Estate at 10.48am on the day of the shooting.

Mr Fitzgerald said the State's case was a circumstantial one, with one strand being the CCTV identification made by two gardai relating to Thompson driving the Fiesta in convoy with a Mercedes Benz, known in the trial as "the murder car", a Suzuki Swift, which was the ultimate getaway car, and a burned out Mitsubishi Mirage.

Mr Fitzgerald said four CCTV montages were used in the trial tracking the movements of the convoy throughout the day around Dublin.

They traced Thompson and his associates to and from the scene, culminating in the group going to Little Caesar's restaurant off Grafton Street in Dublin city centre at around 8pm.

The barrister said that the trial had allowed into evidence the four CCTV excerpts that had been objected to by the defence on grounds of procedure and the quality of the images.

The barrister said no record or notes of the procedure around the Garda identification had been taken and therefore it was not possible to test the validity of the identification, which he said was a "very important part of the State's case".

Freddie Thompson in Dublin   Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

"There was no record kept, of anything," said Mr Fitzgerald, who added that one identifying Garda knew Thompson was a suspect in the murder before he viewed the CCTV clips.

"There were no procedures in place and no training in how to show footage to Garda witnesses," said Mr Fitzgerald.

The barrister said UK authorities had put a code in place in law that police officers had to record what they were told before viewing CCTV, by whom and in what form they had been asked to view footage and what arrangements had been made regarding times viewed.

He added that any expression of doubt regarding the quality of image or the identification from the viewer was also recorded by UK authorities.

Mr Fitzgerald said the procedures in the UK were adopted so that engagement and cross-examination testing the reliability of any assertion of identification could be possible which was not possible in the case of his client.

Mr Justice John Edwards noted that the Special Criminal Court said that even without any recognition evidence they were satisfied that Thompson should be convicted of the murder.

"They were satisfied they had sufficient evidence in any event to convict," said Mr Justice Edwards.

The barrister said that Garda witnesses cross-examined who "repeatedly said 'I don't know'" regarding procedures due to the lack of contemporaneous notes taken were therefore "not available" witnesses to the defence.

Mr Justice George Birmingham said whatever breach in procedure regarding CCTV was claimed to have occurred in Thompson's trial, it was still referring to "the conduct of a neighbouring jurisdiction which never applied here".

Mr Fitzgerald said the same logic applied regarding best practice when dealing with exclusionary rules on evidence admissibility, adding that "the logic is the same, and the evidence has to be tested by cross-examination".

"Here, it is difficult to cross-examine and shake a witness on it and if there is no record, counsel is simply left searching.

"It's not complicated. Simply keep a record. It doesn't seem a lot to ask," said Mr Fitzgerald.

Sean Gillane SC, for the State, said the quality of the CCTV footage clips was not an issue as they had been both blown up and played in slow motion at the trial.

Mr Gillane said footage of the convoy's movements began at 9.50am and ended at 8pm on the day of the "execution-style" shooting.

Mr Gillane said 160 sources of CCTV footage had been harvested and the "killer car" could be seen moving into position at the time of the murder before travelling for the meeting at Little Caesar's.

Mr Gillane said the CCTV had to be of a sufficient standard "so that the trier of fact can make a fair assessment of it and look at it numerous times" which the Special Criminal Court had done.

Regarding the UK procedures on viewing CCTV, Mr Gillane said the code utilised "doesn't apply here" and even if they had not been adhered to "it does not lead to the automatic expulsion of evidence".

The barrister said the two identifying gardai viewed footage separately without any suggestion put to them "good, bad or indifferent".

Mr Gillane said it had been disclosed to the defence that one identifying Garda knew Thompson was a suspect in the murder before viewing the CCTV.

"The defence says they were somehow deprived of cross-examination. It cannot be the law that because someone knows someone [Thompson] is in the mix that they are precluded from examination of footage," said Mr Gillane.

He said the case had been a "painstaking" one regarding CCTV but that "even without it, the conviction is a safe and satisfactory one".

Mr Justice Birmingham said the court would reserve its judgement in the appeal.

Thompson is one of four men who have been jailed in relation to the murder of Mr Douglas.

Lee Canavan

In June 2021, Lee Canavan (34) of Edenbrook, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, was jailed for life for his part in the joint enterprise or shared intention to murder Mr Douglas.

However, the court did not agree with the State's contention that Canavan was "the person who literally pulled the trigger", owing to a lack of forensic or identification evidence.

In 2019, Nathan Foley (24) of Maryland, Dublin 8, was jailed for six years after he pleaded guilty to assisting a criminal organisation by driving one of four cars and buying mobile phones used in the offence. Gareth Brophy (28) of Reuben Walk, Dublin 8, was jailed in February 2020 for ten years for his role as getaway driver.
Judge Martin Nolan said his first thought had been to imprison OBrien, saying he found what he had done reprehensible

A Dublin man who sold android boxes allowing cheap access to thousands of TV channels has been sentenced to 240 hours of community service.

Paul OBrien (38) of Raheen Close in Tallaght pleaded guilty to three sample counts of copyright infringements involving the possession and sale of so-called protection-defeating devices on dates between June 2016 and December 2017.

Passing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Martin Nolan said it was a sneaky type of offence - hard to detect.

The judge said his first thought had been to imprison OBrien, describing the offences as classic white collar criminal behaviour, and commented that the only deterrence was a custodial sentence.

He said, however, he had noted what his colleagues had done in similar cases and noted for a first offence in these circumstances, there was normally a non-custodial disposal.

He said that he found what OBrien had done reprehensible, saying it was a well-thought-out scheme to make money and defraud the rightful owners of their property rights, but he was going to stay his hand. He told OBrien he had been very close to going to prison.

The judge previously referred the case to the Probation Service to see if OBrien was suitable for community service, ordering 240 hours of community service in lieu of two years imprisonment.

The court heard today that O'Brien was deemed eligible for community service, and the judge finalised the sentence.

Judge Nolan also previously ordered the forfeiture of 20,410 and the destruction of the equipment seized.

At an earlier sentence hearing, the court heard that OBrien sold Android boxes to 150 customers and then charged them 12 a month to get activation codes.

The buyers would then use a new code each month to activate access to about 4,000 TV channels.

Garda Brian OConnor told the court that a company like Sky or Virgin would ordinarily charge viewers anything between 30 to 130 a month to give similar access to TV channels.

The court heard that over 34,000 was frozen in OBriens bank account, of which about 60pc came from the illegal sale of these devices.

Gda OConnor told Simon Matthews BL, prosecuting, that the offence came to light when a Sky investigator made a test purchase of a Merlin TV Android box in October 2017 from a website called IPTV Wizard.

He was sent an activation code which allowed him access to the TV channels, and he reported the incident to gardai.

OBrien was easily traced through the company registered to the Android box, and gardai got warrants to search his house and that of his partner in December 2017.

Numerous items were seized from OBriens house, including a black tower PC containing data relating to the activation codes and details about sourcing the boxes.

Mr Matthews said OBrien had been sourcing the boxes himself from the website alibaba.com and passing them on but that the re-broadcasting was done by other parties.

Other items seized included 100 flyers advertising IPTV Wizard, business cards, remote control and details of OBriens bank account.

OBrien, who has no previous convictions, was arrested by appointment in September 2018 and made substantial admissions in his third interview with gardai.

He told gardai he had been running the IPTV Wizard website from about 2015 or 2016 until his house was raided.

OBrien said he had about 150 customers who sourced the box and that he was getting 12 for each activation code he sold per month.

Gda OConnor agreed with Judge Nolan that OBrien would have been getting about 1,800 a month.

If the guards hadnt stopped him, he could have had a living out of this, said Judge Nolan.

OBrien told gardai that about 60pc of the 34,017 in his bank account had come from IPTV sales.

Philipp Rahn SC, defending OBrien, said other monies coming into his clients account included wages and the proceeds of legitimate sales of items like gaming pads, air mouses and controllers.

Mr Rahn said OBrien had not come to garda attention since this offence and was unlikely to come before the courts again.

He pointed out that gardai had found no trappings of wealth in OBriens house and said his client was a computer design technician who had worked hard all his life.

OBrien set up his own company in 2016, and when this went out of business in 2018, it was very difficult for him, counsel said, and he ended up in this misadventure and criminality.

This matter came as a huge shock to him, said Mr Rahn, presenting a letter from OBriens GP showing that he suffered from anxiety and was attending counselling.

O Brien's partner, who wrote a letter to the court, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2015.

She said OBrien was a dedicated father to their 14-year-old son and a valuable member of the local community who was always willing to help people.
The male in his 60s has been released without charge this morning from the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

Detectives suspect a former investigator with the Garda watchdog passed on confidential information to the Hutch crime gang over a long period.

The matter was referred to An Garda Siochana, which has been carrying out inquiries into the mans dealings with associates of Gerry The Monk Hutch.

As part of the probe, gardai have examined devices used by the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) member.

They spoke with him earlier this week and are confident they know the extent of his interactions with members of the Hutch family.

A source said it is believed the man, who is in his 60s, had a relationship with associates of The Monk going back a long period of time.

Detectives suspect these interactions included the disclosure of confidential information obtained in his role at Gsoc. They arrested him yesterday morning.

Gardai will also attempt to bring criminal charges against the former investigator.

His attendance at that party was certainly not his first interaction with the Hutches, a source said. Gardai are confident they know the extent of this individuals engagement with the Hutch family and the investigation continues with an aim to prefer criminal charges in this matter.

The former Gsoc investigator remained in custody last night after being arrested on suspicion of leaking confidential information. He quit last week after it emerged he attended a gathering with ard Hutch.

The Monk had only hours earlier been cleared by the Special Criminal Court of the Regency Hotel murder of David Byrne.

The National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) was asked this week to carry out inquiries into allegations that a GSOC investigator was at a gathering with Hutch.

The man was arrested and taken to a garda station in the east of the country and questioned on suspicion of an offence under Section 81 of the Garda Siochana Act 2005.

This makes it an offence for a person working for or on behalf of Gsoc to disclose confidential information.

Justice Minister Simon Harris said yesterday that it showed the appropriateness of the decision for Gsoc to refer the matter to gardai.

I have said since first becoming aware of this that it was important that if theres any potential criminal wrongdoing that the only place for that to go in terms of an investigation was An Garda Siochana, he said.

I think what were now seeing is the gardai taking this seriously and applying the appropriate level of priority to this matter.

The former Gsoc employee, who has more than 40 years of policing experience with a force outside Europe, had access to sensitive information in his role.

He had also previously worked on the investigation into the death of Colm Fox, the detective superintendent who took his own life while overseeing the Regency probe.

The Monk (60) has remained in Dublin since his acquittal and has been regularly seen around the city.

On Wednesday, he was seen walking down a busy street in north-inner city Dublin carrying shopping bags despite remaining under threat from the Kinahan cartel.

Yesterday, gardai investigating the murder of his older brother, Eddie Neddy Hutch, arrested a man in his 40s as part of the inquiry.

The 58-year-old was shot dead outside his inner-city home three days after the Regency murder in 2016.

The male in his 60s has been released without charge this morning from the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

A file will now be prepared for the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Investigations are ongoing.
Nicola Tallant introduces this four-part story about blood bonds, bitter feuds and shocking betrayal

How Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch became one of the most infamous names in Irish criminal history

THIS is the story of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch, from his early days as a young hoodlum through to his astonishing acquittal in the Special Criminal Court for the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel.

How did this quiet-spoken man from Dublin's north inner-city become one of the most notorious figures in Irish criminal history?

And how did he end up on trial for murder and why did he walk free?

This is a four-part story about blood bonds, bitter feuds and shocking betrayal. It's a story about the changing face of Dublin, and the pursuit of justice - in the courts and on the streets.

Crime World Podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Soundcloud.

MORE EPISODES 
68-year-old Inez Weski was arrested on Friday on suspicion of participating in an organized crime operation.

Crime lord and Kinahan associate, Ridouan Taghi, has had his Marengo trial in the Netherlands suspended after police swooped in and arrested his lawyer.

Barrister Inez Weski was arrested on Friday on suspicion of participation in the criminal organization of her client, which is involved in drug trafficking and money laundering. She is also suspected of 'violating secrets', according to Dutch authorities.

"The lawyer is suspected of abusing her position by passing on messages from the criminal organization to and from her detained client," the Public Prosecution Service said.

Marengo trial

The verdict in the Marengo trial was scheduled for October 20, but that date now hangs in the balance due to Weski's arrest.

The trial revolves around several assassinations and the planning of street-level executions by Taghis cartel.

Weski's attorneys said on Monday she will now step down as Taghi's lead attorney, as the trial nears its conclusion.

Prosecutors demanded life in prison for Taghi, while Weski had called for an acquittal during her recent closing arguments. A verdict was expected in October but that is now up in the air.

Weskis colleagues said on Twitter that her arrest "shocked" them;

'We are currently unable to oversee the impact of that arrest and the underlying investigation into the Marengo case. For that reason, we have asked the court to postpone the next hearing. The court has granted this request today, they wrote.

Taghi

Taghi has been kept in restricted custody ever since his extradition from Dubai to the Netherlands, with his only permitted contact being his legal representation.

An examining magistrate at the Rotterdam District Court on Monday remanded Weski into custody for the maximum period of two weeks.

During that time, the investigation into the allegations against her will take place. It is likely her detention will be extended.

Like Taghi, Weski is only allowed to have contact with her own lawyers. Her attorneys, Rob Baumgardt and Febe Schoolderman, stated that she will no longer represent Taghi.

Should the gangster be unable to find a new attorney, the head of the Rotterdam Bar Association will be tasked with appointing a new representative.

Weski is the second attorney representing Taghi to wind up in jail. Taghi's own relative, Youssef T., was arrested in October 2021 on accusations that he was working as a messenger for Taghi during the six months he represented him after his return to the Netherlands.

Youssef T. was convicted in January and sentenced to nearly six years in prison, with the court rejecting his defence claiming he wanted to stall a scheme to break Taghi out of captivity.

Last year, Youssefs attorney, Andre Seebregts, accused Weski of also acting as Taghis messenger.

Lawyer Weski

Seebregts claimed that authorities were in possession of decrypted messages, sent via the Sky ECC service, that showed a plot to smuggle documents out of prison and facilitate communications between Taghis family and Raffaele Imperiale, the Italian mafia don.

Weski at the time said the allegations were nonsensical but she is no stranger to working with controversial clients.

Weski represented Dutch men Guus Kouwenhoven and Theodor Cranendonk, both convicted weapons traffickers. Kouwenhoven was also convicted of war crimes for activities in Liberia and Guinea.
A Chinese Coast Guard ship with bow number 5201 blocks Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Malapascua as it maneuvers to enter the mouth of the Second Thomas Shoal locally known as Ayungin Shoal at the South China Sea on Sunday, April 23, 2023

A Chinese coast guard ship blocked a Philippine patrol vessel steaming into a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, causing a frightening near-collision in the latest act of Beijings aggression in the strategic waterway.

The high seas face-off Sunday between the larger Chinese ship and the Philippine coast guards BRP Malapascua near Second Thomas Shoal was among the tense moments it and another Philippine vessel encountered in a weeklong sovereignty patrol in one of the worlds most hotly contested waterways.

The Philippine coast guard had invited a small group of journalists, including three from The Associated Press, to join the 1,670-kilometer (1,038-mile) patrol for the first time as part of a new Philippine strategy aimed at exposing Chinas increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea, where an estimated $5 trillion in global trade transits each year.

In scorching summer heat but relatively calm waters, the Malapascua and another Philippine coast guard vessel, the BRP Malabrigo, journeyed to the frontlines of the long-seething territorial conflicts. They cruised past a string of widely scattered Philippine-occupied and claimed islands, islets and reefs looking for signs of encroachment, illegal fishing and other threats.

In areas occupied or controlled by China, the Philippine patrol vessels received radio warnings in Chinese and halting English, ordering them to immediately leave what the Chinese coast guard and navy radio callers claimed were Beijings undisputable territories and issuing unspecified threats for defiance.

Hostilities peaked Sunday morning in the Philippine-occupied Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly archipelago, the most fiercely contested region in the busy sea channel.

As the two patrol vessels approached the shoals shallow turquoise waters for an underwater survey, the Chinese coast guard repeatedly warned them by radio to leave the area, which is about 194 kilometers (121 miles) west of the Philippine island province of Palawan.

After several radio exchanges, a Chinese coast guard caller, sounding agitated, warned of unspecified adversarial action.

Since you have disregarded our warning, we will take further necessary measures on you in accordance with the laws and any consequences entailed will be borne by you, the Chinese speaker said.

A Chinese coast guard ship rapidly approached and shadowed the smaller Malapascua and the Malabrigo. When the Malapascua maneuvered toward the mouth of the shoal, the Chinese ship suddenly shifted to block it, coming as close as 36 to 46 meters (120 to 150 feet) from its bow, said Malapascuas skipper, Capt. Rodel Hernandez.

To avoid a collision, Hernandez abruptly reversed his vessels direction then shut off its engine to bring the boat to a full stop.

Filipino personnel aboard the vessels  and journalists, who captured the tense moment on camera  watched in frightened silence. But the Malapascua steered just in time to avoid a potential disaster.

Hernandez later told journalists that the sudden and really very dangerous maneuver by the Chinese coast guard ship had disregarded international rules on collision avoidance. He had the Philippine vessels leave the area after the encounter for the safety of the ships and personnel.

Earlier, a huge Chinese navy ship shadowed the two Philippine patrol vessels in the dark of night as they cruised near Subi, one of seven barren reefs China has transformed in the last decade into a missile-protected island base. The Chinese navy ship radioed the Philippine vessels to immediately leave and keep out.

The coast guard radioed back to assert Philippine sovereign rights to the area before steaming away.

China has long demanded that the Philippines withdraw its small contingent of naval forces and tow away the actively commissioned but crumbling BRP Sierra Madre. The navy ship was deliberately marooned on the shoal in 1999 and now serves as a fragile symbol of Manilas territorial claim to the atoll.

Chinese ships often block navy vessels delivering food and other supplies to the Filipino sailors on the ship, including just a few days earlier, Hernandez said.

As hostilities between Chinese coast guard and navy ships and the Philippine patrol vessels were unfolding, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang was in Manila, where he held talks with his Philippine counterpart and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday. China was willing to work with the Philippines to resolve differences and deepen ties, Qin said.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to an AP request for comment on the encounters.

In another Philippine-claimed reef called Whitsun, the Philippine patrol vessels spotted more than 100 suspected Chinese militia ships arrayed side by side in several clusters in the shallows. China says the huge trawler-like ships are fishing vessels, but Manilas coast guard suspects they are being used for surveillance or to hold the reef for future development.

Filipino coast guard personnel aboard two motor boats approached the Chinese ships and ordered them through a loudspeaker to leave, but none did.

Philippine officials required participating journalists to not immediately release information about the trip to ensure the safety of the mission and to give the coast guard time to brief defense, justice and foreign affairs officials in charge of handling the touchy territorial conflicts.

Faced with a militarily far-superior China in the disputed waters, the Philippines launched the campaign early this year to expose the Asian superpowers aggression, hoping public awareness and criticism will force Beijing to abide by international law.

Philippines coast guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said the strategy was working. He noted the Chinese ambassador in Manila was prompted to hold a news conference to explain Beijings side amid outrage over a publicly released video that showed a Chinese coast guard ship aiming a military-grade laser in early February that temporarily blinded two crewmembers of the Malapascua off Second Thomas Shoal.

We are David, Tarriela said, likening the Philippines to the underdog hero of the Biblical story. We believe that through the publication of all these aggressive actions of China, we would find friends who would criticize Goliath.

The territorial conflicts involving China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have long been regarded as an Asian flashpoint and a delicate fault line in the rivalry between the United States and China in the region.

While the U.S. lays no claims to the South China Sea, it has deployed its warships and fighter jets for patrols and military exercises with regional allies to uphold freedom of navigation and overflight, which it says is in Americas national interest.

Beijing has criticized a recent agreement by the Philippines and the U.S. to grant American forces access to additional Filipino military camps. China fears the access will provide Washington with military staging grounds and surveillance outposts in the northern Philippines across the sea from Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory, and in provinces facing the South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety.

Washington has repeatedly warned that it would help defend the Philippines  its oldest treaty ally in Asia  if Philippine forces, ships or aircraft are attacked in the South China Sea.

With multiple conflicts looming in what appears to be a placid expanse of sea, where dolphins and starlit night skies send seafarers grabbing their cameras, Malabrigos skipper Julio Colarina III said he would always strive to stay on the right side of a geopolitical minefield.

As much as possible well avoid conflict in the area, he said. All these competing interests just need one spark.

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There is a seasonal element to this problem in that the gangs come at busy times of the year like Christmas, St Patricks Day, Easter and the July festivals

Galway City is to crack down on what have been described as organised begging gangs that are using Eyre Square as a base.

Local councillors are demanding action to stop illegal camping during the upcoming tourist season to prevent a repeat of what happened during last summers festival season, when tents were pitched at random across the Square.

Independent city councillor, Declan McDonnell, has asked the Council to ensure that staff were in place in an effort to curb late-night begging and petty crime rackets.

Eyre Square is a facility for everyone to enjoy  it is one of the big attractions of our city centre, but we cannot allow what went on last summer to happen again, Cllr McDonnell told the Connaught Tribune.

Brendan McGrath, City Council Chief Executive, said organised gangs positioned people outside pubs and nightclubs where young people passing by feel sorry for them and give them money.

He said they were involved on a seasonal basis in organised begging groups operating at late-night hours.

There is a seasonal element to this problem in that the gangs come at busy times of the year like Christmas, St Patricks Day, Easter and the July festivals.

This not just an issue of stopping camping in Eyre Square  theres also criminality involved, and we have made efforts to try and repatriate those involved, said Mr McGrath.

Detective Chief Superintendent Shane Cummins told the Galway City Tribune that a clear distinction needed to be made between people in genuine need who had fallen on hard times and organised seasonal gangs who came to the city at different times of the year.

Late last year, residents and business owners in the Eyre Square area expressed deep concerned about anti-social behaviour and violence.

Galway Senator Ollie Crowe said that violent behaviour in Eyre Square was becoming a major issue in the city, which needs increased Garda resources to address it.

This has been an ongoing issue during the last two years. Although there have been quieter periods in that time, the problem has never been effectively addressed or stamped out. This situation cannot be allowed to persist.

Senator Crowe said that he was raised just a short distance from Eyre Square, and is familiar with the area.

I spoke to residents and business owners there again in recent days. Residents told me of being in a state of fear and anxiety, especially at night.

As Members will appreciate, businesses are already facing a challenge without people being reluctant to come to an area due to a growing reputation for hassle, antisocial behaviour, outdoor drinking and drug use.
Frustrated residents in Ballymun are calling on the council to clean up illegal dumping near vacant properties throughout the area.

This week, a newly vacant home in the Shangan area has become the target of illegal dumping while it is awaiting to be turned around for new tenants.

A number of shopping trolleys filled with household waste, including food, furniture and appliances, have been dumped at the vacant property.

Councillor Noeleen OReilly said the issue of illegal dumping happens all the time and there are other properties in the area in the same state.

This happens all the time, anytime someone moves out or someone passes away and the council gets back a void unit, she said.

It can take a number of months to turn around that unit, so people target it for illegal dumping. There are people living beside these houses. Its giving people huge anxiety.

Its everything, food waste, furniture, anything. There is a huge amount of people not disposing of their waste property, she added.

Councillor OReilly said residents are really angry and frustrated and the council needs to step up to tackle illegal dumping.

Some of them are really upset about it. Ive had three or four people contacting me about that house alone this week, she said.

People look out their window and that is what they see. Thats probably a weeks worth of rubbish there.

Councillor OReilly said the privatisation of bins more than 10 years ago has been a disaster for Dublin.

Bin collection was controlled by Dublin City Council until 2012. A court case taken by private bin companies, after the council amended the waste management plan, resulted in local authorities exiting the market.

Councillor OReilly said before the private bin companies took control of the market, their bins were on their rent so there was no reason not to pay bins and not to dispose of their waste.

The policy around illegal dumping in Dublin City Council is failing. It will happen again and they will clear again and it will be a merry-go-round, she said.

The illegal dumping has been reported to the council, who have arranged to clear the rubbish on Friday.

They will be going through the bags to see if there is any identification, councillor OReilly added.
The account Private_instatubridy07 is pretending to be the RTE star.

RTE talk show host Ryan Tubridy has warned his followers on Instagram to be wary about a fake account which is purporting to be him.

The Late Late Show host took to social media to share a screenshot of the fake online profile, Private_instatubridy07, which has 1.4k followers and made 58 posts pretending to be Ryan.

If anyone receives a message from this fake account, please ignore. Working on getting it removed, Ryan said.

For many celebrities and businesses, fake social media accounts claiming to be them can be an issue, especially if the culprits are attempting to scam people.

Fake account

Una Healy also flagged that there's a fake account pretending to be her and has reportedly made numerous attempts to bring the profile down.

Una shared the fake account on her Instagram page in March, when she wrote:

'Please @instagram remove this fake account that is pretending to be me and trying to scam people. I've reported it so many times now. It is FAKE.'

The Instastory also included a screenshot of the fake page, which included a number of pictures also featured on her actual account, and it had already amassed more than a thousand followers.

Una's message

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram teem with bogus celebrity accounts set up to deceive devoted fans. Scammers reach out to the real stars followers, asking for money under a variety of pretexts:

Donations to charity, exclusive tickets to private concerts or meet-and-greets are some of the pretend offers made.

Investment opportunities, often a cryptocurrency deal purporting to come from a famous business mogul or big prize giveaways are also commonplace.

Twitter is reportedly struggling to keep up with impersonator accounts following new a recent revamp of the platform's verification system.

Users have noticed a wave of accounts easily being able to impersonate celebrities by changing the name on their account and paying to get a blue tick next to it.

Fake account

For example, Twitter user @nlntendodoofus was able to change their account name to 'Nintendo of America' and get a blue tick to make it look official.

Before being suspended, the fake Nintendo account tweeted an image of the Japanese firm's mascot Mario with its middle finger up.

Le Bron James, Donald Trump and George Bush have all had trouble with fake profiles, to name but a few.

There are a number of warning signs to watch out for with fake accounts:

A social media post or direct message from a seemingly celebrity-affiliated account soliciting money for a charitable donation or promising a big prize.

The messages often ask for payment by gift card, prepaid debit card or wire transfer. The accounts usually have little activity and few followers.

The account holders name is expected to be spelled wrong, like Jeniffer Lopez, or has unusual punctuation, such as Will.Smith.TV.
Several stills from the forthcoming season show a young Prince William, played by Ed McVey, and Kate Middleton, Meg Bellamy, at the beginning of their relationship

The first images depicting Kate Middleton and Prince William in the final season of The Crown have been released by Netflix.

The budding love story between the Prince and Kate, who met in college in 2001, will be explored in the sixth season of the Netflix hit show that features the period of the late 1990s and early 2000s

Several stills from the forthcoming season show a young Prince William, played by Ed McVey, and Kate Middleton, Meg Bellamy, at the beginning of their relationship.

They are seen holding hands in one image, with McVey and Bellamy both displaying accurate representations of the couple in their early days while in another Kate appears to be in class, with Prince William sitting behind her, just out of focus.

Prince William, played by Ed McVey

In another image McVey is dressed in a suit and tie and seated in what looks to be a formal room in the palace.

The actors - who will play a big part in the next season - shared the photos in a joint Instagram post, with the captions: "Here we go!" and "Meet Kate and Will".

Prince William (40) and Middleton (41) met in 2001 while attending school together at the University of St. Andrews, where current students got a sneak peek at the upcoming season as the cast was spotted filming several scenes on the same campus.

In one video that quickly went viral on TikTok, Kate's character was seen holding hands with a man before walking past Prince William's character, who runs after them.

Since filming began in September 2022, other, eager fans awaiting the last instalment of the show have already gotten a few glimpses of whats in store, as several scenes starring Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana were identified as crews filmed in Spain.

Prince William and Kate, who wed in 2011 and have three children, "definitely had chemistry" during their time at university, one former student recalled.

Laura Warshauer, a New Jersey native and student who lived in the same dorm as the pair in the 2000s told People: "Whenever Kate was in the room, Will was obviously paying attention to her."

"When we'd be sitting at lunch in the dining hall and the two of them would be talking, it was amazing to see how natural it was, how they had so much to say to each other. Looking back, there were all these small moments  certainly moments where I was like, 'Wow, this could really be something.'"

In their engagement interview in 2010, Kate revealed how it took time for their connection to develop from a friendship into something more.

"I think you said I actually went bright red when I met you and sort of scuttled off," she told William. "[I was] feeling very shy about meeting you."

"We were friends for over a year first," Prince William added. "It just sort of blossomed from then on."

Season five of The Crown covered the 1990s and featured the break-up of three marriages. Princess Diana, Sarah Ferguson and the now King Charles all had affairs, while the last series also included Diana's infamous interview with journalist Martin Bashir and a fire at Windsor Castle.

As the show has neared the present day, there has been some criticism of its portrayal of the royal family.

Kate Middleton, played by Meg Bellamy

Actress Dame Judi Dench and former prime minister John Major both questioned the artistic licence used to depict real-life events but Netflix defended the programme, stating it "has always been presented as a drama based on historical events".

The Crown had been due to end after the fifth series - which aired two months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II..

Creator and writer Peter Morgan later said it would be extended to include a sixth and while this final season will cover the period of Princess Diana's death, in Paris in August 1997 - when Prince William was 15 and Prince Harry was 12 - Netflix has said it will not depict the car crash that killed her.

It is understood the series will show the lead-up to the crash, as well as its aftermath, but not the crash itself.

The final series of The Crown is expected to air towards the end of this year on Netflix.
A shortage of doctors in Kawerau has been cited as one of the reasons for not adding 80 more homes to the district.

Kawerau District Council heard submissions on its plans for a new residential development at Stoneham Park on Wednesday.

Submitter Tracy Wilson raised several issues she had with the proposal to remove reserve status from Stoneham Reserve, so that it can be developed for housing, and apply that reserve status, instead, to the stock pound land that is currently partially rented out as grazing for horses.

Tracy, who has worked at Kawerau District Council in the past as its parks and recreation officer and more recently was a nurse at Tarawera Medical Centre, said she felt Kawerau should get its services right before inviting more people into the district.

As well as water services and problems staffing the town pool, which are the direct responsibility of the council, she mentioned a lack of medical services in the town.

Were already struggling with some of those services and were going to compound that struggle when we add extra community. It concerns me that current organisations cannot cover the needs that weve already got and were proposing to add another 80 families. Im afraid it may tip them over the edge.

This sentiment was echoed by fellow submitter Kristine Windle.

At my doctors [Kawerau Medical Centre], there are three doctors and you can only get a virtual consult or you can get your prescription from a nurse. At Tarawera [Medical Centre] I know that Dr Williams has just left. Ive got a friend who goes there and it takes at least three weeks to get an appointment.

Radio New Zealand reported this week that two doctors had recently left one of Kawerau's two health centres.

Doctor availability was dependent on urgency and there were wait times as long as four weeks for non-urgent patients.

Mayor Faylene Tunui acknowledged that, coming off the back of Covid and health service reforms, service delivery in the health space was very difficult and the council had a role to play in advocating for better services.

"It is a bit of a cat and mouse game, where if we dont have the people here its very hard to advocate for the service delivery, but as you say, for those who are already here, theres not a lot of availability.

Tracy and Kristine were the only two of the 40 submitters on the Stoneham Park development to speak at the hearing on Wednesday.

Four others had indicated that they wished to speak at the hearing but were unable to attend the revised date for the hearing from April 12 to April 26 for various work or family commitments.

The submitters also shared concerns about the stock pound area being made into a reserve.

Tracy said it would not only mean the council losing the $2500 a year it receives in lease payments but the land would require a greater cost to the council to maintain than Stoneham Reserve.

I see a number of the reserves could do with some more maintenance and it concerns me that were adding to the reserves' stock. Stoneham Park is reasonably easily maintained just by mowing, but there are other sorts of reserves that require a different style of maintenance that costs more. Theres nothing cheaper than mowing or grazing.

She said the most recent exchange of land for reserve she was aware of was the Waterwheel Trust.

If you took the time to go down and have a look at that, its not something we would be proud of, I think.

Kristine, who has leased this paddock for many years, said the only cost to the council while her horses had been there has been blackberry spraying. She also felt the councils maintenance of parks such as Monika Langhem Reserve was lacking.

There hasnt been any blackberry spraying there for a number of years, she said.

Tracy and Kristine enjoyed the privilege of maintaining that [land]. Members of the community enjoy seeing the animals there.

Kristine pointed out that dog walking and bike tracks, which have been suggested as uses for the reserve, are already available at nearby Monika Reserve and Stoneham Walk.

Those things are available 500 yards down the road. Theyve had bike tracks up there and theyve only lasted a short while. After Sarah Walker won her Olympic medal they had done up the BMX track and thats hardly used now and the mountain bike track has just disappeared.

Horses will be missed

Local Democracy Reporting visited the horse paddock on Fenton Mill Road on Wednesday and met long-time Kawerau local Sherraijka Bruintjes, who was visiting the two horses there.

She said she had enjoyed seeing them while walking to school and on the way home since she was a child.

It was just nice having the horses here. People really enjoy them. Theyve always been really friendly. Im really sad that theyre not going to be here anymore. If Ive had a bad day, this is where I come.

Photo: Diane McCarthy.

Development should not take Stoneham name

Former Kawerau District Council parks and reserves officer Tracy Wilson told Kawerau District Council she felt Roy Stoneham would not have wanted a residential development named for him.

During her hearing with the council on Wednesday about the proposed development she said they should consult with Roys family about the naming of the proposed subdivision.

Roy was Kaweraus second mayor. He was elected in 1965 and re-elected unopposed at each election until he died in office in 1983. In 1977 he was appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the community.

One thing I recall about Roy was that he respectfully declined a street being named after him. So a park was named after him, said Tracy.

If someone didnt want a street, how would they feel about a subdivision.

She felt Roys family needed to be consulted on the name of the development.

Mayor Faylene Tunui said, from her understanding, there had been some private conversations with the family.

-Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.
Torremolinos turns orange for King Willem-Alexander Koningsdag. This year's huge Costa party to celebrate the birthday of the Dutch monarch on 27 April was bigger than ever

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La Carihuela felt like a scene out of Amsterdam on Thursday as hundreds of Dutch nationals packed the Torremolinos beachside district to celebrate Koningsdag, the national holiday of the Netherlands.

The King's Day party, held in recognition of King Willem-Alexander's birthday, was organised by the cultural department of Torremolinos town hall and the Voom Voom Club, and came with a street market offering Dutch handicraft products, such as ceramics, cookie boards, knitted and embroidered garments and handmade wooden clogs.

There were also food stalls with traditional Dutch cuisine including the popular braadworst sausages, and an array of artisan beers brewed in the Netherlands.

It was exactly like a typical King's Day street party in the Netherlands, except, the Spanish sun was beating down on festival goers for the entire day from 12-8pm - a scene frosty Holland may not be so familiar with.

Only official Koningsdag party in Europe outside of the Netherlands

It is for this reason that more Dutch people are making the trip down to the Costa del Sol to celebrate the big day each year, making the party one of the biggest of the year in La Carihuela.

Event organiser and Voom Voom Club director Bianca Meivogel said it was the only official Koningsdag party in Europe outside of the Netherlands.

"Seven years ago we started with 100 people and now we have 3,000 coming, many of whom come to La Carihuela all the way from the Netherlands just for this party," the expat, who has lived in Spain for 14 years, told SUR in English.

"This day is also amazing in the Netherlands but normally there it is always raining. Here is a chance to have our Dutch party in the beautiful sunshine in the wonderful country of Spain."

Head-to-toe in orange

La Carihuela has historically been a favourite destination for Dutch people to visit and live.

On Thursday, they were out in force proudly displaying their national colours, draping them from apartment windows and dressing from head-to-toe in orange.

Caroline Welseng travelled to La Carihuela just for the party after enjoying last year's festivities for the first time.

"I just had to come back, I couldn't resist," the Arnhem resident said.

"The party here in La Carihuela is something you must feel, there are Dutch people everywhere, the sun is shining, all the people are glad, today is a Dutch day and it feels like it."

Dutch expat living in Torremolinos Sergio Effendi said Koningsdag was also an opportunity for Spanish people and other internationals to experience Dutch culture.

Home away from home

"With Dutch parties, everyone is welcome and we are very lucky to have La Carihuela in Spain to celebrate our culture," he said.

"A lot of Spanish people come to try famous Dutch beer and food and we are very happy to share our culture on this day."

By 3pm the En la Fuente square had turned into a dancefloor as the jolly Dutch danced in the sunshine to some live music.

"It's such a great ambience here today," added Effendi. "It feels like home in the Netherlands, but here we are in Spain, a home away from home."
Cristina had gone through a rough patch. She had just beaten breast cancer. Next was breast reconstruction and afterwards, for a fleeting moment, she thought she could start rebuilding her personal life. "I left the hospital thinking I had the world at my feet," she admits. She didn't see it coming, but she was about to walk into a web of deceit from which today, five years later, she still hasn't managed to escape.

This interview was conducted after the recent report on the love scam ring involving at least 60 women being conned throughout Spain. The Nigerian gang, operating from Malaga, had defrauded 300,000 euros from just one of the victims. "Yes, that is me," admits Cristina, who agreed to speak only so that others might never have to face what she is still going through.

Her story is completely true, except for her name, not being Cristina and some information about her personal life that she prefers to keep out to protect her privacy. She is closer to 60 than 50 years old. She only offers a general indication as to her profession, broad enough not to identify her: she is a lawyer. "I should have seen him coming from the work I do. But I was blind."

Images of the mans supposed daughters, sent to the victim The number the scammer called from Facebook post that warns of the use of images in fake accounts to try to scam victims. Images of the mans supposed daughters, sent to the victim The number the scammer called from Facebook post that warns of the use of images in fake accounts to try to scam victims Images of the mans supposed daughters, sent to the victim The number the scammer called from Facebook post that warns of the use of images in fake accounts to try to scam victims Images of the mans supposed daughters, sent to the victim The number the scammer called from Facebook post that warns of the use of images in fake accounts to try to scam victims

Cristina had never been on social media, but a friend who was "seeking love" advised her to open a Facebook account. So she did. It was March 2018. Soon after came a friend request from Zico Lawrence, a dashing pilot. "I was surprised. I asked him if he was Portuguese and he told me no, he was from the US." So he was already onto a winner as she had always liked American culture.

The context is important. Cristina is a very trusting person. "I was living on my own and he caught me at a weak moment with no one around to show love and affection. He invited me to continue chatting on WhatsApp and I accepted. He told me that he was US military personnel stationed in Syria and that Taliban fighters had taken his gold and money in an ambush." On 9 March, 2018, she made the first money transfer to him.

Dear Zico Lawrence, good morning and how are you doing today in Germany? Sir, in the name of the Frankfurt airport authority, we are here to remind you that your package is with us, and has stayed more time, in accordance with our agreement of 7 September 2022, we agreed that your package would be delivered to you without delay as soon as you make a possible payment of 16,869 Euros. And we agreed that no additional charges will be made for your package after the aforementioned sum has been paid. However, from 7 September 2022, until now, the money has not been paid. We want to notify you officially that you have from 8 February 2023 to 30 March 2023 to make this payment or your package will be completed. This is your final warning. Thank you, from the secretary of Utte Roseline. One of the messages sent to the victims mobile phone Dear Zico Lawrence, good morning and how are you doing today in Germany? Sir, in the name of the Frankfurt airport authority, we are here to remind you that your package is with us, and has stayed more time, in accordance with our agreement of 7 September 2022, we agreed that your package would be delivered to you without delay as soon as you make a possible payment of 16,869 Euros. And we agreed that no additional charges will be made for your package after the aforementioned sum has been paid. However, from 7 September 2022, until now, the money has not been paid. We want to notify you officially that you have from 8 February 2023 to 30 March 2023 to make this payment or your package will be completed. This is your final warning. Thank you, from the secretary of Utte Roseline. One of the messages sent to the victims mobile phone Dear Zico Lawrence, good morning and how are you doing today in Germany? Sir, in the name of the Frankfurt airport authority, we are here to remind you that your package is with us, and has stayed more time, in accordance with our agreement of 7 September 2022, we agreed that your package would be delivered to you without delay as soon as you make a possible payment of 16,869 Euros. And we agreed that no additional charges will be made for your package after the aforementioned sum has been paid. However, from 7 September 2022, until now, the money has not been paid. We want to notify you officially that you have from 8 February 2023 to 30 March 2023 to make this payment or your package will be completed. This is your final warning. Thank you, from the secretary of Utte Roseline. One of the messages sent to the victims mobile phone Dear Zico Lawrence, good morning and how are you doing today in Germany? Sir, in the name of the Frankfurt airport authority, we are here to remind you that your package is with us, and has stayed more time, in accordance with our agreement of 7 September 2022, we agreed that your package would be delivered to you without delay as soon as you make a possible payment of 16,869 Euros. And we agreed that no additional charges will be made for your package after the aforementioned sum has been paid. However, from 7 September 2022, until now, the money has not been paid. We want to notify you officially that you have from 8 February 2023 to 30 March 2023 to make this payment or your package will be completed. This is your final warning. Thank you, from the secretary of Utte Roseline. One of the messages sent to the victims mobile phone

The relationship became daily. "One call in the morning and another at night," says Cristina. There is a critical moment in this tale, something that would inevitably cause Cristina to swallow the bait. "He tells me that he is a widower. And I go and tell him about breast cancer. What a coincidence, his wife had also died of the same illness."

It didn't take long for them to confess their mutual love. "He tells you that he has fallen in love with you, that he loves you madly, that his daughters are looking forward to meeting you..."

In those exchanges, he asks for more of her personal data because he wants to send her a package with some of his belongings.

"Reluctantly, I give him my address and he tells me that a diplomat will come to my house. Then, another American [the supposed diplomat] calls me and tells me that he is at the airport, that they have stopped him in Customs and that if I do not pay in the money for the fine being imposed, we are going to be accused of money-laundering," recalls Cristina.

Hello darling Im not playing games with you See you tomorrow in Frankfurt Why dont you pick up the phone Gm.. my flight leaves Malaga at 17:10h and arrives at 20:30 h lufthansa Messages sent to the victim Hello darling Im not playing games with you See you tomorrow in Frankfurt Why dont you pick up the phone Gm.. my flight leaves Malaga at 17:10h and arrives at 20:30 h lufthansa Messages sent to the victim Hello darling Im not playing games with you See you tomorrow in Frankfurt Why dont you pick up the phone Gm.. my flight leaves Malaga at 17:10h and arrives at 20:30 h lufthansa Messages sent to the victim Hello darling Im not playing games with you See you tomorrow in Frankfurt Why dont you pick up the phone Gm.. my flight leaves Malaga at 17:10h and arrives at 20:30 h lufthansa Messages sent to the victim

From that point the real bloodletting began. She had just bought a decent car and had to sell it to give him more money. She sold her mother's house and gave him her share of the proceedings. She sought to borrow from anyone and anything she knew. So she almost ended up "in an even bigger mess" when she went to some money-lenders because, deep down, she had taken on all the hassles that her boyfriend had dumped on her, treating them as though they were problems of her own making.

"I was desperate. He'd swallowed up my mother's inheritance, my fee income ... I kept thinking all the time: 'Let's see if he comes over just once and I get all my money back'. I wanted my life to change. I had that dream." Basically, Cristina was gambling on love, giving away her money in the hope of getting both back in the next spin of the wheel.

This so-called Zico would tell her, to keep her hooked on that dream, that they would buy a huge house in California and that his two daughters would be waiting for them there to create a new, happy family together. He even sent her photos of them as blonde-haired youngsters.

"You could say it was a proper relationship. We talked daily. We even argued, because I'm not exactly submissive. Sometimes I'd get very twitchy and suggest he was scamming me. But he'd convince me that he was doing no such thing. The truth is that I was in love," she admits.

Christmas 2019, and Zico informed her that his bosses were sending him to another location and that he needed money for the plane ticket. He also asked her for more money to buy gifts for the girls and to take them to California.

"I gave him everything. I even gave him the money for first class plane tickets, can you imagine?" explains Cristina, who saw the dream of meeting up with him getting closer and closer.

"I asked him to come to Malaga and then he told me that, when transferring flights in Germany, he had been held up at customs and had to pay a fine."

Good morning darling, how are you? Please, Im sorry to inform you that I received an urgent call on Wednesday from my superior that I have to go back to Syria. however, I left Germany last night and now Im in transit in the United Arab Emirates. Im sorry for not telling you before. Maybe Ill get in touch when I get to Damascus. Messages sent to the victim Good morning darling, how are you? Please, Im sorry to inform you that I received an urgent call on Wednesday from my superior that I have to go back to Syria. however, I left Germany last night and now Im in transit in the United Arab Emirates. Im sorry for not telling you before. Maybe Ill get in touch when I get to Damascus. Messages sent to the victim Good morning darling, how are you? Please, Im sorry to inform you that I received an urgent call on Wednesday from my superior that I have to go back to Syria. however, I left Germany last night and now Im in transit in the United Arab Emirates. Im sorry for not telling you before. Maybe Ill get in touch when I get to Damascus. Messages sent to the victim Good morning darling, how are you? Please, Im sorry to inform you that I received an urgent call on Wednesday from my superior that I have to go back to Syria. however, I left Germany last night and now Im in transit in the United Arab Emirates. Im sorry for not telling you before. Maybe Ill get in touch when I get to Damascus. Messages sent to the victim

During the summer of 2020, she spent a month of no contact with him, having tired of his stories, but they soon resumed their relationship.

"It was then he told me that he was returning from Syria and would be going to Madrid. I asked him to come to Malaga and I even sent him 5,000 euros for the tickets. As always, he started again with the excuses that he couldn't come."

And so it went on for five years. "Thanks to me he has learned to speak Spanish. On top of everything, I've given him a master's degree in Spanish. He has learned a lot, even some Malaga slang," continues Cristina, who reassures us that "they" have been very polite in all dealings with her (she uses the plural because she is convinced that only one person would answer the phone, but WhatsApp was handled by several people, including some woman or other). "They study their victims very well. I'm not surprised the police found psychology books in the searches."

This fake romance has cost her almost 300,000 euros, in addition to leaving her depressed and with a burden of debt so bad that she cannot take out anything in her name. She still faces a legal process for the gaping hole in her finances that the fraud has created for her. "I live with what's on my back," confesses Cristina. She continues to repay a family loan, she owes 22,000 euros to one friend and 2,000 to another. "I have now repaid the rest I borrowed from others," she says.

The tale of romance ended when she received a call from the police. Agents from the GIP unit (a specialist police group investigating criminal activities undercover to protect the public), part of the police force for the eastern district of Malaga, were investigating a gang of Nigerians engaged in a romance scam and spotted that Cristina had made a deposit into one of the accounts they were tracking.

Dozens more women

"The inspector told me the whole kit and caboodle, that I wasn't the only one, that there were 60 more women across Spain..."

Cristina filed a complaint at the police station. The gang was arrested and still some of them would not admit defeat. Zico tried to revive their relationship and continue with the fraud.

"He told me that he had informed his chief that someone had impersonated him to defraud women and that the FBI were going to take over the case. He still keeps calling me and says that he loves me very much. He knows perfectly well that I have reported them all, but since they have no morals, they have the audacity to continue trying."

He called again, just the night before the interview. He told her that he is in Syria and that he is in hospital with serious hypertension. "And that's probably true, as he was always complaining about his blood pressure being high." Cristina now suffers from "a bit of Stockholm Syndrome", as she herself admits.

"It has caused me irreparable financial and moral harm. Nowadays I trust no one."
British Nationals seen here boarding an RAF aircraft in Akrotiri, Cyprus, after being evacuated from Sudan

Leila Oulkebous research for her doctorate from one of Frances top universities was going well when the explosions started.

Oulkebous had decided to focus her field work on Sudan when the country exploded into violence.

The chiefs of the countrys army and its rival Rapid Support Forces rose to power after a popular uprising in 2019 prompted them to remove longtime autocratic ruler Omar al-Bashir. They started fighting this month amid tensions over a new plan to re-introduce civilian rule.

The bombing shook the house where Oulkebous was living in the capital, Khartoum, investigating the effects of dams on rivers that cross borders.

We were hiding all the time under the bed, she said Wednesday at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport as hundreds of people arrived in harrowing evacuations. World powers were rescuing people from Sudan on planes and warships in operations prompted by the eruption of the fighting that sent thousands of foreigners and many more Sudanese people fleeing for safety.

A French frigate carrying hundreds of evacuees docked Wednesday morning in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as part of broader efforts involving several warships, in addition to airlifts.

French military spokesman Col. Pierre Gaudilliere said France evacuated more than 500 civilians from 40 nations by plane over the weekend after securing the airbase north of Khartoum Saturday, using its airbase in neighbouring Djibouti for the airlift.

Gaudilliere said the French military was the first to land, and organized the flow of its own and other nations planes.

You still had airstrikes as the operation was going on, crossfire in the streets, artillery fire, so it was and still is very intense fighting, Gaudilliere said. The French military had personnel on the ground to assess the situation during the operation, he said.

Several nations, including Japan, thanked France for rescuing their citizens.

Some other countries quickly joined evacuation efforts.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said Wednesday three nationals have been evacuated with help from Germany, and his country is now working with Turkey to help evacuate two other citizens.

Greek national Christos Dedes, who was in Sudan for work, said he and his colleagues managed to leave their Khartoum hotel Tuesday via the Portuguese embassy, which sent a car to drive them to the airbase where there were Italian, French and German soldiers.

We just happened to leave with the Italians, on a transport plane, he said on Greek TV channel Mega Wednesday, after he arrived in Athens.

From their Khartoum hotel, he said, they could see that every day the battles were heavier. Both (sides) were using heavy weapons. He said they would hear explosions at night, and see bodies in the street.

More than 1,000 people from 58 countries were to arrive Wednesday by ship to the port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, including many on the French warship Lorraine.

Saudi Arabia on Saturday organized the first evacuation convoy by land, via cars and buses bringing people to Port Sudan, where a navy ship took them to Jeddah.

The French foreign affairs ministry said a flight carrying 184 French nationals and their families and about 20 other nationals returned from Djibouti and landed in Paris Wednesday morning.

Among them was Oulkebous, a Moroccan PhD student at Bordeaux Montaigne University.

The feeling I had since the first day of fighting was I felt really paralysed, I didnt know what to do, I didnt know how to get out, the airport was closed, we could not leave, she said, describing the explosions, the smoke, so really, I didnt have the time to fully realise what was going on.

A Royal Air Maroc plane arrived at Casablancas Mohammed V airport on Wednesday, carrying 136 Moroccan nationals evacuated from Sudan.

In contrast with France and some other nations, the U.S. and Britain didnt evacuate non-diplomats at first.

The British government has come under growing criticism for its failure to airlift civilians. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended the governments approach, saying diplomats had been evacuated first because they were being targeted.

The British government since said that 301 people have been evacuated on four U.K. flights from Sudan over the past 24 hours, and four more are scheduled Wednesday. Britain intends to keep running the flights for as long as possible. In addition, rapid deployment teams of U.K. officials are in Port Sudan assessing potential for a seaborne evacuation.

The Foreign Office says U.K. passport-holders are eligible, and priority is given to family groups with children and/or the elderly or individuals with medical conditions.

Officials have said there are as many as 4,000 British citizens in Sudan, 2,000 of whom have registered for potential evacuation.

The White House said Monday the U.S. is helping from afar as thousands of Americans left behind in Sudan seek to escape fighting in the east African nation, after the U.S. Embassy evacuated all of its diplomatic personnel over the weekend and shut down.

The Biden administration is considering several options for assisting private American citizens in getting out of Sudan.

Two U.S. officials said one option being considered would be to send U.S. Navy vessels in, or en route to, the Red Sea to dock at Port Sudan and take Americans to Jeddah or another location. The officials said this would depend on the security situation and whether it was deemed safe for the ships to dock.

A U.S. official said the military has developed other options for getting Americans, including using an airfield that some European countries have used to fly out citizens. To date, it has not been told to do that, the official said.

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss sensitive matters.

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Joe Bidens government is turning the screw again on its immigration policy in line with the principle that inspires it: more legal channels of arrival and more difficulties for irregular immigration. This time it does so under the pressure of the legal expiration of the pandemic health emergency in the United States on May 11 and, with it, the so-called Title 42, which allows for the rapid return of immigrants.

The United States fears an increase in the migratory flow on the border with Mexico and on Thursday announced, on the one hand, more control measures and, on the other hand, the extension of legal migration channels to Central American countries (Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras) and South America (Colombia). Among the new developments, Washington has agreed to establish immigration centers in the region, where between 5,000 and 6,000 applications will be processed and evaluated each month.

We have an obligation to remove human traffickers from the process, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said. We are building pathways for people to get to the United States without having to rely on smugglers, but at the same time we are imposing consequences for those who do not use these pathways and migrate irregularly, the official added in an appearance alongside Antony Blinken, Bidens foreign affairs officer. Authorities have arrested some 10,000 human traffickers, or polleros, since April of last year.

Several administration officials warned that the end of Title 42 does not mean the border is open. The rule, first employed in 1929 to contain Asian immigration, was resurrected by President Donald Trump in March 2020 for health reasons, at the onset of the pandemic.

The Republican opposition, with Donald Trump at its head, accuses Mayorkas of being responsible for an invasion on the border with Mexico and immigration has become one of the focal points of the political debate in the United States. Immigrants are needed to fill the vacant jobs, but Republicans have created a discourse in which they try to identify them with crime.

The imminent end of the measure has strained the southern border of the United States. Authorities in dozens of towns bordering Mexico have held extraordinary assemblies to prepare for an increase in the arrival of migrants. The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, who leads the hardest wing of the Republicans in immigration policy, has informed this week that he will mobilize special groups of the National Guard to 33 counties to contain the flow, which could reach up to 18,000 illegal crossings per day.

On Thursday, officials explained that even if the measure expires, the United States will continue to expel people who arrive illegally based on Title 8, another piece of legislation that has helped regulate the border for Democrats and Republicans for decades. Blinken and Mayorkas have also pointed out that the Mexican government has agreed to take in as many as 30,000 deportees each month. Unlike Title 42, which allows re-attempting the crossing with few consequences, a Title 8 deportation imposes harsher penalties such as five years without re-entry into the country or the initiation of criminal proceedings.

Title 42 has made it easier to return those who cross the border without permission and are intercepted. Removals will continue to be carried out: Individuals who enter the country and do not establish a legal basis to remain will continue to be properly removed, a senior government official said. We have no plans to detain families, we are going to use alternatives to apprehension, Mayorkas specified about a rumor that the Biden Administration would use a tactic similar to the one employed by Trump.

The Biden Administration has been adopting different agreements to facilitate legal migration and, at the same time, close the door to undocumented immigrants. An initial agreement to process applications from Venezuelans was expanded and then extended to citizens of Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua thanks to an agreement with Mexico announced earlier this year. Officials have said these agreements have been helpful in decreasing the number of immigrants arriving at the border. We have seen a high interest in these processes and a dramatic drop in encounters of these nationalities at the border. During March 2023 they dropped 23% compared to the same period last year, Mayorkas said.

The model allows U.S.-based individuals to file an application on behalf of a citizen entering the U.S. if they can demonstrate that they have the means of livelihood or local support necessary to support themselves, which facilitates family reunification, for example. The petition had to be processed prior to travel through a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) application.

Spain and Canada

On Thursday, Washington announced that the program will also apply to citizens from Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. In addition, the measures will be extended to nationals of Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua, even if Title 42 expires. Officials of the Biden Administration have recalled that the United States has also reached agreements for Canada and Spain to take in some quotas of immigrants and that the new measures will facilitate this process to continue.

A border-only approach cannot work. We have to work side by side with our regional partners and that is what we are doing in the framework of the Los Angeles declaration, signed at the Summit of the Americas in June last year, a senior government official insisted. As we have already said, we are going to establish regional processing centers in key countries in the region to facilitate many more legal avenues than before. We are cooperating on anti-smuggling initiatives with countries like Panama and Colombia. This is a regional effort, he added.

Today we are going to establish regional processing centers in Colombia and Guatemala, but we are in talks with other countries in the region, said a senior official. For the time being, there will be existing offices and the aim is that later there will be specific centers dedicated only to this task.

They will examine whether people who want to emigrate to the United States meet the requirements of asylum, labor, family reunification or other programs and what alternatives are available to them. It will also provide information on the possibilities of emigrating to Canada or Spain, government officials have explained, assuring that there will be more details on how it will work in the coming weeks.

We see this as a regional approach where we would make it easier for immigrants who want to come to the United States or go to other countries like Spain and Canada to stay where they are. Make an appointment and access a center. This is a historic step that we are very excited to be able to announce, the senior official said.

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Clay, N.Y. -- Micron Technology President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra will visit the planned site of a computer chip megafab north of Syracuse this morning to provide updates on companys plans to invest as much as $100 billion in the complex.

Gov. Kathy Hochul will join Mehrotra and other Micron officials later in the morning at the Oncenter in Syracuse, one day after finalizing a $229 billion state budget with lawmakers in Albany.

The officials will provide an update about a community investment fund associated with the project, according to a news release from Micron. That fund would pool $500 million from Micron, the state and others toward projects involving workforce development, education, community assets and organizations, and affordable housing, according to Micron.

County Executive Ryan McMahon will join Mehrotra and other Micron executives at 10 a.m. at the White Pine Commerce Park at 8699 Burnett Road, Clay.

The announcement with Hochul will be at 11:15 a.m. at the Oncenter in Syracuse.

Micron announced last fall it plans to spend up to $100 billion building a mega-complex of computer chip plants in Syracuses northern suburbs in what would be the largest single private investment in New York history.

The project would create up to 9,000 jobs over the next two decades, according to the company and elected officials. It could also create as many as 40,000 spin-off jobs.

READ MORE ABOUT MICRON

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Auburn, N.Y.  An Auburn bank robber who made away with $700 last year was sentenced today to at least 2 1/3 years in prison, prosecutors said.

Johann Bass entered a bank on Genesee Street in Auburn on Jan. 12, 2022 and presented the bank teller with a note, according to a news release from the Cayuga County District Attorneys Office. State Police identified the branch as the Key Bank at 355 Genesee St.

The note read Stay calm, I have a gun, give me your money, prosecutors said. He managed to get away with $700 before being caught by police in the Village of Aurora, prosecutors said. Aurora is about 17 miles southwest of Auburn.

Bass, 45, who pleaded guilty in January, was sentenced to 2 1/3 to seven years in prison for third-degree robbery.

Elizabeth A. Yoensky, 33 at the time of the robbery, was arrested with Bass as the getaway driver, troopers said. She pleaded guilty in January to one count of third-degree robbery and was sentenced to time served, according to the Auburn Citizen.

Staff writer Rylee Kirk covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, photo, question or comment? Reach her at 315-396-5961, on Twitter @kirk_rylee, or rkirk@syracuse.com.
Cicero, N.Y.  A 26-year-old man was killed when he was hit by a car in Cicero while he was in the road Thursday night, deputies said.

Herbert Salguera, of North Carolina, was pronounced dead at the scene on Northern Boulevard near Totman Road, according to a news release from the Onondaga County Sheriffs Office.

Around 10:40 p.m., Joel Gonzales, 31, was driving a Chrysler 300 south on Northern Boulevard with his wife and child when he saw Salguera in the road, deputies said.

Gonzales tried to avoid Salguera but hit the man, deputies said.

Gonzales and his family were not injured in the crash. He stayed at the scene of the accident as deputies investigated.

Gonzalez has not received any traffic tickets or criminal charges, deputies said.

Northern Boulevard was closed until 4 a.m. as deputies investigated the crash.

Staff writer Anne Hayes covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at ahayes@syracuse.com.
Hyde Park, N.Y.  Ever wanted to be on TV? Heres your chance to literally roll into a role on Pretty Little Liars in Upstate New York.

Grant Wilfley Casting is looking for extras to play roller skating, 70s-style partygoers on season two of HBO Maxs Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin. Filming is tentatively expected to take place on May 16 in Hyde Park, the company announced in a casting call posted on Facebook this week.

The reboot series  led by the creators of Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina  filmed last year in Schenectady, Saugerties, Catskill, Hudson and Kingston. Crews started shooting the second season of the show in the Hudson Valley in March.

For the upcoming, 70s-style roller skating party scene, Grant Wilfley Casting said the company is looking for locals from the Hudson Valley and New York City who can roller skate and are comfortable around strobe lights. The company is seeking extras of all genders and ethnicities between the ages of 18 and 45.

Transportation will be available from Manhattan, Grant Wilfley Casting said. Union workers get paid $197 for eight hours, the company said, while non-union extras get paid $165 for 10 hours.

To apply, email your name, phone number, age, photos, and sizes to pll@gwcnyc.com with the subject line IG Skate Party.

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NY Cannabis Insider is hosting a full-day conference at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Albany on May 18. Buy tickets here.

Jeffrey Hoffman is a New York City-based attorney who hosts Ask Me Anything about Cannabis Legalization in New York each week on LinkedIn. Hoffman and NY Cannabis Insider have partnered to bring those sessions into print in a Q&A format.

Hoffmans practice focuses on cannabis industry clients, including licensees in the adult-use market, practitioners in the medical cannabis space, and cannabis adjacent product and service providers. He has a particular interest in social and economic equity cannabis license applicants, and he also informs and assists those convicted of cannabis offenses in getting such convictions expunged from their record. He can be reached at info@420jurist.com.



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The following AMA from April 26 has been edited for length and clarity. Hoffmans next AMA is on May 3 at 4:20 p.m.

Jeffrey Hoffman

All right. Good day everyone. And welcome to todays Ask Me Anything. Usually I answer your questions, but these days we like to get guests on the show. Today we have a very special guest: Anne Forkutza, who Ive known for quite some time. Anne, please introduce yourself to the folks.

Anne Forkutza

Thank you Jeffrey Hoffman, for having me here. Hi, everyone. My name is Anne, Im with Dutchie. We are an all-in-one dispensing platform solution specifically designed for the New York cannabis industry. Im super happy to be here today, this is a little bit of a bucket list moment. In the early days, when we were just getting started in New York, I was like, who is this Jeffrey Hoffman fella? And my buddy Brian Barrett at Dutchie was like, you should really try to get on the show. And a few months later, here we are.

JH

Here we are. Its a pleasure to have you on here today, and obviously we want to talk a few things Dutchie, a few things tech in the industry and a few things New York.

So, Im going to start with a few questions. Maybe well get a few folks in the audience. I know theres a few processor-type folks out here and maybe a few retail folks out here in the room, other people that work in the industry, so maybe well get a few questions from them. But Im going to start.

When did you start working at Dutchie, what brought you to Dutchie and what were you doing before that made you think, Im going to jump from this to going to work in cannabis point-of-sale systems?

AF

Ive been with Dutchie for about a year and a half, but Ive been a Dutchie fan girl since its inception. Previous to Dutchie, I was in the cannabis tech space for about six or seven years, which Ive been told is a really, really long time for cannabis tech. Those of yall who are listening and went to MJBizCon at the Rio and knows of the term Baker  theres not a lot of us left..

Im happy to be here in New York, too. Super happy about us going all-in on New York and being able to be at a company like Dutchie that recognizes the significance of rolling out the cannabis industry in New York in a very thoughtful and collaborative way.

JH

Beautiful. We actually have one question thats already come in. Its very germane to your role and your business.

As we know, the CAURD license was the first license that was given out here in New York for retail. The state is trying to do somewhat of a turnkey approach to the CAURD license as far as helping some folks build their spaces  originally, this was going to be for everybody, but now its some licensees. One of the services is a point-of-sale system for which the state did an RFP.

The question was, specifically, how did you find out about it? And I know how I found out about it, because it was on DASNYs website where they put all the RFPs, and Im sure you have an RFP team that does that. But lets talk a little bit about that, so we can help folks understand: How does Dutchie identify an opportunity like that? What is the thought process? How do you guys learn about it?

AF

We pretty much found out about the RFP on the DASNY website, very similar to how you or anyone who would go on the DASNY website would see it. Its all public facing and the RFP contents are all there. You had to apply to see if you could qualify, and then thats one round, and then there was the RFP contents, and theres the submission  the response to the RFP. So we submitted just like everyone else did, and we found out at the same time, just like everyone else did, as well. I think that we worked really, really hard on it  definitely a team effort. It went from like July to around October. It was quite a rigorous process. We did everything just like everyone else who applied. I think that there were maybe seven or eight vendors. And we found out the same time everyone else did that we won, so it was a really happy, fun day.

JH

We have a question from Bruce Sterman, who is operations guy at the New York City and Hudson Valley Cannabis Industry Association. He has a question about what Dutchie is doing with credit cards or with cards in general.

AF

Weve got two cash-free options. First of all, historically, cannabis has been a cash-only business. Theres lots of security and safety considerations for your staff members that come along with cash. So its really important at Dutchie for us to think about the health and the safety of staff members, and also our clients and our dispensary partners. We explored a number of cash-free options. The first one is PIN debit. So our PIN debit solution uses the same rules as all the other traditional PIN debit solutions. The experience very, very much feels familiar. Just like if you were to use your debit card at any club.

JH

I want to make sure we are differentiating something. I think in Bruces question, he said credit card, and were not talking about credit card rails here, were talking about debit card rails, which is a different thing. So do you just want to unpack that a little bit?

AF

Yeah. Credit cards are tied to Visa/MasterCard, theyre just like different channels and different rails. Someone  I cant remember who  taught me this: Did you ever play Super Mario Brothers? You know how they go down one pipe and come up the other? Think of that as like a PIN debit rail. And then with credit cards its a different type. Its like a Visa/MasterCard.

JH

And what youre talking about at Dutchie is what, I think, we generally consider acceptable in the industry. I dont think theres anything untoward going on here, its using the bank debit rail.

AF

I think the important thing  the one last thing I will say about payments  is the level of transparency. With our financial and payment partners who we work with, they know that were in the cannabis industry. Whenever theres a line item that a PIN debit transaction has been made, its not being masked as something else.

JH

Correct. So its just like normalizing the industry. Some of my colleagues that are part of the payments team, they all came from PayPal, Venmo, Chase banking. So, youll see a lot of that normalizing happen on dodgy products.

Im gonna hit three real quick questions that Ill answer in like two sentences.

We have one question: Is the OCM allowing CAURDs to change the first location to their second choice? The answer is absolutely not. The problem with that is the Variscite lawsuit, the reason why they were able to narrow the Variscite injunction from five regions to one  remember, originally Brooklyn and Western New York and a bunch of other places were tied up in that lawsuits five regions. But we were able to get it down to one  Finger Lakes. The issue, however, is if you let anybody get other than their first choice, then youd have to reopen up the four places or youd have to re-close the four places that youre now giving licenses. Western New York, Central New York, mid-Hudson and Brooklyn; those four were allowed to open up because you can only get your first choice. We cant do that.

We want to talk about a topic that you and I actually touched base on here today. There are folks that are concerned that some of the tech players in cannabis are going to dominate the cannabis world the way Facebook has in tech  as in, theyre going to have all this data from all of the small stores. Can you talk about that a bit, please?

AF

Its a good question, and thats a question that does get asked often, so its something were very used to hearing and responding to. I think one of the biggest misconceptions is the selling of data. We do not sell data of any kind. Its listed in our merchant agreement, which can be  again  publicly accessed on our website.

When it comes to data in general, our philosophy is that the data thats on the point-of-sale, ecommerce, it should belong to the dispensary operator. For us, its the point-of-sale payments, ecommerce. We have a lot of stuff to focus on, and I think in order to be successful in the cannabis industry, you need to pick a lane. Right now, our lane is empowering the dispensary operator. Were all about our dispensary partners, and if we get into the data business, then all of a sudden, our North Star has changed.

JH

These are important questions, right? And so, everybody has a right to express their opinion and get their questions answered. We like transparency. We like to shine lights on things. So, I just think thatd be a great mission statement  what you do with data and the value you have for your customers. I think that those are things you should lead with on your website.

AF

Its a tricky balance though, too. You dont want to lead with it because, if you lead with it, thats like, why are you getting all defensive?

JH

I hear you. We can have a difference of opinion. You folks know how I operate. I believe when youre fully transparent, and you say, this is what we do, and you lead with it, when you show who you truly are, people people gravitate to that. Just my opinion.

AF

Thats fair. It is in our Merchant Terms, which is publicly available on our website. It is in legal lingo.

JH

Recently, somebody was saying, what do you expect the ratio of New York City sales to be regarding in-store versus home delivery? I think this is potentially a great question for you. I dont know if you were prepped with this data or thinking about it. What do you think the New York City market is going to look like for home delivery vs. in-store, etc.?

AF

For New York City, it is still a bit too early to say right now. I know that the licensed legal dispensaries out there right now in the city, theyre just starting their home delivery service. New York City is very delivery heavy, so that is inevitable. At the same time, there is the illicit industry, and I think that that continues to be a problem.

Until that gets combated, things like home delivery and things that  which, maybe illicit operators are already doing  theres always going to be that level of competition. In terms of delivery, it could be a lot more. But right now, I think its more in-store and ecommerce. Thats what were seeing.

JH

Talk a little bit more about some of the things youve done with Dutchie. You had wanted to talk about the dispensary tour.

There was a big dispensary tour. Basically at Bronx Community Foundation, some other folks did a phenomenal job up there in the Bronx, putting on a demo dispensary at the old post office and youre road touring it. So tell us about that.

AF

We are kicking off the official New York State dispensary showroom tour in Mount Vernon next Thursday and Friday, its going to be awesome. Again, its another collaboration with the Bronx Cannabis Hub and Community Foundation.

Weve got KayaPush, and then the Cannabis Workforce Initiative. Were super excited about this collaboration where if you attend our workshop session, at the dispensary showroom, you actually will get credits that you can contribute towards the Cannabis Workforce Initiative certification program.

So this will directly help the workforce initiative in New York State. Weve seen firsthand how difficult it is for dispensary operators to find qualified individuals to staff up their store. So taking that certification program will boost up your resume. And then who knows when it comes to the dispensary application process. If you take that certification process, you can include that in your application. That will just further amplify the fact that you are serious about a career in the cannabis industry in New York. So, were super excited about that. Its on May 4 and May 5 at Baron Stages in Mt. Vernon.
New Yorks transition to all-electric buildings will take a slower path than envisioned by the state Climate Action Council, because officials for now have dropped plans to prohibit the replacement of worn-out gas furnaces in existing structures.

The budget agreement announced Thursday by Gov. Kathy Hochul would require zero-emission appliances in new houses and buildings of seven stories or less, beginning in 2026. Taller buildings would fall under the rule in 2029.

That would effectively prohibit furnaces and stoves that burn natural gas or other fossil fuels, with limited exemptions for large commercial and industrial buildings.

But the budget deal does not include a second provision that was recommended by the state Climate Action Council and proposed by Hochul in January. That language would have prohibited the replacement of worn-out gas furnaces (but not stoves) in existing homes, beginning in 2030. By 2035, replacements would have been banned in all buildings, with a few exceptions.

Neither the Assembly nor the Senate included the replacement provision in their one-house bills, and it was dropped during budget negotiations, said Alex Beauchamp of Food and Water Watch, an environmental group tracking the legislation.

The ban on replacement furnaces would have accelerated the switch to all-electric heating systems. As it stands, the legislation will only restrict new construction.

Nevertheless, environmentalists are cheering the legislation. New York will become the first state to pass legislation mandating electric buildings. Washington state previously did so through building code regulations.

Ultimately, we have to transition everything. But just getting new buildings is a huge victory, Beauchamp said.

The Climate Action Council, which drew up roadmaps to implement a 2019 state law requiring massive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, recommended the ban on gas-fired equipment in buildings as part of its final scoping plan in December. Hochul modeled her budget bill on the councils recommendation.

Thursday evening, Hochul announced that she and legislative leaders had reached a tentative agreement on the state budget, including the legislation mandating zero-emission new buildings.

Do you have a news tip or a story idea? Contact reporter Tim Knauss: email | Twitter | | 315-470-3023.
Its time to dust off that tackle box and tie on a jig, because New Yorks walleye season opens May 1 and runs through March 15, 2024. Its also opening day for lure-crushing northern pike, pickerel, and tiger muskie.

Last years season opener came on the heels of a frigid winter and a cool spring. Oneida Lake water temperatures were about 48 degrees. Not this year, however. After this seasons mild winter and record high temperatures in April, Oneida Lake is warming up faster than usual.

Captain Tony Buffa, whos been running fishing charters on Oneida Lake for almost 50 years, said hes been seeing a lot of lake water around 52 degrees recently. Whats that mean for walleye?

Theyre going to be cruising deeper water, looking for a meal, Buffa said. I dont think were going to see any walleye holding up in the creeks and tributaries.

All that cold water last spring was great for inshore angling, but this year anglers will want to be on a boat if they want to catch walleye lurking in pockets of deep, cool water. And that means one thing: jigging.

We asked Matthew Gutchess, who dispenses Oneida Lake fishing advice daily on his The Awakening Angler YouTube channel, for a few jigging tips that will help you limit out (thats five 15 walleye) on eyes.

Matthew Gutchess (right) took over the reigns of the decades-old walleye derby on Oneida Lake, turning it into a three-day festival that runs May 5-7 and features live music, food, and vendors in addition to more than $9,000 in cash and prizes.

1. Get down and dirty

Every angler knows that walleye like to hang out near the bottom. Thats where the strike zone is, and thats where your bait needs to be, not floating three feet off the bottom in no mans land. Use a jig for bait, Gutchess says. It could be a blade bait, a jigging Rapala, a hair jig, or just a jig with a plastic on it.

The key is to make sure its on the bottom, every single time, Gutchess says. Get down and dirty with Oneida Lake walleyes. Thats the biggest thing that leads to lack of success out herenot getting it down there and keeping it down there.

2. Low and slow

Most serious Oneida Lake walleye anglers practice drift jigging, floating in the direction of their cast with the wind at their back. The key to doing it right is controlling drift speed.

Anything up to one mile an hour is manageable, Gutchess says. Any faster than that and your lure will spend a lot of time stuck in the muck while you reel up line to keep pace with the drift. Some people use a drift bag or sock, or a drift anchor, or even a five gallon bucket tied to a rope to create enough drag to slow their drift speed.

You can go out there and catch walleye 20 different ways in 20 different spots on this lake, Gutchess says. But ultimately its that low and slow approach that keeps the bait in their face no matter where youre fishing.

3. Jigging cadence

So youre marking fish, your jig is on the bottom, youre drifting at a blazing .75 mile per hour with the wind at your back. All you need to do now is dial in your jigging cadencehow fast, and how high, to move your bait through the water column.

The key to attracting walleye isnt jigging aggressively or using a finesse style, its both, Gutchess says. Once your line goes slack, pop the jig off the bottom with a sharp snap, then let it drop, and repeat as soon as the jig hits the bottom again. Thats the aggressive approach.

Using a finesse style, lift the jig up in a smooth motion, no more than six to 12 inches, then let it fall to the bottom again. Let it sit there for about a second before lifting it again. Start with one style, and increase or decrease your cadence every three to five casts, Gutchess says.

99.9 percent of the time you wont feel walleye hit your jig, he says. Thats because they usually bite when the jig is falling and the line is slack. Youll feel the weight of the fish when you lift your rod again. Thats when you set the hook.

Pickerel and pike

Walleye get all the attention this time of year, but if you want a fun fight, try casting for pike or pickerel. Youll find them in any water with last years grass still in it, including bays and shorelines. Use a spinnerbait, or a jointed Rapala.

Pickerel arent terribly picky, Gutchess says. You can throw anything at them. Just make sure its something you dont mind losing because they bite a lot of stuff off with their teeth. Theyre awesome, they hurl themselves out of the water.

WalleyeFest

Dont forget to register for WalleyeFest, which runs next weekend, May 5-7. Gutchess took over running the derby from the local Lions Clubs that operated it for the past 43 years, transforming it into a three-day shindig that combines the traditional fishing contest alongside a festival complete with live music, food, and vendors.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation statewide fish limits are as follows:

Tiger muskie, 30, limit 1

Walleye: 15, limit 5

Northern pike: 18, limit 5

Pickerel: 15, limit 5

DEC Region 7 (CNY) Special Fishing Regulations

Walleye 18 limit 3 : Otselic River; Whitney Point Reservoir; Jamesville Reservoir; Cross Lake; Cazenovia Lake; Eaton Brook Reservoir; Redfield Reservoir; Seneca River from Jacks Reef to Seneca Lake.

Northern Pike 22 limit 5: Cross Lake; Seneca River.

DEC Region 6 (North Country) Special Fishing Regulations

Walleye 18 limit 3: Clear Lake; Grass Lake; Hyde Lake; Sixtown Pond; Black Lake; Indian River; Pleasant Lake; Horseshoe Lake.

Northern Pike, no minimum length, limit 5: Cranberry Lake.

DEC Region 8 (Finger Lakes) Special Fishing Regulations

Walleye 18 limit 3: Waterport Reservoir; Cayuta Lake; Clyde River from Seneca River to Lock 26; Erie Canal from Seneca River to Lock 26.

For information on where to find walleye, pike and other cool water sportfish, visit DECs website.

Last year, DEC added a new feature to its HuntFishNY app called The Tackle Box where youll find fishing regulations, boating access, and stocking information in a map-based interface. Other features include driving directions to state boat launch sites. The app is free and available through the App store (iOS) and Google Play (Android).

A digital version of the 2023 Freshwater Fishing Regulations guide is available to download on the DEC website. Hard copies of the guide are available wherever sporting licenses are sold. For locations visit the DEC website.

Send us your fish pics!

We want to see your catch: walleye, tiger muskie, two-headed gobies. Just make sure to provide (1) names of anyone in photo (2) their hometowns (3) fish type (4) where caught (5) length and weight if possible (6) bait used. Throw in some colorful details, we all like a good fish story. Tight lines, yall.



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Steve Featherstone covers the outdoors for The Post-Standard, syracuse.comand NYUP.com. Contact him at sfeatherstone@syracuse.com or on Twitter @featheroutdoors. You can also follow along with all of our outdoors content at newyorkupstate.com/outdoors/ or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/upstatenyoutdoors.
By Denis Slattery | New York Daily News

Albany, N.Y.  Attorney General Letitia James and state lawmakers want to crack down on deed theft, a crime in which con artists steal homes and real estate  often by deceiving elderly people or residents of minority neighborhoods.

A pair of bills in the Legislature could strengthen protections and remedies for victims by establishing deed theft as a crime and bolstering the attorney generals ability to prosecute it, their advocates said Thursday.

Under current law, deed theft can be difficult to prosecute or prove since unwitting homeowners are often tricked into signing off on legally-binding documents. Prosecutors are often left charging fraudsters with crimes such as grand larceny, which critics say fails to convey the gravity of the situation.

The new measures proposed by James office and sponsored by Sens. Zellnor Myrie (D-Brooklyn) and Brian Kavanagh (D-Manhattan) as well as Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein (D-Brooklyn) would create a crime of deed theft and strengthen civil statutes to help combat scams, James said.

No ones home should be stolen by a scammer without warning or reason, James said in a statement. This legislation will provide real and necessary changes to our civil and criminal laws to stop the perpetrators of these crimes and provide the protections and remedies needed to keep people in their homes.

The New York City Sheriffs Office counted nearly 3,500 complaints of deed theft throughout the five boroughs from 2014 through 2023, including more than 1,500 complaints in Brooklyn and 1,000 in Queens.

Prosecutors in Albany, Erie, Monroe, and Onondaga Counties have reported recent active deed theft complaints.

Too often, state government has been unable to prevent or prosecute this destructive crime. Im grateful to our Attorney General and my colleagues for introducing strong legislation to protect homeowners in Central Brooklyn and across the state, Myrie said.

The new legislation would help the state better track the issue by calling on the Department of Criminal Justice Services to collect statewide data on deed theft crimes.

The measure will also extend the statute of limitations for felony criminal prosecution of deed theft from five years to eight years, allowing for more time to identify and investigate cases.

Scammers often either forge a homeowners name on file in a county clerks office or con a victim into turn over their property and deed. The fraudster can then evict the homeowners and either sell or attempt to take out loans against the property.

The second bill would enable prosecutors to file a legal action on properties where a deed theft has taken place or is suspected, which acts as a sort of legal red flag on property records.

This type of fraud often takes advantage of the most vulnerable New Yorkers, literally ripping their homes away from them and profiting greatly from the equity seized, Weinstein said.

2023 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com.
KYODO NEWS - Apr 28, 2023 - 17:18 | World, All

A group of French lawmakers Friday reaffirmed their country's support for the security of the Taiwan Strait in a meeting with the island's leader Tsai Ing-wen, after French President Emmanuel Macron made comments about the territory that stirred criticism.

Senate Vice President Alain Richard, who leads the five-member delegation, said French lawmakers are "very concerned" about Taiwan's safety and that they will encourage the French government to pay more attention to the security of the Taiwan Strait.

He said the recent passage of a French warship through the waterway separating Taiwan and mainland China is "the best proof" of France paying attention to the region.

Macron drew backlash from Western nations for calling on Europeans not to be "followers" of either the United States or China, and warned about the continent being drawn into a crisis over Taiwan driven by what he called "the American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction" in an interview with Les Echos and Politico earlier this month.

Communist-led Beijing regards self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province to be united with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Tsai said Taiwan-France relations have become closer over the years, with two French parliamentary delegations visiting the island in recent weeks.

French lawmaker Eric Bothorel, chair of a France-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group, led a four-member delegation from the French National Assembly to Taiwan last week.
By Brendan J. Lyons | Times Union, Albany

Troy, N.Y.  Three Rensselaer County government officials including Richard W. Crist, the countys director of operations, have been indicted on federal criminal charges alleging they used fraud and intimidation to obtain absentee ballots in the names of voters for primary and general elections in 2021.

Crist and James R. Gordon, director of the countys Bureau of Central Services, as well as Leslie A. Wallace, a longtime political consultant who is listed in public records as an assistant for constituent relations in the office of county Executive Steve McLaughlin, turned themselves in to the FBI at its Albany headquarters on Thursday morning.

They were escorted into U.S. District Court in Albany in the afternoon by U.S. marshals and FBI agents. Each wore professional business attire and were briefly in handcuffs as the proceeding began.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew T. Baxter, after entering not guilty pleas into the record, released them with conditions that include restricting their travel to the United States. He also gave the three defendants a stern warning against trying to influence or intimidate any witnesses, many of whom are county employees that they may supervise. If that happens, youre going to have serious problems with me going forward, the judge told them.

The arrests are the result of a federal grand jury investigation that for more than a year has been looking into allegations of widespread ballot fraud.

Crist is a former news reporter and longtime GOP political operative in Rensselaer County who has wielded enormous influence in local politics and for many years has been McLaughlins political confidant. Wallace is a former Republican legislative aide in the state Assembly and Senate who also has a private political consulting business. Gordon is a former Troy mayoral candidate and a member of the North Greenbush Town Board.

The charges include allegations that the trio conspired to use their official positions to violate the constitutional rights of subordinate county employees to intimidate them into requesting and filing absentee ballots, according to federal prosecutors.

The FBIs investigation had recently focused on campaign work and voting by county employees who work under the direction of Gordon and Crist, who has served as a political consultant for local and state officials, including several judges.

Their conduct violated the constitutional rights of Rensselaer County voters to have their votes counted equally as compared to votes cast by other voters, and made it more likely that the defendants preferred candidates would win the election, the U.S. attorneys office said in a release.

In addition to the single count civil rights conspiracy charge, Gordon was charged with one count of witness tampering and Wallace was charged with one count of making false statements.

Crist, Gordon and Wallace each face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy to violate constitutional rights. Gordon faces up to 20 years in prison if hes convicted of witness tampering; the charge against Wallace for making false statements carries a five-year maximum sentence.

The ongoing investigation has focused on the actions of multiple Republican officials and has been led by the U.S. Justice Department and special agents with an FBI white-collar crime and public corruption unit in Albany. It had already led to the guilty pleas of former Troy Councilwoman Kimberly Ashe-McPherson and Jason T. Schofield, the countys former Republican elections commissioner.

Schofield pleaded guilty in January to 12 counts of unlawfully using the names and dates of birth of voters to fraudulently apply for absentee ballots for elections held in 2021. He resigned before pleading guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced in September. He testified before the grand jury that indicted Crist, Gordon and Wallace.

Ashe-McPherson pleaded guilty 10 months ago to a single felony count in which she admitted to fraudulently submitting absentee ballots in the 2021 primary and general elections as she sought reelection to the city council. She is scheduled to be sentenced June 13.

The criminal cases have dealt a crippling blow to the countys GOP power structure. In January, McLaughlin was acquitted of state criminal charges alleging he had stolen $5,000 from a campaign account and falsified records to cover it up. That case was prosecuted by the state attorney generals office and unrelated to the federal grand jury investigation.

McLaughlin, the highest-ranking county official, has not been implicated in the federal voter fraud cases.

Democrats seized on the charges filed Thursday. Once again, allegations of criminal behavior plague the Republican regime in Rensselaer County related to ballot fraud and theft of service by county Republican officials  its serious and cannot be ignored, Rensselaer County Minority Leader Peter Grimm said in a statement.

The Times Union learned that the investigation had revealed numerous instances in which county employees were enlisted to do political campaign work  much of it related to securing absentee ballots at times when they allegedly were being paid to work for the county.

FBI investigators also had interviewed individuals, including county employees, who may have had absentee ballots submitted without their knowledge.

More than a year ago, the federal grand jury issued subpoenas seeking a trove of materials from the countys Board of Elections related to the 2020 and 2021 elections. The subpoenas sought absentee ballot documents and communications of multiple county officials  and were delivered five days after FBI agents had seized the mobile phones of Crist and Gordon.

As part of a separate investigation thats at a much earlier stage than the federal probe, the state attorney generals office served a grand jury subpoena on Rensselaer County seeking a trove of absentee ballot documents that were handled by Crist and Gordon.

That subpoena also sought absentee documents that may have been handled by Wallace and Sara J. McDermott, who also works for Rensselaer County. McDermott has also been described by county political insiders as a GOP operative but has not been accused of wrongdoing.

At Thursdays arraignment, attorneys for the defendants and assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett argued at length over the defenses request that they receive a copy of the governments witness list. William J. Dreyer, an attorney for Crist, argued that they could inadvertently violate the courts order not to interfere with a witness if they arent aware which of those may be county employees that they supervise.

It sets these defendants up for a potential violation, Dreyer said.

Barnett had asked the judge to only order the government to disclose Board of Elections records that would reveal all county employees who applied for or voted by absentee ballot in 2021.

But Baxter sided with Dreyer, whose request to know the identity of those witnesses was supported by Wallaces attorney, former Rensselaer County District Attorney Joel Abelove, and Gordons attorney, Jillian Groshans of Albany.

Im very concerned about the prospect of witness tampering or coercion, Baxter noted before making the ruling. Barnett said the government may appeal the decision.

___

(c)2023 the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.)

Visit the Times Union (Albany, N.Y.) at www.timesunion.com
Syracuse, N.Y.  Gov. Kathy Hochul and Micron Technology have chosen 14 people to lead an advisory group that will help guide the companys investments in the community.

The governor and Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra announced the community engagement committees members today during a visit to the Oncenter in Syracuse.

The panel of community advisers fulfills an agreement Micron and state leaders made in October when Micron committed to invest up to $100 billion building a computer chip megafab in the town of Clay.

As part of the deal Micron, state and local partners said they would invest $500 million toward community projects that involve workforce development, education and affordable housing in Central New York.

The new committee will help guide how the money is spent. The group will be co-chaired by Melanie Littlejohn, a vice president at National Grid, and Tim Penix, vice president of the Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center.

The committee will develop strategies to make sure Microns project supports child care, affordable housing, workforce development and diversity in the labor force, and reaches underrepresented people.

If fully built, Microns project is expected to transform the local economy. The project would create up to 9,000 jobs over 20 years, and up to 40,000 supply-chain jobs from local companies that work with Micron.

Hochul and Mehrotra said today they expect the new advisory committee to provide meaningful, ground-up participation.

The committee members were chosen because of their track records of public service, according to the governor. In addition to the two co-chairs, the members are:

April Arnzen, senior vice president and chief people officer, Micron

Karen Belcher, executive director, Food Bank of Central New York

Donna DeSiato, superintendent, East Syracuse Minoa School District

Bishop Ronald Dewberry, senior pastor, New Life Temple of Praise

Kristi Eck, chief of staff, SUNY Oswego

Courtney Geduldig, corporate vice president , global public and government affairs, Micron

Mark Hall, president and CEO, Syracuse Community Health

Jasenko Mondom, employment specialist, Refugee Assistance Program at Syracuse City School District

Meg OConnell, executive director, Allyn Family Foundation

Hazel Powless, Haudenosaunne Environmental Task Force, Onondaga Nation

Kerry Quaglia, founder and CEO, Home HeadQuarters

Sheena Solomon, executive director, The Gifford Foundation

The committee also will have five ex-officio members. They are:

Rob Beard, senior vice president and general counsel of Micron

Kevin Younis, chief operating officer and executive deputy commissioner of Empire State Development

Isabelle Harris, director of strategic initiatives, Onondaga County

Sharon Owens, deputy mayor of Syracuse

Damian Ulatowski, Clay town supervisor

READ MORE ABOUT MICRON

Micron takes first visible step to building its mega chip plant in Clay

Micron jobs: What you can do now to get a job at chip fab

How Micron built to this moment: The maverick high-tech giant is staking its future in CNY

Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Bidens student loan agenda would be all but obliterated by the U.S. debt legislation passed by House Republicans, dooming his mass cancellations, scrapping a more generous loan repayment option and permanently barring future regulation around student debt.

Republicans see it as a victory for taxpayers. Democrats say it would hurt the economy and block college students who need financial aid.

The GOP bill would cancel both of Bidens marquee student debt proposals: a one-time cancellation of up to $20,000 for more than 40 million Americans, and an updated loan repayment plan that could slash monthly payments for millions.

It would also lift a pause on federal student loan payments, forcing borrowers into repayment sooner than planned.

On the House floor Wednesday, Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx, chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, said Bidens plan for student debt was an obvious target as the government reins in spending.

With an estimated cost of more than $500 billion, Bidens student debt plan is a backdoor attempt to provide free college on the backs of blue-collar Americans, said Foxx, of North Carolina.

Biden has threatened to veto the legislation, and his student debt cancellation plan is seen as untouchable by some Senate Democrats who may well kill the bill. Some of the strongest champions of cancellation have included Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle generally agree that the student loan system is broken, but they have differing approaches to fixing it. The issue has become a lightning rod in recent years amid rising college costs and a national student debt total that now surpasses $1.6 trillion.

For Republicans, the fight offers a fresh opportunity to strike at Bidens student debt policies, which they view as an overreach. Conservative opponents have already gotten his cancellation temporarily halted in court, and its now being reviewed by a conservative-leaning Supreme Court.

Unlike the GOP lawsuits, however, the new legislation takes aim at the full suite of Bidens student debt plans, including a proposed repayment plan that has mostly avoided the type of scrutiny that mass cancellation has seen.

Bidens payment option would mostly replace four existing income-driven repayment plans with much more generous terms.

It would cap monthly payments at 5% of a borrowers income, for example, down from 10% now. And it would charge nothing for those with yearly incomes of less than $30,000 ($24,000 now). No interest would be charged as long as payments were made on time.

The plan was formally proposed in January but has yet to be finalized. Under the Republican bill, it would be revoked.

Going a step further, the Republican plan would permanently bar the Education Department from issuing any future regulation that raises costs for the federal student aid program. That would amount to a dramatic shift in the way the agency does business.

Administrations from both parties have used their regulatory power to update the loan program without going through Congress. The Trump administration used that authority to erase debt for disabled military veterans in 2019, and Biden used it to overhaul a debt forgiveness program for public servants.

Borrower advocates assail the GOP bill, saying it would worsen the student debt crisis.

Blocking the new repayment plan would make permanent the debt trap for any borrower who does not earn enough money to afford their monthly loan bills, said Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center.

The impact of the bill could go far beyond student debt. The Education Department estimates it would require a 22% budget cut across some of its biggest programs.

The department estimates it would need to cut federal Pell Grants  grants to students with significant financial need  for 80,000 college students, and the maximum grant amount would be reduced by $1,000 for all other borrowers. It would also bring a $4 billion reduction in federal money for the nations poorest schools, and cut other money for student mental health.

The Pell reduction annihilates the educational dreams of millions of Americans, said Justin Draeger, president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

Foxx disputed the departments accounting of reductions, however, saying the bill doesnt mention a single word about Pell Grants.

If Democrats spent half the amount of time working with Republicans as they do fearmongering, we wouldnt be in this situation in the first place, Foxx said in a statement.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona slammed Republicans for staggering recklessness, saying the bill would be taking us backward and undercut efforts to help students recover from the pandemic.

Rep. Bobby Scott, the top Democrat on the House education panel, rejected the bill as a terrible deal for the American people.

I get tired of being lectured by the Republicans when it comes to fiscal responsibility, because we know that every Republican presidential administration since Nixon has left office with a worse deficit situation than they inherited, Scott said on the House floor Wednesday.
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KYODO NEWS - Apr 28, 2023 - 22:55 | All, Japan, World

The U.S. Navy said Friday its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the George Washington will be deployed for the second time to Yokosuka Naval Base near Tokyo in the latter half of 2024, replacing fellow Nimitz-class vessel the Ronald Reagan.

The replacement of the Ronald Reagan, currently stationed at the base, is taking place because overseas deployments of naval ships are limited to 10 years under U.S. law.

The George Washington was deployed to the base in Kanagawa Prefecture from 2008 to 2015, in what was the first permanent deployment of a nuclear-powered carrier at a Japanese port.

The Ronald Reagan, stationed at the base since 2015, will end its service in the spring of next year and relocate to Washington state, according to the Navy.

In recent years, the Ronald Reagan has taken part in drills with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the South Korean military amid heightened tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, due to North Korea conducting a series of missile tests and China becoming increasingly militarily assertive in the area.

Yokosuka Mayor Katsuaki Kamiji was briefed Friday by a Japanese Foreign Ministry official about the plans to switch the U.S. carriers.

Kamiji said that "it is important to maintain the Navy's presence for Japan's peace and regional stability," while also calling for high safety standards in operating nuclear-powered vessels.

Masahiko Goto, a lawyer who has long been tackling issues related to U.S. military bases in Japan, released a statement expressing strong opposition to the permanent deployment of U.S. carriers to Yokosuka.
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KYODO NEWS - Apr 28, 2023 - 20:02 | World, All, Japan

The new Chinese ambassador to Japan said Friday that bilateral relations are "at a critical juncture" as the two Asian powers remain at odds over Taiwan and other key issues.

During a press conference at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo, Wu Jianghao warned that Japan should not interfere in Beijing's dealings with Taiwan, calling them China's "genuine internal affairs."

The view that Taiwan is connected to Japan's security is "absurd and baseless," said Wu, known as an expert on Japan who previously served as Chinese assistant foreign minister before assuming his current position last month.

Wu said Beijing hopes for the peaceful reunification of Taiwan with the mainland, but did not rule out the possibility of using force, saying it will work as "deterrence against the independence of Taiwan and assurance of cross-strait peace and stability."

Communist-led China regards self-ruled democratic Taiwan as a province to be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. Attempts to forcibly seize the island would be a concern for Tokyo, given its proximity to Japan's remote southwestern islands.

The ambassador made the remarks as the Group of Seven major democracies have affirmed the importance of peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait in recent years.

The 59-year-old envoy also expressed his objection to "confrontations between the blocs," as the rift between the G-7 and the China-Russia camp has deepened following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

Wu, meanwhile, said he would support Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's vision of a world without nuclear weapons, expected to be a topic at the G-7 summit scheduled to be held next month in Hiroshima, devastated by a U.S. atomic bomb in 1945.

Wu also weighed in on the detention in March of a senior male employee of Japanese pharmaceutical company Astellas Pharma Inc., saying China's "sovereignty was infringed by espionage activities," rejecting Tokyo's demand for the employee's early release.

Regarding bilateral ties, Wu emphasized that China has "no intention of treating Japan as an enemy."

He said Japanese animation films, such as "The First Slam Dunk" and "Suzume," are more popular in China than in Japan, and he hoped efforts would be made to promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two nations.

Related coverage:

Japan, U.S. agree to work toward successful G-7 Hiroshima summit

G-7 unified in backing Taiwan peace, urges China to act responsibly

Box office revenue for animation film "Suzume" in China tops Japan's
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TechSpot is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust

WTF?! The Steam Deck has a surprising number of uses, including doubling as a remote controller for a machine gun turret. Valve's handheld is being used this way by the Ukrainian army in its war against invading Russian forces.

Ukrainian News company TPO (via Tom's Hardware) posted a number of images on Facebook showing the country's soldiers testing a machine gun turret in a field. The weapon, Sablya, Is described as a "Ukrainian automated remote-controlled fire complex designed for stationary installation on real estate objects or special transport."

What's interesting about the photos is that one shows a soldier holding a Steam Deck, and he's not having a sneaky game of Vampire Survivors. The Linux-powered device is being used to control the machine gun remotely.

This automatic turret is the best use of Steam Deck I've seen so far i*iiA pic.twitter.com/J727aDbBPn  Sergey Mohov i" (@krides) April 24, 2023

The screen is blank so we can't see what the interface is like, but as the gun has a camera, it's probable that the feed can be viewed on the Steam Deck; it could be used to monitor the battlefield, aim at targets, and fire the weapon. Tom's speculates that because the turret is automated, the Steam Deck might be able to mark targets and let the gun do the rest.

The turret can be operated up to 500 meters away (almost a third of a mile). It can be equipped with any light anti-personnel or anti-tank weapons, including a Kalashnikov machine gun. The Facebook post states that the turret will be fitted at checkpoints and other key locations to help the Ukrainian military in its ongoing war efforts against Russia.

This isn't the first time gaming hardware has been used for military purposes. In 2018, the US Navy launched the USS Colorado, a Virginia-class submarine that uses an Xbox 360 controller to control its periscope-like photonics masts. Controllers have also been used to control drones and UAVs.

Valve is unlikely to be pleased to learn its Steam Deck is being semi-weaponized. But unlike SpaceX, which stopped Ukraine from using its Starlink service to control drones, there's little Gabe Newell's company could do to stop the practice.
TechSpot is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust

Recap: Historically, the vast majority of security issues encountered on the Windows platform have been memory-related bugs. Rust can provide a highly effective solution to this long-standing problem, and Windows programmers are well aware of its potential.

Although Rust is still a relatively recent programming language, Microsoft has already embraced the technology as one of the most promising upgrades for Windows core programming. Redmond's software engineers have been diligently rewriting crucial parts of the operating system in Rust, bringing significant improvements in both performance and security to the underlying code.

Rust is a fast, memory-efficient programming language created by Graydon Hoare while working at Mozilla, the first company to officially sponsor and adopt it for their experimental browser engine, Servo. As a typical compiled language, Rust offers native performance for various types of applications, including computer software, low-resource devices, and embedded appliances.

Also read: How a broken elevator led to one of the most loved programming languages available today

Aside from its performance, one of Rust's main attractions is the fact that the language was designed to provide memory safety from the outset, thereby eliminating many categories of bugs and potential vulnerabilities at compile time. Notably, memory safety bugs account for 70% of the CVE-listed security vulnerabilities fixed in Windows since 2006.

According to David "Dwizzle" Weston, VP of OS Security and Enterprise at Microsoft, some Rust code has been implemented in the Windows kernel already. Speaking at BlueHat IL 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel, last month, Weston mentioned that Windows 11 could boot in Rust, even though the code's port is currently disabled and concealed behind a feature flag.

Microsoft began rewriting portions of Windows in Rust in 2020, starting with the DirectWrite API (a part of the DirectX framework) which is responsible for managing high-quality text rendering, resolution-independent outline fonts, full Unicode text and layout support, and more. DWriteCore, the Windows App SDK implementation of the DirectWrite API, now comprises approximately 152,000 lines of Rust code and about 96,000 lines of C++ code. In addition to enhancing security, this new code blend has reportedly brought significant performance improvements (5-15%) to font operations.

Windows 10 and 11 are written in C, C++, C#, and Assembly language, with millions of lines of code that will likely never undergo a complete, Rust-based overhaul. However, Windows' main graphics device interface (Win32 GDI) is being ported to Rust, with 36,000 lines of code already converted. "There's actually a SysCall in the Windows kernel now that is implemented in Rust," Weston revealed.

Microsoft is not the only major tech company interested in adopting Rust for its primary software products. The memory-safe programming language is already being used by Amazon, Facebook, Google, and others. Rust has also become part of the Linux kernel. Open-source developers emphasize that Microsoft's commitment to Rust would be excellent news for the language's future.
In brief: Siri may be popular with millions of iPhone users from around the world, but not everybody at Apple is impressed with the voice assistant. That's according to a bombshell new report from The Information, which claims that some Apple engineers working on the company's upcoming Reality Pro headset are so unhappy with the software that they considered creating their own alternative to control the mixed reality device.

The publication spoke to more than three dozen former Apple employees (via MacRumors) who claimed that Siri was 'widely derided' within the company as it lacked critical functionality expected from a modern voice assistant. The problems, they claimed, stemmed from Apple's stifling emphasis on privacy and perfectness, which led to virtual turf wars and 'heated arguments' between various senior leaders over the direction of Apple's virtual assistant.

Thanks to Apple's strict stance on privacy, the engineers were prevented from building analytical tools for Siri, which forced them to work without any usage metrics for the voice assistant. Whatever data was collected by the data science and engineering team was never used for improving Siri, leading some employees to dismiss the process as "a waste of time and money."

Instead of using AI to fetch conversational-style answers from the web like ChatGPT, Apple executives, including CEO Tim Cook, wanted Siri to respond with a series of pre-written answers to prevent off-the-rails responses that could be a source of embarrassment for the company. This stymied the growth of the software and prevented it competing on even terms with Google Assistant and Alexa, leading to widespread discontent within the company's rank and file.

The report also describes how Apple engineers in 2019 started a project called 'Blackbird' to replace Siri, but despite initial promise, it was eventually abandoned in favor of a competing project called 'Siri X' that simply aimed to move all of Siri's functions to be processed on-device rather than in the cloud. It did not, however, have any of the advanced functionality of Blackbird, which is said to have been more functional and responsive than Siri, and also impressed Apple executives who were privy to the demos.

Apple's conservative approach to AI left its engineers disillusioned, and many of them left the company to join rivals like Google to work on large language models, despite a personal appeal by Cook to stay on. Three Siri engineers who left Apple for Google following the disputes include Srinivasan Venkatachary, Steven Baker, and Anand Shukla, all of whom joined the Cupertino company in 2019 when it acquired their startup LaserLike.
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Why it matters: It is the end of an era at Microsoft as the Redmond-based tech giant is discontinuing its Microsoft-branded line of keyboards, mice, and other PC peripherals to focus on accessories carrying the Surface moniker.

In a statement issued to The Verge, Microsoft Senior Communications Manager Daniel Laycock said that going forward, Microsoft will shift its attention to Windows PC accessories under the Surface name. Existing Microsoft-branded peripherals already on the market will remain on sale until supplies last, the executive added.

Microsoft-branded PC accessories date back to the early 1980s when the company put out its first mouse, which was bundled with Microsoft Word and Notepad. Several other standout products came out of Redmond in subsequent years including the quirky Natural Keyboard with its split ergonomic design in 1994 and the IntelliMouse series starting in 1996.

Microsoft was a leader in pointer technology at the time and was among the first to ship products with scroll wheels and side buttons. The company's IntelliMouse Explorer featured optical tracking technology, eliminating the pesky mouse ball that needed frequent cleaning. It sounds trivial nowadays but at the time, going from a ball to an optical sensor was a real game changer.

A few years back, Microsoft introduced retro-inspired remakes of its classic IntelliMouse. They were not nearly as cutting edge as the original but were still attractive to a certain segment of nostalgia seekers.

Laycock reinforced the fact that Microsoft will continue to offer accessories like keyboards, mice, pens, docks, and adaptive accessories under the Surface brand. What's unclear, however, is if Microsoft will tweak price points at all.

As The Verge highlights, Surface-branded peripherals are not always the cheapest on the market. Microsoft-branded accessories, on the other hand, were on average a bit more affordable. With them going away, will Microsoft adjust pricing on existing Surface models or introduce new budget offerings to fill the gap?

Have you used any Microsoft-branded accessories over the years? If so, are there any particular products you really enjoyed?

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In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists around the world have been working tirelessly to develop new tools and technologies to help prevent the next global health crisis.

One such innovation comes from a team of researchers led by Timothee Poisot, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Universite de Montreal.

Poisot and his colleagues have been developing an algorithm for predicting mammal-virus interactions with the hope of making better predictions of which viruses are most likely to jump from animals to humans.

Algorithm for the Next Pandemic

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), zoonotic diseases are responsible for more than 60% of all infectious diseases in humans.

But with thousands of species of mammals and viruses and only limited information available about their interactions, the task of predicting which combinations are most likely to lead to zoonotic outbreaks is daunting.

That's where Poisot's algorithm comes in. Using machine learning, the algorithm sifts through existing data on mammal-virus interactions to identify which combinations are most likely to occur.

The researchers then validate these predictions using statistical analysis and focus their efforts on monitoring the most high-risk interactions and regions.

The team's work has already yielded some surprising findings. For example, they discovered that murine ectromelia, a virus related to smallpox in mice, has the potential to infect humans.

This finding underscores the importance of monitoring even lesser-known viruses and their interactions with mammals.

Read Also: ESA Seeks Help From AI to Discover Exoplanets; Here's What to Know About Ariel Data Challenge 2023

Potential Hosts

The researchers also identified two geographic regions to focus their efforts on the Amazon basin in South America, where new and original interactions between hosts and viruses are more likely to be observed, and Central Africa, where new hosts have been found that could potentially carry zoonotic viruses.

Poisot and his colleagues hope that their algorithm will be a valuable tool in preventing the next pandemic. By identifying and monitoring the most high-risk interactions and regions, they believe that they can help stop zoonotic diseases before they have a chance to spread.

For Poisot, the algorithm represents a major step forward in our understanding of zoonotic diseases and how to prevent them. "We're really shifting the places where we need to go and study," he said.

"Instead of just looking at the usual suspects, we're now able to identify new and unexpected interactions that could have major implications for human health."

The study's findings were published in the journal Patterns.

Related Article: Quick Guide: New AI-Powered App Superchat Allows Users to Chat With DaVinci, Other Historical People!

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Germany is considering limiting exports of chemicals used in the production of semiconductors to China, Bloomberg reports.

The move is part of a wider package of measures that Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government is discussing to cut off China's access to goods and services needed to produce advanced semiconductors.

The proposal could limit German companies such as Merck KGaA and BASF SE from selling some of their semiconductor chemicals to China.

Scholz has been adopting a more hawkish approach to Beijing as he tries to balance supporting Germany's massive economic interests in China and national security and human rights concerns.

A Shift in China-Germany Relations

This new development comes after German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock returned from her visit to China, warning that Beijing was becoming more of a systemic rival than a trade partner and competitor.

During her visit, Reuters reported that Baerbock condemned any attempt by China to control Taiwan, stating it would be unacceptable. Beijing has long claimed the democratic country as a Chinese province and has never ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control.

Baerbock described parts of her trip as "more than shocking" but did not elaborate on what caused her concern. However, her statement comes amid growing international criticism of China's human rights record, its crackdown on Hong Kong's democracy movement, and concerns over its military expansion in the South China Sea.

More Limits to China's Hold of Advanced Chip Technology

Choking off an already limited supply line due to the US and allies continued chi ban could thwart China's ability to advance its industry.

According to industry experts, the Chinese semiconductor and AI sector could face a significant setback if the US imposes stricter sanctions.

This is because the US is taking measures to prevent Beijing from acquiring the latest chip-making technologies, which may cause China to fall behind by decades in these critical industries.

Read Also: Qualcomm Snapdragon Gaming Update Helps Reduce Mobile Battery Drain for a Worry-Free Experience

Bloomberg notes that the quickest and most practical way to implement such export controls would be to put the respective goods and services on Germany's national dual-use list, which restricts trade in goods that can be used in civilian and military contexts.

Such dual-use lists aim to prevent the development and proliferation of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons and the hidden production of conventional military weapons.

Immediate Impact

The proposal has caused BASF shares to fall back to session lows, down 4.3% at 12:37 p.m. in Frankfurt. Merck KGaA was a little changed.

Scholz and Economy Minister Robert Habeck are in constant contact with European allies as well as the United States, which is pushing for a global blockade of China's access to vital technologies like semiconductors.

Talks within the ruling coalition on such export controls are still early. Officials know that any such decision could damage business ties with China, which has become Germany's largest trading partner.

Future Talks

Politico tells us that Scholz is set to host high-level government talks with key Chinese counterparts in Berlin on June 20. The focus of these talks is to advance economic and climate cooperation with China and address any tensions over Taiwan.

The bilateral government consultations will be led by Chinese Premier Li Qiang and include Scholz and other Cabinet ministers. The talks are a significant step towards improving relations between the two nations

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: US Chip Ban Threatens the Advancement of China's AI, Semiconductor Industry - Experts Say

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Elon Musk's Tesla Autopilot statements could actually be deepfakes, as claimed by the billionaire's lawyers.

They shared this argument after Tesla's CEO was asked by Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Evette D. Pennypacker to testify.

However, Musk's lawyers argued that the billionaire should not be forced to attend an interview.

They added that Elon's public statements about the Tesla Autopilot software's capabilities should not be trusted since there's a chance they were deepfaked.

Elon Musk's Tesla Autopilot Statements are Deepfaked

According to The Verge's latest report, Musk's lawyers explained that the Tesla CEO could not recall some of his public statements about the Tesla Autopilot.

Also Read: Elon Musk to File Lawsuit Against Microsoft for Removing Twitter from Smart Campaigns Ad Platform

These include the viral 2016 interview in which the billionaire claimed that the Tesla Model X and S are already capable of driving themselves.

Musk added that these EV models could drive with greater safety compared to human drivers.

Since Elon denied remembering making these public statements, his Tesla lawyers explained that the 2016 interview and other similar videos or audio recordings could be deepfakes.

They added that the billionaire is one of the well-known people who are commonly targeted by deepfake content.

Judge Pennypacker Now Concerned

Via Bloomberg, the California state judge said that the argument shared by Elon Musk's lawyers is "deeply troubling to the court."

"Their position is that because Mr. Musk is famous and might be more of a target for deep fakes, his public statements are immune," stated Pennypacker.

She added that the argument suggests that Elon and other individuals in his position can be allowed to say whatever they want to the public.

Pennypacker further stated that Musk and other popular people could just share any statement and hide from them by bringing up the deepfake argument.

As of writing, Elon and the court are still waiting for the actual trial of the lawsuit against Tesla.

It is expected to take place on July 31.

In other news, Elon Musk's Twitter post about the death of the Cash App founder was recently criticized by SFPD. Meanwhile, Elon Musk said that he would investigate the unfair Tesla bonus pay cuts in Giga Shanghai.

For more news updates about Elon Musk and other billionaires, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Elon Musk: Tesla Full Autonomy Promised for 2023, Again-Is He Referring to Level 4/5 Autonomy?

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Google is eliminating certain snacks for its employees as part of its plan to reduce costs in this economy. Hungry workers won't be able to eat their favorite go-to chips.

Google Slashes Snacks as Part of Employee's Perks

Aside from extra allowance and overtime pay, some companies tend to lure more employees by bringing snack perks to the offices. However, the said perk will no longer apply to Google employees after the company's recent announcement to remove it.

In an interview with The Atlantic, a Google project manager at the San Francisco office said that the company already "took away the dried mango."

While dried fruit is not the lone snack to be removed from the list, the anonymous project manager said that Google has also eliminated M&Ms, muffins, and Maui-onion chips.

Google said the latest action is to cut costs amid the ever-changing economy.

Earlier this year, Google announced that a series of layoffs would happen in a few months. At that time, the company said it would be axing about 12,000 of its workforce.

According to Ruth Porat, Alphabet's chief financial officer, the company is making a "significant" process to improve its "cost structure" to achieve long-term profitability.

Back in April, he informed the Google staff that the company would be slashing the operating hours in select office cafes and pantries. The search engine giant plans to invest more resources in other useful ventures, including the surging demand for AI products.

As per Business Insider, Google spokesperson Ryan Lamont clarified that removing these food perks would mean improving other financial needs of the organization.

"As we've consistently said, we set a high bar for industry-leading perks, benefits, and office amenities and will continue that into the future," Lamont said.

Related Article: Former Google Employees Post their 'Layoff Stories' on TikTok

Google Initiates Multi-Year Service Cuts For Laptops and Other Equipment

In April 2023, CNBC uncovered in an internal document that Google has cut back on laptops and other employee services as part of the multi-year efforts.

Specifically, the company will be slashing the staplers, fitness classes, tape, and laptop replacements for its staff.

A San Francisco facility directive said they were asked to stop using all dispensers and tape in the building. If someone needs them, they can ask the receptionist desk for assistance.

However, a company spokesperson clarified that the document about removing tape and staplers was "misinformed." The representative said that these are still provided to print stations.

While layoffs are the hardest decisions that Google has to make, Porat said that this would help the company look for other investment opportunities to help it cope with the challenging economic setup.

Read Also: Google's Authenticator App NOT Encrypted End-to-End, Might Expose Users to Security Risks

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A new wired USB-C EarPods is expected to arrive.

Speculations claim that this upcoming earphone model is being designed to work with the most-awaited iPhone 15. Does it mean that the iconic EarPods will be here to stay?

Previously, the European Union announced that new regulations would require gadget makers to follow the universal charging standard, which is USB-C.

At first, Apple showed the intent of making all its gadgets wireless; releasing wireless chargers, etc. However, it looks like Apple has another thing in mind by allegedly working on a new wired EarPods version.

New Wired USB-C EarPods for iPhone 15 Could Arrive!

As of press time, Apple's iconic EarPods still use the company's advanced Lightning Cable.

Also Read: Apple's Smart Ring Might Feature 'Skin-To-Skin Detection' for Movement Gestures, Latest Patent Suggests

However, Apple Insider reported that a new version with a USB-C cable is being developed. This detail was first shared by a reliable Apple leaker on Twitter, ShrimpApplePro.

For those who are not familiar with this individual, he is a gadget leaker with a good track record for Apple leaks.

The tech leaker claims that Apple is working on USB-C MFi (Made for iPhone) cables. He added that a new version of EarPods with a USB-C cable is also on its way.

ShrimpApplePro further stated that the tech giant manufacturer is actually mass-producing the new EarPods model and its USB-C MFi cables.

"Theoretically, the same way MFI Lightning works just now is USB-C. We rarely see it cuz Lightning has been here for a while, and it has been bypassed," said the leaker via his official Twitter post.

Theoretically the same way MFI Lightning works, just now is USB-C.

We rarely see it cuz Lightning has been here for a while and it has been bypassed.  ShrimpApplePro  (@VNchocoTaco) April 27, 2023

"Also, USB-C MFI cables and Earpods are in mass production for a while is the best proof that it's happening," added ShrimpApplePro.

Expected Arrival, Other Details

ShrimpApplePro said that the new USB-C EarPods could be released before the launch schedule of the new iPhone 15 lineup, which is in the fall of 2023.

He added that the EarPods model would be released along with the most-awaited Apple AirPods charging case, which has a USB-C port.

Apple released its iconic EarPods in the market back in December 2016.

Although many consumers disregard this earphone model (there are already AirPods more advanced than EarPods), EarPods are still a great cheaper option for those who prefer wired earphones.

You can click this link to learn more about EarPods' capabilities.

In other stories, the Apple Watch SE recently had a price drop at Amazon and Best Buy. We also reported about the new enhancements for the Apple WatchOS 10.

For more news updates about EarPods and other Apple wearable devices, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Apple AR/VR Headset, Reality Pro, is a Promising Device with Many Features, Available Apps at $3,000

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KYODO NEWS - Apr 28, 2023 - 21:44 | All, Japan, World

Japan will relist South Korea as a preferred trade partner after a similar move by Seoul on Tokyo's trade status, the Japanese government said Friday in the latest sign of a thaw in bilateral relations.

South Korea's preferential status, bar a few exempted items, was revoked in 2019 for the purchase of a wide variety of products and technologies that could be diverted for military use, according to Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

The status will be restored once Japan completes the procedures of collecting public opinion on the revision of the export control ordinance and gets Cabinet approval, according to the ministry. The exact date of the relisting remains unknown.

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy welcomed Japan's move, saying it plans to further strengthen cooperation with the Japanese side on various export control issues.

The two countries exchanged opinions on the status of export control systems and confirmed their effectiveness through a policy dialogue earlier this month.

Japan had earlier expressed concern over Seoul's system and said it needs to confirm whether it is effective in preventing exported goods from flowing into North Korea and other countries of concern.

The 2019 removal of South Korea from a "white list" of countries that are entitled to receive minimum restrictions in trade came as the two countries' relations had worsened to their lowest point in decades over wartime history.

But the two neighbors now see a growing number of signs of improvement, with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol pushing to mend the soured ties since he took office nearly a year ago.

Last month, Japan eased export controls on three key semiconductor manufacturing materials heading to South Korea in response to Seoul retracting its complaint with the World Trade Organization over the export controls.

South Korea earlier this week put Japan back on a list of countries entitled to preferential treatment after its removal more than three years ago, allowing strategic items to head to Japan with a shorter review period.

Aside from trade, South Korea said it will normalize the General Security of Military Information Agreement with Japan, an intelligence-sharing pact called GSOMIA, which Yoon's predecessor Moon Jae In had threatened to scrap.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Yoon last month confirmed they will maintain "close communication" in the face of North Korea's escalating missile and nuclear threat and China's increasing military assertiveness.

Kishida has invited Yoon along with some other non-G-7 leaders to Hiroshima, western Japan, for the occasion of the Group of Seven nations' summit in May, with Yoon expected to hold talks with Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the summit.

Bilateral ties hit their lowest point in decades after South Korea's Supreme Court in 2018 ordered two Japanese firms to compensate Korean plaintiffs for alleged forced labor during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, eventually leading to the mutual removal from the respective "white lists."

Related coverage:

South Korea puts Japan back on its preferred trade list after 3 years

Japan eases chipmaking material export curbs on South Korea

FOCUS: Japan-S. Korea wartime labor row still far from fundamental solution
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has announced that it is expanding customization options for its Meta Avatars. The move comes after the company surpassed what it calls a significant milestone: its technology has been used to produce over one billion avatars.

New Body Shapes Options for Avatars

The addition of new shape options is one of the major updates. Previously, the options available were relatively limited and uniform.

However, beginning this month, users will have access to a broader selection of body shape options, including two curvier body shapes.

According to the company, more options will be added over time to ensure that everyone can create an avatar that they enjoy and they feel best represent themselves.

This is a notable advancement for Meta, given that its universe's avatar was previously floating without legs. (The avatar legs were introduced in a 2022 Meta Connect event).

Meta Taps PUMA for Avatar Fashion

Meta has also partnered with sportswear brand PUMA to bring seven outfits to the Meta Avatars Store. This is in addition to outfits from other leading fashion, sports, and lifestyle brands already available in the store. Users will be able to purchase these outfits and dress up their avatars in the latest styles.

The company has also made some subtle changes to how avatars look. For example, it has added more sparkle to the eyes and made clothes look more realistic and textured. These changes will be visible when using the avatar outside of virtual reality.

Read Also: Meta to Stop Updating the Original Quest VR Headset

Self-expression and representation are important, according to Meta, and the company is committed to ensuring that users can create avatars that feel like them. The new customization options are part of this effort.

However, it is worth noting that when users create an avatar and share it across Meta's platforms, such as Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and VR, it will be visible to other people. The company advises users to learn more about controlling their avatar permissions.

More from Meta

New Highs Reported from Meta

Yahoo reports that Meta hit a new 52-week high on Thursday, April 27. The company said its first revenue increase in three quarters, driven partly by the further integration of artificial intelligence.

The company's Reels monetization also increased by more than 30% on Instagram and more than 40% on Facebook quarterly, thanks to AI playing a larger role on the platforms.

According to the company, time spent on Instagram has increased by 24% since Meta launched A.I.-powered Instagram reels.

Facebook Slammed for Ad Glitch

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, recently experienced one of the largest advertising glitches in over a decade, CNBC reports.

The glitch led to numerous companies funding Facebook ad campaigns that were essentially ineffective. While the issue has since been resolved, advertisers are concerned about receiving refunds from Meta due to the glitch.

Advertisers will undoubtedly be watching closely to see how Meta handles the situation and whether it will compensate affected companies.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: NBA and Meta Announce Multiyear Partnership Extension

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All things come to an end, and this is the same for Windows 10, Microsoft's eight-year-old operating system which first debuted in 2015 is now seeing its upcoming retirement by 2025. The company said that it already released the latest and last version of its software upgrade with version 22H2, and no further developments will arrive for the OS from now until two years later.

(Photo : Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The Microsoft logo is illuminated on a wall during a Microsoft launch event to introduce the new Microsoft Surface laptop and Windows 10 S operating system, May 2, 2017 in New York City.

Microsoft is Saying Goodbye to Windows 10 by 2025

Microsoft has announced that it will be ending support for its popular operating system, Windows 10. The company has stated that the current version of Windows 10, 22H2, will be the final version of the OS. Microsoft has also revealed that it will be sending out monthly security updates for the OS until it reaches its end of life on October 14, 2025.

This news has significant implications for the millions of people who are currently using Windows 10. The end of support means that Microsoft will no longer provide any updates or support for the OS, including security updates, bug fixes, and technical support.

However, Microsoft has also stated that existing long-term servicing channel (LTSC) releases will still receive updates until the end of the support date. This means that certain enterprise customers who use LTSC releases will continue to receive security updates and other support through October 2025.

Read Also: Microsoft's SwiftKey is Getting ChatGPT for Android, Here's How to Apply for Beta

Windows 10's Latest Version is also its Last

Windows 10 version 22H2 gave the world significant features for the OS despite already focusing on Windows 11 as its main system for users. In this latest announcement, users can no longer expect further development on this for 2023, being its last version to release, with only security updates available, unless one is using the LTSC.

Windows 10 and its Previous Run

Windows 10 remains among the most popular releases from Microsoft in its past versions of the OS, with the system delivering a fresh look compared to the past Windows versions released. It was a direct successor to the Windows 8, first released in 2015.

Despite its significance, it was filled with bugs and errors that pestered users from fully utilizing its capabilities, and in 2021, the company finally introduced its successor, Windows 11, after six years.

While the end of support for Windows 10 may be a concern for some users, Microsoft is encouraging them to upgrade to Windows 11. The company has stated that Windows 11 offers better performance, security, and productivity, and is designed to work seamlessly with the latest hardware and software.

The end of support for Windows 10 is dawning for Microsoft and its customers. While the OS will still receive monthly security updates until its end of life in 2025, users are encouraged to upgrade to Windows 11 to take advantage of the latest features and improvements.

For those who still prefer the Windows 10 OS, there are other options like the LTSC and waiting it out until 2025, but it is not ideal as your PC may be subject to security vulnerabilities that Microsoft will not protect you from.

Related Article: Microsoft to Curb Antitrust Concerns by Removing Teams from Office Bundle

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Bill Gates believes that AI chatbots like ChatGPT will soon replace human teachers, according to a speech he delivered at the ASU+GSV event in San Diego.

According to the billionaire, AI is poised to aid children in learning to read and write in the next 18 months. This development will be particularly beneficial for underprivileged parents who cannot afford a human tutor, as it will be a cost-effective solution.

AI Chatbots as Teachers

The billionaire envisions AI chatbots engaging students in conversation to help them identify areas in which they need to improve, a function that human teachers currently carry out.

Gates anticipates that AI will initially help learners improve their reading and writing skills and will subsequently provide writing advice to assist teachers. One example of this is the Khanmigo project, created by Khan Academy, which utilizes GPT-4 to power a virtual teacher.

This technology has the potential to assist learners of various age groups in acquiring knowledge in fields such as mathematics, science, and humanities, in addition to serving as a writing mentor.

The rise of AI, including chatbots like ChatGPT, can be attributed to several factors, such as advancements in computer hardware, the availability of large amounts of data, improvements in machine learning algorithms, and the rise of cloud computing.

These factors have allowed AI to become more powerful and accessible, enabling the creation of intelligent systems that can learn from data, reason, and interact with humans in natural language.

Despite the promising potential of AI, there are certain tech leaders, including Elon Musk, who express worry that the technology might become too dominant and endanger humanity.

As a result of this pressure, the CEO and co-founder of OpenAI, Sam Altman, has agreed to halt the development of GPT-5, the upcoming version of the language model, until further notice.

However, Gates' perspective on AI is entirely different.

Read Also: Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates, Disagrees with Open Letter 'AI Pause' from Elon Musk, Woz, and MORE

Gates' Optimism on AI

In March, Gates spoke about the importance of AI, citing the development of OpenAI's GPT model as a significant technological advancement. Gates challenged the team at OpenAI to train the AI to pass an Advanced Placement biology exam, capable of answering questions it hadn't been specifically trained for.

Gates expected it to take a few years, but they finished in just a few months. The AI was asked 60 multiple-choice questions from the exam and got 59 correct.

Gates believes that AI development is as fundamental as the creation of the microprocessor, the personal computer, the Internet, and the mobile phone. He predicts that it will change the way people work, learn, travel, receive healthcare, and communicate with each other.

He suggests that AI can help reduce inequity in the US by improving education, particularly math education.

In sum, the Microsoft founder and philanthropist is optimistic about the rise of AI, which is evident in his latest statement.

Related Article: Bill Gates Throws Shade at Crypto and NFT, Saying 'They're '100% Based on Greater Fool Theory'

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Ethical hackers successfully breached ESA's nanosatellite.

This was confirmed by the European Space Agency on Tuesday, Apr. 25. ESA said that the ethical security hacking was part of its CYSAT conference to see just how secure government-controlled satellites really are.

Thales, a French multinational tech firm that focuses on transportation, aerospace, defense, and security sectors, was the one that hacked ESA's nanosatellite OPS-SAT.

ESA Nanosatellite Has Been Ethically Breached!

According to Interesting Engineering's latest report, ESA invited cybersecurity researchers to participate in its Hack CYSAT challenge.

Also Read: ESA JUICE Mission Aiming to Find Life on Jupiter Moons! Here's What is Known So Far

In this cybersecurity tournament, participants need to breach the OPS-SAT demonstration nanosatellite, which was launched in 2019.

Among the participating cybersecurity groups, Thales' team was the one who stood up to the top; breaching the demonstration nanosatellite.

"Thales is grateful to ESA and the CYSAT organizers for providing this unique opportunity to demonstrate the ability of our experts to identify vulnerabilities in a satellite system," said Thales Cyber Solutions VP Pierre-Yves Jolivet via Business Wire.

During the breach, Thales security researchers were able to access the satellite's global positioning system, altitude control system, and onboard camera.

Aside from this, they also took advantage of several vulnerabilities; allowing them to install malicious codes into the satellite's systems.

Ethical ESA Satellite Breach's Importance

Technically, ESA was still in control during Thales' security breach. This was necessary so that the nanosatellite's orbit would not be compromised.

Although the security breach is not severe, it still revealed the vulnerability of space infrastructure to cybercriminals.

Jolivet said that the latest cybersecurity exercise allowed them to raise awareness of the possible security flaws of satellites.

The information they acquired could help adapt existing and upcoming security solutions that can enhance the cybersecurity resilience of space infrastructure.

You can click this link to learn more about the importance of the latest ESA satellite breach.

In other stories, North Korean hackers are believed to be targeting Mac users with a new malware strain. Meanwhile, AT&T emails are also targeted by cybercriminals to steal cryptocurrencies.

For more news updates about cybersecurity, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: ESA Seeks Help From AI to Discover Exoplanets; Here's What to Know About Ariel Data Challenge 2023

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The popular artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT is back online in Italy after a brief ban due to privacy concerns, Reuters tells us in a report.

OpenAI, the San Francisco-based company behind the technology, acknowledged that the flaws mentioned by the Italian data protection body, Garante, had been addressed.

Reason Behind ChatGPT Ban in Italy

Garante said in late March that it was concerned that OpenAI was violating the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and unlawfully processing people's data, prompting the decision to halt ChatGPT in Italy.

Garante said that ChatGPT had been processing personal data, including biographical details of people in the region, without allowing users to correct errors or verify their age.

The regulator was also worried about the lack of a mechanism to prevent minors from accessing the technology.

OpenAI Address Italian Authorities' Concerns

To address these concerns, OpenAI has pledged to provide greater transparency around its privacy policies in early April, allowing users to opt out of having their content used for training AI models.

In the latest update to the matter, Reuters tells us that OpenAI has also created a new form for European Union users to object to using their data and will offer a tool to verify users' ages upon sign-up in Italy.

Read Also: How to Add ChatGPT to Your Website-This WordPress Plugin is the Key! Price, Other Details

With these measures in place, ChatGPT is now available again in Italy, providing users access to its advanced conversational capabilities.

The Challenges that Come with AI Advancement

ChatGPT is a popular AI chatbot that generates responses to user questions using natural language processing (NLP). It has been utilized to deliver a more personalized and engaging consumer experience by various companies, including news outlets, social networking platforms, and e-commerce sites.

However, as with most internet-connected tech, privacy and security concerns exist. Garante's decision to temporarily prohibit ChatGPT in Italy emphasizes the need for companies to be clear about handling user data and ensure that their technology is only available to people who fulfill age standards.

Suppose you are wondering where this is all based. The GDPR is a comprehensive set of regulations designed to protect the personal data of European Union citizens.

It requires companies to obtain explicit consent from users before collecting and processing their data and provides individuals with the right to access, correct, and delete their personal information.

Look at Other Complications

Professor Uri Gal of the University of Sydney Business School explains that OpenAI, valued at $29 billion, should be criticized for not compensating individuals, website owners, and companies for the data it scraped from the internet.

He also mentioned the recent announcement of ChatGPT Plus, a paid subscription plan, is expected to contribute to $1 billion in revenue by 2024.

Additionally, concerns have been raised about the privacy risks involved in using the tool, particularly in relation to user prompts that may inadvertently reveal sensitive information.

OpenAI's privacy policy also collects a broad scope of user information, including browsing activities, and may share personal information with unspecified third parties to meet business objectives.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: ChatGPT Bug Bounty Program Arrives, Thanks to New OpenAI-Bugcrowd Collab; Rewards, Other Details

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Coinbase, one of the largest US crypto exchanges, is taking a defiant stance against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after the agency issued a warning of a potential lawsuit, Axios details in a report.

The company has responded to the SEC's March Wells notice with a detailed and direct rebuttal written by multiple attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.

What's In the Coinbase Response

In a blog post, Coinbase stated that it is the same company as when it was authorized to become public two years ago, and it did not list securities then, nor does it now.

Coinbase argues that the SEC's legal theories lack legal foundation, have not been challenged in court, and are likely to have unforeseen effects for the Commission, investors, and markets far beyond the digital asset industry.

Axios highlights that a critical issue that Coinbase is not backing down on is its staking service. The SEC views this as an investment contract, which it classifies as a security, and that the SEC should write new regulations to make clear how securities laws apply to digital assets.

On the other hand, SEC Chair Gary Gensler has stated that most digital assets are securities and that existing rules are clear. Coinbase has also taken legal action to compel the SEC to respond to a rulemaking petition submitted last year.

Coinbase believes that staking is not an investment contract but a service that allows users to lock up some crypto assets to contribute to the mechanism that secures most big blockchains.

Additionally, the company acknowledges that locking up assets can help if a validator misbehaves, as the support it posted as guarantees of good behavior can be slashed or taken.

Read Also: Hackers Are Reportedly Stealing Crypto from AT&T Emails

Furthermore, the more assets that go to a particular validator, the more people have faith in that operation. Coinbase made opting to stake easy for users, as stakers can also make a little yield for participating in these arrangements.

Coinbase Holds on Position

If the SEC pursues legal action, Bloomberg reports that Coinbase has warned that it would put the agency's practices under a microscope, including its refusal to allow Coinbase to use an alternative trading system license it had acquired to register.

This could require Coinbase to jettison its entire customer-facing business and overhaul its public company governance structure.

"A Wells Notice-at this stage, when there's not a clear rulebook-is not constructive, and it's not good for America," CEO Brian Armstrong stated in a video. "We are prepared to defend that position in court, but it doesn't have to come to that."

The crypto exchange's complete response to the Securities and Exchange Commission's March Wells notice is here.

Numerous reports have indicated that the SEC has been leading the charge in cracking down on cryptocurrencies, with Chairman Gary Gensler consistently reaffirming his stance that nearly all forms of crypto assets fall under the purview of securities regulations.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: Dubai Crypto Venture Capital Has Elevated the Crypto Thursday Event, Providing A Significant Boost to Startups and Vcs Alike

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
By Donican Lam, KYODO NEWS - Apr 28, 2023 - 20:42 | All, Japan, G7, World

Leading digital business executives, policymakers and other stakeholders discussed on Friday agile forms of governance necessary for responsible digital transformation when they met in eastern Japan ahead of this weekend's Group of Seven ministerial meeting.

The DX Summit in the Ikaho resort of Gunma Prefecture focused on issues concerning artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and innovation in an era of disruptive technology, with senior executives from Google LLC and Microsoft Corp. among the panelists.

With ChatGPT reaching 100 million users less than three months after its launch in November 2022, the importance of realizing a coordinated and harmonized regulatory approach to the rapidly advancing technology of generative AI was the topic of much discussion.

"AI is too important not to regulate, and it's too important not to regulate well," said Michaela Browning, vice president of government affairs and public policy for Asia Pacific at Google.

Digital Minister Taro Kono, who made an appearance via "Avataro," a mechanized robotic avatar made in his likeness, reiterated his support for an international framework for cross-border data transfers, saying he would like to expand it beyond the G-7 to other like-minded countries in the future.

Data Free Flow with Trust, a concept proposed by Japan at the World Economic Forum annual summit in 2019, seeks to facilitate economic growth on a global scale.

At the conclusion of the one-day event, representatives from each of the six sessions, which also included discussions on inclusive and sustainable digital transformation, provided high-level summaries to Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura and other G-7 ministers.

Organized by the WEF Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the DX Summit brought together around 100 leaders from business, government and civil society to advance collective action on digital issues.

The two-day G-7 Digital and Tech Ministers' Meeting, jointly chaired by Kono, Nishimura and Internal affairs and Communications Minister Takeaki Matsumoto, will be held in nearby Takasaki from Saturday.

Related coverage:

G-7 farm ministers condemn Russia for war's impact on food security

ChatGPT can be tricked to write malware if acting in developer mode

G-7 digital chiefs to call for more research, governance of AI
[On the occasion of the coronation of Charles III] Discover the unpublished story dedicated to William the Conqueror, told by Virginie Girod. William the Conqueror was the natural son of Robert the Magnificent, Duke of Normandy, and Arlette, daughter of a tanner. His illegitimate birth, in 1027 in Falaise in Normandy, earned him the nickname of William the Bastard. In 1035, when he was only 8 years old, he succeeded his father, who died on his return from his pilgrimage to Jerusalem. A period of unrest and conspiracies weakened the Duchy of Normandy, but the young duke managed to impose his power. In 1064 in England, King Edward was heirless. Very attached to Normandy where he found refuge for 30 years, he naturally turned to William to plan his succession to the throne. But William is not the only one to covet the crown of England. Virginie Girod tells you the story of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and King of England, who is also a distant ancestor of Charles III.
BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense on Thursday warned Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities against letting in U.S. defense companies, comparing the move to "inviting a wolf into the house."

Spokesperson Tan Kefei expressed grave concerns at a press conference when commenting on the visits of U.S. defense companies to Taiwan.

Tan reiterated that matters related to Taiwan are the internal affairs of China and allow for no external interference.

The U.S. defense companies have always been keen on selling arms and exporting wars and chaos across the world in return of huge profits, he said, adding that what the DPP authorities have done will only drag the people of Taiwan into disaster.

Tan urged the U.S. side to fully grasp the highly sensitive nature of the Taiwan question and the complicated situation across the Taiwan Strait, and to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques.

He urged the U.S. side to stop meddling in affairs related to Taiwan, cease arms deals and cut off military contacts with Taiwan.

The Chinese armed forces will follow the situation across the Strait closely, maintain high alert, and take necessary counter measures against any form of separatism for "Taiwan independence" and external interference, he pledged. 
Refined pottery art helps rural revitalization in SW China's Yunnan

People's Daily Online) 15:04, April 24, 2023

Wanyao village in southwest Chinas Yunnan Province, with a nearly 300-year tradition of making pottery, has advanced rural revitalization through pottery art by refining traditional pottery-making techniques, which are listed as a provincial intangible cultural heritage, and developing the pottery-making industry in recent years.

A total of 63 households in the village, located in Boshang township of Lincang city, are engaged in pottery-making, mainly producing earthenware in the form of vats, jars, bowls, pots, and kettles that are widely used in daily life.

Wu Baiyu (center), a professor at Yunnan University, explains the technique of making iron rust-glazed pottery with iron oxide pigments in Wanyao village, Boshang township, Lincang city, southwest Chinas Yunnan Province. (Peoples Daily/Zhang Fan)

However, the traditional craft didnt bring wealth to local residents in the past. Local pottery could not be sold at a good price due to product homogeneity, said Yang Zhangting, an official of Wanyao village.

Fortunately, Wu Baiyu, a professor specializing in Yunnans ceramic history and art at Yunnan University, which offers pair assistance to Boshang township, led a team to Wanyao village.

Wu found that locally-produced rough and homogeneous pottery products lacked distinctive artistic characteristics, which explained why the villages pottery was not popular.

With the help of Yunnan University, a 25-day seminar on advancing rural revitalization through ceramic design and innovation was held in autumn 2022 in Wanyao village, where 11 experts and scholars from colleges and universities including Tsinghua University, the Chinese National Academy of Arts, and Jingdezhen Ceramic University gave lectures to trainees, including villagers of Wanyao.

For instance, Wang Yaoling, a teacher rom Tsinghua University, taught trainees how to create distinctive earthenware products by using moulds and combining artistic forms such as carving and painting.

Zhang Yalin, a professor from Jingdezhen Ceramic University, lectured on the technique of making iron-rust-glazed pottery with iron oxide pigments, which proved suitable to the villages pottery by experts.

Knowing that Wanyao village has been making tea ware including tea stoves, teapots and tea bowls since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and that Lincang city is a major tea producer, Wu and his team suggested integrating the pottery-making industry and the tea industry and creating a brand to facilitate local development and rural revitalization.

Now we have created over 500 iron rust-glazed tea sets, with the price of each of them increasing by 50 percent, said Luo Xingqing, a provincial-level inheritor of the traditional pottery-making techniques.

Seeing rosy prospects, Luo hopes to fully make use of a newly established cooperative in the village to expand the production of tea sets by building production lines.

Many local tea makers have also begun working in the pottery-making industry.

Yang Fan, a young tea maker in Boshang township, participated in the seminar in Wanyao village. After Yang saw exquisite iron rust-glazed tea sets and the local governments support for the development of the pottery-making industry, the tea maker engaged in the tea set business.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming)
MOSCOW, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Russia plans to greatly reduce the export of crude oil and oil products to Europe and reroute the saved amount to Asia, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Thursday.

Russia exported around 40 million tons of crude oil and oil products to Asia and some 180 million tons to Europe in 2022, Novak told reporters on the sidelines of an energy event.

"This year, 140 million tons of oil and oil products will go to the East. About 80-90 million tons will remain in the West," he said. 
House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales, shakes hands with Monroe's Jason Garsee, center, who owns 318 LABZ, a Cannabis manufacturing lab, and STR8W8, a Cannibus products store and distributor, before Schexnayder testified on his HB605, which seeks to regulation the consumable hemp products industry, Thursday, April 20, 2023 in the House Committee on Health and Welfare. Lobbyist Eldon Rogillio, seated at right, owner of the company Issue Management, LLC, advises Garsee and other clients in the hemp industry. Garsee said he first got into hemp after his teenage son began to have epileptic seizures.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang chairs the fourth China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' Meeting, with Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu, Kyrgyzstan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Kulubaev Zheenbek Moldokanovich, Tajikistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Uzbekistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor Saidov, and Turkmenistan's First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vepa Hajiyev attended in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Bowen)

XI'AN, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The China-Central Asia Summit will be held in May in Xi'an, the capital city of China's Shaanxi Province, a press release of the fourth China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' Meeting said on Thursday.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang chaired the meeting, which was attended by Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu, Kyrgyzstan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Kulubaev Zheenbek Moldokanovich, Tajikistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Uzbekistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor Saidov, and Turkmenistan's First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vepa Hajiyev.

Noting the historic and breakthrough achievements China and Central Asian countries have made as good neighbors, friends, partners, and brothers, Qin said China-Central Asia relations and regional development have shown unprecedented vitality.

Qin said all sides should strengthen cooperation and unity in the face of complex situations and continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests.

He called on the six countries to jointly build the Belt and Road with high quality, crack down on religious extremists, ethnic separatists and violent terrorist forces, and firmly oppose any interference in the internal affairs of countries in the region by force under any pretext.

Qin also calls for working together to build a Cultural Silk Road, strengthening multilateral coordination to make the international order more just and equitable.

During the third China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' Meeting in June 2022, all parties agreed to establish a China-Central Asia heads of state meeting mechanism.

The ministers made comprehensive political preparations for the upcoming summit this time, pledging to strengthen friendship and boost all-around cooperation.

Hailing the vital role Central Asia-China cooperation has played in consolidating strategic mutual trust, accelerating respective development, promoting connectivity, and safeguarding common security, the ministers expect that the summit will bring new opportunities to the region.

Concerning the Ukraine crisis, ministers from Central Asia support China's initiative of persuading peace and promoting talks, and advocate that conflicts should be resolved through diplomatic means in accordance with the spirit of international law.

Central Asian countries are willing to strengthen coordination with China and work together for universal security, lasting peace, and sustainable development in the region, the ministers said. 

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang chairs the fourth China-Central Asia Foreign Ministers' Meeting, with Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu, Kyrgyzstan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Kulubaev Zheenbek Moldokanovich, Tajikistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Uzbekistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor Saidov, and Turkmenistan's First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vepa Hajiyev attended in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)
The Half Brother

Christine Keighery, Ultimo, $34.99 Credit: Sisters Hannah and Stef Fidler may lead different lives  Hannah is an academic in an unconventional relationship, Stef a devoted mum in part-time work  but they grew up in a stable and loving environment. Theyre surprised to discover their mum adopted out a baby before her marriage. When their rich, charming, and unscrupulous half-brother Alex appears, the sisters welcome him with open arms. Perhaps they shouldve been more circumspect. Alex, whose perspective is revealed alongside those of Hannah and Stef, has a manipulative streak and a burning desire to control his biological family. Its a psychological thriller that takes some delight in domestic cruelty and suspense. And although the villains motives are revealed early on, The Half-Brother  the first adult novel from established childrens author Christine Keighery  does have one final twist you wont see coming. NON-FICTION PICK OF THE WEEK

Family: Stories of Belonging

Eds., Alaina Gougoulis & Ian See, Text, $34.99 Family tales, happy or unhappy, are possibly our first encounter with the universals. And they are endlessly varied and fascinating, as these meditations and memoirs demonstrate.

Credit: Shannon Burns, prompted by the arrival of a stray cat, explores with understated poignancy the paradox of feeling at home with ones outsiderness, his traumatic childhood making family an insider outsider experience. Amy Remeikis, in a moving piece, feels the aching loss that comes with estrangement  from her mother, and the fear of becoming her mother. Cath Moore celebrates the much maligned stepmother, and Indigenous writer Daniel Browning finds that Country is kin, emphasising the interdependence of things, both human and non-human, present and past. Theres terrific writing here that opens up the whole notion of family. How the West Lost the Peace

Philipp Ther, Polity, $36.95 Credit: When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 the neoliberal right triumphantly claimed Cold War victory, best exemplified in Francis Fukuyamas somewhat premature essay, The End of History?. As German-born academic Philipp Ther says, it didnt work out that way, claiming we are living through a socially ruptured Age of Transformation and probing the conundrum of how the west could win the war but lose the peace, referencing fragile democracies around the world, enormous wealth disparity and the ominous rise of the populist right in response. Covering disturbing trends in Hungary and Poland, COVID, Brexit, Trump and the Ukraine war, his observations (drawing heavily on Austrian economist Karl Polanyi) have a cautionary touch of Christopher Isherwoods I Am a Camera approach, coupled with accessible, detailed analysis.

Running Deep

Peter Scott, Fremantle Press, $34.99

Although theres an element of Boys Own adventure in Commodore Peter Scotts memoir about life as a submariner, he was clearly devoted to his job. Credit: Most of the time creates a vivid picture of life below the waves, from the surreal quiet of silent running - he stresses the crucial nature of stealth both for the subs survival and its lethal capacity - to the dangers of submarine life in war or peace. At one stage, when he eventually had command of his own sub, there was a malfunction, flooding, and the prospect of death as it sank. Whether in war zones such as Iraq or back in Australia, he engagingly and honestly  he doesnt hide his drinking excesses and psychological lows  addresses the balancing act of his private family life and the unusual professional life of the submariner.

Cancelled: The Left Way Back from Woke

Umut Ozkirimli, Polity, $30.95 Credit:
Youd be forgiven for thinking the title of Chan Lok Tims new show is Still Surviving In Hong Kong  after all, thats whats printed on the posters. But, as the Hong Kong comedian explains, thats not the literal translation of the Cantonese title  that would be in the last few years we are all very tired, a phrase from a film that became a motto of sorts across the pandemic.

Hong Kong comedian Chan Lok Tim. Credit: Vivek Mahbubani

Chan will be bringing his show to Australia starting in Melbourne before heading over to the Sydney Comedy Festival. Having never performed in Sydney before he figured putting on two shows would be more than enough. Then, a month before the festival his show sold out. He was surprised, but added two more. Once again, tickets were snapped up. I think there are maybe 18 tickets left, he says.

Still Surviving In Hong Kong is performed in Cantonese, and is the first fully non-English show the Sydney Comedy Festival has hosted. In it, he tells the story of his life over the past 10 years in a humorous coming-of-age tale that also puts Hong Kong culture in the spotlight.

In the show he tracks everything from his growing confidence as a performer (I was a chicken he says with a laugh) to a mix-up that saw him accidentally eating a drug-filled cookie before a work Zoom (he was in Thailand, where cannabis is mostly legal. I thought the cookie was cannabis flavour.)
While the acting doesnt attempt much nuance, musical refinement makes up for it. All performers are trained musicians, and the many songs interwoven throughout feature harp, keyboard, violin, and other instruments, as well as some delightful a cappella roundelays and harmonies. These include jauntily arranged and ornamented childrens rhymes (youll never hear Hot Cross Buns or Goosey Goosey Gander the same way again), rousing folk and drinking songs, and more melancholy fare such as Haydns She Never Told Her Love, set to immortal lines from Twelfth Night. By Janes Hand embodies the spirit of the amateur in the best sense  the performance is constructed almost as a transient shrine to the love of Austens work  and it doesnt waste a moment of your time. Fans should enjoy it immensely.

Reviewed by Cameron Woodhead THEATRE

Macbeth 

Bell Shakespeare, Arts Centre Melbourne, until May 14 Superstition surrounds the Scottish play, though even if everyone involved in this Bell Shakespeare production had refused euphemism and screamed Macbeth! from the tops of their lungs 1000 times, it would hardly account for so doomed a version as this.

No supernatural power is at work. What invites the curse of black comedy is a tainted succession of ill-advised artistic choices. Theres nothing wrong with setting Macbeth in the 1920s, with framing it through a seance and the eldritch trappings of early 20th century spiritualism, or indeed the haunting religious music which opens the show. Its all viable design. A scene from Bell Shakespeares production of Macbeth. Credit: Brett Boardman Before long, however, foreboding and a sense of impending humiliation settle over the central role. Hazem Shammas incarnation of Macbeth belongs in the Richard III ward of Monty Pythons Hospital for Over-Acting. By interval, you half-expect a nurse with chloroform to walk in, and it boggles the mind that director Peter Evans could let it become so cartoonish. The effect is weirder given some measured and effective performances.

Jessica Toveys Lady Macbeth wields a formidable and (despite the invocation of malevolent spirits to unsex her) distinctly feminine power. The intimate first scene of passion and manipulation couldve set the stage for an intricate portrayal of the couples genuine, if psychologically co-dependent, love, but the spell and their bond is too soon broken. Allowing Macbeth to ignore his wife, shirtfront the audience, and linger endlessly on  If we fail?  seems to rupture their onstage connection. It never recovers. Jessica Toveys Lady Macbeth wields a formidable and distinctly feminine power. Credit: Brett Boardman Julia Billington plays Banquo with more than a shadow of Macbeths ambition and capacity for deceit  an interesting interpretation  the early warning to Macbeth about the witches muttered here as an aside to the audience. A plainly sketched authority suffuses Jeremi Campeses Malcolm, though the part is drastically curtailed. James Lugton recedes as Duncan but careens into comedy as the drunken Porter. That should be the plays funniest moment, disarming us before horrors unfold. But its hard to suppress a smirk at the camp spectacle of witches shouting their lines amid smoke machines and reverberant sound staging, and Shammas leaves himself nowhere to turn that isnt stalked by the inappropriate silhouette of the clown.

Its a strategic error to over-emote early on as Macbeth. Fear and paranoia drive the character, but you dont want to be literally throwing yourself around the stage by the banquet scene. Besides, Macbeth isnt a narcissistic monster like Richard III  he has a conscience, hes capable of love, he knows exactly what hes doing to himself as he wades into atrocity  thats part of the tragedy. Shammas delivers an unhinged, almost gleefully vicious tyrant rather than a war hero who succumbs to moral corruption and a creeping desensitisation to violence. He also channels uncontrolled distress that stretches the verse to the point of medieval torture: Let this daaay stand aaaye accuuuursed in the calendaaaaaaaar! A lone moment of restraint prevails when Macbeth learns of his wifes death. Its striking, but also increases puzzlement at the vein-popping excess. If Shammas were more willing to trust in the words to do their dramatic work, to trust in the audiences imagination to complete the performance, his Macbeth might have had greater emotional impact.

Reviewed by Cameron Woodhead

JAZZ

Hania Rani 

Melbourne Recital Centre, April 28 Its been just four years since Polish composer-pianist Hania Rani released her debut album, but her star has been rising at a meteoric pace ever since. Her subsequent recordings  and mesmerising live shows  have seen her introduce synthesisers, loops, vocals and electronic effects. There was a sold-out crowd for a performance by Polish composer-pianist Hania Rani. Credit: Aleksandra Zaborowska Nils Frahm is an obvious reference point, but Ranis influences range far and wide, from minimalism to jazz and EDM. The approach she has developed is deeply personal, anchored by her early classical training but propelled by her curiosity and ceaseless desire to explore. Such was the interest in the Ranis first visit to Australia that her show at the Melbourne Recital Centre on Friday was a sell-out. The concert featured works from her recordings along with newer, unreleased material, each piece woven into the next to create a hypnotic  and at times dreamlike  journey. Adding to the sense of theatre was the dramatic lighting, with hazy pulsations or horizontal streaks that fanned out across the stage to shower celestial confetti onto the walls and ceiling.

Often, Rani was ensconced in shadows or visible only in silhouette. Having watched her concerts (with multiple camera angles) online, I longed to see her more clearly on stage. To see her fingers as they hammered percussively or built rhapsodic, heart-swelling cascades. To see her eyes closed and her body sway as she improvised over layers of rhythmic arpeggios. To see the focused intensity as she hunched over her synths, adding fuzzy granular motifs that looped beneath her ethereal vocals even as she moved stealthily from one keyboard to another. Still, it was impossible not to be captivated by the cinematic sweep of the music. And when Rani farewelled us with a wistful melody at her upright piano, we were left with a sense of intimacy and human connection worth more than a thousand illuminated stars.

Reviewed by Jessica Nicholas MUSIC

Mudhoney 

Northcote Social Club, April 26 Mudhoney perform at Northcote Social Club on April 26, 2023. Credit: Rick Clifford After being away for nine years, Mudhoney have marked their return to Australia with an ambitious and packed schedule of performances, playing 11 consecutive nights on a tour that has expanded to 17 dates around the country.

Seven sold-out shows in Victoria alone, where the band first played in 1990, made these masters of Seattle super fuzz one of the hottest tickets in town. For grunge music fans, its been a week to proudly pull out their flannelette shirts and crank up precious old vinyl albums. Thirty-five years after emerging from the ashes of mid-1980s band Green River (also from Seattle), Mudhoney this month released their 11th studio album, Plastic Eternity. The bands debut EP Superfuzz Bigmuff was released a year before their debut album, in 1988. Exactly how Mark Arms vocal cords have survived decades of operating in overdrive is anybodys guess. Credit: Rick Clifford Here Comes the Flood and Almost Everything off the new album slotted in sweetly among earlier songs, including Let It Slide and The Farther I Go, the latter opening the show to howls of delight from a tightly packed crowd. Lead vocalist Mark Arms own distinctive howls quickly ramped up the energy levels, while guitarist Steve Turner hooked into the fuzzy intro of Touch Me Im Sick like it was the golden era of grunge all over again.

Exactly how Arms vocal cords have survived decades of operating in overdrive is anybodys guess, but hes revelling in the bands new material, including the Iggy Pop-esque new tune Little Dogs. Loading Arm has a hypnotising presence on stage, despite saying very little between songs. And with drummer Dan Peters and Melbourne-based Guy Maddison on bass guitar, theres little room for banter anyway. Its a pedal-to-the-metal trip down memory lane, with detours to new tracks, including Move Under and Souvenir Of My Trip. Support band Seminal Rats were one of several local bands Mudhoney requested for this tour.

Fronted by vocalist Michael Harley, the veteran Melbourne rockers first played in 1984, but wound the clock back with a nostalgic, at times wonky, set including Truth Never Lies and Rat Race from their 1986 album, Omnipotent.

Reviewed by Martin Boulton Mudhoney headline Cherry Rock 2023, Little Collins Street, Melbourne, on Sunday, April 30. DANCE

The Tap Pack 

Comedy Theatre, until April 30 The globetrotting song-and-dance troupe known as the Tap Pack have returned, bringing their guileless family-friendly fusion of tap and tailored suits to Melbournes Comedy Theatre for a lightning weekend season. The show sticks close to the established Tap Pack formula: a quintet of amply talented Aussie blokes perform tap routines and sing contemporary pop hits and classic swing numbers such as the Sinatra standards The Lady is a Tramp and One for My Baby.

Its a brisk and very compact production. Theres a fair bit of awkward banter among the performers and a few cheery reflections on dance and the attractions of the stage, but theres no elaborate storyline to slow things down. Youll be back on the street in less than 90 minutes. The focus is squarely on the quality of the dance and the singing, which is  happily  very high. This version of the pack features regular tap rats Jesse Rasmussen, Jordan Pollard, Thomas J Egan and Ben Brown, with local crooner Thomas McGuane on hand for the Melbourne shows. The Tap Pack are a must-see for anyone who loves the percussive pleasures of tap. Credit: The Tap Pack Rasmussen does his crowd-pleasing impressions of Sammy Davis Jr, Fred Astaire and the penguin from Happy Feet. And theres a wonderful, improvised, unaccompanied beast of a solo in two parts performed by Brown, which sprawls across the stage and mesmerises with its intensity. The big group dance numbers, however, are the main attraction: from the high-energy opening number, to the bottle-juggling mess of the mixed drinks routine, to the hand-clapping, stair-stomping finale.

Tap Pack is still a must-see for anyone who loves the percussive pleasures of tap. The show is a genuine celebration of the art form, and the performers are some of the best in the business. Theres also a more than serviceable quartet of live musicians, led by Stefan Nowak on keyboards.

Reviewed by Andrew Fuhrmann THEATRE

Selling Kabul 

by Sylvia Khoury, Red Stitch, until May 21 Sylvia Khourys Selling Kabul takes place in 2013, but it depicts so urgently the perils faced by Afghans who assisted occupying forces during the 2001-2021 war, you may initially think it was set on the eve of the chaotic withdrawal of US-led troops from Kabul in 2021. Farhad Zaiwala, Khisraw Jones-Shukoor, Claudia Greenstone in a scene from Selling Kabul. Credit: Jodie Hutchinson Cooped up in the apartment of his sister Afiya (Nicole Nabout), Taroon (Khrisraw Jones-Shukoor) is in hiding from Taliban thugs. His life is in imminent danger. Having accompanied US troops as translator and guide, his name is on a hit list, and, without internet access, he cant discover whether his promised US protection visa has been granted.

Taroon is desperate to escape his hiding-place for another reason. His wife has just given birth to their first child, and he plans to dress in a burqa (or chadaree) to visit them in hospital without being caught, before the three of them are spirited abroad to safety. As they await the arrival of Afiyas husband Jawid (Farhad Zaiwala)  whose business dealings with the Taliban buy him some tentative protection  chatterbox neighbour Leyla (Claudia Greenstone) appears  and is later drawn helplessly into lethal intrigue as tension escalates, violence erupts, and Taroon is forced to flee Afghanistan that very night. Nicole Nabout and Claudia Greenstone star in the tense Selling Kabul. Credit: Jodie Hutchinson Claustrophobic tedium and anxiety baseline a thriller-like plot which rises to an anguished pitch of heightened emotion. The characters face unenviable, life-or-death decisions, and there are often no good choices. Nabouts Afiya is a fiercely protective but self-abnegating presence: her entire being consumed to a fault by helping those she loves to survive. She is also educated  the best English-speaker in the family  though as she remarks bitterly, it doesnt bring freedom, remaining little more than party trick for American soldiers.

Taroon, for his part, grows to question both his motives for, and the price of, helping the occupation, with Jones-Shukoor channelling an almost comically caged vitality as tragedy and horror accumulate. Opposite him, Zaiwalas wonderfully modest, subtle, and introspective Jawid lends the interrogation of courage and cowardice a grave moral complexity. Loading Whether this is an accurate portrayal of life in occupied Kabul  and there are melodramatic flourishes (not to mention Australian accents) which strain to convey it realistically  seems less important than that the attempt to imagine it exists. Aside from alleged war crimes committed by Australian troops, we get scant news about Afghanistan, and this play might inspire you to discover how dire the situation is for ordinary people under Taliban rule. Afiya would not be educated in Kabul today. She would not be allowed to work. The UN estimates two thirds of the population requires humanitarian assistance, and it has threatened to pull out of the country next month if the Taliban edict banning aid organisations from employing local women isnt lifted.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size It was a film that launched a thousand boiled bunnies  not literally, but RIP to the one that copped it on screen  and, according to its star Glenn Close, scared the shit out of a generation of men. Now Fatal Attraction, the 1987 sexual thriller that turned a cheating Michael Douglas into a sympathetic figure, has been rebooted into an eight-part series starring Lizzy Caplan and Joshua Jackson that promises to give more context to the troubled character of Alex Forrest. She remains the villain of the piece, says Caplan, who plays Alex. But theres more room for an audience to have compassion for Alex than maybe was allowed in the film version. In our version, we get to do more of a deeper dive into how her brain works, in her upbringing and why she is the way she is, instead of just branding her as this evil woman. Played by Close in the film, Alex initiates an affair with the very willing Dan Gallagher (Douglas), but it spirals out of control when Alex begins to stalk and harass Dan and his family. Cue the boiled bunny and some of the most memorable final scenes in cinema. (A heads up, we will be talking about the end of Fatal Attraction the film, so get over your spoiler drama now. The movie is 36 years old, people.) Lizzy Caplan has stepped into the shoes of Glenn Close, taking on the iconic but troubled role of Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction. Credit: Cibelle Levi After the film was released, Close talked about how the story didnt do right by Alex. She said it played into the stigma of mental illness, sensationally turning Alex into a crazed villain instead of a woman who needed help. The ending of the film was even changed against Closes wishes. In the original, Alex frames Dan for murder by slashing her throat and then leaving the knife on the kitchen bench. But that didnt sit well with test audiences. [The audience] want us to terminate the bitch with extreme prejudice, a film executive declared. So they did. Alex was killed by Dans wife. Audiences loved it. Close hated it. Time magazine called it a nightmare parable of sex in the 80s. It was nominated for six Oscars, including best picture and best actress.

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In Australia, Fatal Attraction became the first non-local film to make $2 million in its opening week, second only to Crocodile Dundee (we must have had a thing about big knives back then). That is amazing, says Caplan when I relay this news to her. I also dont know if I was aware that Crocodile Dundee was so popular within Australia. I mean, I guess I would have assumed that ... Oh yeah, we loved it. Its one of my first cinema-going memories. I even remember where we sat (third row from the back, on the right, at Lismores Star Court Theatre). Glenn Close was unhappy with the revised ending of Fatal Attraction, which she felt stigmatised her characters mental health issues. Maybe that will be Paramount+s next remake, Crocodile Dundee, Caplan continues. Shes talking over Zoom from London, but Caplans camera is off, so I cant see her big ol bug eyes that pop with every one of Alexs more questionable actions. Glenn put a lot of very careful work into crafting the character of Alex, she says. And I know she feels like it was reduced to this sort of black-and-white, binary, evil character. And thats not how she saw her. And its certainly not how I see her.

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When you rewatch the movie, especially if you know how much careful work Glenn Close put into Alex, its all right there on the screen. There is so much depth to that character. But the movie worked even when people werent paying attention to all of that depth. Fatal Attraction is Caplans second knockout role in six months, after starring opposite Claire Danes in the TV adaptation of Taffy Brodesser-Akners critically acclaimed book Fleishman is in Trouble. (She also popped up in the return of another cult hit, but I am not spoiling that one.) Caplan has been an indie favourite ever since she got her break on the TV comedy Freaks and Geeks and then cemented her cult status as the scene-stealing goth Janis Ian in the 2004 comedy Mean Girls. Caplan then took a decidedly grown-up turn in Masters of Sex, but its her dry delivery and air of world weariness that remain, no matter the role. Now 40, she filmed Fleishman and Fatal back to back last year, starting Fleishman only three-and-a-half months after she had her baby, Alfie. Lizzy Caplan as Alex Forest and Joshua Jackson as Dan Gallagher in the TV reboot of Fatal Attraction. Any other year, it would have felt like an insurmountable task, she says of filming both shows. And then you have a baby and you realise how much you are capable of. Youre also forced into figuring out a work-life balance. There wasnt the opportunity for me to come home and really agonise over the days work or the work ahead, I had to be very focused when I was at work, and Im very focused when I am at home. It showed me what I was capable of in a completely new way.

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If that sounds full-on, the bigger commitment perhaps was the spiral perm she had done for Fatal Attraction  in a nod to Closes wild hair  that fell out after she contracted COVID days before shooting began. COVID ate my perm! she says, laughing. Its one of the symptoms of COVID. Thats maybe not at the forefront of the research. But I had a bit of a poodle perm. I was very sad to see it go. Caplan considers Fatal Attraction the TV series as less a reboot of the film and more of a jumping off point to explore something deeper. The TV series leans into the mythology of the film, with many scenes having a familiar feel to the film. I completely understand peoples knee-jerk reaction to hearing something is being remade, she says. The inevitable chorus is, Why would you do that? Theres no need. And I have been a part of that chorus. But theres something about this one and I think its partly because of how Glenn Close has been so vocal about how unfairly she thinks Alex was treated. She was the only person standing up for her at the time. But now, in 2023, the culture has changed so dramatically that audiences would think [Alex] was treated unfairly, I believe, or they would have more of an inclination to dive a little deeper into why she does the things that she does, instead of taking it completely at face value and siding immediately with the Dan Gallagher character. While its true the series isnt a replica of the film, it leans into its mythology  think bunnies, bathtubs and knives  and scenes that feel familiar without being a direct copy. It also offers up a double timeline  before and after Alex dies. The show opens with the release of Dan (Joshua Jackson) from jail, where he has spent the last 15 years behind bars for Alexs murder.

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The story then flashes back to when Alex and Dan meet. Was it a simple meet-cute  they work in the same building, he is a district attorney, while she is in victim support services  or something more sinister? Did she just happen to be in the courtroom at the same time? Was that really biscuit-related small talk at the buffet or a carefully plotted introduction? Like the film, the series doesnt explicitly name Alexs mental illness, although Close and a handful of psychologists have diagnosed her as having borderline personality disorder. Caplan, however, doesnt want to put a label on it. Caplan with Adam Brody (left) and Jesse Eisenberg in the terrific Fleishman Is In Trouble. Alex is a very lonely woman. I have a lot of compassion for her, she says. I feel like she has been let down by the important people in her life since she was a small child. And I dont think she really stood much of a chance. I think she had the brain chemistry that set her up for who she became, but had she been raised in a more functional, loving household, perhaps she wouldnt have ended up where she ends up. Loading A functional, loving household is the exact thing that Caplans character is running from in Fleishman is in Trouble. Her character Libby is a disaffected writer in New Jersey, struggling with the weight of being a wife and mother. Shes nostalgic for her youth and wonders if This. Is. It. Its a show-stealing performance, capped off by Caplans dance over the end credits. I loved so much about Fleishman, she says. I am so proud to be in it and be a part of it. And to be a part of something thats so adult. Fleishman felt like the type of film from the early aughts or the 90s, the films that make you want to be an actress, which was just basically adults talking about being adults, and what they were struggling with.

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Nobody can afford to buy a house or eat meat. Theres a war on, the Sudan evacuation is a race against time and the most articulate person in Australia is the captain of the Collingwood Football Club. But stop the presses  Meghan Markle straightened her hair.

Yes. Huge news. Or so it would seem if youve seen the headlines generated by the duchess showing up via video link from California to introduce a photographer friends TED Talk.

Meghan Markle with her newly straightened hair.

According to the agog fourth estate, Meghans silk curtain hair and rich lady skin is a subliminal message (that she invited Keith Urban over with his GHD hair straightener) and a polished power move.

Sky News went with Meghan wants to be Kate in dramatic new look, tons of outlets said her shock appearance sparked surgery claims and the Daily Mail ran with a revenge makeover line: Meghans startling new look reveals who she really was all along.
Although the 2018 proposal was not approved by state council, it set in train a sequence of events that split the Greens and triggered an ongoing purge of gender-critical feminists, more commonly known as Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists (TERFs), from the party. This culminated in last weeks vote at state council, where a more-considered proposal developed by the Queer Greens group and submitted by Haven on behalf of branch members was overwhelmingly endorsed. The supporting material attached to this latest proposal flatly stated that the Victorian Greens had a transphobia problem. Trans members have repeatedly described this problem for years, the material read. The only people who deny the problem are those who do not yet understand the problem, and those who are invested in denying it in order to cover for their own transphobic views. If taken as read, this offered state council members three choices; to be supportive, ignorant or bigoted. The council meeting started at 7pm and by 10pm, the final vote showed 10 members in favour and only three against; all veteran figures in the Greens who favoured a less- proscriptive approach. A new anti-discrimination provision inserted into the partys code of conduct defines transphobia as doing something that harms or seriously risks harming trans people as a group by virtue of being trans and proscribes as examples: vilifying trans people; discriminating against trans people; attempting to curtail the rights of trans people; intentionally misgendering trans people individually or as a group; denying that non-binary genders exist; promoting the unnecessary prioritisation of sex characteristics above gender; advocating for conversion practices; advocating for unnecessary restrictions on transition care; and, asking leading questions that cover for doing one of the above.

Greens members found to have breached the provision face censure, suspension or expulsion. The Victorian Greens definition of transphobia is substantially more expansive than that provided for other forms of discrimination proscribed by the code of conduct. A long-serving party member, speaking anonymously to discuss internal party matters, said this was in response to confusion expressed by people across the Greens, both trans and non-trans, about what transphobia was. We wanted to make sure that we clearly set the boundaries for what is and isnt acceptable behaviour for party members, he said. I think we have shown we can have healthy debate within the party on these particular issues, but that has to be done within a framework of respect. Two of the partys parliamentary leaders, Victorian leader Samantha Ratnam and Senator Janet Rice, lobbied hard for the new definition. Ratnam on Friday described it as a line in the sand. Debates are an important part of our society but as a community, we must draw a line in the sand when it comes to legitimising vilification or hate, she said.

Loading Linda Gale, one of about 50 observers in the Zoom meeting when the new definition was adopted, never imagined shed be cast on the wrong sign of that line. Gale is a senior officer with the National Tertiary Education Union and a socialist feminist who had been a Greens member for about 13 years. She has spent the past five years locked in an increasingly rancorous battle with trans rights activists and her partys leadership over how the Greens should support trans women without eroding the rights and identity of biological females. She has twice been cleared by the partys normal internal disciplinary processes of allegations of transphobia levelled at her by other party members. Her nomination last year for the position of party co-convenor set off a firestorm before Ratnam intervened to scuttle her nomination. Now, she and City of Melbourne Greens councillor Rohan Leppert are in the sights of an extraordinary panel of inquiry specially convened to eliminate transphobia from the party. Leppert, Gale and Haven all declined to comment for this story.

Leppert has previously defended his record of supporting trans people. But I cannot apologise for my thoughts, my beliefs, and for engaging in debate within my party, he said last year. I dont believe that sex and gender is a special category of policy not allowed to be discussed. Gender affects all of us. In the lead-up to last weeks council vote on the transphobia position, Gale made clear her concerns on Greens Ideas, an internal party forum, about where the Greens were heading. It has been repeatedly asserted that there is no conflict between the rights of trans people and the rights of women, and that to suggest otherwise is inherently transphobic. This is nonsense. Human rights come into conflict all the time. It is silly to pretend that they do not and outrageous to suggest that it is inherently transphobic to raise the existence of such conflicts. The purpose of understanding the points of conflict is to find ways to resolve them, not to exclude any particular group from access to rights. But in the Greens, this discussion is announced as trans exclusionary. Gales original sin, committed in partnership with Nina Vallins, a former Greens member who has since quit the party, was to co-author a rebuttal to Haven and Ramcharans 2018 proposal, which they said aimed to shut down debate on a critical issue in feminism and womens rights. At the time, Gale and Vallins were both members of the partys state executive.

Their paper noted that feminists had fought hard for freedom from male violence, reproductive rights and equality in education, the workplace and politics. If woman is a category predicated entirely on a persons subjective self-identification rather than an objective, identifiable fact such as biology, what are the policy and practical implications for these hard-won sex-segregated spaces or sex-affirmative actions? they questioned. In a rhetorical flourish which outraged some in the party, including the parliamentary leadership, the two women asked: Is it OK for lesbian women to prefer that their sexual partners have female anatomy, is this transphobic and should they be encouraged to welcome sexual relationships with people with penises who identify as women? Senator Rice publicly called for Gale to recant what she had written and apologise for it. Lawyer Nina Vallins. Credit: Darrian Traynor Vallins is a feminist lawyer who previously worked with women in the sex industry and now specialises in child sex abuse cases. She first became involved with the Greens 16 years ago, when she volunteered on Adam Bandts 2007 campaign. I had a sense that the Greens were going to be hard-lined against radical feminists but I still thought we would be able to have discussions about it in the party, she explained this week. That has not played out at all. Instead, battles were played out on social media. There was a lot of vitriol about Linda and myself, targeting senior members of the party. I think we saw the elected representatives of the party abusing their power in ways that had previously not been feasible.

The Greens have more members of parliament than they have ever had before but at the same time the administration of the party has, I think, been completely debased. You cant have a healthy, functioning political party where people cant debate politics. In late 2019, Vallins was suspended from the Greens for six months for vilifying party members and volunteers on the basis of their gender identity and bringing the party into disrepute. Since then, her concerns about the trans rights movement, and what she sees as inherent misogyny in denying the biological basis of being a woman, have further deepened. Two months ago, she attended the Let Women Speak rally on the steps of parliament gatecrashed by neo-Nazis. Several party figures said the scenes that unfolded on the steps of parliament, where a speech by visiting womens rights activist Kellie-Jay Keen, a figure reviled by trans communities here and in Britain, was punctuated by black-clad Neo Nazis performing a Hitler salute, galvanised the Victorian Greens to finally adopt the new transphobia policy. A senior Greens figure, speaking anonymously to discuss internal party matters, said the rally clearly demonstrated how the trans community were being scapegoated by far-right politics, including Pauline Hansons One Nation, and that the Greens needed to pick a side.

That anti-trans and Nazi rally was a watershed moment, the party figure said. When Hanson hated on the Asians, the Greens stood with the Asians. When Hanson hated on the Muslims, we stood with the Muslims, when she was hating on gay couples we stood with gay couples. She is hating on the trans community and we are going to stand with the trans community. The party figure agrees that the new provision further restricts free speech within the Greens but points out that freedom of speech has never been a core value of the party. We are not a libertarian party, they said. A survey conducted as part of the ABCs Australia Talks series suggests that most Greens voters would agree. The online survey of nearly 55,000 respondents, found that nine in 10 Greens voters agree that there are more than two genders, that people should be referred to by the gender they identify with, and only 29 per cent of voters believes that you should be able to say things that offend other people. Nearly all Greens voters surveyed  97 per cent  agreed that freedom of speech was often used to justify discrimination against minority groups. The survey, combined with the lopsided nature of the state council vote and largely muted response to the new policy, suggests the Greens are unlikely to face an exodus of supporters over this issue. As pollster Jim Reed from Resolve Strategic observes, we often find that this sort of issue is very important to a small minority of voters one way or another, but doesnt really register with others. Most people would still regard it as a side issue and perhaps even a distraction from things like the climate or cost of living.
A Brisbane man who went overboard during a Royal Caribbean cruise to Hawaii is being remembered as a gentle soul after the search to find him was officially called off on Friday.

Warwick Tollemache, 35, has been identified as the man who went missing on the Quantum of the Seas about 11pm on Tuesday, Hawaiian time (Wednesday night AEST).

The US Coast Guard has called off the search for Warwick Tollemache. Credit: Facebook

A statement from the US Coast Guard on Thursday Hawaiian time (Friday morning AEST) said it would be calling off the search after consultation with the family.

After reviewing all relevant information of the case and discussing it with the next of kin, the coast guard has made the difficult decision to suspend the active search for the passenger aboard the Quantum of the Seas, said Kevin Cooper, a search and rescue mission co-ordinator for the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Honolulu.
Andrew Dyson Credit: .

A correspondent asks for sound reasons to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to parliament in the Constitution (Letters, 28/4). At its heart, it is about a desire to improve the social, health and economic outcomes of Indigenous Australians. The federal government has a long history of making laws, policies and decisions that directly impact the lives of Indigenous people without any consultation with them. What we are seeing in Alice Springs is a direct result of government decisions taken without consultation with Indigenous people. I saw this lack of consultation when I worked as a registered nurse on Palm Island.

An Indigenous Voice to parliament is needed to end top-down government decision-making. It will enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in urban, rural and regional Australia to provide advice on policies and projects that have an impact on their lives. Evidence shows that outcomes are improved when governments work in partnership with Indigenous peoples. Enshrining an Indigenous Voice to parliament in the Constitution provides a way to improve policy and the accountability of future governments. It will make future governments and parliaments accountable to listening to the advice of Indigenous Australians.

Dr Sarah Russell, Mount Martha

Look to the better angels

A correspondent (28/4) asks how precisely will the Voice be representatively constituted instead of asking is this a good idea. We have to have some faith in our parliamentary representatives to sort the finer details. Instead of looking for a reason to vote No, perhaps we need to delve into the better angels of our nature, and vote Yes in the hope that it will augment a positive change for our nation. After all, a No vote is a vote for the status quo where nothing will change.

Graeme Gardner, Reservoir

It comes down to respect

I respectfully suggest that your correspondents comment (Letters, 28/4) that many of us are still wondering how precisely the Voice will be representatively constituted demonstrates a misunderstanding of the Voice process; the structure of the Voice will be determined by Parliament and Indigenous leaders have made it clear that it will be representative of First Nations people at a local level, all around the nation.

Further, his questioning over what the point of it really is when it has no effective powers manifests a serious misunderstanding of the plight of Australias First Nation peoples. It has surely been obvious for a very long time that the essential need of Indigenous people is respect, not only the respect of the non-Indigenous community, but most importantly, self-respect.

Constitutional recognition that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are our nations first peoples is the basis for re-establishing that self-respect. Such recognition reconfirms the special place that these people occupy in our nation, a sovereignty that was brutally stolen and systematically destroyed by colonisation.

Constitutional recognition will provide a firm platform from which to negotiate the long-overdue treaty.

Maurie Trewhella, Hoppers Crossing

FORUM
Thirty-five years after she went missing, there are still no answers for the family of Julie Cutler, as a coronial inquiry into her death hands down an open finding.

The Perth woman, aged 22, was last seen leaving the Parmelia Hilton Hotel in the Perth CBD about 12.30am on the June 20, 1988 after a work event.

Julie Cutler was last seen leaving the Parmelia Hotel. Credit: Fairfax

Two days later her car was found in the ocean at Cottesloe beach.

What happened to Julie after she left the hotel has remained a mystery despite significant police efforts and a coronial inquest whose findings were released on Thursday.
This aerial photo taken on April 24, 2023 shows the Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum in Anyang City, central China's Henan Province.

The Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum, located in Xigaoxue Village in the city of Anyang, Henan Province, is set to open to the public on Saturday.

The museum displays over 400 cultural relics unearthed from the mausoleum of Cao Cao, a prominent historical figure in China, including stone plaques, stone tablets, pottery tripods, among other cultural relics. (Xinhua/Li An)

This photo taken on April 22, 2023 shows mica sheets displayed in the Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum in Anyang City, central China's Henan Province.

The Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum, located in Xigaoxue Village in the city of Anyang, Henan Province, is set to open to the public on Saturday.

The museum displays over 400 cultural relics unearthed from the mausoleum of Cao Cao, a prominent historical figure in China, including stone plaques, stone tablets, pottery tripods, among other cultural relics. (Xinhua/Li An)

People visit the Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum in Anyang City, central China's Henan Province, April 27, 2023.

The Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum, located in Xigaoxue Village in the city of Anyang, Henan Province, is set to open to the public on Saturday.

The museum displays over 400 cultural relics unearthed from the mausoleum of Cao Cao, a prominent historical figure in China, including stone plaques, stone tablets, pottery tripods, among other cultural relics. (Xinhua/Li An)

People visit the Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum in Anyang City, central China's Henan Province, April 27, 2023.

The Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum, located in Xigaoxue Village in the city of Anyang, Henan Province, is set to open to the public on Saturday.

The museum displays over 400 cultural relics unearthed from the mausoleum of Cao Cao, a prominent historical figure in China, including stone plaques, stone tablets, pottery tripods, among other cultural relics. (Xinhua/Li An)

People visit the Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum in Anyang City, central China's Henan Province, April 27, 2023.

The Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum, located in Xigaoxue Village in the city of Anyang, Henan Province, is set to open to the public on Saturday.

The museum displays over 400 cultural relics unearthed from the mausoleum of Cao Cao, a prominent historical figure in China, including stone plaques, stone tablets, pottery tripods, among other cultural relics. (Xinhua/Li An)

People visit the Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum in Anyang City, central China's Henan Province, April 27, 2023.

The Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum, located in Xigaoxue Village in the city of Anyang, Henan Province, is set to open to the public on Saturday.

The museum displays over 400 cultural relics unearthed from the mausoleum of Cao Cao, a prominent historical figure in China, including stone plaques, stone tablets, pottery tripods, among other cultural relics. (Xinhua/Li An)

This combo photo taken on April 22, 2023 shows stone plaques displayed in the Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum in Anyang City, central China's Henan Province.

The Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum, located in Xigaoxue Village in the city of Anyang, Henan Province, is set to open to the public on Saturday.

The museum displays over 400 cultural relics unearthed from the mausoleum of Cao Cao, a prominent historical figure in China, including stone plaques, stone tablets, pottery tripods, among other cultural relics. (Xinhua/Li An)

A visitor takes photos of cultural relics displayed at the Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum in Anyang City, central China's Henan Province, April 27, 2023.

The Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum, located in Xigaoxue Village in the city of Anyang, Henan Province, is set to open to the public on Saturday.

The museum displays over 400 cultural relics unearthed from the mausoleum of Cao Cao, a prominent historical figure in China, including stone plaques, stone tablets, pottery tripods, among other cultural relics. (Xinhua/Li An)

This photo taken on April 27, 2023 shows cultural relics displayed in the Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum in Anyang City, central China's Henan Province.

The Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum, located in Xigaoxue Village in the city of Anyang, Henan Province, is set to open to the public on Saturday.

The museum displays over 400 cultural relics unearthed from the mausoleum of Cao Cao, a prominent historical figure in China, including stone plaques, stone tablets, pottery tripods, among other cultural relics. (Xinhua/Li An)

This photo taken on April 22, 2023 shows a stone pillow displayed in the Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum in Anyang City, central China's Henan Province.

The Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum, located in Xigaoxue Village in the city of Anyang, Henan Province, is set to open to the public on Saturday.

The museum displays over 400 cultural relics unearthed from the mausoleum of Cao Cao, a prominent historical figure in China, including stone plaques, stone tablets, pottery tripods, among other cultural relics. (Xinhua/Li An)

People visit the Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum in Anyang City, central China's Henan Province, April 27, 2023.

The Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum, located in Xigaoxue Village in the city of Anyang, Henan Province, is set to open to the public on Saturday.

The museum displays over 400 cultural relics unearthed from the mausoleum of Cao Cao, a prominent historical figure in China, including stone plaques, stone tablets, pottery tripods, among other cultural relics. (Xinhua/Li An)

A visitor takes photos of cultural relics displayed in the Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum in Anyang City, central China's Henan Province, April 27, 2023.

The Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum, located in Xigaoxue Village in the city of Anyang, Henan Province, is set to open to the public on Saturday.

The museum displays over 400 cultural relics unearthed from the mausoleum of Cao Cao, a prominent historical figure in China, including stone plaques, stone tablets, pottery tripods, among other cultural relics. (Xinhua/Li An)

This aerial photo taken on April 24, 2023 shows the Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum in Anyang City, central China's Henan Province.

The Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum, located in Xigaoxue Village in the city of Anyang, Henan Province, is set to open to the public on Saturday.

The museum displays over 400 cultural relics unearthed from the mausoleum of Cao Cao, a prominent historical figure in China, including stone plaques, stone tablets, pottery tripods, among other cultural relics. (Xinhua/Li An)

This photo taken on April 22, 2023 shows pottery tripods displayed in the Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum in Anyang City, central China's Henan Province.

The Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum, located in Xigaoxue Village in the city of Anyang, Henan Province, is set to open to the public on Saturday.

The museum displays over 400 cultural relics unearthed from the mausoleum of Cao Cao, a prominent historical figure in China, including stone plaques, stone tablets, pottery tripods, among other cultural relics. (Xinhua/Li An)

This photo taken on April 22, 2023 shows a golden button displayed in the Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum in Anyang City, central China's Henan Province.

The Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum, located in Xigaoxue Village in the city of Anyang, Henan Province, is set to open to the public on Saturday.

The museum displays over 400 cultural relics unearthed from the mausoleum of Cao Cao, a prominent historical figure in China, including stone plaques, stone tablets, pottery tripods, among other cultural relics. (Xinhua/Li An)

This aerial photo taken on April 24, 2023 shows a statue of Cao Cao at the Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum in Anyang City, central China's Henan Province.

The Cao Cao Mausoleum Museum, located in Xigaoxue Village in the city of Anyang, Henan Province, is set to open to the public on Saturday.

The museum displays over 400 cultural relics unearthed from the mausoleum of Cao Cao, a prominent historical figure in China, including stone plaques, stone tablets, pottery tripods, among other cultural relics. (Xinhua/Li An)
In its 49-page submission, the government outlined the worsening outcomes for First Nations peoples. More than three decades after the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, Indigenous men and women in Victoria continue to experience high levels of incarceration, with Aboriginal men 15 times more likely than non-Indigenous men to be imprisoned and Aboriginal women 22 times more likely to be incarcerated than non-Indigenous women. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of First Nations people imprisoned in Victoria increased by 148 per cent, according to data supplied in the governments submission to the formal inquiry. The submission also acknowledged that amendments to the states Bail Act in 2018 also disproportionately affected First Nations people. Following these amendments, the number of First Peoples entering prison unsentenced increased significantly. Between 2009-2010 and 2019-2020, there was a 560 per cent increase in First Peoples entering prisons unsentenced, the submission said.

There have been 22 Aboriginal deaths in prison and 10 Aboriginal deaths in police custody and custody-related operations in Victoria since the royal commission released its final report in 1991. The government acknowledges the terrible pain, sorrow and anger that deaths in custody and custody-related operations cause to families and the broader Aboriginal community, the submission said. The submission also acknowledged that the states prisons failed to provide Indigenous people with cultural support and contributed to long-term negative social, economic and health impacts across First Nations communities in Victoria. Over-representation of First Peoples in the contemporary criminal justice system is a product of serious systemic injustice, which the state acknowledges, the submission said.

Despite government reform efforts, often in partnership with First Peoples, over-representation of First Peoples in the criminal justice system has largely continued to worsen ... there is still much work to be done. The truth-telling inquirys latest block of hearings began on Thursday. Yoorrook Justice Commission chair Eleanor Bourke. Credit: Joe Armao Victorias Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton and Minister for Child Protection Lizzie Blandthorn are scheduled to appear before the commission over the next two weeks. Numerous ministers and bureaucrats will also appear. On Thursday, the commission heard from the acting secretary of the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, Argiri Alisandratos, about the historic, contemporary and ongoing impacts of the child protection system on First Peoples in Victoria.

Since 2016, the rate of First Peoples children in the states child protection system has increased 43 per cent, according to government data. Alisandratos told the commission that although there had been a 3 per cent reduction over the last 12 months of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care, the department had a long way to go in terms of a consolidated rate of reduction. In its submission on Friday, the government also described the over-representation of First Peoples in the child protection system as a product of serious systemic injustice. The government said Victoria had some of the highest rates of over-representation across Australia. As of June 2022, First Peoples children were five times more likely than non-First Peoples children to be the subject of a report to child protection, seven times more likely to have a report investigated, nine times more likely to have harm substantiated and 22 times more likely to be in care.

While First Nations-led models had provided some improvement, the submission said the current system was not well adapted to meet the needs of First Peoples nor to provide access to culturally appropriate services that help prevent ... risk factors as early as possible and in a culturally appropriate and holistic manner. This weeks Yoorrook hearings follow witness testimony provided to the commission in March and December, when community members, leaders and experts within Aboriginal community-controlled services gave evidence. First Peoples Assembly co-chair Aunty Geraldine Atkinson. Yoorrook Commissioner Travis Lovett, a Kerrupmara Gunditjmara traditional owner, said it was vital that government witnesses be transparent and open, and to share the full truth, even when it is uncomfortable, embarrassing or presents reputational risk to the state. Truth-telling is a two-way street. It cannot be just our people speaking the truth, which often comes with trauma and pain, and putting forward solutions, Lovett said.

The government said in its submission the lack of progress was not the fault of people working for better outcomes within the criminal justice and child protection systems, but reflected the need to focus on an approach characterised by transformation through self-determination and treaty. Truth and treaty offer all Victorians - Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal - an opportunity to shape a new relationship and a new future, it said. This is an opportunity for a renewed state identity - a shared understanding of our history and an enduring respect for First Peoples fundamental right to self-determination. The latest hearings come a month after the commission rebuked the government for failing to produce evidence and key witnesses. In a prepared statement at the time, Yoorrook chair Eleanor Bourke described the states failure to produce around 3000 requested documents and answer 178 questions as a fundamental misunderstanding of the truth-telling process and more business as usual.
The green fields below Gdas Bali Health and Wellness resort, Ubud. As I pack my bags for yet another trip to Bali, Im delighted to read all about the island of the Gods burgeoning wellness industry (Traveller, April 15). Penny Watsons story paints a picture of blissful spa treatments in spectacular settings. Designed to not only restore, rejuvenate and relax, Balis wellness retreats are all about building connections between mind, body and soul. No longer considered a luxury, these heavenly pampering sessions are as much about your mental health as they are about making you feel good. Add in breathtaking locations, the most delicious and nourishing food and prices to suit all budgets, its no wonder that Bali provides a healing sanctuary like no other. I cant wait to book a wellness treatment or two. I may just never come home.

Jann Burmester, Byron Bay, NSW NOT SO REVOLTING Having spent the last two weeks in Paris and Bordeaux, we have witnessed some marching down the avenues and had our route redirected once. Apart from that, it has been enjoyment-plus as weve visited museums, chateaux and mingled with the locals. Its business and pleasure as usual, here in France.

Glenn McLeod, Ascot Vale, Vic SQUEEZED OUT

After my passport my next essential travel item is a tube of Vegemite. Sadly it appears that this item has disappeared from supermarket shelves and is also unavailable online. Plenty of glass jars of variable sizes, but these are unnecessarily heavy and I dropped the last one I had on a Sri Lankan tiled floor. Please bring back this Aussie icon. It turns a baguette or slice of bread into breakfast and has many cooking applications.

Eric Sekula, Turramurra, NSW EDITORS NOTE Traveller contacted the Bega Group, manufacturers of Vegemite, and it seems the yellow travel-friendly tube of the famed spread has indeed been replaced by a squeezy bottle, introduced in 2020, which Bega says still makes for the perfect travel companion. Spread the word. JUST MASK Thank goodness that the Japanese are taking their approach to COVID-19 so seriously (Traveller, April 8). Having just reopened, they want to ensure it stays that way. As well as the measures mentioned by Ben Groundwater in his article on onsens, other things appear at every turn that are surprising and clever. Most Japanese wear masks; the non-mask wearers are the visitors. There are clear plastic curtains to separate taxi drivers from passengers, pedal-operated sanitiser pumps everywhere, and cafes have clear perspex screens at each table to separate customers. And make sure you register at Visit Japan Web before you go, or youll be doing it when you land.

Margot Pope, Lewisham, NSW EDITORS NOTE Those entering Japan on or after May 8, according to the Japanese Embassy in Australia, will not be required to present a valid vaccination certificate or pre-departure inspection certificate. For further details, please visit mhlw.go.jp

WINGING IT We are not opera buffs but we went to see Madama Butterfly at Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour recently. Wow. We arrived early and ate at one of the pop-up bars and restaurants which sit beneath twinkling, fairy lights. Listening to an opera outdoors with the Harbour, the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House in the background was magical. The Opera itself was amazing  a tragic story sung in Italian but with English subtitles. The tickets were affordable with ours costing $81. An extraordinary experience.

Leonie Jarrett, Hawthorn East, Vic TIP OF THE WEEK: PEAK VIEWING In late 2022, like many Australians, we decided to travel to scenic New Zealand. By far, my favourite destination was the national park and the walking trails surrounding Mt Ruapehu which rises to 2797 metres. The winter ski area of Whakapapa was a wet, cold and foggy whiteout when we arrived for the summer season but over four days the weather improved and we were treated to fantastic walking in beautiful forests and fabulous views of Mt Ruapehu, Mt Ngauruhoe (the Mt Doom of Lord of the Rings fame), Mt Tongariro and with Mt Taranaki poking out above the cloudline some 97 kilometres away. We didnt attempt the Tongariro Crossing but could have spent at least another week walking around this glorious part of the world. Im sure its a great place to ski in winter but its equally fantastic as a place to hike and enjoy in summer.

Vicki Copping, Oatley, NSW LOW RENT

Renting a car from Avis in the UK should come with a big caution. We booked a car for August to find we accidentally paid in advance. We immediately cancelled and rebooked. Months later we are still waiting for a refund with no response or recourse to effectively complain. After a lifetime of using Avis, never again.

Ralph Hanson, Broughton Vale, Vic NAH TO NARITA Beware of travelling to Japan at the moment as they ramp up to the huge volume of tourists returning after COVID. Our JAL flight arrived at Narita at 4 pm, and as soon as we disembarked they put a barrier across the passageway and held us there for two hours. There was no communication and people got really upset and agitated. Eventually they let us into the immigration hall and that took another two hours. That ended up being a total of four hours to exit the airport. It would really make me think about returning to Japan, at least in the short term.

David Allen, Neutral Bay, NSW STRAIT TO THE POINT My wife and I along with our two children 12 and 16 have just returned from a week in Tasmania. Our two children loved Tassie and are looking forward to our next trip. We caught the Spirit of Tasmania and while it was a long trip across the Bass Strait we were able to take our car and brought so many things back that you could not do on a plane. A couple of must visit places are the beautiful Coles Beach, Devonport where we spotted over 100 crabs, Avenue Records in Launceston, where we bought some rare vinyl at reasonable prices and Ross Bakery Inn which not only the best vanilla slices in Australia theres link between this tiny littles bakery and the inspiration to Japanese director Hayao Miyazakis animated film Kikis Delivery Service.

Antony Hoogenboom, Chirnside Park, Vic
A young Australian man has been arrested in Indonesias ultra-conservative Aceh province, accused of an alcohol-fuelled, naked rampage outside a beachside resort that left a passer-by in hospital and prompted an angry mob of residents to threaten to burn down the hotel.

Bodhi Mani Risby-Jones, 23, from Noosa, was detained following the incident in the early hours of Thursday morning on the island of Simeulue, a surfers paradise off the coast of Sumatra, and faces as long as five years in prison if convicted.

Simeulue police chief Senior Commissioner Jatmiko said the Australian had been drinking from a bottle of vodka before emerging without clothes from his room at the Moon Beach Resort after midnight. Police said a half-empty bottle was found and Risby-Jones had told them he had not been drinking.

He got out of his room naked. The security man attempted to stop him but got hit at the neck and fell down, alleged Jatmiko, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.
TEHRAN, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Iran's permanent ambassador to the United Nations (UN) said the "illegal" presence of foreign military forces, including those of the United States, in Syria constitutes a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter, and is the main source of insecurity in the Arab state.

Amir Saeid Iravani made the remarks in an address to a United Nations Security Council meeting on Syria on Thursday local time, official news agency IRNA reported on Friday.

He called for the immediate and complete withdrawal of the "unlawful" forces from Syria, which is essential to creating a conducive environment for resolving the crisis and restoring peace and stability in the region.

Iravani slammed the continued imposition of unilateral sanctions as a major obstacle to improving the humanitarian and economic situation in Syria, adding such "illegal" measures have had destructive impacts on the Syrian people's economy and living standards.

The recent deadly earthquakes in Syria have made it even more critical to lift the "unjust" sanctions, the envoy asserted.

He said Iran welcomes the improvement of Syria's diplomatic relations in the region and the world, particularly with other Arab states, to guarantee the Syrian nation's security, stability and welfare. 
Israeli soldiers are seen at the scene of an attempted car-ramming attack near the Jewish settlement of Ariel in the northern West Bank, on April 27, 2023. Israeli soldiers on Thursday shot and killed a knife-wielding Palestinian who also attempted to ram people at a junction near a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli army said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

JERUSALEM/RAMALLAH, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Israeli soldiers on Thursday shot and killed a knife-wielding Palestinian who also attempted to ram people at a junction near a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli army said.

Surveillance camera footage circulated on social media shows the suspect arriving in his car at the Gitai Avisar Junction outside the Jewish settlement of Ariel in the northern West Bank. He was then seen stepping out of the car and approaching a policeman before soldiers shot him dead.

The Israeli military said in a statement that the suspect "first deviated to the opposite lane of the road and attempted to ram civilians and security personnel who were at the junction. Afterward, he exited his vehicle while carrying a knife and attempted to stab a police officer." Soldiers who were in the area opened fire toward him, the army confirmed.

No injuries were reported among the Israelis.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said the Palestinian liaison office of security coordination with Israel informed it that Ahmad Taha, 39, was killed by Israeli soldiers west of Salfit.

The ministry's statement didn't provide more details.

Also on Thursday, dozens of Palestinians gathered in the West Bank village of Ain al-Bayda to protest against the Israeli settlers' assaults on their properties, Palestinian sources said.

Local Palestinian sources said that the demonstrators chanted slogans against settlers, and Israeli soldiers fired teargas to disperse them.

The incidents were part of an ongoing wave of violence between Israel and the Palestinians, triggered by Israeli raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint holy site in East Jerusalem, earlier in April and daily military raids in the West Bank.

Israel maintains the raids are aimed at arresting suspects in a string of Palestinian attacks against Israelis. 

Israeli soldiers are seen at the scene of an attempted car-ramming attack near the Jewish settlement of Ariel in the northern West Bank, on April 27, 2023. Israeli soldiers on Thursday shot and killed a knife-wielding Palestinian who also attempted to ram people at a junction near a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli army said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

Israeli soldiers are seen at the scene of an attempted car-ramming attack near the Jewish settlement of Ariel in the northern West Bank, on April 27, 2023. Israeli soldiers on Thursday shot and killed a knife-wielding Palestinian who also attempted to ram people at a junction near a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli army said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

Israeli soldiers are seen at the scene of an attempted car-ramming attack near the Jewish settlement of Ariel in the northern West Bank, on April 27, 2023. Israeli soldiers on Thursday shot and killed a knife-wielding Palestinian who also attempted to ram people at a junction near a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli army said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

Israeli soldiers are seen at the scene of an attempted car-ramming attack near the Jewish settlement of Ariel in the northern West Bank, on April 27, 2023. Israeli soldiers on Thursday shot and killed a knife-wielding Palestinian who also attempted to ram people at a junction near a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli army said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)
Nine Central Wyoming College (CWC) students have received $16,386 through the federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant.

"We are thrilled to be able to offer these scholarships to our students," says Dr. Coralina Daly, Vice President for Student Affairs "The TEACH grant allows these CWC students to be able pursue their dreams in education. Our graduates will have a chance to make a real difference in our community.

Central Wyoming College offers degrees in early childhood, elementary, and secondary education, including the new Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Early Childhood Education.

Colleen BartlettCentral Wyoming College is proud to offer the Early Childhood Education degree as theres been an urgent need in Wyoming, says Dr. Kathy Wells, Vice President of Academic Affairs There were no other Early Childhood programs that led to a K-3 teaching license in the state.

We launched this one-of-a-kind program in Fall of 2021, says Dr. Colleen Bartlett, Professor of Education. Our first Bachelors of Early Childhood Education graduates Maggie Martinez and Kalee Hollingsworth will be receiving their diplomas in May.

Martinez and Hollingsworth have already been scooped up by employers Aspen Early Learning Center and Ft. Washakie Elementary.

Central Wyoming College students with at least a 3.25 GPA can receive $16,000 as an undergraduate ($4,000 per year for full-time students). Recipients agree to teach full-time in a high-need field, for at least four academic years at an elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency that serves low-income families, or repay the funds as an unsubsidized loan.

The Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education provides students with a broad base of academic experiences necessary for teachers of young children Pre-Kindergarten to 3rd grade. Coursework includes foundations of education, elementary math and science courses, educational assessment, psychology, special education, technology and literature courses. CWC students in the program are able to practice their skills during field experiences in the Preschool and K-3 setting.

Graduates can also apply for a special education endorsement. The curriculum incorporates professional standards from the Wyoming state standards, Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC), National Association for the Education of Young Children, and the Council for Exceptional Children.

The program is approved by the Wyoming Community College Commission and the Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board. BAS students must complete 60 hours of practicum experience under the guidance of a mentor teacher including developing and teaching their own unit, then 20 weeks (10 weeks each semester) of student teaching. Student teachers manage their own classrooms.

Central Wyoming College (CWC) provides two two-year education programs of study that are acceptable for full credit to a baccalaureate teacher preparation degree program. CWC has long standing agreements with the University of Wyoming and Valley City State University in North Dakota. Central Wyoming College became a TEACH grant-eligible institution in November 2022.

Currently there are two openings in Fremont County for such a qualified graduate. To learn more, contact Professor of Education Colleen Bartlett.
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the amount of records in your office or home? Are you uncertain on how to care for digital records?

Join us for the free virtual workshop, A Tale of Two States: Digital Records Management in Oregon and Wyoming, to be held Tuesday, May 23, and Thursday, May 25, from 2-5 p.m. MT/1-4 p.m. PT.

This workshop is sponsored by Wyoming State Records Advisory Board (WY SHRAB) through funds from the National Historic Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). This workshop will feature speakers from the Oregon State Archives, the Wyoming State Archives, and special guest speaker Alejandra Robinson, WY SHRAB member and Public Relations Director and Archives Manager for the Eastern Shoshone Tribe.

If you are a records manager, archivist, records officer, from municipalities across Wyoming or Oregon, or curious about records management and digital preservation, this workshop is for you. To register for the event and for details about presenters and sessions, visit the WY SHRAB events webpage at https://wyoarchives.wyo.gov/index.php/news-events.

The sessions held on May 23, will introduce participants to the fundamentals and some special topics. The State Archives staff will kick off the workshop with a records management overview  what is a record, applicable laws, frameworks, and discoverability. This will be followed by special guest speaker Alejandra Robinson who will discuss records management for tribal governments. Then the Wyoming State Archives will provide an overview of public records requests. The day will conclude with the Wyoming State Archives staff presenting a session on digital preservation  the basics of caring and ensuring long-term access to born-digital and digitized records.

After a small break to digest the information from day one, the May 25, sessions begin with deeper dives into advanced topics. The Oregon State Archives in collaboration with Wyoming State Archives will be presenting on email management, including strategies and solutions for long-term preservation and access. This session is followed up with the Oregon State Archives focusing on case studies in records management. Specifically, this session will explore different implementations of digital records management solutions and answer real-world digital records management questions. The last session of the two-day workshop is on tools and resources for records management. This joint presentation will provide participants with more tools and resources to get started on managing their paper and digital records.

We hope to see you there! For more information, please contact Sara Davis, WY SHRAB Coordinator and Wyoming State Archivist, at 307-777-8691 or Sara.Davis@wyo.gov. This workshop is a collaboration between the Wyoming State Archives, the Oregon State Archives, and WY SHRAB.

The Wyoming SHRAB promotes the identification, preservation, and dissemination of the states historical records, by encouraging and supporting ongoing training programs for state, tribal and local governments, local repositories, organizations, and others involved in records care in Wyoming. Grants are made available through the Wyoming SHRAB by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. The program is administered by the Wyoming State Archives, which is part of the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources.
From medical diagnosis to a bathroom control center, the possibilities of smart technology are limitless. Join Xinhua at the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou to get a glimpse into the future today.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Sheridan and Buffalo To Host Shredding Events In May

AARP Wyomings shred event in Cheyenne Saturday saw over 475 cars drop off over 11,000 pounds of old documents and other paper to be shredded.

We completely filled one shredding truck and were told the second truck was about 10 cars away from being full when the event ended, says Jennifer Baier of AARP Wyoming. It was an amazing turnout.

AARP Wyoming will also host shredding events in Buffalo and Sheridan Counties on Saturday, May 13. The Sheridan Shred event will take place from 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. at the Sheridan Commercial Company Parking Lot at 303 Broadway. The shred event slated for Buffalo is being held in the parking lot of DJs Grocery Store at 895 Fort Street and runs from 2:30-5 p.m..

The events are free, but registration is strongly encouraged

AARP shredding events help you to stay one step ahead of identity thieves by shredding personal and financial documents. To avoid having your sensitive information compromised, security experts recommend shredding of the following types of materials:

Old Documents: Papers that carry your Social Security number, birth date, signature, account numbers, passwords or PINs.

Papers that carry your Social Security number, birth date, signature, account numbers, passwords or PINs. Banking: Canceled or unused checks. Shred deposit slips and ATM and credit card receipts, once you receive your monthly statements.

Canceled or unused checks. Shred deposit slips and ATM and credit card receipts, once you receive your monthly statements. Credit Cards : Pre-approved credit card applications and incentive/gift checks from credit card companies.

: Pre-approved credit card applications and incentive/gift checks from credit card companies. Medical: Unneeded medical bills.

Unneeded medical bills. Investments : Investment account statements.

: Investment account statements. Obsolete ID Cards: Expired drivers licenses, medical insurance cards, and passports.

Shred events are just one component of AARPs commitment to fighting fraud. The AARP Fraud Watch Network launched in 2013 as a free resource for people of all ages. Consumers may sign up for Watchdog Alert emails that deliver information about scams, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling.

The Fraud Watch Network website provides information about fraud and scams, prevention tips from experts, an interactive scam-tracking map, fun educational quizzes, and video presentations.
Cheyenne, WY (82001)

Today

Partly cloudy. Windy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 66F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 45F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
Palestinians are seen in a place damaged during an Israeli army's operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, on April 28, 2023. At least two Palestinians, including a teenager, were injured on Friday during an Israeli army's operation at the refugee camp of Jenin in northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

RAMALLAH, April 28 (Xinhua) -- At least two Palestinians, including a teenager, were injured on Friday during an Israeli army's operation at the refugee camp of Jenin in northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said that two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy, were moderately injured by Israeli soldiers who stormed the Palestinian refugee camp.

Palestinian security sources said that an Israeli army force, backed by armored vehicles, stormed the outskirts of the refugee camp, and intensive gunfire was heard in several areas.

The armed wing of several Palestinian factions said in separate statements that its militants exchanged fire with Israeli soldiers who stormed the area of Jenin and detonated roadside bombs against the Israeli army vehicles.

Meanwhile, an Israeli army spokesman said in a press statement that upon security data, an Israeli army force raided the Jenin refugee camp and arrested a Palestinian wanted by Israeli security for being involved in carrying out attacks against Israel.

The spokesman added that during the military operation, several gunmen threw hand grenades and gunfire was exchanged, while no injuries were reported among the soldiers.

For several months, the Israeli army has carried out daily raids on Palestinian towns, villages, and refugee camps, mainly in the northern West Bank, aiming to arrest Palestinian militants wanted by Israeli security forces.

During the tension that had mounted since early January, official Palestinian figures said more than 90 Palestinians were killed, while Israel said that 19 Israelis were killed during the same period by Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. 

Palestinians are seen in a place damaged during an Israeli army's operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, on April 28, 2023. At least two Palestinians, including a teenager, were injured on Friday during an Israeli army's operation at the refugee camp of Jenin in northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)
Batavia, NY (14020)

Today

Cloudy with a few showers. High near 45F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Light rain...mixing with snow overnight. Low 36F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 80%.
BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Ian Hamlinton, a 52-year-old architect from South Africa, has lived in a traditional village in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region for 14 years.

"It was love at first sight," said Hamlinton, describing his feelings toward the ancient dwellings in Jiuxian Village in Yangshuo County when he first came to China 20 years ago.

Jiuxian, with a history dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), is categorized as a traditional village, also known as ancient village. Such villages often have a long history and boast abundant cultural and natural resources.

Hamlinton rented six ancient dwellings in the village from 2010 to 2012 on a 20-year lease in order to protect and renovate them.

He repaired the courtyard walls that had fallen into disrepair for many years, and preserved almost every piece of furniture in the house to faithfully restore traditional architectural features with modern craftsmanship.

The renovated ancient dwelling became a homestay in 2011, and it also serves as a good example for ancient dwelling preservation. In 2012, Jiuxian was included in the state protection list for traditional villages, and tourists from around the world came to visit the village.

Nationwide, China has so far inscribed a total of 8,155 traditional villages to its state protection list in an effort to conserve the country's millennia-old agricultural civilization.

Under this initiative, China has built the world's largest agricultural heritage protection network, according to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

"More and more people are recognizing the value of old dwellings, and these dwellings are the real spirit of traditional villages," said Hamlinton.

American Brian Linden is also a fan of China's traditional villages. The 60-year-old and his family chose to settle down in Xizhou Town of southwest China's Yunnan Province over a decade ago.

With the support of the local government, he renovated a historical building covering an area of 1,800 square meters and situated between Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake in Dali. His goal was to create a center for cultural exchange.

The architecture boasts the rectangular layout of traditional style of Bai minority courtyards, with the screen wall facing the entrance and a grand reflecting wall decorated with conventional paintings and the other three sides used as living quarters.

To retain the original appearance of the building, he invited over 100 locals to join his team, all of whom were "experts in characteristics and structures of old houses".

It took Linden's team about four years to establish the first Linden Center. Linden purposely does not equip his guest rooms with some modern amenities such as televisions, glass curtain walls and bathtubs, instead, he decorated the hotel with a traditional style. He currently has seven similar sites throughout rural China

The Linden Center serves as a cultural exchange platform. Linden invited American high school students to spend semesters in Xizhou Town studying local traditions. The students wrote papers on their local discoveries.

"China has already become the place where I feel most at home. I hope to make contributions to culture exchange between China and western countries, to help show world the cultural richness of this incredible country," said Linden.

For 38-year-old British expat Edward Gawne, his life was changed by an ancient Hui-style dwelling in east China's Jiangxi Province.

Situated in Wuyuan County, the historical dwelling has been renovated by Gawne and his Chinese wife into a contemporary teahouse and guesthouse that immerses travelers from all over the world in local culture.

The couple moved in the then ramshackle building eight years ago after quitting their jobs in Shanghai, aiming to care for the woodwork and stonework that retained Chinese cultural identity.

Gawne replicated ancient methods to repair the building to make sure that the Hui style is on full display. While replacing decayed beams, he added modern designs to tackle issues such as poor lighting and instable framework that are common in old residential constructions.

Two years of renovation have breathed new life into the building, as well as the couple. Their guesthouse business started two years ago, and their two children were born and bred here.

Guests would frequent places including an ancient wall inscribed with a Chinese character "happiness" and a bar counter that used to be those giant timber beams.

The reinvigorated building also serves as a "bridge" for cultural exchange as nearly 90 percent of the guests come from abroad, said Gawne's wife Liao Minxin.

"The old dwelling is over 300 years old, while I am only in my 30s. I am not the owner of it, but a guardian," said Gawne. 
TEHRAN, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Syria on Thursday signed a comprehensive memorandum of understanding (MoU) on enhancing cooperation in various sectors, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

The MoU was signed by Iranian Roads and Urban Development Minister Mehrdad Bazrpash and Syrian Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Mohammad Samer al-Khalil, as the co-chairs of the two countries' joint economic commission, at a ceremony in the Syrian capital Damascus, the report said.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the ceremony, Bazrpash hailed the positive outcomes of his meetings with Khalil as well as Syrian Minister of Transport Zouhair Khazim, Prime Minister Hussein Arnous and President Bashar al-Assad.

Bazrpash said that, during his meetings with the Syrian officials, the two sides vowed to accelerate the development of bilateral economic relations.

The Iranian minister said the two countries agreed to expand cooperation in the energy sector, by reaching agreements in the field of investments in the electricity and oil sectors and forming joint technical working groups to implement them.

Other agreements were also reached in the fields of tourism, air, maritime and railroad transportation, cultural cooperation, reducing trade tariffs, investing in the Syrian oil and gas sector, as well as improving banking and insurance relations, he added.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, Bazrpash arrived in Syria on Tuesday for a visit aimed to improve Iran's economic ties with Syria. 
We want to reach as many people as possible with this campaign, he said, as reported by Newshub. Emergency sanitation is a niche subject and not something many people think of as part of their emergency preparedness.
3 Soldiers Die After 2 Army Apache Helicopters Crash in Alaska

Three soldiers were killed and one was injured when two AH-64 Apache helicopters crashed near Healy, Alaska, on Thursday, according to Army officials.

The soldiers were from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright, and they were returning from a training mission when the collision occurred.

The helicopters were returning from a training mission when they collided in flight, the Army said in a statement.

Two soldiers died at the crash site, while the third died on the way to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. The injured soldier is receiving treatment at the same hospital.

The names of the soldiers who died in the helicopter crash will not be disclosed until their family members have been informed.

Fort Wainwrights Emergency Assistance Center has been activated to offer support to the affected soldiers families, friends, and fellow soldiers.

This is an incredible loss for these soldiers families, their fellow soldiers, and for the division, said Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division. Our hearts and prayers go out to their families, friends, and loved ones, and we are making the full resources of the Army available to support them.

Eifler also praised the Fort Wainwright community for its strong sense of unity and expressed confidence that they would provide comfort and support to the families of the fallen soldiers.

I have no doubt they will pull together during this exceptional time of need and provide comfort to our families of our fallen, he said.

The Army is investigating the cause of the helicopter crash and will provide more information as it becomes available.

This is the third military helicopter incident in the last three months.

On March 29, nine soldiers were killed when two U.S. Army HH-60 Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed during a routine training mission in Kentucky. All crew members onboard the two helicoptersfour soldiers in one helicopter and five in the otherwere killed in the crash.

In February, an Apache helicopter rolled after takeoff from Talkeetna, Alaska, injuring two soldiers. The aircraft was one of four traveling to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage from Fort Wainwright. The pilot and co-pilot were taken to receive medical attention and were later discharged.

The helicopter was traveling with three others from the 25th Attack Battalion stationed at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, as part of a training exercise. While en route to Joint Base Elemendorf-Richardson, the helicopters stopped at Talkeetna for refueling. The rollover happened as the helicopter was taking off.
JERUSALEM, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of Israeli right-wing activists held a rally in Jerusalem on Thursday, calling on the ruling coalition to press ahead with the contentious judicial reform.

The rally was held outside the Knesset, the Israeli parliament. Many of the participants support the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Israel's ultranationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told the crowd that "we will not give up" on the plan, state-owned Kan TV news reported.

He claimed that "the majority of people agree that the reform of the judicial system is the right thing for Israel."

The rally came after 16 consecutive weeks of mass demonstrations held in Tel Aviv and dozens of other Israeli cities against the overhaul plan, which the opponents say will weaken the Supreme Court and increase the government's powers. 
4 Arrested After Texas After-Prom Party Shooting

Four people have been arrested in Texas in connection with a shooting that occurred at an after-prom party in Jasper County, leaving 11 people injured on April 23, according to the Jasper County Sheriffs Office.

Authorities have scheduled a news conference for Friday to release further details, and the suspects identities have not yet been disclosed, CBS reported.

On Thursday afternoon, sheriffs deputies conducted a search at a residence in Newton and arrested three people with the help of a warrant. Officials later announced the arrest of a fourth suspect.

The Epoch Times contacted the Jasper County Sheriffs Office for further comment.

The shooting took place in Jasper County, with two separate incidents occurring shortly after midnight. The first incident happened on County Road 263, where a large after-prom party was taking place. Jasper County Sheriffs deputies responded to reports of shots fired and discovered that nine people had been shot, all with non-life-threatening injuries.

The suspects had fled the scene before authorities arrived.

Two additional injured partygoers sought treatment the next day, raising the count to 11, as Jasper County Sheriff Mitchel Newman said at an April 26 news conference.

Laronnia Gray, Jasper Countys victim assistance coordinator, did not say if the two other individuals were injured by gunfire but said that all of the teens were physically injured.

It is estimated that around 250 people were present at the party when the shooting occurred. Eight were taken to Jasper Memorial Hospital by personal vehicles, while others were transported to Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont for further treatment.

A second shooting occurred within the city limits of Jasper on Valley Drive, just off Bevil Loop, which is being investigated by the Jasper Police Department.

No motive has yet been established, and the authorities have interviewed several witnesses and persons of interest.

Jasper County Sheriff Mitchel Newman expressed concern over the violence that occurred, particularly at a social event that was supposed to be a celebratory occasion for students. He urged parents to be more vigilant when hosting parties and to ensure they are aware of who is in attendance.
ABC Refuses to Air RFK Jr. Comments About COVID-19 Vaccines

ABC News cut off a presidential candidate when he started talking about COVID-19 vaccines, raising concerns about censorship.

Robert Kennedy Jr., who recently announced his presidential run as a Democrat, sat down with ABC News for a lengthy interview released on April 27.

After airing clips of the interview, reporter Linsey Davis spoke to viewers.

We should note that during our conversation, Kennedy made false claims about the COVID-19 vaccines, she said. Weve used our editorial judgment in not including extended portions of that exchange in our interview, Davis said.

The claims in question were not listed, and ABC did not return a request for comment.

Davis indicated that at least one dealt with the effectiveness of the vaccines.

Data shows that the COVID-19 vaccine has prevented millions of hospitalizations and deaths from the disease, Davis said. She did not provide any citations for the claim.

He also made misleading claims about the relationship between vaccination and autism. Research shows that vaccines and the ingredients used in the vaccines do not cause autism, including multiple studies involving more than a million children and major medical associations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the advocacy group Autism Speaks, she added.

Kennedy said that what happened violated the U.S. law that bars some media outlets from censoring candidates for public office.

ABC showed its contempt for the law, democracy, and its audience by cutting most of the content of my interview with host Linsey Davis leaving only cherry-picked snippets and a defamatory disclaimer, Kennedy said.

Offering no evidence, ABC justified this act of censorship by falsely asserting that I made false claims. In truth, Davis engaged me in a lively, informative, and mutually respectful debate on the governments Covid countermeasures. Im happy to supply citations to support every statement I made during that exchange. Im certain that ABCs decision to censor came as a shock to Linsey as well. Instead of journalism, the public saw a hatchet job, he added.

Before airing the interview, Davis described Kennedy as one of the biggest voices pushing anti-vaccine rhetoric, regularly distributing misinformation and disinformation about vaccines, which scientific and medical experts overwhelmingly say are safe and effective based on rigorous scientific studies. She did not mention how the vaccines are increasingly ineffective against newer COVID-19 variants and how the vaccines have been proven to cause serious problems, including heart inflammation and death.

Critics decried ABCs cutting of Kennedys remarks.

The most outrageous part of this is ABC gets to ream RFK Jr. about vaccines during the interview but then censor his ability to even respond while forcing us to blindly trust them that his claims were false,' commentator John Ziegler wrote on Twitter. All this after they were wrong about vaccines stopping transmission.

Producer Alex Lorusso noted that ABC never censored officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci, who have made false and misleading claims about vaccine effectiveness, including his claims on ABC in January 2021 that if enough people were vaccinated, herd immunity would be achieved.

They are going to censor to interfere with the 2024 election, and they wont even hide it, Lorusso added on Twitter.

At the end of this otherwise interesting interview with Robert Kennedy Jr., ABC News admits they censored extended portions relating to discussions around the COVID vaccine,' Townhall writer Scott Morefield wrote on Twitter. If his claims are so easily disproven, why not simply disprove them instead of resorting to censorship?
After Tucker, Say No to Fox Hosting Republican Primary Debates

The Twenty-First Century Fox Inc headquarters in the Manhattan borough in New York on April 19, 2023. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)

Commentary

The leak of an email from Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel to GOP insiders that Fox News will be hosting the first GOP presidential primary debate in Milwaukee sometime in August 2023 is not good news now that the network has disgracefully fired Tucker Carlson.

It wasnt really good news before that because this is the same network that was, to a large degree, responsible for the defeat of Republican 2020 candidate President Donald Trump.

Their then-Sunday anchor Chris Wallace quite deliberately interrupted Trump numerous times during the debate and actually put a halt to his discussion of the Hunter Biden laptop, an act of extraordinary bias that looks worse now in light of new information about President Joe Bidens secretary of state, Anthony Blinken.

Blinken was apparently the person who triggered a document signed by 51 present and past major U.S. intelligence operatives alleging the laptop was likely a Russian disinformation plot. This was a lie of epic proportions.

In this way, Fox was rather like the corrupt Twitter in its censorship of information that, according to polls, could have flipped the election.

Wallace is no longer with Fox, essentially banished to the journalistic Siberia of CNN. But who can have confidence his replacement or replacements will be any better?

Evidently, Ronna McDaniel and her cohorts. This is the RINO old guard of the Republican Party at work with sops to the deplorables by adding Rumble into the mix. But the main host remains Fox, which is increasingly old guard itself, if not on its way to being a CNN and MSNBC clone of its own.

Recently, one of those campaign brouhahas that keep popping up has broken out over Trumps implication that he might not make it to one or more debates. John Haughey wrote here at The Epoch Times on April 25:

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday said no one asked him or his campaign about organizing and participating in debates with 2024 GOP primary rivals, saying he likely wont attend the two thus far scheduled by the Republican National Committee (RNC).

Although I would have no way of knowing, my best guess is that the moment Trump heard about the initial debate his reaction was some version of Fox again?! Wallace! Are they kidding?!

I doubt Trump, about as garrulous a politician as we have ever had, is afraid of debating anyone. In fact, he just said in a speech in Manchester, New Hampshire, on April 27, he is looking forward to debating crooked Joe. (Biden seems to have inherited the epithet crooked from Hillary.)

He probably also thought that Fox is favoring Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, to which recent events lend credence.

It is odd, though, the RNC wouldnt contact Trump, who has been leading the Republican race by close to 30 points over his nearest rival, DeSantis, for months now. Indeed, the most recent poll by Emerson shows him up by a staggering 46 percent.

The RNC didnt consult Trumps competitors for that matter either, as far as I know. There is something peremptory about this institution that to many illustrates that gaping divide between the Republican rank-and-file and their leadership.

You would think McDaniel, having overseen so many GOP losses, would have wanted to make such consultations, but apparently not.

Nevertheless, several rightwing pundit luminaries, Miranda Devine, Clay Travis, and Buck Sexton, jumped on the criticize-Donald bandwagon as if he were ducking debating the likes of former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, who is at this point in the low single digits and only narrowly ahead of newcomer entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who appears to be gaining on her, in the RealClearPolitics averages.

As of now, there are but five fully announced Republican candidatesTrump, Haley, Ramaswamy, talk show host Larry Elder, and former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, who is barely registering in what seems to be a vanity campaign. DeSantis and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott appear to be all but running with former vice president Mike Pence also likely.

For this field, with only DeSantis making it into double digits, the RNC wants to schedule all of 10 debates. To what end? Making the nation die of boredom?

But, for fun anyway, lets look at which of the candidates might profit from Trumps absence, if that happens, which is far from clear at this point. I will base this on having seen all of them on television and even interviewed a few personally. I will ignore the question of who will or will not make the stage due to whatever cutoff point McDaniel and her team announce.

Ramaswamy, who evidently has a natural gift for it, and Elder, for years one of Americas most popular conservative radio hosts, definitely have the edge here. They are also the ones most likely to offer original, controversial ideas that will garner attention. This can go either way, but in a large field, its better to stand out by saying something noteworthy.

Pence has also been a radio host and has plenty of camera experience, but almost never says anything unpredictable.

DeSantis, with the second-highest poll numbers, would have the advantage of center position that Trump held and the opportunity to bash Trump for his absence. You have to weigh this, however, against the long-run interest in the debates without Trump. Who watches a show without its star?

Actually, since its hard to envision Trump losing the primary outside of health or legal issues, this could end up a competition for the vice-presidential nomination with, at this moment, DeSantis (assuming peace could be made) and Ramaswamy (surprisingly) being the most likely possibilities of those with their hats in the ring. Scott might also be in there.

Considering the age of the leading candidatesBiden 80 going on 94, Trump seemingly vigorous but still 75the choice of vice presidents is more important than ever.

Trump would be well-advised to select a smart, youthful person as an obvious, winning comparison to Kamala Harris, who many, even Democrats, fear would be catastrophic leading our country.

But the action, the real surprise at this juncture is, astonishingly, on the Democratic side that previously looked to be a (shuffling) walk in the park for the incumbent.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. came in from left field (well, not exactly left but more center or independent) to make a sudden challenge to Biden that looks to be rapidly gaining momentum.

Immediate polls showed RFK Jr. at 14 percent. Today, just days later, he was at 19. Where will he be next week?

Could rank-and-file Democrats be coming to their senses? Who knew?

The Democratic National Committee (DNC), manipulative cowards that they are, shamelessly foreclosed all debates even while the RNC was positing 10.

Heaven forbid Biden should have to defend himself against anyone, let alone an author of 800-page books who might have a few facts at his fingertips.

You will note that I have omitted California Gov. Gavin Newsom from my tour dhorizon. Thats because its highly unlikely that America would elect the top official from a state whose population is fleeing in droves.

Perhaps Newsom could replace the traditional campaign slogan A chicken in every pot! with A homeless tent in every backyard!

But you never know. Its, as the song goes, a long, long way from May to December and the frail Biden could withdraw at any moment.

Then it might be Newsom versus Kennedy.

All this, and were still nearly 18 months out from the election.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Alberta NDP Leader Would Consider Resurrecting Controversial Legislation to Regulate Farms

With just a few days before the Alberta government drops the writ for an election, Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley said if elected, she would consider resurrecting Bill 6, a controversial bill that was put in place in 2016 to regulate farms and ranches. The bill was later repealed by the United Conservative Party (UCP) government.

Notley said at a news conference on April 27, There is no question that we remain concerned about safety for farm workers all across the province.

She said when the UCP undid Bill 6, they undid a whole bunch of other things, like for instance, a minimum wage. A lot of people dont know that farm workers in Alberta actually arent necessarily entitled to be paid the minimum wage.

That seems a bit inappropriate. So we would be looking at it.

Notley said she learned from last time, and we know that we need to consult with farmers and employers in that sector. She said that her government, while in power, had reached a lot of agreement with key leaders within the sector.

And so we would go back to where that work had left off. And then we would hope to be able to move forward on some elements of it after weve had a chance to really talk with folks in the sector, said Notley.

A farmer harvests wheat on his farm near Vulcan, Alberta, in this file photo. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Regulations

When introduced in 2015, the bill added occupational health and safety regulations to all of Albertas farms and ranches, and made Alberta Workers Compensation Board (WCB) coverage mandatory for farmers. It also mandated Albertas more than 40,000 farms at the time to comply with labour standards, such as vacation pay and minimum wage.

A document published in November 2015 by WCB, then later removed, said mandatory coverage would be required for children and unpaid labour, which caused uproar from rural landowners.

The WCB document read, If you are operating a for-profit farming operation (i.e., one which sells goods commercially to individuals or other organizations), you must cover any unpaid workers, including family members and children, performing work on your farm.

You will be asked to provide a value of service for the work they perform, the document stated.

At the time, Notley blamed miscommunication for the protests around the bill. As the premier, that ultimately rests with me, she said. But I also, as the premier, have to think about the 177 farm workers who are paid, who will be hospitalized between Jan. 1 and Apr. 1, she said in 2015.

Im very, very proud that when passed this fall, this bill will ensure that paid farm workers will finally enjoy the protections enjoyed by every other worker, she told the legislature at the time.

Protests

Bill 6 resulted in public outrage from the rural community. An estimated 1,500 Alberta farmers protested at the Alberta legislature on Nov. 27, 2015. The crowd began with chants of Kill Bill 6, then sang Naughty Notley Running the Show to the tune of Old MacDonald Had a Farm.

Town hall meetings in Okotoks and Red Deer at the time were full of angry farmers, while the opposition made it known Notley was abroad at the time at a United Nations climate change meeting.

Soon after, Notley said that there had been a miscommunication and that farm regulations would only apply to paid workers, not family members and children helping out on private farms. The NDP leader said the legislation would not prevent children from doing farm chores, and that she wanted farm workers to be able to refuse unsafe work.

Bill 6 was passed in 2016.

Wheat heads reach for the sun in a field near Cremona, Alberta, on Sept. 6, 2022. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

The UCP campaigned on a promise to scrap the bill and consulted with farmers, finally proposing new legislation that exempted small farms with five or fewer employees from employment standards regulations, and allowed larger farms to choose private insurance or WCB.

On April 27, Innisfail/Sylvan Lake UCP MLA David Dreeshen posted on social media calling the NDPs talk of reviving the legislation disastrous.

The NDP plans to punish Alberta farm families all over again, said Dreeshen. He said that in 2015, the NDP publicly demonized Alberta family farms and falsely accused them of endangering workers and criticized them for not being able to unionize.

The UCP Party also posted on social media, stating: Notley has a bitter axe to grind with family farmers and ranchers. Lets make sure she never gets her chance.

According to Nate Horner, minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, the NDP does not understand farmers and has no elected members who are farmers and ranchers. The UCP understands the agricultural sector, which is why our industry is so strong right now, with record high farm cash receipts, livestock market receipts, cattle and calf receipts, and program payments, he said in a statement issued by the UCP.
American Investment, Chaotic Environment Check Chinas African Lithium Grab

As China faces fierce competition for lithium resources in Australia and South America, Africa has become a new target for Beijings hunt for the mineral. The rapid expansion of Chinese lithium capacity in Africa is drawing increasing attention, prompting a call for stepped-up American investment to counter the Chinese presence on the African continent. Meanwhile, although they may have a headstart in what has been called the new gold rush, a chaotic business environment on the continent poses significant risks for Chinese companies.

Lithium, a key mineral in electric car batteries, has been called the oil of the 21st century.

The progress of a Chinese companys lithium refining plant in Africa has made headlines recently. On March 22, Chinese battery minerals producer Huayou Cobalt announced that its Arcadia lithium mine development project in Zimbabwe had begun trial production of lithium concentrate.

Arcadia is considered to be one of the largest hard rock lithium deposits in Africaand the world; thus the new mine gives China a significant boost in the global race for lithium, according to an April 23 article in the Financial Times, which comments that China is leaving western operators scrambling to keep up.

Chinese companies, notably Zijin Mining and Ganfeng Lithium, have a stake in two other big African mines: Manono in the DRC and the Guolamina Mine in Mali.

Africas only previous lithium producer is Zimbabwes Bikita mine, which has been in operation since 1950 and is now 74 percent owned by Sinomine Resource Group. Other African lithium projects in Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are unfinished, according to a February report by online news platform Ventures Africa.

Because Chinese companies already dominate global lithium refining capacity, the Arcadia lithium concentrate plant has attracted a great deal of attention. According to a January World Economic Forum report, China is the worlds third-largest producer of lithium and controls 60 percent of the worlds battery-grade lithium refining capacity.

Washington Pushes Back

In response to the expansion of Chinese companies in Africa, in recent years the United States has pushed for commercial investment there as a counterweight to the CCPs influence.

At the U.S.Africa Business Forum in December of 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden announced over $15 billion in two-way trade and investment commitments, deals, and partnerships that advance key priorities, including sustainable energy, health systems, agribusiness, digital connectivity, infrastructure, and finance.

According to a White House fact sheet (pdf), since 2021, the U.S. government has helped close more than 800 two-way trade and investment deals across 47 African countries, for a total estimated value of over $18 billion, and the U.S. private sector has closed investment deals in Africa valued at $8.6 billion. In 2021, U.S. goods and services traded with Africa totaled $83.6 billion.

Further, during her visit to Africa in late March, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris announced U.S. plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the continent.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (L) and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema are seen at the State House in Lusaka after a press conference on March 31, 2023. (Salim Dawood/AFP via Getty Images)

In key mining areas, companies from the United States and its allies are also taking action.

In December of 2022, KoBold Metals, a business start-up backed by billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, announced that it would invest $150 million for a controlling stake in a large, undeveloped copper mine in Zambia. The deal was seen as a new push by the U.S. government to secure critical minerals in Africa. The announcement was made at the U.S.Africa Leaders Summit in Washington.

In March, Marula Mining, a British mining and development company, announced that it would establish a Zimbabwean subsidiary, Muchai Mining, to focus on the development of key minerals such as lithium for electric vehicle batteries.

In 2021, Australian mining company Piedmont Lithium acquired an equity interest in Atlantic Lithium, also Australia based, with the ability to earn a 50 percent ownership interest in the latters Ghanian portfolio, including its flagship Ewoyaa Project. Scheduled to begin production in late 2024, the project will deliver spodumene (a lithium ore) concentrate to Piedmonts plant in Tennessee for conversion to lithium hydroxide.

Primitive Conditions, Chaotic Business Environment

Senior Chinese industry figures, speaking at the third annual Global Lithium Conference in late March, addressed the issues facing Chinese companies in Africa, where spodumene depositsalong with those in North Americaare growth drivers for the global lithium supply.

The lithium-rich continent presents opportunities because the competitive landscape is still in its infancy compared with Europe and North America, where investment patterns are relatively fixed. However, it is not easy for Chinese companies to develop lithium due to the limited conditions and chaotic political and business environment there.

Processing lithium-bearing minerals is complicated, and the recovery rate is low, Fu Xiaofang, a senior engineer at the Sichuan Provincial Geological Survey Institute, said at the conference.

A lithium mine owned by Australian mining company AVZ, in the Manono region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. (Junior Kannah/AFP via Getty Images)

Africas lithium deposits are dispersed, with a large proportion of small mines. Working conditions in Africas many small chicken coop mines are often primitive, with workers even using tools like crowbars and hammers. Moreover, the extraction and processing of the minerals have significant environmental effects, involving toxic chemicals that can cause contamination and pollution.

In the mining industry overall, lax regulation and policing have also made Africa fertile land for speculators. Small miners and traders are fueling a thriving black market, and mineral smuggling has cost countries such as Zimbabwe a great deal of money.

Even in Nigeria, which is said to be friendly to China, attacks on Chinese citizens have become regular occurrences in recent years amid the countrys many conflicts, according to an April 15 article in British newspaper The Times, noting that Chinese firms must constantly negotiate with terrorists and bandits.

Further, mining conflicts are rampant. More than 5,000 people have been killed in Nigerias Zamfara state in the past five years due to mining conflicts, in which local military, gangs, and other forces are intertwined.
ANALYSIS: Haleys Abortion Speech Can Boost Electability in General Election but Is Unlikely to Swing Primary Voters, Expert Says

News analysis

Nikki Haleys speech on April 25 on abortion policy makes her a more appealing general election candidate but is unlikely to swing primary voters, according to one prominent elections analyst.

In what her campaign billed as a major policy speech on abortion, Haley, who is pro-life, didnt offer concrete legislative or executive proposals but did point to a few areas where the voters on both sides of the issue could agree, including making adoption easier and protecting children who survive abortions.

Haley needs to put herself in the best position to win the primary first and then the general election. Those are two very different constituencies, Nathan Gonzales, publisher of Inside Elections, told The Epoch Times. This speech looks like an attempt to stay relevant in the national conversation and demonstrate a different way of talking about a critical issue.

However, he noted, Republican primary voters expect all of the candidates to be pro-life, so Im not sure theres a lot of room to gain the upper hand on the rest of the field.

Haleys tone could make the difference in the general election but likely not in a primary, according to Gonzales.

Its possible Haley is trying to present herself as a more electable general election candidate by her tone and message on abortion, but primary voters dont prioritize electability, said Gonzales. In a general election, Haleys tone on abortion would be drowned out by state legislatures and Trump-appointed judges taking tangible steps to restrict access to abortion. I dont think Haleys speech is going to satisfy voters with fears about abortion access being taken away completely.

Haley struck a personal tone on abortion as the only female candidate and mother in the Republican field.

Abortion is a deeply personal topic for both women and men. I understand why, said Haley at the top of her speech in Arlington, Virginia. Someones body and someone elses life are not things to be taken lightly, and they should not be politicized. The issue should be addressed with sensitivity and respect, not judgment and hate.

Reaching consensus starts with humanizing, not demonizing. Just like I have my story, I respect everyone who has their story, said Haley later in her remarks. I dont judge someone who is pro-choice any more than I want them to judge me for being pro-life.

Ken Farnaso, campaign press secretary for Haley, told The Epoch Times that Haley sought to unite voters behind her pro-life agenda.

Conservatives wont win the hearts and minds of the American people if we dont communicate our pro-life principles with compassion. Nikki Haley is the only presidential candidate who has a track record of bridging divides in a way that appeals to swing voters and independents (that) Republicans need to beat Joe Biden, Farnaso said.

Haleys husband was adopted a few years after birth by impoverished parents. Michael Haleys father was an alcoholic who was in and out of prison, and his mother suffered a traumatic brain injury after a car accident.

Adoption literally saved them, she said. Every day is a blessing because someone gave him life. Every day is a blessing because a family loved and raised him under difficult conditions. The world is better because of Michael Haley.

She went on to praise him for being an amazing father and husband, for his military service, and for helping adoption and at-risk-youth causes.

Haley mentioned that it was difficult for her and her husband to have children.

Indeed, adoption has been an issue virtually absent from the public debate. Declared and possible candidates have given an array of answers on the abortion issue ranging from backing a six-week limit to leaving the issue to the individual states.

While Haley said shes clearly pro-life, she noted that abortion should be decided on the state level, as the Supreme Court ruled last year overturning the landmark case Roe v. Wade. She applauded states that have enacted pro-life laws and, though she lamented the states that enacted pro-abortion laws, she said, Thats what the founders of our country envisioned. Its the reality of living in a democracy.

When she was a state legislator and governor of South Carolina, Haley voted for and signed into law pro-life legislation.

She acknowledged what it will take for the GOP to enact generational nationwide pro-life policy, which is easier said than done: the White House, the House, and a filibuster-proof 60-seat Senate majority.

Haley noted the GOP is nowhere near to reaching that point and that there havent been 60 Republican senators since 1910. She predicted that a filibuster-proof GOP Senate majority is unlikely to happen soon. And she acknowledged that pro-life legislation that was enacted in deep-red states has no chance of being replicated at the federal level.

Haley remarked there are already areas where most Americans can agree on the abortion issue.

Examples she cited include beliefs that babies who survive attempted abortion should live; that adopting children should be easy; that doctors and nurses who are against abortion should not be forced against their beliefs; that late-term adoptions are extreme; that there should be more, not less, contraception; and that women who have abortions should not be put behind bars or to death.

We dont need a president who endangers lives while dividing our country even more, Haley said. We need a president who unites Americans and brings out the best in them, even on the toughest of subjects.

That will be my approach as president. I believe in conversation. I believe in compassion. I believe in empathy, not anger. Were not just talking about policy here. Were talking about people. Thats often lost in this debate, on the left and the right. But its front of mind for me. I acknowledge the humanity of both the unborn baby and the pregnant mom. I want to save as many babies and help as many moms as possible. That is my goal, to do that at the federal level.
AOC Is WrongDeplatforming Never Works

Commentary

Soon after Tucker Carlson left Fox News, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), more commonly known by her initials, AOC, celebrated on social media, telling her followers that deplatforming works. Deplatforming, the practice of preventing an individual with specific views from voicing those views, might work for her, but its a disaster for broader society, according to a new peer-reviewed study (pdf).

The research, carried out by four esteemed cyber experts, warns that deplatforming regularly backfires, because it creates a sense of deep-seated resentment, driving the disenchanted and disillusioned to seek out alternative platforms where these discussions are less regulated and often more extreme.

In this particular study, the researchers analyzed changes in social media usage following the Great Deplatforming of 2021. For the uninitiated, the Great Deplatforming occurred shortly after the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach. Following the event, a number of major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, banned thousands of accounts.

Ostensibly, as the researchers note, this was done to limit misinformation about voter fraud and suppress calls for violence. However, other, less regulated, platforms such as Parler and BitChute were quick to give the homeless a home.

In this age of maximum choice, with no shortage of alternative social media platforms, deplatforming is an ineffective tool. Its the equivalent of taking a soup spoon to a knife fight. You simply cant make people with alternative points of view disappear. These people will almost always find new homes.

One of the authors of the study, Martin Innes, a professor of crime, intelligence, and security at Cardiff University, told me that deplatforming can have complex effects and not always those that are intended, including boosting the popularity of the target.

Furthermore, deplatforming can actually increase the toxicity of discourse and make the problems worse on the platform that people migrate to. In truth, deplatforming tends to just displace the problem, not actually solve it, he said.

As Innes and his colleagues note in the paper, contrary to popular belief, deplatforming is not an effective tool for reducing the impact of malign actors on the public. In fact, they contend, deplatforming is ineffective at improving the information space, simply because banned actors can migrate to less regulated platforms, potentially promoting even more radical ideas.

These findings echo the findings of other research papers. In 2021, Innes was part of another study that examined the effectiveness of deplatforming. Innes and his co-author coined the term minion accounts to describe how, following a de-platforming intervention, a number of secondary accounts are established to continue the mission.

When it comes to the creation of minion accounts, Andrew Tate, a man I have discussed in great detail elsewhere, is a shining example of the ineffectiveness of deplatforming. When he was unceremoniously booted off the Holy QuadrinityYouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and TikToklast year, a whole host of fake accounts, powered by real people and tireless bots, quickly popped up, helping to keep the Tate-fueled fire burning.

Those in charge would have us believe that deplatforming is for our own good, that its a tool designed to curb the spread of disinformation. However, one could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. Deplatforming is, first and foremost, a form of social control. Its designed to amplify certain narratives and silence others, perhaps explaining why AOC, a controversial individual with a very strict set of beliefs, appears to be such a fan of the practice.

All of this brings us back to Tucker Carlson, a man who wont (and cant) be silenced. Carlson is, in many ways, bigger than Fox News. Hes a brand, a celebrity, a highly bankable star. One neednt possess more than a few functioning neurons to know that Carlson is going to be OK. In fact, because of his ouster, he has never been in a stronger position. Carlson is more marketable now than ever before.

Where will he go next? Rumble, perhaps. The remarkably popular online video platform service gives content makers a great degree of freedom. Russell Brand, one of the most popular public intellectuals in existence, is Rumbles biggest asset. He currently boasts more than 1 million followers. Adding Carlson to its ever-expanding family would boost Rumbles profile. It would also give Carlson a platform to continue preaching his rather unique gospel. The provocateur extraordinaire will be back. Watch this space.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
At Least 11 Dead, 9 Others Missing After Boat Capsizes in Indonesia

Rescuers on a rubber boat scans the horizon as they search survivors after a passenger boat KM Cahaya Arafah sank in the waters off South Halmahera district in North Maluku, Indonesia, on July 19, 2022. (BASARNAS via AP)

At least 11 people died, and nine others were missing when a speedboat carrying 78 people capsized off Indonesias western province of Riau on April 27, according to local authorities.

The speedboat, Evelyn Calista 01, left a seaport in the Indragiri Hilir Regency of Riau province on Thursday for a 124-mile trip to Tanjung Pinang city. Local officials said the boat sank just three hours after departure.

Nyoman Sidhakarya, chief of Pekanbaru Search and Rescue Agency, told The Associated Press that the speedboat was carrying 72 passengers and six crew members when it capsized in the rough seas.

Sidhakarya said that 58 people had been rescued, and 11 bodies were recovered on Thursday. Most of the survivors were unconscious when they were rescued, having spent hours adrift in the water, he added.

The search for the remaining nine individuals continues. Local police chief Norhayat said that authorities used tugboats and inflatable vessels for the rescue missions, but high waves have hampered the operation.

The cause of the sinking is still being investigated. Norhayat said that some passengers claimed the boat collided with a large log while navigating through strong winds, leading to the sudden overturning of the vessel.

Boat tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where ferries are often used as transport and safety regulations can lapse.

In 2018, an overcrowded ferry with about 200 people on board sank in a deep volcanic crater lake in North Sumatra province, killing 167 people.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Australian PM Unveils New Patient ID System as Part of Medicare Overhaul

A new patient enrolment system designed to help both the government and doctors better understand why people go to emergency departments has been unveiled by the Albanese government.

This follows a report by the Australian Medical Association (AMA), which found emergency wait times were at record levels in almost 30 years.

The new My Medicare patient ID system is among a suite of measures the Albanese government has introduced as part of the $2.2 billion package to overhaul Medicare.

Speaking at the national cabinet meeting with state and territory ministers in Brisbane, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said commitment to health was the national cabinets priority.

Today, we have determined a range of reforms around the theme for a better future for the Federation, Albanese said on April 28.

One of the things that we need to do is to improve primary care delivery so that it takes the pressure off our public hospital systems around the country. And these reforms are practical and will make a difference.

The suite of measures will include plans to improve access to after-hours medical care for patients; greater and more specialist roles for pharmacists, nurses and paramedics; expanding the nursing workforce to improve access to primary care; flexible funding for multidisciplinary team-based models; and the introduction of the patient ID system MyMedicare.

We will introduce My Medicare patient ID to support wraparound care for patients, registered with their local GP through new blended payment models, Albanese said.

One of the things thats been identified is patients who will regularly turn up at emergency departments, we want to make sure theres a registration there so that we can reach out.

What are the issues that are actually driving those regular presentations? It might be a mental health issue, it might be alcohol and drug problems, how do we reach out in order to assist people, but at the same time take pressure off those emergency departments.

According to the AMA, only 58 percent of patients who went to emergency with urgent conditions were seen within the recommended 30 minutes during 2021-22. While only 60 percent of people who attended emergency were treated within four hoursa nine percent decrease prior to the pandemic.

Medical Bodies Back Overhaul

AMA president Steve Robson said that keeping people out of the hospital had been absolutely endorsed by the national cabinet.

Recognising that its no longer a siloed thing  everybody has to work together if were going to find solutions that will make health more accessible for all Australians, he told ABC News.

Meanwhile, Royal Australian College of GPs President Nicole Higgins said the new $2.2 billion funding program would enable medical practices to open longerthereby reducing the number of people turning up to emergency departments, reported AAP.

Albanese said that the establishment of urgent care clinics has been announced in South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.

Ill be in another state or territory, to narrow it down, in the coming days to announce further urgent care clinics, Albanese said.

The aim of them is urgent care clinics that will be open, longer hours 8 a.m. till 10 p.m., providing services to that, for many people who cant get access to a GP, getting access for those health needs that arent acute, that dont require them to be in an emergency department of a hospital but can be fixed and fixed with the only thing you need is your Medicare card, with bulk-billing available.

Now that is a major initiative that already there will be a range of these urgent care clinics up and running on July 1, as we committed to do, and that will make an enormous difference. So were working together collaboratively to make a difference.

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Growth Rate to Halve

The national cabinet also agreed to almost halve the growth of the NDIS.

The prime minister said that the current growth in the programs costs is just not sustainable into the future.

Hence, a new financially sustainable NDIS framework was agreed by state and territory leaders, with the new annual target growth of eight percent to be implemented by July 2026.

Now the growth factor when the NDIS was introduced was anticipated to be four percent, which is why the cap on spending from state and territory governments is 4 percent, Albanese said.

Now, were not proposing to change that, we want to work in a cooperative way.

We need to have a sustainable growth trajectory for the NDIS in order to support equity and fairness for all Australians who are living with disability, including those not eligible for the NDIS and ensure that every dollar goes to those who need it most, Albanese said.

Thats why were providing substantial funding  $720 million in the Budget  on May 9, because we want to make sure that its sustainable, that the people who need support are getting it, Albanese said, noting that issues of fraud had been identified in some cases.
BBC Chairman Resigns After Report Finds He Breached Rules Over Boris Johnson Loan

BBC Chairman Richard Sharp has resigned after being found to have broken the rules by failing to disclose his role in securing an 800,000 loan guarantee for former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The former Conservative Party donor announced his resignation after a review found that he twice breached the code governing public appointments, risking the perception he was not independent from the then-prime minister.

The review was ordered after it emerged Sharp introduced his friend Sam Blyth, a distant cousin of Johnson who wanted to help him with his financial troubles, to Cabinet Secretary Simon Case ahead of being recommended for the BBC role by the government.

The BBCs headquarters in London, in an undated photo. (Ian West/PA)

In the report published on Friday morning, Adam Heppinstall, KC found that Sharp risked a perception that he was recommended for the role because he assisted Johnson in a private financial matter ahead of his appointment in 2021.

Heppinstall also said there was the risk it would be perceived that Sharp influenced Johnson to recommend him by notifying the then-prime minister of his application before submitting it.

Failing to disclose both issues were found to have caused breaches of the governance code for public appointments.

Loan Allegations

The Sunday Times alleged on Jan. 22 that Sharp, a Tory donor and BBC chair candidate at the time, was involved in talks about financing Johnson when the then-prime minister found himself in financial difficulty in late 2020, shortly before Sharp was appointed chair of the public broadcaster.

According to the report, Sharp, a former Goldman Sachs banker, got involved in November 2020 after his friend Blyth, a multi-millionaire Canadian businessman who is also a distant cousin of Johnson, floated the idea of acting as Johnsons guarantor.

The report said Sharp in December 2020 introduced Blyth to Simon Case and spoke to Johnson. It also said that Sharp and Blyth had a private dinner with Johnson before the loan was finalised, but all three denied they had talked about Johnsons finances at the dinner.

In January 2021, Sharp was appointed chair of the BBC on the recommendation of the prime minister and the culture secretary. The Sunday Times said neither Johnson nor Sharp declared the matter of the loan.

Sharp admitted that he had introduced his old friend Blyth to the Cabinet secretary, as the Canadian wanted to support Boris Johnson. But Sharp insisted that he was not involved in making a loan, or arranging a guarantee, and did not arrange any financing.

Johnson also said Sharp has no knowledge of his personal finances, calling the row a load of complete nonsense.

Inadvertent

In his resignation statement, Sharp insisted that his breach of the rules was inadvertent and not material.

Nevertheless, I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC, he added.

I feel that this matter may well be a distraction from the corporations good work were I to remain in post until the end of my term. I have therefore this morning resigned as BBC chair to the secretary of state, and to the board.

BBC Director-General Tim Davie thanked Sharp for his service and the drive and intellect he brought to his time as chairman.

Working with him over the last two years has been rewarding and Richard has made a significant contribution to the transformation and success of the BBC, Davie said.

In a letter to Sharp, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said that he is held in high regard by the BBC board but added that I understand and respect your decision to stand down.

She accepted the decision that he should remain in post until the next board meeting on June 27 when a temporary replacement will be appointed.

Untold Damage

Labours shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell said: The report is clear: Mr. Sharp breached the rules expected of candidates by failing to disclose his involvement in a personal loan to the then PM.

As a result, this breach has caused untold damage to the reputation of the BBC and seriously undermined its independence as a result of the Conservatives sleaze and cronyism.

She urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to urgently establish a truly independent and robust process to replace Sharp to help restore the esteem of the BBC after his government has tarnished it so much.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: The British people wont stand for any more of this. Everything Conservative politicians touch turns into a mess. They are not fit to govern our great country.

Boris Johnson should never have been allowed to appoint Richard Sharp in the first place and whats worse is Rishi Sunak didnt show leadership by sacking him.

We need a rigorous, transparent, and independent process to appoint the next BBC chair, including a confirmation vote by Parliaments cross-party Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

PA Media contributed to this report.
Welcome to the "World Supermarket"! Yiwu, where "Made in China" has been continuously exported to the world, is also a pivotal hub for China's Belt and Road Initiative. Sitting at the departure of the Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe route, it offers opportunities to traders worldwide!
Beijings Hypocrisy Hits New High With Missile Defenses

French President Emmanuel Macron inspects an honor guard with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a welcome ceremony April 6, 2023 outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (Ng Han Guan/Pool/Getty Images)

Commentary

For years, China complained about the development and deployment of American missile defenses, a capability that Beijing didnt have and claimed would undermine strategic stability and security in Asia.

Its funny how you dont hear Beijing protesting about the development and deployment of U.S. missile defenses anymore now that China itself is developing and deploying missile defense systems.

Talk about hypocrisy.

Chinas Defense Ministry reported earlier this month that one of its missile defense systems had conducted a ground-based midcourse missile interception test that had achieved the desired [but unspecified] test objective.

Naturally, the Chinese claimed that the test was defensive in nature and not targeted against any country. But considering the tense ties with the United States, this test certainly was directed at Washington.

It is curious, though, that there was no mention of how a Chinese missile defense system possibly would undermine stability and security in Asia like an American system was supposed to do.

Actually, its not curious at all.

As you may know, a midcourse missile defense system is designed to destroy intermediate-range and longer-range intercontinental ballistic missiles as they fly through space to a terrestrial target.

To intercept a high-speed missile in flight high above Earth is technologically challenging. Indeed, this significant engineering feat has been likened over the years to shooting a bullet with a bullet in space.

Imagine.

The United States has its own midcourse missile defense system consisting of networked space-, land-, and sea-based sensors for tracking and destroying targets and sea- and land-based hit-to-kill weapons such as the SM-3 missile and Ground-Based Interceptor.

The U.S. missile defense system is currently capable of defending against an accidental launch or limited strike, such as from North Korea, but is unable to manage a larger missile attack originating from Chinas or Russias nuclear forces.

Alongside Russian-bought S-300 and S-400 air defense systems, China already has developed missile defense systems for short- and medium-range missiles in the HQ-9 and HQ-19 systems. Its not clear whether the most recent test was of an existing system or a completely new one with increased capabilities.

Like the United States, China likely is developing a layered missile defense system that will cover a range of threats. This, of course, comes on top of Chinas work to vastly increase the size of its nuclear weapons arsenal.

Although the United States currently has more intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads than China, Beijing now has more fixed and mobile land-based launchers than Washington, according to U.S. Strategic Command.

The United States currently has 450 land-based missile silos.

Its very likely that over time Beijing will fill those fixed and mobile launchers with enough intercontinental ballistic missiles tipped with nuclear warheads to attempt to achieve nuclear parity with, or nuclear superiority over, Washington.

Indeed, the Pentagon estimates that China may have 1,500 deployed nuclear warheads by 2035, nearly equaling the 1,550 the United States currently has deployed under the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia.

Beyond this, the successful development and expansion of Chinas sea-based (i.e., submarine) and air-based (i.e., bomber) nuclear forcesalongside its growing missile defenseswill only complicate the myriad related security challenges.

With Beijing unwilling to discuss its strategic offensive and defensive programs with Washington, the only course available to America is to enhance its own strategic deterrence, nuclear strike capabilities, and missile defenses against the growing threat from China.

Failing to take action now on these pressing strategic offensive and defensive issues unquestionably will have unpleasant consequences for U.S. global interests at the hands of an increasingly aggressive China.

Reprinted by permission from The Daily Signal, a publication of The Heritage Foundation.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Biden Authorizes Southern Border Deployment of Reservist Troops

DHS, State Department announce additional measures

President Joe Biden speaks with a member of the Border Patrol as they walk along the U.S.Mexico border fence in El Paso, Texas, on Jan. 8, 2023. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

President Joe Biden authorized the deployment of reserve troops to the southern border to combat international drug trafficking under the National Emergencies Act in an executive order signed April 27.

The executive order authorizes the secretaries of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense (DOD) to order to active duty reserve troops as they consider necessary.

I am authorizing the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security to order to active duty such units and individual members of the Ready Reserve under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned, Biden wrote in a subsequent letter to Congress. The authorities that have been invoked will ensure the Department of Defense can properly sustain its support of the Department of Homeland Security concerning international drug trafficking along the Southwest Border.

The administration explained the reservist authorization is a response to a previous national emergency declaration, signed by Biden in December 2021, related to drug trafficking across the southern border.

That executive order from 2021 authorized the Treasury Secretary to impose sanctions on foreign persons involved in global illicit drug trafficking.

I  find that the trafficking into the United States of illicit drugs, including fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, is causing the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans annually, as well as countless more non-fatal overdoses with their own tragic human toll, Biden wrote in 2021s executive order. Drug cartels, transnational criminal organizations, and their facilitators are the primary sources of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals that fuel the current opioid epidemic, as well as drug-related violence that harms our communities. 

DHS, State Department Announce Sweeping New Measures

The Biden administration also on Thursday announced sweeping new measures to further reduce unlawful migration across the Western Hemisphere after the Title 42 public health order ends.

But the lifting of the Title 42 order does not mean the border is open, according to a DHS fact sheet announcing new measures. When the Title 42 order lifts at 11:59 PM on May 11, the United States will return to using Title 8 immigration authorities to expeditiously process and remove individuals who arrive at the U.S. border unlawfully.

Migrants from Central and South America take part in a caravan attempting to reach the Mexico-U.S. border, while carrying out a viacrucis to protest for the death of 40 illegal immigrants in a fire at a detention center in the northern city of Juarez, in Tapachula, Chiapas state, southern Mexico, on April 23, 2023. (Stringer/AFP via Getty Images)

Title 8 consequences for unlawful entry include a five-year ban on reentry and potential prosecution for repeat offenders.

The return to processing under Title 8 is expected to reduce the number of repeat border crossings over time, which increased significantly under Title 42, DHS officials say in the fact sheet. Individuals who cross into the United States at the southwest border without authorization or having used a lawful pathway, and without having scheduled a time to arrive at a port of entry, would be presumed ineligible for asylum under a new proposed regulation, absent an applicable exception.

DHS and the State Department say the measures will be implemented in close coordination with Mexico, Canada, Spain, Colombia, and Guatemala. The agencies call on Congress to take action, stating Congress alone can provide reforms and resources to manage the migration challenge.

Measures announced by DHS and the State Department include stiffer consequences for failing to use lawful pathways, expedited removal, the launch of an anti-smuggling campaign in the Darien corridor, and additional lawful pathways for entry including expanded access to the CBPOne App and new family reunification parole processes.

Another effort the agencies announced is to combat smuggler misinformation.

Smugglers are already ramping up misinformation campaigns to profit off of vulnerable migrants ahead of the return to Title 8 processing. To combat this misinformation, States diplomatic missions across the hemisphere are broadcasting accurate information about U.S. migration laws and engaging with a wide spectrum of regional audiences to counter smuggler narratives.

The administration notes the days following the end of Title 42 public health order will be challenging and encounters will increase for a time, as smugglers will seek to spread disinformation to capitalize on this change.

House Republicans Introduce Plan

The backlash to President Bidens policy related to the southern border has been increasing more so in recent months, following the Republicans regaining a majority in the House of Representatives.

Also on Thursday, House Republicans introduced a package they plan to move to the House floor that they say will secure the southern border. Republican lawmakers told reporters that five of the nine sectors of the southern border of the United States are controlled by Mexican cartels.

Committee Chairman Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) speaks during a House Homeland Security Committee about the U.S.-Mexico border on Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 28, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Homeland Security Chairman Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) said since Biden took office in January 2021, more than 6 million illegal immigrants have come across the United States border, which is more than the population of 25 states and more than all the illegal immigrants under the Obama and Trump administrations combined.

The Border Reinforcement Act of 2023 (H.R. 2794) would provide solutions to restore order at the Southwest border and prevent future harm to operational preparedness to the countrys northern and marine borders.

The act proposes resuming the border walls construction and expanding Border Patrols staff to 22,000 agents to address frontline needs, and prioritizes updating and improving CBP technology to keep field agents safe.

It would also require DHS to reveal to Congress and make public all monthly statistics, including monthly known gotaways figures.

Additionally, it provides retention bonuses for U.S. Border Patrol agents who achieve specific conditions to safeguard the nation, and funds local law enforcement in land and marine border states to improve border security.

Savannah Hulsey Pointer contributed to this report.
We now know that Joe Biden lied directly to the American people. And he did it with the help of the intelligence community, which was working hand in glove with the Biden campaign in order to get Biden elected president. This information comes to us from former acting CIA director Michael Morell, who testified that a call from Secretary of State Antony Blinkenwho at the time was a senior advisor to the Biden campaignserved as the trigger for Morells creation of a fabricated narrative that centered around a letter written by a group of former intelligence officials. The letter, which falsely claimed that Hunter Bidens laptop had all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation, was specifically designed to protect Biden by delegitimizing the very real evidence contained on Hunters laptop. Evidence that highlighted corruption within the Biden familycorruption that directly involved Joe Biden.
Biden Planning Papua New Guinea Stopover Ahead of Quad Summit, Official Says

President Joe Biden speaks about advancing environmental justice in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington on April 21, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

U.S. President Joe Biden will briefly visit Papua New Guinea (PNG) during his trip to Australia next month, an official from the southwestern Pacific nation said, in a move that will help boost the U.S. engagement in the region.

PNGs Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko told reporters on Thursday that Biden is planning to visit the nations capital Port Moresby for a three-hour stopover on his way to Australia next month.

He is coming on May 22, in the morning, and will be here for three hours only, Tkatchenko said, according to the Pacific News Service.

Tkatchenko said that Biden is expected to meet with PNG leaders to discuss the economy, security, and climate change, without elaborating further.

The White House has not officially announced Bidens stopover in PNG. If this goes ahead, Biden will become the first-ever sitting U.S. president to visit the nation.

Biden will attend the Quad Leaders Summit in Sydney, Australia, on May 24 alongside his Indian and Japanese counterparts. The White House said the summit will focus on issues that matter to the people of the Indo-Pacific, such as critical technologies and climate change.

This will be the first time Australia has hosted the Quad Leaders Summit, which will follow a three-day Quad Leaders Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 19 that Biden will also attend.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday that he looks forward to discussing with Quad leaders and key regional institutions ways to shape the Indo-Pacific region we all want to live in.

Leveraging our collective strengths helps Australia advance its interests and more effectively respond to the regions needs. We are always better off when we act together with our close friends and partners, he said.

Negotiating Defense Cooperation

The United States has sought to enhance its engagement in the Indo-Pacific region to counter Beijings growing influence. In February, PNG sent a delegation to Honolulu for security talks with U.S. officials.

The U.S. State Department said they discussed the foundational framework of the U.S.-PNG Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) to establish a mutual understanding of core issues.

When completed and signed, a U.S.-PNG DCA will be the foundational framework around which our two nations will enhance security cooperation and further strengthen our bilateral relationship, improve the capacity of the PNG Defense Force and increase stability and security in the region, it stated.

Tkatchenko said earlier this year that the DCA will help with Americas investment into capacity building of the PNG defense force, in training, infrastructure, and other items that have to do with defense.

Basically, everything is there; the most important thing is the legal clearancemaking sure our sovereignty is protected and making sure we get things right from the beginning and not halfway through, he said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Commission.

However, the minister said there was no plan to have U.S. warships stationed in PNG and that the deal was more focused on training.

But its a big one that will ensure we have the cooperation agreement that will have both defense forces working together now and in the future for the security of the Pacific region and the region that we live in, he said.

The move occurred as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Beijing has been increasing diplomatic efforts in the region.

Beijing signed multiple agreements with some Pacific Island nations last year, including a security pact with the Solomon Islands that would allow it dispatch police, troops, weapons, and naval ships to the island.

The Solomon Islands occupies a strategic position in the Pacific and is less than 1,200 miles from Australia.

The CCP tried to have the regions nations sign a sweeping security and economic deal in May 2022 but failed due to a lack of consensus among Pacific Island leaders.

Victoria Kelly-Clark contributed to this report.
Biden Puts Economy in Jeopardy By Not Negotiating Debt Ceiling: McCarthy

President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, as Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) applaud, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 7, 2023. (Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via Reuters)

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is criticizing Biden for endangering the American economy by failing to negotiate the debt ceiling, with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) also asking for negotiations.

The Senates done nothing, McCarthy said in an April 27 interview with Bloomberg. They havent done anything on the debt ceiling, and the presidents ignored this problem. The House Speaker criticized Biden for placing the U.S. economy in jeopardy by refusing to negotiate the debt ceiling issue. The last time the two met to discuss the matter was on Feb. 1. McCarthy said that only House Republicans were serious about preventing a U.S. debt default.

On April 19, McCarthy unveiled legislation to raise the countrys debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion or until March 31, 2024, whichever comes first. The bill comes with a series of spending cuts. The United States hit its $31.4 trillion debt ceiling limit in January.

Manchin has also asked Biden to negotiate with McCarthy to avoid a default. The American people will pay the economic price if Biden continues to not sit down and negotiate a commonsense compromise, he said.

Only a president can prevent this from becoming a full-blown domestic crisis. For the sake of our nation that we all serve, I urge the president to put politics and partisanship aside, Manchin said in an April 28 statement. Speaker McCarthy did his job, and he passed a bill that would prevent default and finally begin to rein in federal spending. While I do not agree with everything proposed, it remains the only bill moving through Congress that would prevent default and that cannot be ignored.

The Republican Bill

The GOP bill to raise the debt limit, called the Limit, Save, Grow Act, was passed by the House in a single day on April 27 by a 217215 majority. Republicans intend the bill to be the basis for talks with Democrats.

The bill calls for capping spending growth to 1 percent a year, returning discretionary spending to 2022 levels, and repealing certain tax credits. It removes barriers to boosting domestic energy production, will take back unspent COVID-19 relief funds, reimposes work requirements for people on welfare, and cancels Bidens $400 billion student loan forgiveness program.

After the passage of the bill, McCarthy renewed his calls for negotiating with the president. Its up to you now, McCarthy told reporters, as if addressing Biden. Whether the economy gets in any trouble, its you. Because Republicans raised the debt limit. You have not. Neither has [Senate Majority Leader Chuck] Schumer.

Both Biden and Senate Democrats have said that the proposed spending cuts and caps are unacceptable.

At a press briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre blamed Republicans for threatening a default and crashing the economy.

When asked why the president was waiting, she stated that Republicans had put together an extreme MAGA agenda, saying: We cannot allow this to happen. I dont have anything new to say.

Breaching Debt Ceiling

If the United States were to breach the debt ceiling, it could have serious economic consequences for the country. Economists at Goldman Sachs estimate that the event will immediately bring to a stop about a tenth of Americas economic activity.

Moodys Analytics estimates a 4 percent reduction in GDP in case of a default lasting for four months. In addition, stock prices are expected to fall by a third, leading to companies laying off six million workers. A downturn similar to the 2007-2009 Great Recession is also a possibility.

Meanwhile, a group of 43 House Democrats have introduced a bill that would repeal the debt ceiling. Republicans insist that the debt ceiling is a useful feature as it forces lawmakers to reexamine their spending habits when deciding on the federal budget.

If you gave your child a credit card, and they kept maxing it out to the limit, would you just blindly raise the limit? Of course not, McCarthy said in a speech at the New York Stock Exchange on April 17.

You would sit down and work with them to figure out how they could change their spending habits so it never happens again. That exact same thing is true for our national debt. Debt limit negotiations are an opportunity to examine our nations finances.
Bill C-11: How to Get the Internet, Not TrudeauNet

Commentary

What can you do if you dont want the new government-approved internet?

If you want the internet, not TrudeauNet, find a VPN (Virtual Private Network) and you are on your way. VPNs are designed to enhance security but also to make your IP address invisible to the rest of the internet. That means you cant be tracked by either the big platforms or governments. VPNs have been criticized because they enable you to go to bad places without anyone knowing what you looked at, but they are perfectly legal.

On April 27, Bill C-11 passed the Senate and will soon be law. The bill has been sold to the public as legislation that addresses a supposed inequity. Canadian cable companies must pay 5 percent of gross revenues to Canadian production funds. These funds pay for the production of Canadian movies and television programming. Netflix and other internet platforms do not pay to these funds. So, this bill will require that these platforms pay a percentage of their Canadian revenues to production funds. This is only fair, say the bills promoters.

Once again, the government is trying to stuff new technology into an old regulatory model that was designed for a different era. When Direct-to-Home satellite television was introduced, it was required to carry many local television channels on expensive satellite bandwidth. This increased the cost to consumers, but made it fair to television broadcasters and cable companies. The boat was not rocked.

Bill C-11 tries to contain the internet in our old broadcasting regulatory system. Consumers will pay more because the platforms will pass on the higher costs of implementing the governments subsidy and censorship measures. But the legacy broadcasters, cable distributors, and program producers will benefit from the level playing field.

C-11 also contains measures to force platforms like Google to comply with government-ordered censorship measures on top of the censorship already practiced voluntarily.

What can you do if you dont want the new government-approved internet?

The easiest way to opt out is to subscribe to a VPN.

VPNs use encryption to limit participation to the authorized users as if they were physically connected by a private network. VPNs provide enhanced security and protection against unwanted trackers, malware, and viruses. If you have worked for a company with multiple locations or a government department, you have probably used a VPN.

Commercial VPNs offer the same service to individual internet users everywhere, from free to a small fee of $20 per month, depending on the terms and services selected. You have likely seen ads for VPNs on YouTube or other platforms, so they are readily available.

VPNs effectively get around geofencing that is used to provide different content for different countries.

Your request to visit a website goes to the VPN first. The request is then forwarded to the website address from a server in Canada, Romania, the UK, or anywhere else in the world where your VPN has a server, but your original IP address is not identifiable.

The website cant tell that the request came from Canada, so it cant label you as Canadian and provide you with the Canadian version of the site. It cant implement other measures that the Canadian government would like to impose, either.

In theory, the government could counter by making VPNs illegal or requiring VPNs and ISPs to track users activity and maintain geofencing. But these measures would require a massive intrusion into the legal activities of businesses, generate years of legal and trade challenges, driving business out of Canada. They would also be very expensive to implement and easily evaded.

The government could also try to prohibit individuals from using commercial VPNs. Once again, this would be a massive intrusion that is impossible to enforce effectively. So far, the government has not pursued VPNs or their customers who use them to receive the U.S. version of Netflix. Individuals could use VPNs with no physical presence in Canada, and pay in a digital currency making enforcement nearly impossible.

Unfortunately, many people will probably not bother to look into VPNs. No doubt many Canadians will be unwilling to add more cost to their internet access, which is already expensive enough. Others wont care. And some will even prefer the government-approved version. But consumers need to know they dont have to play along with the government.

If you want the internet, not TrudeauNet, find a VPN and you are on your way.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Bill Gates to Receive Honorary Doctorate and Speak at NAU 2023 Spring Commencement Ceremonies

Bill Gates will be receiving an honorary doctorate from Northern Arizona University during 2023s commencement ceremony on May 13, the university announced Thursday.

Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will deliver the keynote address during the graduation ceremony.

It is our privilege to recognize Bill Gates for his pioneering work in science and technology and his longstanding thought leadership and philanthropic commitment to creating a world where every person has the opportunity to live a healthy life and live up to their full potential, NAU President Jose Luis Cruz Rivera said, in a statement announcing the speakers.

Bill Gates speaks onstage at the TIME100 Summit 2022 at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City, on June 7, 2022. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for TIME)

Gates is one of four who will be recognized with honorary doctoral degrees from Northern Arizona University during the commencement ceremonies on May 12 and 13.

Arturo A. Massol-Deya, executive director of Casa Pueblo, an environmental community-based organization, will deliver the first keynote address of the weekend. Ty White, the 2023 Arizona Education Foundation Teacher of the Year, will follow, as well as David P. Franke, a principal at Franke & Company and president of the Northern Arizona University Foundation Board.

Gates founded the successful tech company Microsoft in 1975 with his friend Paul Allen. He also founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which he started with his then-wife Melinda French Gates in 2008.

The Gates Foundation states that it is focused on expanding opportunities to save and improve the lives of people around the world by addressing global health and development issues, agricultural development, water sanitation and hygiene practices, pandemic prevention, and disease eradication, among other issues.

We wake up every day determined to use our resources to create a world where everyone has the opportunity to lead a healthy and productive life. Most importantly, we believe this: All lives have equal value. Thats why we made the decision to donate our wealth from Microsoft to help others, Gates and his wife said in a joint statement. As our commitment to our work grew, we transferred $20 billion of Microsoft stock to our foundation, making it the largest of its kind in the world. We devoted more and more time to its work until we were both doing it full-time. And when our good friend Warren Buffett donated much of his fortune to our foundation, it allowed us to raise our ambitions about taking on the toughest, most important problems.

Gates shared how he is incorporating advanced AI technology tools into his businesses and foundation causes during an appearance at the 2023 ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego.

The whole purpose of an entity like the Gates Foundation or many others will be to make sure this gets used on an equitable basis. For us, therefore, the two domains of great interest are health and education. And over the last six months, Ive been to so many long meetings where we brainstorm, Okay, what does this mean for drug discovery for diseases of the poor? What does this mean for health consultations in Africa, where most people live their entire life without meeting a doctor? Its not that they only meet a doctor rarely; they never meet a doctor. So many different conditions simply cant be diagnosed, and we can revolutionize that. And the cost of doing it wont require some unrealistic amount of financing, Gates told the crowd during the interview.

Gates and his ex-wife Melinda recently celebrated their daughter Jennifer Gates 27th birthday and wrote her a heartwarming birthday tribute on Wednesday.

Happy birthday, Jenn! You continue to amaze me with your intelligence, creativity, and compassion, Gates wrote alongside a photo of the two smiling. I feel incredibly lucky to be your dad, and Im so proud of everything youve accomplished. Love you always!

The Epoch Times reached out to NAU officials for comment.
British University Received Over 20 Million From China

Imperial College London is one of a staggering number of UK universities taking donations from blacklisted Chinese companies

The royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom (R) is seen next to the national flag of China as pro-Beijing activists gather outside the British Consulate-General to protest against the use of the British National (Overseas) passport, in Hong Kong on Feb. 1, 2021. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)

A British university has accepted over 20 million in funding and donations from China in just four years.

The Epoch Times can reveal that Londons Imperial College is one of a staggering number of UK universities receiving millions of pounds from the Beijing regime, as well as Chinese companies accused of crime and human rights abuses.

Many of the organisations identified as bankrolling British educational institutions have also been blacklisted by other countries over national security fears.

At least one has been linked to Chinese spy balloon incidents recorded in the United States this year.

The information, gathered through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, has been described as astonishingly dangerous by experts who say the government needs to hold an inquiry into universities funding sources.

The Epoch Times approached over 160 universities in the UK and asked them about their funding sources connected to China.

Many responded, while some heavily redacted details of donations and grants.

Others, including the London School of Economicswhich is home to a business Confucius Instituterefused to reveal any of its financing from China.

Imperial College London, which bills itself as a world class institution specialising in science, engineering, medicine, and business, was awarded a total of 18,380,012 in research funding between 2018 and 2022.

Those grants emanated from 20 organisations based in China.

That included an unknown amount from China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC)a state-owned oil company accused in the past of having drug-trafficking ties and carrying out human rights abuses in Burma.

The company is also said to have collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to send employees who practice Falun Gong to labour camps and mind-control facilities unless they renounce their beliefs.

The London college also received 3,896,422 in cash donations from Chinese individuals, charities, and institutions in the same time period.

National Security Blacklist

Documents show that the University of Edinburgh accepted almost 11 million from U.S.-blacklisted telecoms company Huawei.

The firm was listed as a national security threat in 2020, with U.S. companies banned from using subsidies to buy its equipment.

The United States House Intelligence Committee previously warned that Huaweis telecommunications equipment could be used by the Chinese regime to spy on American citizens.

In 2022, the UK government ordered that Huawei technology must be removed from all 5G public networks by the end of 2027.

The UK ban on Huawei in 5G followed guidance from the National Cyber Security Centre that the security of the companys productssuch as equipment used at phone mast sites and telephone exchangescan no longer be managed owing to the impact of U.S. sanctions.

The prestigious Scottish university has also accepted over 39,000 from Tencent, a technology institution in China that has been accused of spying on behalf of the Chinese regime.

Tencent owns WeChat, a social media app hugely popular in China.

In 2020, then-U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order against Tencent banning all U.S. business with the technology giant over national security fears surrounding WeChat.

He said the app represented a security threat by collecting vast swathes of data on Americans and other users, and by allowing the Chinese Communist Party a mechanism for keeping tabs on Chinese citizens who may be enjoying the benefits of a free society for the first time in their lives.

The order said: WeChat, like TikTok, also reportedly censors content that the Chinese Communist Party deems politically sensitive and may also be used for disinformation campaigns that benefit the Chinese Communist Party.

The conglomerate denies that it received intelligence funding, saying its finances were transparent. It rejects accusations of wrongdoing.

The same year, Citizen Lab, a research organisation linked with the University of Toronto, found that Tencent used its WeChat app to monitor accounts outside of the Chinese mainland.

Citizen Lab found text and images sent between international accounts were also monitored by the technology company to help inform domestic censorship.

Tencent has also used artificial intelligence to identify and block images created by users to circumvent CCP censorship.

It has been known to shut down social media accounts that share information critical of the Chinese regime.

In its FOI response to The Epoch Times, the University of Edinburgh said its links with Tencent, which started 2022, involved research on serving big machine learning models.

The social media application logo for TikTok is displayed on the screen of an iPhone in front of a U.S. flag and Chinese flag background in Washington, on March 16, 2023. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

Millions for Computer Research

Edinburghs donation from Tencent is a drop in the ocean compared to monies given to the University of Oxford.

It has accepted sums totalling 1.25 million from the shadowy technology companyincluding a pledge of 750,000.

FOI documents reveal that Oxford has used the cashdonated from 2018 to 2022for its computer science and physics departments.

In 2021, Oxfords plans to rename one of its most historic professorships after the Chinese technology company caused uproar.

The Wykeham Professorship of Physics was to be renamed Tencent-Wykeham Professorship of Physics following a donation from the company.

Following criticism from leading politicians including Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the university later said it would not be renamed and instead the current holder would be given a separate post called Tencent Chair of Theoretical Physics to run concurrently with his Wykeham post.

Cardiff University, which has cashed in over 2.5 million from Chinese sources over the last four years, was also a recipient of Tencent donations.

According to FOI documents, it received two donations from the technology company in 2018 for research into virtual and augmented reality.

Another big funder of Cardiff University is China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) a majority state-owned, multinational engineering and construction company.

It was placed on a trade blacklist by the United States in 2020, accused by the Trump administration of helping China build islands in the South China Sea.

The United States said the construction program was an illegal attempt to control an important shipping route.

Cardiff has received just over 832,000 in research grants from CCCC and a number of its companies in the last four years.

According to FOI documents, the money was used on a variety of research projects and programmes including architectural data governance and compliance checking research and development.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping (L) wears 3D glasses as he is shown a demonstration of medical equipment during a Hamlyn Centre for Robotic Surgery presentation at Imperial College London, in central London, on Oct. 21, 2015. (Anthony Devlin/AFP via Getty Images)

China Military Links

Companies closely linked to Chinas military and intelligence wings have also been plying UK universities with research cash.

CRRC Corporation Limited was designated as a Chinese military company by the U.S. Defence Department last year.

It has a number of institutions and companies paying tens of thousands of pounds towards research programmes in the UK.

From 2019 to 2022, the University of Sheffield received 700,000 from CRRCs Zhuzhou Institute.

The university was also given a cash boost of 103,000 from an organisation called the 10th Research Institute of China.

It is owned by China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC), a company founded with the stated goal of leveraging civilian electronics for the benefit of Chinas military.

The United States accused CETC of being involved in the Chinese balloon spying incidents earlier this year.

All of CETCs institutes, including the 10th Institute, were blacklisted as a result.

A number of universities refused to be transparent about their foreign funding sources, including the University of Surrey.

Although admitting that it received over 11 million from Chinese sources, it declined to tell The Epoch Times the name of the donor or company that provided the cash, or what the money was used for.

The University of Bradford also declined to provide information on its China links, only stating that it had an ongoing commercial relationship with Sinopec companies.

The group is the largest oil refining, gas, and petrochemical conglomerate in the world.

A high altitude balloon floats over Billings, Mont., on Feb. 1, 2023. (Larry Mayer/The Billings Gazette via AP)

Inquiry Needed

Mark Sabah, UK and EU director with The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, said the government needs to launch an inquiry into university funding sources.

There has to be some review into university funding, there has to be an investigation or an inquiry into it, he told The Epoch Times.

And alternative funding streams need to be developed by all these universities as to how they can keep themselves going without taking money from China, because what were seeing from China is what we were seeing from Russia 10 years ago.

The way this reputation laundering was done by the Russians, wings being set up in colleges and museums and galleries in the name of a prominent Russian donors.

And those institutions needed desperately the money and so they were willing to say, Oh, its nothing wrong, its just the business fund.

Of course they now will face a dilemma when these people are sanctioned.

Sabah said the biggest question is why Chinese companies are funding British universities.

He added: Is it truly just for research and development? Because if it is, why is it not reciprocated?

Why are Edinburgh students and professors not given access to the laboratories in Chinese universities?

You would think that the reciprocal route is you give money for us to develop something in our labs, but we have to come to you, and that never happens.

The campaigner said it was important to note that most funding from China went towards national security related courses.

He said: Huawei is not investing millions in Chaucer and Shakespeare, they are investing money in research and technology for communications satellites, etc.

Thats another big issue that we in the UK, and many Western countries, were simply relegating national security for funding, and university funding is the gateway at every point we look at .

Universities are an astonishingly vulnerable part of our system when it comes to infiltration and persuasion.

Benedict Rogers, chief executive of Hong Kong Watch, said the dependency of UK universities on Chinese funding is now a matter of critical concern.

Too many of our universities are disproportionately dependent on Chinese government funding, Chinese students tuition fees, and Chinese corporate funding from companies that are closely linked to the Chinese Communist Party and complicit with grave human rights violations, atrocity crimes, surveillance, and espionage, he told The Epoch Times.

This dependency threatens to undermine and compromise academic freedom and freedom of expression in the UK.

The government must urgently work with our universities to address this, diversify sources of funding, and reduce dependency on sources of funding linked to the Chinese regime.
California Bills That Would Enhance Punishment for Fentanyl Dealers in Limbo Again

SACRAMENTOSix pieces of fentanyl legislation were reconsidered by the Assembly Public Safety Committee on April 27, as the issue of punishment versus prevention took center stage, with the eight-member panel deferring many for later discussion.

Over the course of the four-hour-long hearing, the committee effectively blocked three bills that would enhance punishment for fentanyl dealers.

Its a lot of excuse-making, instead of addressing the real problem, Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale), a committee member, told The Epoch Times after the first two bills stalled.

Labeled as unprecedented by assemblymembers, the special hearing took place after committee Chair Reginald Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) vetoed the bills earlier this year.

Assembly Republicans planned to unite and force a floor vote on the proposals last week, according to an April 19 press release with Jones-Sawyer responding by calling the special hearing.

The California State Assembly Public Safety Committee holds a special hearing on a list of fentanyl bills in Sacramento on April 27, 2023. (Screenshot via California State Assembly)

The debate surrounding the bills is centered around the best approach to address the crisis, with two membersLackey and Assemblyman Juan Alanis (R-Modesto)calling for additional punitive measures for sellers of the drug while their fellow committee members remained resistant to any sentencing enhancements and insisted that education and resources for public health services are the answer to the problem.

Whats not a debate is whats justice, and consequences are a part of justice, Lackey said. To measure justice only by the recidivism rate is unfair.

Lackey was adamant that something must be done to address the severity of the issue.

These victims are suffering final consequences, he said. How do you dismiss consequences when you have such a final outcome for the victim?

Interested parties began gathering several hours before the hearing, with hundreds anxiously awaiting the proceedings, and the meeting space filled quickly, with a large overflow room filled with additional spectators nearby.

Victims family members carried photographs of their lost loved ones, some with pins and T-shirts with images of young faces.

Several assemblymembers referred repeatedly to the failed war on drugs, and some members of the public carried signs reading, No new war on drugs, implying that the proposed legislation would mirror the policies enacted in the 1980s and 90s in response to drug addiction plaguing the country.

Law enforcement experts argued that fentanyl isnt the same as what the nation faced decades ago with cocaine.

I was in New York during the crack cocaine epidemic, saw China White heroin leaving bodies in the street, but this fentanyl crisis is much worse, Dean Cardinale, a Fresno police detective and leader of the citys Fentanyl Overdose Resolution Team, told The Epoch Times. Fentanyl is different because it is killing children.

Parents of fentanyl victims speak in Santa Ana, Calif., on April 24, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Cardinale testified to the committee in support of AB 1058a bill targeting fentanyl dealers so that anyone caught with more than one ounce of the substance, or approximately 400 pills, would face enhanced sentencing guidelinestelling the panel that hes seen dealers in Fresno caught with thousands of counterfeit pills be released within 48 hours.

This is a tragedy people in my community have to continue to relive, Cardinale told The Epoch Times. Kids are dying in their homes, oftentimes at night, and then theyre found in the morning by their parents.  Families are struggling because they encounter these emotions every time they walk past their childs room.

AB 1058, which was introduced by Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R- Fresno), was met with resistance from the Democratic committee members, who are the majority.

The public safety committee for the California Senate Assembly was literally running political interference for the cartels and the drug dealers, and they turned their back on the pain this is inflicting on people losing their children, Patterson told The Epoch Times in a video statement. Theyre not interested in justice; theyre interested in injustice.

Jones-Sawyer suggested Patterson consider amendments proposed by the committee, under what the bill author perceived to be veiled threats to kill the legislation if not adopted.

If I had accepted those amendments, I would have been part of the problem instead of the solution, Patterson said. They turned their back on the victims and opened their arms to the dealers. We should be welcoming those dealers into closed jail cells.

These proposals would have stripped the bill of sentencing guidelines and replaced imprisonment with a $50,000 fine, which would be waived for those unable to afford the penalty.

Assembly Bill 367, introduced by Assemblyman Brian Maienschein (D-San Diego), and Assembly Bill 955, authored by Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine), also failed to move forward. AB 367 sought to enhance sentencing for fentanyl dealers that cause bodily harm while AB 955 aimed to strengthen penalties for fentanyl dealers using social media to distribute drugs.

Victims family members expressed the disappointment they felt with the perceived lack of action or urgency from the committee.

Im frustrated, its an extremely slow path, kind of a snails pace, Chris Didierfather of 17-year-old fentanyl poisoning victim Zachtold The Epoch Times. Because this is the worst crisis, we dont have time to crawl and walk, we need to sprint now.

Didier is a lead witness testifying in support of Petrie-Norriss AB 955, which was referred for what the committee called an interim study.

[It was the] first time Ive heard that phrase, Petrie-Norris told The Epoch Times. The reason I agreed to that is that I have a commitment from the chair and the committee members that we will continue to work on and develop this policy, and to continue this process with a select committee hearing in May.

The alternative would have placed the bill in limbo until early 2024, Jones-Sawyer said during the hearing.

This is an urgent health crisis, and we absolutely need a comprehensive approach to address that, Petrie-Norris said. That includes rehabilitation, education, more investment in treatment, and it also includes tougher penalties for traffickers and dealers that are murdering our children  They need to be held to account.

Fentanyl victim photos are displayed in Santa Ana, Calif., on April 24, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

The following three bills were passed by the committee:

Assembly Bill 33 by Assemblywoman Jasmeet Bains (D-Bakersfield) would establish a Fentanyl Addiction and Overdose Prevention Task Force, designed to reduce deaths through education and rehabilitation.

Assemblyman Freddie Rodriguezs (D-Chino) Assembly Bill 474 would prioritize collaborative efforts between law enforcement agencies at state and local levels to target large fentanyl trafficking operations.

Assemblywoman Esmeralda Sorias (D-Merced) Assembly Bill 675 would prohibit the simultaneous possession of a loaded firearm and fentanyl.

Lackey agreed, while highlighting what he perceived to be the imbalanced priorities of some colleagues.

The discussion is focused completely on the offender and dismisses the victim, he told The Epoch Times. This is not what Lady Justice stands for.

Noting the significant number of families impacted by synthetic opioids, urgent action is needed to save lives, according to testifying parent Didier.

These people are peddling poison for profit, he said. Consequences need to be felt.  Were not going to arrest our way out of it, but were not going to not arrest our way out of here.

The sentiment is weighing on several committee members, including Assemblywoman Mia Bonta (D-Oakland) and Jones-Sawyer, who repeatedly expressed frustration about public discussion suggesting they are doing nothing.

Based on the decisions made by the committee at the hearing, the preferred course of action was to refer many of the bills to an interim study, effectively putting them in a holding pattern, according to the committee secretary.

It was very disappointing, extremely disappointing, Pamela Smithmother of 22-year-old victim Jackson Smithtold The Epoch Times. I want to believe them because I have to remain positive.

Pamela Smith (L) and her son Jackson Smith, who died in 2016 from a counterfeit Oxycontin laced with fentanyl. (Courtesy of Pamela Smith)

Smith said she isnt deterred by the committees lack of progress.

Ill be back as many times as it takes, she said. I will never stop speaking on this issue because I dont want any other parent to go through the grief that I go through every day.

While Smith offers compassionate awareness to committee members and opponents of the legislation, she takes exception to the argument that dealers are ignorant of their actions, as proposed by a number of committee members.

I dont believe that, and it doesnt matter, because their actions caused a death, she said.

Opposition to the fentanyl bills included public defenders offices, a handful of advocacy groups, and an organized cadre of representatives numbering several dozen from the Anti-Recidivism Coalitiona nonprofit criminal justice reform groupvoicing their opinion.

With the committee recommending pushing bills back for more discussion, the chair of the committee offered several comments directly to those in attendance.

[I] hope it shows the public how difficult it is to pass these bills, Jones-Sawyer said at the hearing.

With the special hearing coming as a surprise for many, and with no specific reasoning for the turnaround announced last week, Jones-Sawyer addressed the matter with vague statements.

Thats what I was trying to get to. Thats why I held all the bills, so I could bring them all together, he said.

Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer attends MedMen Red Jacket Preparation Launch with Brotherhood Crusade in Culver City, Calif., on Nov. 7, 2019. (Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images for MedMen)

In what family members described as efforts to appease those questioning the timing of the decisions, he told the crowd: If we approve something today, youre not going to lock someone up today. Were not holding up anything.

Jones-Sawyer also repeatedly mentioned that fresh hearings would be held in mid-May, not the fall as was suggested in prior meetings.
How People Are Pushed Out of California by Cost of Living

Vehicles head east on a Los Angeles freeway during the evening rush hour commute in Los Angeles, on April 12, 2023. (Frederic Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

While historically people have been willing to pay higher prices to live in California, recent migratory patterns showing net outflows suggest that some are choosing to move in search of more affordable options.

From housing to fuel, commodities, and services, Californians fork over more than the majority of the country for routine expenses, and according to residents, the downsides are adding up.

The cost of living in the Bay Area is astronomical, Luke Wang, owner of Vast Aquacapingan aquarium consulting service operating in Northern Californiatold The Epoch Times. Its insane.

Wang moved in 2021 from a 350-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment in Oakland that leased for $2,350 a month to a 1,800-square-foot home in Citrus Heightssituated outside of Sacramento, about 100 miles northeast of Oaklandfor $1,800.

With most of his clients in the Bay Area, his commute increased with his new location, and that combined with spiking fuel prices forced him to raise rates to cover the extra expenses, he said.

Luke Wang of Vast Aquacaping is seen maintaining a Bay Area clients 700-gallon freshwater aquarium. (Courtesy of Luke Wang)

Current gasoline prices average $4.79 per gallon in California, with fuel experiencing extreme increases since the pandemic, spiking, on average, from $2.80 in May 2020 to $6.29 in June 2022 before retreating to current levels, according to Y Chartsa web-based research and analytics firm based in Chicago.

Diesel has been even higher, rising from $3.18 to $6.87 a gallon during the same time period, with the current price at $4.89, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The cost impacts every commodity because the nations transportation infrastructure relies on diesel fuel, with trucks supplying the majority of delivery services.

Pricing variability for supplies makes forecasting costs difficult, with eight-foot lengths of 24 boards swinging from $3.20 to $7 and back again repeatedly over the past 18 months, according to Wang.

His utility costs also spiked in the last year, he said, with his price per unit cost of natural gas increasing from $1.20 to $1.73, all in one unexpected leap.

As a college graduate and business owner, Wangs story is that of a successful, young entrepreneur, yet he does not expect to have the opportunities that prior generations with similar academic achievements received, due to the cost of living in California.

Im 25, and theres no way Im ever buying a house, he said.

His sentiment is shared with millions of working-class Californians and college graduates forced to rent due to a gap between incomes and housing prices in the state.

California is the single worst state in the nation when it comes to creating jobs that pay above average, while it is at the top of the nation in creating below average and low-paying jobs, a study released in 2020 by Chapman University, located in Orange County, California, found.

As such, low and middle-income wage earners are mathematically priced out of the housing market in many areas.

A rental vacancy sign is posted in front of an apartment in San Francisco, on June 13, 2018. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The median home price as of March in California is $743,200, compared to a national median of $400,706, according to Redfinan online residential real estate brokerage firm based in Seattle.

Per capita incomes in California of $41,276 are slightly higher than the national average of $37,638 based on census data, but wages fail to make home-owning a possibility for many in the state.

After scrolling through listings for modest homes priced between $1 million and $3 million in her area of Southern California, Faith Lersey described to The Epoch Times the frustration her family feels when faced with unaffordable housing prices.

Even though were working hard, even though were trying our best, well never be able to achieve the life our parents or grandparents achieved, she said in Epoch TVs Leaving California documentary, which debuted April 21. The housing market is outpacing even my ardent savings efforts.

A study analyzing the length of time workers would have to save to afford the down payment for a newly constructed home released in 2021 by Knocka real estate brokerage company headquartered in San Francisco and New Yorkfound that San Francisco Bay Area conditions would require 167 years of savings.

Workers in the Los Angeles metropolitan area would need to save for 125 years, according to Knocks analysis.

Other areas of the country fared much better, with Houston, Oklahoma City, Atlanta, and San Antonio leading the pack with approximately 12 years of nest egg savings sufficient to buy a new house.

A man talks on his cell phone while riding on the back of a moving truck in Pacifica, Calif., on Jan. 26, 2016. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)

Approximately 39 million peoplenearly twice the population of New Yorkcall the Golden State home, according to the most recent Census Bureau statistics released in 2022, representing a drop of 1.3 percent since 2020.

While some of the loss can be attributed to lower birth and higher death rates during the pandemic, the numbers indicate nearly 800,000 more people chose to leave the state than come in over the last two years.

Texas and Florida have drawn a large portion of those fleeing, according to data released by Move Buddhaan online moving company.

The Lone Star State accounted for nearly 15 percent of searches conducted on the site regarding leaving California, according to the company.

Median home sales prices in Texas were $341,200 as of March, according to Redfin, less than half the price for California homes during the same period.

California has the fourth highest cost of living in the U.S., trailing only Hawaii, the District of Columbia, and Massachusetts, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Centera research division of the Missouri Department of Higher Education.

The research centers study ranked regions by a series of five indices: grocery, housing, utilities, transportation, health, and miscellaneous costs, and in all categories, California ranked near the top of the scale, placing second highest in transportation costs and fifth in housing.

With the sixth highest prices for electricity in the country, according to the study, utility expenses contribute to the affordability dilemma.

Energy bills present a challenge to many families, consuming a significant percentage of low-wage earners incomes, according to experts.

[People] cant afford to turn on their air conditioning because the rates are so high, Victor Davis Hanson, a historian at the Hoover Institution, said in the documentary. The rates are so high deliberately so, so people will not turn on their air conditioning.

An EV Go station for charging electric vehicles in Irvine, Calif., on March 25, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Utility prices in California are disproportionately higher than in many states due to whats known as the Cap-and-Trade programwhich aims, in part, to reduce greenhouse gas emissionswith the law adding what is described as hidden taxes, according to analysts.

Launched in 2013, the program covers several sectors of the energy industry and regulates the amount of carbon allowed to be released, with gradually declining caps on greenhouse gas emissions.

California had generated $19.2 billion in revenue from the program by the end of 2021, according to a 2022 annual report released by the state. These funds are allocated for a variety of climate agendas and programs set by the state.

The costs borne by companies affected by emissions caps are passed on to consumers, according to experts, and some suggest the solution to the cost-of-living crisis lies in a disconnect that exists between policymakers and constituents.

Policymakers often reside in coastal climates where air conditioning is unnecessary, while many Californians live in areas where summers experience extreme temperatures, cresting 100 degrees in many locations, Hanson told The Epoch Times.

The people that set policies, whether its on electric prices or fuel prices, theyre never subject to the consequences of their own ideology, he said.
Chen Xi, president of the Party School of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (National Academy of Governance), attends a graduation ceremony for the 2023 spring semester and presents certificates to the first batch of graduates for the semester on April 28, 2023. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Party School of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (National Academy of Governance) held a graduation ceremony on Friday for the 2023 spring semester.

Chen Xi, president of the school and academy, presented certificates to 437 graduates, the first batch of graduates for the semester. During the ceremony, five representatives of the graduates gave speeches, pledging to make continuous contributions to building a strong country and advancing the great cause of national rejuvenation. 

Chen Xi, president of the Party School of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (National Academy of Governance), attends a graduation ceremony for the 2023 spring semester and presents certificates to the first batch of graduates for the semester on April 28, 2023. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)
CCP Infiltrating Solomon Islands, Preparing Pacific Expansion, Ousted Politician Says

Daniel Suidani, former premier of the Malaita Province in Solomon Islands, in Washington on April 25, 2023. (Wei Wu/The Epoch Times)

WASHINGTONAn ousted Solomon Islands politician is speaking out against Chinas communist regime, which he claims has infiltrated his own government and is seeking to do the same elsewhere.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which rules China as a single-party state, is bribing politicians throughout the Solomon Islands and weaponizing the Pacific Islands nation for its own purposes, according to former Malaita Province Premier Daniel Suidani.

People need to be aware of the way that the CCP is dealing with development in our country, Suidani said at an April 28 talk at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

They do not share our values at all.

Suidani was ousted as premier after a vote of no confidence by the provincial Legislature in February.

He maintains that multiple members of the Solomon Islands national government who promoted his ouster have been receiving bribes from the CCP, and he has condemned the governments decision to sign a security pact with the regime last year that will allow China to deploy its military in the Solomon Islands to protect its own people and companies from anything it deems to be a threat.

The national government also moved in 2019 to revoke its diplomatic recognition of Taiwan in favor of the CCP, which Suidani also opposed.

Suidani said the CCP and its companies in the Solomon Islands are degrading the nations national resources, supplanting the local culture, and taking jobs from indigenous Solomon Islanders.

We havent seen anything good [from the CCP]. We have seen destroyed environments.

Suidani added that the market is for China, and that CCP companies coming to the Solomon Islands brought their own labor force, often encouraging Chinese people to marry into the local population to earn the legal right to run local businesses.

Indigenous Solomon Islanders, meanwhile, were left without opportunity and with critical resources such as water tarnished and polluted by Chinese efforts.

Persecuted by CCP-Backed Agents

Suidani has been the target of CCP-backed persecution efforts for some time now, largely because of his vocal support for the people of Taiwan and his efforts to enforce a moratorium on new CCP-backed ventures in his country.

We are trying to do away with the CCP companies in the province and speaking out against the national governments decision to transfer diplomatic ties from Taiwan to the CCP, he said, noting that the national government switched its recognition to the CCP from Taiwan without a referendum to gauge popular support.

His efforts havent been without their own trials.

While in Taiwan for medical treatment for instance, a prominent journalist published a story claiming that Suidani was fomenting insurrection and meeting with Americans to plot the assassination of Solomon Islands President Manasseh Sogavare.

The story didnt present any evidence for its claims and cited only anonymous sources. Nevertheless, Suidani was briefly arrested and detained for questioning.

The journalist who wrote those allegations, Alfred Sasako, is the vice president of the Solomon Islands chapter of the Chinese Friendship Alliance, a key organization in the CCPs United Front propaganda network, which conducts many of the regimes overseas influence operations.

Sasako also has previously been quoted by Chinese state-owned propaganda outlets, such as the Global Times.

Suidani is suing Sasako for libel and planning to return to power through legal means, challenging the fiat decision to oust him.

The choice of whether he should remain premier, he said, was for the people to decide.

I was voted for by my people and mandated by my people. It would be right to [be voted] out by my people.

Still, there is a real fear that pro-CCP forces in the national government will have him arrested, or worse, when he returns. Thats a risk he accepts as the cost of maintaining the rights of his people in Malaita.

We are so frightened to go back, but we have no choice, Suidani said. We must go back to fight for the rights of our people.

Standing for our people will make them become strong in their own place.

Fighting Back Against Communism

Suidani also spoke about the importance of fighting back against encroaching CCP authoritarianism during an interview on EpochTVs American Thought Leaders.

Preserving his peoples culture and values, he said, was more important than any short-term profit the CCP might offer.

We are Christian people. We believe in God, and the CCP is atheist. They dont believe in the values and the principles we believe in, he said.

The Solomon Islands is estimated to be more than 97 percent Christian. That shared belief in a higher power, Suidani said, is antithetical to the materialism espoused by the communist philosophy.

Malaita, he said, traditionally values communal development and working together, although the regimes presence is destroying that culture and causing disunity, rampant inequality, and a lower quality of life for the indigenous people of the region.

They dont know about the damage [the CCP] cause for local indigenous people and their livelihood, Suidani said.

My biggest fear, actually, for the people of Malaita and even the Solomon Islands at large, is that  the country is really dominated by the enforcement of Chinese businesses.

To that end, Suidani said he hopes the United States and other democratic nations can help the Solomon Islands escape the crushing grasp of the CCP.

Freedom, he said, is necessary for all people.

The freedom here in America is the founding father of freedom [everywhere]. So, I would like to tell the American government to look at these issues because we also need freedom.

Even if we are a small society, we need the same freedom that the Americans have. So if there is a way possible that Americans see fit, to help out in some ways, that would be something great for the Solomon Islands as a country.

Jan Jekielek contributed to this report.
China Detains Taiwan-Based Publisher Who Released Books Critical of CCP

A Taiwan-based book publisher was detained while visiting Shanghai, Chinese officials confirmed Wednesday. Taiwanese officials said the move displays the communist regimes intimidation against the self-ruled island.

Li Yanhe, known by his pen name, Fu Cha, was born in China but has lived in Taiwan since 2009. He has served as the editor-in-chief of Gusa Publishing, a company that has released books critical of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Li traveled to Shanghai to visit relatives in March, but his friend later lost contact with him. Concerns about Lis safety and whereabouts grew after news emerged in the past week that the Chinese police had secretly detained Li.

Chinese officials confirmed Lis detention on Wednesday. Li is under investigation on suspicion of engaging in activities endangering national security, Zhu Fenglian, a Beijings Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson, told reporters at a briefing.

The detention of publisher and radio host Li Yanhe is yet another example of Chinas suffocating intolerance of a free press, Iris Hsu, China representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), said in a statement. Chinese authorities must stop pinning national security charges on both foreign and local journalists.

Beijings announcement comes on the same day when Chinas rubber-stamp legislator passed an amended anti-espionage law, broadening the definition of espionage to all documents, data, materials, or items related to national security and interests, official media Xinhua reported. But the legislation doesnt specify what falls under national security, analysts noted, suggesting that could bring more risks to foreign businesses and journalists in China.

Li is not the first to be detained after releasing books banned in China. In 2015, five publishers and staff of Causeway Bay Books, a Hong Kong bookshop famous for selling texts critical of CCP leadership, were taken across the border and put into custody on the mainland. The highest-profile of them, Swedish citizen Gui Minhai, was accused of providing intelligence overseas and is currently serving a 10-year term.

Placards showing missing bookseller Gui Minhai (R) are seen left by members of the Civic Party outside the China liaison office in Hong Kong on Jan. 19, 2016. (Philippe Lopez/AFP via Getty Images)

Li, 52, was born in the northern Chinese province of Liaoning. He married a Taiwanese woman and relocated to the island in 2009.

On the democratically governed island, Li set up Gusa Publishing, which has printed a wide range of Chinese-language translations, including history or political books that had no chance of being released in China.

Translations released by Gusa include Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region: 70 Years of Chinese Communist Rule, an analysis revealing the CCPs human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims by Jun Kumakura, an associate professor at Japans Hosei University. Gusa also published the Chinese version of The Peoples Republic of Amnesia: Tiananmen Revisited, a book uncovering the deadly suppression of pro-democracy student protests in 1989 by award-winning journalist Louisa Lim.

The detention of Li shows the CCP directly puts its hands in the publishing industry in Taiwan by suppressing the freedom of speech and publishing, Lee Ming-che, a human rights activist from Taiwan who was previously jailed in China for five years, said on Facebook.

In recent years, the CCP has detained several Taiwanese people as it stepped up political, diplomatic, and military pressures on Taipei. For example, on April 24, Chinese police formally arrested Yang Chih-yuan, a Taiwanese political activist, on secession charges. Yang was taken into custody in August 2022, hours after then-U.S House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrapped up her visit to Taiwan.

The CCP claims the self-ruled island as its own territory to be taken by force if necessary.

Taiwans Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Tai-san said the detention of Li and Yang showed the CCP is exercising its long-arm jurisdiction over Taiwan.

There is the smell of intimidation in this, and its a show of suppression by [the CCP], Chiu said in Taipei on April 26.

Newly appointed Minister of Taiwans Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chiu Tai-san speaks during a ceremony at the MAC headquarters in Taipei on Feb. 23, 2021. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

Overseas writers, translators, and rights advocacy groups have called for Lis immediate release.

In Taiwan, freedom of speech and publication, and academic freedom, are like the air we breathe. They are part of daily life for every reader, every author, every translator, and every editor, a group of 40 writers and Gusas staff said in a joint statement.

We believe Fu Cha has not committed any crime in enjoying the freedoms of speech and publishing, read the open letter. We urge the Chinese government to immediately release Fu Cha so that he can return to his beloved family and his publishing work.

Angeli Datt, PEN Americas China research and advocacy lead, described the detention of Li as an outrageous attempt to muzzle the work of Gusa Publishing House as the Chinese Communist Party continues to try and silence free expression outside its border.

Publishing is not a crime, and Li Yanhe should be released immediately and unconditionally, Datt said in an April 26 statement. His detention is an attack on free expression and another example of the Chinese governments belligerence towards anyone who stands for the free and open exchange of ideas.

Frank Fang contributed to this report.
China Flies 38 Fighter Jets, 6 Navy Vessels Near Taiwan

Three military boats from Taiwan's Amphibious Reconnaissance and Patrol Unit patrol the Matsu Islands on April 9, 2023. (Yan Zhao/AFP via Getty Images)

More than 38 fighter jets and other warplanes from Chinas military flew near Taiwan in the latest chapter of military escalation from the regime since it staged war games around the island earlier in April.

The Taiwanese defense ministry announced the incident on Friday in its daily update of Chinese military activities from the previous 24 hours.

Six Chinese navy vessels were also seen around Taiwan from Thursday 6 a.m. to Friday 6.a.m., the ministry added, in what appears to be part of the Chinese regimes effort to intimidate Taiwan.

The latest flight display comes after the Chinese regime on April 8 sent 42 warplanes and eight naval vessels toward Taiwan as part of three days of military exercises that simulated sealing off the island.

The move was an apparent response to a meeting between Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

The Chinese regime sees such meetings as encouraging Taiwanese voters and politicians who support formal independence for the island, a step the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) says would lead to war.

According to the Taiwanese defense ministry, on Friday, 19 of the CCPs aircraft flew across the median line of the Taiwan Strait, and into Taiwans air defense identification zone (ADIZ), an area that Taiwan monitors to provide it more time to respond to threats.

The median line serves as an unofficial barrier between Beijing and Taipei, although the Chinese regime does not recognize it. Since last year, CCP military aircraft have regularly crossed this line.

The 19 aircraft included five SU-30 and two J-16 aircraft. It also included a new type of Chinese combat drone that Chinas state media says can carry a heavy weapons payloadthe TB-001.

The drone flew around Taiwan, according to a map from the Taiwanese defense ministry. It first crossed the Bashi Channel, then up Taiwans east, and crossed back toward the coast of China.

The CCPs state-run media claims the TB-001 is capable of high altitude, long-range missions, and can carry missiles under its wings.

There were no shots fired and while the Chinese aircraft entered Taiwans ADIZ, it did not breach Taiwans airspace.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 following a civil war that ended with the CCP in control of the mainland. But the CCP claims Taiwan as its territory, even though Taiwan has never been part of the CCP.

The CCP has vowed to claim sovereignty over Taiwan, even if by force. But Taiwans government rejects such claims.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Chinas Xi Is Cracking Down on Bankers, Financial System

Customers leave a branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) in Beijing in this undated photo. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)

Since the start of 2023, dozens of senior banking executives in China have resigned or been under investigation. This phenomenon marks a reshuffling of the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) financial sector, with various factions within the regime battling for their own interests, according to a China expert.

This month, senior bank executives were frequently reassigned. Nearly 10 banks made significant personnel changes, including the Postal Savings Bank of China announcing the resignations of two vice presidents, according to Chinese news portal Sina.

On April 13, Zheng Guoyu, vice president of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), resigned from the board of directors. ICBC is the largest bank in the world by total assets.

On April 17, four executives from Bank of China, China CITIC Bank, Jiangsu Suzhou Rural Bank, and Bank of Zhengzhou announced their resignations.

Amid the resignations, regulators investigated the banking sector. According to Chinese reports, dozens of banking executives are under investigation, and the alleged crimes involve bribery and unlawful loans.

The CCP owns the major banks, and the regional banks are usually owned by local governments under the central authorities. Some of the worlds largest banks by total assets are all from China, with four Chinese banks surpassing JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America.

Chinas banking sector is rife with corruption. Various factions within the CCP compete against each other for financial and political control.

According to current affairs commentator Li Yanming, the Chinese banking sector has long been controlled by the factions of the late former CCP leader Jiang Zemin and Zeng Qinghong, former vice chairman. They are allegedly linked to shady practices in Chinas stock market, real estate sector, and state-owned enterprises, Li said.

Although Jiang passed away last November, his close ally Zeng, second only to Jiang in the Shanghai Gang faction, still threatens Xis rule, and members of this faction are not loyal to Xi.

Li noted that the recent investigations in Chinas big banks are happening while A-share company executives are collectively reducing their holdings to cash, and the stock market is plummeting.

He said that behind Chinas economic crisis, the different factions within the CCP are battling for dominance in the banking sector.
Comedy Is Cancelled, What Does That Say About Us?

Australian actor Barry Humphries, dressed as Dame Edna Everage, speaks to the media ahead of her farewell show "Eat Pray Laugh!" in Sydney on July 5, 2012. (Rob Griffith/AP Photo)

Commentary

If ANZAC Day is secular Australias one day of religious observance, Barry Humphries might have been one of our only secular patron saints, embodying the cultures virtues, or at least what we thought were our virtues.

While throwing the Anzacs and Humphries together in one paragraph might seem as surreal as some of his skits, they both speak to powerful currents that shaped modern Australia and now appear to be running out on a strong ebbtide.

War is more likely than at any time since 1939, but polls show fewer Australians than ever would fight to defend their country. And Humphries quintessential Australian honesty (well, at least we thought it was quintessentially Australian) led to him being virtually cancelled by the Melbourne Comedy Festival, which he co-founded with English comedian Peter Cook.

That Humphries could be out of favour with the in-crowd shows how Australia has changed, and not for the better.

The war shaped Humphries, and it shaped the absurdist drama movement of which he was a leading practitioner.

We think of Humphries as a popular entertainer, which, viewed through contemporary aesthetics, almost disqualifies you from being a serious artist. But he was a serious artist in a dramatic tradition stretching back to Chaucer and Shakespeare.

It encompasses burlesque and arises most directly out of the post-World War I existentialist movement and is in the mainstream of the absurdist movement, which arrived post-World War II.

Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart (left) and New Zealand Chief of Army Major General John Boswell conduct a salute after laying wreaths at the Pukeahu National War Memorial in Wellington, New Zealand, on April 17, 2023. (CPL Cameron Pegg/Australian Department of Defence)

Both those wars altered the flow of dramatic expression. WWI, with its killing on an industrial scale, eviscerated hope and purpose and the existentialists, like Jean-Paul Sartre, explored a world without hope and without purpose, whose only reality was power.

Absurdism is more forgiving of human nature and more optimistic. It subverts and disrupts reality to understand it better. The mood after WWII was qualitatively different to that after WWI, with a realistic optimism to rebuild a better world and to create new institutions, like the United Nations.

Absurdist theatre drew on this optimism and the coping mechanisms learned through constantly facing physical danger.

Laughing is an antidote to anxiety and depression. It is also a way into a deeper understanding of your situationthe more you understand, and the faster you do, the more likely you are to survive.

Australian Humour in a Nutshell

Humphries was born 16 years after WWI and five years before WWII. As a result, he inherited, or imbibed, some of the characteristics of those who were only a few years older than him.

Taking the piss is a national pastime in Australia, and most have run rampant in the trenches.

It is also what Humphreys did. It is different from ridicule. Ridicule is a form of bullying, of verbal violence.

You want to demean your subject. It is a sign of affection reserved for your mates or a friendly overture to someone who might become a mate. You dont waste your time taking the piss of someone you dislike.

The laugh you aim to elicit is a form of affection. It is not a cause for war, but a cause for thoughtful retaliation, all the time widening mutual understanding.

Barry Humphries poses for pictures after he received his Most Excellent Order of the British Empire from the Queen at Buckingham Palace, in central London, on Oct. 10, 2007. (Steve Parsons/AFP via Getty Images)

Humphries was all about taking the piss, and he did it because he loved his countrymen.

Dame Edna may have swollen to Gargantuan size (or maybe that should be Gigagantuan), but in a way that made you shake your head and smile at what a ratbag she was, the mirror image of the other ratbag shed pass on her way in or out of the dressing roomSir Les.

His humour was also insubordinate (a quality for which our troops had a reputation). It humanised the powerful and elevated the powerless. It refused to take things at face value or to honour the gravity that they might claim. Edna and Les were insubordinate to a T.

Within the constraints of the theatre, he was a Lord of Misrule, producing a world of equity where up was down and down was up, where men could dress as women and simple housewives be elevated to dames and beyond.

Cancelling Funny Comedy

How could Humphries fall foul of a comedy festival and the lords of cancel culture? Well, comedy isnt comical anymore, its a progression of sneers.

While comics like Humphries took risks, current comics are prosaic.

Humphries used humour to prise out the truth, but if you dont believe in truth, only truths, then there is nothing to be revealed, except your own truth, your own minor exceptionalism.

When speech can be violence, then even comedy has to be tame. So his manner and his purpose are completely at odds with the current moment.

Humphries might have been our most famous drag queen, but the female garb served an imaginative purposewe all knew he wasnt a woman, and that was part of the fun. It also took the threat out of his jibes by adding an extra level of fantasy to the show.

Dame Edna Everage hosts high tea ahead of her My Gorgeous Life national tour in Sydney, Australia, on Sept. 11, 2019. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

When he apparently fell out of favour with the Comedy Festival, according to News.com.au, it was for this:

In 2018, he described being transgender as a fashion, and in a 2016 interview, he declared that those who undergo gender reassignment surgery are mutilated men, while also dubbing transgender former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner a publicity-seeking ratbag.

This was the Humphries behind the bejewelled Edna glasses, briefly shorn of his jokes. Far be it for a comedian to speak the truth!

His cancellation underlines the differences between the generations he represents and the present.

His generation was strong, honest, playful, innovative, and generous, like their humour. The modern generation, in this instance, reveals itself to be timid, uninterested in real truth, puritanical, formulaic, mean and humourless.

This cannot be good for our prospects.

A society that finds every statement a potential slight is one which cannot progress. Without the ability to speak our minds, we will become strangers to each other, locked inside our own minds and the platitudes which are the only sentiments we will be allowed to express.

Humour reveals its true nature by disruptingthat was what Humphries was about.

It also cannot love because it cannot truly understand the other if the other cant take the risk of saying what it really thinks.

Humphries had a third major characterthe wistful Sandy Stone, Australias most boring man.

He was a WWII veteran, and his monologues evoked pathos, powerlessness, and loss.

Maybe Australias best days are behind it as a new generation turns its back on the ways and attitudes that made the past great.

Sandys pessimism will certainly be rewarded if the comedy festival set triumphs over the bequests of ANZAC Day and the generations who risked everything for the future.

Well miss Barry as a bulwark against it, as we will the few remaining veterans who still live.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Ethics Committee Invites PMs Brother to Testify on Trudeau Foundation

Alexandre Trudeau is pictured in a Toronto hotel as he promotes his book "Barbarian Lost" on Sept. 19, 2016. (The Canadian Press/Chris Young)

The prime ministers younger brother, Alexandre Trudeau, is being invited to appear as a witness before a House of Commons committee investigating a Beijing-linked donation to the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation after he reportedly said he wants to tell everything he knows on the matter.

I want to testify before the committee that is looking into it. Im ready to say everything I know about the foundation. Its pressing! Alexandre Trudeau told the Quebec-based newspaper Le Devoir in an interview on April 27.

The Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts voted unanimously on April 24 in favour of holding two meetings in which it would question witnesses from the Trudeau Foundation about their knowledge of a $140,000 donation in 2016 by two Chinese billionaires linked to the Beijing regime.

However, at the request of its Liberal MPs, the committee also agreed to exempt the prime minister and any of his family members from being invited to testify on the matter.

Now, Conservative MP and chair of the Commons Standing Committee on Ethics, John Brassard, says the prime ministers brother has been invited to appear as a witness before the ethics committee.

Brassard told The Epoch Times on April 28 that the ethics committee clerk has extended an invitation to Alexandre Trudeau asking him to appear before the committee on May 3. He said the invitation was sent through the Trudeau Foundations email and the committee is still awaiting a response.

Alexandre Trudeau, who is two years younger than Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, told Le Devoir that it is important he testify before a parliamentary committee following what he calls dishonest attacks on the foundation bearing his fathers name, of which he has been a member for a number of years.

Alexandre was also the Trudeau Foundations director in 2014 when he met with Zhang Bin and Niu Gensheng, the Chinese billionaires responsible for the controversial donation to the Trudeau Foundation in 2016.

In 2014, CSIS found that Zhang had been instructed to make the donation by a Chinese consulate official, who told Zhang that Beijing would reimburse him for doing so, according to a Globe and Mail report published in February.

No Bad Intentions

Alexandre Trudeau told Le Devoir he wants to testify before the Commons public accounts committee because the foundations reputation is affected. He also said the foundation has done nothing wrong and adds that the foreign donation was never an attempt at interference.

The donors had no bad intentions, he said.

Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre previously called for the prime ministers brother to testify in committee about his directorial involvement with the Trudeau Foundation two years prior to when it received the donation, which was originally promised to be $200,000 but turned out to be $60,000 less than that.

He [the prime minister] would have us believe that the Trudeau Foundation received donations from Beijing, organized by his brother, but that he did not know about it, Poilievre said in the House on April 24.

Trudeau has said on several occasions that he hasnt had any involvement with the foundation for 10 years.

As I have repeated many times in and out of this House, I have had no engagement, direct or indirect, with the Trudeau Foundation for about 10 years now, Trudeau said in Parliament on April 25.

Noe Chartier contributed to this report.
Dirty Trick: Barr Blasts Letter Framing Hunter Biden Laptop as Russian Disinformation

Attorney General William Barr speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington on Dec. 21, 2020. (Michael Reynolds/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Former Attorney General Bill Barr has slammed the 2020 letter written by intelligence officials dismissing the Hunter Biden laptop scandal, calling it a dirty trick and accusing them of being political hacks.

Just weeks before the 2020 presidential election, the New York Post ran a story about messages accessed from Hunter Bidens laptop suggesting that Hunter had leveraged his father Joe Bidens position as Vice President to secure lucrative business deals in Ukraine and China. Subsequently, 51 former U.S. spy officials signed a letter saying that the laptop story had Russian ties. In an April 26 interview with Newsmax, Barr called the letter a dirty trick.

The letter was a clearly calculated move and couched in a way to create a false impression, he added. It was a political stunt. And I said I think all those so-called intelligence professionals act like hackspolitical hacks.

The cover-up on the laptop was just another shameful episode of lying to the American public right on the eve of the election, Barr said.

Everyone knew that that was a legitimate laptop. And for now-President Biden, during the debates, to suggest it was Russian disinformation was just an outright lie to the American people.

In an interview with Newsmax in August, Barr said that those who dismissed the story as Russian disinformation may not be held accountable with any legal consequences. He also admitted that the incident may have affected the outcome of the 2020 presidential race.

The intelligence officials suggesting that it was Russian disinformation in order to essentially keep a cork in it until after the election. I do think that that, given how close the election was, you know, I think that that probably affected the outcome, or at least is a very distinct probability of that, Barr stated.

Barr had chosen to remain silent on the Hunter Biden scandal when it broke out, at which time he was the Attorney General. In March 2022, Barr admitted that he was shocked when Biden insisted that the laptop scandal was Russian disinformation during the second presidential debate in 2020.

At that time, the laptop was already in the FBIs possession for 10 months. The agency had also opened up an investigation into Hunter for multiple offenses, including alleged money laundering. The laptop contained information directly connected to these allegations.

However, Barr chose not to make the information known to the public. Barrs refusal to reveal the truth about Hunter Biden to the people upset former President Donald Trump.

Why didnt Bill Barr reveal the truth to the public, before the election, about Hunter Biden? Joe was lying on the debate stage that nothing was wrong, or going on, Trump said in a tweet.

Letter Aimed to Benefit Biden

Barrs April 26 comments come as a member of the 51 intelligence officials who issued the public statement admitted earlier this month that the statement was intended to benefit Bidens presidential campaign.

On April 4, former CIA Acting Director Michael Morell, who was a signatory of the statement, testified to the House Judiciary Committee that the current Secretary of State Antony Blinken called him following the laptop story and that it was this call that led to Morell drafting the statement.

At the time, Blinken was the senior adviser to the Biden campaign. According to Morell, he did not have any intent to write the statement before Blinken called him.

Morell said that there were two aims behind the statement. One intent was to share our concern with the American people that the Russians were playing on this issue; and, two, it was [to] help Vice President Biden, he said.

When Jordan asked why Morell wanted to help Biden, he replied, Because I wanted him to win the election.

Disservice to Democracy

Morells testimony was revealed by Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Michael Turner (R-Ohio), Chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, in an April 20 letter to Blinken.

The letter pointed out that the Biden campaign played an active role in the origin of the statement, which aided in suppressing the Hunter Biden scandal and prevented Americans from making a fully informed decision during the 2020 presidential election.

Although the statements signatories have an unquestioned right to free speech and free associationwhich we do not disputetheir reference to their national security credentials lent weight to the story and suggested access to specialized information unavailable to other Americans, the letter said.

This concerted effort to minimize and suppress public dissemination of the serious allegations about the Biden family was a grave disservice to all American citizens informed participation in our democracy.

Earlier on March 2, Jordan had suggested that the 51 former agents who signed the 2020 letter dismissing the Hunter Biden laptop scandal as Russian disinformation should lose their security clearance.
Dozens Dead in Russian Missile, Drone Attacks on Ukraine

Emergency workers extinguish fire in vehicles at the site of a Russian missile strike, amid Russias attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 9, 2023. (Gleb Garanich/Reuters)

Dozens of people died after Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraine in the early hours of the morning on April 28, according to officials.

The early-morning attacks across the capital city of Kyiv, Uman, and Dnipro, were carried out as Kyiv prepares to launch a spring offensive in an attempt to retake Russian-occupied territory.

Among the injured were a young woman and a 3-year-old child, Borys Filatov, mayor of the central city of Dnipro, said on Telegram, without providing further details.

Ten people also died in strikes on a nine-story residential building in Uman, a city located around 215 kilometers (134 miles) south of Kyiv, according to Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a tweet later on Friday 13 people have been confirmed dead in Uman, adding that two of them are children that cant be identified.

The fate of their parents is unknown The rescuers will work until they make sure that no one else is left under the rubble. We can defeat Russian terror together only  with weapons for Ukraine, the toughest sanctions against the terrorist state, and fair sentences for the killers, he wrote.

Separately, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine reported later on Friday that the death toll in Uman had risen to 14 after additional people were pulled from the rubble.

Russia Continues Terrorizing Civilians

The Ukrainian national police said 17 people were wounded and three children were rescued from the rubble.

In Kyiv, the city government said Ukraines air force intercepted 11 cruise missiles and two unmanned aerial vehicles, adding that there were no casualties.

Images shared on social media by Anton Gerashchenko, a Ukrainian government advisor, showed buildings on fire in Dnipro as firefighters worked to put out the flames. Some of the buildings appeared to have suffered extensive damage and were reduced to rubble.

Russia continues terrorizing civilians, Gerashchenko said.

Other video footage shared on Telegram by Ukraines State Border Service showed officials removing body bags from a badly damaged apartment building as thick clouds of smoke billowed from the scene.

A resident of one damaged block of flats in Uman, Olga, told the Reuters news agency that windows were blown out of her apartment before an explosion occurred.

Everything flew out, she said.

Ukraines Interfax news agency also said explosions were reported after midnight in the cities of Kremenchuk and Poltava in central Ukraine and in Mykolaiv in the south.

Kremlin Welcomes End of Conflict

Two people were also wounded in the town of Ukrayinka just south of Kyiv, Reuters reported.

While Russia has launched various attacks on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure since it began its special military operation last year, the Kremlin has repeatedly denied deliberately launching attacks targeting civilians.

Russian officials have not yet commented on the latest attacks, which came just one day after the Kremlin said it welcomes anything that can bring forward the end of the conflict in Ukraine and the achievement of Russias goals.

As for the very fact of communication, this is the sovereign matter of these countries that pertains exclusively to their bilateral dialogue, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters a day after a phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Russian state news agency Tass.

The latest attacks come shortly after a group of 19 Republican lawmakers urged the Biden administration to stop spending billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine as the war continues, citing concerns that it could further escalate the conflict.

Bidens administration has approved over $113 billion in military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since the war began, however, other officials in Washington have raised concerns that Kyiv may not be fully prepared for its planned Spring offensive and have called for military supplies to be delivered to Ukraine faster.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Energy Security at Risk as UK Set to Miss Net Zero Green Electricity Target, Say MPs

Wind turbines adorn the landscape in the Southern Lake District, in Lambrigg, England, on Nov. 25, 2022. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Britains energy security is at risk as the country is on track to fail to meet its targets to generate all of its electricity without burning gas by the middle of next decade, MPs have warned.

In its Net Zero Strategy published in October 2021, the UK government set an ambition for all electricity generation to be decarbonised by 2035, subject to security of supply.

But according to a new report (pdf) by the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee in the House of Commons, the government may fail to deliver the energy infrastructure the country will need in its net zero future.

To meet its decarbonisation target, the government will have to replace all gas-fired power generation capacitywhich currently accounts for 40 percent of all electricity supplywith a new mix of low-carbon generation technologies, including offshore and onshore wind, solar, nuclear, and hydrogen.

Meanwhile, the MPs said, electricity demand is expected to be around 50 percent higher by 2035 and 100 percent higher by 2050, following the roll-out of heat pumps and electric vehicles.

The cross-party group, which includes Conservative MPs, said ministers have not provided strategic leadership and there is no coherent, overarching plan for meeting the ambitious target.

The committee said that the way that windfall taxes on energy generators and oil companies are structured favoured the latter group.

It also said that the government is not tackling the cost of developing new wind and solar farms, which have soared in recent months as supply chains were put under pressure.

Committee Chairman Darren Jones, a Labour MP, said: Ministers think that publishing strategies and releasing social media videos will deliver the energy infrastructure the country needs. Its failed before and it keeps failing.

The UK is now competing with the U.S. and Europe for investment. Government must urgently make us an attractive investment proposition again and ensure that the pool of capital and labour available for building low-carbon energy projects is not lost.

In response to the report, the government insisted that it is taking real decisions to deliver a low-carbon energy system.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said in a statement, We are taking real decisions to benefit this country: to deliver a secure, low-cost, and low-carbon energy system, to decarbonise the UKs electricity system by 2035, and to reduce energy bills across the UK.

Infrastructure Risks

The UK has signed into law a policy to achieve net zero by 2050 with the Conservative government setting out a strategy called Build Back Greener to decarbonise all sectors of the UK economy.

The UKs National Audit Office said in December 2020 that the governments commitment to achieving net zero by 2050 is a colossal challenge that could cost hundreds of billions of pounds.

Under the governments net zero plans, by 2035 half of all cars will be electric and a quarter of homes will be heated with heat pumps.

But the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) and the Climate Change Committee (CCC) warned ministers on Wednesday that the reliance on electricity may lead to unintended risks.

In a joint letter (pdf) to Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden and Environment Secretary Therese Coffey, the NIC and the CCC said there are risks that must be monitored and managed, particularly as we electrify the Net Zero economy.

As our dependence on the decarbonised electricity system increases, risks like storm damage to overhead wires could become more disruptive, the letter said.

It also warned that system planning must account for extreme events and weather-related uncertainty such as low wind, as the UK increasingly relies on wind power.

Heat Pumps

In January, a UK government review on its net zero policy suggested that new gas boilers should be phased out within a decade.

The review, carried out by Conservative MP Chris Skidmore and published on Jan. 13, calls on the government to legislate for the Future Homes Standard so that no new homes will be built with a gas boiler from 2025.

He also urged the government to adopt a 10-year mission to make heat pumps a widespread technology in the UK and legislate for the end of new and replacement gas boilers by 2033 at the latest.

The CCC projected that by 2050 all heating in British homes will be provided by low-carbon sources, of which 52 percent will be heat pumps, which run on electricity and work like a fridge in reverse to extract energy from the air or ground.

Critics have warned that the UK governments push to replace gas boilers with heat pumps will cost taxpayers dearly.

There have also been concerns over the effectiveness of heat pumps in heating homes.

The Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee of the House of Commons admitted in February 2022 that heat pumps may not be able to heat homes adequately if the homes are not sufficiently insulated.

The committee said failing to address the concerns could lead to scheme failure.

PA Media contributed to this report.
International linguistic scholars estimate that without intervention, about one language will be lost every month for the next 40 years, with indigenous languages in northeast South America, Alaska to Oregon, and northern Australia at the highest risk.

A study published on April 19 in Science Advances said that currently, there are around 7,000 known languages on the planet, highlighting just how much humanity stands to lose and why its worth saving.

The languages are being documented in a publicly available library called Grammbankcurrently, the worlds largest grammar database aimed at preserving this legacy of human communication, culture, and cognition.

Language experts from the Max Planck Society in Leipzig, Germany, with contributions from over 100 scholars from 68 institutions, including the Australian National University, the University of Auckland, and Harvard University, maintain the international collaboration.

Hannah Haynie, the co-author of the study and assistant linguistics professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, said they had documented over halfabout 4,300 languages.

Right now were at a critical state in terms of language endangerment, she said.

The speed of extinction has been accelerating due to social, political, and economic pressures, according to the researchers.

Indigenous languages here in North America, languages around us and on our continent, are some of the most endangered languages in the world, Haynie said.

Libraries are hubs for learning new languages or practising a language through reading. (UfaBizPhoto/Shutterstock)

A Target for Corruption

The loss of language diversity was predicted in the book How the Specter of Communism Is Ruling Our World by the editorial team of Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party.

It highlights how authorities in George Orwells dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four created Newspeak, an artificial language, in order to diminish the range of thought and reinforce the Partys control over the people.

In many ways, the editorial team argue Orwells visions have become a reality. Freedom has been twisted to mean a state unrestrained by morality, law, or tradition.

Principles such as all men are created equal and all men are equal before the law have been distorted to mean absolute egalitarianism.

Tolerance has been deviated to mean acceptance of all sorts including thought and conduct that deny reality.

Rational thinking has been made a tool of narrow-minded empirical science. In the pursuit of equality of outcome, justice has become social justice.

The constant use of the word gendera term relating to grammarwhen we should use sex is another example of imposed, corrupted language in service of a political agenda.

A genderless restroom in a library at the University of Florida in Gainesville. (Nanette Holt/The Epoch Times)

Since language shapes our understanding of all human interactions, we ought to pay more attention when it becomes politicized, managed, and policed, according to Jeff Deist, president of the Mises Institute and former chief of staff to Congressman Ron Paul.

Like culture, language is not property, and it cannot be owned. But it can be influenced and steered, Deist said.

Deplatforming, cancelling, and even criminal hate speech laws are the enforcement tools against wrong speak.
Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, meets with a delegation of politicians from Pacific island countries led by Samiu Vaipulu, Tonga's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Justice, in Beijing, capital of China, April 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Thursday met with a delegation of politicians from Pacific island countries led by Samiu Vaipulu, Tonga's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Justice.

Speaking highly of relations between China and Pacific island countries, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said China is willing to work with Pacific island countries to implement the important consensus reached by leaders of the two sides, deepen inter-party exchanges and cooperation, support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, and jointly build an even closer community with a shared future between China and Pacific island countries.

Vaipulu and other politicians said that Pacific island countries attach great importance to developing relations with China, firmly adhere to the one-China principle, and hope to advance the comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development through inter-party exchanges and other platforms. 
Extinction Rebellion Climbs Melbourne Arts Spire Over Climate Change

A climate action protestor has scaled the spire of the Arts Centre Melbourne to unfurl a banner protesting climate change.

On April 28, the Extinction Rebellion protestors unfurled a large banner across the spire reading, Occupy for Climate 2023.

The group is known for its high-profile protestssometimes involving malicious damageaimed at disrupting the economic activity of a target city.

The groups spokeswoman Jane Morton said the most recent protest was aimed at raising awareness of climate change.

We are looking at societal collapse; that is what scientists are saying. Its not really on the news. That is why Extinction Rebellion is going to try to sound the alarm, she told Nines Today program.

Causing Millions in Damage for What?

The group has cost taxpayers millions of pounds in disruptive behaviour in the UK.

Just Stop Oil, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, caused 7.5 million pounds (US$9 million) in policing costs in just nine weeks, according to figures from the London Metropolitan Police.

Enough is enough. Blocking motorways and slow walking in roads delays our life-saving emergency services, stops people getting to work, and drains police resources, said Suella Braverman, the UK home secretary.

While the protests gained attention, their effectiveness has been questioned.

Zion Lights, a former spokesperson for the group, said she quit Extinction Rebellion after realising the groups approach was not leading to any meaningful change.

I was starting to think that weve been protesting for 20 years, she told CPAC Australia in 2022, First of all, are we getting it wrong? Are people sick of hearing what we dont want?

When you join the environmental movement, its just completely standard that youre anti-nuclear, she added. And I never questioned it; I was young and worried about the environment.

Activities Across the Developed World

Extinction Rebellion is only one of many highly disruptive climate protest groups operating in the developed world.

Blockade Australia has held up traffic at the countrys busiest ports in the name of climate change.

On March 22, 2022, the group blockaded the main road into the Port of Botany in Sydney with a seven-metre-high construct.

A day later, another protestor suspended himself from a bridge leading into the port while another blocked the main rail line.

All actions caused hours of delays for traffic moving goods in-and-out of the port.

Activists have also targeted cultural works.

On Oct. 27, 2022, a man apparently tried to glue his head to Dutch artist Johannes Vermeers Girl with a Pearl Earring at the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, Netherlands, while another man glued his own hand to the wall next to the painting.

The two Belgian protesters, wearing Just Stop Oil T-shirts, were sentenced to two months in prison, according to ARTnews.

While the messaging appears to be about climate action, retired Professor Eric Louw says the groups activities are similar to terrorist acts.

A tiny number of activists can cause major social and economic disruption if they pick their targets well, he wrote in The Epoch Times.

At heart, all acts of terrorism are based upon a strategy called propaganda of the deed. Activists carry out an act (or deed) that is designed to be so visually compelling that the news media will not ignore it.

Louw said the eco-terrorists aim to capture the publics attention and recruit new members through their activity.
FBI Director Decries Proposed 22 Percent Budget Cut, Says China Not Dialing Back

FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks during a press conference to announce an international ransomware enforcement action, at the Justice Department in Washington, on Jan. 26, 2023. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

A more than 20 percent cut to the FBI budget could have a drastic effect on the agencys ability to tackle violent criminals, child abuse, and the economic espionage threat from China, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned lawmakers on April 27.

Wray issued the warning during his testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies to discuss President Joe Bidens budget request for the FBI for the fiscal year 2024, just one day after House Republicans narrowly passed a bill authorizing a $1.5 trillion increase in the debt ceiling.

The House voted 217215 to pass the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 (pdf), which would also slash trillions of dollars in government spending, including a 22 percent reduction in funding for the FBI.

Speaking to lawmakers, Wray stated that the FBI arrested about 20,000 violent criminals last year and dismantled 370 violent gangs since the beginning of last year, adding that a 22 percent cut to the agencys funding would mean hundreds more violent criminals out on the streets, dozens more violent gangs terrorizing communities.

Wray told lawmakers that much of the FBIs violent crime work is heavily focused on crimes against children, noting that last year the agency arrested roughly 3,000 child predators and saved 2,000 children from abuse and exploitation.

A 22 percent reduction would be hundreds more predators on the loose and hundreds more kids left to their mercy, he said before noting the rising threat from the Chinese Communist Party, which he said represents the greatest threat to our country.

FBI special agents assigned to the evidence response team process material recovered from the Chinese spy balloon recovered off the coast of South Carolina, at the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Va., on Feb. 9, 2023. (FBI via AP)

Growing Threats From China

The FBI director said that the agency has increased its investigations into the Chinese government and their actors by about 1,300 percent and currently has well over 2,000 active investigations into that threat, noting that a 22 percent reduction to funding would mean scores of threats from China left unaddressed.

I can assure you, the Chinese government is not dialing back, he said.

He also stressed the threats posed by Chinese ransomware, noting that China alone has a program bigger than that of every other major nation combined, so a 22 percent reduction would be cutting capacity against more and more major attacks which hit critical infrastructure, schools, hospitals, 911 call centers, our innovation, and our economic security.

The FBI director explained that the agency itself blocks roughly 15 million unauthorized connections third parties attempting to gain access to its systemsevery week.

And we know cyber adversaries want to hack government systems, especially ones that have sensitive information like we do, he said.

Wray concluded that a funding cut would also drastically reduce the FBIs ability to tackle other issues such as the fentanyl crisis, getting the drugs off American streets, organized crime, and cartels.

Cuts Will Impact American People

Each one of these things, in my view, we need more money for, not less. We need to make sure that were not just doing right by the hardworking men and women of the FBI, who have devoted their lives to serving the public, he said. I guess ultimately, at the end of the road, you are talking about the impact on the American peoplethe public and the neighborhoods that we are protecting from Chinese spies, hackers, violent gangs, terrorists, predators, the cartel.

Biden has requested $11.3 billion in salaries and expenses for the FBI in 2024, marking a roughly 6 percent increase in the fiscal year 2023 enacted level for salaries and expenses.

According to a statement Wray provided to lawmakers on the subcommittee ahead of his testimony, the roughly $11 billion will support 37,312 positions at the agency, including 13,662 special agents, 3,215 intelligence analysts, and 20,435 professional staff. Another $61.9 million has been requested for construction.

The budget also includes planned enhancements to the agency totaling $196 million, which Wray said are aimed at closing the gap in operational capabilities and meeting critical requirements, bolstering cyber investigative capabilities, addressing escalating counterterrorism threats, and mitigating threats from foreign intelligence services, among others.

Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) delivers opening remarks during a hearing of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee about the Veterans Affairs Departments budget in Washington on March 4, 2015. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

No Political Appointees in the FBI

Another $53.1 million would also go toward addressing the increase in DNA collection and processing, according to the FBI director, while $2.8 million will be used to support infrastructure needs related to the use of body cameras, and $14.1 million will be spent on addressing Bidens executive order requirements for zero-emission vehicles.

However, Republican lawmakers have increasingly placed the FBI under scrutiny following whistleblower allegations that the agency has become increasingly politicized and was working to remove employees with conservative views.

The reputation is that there are political appointees in the FBI that have been interfering, or at least working toward, a political agenda in the agency for quite some time, and we need to fix that, said Rep. John Carter (R-Texas).

However, Wray defended the FBI, stating that there are no political appointees in the FBI. Everybody in the FBI is a career civil servant, unless you count me, and Im a nominee of a Republican president.

Wray said hes turned over the entire leadership team since he took over as director and that hes enacted new policies, procedures, trainings, and system enhancements.

Were going to follow the facts wherever they lead, no matter who likes it, he said.
Federal Agency Issues Emergency Waiver for E15 Gasoline to Boost Fuel Supply

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday issued an emergency nationwide waiver that allows for the sale of gasoline with higher concentrations of ethanol during the summer driving season.

Its the second year in a row that the EPA issued such an emergency rule allowing the sale of E15 gasoline, which has an ethanol content of 15 percent. The move is designed to lower gas prices for some motorists as Fridays American Automobile Association data shows prices are slowly on the rise nationwide over the past month or so.

Allowing E15 sales during the summer driving season will not only help increase fuel supply, but support American farmers, strengthen U.S. energy security, and provide relief to drivers across the country, EPA Administration Michael Regan said in a statement, adding that the move is designed to [protect] Americans from fuel supply challenges resulting from the ongoing war in Ukraine by ensuring consumers have more choices at the pump.

Normally, federal anti-smog rules bar sales of E15 from being sold between June 1 and Sept. 15 across much of the United States. The EPAs announcement temporarily removes that regulation.

Adding ethanol to gasoline is known to increase smog pollution in hot weather, but the EPA said it does not expect the move to have a significant impact on emissions.

U.S. gasoline prices at the pump averaged about $3.63 a gallon on Friday, versus $4.14 a gallon a year ago, data from the American Automobile Association showed. However, prices have increased by about 20 cents over the past four weeks or so, according to the data.

The federal agency estimates that E15 is on average about 25 cents a gallon cheaper than E10, the widely available 87 octane gasoline, according to Fridays statement. Last year, the Biden administration issued a similar waiver as part of a series of measures to help address historically high gasoline prices.

The EPA said the fuel waiver will go into effect on May 1 when terminal operators would otherwise no longer be able to sell E15 in the affected regions of the country and will last through May 20 which is the statutory maximum of 20 days. After that, the agency said it will monitor the supply and expects to issue new waivers effectively extending the emergency fuel waiver.

While several renewable energy and biofuel organizations lauded the move, the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers criticized the EPAs decision.

The U.S. market is well supplied with gasoline, which EIA data make clear, said American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers President Chet Thompson told Reuters. Therefore, were anxious to see how EPA is going to justify this decision.

Warnings

There have been warnings issued by various automotive groups and websites over the past decade or so and claims that E15 fuel can be corrosive to certain metal and rubber engine components. AAA issued a notice in 2012 about the gas, calling on retailers to stop selling the fuel because it would void the warranties on some vehicles.

Gas prices are seen on an Exxon Mobil gas station sign in Houston, Texas on June 9, 2022. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

However, the EPA, for years, has said the fuel is fine to use in most gasoline-powered cars, trucks, and SUVs made in the year 2001 or later.

E15, also known as unleaded 88, isnt recommended for use in motorcycles, school buses, delivery trucks, snowmobiles, boats, chainsaws, and lawnmowers, according to the EPAs website. It also recommends that drivers of cars, trucks, and other vehicles with the model year 2000 or earlier shouldnt use the fuel.

In 2021, the American Motorcyclist Association filed a lawsuit against the EPA over its E15 policies and argued that fuel blends containing more than the standard 10 percent ethanol have damaged engines and exhaust systems, according to a statement from the group.

Alex Knizek, an auto engineer at Consumer Reports, told his own website last year that E15 can cause vehicles to have poorer gas mileage.

I went into Consumer Reports garage and looked at two random cars we hada 2022 Hyundai and a 2023 Acura. Both of those manuals said 15 percent ethanol is the maximum percentage you should be putting into those cars, he said. And another thing to remember is that ethanol isnt as energy dense as regular gasoline so you will see worse fuel economy with E15 gas.

Reuters contributed to this report.
First Republic Shares Tumble as Reports Suggest FDIC Receivership Likely

A sign in front of a First Republic Bank office in Oakland, Calif., on March 16, 2023. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

First Republics shares fell on April 28 following reports that the bank is entertaining the possibility of receivership by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC).

The struggling regional lenders stock tumbled by 43 percent in regular trading to $3.51, as trading was halted multiple times throughout the day. The shares continued to fall in after-hours trading.

CNBC reported that multiple banks were approached by the FDIC and asked to offer bids on First Republic, although many involved remain optimistic that it wont come to receivership.

We are engaged in discussions with multiple parties about our strategic options while continuing to serve our clients, First Republic told the financial news outlet.

The struggling banks stock, which traded as low as $2.98 on April 28, is down by 97 percent on the year. Whether regulators can find a buyer on the open market could impact broader sovereign bond valuations in the United States.

Purchasing the assets in a receivership situation gives buyers more leeway in terms of picking and choosing valuable assets, including loans and mortgages, while an open market solution likely forces the buyer to pay above-market rates for the hundreds of millions in Treasury bonds sitting on First Republics balance sheet, Martin Baccardax wrote in The Street. Such analysis would suggest that its in the interest of U.S. regulators to avoid receivership for the failing bank.

Federal Reserve and Department of Treasury officials are reportedly working behind the scenes to set up a financial lifeline for First Republic if the situation becomes dire.

Last month, top U.S. banks injected $30 billion into First Republic to stave off looming financial problems. However, the bank saw more than $100 billion in deposits leave their vaults in the period that followed the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) on March 10.

Financial experts warned that fleeing depositors served as a death blow to the bank.

No bank on earth can survive if its customers pull their money out of the bankespecially if it happens all at once, said Adam Sarhan, CEO of 50 Park Investments. If First Republic fails or is bailed out, that will likely cause more downward pressure on the already beaten-down financial sector.

First Republic plans to dump unprofitable assets, such as low-yield mortgages for affluent customers. Layoffs of 20 to 25 percent of its workforce are in the works. This amounts to about 7,200 employees.
FISA Renewal Critical for National Defense, Officials Say but Critics Demand More Privacy Safeguards

National Security Agency Director Gen. Paul Nakasone, here testifying before a House panel in 2021, says reauthoriziong FISA's Section 702 is "critical" to national security. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) allows the United States 18 federal intelligence agencies to spy without a warrant on non-Americans overseas but many in Congressespecially Republicanssay the measure, adopted after the 9/11 attacks, has been abused and needs to be revised.

FISAs Section 702 must be reauthorized by Congress every five years before it sunsets, or expires. Its latest renewal is before the end of 2023.

Among proposals to ensure private data on U.S. citizens is not collected through Section 702 and made available to government agencies, such as the FBI or IRS, is to require a probable cause finding before opening an investigation or to install a warrant requirement into its process.

The Biden administration, federal law enforcement agencies, and the Department of Defense (DOD) oppose those proposed revisions, claiming a warrant process would impair ability to quickly disrupt cyber-attacks and investigate threats to national security. They want Section 702 reauthorized as is by years end.

The prospects of that happening appear in doubt if April 27 discussions before two House subcommittees are an indication of how Congress may act.

The reauthorization of 702 is extremely important to our national security, Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) said during a hearing before the House Armed Services Committees Intelligence & Special Operations Subcommittee.

But, he continued, I just want to say thisthe bureaucrats at the FBI, in some cases, have abused their authority and there are going to have to be some systems put in place to stop that if it is going to be reauthorized and there are going to have to be consequence for the people who abuse that authority.

Former FBI Director James Comey (L) and then-National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers prepare for a 2019 Congressional hearing on a FISA report detailing how communications of Americans were unlawfully monitored by U.S. spy agencies, and that some of the communications were passed to contractors by the FBI. (Drew Angerer/GETTY IMAGES)

Critical to Keeping Nation Safe

Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security Ronald Moultrie, National Security Agency Director Gen. Paul Nakasone, and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier all said Section 702 was pivotal in combatting intelligence threats, especially from the Peoples Republic of China, Russia, and non-state malign actors.

Section 702 of Forego Surveillance Act  is critical to keeping the nation safe, said Nakasone, who is also U.S. Cyber Command, commander and chief of the Central Security Service, adding hes ready to speak with Congress about its pivotal role in a classified setting.

Moultrie agreed, noting 59 percent of presidents daily briefings material is Section 702 material reported by our agency.

Scott told Nakasone that he appreciates the way your agency has used Section 702 data but too much private information on American citizens is being swept up by intelligence agencies.

People are going to have to understand, the president of the United States is going to have to understand, there are going to have to be some guardrails on 702 for it to be reauthorized because of abuses that have occurred, predominately by bureaucrats at the FBI, he said.

FISAs Section 702 only permits surveillance and information-gathering on non-U.S. citizens reasonably believed to be located outside the country. It also prohibits reverse targeting of a non-U.S. citizen outside the country if the purpose  is to collect information about an American citizen or anyone in the United States.

According to the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Office, Section 702 is not a bulk collection program; it is a substantial and important targeted intelligence collection program. Every Section 702 targeting decision is individualized and documented, approved pursuant to a multi-step process embodied in specific targeting procedures, and reviewed by an independent oversight team.

If a foreign intelligence target sends an email or places a phone call with a person in the United States, the DNI maintains that Section 702 requires specific procedures to minimize the acquisition, retention, and sharing of any information concerning United States persons unless it was determined that the person in the United States was a key member of an ongoing terrorist plot. Then, the DNI states, this information would be appropriately shared to allow the FBI to take further investigative steps.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) says a simple solution to curbing FISA Section 702 abuses is to require a probable cause finding to launch an investigation into a U.S. citizen or resident. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Clarity Itself Not Sufficient to Remedy Concerns

The DNI notes that Section 702 is subject to extensive oversight. It requires that the U.S. Attorney General must approve the targeting, which is reviewed by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) for consistency with the FISA statute and the Fourth Amendment.

Critics say that extensive oversight doesnt exist. They point to an April 24 FBI internal memo that provides guidelines for searching FISA data for private information.

There have been several attempts to insert a warrant process into Section 702, including a 2018 USA Rights Act that received more than 200 votes but was not included when Congress reauthorized the law. That discussion is being revived again with Section 702 set to sunset or be reauthorized by years end.

The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB), an independent agency within the executive branch since 2004 to ensure privacy rights and civil liberties are considered in collecting private information, is expected to issue a report with Section 702 recommendations this summer.

FISAs Section 702 was also discussed on April 27 in a hearing before the House Judiciary Committees Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee that included members of PCLOB, including chair Sharon Bradford Franklin.

Having clarity can help prevent the kind of compliance violations we have seen, she said before noting just doing that would be not sufficient.

I believe that in addition to having specified rules which are approved by the FISA court, Congress should incorporate a requirement that individual queries be submitted to the FISA court for review to ensure full protection, Bradford Franklin said.

Congressional reps have groused for years that intelligence agencies wont even offer round estimates of how many people they have surveilled under Section 702, and how many of those were U.S. citizens or residents.

The FBI reported in 2021 that it had conducted 3.4 million searches through Section 702-collected data but would not say how many involved U.S. citizens.

House Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) offered two simple solutions to reauthorizing 702 with guardrails that protect individual privacy rights.

Congress can require probable cause if youre going to query this database on American citizens and can restrict FBI access, he said, before adding, How about if we just get the FBI out of the business altogether?
Florida Surgeon General Faces Criticism Over mRNA Vaccines Survey Editing

The study focused on the risk of mRNA vaccines to young men

Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo surrounded by reporters in the state Capitol, related to his confirmation hearing. (PhotoL Issac Morgan Jan 26, 2022).

Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo is facing criticism after a public record request showed that he had edited a state-commissioned study (pdf) on messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccinations.

According to critics in the medical field, his edits suggest that he was trying to exaggerate the risk of cardiac death from mRNA vaccines in males 18 to 39.

Ladapo reported the data to show that there was a sharp increase in heart-related deaths among young men in that age range and recommended they not get the vaccine, which contradicted the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) stance on the vaccines.

Ladapo based this recommendation not only on the Florida study but also studies from Scandinavia, England, and the rest of the United States.

There are a number of studies that are indicating that these vaccines, mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular and cardiac events. And we just added to that with another one, Ladapo said, adding that the Florida study was not definitive, but consistent with the other studies.

Since their rollout, Ladapo has questioned the safety and efficacy of the vaccines and has been critical of policies mandating them to the ire of federal public health agencies and media that promote the safe and effective narrative.

In Politico, Matt Hitchings, an assistant professor of biostatistics at the University of Florida, called his edits a lie.

To say this  based on what weve seen, and how this analysis was made  its a lie, Hitchings said.

Hitchings, who disagreed with the findings in the initial study, said there was political motivation behind his Ladapos changes.

Key information was withheld from the public that would have allowed them or other experts to interpret this in context, Hitchings said.

Daniel Salmon, director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said his edits were troubling.

He took out stuff that didnt support his position, Salmon said. Thats really a problem.

Dr. Harvey Risch, professor emeritus of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, whos sided with Ladapo on his assessment of the vaccines, disagreed with the criticism, calling Ladapo an honest broker and thus trustworthy in his methods and conclusions.

Im not seeing any issues of substance here, Risch said.

Ladapo Responds to Criticism

Ladapo responded to the criticism on Twitter stating, PhD-trained physician revises report based on his scientific expertise = scandalous altering of results. Fauci enthusiasts are terrified and will do anything to divert attention from the risks of mRNA COVID-19 vaccinesespecially cardiac deaths. Truth will prevail.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health told The Epoch Times that, given the high level of immunity, theres no reason to continue administering the COVID-19 vaccine to healthy people.

Americans know this, and uptake has been abysmal, despite the harmful cajoling from the CDC, FDA, and public health officials over the past two years, the spokesperson said. The State Surgeon General stands by his guidance recommending against their use.

Ladapo said in a statement to The Epoch Times, Based on overwhelming studies of adverse side effects associated with the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, from both international and domestic researchers, I determined that analyses of DOH [Department of Health] surveillance data would be worthwhileespecially since the federal government and Big Pharma continue to misrepresent risks associated with these vaccines. It is distinctly harmful to allow pharmaceutical companies and politics to dictate health guidance without concern for the negative impacts experienced firsthand in their communities.

On the criticized changes to the study, Ladapo said its a normal part of the process to make revisions and refinements.

I have the appropriate expertise and training to make these decisions, and all revisions were appropriate, Ladapo said. To say that I removed an analysis for a particular outcome is an implicit denial of the fact that the public has been the recipient of biased data and interpretations since the beginning of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine campaign. I have never been afraid of disagreement with peers or media.

Zachary Stieber and Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed to this report.
Fox News Ratings Drop 56 Percent After Tucker Carlsons Exit

Data shows Fox's Wednesday 8 p.m. time slot drew considerably fewer viewers than the prior Wednesday

In the wake of Tucker Carlsons sudden departure this week, ratings for Fox Newss new 8 p.m. weekday show appear to be on the decline as viewership again tumbled on Wednesday night.

Data published by ratings service Nielsen show that Fox drew some 1.33 million viewers for substitute host Brian Kilmeade and Fox News Tonight in the timeslot that Carlson once occupied. That places the network at No. 2 behind MSNBCs Chris Hayes.

Carlson would routinely draw 3 million or more viewers. Last Wednesday, on April 19, Carlson drew 3.05 million viewers, meaning Kilmeades show this Wednesday is down some 56 percent, the data show, according to multiple news outlets.

For all of 2022, Carlson averaged above 3 million viewers, second to Foxs The Five on the network. Perhaps more significantly, Carlson performed well with the key 2554 age demographic, netting some 443,000 viewers in that group during the last quarter.

Sean Hannitys 9 p.m. ET timeslot, which used to come after Carlsons show, drew 1.7 million viewers on Wednesday, according to Nielsen. That, too, represents a significant drop from the 2.6 million viewers Hannitys longtime show brought in a week before that.

As for Carlson, he posted a brief video to his personal Twitter page at 8 p.m. on Wednesday. In about a days time, it generated more than 20 million views and 73 million impressions.

When reached for comment about Fox News primetime ratings, a spokesperson noted that Nielsen data shows Fox led all cable news channels on Monday and Tuesday across the total day and primetime viewers, along with the coveted 2554 demographic. A statement issued by Fox to The Associated Press said that it has been cable news most-watched network for 21 years with its team trusted more by viewers than any other news source.

Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade in an undated file photo. (Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)

Earlier this week, a large number of social media users and some lawmakers signaled they wont be watching Fox News in the future. Kilmeade received a taste of that social media-driven backlash on Monday when he wrote: Join me tonight at 8 pm! on Twitter and users said they would not.

No chance  cancelled cable today, one wrote as another stated: Not in a million years!

Not a chance in hell ya sellout, one person wrote in response to Kilmeades post. Another wrote: Id rather watch grass grow.

Another, political commentator Dennis Michael Lynch, wrote to Kilmeade: If you were a real man, you would have told @FoxNews you couldnt do it, wouldnt do it, and take a stand. But I know you too well. You need the attention and would walk over anyone to get it.

Despite that, Kilmeade started the program on Monday with a brief reference to Carlsons exit. As you probably have heard, Fox News and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. I wish Tucker the best, Im great friends with Tucker and always will be, he said.

But right now, its time for Fox News Tonight, so lets get started! Kilmeade continued.

The ratings slump echoes what happened at Fox following the 2020 election, when many viewers angered by the networks Election Night declaration that Joe Biden had won Arizona took then-President Donald Trumps advice to seek alternatives. In another similarity to 2020, Carlsons departure also sparked increased ratings at conservative network Newsmax and host Eric Bolling, who hosts a show in the same 8 p.m. Eastern slot.

For example, Bolling had 510,000 viewers Wednesday night, compared to 168,000 on Wednesday a week ago, Nielsen said. On Tuesday, Bolling had 562,000 viewers, up from 122,000 the same day a week earlier.

The challenge for Newsmax will be making it last. Fox surged again following Bidens inauguration as president, and Newsmax couldnt keep up the momentum, the numbers show.

Details about Carlsons departure were not clear, as both Carlson and Fox News have not issued any statements about why he suddenly left, if he was fired or forced out, or whether it was related to a lawsuit that was filed against Carlson, his producer, and Fox News by a former Fox employee who alleged she was mistreated. Fox, in a news release, said that it will use a rotating cast to carry out hosting duties for the 8 p.m. ET timeslot until a permanent host is named.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Fugitive CEO Fined Record $3.4 Billion for Bitcoin Investment Fraud

Whopping penalty for Mirror Trading pyramid scam founder

Massive Bitcoin scam MTI generated returns for early investors with money gleaned from those who joined later. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

A United States court has ordered a South African citizen to pay over $3 billion in fines for duping American investors through a fraudulent Bitcoin investment scheme.

Cornelius Johannes Steynberg was ordered by a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas to pay $1.73 billion in restitution to defrauded victims as well as $1.73 billion in civil monetary penalties, with the total fines coming to over $3.4 billion, according to an April 27 press release by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

This is the highest civil monetary penalty ever ordered in a CFTC case. It is also the largest fraudulent scheme involving Bitcoin that has been charged in any case by the agency.

The court order arises from a complaint filed by the CFTC on June 30, 2022. According to the order, approximately between May 2018 and March 201, Steynberg and Mirror Trading International Proprietary Limited (MTI), a South Africa-based company that he controlled, engaged in a global fraudulent multilevel market scheme.

The scam solicited Bitcoin from people for participating in an unregistered commodity pool that MTI operated. A commodity pool is a private investment structure that accepts and combines money from investors to trade in commodities and futures markets. It allows individual investors to combine their money and trade in futures contracts as a single entity to gain leverage.

MTI and Stynberg controlled the commodity pool and purportedly traded off-exchange, retail forex through what they falsely claimed was a proprietary bot or software program, the press release says.

During this period, Steynberg, individually and as the principal and agent of MTI, accepted at least 29,421 Bitcoinwith a value of over $1,733,838,372 at the end of March 2021from at least 23,000 individuals in the U.S., and even more throughout the world, to participate in the commodity pool without being registered as a CPO [commodity pool operator] as required.

Defendants in the case misappropriated all the Bitcoin they accepted from those who participated in the commodity pool.

Recovering Stolen Funds, Banned From CFTC Trading

The CFTC cautioned victims that the court order requiring Steynberg to make payments may not result in the recovery of any lost money since the perpetrator may not have the necessary funds or assets to compensate them.

The order found Steynberg liable for fraud in connection with retail foreign currency (forex) transactions, fraud by an associated person of a commodity pool operator (CPO), registration violations, and failure to comply with CPO regulations, the release states.

In addition, Steynberg is permanently enjoined from engaging in any conduct that violates the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA), trading in any market regulated by the CFTC, or registering with the CFTC.

Currently a fugitive from South African law enforcement, Steynberg has been detained in Brazil since December 2021 due to an Interpol arrest warrant.

US Crypto Scams Surging

According to the FBIs annual Internet Crime Report (pdf), investment scams were the costliest scheme reported to the agencys Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) last year. Investment fraud rose from $1.45 billion in 2021 to $3.31 billion in 2022, driven by cryptocurrency investment fraud that jumped 183 percent during this period to $2.57 billion.

Many victims have assumed massive debt to cover losses from these fraudulent investments and the most targeted age group reporting this type of scam are victims ages 30 to 49, the report said.

Criminals resort to various schemes to dupe victims, including impersonating celebrities, hacking social media accounts, and using fraudulent liquidity mining applications, among others.

In February, the FBI issued a warning about romance scammers targeting victims with fake crypto investments. In the scam, criminals build relationships with vulnerable social media and dating website users.

Upon gaining the trust of their victims, the perpetrator requests money for false purposes like travel, medical, and legal fees. Criminals also pressure victims to invest in cryptocurrencies.

Year after year, romance scams result in one of the highest reported financial losses when compared to other Internet-facilitated crimes, the FBI said, according to a Feb. 13 news release. A total of 19,050 victims reportedly lost over $739 million to romance scammers in 2022.
'The womb should be the safest place, not the most dangerous.'

What does it take to turn an act of evil into an act of love? A college junior who became pregnant from rape drew on faith to acknowledge the value of the innocent human growing inside her womb and made a life-giving decision, choosing adoption over abortion. And to give her child the gift of faith, the young mom-to-be chose a family that had a strong relationship with God.

The daughter of a lawyer and a stay-at-home mom, Kathleen Folan grew up in Spokane, Washington, the oldest of four siblings raised devout Catholic. Today, she is the director of family and youth ministries at St. Dominics Catholic Church in San Francisco, California, where she lives with her husband and three children.

Faith was the most important thing in our home when I was growing up, and still is, Kathleen told The Epoch Times. My vision of life was to go to college, have a successful career, get married, and have children: to live the American dream.

When I found out I was pregnant, I was shocked. This was not my plan. But I also knew in that same moment that a life, a human being, who would have his first breath, first smile, first steps, first day of kindergarten, and all the amazing mysteries that life has to offer was inside of me! God entrusted him to me for some reason, and I had to figure out the best life possible for him.  The womb should be the safest place, not the most dangerous. Mothers should protect their children, and fight for their rights, not destroy them.

Kathleen pregnant with her son Nathan in 1990. (Courtesy of Kathleen Folan)

The Evil

In 1990, Kathleens vision was brutally interrupted. A 20-year-old junior at the Ignatius Institute, a Great Books program based at the University of San Francisco, she got locked out of her apartment and sought refuge with a new acquaintance until she could contact her roommates.

Little did I know, I was walking into harms way, Kathleen said. He cooked me dinner, we had beers, and went to a party on campus. I couldnt get in because I was underage, so he gave me the key to his place and said I could sleep in his bed. He would take the couch. When he returned in the middle of the night, he raped me.

The next morning, Kathleen was in a state of shock. She told no one and took a shower, hoping to clean it all away. Only the manager at Kathleens job noticed something was wrong, but Kathleen insisted she was fine. I didnt tell a soul what had happened, hoping it would just go away, she said.

Kathleen with newborn Nathan. (Courtesy of Kathleen Folan)

A month later, she had several days of nausea. Unable to ignore it, she told a roommate.

She joked, Maybe youre pregnant! and started laughing, Kathleen said. I was attending daily Mass at the time, and contemplating religious life, so she knew I wouldnt put myself in the position to be pregnant. I suddenly recalled that night and knew she might be right. I took a test the next morning and it was positive.

For 11 consecutive nights, Kathleen avoided telling her parents. But when she finally did, she was met with love and reassurance; they even offered to adopt the baby and promised to support any life-giving decision Kathleen made.

Kathleen and Nathan. (Courtesy of Kathleen Folan)

Gods Will

For Kathleen, her baby was Gods will, and knowing that a family who longed and prayed for a child would receive him turned this great darkness into beauty and gave it meaning.

Abortion was never an option for us, Kathleen said. From the moment of conception, when the sperm enters the egg and a zygote is formed, a new unique individual with its own genetically unique DNA is formed. Nothing else is added as it develops, except nutrition.  This is science, and people can lie to themselves all they want to try and justify the deliberate destruction of this lifebut it is clear that abortion is the murder of the most vulnerable of human beings.

Many people, even so-called pro-life people, think that rape gives the mother the exception to terminate the life of her child. Killing the unborn child doesnt take the rape away but adds the guilt of a mother knowing she destroyed the life inside her. It punishes the baby for the sins of the father with the death penalty, and gives the father the out he wants.

Kathleen handing Nathan to the Sullivan family on adoption day. (Courtesy of Kathleen Folan)

Kathleen and the Sullivans at the airport. (Courtesy of Kathleen Folan)

Kathleens mother was herself adopted and had met her birth mom for the first time when Kathleen was eight years old, watching the story unfold and thinking it was so cool. Kathleens mother also learned that her birth mom had tried to abort her three times.

We all thank God abortion was illegal in 1945, or she and her children would not have existed, Kathleen said.

Throughout my pregnancy, I felt 90 percent certain adoption was the best choice, and 10 percent that I should raise him myself. As I weighed this huge decision constantly, God sent me clear signs that he should be placed with a family, she said. I was in college and could barely afford to feed myself, much less another person. I was not in a relationship with the birth father, or with anyone, so he would not have a father in his life.

Turning Darkness Into Beauty

By looking through hundreds of family profiles, Kathleen realized her core values. She wanted her baby to be placed with practicing Catholics, parents who valued education and good humor in equal measure, and a stay-at-home mom who would dote on her son. By identifying these values, Kathleen also found a profile for her future husband.

The first couple Kathleen chose fell pregnant after 13 years of infertility, right before Kathleen was due to meet them. She asked them to help her choose a new family and also reached out to her priest. Both came back within a week to recommend the same couple: Barry and Liz Sullivan of Maryland, Washington.

Barry is a nuclear engineer, and Liz is an accountant who has worked part-time for her church, Kathleen said. They came to Spokane to meet my family and me for a few days with their 5-year-old adopted daughter and it felt as if we had known each other all our lives.

A few weeks before her babys due date, Kathleen visited a Catholic bookshop with her mom and a name jumped out at her: Nathan, meaning a gift from God. Kathleen kept the name to herself, wanting the Sullivans to have the honor of naming their son, but then Liz revealed they were torn between two names: Jason and Nathan.

My heart skipped a beat and I told her about the bookstore, Kathleen said. She said, Then Nathan it is! I truly believe that God names each of us and inspires those who name us.

Nathan as a boy. (Courtesy of Liz Sullivan via Kathleen Folan)

So Much Peace

Kathleen gave birth to Nathan in Spokane, surrounded by loved ones. She feared that she would not be able to break her parents hearts by placing their grandchild in the arms of another mother, but neither she nor her parents shed tears. Peace filled the room as Kathleen held and loved her baby.

She kept Nathan for two nights in the hospital and four days at home, to get to know him and introduce him to family. The Sullivans arrived on day three.

We baptized him on day four and had a handing-over ceremony, where Barry welcomed all of us into their family and said we could visit, call, or write whenever we wanted to. It was emotional and beautiful, Kathleen said, adding that without her relationship with God, she isnt sure if she could have been at so much peace about her decision.

Kathleens tears came on day six when she placed Nathan in his adoptive mothers arms. I sobbed such a cry of loss, and through tears [Liz] uttered, Thank you, like I have never heard before, said Kathleen, who held onto the baby while the adoption was finalized at the courthouse, and all the way to the airport.

I dont remember this, but my mom and brother said the airport was silent as everyone knew what was happening, and strangers were crying and praying. She said she and my brother had to support me as we walked out of the airport, Kathleen said. After I got home, I cried for days.

Kathleen grieved. She struggled with her post-baby body. She taught a vacation Bible school for kids to keep her mind occupied and returned to college less than two months after Nathan was born but cried every night in secret. When Barry invited her to visit for spring break, when Nathan was 10 months old, she thought he was crazy, but went anyway. It turned out to provide the closure she needed.

She said: The minute I walked into their home on a lovely cul-de-sac and saw his sister playing with him and the loving home I hoped to have one day, I was completely at peace with my decision. I no longer cried at night, and was so glad I went.

Nathan (C) at his Eagle Scout ceremony, with his adoptive mom, Liz. (Courtesy of Liz Sullivan via Kathleen Folan)

Strength and Grace

Kathleen met her future husband, Luis, at college. They were both in the Great Books program and the pro-life club, and attended nightly Mass. But it was Kathleens story that cemented her husbands crush.

We had been at a pool party and were riding in a van back to campus, Kathleen said. He sat in the row behind me and he saw me showing pictures from my trip to a girlfriend. He asked if that was my little brother in the pictures, and my girlfriend blurted out that he was my son. My husband said his heart dropped.

I then explained that I placed him for adoption 10 months earlier and had just visited him and his new family at their home, she said. At that moment, in his mind, he said he was going to marry me.  I had been worried I would never find a good Catholic man who would want to marry me since I had had a baby but instead I found a man who loved me because of my decision, not despite it.

The couple tied the knot and welcomed three children. Kathleen exchanged letters, gifts, and phone calls with Nathan as the years went by but did not see him again until Nathan was 17 years old. They immediately hit it off, and Kathleens kids adored him.

Kathleen and Luis. (Courtesy of Kathleen Folan)

Kathleen with her son Nathan. (Courtesy of Kathleen Folan)

When Nathan moved to the Bay Area at 21, he grew closer to his birth family, even inviting them to his wedding. He inspired his half-brothers to follow in his footsteps and become Eagle Scouts. They also attended the same college and still see Nathan weekly.

Now a software engineer, Nathan told Live Action in an interview, My mothers story, and my story, shows that the decisions that she made didnt have to mean that her life was derailed. Did it change it? Sure. But she had the strength, and was given the grace, to pick up the pieces and move on and move forward.

Kathleen told The Epoch Times: I never could have dreamed that our story would turn out so beautifully, that we would still be like family to this day, that I would find a husband greater than the man of my dreams, that we would have our own three beautiful children, and that my boys would become so close to Nathan.

Kathleen with her husband and children at Nathans wedding. (Courtesy of Kathleen Folan)

Kathleen insists that women are stronger than abortion lobbyists give them credit for. To every expectant mother, she insists that God loves the precious life that lives within you, no matter the circumstances of the pregnancy.

Love this baby, and know that he or she is meant to be in this world, Kathleen said. Do everything in your power to give him the best life possible, whether that be through raising that baby yourself, or placing it with a loving family that longs for and will love your child so much, and will love you in return.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
The DOJs now-ended China initiative sees one of its most high-profile sentences yet. A former Harvard scientist is headed for house arrest after six felony counts for hiding his ties to a Chinese university. He worked with the institute through Beijings infamous Thousand Talents program, later admitting aspirations for a Nobel prize.

Topics in this episode:

Harvard Prof. Sentenced to House Arrest, Fines for Hiding China Ties, Foreign Bank Account Rapper Found Guilty of Helping China Influence U.S. Chinese Nationals Smuggled into the U.S.; Mother, Son Risked Lives to Cross Southern Border Record High Number of Chinese People Crossing U.S. Southern Border, Mainly Young Men China Formally Arrests Taiwan Activist Exposed: Whistleblower Secretly Convicted in China Woman Chants Down with the CCP at Tiananmen Beijing May Have Issues Dealing with AI: Experts Chinas Role in N. Koreas Rising Nuclear Arms: Fisher

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TUNIS, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia and the European Union (EU) on Thursday held discussions on issues of common interest, including the joint fight against illegal migration and human trafficking.

Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar met with visiting European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson in the Tunisian capital Tunis, according to a statement released by the Tunisian foreign ministry.

Ammar "highlighted the importance of the European support for Tunisia to carry out its socio-economic reforms and establish an inclusive and equitable development model to better manage common challenges, including the migration issue," said the statement.

The Tunisian top diplomat underlined the need to deal with migration issues using a global approach based on a balance between the socio-economic development and promotion of legal channels of mobility, on one hand, and the fight against trafficking in human beings and migrants, on another hand.

For her part, Johansson reiterated the EU's solidarity with Tunisia and its sustained commitment to supporting the North African country in the economic, financial, and social fields.

She also reiterated the EU's commitment to deal with the migration issue by promoting new vocational training and employment opportunities, as well as improving joint efforts to fight human trafficking and illegal migration. 
In this series, we explore the contentious findings surrounding fluoridation of the U.S. public water supply and answer the question of whether water fluoridation poses a risk and what we should do about it.

Previously: A cavity epidemic made water fluoridation seem like a public health miracle, but the research that followed provided a mixed picture of benefits and risks.

Research has revealed fluoride has both beneficial and harmful effects in people and animals but many of the more critical findings of potential harm are strongly debated.

One of the more contentious findings linked water fluoridation to cancer, a claim that has been largely discounted, though others havent been so easily forgotten.

Fluoride has been shown to decrease the prevalence of dental caries, but fluoride critics argue that water fluoridation might not be the most effective way to protect the public from cavities.

Its now recognized by dental researchers that fluorides primary benefit comes from topical application and that it doesnt need to be swallowed to prevent tooth decay. An October 1999 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report states that laboratory and epidemiologic research findings had dispelled the earlier belief that ingesting fluoride resulted in stronger teeth. It asserts that fluoride effects primarily are topical for both adults and children.

And while applying fluoride to teeth topically has been shown to be beneficial, there is a large growing body of scientific research conducted over decades that links ingesting fluoride with dental and skeletal fluorosis and a range of health effects including damage to the brain, disruption of the endocrine system (thyroid gland, pineal gland, and glucose metabolism), and types of cancers.

The Science

When consumed in tap water, fluoridation chemicals find their way throughout the entire body. It is not only probable, it is inevitable that we will pay the price through unexplained diseases and increased medical costs, Clint Griess, author of Something in the Water, wrote in an email to The Epoch Times.

The highly criticized research of Dr. Dean Burk (19041988), a former chief chemist at the National Cancer Institute, conducted in the 1970s and 80s linked fluoridation of the public water supply to cancer.

Burk wrote in his last scientific paper, It is concluded that artificial fluoridation appears to cause or induce about 20-30 excess cancer deaths for every 100,000 persons exposed per year after about 15-20 years, cited the Berkeley Essig Museum of Entomology Collections.

In a Sept. 21, 1977, congressional hearing, Burk and his colleague John Yiamouyiannis discussed the findings of their studies on the link between water fluoridation and cancer.

One of the studies presented compared cancer death rates of 10 of the largest fluoridated cities to 10 of the largest un-fluoridated cities year by year. The tracking started in the cities before fluoridation began and found that the cancer death rate for both groups of cities prior to fluoridation was for the most part identical.

The study found that cancer death rates showed a drastic increase in fluoridated cities around the time the fluoridation program began, while the cancer death rate increase in the non-fluoridated cities didnt significantly increase.

In an interview with NCRV, a Netherlands-based broadcasting company, Burk urged the government to bring a prompt end to the artificial fluoridation of public water supplies.

Burks work has been sharply criticized, and later studies challenged the link between fluoride and cancer. He was and still is targeted by fluoridation proponents who say he failed to correct for age, sex, race, and cancer site distribution in some of his studies. Despite this, Burks work was largely responsible for the termination of fluoridation in the Netherlands, the Berkeley Entomology Collections noted.

Prior to Burks work, a similar report in the 1955 New England Journal of Medicine showed a 400 percent increase in thyroid cancer in San Francisco during the period that the city had fluoridated drinking water, reported Gladys Caldwell and Dr. Philip Zanfagna in their 1974 book Fluoridation and Truth Decay.

The cancer link remains contentious and the CDC and others hold that other studies have disproven the link. That includes a research review published in 1983 in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization that claimed the assertion was erroneous.

Also, the CDC cites a review by Howard F. Pollick that states, Studies in which humans received doses significantly higher than the optimum fluoride intake for long periods of time showed no negative impact on thyroid function.

Unfortunately, there has been conflicting science around fluoride and contentious findings continue to emerge. That has been particularly true when it comes to fluorides potential neurological effects.

Fluoride and the Brain

In October 1996, Phyllis Mullenix spoke at a Fluoride Forum at Clark University in Worchester, Massachusetts, on her research and groundbreaking study on fluoride.

Mullenix has a doctorate in pharmacology with a specialty in neurotoxicology and completed a post-doctorate at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in environmental medicine.

After a career at both the department of psychiatry at Childrens Hospital in Boston and the department of neuropathology at Harvard Medical School, she took a position at the toxicology department at the Forsyth Dental Research Institute, the first toxicology department established in any dental research institution in the world.

In her lecture, Mullenix recounts that Dr. Jack Hein, the director of the institute, was suspicious that many of the dental products were possibly causing neurological issues.

Mullenix was tasked with applying a new computer-based screening technology she developed to look at the environmental impact and the neurotoxicity of products that are used by dentists and the dental community. Fluoride was the first substance she studied.

In 1995, she published her groundbreaking study linking fluoride with damage to the central nervous system in the peer-reviewed journal Neurotoxicology and Teratology.

Her study on the effects of fluoride on rats found three basic conclusions, Mullenix recounted in the 1996 forum.

First, there was no question that behavior was vulnerable to fluoride, regardless of a very short exposure when young, prenatal, or early postnatal all you needed was 2 or 3 days exposure to this [fluoride] and it caused a permanent change in behavior when the animals grew up, she said.

If you took all the other exposures away except for that one exposure, it was enough to permanently change the behavior, Mullenix said.

The second major finding in the study was that the effects varied with age she said. If the rats were exposed prenatally, the behavior change observed was hyperactivity and when rats were exposed as weanlings or adults they displayed what the scientists called couch potato syndrome, or hypoactive behavior, similar to chronic fatigue.

The third major finding was that fluoride accumulated in the brain, and this is very different than what the literature had said before. The literature up to this point said that it didnt get into the brain and it doesnt bioaccumulate, and we know that this is wrong, concluded Mullenix.

In her study, the fluoride-exposed females had double or triple the amount of fluoride in the hippocampus regions of the brain compared to the control.

The brains hippocampus is part of the limbic system and plays important roles in short- and long-term memory, spatial memory that enables navigation, and emotional behavior.

There has been significant debate around the findings of Mullenixs study in the scientific community although the 2006 NRC report concluded that the committee agrees there are difficulties with interpreting the results of the study, but those difficulties do not warrant dismissal of the results.

The CDCs Stance

The Epoch Times reached out to the CDC with questions about safety and their support of the current water fluoridation program. The CDC pointed to the National Toxicology Programs (NTP) NTP Monograph on the State of the Science Concerning Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Health Effects: A Systematic Review.

The NTP Monograph was performed by an external review board and has been a source of controversy in the ongoing lawsuit against the EPA as internal CDC emails obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by plaintiff attorney Michael Connett showed government agencies interfered with its release.

The report was finally made public on March 15th under an agreement reached in the ongoing lawsuit and a public meeting is set for May 4th where the Board of Scientific Counselors will be presenting its conclusions and recommendations.

We support this process and look forward to seeing their final report, which is likely to help answer a number of your questions, the CDC responded.

The 2006 NRC Report

The Safe Drinking Water Act requires periodic reassessment of regulations for drinking water contaminants. Because of this, the NRC committee on Fluoride in Drinking Water was previously charged by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with reviewing toxicologic, epidemiologic, and clinical data on fluoride, as well as exposure data on orally ingested fluoride from drinking water and other sources (ie. food and dental-hygiene products). This review resulted in the 2006 scientific report of the EPAs standards of fluoride in drinking water by the National Research Council (NRC). Their task was to independently evaluate the scientific basis of the EPAs set drinking water standards, which were set at a maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG) of 4 mg/L and a secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL) of 2 mg/L. The MCLG and the SMCL were set in 1986. The CDC currently supports a water fluoridation level of 0.7mg/L, the concentration recommended by the Public Health Service. The enforceable maximum (MCLG) is 4.0 mg/L. This maximum is meant to protect against skeletal fluorosis. The secondary maximum (SMCL) is 2.0 mg/L, which is meant to protect against moderate to severe dental fluorosis. The secondary standard isnt enforceable but requires systems to notify the public if the average levels exceed it. The NRC fluoride committee was asked to identify data gaps and to make recommendations for future research meant to better inform the MCLG and SMCL to protect children and others from adverse health effects. In their research, the NRC committee found gaps in the information on fluoride that prevented the committee from making some judgments about the safety or the risks of fluoride at concentrations of 2 to 4 mg/L. The committee urged the scientific community to carefully conduct more research on exposure to fluoride especially endocrine effects and brain function and recommended that the EPA should update the risk assessment of fluoride to include new data on health risks and better estimates of total exposure (relative source contribution) for individuals. The committee also urged the EPA to consider susceptible subpopulations, uncertainties, and variability in their assessment. The NRC review of neurotoxicity and neurobehavioral effects of fluoride stated that based on information largely derived from histological, chemical, and molecular studies, it is apparent that fluorides have the ability to interfere with the functions of the brain and the body by direct and indirect means. They noted that fluorides also increase the production of free radicals in the brain through several different biological pathways. These changes have a bearing on the possibility that fluorides act to increase the risk of developing Alzheimers disease. The committee assessed studies that reported IQ deficits in children exposed to fluoride and said that despite the studies lacking sufficient detail, the committee felt that the consistency of the results appeared significant enough to warrant additional research on the effects of fluoride on intelligence. Read Part 1  The Renewed Scientific Opposition to Water Fluoridation Read Part 2  Uncovering the Differences: Why Natural Fluoride and Synthetic Fluoride Are Not Created Equal Read Part 3  Fluoride: A Miracle Cure for Cavities, a Poison, or Both Next: As a rep of CDC, to my knowledge, we dont have any knowledge about that, Casey Hannan, CDC oral health director, said when asked by Connett in a deposition whether the CDC has any data from the published literature that would define the tolerable upper fluoride intake for neurotoxic effects on children.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.
From tap water to toothpaste, fluoride is found everywhere. It is a mineral that is naturally present in some foods, and can be found in tap water due to its ability to prevent tooth decay through a process called remineralization. Adding fluoride into community water systems is regarded as one of the top 10 public health achievements in the 20th century. Nevertheless, fluoride has been a contentious topic for several decades due to research on its carcinogenic and neurotoxic properties, as well as its disruption of the circadian rhythm.

The Rise of Fluoride in the US

There is a popular story that describes two neighboring villages with similar in structures and lifestyles, but with a separate well for drinking water. One village had significantly higher rates of tooth decay compared to the other. Scientists investigating this discrepancy discovered that the village with lower rates of tooth decay had a natural source of fluoridea rock sitting in the wellin their drinking water, while the other village did not. This observation led scientists to study the potential connection between fluoride and tooth decay.

The story likely originated from he discovery in 1901 that residents of Colorado Springs, Colorado had brown teeth stainsa condition called enamel fluorosisthat were challenging to remove. Scientists found that this was caused by excessively high levels of fluoride in their spring water, far higher than those found in drinking water and toothpaste today.

In 1931, Dr. Treadley H. Dean conducted research that determined that a fluoride level of 1.0 ppm was unlikely to cause enamel fluorosis in most people. However, he remained curious about whether adding fluoride at a safe level could prevent tooth decay without any causing any negative effects. In 1945, the city of Grand Rapids in Michigan became the site of a landmark study, in which the city council voted to add fluoride to its water supply for a 15-year research project directed by Dean.

This study, conducted without any prior or parallel studies to examine the impact of fluoridation of drinking water on peoples health, would not have been approved today. It is similar to conducting a massive human challenge study without safety and toxicity data, not even from animal populations. Nevertheless, it was a daring step forward in studying the potential risks and benefits of water fluoridation.

Despite the limited data available for the city-wide study, a group of 30,000 schoolchildren was monitored for their rate of tooth decay. After 11 years, Dean concluded that the rate of caries, or tooth decay, amongst Grand Rapids children had decreased by more than 60%. This finding was a significant advancement in dental health.

However, toothpaste containing fluoride was also commercially available during that time. Therefore, it is unclear whether the reduction in tooth decay was partially or primarily due to children swallowing some toothpaste while brushing their teeth.

After the benefits of adding fluoride to drinking water were recognized, it quickly became a common practice throughout the U.S. Currently, over 185 million people in the country are exposed to fluoridated water, making up the majority of people worldwide who have access to fluoridated water.

However, the massive scale of the U.S. fluoridation program was mainly the result of executive orders. As Dr. James Dunning, former dean of Harvard School of Dental Medicine, observed when fluoridation began decades ago, that: The big cities in the United States were mostly fluoridated by executive action in such a way as to avoid public referenda.

People have exercised their democratic rights to take action against fluoridation. In 1988, Chemical & Engineering News reported that fluoridation had been voted down in about 60% of the 2,000 referendums held in the United States since 1950. This raises the question: Why are people rejecting fluoride if there is evidence to support its health benefits?

Understanding the Connection Between Fluoride and Cancer

Generally speaking, accumulation of a substance that cant decompose rapidly is troublesome. For example, the buildup of mercury, which is classified as a neurotoxin, in the body can cause significant damage resulting in a lower than average IQ. At the same time, the buildup of certain substances can impede DNA repair mechanisms, which can lead to tumors. Fluoride, for example, has this effect.

While there have been studies that suggest fluoride can interfere with DNA repair mechanisms and cause cancer, there is currently no clear scientific consensus that fluoride is a carcinogenic substance. Not only is your headline suggesting that this topic is controversial, thus, there is no clear agreement on it, but also there is some research suggesting that fluoride has no harmful effects at the levels found in drinking water.

People who support fluoridation of drinking water label those who oppose it as anti-fluoride, similar to how vaccine resistance is labeled as anti-vaccine. However, the negative connotations are not based on scientific discussion or discovery.

A study conducted by the National Toxicology Program under the National Institutes of Health found a dose-dependent increase of bone cancer in male rats treated with fluoride, suggesting potential toxicity and carcinogenicity. In addition, the NTP study found increases in rare liver cancers, oral cavity cancers, and thyroid cancers among the fluoride-treated rats, which reached statistical significance in some cases. However, the NTP determined that the cancers were not related to fluoride treatment, which raises questions about the possible causes of the observed cancers and this controlled animal study.

The NTP study was released in December 1990, which sparked a 14-year long study by Harvard University on the significant link between osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, and fluoride in water. The results of the study were consistent with those of the 1990s study, indicating that higher levels of fluoride in water are associated with an increased of cancer. Nevertheless, the study concludes that more research is needed to confirm or refute the observations.

Given the controversies surrounding the potential harmful effects of fluoride, the questions arises: How much fluoride is too much? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends fluoride levels of 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of drinking water. Higher levels of fluoride increases the risk of dental fluorosis, according to the CDC.

Balancing Health and Safety Concerns

Fluoride is a double-edged sword. We can recognize its benefits in preventing or reducing tooth decay by using fluoride-containing toothpaste products. However, keep in mind that adding fluoride in toothpaste products is a totally different issue from adding fluoride to drinking water, as people cant opt out of the latter. Additionally, we must also address the growing scientific evidence that fluoride accumulation in the human body, particularly in the pineal gland and bones, may have serious health consequences. As such, public health policies should always be re-examined as new scientific discoveries become available.

If you are concerned about fluoridated drinking water, commercially available fluoride filters to tap water can be effective. Alternatively, consider switching to bottled water without fluoride. There is some evidence that curcumin, which is found in turmeric, may be able to mitigate the effects of fluoridation. Turmeric can be consumed as a powder by mixing it with a latte or adding it to milk for flavor. Curcumin supplements are also available.

Its worth noting that adding fluoride to tap water without residents consent is ethically questionable, especially if fluoride is considered a medication. Some scientists have gone as far as to call the fluoridation of community tap water as a violation of medical ethics. This might be why some European countries, such as Germany, add fluoride to salt instead of water, as it allows individuals greater control over their fluoride intake.

In the United States, fluoride levels in community water sources are regulated on a local level, which provides citizens with the opportunity to voice their concerns about the amount of fluoride in their tap water.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.
On April 24, the Tucker Carlson Tonight host and Fox News parted ways. Fox News stocks fell by as much as 5 percent on the same day, while Tucker Carlsons Twitter profile gained about 700,000 followers in less than a week.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Carlson has been routinely criticized for his COVID commentaries that opposed the mainstream narrative.

Yet many would argue that Carlsons commentaries were a rare source of reason over the past three fear-plagued years.

Prominent cardiologist and leading COVID-19 vaccine critic Dr. Peter McCullough told The Epoch Times that Carlson was on track about the significant factors influencing society.

He made great contributions over the last two years, McCullough said.

People recognize that he is genuinely telling the truth, and even if they dont agree with his interpretation, in general, his comments are factual and reasonable, Dr. David Bell, public health physician and former medical officer and scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO), told The Epoch Times over the phone.

Here is how Carlson weighed in on some of the critical topics throughout the pandemic.

Origins of SARS-CoV-2

Carlson, a prominent voice calling for a thorough investigation into the origins of COVID-19, was among the few eminent TV hosts open to the possibility of a Wuhan lab leak origin.

Maybe an animal transmitted it to researchers, and the Chinese government didnt quarantine those researchers. Thats an entirely reasonable possibility, as reasonable as any other explanation, Carlson suggested in a segment of his show in September 2020.

Hong Kong virologist Dr. Li-Meng Yan appeared in the same episode. Yan researched SARS-CoV-2 in China and later fled to the United States. She told Carlson that she believed the virus was engineered and intentionally released to infect the globe.

He was critical of media and political commentary that argued against calling COVID-19 by the name Wuhan virus because they claimed it would be offensive and racist.

Now is not the time to indulge in the lowest and dumbest kind of identity politics, Carlson said in a February 2020 segment. In times of crisis, euphemisms kill. You need accuracy and clear language in the way you talk about the threat. Its essential.

On Feb. 23, 2022, the Wall Street Journal reported on a classified report from the U.S. Energy Department that concluded COVID-19 likely originated from a lab leak.

We know perfectly well COVID came from, weve known this for years, Carlson said on his show in 2023, commenting on this report. One of the very first things we knew about COVID was that it was an engineered virus that escaped somehow, intentionally or not, from a Chinese military biolab in Wuhan.

COVID-19 Severity

Carlsons stance on COVID-19 severity has shifted throughout the pandemic.

Early in the pandemic, mainstream health authorities argued that the risks of COVID-19 were minuscule and that the flu posed a more significant concern. Carlson, however, citing data from the WHO at the time, expressed concern that the COVID-19 virus could be 30 times more dangerous than the flu and that the health system might be unable to handle this virus.

A subsequent study showed that the COVID-19 case fatality rate is less than 1 percent, significantly lower than the 3.4 percent reported by the WHO early in the pandemic.

We now know  that the virus isnt that deadly, Carlson said in a segment aired on May 22, 2020. An enormous percentage of coronavirus infections produce mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. Theyre asymptomatic. The death toll is a tiny fraction of what we were told it would be.

Vaccine Adverse Events

Carlson was a leading critic of the push to vaccinate and the censorship of discussing adverse events since the initial vaccine rollouts.

He questioned the efficacy of vaccines and raised concerns about their safety but has not advocated against getting vaccinated.

With the advent of the vaccine rollout, Twitter and Facebook implemented new misinformation policies. Posts about COVID-19 vaccinations deemed to be false or misleading were removed. This also led to the closure of Facebook groups discussing vaccine reactions.

In December 2020, Carlson expressed that these actions would erode trust.

None of this inspires confidence, he said on Tucker Carlson Tonight. Censorship will not convince a single person to take the coronavirus vaccine. In fact, it will have the opposite effect.

At first, Carlson favored vaccination for vulnerable people, but he has been against mandating it.

I thought that American physicians agreed that compulsory medical care was unethical, it was immoral, and it could never be imposed on anyone, he said on Jan. 21, 2022.

In April 2021, Carlson cast doubt on vaccine safety after adverse events of blood clotting and bleeding appeared in those who took the J&J vaccine.

On May 5, 2021, Carlson raised concern about deaths after COVID-19 vaccinations. He cited data from the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), saying 3,362 people died after getting the shots between late December to April 2021.

McCullough said Carlson would be the first to cite VAERS data on primetime television.

In June 2021, the WHO published its COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, writing that children should not be vaccinated for the moment.

There is not yet enough evidence on the use of vaccines against COVID-19 in children to make recommendations for children to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the WHO added.

Carlson interpreted this vaccine recommendation as indicating that the vaccines were harmful to children.

The drugs are too dangerous. Theres not nearly enough data to understand the long-term effects or to show that the benefits are worth the risk that they bring, Carlson said.

Judging by the VAERS reporting system, we can be certain that some will be harmed. Beyond that, we cant be sure. We arent even sure what effects this vaccine will have on the elderlythe one group we were told from day one should take the vaccine as quickly as possible.

Carlsons most recent comments on COVID-19 vaccines came from the Tucker Carlson Tonight show aired on April 19, 2023.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a 2024 presidential candidate and the founder of Childrens Health Defense, a not-for-profit activist group for childhood vaccine safety, joined Carlson.

Carlson introduced Kennedy as someone who knew early on that the COVID vaccines were both ineffective and potentially dangerous.

Masking

Carlson was initially in favor of voluntary masking.

Of course, masks work, he said in a segment in late March 2020, while also raising the concern that masks were becoming difficult to source.

He later changed his take on masking in July 2020, saying there was no basis of any kind in science on mask-wearing.

However, Carlson has always been critical of mask mandates, arguing that the mandates were implemented more for political reasons than public health.

In discussing the Virginian lawsuit that ruled to allow parents to opt their children out of wearing masks, Carlson repeated ruling judge Louise DiMatteos comments.

Louise DiMatteo made a highly revealing statement: Im not going to decide whos right and whos wrong on masking, she said. This is really about the hierarchy of authority. Well, exactly. That really is what its about. After more than two years of COVID restrictions, theres not a huge amount of scientific debate over masks on children, Carlson said.

The only debate left, as the judge pointed out, is not to debate over science. Its a debate about power.

In January 2023, research gold standard Cochrane published a review concluding masking does not slow the spread of COVID-19.

Lockdowns

Carlson has been critical of lockdowns, arguing that they have been harmful to individuals and society and do not help control the spread of the virus.

Carlson said in a segment on his show in November 2020, The evidence is in. Lockdowns dont work. They dont make us safe. They dont stop the virus. They do cause enormous harm, though, especially to the poor and the middle class.

Studies have shown conflicting benefits of lockdowns. For example, a study by the University of California found that early lockdowns prevented infections by 56 percent, but they came with a decline in GDP, employment, customer spending, and satisfaction. Contrastingly, a Johns Hopkins study showed that lockdowns only reduced COVID-19 mortalities by 0.2 percent on average (pdf).

Carlson has also criticized government officials for imposing strict lockdown measures while failing to adequately support businesses and individuals struggling due to the pandemic.
Hong Kongs Two Systems, 18412020

Commentary

Xia Baolong, currently Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office and former Deputy Party Secretary of Zhejiang who allegedly ordered the removal of thousands of crosses from churches, paid a six-day visit to Hong Kong to officiate in the National Security Education Day.

He made many speeches on one country, two systems. He said that subversive elements in Hong Kong and Macao would not stop and that external forces from the United States and the West would not be happy about this and might conspire and come back again anytime, so all should strive to defend Hong Kong and Macao. He also made explicit the relationship between one country, two systems and national securityprotecting national security is equivalent to protecting one country, two systems and Hong Kongs prosperity, democracy, and freedom. All Hongkongers must be patriots, not bystanders. In other words, they have lost their freedom not to express loyalty to China.

In other words, one country, two systems becomes increasingly conditional rather than a fundamental policy for Hong Kong. It can be amended if not reversed at any time. I jokingly asked my friends whether burials of non-patriots would be banned in Hong Kong, following the example of medieval Europe churches that did not allow suicides, criminals, and excommunicated persons to be buried in the churchyard.

The Chinese Communist Party boasts that one country, two systems is an unprecedented great innovation. Given the above, its greatness becomes increasingly doubtful. So, is it unprecedented?

When I was an undergraduate at the University of Hong Kong, Professor Adam Lui Yuen-chung, head of the History Department and a Qing history expert, said that the separate rule of the Manchu and the Han Chinese was already a form of one country, two systems.

If this example is too old and irrelevant to Hong Kong, the opening of Hong Kong as a British colony marked the beginning of Hong Kongs two systems. Five days after declaring the opening of Hong Kong, Gordon Bremer, Commander-in-Chief, and Charles Elliot, Plenipotentiary to China, issued a proclamation To the Chinese Inhabitants of Hongkong, which not only announced British takeover of Hong Kong, but also promised that the Chinese people of Hong Kong would be free to practice their religious rites, ceremonies, and social customs, and to enjoy lawful private property and interests; Chinese laws would be used in matters concerning the Chinese.

As a result, governance in Hong Kong, with its separate rule of Chinese and foreigners, was a form of two systems. Chinese people continued to attend Chinese private schools (sishu). In the event of disputes, they always chose not to resort to the court system of the colonial government, but go to the Man Mo Temple in Sheung Wan, kill a cock, burn a piece of yellow paper, take an oath or perform an investigation, the legal status of which was recognized by the government.

The Home Affairs Bureau, now responsible for dealing with various social groups, evolves from the Secretary for Chinese Affairs in the colonial era. It was responsible for communicating with the local Chinese and keeping track of their opinions. After establishing the Tung Wah Hospital, a charity run by local Chinese elites, the colonial government once intended to have it develop into a small government for the Chinese. Through this, you can imagine that one city, two systems was a fundamental policy of the Hong Kong government.

Hong Kongs history of two systems is best illustrated by the implementation of The Great Qing Legal Code, which was still in force in 1970, more than one century after the opening of Hong Kong. That year, the Legislative Council implemented the Marriage Reform Ordinance to abolish concubinage and replace it with monogamy. However, children and descendants of concubines are still eligible to inherit by the Qing Code. After 1997, court cases about land issues in the New Territories sometimes still refer to the Code.

From the above, it is clear that the two systems, there since 1841, were genuine and unconditional, free from political strictures, remarkably contrasting the communist version of one country, two systems today. The implementation of the National Security Law in 2020 put an end to the citys history of two systems, with officials adopting mainland jargon and manners of political conduct at their own initiative.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Hospital Pushes Children Into Gender Transition Treatments: Documents

LGBT activists from the National Center for Transgender Equality rally in front of the White House in Washington on Oct. 22, 2018. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Seattle Childrens Hospital strongly motivates medical professionals to provide transgender medical treatments for young patients with gender identity issues, even when treatments are risky and patients question the side effects, according to documents published by the hospital.

The hospital published multiple guides to instruct medical professionals on their treatment decisions regarding gender-affirming medical care for youth.

The procedures that medical professionals are recommended to provide for transgender youth include puberty blockers and menstrual suppression drugs and do not list mental health screenings as a necessary step before medications are administered to patients.

Puberty blockers can cause menopausal symptoms, decreased bone density, limited growth including height, and, when followed by cross-sex hormones, limited fertility, according to the protocols (pdf).

If the patient is interested in any of these treatments, but the parents are unsure, doctors can still be allowed to make puberty blockers available and refer the young patient to a gender clinic and provide advice on binding and tucking, according to the document (pdf).

Screen for depression, anxiety, and suicidality, and refer to a mental health therapist if there are any concerns, or for continued gender exploration. Please note: Gender Clinic does not provide long-term mental health therapy, the guide states under a section for patients who arent interested in transgender medical procedures.

Chloe Cole, an ex-transgender teen, speaks as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) looks on outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Sept. 20, 2022. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times)

Cross-sex procedures come with a wide range of negative side effects, but the hospital insists that their protocols are put into place to protect patients during their procedures and treatments.

Gender-affirming care is provided in line with the evidence-based standard of care guidelines for adolescents published by the WPATH and the Endocrine Society, a Seattle Childrens spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation. For patients under age 18, gender-affirming medical care requires consent from any parent or guardian that has medical decision-making rights for that patient.

Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, former associate dean for curriculum at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and current chair of Do No Harm, says not providing mental health care to the youngest of trans patients is causing more harm during their transition treatments.

The most damning aspect of these documents is the repeated assertion that the gender clinic does not provide mental health services, Goldfarb said in a statement. The notion that these children, who are often depressed, anxious, and even autistic, are not provided with those services in a way that is closely linked with the activities of the gender clinic is appalling.

A Seattle Childrens Hospital guide titled Algorithm: Gender Affirming Medical Care for Youth (pdf) listed various pathways to receiving gender-affirming treatments, such as puberty blockers, hormones, or surgery options for young patients to follow. The guide also mentions mental health treatment as an additional resource only for patients not interested in blockers, hormones, or surgeries.

Indiana recently became the 14th state to ban gender-affirming care for minors, joining 10 other states with similar legislation.

Permanent gender-changing surgeries with lifelong impacts and medically prescribed preparation for such a transition should occur as an adult, not as a minor. There has been and will continue to be a debate within the medical community about the best ways to provide physical and mental health care for adolescents who are struggling with their own gender identity, and it is important that we recognize and understand those struggles are real. With all of that in mind, I have decided to sign SB 480 into law, Gov. Eric Holcomb said in a prepared statement.
House Democrats Expelled After Protesting Equal Rights Amendment in Senate

(L-R) Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), and Rashida Harbi Tlaib (D-Mich.) cheer as U.S. President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Feb. 7, 2023. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

A group of House Democrats was expelled on April 27 while protesting as Senate Republicans voted to block a joint resolution to remove the deadline for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution.

The sergeant at arms was called to restore order and expel protesters, among whom were Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.), who didnt have authorization to be on the Senate floor.

The protest was led by Pressley and Bush, who co-chair the Congressional Equal Rights Amendment Caucus. Theyre also both members of the progressive squad made up of House lawmakers, including Reps. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.).

Prior to being kicked out, Pressley explained in a video later shared on Twitter why the group was going to enter the Senate chamber.

Gender equality cant wait. There should be no deadline for that, Pressley said.

We deserve for gender equality to be enshrined in the Constitution, she added. Were going to go in here, look at our Senate colleagues, and demand they do the right thing by the women of this country.

Bush explained that the group was right outside the Senate chamber while the vote took place inside.

So, the House is standing, saying to the Senate: We need you to make the ERA happen today. ERA now, Bush said in the video.

In a follow-up video shared by Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) following their protest, the congresswoman explained that the group was being expelled after they marched from the House to the Senate and protested inside the chamber.

Im getting kicked out. Im not even in the area. We have a lot of rules around here, but listen were getting expelled out of here, we just left where they dont have enough votes to pass the ERA, Lee said.

In the post accompanying the video, Lee said it was a shame that 100 years after the Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced, we are still fighting for gender equality in our Constitution.

After being expelled, the group of House Democrats chanted: What do we want? ERA! When do we want it? Now! as they marched to a press conference outside.

The Vote

The Senate was voting on whether or not to remove the deadline for ratifying the resolution proposing the constitutional amendment, which would grant equal legal rights to all citizens regardless of sex.

The proposed joint resolution (pdf) was introduced in the Senate on Jan. 24 by Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). It sought to remove the deadline for the ratification of the ERA to the U.S. Constitution.

The ERA was a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that was first drafted in 1923 and passed by Congress in 1973. Its purpose is to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. It came with the stipulation that the amendment must be ratified within seven years.

The text of the amendment states, Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.

After being passed by Congress, the amendment was subsequently sent to the states for ratification. However, the amendment failed to gain the necessary support of three-fourths of the states within the 1978 deadline set by Congress, and as a result, it has not been added to the Constitution.

Owing to insufficient time to meet the required number of ratifications, Congress voted to extend the deadline for ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment to June 30, 1982. However, despite the extension, the amendment was not ratified until 2020 when Virginia finally approved it. Unfortunately, the amendments ratification deadline had already passed, and it is yet to become law.

The defeated joint resolution sought to remove the deadline for ratification of the ERA, thereby allowing the amendment to be added to the Constitution if it is ratified by three-fourths of the states at any time in the future.

The resolution fell short of the required 60 votes to invoke cloture despite two Republicans, namely Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Murkowski, voting in favor of it alongside 49 Democrats on April 27.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) expressed disappointment at the outcome but promised to continue the fight. He switched his vote to no so that he could bring up the bill at a later time, and he stated at a press conference outside the Capitol that supporters of the amendment would keep fighting until they succeed.

Women are under assault politically in so many ways, whether its the right to choose, or womens health care, or discrimination, or so many other things, he asserted. Its about time America said no to all of that.

Its about time America said no to the MAGA majority on the Supreme Court, that we need protections for women, he added.
House Rejects Rep. Gaetzs Bill to Withdraw US Troops From Somalia

Rep.Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) delivers remarks in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on Jan. 6, 2023. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The House rejected legislation from Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) that would require President Joe Biden to withdraw most U.S. troops from Somalia in an April 27 vote.

Opponents of the legislation said it would hurt national security by making it harder to fight al-Shabaab, designated as a terrorist group by the United States over a decade ago.

House lawmakers, including its sponsor, claim that 900 U.S. troops in Somalia on an uncertain mission will never bring peace. Despite his claims, the House rejected the legislation, H.Con.Res.30, in a vote of 102-321.

Gaetz said during a floor discussion that to accept Bidens decision last year to send soldiers back to Somalia, one would have to believe that 900 U.S. troops are what is going to save a country of 17 million from a hardened group of 7,000.

I think that strains not only logic but our understanding of the history of Somalia, Gaetz said during the floor debate on the bill.

The future of Somalia must be determined by Somalia. And to the extent that foreign influences could be helpful, I would argue that the African Union is far better positioned to build a stronger sense of national identity and national unity among clans that have been warring in Somalia for generations than U.S. troops, he added.

Somali security officers drive past a section of Hotel Hayat, the scene of an al-Shabaab group terrorist attack in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Aug. 20, 2022. (Feisal Omar/Reuters)

Coup Concerns

In recent weeks, Gaetz has also claimed that U.S.-trained Somali soldiers had staged coups across Africa. Gaetz questioned U.S. Africa Command Gen. Michael Langley, USMC, why taxpayers should continue paying for this endeavor in March, citing claims that certain U.S.-trained soldiers had led many coups and coup attempts.

The American people have extremely low confidence in our military leaders and their ability to assess their own efficacy, Gaetz said in March when he introduced his resolution.

How do they expect Americans to believe their justification for occupying Somalia when they cant even determine who in their own training programs will lead a violent coup afterward?

Terror Group Aligned With al-Qaeda

Violence in Somalia has continued to be an issue of concern, with al Qaeda-linked al-Shabab seeking to establish an Islamic state through force.

Women walk next to a destroyed house and the wreckage of a car following an explosion by al-Shabaab terrorists during an attack on a police station on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia, on Feb. 16, 2022. (Hassan Ali Elmi/AFP via Getty Images)

Ten people were killed on Feb. 21 in an attack claimed by al-Shabab in Somalias capital of Mogadishu, which said it was targeting military officials and militia fighters engaging in an offensive against it, according to a report.

Somalias communications ministry announced that ten people were murdered but did not specify who was targeted. The four terrorists engaged in the attack were slain by security personnel, according to the report.

More recently, the nations military repulsed an attack by the jihadist terrorists in a remote region on April 22, reported The Associated Press. A top army official said that at least 18 al-Shabab terrorists were killed in the fighting near Masagaway town. At least three civilians were also killed, the report said, citing General Mohamed Ahmed Taredisho.

Since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamuds government started an operation against al-Shabab in August of last year, the group has increased attacks in response.

Among al-Shababs most notorious terror attacks were in neighboring Kenya, where ten years ago, they attacked civilians in a Nairobi shopping mall that led to the death of over 70 people. Two years later, al-Shabab terrorists committed a massacre at a public university in northeast Kenya, where 148 people, mostly students, were murdered.
House Worries About Lab Safety After COVID Pandemic

Security personnel keep watch outside the Wuhan Institute of Virology during the visit by the World Health Organization team tasked with investigating the origins of COVID-19, in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on Feb. 3, 2021. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)

Over three years after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, biosafety experts told the House what steps might reduce the likelihood of a similar disaster.

We still do not know how the COVID-19 pandemic started. However, more information has heightened our suspicions that the origin of the pandemic was linked to a lab incident, said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, in her opening statement at an April 27 hearing of that committees oversight subcommittee.

The lab leak theory was often dismissed during the early stages of the pandemic, with Dr. Anthony Fauci denouncing the notion of a lab leak in April 2020 as a destructive conspiracy theory.

Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, testifies during a senate subcommittee about funding matters on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on May 17, 2022. (Shawn Thew/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Yet, official opinions have shifted.

The Department of Energy and many scientists now believe COVID-19 originated with a lab leak in China.

A recent COVID-19 origins report released by Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), a medical doctor, concluded that the preponderance of information supports the plausibility of an unintentional research-related incident.

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) walks on Capitol Hill in Washington on Dec. 7, 2021. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Suspicions have fallen on the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which received funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) via EcoHealth Alliance.

Subcommittee Chair Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) said in his opening statement that NIH has stonewalled and slow-walked our document requests related to Ecohealth Alliance grants.

While Republicans criticized the NIH, Democrats used their opening remarks to defend Americas major federal scientific institutions.

We also need to discuss the training and safety measures that are already in place in high-containment labs to reduce risk, said Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), the committees ranking member.

Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 27, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Several years after outspoken scientific defectors on the COVID-19 consensus faced censorship, termination, and other negative consequences for speaking out, Pallone told his colleagues that the current tenor of the debate on biosafety and biosecurity is having a chilling effect on scientific research.

We have seen scientists, including some of our top public health officials, maligned, marginalized, taken out of context, and accused of covering up the origins of COVID-19, he said.

Subcommittee Ranking Member Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) suggested that some proposals floated by Republicans could undercut Americas global leadership on science.

If America does not lead the world in infectious disease research, the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] will try to fill that role, she said.

US vs World

Gregory Koblentz, an associate professor and biodefense expert at George Mason University, detailed the United States performance on biosafety and biosecurity in written testimony.

On biosafetythe specific practices used to handle biological agents at minimal riskthe United States does well, along with most other countries Koblentz studied.

On biosecuritythe steps taken to protect microbial agents from loss, theft, diversion or intentional misusethe U.S. is tied for #1, but the global picture is grimmer.

Only 12 out of the 27 countries with BSL-4 labs scored high, with nine countries scoring medium and six low, Koblentz testified.

BSL-4 (biosafety level 4) laboratories are at the top of the biosafety hierarchy. They handle deadly pathogens, including the Ebola virus and the Marburg virus.

Chinas first BSL-4 lab was the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Castor asked Koblentz if greater cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) is the right strategy for addressing risks from laboratories outside the United States.

The World Health Organization (WHO) logo is seen in Geneva, Switzerland, on Dec. 3, 2019. (Diego Grandi/Shutterstock)

He recommended what he called a two-pronged approach.

Working through organizations like the WHO and the Biological Weapons Convention can enable us to set international standards, he said.

At the same time, we also need to have more focused efforts that are working with the countries that are perhaps developing their first BSL-4 laboratory, and so they need to build up the legal and regulatory infrastructure and expertise, as well as the training for their personnel wholl be working there, he added.

Independent Agency Recommended

Koblentz told Griffith biosafety and biosecurity at Americas research facilities could potentially be managed by an independent agency, perhaps similar to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Both he and Rocco Casagrande, board chair of Gryphon Scientific, said that a database compiling near misses would also be helpful.

Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), a medical doctor, questioned another expert, Bob Hawley, along similar lines.

Hawley once led the Safety and Radiation Protection Division at Fort Detrick, the hub of Americas biodefense research program.

Military Personnel stand guard outside the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick on Sept. 26, 2002. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

Hawley called for a national database so that we can all share and learn from what happened without any negative consequences.

In written testimony, he cited the National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Database and Synopses database as one of several possible models.

He counseled against an overly punitive approach.

The threat of punishment for alerting others to a near miss has a tendency to drive these incidents underground, so theyre never reported, he said.

I think that is so important, Burgess said.

Maybe that could have avoided some of the difficulties that we see now with EcoHealth Alliance, he added.
Illinois Based Meat Producer Recalls Over 2,000 Pounds Of Contaminated Ground Beef

An Illinois-based meat producer has recalled more than 2,000 pounds of ground beef patties after consumers said it was allegedly tainted with an unknown substance.

Customers complained they found rubber-like material in the grass-fed beef products during preparation.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said that Weinstein Whole Meats of Forest Park, Illinois, announced the recall on April 20, of 2,122 pounds of contaminated ground beef hamburger patties.

Inspectors identified the substance as extraneous materials, specifically pieces of white neoprene.

Neoprene is a synthetic rubber that is used for a wide variety of products, including car parts, electronics, and in personal protective equipment like face masks.

It also happens not to be biodegradable. Although it is considered safe, it is still a polymerized form of chloroprene, which the Environmental Protection Agency has called a likely carcinogen.

Chloroprene is currently on Californias Proposition 65 list of chemicals known to increase the risk of cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm over time.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that exposure to chloroprene may also lead to dermatitis, conjunctivitis, corneal necrosis, anemia, temporary loss of hair, nervousness, and irritability.

Authorities do not believe ingesting very small amounts of chloroprene or neoprene will cause health problems.

The recalled burger patties were processed by Weinstein on March 14 and were shipped to an online distributor to be sent to supermarkets nationwide.

Only one product has been recalled so far at this time, specifically, 10.7-oz. packages of ground beef patties labeled: 100% Grass Fed & Finished Beef Burger Patties 85% Lean/15% Fat.

The contaminated product is labeled with the establishment number: Est. 6987.

So far, there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of the beef patties, according to the USDA.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said it is concerned that some of the products may have reached customers refrigerators or freezers.

The FSIS said that anyone who has purchased these products must not to consume them and that they should be thrown away immediately or returned to the place of purchase.

Corrective Action

Weinstein said it is working with the FSIS and has completed an internal review at its Forest Park facility to carry out a corrective action.

Our company is committed to producing high quality and safe food for our customers, said a company spokesperson.

The spokesperson confirmed that they and the distributor, Pre, had received five complaints, which affected a very small amount of product.

Weinstein has completed an internal review related to this event at the Forest Park facility and corrective actions have been implemented, the spokesperson added.

We view this as an isolated incident. Our company is committed to producing high quality and safe food for our customers.

The recall comes one month after a Minnesota food processing firm was forced to recall frozen beef pastries from schools after it was found that they contained a wire-like metal.

A 2016 study found that between 2002 and 2014, an estimated 1,698 visits were made to emergency rooms nationwide due to injuries related to wire bristles in food.
Illinois Man Arrested for Allegedly Killing Neighbor Over Noisy Leaf Blower

Authorities in Illinois have charged a 79-year-old man with murder after he allegedly shot and killed his 59-year-old neighbor following an argument over a leaf blower.

Ettore Lacchei was arrested without incident at his home on Tuesday, the Lake County Sheriffs Office said in a press release. He has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting death of William Martys.

Lacchei is being held at the Lake County Jail without bond pending an initial court hearing.

Following a comprehensive investigation, detectives with the sheriffs office also revealed that Lacchei had various perceived grievances with his next-door neighbor.

Tuesdays arrest stems from an April 12 incident when Martys was using a leaf blower in his yard and was approached by his neighbor. The pair then reportedly began arguing over the leaf blower before Lacchei shot his neighbor in the head.

At approximately 7:35 p.m. that day, police received a call about an unresponsive man in a driveway. Deputies were then dispatched to Martyss home on North Black Oak Avenue in Antioch and found the victim in the driveway.

Police said Martys was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators said they have recovered what they alleged could be a murder weapon, which was located near Laccheis property line.

Senselessly Murdered

Our condolences go out to the family and friends of William Martys, who was senselessly murdered, Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said in a press release. The members of the sheriffs office are relentless when it comes to seeking justice for victims. The members of our Criminal Investigations Division have been working around the clock to bring Mr. Martys murderer to justice.

Lake County Attorney Eric Rinehart commended the sheriffs office work in a statement, while also claiming that the suspects easy access to a gun turned the dispute into a deadly crime.

We will support the victims and seek justice in the courtrooms, Rinehart said.

A neighbor of both men told local news station WLS that Martys and Lacchei had argued previously, and Lacchei had pulled a gun on Martys once.

No one deserves anything like that and its just kind of crazy to think that someone can just break like that over just a simple argument that can be fixed just talking, the neighbor told the network.

According to Martyss obituary, he is survived by his children Jacquelyn, Aleczander, Anthony, and Aiden Martys, as well as his granddaughter, Molly Martys.

Above all things, family was extremely important to him. William loved his children, adored his granddaughter, and appreciated the relationship he had with siblings, nieces, and nephews, his obituary states.

The investigation, which is still ongoing, was conducted by the Antioch Police Department, Lake County Sheriffs Office, and Lake County Major Crime Task Force.

From NTD News
DAMASCUS, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Restoring normal relations between Arab countries, particularly the Syrian-Saudi relations, will promote stability in the region and protect the "national security" of Arab countries, a senior Syrian official has said.

The Arab world has realized that there is a ripple effect among them which means when something bad happens in one country, it would for sure affect other countries. Thus mending intra-Arab relations is key to ensuring "Arab security", said Syrian Assistant Foreign Minister Ayman Sousan in an interview with Xinhua.

"In order to achieve prosperity for our peoples, we have to restore good relations between the Arab states, which are conducive to securing stability in our countries and protecting all of our national security," he said.

On mending Syria's ties with some Arab countries, Sousan said his country looks to the future and does not look back.

"What matters to us is what we can achieve to ensure our countries' security and people's prosperity. Therefore, Syria is open to all positive steps and deals with them positively."

Noting that relations between Syria and Saudi Arabia are "healing," he said that Saudi Arabia is an influential country in the region and beyond, and restoring relations between the two sides will improve the situation in the Arab world and boost the relations between Syria and other Arab countries or even those beyond.

On the current positive vibe in the region and Syria's emergence from the shadow of war, Sousan said is looking to the future with greater optimism.

When political relations are good, it opens the door for activating economic development because it is in the interest of all, he said.

Talking about the deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume diplomatic ties, which was brokered by China, Sousan said that such a significant achievement would definitely have a positive influence on the political settlement of the conflicts in the region. 
IN-DEPTH: Florida Set to Approve Bill Targeting Vaccines, Masks, and MandatesSome Activists Say Its Not Enough

Copies of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's newly released book, The Courage To Be Free: Floridas Blueprint For Americas Revival at the Orange County Choppers Road House in Pinellas Park, Florida, on March 8, 2023. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The Florida Legislature is poised to approve a medical freedom measure that vastly expands Floridians protections against what Gov. Ron DeSantis has called medical authoritarianism.

But even as thats happening, some of the medical freedom movements leaders in the state are denouncing the bill as a sellout and a sham.

They decry the substitution of another bill for one that they had a hand in crafting. They say the replacement bill thats moving toward passage greatly reduces the protections they sought and applies mostly to a nearly finished COVID-19 crisis.

DeSantiss office, meanwhile, touts the new legislation as a powerful one that gives Floridians protections from being forced to take vaccines or wear masks in pandemics of the future. It also lends special attention to the use of experimental or mRNA vaccines such those used against COVID-19.

Syringes and vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are prepared to be administered at a drive-up vaccination site from Renown Health in Reno, Nev., on Dec. 17, 2020. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

A leading voice for medical freedom in the state, Gainesville attorney Jeff Childers, sides with the governors office.

Whats Next

The bill passed the state Senate by a vote of 296 on April 27. It now heads to the state House, which has already advanced a similar measure through committees.

It will most likely come to the House floor on May 1, when the calendar will be devoted to bills that have already passed the Senate, according to the Florida House of Representatives Public Information Office.

Childers, a commercial litigator involved in COVID-19 litigation since the beginning of the pandemic, said he thinks medical freedom activists in Florida, a group he described as very passionate and very active, misinterpreted the states arcane legislative procedure. They decided DeSantis had caved to lobbyists.

Childers said he believes the opposite took place, that the governors office has taken a far more active role in strengthening the bill with amendments than it usually does.

I dont think that would have happened if pharma had them locked up, Childers said.

I applaud [medical freedom advocates] passion. But politics is an arena of compromise. You dont always get what you want on the first try. Its a game of inches.

Their position was, We want a perfect bill or no bill.'

Activists helped draft Senate Bill 222, which would make anyone declining to take any vaccine a class protected by civil rights, like race and sex are.

And that didnt fly with legislators, Childers said.

Disney employee Nick Caturano speaks about discrimination against people who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, in an undated photo. (Courtesy of Nick Caturano)

But the new bill, Senate Bill 252, prohibits discrimination or the requirement of proof of vaccination for COVID-19 vaccines, emergency use authorization (EUA) vaccines, or mRNA vaccines, such as those used for COVID-19, he said. All have become the subject of scrutiny over their risks.

The new bill protects pharmacists who provide ivermectin from being harassed by licensing agencies, Childers said.

It protects Floridians from being forced to wear a mask. And it requires doctors to warn patients of the risks of controversial COVID-19 treatments, such as remdesivir.

It also states that employees cant be subject to workplace discriminationsuch as being forced to eat in a separate lunchroomif they opted not to get a COVID-19 jab.

Horse-Trading for Legislative Compromise

Childers said that the governor, the speaker of the house, and the Senate president each have their own priority bills. To advance those, he said, they often farm them out to legislative allies to act as sponsors, and horse-trade with each other for concessions to get their own most important bills passed.

Its everything the legislature can do to get through those during its two-month-long session, Childers said. Independent bills, such as the one the medical freedom advocates helped draft, stand far less of a chance of passage.

Medical freedom advocates fears were heightened because the sponsor of the new bill, Republican Sen. Colleen Burton, had accepted a pharmaceutical industry donation, and an aide had told them the bill came from the governor, Childers said.

Most likely, DeSantiss office gave it to Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, as thats the procedure, Childers said. Passidomo likely then assigned it to a Republican senator without considering the content or politics surrounding it too closely, he said.

It wasnt because Colleen got a donation from Pharma, Childers said.

Medical freedom advocates arent convinced.

Mo Van Hoek, of Childrens Health Defense, speaks at a press conference in Kissimmee, Fla., on Oct. 13, 2022. (Nanette Holt/The Epoch Times)

I think the health care lobby got to DeSantis and the Republicans, Mo van Hoek, a co-founder of the Medical Freedom Coalition, said. This bill is obsolete. It offers us no protection, no value.

It isnt prescribing freedom, she said, alluding to DeSantiss often-referenced Free State of Florida.

This just reeks.

Tom Oltorik, Florida director for MoveFreelyAmerica.org, said that he worries that financial deal-making played a role.

Its not about We the Peopleits about the money, Oltorik said. Theres a huge financial iron curtain around Tallahassee. You cant get through it.

Bad Bill or Better Bill?

The governors office emphatically maintains that the new bill is better for medical freedom.

In 2021, Governor DeSantis signed legislation to protect Florida jobs and parents rights to make health care decisions for their students, banning private employer vaccine mandates and mask mandates across the state, Jeremy Redfern, the governors deputy press secretary, said in an email to The Epoch Times.

Earlier this year, Governor DeSantis proposed legislation to make protections from COVID mandates permanent and protect Floridians from the biomedical security state.

Redfern called Senate Bill 252 the nations strongest and most expansive medical freedom legislation.

Under this legislation, Floridians and their children will never be forced to cover their faces in public, nor can an employer fire an employee for refusing to take an experimental vaccine, Redfern said in the written statement.

In addition, this bill prohibits all mRNA vaccine requirements while mRNA is still being studied and evaluated. Finally, this bill ensures that religious and medical exemptions to any vaccine are respected and that Floridians have informed consent regarding their medical treatment.

The governor remains committed to upholding freedoms from COVID mandates and will fight against local governments, businesses, and corporations trying to impose these authoritarian policies, Redfern wrote.

Advocates expressed mistrust.

With DeSantis, you have to look at the fine print, Oltorik said. If lobbyists are involved, he does one thing in the large print for constituents and another thing in small print to satisfy the status quo and keep the special interests happy.

Tom Oltorik, the state director of Move Freely America. (Courtesy of Jay Maloney)

Van Hoek and Oltorik both cited the enormous financial stakes of health care decisions such as these. The pharmaceutical and health care industries are huge political donors difficult for most politicians to go against, Oltorik said.

Some of the new bills protections, including the specific vaccine protections, sunset in two years, they said.

Weve got two more years to see how mRNA vaccines perform, Childers said.

Judging from his recently published book, The Courage to Be Free, DeSantis believes in the issue.

He devotes Chapter 11 to his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. And he spotlights his disagreement with numerous aspects of the federal approach to fighting the disease, led by Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to the president in 2021 and 2022.

Most of the chapter specifically addresses COVID-19how it was treated, how it should have been treated, specific vaccine policies, and more.

My view was simple: No Floridian should have to choose between a job that they need and a shot they dont want, DeSantis wrote in the book. It was especially galling to me that [President Joe] Biden and his ilk were prepared to see policemen, firefighters, and nurses lose their jobs over the shots.

He wrote, To be successful, a leader must be willing to take these hits  this is simply the price one must pay for exercising leadership.  When I took strong stands against the prevailing narrative on draconian coronavirus policies, I may have been vilified by the usual suspects, but I was able to save the livelihoods of millions of people throughout Florida. The Fauci-worshipping coastal elites had no regard for these people, and it fell to me to protect the people of Florida from the destructive biomedical security state.

Tanya Parus, president of the Sarasota County chapter of Moms for America and a medical freedom specialist for the national group, said she doesnt believe that the new bill is as good as the one many medical freedom activists wanted.

They pulled a switcheroo, Parus said. DeSantis ran on this stuff. Its even in his book. I dont know why hed change course on this.

Childers said the advocates resent the stalling of their own bill, which was introduced but never calendared or put before committees.

It was really their golden child. They felt it was torpedoed. They misunderstood. It was coincidence. Everyone is thinking about the same issues.
IN-DEPTH: Tension Mounts at Florida School in Wake of Trans Teacher Shooting Threat

Superintendent Stratton withdraws from running for same position in Brevard County

BROOKSVILLE, Fla.On March 24, a transgender teacher allegedly confessed to having thoughts of wanting to shoot students. As tension mounts in the aftermath of the incident, teachers are condemning parents for spreading disinformation and defending the actions of the superintendent.

According to a report filed with the Hernando County Sheriffs Office, Ashlee Renczkowski had just made concerning statements about self-harm and then possibly making statements about shooting students. Renzcowski is a biological male teacher at Fox Chapel Middle School in Hernando County, Florida, who presents as a female. As previously reported by The Epoch Times, parents didnt find out about the incident until the news was exposed by a local reporter two weeks later. During the April 11 Hernando County School Board meeting, angry parents demanded answers. They received excuses and denials.

Vehicles from the Hernando County Sheriffs Department parked in front of the Hernando County Public School District building for the County School Board meeting, on April 25, 2023. (Patricia Tolson/The Epoch Times)

At the April 25, 2023, school meeting, a notable law enforcement presence was visible.

Thank You for Withdrawing

It was standing room only at the April 25 Hernando County School Board meeting. Armed deputies were posted in several locations. The Epoch Times quickly observed that a significant majority in the 80-person capacity room was comprised of school teachers and administrators. Two rows of tables lining two walls were reserved for staff. Three-quarters of the remaining chairs were filled with teachers and administrators, with most wearing rainbow attire, Stop Moms for Liberty T-shirts, and an assortment of teacher-related merchandise. Because 27 people filled out paperwork to speak, a motion was made to add time for public comments to avoid exceeding the established allotment of 60 minutes.

It was a full house at the school board meeting in Floridas Hernando County School District, on April 25, 2023. (Patricia Tolson/The Epoch Times)

Before public comments, Hernando Country School District Superintendent John Stratton read a prepared statement addressing those who came to talk about Fox Chapel. He assured them that, as a father, he understood why they wanted answers. He reiterated his previous statements about the incident and reminded them that he had issued a timeline. What he didnt provide during his four-minute speech was an answer to the question that many have been asking for a month now: Why werent parents informed about the incident until it was exposed in a local news report two weeks later?

Hernando County School District Superintendent John Stratton (right) delivers a prepared speech at the meeting, on April 25, 2022. (Hernando County School District/Screenshot)

Of the 27 speakers, 16 were teachers or school administrators. Many touted their academic credentials. All of them were critical of parents, accusing them of villainizing and terrorizing teachers and of spreading disinformation, conspiracy theories, and lies on social media. They described parents as bullies, haters, bigots, and keyboard warriors. Concerns expressed by parents were dismissed as performative attention-seeking displays. They repeatedly demanded respect and to be treated as professionals, and as each concluded their comments, applause, and cheers erupted from their fellow teachers and administrators who packed the room.

Despite the rule of appropriate decorum and civility that says, No person may address or question Board members individually, several teachers were allowed to engage in lengthy verbal assaults against Board Member Shannon Rodriguez, who has been critical of Strattons management of the incident.

Only nine of the parents who wanted to express their concerns were able to find seats. Janice Crisp was one of them. She drove approximately 106 miles from Brevard County to share her thoughts. She began with a message for Stratton, who was seeking the superintendents position in her county.

Janice Crisp speaks at the Hernando County School Board meeting, on April 25, 2023. (Hernando County School District/Screenshot)

I want to thank you for withdrawing today because the biggest reason I came here was to tell you we didnt want you, Crisp said.

Stratton was visibly shocked. Teachers gasped. Her announcement was clearly unexpected.

A notice had been posted of Strattons withdrawal on the Brevard Public Schools website on April 25. Crisp was alerted of the notice while driving to Hernando.

The Epoch Times spoke with Crisp after the school board meeting. She was angered by the efforts of several teachers to cover for Stratton. They suggested his withdrawal from the running in Brevard was due to some loyalty he felt to Hernando.

That is not true, Crisp balked. Parents in Brevard were pressuring the school board to remove Stratton from the running from the day he submitted his name as a candidate. We did not want him.

Its Part of Their Cover-Up

During discussions about superintendent candidates at the April 18 school board meeting in Brevard County, Board member Gene Trent voiced opposition to Strattons consideration. He cited the incident at Fox Chapel. Trent also confirmed to The Epoch Times that he planned to make a motion to remove Stratton from the running if he didnt withdraw voluntarily.

Thats when he bailed, Crisp asserted. He didnt want to be embarrassed. I let the cat out of the bag. He was shaking.

Crisp also noted how teachers and staff packed the room.

Reid Stout (left) and Janice Crisp (right) attended the victory party in Tampa, Florida, for Governor Ron DeSantis following the election, on Nov. 8, 2022. (Courtesy of Janice Crisp)

They were saying, Lets stuff as many staff people in here as we can, and lets let the teachers talk first, and thats what they did, Crisp said. I saw teachers go in through a side door, and they were already in there before the general public was allowed in, so we walked into a full room. That limited the number of parents who could go in.

Parents were offered an opportunity to observe the meeting from another room.

That meant, We dont even want to see your faces. Thats their MO, Crisp insisted. Lets wear them down. Lets make it uncomfortable for them. Lets stack the deck against them.'

Crisp believes the heavy teacher presence was organized, not organic. She noted how they used similar buzzwords in their prepared speeches; Conspiracy theorists, keyboard warriors, disinformation, and lies.

They were pushing the narrative that no matter what parents heard or saw, it wasnt true, Crisp said.

Despite the report that said Renczkowski had just made concerning statements about self-harm and then possibly making statements about shooting students, and the risk protection order in which the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office (HCSO) determined that the Respondent may be seriously mentally ill or may have recurring mental health issues, several teachers and administrators insisted that concerned parents were basing their accusations on rumors.

Crisp was also irritated by the teachers who suggested they were the victims and were in danger from parents.

They were trying to make the story about us coming after teachers, Crisp chided. There were no threats to teachers. Nobody was going after their jobs. This isnt about them.

They did everything possible, from stacking the room, bringing the teachers union in there and administrators from other counties, to insult and intimidate parents, Crisp concluded. They didnt even allow a motion to let parents ask questions. They did everything they could to sweep this under the rug. Its part of their cover-up.

It Was Handled Horribly

Pastor Jack Martin has been attending HCSB meetings for about five years. He began his comments with a list of his own credentials, which included a degree in psychology, 37 years as a counselor, and 12 years as a member of the Florida ESF 8 Emergency Response Team.

Pastor Jack Martin of Hernando County, Florida. (Courtesy of Pastor Jack Martin)

Im not going to lie. With all due respect, Martin said. I think it was handled horribly.

It was also his assessment that parents should have been told right away.

Martin also shared his thoughts with The Epoch Times. He, too, noted the abundance of teachers in the room. They think if they talk in numbers and state things that arent true often enough that it becomes the truth.

He also thinks Stratton withdrew from the contest in Brevard to save face and his job in Hernando. Anyone with a clear mind wouldnt want him, Martin said.

It gets tiring after a while that any time you speak against the LGBTQ community, youre called a hater, Martin posited. It doesnt matter how you word what you say. Youre immediately labeled a hater. Im not a hater. Im a pastor. I just dont want to see kids get killed because the school didnt do what it was supposed to do.

Michelle Mandarin of Pasco County, Florida. (Courtesy of Michelle Mandarin)

Michelle Mandarin drove about 40 miles from Pasco. She wanted to know what social media posts from parents had to do with reports filed by the HCSO.

Its not outrageous for parents to be concerned about the safety of their children, she advised the Board. And while teachers tossed out accusations of hatred and bigotry, she said she didnt hear any of them offer any solutions.

After the meeting, Mandarin told The Epoch Times she didnt understand why the teachers and angry parents were lashing out against the valid concern by parents that this teacher thought about hurting their children.

It wouldnt have been an issue if nothing was said, she added, noting the information came from HCSO reports, not rumors. She also noted how common sense flies out the window when its something about LGBTQ.

It doesnt matter that students may have been at risk, she said.

Monty Floyd is the vice chair of the Hernando County Chapter of Moms for Liberty.

Floyd delivers comments during the Hernando County School Board Meeting in Brooksville, Florida, on April 25, 2023. (Hernando County School District/Screenshot)

What this district did, knowingly and willingly working to cover up a serious safety threat at Fox Chapel from March 24, is not only egregious, but when you view it through the lens of the Nashville shooting, it takes this entire thing past just gross negligence an ineptitude and makes this a clear case of what can only be described as reckless child endangerment, he told the Board.

Floyd also spoke with The Epoch Times.

When we went into the board room, it was three-quarters full. They stacked the room before the public was even allowed in, Floyd said.

He described how several teachers were harassing and intimidating the small number of parents who managed to find seats.

These people were hissing and barking at us, Floyd said, adding that things got so tense that he and several others felt it was necessary to leave.

It wasnt safe, he said. It was a toxic environment.

In describing the April 25 meeting, Floyd said, It was Kabuki theater.

For all of the talking by Stratton and his room full of supporters, the one thing that wasnt heard was an answer to that question.

They didnt want to answer that question because they dont have an answer, Floyd asserted. It was a three-week cover-up, and now theyve been exposed. Now they are gaslighting the community and trying to shame any parent who dares to ask questions. The truth is, this teacher was given a pass because hes transgender. Thats the answer to the question.
IN-DEPTH: Whats Behind the UN Rhetoric of Recognizing Taliban?

Experts disagree about 'baby steps' to recognition

United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has said that the U.N. will consider recognizing the Taliban, as special envoys for Afghanistan sit for their first meeting with the U.N. Secretary-General in early May.

The envoys from various countries will meet with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on May 1 and 2 in Doha, Qatar, to work on a unified approach to dealing with the Taliban, Mohammed said on April 17.

And out of that, we hope that well find those baby steps to put us back on the pathway to recognition  of the Taliban, a principled recognition, Mohammed said.

A U.N. spokesman said on April 19 that the meeting aims to reinvigorate the international engagement around the common objectives for a durable way forward on the situation in Afghanistan.

Experts allege the buzz about the upcoming meeting may be deliberate and could actually facilitate the Talibans participation. They believe that U.N. recognition will not actually happen. However, there is concern that Taliban representatives may be invited to the Doha meeting. Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the secretary-general, would not confirm that at the press conference on April 19.

According to [the] U.N.s spokesperson only state members can recognize the Taliban however, the U.N. as an organization can facilitate this and we know they have never been shy with their engagement with the Taliban, Homira Rezai, chair of the Hazara Committee in UK (HCUK), told The Epoch Times in a written reply.

HCUK was founded in answer to the treatment of the Hazari, Afghanistans third largest ethnic group and a religious minority. However, the group works to address all human rights violations in Afghanistan with a focus on freedom of religion or belief for people of all ethnicities in the country.

UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) provided training to Taliban members. And we also know that there is a huge possibility that the Taliban will be invited to the talk in May in Qatar. So, I think this is part of that facilitation, she said.

Ironically, Mohammeds statement came a few days after the U.N. mission to Afghanistan asked all its staff to stay home from work, for their own safety, especially for our female staff, according to U.N. spokesman Dujarric. The April 11 decision came after the Taliban told U.N. officials in early April that Afghan women would not be permitted to work for the U.N. office with immediate effect.

The Leverage We Have

The deputy secretary-general made her statement while addressing a public gathering at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, saying she believed that recognizing the Taliban can help make them accountable. However, she expressed doubt that the recognition will be possible.

Is it possible? I dont know. [But] that discussion has to happen. The Taliban clearly want recognition, and thats the leverage we have, said Mohammed.

Clare M. Lopez is a former career operations officer with the CIA and served as an expert witness in the 2011 case in which a New York judge found Iran and Hezbollah responsible together with al-Qaeda for the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Lopez told The Epoch Times in an email that the U.N. has postponed earlier decisions to recognize the Taliban, and the current buzz about recognition is driven by geopolitics.

There are concerns that the U.N. will not have the access it seeks to provide humanitarian aid to Afghans without formal recognition of the Taliban regime. [The] problem is that no one will be permitted to provide humanitarian or any other kind of aid to anyone in Afghanistan without the approval of the Taliban, with or without formal U.N. representation, said Lopez.

The number of Afghans in poverty nearly doubled after the Taliban took over, to almost 34 million, according to U.N. figures. The Taliban diktat banning female workers led to 3,300 Afghan U.N. staff2,700 men and 600 womenbeing told to work from home. It further impacted the international communitys engagement with Afghanistan, and the UNs ability to support the population as they experience an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, said a U.N. press release.

A woman looks at a picture of former Afghan lawmaker Mursal Nabizada on her mobile phone. Nabizada was shot dead by gunmen at her house in Kabul on Jan. 15, 2023. A member of parliament in the previous Western-backed regime, she was one of a few female government members who refused to flee Afghanistan when the Taliban seized power in August 2021. (Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images)

International Reaction

The United States has rejected any discussion on recognizing the Taliban.

The intent and the purpose of this meeting was never to discuss recognition of the Taliban, and any discussion at this meeting about recognition would be unacceptable to us, said U.S. State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel in a press briefing on April 20.

Mohammeds statements created shockwaves among U.S. lawmakers and Afghan activists from around the world. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, criticized the U.N. for even thinking about such a proposal.

The U.N. needs a wake-up call. Any talk of recognition of the Taliban is absolutely absurd. This murderous regime continues to deny women the ability to work or go to school while millions of Afghans are in dire humanitarian need, Risch said in a message on Twitter on April 19.

Bilal Sarwary, a widely followed Afghan journalist, said that the situation is developing according to the Talibans designs.

This appears to be heading in the direction that the Taliban laid out when the group started banning women. Instead of using it as a leverage to pressure the group, the U.N. is using that leverage to facilitate recognition, Sarwary said in a message on Twitter on April 19.

Farhan Haq, U.N. Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, clarified on April 19 that the Doha conference on 1 and 2 May is not focusing on recognition, and we dont want there to be any confusion about that.

Lopez said it seems that the clarification was intended to walk back Mohammeds earlier statement.

No Recognition Anytime Soon

In a Twitter response to the announcement of the Doha meeting, former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said I welcome this initiative.

Khalilzad said the roadmap discussed at the Doha meeting must address the issue of womens education and employment, but opined, to develop the road map, the Secretary-General and the Envoys should have a session with the Taliban during their deliberations.

Reacting to this statement, Lopez said: Former U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad continues to think that somehow the Taliban can be convinced to deny their Islamic faith and agree to discuss allowing women a status in education and employment equal to that of men. She stressed that the Taliban would never agree to such a thing, because it would be completely contrary to Islamic doctrine and law as derived from the Quran.

[It] doesnt look like formal U.N. recognition will be happening any time soon, Lopez said.

HCUKs Rezai said she believes recognizing the Taliban would mean empowering them to impose further restrictions on women. Further, she said, it would lead to further violation of human rights overall.

The world will see the worst atrocity potentially in the history of humanity as Taliban launch full-scale genocide against the Hazaras  freedom of [religion] or belief will not exist, she said.

Taliban fighters stand guard at the site of an explosion in front of a school, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on April 19, 2022 . (Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Photo)

Geo-Political Agendas

Experts say the discussion about recognizing the Taliban is driven by geo-political agendas, and there are countries that are likely encouraging the rhetoric.

The countries that are supporting the Taliban are China, Pakistan, Russia, Iran, and Turkmenistan who have formally accredited diplomats appointed by the Taliban, said Rezai. The agenda is driven by geopolitics with no regards to human rights.

She said that recently there have been many business deals between the Taliban and China, and expressed suspicion about a Chinese game plan behind the push for recognition.

This could also be an attempt for China to control the spread of extremism in China by collaborating with Taliban (terrorists themselves). Especially with the new road they are making. The modern Silk Road as some call it, said Rezai.

OIC Keeps Quiet

Lopez noted that no statement on the matter has come from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the 57-member group of Islamic regimes that aims to be the collective voice of the Muslim world, and of which Afghanistan is also a member.

Its members have all pledged allegiance to the 1990 Cairo Declaration, under which the only human rights recognized are those granted under Islamic Law (shariah), said Lopez.

I do not see any recent official statement from the OIC about U.N. recognition for the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, but I would stay tuned to that organization for any such statement that may be forthcoming.

Lopez noted that although the U.N. itself does not have a single list of terror organizations, U.N. Security Council Resolution 1267, adopted in 1999, listed Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and associates as terrorists and established a sanctions regime against them. Since that time, further resolutions have reaffirmed the original resolution.

Lopez said those around the world concerned that the Talibans jihadist regime could one day be granted official U.N. recognition must make their voices heard by their government representatives.

They must urge that no U.N. recognition be granted to a jihadist regime that supports terror and hosts on its territory Islamic terror organizations that are listed as such by countries all over the world, she said.
Is a 4-Day Work Week the Future for Australia?

An employee adjusts her face mask as she stands at an information desk at Chadstone The Fashion Capital in Melbourne, Australia, on Dec. 26, 2021. (Diego Fedele/Getty Images)

Commentary

There is no such thing as a free lunch is an almost iconic popular phrase.

I am reminded of this when reflecting on the current trend in many countries to introduce the four-day working week.

For example, on Nov. 21, 2022, Belgium implemented a law that enables willing employees to transition to a four-day working week. Trials in the United Kingdom, Spain and Iceland have been hailed as extremely successful.

The purpose of the trials are to let employers and employees consider the benefits and disadvantages of a shorter workweek. They do not provide a definitive answer as to whether it really benefits all employees and the wider society, however.

This is exemplified by the Belgian legislation, which aims to introduce flexibility in the labour market, which hopefully leads to a drop in unemployment.

Indeed, as only 71 out of 100 people in the age group of 20 to 64 are employed, the reform may help combat high unemployment.

Further, employees may embrace the switch for its assumed health benefits and better work-family balance.

People walk and ride along the beach at Brighton in Melbourne, Australia, on May 13, 2020. (Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

In Australia, the decision of a number of companies to trial a four-day work week is, potentially, as ground-breaking as the eight-hour working day achieved by the Stonemasons in Melbourne in 1856.

This spread to other industries after the Commonwealth Arbitration Court approved a 40-hour, five-day working week for all Australians in January 1948.

Is It Too Good to Be True?

The premise behind the push is simple, shorter work weeks without lowering salaries while maintaining productivity.

It is, however, necessary to investigate the assumed effect of the reform.

Proponents argue it will improve the work-family balance of employees and result in greater happiness.

A young family at their home in the Eastern Suburbs in Sydney, Australia, on April 20, 2020. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

But what about productivity?

Such a claim is clearly contestable. On a superficial level, the four-day working week could be implemented by workers working longer hours for four days, thereby maintaining productivity.

In that case, the change will merely condense the five-day working week into four days.

If so, it can be argued that the change does not result in an increase in the take-home pay of employees. Workers would only enjoy a 20 percent increase in their salaries if the four-day working week did not include increased working hours.

Cost of Transition

Regardless of how a four-day working week was to be implemented, it is certain that it would provide the impetus to effectively reduce the working time to just 30 hours.

This was recently achieved by the employees at Oxfam Australia, who now have the option of working 30 hours over a four-day working week.

Nevertheless, even if the five-day working week were to be condensed into four-days (involving more hours of work), maintenance of productivity is not guaranteed because it could be expected that a longer workday would tire an employers workforce.

This problem could be combated by not allowing employees to work on consecutive days but to spread their four work days over the course of week.

An employee works at the Multi Slide Industries manufacturing plant in Adelaide, Australia, on Aug. 12, 2013. (Morne de Klerk/Getty Images)

In Australia, the report of the Senates Select Committee on Work and Care, which considered the four-day working week, also recommended the adoption of a year of paid parental leave and the right to disconnect from work outside of official working hours.

The effect of these proposed workplace changes on productivity is, as yet, unknown.

The economic costs of the contemplated workplace changes, especially the four-day working week, may well be substantial.

In this context, former Liberal senator Eric Abetz, writing in The Epoch Times, reminded his readers that: Even the most uninquisitive mind would realise that a supermarket confronted with this scenario must increase shelf prices or direct even more customers to the self-service checkouts, putting even more shop assistants out of work.

The there is no such thing as a free lunch phrase and the current workplace debate are also reminiscent of another iconic statement, this time coming from former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser. In 1971, he stated that Life is not meant to be easy.

The words missing from this phrase provide an uplifting message, which could potentially enliven the current debates on the benefits and disadvantages of the four-day working week.

They come from George Bernard Shaws Back to Methusaleh where a child is told that Life is not meant to be easy, my child, but take courageit can be delightful.

The four-day working week, if implemented universally, will not be cost-free. But most employees will certainly regard it as a delightful reform.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Is Pittsburgh a Blueprint for Other Union-Dominated Blue Cities?

Skyline view of downtown Pittsburgh, Pa., at night on Nov. 7, 2022, on the eve of the U.S. midterm elections. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

Commentary

In 2021, Edward Gainey was elected mayor of Pittsburgh. His campaign was funded in part by SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, which made a generous $350,000 donationmore than all other contributors combined.

SEIU Healthcare PA knew what it was paying for when it made this investmenta strong bargaining chip to force the citys largest employer, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), to unionize its employees. SEIU Healthcare has had its sights set on UPMC employees for more than a decade but has so far been unable to close the deal with its prospective members.

Thanks to the unions generous investment in Gaineys campaign, however, its luck at UPMC may change, bringing in thousands of new dues-payers to line the union leaders coffers.

SEIU leaders now hold key posts in Gaineys administration. Silas Russell, SEIU Healthcare executive vice president and political director, co-chaired Gaineys transition team. Maria Montano, former SEIU Healthcare communications director, is now Gaineys press secretary. And Lisa Frank, former SEIU vice president and director of strategic communications, is now the city of Pittsburghs chief operating officer.

Emails uncovered through right-to-know requests by CBS Pittsburgh reveal that Russell provided the mayor with union-generated talking points ahead of a meeting last year with UPMC officials.

What does all this mean for Pennsylvanians who rely on UPMC for their medical services?

After talks between UPMC and Gaineys office broke down when the hospital rebuffed SEIUs unionization efforts, the mayor has declined to attend any UPMC construction or opening eventsa not-so-subtle display of hostility against one of the largest employers in the commonwealth.

Gainey has also walked away from a $40 million commitment from UPMC to fund city initiatives such as public works and maintenance projects.

Thats a big number were leaving on the table right now, Pittsburgh City Controller Michael Lamb said. And we cant just walk away from that. On behalf of the citizens and taxpayers of this town, weve got to engage, and weve got to have conversations and continued conversations with our largest employer.

According to Frank, The unions job is the unions job, and the mayors job is the mayors job.

But arent they really one and the same when the mayor was bankrolled by the union and seems to be doing its bidding, even at the expense of his own constituents?

Could Gainey be trying to help make up for public-sector union losses by forcing SEIU unionization on a large regional hospital that has rejected it for years?

While its not clear who will prevail between the mayor/SEIU Healthcare PA and UPMC, the clear winners are not the taxpayers of Pittsburgh, who likely just want a well-run health care center without more bureaucracy or union mandates getting in the way of their medical needs.

Unions have been targeting other big-city elections in order to exert power over their cities public works institutions and push unionization among city employees.

In early April, Chicago elected a proud Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) operativeBrandon Johnsonas its new mayor. CTU pumped in a historic $2.3 million to get Johnson elected, and hes already denounced school choice and charter schools while working to end a program that provides education-choice scholarships to low-income students.

On election night, the newly elected mayor was introduced at his own victory party by CTU President Stacy Davis Gates. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten wrote on Twitter, as she is wont to do, that the impossible became possible in praise of their newly installed agent.

Now, the Philadelphia mayoral race is heating up between the remaining Democratic primary challengers, each parroting big labor talking points about expanding unionization for hourly employees, bragging about their use of unionized labor in their own private-sector careers, and promising to be champions for unions and protect Philadelphia as a union city.

It appears that each mayoral prospect in Phillys Democratic primary promises a victory for unions. If Pittsburgh is any indication, taxpayersand those desperately in need of vital serviceswont be the winners.

From RealClearWire

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Jan. 6 Defendant Jacob Chansley Files Motion to Vacate His Sentence Over Newly Revealed Footage

Jacob Chansley, also known as the "QAnon Shaman," inside the U.S. Senate chamber after the U.S. Capitol was breached on Jan. 6, 2021. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The man known as QAnon Shaman has asked a judge to vacate the sentence he received over his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, pointing to surveillance footage made public for the first time on Fox News Tucker Carlson Tonight.

Jacob Chansley, through lawyer William Shipley, filed a motion on April 27 to vacate his sentence, noting the footage showed him being escorted by U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers throughout the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. It also showed one officer opening a door to the Senate Chamber and following Chansley inside when he entered.

The government violated Chansleys rights by not handing over the potentially exculpatory footage, the new filing states.

Because this material was favorable to Mr. Chansley for purposes of sentencing, and it was suppressed by the Government, Mr. Chansleys due process rights were clearly violated by the failure to produce the CCTV camera video from inside the Capitol, Shipley wrote.

The motion asks to vacate Chansleys sentence and permit additional discovery to figure out why the footage was not produced.

Conflicting Dates

Albert Watkins, Chansleys former lawyer, has said he has never seen the videos aired by Carlson and that they were not produced by the government during discovery.

Prosecutors challenged the latter claim. In a filing in a different case, they said the videos had been given to Watkins by Sept. 24, 2021.

Prosecutors offered a different story, though, in correspondence with Shipley. They said they produced the videos on Oct. 21, 2021.

Both representations cannot be correctand it is quite likely that both are false, Shipley said. He pointed to prior letters from prosecutors, including one sent Oct. 21, 2021, that said footage from Capitol grounds had been produced but with no specific mention of any video from the interior of the Capitol.

In another letter dated Oct. 25, 2021, authorities said they expected future productions to primarily be from the interior of the Capitol, including footage that had been deemed highly sensitive.

Mr. Chansley and his counsel did not have the CCTV video from cameras inside the Capitol for use at before his change of plea or at sentencing, Shipley said. But the Government did.

Motion to Vacate

Chansley pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding. in 2021. He was sentenced to 41 months in prison. He was released on March 28.

Under federal law, a motion to vacate may be approved if a sentence was imposed in violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States or the sentence given was in excess of the maximum authorized by law.

Because prosecutors failed to meet their Brady obligations, or their need to produce potentially exculpatory material, Chansleys sentence should be vacated or corrected, Shipley said.

The discovery/Brady material was not provided in a manner that meets the standard in this Circuit for disclosure of exculpatory material, he wrote. To figure out exactly what happened, further discovery should be permitted, the lawyer said.

Shipley had indicated after the footage was made public that he was going to file a motion to vacate. He told The Epoch Times that suppression covers the government not producing key footage, even if the video was part of one of the tranches made available to the defense.

Suppression  is not the nefarious burying of evidence, Shipley said. It just means it wasnt brought to light by the government. The government knew what was there and did not illuminate the fact that it was there.

Ineffective Counsel

Chansley pleaded guilty to the most serious charge that had been filed against him. He also entered a guilty plea before all evidence in his case, as acknowledged by the government, had been produced. And he was sentenced without all the footage being produced.

Those facts are among those showing Watkins did not represent Chansley effectively, according to the new filing.

Attorney Watkins was ineffective by not obtaining the CCTV camera video after he was aware such video was available based on the fact that the Government gave notice of its intent to use CCTV camera video at sentencing, Shipley wrote. By not securing the video and determining whether it supported Mr. Chansleys description of events, Attorney Watkins allowed the Government to take liberties in describing Mr. Chansleys conduct while inside the Capitol, without fear of the unproduced videos contradicting the Governments claims.

Prosecutors in a sentencing memorandum did not mention Chansley being escorted by officers or let into the chamber by one.

Chansley told FBI agents shortly after Jan. 6 that he had been escorted by police to the Senate Chamber. He said officers asked him to use the megaphone he had to request protesters depart the chamber. Watkins should have been seeking footage to corroborate his clients account, the new filing states.

I want nothing but the very best for Mr. Chansley, Watkins told The Epoch Times in an email. He deserved better from the Government on many levels.
Jobs Denied, Personal Property Seized: Chinese Regimes Way of Eradicating Faith

Torture reenactment: A Falun Gong adherent dressed as a Chinese policeman stands guard over a cage containing Falun Gong practitioners, during a demonstration outside London's Houses of Parliament, on July 20, 2009. (Shaun Curry/AFP via Getty Images)

The coercive means used to transform these people of faith include imprisonment, torture, sexual abuse, psychiatric abuse, and forced organ harvesting. However, the persecution is not just confined to the CCPs labor camps and prisons: tactics like deprivation of employment opportunities, confiscation of personal property, and financial exploitation have severely impacted citizens daily lives.

Ruin their reputation, bankrupt them financially, and destroy them physicallythese were the three policies that the CCP put in place in an attempt to eradicate Falun Gong practitioners, according to the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, a nine-part editorial series published by the Chinese-language edition of The Epoch Times in 2004.

Falun Gong is an ancient spiritual discipline based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Here we present a few selected instances of Falun Gong adherents in China being discriminated against for their faith and for failing the political background check, a routine assessment of a persons political file that contains all crucial and sensitive information about the individual, both personal and professional.

Denial of Job Opportunities

After Luo Xiang graduated with a doctorate from Beijing University, no organization was willing to hire him due to his political file stating that Luo had given up his CCP membership in 1999, after he started practicing Falun Gong.

Luo applied for a teaching job at Hunan Normal University in 2004, according to Minghui.org, a United States-based nonprofit organization that documents the persecution of Falun Gong in China. The college was looking forward to having him and had even scheduled his classes for the coming semester. However, they denied hiring him after discovering from his political file that he practices Falun Gong.

Luo was told by an administrator at Wanzhou University that no school would hire him unless the details of his association with Falun Gong were removed from his political file. He tried to get the details removed by submitting a letter to the Beijing University Administration Office but did not receive a reply.

Zhang Shude from Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, was a masters degree holder from Harbin Technological University. He found a job at the Dalian City Science and Technology Design Institute and was on an assignment in Panjin City when he was arrested, reported Minghui.org.

Zhang went to the police station to renew his temporary residence permit when he was asked if he practiced Falun Gong. The police refused to process his application when he said he did. The police showed up at his residence three days later and arrested him. Several of Zhangs personal belongings were confiscated and he was sentenced to seven years imprisonment and fined 20,000 yuan (approx. $3,000).

Zhang Shude. (Courtesy of Minghui.org)

Zhangs employer tried to get his mother to sign a guarantee statementa forced document declaring that an adherent is remorseful for practicing Falun Gongpromising to stop her son from practicing Falun Gong, but she refused. They also took back the residence and company car provided to Zhang for his assignment in the city and terminated his employment contract a year before the end date, stating that it was Zhangs voluntary termination as he failed to show up for work after his arrest.

Property Seized, Money Extorted

Hu Yanmin, 65, of Yingkou City, Liaoning Province, was released from the Dabei Prison in August 2021 after serving a seven-year term for praciticing Falun Gong. While she was incarcerated, the authorities seized her insulation material factory, including the land, facility, and materials.

Before her arrest in 2014, Hus business was thriving, with the annual profit of over 800,000 yuan ($116,000). The authorities also suspended her retirement pension while she was imprisoned, and even after her release, she never got the pension increase that was available to other retirees.

The persecution caused her at least 5.6 million yuan in financial loss.

As many of the Falun Gong practitioners lost their jobs after the persecution started in 1999, Li Wensheng and his wife, Wu Jinping, of Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province, set up a detergent company in 2003 with several other Falun Gong practitioners. Through their hard work, the companys revenue gradually increased, year after year.

However, police from Chaoyang City Public Security Bureau arrested the couple in 2008 and took away many of their belongings, including computers, a printer, a bankbook containing 20,000 yuan (approx. $3,000), and over 100,000 yuan in cash. The police also took the couple to their company office and wanted them to open a safe containing the company checkbooks, public seal, financial seal, and legal representative seal. When Li said that he did not have the key, the police beat him and took the safe with them. The company car was also taken away and the hired chauffeur was arrested.

Li Wensheng and Wu Jinpings detergent company in Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province, China. (Courtesy of Minghui.org)

The police told Li to call his employees to the office as they wanted to arrest them as well. However, Li refused and was hit in the face by an officer, causing his face to bleed. The couple were then sent to a detention center.

Employee Pi Yongli, who went to the office to find some products for a customer, was also arrested and sentenced to one year of forced labor. Another employee, Pan Yufeng, a sales manager at the company, was arrested at his home. The police wanted Pans wife to give them money, but she told them the couple didnt have a bankbook. The police then took away a nice handbag. When she called them out for going after her handbag, an officer responded, After your handbag? We are also after your house!

Zhang Guilan of Yichun City, Heilongjiang Province, was compensated just 300,000 yuan (approx. $43,300) after her house was demolished for new construction in 2011. The amount was far less than the original compensation of 1,200,000 yuan that she was supposed to receive.

Zhang Guilan. (Courtesy of Minghui.org)

Zhang told a reporter about her plight, and the reporter interviewed the party secretary of the Nancha District Government, where she lives. The party secretary said, Zhang Guilan practices Falun Gong so her house compensation should be less than the others. Who asked her to practice Falun Gong?

The reporter then asked, She practices Falun Gong, so does her house?

Zhang Guilan practices Falun Gong, and her house is also Falun Gongs house, the party secretary said, adding that the director of the Nancha District and all members of the district government committee agreed to pay Zhang lesser compensation.

When the reporter pointed out that their decision could be wrong as the law and ordinance for compensation did not mention anything about Falun Gong, the party secretary replied that in Nancha District, what we say is the law.

When Zhang refused to move, the utilities to her house were cut off and water later seeped into her house.

Zhang Guilans house. (Courtesy of Minghui.org)

Luo Caisen, in her 60s, of Heilongjiang Province, was also arrested for practicing Falun Gong. The police confiscated 58,000 yuan (approx. $8,500)in cash but did not report it. Her family and lawyer requested the police return the money as the family needed it for their family business but they were told the case is under police investigation hence the money could not be returned.

After Luos case was submitted to the Acheng Procuratorate, and later to Acheng Court, the family and lawyer noted that the money was not included as prosecution evidence. The police told Luos son that the money would be returned to them after the judge issued the verdict. Luo was later sentenced to 1.5 years imprisonment, but the family never received the money.

Luo Caisen with her grandchildren. (Courtesy of Minghui.org)

Yao Tiebin and his wife, Zhang Fengrong, of Heilongjiang Province, were arrested at home in July 2008. The police confiscated several personal items including money, a computer, a printer, a video game, and a new motorcycle, amounting to over 3 million yuan (approx. $43,500). The police beat the couple until their faces were swollen and black and blue.

Yao Tiebin and Zhang Fengrongs house after the ransack. (Courtesy of Minghui.org)

When Zhang asked the police the reason for ransacking their home and confiscating their belongings, an officer said, The state [CCP] doesnt allow you to practice Falun Gong. If you practice Falun Gong, then you violate the law.
Former acting CIA director Michael Morell was recently asked under oath about the origins of the intel letter discrediting the Hunter Biden laptop story as possible Russian disinformation.

He testified under oath that a call from now-Secretary of State Antony Blinken triggered the creation of the letter, which was signed by 51 current and former members of the intelligence community.

When questioned further, he said, one intent was to share our concern with the American people that the Russians were playing on this issue; and two, it was [to] help Vice President Biden.

I wanted [Biden] to win the election, he testified, according to a letter sent to Blinken by House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan and Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner.

This isnt the first time this ex-CIA boss has stirred up hot-button issues in the lead-up to a presidential election, according to John Solomon and Nick Givass reporting in Just the News. In 2012, he edited official talking points about the deadly 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack to remove references to al-Qaeda. And in the summer of 2016, he was one of the first major figures to publicly claim Trump was a Russian asset in a New York Times op-ed.

In this episode of Kashs Corner, we also take a look at Sen. Chuck Grassleys recent allegations that the FBI falsely labeled information as Russian disinformation to bury itand Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs seeking to prevent Trump from speaking about the evidence in his case.



FULL TRANSCRIPT

Kash Patel:

Hey everybody and welcome back to Kashs Corner. Jan, what are we going to talk about this week?

Jan Jekielek:

My goodness, do we ever have a lot to talk about this week? The big thing I want to talk about is Michael Morell and his recent disclosures under oath, and I have many questions for you about this. This is a big thing. We have to talk about Tucker Carlson leaving Fox. Well also talk about Senator Grassley saying the FBI has been using this moniker of Russian disinformation to shield the Biden family. He hasnt provided any evidence yet, but he seems to have made good on everything else he said up to now. Finally, the Manhattan DA Bragg basically is saying that he wants to restrict some of the evidence from Trumps side of the lawsuit. We got a lot.

Mr. Patel:

We got a bunch, and for a lot of it, it seems all roads would lead back to Russiagate, but well get there.

Mr. Jekielek:

It does seem that way, doesnt it? Lets look at Tucker Carlson. This is something everybodys been buzzing about for a few days now. You have an interesting theory. Tell me about that.

Mr. Patel:

Look, Im not on the inside. I dont have any inside narrative or take, but Ill just give you my thoughts on it. These are facts, whether theyre coincidence or not, well leave for the audience. But the fact remains that Paul Ryan is on the board of Fox News Corp. and one of the largest voices at Fox News Corp.

The CEO is Rupert Murdochs son, Lachlan Murdoch. Its no surprise that those two individuals who are in charge of Fox News have a heavy dislike of President Trump. Im not saying that for them. Theyve said that publicly.

Take that fact and couple it with the coverage that youve seen Fox News undertake in the last year, which has been, in my opinion, a pivot away from all things President Trump. A guy like myself was on the Fox primetime shows on a near weekly basis, and has not been on a single Fox primetime show in nine months.

Yes, these could all be little coincidences along the way, but you can start adding those facts together, and you can then add on the removal of Tucker Carlson and the departure of Dan Bongino, two of the largest voices. You can call them pro-Trump or not, but theres probably a better way to characterize them.

Maybe you can just look at their audiences who are very favorable of President Trump and his reelection status, and want to hear news that reflects that audience base. Tuckers show was the largest news show in network news. Why would a news company whos in news to make money rid itself of its number one money-making show?

There has been for some time at Fox News Corp, a pivot away from, again, however you want to use the verbiage, Donald Trump, MAGA, America First, to become a more, in their eyes, neutral media network. Im not saying its good or bad. Im just saying that when you add up these facts, and maybe they are all a string of coincidences, but in my opinion, I think they have done it as a tactic from the top, the board, the CEO, and others to make these maneuvers.

Theres also, its not a secret, its public now, that a female employee or former employee of Fox is suing both Fox News Corp and Tucker independently to abuse and harassment. Fox, of course, has known about this lawsuit for a long time. In government, we say theres no such thing as a coincidence. In the private sector, there may be, and Im not an expert on this. But I just take my time and say a lot of these facts add up to a departure at Fox that points in one direction, and that is the pivot that they wanted to make as a news organization in how they cover news going forward.

Mr. Jekielek:

One thing just comes to mind. On American Thought Leaders, we recently published an interview with your friend and former boss, Chris Miller, who pointed out that Trump has this neo-isolationist approach to foreign policy. Thats definitely something that Tucker Carlson shares. Ive heard different takes on how pro-Trump Tucker Carlson was. I havent watched the show enough to know that.

Mr. Patel:

Yes, and I dont know Tucker well enough to say what his vision is on Trump specifically. I was more speaking to his audience, the 3.5 million average viewers he gets per night. Its a fair analysis to say many, if not the overwhelming majority, of that audience is very pro-Trump.

Mr. Jekielek:

What are the bigger implications of it being the number one show or the number two show? Theres some discussion around that. One of the biggest shows on television right now is leaving the organization. What is it, like a billion-dollar loss as a result in terms of stock value? That is somewhat of a reflection of his value. What does this say about whats happening?

Mr. Patel:

I dont entirely know. Im not a media mogul, but it shows you that theres an intentional pivot. What that pivot fully looks like when the rotation is done, Im not really sure. Theres going to be more moves made over there. Ultimately, at the end of the day, theyre a media company in the middle of whats going to be the most consequential election of modern history, the most covered, the most watched, and they are going to have to be all in on its coverage. Maybe that pivot will reverse course sometime down the road. Youve seen enough decision making over there to tell you which direction its going for now.

Mr. Jekielek:

Lets jump to Michael Morell.

Mr. Patel:

Michael Morell, who is he? Most of our audience probably doesnt know him, nor should they. Hes an almost 30-year intelligence officer in the intelligence community in the United States government. During the Obama administration, he rose to the highest ranks of the CIA as acting CIA director, the man in charge of the Central Intelligence Agency. Prior to that, he was the deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

He had risen to two of the most prominent seats in the entire intelligence community. Whats interesting, and I dont believe they are coincidences, is the three data points that were going to talk about here specifically involve Michael Morell and elections in the United States of America.

Mr. Jekielek:

Its amazing that we can go all the way back to Benghazi. This is a topic that just keeps rearing its head, and its never fully settled.

Mr. Patel:

Yes, as the deputy director of the CIA, Michael Morell specifically changed the intelligence presentation about the attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, and removed the verbiage that said Al-Qaeda had ties to it, which was the actual intelligence. Thats what was happening.

You remember the whole Susan Rice debacle where she went on the world stage and gave a news conference that was largely false, and shes been attacked for it ever since. The question is, and it was posed to Michael Morell back then 7, 8, 9, years ago, Why did you change key points of data of intelligence as the deputy director of the CIA, knowing it was going to the White House to be utilized to brief the world essentially on what happened when an U.S. ambassador and three other Americans were killed in Benghazi, one of the most horrific attacks in modern U.S. history on Americans?

Some of our audience might ask, Why would he do that? Why would he take out Al-Qaeda and any references to them? Because as you recall, Jan, but maybe some of our audience doesnt, originally the Benghazi attacks were not styled as a terrorist attack, as it was first reported. Thats what the Obama administration wanted out there, that it was not a terrorist attack.

Yet the Obama intelligence community had absolute intelligence at the time of the reporting to show it was an Al-Qaeda-related terrorist attack. Of course, now its been investigated and prosecuted to show just that. Why would he do that is a great question, but unfortunately, one that can only be answered in terms of politics. He wanted to fit a political narrative that the people in charge of the U.S. government wanted out there. He did it, and he shouldnt have done it.

Mr. Jekielek:

Whats really fascinating is that you can potentially trace some of the politicization of the CIA to that time.

Mr. Patel:

Yes. It was a very consequential piece of information that would be utilized in an election. Benghazi was a significant part of that election cycle way back in 2012. Well call that Exhibit A.

Mr. Jekielek:

Lets jump to the 2016 election. At that time, hes writing op-eds.

Mr. Patel:

Exhibit B. At this time, Michael Morell, to the best of my recollection, is retired from the U.S. government and is writing op-eds, appearing on news shows as a lot of former senior intelligence officials do, talking about intel, defense and national security. Interestingly enough, he has something to say about Donald Trump and whether or not hes a Russian asset.

Just hit pause on that for a second. At this point in time, its summer of 2016-ish if I have my dates right, nobody had actually labeled President Trump a Putin asset. To do so is a significant step. Its to say in U.S. intel-speak that a foreign premier of Russia had recruited an American citizen running to be president of the United States, and he was on the Russian payroll to be an intelligence asset against America. Thats what it means.

It sounds crazy. The former deputy director and acting CIA director, Michael Morell, at that time in the summer of 2016, was the first one to prominently posit that into the mainstream media cycle before a presidential election. He literally wrote that in his experience, it was likely that Donald Trump was Putins asset.

Then what happens? Weve seen this narrative before, Jan. The mainstream media comes in and laps it up, and barrages the public with the false headline that Donald Trump was somehow a Russian asset. You have a second interference based on false information by a former high level intelligence officer to meddle in a presidential election, and it just happens to be the same Michael Morell. Thats exhibit B.

Mr. Jekielek:

Exhibit C was John Solomons bombshell reporting a few days ago that Morell was basically a key person in the creation of this letter that discredited the Hunter Biden laptop, when the New York Post had published its findings.

Mr. Patel:

Yes, it is exhibit C. Its interesting, Jan. If you look at exhibit A, B, and C, we have interference and meddling all the way to election rigging. In my opinion, theyre essentially the same. Its a distinction without a difference. I dont think it was ever an escalation on his part. In his mind, he was doing the exact same thing. He wanted to directly influence the consequences of an election based on false information he put out there utilizing former titles to sound credible in the matter.

John Solomons great reporting is based on Chairman Jordans work over in the House of Representatives. He was the one who has been leading the charge on the intel letter from the 51 intelligence officers, including a former CIA director, a former Secretary of Defense, a former NSA director, and other senior intelligence officials. Michael Morell, signed the letter five days after, and this is the timeline that a lot of people forget.

The New York Post put out the story that Hunter Bidens laptop was being utilized to show crimes that Hunter Biden and the family had committed either with Russia, Ukraine or other adversaries. Five days later, this letter authored by Michael Morell and 50 other individuals came out and said that it had the hallmarks of Russian disinformation. It was very craftily done, because immediately the mainstream media, specifically Politico, jumped on it and said what those 51 authors wantedthat Hunter Bidens laptop was Russian disinformation.

Weve heard it a million and one times ever since that day. That was the objective. Make no mistake about it, because these people in intel space know exactly what theyre using and what words theyre using and why, and they know what the mainstream medias going to do once they have a letter thats out there.

With Michael Morell, you have to ask what was his involvement in this letter? Thats what Jim Jordan was getting to the bottom of. He found out that Michael Morell had been contacted by then Biden campaign advisor, Tony Blinken, who is now the Secretary of State for Joe Biden. Michael Morell came in and testified under oath to the House Judiciary Committee that Jim Jordan was chairing. Michael Morell was specifically asked by either a member of Congress or staffer under oath, What triggered you to do the 51 intel letter, as we call it. He said, Tony Blinken.

Now, we have learned that Tony Blinken and Michael Morell were communicating at the time of the campaign. Tony Blinken basically gave him one of these wonderful Washington handshakes as you call them, to say, Hey, Im not asking you to do this, but itd be good if we had a narrative out there to run against the New York Post reporting.

Of course, Tony Blinken is going to go out there and say, I never asked him to do this. But its curious, Jan, that you have the former acting Central Intelligence Agency director Michael Morell saying under oath it was Tony Blinken who triggered him to author the letter with 51 intelligence officials and to get it out with such speed and alacrity.

I have a whole host of other questions, but staying on Michael Morell, why did this guy do it? Not once, not twice, but three times? Jim Jordan asked him, or his staff asked him under oath specifically, Why did you, Michael Morell, the former acting CIA director, write this letter knowing it to be false? That was another admission. He knew it was not Russian disinformation. He said simply because he wanted Joe Biden to win. That is the very definition of election rigging.

When we talked about it on this show and this great network and so many other media outlets, we were called conspiracy theorists. We were called the liars. We were called the libelous, defamatory authors. It turns out we were always reporting the truth. Michael Morell has now been exposed.

Theres a separate question we can get to as to why would he all of a sudden just come out and do that? But before we get there, I have to hammer this home for our audience. What if a prior central intelligence agency director had come out and authored a false narrative against Joe Biden prior to a presidential election? What would the world say about that? The exact same thing were saying about Michael Morell.

Mr. Jekielek:

In these hearings, we hear a lot of people say, Well, I dont recall. We hear that a lot, and you dont really know whether they recall or not, but pretty often you think they might actually recall. But in this case, he just said it outright. Why is he doing this now?

Mr. Patel:

Its an interesting question, Jan. I just want to give our audience two data points. Remember when James Comey, one of the smartest men supposedly that had ever served in the U.S. government, came to testify for Congress and said 173 times under oath that he didnt remember. I dont believe that for a second. Neither does the rest of America. Remember when Anthony Fauci came before Congress and testified under oath? It was like north of 200 times that he said, I dont remember, or I dont recall.

Thats governmentspeak. You are obfuscating the truth and failing to execute your duties as a former or current government official. Why did Michael Morell just do that? Its an interesting investigatory outlook. From my perspective, having been a former federal prosecutor, the guy that ran Russiagate and a public defender, Ive interrogated thousands of people under oath.

What you do before you sit that person in the chair and make them swear in is you collect all the documents you can and all the other investigatory materials surrounding that individual so you know the answer to the question before you even ask it. I dont have an inside track on this one, but what I think happened was the committee probably obtained material, whether there were emails or memorandums from Michael Morell himself where he was communicating with Tony Blinken or others in the media or the people that signed that letter and basically said, I know this is BS, but we just need to do this. Ive been asked by the Biden campaign to do so.

They had either collected that information, or had pieced it together. There was a document that said that, or there were other witnesses involved in the creation of that 51 intel letter that said, Yes, thats what happened.

When you do an investigation thoroughly, its no longer, I dont know or I cant recall, because it then becomes, Heres your letter, here is your email, heres your memo. Heres the 15 people that said you were in the room with them and that you said X, Y, and Z. Are they all lying or are you? Michael Morell, like other government officials, isnt dumb. He does not want to go into Congress and lie under oath and commit a federal felony.

What they astutely did was put him in a position to give the truthful answer, which is what you want government officials and former officials doing, not obfuscating it like Comey and Fauci. In this instance, they were able to pin him down, as we say, and elicit the actual response. In my opinion, had he said otherwise, they could have impeached him or just hit him with the truth in another form, whether its documentary evidence or testimonial evidence from other people. It would have created more problems for him.

The other thing is people are starting to realize more and more that it could be for political reasons. The reason Michael Morell was talking to one of Joe Bidens most senior campaign managers in Tony Blinken at the time was probably because he wanted a job in the Biden administration. Remember, this is a guy that said he wanted Hillary Clinton to win. This is the guy that said he wanted Donald Trump to lose. This is the guy that said he wanted Joe Biden to win and acted intentionally to achieve those ends.

People might say, No, that was the furthest thing from his mind. But thats just not the case with an individual who has a track record of rigging elections with false information and admitting to it. Now, you have to ask yourself whats on the other end? Maybe he wanted to be the permanent CIA director. Maybe he wanted to be the head of the IC at the office of Director of National Intelligence. Why else would he just randomly help Joe Biden?

It could be he would have been satisfied with just having Trump lose. Maybe. But maybe theres more to that transcript. Im sure there is, and it just hasnt been released yet. Chairman Jordan and Chairman Turner of the Intel Committee issued a joint letter to Secretary Blinken based on Michael Morells testimony.

They smartly said, Not you Secretary Blinken in your capacity as Secretary of State, but you Tony Blinken in your capacity as senior advisor to Joe Biden on his presidential campaign, why did you have these conversations? Please produce these documents. What emails did you have? What memorandum do you have? Who are you talking to about this? Who in the media did you go to and you owe us all this information.

We have a ways to go, but they also need to subpoena Tony Blinken and see what he has to say about the matter, because now you have Michael Morells sworn testimony. Tony Blinken should have to come in and answer these hard questions. Because its not like you have a very pro-Trump anti-Biden figure saying this under oath. You have a very pro-Biden, anti-Trump figure saying this under oath.

His credibility is augmented in the public sphere automatically, because they cant say, Youre biased. You love Trump and hate Biden. Its the complete opposite. Whether Tony Blinken comes in, it will remain to be seen whether subpoenas are issued, but he owes the American public an answer. Was Tony Blinken in on helping to rig a presidential election with false information?

Lets give him the benefit of the doubt. I dont know what hes going to say. I dont know the extent of the interrogation that Mike Morell submitted to, because I dont have the entire transcript. I dont think anybody does. We just have snippets of it. There could be more in there, and hopefully the committee will release that to the American public.

But gone are the days where people who say elections are rigged are called the crazy conspirators. We have concrete evidence in this one episode of our show, Jan, that it happened three times in three election cycles in modern U.S. presidential history.

Mr. Jekielek:

Lets just remind people what you mean by election rigging.

Mr. Patel:

Its a very unfortunate, tragic, un-American concept that is simple to define. There are two people running for an office and one side goes after the other. Okay, thats politics. But what is election rigging? When you create a completely false narrative knowing its false just to go out there and defeat your opponent, thats election rigging.

Thats what happened here. Its what happened with Michael Morell in Benghazi. Its what happened with Michael Morell parading Trump as a Putin asset. And its what happened here again in the Joe Biden-Donald Trump prior election when Michael Morell falsely defined the Hunter Biden laptop as Russian disinformation. He admitted it, and he admitted why. He wanted Joe Biden to win.

I just want to add one more thing. I want to draw an analogy to the whole Hillary Clinton-Christopher Steele dossier election rigging Russiagate narrative. Did the Biden campaign use any campaign dollars to facilitate the creation of this 51 intel letter and its publication? I hope thats a question the committee asked Michael Morell and others involved. I hope theyll be subpoenaing everyone involved in that, including Leon Panetta, the former Secretary of Defense, and the former director of the NSA who all signed this letter.

I want to know their answers, because what are they going to have to do? This is an interesting sort of juxtaposition. You already have one of their former colleagues who thinks the exact same way they do politically and has shown his dislike of President Trump publicly. Are they going to come in and call Michael Morell a liar and say, We signed this letter and it was true and its still true? Its going to set up an interesting contradiction when you have cabinet secretaries now forced to answer the question theyve been not willing to answer.

I hope the subpoenas go out fast and quickly to the Leon Panettas and Michael Haydens of the world because they need to answer this question. Did they knowingly sign on to an intel letter that they knew was false in order to rig a presidential election?

Mr. Jekielek:

Lets jump to a related matter. This is Senator Grassley basically coming out, and hes got a good record on this, saying that he has evidence that the FBI basically labeled evidence as Russian disinformation in order to ostensibly shield the Biden family. If I understand what Grassley said and Margot Clevelands reporting, whos been doing some fantastic work recently.

Mr. Patel:

Senator Grassley, whether youre a Republican or Democrat, has been one of the most ardent supporters of the whistleblower program in congressional constitutional oversight in modern history. He has a staff dedicated to it, some of whom Ive worked with, not on this matter, but on others in the past.

When he comes forward, he doesnt just say, I think we found something, or maybe we got something here. Its fully baked if Senator Grassley is coming forward and saying, We have information from whistleblowers that demonstrate the FBI falsely labeled information during a political campaign as Russian misinformation to achieve a narrative to defeat Donald Trump.

Senator Grassley:

Based on protected whistleblower allegations. I know the FBI falsely labeled that evidence as Russian disinformation to bury it.

Mr. Patel:

Thats the short summary at the end of it. How did he get there? Its my understanding that through numerous whistleblowers in the FBI, some of them that have been publicly outed and some that maybe not have, the senator has been working meticulously to piece together that information.

Senator Grassley has asked Christopher Wray under oath, at least on one occasion that I can recall, Will there be any retaliation against whistleblowers in the FBI? Chris Wray flat out said, No. But as we have seen, there has been retaliation against whistleblowers, whether they were the ones Senator Grassley is talking about here or others that relate to events we talked about on prior shows about January 6th and other narratives, domestic violence terrorists or Russian disinformation.

All of these things need to be dealt with in public, because its great that Senator Grassley has done this investigation. I want to know when those individuals are going to come forward and testify. If thats the case, again, Jan, no coincidences, Chairman Jordan just this week subpoenaed the head of the FBI Human Resources Department, because he said she did not comply with her obligations to submit to an interrogation under oath. She sat down for it, but she refused to answer questions related to FBI employees who were terminated or adverse action was taken against them for providing information to Congress in the form of a whistleblower.

These two things are directly related. Having worked in the United States Congress in an investigatory capacity, you generally always reach out to your counterpart. If youre Senate staff, youre reaching out to your counterparts on the Hill on the House side to say, Im on this intel committee. Youre on that intel committee. Lets work together. Its how we did Russiagate. Its how the judiciary committee is talking on the House side to the judiciary committee on the Senate side.

Theres going to be a point where these come together. The reason they need to come together is because in the Senate, the Republicans dont have the majority. They dont have the gavels, and they dont have the ability to issue subpoenas. But in the House, they do.

Youre seeing a tandem at play here that I hope to see continue with not just the subpoenaing of this person in charge of Chris Wrays hiring and firing of FBI personnel, but other individuals related to these narratives that are out there. Because it all relates to the thing weve been talking about, election rigging.

This is a whole other topic for another day, but the question youre asking is did the FBI and its employees undertake a conspiracy to block information, manipulate it, and distort it so that it would be put out on the public side to favor a political narrative, even though they knew that information was false? It seems like they have time and time again, and this is one line of effort that Senator Grassley is exposing. I hope he works faster.

Mr. Jekielek:

Right. It just highlights this kind of broader issue you have. Of course, Morell has been singled out as someone whos on record now as being engaged in this sort of activity. But now, heres another example. We have yet to see the details of this in the FBI.

Mr. Patel:

You cant say anymore, Its never happened. It could never happen in the United States of America. Its not possible. The agencies and departments of the government dont do that. Cabinet secretaries wont do that. The FBI would never. Weve shown time and time again, whether its Russiagate or anything else from then. Unfortunately, it has happened too often and it needs to be corrected.

Mr. Jekielek:

Lets jump to what Manhattan DA, Alvin Bragg, is doing with this Trump case.

Mr. Patel:

Yes. Quick update for audience. It didnt get much attention this week, but Alvin Bragg as the prosecutor or his office filed a motion before the court and the judge thats hearing the Donald Trump case. What the prosecutors office is asking for is essentially the equivalent of almost a gag order on Donald Trump.

If you recall, Jan, we said on this show initially when that was brought, that I want the discovery process to play out. I want to see the evidence that Alvin Bragg has, and I want the public to know what he has built his case on, because I, as a former federal prosecutor, think it is a sham that he has built it on faulty evidence.

Now, were at the point where discovery is supposed to actually get traded. That means mostly the prosecution is supposed to provide the defense, Donald Trump, with all the evidence. He has not yet done so because hes filed this motion saying, Before we do, judge, we want you to tell Donald Trump that he cant talk about it, that he cant post about it, that he cant publicize it, that he cant go out and give a press conference about it in any way, shape, or form. That is essentially a gag order on the discovery process.

Why is he doing that? To me, there are exceptionally rare cases where that sort of ruling is necessary, but in this instance, when you have a case of this public importance, literally the most important case going on in the USA right now, why wouldnt the prosecuting attorney want his evidence shown so that everybody can see the case hes brought is a righteous case against an individual who is not only a former president of the United States but a candidate to be the next president of the United States?

Thats what makes this case so exceptional. Its also for that reason that I dont believe the judge should grant that motion. It makes it seem as if the DA has something to hide, and its one of the reasons I came out early and often saying, I want all the discovery out there. Its one of the reasons why I took the rare position saying, I dont want a motion to dismiss filed right away. I want to see the goods.

This would block us, the American public, who has a right to know whats going on in this case. We are going to make a determination based on that and a lot of other factors, who they should vote on for the next president of the United States.

That information cant be kept from us. Maybe there are small snippets of information that could harm a person unrelated to the case individually. Okay, I can get on board with that. Sure. But a wholesale blocking order to prevent President Trump from talking about the evidence in any way, I couldnt disagree with that more.

Its curious that hes done that. Its not surprising, but to me, it speaks to the fact that he doesnt want his evidence further examined by the public. If that were the case, he should have thought about that before indicting a former president of the United States who happens to be running again.

Well also see what kind of judge this individual is going to be on this very ruling in short order. He has asked for both sides, the attorneys, to come in and litigate, argue the motion this week. We should have an answer on it, but its an interesting update.

Mr. Jekielek:

Kash, I for one, am really excited that in all of these investigations, the discovery in the Trump case, Senator Grassleys investigation, and Jim Jordans look into Morells testimony and beyond, theres a ton of information were going to learn here.

Mr. Patel:

Yes, youre absolutely right. Weve learned a ton, a lot. We talk a lot about tying themes together, and Russian disinformation seems to be one of them. I just want to make sure we connect it for our audience. Its interesting that what Michael Morell was doing with the 51 intel letter and encapsulating that as Russian disinformation, the FBI is using that same theme to encapsulate information about Hunter Biden and Joe Biden and his family as Russian disinformation.

It seems to be the theme of the cover-up operation, whether its a former current senior intelligence official or current FBI officials. Theres a lot of investigation that needs to happen.

Mr. Jekielek:

Russian disinformation has just become the ultimate boogieman.

Mr. Patel:

Well stay on top of it all as always, and Im sure come next week, well have some more information.

Mr. Jekielek:

Time for our shoutout.

Mr. Patel:

Indeed it is, Jan. This weeks shoutout goes to Kathy Bowlby. Thanks so much for commenting on our Kashs Corner quote board. Thanks so much to everybody who participates in our live chats every Friday night in parallel with our show. We look forward to seeing you all next week on Kashs Corner.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Landslide Damages Cultural Center, Halts Rail Service in San Clemente

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif.A landslide beneath part of the Casa Romantica Cultural Center in San Clemente sent dirt and debris cascading down a hillside April 27, heavily damaging the centers concrete terrace and shutting down all rail service in the area.

The slide occurred early Thursday afternoon, prompting Metrolink to shut down rail service south of Laguna Niguel, while Amtrak officials said service was disrupted south of Irvine.

Metrolink spokesman Scott Johnson said the suspension of service was done out of caution and will be reopened once it is safe. Johnson said affected passengers can obtain Uber vouchers of up to $50 through Metrolink to get them through the closure area.

The slide came nearly two weeks after officials at Casa Romantica first reported ground movement that caused some cracks on the propertys patio facing the ocean.

Landslides strike a coastal neighborhood after heavy rains in San Clemente, Calif., on March 16, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

The San Clemente City Council this week approved a $75,000 contract with a geologic contractor to study the ground movement and develop a plan for shoring up the hillside.

According to a city staff report, the ground slippage was first detected April 16 and reported to the city the following day, with the facility reporting impacts to its concrete terrace but no movement of the actual building.

City Councilman Victor Cabral told KCAL9 after Thursdays slide that only a few inches of ground movement had been occurring each day, but on Thursday, about 20 feet gave way, taking parts of the concrete terrace with it.

No injuries were reported, but KCAL reported that a residential structure down the hill from the cultural center had been red-tagged due to concerns about additional land movement.

The slide occurred about two miles north of where the Orange County Transportation Authority is finishing up construction to shore up a hillside slope near the Cyprus Shore Homeowners Association in San Clemente, officials said.
Lawmakers Question Treasury Officials on Efforts to Sanction Hostile Nations

Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer questions U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar as he testifies before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Oct. 2, 2020. (J. Scott Applewhite/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

At a hearing of a subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee on April 27, lawmakers addressed and questioned Treasury officials about the actions, ability, and commitment of the Biden administration to place effective financial sanctions onand disrupt the flow of money togovernments and other entities that support actions hostile to the United States.

A particular focus of the hearing centered on efforts to restrict and interfere with the banking and commerce of China, Iran, and Russia.

Appearing as witnesses at the National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions Subcommittee hearing, titled Oversight of the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI) and Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), were Treasury Under Secretary for TFI Brian Nelson and Himamauli Him Das, acting director of the FinCEN department of the Treasury.

Blocking Bad Actors Access to Money

In his opening statement, Subcommittee Chairman Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.) called the Treasury Department to task for not being sufficiently tough with China and Russia.

We need to demand accountability from Treasury for its refusal to stop Russia from waging war on Ukraine, said Luetkemeyer. As Institute of International Finance has shown, Russian imports are stable from a year ago, with Chinese exports making up for Western goods.

The Treasury has allowed sanctioned Russian banks to use the U.S. financial system in order to rake in energy-related revenues, and it worked to roll back tough EU sanctions on Russian crude. Treasury appears to care more about the oil market and Democrats electoral prospects than on Putins war crimes. This is shameful.

Luetkemeyer cited the genocide that China and its ruling party, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), are conducting against the Uyghurs.

The chairman also noted that the Treasury has sanctioned international leaders but top officials in the Chinese Politburo have been spared.

Treasury Undersecretary for TFI Brian Nelson. (United States Department of the Treasury)

Nelson testified: In the past few years, the demand for TFIs expertise has grown exponentially. In the past year alone, the department has played a central role on a range of national security priorities, including in the response to Russias further invasion of Ukraine.

Simultaneously, we understand that illicit actors have taken advantage of gaps within the U.S. and international financial systems. One of TFIs core missions is to close these exploitable gaps.

Nelson told the committee that to prevent states with bad intent from exploiting weaknesses in financial networks, TFI develops and uses a comprehensive framework of regulations against money laundering and the financing of terrorism, gathers and studies information, takes enforcement actions, and enlists the private sector and nongovernmental agencies.

Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-Col.) spoke on the issue of deadly fentanyl trafficked into the United States, most of which comes from Mexico and is made with precursor chemicals from China and the CCP.

The issue of drug abuse is personal for Pettersen. She said her mother has battled addiction, which began when she was prescribed opioids. She then used heroin and eventually fentanyl.

Pettersen thanked Nelson and Das for the work the Treasury is doing to combat drug, human, and firearm trafficking and said that for America to disrupt and shut down shipment and transport of fentanyl, it is going to require significant resources for agencies like yours to stop the drug cartels from utilizing our financial systems to launder money.

Pettersen went on to say that she had concerns that the budget cuts that the GOP passed in the House the previous day could hinder the anti-drug-trafficking efforts of the Treasury.

A Government-Wide Challenge

Efforts against money laundering and the financing of terrorism are battles waged across the government.

The House Financial Services subcommittee hearing came in the wake of congressional testimony on April 19 of John Sopko, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction.

Sopko testified that he believes it is likely that the Taliban is getting its hands on portions of the $8 billion in taxpayer money that the Biden administration dedicated to the Afghan people following the U.S. withdrawal.

John Sopko, special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, testifies before the Senate in Washington in a file photograph. (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

In his testimony, Sopko said he is not sure how the money is being spent and allocated because the administration has been dragging its feet in providing access and oversight to records that he has requested.

On April 27, Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.), and Reps. Zachary Nunn (R-Iowa) and Jim Himes (D-Conn.) co-sponsored and introduced in Congress the Financial Technology Protection Act, a bill that would form a group to research, evaluate, and analyze how cryptocurrencies and other cyber financial instruments can be used to fund terrorism and other illegal activities.

The Treasury announced on April 24 that it had frozen the U.S. assets of three people who had laundered virtual currency that North Korean hackers had stolen to fund Pyongyangs weapons program, and that the agency would sanction those who do business with money launderers.
A child leaves a note in memory of giant panda "Lin Hui" at Chiang Mai Zoo in Chiang Mai, Thailand, April 26, 2023. China and Thailand would summarize the giant panda cooperation program in the past two decades and discuss further cooperation, Chinese Consul General in Chiang Mai Wu Zhiwu said at a memorial event of giant panda "Lin Hui" in the northern Thai city (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

CHIANG MAI, Thailand, April 28 (Xinhua) -- China and Thailand would summarize the giant panda cooperation program in the past two decades and discuss further cooperation, Chinese Consul General in Chiang Mai Wu Zhiwu said at a memorial event of giant panda "Lin Hui" in the northern Thai city.

"Experts from the two countries have been working closely in the past 20 years. We have good cooperation in giant panda's raising, breeding, disease controlling and knowledge dissemination to the public, which are major parts of our giant panda international cooperation program," Wu said at the ceremony on Wednesday to mark the seventh day after the giant panda's death in Chiang Mai Zoo.

The event was attended by members from the Chinese Consulate General, Chiang Mai governor, the zoo's director and people from various sectors in the Thai city.

The 21-year-old female giant panda exhibited unusual symptoms on April 18. The zoo immediately consulted Chinese experts and conducted medical checkup for her. Despite their efforts, "Lin Hui" died on the next morning, according to the zoo.

White flowers were laid in front of a big photo of "Lin Hui". Life-sized cut-outs of the giant panda in different poses eating ice-creams and playing with toys are on display in the panda house, an indoor space with the constant temperature of 25 degree Celsius specifically built for her during the pandemic.

"I miss Lin Hui. I first saw her when I was a child. She's so cute and had brought us so much joy. I come here to see her every time when I'm in Chiang Mai. She's not only a star attraction of the zoo, but also a friend of people like me who grow up with her," said Sutasinee, 31, who drove three hours from northern Prae province.

A message wall is filled with condolences written in different languages. Most viewed notes include "Thank you for coming here and bringing good memories to us", "Rest in peace my dear Lin Hui", "Wish you reincarnation in Thailand again".

"We are deeply saddened by the death of 'Lin Hui'. She has been a goodwill ambassador between China and Thailand. We are so lucky to have the chance to learn how to raise and take care of giant panda. She's priceless to us," Wuthichai Muangman, director of Chiang Mai zoo, told Xinhua.

"We are also very much appreciative of China's understanding and help in the cooperation program," he added.

Born on Sept. 28, 2001 in China, "Lin Hui" arrived in Chiang Mai Zoo together with her mate "Chuang Chuang" in 2003 on loan. The couple became even super stars after "Lin Hui" gave birth to a female cub "Lin Bing" in 2009.

"Lin Hui" remained the only giant panda in Thailand after "Lin Bing", Thailand's first born giant panda, went back to China in 2011 under the loan agreement and the male bear "Chuang Chuang" died in 2019. 

This photo taken on April 26, 2023 shows a memorial event of giant panda "Lin Hui" at Chiang Mai Zoo in Chiang Mai, Thailand. China and Thailand would summarize the giant panda cooperation program in the past two decades and discuss further cooperation, Chinese Consul General in Chiang Mai Wu Zhiwu said at a memorial event of giant panda "Lin Hui" in the northern Thai city.(Xinhua/Wang Teng)

Tourists visit the panda house at Chiang Mai Zoo in Chiang Mai, Thailand, April 26, 2023. China and Thailand would summarize the giant panda cooperation program in the past two decades and discuss further cooperation, Chinese Consul General in Chiang Mai Wu Zhiwu said at a memorial event of giant panda "Lin Hui" in the northern Thai city.(Xinhua/Wang Teng)

A visitor looks at photos of giant panda "Lin Hui" at Chiang Mai Zoo in Chiang Mai, Thailand, April 26, 2023. China and Thailand would summarize the giant panda cooperation program in the past two decades and discuss further cooperation, Chinese Consul General in Chiang Mai Wu Zhiwu said at a memorial event of giant panda "Lin Hui" in the northern Thai city.(Xinhua/Wang Teng)

A visitor mourns giant panda "Lin Hui" at Chiang Mai Zoo in Chiang Mai, Thailand, April 26, 2023. China and Thailand would summarize the giant panda cooperation program in the past two decades and discuss further cooperation, Chinese Consul General in Chiang Mai Wu Zhiwu said at a memorial event of giant panda "Lin Hui" in the northern Thai city.(Xinhua/Wang Teng)
Letter to the Board of Education

Commentary

In 2021, the New York Times reported that the San Francisco Board of Education had approved a plan to rename 44 of the citys schools that were named after people such as Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Paul Revere, and Robert Louis Stevenson, due to those historical figures connection with white supremacy and patriarchy.

The mayor, London Breed, commented: What I cannot understand is why the School Board is advancing a plan to have all these schools renamed by April [2021], when there isnt a plan to have our kids back in the classroom by then.

More outrageous than the name scrubbing is the fact that the Board found time to start its revisionism while the city was in the process of suing the district for not coming up with a reopening plan that met state requirements.

They were preoccupied with alternative explanations of American history, with multiculturalism, with such goals as removing barriers to equal access (as if after 50 years of bussing and focused attention on matters of equality San Franciscos diverse student body really experiences barriers), with such social engineering as mixing students from high and low social backgrounds rather than high and low economic backgrounds (which simply means letting high-performing students in poor neighborhoods enroll in any school they want), or with the politically correct goal of never offending a students sensibilities (having never read Piaget, one of the worlds great education theorists who said that wasnt necessary, that childrens egos are so large, children so self-centered, that they recover from just about any scolding), or with the educationally incorrect goal of never giving low grades.

There is pressure on principals and teachers to never give parents a reason to complain, yet if they do, one never backs up the teacher but instead says things like, Were here for the students; teachers can be replaced but students, our customers, cannot. They have been leaving the district at a rate of 800 a year for the last 50 years.

There were 92,653 students in 1970 according to SF Public Press, and 51,898 in 2020 according to the SF Examiner.

The consequence: Teachers lowered standards. The curriculum level in 2000 is exactly one half what it was in 1965.

This author knows. He was himself 12 years a student (K12) and then 40 years a teacher, and he knows the Board of Education focuses on everything but the issues that underlie educationwhy the Board will never address the issues outlined below.

Letter to the Board of Education

Articles about public education miss the following underlying truths:

1. Public education may provide the ability to succeed in life, but thats not the purpose of public education. We have publicly funded schools in this country for one reason: to teach reading, math, and history so that students, future citizens, will recognize threats to democracy. Thomas Jefferson created the nations first public schools because he feared that without an informed citizenry, our new democracy would not survive.

2. To deal with socially and educationally deprived students, systems of classroom management have become the dominant feature of public education todayexcept that once teachers realize thats what theyre actually paid to do, they quit. Since 1970, nationwide, according to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), there have been periods when 50 percent of new teachers left the profession within three years and 75 percent within five. Those numbers are lower today, but still, in no other sphere do young people enter with such enthusiasm and preparation and then find their hopes so quickly and thoroughly dashed.

3. All learning is self-learning. Teachers facilitate and motivate learning, but it is students who must do the work.

School districts paying for small class sizes are wasting their money. The number of students in a class has nothing to do with the number of hours students study. Statistics do not show that students in small classes learn more than students in large classes. The real reason public schools have small classes is to prevent teachers from quitting.

All foundational learning occurs between the ages of 0 and 3. Children from socially deprived homes enter kindergarten with a 2,500-to-5,000-word deficit in their vocabularies, which increases through grade 12, according to the Handbook of Language and Literary Development. Since the 1970s, public schools, catering to the socially deprived, have driven away their best students and teachers.

4. To raise test scores (overnight), school districts need do only one thing: bring back their best students and teachers! Unapologetically bring back academic standards and a Eurocentric classical education. Its time for America to reunite behind its common culture: 5th century Athens, 1st century Rome, 18th century Age of Enlightenment, the culture of British and American democracy, individual freedomin sum, Western civilization.

This is important, because without common culture America will not be able to defend itself against domination by countries that do have a common culturewhich is every other country in the worldChina, for example.

Its also important because America is unique among nations in being founded on a set of ideas and values rather than on a shared identityan inspiration destroyed by multiculturalism and identity politics, both of which go against the notion e pluribus unum (out of many, one) as they focus on injustices rather than the values of the Founding Fathers.

There is an experience gap in our national culture. We no longer have the same appreciation that America was conceived in liberty (Abraham Lincoln), as a refuge from persecution and corruption. Why was the 400-year anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock on December 22, 1620, not celebrated in 2020? It was not even mentioned. It is what Americans have in common: Someone in their family fled their country to come here, to escape something awful. African-Americans are included.

And then the Pilgrims and Indians worked together (at first). Unfortunately, news of the success of the Pilgrims spread throughout England, and rogue individuals followed and exploited the situationoffering guns and alcohol to the Indians, absolutely undoing the original efforts of the Pilgrims. Read Of Plymouth Plantation: The Journal of William Bradford, the authoritative account of the history and arrival of the Pilgrims and their life at Plymouth Colony from 1620 to 1660.

There is an experience gap because Americans today take too much for granted and are unaware of the nations roots: the culture of British and American democracy. Such things as due process, habeas corpus, common law built over centuries, civil rights to life and liberty and property, and limited government have historically been guaranteed only in Britain and America.

5. Public schools do not offer a report card that reflects a students level of achievement. Perhaps schools should issue report cards like the following, grading students not only with letters but with the grade level of the work they are able to do:

Subject Grade level Grade

English 6 C-

Math 4 B

PE 11 B+

Students not prepared to work at grade level should be given a voucher to attend private school. Private schools should be for troubled students, public schools for good students.

And then only students at grade level should take state or national tests, and only in the 4th, 8th, and 12th grades. Not only will this raise California test scores, but it will stop schools from wasting so much time every year preparing for tests, and worse, teaching to the test! Californias ranking will jump from 42nd in the nation (data from Education Week in 2017) to 2nd or 3rd.

6. The problems of American public education are not due to a lack of funding. They are due to too much funding. We spend more than is optimal, more than any other nation. From 1970 to 2000, nationwide, spending per pupil doubled, yet test scores dropped 25 percent. For every $1,000 of increased spending, SAT scores dropped 10 points. From 2000 to 2019, test scores remained flat. (Data from National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education.)

That is because additional money for education is spent on additional programsmulticultural awareness, arts, sciences, field tripsall of which take time from basic instruction. KIPP public charter schools are an example of how that additional funding should be used. KIPP schools lengthen their school day by two or three hours plus teach on Saturday.

Most public schools do the opposite. To accommodate additional programs, they shorten basic instruction time, achieving what in economics is termed diminished marginal utility of the funds.

To double test scores, cut spending in half.

7. Test scores are a fraud on the public. Raising a school districts test scores to 50, the national average, is meaningless. If we were a nation of geniuses, 50 would be the national average. In a nation of morons, 50 would be the national average. With 36 percent of 4th and 8th grade public school students proficient in reading, 40 percent in math, 50 is still the national average and means failure. (Data from National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, 2015.)

Superintendents know but never acknowledge this. Pretending to be CEOs with pay contingent upon the rise of their companys stock, superintendents want their compensation to be contingent upon the rise of their districts test scoresa meaningless achievement.

James D. Gwartney, author of Microeconomics: Private and Public Choice, notes that in 2000 the United States spent $7,764 per secondary pupil, 38 percent above the OECD average, but that 8th-grade mathematics achievement scores in 2001 were 3.3 percent lower than the OECD average (citing OECD, Education at a Glance.).

And finally, you, the Board of Education, should listen to what liberals in San Francisco and across the nation said online in response to the New York Times report cited at the beginning of this articleabout your attempt to erase the names of schools that reflect the history of this nation:

I would understand the hyper focus on this issue if San Francisco had high-functioning schools. But it doesnt. There are only a handful that are competitive with public schools in other states. Many parents who understand this, [who] care about their childrens actually learning, and can afford it, moved away or send them to private schools. The public schools are more focused on wallpapering over disparities rather than educating diverse populations to be competitive in the US workforce. Administrators call rigorous education perfectionist culture, and explain that children dont need to learn how to spell when theyre going to use spell check. A friend of mine (who is white) said that his daughter came home from a SF public middle school one day, crying. She asked him, Did white people do anything good? True stories. These educators/philistines prefer to focus on political correctness rather than supporting the students. Mayor Breed knows this. The teachers union supports all this political correctness. Its really difficult to teach students who are underprepared and failing. And probably dont speak or read and write so well. So, refocus on what is easy and give yourself a raise.Mariabraun, San Francisco

Sorry Ross, you dont understand San Francisco, especially the school board. It has always been a stepping stone to either a run for supervisor or assembly. And it has had more than its share of members who dont fully think things through when it comes to political correctness and cancel culture.Steve Ziman, San Rafael

My husband and I are both progressive liberals. When we heard about this decision by the SF school board, we looked at each other, shook our heads and said, This is why America hates us.Andrea, Florida

I also think it is a bit disingenuous to place ourselves above the icons of the past, as though we could never make the same errors of judgment however genuinely poorbecause that precludes learning from them ourselves, and recognizing that Right or Left we all contain the same seeds of both good and evil within us.Carla, New York City

This silliness by the oh so sensitive Left is exactly the type of thing that is fertilizer to continue to grow the far Right. This isnt an action based on academics and scholarship. It is a ridiculous example of false wokeness that stains liberalism with its petty anti-intellectualism.Wiff, California

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Lord Patten, the Last Governor of Hong Kong, Receives Highest UK Honour

Chris Patten, has spoken out for Hong Kong and the Hong Kong people many times during and after his tenure as the last Govenor of Hong Kong

The British Hong Kong People's Summit invited the Former Hong Kong governor Lord Chris Pattern to speak at the event on March 27, 2023 (The Epoch Times)

Christopher Francis Patten, the last Governor of Hong Kong, was presented with the Order of the Garter, the highest rank of knighthood in England, by King Charles III on Sunday, April 23, on Saint Georges Day.

The recent statement from Buckingham Palace introduces Patten as, in order, a former Conservative Member of Parliament who became the final Governor of Hong Kong from 1992-1997, before saying that Patten was first elected MP in 1979 and has served in government for over 20 years, including as Secretary of State for the Environment and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and as Conservative Party Chairman.

The statement also mentioned that Patten led the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland and was the EU Commissioner for External Relations from 1999 to 2004 and Chairman of the BBC Trust from 2011 to 2014.

In addition to Patten, the royal family also announced the award of the Order of Garter to Catherine Margaret Ashton, the first High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the EU.

Several Dignitaries Honored with the Order of the Garter

The Order of the Garter is Britains oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry. Its origins date back to 1348 when King Edward III, inspired by the legendary King Arthur and the chivalrous Knights of the Round Table, established his legion of honor and founded the Order of the Garter.

The Order of the Garter is Britains oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry. Each year, it is celebrated with a procession and service on the grounds of Windsor Castle.

The British monarchs select Knights of the Garter, an order established to honor individuals who have held public office, made exceptional contributions to the nations life, or served the monarch personally. The Orders ex-officio members consist of the King and the Prince of Wales and 24 other esteemed members. Currently, four seats remain unfilled, although numerous British royals and foreign monarchs have been awarded this distinction. Upon the death of a Knight of the Garter, the medal will be returned to the British monarch, and the vacant positions will be announced on St. Georges Day.

Many British Prime Ministers have been awarded the Order of Garter, including Prime Minister Winston Churchill in World War II (who refused the order), Lady Margaret Thatcher, the longest-serving Prime Minister in Britain, and former Prime Minister, John Major and Tony Blair.

Chairman of the Organizing Committee and veteran media personality Victor Ho Leung Mau analyzed in a web-based radio program that the awarding of the Order of Garter to Chris Patten is a signal that Britain has not forgotten Hong Kong and a hint to the government of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that the policy towards Hong Kong should be more aggressive to help Hong Kong people.

In 2006, Charles opinions on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were exposed after his diary was disclosed during a lawsuit. Within the pages, Charles referred to the CCP leaders at the 1997 handover ceremony as appalling old waxworks. He further critiqued the then-Communist President Jiang Zemins speech, labeling it a kind of propaganda speech. According to Charles, the official handover ceremony was a disgusting Soviet-style display, leaving a lasting impression on him.

Furthermore, he mentioned in his diary that all Hong Kong people at the time were one of high optimism in the short term. However, he felt corruption was rising in Hong Kong, and the rule of law was gradually undermined. Charles also wrote, The ceremony ended with us all being photographed in a group, shaking hands and marching off through different doors. Thus we left Hong Kong to her fate and the hope that Martin Lee, the leader of the Democrats, would not be arrested.

During his tenure as Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten experienced a tense relationship with the CCP.

In 1992, upon assuming the position of Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten became actively engaged with the city and spoke out against the CCP.

During his term as Governor, Chris Patten implemented an administrative reform package aimed at bolstering the democratic elements of the Legislative Council. The package introduced nine new functional constituency seats that were nearly directly elected, with incumbents having a share in the voting process. However, this move attracted criticism from Lu Ping, who was then the Head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office. Lu Ping branded Patten as a sinner of the ages for disguising direct elections, disrupting Hong Kongs smooth transition, and creating a strained relationship with the CCP.

Chris Patten has returned to Hong Kong several times since leaving office. In 2007, on the tenth anniversary of the handover of sovereignty in Hong Kong, Chris Patten was interviewed by the South China Morning Post and Hong Kong Phoenix Television and said that one country, two systems was very effective in Hong Kong.

Criticized the Chinese Communist Government and Hong Kong Repeatedly

During the Umbrella Movement in November 2014, Chris Patten delivered a speech addressing the Oxford China Forum, commending the Hong Kong Occupy Movement participants for their impressive dignity and serious demeanor. He further implored the leader of the CCP, Xi Jinping, not to disappoint an entire generation of young people in Hong Kong.

In 2017, he criticized the then Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen Kwok-Keung for proposing to review the sentences in the Occupy case, calling it a political decision. This move drew the attention of foreign media, who reported on the emergence of political prisoners in Hong Kong and questioned whether the rule of law still prevailed. Fast forward to April 2019, and the defendants in the Occupy Nine case faced charges of several public nuisance and related offenses, resulting in all of them being convicted.

In September 2019, when the movement was in full swing, the Epoch Times interviewed Patten. He criticized the Hong Kong government for failing to establish an effective communication platform with the protesters, further exacerbating the situation. Additionally, he called on everyone to support the Hong Kong peoples opposition to the amendment of the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance.

At that time, he also urged the British government to implement affirmative action for British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders from Hong Kong, allowing them to live and work in the UK. The UK government later implemented this proposal in 2020, following the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Act.

In March 2020, police arrested many pro-democracy figures, including the founder of One Media Group, Jimmy Lai Chi-ying, the former chairman of the Democratic Party, Yeung Sum, and the former Legislative Council member of the Democratic Party, Lee Cheuk-yan, over their alleged involvement in an illegal assembly on Aug. 31, 2019. At that time, Chris Patten condemned the police for their egregious actions and criticized the CCP for quashing Hong Kongs freedom. Subsequently, in July of the same year, the Hong Kong government disqualified 12 pro-democracy activists from participating in the Legislative Council election, which Chris Patten denounced as a brutal political purge.

Speaking out for Hong Kongers Many Times After the Anti-Extradition Bill Movement,

Chris Patten, a member of the British House of Lords, has been a vocal advocate for the politically persecuted people of Hong Kong after the Anti-Extradition Bill Movement.

Before the National Security Law was enacted in May 2020, Chris Patten and almost 200 political figures worldwide released a joint statement condemning its adverse effects on Hong Kongs autonomy, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law. Following this, Patten became a patron of Hong Kong Watch, a British non-governmental organization that focuses on human rights issues in Hong Kong.

In April 2021, he signed a joint letter with 103 cross-party Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom to then Prime Minister Boris Johnson requesting that the British government activate the Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act to impose sanctions on officials and entities that continue to commit serious violations of Uighur human rights and suppress the democracy movement in Hong Kong, as a response to the CCPs sanctioning of British legislators.

In July 2021, Chris Patten made a powerful statement through Hong Kong Watch. He asserted that the CCP had flagrantly broken the promises of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, stifled the freedom of speech and press, and even went so far as to silence the Apple Daily, all out of fear that Hong Kongs citizens would embrace values strong enough to challenge their regime. Patten acknowledged the difficult situation in Hong Kong but urged the people not to lose hope and to remain confident that their freedom would be restored one day.

In May of 2022, he authored an article criticizing the incoming Chief Executive, John Li Ka-Chiu, for suppressing participants in the 2019 Anti-Extradition Bill Movement. Additionally, he highlighted the arrest of Cardinal Zen, who ran the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, as another disturbing example of the CCPs determination to transform Hong Kong into a police city. In July of the same year, he pointed out that Li had since taken office as the new Chief Executive and lamented that Hong Kong had descended into a police city.

In February, on the second anniversary of the Hong Kong governments indictment of 47 pro-democracy primary election stakeholders, 54 cross-party members of the British House of Commons, including Chris Patten, jointly petitioned British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to intervene with the Hong Kong government. The petition requested the release of former legislator Claudia Mo and assistance to the remaining BNO passport holders in the 47-person case. The signatories mentioned that the British Foreign Office must assist the 47 democrats in ensuring their release and emphasized their plea for immediate action.

On March 2, Chris Patten penned a letter to Canadas Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, urging the government to broaden the Hong Kong Pathway Stream B scope. This comes after the program failed to grant permanent residency to Hong Kong graduates due to the five-year graduation restriction. Pattens proposal seeks to enhance Canadas lifeboat policy and assist graduates facing obstacles in obtaining permanent residency.

On March 27, Chris Patten delivered a speech at the UK Hong Kong Peoples Summit 2023 in London, where he praised the remarkable contribution made by the Hong Kong people to the United Kingdom. Speaking passionately for over half an hour, Patten expressed his hope that the people of Hong Kong would take their rightful place in British society and even have one of their own as a future British Prime Minister. He also highlighted the issues surrounding Hong Kong people who cannot, under the BNO visa scheme, enroll in universities at the same lower tuition fees as local students. Patten called upon the UK Home Office to speed up the processing of political refugee applications from Hong Kong, highlighting the urgent need for support and protection for those seeking refuge.
The imposition of mask mandates among school children during the pandemic did not affect the incidence of COVID-19 infection, according to research conducted in Finland.

The study, published in the journal BMC Public Health on April 21, was conducted in three Finnish citiesHelsinki, Turku, and Tampere. These cities had similar baseline incidences of COVID-19 between August and September 2021. At the time, the federal government had recommended using masks in schools for children aged 12 years and above. In Helsinki and Tampere, the national recommendation was imposed as mandates at schools while in Turku, the mandate was levied on kids aged 10 and above.

The research team looked at the effects of masks on two groups of childrenthose between seven and nine years and those between 10 and 12. While the seven to 10-year-olds were not subject to mask mandates, 10-12 years olds had to wear masks.

According to our analysis, no additional effect was gained from mandating masks, based on comparisons between the cities and between the age groups of the unvaccinated children (1012 years versus 79 years), the study said.

Face mask recommendations in schools did not reduce COVID-19 incidence among 1012-year-olds in Finland. This may indicate that COVID-19 cases in schools merely reflect community infections than school outbreaks.

Ineffective Masks

The Finnish study cited Spanish research on mask mandates in schools which found that masking was not associated with lower COVID-19 incidence or transmission. The transmission risk in schools was found to be lower than in households.

It also cited a late 2022 study from the United States which found that lifting mask requirements was associated with an increase in COVID-19 cases among students and staff.

However, this study aggregated data from all age groups, making it difficult to determine how the effects of mask recommendations might vary by age, the Finnish study stated.

Multiple other studies have also suggested that masks may be ineffective when it comes to controlling COVID-19.

On April 13, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that it could not find evidence as to whether N95 or similar medical-grade masks protect clinically vulnerable people from getting seriously ill from the disease.

A review by the UKHSA of thousands of primary studies about the effectiveness of face coverings could not find anything on whether wearing N75 or similar respirators could protect people or not. This is quite significant given that N95 respirators are considered to be very efficient in filtering airborne particles.

Mask Harms

In addition to being ineffective, wearing masks also turns out to be harmful. A systematic review of 2,168 studies that looked at the adverse effects of wearing masks during COVID-19 found that many people suffered from health consequences like headaches and itching as a result.

Headache was found to be the most frequent symptom among those who wore masks, with a prevalence of 62 percent for general mask use. Shortness of breath was observed in 33 percent of users.

While 17 percent of surgical mask wearers experienced itching, this number was at 51 percent among users of N95. Acne prevalence among mask users was at 38 percent and skin irritation was at 36 percent. Dizziness was found to be prevalent among 5 percent of subjects.

Masks also interfered with the process of oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide release, thereby compromising respiratory compensation. The restriction of oxygen uptake and hindrance in carbon dioxide release was identified as more significant among users of N95 masks.

An online survey conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago found that individuals who had asthma faced difficulties when wearing masks.

While 84 percent experienced discomfort, 75 percent reported experiencing trouble breathing or shortness of breath at least for a little time while they wore the mask.
McCarthys Deal or Bidens Default

Commentary

As a former Speaker, I remember the feeling of going to the House floor knowing I was a few votes short of what I needed. In the 15-minute voting process we had find the undecided or opposing Republicans and convince them to help the team. So, I have great admiration for what Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the House GOP leadership achieved this week passing the rational debt ceiling deal.

Special gratitude must go to Republican Whip Tom Emmer and his floor team for the careful way in which they helped the Speaker and the leadership grow a majority.

Speaker McCarthys remarkable achievement in developing and passing a debt ceiling deal with $4.1 trillion in savingsand several conservative policy initiativeshas set the stage for a useful national debate.

House Republicans have passed a responsible increase in the debt ceiling while taking the first steps toward reducing spending and getting back to a balanced budget.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democrat leader, has pronounced the McCarthy debt ceiling bill dead on arrival.

But despite Schumers bluster, he has no hope of passing an unreformed debt ceiling through the Senate. Senate Democrats will find themselves unable to pass anything unless they work with Senate Republicans. They will have to move much closer to Speaker McCarthy than to President Joe Biden.

The Biden White House responded to the bills passage by saying House Republicans must take default off the table and address the debt limit without demands and conditions.

The challenge for President Biden is that most Americans disagree with his demand for an unamended debt ceiling increase. Only one in four Americans (24 percent) favor lifting the debt ceiling with no conditions. Almost as many (46 percent) favor raising the debt ceiling only if there are spending cuts. Another 16 percent would like to never raise the debt ceiling and force the government to quit going into debt.

The high tax, big spending, huge deficit wing of America is a distinct minority. As Democrats go back home, they are going to learn that people want common sense spending cuts and reforms with the debt ceiling increase. The Biden no negotiation, give me what I want on my terms, strategy is going to get weaker and weaker.

Further, the scale of McCarthys achievement is beginning to sink in. Remember: Speaker John Boehner and Speaker Paul Ryan couldnt pass a debt ceiling increase with only Republican votesand they had much bigger majorities than McCarthys.

As the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board wrote, McCarthy got a win.

House Republicans passed their first big legislative test on Wednesday as they passed their bill to increase the federal debt ceiling with no help from Democrats. Had the vote failed, House Republicans would have lost all leverage over the debt ceiling, and the Senate and White House would have cut their own deal and then jammed the House.

The fight now will be over the spending and policy reforms in the House bill.

The editorial board also described one of the most popular reforms in the bill.

The GOP offer would also impose modest work requirements for Medicaid, food stamps and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. According to the President, making people work or volunteer to receive government assistance is wacko. Most Americans must be crazy because they support work requirements for able-bodied adults.

Ben Domenech in the Transom noted that Kevin McCarthy Is Pretty Good At This: Holding the coalition together and notching wins.

The chairman of the Freedom Caucus asserted to Politico Look, were passing thingsbig things. Isnt that a sign of success?

Mark Halperin, in his brilliant Wide World of News (which I recommend everyone read) wrote:

What Speaker McCarthy and the allies he has empowered just accomplished with the House passage of a bill that raises the debt ceiling is extraordinarya huge political and personal win for the Californian, demonstrating the kind of carrot-and-stick, Perils-of-Pauline, just-win-baby approach for which the Dominant Media deified Speaker Pelosi.

McCarthy overcame the odds and expectations and passed a bill that united his fractious conference, simultaneously raising the debt ceiling and passing spending restraint measures that (despite what the White House and the press suggest) are in at least some of the cases largely popular with swing voters and the public.

The Dominant Media knows the debt ceiling is a really important story (if, admittedly, a bit process-y). This is a major substantive development, in addition to being a huge political story about a new speaker miraculously rising to the occasion.

Lets be clear, the House Republicans have done their job. If Schumer and Biden simply accepted the House bill, there would be no danger of default. Any threat of default now rests on President Bidens shoulders.

No amount of lying by the White House or covering for him by the propaganda media can disguise that fact.

From Gingrich360.com

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Melbourne Council Lambasted by Local Community for Drag Storytime for Kids

Drag queens Athena Kills (C) and Scalene Onixxx arrive to awaiting adults and children for Drag Queen Story Hour at Cellar Door Books in Riverside, Calif. on June 22, 2019. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)

In a scene almost lifted from the U.S., a local Australian council faces pressure for using taxpayer funds to organise a drag storytime for children at a Melbourne library.

On April 26, a Monash City Council meeting in Melbournes east was met by angry community members who chanted slogans against the event and expressed frustration at the proceedings.

Families have been invited to sign-up their kids (aged one to six) to a sparkling morning of stories and songs to inspire young readers hosted by Lisa and a special guest, Sam T, aimed at spreading the message of equality and appreciation of diversity at the Oakleigh Library.

The event is supposed to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia.

Mayor Tina Samardzija temporarily suspended the council meeting midway through when over 150 protestors began chanting phrases like shame on you. A smaller group of about 30 supporters for the drag storytime was also present.

Police were also called in to maintain order.

Community Members Want Answers, Says Livestreamer

Livestreamer Rukshan Fernando was at the event and said the meeting was run according to its agenda and that locals were expressing their frustration or dissatisfaction.

It was more reactionary, he told The Epoch Times. The interruptions really began when the issue of the drag show came up, and the council gave its [pre-prepared] answer and wanted to move forward to the next topic.

I interpreted it as people werent satisfied with that answer, he said.

Fernando added that the councillors might have been surprised by the sheer volume of community members that attended but said there were legitimate questions about why a local council was getting involved in high-level political issues.

Some of their answers seem inadequate, like what is the premise of a council using ratepayers money to do these types of programmes? he added.

I feel it is councillors and their own personal agendas, views, and ideologies getting mixed into this stuff, he said. Theyre kind of playing on the very edges of what is societally acceptable now, and they might become more acceptable in future.

Let Kids Be Kids, Says Senator

Victorian Senator Ralph Babet was more direct in his assessment.

How can the council justify using the scarce resources of hardworking ratepayers for this event? he wrote on Facebook.

It is a sad reflection on our times that councillors cannot see the terrible havoc that these workshops can potentially inflict on impressionable young children, he added.

Babet also said that if the council was true to its word on diversity and equality, it should allow the senator to organise a conservative story time on its premises.

Another Melbourne-based council, the Boroondara City Council, was forced to cancel a similar event after claiming it received threats, The Age reports.

Similar events have been held in the UK and U.S., with New York City public venues hosting such events since 2017, sparking backlash from the community.

Fernanda, a drag performer who lives in Phoenix, reads passages from Sparkle Boy, a childrens book about a boy curious about his sisters sparkly clothing, during Drag Queen Story Hour at Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix on April 23. The event was part of the colleges Festival of Tales to promote youth literacy. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

In December, New York City police officers were forced to intervene when a protest turned into a riot between opposing sides outside a library in Jackson Heights in the borough of Queens, where a drag queen story reading was being held.

Some Republican-led states have banned the events altogether.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has moved to revoke the Hyatt Regency Miamis liquor license for exposing children to sexually explicit content during a Christmas-themed drag show at the end of 2022.

Bryan Jung contributed to this report.
Mervyn Kings Proposal for Preventing Bank Runs Deserves Another Hearing

Commentary

March was a bad month for the DoddFrank Act. We now know that DoddFrank, enacted in the wake of the 20072008 banking crisis, doesnt prevent bank runs. Neither do post2008 arrangements tell depositors whether large deposits are safe or should be withdrawn with a swipe on a smartphone. This time, uninsured deposits were bailed out.

However, in testimony to the Senate Finance Committee, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen couldnt say what would happen to uninsured deposits at other regional banks, telling U.S. Sen. James Langford (R-Okla.) that whether they were bailed out would depend on what federal regulators decided. Instead of clarity and predictability, we have subjectivity and confusion. In short, DoddFrank and the post-2008 framework failed.

This would come as no surprise to Lord Mervyn King, who, as governor of the Bank of England, piloted that institution through the financial crisis. In a lecture at New York Universitys Stern School of Business in 2016, King was critical of his U.S. colleagues approach of throwing vast amounts of liquidity at the financial system but then not taking steps to address the root causes of bank runs.

Instead, the approach still relies on an outdated 19th-century doctrine of central banks acting as lender of last resort (LOLR), which assumes that banks have a plentiful supply of high-quality collateral against which central banks can safely provide liquidity. As King saw first-hand, in the heat of a banking crisis, its impossible to estimate the value of bank collateral or to tell whether a bank is solvent.

The crux of the problem is the two-sided nature of bank deposits: to depositors, theyre a means of storing and transferring money, i.e., using banking services. To banks, deposits are a source of capital to enable them to advance loans and make investments. This involves a mismatch between deposits that can be withdrawn at any time and loans that are of longer duration (maturity transformation).

The benefit is that banks can finance business investment and home purchases. The downside of the maturity mismatch is banks vulnerability to bank runs. This is exacerbated by moral hazard. Banks can earn higher returns on risky and less liquid assets than on low-risk, liquid onesthe opposite of what is critical during a financial panic.

Rather than wait until the next banking crisis and then define the terms on which central banks provide liquidity, King argues that LOLR terms should be predefined.

Just as motorists are compelled to take out third-party car insurance to protect other road-users, so banks should be made to take out a certain amount of liquidity insurance in normal times so that they can access central bank provision of their liquidity needs in times of crisis, he says. Banks would be required to take out liquidity insurance such that their liquid assets exceed deposits and other short-term liabilities.

In return for guaranteed provision of central bank liquidity, banks would have to pre-assign enough collateral with the Federal Reserve to cover their liquidity requirements.

The value of the collateral would be reduced by a haircut reflecting the riskiness of the loans and other investments. In return, the Fed would provide a contingent credit line against the value of collateral for a fixed term lasting several years. Banks with more conservative loan portfolios would see less severe haircuts on their collateral than banks with more risky portfolios, which would mean they would have to finance themselves with higher proportions of equity and other forms of long-term, committed capital. The haircut thus represents the premium for liquidity cover.

King calls his proposal Pawnbroker for All Seasons (PFAS). Supplemented with a simple leverage-ratio requirement, PFAS would replace almost all existing prudential and liquidity regulation, a reform that would see a highly complex system of bank regulation that doesnt work replaced with a straightforward, elegant solutionone that addresses the time inconsistency of bank deposits and the bank assets they finance by pre-defining the terms on which banks can pay depositors at any time, thanks to their guaranteed access to central bank liquidity.

After the demise of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, Yellen declared the banking system to be in good health. Such remarks cant obscure the reality that the threat of recurrent bank runs remains an ever-present feature of current arrangements. Kings PFAS proposal suggests that it doesnt have to be this way.

Mervyn Kings NYU Stern-TCH Gallatin Lecture Rethinking Crisis Liquidity Provision can be read here.

From RealClearWire

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
New York Moving to Ban Gas Hookups in New Homes

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul gives a speech on the Hudson River tunnel project at the West Side Yard in New York on Jan. 31, 2023. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Democratic majority in the states legislature have reached an agreement on a new budget deal that would, among other things, phase out gas hookups in new homes.

Hochul announced on Thursday evening that she had reached a tentative agreement with Democratic House Speaker Carl Heastie and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins on the states budget for fiscal year 2024. The budget bill is currently valued at $229 billion.

During a Thursday press conference, Hochul highlighted several aspects of the tentative deal, including a provision to phase out natural gas hookups in new homes.

Everyone knows weve seen the effects of climate changethe storms, the Hurricanes coming to New York, record snow amountswere seeing the effects every single day, not just here, but across the nation. Our budget prioritizes nation-leading climate action that meets this moment with ambition and the commitment it demands.

Hochul then said, Were going to be the first state in the nation to advance zero-emission new homes and buildings beginning in 2025 for small buildings, 2028 for large buildings.

This zero-emissions standard for homes and buildings entails phasing out a variety of fossil fuel-based utility equipment and home appliances, impacting gas stoves, oil or gas-powered plumbing, heating, lighting, insulation, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration equipment, as well as elevators and escalators that run on fossil fuel.

Hochul began endorsing a phaseout of fossil fuel equipment in January, and lawmakers have indicated the phaseout would be implemented through language added to the state budget.

Whats In The Bill

As the budget agreement is still tentative, Hochul and leaders in the state legislature have yet to publish the actual language for the fossil fuel equipment phaseout and the various other aspects of the state budget omnibus.

Without the full details of the tentative legislative agreement, a coalition of environmental groups called GasFreeNY expressed caution that the final language could include a poison pill provision that would give local governments or other entities some ability to circumvent the phaseout of fossil fuel equipment.

Its long past time to stop building new buildings that burn fossil fuels for heat and hot water. Building all-electric will save New Yorkers money on energy bills, reduce climate-heating pollution, create jobs in clean energy, and reduce childhood asthma, a win-win for New Yorkers. It is also politically popular, with New Yorkers overwhelmingly in support, GasFreeNY said in a statement Thursday evening. On the verge of a final agreement setting historic action into place, Governor Hochul and the Legislature must not snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by including the gas industrys poison pill provision that could kneecap the law from the start.

Katy Zielinski, a spokeswoman for Hochuls office, has said the final budget agreement will not include the poison pills the GasFreeNY coalition had warned about.

The new law will not have any loopholes that will undermine the intent of this measure, Zielinski told The New York Times on Friday. There will not be any option for municipalities to opt out.

NTD News reached out to Hochuls office for additional details about the tentative budget agreement. Her office did not respond by the time this article was published.

Critics Say Fossil Fuel Phaseout Unaffordable, Unconstitutional

While proponents of the fossil fuel phaseout see it as a way to address climate change and pollution by reducing carbon emissions, critics have raised concerns that the plan will be unaffordable.

The Republican minority in the New York state Senate issued a statement last week urging Hochul to avoid implementing measures phasing out fossil fuel equipment in new buildings and other proposals to phase out fossil fuel equipment in existing buildings by 2035.

Instead of trying to push an unconstitutional one size fits all fossil fuel ban in our states budget, we request that you instead advocate for affordable solutions in pursuing a cleaner energy future, such as independent cost studies and full transparency; support diverse energy sources; keep needed power supply online to ensure reliability of our grid; and oppose unaffordable mandates on consumers, the Republican minority statement read.

The Republican minority also argued that a recent court case indicates state and local efforts to ban gas stove hookups would be preempted by existing federal law.

In an April 17 decision, a three-judge panel on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the California Restaurant Association in a lawsuit against the city of Berkeley, California over their ban on new natural gas piping in new buildings. The judges determined the U.S. Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 supersedes Berkeleys city-level policy on gas piping.

From NTD News
Nigerian Army Charged With Complicity After Brutal Attack Near Jos

Despite forewarning, soldiers arrive after terrorists have gone

Human rights attorney Solomon Dalyop in Jos taunts soldiers: "Is the military here to protect us or to assist the terrorists who are attacking us? (Photo by Masara Kim)

Thousands of Nigerians rallied near Jos, capital of Nigerias Plateau State, on April 26, in the biggest protest yet against what citizens called complicity with terrorists.

Protesters tell The Epoch Times that, despite multiple advance warnings, battalions of soldiers stationed nearby have failed to defend them from terrorist attacks. The 12-hour protest, the second of its kind in two years, was sparked by the murder the previous day of six unarmed young men working at a tin-mining camp at Turu, 8 miles south of Jos.

Human rights groups have called the one-sided conflict between terrorists of Nigerians Fulani tribe and the tribes farming Nigerias Middle Belt a silent slaughter.

Critics of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari have faulted him for allowing tens of thousands of armed militia from his own Fulani ethnicity to murder and pillage across a vast area in order to replace small-plot farmers with migrating Fulani herders.

Traitors go home! hundreds of protesters shout in Jos South, Nigeria, on April 26, 2023. (Photo by Masara Kim)

A text message warning all residents south of Jos to expect an attack by radicalized terrorist militia had leaked from a secret intelligence network and was passed on to the military hours prior to the attack, but with no noticeable response. The frequent loss of life compelled more than 5,000 women and young people to march on a major highway in the southwestern outskirts of Jos on 26 April.

Traitors, the protesters shouted as they burned tires and waved tree branches. We dont need you.

Call for Changing US Stance Toward Nigeria

A military spokesman told The Epoch Times that logistical problems were to blame for the failure to respond to threats.

In Washington, Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) advanced a House Resolution on Jan. 31, calling on the U.S. State Department to restore Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, in its ranking, which implies that the nation allows serious human-rights abuses.

On April 26, even as heart-broken Nigerian mothers railed against the Nigerian army trucks in Jos, Smiths staffers met with a broad range of Nigerian diaspora huddling on Capitol Hill to lobby their congressmen to co-sponsor a House Resolution (HR 82) that may galvanize broad support for pressuring the Nigerian government to enforce its own laws.

More than 10,000 civilians have been killed by terrorists despite the fact that Nigerian authorities purchased 12 Super Tucano fighter jets from the United States in 2021 to combat terrorism, according to the crime-tracking nonprofit called Intersociety. At least 6 percent of the killings have occurred in Plateau State, Intersociety reports.

The U.S. Mission in Abuja blames the loss of life on communal clashes between farmers and herders, despite ample refutations by the International Committee on Nigeria as well as multiple reports in The Epoch Times. As reported by The Epoch Times, Plateau State hosts a 2,000-man army base in Jos, as well as a joint military task force operating all over the state that has failed to answer dozens of cries for help during midnight attacks within their operating areas.

Citizens in the Streets Force Tanks to Retreat

Outraged residents of Turu, also known as Farin Lamba, a community of 2,500 in the Jos South County, gathered on 26 April to demand that soldiers leave the area.

If the military cannot guarantee our safety, then why do we need them around? said human rights lawyer Solomon Dalyop, who was leading the protest.

The military has demonstrated bias, negligence and criminal omission.

Citizens in Jos South, Nigeria, force police vehicle to pull back during a protest on April 26, 2023. (Photo by Masara Kim)

An alert will be circulated two hours before an incident, but you will not see any military vehicle until several hours after an attack has occurred, Dalyop told The Epoch Times. And in most cases, they end up arresting our people who are the victims.

We therefore ask, is the military here to protect us or assist the Fulani terrorists who are attacking us?

The Fulani ethnicity, with up to 10 million members in Nigeria, counts among its numbers educated elites as well as fierce Islamist terrorists who have been linked to thousands of genocidal massacres in the nations so-called Middle Belt. Islamic extremists who identify as members of the group have claimed three times as many victims as the Boko Haram insurgency, according to Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust, an international monitoring group in the United Kingdom.

The protest followed allegations that on April 25, despite several advance warnings, the military left residents in Turu vulnerable to attacks. Six prospectors working at a tin mining site bore the brunt of an attack that was intended for the 6,000 residents of Turu and its adjoining villages, according to Dachung Musa Bagos, a member of the Nigerian House of Representatives.

Only Civilian Guards Defend Isolated Villages

A gang of 50 terrorists armed with assault rifles opened fire just after dark at 12 prospectors at a tin mining site in the outskirts of Turu, killing half of them, witnesses told The Epoch Times.

The attackers bumped into the miners as they waded toward the town through a nearby stream, said Joel Peter, a witness. They appeared suddenly and started shooting, Peter told The Epoch Times.

I escaped carrying my injured friend on my back.

Two hours prior to the incident, The Epoch Times obtained a confidential text indicating that terrorists were planning to attack Turu and six other surrounding villages, and shared the text message with police and military officials in Jos. Yet, only a group of 10 civilian volunteer guards carrying single-shot rifles attempted to respond during the incident, according to their leader, Mwanta Dachung.

The outnumbered and outgunned fighters fired their rifles from a safe distance to cause attackers to pull back before closing in to search for survivors at the site, Dachung told The Epoch Times.

Civilian guards armed with single-shot rifles respond to an attack in Plateau State, Nigeria, in 2021. (Photo by Masara Kim)

Soldiers at a battalion-size military base two miles away did not arrive on the scene until 8 a.m. the following day, when protests had begun, Dachung said. The militarys convoy of three pickup trucks and one gun truck was forced to retreat by angry protesters, who banged on their doors and threatened to set the vehicles on fire.

It was the latest in a series of incidents in the area where the military stood by and watched residents get killed, said Fom Gwottson, a member of Plateaus State legislature.

The response of the military has never been prompt, he told The Epoch Times.

Everyone knew an attack was going to happen but there was no one to protect my people, said Gwottson, who represents Jos South County at the State Legislative House.

Spokesman of the military task force in Plateau State, Captain Oya James told The Epoch Times that logistical problems hindered the swift arrival of troops to the scene.

Sometimes it is hard to admit, but we have to look for fuel and other logistics before we can mobilize to the scene of an incident, said James in a telephone interview.

The military is over-stretched, and we cannot station our men in every community, he said, acknowledging an advance warning shared by The Epoch Times.

That text message you sent listed about 10 villages [under threat of attack] and we cannot withdraw soldiers from other locations to post to those places. That would be leaving them vulnerable to attacks as well. The attackers have informants who notify them when we are leaving one point to another.

The Plateau massacre is part of a pattern of such assaults. Just 11 days earlier, on April 14, a group of organized attackers shouting in the Fulani language massacred 33 villagers 100 miles away in Kaduna State, under the watchful eyes of the military.

The Nigerian Army base in the Zangon Kataf County received advance notice of an attack in Runji, a farm town located 50 miles south of the State capital Kaduna, but did nothing to protect the 1,000 civilian residents. The result was devastating33 people were killed, and 30 houses were razed to the ground, according to media reports.

Minutes before the attack at 9 p.m. local time, military officials who reportedly had been forewarned since noontime, made phone calls to town leaders in Runji and advised them to brace for attacks within minutes, said one resident, speaking to The Epoch Times on background.

Despite being located 1.5 miles away, the troops arrived several minutes after the attack had started, said the resident. The soldiers had three gun trucks and an armored personnel carrier, but held their rifles beside their vehicles without firing a shot to repel the attackers, the resident said.

The attacks have prompted Dame Caroline Cox, a member of the UK House of Lords, to call for action.

The international community should be putting pressure on the Government to fulfil its obligation to protect its own people, wrote Cox in an email to The Epoch Times. But, as I write, the world is just standing by, watching as the violence continues and the suffering escalates.
North Carolina Bill Barring Adversarial Regimes From Buying Land Passes State House

Farmer Lucas Richard of LFR Grain harvests a crop of soybeans at a farm in Hickory, N.C., on Nov. 29, 2018. (Charles Mostoller/Reuters)

The North Carolina House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill on Wednesday prohibiting state-owned companies and hostile foreign nations like China from purchasing farms or any other land near a military installation.

The 114-0 vote came amid mounting concern over national security after the Chinese spy balloon recently flew over the states military bases before being taken down off the South Carolina coast.

The measure, which will be headed to the state Senate, stipulates that an adversarial foreign government, as defined by the U.S. Secretary of State, would be prohibited, starting in 2024, from purchasing, leasing, or holding an interest in land used for agricultural production purposes or land located within a 25-mile radius of an installation. Such a transfer of land would be void.

The legislation targets any nation labeled as having engaged in a long-term pattern or serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the United States or security and safety of United States persons.

Nations currently meeting that criteria include China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba.

With the move, North Carolina has joined at least four other states that have enacted restrictions to ban Chinese investments in U.S. farmland, including Arkansas, Idaho, Utah, and Virginia. Montana and North Dakota have passed restrictions in the legislature, but the proposals have yet to be enacted, according to the National Agricultural Law Center.

Mitigate Threats to National and Food Security

This legislation will mitigate an unnecessary threat to our national and food security, House Majority Leader John Bell, a Wayne County Republican, said in a news release after the vote.

Meanwhile, co-sponsor of the bill, Republican state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom, called the measure a tool in the toolbox for North Carolina to protect farmland.

These concerns are shared by Gatestone Institute senior fellow and China expert Gordon Chang, who said that we definitely need to be worried about Chinese investment into our agricultural sector.

He singled out the report on Chinas shipping invasive, mysterious, unsolicited packages of seeds to Americans in 2020.

Now, if the Chinese were to own more and more agriculture, they could very well plant those seeds and actually blight Americas food production, Chang said in an April 19 interview on FOX Business Mornings With Maria.

We have seen some very disturbing actions by Chinese parties, especially in states like Oklahoma, where there are allegations that the Chinese are using their land for the base of human trafficking operations, illegal drug cultivation, he added.

Concern About Smithfield Foods

The recent legislative move targeting Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland renews concerns about China-owned Smithfield Foods, Inc., the largest pork producer in the United States.

The company was acquired 10 years ago by a Hong Kong-based company now known as WH Group. Miles Yu, a former adviser to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, raised concern that this ownership means Smithfield is subject to the Chinese Communist Partys demands, Fox News reported.

Its a law. So by law, every company that is within the Chinese sovereign domain must comply with the Chinese Communist Partys demand, Yu, also the director of the China Center at Hudson Institute, said.

Yu also sounded an alarm about the fact that the 10-year-old acquisition deal was financed by the nations government-backed bank, the Bank of China.

That means Bank of China owns you, said Yu. If you have that your financial backer is a Chinese official government institution, and then Chinese government exerts essential control.

However, the groups executives dismissed Yus remarks, saying that the Chinese regime exerts no influence or control over its American pork production.

Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, with branches in 29 states, including North Carolina, the 87-year-old company offers jobs to 40,000 workers in the United States, owns 500 farms, and works with more than 2,100 local hog farmers.

Smithfield Foods Vice President of Corporate Affairs Jim Monroe said that the exports contribute significantly to farmer prosperity, accounting for 30 percent of its pork production globally.

Smithfield claims that because it is controlled by the China-based WH Group and not the Chinese regime, the company will not be subjected to North Carolinas proposed ban on foreign investment in agricultural land.

Balkcom echoed WH Groups statement: I think theyve been a good group for us. So thats why this legislation isnt going to hurt them, and we didnt want to do that when we were looking at it.
North Dakota Adopts Bill Letting Teachers Ignore Students Preferred Pronouns

An activist holds pins about gender pronouns on the University of Wyoming campus in Laramie, Wyoming, on Aug. 13, 2022. (Patrick Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

State lawmakers in North Dakota have passed a bill that would allow a range of government employeesincluding public school teachersto ignore the preferred pronouns of transgender students or work colleagues.

The bill (pdf), which cleared the state Senate on Thursday on a 406 vote, now heads to Republican Gov. Doug Burgums desk for consideration. The measure passed with a veto-proof majority so, technically, it doesnt need Burgums approval to become law.

The measure prohibits public school teachers from referring to transgender students by pronouns other than those reflecting their biological sex unless they have permission to do so from the students parents and a school administrator.

It also forbids government entities from forcing employees to refer to their colleagues by pronouns that are inconsistent with their biological sex.

Republican Rep. Karen Rohr, who backs the bill, said it includes language that Burgum has said, he would have no objections to signing.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (C) at a meeting in Washington, on Feb. 10, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

However, Burgum did veto a similar bill in March that would have prohibited public school teachers from referring to transgender students by pronouns inconsistent with their biological sex unless the students parents and a school administrator approve.

At the time, Burgum said in a letter to state Senate leaders that he thought the legislation would have made teachers jobs more challenging by requiring them to police pronoun use.

The teaching profession is challenging enough without the heavy hand of state government forcing teachers to take on the role of pronoun police, Burgum said in a letter to state Senate leaders. Parents, teachers, and administrators using compassion, empathy, and common sense can address individual and infrequent situations that may arise.

North Dakota legislators failed to override Burgums veto of that version of the bill, so it didnt become law.

It is unclear whether Burgum intends to sign the current version of the legislation. A spokesperson from his office told The Epoch Times that Burgum does not comment on bills before they reach his desk.

However, because the measure passed with a veto-proof majority, even if the governor were to veto it, state lawmakers could override it and it would then become law.

The bill would also become law if it remains on Burgums desk without a signature for three days.

Other Measures

Burgum has signed several bills into law this month restricting transgender rights, including one that protects the rights of individuals who object to transgender people using their spaces, such as bathrooms.

The governor on Thursday signed a bill prohibiting transgender people in North Dakota from using bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers in places like college dorms and jails that dont match their biological sex.

Republican Rep. Jeff Hoverson, who supported the bill, said Wednesday that the idea of bathrooms being restricted to people of a given sex should be a no-brainer.

Why would you not want a mens bathroom to be for men, and a womens bathroom to be for women? he said Wednesday.

With the measure becoming law, North Dakota has joined Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Tennessee as the eighth state to have laws requiring people to use bathrooms corresponding to their sex.

A trans rights activist wears an earring featuring a they pronoun symbol, during a protest in London, England, on Jan. 17, 2023. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Last week, Burgum signed a bill that makes it a crime to perform gender transition procedures on people younger than 18.

That measure also received veto-proof support from state lawmakers.

Earlier this month, Burgum signed a transgender athlete ban into law after it cleared the state House and Senate with veto-proof majorities.

However, back in 2021, Burgum vetoed a bill that would have imposed a transgender athlete ban that was not passed with a veto-proof majority.

Republican lawmakers across the country have moved to restrict gender transition procedures for minors.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This photo taken on April 15, 2023 shows the booths of Turkish exhibitors at the 133rd session of China Import and Export Fair, also known as Canton Fair, in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

The China Import and Export Fair provides a platform for foreign companies and global traders to communicate in person, a Turkish exhibitor said when talking about the opportunities provided by the face-to-face version of the fair.

This year's fair resumed all on-site activities in Guangzhou, attracting a record number of participating companies and hundreds of thousands of purchasers from over 220 countries and regions.

ISTANBUL, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The area sales manager of Turkish company Fanset did not expect to see so many Turkish products at a Chinese trade fair held on-site for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Various vacuum cleaners, new built-in microwave ovens, hot-selling hand mixers, and many others are on display at the 133rd China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou, attracting buyers from China and abroad.

Made-in-Turkiye products are popular at the fair being held from April 15 through May 5. Nearly 90 Turkish companies, mainly from textile, food and other industries, are participating.

Fanset, a small Turkish home appliance company, joined the list of import exhibitors in 2008 and has been attending the fair since then.

Canton Fair provides a platform for foreign companies and global traders to communicate in person, Fanset's Area Sales Manager Islam Elabd told Xinhua about the opportunities provided by the face-to-face version of the fair. "I am very grateful to China for sharing this valuable market opportunity with other countries."

Elabd noted that his company's products are exported to more than 60 countries, focusing more on the markets in the African continent and the Middle East. Every time it participates in the fair, the company comfortably connects to target markets.

However, COVID-19 has taken a toll on Fanset's business as the Canton Fair started to be held online in line with the prevention measures. That makes this year's reboot a fresh start for the company.

"For us, this is a good opportunity to receive customers from all over the world. For example, companies from Africa and the Middle East look forward to meeting us. They have sent us many emails expressing their plan to sign orders and maintain trade relations," he said.

The Turkish company showcased over 60 products, including vacuum cleaners, coffee machines and teapots. "The venue is very lively. Buyers from many countries come to our booth every day. For us, this is like a grand event to do business again," Elabd remarked.

This photo taken on April 15, 2023 shows the booth of a Turkish exhibitor at the 133rd session of China Import and Export Fair, also known as Canton Fair, in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

Like Fanset, Ferre, one of Turkiye's largest kitchen appliance manufacturers, is not new to the fair. It has participated in about 27-28 Canton Fairs in total, and its exhibition area this time is 200 square meters, setting a record high.

According to Emir Bilal Muhammed, the regional export manager with Ferre, the company is actively operating in Turkiye. Currently, it has eight factories -- one in Istanbul and the other seven in the central province of Kayseri -- and its products are exported to 141 countries and regions around the world.

"Our main markets are Angola, Nigeria, Algeria and Russia. Although the products exhibited do not focus on the Chinese market, the strong influence of the Canton Fair around the world is of great help for product promotion," Muhammed said. In the previous offline Canton Fair, they met an average of 150 buyers from all over the world.

Meanwhile, another Turkish company Hausberg made its debut at the Canton Fair.

Hausberg's booth displayed 21 types of household appliances, including mixers and hand blenders. Sevdenur Ozdemir, the company's customer representative, was busy responding to inquiries from buyers from various countries.

In just two days, she met more than 50 buyers. "This result is in line with our expectations," Ozdemir said.

Her goal in participating in this fair is to explore the European and Chinese markets. "For me, the Canton Fair has great potential, so I will continue to participate in the next Canton Fair to tap more potential and opportunities," she said.

People visit the 133rd session of China Import and Export Fair, also known as Canton Fair, in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, April 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

Launched in 1957 and held twice yearly, the fair is considered a major gauge of China's foreign trade.

This year's fair resumed all on-site activities in Guangzhou, attracting a record number of participating companies and hundreds of thousands of purchasers from over 220 countries and regions.
The U.S. House of Representatives has subpoenaed several top Biden administration officials, including the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over the administrations coordination with Big Tech to censor users. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, sent the subpoenas on April 28 to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly, and James Rubin, an official at the State Departments Global Engagement Center (GEC).

Over 100 Harvard professors joined to form a new council dedicated to free speech rights. The council is pushing back on what some call a crisis, involving disciplinary actions and punishment against targeted speech.

Florida lawmakers gave final passage to a measure that clears a path for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president without resigning from his current job. The provision, which was anticipated, would tweak a Florida lawknown as resign to runthat currently requires candidates in the state seeking higher office to give up their elected post once they qualify for the ballot. The legislation approved Friday exempts any person seeking the office of President or Vice President of the United States from the resign-to-run law.

Russia hurled missiles at cities across Ukraine as people slept on Friday, killing at least 25 civilians in the first large-scale air strikes in nearly two months.
More Than 1 Million Secret FBI Searches Made in Error: Watchdog

More than 1 million secret searches of Americans conducted by the FBI were made erroneously, a watchdog testified to Congress on April 27.

About 30 percent of the approximately 3.4 million searches were done in error, Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz testified.

Its obviously very concerning that theres that volume of searches, Horowitz told a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee, noting that he was particularly concerned with the high error rate.

The searches in question were conducted by FBI personnel with authority under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The law enables U.S. authorities to gather information on U.S. citizens suspected of being involved with possible spies or terrorists.

Some 3.39 million searches were conducted by the FBI in 2021, U.S. intelligence officials said. That was up from just 1.2 million in 2020.

An FBI spokesperson disputed that searches were done in error, pointing to a previous report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

As the 2021 ODNI Annual Statistical Transparency Report explained, in 2021, FBI conducted 3,394,053 U.S. person queries, and approximately 1.9 million of those queries pertained to one investigation involving foreign actors attempting to compromise U.S. critical infrastructure, the spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email. The queries were not in error; rather, they were compliant with the query standard and were designed to identify victims of this potential compromise.

Sharon Bradford Franklin, chair of the U.S. Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, told members that Congress should pass new legislation imposing greater safeguards into the system to protect Americans. That should include requiring probable cause or court review for each query of an American, she said.

Congress certainly has the authority to do that. And I think thats one of the key issues for this committee in the Congress to consider, Horowitz said. However, adding new requirements could increase the FBIs workload, he said.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) indicated support for adding new requirements.

The solution is simple, right? Require probable cause if youre going to query this database on American citizens, he said.

Jordan also mentioned the possibility of revoking the FBIs access to the database entirely.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) also said the system needs to be updated to better protect Americans communications.

Beth Williams, a member of the U.S. Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, told members that if the FBI were taken out of the picture, another agency would need to fill the void.

The question is, if the FBI is not doing these searches to figure out who in the U.S. is talking to terrorists abroad, who is going to do it? Williams said.

Revoking FBI access runs the risk of making the CIA or National Security Agency, which look outward, look inward on Americans, she said.

The FBIs work under FISA came under renewed scrutiny after personnel surveilled a U.S. citizen who worked for then-presidential candidate Donald Trumps campaign. Serious errors were committed in the surveillance requests, Horowitzs office found.

An investigation of a sampling of queries that followed found that none were carried out properly.

FBI officials have previously vowed to cut down on problems and urged members to continue reauthorizing FISA.

The hearing came as members consider reforms to the act, which is set to expire at the end of the year if theres no congressional action.

Editors Note: This story has been updated with a comment from the FBI.
Paris Hilton, Lawmakers Introduce New Bill Aimed at Stopping Institutional Child Abuse

Paris Hilton speaks to the Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Standing Committee at the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City on Feb. 8, 2021. (Rick Bowmer/AP Photo)

TV personality Paris Hilton joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers and abuse survivors on Capitol Hill on April 27 to introduce a new bill aimed at preventing the abuse of children in institutional care.

Hilton joined Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), as well as Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), in introducing the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act.

Speaking at the Capitol, Hilton cited her own alleged experience of physical and mental abuse at troubled teen facilities when she was younger, adding that the new legislation was only possible because lawmakers on both sides of the aisle had chosen to listen to abuse survivors.

This issue is deeply personal for me, Hilton said. From the ages of 16 to 18, I was sent to four troubled teen industry facilities, each one more horrific than the last. I witnessed and experienced sexual abuse from adult staff as well as endured verbal and emotional abuse daily. I was yelled at, dehumanized, silenced, and stripped of any semblance of privacy.

When I attempted to tell my parents about the abuse on the phone, staff would stop and immediately hang up the phone and punish me. On top of this, you had no access to the outside doors, no sunlight, no fresh air, she continued. These were considered privileges. What I went through will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Hilton went on to allege that she had been medically sedated, forcibly restrained, and watched by male members of staff as she showered, and that her parents were completely oblivious to the abuse she was being subjected to at various facilities.

One of many issues with these programs is that parents sign away all their rights and know nothing about what is going on. My family was lied to and manipulated just like so many other families, she added.

Bill Details

Hilton alleged in a 2020 documentary titled This Is Paris that she had been the victim of emotional and physical abuse as a teenager while attending a boarding school in Utah.

She later testified at a state Senate committee hearing at the Utah Capitol, telling lawmakers that she was mentally and physically abused on a daily basis at Provo Canyon School for 11 months at age 17.

In a statement (pdf), the school said that it was sold by its previous owner in August 2000. We therefore cannot comment on the operations or student experience prior to that time, the statement adds.

According to a press release from Merkleys office, the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act is aimed at bolstering oversight and data transparency for institutional youth treatment programs across the United States and would implement urgent recommendations to allow for increased data sharing among states while promoting best practices for identifying and ending institutional child abuse.

It would also establish a Federal Work Group on Youth Residential Programs to collect data and conduct research on federal youth programs.

Additionally, the bill would direct the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study on the use of restraints, seclusion, and other restrictive interventions in youth residential programs.

Our Children Deserve Better

The legislation is supported by an array of experts, advocates, and organizations representing survivors of institutional abuse in youth residential programs, according to officials.

Speaking at Thursdays press conference at the Capitol, Merkley credited Hilton for being the driving national force behind the effort to prevent the abuse of minors in institutional care.

No matter who they are, or their individual circumstances, children deserve to be treated with love, with compassion, with care and understanding, he said. But when it comes to institutional care, we discover that too often, without oversight, love, and compassion are in short supply.

The senator went on to explain that roughly $23 billion a year in public funds go toward financing residential institutions for children and around 60,000 minors are in such care settings, with virtually no oversight whatsoever.

Merkley pointed to a string of recent investigations that have uncovered abuse at multiple facilities throughout the United States such as sexual abuse, forced isolation, and failure to provide adequate medical care or evidence-based treatment.

While he and other lawmakers stressed that not all children in such facilities are subjected to abuse, many cases simply go unheard.

This is not acceptable, our children deserve better, he added.

Merkley stated that lawmakers will be back at the Capitol in 2024 to discuss the next steps for the legislation after gathering more information on how oversight at childrens institutional care facilities should be established.
Parole Board Imposes Strict Conditions on Release of Canadian Terrorism Convict to Protect Society

The Parole Board of Canada has imposed strict conditions on the statutory release of Mohamed Hersi, the first person in Canada to be tried for attempting to leave the country to join a terrorist activity abroad, citing the need to protect society.

Hersi, 37, is being released after serving more than nine years and seven months in prison, after he was convicted of participating in the activities of a terrorist group and counselling another person to do the same. He was arrested at a Toronto airport in 2011 as he was about to travel to Egypt and later join the Al-Shabaab, a jihadist militant group in Somalia.

A Parole Board decision, dated April 19, imposed a number of special conditions on Hersis statutory release, including that he must stay in a designated residency, adhere to internet restrictions, and have limited use of mobile communication. Hes also not allowed to contact certain individuals and is required to participate in a treatment plan.

The Board is of the opinion that your release plan as currently formulated is insufficient to manage the risk you pose to the community, and that you would not be risk-manageable in the context of any other kind of release at this time, the decision said.

Hersi was previously given statutory release with a residency condition in December 2020, but it was revoked within a year after he made repeated threats toward the staff member of a community residential facility where he stayed. He was also found to possess two cellphones, in breach of his telecommunication restrictions at that time. His initial statutory release was revoked in November 2021.

During his time in prison, Hersi amassed 20 incidents that included two counts of assaulting an inmate, contraband, and security threats, among others, according to the Parole Board. After his return to custody from his initial statutory release, he continued to be involved in two security incidents, including being inappropriate with his female parole officer.

Background and Behaviour

According to the Parole Board decision, Hersi fled with his family from Somalia to avoid a civil war. He and his mother travelled to the United States while his father and two sisters escaped to Saudi Arabia. Hersi and his mother later moved to Canada, where he obtained refugee status and eventually citizenship in 2000.

After graduating university, he took up a job at a security company. The decision, citing file information, said Hersi grew bored at his job and eventually quit work to carry out his plans to join the terrorist organization. He first caught police attention after a USB key was found in his work uniform containing anarchist material. Hersi also reportedly tried to convince an undercover police officer, who approached and met with him several times between October 2010 and March 2011, to join a terrorist group.

The Parole Board said Hersis wide range of problematic behaviours, aspiration to not just join the terrorist organization, but to achieve a leadership position, along with the commitment he had shown in carrying out his plan to fight in a holy war and return to Canada to serve it, together demonstrated the heightened risk he poses, and contributed to the decision to impose strict conditions on his statutory release.

In essence, you have entertained terrorist ideology, denied culpability, shown poor institutional behaviour, have been non-compliant on conditional release, and have been aggressive, threatening and inappropriate towards supervisors. Altogether, then, your behaviours reflect a violent propensity and present a serious level of risk to re-offend, and that ought to be carefully managed to protect society, the decision said in conclusion.

Following his release, Hersi is required to live with his mother. The decision said he has expressed interest in returning to school.
STAMFORD, Conn.Kiran Shankar, the president of RD Go Creative, attended Shen Yuns evening performance at The Palace Theatre on April 27. He felt a deep connection with the experience.

The show was entertaining and engaging! It was spectacular in terms of the costumes, the picturesthe whole thing. Its just very well put together, he said.

It was definitely an education. [The shows] got a good dose of history, a good dose of cultureit gives you a peek into the box. Im sure people are coming out more informed and better educated.

Based in New York, Shen Yun is the worlds premier classical Chinese dance and music company. It was founded in 2006 by a group of leading Chinese artists who had fled the persecution of the communist party.

Following the 1949 communist takeover, traditional Chinese culture went through a period of mass destruction.

Since Shen Yuns establishment, the New York-based artists have made it their mission to revive Chinas 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture.

Referring to the artists commitment to bringing back traditional culture, Mr. Shankar said, Its a noble mission.

Communism is submerging all of the rich history and culture of [China]that is unfortunate. I think its good education for the new generation and for people like me whos never been to China, he expressed.

It transported me to this world of ancient culture and all the years down the line to [the present.] This is more than just performing artsits a noble mission. I salute them!

He was also astounded by the skill of Shen Yun dancers.

The performershats off to themthey were exceptional! It was more than acrobatics, more than gymnasticsit was classical dance. Im sure a lot of hard work has gone into the performance. It was an evening very well spent.

According to Shen Yuns website, the classical Chinese dance we see in China today is heavily mixed with military and modern dance styles.

Only at Shen Yun can you find it performed in its purest formthe way it was originally passed down through the generations.

It inspires youShen Yun inspires you with this common language of the performing arts. [The more] we are all the same, the more different we look. In this world today where everything is polarized, I think its a must-needed message, Mr. Shankar said.

Reporting by Sally Lin and Jennifer Tseng.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Philippines Says Over 100 Chinese Militia Vessels Spotted Within Territorial Waters

A Chinese coast guard vessel almost collided with a Philippine coast guard ship in the South China Sea on April 23

A Chinese Coast Guard ship with bow number 5201 blocks Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Malapascua as it maneuvers to enter the mouth of the Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, in the South China Sea on April 23, 2023. (Aaron Favila/AP Photo)

More than 100 Chinese militia vessels were spotted swarming around the Philippines exclusive economic zone (EEZ) last week, refusing to leave despite being ordered to do so, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on April 28.

The PCG said it deployed two vesselsBRP Malapascua and BRP Malabrigoto conduct a week-long maritime patrol in the South China Sea on April 18 under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s order.

During the mission, the PCG detected over 100 Chinese maritime militia vessels, a Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Navy corvette class, and two Chinese coast guard vessels in several Philippine-controlled areas.

The PCG vessels sent their rigid hull inflatable boats to disperse over 100 Chinese militia vessels swarming near Julian Felipe Reefwithin the countrys 200-mile EEZbut to no avail.

No CMM [Chinese maritime militia] vessels reacted or made any attempts to vacate the area, the coast guard said in a statement.

The PCG said its vessels issued numerous radio challenges to some 18 Chinese maritime militia vessels gathering around Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands. Still, they refused to comply with the order.

China, Philippine Vessels in Near-Collision

The PCG also claimed that a PLA Navy vessel crossed paths with its ships at a distance of seven nautical miles from Thitu Islandwhich Manila refers to as Pag-asa Islandin the Spratly Islands on April 21.

The PLA ordered the two Philippine vessels to leave and warned of a problem if they failed to comply. In response, the PCG claimed the areas were under the Philippine jurisdiction and urged them to leave instead.

The PCG vessels continued with their mission and navigated in the Ayungin Shoal on April 23, where they were intercepted by two Chinese coast guard vessels that exhibited aggressive tactics.

One of the Chinese ships carried out dangerous maneuvers at a distance of 50 yards from the BRP Malapascua, posing a significant threat to the safety of the PCG vessel and its crew.

The second Chinese coast guard vessel shadowed BRP Malabrigo at a distance of 700 yards, the PCG stated.

Philippine Coast Guard Petty Officer 3 John Solatre uses the radio on board the BRP Malabrigo to send a message to suspected Chinese militia ships near the Philippine-claimed island of Thitu, locally known as Pag-asa Island, in the South China Sea on April 21, 2023. (Aaron Favila/AP Photo)

AFP reported that a Chinese coast guard ship blocked a Philippine patrol vessel in the Ayungin Shoal, resulting in a near-collision. AFP was among the reporters participating in the PCGs maritime patrol on April 23.

Our bows would have collided if I hadnt been able to stop our ship. I even put my engine in reverse just to suppress the speed, so we wont hit each other, Malapascua commanding officer Rodel Hernandez told AFP.

Ayungin Shoal, also known as the Second Thomas Shoal or Renai Reef by China, is part of the Spratly Islands, about 105 nautical miles off the Philippine province of Palawan.

The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) classifies maritime areas within 200 nautical miles of coastal nations borders as part of their EEZs.

Beijing claims much of the South China Sea as its own territory under its so-called nine-dash line. The Hague Tribunal ruled in favor of legal action taken by the Philippines in 2016. Still, the ruling did not see communist China change its behavior, with Chinese vessels repeatedly intruding into the Philippines maritime zones.

Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Brunei have also clashed with the Chinese regime over its claims in the Sea.

Earlier in February, the PCG reported that a Chinese coast guard vessel used a military-grade laser against its ship in the Ayungin Shoal to impede a resupply mission, temporarily blinding its crew.

As of September 2022, the Philippines has filed over 48 protests against Chinas sea incursions under Marcoss administration. He took office less than three months earlier in June 2022. His predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, filed 388 protests over his six-year term as president.
Problem for All Health Ministers: Australias Peak Medical Body Calls for Urgent Public System Overhaul

Victoria Ambulances are seen at the St. Vincent Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 11, 2022. (Diego Fedele/Getty Images)

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has called for an urgent overhaul of the nations public health system following a report that found hospital performance to be at its lowest level since the 90s.

Bed availability, emergency wait times, planned surgery wait times and access to specialists in the public health system were among the performance indicators that showed significant problems across all states and territories, according to the AMAs 16th annual report card.

This comes as the national cabinet agreed to a number of health measures to make medical services more accessible for Australians.

AMA President Stephen Robson said while wait times continued to increase, the solutions put forward by the peak medical body have been ignored.

In just over 10 years, Australia is expected to have more than 1 million people who will be over 85 years of age, and we know older patients are more likely to require an admission to a public hospital. We should be planning for this. But we will remain on the path to failure if we keep doing the same thing over and over and over again, Robson said.

The numbers paint a grim picture for the future of our public hospitals and, with them, our patients if no action is taken.

Let me be clearthis is a problem for all health ministers.

We need a new funding agreement to support hospitals to expand their capacity and improve their performanceto clear the hospital logjam.

Federal Health Minister Set on Alleviating Hospital Pressures

Meanwhile, Federal Health Minister Mark Butler told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on April 27 that his government was focused on relieving hospital pressures across the country.

If you look at all of those developed country health systems, COVID has really hit them hard. Its hit the workforce hardest, and its meant that people werent able to get the care they needed during COVID because of lockdowns, because of restrictions on general practice. So, theyre now turning up at hospitals, much more unwell than they otherwise would have been.

Australian Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler speaks at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on July 28, 2022 . (Martin Ollman/Getty Images)

But Sarah Whitelaw, the AMAs Emergency Medicine Representative, said while the pandemic has impacted hospitals ability to respond, the impact of emergency departments in public hospitals has been worsening for a decade.

For instance, the AMA report card found that for the past 30 years, bed availability for people aged over 65 has dropped by more than halfdropping from 32.5 beds per 1,000 people to only 14.7. Bed availability, or lack thereof, has resulted in one in three patients staying longer for more than four hours in an emergency.

Robson said that the federal government would be rolling out Urgent Care Clinicsan alternative for people who require medical attention that is urgent, non-life-threatening, but does require the services of an emergency departmentin order to alleviate the logjam.

Doctors Launch Campaign to Alleviate Logjam While Federal Labor Unveils New Healthcare Programs

The AMA has published four points for health ministers consideration as part of its clear the hospital logjam campaign.

These four points are: improving performance, expanding capacity, addressing the demand for out-of-hospital alternatives, and increasing funding and removing the funding cap.

For example, the medical body wants the federal government to contribute half of the hospitals activity costs.

This represents an investment of $12.7 billion over four years between 2022-23 and 2025-26, the AMA said.

The AMA also seeks an overhaul of the National Health Reform Agreement between states, territories, and the federal government. This agreement is currently being reviewed in the middle of its five-year term.

Meanwhile, prime minister Anthony Albanese told the national cabinet on April 28 that his government will commit $2.2 billion of the budget to deliver Strengthening Medicare measures.

This comes just weeks before federal Labor hands down its federal budget.

In February, state and territory leaders, along with the prime minister, considered the recommendations outlined in the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce Report (pdf), which included improving healthcare affordability and accessibility for Australians, providing support for people with chronic health conditions, and easing pressure on the strained hospital system.

Health Minister Mark Butler has said that MedicareAustralias primary healthcare systemas the worst shape in 40 years.

Among the measures that were agreed to by the health ministers were: supporting the workforce to work at the top of their scope; expanding the nursing workforce to improve primary healthcare; improving access to and delivery of after-hours primary care; introducing MyMedicare, a new payment model for patients registered with their local GP; flexible funding for multi-disciplinary team-based models; and investing in digital health to improve health outcomes.

One of the things identified is patients who will regularly turn up at emergency departments. We want to make sure that there is registration there so we can reach out, Albanese told reporters on April 28.

The national cabinet also discussed the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and committed to ensuring the schemes financial viability.

More than $720 million has been committed to boosting the capability of the agency in charge of the scheme.

We need to have a sustainable growth trajectory for the NDIS in order to support equity and fairness for all Australians who are living with disability, including those not eligible for the NDIS, Albanese said.

We want to make sure that the promise of the NDIS is fulfilled.

Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley earlier said the Medicare system needed more support.

Wrangling the state premiers has become a bit of a national sport, she said.

People need access to doctors, and absolutely, that discussion today is a vital one. We do need to have our healthcare system back where it was.
William H. Webb (1816-1899) was the son of a shipbuilder who arguably became the most successful and innovative American shipbuilder of the 19th century. Isaac Webb taught his son the art of building ships of sail, as the innovation of the steamboat had yet to arrive. When his father died in 1840, Webb took control of the family shipbuilding business. For the next three decades Webb would contract, design, and oversee the construction of commercial, military and recreational vessels for buyers from around the globe.

His shipyard produced fast sailing packets, clipper ships, side-wheelers, ferry boats, sailboats, steamships, wooden ships, and ironclads. While he remained the head of his shipyard, he would dominate the American industry. His amount of ships and tonnage would far outpace his competitors. European powers, like Russia, Italy, and France, purchased warships from Webb for their navies.

The Russian imperial government purchased a 2,500-ton ship called the United States. The ship, which was built in 1845, was turned into a sloop of war. In 1859, the Russian government purchased another warship, the General Admiral. Webbs experience and expertise in shipbuilding was put to great use during the Civil War in which he built several man-of-war ships of the line. He worked closely with Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, who used Webbs ships to block Southern ports of the Confederacy.

The William H. Webb Ship Yard during the American Civil War, New York City, circa 1863. (Archive Photos/Getty Images)

To combat the blockade, the Confederates refitted the USS Merrimack with a 1,500-pound iron ram to target Union ships anchored at Hampton Roads, and rechristened her the CSS Virginia. The Union needed a similar ship that could challenge the now-Virginia, which resulted in the commissioning of the USS Monitor. The Battle of Hampton Roads, more famously known as the Battle of Ironclads, took place March 8-9, 1862. Webb knew naval warfare had changed, even before this famous battle, as the navies of Britain and France had built their own ironclad ships years prior. Webb began construction in October on his new ironclad projectthe massive USS Dunderberg. In some ways it would dwarf the Virginia and the Monitor.

The Monitor was only 776 tons and 172 feet long. The Virginia was much larger at 4,500 tons and 275 feet in length. The Dunderberg, however, was 7,000 tons and 380 feet long, which included a 50-foot ram.

Admiral David Farragut wrote his wife in 1864 concerning the Dunderberg, stating that Any man who is prepared for defeat would be half defeated before he commenced.

Unfortunately for the massive ironclad, she would miss the war. She was launched in July of 1865. She was considered the most powerful warship in the world and therefore garnered the attention of the European powers. She was purchased by the French government and appropriately renamed Rochambeau.

A few years later, Webb would officially retire from shipbuilding, but would continue his interest in maritime concerns. He used part of his fortune to establish Webb Academy and Home for Shipbuilders (now Webb Institute), opening in 1894. His endowment has enabled every student to attend the college tuition-free.

Described by the New York Herald as the very first naval architect in this country, Webb worked to design faster and more powerful ships throughout his lifetime. His innovative spirit lives on through the Webb Institute, as well as Americas Cup, the oldest and most prestigious yacht sailing competition. According to the National Sailing Hall of Fame, Every Americas Cup since 1930 has featured Webb Institute graduates on the design teams of the USA defenders, and in recent years virtually every international team has Webb graduates engaged in the design and engineering development of Americas Cup yachts.

Webb was also a founding member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME). SNAME established the William H. Webb Medal in 1987, which is awarded to individuals for outstanding contributions to education in naval architecture, marine or ocean engineering.
Progressives to Americans: Dont Be Happy

Commentary

In recent weeks, there have been news reports about surveys showing record low levels of happiness and high levels of depression and pessimism among Americans. Those reports indicate that progressives plan for America is working well. They dont want us to be happy.

Woke progressives remind me of hyperconscious moms constantly hovering over their kids, micromanaging their lives and taking away all sorts of things from their kids on the grounds that thats not good for you even when it really isnt bad for them.

For example, take the recent brouhaha about government plans to ban (some) gas stoves. It turns out that a lot of Americans like to cook with gas stoves. The Biden administration has been trying to downplay such a ban with Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm claiming that half the gas stoves that are on the market right now wouldnt even be impacted. Assuming shes telling the truth (pardon the cynicism), her statement implies that half the gas stoves would be impacted. Thats a lot of stoves! And what does she mean by stoves that are on the market right now? Does that mean half of gas stoves for sale wont be affected by the regulations the Department of Energy is contemplating, but that perhaps a much larger percentage of stoves that have already been bought, and so arent on the market, would be?

Another well-loved consumer product that progressive elites believe isnt good for us is the gasoline-powered automobile. The Environmental Protection Agency is trying to force Americans to buy electric vehicles by raising to unattainable levels the fuel efficiency standards on American-sold cars. But many Americans are happy with their gasoline-powered autos. They like the longer driving range on a tank of gas and the quicker time to refill instead of recharge. They also like not being vulnerable to electricity brownouts/blackouts that could render their vehicles temporarily unusable. They also like the idea of not being dependent on minerals mined by slave labor in China and other foreign countries.

Americans like relatively cheap, reliable energy and all the economic wealth that such energy has generated, yet progressives insist on subsidizing more expensive alternative and intermittent sources of energy. That callously ignores the fact that making Americans pay artificially high prices for electric power leaves them less able to afford other products. Indeed, progressive policies have kept us poorer than we need to be. But to the progressives, too much prosperity is a bad thing and belt-tightening is good.

According to woke progressives, the reason we allegedly need to curb our use of gas stoves, gasoline-powered cars, and relatively cheap energy is the threat of climate catastrophe posed by carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels.

One of their main mantras is, Carbon dioxide isnt good for us. Oh? Over the last century-and-a-half, during which the concentration of CO2 in Earths atmosphere rose from ~290 parts per million to ~420 ppm, the benefits have been considerable. The average global temperature has risen a couple of degrees. That has been a boon to human well-being, for although cold-related deaths still far exceed heat-related deaths, the number has been declining. Plus, the modestly warmer temperatures have led to longer growing seasons for agricultural products, increasing the supply of food. And best of all, the carbon dioxide-enriched atmosphere has resulted in a significant greening of the planet (which I have detailed before)but we arent supposed to be happy about that according (most ironically) to the self-styled greens.

So mesmerized is the progressive herd by Demon CO2 (Demon Rum never had such a bad reputation!) that theyre even telling us to curtail our consumption of some of our favorite foods, particularly meat and dairy products. They say that producing such foodstuffs increase greenhouse gases. While true, that is a false alarm. We have essentially exhausted CO2s capacity to warm the atmosphere due to the logarithmic rate at which CO2 absorbs infrared radiation (i.e., traps heat), but the really good news is that the world can get a lot greener with continued CO2 enrichment.

The animus against meat and dairy is just plain weird. We are mammals, our babies are nourished with the food most natural to our species, namely milk. (And who doesnt love a good ice cream cone on a summer day?) As for meat, its more than a cultural fixture; its tied up in our zoological taxonomy: We are predatorsour eyes are located in the front of our heads, as is the case for carnivores and predators, and not on the side as is the case with herbivores. And yet the woke elite tell us that whats good for us is bad for us. Actually, theres an underlying message here: Human life itself (at least, life beyond limits deemed acceptable by the misanthropic neo-Malthusian woke mob) is bada point that radical greens make explicit when they characterize humans as vermin, a cancer, a plague, etc.

The woke progressive left is in the grip of some jarring ideas. As discussed in my recent article on the degrowth movement, the left thinks too much prosperity isnt good for us. Their solution is to deprive us of things we like. To do that, they need to have more control over us. Thus, they believe that we Americans have too much freedom.

Finally, many of them believe that human life itself isnt such a good thing. Thus, some young people have said they will never have children. These poor people are in the grip of the ideas of green neo-Malthusians who view human procreation as a sin against the environment. Disturbing numbers of young women in our country are choosing to sterilize themselves to make sure that they never offend radical environmentalists by having children.

The existential question about this woke movement that seeks to lessen Americans prosperity, freedom, and fertility is: When are the millions of people who currently vote for such leaders going to wake up to the lies theyve been told about how weve had it too good? When will they awake to the self-defeating absurdity of believing that virtue consists of the decidedly un-American agenda of having an enlightened government chip away at our God-given rights of life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness? What a great day it will be when the American people wake up from the mass hypnosis that has them believing the political ideologies that say we need less of the things that we like and that have enriched our liveseverything from gas stoves to liberty to children.

The Bible says, Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20). And woe unto them who fall under the spell of those who turn reality upside down. Its no sin to enjoy life, folks.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
RCMP Confirms Investigation Into Chinese Police Stations Continues, After Minister Said Stations Were Closed

A day after Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said Chinese police stations operating on Canadian soil have been shut down by the RCMP, the police force said investigations remain ongoing.

The RCMP continues to actively investigate reports nationally of criminal activity in relation to the so-called police stations. As the RCMP is currently investigating the incident, there will be no further comment on the matter at this time, the RCMP told The Epoch Times in an email statement on April 28, when asked to confirm the ministers claim that the Mounties had taken decisive action to shut down the so-called police stations.

Mendicino made the remark while testifying before the House of Commons Procedure and House Affairs Committee on the topic of foreign interference. He was responding to a question from Conservative MP Michael Cooper, who asked why the Liberal government hasnt expelled any Chinese diplomat despite media reports in recent months about the communist regimes wide range of interference activities in Canada.

It is well established that the Beijing regime interfered in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections, Cooper said. We also know that the Beijing regime has operated at least eight illegal police stations on Canadian soil to intimidate Chinese-Canadian citizens, including through coerced repatriations.

Some of the locations investigated by the RCMP have been running for a number of years, but have only caught public attention after media reported on reports, released by the Spain-based NGO Safeguard Defenders last year, that identified a total of 102 police outposts worldwide, run by four provincial-level police jurisdictions in China.

Safeguard Defenders said some of those police stations have reportedly engaged in the forced repatriation of up to 230,000 Chinese citizens living abroad between April 2021 and July 2022, using harassment and intimidation tactics against the targets and their family members back in the country.

Amid reports that Beijing has been targeting Chinese Canadians, the RCMP acknowledged the threat, saying there will be no tolerance for any form of intimidation, harassment, or harmful targeting of diaspora communities or individuals in Canada.

In reports released in September and December of 2022, Safeguard Defenders identified five locations in Canada operating as Chinese police stations, including three in the Toronto area, one in Vancouver, and another one in an unspecified location.

In March, the RCMP confirmed that they were also investigating two locations in Quebec, after receiving 15 serious tips relation to the Chinese police stations. The two locations have been identified as the Centre Sino-Quebec de la Rive-Sud (CSQRS) in Brossard and the Service a la famille chinoise du Grand Montreal (SFCGM). According to their respective websites, the CSQRS was founded in 1990 and the SFCGM in 1976, but it is unclear when theyve been doubling as alleged Chinese police stations.

In February, The Epoch Times reported that a location in Richmond, B.C., had been listed as an overseas police outpost by a regional Chinese police bureau in July 2020. The post, written in simplified Chinese, said the police station in Canada was established in 2016, alongside other stations in 28 countries worldwide.

Operations at four alleged police stationsthe three in Toronto and one in Vancouverwere presumed ceased in early March, according to Michael Duheme, RCMP deputy commissioner of federal policing, in testimony before the Procedure and House Affairs Committee on March 2.

The RCMP has since provided a largely identical response to multiple inquiries from The Epoch Times in regard to the Chinese police stations, saying that investigations are ongoing and that they wont be commenting further on the issue.
Zhang Shenfeng (R), commissioner general of the China Pavilion and vice chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and Hiroyuki Ishige, secretary general of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, sign a participation contract for the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, April 27, 2023. China has signed a participation contract for the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, western Japan, indicating that the preparations for China's attendance will be in full swing. (Xinhua/Li Guangzheng)

TOKYO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- China has signed a participation contract for the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, western Japan, indicating that the preparations for China's attendance will be in full swing.

The document was signed on Thursday between Zhang Shenfeng, commissioner general of the China Pavilion and vice chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and Hiroyuki Ishige, secretary general of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition.

At the signing ceremony, the architectural design of the large-scale self-built China Pavilion was displayed.

The bamboo-yellow structure taking the form of a traditional long scroll of ancient Chinese letters embodies the concept that Chinese culture originates from nature, conforms to nature, and coexists harmoniously with nature.

Zhang said the theme of China's exhibition is "Building a community of life for man and nature - a future society of green development," adding that China hopes its participation will help enhance the exchange and cooperation with Japan and other countries in culture, economy, trade and other fields, and promote a future society of green development with all other exhibitors.

At the same time, China will plan a variety of supporting activities to be held in Japan, involving China's local governments and big enterprises, in a bid to enhance bilateral cultural exchanges and the mutual learning and practical cooperation between Chinese and Japanese enterprises, and inject fresh impetus into the development of China-Japan ties, Zhang noted.

Ishige thanked China for its strong support to Expo 2025 and expressed hope that the exchanges and cooperation will deepen between the two countries in various fields including culture, economy and trade through the World Expo as a platform.

Themed "Designing Future Society of Our Lives," the World Expo 2025 is scheduled to be held from April 13 to Oct. 13, 2025. The Japanese government expects to see the participation of some 150 countries and regions, as well as 25 international organizations. 
Rental Crisis Deepens for Low-Income Australians: Analysis

Signage for a real estate property is seen in Carlton North, Melbourne, Australia, on July 18, 2018. (AAP Image/James Ross)

The rental crisis is getting worse for Australians on low incomes and welfare recipients, a new report has shown.

Anglicare Australia, one of the largest charity networks in the country, has released a new report portraying a bleak outlook for renters in 2023.

By analysing nearly 46,000 rental listings across Australia, the report found that less than one percent of the available accommodation was affordable for a person earning a full-time minimum wagearound $42,300 (US$28,000).

Anglicare Australia executive director Kasy Chambers said the results were shocking.

Each year, we think the market couldnt get any worse. And each year, were shocked to see that it can, she said.

This years result is the worst we have ever seen for a person on the minimum wage, with affordability halving over the last year.

To evaluate the affordability of rental properties, Anglicare Australia used an international benchmark that indicated that rent should not exceed 30 percent of household income to avoid financial stress.

Under this benchmark, the charity found that a full-time minimum wage earner could only afford 0.8 percent of the rental properties, and those relying on age or disability pensions had to compete for less than 0.5 percent of the affordable rentals in the market.

In addition, there were no affordable rentals for students and apprentices on Youth Allowance, while the figure for a single parent on welfare payments was 0.1 percent.

The executive director said the rental market was failing low-income people despite a record number of homes being built over the last ten years.

If full-time wage earners are doing it tough, then people on Centrelink payments dont stand a chance, Chambers said.

The Greens Call for Rent Freeze

Following the release of Anglicare Australias report, the Greens party urged the Labor government to introduce a two-year rent freeze to tackle the rental crisis in the country.

Rents are skyrocketing across the country, but the prime minister thinks a national rent freeze is too hard, Greens Leader Adam Bandt said in a statement.

A rent freeze is not just legally possible, its also politically possible. With the Greens support, the government could pass a serious plan for renters through the parliament by July.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt speaks at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on Dec 9, 2020. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

The Greens leader then called on the government to take decisive actions during a National Cabinet meeting on April 28 or risk throwing renters across the country to the wolves of the private market.

In August 2022, the Labor government turned down a proposal by the Greens to suspend housing rent across the country.

At the time, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the government was focusing on improving supply to tackle the housing crisis.

Labor Government Announces New Housing Measures

Meanwhile, the federal government has announced new measures to increase the housing supply after the National Cabinet meeting concluded.

Specifically, it will raise the depreciation rate from 2.5 percent to four percent per year for eligible new build-to-rent projects which commence construction after the release of the federal budget on May 9.

Moreover, it will halve the withholding tax rate for eligible fund payments from managed investment trusts to foreign residents on income from newly constructed residential build-to-rent properties from 30 to 15 percent after July 1, 2024.

The government also plans to increase funding for social and community housing by expanding the liability cap of the Affordable Housing Bond Aggregator (AHBA) by $2 billion.

The AHBA is a government-owned intermediatory that provides low-cost, long-term loans to registered community housing providers (CHPs) to improve Australias housing outcome.

Property Council of Australia, a peak industry body, welcomed the governments decision to lower the managed investment trust withholding tax rate.

Citing a report conducted by Ernst & Young, the council said that levelling the withholding tax rate in line with investment in other property asset classes could create an additional 150,000 homes over the next decade.

Property Council CEO Mike Zorbas said that the earlier the changes introduced by the government took effect, the earlier additional investment could commence.

More supply means downward pressure on the cost of renting and buying homes and will offer more housing choices and affordable options at a time when we desperately need them, he said.
Rep. Womack to Khan: I Cant Support Massive Increase for FTC

U.S. Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), makes a point during a congressional subcommittee hearing in Washington, on April 26, 2023. (Janice Hisle/The Epoch Times via screenshot of live video)

In the midst of ongoing debates over federal spending, Rep. Steve Womack voiced his opposition to a proposed budget increase for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). During Thursdays House Appropriations Committee hearing, Womack raised pointed criticisms at FTC Chair Lina Khan.

The FTC, with a cavalier attitude, is weighing in on areas that are outside of its authority and deciding on issues through subjective means, he said.

Congress is locked in a fierce debate regarding the fiscal trajectory of our nation, Womack added. Requests of this magnitude must be explained and justified thoroughly.

The FTC is requesting an additional $160 million over last years enacted levels, a roughly 37 percent increase for an independent agency that has seen yearly increases, according to Womack. He expressed concerns over the FTCs recent track record and its involvement in issues outside of its authority.

Moving beyond the objective to the subjective is discouraging to all kinds of business activity, he said.

Womacks statement drew a sharp response from the FTCs Khan, who defended the agencys work and emphasized the need for additional resources.

The FTC is small but mighty  taking on some of the most powerful corporations in our economy, Khan said. We are making this request because Congress has given the FTC a critical job, but our resources have not kept up.

Khan pointed to the FTCs record of pursuing illegal mergers and anti-competitive practices, as well as the agencys success in securing record monetary judgments.

The commission is also using all of its authorities provided by Congress to tackle illegal mergers and anti-competitive practices, Khan said. Additional resources would allow us to expand the critical work that the FTC staff is doing.

FTC Commissioner nominee Lina M. Khan testifies during a Senate Commerce on Capitol Hill in Washington on April 21, 2021. (Graeme Jennings/Pool/Reuters)

The agency has attempted to block a planned acquisition of gaming behemoth Activision by tech giant Microsoft, arguing it would reduce competition in the video game industry. Regulators in the U.K. have also placed obstacles upon the would-be merger earlier this week.

Despite Khans arguments, Womack remained steadfast in his opposition to the budget increase.

I cant support a massive increase for the FTC budget, especially given the Commissions recent track record and given the nations current fiscal outlook, Womack said.

The debate over the FTCs budget comes as part of a broader conversation around federal spending and government priorities. Some lawmakers have argued that spending must be reined in to address the growing national debt, while others have claimed more federal funding could benefit taxpayers down the line.

For the FTC, the outcome of this debate could have significant implications for the agencys budget. Khan closed her opening statements by saying the FTCs work is vital to ensuring a level playing field for businesses and protecting consumers from unfair and deceptive practices.

The work that the FTC does is critical to the health of our economy and to the well-being of American consumers, she said. We hope that Congress will recognize the importance of our mission and provide us with the resources we need to continue our work.
Republicans Subpoena Head of CDC Over Big Tech Censorship Coordination

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, speaks in Washington on June 16, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The U.S. House of Representatives has subpoenaed several top Biden administration officials, including the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over the administrations coordination with Big Tech to censor users.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, sent the subpoenas on April 28 to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly, and James Rubin, an official at the State Departments Global Engagement Center (GEC).

All three have responded inadequately to requests to provide documents, including communications between their respective entities and social media platforms, Jordan said in letters accompanying the subpoenas. CISA and GEC have not responded at all to the requests, while the CDC has not provided any of the requested documents, he said.

Freedom of speech is one of the most important rights we have in this country, Jordan told the Washington Examiner. The collusion between our federal government and Big Tech undermines First Amendment principles and should be investigated.

The CDC and GEC did not respond to requests for comment.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, CISAs parent agency, said that the department does not censor speech and does not request that content be taken down by social media companies.

Instead of working with the Department, as numerous committees have done this Congress, the House Judiciary Committee has unnecessarily escalated to a subpoena, the spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email, adding that the agency will continue cooperating appropriately with Congressional oversight requests, all while faithfully working to protect our nation from terrorism and targeted violence, secure our borders, respond to natural disasters, defend against cyberattacks, and more.

Collusion

Jordan is working with the Committees Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government to probe issues related to the violation of the civil liberties of citizens of the United States.

Documents brought to light by reporters who were given access to Twitters internal files and produced in a lawsuit filed by several states against the federal government have shown officials were regularly in contact with Twitter and other Big Tech companies on alleged mis- and disinformation, including making requests to crack down on specific users.

The CDC, for example, sent specific posts to Twitter and Facebook, while also adjudicating claims about COVID-19. While doing so, the CDC offered false information about vaccine effectiveness.

CISA official Brian Scully, meanwhile, said in a deposition that officials would route concerning social media posts to Big Tech, with an understanding that the companies would apply their moderation policies and potentially take action.

And Daniel Kimmage, a GEC official, said under oath that his team would regularly meet with Big Tech companies and provide them with information. The teams focus was foreign disinformation, Kimmage said, though he acknowledged that the GEC flagged concerns about a YouTube channel run by Americans in one instance.

Plausibly Alleged

The Biden administration has maintained that its communications with the social media companies were not coercive. U.S. District Court Judge Terry Doughty, a Trump appointee, said recently he was unpersuaded by the governments arguments as he rejected their motion to dismiss the suit.

Plaintiffs have clearly and plausibly alleged that Defendants engaged in viewpoint discrimination and prior restraints, the judge wrote.

The states that filed the suit are seeking a preliminary injunction that would bar government officials from taking any steps to demand, urge, encourage, pressure, or otherwise induce any social-media company or platform for online speech, or any employee, officer, or agent of any such company or platform, to censor, suppress, remove, de-platform, suspend, shadow-ban, de-boost, restrict access to content, or take any other adverse action against any speaker, content, or viewpoint expressed on social media.

A hearing on the motion is set for May 12.
Massive Ukrainian Troop Movements Seen Near Front Line, Russians Say

Ukrainian servicemen fire a 2S5 Giatsint-S self-propelled howitzer towards Russian troops outside the frontline town of Bakhmut, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on March 5, 2023. (Anna Kudriavtseva/Reuters)

Ukrainian forces appear to be gearing up for a long-anticipated counteroffensive aimed at retaking territory captured earlier by Russia, according to sources from both sides of the conflict.

On April 28, Russian reports from the field suggested that Ukraine was amassing troops and equipment along several parts of the 680-mile-long front line.

Yuri Barbashov, a Moscow-appointed official in the Russia-held Kherson region, reported seeing massive troop movements near the front, the purpose of which he said was unclear.

[Ukrainian] troops are being relocated; exact routes remain unclear, Barbashov was quoted as saying by Russias TASS news agency.

Theyre mostly moving towards the Dnipro River.

He noted that many appeared to be non-local.

In September 2022, Russia effectively annexed Kherson and three other regions of eastern and southern Ukraine. Russian forces currently control all of Kherson south of the Dnipro River.

Heavily armed and supported by its Western allies, Ukraine has vowed to recover all lost territories, including the Russia-controlled Black Sea region of Crimea.

A Ukrainian soldier prepares to fire a French-made CAESAR self-propelled howitzer toward Russian positions near Avdiivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Dec. 26, 2022. (Libkos/AP Photo)

Wagner Chief: Counteroffensive Inevitable

There have been indications that Kyivs upcoming offensive would focus on the Donetsk region, where Ukrainian forces face superior Russian firepower near the flashpoint towns of Bakhmut and Avdiivka.

According to recent reports from Ukraines military, Bakhmuta strategically vital transport hubremains the primary focus of fighting.

But other signs suggest that Kyivs offensive could strike at the southern, Russian-held Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in hopes of severing Moscows land corridor to Crimea.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of Russias Wagner Group, has predicted that the vaunted counter-offensive would begin in earnest early next monthafter the regions rainy season ends.

The Wagner Group, a Kremlin-linked private military company, has led the fighting in several flashpoint areas, including Bakhmut.

The Ukrainian offensive is inevitable, Prigozhin said via Telegram on April 26. The Ukrainian army is primed and ready.

Rains are expected to end on May 2. Another week is needed for the soil to dry. Will they do it on May 9 to spoil the holiday?

On May 9, Russia will celebrate National Victory Day, which commemorates the Soviet Unions victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Russias Wagner mercenary force, speaks in Paraskoviivka, Ukraine, in this still image from an undated video released on March 3, 2023. (Concord Press Service/via Reuters)

NATO Confirms Arms Deliveries

Earlier this month, scores of classified U.S. military documents were leaked online, many of which were said to pertain to Ukraines long-anticipated counteroffensive.

Some documents suggested that Kyiv lacked badly needed arms and equipment, raising questions as to whether the offensive would materialize.

But in recent days, Ukrainian military officials have declared repeatedly that the long-awaited counter-attackto the east or southwas imminent.

As soon as there is Gods will, the [right] weather, and a decision by commanders, we will do it, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said at an April 28 press briefing.

A day earlier, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that the Western alliance had delivered almost all of the tanks and combat vehicles it had so far pledged to Kyiv.

More than 98 percent of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine have already been delivered, he told reporters at NATOs Brussels headquarters.

According to Stoltenberg, that includes more than 1,550 armored vehicles, 230 combat tanks, and vast amounts of ammunition.

He noted that NATO had also trained and equipped nine Ukrainian armored brigades, which would put Kyiv in a strong position to continue to retake occupied territory.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg delivers a doorstep statement in Brussels on Feb. 14, 2023. (NATO)

Unlikely to Shift Momentum

Stoltenbergs assertions were echoed by Christopher Cavoli, NATOs top military commander and commander of U.S. forces in Europe.

I am very confident that we have delivered the materiel that they [the Ukrainians] need, and well continue a pipeline to sustain their operations as well, Cavoli was quoted as saying by The New York Times on April 26.

However, the newspaper also cited assessments by U.S. officials who believed that the offensive was unlikely to dramatically shift momentum in Ukraines favor.

Moscow has accused the West of no longer hiding its direct involvement in the ongoing conflict, now in its 15th month.

They dont even hide the fact that they are behind all this military planning, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said on April 27.

Not only tactical support but also the disposition [of forces] in line with their strategic plan.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Schumer Threatens Legislation If Texas Federal Court Wont Discourage Judge-Shopping

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and President Joe Biden arrive at the U.S. Capitol on July 14, 2021. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has threatened to push legislation to force a federal district court in Texas that has repeatedly ruled against the Biden administration to discourage alleged forum-shopping by Republican plaintiffs.

Schumer is among Democrats who are angry that Texas-based Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, has issued a series of rulings opposed by Democrats.

Based in the single-judge Amarillo Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Kacsmaryk infuriated pro-abortion activists when he issued a ruling on April 7 finding that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was wrong to approve the abortion drug mifepristone for public use in 2000.

In October 2022, Kacsmaryk struck down a federal guidance exempting LGBT employees from workplace policies on bathroom use, dress codes, locker rooms, and pronoun usage.

In December 2021, Kacsmaryk ruled against a federal COVID-19 vaccination mandate for health care workers.

In August 2021, Kacsmaryk ruled that the Biden administration couldnt end the Trump-era Remain in Mexico program that requires non-Mexican asylum-seekers arriving at the southern border to wait in Mexico for processing until the program was lawfully rescinded.

In an April 27 letter (pdf) to Judge David Godbey, an appointee of former President George W. Bush whos chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Schumer complained that plaintiffs in the state are effectively free to select the judge who will hear their case. Several challenges to Biden administration policies, some of which have been brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, have been filed in federal court in the Northern District of Texas.

While lawyers routinely try to obtain a favorable forum to hear their clients cases, Democrats say Texas makes it unusually easy for conservative plaintiffs to seek out sympathetic judges such as Kacsmaryk.

Unsurprisingly, litigants have taken advantage of [the current system] to hand-pick individual district judges seen as particularly sympathetic to their claims, Schumer wrote in the letter.

The State of Texas itself is the most egregious example. It has sued the Biden Administration at least 29 times in Texas federal district courts, but it has not filed even one of those cases in Austin, where the Texas Attorney Generals office is located.

Texas has always sued in divisions where case-assignment procedures ensure that a particular preferred judge or one of a handful of preferred judges will hear the case.

That includes the Northern Districts Amarillo Division, where Texas has filed seven of its cases against the federal government. Many other litigants have done the same, including the Alliance Defending Freedom in its case challenging the FDAs approval of mifepristone.

He wrote that Godbey should take action, or Congress will be forced to act.

Currently, a federal statute allows each district court to decide for itself how to assign cases, Schumer wrote.

This gives courts the flexibility to address individual circumstances in their districts and among their judges. But if that flexibility continues to allow litigants to hand-pick their preferred judges and effectively guarantee their preferred outcomes, Congress will consider more prescriptive requirements.

Attorney J. Christian Adams, president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), suggested that Schumer was being selective in his outrage.

He wasnt so concerned during the Trump years, Adams told The Epoch Times by email.

Not a word of criticism in early 2017 [when] open borders groups shopped for judges.
Sean Hannitys Ratings Plunge After Tucker Carlsons Fox News Exit

Laura Ingraham's 10 p.m. show also posts decline, ratings show

Sean Hannity speaks onstage during the 2019 Politicon at Music City Center in Nashville, Tenn., on Oct. 26, 2019. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Politicon)

Tucker Carlsons exit from Fox News appears to be impacting more than just the timeslot that he hosted for years on the network.

Carlsons finale a week ago drew 2.65 million viewers, according to Nielsen. The data shows that Brian Kilmeades substitute hosting gig for Fox News Tonight saw ratings of 2.59 million on Monday, 1.7 million on Tuesday, and 1.33 million on Wednesday, respectively. Last Wednesday, Carlson drew about 3 million viewers, Nielsen figures show.

But the 9 p.m. Fox News program hosted by Sean Hannity drew about 2.5 million on Monday, 2 million on Tuesday, and 1.7 million on Wednesday night, according to Nielsen. In comparison, Hannity drew about 2.6 million viewers the Wednesday a week before, the ratings show.

Laura Ingrahams The Ingraham Angle drew 2.156 million on Wednesday, April 19. But this past Wednesday, two days after Carlson was confirmed gone, her show drew 1.55 million viewers.

Jesse Watters show also saw a decline. For Wednesday, it saw an audience of 1.558 million, but a week prior, it generated 2.1 million.

In response to the Nielsen ratings numbers, Fox News said in a statement to news outlets that Fox has been cable news most-watched network for 21 years, with its team trusted more by viewers than any other news source. When reached for comment, a Fox spokesperson also told The Epoch Times that Fox News led cable news on Monday and Tuesday across total day and primetime with viewers and A25-54, referring to the 25-54 age demographic coveted by advertisers.

Gutfeld, hosted by Greg Gutfeld, was the only Fox News primetime show that actually saw an increase. Last Wednesday, the program drew 1.8 million viewers, but this past Wednesday, it was watched by 2.02 million, according to the figures.

For March 2023, Hannity saw an average of 2.6 million viewers, according to Nielsen data. Tucker Carlson Tonight was No. 1 for that month with 3.3 million on average, Ingrahams show nabbed 2 million viewers, and Gutfeld drew 1.9 million viewers.

Hannitys Response

Hannity earlier this week indicated he had little knowledge of why Carlson left. For years, after his 8 p.m. show ended, Carlson would hand off to Hannity, also one of the highest-rated cable news personalities.

Its very hard, Hannity said during his The Sean Hannity Show program on Monday. My phone has been blowing up all day. The hard part for me is I dont have a clue  I have no idea. Was it Tuckers decision? Was it Foxs? Was it a mutual agreement that they had? I dont know.

I guess people think that because Ive been there the longest that Id have some knowledge or understanding of whats going on, but  I just dont, Hannity continued. For those who think I should, I say to those people: I dont own the company.

Newsmax Surges

Carlsons exit also appeared to produce at least one immediate winner: Newsmax. The conservative-leaning competitor to Fox News has seen its ratings climb as Foxs primetime ratings have seen a marked decline, according to Nielsen.

Newsmax host Eric Bollings 8 p.m. ET show had 510,000 viewers Wednesday night, compared to 168,000 the week before, Nielsen said. On Tuesday, Bolling drew 562,000 viewers, up from 122,000 the same day a week earlier.

This week, Newsmax has promoted claims that Fox News is shifting to become more liberal and capitulated to left-wing interests by allowing Carlson to depart. Details about why Carlson left the network are not clear.

An advertisement features Fox News personalities, including Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity, in New York City, on March 13, 2019. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Fox has been moving to embrace more of an establishment position, Newsmaxs chief executive, Christopher Ruddy, told the New York Times on Thursday. They want to renounce some of the Trumpisms and populist MAGA stuff that Tucker was echoing, he said, adding that he wants to embrace all sides of the Republican Party.

In an article published this week, Newsmax said that it is available in 24 million fewer cable homes than Fox, making its viewership even more impressive for its cable distribution. Data published by Nielsen suggests that Newsmax was drawing about 57 percent of Foxs audience on a proportional basis on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET., it said.

Carlson drew 2.65 million viewers during his final program last Friday. He departed Monday with no explanation given publicly, although there has been no shortage of theories and speculative news reports about what occurred.

After the 2020 election, Fox News also saw a decrease in ratings when it declared on Election Night that then-candidate Joe Biden won Arizona, while former President Donald Trump said that his supporters should find alternatives to the channel.

Carlson Video Goes Viral

While Carlson has given no public indications about why he left Fox News, he released a 2-minute video on his Twitter page that lambasted the state of the media landscape. Over the past two days or so, that video has drawn tens of millions of views and impressions.

The other thing you notice when you take a little time off is how unbelievably stupid most of the debates you see on television are, he said. Theyre completely irrelevant. They mean nothing. In five years, we wont even remember we heard them. Trust me, as somebody who participated.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Search for Australian Who Fell Overboard Cruise Ship Called Off

People sit and enjoy the facilites on the top deck onboard the cruise ship Quantum of the Seas in Southampton, England, on Oct. 31, 2014. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

The search for Australian man who went overboard a cruise ship has been suspended by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The man, identified as 35-year-old Warwick Tollemache, was on board the Royal Caribbean cruise from Brisbane to Honolulu, fell into the ocean at about 11 p.m. on Tuesday, local time (Wednesday evening Australian Eastern time), about 800 kilometres (500 miles) south of Hawaiis Big Island.

After reviewing all relevant information of the case and discussing it with the next of kin, the Coast Guard has made the difficult decision to suspend the active search for the passenger aboard the Quantum of the Seas, said Kevin Cooper, the search and rescue mission coordinator.

In a Facebook post, Tollemaches mother, Mandy, said her family was heartbroken at the loss of beloved Warwick.

He was a kind, beautiful, and gentle soul who was adored by everyone who knew him, she said. He will be deeply missed.

She asked for privacy and thanked people for their understanding.

U.S. coast guard Ryan Fisher noted the search was suspended pending any new information, meaning if they can reactivate the search from any news.

However, the sheer size of the ocean was a significant challenge to the search.

With our districtwe operate with a majority of the Pacificso that does pose challenges, those challenges being just the vastness of the Pacific here, so we really rely heavily on our partners here, he told Sky News Australia.

We work as hard as we can. We actually worked alongside Australian counterparts here, so its more of just putting all that information together and making those conclusions.

A British Royal Air Force C-130 Hercules military transport that was carrying evacuees from Sudan is pictured on the tarmac at Larnaca International Airport, in Cyprus, on April 26, 2023. (Christina Assi/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. coast guard deployed a C-130 Hercules aircraft to for the search and rescue mission on Wednesday morning, arriving on the scene at about 9 a.m.

After completing five search patterns, which took six hours, the crew returned due to fuel constraints.

The coast guard had been preparing to continue the search on Thursday, but after discussions, decided to call it off.

Royal Caribbean said in a statement that the ships crew had immediately launched its own search and rescue operation and worked with local authorities.

Out of respect for the family, we will not share further details about this unfortunate event, it said.

Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his loved ones at this time.

Georgina Thompson, a passenger on board the ship, said she and her husband had gone to sleep when they woke up to Oscar Oscar Oscar on the PA system, which was the code for man overboard.

There were lights, you know, the big lights shining on the ocean, she told Nines Today show.

And also, there were a couple of boats out there in the water.

She recounted the very sombre mood of the ship after it resumed the rest of its journey to Hawaii.
Sen. Tim Scott Says More Government Funds Wont Solve Housing Crisis, Homelessness

Scott spoke during a hearing of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

(LR) Lou Tisler, executive director of the National NeighborWorks Association; Vanessa Brown Calder, director of opportunity and family policy studies at the Cato Institute; and Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, speak at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on Capitol Hill in Washington on April 26, 2023. (Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs)

Housing should be more affordable, safer, and easier to find, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said this week during the introduction of a hearing to build consensus on housing problems, held by the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

Senators considered various proposals that could reshape the housing landscape as they attempt to address homelessness, perceived racism, and affordability.

The connection between racism and housing was first addressed by the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibited discrimination related to the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, sex, handicap, and family status. It has been in effect for 55 years.

In 2021, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) handed out more than $47 million to 120 fair housing organizations across the country under its Fair Housing Initiatives Program. The money is used to address violations of the Fair Housing Act and help end discrimination in housing, according to a press release at the time.

In fiscal year 2023, HUD budgeted $149 billion for housing programs out of its $252.8 billion budget.

Despite spending trillions of dollars on subsidies for affordable housing, the homeownership rates for minorities havent changed since a couple of years after the Housing Act was passed, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said during the April 26 hearing.

Weve all seen the rise in homelessness over the last several years, despite spending more money on homelessness programs than ever before. Something is clearly not working. HUD research tells us the average length of stay for families across all HUD assisted housing programs has nearly doubled, 1995 through 2015, Scott said. Federal programs are meant to transition people out of poverty, not keep them in poverty. How long before we realize that throwing more money on solutions that arent working is a problem, particularly for those residents living in government assisted housing.

In the New York City Housing Authority, one of Americas largest housing authorities, Scott said, 1 in 5 public housing residents stayed in its programs for more than 40 years.

That doesnt sound like the road to the American dream to me.

Slowing Evictions

Legislation under discussion includes the Eviction Crisis Act, which would create a national database on evictions that would give policymakers information to create solutions to lessen evictions, said Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, who testified at the hearing.

The act would also create a permanent cash assistance program for low-income households that normally can make ends meet, to absorb an unexpected financial shock that could lead to eviction.

Even before the pandemic, in 2019, there was bipartisan understanding and agreement that an emergency rental assistance-like program could save money and provide housing stability for millions of families, Yentel said. Then the pandemic came, and we had our pilot program. Over 500 Emergency rental assistance programs stood up throughout the country. The program has been very successful. Nearly 11 million payments have been made, and its kept millions of families stably housed. It has lowered eviction filing rates to the lowest on record. The Eviction Crisis Act would build off of these lessons learned and the success to create a permanently authorized program to help assist families before they reach the point of eviction and homelessness with all of its associated costs.

Home maintenance and repair is expensive and can go ignored in low-income homes.

Lou Tisler, executive director of the National NeighborWorks Association, testified that he would like to see a whole homes program like Pennsylvania recently adopted, at a federally funded level. Pennsylvania offers grants of up to $50,000 to low-income individuals to repair, update, and adapt homes.

The program could be used to address lead in older homes, Tisler said.

Racism Alleged in Zoning

Local zoning allowing for single family homes with a yard was mentioned numerous times during the hearing. Some see such neighborhoods as exclusionary and racist.

Restrictive local zoning is a real challenge in many communities. It inhibits the construction of any kind of apartments and especially affordable apartments. It drives up costs for everybody, and it reinforces segregation and racial inequity, Vanessa Brown Calder, director of Opportunity and Family Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, testified. State and local governments should do much more to remove restrictive local zoning ordinances, and the federal government should do more to incentivize or require them to do so.

But even if local zoning ordinances are changed, Calder said, housing will not be affordable to extremely low-income households because the private market on its own cant build and operate affordable apartments. The rent these households can afford doesnt cover the costs.

This is a basic market failure that requires government intervention in the form of subsidies, such as rental assistance, public housing, or other types of ways to make homes, to bridge that gap between what people can afford and what rent costs, Calder said.

Housing First

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) suggested getting to the root of homelessness.

He recalled a drug-addicted neighbor who rented a home next door when he was a child. The woman started to run water for a bath but went downstairs, got high, and passed out. Water spilled over the tub and ultimately destroyed the upper level of the house.

We tend to want to address so-called housing first without addressing the root causes of homelessness, Vance said.

The housing first model gives immediate access to permanent housing with no housing readiness conditions such as abstinence from drug use.

If we dont treat the root cause of homelessness, we end up creating cycles of despair where, even when you get women like this into a good home, ultimately, it can be very destructive and not ultimately solve the very problem were trying to solve, he said.

Vance asked the panel if people with serious substance abuse problems should be given housing without any preconditions such as substance abuse counseling.

Housing first has been adopted rigidly in California, Calder said. She has heard of shelters for women and children with rules against substance abuse. Since they are not following the housing first plan, they cant get state funding for homeless efforts.

I think we should let all different types of homeless approaches bloom and have a lot of diversity in that regard, Calder said, And I think that, unfortunately, housing first has been adopted in some places and that diversity has been sort of squashed.

Importance of a Stable Home

The one thing that all people experiencing homelessness have in common is lack of access to a decent, stable, affordable home, Yentel said.

If people have substance abuse challenges or mental illness, they are best able to address those challenges from a stable home, Yentel said. Low barrier, housing first approaches that get people into affordable stable homes and then provide them with voluntary supportive services as necessary, is shown again and again in the research, and the evidence, to be the most effective way to address homelessness.

The United States tried sobriety requirements back in the 80s and the 90s and it didnt work, Yentel said.

We had a stair-step model where people had to prove that they were so called housing ready. It didnt work, and it was overly expensive, she said.

Vance responded that the United States is spending more on homelessness, yet homelessness has increased.

I really worry about the social contagion effect on this, because its not just the homeless people themselves who are affected, but its the people they share a neighborhood or a building complex with, Vance said.

Vance said he was concerned that housing first has elevated the needs of people with addictionswho are deserving of compassion but who introduce serious drug problems or mental illness into communitiesover children who are already in unstable situations. It normalizes drug use in the eyes of children, he said.

I worry that the housing first approach is focusing just on the homeless populationand failing by the way. But also its ignoring a lot of the kids who are affected by this housing first approach. If housing first is working, why isnt it working? Why are those problems getting worse?
Tim James, an Australian member of parliament, enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in Sydney, Australia, on April 27, 2023. (NTD)

SYDNEYTim James, State Member for Willoughby in the New South Wales Parliament, enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sydney Lyric Theatre on April 27.

What a wonderful spectacle  beautiful coming together of art, culture, dance, history, people, and stories, Mr. James said, Im very much enjoying it.

I think its a wonderful thing to reflect upon history  to bring it back, to share it, to celebrate it, but also to ask about our present and our future  its very valuable, he added.

Upon the first opening of the curtain, Mr. James said he was struck by the colour.

According to the companys website, the colours and costumes of Shen Yun are true to traditional aesthetics and styles, painting each dance piece with the splendour of the past.

Based in New York, Shen Yun is the worlds premier classical Chinese dance company. Along with folk dances and solo performances, the production depicts story-based pieces that tell tales from ancient times to the modern-day.

Mr. James was especially impressed with the companys patented method of integrating a 3D animated backdrop with the stage performance, allowing the performers to remarkably travel back and forth between the stage and the background projection.

I have not seen before the dynamic in which you have a performer who disappears into the screen and then the technology takes over, he said, [T]hat coming together of people and technology is really something very special.

Since 2006, Shen Yun has performed at top theatres worldwide with a mission to revive Chinas 5,000-year-old traditional culture. Demonstrating China before communism, Shen Yun is not allowed to perform in China.

People should be free to perform all around the world  to share these gifts, these arts, this history, said Mr. James, this culture is immensely valuable  around the world.

I think its a very powerful message and I think art, culture, dance performance can be food for the soul, and I think we are seeing some of that tonight, he added.

Reporting by NTD and Jennifer Schneider.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Superhero Nonprofit Travels the Country to Bring Cheer to Those in Need

After his mothers death in 2009, one Long Beach, California-based juvenile probation officer channeled his sadness to create a charity spreading cheer and art to those suffering throughout the country, a mission which has now gained him national recognition.

Yuri Williams, founder of the nonprofit A Future Superhero and Friends, will be honored for his work in Denver, Colorado April 27th with a Medal of Honor award from One Voice United, a nonprofit aimed at helping law enforcement officers.

Through his nonprofit, Williams dresses up in various superhero costumes including the Mandalorian, Deadpool, Spiderman, and others to visit sick children in hospitals, put on birthday parties for kids with special needs, raise funds for those with disabilities to receive care, and much more.

Yuri Williams (back) on his first 50 States tour. (Courtesy of Yuri Williams)

He also raises money for needy shelter animals to get food and other supplies, covers animal adoption costs, and rents out theaters to host free movie nights for sick children and veterans.

I know there are a lot of people that need help. Thats why I branch out and try to help as many people as I can, Williams told The Epoch Times.

Earlier this week, Williams rented out the AMC theater in Long Beach for young children battling disabilities and various illnesses to watch the new Super Mario Kart movie.

His good deeds even garnered attention from Good Morning America last October, in which actor Dwayne Johnson, who played the ancient superhero Black Adam in the movies 2022 release, surprised Williams during the officers appearance on the show.

Yuri Williams (3rd L) on his first 50 States tour. (Courtesy of Yuri Williams)

Im really so proud of you, brother, and the great work that you do, Johnson told Williams during the segment. Keep up that great work.

According to Williams, he has traveled all 50 states four times over in his quest to bring cheer to those in need, many of whom expressed their gratitude for his work alongside their parents on Good Morning America.

Hes literally the first person to put a smile on [my sons] face, one mother said in a pre-recorded statement during his appearance on the show.

As of this year, Williams said he has helped over 15,000 in need through his nonprofit since its founding in 2014.

Yuri Williams (L) on his first 50 States tour. (Courtesy of Yuri Williams)

Among those is a child with autism in Evansville, Indiana. According to Williams, the childs mother begged him to visit to celebrate the childs birthday as he had no friends to invite to a party.

Williams brought $500 worth of toys to surprise the child, along with dressing up as a superhero.

His mom was in tears. She was very grateful, Williams told The Epoch Times.

According to Williams, he fronts most of the costs to keep his nonprofit going.

Those who wish to donate to his cause can do so online at and receive updates on charitable missions on Williamss Instagram page.
Dai Bing (C, front), charge d'affaires of China's permanent mission to the United Nations, addresses a high-level Security Council briefing on Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York, Feb. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Xie E)

On the Ukraine crisis, China always stands on the side of peace, and its core stance is to facilitate talks for peace, Xi stressed during Wednesday's phone conversation.



BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The latest phone talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky was widely welcomed in the international community, and many voiced expectations that China will continue to play a constructive role in promoting a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis.



Xi stressed on Wednesday that dialogue and negotiations are the only viable way out for the Ukraine crisis, and no one wins a nuclear war, adding that bilateral ties between the two countries have reached the level of strategic partnership, which has boosted the respective development and revitalization of the two countries.

Following the conversation, Zelensky said on Twitter that he had "a long and meaningful phone call" with Xi, adding that he believes the call and the appointment of Ukraine's ambassador to China "will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations."

The United Nations expects China to continue to play a helpful role in resolving the Ukraine crisis, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told a press conference on Wednesday.

"We certainly encourage the involvement of all key nations around the world, including, of course, the members of the Security Council, in terms of the contributions they can make toward the resolution of the crisis involving Ukraine and Russia," said Haq. "And certainly, we hope that China will continue to play a helpful role."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Wednesday that Moscow welcomed the "readiness of the Chinese side to strive to establish a negotiation process," adding that a broad range of provisions outlined within China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis, a document China published on Feb. 24, are in line with Moscow's principled approaches.

On the Ukraine crisis, China always stands on the side of peace, and its core stance is to facilitate talks for peace, Xi stressed during Wednesday's phone conversation.

Calling the conversation "positive," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that China can play an important role in bringing an end to the Ukraine crisis, adding that France encourages any dialogue that can contribute to the resolution of the crisis.

"We welcome the news that there was a phone call between President Xi and President Zelensky. We think that's a good thing," John Kirby, the U.S. National Security Council's coordinator for strategic communication, told reporters on Wednesday.

Brussels also welcomed the Xi-Zelensky conversation, as it's an important step by China in exercising its responsibilities as a member of the UN Security Council, according to European Commission Chief Spokesperson Eric Mamer on Wednesday.

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell welcomed the development as well, saying it is very important that China talked with Ukraine, and all parties want peace.
Teens Accused in Rock-Throwing Death Took Memento Photo

DENVERThree teens accused of driving around and throwing large rocks at passing cars, one of which investigators say killed a 20-year-old woman, circled back to take a photo of her crashed car as a memento, according to court documents released Thursday.

Nicholas Mitch Karol-Chik told investigators that Joseph Koenig slowed down so Zachary Kwak could get a photo of the car where authorities say Alexa Bartell died after being hit in the head with a rock on April 19, according to arrest affidavits for the 18-year-olds. In a hint at a possible motive, Karol-Chik said all three got excited every time they hit a car with a rock that night but acknowledged he felt a hint of guilt passing by Bartells car, according to the documents.

Nicholas Mitch Karol-Chik who is facing a first-degree murder charge. (Jefferson County Sheriffs Office via AP)

Kwak said he took the photo because he thought that Karol-Chik or Koenig would want to have a memento of what had happened, according to the affidavits. Koenig did not speak to investigators after he was arrested, they said.

All three teens appeared briefly in court for the first time on Thursday but only spoke to answer short questions from the judge about whether they could hear and understood what was happening. A telephone message left for Kwaks lawyer was not immediately returned. A person at the law firm appointed by the court to represent Karol-Chik declined to comment. Koenig is represented by a lawyer from the public defenders office, which does not comment on cases to the media.

The three teens were arrested at their homes in the Denver suburb of Arvada this week after being identified as suspects with the help of cellphone tower data and another friend who had been hanging out with them earlier on April 19. Joseph Bopp also offered a possible explanation for the alleged rock-throwing, telling investigators that Koenig often participates in destructive behavior because he likes causing chaos, the documents said. Bopp told sheriffs investigators he asked to be taken home after he saw the three others taking landscaping rocks from a Walmart parking lot and loading them into Karol-Chiks pickup truck, because he said he knew something bad was going to happen, according to the documents.

Zachary Kwak. (Jefferson County Sheriffs Office via AP)

Karol-Chik told investigators with the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office that he and Koenig had thrown rocks and even a statue at passing cars on at least 10 other days before Bartell was killed. Kwak heard about what they were doing and asked to join them on April 19, according to Karol-Chick, the documents said.

Investigators believe the teens were involved in several other similar incidents in which rocks between 4 and 6 inches (10 and 15 centimeters) in diameter and weighing 3 to 5 pounds (1.4 to 2.7 kilograms) were thrown at cars in the area the night of Bartells death. Two other drivers suffered minor injuries.

According to the sheriffs office, Bartell was talking on the phone with a friend when she was hit by the rock. After the call went silent, the friend tracked Bartells location with a phone app and found the woman dead in her car, which had crashed into a field.

By Colleen Slevin
Tiare Tawera and Carly Taia at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre, in Auckland, New Zealand, on April 22, 2023. (Yang Nan/The Epoch Times)

AUCKLAND, New ZealandTiare Tawera, CEO, actor, and fitness guru, attended the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance with his sister Carly Taia, a legal secretary, at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre on April 22.

Having worked in the television industry for two decades, Mr. Tawera, who is a presenter on Toi Te Ora, said the Shen Yun performance was the best ever.

From the moment the curtains opened, Mr. Tawera said he felt empowered.

I was loss for words, it was stunning  I love the colours, he said, the first thing that you see with the clouds, you feel empowered.

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts is the worlds premier classical Chinese dance company. Through the universal language of music and dance, Shen Yun presents story-based dances depicting heavenly realms, ancient legends, and modern heroic tales from ancient times to the modern day.

Since 2006, Shen Yun has performed at top theatres worldwide with a mission to revive Chinas 5,000-year-old traditional culture. The age-old culture has been on the brink of extinction since the Chinese communist regime seized power in 1949.

Because of their Maori culture, they both experienced a profound admiration for the spirituality and traditions of ancient China.

When I watched the show for the first time, I [felt] that type of connection, that very deep cultural connection, said Mr. Tawera. I get quite emotional because seeing what they are trying to portray and the message they are trying to portray to everyone here, I think its important.

I could feel that in the performance tonight and thats what I like the most, theres a need to push this out, theres a need to acknowledge our culture and heritage, but its not there.

In regards to Shen Yun demonstrating China before communism, Mr. Tawera said, I think thats what I love the most, is that you could see it was the embodiment of that identity but it needed to be shown, this is who we are and its about trying to align to that.

Along with myths and legends from ancient times, Shen Yun presents story-based dances portraying the persecution of Falun Dafa, a meditation discipline based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.

What made me quite emotional is how that spirituality was being disconnected  it was being taken from them  taking away a part of their identity and what represents who they are, to their core, said Ms. Taia, and to understand that thats still a reality today is quite mind-blowing.

Beside the stunning and beautiful visuals of Shen Yun, she said there was a lot behind the scenes that made you think.

It provokes emotions and thoughts and feelings, she said, if someone tried to take my spirituality away, I would be gutted.

Mr. Tawera was also emotionally moved by the performance and grateful for the companys stance on reviving their spiritual heritage.

Whoever you are, in terms of your identity, show it  thats authentically you, he said, our identity is our superpower, the more we portray it to the world, you need more of that!

Reporting by Yang Nan and Jennifer Schneider.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Texas Senate Passes Legislation Banning Hostile Nations From Buying Farmland

Fields waiting to be irrigated are seen in Quemado, Texas, on Feb. 22, 2023. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

The Texas Senate has approved legislation that bans the purchase of farmland by citizens and entities associated with hostile foreign nationsa bill that its author said will provide sweeping state and national security protections.

Republican Texas Sen. Lois Kolkhorst announced the passing of her legislation on Facebook on April 26, following a 19-12 vote in the state Senate earlier in the day, where one Democrat joined 18 Republicans in passing the measure.

This bill protects Texas farmland, oil and gas, rare earth materials and timber from being owned by foreign entities classified as hostile by the Director of U.S. National Intelligence for three consecutive reports. These nations currently include China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, Kolkhorst wrote.

Communist China is the greatest threat to U.S. national security, followed by Russia, Iran, and North Korea, according to the 2022 threat assessment report (pdf) issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). The report called out the Chinese regime as presenting the broadest, most active, and persistent cyber espionage threat to the U.S. Government and private sector networks.

SB 147

Kolkhorst introduced the legislation, SB 147, in November last year and was supported by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. The original version of the legislation (pdf) named the four nations, but the final draft (pdf) was amended to allow a country to be added or removed from the list.

The original bill was softened amid criticism from some Democrats and locals. Initially, the bill banned the purchase of property by any individual who is a citizen of China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia. However, the final draft specifically points out that the ban does not apply to lawful permanent residents, U.S. citizens, and dual citizens.

The property includes agricultural land, improvements, mines and quarries, mineral deposits, and standing timber, according to the legislation.

The Texas attorney general is also granted the authority to investigate possible violations if a reasonable suspicion arises that an entity or individual buying property is associated with one of the countries designated by the ODNI reports, according to the legislation. The states top law enforcement officer could then bring cases to district courts for divestment proceedings.

Texas is rich in its natural resources and is home to invaluable strategic military bases and installations. With SB 147, we can protect our Texas food supply and energy resources as well, Kolkhorst wrote.

Kolkhorsts legislation builds on SB 2116, known as the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act, which prohibits Texas governments and businesses from making critical infrastructure deals with entities from China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. The legislation went into effect in June 2021.

SB 147 has now been moved to the Texas House for consideration.

Discussions

Democrat Texas Rep. Gene Wu, an outspoken critic of Kolkhorsts legislation, issued a statement on April 26, saying he was frustrated by the Senates passage of SB 147 in its current form.

Even with the amendments offered, this legislation still takes away the rights of an entire class of people without due process and solely on the basis of their national origin, Wu wrote.

National security is a serious issue, but if we are concerned about the actions of foreign governments, then legislation should only affect foreign governments and their agents, he added. Our community will continue to work, in the Texas House, to eliminate the unnecessarily discriminatory aspects of this bill.

However, state Sen. Juan Chuy Hinojosa, one of the co-authors of SB 147 and the lone Democrat who voted in favor of it on Wednesday, dismissed critics concerns about the bill during a Senate floor discussion on April 25.

Were not trying to target people. Were trying to target nations that pose a security risk to this great nation of ours, Hinojosa said. Its incorrect to say that this bill is discriminatory.

We should not overlook the point that many of these nations are a threat to our security, Hinojosa added, saying these countries have made it very clear that they want to destroy our country, destroy our democracy, destroy our way of life.

Hinojosa said anyone who has doubts about the Chinese regime posing as a security threat to the United States should look no further than the regimes police station in New York City.

On April 17, the FBI arrested two people on charges of operating a secret police station. They conspired to work as agents of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and took orders from Beijing to track down and silence Chinese dissidents living in the United States, prosecutors said.
The Doric Idiom: Hesma Phobou; Purging or Fear Shedding

Commentary

I am not a combat veteran. The closest Ive come to facing the enemy is holding a rifle or sidearm at high ready when approaching a panga full of uncut cocaine and a handful of exhausted smugglers. They were never armed with anything more dangerous than a fishing knife. If they had guns, they tossed them as soon as they saw the blue lights, knowing full well that we were keyed up and ready to kill if they so much as twitched in a threatening way. We came close more than once.

Even so, the day of growing anticipation as the cutter closed in on the target, the gearing up and loading of weapons, the briefing by the captain, and finally being lowered into rough seas at sunset, all of it building on itself to a breaking pointthat never comes. Months of doing that over and over, on top of the stress of being enlisted in a service that has tied itself in knots trying to be politically correct and inclusive at the expense of its morality and logic. Trying to make sense of that day-in, day-out reality, trying to understand decision-making processes that waste so much time and resources, takes its toll. Youre told to care about and have pride in your work, to constantly improve, but not to push too hard for change because the nail that sticks up gets the hammer.

Now, add to that stress of actual combat. Waking up at 0237 to the sirens of incoming mortar fire and the C-RAM defense guns roaring as they try to intercept the incoming fire. Being on patrol and having a ten-year-old boy run out into the road to detonate the bomb strapped to his chest under the front tires of your truck. Getting excited for your weekly card game with your buddies, and your support group, only to find out they all died when their helicopter went down. Watching your driver put on her plate carrier and holster her weapon like she does every day, knowing full well that she was raped two weeks ago and refuses to acknowledge it because she has no recourse. Worse, you know who did it and cant say anything either.

And yet, people wonder why the veteran suicide rate is so high.

(DoD photo by Joshua Seybert)

In his book Gates of Fire, Steven Pressfield describes the Spartans post-battle ritual of claiming their tickets. The ticket was one half of a twig or piece of valueless wood carved with a name or personal mark. They were broken in half before battle, with one half left behind in a basket and the other tied to the wrist of the Spartan to be carried into combat. Claiming their tickets after the fighting gave accountability for the dead who couldnt claim their other half, and it let commanders brothers, lovers, and friends know who wasnt coming home.

The small ritual of claiming their tickets when their names were called, of fitting the two halves together, was a form of release. It signaled the end of fighting for the day. It was time for hesma phobou, the Greek ritual of purging or shedding of fear. The adrenaline, terror, stress, and sheer inhumanity of fighting close enough to have your enemys guts spill onto your feet while you watched them die had to have an outlet. The Spartans experienced PTSD in all its horror, but they also had a cultural mechanism for coping with it, and a support structure for surviving it. The purge gave them an outlet before it could metastasize like cancer and consume them.

In the modern era of Hollywood storytelling and empty machismo that plagues the current ideal of masculinity and the modern soldier, we have lost what it means to be tough. If the ancient Spartans could cry and wail and shake uncontrollably while holding one another after fighting, then why are modern veterans shunned for doing the same? Why is it so hard to find help without the quiet unofficial reprimand that comes with seeking out a counselor?

We have lost the support of our leaders, and our official culture no longer offers the support it should.

We have lost the ability to shed our fear, and so we carry it instead.

With no outlet or release, the pressure becomes too much, and the veteran suicide rate stays high.

This article first appeared in The Havok Journal.

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The Western US Remains Divided Over Abortion

Idaho and Utah have continued banning or limiting abortions, while Oregon and California are stockpiling abortion pills.

Idaho and Utah were two of the 13 states that had trigger laws to make abortions illegal when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. As soon as Roe v. Wade was overturned, Idaho joined the list of states where abortion became prohibited, while Utahs ban continues to be challenged in court.

Idaho is the only state in the western United States that has banned abortions. Abortions are illegal there except in cases of rape or incest or if the mothers life is in jeopardy or if the term is under six weeks; similar to Texas.

Most recently, Idaho passed a new law making it a criminal offense if anyone helps or assists a minor to get an abortion without parental or guardian consent. This new law begins in May. That person doesnt have to be medical staff (although the law does include medical staff); its someone who supports the abortion in any way, such as giving a ride or helping to find a place to have an abortion, regardless of where the abortion takes place.

If a woman who resides in Idaho qualifies for an abortion and chooses to go forward with it, shell have to wait for a mandatory 24-hour period and receive counseling.

Utahs trigger ban on abortion hasnt taken effect yet because its being challenged in court. In March, the state passed a law that defines the term limit of 18 weeks but allows abortions after 18 weeks in cases of rape or incest. They also banned abortions because of Down syndrome.

Most recently, Utah passed a law prohibiting abortion clinics and requiring abortions to be performed only in hospitals, except in emergencies. Providers who violate this law could face civil and criminal penalties. This new law also begins in May.

Part of the code for the Utah Legislature states: It is the intent of the Legislature to protect and guarantee to unborn children their inherent and inalienable right to life.

If a woman still qualifies for an abortion and chooses to go forward with it, in Utah shell have a mandatory 72-hour waiting period. During counseling, she must be told that the states preference is for childbirth over abortion.

Abortions continue to remain legal in California and Oregon to anyone, in spite of where one lives. This includes access to the abortion pill.

California and Oregon have similar histories of abortion because both states started allowing abortions in 1969, four years before the Roe v. Wade ruling.

After Roe v. Wade was overturned, the governors of California, Oregon, and Washington issued a multi-state commitment saying they will work together to help women who travel for abortions and will shield medical professionals from being pursued by authorities in states where the procedure became criminal.

Besides having insurance companies set aside funds for the procedure, both California and Oregon budget public funds for women who might need an abortion and for those who might need to travel to have the procedure.

California includes abortion rights in its constitution. The term limit in California is defined as until viability. It means when a fetus has developed enough to be able to survive outside the uterus, even if it needs medical help. Most say this occurs around 24 to 26 weeks into the pregnancy.

Oregon law includes protection for those who have or perform abortions, but it isnt in their constitution.

Some have argued that its a protected right under their Equal Rights Amendment in 2014, but the Equal Rights Amendment simply states: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the State of Oregon or by any political subdivision in this state on account of sex.

As a result, the Reproductive Health Equity Act was passed in 2017, and it gave access to reproductive health with no cost sharing regardless of the Affordable Care Act and regardless of whether you have insurance.

There are no term limits to have an abortion in Oregon.
NEW YORKIn 2017, the UK-based Mischief Theatre company brought to Broadway the absolutely brilliant farce, The Play That Goes Wrong, detailing the technical and comic mishaps that occurred during the performance of an old-fashioned English murder mystery.

Now, the same creative team (Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields) tries their hand at farce once more. This time their vehicle is James M. Barries beloved classic Peter Pan, as presented by the very, very amateur Cornley Youth Theatre. For those unfamiliar with the Barrie work, the plot can be summed up thusly: In early 1900s London, the Darling children, Wendy (Charlie Russell), John (Sayer), and Michael (Matthew Cavendish), are visited by the mischievous Peter Pan (Greg Tannahill), a boy who can fly. Also with Peter is his companion, the fairy Tinker Bell (Nancy Zamit).

(LR) Chris (Henry Shields), Lucy (Ellie Morris), Robert (Henry Lewis), Sandra (Charlie Russell), Dennis (Jonathan Sayer), Francis (Neil Patrick Harris), and Max (Matthew Cavendish), in Peter Pan Goes Wrong. (Jeremy Daniel)

In return for Wendy helping Peter regain his missing shadow, he teaches the children to fly and takes them to Neverland, a place where mermaids and pirates dwell. Among the buccaneers is Peters archenemy, Captain Hook (Shields). Also in Neverland is a Crocodile (Cavendish) whose appearance is heralded by an ominous ticking soundthe reptile having previously swallowed a clock.

Despite everyones best intentions, from the word goor even before that actually, as shown in a wonderfully biting introduction speech by members of the Cornley production team (Shields and Lewis)things do not go as planned.

Almost as soon as the play begins, various disasters, miscues, and technical mishaps occur again and again. The same can also be said for the resulting laughter that follows every single misstep.

Lights keep flickering and props dont work. There are also props that are badly designed, like a pet flap far too small for the actor playing the Darling dog, Nana (Lewis), or circumstances that render a pirate (Lewis) unable to pick up a dropped sword.

Theres also a revolving set that refuses to stop revolving, sound cues that come on at the wrong time (why is there a taxicab in Neverland?), and open mikes that reveal far too much of what the backstage crew and/or production team are thinking.

A crucial decision by the Peter Pan Goes Wrong creative team was to make sure every actor stays completely in character regardless of what happens around them. There are no winks or asides to let those watching in on the joke, although there is some direct engagement with the audience for other reasons.

At the same time, back stories regarding the CYT actors begin to emerge. Among them, a case of unrequited love, a company romance, and the real reason certain members of the cast got their roles in this production. This allows what unfolds on stage to play out on two very different and distinct levels.

(LR) Annie (Nancy Zamit), Max (Matthew Cavendish), Dennis (Jonathan Sayer), Sandra (Charlie Russell), Gill (Bianca Horn), and Lucy (Ellie Morris), in Peter Pan Goes Wrong. (Jeremy Daniel)

However, Peter Pan Goes Wrong also proves the adage that too much of anything is not necessarily a good idea. The shows creators at times seemingly dont know when to stop, such as with a pirate trying to find a certain prop in his costume. By the third time this happens, it begins to get old. Even the continuous crashing of Peter Pan into the scenery starts to wear thin after a while. Its as if the conceivers of the piece began to run out of things to make funny as they try to get to the end of the play.

The actors, many of whom play multiple characters, give it their all and then some. Shields does a great slow burn as Mr. Darling, at points channeling his inner John Cleese. He also continually bursts into comic rage at the audience as Captain Hook.

Tannahill comes across nicely as Peter Pan, bringing forth the characters sense of fun and adventure. Russell is perfect as Wendy, whether gamely soldiering on as things fall apart around her or leading the company in a spirited musical number about the wonders of make-believe.

Sayer does a fine deadpan turn as John, an actor so unable to remember his lines he has to have them fed to him via a special headset. He then regurgitates everything he hears, including some things hes definitely not supposed to repeat aloud.

Max, front (Matthew Cavendish) with (LR) Francis (Harry Kershaw), Sandra (Charlie Russell), Jonathan (Greg Tannahill), Chris (Henry Shields), Dennis (Jonathan Sayer), and Robert (Henry Lewis), in Peter Pan Goes Wrong. (Jeremy Daniel)

Cavendish ends up stealing the audiences hearts as the Crocodile, and also gets more than a few cheers thanks to an unintentional revealing of backstage secrets. Zamit is fun as Mrs. Darling and the Darling maid, Lisa, earning several well-deserved rounds of applause for her quick costume changes.

Harry Kershaw (filling in for Neil Patrick Harris) garners laughs as the shows beleaguered narrator who vainly tries to keep the plot moving forward, even as things are literally pulled out from under him. Credit also must be given to Simon Scullions scenic work.

Peter Pan Goes Wrong is lots of fun. Indeed, many audience members were laughing hysterically throughout. However, with a bit of judicious editing, the final product could have been a lot stronger than it is.

Peter Pan Goes Wrong

Ethel Barrymore Theatre

243 W. 47th St.

Tickets: 212-239-6200 or TicketMaster.com

Running Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes (one intermission)

Closes: July 9
Will Asfour attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University on April 27, 2023. (Stacey Tang/The Epoch Times)

UNIVERSITY PARK, IllinoisWill Asfour, a consultant, watched Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University on Apr. 27.

Its cool to learn history, culture, and arts and dances, said Mr. Asfour. I think its good for people to reverse their takes and things like that  Im enjoying it a lot.

Based in New York, Shen Yun was founded in 2006 and is the worlds premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Now with eight equally sized companies touring the world simultaneously, Shen Yuns mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture and to give its audiences a glimpse of pre-communist China.

Mr. Asfour said that he enjoyed the passion of the Himalayan ethnic dance and that he appreciated that the performance also touched on some modern-day issues, such as how you cant really express certain things in China to this day without getting persecuted.

Shen Yuns program includes story-based dances, some of which are set in modern-day China and depict the Chinese governments persecution of followers of faith.

Mr. Asfour said that his impression of traditional China was that theres a lot of rich culture traditions.

A lot of things we use today come from that region of the world, and I think its important to learn, he said. Its also good to show different countries and different people, different cultures [in a] positive light  I love Chinese history and cultureso I just want to learn more about it.

Mr. Asfour also praised the performers discipline, which he felt was a good positive message.

The discipline it takes to perform these dancesyou know how rigorous it is and  everyone lights up watching.

You could tell it takes a lot of discipline and practice and will, Mr. Asfour added. [They can stay] perfectly still and [be] exactly on time with the music.

Shen Yuns name means the beauty of divine beings dancing, and the show contains spiritual elements that come from the teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, which make up the foundations of China culture. Mr. Asfour shared his opinion that it is important for people to learn about spirituality.

I think it (Shen Yun) has a focus on a higher power [or] spiritual being, he said. It just feels [like] God likes this.

I think its very important for like everyone to be in touch with your spiritual side, said Mr. Asfour.

I think a lot of people have spiritual voids that they need to fill, whether its through faith or through meditation or discipline or practice, but I think its important to learn about it.

Reporting by Stacey Tang and Wandi Zhu.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Top US General: Ukraine Has What It Needs to Launch Spring Offensive

Members of the military walk on a tank, as Germany delivers its first Leopard tanks to Slovakia as part of a deal after Slovakia donated fighting vehicles to Ukraine, in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Dec. 19, 2022. (Radovan Stoklasa/Reuters)

Ukraine has received more than 230 battle tanks and 1,550 assorted combat vehicles from its Western allies and now has all the equipment and munitions it needs to launch its spring offensive against Russia, the commander of U.S. forces in Europe told a congressional panel on April 26.

Over 98 percent of the combat vehicles are already there, U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) Commander Gen. Christopher Cavoli said. I am very confident that we have delivered the materiel that they need, and well continue a pipeline to sustain their operations as well.

The 54-nation Ukraine Defense Contact Group has been very generous in responding to Kyivs calls for assistance in fighting off Russias invasion, especially with regard to tanks and armored fighting vehicles, Cavoli said.

And we have been shipping it into the country, he said. The Ukrainians are in a good position.

Cavoli, whos both USEUCOM commander and NATO supreme allied commander Europe (SACEUR), was responding to queries from House Armed Forces Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), who questioned whether the Biden administration has provided Ukraine with everything it needs to defeat Russia decisively to avoid a lengthy, costly stalemate.

Im hopeful the coming counteroffensive will provide a final stinging defeat for Putin, Rogers said. But that will require the president to stop being so reluctant to provide Ukraine with the capabilities it needs to be successful. His hesitation over being too escalatory has only prolonged the war and driven up cost in terms of dollars and lives.

He said the administration should reconsider its reluctance to provide Ukraine with F-16s and cluster artillery munitions.

Cavoli and Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander both said F-16s werent a high priority on Ukrainian military planners wish lists.

Wallander said fighter aircraft ranked about eighth among Ukraines military needs. She said Poland and Slovakia have provided MiG-29s, legacy Soviet aircraft that Ukrainians are familiar with.

They know how to use them; they know how to maintain them, she said.

The highest priority capabilities requested by Ukraine are in air defense, artillery, and armor, Wallander said.

Rogers said the United States has a stockpile of 3 million cluster bombs that can be fired from the 155 mm Howitzers provided to Ukraine and questioned why the Biden administration wont send any there.

Russia is using these munitions right now against the Ukrainians, he said to Cavoli. Can you please explain the battlefield military utility that giving Ukraine the [cluster munitions] that we have would have in particular in places like Bakhmut?

Cavoli explained that the cluster bombs, which are banned by 123 nations, work as dual purpose munitions against mixed targets of personnel and equipment, especially when those targets are gathered into dense formations.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping (L) shakes hands with his French President Emmanuel Macron at the official welcoming ceremony in Beijing on April 6, 2023. (Ng Han Guan/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Some Allies Are Better Than Others

Despite Cavolis and Wallanders blanket praise for NATOs response to Ukraines calls for assistance, Rogers noted that some allies have been more engaged than others.

The awakening in Germany that so many thought was coming has yet to materialize, and in France, the denial runs even deeper, he said. France has not met the minimum levels of NATO defense spending, and it ranks in the bottom of nations sending military assistance to Ukraine. President Macrons recent knee-bending before President Xi has been shameful.

Rogers said Russias invasion of Ukraine has finally opened Europes eyes to the threats they face.

Europe needs to learn the lessons of Nordstream 2 and not become dependent on adversaries, especially those that commit genocide and look to change international borders through force, he said.

Rogers praised Poland, Romania, Finland, and the Balts for stepping up to meet that threat when others are not.

I think it is time for U.S. forces in Europe to move further east into the countries that are investing more heavily into their own security, he said.

Poland, Romania, and the Baltics [Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia] truly understand the threat from Putin. Unlike others, theyve invested in their own defense and are our real partners in our collective security. Its also where our troops will be most useful and have the largest impact on deterrence.

The Biden administrations actions in backing Ukraine are not only being watched and measured in Moscow by Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said, but in Beijing by Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The Biden administrations continued reluctance and indecision only sends the wrong message, Rogers said. Xi is watching how America responds to this conflict very closely. If America loses its resolve in the Ukraine, it sends a clear message that we wont be there to defend Taiwan.

That is not the message we should be sending to the CCP.
Train Derailment in Wisconsin Sends Railcars Into Mississippi River

Recovery work is shown at the scene of a train derailment along Hwy 35 in Crawford County just south of DeSoto, Wis., on April 27, 2023. (Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP)

A freight train derailed in Crawford County, Wisconsin, on Thursday, sending two locomotives into the Mississippi River, according to BNSF Railway.

The derailment occurred on the eastern edge of the Mississippi River, near De Soto, around 30 miles south of La Crosse.

BNSF Railway said in a statement that two of the three locomotives and an unknown number of cars derailed on the bluff side of the river.

The Crawford County Sheriffs Office said on its Facebook page that there was no need to evacuate.

According to Lena Kent, a spokesperson for the railway, none of the railcars involved in the incident contained hazardous materials. Some of the cars that derailed on shore contained paint and lithium-ion batteries. The volumes involved dont pose a risk to the river or the communities, she said.

A boom would be placed in the impacted areas, Kent said.

All crew members were accounted for, with one receiving a medical evaluation.

While the main track is blocked in both directions, BNSF personnel were at the scene investigating the cause of the incident.

Meanwhile, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates safety across the nations railroads, said on Twitter that its sending a team to gather information and assist local emergency workers.

FRA has sent safety personnel to the scene of a BNSF derailment in Crawford County, WI, to gather information and support local efforts as needed, the agency said.

Gov. Tony Evers said on Twitter that he was briefed on the derailment and is getting regular updates from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the Department of Natural Resources, and state emergency management officials.

As the scene is along the Mississippi River, I am reaching out to [Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds] and [Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker], and we will continue to be in close communication to offer state support to our local, state, and federal partners, including [NTSB], which is the lead responding agency, Evers said.

This incident follows the evacuation of hundreds of people in Raymond, Minnesota, last month after a BNSF train hauling ethanol and corn syrup derailed and caught fire.

It also occurred almost three months after a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, where officials decided to release and burn toxic vinyl chloride from five tanker cars to prevent a catastrophic explosion.
Trudeau Foundation Misled on Origin of Chinese Donation: Former CEO

The former CEO of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation who recently quit her post over the handling of a 2016 donation says her predecessor misled the public by claiming its origin was Canadian and not Chinese.

Pascale Fournier, who left the foundation with other board members a few weeks ago during an internal crisis, made the remarks while testifying before the House of Commons ethics committee on April 28.

She noted a statement her predecessor Morris Rosenberg had given to the National Post in 2016 regarding the $200,000 donation promised by Chinese businessmen Zhang Bin and Niu Gensheng.

The Post article paraphrased Rosenberg as saying the foundation does not count the donation as being foreign since it was made by a company registered in Canada.

This was a declaration on behalf of the foundation to say that it was not foreign, that it was Canadian money. This was in the annual report as well, when in fact, the tax receipt itself mentioned China, said Fournier, whos a full professor of law at the University of Ottawa.

I think this is something that is misleading to Canadians.

Zhang Bin and Niu Gensheng, both formally associated with the Chinese regime-backed China Cultural Industry Association (CCIA), had promised to give a total of $1 million to the foundation and the Universite de Montreal in 2014, in honour of former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

The issue surfaced in the news in 2016 a few months after the donation ceremony, when the Globe and Mail reported that Zhang Bin had attended a cash-for-access Liberal Party fundraiser where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was the guest of honour.

Of the $200,000 promised to the foundation, only $140,000 was provided in the end in two instalments.

But the reality doesnt quite match what was publicly announced by the donations beneficiaries.

Fournier explained that the two charitable receipts had been signed by Rosenberg, with the one for the first instalment of 2016 mentioning an address in China. It was also not in the name of either announced donor, but on behalf of the company Millennium Golden Eagle, which is owned by Zhang Bin.

The receipt for the second instalment provided in 2017 was for the same company, but this time with an address in Quebec and containing the names of the donors, said Fournier.

I immediately started to ask questions about why is it that we would have two receipts that are so different that one seems to be international with money that seems to come from China, and another one with an address in Quebec, she said.

The Epoch Times reached out to Rosenberg and the Trudeau Foundation for comment but didnt hear back by publication time.

Fourniers inquiries about the donation started after the Globe and Mail reported on Feb. 28 that it was the Chinese regime that directed Zhang Bin to give money to the Trudeau Foundation, in a potential foreign influence scheme.

When Fournier started investigating internally what had transpired, she found out through reviewing emails that the CCIA was in direct communication with foundation employees, telling them what to specifically write on the donation receipts.

She said that based on what she saw, there was no direct link between the donors and the foundation. The link was really between this association [CCIA] and the foundation.

Is it fair to say that the association was an extension of the Peoples Republic of China, the government? asked NDP MP Matthew Green.

I think there was a very strong proximity. I dont know if I would say extension, but it was clearly under the guidance  of the government, said Fournier.

Green then asked if one could infer there would have been guidance from the Chinese regime with regard to this particular donation.

Possibly, thats why I wanted to have an unrestricted forensic audit to understand what happened before I became president and CEO of the foundation, Fournier answered.

Internal Crisis

An internal conflict over how that forensic audit would unfold is what led Fournier and other board members to resign, she said.

They wanted board members who were there at the time of the donation, some of whom had roles in managing internal finances, to recuse themselves from any review to protect its integrity.

Fournier says they refused. She named them as the three board members who have stayed on to manage the affairs of the foundation: Edward (Ted) Johnson, Bruce McNiven, and Peter Sahlas. All are Trudeau family friends, and Johnson and McNiven were founding members of the Trudeau Foundation.

There was this tension regarding  some members who were asked to recuse themselves and so there was a breach of trust to shed a full light on this issue and to protect the foundation, she said.

Fournier and most the board resigned on April 11 and the foundation announced the next day it was hiring an accounting firm, itself instructed by a law firm, to conduct the internal review. The foundation also asked the auditor general to investigate, but the AG said it would be outside the scope of her mandate.

Upcoming Testimonies

More about the Chinese donation and the Trudeau Foundation will be revealed in committee in the coming days, as Rosenberg is set to testify on May 2. The committee also passed two unanimous motions, one calling on Johnson to testify and the other to have Fournier produce documents in her possession.

The committee will review the documents behind closed doors and might not amount to much, since Fournier said foundation people searched her house for six hours to make sure that they would leave with with everything. They also took back the organizations computer and cellphone she was using.

They insisted on the fact that they wanted to read all of the text messages, and that I was not allowed to touch any of the text messages, she said.

Alexandre Trudeau will also testify before the committee on May 3. He had been involved in the donation deal early, with a web posting from the CCIA showing him in a picture dated June 2014 with Zhang Bin, Niu Gensheng, and then Universite de Montreal vice-president Guy Lefebvre.

Fournier said that she was surprised to see that Alexandre Trudeau signed the donation contract instead of Rosenberg, especially since the donation receipts were signed by Rosenberg.

I have not found a resolution from the board that authorized Mr. Alexandre Trudeau to sign this contract nor anything in the meeting minutes from committees or the board at the time, but that said, I wasnt there.

The Trudeau Foundation, which provides scholarships and mentorship, was established by the federal government in the early 2000s to honour the memory of former primer minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, and was endowed with $125 million.

It is associated with the Ministry of Innovation, which can appoint up to eight individuals to its leadership structure.

The department told The Epoch Times that the Government of Canada is not involved in the day-to-day operations of the foundation.

Fournier also told the ethics committee that to her knowledge, during her mandate, the foundation did not have links with the prime minister.

Me personally  I indeed had no links but I cannot speak for other members of our leadership.

Trudeau has said repeatedly that hes had no dealings with the foundation since becoming Liberal Party Leader.

For 10 years, I have had no direct or indirect involvement with the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, he told the House of Commons on April 26.
GAZA, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), on Thursday announced its decision to stop receiving donations through the digital currency "Bitcoin."

The group said in a press statement that the decision was taken "within the framework of ensuring the safety of the donors and not subjecting them to any harm."

"We took the decision, especially in light of the intensification of the pursuit and the doubling of the hostile effort against anyone who tries to support the resistance (Hamas) through this currency," said the statement.

Hamas called for the continuation of donations in various available ways other than donating funds with Bitcoin.

Israel Radio reported that the Israeli counterterrorism office for economic affairs last week seized funds in crypto-currency which amounted to more than half a million shekels (138,888 shekels).

According to the report, more than 80 digital accounts of exchange companies working to serve Hamas in the Gaza Strip were seized.

The Al-Qassam Brigades previously called for providing financial support through digital currency to help it to deal with financing challenges.

Bitcoin, the worldwide cryptocurrency and digital payment system, was released as open-source software in 2009. The system works without a central repository or administrator, and the transactions take place between users directly. 
Twitter Files: Tucker Carlson Op-ed About COVID Vaccines for Children Targeted as Misinformation

The vaccine recommendation came directly from the WHO website

Tucker Carlson returned to Twitter following the announcement he and Fox News had parted wayshis first comment made in a video had already garnered nearly 22 million views in two days.

Emails found in the Twitter Files show the same platform, under the previous leadership, worked to label information Carlson published in an opinion article, which was taken directly from the World Health Organizations websiteand subsequently edited outas COVID misinformation.

They decided not to mark the Fox News URL as unsafe, given political risks. Instead, they labeled any tweets linking the article as possible COVID-19 misinformation.

Misleading Information Policy

An email from Elizabeth Busby, a former Twitter communications staff member, to her team questioned whether the op-ed violated Twitters COVID-19 misleading information policy and qualified for enforcement.

The op-ed was published on June 23, 2021, and stated the WHOs partnership with big tech companies continued smoothly until just a few days ago. Thats when bureaucrats at the WHO published new vaccine guidance. Heres what it says: children should not take the coronavirus vaccine. Why? The drugs are too dangerous, Carlson wrote.

An internet archive of the WHO web page does show the WHO stated Children should not be vaccinated for the moment as of June 22, 2021. WHO officials added in their recommendations There is not yet enough evidence on the use of vaccines against COVID-19 in children to make recommendations for children to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Children and adolescents tend to have milder disease compared to adults.

The internet archive of the same webpage for June 23 did not include that language. Instead, it said it was less urgent to vaccinate children unless they were part of a higher risk group and that they concluded the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was suitable for age 12 and up.

Twitters Qualms

The remainder of the first email by Busby included a note that in the past the company had included misinformation labels and measures before a user clicked on a link if the content would otherwise violate Twitter policies if the content were posted directly on Twitter.

Given Tuckers visibility, we anticipate there may be some press interest regardless of the enforcement outcome, Busby wrote, according to the Twitter Files email.

A response to that email said Twitter was going to proceed with labeling any Tweets linking to the article we detect that advance the claim that WHO has deemed the vaccine dangerous for children.

While the WHO website did not state specifically the vaccine was dangerous for children, it did clearly state the vaccine was not recommended for children for the moment due to a lack of evidence on the use of the COVID-19 vaccines in children.

The Twitter logo on the exterior of Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, Calif., on Oct. 28, 2022. (Constanza Hevia/AFP via Getty Images)

An internal only line of the email stated a link to the article had not yet been posted to the Twitter accounts of Fox News or Carlson, nor had it gained significant traction. However, it added, given that this articles narrative is related to big tech censorship, I want to be mindful that taking action on the URL level could lead to this particular article gaining more traction rather than mitigating the harm associated with it.

That employee added Twitter would continue to keep an eye on any ongoing discussions relative to the article and that if it gained traction, Twitter would again review the link under their URL guidelines.

An email from another Twitter employee to Yoel Roth, Twitters head of Trust and Safety, said the team should definitely escalate to Vijaya Gadde, former chief legal counsel for the company, regarding any actions to mark a Fox News URL as unsafe given political risks.

Roth replied stating there was no intent to mark the URL as unsafe and that he would definitely ensure he escalated a question like that if it arose.

More Censorship Options Discussed

Twitters Senior Policy Specialist for Misinformation, Joseph Guay, also chimed in on the discussion, sharing other options to escalate without directly censoring Fox News.

Guay wrote sharing the link itself wouldnt trigger a misinformation annotation, but Twitter could decide to remediate the URL through an unsafe pop-up when a user clicked on a link.

This would have been applied every time someone shared the link, with users having to click through a prompt to accept being directed to the website to read the opinion article, without specifically labeling the link as disinformation or applying other punitive remediation.

For the tweets containing the link to be labeled as vaccine misinformation, the tweet itself would have had to include the supposed misinformation or advance a similar sentiment as the misleading claims in the op-ed while linking to the Fox News opinion article.

A Twitter meet-and-greet months later led to officials meeting with Carlsons producer Alex Pfieffer. Twitter, in their notes of the encounter, stated it was apparent from the get-go they have very different goals.

The note also stated Pfieffer and the team saw importance in that Carlson at least has [Twitters] side of the story in front of him.
UK Blocks Microsofts $69 Billion Activision Deal Over Cloud Gaming Concerns

Microsoft logo on a smartphone placed on displayed Activision Blizzard's games characters on Jan. 18, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

LONDONBritain will block Microsofts $69 billion acquisition of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard over concerns it would hinder competition in cloud gaming, dealing an unexpected blow to the biggest-ever deal in gaming.

The countrys antitrust regulator said on Wednesday that Microsofts commitment to offer access to Activisions multi-billion dollar Call of Duty franchise to leading cloud gaming platforms would not effectively remedy its concerns.

Microsofts president Brad Smith said in a statement the company remained fully committed to the acquisition and would appeal the decision, while Activision said it would work aggressively with Microsoft to reverse it.

Activisions CEO Bobby Kotick told staff it was not the news we wantedbut it is far from the final word on this deal.

We will reassess our growth plans for the UK, the company said in a separate statement. Global innovators large and small will take note thatdespite all its rhetoricthe UK is clearly closed for business.

Shares in Activision, which also makes Candy Crush, Overwatch and World of Warcraft, fell nearly 12 percent to $76.65, moving further from Microsofts offer price of $95 per share. The video-game publisher was set to erase nearly $8 billion in market valuation, if the losses hold.

The gaming company also reported quarterly results on Wednesday, a day earlier than scheduled, beating quarterly bookings estimates although that seemed to do little to allay investor concerns about Britains move.

Shares in Microsoft rose to their highest in more than a year, a day after the maker of Office software beat Street estimates for quarterly revenue and profit.

The company announced its Activision bid in January 2022 to boost its firepower in a video gaming market led by Tencent and Sony.

We expect that Microsoft will continue to fight this, Evercore ISI analyst Kirk Materne said in a note.

If Microsoft throws in the towel, it would free up more than $60 billion in cash flow to either return to investors or make investments in AI-related offerings, he noted.

The Activision deal is the biggest involving technology companies the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has blocked, the latest sign the UK watchdog is ready to take on Big Tech after blocking in 2021 Facebook-owner Metas acquisition of Giphy.

Europe will decide on the Activision deal by May 22. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is also seeking to block it.
UK Surgeon: Very Few Doctors Willing to Speak Out Against Prevailing Opinion on COVID-19

Consultant Surgeon Dr. Tony Hinton (L), a spokesman for the Health Advisory and Recovery Team, poses for a photo with Lee Hall, host of NTD's "British Thought Leaders" programme. (NTD)

Some health professionals in the UK felt they had to self-censor during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect their jobs, a veteran consultant surgeon has said.

In an interview with NTDs British Thought Leaders (BTL) programme, Dr. Tony Hinton, an independent consultant ENT surgeon who has spent 30 years working in the National Health Service (NHS), said that while he began to question the effectiveness of lockdowns and the COVID-19 vaccines very, very early on, the group that was hardest to engage with was other doctors.

Very few of us are willing to speak out becauseparticularly if you have an NHS jobbasically your jobs on the line if you speak out, and youll get called in to speak to the medical director and told youve got to stop, and may be suspended, he said.

Hinton is one of the spokespersons for the Health Advisory and Recovery Team (HART)a group of experts who are sceptical about the UK governments policies and guidance relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The surgeon told the BTL programme that he was once challenged by someone who stated he was against the international consensus on science, to which Hinton replied that the person had likely only heard one side of the storybecause the people who are of the other opinion have been shut down almost completely until very, very recently.

Repeated Lockdowns

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the first national lockdown in England in late March 2020. Although not convinced it was the right way to go, Hinton said he didnt have any criticisms for the initial lockdown given the difficult choice ministers were facing.

If politicians panic and they overdo things and theyre too cautious, well, theyre not going to get the blame for that. If they dont do enough and its a disaster, theyll absolutely get the blame. So theyll never take that risk, Hinton said.

But it was obvious from that point, that from then on, no further lockdown was necessary, and no further repeated lockdowns were necessary because the cases had just come down by themselves, he contended.

Hinton said international data indicated no positive correlation between harder, longer lockdowns and less COVID, noting that lockdowns also caused harms such as to education and in terms of cancer diagnosis and treatment delays.

He also noted that the average age of deaths with COVID-19 was similar to the average age of deaths from other causes.

According to Office for National Statistics data for England and Wales, by March of this year, the median age of those people whose deaths involved COVID-19 was 82the same as the median age of death from all causes in 2020.

Unclear If mRNA Vaccines Would Switch Off

Hinton said he and his son, an orthopedic surgeon who had had COVID-19, decided to get the vaccines in early 2021before realising the vaccines effectiveness in preventing transmission is limited and short-lived.

As doctors, we were being told it was our duty to take the vaccine because it was going to protect our vulnerable patients from catching COVID from us. Because if we took the vaccine, we couldnt catch it, we couldnt pass it on. We now know both those things are untrue, he said.

He disputed authorities claim that no step had been skipped in the vaccines authorisation processes, saying it was concerning the way they were fast-tracked.

The UKs Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency previously said it was able to expedite the approval process by reviewing data as it came instead of waiting for all data to become available.

Hinton said hes most concerned about the mRNA vaccines. These are encoded with a spike protein that is linked to both long COVID and adverse vaccine effects.

[With] a normal vaccine, youre injecting a known amount of some dead virus or something, and you know what the reaction to that will be. Here, youre injecting a known amount of the mRNA, but two people could make completely different amounts of Spike protein from that.

He equated that to giving some patients normal doses of paracetamol to treat a headache, while giving other patients 100 times the normal dose.

Hinton, who took two doses of the Pfizer vaccine in January and March 2021, said hes still taking regular blood tests to monitor his spike protein antibodies, which can be obtained from COVID-19 infections or from the vaccines.

The results have been concerning, Hinton said. Im still making large amounts of Spike protein  Will I forever? And will that cause a problem? I dont know.
UN Security Council Unanimously Condemns Taliban Ban on Afghan Women Working for UN

Students attend a class bifurcated by a curtain separating males and females at a private university to follow the Taliban's ruling, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sept. 7, 2021. (Aamir Qureshi/AFP via Getty Images)

The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to condemn the Talibans ban on women working for the organization on April 27, calling the decision unprecedented in the history of the United Nations.

The resolution, and a separate one calling on the Taliban to quickly reverse its crackdown on the rights of women and girls, was passed unanimously by the 15-member body in New York.

Russia and China joined the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, and other nations in passing the resolutions in a sign of widespread global concerns over the Talibans increasingly aggressive actions.

According to a press release from the United Nations, the resolutions called for the Taliban to put an end to its policies and practices restricting women and girls enjoyment of their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including those across education, employment, freedom of movement, and participation in public life.

The council also reiterated its earlier calls on the Taliban to allow for the full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access for the personnel of the organizations humanitarian agencies, as well as their partners and other humanitarian workers and providers of basic services regardless of their gender.

It also recognized the need to help address multiple challenges facing Afghanistans economy, including the need to enable the use of assets belonging to Afghanistans Central Bank for the benefit of the Afghan people.

Taliban Repression of Women

Over $7 billion of Afghanistans assets were frozen by the United States after it withdrew its military from the nation in August 2021, when the leader of the U.S.-backed Afghan government fled and the Taliban captured the capital city of Kabul.

As of today, not a single penny has been returned, Chinas Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Geng Shuang said during Thursdays vote.

When it toppled the democratically-elected government in 2021, the Taliban vowed to protect womens and girls rights while implementing a more moderate rule compared to its strict leadership from 1996 to 2001.

However, it has since rolled back a wide range of womens rights, including issuing a ban on girls attending high school and university, preventing them from accessing certain public spaces, and removing job opportunities from them.

In December, Taliban leaders signed a decree banning female nationals from working for most NGOs, despite officials vowing in September 2021 that all humanitarian workers, including both men and women, would be guaranteed safety, security, and freedom of movement.

Earlier this month, it banned Afghan women from working with the United Nations in Afghanistan.

While the country is rife with human rights issues, the Taliban has attempted to gain formal recognition by the United Nations as Afghanistans legitimate government. Currently, no countries recognize it as a legitimate government, and the former government of President Ashraf Ghani still holds the countrys U.N. seat.

We Will Not Stand for the Talibans Repression

Speaking after Thursdays vote, U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood said the Security Council has sent a clear, unanimous message to the Taliban and the world: We will not stand for the Talibans repression of women and girls.

The Taliban has chosen to ban women from universities; to keep secondary schools closed to girls; and to prevent Afghan women from working with NGOs, the U.N., and in nearly every sector of the economy, Wood said. These decisions are indefensible. They are not seen anywhere else in the world.

Approximately 90 countries worldwide co-sponsored the resolution, including many Muslim nations, U.N. officials said.

This cross-regional support makes todays fundamental message even more significant: the world will not sit by silently as women in Afghanistan are erased from society, UAE Ambassador to the United Nations Lana Zaki Nusseibeh said.

The vote comes as House Republicans continue to investigate the United States abrupt evacuation from Afghanistan and have requested documents regarding the withdrawal from the Biden administration.

It also comes ahead of a planned international meeting in Doha on May 12 on Afghanistan, which U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said will focus on building a unified consensus among the international community regarding the current challenges facing Afghanistan.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Uninspiring Political Leadership Driving Recruits Away from Military: Rep. Garcia

WASHINGTONUninspiring leadership and lousy pay are driving young Americans away from military service, according to one congressman.

The Biden administrations failure to present a positive vision of military service and lack of accountability for the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan are failing to inspire Americans to join the military, said Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.).

We all know that the Afghanistan debacle, which was touted by this administration as an outstanding success, was an absolutely devastating factor in people wanting to get out [of the military], Garcia said at an April 28 talk held by the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank.

Leadership matters. And when you have a president of the United Stateslike we do right nowwho is uninspiring and frankly reckless on the international stage and when you see a Secretary of Defense within the administration behave like hes a non-playable character, its not inspiring for people.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has come under increasing fire in recent weeks, after saying he had no regrets about the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan that resulted in 13 dead American service members and Afghanistans political situation reverting to the status quo ante bellum.

Garcia added that the Pentagons continued focus on politically divisive, non-warfighting issues like diversity, equity, and inclusion and environmental initiatives was evidence that Department of Defense (Dod) leadership did not have an adequate grasp of the real threats facing the nation.

The whole point of the military is to deter a war. And, if not, to win a war. Thats it, Garcia.

One of the problems we have right now is we havent fired anybody in the Pentagon.

Garcia added that congressional and executive leadership had also failed for years to offer an adequate value proposition to recruit new talent.

The entry pay for a recruit in the military, he noted, is only about $21,000 per year. On a 40-hour work week, thats about $11 per hour. The average pay of a McDonalds employee in California where Garcias district is, he said, is double that amount.

The shortage of new recruits for the military has been a growing problem for some years now.

In fiscal year 2022, for example, the Army failed to meet its recruitment goal by more than 20,000.

The Army Reserve, meanwhile, has not been up to its strength goals since 2016.

The dire situation has led some experts to believe that the all-volunteer force, a staple of U.S. military policy since the end of the Vietnam War, is now incapable of meeting the nations strategic objectives. This means that conscription, colloquially known in the States as the draft, is becoming more likely.

Jonathan Askonas, an assistant professor of Politics at Catholic University of America, spoke on the issue during an April 11 discussion with the Hudson Institute.

This is a five-alarm fire, Askonas said. Were facing global threats and we have a force structure which we know will not work against those threats.

We basically cant fight a war larger than Iraq with the all-volunteer force.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.
US Needs New Vision for Industrial Policy to Outcompete China: Experts

A worker toils at a manufacturing plant of Sany Heavy Industry Co. in Changsha, Hunan province, China, on Oct.19, 2019. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)

The United States has fallen behind China and numerous other countries in its global share of key industrial sectors, according to several experts in technology and industrial policy.

U.S. global shares in high-value industries have fallen so dramatically that the nation now ranks just above Italy and behind Mexico in a list of key advanced industries, said experts at an April 27 industrial strategy conference hosted by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) think tank.

Were below the global average, said ITIF founder Robert Atkinson. Were moving in the wrong direction.

Were almost a developing nation.

The industries measured in the so-called Hamilton Index include pharmaceuticals, electrical equipment, machinery, motor vehicles, computer equipment, and other key sectors that play an outweighted role in determining the nations competitive advantage.

While the United States had garnered a massive share in low-value added sectors like IT and information services, it had steadily lost its global share of advanced, high-value industries over the course of the last three decades, Atkinson said.

Moreover, Atkinson added, Washington policy makers seemed largely to blame for this trend.

Public policy in Washington is intentionally trying to decrease our position [in these industries], Atkinson said.

Once you lose these capabilities, its hard to get them back. Youve got to fight.

US Must Reject Progressive Economics

To that end, Atkinson said that many American policy makers believed that all industrial sectors were essentially equal in economic promise, and that that belief rendered them incapable of crafting meaningful legislation to enhance and fortify the nations most critical technologies.

He referenced the now infamous quote from Michael Boskin, an economic adviser to President George H.W. Bush, who once said Potato chips, computer chips, whats the difference?

That failure to recognize that some industries play a greater role in securing the nations competitive edge persists in Washington now, he said. Changing that thinking among political leadership is the key struggle that will determine the future of American competitiveness.

The single-most battle we have to fight is an intellectual battle, not a political battle, Atkinson said.

Computer chips are more important than potato chips.

Atkinson added that the nations competitive advantage was not given, but fought for, and that abandoning the progressive and neoliberal economic theories that have been ensconced in Washington for decades was crucial.

This is about competition, Atkinson said.

If you dont want to compete, youre going to lose.

G7 Nations Losing High-Value Industries to China

David Sainsbury, former Minister of Science and Innovation for the UK, agreed with the assessment, saying that a new theory of growth and competitiveness was necessary to break Chinas growing economic domination and forge a path forward for the United States, UK, and other G7 nations.

Indeed, he said, all of the G7 nations faced declining rates of economic growth since around 1990, when their approximately  of global GDP plateaued and entered a period of dramatic decrease correlating with Chinas true entry into the international marketplace.

The loss of high value-added industries like energy, mining, and advanced manufacturing, and their replacement with lower value-added services, he said, had drastically hindered the G7s economic development.

We have a poor rate of innovation in advanced industries, which are really the engine of economic growth, Sainsbury said.

Its a race to the top and to get into the more advanced areas.

Moreover, he said, the United States faces a $250 billion trade deficit in advanced sectors like those listed in the Hamilton Index, and would need to deploy new strategies to deliberately grow those sectors including through subsidizing or incentivizing research and development, skills training, and financial resources.

Ultimately, he said, American leadership would need to accept that it can only improve its own industrial capacity at Chinas expense, or else allow Chinas communist regime to advance at its expense.

The point about competition is some people win and some people lose, Sainsbury said.

Boosting American Competitive Advantage

Securing competitive advantage over China in the long term will require much larger investments both into the depth and breadth of the United States innovation ecosystem, according to David Adler, an economist who wrote a book on industrial policy.

Adler noted that senior Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials already regarded industry as the main battlefield of technology innovation and industrial policy as the ultimate foundation for winning the competition [with the United States].

To counter the regimes own push to topple the U.S. economy, he said, the United States should learn from Japans new economic security strategy, which he considered to be a framework to deal with the China challenge.

Under the strategy, he said, Japans entire political system is being reintegrated to counter CCP predation by funding supply chain resiliency, promoting critical industrial sectors, and aligning the corporate sector with key government goals.

The United States could pursue a similar path, he said, strategically investing not in single companies, but whole sectors deemed to be of vital importance to national security.

The key to industrialization is competition, he said, adding that the nation should grow critical sectors at home or in allied nations while removing them from strategic competitors like the CCP.

Michael Brown, former director of the Pentagons Defense Innovation Unit, agreed, but added that the United States would need to spend more to align U.S. companies to strategic goals in the long term.

I think the capitalist system we have today is optimized for short-term results, Brown said.

Were not actually spending enough because the companies are fragile and we have to make the commitment [over a long period].

Whereas a few companies like SpaceX might have an eccentric billionaire willing to put money on the line and take risks, he said, most corporations did not have that luxury, and were incentivized to put short-term gains before long-term corporate interests, much less national ones.

By providing incentives, he said, the U.S. government could help to support moderate risk-taking and long-term capital growth while convincing key industries to pull back from China.

How did we win [the first Cold War]? Brown said. A consistent policy of containment.

No company was thinking about how [they could] expand into Russia.

Slowing Chinas Ascent

The issue of the new Cold War between the CCP and United States also complicated the decision-making for how to best boost American economic advantage, said Jonathan Ward, Founder of the Atlas Organization advisory firm.

The CCP, Ward said, is pursuing a post-American world. Speeding up American industrial capabilities, therefore, is not enough to ensure the future. Rather, the United States, must also actively work to limit the CCPs power and innovation.

They have a very clear geopolitical vision that is essentially about the destruction of the American-led order, Ward said.

We do want to restrict the growth of China as long as the Communist Party is in power.

Ward explained that much of the CCPs long-term vision viewed the United States as essentially being in the way, and, as a result, the regime is building a military meant for the explicit purpose of fighting the United States in the Pacific and ejecting it from the region.

To that end, Ward suggested retaining trade with China in certain fundamental areas like agriculture, while strategically decoupling sectors critical to U.S. competitive advantage like AI and biosynthetics.

Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) said that accomplishing such a goal would require incentivizing the growth of some industries because China weaponizes industrial policy against the United States.

Young confessed it felt like an unnatural act for a limited government Republican to support such industrial policy, but that the threat posed to the nation by the CCP through industrial planning created the necessity of an exception to the goal of an otherwise limited government.

If we want to be the worlds leader across the range of strategic industries, that means making strategic decisions, Young said.

We need to incentivize.
VICE Cuts Staff, Cancels VICE News Tonight

The VICE Media Group (VMG) is cutting staff and ending its flagship news broadcast program VICE News Tonight.

VMG co-CEOs Bruce Dixon and Hozefa Lokhandwala announced the layoffs in a memo obtained by Deadline on Thursday. In their memo, the two CEOs said they were pursuing staff cuts in response to the current market conditions and business realities facing VMG and the broader news and media industry.

The CEOs said that while they were pursuing these cuts, they would still work to keep VICEs news wing running.

To be incredibly clear, VICE News is core to VICE Media Group and fundamental to our business, Dixon and Lokhandwala wrote. We are NOT exiting the news business, but we are changing the shape of VICE News to position the whole Company for long-term opportunities and improve how we deliver important, ground-breaking journalism well into the future.

The memo details Deadline published did not specify exactly how many VMG employees would be cut. However, the companys employee union indicated the layoffs would impact dozens of unit members and around 100 employees overall.

In addition to the staff cuts, Dixon and Lokhandwala said VICE News Tonight is now scheduled to air its last episode sometime in May. The program premiered in October 2016, and was deliberately formatted to cover a variety of topics and even long-form documentary-style reporting with no ads, no anchors, and no censors. The weekly broadcast program originally aired on HBO, but was brought over to VICE TV after its first three seasons.

The two VMG CEOs said VICE News will be streamlined to focus on our growing digital video business and our News documentary and series production business for VTV and distribution partners worldwide.

Dixon and Lokhandwala said the plan to cancel VICE News Tonight and cut staff will also help accelerate VICE News transition over to platforms where the service is most successful, including VMG-owned channels and streaming services like Paramount+ with Showtime, FAST Channels, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch. The CEOs said the VICE News division will also continue to make documentary programming for Netflix, HBO Max, and Tubi.

News Media Layoffs

VMGs layoffs come amid a wave of job cuts across the news media industry.

Last week, Insider Inc.previously known as Business Insiderannounced plans to cut about 100 jobs, around 10 percent of the organizations staff.

Buzzfeed shuttered its hard news arm, Buzzfeed News. Buzzfeed founder and CEO Jonah Peretti admitted some mismanagement in the company, but also attributed his decision to the declining stock market, a slowdown in digital advertising, and shifts in audience behavior.

Last week, Fox News decided to cut political commentator Dan Bongino. Fox News began this week by announcing it had also decided to part ways with primetime host Tucker Carlson, who had led one of the networks most successful shows, the eponymous Tucker Carlson Tonight.

CNN host Don Lemon announced on Monday that he had also been fired from the cable news network.

The VICE Union attributed the layoffs at VICE to mismanagement by VMGs leadership.

These workers are suffering the consequences of years of poor decisions they played no part in, the employee union posted on Twitter.

This is not the first time VICE has made large layoffs, and it will likely not be the last, the VICE Union continued. As with every cut VICE makes, we will celebrate our colleagues work while lamenting the companys mismanagement that has resulted in them being let go.

From NTD News
WeChat Derailing Democracy, Must Be Regulated in Democratic Nations: Expert

All fears concerning TikTok apply to WeChat

An expert has warned that countries around the world should regulate WeChat because it is actively seeking to undermine political systems and civil societies.

WeChat, which is alternatively known as Weixin, is a Chinese instant messaging, social media, and mobile payment app developed by the Chinese company Tencent.

Seth Kaplan, Ph.D., a professorial lecturer at Johns Hopkins University, who advises organizations such as the World Bank, United Nations, U.S. State Department, and the OECD, told an Australian parliamentary inquiry into foreign interference from social media that he believed WeChat was more of a risk than TikTok.

Everything that we fear about what TikTok may become already is occurring on WeChat, Kaplan said.

Narratives are managed, information in there is managed, dissenting views are demoted or eliminated, and its basically a narrative machine for the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] and what it wants to promote similar to what actually happens in China.

He warned that where WeChat exists, it is monitoring, surveilling, and developing a strong influence on the Chinese diaspora community, making it vulnerable to false narratives and manipulation.

This has a strong influence on all Chinese language media in your country. Because any newspaper or any website or anyone who wants to advertise [will go onto WeChat] to reach the great majority of people because WeChat is so ubiquitous, he said.

They have to advertise. They have to hope that their information and their news goes viral on WeChat and, therefore, because WeChat has managed information, manage narratives, it affects newspapers, it affects everything thats not on WeChat that involves news and information.

WeChats management of this information space has significant ramifications for the Chinese language public square as anyone who depends on Mandarin is now vulnerable without free access to diverse views and diverse opinions.

They are basically in this manage information bubble. They are vulnerable, and I think it has great implications for anyone starting a civil society organization appealing to these groups, Kaplan said.

China Uses WeChat to Interfere Politically

What worried Kaplan the most was his observations that the Chinese Communist Party is using the social media app to directly interfere in societies politically.

He cited a case from Toronto, Canada, where a political information campaign on WeChat saw a significant shift in the votes for a candidate in a district where there was a heavy Chinese migrant presence because the candidate was taking an anti-CCP position.

He had also seen it happen at the state and local level, which he said may be more vulnerable than the federal level.

For the bills, for example, that are currently being debated on land sales, or technology, WeChat is managing information, helping to mobilize Chinese speakers and then basically seeking coalition partners among the non-Chinese language speaking a civil society, and all of this basically is direct interference in the politics of the country.

Instead of your democracy being a debate among people who live in the country, theres an additional voice that plays a large part in the conversation. And that voice is controlled by a foreign government that does not have your best interests at heart.

He noted that Tencent, the company that owns WeChat has implemented an extensive censorship policy, which deplatforms and blocks anyone who does not voice the CCP narrative.

If you have a voice that goes against the dominant narrative, you are being kicked off or not allowed to post content, even Chinese American politicians, he said.

Theyre not able to use this platform to promote their views if their views are against the CCP. So this censorship is much its very widespread, and it has great implications for anyone operating in that language.

WeChat Manipulation Already At Work in Australia and the US

Kaplans comments come after former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison lost control of his WeChat account prior to the 2022 election.

Morrison was outspoken about his concerns over the Chinese communist regime and instigate the call for an international inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, James Paterson, the company did not respond to requests from the government for it to be returned.

Meanwhile, in the United States, WeChat has been accused of deplatforming political commentators who have alternative views to the CCP on domestic U.S. issues.

Lydia Liu, the manager of MoshangUS Telegram group on WeChat who has 250,000 followers and millions of views per month, has accused the company of extending its control to America after WeChat repeatedly took down her posts that contradicted the stance of the CCP on the U.S.-China trade war or the COVID-19 pandemic.

WeChat is a Chinese-speaking American exclusion App. It should be fined and regulated in the United States. WeChat needs to pay Chinese Americans reparations for vicious community #invasion and mentally enslaving us for interests of China, which holds strong adverse views on the U.S., Liu said in a Twitter post in October 2022.

In Lius recent interview with The Epoch Times, she said: The Chinese have to act to stop the long arm of the Chinese Communist Party.

She described what she posted in the group.

I didnt even touch upon Chinas affairs, Im only concerned about things unfolding in the United States, and I was very careful to avoid WeChat censorship and not to touch the red line of the CCP. The CCP has stretched its hands too long, she said.

WeChat Argues It Is Safe

However, WeChat, in a submission to the inquiry (pdf), has said that it provides a safe and secure user experience.

WeChats policy is to ensure that content and behaviour on its application is authentic and to remove false news, disinformation, misinformation, false advertising, and any other content that may be otherwise unsafe or objectionable (such as violent, criminal, illegal or inappropriate content). It does this by setting and enforcing acceptable use standards, the company stated.

Additionally, they claim that their Acceptable Use Policy specifically and expressly forbids promotional political content where a person or entity has paid for such content or the relevant promotional political content does not comply with any applicable laws or regulations.

WeChat Needs Stepped Regulation Process

Kaplan recommended that Australia look to institute a step-by-step approach, to address the issues around WeChat as a way to guide the company as to how it needs to operate in Australia.

The penalties could be significant fines, he said.

And then if these rules were not followed, lets say there were three significant opportunities for them to follow the rules, and these things were strongly monitored, and they werent followed. Then we would have no choice but to ban the app.
West Virginia University Adopts Test-Optional Admission Policy Amid Mounting Student Stress

West Virginia University (WVU) has become the first higher education institution in the state to adopt a test-optional admission policy in an effort to reduce the stress of the college application process for students.

Test scores as part of the admissions process for WVU were temporarily made optional ahead of the fall 2020 semester during the COVID-19 pandemic when various restrictions prevented students from taking either the ACT or SAT.

It was then extended multiple times as the pandemic continued, with the last extension set to end in spring 2024.

However, the WVU Board of Governors voted earlier this month to permanently adopt the test-optional policy, meaning it will stay in place after 2024.

Students have been embracing test-optional admissions processes as part of their college searches since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and, going forward, we have an obligation to remove any barriers that may deter those interested in higher education, George Zimmerman, assistant vice president for Enrollment Management, said in a press release announcing the new rules.

Giving students the flexibility to choose whether or not standardized tests are included in their college applications has shown to be effective in helping them feel more in control of the process, Zimmerman added.

Speaking to West Virginia Public Broadcasting, Zimmerman stressed that the decision to roll out the test-optional policy was unrelated to ongoing financial challenges at the university after it recently announced budget shortfalls. He also insisted it was not related to national declines in higher education enrollment.

Removing Barriers for Education

Enrollment at the university was down 3.5 percent last fall compared to a year prior, according to The Daily Athenaeum.

Nationwide, undergraduate college enrollment dropped 8 percent in the fall of 2022 compared to 2020, according to a recent report from the National Student Clearinghouse.

Those declines continued even after the return to in-person classes previously put on hold during the pandemic, according to the report.

This policy is actually more about giving students that option to be able to apply with their scores or not, and really providing access and removing barriers for education, Zimmerman told West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

What weve seen nationally is that students like institutions to be test-optional. I think theres a lot of other characteristics that were really looking into and taking into consideration and making sure that were, again, setting that student up for success, he added.

According to FairTest, the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, over 1,800 colleges and universities across the United States have made the SAT and/or ACT tests optional for applicants.

Meanwhile, roughly 86 campuses across the states of Alaska, California, Idaho, Illinois, and Minneapolis, have adopted a test-free admissions process, meaning they do not consider ACT or SAT results during the admissions process even if those scores are submitted.

West Virginia University said it will continue to offer scholarships for test-optional applicants and those providing test scores, however ACT or SAT requirements remain in place for students applying for the PROMISE Scholarship.

Additionally, a number of programs at the school still have specific testing requirements in place and test scores may still be necessary for applicants wishing to apply for those courses, university officials said.
What Are Illegal Chinese Communist Government Police Stations Doing in the US?

U.S. Attorney Breon Peace speaks at a Department of Justice press conference announcing the arrests of two men for setting up a Chinese police station in New York and charges against 34 Chinese public security officials for a campaign to monitor and harass Chinese dissidents in the United States, in New York City, April 17, 2023. (Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images)

Commentary

The Chinese Communist government has been caught operating approximately 100 overseas police stations in at least 53 countriesincluding at least seven illegal police stations throughout the United States.

If it sounds shocking, its because it is. A foreign adversary, intent on exerting its influence throughout the world and undermining the United States position as the worlds preeminent superpower, covertly set up shop in the United Stateswith the help of American citizensto enforce its own laws on Chinese nationals in the United States.

This goes beyond traditional spying, where information gathering is the primary purpose, and veers into the actual attempted enforcement of Chinas edictswithin the United States.

Given this egregious conduct, the U.S. Justice Department charged two U.S. citizens with conspiring to act as unregistered agents of the Peoples Republic of China.

The government alleges that under the guise of a civic organization serving those of Chinese descent in New York City, Lu Jianwang (aka Harry Lu) and Chen Jinping instead established and operated an unofficial overseas police station on behalf of the Fuzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau, which is a provincial branch of Chinas Ministry of Public Security.

The FBIs affidavit in the case makes clear: Although the [Ministry of Public Security] is generally identified as the [Peoples Republic of Chinas] primary domestic law enforcement agencyresponsible for public safety, general criminal investigation, national security and internet securityits mission extends beyond law enforcement and into functions more associated with an intelligence service.

In particular, it has a reputation for harassing and attempting to repatriate its citizens who have been critical of the Chinese government. And that appears to have been a key focus of these overseas police stations.

Interestingly, Jianwang and Jinping have been charged under what some have termed an espionage lite statute. They have been charged with violating (or technically, conspiring to violate) 18 U.S.C. 951(a), which says:

Whoever, other than a diplomatic or consular officer or attache, acts in the United States as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General [as required by rules and regulation promulgated by the Attorney General], shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

The U.S. government has also charged both men with obstruction of justice. The men have not been charged under actual espionage-related statues, nor have they been charged with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act. As several lawyers who have looked at these two statutes explain, FARA and Section 951 may share the broad goal of limiting covert foreign malign influence in the United States, but they take different tacks to accomplish this goal.

While FARA primarily focuses on disclosure of certain activities (typically those designed to exert influence), Section 951, on the other hand, is a more traditional criminal statute that directly prohibits taking certain undisclosed actions on behalf of foreign governments, they said. Here, those actions include operating the unauthorized police stations in New York City on behalf of the Fuzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau.

The government also alleges that since in or about 2015, [Jianwang] has assisted the PRC government by participating in counterprotests in Washington, D.C., against members of a religion that is forbidden under PRC law and helping locate persons of interest to the PRC government. PRC is the acronym for the Peoples Republic of China.

Both men are accused of deleting or destroying evidence to cover up their crimes and to obstruct justice.

Despite the troubling allegations, these two menlike all criminal defendantsare presumed to be innocent unless and until convicted by a jury of their peers after the government has proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt (or theyve pled guilty).

A conviction, though, is not a foregone conclusion. After all, the Biden administration has struggled to prove these types of cases. For example, a Brooklyn jury acquitted former Trump adviser Tom Barrack and his assistant of violating Section 951 for acting as unregistered agents of the United Arab Emirates in a prosecution that grew out of Robert S. Muellers special counsel work in the so-called Trump-Russia investigation. Some have suggested the prosecution in that case used an expansive and overly aggressive interpretation of Section 951.

The Biden administration also unceremoniously dismissed the case against New York Police Department officer Baimadajie Angwang, who had been charged with violating Section 951(a) for acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government, among other crimes. At the time of Angwangs arrest, The New York Times reported that the head of New Yorks F.B.I. office called him the definition of an insider threat to our countrys security.

The government alleged that Angwang provided information to, and worked at the direction of, two Chinese consular officials in New York City. At the time of his arrest, Angwang, a naturalized U.S. citizen who is originally from Tibet, worked for the NYPD and was in the U.S. Army Reserve, having previously served in the Marine Corps in Afghanistan.

The government dropped the case in January, more than two years after Angwangs arrest, after reviewing the evidence in the case holistically. The government chose not to elaborate what it meant by holistically. Much of the evidence in that case remains shrouded in mysteryeven to Angwang and his attorneybecause of the national security implications and the classified nature of some of the information.

Regardless, Chinas brazen establishment of illegal overseas police stations within the United States calls for those participating in this scheme to be prosecuted and for Congress and intelligence officials to thoroughly evaluate how else China might be covertly trying to exert its influence within the United States.

Reprinted by permission from The Daily Signal, a publication of The Heritage Foundation.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
This photo taken on April 27, 2023 shows a meeting marking the upcoming International Labor Day in Beijing, capital of China, April 27, 2023. Exemplary units and workers were presented with national labor awards and honorary titles at the meeting. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

Attendees sing the national anthem at a meeting marking the upcoming International Labor Day in Beijing, capital of China, April 27, 2023. Exemplary units and workers were presented with national labor awards and honorary titles at the meeting. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

Attendees for a meeting marking the upcoming International Labor Day pose for a group photo in front of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 27, 2023. Exemplary units and workers were presented with national labor awards and honorary titles at the meeting. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

Attendees applaud at a meeting marking the upcoming International Labor Day in Beijing, capital of China, April 27, 2023. Exemplary units and workers were presented with national labor awards and honorary titles at the meeting. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

Representatives pose for a group photo at a meeting marking the upcoming International Labor Day in Beijing, capital of China, April 27, 2023. Exemplary units and workers were presented with national labor awards and honorary titles at the meeting. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

Representatives pose for a group photo at a meeting marking the upcoming International Labor Day in Beijing, capital of China, April 27, 2023. Exemplary units and workers were presented with national labor awards and honorary titles at the meeting. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)
Woman Whose Claim Caused Emmett Till Murder Has Died

JACKSON, Miss.The woman who accused teenager Emmett Till of whistling at and accosting her in Mississippi in 1955causing his lynchinghas died at 88.

Carolyn Bryant Donham died in hospice care Tuesday night in Westlake, Louisiana, according to a death report filed Thursday in the Calcasieu Parish Coroners Office.

Her death marks the last chance for anyone to be held accountable for the kidnapping and murder.

Tills mother, Mamie Till Mobley, insisted on an open-casket funeral in their hometown of Chicago so the world could see her 14-year-old sons mutilated body, which was pulled from a river in Mississippi. Jet magazine published photos.

In August 1955, Till had traveled from Chicago to visit relatives in Mississippi. Donhamthen 21 and named Carolyn Bryantaccused him of making improper advances on her at a grocery store where she was working in the small community of Money. The Rev. Wheeler Parker, a cousin of Till who was there, has said Till whistled at the woman.

Evidence indicates a woman identified Till to Donhams then-husband Roy Bryant and his half-brother J.W. Milam, who killed the teenager. A jury acquitted the two men in the killing, but the men later confessed in an interview with Look magazine.

Emmett Louis Till in a file photo. (AP Photo)

When Till disappeared in Mississippi, Ollie Gordonone of Tills cousinswas 7 years old and living in the Chicago home with Tills mother and family. Gordon told The Associated Press on Thursday that in the days after he went missing, the home was full of fear, because people knew there was a strong likelihood he had been killed.

Gordon said she had mixed emotions about Donhams death.

She was never tried in the court of man, Gordon said. But I think she was judged by God, and his wrath is more punitive than any judgment or penalty she could have gotten in a courtroom. I dont think she had a pleasant or happy life.

Parker is the last living witness to Tills abduction. He has said in interviews and speeches that he heard Till whistle at the woman working behind the counter at Bryants Grocery and Meat Market.

Days later, Parker saw men kidnap Till in the dark of night from their uncles home in Mississippi, where the teenagers were staying. Parker said Thursday that his heart goes out to Donham.

In an unpublished memoir obtained by The AP in 2022, Donham said she was unaware of what would happen to Till. Historian and author Timothy Tyson of Durham, North Carolina, provided a copy of the 99-page manuscript, I Am More Than A Wolf Whistle, to AP. He said he received it from Donham while interviewing her in 2008.

Tyson had placed the manuscript in an archive at the University of North Carolina with the agreement that it not be made public for decades, though he said he gave it to the FBI during an investigation the agency concluded in 2021. A campus spokesperson said Thursday that the university returned Tysons materials to him in 2022 because they did not agree on open access to the information.

Tyson said in 2022 that he decided to release the memoir to news outlets after some of Tills relatives and other people doing research at the Leflore County, Mississippi, courthouse in June 2022 found an arrest warrant on kidnapping charges that was issued for Mrs. Roy Bryant in 1955 but never served.

Tyson said in a statement Thursday that Donhams precise role in the killing of Till remains murky, but its clear she was involved.

Joe Stidhum was born two years after Till, his cousin, was killed. Stidhum said that older family members protected him and his siblings, and didnt tell them about Tills lynching until they were teenagers.

Stidhum said he wishes he knew how Donham reckoned with her own conscience.

What did she take with her that no one would know, other than her and her maker? Stidhum told AP on Thursday. I just hope that no one ever has to go through the pain that our family has endured, mostly the elderly family members who have died.

In October, a bronze statue of Till was unveiled in Greenwood, Mississippi, just miles from his uncles home.

Also last year, members of the New Black Panther Party and other activists began showing up at addresses associated with Donham, including in North Carolina and Kentucky. They were there to serve unofficial warrants for her arrest and trial.

Weeks after the unserved arrest warrant was found, the office of Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch said there was no new evidence to pursue a criminal case against Donham. In August, a district attorney said a Leflore County grand jury declined to indict Donham.

Tills cousin, Priscilla Sterling, filed a federal lawsuit against the current Leflore County Sheriff, Ricky Banks, on Feb. 7, seeking to compel him to serve the 1955 warrant on Donham. In a response April 13, Banks attorney said there was no point serving the warrant because the grand jury did not indict Donham last year.

Malik Z. Shabazz, one of the attorneys in the lawsuit against Banks, said its tragic that Mississippi never held Donham accountable.
Marke wapas aa gaya, rescued Indians share tales of ordeals in Sudan





NEW DELHI,

IT WAS like we were on a deathbed, recalled a relieved Sukhvinder Singh from Haryana as he arrived at the Delhi airport from Saudi Arabia on after being evacuated from strife-torn Sudan. In his mid-40s, the engineer was among the first batch of 360 Indian nationals who returned home on Wednesday night under Indias Operation Kaveri evacuation mission. Singh, a native of Faridabad in Haryana, recalled his ordeal in Sudan and said he was still very scared. We were living in one area, confined to one room. It was like we were on a deathbed, he told PTI before making his way home.

India has evacuated at least 670 Indian nationals from Sudan and is looking to rescue more of its citizens from the strife-torn African nation before the end of a tenuous ceasefire between the regular army and a paramilitary force.

Chhotu, a factory worker who hails from Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, was in a state of disbelief and exclaimed, Marke wapas aa gaya (have returned after almost dying). Now, I will never return to Sudan. I will do anything in this country but wont go back, he told PTI shortly after landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airports Terminal 3. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took to Twitter to share images of the evacuees after their arrival at the Delhi airport. India welcomes back its own. Operation Kaveri brings 360 Indian nationals to the homeland as first flight reaches New Delhi, he tweeted.

Many waved emphatically, displaying a visible sign of relief, while others shook hands on the skybridge as they were welcomed on their return. Several were seen carrying their luggage, accompanied by children. They also obliged a few photographers with pictures upon their safe return. Tasmer Singh (60), an evacuee who hails from Hoshiarpur in Punjab, described his experience during the ongoing strife as horrifying. We were like a dead body, roaming in a small house without power, water. We never imagined that we will face this kind of a situation in our lives but thank God, we are alive, he said.
Become best version of yourself





BY RINKEL RAJKOTIA

HELLO Beta! How was your performance? Why do you sound so distressed? I asked my niece who tried restlessly for her elocution interschool competition. I have known her since childhood, she tries hard, and gives her soul to whatever she participates in but fails to be labelled as the winner. This experience of mine urged me to ask her how was your performance, rather Have you won? Not because she cannot win but to make her realise that giving your best is equivalent to winning. It is rightly said, winning means you are doing better than you have done before. Her reply in a groaning voice stunned me For the average child like me winning is just a dream. Does she mean participating or average is equal to nobody? I thought. In this competitive, fast pace world the pressure to win at all costs is taking a toll on our entire society. Millennials, students, and workers alike are suffering from distress and depression at unprecedented levels. Society keeps telling you to be exceptional. Success gurus are feeding this in our brains too, You were born original , dont die average.

All these instead of motivating people create an opposite impact. They tell you to stop being average at anything. Does it mean that being average means you are not worthy of appreciation? In todays society, we often strive for perfection and greatness.We idolise celebrities, athletes, and high achievers and we compare ourselves to their success.We set their perfection as a standard and strive to reach their standard ultimately leading to restlessness and anxiety. Let us try to understand what average means.

According to the dictionary, it means the normal standard. Statistically speaking, the vast majority of us are going to be average means falling in the category of normal standards. It means that we are part of the majority, and we share similar exper i e n c e s with those around us. We all have our strength s and weaknesses, and we all make mistakes. The moment you embrace who you are - and stop pretending you are exceptional  thats when youll start focusing on self-improvement rather than bragging. It allows us to embrace our imperfections and recognise that they are what make us unique individuals. Sense of jubilation in what you have accomplished is in real terms success, ultimately leading to happiness.

Furthermore, rejoicing being average can help us set more realistic goals for ourselves.We can focus on improving our skills and achieving small victories along the way. This certainly will lead to a greater sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in our lives. Even Bhagwad Gita says, Karmanye vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana, Ma Karma Phala Hetur Bhurmatey Sangostva Akarmani. This verse encourages individuals to focus on performing their duties and actions with sincerity, dedication, and without attachment to their outcome or results. By doing so, one can avoid being consumed by anxiety, frustration, or disappointment that may arise due to unfulfilled expectations or desires. Be your own benchmark. Aspire to be the best version of yourself regardless of where you rank compared to others. This practice in turn will help you to become theBestVersion of yourself. This can lead to a greater sense of gratitude and joy in your life.
CPI (Maoist) claims responsibility for attack on DRG personnel





Staff Reporter

RAIPUR,

Sainath, Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) Darbha Division Committee in a press release issued has claimed the responsibility for the attack on the District Reserve Guard (DRG) troopers on April 26. The Secretary claimed that the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) carried out a counter-attack near Aranpur, resulting in the death of 10 District Reserve Guard (DRG) members and a civilian driver. He also claimed that as per primary reports some police personnel are also believed to be injured in the attack.

The press release further states that the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, has launched a campaign to eradicate the Maoist party before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In response to the government's decision to hand over natural resources to corporate houses, they are planning to abolish the revolutionary movement going on in the Bastar region. The area has been converted into a military cantonment, with numerous types of paramilitary forces, such as NSG, DRG, and commando forces like Cobra deployed in the region. These forces carry out atrocities, murders, arrests, and property looting, resembling acts they commit in foreign territories. They even conduct airstrikes on their own people, and the public has no other option but to resist, the press release added.

The PLGA's latest attack was carried out in protest, and the public has been suffering from brutal attacks daily. The DRG's illiterate recruitment criteria, which prioritizes lumpen forces and traitors, has worsened the situation. The police are being used as tools, and the government's policies have increased the gap between the rich and the poor. Governments have stopped appointments in other departments except the police, compelling educated youth to join police jobs to support their families. The public's demands for justice are met with oppression from central and state governments, resulting in continuous struggles. The oppressed people in the country and the world are fighting for their just demands, and the youth are encouraged to join the struggle against the government instead of joining the police. The repression by the governments only leads to increased resistance from the public. The Bastar region is an integral part of India, and the public demands that the government shut down the air raids on the residents in the area, Sainath demanded.
Dantewada Naxal attack: Time for decisive action against Naxalism

By E V Murli

The heinous attack on District Reserve Guard (DRG) Troopers and a civilian driver in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh has left the entire nation in a state of shock and grief. This cowardly act of violence by Naxals, resulting in the loss of precious lives, demands unequivocal condemnation. The DRG is a locally raised anti-insurgency unit, whose members had been dispatched on an anti-Naxal operation. Unfortunately, they were ambushed by the Maoist cadre, causing a great loss to their families, the state, and the nation.

However, amidst the despair, it is heartening to see that the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel, has demonstrated his unwavering commitment to ending this internal strife. His visit to Dantewada to pay his respects and offer support to the forces fighting this battle is a testament to his dedication to bringing peace to the region.

Furthermore, the Union governments swift response, with the Home Minister reaching out to the Chief Minister immediately after the incident, deserves commendation. The governments commitment to rooting out this ideology of violence and disturbance through various measures, including surrender policies for those willing to return to the mainstream, is a positive step forward. However, it is now imperative that the government takes decisive action to avenge this attack and send a clear message that such acts will not be tolerated on Indian soil. The loss of innocent lives demands a resolute and decisive response. It is time to eliminate this unlawful activity and ensure that no one challenges the constitution of the country and its democratically elected governments. The ongoing Naxal violence in certain parts of the country is a reminder of the persistent internal strife. It is high time for the government to take decisive action and put an end to this menace once and for all. The brave soldiers who risk their lives to keep us safe deserve our support, and their sacrifices must not go in vain. Let us honor their memories by pledging to work towards a safer, more peaceful, and prosperous India. Furthermore, in the heavily forested and Naxal-infested Bastar region, the security forces face a daunting challenge in thwarting IED attacks.

It is of paramount importance that the government recognises the gravity of this situation and ensures that the forces dedicated to combating the Naxal insurgency are equipped with the most cutting-edge tools to detect and defuse these deadly devices in a timely manner. This, in turn, will ensure that a significant portion of the battle has been won and precious lives and properties have been spared from the destructive forces of these IEDs. The attack in Dantewada is a tragic reminder of the ongoing internal strife in the country. It is time for the government to take decisive action to bring an end to this menace and ensure a safe and peaceful future for all citizens.
Gangster-politician Anand Mohan Singh released from jail





SAHARSA/PATNA,

GANGSTER-turned-politician Anand Mohan Singh, who was serving a life sentence, was released from Saharsa jail on Thursday morning after being behind the bars for 15 years. The former Bihar MP was released under a jail sentence remission order after the State Governments recent amendment of prison rules which allowed the early release of 27 convicts, including him.

Singh was convicted for his role in the 1994 murder of the then Gopalganj collector G Krishnaiah during the funeral procession of Muzaffarpur gangster Chotan Shukla. A local court had sentenced him to death in October 2007 but Patna High Court commuted it to life imprisonment in December, 2008, after an appeal. The Nitish Kumar Government amended the Bihar Prison Manual, 2012, on April 10 removing a clause that said those convicted for murder of a public servant on duty could not be given remission of their jail term. This, critics claim, was done to help release Mohan.

The move had sparked political controversy with the coalition Government facing criticism from the Opposition.

BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said Kumar has sacrificed law to stay in power with support from ally RJD. Krishnaiahs widow too has expressed disappointment over the State Governments decision to release Singh.
Hype around cancer must end to help people overcome its fear: Dr Bhagwat





Staff Reporter

To defeat dreaded disease like cancer, we should defy its fear and stand tall against it. The hype surrounding cancer should go, only then people will stop being afraid of it, advised Sarsanghchalak of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Dr Mohan Bhagwat. He was addressing the programme organised on Thursday to dedicate National Cancer Institute (NCI), Jamtha, run by Dr Aabaji Thatte Seva and Anusandhan Sanstha, to the nation.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, industrialist Gautam Adani, Bharatiya Janata Party State President Chandrashekhar Bawankule, State Assembly Speaker Adv Rahul Narvekar, President of NCI trust Adv Sunil Manohar, General Secretary and, Chief Executive Officer Shailesh Joglekar were seated on the dais. The programme began with dignitaries lighting the traditional lamp and unveiling the cornerstone in the main building of NCI. Dr Bhagwat further said that the institute came into being to serve people who are suffering. It would keep progressing with the thought of service to human is service to God. People should also come forward and contribute to the institutions work, he said. Eknath Shinde, appreciated the fine construction and state-of-the-art infrastructure of the institute and expressed satisfaction about the facility. Shinde said that providing quality treatment for diseases such as cancer was a challenge and the Government was working towards making these facilities cost-effective. The Government was also offering relief to distressed patients through schemes like Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana and Chief Minister's Medical Assistance Yojana. Shinde said that people who have cancer patients in their families have to spend the earnings of their lifetime. They would now get the same treatment at an effective cost, which would be a great relief to such families, he added.
IAF plane with 246 Indians evacuated from war-torn Sudan lands in Mumbai





MUMBAI,

AN Indian Air Force aircraft with 246 Indians evacuated from war-torn Sudan landed in Mumbai on Thursday.

The plane, which took off from Jeddah around 11 am IST, landed here around 3.30 pm, an official said. Our efforts to swiftly send Indians back home from Jeddah is paying. 246 Indians will be in Mumbai soon, travelling by IAF C17 Globemaster.

Happy to see them off at Jeddah airport, tweeted Union minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan minutes before the plane left for Mumbai. Under Operation Kaveri, India has been taking its citizens in buses from conflict zones of Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan from where they are being taken to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah in Indian Air Forces heavy-lift transport aircraft and Indian Navys ships. Situation in Sudan highly volatile: FS Kwatra: THE security situation in Sudan remains very complex, highly volatile and unpredictable and Indias objective is to get every stranded Indian in that country out of harms way, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said. Briefing reporters on the ongoing evacuation mission Operation Kaveri, Kwatra said approximately 1,700 to 2,000 Indian nationals were moved out of the conflict zones and they included the citizens already evacuated out of Sudan as well as those who are on their way to Port Sudan from capital city Khartoum.
KC Overseas to hold Canada Admissions Day on Sunday





Business Bureau

Study in Canada, a country that has tripled its international student population over the past decade, thanks to its globally recognised universities offering a world-class education, highly practical programmes with hands-on learning and some of the most affordable tuition fees amongst English-speaking countries.

KC Overseas Education, a forerunner in study abroad education in Southeast and South Asia and a one-stop solution for all study abroad needs, is bringing 17 Canadian institutions under one roof for the aspirants. Seize the only opportune moment to get admits in renowned Canadian institutions by attending Canada Admissions Day, an exclusive event being organised by KC Overseas Education on Sunday April 30, 2023, at KC Head Office, IT Park, Nagpur from 11 am to 4 pm. Those who are keen to apply for diplomas or degrees for 2023 or 2024 intakes must attend the event.

One on one interaction with the representatives will give a fair idea about the Canadian institutions, programmes, admission criteria, entry requirements, scholarships, internship opportunities and details of post study work visa.

One can also get free profile evaluation done and complete information about the financial structure by interacting with KCs Canada experts. Interested aspirants can visit KC Overseas Education at Krishna, Plot No 10/2, IT Park, or 1st Floor, Block No 112, Shriram Tower, Kingsway, Sadar, Nagpur.
No Trust Motion against Bhopal District Advocates Associations President Kothari





Staff Reporter

The executive members have submitted a no-confidence motion against President of Bhopal District Advocates Association P C Kothari. In a letter written to the secretary of the association, around 20-25 members have supported for the no-confidence motion.

The members have accused Kothari of negligence in work and demanded his removal from the post. They also demanded from the secretary to call an urgent meeting of the executive members and put the proposal forward.

Ever since P C Kothari was elected as the president of the association, conduct has been going on against the dignity of the post, advocates have been neglecting and alleged malicious behaviour shown by him against the executive members. It has been visible from his behaviour that he has started focusing on his own interests. Because of this, the problems of the advocates are not being resolved due to which executive members propose no-confidence motion against Kothari.

On the other hand, P C Kothari, President of the District Advocates Association, has presented his side through a letter to all the members. In the letter he has given answers to the allegations being levelled against him. In the end he has written if I am wrong, I assure the advocates that I will tender my resignation myself. I have no desire for this post.

Notably, P C Kothari was elected the President of the District Bar Association in the elections held two years ago. Out of 3,875 voters, 3,250 voted for the future of 29 office-bearers and 53 executive members. Over 150 polling stations were set up. Apart from four-time president Rajesh Vyas, P C Kothari, Gyan Narayan Tiwari, Sunil Mishra and M M Salman were in the fray.
"We already have so many buyers here and we get the contract here. So it is a very good chance to meet other new buyers." Foreign companies attending the Canton Fair in China's Guangdong have voiced optimism about their growth prospects in the Chinese market.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
PM addresses BJP workers in Ktaka, slams revdi culture





BENGALURU,

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday addressed through virtual mode tens of lakhs of BJP workers exhorting them to strengthen booth-level campaigning for the coming Karnataka Assembly elections, to win with majority, and made a strong pitch for ending revdi culture (culture of distributing freebies). Modi also hit out at the Congress on the issue, saying when the partys warranty itself has expired, its guarantees have no meaning.

For Karnataka polls, Congress has announced guarantees that include 200 units of free power to all households, 10 kg of rice free to every member of BPL household (Anna Bhagya), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), and Rs 3,000 every month for graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25) for two years, on coming to power. The Prime Minister said States are getting immersed in debt because of freebies, and emphasised that the country and the Governments cannot be run like this.

In our country some political parties have made politics the means of power and corruption, to achieve this, they are using all means like saam, dham, dhand, bedh. These political parties dont think about the future of the country, future generation of Karnataka, its youth, women, Modi said. The PMs address to BJP workers was part of the partys effort to boost its campaign for May 10 Assembly polls. The party said earlier this week about 50 lakh workers from 58,112 booths would attend this virtual rally of the Prime Minister.

The State BJP is looking to Modi to bolster its campaign. The Prime Minister is slated to undertake a whirlwind two-day tour of the State from Saturday during which he is scheduled to address six public meetings and hold two road-shows. Modi told party Karyakartas that Your effort in every booth will make BJP win with record seats. We have to make people understand our programmes, benefits of double engine Governments at the booth level by sitting and talking to them. Those who have the responsibility to make long speeches will do it, but karyakartas have to put their strength in booths and win the booths.
SERIOUS ISSUE





THAT a Naxal attack on security forces has taken place in Chhattisgarh after a long time indicates two things -- one, the Governments effort to finish ultra-Left extremism has been showing good results; and two, the Naxals are trying to regroup themselves in their fight for survival. Even as the nation mourns the martyrdom of eleven brave-hearts in the attack near Dantewada, it is time to take a good look at how the fight against Naxalism can be taken to the next level. It is also the time for the Government to add a greater value and attention to its internal security doctrine so that a handling of the challenge could be done more comprehensively. There is no doubt that the nation must react sharply to the incidents such as the Dantewada attack. But it is equally true that such incidents may keep happening some or the other time before Naxalism is finally defeated in due course of time. In the past some time, the Naxalites are finding themselves to have been pushed to the wall, thanks to the great and planned effort by the Government at the national level. The extent of their activity has been reduced to a near-nil situations in majority of districts where Naxalism was operating in a menacing manner. The Dantewada attack was a suspected outcome of the Naxalite fight back -- particularly after the cops had effected a successful seizure of arms in the Naxal-dominated area of Bastar just a day or two earlier. Therefore they targeted a police party returning from a successful anti-Naxalite operation. This, by itself, explains a lot of things about how the Naxals operate. They are smart and polished in their organisational modules that they call Dalams. Because they move in small armed groups, the damage to the cadres is limited only to that small number, if at all the group finds cornered by the security forces. So, when they planned the recent Dantewada ambush, they wanted to take revenge of the police seizure of arms and ammunition from Naxal possession.

A similar pattern was found in Maharashtras Gadchiroli district as well in recent times. But it must not be missed from our notice that such Naxalite retaliations are becoming rarer. One of the reasons for this decline in the Naxalite activity may be attributed to the massive campaign led by none other than Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi against Urban Naxalism. That campaign indicated a multi-pronged attack by the Government on the idea called Naxalism. It showed that the Government was in no mood to give any space to Naxalite activity whether in the rural and tribal hinterland or in the urban areas. Such an approach by the Government has made it clear to the Naxal leadership that the concept is under severe attack from the Government. This awareness of theirs was reflected in some of the statements they issued in recent times - - showing their sense of frustration. The Dantewada attack needs to be viewed from this angle. Despite this, we insist that the attack must be avenged in all ferocity at the earliest. May there be an impression of a limited-purpose war on Naxalism -- so that the common people also get the message of the Governments no-nonsense approach. In that direction, with the Centres collaboration and cooperation, the Chhattisgarh Government must recommit itself to the task of finishing Naxalism from its jurisdiction. It must ensure that the action is not restricted by political considerations of whatever nature. This reminder is necessary because some political parties have a soft-corner for Naxalites and their activities, and make no effort to conceal the leaning. What is needed at this juncture is an all-out action against Naxalism in Chhattisgarh where the attack took place, and thence in other parts of the country where the Naxalite hydra may try to raise its multiple heads in an attempt to keep the activity alive. There is one more angle to the Dantewada attack, so to say -- of a cumulative bigger conspiracy that includes terror strikes in Kashmir or the pro-Khalistan activity in Punjab. That all these activities are taking place as if in tandem. It is only natural that the larger national internal security establishment views these incidents not as isolated cases but as a possible manifestation of anti-national forces operating in dirty collusion against the interest of the nation. Obviously, the Government has a lot of work at hand to do in this regard. Going by the strong indications available from behind the scene, it can be said safely that the Government has a master-plan ready for handling challenges of internal security -- which is also indelibly linked to factors affecting external security. It is common knowledge that Naxalism is not at all a domestic business. Its international links have been exposed from time to time.

The only issue on which the national security establishment does not seem to have earned much credit is that of the snapping of the chain of supply of sophisticated arms and ammunition to the Naxalites seated deep in the Indian hinterland. How do they keep getting those weapons and their charge without break? Why has the Government not succeeded in snapping that supply-chain? These are the questions the Government must answer for itself. For, in that answer also lies the secret of success in the national fight against Naxalism and similar types of extremist and anti-national activity. On this front, the Government has seen a consistent failure for decades on end. Unfortunately, this suggests that the international masterminds cooking and serving various anti-India conspiracies have found a definitive way around the Governments watch. This is no credit to anybody, so to say, let alone all the stalwarts in the national security establishment. This issue, therefore, needs a serious pondering.
Cheyney Barrieau Photography

Here it is: The complete list of Connecticut Magazine's 2023 Best Restaurants awards, including the results of our latest reader poll and additional selections chosen by our panel of experts. Below we have highlighted the readers and experts picks for places for restaurants with raw bars.

Planning a special evening out with a certain someone? You'll surely find plenty of great options below, but to take things up a notch for a truly memorable night out, read more about our Experts' Picks for the 25 most romantic dining spots in the state, as well as our take on what makes a great romantic restaurant.
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LAS VEGAS (AP)  A measure to put up $30 million in state and city funds won initial backing Thursday from Nevada state lawmakers to help homeowners move from a once-segregated North Las Vegas neighborhood where geologic features made homes crack, sink and sometimes become unsafe.

Democratic state Sen. Dina Neal, the bill sponsor, also called for North Las Vegas officials to explain how more than $14 million that she said had been allocated in the late 1990s to help residents in the Windsor Park area has been spent.

They were seeking help. Theyre still seeking help, Neal said as she read into the legislative record North Las Vegas City Council minutes from 1993 and city budget documents entries since 2015 about Windsor Park  a middle-class tract of 241 homes built to accommodate Black families during an era of housing segregation.

Three North Las Vegas officials testified, including the city finance director and a spokeswoman, Candace Townsend, who acknowledged that geological faults and groundwater withdrawal issues (make) Windsor Park not suitable for the rebuilding of houses.

Neals bill, dubbed the Windsor Park Environmental Justice Act, would have the city put up $20 million and the state put up $10 million to pay for 90 remaining homeowners to move to comparable single-family homes of similar size and value at todays prices. The vacated area would be earmarked as a recreational park.

Neal represents the area and chairs the Revenue and Economic Development committee that voted unanimously to back Senate Bill 450. It next goes to the full Senate for a vote. If the Democratic-controlled Legislature passes it, Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo will consider it, said Elizabeth Ray, the governor's spokeswoman.

Neal said geologic surveys weren't done or did not show that the sandy hillside  with a sweeping view of downtown Las Vegas and the skyline of the casino-lined Strip in the distance  sits atop geologic faults and an underground water table that has since been drained.

Homesites sank or subsided. Walls cracked. Sewer lines leaked. Some properties were condemned as unsafe. Insurance companies withdrew coverage.

Today, the neighborhood not far from North Las Vegas Airport is a patchwork including neatly maintained homes, vacant lots, uneven sidewalks, undulating roads, crumbled foundations and dilapidated houses.

Relocation funds established with city, state and federal funds in 1999 offered homeowners $50,000 to move  if they agreed to relocate in North Las Vegas. That fund was increased in 2004 to $100,000. More than 100 homeowners left.

Some who still live there recalled for lawmakers on Thursday a tight-knit community where schoolchildren played and families attended churches together. Some said they didn't want or couldn't afford to move from homes they now own outright.

Were too old to start all over again, said Myrtle Wilson, a resident since August 1965. I think we have been shortchanged, this $100,000. I don't want to leave my kids with a bill to pay, because I have taken care of everything.

Neal pointed to a letter titled Windsor Park History that Wilson received from North Las Vegas officials, postmarked September 2022. It totaled the amount of relocation funding the city received from the state, federal grants and the government-sponsored Fannie Mae mortgage enterprise, as of August 2019, at $14.4 million.

Jared Luke, the city economic development chief, noted that North Las Vegas had a huge budget deficit 10 years ago and narrowly averted a state financial takeover. He said officials welcomed attention now to the very complex and emotional Windsor Park resettlement issue. But he called it not a situation that we can fix right away. He said the city opposed Neals bill.

I think everyones on the same page, Luke said. You cant rebuild in Windsor Park. The soil condition is deplorable. But (the city) cant walk in and say, Windsor Park is uninhabitable. 

Neal would have none of it. She is the daughter of Nevadas first Black state senator, Joe Neal, himself a two-time candidate for governor who served 30 years in the Legislature and died in late 2020.

Im tired of the excuses, and Im tired of the statements that somehow these families missed their golden ticket to leave," Neal said, noting her own ties to residents in Windsor Park. She accused city officials of word games and omissions and recharacterizing truth to deflect city responsibility.

The remedy is still on the table because it has not been effective, Neal declared. You have neglected these families. They are aware of it.
SEATTLE (AP)  A new unit aimed at solving cold cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people will be established in Washington state, a result of the latest law to address a decades-long crisis.

House Bill 1177 was recommended by a state task force, passed unanimously in the Legislature and was signed last week by Gov. Jay Inslee.

The unit will operate within the state Attorney Generals Office and will assist federal, local and tribal law enforcement agencies in investigating unsolved cases involving Indigenous people, who are disproportionately targeted by violence. The unit will prioritize help for jurisdictions with limited resources, The Seattle Times reported.

Victims are not alone. The cries of their loved ones are no longer unheard, said bill sponsor Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Bow, who was born in Alaska and is part Tlingit and part Aleut.

The unit will have investigators and a person to maintain communication with the families of victims and serve as a go-between for families and law enforcement.

The state's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & People Task Force, created to assess systemic causes behind the high rate of disappearances and murders of indigenous women and people, recommended the legislation.

Thanks to the work of the task force, my office will be the first Attorney Generals Office in the country with a cold case unit dedicated to seeking justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women and people, Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a statement.

The task force has also successfully pushed for legislation to require coroners to take steps to identify and notify relatives of murdered Indigenous people and return their remains, and to create an emergency alert system for missing Indigenous people.

Since launching last July, the alert system has been activated more than 50 times, with 43 people found alive. In at least 11 cases, the alert helped law enforcement agencies find the missing person, according to the Washington State Patrol.

For decades, Native American advocates and experts have sounded the alarm on the disproportionate levels of violence, sexual assault, homicides and disappearances experienced by Indigenous people, particularly women.

I cant say why it took so long for the rest of the country or our state to recognize we matter, Lekanoff said.

Washington has one of the highest number of cases of missing or murdered Native American women and girls in the country, according to a 2018 report by the Urban Indian Health Institute.

A 2021 report by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office found the true number of missing and murdered Indigenous women in the U.S. is unknown because of reporting problems, distrust of law enforcement and jurisdictional conflicts.

But Native American women face murder rates almost three times those of white women overall  and up to 10 times the national average in certain locations, according to a 2021 summary of the existing research by the National Congress of American Indians. More than 80% have experienced violence.

As of April, 134 Native American people were missing in Washington, the majority from Central Washington's Yakima County, according to the State Patrol.

Its a crisis, and were finally able to take small, positive steps here in Washington state, Lekanoff said.
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HIGHLAND  Former Gov. Pat Quinn and Highland Mayor Kevin Hemann honored more than 300 Illinois servicemembers, many from central and southern Illinois, on Thursday at the opening of the Portrait of a Soldier exhibit at the City of Highland Public Safety Building.

The traveling memorial art exhibit will be on display there for approximately a week. It consists of replicas of graphite portraits of Illinois servicemembers who have been killed since Sept. 11, 2001, as drawn by artist Cameron Schilling of Mattoon.

Its the duty of us, the living, to take good care of those who have borne the battle, said Quinn. The best way to honor the women and men who have given their lives to protect our democracy is to always remember  and never forget  their sacrifice."

President Abraham Lincoln referred to it as their "last full measure of devotion," Quinn said.

Highland is proud to host this moving tribute to the men and women who have given their lives to keep us safe," said Hemann. "May this exhibit remind us all of the sacrifices made by those who have served.

Quinn explained the origins of this project begun in 2004.

"I went to over 300 military funerals when I was lieutenant governor and governor," he said. "I had a young man on my staff named Cameron Schilling."

Schilling, who is from Mattoon, began the project while a student at Eastern Illinois University, drawing a portrait of fellow Mattoon resident U.S. Army Specialist Charles Neely who lost his life in Iraq. Quinn said Schilling gave the portrait to Neely's parents. Schilling noted their reaction and later told Quinn he wanted to do more portraits for other families who lost sons and daughters to war; could Quinn put him in touch with more parents like the Neelys?

Quinn said they wanted a way to remember the names, ranks, ages, branches of service and hometowns of the fallen young people. Gold Star families were contacted and those who were interested submitted photos of their sons and daughters. Schilling and Jeremiah kept drawing, gifting the original portraits to the Gold Star families.

Quinn emphasized the importance of not forgetting the servicemembers, their sacrifices and Sept. 11.

After remarks, Quinn and Hemann invited people inside to view the portraits in the building's lobby.

To start the event, members of the Highland Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5694 and the Highland American Legion Post 439 participated in an honor guard formation.
GLEN CARBON  Three village trustees initially approved Meridian Plaza's second tenant, Heartland Dental, at a building and development committee meeting Tuesday. The initial tenant is the Shuckin' Shack.

Heartland proposes to build a 4,200-square-foot dental office on 1.28 acres within Meridian Plaza, with is under construction at the corner of Meridian Road and Illinois Route 157.

The Heartland facility would be on Lot 4, fronting Route 157, but there would be no ingress/egress to 157 from the site; it would use the internal roadways instead.

"We believe this project will enhance the character, the neighborhood and the general welfare of the village," a project narrative from the company stated. "The development team intends to coordinate with the adjacent lot owners to promote good general planning practice and to ensure the proposed developments are visually compatible with each other and the surrounding area. We are not currently proposing any variances."

Meridian Plaza is a mixed-use project on 43 acres at the southeast corner of Meridian Road and Route 157. The northern section along 157 is zoned for retail/commercial; the western section along Meridian is zoned office/commercial; 29 single-family homes are planned for the southern section, next to the Timberwolfe Subdivision; and in the heart of the development will be 144 luxury apartments.

'Prototype'

The Heartland site would have two entrances and exits from the private roadway and 55 parking slots, including two for disabled patients. Chad Cornwell, a project engineer with WMG Development, discussed the project before the committee.

"We are interested in purchasing Lot No. 4 in the Meridian Plaza development," he said. "We're out of Effingham and we're really excited about this project in Glen Carbon because it's local and it's our new [first] prototype for the skin of our buildings."

He said this site is slightly larger than the typical Heartland office. He said it's common for the company's offices to have three dentists with a staff of up to 15 people.

"We're really excited about opening this and there's going to be a lot of eyes in Effingham on this particular location on how it looks because it's going to be a model we apply to the Midwest," Cornwell said. "We do a lot of projects in the southeast, in the Carolinas, so they'll be looking at this prototype to apply it to other regions around the country."

The exterior will use a combination of Hardie board and LP siding, which is engineered wood. This means that wood strands are broken down and mixed with resins and waxes to improve its strength and performance. Other materials include wood-look aluminum cladding and black metal.

Cornwell said Heartland officials hope to get all of the necessary permits approved by November or December, with construction beginning in February 2024.

From there, he said, it usually takes 180 days, weather permitting, to build, so the office should be ready for new patients by late summer of 2024.

The Heartland proposal will now go to the Glen Carbon planning and zoning commission for review and approval before it gets a final vote from the entire village board.
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP)  Israeli forces shot and killed a teenager in the occupied West Bank on Friday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

The shooting came during confrontations between Israeli forces and stone-throwing Palestinians in a village near the town of Bethlehem, according to Palestinian media reports. The ministry identified the teenager as Mustafa Sabah, 16, adding he was shot in the chest.
This photo released by Pakistan's Press Information Department (PID) on April 28, 2023 shows Pakistanis evacuated from Sudan arriving at an airport in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi. An aircraft carrying 149 Pakistani nationals evacuated from Sudan arrived in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Friday morning, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. (PID/Handout via Xinhua)

ISLAMABAD, April 28 (Xinhua) -- An aircraft carrying 149 Pakistani nationals evacuated from Sudan arrived in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Friday morning, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

Two other flights having around 200 Pakistanis onboard are expected to arrive later on Friday, the spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, said during a weekly media briefing in Islamabad.

One of them originated from Port Sudan and the other from the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah to bring back Pakistanis who had earlier been evacuated there, she added.

"Our evacuation plan has been implemented in phases. In the first phase of the operation, over 800 Pakistanis were transported from Sudan's capital of Khartoum to Port Sudan, which was relatively safe," Baloch said.

The second phase of the evacuation operation consisted of transporting Pakistani nationals from Port Sudan to Jeddah or directly to Pakistan, she added.

The spokesperson further added that Friday's flights, operating from Port Sudan via Jeddah, mark the first part of this second phase while additional flights are planned. 

This photo released by Pakistan's Press Information Department (PID) on April 28, 2023 shows a woman and a child who have been evacuated from Sudan arriving at an airport in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi. An aircraft carrying 149 Pakistani nationals evacuated from Sudan arrived in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Friday morning, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. (PID/Handout via Xinhua)
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Linkedin Deni Ghifari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, April 28, 2023

Indonesia posted solid growth in realized investment for the first quarter of 2023 and has almost reached a quarter of the governments full-year target, but some observers say the approaching election campaign could give investors pause, while simmering geopolitical tensions are another risk factor.

According to figures presented by the Investment Ministry on Friday, Rp 328.9 trillion (US$22.4 billion) worth of direct investment were realized during this years first quarter, which is 16.5 percent more than what was achieved in the equivalent three months of last year.

The year 2023 poses different sets of challenges, first and foremost because this is a political year, [which is why] many will play the wait-and-see card. And then, the geopolitical [situation], I have to say, is not in a good state, Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia told reporters on Friday.

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Linkedin Tunggul Wirajuda (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, April 28, 2023 10:16 4 5fceed71997e5776a1634d25dc596491 1 Community gun-violence,gun-control,indonesian-expat,indonesians-in-America,school-shooting,gun-ownership Free

Indonesian expatriates in the United States voice their concerns about the countrys gun violence, as the ongoing crisis continues to kill and injure dozens weekly in 2023

Targeting the young

For Indonesian housewife Petronela Nugroho, the seemingly mundane daily ritual of seeing off her 13-year-old son to school is filled with dread following a spate of gun violence in the United States recently, among them a shooting at a birthday party in the state of Alabama which killed four youths and a school shooting in Tennessee that left six children and adults dead in March.

I am more worried about having my 13-year-old child attend school here than in Jakarta. But since my husbands work required him to relocate to Washington, DC, we have no choice but to hope for the best, said Petronela, a resident of Arlington, Virginia, across from Washington DC, in a WhatsApp message to The Jakarta Post on April 19. Ever since I moved here, mass shootings seem to be a weekly, even daily occurrence featured on the news, particularly after the massacre in Buffalo, New York, in May 2022, which killed ten people and injured three others.

She added that the frequency of shooting incidents deterred her from entering parts of Washington, DC, she deemed unsafe.

Zul Atmosudirdjo, a staff member of Indonesian descent who works at New York University echoed Petronelas fears about the number of shootings in schools.

I work in a university and interact with students daily, and outside of work, I often mentor teenagers. From my experiences around these young people, a majority fear that a shooting could happen anytime in their schools, he noted. I cannot imagine being that young and living in constant fear, especially now since mass shootings have become so frequent. Anyone can be affected by gun violence; however, it disproportionately impacts minorities.

Zul made his observations after three mass shootings in Missouri, New York and Texas between April 13 to April 18 where a 20-year-old woman and wounded three other young people were shot after they went to the wrong house or vehicle. According to CNN, the incidents also highlighted the stand your ground laws cited by the perpetrators as their alleged motive.

A politicized menace

The BBC noted that the US has experienced more than 160 mass shootings since April, after 647 and 690 mass shooting events in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The prolonged debate on gun control in Congress in the face of these grim statistics has bewildered many, including Indonesian expatriate Ika Sitepu.

Scared: Some Indonesians in the US say they live in constant fear of gun violence. (Pexels/Zachary Debottis) (Pexels/Zachary Debottis)

The frequent shootings have left me numbed, while the lack of progress [in gun control] makes me angry. It is ridiculous how [Congress] made universal background checks to carry arms a partisan issue, she asserted. It is interesting to see how the debate on guns goes on and evolves. For starters, the Democrats are moving away from gun control to background checks to reach a middle ground.

And while the political debate on gun control continues, so do fears for ones well-being.

As a foreigner living in the United States, I feel like I am living in a Third World country where personal safety is not guaranteed. The frequency of gun crimes also affects me mentally, following reports of armed robberies and other crimes over the past few months that seemingly targeted people, including the death of a nine-year-old child in a drive-by shooting in Washington, DC, said Grace Hutapea, a resident of the northern Virginia city of Vienna in Fairfax County. She attributed the surge in gun violence to the high rate of gun ownership, the ready availability of firearms and outdated laws. The Second Amendment on the right to bear arms was made in the 18th century following the need for militia during and after the American Revolutionary War, and so is no longer relevant today. But as long as members of Congress continue to receive funds from the National Rifle Association [NRA], I do not see gun violence ending anytime soon.

Grace added that the impact of gun violence in the US was driven home after armed men robbed a group of Indonesian tourists at a Whole Foods grocery store in San Francisco, California, on April 8.

Petronela echoed Graces fears.

The uncontrolled, unrestricted and virtually unlimited use of guns among millions of Americans left me scared to death. The Second Amendment means one is liable to get shot anytime and anywhere, she added. The Second Amendment was designed to defend oneself against outlaws. Now it is turning [gun-toting Americans] into outlaws.

Refusing to back down

The BBC has cited that gun-related deaths in the US rose 31 percent from 33,599 in 2019 to 44,290 in 2022. Indonesian nationals are among the dead, among them Novita Kurnia Putri, who was killed in a drive-by shooting in San Antonio, Texas on Oct. 5, 2022, and Partahi Lumbantoruan, a postgraduate student who was among the 32 people killed in the Virginia Tech shooting on April 16, 2007, carried out by gunman Seung-Hu Cho.

While the struggle for tighter gun controls might seem like an uphill climb, it does not keep observers like Zul from maintaining their stance on gun control, despite their misgivings due to gun violence.

I believe in strong gun laws such as a national registry for gun owners, including not allowing anyone with a past history of violence to purchase firearms, background checks and not allowing assault rifles or weapons of war to be made available to the public. Gun violence is a public health and safety emergency and must be prioritized as such, he said.

Numb: An Indonesian who works with students in the US says many feel that a gun attack in their school or campus could happen anytime (Pexels/Pixabay) (Pexels/Pixabay)

There has been an increase in anti-Asian hate crimes, so coupled with gun violence, if I step out of my home on a daily basis, I am left to wonder if I will be a target. However, there are activists nationwide who are trying to make those affected by gun violence be heard and are working to find solutions to the gun crisis.

Ika echoed Zuls hopes with some apprehension.

I hope that the debate [on gun control] will go the same way as that on abortion  namely, the growing number of pro-choice Republican party voters will make the partys congressmen rethink their stand on the issue. But it is sad to think of how many more children and innocent people have to die before Congress finds a viable solution on gun control.
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Linkedin Nina A. Loasana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, April 28, 2023

The government has claimed the omnibus bill on health could better protect doctors, but Ombudsman Indonesia warned that the proposed legislation left a lot to be desired in terms of protecting patients against medical malpractice.

The bill seeks to bring in sweeping changes to the health sector by supplanting 10 existing laws, including the 2004 Medical Practice Law, the 2009 Health Law, the 2009 Hospitals Law and the 2014 Health Workers Law.

The bill has been met with mixed review from medical associations since the start of the deliberation at the House of Representatives early this month, with the All-Indonesia Doctors Association (PDSI) and the Village Midwives Forum (Forbides) among a dozen of proponents of the bill.

Some other more prominent medical associations, such as the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI), have strongly opposed the bill that they fear could criminalize health workers and undermine the role of medical associations.

Responding to criticism, Health Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Syahril claimed that compared to prevailing laws, the bill could provide better legal protection for doctors and other medical professionals.

"The existing laws do not provide a maximum protection for doctors, nurses, midwives and other health workers, so we've proposed [to lawmakers] to add [more provisions regarding health workers protection] to the bill," Syahril said in a statement on Monday.

"It's untrue that the bill removes legal protection for health workers, the bill will increase it instead."

Read also: Minister Budi fires back at omnibus health bill critics

The governments proposal allows the use of out-of-court settlements to resolve disputes between patients and medical professionals. Under the proposed provisions, medical workers can also refuse to provide treatment to abusive patients and deny patients requests for treatment if they are against the law or medical ethics. Medical workers are also entitled to a safe and healthy working environment and protection from attacks when doing their jobs.

The bill itself, according to Syahril, already upholds several key provisions of the existing laws aimed at protecting healthcare professionals from criminal and civil liabilities in certain cases. This includes provisions that legalize abortion for victims of sexual violence and the ones that make hospital fully responsible for all losses due to medical negligence.

Compensation for patients

The Indonesian Ombudsman pointed out that the bill still fell short in ensuring that victims of medical malpractice are compensated for their injuries and losses, saying that the provision on compensation was too vague.

Ombudsman head Mokhammad Najih said when medical malpractice occurred victims were often at a loss on how or where they could go to ask for compensation.

Read also: Fears health bill could undermine BPJS Kesehatan

"In the event of malpractice, the sanction [given by the MKDKI always stops at disciplinary actions and does not include compensation payment for victims," Najih said in a recent press briefing.

He was referring to the Indonesian Medical Disciplinary Council, where patients may report an alleged malpractice and doctors may face disciplinary sanctions ranging from a warning to a temporary suspension of their medical licenses if found guilty.

The Ombudsman suggested that the provision in the bill that grants patients "the right to pursue a claim" for compensation for damages from medical malpractice be changed into that patients are "entitled to compensation" for such a malpractice.

Another red flag

While the Ombudsman is concerned about compensation, a medical legal expert from Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University flagged other shortcomings of the bill in protecting patients against medical malpractice, including the fact that the government is proposing lawmakers to scrap a provision that regulates lawsuits and criminal prosecutions.

The proposed removal of the provision is "another setback for patients' rights", said Rimawati, a medical legal expert from Gadjah Mada University.

The provision in question is adopted from the 2004 law on medical practice. It says that patients can either file civil lawsuits against medical practitioners for alleged malpractice even if they have received disciplinary sanctions from the MKDKI or report the alleged culprit to the police in a criminal case.

In 2015, doctors challenged the 2004 provision with the Constitutional Court but they lost the case.

It's crucial that the government as a regulator can protect medical workers from overcriminalization but also ensure patients are well protected against damages from malpractice," Rimawati told The Jakarta Post recently.

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Linkedin AFP Jakarta  Fri, April 28, 2023 14:35 4 5fceed71997e5776a1634d25dc59f51e 2 Politics Indonesia,Sudan,evacuation,Retno-Marsudi,TNI,Africa,conflict Free

The first group of Indonesians evacuated from strife-torn Sudan returned home Friday on a charter flight from Saudi Arabia, officials said.

Indonesia has joined nations around the world in rushing to move their citizens to safety by land, air and sea after clashes between the Sudanese army and paramilitaries killed hundreds and injured thousands.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Indonesian Military chief Admiral Yudo Margono greeted the 385 nationals - 248 women and 137 men - who arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta after the 10-hour flight from the Saudi city of Jeddah.

"Considering the evacuees' journey was very long and tiring, they will be temporarily accommodated in east Jakarta before returning to their respective homes," Retno told reporters.

She said another plane of evacuees would depart for Indonesia on Saturday and a final repatriation flight would set off Sunday.

Jakarta has shuffled hundreds of its citizens from the Sudanese capital Khartoum to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast, where they are then being moved by sea and air to Jeddah.

Retno said 111 Indonesians remain in Port Sudan and would be flown to Jeddah on Friday.

There are about 1,200 Indonesians registered with their embassy in Khartoum, according to the foreign ministry.

Fighting broke out in Sudan on April 15 between Sudan's army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commanded by his deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

At least 512 people have been killed and 4,193 wounded, according to official figures in Sudan, although the real toll is likely to be much higher.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, April 28, 2023

Chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB) Muhamin Iskandar is scheduled to meet with Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto later on Friday as speculation runs rife that the two have reached a deal on the vice presidential (VP) slot for the 2024 race.

Deputy secretary-general of the PKB Syaiful Huda said the two senior politicians would meet at Prabowo's private home on Jl. Kertanegara, South Jakarta but that this was part of a planned regular fortnightly meeting.

"This is a regular meeting that happens to coincide with the Idul Fitri holiday," Syaiful was quoted by Kompas.com as saying.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, April 28, 2023

Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Quomas has publicly declared his endorsement of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and Airlangga Hartarto as his potential running mate in the 2024 elections.

Yaqut, who is also a senior figure in the countrys largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, declared his support for a pairing between the Defense Minister and Coordinating Economic Minister as his "ideal on his Instagram account (@gusyaqut) on Thursday.

If the two individuals join together for the 2024 election, I believe the contest will be more competitive and this will be good for Indonesian democracy, Yaqut wrote in the caption for a photo of Prabowo and Airlangga shaking hands before their private meeting earlier this week.

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Linkedin Steven Trask (Agence France-Presse) (The Jakarta Post) Sydney, Australia  Sat, April 29 2023

Australia's oldest coal-fired power plant was shuttered Friday, as the country, a once-notorious climate straggler, prepares for a seismic shift toward renewable energy.



The Liddell power station, a three-hour drive north of Sydney, was one in a series of ageing coal-fired plants slated to close in the coming years.



Built in 1971, Liddell provided about 10 percent of the electricity used in New South Wales, Australia's most populous state.



Liddell's owner AGL said it would take about two years to demolish the hulking facility, which would free up the site for new clean energy projects such as a hydrogen power plant.



"More than 90 percent of the materials in the power station will be recycled, including 70,000 tonnes of steel  which is more steel than there is in the Sydney Harbour Bridge," the company said.



For decades, coal has provided the bulk of Australia's electricity, but University of New South Wales renewable energy expert Mark Diesendorf told AFP that stations such as Liddell were fast becoming unreliable "clunkers".



Besides being inefficient, highly polluting and expensive to repair, the continued widespread use of coal-fired power plants would make Australia's climate targets almost impossible to meet.



Australia has long been one of the world's largest coal producers and exporters, and a series of governments have resisted pressure to scale back the industry.



But the center-left Labor Party elected last year on the promise of climate action has pledged that 82 percent of the country's electricity will come from renewable sources by 2030.

This demands a drastic overhaul  while world leaders such as Norway produce more than 90 percent of their power through renewables, Australia currently sits around 30 percent.

"The plans are for a fairly rapid phase-out," Diesendorf told AFP.

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Linkedin Yvette Tanamal (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, April 29 2023

Indonesian citizens who were evacuated on the first of three repatriation waves have arrived in Jakarta, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday, the evacuation is expected to be finished on Sunday.

The 385 evacuees will be temporarily housed in East Jakartas Pondok Gede pilgrimage hostel to rest after their long journey, it added, before being sent home to their respective regions by the Social Affairs Ministry and the Home Ministry.



As previously stated, the repatriation of evacuees from Sudan to Indonesia will be performed in batches, said Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi on Friday.

According to our plans, the second batch will begin on April 29 [...] and the third batch, which will also conclude the entire evacuation process, will be carried out on April 30 using Air Force aircraft.

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Linkedin Reuters Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  Fri, April 28, 2023

Malaysia is in talks with richer nations, hoping to follow its neighbours Indonesia and Vietnam in striking a finance deal to transition away from polluting coal power towards more renewable energy, the country's climate change minister said.

Malaysia, which relies on coal and natural gas for 75 percent of its power needs, is trailing its Southeast Asian neighbours on clean energy expansion - and climate experts say the new government should tap more global green funding to cut carbon emissions, tackle the effects of warming and protect nature.

In late 2022, Indonesia and Vietnam clinched big finance partnerships with rich nations to shutter their coal-fired power plants early and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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BAKU, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna on Thursday, and the two sides reiterated their commitment to peace and security in the region.

Bayramov highlighted the current regional situation and Azerbaijan's efforts towards the normalization of relations with Armenia in the post-conflict period.

"Despite the current challenges and difficulties, Azerbaijan will continue its efforts to establish peace and security in the region," Bayramov said.

Colonna said that although peace and confidence building in the region takes time, commitment to the negotiation process was important.

"France is also ready to support efforts to establish peace in the region," she added.

The two also discussed relations between Azerbaijan and France. Bayramov stressed the importance of contacts and political dialogue for eliminating misunderstandings, and highlighted the implementation of joint projects in economy, energy security, transport, culture and education in the past years.

Colonna noted that despite differences in the two countries' approaches to a number of issues, it was significant to continue close contacts and political consultations to ensure the development of bilateral relations.

Earlier in the day, Colonna met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and she will also visit Armenia and Georgia. 
First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund (NYSEARCA:EMLP  Get Rating)s share price crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $26.83 and traded as high as $27.27. First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund shares last traded at $27.09, with a volume of 461,046 shares changing hands.

First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund Stock Performance

The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $26.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is $26.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.88 and a beta of 0.83.

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Institutional Trading of First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Coastal Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund during the third quarter valued at approximately $138,000. Tiedemann Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund by 4.7% during the third quarter. Tiedemann Advisors LLC now owns 5,155,621 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $128,273,000 after acquiring an additional 230,728 shares during the period. Prospera Financial Services Inc raised its holdings in shares of First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund by 5.3% during the third quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 90,598 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $2,254,000 after acquiring an additional 4,547 shares during the period. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. acquired a new stake in shares of First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund during the third quarter valued at approximately $285,000. Finally, Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund by 94.1% during the third quarter. Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 4,125 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $103,000 after acquiring an additional 2,000 shares during the period.

First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund Company Profile

The First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund (EMLP) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Alerian MLP index. The fund is an actively managed fund that invests in North American energy infrastructure MLPs and LLCs. EMLP was launched on Jun 21, 2012 and is managed by First Trust.

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Shares of Whitecap Resources Inc. (TSE:WCP  Get Rating) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$10.51 and traded as high as C$10.87. Whitecap Resources shares last traded at C$10.69, with a volume of 1,031,898 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on WCP shares. Barclays set a C$14.00 price objective on shares of Whitecap Resources and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, January 18th. National Bankshares lifted their price objective on shares of Whitecap Resources from C$15.50 to C$16.50 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Whitecap Resources from C$13.50 to C$14.00 in a report on Friday, February 24th. ATB Capital lowered their price objective on shares of Whitecap Resources from C$16.00 to C$15.00 in a report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price objective on shares of Whitecap Resources from C$15.00 to C$14.50 in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of C$14.91.

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Whitecap Resources Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of C$6.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.88, a P/E/G ratio of -0.33 and a beta of 2.90. The stock has a 50 day moving average of C$10.50 and a 200 day moving average of C$10.51. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 37.10.

Whitecap Resources Cuts Dividend

Whitecap Resources ( TSE:WCP Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 22nd. The company reported C$0.52 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$0.42 by C$0.10. Whitecap Resources had a return on equity of 38.14% and a net margin of 42.77%. The business had revenue of C$1.12 billion during the quarter. As a group, analysts anticipate that Whitecap Resources Inc. will post 1.3552465 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Investors of record on Sunday, April 30th will be issued a $0.048 dividend. This represents a $0.58 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.47%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 27th. Whitecap Resourcess payout ratio is presently 21.48%.

Insider Activity at Whitecap Resources

In other Whitecap Resources news, Director Grant Bradley Fagerheim purchased 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 7th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of C$10.46 per share, for a total transaction of C$52,300.00. Insiders have purchased 17,660 shares of company stock worth $178,651 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.74% of the companys stock.

Whitecap Resources Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Whitecap Resources Inc, oil and gas company, acquires and develops petroleum and natural gas properties in Canada. Its principal properties are located in West Central Alberta, British Columbia, Southeast Saskatchewan, West Central Saskatchewan, and Southwest Saskatchewan. As of February 14, 2022, it had a total proved plus probable reserves of 701,829 thousand barrels of oil equivalent.

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1st Capital Bancorp (OTCMKTS:FISB  Get Rating) and Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC  Get Rating) are both finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability, risk, earnings and valuation.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares 1st Capital Bancorp and Wells Fargo & Companys gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio 1st Capital Bancorp $38.16 million 1.33 $8.58 million $1.54 5.97 Wells Fargo & Company $82.86 billion 1.81 $13.18 billion $3.49 11.36

Wells Fargo & Company has higher revenue and earnings than 1st Capital Bancorp. 1st Capital Bancorp is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Wells Fargo & Company, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets 1st Capital Bancorp 22.45% N/A N/A Wells Fargo & Company 15.93% 10.07% 0.86%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

This table compares 1st Capital Bancorp and Wells Fargo & Companys net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

10.6% of 1st Capital Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 72.2% of Wells Fargo & Company shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.1% of Wells Fargo & Company shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings for 1st Capital Bancorp and Wells Fargo & Company, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score 1st Capital Bancorp 0 0 0 0 N/A Wells Fargo & Company 0 6 8 1 2.67

Wells Fargo & Company has a consensus target price of $49.45, suggesting a potential upside of 24.69%. Given Wells Fargo & Companys higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Wells Fargo & Company is more favorable than 1st Capital Bancorp.

Risk & Volatility

1st Capital Bancorp has a beta of 0.62, suggesting that its share price is 38% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Wells Fargo & Company has a beta of 1.12, suggesting that its share price is 12% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Wells Fargo & Company beats 1st Capital Bancorp on 13 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About 1st Capital Bancorp

(Get Rating)

1st Capital Bancorp operates as a bank holding company. It primarily target markets are commercial enterprises, professionals, real estate investors, family business entities, and residents along the Central Coast region of California. The firm provides a wide range of credit products, including loans under various government programs such as those provided through the U.S. small business administration and the U.S. department of agriculture. The company is headquartered in Salinas, CA.

About Wells Fargo & Company

(Get Rating)

Wells Fargo & Co. is a diversified, community-based financial services company. It is engaged in the provision of banking, insurance, investments, mortgage products and services, and consumer and commercial finance. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. The Consumer Banking and Lending segment offers consumer and small business banking, home lending, credit cards, auto, and personal lending. The Commercial Banking segment offers banking and credit products across multiple industry sectors and municipalities, secured lending and lease products, and treasury management. The Corporate and Investment Banking segment offers corporate banking, investment banking, treasury management, commercial real estate lending and servicing, equity and fixed income solutions, as well as sales, trading, and research capabilities. The Wealth & Investment Management segment provides personalized wealth management, brokerage, financial planning, lending, private banking, trust and fiduciary products and services to affluent, high-net worth and ultra-high-net worth clients. The com

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Baxter International (NYSE:BAX  Get Rating) updated its second quarter 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $0.59-$0.61 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $0.60. The company issued revenue guidance of $3.78 billion-$3.82 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $3.77 billion. Baxter International also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $2.85-$3.00 EPS.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on BAX. Bank of America downgraded Baxter International from a buy rating to a neutral rating and lowered their price target for the company from $66.00 to $55.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 3rd. KeyCorp lowered their price objective on Baxter International from $73.00 to $60.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Baxter International from $52.00 to $43.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 10th. Raymond James downgraded Baxter International from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, January 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Baxter International from $55.00 to $44.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Baxter International has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $53.94.

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Baxter International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:BAX traded up $0.72 on Thursday, hitting $46.80. The companys stock had a trading volume of 10,771,350 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,562,159. Baxter International has a 12 month low of $37.35 and a 12 month high of $77.08. The company has a market capitalization of $23.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.55. The stocks 50-day moving average is $40.84 and its two-hundred day moving average is $47.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.58, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.69.

Baxter International Dividend Announcement

Baxter International ( NYSE:BAX Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.88 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.94 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $3.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.77 billion. Baxter International had a negative net margin of 16.10% and a positive return on equity of 24.03%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.04 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Baxter International will post 2.84 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 24th were issued a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 23rd. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.48%. Baxter Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -24.02%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Jacqueline Kunzler sold 3,813 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.50, for a total value of $154,426.50. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 16,725 shares in the company, valued at $677,362.50. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, SVP Jacqueline Kunzler sold 3,813 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.50, for a total value of $154,426.50. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 16,725 shares in the company, valued at $677,362.50. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Albert P. L. Stroucken sold 3,930 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.52, for a total value of $147,453.60. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 36,835 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,382,049.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.25% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Baxter International

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. State of Tennessee Treasury Department boosted its position in Baxter International by 68.4% during the 4th quarter. State of Tennessee Treasury Department now owns 475,120 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $24,217,000 after acquiring an additional 192,910 shares during the period. Gabelli Funds LLC boosted its position in Baxter International by 6.0% during the 1st quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 281,374 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $21,818,000 after acquiring an additional 15,925 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its position in Baxter International by 15.7% during the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 80,228 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $5,153,000 after acquiring an additional 10,910 shares during the period. Rodgers Brothers Inc. boosted its position in Baxter International by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. Rodgers Brothers Inc. now owns 19,702 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $1,004,000 after acquiring an additional 1,200 shares during the period. Finally, Zions Bancorporation N.A. boosted its position in Baxter International by 30.1% during the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 10,964 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $850,000 after acquiring an additional 2,535 shares during the period. 84.84% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Baxter International

(Get Rating)

Baxter International, Inc engages in the provision of a portfolio of essential healthcare products including acute and chronic dialysis therapies, sterile intravenous (IV) solutions, infusion systems and devices, parenteral nutrition therapies, inhaled anesthetics, generic injectable pharmaceuticals, surgical hemostat and sealant products, surgical equipment, smart bed systems, patient monitoring and diagnostic technologies, and respiratory health devices.

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BT Group  CLASS A (LON:BT.A  Get Rating) shares crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 131.13 ($1.64) and traded as high as GBX 153.60 ($1.92). BT Group  CLASS A shares last traded at GBX 153.45 ($1.92), with a volume of 13,593,939 shares trading hands.

BT Group  CLASS A Price Performance

The businesss 50 day moving average price is GBX 146.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is GBX 131.29. The stock has a market cap of 15.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 904.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 150.73.

BT Group  CLASS A Company Profile

(Get Rating)

BT Group plc provides communications services worldwide. Its Consumer segment sells telephones, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi extenders through high street retailers, online BT Shop, and Website BT.com; and offers home phone, copper and fiber broadband, TV, and mobile services in various packages. The company's EE segment offers 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile network services; broadband, fixed-voice, and TV services; and postpaid and prepaid plans, and emergency services network.

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Canadian Utilities Limited (TSE:CU  Get Rating)  National Bank Financial issued their Q1 2023 earnings per share estimates for Canadian Utilities in a report released on Monday, April 24th. National Bank Financial analyst P. Kenny anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $0.78 for the quarter. The consensus estimate for Canadian Utilities current full-year earnings is $2.32 per share.

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Canadian Utilities (TSE:CU  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The company reported C$0.66 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C$0.70 by C($0.04). The company had revenue of C$1.11 billion during the quarter. Canadian Utilities had a net margin of 15.61% and a return on equity of 9.20%.

Canadian Utilities Stock Performance

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on CU. CSFB increased their price target on Canadian Utilities from C$38.50 to C$40.50 in a research report on Thursday, January 26th. Scotiabank set a C$41.00 price target on Canadian Utilities and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. National Bankshares raised their price target on shares of Canadian Utilities from C$34.00 to C$37.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Friday, January 27th. CIBC increased their target price on shares of Canadian Utilities from C$37.00 to C$39.00 in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Finally, Veritas Investment Research raised Canadian Utilities from a sell rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, March 9th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of C$39.93.

CU stock opened at C$39.14 on Wednesday. Canadian Utilities has a fifty-two week low of C$33.24 and a fifty-two week high of C$41.94. The company has a market capitalization of C$7.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.00, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of C$37.09 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$36.62. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 135.78.

Canadian Utilities Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 4th will be given a $0.449 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 3rd. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.59%. Canadian Utilitiess dividend payout ratio is currently 86.89%.

Canadian Utilities Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Canadian Utilities Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the electricity, natural gas, and retail energy businesses in the United States, Australia, and internationally. It operates through Utilities, Energy Infrastructure, and Corporate & Other segments. The Utilities segment provides regulated electricity transmission and distribution services in northern and central east Alberta, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories; and integrated natural gas transmission and distribution services in Alberta, the Lloydminster area of Saskatchewan, and Western Australia.

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Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas Ltd. (LON:ECO  Get Rating) shares traded down 1.2% on Wednesday . The company traded as low as GBX 20 ($0.25) and last traded at GBX 20.25 ($0.25). 119,274 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 74% from the average session volume of 455,485 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 20.50 ($0.26).

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Berenberg Bank reiterated a buy rating and issued a GBX 125 ($1.56) target price on shares of Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas in a research note on Thursday, March 9th.

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Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas Trading Down 2.5 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.11, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 4.71. The stock has a market capitalization of 72.22 million, a PE ratio of -184.09 and a beta of 2.30. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is GBX 20.55 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 23.28.

Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas Company Profile

Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas Ltd. engages in the identification, acquisition, exploration, and development of the petroleum, natural gas, and shale gas properties in the Republic of Namibia and the Co-Operative Republic of Guyana. The company holds a 15% working interest in the Orinduik block comprising 1,800 square kilometers located in the Suriname Guyana basin; and interests in the Canje Block covering an area of 4,800 square kilometers located in Guyana.

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Fukuoka Financial Group, Inc. (OTC:FKKFF  Get Rating) shares reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $17.36 and last traded at $17.36, with a volume of 0 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $17.36.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Daiwa Capital Markets downgraded Fukuoka Financial Group from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th.

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Fukuoka Financial Group Price Performance

The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $17.36 and a 200 day simple moving average of $17.36. The stock has a market cap of $14.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -32.14 and a beta of 0.03.

About Fukuoka Financial Group

Fukuoka Financial Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides various banking services to individual and corporate customers. The company accepts various deposits, such as current deposits, ordinary and other demand deposits, time deposits, and negotiable certificates of deposit, as well as provides loan products.

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MGT Capital Investments (OTCMKTS:MGTI  Get Rating) and loanDepot (NYSE:LDI  Get Rating) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, profitability, risk and dividends.

Profitability

This table compares MGT Capital Investments and loanDepots net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets MGT Capital Investments -738.94% N/A -291.26% loanDepot -21.74% -40.39% -5.64%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for MGT Capital Investments and loanDepot, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score MGT Capital Investments 0 0 0 0 N/A loanDepot 1 8 0 0 1.89

Insider & Institutional Ownership

loanDepot has a consensus target price of $1.83, indicating a potential upside of 4.17%. Given loanDepots higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe loanDepot is more favorable than MGT Capital Investments.

0.0% of MGT Capital Investments shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 3.5% of loanDepot shares are held by institutional investors. 3.8% of MGT Capital Investments shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 88.7% of loanDepot shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Risk and Volatility

MGT Capital Investments has a beta of 2.8, suggesting that its stock price is 180% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, loanDepot has a beta of 2.39, suggesting that its stock price is 139% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares MGT Capital Investments and loanDepots top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio MGT Capital Investments $810,000.00 5.18 -$5.98 million N/A N/A loanDepot $1.26 billion 0.44 -$273.02 million ($1.74) -1.01

MGT Capital Investments has higher earnings, but lower revenue than loanDepot.

Summary

loanDepot beats MGT Capital Investments on 6 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About MGT Capital Investments

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MGT Capital Investments, Inc. engages in cryptocurrency mining business. It solves complex mathematical problems using custom designed and programmed application-specific integrated circuit computers. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Raleigh, NC.

About loanDepot

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loanDepot, Inc. engages in originating, financing, selling, and servicing residential mortgage loans in the United States. It offers conventional agency-conforming and prime jumbo, federal assistance residential mortgage, and home equity loans. The company also provides settlement services, which include captive title and escrow business; real estate services that cover captive real estate referral business; and insurance services, including services to homeowners, as well as other consumer insurance policies. The company was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California.

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Shares of JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (NYSE:JKS  Get Rating) saw unusually-high trading volume on Friday . Approximately 600,498 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 26% from the previous sessions volume of 810,714 shares.The stock last traded at $45.19 and had previously closed at $47.73.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on JKS. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of JinkoSolar in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Roth Capital raised shares of JinkoSolar from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $50.00 to $70.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 11th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of JinkoSolar from $38.00 to $41.00 in a research note on Monday, January 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $62.33.

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JinkoSolar Trading Down 3.4 %

The businesss fifty day moving average price is $49.97 and its 200-day moving average price is $49.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.80.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

JinkoSolar ( NYSE:JKS Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, March 10th. The semiconductor company reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.45 by $0.05. JinkoSolar had a net margin of 0.75% and a return on equity of 6.84%. The business had revenue of $4.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.76 billion. On average, analysts anticipate that JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. will post 6.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in JinkoSolar by 16.2% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 2,632,512 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $127,123,000 after purchasing an additional 366,251 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group raised its holdings in shares of JinkoSolar by 23.6% during the 4th quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 2,481,981 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $101,463,000 after acquiring an additional 473,716 shares in the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its holdings in shares of JinkoSolar by 16.0% during the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 1,636,369 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $83,488,000 after acquiring an additional 225,748 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its holdings in shares of JinkoSolar by 9.6% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 1,452,529 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $59,379,000 after acquiring an additional 127,630 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of JinkoSolar by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,362,627 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $75,476,000 after acquiring an additional 42,336 shares in the last quarter.

About JinkoSolar

(Get Rating)

JinkoSolar Holding Co, Ltd. engages in the manufacture of solar modules. It distributes solar products and sells its solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customers. The company was founded by Xiande Li, Kangping Chen, and Xianhua Li on August 3, 2007 and is headquartered in Shangrao, China.

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NEW DELHI, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu said here on Friday that China is ready to cooperate with other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture.

Li said when attending the SCO defense ministers' meeting in the Indian capital that the ministerial meeting has become a key platform for SCO countries to strengthen strategic communication and discuss security cooperation.

Important consensuses have been reached at the meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in Samarkand, Uzbekistan last September, he noted.

China is willing to join hands with other SCO members to implement the Global Security Initiative, deepen strategic mutual trust, enhance anti-terrorism cooperation, expand fields for cooperation and improve cooperation mechanisms, so as to contribute to global and regional peace and stability, Li said.

The defense ministers pledged at the meeting to further boost strategic communication, focus on consensuses and expand SCO cooperation and jointly safeguard regional security and stability.

A joint communique was released after the meeting.

During his stay in India, Li met with defense ministers from Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, India, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Iran on international and regional situations, bilateral and military ties as well as issues of common concern. 
Shares of Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY  Get Rating) rose 7.6% on Friday . The stock traded as high as $4.26 and last traded at $4.26. Approximately 2,721,472 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 1% from the average daily volume of 2,697,295 shares. The stock had previously closed at $3.96.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

JOBY has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Joby Aviation from a hold rating to a sell rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $6.00 to $4.00 in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Joby Aviation from $11.00 to $10.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $6.13.

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Joby Aviation Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $2.70 billion, a PE ratio of -9.33 and a beta of 1.59. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $4.12 and a 200-day moving average price of $4.08.

Insider Transactions at Joby Aviation

Joby Aviation ( NYSE:JOBY Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 22nd. The company reported ($0.14) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.18) by $0.04. As a group, equities analysts predict that Joby Aviation, Inc. will post -0.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In other news, insider Gregory Bowles sold 42,151 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.00, for a total transaction of $210,755.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 32,851 shares in the company, valued at approximately $164,255. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Joby Aviation news, insider Gregory Bowles sold 42,151 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.00, for a total value of $210,755.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 32,851 shares in the company, valued at approximately $164,255. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Joeben Bevirt sold 26,215 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.17, for a total value of $109,316.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 511,265 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,131,975.05. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 120,260 shares of company stock worth $559,960. 51.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Joby Aviation

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of JOBY. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Joby Aviation by 114.5% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,405,592 shares of the companys stock worth $95,365,000 after acquiring an additional 7,691,093 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Joby Aviation during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $16,408,000. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Joby Aviation by 37.5% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,752,316 shares of the companys stock valued at $33,154,000 after buying an additional 1,840,567 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp boosted its stake in shares of Joby Aviation by 358.7% during the 2nd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 2,126,271 shares of the companys stock valued at $10,440,000 after buying an additional 1,662,759 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Joby Aviation by 50.1% during the 1st quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 4,240,736 shares of the companys stock valued at $18,405,000 after buying an additional 1,416,314 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 29.14% of the companys stock.

Joby Aviation Company Profile

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Joby Aviation, Inc, a vertically integrated air mobility company, engages in building an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft optimized to deliver air transportation as a service. It intends to build an aerial ridesharing service. The company was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Santa Cruz, California.

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AstraZeneca (LON:AZN  Get Rating) had its price target upped by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from 135 ($168.60) to 140 ($174.85) in a report released on Friday, The Fly reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co.s target price points to a potential upside of 19.47% from the stocks current price.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group set a GBX 6,950 ($86.80) price target on AstraZeneca in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. UBS Group set a 119 ($148.62) price objective on AstraZeneca in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Guggenheim decreased their price objective on AstraZeneca from 127 ($158.61) to 119 ($148.62) in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. Barclays reiterated an overweight rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded AstraZeneca to an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of 119.32 ($149.02).

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AstraZeneca Stock Performance

Shares of AstraZeneca stock traded down GBX 78 ($0.97) during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting 117.18 ($146.35). 1,498,776 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,946,516. AstraZeneca has a 12 month low of GBX 9,399 ($117.38) and a 12 month high of 123.92 ($154.76). The company has a 50-day simple moving average of 113.15 and a 200 day simple moving average of 110.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 84.02, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 0.86. The company has a market capitalization of 181.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 6,892.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.17.

AstraZeneca Company Profile

AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of prescription medicines. Its marketed products include Calquence, Enhertu, Faslodex, Imfinzi, Iressa, Koselugo, Lumoxiti, Lynparza, Orpathys, Tagrisso, and Zoladex for oncology; Brilinta/Brilique, Bydureon/Byetta, BCise, Byetta, Crestor, Evrenzo, Farxiga/Forxiga, Komboglyze/Kombiglyze XR, Lokelma, Onglyza, Qtern, and Xigduo/Xigduo XR for cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism diseases; Bevespi Aerosphere, Breztri Aerosphere, Daliresp/Daxas, Duaklir Genuair, Fasenra, Pulmicort, Saphnelo, Symbicort, and Tudorza/Eklira/Bretaris for respiratory and immunology; and Andexxa/Ondexxya, Kanuma, Soliris, Strensiq, and Ultomiris for rare diseases.

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Annaly Capital Management (NYSE:NLY  Get Rating) had its price objective decreased by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $23.00 to $22.00 in a report released on Monday, The Fly reports.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Barclays boosted their price target on Annaly Capital Management from $19.00 to $24.00 in a research note on Friday, January 6th. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on Annaly Capital Management from $22.00 to $20.00 in a report on Monday, April 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on Annaly Capital Management from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. StockNews.com began coverage on Annaly Capital Management in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating on the stock. Finally, Argus lowered Annaly Capital Management from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, February 21st. They noted that the move was a valuation call. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Annaly Capital Management currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $21.83.

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Annaly Capital Management Trading Up 3.5 %

NLY opened at $19.73 on Monday. The companys 50 day moving average price is $19.47 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $20.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.84, a current ratio of 4.66 and a quick ratio of 4.66. Annaly Capital Management has a fifty-two week low of $15.11 and a fifty-two week high of $27.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 1.36.

Annaly Capital Management Cuts Dividend

Annaly Capital Management ( NYSE:NLY Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $818.25 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $183.00 million. Annaly Capital Management had a net margin of 62.09% and a return on equity of 19.23%. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.12 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Annaly Capital Management will post 2.79 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 31st will be given a $0.65 dividend. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 13.18%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 30th. Annaly Capital Managements dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 52.21%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Annaly Capital Management

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in NLY. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its position in shares of Annaly Capital Management by 24.0% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 381,525 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $2,828,000 after buying an additional 73,892 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Annaly Capital Management in the first quarter valued at about $199,000. Rhumbline Advisers raised its position in Annaly Capital Management by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 1,185,123 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $8,343,000 after buying an additional 37,762 shares during the last quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Annaly Capital Management by 6.6% during the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 97,368 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $685,000 after acquiring an additional 6,043 shares during the period. Finally, Cibc World Market Inc. purchased a new stake in Annaly Capital Management during the 1st quarter worth about $163,000. 52.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Annaly Capital Management

(Get Rating)

Annaly Capital Management, Inc engages in the investment and financing of residential and commercial assets. It operates through the following investment groups: Agency, Residential Credit, and Mortgage Servicing Rights. The Agency group invests in agency mortgage-backed securities. The Residential Credit group involves non-agency residential mortgage assets within securitized products and whole loan markets.

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Lansing Street Advisors boosted its holdings in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:VWO  Get Rating) by 18.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,582 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 1,006 shares during the quarter. Lansing Street Advisors holdings in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF were worth $257,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of VWO. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its position in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 311.0% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 637 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 482 shares during the period. Endurance Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 303.2% during the 4th quarter. Endurance Wealth Management Inc. now owns 633 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 476 shares during the last quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA boosted its holdings in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 110.1% during the 4th quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA now owns 689 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 361 shares during the last quarter. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH purchased a new position in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Accel Wealth Management boosted its holdings in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 63.3% during the 4th quarter. Accel Wealth Management now owns 722 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 280 shares during the last quarter.

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Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF Stock Performance

VWO traded up $0.23 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $40.23. 2,964,041 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,356,646. The stock has a market capitalization of $70.40 billion, a PE ratio of 10.00 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $39.98 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $39.62. Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF has a 1 year low of $34.88 and a 1 year high of $44.30.

About Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF

The Fund seeks to track the performance of the FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Index, that measures the return of stocks issued by companies located in emerging market countries.

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Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPW  Get Rating) updated its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $1.50-$1.61 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $1.59. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Medical Properties Trust also updated its FY23 guidance to $1.50-1.61 EPS.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Raymond James reduced their price target on shares of Medical Properties Trust from $18.00 to $16.00 and set a strong-buy rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 2nd. Credit Suisse Group reissued a neutral rating and issued a $11.00 price objective on shares of Medical Properties Trust in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Medical Properties Trust from $14.00 to $12.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Medical Properties Trust in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Medical Properties Trust from $14.00 to $12.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $13.33.

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Medical Properties Trust Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MPW traded up $0.60 on Thursday, reaching $8.53. 17,326,944 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 15,678,673. The company has a current ratio of 1.92, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. Medical Properties Trust has a 1-year low of $7.10 and a 1-year high of $19.12. The firm has a market cap of $5.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a 50-day moving average of $8.97 and a 200-day moving average of $10.97.

Medical Properties Trust Announces Dividend

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Medical Properties Trust

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 16th were paid a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 15th. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 13.60%. Medical Properties Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 77.33%.

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Macquarie Group Ltd. grew its stake in Medical Properties Trust by 16.5% in the 4th quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 978,631 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $10,902,000 after acquiring an additional 138,305 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in Medical Properties Trust by 43.9% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 5,402 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $60,000 after acquiring an additional 1,649 shares during the last quarter. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. acquired a new stake in Medical Properties Trust in the 4th quarter valued at about $119,000. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Medical Properties Trust in the 4th quarter valued at about $292,000. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its stake in Medical Properties Trust by 27.2% in the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 3,384,027 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $37,698,000 after acquiring an additional 723,260 shares during the last quarter. 80.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Medical Properties Trust

(Get Rating)

Medical Properties Trust, Inc is a self-advised real estate investment trust, engages in the investment, acquisition, and development of net-leased healthcare facilities. Its property portfolio includes rehabilitation hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, hospitals for women and children, regional and community hospitals, medical office buildings, and other single-discipline facilities.

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Shares of Mohawk Industries, Inc. (NYSE:MHK  Get Rating) gapped up prior to trading on Friday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock had previously closed at $98.78, but opened at $105.64. Mohawk Industries shares last traded at $104.02, with a volume of 204,584 shares traded.

The company reported $1.75 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.47. Mohawk Industries had a return on equity of 10.06% and a net margin of 0.22%. The firm had revenue of $2.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.74 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.78 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

MHK has been the topic of several analyst reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Mohawk Industries in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Mohawk Industries from $104.00 to $121.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. Barclays lifted their target price on Mohawk Industries from $83.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Monday, February 13th. Credit Suisse Group cut their target price on Mohawk Industries from $109.00 to $103.00 in a research report on Monday, March 20th. Finally, Loop Capital upgraded Mohawk Industries from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $115.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $129.77.

Insider Buying and Selling at Mohawk Industries

Institutional Trading of Mohawk Industries

In other Mohawk Industries news, insider Suzanne L. Helen sold 5,200 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.59, for a total value of $621,868.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 14,853 shares in the company, valued at $1,776,270.27. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link . In other Mohawk Industries news, insider Suzanne L. Helen sold 5,200 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.59, for a total value of $621,868.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 14,853 shares in the company, valued at $1,776,270.27. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link . Also, insider Suzanne L. Helen sold 4,250 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.23, for a total value of $438,727.50. Following the sale, the insider now owns 13,453 shares in the company, valued at $1,388,753.19. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 12,150 shares of company stock worth $1,374,876 over the last ninety days. 18.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Arizona State Retirement System raised its stake in shares of Mohawk Industries by 2.7% during the 1st quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 14,776 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,481,000 after purchasing an additional 389 shares during the period. Strs Ohio bought a new stake in shares of Mohawk Industries during the 1st quarter valued at $1,285,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. raised its stake in shares of Mohawk Industries by 11.3% during the 1st quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 171,606 shares of the companys stock valued at $17,198,000 after purchasing an additional 17,474 shares during the period. Concord Wealth Partners bought a new stake in shares of Mohawk Industries during the 1st quarter valued at $178,000. Finally, IFG Advisory LLC raised its stake in shares of Mohawk Industries by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. IFG Advisory LLC now owns 4,846 shares of the companys stock valued at $486,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares during the period. 75.85% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Mohawk Industries Stock Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $99.13 and a 200 day moving average of $102.94. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.61 billion, a PE ratio of 329.27, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.27.

About Mohawk Industries

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Mohawk Industries, Inc engages in the manufacture, design, and distribution of residential and commercial flooring products. It operates through the following segments: Global Ceramic, Flooring North America (NA), and Flooring Rest of the World (ROW). The Global Ceramic segment manufactures ceramic, porcelain, and natural stone tile products used for wall and floor applications.

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nVent Electric (NYSE:NVT  Get Rating) issued an update on its FY23 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of $2.65-2.73 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $2.67. The company issued revenue guidance of +4-6% yr/yr to $3.025-3.083 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $3.08 billion. nVent Electric also updated its FY 2023 guidance to $2.51-$2.61 EPS.

nVent Electric Trading Down 3.4 %

NYSE:NVT traded down $1.48 on Friday, reaching $42.32. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,172,975 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,074,872. nVent Electric has a 12-month low of $29.19 and a 12-month high of $46.66. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firm has a market cap of $7.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.48 and a beta of 1.31. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $43.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $40.22.

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nVent Electric (NYSE:NVT  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 7th. The company reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $742.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $712.01 million. nVent Electric had a return on equity of 15.38% and a net margin of 13.74%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 10.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.50 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that nVent Electric will post 2.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

nVent Electric Dividend Announcement

Analyst Ratings Changes

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 12th. Investors of record on Friday, April 28th will be issued a $0.175 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 27th. This represents a $0.70 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.65%. nVent Electrics dividend payout ratio is presently 29.54%.

NVT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Barclays boosted their price objective on nVent Electric from $50.00 to $53.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on nVent Electric from $47.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 8th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Joseph A. Ruzynski sold 3,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.07, for a total transaction of $157,745.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 22,130 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $997,399.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 2.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. First Manhattan Co. raised its stake in shares of nVent Electric by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 127,346 shares of the companys stock worth $4,429,000 after buying an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its stake in shares of nVent Electric by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 44,064 shares of the companys stock worth $1,393,000 after buying an additional 423 shares in the last quarter. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in nVent Electric by 11.6% in the 4th quarter. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,022 shares of the companys stock valued at $193,000 after purchasing an additional 522 shares in the last quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC increased its stake in nVent Electric by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 93,443 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,250,000 after purchasing an additional 574 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors increased its stake in nVent Electric by 16.2% in the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 5,375 shares of the companys stock valued at $168,000 after purchasing an additional 751 shares in the last quarter. 87.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

nVent Electric Company Profile

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nVent Electric Plc engages in the provision of electrical connection and protection solutions. It operates through the following segments: Enclosures, Thermal Management, and Electrical & Fastening Solutions. The Enclosures segment offers solutions that protect, connect, and manage heat in critical electronics, communication, control, and power equipment.

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Palisade Asset Management LLC lessened its holdings in The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV  Get Rating) by 2.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 27,552 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 714 shares during the quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLCs holdings in Travelers Companies were worth $5,166,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Travelers Companies during the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Standard Family Office LLC acquired a new stake in Travelers Companies during the third quarter worth approximately $38,000. Glass Jacobson Investment Advisors llc acquired a new position in shares of Travelers Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $38,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Travelers Companies by 56.7% in the 3rd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 257 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Old North State Trust LLC acquired a new stake in Travelers Companies during the 3rd quarter worth $40,000. 81.59% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Transactions at Travelers Companies

In other news, CEO Alan D. Schnitzer sold 150,829 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.53, for a total transaction of $28,435,791.37. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 196,914 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $37,124,196.42. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other Travelers Companies news, CFO Daniel S. Frey sold 37,316 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $179.08, for a total transaction of $6,682,549.28. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 11,703 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,095,773.24. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Alan D. Schnitzer sold 150,829 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.53, for a total value of $28,435,791.37. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 196,914 shares in the company, valued at approximately $37,124,196.42. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 228,051 shares of company stock valued at $42,423,406 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.07% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Travelers Companies Price Performance

TRV has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Raymond James upped their price objective on shares of Travelers Companies from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 25th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of Travelers Companies from $196.00 to $204.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Travelers Companies from $181.00 to $182.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of Travelers Companies from $188.00 to $182.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 10th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Travelers Companies from $190.00 to $195.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $191.73.

TRV stock traded up $1.48 during trading on Friday, reaching $181.73. 246,410 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,499,417. The company has a market cap of $41.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.37, a PEG ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.60. The Travelers Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $149.65 and a 52-week high of $194.51. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $175.34 and its 200 day moving average price is $181.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.33.

Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 19th. The insurance provider reported $4.11 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.64 by $0.47. The firm had revenue of $9.70 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.98 billion. Travelers Companies had a net margin of 7.41% and a return on equity of 13.41%. The firms revenue was up 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.22 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that The Travelers Companies, Inc. will post 14.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Travelers Companies declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Wednesday, April 19th that allows the company to buyback $5.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the insurance provider to buy up to 12.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often an indication that the companys leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Travelers Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 9th will be paid a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.20%. This is a boost from Travelers Companiess previous quarterly dividend of $0.93. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 8th. Travelers Companiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.71%.

About Travelers Companies

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The Travelers Cos., Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of commercial and personal property and casualty insurance products and services. It operates through the following business segments: Business Insurance, Bond and Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance. The Business Insurance segment provides an array of property and casualty insurance, and insurance related services to its customers primarily in the U.S., as well as in Canada, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and throughout other parts of the world as a corporate member of Lloyds.

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Rio Tinto Group (LON:RIO  Get Rating) had its target price reduced by Morgan Stanley from GBX 5,840 ($72.94) to GBX 5,800 ($72.44) in a research note released on Monday morning, The Fly reports.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on RIO. UBS Group set a GBX 5,000 ($62.45) price target on Rio Tinto Group in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Rio Tinto Group from GBX 5,300 ($66.19) to GBX 5,110 ($63.82) in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Berenberg Bank reiterated a buy rating and issued a GBX 6,600 ($82.43) price objective on shares of Rio Tinto Group in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Rio Tinto Group from GBX 5,100 ($63.69) to GBX 5,000 ($62.45) in a report on Friday, April 21st. Finally, Credit Suisse Group set a GBX 7,200 ($89.92) target price on shares of Rio Tinto Group in a report on Wednesday, January 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Rio Tinto Group currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of GBX 6,123.85 ($76.48).

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Rio Tinto Group Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of RIO stock opened at GBX 5,044 ($62.99) on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 23.47. Rio Tinto Group has a 12-month low of GBX 4,424.50 ($55.26) and a 12-month high of GBX 6,406 ($80.00). The stock has a market capitalization of 63.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 818.67, a P/E/G ratio of -0.64 and a beta of 0.69. The firms 50 day moving average is GBX 5,554.61 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 5,574.17.

Rio Tinto Group Cuts Dividend

Insider Buying and Selling

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 20th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 9th were given a dividend of GBX 185.35 ($2.31) per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.99%. Rio Tinto Groups payout ratio is 6,607.14%.

In other Rio Tinto Group news, insider Simon Henry bought 500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 24th. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 5,221 ($65.21) per share, with a total value of 26,105 ($32,602.72). In related news, insider Simon Henry purchased 500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, April 24th. The shares were acquired at an average price of GBX 5,221 ($65.21) per share, for a total transaction of 26,105 ($32,602.72). Also, insider Ngaire Woods acquired 410 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 5th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 5,338 ($66.67) per share, with a total value of 21,885.80 ($27,333.33). In the last quarter, insiders bought 1,410 shares of company stock valued at $7,455,580. Company insiders own 14.67% of the companys stock.

Rio Tinto Group Company Profile

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Rio Tinto Group engages in exploring, mining, and processing mineral resources worldwide. The company offers aluminum, copper, diamonds, gold, borates, titanium dioxide, salt, iron ore, and lithium. It also owns and operates open pit and underground mines, mills, refineries, smelters, power stations, and research and service facilities.

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Scorpio Tankers (NYSE:STNG  Get Rating) had its price objective upped by Stifel Nicolaus from $68.00 to $77.00 in a report released on Tuesday, The Fly reports.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on STNG. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Scorpio Tankers in a report on Wednesday, March 8th. They set an overweight rating and a $87.00 target price for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of Scorpio Tankers from $55.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Monday, March 6th. B. Riley boosted their price objective on shares of Scorpio Tankers from $65.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Scorpio Tankers in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a buy rating and issued a $76.00 price target on shares of Scorpio Tankers in a research note on Tuesday, March 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Scorpio Tankers currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $70.43.

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Scorpio Tankers Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of STNG stock opened at $52.33 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a current ratio of 1.45. Scorpio Tankers has a 52-week low of $22.92 and a 52-week high of $64.20. The company has a market capitalization of $3.21 billion, a PE ratio of 5.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.17 and a beta of 0.37. The businesss fifty day moving average is $57.43 and its 200 day moving average is $53.28.

Scorpio Tankers Increases Dividend

Scorpio Tankers ( NYSE:STNG Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 16th. The shipping company reported $4.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $4.38 by ($0.14). The business had revenue of $493.70 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $446.96 million. Scorpio Tankers had a return on equity of 33.75% and a net margin of 40.78%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 233.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($0.79) EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Scorpio Tankers will post 9.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 7th were given a $0.20 dividend. This is a boost from Scorpio Tankerss previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 6th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.53%. Scorpio Tankerss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.83%.

Institutional Trading of Scorpio Tankers

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in STNG. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in Scorpio Tankers by 6.2% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,302,321 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $177,564,000 after acquiring an additional 193,078 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in Scorpio Tankers by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 3,068,462 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $128,998,000 after buying an additional 55,817 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP boosted its holdings in Scorpio Tankers by 5.5% in the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 1,014,221 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $54,535,000 after buying an additional 53,200 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Scorpio Tankers by 19.0% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 930,715 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $19,899,000 after buying an additional 148,367 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in Scorpio Tankers by 7.2% in the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 929,515 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $49,980,000 after buying an additional 62,600 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 54.53% of the companys stock.

Scorpio Tankers Company Profile

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Scorpio Tankers, Inc engages in the provision of marine transportation of petroleum products. Its consists of wholly owned, finance leased, and bareboat chartered-in tankers. It operates through the following segments: MR, LR2, Handymax, and LR1. The company was founded by Emanuele A. Lauro on July 1, 2009 and is headquartered in Monaco.

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TEHRAN, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian defense minister said the United States and some Western countries are after turning the conflict in Ukraine into "a war of attrition" by continuing sending weapons to Kiev, official news agency IRNA reported on Friday.

Mohammadreza Ashtiani made the remarks in a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Viktor Khrenin in New Delhi, India, on Thursday, in which they also highlighted the necessity of expanding and continuing the bilateral relations.

Ashtiani stressed that Iran supports any diplomatic efforts that would result in the peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict.

He noted that the "meddlesome and unilateral" approaches of the United States and some Western countries have led to an increase in conflicts and insecurities in different parts of the world.

Ashtiani said that given that Iran and Belarus are both under the sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies, they are required to work toward expanding bilateral relations and cooperation.

For his part, the Belarusian minister praised the cooperation between his country and Iran over the past three decades, saying despite the international pressures and sanctions, Iran has managed to turn into a strong country in the international system, pursue a stable foreign policy and insist on protecting its rights.

He stressed that both Belarus and Iran are after promoting multilateralism and respecting all countries' sovereignty and territorial integrity, noting that the sanction policy against both states has ended in failure. 
SM Energy (NYSE:SM  Get Rating) posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The energy company reported $1.33 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.14, Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $573.51 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $559.37 million. SM Energy had a net margin of 33.11% and a return on equity of 34.40%. SM Energys revenue for the quarter was down 33.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.98 earnings per share.

SM Energy Stock Up 4.8 %

SM traded up $1.28 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $28.13. 1,607,232 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,857,042. SM Energy has a 1-year low of $24.66 and a 1-year high of $54.97. The stocks 50-day moving average is $28.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $34.88. The stock has a market cap of $3.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 4.39. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51.

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SM Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 21st will be issued a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 20th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.1%. SM Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Insider Buying and Selling

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on SM shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut SM Energy from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $55.00 to $46.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 4th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of SM Energy from $51.00 to $37.00 in a report on Friday, March 10th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and issued a $50.00 target price on shares of SM Energy in a report on Friday, March 24th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of SM Energy from $46.00 to $32.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Finally, Raymond James upped their price objective on shares of SM Energy from $38.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, April 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, SM Energy presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $41.00.

In other SM Energy news, CEO Herbert S. Vogel bought 1,000 shares of SM Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 15th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $25.63 per share, for a total transaction of $25,630.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 406,063 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,407,394.69. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Over the last 90 days, insiders acquired 3,000 shares of company stock worth $86,460. 1.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in shares of SM Energy by 88.5% during the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,229,142 shares of the energy companys stock worth $86,825,000 after purchasing an additional 1,046,602 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its stake in shares of SM Energy by 405.0% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,183,200 shares of the energy companys stock worth $46,086,000 after purchasing an additional 948,900 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in SM Energy by 181.8% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,391,860 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $48,478,000 after acquiring an additional 897,855 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in SM Energy by 35.4% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 3,249,967 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $126,586,000 after acquiring an additional 849,019 shares during the period. Finally, State Street Corp raised its stake in SM Energy by 13.7% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,002,705 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $272,755,000 after acquiring an additional 842,589 shares during the period. 89.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About SM Energy

(Get Rating)

SM Energy Co is an independent energy company, which engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil, gas, and natural gas liquids. The company was founded in 1908 and is headquartered in Denver, CO.

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Tgs Asa (OTCMKTS:TGSGY  Get Rating) shares traded up 1.4% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $14.94 and last traded at $14.94. 129 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 69% from the average session volume of 421 shares. The stock had previously closed at $14.74.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Pareto Securities cut shares of Tgs Asa from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, February 13th. DNB Markets upgraded shares of Tgs Asa from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, March 27th.

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Tgs Asa Price Performance

The businesss 50-day moving average price is $16.80 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $14.88.

Tgs Asa Cuts Dividend

Tgs Asa Company Profile

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 20th were given a $0.0928 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 2.38%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 17th. Tgs Asas dividend payout ratio is presently 45.30%.

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TGS ASA engages in the provision of geoscientific data products and services to oil and gas exploration companies. It operates through the following geographical segments: North & South America (NSA), Europe and Russia (EUR), Africal, Middle-East and Asia or Pacific (AMEAP), and Other or Corporate Costs.

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Valmark Advisers Inc. lifted its stake in Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (NYSEARCA:VYM  Get Rating) by 18.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 88,111 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 13,413 shares during the period. Valmark Advisers Inc.s holdings in Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF were worth $9,534,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Welch & Forbes LLC bought a new stake in Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $628,000. Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in shares of Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 6,944 shares of the companys stock worth $659,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF by 25.7% in the 4th quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 179,988 shares of the companys stock worth $19,476,000 after purchasing an additional 36,804 shares in the last quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF by 150.6% in the 4th quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 193,830 shares of the companys stock worth $20,974,000 after purchasing an additional 116,479 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BerganKDV Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF by 76.4% in the 3rd quarter. BerganKDV Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,960 shares of the companys stock worth $186,000 after purchasing an additional 849 shares in the last quarter.

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Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF Stock Performance

Shares of VYM traded up $0.57 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $106.48. The company had a trading volume of 326,736 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,671,813. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $105.66 and a 200 day moving average price of $107.31. Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF has a 52 week low of $94.59 and a 52 week high of $113.78. The company has a market capitalization of $49.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.80 and a beta of 0.86.

Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF Company Profile

The Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund (VYM) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the FTSE Custom High Dividend Yield index. The fund tracks the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index. The index selects high-dividend-paying US companies, excluding REITS, and weights them by market cap. VYM was launched on Nov 10, 2006 and is managed by Vanguard.

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Veolia Environnement SA (OTCMKTS:VEOEY  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 45,800 shares, an increase of 14.8% from the March 31st total of 39,900 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 225,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on VEOEY. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Veolia Environnement from an underweight rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Veolia Environnement from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, April 21st.

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Veolia Environnement Price Performance

VEOEY traded up $0.20 during trading on Friday, hitting $15.95. The stock had a trading volume of 58,620 shares, compared to its average volume of 127,752. Veolia Environnement has a twelve month low of $9.20 and a twelve month high of $16.50. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $15.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $13.79.

About Veolia Environnement

Veolia Environnement SA engages in the management of water supplies and distribution systems and provides waste management services. It operates through the following business segments: Water, Environmental Services, and Energy Services. The Water segment integrates drinking water and waste water activities such as water distribution, water and waste water treatment, industrial process water, and manufacture of water treatment equipment and systems.

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Shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) have received an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the sixteen brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $49.29.

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $52.00 to $50.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Cfra raised Wells Fargo & Company to a buy rating and set a $50.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 13th. Piper Sandler lowered Wells Fargo & Company from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $49.00 to $47.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 17th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on Wells Fargo & Company from $60.00 to $50.00 in a research note on Friday, January 6th.

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Wells Fargo & Company Stock Performance

WFC stock opened at $39.66 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.83. Wells Fargo & Company has a 1-year low of $35.25 and a 1-year high of $48.84. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $41.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $43.42. The company has a market capitalization of $149.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.36, a PEG ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 1.12.

Wells Fargo & Company Announces Dividend

Wells Fargo & Company ( NYSE:WFC Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.15 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $20.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.06 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a net margin of 15.93% and a return on equity of 10.07%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 16.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.88 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Wells Fargo & Company will post 4.79 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 5th will be given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 4th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.03%. Wells Fargo & Companys payout ratio is presently 34.38%.

Insider Activity at Wells Fargo & Company

In other news, EVP Kleber Santos sold 34,698 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.27, for a total transaction of $1,605,476.46. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 19,590 shares in the company, valued at approximately $906,429.30. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.07% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Wells Fargo & Company

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,049,693,000. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 129,312.1% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 26,287,479 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,085,410,000 after purchasing an additional 26,267,166 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 20.9% during the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 105,621,983 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $4,248,626,000 after purchasing an additional 18,252,701 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 1,478.6% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 8,390,611 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $406,609,000 after buying an additional 7,859,100 shares during the period. Finally, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board acquired a new position in Wells Fargo & Company in the first quarter valued at about $345,861,000. 72.24% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wells Fargo & Company Company Profile

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Wells Fargo & Co is a diversified, community-based financial services company. It is engaged in the provision of banking, insurance, investments, mortgage products and services, and consumer and commercial finance. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management.

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Westpac Banking Corp decreased its holdings in Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE  Get Rating) by 49.7% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 54,031 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 53,316 shares during the quarter. Westpac Banking Corps holdings in Sempra Energy were worth $8,350,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Sempra Energy by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 28,199,642 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $4,228,254,000 after acquiring an additional 625,052 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in Sempra Energy by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,795,347 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $638,074,000 after buying an additional 24,679 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in Sempra Energy by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,935,160 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $440,097,000 after buying an additional 80,852 shares during the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC increased its stake in Sempra Energy by 16.8% in the 3rd quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 2,540,802 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $381,066,000 after buying an additional 366,259 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp increased its stake in Sempra Energy by 7.5% in the 3rd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 2,388,520 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $358,329,000 after buying an additional 166,839 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 84.75% of the companys stock.

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Sempra Energy Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE:SRE opened at $156.09 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $151.25 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $154.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.56. Sempra Energy has a one year low of $136.54 and a one year high of $176.47. The company has a market cap of $49.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.58, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.73.

Sempra Energy Increases Dividend

Sempra Energy ( NYSE:SRE Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 28th. The utilities provider reported $2.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.06 by $0.29. Sempra Energy had a net margin of 14.74% and a return on equity of 10.53%. The company had revenue of $3.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.79 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.16 EPS. The firms revenue was down 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Sempra Energy will post 8.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 22nd were issued a dividend of $1.19 per share. This is an increase from Sempra Energys previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. This represents a $4.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.05%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 21st. Sempra Energys payout ratio is currently 71.90%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on shares of Sempra Energy from $169.00 to $166.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Sempra Energy in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Sempra Energy from $180.00 to $174.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Sempra Energy from $173.00 to $165.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Sempra Energy from $150.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $167.67.

Insider Transactions at Sempra Energy

In other news, CEO Jeffrey W. Martin sold 19,260 shares of Sempra Energy stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.09, for a total transaction of $2,813,693.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $146.09. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Sempra Energy news, CFO Trevor I. Mihalik sold 2,306 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.50, for a total value of $342,441.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 21,362 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,172,257. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Jeffrey W. Martin sold 19,260 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $146.09, for a total transaction of $2,813,693.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1 shares of the companys stock, valued at $146.09. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 52,504 shares of company stock valued at $8,045,547. Insiders own 0.14% of the companys stock.

Sempra Energy Company Profile

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Sempra Energy is an energy-service holding company, which engages in the development and operation of energy infrastructure, and provision of electric and gas services. It operates through the following segments: San Diego Gas and Electric Company (SDG&E), Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), Sempra Texas Utilities, Sempra Mexico, and Sempra LNG.

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BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- A devastating earthquake jolted Kathmandu Valley in 2015, causing great damage to many of Nepal's historical building complexes, including the nine-story Basantapur temple complex. After a five-year restoration project in cooperation with Chinese professionals, the temple complex has now recovered its past splendor.

"They (the Chinese) are very cautious about maintaining the authenticity, integrity and values of the world heritage site," said Damodar Gautam, director general of Nepal's Department of Archaeology, when recalling the project completed last year.

That's one of the many examples of how China has been fostering international cooperation in cultural heritage preservation these years.

Since Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to work with other countries to protect Asian cultural heritage in 2019, the past years have witnessed growing cooperation among concerned parties in such fields as academic research, archaeological work, and the restoration of historic sites, with the latest progress being the establishment of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia joined by 13 Asian countries.

AN ACTIVE ROLE

Apart from the alliance, the General Assembly of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia, held in China's historic city of Xi'an from Monday to Wednesday, yielded many meaningful results, including a joint declaration to facilitate archaeological collaboration and the launch of a fund for cultural heritage conservation.

In his congratulatory letter to the Assembly, Xi pledged to work with all Asian countries to strengthen experience sharing on cultural heritage preservation, promote international cooperation in the cultural heritage sector, and establish a network for dialogue and cooperation among civilizations.

Calling Xi's letter and the event "encouraging," Mohammed al-Jubouri, a professor of media at Iraq's al-Iraqia University, said, "I hope that Iraq and China can exchange experiences and promote cooperation including joint archaeology ... I also hope that China can help protect Iraq's cultural heritage."

"Such cooperation can also promote cultural exchanges and the relationship between the two countries," he said.

In fact, China has played an indispensable part in multiple cultural heritage protection projects in Asia and beyond. For example, Southeast University in the east Chinese city of Nanjing has been working closely with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on this front for more than 20 years.

In 2017, a team of scholars and students from the university's School of Architecture, including Professor Zhou Xiaodi, were invited by Myanmar's cultural authorities for preliminary work on the ancient city Mrauk-U's application for a UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

The first glimpse of Mrauk-U is something Zhou still vividly remembers. "It was late at night when we reached Mrauk-U. The ancient city is nestled among the mountains, and on top of almost every hill, there is a pagoda," he recalled. "The lights from the pagodas were reflected in the water mist on the river, making the whole scene quiet and layered."

Between 2017 and 2020, the team has mapped 112 ancient pagodas and monasteries in Mrauk-U and completed a high-precision map of the ancient city's core area and an area of 30 square km around it. They also built a visual geographic information database and worked out plans for Mrauk-U's protection and the management of its world heritage application.

STRONGER CULTURAL BONDS

Central Afghanistan's Bamyan Valley is home to the famous Buddhas of Bamyan. Years of war and economic hardship have left the caves there not numbered and cleaned for a long time.

However, the situation that badly hindered the heritage protection and further archaeological research has now been reversed. A group of young Chinese scholars have financed a protection project for the heritage site, as well as a program to teach local children how to preserve cultural heritage sites.

"With our specific suggestions and financial support, most of the caves near the Buddha site have been officially numbered and installed with introduction nameplates," said Shao Xuecheng, one of the Chinese scholars.

In addition, they funded a program to teach local children how to preserve cultural heritages. Kids from impoverished families were invited to attend training activities on relevant knowledge by distributing bread.

"I'm thankful to Chinese friends for providing training and assisting the children to learn how to protect and preserve the cultural heritages in the future," said Ahmad Ali Hussianyar, a local archaeologist.

For Mawlawi Saifurahman Mohammadi, Bamyan provincial director of the information and culture department, the "Chinese friends have provided us with real help, and we are very grateful."

In 2003, the cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamyan Valley were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

In recent years, China has cooperated with six Asian countries such as Cambodia on 11 historic sites' conservation projects, and with 14 Asian countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia, in more than 20 collaborative archaeological projects, official statistics showed.

China has been actively involved in the restoration of Cambodia's Angkor Archeological Park and Preah Vihear Temple, two UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites.

Speaking of the newly-established Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia, Long Kosal, deputy director-general of the APSARA National Authority, a government agency responsible for managing and preserving the Angkor park, said, "I have a strong conviction that our Cambodia-China cooperation in the safeguarding and development of cultural heritage sites will be further strengthened and expanded."

"China used to be a beneficiary of international cultural heritage cooperation, and now we have become an active contributor," said Wen Dayan, director of the exchange and cooperation department of China's National Cultural Heritage Administration.

CELEBRATING CULTURAL DIVERSITY

"All civilizations are rooted in their unique cultural environment. Each embodies the wisdom and vision of a country or nation, and each is valuable for being uniquely its own," said Xi at the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations held in Beijing in 2019.

Over the years, China has stayed committed to and taken concrete actions for the harmonious co-existence of various civilizations in the world. Besides collaborative exhibitions, such as the ongoing exhibition of Pakistan's Gandhara art at the Palace Museum, China has also launched a number of professional training programs, signed cultural relics cooperation documents with other Asian countries, and had Chinese archaeologists participate in various joint surveys and cultural relics repair projects in other parts of Asia.

The Chinese contribution to cultural heritage cooperation and exchanges among Asian countries and civilizations, both academic and practical, has been widely recognized by Asian countries, said Xie Bing, deputy head of China's National Cultural Heritage Administration.

At the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting last month, Xi proposed the Global Civilization Initiative, calling for respecting the diversity of civilizations, advocating the common values of humanity, valuing the inheritance and innovation of civilizations, and strengthening international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.

"This initiative is commendable because it is based on respect for the diversity of civilizations, reflecting China's desire for exchanges and cooperation," said al-Jubouri, the Iraqi scholar, adding that the establishment of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia showed that China walks its talk.

Noting that misunderstanding results in disputes, he said that China's plan will help promote mutual understanding and learning among people all over the world, and contribute to the security, stability and peace of the world.

Nasir Khan, an official from Pakistan's Department of Archaeology and Museums, has a similar opinion.

Respecting the diversity of civilizations and cultures is core to peaceful co-existence in the world, he said, adding that the Global Civilization Initiative will promote the peace and harmony of mankind at a time of conflict, hegemony and selfishness. 
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has invited the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, for interrogation over an investigation bordering on corruption allegations levelled against him.

Recall that there has been allegations of an N40 billion fraud perpetrated in the Niger Delta Development Commission, which was headed by the former Akwa Ibom State governor for three years.

The Nigerian Voice, however, understands that the invitation is coming after report that the President-elect, Bola Tinubu had concluded plans to support Akpabios Senate presidency bid.

It would be recalled that in 2020, the Senate and the House of Representatives resolved to probe the alleged N40 billion financial recklessness of the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC.

Also, there were allegations of over N86 billion contract scams involving the senator-elect and a former Acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei, which the EFCC have been investigating.

The anti-graft agency has in the past arrested Akpabio over the alleged theft of N108.1 billion of Akwa Ibom funds.

The EFCC had earlier invited Akpabio to appear for questioning on March 29 but his lawyer, Umeh Kalu, SAN, in a letter to the anti-graft agency alleged that his client was suffering from pneumonia and cardiac arrhythmia.

While pleading with the EFCC to reschedule the questioning to a new date, Kalu had said Akpabio would be unable to honour the invitation on March 29 due to alleged ill health, adding that the Senator-elect had already arranged medical appointments overseas.

He, therefore, said, As mentioned in our last letter to you dated February 10, 2023, our client is undergoing treatment for pneumonia and cardiac arrhythmia, and, has recently been advised to seek further attention abroad.

It is in the light of the above that we respectfully request that our clients appointment with you be rescheduled to a date convenient to your officers, preferably after the forthcoming Easter and Ramadan holidays, the letter from Kalu dated March 27, 2023, reads.

Meanwhile, the latest invite was revealed in a letter sighted by newsmen on Friday.

According to the letter dated April 13, 2023, which was received by Akpabios lawyers, Seasons Law Firm, the following day, the EFCC asked Akpabio to come to its headquarters in Abuja on May 9, 2023.

The letter titled, Investigation Activities Re: Senator Godswill Akpabios Appointment Letter Of Invitation was signed by ACE II SM Ala, Head, CMU-1.

It reads, I refer to your letter number dated March 27, 2023, on the above subject. In view of the above, you are kindly requested to inform your client Senator Godswill Akpabio to personally report for an interview with the undersigned through the Head, CMU-1 team on May 9, 2023, at 5th Floor, EFCC Headquarters Plot 301/302 Institutions and Research District. Jabi, Abuja at 10:00 am.
Northumberland-area residents, advocates, institutions and others remembered workers who lost their lives and who were injured or suffered illness while on the job as area communities marked National Day of Mourning on April 28.

Today, we pause to reflect on the devastating impact of workplace tragedies, said Tracey Vaughan, chief administrative officer for the Town of Cobourg, on April 28. No one should fear for their health and safety when going to work.

As an employer, today is an opportunity to renew our commitment to creating safer workplaces, and a reminder to us all to always take care and work safely for ourselves and those around us.

Like others, the Town of Cobourg encouraged residents to take time during National Day of Mourning to also recognize those who have lost loved ones as a result of workplace tragedies.

The town lowered its flags to the half-mast position at area municipal and community buildings and at parks. Others, such as Port Hope, Northumberland County and Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH), also lowered their flags in recognition of the day.

Today, we observe National Day of Mourning. We remember workers who have died, were injured or became ill from their job, said the Municipality of Port Hope, while lowering its flags at town hall. We commit to protecting workers and preventing workplace tragedies.

The Northumberland Labour Council hosted its annual Day of Mourning event at Lucas Point Park in Cobourg. The focus was on this years theme: Know your rights; Use the tools; Defend our wins, with hopes of supporting and empowering workers to participate in workplace health and safety, explained the council.

The council also encouraged folks to lay wreaths and leave flowers during the ceremony at the park in remembrance of all workers lost and injured.

Loretta Michaud, Workers Health and Safety Centre director of policy and programs, served as the guest speaker at the event. Others, including Northumberland County Warden and Cramahe Mayor Mandy Martin, also joined in the ceremony.

Northumberland County headquarters was also lit up in yellow to further commemorate the day.

The National Day of Mourning is an opportunity to collectively recommit our efforts to ensuring workplace well-being and safety in order to prevent further injuries, illnesses and deaths, said Martin. Today, we remember not only all those affected by a workplace tragedy but also their loved ones and coworkers.

At NHH, staff held a moment of silence hospital-wide on Friday.

RELATED STORIES Northumberland Labour Council hosts annual Day of Mourning in Cobourg Friday

April 28 is an important day of reflection to honour and remember Canadians who were injured in or lost to work-related accidents, said Lola Obomighie, NHHs vice-president of people, culture and organizational effectiveness. It also serves as a reminder of the responsibility we all share to minimize any and all risks from workplace hazards.

At NHH, whilst acknowledging the continued commitment and dedication of every member of our health-care teams, we continue to prioritize and implement the highest possible standards for mental and physical health, safety and well-being.

For more information, people are encouraged to check out the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety and the Workers Health and Safety Centre of Ontario websites.

National Day of Mourning was first observed in Canada on April 28, 1991. Its meant to serve as a day of remembrance and recognition but is also geared at strengthening resolve for safe and healthy conditions in the workplace, explained officials. In other words, as much as this is a day to remember those lost, its also a call to protect the living.

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A spike in fraud calls  bank card and credit card frauds, cellphone scams, cryptocurrency scams, cheque frauds, and gift card scams  were noted by the Cobourg Police Service (CPS) in its most recent two-week reporting period.

As part of ongoing efforts to detail recent crime trends in Cobourg, CPS continues to release numbers twice monthly on these areas.

During the latest reporting period, from April 10 to 23, the CPS said officers responded to 538 calls for service.

Here is the breakdown on break and enters, theft from vehicles, distraction thefts, mischief and fraud, according to police.

 Break and enter: Two; at Third and Division streets, and Covert and Division streets.

 Theft from motor vehicle: Three; at University and Ontario streets, Division and Munro streets, and John and Chapel streets.

 Distraction theft: None reported.

 Mischief: Three; at King and DArcy streets, Sutherland Crescent and Ontario Street, and DArcy and Elgin streets.

 Ten fraud reports received, including bank card and credit card frauds, cellphone scams, cryptocurrency scams, cheque frauds, and gift card scams.

Cryptocurrency scam:

Even if you don't use cryptocurrency, commonly known as bitcoin, scammers are good at enticing, pressuring, threatening or extorting their targets into sending bitcoin from an ATM, said police.

Fraudsters may offer cryptocurrency buy-ins promising a high rate of return or pose as an official saying your bank accounts have been compromised and instruct you to take money out of your account and deposit it into a cryptocurrency ATM machine, explained police.

Police are sharing these tips for the public:

 No government agencies will ever request payment in the form of cryptocurrencies.

 Once the coins are in the scammer's wallet, the victim's money is gone and unlikely to be retrieved.

 Urgent or high-pressure offers are signs of a scam.

 Get a second opinion from someone you trust.

 Do your research, stay up to date with the latest scams, and visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) website.

If you fall victim to fraud or know someone who has, contact the police to report the crime and report it to the CAFC at 1-888-495-8501 or online on the Fraud Reporting System, even if a financial loss did not occur, said police. Residents looking for more information on crime trends locally can also access operational reports provided to the Cobourg Police Services Board (BPSB) monthly, said CPS.

These reports also offer breakdowns on calls for service, year-to-year comparisons on crime trends, and highlight calls of interest, noted the service.

The reports are accessible via the CPSB meeting minutes online through Cobourgs eScribe platform. Residents can also access information about police activity through the crime mapping tool via cobourgpoliceservice.com.

Police continue to remind citizens of the services free crime prevention through environmental design audits; this service is available to residents and business owners in town. To book an audit, email info@cobourgpolice.com.

Tips on how to protect homes are available via cobourgpoliceservice.com/home-safety-tips.

Police continue to remind residents they can also report non-emergency crimes, such as thefts, traffic complaints, damage to property and vehicles, lost property, et cetera, online via cobourgpoliceservice.com/online-reporting.

However, if it is an emergency situation or people witness a crime in progress, residents should call 911 immediately, said police.

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A Peterborough man has been given a significant break, by Justice Stuart Konyer after pleading guilty to impaired driving in the Ontario Court of Justice in Peterborough.

Konyer fined the 31-year-old $2,000 and placed him on a 12-month driving prohibition on Thursday, April 27.

Konyer said the man could have easily struck a person and had no right to jeopardize the safety of the community.

According to the agreed statement of facts, the man struck a pole on Reid Street around 4 a.m. on Feb. 26.

When Peterborough police arrived, the man said he f---ed up and he was trashed.

The man was was arrested and breath samples were taken. His first reading was 220 milligrams alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

Konyer said the man was receiving a second chance because the prosecution could have asked for jail sentence as the man had been convicted of over 80 in 2014.

  

Justice Stuart Konyer said it was nothing short of miraculous or dumb luck that a Peterborough man didnt injure people earlier this year when the man decided to drive drunk.

Your decision to drive is simply mind-boggling to me, Konyer said on Thursday, April 27 after a 69-year-old man pleaded guilty to impaired driving.

According to the agreed statement of facts, police were notified of a fail to remain collision on Erskine Avenue around 8:15 on Jan. 7, 2023. Upon arrival to the area, officers located a third vehicle which the driver indicated they had been sideswiped by a vehicle being driven erratically.

Officers were then called to the Costco parking lot about two vehicles with significant damage. One driver indicated they were struck by a vehicle at the stop sign and that the other vehicle took off.

Upon speaking with the driver of the suspect vehicle, officers observed signs of impairment.

A breath sample of the man returned a reading of 259 milligrams alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

Konyer fined the man $3,000, placed him on a two-year driving prohibition and 12 months probation.

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An accountant at a Niagara car dealership who attempted to defraud his employer of more than $30,000 has been granted a conditional discharge.

Antonio Di Gioia, 59, appeared in Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines on Thursday and pleaded guilty to a charge of uttering a forged document.

The Welland man was granted a conditional discharge and placed on probation for 15 months. He was also ordered to perform 240 hours of community service.

Niagara Regional Police launched an investigation in February 2022 after receiving information from AutoLine Toyota in Niagara Falls.

Police said employees reported they had been contacted by their bank, who advised them of the deposit of suspicious cheques totalling just more than $30,000 into the bank accounts of two corporations.

The employees confirmed they had not authorized the payments, and the bank was able to reverse the deposits.

Further investigation, police said, revealed Di Gioia, who worked as a controller in charge of accounting at the dealership, had deposited the cheques.

The access to the cheques was easy because of the financial responsibility he held within the company, Judge Cameron Watson said.

Defence lawyer Angelo Fazari said his client ran into financial difficulties after he decided to become an entrepreneur and opened a business restoring and selling vintage vehicles.

As a result of getting into a business venture he lost substantial funds, which forced him into bankruptcy, he told the judge.

His behaviour on this occasion was totally out of character.

The judge noted the defendant, who had no prior criminal record, had accepted responsibility for his actions, and that the dealership did not incur any monetary loss.

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BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The latest phone talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky was widely welcomed in the international community, and many voiced expectations that China will continue to play a constructive role in promoting a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

Xi stressed on Wednesday that dialogue and negotiations are the only viable way out for the Ukraine crisis, and no one wins a nuclear war, adding that bilateral ties between the two countries have reached the level of strategic partnership, which has boosted the respective development and revitalization of the two countries.

Following the conversation, Zelensky said on Twitter that he had "a long and meaningful phone call" with Xi, adding that he believes the call and the appointment of Ukraine's ambassador to China "will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations."

The United Nations expects China to continue to play a helpful role in resolving the Ukraine crisis, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told a press conference on Wednesday.

"We certainly encourage the involvement of all key nations around the world, including, of course, the members of the Security Council, in terms of the contributions they can make toward the resolution of the crisis involving Ukraine and Russia," said Haq. "And certainly, we hope that China will continue to play a helpful role."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Wednesday that Moscow welcomed the "readiness of the Chinese side to strive to establish a negotiation process," adding that a broad range of provisions outlined within China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis, a document China published on Feb. 24, are in line with Moscow's principled approaches.

On the Ukraine crisis, China always stands on the side of peace, and its core stance is to facilitate talks for peace, Xi stressed during Wednesday's phone conversation.

Calling the conversation "positive," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that China can play an important role in bringing an end to the Ukraine crisis, adding that France encourages any dialogue that can contribute to the resolution of the crisis.

"We welcome the news that there was a phone call between President Xi and President Zelensky. We think that's a good thing," John Kirby, the U.S. National Security Council's coordinator for strategic communication, told reporters on Wednesday.

Brussels also welcomed the Xi-Zelensky conversation, as it's an important step by China in exercising its responsibilities as a member of the UN Security Council, according to European Commission Chief Spokesperson Eric Mamer on Wednesday.

European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell welcomed the development as well, saying it is very important that China talked with Ukraine, and all parties want peace. 
The Peterborough Rotary Club announced the first recipients of their 2023 Environmentalist Innovators Fund on Thursday night at Camp Kawartha, with three environmental innovators receiving $3,000 each.

The fund, which is partnered with Cleantech Commons, exceeded its goal, raising just a little more than $12,000 from more than 60 champions, explained Graham Wilkins, a member of the Peterborough Rotary Clubs environmental sustainability committee.

Nearly $10,000 of this fund was donated to three primary innovators and two additional applicants, with the remainder being set aside for next years fund.

This gives us an opportunity to reward all of the applications, because all 16 were good and had some quality and merit to them, Wilkins said. In fact, we reached back out to those people to encourage them to use some of the contacts within the champions group.

The top three environmental innovators were: Carlotta James (Monarch Ultra), Craig Onafrychuk (Baxter Creek Watershed Alliance), and Dylan Radcliffe (creator of a drone for large-scale environmental restoration projects).

Everybody is aware of the fact that monarch butterflies are one step away from being on the endangered species list, Wilkins said. So, the Monarch Ultra program addresses that problem at the root cause, which is the habitat for the monarchs, both locally and in Mexico.

Monarch Ultra reaches outside of the community and will have a large impact, which struck a chord with the Peterborough Rotary Club, he said, since Monarch butterflies are also crucial to local agricultural, he added.

Monarch butterflies are an essential part of the whole pollination system, Wilkins said.

Radcliffes drone, which has been crafted to be an alternative to traditional seed planting, is another great concept, he said.

Traditional methods of planting are very difficult, and hes created a solution for that, Wilkins said.

Two additional applicants, Zachary McCue (REPWR) and Christa Plumley (Ava & Ziva), received $300 each for their initiatives. All of the ideas presented had great environmental goals, he said, and could be eligible for future funds from Rotarys fund.

I would predict that some of those people will be in a position to reapply, because this fund will definitely be continued on to next year, Wilkins said.

The Peterborough Rotary Club is the first chapter to launch this fund, he said, and it has already gained popularity with other Rotary Clubs across Canada.

Ive had calls from other Rotary Clubs in Canada, saying this is a good model, Wilkins said. We see this fund expanding and being ran in other areas in Canada, and probably across North America.

aschummer@peterboroughdaily.com

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The National Day of Mourning was marked Friday morning with a ceremony outside of Peterborough City Hall remembering workers to remember workers who have suffered work-related disability, disease and death.

The day aims to encourage workers to know their rights at work, use the health and safety tools at their disposal and defend health and safety regulations in the workplace.

Dave Warda, president of the Peterborough and District Labour Council, led the ceremony with Town Ward Coun. Joy Lachica reading the citys proclamation.

There was also a flag-raising ceremony and a moment of silence

The Canadian Labour Congresss Ontario Region representative Felicia Samuel was on hand along with Tina MacPherson, director of program development at the Workers Health and Safety Centre.

Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal also spoke while Betty Cree, a representative with Unifor Local 8300, led the flag-raising ceremony.

During the ceremony, some family members wore T-shirts in memory of David Pinkney, who died Feb. 6, 2017 at the age of 31 in a workplace accident at the Walker Aggregates quarry in Severn Township.

 Examiner Staff

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There is a timeless quality to Comrags clothing.

The Toronto label designed by Joyce Gunhouse and Judy Cornish will celebrate its 40th anniversary this summer, and to mark it, theyre launching Comrags: ENCORE, a curated collection of their own vintage designs. The pieces are pulled from the personal archives of Gunhouse and Cornish, as well as from longtime customers who brought in items from their closets for resale and received a gift certificate for new collection clothes in return.

Customers will be able to shop the best of the labels past alongside the current spring/summer collection, with prices ranging from $30 to $150. There will be some 200 spring/summer pieces and a further 200 fall/winter pieces at their Dundas Street West boutique this Sunday, April 30.

I've always been a second-hand and vintage shopper, a scavenger at heart, says Cornish, who describes early shopping adventures with Gunhouse to scour the thrift shops and fabric stores of Hamilton. Im attracted to the randomness of what can be found, and to clothing that is imperfect, especially from wear: fading, holes, bits mended, even sometimes poor alterations. These things give character to the piece, and suggest a life well lived.

Cornish says her favourite description of the brand was by the late Canadian fashion critic David Livingstone, who said Comrags is never in fashion, never out of fashion.

The designers inspirations include the housedresses sold at little Portuguese and Italian shops in the west end, slip skirts from the 1930s and 40s, and uniforms, coveralls and pyjamas. Ideas also come from people we see on the street, Gunhouse says. The haystack skirt was inspired by a woman we saw on her bicycle with her skirt all bunched and twisted up front. Cornish adds that they seek out fabrics and textures to achieve a slightly worn look, what she calls rumpled dishevelment, or cultivated messiness. Bias cut is important to the construction, says Gunhouse, because it makes the clothes feel livable.

Their motto has always been buy less, buy better, a philosophy now embraced by Millennials and Gen Z. We always wanted our clothes to last, to be timeless and to be made locally, says Gunhouse. Their atelier is still above the shop today. Judy drapes, I draft, Gunhouse says of their different design approaches. They each make their own items for the collection first, then they present their ideas to each other. Often our ideas are in sync with one another, at other times we are far apart, says Cornish. Then we build the bridge, working more collaboratively to design the remainder of the collection together, linking our individual ideas. It's that collaborative work ethic  and a commitment to nurturing separate family lives  that has kept the label and the friends together for so many years.

The designers met at what was then called Ryerson University; they graduated in 1983. We had the same sensibility. We admired English and Japanese designers at school, says Gunhouse. Out of school, everyone was punk, new wave, wearing vintage. Cornish worked at the bar and music venue Larrys Hideaway on Carlton Street, and one night, to round out an evening of Duran Duran music videos, she was asked to put on a little fashion show. She joined forces with Gunhouse and the name Comrags came a few months later.

On the business side, Gunhouse and Cornish made an early decision to only work with stores that paid them. It sounds like a basic premise but a lot of labels were badly burned with the splintering of the Canadian fashion industry  a vibrant force of independent designers in the 1990s  that came about in the early 2000s as retail began to falter. Comrags scaled their business down to focus on their own boutique, which had opened circa 1995.

There were some electrifying moments on the Canadian runways of the 1980s and 90s, with a bootstrapped, DIY approach to showing clothes in unlikely locations, before the bigger, corporate-backed fashion shows of the 2000s took hold. Take the Salt Show. We'd done a group of heavy black wool pieces to end a show, [they were] long, dragging on the floor. The night before the show, we filled big tubs of water with large quantities of road salt, then let the bottom quarter of each garment soak overnight in the salt water. We were unsure if it would work, recalls Cornish. The clothes were stained a whitish grey and crusted in salt. As the models walked, chunks fell onto the runway. The audience was unsure of what we'd done, she says, and whether they meant for that to happen. They had, and the critics raved.

Another presentation, which they call the Bed Show, took place in a church basement on Bellwoods Avenue. They served apple cider and sat guests on vintage army cots. The concept was deconstructing the bed. The final looks of the show were made of netting, feathers, pillow ticking and quilted stripes, says Cornish.

A lot has changed in fashion since then, but much about Comrags has endured. Take the bias slip from 1983, part of the ENCORE collection and a piece that has appeared consistently in the line over 40 years. Slips have been a very important part of the Comrags story, says Cornish. A good slip follows and flatters the lines of a body beautifully. They're easy to wear, easy to layer, both over and under. Often we do them in atypical fabrics like wools, heavy linens  rarely are ours lacy or intentionally sexy.

More staples include the pleated Georgia skirt (2014), and the Odessa jacket (2012), which are both made of a featherweight plain weave polyester the designers affectionately call crush. Crush takes topstitching beautifully, gently puckering along any stitched seam, says Cornish. The Odessa jacket was one of our early pieces using a heavy acetate lining. Once finished, it was handwashed and tightly twisted and wrung, which gives so much texture and life to the piece. Its a life that shows no signs of ending anytime soon.

Forever classics

Highlights from the Comrags: ENCORE collection

Wills dress, 2015

Uniforms  coveralls, school jumpers and child size jackets  have inspired many designs over the years. This straightforward dress with useful pockets is inspired by a 1940s nurse's uniform.  Joyce Gunhouse

Grace dress, 1997

Comrags is probably best known for our pretty floral dresses and vintage-inspired frocks. In the years of Grunge, demand was so high for these dresses that we introduced a second diffusion line called Grace.  Gunhouse

Odessa jacket, 2012, Shrill top, 2005, Sarah skirt, 2019, and Georgia skirt, 2014

The pleated Georgia skirt, in various incarnations, has become a staple in our collections. The Odessa jacket as well. These pieces together are a perfect example of the Comrags suit.  Judy Cornish

Slip dress, 1983

We've shown slips on the runway with steel-toed workboots, policeboots, runners. This one is semi-sheer, black with white flocked dots, and it has a 'racing back' more associated with sportswear than bias dresses.  Cornish

Leanne Delap is a Toronto-based freelance contributor for the Star and The Kit, where she writes about style and culture. Reach her via email: leannedelap@hotmail.com

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VANCOUVERThe controversy over the future of Canadas largest RCMP detachment appears to be stuck in neutral after a recommendation from the provincial government was shrugged off by the mayor of Surrey, B.C.

In a surprise blow to the Mounties, the B.C. government urged the City of Surrey to keep its fledgling municipal police force, rejecting a plan from civic leaders that would have seen the community go back to the RCMP for policing services.

But Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke quickly rebuffed the provinces non-binding recommendation, leaving little room to argue that progress has been made on the issue.

Surrey is a city of an estimated 600,000 people that is part of Metro Vancouver.

Mike Farnworth, minister of public safety and solicitor general, said Friday that moving ahead with the transition to the Surrey Police Service is the safest option, since it would avoid further strain on acute understaffing at the RCMP.

Everyone deserves to be safe in their community and all British Columbians deserve secure, stable policing they can count on, he said in a statement. The people of Surrey are very frustrated by years of uncertainty over this debate, but we must move forward without reducing police presence when we need it the most.

There are about 1,500 RCMP vacancies throughout the province. Reverting to the Surrey RCMP would exacerbate challenges faced by municipalities and Indigenous communities by increasing demand for officers and aggravate public-safety concerns, according to a report by B.C.s director of police services.

The recommendation came five months after Mayor Locke and city council submitted their plan to the province, and after the SPS said it had already spent millions on setting up the service, including hiring hundreds of staff and deploying officers to front-line service.

After a close race last year, Locke was elected on a promise to reverse the transition to the Surrey Police Service, which was established in 2020 under former mayor Doug McCallums Safe Surrey Coalition.

On Friday, in a response to the provincial recommendation, Locke said, Surrey made their decision  So far, I havent seen anything that would change our mind.

Locke called the provincial report half-baked due to its heavy redactions.

She said the money the province has offered changes nothing, reaffirming council doesnt have confidence in the SPS.

Locke added she hadnt been able to look over the report in detail. The mayor also took a swipe at Farnworth.

The past four years have been wrought with challenges, with lack of due diligence on the behalf of the city of Surrey, for sure, and on behalf of the solicitor general, she said. They dont want the public to know that they never did do their due diligence in the first place.

Locke accused the province and previous council of not conducting feasibility and impact studies before deciding to start a municipal service.

B.C.s Ministry of Public Safety and the Attorney General told the Star it would review the full report with the city when they are ready to do so, citing confidential information about police operations that preclude releasing the report publicly.

B.C.s recommendation was a break from precedent, as the provincial government generally does not reject major decisions of local governments.

While the City of Surrey is not legally bound to follow the provinces recommendation, if it chooses to retain the RCMP it must meet mandatory conditions. Those include working with a government-appointed adviser, and submitting revised staffing plans that do not prioritize Surrey RCMP re-staffing over B.C. RCMP vacancies and resourcing needs.

SPS Chief Const. Norm Lipinski released a statement Friday calling the recommendation considered and evidence-based.

Lipinski said the city has a rare opportunity to change the way policing in the city is conducted, taking a jab at the RCMP over years-long concerns about its practices.

Across Canada, citizens have made it clear that they want to see policing done differently  with more compassion and trauma-informed practice, and less reliance on use of force, the statement reads. At SPS we are seeking to go beyond the status quo of policing as we find new approaches and solutions to public safety.

Lipinski said he welcomed the chance to work with the city council and mayor.

On Friday afternoon, Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald thanked Farnworth for his recognition of the RCMPs work and said the force is committed to working with the current SPS members in the city.

I will not politicize this decision, McDonald said. The RCMP will respect and await direction on the way forward.

McDonald urged rank and file RCMP members to not be distracted by the controversy and know they are appreciated by the public.

Robert Gordon, a criminology professor at Simon Fraser University, said the provinces position is likely to be disappointing to the RCMP, because it could be seen as a lack of faith that the force can resolve key issues, including understaffing.

He said the years-long debate is a reflection of growing scrutiny of the role of the RCMP in regional policing in Canada.

The argument for regional police services is that communities will have a better say over how things are done on the street level, Gordon told the Star. At the moment, RCMP resources are perceived by critics as applied in a somewhat haphazard manner.

Because of the numerous RCMP vacancies in the province, Gordon said that if ultimately displaced, Surrey RCMP members would have no trouble relocating, but they may find the option less than ideal because it would likely require moving to rural areas.

Meanwhile the National Police Federation, the union representing RCMP officers, was more blunt. President Brian Sauve said the controversy stems from politics.

We fully support Mayor Brenda Lockes confirmation that the City of Surrey will retain the Surrey RCMP, which is entirely consistent with the wishes of a majority of Surrey voters, Sauve said. This has never been about public safety, but rather a political project started by a former mayor run amok and now exacerbated by the province, costing all B.C. residents millions of dollars.

The union said the Surrey detachment has adopted national and international best practices when it comes to policing.

The city of Surrey had said that retaining the RCMP would save taxpayers more than $235 million in the next five years, citing a municipal report estimating the full transition to SPS would cost $1.16 billion, while retaining the Surrey RCMP would cost $924.8M over five years.

Farnworths ministry said it commissioned an independent financial analysis of the submissions that found the SPS plan to staff 734 officers would cost about $30 million more per year than the RCMP.

But the analysis also confirmed the costs of severance from disbanding the SPS and reverting to the RCMP would cost the City of Surrey about $72 million.

We are willing to work with Surrey on those costs so they are not borne by the City of Surrey and city residents, Farnworth said in a public event discussing the governments recommendations.

Join Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, for an announcement regarding the future of policing in Surrey

Farnworth did not offer an estimate of how long the transition is expected to take. If it takes five years, the (transition) could cost $150 million.

These developments are likely being closely watched by other municipalities in Canada. Before Surrey, the last time a local government made the shift away from the RCMP was in 2000, in Cape Breton in Nova Scotia.

Under B.C.s Police Act, a municipality with a population of more than 5,000 has the authority to provide its policing and law enforcement by means of establishing its own municipal police department.

Former Surrey mayor McCallum had argued that it was long overdue for a city the size of Surrey to have its own police force where accountability begins and stays within our city. Surreys population was 518,467 as of the 2017 census, and the city estimated the population would have risen to 603,970 by December 2022.

In Metro Vancouver, Surrey has a reputation for being a hotbed of crime, which Surrey RCMP have repeatedly said was undeserved, citing the skewing effect of high-profile crimes when there have actually been consistent declines in crime over the past 10 years.

Last April, an all-party committee of B.C. MLAs called on the province to get rid of the RCMP in the province altogether and replace it with a provincial police force.

In its report, the committee said the move would bolster governance and accountability for police actions.

The committees vision for policing and public safety includes: ensuring equitable access to police and public safety services with consistent oversight, governance, training, and policies, it said.

Joanna Chiu is a B.C.-based staff reporter for the Star. She covers global and national affairs. Follow her on Twitter: @joannachiu

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BURNABY, B.C. - The jury in the British Columbia coroners inquest into the death of Myles Gray nearly eight years ago wont be allowed to see a photo showing the mans injuries because the application was made too late, the coroner ruled Friday.

Larry Marzinzik said his view on admitting the photo would have been very different had the lawyer for Grays family, Ian Donaldson, brought it up earlier.

Gray died in August 2015 after a beating by police that left him with injuries including ruptured testicles and fractures in his eye socket, nose, voice box and rib.

Marzinzik agreed with Donaldson that the photo would most likely have added value for the jury at the proper time, but not as the inquest was coming to a close.

There was no application for photos to be admitted before testimony from officers involved in the struggle to restrain Gray or first responders who tried to revive him.

Marzinzik heard arguments from Donaldson, as well as Crown counsel and lawyers for Vancouver police, who opposed the admission of the photo, before deciding there was no longer an opportunity for witnesses to provide context for the jury.

He said evidence of Grays injuries have been well-documented for the jury through other materials and testimony.

Before outlining his decision not to allow the photo, Marzinzik told the inquest he was torn between complete transparency and proper procedure.

Speaking to media on Friday, Grays mother, Margie Gray, said the photo Donaldson wanted to show the jury was taken in the backyard where her son died.

She said procedure won over transparency in the coroners decision, and suggested witnesses could have been called back to provide context for the photo.

Of the 14 Vancouver police officers who testified at the inquest, most said they didnt notice signs of injury besides redness on Grays face and some bruising.

Several firefighters and paramedics told a different story, including one who said the bruising was so severe he initially thought Gray was not a white man.

Dr. Matthew Orde, the forensic pathologist who performed an autopsy on Gray, testified Thursday that a perfect storm of factors led to his death, including his extreme physical exertion and the actions of police to restrain him.

What we can say with some degree of certainty ... is I dont think he would have died when he did had it not been for the police interaction on that day, Orde said.

The inquest heard Friday from a retired B.C. police officer turned trainer, Mike Massine, who testified as an expert in the use of force.

Critical incident and de-escalation training came into effect in B.C. in 2015, the year Gray died, although training has generally improved since then, he said.

Officers are taught to recognize signs of so-called excited delirium and they are told getting medical treatment for that person takes priority over any criminality, he said.

But Massine said getting the person to a hospital requires physical restraint.

Several of the officers involved in the struggle to restrain Gray told the inquest they believed he was experiencing excited delirium, saying he was sweating profusely, yelling nonsensically, and he seemed to have superhuman strength.

However, Orde told the inquest this week that acute behavioural disturbance is a better term to describe what Gray was experiencing on the day he died.

On occasion, it was thought so-called excited delirium syndrome could result independently in death, the pathologist said.

But I think critical analysis of the published data suggests thats probably quite unlikely, Orde testified. Im not persuaded that theres any good evidence that excited delirium syndrome can independently bring about death.

Orde pointed to police actions including neck compression, blunt-force blows, the use of pepper spray, holding Gray on his stomach and handcuffing him behind his back as complicating factors in his death.

The inquest was expected to finish Friday after 10 days of testimony, but it was delayed over the debate about allowing the photo of Grays injuries.

Supt. Shelley Horne, head of personnel services for the Vancouver Police Department, is the last person set to testify before the end of the inquest.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2023.

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FORT ERIE, Ont. - A U.S. law enforcement agency says three Mexican migrants have been sent back to Canada after they attempted to cross into New York state on a rail bridge from Ontario.

U.S. Customs and Border Protections says the rail bridge connecting Buffalo, N.Y., and Fort Erie, Ont., represents one of the treacherous and dangerous pathways used to illegally enter the country.

It says the three migrant men were arrested after agents patrolling the Niagara River noticed what it called suspicious activity on the International Railroad Bridge on Wednesday night.

The agency says it has arrested 24 non-citizens in the last 60 days trying to cross in the Buffalo area.

The recent expansion of the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country agreement last month to turn away asylum seekers who also cross at unofficial junctures, such as Roxham Road in Quebec, has been widely criticized by immigration advocates who say it will push migrants to undertake more dangerous trips.

A week later, two families of four died while trying to cross illegally into the United States through Akwesasne Mohawk Territory, which straddles parts of Ontario, Quebec and New York state.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2023.

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OTTAWAThe governments plan to airlift more Canadians from the deadly conflict in Sudan was temporarily grounded Friday after one plane had mechanical problems and militants shot at a Turkish evacuation flight  and officials warned time is running out to safely rescue people by air.

Speaking to reporters in Dartmouth, N.S., Defence Minister Anita Anand said two more government flights were supposed to take off Friday morning, but one of Canadas military planes  a C-130J Hercules  had a mechanical issue that was later resolved. The operation hit another dramatic snag when a Turkish rescue plane came under fire as it travelled to the Wadi Sayiddna airbase north of Khartoum, which Canada and other countries are using as an evacuation hub, officials confirmed Friday.

One government official said a Turkish crew member was wounded and that neither side of the Sudanese conflict  which is pitting two armed factions led by feuding generals against each other  had claimed responsibility for the attack. The airport was closed for several hours but later reopened as Canadian planes were en route to Sudan to stage their delayed evacuations, said the officials, who briefed journalists about the situation Friday afternoon on condition they werent named.

The officials said the Hercules planes have enough space  each can carry 100 evacuees  for all eligible Canadians who have asked to be airlifted from the Khartoum area in the near term.

Of the 1,728 Canadians in Sudan who had registered with the government, 392 were still asking for help as of Friday evening, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Jolys office.

Jolys spokesperson said her office did not expect to release updated numbers from Fridays delayed rescue flights until later that night.

But even as the planes were in the air, officials warned the window to safely conduct airlifts from Sudan is closing quickly. There were questions surrounding the reliability and duration of the latest ceasefire, which was reportedly agreed to just hours before the Turkish rescue flight came under fire. Heavy gunfire and frequent explosions were reported in Khartoum and the surrounding area on Friday, as mediators from the United Nations, the United States and a host of African and Arab countries pressed the warring factions to stop the fighting, the Associated Press reported.

The United Kingdom, meanwhile, said it would stop its own evacuation flights  which had rescued more than 1,500 people from Sudan  on Saturday, citing a significant decline in the number of British nationals asking for help to get out.

While warning the availability of future rescue flights is uncertain, government officials said the Canadian military is working with the United States and other countries to ensure there is a way for evacuees to travel to the Port of Sudan to potentially get out of the country if the air evacuations become too perilous.

The situation is dangerous. It is volatile, it is intense, and we need to do whatever we can to ensure the safety and security of Canadians at the airport and of course as they board flights and take off from the area, Anand said Friday, adding that all options to help get people out by sea or land are on the table.

We are not waiting to plan contingencies. We are undertaking that planning as we speak because of the volatility of the situation, she said.

The Canadian Armed Forces has around 200 soldiers and two Hercules aircraft in the region, and Canada staged two evacuation flights on Thursday. Officials said those flights, which took off with dozens of empty seats, carried Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their dependants, as well as people from other countries, and Sudanese staff at the Canadian embassy and their dependants.

Until Thursday, Canada had relied on other countries who were sending planes to evacuate their citizens from the conflict in the northeast African country. As of Friday afternoon, around 300 Canadians had received help leaving Sudan, including on flights arranged by Canada and other countries, officials said.

Since April 15, Sudan has been gripped by fighting between armed factions led by feuding generals who were part of a military coup in 2021. Tens of thousands of people have fled the conflict already, the United Nations refugee agency said Friday. As many as 20,000 have crossed Sudans border to seek refuge in neighbouring Chad, and those fleeing are in dire need of food, water and shelter, according to the International Organization for Migration.

The UN is also reporting that at least 512 people have been killed so far, describing the death toll  provided by the Sudanese Ministry of Health  as almost certainly a very conservative estimate.

With files from The Associated Press

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Fundraising set up for Phuket expat injured in road accident

PHUKET: An appeal has been launched to raise funds to pay for medical expenses for well-known Phuket expat Richard Valentine who remains in hospital care after a hit-and-run road accident in Phuket.

accidentscharity

By The Phuket News

Friday 28 April 2023, 02:47PM

Richard Valentine remains in hospital after a Phuket road accident on Mar 31. Photo: Eleanor Wolff / Weeboon.com

Phuket businessman and active member of the islands expat community Richard Valentine remains in hospital following a hit-and-run road accident on Mar 31, which left him with multiple injuries including his right leg broken in four spots.

Mr Valentines ordeal became public knowledge only on Apr 10, when an urgent appeal for Rh-negative blood was posted on his Facebook page. Neither the Brit himself, nor his friends asked for money at that time.

Yet they have to ask now as hospital bills tend to go beyond the limits of Mr Valentines insurance coverage and personal savings.

I am still confined to a bed in a Thai Government Hospital which offers a great service but is not free like would be the case in my home country of UK. Four operations later, the insurance money has run out and there are a further two operations required, one of which will be tomorrow, Mr Valentine wrote on Facebook yesterday (Apr 27).

I am asking for any monetary help that can be given through the money funding link below. In addition to paying for the operations, I am going to need to pay for physiotherapy sessions to see if I can walk properly again and if not what quality of life I can have after that, he added.

The link provided by Mr Valentine leads to a page on Weboon, a Thai crowdfunding platform allowing people to make donations via SiamPay, including through a credit or a debit card, online banking and LINE Pay.

The page was created by Eleanor Wolff on Apr 27. Ms Wolff today (Apr 28) confirmed that donations can also be sent through Wise.

If anyone wants to avoid using the crowdfunding site, they can also send directly to me from most countries using https://wise.com/ which has super low fees. My wise account is set up against ellymorleywolff@gmail.com. Good luck with your operation today, she said in a comment under Mr Valentines most recent publication.

Richard is a well known staple of the Phuket Expat community and his business was hit hard during COVID as he was a key supplier to the hospitality sector. Those who know Richard will attest to his many contributions to the Phuket and Thailand community. Its time to give back. Please help us raise the money to pay for his surgery so he can return to the fold! Thank you so much in advance, Ms Wolff wrote in her appeal on Weboon.
More charges await serial-killing suspect

BANGKOK: Police are preparing more charges against Sararat Am Rangsiwuthaporn, who is now suspected of involvement in the deaths of at least 13 people.

murdercrimedeath

By Bangkok Post

Friday 28 April 2023, 10:08AM

Sararat Am Rangsiwuthaporn, 36, who is accused of killing a woman with cyanide in Ratchaburi and suspected in as many as 13 killings in all, is taken to the Criminal Court on Wednesday. Photo: Bangkok Post

Crime Suppression Division (CSD) investigators are looking to obtain statements from two key people in connection with the case, CSD deputy commander Pol Col Anek Taosupap said yesterday (Apr 27). They are Kantima Pla Phaesa-ard, 36, who survived a poisoning attempt allegedly made by the suspect, and Raphee Chamnarnrue, who took the family of a dead woman to file a police complaint, reports the Bangkok Post.

Ms Sararat, the ex-wife of a senior police officer in Ratchaburi, is four months pregnant. After her divorce last year she took up with a new boyfriend who died last month in circumstances that his friends call suspicious, Thai media reported yesterday.

Pol Col Anek said he had also assigned his investigators to meet with doctors who specialise in poisons and chemicals. Officers want to learn more about the dangers of cyanide, and the amount that would result in harm to the body and cause death. This information will be included in a police report, together with evidence of test results that showed toxic substances in the body of one of victims linked to the suspect.

We are confident that we have firm evidence to prosecute the suspect in the case, he said. Now, police investigators are preparing to press additional charges aside from a premeditated murder charge.

The additional charges are premeditated murder with intent to steal property, poisoning, and theft. Some offences carry the death penalty, he said.

Mr Raphee, who is helping the families of the victims, said other leads the police are expected to follow relate to the suspects reported involvement in money lending and a pyramid scheme.

Ms Sararat, 36, was apprehended on Tuesday at the government office complex on Chaeng Watthana Road in in Bangkok by CSD police with an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court. She had a bottle of cyanide in her possession and she refused to give police a statement.

Her arrest followed a complaint filed by the mother and elder sister of the late Siriporn Koy Khanwong, 32, from Kanchanaburi. Siriporn collapsed and died on the bank of the Mae Klong river in Ban Pong district of Ratchaburi where she had gone with Ms Sararat to release fish for merit-making on Apr 14. Cyanide was found in her body.

Investigators came to believe that Ms Sararat might have mixed cyanide in Siriporns food, causing her death. She allegedly also stole the victims valuables.

Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, the deputy national police chief, said yesterday afternoon that investigators had found another dead victim linked to Ms Sararat. The victim died at a rented apartment in Nakhon Pathom in 2020. That discovery, if confirmed, would bring the total number of deaths to 13.

On Wednesday, the Criminal Court approved a police request to further detain Ms Sararat without bail on a charge of killing Siriporn.

Pol Col Anek said investigators had called Nipawan Khanwong, 35, the elder sister of Siriporn, who was with her sister before her death, to give a statement yesterday. Ms Nipawan had reportedly asked the suspect about the death.

Investigators are also seeking to question a Mukdahan man whose wife had been given capsules by the suspect, who said they were a tonic. The woman consumed the capsules before she died.

As well, officers are looking into whether Ms Sararats elder sister, a pharmacist, was involved in the provision or use of cyanide. The initial investigation, however, showed that the suspect had purchased cyanide from another channel, said Pol Col Anek.

At this stage, investigators have not yet found any other people involved and they believe Ms Sararat had acted alone, he added.

Initial questioning of the suspect did not indicate any mental problems that might have led to the crimes. She spoke like a normal person, he said.

Cyanide bought online

Cyanide is a controlled substance used in industries and cannot be purchased at drug stores.

A source close to the investigation said Ms Sararat had reportedly purchased cyanide online. Five teenagers called in for questioning told police that she brought them five parcels containing bottles of drugs with her name as the recipient and asked them to bury them. They claimed she had paid them B500 to do the job.

One of them reportedly suspected what was inside the parcels, so he opened one and sniffed one of the bottles. He developed symptoms including dizziness and confusion for about three days.

As it turned out, the teenagers never got around to burying the bottles because they were busy celebrating Songkran. Ms Sararat phoned them to ask whether they had done what she asked, but by then it was too late as police already found the bottles, according to the source.

Investigators are also checking the records of two logistics companies for evidence of deliveries that could implicate the suspect.

Ex-boyfriends mysterious death

Questions have also arisen about the death of Ms Sararats boyfriend, Sutthisak Dae Phoonkhwan, with whom she began a relationship after divorcing her police husband last year.

Sutthisak, 35, died on March 12 this year in Udon Thani. He passed out at a petrol station in Nong Han district of the northeastern province after making merit with Ms Sararat at a local temple and having meals at a restaurant. Rescue workers rushed him to Nong Han Hospital.

Sgt Ekkaphan Saiking, head of the Songserm Tham rescue team, told reporters that his team went to the petrol station at around 8am on that day to attend to a man who had collapsed at the entrance to a washroom.

He recalled the man, later identified as Sutthisak, telling him that he felt dizzy and had chest pain. The rescue team did not perform CPR but sent him to Nong Han Hospital. He was treated there and later discharged, according to the rescue team head.

Sutthisak died later that same day at a dormitory in Muang district of Udon Thani. Ms Sararat told police that he had high blood pressure and that she had no doubts about his death, the Channel 3 news programme Rueng Lao Chao Nee reported on Thursday.

But friends of Sutthisak questioned his death.

The TV programme also broadcast a video showing Ms Sararat holding her birthday party on the night her boyfriend died. It had been posted originally on the Facebook account of a friend of Sutthisak.

A friend of the deceased told investigators that he believed Ms Sararat had killed Sutthisak and a possible motive was money, said Pol Gen Surachate. However, investigators are awaiting lab test results on a bottle of drugs that the friend said Sutthisak had received from the woman.

Stress and pregnancy

Ms Sararat, meanwhile, was said to be suffering from high stress and rising blood pressure after being sent to the Central Womens Correctional Institute on Wednesday night. She was admitted to the institutes hospital at around 10pm. After being treated, she was sent back to her cell, Corrections Department chief Aryut Sinthopphan said yesterday.

The suspect is four months pregnant. A doctor checked her infants pulse and found it was normal, said Mr Aryut.

Pol Gen Surachate said DNA testing would be conducted to find out who fathered her child.

The suspects former husband met with investigators yesterday. According to Pol Gen Surachate, the senior officer said he continued to live with Ms Sararat after they divorced. He told investigators that Ms Sararat had asked to return to live with him.

Meanwhile, Mr Raphee says the case involves five groups of victims. They were those who took part in a pyramid scheme with the suspect, those who loaned money to her, those who gave her money to provide money lending services, those who took their cars or assets to her to mortgage, and those who authorised her to borrow from savings cooperatives.

He called on relatives of dead victims who were in those five groups to contact him or police handling the case.
Officials bamboozled by false tsunami alarm

PHUKET: Disaster officials have inspected the three tsunami warning towers on the west coast that sounded their sirens early yesterday morning but still have yet to determine what caused the towers to sound their warnings.

disastersSafetytourism

By The Phuket News

Friday 28 April 2023, 10:38AM

The team inspected the towers from 7pm last night (Apr 27) under instructions from Udomporn Kan, head of the Phuket Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office (DDPM-Phuket).

The three towers inspected were: WH07, behind Kamala Police Station); WH10, on Bang Tao - Ley Phang Beach, located on the beach next to the Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket Hotel, Cherng Talay; and WH15, next to the Katathani Hotel in Karon subdistrict (Kata Noi).

Joining the team of inspectors were Chaowalit Nitharat, Director of the DDPM Region 18 office; Saranpak Tantiwongphaisan president of the community group Phuket Warning Friends; and Rangsit Moonluang, a maintenance technician from Raydant International Co Ltd, which is contracted to maintain the towers.

The three towers sounded their sirens for unknown reasons at 3:43am yesterday, and caused people in the area to panic, noted an official report of the inspections last night.

The result of the inspections showed that there was no abnormality of the device, said the report.

The team spoke with people on the beach in the areas, including tourists, to understand dont panic, the report added.

The DDPM is in the process of investigating other possible causes for the tsunami towers sounding their sirens, the report concluded.

A public notice issued by the national branch of the DDPM late yesterday confirmed that 25 emergency warning towers, including tsunami warning towers, in 14 provinces sounded their sirens at about 3:30am in the incident.

In addition to the three towers in Phuket, warning sirens were sounded in two locations in Phang Nga  at Ban Nam Khem in Takua Pa District, and Loh Parek, in Moo 7, Tambon Phru, Koh Yao  which both suffered heavy damage and casualties in the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

In Krabi, warning towers sounded their alarms at Baan Koh Kwang in Tambon Nong Talay, on Koh Sriboya in Nuea Khlong District and at Laem Pho, in Tambon Sai Thai.

Other provinces where the warning towers sounded their alarms included Ranong (three locations), Chonburi (five locations) and one location each in Satun, Narathiwat, Chumphon, Chiang Rai, Nong Bua Lam Phu, Kanchanaburi, Pattani and Nakhon Sri Thammarat.

The DDPM in its preliminary investigation confirmed that no officers had sent any signals to the towers to sound their alarms. Further, no abnormalities had been found in the computer system logs.

Technicians had inspected the towers. No device malfunction was found, reported the DDPM.

This abnormality is an unprecedented cause, the DDPM noted in its report.

Further investigations into the satellite signals received by the national disaster warning system will continue, the DDPM said.

It was vital for DDPM officers in each respective area to clarify for the public to understand to build confidence and reduce panic of the people in the area, the DDPM said

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation would like to apologise to the people in the areas for the incident, and will speed up investigating the facts, causes and fixing the defect as soon as possible, the DDPM assured.

And thank you to the district chiefs, administrators of the LAO [local administration organisations, such as OrBorTor], village headmen and volunteers in the areas for understanding and clarifying to the people in the area during the alarm sound, the report concluded.
BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Judges for the inaugural Orchid Awards have called for mutual understanding and learning among civilizations at a meeting Thursday.

During the dialogue session of the final selection meeting for the Orchid Awards, judges from nine countries, including the United States, Italy, and Japan proposed that a strong relationship between countries depends on the mutual understanding and closeness between their peoples, which in turn depends on the blending of their cultures.

The goal of establishing the Orchid Awards is fully in line with the connotation of the Global Civilization Initiative, said Du Zhanyuan, chair of the expert committee for selection, also the president of the China International Publishing Group (CIPG).

Initiated by CIPG, the Orchid Awards is an important practice to promote the prosperity of world civilization and the building of a global community with a shared future, according to Du.

Facing today's critical world situation, it is even more important to motivate young people to promote international cultural exchanges and mutual appreciation of civilizations, said judge Vikram Channa, Warner Bros. Discovery's Vice President.

Professor Elsawy Elsawy Ahmed from Egypt's Benha University believes China will continue to promote more dialogue, exchanges, and cooperation among countries.

The Orchid Awards, which started selection last August, aims to honor non-Chinese nationals or organizations worldwide that have made significant contributions to cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world, and promote mutual learning between Chinese and other civilizations.

It collected submissions from more than 300 individuals and organizations from nearly 80 countries and regions. 
Phuket Immigration, PLTO to be open for three days next week

PHUKET: Due to Coronation Day on May 4 and an extra non-working day on May 5, the Phuket Immigration Office and the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) will be open only for three days in the first week of May.



By The Phuket News

Friday 28 April 2023, 01:43PM

The Phuket Immigration Office in Phuket Town will be closed on May 4-5. Photo: Phuket Immigration

The Phuket branch of the Immigration Bureau will be open from May 1 through May 3, but closed on May 4 and May 5, a staffer from the Phuket Town Immigration Office confirmed to The Phuket News today (Apr 28).

The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) will follow the same schedule as Phuket Immigration, meaning open for service on May 1-3 and closed on May 4-5, the office has confirmed to The Phuket News.

Thailand will be celebrating two national holidays next week, namely the Labour Day on Monday (May 1) and the Coronation Day on Thursday (May 4). The Government has also designated Friday (May 5) as an additional special holiday to stimulate tourism and leisure spending.

Thai businesses and official agencies have the right to make their choice of which holidays to recognise as long as they provide their personnel with the legal minimum of non-working days. Thus different organisations may have different working schedules for May 1-5.

For banks and other financial institutions, May 1, May 4 and May 5 are all holidays and non-working days, as has been confirmed by the Bank of Thailand. All the main branches of Thai banks will be closed, only those at shopping malls will continue to provide services to customers.

For other organisations, people are advised to contact their offices in advance to be sure they are open on specific days.
Phuket Police publicly destroy 136 illegal guns

PHUKET: Dozens of pistols and several long-barreled firearms were destroyed at the Saphan Hin incinerator today (Apr 28) as Phuket Police were disposing of illegal firearms seized from local residents in various criminal cases.



By Eakkapop Thongtub

Friday 28 April 2023, 04:55PM

Dozens of guns were destroyed in Phuket today (Apr 28) with top-brass police officers doing part of the job with their own hands. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Dozens of guns were destroyed in Phuket today (Apr 28) with top-brass police officers doing part of the job with their own hands. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Dozens of guns were destroyed in Phuket today (Apr 28) with top-brass police officers doing part of the job with their own hands. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Dozens of guns were destroyed in Phuket today (Apr 28) with top-brass police officers doing part of the job with their own hands. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Dozens of guns were destroyed in Phuket today (Apr 28) with top-brass police officers doing part of the job with their own hands. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Dozens of guns were destroyed in Phuket today (Apr 28) with top-brass police officers doing part of the job with their own hands. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Dozens of guns were destroyed in Phuket today (Apr 28) with top-brass police officers doing part of the job with their own hands. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Dozens of guns were destroyed in Phuket today (Apr 28) with top-brass police officers doing part of the job with their own hands. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

The ceremony was presided over by Phuket Provincial Police Chief Maj Gen Sermphan Sirikong. Joining Gen Sermphan were his deputy Col Kittipong Klaikaew and other top-brass officers, including chiefs of Chalong Police, Thalang Police, Phuket City Police and Wichit Police.

The destruction of 136 seized firearms was conducted according to standard protocols of the Royal Thai Police, prescribing to demolish all guns without serial numbers after relevant cases have been concluded, Gen Sermphan explained. Guns with serial numbers are handed to the Ordnance Department of the Royal Thai Police.

The guns destroyed on Apr 28 included various types of homemade firearms, known as Thai Pradit in Thai language. Photos from the event show dozens of improvised 12 gauge handguns, known for being highly inaccurate but extremely lethal if applied at short range. Also in the pictures are several air guns which police often doesnt distinguish from firearms.
Task force targets Phuket tourism illegal operators

PHUKET: Tourist Police have launched a campaign targetting illegal tour guides and tourism businesses that are operating illegally in Phuket.

tourismpolicecrime

By The Phuket News

Friday 28 April 2023, 12:29PM

Maj Gen Phongsiam Meekhanthong, Deputy Commander of Tourist Police, launched the campaign at an assembly at Phuket Tourist Police headquarters in Phuket Town yesterday (Apr 27).

Joining the assembly were officers from Phuket Tourist Police and Phuket Immigration.

The officers will focus on 10 specific types of crime, including foreigners overstaying their permits to stay and illegal tour guides, and other offenses under the Tourism Business and Guide Act and the Immigration Act and other offenses that affect the tourism industry as a whole, Maj Gen Phongsiam said.

The officers will inspect and crack down on crimes at many suspect locations, he said.

It is the policy of the Tourist Police to create safety and accommodate tourists while preventing crimes that affect the Phuket tourism industry, Maj Gen Phongsiam said.

Today, we mobilized Tourist Police to join forces with Immigration police and related agencies to make plans to inspect suspected locations. We will target tour companies and tourism-related operators suspected of being illegal, he added.

Phuket has a lot of tourists, and the number of tourism-related crimes has increased, which is why the team was formed to raid all the illegal actions and build trust among tourists, Maj Gen Phongsiam said.

On Mar 23, Gen Phongsiam visited Pattaya and launched a similar campaign against "ten types of tourism-related crimes" there. In his speach he clearly said that the actions would be taken nationwide.
Tighter visa rules stymie Chinese groups

BANGKOK: Inbound tourism operators for the Chinese market are calling for clarification of new rules for visa applications via tour groups, warning that Thailand may lose a lucrative segment including large business travel groups to competitors.

Chinesetourismimmigration

By Bangkok Post

Friday 28 April 2023, 10:39AM

More than 750,000 Chinese visitors have arrived in Thailand this year after Beijing scrapped its COVID-19 rules and restrictions. Photo: Bangkok Post

Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, said operators want clear answers on the new visa procedures because they could hamper travel activities for tour groups and large meetings and incentive groups that consist of hundreds or thousands of applicants.

From May 8, the Thai Consular Office in China will require every visitor to apply for an individual visa instead of a group application even if they travel under the escort of a tour group, reports the Bangkok Post.

The number of applicants per travel agent is also limited.

Further requirements were added with the new measure, including presenting a hotel reservation document and a financial document showing at least 10,000 yuan (approximately B50,000).

Moreover, some agents are limited to reserving visa applications only three days per week, either Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday, with only 20-30 applicants per round, which differs from the past when there were no limits.

The consular office also requires travel agents to present a certified document allowing foreign visa applications and a yellow card issued by the Chinese government, which needs to be renewed within a year or two.

However, most Chinese agents cards expired during the pandemic and they couldnt renew them because of the slow process resulting from a lack of officers.

Many visitors can apply for a visa on arrival at the airport, but that could lead to congestion at immigration counters as they queue up with independent tourists, he said.

Mr Sisdivachr said many large meetings and incentives groups are worried that such inconvenience might cause travellers to change their plans to Vietnam, Hong Kong or Macau if Thai authorities do not urgently deal with this issue.

He said this is definitely an obstacle to securing the government target of 5 million Chinese visitors this year.

Regarding tourism services, Mr Sisdivachr said many Chinese tourists reported being overcharged by taxis. If they werent willing to pay, they said drivers would drop them before reaching the destination.
Woman arrested with 5kg of crystal meth

PHUKET: A 40-year-old woman from Maha Sarakham has been arrested after she was found with five kilogrammes of crystal meth (ya ice) at her room in Kathu.

drugscrimepolice

By The Phuket News

Friday 28 April 2023, 09:00AM

Pol Maj Gen Somkun Kanchana-Udomkan, Commander of Border Patrol Police Region 4, announced the arrest yesterday (Apr 27).

Kamonrat Rose Poomyote, 40, was arrested by officers from Border Patrol Police Unit 425 on Monday night (Apr 24), Maj Gen Somkun said.

Officers had received a tip-off that a consignment of drugs would be delivered to in front a durian shop on Wichit Songkram Rd in Kathu.

Officers staked out the shop, and arrested Kamonrat after she arrived on her red Phuket-registred Honda PCX motorbike. Kamonrat matched the description given by the informant, Maj Gen Somkun said.

Kamonrat initially protested her arrest, but soon admitted that she sold drugs, he added.

A subsequent search of Kamonrats room in Soi Mae Im, in Moo 7, Kathu, found 5,005 grammes of ya ice, Maj Gen Somkun continued.

Kamonrat later told police that she received the ya ice from her boss, whom she said she did not know by name.

The drugs would be delivered to her by a private transport company, and she would then proceed to make drop-offs at various locations across the island as per instructions given, she said.

Kamonrat said that she had performed the drug distribution once before her arrest.

She made B1,000 per 100g of drugs delivered, Maj Gen Somkun said.

Police are continuing their investigation into the drug network, as they believe the boss is a major supplier to the area, Maj Gen Comkuhn concluded.
IMHO there isnt a more Waterloo-ey name than Bauer. Every facet of life in the town and city has been touched by a Bauer: business, education, finance, religion, sports, politics, philanthropy, arts and on and on.

The main Bauer root goes back to 1824 in Bavaria and the birth of Karl Joseph Bauer. At age 30 he arrived in the United States, soon reaching Waterloo and gaining notice as an expert carpenter.

One of his eight children was Aloyes, born in 1861. Aloyes married Magdalena Kuntz in October 1885 and they raised 10 children to adulthood. Aloyes also raised businesses: the 1888 opening of A. Bauer and Company (later Bauers Limited, 1917-1980) signalled the beginning of a landmark Waterloo industry. By the mid-1890s he was also managing the prestigious Kuntz Brewery. In his spare time, away from family and work, he served on town council, the separate school board, light and water commissions as well as holding directorships in several financial firms.

There is neither time nor space in Flash from the Past to record all the Bauer family accomplishments; however among Aloyes and Magdalenas children was Harry Bauer. It is Harrys son on whom we are focusing today  James Stephen Bauer, born April 7, 1929. Following tradition, he initially worked in the family firm but grandfather Aloyes civic genes proved too strong and while still in his mid-20s Jim was a City of Waterloo councillor, serving five one-year terms. Reaching age 30, he moved up a rung, becoming Waterloo mayor from 1960-1965.

During this era, Waterloo stepped into modernity: the University of Waterloo was created; municipal government was remodelled; and new library and firehall operations were on the planning desks. The populations doubling between 1951 and 1966 meant Waterloo Collegiate and numerous baby-boomer-driven grade schools popped up in new subdivisions such as Lincoln Heights, Lakeshore Village and Colonial Acres.

Then there was Waterloos downtown along King Street South: empty stores; a railway right through the centre; limited parking; sagging pedestrian traffic threatened by new malls around K-W. Built right up to the sidewalks, and casting long afternoon shadows, were deteriorating, late-19th-century factories crowding King Streets west side.

Some of you may know Vic Hiebert, a longtime Waterloo history buff. Vic sent in a resume of Jim Bauers very active role in what is one of the most important developments in Waterloo history. Rather than me rummaging through Vics information, lets mainly let his words tell the story.

January 1958: alderman James Bauer, chair of the industry and city development committee, ordered preparations of plans for the removal of downtown factories. All aldermen spoke in favour with thoughts of a major shopping centre in their place.

November 1958: the first properties were expropriated for $406,000  Waterloo Manufacturing Companys factory and two adjoining stores.

May 1959: Snyders Furniture plant was purchased for $615,000, completing the land accrual for a shopping mall in the heart of Waterloo. The citys total cost came to $1,021,000 and land for the new mall was sold to developer Toronto Industrial Leaseholds for $460,000. However, the city had first to sell the Ontario Municipal Board and Department of Municipal Affairs on the proposal. City officials were successful: the tender of Toronto Industrial Leaseholds was received on October 1959 and accepted in March 1960.

December 1959: demolition of the old buildings had already begun.

July 1, 1960: construction started with completion set for May 1962. The city retained control of parking and built the parking area at an estimated cost of $200,000. City treasurer Don Schaefer negotiated many of the deals in the project but James Bauer had always been at the centre of discussions.

With Vics words providing an overview, well press pause in this Waterloo story. Next week, Flash From the Past is streetside as Waterloo Square opens and Jim Bauers career moves on.

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KITCHENER  No shots were fired and no injuries were reported in the arrest of a man seen standing in front of a home with what looked like an assault rifle.

On Thursday at around 9:50 p.m. police were called to the Country Hills neighbourhood in Kitchener for the weapons call. Waterloo Regional Police said they were able to negotiate with the man and get him to put the gun down.

It turned out to be a replica assault rifle, but officers didnt discover this until after the man was in custody. Police also seized a replica handgun.

The man was taken to hospital as part of a mental health apprehension.

A 21-year-old Kitchener man has been charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and was held in police custody for a bail hearing.

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WASHINGTON, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has reportedly testified before a federal grand jury investigating the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

Pence, a Republican, spent several hours testifying at a courthouse in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, according to media reports.

A federal judge last month ordered Pence to comply with a subpoena to testify, and former U.S. President Donald Trump failed in a bid to block his former deputy's testimony.

Last year, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to oversee two criminal investigations relating to Trump.

One of the investigations is about whether any person or entity unlawfully interfered with the transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election or the certification of the Electoral College vote held on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trump, who is running for the 2024 White House, has lashed out at those investigations, alleging that they are politically motivated.

A large group of Trump's supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol and disrupted a joint session of Congress to affirm the results of the 2020 presidential election in which Democrat Joe Biden won.

Approximately 140 police officers were assaulted in the worst attack on the Capitol in more than 200 years to which at least five deaths have been linked. 
KITCHENER  Two men, one from Kitchener, are facing assault charges after a 60-year-old was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

On April 23, Wellington County OPP were called to a private residential community on Highway 7, west of Guelph, for a reported assault.

Two known individuals assaulted a resident, whose injuries were severe, but non-life-threatening, police said.

A 23-year-old from Kitchener and a 35-year-old from Guelph Eramosa have been charged with aggravated assault and failing to comply with a probation order. The 35-year-old faces an additional assault charge.

Ontario Provincial Police are asking anyone with information to contact investigators at 1-888-310-1122. Anonymous tips can be left with Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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WATERLOO  A disturbance call in Waterloo has led to the arrest of a 20-year-old and the seizure of a handgun.

On Tuesday at around 10:15 p.m., Waterloo Regional Police were called about a disturbance in the Sunnydale area of Waterloo.

A 20-year-old Waterloo man was arrested and charged with pointing a firearm, assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and three counts of failing to comply with a release order.

As part of the investigation, police conducted a search at a home and seized a firearm.

The accused was held in custody for a bail hearing.

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KITCHENER  Smart cameras are being deployed to record bartenders pouring drinks, and software that uses artificial intelligence analyzes the video to ensure the drinks are paid for.

We have custom, proprietary software, said Tyrone Moodley, a co-founder of the Kitchener-based startup Bevcounter.

The software uses artificial intelligence to automatically scrutinize the actions of bartenders. Bevcounter provides the service for $29 a month.

We look at the body, we look at the hands, we look at the glass, said Moodley. Every time we count a drink, we take a video and push that up to the cloud for further analysis, and we provide analytics to the owner.

The startup was co-founded about 18 months ago by Moodley, his brother Daelon Moodley and Aqib Mumtaz, who has a PhD in artificial intelligence from the University of Bergen in Norway.

The idea for the startup came out of a visit Tyrone made to Scottsdale, Ariz., where his brother worked as a bartender. Tyrone wanted to know why his brother was not managing the place, and Daelon told him bartenders make more money than bar managers  a lot more.

They do that by providing some free drinks to regular customers who are big tippers, said Tyrone.

The brothers talked about it. Most bars already have cameras deployed at the bar, but it takes many hours to go through the video to try and catch someone giving away free drinks.

Software enhanced with artificial intelligence and connected to the cameras could monitor the bartenders instead of managers, Tyrone said.

That doesnt exist, said Daelon.

What if we build it? said Tyrone.

Well, if we build this, it could be a really revolutionary product because it would reduce the amount of fraud and inventory shrinkage, said Daelon.

The brothers recruited Mumtaz, and within six months had an early version of Bevcounter. They signed up clients to deploy and test the technology  Bevcounters software can be easily deployed into most in-bar cameras. One of the first was Abe Erb at 151 Charles St. W. in Kitchener. Another was a large hotel in Vancouver with nine bars.

And what happened was the bartenders were colluding; they were basically defrauding the hotel, said Moodley.

Experienced bartenders showed new hires how to provide free drinks to some customers and get large tips in return.

The only way the owners could figure out they were losing money was manually counting every drink poured on the cameras, and comparing that data to point-of-sales data, said Moodley.

It cost hundreds of dollars a day to pay someone to watch the videos, so thefts could go undetected for years. When owners at the testing sites saw what Bevcounter could do, they were impressed.

They love the product and they signed up immediately, said Tyrone.

The seed-stage startup is looking for investors and preparing to rapidly expand sales.

Brock Boehler, one of three owners of Abe Erb in Kitchener, said the popular bar/restaurant in the Tannery deployed Bevcounter about eight months ago.

It is an effective and unobtrusive way to prevent theft, he said.

I think it is a great idea, and I think there is a lot of opportunity, said Boehler. This is a problem in the industry that needs to be addressed.

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KITCHENER  About 45 people rallied Thursday morning at Victoria Park in support of unsheltered residents living on Roos Island who now face the closure of their encampment.

The City of Kitchener announced Wednesday it would be erecting a gate on the bridges to the island to control who entered and exited the camp, including current residents and support workers.

At the two-hour rally, city bylaw officers initially would not let outreach workers and lawyers from Waterloo Region Community Legal Services pass the through the gate to talk to the six residents in the camp.

Early into the rally, which began around 11 a.m., a protester popped the chain securing the gate and jostled against bylaw officers before making their way through the gate, as officers from Waterloo Regional Police arrived. Police soon stopped protesters from crossing the bridge to the island.

Two outreach workers and two lawyers from community legal services eventually were allowed to pass and speak with residents.

Lawyer Shannon Down from community legal services was at the camp Wednesday and Thursday to advise residents of their rights. She said residents at the camp are anxious.

Theyre feeling pressured to make a decision, and I think that they felt like maybe they didnt have all the information to make that decision, Down said.

Folks shared with us that theyre feeling intimidated, bullied and like fear tactics are being used on purpose, so, being told that there is no real time to pack and that you dont have lots of time to actually think about what your options are, said Sara Escobar from Peregrine Outreach, who visited residents Wednesday and was at the park Thursday.

Ward Coun. Debbie Chapman said the city was trying to move people off the island now because the Region of Waterloos managed encampment was expected to open for residents this week.

A sign put up by City of Kitchener bylaw officers. Protesters rallied against the closure of bridges to the Roos Island encampment and the inability of support workers to meet with campers. David Bebee, Waterloo Region Record

City spokesperson Bethany Rowland said fencing the Roos Island camp off was an operational decision made for safety reasons.

I think its important to note that the city is not evicting anyone who is currently camping on Roos Island. Most people living on the island have voluntarily accepted cabins at the regions managed outdoor shelter or are transitioning to more permanent housing, she said.

Tracey Timleck and Colin Anderson have been living at Roos Island for about a year.

They said they werent offered a tour of the managed encampment at 1001 Erbs Rd. before they had to decide whether or not to move there and they felt pressured to leave. Once they had accepted the cabin offer she said they were told contractors would be there in two hours to pack up all the couples belongings.

They had hoped by moving to cabins that their children could visit but only learned after accepting spaces at Erbs Road that visitors arent allowed.

The cabins like breaking the kids heart again, Timleck said.

The couple was planning to tour the outdoor shelter Thursday. But the pair felt lot of uncertainty about making the move after Kitchener said it wont allow people to move back to the island once everyone is cleared out.

She said residents were told the fence was to protect them.

Timleck said it had the opposite effect, and was terrifying for some residents.

She said it only takes one wrong situation to change everything and cause someone to lose their home. The process of anybody being in a tent  were all one situation away.

Paige Desmond is a Waterloo Region-based reporter focusing on municipal issues for The Record. Reach her via email: pdesmond@therecord.com

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A man behind the wheel of a riding lawn mower was charged with impaired driving.

At 1:22 a.m. on April 16 in Leamington, southeast of Windsor, an OPP officer saw a mower leaving a restaurant drive-thru.

While speaking to the driver, 41, an officer determined he was impaired.

In January, a 56-year-old man was charged with drunk driving on a motorized mobility scooter in Goderich.

Police remind people that impaired driving applies to mobility scooters, lawn mowers, boats, kayaks and canoes. Charges can lead to a criminal record, drivers licence suspension and higher insurance costs.

Grenades shut down 401

A charge of stunt driving is the least of his worries.

Police pulled over a speeder on April 11 at 6:30 a.m. on Highway 401 in South Glengarry Township, near Cornwall, and found a loaded handgun, police clothing and gear  and two hand grenades.

As a precaution, the eastbound lanes of the 401 were closed and the Explosive Disposal Unit was called.

It was confirmed that two devices found were inert hand grenades, OPP said.

A Meaford man, 56, faces a slew of charges, including possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a prohibited device, possession of cocaine, dangerous driving and stunt driving.

Dog poisoned

A dog died after being poisoned at an address in Waterford, south of Brantford.

The owner of a two-year-old French mastiff called police on March 16 to say the dog was rushed to a veterinary hospital and died.

As a result of further tests conducted by the clinic, the OPP have been informed that the animal had ingested a large amount of poison, OPP said on April 13.

The death is being investigated as animal cruelty.

30,000 chicks stolen

About 30,000 chicks were stolen from a farm in South Huron, near Goderich.

The chicks are valued at $1.40 each, which calculates to a total of $42,000 in losses, OPP said.

They were stolen on April 19 or April 20 between 3:30 p.m. and 2:20 a.m. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 1-888-310-1122.

Man, 80, charged with impaired

An 80-year-old man was charged with impaired driving.

On April 14 at 7:15 p.m., officers found his car in a ditch on Highway 11-17 in the Township of Nipigon, northeast of Thunder Bay.

Bad place to jackknife

A stolen tractor-trailer jackknifed, blocking train tracks.

It was stolen on April 21 from a business in Sables-Spanish Rivers Township, north of Manitoulin Island. Employees tracked it with GPS.

Police located the tractor-trailer down a side trail and jackknifed across the train tracks, OPP said. The driver was unsuccessfully attempting to move the vehicle. The person was arrested at the scene. Train traffic was halted while the company removed the vehicle from the tracks.

An Espanola man, 23, was charged with theft and driving while suspended.

Truth hurts

A 16-year-old was charged with public mischief after misleading police.

The youth, who lives in the Fergus area, reported receiving threatening messages on Instagram.

The youth claimed the messages were coming from a person known to them, OPP said in a recent news release.

After an extensive investigation spanning several months, officers determined that the complainant had in fact sent the threatening messages to themselves and had misled officers conducting the investigation.

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This is going to be the saddest party ever.

The coronation of King Charles, Canadas head of state, will happen with great pomp and ceremony in London, England, on Saturday, May 6.

But  except for the serving of Coronation-themed high tea at a few places youd expect, like the New Dundee Emporium and the Fashion History Museum in Cambridge  Waterloo Regions response is a big Meh.

Almost nobody cares.

Our cities arent hosting any fireworks or public celebrations to launch our new king. Kitchener is lighting Carl Zehr Square in green on May 6 and 7 to note the coronation. (Charless Canadian coronation emblem is green and white: the green represents the environment, which has been his lifelong passion.)

The City of Waterloo is doing nothing. And Cambridge, the city with the long, elegant road named Coronation Boulevard, has nothing on its calendar either. City officials say the Cambridge sign in front of city hall will be green.

But green lights in a public square are an acknowledgment, not a celebration.

The Princess Twin Cinema in Waterloo hosted a screening party in 2018 for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, at which fascinator-festooned fans took in every detail on the big screen at a shockingly early hour. It doesnt seem that there will be a similar event for the coronation.

Of course, some individuals will watch the ceremony at home on TV, perhaps with a cup of English breakfast tea. But the lack of community gatherings is definitely telling us something.

Are Canadians growing in a different direction from the constitutional monarchy under which we are governed? Would we prefer that our head of state be a Canadian, rather than a British monarch?

Canadians may not feel as connected to the Royal Family as we did when Elizabeth was crowned 70 years ago, but Queen Elizabeth has always had our loyalty as a person. A year ago, 63 per cent of Canadians told the Angus Reid Institute that they viewed her positively.

The same cant be said of her son, Charles, whose popularity suffered after a series of public attacks from Harry and Meghan on him and the Royal Family. Charles also made his subjects unhappy more recently when he insisted on giving the title of Queen to his unpopular second wife, Camilla.

Charles is a forward-thinking, sensitive and deeply charitable person who will be a good king, Im sure. But only 28 per cent of Canadians have a positive view of him (down from 39 per cent in January 2020), and nearly two-thirds dont want to put his image on our currency or sing God Save the King at official ceremonies.

In fact, now that Elizabeth has died, 52 per cent of Canadians say they do not want this country to continue as a constitutional monarchy for generations to come. Of those 52 per cent, a stunning 88 per cent would be willing to open constitutional negotiations to make that happen.

Thats a king-size can of worms. Every province would have to agree  and when does that ever happen? Also, there are First Nations communities to consider, many of whom have a treaty with the Crown and not with the Canadian government.

It would be so difficult to change that we are far more likely to learn to live with it, without much liking it.

And in that respect, the advent of King Charles constantly reminds me of the statue of Queen Victoria, his great-great-great-grandmother, in the downtown Kitchener park that bears her name.

Some people see the statue as a representation of a harmful colonial past, and want it removed. Some hate it so much theyve thrown red paint on it. Others say the statue is part of our history, and want it to stay.

The City of Kitchener looked for a reasonable solution. It hired consultant Jay Pitter Placemaking to lead four public engagement sessions on the divisive issue. But after only two of those had happened, Pitter departed. The city said it was temporarily pausing engagement on the statues future.

City representative Shawn Falcao said Pitter had provided some valuable feedback in terms of what the next phase of engagement should focus on  which includes moving more slowly and finding a way to lead engagement with the support of local community engagement facilitators to help bring forward voices and perspectives from folks we havent yet heard from.

We are currently in the process of looking at engagement models that would enable that type of community-led facilitation and hope to resume public consultation in the coming months.

In other words, the heat is being lowered and the decision is being slowed down. Way down. And in the meantime, well learn to live with the statue, just as well learn to live with the king.

Luisa DAmato is a Waterloo Region-based staff columnist for The Record. Reach her via email: ldamato@therecord.com

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JD (U) states stand

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IMPHAL, Apr 28 : JD (U) State unit president Kshetrimayum Biren has stated that they have started consulting with the senior advocates of the Supreme Court to initiate disqualification proceedings against the five MLAs who won elections to the 12th Assembly election on the party ticket and joined the ruling BJP later on.

He also said that the JD (U) will work along with Congress and other Opposition parties in the upcoming Parliamentary elections to defeat the saffron party.

Notably, Kh Joykisan Singh, Ngursanglur Sanate, Md Achab Uddin, Thangjam Arunkumar and LM Khaute who won the elections to 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly from their respective Constituencies on JD (U) joined BJP in September last year.

Today, a head office of JD (U) Manipur State Unit was inaugurated at Shree Shree Govindajee Road at Palace Compound by Ksh Biren.

At the ceremony, Ksh Biren continued that the Speaker of Manipur Legislative Assembly hasn't given any response to the memorandum submitted about three months back to disqualify the five 'turncoat' MLAs till date .

He also said that they are prepared to defeat BJP candidates in the 2024 Parliamentary elections in Manipur by forging alliance with Congress and other Opposition parties.

JD (U) is a respectable political party in India which formed an alliance in establishing a Central Government on different occasions, he said and added that the strength of JD (U) is growing across the country.

Maintaining that the State unit of the party has been working to take legal action against the 'turncoat legislators', Ksh Biren said that they will conform to whatever decision taken by the National party leaders to defeat the ruling BJP in the Parliamentary elections.

He further stated that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been playing a key role to form a new Government at the Centre by joining hands with the like minded Opposition parties.

Continuing that the JD (U) at the State will also work together with the Opposition parties to oust the BJP Government, Ksh Biren said that a joint meeting of JD (U) and Congress has also been convened to work out strategies for defeating BJP.

On the opening of the new office, Ksh Biren said that they decided to shift its office to Palace Compound from Hodam Leirak in view of the inconvenience faced by supporters and elders who come to the office as the former office was situated on the second floor.

The programme was also attended by its vice president ex MLA Dr Khwairakpam Loken, National council members of JD (U) and ex-Ministers Dr Nimaichand Luwang and Samuel Jendai and party leader Ashang Kasar among others.
St. James Anglican Church in Dundas hosts a screening of the film "Peace by Chocolate" at The Westdale movie theatre in Hamilton, on April 30, at 2 and 4 p.m.

The film is based on the true story of a family from Syria who moved to Canada in 2016 as refugees, settled in Nova Scotia and established the Peace by Chocolate artisanal chocolate shop. Chocolate products from Peace by Chocolate will be for sale during the film screening as well as baklava baked and donated by Hamilton's Arabic Community.

All proceeds from the showings benefit the Jean Archbell Refugee Fund and Turkish and Syrian Earthquake Relief. Tickets are $15 each and donations are welcome. Tickets may be purchased online at stjamesdundas.ca or at the St. James Church office by calling 905-627-1424.

The Jean Archbell Refugee Fund was created at St. James Anglican Church in Dundas in memory of the late Rev. Canon Jean Archbell, a past rector at St. James. While Jean was rector, a family of 14 was sponsored from Syria. St. James has a strong history of refugee sponsorship, beginning in 1999, when a family from Bosnia was welcomed during the Serbia-Bosnia conflict.

On April 6, a sponsored family of five from Iraq arrived via a refugee camp in Turkey. Members of St. James Church are assisting the family to find suitable housing and to support them as they adjust to their new life in Canada.

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Abdubek (L) helps his wife milk a cow in Akqi Village of Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 10, 2023. Abdubek, 46, is the inheritor of the Kirgiz epic Manas. He has been devoted to the performance of the epic since childhood and now he provides guidance for apprentices for free.

Manas tells the story of the hero Manas and his descendants who fought against various evil forces. The epic covers all aspects of the historical life of the Kirgiz ethnic group and can be regarded as an encyclopedia for the study of Kirgiz. It is a valuable asset for the Kirgiz people and the Chinese culture.

Manas was inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

Abdubek (C) dances with artists and audience after a performance in Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 10, 2023. Abdubek, 46, is the inheritor of the Kirgiz epic Manas. He has been devoted to the performance of the epic since childhood and now he provides guidance for apprentices for free.

Manas tells the story of the hero Manas and his descendants who fought against various evil forces. The epic covers all aspects of the historical life of the Kirgiz ethnic group and can be regarded as an encyclopedia for the study of Kirgiz. It is a valuable asset for the Kirgiz people and the Chinese culture.

Manas was inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

Abdubek (L) has breakfast with his wife and daughter in Akqi Village of Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 10, 2023. Abdubek, 46, is the inheritor of the Kirgiz epic Manas. He has been devoted to the performance of the epic since childhood and now he provides guidance for apprentices for free.

Manas tells the story of the hero Manas and his descendants who fought against various evil forces. The epic covers all aspects of the historical life of the Kirgiz ethnic group and can be regarded as an encyclopedia for the study of Kirgiz. It is a valuable asset for the Kirgiz people and the Chinese culture.

Manas was inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

Abdubek performs Manas in Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 10, 2023. Abdubek, 46, is the inheritor of the Kirgiz epic Manas. He has been devoted to the performance of the epic since childhood and now he provides guidance for apprentices for free.

Manas tells the story of the hero Manas and his descendants who fought against various evil forces. The epic covers all aspects of the historical life of the Kirgiz ethnic group and can be regarded as an encyclopedia for the study of Kirgiz. It is a valuable asset for the Kirgiz people and the Chinese culture.

Manas was inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

Abdubek (2nd L) talks with a folk artist while waiting to take the stage in Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 10, 2023. Abdubek, 46, is the inheritor of the Kirgiz epic Manas. He has been devoted to the performance of the epic since childhood and now he provides guidance for apprentices for free.

Manas tells the story of the hero Manas and his descendants who fought against various evil forces. The epic covers all aspects of the historical life of the Kirgiz ethnic group and can be regarded as an encyclopedia for the study of Kirgiz. It is a valuable asset for the Kirgiz people and the Chinese culture.

Manas was inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

Abdubek (C) and other inheritors of Manas attend a rehearsal in Akqi County, Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 10, 2023. Abdubek, 46, is the inheritor of the Kirgiz epic Manas. He has been devoted to the performance of the epic since childhood and now he provides guidance for apprentices for free.

Manas tells the story of the hero Manas and his descendants who fought against various evil forces. The epic covers all aspects of the historical life of the Kirgiz ethnic group and can be regarded as an encyclopedia for the study of Kirgiz. It is a valuable asset for the Kirgiz people and the Chinese culture.

Manas was inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

Abdubek (C) performs Manas with his companions in Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 10, 2023. Abdubek, 46, is the inheritor of the Kirgiz epic Manas. He has been devoted to the performance of the epic since childhood and now he provides guidance for apprentices for free.

Manas tells the story of the hero Manas and his descendants who fought against various evil forces. The epic covers all aspects of the historical life of the Kirgiz ethnic group and can be regarded as an encyclopedia for the study of Kirgiz. It is a valuable asset for the Kirgiz people and the Chinese culture.

Manas was inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

Abdubek shows award certificates and trophies he won by performing Manas in Akqi Village of Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 10, 2023. Abdubek, 46, is the inheritor of the Kirgiz epic Manas. He has been devoted to the performance of the epic since childhood and now he provides guidance for apprentices for free.

Manas tells the story of the hero Manas and his descendants who fought against various evil forces. The epic covers all aspects of the historical life of the Kirgiz ethnic group and can be regarded as an encyclopedia for the study of Kirgiz. It is a valuable asset for the Kirgiz people and the Chinese culture.

Manas was inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

Abdubek feeds his horses in Akqi Village of Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 10, 2023. Abdubek, 46, is the inheritor of the Kirgiz epic Manas. He has been devoted to the performance of the epic since childhood and now he provides guidance for apprentices for free.

Manas tells the story of the hero Manas and his descendants who fought against various evil forces. The epic covers all aspects of the historical life of the Kirgiz ethnic group and can be regarded as an encyclopedia for the study of Kirgiz. It is a valuable asset for the Kirgiz people and the Chinese culture.

Manas was inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

Abdubek carries a lamb in a sheep pen in Akqi Village of Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 10, 2023. Abdubek, 46, is the inheritor of the Kirgiz epic Manas. He has been devoted to the performance of the epic since childhood and now he provides guidance for apprentices for free.

Manas tells the story of the hero Manas and his descendants who fought against various evil forces. The epic covers all aspects of the historical life of the Kirgiz ethnic group and can be regarded as an encyclopedia for the study of Kirgiz. It is a valuable asset for the Kirgiz people and the Chinese culture.

Manas was inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)
Ontarios Ministry of Environment announced Friday, April 28 it charged the City of Hamilton and three private companies with alleged violations of the Endangered Species Act during the dredging of Dundas Delsey Pond in April and May 2021.

Ministry spokesperson Lindsay Davidson said the charges are related to killing, harming or harassing, and damaging the habitat of, Lilliput mussels which are threatened species on the Species at Risk in Ontario list.

None of the charges have been proven in court. The City of Hamilton did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.

The Ministry did not provide details by deadline of how the charges will proceed or what court would hear them.

As these charges are before the courts, it would be inappropriate for the Ministry to comment further, Davidson said.

The Ministry had been investigating for almost two years.

Andrea Olive, a political-science professor at the University of Toronto, said the Ministry rarely charge individuals or entities.

I wasnt even sure if OMEC had an enforcement branch, Olive said. Nice to see the government enforcing its own laws.

Environmental Defence spokesperson Brittany Harris said the organization had no information on the charges but said: It is rare for the Ministry to charge anyone under the Endangered Species Act.

The Ministry launched the investigation after a May 25, 2021 meeting with the City of Hamilton.

The Ministry will be evaluating alleged violations for damages to endangered (and) species at risk habitat, as well as concerns around harming, killing, and harassing endangered (and) at-risk species, which includes examining planning and actions leading up to work at the site, Ministry spokesperson Gary Wheeler said on May 31, 2021.

Dredging of the citys Stormwater Management Pond, at the end of Cairns Avenue in Dundas, was underway by late April 2021, raising concerns with several residents due to the pond providing known habitat for a variety species  including rare turtles, many species of fish, frogs and more. The dredging was apparently paused by May 6, 2021.

The city received permission from the Ministry to resume dredging in June 2022 despite the ongoing investigation.

Before resuming work, the citys contractors relocated a total of 4,701 mussels, fish, turtles and frogs  including at least 64 threatened Lilliput mussels  to nearby Lake Jojo, and is required to monitor their status and report to the Ministry.





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This map shows the Melville Street Heritage Conservation District study area in grey.



A settlement hearing is scheduled in the appeal of the City of Hamiltons Melville Street Heritage District Study Area, while city staff have expanded the study area and expect public consultation on recommendations before the end of May.

Fourteen streets were added to the study area, after preliminary review by the citys consultant, according to a staff report to the April 28 Municipal Heritage Committee meeting. Formal reporting on study findings and recommendations are expected to go to the heritage committee, planning committee and city council by fall of 2023.

Alteration restrictions on properties within the original study area on Melville Street do not apply to the additional streets added, as the interim control bylaw has not been changed.

An HCD Study Area bylaw was passed by Hamilton City Council on Sept. 28, 2022, limiting change in the study area for a period of one year while the study is conducted," the report by heritage project specialist Alissa Golden states. The bylaw was appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal and remains in effect while the appeal is being addressed.

According to Goldens report, the study process includes taking up-to-date photographs, conducting historical research and completing survey forms for properties in the study area.

The city retained MHBC Planning to complete the study in fall 2022.

MHBC completed their initial review of the proposed study area and recommended that the study area be expanded to include the historic residential area surrounding Melville Street, including the area north of the commercial King Street corridor to the Escarpment and east to Sydenham Street, the report states. This expanded review, currently underway, will help to identify an appropriate boundary for a potential heritage district.

The original heritage district study area included Melville from Wellington Street North to Sydenham Street.

The expanded study area includes: Melville from Brock Street North to Sydenham; Park Street West from Brock Street North to Sydenham Street; Witherspoon Street; Alma Street, Victoria Street; Wellington Street North; Peel Street North; Napier Street North; Matilda Street North, Market Street North, Princess Street, Albert Street, Elgin Street and parts of Brock Street North and Queen Street.

But city spokesperson Lauren Vastano said only the original study area identified in the interim control bylaw is subject to restrictions on development and change.

The expanded HCD area is being studied, but a new or amended bylaw has not been passed that would restrict development in the expanded study area, Vastano said.

The bylaw, scheduled to expire Sept. 28, 2023, prohibits alteration and demolition of buildings within the original study area, with the exceptions of: expansion of buildings up to 25 per cent of existing gross floor area; changes to facades that dont face a public street; reconstruction of buildings destroyed by fire or natural disaster; and erection of new accessory buildings.

One day is set aside by the Ontario Land Tribunal for the appeal settlement hearing by video conference, starting at 10 a.m. on June 21, 2023.

For more information, including how to view the hearing, and how to request status at the hearing, contact Tribunal Case Co-ordinator Leeann Situ at Leeann.Situ@Ontario.ca at least 20 days before the hearing.

Anyone with Party status can participate fully in the hearing, present evidence and question witnesses  but could be responsible for the appellants costs.

Those with Participant status can submit written statements setting out their position on the appeal and issues of the proceeding.

City council has not made public its direction to staff on how to handle the appeal. Details of any settlement agreement wont be released until the hearing takes place.

A Melville Street property owner appealed the study area bylaw in November 2022, less than two months after city council passed the bylaw designating a heritage conservation study area, arguing it was created for the purpose of stalling their proposed demolition and rebuild at 208 Melville St.

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Shes quite possibly one of the most experienced spa therapists in Stoney Creek, but to dozens of loyal clients, like Jennifer Marcaccio, Rosa Mihalache is a day maker.

Like many others, Marcaccio has been coming to Mihalache for spa treatments for more than 20 years. Marcaccio was one of several clients who stopped by Rosas Day Spa on April 22 for a farewell open house. The business, set to close at the end of the month, held the event to celebrate its namesake founder and wish her luck for the future.

Marcaccio said the atmosphere at Rosas Day Spa is always friendly, professional and kind.

You can feel her warmth and she cares about her clients, Marcaccio noted. This is like a hidden treasure.

While her business has occupied a few different locations over the years, Rosa Mihalache has spent her entire 32-year career working in the King Street area of downtown Stoney Creek, first at Coco Mazzi Salon Spa, at 1 Elm Ave., and for the last seven years at 52 King St. W., near the Village Green.

As the owner of Rosas Day Spa, Mihalache always greets customers with a smile.

Even if something is bothering me, I always have a big smile on, she said.

Today, as she deals with cancer treatment and recovery, Mihalache has decided to step back from the business and close the doors.

Somebody up there gave me a sign, said Mihalache, pointing upwards. Its time to slow down, relax and enjoy life.

Daughter Ruxandra Mihalache started working with her mother as a teenager, answering phone calls at Coco Mazzi. Later, in her 30s, Ruxandra returned to help her mother and noticed many of her original clients were also bringing in their children for spa services.

Originally from Romania, Mihalache came to Canada in 1990 with her family. Over the years, she learned the skills of esthetics through courses and seminars and gradually built up enough clients to launch her own business. Rosas Day Spa has offered an array of spa, facial, hand, leg and foot treatments, plus hair removal, make up and spa packages.

While the business is closing, clients who have come to rely on Rosas Day Spa need not worry. Spa therapist Debra House, who Mihalache has nicknamed my adoptive daughter, will be moving to Coco Mazzi next month.

Clients are welcome to follow me, House noted.

House has been working with Mihalache for 23 years and served many of Mihalaches clients while she was undergoing cancer treatment.

House has chosen May 12 as her start day at Coco Mazzi. She started working with Mihalache on May 12, 2000 and wanted to mark the milestone as a tribute to her mentor.



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Josh Tiessen poses with his artwork "Swallowed by Knowledge."



Stoney Creeks Josh and Zac Tiessen are enriching one of the worlds foremost cultural and artistic meccas with a collaborative showcase in New York City.

The brothers are teaming up for an audio/visual grand opening event April 28, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Rehs Contemporary Gallery in Midtown Manhattan, mere steps from the Rockefeller Center, the Museum of Modern Art and Central Park.

Josh, 27, and Zac, 26, are joining forces for a show titled Vanitas and Viriditas, featuring two characters and their animal companions, searching for wisdom in a modern age.

The show will feature artwork by Josh, known for his hyper-surreal and uniquely shaped oil paintings that can take up to 1,700 hours to complete. Zac, a guitarist and composer, will perform original guitar compositions at the show opening, accompanied by orchestral tracks.

While its not the first time the brothers have worked in tandem  supporters will recall their Streams in the Wasteland art and music series  Josh noted its their highest profile collaboration to date.

Vanitas and Viriditas artwork will be on view from April 28 through May 26. The exhibition includes 23 paintings and drawings, which required more than 5,000 hours of studio work over three years.

New York City is the art capital of the world, Josh noted. There are more museums and galleries per capita than any other city. So its quite exciting to be doing this. I feel like my whole career has all led up to this.

Its a real honour that they would take me on as an emerging artist and also have Zac perform at the opening, Josh added.

Josh said Rehs Contemporary Gallery discovered his work at the Los Angeles Art Show in 2019. Joshs work earned an award from the Art Renewal Center for his work, which promotes the artistic form of classical realism.

I found out just last year that (Rehs Contemporary Gallery) was interested in hosting my next solo exhibition and that they were moving into new gallery space, Josh added.

Josh and Zacs presentation will coincide with the grand opening of that new space.

The brothers will spend about a week in the New York area, with ample opportunities for sightseeing. They will participate in other presentation on May 4 in Rochester, N.Y., before heading home.

Joshs Vanitas paintings include a figure named Qohelet (Hebrew for teacher). Inspired by the Jewish wisdom book of Ecclesiastes, these works represent the vanity of humans striving for power, wealth and knowledge, often at the expense of the earth. The Viriditas paintings are built around a figure named Sophia (Greek for wisdom), inspired by the female personification of wisdom from the book of Proverbs. These works espouse virtues such as simplicity, humility, wonder and awe, which are viewed as vital for cultivating ecological wisdom.

In his musical accompaniment, Zac has incorporated nature sounds from the Stoney Creek area, including the Bruce Trail, with the sounds of wind and snowfall layered in the background.

For my paintings, there actually is a lot of photo reference from the Bruce Trail, Josh added.

One painting, for example, includes a dragonfly and pine cone from the Bruce Trail.

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When Sarah Alizerigs parents flew from Hamilton to Sudan for a routine visit a few months ago, she never imagined not being able to reach them by phone.

Much less orchestrate a pipeline rescue operation to get them home.

The 27-year-old has been living an anxious nightmare in recent weeks as hostilities in Sudan have left her parents stranded with scarce resources, downed cell service and little assistance from Canadian government officials.

This was the last thing on my mind when they left, Alizerig said Wednesday of her parents, Abdulazim and Nawal Alizerig. The phone lines are cut, the banks and airports are closed, the streets arent safe.

I havent talked to them in two-and-a-half days. Its really scary.

Abdulazim and Nawal visit their hometown of Madani every winter to see family and escape the cold weather. They were set to return to Hamilton on May 22.

Instead, after violence erupted last week between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force, the couple is now two of about 1,800 Canadians trapped in the East African country.

The chaos broke suddenly, like it started to pour violence, said Alizerig. They had no chance to change their flight because the airport (in Madani) was destroyed and the phones were down.

Sarah Alizerig wants the government to open more accessible points of evacuation for Canadians in Sudan. Courtesy of Sarah Alizerig

Global Affairs Canada says at least 700 Canadians have requested assistance from the government, a majority of which are in the capital Khartoum, where fighting has spilled into residential areas.

On Thursday, 118 people, including Canadians and other Allied nationals, were airlifted on two flights from the war-torn country in Canadas first evacuation operation. Another 200 had previously escaped with the help of allies.

Not among those who have successfully fled are Abdulazim and Nawal.

Alizerig said because her parents are in Madani, they would have to travel some 200 kilometres to Khartoum  through war zones and looted towns  in order to catch a rescue flight.

Its very, very risky and dangerous, she said. These are two elderly folks and we dont want them running into that.

Alizerig said she has contacted the Canadian government every day in the past week, imploring them to find alternative, more accessible points of evacuation for Canadian citizens outside Khartoum.

Im giving them suggestions: bus, a convoy, a ship, just anything to get people out, she said. I want (the government) to realize there are more citizens outside Khartoum who need their help.

Hamiltonians Abdulazim and Nawal Alizerig are stranded in war-torn Sudan amid escalating violence between the country's army and a paramilitary force. Courtesy of Sarah Alizerig

Another persistent frustration for Alizerig is communication. She said updates from the government about evacuations are very short notice. Given her parents get internet every one or two days  at best  reaching them in time is almost impossible, she added.

There needs to be a more concrete plan. People feel abandoned.

Defence Minister Anita Anand said Thursday intermittent power and communications systems in the country, coupled with the suddenness of the conflict, has made planning difficult.

Two Canadian navy ships are off the Sudanese coast, she said, but movement to the land by sea is difficult. Already the two flights Canada has successfully flown out were not full because of increasing extortion of people who tried to reach Khartoums main airfield.

Thats left some Canadians to resort to extraordinary measures.

Hamilton man Baha Elshikh said his elderly mother, four siblings, and several nephews and nieces made it to the Egyptian border Wednesday night after a hectic, three-day, 1,600-kilometre journey from Khartoum.

He told me it was the scariest thing they had ever experienced in their lives, Elshikh recalled of the first call with of one of his brothers who is a Canadian citizen.

Elshikh said it wasnt an easy decision for his family to leave Khartoum by bus, but fighting in the citys streets made it too dangerous to stay or travel to the airfield.

It is a terrible, he said of the situation in Sudan. Ive lost any hope.

For Alizerig, hope is the only thing she has.

Its great people have been evacuated by the government, but I just want to know theres hope for others like my parents.

With files from The Canadian Press

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Canadas industry minister vowed to step in if Canadas major telecom providers dont reach an agreement to ensure wireless service is available for all riders on Torontos subway system.

Speaking at a press conference in Montreal on Friday, Francois-Philippe Champagne said hes not shy about pushing the telcos to do whats right for Canadians.

Because some of them, they listen to me  they tend to do that when I speak about them  if they dont come to an arrangement together that would serve Canadians, that would increase the coverage, that would increase the 911 services in the subway system in Toronto, well take action and well make sure that we do whats right for Canadians, Champagne said.

Last week, the minister penned a letter to the executives of Bell Canada, Telus Communications Inc., Quebecor Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. calling on the major carriers to reach a deal that would allow any company to access the TTCs wireless network after Rogers purchase of the existing operations.

The companies were given 30 days to respond detailing their respective statuses on the issue and outline a joint plan.

As we have said from the outset, we are committed to working with all carriers, Rogers spokesman Cam Gordon said in a statement on Friday.

But Rogers rivals have indicated that paying Rogers a fee to access the network is not a viable option for them. Bell and Telus both point to the consortium model used by the Montreal Metro for its wireless network as the ideal approach for the TTC.

Bell president and CEO Mirko Bibic responded to the minister last week that his company would only take part in the network if it has a chance to help build it with the other carriers. The company said Friday that riders safety should not be used as a commercial bargaining chip.

The Rogers approach is a pay for access model versus our joint build approach where all mobile users, regardless of carrier, are treated equally from day one like we have done in Montreal and other transit systems in Canada, said spokeswoman Jacqueline Michelis in an emailed statement.

TTC got their $20M and commuters got no network and no service. And now theyre supporting yet another gatekeeper.

Telus said a consortium approach would achieve the most reliable outcome.

It would result in access for all riders regardless of their cellphone provider, less congestion on the network, ability for the network to continue to operate in the event that one carrier suffers a network outage, and a better overall customer experience, said Telus spokesman Martin Nguyen in a statement.

The TTC, as well as the Minister and the industry, should focus on these considerations as well as the need to improve emergency services on the network. In the meantime, we will continue to work with the TTC and our industry peers to ensure the best outcome for Torontonians.

In his letter last week, Bibic said that Bell and Telus jointly offered to acquire the rights to build out the wireless network if Rogers wont agree to their ask, which the TTC called a non-starter.

Meanwhile, Rogers president and CEO Tony Staffieri urged Champagne in his own reply to not get caught up in the rhetoric of our competitors, particularly the response from Bell  which included many inaccuracies and unfounded accusations that are disrespectful to the process and are not in the best interests of the TTC and its riders.

The lack of phone service for most TTC riders has been a growing concern since 2012, when Australias BAI Communications was awarded a $25-million contract to build and operate the TTCs public Wi-Fi and cellular network.

Freedom Mobile was the only company that signed on to provide coverage to its customers since then. While customers not other carriers have been unable to use BAIs network other than for 911 emergency calling for more than a decade, calls to make the system work for all Torontonians resurfaced after a recent spate of violent incidents on the TTC.

BAI agreed earlier this month to sell its Canadian operations to Rogers, which plans to upgrade the existing network covering around one-quarter of the subways underground tunnels over the next nine months. Staffieri has said it will take around two years for Rogers to also build a 5G network for the remainder of the subway system.

Champagne said the issue touches one million people per day which are using the Toronto transit system.

Its something a bit shocking that in a country like Canada, that in the largest transit system in our nation, which is the one in Toronto, that people cannot have reliable access to cellphone coverage, he said.

My letter to the telco CEOs was, lets do better, and I trust in them to come together to do better.

 With files from Christopher Reynolds in Montreal

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2023.

Companies in this story: (TSX:RCI.B, TSX:QBR.B, TSX:BCE, TSX:T)

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Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has signed with WME, the global talent agency whose clients include Oprah Winfrey and Keanu Reeves.

The company announced in a statement Thursday evening it had signed with the former actress.

We are honored (sic) to announce that WME now represents Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex in all areas, the company said in a tweet. The agency will be focusing on building out her business ventures across multiple facets of the agency & its broader ecosystem, including film & television production, brand partnerships & more.

Variety, who first broke the news, also reported that Archewell, an organization founded by Markle and Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, had also signed on with WME.

Neither Archewell nor WME immediately responded to the Toronto Stars request for comment.

The announcement comes roughly three years after the royal couple announced they were stepping back from royal duties and permanently moving to California.

Markle, known for her work on Suits prior to becoming a royal, previously said she had not intentions to return to acting.

Im done, she said in an interview with Variety last year. I guess never say never, but my intention is to absolutely not.

Since stepping back from their roles as senior members of the royal family, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have focused much of their time on Archewell, which includes a philanthropic foundation and for-profit media production divisions.

Tensions have been high between the couple and other members of the royal family in recent months. The pair had levelled sharp criticisms and allegations of discrimination against royal institution, publicized in a Netflix docuseries and Prince Harrys bestselling memoir, Spare.

A spokesperson for the couple recently announced the Duchess will not attend King Charles May 6 coronation, choosing instead to remain in California. However, Buckingham Palace confirmed the prince will attend the ceremony.

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Khaleel Seivwright slept, ate, breathed the tiny shelter project that saw homeless people take refuge in the small structures he built.

Thats according to the director of Someone Lives Here, a new documentary about Seivwrights journey building the portable shelters and his uphill battle against opposition at Toronto city hall.

Seivwright created the insulated structures  which used body heat to preserve warmth  as an alternative to the citys shelter system, where assaults had been common and COVID-19 had been spreading. The Toronto carpenter, who had once experienced homelessness himself, quit his job to take on the project full-time.

It was his life, filmmaker Zack Russell said in an interview.

The documentary  premiering on Saturday at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema  captures the laborious weeks Seivwright dedicated to building the structures and the emotional toll that came with opposition from officials.

Someone Lives Here also provides a fresh look at the grim realities of Torontos homelessness crisis by homing in on encampments in Toronto parks and following the fight of a man whom residents and people around the world regarded as a local hero.

Seivwright doing something concrete to engage with the pervasive issue of homelessness is what inspired Russell to put him at the centre of the film, the director said.

It was an optimistic perspective but one that came crashing down when the city issued an injunction against Seivwright to stop him from erecting the tiny shelters. The city sent a torrent of staff, security guards and even mounted police to clear Toronto homeless encampments in the face of resistance from residents and protestors, an effort a recent ombudsmans report described as unacceptable.

I  didnt think we were making a film that was going to be as violent, Russell said, referring to the video captured at the encampment clearings. (When) you think of a carpenter building little life-saving shelters for people, you dont think about  state violence.

The citys response to the tiny shelters and their move to have them taken out of parks felt like a war against people, Russell added. He noted that senior city staff described an effort to remove the camps at wartime speed.

The film displays the highs and lows of the experience with striking images, heartbreaking anecdotes from unhoused people, and the wit and wisdom of narrator Taka, who has experienced homelessness herself.

The insights from Taka and others who shared similar experiences made Russell realize just how hard it is to be homeless, and how much energy and intelligence and humour and kindness there is in people who are trying to survive.

In creating the film  a year-long process that was and continues to be unfunded  he said he also didnt expect that so much of his time would be spent helping people make it through the night.

I would just be making sure someone didnt freeze to death or helping someone get medication, or these sort of smaller things that you kind of just have to do when youre in a humanitarian crisis.

With the documentary done and scheduled for viewings, shelters are still overflowing (and even closing down), people are still living on the street and homelessness continues to be normalized, Russell said.

The only thing thats actually stopped that we can say definitively is the creation of the tiny shelters.

Russell is looking forward to having the film being seen in the city its about, ahead of a mayoral election.

Someone Lives Here premieres April 29 at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema. The May 4 screening at TIFF Bell Lightbox will include a Q&A with Russell, Seivwright and people with experience of homelessness. The documentary will also be available for streaming within Canada May 5 to May 9. See hotdocs.ca for information.

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JAMES SMITH CREE NATION, SASKATCHEWAN - Eleven people were killed and 17 were injured during a stabbing rampage on the James Smith Cree Nation and in the nearby village of Weldon, Sask., last year. Myles Sanderson, who police say carried out the attacks, later died in police custody. RCMP have released more details about how the attacks unfolded. Here is a timeline:

Thursday, Sept. 1:

Myles Sanderson arrives at James Smith Cree Nation and sells cocaine.

Friday, Sept. 2:

Sanderson assaults a woman who is driving him around. He and his brother Damien Sanderson continue to sell cocaine.

Saturday, Sept. 3:

12:00 a.m.  The brothers get into a fight with a man, which police believe is drug-related. No one is seriously injured.

4:03 a.m.  A person calls RCMP saying Damien Sanderson has stolen a vehicle on the First Nation and may be impaired.

4:15 a.m.  Two Mounties respond and look for Damien Sanderson. There is a warrant out for his arrest for a previous assault.

5:35 a.m.  Police find the stolen vehicle at a home on the First Nation. Damien Sanderson is inside, but he looks different than a 2014 prison photo that police have. Sanderson also gives officers a different name. There is no mention of Myles Sanderson.

5 p.m.  The brothers assault Gregory Burns at a home, then separate.

6 p.m.  Damien Sanderson goes to a bar in a neighbouring community and tells a woman that he and his brother have a mission and people would hear all about it in the next few hours. He returns to James Smith before midnight.

Sunday, Sept. 4:

3:30 a.m.  The brothers take a grey van from a home on the First Nation.

4 a.m.  The pair make their last known drug sale.

4:45 a.m.  They return to a home on the First Nation and leave in the van. RCMP say it is the starting point of the rampage.

5:30 a.m.  The brothers force themselves into a home looking for a woman whos not there.

5:40 a.m.  The brothers force themselves into another home and attack a man with scissors. As Myles Sanderson leaves, he grabs a knife from the kitchen, and the victim calls 911. The brothers get into a fight in the van outside and an injured Damien Sanderson runs into the bush, where he is later found dead.

5:43 a.m.  Two Mounties from the Melfort detachment, 45 kilometres away, are dispatched to the First Nation.

5:59 a.m.  A second call comes in about two injured people at a home on the First Nation.

6:03-6:07 a.m.  Myles Sanderson kills Robert Sanderson, 49, at one home, and kills Christian Head, 54, and his wife, Lana Head, 49, at another home. Myles Sanderson steals Christian Heads truck.

6:07 a.m.  Sanderson goes to a home and attacks Bonnie Burns and two children. He kills Gregory Burns, 28.

6:14 a.m.  Sanderson attacks a man and woman at another home and steals an SUV.

6:18 a.m.  Officers arrive at the first crime scene.

6:19 a.m.  Sanderson attacks his former father-in-law, Earl Burns, 66, and his wife at a home. Sanderson drives away, while Burns chases him in a school bus. The bus rolls in a ditch and Burns dies on the bus.

6:20 a.m.  One of the officers leaves the first scene to go to the second scene.

6:24 a.m.  Sanderson goes to a home and attacks two men, injuring one of them.

6: 29 a.m.  Sanderson attacks Thomas Burns, 23, his mother Carol Burns, 46, and two men inside a home. Thomas Burns goes outside, Sanderson follows him and hits him with the stolen SUV. Sanderson gets out of the vehicle and attacks Thomas Burns again. Both Thomas and Carol Burns die.

6:32 a.m.  An officer arrives at the second scene.

6:35 a.m.  RCMP start to draft an emergency alert due to significant risk to the public.

6:36-6:47 a.m.  Sanderson is confronted by a woman at one of the homes but she is not injured. He goes to another home, where he attacks a woman and man and takes a red van, which he later abandons in a grassy area.

6:43 a.m.  Sanderson takes a cellphone and black SUV from another home.

6:53 a.m.  Sanderson goes back to the home where he killed Gregory Burns and attacks Bonnie Burns again. He also kills Lydia Burns, who went to the home to help. Both women die.

7 a.m.  Sanderson asks a woman at a home in nearby Kinistino for money and gas. He leaves in the black SUV without hurting her.

7:08 a.m.  Video surveillance from a gas station in Kinistino shows Sanderson is driving towards Weldon.

7:12 a.m.  RCMP issue a dangerous persons alert. Residents are told to seek immediate shelter.

7:27 a.m.  Weldon residents report seeing the black SUV and Sanderson in the community. Theres a report that a vehicle has been rummaged through and a first aid kit and crowbar stolen.

7:57 a.m.  RCMP name Damien and Myles Sanderson as suspects and release their photos.

8:19 a.m.  Myles Sanderson kills Wesley Petterson, 78, at a home in Weldon.

8:20 a.m.  RCMP extend the dangerous persons alert across Saskatchewan.

3:45 p.m.  Police say 10 people have been killed and 15 injured across 13 locations.

Monday, Sept. 5:

11:39 a.m.  RCMP say the brothers have been charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and break and enter. Mounties also say the number of injured has risen to 18 (later revised to 17).

1:17 p.m.  RCMP say the body of Damien Sanderson has been found on the First Nation.

3:50 p.m.  RCMP say Myles Sanderson may be wounded.

Tuesday, Sept. 6:

11:40 a.m.  A notice on Saskatchewans emergency alert system says there is a possible sighting of Myles Sanderson on the First Nation. People are advised to stay inside.

2:56 p.m.  RCMP say Sanderson is not in the community.

Wednesday, Sept. 7:

2:07 p.m.  Sanderson is reported to be standing outside of a home with a knife in Wakaw. He takes a white pickup truck and a womans cellphone.

2:30 p.m.  Sanderson is spotted driving around One Arrow First Nation.

2:49 p.m.  An emergency alert warns a person armed with a knife has been spotted driving a white Chevrolet Avalanche stolen from Wakaw.

3:17 p.m.  A Mountie in an unmarked car sees Sanderson on a highway headed toward Rosthern.

3:21 p.m.  Police chase Sanderson in the stolen truck.

3:28 p.m.  RCMP force the truck off the road and into a ditch. Sanderson, who is in the drivers seat, is arrested.

3:33 p.m.  Sanderson goes into medical distress and is taken by ambulance to a hospital in Saskatoon, where he dies.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2023.

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MACAO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Macao's total merchandise export amounted to 1.19 billion patacas (about 147 million U.S. dollars) in March, down 16.7 percent year-on-year, the special administrative region's statistical service said on Friday.

The merchandise import went down 7.0 percent year-on-year to 12.85 billion patacas, and the merchandise trade deficit totaled 11.66 billion patacas in March, the latest report from Macao's Statistics and Census Service showed.

The value of re-exports dropped 15.4 percent to 1.07 billion patacas, whereas the value of domestic exports shrank 26.6 percent to 120 million patacas, the report said. (1 pataca equals 0.12 U.S. dollars) 
George Iskander Ibrahim lives between his family, church and work.

At 89, the Richmond Hill man still keeps himself busy and travels back and forth between Canada and Sudan, where he and his brother run an electrical wiring factory that employs 50 local people.

Hes not one who would complain to his family even when hes really sick, or communicate about his troubles to get others worried for him.

Since the civil war in Sudan erupted on April 15, Ibrahim, who is alone on a business trip in his homeland, has not stepped out of his Khartoum apartment.

I am scared, a shaken Ibrahim, a religious Coptic Orthodox, told his daughter and granddaughter in a brief phone call on Thursday as the minutes on his calling card were running out.

There are plenty of things the old man is frightened of. His food and drinking water are running out, as are his heart and hypertension medications.

All the other residents in his nine-storey apartment building have already left, and his neighbourhood in the capital is in the control of the paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces.

Two days ago, the two nearby buildings were bombed and he can still hear the ringing in his ears. The bombing happened after three strayed bullets hit through his bedroom wall and TV chair. Thankfully, the shots miraculously missed him.

But what Ibrahim and his family fear most is that the Canadian evacuation flights will unlikely continue past this week, with the latest fragile ceasefire soon to expire.

We feel helpless, said his daughter Amani Fouad, whose family came to Canada in the 1980s as economic immigrants. Whatever we try, we are failing. No one can get through to him, to get him out.

He has to drink from the tap, which is not clean. He has no bread and is eating pasta. He cant even turn on the light because the people outside would know someone is still living in that building.

On Thursday, officials said the first two Canadian-operated evacuation flights left Sudan carrying 118 evacuees to neighbouring Djibouti, including an unknown number of nationals from allied countries.

Global Affairs Canada says about 1,800 Canadians registered their presence in Sudan and just over 100 Canadians still there have asked for help to flee. Roughly 200 Canadians had already left Sudan on flights run by other countries including Germany, the U.K. and U.S.

Defence Minister Anita Anand was pleased with the news some flights had succeeded but called the whole situation volatile with intermittent power and communications systems.

The situation is extremely dangerous in Sudan and key civilian infrastructure is necessary for any evacuation of non-combatants in this situation, said Anand, adding that there are 200 Canadian military personnel involved in the missions.

Ibrahim has been registered with Canadian officials since the beginning of the war and is among those still waiting for Canada rescue.

For his family, the biggest challenge to evacuate him is to be able to get him to the Sudanese government military base, 30 minutes from his home in Khartoum, amid gunfire. They called on relatives for help but they have either fled the cities or been stopped because roads and bridges were closed.

He cant leave because the area is so dangerous, said Ibrahims granddaughter Monica Fouad. He needs someone to escort him. We need someone to come and get him. If these people start shooting at him, my grandfather cant duck. Hes not going to be able to jump to the ground. Hes not able to run. Hes in a very compromised position.

Fouad, herself a Toronto immigration lawyer, has called Ottawas emergency line, pleading with Canadian officials to bring her grandfather home. But she said she was told he would need to find his own way to the military base to be put on an evacuation flight or seek help from an aid group on the ground to pick up the elderly man.

When the family finally found someone local willing to get paid to get Ibrahim out of his apartment to the base, they asked Canadian officials to pass their cash to the person there because they couldnt wire money to the war zone. The request was denied.

Through their own network, the family scrambled and finally found a way to pay the person to go to Ibrahim on Thursday, but the driver was stopped at a roadblock.

I understand the situation is dangerous and I understand that you dont want to send our own people, but you have a responsibility to your own citizens, said Fouad. My grandfather is in a dire situation. We are relying on our government to help us. We feel so helpless.

I would love if the Canadian government can help the Sudanese citizens. It would be fantastic for the Canadian government to take that step and do the same thing that they did for the Ukrainians. But right now, all we are asking for is help your own people.

Fouad said the family has kept the situation from their 89-year-old grandmother, Souraya, who Ibrahim has been married to since 1960. The couple worked hard to build a new life in Canada running a small electronics store before he and his brother opened their factory in Khartoum about 20 years ago.

Were trying to protect her, said Fouad, who is at her wits end as to what more the family can try to bring the man home. I dont want him to die there. I dont want him to die being scared and alone if, you know, God forbid, that was to happen.

With files from The Canadian Press

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MONTREAL - The coroner who investigated the 2021 drowning of a Montreal firefighter in the St. Lawrence River has concluded the members of the fire departments water rescue squad were brave but undertrained.

Pierre Lacroix, 58, was one of four firefighters who went to the aid of two pleasure boaters after their motor died and they were drifting towards the Lachine Rapids on the evening of Oct. 17, 2021.

Quebec Coroner Gehane Kamel wrote that none of the four was trained in whitewater rescues, and none of the officers at a fire department command post overseeing the operation had any nautical rescue training.

There was one victim, Kamel wrote in the report released late Thursday. There could have been six.

Lacroix and his colleagues were preparing to tow the pleasure boat to safety when a wave capsized their HammerHead rescue boat, throwing all four firefighters into the water. Three of them ended up under the boat.

While the other firefighters were able to get out from under the boat, Lacroix did not, and his body was found the next day.

Kamel writes that Lacroix spent his entire career  more than 30 years  at a fire station in Montreals Lachine borough that offers nautical rescue services.

Despite his numerous years of experience, he had no training in whitewater navigation, and his boating qualification was done in a pool, she writes. He also had no practical training in boat towing, nor in whitewater self-rescue.

Witnesses described him as a committed firefighter, dedicated to saving lives, she wrote.

Throughout her report, Kamel noted the bravery of Lacroix and his colleagues and their commitment to saving lives, even at the risk of their own.

On the evening of the events, even though the mission was perilous, the firefighters were determined to save the boaters. One of the firefighters told us, They were in front of us, we may have had tunnel vision, but we were determined to bring them back, she writes.

Kamels report also highlights faults on the night of the rescue, including the use of different radio frequencies by police, the Coast Guard and the military, which contributed to a chaotic rescue operation.

She concludes Lacroixs death was accidental but says the citys fire department must provide its members with more water rescue training, including specific training on whitewater rescues and conduct training simulations with other agencies, such as the Coast Guard and city police.

Chris Ross, president of the union that represents Montreal firefighters, said the union has been calling for improvements to training for years, and its unfortunate that it took a death to prompt change.

As much as were happy to have the report, I have to admit, theres a certain amount of anger and deception that we had to reach that point, he said in an interview Friday.

Ross said the issues around insufficient training exist across the Montreal fire department, which has moved away from practical training, towards things like online courses.

When youre talking about a fire department, you need practical live training, where youre going to get your hands dirty, and youre going to practise what youre doing, he said. Its what makes you excel at your job. He said hes optimistic that things will improve at the water rescue squad, but that change hasnt begun.

Kamel also recommends that the province set standards for water rescues by municipal fire departments.

Among her other recommendations, are that the city and the Coast Guard ensure that signage warning about dangers be installed in areas visible to boaters and that Transport Canada review its licensing requirements for people operating pleasure craft.

In news release, the Montreal fire department said it has set up a committee of qualified instructors to review the services offered by its nautical rescue team and the training its members receive.

This committee will integrate the coroners recommendations into its considerations and proposals, the department said, adding that it is acquiring 12 new water rescue boats, which will start going into service this year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2023.

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A 17-year-old boy has been charged in connection with a Danforth carjacking that took place in mid-March.

The boy, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is facing five charges including robbery with and offensive weapon, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence and possession of property obtained by crime.

In addition, a 16-year-old girl has been charged with possession of property obtained by crime in connection with the carjacking.

It is alleged that, on March 14, the victim picked up a male whom he knew casually and drove him to an undisclosed address. The male then exited the vehicle and instructed the victim to wait.

The male then allegedly contacted two accomplices who were waiting nearby. Two male suspects entered the victims vehicle. One took out a large knife, pointed it at the victim and demanded that he drive them to another location.

The victim drove them to the new location where the suspects told the victim to get out of the vehicle and drove away in the victims vehicle.

One male suspect is still wanted by police and police describe him as 17 to 19, with a light brown complexion, and five-foot-nine to five-foot-10.

Police are warning that he should be considered armed and dangerous.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 416-808-7350, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.

TG Thea Gribilas is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Reach her via email: tgribilas@thestar.ca

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Toronto police have arrested and charged four men in connection with the death of 24-year-old Munawar Warsama in Dovercourt Village area earlier this month.

Police said they have arrested and charged with second-degree murder: Duan Julien, 24; Deniell McKenzie, 21; Daniel Lara-Orellana, 25; and Matthew Phillips-Downey, 23.

On April 14, police were called to the Bloor Street West and Concord Avenue area at around 10:45 p.m. for reports of multiple gunshots heard in the area.

Officers found Warsama, of Toronto, who had been shot and life-saving measures were performed. Warsama was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police are asking anyone with information to call them at 416-808-7400, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.

TG Thea Gribilas is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Reach her via email: tgribilas@thestar.ca

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A newly opened Toronto restaurant issued a warning to its patrons.

Well, perhaps more accurately, a Cauliflower Update.

People the world over believe that our cauliflower has magical powers, Miznon Toronto, Canadas first location of a Tel Aviv street food restaurant co-owned by celebrity chef Eyal Shani, posted to its Instagram page Thursday. But unfortunately, we cant make it grow fast enough due to Mother Nature.

Unseasonably cold temperatures are putting a pause on the restaurants famous whole roasted baby cauliflower and its lavan pita, at least for now, Miznon said, leaving some customers sorry they hadnt tried it sooner.

I knew I should have tried it when I had the chance, one commenter wrote. So sad, wrote another.

Its an issue that wont just affect those who love Miznons cauliflower dishes, however.

Markon Cooperative Inc., a co-operative consisting of five independent, broadline food service companies in the U.S. and Canada, reported earlier this month the cauliflower market continues to grow even though the vegetables supply is shrinking.

The cruciferous vegetables demand exceeded supply in Salinas and Santa Maria, California, the co-op wrote, adding rain from earlier this year delayed planting as the soil was too wet. And even after planting, abnormally low temperatures slowed plant maturity.

But its not just California-grown cauliflower thats being impacted, with supply in Europe and North Africa also affected by weather conditions, the Guardian reported, leading some supermarkets to limit the number of items shoppers can purchase.

If youve been keeping up with pandemic- and climate-related food shortages, you know what comes next: prices are expected increase.

One Miznon commenter already reported seeing the effects in their local shop, writing they discovered the shortage last week after struggling to find the vegetable. When they did find it, it was listed at an exorbitant price.

Lettuce crops were also impacted by the weather conditions in California this year, following another crisis last fall that saw lettuce crops decimated by disease and sent prices soaring.

This year, bracing for another shortage, restaurant owners shared alternatives for romaine and iceberg lettuce with the Star, including AA choy, fennel, spinach, kale and arugula.

Arugula and kale, it turns out, are also cruciferous vegetables, but it appears their cousin, cauliflower, is the only one of the family to be experiencing hardships lately.

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An Ontario man hired a hitman to take out his ex-common law partner with a crossbow amid a bitter family court dispute that saw her seeking spousal support and a cut of the Mississauga home they shared, a Brampton prosecutor says.

In her closing arguments on Thursday, Crown attorney Keeley Holmes told court that Roger Jaggernauth had started concocting a plan to kill his estranged common-law spouse in the fall of 2018 and called a friend, with connections to a biker gang, to connect him with a hitman.

That friends testimony revealed Jaggernauth, asked him if he knew someone who could take care of his ex, or take her out, or get rid of her, the Crown stated in written submissions.

But the call didnt work, the prosecutor said, and Jaggernauth sought other means to get the job done  His intention was to get a hitman and when his friend turned him down, he got someone else.

On Nov. 7, 2018, Jaggernauths ex-partner opened the door of her Mississauga home to someone impersonating a deliveryman with a package. The man shot her in the torso with a crossbow; its bolt pierced her chest, severely and permanently damaging internal organs before lodging into a wall. She survived following three days of life-saving surgeries detailed in a Peel police video.

The shooter, who was described as white, tall and skinny was captured on surveillance video but has never been identified.

Jaggernauth, who was 50 at the time, was arrested in August 2020 following a lengthy undercover investigation. He has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and counselling an indictable offence, and is being tried before Brampton Superior Court Justice Jennifer Woollcombe alone.

In his closing arguments, defence lawyer Jordan Gold cautioned the court against reading too much into his clients words after he called up the friend to vent.

Its dangerous to look at this call in isolation, Gold said, arguing its impossible to know if Jaggernauth was serious about following through on what he said.

The former couple, who had been in a volatile five-year relationship, had separated in the months leading up to the attack. By the summer of 2018, the woman had retained a lawyer to start ligation against Jaggernauth, who had grown angry at her decision to leave him and claim more than $330,000 in the home that was in his name.

An increasingly possessive Jaggernauth started stalking his ex-partner and turned up uninvited to numerous locations, including an address where she was meeting with another man she had started seeing, Holmes said. By Oct. 10, 2018, Jaggernauth had taken out $90,000 in untraceable money, and investigators who searched his home also found evidence on his computer that he might have been keeping tabs on her with GPS tracking, the prosecutor said.

The friend would later testify that Jaggernauth had approached him with the idea of killing his ex-partner because she was trying to take his house.

In court, the woman testified that she did not know of anyone who had the motive to kill her.

However, Holmes said, she named Jaggernauth in a 911 immediately after the attack, saying, in what was nearly a dying declaration, that she suspected her ex Roger Jaggernauth. The Crown added: She explained the motive and that he had been stalking her.

Jaggernaughts defence argued the Crown is relying on circumstantial evidence, adding that when Jaggernauth found out that his ex-partner was in a new relationship, the harassment stopped and he moved on.

There is no evidence that the shooter had anything to do with Mr. Jaggernauth, Gold argued. There is no evidence that Mr. Jaggernauth planned, executed, or participated in the attack.

Jason Miller is a Toronto-based reporter for the Star covering crime and justice in the Peel Region. Reach him on email: jasonmiller@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @millermotionpic

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Olivia Chow is the current front-runner to be next mayor of Toronto  but even more Torontonians would cast their vote for former mayor John Tory if the election were held now, according to recent polls.

A Forum poll of 1,022 people has former NDP MP Chow at 22 per cent with current city councillor Josh Matlow and former police chief Mark Saunders neck-and-neck at 10 per cent and nine per cent. Former councillor Ana Bailao trails them with seven per cent while Liberal MPP Mitzie Hunter and current councillor Brad Bradford tie with five per cent. The largest cohort of respondents  30 per cent  remain undecided.

Meanwhile, a whopping 40 per cent of people would still vote for Tory, who has not signed up to run again following his shock resignation earlier this year after admitting to an inappropriate relationship with a staffer in his direct employ. Tory won last falls election in a landslide.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus three per cent, and is accurate 19 times out of 20.

Meanwhile, a Mainstreet poll of 996 people has Chow at 18 per cent with Bailao behind her with 15 per cent. Matlow has 10 per cent while Saunders has seven per cent  notably different results from Forum though both polls were done between April 25 and 26. Bradford had five per cent, while Hunter had three per cent. Similar to Forum, 34 per cent of voters were undecided.

Listen:

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 per cent, and is accurate 95 per cent of the time.

Chow was leading with 13 per cent, in a poll by Liason for the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada of 1,264 Toronto residents done last week.

She was followed closely by Matlow and Saunders with Bailao, Hunter and Bradford hovering around five per cent. About 43 per cent of voters were undecided.

According to that poll, 39 per cent of respondents supported cutting funding from the Toronto Police Service and spending it on social services while 37 per cent opposed it.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.75 per cent, and is accurate 19 times out of 20.

In the Forum polling, housing affordability and cost of living were the top two issues potential voters were most concerned about, followed by city infrastructure, services and taxes, traffic, congestion and transit and crime and gun violence.

Almost 30 per cent of Torontonians are not happy with provinces plans for Ontario Place, according to Mainstreet.

Twenty-nine per cent strongly oppose moving the Ontario Science Centre to Ontario Place while only 15 per cent strongly support it. Ten per cent somewhat oppose it,compared to 17 per cent who somewhat support it.

When it comes to the plans for Thermes private mega spa and waterpark, 29 per cent strongly oppose it while 19 per cent strongly support it. Nine per cent somewhat oppose it, while 17 per cent somewhat support it.

The byelection is set for June 26.

Alyshah Hasham is a Toronto-based reporter covering city hall and municipal politics for the Star. Reach her via email: ahasham@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @alysanmati

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Three teachers unions and a prominent youth advocacy group are urging the provincial government to bolster mental health literacy in the education curriculum and invest in additional school support workers.

In a joint letter issued to Education Minister Stephen Lecce on Monday, the groups also called on the government to include mental health or behavioural reasons as an excused absence under the Education Act. Currently, the act allows for sickness or unavoidable causes, but does not mention mental health explicitly.

The letter, signed by a total of nine organizations, comes amid a rising mental health crisis among Canadian youth and as experts warn of a support system on the verge of collapse due to a severe lack of resources.

Young people are saying loud and clear that they are suffering and need support, said Stephen Mensah, executive director of the Toronto Youth Cabinet (TYC), which is spearheading the campaign. With social isolation and school closures, the impact the pandemic had on children and youth was just devastating.

A spokesperson for Lecces office said they were unable to accommodate an interview with the minister ahead of publication.

We are delivering mental health supports for students by increasing mental health funding by over 500% since 2018, including an additional $12 million investment this year, the spokesperson added in an email statement to the Star. Ontario has integrated mental health into our curriculum to support students, and we will continue to act to ensure every child has the tools and education they need to support their mental health and well-being.

Mensah said he has not received an official response from the minister but is working with the ministry to plan a meeting within the next two weeks.

A TYC survey of 1,042 Ontario students between the ages of 12 to 19, published in 2022, found more than 43 per cent said their school does not have a mental health professional. As well, roughly 98 per cent of respondents said they would support mandatory mental health training for teachers and all student-facing staff.

Earlier this week, the Ford government announced it was investing $12 million in the upcoming school year to enhance services for students and support the salaries and benefits costs of school psychologists and social workers. The announcement did not say whether the funds will be used to hire additional staff.

While Mensah said the investments are appreciated, its not nearly enough to address the crisis.

How can we have a school with over a thousand students and they only have one mental health worker, or even no mental health workers? he said. The issue requires unprecedented investments, not little investments here and there.

A report published in February by the Toronto-based non-profit People for Education found the percentage of Ontario schools with no access to a psychologist has nearly doubled over the last decade.

The report, which surveyed principals at more than a thousand elementary and secondary institutions across the province, also found 91 per cent of schools required mental health support from psychologists, social workers or other specialists.

Karen Littlewood, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation, said union members are experiencing these challenges daily.

Quite often, people who arent specialized in dealing with mental health (issues) are feeling like they need to do something because we dont have the adequate support in the schools to meet those needs, said Littlewood. We want to make sure the kids have all of the supports that they need. And were not seeing that.

Aisha Mahmoud, executive council president of the Ontario Student Trustees Association, said without the appropriate, culturally-sensitive resources, its challenging for her peers to seek help.

Even when the resources are available, students dont always know where they are or how to access them, said Mahmoud, whose organization has also signed the joint letter.

In addition to bolstering the number of resources in schools, the Grade 12 student from Hamilton, Ont. said she also wants to see more focus on mental health in the curriculum and support to ensure educators can properly deliver those lessons.

Students start to feel really isolated or ostracized because they dont know that what they are struggling with is normal and that they can get help, she said.

This isnt the first time the TYC has called on the provincial government to better support youth mental health. In 2022, the advocacy group urged Lecce to amend the Education Act and explicitly mention mental health as an appropriate reason for an excused absence.

While the ministry said at the time that mental health reasons are considered and accepted in the same manner as other illness(es), Mensah and Mahmoud said decoupling the two will help destigmatize mental health issues.

Taking time off for your mental health is already kind of surrounded in guilt, shame or embarrassment, said Mahmoud, adding that having it as a separate line in the Education Act will validate the experiences of students.

In response to the TYCs initial recommendations in 2022, the ministry told the Star it planned to consult with parents and students to identify emerging issues in student mental health.

The ministry did not answer the Stars questions Friday about the take-aways of those consultations and whether the government plans to amend the Education Act.

Mensah said he hopes this latest call-to-action, which is endorsed by multiple stakeholders, will compel the government to act on all the recommendations.

My hope is that with this joint statement, where all of us stakeholders have come together, sending a clear and unified message, the government finally receives that consensus that they said they were going to seek on this issue, he said.

With files by Nadine Yousif and Sara Mojtehedzadeh

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A judge has convicted two men for recklessly discharging firearms toward Highway 401 while attending a vigil for a slain Toronto rapper, rejecting the claim they were acting in self-defence after a roadside ambush.

Discharging a firearm into one of Canadas busiest highways risked harming people, even if no one (on the highway) was harmed. Further, there were approximately 50 people in the parking lot at the time the shooting started, Superior Court Justice Jane Kelly said, reading her decision Friday.

On June 9, 2020, soon after the funeral and burial of popular rapper Dimarjio Jenkins, who performed as Houdini, mourners were gathered in a parking lot behind a Downsview bar situated immediately north of the westbound lanes of Highway 401, near Highway 400.

Just before 11:30 p.m. a dark sedan pulled onto the highway shoulder, sending attendees running for cover. At the time, Toronto police said the occupants of the car opened fire on the crowd.

In the chaos that followed, and was captured on surveillance video, Traequan Mahoney and Gaddiel Ledinek  tried and convicted separately by the same judge  ran behind a large green dumpster. They, and others, fired in the direction of the 401 where the car had stopped. Both men testified at separate trials.

Kelly said that while she accepted that Mahoney, himself a popular underground rapper, believed his life was in peril, there is little evidence to support that the occupants of the car were discharging a firearm or firearms at those attending at the celebration of life.

She gave as examples the fact the surveillance footage showed no muzzle flashes in or around the area of the car, and that there was no evidence of bullet strikes on the dumpster. Meanwhile, more than 60 bullet casings were found in the parking lot.

Although Mr. Mahoney believed that the threat was imminent, the imminence of it certainly diminished when the car moved from the shoulder of the 401 and out of the frame of the video, Kelly said, reading parts of her 24-page decision.

Further, Mahoney agreed that before he fired the last two of five shots, he looked towards the 401 and he could see that the car was no longer there. Despite that, he discharged the firearm anyway.

Kelly said she did not agree with defence counsel Hilary Duddings argument that Mahoney had no other means available to respond to the use of force. The dumpster did provide some protection.

And the judge said rather than shooting toward the 401, Ledinek could have shot directly into the air  In my view, his conduct was not reasonable.

Ledinek himself was shot when he was behind the dumpster and in front of others discharging firearms, showing that those discharging firearms in and around the dumpster, including Mr. Ledinek, were being reckless to the safety of other persons who were in front of them.

The judge concluded Ledinek knew there was a risk that his conduct could endanger the life or safety of others and acted with indifference to that risk. The risk was both substantial and unjustified.

She also convicted Ledinek of possessing a loaded firearm  rejecting his evidence that he found it on the ground  and failing to comply with a court order not to possess weapons.

Kelly acquitted Mahoney of bringing a firearm to the gathering, which he attended while on bail. He testified he did so because he could not miss the memorial for his best friend and frequent collaborator.

On Friday, Mahoney appeared in a downtown Toronto courtroom in custody. Since his trial in Toronto, Mahoney received a four-year prison sentence after being convicted in Norfolk County of break and enter and robbery with a firearm.

Ledinek, who rapped as G.D., and Mahoney, who performs as Burna Bandz, made music with the same North York collective as Jenkins.

Sentencing for the pair is set for later this year.

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Known as "porcelain capital," Jingdezhen in east China has a 2,000-year history of ceramic-making. Porcelain artworks produced here traveled around the world through the ancient Silk Road, an integral part of which was Central Asia.

Shovkat Shamuratov, an Uzbekistan student, made a trip to Jingdezhen to explore how porcelain has been connecting China and Central Asia.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service 




An environmental group that accused regulators of weakening a ban on the dumping of fracking wastewater in the Delaware River watershed has dropped its federal lawsuit, saying its most pressing concerns have been addressed.

Damascus Citizens for Sustainability sued the Delaware River Basin Commission in January, about a month after regulators voted to ban the disposal of drilling wastewater in a vast watershed that includes portions of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Delaware.

The lawsuit said regulators had quietly issued extra-regulatory exemptions after the vote that could have paved the way for the road spreading of contaminated fracking wastewater from so-called conventional well sites.

Conventional wells are traditional vertical wells. Most new natural gas wells are drilled into deeper, unconventional rock formations like Pennsylvanias Marcellus Shale. Energy companies use hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to stimulate production in both types of wells and must recycle or otherwise properly dispose of the wastewater that results.

The basin commission denied Damascus Citizens for Sustainabilitys legal claims of a loophole, saying the group had misinterpreted regulatory guidance on the new ban. But regulators agreed to clarify policy language to make clear the ban approved in December includes wastewater from all kinds of fracking sites, not just unconventional gas wells.

The revisions dispel any confusion on the part of DCS or others, the basin commission said last month in asking a judge to dismiss the lawsuit.

The environmental group dropped the suit Wednesday, citing the regulatory agencys assurances. The group said in court documents it still expects the basin commission  which is responsible for the water supply of more than 13 million people in the four states  to take action to prevent illegal importation of fracking wastewater into the Delaware River basin.

The agency has thankfully seen the light, said Barbara Arrindell, the groups director. We are glad to see DRBC fulfilling its role to proactively protect the Delaware River Basin.

An agency spokesperson declined to comment.

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ABUJA, Nigeria (AP)  Gunmen killed 15 villagers and abducted five aid workers in separate attacks in Nigerias troubled northern region, authorities said Thursday.

The assailants arrived in Benue states Apa area and opened fire on villagers in their homes, according to David Olofu, a senior state government official. He said military personnel were among those shot in the attack and many houses were razed as villagers fled to safety.

The incident in Benue is the latest in a spiral of violent attacks in which armed groups are targeting remote communities across Nigerias northwest and central regions, often defying government and security measures.

More than 80 people have been killed in Benue in the past month in such attacks. No group has claimed responsibility for the killings, though authorities have blamed Fulani herdsmen, a group of mostly young pastoralists from the Fulani tribe caught up in Nigerias conflict between host communities and herdsmen over limited access to water and land.

In northeastern Nigeria, meanwhile, Islamic extremists abducted five aid workers in Ngala, Borno state, where an insurgency against the government has raged on for more than a decade.

The aid workers included three staff members and two contractors of the international non-government organization FHI 360, all working to provide lifesaving medical care to the people of Nigeria, the organization said Thursday, without further details on the incident.

FHI 360 condemned the abduction of the workers and called for their unconditional, immediate and safe return, according to a statement from Iorwakwagh Apera, the NGOs director in Nigeria. Our priority at this time is to support our team and their families, said Apera.

The Boko Haram extremist group has been waging a bitter war against Nigeria since 2009, and the insurgency has spread over the years to the neighboring countries of Cameroon, Niger and Chad. A breakaway faction of the group formed in 2016 and became known as the Islamic State in West Africa Province and is notorious for targeting security forces and aid workers.

___

Umar reported from Maiduguri, Nigeria.

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PEKANBARU, Indonesia (AP)  A speedboat carrying 74 people capsized in rough seas in western Indonesia, killing at least 11 and leaving one person missing, officials said Friday.

Many of the dead were women and children, said Nyoman Sidakarya, chief of the Pekanbaru Search and Rescue Agency. He said 62 people had been rescued, including some who were unconscious after drifting in the choppy waters for hours. They were hospitalized and were in stable condition, he said.

The Evelyn Calista 01 was carrying 68 passengers, mostly people returning from visits to their hometowns to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr holiday with their families, and six crew members, Sidakarya said. He revised the number of people on board from an initial estimate of 78.

Television video showed people standing on an overturned boat trying to reach a fishing boat packed with survivors.

The boat sank Thursday afternoon about three hours after leaving Tembilahan, a town in Indragiri Hilir Regency in Riau province. It was bound for Tanjung Pinang in the Riau Islands chain, a 200-kilometer (125-mile) trip.

The cause of the sinking was still being investigated, but some survivors told authorities that the boat swayed suddenly and capsized after hitting a large log while traveling in strong winds, local police chief Norhayat said.

Two tugboats and two inflatable boats battled high waves in the overnight darkness as they searched for survivors, said Norhayat, who uses a single name. He said a tugboat pulled the capsized boat to shore to ease the search efforts.

Boat tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where ferries are often used as transport and safety regulations are sometimes ignored.

In 2018, an overcrowded ferry carrying about 200 people sank in a deep volcanic crater lake in North Sumatra province, killing 167 people.

In one of the countrys worst recorded disasters, an overcrowded passenger ship sank in February 1999 with 332 people aboard. There were only 20 survivors.

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ROME (AP)  Milan prosecutors have dropped their investigation of Italian lobbyists who allegedly sought Russian funding for right-wing leader Matteo Salvinis pro-Moscow party.

State TV said investigators concluded that they had no grounds to continue the probe into alleged illegal party financing involving three Italians, including a close associate of Salvini, the leader of the League party, a coalition partner in Italys right-wing government.

The alleged scheme aimed to buy oil at a discount from Rosneft, a Russian energy company, then sell it at full price to Italian energy giant ENI. Some $64 million in hoped-for profit would have allegedly ended up in great part in the Leagues coffers, prosecutors had hypothesized.

But Milan daily Corriere della Sera reported Friday that prosecutors concluded no such deal ever came to fruition. That, plus total lack of Russian cooperation with investigators, convinced prosecutors to shelve the probe, which looked into talks by the lobbyists and some Russian contacts in October 2018 at the Metropol hotel in Moscow, the daily said.

Salvini was jubilant.

The inquest into the presumed Russian funds in the Metropol case was shelved, he tweeted. Now we expect apologies from so many, and we are preparing lawsuits against many.

A longtime admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Salvini himself was never among those under investigation. Salvini, who now serves as infrastructure minister in Premier Giorgia Melonis government, has long insisted that neither he nor his League has ever taken one ruble from Russians.

Among those investigated was a former spokesman for Salvini, lobbyist Gianluca Savoini, who had denied wrongdoing. The lobbyist had long sought closer Italian-Russian ties through an association based in Lombardy, the affluent northern Italian region which is a League powerbase.

The prosecutors also had been looking into alleged roles by three Russians.

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GENEVA (AP)  Experts working with the United Nations on Friday denounced reports of human rights violations including abduction, deportation and enforced disappearances against ethnic minorities in Russian-occupied Crimea, calling on Moscow to do more to protect the rights of Tatars and others there.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, as part of a regular, rotating review of U.N. member states, took a look at Russia  and areas that it controls  along with five other countries this month. The impact of Moscow's war in Ukraine on rights and racial hatred drew particular scrutiny.

In its review of Russia, the committee of independent experts focused on just one particular aspect of the war  the impact on racial discrimination  which has seen a litany of other rights abuses and violations, including murder, summary execution, rape, arbitrary detention and much more, according to U.N. and other rights monitors.

The committee cited reports of destruction of and damage to Crimean Tatar cultural heritage, including tombstones, monuments and shrines, and cited a lack of information about efforts to protect such sites from vandalism.

It pointed to reports of barriers on the use and study of Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages, and called for the reinstatement of the Mejlis, a representative body of Crimean Tatars that was disbanded in 2016.

The experts cited the refusal of Russian envoys to provide information, and suggested that Crimea, under international law, remains part of Ukraine despite Russias annexation of the peninsula in 2014.

The panel cited reports of numerous and serious human rights violations against members of ethnic minority groups and indigenous peoples in Crimea, in particular abductions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, and the forcible transfer or deportation of inhabitants from these territories to the Russian Federation.

The committee aims to help countries uphold their commitments under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which Moscow  then the capital of the Soviet Union  ratified more than five decades ago.

After skipping a U.N.-backed Human Rights Committee review last year, Russia deployed a delegation of nearly 20 people to attend and field questions in the review, a first by Russian envoys to a U.N. rights review in Geneva since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

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Follow the APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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BEIRUT (AP)  Suspected Israeli airstrikes targeted the Syrian province of Homs early Saturday, state media reported.

Syrias state news agency, SANA, citing military officials, said that three civilians were wounded in the strike and that a civilian fuel station caught fire and a number of fuel tankers and trucks were burned.

It reported that Syrian air defenses responded to Israeli missiles in the sky over Homs and shot down some of them.

The pro-government Sham FM radio said fires broke out south of the city of Homs as a result of the strikes and successive explosions sounded from the area.

The Britain-based opposition war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Israeli missiles had destroyed an ammunition depot belonging to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah at a military airport in the countryside of Homs.

The observatory said it was the second time Israel targeted the site in a month. On April 2, state media reported Israeli airstrikes hit several sites in Homs, wounding five soldiers. The observatory said two Hezbollah members were killed by the earlier attrack.

There was no immediate statement from Israeli authorities on the strikes,

Israel, which has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment next door, has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets in government-controlled parts of neighboring Syria in recent years, but rarely acknowledges them.

Earlier this year, suspected Israeli strikes in Syria intensified, culminating in an exchange on the border April 8, when the Israeli military said its forces attacked targets in Syria after six rockets were launched from southern Syria toward the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

On Monday, Syrian pro-government media said Israel shelled targets in southern Syria near the Golan Heights, causing unspecified material damage.

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  Californias corrections agency routinely refers inmates who appear to be foreign-born to federal immigration authorities even if they are U.S. citizens and lawful residents, with some improperly detained by the government for weeks after their sentences, said a lawsuit filed in state court Thursday.

The lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Foundation of Northern California also says that inmates singled out as being born outside the U.S. are denied access to rehabilitative programs.

Lawyers representing former and current inmates said in a news release announcing the lawsuit that Californias policies and practices target immigrants and refugees based on place of birth, race and other prohibited classifications.

Corrections officials refer hundreds of people each year to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, for possible deportation, even those born in the U.S., the lawsuit states.

A spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said they are reviewing the filing.

According to the complaint, Brian Bukle was referred to ICE because he was born outside the country even though corrections records indicated his status as a U.S. citizen. He was transferred into ICE custody at the end of his sentence in June 2020  missing Fathers Day with his son  and was released after more than a month only after an immigration lawyer intervened.

Corrections officials also flagged another plaintiff, Anouthinh Choy Pangthong, to ICE even though he is a U.S. citizen born in a refugee camp. He spent nearly 19 years in prison fearing deportation and needed an attorney to remove the federal hold, the complaint states.

Pangthong said in a statement that at one point he almost hoped to stay in state custody to just avoid being ripped apart from my home and family. Deportation would mean losing my loved ones and a life rooted in the community and state I call home.

The complaint states that the state agencys department operations manual directs staff to refer inmates who are foreign-born to federal immigration authorities for possible deportation, even though many people born abroad are naturalized U.S. citizens or permanent residents who cannot be deported.

The complaint filed in Alameda County provides examples of inmates, some identified only by their initials, denied access to re-entry and other rehabilitative programs because they were flagged as foreign-born.

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This story has been updated to correct that Brian Bukle is not a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

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JUNEAU, Alaska (AP)  The U.S. Army has grounded aviation units for training after 12 soldiers died within the last month in helicopter crashes in Alaska and Kentucky, the military branch announced Friday.

The suspension of air operations was effective immediately, with units grounded until they complete the training, said Lt. Col. Terence Kelley, an Army spokesperson. For active-duty units, the training is to take place between May 1 and 5. Army National Guard and Reserve units will have until May 31 to complete the training.

The move grounds all Army aviators, except those participating in critical missions, until they complete the required training, the Army said in a statement.

On Thursday, two Army helicopters collided near Healy, Alaska, killing three soldiers and injuring a fourth. The aircraft from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright, near Fairbanks, were returning from training at the time of the crash, according to the Army. The unit is part of the 11th Airborne Division, which is nicknamed the Arctic Angels.

Military investigators were making their way to Alaskas interior, with a team from Fort Novosel, Alabama, expected to arrive at the crash site by Saturday, said John Pennell, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Alaska. Little new information about the crash was released Friday.

The Army on Thursday said two of the soldiers died at the site and the third on the way to a hospital in Fairbanks. The injured fourth soldier was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition Friday, Pennell said. The names of those who were killed were not immediately released.

The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel, Army Chief of Staff James McConville said of the decision to ground flight units for training.

The crash is the second accident involving military helicopters in Alaska this year.

In February, two soldiers were injured when an Apache helicopter rolled after taking off from Talkeetna. The aircraft was one of four traveling to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage from Fort Wainwright.

In March, nine soldiers were killed when two U.S. Army Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed during a routine nighttime training exercise about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

The Army said that while Thursdays crash and the one in Kentucky remain under investigation, there is no indication of any pattern between the two mishaps.

Healy is home to about 1,000 people roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Denali National Park and Preserve, or about 250 miles (400 kilometers) north of Anchorage.

Located on the Parks Highway, the community is a popular place for people to spend the night while visiting Denali Park, which is home to the continents tallest mountain.

Healy is also famous for being the town closest to the former bus that had been abandoned in the backcountry and was popularized by the book Into the Wild and the movie of the same name. The bus was removed and taken to Fairbanks in 2020.

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*More and more Chinese manufacturers are leveraging livestreaming platforms to boost foreign trade, and the boom in cross-border livestreaming offers a glimpse into China's rapidly expanding digital economy.

*In 2022, the scale of China's digital economy grew to 50.2 trillion yuan, with a year-on-year nominal growth of 10.3 percent, making up 41.5 percent of the country's GDP, according to an industry report released at the 6th Digital China Summit.

FUZHOU, April 28 (Xinhua) -- As the camera started working, Steven Leeds kicked off his social media livestream in a studio in Shishi City, east China's Fujian Province, selling Chinese products such as shoes directly to overseas customers.



The 39-year-old English teacher from the United States has been doing this part-time job three times a week for the past six months. In his most successful show, over 2,000 orders were placed in three hours.

In his opinion, China's cross-border e-commerce livestreaming will soon sweep the world. "More and more people will jump on it to buy goods from China," said Leeds, adding that he's proud to have been part of this trendy business.

More and more Chinese manufacturers are leveraging livestreaming platforms to boost foreign trade.

At Alibaba.com, a leading platform for global wholesale trade, cross-border business-to-business (B2B) trade via livestreaming has seen steady growth with the active participation of both sellers and buyers.

In the first week of a trade event held by the platform in March, over 60,000 Chinese businessmen used cross-border livestreaming to promote their products, attracting more than 700,000 foreign buyers.

The most-viewed products included laser cutting machines, household excavators, charging piles, and energy storage batteries, according to the platform.

Live streamer Daniela Sena (R) sells products online with her colleague in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Jan. 19, 2022. (Xinhua)

"We didn't expect that one piece of industrial laser equipment worth 200,000 yuan (about 28,885 U.S. dollars) could be sold overseas directly through a livestream at Alibaba.com," said Zhang Jie, general manager of a mechanical technology company in east China's Shandong Province, who was stunned by the efficiency of the new way of securing business deals.

"Conducting cross-border livestreaming is similar to attending offline fairs abroad, as we can communicate with buyers in real-time through video. This helps build trust between buyers and sellers quickly and saves our costs," said Zhang, adding that the company has seen the number of followers rising after several livestream sessions.

Buyers in B2B livestreaming at Alibaba.com can be shown around the factories virtually and watch the production process and product testing, greatly eliminating barriers in time and location. The hosts speak many languages, including English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Arabic.

Many people believe that livestreaming has contributed to the latest rebound in China's foreign trade. Official data showed that total goods imports and exports expanded 4.8 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2023, reversing a decline of 0.8 percent in the first two months of the year.

In the first three months, exports grew 8.4 percent year-on-year to 5.65 trillion yuan while imports rose 0.2 percent to 4.24 trillion yuan, bringing the total trade to 9.89 trillion yuan.

The burgeoning business form is set to embrace a bright prospect. China recently released a guideline document to promote the stability of foreign trade scale and to improve foreign trade structure, underlining the importance of supporting foreign trade enterprises in expanding sales channels through cross-border e-commerce and other new business modes.

A visitor tries a 5G-based remote driving system developed by Chinese bus maker King Long at an exhibition of the 6th Digital China Summit in Fuzhou, east China's Fujian Province, April 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)

The boom in cross-border livestreaming offers a glimpse into China's rapidly expanding digital economy. At the 6th Digital China Summit held on Thursday and Friday in the city of Fuzhou, east China's Fujian Province, many participants noted the increasingly important role of the digital economy in foreign trade.

Wang Wenxin, an account manager at Kingdee Software (China) Co., Ltd., said that digital economy helps enhance the operating efficiency of the whole supply chain, adding that Kingdee is developing a supply chain coordination platform to provide more convenience to its clients.

In 2022, the scale of China's digital economy grew to 50.2 trillion yuan, with a year-on-year nominal growth of 10.3 percent, making up 41.5 percent of the country's GDP, according to an industry report released at the summit.

The number of 5G users in the country had reached 561 million by 2022, accounting for more than 60 percent of the world's total, the report said.

(Video reporters: Lin Shanchuan, Li Huiying, Mi Yingting; Video editors: Zhang Li, Zhao Xiaoqing) 
Your professional life probably doesnt look like much Harjit Sajjans. Sajjan, now the international development minister, was defence minister for the first five full years of Justin Trudeaus time in office before getting bumped out for an underwhelming response to the sexual misconduct crisis in the armed forces. Before that, he was a cop in Vancouver, a lieutenant-colonel in the Canadian Army, and the first Sikh-Canadian to command an army reserve regiment.

This is, youll probably agree, a pretty unique resume. But in one key way, Sajjans work day is probably a lot like yours or mine: he apparently is having a hard time keeping up with his email.

And this is a problem. Potentially, a fatal one.

Sajjans all-too-relatable confession came against the backdrop of ongoing inquiries into how the government performed during the rushed effort to evacuate Canadians  and those with ties to Canada  from Afghanistan, during the countrys fall back under Taliban control in August 2021, just as our last federal election was getting underway.

Last week, Senator Marilou McPhedran told the House of Commons immigration committee that she had provided a template of a Canadian document to Afghans trying to flee  she estimated more than 600 such templates were shared. A few genuine documents had been handed out by Canadian officials, but McPhedran was passing around the template for them, despite having no authority to do so.

This gave desperate Afghans something to wave at soldiers, and officials trying to manage the chaos, at Kabuls airport as the last flights out were boarding. Without such documents, Afghans might not even make it onto the airport grounds, let alone onto a precious evacuation flight.

The senator also said that the source of her template was Sajjans then-chief of staff George Young, and that she kept Young and the minister in the loop over her activities over email. Questioned about that this week, Sajjan said he hadnt read them, citing the frantic pace of work during the evacuation. He told reporters later, During the time of the evacuation, I really didnt have the time to be able to check my emails.

For her part, Conservative MP Michelle Rempel-Garner was having none of it, calling Sajjans explanation preposterous, akin to claiming the dog had eaten his homework.

I think Sajjan was actually probably telling the truth. I dont know anyone working today in any job that requires any degree of online connectivity that isnt swamped in emails, 99 per cent of which arent important. Spending part of each day cobbling together some kind of content management for email is a genuine burden, both in terms of stress and hours consumed. It stands to reason that a federal minister, with direct responsibility over a fast-unfolding crisis response, probably gets more emails than the rest of us, and most people I know would have to admit missing important details under the sheer relentless weight of accumulating messages and memos.

On that score, Sajjan is indeed probably telling us the truth. He probably wasnt reading his emails. He probably doesnt read most of his emails.

Still, in this case, truth is no defence. I get too much email can be both true and, as Rempel-Garner noted, a preposterous response to a real problem. Canadas response to the Afghan collapse, readers may recall, wasnt good. We were late and slow and even once our evacuations began, our effort was hobbled by layers of bureaucracy that our allies simply did not have to contend with, or at least were quicker to overcome. A factor cited over and over, in the reporting and in the statements of those directly involved, was the slow pace of Canadian federal decision-making.

Nor is this an issue limited to Afghanistan. One of the oft-repeated features of many of this governments problems, whether rather mundane scandals du jour or genuine crises such as COVID-19 or the convoy, is that it is bad at communicating with itself and making decisions even once it has the necessary information. There seems to be a built-in lag time in this governments ability to, first, perceive a problem and then, once perceived, respond to it.

There are a lot of explanations offered for this, including overcentralization of decision-making among too few people and the accumulated burnout of a long-in-the-tooth government that has had to navigate some genuine catastrophes and is, more and more, showing its age. Those two things are probably the biggest part of the explanation.

But Im not sure Sajjan isnt pointing us in the direction of another: information overload.

This wasnt an ignored RSVP or a misplaced Zoom link. This was real information during a genuine crisis where lives were on the line. When it was imperative that Sajjan and other key decision makers know all that they could know, they couldnt even keep up with their emails. Hell, McPhedran herself has already told us basically all we needed to know. The best way for her to save lives was to pass out templates of official documents to people on the ground, utterly cutting the appropriate authorities out of the process. (She did at least keep them in the loop, not that they bothered reading what she sent them.)

Does this sound like a government thats running well and battle ready?

Its easy to giggle at Sajjans haplessness, but we should probably listen to what hes saying this time. Even when lives were on the line, this government just didnt have the bandwidth to stay on top of the crisis. It couldnt even stay on top of its own internal correspondence. This is not the sort of problem that will fix itself on its own, and there is absolutely no sign that this government is trying to fix this.

One day it might be your life on the line. Lets all hope that if day comes, the minister tasked with saving your skin isnt drowning in notifications for emails theyll never bother to read.

Matt Gurney is a journalist and broadcaster, based in Toronto. He is co-editor of The Line, an online magazine. He tweets at Twitter.com/mattgurney

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Now that Joe Biden has formally entered the U.S. presidential race, the basic contours of that contest are coming into focus.

On the one hand is Democrat Biden, generally regarded by his supporters among the liberal commentariat as dull but reliable.

On the other is Donald Trump, the candidate who, while not a shoo-in, still remains the most likely Republican choice.

He is regarded as anything but dull. His many political enemies both fear and loath him. Indeed, for many American voters, Bidens main appeal is that he is not Trump.

But is Biden as reliable as his supporters say? And is Trump as insane as he appears to be? A more detailed look at the policies pursued by these two men suggests that neither is exactly as advertised.

Take their positions on North Korea, a problem that has bedevilled the Americans for decades.

Trump inherited Korea when he became president and moved quickly to put his stamp on it. Gone were the days of casual disengagement. Trump insisted on meeting North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in person. More to the point, the blustering Trump recognized that Kims demands, including his demand to turn the Korean Peninsula into a nuclear-free zone, made a weird kind of sense.

In the end, Trumps efforts to woo Kim didnt work. The South Korean leaders needed to make any rapprochement work lost power in Seoul. The U.S. security apparatus was never onside with the idea of opening up to the North.

Kim himself, while seemingly intrigued by Trump, remained suspicious of the Americans intent.

For while, however, the opening to Pyongyang did work. The Americans were talking to their arch-enemies. And it seemed that the Korean debate was no longer tied to fruitless attempts to have the North unilaterally disarm.

Thats Donald Trump on North Korea. What about Joe Biden?

Bidens approach to the Korean Peninsula is much more familiar. Biden abandoned Trumps efforts at summitry. The U.S. under Biden was no longer interested in improving relations between North and South Korea.

Bidens approach to China was much more hostile than Trumps, which made the Norths relationships with America even more difficult.

As Biden put it this week, Americas main interest in the Korean Peninsula is to provide a nuclear umbrella. If the North attacks the South, the U.S. reserves the right to strike back with nuclear weapons.

Gone are the Trumpian virtues of summitry and negotiation. In their place are Bidens remnants of the old cold war, such as visits by U.S. nuclear submarines to South Korean ports.

Is this superior to Trumps approach? Im not sure that it is. In this policy area, at least, the insane Donald seems head and shoulders above sensible Joe.

And there may be other areas where a Trump victory may provide a better outcome than a Biden win  no matter what the intelligentsia says.

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There are two long-standing debates in Canada: Will the Leafs ever win the Cup? And what shall we do with the CBC?

Its worth reminding people why the Canadian Broadcasting Company was invented in the first place. It was created in 1936, during the Depression by a Conservative government. Its purpose was to be a uniquely Canadian counterbalance to the flood of commercial radio pouring over the border from the United States.

National Public Radio (NPR), on the other hand, is a Democratic Party initiative. In 1969, public broadcasting in the U.S. was part of the Great Society project. Public television was to be called PBS. Radio was to be called NPR. Both were to be locally funded and supported, as much as possible by public donations.

Unlike the CBC, NPR was never designed to be a network. Initially, it was just a few dozen scattered local radio stations, licenced to colleges and universities. Programs came from NPR, based in Washington, D.C.

But (and here is the major distinction) the local stations always defined the national service. At NPR, the (local) customers own the (national) company. This became a successful model that today has more than a thousand local radio stations as part of the NPR system.

From Alaska to Florida, American listeners love and support NPR.

NPR made a choice more than 20 years ago to serve its audiences by providing a spine of national information, while encouraging local stations to give more in-depth reporting and cultural programming to be shared nationally.

Could the same be said of the CBC? I believe the stations in Kelowna, the Saguenay, and Windsor know their audiences better than the programmers in Toronto.

A reformed CBC should be stood on its head: the stations should have more financial and programming control while Toronto, Montreal (and possibly Vancouver) should operate a vastly reduced network.

Before there is an outbreak of pearl clutching and a knee jerk antipathy to asking the public for donations (a.k.a., beg-a-thons), there are some U.S. public broadcasting adaptations that Canadians might find more acceptable.

First, the age of full government funding for anything seems to be over. Why not public broadcasting?

Second, the CBC, which once described itself as a publicly funded commercial broadcaster is unrealistic in this environment. Other broadcasters and publishers are openly opposed and resentful that the CBC competes against them with tax dollars.

Third, the real strength of any public broadcaster is not found in the centralized network presence, but in the myriad of local stations where the needs of local audiences can be more properly served.

CBC local and regional stations are being starved of resources. Budgets are redirected by Toronto to create non-information programming to be sold outside Canada. Local stations can barely serve their local audiences now, while the network in Toronto seeks new ways to produce content more appealing and acceptable to non-Canadian (a.k.a. U.S.) audiences. This must stop.

The CBC, to become a truly public broadcaster, should be entirely commercial free.

Only then can it decide what it should produce to serve the Canadian public, first as citizens and not just as consumers. The CBCs attempt to be all things to all audiences has resulted in a weakened CBC and an impoverished CBC News service.

Finally, how to pay for a renewed public broadcaster?

If Canadians find something of value from the CBC, they should be allowed and encouraged to donate, but only to a local station (tax-deductible of course). At the same time, the federal government should continue to support the new CBC with stable five-year funding models. And every five years, an assessment on the financial health of the company should be made with the ultimate goal of reducing the federal contribution and making the CBC a stand alone, not-for-profit at the service of Canadians.

This will not be easy. There will be a lot of what about questions. But the CBC is unlikely to continue without some bold thinking about its future.

If we cant agree that a revived public media is an essential element to our Canadian lives, then the critics, including Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre are right.

Shut it down and start again.

Jeffrey Dvorkin is the former managing editor and chief journalist at CBC Radio and former VP-news and information at NPR.

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On Monday, NBCs nightly news spent the first six minutes (of 22 total, in a 30 minute slot minus ads) on the firing of cable news bigmouths, Tucker Carlson (Fox) and Don Lemon (CNN). After that, it went briefly to civil war in Sudan, with total focus on extricating U.S. citizens.

I dont consider those dismissals newsworthy. The big blabbers are titans at their outlets, till theyre not. Bill OReilly was a god on Fox, then overnight was no more. Glenn Beck left even less of a trace. The only news here is that these news channels have almost no news, just blather. Thats why the big names are so easily ditched. Shallow, replaceable opinion is the real fake news.

They should be called baseless opinion channels. Its ironic how aware of this the Fox grandees are. Sean Hannity texted, News depart that breaks no news ever. Is it ironic that I write this in an opinion slot? Is Mrs. Maisel Jewish?

Proliferating opinion for too long tends to make you stupid, or stupider. Don Lemon was shifted to a morning slot with two journalists who still recall their roots. He called presidential candidate Nikki Haley past her prime. They demurred. He retorted, Im just saying what the facts are  Google it. He couldve at least cited Wikipedia, which has some intellectual cred. He was closer to Hey Siri!

Atlanta (Donald Glovers series) nailed him years ago. Earn tells Paper Boi he needs somebody whos about the money, the opportunity, who can play both sides if needed. Darius twigs, Oh, like Don Lemon.

What about our full-time news channels from CBC and CTV? Theyre weighed down with panels who are expected to opine on every topic that arises. During COVID, they jabbered about vaccine mandates. Its way cheaper than actual reporting. I yearn for a panelist who says, I dont know anything about that, Ill sit this out. Would they get invited back? Thatd be the test.

Whats the solution? More actual reporting. If there were, viewers would sense it and say, Hey, he has no reasons for that. Hes just running his mouth.

Ed Sheeran mediates between eras

Ed Sheeran, whos being sued for plagiarizing a Marvin Gaye pop song of 40 years before his own, is turning out an elegant interpreter of history. Most pop songs can fit over most pop songs, he testified. He doesnt exactly deny plagiarism. More like: that used to be known as plagiarism. Whats intervened? The easy plenitude on the internet.

The legal context for plagiarism, beyond creative pilfering, or morally abhorrent theft, arose along with capitalism and the printing press. As long as humans were immersed in that era, it seemed like a state of nature. Now that its in the process of being superceded or fundamentally transformed, it starts feeling like whats been called a 400-year Gutenberg parenthesis.

I mean, is there any such thing as originality, or creating something (if youre not God)? Where would you come up with material, if not from a source that already exists. You can reshape stuff but if you know the writer of a novel, you can likely spot the root of almost every character and incident.

Intellectual property was a form of private property, emerging with possessive individualism (as in C.B. Macphersons works) during capitalisms earlier incarnations. The first real copyright law, the Statute of Anne, came into force in 1710.

Poor George Harrison of the Beatles got sued over 1970s My Sweet Lord, because of Hes so fine, eight years before. The judge found him guilty though subconsciously, which mayve been meant as kind but left Harrison feeling paranoid about songwriting. Of course it upset him, he was in the grip of a historical era, nearing its end but without other versions of reality in sight.

Ed Sheeran is clearly calmer, 50 years on. Somethings happening here, and he might even know what it is.

Rick Salutin is a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. He is based in Toronto. Reach him via email: salutinrick@gmail.com

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According to American founding father Alexander Hamilton, the judiciary will always be the least dangerous branch of government because it has no power to enforce its judgments.

Unlike the executive or legislative branches, the judiciary controls neither the military nor the public purse, and hence it must rely solely on moral suasion to ensure its decisions are followed.

Judges must therefore be beyond reproach, lest the other branches of government simply start ignoring their judgements. And if they do, the courts could easily descend into utter irrelevance.

With the antics of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, that court is now staring irrelevance in the face. Thomas failed to declare numerous gifts from a billionaire Republican donor, yet it appears he will face no repercussions, thereby leading critics to suggest the court has lost all credibility.

As the drama in the U.S. Supreme Court continues to receive headlines, the Supreme Court of Canada is currently facing a crisis of its own On February 1, Chief Justice Richard Wagner quietly placed Justice Russell Brown on a leave of absence  without informing the public  after an altercation at a Scottsdale, Arizona resort.

In town to speak at a function honouring former Supreme Court of Canada Justice Louise Arbour, Russell was apparently invited to join a group of people in the resort bar. Later that evening, Brown was allegedly punched by a man, Jonathan Crump, who described Brown as drunk and creepy, and accused Brown of attempting to follow women into their hotel rooms.

According to a police report, one woman said Brown kissed her and touched her lower back and leg in a way that was definitely unwanted but not sexual. No charges were filed against either Brown or Crump.

While Brown didnt respond to the womans allegations, he did issue a statement calling Crumps account demonstrably false. According to Brown, Crump objected to me rejoining the group and punched him without warning or provocation. Brown also said he had provided evidence that corroborates his story to the Canadian Judicial Council CJC).

The council is now reviewing the evidence, and it could recommend that Brown be removed from the bench. Canadian Supreme Court justices therefore face a level of accountability not shared by their American counterparts.

Nonetheless, the Canadian process for investigating and sanctioning federal judicial misconduct has come under extensive criticism due to its time-consuming nature, its limited ability to address misconduct that doesnt warrant removal, and its lack of transparency.

In response to the criticisms, the government tabled Bill C-9 in 2021. The bill, which passed the House last December and is currently in committee in the Senate, creates a new process for investigating complaints.

Among other things, the bill permits a CJC panel to issue reprimands, to order judges to apologize, or to mandate counselling or continuing education for misconduct that doesn't warrant removal. This, alone, represents a significant improvement over the current process, in which the council must negotiate discipline (other than removal recommendations) with errant judges.

RELATED STORIES Politics Supreme Court Justice Russell Brown denies Arizona altercation allegations

Bill C-9 also shortens the process by limiting the opportunities for judicial review. While judges can currently appeal CJC decisions to the Federal Court, the Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, the new process requires judges to seek leave to appeal directly to the Supreme Court.

This, too, represents a significant advance, since judges are typically sidelined until the process is complete  something that can change the function of the Supreme Court since it comprises only nine justices.

Finally, the bill adds some sorely needed transparency to the process by, among other things, requiring that most hearings involving potential removals be held in public, and mandating that the Minister of Justice respond publicly to CJC decisions.

Consequently, by improving the CJCs ability to hold justices to account, Bill C-9 will, if passed, also improve the moral standing of the federal judiciary, vital for the courts and justices to fulfil their role.

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Treasury Board tries direct appeal, April 25

While politicians make campaign promises, public servants do the actual work. From a National Dental Care Plan, to COVID Benefits, to keeping Canadians safe, public servants do it all.

Thats why its so insulting to hear Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland suggest that our contract demands would be a burden on the taxpayer. Where was that concern when federal MPs voted to give themselves a $15,000 raise on April 1? They did the same thing last April 1 too.

Which of those two groups of public servants needs the money more?

David DIntino, St. Catharines

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We now know what you can do and not get fired by Fox News.

You can disparage immigrants, indulge in thinly disguised racism and fan the flames of white nationalism  all the while denying such a thing exists.

You can pretend the violent invasion of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was just a peaceful protest, or even suggest it was orchestrated by the government itself.

And you can lie openly on TV, repeating incendiary claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged while privately admitting thats false, even crazy.

Tucker Carlson did all that and more, and Fox was fine with it for years as he became their biggest star. What got him fired this week, it now appears, is that he finally did something the networks owners considered unforgivable  he said rude things about their management.

According to the Wall Street Journal, which like Fox is part of Rupert Murdochs News Corp. empire, that was the final straw for the company. Emails and texts unearthed as part of the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit against Fox (settled last week for a whopping $787 million) reportedly showed Carlson sent abusive and vulgar messages about other people at the network. In one, he called a senior Fox executive what the Journal refers to as the C-word.

Thats it. After the torrent of very public abuse directed at anyone and everyone in his way  including Republicans deemed not sufficiently Trumpian for his taste  it apparently came down to a private internal fight between Carlson and the Murdochs.

In assessing all this, one can choose between cynicism and what I would call cynicism-plus.

The straight-up cynical view is that News Corp. cut Carlson loose for purely business reasons, that it was happy to lap up his ratings until he became a corporate liability. Theres a string of pending lawsuits against Fox, including one from a former producer on Carlsons show who alleges she suffered from a hostile and discriminatory work environment. Those misogynistic messages wont help Foxs defence.

At the same time, Carlsons hefty ratings (three million-plus viewers a night, the most of any cable news show) may not have been as valuable as they looked. Hed become so toxic that big mainstream advertisers wouldnt go near him. When your biggest commercial supporter is the MyPillow guy, youre clearly not translating audience into dollars in the most efficient way.

I expect all that is right and was part of News Corp.s calculus in pulling the plug on Carlson. But Id like to believe theres a bit more involved, which is where the plus in cynicism-plus comes in.

Its just possible that even the media masters at Fox have limits, that there are lines beyond which even they will not go. Its well known that Rupert Murdoch himself soured on Donald Trump after the Capitol Hill riot. One of his newspapers, the New York Post, recently attacked the former president as unhinged. Dumping Carlson may be another big turn away from Trump and Trumpism.

If so, itll be a sign the political winds south of the border are shifting in some very hopeful ways. Peter Wehner argues in the Atlantic this week that so-called MAGA world  the constellation of forces and organizations orbiting around Trump and his Make America Great Again vision  is starting to rip itself apart.

The Trump movement, he reasons, is marked by a rejection of norms and a drive to shatter institutions, be they the Republican establishment, government or media. But like all extremists, they come to the point where they turn on each other.

Hence the mixture of anger and delight that many of the most extreme MAGA supporters are taking in Carlsons ouster from Fox (hes now free!). Once their favourite media platform, its now their new enemy. The very lack of restraint they turned on others is now directed at their former friends, with the extra fury reserved for traitors to the cause.

Long may they fight among themselves. Perhaps  just perhaps  there are limits after all to how destructive you can be in U.S. politics and still survive.

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Eileen Mohan was preparing for this day, knowing the Supreme Court of Canada would rule on a case involving one of the men found guilty of killing her son more than 15 years ago.

Christopher Mohan was killed along with five others in Surrey, B.C., in October 2007. He was one of two innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire of a bloody gang conflict that set off a years-long legal saga.

The high court ruled Friday that one of the men found guilty of murder will have a chance to provide evidence of police misconduct and mistreatment in prison, potentially allowing him to walk free.

In a unanimous decision, the top court agreed with the B.C. Court of Appeal that it was a mistake to dismiss applications to have all of that evidence heard.

Eileen Mohan said in an interview after the decision that she had hoped the Supreme Court of Canada would squash it all away and uphold the convictions of gangsters Cody Haevischer and Matthew Johnston, who were found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy in 2014.

While Johnston died of cancer in prison in December, the high court ruled Haevischers matter should be sent back to the B.C. Supreme Court, where he will have the opportunity to argue all the allegations of police misconduct that he claims tainted the investigation and prosecution.

Haevischers lawyer told the Supreme Court of Canada in October that prosecutors were trying to trivialize serious police misconduct to preserve the murder convictions and avoid a hearing into new evidence.

The state misconduct in this case was remarkable, Johnstons submission said. It involved torture of the respondents (Haevischer and Johnston), state-funded sexual exploitation of vulnerable witnesses, and police officers who lied about it all.

But Mohan said it wasnt the police who killed her son.

They dont have Christophers blood stains on their hands.

Mohan said her sons death destroyed her life, and the Supreme Court of Canadas ruling has left her totally devastated with the prospect of one of the killers could be released on a technicality.

Ive just lost faith in the system now because it just feels like its a revolving door.

Mohan said she was grateful to police who worked diligently to bring her sons killers to justice, and it was unfair to tar every investigator on the case with the same misconduct brush.

The officers whose misconduct gave rise to the appeal have been dealt with, she said, and she remains grateful to the officers who respected her son and what happened to him.

They all cried with me.

The B.C. Court of Appeal ruled in 2021 that Haevischer and Johnston should be allowed to seek a stay of proceedings for abuse of process and ordered another hearing, but it stopped short of overturning their guilty verdicts.

Prosecutors appealed, but the Supreme Court of Canada agreed that in light of both the seriousness of the offences and the seriousness of the abuse  no category of offence is beyond the ambit of the abuse of process doctrine.

The Crown claimed Haevischer and Johnstons bid for a stay was manifestly frivolous in a case involving multiple murders, but police misconduct during the investigation included revelations of drunken sexual escapades between police and female witnesses.

Brock Martland, who represented Johnston up until his death, said Fridays ruling is significant, and a new hearing will shed light on police tactics that tainted the prosecution.

There are a whole host of big-picture issues that are going on with this countrys approach to policing, and in particular the approach of the RCMP, Martland said.

The evidence that will emerge about police misconduct in this murder investigation may well show there (are) deeper problems than simply one or two or three bad apples, but rather something of a more systemic nature.

The original trial heard one person was supposed to die in the gang turf war, but five others were in the apartment at the time, including Edward Schellenberg, who was servicing a fireplace.

Chris Mohan, 22, lived across the hall and his body was also found in the apartment.

Simon Buck, who represents Haevischer, said the Supreme Court of Canadas decision was ultimately about fairness and preserving the rule of law.

Buck said his clients ultimate goal is to get a stay and be released from prison, though he understands the difficult position of the victims families.

There may not be a stay of proceedings and (the families) may get what they want.

So, let the procedure run its proper course and, although its painful for them, hopefully they can see that thats what should happen in every case, including their own.

Martland said his client was determined before he died to get a hearing into evidence of police misconduct and his treatment in prison.

Martland said he is hesitant to claim a victory, since the grief of the victims families remains.

The convictions, the findings of guilt have been established and they have not been upset, he said. I think theres a ruling on procedure that matters across the board for how criminal cases get run in the country, but I dont see this as any sort of a victory in that sense.

The B.C. Supreme Court will now hear about new evidence that the defence said came to light after the trial in a statement of former RCMP officer Derek Brassington.

He was charged with obstruction of justice and breach of trust for mishandling witnesses during the investigation.

Defence lawyers told the high court that Brassingtons plea agreement contains information of police misconduct that wasnt known at the time of their clients trial.

Dan McLaughlin with the B.C. Prosecution Service said in an email that the B.C. Supreme Court will set a date for the hearing in the coming weeks.

Because the matter was before the court, he said, the service wouldnt comment further.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2023.

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People wait to be evacuated near an airport in Omdurman, Sudan, April 26, 2023. (Xinhua)

Members of the Trilateral Mechanism and the Quad countries, which are Britain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, welcomed the two sides' expressed readiness to engage in dialogue toward establishing a more durable cessation of hostilities and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access, a UN spokesman said.

UNITED NATIONS, April 28 (Xinhua) -- With humanitarian aid deliveries wherever possible in Sudan during a spotty truce, authorities across the globe welcomed the ceasefire extension, a UN spokesman said on Friday.

In a joint statement, members of the Trilateral Mechanism -- the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and the United Nations -- and the Quad countries welcomed the announcement by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to extend the ceasefire for an additional 72 hours, and called for its full implementation, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Dujarric said members of the Trilateral Mechanism and the Quad countries, which are Britain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, also welcomed the two sides' expressed readiness to engage in dialogue toward establishing a more durable cessation of hostilities and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access.

On the humanitarian front, the United Nations and its partners continue to deliver whenever and wherever feasible, particularly in the areas of health and nutrition, he said.

The World Health Organization said it has stocks of essential medicines, blood bags, supplies for surgery and trauma care waiting to be delivered as soon as access is safe. An additional shipment of medical supplies is scheduled to arrive in Port Sudan on the Red Sea.

People wait to be evacuated near an airport in Omdurman, Sudan, April 26, 2023. (Xinhua)

"Partners continue to support the operations of 65 health facilities in five states throughout Sudan, providing staffing support, medical consumables, supplies and pharmaceuticals," said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The UN Population Fund said that local organizations and networks are providing support to people facing gender-based violence. The response is now focused mainly on remote service provision, and some counselors are offering voluntary support to undertake remote psychosocial services.

OCHA said its partners kept health and nutrition programs running in Blue Nile state. Refugee camps in Gedaref, Kassala, White Nile and Blue Nile, and refugee settlements in South and West Kordofan, are receiving essential services, including health and water.

"In Gedaref, our partners are providing life-saving services to refugees and host communities," the humanitarian office said.

However, the situation is particularly alarming in El-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state. The office said there are continuing reports of the killing of civilians, including medical personnel.

The UN Refugee Agency warned that the conflict is devastatingly impacting the civilian population, including refugees and internally displaced people across the country. The agency said it works with partners and governments to deploy supplies wherever safe.

OCHA said its partners report some 3,000 people crossed the Sudanese border into the Central African Republic (CAR) and are living in spontaneous settlements. Local authorities are exploring possibly relocating them to Birao, far from the border region. More refugees are expected, further disrupting traffic along the border.

People carrying their luggage are seen after crossing into Egypt through the Argeen land port with Sudan on April 27, 2023. (Photo by Radwan Abu Elmagd/Xinhua)

The office said Sudan is a significant supplier of essential commodities to the CAR. That commerce will be tested with the rainy season just beginning and running through October.

"Some 120,000 people were already in need of humanitarian assistance in the northern part of the CAR," and the most pressing needs include emergency shelter, food and clean water, said OCHA.

Dujarric, the UN spokesman, expressed gratitude to the French government for taking more than 400 UN personnel and their dependents out of Sudan, and appreciation for other countries assisting in ensuring the safe transport of UN personnel.

Dujarric said the United Nations remains present in Sudan, with a hub with the leadership of the UN mission operating out of Port Sudan to remain with the people of Sudan. 
It is uncertain whether South Koreans will be as pleased with the outcome of summit-level talks between Presidents Yoon Suk-yeol and Joe Biden in Washington as the host was with his visitors singing abilities. Even as President Yoon belted out American Pie to great applause, the summit resulted in South Korea committing not to develop nuclear weapons of its own in response to the growing threats from Pyongyang which have cast a shadow on the Korean peninsula. Last year, a poll had shown that an overwhelming majority of South Koreans supported any plans the country would have to develop nuclear weapon capability.

Public pressure had then provoked President Yoon to declare that nuclear weapons remained an option if North Korea continued to pose an existential threat. But this week, he has pledged that South Korea will not develop a nuclear bomb of its own, in return for an assurance from America that it will allow Seoul greater access to its nuclear planning, particularly with regard to a conflict with North Korea. Whether this is enough to assuage the fears of South Koreans, or indeed if it is enough to rein in Pyongyang, is uncertain. But for now this is what Seoul has got. At a joint press conference addressed by the two leaders, it was left to Mr. Yoon to declare that the two countries would engage in immediate bilateral presidential consultations in the event of North Koreas nuclear attack and that the two countries would respond swiftly, overwhelmingly and decisively using the full force of the alliance, including the United States nuclear weapons.

But in real terms, the import of the Washington declaration is that America will give to South Korea what are described as detailed insights and a voice in its planning for a response to the use of nuclear weapons by North Korea. This concession may seem inadequate to many South Koreans who apprehend that the development of Pyongyangs missile programme in order to target American cities may stay Washingtons hand when push comes to shove. President Biden has ruled out stationing American nuclear missiles on South Korean soil, and the declaration has already been described as more of an exercise in semantics than a commitment that will either satisfy South Koreans or make them feel safer.

President Yoon will seek to placate his constituents by arguing that the declaration is proof of their concerns being taken seriously by Washington, and that the countrys inclusion in Americas nuclear planning is significant. But this is unlikely to put the brakes on demands for Seoul, a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to take up its own nuclear programme. And those demands will grow every time North Korean leader Kim Jong-un lobs a missile into the sea, or makes belligerent noises. He is wont to do both.
One of the acts governing civil marriages in India, apart from the personal laws regulating individual religions, is the Special Marriage Act, 1954 (SMA). Focussed on the task of providing legislation for marriages not concerned with the religious identity of the parties, the provisions of the Act have been called into question quite frequently in recent times in courts.

One of the provisions of the Act, regarding the solemnization of marriages, lays down that a notice must be issued by the marrying parties to the Marriage Officer of their relevant district, who in accordance with Section 6 of the Act, is bound to maintain such record in the Marriage Notice Book, which shall be freely accessible to anyone at any time, without any fee.

Further, Section 7 is a provision that has been included to have additional safeguards, where during the period of 30 days if there is an objection to the notice affixed and published, the objector shall inform the Marriage Officer, who shall have the power to investigate the matter in order to understand whether the contention is valid or not.

A controversial provision, it has been challenged, most recently in the Supreme Court, on grounds of its constitutional validity for being in contravention of Article 21 of the Constitution of India. One of the primary issues brought about by the provision revolves around interference by family, community or religious groups and the same becomes a troubling issue for the couple.

The petition was filed in the Supreme Court by a law student from Kerala pending the decision on which the Allahabad High Court, in a different case, interpreted the Section as a merely discretionary principle, not binding couples intending to marry under the Act. However, prior developments on the Section and responses to challenges that have arisen out of their consequence lead to a confusing history, which needs to be streamlined.

The case in the Allahabad High Court (Safiya Sultana through Husband Abhishek Kumar Pandey v State of UP through Secretary, Home and ors. (2020)) observed that publishing a notice and inviting objections before a couple decides to marry under the SMA are no longer mandatory. The Court held that these rules went against fundamental rights and infringed upon ones ability to choose to marry without intervention.

Addressing the facts of the case, the couple belonged to two different religions and were supposed to get married under the SMA; however, due to the 30 day-notice provision, the couple were apprehensive that this could attract interference from their parents and religious groups in the society.

To avoid so much delay in solemnization of marriage, the woman converted and got married. As soon as the father of the woman came to know about the conversion and the marriage of his daughter, he detained her and did not let her go out of the house.

The woman through her husband filed a writ petition of Habeas Corpus. The judge while delving into the matter of Habeas Corpus also analysed the aspect of the 30-day notice provision. While accepting the writ petition, the judge also pronounced an order on this aspect.

The judgment was well articulated and quoted a series of judgments to underscore that the right to marry freely is covered by Article 21 and hence is an aspect of privacy. The judgment also quoted the suggestions of the Law Commission and highlighted that even after detailed suggestions of the Commission, there has been no intent of the legislature to make changes in the Act. Therefore, the single judge pronounced that the provision for the 30-day notice is not mandatory in nature.

It can be only implemented if couples ask for it. Having said that, this order in no way takes away the power of the Marriage Officer to investigate or enquire about the credentials of the couples. Another case where the provision was not upheld was that of Nida Rehman v Union of India (2020), where Sections 6 and 7 of the Act were challenged while heavily relying on their violation of the judgement laid down in the case of K.S. Puttaswamy v Union of India (2017), in which a nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court held that the right to privacy is protected as a Fundamental Right under Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution of India.

The judgement found itself in favour of the contentions put up by the petitioner, acknowledging the societal consequences that the couple must face as a result of the publication of the notice by the Marriage Officer.

On the other hand, there have been a number of cases where the 30- day provision, after challenge, has been upheld. One of these, the very recent case of S. Sarath Kumar v. The District Collector and anr. (2022), upheld the provision, although vaguely.

The primary question that the Madras High Court was dealing with was with regards to the fact that the public notice was issued after the solemnization of a marriage. It held that the conditions stipulated under Section 4 of the SMA for solemnization of marriages and the procedure thereof contained under Sections 5-13 has to be mandatorily complied with.

Another instance where the provision has been judged to hold up can be traced back to the case of Deepak Krishna and anr. vs District Registrar And Ors. (2007), where a division bench of the Kerala High Court noted In our view the time clause of thirty days prescribed under Section 16 is a matter of substance, non-observation of which will result in the object of the provision being frustrated.

Nature of the acts to be performed and the phraseology of the statute indicate an intention on the part of legislature to exact a literal compliance with the time. Contrary view would operate unfairly in prejudicing the rights of persons who propose to file objections on the basis of the public notice within the statutorily stipulated time.

We are therefore, of the considered view that the time frame of 30 days prescribed under Section 16 is a mandatory clause, which is not liable to be waived. Noting differences in judgements delivered over the topic in different High Courts, the Supreme Court is now presented with an opportunity to conclusively decide the issue of infringement of the right to privacy by the provision.

The petition argues that the notice provision is violative of Article 21 for a multitude of reasons, the most prominent of which include the undermining of the right to privacy by placing private individuals information in a public domain, thereby enabling widespread scrutiny on various socio-legal grounds. Further, the clause on objection to marriage given under Section 7 is also argued to be violative of Articles 14 and 15 on the grounds of differential treatment given to the provision by the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, and Islamic law, which both do not lay emphasis on a public notice, while the requirement only persists under Section 13 of the Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872.

(The writers are, respectively, Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean (Academic Affairs), and a law student at Jindal G)
With the Rouse Avenue District Court in Delhi granting three-day ED custody for Sukanya Mondal, the daughter of Trinamul Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal, the central agency intends to utilise the time by questioning her along with her father on the proceeds of the multicrore cattle smuggling scam. Anubrata Mondal is currently lodged in Tihar

Jail. ED sources said that a lot of inconsistencies were found in the statements made by Sukanya Mondal about the sources of funds in the companies where she is a director, or in the rice-mills where she is a partner.

The two companies with Sukanya Mondal as the director are Neer Developer and ANM Agrochem Foods, which have their offices in the same address as Bholebam Rice Mill in Birbhums Bolpur town, which is also owned by her.

As per the records accumulated by both the ED and the CBI, which is conducting a parallel probe into the cattle-smuggling scam, there is a personal bank fixed deposit of Rs 16 crore in her name.

On one hand, she had repeatedly denied knowledge about the sources of funds. On the other hand, she repeatedly ignored summons because she wanted to avoid questioning along with her father. But her three-day custody has given us an opportunity to question the fatherdaughter together, an ED official said. Sukanya Mondal was arrested by the ED in Delhi on Wednesday.
With the release of the former MP Anand Mohan along with 26 others, demand for release of some more prisoners languishing in Bihar jails for decades is gaining momentum in Bihar.

Anand Mohan, who was convicted in the killing of the then Gopalganj DM G Krishnaiah (IAS), was released from Saharsa jail on Thursday morning.

Supporters of the CPI-ML on Friday staged a day-long dharna here at Legislators Club demanding an immediate release of six activists convicted under TADA in 2003. A delegation of CPIML legislators met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar twice recently but failed to get any assurance in this regard.

While 27 prisoners, who have completed 14 or more years in jail were released, six rural poor activists from the Arwal district who are in jail for more than 22 years are left out, lamented state CPI ML secretary Kunal.

All of them have grown old and sick. Of the six activists, three are already in hospital, he added.

Calling it a blatant travesty of justice, Kunal said that there was no judicial obstruction in the way for the release of the rest of the prisoners. Out of a total of 14 prisoners, six have already died in jail. One of them, Tribhuvan Sharma, was released by the Patna High Court in 2020.

Three years have elapsed since then, one more TADA inmate passed away in jail. Now, he said the selective release of prisoners has inflicted more injustice on these victims who have already spent more than two decades of their lives in Gaya Central Jail.

Besides the demand for the release of six activists, the CPIML has raised the issue of releasing all the oppressed poor and downtrodden people who have been locked up unfairly under the prohibition Act in Bihar jails.

On the other hand, Bihars chief secretary Amir Subhani categorically denied that the law was tweaked to facilitate the release of Anand Mohan. It was done under a normal procedure, he told media persons.

He said that Anand Mohan has served a life term of 15 years, nine months and 25 days and with the parihar (good conduct) period it came to 22 years and 13 days, Subhani told the media.

Contradicting the governments claim of his good conduct in Saharsa jail, Amitabh K Das, Retd IPS (1994) released a copy of the FIR lodged against Anand Mohan to the media. According to FIR, some mobile phone sets with sims, chargers and incriminating documents were found in the JP ward of the jail where Anand Mohan was lodged during a surprise raid jointly conducted by the district magistrate (DM) and superintendent of police (SP) on the jail premises. The then jail superintendent had lodged an FIR against Anand Mohan on October 23, 2021.

Another demand to release a former MP from Maharajganj parliamentary constituency in Bihar, Prabhunath Singh, who is currently serving life term in Jharkhand jail, has been made by BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Singh Rudy. Welcoming the release of Anand Mohan, Rudy said Prabhunath Singh too is a victim of sponsored conspiracy.

The former MP was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Jharkhands Hazaribagh Court for his connection with the murder of the then Masrakh (assembly segment in Bihar) MLA Ashok Singh, who was killed on May 23, 2017.

Prabhunath Singh, a two-time MLA, represented Maharajganj in the Lok Sabha for four times (since 1998-2014). He was elected MLA for the first time in 1985.
As global PC industry faces a heavy slump, Microsoft has reportedly cut production of peripherals for its Surface series of laptops.

Nikkei Asia reported, citing suppliers, that Microsoft will no longer make standalone keyboards under the Surface brand.

Microsofts Surface series has Surface Go, Surface Pro and Surface Book as key brands. It also includes desktop and notebook computers, as well as wireless devices such as headphones.

The decision to reduce production of some peripherals suggests that even the tech giant is moving to consolidate its development resources amid the wider industry downturn, the report mentioned.

Microsoft did not comment on the report.

According to the IDC, Microsofts global shipments of detachable tablets and notebooks fell last year by 13.3 per cent and 5.7 per cent  4.7 million and 1.7 million units  respectively.

The shipments for desktop computer were at 38,000, down 25 per cent (on-year), in 2022.

During the analysts call after posting quarterly results, Microsoft said that in its consumer business, PC demand was a bit better than we expected, particularly in the commercial segment, which benefited Windows OEM and Surface even as channel inventory levels remain elevated, which negatively impacted results.

The global PC shipments declined by a record 30 per cent (year-over-year), totalling 56.9 million units in Q1 2023.
Tension simmered afresh in Kaliaganj in North Dinajpur district after police allegedly shot dead a youth at midnight yesterday.

Mritunjay Barman, 33, whom the BJP identified as one of their supporters, was allegedly shot dead by an officer when he tried to stop the police from arresting his uncle, Bishnu Barman, from a marriage party at Radhikapur in connection with the torching of the Kaliaganj police station.

As the district administration extended the purview of the prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPc and suspended Internet services in Kaliaganj today, the BJP has called for a 12-hour shutdown of north Bengal districts tomorrow.

Protesters, including members of adivasi and Rajbanshi groups and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, had been protesting the death of a 17-year-old girl and had marched to the police station when men in uniform stopped them on Tuesday. As the protesters clashed with the police, some of them managed to enter the police station and torched some rooms and vehicles there.

Protests erupted on 21 April when the girls body was found floating in a pond in Gangoa village. Villagers claimed that the girl was abducted, raped and killed by a youth hailing from a nearby village, with whom she allegedly had a love affair. Police, however, had said that the girl may have committed suicide as they said a bottle of poison was found near the pond. The postmortem report on Thursday last said that the girl had died of consuming poison, which the protesters did not buy.

At midnight yesterday, a marriage party was going on near our village. Suddenly, a team of police from the Kaliaganj police station arrived there and they wanted to arrest me in connection with the police station torching case. Police tried to arrest some of our relatives too. My nephew Mritunjay Barman stepped in and protested this.

As an altercation started, a police officer took out his gun and shot him, Bishnu Barman, the uncle of the deceased, said. Mr Barman is a BJP member of the Kaliaganj panchayat samity. Protesting the incident, the BJP held a dharna at Siliguri More in Raiganj for hours this afternoon.

BJP MP from Raiganj Debasree Chaudhuri said, We have received a report that an ASI of the Kaliaganj police station killed our BJP member. The police have become violent in Kaliaganj after yesterdays press conference of the chief minister. They have started to swoop down on BJP members. Protesting this police atrocity, we have called for a 12- hour general strike in North Bengal districts tomorrow.(in photo).

According to the DIG of Police of North Bengal Anup Jaiswal, police are trying hard to restore law and order in Kaliaganj. I visited the Kaliaganj police station today and the police are doing their best to restore peace, he said, adding that the SP would give the other details.
KIGALI, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan authorities have arrested 10 people allegedly in connection with an illegal quartzite mine disaster that since last week has trapped six artisanal miners in Huye District, Southern Province.

These are people including a retired soldier and local leaders on suspicion of engaging in illegal mining activities, involuntary homicide, and abusing their legal powers for personal gain, Rwanda Investigation Bureau Spokesperson Thierry Murangira told reporters in the capital of Kigali on Thursday.

He said preliminary investigations indicate that the illegal mining activities started in 2019 and only came to light when the mine collapsed on April 19, trapping an estimated six people.

It is suspected that these individuals are still trapped under the rubble of the collapsed mine, according to Murangira, adding that the search for the trapped miners is still ongoing.

The type of minerals being mined at the site has not yet been identified. According to residents, the collapsed mine tunnel that trapped the miners is estimated to be between 60 and 80 meters deep.

According to a recent report by the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB), mine accidents have killed at least 429 people and injured 272 in a period of five years. The report further shows that 337 mine accidents were recorded from July 2018 to 2022.

The report indicates that of the 337 mine accidents, 252 happened in mines owned by companies that were legally operating, while 85 accidents happened in sites owned by companies that were operating illegally. Currently, 109 areas with illegal mining activities across the country have been identified. Rwanda aims to generate 1.5 billion U.S. dollars in annual revenues from mineral exports by 2024. 
Bengal Association, Delhi, a premier organisation to promote Bengali art, culture, literature, sports, and other various aspects of Bengali culture since 1958, organised a theatre festival to celebrate World Theatre Day on 2 April.

Being one of the oldest performing arts, World Theatre Day (WTD) was initiated by the International Theatre Institute (ITI) in 1962, and is celebrated all over the World on 27 March.

Eighteen Bengali theatre groups were gathered at the Muktadhara Auditorium at the capital [Delhi] to celebrate the amazing works of some of the brilliantly-talented playwrights. Many leading theatre personalities attended this prestigious festival on Sunday and witnessed the house-full gathering till the end of the event. A bouquet of Bengali plays in a variety of genres was presented. Significant topics, such as womens issues, the lives of the middle class, old-aged people and different social relationships, to name a few, were portrayed. The plays dabbled in diverse genres, such as satire, musicals, comedy, suspense, thriller and romance.

Talking to The Statesman, Shir Prodip Ganguly, the General Secretary of Bengal Association, informed that this years festival succeeded in bringing together all the theatre groups of Delhi-NCR. The plays depicted the traditional richness of Bengals literature, art and culture, coming to the fore in a very brief time slot of 20 minutes for each of the 18 Micro-plays. Each production was invariably extremely neat and clearly articulated to highlight abstract ideas of the inner meaning of the story enacted.

Speaking about the present scenario of the Bengali Theatre of Delhi, he said that the success of the festival showed that Bengali theatre in Delhi was fast gaining its lustre, charm and popularity but it was disappointing to note the auditorium halls were either empty or occupied by family, friends and well wishers of the patrons throughout the year. It was needed to motivate youngsters by explaining the importance of theatre as it teaches one to work as a team, lead a group and it helps an individual to grow as a human being who respects others feelings.

Noted theatre practitioner Biswajit Sinha of Navapalli Natya Sanstha, affirms Bengali theatre of Delhi is as good as any other language theatre in the country, but due to scarcity of sufficient funds, lack of institutional support, paucity of manpower, scarcity of theatre halls at reasonable rates, shrinking rehearsal spaces, dearth of theatre technicians and the crooked Amusement Act and above all, lack of original scripts, it is lagging behind.

In order to make our next generation aware of Bengali literature and engage them in cultural activities, this time the school girls of Karolbagh Bangiya Samsad staged a short drama Hingsuti and the Bikalpa group presented Juta Aabishkar by all child artists. Both the shows were stolen by well-groomed child actors with unimaginable talent and unlimited fun.

The participated groups were Bikalpa, Navapalli Natya Sangstha, Amra Kajon, C R Park Kali Mandir Society, Bhushan Amateurs, Theatre Platform, Drama Society Akriti, C R Park Bangiyo Samaj, Sreejani, Punoscho, Horizons, Antaranga, Karol Bagh Bangiyo Samsad, Theatre forum, Dakhinayan Natyo Gosthi, Nirbak Acting Academy, Sapno Ekhan and Natyarango.

Navapalli Natya Sanstha, a leading amateur Bengali theatre group in the capital, brought to stage Tinkari Dasi  Lady Macbeth. Scripted by Soma and Biswajit Sinha and directed by Biswajit Sinha, the play is a brief account of 19th century celebrated actress Tinkari Dasi of Bengals public theatre. It portrayed a saga of sufferings, agony, and exploitation of a befallen woman and her outcry for social recognition and respect. It is sheer brilliance on part of the playwright and director of the play for bringing this story to life in such a moving manner. The caste and society from which she came did not permit her an independent will. Her mother, a sex worker, who used to take the decision for her, waited for her to grow up and take up the trade or be a mistress of babus (landlords) at their bagan baris. But, it was alarming for Tinkari who always wanted to be an actress and live a respectable life. Although she had problems with her mother, she never gave up the idea of joining the theatre. She later became a front-ranking actress of the public stage under the tutelage of legends Girish Chandra Ghosh and another thespian Ardhendu Sekhar Mustafi. She drew the attention of the press for her intense vitality and brilliant portrayal of Lady Macbeth which she acted to perfection, beating even the British actress Sara Sidon. In her chequered career, she witnessed many ups and down, and emotional turmoil. Out of compulsion, she agreed to become the kept of the Babu of Sinthi, of North Calcutta. She said, Ive never been arrogant in my life. I didnt fight with anyone, I didnt just love theatre. But what do I get in the theatre, how much is my place?

Director Biswajit Sinha said that talented actresses like Tinkari Dasi are in oblivion today. The Bengali theatre is indifferent to her. However, little work has been done on her. So it was to present on the stage of the capital a play based on her biography.

The actors realistically recreated what society was like back in the 1890s and many in the audience would have been tinged with vintage auras.

In terms of acting, Sukhangshu Chatterjee as Girish Ghosh and Seshadri Mitra as Ardhendu Sekhar Mustafi satisfied their directors brief, etching out their respective characters with creditable flair. Soma Sinha as Tinkari Dasi, who was quite effective with her voice throughout, showed the performative potential of her characters role. Other supporting characters performed well. It is worthwhile to mention that Kalyan Ghosal as Sinthir Babu, Anita Banerji as Tinkaris mother and Tushar Chanda as Young Babu respectively played their roles with intelligence.

The well-written script, noteworthy actors and flawless performances made Tinkari Dasi, a very gripping and touching production.
The Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur on Friday accepted a revised submission of the Rajasthan government that Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Jal Shakti Minister, is an accused in the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society case probed by the Special Operation Group of Police (SOG), Jaipur.

Justice Kuldeep Mathur accepted the revision application to consider Shekhawat as an accused in the Sanjeevani Credit Cooperative Society scam case. The society is operating from Jodhpur.

It is pertinent to mention here that on April 13, 2023, when the Jodhpur HC took up the petition of Shekhawat for relief from arrest and quash the probe, counsels, Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Siddharth Luthra, through video conferencing told the court on behalf of the state government that Shekhawat was not an accused in the FIR, thus no question of his arrest in the case arises.

After that the HC stayed Shekhawats arrest in the case, and fixed the next date for hearing his (Shekhawats) petition for 30/5/2023.

The next day, after realising the mistake and serious embarrassment due to miscommunication among the GoRs lawyers, a revised petition was submitted in the HC that was taken up today by Justice Mathur. In its revised submission the GOR requested the HC that senior counsels Singhvi and Luthra assisted by Anil Joshi, Additional Advocate General, did not get assistance from the Investigating Officer (IO) who was physically present before this court.

Due to aforesaid inadvertent lapse the submission was made that petitioner (Shekhawat) is not an accused in any of the FIR registered by the SOG. As a matter of fact, the petitioner is an accused in the FIR Number 32/2019 registered at Special Police Station SOG, ATS and SOG Jaipur based on the investigation done so far by the investigating agency, the GoR said in its defence.

In its order, Justice Mathur said, It is made clear that the statement of the learned counsel for the respondents dated 13 April, 2023 that the petition is not an accused in any of the FIRs shall not prejudice rights of respondents to raise all just and legal objections with regard to maintainability of the present petition so also the merits of the case.

List the matter along with the connected matters to the court already fixed by this court on 30/5/2023, and interim order, if any, shall continue till the next date, the Justice ordered.

It is worth to mention that Shekhawat has filed a petition in the HC seeking stay on his arrest which he apprehended, and urged the court to quash the SOGs FIR and the transfer the probe to CBI.

On a number of occasions during his interaction with the TV media people, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said, Why Shekhawat moved to the court if he is not involved in the scam. Gehlot has allegedly made remarks linking Shekhawat with the Sanjivani scam, with an estimated fraud of Rs.900 crore by duping thousands of investors in 2019. During his all visits to Jodhpur, the CM also interacted with the people who invested in the said credit society.

Recently, Shekhawat also filed a criminal defamation case against CM in a Delhi Court for involving his (Shekhawat) family members including his mother in the alleged scam.
Congress leader and leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan on Friday urged the state government not to give permission to screen the film The Kerala Story which falsely claims that 32,000 women in Kerala have been converted and made members of the Islamic state

In a Facebook post on Friday, Satheesan said, Permission should not be given for the screening of the film that falsely claims that 32,000 women in Kerala have been converted to Islam and became members of Islamic State.

It is clear that the intention of the movie was to tarnish the image of the state at international level, Satheesan said in the post.

This is not an issue of freedom of expression, but part of an attempt to implement the Sangh Parivar agenda of creating divisions in the society by casting aspersions on minority groups. The trailer makes it clear what the film intends to say, the Congress leader wrote in the Facebook post.

He said this was part of a vicious agenda to sow seeds of hatred and religious animosity, but the people of Kerala will stand united to defeat such forces.

What director Sudipto Sen has told the media about the content of the film is available to the public. It is clear that the film is trying to insult and slander Kerala at international level. This is part of the agenda to germinate the seeds of sectarianism planted by Modi for political gains. Kerala will stand united against this deliberate move to foster religious rivalry and enmity. That is the tradition of this land, Satheesan wrote.

Satheesans statement came as the controversial movie is set to hit theatres on 5 May. The filmmakers, earlier this week, announced the release date with a poster that shows a burqa-clad woman with a tagline Uncovering the truth that was kept hidden.

Two months ago, the films trailer was released which triggered protests in the state. The film is directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Shah. It is claimed that the film is based in the backdrop of the 2016 missing case of 21 people from north Kerala, who reportedly joined the Islamic State-held areas of Syria and Afghanistan.

A teaser for the film, released in November, was criticised for carrying inaccurate claims about the number of women who might have been caught in these kinds of situations. The DYFI, the youth wing of the CPI-M also came out against the movie calling it a Sangh parivar ploy intended to portray the state in a bad light.

The Sangh Parivar has been trying to portray the state as the hub of religious fanatics and anti-national forces. This is part of its ploy for communal polarisation but this will not work in a state like Kerala. The state will stand as a cradle of secularism and democratic values, DYFI said in a statement.
The Delhi government has cleared the decks for the construction of new Integrated Defence Staff Headquarters. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has approved the proposal in national interest allowing removal and transplantation of trees to clear land for construction of HQ IDS, Mehram Nagar, an official statement said here on Thursday.

The new Integrated Defence Staff Headquarters will come up soon in Delhi Cantt after Kejriwals intervention, the statement said. Through this decision, the CM has paved the way for the construction of the state of the art IDS complex that will house a new officers mess, and camp. The Union Ministry of Defence had sent a proposal to remove and transplant 114 trees to clear its construction site.

Kejriwal cleared the path for the project by approving the said proposal in national interest. He has approved the proposal against the condition of the Ministry of Defence taking up the transplantation of 60 existing trees and plantation of 1,140 new saplings as per the plan.

The Ministry of Defence has proposed the construction of the Integrated Defence Staff Headquarters in Mehram Nagar. However, certain patches of trees were obstructing the construction of the site. Thus, the Ministry through its officials, wrote a letter to the Delhi Government seeking approval for removal and transplantation of 114 trees to clear the site.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai placed the proposal regarding the same in front of the Chief Minister. Subsequently, the CM granted his approval for the same.

Given the importance of the modern infrastructure for the Indian Army, Kejriwal gave his nod to speed up the work by clearing the patch, in national interest. The approval will help the army in modernising its infrastructure and give them access to better facilities.

Approving the proposal, the CM has noted that it will be placed before the LG to decide whether he would like to invoke a difference of opinion, if any, under the proviso to Article 239 AA(4) of the Constitution of India read with Rule 47A of the Transaction of Business of GNCTD (Amendment) Rules, 2021. It is also mentioned that a time period of seven working days has been prescribed in the amended Rule 47A of the TBR, 2021 for the LG to record his views.

The Delhi government has further noted that out of the 114 trees, the Ministry will transplant 60 trees, while it will take up felling of only 54 trees. The transplantation will take place within the identified project site.

The Delhi government has further asked the Ministry to not damage a single tree at the site other than those that have been identified and approved by the government. If any tree apart from the approved ones is damaged, it shall constitute an offence under Delhi Preservation of Trees Act 1994.

The Delhi government has further made it mandatory for the Ministry of Defence to plant ten times the trees, in lieu of the removal and transplantation. Thus, they will now plant 1,140 new tree saplings, besides transplanting 52 per cent of the trees at the site.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday discussed with his Russian counterpart Gen Sergei K Shoigu the Russian defence industrys participation in the Make in India initiative and ways to provide further impetus to it.

The talks between the two ministers came on the margins of the SCO Defence Ministers meeting.

The Ministry of Defence said the two leaders discussed wide-ranging issues of bilateral defence cooperation, including military-to-military ties as well as industrial partnership.

They also discussed matters of regional peace and security and expressed satisfaction over the continued trust and mutual respect between the two countries, particularly in defence and reiterated their commitment towards strengthening the partnership.

They acknowledged the unique, long-lasting and time-tested relationship between India and Russia.

Rajnath also held bilateral meetings with Minister of Defence of Uzbekistan Lt Gen Bakhodir Kurbanov, Minister of Defence of Belarus Lt Gen Victor Khrenin and Minister of Defence of Kyrgyzstan Lt Gen Bekbolotov B Asankalievich.

The entire gamut of defence cooperation with the three countries was reviewed during the meetings, with a focus on identifying beneficial avenues for furthering bilateral ties. Issues of mutual interest were also discussed.
In a veiled attack on Pakistan, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday called upon members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to fix accountability on those who aid or fund terrorism and collectively work towards eliminating the menace in all its forms.

Any kind of terrorist act or support to it in any form was a major crime against humanity and peace and prosperity could not coexist with this evil, he said addressing a meeting of the defence ministers of SCO countries here.

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif attended the meeting virtually while the defence ministers of China (Gen Li Shangfu); Russia (Gen Sergei Shoigu); Iran (Brig Gen Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani); Belarus (Lt Gen Khrenin VG); Kazakhstan (Col Gen Ruslan Zhaxylykov); Uzbekistan (Lt Gen Bakhodir Kurbanov); Kyrgyzstan (Lt Gen Bekbolotov Baktybek Asankalievich) and Tajikistan (Col Gen Sherali Mirzo) were physically present. The ministers discussed issues of common concern, including issues of regional and international security, under the SCO Charter during the meeting.

If a nation shelters terrorists, it not only poses a threat to others but to itself too. Radicalisation of youth is a cause of concern not only from the point of view of security, but it is also a major obstacle in the path of socio-economic progress of society. If we want to make the SCO a stronger and more credible international organisation, our top-most priority should be to effectively deal with terrorism, Rajnath said.

He said India envisioned a robust framework of regional cooperation which mutually respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states by taking care of their legitimate interests. New Delhi, he said, desired to further bolster trust and cooperation among the members of the SCO as it believed in maintaining peace and security based on the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.

Sharing his insights on the vision to ensure collective prosperity, Rajnath called for concerted efforts by the SCO member states, so that the region, with limitless possibilities in todays multilateral world, shifted to the mindset of great gain from win-win paradigm from great game of zero-sum, win-lose paradigm.

The Indian minister also elaborated on the concept of SECURE floated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the SCO summit in Qingdao, China in 2018. He stated that every alphabet of the word SECURE reflected Indias commitment towards the multi-dimensional welfare of the region. (S-Security of citizens, E-Economic development for all, C-Connecting the region, U-Uniting the people, R-Respect for sovereignty and integrity, and E-Environmental protection).

He urged the SCO member countries to ensure food security under an integrated plan. This would establish the SCO as a role model for the whole world, he said. To deal with the issue of climate change, he called for working on a common strategy, giving priority to mitigation and adaptation. Energy security should be a part of the common strategy, he added.

He urged the SCO member countries to ensure food security under an integrated plan. This would establish the SCO as a role model for the whole world, he said.

The minister voiced Indias commitment towards defence capacity building of SCO member states through training and co-manufacturing & co-development of items. He stated that as security challenges were not limited to any one country, India was moving forward with a collaborative approach in the field of defence partnership, keeping in mind the shared interests.

At the end of their deliberations, the SCO member countries signed a protocol, expressing their collective will to make the region secure, peaceful and prosperous.
DMK MP Kanimozhi demanded apology from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai for disrespecting the state anthem Tamil Thai Vazthu during BJPs election campaign in Karnatakas Shimoga district.

Taking to Twitter, Kanimozhi said, How can someone who could not stop his party members from degrading Tamil Thai Vazthu, care about people of Tamil Nadu? Countering DMK leader, Annamalai in a tweet shared an old news clip of then Opposition Leader and present chief minister of Tamil Nadu M K Stalin in which it was reported that after hoisting the national flag at an event, the National Anthem was not played.

In the tweet, Annamalai said, Do you need all this with a leader who doesnt know to play the national anthem after hoisting our national flag? Isnt yours the history of removing the line Kannadamung Kalitelungum Kavinmalayalamum Tuluvum from the Tamil Thai state anthem and sowing the division of the state?

He added, Our only mission is to save the Tamil people from you and DMKs cheap politics. do not worry!

According to a viral video of the event, the state anthem of Tamil Nadu, Tamil Thai Vazthu played on stage during a BJP election campaign event in Karnatakas Shimoga was stopped midway by Senior BJP leader KS Eswarappa and asked to play Karnataka state anthem.

The event occurred on Thursday and was attended by BJP Tamil Nadu chief and Karnataka in-charge K Annamalai.

The polls for the 224-seat assembly in Karnataka will take place on May 10 and the counting of votes will be held on May 13.
Tech giant Google has taken action against more than 3,500 loan apps in India in 2022 and removed them from its Play Store for violating policies.

The company gave this information on Thursday in a blog. According to the blog, in 2022, Google prevented 14 lakh 30 thousand apps from being released on Google Play for violating policies and banned 1,73,000 accounts with fraud and suspicious transactions worth more than USD 200 million. Google said it regularly revises its policies, reviews processes and makes continuous improvement efforts.

According to the blog, the company will make stricter rules regarding ads and privacy in 2023.

In a blog post the company said, In India, in 2022, we have reviewed and taken necessary enforcement action, including removal of apps, on more than 3,500 personal loan apps for violations of the Play policy requirements. We continue to uplevel our efforts in this area by regularly updating our policies and review processes.

In October last year, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) slapped two penalties on the tech giant for anti-competitive practices related to Android mobile devices and for abusing its dominant position with respect to its Play Store policies.

The Commission also directed Google to modify its conduct within a defined timeline.

Based on its assessment, the CCI said it found Google to be dominant in the markets for licensable operating systems (OS) for smart mobile devices and market for app stores for Android smart mobile OS, in India.

The competition watchdog said selling in-app digital goods constitutes an important means for app developers to monetise their creations/innovations. However, for in-app digital goods to be distributed to purchasing users, developers must configure their apps so that all purchases of the digital goods go through Googles payment system, which processes the transactions.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers meeting began in New Delhi on Friday which is being chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

In his opening address, he laid stress on the cultural and civilizational ties between the SCO nations. We have cultural and civilizational links. For ages, we have had people-to-people connect and have exchanges in the field of commodities, and ideasdue to which we have grown in economic and cultural terms. With changing times, we will work to strengthen those linkages. SCO has evolved into a strong regional organisation, he said.

Chinese Defence Minister General Li Shangfu and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu also addressed the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting in Delhi.

Meanwhile, in the latest development, Pakistan is attending the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting in virtual mode. Earlier, it had decided to skip the conclave.

Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu, Tajikistans Colonel General Sherali Mirzo, Irans Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiyani and Kazakhstans Colonel General Ruslan Zhaksylykov arrived in the national capital on Thursday, a day before the SCO Defence Ministers meeting.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and his counterparts from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are also attending the meeting.

Officials involved in preparations for the meeting said the deliberations main focus will be regional security situations, including the developments in Afghanistan. They said enhancing coordination among the SCO member countries to effectively combat terrorism and extremism will be another priority.

India as the Chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2023 will host the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting on 28 April 2023 in New Delhi.

SCO is an intergovernmental organization established in 2001. The SCO membership includes Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan besides India.

Apart from the member states, two observer countries Belarus and Iran will also be participating in the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting.

India and Pakistan became permanent members in 2017.
Saint-Laurent, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

Rain. High near 55F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low 46F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
OUAGADOUGOU, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Thirty-three soldiers were killed on Thursday in an attack against a military detachment in eastern Burkina Faso, the military said in a statement.

The military detachment of Ougarou was targeted by a large complex attack on Thursday morning, which left 33 soldiers dead and 12 others injured, said the statement.

The fighting was particularly intense, and the soldiers showed "remarkable determination" facing the enemies who came in large numbers, according to the statement.

"They managed to neutralize at least forty terrorists before the arrival of reinforcements," the statement added.

Since 2015, insecurity in the west African country has claimed many lives and displaced thousands more. 
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Bob Foley: Time for Bob's Believe It or Not
From left, the American flag, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts flag and the City of Boston flag fly outside Boston City Hall in May 2022. A unanimous Supreme Court ruled that Boston violated the free speech rights of a conservative activist when it refused his request to fly a Christian flag on a flagpole outside the building.
CARLINVILLE  A Carlinville woman is headed to prison for a methamphetamine arrest last year.

Macoupin County State's Attorney Jordan J. Garrison on Thursday announced today that Sherry L. Main, 40, of Carlinville. was sentenced by Judge Joshua A. Meyer to 10 years in prison for the Class 1 felony of unlawful possession of methamphetamine with the intent to deliver.

On Aug. 1, 2022, Virden Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Main. During the stop, more than 35 grams of methamphetamine was discovered. Subsequent interviews with Main indicated she had picked up the methamphetamine and was delivering it to a location in Virden.

Main is not eligible for parole until 2027.

"I want to praise the Virden Police Department for their work in this matter," said Garrison. "With the work of local law enforcement, multiple sentences such as this have been handed down by Judge Meyer. Drug dealers should have second thoughts about the poison they are peddling as they will spend a significant time behind bars."




COLOMBO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandana D. Wickramaratne told parliamentarians that a reform program has been initiated to provide equal opportunities for women in the police department.

Issuing a press release on Friday, the parliament said the IGP made the statement at a meeting with a parliamentary watchdog committee that was reviewing the annual performance of police.

The IGP added that in the past, the organizational culture of police was not conducive for women to climb up ranks.

However, with the reforms there will even be a female IGP in the future, Wickramaratne said, adding that there are vacancies for over 2,400 female police constables.

Although these vacancies were to be filled by 2023, this can't be done due to the current economic situation, he said. 
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EAST ST. LOUIS  Illinois gun and magazine ban is on hold after a federal judge in the Southern District of Illinois on Friday ruled in favor of a preliminary injunction.

The case could be appealed to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, where a similar challenge is pending. Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office issued a brief statement late Friday saying, "We plan to file an appeal and remain committed to defending the constitutionality of the Protect Illinois Communities Act."

On Jan. 10 Gov. J.B. Pritzker enacted a ban on more than 170 semi-automatic firearms and magazines over certain capacities on Jan. 10. A week later, lawsuits challenging the law were filed in state and federal courts, the first by Wood River attorney Thomas Maag.

In the Southern District federal courts, that suit and three others were consolidated and heard by Judge Stephen McGlynn in East St. Louis. On Friday, McGlynn granted a motion for a preliminary injunction, blocking enforcement of the law statewide.

In a 29-page opinion, McGlynn acknowledged the law was passed in the wake of a mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park last year. But he said the senseless crimes of a relative few cannot be used to justify abridging the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.

Plaintiffs have satisfied their burden for a preliminary injunction, McGlynn wrote. They have shown irreparable harm with no adequate remedy at law, a reasonable likelihood of success on the merits, that the public interest is in favor of the relief, and the balance of harm weighs in their favor. Therefore, the Plaintiffs motions for preliminary injunction are GRANTED. Defendants are ENJOINED from enforcing Illinois statutes 720 ILCS 5/24-1.9(b) and (c), and 720 ILCS 5/24-1.10, along with the PICA amended provisions set forth in 735 ILCS 5/24-1(a), including subparagraphs (11), (14), (15), and (16), statewide during the pendency of this litigation until the Court can address the merits.

Messages to Pritzkers office were not immediately returned. Its expected the state will appeal to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals where the appeals court has the case brought by Law Weapons owner Robert Bevis. Bevis sued Naperville last fall and amended his complaint to include a challenge to the states ban.

In February, Northern District federal Judge Virginia Kendall ruled in favor of the state and Naperville and against the plaintiffs, saying the state met the burden that the banned firearms are dangerous and can be banned under the history and tradition of how the U.S. regulated firearms.

McGlynn saw things different from Kendall.

Although Defendants challenged the veracity of Plaintiffs evidence, they were unable to produce evidence showing that modern sporting rifles are both dangerous and unusual. Consequently, Defendants failed to meet their burden to demonstrate that the 'arms' banned by [Protect Illinois Communities Act] are dangerous and unusual and thus not protected by the Second Amendment, McGlynn wrote.

Last week, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals denied to grant Bevis a preliminary injunction against the law and Napervilles ordinance while the case was on appeal. Earlier this week, a separate case in Cook County was decided by a Northern District judge who sided with the state, the city of Chicago and Cook County.

Several cases are pending in Illinois state court One from Macon County challenging the law up is scheduled for oral arguments in the Illinois Supreme Court on May 16.
GLEN CARBON  Trustees this week unanimously rebuffed a developer who presented a concept plan for a 119-unit senior living apartment complex in Glen Carbon.

The public comment section of Tuesday's building and development committee meeting began with warnings from Bill Davison, head of the Glen Carbon's planning and zoning commission, about developments like the proposed Clover Communities.

"We have addressed similar requests in the past and for a number of reasons, up to this point, those have been denied," he said.

Davison said senior-level housing such as Meridian Village, Keystone and Eden Village in Glen Carbon needs a great number of amenities. He said the village needed to be "very cautious" with such proposals.

Davison said the site is zoned as low-density. Village Administrator Jamie Bowden said he believes the property is within the village's boundaries but would need to be annexed for a rezoning.

Clover's vision

Russell Caplin, development director with Clover Development, proposed erecting a three-story, 119-unit senior living apartment facility on almost 20 acres along Illinois 159 at the Glen Carbon-Maryville border set back from the roadway. The village's comprehensive plan calls for a capacity of 79 single-family homes on the same site.

Caplin said Clover owns and operates age-restricted, multi-family communities in Illinois, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.

"If you have $3,000 to $4,000 a month to spend in your retirement, you're going to be able to go to a community where you have a wait staff at every meal and a high level of amenities and meal plans," he said. "If all you have is Social Security [income], there are other great places to live. But what about retired schoolteachers, folks on pensions?

"There really hasn't been a good place for them to live in many communities," he said. "We create communities for those folks."

The 140,000-square-foot building would include one- and two-bedroom apartments with modern kitchens with granite countertops, a breakfast bar, pantry and stainless-steel appliances. There would also be in-unit washers and dryers, walk-in showers, wall-to-wall carpeting in living rooms and bedrooms, laminate kitchen flooring and private patios or balconies.

ALso proposed is a community room, a large outdoor patio, a library, a fitness center, a hair salon, a family room, a game room and a coffee bar. There would be assistance for residents who don't drive to get to the grocery store, doctors' offices, pharmacies and other errands.

Parking slots would be available on three sides of the building, with a mix of 130 surface spaces and 40 garage spaces, which would be for rent separately for residents. There would be no on-site meal service.

Caplin said his company tried to design the proposed development to minimize its impact to Fields Crossing, ensuring that most of the units face south.

"We think of ourselves as a pretty good neighbor; we pay full real estate taxes and we don't put any kids into the [local] schools and we put very few additional cars onto the road," Caplin said.

Bowden said the entrance would need to be reviewed with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) because the existing private drive is not wide enough to be an ingress/egress for a facility like the one proposed, and it would need to be separated from Fields Crossing's entrance.

"We do also have the ability to join into [Fields Crossing] drive per an existing easement," Caplin said.

Trustees' concerns

"Your neighbors to the immediate north and immediately north of that is another medical building," village trustee Ben Maliszewski said. "They are all brick. Our ordinances [say] that we want construction to be similar to those all-brick structures.

"I'm not in favor of vinyl-clad buildings that you have here," he said. "I would not want to move on anything until we see a different rendering of a structure made with brick.

"Another question I have is the location of the road," Maliszewski said. "There's a long driveway coming in from (Illinois) 159 that takes you to the complex.

"I hesitate in wanting to move forward with this for two reasons," he said. "I want to see more brick and something comparable to your neighbors to the north. I would have preferred that you had called IDOT already, that this is what IDOT wants you to do."

Trustee Walter Harris was concerned about separation between Clover and Fields Crossing. Trees and fencing could be used, he said, and putting garages on the north side is also an option.

Trustee Victor Smith suggested Clover contact the homeowners' association (HOA) of Fields Crossing "because a couple of things about this are going to be problematic.

"When you speak of that easement and utilizing that entrance for Fields Crossing, that's going to be a no-go," he said.

Smith also said the development plans lack storm water runoff considerations for the site.

"I'd be really concerned as you have a row of parking spaces that are right up against those houses," he said. "I don't think fences and trees will be able to overcome without something more substantial there."

He cautioned Caplin about the planned number of units, which led him to again suggest Caplin meet with the Fields Crossing HOA.

Trustees will revisit the proposal at the next building and development committee meeting at the end of May. The developer had not scheduled a meeting with the HOA and had not found out IDOT's traffic desires for the proposal.
MAHOMET  The Illinois Invasive Species Symposium is planned May 4 in Mahomet hosted by University of Illinois Extension and University of Illinois Extension Forestry.

Invasive species are a growing threat in Illinois' forests, lakes, backyards and agricultural fields. Two criteria must be met for a species to be considered invasive: the species is not original to the ecosystem it is currently living, and the species is likely to cause economic and environmental harm or harm to human health if left unchecked.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  Judges in New York will have more discretion to jail people awaiting trial for alleged crimes, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday night, a policy change fiercely resisted by some of her fellow Democrats.

The governor held a state Capitol news conference to announce that a conceptual agreement had been reached on a $229 billion budget with the state Legislature, a deal that still needs to be approved by lawmakers. The budget includes policy proposals ranging from a minimum wage hike to allowing more charter schools in New York City.

But negotiations between the governor and legislative leaders ran well past an April 1 deadline, in large part because Hochul insisted on changes to the state's bail laws.

The issue has been a flashpoint between liberal Democrats, who say requiring people to pay cash to get out of jail rigs the system against poor people, and elected officials who cast it as a public safety issue.

New York approved sweeping changes in 2019 aimed at keeping defendants who can't afford bail from being disproportionately jailed. But those changes have been tweaked twice before amid criticism that judges were being deprived of a tool they could use to hold people likely to commit new crimes.

The new agreement would remove a requirement that judges choose the least restrictive means to ensure defendants return to court. Judges have complained the standard tied their hands, Hochul said.

It gives judges discretion they need to hold violent criminals accountable, while still upholding our commitment to a justice system that is fair and accessible to all and also ensuring that poverty is never treated as a crime, she said.

State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie confirmed the conceptual agreement in a statement, saying it addresses many priorities advocated by Democrats. He added that some issues were still under discussion.

Hochuls latest push for bail changes came after her closer-than-expected election victory last November in the Democrat-dominated state. Republicans attacked their opponents as soft on crime, making particularly strong gains in New York City suburbs.

Some lawmakers said Hochul's proposed changes would undercut the bail reforms approved in 2019 and result in more New Yorkers in pretrial detention  especially people with low incomes and people of color.

Assembly member Latrice Walker, a Brooklyn Democrat, accused Hochul of the wholesale dismantling of bail reform.

Bail has become a point of contention between GOP and Democratic lawmakers in other states as well. Republican lawmakers in at least 14 states, including Georgia and Wisconsin, have pushed bills that would in part make it harder for defendants to get out of jail before trial.

The bail deal struck between Hochul and the Assembly and Senate leaders is one of several political compromises in the budget package.

The state would raise the minimum wage, but not to the $20 sought by liberal Democrats. Starting next year, the minimum wage will rise to $16 in New York City and some of its suburbs and $15 elsewhere in the state, with additional 50 cent increases in 2025 and 2026, Hochul said.

The state would give an infusion of money to the authority that operates the subway, bus and commuter rail systems in the New York City metropolitan area, funded partly through a tax increase paid by larger businesses. However, those higher taxes would only be paid by businesses in New York City, not in the suburbs where Democrats are concerned about losing votes.

Hochul also dropped, for now, a plan to try to spur construction of multifamily housing in suburban communities that have historically put up barriers to new development. That proposal had also run into loud opposition from suburban lawmakers.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions Thursday against members or associates of the Jalisco New Generation drug cartel who apparently went into a side business of timeshare fraud that allegedly targeted elderly Americans.

Ryan Donner, a real estate broker in the Pacific coast resort city of Puerto Vallarta, said the fraud was infrequent but very sophisticated.

The Jalisco cartel is better known for producing millions of doses of deadly fentanyl and smuggling them into the United States disguised to look like Xanax, Percocet or oxycodone. Such pills cause about 70,000 overdose deaths per year in the United States.

But cartel members and associates apparently decided to branch out into scamming millions of dollars from people looking to sell their timeshares in Mexico. The scam focused on Puerto Vallarta, in Jalisco state, an area dominated by the cartel, known by its initials as the CJNG. The gang inspires so much fear in Mexico it is often simply referred to as the four letters.

The Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control, OFAC, sanctioned Eduardo Pardo Espino  a fugitive from a U.S. drug trafficking charge  as well as six other people and 19 Mexican tourism or real estate companies. The sanctions freeze any assets the individuals or companies have in the United States and prohibits U.S. citizens or companies from having any transactions with them.

Brian E. Nelson, the U.S. under secretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, said CJNGs deep involvement in timeshare fraud in the Puerto Vallarta area and elsewhere, which often targets elder U.S. citizens and can defraud victims of their life savings, is an important revenue stream supporting the groups overall criminal enterprise.

The scammers contacted people  often Americans  seeking to sell timeshares in Puerto Vallarta properties.

In a 2023 alert, the FBI said sellers were contacted via email by scammers who said they had a buyer lined up, but the seller needed to pay taxes or other fees before the deal could go through. Apparently, once the money was paid, the deals evaporated.

The FBI report said that in 2022, the agency's Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 600 complaints with losses of approximately $39.6 million from victims contacted by scammers regarding timeshares owned in Mexico.

Donner, a broker at Ryan Donner & Associates, a real estate firm in Puerto Vallarta, said his firm had been asked for assistance by two people over the last two years who were apparently targeted by the scam.

It's infrequent, but yes, we have had it happen, said Donner, who was able to steer both people away from the scam before they paid any money.

He said the scammers sent prospective sellers fake contracts and official-looking documents from the Mexican tax authority apparently saying taxes were due on the prospective sale.

They have contracts, they have documents that appear to be official documents, it would be very easy to fall into the trap of paying them, Donner said.

If a company contacts someone to say that they have a buyer for a property and all they need is money, that is a huge red flag for it being some sort of scam, Donner said. That's not how companies usually work.

He said neither he nor the potential victims had realized a drug cartel might be involved.
While conducting some research on an unrelated topic, I discovered a short article in the April 30, 1934 edition of the newspaper then known as the Alton Evening Telegraph.

The article was under the heading Upper Alton News. Titled Death of Charles Williams, its unnamed author wrote, After an illness of about a week during which he suffered intensely, Charles Williams, one of the best known colored men in the Upper Alton neighborhood, died at his home on Bostwick street where he had lived for about 50 years.

The reporter noted that he had been in a fair state of health up to less than two weeks ago when his final illness commenced.

Williams final illness isnt identified. Perhaps it was never even diagnosed. Many white physicians of that era refused to accept Black patients out of racism or fear that their bigoted white patients would object.

The reporter is unusually specific about Williams age, however. He was 79 years, 9 months and 18 days of age. The fact that Williams knew his precise date of birth indicated that he was either born to a free Black couple, or his parents were owned by a somewhat compassionate white person.

The celebrated Black abolitionist Frederick Douglass had been forever denied such knowledge. In his autobiography, Douglass conceded that I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it. Douglass case was by no means atypical.

Charley Williams was one of the few negroes (sic) left in Alton who came to the city during the Civil War, the reporter noted. Black men, women and children indeed fled to Alton from Missouri, Williams home state, during that conflict. Like Delaware, Maryland and Kentucky, Missouri was a slave-holding state that remained in the Union  but just barely.

Clairborne Fox Jackson was elected Missouris governor in 1860 and supported secession. Along with former governor Sterling Price, who would serve as a major-general in the Confederate army, Jackson conspired with Confederate President Jefferson Davis to bring Rebel troops into Missouri. Jackson went so far as to command the pro-secession State Guard again Union forces. After some initial success, Jacksons rebels were driven to southwestern Missouri.

The Missouri State Convention in 1861 overwhelmingly rejected secession and replaced Jackson as governor with a Unionist. Jackson rejected the conventions decision and, with a few other Missouri secessionists, established a separate, pro-Confederate state government in the town of Neosho.

The Confederacy recognized Neosho as the legitimate government of Missouri and accepted the Show-Me State into the Confederacy. One of the stars in the Confederate flag represents Missouri.

Soon after the Civil War began, the article continues, a report was received at Hermann, Mo., where only a few negroes (sic) had been located. The white residents of the city assisted the small band of negroes (sic) to get away from Hermann in boats floating down the Missouri river (sic).

Settled in the late 1830s by German-Americans, Hermann is the seat of Gasconade county. It should surprise no one that Hermann residents aided members of their towns Black community. German-descended Americans detested slavery. The vast majority of the immigrants were Union supporters, the web site of the Gasconade County Historical Society states. Germans were staunchly pro-Union and against slavery, many having come here to escape near servitude themselves.

Williams, who would have been about six at the time, and the others were wise to flee the Confederate army. An article on the web site of Franklin county, PA notes that upon entering the Keystone State, Confederate troops unleashed a reign of violence and terror, capturing free African Americans and taking them back to the South to be put to work or sold for profit.

Williams and the other fugitives traveled only at night, according to the article, hiding in timber during the day. The band came down to the mouth of the Missouri river (sic) and then up to the Mississippi to Alton landing at the foot of Ridge street on the fourth (sic) of July. All members of the party remained in Alton thereafter.

Frederick Douglass in a speech delivered on Independence Day of 1852 asked, What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence? Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?

Excellent points.

Nonetheless, July 4, 1861 possessed significance for those fugitive Blacks, whose courage and determination brought them to Alton. They were safe from Confederate enslavement in our city.
by Xinhua writers Wang Yi, Mao Pengfei

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 (Xinhua) -- As the world's second-largest economy, China will continue to be the stabilizer of global economic growth in 2023, a Malaysian business leader has said.

China's gross domestic product grew 4.5 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2023, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed.

The data illustrates that China's economy has made a good start in the first quarter and shown a positive trend, which is a piece of exciting news for the market, Low Kian Chuan, president of the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"We believe that China's economy is able to continue this trend and enhance its resilience and stability, thus bringing revitalization to Malaysia and even the entire Asia-Pacific region," he said.

Noting that the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia has organized merchants to participate in China International Import Expo (CIIE) for five consecutive years, Low said that by holding a series of major international exhibitions such as CIIE, China International Fair for Trade in Services, China Import and Export Fair, and establishing pilot free trade zones, China has created many platforms for its expansion of opening-up, while providing new opportunities for deepening regional cooperation.

"China's high-level opening-up will help form new advantages for international cooperation and competition. The more open an industry is, the more vigorous it is. The accelerated opening of market access will make it easier to improve corporate competitiveness and technological innovation, thereby achieving high-quality economic development," Low added.

China's reopening will help support ASEAN's economic and business prospects, especially the tourism and service sectors as well as the aviation industry, Low said.

In 2022, two-way trade between Malaysia and China reached a record high of 203.6 billion U.S. dollars, up by 15.3 percent year on year. China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years.

Looking forward to the deepening of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, Low said that "Malaysia and China can expand their cooperation in potential emerging industries, such as the digital economy, food production, renewable energy, electric vehicle, green development, e-commerce, and cybersecurity."

"China's continuous expansion of opening-up is a much-needed catalyst for its trading partners. It is only by promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, as well as pushing towards a more open, inclusive and balanced economic globalization that economy can be developed and benefits can be shared," Low said. 
NEW DELHI, April 28 (Xinhua) -- To give a further boost to radio connectivity in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 91 new transmitters on Friday, thus providing radio accessibility to around 20 million more people.

The new Frequency Modulation (FM) transmitters belong to All India Radio (AIR).

Inaugurating the new transmitters virtually, Modi laid stress on the important role which radio plays in reaching out to the masses, noting that the inauguration of the new FM transmitters will revolutionize the radio industry in the country.

The new transmitters will help in relaying important information on time such as community building efforts, weather updates related to agricultural practices and information on food and vegetable prices for the farmers, pooling of advanced machinery for agriculture and assisting the entire community during times of a natural calamity. 
Saints Art has swiftly emerged as the most promising PR agency in India, ensuring strategic communication and brand building for several companies in India as well as different parts of the world. Known for a slew of strategic PR services, visionary PR strategy, successful brand launches, sustainable media relations, advocacy and crisis management, Saints Art Pvt. Ltd. has displayed exemplary performance as Indias most reputed PR agency, providing PR services to both companies as well as individual clientele from across verticals such as Technology, FMCG, Fintech, F&B, Startups, Alcobev, Wearable, Beauty & Lifestyle, Health & Personal Care, Microfinance etc.

Indias top PR company Saints Art is spearheaded by renowned Actor, Filmmaker, Storyteller and Strategist-par-excellence Sudhanshu Rai. Being one of Indias best storytellers and a famed personality himself, he has instilled in the PR agency the true essence and different elements of strategic communication, for example effective PR campaigns that have proven to be game changers for a number of brands and personalities.

PR agency in India as well as internationally have been witnessing how PR communication and image building of brands has shifted over the past few years. While it is extremely important to get the share of voice on prominent platforms, it is imperative to align a strategy with the brands vision and mission.

Puneet Sharma, the Director of Saints Art, says, While it is important to look for the right partners, at times it becomes difficult for brands to evaluate and confirm who would be the best fit among the leading PR agencies as per their long-term goals. Saints Art, the most reputed PR agency in India, has always stood out in the Indian PR sector, which is solely because it is constituted of a visionary communication leader and an extremely dedicated team that excels in strategic PR communication.

Saints Art is also touted as the best PR agency in Gurgaon as well as the best PR agency in Bangalore, as the customer-centric PR agency firmly believes in digitally empowering businesses through deep-rooted media network and PR content that is drafted in accordance with all editorial guidelines and PR editorial practices. Saints Art has also emerged as a most promising PR agency in Mumbai.

One of the most popular PR agencies in India, Saints Art, has to its credit a number of successful PR case studies as well as PR campaigns, as it has been instrumental in creating growth results for major brands, businesses, companies and individual personalities from across different parts of the world.
In a major relief for actor Sooraj Pancholi, a CBI court has acquitted him in the Jiah Khan suicide case. Jiah's boyfriend and actor Sooraj, who was charged with abetment of suicide, has been acquitted due to 'paucity of proof', according to reports.

The development comes almost a decade after the Bollywood actress and model was found dead at her home in Juhu on June3, 2013. The court on Friday morning kept the order on hold till 12pm after the late actress's mother Rabia Khan requested time for some written submissions.

The police had arrested Sooraj, the son of actor couple Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, on the basis of a six-page letter, purportedly written by the Bollywood starlet, and booked him for abetment of suicide. The note narrated the 25-year-old actress's "intimate relationship, physical abuse and mental and physical torture" allegedly at the hands of Sooraj which led her to commit suicide, the CBI, which took over the probe from the Mumbai Police said. The case was reassigned to a special CBI court in 2021.

Sooraj is currently out on bail in the case. Jiah's mother Rabia, a key prosecution witness in the case, has maintained that she believed it to be a case of murder and not suicide.

Speaking to media on Thursday, Rabia said that her family spent 10 years trying to expose the truth. Now it is up to the court to draw the right conclusions, she said.

The Bombay High Court had last year dismissed her petition seeking a fresh investigation into the case. Sooraj, in his final statement filed before the court, had claimed the investigation and chargesheet were false.

Jiah is best known for her performance in Nishabdh along with Amitabh Bachchan.
The tenth batch of Indians stranded in strife-torn Sudan left for Jeddah from Port Sudan, four days after the Ministry of External Affairs launched the rescue mission Operation Kaveri.

"OperationKaveri progresses further. 10th batch of evacuees with 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight departs Port Sudan for Jeddah," tweeted Arindam Bagchi, official spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs.

Earlier in the day, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan had tweeted about how the Indian Embassy rescued the eighth batch, calling it a 'daring rescue.'

The MoS tweeted that the eighth batch of 121 Indians arrived at Jeddah by IAF C 130J from Wadi Seidna, Sudan and the evacuation was more complex as the location is in the vicinity of Khartoum. He added that the batch included the family members of our Embassy Officials.

Under 'Operation Kaveri', India has been taking its citizens in buses from conflict zones of Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan from where they are being taken to Jeddah in IAF's heavy-lift transport aircraft and Indian Navy's ships.

The distance between Khartoum and Port Sudan is around 850 km and the travel time by bus varies from 12 hours to 18 hours considering the prevailing situation and whether the vehicles are operating during the day or night.

Under its evacuation mission 'Operation Kaveri', India is taking the evacuees to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah from where they are returning home. India has set up a transit facility at Jeddah and Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan is overseeing the evacuation mission from the Saudi Arabian city.

Meanwhile, an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft with 246 Indians evacuated from war-torn Sudan landed in Mumbai on Thursday. The plane, which took off from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia around 11 am IST, landed at the city airport at 3.15 pm, an official said. The passengers included at least two in wheelchairs.

"Another #OperationKaveri flight comes to Mumbai. 246 more Indians come back to the motherland," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted.

The first batch of 360 Indians arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), in a statement issued in the evening, said a batch of 244 Indian evacuees from the strife-torn African country arrived at the Mumbai aerodrome from Jeddah.

The first flight to the city, C17, under the Indian government's evacuation mission 'Operation Kaveri', landed at the airport at 15.14 pm from Jeddah, carrying 244 Indian nationals, CSMIA said in the statement. The evacuees were from as many as 18 states, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

(With inputs from PTI)
TOKYO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Some 77.1 percent of teachers at public junior high schools in Japan worked beyond the 45-hour monthly overtime cap in fiscal 2022, government data showed Friday.

Japan's education ministry released the preliminary results of a survey conducted in the fiscal year that ended in March, which drew responses from around 35,000 teachers at 2,377 elementary and junior high schools.

The survey, conducted for the first time in six years, showed that 64.5 percent of public elementary school teachers worked 50 hours or more a week at schools, which amounts to doing more than 45 hours of overtime a month.

Meanwhile, the data also showed that compared to the previous survey in fiscal 2016, fewer teachers worked 60 hours or more a week, or monthly overtime of over 80 hours, the threshold for certifying "karoshi," or death from overwork.

A total of 14.2 percent of elementary school teachers surveyed went over that limit, down 19.2 percentage points from the previous survey, while the figure among junior high school teachers fell to 36.6 percent from 57.7 percent.

Under the criteria set by the ministry, the death of a teacher after working 60 or more hours per week for two months in a row can be recognized as an overwork death eligible for workers' compensation.

The ministry will consider reducing teachers' working hours at the Central Council for Education, which advises the education minister. 
A Delhi court on Friday dismissed the bail application of AAP leader Manish Sisodia in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise policy scam.

Special Judge M.K. Nagpal denied the relief to Sisodia, saying the stage was not fit to grant him bail.

The judge had reserved the order after hearing arguments on Sisodia's plea seeking relief claiming that his custody was no longer required for investigation.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had opposed the application, asserting the investigation was at a "crucial" stage and claiming the senior AAP leader had planted fabricated e-mails to show there was public approval for the policy.

The federal agency also said it had found fresh evidence of his complicity in the alleged crime.

The court had on March 31 dismissed Sisodia's bail application in a corruption case, being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), saying he was "prima facie, the architect" in the criminal conspiracy behind alleged payment of advance kickbacks of around Rs 90-100 crore meant for him and his colleagues in the Delhi government.

The court had observed that the release of Sisodia, at the moment, would "adversely affect the ongoing investigation".

The CBI and the ED had arrested Sisodia for alleged corruption in the formulation and execution of the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 and for laundering the money so generated.
The Gwalior bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the State's Director General of Police (DGP) to pay Rs 10 lakh compensation to a youth who was falsely booked and kept in custody for eight months for possession of what the police claimed was party drug MDMA  commonly known as Ecstasy or Molly.

The Court, on the basis of a forensic report from the Bhopal laboratory, found that the samples of the material seized from the accused and other co-accused was not MDMA but Urea, normally used as fertilizer and feed supplement. The court also granted bail to the youth Mohit Tiwari.

In an order on Friday, The bench led by Judge Deepak Kumar Agrawal said that the DGP was free to recover the aforesaid amount (of compensation) from the erring (police) officials and also directed the police chief to instruct its subordinate officers not to repeat such irregularity in future.

Hearing the bail plea of Mohit Tiwari, a 26-year-old from Datia, the Court directed the state police chief to pay the compensation within two months and file a compliance report with the Court. Tiwari was arrested along with six others, including a female, by the Morar police of Gwalior on September 6, 2022, for alleged possession of illegal drugs claimed to be MDMA (3, 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine). All seven accused were booked under the Narcotic-Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The Gwalior police had claimed to have seized a total of 760 grams of the illegal drug from the seven accused and also publicized that this was the first time the high-end party drug had been recovered in Gwalior, and the links of the drug racket spread to neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.

During the bail hearing, however, Tiwaris lawyer Susheel Goswami claimed that Tiwari was falsely implicated in the case and aside from two months of interim bail, he had been in custody for the past eight months.

The bench sought a forensic report of the alleged illegal drugs recovered from the accused. However, the report of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Bhopal presented in the court, showed that none of the samples collected from the accused showed the presence of MDMA. Rather the samples showed the presence of Urea.

The counsel for the State opposed the prayer, however, when this court asked as to whether Urea comes under NDPS Act, then he fairly replied that Urea does not come under NDPS Act, the order said. Observing this, the court allowed the release of Mohit Tiwari on bail on presentation of personal bond of just Rs 500 and without any surety to the trial court.

However, the court went further and said, It is observed that in the present case the applicant is behind bars since 6.9.2022 because of a wrongful act of the police agency. Thus, his right to personal liberty as guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution has been violated because of a wrongful act of the police agency. In this situation, this Court is of the considered opinion that a sum of Rs 10 lakh should be given to the applicant as a compensation for his wrongful confinement. Looking at the aforesaid facts and circumstances of the case, the Director General of Police is directed to pay a sum of Rs 10 lakhs to the applicant by way of compensation for his wrongful confinement within a period of two months from today and compliance report to this effect be submitted in the Registry.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Friday, held talks with his Russian counterpart General Sergei Shoigu. The two discussed several issues of bilateral defence cooperation.



The meeting took place on the sidelines of a conclave of the defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) that was hosted by India in the national capital.



Officials said Singh and Shoigu deliberated on various aspects of bilateral cooperation as well as regional developments.



The two ministers discussed wide-ranging issues of bilateral defence cooperation, including military-to-military ties as well as industrial partnership.



According to a defence ministry statement, the leaders also discussed the Russian defence industrys participation in the Make in India initiative and ways to provide further impetus to it.



The two deliberated on matters of regional peace and security and expressed satisfaction over the continued trust and mutual respect between the two countries, particularly in defence.



The defence ministers also reiterated their commitment to strengthen the partnership and acknowledged the unique, long-lasting, and time-tested relationship between India and Russia.



Singh also held a separate bilateral meeting with his Uzbek counterpart, Lieutenant General Kurbanov Bakhodir Nizamovich.



"Delighted to meet the Defence Minister of Uzbekistan, Lt. Gen. Kurbanov Bakhodir Nizamovich on the sidelines of SCO Defence Ministers' meeting in New Delhi," Singh said in a tweet.
The Supreme Court, on Friday, directed all states and union territories (UTs) to register cases against those making hate speeches even without any complaint, terming these speeches as a "serious offence" capable of affecting the secular fabric of the country.

Extending the scope of its 2022 order beyond three statesUttar Pradesh, Delhi and Uttarakhanda bench of Justices K.M. Joseph and B.V. Nagarathna also made it clear to authorities that any hesitation to act will be viewed as contempt of the top court and appropriate action will be taken against the erring officers.

"Respondent Nos...(all states and UTs) shall ensure that immediately as and when any speech or any action takes place which attracts offences such as Sections 153A, 153B and 295A and 505 of the IPC etc., suo motu action will be taken to register cases even if no complaint is forthcoming and proceed against the offenders in accordance with law," it directed.

The bench ordered that the Director General of Police of all the states and UTs issue direction(s) to their subordinates so that appropriate action in law will be taken at the earliest.

"We make it clear that any hesitation to act in accordance with this direction will be viewed as contempt of this Court and appropriate action will be taken against the erring officers. We further make it clear that such action will be taken irrespective of the religion that the maker of the speech or the person who commit such act belongs to, so that the secular character of Bharat as is envisaged by the Preamble, is preserved and protected."

The top court's order came on a plea filed by journalist Shaheen Abdullah, who had initially sought direction against the Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments to register cases against those delivering hate speeches.

Abdullah, represented through advocate Nizam Pasha, on Friday filed a fresh application seeking implementation of the apex court's October 21, 2022 order across states and union territories and appointment of nodal officers in every state, who will recommend action against those making hate speeches.







Senior advocate Sanjay Parikh, appearing for the Maharashtra chapter of NGO PUCL, said despite the apex court's order incidents after incidents are happening across the state and the police is not taking action against those giving hate speeches in public functions, which are being attended by Members of Parliament and MLAs.

The bench said it is precisely what the court has said on the very first day of the hearing of the matter that the Supreme Court cannot go into every incident.

"We have laid down a broad framework and now it is up to the authorities to act upon it. We cannot monitor each and every incident," Justice Nagarathna said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said no government whether it is the Union of India or any state government can justify hate speeches and that this court has passed certain orders and judgements in the matter that such speeches are capable of affecting the social fabric of the country.

"However, this court cannot go on entertaining intervention applications after applications and substitute the powers of magistrate to entertain such complaints or for that matter procedure laid down under Code of Criminal Procedure," he said.

The bench said it is undisputed that hate speeches are not like any other offence but it is capable to affect the very social fabric of the nation and affects the dignity of the individual.

"This is something which goes to the heart of our republic and dignity of the people. When two separate counsels appearing for different parties tried to seek the attention of the court to frequent hate speeches made in West Bengal and Bihar, the bench said it wants to clarify one thing that "the judges are apolitical and not concerned with Party A or Party B and the only thing they have in mind is the Constitution of India."

"Our allegiance is to the oath we have taken. Don't bring politics into these proceedings, our order had said action be taken irrespective of any religion," the bench said.

Justice Joseph urged the counsels to not bring any political aspects into the present proceedings, and said the court has never asked to take action against any one particular community, adding if politics is brought into the matter "we will be out of it".

Mehta said, "Yes, yes, no one should have a doubt that the court is apolitical. We uphold the court in highest regard".

The bench said the court has been entertaining petitions against hate speeches in different parts of the country for "larger public good" and to ensure establishment of "rule of law".

"We don't have specific people in our mind. What we have in our mind is larger public good and are trying to ensure establishment of rule of law, so that things don't go out of our hand," it said.

The bench told Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, appearing for Maharashtra government, that it should not take the court's order lightly and take action against those delivering hate speeches.

Raju said out of 24 incidents pointed out by the petitioners, the state has registered cases in 16 of them while in eight there was a closure report.

"We have acted even on the incidents, which have come to our notice but were not mentioned by the petitioner," Raju submitted to which the bench remarked, "This is precisely what we asked you to do. You had not taken action and that is why the court had to pass the order. It's good that you are taking action."

During the hearing, the bench observed that in the Northeast there are very few incidents of hate speeches.

On the preventive steps, the bench observed that such measures like detention are not adequately explored in the context of hate speeches.

Senior advocate Kaleeswaram Raj, appearing for one of the intervenors, said if preventive detention is explored, then it will more draconian and could be misused.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing on May 12.

On March 29, the top court had pointed out that it is hearing the contempt petition for non-compliance of its orders saying, "We are hearing the contempt petition because states are not taking action in time. This is because the state has become impotent, powerless and does not act in time. Why should we have a state at all if it is silent?"

It had taken serious exception to hate speeches, saying these will end the moment politics and religion are separated and politicians stop using religion in politics.

Terming hate speeches a "vicious circle", the top court had said these utterings are being made by fringe elements and people should restrain themselves from doing so.

On October 21, last year, the top court had directed Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Uttarakhand to crack down hard on those making hate speeches, calling them shocking for a country that is religion-neutral.

Holding that the Constitution of India envisages a secular nation, the court had directed the three states to promptly register criminal cases against the offenders without waiting for a complaint to be filed.
Two face-to-face meetings between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chinese Defence Minister General Li Shangfua one-to-one on the sidelines of the SCO meet on Thursdayand then a joint defence ministers meeting on Fridaycould not do much to lessen belligerence between India and China. Rather, it accentuated certain inherent pre-existing contradictions.

On Friday, an official release of defence minister Rajnath Singhs speech began with the issue of terrorism.

The release quoted Rajnath as saying: If a nation shelters terrorists, it not only poses a threat to others, but for itself too. Radicalisation of youth is a cause of concern not only from the point of view of security, but it is also a major obstacle in the path of socio-economic progress of society.

While no names were taken, there was no doubt that the Indian defence ministers reference was to Pakistan, Chinas iron brother.

And then, Rajnath may have turned the searchlight on China when he added that India envisions a robust framework of regional cooperation which mutually respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states by taking care of their legitimate interests.

India looks at the recent border tensions as emanating from Chinas lack of respect for Indias territorial integrityin eastern Ladakh as well as in its clima Arunachal Pradesh.

As recently as April 2, China had renamed 11 places in Zagnam, Chinas nomenclature for Arunachal Pradesh, thereby underlining its claim for the biggest state in Indias Northeast.

Since May 2020, the two giant Asian neighbours have engaged in a three-year-old standoff across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, that has seen more than 1,20,000 soldiers and advanced weaponry being deployed by both sides near the border against each other.

Already 18 rounds of talks at the senior military commander level, besides negotiations through other existing mechanisms, have already taken place to resolve the issue but in vain thus far.

At the end of Fridays meeting between defence ministers, all the SCO member countries signed a protocolwhich in diplomatic terms falls short of a joint statement which was not issued.

On Thursday, after the bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Rajnath Singh had underlined the centrality of the resolution of the border row for the improvement in India-China ties.

Rajnath had categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is dependent on the prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders. That the violation of existing agreements had eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations. And therefore only disengagement at the border will lead to de-escalation.

On the other hand, according to a release by Chinas Ministry of National Defence on Friday, the central focus was on the bilateral ties 'within which' the India-China border issue was to be maintained.

The repeated use of the operative word bilateral would also immediately negate the role of any third-party intervention. The release quoted Gen Li as saying that both sides should view bilateral ties and their development in a comprehensive, long-term and strategic way which would prevail over discrepancies.

The Chinese defence minister was also quoted as saying that India and China should bring the border situation under normalized management and to jointly enhance mutual trust between the two armies.

Indias position underlining the centrality of the India-China border issue for bilateral ties lands it in a delicate diplomatic corner when it comes to ties with Pakistan.

While Pakistan is unwavering in its position that Kashmir is indeed the core issue when it comes to India-Pakistan bilateral ties, India insists it is not.

Pakistan was represented in the online mode in the SCO defence ministers meeting by Malik Ahmed Khan, the special adviser to the Pakistani PM on defence.

The nations present in the meeting included Russia (General Sergei Shoigu), Iran (Brig Gen Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani), Belarus (Lt Gen Khrenin VG), Kazakhstan (Col Gen Ruslan Zhaxylykov), Uzbekistan (Lt Gen Bakhodir Kurbanov), Kyrgyzstan (Lt Gen Bekbolotov Baktybek Asankalievich) and Tajikistan (Col Gen Sherali Mirzo).
Several opposition leaders have voiced their support for the wrestlers protesting at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi, over alleged sexual misconduct by wrestling body head Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday slammed the country's Olympic body chief PT Usha for her comment that the protest is tarnishing the country's image. "Dear @PTUshaOfficial, it is does not become you to disparage the justified protests of your fellow sportspersons in the face of repeated & wanton sexual harassment. Their standing up for their rights does not "tarnish the image of the nation". Ignoring their concerns - instead of hearing them out, investigating them & taking just action - does," Tharoor tweeted.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra also hit back at Usha for criticising the wrestlers. "Wrestlers protesting on streets tarnishing India's image says @PTUshaOfficial. So ruling party MP chairing WFI for years accused of molestation & abuse of power against who @DelhiPolice refuses to lodge FIR in spite of SC order makes India smell of roses, does it?" tweeted Moitra.

We must all stand with the wrestlers who are protesting. They are speaking in one voice.



Our sportspersons are the pride of our nation. They are champions.



The guilty must be brought to book, irrespective of their political affiliation. Justice must prevail. Truth must win  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) April 28, 2023

On Friday, the fifth day of the sit-in staged by the country's top wrestlers seeking registration of an FIR against BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Sharan Singh, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the accused must face action 'irrespective of political affiliation'. Supporting the sportspersons, Mamata tweeted: "We must all stand with the wrestlers who are protesting. They are speaking in one voice. Our sportspersons are the pride of our nation. They are champions. The guilty must be brought to book, irrespective of their political affiliation. Justice must prevail. Truth must win.

Meanwhile, AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj and Atishi will meet the wrestlers at Jantar Mantar on Friday. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is expected to visit them on Saturday.

Top wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, are demanding that the government makes public the findings of the oversight panel that investigated sexual harassment allegations against the WFI chief.

The Supreme Court is set to hear a plea by seven women wrestlers on Friday.
After India firmly told China that its violation of the border pacts has "eroded" the entire basis of bilateral ties, China's defence ministry on Friday said the situation at the border is generally stable and both sides should put the boundary issue in an appropriate position and promote its transition to normalised management.



China's defence minister General Li Shangfu, who is in New Delhi to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers conference, held a 45-minute-long meeting with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on Thursday during which the two ministers discussed the standoff at the eastern Ladakh area since May 2020.

At the meeting, Singh told Gen Li that China's violation of border agreements "eroded" the entire basis of ties between the two countries and that all issues relating to the frontier must be resolved in accordance with the existing pacts.

A Chinese Defence Ministry statement issued here on Friday said that during the meeting the two sides exchanged views on militaries and bilateral relations.

Gen. Li pointed out that currently, the situation on the China-India border is generally stable and the two sides have maintained communication through military and diplomatic channels.

The two sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalised management, he said.

It is hoped that the two sides will work together to continuously enhance mutual trust between the two militaries and make proper contributions to the development of bilateral relations, Li told Singh.

He said that as major neighbouring countries and important developing countries, China and India share far more common interests than differences.

The two sides should view bilateral relations and each other's development from a comprehensive, long-term and strategic perspective, and jointly contribute wisdom and strength to world and regional peace and stability, he said.

The Indian government sources in New Delhi said Singh conveyed to Li that after disengagement in remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh, there should be a movement towards de-escalation and expressed hope for a "positive response".

In a statement, India's defence ministry said the two ministers had "frank discussions" about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations.

"The Raksha Mantri categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on the prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders," it said.

"He added that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments," the ministry said in New Delhi.

Singh "reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation," it said.

The talks took place hours after Li arrived in Delhi to attend the meeting of defence ministers of the SCO on Friday.

Singh also conveyed to Li that India wants to improve relations with China but it can happen only after peace and tranquillity are restored at the border, the sources said.

Defence Minister Singh categorically stated in the meeting that military cooperation between the two countries can progress only if peace and tranquillity are established at the border, they said.

In a tweet, Singh said: "Held discussions with China's Defence Minister, General Li Shangfu in New Delhi."

India has been slamming China's deployment of a massive number of troops and its aggressive behaviour along the LAC in eastern Ladakh in violation of pacts on border management.

The meeting between the two defence ministers took place days after the Indian and Chinese armies held the 18th round of military talks on ending the border row.

In the Corps Commander talks on April 23, the two sides agreed to stay in close touch and work out a mutually acceptable solution to the remaining issues in eastern Ladakh at the earliest.

However, there was no indication of any clear forward movement in ending the three-year row.

On March 2, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang on the sidelines of a conclave of the G20 grouping in New Delhi.

In the talks, Jaishankar conveyed to Qin that the state of India-China relations is "abnormal".

In line with a decision taken at the 16th round of military talks, the two sides carried out disengagement from Patrolling Point 15 in the Gogra-Hotsprings area in September last year.

The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Lake area.

The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process on the north and south banks of the Pangong Lake and in the Gogra area.

Singh also held separate bilateral talks with his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Iran and Tajikistan and presented them with mementoes. It is learnt that no memento was given to the Chinese minister.

Chinese foreign minister Qin is also set to visit India next week to attend a conclave of foreign ministers of SCO member countries in Goa. The meeting is slated for May 4 and 5.

India is hosting the SCO defence ministers' meeting under its presidency of the Beijing-based grouping.
Mumbai, Apr 27 (PTI) A special court here on Thursday stayed proceedings before a magistrate's court against Vipul Chitalia, former vice-president of the Gitanjali group, in a loan fraud case amounting to more than Rs 22 crore.

Fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi and Gitanjali Gems Ltd (GGL) are among the accused in the case.

The special court observed prima facie (on face of it) the magistrate's court did not pass a reasoned order while issuing summons against accused persons.

The proceedings were stayed till the next hearing by special judge VS Gaike.

The matter has been adjourned to July 7.

In an application filed through advocate Rahul Agrawal, Chitalia claimed the magistrate's court had issued a "cryptic order of issuance of process".

His lawyer submitted the trial court judge had not "applied his mind" while issuing the process (summons).

The issuance of a process marks the beginning of criminal proceedings before a metropolitan or judicial magistrate based on a complaint lodged by an individual.

The order was not a reasoned one and hence it needed to be stayed, Agarwal added.

The magistrate's court had summoned Chitalia and other accused, including Choksi, in March after talking cognizance of a chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The special judge said the magistrate's court has taken cognizance of the offence, but prima facie it did not pass a reasoned order while issuing summons against eight accused persons.

"Prima facie the impugned order does not reflect that any opinion was formed by the trial court on the basis of the material content in the chargesheet. Therefore, in view of this prima facie error in the impugned order, the further proceedings in the matter hereby stayed against the present applicant (Chitalia) till next date," the special court added.

The CBI's Banking Securities Fraud Branch (BSFB) had registered a case against Choksi and others in 2022 based on a complaint filed by Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI).

IFCI had alleged Gitanjali Gems, Choksi, unknown public servants and others were part of a conspiracy to cheat the IFCI between 2014 to 2018, according to the chargesheet.



As part of the conspiracy, Choksi had approached IFCI seeking financial assistance of Rs 25 crore, for which he pledged jewels worth double the loan amount after due valuation by government-approved valuers, it said.



Later, as the accused defaulted in payment, the IFCI, in order to realise the security, conducted fresh valuation of the pledged jewels. It showed valuation of the pledged jewels had allegedly dropped by 98 per cent, said the probe agency.

The CBI, in its chargesheet filed recently before the magistrate's court, said the accused persons in conspiracy induced the bank in sanctioning the loan amount by submitting highly inflated and false valuation reports of the pledged jewellery.

Subsequently, they diverted the fund for the purpose other than for which the loan was sanctioned, the chargesheet said.

It claimed the accused company didn't repay the loan amount.

An amount of Rs 22.40 crores was outstanding in the loan account of Gitanjali Gems when the account was declared as NPA (non-performing asset), which was the wrongful loss to the IFCI and corresponding wrongful gain to the accused persons, added the chargesheet.
Pune, Apr 28 (PTI) India is on the verge of the most extraordinary decade of any country in the history of the world in economic terms, United Kingdom Minister of Investment Lord Dominic Johnson said on Friday.

Speaking at the inauguration event of the new British Trade Office in Pune, Lord Johnson said he was excited about the optimism being seen among Indian businesses for investing in the UK.

"I also think there is a huge opportunity for financial services in the UK to act as a capital funnel into India. I think India is on the verge of the most extraordinary decade of any country in history in economic terms," he said.

"But you are going to need capital, lot of liquidity and the one place that can provide that is the United Kingdom as London and other financial services across the UK will act as a very significant funnel in terms of international capital being funnelled from the rest of the world into India," he asserted.

An official release said India remains a priority market for the UK and the minister's visit will help build momentum for the ongoing trade agreement negotiations between the two countries, which saw Round 9 of negotiations kicked off this week.

Asked about the ongoing free trade agreement negotiations, Lord Johnson said he is not involved in them but added "I am excited and think the more trade we do with India, the better".

A release said Lord Johnson met business leaders in Maharashtra's second largest city, including potential and existing UK investors, among them Serum Institute of India, Bharat Forge and Zensar.

Speaking at the inauguration event, Lord Johnson said, "It is fantastic to be in India again and visiting the vibrant city of Pune for opening the British Trade Office, which will act as our signal of our commitment to Maharashtra and India."

"From life sciences to AI, now is the time to invest in the UK as we are determined to be the undisputed number one investment destination in Europe. Thank you once again to everyone from the city who manage this office and hoping for many years of successful partnership between us," Lord Johnson added.

The release said the BTO has been in Pune for several years to liaise with the city's multiple business and innovation hubs and has delivered a high return on trade and investment wins in the manufacturing, future mobility and technology spaces and remains the point agency for all UK-India business interests.

"The UK is home to a vibrant Indian diaspora of more than 1.6 million. India is the second largest investor into UK in terms of number of projects and the two countries benefit from a unique 'living bridge' of people, ideas, institutions, arts and culture," informed the release.
Kolkata, Apr 28 (PTI) City-based Texmaco Rail & Engineering Limited on Friday said it has completed the largest spillway radial gates in the country for the 2000 MW Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project.

The company won a Rs 350 crore contract for the project, which is located on the Subansiri River serving as the border between Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

The power generation project consists of eight units, each with a capacity of 250 MW, and is scheduled to be commissioned in two phases. The first unit, with a capacity of 250 MW, is expected to be commissioned later this year.

"We are proud to have commissioned a part of the Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project, which marks an important milestone and showcases our engineering capabilities. The three high-head submerged Radial Gate was made operational in April.

These radial gates are one of the country's largest spillway radial gates in terms of hydraulic capacity, size, and weight," Indrajit Mookherjee, Vice Chairman of Texmaco Rail & Engineering Limited, said.
WELLINGTON, April 28 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's total research and development (R&D) expenditure reached more than 5 billion NZ dollars (3.08 billion U.S. dollars) in 2022, according to figures released by the statistics department Stats NZ on Friday.

Expenditure on R&D increased by 11 percent compared with 2020, and by 67 percent compared with 2016. This covers the business, government, and higher education sectors, Stats NZ said.

"Growth in R&D expenditure has been driven by the business sector - nearly doubling what they spent between 2016 and 2022," said Stats NZ business performance manager Ricky Ho.

R&D expenditure in the business sector grew by 1.5 billion NZ dollars (920 million U.S. dollars) compared with 2016 and accounted for 59 percent of total R&D expenditure in 2022, Ho said.

The number of businesses reporting R&D expenditure in 2022 was approximately 2,300, which grew by 45 percent compared with 2016, he said.

The average expenditure per business has increased from 1 million NZ dollars (620,000 U.S. dollars) in 2016 to 1.3 million NZ dollars (800,000 U.S. dollars) in 2022, he added.

Within the business sector, the scientific research and technical services industry saw the greatest growth between 2016 and 2022, with expenditure increasing from 75 million NZ dollars (46 million U.S. dollars) to 321 million NZ dollars (197 million U.S. dollars). This industry contributed 6 percent to total R&D expenditure in 2022, Ho said.

Expenditure since 2016 also continued to grow in the government (up 37 percent) and higher education sectors (up 43 percent), he said. 
Education experts from around the world deliberated on the need to bring career counseling to every school, while seeking solutions to roadblocks currently being faced to make this a reality



Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (NewsVoir)



JBCN International School, Borivali, recently hosted the IC3 Regional Forum, promoting the best practices in career and college counseling, country-level systems of higher education, and opportunities for the learners. Organized by the IC3 Movement, the Mumbai edition of the Regional Forum was part of a multi-event series held annually around the world as a global effort to establish career and college counseling in every school.



The full-day event consisted of learning sessions on various topics such as counseling best practices, new courses, and degrees in newer Indian universities, integrating counseling into the academic curriculum and calendar, and how one can make the most out of university interactions. Mr. Sanjay Tolia, Partner, PwC (India), was the keynote speaker. Teaching and counseling is a privilege. Lets unleash the full potential in a student to transform society and make the world a better place for this and the next generation, he opined. Mr. Ganesh Kohli, Founder, IC3 Movement, led a critical session around Transforming Schools through Counseling.



Eminent personalities in the education sector, including counselors, teachers, and principals, participated in the various sessions. A university fair featuring 70 plus renowned national and international universities from across Canada, UK, Australia, USA, India, Hong Kong, Spain, Italy, etc. was also organized on the sidelines of the main forum. This provided a platform for learners and parents to interact with the admission counselors of visiting universities to understand the avenues and new-age career choices that exist.



Mr. Kunal Dalal, Managing Director, JBCN International School, quotes, "We are aligned with the vision of the IC3 Movement, and we strongly believe that career counseling plays a pivotal role in ensuring that learners are future ready and well on their path to becoming changemakers. We have a robust career counseling ecosystem for learners. The team guides them on selecting the right university, courses, and streams, keeping their interests in mind and assists them with their university applications, writing essays, and addressing any queries that they may have. We hope that our participation in this global movement becomes a guiding force for our learners, helping them make informed career decisions."



Mrs Debika Chatterji, Director Principal, JBCN International School, Borivali, stated, "We take great pride in hosting the IC3 Regional Forum at our campus. The event was a transformative experience for our learners and parents, filled with enriching opportunities for learning, interaction, and guidance. We hope this event benefited our learners and parents, helping them make the right decisions for developing their careers.



The International Career & College Counseling (IC3) Movement aims to empower every school to run a robust, fully functional career counseling department to help learners make the right education and career-related decisions. In addition, the movement aims to sensitize educators to the need for a dedicated counseling department and elevate the profession, so more people take career counseling and develop the human resources and research needed to deliver this in schools effectively.



Speaking about its mission, Mr. Ganesh Kohli, Founder of IC3 Movement said, Young people around the world are leaving schools like airplanes without a navigation system, and they crash into a world of frustration, anger, and sadness as adults. While we are doing a great job teaching academic subjects in schools, we need to help young students find meaning and purpose in their lives through career and college counseling. This will ensure we have engaged professionals and happy adults. Systemic career and college counseling in every school, which is our mission at IC3, is helping bring purpose and peace. We are glad that through IC3s volunteer-led effort, we are able to provide training and resources for hundreds of schools in India and around the globe.



About JBCN Education

JBCN Education is a progressive group of schools that have been a pioneer in the field of education for over three decades. With a strong base of over 5000 learners and 700 plus globally trained teachers, JBCN International School provides unparalleled education through its Educreative learning experiences, which serve as a cornerstone for lifelong learning.



JBCN Education has a network of four International Schools across Borivali, Parel, Oshiwara and Chembur in Mumbai that offer a range of curricula viz. the IBs (PYP & DP), CAIE (CP, IGCSE, A levels) & ICSE. Founded by Mrs. Pinky Dalal, JBCN International School is powered by a dynamic team driven by a strong vision, and it incorporates cutting-edge educational practices embraced globally. Its Managing Directors, Mr. Kunal Dalal and Ms. Hemali Dalal, have synergised their expertise and experience in school management, finance, banking, and marketing towards creating a premier group of educational institutions. These institutions aim to create a future legacy of learners who are the changemakers of tomorrow.



Links: Website | Linkedin



About IC3 Movement

The International Career and College Counseling (IC3) Movement seeks to enable high schools to help their students make best-fit higher education and career decisions, and aims to empower every school to run a robust, fully functioning, career and college counseling department.



The IC3 Movement, at its core, is dedicated to helping young people across the globe find career paths through education that will lead to fulfilled, happy and productive lives. IC3 has set out to fix a broken system in which accessible and sustainable school-based career and college guidance is either inadequate or altogether absent. This mission is driven by an amazingly dedicated and passionate family of 1000+ IC3 Leaders and IC3 Advocates from across the globe.



Image: Mr. Ganesh Kohli, Founder, IC3 Movement undertook a captivation session on Transforming Schools through Counseling at the IC3 Regional Forums at JBCN International School, Borivali



(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Newsvoir and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

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BENGALURU, India, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- India is a land of farmers, and most of these farmers are facing tough challenges while growing crops. It may either be lack of water supply for irrigation or waterlogging during heavy rains leading to crop spoilage. This has made survival challenging for them and led to many living in dire financial situations. The situation is impacting their health physically as well as their mental well-being. The Art of Living JalTara, an initiative under the direction of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of The Art of Living, is sure to change the fate of farmers and villagers of India with an ulterior motive of terminating existing drought and flood problems in Indian villages. The project follows a handholding process from mobilization of farmers to execution & follow-up, providing the farmers with a solution to recharge the groundwater, combating the water crisis.



The Art of Living JalTara has created a wave of positivity among farmers nationwide with its impact. Statistics based on the validation reports of selected villages. A total of 20,000 recharge structures have been built with a groundwater recharge amount of 1212 crore litres over 75,000 acres of land, with an average increase of 14 ft. in groundwater level. Continuous efforts of JalTara have seen a 42% increase in the crop yield, and an 88% increase in employment, with an increase of 120% in the farmer's income. Moreover, there has been a 100% decrease in water logging, preventing crop spoilage.



The hope of better days for rural India



JalTara, moving forward with a vision to improve groundwater levels, is an innovative and one of the leading water conservation ideas. A pivotal part of the project that adds to its success is the participation of farmers and villagers directly affected by its implementation. Be it the formation of recharge structures or educating the farmers about the benefits of planting more trees - JalTara has a clear vision. JalTara is making all possible efforts to reach out to farmers in good numbers to create maximum impact in the villages affected by it. Once the farmers become a part of the groundwater recharge process, the project holds long term promise for them. JalTara is actively contributing to their improved agriculture productivity & positively impacting their mental wellness.



JalTara makes an improved lifestyle for farmers



Waterlogging and droughts have been a significant issue in many villages in India, leading to deterioration of topsoil quality. Also, groundwater depletion due to insufficient recharge has decreased open wells' levels, leading to a lack of water availability for agriculture & domestic daily usage. JalTara, as a tool for water scarcity management, tries to solve all these problems through the development of recharge structures for every arable acre plot of land, which results in proper rainwater seepage and recharges the groundwater so that not only farmers get adequate water for agriculture throughout the year, but everyone in the village get enough water for their daily use in the nearby wells. After implementing the JalTara project, villages have seen the waterlogging issues decrease to zero. The process of tree plantation as an integral part of the JalTara structure ensures that there is no more soil erosion and that the land holds firm even during heavy rainfall. JalTara has resulted in doubled the farmer's income, so now farmers can take care of their children's education, eat healthy meals, build a house and pay off their loan/debts on time. Their worries regarding the necessities of life are long gone. Farmer's increase in income has resulted in improved livelihood & mental wellness.



A scalable answer to the to the groundwater crisis



JalTara clears all the bases in solving the problem of the water crisis in rural India. The methodology involves trained JalTara Sevaks mobilizing farmers from village to village, spreading awareness of the benefits and detailed planning and execution procedures regarding JalTara. Surveys of sites and execution measures are handled under the technical study & supervision of experts with detailed reports. Once the farmers agree upon building recharge structures on their farms, the JaTara sevaks team start the execution, with all the measures documented. Each recharge structure is followed up, recorded and geo-tagged by image, plot owner, location (GPS), digging date, water level tracking, and plantation of trees. After a successful initiation, JalTara has a long way to go. It targets 100,000 villages across India, aiming to build 50 million recharge structures in five years and recharge 15 trillion litres of water per year to emerge as the nation's solution for water crisis.



About The Art of Living: Social Projects



The Art of Living, a non-profit, educational and humanitarian organization founded in 1981 by the world-renowned humanitarian and spiritual leader - Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, through its social projects like The Art of Living JalTara, aims at reaching every corner of rural India and put an end to the looming water crisis.



For more updates:



Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/artofliving.sp/

Like us at: https://www.facebook.com/artoflivingsocialprojects

Tweet us at: https://twitter.com/artoflivingsp

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Contact:



Name: Shamika Gandhi

Contact No.: +91-9986557389

Mail ID: shamika.gandhi@projects.artofliving.org



Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1979631/AOLSPlogo_Logo.jpg



(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

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New Delhi, Apr 28 (PTI) Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said connectivity with Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) countries is a priority for India, and emphasised on ensuring demand driven, sustainable development, while respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries.

The road transport and highways minister further said India attaches special attention to SCO in promoting economy and people-to-people interaction in the region.

"Connectivity is itself an economic multiplier... connectivity with SCO countries is a priority for India," Gadkari said while chairing the 10th meeting for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Transport Ministers.

"We must ensure demand driven and sustainable development and cooperation but also respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries," Gadkari asserted.

While noting that India is committed towards promotion of solutions to make the transport sector more efficient and reliable, he said India would like to appreciate the initiative of SCO members which aimed to strengthen security in the region and enhance cooperation in political trade, science and technology.

"We wish to assure you all that India stands ready to cooperate, to improve the connectivity in the region.

"... India accords high priority to strengthening ties with SCO partners on a bilateral basis, on the premise of equality, respect and mutual understanding," he said.

Gadkari in a tweet said "all the member states supported the concept of co-operation of the SCO member states to decarbonise transport, promote digital transformation and innovative technologies to achieve greater efficiency and sustainability."

He further said a special working group has been established to promote collaboration among member states of the SCO in the field of transportation.

This group will facilitate meetings to share knowledge and best practices related to reducing carbon emissions in transportation, promoting digital transformation, and implementing innovative technologies for more sustainable and efficient transport, the minister added.

The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations.

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.

India was made an observer at the SCO in 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping, which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region.
Mumbai, Apr 28 (PTI) Jet Airways CEO-Designate Sanjiv Kapoor has quit the grounded airline, according to a source.

He had joined the airline as the Chief Executive Officer in April last year.

The source said that Friday was the last working day for Kapoor at the airline.

There was no immediate comment from Kapoor.

Jet Airways shuttered operations in April 2019 and later went into insolvency proceedings.

Jalan Kalrock consortium had emerged as the winning bidder for the once-storied carrier under the insolvency resolution process. However, with continuing differences with the lenders, the transfer of ownership of the airline to the consortium.
Dubai, Apr 28 (AP) Masked Iranian navy commandos conducted a helicopter-borne raid to seize a US-bound oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, footage aired by Iran's state television showed on Friday.

The capture on Thursday of the Turkish-managed, Chinese-owned Advantage Sweet represents the latest seizure by Iran amid tensions with the US over advancing nuclear program.

The vessel's manager, a Turkish firm called Advantage Tankers, issued a statement acknowledging the Advantage Sweet was being escorted by the Iranian navy to a port on the basis of an international dispute. All the ship's 24 crew members are Indian.

While Tehran says the tanker was seized over it running into another Iranian vessel, it has provided no evidence yet to support the claim  and the Islamic Republic has taken other ships as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.

The footage showed the commandos descending on the deck of the Advantage Sweet by ropes from a hovering helicopter.

A photograph showed one commando with his fist in the air after apparently taking the vessel.

The US Navy's 5th Fleet has said the Iranian seizure was at least the fifth commercial vessel taken by Tehran in the last two years.

Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy, it added.

The safety and welfare of our valued crew members is our No. 1 priority, the firm said.

Similar experiences show that crew members of vessels taken under such circumstances are in no danger. (AP) RUP
Mumbai, Apr 28 (PTI) Almost 10 years after Bollywood actor Jiah Khan was found hanging at her Mumbai residence, a special CBI court here on Friday acquitted her then boyfriend Sooraj Pancholi in the case of abetment of her suicide citing "paucity of evidence".



Sooraj Pancholi (32), who was arrested in the case in June 2013 and released on bail a few weeks later, was charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 306 (abetment of suicide).



Jiah's mother Rabia Khan has been contesting the prosecution's stand that this was a case of suicide and claimed that her daughter was killed. After the court's verdict, she said the judgement was not surprising and her battle to seek justice for her daughter will continue.



Pronouncing the verdict, special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court judge A S Sayyad on Friday said due to paucity of evidence, the court holds Sooraj Pancholi not guilty.



Sooraj, the son of actor couple Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, was present in court with his mother when it passed the judgement.



Judge Sayyad called Sooraj to the witness-box and asked his name. When the actor said Sooraj, the judge asked him to state his full name. The actor then replied, "Sooraj Aditya Pancholi."



The judge then said, "Due to paucity of evidence, this court holds you (Sooraj) not guiltyacquitted."



Sooraj nodded with his head down and stepped out of the witness-box.



The judge then told Rabia Khan that she could prepare an appeal against the acquittal order.



Sooraj walked out of the court premises with his mother an hour after the verdict was pronounced.



Rabia Khan later told reporters in court that her battle seeking justice for her daughter will continue.



"I will fight. This judgment is not surprisingI had anticipated this. This is not a case of abetment to suicide it is a case of murder," she said.



Pancholi's lawyer Prashant Patil welcomed the court's verdict and said the court has examined all the evidence before passing the judgement.



"It is very easy to make allegations in front of the media, but there was no evidence against Sooraj," he said.



The court was to pronounce its verdict in the morning, but it got delayed till afternoon after Rabia submitted fresh written arguments.



Jiah (25), an American citizen, was found dead at her Juhu home here on June 3, 2013. Police later arrested Sooraj on the basis of a six-page letter, purportedly written by the Bollywood starlet.



In his final statement submitted to the court on April 12, 2023, Sooraj Pancholi said that he had been booked in a false case and that he was a victim of a false prosecution and persecution. In the statement, he said he had broken down when he heard about Jiah's death and said, "I had lost the most important person of my life and the woman whom I truly loved."



IPC section 306 says, "If any person commits suicide, whoever actively abets the commission of such suicide, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine."



The CBI had alleged that the letter seized by the Mumbai police, which probed the case initially, was written by Jiah Khan.



The note narrated Jiah Khan's "intimate relationship, physical abuse and mental and physical torture" allegedly at the hands of Sooraj which led her to commit suicide, the central agency said.



Rabia Khan, a key prosecution witness in the case, told the court that she believed it to be a case of murder and not suicide. The Bombay High Court had last year dismissed her petition seeking a fresh investigation into the case.



During her deposition, Rabia Khan had told the CBI court that Sooraj used to subject Jiah to physical and verbal abuse.



Rabia Khan also told the court that neither the police nor the CBI had collected any "legal evidence" to prove that her daughter had committed suicide.



Sooraj, in his final statement filed before the court, had claimed the investigation and chargesheet were false, adding that the prosecution witnesses testified against him at the behest of complainant Rabia Khan, the police and the CBI.



Sooraj in his final statement to the court also said that Jiah was suffering from depression since 2012 and had in fact cut herself on her arm in November 2012. He claimed that he had informed Rabia Khan about this incident.



Jiah Khan is best known for her performance in Hindi film "Nishabd" starring Amitabh Bachchan.
Peshawar, Apr 28 (PTI) At least seven terrorists were killed while three Pakistani soldiers lost their lives in separate encounters with militants in the country's restive northwest region, an official statement said on Friday.

The terrorists made three attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Lakki Marwat districts that were foiled by the security forces during the retaliation fire, killing seven terrorists, the statement from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), which is the media wing of the Pakistani Army, said.

The ISPR confirmed that in the retaliation firing three soldiers of the Pakistani Army also lost their lives.

In one of the attacks, a suicide bomber riding a bike blew himself up close to a security check post in the Bhittani area in the Lakki Marwat district.

The other two attacks were made on the compound of Post Graduate College Lakki Marwat which also housed security installations.

Independent sources said a banned outfit named Tehrik e Jihad Pakistan accepted responsibility for these three attacks.

Attacks on police and the Pakistani Army in the country's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province are common.

Early this week, at least eight policemen were killed and over 20 injured in a suicide attack at a police station in the province.
London, Apr 28 (PTI) An Indian-origin businessman based in London has been sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months after pleading guilty to fraud by abusing the governments COVID-19 Bounce Back Loan scheme, the UKs Insolvency Service said on Friday.

Rajesh Dhirajlal Vaghela, 46, from Stanmore in north London, received a 25,000 pounds loan before closing his business in an effort to avoid repaying the taxpayer loan.

Vaghela was also ordered to pay 2,150 pounds in court costs. The Insolvency Service said he had repaid the loan in full before being sentenced.

The sentence follows six other criminal prosecutions of company directors for COVID loan abuse by the Insolvency Service in the last year, all of which resulted in convictions, including one immediate imprisonment.

"Directors who abused the COVID-19 financial support schemes, which were provided by the government to support genuine businesses in need of help during the pandemic, have exploited taxpayers," said Peter Fulham, Chief Investigator of the Insolvency Services Criminal Investigation Team.

"This sentence reflects the thoroughly dishonest conduct of Rajesh Vaghela and should serve as a warning to others who engaged in this behaviour that they are at risk of criminal prosecutions and could potentially end up in prison, he said.

Vaghela was caught through new powers granted to the Insolvency Service in December 2021, which allow it to investigate directors of dissolved companies who are suspected of closing their business to avoid repaying COVID-19 support loans.

Vaghela, who was a director of RKV Consultancy Ltd, which had traded as a consulting firm from Stanmore since its incorporation in March 2019, applied for a 25,000 pounds Bounce Back Loan from his bank on behalf of the consultancy in May 2020.

The loan was paid into the companys bank account but within a week of receiving the money, Vaghela filed paperwork with Companies House to have the business dissolved and later transferred all the loan money to personal bank accounts.

The striking-off application to dissolve a company makes clear that creditors, such as a bank with an outstanding loan, should be notified within seven days of applying to close the business and that failure to notify interested parties is a criminal offence.

After RKV Consultancy Ltd was dissolved, in October 2020, the Insolvency Service and cross-government counter-fraud systems identified its closure as probable Bounce Back Loan fraud.

Investigators found that Vaghela had not informed his bank of his application to dissolve the consultancy  a breach of the law.

He pleaded guilty to charges under the Companies Act 2006 and Fraud Act 2006 at Willesden Magistrates Court in February 2023 and was sentenced by Judge

Jeremy Donne, on April 13 at Harrow Crown Court in London handed the suspended sentence, which means he would need to serve jail time if he violates the provisions of the sentence.
Colombo, Apr 28 (PTI) A flight, belonging to Sri Lanka's Fitsair, carrying 143 passengers from Chennai to Colombo was on Friday diverted to the country's southern provinces Mattala airport due to inclement weather, aviation officials said.

The flight was scheduled to land at the Colombo international airport at 4 pm when the area was experiencing heavy rainfall along with thunder and lightning.

However, the flight was diverted to Mattala airport.

The duty manager at the Mattala airport said that the flight will return to Colombo when the weather conditions return to normal.
Dubai, Apr 28 (AP) Iran's navy seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday heading to the U.S. amid wider tensions over Tehran's nuclear programme, the latest-such capture in a waterway crucial for global energy supplies.

The U.S. Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet identified the vessel as the Advantage Sweet.

Satellite tracking data for the vessel from MarineTraffic.com showed it in the Gulf of Oman, just north of Oman's capital, Muscat, on Thursday afternoon.

It had just come from Kuwait and listed its destination as Houston.

The Advantage Sweet issued a distress call at 1:15 p.m. while in international waters as Iran seized the vessel, the Navy said.

"Iran's actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability," the 5th Fleet said in a statement.

Iran should immediately release the oil tanker.

The Navy initially said Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized the vessel, but an American naval aircraft later confirmed that Iran's navy captured the ship, 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins told The Associated Press.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said the seizure came after an unknown ship collided with an Iranian vessel last night in the Persian Gulf, causing several Iranian crew members to go missing and get injured.

It did not identify the other ship involved in the alleged collision.

The Advantage Sweet had been in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, but its track showed no unusual behaviour as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of all traded oil passes.

Iran has made allegations in other seizures that later fell apart as it became clear Tehran was trying to leverage the capture as a chip to negotiate with foreign nations.

Iran's harassing activity within the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman is commensurate with an established pattern of behaviour that has seen Iran target vessels as a result of ongoing disputes," maritime security firm Dryad Global said.

The 5th Fleet said the Iranian seizure was at least the fifth commercial vessel taken by Tehran in the last two years.

Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy, it added.

U.S. Army Gen. Erik Kurilla, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East, said in a statement that the illegal seizure of the tanker was ""another in a continuing series of violations by Iran of the international rules-based order."

The vessel's manager, a Turkish firm called Advantage Tankers, issued a statement acknowledging the Advantage Sweet was being escorted by the Iranian navy to a port on the basis of an international dispute.

All the ship's 24 crew members are Indian.

The safety and welfare of our valued crew members is our No. 1 priority, the firm said.

Similar experiences show that crew members of vessels taken under such circumstances are in no danger.

The ship's listed owner appeared to be a Chinese company.

Manifest information from data firm Refinitiv showed the Advantage Sweet carried Kuwaiti crude oil for American energy firm Chevron Corp. of San Ramon, California. Chevron said it was aware of the situation.

We are in contact with the vessel operator with the hope of resolving this situation as soon as possible, Chevron spokesperson Christine Dobbyn said in a statement.

Thursday's seizure by Iran was the latest in a string of ship seizures and explosions to roil the region.

The incidents began after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers, which saw Tehran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Also, the U.S. Navy has blamed Iran for a series of limpet mine attacks on vessels that damaged tankers in 2019, as well as for a fatal drone attack on an Israeli-linked oil tanker that killed two European crew members in 2021.

Tehran denies carrying out the attacks, but a wider shadow war between Iran and the West has played out in the region's volatile waters.

Iranian tanker seizures have been a part of it since 2019.

The last major seizure came when Iran took two Greek tankers in May and held them until November.

In the wider Mideast, Iranian-backed militias in Syria have carried out attacks on U.S. forces, including one that killed a contractor in March.

The U.S. responded with airstrikes.

Meanwhile, talks over Iran's tattered nuclear deal have been stalled for a year. Since the deal's collapse, Iran runs advanced centrifuges and has a rapidly growing stockpile of enriched uranium.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has warned Iran has enriched enough up to 60% purity  a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

That would be sufficient for Iran to make several nuclear weapons if it chooses to do so. (AP) VM
NEW YORK, April 27 (Xinhua) -- As its closest ally, Britain takes a very different stand from the United States while dealing with China, Washington Examiner has reported, citing a speech by British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.

It intends to view China "through the prism of trade engagement rather than security threat," as can be seen from Cleverly's address delivered on Tuesday in London, the news outlet reported.

"This was a speech designed to mitigate Washington's anger while ultimately avoiding China's red lines and offering Beijing an outstretched hand for new cooperation," noted the report.

As Cleverly put it, "we must face the inescapable reality that no significant global problem from climate change to pandemic prevention, from economic instability to nuclear proliferation, can be solved without China," the report said.

When it came to Britain's business interests in China, Cleverly said he was "pushing for a level playing field and fairer competition."

"We have an interest in continuing to benefit from Chinese investment," he continued.

"By highlighting trade interests and the need for what China would call 'win-win cooperation' in other areas, such as climate change, Cleverly is sending Beijing a clear message -- namely that the UK is not on the same page as the U.S. when it comes to China relations," added the report. 
Dubai, Apr 28 (AP) Iran's navy seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker with 24 Indian crew members in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday heading to the US amid wider tensions over Tehran's nuclear programme, the latest-such capture in a waterway crucial for global energy supplies.

The U.S. Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet identified the vessel as the Advantage Sweet. Satellite tracking data for the vessel from MarineTraffic.com showed it in the Gulf of Oman, just north of Oman's capital, Muscat, on Thursday afternoon. It had just come from Kuwait and listed its destination as Houston.

The Advantage Sweet issued a distress call at 1:15 p.m. while in international waters as Iran seized the vessel, the Navy said.

"Iran's actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability," the 5th Fleet said in a statement. Iran should immediately release the oil tanker.

The Navy initially said Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized the vessel, but an American naval aircraft later confirmed that Iran's navy captured the ship, 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins told The Associated Press.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said the seizure came after an unknown ship collided with an Iranian vessel last night in the Persian Gulf, causing several Iranian crew members to go missing and get injured. It did not identify the other ship involved in the alleged collision.

The Advantage Sweet had been in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, but its track showed no unusual behaviour as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of all traded oil passes.

Iran has made allegations in other seizures that later fell apart as it became clear Tehran was trying to leverage the capture as a chip to negotiate with foreign nations.

Iran's harassing activity within the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman is commensurate with an established pattern of behaviour that has seen Iran target vessels as a result of ongoing disputes," maritime security firm Dryad Global said.

The 5th Fleet said the Iranian seizure was at least the fifth commercial vessel taken by Tehran in the last two years.

Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy, it added.

U.S. Army Gen. Erik Kurilla, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East, said in a statement that the illegal seizure of the tanker was ""another in a continuing series of violations by Iran of the international rules-based order."

The vessel's manager, a Turkish firm called Advantage Tankers, issued a statement acknowledging the Advantage Sweet was being escorted by the Iranian navy to a port on the basis of an international dispute. All the ship's 24 crew members are Indian.

The safety and welfare of our valued crew members is our No. 1 priority, the firm said. Similar experiences show that crew members of vessels taken under such circumstances are in no danger.

The ship's listed owner appeared to be a Chinese company.

Manifest information from data firm Refinitiv showed the Advantage Sweet carried Kuwaiti crude oil for American energy firm Chevron Corp. of San Ramon, California. Chevron said it was aware of the situation.

We are in contact with the vessel operator with the hope of resolving this situation as soon as possible, Chevron spokesperson Christine Dobbyn said in a statement.

Thursday's seizure by Iran was the latest in a string of ship seizures and explosions to roil the region.

The incidents began after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers, which saw Tehran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Also, the U.S. Navy has blamed Iran for a series of limpet mine attacks on vessels that damaged tankers in 2019, as well as for a fatal drone attack on an Israeli-linked oil tanker that killed two European crew members in 2021.

Tehran denies carrying out the attacks, but a wider shadow war between Iran and the West has played out in the region's volatile waters. Iranian tanker seizures have been a part of it since 2019. The last major seizure came when Iran took two Greek tankers in May and held them until November.

In the wider Mideast, Iranian-backed militias in Syria have carried out attacks on U.S. forces, including one that killed a contractor in March. The U.S. responded with airstrikes.

Meanwhile, talks over Iran's tattered nuclear deal have been stalled for a year. Since the deal's collapse, Iran runs advanced centrifuges and has a rapidly growing stockpile of enriched uranium.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has warned Iran has enriched enough up to 60 per cent purity  a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent. That would be sufficient for Iran to make several nuclear weapons if it chooses to do so. (AP)



MRJ
Beijing, Apr 28 (PTI) After India firmly told China that its violation of the border pacts has "eroded" the entire basis of bilateral ties, China's defence ministry on Friday said the situation at the border is generally stable and both sides should put the boundary issue in an appropriate position and promote its transition to normalised management.

China's defence minister General Li Shangfu, who is in New Delhi to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers conference, held a 45-minute-long meeting with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on Thursday during which the two ministers discussed the standoff at the eastern Ladakh area since May 2020.

At the meeting, Singh told Gen Li that China's violation of border agreements "eroded" the entire basis of ties between the two countries and that all issues relating to the frontier must be resolved in accordance with the existing pacts.

A Chinese Defence Ministry statement issued here on Friday said that during the meeting the two sides exchanged views on militaries and bilateral relations.

Gen. Li pointed out that currently, the situation on the China-India border is generally stable and the two sides have maintained communication through military and diplomatic channels.

The two sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalised management, he said.

It is hoped that the two sides will work together to continuously enhance mutual trust between the two militaries and make proper contributions to the development of bilateral relations, Li told Singh.

He said that as major neighbouring countries and important developing countries, China and India share far more common interests than differences.

The two sides should view bilateral relations and each other's development from a comprehensive, long-term and strategic perspective, and jointly contribute wisdom and strength to world and regional peace and stability, he said.

The Indian government sources in New Delhi said Singh conveyed to Li that after disengagement in remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh, there should be a movement towards de-escalation and expressed hope for a "positive response".

In a statement, India's defence ministry said the two ministers had "frank discussions" about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations.

"The Raksha Mantri categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on the prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders," it said.

"He added that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments," the ministry said in New Delhi.

Singh "reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation," it said.

The talks took place hours after Li arrived in Delhi to attend the meeting of defence ministers of the SCO on Friday.

Singh also conveyed to Li that India wants to improve relations with China but it can happen only after peace and tranquillity are restored at the border, the sources said.

Defence Minister Singh categorically stated in the meeting that military cooperation between the two countries can progress only if peace and tranquillity are established at the border, they said.

In a tweet, Singh said: "Held discussions with China's Defence Minister, General Li Shangfu in New Delhi."

India has been slamming China's deployment of a massive number of troops and its aggressive behaviour along the LAC in eastern Ladakh in violation of pacts on border management.

The meeting between the two defence ministers took place days after the Indian and Chinese armies held the 18th round of military talks on ending the border row.

In the Corps Commander talks on April 23, the two sides agreed to stay in close touch and work out a mutually acceptable solution to the remaining issues in eastern Ladakh at the earliest.

However, there was no indication of any clear forward movement in ending the three-year row.

On March 2, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang on the sidelines of a conclave of the G20 grouping in New Delhi.

In the talks, Jaishankar conveyed to Qin that the state of India-China relations is "abnormal".

In line with a decision taken at the 16th round of military talks, the two sides carried out disengagement from Patrolling Point 15 in the Gogra-Hotsprings area in September last year.

The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Lake area.

The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process on the north and south banks of the Pangong Lake and in the Gogra area.

Singh also held separate bilateral talks with his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Iran and Tajikistan and presented them with mementoes. It is learnt that no memento was given to the Chinese minister.

Chinese foreign minister Qin is also set to visit India next week to attend a conclave of foreign ministers of SCO member countries in Goa. The meeting is slated for May 4 and 5.

India is hosting the SCO defence ministers' meeting under its presidency of the Beijing-based grouping.
Dubai, Apr 28 (AP) Iran's navy seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker with 24 Indian crew members in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday heading to the US amid wider tensions over Tehran's nuclear programme, the latest-such capture in a waterway crucial for global energy supplies.

The U.S. Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet identified the vessel as the Advantage Sweet. Satellite tracking data for the vessel from MarineTraffic.com showed it in the Gulf of Oman, just north of Oman's capital, Muscat, on Thursday afternoon. It had just come from Kuwait and listed its destination as Houston.

The Advantage Sweet issued a distress call at 1:15 p.m. while in international waters as Iran seized the vessel, the Navy said.

"Iran's actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability," the 5th Fleet said in a statement. Iran should immediately release the oil tanker.

The Navy initially said Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized the vessel, but an American naval aircraft later confirmed that Iran's navy captured the ship, 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins told The Associated Press.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said the seizure came after an unknown ship collided with an Iranian vessel last night in the Persian Gulf, causing several Iranian crew members to go missing and get injured. It did not identify the other ship involved in the alleged collision.

The Advantage Sweet had been in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, but its track showed no unusual behavior as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of all traded oil passes. Iran has made allegations in other seizures that later fell apart as it became clear Tehran was trying to leverage the capture as a chip to negotiate with foreign nations.

Iran's harassing activity within the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman is commensurate with an established pattern of behavior that has seen Iran target vessels as a result of ongoing disputes," maritime security firm Dryad Global said.

The 5th Fleet said the Iranian seizure was at least the fifth commercial vessel taken by Tehran in the last two years.

Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy, it added.

U.S. Army Gen. Erik Kurilla, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East, said in a statement that the illegal seizure of the tanker was ""another in a continuing series of violations by Iran of the international rules-based order."

The vessel's manager, a Turkish firm called Advantage Tankers, issued a statement acknowledging the Advantage Sweet was being escorted by the Iranian navy to a port on the basis of an international dispute. All the ship's 24 crew members are Indian.

The safety and welfare of our valued crew members is our No. 1 priority, the firm said. Similar experiences show that crew members of vessels taken under such circumstances are in no danger.

The ship's listed owner appeared to be a Chinese company.

Manifest information from data firm Refinitiv showed the Advantage Sweet carried Kuwaiti crude oil for American energy firm Chevron Corp. of San Ramon, California. Chevron said it was aware of the situation.

We are in contact with the vessel operator with the hope of resolving this situation as soon as possible, Chevron spokesperson Christine Dobbyn said in a statement.

Thursday's seizure by Iran was the latest in a string of ship seizures and explosions to roil the region.

The incidents began after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers, which saw Tehran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Also, the U.S. Navy has blamed Iran for a series of limpet mine attacks on vessels that damaged tankers in 2019, as well as for a fatal drone attack on an Israeli-linked oil tanker that killed two European crew members in 2021.

Tehran denies carrying out the attacks, but a wider shadow war between Iran and the West has played out in the region's volatile waters. Iranian tanker seizures have been a part of it since 2019. The last major seizure came when Iran took two Greek tankers in May and held them until November.

In the wider Mideast, Iranian-backed militias in Syria have carried out attacks on U.S. forces, including one that killed a contractor in March. The U.S. responded with airstrikes.

Meanwhile, talks over Iran's tattered nuclear deal have been stalled for a year. Since the deal's collapse, Iran runs advanced centrifuges and has a rapidly growing stockpile of enriched uranium. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has warned Iran has enriched enough up to 60 per cent purity  a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent. That would be sufficient for Iran to make several nuclear weapons if it chooses to do so. (AP) MRJ
Budapest, Apr 28 (AP) Pope Francis plans to outline his vision for the future of Europe during a three-day visit to Hungary starting on Friday, with Russia's war in Ukraine, migration flows and Hungary's tense relations with Brussels looming large over the pontiff's weekend journey.

Hungarian officials say Francis' pilgrimage was designed primarily to let the pope minister to the country's Catholic community and to encourage its members in their faith. But with the war unfolding next door and Hungary butting heads with other European Union nations over rule of law issues and LGBTQ+ rights, Francis' words and deeds in the heart of Europe will carry strong political undertones.

After landing at Budapest's Liszt Ferenc airport, Francis was scheduled to meet with President Katalin Novak and Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and then to deliver his main political speech to Hungarian authorities and diplomats.

He has a chance to speak to Hungarian society and Europe at large in his final event on Sunday, when he'll address academic and cultural figures at Budapest's Catholic University.

In between, Francis is set to meet with some of the 35,000 Ukrainian refugees who have remained in Hungary after 2.5 million fled across Ukraine's border with Hungary's early on in Russia's invasion.

It will be another opportunity for Francis to raise immigration as a topic and and to reiterate his belief that European countries should, within their means, open their arms and borders to people fleeing poverty as well as conflicts.

Orban's hard line on migration is well known. In 2015-2016, Hungary built a razor wire fence on its border with Serbia to stop people from entering. However, Francis has expressed appreciation for Hungary's recent welcome of Ukrainian refugees.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Francis would use his time in the heart of Europe to look to the continent's future.

It's difficult to not think about the European Union and all of Europe, Bruni said of the trip. He noted that the passion for Europe had perhaps faded over the years and that Francis aimed to revive the Europe of peoples, with its own history and responsibility in the commitment to global peace.

For the 86-year-old pontiff, the visit will once again test his frail health after he spent four days in the hospital last month with bronchitis. While Hungarian officials had hoped Francis would travel around the country, the Vatican opted to keep him in Budapest, where he spent seven hours in 2021 to close out a church congress.

The visit comes as the European Union's parliament continues to put pressure on Hungary to counter what EU lawmakers consider a deterioration in the rule of law and democratic principles under Orban's government, including rolling back the rights of LGBTQ+ people.

The four biggest groups in the European Parliament have called on the EU's executive commission to withhold pandemic recovery funds for Hungary until liberal democracy principles are met.

The European Commission has accused Orban for years of dismantling democratic institutions, taking control of the media and infringing on minority rights, allegations the prime minister has denied.

Hungary's Constitution, approved unilaterally by Orban's right-wing populist Fidesz party in 2011, outlaws same-sex marriage, and the government has prohibited same-sex couples from adopting children. The government has also outlawed the depiction of homosexuality or divergent gender identities to minors in media content.

Catholic doctrine also prohibits same-sex marriages, but Francis has backed legal protections for people in same-sex unions. He has long ministered to gay and transgender Catholics, while blasting gender ideology as an alleged form of the West's ideological colonisation of the developing world.

In a move linked to the pontiff's visit, Hungry's president on Thursday commuted the prison sentences of several members of a far-right Hungarian group convicted of executing political acts of terrorism. The group's members have frequently harassed members of the LGBTQ+ community.

In a statement, Novak wrote that Francis' visit is a special occasion for the head of state to exercise her power of pardon.

She referred directly to those members of the radical Hunnia Movement group, which espouses anti-EU, irredentist views and was linked to Molotov cocktail attacks on the homes of Socialist government officials between 2007 and 2009.

Francis is unlikely to wade directly into Hungary's democracy and LGBTQ+ rights debate and instead speak in general terms about the lofty, democratic goals that decades ago inspired the forming of what would become the European Union.

Hungary's ambassador to the Holy See, Eduard Habsburg, said he thinks Hungary is actually upholding Europe's founding ideals better than many of its EU partners.

Hungary has stayed true to the values that have always been the values of the European Union, which is family, faith, Christian, Judeo-Christian roots, sovereignty and all these things, Habsburg said. And you sometimes have the idea that  some of these have been lost in the western parts of Europe.

With Francis travelling closer to Ukraine than at any time since Russia invaded Ukraine, the war will also be front and centre during his visit. He plans to visit a Greek Catholic church that delivered aid to Ukrainian refugees.

Francis, who met with Ukraine's prime minister on the eve of the trip at the Vatican, is likely to repeat his call for a peaceful resolution of the war and to express solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

Orban has called for a cease-fire but been lukewarm in his support of Ukraine, refusing to supply Kyiv with weapons and threatening to veto EU sanctions against Moscow while maintaining Hungary's strong dependence on Russian energy.

While there was speculation that Francis might meet with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill while in Budapest, no such meeting is planned, according to the Rev. Csaba Torok, the parochial administrator for the Cathedral of Esztergom and coordinator of Catholic programming on state media.

Francis held an unprecedented meeting with Kirill in 2016 and had hoped to pursue a second encounter, but Kirill's support for Russia's invasion put the plans on indefinite hold. (AP) PY

PY
Dubai, Apr 28 (AP) Private armed guards aboard a famous yacht once owned by the late Welsh actor Richard Burton opened fire on Yemeni Coast Guard members on Friday after mistaking them for pirates, sparking a gunfight in the Gulf of Aden, authorities said.

The incident off Yemen shows the danger faced by both shippers and security forces in the waters off the Arab world's poorest country, even as it remains crucial for global commerce.

Details of what happened to the Kalizma remained unclear hours after the incident, which the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations initially reported as an attack with gunfire off Nishtun, in Yemen's far east near the border with Oman.

But by Friday afternoon, the British military operation providing support to ships across the Mideast described the attack in the Gulf of Aden as being confirmed by authorities as government agency activity, without elaborating.

Ambrey, a maritime intelligence company, said in a brief that a Yemeni Coast Guard contingent had approached a Cook Islands-flagged yacht which hadn't responded to radio calls.

According to the Coast Guard, an armed security team ... onboard the yacht then opened fire on the approaching Yemenis and attempted to escape perceived pirates, Ambrey said.

The Coast Guard returned fire and followed the yacht for approximately an hour until communications with the yacht could be established and the misunderstanding between the parties resolved.

Yemeni officials did not acknowledge the incident publicly. Yemen's Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Satellite tracking data analysed by The Associated Press, cross-referenced with coordinates authorities earlier offered for the site of the incident, appeared to show the Cook Islands-flagged Kalizma as the yacht involved in the shooting.

Initially built in 1906, Burton bought the Kalizma for USD 220,000 in 1967.

It was on board the ship where he gave actress and his twice-wife Elizabeth Taylor a 69.42-carat, pear-shaped diamond now known as the Taylor-Burton Diamond.

The ship later was purchased by Indian investor Shirish Saraf, according to a profile by magazine Boat International. Requests for comment to Saraf's investment firm Samena Capital went unanswered on Friday.

A man who answered a call to Mumbai's West Coast Marine Yacht Services, which has managed the ship, told an AP reporter he couldn't discuss the incident and urged him to call later. Phones at the firm rang repeatedly unanswered after that.

Nishtun is held by forces allied to Yemen's internationally recognized government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition.

The Gulf of Aden is a crucial route for global trade and has seen attacks attributed to Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels as its civil war rages. Somali pirate attacks that once plagued the region have mostly stopped in recent years.

However, attacks have happened there before. In December 2020, a mysterious attack targeted a cargo ship off Nishtun. In Yemen's war, bomb-carrying drone boats, as well as sea mines, have been used.

The attack comes after Iran separately seized an oil tanker on Thursday carrying crude for Chevron Corp. on its way to Houston. (AP) PY

PY
Budapest, Apr 28 (AP) Pope Francis on Friday blasted the adolescent belligerence that brought war back to Europe and said the continent must recover its founding spirit of peaceful unity to confront Russia's war in Ukraine.

Francis outlined his vision for the future of Europe as he began a three-day visit to Hungary. In a carefully calibrated speech, he demanded that the European Union approve safe and legal ways for migrants to enter and for the Hungarian government not to hold Europe hostage to populist demands.

Francis didn't mince words when he addressed President Katalin Novak and Hungary's populist prime minister, Viktor Orban, whose lukewarm support for Ukraine has rankled other EU countries.

The pontiff recalled the lofty ideals behind the bloc's founding and lamented that rising nationalism and adolescent belligerence had replaced them.

We seem to be witnessing the sorry sunset of that choral dream of peace, as the solists of war now take over, Francis said. At this historical juncture, Europe is crucial.  It is called to take up its proper role, which is to unite those far apart, to welcome those other peoples and refuse to consider anyone an eternal enemy.

Hungarian officials said the pope's visit, his second to Budapest in as many years, was designed primarily to let him minister to the country's Catholic community. But with the war in neighbouring Ukraine and Orban butting heads with other EU nations over rule of law issues and LGBTQ+ rights, Francis' words and deeds in the heart of Europe carried strong political undertones.

He has repeatedly called for a peaceful resolution to the war and expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian people, although his trip to Hungary brought Francis the nearest he's gotten to the front line of the fighting.

The pope plans to meet Saturday with some of the 35,000 Ukrainian refugees who remain in Hungary. Nearly 2.5 million refugees entered the country early on in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Orban has called for a cease-fire. But the nationalist prime minister has refused to supply Kyiv with weapons and threatened to veto EU sanctions against Moscow while maintaining Hungary's strong dependence on Russian energy. His government also said it would not arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the subject of an international arrest warrant on war crimes charges, if he came to Hungary.

While sharing his hopes for Europe, Francis appeared to call out the country's growing isolation.

I think of a Europe that is not hostage to its parts, neither falling prey to self-referential forms of populism nor resorting to a fluid, if not vapid, supra-nationalism that loses sight of the life of its peoples, the pope said.

Novak, for her part, praised Francis as a man of peace and asked him to confer with Kyiv and Moscow, to Washington, Brussels, Budapest and to anyone without whom there can be no peace. Here, in Budapest, we ask you to act personally for a just peace as soon as possible!

Francis has expressed appreciation for Hungary's recent welcome of Ukrainian refugees, but his views on the moral imperative to welcome all people fleeing conflict, poverty and climate change contrast with Orban's hard line on migration.

In 2015-2016, Hungary built a razor wire fence on the border with Serbia to stop people from entering.

Francis said time was up for Europe's excuses and delay in responding to the hundreds of thousands of migrants who risk their lives trying to reach the continent each year. He called for the EU to agree on secure and legal corridors that would provide a safer route.

Europe must come up with shared mechanisms to confront an epochal challenge that cannot be faced by pushing back, but must be welcomed to prepare a future that, unless it is shared, will not exist, the pope said.

The 86-year-old pontiff, who walks with difficulty because of bad knee ligaments, is testing his frail health with his latest trip. He spent four days in the hospital last month with bronchitis. Hungarian officials had hoped Francis would travel around the country, but the Vatican opted to keep him in Budapest, where he spent seven hours in 2021 to close out a church congress.

The visit comes as the European Union's legislature continues to put pressure on Hungary to counter what EU lawmakers consider a deterioration in the rule of law and democratic principles, including media freedom and LGBTQ+ rights.

The four biggest groups in the European Parliament have called on the bloc's executive commission to withhold pandemic recovery funds for Hungary until liberal democracy principles are met.

Francis didn't wade in directly to the dispute, but he quoted the Hungarian Constitution and the founder of the Hungarian state, St. Stephen, in calling for the country to remain open toward others, another apparent reference to Orban's nativist rhetoric.

On LGBTQ+ rights, the pope and the Hungarian government's policies were not totally at odds. Catholic doctrine forbids gay marriage, though Francis has backed legal protections for people in same-sex unions.

He also has long ministered to gay and transgender Catholics while condemning gender ideology as an alleged form of the West's ideological colonisation of the developing world.

Hungary outlaws same-sex marriage, and the government has prohibited same-sex couples from adopting children. The government has also outlawed the depiction of homosexuality or divergent gender identities to minors in media content.

Francis repeated his condemnation of gender ideology Friday along with what he described as the so-called right to abortion. He praised Hungary for promoting family values.

How much better it would be to build a Europe centred on the human person and on its peoples, with effective polices for natality and the family  policies that are pursued attentively in this country, he said.

Francis' arrival was met with a quiet welcome, with small groups of people cheering his motorcade as it entered the city centre. Zoltan Gozner, a religious education teacher from Esztergom, north of Budapest, took his class to a place on the motorcade's route so students could see it.

Hungary is still a Christian country, and we are a guardian of this faith, he said. (AP) PY

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Washington, Apr 28 (AP) With COVID-19 immigration restrictions set to expire, the Biden administration on Thursday announced measures meant to stop migrants from illegally crossing the US-Mexico border, both by cracking down on many of those who do come, and by creating new pathways meant to offer an alternative to the dangerous journey.

The effort includes opening processing centres outside the United States for people fleeing violence and poverty to apply to fly in legally and settle in the United States, Spain or Canada. The first processing centres will open in Guatemala and Colombia, with others expected to follow.

The administration also plans to swiftly screen migrants seeking asylum at the border itself, quickly deport those deemed as not being qualified, and penalising people who cross illegally into the US or illegally through another country on their way to the US border.

But it is unclear whether the measures will do much to slow the tide of migrants fleeing countries marred by political and economic strife. Further increasing the pressure is the looming end of public health rules instituted amid the pandemic that allowed for quickly expelling many migrants and set to expire on May 11.

This is a hemispheric challenge that demands hemispheric solutions, said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas during a news conference as he laid out how the US is working with other countries in the region.

Mayorkas also warned that migrants and human smugglers should not interpret the upcoming deadline to mean that everyone should come: Let me be clear, our border is not open and will not be open after May 11."

Immigration has vexed Biden throughout his presidency, with top GOP leaders hammering him as soft on border security. Immigrant advocates, meanwhile, argue that the president is abandoning humanitarian efforts with stricter measures meant to keep migrants from coming illegally.

The topic isn't going away. As he announces his 2024 reelection bid, Biden is trying to strike a balance that could be difficult to achieve, particularly if crowds of migrants end up in border facilities after May 11.

The administration has also repeatedly pointed to Congress, saying it has been unable to come to an agreement on comprehensive immigration reform.

The efforts announced on Thursday build on a carrot-and-stick approach to immigration that the administration has been increasingly using, whereby they offer incentives like humanitarian parole visas for hundreds of thousands of people and harsh consequences for many who come to the border. Those have so far included:

 Processing centres: The administration will open migration centres in numerous countries starting with Guatemala and Colombia to be run by the International Organisation of Migration and the UN agency tasked with helping refugees.

There potential migrants can get information on various ways they can migrate to the United States, such as applying for refugee status or a worker programme. The administration said both Canada and Spain have said they'd take migrants referred from these centres, although no specific numbers were given.

The US also said it would double the number of refugees taken from Central and South America. No specific number was given there, either, but during fiscal year 2023 the US pledged to accept 15,000 refugees from Latin America and the Caribbean.

 Stiffer, faster penalties: The administration says it will process asylum-seekers who come to the southern border faster  in days, not weeks  with the goal of sending people back quickly who don't clear initial screenings.

Those removed from the country would be barred from entering the US for five years. The administration says it aims to dramatically increase flights on which migrants are sent home from the US Officials also said a previously announced rule which would limit asylum for those who pass through another country without first seeking protection there, or who enter the US illegally, is also set to go into effect before the May 11 deadline passes.

 No family detention: The administration stopped short of saying they'd detain families crossing the border illegally. That step would have sparked widespread condemnation from immigration advocates and Biden allies. But they said they'd monitor families through things like curfews and GPS monitoring and stressed that families would be removed if found unqualified to stay in the US.

 Family reunification: DHS is creating a new family reunification parole process for people from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Colombia. And the agency is modernising the existing family reunification process for people from Cuba and Haiti.

 Smuggler crackdown: Mayorkas stressed efforts to more strictly combat smuggling networks that facilitate travel from across the region to the US border.

Andrew Selee, who heads the Migration Policy Institute, said the plans announced are the clearest we've seen of a strategy" from the administration on how to deal with immigration. But he cautioned that it would still require a lot of time and commitment for the plan to be successful.

"I think it's the closest we've seen to a comprehensive plan," Selee said. He said the administration was betting a lot on the processing centres, and said potentially they can serve to give people information about migration options in a way that a US Embassy, for example, cannot.

But Selee said they would have to be closely linked to local networks in various countries so prospective migrants know about them, and so local organisation who know the people who are most desperate to flee can refer them to the centres.

Thursday's announcement was met with criticism by many immigration advocates, including members of the president's own party who have been troubled by Biden's increasing efforts to make it harder to access asylum at the border.

Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, said he was disappointed in the plan, especially after spending recent weeks urging the White House to adopt a different immigration strategy, including extending temporary protected status to people from several Central American countries. He also cast doubt on how parts of the plan would be implemented.

The question is, how are we going to set up those processing centres? What are the entities that will be there to make sure that a person is being processed in the appropriate way? What are we doing with third countries to be able to accept individuals and make sure that they are safe?" said Menendez.

Many groups that work to assist refugees and other migrants said they welcomed some aspects of the president's plan, such as allowing in more refugees from South and Central America and speeding up family reunification efforts. But they said that shouldn't come at the expense of people applying for asylum at the border.

The International Refugee Assistance Project said in a statement that it is concerned at the lack of details in the plan, how it will be implemented and where the money will come from.

The group also said that the US's refugee resettlement program is still struggling to recover after cuts during the Trump administration.

We have more questions than answers, said Lacy Broemel, a project policy analyst.

Others, including right-leaning groups already intensely critical of Biden, lambasted the plan, saying that faster processing of migrants simply means they're entering the country faster. The Federation for American Immigration Reform said the initiatives amount to a massive and illegal scheme designed to accommodate unlimited numbers of migrants". (AP) PY

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Dubai, Apr 28 (AP) Iran's navy seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday amid wider tensions over Tehran's nuclear program, the latest-such capture in a waterway crucial for global energy supplies.

The Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet identified the vessel as the Advantage Sweet. Satellite tracking data for the vessel from MarineTraffic.com showed it in the Gulf of Oman just north of Oman's capital, Muscat, on Thursday afternoon. It had just come from Kuwait and listed its destination as Houston, Texas.

The Advantage Sweet issued a distress call at 1:15 p.m. while in international waters as Iran seized the vessel, the Navy said.

"Iran's actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability," the 5th Fleet said in a statement. Iran should immediately release the oil tanker.

The Navy initially said Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized the vessel, but an American naval aircraft later confirmed that Iran's navy captured the ship, 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins told The Associated Press.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said the seizure came after an unknown ship collided with an Iranian vessel last night in the Persian Gulf, causing several Iranian crew members to go missing and get injured. It did not identify the other ship involved in the alleged collision.

The Advantage Sweet had been in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, but its track showed no unusual behavior as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of all oil traded passes. Iran has made allegations in other seizures that later fell apart as it became clear Tehran was trying to leverage the capture as a chip to negotiate with foreign nations.

Iran's harassing activity within the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman is commensurate with an established pattern of behavior that has seen Iran target vessels as a result of ongoing disputes," maritime security firm Dryad Global said.

The 5th Fleet said the Iranian seizure was at least the fifth commercial vessel taken by Tehran in the last two years.

Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy, it added.

The vessel's manager, a Turkish firm called Advantage Tankers, issued a statement acknowledging the Advantage Sweet was being escorted by the Iranian navy to a port on the basis of an international dispute. All the ship's 24 crew members are Indian.

The safety and welfare of our valued crew members is our No. 1 priority, the firm said. Similar experiences show that crew members of vessels taken under such circumstances are in no danger.

The ship's listed owner appeared to be a Chinese company.

Manifest information from data firm Refinitiv showed the Advantage Sweet carried Kuwaiti crude oil for American energy firm Chevron Corp. of San Ramon, California. Chevron did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Thursday's seizure by Iran was the latest in a string of hijackings and explosions to roil the region.

The incidents began after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers, which saw Tehran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Also, the U.S. Navy has blamed Iran for a series of limpet mine attacks on vessels that damaged tankers in 2019, as well as for a fatal drone attack on an Israeli-linked oil tanker that killed two European crew members in 2021.

Tehran denies carrying out the attacks, but a wider shadow war between Iran and the West has played out in the region's volatile waters. Iranian tanker seizures have been a part of it since 2019. The last major seizure came when Iran took two Greek tankers in May and held them until November.

Meanwhile, talks over Iran's tattered nuclear deal have been stalled for a year. Since the deal's collapse, Iran runs advanced centrifuges and has a rapidly growing stockpile of enriched uranium. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has warned Iran has enriched enough up to 60% purity  a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. That would be sufficient for Iran to make several nuclear weapons if it chooses to do so. (AP) AMS
Nagpur, Apr 28 (PTI) Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari on Friday presided over the Maintenance Command Commanders' Conference held in Vayusena Nagar in Nagpur in Maharashtra, an official said.

In his address at the conference, the Air Chief Marshal appreciated the vital role played by the HQ MC and its units towards sustenance of various fleets and systems.

A defence release said the CAS emphasised the need to move towards 'atmanirbharta' (self-reliance), for which a positive contribution can be made by Maintenance Command units.

Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari handed over trophies to MC units at the two-day conference, which started on Thursday.

He was received here by Air Marshal Vibhas Pande, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Maintenance Command, the defence release added.
Mumbai, Apr 28 (PTI) Almost 10 years after she was found hanging at her home, a special CBI court here is likely to pronounce its verdict on Friday in the Bollywood actor Jiah Khan suicide case, in which her boyfriend and film star Sooraj Pancholi has been charged with abetment.

If convicted, Sooraj, the son of actor couple Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, may face a jail term of up to 10 years.

Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court judge A S Sayyad last week heard the final arguments of both sides and reserved his judgment in the case.

Jiah (25), an American citizen, was found dead at her Juhu home here on June 3, 2013. Police later arrested Sooraj on the basis of a six-page letter, purportedly written by the Bollywood starlet, and booked him for abetment of suicide under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 306.

IPC section 306 says, "If any person commits suicide, whoever abets the commission of such suicide, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine."

Sooraj is currently out on bail in the case.

The CBI had alleged that the letter seized by the Mumbai police, which probed the case initially, was written by Jiah Khan.

The note narrated Jiah Khan's "intimate relationship, physical abuse and mental and physical torture" allegedly at the hands of Sooraj which led her to commit suicide, the central agency said.

The case was reassigned to a special CBI court in 2021 after the sessions court said that it did not have the jurisdiction over the case as the central agency had probed it.

Jiahs mother Rabia Khan, a key prosecution witness in the case, told the court that she believed it to be a case of murder and not suicide. The Bombay High Court had last year dismissed her petition seeking a fresh investigation into the case.

During her deposition, Rabia had told the CBI court that Sooraj used to subject Jiah to physical and verbal abuse.

Rabia also told the court that neither the police nor the CBI had collected any "legal evidence" to prove that her daughter had committed suicide.

Sooraj, in his final statement filed before the court, had claimed the investigation and chargesheet were false, adding that the prosecution witnesses testified against him at the behest of complainant Rabia Khan, police and CBI.

Jiah Khan is best known for her performance in Hindi film "Nishabd" starring Amitabh Bachchan.
MOSCOW, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The recent nuclear agreement reached by the United States and South Korea will have a negative effect on regional security and undermine global stability, said the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday.

"We took note of reports on an agreement that was reached between the United States and the ROK (the Republic of Korea) on joint planning with regard to the use of nuclear weapons," said the ministry's spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, in a statement.

"This development is clearly destabilizing... and will have serious negative consequences for regional security and will impact global stability," said the statement.

According to the statement, by committing to policies of "extended nuclear deterrence," the United States and its allies are duplicating schemes that Washington has been practicing for decades following the Cold War, and still practices with its NATO allies.

It added that such practices will ultimately undermine international security, lead to a further escalation of tensions, spur security crises, and provoke an arms race.

"We call on the U.S. and its allies...to refrain from steps that lead to the weakening of the overall level of security for all states," said the statement.

The United States and South Korea jointly issued the Washington Declaration on April 26 as one of the outcomes of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's visit to the United States.

According to reports, the declaration says that the United States will upgrade the extended deterrence it provides to South Korea, including enhanced consultation over a nuclear crisis, increased military exercises and training activities, table-top simulation, the establishment of a new Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), and a further expansion of the U.S. regular visibility of strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula. 
Mumbai, Apr 28 (PTI) Following are the top stories from the Western Region at 1700 HRS.















BOM10 MH-COURT-LD JIAH

* Jiah suicide case: Court acquits actor Sooraj Pancholi from abetment charge



Mumbai: Almost 10 years after Bollywood actor Jiah Khan was found hanging at her Mumbai residence, a special CBI court here on Friday acquitted her then boyfriend Sooraj Pancholi in the case of abetment of her suicide citing "paucity of evidence". *





BOM11 JIAH KHAN-PROFILE

*Jiah Khan: three films and a tragic life framed in headlines forever



Mumbai: Who is Jiah Khan? Ten years after the 25-year-old actor was found hanging in her Juhu home, the question was back with a special CBI court on Friday acquitting her boyfriend Sooraj Pancholi of abetment to suicide. *





BOM13 SOORAJ PANCHOLI-PROFILE

* Sooraj Pancholi: star son and actor gets an acquittal



Mumbai: Actor Sooraj Pancholi shook off the controversy clouding his life and career on Friday with a special CBI court acquitting him in the 2013 suicide case of his girlfriend Jiah Khan. *









BOM19 MH-REFINERY-RAUT-DETENTION

* Maha: Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut detained during anti-refinery stir in Barsu



Mumbai: Police on Friday detained Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut at Barsu village in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district after he joined a section of local people in their protest against the proposed oil refinery project there, triggering chaos at the site for some time, officials said. *









BOM7 MH-REFINERY-RAUT

* Refinery project: Sena (UBT) MP Raut says locals have no trust in govt



Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said the locals at Barsu, where a refinery has been proposed, have no trust in the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra, days after NCP president Sharad Pawar advised the ruling dispensation to hold a dialogue with those villagers opposing the project. *









BOM15 MH-REFINERY-PATOLE

* Refinery stir: Patole slams Maha govt's 'high-handedness'



Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Friday criticised the Eknath Shinde-led state government for "forcing" the oil refinery project on the residents of Barsu village in Ratnagiri district, and demanded that locals be taken into confidence before going ahead with it. *









BOM14 GJ-EVACUATION-ARRIVAL

* 56 Gujarat residents reach Ahmedabad, thank govt for safe return from Sudan



Ahmedabad: As many as 56 Gujarat residents, evacuated from Sudan under the Centre's 'Operation Kaveri', reached Ahmedabad in the early hours of Friday after landing in Mumbai and expressed gratitude to government authorities for bringing them back safely from the strife-battered African nation. *











BOM16 MP- ANAND MOHAN-IAS BODY

* MP IAS body expresses concern over release of Anand Mohan from jail



Bhopal: A body representing Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers in Madhya Pradesh on Friday expressed deep concern and anguish over the release of gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan, who was serving a life sentence for killing a district magistrate in Bihar three decades ago, after the Nitish Kumar government tweaked jail rules. *











BOM18 CG-NAXAL-IED-BIJAPUR

* Chhattisgarh: IED defused in Bijapur



Bijapur: Two days after Naxals blew up a vehicle causing the death of ten policemen in Chhattisgarh, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was found and defused by the security forces in the state's Bijapur district on Friday, an official said. *















BOM4 MP-COURT-DEATH SENTENCE

* MP: Three men get death sentence for murder of Jabalpur couple





Jabalpur: A court in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur has sentenced three men to death for killing a couple living next door in the city in 2021, terming the offence as "rarest of the rare". *









BOM9 MH-UNSEASONAL RAINS-LOSSES

* Maha: Recent unseasonal rains killed 3 in Nanded district



Aurangabad: Unseasonal rains and thunderstorms in Maharashtras Nanded district this week left three persons dead and affected over 10,000 farmers, an official said on Friday. *











BOM3 CG-ACCIDENT

* Chhattisgarh: 3 of family killed as car collides with truck after hitting buffalo



Balod: Three members of a family, including a teenage girl, were killed and as many others injured when their car collided with a truck after hitting a buffalo in Balod district of Chhattisgarh, police said on Friday. **
Pune, Apr 28 (PTI) United Kingdom Minister of Investment Lord Dominic Johnson on Friday inaugurated the new British Trade Office in Pune and said the move signals his country's commitment to Maharashtra and India.

A release said Lord Johnson met business leaders in Maharashtra's second largest city, including potential and existing UK investors, among them Serum Institute of India, Bharat Forge and Zensar.

Speaking at the inauguration event, Lord Johnson said, "It is fantastic to be in India again and visiting the vibrant city of Pune for opening the British Trade Office, which will act as our signal of our commitment to Maharashtra and India."

"From life sciences to AI, now is the time to invest in the UK as we are determined to be the undisputed number one investment destination in Europe. Thank you once again to everyone from the city who manage this office and hoping for many years of successful partnership between us," Lord Johnson added.

An official release said India remains a priority market for the UK and the minister's visit will help build momentum for the ongoing trade agreement negotiations between the two countries, which saw Round 9 of negotiations kicked off this week.

The release said the BTO has been in Pune for several years to liaise with the city's multiple business and innovation hubs and has delivered a high return on trade and investment wins in the manufacturing, future mobility and technology spaces and remains the point agency for all UK-India business interests.

"The UK is home to a vibrant Indian diaspora of more than 1.6 million. India is the second largest investor into UK in terms of number of projects and the two countries benefit from a unique 'living bridge' of people, ideas, institutions, arts and culture," informed the release.
Panaji, Apr 28 (PTI) Goa beaches will get trained dogs to spot and rescue people in distress and locate missing children, an official of an agency tasked with lifesaving operations in the coastal state said on Friday.

A team of 11 dogs, called the 'paw squad', is being trained for these works, and the initiative is the first of its kind in Asia, the Drishti Marine official said in the presence of state tourism minister Rohan Khaunte.

"They are being trained to spot and rescue victims in distress, search and rescue in rocky areas and locate missing children at the beaches. The paw squad is being trained by canine expert Arjun Shawn Moitra and will be deployed first at high-density beaches," the spokesperson said.

Hailing the initiative, Khaunte said new technologies and innovations have to deployed routinely for such works.

The Drishti Marine spokesperson said it was giving final touches to two Artificial Intelligence platforms, Aurus and Triton, to assist lifesavers at beaches.

"Aurus is a self-driving robot and the AI-powered monitoring system, Triton, will augment life-saving capabilities along Goa's beaches. Both systems can monitor the surroundings, assess risks and share real-time information to help on-duty lifesavers respond faster,'' the spokesperson said.

"Aurus is currently deployed as a pilot project at Miramar Beach in North Goa for assistance in beach closure, while Triton, still in testing mode, has been deployed at Baina, Velsao, Benaulim, Galgibag beaches in South Goa and Morjim in North Goa," he added.

The plan is to roll out 100 Triton units and 10 Aurus units on the beaches of the state in the coming months, Drishti Marine Operations Manager Navin Awasthi said.
Jabalpur, Apr 28 (PTI) A court in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur has sentenced three men to death for killing a couple living next door in the city in 2021, terming the offence as "rarest of the rare".

Additional sessions court judge Anil Choudhary sentenced the trio to death on Thursday.

The court ordered that the convicts be "hanged till death' and said their crime fell in the category of rarest of the rare, assistant district public prosecution officer and media in-charge Bhagwat Uikey told PTI.

The court sentenced the three men - Ravi Kushwah, Raja Kushwah and Vinay Kushwah - to double death penalty after holding them guilty under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 302 (murder) for killing Pushparaj Kushwah and his wife Neelam, he added.

The trio stabbed the couple on June 14, 2021 when the latter came to the rescue of their kin. The injured husband-wife duo was rushed to a hospital where they died during treatment, Uikey said.

As per the details of the case, the trio barged into the house of Golu, Pushparaj's brother, and stabbed him, his wife and their five-year-old son Pratik over a dispute. All of them lived in Gorakhpur locality of Jabalpur. When Pushparaj and his wife came to the rescue of Golu and his family, the accused stabbed the couple to death.

The court also convicted the trio under IPC sections 450 (house-trespass in order to commit offence punishable with imprisonment for life), section 307 (attempt to murder), section 34 (common intention), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and others, Uikey said, adding that the sentences on these counts will run concurrently.
Guwahati, Apr 28 (PTI) Senior Congress leader Jitendra Singh on Friday said that the party will seek legal recourse if the Centre does not concede to its demand for a probe into the revelations on Pulwama attack by former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satyapal Malik by a retired high court judge, to be monitored by the Supreme Court.

Singh, an AICC general secretary, also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modis silence on Maliks allegation that there were intelligence failures and that the central government denied aircraft for the movement of security personnel.

Forty Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in the terrorist attack on a convoy of security vehicles in Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama in February 2019.

Addressing a press conference here, Singh said, We no longer have faith in the CBI, ED, NIA and such agencies as they have become puppets of the government. We want a sitting Supreme Court judge to monitor the enquiry which may be conducted by a retired high court judge.

Asserting that the demand for an apex court-monitored enquiry was not just of the Congress but of the entire nation, Singh said the party will seek legal action if the government fails to act on it.

Hitting out at Modi for his silence on the matter, he said, When allegations are made against us, we give clarification. But 15-20 days have passed since Malik brought the charges and there has not been a word from the prime minister.

If the allegations are wrong, the prime minister should say so. He has so far not denied any of it, Singh pointed.

He claimed that the Pulwama attack was a result of a big intelligence failure and soldiers were killed for political benefits.

We knew the government was corrupt already. But now their actions are leading to apprehensions on national security and safety, Singh added.

Alleging that no responsibility was fixed for the reason leading to the Pulwama attack, the Congress leader said it will be an issue for the party to take on the government.
Kolkata, Apr 28 (PTI) Private schools in the city have no plans to prepone the summer vacation from May 2 unlike government aided and sponsored schools following a West Bengal government notice as heat wave conditions do not prevail in the state now.

The government notice is meant for state-run and state-aided educational institutions and not for private schools, their authorities said on Thursday.

Classroom classes in all schools were suspended for a week from April 16 when the mercury shot up to about 40 degrees celsius in south Bengal in response to the government's directive which was issued with the students in mind.

Many of the schools had then opted for the online mode.

Classes, however, resumed as weather conditions improved and the temperature went down to about 35 degrees celsius in the city and elsewhere in south Bengal.

But Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday said the summer vacation will begin in state-run and state-aided schools from May 2 as earlier notified by the government.

Vice-chairman of South Point High School, Krishna Damani told PTI that in-person classes in the institution resumed from April 23 and will continue till May 12.

There is no possibility of classes being supended ahead of the date. The summer vacation for both sections will begin on May 13 and continue for a month, he said.

"We had closed the campus and went for the online mode from April 16 to 21 when the heat wave was on. As temperatures have gone down now, we feel classes may continue now till the scheduled date of summer vacation. We don't see the need to advance the dates," he said.

La Martiniere secretary Supriyo Dhar too said the vacation for the boys and girls sections will begin from May 13. "The extreme heat conditons had forced us to suspend physical classes last week. But the conditions are not that stiffling for the children any more," he added.

Principal of B D M International School, Madhumita Sengupta said "We have no plans to prepone the summer vacation to the first week of May. However, if the situation turns very hot and humid for children, we may think of something for the primary section. In-person classes for the secondary and higher secondary level will continue as scheduled till later this month when the vacation is slated to begin.

A school education department official said the May 2 vacation notice was not mandatory for private schools but it recommends them to prepone the vacation days.
New Delhi, Apr 28 (PTI) Former JD(U) leader Ajay Alok, a regular on TV debates, joined the BJP on Friday in the presence of Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Joining the BJP is like coming to a family, Alok said, vowing to contribute to the "Modi mission".

The country is today moving in the same direction as the prime minister, he told reporters.

He has been a strong defender of the BJP's policies and is seen by the party as a sharp and articulate voice.

He was expelled by the JD(U), the ruling party in Bihar, last year as it believed him to be close to R C P Singh, the party's former president who quit following a fallout with its supreme leader and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Vaishnaw lauded Alok's contribution and praised him as a sharp analyst.

Alok took a swipe at Kumar, saying he is an architect who is destroying his own work by compromising on law and order, corruption and communalism.
New Delhi, Apr 28 (PTI) With the election campaign in Karnataka witnessing a bitter war of words between the BJP and the Congress, both the parties rushed to the Election Commission Friday seeking ban on electioneering by top leaders of the other side.

While the BJP sought an FIR and a bar on campaigning by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress demanded restrictions on Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Kharge is under attack from the BJP after he likened Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a "poisonous snake" during a poll rally. Shah and Yogi have been accused of flaring communal passions and creating disharmony in the poll-bound state with their statements against minorities.

Union minister Bhupender Yadav led a BJP delegation and urged the poll body to file a criminal case against Kharge and bar him from campaigning in the Karnataka assembly polls.

He later told reporters that Kharge's comment was not merely a slip of the tongue but part of the Congress' "hate politics".

BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh said Kharge is a "habitual offender" and noted that Congress leaders have made a number of "hateful" personal attacks on Modi.

The BJP has demanded registration of an FIR under IPC sections 499 and 500, which deal with defamation, and Section 504, which deals with the offence of deliberate insults and provocation.

The delegation also included BJP chief spokesperson Anil Baluni and party leader Om Pathak.

After the row erupted over his "poisonous snake" barb, Kharge later clarified that his remarks were not aimed at the prime minister but at the ruling BJP and its ideology.

In retaliation to Kharge's remarks, BJP MLA from Vijayapur Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Friday likened former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to a 'vishkanya' (venomous maiden).

"Kharge should be barred from campaigning in Karnataka elections so as to contain the spread of such acrimonious campaign and set an example that the Commission will not brook any violation of MCC or other laws of the land," the BJP memorandum to EC said.

Comparing anyone to a poisonous snake in Indian society projects such an individual as an "enemy, untrustworthy, unfaithful, treacherous, and deceitful", it said, adding that Kharge and his party are repeat offenders.

The Congress reached the Election Commission in the evening and urged it to ban Shah and Adityanath from campaigning for the May 10 Karnataka assembly polls for their alleged derogatory statements against the minority community that create an atmosphere of communal disharmony.

The delegation including Abhishek Singhvi, Pawan Kumar Bansal and Mukul Wasnik, met the chief election commissioner and the election commissioners, and requested the poll panel to ensure a level-playing field in the southern state.

The Congress will also seek all legal options with regard to the "vishkanya" remark.

Alleging that Shah and Adityanath made "false", "partisan" and "communal" statements during the poll campaign in Karnataka with a view to seek electoral gains, and said they should be banned from campaigning in the state, the Congress accused them of trying to create an atmosphere of communal disharmony.

"The ECI should impose a clear and complete ban on Mr Amit Shah from all campaign activities till the conclusion of the election and further direct a ban on circulation of the videos of the rally with offending portions," a memorandum to the poll panel signed by All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Randeep Surjewala said.

Briefing reporters outside the EC office here, Singhvi said, "We have just finished a very productive and important meeting with the EC. We complained specifically about the highly objectionable, blatantly partisan, communal and false statements coming from the top BJP leadership, in particular Home Minister Amit Shah and the Uttar Pradesh chief minister.

"They have made statements clearly against the minority community... We have asked for a ban on campaigning by such persons."

The Congress memorandum alleged: "Shah, in his desperation to improve their chances in the upcoming election, has sought to incite the law-abiding voters of the state of Karnataka by knowingly delivering false, baseless and uncertified statements before tens of thousands of voters, the video recording of which has even been circulated by the BJP to a far larger audience."

Quoting the home minister, the opposition party claimed that Shah had said, "Siddaramaiah, former chief minister of Karnataka, had released all PFI workers who were earlier kept in custody, and it was the BJP government that had to locate and jail them again."

The opposition party also claimed that Adityanath also told a poll rally on April 26 that "the Congress is an expert in appeasement politics as they are supporting the banned outfits like PFI in Karnataka ...BJP's 'double engine' government banned PFI and broke its backbone. There were no riots or curfew in Uttar Pradesh in the last six years".

"We ask that the ECI ban Shri Yogi Adityanath from all campaign activities till the conclusion of the election," the memorandum said.

Another issue raised by the Congress is against BJP candidate from Chamarajanagar and Varuna constituencies V Somanna, for offering bribe of Rs 50 lakh to JDS candidate Mallikarjun Swamyand promise to a government vehicle in return for withdrawing his candidate from the assembly elections.

The Congress has sought cancellation of his nomination from both the constituencies. He is also the BJP candidate against Siddharamaiah, who is the Congress' chief ministerial aspirant.
New Delhi, Apr 28 (PTI) Officials of Delhi and neighbouring Haryana will coordinate among themselves to enhance the impact of the efforts being made at the government level for cleaning and rejuvenating the Yamuna river, according to a statement.

The statement from the Delhi lieutenant general's office said officials of the two states on Thursday attended the meeting of a high-level committee set up by the National Green Tribunal for the rejuvenation of the river.

The meeting came following several rounds of discussions between Delhi L-G VK Saxena and Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar.

Saxena who chaired Thursday's meeting described the rejuvenation of the Yamuna as a national mission and asked officials of the two states to proactively cooperate to achieve the goal.

It was decided that Haryana officials will attend the meetings of the high-level committee and carry out directions in coordination with their Delhi counterparts, the statement said.

The meeting saw discussions being held on various aspects of pollution in the Yamuna river in Haryana and Delhi. Saxena thanked Haryana Chief Minister Khattar for his proactive support and instructed officials to evolve seamless coordination by undertaking joint visits.

The participants of the meeting were of the view that concerted efforts were required by both states as any action taken by only Delhi was insufficient since continued pollution from sources in Haryana made the exercise futile.

The Najafgarh drain, which accounted for about 70 per cent of pollution of the Yamuna, received 40 per cent of its most untreated discharge from three drains flowing out of Gurugram in Haryana, the statement said.

Also, the Mangeshpur and Bhupania drains from Haryana carrying huge amounts of industrial effluent emptied into the Najafgarh drain at the Kakrola regulator. The DD6 drain from Kundli Industrial Area in Haryana emptied into the supplementary drain, it said, adding DD2 and DD8 drains from Panipat and Kundli in Haryana emptied directly into Yamuna right before the river entered Delhi.

It was pointed out at the meeting that the water discharged into the Najafgarh drain and Yamuna from these eight drains required to be treated for keeping the drain and the river clean.

The Haryana officials, including the chief secretary of the state, commissioner of urban local bodies, and commissioners of Gurugram and Faridabad, detailed the efforts being made by them and assured the L-G that it will be augmented enhanced and completed within a time frame corresponding to that of Delhi.
New Delhi, Apr 28 (PTI) The Delhi High Court Friday stayed an order asking Jasmine Shah, former vice chairperson of the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDCD), to vacate his government accommodation.

Justice Prathiba M Singh said when the writ petition filed by Shah challenging his removal from the post of DDCD vice chairperson was already pending in the court, such an eviction order cannot be passed by the authorities.

The court said the matter has already been heard 2-3 times.

"...under such circumstances, directions to the petitioner (Shah) to vacate his government residential premises and to treat him as an unauthorised occupant shall remain stayed, the judge said.

The court's order came on an application filed by Shah seeking to direct the authorities that no further steps be taken by them pursuant to the April 25 order, issued by the special secretary of the Public Works Department, to evict him from the premises, forming his current and only place of residence.

The application was filed in a pending petition of Shah challenging a November 17, 2022 order issued by Director (Planning), Delhi government, on the LG's request to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to remove him from the post of vice chairperson of DDCD, and pending such a decision, to restrain him from using his office space and withdraw the staff and facilities assigned to him.

The DDCD offices were subsequently sealed on the night of November 17 last year for preventing its alleged "misuse by Shah for political gains". The sealing exercise was undertaken by the Planning Department of the Delhi government.

"The impugned orders do not at all terminate the petitioner's designation or remove him from his post as vice chairperson. In such a case, an order directing his eviction from allotted government accommodation is entirely premature and without jurisdiction, the plea said.

Shah was represented through senior advocate Rahul Mehra.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, representing the LG, said the April 25 order was not issued by the LG and it was an order of PWD.

He said this order was an integral part of the original order passed in November last year vide which the issue has been referred to the President.

"This is a government accommodation under the Public Premises Act and withdrawing of the privileges including the house is already a part of the order, Jain said, adding that the petitioner has only been declared an unauthorised occupant and he could not have the application here.

The judge said, I must say I was very surprised to see this application.

The case is already listed for hearing on May 24.

The Delhi lieutenant governor had earlier told the high court that it should not "pre-judge" the issue of removal of Shah from the post and should await the decision of the President in the matter.

Shah's counsel had argued that the reference to the President was not in accordance with law and the matters of appointment in the present instance fell within the domain of the chief minister, which has been recognised by the LG as well, and there was thus "no basis" for the orders under challenge.

It was argued the chief minister did not favour Shah's removal and in the absence of any consultation with the council of ministers, the LG could not have referred the matter to the President.

In December last year, the LG had told the court that the issue relating to removal of Shah was pending before the President in terms of Article 239AA (4) of the Constitution and it would be prudent of all authorities not to take any further action in the matter.

LG Vinai Kumar Saxena had said that Kejriwal, despite being aware that Shah's matter was now required to be decided by the President, issued an order on December 8, 2022 directing the Planning Department to immediately recall the order by which Shah was restrained from discharging his duties in DDCD.

In his petition, Shah submitted that the orders passed against him are a "gross abuse of power and process", "wholly without any merit, an instance of colourable exercise of authority, illegal, ex facie mala fide and patently lacking in jurisdiction".

He also assailed orders locking his office and withdrawing all facilities as well as privileges.

Shah was behind the Delhi government's ambitious electric vehicle policy and is the vice chairman of the think tank involved in drawing blueprints of various initiatives of the city government, including its food truck policy, electronic city, and shopping festival, among others.

He enjoys the rank of a Cabinet minister and is entitled to perks and privileges of a Delhi government minister like official accommodation, office, vehicle and personal staff.
ANKARA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkish National Intelligence Organization captured a suspected member of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) abroad, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported Friday.

Rasim Akyol, a "fugitive" member of the PKK, was brought to Turkiye after being captured in an unspecified country, Anadolu quoted anonymous security sources.

The suspect was seeking to flee into Europe from the country he was last residing in when the Turkish security forces conducted the operation, the agency reported.

Akyol was sentenced by a Turkish court to 15 years in prison in absentia for "supplying arms to terrorist groups," Anadolu added.

He was reportedly among those charged with "aiding and abetting PKK members" that captured in 2018 in the southern province of Hatay with 25 kilos of explosives.

The PKK, listed as a terror organization by Turkiye, the United States and the European Union, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for more than three decades. 
New Delhi, Apr 28 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking a direction to the Maharashtra government that all party assets of the Shiv Sena being held by the Uddhav Thackeray faction be transferred to the group led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha questioned the locus of petitioner Ashish Giri, a lawyer, and dismissed his plea.

"Who are you? What is your locus," the bench asked and then said, "Dismissed." Giri said a plea has been filed in the top court as it has heard various petitions relating to the feud between the Thackeray and the Shinde factions. He had said the assets of the party should be transferred to the Shinde group.

"What kind of petition is this and who are you? Your request cannot be entertained," the bench said.

The top court, on March 16, had reserved its verdict on a batch of cross-petitions of Uddhav Thackeray and CM Eknath Shinde factions pertaining to the Maharashtra political crisis.

The poll panel has granted the symbol, bow and arrow, to the Shinde faction and the issue is presently sub-judice.
Belagavi, Apr 28 (PTI) Caught in the border dispute on linguistic grounds for the last seven decades, the Khanapur Assembly constituency located in Belagavi district of northern Karnataka is crying for development and people are pinning hopes on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for early resolution.

Khanapur with Marathi-speaking majority people is one of the 264 villages which the Mahajan Commission had recommended should be transferred to neighbouring Maharashtra way back in 1967. It also includes the Nippani Assembly segment.

Sadly, the dispute over the transfer of the number of linguistic majority villages to both Karnataka and Maharashtra has gradually become a politically sensitive issue with neighbouring Maharashtra asserting its claim over more area.

And the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi (MES), a pro-Marathi socio-political organisation which operates from Belagavi and enjoys support from across party lines from Maharashtra, has been fighting for this cause and even been contesting Assembly polls in Karnataka.

"MES has always fought the Assembly election in Khanapur raising the linguistic issue, not development. Three generations have suffered without seeing any development," Vittal Mahadev Karambalkar, Vice-President of Mahalaxmi Group that owns a sugar factory in this region, told PTI.

Since the start of the Assembly polls in 1960s in Karnataka, MES has won the maximum number of times from the Khanapur Assembly seat but no candidate has been re-elected so far. The BJP first won the seat in 2008, while the Congress did so in 2018.

"It was during the BJP tenure, about Rs 450 crore funds had come for the development of Khanapur. We hope the BJP wins again and our current generation gets to see development," said Parushuram Nayak, General Secretary, BJP- Schedule Tribe Morcha in Khanapur.

The pendency of Maharashtra government's plea in the Supreme Court challenging the State Reorganisation Act of 1956 and non-implementation of the 1967 Mahajan Commission recommendations have led to the neglect of Khanapur, which lacks infrastructure like bus facilities and schools in forest areas, proper roads, bridges and canals, higher education centres, among others.

Baju Patil, a farmer who owns two acres of land in Junjanwad village here said: "I am not able to take two crops due to lack of irrigation. We could easily address the water problem if a canal is built as we have the Malaprabha river flowing in this area."

Patil said he even struggles to get good quality farm inputs and finds it difficult to sell the produce at minimum support price.

Many of them complained that they were getting only 15 days work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in a year and it's hard to find a job in the absence of industry or business activity.

Although some of the eligible beneficiaries are getting the benefits of state and central schemes like free power for irrigation, financial assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (gramin) and PM-KISAN, the region still lags behind in development when compared to the neighbouring constituencies.

Not only Khanapur, residents of many of the villages which the Mahajan Commission recommended for transfer to both states are waiting for early resolution of this dispute so that development works are not delayed further.

The Mahajan Commission in its report submitted in 1967 had recommended that 264 villages should be transferred to Maharashtra, and that Belagavi and 247 villages should remain with Karnataka. However, Maharashtra rejected the report, calling it biased and illogical, while Karnataka welcomed it.

Despite demands from Karnataka, the Centre never implemented the recommendations of the report. And irrespective of the party in power, both states have from the beginning struck to their positions.

The Mahajan Commission report was tabled in Parliament way back in 1970 but no discussion has taken place yet. However, in 2004, the Maharashtra government filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging some provisions of the State Reorganisation Act, 1956 and demanded 865 villages from five districts of Karnataka.

"It's been 19 years, the apex court has not yet heard arguments about the maintainability of the petition. The Maharashtra government says it can get justice from the court, we are arguing the border issue comes under the purview of Parliament as per Article 3 of the Constitution," Kannada activist Ashok Chandargi said.

In the absence of "political will", the dispute remains unresolved despite the BJP-ruled governments in both states and even at the Centre. The stalemate continues till date and people continue to suffer, he added.

Unfortunately, the border dispute has not become an election issue in the Khanapur assembly segment where both BJP and Congress have fielded strong Marathi candidates Vittal Rao Halgekar and Anjali Nimbalkar respectively. MES has also fielded influential leader Muralidhar Patil to keep alive the border dispute issue.

Incidentally, many Marathi-speaking people are of the view that whatever little development undertaken so far in Khanapur is better than Maharashtra and have realised that MES has been fighting polls on linguistic grounds for political interests.

Asked if residents of Khanapur would be happy to be part of Maharashtra if the dispute gets resolved in the near future, householder Laxmi Bajirao Nayak said, "We have better facilities here and don't want to shift. I received Rs 1.50 lakh financial assistance under Awaas yojana and my father-in-law has received Rs 4,000 so far under the PM-KISAN."

"When I am getting everything in my house, why should I shift to another's house," Karambalkar said.

There are still some sections of people in Khanapur who want to be part of Maharashtra as they are finding it difficult to transact in Kannada language. For instance, property papers are in Kannada language which many people cannot read here.

A similar plight prevails in Kannada-speaking majority villages located in Maharashtra where the innocent people are caught in the crossfire of the current battle over the long-pending border dispute.
FILE - The Ruth & Pat, a herring seine boat, motors out of the fog, Friday, July 27, 2018, off the coast of South Portland, Maine. Fishermen in Maine's historic herring fishing business will receive money from the federal government to help cope with a decline in the fish's population that has caused the industry to struggle.The government has appropriated $7 million for the fishermen, the Maine Department of Marine Resources said Wednesday, April 26, 2023.
Prosecutors say the husband of a Massachusetts woman who has been missing since New Years Day suspected she was having an affair and persuaded his mother to hire a private investigator to prove it




Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley made headlines on Wednesday when she predicted that President Joe Biden, who is 80 years old, would likely die within the next five years. The former United Nations ambassador also suggested that Bidens supporters would have to rely on Vice President Kamala Harris if he were to win re-election next year.

He announced that hes running again in 2024, and I think that we can all be very clear and say with a matter of fact that if you vote for Joe Biden you really are counting on a President Harris, because the idea that he would make it until 86 years old is not something that I think is likely, Haley, 51, said in an interview on Fox News.

Haleys comments were met with an unusually blunt response from the White House. Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates told NBC News that while the administration does not typically respond directly to campaign remarks, he had honestly, forgot she was running.

The South Carolina Republican has been framing her presidential bid around a new generation of leadership. In her campaign launch speech, she proposed that politicians over the age of 75 be required to take a mental competency test  a suggestion that was met with criticism from First Lady Jill Biden, who called it ridiculous.

Haleys remarks come as Biden, the oldest president in U.S. history, seeks to address concerns about his age ahead of the 2024 election. Republicans are grappling with how to raise the issue without alienating older Americans, who tend to be dependable voters.

The question of Bidens age has been a recurring theme for Republicans since he announced his candidacy in 2019. While he has dismissed concerns about his fitness for office, some GOP operatives see it as a potential vulnerability in the upcoming election.

Haley is one of several Republicans vying for the partys nomination in 2024. While she has yet to gain significant traction in the polls, her comments about Biden are likely to generate attention and possibly appeal to some conservative voters who share her concerns about the presidents age.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




In an address at the Jerusalem Post conference, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis noted that modern Israel is only 75 years old but the Jewish nation is thousands of years old.

The Arabs tried to slay the Jewish State in its infancy, DeSantis said, praising Israel for maintaining its democracy despite the extreme volatility of the Middle East and threats of annihilation from Iran and its neighbors.

Soon there will come a day when there are no longer any Holocaust survivors alive, said DeSantis. We must remember the horrors of the Holocaust because those who forget history are bound to repeat its mistakes.

The popular governor also said that the US embassy will remain in Jersusalem no matter where the political winds blow.

The US must defend Israel against disfavored treatment by the UN and agenda-driven international bodiesand we must reject those who reject Israels right to exist as a Jewish State, he said.

DeSantis also bluntly asserted that the United States has no business being involved in Israels internal politics and policies.

Youre a smart country. You can figure it out. We shouldnt butt in to these important issues, he said.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




Israeli officials are concerned about the dwindling stockpile of US munitions stored in Israel which has been sent to aid Ukraine, Yisrael Hayom reported on Thursday.

As YWN reported, a New York Times article in January reported that alittle-known stockpile of American ammunition in Israel is being used by the Pentagon to supply Ukraine with artillery shells for its battle against Russia. According to the report, the US promised it will replenish the stockpile but at this point, there has been no indication from the Biden administration when that will happen, and as is known, the arms stockpiles in the US are currently strained.

The US request to transfer arms from Israel to Ukraine was approved by then-interim prime minister Yair Lapid. Sources told Yisrael Hayom that arms have been shipped every week until recently and were specifically shipped on Shabbos to avoid attention from the media.

Israeli defense officials are concerned by the dwindled arms supply in the face of Israels increasingly delicate security situation. The US arms stockpile has been in Israel for decades and there is an understanding between Jerusalem and Washington that the arms can be used by Israel in the case of an emergency  that is, a major attack by its Arab neighbors.

These are Israels reserve stockpiles for times of war, a former cabinet minister said. The transfer has serious implications in light of the threats to Israel in multiple theaters.

The Israeli officials concern is well-founded. A US official confirmed to Yisrael Hayom that it is still not clear when the reserves will be restocked, adding that it depends on the manufacturing pace in the US.

Following Netanayhus return to power and the left-wing sectors unprecedented incitement against his government, the relationship between Biden and Israel has deteriorated. Senior Israeli security officials say that Bidens cold shoulder to Israel along with his lack of response to Iranian aggression and failure to improve ties with Saudi Arabia is directly affecting Israels strategic situation in the region.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)




Warring factions trying to seize control of the east African nation of Sudan have plunged the country into chaos, and thousands are fleeing the capital of Khartoum and nearby battle zones. Some countries, including the U.S., have shuttered their embassies and many are coordinating daring evacuations of their staffs and other residents in an array of convoys, flights and frantic getaway drives.

But over the past week there have been dramatically different responses by various governments as they try to get their citizens and embassy personnel to safety. The U.S. has come under scrutiny for evacuating roughly 70 embassy staff in a helicopter mission by elite SEAL commandos over the weekend, while warning thousands of private American citizens in Sudan there would be no similar evacuation for them.

The State Department, which has advised U.S. citizens for years not to travel to Sudan, continues to advise Americans to shelter in place. Most of the estimated 16,000 Americans believed to be in Sudan right now are dual U.S.-Sudanese nationals and only a fraction of them have expressed a desire to leave.

But at least some of those who want to leave have managed to get to Port Sudan where they can take a ferry to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, or have gotten seats on flights operated by other countries.

A look at the situation:

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WHATS HAPPENING IN SUDAN

It all boils down to a struggle for power between two powerful generals and their armies: Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, who leads the Sudanese armed forces, and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the head of a paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces.

Four years ago, a popular uprising in Sudan helped depose long-time autocrat Omar al-Bashir. But in 2021, the two generals  Burhan and Dagalo  jointly orchestrated a coup that derailed efforts to develop a civilian government. Both men have a history of human rights abuses, and their forces have cracked down on pro-democracy activists.

Under international pressure, Burhan and Dagalo recently agreed to a framework agreement with political parties and pro-democracy groups. But the signing was repeatedly delayed as tensions rose over the integration of the RSF into the armed forces and the future chain of command. Tensions exploded into violence on April 15.

Each side has tens of thousands of troops in and around Khartoum and the city of Omdurman on the opposite bank of the Nile River. On Wednesday, the second day of the latest fragile ceasefire, sporadic fighting continued.

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HOW THE US GOT EMBASSY STAFF OUT

As security conditions worsened late last week, including damage to the civilian airport and an attack on a U.S. diplomatic convoy in Khartoum, the State Department concluded that the only way we could do this safely for all of our diplomatic personnel was to rely on the capabilities of our military colleagues, said Ambassador John Bass, State Department undersecretary for management.

On Saturday, the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum suspended its operations and ordered staff to leave the country.

The Department of Defense had begun moving resources to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti to prepare for a possible evacuation. On Saturday, three MH-47 Chinook helicopters carrying elite SEAL commandos took off from Djibouti enroute to Ethiopia, where they refueled and then made the three-hour flight to Khartoum.

The operation was fast and clean, with service members spending less than an hour on the ground in Khartoum, said Lt. Gen D.A. Sims, director of operations at the Joint Staff. The helicopters flew in and out of Khartoum without taking any fire.

___

AMERICANS STILL IN SUDAN

While embassy staff was airlifted out, there were no plans to provide similar evacuations for potentially thousands of Americans still in Sudan.

In a security alert Tuesday, the State Department reiterated that due to the uncertain security situation in Khartoum and closure of the airport, it is not currently safe to undertake a U.S. government-coordinated evacuation of private U.S. citizens.

Instead, it provided details on border crossings that are available and the requirements needed at each location. It cautioned that fighting continues and that many routes are dangerous and unpredictable.

American citizens who get to Port Sudan overland and can take a ferry to Jeddah will be assisted by the U.S. consulate there. Right now, the U.S. assistance for Americans is largely limited to phone and virtual help.

The U.S. could send Navy vessels to Port Sudan to ferry Americans to Jeddah or another location where they could get transportation back to the United States. However, officials say this would depend on the security situation and whether it is safe for ships to dock. The U.S. has developed other options, such as opening a temporary consulate in Port Sudan, beefing up its consulate in Jeddah to assist Americans as they arrive, or using a nearby airfield that other European countries have used to fly citizens out.

U.S. officials believe the security situation in Port Sudan is better than in the capital, but remain concerned about the potential for an escalation of violence.

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WHAT OTHER COUNTRIES ARE DOING

While the U.S. says its too dangerous to get its citizens out, other countries are proceeding with evacuations of their nationals.

France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Holland, Turkey, Japan, South Korea, Jordan, South Africa, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are among the countries that have evacuated their citizens and those of other countries.

Germanys defense ministry said in a tweet Tuesday it had ended its evacuation flights after flying more than 700 people out of Sudan including 200 Germans and hundreds more from more than 20 other nations. France said it had evacuated more than 500 people from 41 countries, and would keep a Navy frigate at Sudans main Red Sea port to continue assisting rescue operations for foreigners. The United Kingdom was continuing its military evacuations of civilians from an airport outside Khartoum. Brig. Dan Reeve told reporters Wednesday the situation was calm and that Sudans armed forces were maintaining good security around the airport.

Saudi Arabias state run news service said Tuesday it had evacuated about 2,150 people by ship from Sudan, including 114 Saudi citizens and more than 2,000 evacuees from 62 other nations. And Egypt, which had evacuated more than 1,500 of its citizens, said its diplomatic mission wont leave Sudan until it ensures the evacuation of all those who want to leave. An administrator with the Egyptian embassy in Khartoum was shot dead Monday, the Foreign Ministry said.

___

IS THE US RESPONSE UNUSUAL?

While many Americans may recall the dramatic 2021 evacuation of diplomats and private citizens alike from Afghanistan, those circumstances were far different. In most cases, the U.S. does not evacuate private citizens when it closes an embassy.

The situation in Afghanistan was different because the U.S. was ending a 20-year military presence in the country. It was trying to extricate the residual American presence there, much of which was directly tied to Washingtons role in propping up the Afghan government. No such situation existed or exists in Sudan.

More typical has been the practice in places like Yemen, Syria and Venezuela, where the U.S. suspended diplomatic operations and removed personnel because of turmoil, but did not evacuate private citizens.

The U.S. also briefly shuttered the embassy in Kyiv because of the Russia invasion, but there was no military evacuation for either diplomats or private citizens, and the embassy has since re-opened.

In contrast with the situation in Afghanistan, the U.S. was not involved militarily in the Sudan conflict and had no military presence on the ground apart from the small number of Marine guards at the Khartoum embassy.

Also, the U.S. has warned Americans for several years not to travel to Sudan and told them that consular assistance at the embassy was extremely limited.

(AP)




A federal appeals court on Wednesday night moved former Vice President Mike Pence closer to appearing before a grand jury investigating efforts to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election, rejecting a bid by lawyers for former President Donald Trump to block the testimony.

It was not immediately clear what day Pence might appear before the grand jury, which for months has been investigating the events preceding the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and efforts by Trump and his allies to subvert the election outcome. But Pences testimony, coming as he inches toward a likely entrance in the 2024 presidential race, would be a milestone moment in the investigation and would likely give prosecutors a key first-person account as they press forward with their inquiry.

The order from the three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia Circuit was sealed and none of the parties are mentioned by name in online court records. But the appeal in the sealed case was filed just days after a lower-court judge had directed Pence to testify over objections from the Trump team.

A lawyer for Pence and a spokesman for Trump did not immediately return emails seeking comment, and a spokesman for the Justice Department special counsel leading the investigation declined to comment.

The appeal was decided by Judge Gregory Katsas, a Trump appointee, and judges Patricia Millett and Gregory Wilkins, both appointees of former President Barack Obama. It was not clear if lawyers for Trump might ask the entire appeals court to hear the matter.

Pence was subpoenaed to testify earlier this year, but lawyers for Trump objected, citing executive privilege concerns. A judge in March refused to block Pences appearance, though he did side with the former vice presidents constitutional claims that he could not be forced to answer questions about anything related to his role as presiding over the Senates certification of votes on Jan. 6.

A spokesman for Pence subsequently said that the former vice president would not appeal and that his arguments about the Constitutions speech or debate clause, which is intended to protect members of Congress from being questioned about official legislative acts, had been vindicated.

Well obey the law, well tell the truth, Pence said in an interview with CBS Newss Face the Nation that aired Sunday. And the story that Ive been telling the American people all across the country, the story that I wrote in the pages of my memoir, thatll be the story I tell in that setting.

Pence has spoken extensively about Trumps pressure campaign urging him to reject Bidens victory in the days leading up to Jan. 6, including in his book So Help Me God. Pence, as vice president, had a ceremonial role overseeing Congress counting of the Electoral College vote, but did not have the power to affect the results, despite Trumps contention otherwise.

Pence has said that Trump endangered his family and everyone else who was at the Capitol that day and history will hold him accountable.

For four years, we had a close working relationship. It did not end well, Pence wrote, summing up their time in the White House.

The special counsel leading the investigation, Jack Smith, has cast a broad net in interviews and has sought the testimony of a long list of former Trump aides, including ex-White House counsel Pat Cipollone and former adviser Stephen Miller.

Smith is separately investigating Trump over the potential mishandling of hundreds of classified documents at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, as well as possible efforts to obstruct that probe. On Wednesday, Trumps lawyers in that investigation called the Justice Department investigation severely botched and politically infected and urged the House Intelligence Committee to step in by holding hearings and introducing legislation to correct classified document handling procedures in the White House and standardize procedures for presidents and vice presidents for when they leave office.

DOJ should be ordered to stand down, and the intelligence community should instead conduct an appropriate investigation and provide a full report to this Committee, as well as your counterparts in the Senate, the lawyers wrote.

It is not clear when either of the special counsels investigations will end or who, if anyone, will be charged.

(AP)
BUDAPEST, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The evacuation of Hungarian citizens from conflict-ridden Sudan has been successfully completed, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said late on Wednesday on his Facebook page.

Speaking live from Laos, Szijjarto said the last two Hungarians, two children, had successfully left Sudan, thanks to cooperation with Sweden.

"They are now in Djibouti, safe," he said, adding that they will receive temporary documents to enable their return home.

A total of 29 Hungarian citizens had been evacuated from Sudan in recent days, with the cooperation of several international partners, including the United Nations and other countries.

Deadly armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which broke out on April 15, have reportedly killed hundreds of people and left thousands injured. 




Chinas military flew 38 fighter jets and other warplanes near Taiwan, the Taiwanese defense ministry said Friday, in the biggest such flight display since the large military exercise in which it simulated sealing off the island earlier in April.

Naval vessels were also seen in the area as part of Chinas long-running campaign of intimidation against Taiwan.

Later Friday, Chinas Peoples Liberation Army issued a protest over the flight of a United States Navy P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft through the Taiwan Strait, which separates mainland China from the self-governing island democracy claimed by Beijing.

Calling Thursdays flight a provocation that the U.S. openly hyped up, the PLAs Eastern Theater Command said it scrambled fighter jets to monitor the planes flight.

Such acts fully prove that the U.S. is a disruptor of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and a creator of security risks, the statement said. Theater troops maintain a high level of alert at all times and resolutely defend national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability.

The U.S. 7th Fleet said Thursdays flight was in accordance with international law and demonstrates the United States commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate anywhere international law allows including within the Taiwan Strait, the statement said.

The U.S. remains Taiwans closest military and political ally, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between them. U.S. law requires Washington to treat all threats to the island as matters of grave concern, though it remains ambiguous over whether American forces would be dispatched to help defend the island.

Beijing has threatened to bring Taiwan under its control by force if necessary, and Chinas intensely nationalistic leader Xi Jinping has sworn never to give up a single inch of territory claimed by his country  a pledge that applies to Taiwan, the disputed border with India, and the South China Sea that China claims almost in its entirety.

In addition to the latest Chinese warplane flights, Chinese navy vessels were spotted in the area from 6 a.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday, the islands Defense Ministry said.

Nineteen of the aircraft flew across the midline in the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from the mainland, the ministry said. It said they included five SU-30 and two J-16 fighter jets, along with one drone: a large, long-endurance TB-001 Scorpion capable of carrying a variety of bombs and missiles that circled the island in a relatively rare move, according to a diagram from the Defense Ministry.

It wasnt clear what, if anything, prompted the large-scale Chinese action, but Chinas efforts to train for a potential attack, wear down the islands military and impact Taiwans politics have become increasingly ambitious.

U.S. military officials recently said they are increasingly concerned that a massive buildup in Chinas military capabilities makes the potential for a conflict more likely.

China held exercises simulating the sealing off the island after the sensitive April 5 meeting between Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California. China opposes any exchanges at the official level between Taiwan and other governments.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 following a civil war that ended with the Communist Party in control of the mainland. The island has never been part of the Peoples Republic of China, but Beijing says it must unite with the mainland, by force if necessary.

(AP)




Speaking at a campaign stop in Manchester, New Hampshire, Donald Trump said he would be retiring his Crooked Hillary nickname for Hillary Clinton and instead give the Crooked moniker to Joe Biden.

I will be retiring the name Crooked from Hillary Clinton, Trump told the crowd of nearly 2,000 cheering and jeering supporters. And Im going to give her a new name  I dont know, like maybe Lovely Hillary or Beautiful Hillary  but Im going to retire the name Crooked so that we can use the name for Joe Biden, because hell be known from now on as Crooked Joe Biden.'

Trump joked that Hillary is out there someplace celebrating that she no longer has the Crooked nickname, adding that there has never been anyone in the history of American politics so crooked or dishonest as Joe Biden.

And the press absolutely refuses to report it, he said.

It is Biden who poses the threat to democracy because he is grossly incompetent, he has no idea what he is doing and basically, he doesnt have a clue, and that is a very bad position to put our country in, Trump said.

Our country is in a very, very dangerous position right now. Very, very dangerous.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Dominic Remmers from Harpenden, travelled 107 miles to take a driving test in Derby in a bid to avoid huge waiting times in St Albans

Some learner drivers are travelling more than 100 miles to take their tests at centres with the shortest waiting times due to the huge delays for exams in some parts of the country caused by a bulging backlog of budding motorists built up during Covid.

On Thursday, This is Money exclusively revealed the average waiting times for practical driving tests at all 243 centres in Britain, with some extending to half a year.

The postcode lottery of delays showed a massive four and a half month gulf between test centres with the shortest wait times and those with expansive booking lists.

Dominic Remmers, 18, from Harpenden was told last summer he would be joining the back of a three-month queue at his local driving test centre in St Albans if he wanted to take the test there.

So instead, he made the decision to travel two hours and 107 miles north to Derby where he could sit the test within a month, but in a city he'd never driven before.

In order to learn the roads he'd be tackling, Dominic utilised a new 'cheat code' app that plots the test routes at every driving centre in the country.

Official figures show the latest recorded waiting times for driving tests are now around double what they were in 2020, with learners expected to wait for more than three and a half months on average.

READ MORE: Driving test waiting time postcode lottery The DVSA's data shows that the longest average waiting time at a driving test centre in the last 12 months is almost half a year. However, the shortest is just a month. Route-Led's research revealed Wales had the shortest average waiting time of two months at the end of March this year. Scotland's driving test centres have the longest average waiting time of almost four months and those for England are just over three and a half months. In terms of the specific test centres, Bradford (Thornbury), Bolton (Manchester), Hamilton, Hendon (London) and Glasgow (Shieldhall) had the longest average delays of nearly six months at the end of March this year. In contrast Cardigan and Carmarthen has the shortest average waiting time of just one month. > Read the full report

Despite the DVSA increasing testing hours, bringing older invigilators out of retirement and introducing new rules and stipulations to clear the backlog, it has so far failed to reduce the logjam.

This is why some learners have taken matter into their own hands to find the locations with the shortest waiting times and book their tests there in a bid to get their hands on a licence sooner.

'I started looking for a test slot at the beginning of July 2022 but the earliest slot in St Albans was October that year,' Dominic said.

'I was desperate to get an earlier slot so I started searching the official test website every hour. I kept changing the postcode up and down the country until I found a slot in July.

'But it was in Derby, 107 miles away.

'I was confident about my ability to drive but had never practiced any of the test routes there.'

Dominic said he then found the Route-Led 'Driving Test Routes' app while searching on his phone.

It provides learners with the routes commonly used by invigilators at all 243 driving test centres up and down the country.

'My dad and I went up to Derby the day before my test and we practiced routes from the app.

'This boosted my confidence that I wasn't going to get caught out on the exam. The next day, I took my test and passed,' he said.

'The exam route ended up being a combination of the routes in the Driving Test Routes app so I was pretty pleased I had managed to practice them the day before.

'I was really happy that I switched test centres as it reduced my wait time by three months.

'I think some people are scared to try slots at different places around the country but I would just say that, if you're good enough to pass your test, you're good enough to drive anywhere in the country.'

The 'cheat code' app for driving tests

Route-Led LLP was incorporated in September 2010 by co-founders Martin Williams and David Hesketh.

David tells us that the business initially provided driving test routes - at a cost - via satellite navigation systems only.

This had been powered by test route information shared by the DVSA in the early noughties, though the PDF-format directions were swiftly withdrawn from public view after only a matter of months.

In June 2021, the Driving Test Routes app was launched for both Apple and Android.

The Driving Test Routes app was launched in June 2021 and provides directions for the routes used for practical examinations at all 243 test centres in Britain

'We were fortunate enough to have downloaded all of the published routes that the DVSA had made available,' David tells us.

'We have found various methods of updating these, including collaboration with driving instructors around the country and our large customer base.'

This includes customers who have requested refunds having been taken on slightly modified versions of the route than those on the app.

When reimbursed, customers are asked to provide information on how the route differed to what the app showed so that Route-Led update its guidance on a daily basis.

'In a way it has been very fortuitous timing to launch the app because we'd just been through Covid and demand started going mental due to the huge backlog caused by tests being unavailable throughout much of 2020 during lockdown,' David explains.

David Hesketh, co-founder of Route-Led, says the routes are updated regularly using 'collaboration with driving instructors around the country and the app's large customer base'

He says the app has grown by 8 per cent monthly since launch and over 220,000 people have installed it in less than two years.

Before the pandemic - around 1.6million practical tests are taken annually, though some are repeat examinations after failing, with the average pass rate currently at a fraction under 50 per cent.

The app costs a monthly subscription of 12.99 for one test centre. Adding an additional centre's route costs a one-off price of 9.99.

Originally, the app was listed in the 'navigation' section of the App Store, but has since been moved to the 'education' sector, alongside other driving test applications. And it is now among the top 20 highest grossing in that segment.

David points out that if you filter every app by the highest grossing, they're nearly all driving instruction, language apps - like Duolingo - or applications to teach you to play a musical instrument.

It's not just learners who are using the app - approved driving instructors are utilising it to teach lessons in regions they don't usually cover but there has been an increase in demand due to varying waiting times across the country

Instructors are using the app to learn different test centre routes due to backlog

And the app isn't only used by learners.

Instructors are utilising it too - and they account for the base level of demand for the application.

'Driving instructors want the tool because they are seeing an increase in people learning in their local area but are unable to get a test date early enough at their nearest centre - and therefore book somewhere else,' David said.

'When they tell their instructors, many of them who have traditionally operated only locally are needing to learn what exam routes will be in different towns and cities to ensure their customers are confident on those roads too.'

Driving instructors can have up six free test centre routes on top of their monthly subscription.

David Grant, an approved driving instructor who operates predominantly in Reading, High Wycombe and Slough, says he downloaded the app after receiving a rise in customers telling him they were taking their test in Greenham and Aylesbury due to shorter waiting times.

'My students are having to book driving tests miles away from their homes, due to the very long (circa five month) driving test lead time locally,' David says.

'The app is useful for teaching students in areas they are less familiar with.'

The app has also been launched in Ireland, Canada and in California and New York in the US. It will shortly be available in Australia.
Embattled British technology business WANdisco has revealed that a single individual was behind the inconsistencies in its revenue and sales results.

Seven weeks ago, the software provider suspended trading of its shares on the junior AIM market after uncovering 'significant, sophisticated and potentially fraudulent irregularities' in the previous year's financial statements.

Professional services group FRP Advisory was subsequently appointed to lead an investigation into the matter. The Financial Conduct Authority is also conducting a probe into the alleged fraud.

Problem: Seven weeks ago, WANdisco suspended trading of its shares after uncovering 'significant, sophisticated and potentially fraudulent irregularities' in its financial statements

Earlier this month, it reported that almost $15million of turnover and more than $115million of sales were falsely added to the company's 2022 financial results.

WANdisco actually made $9million in revenue last year instead of the $24million recorded in January 2023, while its bookings totalled a meagre $11.4million rather than the previously declared $127million.

FRP reiterated those findings on Friday, as well as its judgement that all purchase orders connected to an - as yet unnamed - senior sales employee were 'illegitimate' while all other orders were above board.

It also said that 'no credible evidence' existed of customers who use the company's technology of unintentionally making payments to an unapproved third party.

WANdisco's founder and chief executive, David Richards, and finance boss, Erik Miller, stepped down amidst the publication of those preliminary conclusions, although the business claimed their departures were unrelated to the findings.

Kenneth Lever, the group's recently-appointed executive chairman, said: 'We are pleased to receive these findings, which confirm the limits of the impact of the identified irregularities in line with our announcement of April 3.

'The board remains squarely focused on workstreams to lift the suspension of our shares as soon as is practicable and position WANdisco for long-term growth and success.'

WANdisco will now pass on the report's findings to its auditors in order for the 2022 financial results to be continued and finalised.

Founded in 2005 and dually-headquartered in Sheffield and California, WANdisco designs software that enables companies to transfer large datasets to the cloud for use in fields like artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Prominent clients have included technology giants Google and Amazon, web hosting platform GoDaddy, carmaker Mercedes-Benz Group, and the University of Sheffield.

Prior to March 2023, it was one of the UK's fastest-growing firms and considering listing its shares on Wall Street in the hopes of gaining a higher valuation.
Franklin Covey (NYSE:FC  Get Rating) and Veritec (OTCMKTS:VRTC  Get Rating) are both small-cap business services companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, analyst recommendations, dividends, valuation, institutional ownership, profitability and risk.

Risk & Volatility

Franklin Covey has a beta of 1.23, meaning that its stock price is 23% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Veritec has a beta of -22.63, meaning that its stock price is 2,363% less volatile than the S&P 500.

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Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Franklin Covey and Veritec, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Franklin Covey 0 0 3 0 3.00 Veritec 0 0 0 0 N/A

Earnings and Valuation

Franklin Covey presently has a consensus price target of $72.00, suggesting a potential upside of 100.00%. Given Franklin Coveys higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Franklin Covey is more favorable than Veritec.

This table compares Franklin Covey and Veritecs revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Franklin Covey $262.84 million 1.90 $18.43 million $1.34 26.87 Veritec $350,000.00 N/A -$510,000.00 ($0.03) -0.60

Franklin Covey has higher revenue and earnings than Veritec. Veritec is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Franklin Covey, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

68.1% of Franklin Covey shares are owned by institutional investors. 12.9% of Franklin Covey shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 51.8% of Veritec shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Franklin Covey and Veritecs net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Franklin Covey 6.93% 18.48% 6.53% Veritec -201.65% N/A -460.19%

Summary

Franklin Covey beats Veritec on 11 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Franklin Covey

(Get Rating)

Franklin Covey Co. engages in organizational performance improvement. It operates through the following segments: Direct Offices, International Licensees, Education Practice, and Corporate and Other. The Direct Offices segment includes sales personnel that serve the United States and Canada. The International Licensees segment focuses on international licensees royalty revenues. The Education Practice is involved in domestic and international education practice operations. The Corporate and Other segment refers to corporate and other information including royalty revenue from Franklin Planner Corporation. The company was founded by Brent L. Bishop, Stephen R. Covey, and Hyrum Wayne Smith in 1983 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT.

About Veritec

(Get Rating)

Veritec, Inc. engages in the development, sales, and licensing of products. It also provides services related to mobile banking solutions. The firm also operates in back-end cardholder transaction processing services for visa-branded card programs on behalf of its sponsoring bank. The company was founded on September 8, 1982 and is headquartered in Golden Valley, MN.

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Citizens (NYSE:CIA  Get Rating) and FOXO Technologies (NYSE:FOXO  Get Rating) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, risk, dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and earnings.

Volatility and Risk

Citizens has a beta of 0.2, suggesting that its stock price is 80% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, FOXO Technologies has a beta of 2.22, suggesting that its stock price is 122% more volatile than the S&P 500.

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Profitability

This table compares Citizens and FOXO Technologies net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Citizens -2.85% -10.21% -0.41% FOXO Technologies N/A -18,881.06% -90.78%

Analyst Recommendations

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Citizens 0 0 0 0 N/A FOXO Technologies 0 0 0 0 N/A

This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for Citizens and FOXO Technologies, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Citizens and FOXO Technologies top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Citizens $232.52 million 0.45 -$6.64 million ($0.13) -16.31 FOXO Technologies $511,000.00 26.55 -$95.25 million N/A N/A

Citizens has higher revenue and earnings than FOXO Technologies.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

16.8% of Citizens shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 73.9% of FOXO Technologies shares are held by institutional investors. 0.4% of Citizens shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 3.0% of FOXO Technologies shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

FOXO Technologies beats Citizens on 5 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Citizens

(Get Rating)

Citizens, Inc. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of insurance and reinsurance services. It operates through the Life Insurance and Home Service Insurance segments. The Life Insurance segment primarily issues ordinary whole life insurance and endowment policies in U.S. dollar-denominated amounts to foreign residents. The Home Service Insurance segment focuses on the life insurance needs of the middle- and lower-income markets. The company was founded by Harold Eugene Riley in 1969 and is headquartered in Austin, TX.

About FOXO Technologies

(Get Rating)

FOXO Technologies Inc., a technology platform company, focuses on commercializing longevity science through products and services that serve the life insurance industry. The company is developing products and services that combine longevity science with life insurance to support the consumer health and wellness engagement, and to simplify the consumer underwriting journey. It offers FOXO Labs, a services platform that integrates saliva-based epigenetic biomarkers into accelerated underwriting protocols to improve the customer underwriting journey; and FOXO Life, an insurance products platform that offers proprietary life insurance products and third-party life insurance carrier products based on bundling longevity science with life insurance. The company was founded in 2019 and is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG  Get Rating) had its target price lifted by research analysts at TD Cowen from $2,050.00 to $2,200.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage presently has an outperform rating on the restaurant operators stock. TD Cowens price objective would suggest a potential upside of 8.04% from the companys previous close.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. KeyCorp raised their price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,780.00 to $1,870.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, April 6th. Raymond James increased their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,900.00 to $2,100.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $2,000.00 to $2,200.00 in a research report on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,800.00 to $1,950.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,940.00 to $2,050.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Chipotle Mexican Grill presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $2,021.37.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance

Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill stock opened at $2,036.26 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,643.24 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,559.78. The company has a market cap of $56.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 62.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.32. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a fifty-two week low of $1,196.28 and a fifty-two week high of $2,047.31.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Chipotle Mexican Grill ( NYSE:CMG Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The restaurant operator reported $10.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.89 by $1.61. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 11.49% and a return on equity of 45.99%. The company had revenue of $2.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.34 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $5.70 EPS. Chipotle Mexican Grills revenue was up 18.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 41.46 EPS for the current year.

In related news, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 2,193 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,633.11, for a total value of $3,581,410.23. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 23,347 shares in the company, valued at approximately $38,128,219.17. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 2,193 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,633.11, for a total transaction of $3,581,410.23. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 23,347 shares in the company, valued at approximately $38,128,219.17. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 5,636 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,646.82, for a total transaction of $9,281,477.52. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 23,347 shares of the companys stock, valued at $38,448,306.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 10,856 shares of company stock valued at $17,938,741. Company insiders own 1.01% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chipotle Mexican Grill

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CMG. Panagora Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 79.5% in the first quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 948 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $1,500,000 after buying an additional 420 shares during the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. increased its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 15.5% in the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 171 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $271,000 after buying an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board grew its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 7.3% during the first quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 3,032 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $4,796,000 after purchasing an additional 205 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 6.1% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 777 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $1,229,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 38.9% during the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 218 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $345,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.26% of the companys stock.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc engages in the development and operation of classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. It offers a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls, and salads prepared using classic cooking methods. The company was founded by Steve Ells in 1993 and is headquartered in Newport Beach, CA.

Further Reading

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Deutsche Lufthansa AG (OTCMKTS:DLAKY  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 200 shares, a decline of 98.0% from the March 31st total of 9,900 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 57,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DLAKY has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus upgraded shares of Deutsche Lufthansa from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. UBS Group raised Deutsche Lufthansa from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, March 15th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Deutsche Lufthansa in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. They set an underweight rating for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Deutsche Lufthansa from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, March 31st. Finally, HSBC raised Deutsche Lufthansa from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, March 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Deutsche Lufthansa presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $7.80.

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Deutsche Lufthansa Trading Up 1.7 %

OTCMKTS:DLAKY opened at $10.55 on Friday. Deutsche Lufthansa has a twelve month low of $5.40 and a twelve month high of $11.67. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $10.66 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $9.16.

Institutional Trading of Deutsche Lufthansa

Deutsche Lufthansa ( OTCMKTS:DLAKY Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, March 3rd. The transportation company reported $0.27 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.35 by ($0.08). Deutsche Lufthansa had a net margin of 2.19% and a return on equity of 9.46%. The business had revenue of $9.06 billion during the quarter. Equities analysts predict that Deutsche Lufthansa will post 1.49 earnings per share for the current year.

A hedge fund recently bought a new stake in Deutsche Lufthansa stock. Yousif Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Deutsche Lufthansa AG (OTCMKTS:DLAKY  Get Rating) during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 19,989 shares of the transportation companys stock, valued at approximately $115,000.

Deutsche Lufthansa Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Deutsche Lufthansa AG engages in the provision of passenger, freight, and cargo airline services. It operates through the following segments: Network Airlines, Eurowings, Logistics, Maintenance Repair Overhaul, Catering and Additional Businesses and Group Functions. The Network Airlines segment comprises Lufthansa German Airlines, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines.

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iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:LQD  Get Rating) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock investors purchased 85,429 put options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 26% compared to the average volume of 67,675 put options.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Money Design Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF by 10.0% during the first quarter. Money Design Co. Ltd. now owns 581,065 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $63,691,000 after purchasing an additional 52,881 shares during the period. American National Bank increased its holdings in iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF by 20,900.0% in the 1st quarter. American National Bank now owns 420 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 418 shares during the last quarter. James Investment Research Inc. increased its holdings in shares of iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF by 53.0% in the 1st quarter. James Investment Research Inc. now owns 4,929 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $540,000 after buying an additional 1,707 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its stake in iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF by 27.4% in the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 25,786 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,826,000 after acquiring an additional 5,552 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV boosted its stake in shares of iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF by 67.0% during the first quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 6,042 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $662,000 after purchasing an additional 2,424 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.51% of the companys stock.

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iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF Price Performance

Shares of LQD stock opened at $109.08 on Friday. iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF has a 1 year low of $98.41 and a 1 year high of $115.66. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $107.93 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $106.99.

About iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF

iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the Markit iBoxx USD Liquid Investment Grade Index (the Index), which is a rules-based index consisting of liquid, the United States dollar-denominated, investment-grade corporate bonds for sale in the United States.

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BELGRADE, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic made a public appearance in the east of the country on Friday, refuting claims he had been urgently admitted to hospital due to an unnamed illness.

Vucic visited the Zajecar district and made a speech in the tourist resort of Sokobanja, just hours after the media had reported that he had been hospitalized.

The president said that Serbia will provide more tourist vouchers to keep as many people as possible in the country, especially during the summer months.

Earlier on Friday, Vucic told the Russian news agency Sputnik he is fine. "I'm going on a tour of Serbia today from noon," said Vucic.

Allegations about Vucic's urgent hospital admittance had derived solely from posts Thursday on social media, which were republished by local media as unverified rumors. 
Wilmar International Limited (OTCMKTS:WLMIY  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,000 shares, an increase of 42.9% from the March 31st total of 2,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 3,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.8 days.

Wilmar International Trading Down 1.9 %

Shares of WLMIY stock opened at $29.34 on Friday. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $30.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $29.60. Wilmar International has a fifty-two week low of $24.13 and a fifty-two week high of $32.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

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Wilmar International Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 27th will be issued a $0.7719 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 3.74%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 26th. This is an increase from Wilmar Internationals previous dividend of $0.39.

About Wilmar International

Wilmar International Ltd. is an investment holding company, which engages in the processing, merchandising, and distribution of agricultural products. It operates through the following segments: Tropical Oils; Oilseeds and Grains; Sugar; and Others. The Tropical Oils segments processes, merchandise, brands and distributes palm oil and laurics related products including oleo chemical and biodiesel.

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Prospa Group Limited (ASX:PGL  Get Rating) insider Greg Moshal purchased 50,000 shares of Prospa Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 24th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of A$0.47 ($0.32) per share, for a total transaction of A$23,500.00 ($15,771.81).

Greg Moshal also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Wednesday, April 19th, Greg Moshal purchased 50,000 shares of Prospa Group stock. The shares were acquired at an average cost of A$0.45 ($0.30) per share, for a total transaction of A$22,400.00 ($15,033.56).

On Friday, April 21st, Greg Moshal purchased 30,672 shares of Prospa Group stock. The shares were acquired at an average cost of A$0.45 ($0.30) per share, for a total transaction of A$13,710.38 ($9,201.60).

On Wednesday, March 8th, Greg Moshal purchased 9,009 shares of Prospa Group stock. The shares were acquired at an average cost of A$0.56 ($0.38) per share, for a total transaction of A$5,054.05 ($3,391.98).

On Tuesday, February 28th, Greg Moshal acquired 9,009 shares of Prospa Group stock. The shares were bought at an average cost of A$0.56 ($0.37) per share, for a total transaction of A$5,000.00 ($3,355.70).

On Thursday, March 2nd, Greg Moshal acquired 18,018 shares of Prospa Group stock. The shares were bought at an average cost of A$0.54 ($0.36) per share, for a total transaction of A$9,729.72 ($6,530.01).

On Monday, February 13th, Greg Moshal acquired 123,684 shares of Prospa Group stock. The shares were bought at an average cost of A$0.58 ($0.39) per share, for a total transaction of A$71,241.98 ($47,813.41).

Prospa Group Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 45.81, a quick ratio of 53.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 612.57.

Prospa Group Company Profile

Prospa Group Limited, an online lending company, provides finance services to small businesses in Australia. The company offers business accounts, as well as small and plus business loans, and line of credits. It serves art and lifestyle, building and trade, financial services, hair and beauty, health, hospitality, manufacturing, professional services, retail, transport, wholesaling, and other industries.

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Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC  Get Rating) has received a consensus rating of Hold from the twelve research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $99.86.

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Omnicom Group from $84.00 to $109.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Macquarie upped their price target on shares of Omnicom Group from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. BNP Paribas raised Omnicom Group from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $96.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. StockNews.com began coverage on Omnicom Group in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Omnicom Group from $100.00 to $103.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Omnicom Group news, CEO John Wren sold 100,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.84, for a total transaction of $9,384,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 328,448 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $30,821,560.32. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.30% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Omnicom Group

Omnicom Group Price Performance

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Strategic Investment Advisors MI boosted its holdings in shares of Omnicom Group by 97.4% in the 1st quarter. Strategic Investment Advisors MI now owns 17,937 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $1,692,000 after buying an additional 8,852 shares during the last quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co. lifted its holdings in Omnicom Group by 75.3% during the 1st quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co. now owns 78,246 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $7,382,000 after purchasing an additional 33,622 shares during the last quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. lifted its holdings in Omnicom Group by 34.3% during the 1st quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 6,848 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $646,000 after purchasing an additional 1,749 shares during the last quarter. Simplicity Solutions LLC lifted its holdings in Omnicom Group by 82.6% during the 1st quarter. Simplicity Solutions LLC now owns 20,088 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $1,895,000 after purchasing an additional 9,089 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of Omnicom Group by 2.2% during the first quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 59,284 shares of the business services providers stock worth $5,593,000 after buying an additional 1,302 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.20% of the companys stock.

NYSE OMC opened at $90.26 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $91.37 and a 200-day simple moving average of $83.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.85. Omnicom Group has a 52-week low of $61.31 and a 52-week high of $96.78.

Omnicom Group (NYSE:OMC  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 18th. The business services provider reported $1.56 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $3.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.38 billion. Omnicom Group had a return on equity of 41.72% and a net margin of 9.57%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.39 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Omnicom Group will post 7.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Omnicom Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 10th were given a dividend of $0.70 per share. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.10%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 9th. Omnicom Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 42.11%.

About Omnicom Group

(Get Rating)

Omnicom Group, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of advertising, marketing and corporate communications services. Its agency networks operate in the advertising, marketing, and corporate communications services industry, which are organized into regions, which are the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific.

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Manulife Financial Co. (TSE:MFC  Get Rating) (NYSE:MFC) has been given a consensus recommendation of Hold by the twelve brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, one has issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is C$27.55.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on MFC shares. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Manulife Financial from C$26.00 to C$28.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Friday, February 17th. CIBC lifted their price objective on shares of Manulife Financial from C$23.00 to C$27.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 25th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Manulife Financial from C$30.00 to C$31.00 in a report on Monday, February 27th. National Bankshares lifted their price objective on shares of Manulife Financial from C$26.00 to C$27.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Thursday, February 16th. Finally, Cormark boosted their target price on shares of Manulife Financial from C$25.00 to C$27.00 in a research note on Monday, January 23rd.

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Manulife Financial Trading Up 2.0 %

TSE:MFC opened at C$26.41 on Friday. Manulife Financial has a 12 month low of C$20.81 and a 12 month high of C$27.50. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of C$25.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of C$24.66. The company has a current ratio of 4.70, a quick ratio of 2.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 43.99. The company has a market capitalization of C$48.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.18, a PEG ratio of 12.96 and a beta of 1.12.

Manulife Financial Increases Dividend

Manulife Financial ( TSE:MFC Get Rating ) (NYSE:MFC) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The financial services provider reported C$0.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$0.81 by C$0.07. The company had revenue of C$15.40 billion during the quarter. Manulife Financial had a net margin of 47.00% and a return on equity of 12.46%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Manulife Financial will post 3.3701799 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 20th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 28th were paid a dividend of $0.365 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 27th. This is a positive change from Manulife Financials previous quarterly dividend of $0.33. This represents a $1.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.53%. Manulife Financials dividend payout ratio is currently 39.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Manulife Financial

In other news, Director Donald Richard Lindsay acquired 50,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 9th. The shares were purchased at an average price of C$26.64 per share, for a total transaction of C$1,332,005.00. In other news, Director Donald Richard Lindsay bought 50,000 shares of Manulife Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 9th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of C$26.64 per share, with a total value of C$1,332,005.00. Also, Director Marianne Harrison sold 36,995 shares of Manulife Financial stock in a transaction on Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$26.78, for a total value of C$990,607.72. Insiders own 0.03% of the companys stock.

About Manulife Financial

(Get Rating)

Manulife Financial Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services in Asia, Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Wealth and Asset Management Businesses; Insurance and Annuity Products; And Corporate and Other segments. The Wealth and Asset Management Businesses segment provides mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, group retirement and savings products, and institutional asset management services through agents and brokers affiliated with the company, securities brokerage firms, and financial advisors pension plan consultants and banks.

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Core Laboratories (NYSE:CLB  Get Rating) updated its second quarter 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided EPS guidance of $0.20-$0.24 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $0.21. The company issued revenue guidance of $130.00 million-$135.00 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $132.83 million.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CLB has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup raised their price target on Core Laboratories from $21.00 to $26.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 7th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Core Laboratories in a research report on Tuesday. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Bank of America cut Core Laboratories from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and set a $21.50 price target for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. They noted that the move was a valuation call.

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Core Laboratories Trading Up 8.2 %

Core Laboratories stock opened at $22.56 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.05 billion, a PE ratio of 55.02, a P/E/G ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 2.66. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $22.54 and a 200 day moving average price of $21.69. Core Laboratories has a 52 week low of $13.19 and a 52 week high of $31.42. The company has a current ratio of 2.05, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91.

Core Laboratories Dividend Announcement

Core Laboratories ( NYSE:CLB Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 2nd. The oil and gas company reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.19 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $127.57 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $130.12 million. Core Laboratories had a return on equity of 15.61% and a net margin of 4.72%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.20 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Core Laboratories will post 0.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 13th were paid a $0.01 dividend. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.18%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 10th. Core Laboratoriess payout ratio is 9.76%.

Institutional Trading of Core Laboratories

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Ariel Investments LLC boosted its stake in Core Laboratories by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. Ariel Investments LLC now owns 8,198,544 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $259,320,000 after buying an additional 394,237 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in Core Laboratories by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 5,479,023 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $173,300,000 after buying an additional 116,130 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Core Laboratories by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,144,814 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $69,352,000 after buying an additional 46,425 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Core Laboratories by 18.6% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,348,572 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $42,663,000 after buying an additional 211,873 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in Core Laboratories by 19.4% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 647,204 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $20,472,000 after buying an additional 105,177 shares during the last quarter. 97.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Core Laboratories

(Get Rating)

Core Laboratories NV engages in the provision of proprietary and patented reservoir description, production enhancement, and reservoir management services to the oil and gas industry. It operates through the Reservoir Description segment and Production Enhancement segment. The Reservoir Description segment encompasses the characterization of petroleum reservoir rock, fluid, and gas samples and provides analytical and field services to characterize properties of crude oil and petroleum products.

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Suncor Energy (NYSE:SU  Get Rating) (TSE:SU) was upgraded by National Bank Financial from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report issued on Friday, The Fly reports.

Several other research analysts have also commented on SU. Wells Fargo & Company lowered Suncor Energy from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. StockNews.com started coverage on Suncor Energy in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Scotiabank downgraded Suncor Energy from a sector outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a report on Tuesday, March 21st. Finally, TD Securities lifted their target price on Suncor Energy from C$52.00 to C$53.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Suncor Energy presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $53.13.

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Suncor Energy Price Performance

SU stock opened at $30.39 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 1.13. Suncor Energy has a 1 year low of $26.42 and a 1 year high of $42.72. The firm has a market cap of $40.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.27. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $31.94 and a 200-day simple moving average of $32.58.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Suncor Energy

Suncor Energy ( NYSE:SU Get Rating ) (TSE:SU) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 14th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.26 by $0.07. Suncor Energy had a return on equity of 29.52% and a net margin of 15.55%. The firm had revenue of $10.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.65 billion. On average, equities analysts predict that Suncor Energy will post 4.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Suncor Energy by 13.0% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 12,045 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $393,000 after buying an additional 1,382 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its stake in Suncor Energy by 8.9% during the first quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 31,145 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $1,013,000 after acquiring an additional 2,544 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in shares of Suncor Energy by 41.9% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 927,375 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $30,223,000 after purchasing an additional 273,853 shares during the period. Raymond James Trust N.A. grew its stake in shares of Suncor Energy by 40.4% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 12,556 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $409,000 after purchasing an additional 3,610 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. grew its position in Suncor Energy by 20.5% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 11,827 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $380,000 after acquiring an additional 2,015 shares during the last quarter. 58.04% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Suncor Energy

(Get Rating)

Suncor Energy, Inc is an integrated energy company, which engages in the development of petroleum resource basins. It operates through the following segments: Oil Sands, Exploration and Production, Refining and Marketing, and Corporate and Eliminations. The Oil Sands segment operates assets in the Athabasca oil sands of northeast Alberta.

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Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (NYSE:CP  Get Rating) (TSE:CP)  Investment analysts at Raymond James decreased their Q2 2023 EPS estimates for Canadian Pacific Railway in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, April 27th. Raymond James analyst S. Hansen now anticipates that the transportation company will earn $0.80 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.81. The consensus estimate for Canadian Pacific Railways current full-year earnings is $3.39 per share. Raymond James also issued estimates for Canadian Pacific Railways Q3 2023 earnings at $0.83 EPS, FY2023 earnings at $3.15 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $3.74 EPS.

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Canadian Pacific Railway (NYSE:CP  Get Rating) (TSE:CP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 31st. The transportation company reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.83 billion. Canadian Pacific Railway had a net margin of 40.22% and a return on equity of 9.56%.

Canadian Pacific Railway Trading Up 0.7 %

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on CP. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of Canadian Pacific Railway in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. They set an outperform rating for the company. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Canadian Pacific Railway from $90.00 to $89.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. CIBC reduced their price target on shares of Canadian Pacific Railway from C$128.00 to C$125.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Scotiabank upgraded shares of Canadian Pacific Railway from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Canadian Pacific Railway from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $89.21.

Shares of Canadian Pacific Railway stock opened at $77.97 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $76.99 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $76.70. The company has a market cap of $72.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.02. Canadian Pacific Railway has a fifty-two week low of $65.17 and a fifty-two week high of $82.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 0.59.

Canadian Pacific Railway Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 31st were paid a $0.1424 dividend. This is a boost from Canadian Pacific Railways previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $0.57 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.73%. Canadian Pacific Railways dividend payout ratio is 19.44%.

Institutional Trading of Canadian Pacific Railway

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Canadian Pacific Railway by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 31,907,941 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $2,128,897,000 after buying an additional 993,916 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its holdings in shares of Canadian Pacific Railway by 3.6% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 31,506,840 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $2,102,137,000 after acquiring an additional 1,102,126 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its holdings in shares of Canadian Pacific Railway by 26.8% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 23,729,613 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,785,454,000 after acquiring an additional 5,020,078 shares during the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Canadian Pacific Railway by 7.8% in the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 15,258,466 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,174,866,000 after acquiring an additional 1,102,823 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Canadian Pacific Railway in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,136,503,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.31% of the companys stock.

Canadian Pacific Railway Company Profile

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Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. operates as a holding company, which engages in the provision of rail services. It offers a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. The company was founded in 1881 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc. (NYSE:MUJ  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 14,600 shares, a growth of 14,500.0% from the March 31st total of 100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 110,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.1 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Raymond James & Associates raised its position in shares of BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund by 10.7% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 46,415 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $620,000 after buying an additional 4,498 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund by 7.8% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 107,682 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,438,000 after buying an additional 7,756 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund during the 1st quarter worth about $33,000. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in shares of BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund by 19.7% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 16,975 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $227,000 after buying an additional 2,794 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Walleye Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund during the 1st quarter worth about $212,000. 14.04% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund Price Performance

BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund stock opened at $11.18 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $11.23 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $11.37. BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund has a 52-week low of $10.62 and a 52-week high of $13.69.

BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund Dividend Announcement

BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund Company Profile

The company also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.0375 per share. This represents a $0.45 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.03%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 13th.

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BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc operates as a closed-end investment trust. Its investment objective is to provide shareholders with current income exempt from federal income tax and New Jersey personal income taxes. The company was founded on March 11, 1998 and is headquartered in Wilmington, DE.

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Ieq Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Halliburton (NYSE:HAL  Get Rating) by 25.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 23,879 shares of the oilfield services companys stock after buying an additional 4,862 shares during the quarter. Ieq Capital LLCs holdings in Halliburton were worth $940,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Halliburton by 2.1% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 59,383,523 shares of the oilfield services companys stock valued at $1,462,022,000 after purchasing an additional 1,241,290 shares during the period. Sanders Capital LLC increased its stake in Halliburton by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Sanders Capital LLC now owns 21,366,658 shares of the oilfield services companys stock worth $526,047,000 after buying an additional 622,878 shares during the period. Boston Partners lifted its holdings in Halliburton by 11.1% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 9,951,333 shares of the oilfield services companys stock worth $245,269,000 after buying an additional 998,022 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in Halliburton by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 9,700,760 shares of the oilfield services companys stock valued at $238,833,000 after buying an additional 81,880 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC grew its stake in shares of Halliburton by 60.4% during the third quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC now owns 8,746,026 shares of the oilfield services companys stock valued at $215,328,000 after acquiring an additional 3,294,360 shares in the last quarter. 80.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Halliburton from $40.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, January 30th. Benchmark reissued a buy rating and set a $50.00 price target on shares of Halliburton in a research report on Monday, April 3rd. HSBC upped their price target on shares of Halliburton from $43.90 to $57.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, January 30th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Halliburton from $47.00 to $44.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 22nd. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on shares of Halliburton from $54.00 to $58.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 25th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $48.24.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Halliburton Price Performance

In other news, Director Margaret Katherine Banks sold 2,769 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.79, for a total value of $107,409.51. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 11,856 shares in the company, valued at $459,894.24. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink . 0.57% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Shares of NYSE:HAL opened at $32.00 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.14, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94. The firms 50 day moving average is $33.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $36.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $28.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.81, a PEG ratio of 0.41 and a beta of 2.11. Halliburton has a 52 week low of $23.30 and a 52 week high of $43.99.

Halliburton (NYSE:HAL  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The oilfield services company reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $5.68 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.49 billion. Halliburton had a return on equity of 29.38% and a net margin of 9.04%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 32.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.35 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Halliburton will post 3.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Halliburton Profile

(Get Rating)

Halliburton Co engages in the provision of services and products to the energy industry related to the exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas. It operates through the Completion and Production, and Drilling and Evaluation segments. The Completion and Production segment delivers cementing, stimulation, intervention, pressure control, specialty chemicals, artificial lift, and completion services.

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Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 228 shares of the basic materials companys stock, valued at approximately $70,000.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Air Products and Chemicals by 0.9% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 20,472,343 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $4,764,527,000 after purchasing an additional 176,222 shares in the last quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. increased its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 15.0% during the third quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. now owns 1,529,566 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $355,976,000 after acquiring an additional 199,867 shares in the last quarter. London Co. of Virginia increased its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 3.0% during the third quarter. London Co. of Virginia now owns 1,412,861 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $328,815,000 after acquiring an additional 41,167 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 36.3% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,287,687 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $321,806,000 after acquiring an additional 342,982 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ensign Peak Advisors Inc increased its position in shares of Air Products and Chemicals by 1.9% during the third quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 1,274,947 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $296,717,000 after acquiring an additional 23,286 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.74% of the companys stock.

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Air Products and Chemicals Stock Performance

Shares of APD stock opened at $291.38 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $283.30 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $289.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.93 and a quick ratio of 1.74. The stock has a market cap of $64.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.59, a P/E/G ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.84. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has a one year low of $218.88 and a one year high of $328.56.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Air Products and Chemicals ( NYSE:APD Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The basic materials company reported $2.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.73 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $3.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.27 billion. Air Products and Chemicals had a return on equity of 16.45% and a net margin of 17.61%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.52 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. will post 11.39 EPS for the current year.

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on APD. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $295.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $330.00 to $325.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Societe Generale downgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $340.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Thursday, January 12th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Air Products and Chemicals from $280.00 to $307.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Finally, Vertical Research upgraded shares of Air Products and Chemicals from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, March 13th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Air Products and Chemicals has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $311.45.

About Air Products and Chemicals

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Air Products & Chemicals, Inc engages in the manufacture and distribution of atmospheric gases. It operates through the following segments: Industrial Gases-Americas, Industrial Gases-EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), Industrial Gases-Asia, Industrial Gases-Global, and Corporate & Other. The Industrial Gases-America, EMEA, and Asia segment markets and produces atmospheric gases, such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and rare gases, process gases, such as hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, syngas, and specialty gases and equipment for the production and processing of gases, such as air separation units and non-cryogenic generators.

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ISTANBUL, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkish citizens living abroad started to cast their ballots Thursday for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled on May 14 at Turkiye's airports and border gates.

Incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking a new five-year term against his main rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the Republican People's Party (CHP), who is running as the presidential candidate for an alliance of opposition parties.

Recent polls suggest it will be a tight race between the two major candidates, who are both campaigning to improve the quality of life for many Turks affected by the recent economic downturn. If no candidate secures more than 50 percent of the votes in the first round, a second round will be held on May 28.

The 3.4 million eligible voters living abroad are of great importance to both candidates. In addition to the ones set up at embassies and consulates in 73 countries, 4,671 ballot boxes have also been placed at various points of entry around the country, such as airports and border gates.

The international terminal at Istanbul Airport, Turkiye's main point of entry, is among the hotspots filled with citizens living abroad casting their early ballots set up at the arrival and departure floors.

Abdullah and Hamide Gisne, a Turkish couple coming from France, were among the early voters. "The election is very important for Turkiye and for the country's economy," Hamide told Xinhua.

The voting will continue until 5:00 p.m. local time (1400 GMT) on May 14. 
Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG  Get Rating) had its target price boosted by equities research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $1,900.00 to $2,050.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday, The Fly reports. The brokerage presently has an overweight rating on the restaurant operators stock. Wells Fargo & Companys price target suggests a potential upside of 0.67% from the companys current price.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on the company. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,900.00 to $1,850.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,550.00 to $1,885.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday. Wedbush boosted their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $2,080.00 to $2,200.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Raymond James raised their price objective on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $1,900.00 to $2,100.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Credit Suisse Group boosted their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $2,050.00 to $2,200.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $2,021.37.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance

NYSE CMG opened at $2,036.26 on Wednesday. Chipotle Mexican Grill has a 52-week low of $1,196.28 and a 52-week high of $2,047.31. The company has a fifty day moving average of $1,643.24 and a 200-day moving average of $1,559.78. The company has a market capitalization of $56.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 62.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.32.

Insider Transactions at Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle Mexican Grill ( NYSE:CMG Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The restaurant operator reported $10.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $8.89 by $1.61. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a return on equity of 45.99% and a net margin of 11.49%. The firm had revenue of $2.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.34 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $5.70 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 18.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Chipotle Mexican Grill will post 41.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In related news, CMO Christopher W. Brandt sold 1,013 shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,795.00, for a total transaction of $1,818,335.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 8,125 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,584,375. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Chipotle Mexican Grill news, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 5,636 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,646.82, for a total value of $9,281,477.52. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 23,347 shares of the companys stock, valued at $38,448,306.54. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CMO Christopher W. Brandt sold 1,013 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,795.00, for a total value of $1,818,335.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer now owns 8,125 shares of the companys stock, valued at $14,584,375. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 10,856 shares of company stock valued at $17,938,741 in the last three months. 1.01% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Chipotle Mexican Grill

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CMG. Versant Capital Management Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. FourThought Financial LLC raised its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 350.0% in the 3rd quarter. FourThought Financial LLC now owns 18 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Elequin Securities LLC bought a new position in Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Heritage Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. Heritage Wealth Management LLC now owns 20 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 90.0% in the 1st quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 19 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. 93.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Chipotle Mexican Grill

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Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc engages in the development and operation of classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. It offers a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls, and salads prepared using classic cooking methods. The company was founded by Steve Ells in 1993 and is headquartered in Newport Beach, CA.

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Retirement Systems of Alabama trimmed its holdings in shares of BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE:BWA  Get Rating) by 0.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 584,213 shares of the auto parts companys stock after selling 3,651 shares during the quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabamas holdings in BorgWarner were worth $23,515,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BWA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in BorgWarner by 25.2% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 371,687 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $14,458,000 after buying an additional 74,902 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its stake in BorgWarner by 86.7% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 22,086 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $859,000 after buying an additional 10,257 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its stake in BorgWarner by 23.1% during the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 65,231 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $2,537,000 after buying an additional 12,257 shares during the last quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS grew its stake in BorgWarner by 6.6% during the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 32,082 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $1,248,000 after buying an additional 1,987 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC grew its stake in BorgWarner by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 46,314 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $1,802,000 after purchasing an additional 840 shares during the last quarter. 91.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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BorgWarner Stock Performance

NYSE BWA opened at $47.64 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.91, a PEG ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 1.41. BorgWarner Inc. has a twelve month low of $31.14 and a twelve month high of $51.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $48.35 and a 200 day moving average of $43.82.

BorgWarner Dividend Announcement

BorgWarner ( NYSE:BWA Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 9th. The auto parts company reported $1.26 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.18. BorgWarner had a return on equity of 14.97% and a net margin of 5.97%. The company had revenue of $4.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.89 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.06 EPS. BorgWarners quarterly revenue was up 12.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that BorgWarner Inc. will post 4.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.43%. BorgWarners dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 17.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on BWA. StockNews.com began coverage on BorgWarner in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on BorgWarner from $45.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, February 10th. Citigroup boosted their price target on BorgWarner from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, January 13th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on BorgWarner from $56.00 to $55.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 10th. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on BorgWarner from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, February 10th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $52.82.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other BorgWarner news, CFO Kevin Nowlan sold 44,154 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.01, for a total transaction of $2,208,141.54. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 83,531 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,177,385.31. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other BorgWarner news, CFO Kevin Nowlan sold 44,154 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.01, for a total transaction of $2,208,141.54. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 83,531 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,177,385.31. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, VP Craig Aaron sold 9,638 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.29, for a total value of $465,419.02. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 13,435 shares of the companys stock, valued at $648,776.15. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 100,707 shares of company stock worth $5,027,503. Corporate insiders own 0.45% of the companys stock.

BorgWarner Company Profile

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BorgWarner, Inc engages in the provision of technology solutions for combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles. It operates through the following segments: Air Management, e-Propulsion & Drivetrain, Fuel Injection, and Aftermarket. The Air Management segment develops and manufactures products to improve fuel economy, reduce emissions and enhance performance.

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Retirement Systems of Alabama decreased its stake in shares of OGE Energy Corp. (NYSE:OGE  Get Rating) by 12.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 505,474 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 73,128 shares during the quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama owned 0.25% of OGE Energy worth $19,991,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in OGE. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System raised its stake in shares of OGE Energy by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 53,600 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,120,000 after buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its stake in OGE Energy by 39.5% during the third quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,169 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 331 shares during the period. First Republic Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in OGE Energy by 0.8% during the first quarter. First Republic Investment Management Inc. now owns 43,660 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,780,000 after purchasing an additional 358 shares in the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management SA grew its stake in shares of OGE Energy by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter. Pictet Asset Management SA now owns 13,854 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $505,000 after purchasing an additional 362 shares during the period. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its holdings in shares of OGE Energy by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 20,478 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $747,000 after buying an additional 415 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.78% of the companys stock.

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Insider Transactions at OGE Energy

In related news, Director David L. Hauser acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 14th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $35.09 per share, for a total transaction of $35,090.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $105,270. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, Director David L. Hauser acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 14th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $35.09 per share, for a total transaction of $35,090.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $105,270. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director David E. Rainbolt acquired 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of $36.65 per share, with a total value of $183,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 15,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $549,750. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders purchased 6,100 shares of company stock worth $221,925 over the last ninety days. 12.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

OGE Energy Price Performance

OGE has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH assumed coverage on OGE Energy in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. They set a neutral rating and a $37.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com initiated coverage on OGE Energy in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. TheStreet lowered OGE Energy from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Monday, March 27th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on OGE Energy from $40.00 to $36.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 23rd. Finally, UBS Group cut OGE Energy from a buy rating to a neutral rating and cut their target price for the company from $41.00 to $39.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 28th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, OGE Energy presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $38.75.

Shares of OGE stock opened at $37.73 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. OGE Energy Corp. has a twelve month low of $33.28 and a twelve month high of $42.91. The company has a market cap of $7.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.73. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.84 and a 200 day simple moving average of $37.89.

OGE Energy (NYSE:OGE  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The utilities provider reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.05) by $0.30. The firm had revenue of $711.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.06 billion. OGE Energy had a return on equity of 15.33% and a net margin of 19.72%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 22.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.27 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that OGE Energy Corp. will post 2.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

OGE Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 10th will be given a dividend of $0.4141 per share. This represents a $1.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.39%. This is an increase from OGE Energys previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 6th. OGE Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 50.15%.

About OGE Energy

(Get Rating)

OGE Energy Corp. is a holding company with investments in energy and energy service providers, offering physical delivery and related services for electricity in Oklahoma and western Arkansas and natural gas, crude oil and NGLs across the U.S. OGE Energy conducts these activities through two business segments: Electric Utility and Natural Gas Midstream Operations.

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Banque Pictet & Cie SA boosted its holdings in shares of Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE:PLTR  Get Rating) by 16.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 315,257 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 43,497 shares during the quarter. Banque Pictet & Cie SAs holdings in Palantir Technologies were worth $2,024,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Palantir Technologies by 22.4% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 156,003,743 shares of the companys stock worth $2,141,931,000 after buying an additional 28,563,749 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in shares of Palantir Technologies by 0.3% during the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 91,718,522 shares of the companys stock worth $745,670,000 after buying an additional 275,375 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Palantir Technologies by 1.9% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 34,876,691 shares of the companys stock worth $283,547,000 after buying an additional 659,192 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its position in shares of Palantir Technologies by 17.5% during the third quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 33,130,047 shares of the companys stock worth $269,347,000 after buying an additional 4,925,900 shares during the period. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its position in shares of Palantir Technologies by 28,558.7% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 13,265,535 shares of the companys stock worth $107,849,000 after buying an additional 13,219,247 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 31.90% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Mizuho raised their price target on Palantir Technologies from $7.00 to $8.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 14th. Citigroup reiterated a sell rating and issued a $5.00 target price on shares of Palantir Technologies in a report on Friday, February 3rd. DA Davidson began coverage on Palantir Technologies in a report on Tuesday, February 28th. They issued a neutral rating and a $8.00 target price for the company. William Blair reiterated an underperform rating on shares of Palantir Technologies in a report on Monday, March 27th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an underperform rating and issued a $5.00 target price on shares of Palantir Technologies in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Palantir Technologies has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $8.25.

Insider Transactions at Palantir Technologies

Palantir Technologies Trading Up 1.0 %

In other news, Director Alexander D. Moore sold 21,900 shares of Palantir Technologies stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.35, for a total transaction of $182,865.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 1,880,052 shares in the company, valued at $15,698,434.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website . In related news, Director Alexander D. Moore sold 21,900 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.35, for a total value of $182,865.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,880,052 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,698,434.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Also, Director Lauren Elaina Friedman Stat sold 7,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.85, for a total value of $54,950.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 206,830 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,623,615.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 206,462 shares of company stock worth $1,980,256. Corporate insiders own 13.71% of the companys stock.

PLTR opened at $7.82 on Friday. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $8.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $7.74. Palantir Technologies Inc. has a one year low of $5.84 and a one year high of $11.62.

Palantir Technologies (NYSE:PLTR  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 13th. The company reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.03 by $0.01. Palantir Technologies had a negative return on equity of 11.90% and a negative net margin of 19.61%. The business had revenue of $508.62 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $504.84 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.02 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 17.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Palantir Technologies Inc. will post 0.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Palantir Technologies Profile

(Get Rating)

Palantir Technologies Inc builds and deploys software platforms for the intelligence community in the United States to assist in counterterrorism investigations and operations. The company provides palantir gotham, a software platform which enables users to identify patterns hidden deep within datasets, ranging from signals intelligence sources to reports from confidential informants, as well as facilitates the handoff between analysts and operational users, helping operators plan and execute real-world responses to threats that have been identified within the platform.

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Heritage Investors Management Corp decreased its stake in Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. (NYSE:TV  Get Rating) by 22.0% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 14,408 shares of the companys stock after selling 4,062 shares during the period. Heritage Investors Management Corps holdings in Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. were worth $66,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. National Bank of Canada FI acquired a new position in shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,186,000. Balyasny Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 654.8% during the third quarter. Balyasny Asset Management LLC now owns 86,180 shares of the companys stock worth $464,000 after purchasing an additional 74,762 shares during the period. Capstone Financial Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 100.0% in the third quarter. Capstone Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 20,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $108,000 after buying an additional 10,000 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC boosted its position in Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 2,240.2% during the third quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 459,294 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,486,000 after acquiring an additional 439,668 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC boosted its stake in Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 3,618.4% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC now owns 56,222 shares of the companys stock worth $302,000 after acquiring an additional 54,710 shares in the last quarter. 56.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:TV opened at $4.91 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 2.31 and a current ratio of 2.35. Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. has a fifty-two week low of $4.38 and a fifty-two week high of $10.39. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $5.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $5.25. The firm has a market cap of $2.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1.33, a P/E/G ratio of 4.89 and a beta of 1.41.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. ( NYSE:TV Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 24th. The company reported ($1.27) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.05) by ($1.22). Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. had a negative return on equity of 8.73% and a net margin of 55.37%. The company had revenue of $972.28 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $961.43 million. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. will post 0.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

A number of research firms recently commented on TV. StockNews.com raised Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. TheStreet cut shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. from a c- rating to a d+ rating in a research note on Friday, February 24th. Citigroup assumed coverage on Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. in a research report on Tuesday, February 14th. They issued a buy rating and a $8.50 target price for the company. Finally, UBS Group lowered Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. from a buy rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $8.80 to $6.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $9.00.

Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. Profile

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Grupo Televisa SAB engages in the provision of media products and services. It operates through the following segments: Content, Sky, Cable, and Other Businesses. The Content segment includes advertising, network subscription revenue and licensing and syndication. The Sky segment includes direct-to-home satellite television system.

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Kentucky Retirement Systems lifted its holdings in Carrier Global Co. (NYSE:CARR  Get Rating) by 0.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 66,167 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 290 shares during the period. Kentucky Retirement Systems holdings in Carrier Global were worth $2,729,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Carrier Global by 307.7% in the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 6,996 shares of the companys stock valued at $289,000 after buying an additional 5,280 shares during the period. Synovus Financial Corp boosted its stake in Carrier Global by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 99,357 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,099,000 after purchasing an additional 1,729 shares during the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Carrier Global by 76.5% during the 4th quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 487,789 shares of the companys stock valued at $20,121,000 after purchasing an additional 211,493 shares during the last quarter. Meitav Dash Investments Ltd. boosted its stake in Carrier Global by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Meitav Dash Investments Ltd. now owns 626,655 shares of the companys stock valued at $26,307,000 after purchasing an additional 2,072 shares during the last quarter. Finally, New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Carrier Global during the 4th quarter valued at about $232,000. 85.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Carrier Global Stock Up 2.0 %

Shares of NYSE:CARR opened at $41.46 on Friday. Carrier Global Co. has a 52-week low of $33.10 and a 52-week high of $49.17. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $44.50 and a 200 day moving average of $42.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.62 billion, a PE ratio of 14.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a current ratio of 1.64.

Carrier Global Announces Dividend

Carrier Global ( NYSE:CARR Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.49 by $0.03. Carrier Global had a net margin of 12.02% and a return on equity of 26.38%. The company had revenue of $5.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.05 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.54 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 13.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Carrier Global Co. will post 2.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 5th will be given a dividend of $0.185 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 4th. This represents a $0.74 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.78%. Carrier Globals payout ratio is 25.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Carrier Global

In other Carrier Global news, VP Nadia Villeneuve sold 20,538 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.45, for a total transaction of $933,452.10. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 48,900 shares in the company, valued at $2,222,505. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other Carrier Global news, VP Kyle Crockett sold 10,433 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.85, for a total transaction of $478,353.05. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Nadia Villeneuve sold 20,538 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.45, for a total transaction of $933,452.10. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 48,900 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,222,505. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.38% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on Carrier Global in a research note on Monday, March 27th. They set an outperform rating and a $51.00 price target for the company. Citigroup lifted their price target on Carrier Global from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Stephens reiterated an overweight rating and set a $55.00 price target on shares of Carrier Global in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Barclays cut their price target on Carrier Global from $51.00 to $50.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Carrier Global from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $49.20.

About Carrier Global

(Get Rating)

Carrier Global Corporation provides heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC), refrigeration, fire, security, and building automation technologies worldwide. It operates through three segments: HVAC, Refrigeration, and Fire & Security. The HVAC segment provides products, controls, services, and solutions to meet the heating, cooling, and ventilation needs of residential and commercial customers.

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Los Angeles Capital Management LLC grew its position in Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS  Get Rating) by 20.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 119,994 shares of the financial services providers stock after purchasing an additional 19,980 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLCs holdings in Discover Financial Services were worth $11,739,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Discover Financial Services by 5.5% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,482,322 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $225,705,000 after purchasing an additional 130,410 shares during the period. Nuveen Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Discover Financial Services by 1.1% during the third quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 2,113,925 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $192,199,000 after acquiring an additional 22,408 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Discover Financial Services by 489.5% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,999,341 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $220,307,000 after acquiring an additional 1,660,180 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its position in shares of Discover Financial Services by 2.3% during the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,975,544 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $179,614,000 after acquiring an additional 43,921 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Discover Financial Services by 51.2% during the second quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,636,711 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $154,801,000 after acquiring an additional 554,438 shares in the last quarter. 81.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Transactions at Discover Financial Services

In other news, EVP Robert Andrew Eichfeld sold 13,477 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.18, for a total transaction of $1,538,803.86. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 31,509 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,597,697.62. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other Discover Financial Services news, EVP Carlos Minetti sold 7,000 shares of Discover Financial Services stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.00, for a total value of $826,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 114,493 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,510,174. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Robert Andrew Eichfeld sold 13,477 shares of Discover Financial Services stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.18, for a total transaction of $1,538,803.86. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 31,509 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,597,697.62. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.69% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Discover Financial Services Stock Performance

Shares of DFS opened at $101.99 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $102.82 and a 200-day moving average of $103.78. Discover Financial Services has a one year low of $87.64 and a one year high of $121.17. The company has a market cap of $26.45 billion, a PE ratio of 6.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 1.17.

Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The financial services provider reported $3.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.84 by ($0.26). The company had revenue of $3.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.71 billion. Discover Financial Services had a return on equity of 30.68% and a net margin of 24.65%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 29.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $4.22 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Discover Financial Services will post 13.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Discover Financial Services announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, April 19th that allows the company to repurchase $2.70 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the financial services provider to buy up to 9.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the companys leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Discover Financial Services Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.70 per share. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.75%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 24th. This is a boost from Discover Financial Servicess previous quarterly dividend of $0.60. Discover Financial Servicess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.86%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on DFS shares. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Discover Financial Services in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Credit Suisse Group reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $120.00 target price on shares of Discover Financial Services in a research report on Friday, April 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Discover Financial Services from $111.00 to $102.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Stephens raised their target price on shares of Discover Financial Services from $104.00 to $107.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, April 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Discover Financial Services from $120.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Discover Financial Services currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $117.63.

Discover Financial Services Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Discover Financial Services is a holding company. It operates under the Digital Banking and Payment Services segments. The Digital Banking segment focuses on consumer banking and lending products, specifically Discover-branded credit cards issued to individuals on the Discover Network and other consumer banking products and services including private student loans, personal loans, home loans, and deposit products.

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Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK  Get Rating) by 4,002.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 69,734 shares of the utilities providers stock after purchasing an additional 68,034 shares during the quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc.s holdings in American Water Works were worth $10,629,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of AWK. Oakworth Capital Inc. bought a new position in shares of American Water Works in the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Ameliora Wealth Management Ltd. bought a new position in shares of American Water Works in the 4th quarter valued at about $45,000. HBC Financial Services PLLC bought a new position in shares of American Water Works in the 2nd quarter valued at about $46,000. Hallmark Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of American Water Works in the 3rd quarter valued at about $55,000. Finally, Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of American Water Works in the 4th quarter valued at about $56,000. Institutional investors own 83.06% of the companys stock.

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American Water Works Price Performance

NYSE AWK opened at $148.46 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a 12-month low of $122.77 and a 12-month high of $162.59. The company has a market capitalization of $28.90 billion, a PE ratio of 32.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 0.57. The firms 50 day moving average is $144.52 and its 200-day moving average is $147.43.

American Water Works Increases Dividend

American Water Works ( NYSE:AWK Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The utilities provider reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.92 by ($0.01). American Water Works had a net margin of 21.62% and a return on equity of 10.76%. The business had revenue of $938.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $903.84 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.87 earnings per share. American Water Workss revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that American Water Works Company, Inc. will post 4.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 9th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 8th. This is an increase from American Water Workss previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.91%. American Water Workss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 58.09%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AWK has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. StockNews.com downgraded shares of American Water Works from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Tuesday. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $180.00 price target on shares of American Water Works in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of American Water Works from $134.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Monday. Finally, TheStreet downgraded shares of American Water Works from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Water Works has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $156.00.

American Water Works Profile

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American Water Works Co, Inc engages in the provision of complementary water and wastewater services. It operates through the following segments: Regulated Businesses, Market-Based Businesses, and Other. The Regulated Businesses segment offers water and wastewater services to customers. The Market-Based Businesses segment includes the military services group, which enters into long-term contracts with the U.S.

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Arete Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM  Get Rating) by 81.7% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 22,874 shares of the construction companys stock after acquiring an additional 10,284 shares during the quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLCs holdings in PulteGroup were worth $1,041,458,230,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. General Partner Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of PulteGroup in the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Accurate Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of PulteGroup in the 4th quarter valued at about $47,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of PulteGroup in the 4th quarter valued at about $60,000. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of PulteGroup in the 4th quarter valued at about $61,000. Finally, Zions Bancorporation N.A. increased its holdings in shares of PulteGroup by 115.2% in the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 1,595 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $67,000 after purchasing an additional 854 shares in the last quarter. 88.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on PHM. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $65.00 to $71.00 in a report on Wednesday. Wedbush raised their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $47.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of PulteGroup from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $64.00 target price for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 22nd. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $54.00 to $68.00 in a report on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $65.00 to $74.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, PulteGroup currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $66.86.

PulteGroup Stock Up 2.5 %

Shares of NYSE:PHM opened at $66.27 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. PulteGroup, Inc. has a 12-month low of $35.03 and a 12-month high of $66.27. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $57.13 and a 200 day simple moving average of $49.89. The firm has a market cap of $14.79 billion, a PE ratio of 5.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.33.

PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The construction company reported $2.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.78 by $0.57. PulteGroup had a net margin of 16.22% and a return on equity of 31.03%. The company had revenue of $3.58 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.27 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.83 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that PulteGroup, Inc. will post 7.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PulteGroup Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 4th. Investors of record on Monday, March 20th were issued a $0.16 dividend. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.97%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 17th. PulteGroups payout ratio is currently 5.51%.

PulteGroup announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Tuesday, April 25th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the construction company to reacquire up to 6.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the companys leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Brien P. Omeara sold 4,924 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total value of $295,440.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 17,308 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,038,480. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, VP Brien P. Omeara sold 4,924 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total value of $295,440.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 17,308 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,038,480. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Todd N. Sheldon sold 15,998 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.83, for a total value of $861,172.34. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 82,339 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,432,308.37. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 50,739 shares of company stock worth $2,845,149. 0.83% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

PulteGroup Company Profile

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PulteGroup, Inc engages in the homebuilding business. The firm is also involved in mortgage banking and title and insurance brokerage operations. It operates through the Homebuilding and Financial services business segments. The Homebuilding segment includes operations from Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Washington.

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Brandywine Oak Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 2,114 shares of the utilities providers stock, valued at approximately $201,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Consolidated Edison by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 42,918,192 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $3,680,664,000 after buying an additional 483,980 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its stake in Consolidated Edison by 98.8% in the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 740,044 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $63,464,000 after purchasing an additional 367,856 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in Consolidated Edison by 27.6% in the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,360,277 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $116,655,000 after purchasing an additional 294,564 shares in the last quarter. UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. boosted its stake in Consolidated Edison by 7.4% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. now owns 4,087,000 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $350,501,000 after purchasing an additional 281,500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assetmark Inc. raised its position in Consolidated Edison by 12,211.9% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 258,303 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $22,152,000 after buying an additional 256,205 shares during the last quarter. 64.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have issued reports on ED. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Consolidated Edison in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Consolidated Edison from $94.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Monday, February 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Consolidated Edison from $88.00 to $87.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Consolidated Edison from $92.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Finally, Credit Suisse Group cut their price target on shares of Consolidated Edison from $95.00 to $91.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 17th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $91.08.

Consolidated Edison Trading Up 0.0 %

Shares of ED stock opened at $99.18 on Friday. The companys 50-day moving average price is $94.92 and its 200-day moving average price is $93.45. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96. The stock has a market cap of $34.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.24, a PEG ratio of 10.22 and a beta of 0.37. Consolidated Edison, Inc. has a twelve month low of $78.10 and a twelve month high of $102.21.

Consolidated Edison (NYSE:ED  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 16th. The utilities provider reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.78 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $4.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.18 billion. Consolidated Edison had a net margin of 10.59% and a return on equity of 7.79%. Consolidated Edisons revenue was up 18.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.00 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Consolidated Edison, Inc. will post 4.85 earnings per share for the current year.

Consolidated Edison Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 17th will be issued a $0.81 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 16th. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.27%. Consolidated Edisons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.38%.

Consolidated Edison Profile

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Consolidated Edison, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the business of regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery. It operates through the following segments: Consolidated Edison Company of New York (CECONY), Orange and Rockland Utilities(O&R), Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses and Con Edison Transmission.

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HELSINKI, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Finland's conservative National Coalition Party leader Petteri Orpo announced on Thursday that he will begin talks next week to form a government consisting of four parties.

The National Coalition Party, the right wing Finns Party, the Swedish People's Party and the Christian Democrats Party will take part in the talks.

If they are successful, the cabinet would have 109 seats, giving it a slight majority in the 200-member parliament.

Orpo acknowledged at a press conference on Thursday that the parties differ on many issues, but said he believes these differences can be overcome. A cabinet could be formed in early June, he added.

Local commentators have said immigration and carbon neutrality will require the most negotiations.

Meanwhile, Orpo noted that planning public spending in a way that will not hamper economic growth will be a challenge.

Finns chair Riikka Purra said there are major disagreements, but these can be negotiated. Purra said her party had not made any commitments on specific issues during the initial consultations.

In the April parliamentary election, the National Coalition Party emerged as the largest party with 48 seats, followed by the Finns with 46 seats. The Social Democratic Party (SDP), the leading party in the current Finnish coalition chaired by Prime Minister Sanna Marin, won 43 seats.

Orpo said at the press conference that the views of the SDP were too far apart in the initial consultations for the party to participate in subsequent talks.

Social Democratic Party leader Sanna Marin said after Orpo's announcement that Finland will likely have a right-wing government. Marin said her party's views differed with Orpo's, especially on the essentials of the welfare state.

However, Finnish national broadcaster Yle said that if the talks about a right-wing government fail, the alternative of a conservative-social democratic cooperation will be raised. 
BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The United States is notorious for its cyber record. Just ask the National Security Agency (NSA), which in 2013 suffered the biggest leak in its history when Edward Snowden, a former CIA contractor, walked out with a vast trove of secret documents.

Snowden disclosed to the press details of extensive internet and phone surveillance by American intelligence. As the scandal widened, multiple media outlets revealed that NSA tapped directly into the servers of internet firms to track online communication in a surveillance program known as Prism.

A decade later, it's the Pentagon in the limelight this time. A set of highly classified documents from the department were leaked online in recent weeks, in an apparent security breach that revealed U.S. intelligence gathering on some of its key allies. South Korea, one of those affected, has played down any possibility of tension, reiterating its "strong" ties with America.

Those documents also reportedly include military assessments on the Ukraine crisis and CIA reports on a range of global issues. The embarrassing leak has endangered intelligence methods, exposed American strategy and undermined trust among U.S. allies, CNBC quoted former defense department officials and intelligence experts as saying.

SURVEILLANCE OBSESSION

For years, Washington has been spying on the world through electronic eavesdropping and communication interception, with the targets ranging from what it called "strategic competitors" to its European partners.

Anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks in 2015 released a trove of documents titled "Target Tokyo" detailing systematic mass surveillance the agency undertook of Japanese politicians, ministries and corporations over a number of years.

According to the documents, America had gleaned intimate details of internal Japanese deliberations on trade-related issues, including agricultural imports and trade disputes and positions.

European leaders should not be surprised, either. The Danish state broadcaster DR reported in 2021 that the NSA used a partnership with Denmark's foreign intelligence unit to spy on senior officials of neighbouring countries, including then German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The findings are the result of a 2015 internal investigation in the Danish Defence Intelligence Service into NSA's role in the partnership, DR said.

According to the investigation, which covered the period from 2012 to 2014, the NSA used Danish information cables to spy on senior officials in Sweden, Norway, France and Germany.

China has been a target too. In September 2022, China's National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center and cybersecurity company 360 respectively released investigation reports on the NSA attacks on China's Northwestern Polytechnical University with aeronautics and space research programs. The reports indicated that the agency's Tailored Access Operations unit mounted hundreds of thousands malicious cyberattacks targeting Chinese objectives.

"NO RULES"

The United States is sparing no effort to militarize cyberspace, develop offensive cyber capabilities, and create systematic cyberattack platforms. In 2017, cyberspace was officially listed alongside the sea, land, air, and space as the "fifth domain" of the U.S. military.

The aim is thinly veiled: to maintain America's hegemony. Analysts say that cyber warfare is one of the tools used in its "hybrid warfare." Like economic sanctions, terrorist activities, psychological warfare, and military actions, it is a means by which the United States interferes in other countries and achieves its own political goals.

In seeking its own absolute security, the United States flagrantly violates the sovereignty of other countries' cyberspace and undermines their information security. This seriously hinders the efforts of the international community to maintain cybersecurity and data security, disrupts the international order in cyberspace, and undermines global strategic stability.

Andrey Krutskikh, former director of the Department of International Information Security at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the United States and other Western countries are militarizing cyberspace, attempting to turn it into a stage for interstate confrontation, which exacerbates the risk of direct military conflict and can lead to unpredictable consequences.

Speaking of "Target Tokyo," Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, said the revelations should not come as a surprise, given the track record of the United States as a global surveillance superpower.

"In these documents we see the Japanese government worrying in private how much or how little to tell the United States, in order to prevent undermining of its climate change proposal or its diplomatic relationship," Assange said in a statement.

"And yet we now know that the United States heard everything and read everything, and was passing around the deliberations of Japanese leadership to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. The lesson for Japan is this: do not expect a global surveillance superpower to act with honor and respect. There is only one rule: there are no rules." 
SAN FRANCISCO, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Amazon.com Inc. on Thursday announced its financial results for this year's first quarter ended March 31, with net sales of 127.4 billion U.S. dollars, up by 9 percent year on year.

Amazon's net income for the quarter was 3.2 billion dollars, or 0.31 dollars per diluted share, compared with a net loss of 3.8 billion dollars, or 0.38 dollars per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2022.

The company's operating income increased to 4.8 billion dollars in the first quarter this year, compared with 3.7 billion dollars year over year. First quarter 2023 operating income includes approximately 0.5 billion dollars of charges related to estimated severance costs.

The company's operating cash flow increased 38 percent to 54.3 billion dollars for the trailing 12 months, compared with 39.3 billion dollars for the trailing 12 months ended March 31, 2022.

"Our advertising business continues to deliver robust growth, largely due to our ongoing machine learning investments that help customers see relevant information when they engage with us, which in turn delivers unusually strong results for brands," said Andy Jassy, Amazon CEO. 
Alarmed that movements of rival military factions in Sudan could bring bloodshed, a group of mediators pushed for last-ditch talks between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and paramilitary commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo two weeks ago.

But neither of Sudans two most powerful men showed up to the meeting, convened at presidential offices in central Khartoum at 10 a.m. on April 15, three of the Sudanese mediators said, in details revealed for the first time here.

Instead, fighting was breaking out across the country.

At about 8.30 a.m. shooting started at the Soba military camp in the south of Khartoum, according to three eyewitnesses and an advisor within Dagalos paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Reuters could not establish who fired the first shot, but the violence escalated quickly across Africas third-largest country, an illustration of just how far the two sides had gone in the preceding weeks to prepare for all-out war.

Through interviews with nearly a dozen sources in the military, the RSF, officials and diplomats, Reuters has reconstructed several key events in the build up to the violence, which has so far killed at least 512 people, prompted tens of thousands to flee and deepened the countrys already grave humanitarian crisis.

The armed forces did not respond to requests for comment for this story. The offices of Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti, and Burhan did not respond to requests for interviews.

A week before the fighting, on April 8, Burhan and Hemedti met for the last time at a farm on the outskirts of Khartoum, a diplomat briefed on the meeting and two of the mediators said.

At the encounter, Burhan asked for the withdrawal of RSF forces from al-Fasher, a city in Hemedtis stronghold of Darfur in Western Sudan, and a halt to flows of RSF troops into Khartoum, which had been taking place for weeks.

Hemedti in turn asked that forces from Burhans close ally Egypt be withdrawn from an air base called Merowe, fearing they could be used against him, the two mediators and the diplomat said.

The men also spoke privately and appeared to agree to deescalate, the two mediators said. But despite plans to talk again the next day, no more meetings took place.

Over the next week, behind the scenes, each was steadily preparing for the worst.

Burhans air force was studying where the RSF was gathered, using coordinates provided by the army, two military sources told Reuters, describing plans that have not previously been reported. The RSF, meanwhile, had been locating more and more gunmen at Soba and other camps across Khartoum, the same military sources said.

The air force, which has bombed positions in the capital since fighting erupted, studied the location of RSF camps for more than a week before the battles began, the two military sources said. The army also established a small committee of senior generals to prepare for a possible conflict with the RSF, the same sources said.

On Saturday, April 15, the first volleys of the war woke RSF troops stationed at Soba, Moussa Khadam Mohamed, an advisor to Hemedti, told Reuters in an telephone interview.

Looking beyond the walls of the camp, they saw the army had positioned cannons in the vicinity, he said.

We observed a force gathering at the base, as well as around Hemedtis home in Khartoum, he said.

Both the army and the RSF were quick to blame the other publicly for sparking the violence and attempting a power grab.

Reuters could not independently verify the events Mohamed described.

A temporary truce this week was agreed under pressure from the United States and Saudi Arabia, who along with the United Nations and the African Union are concerned that Sudan could fragment, destabilising a volatile region.

The lull allowed thousands of Khartoum residents and foreign visitors to flee the capital. Although the truce was extended late on Thursday, air strikes and anti-aircraft fire again rocked the city.

RIVALRY AT THE TOP

Hemedti, previously a militia leader in Darfur, was an enforcer for former president Omar-al Bashir and became rich from the gold trade.

He and Burhan, a career army officer, were not always at odds.

Both commanded men in Darfur where as many as 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million displaced in a conflict that escalated in 2003 and rumbles on to this day despite several peace deals.

Assuming the top two positions on Sudans ruling council after Bashirs 2019 overthrow during a protest movement, they mostly presented a united front in a power sharing arrangement with the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), a political coalition that arose from the uprising.

By that time, the RSF had grown into a force estimated at 100,000 and formalised under legislation passed by parliament

In October 2021, the two men staged a coup.

Hemedti, however, quickly came to see that takeover as a mistake that had enabled Bashir loyalists to regain some influence, he has said in speeches and televised interviews. The coup led to weekly mass street protests and cut short a tentative opening of Sudans stagnant economy.

As Hemedti bet on an internationally-backed framework agreement for a civilian government, apparently eyeing a future political role for himself, ties grew strained over the chain of command in the new transition and plans to integrate the RSF into the regular army.

In the buildup to the fighting, Hemedti insisted the integration of the RSF should be stretched over 10 years, in line with details of the framework transition plan signed in December, several Sudanese and diplomatic sources familiar with the talks said.

However, the army was pushing for a shorter time frame, with General Shams El Din Kabbashi, Burhans hardline deputy within the army, pushing for just two years.

Reuters could not reach Kabbashi for comment.

A senior diplomat involved in mediation efforts in the final weeks before the fighting said there seemed to be space for agreement between Burhan and Hemedti, though the RSF leader showed exasperation.

There was a lot of rage, frustration, the narrative of Im the only one protecting the democratic transition'.

The army chief was insisting that Hemedti would report to him, while Hemedti was saying that only an elected parliament could decide the chain of command. Neither wanted to back down first, the senior diplomat said.

DARFUR TO POWER

The RSFs Mohamed, echoing comments made publicly by Hemedti, and the civilian FFC, both say there was a third group at play, souring relations between the army and the paramilitary force.

Theres a bloc inside the army that rejects democracy, Mohamed said, adding that RSF intelligence had monitored meetings of Bashir allies opposed to the transition.

Mohamed and the FFC say this bloc is made up of supporters, including Islamists, of Bashir, who ruled Sudan for decades. Pro-Bashir forces started making a comeback after the 2021 coup. They have publicly opposed the December framework agreement for elections and civilian rule.

The agreement threatened the space that the elements of the defunct regime found after the October 25 (2021) coup, so they fuelled the conflict between the armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces and are now working to continue it after the outbreak of the war, Khalid Omer Yousif, a senior FFC member and former cabinet minister, told Reuters.

FFC members have accused the pro-Bashir group of spreading rumours and exerting internal pressure within the army.

Representatives of Bashirs National Congress Party did not respond to calls requesting comment for this story

Since his overthrow, Bashir has been in prison, with spells in hospital. He was convicted on corruption charges and is now being tried over the 1989 coup that brought him to power.

Before the outbreak of violence, Bashir was transferred from the sprawling Kober prison to a military hospital, the army said on Wednesday, along with five senior loyalists, including one who, like Bashir, is charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court.

Days before the fighting broke out, Bashir sympathisers attacked pro-democracy groups near the prison. Last weekend, thousands of inmates were released in unclear circumstances.

Among them was a former minister in Bashirs government who is also wanted on war crimes charges by the ICC, and other top members of his movement.

Mohamed Tahir Ayla, prime minister at the time Bashir fell and once touted as a potential future president, recently started making public appearances after keeping a low profile for several years.

At a gathering of supporters a few days before the fighting started, he brought an inflammatory message, promising martyr after martyr to defend Sudans land and religion.

Reuters could not reach Ayla or Bashir, or establish whether they have had any role in the collapse of the transition plan and the conflict.

There is no place for the framework agreement, Ayla said, in a video of the gathering viewed by Reuters. We are more prepared now than before to take up arms, and take what is ours by our own hands.

SOURCE: REUTERS
ALBANY  The Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region broke ground Thursday on its Clinton Avenue development project intended to foster entrepreneurship and community building in Albanys Sheridan Hollow neighborhood.

After temporarily shelving the project due to the pandemic, the organization has moved forward with its $12 million plan to build a mixed-use structure at 236 Clinton Ave. with 36 affordable housing units, four retail storefronts and coworking space for eight people. The three-story downtown Albany building will also include designated training and technical assistance with a goal of revolutionizing the way the organization supports local entrepreneurs.

The 54,000-square-foot building will be connected to the Albany Center for Economic Success, located at 255 Orange St., and will create more capacity for marginalized business owners seeking incubator services. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Thursday morning to celebrate the project, including appearances from local elected officials, donors and community partners who discussed how the expansion will strengthen the neighborhood.

Everyday issues such as lack of child care facilities and affordable office space should not serve as a barrier to aspiring business owners, said Linda MacFarlane, Community Loan Fund executive director. We are confident that this project will combat those issues and allow even more Capital Region residents to access our services.

It comes as the Community Loan Fund approaches its historic 1000th loan, marking $74.8 million dollars in funds given to Capital Region small businesses and nonprofits over the organizations 37-year history. Its first loan was in the amount of $3,000 granted to Catholic Charities to be used for affordable housing, a development area that remains an integral part of the organizations mission.

The project seeks to address barriers that individuals in the community might face in developing their businesses. Among its amenities is a drop-in day care that is free for clients visiting the incubator center. The drop-in center can only provide child care for a maximum of two hours at a time under state mandates but Mike Martin, director of community relations and development for the Community Loan Fund, said the time allotment fits perfectly with their workshops and 1-1 mentoring sessions that last between one to two hours.

The 36 affordable housing units will be built in partnership with Home Leasing, a Rochester-based affordable housing developer that will cover $8 million of the construction costs, Martin said. The proposed floor plan also includes a fitness area, community room, multiple lobby areas, conference rooms, maintenance office and shop, dog washing, laundry room, tenant storage and bicycle storage.

Empire State Development is supporting the development with a $800,000 award for the business incubator space. The incubator expansion is part of a larger effort to revitalize Albanys Clinton Avenue area, which also includes the redevelopment of four historic rowhouses including 13 units and the former Public School 7 to create 13 units. Last year, the Sheridan Hollow neighborhood was declared a Brownfield Opportunity Area, a designation meant to speed up revitalization in a location thats been disproportionately impacted by pollution and disinvestment by making tax credits and other incentives available for proposed development projects.

Patrick Miller, president of the Albany Center for Economic Success, highlighted the organizations capital campaign to raise the necessary funds to finish the project. ACES has currently raised around $300,000 of its $1 million goal and is asking community members and Capital Region companies to help come up with the rest. Part of the fundraising effort includes the opportunity for givers to purchase a memorial brick to have their name on display in the training and technical assistance center. Naming rights on the different coworking offices, training and technical assistance room and the building itself are also up for grabs.

We want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to accomplish their hopes and their dreams, to bring their entrepreneurial ideas to the market to succeed in their businesses because that really is what builds wealth and what builds sustainable wealth in a community, Mayor Kathy Sheehan said at the groundbreaking.

Construction is slated to conclude in 2024. To learn more about the Clinton Avenue project or to donate, visit the Community Loan Funds website.
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CASTLETON  Amazons on-site emergency clinic failed to provide adequate medical treatment for multiple traumatic and chronic injuries at a fulfillment center in Castleton last year, an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found.

It is the latest New York Amazon facility to be slapped with federal safety violations this year. It was among several Amazon facilities cited by OSHA last month for unsafe working conditions.

The Castleton citation for the violations describes six employees with head injuries and four with back injuries who did not receive timely, necessary medical care outlined in the companys own protocols. Injured workers were returned to their jobs and, in many cases, their injuries became worse as a result, according to a press release from the federal agency.

In most cases, the back injuries resulted from lifting or pulling heavy objects or machinery while head injuries occurred when boxes fell on employees.

One worker struck in the head in October by a package containing a 28-pound bench press bar was not medically evaluated and returned to work, including operating heavy machinery, the same day, the OSHA citation states. Later, medical records showed that he had sustained a concussion.

Another worker who lost consciousness and fell off a forklift machine, hitting their head on the pavement, was examined on-site but returned to work without proper medical clearance documentation, according to OSHA.

In a third case, in September of last year, an employee struck in the back of the head by two tables falling 15 feet was seen at Amazons Amcare clinic, where staff noted multiple signs of concussion that worsened as the visit progressed, including an unsteady gait and difficulty opening their eyes. The employer failed to call EMS. The worker was transported to urgent care by a private taxi company without the appropriate neck and spine stabilization device, OSHA investigators found.

The work at these fulfillment facilities is physically demanding. Returning a worker with a back injury or possible concussion to their job without proper medical evaluation and care can lead to prolonged injuries and lifelong suffering, Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker said. The examples uncovered by our investigation demonstrate a callous disregard for the well-being of Amazons Castleton employees that is completely unacceptable.

Last month, OSHA cited the Castleton location for ergonomic violations and in December, Amazon was rebuked for recordkeeping violations there.

In January 2016, OSHA put Amazon on notice over deficient on-site medical practices at a fulfillment facility in Robbinsville, N.J. A similar warning was delivered to Amazon more recently  in January 2023  after OSHA identified deficiencies in on-site medical practices in Deltona, Fla.

According to Eric Frumin, health & safety director at the Strategic Organizing Center, a leader in the campaign to protect Amazon warehouse workers nationwide, these violations are reminiscent of the egregious mistreatment that OSHA uncovered eight years ago, which is further evidence of how little Amazon executives really care about the safety of their employees.

Amazon has utterly failed to give its workers the decent, qualified medical care that they deserve after serious on-the-job injuries  as they move the goods that make the millions for Amazon executives, Frumin said.

In response to the report, an Amazon spokesperson said the company policy is to encourage anyone who wants or needs outside medical attention to get it immediately and the on-site medical clinics are just for first-aid  not formal medical diagnosis.

We take the safety and well-being of our employees extremely seriously, and the claims in this citation are just plain wrong so we plan to appeal, Amazon spokeswoman Maureen Lynch Vogel said in an emailed statement.

OSHA has proposed $15,625 in penalties, an amount set by federal statute. Amazon has 15 business days from receipt of the current citations and proposed penalty to comply, request an informal conference with OSHAs area director, or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Some said they believe the proposed fine is too low.

It shows how weak the OSHA laws are, said Seth Goldstein, a lawyer with Julien, Mirer, Singla, who has represented Amazon workers who have tried, without success, to form a union in the Castleton facility. People suffered a lot more than $16,000, he said, referring to the proposed fine.

The latest findings are part of an ongoing inspection started at Amazons upstate New York fulfillment center in August 2022, based on a referral from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York that led OSHA to open inspections in Castleton and at five other Amazon warehouse facilities in Florida, Illinois, New York, Colorado and Idaho in summer 2022.

According to Lynch Vogel, Amazon has invested more than $1 billion in safety initiatives since 2019. Since then, company data suggests Amazons recordable injury rate has dropped 23 percent and lost time incident rate has declined more than 53 percent.

We also know that there will always be more to do, and well continue working to get better every day, Lynch Vogel said.

Rick Karlin contributed.
ALBANY  Thomas K. Dunham, an attorney who was associated with a political action committee that backed the gubernatorial campaign of former U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, is asking a judge to quash a subpoena from the state Board of Elections that seeks to obtain records from Dunham's personal Gmail account as part of an ongoing investigation of the group's fundraising.

An emergency application filed in state Supreme Court on Thursday by Dunham's attorney, James Featherstonhaugh, argues that the subpoena is overly broad and would result in the state board's investigators obtaining all of his client's emails that were sent and received last year from a private email account.

"The subpoena in question is alleged to have been issued in connection with an ongoing investigation into Save Our State NY, Inc., ... an independent expenditure committee operating in New York state in the lead up to the 2022 gubernatorial election," Featherstonhaugh wrote in the filing. "The request to turn over any and all private personal communications which have no bearing or relationship to the present investigation is an impermissible overreach."

The court filing confirms that the Board of Elections is continuing its investigations into both the political action committee and Dunham, who frequently works on legal matters involving campaigns and elections. The filing also discloses that Michael L. Johnson, the board's chief enforcement counsel, had issued subpoenas to three other "agents" of Save Our State NY as part of the ongoing probe.

Court records show those additional subpoenas were served on former U.S. Rep. John Faso, Kristofer Graham, who was listed as Save Our State's treasurer, and political consultant and fundraiser Jason Weingartner, the former executive director of the state Republican Party. The subpoenas sought all of their records, including communications, related to the political action committee for a three-year period beginning in January 2020. Dunham also received a subpoena for those same records.

The subpoenas, signed by Johnson, warn the recipients  without citing any authority  that they "are not to disclose the existence of this request ... (because it) could impede the investigation being conducted and thereby interfere with enforcement of the law."

The state's investigation also has focused on a second political committee, Safe Together New York, which like Save Our State NY was able to collect and spend unlimited funds to support Zeldin and other GOP gubernatorial candidates.

In October, the Times Union reported that Johnson, who was appointed chief enforcement counsel by former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, had been stymied in his attempt that month to receive authorization from the bipartisan board to subpoena records related to the outside groups' ties to Zeldin's campaign.

Johnson's request six months ago, which was first reported by the New York Times, was blocked because the two Republican members of the four-person board, Anthony J. Casale and Peter S. Kosinski, did not attend the board meeting in which it was under consideration. Without their presence, the board did not have a quorum when it went into a closed-door session to deliberate on the subpoena request.

In January, when the matter came before the board a second time, Kosinski and Johnson openly sparred as the commissioner accused the enforcement counsel of leaking information about the subpoena request to the New York Times after he was unable to obtain authorization.

"How would the press know that unless someone here told them? How else would they know that? Thats the question I have," Kosinski said during the meeting. " ... It's obvious from that newspaper report that they knew what was going on here. Someone had to tell them. That implies a leak to me."

Johnson denied providing the newspaper with information about his then-failed effort to obtain a subpoena.

"Nothing was leaked, Peter  at least not from anyone in my unit or me, and as far as Im concerned," Johnson said. "The fact that we didnt have a meeting (means that) anyone who understands how things work here, rules and regulations, could immediately surmise, 'Well, if the commissioners dont show, it affects the investigation, depending on what the chief enforcement counsel wants to do.'"

The emergency application filed Thursday by Featherstonhaugh confirms that Johnson eventually did invoke his authority to issue subpoenas, and began to do so in January.

The Times Union reported last fall, weeks before the general election and as Zeldin was in a tight race with Hochul, that during a conference call with the Republican Governors Association, Zeldin had urged party donors to contribute heavily to Save Our State NY and Safe Together New York.

Zeldin's comments on the call, which his campaign at the time said were not in violation of any rules, came as the congressman has said the activities of those groups are independent from his campaign, as required by state law.

The conference call had been organized by the Republican Governors Association and led by its chairman, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey. During the call, Zeldin gave a lengthy statement and answered potential donors' questions.

The outside groups fundraising had surged as Zeldin gained ground in his race against Hochul. A single conservative billionaire, Estee Lauder cosmetics fortune heir Ronald Lauder, has given nearly $9 million to the two committees.

Zeldin's campaign was prohibited from coordinating with the outside groups; at one point during the conference call he noted that "there are rules that are in place."

The candidate told the participants the two groups have been "targeting Kathy Hochul on the issues that are most important to New Yorkers, especially crime and the economy."

"One is called Safe Together. The other one is called Save Our State," Zeldin said. "They're both up on TV. They're doing radio, they're doing digital advertisements and more to help."

Zeldin noted that an individual donor can legally give up to $47,100 directly to his general election campaign, and added: "There's some people on this call who have already done that."

Zeldin later stated that he couldnt by law collect donations for the outside groups, but urged that donors support them.

"If you are able to give to the Republican Governors Association to assist in a race, or through one of the other entities if you prefer, directly, that's something where you can have a conversation with them," Zeldin said. "I can't because of the rules that are in place. So I'm not going to be able to get to that during this call. But to the maximum extent that you can possibly help us, please do."
Czech, Slovak leaders arrive to a Ukraine under attack by Russia 28 April, 03:00 PM Despite the mass missile attack from Russia, the Presidents of Czechia and Slovakia arrived in Kyiv on April 28 for meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Photo:Petr Pavel/Twitter)

Despite the mass missile attack from Russia, the Presidents of Czechia and Slovakia arrived in Kyiv on April 28 for meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The visit marks Czech President Petr Pavels first since Russias full-scale invasion began, while Slovak President Zuzana Caputova addressed Ukraines Verkhovna Rada in June 2022.

They arrived at the Nemishaieve railway station in Kyiv Oblast, before travelling to Borodyanka, which was nearly destroyed by the Russian invaders, reported Slovakias Denik N.

Video of day

Zuzanna Chaputova and I understand the value of freedom and justice, Pavel wrote on Twitter.

Its difficult to see with our own eyes that Ukrainians are paying the highest price for this. Blood and life of their own citizens. Theyre defending what they have in common in the fight against the aggressor. Therefore, well support them.

Chaputova said that after her previous visit to the Ukrainian capital city Kyiv, her attitude towards the war unleashed by Russia had changed from political to deeply human.

She also called Russias morning missile strike at Ukraine a reminder that we cannot afford to look away.

Russia launched a massive missile attack on Ukraine overnight on April 28.

In total, air defense forces shot down 21 out of 23 missiles, including 11 outside Kyiv, as well as two drones.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

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POUGHKEEPSIE  After more than a year of negotiations, Nuvance Health and the local chapter of the Service Employees International Union representing health workers at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Putnam Hospital and Northern Dutchess Hospital have reached a contract agreement that the union labeled as historic.

The three-day ratification vote took place between April 19-21 when approximately 1,500 members voted to ratify the contract, which comes after more than a year of tense negotiations and pressure from the union demanding better pay and increased staffing.

The contract includes base pay increases between 10 and 15 percent for biomedical engineers and radiation therapists at Northern Dutchess Hospital, annual raises of 3.5 percent in the next two years and a 3 percent annual increase in the third year. Under the new contract, health care workers also will maintain health benefits through the 1199 National Benefit Fund, while new members will be covered by the fund starting Dec. 1, 2024. Employees also will receive time off to observe Juneteenth, which was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021.

Employees like technical workers at Northern Dutchess, biomedical engineers and radiation therapists at Vassar and Putnam had been without a union contract since the last one expired Sept. 30, 2022, said union officials at 1199SEIU, which has represented members at Vassar and Putnam since the 1980s. The union said the new contract will help with retention and staffing issues at the three hospitals and improve workers quality of life.

From going to not being able to afford health benefits that their families desperately need, to actually having incredible, comprehensive, no-cost health benefits that they fought for and won, its going to dramatically improve peoples lives, said Greg Speller, executive vice president of the Hudson Valley/Capital Region 1199SEIU. And its going to hopefully attract and retain a lot more staff that will love to come here and stay and work here and make things better for the patients as well.

How the new contract will impact health workers

As of last December, 199 workers at Putnam Hospital made less than $20 an hour, with the lowest rates ranging from $15.72 to $19.97 an hour. Vassar had 598 people making less than $20 an hour, including some lab workers, with the scale there ranging from $16.22 to $19.91, according to information provided by 1199SEIU.

With the new contract, employees working 40 hours a week who were paid an hourly rate of $16.71 will receive $18.50 to $20 an hour. Service workers like clerks, receivers and those working in material handling will get paid $18.50, while front desk and transportation employees will receive $19 an hour. Others, like biomedical engineers, who were making $22 an hour, will jump to an hourly rate of around $40. The average hourly salary for a biomedical engineer in New York state is $34.42, according to Indeed.com, while on the national level, their mean hourly wage is $51.95, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Definitely, our quality of life is going to change because were going to retain other biomeds here, said Guy Milroy, a biomedical engineer at Vassar. So right now, a majority of us in the biomed department, our livelihood, the cost of health care, and the cost of living, thats quadrupled in this area. Its hard to make ends meet up here. So its going to substantially affect all of our lives all around.

John R. Nelson, assistant vice president of community, government and public relations on Nuvance Healths New York team, said in a statement that the company is thrilled that workers at the companys Hudson Valley hospitals have new contracts.

We are proud to have packages that match the level of care our employees provide to the mid-Hudson Valley community. Thank you to our employees for working with us to ratify the contracts that will help us continue our shared goal to offer safe, patient-centered healthcare, Nelsons statement said.

Health care system in crisis

The health workers demands come three years since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted New Yorks health care system and workers toiled long hours and risked their health to care for ill patients.

Three years later, union officials say health care workers are exhausted and overworked, which combined with low pay is driving them to find higher-paying jobs or leave the industry altogether. Nearly 1 in 5 healthcare workers have left their jobs since the pandemic.

Milroy explained that for the past three years, his biomedical department has hired at least 12 people who eventually left for hospitals where they made double their salary.

These members need it. Theyre leaving our hospitals going over to other hospitals because theyre getting $10 or $15 more, so we definitely have to demand competitive rates for our hospital as well if we want to keep the staff that we currently have, said Tomoya Norwood, who is an administrative organizer at Vassar for local 1199.

Low staffing levels have consequences on the care that patients receive, union members said. Debbie Evans, a patient care technician at Vassar and a union delegate, said low staffing is causing technicians and nurses to care for large numbers of patients, many of whom need help with eating, bathing or getting up. Evans said there are nurses who have eight patients and two technicians serving 15 patients each, when the safe practice would be to have three to four technicians on the floor, she said.

Angela Lane, 1199SEIUs regional vice president for the Hudson Valley division, noted the need to comply with New Yorks Safe Staffing Quality Care Act, a law that sets nurse-to-patient ratios and minimum staffing requirements.

Just think about the last time your family member was in the hospital, and would you want your loved one to have somebody whos working with 15 other people and trying to keep up and trying to toilet and do all these things for that patient? Its disgusting, Lane said.

A 2022 safety rating by Leapfrog, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit watchdog group, gave a C grade to Vassar Brothers Medical Center and to Northern Dutchess Hospital, in Rhinebeck, while Putnam Hospital in Carmel received a B.

Currently, there are 79 open positions at Vassar and 41 vacant jobs at Putnam, Norwood said. Northern Dutchess Hospital is short on X-ray technicians and employees who run tests like MRIs or mammographies, Lane said.

(Union) members see in the newspaper what their CEO is making a year off of COVIDs back, knowing that theyve never even graced the hospital. These members have put their lives as well as their familys lives in jeopardy to do this job, because this is what they came into health care for. And to hear that they couldnt even afford health care is disgusting, Lane said.

Tense negotiations

Union representatives said reaching a new contract was a bumpy ride and didnt always trust that hospital administration was negotiating fairly.

In December, Nuvances Nelson sent the Times Union a statement saying the company continued to negotiate in good faith with 1199SEIU. Nuvance Health took ownership of the Poughkeepsie hospital after a 2019 merger between Health Quest and Western Connecticut Health Network.

Ultimately, the union said it was the pressure from its membership and showing up to meetings in large numbers to contract negotiations that made the difference. The new contract will expire in 2025, and while the union is celebrating it, calling it one of the best contracts that Vassar has seen, Norwood said its still not where it should be.

They wanted us to back off, but when youre living in a time where everything is so high and its so hard to survive, you have to fight for what you need to survive, Evans said. We came every day through COVID in there for the community, so we deserve to be treated fairly. And we stood firm and fought for the contract that we deserved.
GREENPORT  For the past two years, elected officials, police, social workers and mental health professionals in Columbia County have been meeting to hash out a plan that could change the way homelessness, drug addiction and mental illness are treated in the area.

They are focused on plans to build The Wellness Hub, which backers say would address persistent problems faced by the city of Hudson and the wider county while genuinely helping those going through crises, as well as taking pressure off local police and the emergency room and saving the county money.

The plan is the direct outgrowth of a 2021 report commissioned by Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson to reform the criminal justice system in the wake of calls for racial and social justice after George Floyds 2020 murder by police in Minnesota. Johnson was seeking reforms intended to reduce policing of people in a mental health or substance use disorder-related crisis, according to the study, called the Sequential Intercept Model Report.

The hub would serve county residents in crisis by offering a range of resources, including a safe haven"-style shelter, therapy, peer counseling and social services, steering them away from the court system and the emergency room. Residents could walk into the hub, located a little more than a mile from downtown Hudson in the town of Greenport, or be taken there by police after being picked up for petty crimes.

The major point of the hub is to reduce arrests, according to Mayor Johnson.

Johnson said the hub would be a one-stop shop for residents seeking services  some of which are currently scattered around the county, some of which do not exist at all.

Homeless in a rural county

Like many rural areas Upstate, Columbia County has homeless people, but no homeless shelter.

Instead, families and individuals without housing are put up in privately owned motels.

The motel system is far from ideal, according to Cheryl Roberts, the executive director of the Greenburger Center for Social & Criminal Justice, a major force in developing the hub.

Of the seven privately owned motels used to house people late last December (the last period with immediately available data from the county Department of Social Services), none were actually in Hudson, the epicenter of homelessness in the county. The least proximate motel was in Latham, nearly an hour's drive from the city. One motel was on the side of I-90, with a gas station and a truck stop the only places to get food within miles. Another, in Claverack, had no food options for miles.

Not only are there no places to get food within walking distance  most of the people housed in the motels do not have cars  but these individuals are also isolated from social connections and from the county services they need to get by, Roberts said.

Homeless people often also have substance use disorders and struggle with mental illness, and Roberts said the motels can cause them to decompensate, or psychologically unravel because the circumstances of the motel system would drive anyone insane.

The motels are also not the nicest. One, the Joslen Motor Lodge in Greenport, has been the site of various criminal episodes since 2010, including incidents where people were slashed with knives, threatened with guns, and badly beaten. In 2016, a man was charged with concealing a human corpse after dumping the body of Halle Schmidt in a forest after she overdosed on heroin during a drug-fueled party at the motel.

The seven motels and a civic motel operated by a nonprofit housed 103 homeless people  including 25 children  on any given night last December, according to data from the county Department of Social Services.

I think that everyone at this point is well aware that this is not the answer, this is not the solution, and we need something else, we need a plan B, Roberts said.

A safe haven shelter at the Wellness Hub would be far better for people experiencing homelessness or related problems, according to county Department of Social Services Commissioner Bob Gibson.

Youre in a facility where you have oversight, where you can get assistance right away  our workers are close to you, and we contract with nonprofits to staff the shelter  so we provide wrap-around services, and if (the shelter) is on a campus where its one part of a Wellness Hub, most of the human services and social services youre going to are contained within the campus, he said.

The hub would also arguably save Columbia County money. Transporting people to out-of-the-way motels to house them at market rates is not cheap. Gibson said a motel room generally costs between $95 and $105 a night.

According to an analysis by Gibson in the 2021 mapping report, four high utilizers of the system cost the county a total of about $120,000 in motel costs, as well as $5,600 in transportation costs, annually.

High utilizers

Diverting residents with substance use disorders and mental health problems from the criminal justice system is the original point of the Wellness Hub. Among other things, this would reduce the amount of resources police expend on these issues, according to Mayor Johnson.

Were spending so much money on policing, as well as on motel rooms and different efforts, and a lot of it is not working, Johnson said.

Congressman Marc Molinaro, a Republican whose district includes Columbia County, gave the Wellness Hub a major boost when he requested $5 million in federal funding for the project from the annual appropriations bill. Funding will be decided next fall.

Molinaro requested the funds because I believe it is the model that America has to replicate to confront the mental health crisis (facing) people in this country, he said in an interview Tuesday.

When Molinaro was Dutchess County executive, he oversaw the creation of a similar hub, the Dutchess County Crisis Stabilization Center, which focuses on crisis intervention and trauma-informed care, Molinaro said.

During its first year, emergency rooms and police diverted people from the county jail to the stabilization thousands of times, according to Molinaro, many of (whom) dealt with mental health issues and substance abuse disorders, leading to a decrease in the jails population.

In February 2017, the month before the stabilization center opened, the Dutchess County Jail held an average of 409 people daily, according to the Dutchess County Criminal Justice Center. Two years later (and before bail reform was enacted), the jail had a daily average of 353 people, a decrease of about 14 percent.

The stabilization center is only the hub of a larger mental health care system in Dutchess County, Molinaro said. He noted that for Columbia Countys hub to work, police, paramedics, dispatchers and others would need to be trained in dealing with mental health crises.

The 2021 mapping report had a large focus on high utilizers of systems in the county: individuals, often who have mental health problems, substance abuse disorders, or both, who cycle in and out of the motel system, jail, and Columbia Memorial Health, the countys hospital.

Hudson Police Chief Ed Moore said his officers receive about 8-10 calls for emotionally disturbed people a month in the city of 5,900, usually about the same few individuals.

Though that may not sound like a huge number, a single call can stress many resources, as police must spend time dealing with the person, who is then often taken by ambulance to Columbia Memorial Health, taking up the time of paramedics and emergency room staff, according to Moore.

The hospitals ER does about 30 mental health evaluations a week, according to CMH spokesman Bill Van Slyke, though not all of those are people in crisis. There are also about 250 visits to Columbia Memorial Health a year related to drugs, but for non-medical reasons, such as the person who has become homeless or is in crisis related to the impact of substance use.

The Wellness Hub could provide a non-medical alternative to many of these social determinants patients who have no viable alternative to the emergency department, Slyke added.

About a half-dozen high utililizers in Hudson, many of whom hang out at the Seventh Street Park, have been arrested for petty crimes more than 100 times, according to Moore, which doesnt include the hundreds of times police are called on their account and an arrest is not made.

Moore, who is a member of the group developing the Wellness Hub, said bail reform had exacerbated this problem since police have to immediately release the petty offenders, and the whole process begins anew, he said.

Moore said he was supportive of the Wellness Hub, but added it wasnt the complete answer.

It has not been determined if people who are homeless and picked up for petty crimes will be charged, then brought to the Wellness Hub, or will be brought to the hub without being charged, according to Moore, who said such a directive would have to be worked out with the local courts.

Molinaros request for $5 million would cover the cost of one of the three buildings in the hub. Members of the group developing the Wellness Hub said the other two buildings could be subsequently built by requesting state and federal money.
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BALLSTON  When asked about George Murray, John Lyng said he couldnt win for nothing.

Murray lost his hearing as a child, was deserted by his parents and ended up homeless as a teen. In the last 10 years of his life, he suffered seizures. And that, Lyng thinks, is how Murray met his end last Saturday night  seizing and then falling while crossing the street. As he lay on the road just before 9 p.m., Murray was hit by a Honda Civic on Church Avenue near the busy state routes 50 and 67, just south of the village of Ballston Spa, according to the Saratoga County Sheriffs Office. The 40-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

He was a big part of my life and family, said Lyng, who unofficially adopted Murray when he was 19 years old and homeless. He was like my own child.

Lyng first learned about Murray, who worked as a dishwasher and short-order cook, in a Corinth pub where his stepdaughter worked. She told Lyng about Murray because he sat at the bar until closing every night  he had nowhere to go, and sometimes slept in peoples yards.

I didnt know anything about the kid, but my stepdaughter asked me to help him out, Lyng said. I had an empty bedroom down at the house. I dont say no to anybody especially if they're down and out. I took him under my wing. He had nothing but the old smelly clothes on his back.

Lyng and his family helped Murray get Social Security disability support and, more importantly, gave him the love he never had a chance to have.

And when he heard Murray died in the road, he and others said they were positive he had suffered a seizure before falling into the roadway.

My whole family is pretty upset about the whole situation, Lyng said.

So is his friend Darlene McGraw. She too suffers seizures and like Murray cant drive. She met him at a CDTA bus stop and the two had fun together, including trying to make a video to submit to the television series Americas Funniest Home Videos. They also bonded over their disabilities and last October joined together to speak at the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors meeting to ask for closed captioning of its proceedings. Murray also demanded that the countys Department of Social Services do a better job helping him.

McGraw was devastated to learn of his death.

He was stressed  stress can bring on seizures, said McGraw, who communicated with Murray using American Sign Language. He was frustrated because he couldnt get the services he needed. With hearing disabilities, you can suffer from depression. Obtaining simple things like food and housing can be hard.

But Murray was working through his challenges. Lyng said that Murray had recently landed a job at Wesley Health Care Center and moved into a Saratoga Springs apartment with his pet rabbit.

This was the best year of his life, Lyng said. He had a job and they loved him there. He had a nice apartment, he was on a bus route. He could go see his friends in the deaf community in Ballston Spa. He could go to Walmart. He finally had freedom. He felt good about himself.

Murrays death is also heartbreaking for Theresa Fioretti, the cook at Duffys Tavern in Lake George. Murray worked nine summers there as a dishwasher and busboy.

I was shocked, Fioretti said.  ... He was an absolute sweetheart who helped everyone he could. He was a hard worker who always did more than he was asked to do.

Fioretti said she hired him because her mother, who recently died, knew sign language. Fioretti, who also knows sign language, said it was hard for Murray to get jobs as a deaf person and her mother encouraged her to help.

It was hard for him  very hard  being deaf, Fioretti said. But because Murray was beloved, many in the kitchen learned to sign. They would help Murray with any phone calls he had to make. Staff would drive him back to his camper each night.

When the summer season was over in Lake George, Murray would return to the Lyng home, where Lyng said his grandsons adored Murrays company.

If he had two dollars in his pocket, he would spend it on lollipops for my grandsons, Lyng said. All George wanted was the love he never had. Thats all the kid asked for: love and the opportunity. (His death) is still hitting home for me.

Lyng said a celebration of Murrays life will take place at Moreau State Park on May 20.
Dave Martin/AP

CHICAGO (AP)  A memorial honoring Mamie Till-Mobley, the mother of Emmett Till, will be unveiled Saturday outside the suburban Chicago high school she attended as a young woman, long before she became a critical player in the Civil Rights Movement.

Emmett Tills 1955 lynching in Mississippi and his mothers insistence on an open-casket funeral for the 14-year-old served as a catalyst for civil rights. Till-Mobley was a civil rights activist for the rest of her life.
Here are your picks for the Best of the Capital Region 2023

We tallied the votes from this years Best of the Capital Region contest in 100 categories.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Friday that a special lawmaking session dedicated to possible changes to the state's gun laws in the wake of a deadly school shooting last month would likely have to take place after July 4.

I think the ideal solution is that we find a way to do what most people think is important, which is to make sure that people that are a threat to themselves or others because of a mental crisis, that people that are a threat do not have access to weapons, the Republican governor told reporters in Covington on Friday.

The timeline comes after lawmakers sped up to finish their annual session last week without taking action on a gun control plan offered by Lee after the March 27 shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, which killed three 9-year-olds and three adults at the Christian school.

Tennessee Republicans were facing national pressure after they expelled two young Black Democratic lawmakers for a protest over gun control on the state House floor, as protesters filled the galleries above. The lawmakers have since been reinstated. For weeks, students, parents, politicians and others protested for more restrictions to be added to Tennessee's gun-friendly laws at the Capitol.

Hours after lawmakers wrapped up their session April 21, Lee announced that he would call them back for the special session to work to protect Tennessee communities and preserve constitutional rights. His spokesperson, Jade Byers, said Friday that more details would be announced when they become available.

Lee's office has said he offered dates from May through August.

Lee has proposed the creation of a temporary mental health order of protection," which aims to keep guns away from people who could harm themselves or others. Enough Republicans joined gun lobby groups in opposition to keep Lees proposal from coming to a vote last week.

Some on the other side of the guns debate argue that Lees proposed measure doesn't go far enough. Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun control advocacy group, said that the three-to-five-day period between when law enforcement would file a petition with a court to seize firearms and when a court hearing would generally occur under the proposal could be the difference between life and death.

Some Republican lawmakers have since said they want to review The Covenant School shooter's writings, which police have not yet released, before deciding how state law needs to be changed.

Lee told reporters Friday that he thinks Tennesseans want clarity around this issue. The day before, he said on Twitter that Nashville's police chief has assured him that the documents about the 28-year-old shooter will be released to the public very soon.

The investigation has advanced to the point that writings from the Covenant shooter are now being reviewed for public release. That process is underway and will take a little time, Metro Nashville Police Department spokesperson Kristin Mumford said in a statement Thursday.

The department has said that during the attack, the shooter fired 152 rounds before being killed by police.

Police say the shooter was under a doctors care for an undisclosed emotional disorder. However, authorities havent publicly stated a link between that care and the shooting. Police say the shooter was not on their radar before the attack.

Rep. John Ray Clemmons, the Democratic House Caucus Chairman from Nashville, called on lawmakers to focus less on what was in a manifesto and more on how were going to work together across the aisle to enact a law that will allow for the timely and temporary removal of firearms from individuals who pose a threat to themselves and others.

Lee said top lawmakers gave input on his proposal and he argued it isnt a red flag law. He called that term a toxic political label meant to draw lines in the sand so nothing gets done.

In a cool reception after the proposal's release, House Republicans didnt appear to make a distinction on terminology, saying in a caucus statement that "any red flag law is a non-starter.

After the shooting, lawmakers and Lee joined together on proposals that largely target student behavioral health measures and heightened school security, including funding for a school resource officer in every public school and grants for private school security.

The Covenant School, meanwhile, on Friday marked about a month since the shooting with a letter of gratitude.

In short, we have been learning to navigate the new, forever-changed life before us, the school posted on Facebook. This internal focus has not, however, prevented us from feeling the awe-inspiring expressions of love and support from the Nashville community and across the nation.

___

Sainz reported from Covington. Associated Press reporter Travis Loller contributed from Nashville.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  The House voted Friday to reinstate tariffs on solar panel imports from several Southeast Asian countries after President Joe Biden paused them in a bid to boost solar installations in the U.S., a key part of his climate agenda.

The 221-202 vote sends the measure to the Senate, where lawmakers from both parties have expressed similar concerns about what many call unfair competition from China. Biden has vowed to veto the measure if it reaches his desk.

The House vote would overturn Biden's action last year pausing threatened tariffs that had led to delays or cancellations of hundreds of solar projects across the United States.

Twelve Democrats joined 209 Republicans to support the override measure. Eight Republicans and 194 Democrats opposed it.

Some U.S. manufacturers contend that China has essentially moved operations to four Southeast Asian countries  Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia  to skirt strict anti-dumping rules that limit imports from China.

A Commerce Department inquiry last year found likely trade violations involving Chinese products. Biden halted the tariffs for two years before the Commerce investigation was completed. The White House said Biden's action was necessary to satisfy the demand for reliable and clean energy while providing "certainty for jobs and investments in the solar supply chain and the solar installation market.''

Before Biden acted, the threat of tariffs from the Commerce Department inquiry had led to delays or cancellations of hundreds of solar projects in the U.S. as investors moved to protect themselves against potential penalties as high as $1 billion that could be imposed retroactively.

The U.S. industry argues that imports of solar panels are needed as solar installations ramp up to meet increased demand for renewable energy. Solar power is a key part of Bidens goal to achieve 100% clean electricity by 2035.

Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, said Friday that restoring the tariffs would hold China accountable while protecting U.S. jobs and workers. Tariffs would protect American manufacturers who are facing unfair competition from China, which is subsidizing its panels and selling them at low prices, Smith said.

"These trade abuses are well-known to all of us in this chamber,'' said Smith, chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee.

By shipping its products through Cambodia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, (Chinese officials) have set up a scheme that cheats American workers and consumers,'' Smith said. We know there's wrongdoing going on. We know China is cheating, and that's precisely why members of both parties were stunned and disappointed when the White House made the misguided decision'' to halt the tariffs for two years.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., said the House action would punish U.S. workers and the solar industry "and set us back on our climate goals.''

Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., said the two-year pause was not a perfect solution,'' but offered a short-term bridge" as the U.S. solar industry moves to produce more solar panels at home.

The White House said Bidens action boosted an industry crucial to his climate change-fighting goals while not interfering with or shutting down the Commerce investigation. Biden does not intend to extend the tariff suspension when it expires in June 2024, the White House said.

Gregory Wetstone, president and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy, said that if enacted, the House proposal  and its retroactive tariffs  "would have a devastating impact on U.S. solar deployment.''

Many new solar projects have already been delayed due to a global shortage of photovoltaic panels, Wetstone said. The House measure puts tens of thousands of good-paying jobs at risk and could seriously undermine the success of the landmark climate law enacted last year "even as scientists warnings about the impacts of global climate change are increasingly dire,'' he said.

The renewable group and others in the industry say they are working to increase U.S. manufacturing of solar modules, cells and other components, but said the industry needs time to scale up.

Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, said imposition of retroactive tariffs would result in thousands of American solar projects being delayed or canceled, "leading to bankruptcies, job loss and increased energy costs.''

The Coalition for a Prosperous America, a lobbying group that represents domestic manufacturers, along with farmers, ranchers and labor organizations, applauded the House vote.

The facts are clear: Commerce confirmed that China is illegally violating U.S. trade law, and the Biden administrations misguided rule protects them,'' said Michael Stumo, the group's CEO.

Congress should never sit idly by and fail to respond to attacks on American industries and workers by any administration  regardless of party,'' Stumo said. The tariff suspension is a permanent giveaway to China,'' he said, "not a temporary bridge. 
MELFORT, Saskatchewan (AP)  Police in Canada said Thursday they may never know why a man went on a stabbing rampage that left 11 people dead and 17 injured last year.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police released details at a news conference on the Sept. 4 killings in James Smith Cree Nation and the nearby Saskatchewan village of Weldon, but they did not pin down the motive.

Myles Sanderson, the 32-year-old accused in the attacks, died in police custody a few days later.

Supt. Joshua Graham, the officer in charge of major crimes, said Myles Sanderson and his brother Damien Sanderson went to the James Smith Cree Nation to deal drugs on Sept. 1.

The day before the massacre, Damien Sanderson told people at a nearby bar they had a mission to do and that people would hear all about it in the next few hours. Damien Sanderson, however, was one of the first people killed the morning of the rampage.

Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore, commanding officer of the Saskatchewan RCMP, said since both Myles and Damian Sanderson are dead some of the pieces of information may never be known.

To speak to exactly their mindset and what they were thinking, we cant necessarily address that, Blackmore said at the news conference.

After the brothers attacked a man in his home with scissors, Myles Sanderson and Damien Sanderson got into a fight in a vehicle. An injured Damien Sanderson fled the vehicle into the trees along the side of the road. His body would be located there the following day.

Myles Sanderson continued to go to different homes in the community, attacking some people and killing others. He threatened other people, saying they were lucky to not be hurt as he stole some of their vehicles.

On Sept. 9, after a three-day manhunt and hundreds of reported sightings, police arrested Myles Sanderson on a highway near Rosthern, Saskatchewan. He went into medical distress soon after he was placed in custody and died.

Blackmore was asked why the RCMP were not able to apprehend Myles Sanderson sooner.

His attacks were unpredictable, she said. As fast as information was coming in about a vehicle he was in, he was abandoning that vehicle, moving on foot and then stealing other vehicles.

It was a very rapidly unfolding, very dynamic and chaotic situation.

Police say that after nearly eight months, the investigation into the stabbing rampage is still not complete.

Blackmore said RCMP examined 42 different crime scenes, including buildings and vehicles. They also seized about 700 exhibits and spoke with more than 250 witnesses.

A handful of people from the community attended the presentation in Melfort, but victims and their families received the update on Wednesday.

Darryl Burns, whose sister Lydia Gloria Burns died in the stabbings, said it brought some closure.

The way the morning went there was so much confusion, there was so much turmoil, Burns said. Looking back on it, you couldnt really tell where he was going to go or what he was going to do.

He said there was a lot of emotion and lot of the sorrow and sadness hearing the timeline.

Police said the update wont affect two coroners inquests set for early next year.

One of the inquests is to focus on the killings, while the other is to look at the suspect. Police have said Sanderson went into medical distress shortly after he was arrested near the Saskatchewan town of Rosthern.

An independent investigation is also being conducted by Saskatoon police and the Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team.

Police had previously released some details about the deadly rampage on the First Nation about 170 kilometers (105 miles) northeast of Saskatoon.

Four dangerous persons alerts were released before 10 a.m. saying there had been multiple victims and giving descriptions of the suspects and the vehicle in which they were believed to be travelling.

Later that day, police announced multiple people had died or were injured in the attacks, which took place across 13 locations.

The province was on edge and police remained on the lookout for days. Blackmore said police received tips from across Canada with people certain they had seen Myles Sanderson.

It takes time as we assess the information as it comes in to determine which is credible information or not as it unfolds, she said.

By Sept. 7, there was a break in the case. A 911 call came from the town of Wakaw, about 110 kilometers (68 miles) southwest of the First Nation, about a stolen white truck. Police vehicles sped down rural roads in the area and a helicopter hovered overhead.

The suspect vehicle hit a ditch and drove into trees along the highway near Rosthern. Myles Sanderson was taken into police custody but went into medical distress shortly after and died.
When most people think of dice, they generally picture a six-sided white cube sporting one to six black dots on each side. But this hasn't always been the predominant dice template.

Ancient dice were often made of stick, shell or seed and most were two-sided, often with one flat side and one rounded side, like a shelled peanut. Sometimes the two sides were decorated with paint or carvings to further differentiate them. Two-sided dice were widely used by ancient peoples across the globe, from the Aztecs to Native Polynesians. Some modern cultures, like the Navajo Nation, still use them for traditional games.

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Astragals, also known as knucklebones, are fascinating objects in their own right. As their colloquial name suggests, knucklebones are literal bones taken from the back ankle of a sheep, goat, deer, horse or other large, hoofed mammal. They have been used as four-sided dice since at least the fifth century B.C.E. by numerous civilizations, including Indigenous Americans, ancient Greeks and ancient Egyptians, who prized them so highly that they were sometimes buried with their favorite astragals. In Roman antiquity, each of the four sides was given a name corresponding to its shape: the belly, the hole, the ear and the vulture.

Tossing knucklebones is not a truly random process. Two of the sides  the belly and the hole  are much broader than the other two and are therefore more likely to come up. Ancient Romans assigned points accordingly. The broad sides were worth 3 and 4 points, while the ear and the vulture were worth 6 and 1 points, respectively. "They were aware of this different probability," says Schaedler, "So, good luck comes very rarely, but bad luck comes also very rarely."

"Dice changed over time from natural objects, such as shells and sticks or astragals, to manufactured objects," says Anne-Elizabeth Dunn-Vaturi, a researcher at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Today, plastic or metal versions of knucklebones are popular in some parts of Europe. But none of these dice resemble anything you'd find in a Vegas casino. So the question is: Where and why did dice become cubes?

" " These game objects made from ivory  dice, knucklebones (astragals) and counters  were found at Volubilis, a partially excavated city in Morocco, and date from the first to the thirrd century B.C.E. DEA/A. DAGLI ORTI/De Agostini/Getty Images
ALBANY  Nauman Hussain and his father, Shahed Hussain, separately sought help from FBI agents in the days after a 31-foot stretch limousine they owned caused the death of 20 people in Schoharie County. According to an internal FBI investigation, they received no assistance from anyone associated with the bureau.

The revelation of the panicked phone calls  which have never been publicly revealed  comes just days before Nauman Hussain is set to go on trial in Schoharie County Court on charges of criminally negligent homicide and manslaughter in connection with the deadly crash, considered the worst U.S. highway transportation disaster in decades.

Shahed Hussain, who has lived in Pakistan since before the crash occurred, had been a longtime undercover operative for the FBI working on counterterrorism investigations. Following years of reporting by the Times Union on his suspicious business activities while he was working for the agency in New York and abroad, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik and others began demanding a full accounting of the bureaus relationship with him  and an answer to the question of whether the bureau offered any assistance to the Hussains in their operation of the unlicensed company, Prestige Limousine, which was run out of a dilapidated Wilton motel.

Although the FBI has not made its internal report public, the families of those who died in the crash were briefed Thursday on its findings by senior staff from U.S. Rep. Paul Tonkos office. The Democrat is a longtime resident of Amsterdam, home to many of the families involved in the crash, and has been an advocate for them in the years since the disaster.

According to those familiar with the content of that briefing, the bureaus internal inspector general came to the conclusion that the FBI never intervened with state transportation officials on behalf of Prestige Limousine in the years leading up to the crash. The investigation also found that the bureau did not intervene in the criminal prosecution of Nauman Hussain or with the state and federal investigations into the disaster.

The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Thursday, it issued a statement denying culpability in the crash without providing details.

The reports most surprising details concern Nauman Hussains call to a retired FBI agent Oct. 7, 2018  the day after the disaster  to tell him that a driver he used for the limo company had crashed the Excursion, and 20 people had died. He asked the former agent what he should do.

The report said the retired agent told him to go to the police and tell them the truth.

The next day, Shahed Hussain left a voicemail with the FBI asking for help. The bureau says the call was never returned or acted upon, and that there has been no contact between the agency and either Hussain since then.

The FBI report noted that the bureau had parted ways with Shahed Hussain in July 2018, just months before the crash, after he had failed to keep contact with his handlers after moving back to Pakistan from upstate New York earlier that year.

The investigation found that the FBI last had direct contact with the elder Hussain in June 2018, and that he had told them he was going on a trip and would report back. They never heard from him again.

Shahed Hussain has never been charged with wrongdoing related to the crash. Prosecutors have placed the blame on his son, arguing that he neglected to repair the brakes on the Excursion, which was carrying 17 friends from Amsterdam to a Saturday-evening birthday party in Cooperstown. The limos driver, who also died in the crash, lost control of the Excursion as it descended a steep section of Route 30 in rural Schoharie County.

The white Excursion, which weighed nearly 7 tons when fully loaded with passengers, rocketed through an intersection going more than 100 mph and crashed into the parking lot of a popular gift shop and cafe, killing two bystanders. Investigators have blamed the crash on massive brake failure.

Stefanik, who sits on the powerful House Select Committee on Intelligence, was briefed late last month on the findings of the FBIs internal review. After FBI Director Christopher Wray  citing concerns about revealing methods and protocols related to confidential informants  attempted to deflect Stefaniks questions in public hearings a year ago, her complaints helped compel the FBI to conduct its internal investigation.

The congresswoman has been at odds with the FBI for years over what she views as its unfair treatment of former President Donald J. Trump, whom Stefanik has endorsed for the 2024 presidential election.

Earlier this week, Stefanik said she wanted to question Hussains handlers directly, and that her briefing had prompted concerns about what she described as an apparent lack of adherence to standard operating procedures within the FBIs confidential source program.
April 25, 2023





In recent years, technology has become infused into almost every aspect of our lives. From the way we communicate with one another to how we manage our finances, experts like Shaun Chadwick in Leicester, UK, say advances in technology have made life easier than ever before. But perhaps no industry has seen a more significant benefit from the technological revolution than healthcare. Heres a look at how technology is transforming the healthcare industry and what benefits it brings to both doctors and patients alike.







The Benefits of Telemedicine

Telemedicine has been gaining popularity over the years, and for a good reason. The benefits of telemedicine are vast and varied, ranging from increased accessibility to medical care to improved patient outcomes. With telemedicine, patients are able to connect with their healthcare providers from the comfort of their own homes, eliminating the need for them to travel long distances or take time off work. This convenience not only saves patients time and money, but it can also lead to earlier interventions and preventions. Additionally, telemedicine allows for more frequent check-ins and follow-ups, leading to better adherence to treatment plans and increased patient satisfaction. Overall, the benefits of telemedicine are clear and make it a valuable tool for both patients and healthcare providers alike.

Wearable Tech and Health Monitoring

Wearable technology has become a popular way of monitoring one's health. From fitness trackers to smartwatches, there is a device for everyone. These devices allow people to track their activity levels, heart rate, and sleep patterns, giving them valuable insights into their overall health. With the convenience of having this information readily available at all times, people are empowered to take control of their health and make positive changes. Wearables have revolutionized how we approach health monitoring by making it accessible and personalized, allowing us to take proactive steps towards a healthier lifestyle.

Automation of Administrative Tasks

Shaun Chadwick says the automation of administrative tasks is revolutionizing how businesses operate. With the assistance of technology, repetitive, time-consuming tasks such as data entry and document management can now be completed in a fraction of the time. Employees are freed up to focus on more valuable, strategic work while automation takes care of the rest. In addition to increased efficiency, automation also reduces the risk of human error and ensures consistency in processes. But perhaps the most exciting aspect is that as technology advances, the possibilities for automation are endless. The future of administrative tasks looks brighter than ever before.

Improved Accuracy with Machine Learning

In today's fast-paced world, accuracy is key. And when it comes to computer systems, machine learning has revolutionized the way we approach accuracy. With the ability to learn and adapt from data, machine learning algorithms have enabled computers to perform tasks with increased precision and efficiency. Improved accuracy with machine learning has a wide range of applications, from predicting the weather to detecting fraudulent transactions. In fact, machine learning has been shown to be particularly effective in image recognition, speech recognition, and natural language processing. As we continue to push the boundaries of what machines can accomplish, the potential for improved accuracy with machine learning is limitless.

Big Data and Healthcare Analytics

Shaun Chadwick says Big Data and Healthcare Analytics are revolutionizing healthcare approaches. By leveraging large volumes of data, healthcare providers can make more informed decisions, improve patient outcomes, and reduce costs. With the help of advanced analytics tools, healthcare professionals can sift through vast amounts of information to identify patterns, trends, and insights that may otherwise go unnoticed. By analyzing patient data, healthcare systems can better understand individual needs, create personalized treatment plans, and even predict potential health risks. It's clear that Big Data and Healthcare Analytics have the power to transform the healthcare industry for the better.

Cybersecurity Measures Necessary to Protect Patient Data

In today's digital age, protecting patient data has become a top priority for healthcare providers. With the increasing prevalence of cyber threats, implementing robust cybersecurity measures is essential to safeguard sensitive information. From multi-factor authentication to encryption technologies healthcare organizations must ensure that their data protection protocols are up-to-date and effective, from multi-factor authentication to encryption technologies. Additionally, regular staff training and awareness programs can help prevent accidental breaches caused by human error. By investing in the necessary resources and strategies, healthcare providers can maintain the trust of their patients and keep their information secure. Protecting patient data is a legal requirement and a critical ethical responsibility.

Final Thoughts

Shaun Chadwick says telemedicine is an ever-evolving field, changing how we interact with operating systems over time  enhancing our access to quality care while ensuring high standards of privacy and confidentiality. With advancements being made at breakneck speed, there is no doubt that we will continue to see exciting developments launch in this space in the years ahead.
[April 28, 2023] Introducing Greenlane: Daimler Truck North America, NextEra Energy Resources and BlackRock Forge Ahead with Public Charging Infrastructure Joint Venture

The charging network will provide battery-electric commercial vehicles access to high-performance, reliable and sustainable charging across the U.S. PORTLAND, Ore., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Daimler Truck North America, LLC (DTNA), NextEra Energy Resources, LLC and BlackRock Alternatives, through a fund managed by its Climate Infrastructure business (BlackRock), today announced Greenlane, the name of their joint venture to design, develop, install and operate a U.S. nationwide, high-performance zero-emission public charging and hydrogen fueling network for medium- and heavy-duty battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. They also unveiled renderings of the site layout as a major milestone in the development of the project. Greenlane addresses the urgent need for a publicly available, nationwide electric charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles, especially for long-haul freight operations, and is a critical step toward developing a sustainable zero-emission vehicle ecosystem across North America. The more than $650 million joint venture has made significant progress since its inception in 2022. Greenlane's first site will be in Southern California, and multiple additional sites are being acquired along various freight routes. The joint venture team is collaborating on the necessary infrastructure to holistically deploy the charging network. Dedicated software and hardware teams are working on developing a custom, commercial vehicle reservation platform to provide fleet managers, dispatchers and drivers with an industry-leading customer experience. The network of charging sites will be built on critical freight routes along the east and west coasts and in Texas. Where synergistic, Greenlane will leverage existing infrastructure and amenities while also adding complementary greenfield sites to fulfill anticipated customer demand. Greenlane's initial focus will be on battery-electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, followed by hydrogen fueling stations for fuel cell trucks, with plans to expand access to light-duty vehicles in the future to serve the greater goal of electrifying mobility. "Greenlane is designed to begin to tackle one of the greatest hurdles to the trucking industry's decarbonization  infrastructure," said John O'Leary, president and chief executive officer, DTNA. "The nation's fleets can only transform with the critical catalyst of publicly accessible charging designed to meet the needs for medium- and heavy-duy vehicles. Together with our strong partners, BlackRock and NextEra Energy Resources, we are launching Greenlane to address the unique demands of the industry, support our mutual customers, and provide a dual benefit to all electric vehicle drivers who will be able to utilize this new network. We're excited to take this next step and look forward to sharing more of Greenlane's plans in the future."



"NextEra Energy Resources is excited about the expected impact of our partnership with DTNA and BlackRock, and the critical role that Greenlane will play in the decarbonization of the commercial transportation sector and the broader U.S. economy," said Rebecca Kujawa, president and chief executive officer of NextEra Energy Resources. "As a publicly available charging network developed to serve medium and heavy-duty commercial fleets, Greenlane serves a critical infrastructure need for its customers utilizing newly developed charging and energy management software solutions, while being powered by renewable energy. Greenlane represents an important investment, leveraging NextEra Energy Resources' market leading experience in energy, analytics and infrastructure development to deliver end-to-end networking charging solutions through our NextEra Mobility subsidiary." "Reliable charging infrastructure is a critical component of the electrification of the commercial trucking industry. Greenlane provides an exciting opportunity to partner with key players in the energy transition and bring institutional capital to the growing sector. We are thrilled to be taking the next step in this joint venture with NextEra Energy Resources and Daimler Truck North America and to install the charging network across key freight routes in the United States," said David Giordano, global head of climate infrastructure, BlackRock Alternatives.

Details on Greenlane's executive leadership and groundbreaking on the first site will be revealed soon. For more information about Greenlane's commitment to sustainable transportation, visit https://www.drivegreenlane.com/. Greenlane will be in attendance at the 12th annual ACT Expo in Anaheim, CA, taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center from May 1-4, 2023. About Daimler Truck North America

Daimler Truck North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a leading provider of comprehensive products and technologies for the commercial transportation industry. Daimler Truck North America designs, engineers, manufactures and markets medium- and heavy-duty trucks, school buses, vehicle chassis and their associated technologies and components under the Freightliner, Western Star, Thomas Built Buses, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp and Detroit brands. Daimler Truck North America is a subsidiary of Daimler Truck, one of the world's leading commercial vehicle manufacturers. About NextEra Energy Resources

NextEra Energy Resources, LLC (together with its affiliated entities, "NextEra Energy Resources") is a clean energy leader and is one of the largest wholesale generators of electric power in the U.S., with approximately 27,400 megawatts of total net generating capacity, primarily in 40 states and Canada as of year-end 2022. NextEra Energy Resources is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun, a world leader in battery storage and is driving the development of the green hydrogen economy. The business operates clean, emissions-free nuclear power generation facilities in New Hampshire and Wisconsin as part of the NextEra Energy nuclear fleet. NextEra Energy Resources offers a wide range of clean energy solutions to help businesses and customers across the country meet their emissions reduction goals. NextEra Energy Resources, LLC is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE). For more information, visit www.nexteraeneryresources.com. About BlackRock Alternatives

BlackRock Alternatives serves investors seeking outperformance in infrastructure, private equity, credit, real estate, hedge funds and multi-alternatives. We strive to bring our investors the highest quality investments by drawing upon our global footprint, superior execution capabilities and position as a preferred partner. BlackRock manages $320 billion in alternative investments and commitments on behalf of clients worldwide as of March 31, 2023. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/introducing-greenlane-daimler-truck-north-america-nextera-energy-resources-and-blackrock-forge-ahead-with-public-charging-infrastructure-joint-venture-301811101.html SOURCE NextEra Energy Resources, LLC; Daimler Truck North America, LLC (DTNA); BlackRock Alternatives

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[April 27, 2023] Microsoft expands access to cybersecurity skilling for women and girls with Ready4Cybersecurity program

Aims to skill and certify 100,000 people in Asia by 2025 to close the cybersecurity skills gap and empower women who are aspiring towards a career in cybersecurity SINGAPORE, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft is initiating new partnerships under its Ready4Cybersecurity program in Asia to improve access to cybersecurity skills and careers for the historically and systemically underrepresented with a focus on young women. Into its second year, Ready4Cybersecurity is committing to skill and certify 100,000 young women and underrepresented youths in cybersecurity by 2025, enhancing opportunities for employment in cybersecurity, filling the talent gap, and building a diverse cybersecurity workforce. According to Microsoft's Digital Defense Report, the volume of password attacks has risen to an estimated 921 attacks every second in 2022  a 74% increase in just one year. Cyberattacks often have devastating impacts  the average cost of a cyber breach has reached $4.35 million. This has led to an increased demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals in the region. To bridge the talent and skills divide, Microsoft's Ready4Cybersecurity program, which is part of its global Cybersecurity Skilling Initiative, is specifically designed and curated to create alternative pathways to empower underrepresented youths that aspire to enter the cybersecurity industry. There are a projected 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs to be filled globally in 2025, with a 350% increase in demand for people with cybersecurity skills over an eight-year period. Specifically, the opportunity for women to work in cybersecurity is huge, given that women make up only 25% of the cybersecurity workforce globally. Through public-private partnerships, Ready4Cybersecurity will provide access to industry-recognized cybersecurity foundational and intermediate skills and certification to traditionally excluded populations to help them qualify for open roles  with 75% of idividuals trained to be women.



Since the launch of the Ready4Cybersecurity campaign in 2022, Microsoft has trained over 19,800 individuals from underserved communities, providing up to 18,300 cyberskilling initiatives. In the second year of the campaign, Microsoft will continue to work with its partners to skill and certify young women and underrepresented youths in cybersecurity to drive positive impact. To achieve its commitments, Microsoft is taking a holistic approach to create a more diverse and inclusive cybersecurity workforce:

Partnering with non-profits : Microsoft has partnered with non-profits who are in direct contact with the underserved communities, empowering non-profits to directly skill identified segments of the underserved populations, particularly young girls and women.

: Microsoft has partnered with non-profits who are in direct contact with the underserved communities, empowering non-profits to directly skill identified segments of the underserved populations, particularly young girls and women. Equipping the education systems : A key strategy to address the cybersecurity gap will be to equip educational institutions to effectively teach cybersecurity to the next generation of talent and inspire them to become defenders against cyber threats.

: A key strategy to address the cybersecurity gap will be to equip educational institutions to effectively teach cybersecurity to the next generation of talent and inspire them to become defenders against cyber threats. Scaling with governments : Microsoft believes that the road to digital peace requires a collaborative effort that involves multiple stakeholders, including governments, tech companies, non-governmental organizations, and international organizations working together towards a common goal.

: Microsoft believes that the road to digital peace requires a collaborative effort that involves multiple stakeholders, including governments, tech companies, non-governmental organizations, and international organizations working together towards a common goal. Leveraging Microsoft's customer and partner ecosystem: Microsoft has been closely partnering with its network of customers and partners to reassess hiring avenues and consider alternative pathways that focus less on paper qualifications and more on a skills-based approach. To combat the rising threat of cybercrimes, a multi-stakeholder approach is needed. Microsoft aims to build capacities of more training organizations as well as non-profits to offer cybersecurity skilling to underserved groups. Manju Dhasmana, Regional Philanthropies Director  Asia, Microsoft, said: "There is a pressing need to address the gender gap in the cybersecurity field where women make up only 25% of cybersecurity professionals globally. We must recognize that a diverse cybersecurity workforce is key in the fight to defend cyberspace and boost cyber resilience. Addressing diversity gaps in the industry requires intentionality in program design and execution. We are committed to working with local education, nonprofit, government and business organizations, through such programs as Ready4Cybersecurity, to develop partnerships and initiatives to improve access to cybersecurity skilling and to empower more women and underserved communities to pursue a career in this critical industry." To learn more about Microsoft's Cybersecurity Skilling Initiative, visit Microsoft Philanthropies global blog and the Philanthropies Asia microsite. For more information, please contact:

Microsoft Asia

Simran Singh Sethi

[email protected] Edelman (Partner Agency for Microsoft Asia)

Ernest Lee / Farhansyah Musa

[email protected] Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://news.microsoft.com/. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at Microsoft Public Relations Contacts - Stories. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/microsoft-expands-access-to-cybersecurity-skilling-for-women-and-girls-with-ready4cybersecurity-program-301809486.html SOURCE Microsoft Asia

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[April 27, 2023] CGTN:World Data Forum calls for data governance for sustainable development

BEIJING, April 27, 2023 /CNW/ -- The United Nations (UN) World Data Forum (WDF) that concluded on Thursday in Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, called for better data governance and more cooperation between governments to help create a sustainable future. "Today, in the twenty-first century, data represents what oil represented in the twentieth century  a driver of development and progress," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "Data  when used responsibly  is the bedrock of a sustainable future." China shared its experience with data governance at the forum and promised to contribute more to global data governance by organizing more international trainings and promoting the development of the UN Global Platform for Big Data China Hub. In his congratulatory message to the forum, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the country is willing to work with other countries to help implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through data governance. China is also willing to deepen international data cooperation within the framework of the Global Development Initiative, Xi said./p>



The Chinese government has been working on digital transformation and helping enterprises to do the same with big data.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of China has been carrying out censuses about the country's population, agriculture, economy, among other fields. The collected data enables the bureau to pinpoint the key social problems, analyze the economy and provide key facts for policymaking. Data technology has also provided great convenience for China's logistics industry, enabling the enterprises to predict future workloads, and allocate personnel and equipment even before the orders arrive. As a result, the logistics chain is optimized to transport more goods with the same resources. China is not only putting resources on data technology domestically, but also providing technical support for other countries, according to Shaida Badiee, managing director and co-founder of Open Data Watch, a U.S.-based non-profit of data experts. Cooperate for a greener future A greener future for the world will not be achieved with only one country's effort, and China's strategy on big data requires solid cooperation with the rest of the world. China has been a strong partner of the UN Statistics Division, helping the division implement data projects and training sessions, according to Francesca Perucci, assistant director of the division. Kang Yi, head of NBS, said China is serious on the opening up of statistics and will share advanced data technology with other developing countries. China will hold more international training sessions through investment trusts and get deeply involved in the research and development of the UN Global Platform for Big Data, so as to make China's contribution to global data governance more prominent, he added. Link: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-04-27/World-Data-Forum-calls-for-data-governance-for-sustainable-development-1jlJGCwgVTa/index.html View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cgtnworld-data-forum-calls-for-data-governance-for-sustainable-development-301810461.html SOURCE CGTN

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[April 28, 2023] Establishment of the Paris Agreement Article 6 Implementation Partnership Center

The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) will serve as the secretariat of the "Paris Agreement Article 6 Implementation Partnership Center" to be established by the Ministry of the Environment, Japan and welcomed at the G7 Ministers' Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in Sapporo earlier this month. The goal of the Center is to promote a capacity building programme which aims to assist participating parties in developing institutional arrangements to establish high integrity carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. With the general framework of Article 6 rules agreed upon at the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), countries are now moving forward with implementing carbon market mechanisms that allow for international cooperation on emissions reductions. To expand the implementation of Article 6, it is necessary to build high-integrity carbon markets with increased private investment through international collaboration. In response, the "Paris Agreement Article 6 Implementation Partnership" was launched at COP27 by Japan. As of 27 April, 2023, 66 countries and 32 institutions agreed to join the partnership, which demonstrates the growing commitment to the implementation of Article 6. IGES will serve as the secretariat of the "Paris Agreement Article 6 Implementation Partnership Center" to support the development of institutional and governance frameworks, and capacity-building of overnment officials and related organisations under the Article 6 market mechanisms.



By serving as the Center's secretariat, IGES will contribute to the development of high integrity carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and the overall goal of the Paris Agreement with additional emission reductions. The Paris Agreement Article 6 Implementation Partnership Center will:

Develop a series of tools related to authorisation, reporting and tracking

Develop a support package based on the needs of each country

Collect information and conduct outreach on capacity building support

Conduct administrative duties as the Center secretariat Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) is a collaborative research and outreach organisation working to accelerate the transition to a sustainable, resilient, shared, and inclusive Asia-Pacific region, both across borders and within the world at large.

Our strategic research and operations are defined by a mission-- to drive action on the world's most critical environmental and social challenges through the delivery of trusted expertise on sustainable development and resilience.

IGES operates as an agent of change. Together with key international organisations, governments, academic institutes, business and civil society leaders we seek to foster a world where planetary boundaries are fully respected, a green economy is flexibly implemented, and the well-being of people is steadily improved. In so doing we emphasise workable and inspired approaches to cross-cutting global development issues ranging from climate change, natural resources and ecosystems management, and sustainable consumption and production, among many others.

The Institute- established in 1998 with support from the Japanese government and Kanagawa Prefecture- maintains its international headquarters in Hayama, Japan. With offices and local centres in Tokyo, Kansai, Kitakyushu, Beijing, Bangkok, and New Delhi, IGES supports a regional and global network for ground breaking sustainable development research and practice. For more information, please visit here. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230427005446/en/

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[April 28, 2023] MMA Global Asia Pacific Welcomes Entries for 2023 SMARTIES Awards, Expands to The Philippines & Thailand

SINGAPORE, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MMA Global Asia Pacific, a not-for-profit marketing trade body, today began welcoming entries for the 2023 SMARTIES Awards in Asia Pacific, encouraging outstanding, accomplished brands, agencies, and marketers in the region's marketing ecosystem to submit their best work. This year, SMARTIES is also expanding into two new dynamic, future-forward markets: The Philippines and Thailand. According to Statista, the Philippines and Thailand digital ad spending is expected to surpass $1.6 billion and $1.5 billion, respectively, in 2023. "SMARTIES APAC has established itself as a strong platform for the industry to showcase the most inspirational campaigns and case studies. It's inspiring to see a treasury of marketing and advertising geniuses come together on one of the most prestigious platforms of all times," said Rohit Dadwal, Managing Director for MMA Global in Asia Pacific. "The world of marketing aided by technology adoption is evolving at a rapid pace. To keep up with the changing times, SMARTIES is continuously being reshaped, reworked, and refined with emphasis on innovations, e-commerce, social, and MarTech enabling excellence in business results and impacting human lives. Winners of SMARTIES 2022 will be featured in the MMA Business Impact Index (BII) - a globally acclaimed index that identifies, ranks, and awards top agencies, advertisers, brands, and solution providers in the industry." "The world of marketing aided by technology adoption is evolving at a rapid pace. To keep up with the changing times, SMARTIES is continuously being reshaped, reworked, and refined with emphasis on innovations, e-commerce, social, and MarTech enabling excellence in business results and impacting human lives. Winners of SMARTIES 2022 will be featured in the MMA Business Impact Index (BII) - a globally acclaimed index that identifies, ranks, and awards top agencies, advertisers, brands, andsolution providers in the industry."



Back for its 11th season this year, the SMARTIES Awards is an annual competition honouring marketing innovation and creativity that results in significant business impact. Last year, SMARTIES debuted the world's first advertising and innovation award on blockchain in the form of NFT trophies, and this year promises to be an even bigger year. Constantly growing and innovating, the SMARTIES APAC awards have nonetheless remained focused on a core mission  delivering the world's only innovation award recognizing leaders, brands, agencies, and tech providers that use technology to pioneer new approaches in modern marketing. Award submission process

Entries for SMARTIES 2023 are now open until July 17th, and MMA Global encourages everyone from the marketing and advertising ecosystem to participate. Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards will be awarded for each of the 24 categories, and leading performers will receive the highest honours, including Advertiser, Publisher/Media Company, Enabling Technology Company, Best in Show, and Agency of the Year. Marketers and agencies can concurrently submit campaigns in country-level, regional, and global awards, and submissions are welcome from across a range of categories under seven different genres: Marketing Impact, Impact Media, Purpose-Driven Marketing, Emerging Tech Marketing, E-commerce Marketing, Creative Awards, and Industry Awards. For a full list of award categories, please visit: www.mmaglobal.com/smarties/awards/programs/apac/categories. More information on the submission can be found at: www.mmaglobal.com/smarties/awards/programs/apac. All Finalists will be evaluated by a panel comprising of senior brand marketers and distinguished agency leaders from across the industry and announced at the SMARTIES APAC 2023 gala ceremony on December 14, 2023 in Singapore. The Awards will be presented in conjunction with the MMA leadership, and with several featuring a creative Forum that gathers the region's top marketers to discuss key industry insights, inspire future innovations, and encourage companies to transform their business. The Forums and Awards showcases will take place on the following dates: China : 23 rd September 2023

23 India : 5 th October 2023

5 Vietnam : October 2023

Indonesia , Thailand and Philippines : November 2023

APAC ( Singapore ): 14th December 2023 For more information, please visit the MMA Global website: China | India | Vietnam | Indonesia | Thailand | Philippines | APAC About the MMA Global: Comprised of over 800-member companies globally and 15 regional offices, MMA Global is the only marketing trade association that brings together the full ecosystem of marketers, martech and media companies working collaboratively to architect the future of marketing, while relentlessly delivering growth today. For more information, please visit: www.mmaglobal.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/mma-global-asia-pacific-welcomes-entries-for-2023-smarties-awards-expands-to-the-philippines--thailand-301810518.html SOURCE MMA APAC

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[April 28, 2023] My Guangdong Story | Japanese manager finds a new self in Zhuhai

GUANGZHOU, China, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- "When I first came to Zhuhai, I didn't really like this city. I came to China only because my father made me. I couldn't understand him at the time." Akihiro Mishima from Japan told GDToday frankly while filming the micro-documentary series "My Guangdong Story". However, he soon added, "Not until I became a father myself did I realize the reasons for my father's decision. Zhuhai does have a lot of opportunities. Sometimes I wonder, what kind of life I would lead if I hadn't come to China. To be honest, very few people can be general managers in their forties, not to mention in Japan." Aged 43, Mishima has been living in Guangdong's Shenzhen and Zhuhai for over 20 years and is now the general manager of a Japanese company in Zuhai that specializes in audio equipment. Many years ago, Mishima's father saw the great opportunities in China and decided to send his son to work in China.



At that time, Mishima was reluctant to go to an unfamiliar country and planned to stay in China for only about a year. In 2001, Mishima came to Shenzhen to join the headquarters of his current company as a section chief, and he soon changed his mind. "The staff in our factories worked very hard with clear goals, not only for themselves but also for their families," he said, "After living and working in China for almost a year, I decided to stay and develop in China, because I felt a lot of positive energy here. I wanted to work hard with these young people."

In 2004, Mishima transferred to the company's factory in Zhuhai. He believes that Zhuhai is blessed with many opportunities. Convenient transportation and prime location there have facilitated the export business of his company, whose export sales has continued to rise in recent years, with a growth of over 206% in 2022 compared to 2018. During the conversation with friends in Japan, Mishima found that many young Japanese shared their intention to go abroad, and he thought it would be a good idea. "I want to tell young people in Japan that they don't need to be so anxious about life overseas," Mishima said, "There are a lot of exciting for you to explore." View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/my-guangdong-story--japanese-manager-finds-a-new-self-in-zhuhai-301810595.html SOURCE GDToday

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[April 28, 2023] The Past, Present, Future of Shenzhen Hua Qiang Bei -- Slkor, Song Shiqiang

SHENZHEN, China, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, Song Shiqiang, CEO of SlkorMicro Semicon Co., Ltd. published an article regarding the Past, Present, Future of Shenzhen Hua Qiang Bei: In January 1992, China further opened up to the outside world and invigorated the domestic economy. Hua Qiang Bei, located in Futian District, developed into the Hua Qiang Bei Business Circle with the electronics street as the industry leader, created the economic miracle of Hua Qiang Bei, and unfolded a new picture of China's economy. After the success of Vanguard Super Department in Hua Qiang Bei, more than 40 buildings in the Shangbu Industrial Zone were transformed into commercial areas one after another. Mr. Song Shiqiang's company was named Kinghelm (www.kinghelm.net), which implies the spirit of "inner sage and outer king" and expectation for the ompany to grow bigger and stronger.



In 2001, China joined the WTO and integrated into the global economy. With the support of China's "world factory", the electronics market in the Metropolis Tower, the first and second phases of the New Asia Electronics Market, the Gaodeke Electronics Market, and the New Huaqiang Market (Phase III) were launched, attracting manufacturers from all over the country to move in with the model of "Front Shop, Back Factory". The customer group of Hua Qiang Bei merchants have been growing worldwide since then. Mr. Song Shiqiang has been paying attention to Hua Qiang Bei, researching Hua Qiang Bei, and cheering for the development of Hua Qiang Bei. His research articles on Hua Qiang Bei "Research on Hua Qiang Bei", "Transformation and Development of Hua Qiang Bei" and "Refuting Bloomberg News on Hua Qiang Bei" were reprinted by People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, Associated Press, Yahoo News and other major media.

To read the full text, click the link: https://www.kinghelm.net/song-shiqiang_53553/515108.html CONTACT: Adele Sun, [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/the-past-present-future-of-shenzhen-hua-qiang-bei----slkor-song-shiqiang-301810596.html SOURCE Slkor

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Shutterstock / Shutterstock

With a net worth of $2.5 billion, former President Donald Trump is the richest person to have held the highest office in the United States. But there are several other billionaires in the U.S. and beyond who have dipped their toes into the political arena -- some with more success than others -- and boast net worths that are even higher.

Find Out: How Rich Are President Joe Biden, VP Kamala Harris and the Wealthiest US Politicians?

See: How To Build Your Savings From Scratch

Here's a look at some of the most insanely rich politicians in recent history, as identified by Forbes.

Shutterstock.com

Michael Bloomberg

Net worth: $94.5 billion

Michael Bloomberg's wealth comes from Bloomberg LP, the financial information and media company he co-founded in 1981. Bloomberg served as mayor of New York City for 12 years and ran for president of the United States in 2020.

See: How Much Is President Joe Biden Worth?

Find Out: Mitt Romney, Rick Scott and 3 More of the Richest Members of Congress

Denisfilm / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Savitri Jindal

Net worth: $17.7 billion

India's Savitri Jindal is the chair of Jindal Group, whose interests include steel, power, cement and infrastructure. She previously held the position of Member of the Haryana Legislative Assembly.

Check Out: How Rich Is Clarence Thomas?

scanrail / iStock.com

Suleiman Kerimov

Net worth: $10.5 billion

Russian native Suleiman Kerimov made his fortune investing in distressed assets, as well as a 37% stake in Polyus, Russia's biggest gold producer. He has been a member of Russia's Federation Council since 2008.

Singkham / iStock.com

Andrei Guriev

Net worth: $9.7 billion

Russia-based Andrei Guriev and his family own almost 50% of PhosAgro, one of the world's largest producers of phosphate-based fertilizers. He served as a member of the Russian Federation Council from 2001 to 2013.

Alanah M Torralba/EPA/Shutterstock / Alanah M Torralba/EPA/Shutterstock

Manuel Villar

Net worth: $8.9 billion

Manuel Villar of the Phillippines is a real estate mogul who has also held a number of political offices, including senator of the Philippines (2001-2013), speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives (1998-2000) and member of the Philippine House of Representatives (1992-2001).

Story continues

He also ran for president of the Philippines in 2010 but lost in the general election.

Find Out: How Much Is Former Vice President Mike Pence Worth?

ilkaydede / iStock.com

Andrei Skoch

Net worth: $7.9 billion

Russia's Andrei Skoch earned his fortune through his metals and mining business. He has been a member of Russia's legislative body, the State Duma, since 1999.

PETER KLAUNZER/POOL/EPA/REX/Shutterstock

Magdalena Martullo-Blocher

Net worth: $7.4 billion

Switzerland's Magdalena Martullo-Blocher owes her wealth to her stake in EMS-Chemie, a polymer and chemical manufacturing company. She took over the company in 2004 when her father, Christoph Blocher, left to take a seat on the Swiss federal council.

Martullo-Blocher entered politics herself in 2015 when she was elected to the Swiss parliament as a national councilor.

Walid Berrazeg/SOPA Images/Shutterstock / Walid Berrazeg/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

Terry Gou

Net worth: $7.3 billion

Terry Gou is the founder of Hon Hai Precision, the world's largest electronics contract manufacturer. The company, which trades under the name Foxconn, counts Apple among its top customers.

Gou ran for president of Taiwan in 2019.

Here's How Much Every Living US President Is Worth: Where Does Biden Rank?

JLN Photography/Shutterstock / JLN Photography/Shutterstock

Jeff Greene

Net worth: $7.2 billion

Jeff Greene has built a real estate empire, beginning with renting out properties during his time as an MBA student at Harvard Business School. He has run for senator as well as governor of Florida but failed to win the primary each time.

Alessandro Bremec/LaPresse/Shutterstock / Alessandro Bremec/LaPresse/Shutterstock

Silvio Berlusconi

Net worth: $7 billion

Self-made billionaire Silvio Berlusconi built his fortune through his media group Fininvest. His empire now includes stakes in media, publishing and banking firms.

Berlusconi is a three-time Italian prime minister and has also served in the European Parliament.

More From GOBankingRates

All net worth data is sourced from Forbes and is accurate as of April 26, 2023.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Insanely Rich Politicians
[April 28, 2023] PHDCCI Organizes International Water Conclave 2023 to Address Global Water Crisis

NEW DELHI, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PHDCCI organised International Water Conclave supported by Ministry of Jal Shakti; Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change; Mission LiFE, and Smart Cities Mission. The conclave brought together over 200 delegates, including experts, industry players, and researchers, to deliberate on the critical issue of water scarcity and its impact on socio-economic development. The growing worldwide population and rapid urbanisation have led to a rapid increase in demand for water resources, while 36% of the population already lives in water-scarce areas. It is estimated that by 2050, the global population will increase by 2 billion people, and more than half of the population will live in water-stressed areas. The objective of the conclave was to explore how new age technologies can provide solutions to the problems of water scarcity and water stress. Shri Varun Gupta, Chair, Water Resources & Solid Waste Management Committee, PHDCCI, emphasized on new age technologies for water management and conservation using advanced sensors data analytics and artificial intelligence. "By installing sensors in our water systems, we can monitor water usage in real-time, identify leaks and other inefficiencies, and make more informed decisions about how to allocate our water resources," he said. Shri Y K Singh, Director, National Jal Jeevan Mission, Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, spoke about the contemporary challenges to water sustainability, which include population expansion, climatic changes, rapid groundwater exploitation, heavy urbanization, and industrialization. He talked about how Government of India has been taking strategic steps to address such challenges via innovation and technology. He cited the Manthan platform as an example of how it creates platform between technology providers and users to addresses issues regarding water management and conservation. He also emphasized that behavioral change, in conjunction with technologies such as IoT, AI, and GIS mapping, is a boon to water concerns. In terms of data and figures, he informed attendees that around 85% of rural domiciles now have access to tap water. Padmashri Shri Umashankar Pandey, Water Conservationist, said, 'Khet pe med lagao, med pe Ped lagao'. He spoke about the urgent need to replenish the source of water with technique of planting trees. He emphasized the importance of trees in replenishing the source of water and cited historical examples of individuals like Rani Durgawati and Ahilya Bai Holkar, who worked towards replenishing water resources in various parts of the country.



Dr. Tarunendu Singh, Chief (Agricultural Services), IFFCO, discussed how the agriculture sector utilizes 90% of the extracted groundwater. He talked about their nano urea liquid technology, that it is a liquid fertilizer made by breaking down conventional urea into smaller particles. This results in a more efficient and effective use of the fertilizer, reducing the overall amount of water needed while also increasing per hectare efficiency. According to Dr. Singh, IFFCO has already started commercial production of the nano urea liquid, which is expected to revolutionize the agricultural industry. Dr. Singh emphasized the need for sustainable agricultural practices and the importance of conserving water resources. Shri Manish Wasuja, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist, UNICEF, emphasized the importance of water in the agricultural setting and discussed the sustainable goals perspective, as well as the careful regulation of water supply. He cited how the Indian government has been taking a very unique approach in terms of water conservation by having mass participation.

Shri Shraman Jha, CEO, Hindustan Unilever Foundation, spoke about the importance of the marriage between new technology and old wisdom. He drew attention to the concern of groundwater level, which is a critical component of water that impacts humanity. He discussed recent water sensitivities and the knowledge distinction between blue and green water, emphasising the need to rationalize water consumption using the green water concept. On this occasion a painting competition was organised for the students from Government and private schools with the theme - Water Conservation for a Greener Future. Children with special needs also participated in the painting competition. The conclave provided a platform for experts and industry players to discuss critical issues related to water scarcity and sustainable development. The Conclave was sponsored by IFFCO, ITC Ltd., and Brahmaputra Board. The event was covered by media partner, Water Digest; GreenBeans Society, Kamla Nehru College was the institutional partner. About PHD Chamber: The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, founded in 1905, is a forward-thinking National Apex Chamber that works at the grassroots level and has significant national and international ties. The Chamber promotes industry, trade, and entrepreneurship by acting as a catalyst. PHD Chamber has a positive impact on the nation's economic growth and development through its research-based policy advocacy role. PHD Chamber is more than a commercial organisation; it lives by the motto 'In Community's Life & Part of It' and makes substantial contributions to socio-economic development and capacity building in a variety of disciplines. The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) is one of India's most prestigious chambers, having been awarded the 'Diamond Grade' by NABET(QCI) on both a national and international level. Focus on the development of small and medium businesses. For more information, please visit https://www.phdcci.in View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/phdcci-organizes-international-water-conclave-2023-to-address-global-water-crisis-301810613.html

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[April 28, 2023] Government of Canada invests $1.4 billion in strategic research at postsecondary institutions

Investments enhance Canadian universities' positions as world leaders MONTREAL, April 28, 2023 /CNW/ - Throughout Canada, universities spur innovation, support scientific discoveries, and train tomorrow's researchers and workers. To ensure Canada remains at the forefront of research, innovation and wealth generation, the Government of Canada is investing in the success of our researchers. Today, the Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced an investment of $1.4 billion in support for 11 large-scale research initiatives in strategic areas, through the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF). This investment will allow researchers at Canadian institutions to capitalize on the strengths of their respective research areas, and attract capital and world-class talent. The funded initiatives will foster community, provincial, national and international partnerships across the academic, private and not-for-profit sectors, to deliver research leading to important social and economic benefits for Canadians. This investment will support the following 11 large-scale research initiatives: McGill University : $165M for DNA to RNA: An Inclusive Canadian Approach to Genomic-based RNA Therapeutics (D2R)

: for Memorial University of Newfoundland : $91M for Qanittaq Clean Arctic Shipping Initiative

: for University of Ottawa : $109M for Brain-Heart InterConnectome

: for Dalhousie University : $154M for Transforming Climate Action: Addressing the Missing Ocean

: for University of Toronto : $199M for Acceleration Consortium: Self-Driving Labs for Molecular and Materials Discovery

: for University of Victoria : $83M for Accelerating Community Energy Transformation

: for Universite de Montreal: $124M for R3AI: Shifting Paradigms for a Robust, Reasoning, and Responsible Artificial Intelligence and its Adoption

for York University : $105M for Connected Minds: Neural and Machine Systems for a Healthy, Just Society

: for Concordia University : $123M for Electrifying Society: Towards Decarbonized Resilient Communities

: for University of Calgary : $125M for One Child Every Child : A Transformational Child Health Research Initiative

: for Toronto Metropolitan University: $98M for Migrant Integration in the mid-21st entury: Bridging Divides



From cutting carbon emissions in our communities, to treating and preventing brain and heart disease, to making discoveries through responsible artificial intelligence use, robotics and advanced computing, Canadian scientists are pioneering global insights and strengthening Canada's social and technological innovation ecosystems. Quotes

"Today's research is tomorrow's economy. Since the start, our government has re-established the fundamental role of science and scientists in our society. The initiatives announced today will lead to breakthrough discoveries that will improve people's lives, nourish our innovation ecosystems, and shape Canada's prosperity for years to come. Such is the value of universities, and of our Canadian researchers who think outside the box to tackle the greatest challenges of our time." The Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry "Canada's postsecondary institutions are rich in talent and ideas, and are committed to building healthier, more sustainable, more inclusive and prosperous communities. With support from the federal government's Canada First Research Excellence Fund, they are able to build on these foundations to develop advanced research programs that showcase Canadian talent and lead the world in developing solutions to the critical challenges facing our planet, from environmental sustainability to advanced biotherapeutics, child health and population migration." Ted Hewitt, Chair, Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat Steering Committee; President, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada; and Chair, Canada Research Coordinating Committee Quick facts Created in 2014, CFREF supports Canadian postsecondary institutions in their efforts to become global research leaders. The program helps Canadian universities, colleges and polytechnics compete with the best in the world for talent and partnership opportunities. It also supports them to make breakthrough discoveries; seize emerging opportunities and strategically advance their greatest strengths on the global stage; and implement large-scale, transformational and forward-thinking institutional strategies.

CFREF invests approximately $200 million per year through a highly competitive peer review process, held every seven years, to support selected Canadian postsecondary institutions in turning their key strengths into world-leading capabilities.

per year through a highly competitive peer review process, held every seven years, to support selected Canadian postsecondary institutions in turning their key strengths into world-leading capabilities. CFREF is a tri-agency institutional program administered by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) on behalf of the three federal research funding agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and SSHRC.

Initiatives funded by CFREF are selected through an independent, multidisciplinary, international competitive peer review process. Associated links About the Canada First Research Excellence Fund

2022 CFREF competition results

2016 CFREF Competition 2 results

2015 CFREF Competition 1 results Stay connected Learn more about the Canada First Research Excellence Fund Follow @CDNScience on social media for Canadian science news: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook Follow the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat on social media:

Twitter: @TIPS_SPIIE, LinkedIn: @TIPS-SPIIE SOURCE Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat

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[April 28, 2023] Sungrow Introduces Its Liquid Cooled ESS PowerStack for the C&I Energy Storage Market in Mexico

GUADALAJARA, Mexico, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sungrow, the global leading inverter and energy storage system (ESS) solution supplier, debuted its liquid-cooled ESS PowerStack at Solar + Storage Mexico 2023 to drive the development of the commercial and industrial (C&I) energy storage market in Mexico. The energy storage market in Mexico is mainly focused on behind-the-meter C&I applications. Energy storage systems are used to assist large electricity consumers in managing their electricity bills more efficiently. By charging the batteries during low-cost off-peak hours and discharging them during high-cost peak hours, businesses can significantly decrease their overall electricity expenses. Battery units also help industrial users comply with new and more stringent grid regulations, which could result in substantial financial penalties if not met. Sungrow's C&I ESS PowerStack is a competitive solution that offers high profitability, safety, and flexibility to meet the aforementioned values. Technical Highlights of Sungrow's PowerStack The PowerStack provides a variety of battery capacity options, ranging from 250kWh to 4MWh and are designed for applications that require energy storage for two to four hours. This solution simplifies the transportation, installation, and operation and maintenance (O&M) processes associated with energy storage solutions through a combination of several components, including lithum-ion batteries, a power conversion system (PCS), an energy management system (EMS), and a fire suppression system (FSS).



The PowerStack utilizes advanced technologies such as liquid cooling to decrease the levelized cost of energy storage (LCOS) when compared to traditional air cooling. By implementing this liquid cooling, the PowerStack is able to maintain a lower battery temperature difference, which results in longer battery life and improved charging and discharging efficiency. Additionally, the PowerStack has an automatic state of charge (SoC) calibration feature and an automated coolant refilling system which help to decrease the operations and maintenance (O&M) costs. To uphold Sungrow's strict safety priorities, the PowerStack offers a comprehensive safety design across the cell, electrical, and system levels. With the help of artificial intelligence, the cells are monitored with great accuracy in real time to detect changes and provide early-stage warnings to prevent thermal runaway. With four layers of protection in place against excessive electric current and dangerous arcs, the risk of electrical hazards is significantly reduced. To ensure safety throughout the entire system, several safety measures have been implemented such as patented pipe connectors, an IP65 module design, a one-way breather valve, and a drip collector.

While Sungrow is an early entrant in the energy storage market, they have ranked No.1 in global ESS shipment for seven consecutive years among Chinese companies. "Energy storage has the potential to improve power quality and reduce electricity costs for industrial organizations in Mexico. We're well positioned to provide valuable services through our cutting-edge C&I ESS solutions," said Ada Li, Head of Sungrow Latin America. About Sungrow Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd. ("Sungrow") is the world's most bankable inverter brand with over 340 GW installed worldwide as of December 2022. Founded in 1997 by Professor Cao Renxian, Sungrow is a leader in the research and development of solar inverters with the largest dedicated R&D team in the industry and a broad product portfolio offering PV inverter solutions and energy storage systems for utility-scale, commercial & industrial, and residential applications, as well as internationally recognized floating PV plant solutions, NEV driving solutions, EV charging solutions and renewable hydrogen production systems. With a strong 26-year track record in the PV space, Sungrow products power over 150 countries worldwide. Learn more about Sungrow by visiting www.sungrowpower.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/sungrow-introduces-its-liquid-cooled-ess-powerstack-for-the-ci-energy-storage-market-in-mexico-301810955.html SOURCE Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd.

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[April 28, 2023] AdminaHealth Achieves HITRUST Risk-based, 2-year Certification Demonstrating the Highest Level of Information Protection Assurance

HITRUST Risk-based, 2-year (r2) Certification validates AdminaHealth is committed to strong cybersecurity and meeting key regulations to protect sensitive data GREENWICH, Conn., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AdminaHealth, the leading provider of employee benefits billing solutions for the healthcare, insurance, and voluntary benefits marketplace, today announced the AdminaHealth Billing Suite hosted at Amazon Web Services (AWS) has earned certified status by HITRUST for information security. HITRUST Risk-based, 2-year (r2) Certified status demonstrates that the organization's AdminaHealth Billing Suite has met demanding regulatory compliance and industry-defined requirements and is appropriately managing risk. This achievement places AdminaHealth in an elite groupof organizations worldwide that have earned this certification. By including federal and state regulations, standards, and frameworks, and incorporating a risk-based approach, the HITRUST Assurance Program helps organizations address security and data protection challenges through a comprehensive and flexible framework of prescriptive and scalable security controls.



"At AdminaHealth, data protection and privacy are of the utmost importance to us, as is evidenced by our continued certification since 2019," said Robert A. Bull, CEO and Founding Member of AdminaHealth. "We are pleased to demonstrate to our customers the highest standards for data protection and information security by our sustained achievement of the rigorous HITRUST Risk-based, 2-year Certification." "HITRUST Certification is globally recognized as validation that information security and privacy controls are effective and compliant with various regulations. HITRUST Certification is considered the gold standard because of the comprehensiveness and applicability of the control requirements, depth of the assurance process, and level of oversight that ensures accuracy," said Jeremy Huval, Chief Innovation Officer, HITRUST. "Individually, each element exceeds most other programs, and collectively they make HITRUST Certification the most comprehensive, transparent, consistent, and highest quality assessment available."

About AdminaHealth AdminaHealth is the leading provider of patented billing and payment solutions for the insurance industry. The company's innovative platform simplifies the administration of benefits and streamlines payment processes for brokers, carriers, employers, and third-party administrators. Founded in 2014, AdminaHealth is headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, and serves clients throughout the United States. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/adminahealth-achieves-hitrust-risk-based-2-year-certification-demonstrating-the-highest-level-of-information-protection-assurance-301810963.html SOURCE AdminaHealth

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[April 28, 2023] Micron Technology's investment in New York State to create tens of thousands of jobs and boost economy

Micron Technology (News - Alert), Inc. and Governor Hochul recently announced the formation of the Micron Community Engagement Committee, which includes representatives from Central New York and Micron, to support the company's community investment strategy. The committee's focus is to develop a community priorities document that guides investment strategies in areas such as supporting underrepresented populations, workforce development, childcare, and housing. The committee's formation is a critical component of the Community Investment Framework agreement made between New York State and Micron in October 2022.



It is important to note that Micron's investment in the new megafab in Clay, New York is a historic one. The planned investment of up to $100 billion over the next 20-plus years is expected to create nearly 50,000 New York jobs. This investment was made possible by the Governor's Green CHIPS program and the anticipated federal grants and tax credits from the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act. The Micron Community Engagement Committee will work with Micron, ESD, local governments, and regional stakeholders to ensure that the benefits of this investment are felt by all in the community. Micron Technology, Inc. was founded in 1978 by Ward Parkinson, Joe Parkinson, Dennis Wilson, and Doug Pitman in Boise, Idaho. The company initially focused on producing SRAM and DRAM memory chips, and its first products were launched in 1981. In the 1990s, Micron expanded its product line to include flash memory and CMOS image sensors. It also began manufacturing its own memory chips, which allowed it to reduce costs and increase control over the production process.

Throughout its history, Micron has faced many challenges in the semiconductor industry, including the cyclical nature of the industry and intense competition from other companies. However, it has also been successful in staying at the forefront of technological advancements in the industry. In recent years, Micron has focused on developing new memory technologies, such as 3D NAND and DDR4, that offer higher capacity, faster speeds, and lower power consumption. Micron has a significant presence in New York State, with manufacturing and research and development facilities located in the state. The company has been a leading employer in the region, with a commitment to investing in its employees and the local community. The formation of the Micron Community Engagement Committee is an important step in continuing Micron's commitment to the region and ensuring that the company's investment in the area benefits all residents. By working with local stakeholders and developing a community priorities document, Micron is demonstrating its commitment to the region through its creation of the Micron Community Engagement Committee. Micron's investment in the new megafab in Clay, New York is a significant milestone in the company's history. It is one of the largest investments ever made by a company in the state of New York, and it is expected to create a significant number of jobs and economic growth in the region. The formation of the Micron Community Engagement Committee is a critical component of this investment, as it will ensure that the benefits of the investment are felt by all in the community. Through its commitment to community engagement, Micron is demonstrating its dedication to creating a brighter future for Central New York. In conclusion, the formation of the Micron Community Engagement Committee is a crucial step towards ensuring that Micron's investment in Central New York benefits all residents. The Committee's focus on developing a community priorities document and working with local stakeholders to tackle workforce development, housing, and other complex issues demonstrates Micron's commitment to investing in the local community. With the planned investment of up to $100 billion over the next 20-plus years to construct a new megafab in Clay, New York, Micron is poised to create nearly 50,000 New York jobs and drive economic growth in the region. Through its relentless focus on technology leadership and manufacturing and operational excellence, Micron is transforming how the world uses information to enrich life for all.

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[April 28, 2023] Atlantic City Selected as Host Site for a 2nd Time for Artificial Intelligence Bootcamp - APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN!

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- South Jersey Gas will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students at No-Cost for a 2nd time in the Fall of 2023. The AI Bootcamp in Atlantic City will be targeted at underserved high school students (9th-12th grade) and will introduce these high school students to basic AI concepts and skills. South Jersey Gas is one of 28+ host companies selected to host camps across the US in Fall 2023. The South Jersey Gas Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 14th and ending on November 4th .The bootcamp will run each Saturday from 2-6pm ET and if accepted, high school students must commit to attending all 4 sessions. The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/sjgpr. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend. With AI being a relevant topic on many news sources, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, andself-driving cars to name a few. Participants will also learn how Large Language Models like ChatGPT are changing life as we know it by answering questions, telling original stories, and even writing computer code.



Students will benefit from volunteer corporate mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about AI, ML and data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 4-hour curriculum, students will work with open source tools each day to build their own AI applications related to Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing and Generative AI. The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains corporate volunteer mentors, and recruits and scores applications for local students selected to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and South Jersey Gas work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no-cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

It was a lot of fun, I learned things I didn't even know were possible with A.I. and their real-world applications showed me just how much it will change our world." - Brandon B., 10th Grade, 2022 AI Bootcamp Participant Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted no-cost AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 900+ students to date and has a goal to increase that number year over year. Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Friday, September 8th, 2023 at markcubanai.org/sjgpr. To see our 2023 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq .

Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban Foundation Phone: 309-840-0348 Email: [email protected]



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[April 28, 2023] Addison Selected as Host Site for a Fourth Time for Artificial Intelligence Bootcamp - APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN!

ADDISON, Texas, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Headstorm will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students at no cost for a 4th time in the Fall of 2023. The AI Bootcamp in Addison will target underserved high school students (9th-12th grade) and will introduce these high school students to basic AI concepts and skills.

Headstorm is one of 28+ host companies selected to host camps across the US in Fall 2023. The Headstorm Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 14th and ending on November 4th. The bootcamp will run each Saturday from 1-5pm CT, and, if accepted, high school students must commit to attending all four sessions. The student and parent applications are now open at markcubanai.org/headstormpr. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend. With AI being a relevant topic on many news sources, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including, but not limited to, TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars to name a few. Participans will also learn how Large Language Models like ChatGPT are changing life as we know it by answering questions, telling original stories, and even writing computer code.



Students will benefit from volunteer corporate mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about AI, ML, and data science and able to help students quickly understand material typically taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 4-hour curriculum, students will work with open-source tools each day to build their own AI applications related to Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, and Generative AI. The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains corporate volunteer mentors, and recruits and scores applications for local students selected to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and Headstorm work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

It was a lot of fun, I learned things I didn't even know were possible with A.I. and their real-world applications showed me just how much it will change our world.

- Brandon B., 10th Grade, 2022 AI Bootcamp Participant Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted no-cost AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City, to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 900+ students to date and has a goal to increase that number year over year. Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Friday, September 8th, 2023, at markcubanai.org/headstormpr. To see our 2023 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq. Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban Foundation

Phone: 309-840-0348

Email: [email protected]



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[April 28, 2023] Richardson Selected as Host Site for Artificial Intelligence Bootcamp - APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN!

RICHARDSON, Texas, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The University of Texas at Dallas will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students at No-Cost in the Fall of 2023. The AI Bootcamp in Addison will be targeted at underserved high school students (9th-12th grade) and will introduce these high school students to basic AI concepts and skills.

The University of Texas at Dallas is one of 28+ host companies selected to host camps across the US in Fall 2023. The University of Texas at Dallas Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 14th and ending on November 4th. The bootcamp will run each Saturday from 1-5pm CT and if accepted, high school students must commit to attending all 4 sessions. The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/utdpr. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend. With AI being a relevant topic on many news sources, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-drving cars to name a few. Participants will also learn how Large Language Models like ChatGPT are changing life as we know it by answering questions, telling original stories, and even writing computer code.



Students will benefit from volunteer corporate mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about AI, ML and data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 4-hour curriculum, students will work with open source tools each day to build their own AI applications related to Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing and Generative AI. The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains corporate volunteer mentors, and recruits and scores applications for local student selected to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and The University of Texas at Dallas work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no-cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

It was a lot of fun, I learned things I didn't even know were possible with A.I. and their real-world applications showed me just how much it will change our world." - Brandon B., 10th Grade, 2022 AI Bootcamp Participant Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted no-cost AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 900+ students to date and has a goal to increase that number year over year. Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Friday, September 8th, 2023 at markcubanai.org/utdpr. To see our 2023 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq. Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban Foundation

Phone: 309-840-0348

Email: [email protected]



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[April 28, 2023] YuJa, Inc. Announces Agreement With Georgia Piedmont Technical College to Deploy All-In-One Video Platform Across its Four Campuses

YuJa, Inc., a leader in ed-tech solutions, announces an agreement with Georgia Piedmont Technical College, one of 22 colleges in the Technical College System of Georgia. The Video Platform will provide a comprehensive video and media creation, hosting, storage and distribution solution across the institution's four campuses. Institutional leaders were seeking an easy-to-use video tool that would not only connect with the learning management system, Blackboard Collaborate, but that would enable instructors to add captions, video quizzing, and share content among a variety of audiences both internally and externally. In addition to these features, Georgia Piedmont Technical College will benefit from comprehensive analytics, gradebook integration, adaptive bitrate streaming, device compatibility, and other user-friendly features that enable success for instructors and studnts.



"YuJa works with a number of institutions in the Technical College System of Georgia. We're pleased that Georgia Piedmont Technical College has joined those using the Video Platform to enhance the teaching and learning experience," said Nathan Arora, Chief Business Officer at YuJa, Inc. "We're excited for admins, instructors and students to try out the robust and innovative features within the Video Platform." ABOUT GEORGIA PIEDMONT TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Established in 1961, Georgia Piedmont Technical College is one of the oldest of Georgia's 22 technical colleges. Recognized for our student-centered atmosphere, Georgia Piedmont Tech prepares individuals with the education, training and skills to enter the workplace ready to make a difference in their hiring companies and in the ever-changing global economy. ABOUT YUJA, INC. YuJa is a leader in ed-tech solutions. Our platforms provide organizations of all sizes with the tools to educate, engage, inspire and collaborate. We serve learning enterprises within all sectors, including higher-ed, K-12, government, healthcare, non-profit and corporate. We have legal headquarters in Delaware with primary U.S. offices in Silicon Valley, California, and Canadian offices in Toronto. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005535/en/

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[April 28, 2023] Philadelphia Selected as Host Site for a 3rd Time for Artificial Intelligence Bootcamp - APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN!

PHILADELPHIA, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CSL Behring will host a Mark Cuban Foundation Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bootcamp for high school students at No-Cost for a 3rd time in the Fall of 2023. The AI Bootcamp in Philadelphia will be targeted at underserved high school students (9th-12th grade) and will introduce these high school students to basic AI concepts and skills.

CSL Behring is one of 28+ host companies selected to host camps across the US in Fall 2023. The CSL Behring Bootcamp will be held over four consecutive Saturdays starting on October 14th and ending on November 4th. The bootcamp will run each Saturday from 2-6pm ET and if accepted, high school students must commit to attending all 4 sessions. The student and parent application are now open at markcubanai.org/cslbehringpr. Students do not need any prior experience with computer science, programming, or robotics to apply and attend. With AI being a relevant topic on many news sources, students will learn what artificial intelligence is and is not, where they already interact with AI in their own lives, and the ethical implications of AI systems including but not limited to TikTok recommendations, smart home assistants, facial recognition, and self-driving cars o name a few. Participants will also learn how Large Language Models like ChatGPT are changing life as we know it by answering questions, telling original stories, and even writing computer code.



Students will benefit from volunteer corporate mentor instructors who are knowledgeable about AI, ML and data science and able to help students quickly understand material normally taught at a collegiate level. As part of the 4-hour curriculum, students will work with open source tools each day to build their own AI applications related to Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing and Generative AI. The Mark Cuban Foundation provides the bootcamps curriculum materials, trains corporate volunteer mentors, and recruits and scores applications for local student selected to attend camp. In addition, the Mark Cuban Foundation and CSL Behring work together to provide food, transportation, and access to laptops for students at no-cost throughout the duration of Bootcamp.

It was a lot of fun, I learned things I didn't even know were possible with A.I. and their real-world applications showed me just how much it will change our world.

- Brandon B., 10th Grade, 2022 AI Bootcamp Participant Founded by Mark Cuban in 2019, the AI Bootcamp initiative has hosted no-cost AI bootcamps for students across several US cities, including Dallas, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Atlantic City to name a few. The Mark Cuban Foundation has impacted 900+ students to date and has a goal to increase that number year over year. Students interested in applying to the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp should do so before Friday, September 8th, 2023 at markcubanai.org/cslbehringpr. To see our 2023 camp locations and to learn more about the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps, please visit markcubanai.org/faq. Contact: Carli Lidiak, Mark Cuban Foundation

Phone: 309-840-0348

Email: [email protected]



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BW Energy Limited

2023 Annual General Meeting  Notice

Notice is hereby given that the 2023 Annual General Meeting of the Members of BW Energy Limited (the Company) will be held at 18 Rebecca Road, Southampton, SN04, Bermuda, on 22 May 2023 at 2:00 p.m. (Bermuda time)





Please see the attached documents in relation to the Annual General Meeting:



Notice of the 2023 AGM Form of Proxy Chairmans Letter Recommendation from the Nomination Committee



For further information, please contact:



Knut R. Sthre, CFO, +47 91 11 78 76

ir@bwenergy.no



About BW Energy:



BW Energy is a growth E&P company with a differentiated strategy targeting proven offshore oil and gas reservoirs through low risk phased developments. The Company has access to existing production facilities to reduce time to first oil and cashflow with lower investments than traditional offshore developments. The main assets are 73.5% of the producing Dussafu Marine Permit offshore Gabon, a 95% interest in the Maromba field in Brazil and a 95% interest in the Kudu field in Namibia, all operated by BW Energy. Total net 2P+2C reserves and resources were 428 million barrels at the start of 2023.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act



Attachments




Aftermath reporting following a double shooting in Kansas City, Kansas.



Here are the basics and links to more info . . .



"Just after midnight officers were called to a home in the 8500 block of Georgia Avenue for a shooting. When police arrived they discovered a woman and a man with gunshot wounds.



"The woman was taken to an area hospital in serious condition. Emergency crews pronounced the man dead at the scene."





Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

KCK police investigate deadly overnight shooting KANSAS CITY, Kan. -Kansas City, Kansas police are investigating after a man was killed and a woman was seriously injured in an overnight shooting Friday. Just after midnight officers were called to a home in the 8500 block of Georgia Avenue for a shooting.

KCK double shooting leaves one dead, one hospitalized with critical injuries Two people were wounded in a shooting early Friday morning in Kansas City, Kan. KCK police say the shooting happened at 3:45 a.m. in the 8500 block of Georgia Ave. An adult male was pronounced dead on scene and a woman was transported to the hospital with critical injuries.
An important bit of follow-up . . .

It seems that the Jackson County Prosecutor might have contradicted herself in promoting a new "race blind" approach to case work.



Here's a telling passage . . .



The eyes of the nation recently turned to Kansas City when 16-year-old Ralph Yarl went to the wrong doorstep and was shot by an 84-year-old white man. Yarl was Black. The Clay County Prosecutor, who pressed charges in the case, said there was a racial component.



We asked how the race blind charging system would work in that scenario.



Im not sure it would work here because it became such a prevailing issue on the case as a whole, Prosecutor Baker said. So, this may be one of those that would have to be carved out of the whole process to be legitimate.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

KCTV5: Jackson County prosecutor discusses implementation of race blind charging system


We notice that the news cycle is mostly finished with a northland teen shooting that served as yet another tragic moment in local history.

It's too small . . . However . . . This apt political comic reference was going to be our lead image given the fickle American attention span that's already more concerned with Taylor Swift's love life:



Thankfully, the outset of the drama has concluded without anybody getting killed.

However, as a postscript, it's important to ask . . .

WHAT HAS THE RALPH YARL SHOOTING TAUGHT KANSAS CITY???

From the activist perspective . . .

It's important to get out there FIRST and social media provides the perfect forum to stir outrage and garner support. Speed is key and a well-crafted message is likely to garner traction amongst young people when a racially-charged topic is in play.

Still . . .

Local TV news powers the discussion and two or three events/protests staged before the evening updates are essential to move the discussion forward.

For our far right pals . . .

We notice Twitter trolling might provide giggles and now that Elon Musk is in charge, there's less chance of confronting a ban. On this topic we were disappointed that the best the trolls came up with is hoping that "jiggling on a front door handle" might provide justifiable cause for shooting somebody . . . That's weak sauce but also good enough to fool so many gullible online denizens.

Politicos profited by jumping on the bandwagon . . .

Elected leaders in Kansas City doubled down on racially divisive rhetoric with no fear that their words would confront any challenge from constituents or opponents. The reality is that "the conversation on race" is a loser for just about any who strays from the mainstream narrative.

The elderly and frail dude was branded a racist without much evidence and anyone who refused to concede that point was either casually dismissed OR also branded a racist.



However . . . Here's the perspective that interests us most . . .

There are both conservative and progressives who have rightfully called out the selective outrage and hope to highlight the historic local homicide rate which continues to threaten Kansas City.

We feel like this argument has the most merit because it hopes to address and hopefully curb human suffering regardless of political gain or imagined demographic loyalty.



Even better . . . There's data to back it up.

And so . . . Whilst emotional and racially charged screeds are starting to fizzle and move on to the next dernier cri . . . TKC thinks that the more important debate involves an ongoing & deadly local crisis that hasn't merited the same kind of national coverage . . . Check-it:



Kansas Citys black-white homicide disparity is typical. In 2022, blacks made up 60% of homicide victims, though they are 26.5% of the population. Whites were 22% of homicide victims, though they make up 60% of the Kansas City population. A black Kansas City resident was six times more likely to be killed in 2022 than a white Kansas City resident. So far this year, blacks make up 75% of homicide victims.



The toll on black children has been particularly acute.



In the first nine months of 2020, 13 black children were killed in shootings in Kansas City. Those child victims included 1-year-old Tyron Patton, killed when someone riddled the car in which he was riding with bullets, and 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro, fatally shot while sleeping in his fathers apartment.



No Black Lives Matter activist showed up to say their names.



Their deaths were of no interest to the race advocates because their killers were black. In 2022, 10 children aged 17 and younger were killed in Kansas City, also without racial protest, because those children were not killed by whites and thus did not matter from a racial p.r. perspective.



The maudlin dirge that blacks are victims of lethal white supremacy is ludicrous, in Kansas City and every other American metropolis.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Ralph Yarl GoFundMe Surpasses $3.3 Million in Just 3 Days: 'He Has a Long Road Ahead' A fundraiser set up on behalf of Ralph Yarl has raised more than $3.3 million to go toward his "medical bills and therapy." Ralph's aunt, Faith Spoonmore, set up a GoFundMe over the weekend to benefit the 16-year-old musician, who was shot on April 13 after mistakenly going to the wrong house to pick up his twin brothers from a playdate.

Was Ralph Yarl's shooter just afraid of Black people? That's the elephant in the room | Opinion Besides the fact that it should never have happened and we feel sorry for Ralph Yarl, and think his shooter should be punished, the bottom line is that the accused man appears to be afraid of Black people. This is the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about.

Media's 'existing while black' coverage of crime merely twists facts and worsens racial divide in US The shooting of a teenager in Kansas City, Mo., has added "knocking on the door while black" and "existing while black" to the list of activities that allegedly put blacks at daily risk of their lives in white supremacist America. Meanwhile, the actual configuration of interracial violence is assiduously ignored.

Developing . . .
A mixed week for the Kansas politico who confronted red state relation amid this veto session.



Here's the word . . .

"Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has seen some of her vetoes of culture wars legislation and others overridden by conservative Republicans who control the Kansas Legislature."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Restrictions on transgender rights and abortion coming to Kansas after Republicans override vetoes TOPEKA, Kansas - Republicans controlling the Legislature continued to use their supermajority to push through laws curbing transgender and abortion rights on Thursday. Lawmakers overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto to pass a law that bans transgender women from women's bathrooms and other public places preserved for women.
A quick peek at the "sausage-making" (lulz) of statehouse politics . . .



As the clock ticks down on the Legislatures May 12 deadline, Parson said the transgender issue is a top priority that needs to be resolved as soon as possible.



Were not going to walk away from this building without a law on the books, Parson told reporters at a press conference Thursday.



Following the lead of other Republican states, the GOP-led House and Senate have approved separate bills aimed at addressing concerns about transgender health care for minors.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Greece will need 22 billion euros in investments for renewable energy sources (RES) and networks by 2030, something the banking sector thinks is feasible

Leaders in energy businesses underlined on Friday the strong prospects Greece has as an energy leader in the greater region and provided more insights into what that entailed in terms of requirements, at the Delphi Economic Forum VIII taking place in the emblematic central Greek city since Wednesday, ANA reports.

Greece will need 22 billion euros in investments for renewable energy sources (RES) and networks by 2030, something the banking sector thinks is feasible, Piraeus Bank Chief of Corporate & Investment Banking Theodore Tzouros said. As he pointed out, banks have already funded the sector with 8-10 billion euros in the past 7 years, despite those years "not being the best" in terms of the economy. Of the 22 billion, he said RES expected investments are estimated at 15 billion euros and those of networks at 7 billion euros.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Slaunger
The INSTO network is an opportunity to work together to ensure that tourism is a tool that contributes to sustainable development

UNWTO has announced Tlaxcalas Sustainable Tourism Observatory as the latest member of its International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO).

UNWTO has identified evidence-based decision-making and the participation of local stakeholders as key to the successful development of sustainable tourism at the destination level. The Tlaxcala Secretary of Tourism and its Sustainable Tourism Observatory have shown their commitment to both of these areas, paving the way for them to become part of the expanding global Network.

Looking beyond tourism's economic impact

Within the INSTO framework, the Observatory will shift from focusing largely on the economic impact of tourism to also measuring tourism's social and environmental impacts. This will help Tlaxcala to manage tourism development in a responsible and sustainable manner, taking a holistic view in developing adequate and innovative strategies for "rethinking" tourism.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: "As we rethink tourism and guide the sector towards greater resilience, inclusivity, and sustainability, measurement has never been more important. It provides a better understanding of where a destination stands and where it wants to go. The INSTO network is an opportunity to work together to ensure that tourism is a tool that contributes to sustainable development. We are very pleased to welcome Tlaxcala as a new member."

Tlaxcala's Tourism Observatory will now monitor the 11 mandatory INSTO key areas, namely: tourism seasonality, employment, economic benefits, energy management, water management, wastewater management, solid waste management, climate action, accessibility, local satisfaction, and governance.

Collaboration as key

The State of Tlaxcala is located in the central part of Mexico and is the smallest federal entity in terms of geographical size. Rich in culture and history, with important archaeological sites as well as natural resources, Tlaxcala welcomed 570,000 tourists in 2019, accounting for 8.5% of the State's GDP and 5.5% of the State's employment. In accordance with the Tlaxcala State Tourism Law of 2022, a Tourist Consultative Council was established, composed of private, public, and civil sector actors, to provide multi-disciplinary advice to the Ministry of Tourism of Tlaxcala on sustainable tourism development.

This participatory approach is also reflected in the mission statement of the Tourism Observatory, "to be an effective instrument for the sustainable tourism development of Tlaxcala through the participation of all the agents linked to tourist activity and the authorities related to it, through having reliable, timely and relevant information that supports decision-making and monitoring of the results of public policies to promote tourism."

Tlaxcalas Secretary of Tourism, Ms. Josefina Rodriguez Zamora, noted: "Becoming a member of INSTO allows us to frame our tourism sustainability efforts according to the 11 key monitoring areas that are mandatory for INSTO members. We are honored to become the third Observatory in Mexico to be part of this network."

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Giorgi Balakhadze
A Red Dress candlelight walk is planned for Friday, May 5 in Scarborough to raise awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2 Spirit (MMIWG2S) people.
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority says it doesnt understand why the premiers plan includes housing on hazardous ravine land unfit for new development
Andrew Palamarchuk is a reporter with Metroland Media Toronto and toronto.com. He has been covering the crime beat since 2002 and has a passion for giving a voice to those affected by tragedy and looking at societal issues that may have contributed to it.
BROKEN ARROW, Okla., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Oklahoma continues to welcome new Rally House stores in 2023, this time in the bustling city of Broken Arrow! Rally House Broken Arrow marks the seventh Oklahoma storefront for this national sports and merchandise retailer, helping more fans from this iconic Midwest state gear up with sports apparel and localized merchandise. And customers will appreciate the various top-tier brands alongside the many popular pro and college teams in stock at this new Rally House store.

Rally House is a specialty sports boutique that offers a large selection of apparel, gifts and home decor representing local NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS teams. We also carry local novelties and regional-inspired apparel, gifts and food. With locations in the Midwest, South and Northeast, we bring stylish sports apparel and unique team gifts to cities where fans live, work and cheer. (PRNewsfoto/Rally House)

Rally House is proud to continue on the path of exponential growth this year, especially in Oklahoma where the company fits right in with the awesome residents and tourists. "The fans in Broken Arrow are incredible," describes District Managers Andrew Mills. "And we can't wait for them to check out our selection of teams while helping them show their fandom with some of the best products in town!"

Shoppers at Rally House Broken Arrow will find a wide array of products for their favorite professional and collegiate teams, including the Oklahoma Sooners, OSU Cowboys, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, OKC Thunder, and others. There are also many highly respected brand names in stock that ensure quality and style, such as Nike, Adidas, New Era, Mitchell & Ness, and more.

Since Oklahoma is home to many famous vendors, eateries, and themes, Rally House Broken Arrow aims to reflect these in its vast local selection. Customers can shop Local Oklahoma apparel and gifts inspired by all the great things from the area, including one-of-a-kind options from the renowned RALLY Brand.

Rally House Broken Arrow has a dedicated staff ready to provide each visitor with an exceptional shopping experience. There's also an expansive assortment available online at www.rallyhouse.com, with shipping options to all states.

The company encourages customers to visit the Rally House Broken Arrow Store Page or follow the store on Facebook (@RallyBrokenArrow) and Instagram (@rallybrokenarrow) to remain caught-up on the latest information and updates.

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About Rally House

Rally House and Sampler Stores Inc. is a family-owned specialty boutique that offers a large selection of apparel, hats, gifts and home decor representing local NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS teams in addition to locally inspired apparel, gifts and food. Proudly based in Lenexa, Kansas, Rally House operates 140+ locations across 14 states.

CONTACT:

Andrew Mills, District Manager

media@rallyhouse.com

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SOURCE Rally House
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival runs this weekend: here are five things to see and do
Vitalli Bio is the ninth company formed by Aditum Bio

OAKLAND, Calif., April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aditum Bio, the biotech investment firm cofounded in 2019 by former Novartis CEO Joe Jimenez and former President of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) Dr. Mark Fishman, today announced the formation of Vitalli Bio, a portfolio company created for the development of novel therapies for immunological disorders. Vitalli Bio is being formed in connection with the in-licensing of a highly selective dual inhibitor of Interleukin-2-Inducible T-Cell Kinase (ITK) and Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) from Daewoong Pharmaceutical, which is anticipated to close in early May. The compound will be renamed VIT-801 and is anticipated to enter Phase 1 studies in 2023.

Unlike current treatments, which are generally limited to inhibiting only individual cell types, VIT-801 is a dual-target inhibitor that simultaneously inhibits B cells, T cells and other immune cells, potentially providing a best-in-class profile in immune disorders where multiple cell types are implicated. In addition to VIT-801, Vitalli Bio will be granted an option to license earlier stage dual-target inhibitors in development by Daewoong.

"Aditum Bio's translational medicine approach is unique in the industry, and we are excited to move this exciting compound into the clinic in immunological disorders" said Joe Jimenez, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Aditum Bio. Dr. Mark Fishman, Co-Founder and Chair of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Boards, added, "VIT-801 has a unique profile that selectively inhibits a range of relevant immune cells, suggesting it has the potential to represent a safe and effective alternative in these difficult to treat populations."

Vitalli Bio is the ninth company launched by Aditum Bio, whose mission is to give large patient populations access to medicines which otherwise may not be developed. To speed these drugs to market, Aditum Bio fosters an incubator model, focusing on the translational phase of drug development. The "spin out" model enables a nimble, start-up culture with a dedicated team of managers supported by Aditum's in-house team of operational and technical area experts, ranging from nonclinical pharmacology and CMC to regulatory affairs and clinical operations.

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About Aditum Bio

Aditum Bio is committed to improving public health by accelerating R&D in disease areas with both large and more targeted patient populations, where medical innovation can have a huge impact. Aditum Bio focuses on basic mechanisms of disease, in-licenses promising drug candidates directed at such pathophysiologies, and spins out individual companies dedicated to bringing each candidate through Phase II clinical trials. Aditum Bio uses data, software and technology to help bring innovative medicines through the clinical trial phase more quickly and with lower costs than traditional pharmaceutical companies. For more information, please visit www.aditumbio.com.

About Daewoong Pharmaceutical

Established in 1945, Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a leading South Korean pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, and commercializes pharmaceuticals for both domestic and international markets. With a strong and innovative in-house R&D and advanced manufacturing facilities, Daewoong provides a total healthcare solution to customers across the globe. Continuing on their course of building a strong global healthcare company, Daewoong has broadened international operations by establishing branch offices and research centers throughout Asia and the United States. Daewoong has also expanded strategic partnerships in more than 100 countries worldwide.

In 2022, Daewoong expanded its global market presence by entering into a license agreement worth USD 923 million, which granted permission for the use of 'Fexuclue', a medicine licensed for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, in the Philippines and Ecuador within the first year of its launch. Additionally, Daewoong successfully launched 'Envlo', the first-ever sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor for the treatment of diabetes to be developed in Korea, and signed an export contract worth USD 84.36 million with Brazil and Mexico. For further information on Daewoong Pharmaceutical, please visit our official website.

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SOURCE Aditum Bio
Adyton Resources Corporation

The current mineral resources for the Fergusson Island and Feni Island Projects

Gameta, Wapolu and Feni combined Adyton group resources at 0.5g/t gold cut-off

About Adyton

For more information about Adyton, visit www.adytonresources.com

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adyton Resources Corporation (TSX Venture: ADY) announces that it has filed its financial statements for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2022 and accompanying Management Discussion and Analysis on its SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.



ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF ADYTON RESOURCES CORPORATION

Tim Crossley, Chief Executive Officer

For further information please contact:

Tim Crossley, Chief Executive Officer

Email: tcrossley@adtyonresources.com

Phone: +61 7 3854 2389

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

ABOUT ADYTON RESOURCES CORPORATION

Adyton Resources Corporation is focused on the development of gold and copper resources in world class mineral jurisdictions. It currently has a portfolio of highly prospective mineral exploration projects in Papua New Guinea on which it is exploring for copper and gold. The Companys mineral exploration projects are located on the Pacific Ring of Fire which hosts several world class copper and gold deposits.

The table below summarises the current mineral resources for the Fergusson Island and Feni Island Projects:

Gameta, Wapolu and Feni combined Adyton group resources at 0.5g/t gold cut-off





Gameta, Wapolu and Feni combined Adyton group resources at 0.5g/t gold cut-off1

For more information about Adyton and its projects, visit www.adytonresources.com .

_______________________________________________________________________________

1 See the NI 43-101 technical report entitled NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Feni Gold-Copper Property, New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea (the Feni Technical Report) and the NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Fergusson Gold Property, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea each dated October 14, 2021 and prepared for Adyton Resources Corporation by Mark Berry (MAIG), Simon Tear (MIGI PGeo), Matthew White (MAIG) and Andy Thomas (MAIG), each an independent mining consultant and qualified person as defined in NI 43-101, available under Adytons profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

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Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/41b37820-33cd-486f-81ab-5f9ea3b26e3e

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/83ecc72c-0aff-41d7-9f9a-4bf4c26f9150




Government is weaning off Desalcott. In fact, it's the government's intention that by the ti
In the early hours of Friday, April 28, Ukraines Defense Forces shot down 21 of 23 incoming Russian Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles, as well as two UAVs of the operational-tactical level.

Thats according to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, who reported the news on Telegram, Ukrinform saw.

According to Zaluzhnyi, at around 4:00 in the morning, Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers launched missiles at Ukraine from the Caspian Sea region.

"Twenty-one out of 23 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles, as well as two UAVs of the operational-tactical level, were destroyed by the anti-aircraft missile units of Ukraines Air Forces in cooperation with the air defense systems of other elements of our Defense Forces," said Zaluzhnyi.

"Targets were destroyed in the zones of responsibility of Air Command Center, Air Command East, and Air Command South, CinC emphasized.

As reported earlier, today Russian terrorists launched another massive missile attack on Ukraine. Information about the aftermath of the strikes is being further verified.
During their visit to Ukraine, President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel and President of Slovakia Zuzana Caputova visited Bucha and Borodianka, Kyiv region, which suffered as a result of Russian aggression.

This is reported by Novinky, Ukrinform reports.

In particular, in Bucha, the Czech leader laid flowers at the mass grave of the dead.

"It is a sad sight. I thought I would never see it so close again. Especially in Europe," he said.

Answering questions from journalists in Borodianka, Pavel said that Russians attack civilian targets on purpose, seeking to create chaos and break the will of Ukrainians.

Se @ZuzanaCaputova oba vnimame hodnotu svobody a spravedlnosti. Je tezke videt na vlastni oci, ze Ukrajinci za ni plati cenu nejvyssi. Krev a zivoty vlastnich obcanu. V boji s agresorem chrani to, co je nam spolecne. Proto za nimi budeme stat. pic.twitter.com/85MS6DOfmj  Petr Pavel (@prezidentpavel) April 28, 2023

"Of course, there can be a mistake in navigation or an incorrectly entered destination, but this is not a mistake... it was intentional. Obviously, this is a fairly clear plan: to create chaos and terror among the civilian population and, based on this, to put pressure on the government to retreat and lose the will to defend itself. ...Fortunately, this did not break the Ukrainians," he emphasized.

On Twitter, the Czech president wrote: "Zuzana Caputova and I realize the value of freedom and justice. It is difficult to see with our own eyes that Ukrainians are paying the highest price for this - the blood and lives of their own citizens. In the fight against the aggressor, they are defending what unites us.

As reported, on April 28, the presidents of the Czech Republic and Slovakia arrived in Ukraine for a visit.
North Macedonia has become the 36th country to join the core group of countries working to establish a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote this on Twitter, Ukrinform reports.

"North Macedonia has become the 36th country to join the collation on the establishment of a Special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. I appreciate our Macedonian friends joining our fight for justice. Support for the Special Tribunal keeps gaining steam," Kuleba said.

Read also: Moldova joins group pushing for creation of special tribunal for Russian crimes

As reported, in September 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky formed a working group headed by the Head of the Presidential Administration Andriy Yermak, which is working on the issue of establishing a special tribunal to prosecute the leadership of the Russian Federation for committing the crime of aggression against Ukraine. The establishment of such a tribunal has been supported by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and individual states.
Ukraine needs modern aircraft, without which there is no fully effective air defense. Russian terror can be stopped and people can be saved only with a sufficient number of high-quality weapons.

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his video address, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The full text of the speech is provided below:

Dear Ukrainians!

The demolition of rubble in Uman, at the site hit by the Russian missile, continued all day. At the moment, it is known about 23 dead, among them four children. My condolences to families and friends...

All those who were saved  residents of this building and neighboring buildings, which, unfortunately, were affected by the blast wave  are provided with the necessary assistance. I thank everyone who participated in the rescue operation and supports the rescued people.

A missile on Uman, a city that is absolutely peaceful, known to the whole world for hosting tens of thousands of Hasidic pilgrims every year... Only absolute evil can unleash such terror against Ukraine.

Two Ukrainian women were killed in Dnipropetrovsk region in today's missile attack. Mother and daughter. Olha, born in 1992, and Veronika, born in 2020. This child has not yet turned three years old! Eternal memory!.. Condolences to the family, condolences to loved ones...

Today, our Air Force managed to shoot down most of the Russian missiles  21 out of 23. If not for this, the terrorist state would have managed to claim many more casualties, more lives. And this proves once again that we can stop terror and save people only with weapons. Air defense, modern aircraft, without which there is no fully effective air defense. Artillery, armored vehicles. All that is necessary to provide security to our cities, our villages, both in the rear and on the front lines. To restore security to our people who are still, unfortunately, in the occupied territory. Temporarily. We cannot leave anyone under the power of Russian evil.

Today, the President of Slovakia and the President of the Czech Republic visited Kyiv. We talked about how to give protection to all our people, to speed up the return of peace and order in all the land.

I thanked Slovakia and the Czech Republic for their support: for the provided weapons, political and sanctions assistance, and for the support of people who received shelter in the Slovak and Czech communities.

I outlined to the partners what prospects we have on the battlefield now and what further help we need to go all this necessary way. I informed on what we are doing to implement our Peace Formula, in particular, the point regarding bringing those responsible for aggression to justice. I'm thankful that Slovakia and the Czech Republic see the need to restore justice and punish war criminals, to punish all these terrorists.

We signed a Joint Declaration with the President of Slovakia and the President of the Czech Republic regarding our European and Euro-Atlantic movement.

I also spoke today with President of the European Council Charles Michel. I informed him about the consequences of the Russian terrorist attack and thanked him for supporting our defense, our economic, and our social stability.

We separately discussed with the President of the European Council the situation around the destructive, in my opinion, ban on the import of our agricultural products by certain states. I emphasize that this not only violates the existing Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union but also gives dangerous hope to the Kremlin. The hope that in our common European home, someone's wrong decisions can prevail over common interests.

Now, when Russia violates the freedom of trade, tries to block the supply of agricultural products to the world market, it is definitely not the time for anyone to follow the evil state and do something similar. It is necessary to find a normal, constructive way out of this situation in the European spirit. The difficult one. The decision that would take into account the interests of all our countries and Europe in general. We have discussed with Mr. Michel how this can be done, what the solution can be, and we are in constant contact with all partners.

Today, a significant investment event for Ukraine took place  the first major investment in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. The size of the investment is $250 million, and this is only the start of the relevant package. Right now, when we are still fighting against Russian terror, big world business not only believes in our victory, but also confirms this belief with its multimillion-dollar investments and concrete steps.

I thank everyone who helps Ukraine!

Glory to all our soldiers who are now in battle, at combat posts, on combat missions! Thank you to the people of Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

Photo, video: Office of the President of Ukraine
AEC invests CAD $5 million into Calgary-based The51 Food and AgTech Fund to support early-stage agriculture-focused startups in building a profitable, sustainable global food supply.

EDMONTON, AB, April 28, 2023 /CNW/ - Alberta Enterprise announced today that it has invested CAD $5 million into The51 Food and AgTech Fund to provide seed and early-stage capital to Alberta businesses solving the planet's most urgent food-related climate, environmental, and farming challenges. The51 is a Calgary-headquartered, women-led venture fund and financial platform led by partners with experience as operators, investors and mentors in multiple sectors including food and agtech.

Alberta Enterprise Corporation Logo (CNW Group/Alberta Enterprise Corporation)

Prior to their Food and AgTech Fund, The51 raised more than CAD $21 million in just over three years, with 90 per cent raised from investors who identify as women. The51 Fund I invested in Alberta startups including female-founded Virtual Gurus, Syantra, Mercator AI, Areto Labs and True Angle. The Food and AgTech Fund is The51's first institutional fund and invests in seed and early-stage agriculture biotechnology, farm innovation, automation and food innovation businesses, seeking to advance food production to realize a profitable, sustainable, global food supply.

"The51's ability to discover and support the growth of exceptional food and agtech ventures provides an advantage to Alberta's startups and our diverse founders," said Kristina Williams, CEO of Alberta Enterprise Corporation. "We are excited to support The51's first institutional fund, and to back a promising female-led venture capital team based here in Alberta." The51 Food and AgTech Fund is led by Judy Fairburn, Shelley Kuipers and agtech veteran, Alison Sunstrum, as general partners. All partners are based in Calgary and deeply involved in the technology community across Canada.

"Over the next 30 years, to feed our rising global population, we will need to double food production. There is no question that to do more, with less, and to do so equitably and sustainably, will require creative disruption," explained Alison Sunstrum, Managing General Partner, The51 Food and AgTech Fund. "As the fifth largest producer of agricultural commodities in the world, Canada has a vital role to play. We're thrilled to have the support of Alberta Enterprise among the forward-thinking investors ramping up investment so we can better feed the world."

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"As I often say, technology is not just an industry, it is the future of every industry  and that includes agriculture. Alberta has one of the most productive agricultural economies in the world. It is core to our history, culture, and landscape," added Nate Glubish, Minister of Technology and Innovation. "Improving access to capital for agtech businesses is essential to sustainably and responsibly advancing food production, attracting and developing talent, diversifying our economy, building local businesses and creating jobs in a sector true to Alberta."

About Alberta Enterprise Corporation: alberta-enterprise.ca

Alberta Enterprise Corporation promotes the development of Alberta's venture capital industry by investing in venture capital funds that finance technology companies. We focus on funds that have a strong commitment to Alberta  including a full-time presence in the province. In addition to financial capital, we support Alberta's venture capital ecosystem by connecting investors, entrepreneurs, and experienced technology executives who share our passion for building a bright, innovative Alberta. We have committed CAD $337 million for investment to thirty-two venture capital funds including Accelerate Funds I, II and III, covering a diverse range of forward-looking industries including information technology, energy and industrial technology, life sciences and agriculture.

About The51 Food and AgTech General Partnership: the51.com/food-agtech-fund

The51 Food and AgTech General Partnership is a trailblazing Canadian venture capital firm, led by women and committed to revolutionizing the agricultural landscape through groundbreaking technology. Our expert team of former founders, operators and engineers provides unparalleled guidance and support, while our expansive The51 community connects our visionary founders with invaluable domain knowledge, talent and resources. Together, we cultivate a sustainable and thriving future for our planet.

SOURCE Alberta Enterprise Corporation

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The first six out of ten Spanish main battle tanks Leopard 2, vowed by the countrys government to Ukraine, have arrived on the territory of Poland.

Thats according to THE OBJECTIVE, Ukrinform reports.

"Defense Minister Margarita Robles confirmed that six Leopard 2A4 tanks, handed over by Spain, are already in Poland and being shipped to Ukraine," the statement reads.

It is noted that it will take about two months to prepare for the transfer of four other Leopard 2 tanks.

Robles noted that the tanks handed over by Spain arrived this Friday at a Polish port, and from there they will travel by rail to Ukraine.

In addition, Robles thanked her German counterpart for facilitating this operation since, as a tank manufacturer, Germany was supposed to allow the handover of the combat vehicles.

"This is a very important step for helping Ukraine, as well as a very important step for achieving peace," minister emphasized.

As reported, in May, a maintenance and repair center of Leopard 2 tanks, which Ukraine receives from its allies, will be deployed in Poland.

Photo: RCAF Operations
Ukraine and the Czech Republic have prepared six key joint production projects related to the manufacture of ammunition, weapons, as well as tank repair. The potential production of training aircraft is also on the table.

This was stated by the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, who spoke at a joint press conference with the presidents of Ukraine and Slovakia, Volodymyr Zelensky and Zuzana Chaputova, in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"We have prepared six key joint production projects based on both Ukrainian and Czech companies... As for specific projects, they relate to the production of ammunition, small arms, tank repair, such as the T-62, as well as the potential production of training aircraft. For us, technology transfer and production are priorities so that this production can be partially or completely carried out on the territory of Ukraine," he said.

Pavel pointed out that the final outcome of such production should be used taking into account the technologies that are available from the Czech side and from the Ukrainian one.

The president of the Czech Republic also noted that his country was directing work on the program for the reconstruction of Dnipro and Dnipropetrovsk region and cooperation in the fields of energy, economy, transport infrastructure, and housing.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Czech President Petr Pavel and his Slovak counterpart Zuzana Chaputova arrived in Kyiv on the morning of April 28.
The French-made CAESAR self-propelled howitzers, provided by Denmark, have already arrived in Ukraine.

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov on Twitter, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

CAESARs from Denmark are in Ukraine! [] Denmark had intended to use these systems for its army, but wisely and nobly decided to transfer them to the Ukrainian Army due to the significant threat that russian aggression against Ukraine poses to Europe as a whole, Reznikov wrote.

The Minister of Defense noted that Danish partners contribute to organizing the training of the Ukrainian military.

According to Reznikov, Ukrainian artillerymen appreciate the maneuverability and accuracy of the CAESAR howitzers.

Ukraine now has the worlds second-largest CAESARs artillery park, thanks to our partners in France and Denmark, Reznikov stressed.

A reminder that the Danish government endorsed a decision to hand over all of their 19 French-made CAESAR howitzers to Ukraine.

Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The Danish government has launched a new support program for Ukraine for 2023.

This was announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Lars Lkke Rasmussen, during a briefing in Odesa, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The program's main goal is the reconstruction of Ukraine. A special place in the project will be dedicated to Mykolaivs recovery, said Rasmussen.

He stressed that he condemned the recent Russian missile attacks on Mykolaiv, adding that they only reinforce Denmark's determination to help Ukraine.

Success can be achieved only in partnership, as was achieved in the case of the Baltic states, the top diplomat stressed, noting that Ukraine reminds others that freedom is not given for granted but must be fought for.

Denmark will stand with Ukraine for as long as the country fights, added Rasmussen.

The briefing was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia Edgars Rinkevics, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark Lars Lkke Rasmussen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iceland Thordis Kolbrun Reikfjord, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielus Landsbergis, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway Anniken Huitfeldt, Minister of Foreign Affairs Affairs of Sweden, Tobias Bilstrom, and Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Kai Sauer.

As reported, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine and the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities of the Kingdom of Denmark concluded an agreement expanding the energy partnership in the field of wind generation.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel have held a meeting in Kyiv. The Head of State thanked the Czech Republic for providing support to Ukraine from the first day of Russias full-scale invasion.

The relevant statement was made by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on Instagram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

I welcome President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel to Ukraine! Thank you for this visit, which began in Bucha and Borodyanka. We appreciate the support of the Czech Republic, the Czech government and the entire society from the first day of the full-scale invasion, Zelensky wrote.

In the course of the meeting, Pavel assured the Ukrainian side that the Czech Republic would push for Ukraines EU accession talks to start as soon as this year.

For us, Ukraines membership in the EU and NATO is not a matter of if but when. I have assured President Zelensky that the Czech Republic will be a voice reminding everyone and everywhere that Ukraine deserves to become a full-fledged member of the family of democratic countries. I will push for accession talks with the EU to start before the end of the year, the President of the Czech Republic noted on Twitter.

A reminder that, on the morning of April 28, 2023, President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel and President of the Slovak Republic Zuzana Caputova arrived in Kyiv.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, his Czech counterpart Petr Pavel, and Slovakian leader Zuzana Chaputova signed a joint declaration of support for Ukrainian European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

The signing ceremony took place during the visit of the Czech and Slovak presidents to Kyiv on Friday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"I am grateful to Slovakia and the Czech Republic for supporting our countrys integration into the European and Euro-Atlantic spaces. The relevant principles are recorded in the joint declaration that we have just signed," Zelensky said at the press conference following the meeting with the two presidents.

The head of the Ukrainian state also expressed his gratitude to the leaders and peoples of Slovakia and the Czech Republic for the fact that "together we protect our freedom and the lives of our people."

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on the morning of April 28, President of the Czech Republic,Petr Pavel, and his Slovak counterpart Zuzana Chaputova arrived in Kyiv.

Photo: Ukraines Presidential Office
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Published April 28, 2023

CAPTION: The ULM PREP team poses at the Southern Regional Orientation Workshop. (Back Row, L-R): Johnathan Fee, Landon Trahan, Colby Pogue, Ryan Laurence, Shae Hicks, Enrique Gonzalez, Ashon Fields, Wyatt Morgan, Muhammad Talha, Jesse Drake, Cody Ponthieux; (Middle Row, L-R): Kiwi Smith, Lily Smith, AnaaBelle Isaac, Gabrelle McLeod, Haley Belle Hearron, Raquelle Franklin, Sydney Andrews, Cat Cowsar, Amaya West; (Front Row, L-R): Garret Darden, Rachel Meredith, Olivia Rainey

MONROE, LA  The University of Louisiana Monroe PREP staff recently took home first place honors in the original song competition at the annual Southern Regional Orientation Workshop (SROW), held on March 10-12, 2023, at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Fla. The PREP (Preview Registration Enrollment Program) staff consists of 25 students of all majors and is led by Director of Orientation Programs and Special Events Ahmaad Solmone.

The ULM PREP staff competed in the song category of the S3D (Song, Skit, Step, & Dance) competition at SROW. The team wrote original lyrics to the tune of a popular song for the competition. Their efforts earned them first place in the medium schools division of the competition.

"I am so proud of this team for winning first place at SROW. While getting ready for SROW, the main advice I would give them would be that no matter what, you can't fake chemistry, so they needed to work as a team, and at the end of the day, that was very evident once we arrived at SROW, said Solmone. He continued, This is probably one of the most cohesive teams I've ever worked with, so I am excited to see what they do this summer with students and parents at PREP and POP."

Gabrelle McLeod is a freshman Radiologic Technology major from Vicksburg, Miss. who is a member of the PREP staff and competed in the S3D Competition at SROW. McLeod says the PREP staffs key to success was preparation. We worked multiple weekends practicing and getting ready for the performance, said McLeod. We were nervous before going on stage, but I feel like it was the best performance we ever did working as a team. We were as one in that moment, she added.

Not only did ULM excel in the S3D competition, but they were also voted Most Spirited by all other schools in attendance, across all divisions. Additionally, ULM earned second place in the painted banner competition, and PREP staffers Raquelle Franklin and Jesse Drake won best communication in the case study competition.

Solmone says this is the most awards ULM has ever won at SROW and the first time the University has won first place in over 25 years.

In addition to the spirit competitions, PREP staffers spent the weekend learning more about being effective in their roles through various educational sessions. Solmone says ULM was among the most represented institutions in the educational sessions, with PREP staffers presenting six sessions and Solmone presenting one himself.

McLeod said the information learned in educational sessions will be greatly beneficial to the team. We were placed in many different sessions so we would branch out to learn things for this summer, she said.

SROW is the annual regional conference for Region VI of NODA, the association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention in Higher Education. Region VI consists of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, and South Carolina and is one of the larger NODA regions in the nation.

In November 2022, Ahmaad Solmone was appointed as the Equity and Inclusion Officer for NODA. Being the Equity and Inclusion Officer for NODA falls in line with what I like to do in my work at ULM, which is to make sure that all students have fair access to things, said Solmone.

As part of his role, Solmone oversees the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, with whom he meets once a month to discuss how the organization can be of service to students. Solmone also sits on the executive team and helps cast vision for the entire organization.

Solmone says he was encouraged to get more involved in NODA by ULM Vice President of University Relations and Enrollment Management Lisa Miller. When he learned of the opening of Equity and Inclusion officer, he went through the extensive application process and was voted into the role by members of NODA.

Being in this position keeps me ahead of the curve. It gives me insight into trends that are happening across the nation, he added.

For more information about NODA, visit. www.nodaweb.org.

For more information about the ULM PREP staff, visit. www.ulm.edu/prep.
Big price cuts taken by Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology unit of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding, are likely to help it carve out a bigger slice of the country's cloud computing services market, but it could also kick off a price war, according to analysts.

Alibaba Cloud announced on Wednesday it would slash prices of its core products and services in China by up to 50 per cent starting May 7.

The move comes after Alibaba, which remains the top industry player, saw its market share fall to 32.6 per cent in the second half of 2022 from 34.5 per cent in the first half, according to a report published this week by research firm IDC.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

The Alibaba Group Holding headquarters in Hangzhou, China. Photo: Bloomberg alt=The Alibaba Group Holding headquarters in Hangzhou, China. Photo: Bloomberg>

Lower prices could be a good way for Alibaba Cloud to regain lost market share, as it prepares to become one of six units to be spun off under parent Alibaba's sweeping reorganisation announced last month, said Shawn Yang, managing director of boutique investment bank Blue Lotus Capital.

"As the split-up begins and the organisational structure is being gradually adjusted, Alibaba Cloud has greater autonomy to carry out price cuts because it used to be bounded more by things like the entire group's profit margin," he said.

Alibaba Cloud is currently helmed directly by Daniel Zhang Yong, Alibaba's chairman and CEO, who took control of the unit last December after a major service outage in Hong Kong and Macau.

In a recent interview with Chinese media veteran Qin Shuo, Zhang said he decided to personally manage the cloud unit because it is "important enough".

"[The cloud business] may be among Alibaba's most certain hopes - it is an important opportunity bestowed by the times," Zhang said. "We have gone through 14 years of development, and we are in the best position in terms of cloud infrastructure and the accumulation of digital experiences."

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The home market is becoming increasingly important for Alibaba and other Chinese cloud service providers amid rising geopolitical headwinds.

US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on Wednesday said Chinese cloud service providers such as Huawei Technologies and Alibaba Cloud could pose a threat to national security. She vowed to review a request to add these companies to an export control list.

As competition in China's cloud market heats up, the industry may see a price war similar to what the e-commerce sector is going through, according to Blue Lotus' Yang.

"When you lower the price, you are passing the ball to someone else," he said. "For example, if JD starts lowering prices, Alibaba will definitely have to follow."

While Alibaba still leads in the cloud market, followed by Huawei Technologies Co and Tencent Holdings, growth has been getting harder to come by.

The Alibaba Cloud booth at MWC Barcelona, the biggest trade show for the mobile industry, in February 2019. Photo: Bien Perez alt=The Alibaba Cloud booth at MWC Barcelona, the biggest trade show for the mobile industry, in February 2019. Photo: Bien Perez>

In the three months ended December 31, Alibaba Cloud posted a 3 per cent year-on-year revenue increase to 20.18 billion yuan (US$2.92 billion), marking its slowest quarterly growth last year. Sales growth reached 12 per cent in last year's March quarter and 10 per cent in the June quarter.

"Alibaba Cloud experienced a tough year in 2022, with quarter-to-quarter growth slowing after a strong 2021," analysts at research firm Canalys wrote in an article. "However, the contraction in revenue from internet-based customers, which form Alibaba's strongest business segment, is expected to diminish in 2023."

Zhang Chengyu, an analyst at research firm Analysys, said although the price cuts may put pressure on Alibaba Cloud's revenue in the short term, it may be a good competitive strategy in the long run.

"Companies will gradually follow up with price cuts to deal with this. In the process, cloud players with a relatively focused product line and a cost-leading strategy will be relatively more impacted," Zhang said.

Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Virtual Investor Conferences

Company invites individual and institutional investors, as well as advisors and analysts, to attend real-time, interactive presentations on VirtualInvestorConferences.com

CASA GRANDE, Ariz and TORONTO, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arizona Sonoran Copper Company Inc. (TSX:ASCU | OTCQX:ASCUF) (ASCU or the Company), an emerging copper developer on private land in Arizona, today announced that Nick Nikolakakis, VP Finance and CFO, will present live at VirtualInvestorConferences.com on May 4th, 2023.



DATE: May 4, 2023

TIME: 9:30 am ET

LINK: https://bit.ly/44jNv83

Available for Meetings: Friday May 5 and Monday May 8

This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

It is recommended that investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.

Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

Arizona Sonoran Copper Company Highlights

Clear path to developing its Cactus and Parks/Salyer Projects Water rights, surface rights with a streamlined and well-advanced permitting process

Past producing asset with significant in place infrastructure in tier 1 jurisdiction

Proposed Copper heap leach and SXEW operation on oxides and enriched material with exploration and primary sulphide upside

Well-known and experienced executive team: George Ogilvie, CEO (Rambler Metals, Kirkland Lake Gold, Battle North Gold) Nick Nikolakakis, CFO (Rainy River, Barrick, Battle North Gold) David Laing, Chairman (Equinox Gold, Endeavour Mining, True Gold, Chair of Fortuna Silver, Northern Dynasty, Blackrock Silver, Amarillo)

Well-funded (USD 25M) with a tight share structure (106M shares) and strong supporters



Quality Assurance / Quality Control

Drilling completed on the project between 2020 and 2022 was supervised by on-site ASCU personnel who prepared core samples for assay and implemented a full QA/QC program using blanks, standards, and duplicates to monitor analytical accuracy and precision. The samples were sealed on site and shipped to Skyline Laboratories in Tucson AZ for analysis. Skylines quality control system complies with global certifications for Quality ISO9001:2008.

Story continues

Technical aspects of this news release have been reviewed and verified by Allan Schappert  CPG #11758, who is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Neither the TSX nor the regulating authority has approved or disproved the information contained in this press release.

About Virtual Investor Conferences

Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

About Arizona Sonoran Copper Company (www.arizonasonoran.com | www.cactusmine.com)

ASCUs objective is to become a mid-tier copper producer with low operating costs and to develop the Cactus and Parks/Salyer Projects that could generate robust returns for investors and provide a long term sustainable and responsible operation for the community and all stakeholders. The Company's principal asset is a 100% interest in the Cactus Project (former ASARCO, Sacaton mine) which is situated on private land in an infrastructure-rich area of Arizona. Contiguous to the Cactus Project is the Companys 100%-owned Parks/Salyer deposit that could allow for a phased expansion of the Cactus Mine once it becomes a producing asset. The Company is led by an executive management team and Board which have a long-standing track record of successful project delivery in North America complemented by global capital markets expertise.

For more information

Arizona Sonoran Copper Company

Alison Dwoskin, Director, Investor Relations

647-233-4348

adwoskin@arizonasonoran.com

Virtual Investor Conferences, OTC Markets Group

John M. Viglotti, SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access

(212) 220-2221

Johnv@otcmarkets.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of ASCU to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect the outcome include, among others: future prices and the supply of metals; the results of drilling; inability to raise the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to retain and advance the properties; environmental liabilities (known and unknown); general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; results of exploration programs; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; political instability, terrorism, insurrection or war; or delays in obtaining governmental approvals, projected cash operating costs, failure to obtain regulatory or shareholder approvals.

Although ASCU has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and ASCU disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.




April 28 2023

ADP Architecture has expanded its wings with the acquisition of Ethos Design and Architecture (EDA), increasing the number of staff on the books at the employee-owned business to 140.

Significantly bolstering the practice's presence in Edinburgh and London the joint ticket will see both businesses unite behind projects such as Calderstone Resort, a hillside eco-hotel due to break ground in the coming weeks.

ADP chief executive Stephen Miles commented: Following a short period of collaboration, we are delighted to formally welcome Scott Lawrie and his EDA team to the ADP family.

"Our work together will add further commercial excellence to our joint offering, enabling us to expand further into the mixed-use residential, hospitality and infrastructure sectors. We are already progressing an established pipeline of exciting projects together, including major hotel and residential projects in Edinburgh and London.

EDA lead, Scott Lawrie added: We share many core aspirations and values around sustainability, design quality and purpose with ADP, which is also a certified B Corp, so it seemed a natural fit for us."

Founded over half a century ago ADP became an employee-owned practice back in 2017.

Photo by Malcolm Cochrane
(@FahadShabbir)

(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 28th Apr, 2023) DUBAI, 28th April, 2023 (WAM)  The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) is participating in the global celebration of World Immunisation Week, which has the theme "The Big Catch Up," by launching a vaccine awareness campaign in coordination with health authorities. The campaign, which is an annual event, will include educational activities, scientific seminars, and innovative awareness lectures aimed at highlighting the importance of vaccination, increasing demand for immunisation services, and emphasising the importance of completing vaccines and doses prescribed in the National Immunisation Programme.

World Immunisation Week is a global event that takes place from 24th to 30th April, emphasising the need for joint and integrated efforts to promote the use of vaccines and safeguard individuals of all ages from vaccine-preventable diseases.

The Ministry will focus on three key areas during World Immunisation Week's scientific and awareness activities. Firstly, raising awareness among community members about the importance of vaccinations for individuals of all ages as per the national immunisation schedules. Secondly, intensifying educational activities by disseminating awareness messages on the importance of receiving vaccines. Lastly, enhancing the capabilities of healthcare workers by educating them on the latest global vaccination recommendations.

Furthermore, the annual event aims to reduce the health, social, and economic burden caused by preventable diseases through upping vaccine coverage.

Dr. Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for the Public Health Sector, emphasised that the UAE is a world leader in vaccinations thanks to the National Immunisation Programme, which has become one of the most effective preventive programmes, and is now a model for others to follow.

Dr. Al Rand reaffirmed the Ministry's commitment to collaborating with health authorities to enhance awareness about the importance of vaccinations and their effectiveness in reducing infectious diseases targeted by vaccines.

We look forward to increasing vaccine coverage and improving public health in the community, while enhancing preventive awareness and commitment to it. This will support the National Immunisation Programme and help us raise vaccine coverage rates to 99% and above, according to the dates of the National Immunisation Programme, Al Rand, said, adding that vaccines are safe and secure and follow international best practices.

For her part, Dr. Nada Al Marzouqi, Director of the Department of Public Health and Prevention, stated that World Immunisation Week 2023 has strategic pillars aimed at intensifying awareness campaigns across various media and social communication channels.

The event also seeks to enhance coordination among health authorities and promote cooperation in conducting training workshops for health workers. These workshops will focus on discussing new developments and building confidence in the safety and efficacy of vaccines, as well as emphasising the significance of taking vaccines and completing the necessary doses to protect both individuals and the community.


(@FahadShabbir)

(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 28th Apr, 2023) ABU DHABI, 28th April, 2023 (WAM)  The UAE Banks Federation (UBF) recently held its annual general meeting, chaired by Abdulaziz Al Ghurair, the Chairman of the Federation. During the meeting, the members approved the minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 26th April 2022, along with the audited financial statements and the auditors' report for 2022. The board of Directors was absolved of any liabilities arising from their duties for the financial year ending 31st December 2022, and the auditors for 2023 were appointed.

The AGM approved the objectives and strategic plans for 2023 presented by the UAE Banks Federation Board of Directors, which aim to develop the banking sector and strengthen its position under the supervision of the Central Bank of the UAE. The plan includes Emiratisation, with the goal of employing 5,000 UAE nationals by 2026, and working with the Emirates Institute of Banking and Financial Studies (EIBFS) to design a training program to prepare future banking and financial sector leaders.

The Federation's initiatives in the past year were commended, particularly the national anti-fraud campaign, which helped to raise customer awareness and strengthen confidence in the banking and financial sector. The AGM also highlighted the valuable efforts of the Federation in advancing cybersecurity, increasing the level of security and protection of digital infrastructure, and providing banking services to support small and medium enterprises.

The participants praised the role of the UBF General Secretariat in strengthening cooperation with banking associations and federations in friendly countries, enabling dialogue and knowledge sharing.

They also commended the role of the General Secretariat in expanding membership by adding more regional, international, and digital banks operating in the country, contributing to increased cooperation among all banks and financial institutions under the Federation, which now has 58 members.

UBF Chairman Al Ghurair expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the Central Bank of the UAE for its continuous support to the Federation and guidance to its members, which enables the development of the banking sector, thereby consolidating the UAE's position among the world's major financial centres, characterised by high levels of transparency, compliance and governance standards.

He praised the close cooperation with strategic partners in ensuring the development of the sector in line with international regulations and the strategies of the UAE leadership. He stressed the importance of the Federation's achievements over the past year in facilitating cooperation, coordination and interaction with various parties, as well as the continuous efforts in adopting best practices and innovating advanced digital solutions in implementing the strategic vision of the leadership to make the UAE one of the most developed countries in embracing digital solutions.

Al Ghurair also thanked the Federation's member banks and advisory and technical committees for playing an essential role in sharing banking knowledge and expertise to enhance collaboration and develop innovative banking strategies and initiatives to ensure the banking sector's ability to continue its success.
Market Research Future

Aseptic Automatic Filling Machine Market Research Report: Information by Packaging Type (Ampoules, Vials, Syringes, Bags and Pouches, Bottles, Multi Packaging Type Machines), By Machine Type (Filling Machines and Cleaning And Sterilizing Machines), By Speed Range (Below 5000, 5000-15000 and Above 15000), And By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, And Rest Of The World) - Forecast Till 2030

New York (US), April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aseptic automatic filling machines Industry Overview

The MRFR study reports imply that the  Aseptic Automatic Filling Machines Market Research Report Information by Speed Range, Region, Machine Type, Packaging Type, and Application - Forecast Till 2030, the global Aseptic automatic filling machines market is predicted to bolter substantially during the review era from 2022 to 2030 at a substantial growth rate of around 6.3%. The reports further predict the market will acquire nearly USD 6.4064 billion by the end of 2030. As per the documents, the Aseptic automatic filling machines market was valued at nearly USD 3.70 billion in 2021.

Market Scope:

The global Aseptic automatic filling machines industry has lately demonstrated immense development. Drug innovation is the primary parameter causing a surge in the market's performance. Furthermore, there is understandably a lot of consumer skepticism across the globe, which is also considered to be one of the crucial parameters supporting market performance. Moreover, the upgradation & switch to advance aseptic automatic filling machines are also likely to enhance the development of the market over the assessment period.



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https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/11327



Competitive Analysis

The listing of the prominent leaders across the global market for Aseptic automatic filling machines includes players such as:

Adinath International

Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions

Groninger & Co. Gmbh

Bausch Advanced Technology Group

Saintyco

Maquinaria Industrial Dara, Sl

Syntegon Technology Gmbh

Barry-Wehmiller

Packaging Group Gmbh

John Bean Technologies Corporation

Lodha International Llp

Among others.





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Report Scope:

Report Attribute Details Market Size in 2030 USD 6.4064 billion CAGR 6.3% (2022-2030) Base Year 2021 Forecast Period 2018 & 2020 Historical Data 2020 Forecast Units Value (USD billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Packaging Type, Machine Type, Speed Range, and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW) Key Market Dynamics Consistent demand generation from the pharmaceutical sector is bolstering the market growth Upgradation and switch to advance aseptic filling machines reinforcing the demand in the market





Browse In-depth Market Research Report (120 Pages) on Aseptic Automatic Filling Machine:



https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/aseptic-automatic-filling-machine-market-11327



Market USP Covered

Market Drivers

The global Aseptic automatic filling machines industry has lately demonstrated immense development. Drug innovation is the primary parameter causing a surge in the market's performance. Furthermore, there is understandably a lot of consumer skepticism globally, which is also considered one of the crucial parameters supporting market performance. Moreover, the upgradation & switch to advance aseptic automatic filling machines are also likely to enhance the development of the market over the assessment period. Along with the reduced maintenance costs and increased machine uptime, there are several other reasons to upgrade your existing aseptic automatic filling machine, such as reduced waste, improved operating efficiencies, labor savings, availability and cost of spare parts, reduced set-up time, reduction of machine errors, and more agile production capabilities, which in turn are also likely to enhance the performance of the market over the coming years.

Market Restraints

On the contrary, some parameters may restrict the market's development. The main parameter limiting the market's development is the high costs associated.



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COVID-19 Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive impact on several industry areas worldwide. The Aseptic automatic filling machines market is no different than others. The market experienced a tremendous setback during the pandemic, given the halt of several industrial operations and manufacturing activities. However, with the world recovering from the impact caused by the global health hazard, the market is anticipated to grow considerably over the coming years.

Segment Analysis

Among all the packaging types, the Multi Packaging Type Machines packaging type segment secured the top spot across the global market for Aseptic Automatic Filling Machines in 2021, with the largest contribution of around 46%. These kinds of machines are highly automated and technology-driven.

Among all the machine types, the Filling Machines machine type segment held the leading position across the global market for Aseptic Automatic Filling Machines in 2021. The main parameter supporting the development of the segment is the wide range of applications in companies and industries. There are various variants of filling machines used to perform different tasks in end-use industries such as healthcare and pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, the option of a filling machine depends on various factors such as the size & shape of the product, environmental considerations, chemical compatibility, and viscosity, which is also likely to boost the segment's performance over the coming years.

Among all the speed ranges, the below 5000 segments held the leading position across the global market for Aseptic Automatic Filling Machines in 2021. The main parameter supporting the development of the segment is the range of filling capacity usually utilized for lower-speed applications.

Regional Analysis

The global market for Aseptic automatic filling machines is studied across five major parts: Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, and Middle & Africa.

The research reports by MRFR suggest that the Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to hold the top position across the global Aseptic automatic filling machines industry by thriving at a healthy growth rate of around 7.4%, given mainly to the growing demand for automatic filling devices capable of filling material quickly while preserving accuracy, weight, and volume in containers. Furthermore, the growing consumer awareness of safe and sterile products is also likely to enhance the performance of the market over the assessment period.

The European regional market for Aseptic Automatic Filling Machines is likely to grow substantially over the coming years, given the increased output rate, flexibility, and higher operability. Furthermore, the growing concern about health in the countries across the region is also likely to boost the regional market's growth over the coming years.



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The North American Regional Aseptic Automatic Filling Machines market is predicted to showcase a considerable CAGR of 4.8% during the assessment period. The regional market's growth is ascribed to factors such as adaptation of advanced machinery and the need for supply chain integration.

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Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis with regard to diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions.

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Tokyo, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Apr, 2023 ) :Sony reported record full-year sales of 11.5 trillion Yen on Friday, attributing the "significant" increase to growth in the gaming, music, film and image-sensor sectors.

The revenue figure was the largest ever for the Japanese conglomerate, beating the last financial year's record of 9.9 trillion yen ($73 billion).

A weaker yen and strong gaming hardware sales helped boost sales, along with "higher revenues for anime streaming services", including from the acquisition of Japanese cartoon streaming giant Crunchyroll, Sony said.

The company's net profit for the year to March was 937.1 billion yen, up 6.2 percent year on year and beating a forecast of 870 billion.

For the current financial year, which began in April, Sony predicts a lower net profit of 840 billion yen, partly for technical reasons related to tax expenses.

It expects to maintain annual sales at 11.5 trillion yen.

Hideki Yasuda of Toyo Securities said the first half of 2023-24 "will likely be a tough one for Sony".

"The shipping of PCs and other IT equipment declined in the January-March quarter due to macroeconomic factors, meaning the slowing down of economies," he told AFP.

Even so, the impact of such trends would usually emerge later for a consumer goods company like Sony, he added.

Yasuda said no big changes were expected under the company's new president Hiroki Totoki, who took the helm on April 1, because he was previously a "key member of the management" as chief financial officer.
(@FahadShabbir)

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday said that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has established one of the largest visa centers in Karachi to issue work visas and provide consular services to employees, who apply for jobs in the UAE

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Apr, 2023 ):Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday said that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has established one of the largest visa centers in Karachi to issue work visas and provide consular services to employees, who apply for jobs in the UAE.

The Consul General of UAE in Karachi Bakheet Ateeq Al-Remeithi took the Chief Minister round of different sections of the visa center and briefed him about their services.

The CM was accompanied by Provincial Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Shah.

The CM was told that the visa Center has been authorized to issue work visas. At this, the CM said that the people of Sindh and Balochistan would be facilitated at the center if they got employment opportunities in the UAE.

"I believe it would not be an exaggeration to say this Center is the window of employment in the UAE.' The CM was told that the attestation facilities were being provided on a daily basis at the visa center apart from providing consular services to the employees, who apply for jobs in UAE.

"This Visa Center assists the expatriate documents process quite smoothly and checks it thoroughly to avoid any glitch or error in the documentation," the Consul General Bakheet told the CM.

The Chief Minister thanked UAE government for facilitating the people of Sindh and Balochistan by establishing such a state-of-the-art, resourceful, and one-widow facility Center in Karachi.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th April, 2023) An EU mission to Moldova is unlikely to contribute to the stabilization of the situation in the country and the region, taking into account confrontation with Russia, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.

Last week, Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU said that the EU Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) had approved the creation of a European Union Partnership Mission in Moldova. On Monday, the foreign ministers of the European Union announced that a security mission will be sent to Moldova, adding that it will have a two year mandate and the headquarters will be in Moldova.

"Given the radically changed nature of the EU, which has transformed into a geopolitical instrument of the United States and NATO, taking open confrontational actions against Russia, it is unlikely that a new presence in Moldova will help stabilize the situation in the country and the adjacent region.

Therefore, it should be treated accordingly," Zakharova said in a statement.

The European Union is increasingly trying to gain a foothold in the ex-Soviet states through its presence on ground, the diplomat said, adding that the partner nature of the new mission is "cunning," as the mission is unfolding according to the EU security and defense policies.

The EU mission will actually carry out external management of Moldova, she said.
(@FahadShabbir)

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th April, 2023) European multinational developer and manufacturer of missiles MBDA said on Friday that it had signed a 1.9 billion Pounds ($2.367 billion) contract with the Polish side on the supply of CAMM missiles and iLaunchers as part of Poland's air defense modernization.

"MBDA has been contracted by the Polish Armament Agency to supply CAMM missiles and iLaunchers for Poland's PILICA+ air defence upgrade programme. In total, MBDA will provide missiles and missile launchers valued at 1.

9 billion pounds to support Poland's modernisation and manufacture of a total of 22 PILICA+ air defence batteries - making it the largest European short-range air defence acquisition programme in NATO," the company said in a statement.

PILICA+ is a triple-layer system consisting of CAMM radar-guided short-range missiles, Polish-made autocannons, and very-short range infrared-guided missiles, the statement noted, adding that PILICA+ will be controlled by the Polish command and control system and guided by Polish radars.
CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th April, 2023) The Moldovan Foreign Ministry said on Friday that it will summon Russian Ambassador in Chisinau Oleg Vasnetsov over the statements made by Russian officials.

The Moldovan authorities have recently compiled a list of officials from Russia who are banned from entering the republic. Earlier in the day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the current leadership of Moldova seeks to drift towards Russophobia, which does not quite correlate with the public sentiment in this country.

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev commented the ban by saying that no one is planning to visit the country, as such country does not exist anymore.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will not comment on the absolutely unacceptable wording of statements made by some Russian officials today, but we emphasize the fact that the Russian Ambassador to Moldova, Oleg Vasnetsov, will be summoned to the ministry to provide an explanation about statements directed against our country," the ministry said on Telegram.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

NEW DELHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th April, 2023) Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Chinese counterpart, Li Shangfu, held talks on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) defense ministers' meeting in New Delhi on Friday to discuss issues of mutual interest, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

The negotiations between the Russian and Chinese defense ministers were not planned in advance, as follows from the protocol of the event.

In addition, Shoigu and Li briefly exchanged views on a number of pressing issues before the start of the SCO ministerial meeting and between its sessions.

On April 18, the Chinese defense chief paid a visit to Moscow, where he had a meeting with Shoigu. Following the negotiations, the Chinese Defense Ministry said Li's trip to Russia demonstrated the deepening of mutual trust and partnership between the countries' armed forces.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th April, 2023) Two US AH-64 Apache military helicopters crashed in Alaska on Thursday during a training flight, the 11th Airborne Division said.

"Two AH-64 Apache helicopters from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, at Fort Wainwright crashed today near Healy, Alaska, returning from a training flight," the military said on Twitter.

The military added that the first responders already arrived on the scene, and the incident is being investigated.

There is no immediate information on casualties.
VIENNA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th April, 2023) The final steps in the negotiations to resume the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) can be taken without preconditions, the US needs to have the will and strength to complete these talks, Permanent Representative of Iran to International Organizations in Vienna Mohsen Naziri Asl said in an interview with Sputnik.

"Without any preconditions and through the good will and determination of all parties, and within the framework of the negotiations held until now, the final steps of the talks can be taken. The U.S. needs to have the will and strength to conclude the lengthy talks. Iran continuously expressed its readiness to continue negotiations until the conclusion of the agreement," the diplomat said.
Yerevan has proposed expanding the European Union Mission in Armenia on the border with Azerbaijan, Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan said on Friday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th April, 2023) Yerevan has proposed expanding the European Union Mission in Armenia on the border with Azerbaijan, Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan said on Friday.

On February 20, the EU announced the start of its civil mission on the Armenian side of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The mission was officially established by the decision of the EU Council on January 23 at Yerevan's request after an escalation on the border. The declared purpose of the mission is to promote stability in the border regions of Armenia and to facilitate normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The total number of the mission's exclusively civilian personnel is about 100, including around 50 unarmed observers.

"We are proposing all our partners to increase both the number of personnel and other capacities, in order for the observers to be able to carry out monitoring more properly," Grigoryan told reporters, adding that the current number of observers is not enough to monitor the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Grigoryan also announced the holding of Armenian-Azerbaijani talks "in the near future", but did not specify the place, date and format of the meeting.

The decades-long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh flared up again in September 2020, marking the worst escalation since the 1990s. Hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered trilateral declaration of ceasefire signed in November 2020. The two former Soviet countries agreed to the deployment of Russian peacekeepers in the region. Occasional clashes have since occurred on the border.
HCD Doctoral Students and Faculty Present at the 2023 Academy of Human Resource Development Conference

Fri, 04/28/2023 - 08:44am | By: Dena Temple

USM School of Leadership graduate students attend the AHRD Conference in Minneapolis, Minn. Front row, L-R: Dr. Cory Wicker, Melba Kennedy, Abiodun Ajayi, Cherri Wells, Tammy Rutland, Melissa Wheat, Suzette Jung, Dr. Heather Annulis, Dr. Bee Barhate, Shalither Cushenberry. Back row, L-R: Dr. Quincy Brown, Peter Kalejaiye, Michael Gray, Paige Jones, Ariel Triggs, Dr. Casey Maugh Funderburk, Jan Sims, Ronald Collins, Roosevelt Morgan, Jr., Dr. Brian Sadjak, Steven Mulhollen.

Doctoral students and faculty from the School of Leadership at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) recently presented at the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) International Research Conference in the Americas in Minneapolis, Minn.

The AHRD is the premier academic home for human capital development scholars. USM was well represented with four faculty and 16 Human Capital Development Ph.D. students in attendance. Nine peer-reviewed papers and posters were presented with topics ranging from psychological safety in the workplace, inclusive leadership, competency development, emotional intelligence, and workplace resilience, among others.

The broad range of life experiences and research interests was evident in the diverse topics covered by the scholarly presentations, noted Dr. Heather Annulis, Director of the School of Leadership and one of the conference presenters. Our students did a stellar job, and their efforts contribute to USMs excellent research reputation. USM offers one of the top Human Capital Development programs in the country, which propels our students to success, both here in Mississippi and beyond.

Faculty from the School of Leadership also participated at AHRD in various capacities. Dr. Bhagyashree Barhate served as Associate Proceedings Editor for the Conference. Dr. Hamett Quincy Brown served as Chair of the Research Colloquium, a pre-conference event where students from Human Resource Development graduate programs across the country gathered to learn about and discuss the creation of original research.

More than 60 students from 11 universities attended the Colloquium. In addition, Dr. Cory Wicker, a Southern Miss HCD Ph.D. alumnus, serves as a current board member of AHRD.

Some of the papers presented at the conference:

Drs. Casey Maugh Funderburk and Bradley Winton, members of the USM School of Leadership faculty, presented Blue Economies, Resilience, and Faith-based Communities: Examining the Impact of Collectivism and Emotional Intelligence on Workplace Resilience.

Ph.D. candidate Ronald Collins presented African American Men in Corporate America: A Strengths-Based Analysis.

Dr. Bhagyashree Barhate presented Human Resource Undergraduates as Mobile Learners.

Ph.D. candidate Steven Mulhollen presented Examining the Career Path of Certified Public Accountants in Auditing and Tax Services: Perceptions of Accounting Graduates Competencies.

Ph.D. candidate Suzette Jung presented Data Skills in Demand for Human Resource/People Analysts in 2023: Implications for Job Seekers and Training Professionals.

Staying Power: The Effect of Inclusive Leadership, Psychological Safety, and Job Embeddedness on the Intent to Search and the Intent to Turnover was presented by Ph.D. candidate Jan Sims and Dr. Heather Annulis.

Perceived Employability of Indias Management Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic was presented by Dr. Bhagyashree Barhate.

Ph.D. candidate Michael Gray and Dr. Bhagyashree Barhate presented Factors Affecting the Use and Acceptance of Information and Communication Technologies by University Teachers: A Case of Mano River Union States.

The School of Leadership is housed within the College of Business and Economic Development at The University of Southern Mississippi and operates on the Coastal USM campus in Long Beach, Mississippi. Its undergraduate degree programs include Accounting, Applied Technology, Business Administration, Industrial Engineering Technology, Industrial Engineering Technology (Logistics), Management, and Marketing. Graduate programs include Human Capital Development, Human Capital Development (Instructional Technology and Design), Instructional Technology and Design, and Logistics, Trade and Transportation. To learn more about these degree programs, visit the School of Leadership website or send an email.
Associated British Foods plc (LON:ABF) has announced that it will be increasing its periodic dividend on the 7th of July to 0.142, which will be 2.9% higher than last year's comparable payment amount of 0.138. Based on this payment, the dividend yield for the company will be 2.3%, which is fairly typical for the industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Associated British Foods

Associated British Foods' Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions

We like to see a healthy dividend yield, but that is only helpful to us if the payment can continue. Based on the last payment, Associated British Foods' earnings were much higher than the dividend, but it wasn't converting those earnings into cash flow. No cash flows could definitely make returning cash to shareholders difficult, or at least mean the balance sheet will come under pressure.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 74.2% over the next year. If the dividend continues on this path, the payout ratio could be 25% by next year, which we think can be pretty sustainable going forward.

Dividend Volatility

The company's dividend history has been marked by instability, with at least one cut in the last 10 years. The dividend has gone from an annual total of 0.285 in 2013 to the most recent total annual payment of 0.437. This implies that the company grew its distributions at a yearly rate of about 4.4% over that duration. The dividend has seen some fluctuations in the past, so even though the dividend was raised this year, we should remember that it has been cut in the past.

Dividend Growth Is Doubtful

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. Associated British Foods has seen earnings per share falling at 6.0% per year over the last five years. If earnings continue declining, the company may have to make the difficult choice of reducing the dividend or even stopping it completely - the opposite of dividend growth. Earnings are predicted to grow over the next year, but we would remain cautious until a track record of earnings growth is established.

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Associated British Foods' Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable

Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think Associated British Foods will make a great income stock. While the low payout ratio is a redeeming feature, this is offset by the minimal cash to cover the payments. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for Associated British Foods that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. Is Associated British Foods not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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New USM Student Government Leaders Transition into Office at Hattiesburg Campus

Fri, 04/28/2023 - 11:48am | By: David Tisdale

The transition is underway in the Student Government Association (SGA) at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) on its Hattiesburg campus, as its new executive officers officially take over for 2023-2024, led by SGA President Jonathan Jenkins.

Jenkins, a senior business management major from Picayune, Mississippi, says its an honor to be selected by his fellow students in elections held earlier this semester to lead the SGA. At USM, he is a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, Student Alumni Association, Order of Omega Honor Society, and is a past president of the Interfraternity Council (IFC).

USMs new Student Government Association executive officers for 2023-2024 include, from left: Courtney Francois, vice president of judicial affairs; Jacob Gardner, vice president of finances and administration; Jonathan Jenkins, president, Zack Wallace, vice president of communications; Aly Gonzales, senior vice president; Alex Westcott, chief of staff (USM photo)

I was motivated by my love for Southern Miss and my passion for serving the study body, and I wanted to be a part of some of the great things that are happening on campus, Jenkins said of his motivation to pursue the position.

Jenkins main duties as SGA President include overseeing the operations of the executive board and assisting with the operations of the other branches of SGA and representing USM students to the University leadership team and on the IHL Student Body Presidents Council. Joining him in service as an SGA executive officer include the following, all of whom were sworn in during the Student Awards Day ceremony on USM Founders Day:

*Senior Vice-President Aly Gonzalez, a junior sociology and political science double major and nonprofit studies minor and DEI certification from Virginia Beach, Virginia. Gonzales is a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority, the Sexuality and Gender Equity Club, the Vietnamese Student Association, and is a Sexual Assault Prevention ambassador.

*Vice President of Judicial Affairs Courtney Francois, a senior mathematics and music double major from Jackson, Mississippi. Francois is a member of the Wesley Foundation, Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity - Kappa Epsilon Chapter, Honors College Leadership Council - E.D.I.T. Committee, USM Symphony Orchestra, and the Kappa Mu Epsilon - MS Gamma Chapter.

*Vice President of Finance and Administration Jacob Gardner, a junior mathematics and Major from Star, Mississippi. Gardner is a Luckyday Scholar and a member of Honors Keystone, Delta Tau Delta fraternity, Student Veterans of America, the Cross Scholars math research program, Order of Omega honor society, and Kappa Mu Epsilon mathematics honor society.

*Vice President of Communications Zack Wallace, a junior polymer science and engineering major and chemistry minor from Jackson, Mississippi. Wallace is a student in the Honors College and a member of Men of Excellence, EagleTHON, and the Polymer Science Association.

*Chief of Staff Alex Westcott, a junior criminal justice and psychology double major with a minor in sociology from Thibodaux, Louisiana. Westcott is a senior resident assistant in the USM Department of Housing and Residence Life, director of Freshman Associates and Cabinet Operations, an SGA First Year Mentor, a member of the Honors College Leadership Council, vice president of service for the National Residence Hall Honorary, a member of Delta Gamma sorority, the Criminal Justice Student Association, 10/08 Tutoring Program, Psi Chi, and the Psychology Club.

The SGA plays an important role in promoting a positive and productive campus environment, Jenkins said, and can contribute to the overall success of the university through its representation of students as a liaison between them and University administration, ensuring their voices are heard and needs addressed.

I want to find every way that the SGA can improve the student experience, and I want to work with university partners and other student organizations to make those things happen, Jenkins further noted, when asked about his own goals for his tenure in office. I also would like to see more involvement regarding SGA elections and other SGA-related activities.

Learn more about the USM SGA by visiting their website.
UW Names Executive Director of New Neltje Center for the Arts

Beth Venn

An arts leader, curator and writer with expertise in American modernism and contemporary arts and culture has been chosen to lead the University of Wyomings new center for the arts and humanities.

Beth Venn will begin her work as executive director of UWs Neltje Center for Excellence in Creativity and the Arts June 1. Most recently, she served as the founding executive director of KinoSaito, a multidisciplinary art center and artist residency program in the lower Hudson Valley, N.Y.

The Neltje Center is poised to contribute to and advance the arts and creative economy in Wyoming and beyond, UW President Ed Seidel says. Beths deep and wide experiences in the arts are just what UW needs to enhance its contributions to the arts through the Neltje Center.

UWs new center is named after Neltje, a renowned painter and philanthropist who, in 2001, founded the Jentel Artist Residency Program, located in Sheridan County near the Big Horn Mountains. Neltje, who died in 2021, bequeathed a major estate gift to UW. The Neltje Center is an initiative within UWs College of Arts and Sciences engaged in instruction, creative activity, research, collaboration and related service.

We are so pleased to have Beth Venn join us in this new position. She brings a wealth of experience and ideas needed to bring the Neltje Center to the next level, says Scott Turpen, the interim dean of UWs College of Arts and Sciences. Beth has a deep understanding of working closely with communities and will be a real asset to the arts and humanities in Wyoming.

The Neltje Center provides a platform to link higher education with the arts and humanities in one of the most scenic locations in the country.

I am thrilled to lead this new initiative that will expand creative opportunities for students and faculty, build strong partnerships across communities and disciplines, and advance Neltjes legacy of providing time and space for artists of all types to thrive, Venn says. The potential of the Neltje Center to foster a robust creative ecosystem is great, and I look forward to ensuring its success.

Venns career also includes service as a senior curator at the Newark Museum of Art, and she has held curatorial positions at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She has consulted for museums, performing art centers and public libraries on strategic planning and program development, and she advises community-based arts nonprofit organizations.

A native of northern Illinois, Venn received her bachelors degree in art history at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. After relocating to the Northeast, she completed a masters degree in art history at the University of Delaware in Newark, Del. She has lived and worked in the New York City region for the past 25 years.

While Venn starts her work at UW June 1, she will be in Sheridan Saturday, May 20, for a public event and reading featuring poet and essayist Gretel Ehrlich.
Most financial experts think that the market wont be able to keep going up for long this year. Against a backdrop of a looming recession, most financial commentators are talking up the prospect of more uncertainty ahead.

But not everyone. In fact, the strategy team at Bank of America believes there are plenty of reasons for owning stocks right now. Market sentiment is resolutely bearish, and a recession is practically accepted by everyone  both offering a chance for a contrarian take. And theres trillions in dry powder waiting to enter the market, while theres also the prospect of the Fed taking a step back from its rate-hiking activities.

BofA also has an idea where the best opportunities are right now. In what feels like a conviction-less market, we have high conviction in upside risk cyclical sectors within the S&P 500 this quarter, said team leader Savita Subramanian.

So, lets take a look at a couple of names that fit such a description. We opened the TipRanks database and got the lowdown on two stocks that share a particular set of attributes: cyclical stocks by nature, part of the S&P 500, and both boasting a Strong Buy consensus rating. Here are the details.

Constellation Brands (STZ)

Well start with Constellation Brands, a giant of the consumer-packaged goods segment. The alcoholic beverage leader oversees a drinks portfolio with many household names amongst the 100+ brands. From Corona, Modelo Especial and Negra Modelo on the imported beers list to spirits including Svedka vodka, High West Whiskey and Casa Noble Tequila to a wine collection including Robert Mondavi, the Prisoner Wine Company and Ruffino. Aside from being the U.S.s biggest beer importer by sales, Constellation also boasts of cannabis and healthcare investments.

Investors seemed sanguine about the companys latest financial statement, for F4Q23, despite the report not hitting all the right notes. Revenue hit $2 billion, coming in $20 million below expectations although the company highlighted the beer businesss outperformance which showed depletion growth of over 6% with Modelo Especial and Corona Extra leading the way. At the other end of the scale, EPS of $1.98 fared better than the $1.84 forecast.

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For the year ahead, the company sees EPS hitting the range between $11.70-$12.00, at the midpoint above consensus at $11.80. Constellation also announced that the quarterly dividend would rise by 11.3% to $0.89 from $0.80 per share. The payout currently yields 1.43%.

Assessing Constellations prospects, RBC analyst Nik Modi thinks the latest financial results should go some way toward assuaging prior worries.

This quarters performance and guidance should ease some investor concerns regarding the underlying health of Constellations beer business, the 5-star analyst writes. Better-than-expected depletions (despite the poor weather in CA) and initial FY24 guidance that was in line with managements previous commentary should also give the bulls something to be encouraged by Mgmt. called out STZ has been doing extremely well in shelf reset situations with their portfolio representing more than 80% of the growth in beer. Distribution gains (on and off premise) should support STZ growth in markets once weather trends normalize.

Accordingly, Modi rates STZ shares an Outperform (i.e., Buy), while his $295 price target implies 29% upside potential from current levels. (To watch Modis track record, click here)

Most on the Street agree with Modis thesis. The stock garners a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 13 Buys vs. 3 Holds. (See STZ stock forecast)

PG&E Corporation (PCG)

Lets continue with a big name in the utilities space. PCG is the holding company behind Pacific Gas & Electric Company, an electric and gas utility offering services to 16 million people across Northern California. Specializing in energy, utility, power, gas, electricity, solar and sustainability, Pacific Gas & Electric has 5.5 million electric customer accounts and 4.5 million gas customer accounts under its belt. With a workforce numbering roughly ~26,000 employees, it is one of the biggest utility names in the US.

That said, the company comes with a loaded history and was forced to go bankrupt in January 2019 following devastating wildfires caused by its equipment. Since then, the company has improved its safety measures, undergone leadership changes, and committed to investing in infrastructure to prevent future disasters.

Last month the company submitted to Californias Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety its new WildfireMitigation Plan, whereby it intends on spending $18 billion in wildfire prevention through 2025.

Its the concerted efforts to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past which forms part of Ladenburg Thalmann analyst Paul Fremonts thesis.

Following the completion of the companys plan to underground 10,000 miles of its distribution lines, we believe the company will have effectively eliminated its exposure to wildfires, the analyst explained. Meanwhile, California has set aside a $20 billion wildfire fund to pay for near term fire exposure. Additionally, the current level of rate base investment supports our forecast of 10% EPS growth through 2025 which is among the highest in the utility sector.

To this end, Fremont rates PCG shares a Buy, while his $20.50 price target suggests the shares will climb 20% higher in the year ahead. (To watch Fremonts track record, click here)

Elsewhere on the Street, the stock garners an additional 5 Buys and one Hold, all coalescing to a Strong Buy consensus rating. (See PCG stock forecast)

To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.
The Biden administration is sanctioning Russias Federal Security Service and Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence organization for unjustly detaining Americans. Ukraines Prime Minister asks Pope Francis to help facilitate the return of Ukrainian children forcibly taken to Russia. A look at how movie theaters are recovering, post-pandemic
BBC Chairman Richard Sharp resigned on Friday after an

independent report found he had breached public appointment rules by not disclosing potential conflict of interest in his role in securing a $1 million loan for the then-prime minister, Boris Johnson.

His exit comes at a time of heightened political scrutiny of the British public broadcaster. A high-profile dispute with highly paid presenter Gary Lineker over neutrality dominated headlines in Britain last month.

Sharp, a former Goldman Sachs banker who became BBC chairman in 2021, had been under pressure since February when a committee of lawmakers said he had made "significant errors of judgement" in failing to declare his involvement in the loan.

Sharp said he had agreed to stay on until the end of June to give the government time to find a successor to lead the broadcaster, funded by a license fee paid by TV-watching households.

The investigation, initiated by the public appointments watchdog, examine dthe way in which Sharp was selected by the government to chair the corporation in 2021.

Specifically, it looked at whether Sharp fully disclosed details of his role in facilitating a $1 million loan for Johnson before he was named chairman.

The report found that, while he had breached the government's code for public appointments, that breach did not necessarily invalidate his appointment. Sharp said he believed the breach had been "inadvertent and not material."

But he also said staying until the end of his four-year term would be a distraction from the broadcaster's "good work."

"I have decided that it is right to prioritize the interests of the BBC," Sharp said in a statement. "I have therefore, this morning, resigned as the BBC chair."

The opposition Labour Party's culture spokeswoman, Lucy Powell, said the breach had "caused untold damage to the reputation of the BBC and seriously undermined its independence as a result of the Conservatives sleaze and cronyism."

The report mentions Johnson's Downing Street office as having recommended Sharp as "a strong candidate" for the role, which attracted 23 applications.

Sharp has maintained he was not involved in making the loan or in arranging a guarantee or any financing, and that he did no more than seek to introduce Canadian businessman Sam Blyth to a government official in late 2020.

Andrew Heppinstall, who carried out the inquiry, said he was "happy to record" that he had seen no evidence of Sharp having any role in Johnson's private financial affairs aside from the attempted introduction.
Taiwans Defense Ministry said Friday 38 Chinese fighter jets and one TB-001 drone aircraft have circled the island.

Nineteen of the aircraft flew across the midline that separates the island of Taiwan from mainland China, according to the ministry.

The TB-001 is one of Chinas largest drones.

The display of Chinas aircraft might be one of the largest it has mounted.

Chinas aircraft displays are widely thought to be Chinas way of attempting to intimidate Taiwan.

In April, China launched a large aircraft display following Taiwan President Tasi Ing-wen's meeting with U. S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

China opposes any official government meetings with Taiwan.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war ended with the Communist Party in charge of the mainland. Taiwan has never been part of the Peoples Republic of China, but China is determined that the self-ruled island will be made part of the country, by force, if necessary.

Information for this report was provided by the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.
Editor's Note: The 14th paragraph of this article has been updated to include a response from the Chinese embassy in Washington, which came after publication.

After days of speculation about the whereabouts of a Taiwan-based book publisher, Beijing revealed that authorities arrested the China critic for allegedly "endangering national security."

Shanghai security officers arrested Li Yanhe, a book publisher and radio host for the Taiwanese public broadcaster Radio Taiwan International, while he was visiting relatives in the city.

Li traveled to China last month. Reports that he was missing emerged about a week ago.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office announced Li's arrest at a Wednesday news conference, when spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said Li was under investigation for "conducting activities endangering national security."

Zhu added that Li's rights would be respected during the investigation.

Books critical of Beijing

Li, who uses the pen name Fucha, was born in China but moved to Taiwan in 2009. In Taiwan, he established Gusa Press, which has published books critical of Beijing.

The publisher also hosts the show "Seeing China This Way  Time with Fucha" on Radio Taiwan International, where he discusses Chinese politics.

The free-expression group PEN America urged China to immediately release Li.

"His detention is an attack on free expression and another example of the Chinese government's belligerence towards anyone who stands for the free and open exchange of ideas," PEN America China researcher Angeli Datt said in a statement.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, a press freedom group, also urged China to drop the charges against the publisher.

"Chinese authorities must stop pinning national security charges on both foreign and local journalists," Iris Hsu, CPJ's China representative, said in a statement.

Publishers a common target

Beijing has targeted book publishers in the past.

In 2015, Chinese officials secretly detained five Hong Kong booksellers over their involvement with a publisher of books that were critical of President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party.

In an email sent after publication, Liu Pengyu, the spokesperson of China's Washington embassy, referred VOA to the statement from China's Taiwan Affairs Office about Li's case.

"China is a law-based country where laws must be observed and those who violate the law must be held accountable," the spokesperson said, adding that the "case concerned will be handled in accordance with the law and the lawful rights and interests of the people concerned will be protected accordingly."

Li is the latest in a recent slate of Taiwan-linked critics to be targeted.

Earlier this week, Chinese authorities said they had completed an investigation into Yang Chih-yuan, a Taiwanese man, and arrested him on accusations of "separatist activities," according to The New York Times. Yang is the vice chairman of the Taiwanese National Party, a small party that promotes Taiwanese independence.

Zhu, the spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said that Yang's case was "a further wake-up call for Taiwanese separatist forces."

Also this month, two Taiwan-based reporters for Taiwan's EBC News were detained by Chinese authorities while filming military exercises in China's Fujian province, according to the BBC.

On the same day Beijing announced Li's arrest, China's parliament passed sweeping amendments to broaden its anti-espionage laws, which will likely make it easier to charge foreigners with espionage, The Guardian reported. The changes are set to go into effect July 1.

The details of the amendments are murky, which is concerning but not surprising to Doreen Weisenhaus, director of the Media Law and Policy Initiative at Northwestern University. She thinks the amendments could be used to target foreign reporters.

"It's very hard for journalists and businesses to know what might trip them up with these new laws," Weisenhaus told VOA. But that's by design, she added.

"That's a standard for Chinese laws and statutes  that they are vague," Weisenhaus said. "They're vague intentionally to give them the maximum flexibility on how and when they're going to utilize them."

Beijing has long used espionage and national security charges as a pretext to target foreigners.

Among them is Cheng Lei, an Australian national who worked as an anchor at the Chinese state-run TV channel CGTN in Beijing. Cheng has been detained since 2020 on espionage charges.

Earlier this week, it was reported that a veteran Chinese journalist who worked at the state-affiliated Guangming Daily newspaper was detained on espionage charges in February after meeting with a Japanese diplomat.
Millions of Sudanese face acute hunger, increased health risks, and death from recoverable injuries because United Nations agencies have been forced to suspend their lifesaving activities in Sudan, where fighting has made it too dangerous for them to operate.

Sudan and its neighbors had suffered decades of deprivation, hardship and conflict. Before fighting broke out between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Response Forces two weeks ago, Sudan already hosted more than 4 million forcibly displaced people.

Heavy fighting and insecurity have driven tens of thousands to flee in search of safety and protection, with many people scattered throughout the country and in neighboring states.

"It is very, very worrying," said Axel Bisschop, U.N. refugee agency representative in Sudan. "It has already caused a devastating impact on the population, including refugees and all displaced people who already are on the margins of society."

Bisschop said some areas are worse off than others and the UNHCR has had to temporarily pause most aid programs in Khartoum, the Darfurs, and North Kordofan because of dangers to its staff.

"The biggest challenge we have is Darfur" because it has already faced significant intercommunal conflict and displacement, he said, speaking by phone from Port Sudan.

"Now with this added crisis, the situation will be very, very difficult," he said. "We also are concerned that intercommunal violence is going to increase and that we might have some situations, which will repeat in relation to what we had a couple of years ago."

That is a reference to tribal clashes that erupted in Sudan's West Darfur in April 2021. The U.N. office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs, OCHA, said that violence killed 56 people, injured scores of others, and sent thousands fleeing for their lives into neighboring Chad.

Given the constraints on its ability to assist the many people in desperate need, Bisschop said the UNHCR was working closely with the World Food Program, UNICEF and other U.N. and non-governmental agencies to provide basic aid, especially for the newly displaced.

WFP suspends operations

While the will is there, the ability to operate under present conditions remains extremely limited.

The WFP said security concerns have forced it to temporarily suspend its humanitarian operations in Sudan, where one third of the population  around 15 million people  face hunger.

Before the eruption of violence, the WFP had planned to assist 7.6 million Sudanese this year. But those plans have been shelved because the environment is too insecure.

The Sudanese Ministry of Health says 512 people have been killed, a figure U.N. agencies believe is grossly underestimated. The World Health Organization has also verified 25 attacks on health care facilities causing the death of eight people and injuring 18 others.

Brenda Kariuki, the WFP senior regional communication officer in Eastern Africa, said humanitarian operations in the country were virtually impossible, given the intensity of the fighting in many parts of the country.

"As the fighting rages on in parts of Sudanat a time when a third of the country is in desperate need of assistance," she said, "we are hearing of acute shortages of food, water, fuel, medicines and access to health care. With this crisis, we are afraid that millions more will plunge into hunger."

Thousands flee

Thousands of Sudanese and South Sudanese refugees have fled to neighboring countries to escape the escalating violence in Sudan.

The United Nations reports some 20,000 people have fled to Chad and at least 4,000 South Sudanese refugees have arrived in five northern states bordering Sudan in hopes of returning to their homes of origin.

The WFP said those numbers are expected to increase as the crisis escalates. It warns that the consequences, which will be severe and long term, already are being felt.

The agency says that the cost of a food basket already has risen by up to 28 percent across South Sudan's northern border states since the outbreak of fighting and that "this will further push people into hunger and increase needs in South Sudan."

Kariuki adds the WFP will be unable to provide aid to needy people inside Sudan while the current situation of insecurity persists.

"WFP's staff, offices and vehicles and equipment and food stocks have come in the direct line of fire and looting of our warehouses continues," she said. "To date, we know up to 4,000 metric tons of food meant for vulnerable people has been looted from our warehouses and at least 10 vehicles and six trucks, which transport food, have been stolen."

She calls that unacceptable "as it takes away humanitarian aid meant for the most vulnerable Sudanese and refugees who desperately need this lifesaving food."

Children deprived of aid

Among those who will be deprived of essential aid, she said, are the hundreds of thousands of refugees sheltering in Sudan, schoolchildren who will miss their daily meal, malnourished infants, many at risk of dying without treatment, and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.

U.N. agencies are appealing to the warring parties to take immediate steps to stop the fighting and enable humanitarian workers to safely carry out their lifesaving operations.
With the looming expiration next month of the pandemic-era Title 42 restriction on immigration into the United States along its southern border, the FBI is bracing for the fallout from an influx of border crossings.

The FBI processes DNA samples collected from migrants detained at the U.S.-Mexico border. FBI Director Christopher Wray told lawmakers Thursday he expects a "dramatic increase" in samples because of more border crossings.

In the first three months of fiscal 2023, the FBI handled more than 130,000 such samples, Wray said, adding that the number is expected to jump by about 30,000 a month once Title 42 is lifted.

"That gives you a sense of the pretty blistering pace that our folks are having to engage in to test all the samples," Wray said during testimony before a House appropriations panel. "Time is of the essence because in many cases these are leading to and solving sexual assaults, homicides and other serious crimes."

Since the start of the COVID-9 pandemic in early 2020, Title 42 has allowed U.S. immigration officials to expel nearly all migrants and asylum-seekers apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The controversial measure is set to expire May 11, raising concerns about a new wave of asylum-seekers arriving at the border.

The Biden administration has announced measures to stem the expected surge in border crossings, but Republicans say they're inadequate.

Under a program launched in 2020, the U.S. Border Patrol has been collecting DNA samples from migrants taken into custody at the border as well as U.S. citizens and permanent residents arrested there on federal criminal charges.

The samples feed into the FBI's DNA database, which is used by law enforcement to investigate violent crimes such as homicides and sexual assault.

Wray said the DNA samples tested by the FBI have been used in more than 220 criminal investigations, including more than 100 sexual assaults and a dozen homicides.

He said the FBI is working to boost its DNA testing capacity and asked Congress for an additional $53 million to keep pace with the expected surge in sample collections.
It was April 4, 2021. French journalist Olivier Dubois had just landed in Gao, an arid town in northern Mali that was taken over by jihadists 10 years earlier.

As planned, he met with four mujahedin who had agreed to drive him to their leader for an interview.

But four hours into the journey, Dubois was blindfolded and told if his family cooperated he would be released. It was then he understood he was being kidnapped.

Dubois spent nearly two years as a hostage before finally being freed on March 20, 2023, alongside American aid worker Jeffery Woodke.

In an interview with VOA, Dubois spoke about his experiences, his failed attempts to escape, and how being a journalist allowed him to remove himself from the mental, physical and emotional pain.

Increased abductions

Dubois case highlights the dangers faced by journalists working in conflict zones, particularly in Africas Sahel region, where kidnappings are growing at an alarming rate.

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger saw a combined 532 abductions in 2022, up from to 33 in 2017, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. Some 158 abduction incidents have already been recorded in the region this year.

Militaries across West Africa have staged coups in recent years, making the situation even more precarious for journalists.

Military juntas have not hesitated to reshape the media landscape to better serve their interests, said Sadibou Marong, West Africa director for Reporters Without Borders. As soon as they took power in Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad, they tried to control the media by means of prohibition or restriction, and even attacks or arbitrary arrests.

Life as a hostage

Dubois had originally traveled to Gao to interview a leader of Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a coalition of jihadist insurgent groups active in the Sahel.

He had secured the interview and a written invitation through a trusted contact he had worked with for years.

He would later learn the invitation was fake.

I think I was betrayed, maybe by my fixer or intermediary people who are close to my fixer, he said.

Dubois has since spoken with JNIM members who told him they never received his interview request and denied involvement in the kidnapping.

Each night, beginning at 5:30 p.m., Dubois was chained by his ankle to a tree. He slept alongside insects atop a pebbled floor with only a thin mat. When it rained, his bed turned to mud.

During the day, he sweltered under the desert sun.

Youre a prisoner, he said. Youre under an open sky, but youre in jail.

He quickly accepted his reality and created a routine to strengthen himself physically and mentally. Each morning, he exercised and practiced Chinese martial arts. He forced himself to experience his captivity as a journalist, as if removing himself as a participant and becoming an observer.

Dubois won a modicum of respect from his captors by reading the Koran. It was the first religious text hed ever read.

Its a really important book for them. It's a pillar, he said. And I understood quickly that if I wanted to understand them and communicate more with them, Id have to read this book, too.

At one point, he asked his captors why hed been kidnapped. They said they were at war with France, and as a French citizen on their territory, he was fair game.

Dubois was able to receive news from his family via Radio France International, which broadcasted their messages on the 8th of each month. He also received two letters from his family with the help of a non-governmental organization.

Five months into captivity, he was joined by another hostageGerco Van Deventer, a South African kidnapped in Libya in November 2017.

During his captivity, Dubois made a few attempts to escape.

He had figured out how to unlock his chain and noticed a window between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. during which he could slip away, find the nearest road and hail down a car.

On his first attempt, the soles of his thin sandals became too worn to withstand the long trek and he returned before his captors awoke.

The second time he took the wrong path. On the third try he successfully made it to a road and waved down a large truck. There was one driver and one passenger, but neither spoke French.

I said: Please, please take me with you. I'm a hostage, but they didn't understand, Dubois said. I repeated: Mujahedin, mujahedin, and at this moment, the driver's face changed and he left.

Meanwhile, Dubois captors were tracking him via the footprints hed left in the sand. By 11 a.m., they found him under a tree.

The release

In early March 2023, Dubois was told he would soon be released. But he wouldnt allow himself to believe ithed interviewed many hostages throughout his career who said theyd often been given false promises of freedom.

But sure enough, on March 16, a mujahedin arrived on a motorbike and told him to pack a blanket and water bottle. He was driven deep into the desert and was left there for four days while some 10 other mujahedin patrolled nearby.

Two days in, he was joined by another hostageJeffery Woodke, who had spent six years in captivity after being kidnapped from his home in Niger.

On the fourth day, escorted by about 20 mujahedin, the pair were driven toward Niger. They were then put into another car, which drove them across the border and dropped them in front of two members of the French military. They were free.

You just think about how this day will come, and suddenly youre at the airport and the door of the plane opens. You go outside and you see your sister, your mother, your wife, your kids, Dubois said. It's a rush of emotions.

Since returning to France, hes tried to keep a normal routine and focus on reconnecting with his family. But reintegration to life in Paris has been a shock.

A lot of it is disturbing, he said. I can take an Uber. The food is totally different. I have a television. I have a shower.

He says he is eternally grateful for everyone who fought for his release: his family, friends, colleagues, and the governments of France, Niger and the United States.

Regardless of the risks, Dubois said he plans to resume his journalism career and may one day return to Mali, which, despite everything, he still loves.

Step by step, I move forward. And Ill go back to a normal life, he said.
(Bloomberg) -- BBC Chairman Richard Sharp has resigned after an official inquiry found he breached rules by failing to fully disclose ties to the UKs Conservative Party leadership.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The UK government appointments watchdog commissioned an independent probe into Sharp after he was linked to the offer of a guarantee on a third-party loan  valued at as much as 800,000 ($994,480)  to former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The financial matter between Sharp and Johnson was not revealed to his interviewing panel or the public during his application for the BBC role.

The final report, compiled by senior lawyer Adam Heppinstall KC and published Friday, said Sharp had breached the UK governance code with a lack of transparency during the process.

Heppinstall concluded that there is a risk of a perception that Sharp became the preferred candidate for the BBC post because he assisted Johnson in a private financial matter. It was also possible that he influenced the former prime minister to recommend him by informing him of his application before he submitted it, Heppinstall wrote in the report.

Sharp said his breach was inadvertent and not material, but the episode may well be a distraction from the corporations good work were I to remain in post until the end of my term.

He will stay in post until the end of June while his successor is found.

Sharp, 67, a Conservative Party donor and former banker who was current Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks boss at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., worked in an unpaid advisory role for Johnson and Sunak during the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020.

Sharps resignation removes some pressure for Sunak himself to act. The prime minister has said he wants to run a government defined by integrity. A week ago another senior lawyers report found Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab guilty of bullying, prompting him to resign as justice secretary.

Story continues

In a public letter, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer thanked Sharp for his work and said she was sure there would be further opportunities for you to make a significant contribution to public life.

The opposition Labour Partys Lucy Powell said the breach had caused untold damage to the reputation of the BBC and seriously undermined its independence as a result of the Conservatives sleaze and cronyism.

Non-Disclosure

Sharp started his four-year term as chairman of the publicly funded BBC in February 2021. At the time, he was asked about his ties to the government in the period before his appointment. He denied that anyone in the party had helped his application.

But in January, a report by the Sunday Times said that Sharp was recommended for the job weeks after talking to Johnson about the loan guarantee. The story triggered accusations that the government-led appointment process could have been compromised and led to the establishment of the Heppinstall review.

During the appointment process Sharp didnt disclose his conversations about the loan guarantee to the public or to lawmakers, though he did tell the UKs most senior civil servant, Cabinet Secretary Simon Case.

Case wrote to Johnson in December 2020 saying that Sharps imminent appointment made it important that you no longer ask his advice about your personal financial matters, according to the Sunday Times.

In February, a committee of lawmakers criticized Sharp for not telling them about the loan talks, saying it undermined confidence in the public appointments process. They said there was an unresolved issue about why the cabinet secretary believed Mr Sharp had been giving financial advice to the then prime minister, which Mr Sharp insists that he had not done.

Read More: Sunaks Ethics Issues Grow With Probe Into BBC Appointment

The UKs commissioner for public appointments launched a probe into the process, then recused himself because he had met Sharp on previous occasions, passing the job to Heppinstall.

--With assistance from Emily Ashton.

(Updates with additional context throughout)

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Greenland's lawmakers on Friday got their first look at a draft constitution that the autonomous territory could rely on if it comes to negotiating independence from Denmark.

Developed in secrecy over four years, the 49-paragraph document written in Greenlandic was presented by a constitutional commission to the territory's parliament, the Inatsisartut, where it will now be discussed.

The text, still in the draft stage, did not come down firmly on several key issues, local media reported, including Greenlandic passport access and the administration of justice, areas still managed by mainland Denmark.

It also made no reference to the monarchy, leaving unresolved the question of whether the queen or king of Denmark would remain head of state.

"For the time being (the draft constitution) is primarily a Greenlandic issue. It will only concern Denmark when Greenland has discussed it and depending on what the politicians decide," Ulrik Pram Gad, a researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies and an expert on Danish-Greenlandic relations, told AFP.

Greenland has been autonomous since 1979. The world's largest island, located in the Arctic some 2,500 kilometers from Denmark, has its own flag, language, culture and institutions, but still relies heavily on a Danish grant, which makes up a quarter of its GDP and more than half of its public budget.

Mainland Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, with its roughly 55,000 inhabitants, form the Kingdom of Denmark.

Since the 2009 Self-Government Act, only currency, the justice system and foreign and security affairs fall under Denmark's authority.

The act also included a provision that if Greenland's people decide in favor of independence, negotiations are to commence between Nuuk and Copenhagen.

The resulting agreement, reached with the consent of the Danish and Greenlandic parliaments, would then have to be approved via a referendum in Greenland.

"There won't be a revolution tomorrow, but the text will enlighten the debate," Pram Gad said, adding that it still "shows that Greenland wants to move to a new, looser stage" in its relationship with Denmark.

It remains to be seen whether politicians and the public agree with the project and whether Greenland's leaders "will dare to set the ball rolling," he said.

For Social Democrat Aki-Matilda Hoegh-Dam, who holds one of the seats reserved for Greenland in the Danish parliament, the text represents a step toward the creation of a sovereign Greenlandic state.

"We will have a more in-depth discussion on exactly how this will happen" covering matters including citizenship and voting rights, she said during a recent press briefing.

When it comes to future relations with Denmark, a potential free association agreement, which has been mulled in the past, is mentioned in an annex to the draft constitution.

"We want to create a common solution that is beneficial for both countries," stressed Hoegh-Dam, who envisions negotiations on the island's sovereignty starting within a decade.

The territory's geostrategic location and massive mineral reserves have raised international interest in recent years, as evidenced by former U.S. President Donald Trump's swiftly rebuffed offer to buy it in 2019.
Iran's top diplomat visited Lebanon's border with Israel on Friday where he expressed support for the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group in its struggle against their common enemy: Israel.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian began his visit to Lebanon on Wednesday, meeting top officials and expressing Tehran's readiness to help build power stations to try to end the Mediterranean country's prevailing electricity crisis.

Lebanon is in the throes of the worst economic crisis in its modern history, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by the small nation's ruling class. The crisis erupted in October 2019 and has plunged three quarters of Lebanon's 6 million people, including 1 million Syrian refugees, into poverty.

Earlier this month, Israel launched rare airstrikes into southern Lebanon, hours after militants fired nearly three dozen rockets from there at Israel, wounding two people and causing some property damage. The Israeli military said at the time that it targeted installations of the Palestinian militant Hamas group in southern Lebanon.

Iran is a main Hezbollah backer and has supplied the militant group over the past decades with weapons and funds.

"We are here today ... to declare again with a loud voice that we support the resistance in Lebanon against the Zionist entity," Amirabdollahian told a gathering that included several Hezbollah legislators in the border village of Maroun al-Ras.

Amirabdollahian's visit to Lebanon is the first since Iran and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement in China last month to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after seven years of tensions.

Later Friday, the Iranian diplomat held a news conference at the Iranian Embassy. He said the Riyadh-Tehran agreement would have positive "effects in the region in general." The two countries will reopen embassies in Tehran and Riyadh "within a few days," he said, adding that he invited his Saudi counterpart to visit Iran and that the invitation was welcomed.

In neighboring Syria, a pro-government newspaper reported that Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi would begin a two-day visit to Damascus next Wednesday, the first by an Iranian president to the Syrian capital since 2010.

Iran has also been a main backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since the uprising that turned into war began in Syria in March 2011, killing nearly half a million people. Tehran has sent Iran-backed fighters from around the Middle East to fight alongside Assad's forces, helping tip the balance of power in his favor.

The pro-government Al-Watan said Raisi would meet with Assad to boost "strategic cooperation" between the two allies. Several agreements and memorandums of understanding also are to be signed during the visit.

Asked about Raisi's upcoming visit to Damascus, Amirabdollahian said only that "a program and a plan for the visit in the near future" had been prepared, without offering a specific date.

Some oil-rich Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, have been slowly reconciling with Assad after supporting opposition fighters for years.
India and China disagreed during a meeting of their defense ministers Thursday on the importance of restoring peace along their disputed border to developing bilateral ties.

India called such restoration key to developing the ties, while China sees the border situation as largely stable, the respective governments said in statements issued after the meeting.

The meeting, between Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart, Li Shangfu, was held in New Delhi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization defense ministers' meeting Friday.

This was the first visit by a Chinese defense minister to India since tensions spiraled after a 2020 border clash that killed 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers. The defense ministers meeting was keenly watched to see if the high-level interaction would help bridge what is called a trust deficit between the two countries.

An Indian Defense Ministry statement said Singh had categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquility at the borders.

According to the Indian statement, he reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation.

The Chinese National Defense Ministry said Li had described the situation along the border as generally stable. The Chinese statement said both sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue at an appropriate position in our bilateral relations, and promote the normalization of the border situation as soon as possible.

Li said that as major neighboring countries the two sides should view bilateral relations and each other's development from a comprehensive, long-term and strategic perspective and work together to continuously enhance mutual trust between the two militaries.

India accuses China of intruding into its side of the disputed border in violation of agreements signed since the 1990s. Beijing denies the accusations and blames New Delhi for the transgressions.

Eighteen rounds of negotiations between military commanders of the two countries since the 2020 clash have failed to defuse the tensions, with the latest round of talks ending this week without a breakthrough.

New Delhi analysts said restoring ties between the countries will be a long haul.

The shadow of what happened in 2020 is not going away quickly. There has been a collapse of trust and you cannot restore it through negotiations and meetings, Manoj Joshi, distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, said.

Normalcy in ties is not going to happen soon because India is not sure what Beijing is trying to achieve, he said.

He pointed to a clash that took place between Indian and Chinese soldiers in December in Arunachal Pradesh, in which New Delhi had accused Chinese troops of trying to encroach the Line of Actual Control  the countries nearly 3,500-kilometer border in the Himalayan mountains.

While both countries have withdrawn soldiers from some of the disputed areas, they still deploy an estimated 60,000 soldiers and advanced weaponry along the frontier. They are also rapidly building infrastructure, including roads and helipads in the mountains.

Analysts have warned of the risk of confrontations between soldiers who are often posted within meters of each other.
Militants in northwest Pakistan set off a bomb while targeting a temporary military camp with rockets and guns, in an incident that killed at least three troops, security officials said Friday, but there was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The violence comes after Pakistan declared a new offensive against militants following a resurgence of attacks in recent months, such as a February mosque bombing that killed more than 100.

Troops engaged the attackers for several hours from Thursday night in the district of Lakki Marwat, near a rugged tribal area bordering Afghanistan, two officials told Reuters, on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to provide information.

At least three troops and several of the militants died as a result, they added. The soldiers had been on their way to take up new posts at a nearby military base.

The army's public relations wing gave no details of the incident and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A report made by a Pakistani intelligence agency to government officials, which was seen by Reuters, identified a new, little-known militant group, the Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan, as being involved in the attack.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the report.

The tribal region has long been home to Islamist militants, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, widely known as the Pakistani Taliban, which is an umbrella group of several Sunni militant outfits.

The local Taliban have been waging a war on the state in a bid to overthrow the government and replace it with their own harsh system of Islamic governance.

Pakistan's military has launched several operations in the area, dismantling the militants' infrastructure and networks, forcing their leaders to flee to neighboring Afghanistan.
Pakistan's Chief of the Army, General Asim Munir, is in China on a four-day official visit where he is holding meetings with the leadership of the People's Liberation Army to discuss military cooperation between the two countries.

Munir met with Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of Chinas Central Military Commission, where the Chinese official described the relationship between the two countries as consistent. No matter how the international situation changes, China always gives Pakistan priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, Zhang said, according to Chinas state news agency Xinhua.

Pakistani military to further deepen and expand their pragmatic cooperation and jointly safeguard the common interests of the two countries, as well as regional peace and stability, according to Xinhua.

After arriving in China, Munir visited the headquarters of the People's Liberation Army, or PLA, and then had a detailed meeting with the PLA commander. Bilateral security and military cooperation issues were discussed in the meeting, said Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry of the Pakistan Militarys Inter Service Public Relations.

The military commanders from the two countries reiterated the need to maintain peace and stability in the region and to increase military cooperation, Chaudhry said. The Pakistani army chief will hold several meetings with Chinas military leadership to enhance the long-standing relationship between the militaries of both countries.

Military interests

Former Pakistani diplomat Ali Sarwar Naqvi said Munirs visit is key for the militaries of both countries, and there will be discussions regarding the security of Chinese nationals working in Pakistan on various projects, including the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, a connectivity infrastructure project that is a part of Chinas larger Belt and Road Initiative.

Although the army chief is the head of the land forces, he also plays an important role in Pakistan's overall defense affairs, so it is likely he will have discussions on eight submarines for [the] Pakistan Navy, out of which four were to be built in China and four in Pakistan, Naqvi said.

In addition, Pakistan had an agreement to buy 25 J-10 aircrafts, of which only 12 so far have been received by Pakistan. Apart from this, many weapons, including tanks for the Pakistani army, may be discussed, Farhan Bukhari, Pakistan correspondent of Janes Defense Weekly and Financial Times told VOA.

Geopolitical interests

Former Pakistani Lt. Gen. Naeem Khalid Lodhi, speaking to VOA Urdu, said this visit is important in terms of getting economic assistance.

Many countries are moving away from America and getting closer to China, so Pakistan also needs to look at it from a long-term benefit perspective rather than short term. America is backing India to challenge China, which is against our interests. Similarly, they don't want [the] Taliban government in Afghanistan. This is also against our interests, so Pakistan needs to make its own decisions, and these issues will be discussed in the visit, Lodhi said.

The bilateral meeting comes at a time when relations between China and India are tense, which Bukhari said can benefit Pakistan in its rocky relationship with India.

Saudi Arabia to the negotiation table and restoring diplomatic relationship between the two countries. China is a major player in the region and is trying to resolve major issues, and Pakistan can take advantage of its good relations with China, he said.
Pope Francis arrived in Hungary on Friday.

During his three-day visit, he is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Francis will also preside over an open-air Mass on Sunday in front of parliament.

Francis visit occurs as Europe is experiencing a migrant crisis and the war in Ukraine. He is expected to address both issues during his visit and he is scheduled to meet with some Ukrainians who fled their homes after Russias invasion.

Orban famously erected a razor wire fence in 2015 to keep Serbs out of Hungary, but he has welcomed Ukrainians. However, unlike some of his European counterparts, he has not supplied Ukraine with weapons for its battle against Russia.

The pontiff and the prime minister have both called for a cease-fire and negotiations to end the war.

Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Pope Francis met with refugees and impoverished people Saturday at St. Elizabeths Church, a white brick church in Budapest, on the second day of his three-day visit.

St. Elizabeth was a Hungarian princess who renounced her wealth to dedicate her life to the poor.

Francis used the occasion to remind the Faithful of their Christian duties to show love and compassion to all.

Europe is experiencing a migrant crisis with hundreds of people from Africa and the Middle East arriving almost daily.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that migration threatens to replace Europes Christian culture.

Europeans have not always been charitable or receptive to these migrants, but they have been more accepting of the Ukrainians who fled their homes after the Russian invasion.

Francis is set to attend a youth rally Saturday at a sports stadium.

On Sunday, he will preside over an open-air Mass at Pazmany Peter Catholic University in Budapest.

Pope Francis pointedly warned Friday of the dangers of rising nationalism in Europe and told the Budapest government that accepting migrants along with the rest of the continent would be a true sign of Christianity.

In a hard-hitting speech to government leaders  including Prime Minister Orban, who has had a series of run-ins with the European Union  Francis also urged a rejection of "self-referential forms of populism" and strictly nationalist interests.

Francis called for a return to the "European soul" envisioned by those who laid the groundwork for modern Europe after World War II, saying nations had to "look beyond national boundaries."

Speaking on the day that Kyiv vowed an "iron fist" response after Russia hit Ukraine with the first large-scale airstrikes in nearly two months, Francis made another appeal for an end to the war there, calling for "creative efforts for peace" to drown out the "soloists of war."

The three-day visit is the 86-year-old pope's first trip since he was admitted to the hospital for bronchitis in March.

Looking cheerful, Francis, who has a knee ailment, used a cane to walk by welcoming dignitaries and children in national dress at the airport. In recent arrivals, he used a wheelchair.

Asked by reporters about his health on the flight from Rome, the pope joked, saying "I'm still alive" and "stubborn weeds never die."

Francis is keeping a promise of an official visit to Hungary after a stop of only seven hours in 2021 on his way to Slovakia that left many feeling slighted.

Orban, 59, and the pope have differing views on handling migration from the Middle East and Africa, with Francis believing migrants fleeing poverty should be welcomed.

Orban, whose government built a steel fence on the border with Serbia to keep out migrants, has refused to let Hungary be transformed into an "immigrant country" like he says others in Europe have become.

He asked Francis in 2021, during the pope's last visit, "not to let Christian Hungary perish."

Hungary's founder saint

After separate private meetings with President Katalin Novak and Orban, Francis gave a speech in the presidential palace overlooking the River Danube, in which he quoted St. Stephen, the 11th century founder of Christian Hungary.

"Those who profess themselves Christian, in the company of the witnesses of faith, are called to bear witness to and to join forces with everyone in cultivating a humanism inspired by the Gospel and moving along two fundamental tracks: acknowledging ourselves to be beloved children of the Father and loving one another as brothers and sisters," Francis said.

"In this regard, Saint Stephen bequeathed to his son extraordinary words of fraternity when he told him that those who arrive with different languages and customs 'adorn the country,'" Francis said, quoting the saint's command to "welcome strangers with benevolence and to hold them in esteem."

But Francis appeared to give comfort to Orban's rejection of the imposition of what he says are liberal values by outsiders. Francis denounced any form of "ideological colonization" on issues such as "so-called gender theory" or "the right to abortion."

Later, addressing bishops, priests and nuns in St. Stephen's Cathedral, Francis urged Hungarians to confront "the rapid pace of social change and the crisis of faith affecting our Western culture."

Orban, who has said that Hungary and the Vatican are the only two European states that can be described as "pro-peace," later posted on his official Facebook page that the pope's words were a "confirmation" of Hungary's desire for peace in Ukraine.

Hungary supports a sovereign Ukraine but still has strong economic ties to Russia. Orban's government has refused to send weapons to Ukraine. The pope has said sending weapons to Ukraine for self-defense is morally permissible.

Some information in this report came from Reuters.
Human rights organizations are calling on Burundis government to give former Prime Minister Alain Guillaume Bunyoni a fair trial.

Bunyoni faces charges ranging from abuse of office to undermining internal security of the state. The charges were read to him Thursday at the office of the countrys chief prosecutor.

The former prime minister was arrested last week, following reports that he was on the run, and his arrest was confirmed in a short statement released by the chief prosecutor.

Alain Guillaume Bunyoni is currently in the hands of the police, read the statement signed by General Prosecutor Sylvestre Nyandwi.

Bunyonis family has accused the government of kidnapping him.

Kidnap someone without a warrant and call it an arrest? Shame! Unless it was intentional, his daughter Darlene Bunyoni said in a Twitter post.

She added that the arrest was laughable and embarrassing for everyone involved in the handling of this matter.

Agnes Bangiricenge, spokesperson for the office of the chief prosecutor, said Monday at a news conference that Bunyoni had been accused of threatening national security and the good functioning of the national economy and illegally receiving interest.

Speaking to VOAs Central Africa Service, Sixte Vigny Nimuraba, president of Burundis human rights commission, denied allegations that Bunyoni has been tortured.

I met him a day after his arrest. We were together again this Wednesday. He is doing very well. He is ready to appear before the court, Nimuraba said. There is no issue at all about that. He is doing well. He has not suffered any act of torture or any other abuse since his arrest.

Nimuraba also confirmed reports that Bunyonis wife had been questioned by authorities.

Friend of late president

Bunyoni was prime minister from June 2020 until September 2022, when he was removed from that position by President Evariste Ndayishimiye.

He was among the most influential and powerful army generals in the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Forces for the Defense of Democracy party. Until the unexpected death of former President Pierre Nkurunziza in June 2020, Bunyoni was considered the second most powerful person in the country and a close friend to Nkurunziza.

The firing of Bunyoni happened a week after Ndayishimiye warned that some unnamed people were plotting to overthrow his government and sabotaging it.

Bunyoni has been under U.S. sanctions since 2015 for allegedly committing human rights violations during the violent crackdown that followed the decision by Nkurunziza to seek a controversial third term.

Human Rights Watch, which has documented rights abuses in Burundi, said the arrest of Bunyoni was an opportunity for justice in Burundi.

"But it should be followed by a full judicial investigation of abuses committed by security forces during his time as minister for public security from 2015 to 2020, said Clementine de Montjoye, a researcher in the Africa division at HRW.

At the time, she added, Human Rights Watch documented how police killed and tortured suspected government opponents, including the violent crackdown that began in 2015. There is no indication so far that the criminal abuses by police during this time are also being investigated at this moment.

Transparency urged

Montjoye said decisions to prosecute should be made based on evidence following a full and independent criminal investigation.

We are calling for the process to be transparent and credible and for Bunyoni to be given a fair trial in the presence of independent monitors and be treated according to established legal rules and principles, she said.

In a statement, Amnesty International said the arrest of Bunyoni should serve as an opportunity for accountability, but it also raised concerns.

The lack of transparency around the arrests and detention is worrying. Authorities must ensure that those arrested are immediately allowed access to their lawyers and family visits. Authorities must also ensure that their rights to a fair trial, and rights to freedom from torture and other ill treatment, are fully respected, Amnesty Internationals Flavia Mwangovya, deputy regional director, said in a statement.

Darlene Bunyoni, in a Twitter post, accused the government of holding her family hostage.

Mwangovya called on the government of Burundi to refrain from reprisals against Alain Guillaume Bunyonis family members, who she said were reportedly held incommunicado in their house for five days.

Unless family members are also targeted by the investigation, there is no legitimate reason why they should not be allowed to move and communicate freely, she wrote.

Burundis Ministry of Justice and the office of the prosecutor did not respond to a request from VOA for reaction to the allegations made by Bunyoni's daughter and human rights organizations.

This report originated in VOAs Central Africa Service. Venuste Nshimiyimana in London contributed.

Editor's note, the story has been updated to remove the location of a source for security reasons.
The discovery of DNA's double helix structure 70 years ago opened up a world of new science  and also sparked disputes over who contributed what and who deserves credit.

Much of the controversy comes from a central idea: that James Watson and Francis Crick  the first to figure out DNA's shape  stole data from a scientist named Rosalind Franklin.

Now, two historians are suggesting that while parts of that story are accurate  Watson and Crick did rely on research from Franklin and her lab without permission  Franklin was more a collaborator than just a victim.

In an opinion article published Tuesday in the journal Nature, the historians say the two different research teams were working in parallel toward solving the DNA puzzle and knew more about what the other team was doing than is widely believed.

"It's much less dramatic," said article author Matthew Cobb, a zoologist at the University of Manchester who is working on a biography of Crick. "It's not a heist movie."

Photograph 51

The story dates back to the 1950s, when scientists were still working out how DNA's pieces fit together.

Watson and Crick were working on modeling DNA's shape at Cambridge University. Meanwhile, Franklin  an expert in X-ray imaging  was studying the molecules at King's College in London, along with a scientist named Maurice Wilkins.

It was there that Franklin captured the iconic Photograph 51, an X-ray image showing DNA's crisscross shape.

Then, the story gets tricky. In the version that's often told, Watson was able to look at Photograph 51 during a visit to Franklin's lab. According to the story, Franklin hadn't solved the structure, even months after making the image. But when Watson saw it, "he suddenly, instantly knew that it was a helix," said author Nathaniel Comfort, a historian of medicine at Johns Hopkins University who is writing a biography of Watson.

At about the same time, the story goes, Crick also obtained a lab report that included Franklin's data and used it without her consent.

And according to this story, these two "eureka moments"  both based on Franklin's work  Watson and Crick "were able to go and solve the double helix in a few days," Comfort said.

This "lore" came in part from Watson himself in his book "The Double Helix," the historians say. But they suggest this was a "literary device" to make the story more exciting and understandable to lay readers.

After digging in Franklin's archives, the historians found new details that they say challenge this simplistic narrative  and suggest that Franklin contributed more than just one photograph along the way.

The proof? A draft of a Time magazine article from the time, written "in consultation with Franklin" but never published, described the work on DNA's structure as a joint effort between the two groups. And a letter from one of Franklin's colleagues suggested Franklin knew her research was being shared with Crick, the authors said.

Taken together, this material suggests the four researchers were equal collaborators in the work, Comfort said. While there may have been tensions, the scientists were sharing their findings more openly  not snatching them in secret.

"She deserves to be remembered not as the victim of the double helix, but as an equal contributor to the solution of the structure," the authors conclude.

Howard Markel, a historian of medicine at the University of Michigan, said he's not convinced by the updated story.

Markel  who wrote a book about the double helix discovery  believes that Franklin got "ripped off" by the others and they cut her out in part because she was a Jewish woman in a male-dominated field.

Franklin's work critical

In the end, Franklin left her DNA work behind and went on to make other important discoveries in virus research, before dying of cancer at age 37. Four years later, Watson, Crick and Wilkins received a Nobel prize for their work on DNA's structure.

Franklin wasn't included in that honor. Posthumous Nobel prizes have always been extremely rare, and now aren't allowed.

What exactly happened, and in what order, will likely never be known for sure. Crick and Wilkins both died in 2004. Watson, 95, could not be reached, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he served as director, declined to comment on the paper.

But researchers agree Franklin's work was critical for helping unravel DNA's double helix shape  no matter how the story unfolded.

"How should she be remembered?" asked Markel. "As a great scientist who was an equal contributor to the process. It should be called the Watson-Crick-Franklin model."
The Taliban said Friday that their decision to bar local women from working for the United Nations was an "internal social matter of Afghanistan" that all countries should respect.



The statement came a day after the 15-member U.N. Security Council unanimously passed a resolution condemning the ban and demanding Taliban leaders swiftly end their restrictions on Afghan women's access to education and work.



The resolution, co-sponsored by more than 90 countries, expressed "deep concern at the increasing erosion of respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms" of Afghan women and girls by the Taliban.



"While taking note of the condemnation of the decision to restrict Afghan women from working with the U.N., we stress that  this is an internal social matter of Afghanistan that does not impact outside states," the Taliban Foreign Ministry said Friday.



"We remain committed to ensuring all rights of Afghan women while emphasizing that diversity must be respected and not politicized," the statement added. It hailed parts of Thursday's U.N. resolution, including "the principle of Afghan-led and Afghan-owned right to self-determination."



The Taliban insisted, however, the humanitarian crisis in war-ravaged Afghanistan "is man-made, driven by economic restrictions" on the country.



"The path to a post-conflict recovery requires the unconditional removal of U.N., multilateral, and unilateral sanctions and restrictions on the country, in addition to the provision of humanitarian and development assistance to the country," the statement said.

Leader rejects easing restrictions



The Taliban reclaimed power in August 2021 from the then-internationally backed government in Kabul as the United States and NATO troops withdrew after almost two decades of involvement in the Afghan war.



The U.S. and other Western nations froze more than $9 billion in Afghan central bank foreign reserves after the Taliban takeover and imposed financial and banking sector sanctions on the country. Washington has since transferred a portion of the frozen resources held in the U.S. to a trust fund in Switzerland to be used strictly for Afghan relief efforts.

Hibatullah Akhundzada, the reclusive Taliban chief, has imposed his strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia, to govern strife-torn impoverished Afghanistan. He has issued a series of edicts banning girls' education beyond the sixth grade and barring most Afghan women from public life and work nationwide.



Akhundzada has rejected calls for easing restrictions on Afghan women, saying he would not allow foreign interference in his Islamic governance.



Last December, the male-only Taliban administration banned female employees of nongovernmental organizations from workplaces and extended it earlier this month to Afghan women working with the U.N.

'Reinvigorate international engagement'



The U.N. resolution against Taliban bans on women came as U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres plans to host a closed-door meeting of special envoys on Afghanistan from several countries in Doha, Qatar, on Monday to discuss what should be done in the aftermath of the intensifying Taliban crackdown on women.



On Friday, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York that Guterres "has not extended an invitation to the de facto (Taliban) authorities" to attend the two-day meeting in the Gulf state.

Dujarric stressed that recognizing the Taliban would not be "an issue on the table." He shared no further details about the event.



"As we've said, the purpose of the meeting is to reinvigorate international engagement around common objectives for a durable way forward on Afghanistan. To reach unity or commonality of a message  such as human rights  particularly on the issue of women and girls; inclusive governance, countering terrorism, drug trafficking," Dujarric said.



Thursday's U.N. resolution recognized and stressed the need to address "the dire economic and humanitarian situation" facing Afghanistan, including through efforts to restore the country's banking and financial systems.



Afghanistan is the largest humanitarian emergency in the world. U.N. officials estimate 6 million people are one step from famine-like conditions, while more than 28 million more need assistance after years of war and natural disasters.

Margaret Besheer contributed to this report.
Despite some recent struggles, New York Bitcoin miner Greenidge today announced it was emerging from hard times to expand operations through a partnership with Core Scientific.

In an announcement Thursday, the miner said that Core Scientific will host 6,914 of Greenidges mining rigs as part of a one-year partnership. Core Scientific is a miner with facilities in Dalton, Georgia, and Calvert City, Kentucky.

Greenidge, which is based in Upstate New York, will also install an additional 1,500 company-owned miners at its existing facilities.

As recently as December, the miner said it had substantial doubt about its capacity to continue as a business. By January, the company managed to ink a deal with NYDIG and B. Riley that reduced its corporate debt by $61 million. Prior to that, the company was considering voluntary bankruptcy in the midst of a relentless bear market. It hasn't helped either that Greenidge has become a controversial company, drawing attention from activists and legislators who have criticized the miner for its environmental practices.

And last year, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) denied Greenidges air permit renewal, citing issues like its failure to prove adequate GreenHouse Gas (GHG) mitigation measures. The company's now challenging that denial in court.

What the Next Level of Bitcoin Mining Difficulty Will Bring

Now, with Thursday's announcement, the miner says it has turned a page. Chief Executive Officer of Greenidge Dave Anderson said in a release that the Core Scientific partnership will significantly improve our profitability as we move forward.

Bitcoin mining, which involves using powerful computers to verify transactions on the blockchain, has been hit hard by the current bear market. The price of Bitcoin has tumbled a long way from its all-time high of $69,044, which it saw in November 2021. Since then, mining operations have struggled to make profit.

Miners are usually big operations consisting of warehouses hosting expensive computer machinery. A number of operations have had to sell their Bitcoin rewards or close down completely.

Editor's Note: This article was updated to clarify that Greenidge considered bankruptcy because of the bear market, not criticism from activists and or lawmakers, and that it is challenging the denial of air permit renewal.
Four Kurdish journalists appeared in court in Turkey this week, accused of having ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

JinNews reporter Beritan Canozer, journalist Remzi Akkaya, Mesopotamia News Agency (MA) editor Abdurrahman Gok, and MA reporter Mehmet Sah Oruc were taken into custody in coordinated dawn raids Tuesday, in which Turkish police detained at least 128 people in 21 cities.

Among those detained are 10 journalists, a lawyer representing arrested Kurdish journalists in other court cases, and members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), the third-biggest party in the Turkish parliament.

HDP faces a party closure case in Turkey's Constitutional Court as it is accused of being linked to the PKK, a charge that the HDP denies.

Allegations include spreading propaganda

The detentions came ahead of Turkey's upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections May 14, which are seen as the biggest electoral challenge that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has faced during two decades in power.

A Turkish security source told Reuters that the suspects were accused of providing financing, recruiting and spreading propaganda for the PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.

In a joint statement, several international rights organizations, including Freedom House, the International Press Institute, and PEN International, have called on the Turkish authorities "to stop the systematic harassment and intimidation of Kurdish journalists, media workers, media outlets, the lawyers that defend them, and Kurdish political party officials, give them access to legal counsel, disclose full details of charges brought and to ensure that they are released from detention."

'This no longer surprises anyone'

Several journalism organizations reacted to the arrest of the journalists.

Erol Onderoglu, the Turkish representative for media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, said that the police raids Tuesday were carried out to crack down on the Kurdish journalists.

"It is clear that the investigation and operation were carried out to purge the Kurdish media and put the opposition parties in trouble before the election, and this no longer surprises anyone," Onderoglu told VOA. "With these arrests, it seems that we will once again gain a reputation of being among the countries which arrested the most journalists in the world, as was the case after the coup attempt."

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists' annual prison census in 2022, Turkey was among the top five jailers of journalists, as 40 journalists were behind bars last year.

Veysel Ok, co-director of the Istanbul-based Media and Law Studies Association, thinks that the operation has threatened freedom of expression and election security in Turkey.

"Lawyers will be on duty at the ballot box, and journalists are the ones who will inform the public about possible unlawfulness, corruption and extortion at the polls. Therefore, there is a serious risk," Ok told VOA.

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu posted a video of the police raids Tuesday on Twitter and said, "Either on the mountain or in the city, we are always breathing down their necks."

"This video shows that the operation aims to create psychological, political and social fear among the public. In an operation within the limits of the law, the interior minister cannot post a video like this. Here is a logic that equates journalism, being a lawyer, or rights advocate with terrorism," Ok said.

This story originated in VOA's Turkish Service.
A popular cartoonist in Uganda has launched a social media campaign to highlight the poor state of the country's health care system. #UgandaHealthExhibition on Twitter is telling stories about the poor conditions in hospitals and clinics. Uganda's Ministry of Health has disputed the allegations.

Pictures of Ugandan doctors treating patients on the floors of hospitals, because of a lack of beds, have this week been circulating on social media.

One photo showed a doctor and health worker stitching a patients head injury on a floor mat.

Another photo showed a doctor wearing gloves as protective shoes before surgery.

These are just some of the images critical of Ugandas health care system  part of an online campaign by popular cartoonist Jimmy Spire Ssentongo.

Just that they ignore and maybe in ignoring things grow beyond what they can even comprehend, or they get to understand that this is happening in their aloof world. But that if this is cast out there and maybe theres some little sense of shame left, they would feel bad about it," said Ssentongo. "It was clear that they didnt want this voice to come out. For it to have come out that strongly was a triumph on our side.

Ssentongos campaign, under the hashtag #UgandaHealthExhibition, has also revealed allegations of under staffing and absenteeism, theft of drugs, abuse of patients, extortion, and bribery.

Ssentongo has more than 175,000 followers on Twitter and the campaign has gained supporters, including those working in medical care, who joined the critical tweeting.

Dr. Jacob Otile is a general practitioner.

We are talking about a system that is already crumbling. And then we look at the after effect of COVID-19," said Otile. "If we are to make sure we move the next step, the budgetary allocation to health has to significantly go high.

Mismanagement of the little that we have. It ends up in peoples pockets and corruption is one of the biggest problems. Ugandas Ministry of Health responded to the twitter campaign by tweeting photos of clean hospital buildings with good medical facilities and blocking Ssentongos tweets.

But the campaign led lawmakers like Joan Alobo on Wednesday to discuss the health sector in parliament and share stories of problems from their constituents.

A woman was taken for caesarian section, but because the mother did not have money, three days after the operation, the woman started oozing out pus. When taken back to theater, there were particles left in the stomach," Alobo said.

Ugandas Ministry of Health spokesman Emmanuel Ainebyoona acknowledged to VOA there are problems in the health care system and blamed a lack of funding.

We are not collecting as much revenue. So, we are able to use the available resources to fix the urgent issues," said Ainebyoona. "And also, for them they are focusing on the curative side. But also, we need to take interest and embrace the preventive message. Things like sleeping under the mosquito net, handwashing, doing physical activity.

Ssentongo and other activists are calling for an increase in the health care budget and better management of available funds.

The Ugandan cartoonist launched another Twitter campaign earlier this month to fix the capitals poor roads under the hashtag #KampalaPotholeexhibition.

It gained enough traction that authorities carried out road inspections, which led President Yoweri Museveni to order $1.6 million to fix the roads.
Here is a fast take on what the international community has been up to this past week, as seen from the United Nations perch.

Violence intensifies in Sudan, UN relocates staff

As violence intensified this week in Sudan, the United Nations relocated hundreds of international and national staff from the capital, Khartoum, and the western Darfur region to Port Sudan in the east where the situation is safer and they are continuing to work. France helped the U.N. evacuate more than 350 personnel and their families from Port Sudan to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday night, and in a second evacuation on Thursday, the French air force flew more than 70 U.N. and affiliated personnel from El Fasher in North Darfur to Chads capital, NDjamena. Before the fighting erupted on April 15, the U.N. had about 800 international staff in Sudan, many accompanied by their families in Khartoum, as well as about 3,200 Sudanese nationals.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres continued to call for an immediate halt to fighting and worked with the United States and regional organizations to extend a 72-hour cease-fire that went into effect at midnight on Monday. It was renewed Thursday for another three days, but reports of fighting continue.

Fleeing Sudans Conflict: On a Bus Ride From Khartoum

The crisis also has the potential to create a massive refugee situation. The U.N. refugee agency estimates that 270,000 people could flee into South Sudan and Chad alone.

Security Council demands Taliban reverse bans on women

The U.N. Security Council demanded unanimously on Thursday that Afghanistan's Taliban leaders swiftly reverse their restrictions on women's access to education and work, and it condemned a recent ban on local female staff working for the United Nations. The resolution was co-sponsored by 90 nations.

Security Council to Taliban: Reverse Restrictions on Afghan Women, Girls

Haitis intensifies its appeal for help to break grip of armed gangs

Haiti's foreign minister intensified his government's appeal to the international community Wednesday to help break the grip of armed gangs that are terrorizing the capital and large areas of the island nation. "Haiti is in danger, and it urgently needs the assistance of the United Nations family to make it through this turbulence," Foreign Minister Jean Victor Geneus told the Security Council. It has been more than six months since the government asked for an international specialized armed force to assist the National Police in addressing the spiraling insecurity, but so far, its call has gone unanswered, and the situation has worsened.

At UN, Haitian Foreign Minister Pleads for International Help

Russias Lavrov makes second visit to UN since invasion of Ukraine

The severe divisions between Western nations and Russia over its invasion of Ukraine overshadowed a U.N. Security Council meeting Monday presided over by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Russia holds the rotating presidency of the 15-nation council for April. Moscow chose the theme of effective multilateralism through the defense of the principles of the U.N. Charter for its signature event, and Western nations denounced it as hypocritical. The United States also took the opportunity to bring the sister of American Paul Whelan, who is detained in Russia, to the U.N. where she spoke to the press and sat in the gallery during the council session.

Accusations, Divisions Overshadow Russian-led Security Council Meeting

In brief

 Guterres was in Washington this week, where he met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. They discussed subjects including the war in Ukraine and the need to continue the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which faces another renewal in mid-May; fighting in Sudan and efforts to achieve a cease-fire; and Taliban-imposed restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan. The secretary-generals spokesperson said he also raised the importance of reforms of international multilateral institutions, notably the United Nations, International Monetary Fund and World Bank. And he raised a number of issues related to the Host Country Agreement, including visa issues.

 Russias invasion of Ukraine has severely disrupted education. UNESCO and UNICEF in partnership with Ukraines education ministry are launching a program to provide children and teachers with equipment and tools for remote learning, psychosocial support, teacher training and education sector planning. The Global Partnership for Education, Google, Microsoft and UNESCO are providing more than $51 million for the program.

 Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed will represent the U.N. chief at the coronation of King Charles III in London on May 6.

Next week

Guterres will host a private meeting of special envoys on Afghanistan from several countries in Doha, Qatar, on Monday and Tuesday to discuss what should be done in the aftermath of the intensifying Taliban crackdown on women. Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada has repeatedly dismissed international calls for reversing restrictions on women and girls, saying he will not allow any external interference in his Islamic governance. Taliban officials have not been invited.
U.S. Army officials say three soldiers are dead and a fourth was injured when two army Apache helicopters collided as they were returning from a training mission near Healy, Alaska, late Thursday.

The two AH-64 Apache helicopters were from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, at Fort Wainwright, outside Fairbanks, Alaska. The crash occurred about 128 kilometers southwest of there.

The Army statement said two of the soldiers were pronounced dead at the scene and the third died en route to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. The injured solder is being treated at Memorial Hospital. The Army said the names of the deceased soldiers are being withheld while next of kin are notified.

In the statement, 11th Airborne Division Commander Major General Brian Eifler said, "This is an incredible loss for these soldiers' families, their fellow soldiers, and for the division. Our hearts and prayers go out to their families, friends and loved ones, and we are making the full resources of the Army available to support them."

The statement said a team from the Army Combat Readiness Center in Fort Novosel, Alabama, will investigate the accident.

The crash is at least the second involving Apache helicopters in Alaska this year. In February, two soldiers were injured when their Apache crashed at Talkeetna Airport, in southern Alaska.

In March, nine soldiers died when two Army Black Hawk helicopters crashed in Kentucky. A month earlier, a Tennessee National Guard Black Hawk chopper crashed, killing two.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
The Biden administration on Thursday announced new measures to manage the flow of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border as the end of a pandemic-era policy known as Title 42 nears.

In a briefing with reporters, administration officials said they are opening immigration processing centers in Latin America to provide migrants easier access to legal pathways to the U.S., including the refugee admissions resettlement program, and prescreening for other programs such as parole, family reunification or existing labor pathways.

"U.S. criteria for refugee resettlement will not change. However, through this expanded effort, we expect to identify more eligible individuals," said one senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, as is common in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) briefings. "Our priority in the region continues to be to focus on regularization and integration efforts."

At the new migration processing centers, U.S. consular officers will interview applicants to determine if there is a legal way for them to travel to the United States.

Colombia and Guatemala will host the first centers, and others are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, according to U.S. officials in the briefing.

Centers designed to slow migration

The main goal is to slow and reduce migration to the southern border, specifically once Title 42 is lifted on May 11. The public health policy allowed U.S. immigration officials to quickly expel migrants to their country of origin or Mexican border towns and deny them a chance at asylum. Title 42 was implemented in March 2020; since then, migrants have been expelled more than 2.7 million times.

"I think everybody knows Title 42 was a temporary pandemic-era public health measure.  Just like all extraordinary pandemic-era measures Title 42 is coming to an end because the national public health emergency is ending," a Biden official told reporters during the briefing.

Other efforts to slow migration at the border include access to the CBP One mobile application, which allows migrants in central and northern Mexico to schedule an appointment to present themselves at a port of entry rather than trying to enter the country without authorization. Additional appointments will be available in the coming weeks, an official said.

DHS is also creating new family reunification parole processes for people from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Colombia while continuing the existing family reunification parole processes for those from Cuba and Haiti.

U.S. officials said everyone who comes through one of these centers will be vetted, and only those with approved family-based petitions will be allowed to travel to the United States.

As the Biden administration has planned for the end of Title 42, Republicans in Congress have held a series of hearings that portrayed the border as open and in a state of crisis. They have opposed ending Title 42 as a way to restrict immigration.

This week House Republicans released their own immigration plan, the Border Reinforcement Act of 2023, which would expand migrant family detention, tighten the process to verify the documentation of every immigrant worker, require migrants to seek asylum at specific ports of entry, and give a border patrol officer the power to block any foreign citizen from entering the U.S. if it "is necessary in order to achieve operational control over the border."

Some Democrats have said the bill has no chance of becoming law.

A hemispheric challenge

During a separate Thursday press briefing, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the migration situation as a hemispheric challenge that demands hemispheric solutions.

"Working with our neighbors in the region, we can and will reduce the number of migrants who reach our southern border," Mayorkas said. "The regional processing centers announced today will be a critical addition to the programs and processes DHS has in place for qualifying individuals to obtain authorization to enter the United States before arriving at our borders."

U.S. immigration officials estimate that starting in May, migrant arrivals could increase to 10,000 to 13,000 a day from the current 5,000 to 8,000 along the entire U.S.-Mexico border. Through the new regional centers, Mayorkas said he expected between 5,000 to 6,000 cases to be processed monthly.

It remains to be seen if these new efforts will slow the flow of migrants who leave their countries for economic and political reasons. Blinken said the new approaches are expected to make migration more safe, orderly and humane.

"The United States is working with our partners in the region on migration, so as to take among other things pressure off our borders by giving people alternatives to making a hazardous journey to seek asylum in the United States," he said in the briefing. "Of course, fundamentally, we're working to tackle the root causes of migration."

Blinken praised countries such as Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil that have welcomed refugees and given temporary status to those fleeing violence or economic strife.

"Colombia, for example, has given 10-year temporary protected status to approximately 2.5 million Venezuelans, allowing them to work, to study, to access public services. Ecuador, Costa Rica and Belize are also undertaking similar efforts to regularize migrants from Venezuela and Nicaragua, as well as Peru," Blinken added.

Title 8 authority

U.S. immigration officials also said that after May 11, all migrants who make the dangerous journey to the U.S.-Mexico border will be processed under the Title 8 immigration authority.

"This is a long-standing immigration enforcement authority that multiple administrations, Republican and Democratic alike, have used to process individuals. It carries stiff consequences for irregular migration, including at least a five-year ban on reentry and potential criminal prosecution for repeated attempts to cross unlawfully," Mayorkas said.

Title 8 is the federal code of laws dealing with immigration, and those arriving at the border without documents or trying to enter between ports of entry can be removed without their cases being decided by an immigration court.

Mayorkas said they will process eligible single adults for expedited removal while they are in U.S. immigration facilities. In the meantime, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials will be conducting credible-fear interviews.

The credible-fear interview is an initial screening where immigrants must show there is a compelling chance they will be persecuted or can demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country.

"We have expanded our holding capacity and set up equipment and procedures so that individuals have the ability to access counsel," Mayorkas said.

But those who can't establish a legal basis to remain in the United States will be quickly removed through a process known as expedited removal under Title 8 authority.

If a migrant wants to claim asylum, however, an asylum officer interviews them before removal, deportation or the granting of authorization to enter the U.S. to continue the asylum process.

Biden officials also said they do not plan to detain families.

Mayorkas said the new measures do not take the place of congressional action, and he urged Congress to pass immigration reform and allow for the resources to manage the regional migration challenge.

"We call on Congress to provide the resources we need to continue our work," he said. "We stand ready to work with Congress to pass desperately needed reform to our immigration and asylum system."
The general director of Exxon Mobil Mozambique says his company needs long-term stability in Cabo Delgado province before it can think of restarting a $30 billion liquefied natural gas project in northern Mozambique.

Suspected Islamist insurgents forced the suspension of the project in 2021, when they attacked a town near gas projects managed by French company TotalEnergies and Exxon Mobil.

The key question is security risks," said Arne Gibbs, the general director. "We are working with the government to mitigate, and every large capital project has a significant amount of capital risks that need to be resolved.

Exxons project is located next to another huge LNG facility that is being built by TotalEnergies. On Wednesday, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi expressed optimism that TotalEnergies would resume construction of its project. He said the cooperation and coordination with the company was very favorable.

Mozambique, among the poorest countries in the world, holds presidential elections next year, when Nyusis second term in office ends. Analysts see the election as an opportunity for the ruling Frelimo party to boost its popularity and defuse growing frustrations over unemployment and poverty.

Mozambiques constitution states the president is limited to two terms. So far, Frelimo has not picked a candidate to be Nyusis successor, fueling speculation that Nyusi might seek a third term.

Calton Cadeado, a lecturer in international relations and security studies at Mozambique's Joaquim Chissano University in Maputo, said the political uncertainty might influence decisions by foreign companies scrambling to tap Mozambiques vast natural resources.

While Islamist militants continue to attack places in Cabo Delgado, he said security was not the big issue it once was.

The security issues "are almost solved. Not 100 percent. But now what is preventing Total to return is more a political than security issue," he said. "And this third term issue is ... somewhere in the mindset of those who want to be sure that stability will prevail in Mozambique.

Frelimo has not formally expressed a third term wish, but last September, it elected Nyusi unopposed to a third five-year term as leader of the party.

Cadeado said as long as Nyusis successor is not revealed, companies willing to invest in Mozambique will simply sit back and watch. They are "ready to work under certainty instead of uncertainty. ... But at this point they dont know what is going to happen, he said.
The U.S. and Philippines Friday concluded nearly three weeks of annual military drills known as Balikatan in the south Pacific Ocean near the island chain nation.

In a news release, the U.S. military said nearly 18,000 soldiers from both nations took part in the drills, making them the largest in the 38-year history of the military exercises.

Balikatan means shoulder-to-shoulder or sharing the load together, in Philippine Tagalog dialect, a term becoming more appropriate in the past year as relations between the two longtime allies have improved since the election of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

On Wednesday, Marcos watched the exercises in person from an observation tower in the northwestern Philippine coastal town of San Antonio. That day U.S. and Philippines forces, working together, targeted, engaged and sank a decommissioned Philippines battleship.

Marcos has sought to improve relations with the United States that soured under his predecessor, former president Rodrigo Duterte, at least in part because of increased tensions with China regarding the disputed waters in the region.

A Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson issued a statement Friday rebuking what she called Chinas recent highly dangerous maneuvers earlier this week against the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in the waters off Ayungin Shoal. The PCG was on a routine maritime patrol.

The Ayungin Shoal  also known as the Second Thomas Shoal  is a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands. The coast guard reported that two Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels intercepted them in the vicinity of the shoal and exhibited aggressive tactics, coming within 46 meters of the ship.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry insisted the near miss was caused by the PCG, claiming it was the aggressor.

Reuters reports China has claimed sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, an area that stretches more than 1,500 kilometers off its mainland and cuts into the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. An international arbitral ruling in 2016 dismissed that line as having no legal basis.

Tensions with China were mentioned during the closing ceremonies of the Balikatan exercises Friday. Philippines Armed Forces Chief of Staff Andres Centino noted the strong results of the exercises are more significant given the current security environment and the real threats that continue to evolve within the region.

President Marcos is scheduled to travel to Washington next week for meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden. Their defense alliance is expected to be high on the agenda.

Some information in this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence French-Presse.
For the third time in less than three decades, Uzbekistan is asking citizens to vote on the country's constitution.

After becoming independent in 1991, the country held votes in 1995 and 2002 focused on changing the presidential term and creating a bicameral parliament. The latest ballot, set for Sunday, would introduce a new constitution.

VOA interviews with political and civil society leaders revealed a mixed outlook, with many citizens and observers suspecting ulterior motives, although some were encouraged by aspects of the proposed draft and called on the government to live up to its promises.

The constitutional commission said it received more than 220,000 proposals from citizens during the drafting of the proposed law. The Oliy Majlis, Uzbekistan's bicameral parliament, approved the draft last month, with members of the Legislative Chamber and Senate hailing it as "the people's constitution filled with unprecedented guarantees," especially for human rights.

"Why doubt a document that outlines more freedoms than ever?" asked Eldor Tulyakov, head of the Development Strategy Center in Tashkent. He rejected criticism that the referendum is reminiscent of orchestrated events staged during the rule of Uzbekistan's autocratic founding president, Islam Karimov.

"The parliament could have adopted it, but President Shavkat Mirziyoyev urged us to hold a referendum  let our people choose," Tulyakov said.

He admitted that Uzbekistan faces systemic problems but asserted those should not stop the nation from renewing its basic law.

Much of the debate on social media centers on an extension of the presidential term from five to seven years, which many suspect will pave the way for Mirziyoyev, currently serving his second and constitutionally final term, to run again.

Tulyakov, whose center monitors reforms undertaken by Mirziyoyev, told VOA that "the constitutional opportunities" for the president to nullify his previous terms were not yet on the agenda.

"No such discussions have taken place," Tulyakov said, "because the priority is to continue the reforms, to enshrine democratic values and strengthen the legal foundation. We are not changing course. This new constitution must guide us forward."

Lawmakers have been characteristically silent on what will come next, but several sources in Tashkent indicated to VOA that Uzbekistan could be heading toward snap elections later this year, with Mirziyoyev seeking a fresh term under the new constitution.

Central Asia recently saw a similar move in Kazakhstan, which amended its constitution in March 2022 and gave President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev a fresh seven-year term. While Kazakhstan's new constitution allows only one presidential term, the Uzbek one permits two, meaning that Mirziyoyev could remain president for 14 more years.

Bobur Malikov, justice minister when Uzbekistan adopted its first constitution in 1992, said he saw Sunday's referendum as "the pretext to keep Mirziyoyev in power for as long as possible."

"Why else change the constitution, which already offers democratic guarantees and freedoms? Yes, it was mainly written by Karimov, but it's substantially based on Western models. Uzbekistan can be a sovereign, secular and social state based on the current constitution," he said, citing the hundreds of laws adopted over the past three decades.

"In a strong state with a robust nation, it is never this easy to renew or even amend the basic law. So, Uzbekistan going through such change under each leadership reveals how fragile the system is and how weak is society," said Malikov, who also served as first ambassador to the U.S. but never returned to Uzbekistan, fearing persecution for dissenting against Karimov.

Uzbek activists and critics such as Malikov emphasize that if Uzbekistan needs anything, it is vigorous political opposition to keep the government in check. But since the current establishment does not brook challenge, they say, "New Uzbekistan" propaganda is further evidence of continued autocracy.

For human rights activist and documentary maker Khoorshid Alimardonov, the underlying problem is the absence of rule of law. "What is the point of having well-written documents that don't work in reality?" he asked.

He told VOA that Uzbekistan's citizens want to live in a system that does not punish them for their opinions. "We want independent courts, and not just on paper," he said. "Our freedom of speech as well as media freedom must be tolerated. Human rights must be respected by everyone and, most importantly, by the authorities."

Uzbek blogger Aqida Khanum, a promoter of social justice and compassion, detects some positive public reaction to the draft document.

"I don't watch TV and I'm yet to check out the text myself," she told VOA. "But I've been hearing that specialists are quite happy about specific and relevant parts of the new constitution, such as the articles on the protection of the environment, health and education."

Another blogger, lawyer Zafarbek Solijonov, collaborated with the constitutional commission and is content that his proposals were considered.

"But I've long argued that our constitution should be as succinct as possible," he told VOA. Solijonov said he thought the current draft, bursting with more than 150 articles, was too long.

"We want a constitution that is easily understood and applied by the citizens," he said. "Along with the constitutional court, our parliament must be resilient enough to uphold the constitution's protections of legal rights."

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which has observed nine elections in Uzbekistan and judged none of them to be free or fair, has sent 10 international experts and 14 long-term observers this time. They began their work on April 5.

The OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said the mission "will assess the referendum for its compliance with OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards, as well as with national legislation."

Among other things, ODIHR is monitoring the referendum campaign and media coverage.
WASHINGTON  A Ukrainian journalist working with an Italian newspaper was shot dead by suspected Russian snipers in southern Ukraine on Wednesday. His Italian colleague was injured, the paper reported.

Our correspondent Corrado Zunino and his fixer Bohdan Bitik were victims of an ambush near the bridge in Kherson by Russian snipers on the outskirts of Kherson, in southern Ukraine, the daily newspaper La Repubblica reported Wednesday in an article on its website.

Bitik unfortunately did not make it and died; he leaves behind his wife and a son. Corrado, who was wounded in the shoulder, is in the civil hospital in Kherson, the newspaper said.

The reporters were targeted near the Antonivsky Bridge, which crosses the Dnipro River on the outskirts of Kherson in southern Ukraine, after passing through a series of Ukrainian checkpoints. The journalists reportedly were trying to speak to Ukrainian forces positioned near the bridge.

Russian forces left the western portion of the city last year but still often shell it from the eastern part.

When the men were attacked, both were wearing blue bulletproof vests marked with PRESS on the front and back.

Im well, Ive got a wound in my right shoulder, shaved by the bullet that hit my great friend Bohdan, Zunino told La Repubblica. I saw Bohdan on the ground, he wasnt moving. I crawled until I got out of the line of fire. I ran until I came across a civilians car. I was covered in blood. I got myself taken to the hospital in Kherson.

I tried several times to call Bohdan. He didnt answer. He was a great friend of mine; the pain is excruciating, Zunino said.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, urged Kyiv and Moscow to investigate the ambush.

We are deeply saddened by the death of Ukrainian producer Bohdan Bitik and wish Italian reporter Corrado Zunino a speedy recovery, Gulnoza Said, who works on Ukraine at the CPJ, said in a statement Thursday.

Russian and Ukrainian authorities must swiftly investigate this tragic attack and ensure that journalists are not targeted while reporting on the war in Ukraine. Members of the press are civilians under international humanitarian law and should be protected as such, Said continued.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said his ministry and the Italian Embassy in Kyiv were working with Ukrainian authorities to return Zunino to Italy.

The Italian newspaper said the presence of Russian snipers was making it hard to recover Bitiks body.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told Italian media that Russian forces were responsible for the killing.

Russians dont care if youre Russian, Italian or Ukrainian, they just shoot, he said.

Bitik is at least the 14th journalist killed in Ukraine while reporting on the Russian invasion, according to the CPJ.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP)  The latest death toll in Kenyas cult investigation has risen to 95 as the government announced a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the ranch owned by a pastor who is accused of ordering his followers to fast to death.

Journalists and human rights activists on Wednesday were barred from accessing the 800-acre (320-hectare) ranch, which has been declared a disturbed area and an operation zone.

Pastor Paul Makenzi, who was arrested for allegedly directing his followers to fast to death in order to meet Jesus, remains in police custody until at least May 2. He heads the Good News International Church.

Police say they took 22 people into custody during Wednesdays search and rescue operation. Authorities have rescued 34 people from the property, which is near the town of Malindi, since police raided the ranch earlier this month.

The Kenya Red Cross Society said that 314 is the latest missing persons figure. Movement will now be restricted on the ranch for 30 days.

Curfew orders have also been declared and Gazetted within the said area between 1800 hours in the evening up to and until 0600 hours in the morning for 30 days, Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said in a statement.

Human rights activists have questioned the move to bar them from accessing the ranch where the police have been conducting search and rescue operations alongside exhumations.

We are the ones who highlighted this case. Why are we being left out now? activist Victor Kaudo said.

It is unclear why the bodies exhumed on Wednesday were the lowest number since the operation started on Friday.

The director of public prosecutions, Noordin Haji, on Wednesday directed investigating officers to identify the assets of the suspects for purposes of preservation, confiscation and forfeiture in accordance with the law.
VANCOUVER, BC and KIBBUTZ YIFAT, ISRAEL / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / Beyond Oil Ltd. (CSE:BOIL)(OTC PINK:BEOLF) ("Beyond Oil" or the "Company"), a food-tech innovation company extending the life of frying oil, reducing costs and waste, will host its annual general and special meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) at the offices of Endeavor Trust Corporation, Suite 1150-777 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC. The record date for the shareholders entitled to vote at the Meeting has been set as shareholders of record as at the close of business on March 24, 2023. The notice of meeting, proxy form, voter information form and information circular ("Circular", and collectively the "Meeting Materials") are located under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

The business at the Meeting includes: setting the number of and electing directors of the Company; appointing an auditor for the ensuing year; establishing and approving an omnibus equity incentive plan; amending the deferred purchase price agreement (the "Deferred Purchase Price Agreement"); approving the extension of the expiry date of 2,683,333 warrants (the "Subco Warrants"); and approving the extension of the expiry date of 2,241,324 warrants (the "Warrants").

The Company would like to provide shareholders with the following additional information in respect of the Deferred Purchase Price Agreement and the Subco Warrants to supplement the information in the Circular. Both the Deferred Purchase Price Agreement amendments and Subco Warrants extension are exempt from the formal valuation requirements under Canadian Securities Administrators Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") pursuant to Section 5.5(b) thereof, as no securities of the Company are listed or quoted on any of the prescribed exchanges.

Story continues

Notwithstanding the fact that no minority shareholder approval is required by MI 61-101, the Company determined that it is in the best interest of shareholders for the Company to adhere to a high standard of corporate governance and request minority approval. To this end, the Company is providing the following additional disclosure as required by MI 61-101 as if it was required to do so pursuant thereto. Terms not defined in this news release shall have the meanings given to them in the Circular.

Background

The Company received a request from the Subco Shareholders, none of whom were at the time of the request and are still not "related parties" (as such term is defined in MI 61-101) of the Company for an extension of time to receive Common Shares pursuant to the Deferred Purchase Price Agreement (defined in the Circular as the Revised Milestones). The request of the Initiating Shareholders was based on the argument that the Initiating Shareholders approved the initial milestone timelines as they thought they were attainable, and upon the Company attaining the milestones, they as shareholders of Subco would ultimately receive what was deemed by both Subco and the Company, pre-RTO, to be fair value. However, in light of the timeline to complete the reverse takeover transaction of Subco and slowing economic market conditions (the "Delay Conditions") it was not possible for the Company to meet the original agreed-to milestone timelines. Therefore, the Initiating Shareholders requested of the Company to consider lengthening the timelines to obtain the milestones to the Revised Milestones without changing any other economic aspects of the milestones.

Approval Process

The request for the Revised Milestone was referred to the board of directors of the Company (the "Board"), on or about January 10, 2023, who in turn referred the matter to two non-interested directors, specifically, Ms. Hanadi Said and Mr. Robert Kiesman, for review. Ms. Said and Mr. Kiesman reviewed the matter and on January 22, 2023, advised the other non-interested directors (collectively, the "Non-Interested Directors") that it was their opinion that it would be fair to accept the request for the Revised Milestones provided the following conditions formed part of any amendment:

1. that the approval of the Revised Milestones require receipt of "minority approval" (as such term is defined in MI 61-101), whether or not such approval is required by MI 61-101;

2. that the CFO of the Company confirm to the Board that the fair market value of the Revised Milestones, in so far as it involves "interested parties" (as such term is defined in MI 61-101) does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company or alternatively is less than CDN$2.5 million; and

3. that all other outstanding warrants be extended, with requisite shareholder approvals, so as to allow all holders of securities that have timelines affected securities to be treated in an equitable manner given that they have all suffered from the Delay Conditions.

At a Board meeting held on March 20, 2023, the Non-Interested Directors authorized Beyond Oil to proceed with the amendments disclosed in the Circular.

Disinterested Shareholder Approval

As disclosed in the Circular, at the Meeting, in order to approve each of: (a) the Subco Extension Resolutions; and (b) Revised DPPA Resolutions, such resolutions must be approved by ordinary resolution approved by a majority of the votes cast by those Shareholders present in person or represented by proxy at the Meeting who are not "related parties".

The following table lists those "related parties" who will not be entitled to vote in respect of the aforementioned resolutions, their existing shareholdings, the aggregate number of Common Shares each will be entitled to received in the event of the approval of the Revised DPPA Resolutions (and then only in the future upon fulfillment of the Revised Milestones as more particularly described in the Circular) and the aggregate number of Common Shares each will be entitled to received in the event of the approval of the Subco Extension Resolutions (and then only in the future if such "related party" elects to pay the exercise price, as more particularly described in the Circular):

Related Party Number of Common Shares Presently Held Aggregate Common Share Entitlement Upon Fulfillment of Revised Milestone Aggregate Common Shares upon Exercise of Subco Warrants Dani Itzhaki 1,155,862 924,692 86,953 Jonathan Or 6,414,831 5,131,868 646,693 Matan Or 4,811,129 3,848,904 485,020 Aviva Or 4,811,129 3,848,904 485,020 Total: 17,192,951 13,754,368 1,703,687

About Beyond Oil Ltd.

Beyond Oil develops and manufactures an innovative, proprietary, and patented product designed to extend the life of frying oil while preserving the oil's quality and nutritional value. The unique product integrates into the existing filtration systems of both commercial and industrial fryers, reducing oil costs, helping create healthier food, decreasing waste, and increasing sustainability. For more information visit: www.beyondoil.co.

Contacts

Jonathan Or

CEO and Co-founder

1-647-691-9801

info@beyondoil.co

Caroline Sawamoto

Investor Relations

1-647-691-9801

ir@beyondoil.co

Forward Looking Statement and Information

The Canadian Securities Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the Company and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the securities laws. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates" and similar expressions or variations of such words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are based upon management's current expectations, beliefs and projections, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain. Such expectations, beliefs and projections are expressed in good faith. However, there can be no assurance that management's expectations, beliefs and projections will be achieved, and actual results may differ materially from what is expressed in or indicated by the forward-looking statements. In addition, we cannot assure that any patent will issued as a result of a pending patent application or, if issued, whether it will issue in a form that will be advantageous to us. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting the Company, reference is made to the Company's reports filed from time to time at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, subsequent events or circumstances, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information except to the extent required by applicable securities laws. If the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that the Company will make additional updates with respect thereto or with respect to other forward-looking statements. References and links to websites have been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such websites is not incorporated by reference into this press release. The Company is not responsible for the contents of third-party websites.

SOURCE: Beyond Oil Ltd





View source version on accesswire.com:

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MARYLAND - Opposition Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume has been sentenced to four years in prison for inciting locals to protest against corruption and the mishandling of the economy by President Emmerson Mnangagwas government.

Harare magistrate Harare magistrate, Feresi Chakanyuka, suspended 12 months of the sentence on condition that he may not commit a similar offence.

Ngarivhume will serve an effective 36 months in prison.

His attorney, Professor Lovemore Madhuku told journalists that they will appeal against the prison term and also take the matter to the Constitutional Court as the piece of law, which was used to convict him, is unconstitutional.

Ngarivhume, who pleaded not guilty the charges of inciting violence, said the conviction and sentence were too severe and induced a sense of shock and therefore he will appeal against it.

The court said the state proved beyond reasonable doubt that in July 2020, Ngarivhume used his Twitter account to urge Zimbabweans to protest against corruption and economic decay.

But he denied any wrongdoing saying the account in question did not belong to him.

He was in remand prison for at least two months before the High Court granted him bail. The case has been dragging in the courts for nearly three years.

VOA Zimbabwe Service correspondent Mlondolozi Ndlovu contributed to this article
President Putin threatens to deport those who decline Russian passports in the occupied territories.

NATO allies have delivered almost all promised combat vehicles to Ukraine, including more than 1,550 armored vehicles and 230 tanks.

In a meeting with Russian lawmakers, Putin said Friday that Moscow would expand ties with countries in Eurasia, Africa and Latin America to counter what he called West's "economic aggression."

Ukraine's counterattack against Russia is fast approaching, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleskii Reznikov said Friday. At an online news briefing, Reznikov noted that Ukraine forces are "to a high percentage ready" to launch their campaign and modern weaponry would serve as an "iron fist."

Using hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles sent by the West, Kyiv is preparing its counteroffensive aiming at driving Russian forces out of occupied Ukrainian territories.

Reznikov made the comments after large-scale Russian airstrikes on cities across Ukraine overnight killed at least 23 civilians while they slept.

In the central Ukrainian town of Uman, firefighters battled a raging blaze at a residential apartment building's upper floor that had been struck by a Russian missile. Officials said at least 19 civilians were killed there, including several children.

"No one is left," said Serhii Lubivskyi, 58, who survived inside a flat on the seventh floor, rescued by firefighters from the balcony, where he escaped with his wife after the explosion blocked their front door, Reuters reports.

In a tweet, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs condemned Russia's airstrikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure. "It is just inexcusable that in places like Uman, far from the front line, civilians were killed while sleeping at their homes. This must stop," Matthew Hollingworth, Humanitarian Coordinator wrote.

A mother and her toddler daughter were killed in the eastern city of Dnipro. No fatalities were reported in Kyiv.

Moscow claimed its target was Ukrainian reserve troops that it struck successfully, preventing them from reaching the front lines. Russia supplied no evidence to support this, Reuters reports.

After Friday's missile strikes, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted, "The way to peace is to kick Russia out of Ukraine."

Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Russia may be preparing to connect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest nuclear power plant, to the power grid of Russian-controlled territory. An International Atomic Energy Agency team of experts monitoring the plant's operations said Friday, Russian forces and the Russian nuclear company Rosatom ordered the skeleton crew there to link the plant's only working line "to the currently Russian-controlled electrical grid, to the south of the ZNPP site."

This line is the only source of external power to the plant, which it needs to keep cooling the fuel in its six reactors, even though they are shut down. Failing to cool that fuel could lead to a potentially catastrophic nuclear meltdown, the IAEA said.

In a statement Friday, IAEA Director General Mariano Grossi assessed that the "increased military presence and activity in the region" underscores the need to safeguard the plant from continuous shelling and landmine explosions in the area.

A Russian mine exploded near the generator room of the nuclear plant, Ukraine's state operator Energoatom said Thursday. "According to sources, an explosion happened near the engine room of the fourth [reactor] power unit," Energoatom said in a statement.

It also said Russian troops, who last year seized control of Ukraine's largest nuclear complex, told workers that it was "their own mine that detonated," Reuters reports.

Meanwhile, the threat of Russian airstrikes continues across Ukraine with officials warning residents to take shelter as soon as they hear the sirens.

"Do not ignore the alerts," Andriy Yermak, head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, said on the Telegram messaging app hours after deadly Russian missile strikes earlier Friday.

The attacks came just days after Zelenskyy spoke by phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping about finding a solution to the war. The Chinese leader said China would dispatch a peace envoy to Ukraine.

Russia and genocide

On Thursday, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution recognizing that Russia's deportation of Ukrainian children has evidence of genocide.

"This decision," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily address, "will significantly help our global efforts to bring Russia and its officials, including the head of the terrorist state, to justice for genocide and genocidal policies against Ukraine."

Also Thursday, Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, said he asked Pope Francis, during a private audience, for his help with returning Ukrainian children to Ukraine who have been "detained, arrested, and criminally deported to Russia."

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia's commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, for their alleged involvement in the deportation of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
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Jacob Ngarivhume, leader of the opposition Transform Zimbabwe, speaking soon after a Harare magistrate sentenced him to 48 months in prison.
FRIDAY, April 28, 2023 (American Heart Association News) -- Language barriers, cultural differences and systemic health inequities are among the reasons many Latino people, particularly men, avoid doctor visits  and that could lead to dire outcomes, experts warn.

Studies have suggested that of all racial and ethnic groups in the United States, Hispanic people are least likely to seek medical care for an illness. In a 2022 Pew Research Center survey, Hispanic adults were less likely than all U.S. adults to say they had seen a health care professional within the previous year.

"Foregoing needed medical care when needed or not having access to preventive medicine can have disastrous consequences in health, even in the short term," said Dr. Cesar Caraballo Cordovez, a postdoctoral associate at the Yale School of Medicine Center for Outcomes Research & Evaluation.

In the long term, medical conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes can be silent for years and wreak havoc on people's health if diagnosed late, he said. High blood pressure, or hypertension, and diabetes increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

"Early diagnosis in these conditions is important, and if you don't have a usual source of care or if you don't go to the doctor regularly, they can be missed for years," Caraballo said.

The reasons many Latino people stay away from the doctor's office are complex. Lack of insurance, cultural and language barriers, cost of care and immigration status all influence why people don't go.

Research shows that men in general are less likely to visit a doctor than women, a trend that cuts across race. In a 2022 Cleveland Clinic survey of about 1,000 adult men, 53% of white men said they don't get regular health screenings. For non-white men, it was 63%.

Diana Sanchez, chair of the psychology department at Rutgers University in New Jersey, said her research shows that men with more traditional views of masculinity tend to avoid routine medical screenings to appear "brave and self-sufficient." This strong sense of masculinity, or "machismo," is ingrained in Latino culture, she said.

"Given the sort of emphasis on machismo culture in the Latinx community," Sanchez said, "it's not surprising that you might see Latino men particularly disinclined to seek medical care.  They see it as a sign of weakness or vulnerability."

Regardless of gender, there is evidence that a health care professional's race and ethnicity matter to Latino patients. They respond better when they see a doctor of a similar background, Sanchez said. But the number of Hispanic physicians has not kept pace with the rapid growth of the Latino population, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. While Hispanic people make up nearly 19% of the U.S. population, AAMC data shows about 7% of physicians identified as Hispanic in 2021.

Language also can be a barrier, Sanchez said. Spanish is spoken in 13% of U.S. households, census data show. The number of Spanish-speaking physicians varies, but a study published last year in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine showed 22% of family physicians reported providing care in Spanish.

"So, if we're talking about a Latino community whose primary language is Spanish, identifying a doctor who they can easily communicate with might also be a challenge," Sanchez said.

Even taking time off work can pose difficulties. "Depending on whether people are underemployed or have other issues with the workplace that they're in, where they don't get paid if they leave, for example, people can't afford literally to go to the doctor or take the time to go to the doctor," she said. "And of course, not having insurance is a huge barrier because medical expenses are so high."

Caraballo coauthored a 2021 study published in JAMA that showed lack of insurance prevailed as a major obstacle to health care among Hispanic people. Latino people "persistently had the largest prevalence of lack of health insurance," he said. "It was significantly reduced after 2010 with the Affordable Care Act, but still in 2018 it was three times higher than that of white people."

Other studies have found Spanish-speaking immigrants without legal U.S. status face additional obstacles to seeking preventive medical care. As a result, many of them depend on visits to the emergency room.

Regardless of the reason, experts say the reluctance to see a doctor could spell trouble because of a higher risk for certain chronic health problems among Latinos, such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension.

Caraballo said it is imperative to improve access to affordable care and insurance for Latino people. Census estimates suggest the Hispanic population could make up 28% of the U.S. population by 2060.

Establishing high-quality clinics and doctor's offices staffed by Spanish-speaking personnel in Latino neighborhoods can go a long way toward providing medical care and education about preventive health, he said.

Some Latino communities already are reaching out to recent immigrants through community health workers who serve as liaisons between residents and the health care system, Caraballo said.

"They could have profound impacts within communities by advocating for preventive medicine or maintenance of good health or healthy lifestyles," he said. "Those would be magnificent strategies to improve the health of the Latino and Hispanic population."

American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved.

By Lourdes Medrano, American Heart Association News
(Bloomberg) -- Biden administration officials have decided to issue an emergency waiver that will allow widespread sales of higher-ethanol E15 gasoline this summer, following a strategy used last year to help tamp down high pump prices.

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The move, set to be announced by the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday, will temporarily exempt the 15% ethanol fuel blend from volatility requirements that effectively block sales from June 1 to Sept. 15 throughout much of the country. The planned exemption was described by people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the decision isnt public. Spokespeople for the EPA did not immediately respond to requests for comment after normal business hours.

The waiver comes after weeks of lobbying by ethanol advocates, including elected officials from corn-producing Midwest states, who were frustrated by a separate Biden administration decision to delay another policy shift that aimed to more permanently expand summertime E15 sales.

QuickTake: How Plan to Boost Ethanol Will Reverberate Across US

It also is the latest sign of the biofuel industrys political clout in the nations capital, coming just days after House Republican leaders yielded to demands of Midwest lawmakers and gave biofuel tax credits a last-minute reprieve from their bill abolishing hundreds of billions of dollars in clean energy incentives.

To justify the emergency move, the EPA is set to cite similar conditions that provided the foundation for a series of the temporary waivers last year, the people said. At the time, the EPA argued that the fuel volatility waiver for E15 was in the public interest and needed to address fuel supply circumstances spurred by the war in Ukraine.

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Ethanol advocates argued those circumstances are actually worse now  with tight gasoline inventories and less emergency crude in the nations stockpile even as the war rages on.

There are political benefits, too. While gasoline prices arent near last years highs, they remain elevated heading into the summer driving season  and are one of the most visible forms of inflation, weighing on Bidens reelection bid. If prices spike again, Biden could point to the E15 action as an attempt to provide relief.

Even so, E15 is only available at about 2,700 of the nations more than 150,000 filling stations. However, an analysis conducted for the pro-ethanol group Growth Energy said that when summertime E15 sales were greenlighted last year, the blend cost 16 cents-per-gallon less than conventional E10 on average.

Oil industry advocates have questioned the legality of the emergency approach, raising the specter of a court challenge.

Conventional E10 gasoline, which is widely sold across the US, has a partial waiver from the same fuel volatility limits already  an exemption Midwestern governors have asked the EPA to abolish.

--With assistance from Kim Chipman.

(Updates with waiver justification and other details from fifth paragraph.)

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By now, every person with eyes and internet access has borne witness to the palpable sexual tension currently radiating between co-stars Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell.

While promoting their new film, the R-rated romantic comedy Anyone But You, the general consensus is that the pair have been doing too good of a job convincing the public that their electrifying chemistry is authentic and not just a product of the movies savvy marketing department. The unbridled flirtatious energy between these two rising movie stars wouldnt be quite such a big deal were it not for the fact that Sweeney is currently engaged to her boyfriend of four years, restaurateur Jonathan Davino, while Powell was thought to be with his girlfriend of three, model Gigi Paris  though that was recently proven not to be the case.

All appearances would suggest that Sweeney and Powell have hooked up, but the pairs PR teams and a myriad of anonymous sources have been working overtime all week to prove to the tabloids that this film is not going to be another Mr. & Mrs. Smith situation. These two are just really, really good method actors, okay?! Whether or not life is actually imitating art and these two have fallen head over heels while pretending to fall head over heels still remains to be seen. But if this is all just a strategy to get us excited to see a rom-com that didnt even have a title until this week, its working. The movie has instantly become one of the most anticipated rom-coms of the year. (And we needed a rom-com with good chemistry. I mean, remember Ashton Kutcher and Reese Witherspoon during their rom-com promotional circuit for Your Place or Mine back in February? Exactly.)

So while we may never know what went down on that movie set, what we can say is that Sweeney and Powell have certainly provided plenty of fodder to keep those will-they, wont-they rumors circulating in perpetuity and get butts into movie seats whenever this thing does finally come out. Here, all the times these romantic leads played their roles just a little too well.

The Offscreen Chemistry

Since the cast was announced at the beginning of the year, Powell and Sweeney have been in Australia filming Anyone But You, from the director of Easy A and Friends With Benefits, matchmaker Will Gluck. From the moment paparazzi images of the two of them on set started surfacing, fans couldnt help but take note of the pairs natural chemistry both during scenes and in between takes  not to mention the way they always seemed to be positioned next to each other in group photos and that Sweeney spent a whole lot of quality time with Powells family during filming, for someone who is simply a colleague.

Filming wrapped shortly after Pariss departure, and Powell and Sweeney began to post all sorts of behind-the-scenes content from their time working together to drum up excitement for the movies release. However, that content drummed up a little more excitement than either of them intended. One video in particular, in which Sweeney does a trust fall off a couch into Powells arms, set social media alight with condolences to the two actors partners. Another Instagram slideshow posted by Sweeney, in which she and Powells heads are touching in almost every single shot, certainly didnt help the speculation. Although, as someone with a lot of friends who graduated from the NYU Drama department, I have to point out that this is also classic actor behavior. If youre an actor and you arent somehow in physical contact with another actor, did you ever really zip, zap, zop at all?

Photo: MTRX/BACKGRID

The Real-Life Breakup

Last month, suspicions began that Powells relationship with Paris was on the rocks after the model went to visit him on set but stayed for less than two weeks  an amount of time that I thought seemed perfectly reasonable to go visit a person, let alone a person at work in Australia, but that Page Six implied really is not. And considering the trajectory of this whole narrative, I guess the publication was right!

Shortly after Sweeney shared the above carousel of treasured memories from Down Under, Paris unfollowed her. The model then all but spelled out what happened in a string of not-so-cryptic Instagram Stories, posting music such as Fleetwood Macs Silver Springs and the Wild Rivers Thinking Bout Love (from their album Songs to Break Up To), both of which are about the demise of a relationship. She also shared an image from Gabby Bernstein that read, gut feelings are guardian angels, then capped off her posting spree with a telltale sexy photo shoot captioned never better with a waving emoji. Paris later unfollowed Powell as well.

The Press Tour Begins

This week, on April 25, the two romantic-comedy leads arrived in Las Vegas to promote the film at CinemaCon, and fans noticed that Sydney wasnt wearing her engagement ring during the appearance. Again, not the most unusual behavior for an actress who has outfit changes and jewelry-brand contracts to fulfill. But given the current headlines, youd think shed like to dissuade out of respect to her fiance; the choice to go ringless did seem a little sus.

During this appearance, Sweeney and Powell also had a string of very playful exchanges (that is, when they werent gazing at each other with doe eyes and goofy grins). Clearly, they had a whole lot of practice pretending to be in love while filming in Australia.

At the height of all the gossip swirling around this week, Sweeney chose this particular moment to post a video of herself wearing a crop top that reads KISS THE BOYS AND MAKE THEM CRY  which, as with all of the above evidence of this supposed affair, is either a completely innocuous detail or the obvious smoking gun.

On April 26, Paris finally confirmed that she and Powell had broken up, posting a video of herself walking away with the caption Know your worth & onto the next. However, according to a source who spoke to People, the couple actually split up weeks before all this drama unfolded, following earlier breakups and reconciliations. Gigi and Glen had broken up several times, the source said. They had been on the rocks since Top Gun came out. Gigi was never happy with the long distance filming and when she came to Australia they both decided to break up for good. So what Im hearing is Powell has actually been single for weeks now  interesting.

Sweeney, however, is still very much engaged to her fiance, multiple sources with knowledge confirmed to TMZ. They also confirmed that the couple is still living together and that she and Powell are not dating, though we didnt exactly ask if theyre dating. Davino was seen outside the home he and Sweeney share in Los Angeles on Tuesday carrying a couple of duffel bags and her dogs bed, suggesting Sweeney and Powell really might just be incredible actors taking the verisimilitude way too far.

Either way, I blame Tom Cruise for all of this. When he and Powell were filming Top Gun: Maverick together, Cruise told him to lean into being a douchebag, thus setting off a chain of pop-culture events he couldnt have possibly foretold.
TORONTO, April 28, 2023 /CNW/ - The Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) is responding to three recent arbitration decisions stemming from the overturn of Bill 124 by expressing frustration, noting that the resulting wage adjustments are not nearly enough to retain and recruit registered nurses (RNs) and health-care workers to a system suffering from severe shortages.

Ontario Nurses' Association Logo (CNW Group/Ontario Nurses' Association)

"ONA members have spent years fighting Bill 124 and they have taken real wage cuts because of this unconstitutional attack on our rights," says ONA Interim Provincial President Bernie Robinson, RN. "The retroactive wage adjustments from these recent decisions are simply too little, too late to address the significant health-care staffing shortages that are hurting patient care. They utterly fail to address the relentless decay in working conditions for a workforce that has been on the front lines for Ontarians throughout a deadly pandemic, nor do they do anything to address existing gender inequity."

The arbitration decisions come after ONA's successful challenge of Bill 124, which suppressed wage increases, was found to be unconstitutional by Ontario's Superior Court in 2022. ONA was successful in achieving reopener clauses in collective agreements, allowing the union to seek retroactive wages should the bill be overturned.

Based on these decisions, ONA members working in the charitable homes sector will receive an additional 0.75 per cent in each of three years, effective July 1 of 2021, 2022 and 2023. ONA hospital-sector members will receive additional wage increases of 0.75 per cent effective April 1, 2020, 1.0 per cent effective April 1, 2021 and 2.0 per cent, effective April 1, 2022. In addition, the wage grid for nurses between years eight and 25 has been condensed. The most recent arbitration continued to show wage restraint when the facts demonstrated much more was warranted and essential to retain nurses. Hospital members and their dependents achieved badly needed access to unlimited mental health coverage, a vital achievement for a workforce experiencing high rates of burnout and PTSD.

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Robinson says the increases do not reflect the value of RNs and health-care professionals, and calls for much more work to be done to address the severe nursing shortage in Ontario. "We continue to call on the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) to settle a respectful contract with hospital nurses in the current round of bargaining, and that must include the better staffing, better pay and better care that other Canadian provinces are offering." ONA recently completed the current round of bargaining with the OHA without reaching a negotiated agreement. Arbitration will be held May 2 and 3; ONA will await another decision, expected this summer. Robinson says a negotiated settlement has not been reached in more than 12 years  proving there is a continued lack of willingness to reach a deal and instead relying on arbitration.

ONA is the union representing 68,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals as well as 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care, public health, the community, clinics and industry.

SOURCE Ontario Nurses' Association

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2023/28/c0211.html
Photo: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

Yes, Jack Harlow is serious. In the Wait, really sense: He did drop a new album just two days after announcing it and less than a year after the last one. But also on a more literal level: Jackman., Harlows third full-length, is his attempt at being taken seriously as a rapper, if you couldnt tell from the government-name-and-period title. The once horny white boy of the moment is now rapping about racism, sexual assault, family, and fame, still over beats that sound way more expensive than the bars coming out of his mouth. Needless to say, listening to it has left me with more questions than answers. So, like Harlow on closing track Questions, Im going to ask them all right now.

How did this man get so jacked?

Did Harlow ever think about flipping Jumpman into a song called Jackman?

Or, what the hell, getting Hugh Jackman to sing a hook on this thing?

Why does this album title need a period.

What A&R consultant rewatched Harlows political BET cypher and decided we needed more conscious rap from him?

Did Harlow just rap The dialect got a little splash of some Black on it  in a blaccent?

How does such a mid rapper keep bagging some of the better beats in mainstream rap?

Who lied to Harlow and told him he was the hardest white boy since Eminem?

So if Harlows at Carmichaels, a bookstore, can he read? Sorry, does he like to read?

Who is the rapper that we were claiming a mainstay on They Dont Love It? And how does Harlow know they never gon maintain?

Is Im cummin in my girl like Im sterile a more haunting lyric than Like a blade of grass wants sunlight, I just want that ass?

Just making sure I have this right: front row at the Knicks > 15 high-school chicks > front row of dicks?

If Harlow gets FaceTime calls about God from Justin too, how often is Justin Bieber randomly FaceTiming other celebrities?

Why is Harlow rapping about reading articles about himself after he just rapped about never searching his name?

What if Harlow did try more actin and less rhymin?

How many ways can Harlow repackage the same flow on this album?

How often is Harlow going to 1 OAK, anyway?

If Harlows (former) friends got charged with crimes, and there were arrest records, mugshots, and such, how would the friend whos relaying the news to Harlow have possibly confused them for a different Marcus or Kevin?

Has Harlow honestly ever called his friends brethren?

Did anyone tell Harlow to tone down Gang Gang Gang in the slightest?

How does Jason Davis, vice-president of publicity at Atlantic Records, feel about getting name-dropped in Denver (or me writing about that right now)?

Wait  if Harlow wonders if the people that write about him are right about him, then am I, a person writing about him, right about him?

How does Harlows homeboy who just beat cancer have anything to do with how his girl dont need no enhancers?

Wait, was I just bobbing my head to that beat?

Did Harlow run these white-privilege bars by Macklemore first?

But really, how much did Harlow pay Dahi and Boi-1da for these beats?

If Harlow wants to make anthems, does he think he started with this album?

Whos the girlfriend Harlow is keeping under wraps?

And what does she think about the cheating, or him calling his ex (or calling her No Answer)?

If Harlow says The masses never heard your boy rapping so honestly, well, have you?

Can we have silly Jack Harlow back now?
Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: ABC, Columbia Pictures, Lionsgate, Fox, Walt Disney

Puberty, periods, and preteen angst: not exactly Hollywoods favorite subjects, yet all three are out in full force in Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret, the new movie based on Judy Blumes classic novel. Relative newcomer Abby Ryder Fortson stars as the titular sixth-grader, a thoughtful, good-natured 11-year-old trying to figure out who she is during a tumultuous time in her life. Margaret may not be your typical onscreen heroine; she couldnt be easier to root for.

But is she the best Margaret? Thats up for debate. Over the decades, a plethora of fictional Margarets (and Maggies, Megs, and Peggys) have graced our film and TV screens, from zombie-fighting warriors to thumb-sucking babies and everyone in between. Really, its Margarets world, were just living in it  but heres how each of these characters with the moniker stacks up, Blumes Margaret Simon included.

20. Margaret Maggie Walsh (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Portrayed by: Lindsay Crouse

Oh, Professor Walsh. At first, she seems fairly cool, the kind of ultrasmart, take-no-prisoners professor everyone at least respects, if not likes. But then she has to go and start creating part-demon, part-machine super-soldiers. When Buffy gets a bit too close to her dangerous secret plans, she sets some of those monsters on our girl to try to kill her. In the end, its Walsh who gets killed by Adam, one of her own creations, before he escapes the lab and causes all sorts of chaos. Couldnt you have just kept on teaching psychology at UC Sunnydale, professor?

19. Margaret Wade (Dennis the Menace)

Portrayed by: Nicole Eggert (1980), Jeannie Elias (19862002)

A bratty, spoiled, self-absorbed kid who takes fun in messing around with Denniss feelings, Margaret Wade deserves one of the lowest rankings on our list. She gets a bit of leeway for being, well, a child and a cartoon one at that. Even so, Margarets the real menace here.

18. Margaret Tate (The Proposal)

Portrayed by: Sandra Bullock

As much as it pains us to rank any Sandra Bullock character this low, Margaret in The Proposal is pretty awful. At the beginning of the 2009 rom-com, shes a demanding, intimidating publishing boss with no work-life balance to speak of and a litany of employees who hate her guts, including one she blackmails into getting married. By the end of the movie, shes no less terrible, just slightly more open about her flaws and no longer in fear of being deported to Canada. Why the far-superior Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) chooses to stay with her is a mystery.

17. Margaret Racetrack Edmondson (Battlestar Galactica)

Portrayed by: Leah Cairns

A dark, bitter pilot with a not-so-subtle racist streak, Margaret Racetrack Edmonson isnt exactly a barrel of fun during her tenure on the mid-aughts Syfy series. Over the course of her 30-odd episodes, Racetrack does some important work, like blowing up a Cylon Basestar and volunteering to serve as ECO, but her cynical, make-no-friends attitude doesnt win her any favors. At least she (kind of) redeems herself in death by accidentally firing nukes that destroy the Cylons home base. She does save humanity, which would be a pro for a Margaret ranking, but it isnt on purpose so its hard to give her too much credit. Thanks, I guess?

16. Margaret Peg Bundy (Married  With Children)

Portrayed by: Katey Sagal

All hail Peg Bundy, the queen of demanding everything and giving nothing. She refuses to take care of the house and instead spends her time binging TV and eating bonbons. She has money to spend but prefers to steal peoples purses. Shes so averse to hard work that she was once called the laziest bitch in Chicago, and she never runs out of insults for her husband. Shes a feminist anti-hero for the ages, emphasis on the anti.

15. Margaret Meg March (Little Women)

Portrayed by: Janet Leigh (1949), Trini Alvarado (1994), Emma Watson (2019), and more

Lets be honest: Meg is the most boring of the March sisters. Jos a headstrong writer, Amys a self-assured artist, and even Beths a sweet peacemaker, but Megs just  Meg. Shes known for her beauty, her maturity, and not much else. Even when brought to life onscreen in multiple adaptations, she remains just as unremarkably bland. Sorry, Meg.

14. Margaret Maggie Pierce (Greys Anatomy)

Portrayed by: Kelly McCreary

A cardiothoracic surgeon who joined Greys back in Season ten (and just wrapped her last episode), Maggie is a lot. Shes an impressively smart, ambitious, and passionate doctor who would do anything for her patients and her sisters, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Amelia (Caterina Scorsone). But shes neurotic, condescending, and so hyperfocused on her job that shes willing to lose her marriage over it. Maggie may not be the person you want to grab a beer with, though shes certainly the one youd want in the operating room.

13. Margaret Hot Lips Houlihan (M*A*S*H)

Portrayed by: Loretta Swit

Margaret Hot Lips Houlihan, the head nurse and highest-ranking female officer of the 4077th, is a complicated woman: stern, disapproving, and generally anti-fun if its not the service of getting her own way. A bit of a hypocrite, she maintains a prudish attitude about others yet has no qualms about using her sex appeal to get ahead (as with the tryst that earns her the nickname). Over time, the character mellows a bit, revealing an inner loneliness and insecurity that lets her finally make some friends and not be such a constant buzzkill.

12. Margaret Dashwood (Sense and Sensibility)

Portrayed by: Emilie Francois

While Margaret, the youngest Dashwood daughter, has a fairly minor role in the 1995 Sense and Sensibility adaptation, she makes a notable impact  thanks in large part to star and writer Emma Thompsons decision to expand the role from Jane Austens novel. As a more curious and studious teenager, this version of Margaret asks her sisters the tough questions about romance, womanhood, and societal expectations, and she isnt always pleased with the answers. We feel for ya, Margaret.

11. Margaret Maggie Sheffield (The Nanny)

Portrayed by: Nicholle Tom

Maggie is a good kid. The eldest Sheffield daughter starts off the series as an awkward introvert afraid of most social interactions because of her fathers overprotectiveness. But when Fran (Fran Drescher) enters the picture, the teen comes out of her shell and ends up a vivacious, confident woman who marries an underwear model whos related to Barbra Streisand. Not a bad character arc!

10. Margaret Simon (Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret)

Portrayed by: Abby Ryder Fortson

In both Judy Blumes beloved 1970 novel and the new film adaptation, Margaret is a smart, curious, kindhearted preteen with the same goals as any kid her age: to fit in, be happy, and not die from embarrassment. Shes not perfect  her insecurities cause her to pick on another girl in her grade, she cares too much about what others think, and it takes her a long time to find her sense of self  but who is at 11? Margaret means well, and for the most part, she succeeds. Plus, by the end of the movie (very minor, 40-year-old spoiler alert), she has apologized to the girl she bullied and has (mostly) stopped comparing herself to everyone around her, finally content to be her own, perfectly good-enough self. Margaret would be fine with being the tenth-best Margaret.

9. Margaret Kit Kittredge (Kit Kittredge: An American Girl)

Portrayed by: Abigail Breslin

Samantha and Molly may get the most recognition from American Girl fans, but Kit  the Depression-era doll played by Breslin in the 2008 screen adaptation  deserves a spotlight of her own. At 10 years old, shes an aspiring journalist who publishes her own newspaper full of gossip about her neighbors various crimes and goings-on. Does it get her in trouble? Of course. Should someone be babysitting her? Definitely. But you gotta root for a girl who knows what she wants and goes after it from a tender age, in killer print dresses to boot.

8. Margaret Maggie Simpson (The Simpsons)

Portrayed by: Nancy Cartwright

Yes, Maggie is a baby. And no, she doesnt talk. But somehow, shes still the secret weapon of The Simpsons. Theres much more to Maggie than her trademark pacifier and tendency to trip and fall on her own clothes with a thump. She may secretly be the smartest member of the family. (Sorry, Lisa.) And of course, theres the time she shot Mr. Burns after he tried to steal her candy during his attempt to block out the sun in Springfield and make the citizens rely on his nuclear plant. For that action alone, she wins our utmost respect.

7. Margaret Meg Murray (A Wrinkle in Time)

Portrayed by: Storm Reid

Although Ava DuVernays 2018 adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time didnt win over many critics, its protagonist, 13-year-old Meg Murray, is a heroine worth celebrating. A brilliant but insecure teen who rankles at even a whisper of authority, Meg is no pushover. During her universe-crossing journey to find her missing father, she learns to silence her inner critic and take pride in her cleverness and uniqueness. Sure, the movie may not hold a candle to Madeleine LEngles 1962 novel, but thanks in no small part to Storm Reids portrayal of the inspirational Meg, its still well worth a watch.

6. Margaret Hooper (The West Wing)

Portrayed by: NiCole Robinson

The senior assistant to chief of staff Leo McGarry (John Spencer), Margaret is one of the most entertaining characters on The West Wing. Her eccentric, unpredictable personality may occasionally grate on Leos nerves (as when she eavesdrops on meetings and practices the presidents signature), but her clear competency at her job and her high intelligence make her beloved by all, even after Leo sadly passes away. And while Margaret never becomes a main character, her presence improves every scene shes in  even when shes off-camera, nosily listening from behind a wall.

5. Margaret

Directed by: Kenneth Lonergan

There may not be any actual character named Margaret in Kenneth Lonergans 2011 masterpiece  the films name comes from a Gerard Manley Hopkins poem about youth and death thats a topic of discussion in Lisas (Anna Paquin) English class  but were ranking Margarets, and by golly if Margaret isnt a great Margaret! A psychological drama about the aftermath of a New York City high schooler witnessing a strangers sudden death, Margaret is a stunning, unforgettable look at grief, trauma, and coming of age. Its star-studded cast also features Allison Janney, Matt Damon, Mark Ruffalo, Matthew Broderick, and not one but two future Succession stars, Kieran Culkin and J. Smith-Cameron. Whats not to love?

4. Margaret Maggie Greene (The Walking Dead)

Portrayed by: Lauren Cohan

Maggie may start out the AMC series sheltered and unhelpful to the others, but time and the apocalypse eventually turn her into a skilled fighter who knows how to be a true leader. Her romance with Glenn (Steven Yeun) serves to soften her edges too, while still giving her room to be a badass, strong-willed commander who will do whatever it takes to survive. Of all The Walking Deads characters, Maggie experiences perhaps the most growth over the series, as aided by Cohans excellent, nuanced performance. Seeing her (spoiler) end the show coming out on top in the leadership position she has so earned? That feels damn good.

3. Margaret Peggy Carter (the Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Portrayed by: Hayley Atwell

A no-nonsense, tough-as-nails member of S.H.I.E.L.D. whos always dressed to perfection, Peggy is a Marvel fan favorite. It doesnt hurt that shes the one true love of Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America (Chris Evans)  and his equal. Unlike many romantic interests in the MCU, shes no damsel in distress or one-dimensional side character but a fully-formed human whose inner strength and determination not to be underestimated act as her superpowers. We can sing Peggys praises all day.

2. Margaret Peggy Hill (King of the Hill)

Portrayed by: Kathy Najimy

Is Peggy perfect? Absolutely not. Shes as stubborn as they come, always refusing to back down even when shes clearly in the wrong; she gets angry when people challenge her and then takes it out on her well-meaning loved ones; shes severely narcissistic and obsessed with her image and self-worth; and to top it all off, shes certainly not the sharpest crayon in the box. But does any of that really matter when shes so damn likable? Regardless of her faults, its impossible not to root for Peggy. Shes devoted to her family, strong as anything, and, occasionally, shes even right.

1. Margaret Peggy Olson (Mad Men)

Portrayed by: Elisabeth Moss

Another Peggy takes the top spot on our list, and its none other than Mad Mens beloved secretary turned copywriter and all-around icon Peggy Olson. With her refusal to be treated as less than the men she works with, her genius marketing ideas that lead her to finally be taken seriously, and her totally enviable outfits, everything about Peggy is utter perfection  including her forever memed walk through the hallways with a cigarette in her mouth and a box in her hands containing a NSFW Japanese woodcut and other trinkets. Theres no one cooler than Peggy, and while she may not realize that at the beginning of the series, she certainly does by the end. Thats why shes both our top Margaret and one of our all-time favorite TV characters.
Alec Baldwin. Photo: Jim Spellman/Getty Images

The producers of Rust say its time for the show to go on following the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film in October 2021. The Associated Press reported on April 20 that production on Alec Baldwins embattled western is set to resume. But the road to get back to acting hasnt been easy for Baldwin. While he returns to acting and executive-producing duties on the Joel Souzadirected film, he is balancing myriad legal battles and booking new roles. New Mexico prosecutors originally charged the actor with two counts of involuntary manslaughter on January 31. Prosecutors at the time attached a firearm enhancement to the charges, meaning Baldwin would face a five-year-minimum jail sentence if convicted. But lawyers successfully disputed the firearm enhancement, arguing that it was an unconstitutional and elementary legal error, and the rest of his charges have since been fully dropped. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the on-set armorer at the time of the tragedy, still faces similar charges and will not return to the film. While the charges against Baldwin have been dropped from the New Mexico prosecutors, the family of Hutchins still has its own lawsuit, filed in February 2023 against Baldwin and Rust Productions in the Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and loss of consortium. Where does Rust go from here? Everything we know, below.

Where will Rust resume filming?

Filming will resume at the Yellowstone Film Ranch in Montana, producers confirmed on February 22, with filming officially starting on April 20. The Rust team previously said they would not return to New Mexico to complete the film, which was halfway through filming when Hutchins was killed. The new set opened in June 2020 and hosted Murder at Yellowstone City, The Old Way, and other productions.

Who is involved from the original Rust production?

Both old and new crewmembers will return to production, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Bianca Cline steps in as director of photography in Hutchinss stead with widower Matthew Hutchinss blessing and support. The cinematographer, known for her work in Marcel the Shell With Shoes On and American Horror Story, will reportedly donate her salary from the movie to charity. Baldwin, for his part, still has scenes left to film. Despite being embroiled in legal woes, Baldwin may still play the lead role, according to a Variety report.

Noticeably absent is Gutierrez-Reed, the on-set armorer who, together with Baldwin, faces criminal charges for her role in the shooting. Also absent is former assistant director Dave Halls, who signed a plea deal in the criminal case over the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon. In fact, producers have not yet named an armorer, props master, and assistant director for the upcoming filming. As for an ammunition supplier, there will be no such role. The shoot will no longer use working weapons, making that job unnecessary. Enhanced safety protocols will be enforced, per THR.

Other key members have signed on to complete the film, however. Director and writer Joel Souza, who was injured in the shooting, will return to set. Though bittersweet, I am grateful that a brilliant and dedicated new production team joining former cast and crew are committed to completing what Halyna and I started, Souza said in a statement. My every effort on this film will be devoted to honoring Halynas legacy and making her proud. It is a privilege to see this through on her behalf. All of the original producers will resume their roles.

A lawyer for Rust Movie Productions says the scene that was being rehearsed when Hutchins was fatally shot has been rewritten, though she did not comment on the changes. Vulture has reached out to the production company for comment.

What does Halyna Hutchinss family have to say about Rust resuming filming?

Hutchinss husband, Matthew, supports the production resuming. Following the settlement of a wrongful death lawsuit over the shooting last October, the deal agreed to continue filming with Hutchinss blessing. Under the deal, he also serves as an executive producer on the film. The late cinematographers mother, father, and sister are not involved in the project and have an active lawsuit that names the production company, Baldwin, Gutierrez-Reed, and more.

Whos in the cast?

Jake Busey boarded the cast as of April 28, joining Patrick Scott McDermott, Frances Fisher, and Baldwin himself in the picture.

When is Rust out?

Rust does not have a release date at this point. While filming is set to resume this spring, it is unclear if or how the pending lawsuits will affect the schedule.

This is a developing story and has been updated throughout.
Honeygain, a crowdsourced web intelligence network, provides businesses with the required resources to perform, for example, travel fare aggregation across the web. As the travel industry is experiencing increasing demand for affordable flights and accommodation, companies need solutions to perform data-intensive operations and Honeygain is offering a trailblazing network for the booming travel industry before the summer season.

LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / The Honeygain network is a valuable asset to various industries as it provides companies with the necessary public web data, especially before high-demand periods. Namely, travel businesses need large amounts of publicly accessible online information to scan competitor prices for flights or travel deals across the web and adjust their strategy accordingly as the summer season approaches.

Honeygain

Notably, 68% of the closed sales within the travel industry were done online in 2022, with a trend to dominate the selling process in upcoming years. That is why Honeygain is a vital tool to its business partners, as the network provides the means to maintain competitive prices online and attract customers for its business partners.

As countless companies need to compare their prices online in their niche markets, Honeygain plays an important role for renowned brands to allow travel fare aggregators to observe real-time data and correct their prices daily.

Moreover, popular travel destinations are often fully booked within a couple of days. Consequently, Honeygain enables the supply of the needed information to its business partners so that travel companies can react to rate changes as well as flight and accommodation bookings almost instantaneously.

That's why Honeygain is the leading crowdsourced web intelligence network playing a crucial part in the process of providing publicly available online data to global companies.

While Honeygain developed a trail-blazing crowdsourced web intelligence technology, the company continues to take extensive security measures. Honeygain exclusively partners with reputable companies and ensures safe traffic usage at endpoints by monitoring and preventing illicit activities.

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On the other receiving end are Honeygain users, who get monetary compensation for sharing their unused Internet resources with the network. Every user is awarded credits according to the amount of traffic they share that can be converted to fiat currency. The network is accessible globally to everyone wanting to try out the app.

About the Company:

Honeygain is the first-ever application that allows users to generate passive online income by sharing their Internet connection. It is the world's first crowdsourced web intelligence network that provides services to global industries for price comparisons, advertisement verification, brand protection, and more.

Contact Information

Monika Ezerinskaite

Lead Copywriter

press@honeygain.com

SOURCE: Honeygain

.





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The English Theatre of Rome presents Eurydice by the award-winning US playwright Sarah Ruhl from 30 April until 14 May.

Directed by Carl Granieri and produced by Gaby Ford, the play will be held at the Teatro Arciliuto in Piazza di Montevecchio 5 near Piazza Navona.

In her celebrated adaptation, Sarah Ruhl reimagines the Orpheus legend, not through her husband's famous pilgrimage to the Underworld, but through the eyes of its heroine, Eurydice.

On the day of her wedding, Eurydice falls victim to a tragic accident. Ripped from her beloved Orpheus, the greatest musician alive, she is sent hurtling into a dreamlike underworld where she reunites with her dead father. Orpheus journeys to retrieve her, but Eurydice begins to discover that the price of living again can sometimes exceed the cost of staying dead.

Full of dark humour, lyrical beauty, and unexpected twists, Ruhls contemporary take on Greek myth transforms the tale into a visceral meditation on a love worth grieving for.

Named "One of the 25 Best American Plays of the Last 25 Years" by the New York Times in 2018, the Rome production of Eurydice features Lidia Fili Aicardi, James Blundell, Nicoletta Brunelli, Alessandra Gage, Paul Guerin, Dune Medros, and Dayane Mounsib.

"Exhilarating! A luminous retelling of the Orpheus myth, lush and limpid as a dream where both author and audience swim in the magical, sometimes menacing, and always thrilling flow of the unconscious." -- The New Yorker, 2008.

The play will be staged on the following dates:

Sun 30 April at 20.00

Thu 4 May at 20.00

Fri 5 May at 20.00

Sat 6 May at 17.00 (matinee only)

Sun 7 May at 20.00

Thu 11 May at 20.00

Fri 12 May at 20.00

Sat 13 May at 17.00 (matinee only)

Sun 14 May at 20.00

For full details and to make a reservation see website.
BW Offshore

2023 Annual General Meeting  Notice

Notice is hereby given that the 2023 Annual General Meeting of BW Offshore Limited will be held at 18 Rebecca Road, Southampton, SN04, Bermuda on 22 May 2023 at 2:30 p.m. (Bermuda time).

Please see the attached documents in relation to the Annual General Meeting:

Chairmans Letter Notice of the 2023 AGM Form of Proxy Recommendation from the Nomination Committee

For further information, please contact:

Stale Andreassen, CFO, +47 91 71 86 55

Anders S. Platou, Head of Corporate Finance & Strategy, +47 99 50 47 40

IR@bwoffshore.com or www.bwoffshore.com

About BW Offshore:

BW Offshore engineers innovative floating production solutions. The Company has a fleet of 8 FPSOs with potential and ambition to grow. By leveraging four decades of offshore operations and project execution, the Company creates tailored offshore energy solutions for evolving markets world-wide. BW Offshore has around 2,000 employees and is publicly listed on the Oslo stock exchange.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

Attachments




World Press Photo Exhibition returns to Palazzo delle Esposizioni.

Rome hosts an exhibition dedicated to the the 2023 edition of World Press Photo at Palazzo delle Esposizioni on Via Nazionale from 5 May to 4 June.

The show presents a national preview of the 120 finalist photos of the international photojournalism competition which awards the best professional photographers every year since 1955.

The exhibition provides a chance to look back over the dramatic world events over the last year, including the protests in Iran, climate change, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and Afghanistan under the Taliban.

Each year an independent jury at the World Press Photo Foundation in Amsterdam selects images for this prestigious recognition of international photojournalism, with winners chosen in eight categories including general news, sports, the environment and portraits.

The 66th annual World Press Photo Contest drew entries from 3,752 photographers from 127 different countries.

For visiting details see Palazzo delle Esposizioni website. Cover image Lee Ann Olwage / World Press Photo 2023
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The image became emblematic of the early days of the war: a Ukrainian farmer triumphally towing away a Russian tank using nothing but a tractor. Back then, Ukrainian farmers were heroes, tilling their fields under bombardment. Unable to ship their grain overseas as Vladimir Putin blocked the ports, their silos already full from the previous season and with a new harvest looming, Europe rallied behind them, opening its internal market.

It was the right decision at the time, but it was based on a faulty assumption: that the invasion would be over quickly. There was no Plan B for a long conflict. Eastern European nations could, at best, absorb one, maybe two, Ukrainian harvests, but not more. The region is itself a net grain exporter, and Ukraine is one of the worlds top five agricultural exporters. Surpluses of grain have piled up over surpluses, depressing prices. The situation was unsustainable. Typically, unsustainable situations dont last. And this one hasnt.

Earlier this month, Poland, perhaps the staunchest supporter that Kyiv has in Europe, unilaterally closed its domestic grain market to Ukrainian famers. In quick succession, Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria have followed. We remain in solidarity with Ukraine, but the bankruptcy of Bulgarian farmers will not contribute to its cause, explained Bulgarian Prime Minister Galab Donev.

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Ironically, Ukrainian grain is badly needed in Europe  just not where is accumulating. Instead, its sought after in Spain and Italy, already suffering from a drought, and in the Netherlands, home of a very large livestock industry. But moving it there is difficult.

For now, the European Union appears paralyzed by a crisis no one in Brussels seems to have anticipated. Wheat and corn arent as eye-catching as tanks and missiles, but they are crucial for the survival of the Ukrainian economy. Even before the war, agriculture accounted for about 10% of its gross domestic product. Today, the share is probably higher as many other sectors have been destroyed.

The options for Brussels arent pretty. If it allows the bans to remain, the price of agricultural commodities within Ukraine will plunge, sparking a farming crisis. Russia knows that its victim has only two ways to export its food produce: either overland via Eastern Europe, or directly by ship via a United Nations-sponsored grain corridor in the Black Sea. If the EU closes its market, the Ukrainian farming sector would be at the mercy of the grain corridor, giving Putin the upper hand in negotiations. Already Moscow is trying to extract concessions in exchange for extending the life of the safe route by a few more months. Putin has already pushed out international grain traders from Russia, giving the Kremlin full control of its domestic market.

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But Brussels can hardly force nations to continue accepting Ukrainian grain. If it does, local prices, particularly for corn, would fall further, triggering fresh protests. Poland and Slovakia face general elections later this year, and the rural vote is likely to be crucial in both.

Eastern Europe has already absorbed a chunk of the 2020-2021 Ukrainian harvest, which was sitting in silos at the time of the Russian invasion in February 2022. And it took much of the 2021-2022 output. But it would struggle to take this years crops.

The solution favored by Brussels is to allow Ukrainian grain to move overland in sealed containers without stopping inside the EU. On paper, Ukrainian grain would flow via Poland to the Baltic Sea ports of Gydnia and Gdansk, and via Romania and Bulgaria to the Black Sea ports of Constanta and Varna. From there, it can reach the international market.

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Even if that was possible logistically in greater quantities than now  it isnt  the plan misunderstands the business of commodity trading. As long as Ukrainian grain competes for limited export capacity with domestic grain in Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria, local prices at the ports will remain under pressure. It doesnt matter whether the grain is meant to only transit the EU territory. The transit  and the use of limited port export capacity  itself has a big price impact. Ask any trader and they would tell you that plentiful supplies of Ukrianian wheat and corn at the Polish and Bulgarian ports would suppress local prices.

How to support both the Ukrainian farmers, key to the economic survival of the country, and the Polish farmers, a politically important community in a key ally of Kyiv? The only solution, you may have guessed already, is money: Subsidize the Eastern European farmers to allow Ukrainian grain to flow.

Brussels is offering some financial support already, but my guess is that its not nearly enough. It already needs to start hatching a Plan C. And the longer the conflict goes on, the more money will be needed.

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More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 How NATO Should Deter Vladimir Putins Russia: Andreas Kluth

 Ukraines Big Offensive May Put Biden in a Bind: Hal Brands

 Ukraine Gave Us a Blueprint to Fight World Hunger: Amanda Little

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Javier Blas is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy and commodities. A former reporter for Bloomberg News and commodities editor at the Financial Times, he is coauthor of The World for Sale: Money, Power and the Traders Who Barter the Earths Resources.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2023 Bloomberg L.P.

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ABUJA, Nigeria  Gunmen killed 15 villagers and abducted five aid workers in separate attacks in Nigeria's troubled northern region, authorities said Thursday. The assailants arrived in Benue states Apa area and opened fire on villagers in their homes, according to David Olofu, a senior state government official. He said military personnel were among those shot in the attack and many houses were razed as villagers fled to safety.

The incident in Benue is the latest in a spiral of violent attacks in which armed groups are targeting remote communities across Nigerias northwest and central regions, often defying government and security measures.

More than 80 people have been killed in Benue in the past month in such attacks. No group has claimed responsibility for the killings, though authorities have blamed Fulani herdsmen, a group of mostly young pastoralists from the Fulani tribe caught up in Nigerias conflict between host communities and herdsmen over limited access to water and land.

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In northeastern Nigeria, meanwhile, Islamic extremists abducted five aid workers in Ngala, Borno state, where an insurgency against the government has raged on for more than a decade.

The aid workers included three staff members and two contractors of the international non-government organization FHI 360, all working to provide lifesaving medical care to the people of Nigeria, the organization said Thursday, without further details on the incident.

FHI 360 condemned the abduction of the workers and called for their unconditional, immediate and safe return, according to a statement from Iorwakwagh Apera, the NGOs director in Nigeria. Our priority at this time is to support our team and their families, said Apera.

The Boko Haram extremist group has been waging a bitter war against Nigeria since 2009, and the insurgency has spread over the years to the neighboring countries of Cameroon, Niger and Chad. A breakaway faction of the group formed in 2016 and became known as the Islamic State in West Africa Province and is notorious for targeting security forces and aid workers.

___

Umar reported from Maiduguri, Nigeria.

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The Melbourne Writers festival kicks off next week for four days dedicated to celebrating, dissecting and exploring literature and the way it shapes and impacts the world around us. Built around the theme Ive been away for a while, this years program reaches out far and wide, and goes to some unexpected places.

From digging deep into specific books, to bigger questions about memory, nature and art, to a debate where sport and literature meet head on, weve put together a list that highlights the breadth of what the festival has on offer.

Author Claire Keegan will discuss her novel Small Things Like These. Credit:

Art and Stories

State Library Village Roadshow Theatrette, May 6, 10.30am

Curated by Ellen van Neerven, this event brings together First Nations authors and artists to discuss the way their work intersects and the bigger implications of art on the community.

Brigitta Olubas on Shirley Hazzard

State Library Village Roadshow Theatrette, May 7, Noon

Author of the acclaimed biography of the great Australian novelist tells the story of her life, work, and travels.
In a long-running show such as MasterChef Australia the aim, as it should also be in the kitchen, is to keep things fresh. To put it in food terms, think of a creme brulee, a classic that can be endlessly reinvigorated with new ingredients, rather than the blazing, but brief popularity of a fad like the cronut.

For its upcoming 15th series, MasterChef Australia aims to spice things up with the theme of secrets and surprises. One surprise already announced is the arrival of superstar British chef Jamie Oliver, dropping by for the first two episodes and returning to the MasterChef Australia kitchen for the first time in more than a decade. He joins a line-up of guest judges, including Curtis Stone, Maggie Beer, Rick Stein and Peter Gilmore.

MasterChef Australia: Secrets and Surprises features the return of Jamie Oliver (second from left), alongside regular judges Andy Allen (left), Jock Zonfrillo and Melissa Leong.

Oliver says while he doesnt like conflict, he does feel compelled to share the truth with contestants, be that good or bad. I try to be supportive and encouraging, he says. But sadly, the minute Im faced with a plate of food that tastes terrible, I can only speak the truth. Im not a very good liar!

This season, contestants will face enormous lamington towers, exploding confetti mystery boxes and never-before-seen twists. What you can expect is a secret and a surprise every single episode, which is no mean feat, says judge Melissa Leong. What it does is gives the contestants the catalyst to be inspired. There is something wonderful about food when you are truly inspired and asked to think about the world in a more magical way.
Voice architect Noel Pearson has delivered a stinging condemnation of contemporary Coalition leaders, accusing them of being too weak to embrace the task of changing the Constitution to acknowledge Indigenous Australians.

In a speech to the Labor-aligned John Curtin Research Centre on Thursday night, the Indigenous leader insisted the Voice referendum was on track to win despite months of divisive debate, and urged Australians to take personal responsibility for the push for reconciliation.

Indigenous leader Noel Pearson says it was not until Anthony Albaneses election last year that a leader fully embraced the push for reconciliation. Credit: James Brickwood

The public intellectual  criticised lately by the Coalition and No campaigners for personal attacks on Voice opponents  blamed former prime ministers Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison for the lack of action on reconciliation.

These leaders had displayed their inability or their cowardice in failing to use their political authority to convince their MPs of the need for constitutional recognition, Pearson said.
Market Research Future

Calcium Carbonate Market Research Report Information By Fusion Type (Anterior Interbody Fusion, Anterior Calcium Carbonate, Posterior Fusion), By Type (Metal, Polymer, And Others), By Surgery (Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, And Open Spine Surgery), By End Users (Orthopedic Clinics, Multispecialty Hospitals, Neurology Clinics, And Others), And By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, And Rest Of The World) - Forecast Till 2030

New York (US), April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calcium carbonate Industry Overview

The MRFR study reports the  Calcium Carbonate Market Research Report Information by Fusion Type, Surgery, Type, Region, and End Users - Forecast Till 2030, the global Calcium carbonate market is predicted to bolter substantially during the review era from 2022 to 2030 at a substantial growth rate of around 4.24%. The reports further predict the market will acquire nearly USD 51,568.6 million by the end of 2030. As per the documents, the Calcium carbonate market was valued at nearly USD USD 36,981.9 million in 2022.

Market Scope

The global Calcium carbonate industry has lately demonstrated immense development. The primary parameter causing a surge in the performance of the market is the escalating demand from diverse end-use industries such as paints & coatings, plastic, and paper. Furthermore, the positive growth of these industries is also anticipated to enhance the performance of the market over the assessment period. Moreover, the growing utilization of calcium carbonate as a filler is also anticipated to catalyze the market's growth over the assessment period.



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Competitive Analysis

The listing of the prominent leaders across the global market for Calcium carbonate includes players such as:

Mississippi Lime Company (US)

OMYA AG (Switzerland)

Fujian Sanmu Nano Calcium Carbonate Co., Ltd (China)

Imerys Performance Minerals (France)

Graymont Limited (Canada)

Minerals Technologies Inc. (US)

Calchem Industries (India) Ltd

Huber Engineered Materials (US)

GLC Minerals Inc. (US)

Yuncheng Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd (China)

Maruo Calcium Co., Ltd. (Japan)

Zhejiang Jiande Longhua Plastic Chemical Co. Ltd (China)

Globus Medical (US)

Among others.





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Report Scope:

Report Attribute Details Market Size in 2030 USD 51,568.6 million CAGR 4.24% (2022-2030) Base Year 2021 Forecast Period 2022-2030 Historical Data 2018 & 2020 Forecast Units Value (USD million) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Type, Application, and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW) Key Market Dynamics High demand from the paper and plastic industry



Growing demand from the paints and coatings industry





Browse In-depth Market Research Report (215 Pages) on Calcium Carbonate:



https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/calcium-carbonate-market-5383



Market USP Covered

Market Drivers

The global Calcium carbonate industry has lately demonstrated immense development. The primary parameter causing a surge in the performance of the market is the escalating demand from diverse end-use industries such as paints & coatings, plastic, and paper. Furthermore, the positive growth of these industries is also anticipated to enhance the performance of the market over the assessment period. Moreover, the growing utilization of calcium carbonate as a filler is also anticipated to catalyze the market's growth over the assessment period. In addition, the growing demand for brighter and bulkier paper is also projected to influence the market's performance positively.

Market Restraints

On the contrary, some parameters may restrict the market's development. The main parameter limiting the market's development is the high costs associated.

COVID-19 Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive impact on several industry areas worldwide. The Calcium carbonate market is no different than others. The market experienced a tremendous setback during the pandemic, given the halt of several industrial operations and manufacturing activities. However, with the world recovering from the impact caused by the global health hazard, the market is anticipated to grow considerably over the coming years.



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Segment Analysis

Among all the types, the GCC segment secured the top position in the global market or calcium carbonate in 2021. The main parameter supporting the segment's growth is the escalating demand from diverse end-use industries such as paints & coatings, plastic, and paper.

Among all the end-users, the paper segment secured the top spot across the global calcium carbonate market in 2021, with the largest contribution of around 39.61%. The primary parameter supporting the development of the segment is the growing demand for cost-effective filler, good printing properties, high whiteness, and enhanced focus on paper quality.

Regional Analysis

The global market for Calcium carbonate is studied across five major parts: Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, and Middle & Africa.

The research reports by MRFR suggest that the Asia-Pacific region held the top position across the global Calcium carbonate industry in 2021. The main parameter supporting the development of the regional market is the growing urbanization across the region. Furthermore, the increasing demand in the fashion industry, particularly in the cosmetics sector in the region's emerging economies, specifically in China, Japan, and Southeast Asian countries.

The North American regional market for Calcium carbonate secured the second top globally in 2021. The regional market is predicted to develop over the coming years substantially. The established presence of cosmetic and personal care manufacturers across the region is considered the main parameter supporting regional market development. The US Calcium Carbonate market contributed to the considerable contribution of the calcium carbonate market in the North American region.

The European regional calcium carbonate market is anticipated to show a substantial growth rate over the coming years. The escalating demand for calcium carbonate in hair applications is considered the primary parameter supporting the regional market expansion. The region has Germany as the leading growth contributor, followed by France.



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The calcium carbonate market for Latin America and the Middle East & African region is anticipated to grow substantially over the coming years. The main parameter supporting the development of the regional market is the increasing industrialization of pigment manufacturers. Furthermore, the shifting upward trend in the region's economy, along with the rising per capita disposable income of consumers across the region, are also projected to enhance the performance of the regional market over the coming years.

Discover more research Reports on Chemical Industry , by Market Research Future:

Chemical Intermediate Market: Information by Form (Solid, Liquid, and Gas), By End-Use Industry (Pharmaceutical, Agriculture, Paint & Coatings, and Others), and Region (North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa)Forecast till 2030

Cement Market Research Report Information By Type (Portland, Blended and Others), by Application (Residential Construction, Commercial Construction, Industrial, Others) And By Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa) - Forecast Till 2030.

Silica Sand Market Research Report Information By Mesh Size (<70 mesh, 70-120 mesh, 120-200 mesh,>200 mesh), By Grade (Glass, Foundry, Chemical), By Process (Wet Silica Sand and Dry Silica Sand), By Application (Glass, Hydraulic Fracturing, Foundry, Construction, Chemicals, Water Filtration, Paints& Coatings, Ceramics And Others), And By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, And Rest Of The World)  Market Forecast Till 2030.

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Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis with regard to diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions.

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State and federal leaders will wrestle with the nations strained health system and blowout infrastructure costs in the final national cabinet meeting before next months federal budget.

Pharmacies will receive an expanded remit to vaccinate, a new funding program will encourage GP clinics to open after hours, and visa eligibility rules for bringing overseas doctors to Australia will be discussed when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets state and territory leaders in Brisbane on Friday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will meet state and territory leaders in Brisbane on Friday. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The measures are an attempt to revive primary care and relieve pressures on state hospital emergency departments, which have buckled as bulk-billing rates decline and make GP visits less accessible for swathes of Australians.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said fixing Medicare and Australias broken primary care system remained his top priority for Fridays meeting, which will also be the first attended by new NSW Premier Chris Minns.
The 239th/240th sessions of the Permanent Technical Committee (PTC) took place from 25 to 27 April 2023. The Meeting brought together delegates from WCO Member administrations, international organizations and the private sector to discuss, provide guidance and endorse issues on a wide range of topics.

In his opening remarks, the WCO Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, began by expressing his gratitude to delegates for their participation in the PTC. He stated that the growing number of participants demonstrates the PTCs relevance, and its agenda addresses the concerns and interests of Members and stakeholders. The Secretary General also highlighted that the WCO is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year and that the PTC is one of the few Committees created directly by the Convention establishing the Customs Cooperation Council, now known as the WCO. While highlighting the role of the PTC as a relevant body in addressing various trade facilitation issues, Dr. Mikuriya remarked that the PTC has dealt with a range of trade facilitation activities to serve the WCOs vision, Borders divide, Customs connects. The Secretary General further stated that a number of conventions, frameworks of standards, guidelines, compendiums, and recommendations are forged and managed through the PTC. Saying that the WCO tries to be agile and respond to global events and changing environment, the Secretary General went on to highlight a number of emerging topics that the PTC would cover in this three-day meeting including the role of Customs in fragile and conflict-affected situations, Green Customs, the role of Customs in disaster relief, etc.

Speaking about the WCO theme of the year for 2023, which is premised on Nurturing the Next Generation: Promoting a Culture of Knowledge-sharing and Professional Pride in Customs, the Secretary General noted the importance of the knowledge sharing.

During the meeting, there were extensive deliberations on numerous topics. Regarding e-commerce, the PTC had the opportunity to hear a progress report on capacity-building activities in the area of cross-border e-commerce as well as examined and endorsed the 4th edition of the Compendium of Case Studies on E-Commerce. Further to this, the PTC also examined and endorsed the proposed revision of two annexes to the Technical Specifications to the E-Commerce FoS resulting from the 2022-2023 annual review process, namely the annexes on E-Commerce Business Models and E-Commerce Stakeholders: Roles and Responsibilities.

Referring to data and technology as essential factors for modernization and harmonization of Customs procedures, cross-border regulatory data exchange framework and technology and innovation were other topics of discussion at the meeting. The PTC also discussed and endorsed version 4.0.0. of the WCO Data Model.

Additional discussions were held on the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), Customs-Port Cooperation and the development of the new Time Release Study (TRS) online system. The PTC also welcomed the participation of the Private Sector Consultative Group (PSCG) and engaged in a dialogue that has begun to discuss future areas of collaboration.

The final day of the meeting witnessed the re-election of David Saville of the United Kingdom and Ririn Septiani of Indonesia as the Chair and Vice-Chair of the PTC, respectively, for the financial year 2023-2024.

During his closing remarks, the Director of Compliance and Facilitation, Mr. Pranab Kumar Das, congratulated delegates for the successful completion of the meeting and thanked Members and private sector entities who shared their national experiences with the PTC through their presentations adding that their contributions are instructive and beneficial to the PTC. He also congratulated the re-elected Chair and the Vice-Chair and assured them of the Secretariats continued support.
To support the eight Asia-Pacific Plastic Waste Project participating Customs Administrations in their efforts to combat the illegal trade in plastic waste, the WCO organised a risk management workshop from 26 to 28 April 2023 at the WCO headquarters in Brussels. Under the umbrella of the WCO Asia-Pacific Plastic Waste (APPW) Project, national customs officers were trained on assessing the risks and identifying indicators that may indicate violations of the rules for cross-border shipment of plastic waste.

Practical approaches

The programme included a visit to the container terminal Maasvlakte, in the port of Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. During practical sessions, the customs officers saw how containers with plastic waste can be safely opened and handled and how the contents can be classified. In collaboration with experts from the Environment Agency of England and the Flemish Environmental Authorities, the WCO project team delivered various sessions on the rules and procedures for shipping plastic waste, case studies and examples of modus operandi. The workshop ended with a group work and a discussion among the participants on how to move forward in the design of national risk profiles and possible regional actions between the project countries to respond to illegal plastic waste trade.

Plastic trade and the role of Customs

Plastic pollution is a growing concern, with negative implications for human health and the environment. Due to its value in the global commodity market, plastic waste is sold and traded across the world, presenting challenges when unrecyclable and contaminated plastics end up in the natural and marine environment. The trade and management of plastic waste are regulated by international and national legislative instruments. Breaches of those rules could lead to improper management of plastic waste, negatively impacting ecosystems, and communities. Customs are at the forefront of verifying compliance with rules to ship plastic waste and taking enforcement actions in case of violations.

About the Asia-Pacific Plastic Waste Project

With the financial support of the Government of Japan, the APPW Project was initiated in March 2020 and aims to strengthen the capacity of Customs administrations to mitigate and respond appropriately to environmental threats in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly on issues related to plastic waste and the illegal shipments thereof. WCO members participating in the project are the national Customs Administrations of Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam; Australia takes part as an observer in the project. The Project delivered several guidelines materials, including: a diagnostic tool as a self-assessment checklist for plastic waste, the Basel Convention section in the Environmental Guide for Front line Customs Officers, a Training Framework for Customs administrations on plastic waste, and a new chapter on plastic waste in the WCO Coordinated Border Management Compendium (CBM) introducing the core elements of the Basel Convention.

The Project will end with the organisation of a high-level Regional Workshop from May 29 to 31, 2023, in Perth, Australia. The main topic of discussion will be the Regional Action Plan (RAP) on Plastic Waste Trade. The RAP will be presented during a joint session, at the 24th WCO A/P Regional Heads of Customs Administration (RHCA) Conference, who will also meet 29-31 May in Perth.

For more information about the APPW, please visit our APPW project webpage or contact: appw@wcoomd.org.
From 18 to 20 April 2023, the World Customs Organization (WCO) conducted a refresher workshop for African Accredited and Pre-Accredited Experts on Rules of Origin, in Brussels, within the framework of the EUWCO Rules of Origin Africa Programme (RoO Africa Programme), funded by the European Union (EU).

The workshop took place as part of the WCO support for the effective implementation of the AfCFTA agreement and in line with the work plan and capacity building needs agreed with the AfCFTA Secretariat. The objective of the refresher workshop was to further enhance the knowledge of WCO Accredited and Pre-Accredited Experts on current issues around rules of origin, with a focus on the AfCFTA agreement, hence creating a solid base of trainers in Africa to deliver on national and regional capacity building activities.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Macarena Ruiz-San-Jose, Programme Manager, Directorate General for International Partnerships, at the European Commission, highlighted that the EU strongly supports Africa's economic integration through several partnerships and programmes. This workshop, among other actions of the RoO Africa Programme, is considered a significant step to build capacity and expertise on the AfCFTA RoO, thus ensuring effective and efficient implementation of the AfCFTA agreement and ultimately supporting the AU objective on boosting intra-Africa trade.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Gael Grooby, WCO Deputy Director, Tariff and Trade Affairs, thanked the EU for its support, via the EU-WCO RoO Africa Programme, for both for the refresher course and the other support activities to African partners. She highlighted that continuous learning through refresher workshops for all accredited and pre-accredited experts is a priority for the WCO to ensure the highest standards of expertise are maintained, building a strong base for member countries and WCO capacity building. She noted that, with the funding available via the EU-WCO RoO Africa Programme, there had been extensive training activities in Africa, meaning that many African experts had been able to complete the transition from pre-accredited to accredited status in the last six months after co-facilitating training activities with the WCO. This was creating an exceptional pool of Accredited Experts for the region.

Rules of origin play a critical component in Customs clearance; thus, knowledge attained from the training will contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of Customs officials and the trade community. During the workshop, the WCO facilitators presented the EU-WCO Rules of Origin Africa Programme and an overview of the AfCFTA rules of origin. As is was an interactive workshop, participants presented and led discussion sessions and exercises on key AfCFTA concepts on origin determination, such as Origin Criteria, Cumulation, Certification and Verification and other issues related to operational and procedural issues and the establishment of efficient AfCFTA origin management structures. Experts also examined several provisions, including Article 19 of the Agreement Establishing the AfCFTA, to understand the article's impact on AfCFTA RoO implementation.

The workshop was an opportunity for all participants to familiarize themselves with the new WCO Accredited Customs Experts (ACE) Portal launched in September 2022. The ACE Portal is a web-based platform that facilitates the WCOs management and mobilization of subject matter experts from a global perspective and gives the Experts the ability to manage their profiles and availability.

The EU-WCO Rules of Origin Africa Programme will continue its work on rules of origin within the continent through capacity building to efficiently implement the AfCFTA and relevant free trade agreements.

For further information please contact EU-WCORoOAfrica.Program@wcoomd.org
Transparency Market Research

Market demand for high-precision pressure testing and calibration is likely to rise across various end-use industries, such as aerospace, oil & gas, pharmaceutical, food & beverage, marine, petrochemical, and automotive

Wilmington, Delaware, United States, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transparency Market Research Inc.  The global calibration pump market size stood at US$ 1.3 Bn in 2022 and is expected to attain value of US$ 1.8 Bn by 2031. The global industry is likely to develop at a CAGR of 4.1% between 2023 and 2031.



The oil & gas, aerospace, automobile, maritime, food & beverage, petrochemical, and pharmaceutical sectors all depend heavily on high precision calibration and pressure testing. This is anticipated to increase the market size of calibration pump in the near future.

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Calibration is essential for water systems to get the proper dosage of water treatment chemicals. A pump can be calibrated to help find leaks caused by temperature and humidity-related issues. Fuel pump calibration improves safety and lowers the likelihood of an explosion, hence it constitutes one of the most useful spending for gas stations. In various industries calibration results in high return on investment by boosting earnings, producing greater yields, reducing fuel waste, and improving equipment efficiency.

Manometers, or various pressure standards, are utilized along with calibrating pumps to measure volumetric capacity and pressure of a system. Instruments such as transducers, sensors, transmitters, and gauges can be calibrated using calibration pumps. Calibration procedures are used on pressure pump calibrators, vacuum pumps, calibration hand pumps, pressure comparator pumps, and pressure pumps in order to improve precision, which in turn lowers waste.

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Key Findings of Market Report

Based on type, the hydraulic calibration pumps are witnessing high demand. Among the most effective methods of energy transfer is hydraulic pressure. With relatively little effort, high pressure levels can be reached with the hydraulic hand pump. Manually controlled hydraulic pumps are appropriate for applications requiring a high level of fine adjustment.



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Global Calibration Pump Market: Growth Drivers

The manufacturing and industrial sectors depend heavily on calibration. Pump calibration helps provide a quality control process and create an efficient way to measure if a machine is working as planned, while assisting in the elimination of overruns in time and costs and high scrap rates. Several companies are spending on both processes and products to boost product quality, which in turn is anticipated to fuel business opportunities in the global calibration pump market.



Global Calibration Pump Market: Regional Landscape

The existence of multiple manufacturers, substantial spending on R&D activities, the rise of the oil & gas sector, and stringent governmental regulations all contribute to North America's dominant position in the global market.



The calibration pump market has considerable development potential in Asia Pacific, where economic expansion and increasing manufacturing investment are likely to drive market development.



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Global Calibration Pump Market: Key Players

Some of the key players in the global calibration pump market are as follows

Dwyer Instruments Inc.

WIKA Alexander Wiegand SE & Co. KG

Additel Corporation

Hotek Technologies, Inc.

Baker Hughes Company

Time Electronics Ltd.

Global Calibration Pump Market: Segmentation

Type

Hydraulic Calibration Pumps

Pneumatic Calibration Pumps

Price

Up to US$ 500

US$ 500 to US$ 1000

Above US$ 1000



Applications

Automotive

Food & Beverage

Oil & Gas

Research & Development

Others



Distribution Channel

Direct Sales

Indirect Sales

Regions

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

Latin America



About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques to gather and analyses information.

Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.

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Statement of Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One year ago today, the FDA announced that it was proposing rules to prohibit menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars  products the tobacco industry has intentionally marketed to kids, Black Americans and other communities at enormous cost in health and lives. The FDA's plan represents truly historic action to drive down tobacco use  the number one cause of preventable death in the United States  and, once implemented, will protect kids from tobacco addiction, advance health equity and save hundreds of thousands of lives, especially Black lives. Because of the profound benefit to our nation's health, the FDA has an obligation to finalize and implement these rules with utmost urgency. We urge the FDA to issue final rules by its own deadline of August 2023.

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids logo. (PRNewsFoto/Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids)

The evidence is clear that prohibiting menthol cigarettes in particular will have enormous benefits for our nation's health, especially among Black Americans:

Prohibiting menthol cigarettes will save hundreds of thousands of lives. Researchers estimate that prohibiting menthol cigarettes would save up to 654,000 lives within 40 years, including the lives of 255,000 Black Americans. Black Americans represent over one-third of the lives that would be saved.

Prohibiting menthol cigarettes will reduce and even eliminate health disparities. Black Americans currently die at higher rates from tobacco-related diseases like lung cancer, heart disease and stroke. A recent analysis by researchers at the Council on Foreign Relations found that a ban on menthol cigarettes would eliminate the disparity in lung cancer death rates between Black Americans and other U.S. racial and ethnic groups within 5 years  25 years sooner than it would otherwise happen.

For these and other reasons, the FDA's plan is supported by a wide range of organizations, scientists and elected officials  including the NAACP, other Black civil rights and public health organizations, and members of the Congressional Black Caucus. A coalition of more than 100 public health, social justice, medical, parent, community and other organizations voiced strong support in comments submitted to the FDA.

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Not surprisingly, the tobacco industry is once again putting profits before lives and going all-out to fight these rules. In particular, the industry is peddling false claims that banning menthol cigarettes will subject Black Americans to more law enforcement abuse. The industry's claims are without merit and must be rejected:

The FDA has made it crystal clear that its prohibition on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars will apply to manufacturers and retailers  it will not make it illegal for individuals to possess or use these products. The FDA has stated, " Importantly, the FDA cannot and will not enforce against individual consumers for possession or use of menthol cigarettes or flavored cigars. FDA enforcement will only address manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, importers and retailers who manufacture, distribute, or sell such products within the U.S. that are not in compliance with applicable requirements. These proposed regulations do not include a prohibition on individual consumer possession or use."

Massachusetts in 2020 became the first state to implement a ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes. Since then, there have been no reports of individuals being questioned, cited, arrested or otherwise harassed by law enforcement because of the law, which focuses enforcement on retailers, not individuals, and does not prohibit the purchase, use or possession of tobacco products.

Racial bias in policing is an urgent issue that must be addressed. But the tobacco industry's predatory targeting of the Black community is an injustice that must be addressed as well. We cannot allow the tobacco industry to cynically exploit the legitimate need for police reform so it can continue to prey on Black Americans with menthol cigarettes.

Reynolds American, manufacturer of the best-selling menthol brand Newport, has been particularly shameless. An investigation by The Los Angeles Times and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism documented Reynolds' funding of Black lobbyists and organizations to oppose laws prohibiting menthol cigarettes and stoke fears about criminalization. A prominent Black pastor and civil rights leader in Detroit said he was offered more than $200,000 from Reynolds to oppose a ban on menthol cigarettes  an offer he declined.

The Biden Administration and the FDA deserve immense credit for standing up to the tobacco industry and proposing this bold, lifesaving policy. The faster these rules are finalized and implemented, the faster we can stop the tobacco industry's lethal targeting of Black and other communities, the more kids we will prevent from smoking, and the more lives we will save.

Key Facts: Why Menthol Cigarettes and Flavored Cigars Must Be Eliminated

The FDA's rules are supported by overwhelming scientific evidence, and they are long overdue. Based on the evidence, the FDA has found that menthol cigarettes are easier for kids to start smoking, more addictive and harder for smokers to quit. They increase the overall number of people who smoke and become sick and die as a result. It has been more than a decade since the FDA's Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee concluded that "Removal of menthol cigarettes from the marketplace would benefit public health in the United States," especially among Black Americans. All other flavors are already prohibited in cigarettes.

Eliminating menthol cigarettes will protect kids from tobacco addiction. Menthol is a chemical compound that cools and numbs the throat and masks the harshness of tobacco smoke, making it easier for kids to start smoking and become addicted smokers. Half of all youth who have ever tried smoking started with menthol cigarettes.

Because of the tobacco industry's predatory marketing, menthol cigarettes have had a devastating and disproportionate impact on the health of Black Americans.

For more than 60 years, the tobacco industry has deliberately targeted Black communities with marketing for menthol cigarettes through magazine ads, sponsorship of community and music events, free samples and other tactics. Black neighborhoods have more tobacco retailers, more advertising for menthol cigarettes, and more price promotions for menthol cigarettes. The result: In the 1950s, less than 10% of Black smokers used menthol cigarettes; today, that number is 85%.

The industry's targeted marketing has caused enormous harm to the health of Black Americans. Tobacco use is the number cause of preventable death among Black Americans, claiming 45,000 Black lives each year. Largely because of highly addictive menthol cigarettes, Black smokers have a harder time quitting smoking and die at higher rates from tobacco-related diseases like cancer, heart disease and stroke.

Research has found that menthol cigarettes were responsible for 378,000 premature deaths in the U.S. from 1980 to 2018. A staggering 41% of these premature deaths  157,000 in total  were among Black Americans, who accounted for 12% of the U.S. population during this period.

Eliminating flavored cigars will also protect kids and reduce health disparities. Cheap, flavored cigars are sold in hundreds of kid-friendly flavors, like banana smash, cherry dynamite and chocolate. These flavored products have flooded the market in recent years and fueled the popularity of cigars with kids. The 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey shows that cigars are the second most popular tobacco product (after e-cigarettes) among all high school students and are especially popular among Black high school students.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/campaign-for-tobacco-free-kids-president-says-fda-must-finalize-rules-to-prohibit-menthol-cigarettes-and-flavored-cigars-without-delay--they-will-have-a-profound-impact-on-the-nations-health-especially-among-black-americans-301811075.html

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
VANCOUVER - A B.C. Supreme Court trial can expect to hear evidence that shows a 13-year-old girl from Burnaby, B.C., was passing through a neighbourhood park when she was dragged off a pathway into the forest by Ibrahim Ali, sexually assaulted and strangled, the Crown prosecutor told the jury Friday.

In an opening statement, Crown attorney Isobel Keeley said the court will hear evidence showing the murder was random, but DNA results will prove Ali sexually assaulted her.

Ali is charged with first-degree murder and entered a not guilty plea before the jury earlier this month.

The body of the girl, whose name is protected under a publication ban, was found in Burnabys Central Park in July 2017, just hours after her mother had reported her missing.

There are no eyewitnesses to the murder, Keeley said, but told jury members that cellphone and bank records prove Ali was in Burnaby that day.

They were strangers to one another, she said, adding that phone records will show there was no contact between them.

She said the court will hear evidence that proves the sex was not consensual and that the girls body remained on the forest floor until it was found by police.

Keeley said the jury will hear the girl sustained multiple injuries, including to her face, scalp, arms and legs, but the forensic pathologist will testify that strangulation was the cause of the death.

RCMP Const. Richard Huggins, who was assigned to the Burnaby detachment in July 2017, said he was dispatched to search for the missing girl shortly after midnight on July 19.

Huggins, who was the first person to testify in the trial, said that police used technology to ping the girls cellphone allowing them to find its location within a 30-metre radius. That led them to the southeastern area of the park, he said.

Most people carry their cellphone at all times, Huggins said. The idea is if you find the persons cellphone, you will find the person.

Huggins said he and another officer began searching the area and he noticed a pink wallet in the brush just off a path. Huggins testified that, wearing gloves, he opened it to find the cellphone, a picture that fit the description of the missing teen and a student identification card with the girls name.

He said he then requested the help of police dog services as he was concerned about contaminating the area in the event the body was nearby.

The dog and its handler quickly located the girls body about 20 metres away from her wallet, Huggins testified. He said the handler called out for help, so he ran toward the officer while requesting the dispatcher send paramedics.

When he saw the victim, Huggins said her skin was pale and it didnt look like she was breathing.

She was lying on her back. Her hands were up by her head, he testified.

Her shirt was lifted slightly, exposing her belly and a portion of her right breast, and her shorts and underwear were pulled down slightly exposing her pelvic area, Huggins said.

He did not touch the body or attempt CPR, testifying that he didnt believe any skill he had would change the fact the girl was dead.

Huggins said paramedics arrived at the scene and began examining the body before telling him they were calling it, meaning that they deemed the girl to be dead.

In cross-examination, defence lawyer Kevin McCullough asked Huggins about earlier testimony where he recalled coming across a man about 30 minutes before the body was found. Huggins said the man told him he was part of a film crew.

Huggins testified that he did not get the mans name and could not remember what he looked like.

The trial is expected to take about two months and will hear testimony from about 50 people, including civilians, police and expert witnesses, Keeley told the jury in opening statements.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2023.

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FILE PHOTO: A Confederation of British Industry (CBI) logo is seen during their annual conference in London, Britain November 9, 2015. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) launched a failed attempt to make it easier for women to report harassment amid fears about their safety at external events, its new director general has disclosed.

Rain Newton-Smith told the Telegraph that "concerns" about behaviour at previous events run by the lobby group with other organisations led to "processes [being put] in place" to make it easier for staff to report them.

However, the changes failed to address dozens of allegations of sexual misconduct at the organisation which were made public by the Guardian.

Responding to a question about whether she believed the CBI was a safe workplace for women, Ms Newton-Smith, who previously served as chief economist at the organisation for almost a decade, said it "always felt like a safe place for women'' to her.

Ms Newton-Smith also revealed she had not contacted any government or Labour officials since starting the role this week.

Jeremy Hunt has warned there is "no point" engaging with the organisation after the Chancellor said its members left "in droves". Dozens of Britain's biggest businesses cancelled their membership in the wake of the allegations, including Natwest, Aviva and John Lewis.

An independent report concluded the CBI had harboured "toxic" sexual predators.

Ms Newton-Smith insisted that she "spoke up" when she saw misconduct and that the organisation had made attempts to address previous concerns.

"The areas where we were concerned are that we run events What does that mean for the women within our organisation?" she said. "And so we did put processes in place to make sure that if anyone ever had any concerns at any of our events, that there was someone they could go to."

Despite these safeguards, Ms Newton-Smith said she was "genuinely horrified" to learn about allegations of misconduct, including two "completely harrowing" claims of rape.

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The former Bank of England economist also defended her previous position at the organisation: "Some of those stories just did not tally with my own experience," she said, adding: "One person can't see everything in an organisation".

Rain Newton-Smith, chief Economist of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), speaks during a panel debate at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) 2022 Annual Conference in Birmingham, UK, on Monday, Nov. 21, 2022. Tony Danker, Director-General of the CBI, the country's biggest business lobby, told the BBC that the chancellor will need to come back with more measures to stimulate growth. Photographer: Darren Staples/Bloomberg - Darren Staples/Bloomberg

Ms Newton-Smith added: "I have always built teams that supported each other, and I won't stand by and turn a blind eye if I see sexual harassment in the workplace."

The CBI is seeking to draw a line under the allegations, although police investigations into the sexual assault claims are ongoing.

The lobby group, which claims to be the "voice of business" is undergoing a 60-day review in which the organisation is likely to be renamed.

Ms Newton-Smith, who left the CBI for a job at Barclays in March before being parachuted back into the role just weeks later, refused to discuss "specific incidents" that she said she witnessed during her previous period at the CBI.

"I don't want to speak about specific individuals, because this is about us moving forward. And ... it's not appropriate, she said.

But what I can tell you is whenever I saw anything that was inappropriate, I spoke up and if my staff have ever come to me with issues, I've either supported them to have their voice heard, or I have spoken up on their behalf."

The CBI will hold an extraordinary general meeting in June to decide its fate. Brian McBride, the CBI's president, admitted that the organisation may not survive.

Ms Newton-Smith agreed that the revamped lobby group would be "really different from what it was six months ago".

She added: "I'm confident we can win back our members. I don't know if I can win back every single one. But I also think there are new businesses out there who will come and see what we're doing.

"It's really important, we win back trust, this is really urgent for us. And that's a challenge because some of the journey we need to go on will take time.

"But we need to find a way of demonstrating to the outside world that we are taking this really seriously."
HEARST, Ont. - Two people are facing charges after a search of a home in northern Ontario early Thursday morning.

Ontario Provincial Police raided a home in Hearst around 4 a.m. Thursday.

Officers seized a sawed-off shotgun, a rifle and ammunition, 63 grams of cocaine and a quantity of methamphetamine.

Two people were arrested at the home.

A 31-year-old woman from Constance Lake First Nation is charged with possession of a substance for the purpose of trafficking, and a 47-year-old man from Hearst is charged with possession of a substance for the purpose of trafficking as well as multiple weapons counts.

Both were released and will appear in court at a later date.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2023.

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If you know of local business openings or closings, please notify us here.

PREVIOUS OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

- Air Products & Chemicals Inc. plans to invest a half-billion dollars to produce environmentally friendly hydrogen in New York state.

- The Trexlertown Chick-Fil-A plans to add a second drive-thru lane as part of a plan to reduce traffic congestion.

- The Harrisburg-based Mid Penn bank has opened its first full-service branch in the Lehigh Valley in South Whitehall.

- The Allentown Planning Commission put off a decision on a new Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen at the site of the former Nostos Greek restaurant.

- The former Star Crete concrete plant at the intersection of Farmersville Road and Easton Avenue has been sold for $1.58 million, and that may clear the way for a medical office building.

- The local business SuperSets Gym will open its third location in Allentown's South Mall, with no opening date set yet.

- The jewelry boutique Versant will close later this year, but the business will be consolidated at Gary Werkheiser's other location in Saucon Valley Square.

- The DSW Woodmill Commons has moved to Berkshire West, 1101 Woodland Road in Wyomissing.

- Trainer Michael Melendez has opened his new Reading Extreme Boxing Club where PacSun used to operate in the Berkshire Mall.

- Frackville NAPA Auto Parts held a grand opening with the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce and Frackville Business & Professional Association.

- Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers in North Manheim Township held a grand opening, in conjunction with the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce and Pottsville Business Association.

- PDC Machines, a maker of hydrogen compressors, showed off a new plant in Lower Salford.

- Maya Capital Partners has acquired Amwell Valley Self Storage, a 265-unit storage business on Route 31 in Ringoes, New Jersey.

- Norwescap is buying the former Sullivan's on the Main restaurant in Phillipsburg to renovate the building and then use it for programs to help educate and feed people.
The Companys new Retention Plan complements and expands the existing one with a modern proposal, reinforcing the commitment of the company itself and its executive team to the strategic plan and business model. This has contributed to its solid market position.

The company continues to execute its strategic plan, prioritizing businesses and markets with the highest profitability and future growth. In addition, Cencosuds progress in corporate governance, talent retention, and sustainability are noteworthy. The Company promotes sustainable supply, circular economy, and the transparency of its brands with a solid ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) strategy.

A dividend equivalent to CLP $103 per share was also approved, to be charged to net income for fiscal year 2022.

SANTIAGO, Chile, April 28, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting held today, Cencosud S.A. approved the purchase for up to 27 million own-issue shares, to be delivered to executives as part of the Companys Retention Plan, which has been established for a 5-year term.

The Retention Plan complements and expands the existing one with a modern proposal, including recognition for permanence and performance, linked to financial and ESG parameters. This reinforces the commitment of both the Company and its executive team to the strategic plan and business model that have enabled Cencosud to achieve a solid market position. Moreover, the plan aims to deepen the Companys transformation and anticipate new trends.

During the Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting of Cencosud S.A., also held today and presided over by Chairman of the Board, Heike Paulmann and CEO Matias Videla, the Company presented its financial statements for 2022 and the key achievements during the same period. Cencosud achieved record figures in Revenues, Adjusted EBITDA and Net Profit, with growth rates of 25.8%, 13.1% and 3.4%, respectively, compared to the previous year.

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The Company also informed shareholders about its strategy to continue strengthening its digital ecosystem, as well as its commitment to sustainability and corporate governance in all markets where it operates. "As a Company, we strive to anticipate the changes occurring in our society and pay special attention to the needs of our customers, while always looking at the long-term markets," stated Heike Paulmann.

Regarding the distribution of dividends, it was decided that a dividend equivalent to CLP $103 per share would be distributed, to be charged against the 2022 net income.

The Company attributed these historic results to the execution of its 5-pillar strategic plan: Financial Strengthening, Innovation and New Trends, Organic and Inorganic Growth, Talent Development, and Sustainability.

According to CEO Matias Videla, 2022 will be remembered as a key year in the Company's history, thanks to the commitment of its employees and suppliers, as well as the loyalty of its customers. "Being consistent with our strategy has allowed us to close a very successful year and also to gain recognition in the market for our business model. We boast a solid liquidity and debt position," he stated.

The Financial Strengthening pillar, one of the highlights of 2022, allowed the Company to achieve its highest credit rating from the International Risk Rating agency. Furthermore, Cencosud recorded over 614 million transactions in all its stores, both physical and digital, representing an 18.5% increase compared to the previous year.

The Innovation and New Trends pillar allowed Cencosud to cement its position as e-grocery leader in Chile, Argentina, and Peru in terms of market share, while also making strides in the development of its Marketplace, Private Label, and "Prime" subscription model. The Company also continued to bolster its digital ecosystem with state-of-the-art technologies and innovations, resulting in an online penetration rate of 10.1% of sales for the year.

In this area, the Company announced that CencoMedia will be entering Peru this year, adding a new market to the existing ones, which are Chile, Argentina and Colombia. Meanwhile, with Cencommerce, the Company will focus on connecting all businesses through flexible technology and enhancing the Marketplace, the Spid format, and Prime membership. Additionally, CencoVentures, another unit of the digital ecosystem, plans to invest in three startups in the near future to complement Cencosud's strategy.

Regarding organic and inorganic growth, Cencosud achieved its organic growth targets and reached a total of 1,447 stores in the different countries where it operates, with 3,660,279 m2 of sales floor space as of March 2023. Moreover, the Company made strategic acquisitions in the United States and Brazil, enabling it to diversify its formats and geographic presence.

Videla emphasized that The Fresh Market chain is a significant contributor, accounting for 12% of Cencosud's results, and holds promising growth potential for the group. "Since last year, we have had 10 people working on-site for integration. We have already achieved financial synergies and are currently in the process of obtaining commercial and technological synergies. In 2023, we expect to achieve a know-how exchange with Cencosud, as well as strategic alliances," he emphasized.

Regarding Sustainability, the Company has joined the United Nations Global Compact Network, showcasing its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, it inaugurated its Cencosud Hub in Chile, a workspace specifically designed to promote the cultural evolution of the Company. Finally, it launched the CencoMujeres Mentoring Program, aimed at fostering the development of women leaders within the Company. All these initiatives demonstrate Cencosud's commitment to sustainability, diversity, and equal opportunities, fundamental values for any Companys long-term success.

About Cencosud

Cencosud is one of the largest and most prestigious retailers in the Americas, with operations in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and the United States -in addition to a commercial office in China and a technological Hub in Uruguay- where it develops a successful multi-format strategy that today employs more than 122 thousand people. Its operation encompasses several business lines, such as Supermarkets, Home Improvement, Department Stores, Shopping Centers and Financial Services.

Additionally, Cencosud operates complementary businesses such as Cencosud Media and Cencosud Ventures, all of which are known for their quality, excellent level of service, and focus on customer satisfaction. For more information, please visit www.cencosud.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005546/en/

Contacts

Beatriz Monreal

beatriz.monreal@cencosud.cl
Today

Mostly cloudy, brisk, and unseasonably cool with a few scattered showers. More dry than wet overall, but still cool and unsettled.

Tonight

A shower or two. Low: 42F.

Tomorrow

Lots of clouds, a few breaks of sun, and continued brisk and cool with a few spotty showers.
BERN TOWNSHIP, Pa. - A Berks County rehab center is getting a new generator thanks to a generous grant from the Berks County District Attorney's Office.

Easy Does It, Inc. (EDI) announced Friday that the $50,000 in donated funds will be put toward the purchase of a backup generator for its licensed recovery house in Bern Township.

The grant was made possible through opioid settlement funds allocated to the DA's office.

"Supporting EDI's mission to help individuals recover from substance use disorders by providing housing and recovery support services is a key strategy to help combat the devastating opioid epidemic plaguing our community," said Berks County District Attorney John Adams.

Berks County received $16.3 million from a $26-billion nationwide opioid settlement between the National Prescription Opiate Litigation Plaintiff's Executive Committee and large drug distributors. As per the terms, the settlement distributes funds directly to state and local municipalities specifically for opioid relief programs.

"The opioid settlement funds are a new source of funding that will allow providers such as EDI to improve and expand recovery support services to Berks County residents," said Scott Althouse, executive director at EDI. "Having a backup generator to provide power for the well pump, lighting, HVAC and other infrastructure is a critical strategy to maintain the safety of our residents."

EDI currently serves over 100 residents annually at their recovery house.
WEST READING, Pa.  It's been a little more than a month since an explosion claimed the lives of seven people who worked at R.M. Palmer Company in West Reading.

"It's really weird, because it feels like it just happened a week ago, but that it also happened like a year ago," said West Reading Mayor Samantha Kaag.

Building 1, where the blast happened, has been partially demolished and continues to sit empty on South Second Avenue.

For some people, the site is a reminder of days' long searches and sleepless nights, the people who lost their lives and the families who must continue on after their untimely deaths.

"It's definitely difficult, you know," explained Kaag. "I still kind of avoid that area, respectfully, but I also want to make sure that I'm doing my due diligence to pay my respects when possible."

One month after the explosion, Kaag went back to the site on South Second Avenue.

Kaag joined employees from R.M. Palmer as they paid tribute  lighting candles and saying prayers  to their former coworkers and friends.

"The community has still been coming together in a beautiful way," Kaag added.

Kaag said students from several districts have created homemade cards, paintings and signs.

"We had Oley Valley School District drop off a banner for the first responders, which was beautiful," she stated.

Several vigils brought hundreds of community members together. A memorial at the blast site has grown, and donations  to help the victims' families and businesses that provided services  continue to be collected.

Kaag says she often thinks of the families of the seven people who died and continues to reach out to them to make sure they're getting whatever help or resources they need.

As a borough firefighter, she also responded to the incident and searched for their loved ones in the rubble.

It's a hat Kaag says she reluctantly had to put aside, at times, in order to provide critical updates to the community she was elected to serve.

"It's definitely a lot. I've had a difficult time myself, and I know council President Ryan Lineaweaver, he's had a hard time, too," Kaag explained. "We're not exempt. Elected officials are not exempt. We were there. We have those feelings."

The National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report  one of the most anticipated pieces of information left to be shared  is awaited by many. It could shed light onto the explosion's cause.

"We've definitely had some notice that it seems to be kind of winding down, so hopefully, we'll have some sort of information that we can kind of share, or at least an idea of what the next steps look like," explained Kaag.

It's a report that could open old wounds or help a community trying to process what happened find a little closure.
WASHINGTON TWP., Pa. - An 18-year-old man has been charged in connection with an armed robbery in Northampton County.

Police say three men robbed the Raceway convenience store on Route 191 in Washington Township on April 15th.

Police say one of the men was armed with a gun when he attacked a store employee.

They say the men took $600 in cash, and drove off in a silver Infiniti G-35.

The 18-year-old was later arrested in Easton.

The other two men remain at large.
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. - Gov. Josh Shapiro was in Bucks County pitching his budget proposal Thursday, specifically the impact he thinks it will have on the state's growing biotech industry.

"I think biotech is one of those areas where we have an opportunity to really plant a flag and excel," Shapiro said.

He held a round table Thursday at the Pennsylvania Biotech Center of Bucks County, an incubator and research facility near Doylestown. He was joined by acting DCED Secretary Rick Siger, State Sen. Steve Santaserio, and biotech business owners.

"I have seen the way a startup grows. One thing I face all the time is the initial funding," said Kunwar Shailubhai, an advisor at the Biotech Center. "I see a number of ideas here who are not succeeding because of lack of funding."

The governor's first budget proposal includes investments in workforce training and retention, STEM education, university research, and manufacturing.

"My budget proposal would significantly increase the various funds that a place like this depends on and what I've heard in the days since I released my budget is support from both Democrats and Republicans. They understand this kind of investment is necessary," Shapiro said.

Shapiro has also advocated to bring the corporate net income tax rate down, sooner, in order to make the state more competitive.

"I want the legislature to send me a proposal to more aggressively reduce the corporate net income tax," Shapiro said. "I'm hopeful that these types of investments will in the final budget to help us create jobs and the lifesaving work that's going on here be supported more by the commonwealth."
STROUDSBURG, Pa. - Human remains have been found in a wooded area near Interstate 80 In the Poconos.

Police officers and the Monroe County coroner were called to Stroudsburg Thursday afternoon.

They were seen investigating near the I-80 on-ramp along Park Avenue.

The coroner tells WBRE authorities are in the process of reaching out to an anthropologist for assistance.
A draft of a report examining the Republican Partys struggles in last years midterms says the results show that voters arent interested in relitigating previous elections and that failing to heed those warnings could harm the GOP in 2024 and beyond. The draft notably doesn't mention former President Donald Trump by name, but alludes to the controversial, far-right candidates he endorsed who went on to lose. That includes many who echoed the former presidents lies about a stolen 2020 election. The Republican National Committee is poised to review the draft report as members gather this week in Oklahoma. One committeeman warns the draft isn't final and could change.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Armed private guards aboard a famous yacht once owned by the late Welsh actor Richard Burton fired on approaching ships on Friday in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen, in an intense gunfight. The authorities said the guards mistakenly opened fire on Yemeni Coast Guard members but the ship's manager insisted they shot at pirates.

The shooting reportedly killed one Yemeni Coast Guard member and wounded another person in a hail of gunfire  the guards are said to have shot as many as 200 rounds of ammunition. It shows the danger faced by both shippers and security forces in the waters off the Arab world's poorest country, even as it remains crucial for global commerce.

Details of what happened to the Kalizma remain unclear and contested, hours after the incident. The British militarys United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations initially reported it as an attack with gunfire off Nishtun, in Yemens far east near the border with Oman.

But by Friday afternoon, the British military operation providing support to ships across the Mideast described the attack in the Gulf of Aden as being confirmed by authorities as government agency activity, without elaborating.

Ambrey, a maritime intelligence company, said in a brief that a Yemeni Coast Guard contingent had approached a Cook Islands-flagged yacht which hadn't responded to radio calls.

According to the Coast Guard, an armed security team ... onboard the yacht then opened fire on the approaching Yemenis and attempted to escape perceived pirates, Ambrey said. The Coast Guard returned fire and followed the yacht for approximately an hour until communications with the yacht could be established and the misunderstanding between the parties resolved.

Ambrey said one Yemeni Coast Guard member was killed. A later statement from the Yemeni Coast Guard, posted online, acknowledged the death and said its forces along with Yemen's navy tried to stop the Kalizma as it was operating in a very suspicious way close to the shore and did not answer radio calls.

The yacht penetrated territorial waters and sailed in them without raising the flag of the yachts country, as well as (it) refused to respond and stop in clear violation of international maritime law, the Yemeni Coast Guard said.

Aashim Mongia, the owner of Mumbais West Coast Marine Yacht Services which manages the Kalizma, later told The Associated Press that one of the guards on board the vessel suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder. He insisted that "pirates" attacked the vessel first and came back in several waves to try to take the Kalizma, forcing the ship's three guards to fire upward of 200 rounds to protect the nine crew on board.

If it was the Yemeni Coast Guard, why did they open fire? Mongia asked.

Satellite tracking data analyzed by the AP showed the Kalizma far closer to shore than other traffic that gives Yemen a wide berth. Asked why the ship was so close to shore, Mongia said that was the planned route the vessel had for going from Salalah, Oman, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The satellite tracking data analyzed by the AP, cross-referenced with coordinates authorities earlier offered for the site of the incident, identified the Cook Islands-flagged Kalizma as the yacht involved in the shooting.

Photos from the ship showed what appeared to be bullet holes from small arms fire scattered across the luxurious Kalizma.

Initially built in 1906, Burton bought the Kalizma for $220,000 in 1967 It was on board the ship where he gave actress and his twice-wife Elizabeth Taylor a 69.42-carat, pear-shaped diamond now known as the Taylor-Burton Diamond.

The ship later was purchased by Indian investor Shirish Saraf, according to a profile by magazine Boat International. Requests for comment to Saraf's investment firm Samena Capital went unanswered Friday.

Nishtun is held by forces allied to Yemens internationally recognized government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition. The Gulf of Aden is a crucial route for global trade and has seen attacks attributed to Yemens Iranian-backed Houthi rebels during the country's yearslong civil war. Somali pirate attacks that once plagued the region have mostly stopped in recent years.

However, attacks have happened there before. In December 2020, a mysterious attack targeted a cargo ship off Nishtun. In Yemen's war, bomb-carrying drone boats, as well as sea mines, have been used.

Also in the waters near Oman, Iran on Thursday seized an oil tanker carrying crude for Chevron Corp. on its way to Houston.

Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.
The growth of the global cervical cancer diagnostic market is driven by factors such as an increase in awareness regarding cervical cancer, the rise in consciousness of early diagnosis of cervical cancer, and the increasing number of diagnosis tests.

PORTLAND, Ore., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Cervical cancer diagnostic Market by Type (Pap Smear Tests, HPV test, Biopsy and ECC, Colposcopy Tests and Others), by Age group (20 to 40 years, above 40 years): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032". According to the report, the global cervical cancer diagnostic industry generated $7.8 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to generate $12.7 billion by 2032, witnessing a CAGR of 5.0% from 2023 to 2032.

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Download Sample Report: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/399

Prime determinants of growth

The growth of the global cervical cancer diagnostic market is driven by factors such as an increase in awareness regarding cervical cancer, the rise in consciousness of early diagnosis of cervical cancer, and the increasing number of diagnosis tests. However, the lack of awareness about diagnostic tests restricts the market growth. Moreover, a rise in government initiatives to increase the diagnosis of cervical cancer and developing economies presents new opportunities in the coming years.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2021 $7.8 billion Market Size in 2031 $12.7 billion CAGR 5.0 % No. of Pages in Report 228 Segments Covered Type, Age Group, and Region. Drivers An increase in awareness regarding the cervical cancer diagnosis The rise in the number of research and development activities. Opportunities A rise in government initiatives to promote cervical cancer diagnosis. Restraints Lack of awareness about cervical cancer diagnostic tests

Covid-19 Scenario

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the global cervical cancer diagnostic market, owing to the temporary decline in the diagnosis of cervical cancer during the lockdown.

Restricting women's access to essential invasive and non-invasive investigations for cervical cancer diagnosis was hampered due to the closure of gynecology centers across the world, especially in the initial period of the pandemic.

Story continues

The pap smear tests segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on type, the pap smear tests segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for nearly one-third of the global cervical cancer diagnostic market and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. The rise in awareness about cervical cancer is a major factor that propels the growth of pap smear tests across the globe. In addition, an increase in the number of diagnostic tests drives the growth of the market. However, the HPV tests segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 5.9% from 2023 to 2032. HPV tests are notably done in the U.S., Canada, and Western European countries. Emerging countries such as Brazil, Russia, India, and China offer promising opportunities for the HPV tests market.

Procure Complete Report (228 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @

https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/cervical-cancer-diagnostic-market

The 20 to 40 years segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period.

Based on age group, the 20 to 40 years segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for nearly three-fourths of the global cervical cancer diagnostic market revenue, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period, owing to the prevalence of the cervical cancer among population of age group 20-40 along with the surge in number of patients visiting the hospitals for diagnosis of the cervical cancer. However, the above 40 years segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 5.3% from 2023 to 2032, owing to the rise in diagnosis rate, and rising affordability.

North America to maintain its dominance by 2032

Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2021, accounting for around two-fifths of the global cervical cancer diagnostic market revenue, and is likely to dominate the market during the forecast period. The government initiatives to promote diagnosis of cervical cancer contributes to the growth of the cervical cancer diagnostic market in North America. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 6.3% from 2023 to 2032. The rise in the awareness about early diagnosis of cervical cancer, owing to the presence of high-potential markets such as India and China, is expected to drive the growth of the cervical cancer diagnostic market.

Leading Market Players: -

Abbott Laboratories

Qaigen NV

Carl Zeiss AG

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Becton, Dickinson and Company

Hologic Inc.

F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG

Siemens Healthineers

CooperSurgical Inc.

Dysis Medical ltd.

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global cervical cancer diagnostic market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

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Skin Cancer Treatment Market by Type (Melanoma, Non-Melanoma), by Therapy (Immunotherapy, Targeted Therapy, Chemotherapy), by Distribution Channel (Hospitals Pharmacies, Drug Stores and Retail Pharmacies, Online Providers): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031

Point of Care Diagnostics Market by Product (Glucose Monitoring Kits, Infectious Diseases Testing Kits, Pregnancy And Fertility Testing Kits, Hematology Testing Kits, Cardiometabolic Monitoring Kits, Urinalysis Testing Kits, Cholesterol Test Strips, Drugs Abuse Testing Kits, Others), by Mode Of Prescription (Prescription Based Devices, Otc Based Devices), by End User (Professional Diagnostic Centers, Research Laboratories, Home Care, Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2030

Cancer Biomarkers Market by Profiling Technology (Omic Technologies, Imaging Technologies, Immunoassays, and Cytogenetics Based Tests), Biomolecule (Genetic Biomarkers, Protein Biomarkers, and Glyco-biomarkers), Cancer Type (Breast Cancer, Lung Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Stomach Cancer, and Others), and Application (Diagnostics, Drug Discovery and Development, Prognostics, Risk Assessment, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2030

Cancer Gene Therapy Market by Therapy (Gene Induced Immunotherapy, Oncolytic Virotherapy, Gene Transfer), by End User (Hospitals, Diagnostic centers, Research Institutes): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2030

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WASHINGTON (AP)  Former Vice President Mike Pence testified Thursday before a federal grand jury investigating efforts by then-President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Pence's appearance before a grand jury in Washington scrutinizing the president he once loyally served is a milestone in the Justice Department's investigation and likely gives prosecutors a key first-person account about certain conversations and events in the weeks preceding the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. It also carries significant political implications, coming as Pence hints at entering the 2024 presidential race and a potential run against Trump, the Republican front-runner.

The testimony, confirmed by a person familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss a secret grand jury matter, came hours after a federal appeals court in a sealed order rejected a bid by Trump's lawyers to block Pence's appearance.

Pence was subpoenaed to testify earlier this year, but Trump's lawyers objected, citing executive privilege concerns. A judge in March refused to block Pence's appearance, though he did side with the former vice presidents constitutional claims that he could not be forced to answer questions about anything related to his role as presiding over the Senates certification of votes on Jan. 6.

Well obey the law, well tell the truth, Pence said in an interview with CBS News Face the Nation that aired Sunday. And the story that Ive been telling the American people all across the country, the story that I wrote in the pages of my memoir, thatll be the story I tell in that setting.

It was not immediately clear what Pence may have told the grand jury, but he is the most high-profile Trump administration official to be summoned before the panel. Inside the federal building where the grand jury has been meeting, just blocks from the U.S. Capitol, security was high because of Pence's appearance with an unusual amount of activity from U.S. Marshals.

Pence has spoken extensively about Trumps pressure campaign urging him to reject Democrat Joe Bidens presidential election victory in the days leading up to Jan. 6, including in his book, So Help Me God. Pence, as vice president, had a ceremonial role overseeing Congress counting of the Electoral College vote but did not have the power to affect the results, despite Trumps contention otherwise.

Pence, a former Indiana governor and congressman, has said that Trump endangered his family and everyone else who was at the Capitol that day and history will hold him accountable.

For four years, we had a close working relationship. It did not end well, Pence wrote, summing up their time in the White House.

Trump was speaking in New Hampshire when news broke of Pence's grand jury appearance. Asked at a diner if he was concerned about his testimony, Trump responded, No Im not and I dont know anything about it.

Lawyers for Pence had raised their own, more narrow challenge to the subpoena. They argued that because Pence was serving in his capacity as president of the Senate as electoral votes were being counted in Congress on Jan. 6, he was protected from being forced to testify about that process under the Constitutions speech or debate clause, which is intended to protect members of Congress from being questioned about official legislative acts.

A judge agreed with that argument, effectively narrowing the scope of his expected testimony.

The Justice Department special counsel leading the investigation, Jack Smith, has cast a broad net in interviews and has sought the testimony of a long list of former Trump aides, including ex-White House counsel Pat Cipollone and former adviser Stephen Miller.

Smith is separately investigating Trump over the potential mishandling of hundreds of classified documents at his Palm Beach, Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, as well as possible efforts to obstruct that probe.

It is not clear when either of the special counsels investigations will end or who, if anyone, will be charged.

Associated Press writers Michael Kunzelman, Lindsay Whitehurst and Nathan Ellgren in Washington and Michelle L. Price in Manchester, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.

This story was first published on April 27, 2023. It was published again on April 28, 2023, to correct security was high because of Pences appearance, not because of Trumps appearance.
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP)  Former President Donald Trump turned his attention to the general election on Thursday, using his first campaign appearance since President Joe Biden launched his own reelection bid to boast of his poll numbers and suggest that he has no need to debate his Republican rivals.

Trumps appearance in New Hampshire marked his first return to an early voting state since his legal troubles increased with an indictment in New York. He spoke on the same day that his former vice president, Mike Pence, testified before a federal grand jury investigating efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election. Meanwhile, writer E. Jean Carroll testified for a second day Thursday in a civil rape case against Trump over an encounter in the 1990s, an allegation he denies.

We are a nation in serious decline, a nation that has lost its way, Trump said at a downtown Manchester hotel, a smaller venue than his typical, large-scale rallies. We are led by a hopeless person, but we will win in 2024 and make America great again. We can do it. Its not too late.

In a nod toward his 2016 race, Trump said he's retiring the crooked nickname he used to define Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and will now instead apply it to Biden. He pledged to take back the White House and settle our unfinished business" in a potential 2024 rematch with the current president.

A spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee, Ammar Moussa, pointed in response to persistent allegations that Trumps family profited off his presidency.

Donald Trump may come up with a lot of nicknames for President Biden but we have a better one: winner, Moussa said.

Trump's New Hampshire appearance came two days after Biden kicked off his own long-expected reelection campaign, presenting himself as he did in 2020 as a buttress against Trump and his Make America Great Again movement. Biden's campaign launch video included snapshots of Trump and warned of MAGA extremists working to erode freedoms including voting rights and abortion rights.

Trump is considered a front-runner for the GOP nomination, though more Republicans are expected to jump into the race soon, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump's campaign this week started airing its first television ad, which assails DeSantis. In the ad, Trump takes credit for DeSantis political rise and shows the governor yoking himself to the former president, including clips from a 2018 gubernatorial campaign ad in which he uses some of Trumps catchphrases like Build the wall and Youre fired."

Trump, who has mused about skipping primary debates, pointed Thursday to his sizable polling lead and questioned why he should bother participating in the debates. Why would you do that? he asked the crowd.

Two weeks ago, Trump appeared with several other announced and potential presidential candidates at the National Rifle Association convention in Indianapolis. Last weekend, he spoke by video to a gathering of evangelicals in Iowa that marked the unofficial start of the states 2024 caucus campaign.

It doesnt feel good to have Republicans that are so conservative and great fighting each other, said Kathy Holmes, a 69-year-old retired teacher from Chichester who attended Trump's event Thursday. Holmes, who said she plans to vote for Trump in the states leadoff primary, wore homemade buttons of Trumps face with fuzzy blond hair glued onto it.

Holmes said shed like to see DeSantis wait and run for president in 2028 instead.

Maureen Anderson, a 43-year-old from the Boston area who said she follows the QAnon conspiracy theory, said Thursday's event was the first time she would be seeing Trump in person. The longtime Trump supporter wore a red MAGA hat and said she would be supporting Trump in the primary, regardless of his legal troubles.

I feel like theyve got nothing on him, and they just keep trying to find some other avenue to get him, she said of the legal cases. But theyre not gonna get him."

Trump stopped at a downtown diner after his event, where he posed for photographs and signed autographs. Someone in the crowd tried to draw Trumps attention to one woman, shouting, Shes a J-6er, referring to people who were at the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Where is she? Trump asked, turning his head and beckoning her to come through the packed crowd. He leaned in between members of his security detail to say, You just hang in, and something else inaudible and then repeated, You just hang in.

The woman passed up a backpack from the crowd to have him sign, shouting, I took it with me Jan. 6. He signed it.

New Hampshire is a political swing state, though voters in the state rejected Trump in the 2016 and 2020 general elections. It was, however, the first state Trump won in the 2016 Republican presidential primary contest, propelling him into GOP dominance that he maintains to this day.

The former president made one other visit to New Hampshire earlier this year, stopping in Salem as part of his first appearances on his latest White House campaign.

Cooper reported from Phoenix.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a resolution Thursday calling on Afghanistans Taliban rulers to swiftly reverse their increasingly harsh restrictions on women and girls, which range from severely restricting education to banning women from most jobs, public spaces and gyms.

The council condemned the Taliban's ban on women working for the U.N., a decision the resolution calls unprecedented in the history of the United Nations.

The unanimous 15-0 vote, with the United States, Russia and China all in favor, was a sign of the widespread global concerns over the Talibans actions. It was a rare moment of unity on a high-profile issue at a time of steep international divisions over the Ukraine war, although both Russia and China criticized the United States after the vote for its past role in Afghanistan and for refusing to return all $7 billion in frozen Afghan government funds.

The Security Council never considered sanctions against the Taliban but the strong rebuke by the U.N.s most powerful body is a blow to the prestige of Afghanistans rulers, who are trying get credibility on the global stage  including formal recognition by the United Nations as Afghanistans legitimate government.

When the Taliban seized power in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO forces were pulling out of Afghanistan after two decades of war, they initially promised a more moderate rule than during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001. But there has been a growing international outcry as Taliban leaders have gradually re-imposed their severe interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia, on women and girls.

During the 20 years after the Taliban were ousted in 2001 for harboring al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden, who masterminded the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, schools and universities were opened for girls and women entered the workforce and politics, and became judges, ministers and professors.

U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the council after the vote, Today, the Security Council has sent a clear. unanimous message to the Taliban and to the world: We will not stand for the Taliban's repression of women and girls.

In Kabul on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the Security Council's condemnation of the decision to restrict Afghan women from working at the U.N. as an internal social matter that did not impact outside states.

We remain committed to ensuring all rights of Afghan women while emphasizing that diversity must be respected and not politicized," the ministry said in a statement.

Separately, a prominent figure in the Taliban denounced the Security Council's failed policy of pressure. Anas Haqqani, brother of the Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, said in a tweet: It would have been better if UNSC had assessed the removal of diplomatic & financial sanctions instead of such resolutions, which amounts to the collective punishment of Afghans.

The resolution, co-sponsored by the United Arab Emirates and Japan, expresses deep concern at the increasing erosion of respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls in Afghanistan by the Taliban and reaffirms their indispensable role in Afghan society.

It calls on the Taliban to swiftly restore their access to education, employment, freedom of movement and equal participation in public life. And it urges all other U.N. member nations to use their influence to promote an urgent reversal of the Talibans policies and practices toward women and girls.

Under Taliban rule, girls have been barred from school beyond the sixth grade and women are now virtually confined to their homes, unable to go out and travel without a male guardian. In late December, the Taliban banned national and international aid groups from employing Afghan women and on April 4 they extended that ban to Afghan women working for the United Nations.

UAE Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh said over 90 countries from around the world co-sponsored the resolution including many Muslim nations and some from Afghanistan's neighborhood which makes our fundamental message today even more significant: the world will not sit by silently as women in Afghanistan are erased from society.

Pressure mounted for a legally binding Security Council resolution addressing the Talibans crackdown on women and girls after the U.N. ban.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the Taliban ban a violation of the inalienable fundamental human rights of women and Afghanistans obligations under international human rights law, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Female staff members are essential to executing life-saving U.N. operations on the ground, Dujarric said, stressing that out of Afghanistans population of about 40 million people, were trying to reach 23 million men, women and children with humanitarian aid.

The U.N. has warned that the ban could cripple desperately needed aid deliveries, and lead to a U.N. pullout from Afghanistan.

Since April 5, the 3,300 Afghans employed by the U.N.  2,700 men and 600 women  have stayed home, but Dujarric has said they continue to work and will be paid. The U.N.s 600-strong international staff, including 200 women, is not affected by the Taliban ban.

Roza Otunbayeva, a former president and foreign minister of the Kyrgyz Republic who heads the U.N. political mission in Afghanistan known as UNAMA, responded to the Talibans ban on Afghan women working for the 193-nation world body by ordering an operational review of the U.N.s presence in the country, which will last until May 5.

Before the review is completed, secretary-general Guterres will host an international meeting on Afghanistan in Doha, the capital of Qatar, on May 1-2. U.N. spokesman Dujarric said last week that the closed meeting will be attended by envoys on Afghanistan from various countries with the aim of seeking a durable way forward for the country.

His announcement followed an April 17 speech at Princeton University by Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, who led a high-ranking U.N. delegation to meetings with Taliban ministers in January, previewing the Doha meeting.

Out of that, we hope that well find those baby steps to put us back on the pathway to recognition (of the Taliban), a principled recognition, Mohammed said. Is it possible? I dont know. (But) that discussion has to happen. The Taliban clearly want recognition, and thats the leverage we have.

The UAE's Nusseibeh said the resolution sends a clear signal to the Doha meeting from the international community and the Security Council: Women and girls play an essential role in every society, including Afghanistan, humanitarian access must not be gender-based, and political engagement and dialogue are the only way forward.

While the resolution focuses on the Taliban crackdown on women and girls, it also underscores that it is critical for all Afghan parties, the region and the wider international community to hold talks to reach a political settlement and restore peace and stability "in the country, the region and beyond."

The resolution reaffirms the U.N.s support for a peaceful, stable, prosperous and inclusive Afghanistan and for an inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned determination of the countrys political future and development path.

It also recognizes the many challenges Afghanistan faces, stresses the urgent need to address the dire economic and humanitarian situation in the country, and reiterates that women are essential to the delivery of humanitarian aid.

The Taliban have ignored numerous appeals from the U.N. and many countries, including the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to restore the rights of girls and women. But Japan's U.N. Ambassador Kimihiro Ishikane said we need to keep reaching out to them so the message can start resonating.

Nusseibeh said at some point the Taliban will want to be part of the international community, and when they do I think it's clear what the conditions and the requirements are.

This story was published on April 27, 2023. It is being republished to correct the U.N. Secretary-General's reference to Taliban ban, instead of U.N. ban.
Addressing the skills shortage with immigration - AiG backs changes

As with the USA, Australia owes a lot to immigrants who, over 200 years, boosted the population, economy, tax base, cultural diversity, and skill pool. There is a dire skills shortage right now and the Albanese Governmnet is stepping up to the plate, making it easier for skilled migrants to get here. Australian Industry Group backs this.

Just as it was in the 50s and 60s, skilled migration is essential to fill jobs void

Ai Group strongly supports the Government's draft outline of a new strategy that aims to fix Australia's 'broken migration system' outlined by the Minister for Home Affairs Clare O'Neil, says Innes Willox, Chief Executive of the national employer association, Ai Group.

"Changes to our approach to migration have the strong potential to improve Australia's living standards, economic security and productivity," Mr Willox said.



"Migration is far from the only area that can assist in accelerating Australias economic and social development and, critically, it must be supported by renewed emphasis on improving our approaches to training and education of the current and future domestic workforce. "Ai Group strongly supports the initiative" - AiG CEO Willox



"In this context, Ai Group strongly supports the initiative announced by the Minister to give Jobs and Skills Australia a formal role to assist in better integrating Australia's training and education systems with our approach to migration. *



"The Minister is engaged in a thorough and considered process of consultation with stakeholders and policy experts that is providing a very firm foundation as the Federal Government develops its Migration Strategy.



"The directions raised by the Minister: improving how we prioritise in our approach to temporary and permanent migration; reducing the cost and administrative barriers facing potential immigrants and employers; and elevating the emphasis on the post-arrival experience of migrants, including in relation to housing, have the potential to deliver substantial improvements to Australia's migration program and to deliver greater benefits for the economy and the broader community.



"On the specific commitments made today by the Minister, Ai Group:

- Strongly supports the commitment to ensure all temporary skilled migrants have pathways to permanent residency;

- Welcomes the scrapping of controversial labour market testing rules, which require jobs to be advertised for local applicants before an employer can consider bringing in workers; - Acknowledges the case behind the increase in the temporary skilled migration income threshold (TSMIT) to $70,000, although it may create some difficulties. We support this increase which restores the real value of the TSMIT to its previous level in real terms; and, finally, - Welcomes a more financially feasible way for small business to access the migration program, although the overall cost remains prohibitive for many.

"Industry hopes the welcome work being done by the Government, including a significant amount of consultation with business, unions and other interested groups, will lead to a migration system that ensures Australia brings in the migrants we need in a smoother system to help meet our broader economic and industry-specific labour and skilling needs," Mr Willox said.

www.aigroup.com.au

* Footnote. Prime Minister Albanese said on the weekend that Australia can expect 400,000 new migrants over the next 2 years.
Who is paying the bills?

More from Fortune: 5 side hustles where you may earn over $20,000 per yearall while working from home Looking to make extra cash? This CD has a 5.15% APY right now Buying a house? Here's how much to save This is how much money you need to earn annually to comfortably buy a $600,000 home

Thats a loaded question when it comes to Charlie Javice, the 31-year-old founder of financial aid site Frank, who is apparently running low on funds as she continues to fight multiple lawsuits against her.

Javice has been waiting for weeks to learn if JPMorgan Chase, which acquired Frank in 2021, will be forced to pay her legal fees. Javice claims that JPMorgan Chase terminated her employment at Frank without cause and should be required to pay her legal fees, costs, and expenses, according to her December claim against the bank.

The biggest source of Javice's wealth was presumably her cut of the money she made from selling Frank for $175 million. But federal prosecutors are blocking Javice from accessing her payout from the sale. The transaction called for Javice to receive about $28 million cash for her interests in the startup, according to an April 21 Javice court filing. When the Frank sale closed in September 2021, Javice deposited about $21.4 million into three accounts, including two trusts, at JPMorgan. A third trust was set up to receive the remainder, about $7.3 million, which JPMorgan retained, the Javice court document said. After Javice was suspended from JPMorgan Chase in September 2022, she moved most of the funds to Signature Bank. The remainder she moved to Signature in February of this year, according to court filings. On March 10, when Silicon Valley Bank collapsed and Signature was feared to be next, Javice moved the funds to unnamed major domestic institutions in accounts that were then seized by the U.S. Attorneys office, the Javice filing said.

Its unclear whether the Feds have seized Javices apartment. In May 2021, just months before JPMorgan Chase acquired Frank, Javice bought a two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath condo in Miami Beach for $1.4 million, according to Miami-Dade property records. She financed the buy with a $1 million mortgage with JPMorgan Chase, according to Forbes. The U.S. Attorneys office declined comment.

Story continues

In April, federal prosecutors arrested Javice. She was released on a $2 million bond, which was guaranteed by two people and her Miami Beach condo, the bail agreement said. Javice must observe a 9 p.m. curfew deadline, which she is trying to extend to 11 p.m., according to court documents.

For her part, all along Javice has alleged that JPMorgan Chase manufactured a for-cause termination in bad faith. If she is found guilty, or if the court finds she shouldnt have received the indemnification, Javice has agreed to pay the money back, according to her December lawsuit. Olivier Amar, Franks chief growth officer, has also sued the bank to cover his legal fees. On March 8, Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick, the Delaware Chancery Court judge overseeing the case, heard oral arguments from both sides, but she has yet to return a verdict. JPMorgan declined comment and Javice did not return messages requesting comment.

Since December, Javice has sought to speed the resolution of her claim to get her legal fees paid. But the wait is expensive. Ms. Javice faces numerous impending deadlines for which she is incurring substantial expense, said Michael Barlow, an attorney with law firm Abrams & Bayliss, in an April 12 letter to Judge St. Jude McCormick.

Certain financial institutions have frozen Javices bank accounts, including her brokerage account that contained a majority of her available funds, Barlow said. Last week, Javice said that federal prosecutors in April seized her assets and have blocked her from accessing them, according to an April 21 court filing.

As a result, Ms. Javices ability to access funds to enforce her advancement rights, to defend herself in the Delaware Federal Action, and to defend the DOJ and SEC Actions, has become imperiled, Barlow said in the letter.

Javice does indeed have many legal bills. After she filed her initial complaint against JPMorgan Chase on Dec. 20, the bank turned around and sued her days later in Delaware district court for securities fraud. JPMorgan Chase claims the entrepreneur lied about the number of customers Frank had when it acquired the startup in September 2021 for $175 million. Javice allegedly told JPMorgan Chase that Frank had 4.25 million customers, but in reality, the company had about 300,000, according to JPMorgan Chases version of events as spelled out in legal documents.

The most serious complaint against Javice is from the Department of Justice, which filed criminal charges against the young executive in April. The DOJ claimed she falsely and dramatically inflated the number of customers Frank had in order to induce JPMorgan to buy the startup. Federal prosecutors slapped Javice with separate counts of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, wire fraud, and bank fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, according to the lawsuit. She was also charged with one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The Securities and Exchange Commission, in a separate lawsuit, charged Javice with fraud for making numerous misrepresentations about Franks users.

Javice has also picked a legal heavy hitter to defend her in the JPMorgan Chase fraud lawsuit and before the DOJ. Alex Spiro, a partner at law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan who is known as Elon Musks personal attorney, is representing her.

Expect Javice to continue fighting, at least until the judge decides whether she must pay her own legal fees.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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5 side hustles where you may earn over $20,000 per yearall while working from home

Looking to make extra cash? This CD has a 5.15% APY right now

Buying a house? Here's how much to save

This is how much money you need to earn annually to comfortably buy a $600,000 home
CHENGDU,China, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 25, the "Chengdu,a park city at the foot of the snow mountains, bloom vividly in the hustle and bustle -- 2023 Chengdu Cultural Tourism Korea Special Promotion" opened in Seoul, South Korea, hosted by Chengdu Culture, Radio, Film and Tourism Bureau and GoChengdu participated in the event. Representatives of Seoul's local tourism association and tourism industry attended the event. Representatives from Chengdu China attend the opening ceremony of the 2023 East Asian Cultural City Chonju Event Year on Monday.

Live at the event

"China and South Korea as well as Chengdu and Seoul are each other's important tourist sources. At the time of the recovery of the global tourism industry, we also hope to take this opportunity to strengthen the interaction of the two cultural and tourism markets through cooperation, expand the development space, and promote cultural and tourism resources to each other." Chengdu's representative mentioned in his speech that as a famous cultural city of East Asia, Chengdu's rich cultural and culinary resources are important reasons for its booming tourism.

"Now the tourism is recovering and the industry is starting to get warmer." Seung-heon Baek, vice president of the Korea Tourism Industry Association, made a speech at the presentation, saying, over the past three years, global exchanges between countries have been hindered, and tourism exchanges between Korea and China have decreased. "I sincerely hope that the tourism exchanges between our two countries will resume through this event."

At the meeting, Chengdu International Media Co., Ltd. and Korea General Travel Industry Association, Chengdu News Travel Agency Co., Ltd. and Korea Lotte Tourism Co., Ltd. held a cooperation signing ceremony.

Invited by the organizing committee of the 2023 Chonju City of East Asian Culture Event Year, representatives from Chengdu attended the opening ceremony of the event year on Monday. The theme of this Year is "City of Culture for a Millennium, Meet the Pride of Chonju City". It aims to promote cultural exchanges and cooperation in East Asia and enhance mutual understanding and trust.

Story continues

Live at the event

In order to fully display the Tianfu culture, Chengdu set up a special booth of cultural and creative crafts at the opening ceremony, displaying the most distinctive national intangible cultural heritage items, such as Shu brocade, Shu embroidery, Chongzhou bamboo weaving, etc., as well as Rong Bao, the mascot of The Chengdu 2021 Summer Universiade, cultural and creative products of the Universiade, etc. During the event, Chonju Mayor Woo Fan-ki, Chonju City Council Chairman Lee Ki-tong, Chinese Consul General in Gwangju Zhang Seung-gang, and Jeong Jun-ho, executive chairman of the Chonju International Film Festival, and other guests visited the booth in Chengdu and enjoyed the giant pandas and other cultural and creative products on display.

Chengdu and Chonju both are well-known cultural cities of East Asia. Chengdu is the birthplace of ancient Shu civilization. It has been ranked as the "happiest City in China" for 14 consecutive years, and is the world famous "home of pandas" and the city of gastronomy. Chonju is home to Korea's largest traditional building complex, Hanok Village, the birthplace of bibimbap, the iconic Korean food, and Pansori, a World Heritage site. The 2023 East Asian Cultural City Chengdu, China Event Year will be held soon. At the scene, the representative of Chengdu City said in an interview: "We sincerely invite Wendu sister city colleagues to come to chengdu, a park city located under the snow mountain, and have an immersive visit of the hustle and bustle of Chengdu."

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/chengdu-cultural-tourism-promotion-conference-comes-to-seoul-and-attends-the-opening-ceremony-of-the-2023-east-asian-cultural-city-chonju-korea-year-301810488.html

SOURCE GoChengdu
A number of research firms have changed their ratings and price targets for American International Group (NYSE: AIG):

4/21/2023  American International Group had its neutral rating reaffirmed by analysts at Credit Suisse Group AG. They now have a $60.00 price target on the stock.

4/18/2023  American International Group had its price target lowered by analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $76.00 to $73.00. They now have an outperform rating on the stock.

4/18/2023  American International Group had its price target lowered by analysts at Citigroup Inc. from $71.00 to $70.00.

4/13/2023  American International Group had its price target lowered by analysts at Evercore ISI from $70.00 to $63.00. They now have an in-line rating on the stock.

4/12/2023  American International Group had its price target lowered by analysts at Barclays PLC from $66.00 to $55.00. They now have an equal weight rating on the stock.

4/10/2023  American International Group had its price target lowered by analysts at Jefferies Financial Group Inc. from $75.00 to $67.00. They now have a buy rating on the stock.

4/5/2023  American International Group had its price target lowered by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $61.00 to $58.00. They now have an equal weight rating on the stock.

3/16/2023  American International Group is now covered by analysts at StockNews.com. They set a hold rating on the stock.

American International Group Stock Up 2.6 %

Shares of NYSE AIG traded up $1.33 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $52.14. 2,954,784 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,067,112. American International Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $45.66 and a 52-week high of $64.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $38.25 billion, a PE ratio of 4.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 0.31. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $53.42 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $57.84.

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American International Group (NYSE:AIG  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 16th. The insurance provider reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.19 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $11.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.84 billion. American International Group had a return on equity of 7.70% and a net margin of 18.21%. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.58 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that American International Group, Inc. will post 6.16 EPS for the current year.

American International Group Dividend Announcement

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American International Group

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 17th were given a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 16th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.45%. American International Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 10.02%.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Accurate Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in American International Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Arcus Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in American International Group during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Vigilant Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in American International Group by 262.3% during the 3rd quarter. Vigilant Capital Management LLC now owns 576 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 417 shares in the last quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in American International Group during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Thompson Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in American International Group during the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. 89.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

American International Group, Inc engages in the provision of a range of property casualty insurance, life insurance, retirement products, and other financial services to commercial and individual customers. It operates through the following segments: General Insurance, Life and Retirement and Other Operations.

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Southern (NYSE:SO  Get Rating) updated its second quarter earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided EPS guidance of $0.75 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $0.95. Southern also updated its FY23 guidance to $3.55-$3.65 EPS.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Credit Suisse Group boosted their target price on shares of Southern from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 18th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on Southern from $79.00 to $78.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 2nd. Mizuho raised Southern from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $72.00 to $77.00 in a report on Thursday, April 20th. StockNews.com raised Southern from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Southern from $73.00 to $71.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 17th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $73.14.

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Southern Stock Up 1.3 %

Shares of SO traded up $0.92 on Thursday, hitting $73.51. The companys stock had a trading volume of 4,104,042 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,226,254. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47. The firms fifty day moving average price is $68.35 and its 200-day moving average price is $67.79. Southern has a fifty-two week low of $58.85 and a fifty-two week high of $80.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $80.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.13, a P/E/G ratio of 5.12 and a beta of 0.51.

Southern Increases Dividend

Southern ( NYSE:SO Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 16th. The utilities provider reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.02. Southern had a return on equity of 11.73% and a net margin of 12.40%. The business had revenue of $7.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.83 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.36 EPS. Southerns quarterly revenue was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Southern will post 3.61 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 6th. Investors of record on Monday, May 15th will be given a $0.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 12th. This is a positive change from Southerns previous quarterly dividend of $0.68. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.81%. Southerns payout ratio is currently 82.93%.

Insider Activity at Southern

In other Southern news, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.89, for a total transaction of $359,450.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 146,284 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,516,356.76. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.89, for a total value of $359,450.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 146,284 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,516,356.76. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Christopher Cummiskey sold 1,282 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.60, for a total value of $85,381.20. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 27,512 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,832,299.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 7,134 shares of company stock worth $502,179. 0.37% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Southern

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sanctuary Wealth Management L.L.C. bought a new stake in Southern in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Compass Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Southern in the 4th quarter valued at $54,000. Achmea Investment Management B.V. bought a new position in Southern during the 1st quarter worth $68,000. Certified Advisory Corp bought a new position in Southern during the 1st quarter worth $73,000. Finally, Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. bought a new position in Southern during the 4th quarter worth $77,000. Institutional investors own 61.78% of the companys stock.

About Southern

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The Southern Co is a holding company, which engages in the generation and sale of electricity. It operates through the following segments: Traditional Electric Operating Companies, Southern Power and Southern Company Gas. The Traditional Electric Operating Companies segment refers to vertically integrated utilities that own generation, transmission and distribution facilities, and supplies electric services in the states of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi.

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Brookmont Capital Management reduced its stake in shares of Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN  Get Rating) by 2.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 9,388 shares of the information technology services providers stock after selling 245 shares during the quarter. Accenture makes up 1.5% of Brookmont Capital Managements portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position. Brookmont Capital Managements holdings in Accenture were worth $2,505,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Affiance Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Accenture during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. My Personal CFO LLC purchased a new position in shares of Accenture in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Accenture in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. EWG Elevate Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Accenture in the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Ten Capital Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Accenture by 61.8% in the 3rd quarter. Ten Capital Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 123 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the period. 73.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Accenture news, insider Ellyn Shook sold 5,250 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $275.90, for a total value of $1,448,475.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 26,908 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,423,917.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, insider Jean-Marc Ollagnier sold 6,250 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.06, for a total transaction of $1,750,375.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 174,084 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $48,753,965.04. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Ellyn Shook sold 5,250 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.90, for a total value of $1,448,475.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 26,908 shares in the company, valued at $7,423,917.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 15,010 shares of company stock valued at $4,180,030 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.08% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Accenture Price Performance

A number of research firms have recently commented on ACN. Edward Jones upgraded Accenture from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. William Blair reiterated an outperform rating on shares of Accenture in a research note on Monday, March 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Accenture from $311.00 to $314.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Wedbush reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $300.00 target price on shares of Accenture in a research note on Monday, March 13th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on Accenture from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $314.00.

ACN traded up $2.79 during trading on Friday, reaching $278.24. 684,113 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,367,250. The stock has a market cap of $175.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.25. Accenture plc has a fifty-two week low of $242.80 and a fifty-two week high of $322.88. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $270.94 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $275.63.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 23rd. The information technology services provider reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.49 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $15.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $15.59 billion. Accenture had a return on equity of 30.73% and a net margin of 11.00%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.54 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Accenture plc will post 11.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Accenture Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 13th will be given a $1.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 12th. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.61%. Accentures dividend payout ratio is currently 41.25%.

About Accenture

(Get Rating)

Accenture Plc engages in the provision of management consulting, technology, and outsourcing services. It operates through the following geographical segments: North America, Europe and Growth Markets. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

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Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (TSE:AEM  Get Rating) (NYSE:AEM)s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as C$80.40 and last traded at C$78.74, with a volume of 363120 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at C$76.92.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on AEM. National Bankshares raised their price target on Agnico Eagle Mines from C$76.00 to C$95.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price objective on Agnico Eagle Mines from C$90.00 to C$84.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. Barclays began coverage on Agnico Eagle Mines in a research note on Friday, February 17th. They set a buy rating and a C$62.00 price objective for the company. Raymond James lifted their price objective on Agnico Eagle Mines from C$65.00 to C$66.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, National Bank Financial lifted their price objective on Agnico Eagle Mines from C$76.00 to C$95.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of C$78.71.

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Agnico Eagle Mines Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 2.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.19. The stock has a market cap of C$35.85 billion, a PE ratio of 37.52, a P/E/G ratio of -1.52 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a fifty day moving average price of C$69.65 and a 200 day moving average price of C$68.27.

Agnico Eagle Mines Cuts Dividend

Agnico Eagle Mines ( TSE:AEM Get Rating ) (NYSE:AEM) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The company reported C$0.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of C$0.53 by C$0.02. The company had revenue of C$1.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$1.91 billion. Agnico Eagle Mines had a return on equity of 6.03% and a net margin of 11.67%. Analysts expect that Agnico Eagle Mines Limited will post 2.1595896 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 1st were paid a $0.532 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 28th. This represents a $2.13 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.72%. Agnico Eagle Miness payout ratio is presently 104.39%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Agnico Eagle Mines

In other news, Senior Officer Ammar Al-Joundi acquired 8,200 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 22nd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of C$62.17 per share, with a total value of C$509,822.70. Insiders own 0.11% of the companys stock.

About Agnico Eagle Mines

(Get Rating)

Agnico Eagle Mines Limited engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral properties in Canada, Mexico, and Finland. It operates through Northern Business and Southern Business segments. The company primarily produces and sells gold deposits, as well as explores for silver, zinc, and copper deposits.

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Alexandria Real Estate Equities (NYSE:ARE  Get Rating) had its price objective lowered by Mizuho from $180.00 to $145.00 in a research note published on Monday, The Fly reports.

ARE has been the topic of a number of other reports. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $162.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $176.00 to $177.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $155.00 to $144.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 27th. JMP Securities restated a buy rating and issued a $180.00 price objective on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities in a research note on Tuesday, January 31st. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Alexandria Real Estate Equities presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $168.25.

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Alexandria Real Estate Equities Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ARE opened at $122.72 on Monday. Alexandria Real Estate Equities has a 1-year low of $114.94 and a 1-year high of $190.92. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $131.58 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $143.28. The company has a current ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The firm has a market cap of $21.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.93.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Announces Dividend

Alexandria Real Estate Equities ( NYSE:ARE Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.15 by ($1.71). The firm had revenue of $700.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $686.70 million. Alexandria Real Estate Equities had a net margin of 28.01% and a return on equity of 3.77%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 13.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.05 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Alexandria Real Estate Equities will post 8.95 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 31st were paid a $1.21 dividend. This represents a $4.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.94%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 30th. Alexandria Real Estate Equitiess payout ratio is currently 106.84%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Marc E. Binda sold 3,298 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $167.21, for a total value of $551,458.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 67,005 shares of the companys stock, valued at $11,203,906.05. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, EVP Marc E. Binda sold 3,298 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $167.21, for a total transaction of $551,458.58. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 67,005 shares of the companys stock, valued at $11,203,906.05. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Hunter Kass sold 3,803 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $167.45, for a total transaction of $636,812.35. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 87,850 shares in the company, valued at $14,710,482.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 16,101 shares of company stock valued at $2,700,271 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.96% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Alexandria Real Estate Equities

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ARE. Telos Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 18.0% in the 1st quarter. Telos Capital Management Inc. now owns 6,475 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $813,000 after purchasing an additional 989 shares in the last quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP raised its stake in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 12.5% during the 1st quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 66,476 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $13,893,000 after acquiring an additional 7,409 shares in the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System raised its stake in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 147,287 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $18,498,000 after acquiring an additional 4,026 shares in the last quarter. Simplicity Solutions LLC raised its stake in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 19.2% during the 1st quarter. Simplicity Solutions LLC now owns 2,070 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $260,000 after acquiring an additional 333 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System raised its stake in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 3.3% during the 1st quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 45,319 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $5,692,000 after acquiring an additional 1,443 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.81% of the companys stock.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc engages in the business of providing space for lease. The firm is also an owner, operator, and developer of life science, agrotechnology, and technology campuses in Greater Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland, and Research Triangle.

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Alpha Architect Merlyn.AI Bull-Rider Bear-Fighter ETF (NYSEARCA:WIZ  Get Rating) shares dropped 0.1% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $26.62 and last traded at $26.70. Approximately 1,879 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 50% from the average daily volume of 3,754 shares. The stock had previously closed at $26.73.

Alpha Architect Merlyn.AI Bull-Rider Bear-Fighter ETF Stock Performance

The business has a fifty day moving average of $27.01 and a 200-day moving average of $27.93.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alpha Architect Merlyn.AI Bull-Rider Bear-Fighter ETF

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC bought a new position in Alpha Architect Merlyn.AI Bull-Rider Bear-Fighter ETF in the 1st quarter worth about $36,000. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Alpha Architect Merlyn.AI Bull-Rider Bear-Fighter ETF by 151.2% in the 4th quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 36,736 shares of the companys stock worth $1,010,000 after acquiring an additional 22,112 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS Group AG increased its stake in Alpha Architect Merlyn.AI Bull-Rider Bear-Fighter ETF by 5,789.6% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 3,946 shares of the companys stock worth $112,000 after acquiring an additional 3,879 shares during the last quarter.

Alpha Architect Merlyn.AI Bull-Rider Bear-Fighter ETF Company Profile

The Alpha Architect Merlyn.AI Bull-Rider Bear-Fighter ETF (WIZ) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in target outcome asset allocation. The fund tracks a proprietary index that uses artificial intelligence to analyze momentum indicators in order to shift between aggressive or conservative ETF portfolios.

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Day Pass for Top Asia Package starts as low as $19.9/day

Easy online pre-ordering, without switching SIM upon arrival, travel to multi-destinations worldwide with ease

HONG KONG, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- More and more Hong Kong people are eager to relive the excitement of traveling, as flight routes between Hong Kong and the world resume. As an industry leader in international 5G data roaming service, China Mobile Hong Kong (CMHK) announced that three popular destinations in Middle Eastern regions Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia are now covered by its Top Asia and Europe Day Pass Packages. Additionally, CMHK has introduced a number of 5G roaming Day Pass offers, each covering a variety of popular tourist countries at an average price as low as $19.9 per day, enabling users to enjoy CMHK's unparalleled 5G network even when they are traveling abroad!

China Mobile Hong Kong Introduces Three Popular Middle Eastern Regions into its Top Asia and Europe Day Pass Package

"Top Asia" Day Pass with average daily rates starting at $19.9/day

The Middle East is home to numerous famous attractions and is a well-liked connecting point for European travel. The "Top Asia" and "Europe" promotional packages offer an average daily rate as low as $19.9. With flexible day options accommodating different trip plans, users will be able to move across regions/countries with ease:

"Top Asia" Day Pass Package  includes seven popular Asian destinations such as Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan, along with the three new Middle Eastern regions. Ideal for travelers who are planning a flesh trip to neighboring destinations, or cultural enthusiasts who want to explore the countries in Middle East. The $298/15-day package offers users a daily fee of $19.9 on average.

"Europe" Day Pass Package covers up to 45 European countries/regions, including the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy, as well as the three new Middle Eastern regions. Suitable for those who are taking a long trip across various European countries, or travelers who are laying over in the Middle East and want to maximize their trip, by experiencing the luxury of Dubai, the solemn Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, and more destinations in the regions. The $478/15-day package offers users a daily fee of $31 on average.

Story continues

CMHK Day Pass Package Details

Day Pass Applicable destinations 5 Days 8 Days 15 Days 30 Days Bay Area Mainland China, Macau $68 $88 $148 $268 Top Asia & Middle East Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia $128 $168 $298 - North America & Oceania USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand $178 $248 $428 - Europe & Middle East 45 destinations among United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Spain, UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, etc. $198 $278 $478 -

The full speed of data roaming usage is 500MB per day, after which the data transmission speed will be capped at 512kbps. For more details:

https://eshop.hk.chinamobile.com/en/corporate_information/Global_Services/globalRoaming/data_roam/DayPass.html

CMHK's international 5G roaming daily service now covers the United Arab Emirates

Further to the emerging tourism trend in the Middle East, Hong Kong has also been actively enhancing trade relations with the UAE, and opened the first Middle Eastern trade office in Dubai in 2021. CMHK anticipates that the need for short-term business trips from Hong Kong to the UAE will continue to grow in the coming years. With this in mind, CMHK's on-demand Data Roaming Zone, which charges on a daily basis, now also covers the UAE with a daily fee discount rate of $68/1GB.

For more details: https://eshop.hk.chinamobile.com/en/corporate_information/Global_Services/globalRoaming/data_roam/DataRoamingZone.html

Easy online pre-ordering, no SIM card switching needed, and activating 5G roaming upon arrival

Existing CMHK customers may easily pre-purchase the necessary services at the CMHK eShop or via the MyLink mobile app without going to a physical location or using a different SIM card, and enjoy 5G roaming once they arrive at their destination, making the pre-trip planning much more convenient.

About China Mobile Hong Kong Limited

China Mobile Hong Kong Company Limited ("China Mobile Hong Kong") is a subsidiary of China Mobile Company Limited ("China Mobile"), ranked 57th in the Fortune Global 500, Hong Kong Stock Exchange Stock Code: 941; New York Stock Exchange Stock Code: CHL ) officially provided services in January 1997, becoming the first PCS mobile network operator in Hong Kong.

As the world's largest customer mobile network brand*, the Company offers innovative and comprehensive communications services, including voice, data, IDD and international roaming through 5G, 4G LTE and 3GHSPA and other technologies. The Company is committed to the development of 5G with new technologies such as artificial intelligence, internet of things, cloud computing and big data, integrating 5G applications in different industries, promoting the construction and development of smart city groups in Greater Bay Area.

* China Mobile Hong Kong Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Mobile Limited. As of December 31, 2022, China Mobile Limited had the most mobile network customers in the world.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/china-mobile-hong-kong-introduces-three-popular-middle-eastern-regions-into-its-top-asia-and-europe-day-pass-package-301810642.html

SOURCE China Mobile Hong Kong
Park National Corp OH grew its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO  Get Rating) by 9.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 23,461 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 2,105 shares during the period. Park National Corp OHs holdings in Altria Group were worth $1,072,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MO. Bourgeon Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 85.6% in the 4th quarter. Bourgeon Capital Management LLC now owns 542 shares of the companys stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 250 shares during the last quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P bought a new stake in Altria Group in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Altria Group by 118.8% during the 4th quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 805 shares of the companys stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 437 shares in the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Altria Group by 39.1% during the 4th quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. now owns 886 shares of the companys stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 249 shares in the last quarter. Finally, 1832 Asset Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 1st quarter worth about $41,000. 58.68% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Altria Group Stock Up 1.1 %

NYSE MO opened at $47.19 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $84.29 billion, a PE ratio of 14.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $45.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $45.74. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $40.35 and a 12-month high of $57.03.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

Altria Group ( NYSE:MO Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $1.18. Altria Group had a net margin of 22.97% and a negative return on equity of 284.29%. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.89 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.12 earnings per share. Altria Groups revenue for the quarter was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.06 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 24th will be paid a $0.94 dividend. This represents a $3.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.97%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 23rd. Altria Groups payout ratio is 117.87%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $52.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $49.50 to $47.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 17th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $45.50.

Altria Group Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Altria Group, Inc operates as a holding company, which engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the United States. It operates through the following segments: Smokeable Products, Oral tobacco products, and Wine. The Smokeable Products segment consists of cigarettes manufactured and sold by PM USA and machine-made large cigars and pipe tobacco manufactured and sold by Middleton.

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A number of research firms have changed their ratings and price targets for Owens Corning (NYSE: OC):

4/27/2023  Owens Corning had its price target raised by analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from $96.00 to $111.00.

4/27/2023  Owens Corning had its price target raised by analysts at Barclays PLC from $107.00 to $113.00.

4/19/2023  Owens Corning had its price target raised by analysts at Bank of America Co. from $120.00 to $125.00. They now have a buy rating on the stock.

4/8/2023  Owens Corning was downgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating.

3/31/2023  Owens Corning was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating.

3/23/2023  Owens Corning was downgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating.

3/15/2023  Owens Corning was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating.

Owens Corning Stock Performance

NYSE:OC traded up $5.35 on Thursday, hitting $103.90. The stock had a trading volume of 1,087,738 shares, compared to its average volume of 891,303. The stock has a market cap of $9.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $96.35 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $92.23. Owens Corning has a 52-week low of $72.97 and a 52-week high of $105.62.

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Owens Corning (NYSE:OC  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The construction company reported $2.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.22 by $0.55. Owens Corning had a return on equity of 27.36% and a net margin of 12.71%. The business had revenue of $2.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.22 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.84 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Owens Corning will post 9.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Owens Corning Dividend Announcement

Insider Activity at Owens Corning

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 6th. Investors of record on Friday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.00%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 2nd. Owens Cornings dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.40%.

In related news, insider Todd W. Fister sold 2,505 shares of Owens Corning stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total transaction of $250,500.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 31,482 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,148,200. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Owens Corning news, insider Todd W. Fister sold 2,505 shares of Owens Corning stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.00, for a total value of $250,500.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 31,482 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,148,200. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Paula Russell sold 2,000 shares of Owens Corning stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.00, for a total value of $190,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,342 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,312,490. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 15,505 shares of company stock valued at $1,540,500. 0.89% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Owens Corning

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co purchased a new position in Owens Corning during the 3rd quarter valued at $316,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its holdings in Owens Corning by 64.7% during the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,283 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $101,000 after acquiring an additional 504 shares during the period. Putnam Investments LLC purchased a new position in Owens Corning during the 3rd quarter valued at $3,063,000. Oak Family Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Owens Corning by 37.2% during the 4th quarter. Oak Family Advisors LLC now owns 8,279 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $706,000 after acquiring an additional 2,245 shares during the period. Finally, FORA Capital LLC purchased a new position in Owens Corning during the 3rd quarter valued at $433,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.59% of the companys stock.

Owens Corning engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of insulation, roofing, and fiberglass composites. It operates through the following segments: Composites, Insulation, and Roofing. The Composites segment manufactures, fabricates, and sells glass reinforcements in the form of fiber, and includes vertically integrated downstream activities.

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Freehold Royalties Ltd. (TSE:FRU  Get Rating) has earned an average rating of Buy from the eleven analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is C$19.84.

FRU has been the topic of several research reports. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price objective on Freehold Royalties from C$21.00 to C$20.75 in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th. Raymond James cut their price objective on Freehold Royalties from C$21.00 to C$20.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. CIBC dropped their target price on Freehold Royalties from C$19.00 to C$18.00 in a research report on Friday, April 14th. National Bankshares dropped their target price on Freehold Royalties from C$20.00 to C$19.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on Freehold Royalties from C$18.00 to C$17.00 in a research report on Monday, March 27th.

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Freehold Royalties Trading Down 0.2 %

TSE:FRU opened at C$14.64 on Friday. The businesss 50-day moving average is C$14.97 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$15.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.48, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.50. Freehold Royalties has a 12 month low of C$11.66 and a 12 month high of C$17.78. The firm has a market capitalization of C$2.21 billion, a PE ratio of 10.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -0.92 and a beta of 2.11.

Freehold Royalties Dividend Announcement

About Freehold Royalties

The company also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Investors of record on Monday, May 15th will be paid a $0.09 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 27th. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.38%. Freehold Royaltiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 77.70%.

(Get Rating)

Freehold Royalties Ltd., an oil and gas royalty company, owns working interests in oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and potash properties in Western Canada and the United States. The company holds approximately 6.2 million gross acres of land in Canada and 0.8 million gross drilling unit acres in the United States.

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Fresnillo plc (LON:FRES  Get Rating) has been assigned an average rating of Hold from the seven brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and five have given a hold recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is GBX 751.43 ($9.38).

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on FRES shares. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Fresnillo from GBX 950 ($11.86) to GBX 800 ($9.99) and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 26th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on shares of Fresnillo from GBX 920 ($11.49) to GBX 800 ($9.99) and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Fresnillo from GBX 700 ($8.74) to GBX 650 ($8.12) and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 8th. UBS Group downgraded Fresnillo to a sell rating and lowered their price objective for the company from GBX 900 ($11.24) to GBX 850 ($10.62) in a research report on Thursday, January 19th. Finally, Peel Hunt reissued a hold rating and set a GBX 800 ($9.99) target price on shares of Fresnillo in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th.

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Fresnillo Stock Performance

LON:FRES opened at GBX 715 ($8.93) on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 32.64, a quick ratio of 3.28 and a current ratio of 2.82. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 756.44 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 811.57. The firm has a market capitalization of 5.27 billion, a PE ratio of 2,484.83, a P/E/G ratio of -1.58 and a beta of 0.18. Fresnillo has a 52-week low of GBX 637.20 ($7.96) and a 52-week high of GBX 996.80 ($12.45).

Fresnillo Increases Dividend

Fresnillo Company Profile

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 1.45%. This is a boost from Fresnillos previous dividend of $0.03. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 27th. Fresnillos dividend payout ratio is 4,827.59%.

(Get Rating)

Fresnillo plc mines, develops, and produces non-ferrous minerals in Mexico. It operates through seven segments: Fresnillo, Saucito, Cienega, Herradura, Noche Buena, San Julian, and Other. The company primarily explores for silver, gold, lead, and zinc concentrates. Its projects include Fresnillo silver mine located in the state of Zacatecas; Saucito silver mine situated in the state of Zacatecas; Cienega gold mine located in the state of Durango; Herradura gold mine situated in the state of Sonora; Noche Buena gold mine located in the state of Sonora; and San Julian silver-gold mine situated on the border of Chihuahua/Durango states.

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Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM  Get Rating) has been given a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy by the twenty-one ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $597.37.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on HUM. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Humana from $560.00 to $590.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Cowen reduced their price objective on shares of Humana from $647.00 to $581.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Humana from $562.00 to $568.00 in a research note on Thursday. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Humana from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Finally, Stephens cut their price target on shares of Humana from $625.00 to $590.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 3rd.

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Humana Trading Up 3.9 %

Shares of HUM stock opened at $525.28 on Friday. The companys 50-day moving average price is $502.09 and its 200-day moving average price is $510.83. The company has a current ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market cap of $65.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.83, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.71. Humana has a twelve month low of $410.87 and a twelve month high of $571.30.

Humana Announces Dividend

Humana ( NYSE:HUM Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The insurance provider reported $9.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.25 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $26.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $26.40 billion. Humana had a net margin of 3.26% and a return on equity of 21.04%. Humanas revenue was up 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $8.04 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Humana will post 28.25 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 30th will be given a $0.885 dividend. This represents a $3.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 29th. Humanas dividend payout ratio is currently 16.06%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Bruce D. Broussard sold 17,575 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $505.85, for a total value of $8,890,313.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 70,040 shares in the company, valued at $35,429,734. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, CEO Bruce D. Broussard sold 17,575 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $505.85, for a total transaction of $8,890,313.75. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 70,040 shares of the companys stock, valued at $35,429,734. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Joseph C. Ventura sold 2,048 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $507.97, for a total value of $1,040,322.56. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 4,256 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,161,920.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.32% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Humana

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Humana by 546.3% in the 3rd quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 614 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $298,000 after purchasing an additional 519 shares during the period. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC raised its holdings in shares of Humana by 14.9% in the 4th quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC now owns 608 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $311,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the period. Simplicity Solutions LLC raised its holdings in shares of Humana by 15.4% in the 4th quarter. Simplicity Solutions LLC now owns 1,205 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $617,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares during the period. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System purchased a new position in shares of Humana in the 4th quarter worth about $5,095,000. Finally, MML Investors Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Humana by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 8,003 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $3,883,000 after buying an additional 536 shares during the period. 93.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Humana Company Profile

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Humana Inc engages in the provision of health insurance services. It operates through the Insurance and CenterWell segments. The Insurance segment consists of Medicare benefits, marketed to individuals or directly via group Medicare accounts, as well as contract with CMS to administer the Limited Income Newly Eligible Transition, or LI-NET, prescription drug plan program and contracts with various states to provide Medicaid, dual eligible demonstration, and Long-Term Support Services benefits, which refer to as state-based contracts.

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Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG  Get Rating) had its target price hoisted by equities researchers at Royal Bank of Canada from $225.00 to $230.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday, The Fly reports. Royal Bank of Canadas price objective points to a potential upside of 10.02% from the companys previous close.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, January 30th. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a research report on Thursday, January 19th. They set an outperform rating and a $211.00 price objective for the company. Piper Sandler upped their price target on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $215.00 to $220.00 in a research report on Friday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price objective on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $213.00 to $211.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 17th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $214.71.

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Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Price Performance

AJG stock opened at $209.05 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $44.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.20, a P/E/G ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $191.68 and a 200 day simple moving average of $190.56. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a 1 year low of $148.24 and a 1 year high of $209.13.

Insider Buying and Selling

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. ( NYSE:AJG Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The financial services provider reported $1.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.50 by $0.04. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a net margin of 13.08% and a return on equity of 18.64%. The company had revenue of $2 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.96 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.98 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 8.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. news, CFO Douglas K. Howell sold 2,850 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.98, for a total transaction of $515,793.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 90,715 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,417,600.70. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. news, CFO Douglas K. Howell sold 2,850 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.98, for a total transaction of $515,793.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 90,715 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $16,417,600.70. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Scott R. Hudson sold 18,700 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.66, for a total value of $3,565,342.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 42,231 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,051,762.46. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 27,783 shares of company stock worth $5,262,891 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fosun International Ltd grew its position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 190.0% in the 1st quarter. Fosun International Ltd now owns 11,557 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,211,000 after purchasing an additional 7,572 shares in the last quarter. EULAV Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the first quarter valued at approximately $2,372,000. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors lifted its holdings in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 28.4% during the first quarter. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors now owns 2,353 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $446,000 after acquiring an additional 521 shares during the period. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. grew its stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 19,924 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $3,812,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares during the period. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 10,088 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,930,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.07% of the companys stock.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Company Profile

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Arthur J. Gallagher & Co engages in the provision of insurance brokerage, consulting, and third-party claims settlement and administration services. It operates through the following business segments: Brokerage, Risk Management, and Corporate. The Brokerage segment consists of retail and wholesale insurance brokerage operations.

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AstraZeneca PLC (OTCMKTS:AZNCF  Get Rating) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 555,700 shares, an increase of 137.0% from the March 31st total of 234,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 6,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 86.8 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Barclays restated a buy rating and set a $13,500.00 price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Friday, February 10th.

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AstraZeneca Price Performance

Shares of AZNCF remained flat at $147.15 during mid-day trading on Thursday. The stock had a trading volume of 1,044 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,227. AstraZeneca has a twelve month low of $104.50 and a twelve month high of $153.10. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $138.26.

AstraZeneca Company Profile

AstraZeneca Plc is a holding company, which engages in the research, development, manufacture, and commercialization of prescription medicines. The company was founded on June 17, 1992 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom.

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Avidian Wealth Solutions LLC lifted its position in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM  Get Rating) by 1.0% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 17,404 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the period. Avidian Wealth Solutions LLCs holdings in Archer-Daniels-Midland were worth $1,616,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland by 46.3% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,696 shares of the companys stock valued at $158,000 after acquiring an additional 537 shares in the last quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 40,141 shares of the companys stock worth $3,230,000 after buying an additional 1,261 shares during the period. Blueshift Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Archer-Daniels-Midland during the 3rd quarter worth about $237,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 1,066.1% during the 4th quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 239,910 shares of the companys stock worth $22,276,000 after buying an additional 219,337 shares during the period. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its holdings in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 655.8% during the 4th quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 393 shares of the companys stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 341 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.23% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on ADM shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Archer-Daniels-Midland from $87.00 to $85.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on Archer-Daniels-Midland in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued an outperform rating and a $100.00 price objective for the company. Barclays lowered their price objective on Archer-Daniels-Midland from $105.00 to $99.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Archer-Daniels-Midland from $94.00 to $85.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Archer-Daniels-Midland from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $100.78.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Stock Performance

Shares of ADM opened at $78.01 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.51. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $79.41 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $86.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.80. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company has a 52 week low of $70.02 and a 52 week high of $98.28.

Archer-Daniels-Midland (NYSE:ADM  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $2.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.38. Archer-Daniels-Midland had a return on equity of 18.39% and a net margin of 4.36%. The firm had revenue of $24.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.09 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.90 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Archer-Daniels-Midland Company will post 6.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company Profile

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Archer-Daniels-Midland Co engages in the production of oilseeds, corn, wheat, cocoa, and other agricultural commodities. It operates through the following segments: Ag Services and Oilseeds, Carbohydrate Solutions, Nutrition, and Other. The Ag Services and Oilseeds segment includes activities related to the origination, merchandising, transportation, and storage of agricultural raw materials, and the crushing and further processing of oilseeds such as soybeans and soft seeds cottonseed, sunflower seed, canola, rapeseed, and flaxseed into vegetable oils and protein meals.

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BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund, Inc. (NYSE:MUC  Get Rating) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 23,600 shares, a decrease of 50.1% from the March 31st total of 47,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 198,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.1 days.

BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund Stock Performance

Shares of MUC stock traded up $0.04 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $10.80. 180,431 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 214,198. The stocks 50 day moving average is $10.87 and its 200-day moving average is $10.87. BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund has a fifty-two week low of $9.95 and a fifty-two week high of $12.96.

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BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 14th will be given a $0.0335 dividend. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.72%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 13th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund

About BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Morgan Stanley increased its position in shares of BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund by 19.3% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 4,718,035 shares of the companys stock valued at $50,672,000 after acquiring an additional 762,169 shares during the period. Guggenheim Capital LLC boosted its holdings in BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund by 3.9% in the first quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 1,178,881 shares of the companys stock valued at $15,420,000 after purchasing an additional 44,371 shares during the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its holdings in BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund by 107.9% in the second quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 848,960 shares of the companys stock valued at $10,163,000 after purchasing an additional 440,672 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund by 4.7% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 722,890 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,455,000 after purchasing an additional 32,508 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund by 1.2% in the third quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 717,404 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,705,000 after purchasing an additional 8,429 shares during the last quarter. 44.65% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund, Inc operates as a closed-end investment fund. The companys investment objective is to provide shareholders and investing primarily in municipal obligations exempt from federal income taxes and California income taxes. The company was founded on February 27, 1998 and is headquartered in Wilmington, DE.

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Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM  Get Rating) issued its earnings results on Thursday. The company reported ($0.73) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.32) by ($0.41), Briefing.com reports. The firm had revenue of $410.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $412.47 million. Boston Beer had a net margin of 3.12% and a return on equity of 8.36%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.16) earnings per share. Boston Beer updated its FY23 guidance to $6.00-10.00 EPS and its FY 2023 guidance to $6.00-$10.00 EPS.

Boston Beer Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE:SAM traded up $3.35 during trading on Friday, hitting $319.51. The stock had a trading volume of 203,244 shares, compared to its average volume of 145,220. Boston Beer has a 12 month low of $287.00 and a 12 month high of $422.75. The company has a market capitalization of $3.92 billion, a PE ratio of 58.22 and a beta of 1.08. The firms fifty day moving average is $321.46 and its 200 day moving average is $349.32.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SAM has been the topic of several research reports. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Boston Beer from $270.00 to $260.00 in a research note on Friday. Citigroup reduced their target price on Boston Beer from $340.00 to $330.00 in a research report on Friday. Credit Suisse Group reduced their target price on Boston Beer from $400.00 to $375.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 16th. Jefferies Financial Group cut Boston Beer from a hold rating to an underperform rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $331.00 to $275.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 4th. Finally, Roth Mkm reduced their target price on Boston Beer from $282.00 to $276.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 16th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Boston Beer currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $298.58.

Insider Transactions at Boston Beer

Institutional Trading of Boston Beer

In other news, VP Annette N. Fritsch sold 220 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $318.37, for a total value of $70,041.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,397 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $444,762.89. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . In related news, VP Annette N. Fritsch sold 220 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $318.37, for a total value of $70,041.40. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 1,397 shares in the company, valued at approximately $444,762.89. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . Also, insider John C. Geist sold 646 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $320.14, for a total value of $206,810.44. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 5,573 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,784,140.22. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Corporate insiders own 23.30% of the companys stock.

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SAM. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P purchased a new stake in Boston Beer during the 1st quarter valued at $38,859,000. Millennium Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Boston Beer in the 2nd quarter worth $18,690,000. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in shares of Boston Beer by 119.6% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 92,524 shares of the companys stock worth $35,943,000 after buying an additional 50,384 shares during the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Boston Beer by 3,954.5% in the 1st quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 51,168 shares of the companys stock worth $19,877,000 after buying an additional 49,906 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in Boston Beer in the 4th quarter worth $11,514,000. 68.72% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Boston Beer

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Boston Beer Co, Inc engages in the production of alcoholic beverages. Its brands include Truly Hard Seltzer, Twisted Tea, Samuel Adams, Angry Orchard, Hard Cider and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. Boston Beer produces alcohol beverages, including hard seltzer, malt beverages (beers), and hard cider at company-owned breweries and its cidery, and under contract arrangements at other brewery locations.

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(Bloomberg) -- Australias economic and diplomatic relations with China are in recovery mode, with tensions over issues ranging from foreign investment to security receding as Beijing tamps down its punitive efforts to bend one of its key commodity suppliers to its will.

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In the strongest sign yet that years of frosty relations are warming again, more than a dozen companies including Rio Tinto Plc and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. headed to China this week  the first such trip since the pandemic. Trade Minister Don Farrell is expected to visit as soon as May.

Its part of a broader shift by Beijing to improve relations with certain US allies as President Xi Jinping looks to shore up the worlds second-biggest economy and resist efforts by the Biden administration to isolate China on the global stage.

On the Australian side, the election of a center-left Labor government has seen a change in tone from the more confrontational approach taken by its predecessor.

Chinas re-opening comes at a time of renewed optimism for Australia and Chinas relations, said HSBC Australia head Antony Shaw, who is part of the delegation. As Australias relations with China reignite, there is huge opportunity to support our businesses.

The deterioration in Australia-China ties first began in 2017, just two years after a free-trade agreement between the two nations had come into effect. The trigger was then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announcing legislation to crack down on foreign interference, which Beijing interpreted as targeting China.

Shortly afterward, Australia became the first country in the world to ban Chinese technology giant Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. from its 5G network over what China said were unfounded security concerns. The US and UK soon followed.

Story continues

Relations ruptured when then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison in April 2020 called for an international investigation into the origins of Covid-19.

China responded by targeting Australias exports of coal, wine, barley and lobsters and one if its diplomats issued a list of 14 grievances, including complaints that Australia was doing the bidding of the US.

Needing the steady flow of iron ore to keep its steel mills supplied and its construction industry afloat, Australias biggest export was left untouched. Meantime, firms in affected industries scurried to find new markets, blunting the impact of the attempted economic coercion.

In targeting these industries, China may have done Australian firms a favor by forcing them to seek out new opportunities, said James McIntyre, economist for Australia at Bloomberg Economics.

Australias exporters were able to pivot in response to Chinas measures, and growth prospects look more favorable in other markets  especially India, he said. The real benefit from Chinas trade restrictions may have been that it prompted Australian businesses to focus on brighter export opportunities.

Throughout the dispute, China remained Australias biggest export market and helped fuel six years of trade surpluses. Thats bolstered Australias fiscal coffers and allowed Canberra to finance a defense expansion to counter Chinas regional military buildup, while reporting one of the best budget positions in the developed world.

China resumed taking Australian coal in February and is undertaking a review thats expected to end sanctions on barley in coming months. Australian officials say theyre hopeful of a similar process for wine by years end.

Then theres the key services of tourism and education that have been powered by Chinese visitors and students. Diana Mousina, deputy chief economist at AMP Capital Markets, reckons that by June Australia will see a lot more people arriving from China.

When the tensions were the highest, there were reports in China that Australia was not the best place to study or live for Chinese, she said. So the thawing is definitely positive from the point of view of tourists wanting to visit.

In the face of growing hawkishness from the US, China is also trying to improve ties with other Asian nations and making overtures to Europe to try and revive an investment treaty that was shelved.

While theres been a shift on tone, Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hasnt undone or watered down any of his center-right predecessors key security policies. Australia remains committed to the Quad security partnership with the US, Japan and India and the Aukus agreement that will see Australia deploy nuclear submarines.

Beijing has highlighted its desire for a relaxation of foreign investment restrictions, but theres been no change there either. Instead, Canberra announced this year it would knock back a China-linked investment offer in a strategically-significant domestic rare earths supplier.

Another unresolved issue is Chinas detention of Australians Yang Hengjun and Cheng Lei, who were arrested in 2019 and 2020 respectively and are still being held.

The 14 points highlighted the politicization and stigmatization of China-Australia relations and demanded Australia stop wanton interference on topics of human rights, including Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Since coming to office in May, Labor Foreign Minister Penny Wong has kept criticism of the Chinese government behind closed doors.

The Australian business delegation in China this week was scheduled to visit Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Tianjin and Beijing, providing opportunities to reconnect with colleagues and friends, the organizers said.

--With assistance from James Mayger.

(Updates with details of continued detention of two Australians in China in third-last paragraph.)

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Boston Properties (NYSE:BXP  Get Rating) issued an update on its second quarter earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $1.79-1.81 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $1.80. Boston Properties also updated its FY23 guidance to $7.14-7.20 EPS.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BXP has been the subject of a number of research reports. Evercore ISI dropped their target price on shares of Boston Properties from $79.00 to $66.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Boston Properties in a report on Tuesday, March 21st. They issued a neutral rating and a $56.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Boston Properties from $76.00 to $64.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 16th. Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of Boston Properties from $95.00 to $85.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 4th. Finally, Barclays downgraded shares of Boston Properties from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $57.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Thursday, March 23rd. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $73.72.

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Boston Properties Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BXP traded up $0.47 during trading on Friday, hitting $53.29. 956,981 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,736,939. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.80, a current ratio of 4.76 and a quick ratio of 4.19. Boston Properties has a 52-week low of $46.18 and a 52-week high of $123.43. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $56.64 and its 200 day simple moving average is $65.86. The company has a market cap of $8.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.59 and a beta of 1.07.

Boston Properties Announces Dividend

Boston Properties ( NYSE:BXP Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.70 by ($1.20). The business had revenue of $803.20 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $778.80 million. Boston Properties had a return on equity of 9.44% and a net margin of 24.82%. Boston Propertiess revenue was up 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.82 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Boston Properties will post 7.15 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.98 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.36%. Boston Propertiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 78.56%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Boston Properties

In related news, Director Matthew J. Lustig acquired 10,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 15th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $52.92 per share, with a total value of $529,200.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 10,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $529,200. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.22% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Boston Properties

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. SVB Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Boston Properties during the first quarter worth $285,000. Toroso Investments LLC lifted its holdings in Boston Properties by 6.7% during the 1st quarter. Toroso Investments LLC now owns 1,915 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $247,000 after buying an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming lifted its holdings in Boston Properties by 149.6% during the 4th quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 3,500 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $237,000 after buying an additional 2,098 shares during the last quarter. Carolinas Wealth Consulting LLC increased its position in shares of Boston Properties by 539.8% during the first quarter. Carolinas Wealth Consulting LLC now owns 1,670 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $217,000 after purchasing an additional 1,409 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Boston Properties during the first quarter worth about $214,000. 88.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Boston Properties

(Get Rating)

Boston Properties, Inc operates as a real estate investment trust. It develops, acquires, manages and owns a portfolio of Class A properties. The firm operates through the following geographical locations: Boston, New York, San Francisco and Washington. The company was founded by Mortimer Benjamin Zuckerman and Edward H.

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Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Rating) by 7.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 157,872 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after purchasing an additional 10,524 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.s holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $11,359,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of BMY. Dakota Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the first quarter worth $332,000. Covestor Ltd increased its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 111.5% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 2,052 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $150,000 after acquiring an additional 1,082 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 53.2% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 165,336 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $12,075,000 after acquiring an additional 57,444 shares in the last quarter. Ergoteles LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the first quarter worth $1,997,000. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 25.1% in the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 338,563 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $24,725,000 after acquiring an additional 68,018 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.51% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on BMY shares. Atlantic Securities increased their price objective on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Monday, March 6th. They issued a hold rating and a $62.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Tuesday, January 17th. They issued an overweight rating and a $95.00 target price for the company. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $80.00.

Insider Transactions at Bristol-Myers Squibb

Bristol-Myers Squibb Price Performance

In related news, EVP Ann Powell sold 11,183 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.69, for a total transaction of $835,258.27. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 23,043 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,721,081.67. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link . In other Bristol-Myers Squibb news, CEO Giovanni Caforio sold 240,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.65, for a total value of $17,916,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 236,104 shares of the companys stock, valued at $17,625,163.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink . Also, EVP Ann Powell sold 11,183 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.69, for a total value of $835,258.27. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 23,043 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,721,081.67. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Bristol-Myers Squibb stock opened at $67.61 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. The business has a 50-day moving average of $69.01 and a 200-day moving average of $72.68. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 1 year low of $65.28 and a 1 year high of $81.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $142.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.92, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.45.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 2nd. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.11. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a return on equity of 51.60% and a net margin of 13.71%. The company had revenue of $11.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.83 EPS. The businesss revenue was down 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 8.07 EPS for the current year.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 10th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.37%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 6th. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio is 77.29%.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Bristol Myers Squibb Co engages in the discovery, development, licensing, manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of biopharmaceutical products. It offers chemically-synthesized drugs or small molecules and products produced from biological processes called biologics. The company was founded in August 1933 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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BTIG Research downgraded shares of Ares Commercial Real Estate (NYSE:ACRE  Get Rating) from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report published on Tuesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the company. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Ares Commercial Real Estate in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Ares Commercial Real Estate from $11.00 to $9.00 in a report on Monday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on Ares Commercial Real Estate from $12.50 to $10.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Ares Commercial Real Estate has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $12.36.

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Ares Commercial Real Estate Stock Up 3.1 %

Shares of NYSE ACRE opened at $8.44 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $460.91 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.07 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.35. The business has a 50-day moving average of $9.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $10.91. Ares Commercial Real Estate has a 1 year low of $8.12 and a 1 year high of $15.70.

Ares Commercial Real Estate Dividend Announcement

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ares Commercial Real Estate

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 31st were paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 16.59%. Ares Commercial Real Estates dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 220.00%.

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ahrens Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in Ares Commercial Real Estate during the first quarter worth $28,000. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Ares Commercial Real Estate by 1,181.5% during the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 3,473 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 3,202 shares during the last quarter. Samalin Investment Counsel LLC acquired a new stake in Ares Commercial Real Estate during the 1st quarter valued at $50,000. Amalgamated Bank grew its holdings in Ares Commercial Real Estate by 18.3% during the 3rd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 6,632 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $69,000 after buying an additional 1,026 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clear Street Markets LLC acquired a new stake in Ares Commercial Real Estate during the 4th quarter valued at $77,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 46.63% of the companys stock.

About Ares Commercial Real Estate

(Get Rating)

Ares Commercial Real Estate Corp. engages in originating and investing in commercial real estate loans and related investments. The company was founded in September 2011 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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BTIG Research reiterated their neutral rating on shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (NYSE:ARI  Get Rating) in a report issued on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from $11.00 to $9.00 in a research report on Monday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance from $11.50 to $10.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have assigned a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $10.80.

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Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Stock Up 6.8 %

ARI opened at $10.00 on Tuesday. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $9.97 and its 200 day moving average price is $10.87. The stock has a market cap of $1.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.29 and a beta of 1.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 36.70 and a quick ratio of 36.70. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance has a 12 month low of $7.91 and a 12 month high of $13.10.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Announces Dividend

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Investors of record on Friday, March 31st were given a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 14.00%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 30th. Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finances payout ratio is 88.05%.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ARI. MAS Advisors LLC boosted its position in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 17.1% during the first quarter. MAS Advisors LLC now owns 110,840 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,535,000 after purchasing an additional 16,168 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 1.0% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,378,310 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $19,200,000 after acquiring an additional 13,735 shares in the last quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. raised its position in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 28.0% during the first quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 22,392 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $312,000 after acquiring an additional 4,899 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its position in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 57.3% during the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 73,379 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,022,000 after acquiring an additional 26,742 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS increased its position in Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance by 14.6% during the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 113,890 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,586,000 after buying an additional 14,502 shares during the last quarter. 54.57% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc engages in the provision of real estate investment trust. It offers loan programs that include senior loans, subordinate debt, bridge loans, and preferred equity. The company was founded on June 29, 2009 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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Cable Hill Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA  Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 785 shares of the credit services providers stock, valued at approximately $273,000.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 0.7% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,259,535 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $21,967,977,000 after buying an additional 568,155 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Mastercard by 0.4% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 33,865,057 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $9,629,190,000 after purchasing an additional 138,753 shares during the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC boosted its holdings in Mastercard by 1.6% in the third quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 7,874,093 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $2,238,920,000 after purchasing an additional 121,731 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Mastercard by 1.7% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,337,588 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $1,550,168,000 after purchasing an additional 71,113 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board raised its position in shares of Mastercard by 3.8% in the third quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 3,540,192 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $1,006,618,000 after acquiring an additional 128,200 shares during the period. 74.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Mastercard Trading Up 1.9 %

MA opened at $373.67 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $356.20 billion, a PE ratio of 36.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.11. The firms fifty day moving average price is $360.06 and its 200 day moving average price is $350.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.16, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 1.17. Mastercard Incorporated has a 12-month low of $276.87 and a 12-month high of $390.00.

Mastercard Announces Dividend

Mastercard ( NYSE:MA Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The credit services provider reported $2.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $5.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.64 billion. Mastercard had a net margin of 44.65% and a return on equity of 158.38%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 11.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.76 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Mastercard Incorporated will post 12.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 5th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.61%. Mastercards dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.31%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Mastercard news, major shareholder Foundation Mastercard sold 258,821 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $370.69, for a total transaction of $95,942,356.49. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 101,598,379 shares of the companys stock, valued at $37,661,503,111.51. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, insider Hai Ling sold 8,220 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.31, for a total value of $2,928,868.20. Following the sale, the insider now owns 26,496 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,440,789.76. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Foundation Mastercard sold 258,821 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $370.69, for a total transaction of $95,942,356.49. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 101,598,379 shares in the company, valued at approximately $37,661,503,111.51. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 612,137 shares of company stock valued at $226,379,020. Company insiders own 0.29% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MA has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of Mastercard from $392.00 to $404.00 in a research report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Mastercard from $370.00 to $430.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 18th. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $380.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, January 30th. Raymond James increased their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $450.00 to $453.00 in a research report on Friday. Finally, Credit Suisse Group increased their target price on shares of Mastercard from $390.00 to $400.00 in a report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and twenty have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Mastercard presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $417.85.

About Mastercard

(Get Rating)

Mastercard, Inc is a technology company, which engages in the payments industry that connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments, and business. It offers payment solutions for the development and implementation of credit, debit, prepaid, commercial, and payment programs. The company was founded in November 1966 and is headquartered in Purchase, NY.

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Cable Hill Partners LLC bought a new stake in PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE:PPG  Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 1,999 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock, valued at approximately $251,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in PPG. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. lifted its position in PPG Industries by 8.2% during the 4th quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 16,878 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $2,122,000 after buying an additional 1,277 shares in the last quarter. Ropes Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in PPG Industries during the 4th quarter worth about $209,000. Widmann Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in PPG Industries by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Widmann Financial Services Inc. now owns 8,242 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $1,036,000 after buying an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems lifted its position in PPG Industries by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems now owns 18,476 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $2,323,000 after buying an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its position in PPG Industries by 914.6% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 4,860 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $611,000 after buying an additional 4,381 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.04% of the companys stock.

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Insider Transactions at PPG Industries

In other news, Chairman Michael H. Mcgarry sold 61,867 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.96, for a total transaction of $8,040,235.32. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 183,645 shares in the company, valued at $23,866,504.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.55% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

PPG Industries Trading Up 0.9 %

Several research analysts recently issued reports on PPG shares. KeyCorp upped their price target on shares of PPG Industries from $162.00 to $169.00 in a research report on Monday. Mizuho boosted their price objective on PPG Industries from $142.00 to $151.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Argus boosted their price objective on PPG Industries from $144.00 to $149.00 in a report on Monday, January 23rd. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on PPG Industries from $150.00 to $160.00 in a report on Monday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of PPG Industries from $124.00 to $143.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $147.74.

PPG stock opened at $138.93 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.68 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $132.82 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $127.99. PPG Industries, Inc. has a one year low of $107.06 and a one year high of $145.51. The stock has a market cap of $32.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.17.

PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Friday, April 21st. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.27. PPG Industries had a return on equity of 23.35% and a net margin of 7.18%. The company had revenue of $4.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.39 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.37 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that PPG Industries, Inc. will post 7.27 EPS for the current year.

PPG Industries Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 12th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.62 per share. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 9th. PPG Industriess payout ratio is 46.27%.

About PPG Industries

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PPG Industries, Inc engages in the manufacture and distribution of paints, coatings, and specialty materials. It operates through the Performance Coatings and Industrial Coatings segments. The Performance Coatings segment supplies a variety of protective and decorative coatings, sealants, and finishes along with pavement marking products, paint strippers, stains, and related chemicals, as well as transparencies and transparent armor.

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EagleClaw Capital Managment LLC raised its stake in Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO  Get Rating) by 2.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 35,325 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 950 shares during the period. EagleClaw Capital Managment LLCs holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $3,956,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in NVO. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in Novo Nordisk A/S by 45.4% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 5,035,879 shares of the companys stock worth $559,235,000 after buying an additional 1,571,747 shares during the period. Eaton Vance Management raised its position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 289.1% during the third quarter. Eaton Vance Management now owns 1,088,926 shares of the companys stock worth $108,489,000 after purchasing an additional 809,078 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 36,122.5% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 669,754 shares of the companys stock worth $66,727,000 after purchasing an additional 667,905 shares in the last quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Co lifted its holdings in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 9.4% in the 3rd quarter. Fayez Sarofim & Co now owns 5,218,104 shares of the companys stock worth $519,878,000 after purchasing an additional 450,280 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 33.0% in the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,815,936 shares of the companys stock valued at $201,659,000 after purchasing an additional 450,122 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 6.09% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on NVO. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a strong-buy rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from 925.00 to 1,100.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 3rd. Finally, Credit Suisse Group upgraded Novo Nordisk A/S from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Novo Nordisk A/S presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $687.50.

Novo Nordisk A/S Price Performance

Shares of NVO traded up $1.18 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $167.20. 305,155 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,415,331. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $152.68 and a 200-day moving average of $135.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.69. Novo Nordisk A/S has a one year low of $95.02 and a one year high of $172.97. The firm has a market cap of $378.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.84, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.48.

Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 1st. The company reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.02. Novo Nordisk A/S had a net margin of 31.44% and a return on equity of 73.39%. The business had revenue of $6.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.74 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 4.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Novo Nordisk A/S Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 4th. Investors of record on Monday, March 27th were paid a dividend of $1.1887 per share. This is a positive change from Novo Nordisk A/Ss previous semi-annual dividend of $0.58. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 24th. This represents a yield of 0.8%. Novo Nordisk A/Ss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.70%.

About Novo Nordisk A/S

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Novo Nordisk A/S is a global healthcare company, which engages in the the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical products. It operates through the Diabetes and Obesity Care, and Biopharm segments. The Diabetes and Obesity Care segment includes insulin, GLP-1 and related delivery systems, oral antidiabetic products (OAD), obesity, and other serious chronic diseases.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO  Get Rating).

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Entergy (NYSE:ETR  Get Rating) issued an update on its FY23 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $6.55 to $6.85 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.71.

Entergy Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of Entergy stock traded up $0.40 during trading on Friday, hitting $107.58. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,300,419 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,401,983. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.87, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.43. Entergy has a 52 week low of $94.94 and a 52 week high of $122.46. The stock has a market cap of $22.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.52 and a beta of 0.65. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $106.38 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $108.27.

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Entergy (NYSE:ETR  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The utilities provider reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.34 by ($0.20). The firm had revenue of $2.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.80 billion. Entergy had a net margin of 8.17% and a return on equity of 10.34%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.32 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Entergy will post 6.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Entergy Dividend Announcement

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, May 4th will be issued a $1.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 3rd. This represents a $4.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.98%. Entergys dividend payout ratio is presently 79.41%.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Entergy from $97.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Entergy from $114.00 to $113.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 19th. Bank of America downgraded shares of Entergy from a buy rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $135.00 to $119.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 3rd. Guggenheim reduced their price objective on shares of Entergy from $128.00 to $124.00 in a research report on Monday. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Entergy from $131.00 to $117.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $122.35.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Entergy news, insider Deanna D. Rodriguez sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.96, for a total value of $31,188.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,269 shares in the company, valued at approximately $339,845.24. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Marcus V. Brown sold 12,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.10, for a total transaction of $1,326,250.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 9,129 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $968,586.90. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Deanna D. Rodriguez sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.96, for a total transaction of $31,188.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,269 shares in the company, valued at approximately $339,845.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 17,092 shares of company stock worth $1,821,838 in the last three months. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Entergy

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Entergy by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 23,663,740 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,762,741,000 after acquiring an additional 650,775 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Entergy by 8.1% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 12,122,596 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,415,313,000 after acquiring an additional 908,932 shares during the last quarter. ClearBridge Investments Ltd grew its holdings in Entergy by 30.9% in the 1st quarter. ClearBridge Investments Ltd now owns 1,639,323 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $191,391,000 after acquiring an additional 386,705 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in Entergy by 86.0% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,633,335 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $183,750,000 after acquiring an additional 754,971 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Entergy by 3.8% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,054,561 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $123,120,000 after acquiring an additional 38,538 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.98% of the companys stock.

Entergy Company Profile

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Entergy Corp. is a holding company, which engages in electric power generation and distribution. It operates through the following segments: Utility and Entergy Wholesale Commodities. The Utility segment includes the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electric power and the operations of a natural gas distribution business.

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StockNews.com downgraded shares of Essential Utilities (NYSE:WTRG  Get Rating) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report published on Monday morning.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on WTRG. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Essential Utilities from $53.00 to $52.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 28th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $54.00 price objective on shares of Essential Utilities in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. Finally, UBS Group upgraded shares of Essential Utilities from a neutral rating to a buy rating and raised their price objective for the company from $54.00 to $55.00 in a research report on Monday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Essential Utilities currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $52.38.

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Essential Utilities Trading Down 0.4 %

WTRG stock opened at $42.84 on Monday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $43.27 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $45.19. Essential Utilities has a 1-year low of $38.50 and a 1-year high of $52.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.45. The company has a market capitalization of $11.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.20, a PEG ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.79.

Essential Utilities Announces Dividend

Essential Utilities ( NYSE:WTRG Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 27th. The company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.45 by ($0.01). Essential Utilities had a net margin of 20.33% and a return on equity of 8.73%. The firm had revenue of $705.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $578.00 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.44 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 31.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Essential Utilities will post 1.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 12th will be given a $0.287 dividend. This represents a $1.15 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.68%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 11th. Essential Utilitiess dividend payout ratio is currently 64.97%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Chris Franklin acquired 37,245 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 8th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $40.70 per share, for a total transaction of $1,515,871.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 37,245 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,515,871.50. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new stake in Essential Utilities in the 4th quarter valued at $219,000. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its stake in shares of Essential Utilities by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 49,382 shares of the companys stock worth $2,043,000 after purchasing an additional 1,779 shares during the last quarter. Mitchell Sinkler & Starr PA boosted its holdings in Essential Utilities by 17.2% in the 3rd quarter. Mitchell Sinkler & Starr PA now owns 17,880 shares of the companys stock worth $740,000 after buying an additional 2,630 shares during the period. Securian Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Essential Utilities by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc. now owns 21,776 shares of the companys stock worth $901,000 after buying an additional 786 shares during the period. Finally, Silver Lake Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in Essential Utilities by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Silver Lake Advisory LLC now owns 103,757 shares of the companys stock worth $4,293,000 after buying an additional 458 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 69.96% of the companys stock.

Essential Utilities Company Profile

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Essential Utilities, Inc is a holding company, which engages in providing water, wastewater and natural gas services through its subsidiaries. It operates through the Regulated Water and Regulated Natural Gas segments. The Regulated Water segment includes water and wastewater regulated utility companies.

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Fagron NV (OTCMKTS:ARSUF  Get Rating) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 4,200 shares, a drop of 77.5% from the March 31st total of 18,700 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 2,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.9 days.

Fagron Price Performance

OTCMKTS:ARSUF remained flat at $18.75 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $14.55 and a two-hundred day moving average of $13.60. Fagron has a 52-week low of $18.75 and a 52-week high of $18.75.

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About Fagron

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Fagron NV, a pharmaceutical compounding company, provides personalized medicine care to hospitals, pharmacies, clinics, and patients. The company also innovates concepts, vehicles, and formulations for pharmaceutical compounding. In addition, it supplies raw materials, utensils and equipment, semi-finished products, vehicles, and sterile and non-sterile compounded medicines.

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MONTREAL, April 28, 2023 /CNW/ - Meeting at the Canadian Embassy in Paris on an official mission, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) Martin Imbleau and Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante signed the Worldwide Network of Port Cities (AIVP) Agenda 2030. Through this commitment, the City of Montreal and the Port of Montreal strengthen their determination as a port city to jointly implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

From left to right: Serge Lamontagne, Director General of the City of Montreal; Valerie Plante, Mayor of the City of Montreal; the Honourable Stephane Dion, Canadian Ambassador to France; Bruno Delsalle, Director General of AIVP and Martin Imbleau, President and CEO of MPA. Photo credit: Andre Caty (CNW Group/Montreal Port Authority)

An ambitious agenda

Created in 1998, the Worldwide Network of Port Cities aims to improve city-port relations to achieve urban, port and economic development that is more sustainable, responsible and innovative. To help port cities steer their way through this process, the AIVP 2030 Agenda sets 10 goals to be achieved by 2030 based on the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. This course of action invites port-city stakeholders to experiment with innovative solutions on such issues as adapting to climate change, energy transition, sustainable mobility, port culture and identity, the city-port interface and protecting biodiversity. In this way, the AIVP 2030 Agenda aims to strengthen the city-port relationship through mutual cooperation that places citizens at the heart of its efforts.

"The City and the Port of Montreal share a common purpose and a vision for the future based on sustainable land use planning, decarbonization, improving the city-port interface and opening up to citizens. The collaboration between these two entities is all the more natural because it is part of our converging strategies. Thanks to AIVP 2030 Agenda, I am certain that we will succeed not only in strengthening Montreal's assets as a major port city, but also in rethinking the urban space in light of best practices," said Martin Imbleau, President and Chief Executive Officer of the MPA.

"I am very proud to enhance collaboration between the City and the Port of Montreal through the signing of the AIVP 2030 Agenda. Port operations are essential to the city's economic development. By implementing the goals in the 2030 Agenda, the City and the Port will be able to keep working to make these operations greener, more sustainable, and better integrated into the surrounding urban fabric," said Valerie Plante, Mayor of Montreal.

Story continues

A shared vision

AIVP members since 2022 and 1993 respectively, the City of Montreal and the MPA had already been working together for several years to achieve the goals set out in the 2030 Agenda.

The joint signing of the Agenda 2030 by the MPA and the City of Montreal will make it possible to strengthen the collaboration and joint projects between both institutions. The City of Montreal and the Port of Montreal are already working together through a liaison committee on several matters, such as the city-port interface, promoting maritime culture, protecting biodiversity, cohabiting with neighbouring communities and adapting to climate change. The Port of Montreal has also pledged to invest $10 million, or 1.5% of its budget, in the city-port interface on projects that will improve the positive social impact of port activities for the benefit of communities near its facilities.

As a result, this commitment will promote sustainable growth and harmonious cohabitation with port activities while contributing to the city's economic competitiveness and energy transition.

About the Port of Montreal

Operated by the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), the Port of Montreal is the second largest port in Canada and a diversified transshipment centre that handles all types of goods: containerized and non-containerized cargo, liquid bulk and dry bulk. The only container port in Quebec, it is a destination port served by the largest shipping lines in the world. It is also an intermodal hub with a service offering that is unique in North America, featuring its own rail network directly dockside connected to Canada's two national rail networks. The MPA also operates a Cruise Terminal and a Port Centre.

The MPA factors economic, social and environmental components into its corporate initiatives. This commitment is governed by a sustainable development policy whose guiding principles focus on involvement, cooperation and accountability. Port activity supports 19,000 jobs and generates $2.6 billion in economic benefits annually.

Logos of the City of Montreal and Montreal Port Authority (CNW Group/Montreal Port Authority)

SOURCE Montreal Port Authority

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View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2023/28/c0213.html
Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated their buy rating on shares of Glencore (LON:GLEN  Get Rating) in a report published on Monday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a GBX 575 ($7.18) price objective on the natural resources companys stock.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Barclays restated an overweight rating and issued a GBX 600 ($7.49) price target on shares of Glencore in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada set a GBX 540 ($6.74) price target on shares of Glencore in a report on Monday, April 3rd. AlphaValue cut Glencore to an add rating in a report on Wednesday, February 15th. Citigroup restated a buy rating and set a GBX 650 ($8.12) price target on shares of Glencore in a report on Tuesday, February 21st. Finally, Credit Suisse Group set a GBX 625 ($7.81) price objective on Glencore in a report on Friday, February 17th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Glencore presently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of GBX 613.33 ($7.66).

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Glencore Price Performance

Shares of Glencore stock opened at GBX 473.20 ($5.91) on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of 59.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 454.12, a PEG ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 64.96. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is GBX 475.84 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 511.88. Glencore has a 52 week low of GBX 106.98 ($1.34) and a 52 week high of GBX 584.50 ($7.30).

Glencore Increases Dividend

About Glencore

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 22nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 31st will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This is a boost from Glencores previous dividend of $0.13. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 31st. This represents a yield of 3.51%. Glencores payout ratio is 3,428.57%.

(Get Rating)

Glencore plc produces, refines, processes, stores, transports, and markets metals and minerals, and energy products in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. It operates through two segments, Marketing Activities and Industrial Activities. The company produces and markets copper, cobalt, nickel, zinc, lead, chrome ore, ferrochrome, vanadium, alumina, aluminum, tin, and iron ore.

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Itau Corpbanca (NYSE:ITCB  Get Rating) was the target of a large growth in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 10,100 shares, a growth of 236.7% from the March 31st total of 3,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 20,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.5 days.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Itau Corpbanca

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Northern Trust Corp bought a new position in shares of Itau Corpbanca during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Itau Corpbanca by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 86,256 shares of the banks stock valued at $247,000 after purchasing an additional 3,585 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Veriti Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Itau Corpbanca by 196.5% during the 3rd quarter. Veriti Management LLC now owns 265,668 shares of the banks stock valued at $763,000 after purchasing an additional 176,076 shares during the last quarter. 0.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com began coverage on Itau Corpbanca in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock.

Itau Corpbanca Trading Down 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE ITCB traded down $0.01 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $3.38. The company had a trading volume of 2,049 shares, compared to its average volume of 18,796. Itau Corpbanca has a one year low of $2.50 and a one year high of $3.94. The company has a market capitalization of $1.15 billion, a PE ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.98. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $3.48 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $3.28.

Itau Corpbanca (NYSE:ITCB  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 28th. The bank reported $0.15 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.12 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $311.23 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $426.47 million. Itau Corpbanca had a net margin of 12.62% and a return on equity of 14.11%. Sell-side analysts expect that Itau Corpbanca will post 0.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Itau Corpbanca Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.165 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 21st. This represents a dividend yield of 4.78%. This is a positive change from Itau Corpbancas previous annual dividend of $0.16. Itau Corpbancas dividend payout ratio is currently 22.37%.

About Itau Corpbanca

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Itau Corpbanca engages in the provision of banking and financial services. It specializes in banking products such as financing, leasing, loans, insurance and credit cards. It operates through the following geographical segments: Chile and Colombia. The Chile segment consists of commercial and corporate banking, real estate and construction, large companies, retail banking, personal banking, small business, retail companies, Banco Condell consumer banking, international and treasury and other financial services.

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Kibo Energy PLC (LON:KIBO  Get Rating) shares passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 0.14 ($0.00) and traded as low as GBX 0.07 ($0.00). Kibo Energy shares last traded at GBX 0.08 ($0.00), with a volume of 5,367,701 shares trading hands.

Kibo Energy Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of 2.14 million, a P/E ratio of -7.00 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 0.10 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 0.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.00, a current ratio of 0.48 and a quick ratio of 0.48.

About Kibo Energy

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Kibo Energy PLC, together with its subsidiaries, explores for and develops energy projects in Sub Saharan Africa and the United Kingdom. The company owns a 100% interest in the Mbeya Coal to Power project located in Songwe Regio, Tanzania. It also holds an 85% interest in the Mabesekwa Coal Independent Power Project located in Botswana; and 65% interest in the Benga Power Plant Project located in the Tete province of Mozambique.

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Ledyard National Bank purchased a new position in shares of The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 858 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock, valued at approximately $204,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Standard Family Office LLC purchased a new position in Sherwin-Williams in the third quarter valued at $26,000. MADDEN SECURITIES Corp acquired a new position in Sherwin-Williams in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. RFP Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Sherwin-Williams in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Sherwin-Williams in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Capital Directions Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. 76.03% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Bryan J. Young sold 2,750 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.76, for a total transaction of $607,090.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 7,955 shares in the company, valued at $1,756,145.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.55% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Sherwin-Williams Stock Performance

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on SHW shares. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Sherwin-Williams from $230.00 to $220.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 9th. Barclays upped their target price on Sherwin-Williams from $220.00 to $240.00 in a research note on Thursday. Zelman & Associates downgraded Sherwin-Williams from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Sherwin-Williams from $242.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, January 11th. Finally, Loop Capital upped their price objective on Sherwin-Williams from $260.00 to $285.00 in a report on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Sherwin-Williams presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $257.83.

Shares of SHW stock opened at $232.69 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.03, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 1.00. The Sherwin-Williams Company has a one year low of $195.24 and a one year high of $285.00. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $222.83 and its 200-day simple moving average is $230.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $60.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.55, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 1.07.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.84 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.14 billion. Sherwin-Williams had a net margin of 9.41% and a return on equity of 86.29%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.61 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 8.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sherwin-Williams Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, May 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.605 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 18th. This represents a $2.42 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.04%. Sherwin-Williamss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 29.69%.

Sherwin-Williams Company Profile

(Get Rating)

The Sherwin-Williams Co engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of paint and coatings. It operates through the following segments: America Group, Consumer Brands Group, and Performance Coating Group. The America Group segment manages the exclusive outlets for Sherwin-Williams branded paints, stains, supplies, equipment, and floor coverings.

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McDonalds (NYSE:MCD  Get Rating)s stock had its reiterates rating reaffirmed by research analysts at 1-800-FLOWERS.COM in a research note issued on Tuesday, Benzinga reports.

A number of other brokerages have also issued reports on MCD. Loop Capital raised their target price on McDonalds from $328.00 to $346.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Gordon Haskett boosted their target price on shares of McDonalds from $320.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday. Evercore ISI increased their price target on McDonalds from $310.00 to $315.00 in a research report on Wednesday. TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of McDonalds from $293.00 to $299.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, March 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on McDonalds from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $306.83.

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McDonalds Stock Up 1.7 %

NYSE MCD opened at $294.72 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $215.15 billion, a PE ratio of 31.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.31 and a beta of 0.63. McDonalds has a 52 week low of $228.34 and a 52 week high of $295.05. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $275.95 and a 200 day moving average price of $269.89.

Insider Activity

McDonalds ( NYSE:MCD Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The fast-food giant reported $2.63 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.32. The firm had revenue of $5.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.58 billion. McDonalds had a negative return on equity of 122.21% and a net margin of 29.36%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.28 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that McDonalds will post 10.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In other news, EVP Marion K. Gross sold 1,396 shares of McDonalds stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $265.44, for a total value of $370,554.24. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 308 shares of the companys stock, valued at $81,755.52. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other McDonalds news, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 3,850 shares of McDonalds stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $267.69, for a total transaction of $1,030,606.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 34,637 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,271,978.53. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Marion K. Gross sold 1,396 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $265.44, for a total value of $370,554.24. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 308 shares of the companys stock, valued at $81,755.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 8,122 shares of company stock valued at $2,177,681. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of McDonalds

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in McDonalds by 106,340.3% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 19,235,890 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $5,069,234,000 after purchasing an additional 19,217,818 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in McDonalds in the 4th quarter valued at $2,341,360,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in McDonalds by 1,189.7% during the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,191,692 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $541,962,000 after buying an additional 2,021,754 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP grew its holdings in McDonalds by 610.5% in the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 1,573,100 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $414,559,000 after buying an additional 1,351,700 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its stake in McDonalds by 16.3% during the third quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 7,869,149 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $1,816,219,000 after purchasing an additional 1,105,231 shares during the period. 66.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About McDonalds

(Get Rating)

McDonalds Corp. engages in the operation and franchising of restaurants. It operates through the following segments: U.S., International Operated Markets, and International Developmental Licensed Markets and Corporate. The U.S. segment focuses its operations on the United States. The International Operated Markets segment consists of operations and the franchising of restaurants in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, and the U.K.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH  Get Rating) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report issued on Tuesday.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. They issued an overweight rating and a $354.00 price objective for the company. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Molina Healthcare from $400.00 to $375.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 4th. Stephens reissued an equal weight rating and set a $375.00 target price on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Molina Healthcare from $360.00 to $348.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Finally, Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of Molina Healthcare from $400.00 to $380.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $356.17.

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Molina Healthcare Trading Up 7.7 %

NYSE MOH opened at $296.92 on Tuesday. Molina Healthcare has a twelve month low of $249.78 and a twelve month high of $374.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a current ratio of 1.47. The stock has a market cap of $17.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.91, a PEG ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 0.67. The firms 50 day moving average price is $278.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $308.90.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Molina Healthcare ( NYSE:MOH Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The company reported $5.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.13 by $0.68. The firm had revenue of $8.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.31 billion. Molina Healthcare had a net margin of 2.48% and a return on equity of 36.05%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.90 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Molina Healthcare will post 19.76 EPS for the current year.

In related news, Director Daniel Cooperman sold 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $276.77, for a total transaction of $1,383,850.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 4,944 shares in the company, valued at $1,368,350.88. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 125.4% in the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 514 shares of the companys stock valued at $168,000 after purchasing an additional 286 shares during the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 488.4% in the third quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 9,715 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,204,000 after purchasing an additional 8,064 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. grew its position in Molina Healthcare by 28.1% during the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 1,585 shares of the companys stock worth $523,000 after buying an additional 348 shares in the last quarter. Xponance Inc. grew its position in Molina Healthcare by 6.8% during the third quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 10,371 shares of the companys stock worth $3,421,000 after buying an additional 656 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Personal CFO Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Molina Healthcare during the third quarter worth approximately $244,000. Institutional investors own 94.25% of the companys stock.

About Molina Healthcare

(Get Rating)

Molina Healthcare, Inc engages in the provision of health care services. It operates through the following segments: Medicaid, Medicare, Marketplace, and Other. The company was founded by C. David Molina in 1980 and is headquartered in Long Beach, CA.

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Moors & Cabot Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Raytheon Technologies Co. (NYSE:RTX  Get Rating) by 9.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 103,170 shares of the companys stock after selling 10,775 shares during the period. Moors & Cabot Inc.s holdings in Raytheon Technologies were worth $8,879,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Capital World Investors grew its position in Raytheon Technologies by 32.8% during the 1st quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 9,130,557 shares of the companys stock worth $904,564,000 after purchasing an additional 2,256,475 shares during the last quarter. Edmp Inc. lifted its position in Raytheon Technologies by 9,799.1% during the 4th quarter. Edmp Inc. now owns 1,378,938 shares of the companys stock worth $13,664,000 after acquiring an additional 1,365,008 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC purchased a new stake in Raytheon Technologies in the third quarter valued at $103,133,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in shares of Raytheon Technologies by 137.2% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,110,424 shares of the companys stock valued at $209,080,000 after buying an additional 1,220,826 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Retirement Systems of Alabama acquired a new position in shares of Raytheon Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $109,657,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.83% of the companys stock.

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Raytheon Technologies Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE RTX traded up $0.12 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $99.51. The company had a trading volume of 436,863 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,580,254. The stock has a market cap of $145.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.50, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.99. Raytheon Technologies Co. has a 52-week low of $80.27 and a 52-week high of $108.84. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $99.15 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $97.40. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44.

Raytheon Technologies Increases Dividend

Raytheon Technologies ( NYSE:RTX Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.13 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $17.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.98 billion. Raytheon Technologies had a net margin of 8.08% and a return on equity of 9.81%. The firms revenue was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.15 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Raytheon Technologies Co. will post 5.02 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.59 per share. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.37%. This is a boost from Raytheon Technologiess previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 18th. Raytheon Technologiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 58.67%.

Insider Activity

In other Raytheon Technologies news, VP Amy L. Johnson sold 3,622 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.55, for a total value of $356,948.10. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 4,061 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $400,211.55. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.11% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on RTX shares. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Raytheon Technologies in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating for the company. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on Raytheon Technologies from $106.00 to $115.00 in a research note on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Raytheon Technologies from a buy rating to a neutral rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $115.00 to $105.00 in a research note on Friday, January 13th. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Raytheon Technologies from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $117.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Raytheon Technologies from $107.00 to $110.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 25th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Raytheon Technologies presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $111.88.

Raytheon Technologies Profile

(Get Rating)

Raytheon Technologies Corp. is an aerospace and defense company, which engages in the provision of aerospace and defense systems and services for commercial, military, and government customers. It operates through the following segments: Collins Aerospace Systems (Collins), Pratt and Whitney, Raytheon Intelligence and Space (RIS), and Raytheon Missiles and Defense (RMD).

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Naspers Limited (OTCMKTS:NPSNY  Get Rating) was the target of a large decline in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,100 shares, a decline of 93.2% from the March 31st total of 16,200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 100,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.0 days.

Naspers Trading Up 0.9 %

Naspers stock traded up $0.31 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $35.26. The stock had a trading volume of 28,374 shares, compared to its average volume of 65,405. The firms fifty day moving average is $35.38 and its two-hundred day moving average is $32.84. Naspers has a 52-week low of $17.48 and a 52-week high of $41.50.

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Naspers Company Profile

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Further Reading

Naspers Ltd. operates as an Internet and media group. It operates through the following segments: ECommerce, Social and Internet Platforms, Media, and Corporate. The ECommerce segment refers to internet platforms to provide various services and products. The Social and Internet Platforms segment holds listed investments in social and internet platforms through Tencent, and Mail.ru.

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Ninety One UK Ltd reduced its stake in Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE:AEM  Get Rating) (TSE:AEM) by 8.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,989,843 shares of the mining companys stock after selling 181,747 shares during the period. Ninety One UK Ltd owned 0.44% of Agnico Eagle Mines worth $103,329,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its stake in Agnico Eagle Mines by 1.1% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 20,328,727 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $858,478,000 after buying an additional 229,889 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Agnico Eagle Mines by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 16,013,554 shares of the mining companys stock worth $676,253,000 after acquiring an additional 522,898 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its holdings in Agnico Eagle Mines by 1.5% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 12,791,623 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $540,189,000 after purchasing an additional 188,730 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its stake in Agnico Eagle Mines by 17.2% in the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 5,891,278 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $251,322,000 after purchasing an additional 864,118 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc raised its holdings in Agnico Eagle Mines by 0.4% in the third quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 5,576,552 shares of the mining companys stock worth $236,603,000 after purchasing an additional 23,490 shares during the period. 58.11% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. National Bank Financial decreased their price target on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines from C$89.00 to C$88.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 14th. TD Securities lowered their price target on Agnico Eagle Mines from $68.00 to $62.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 17th. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on Agnico Eagle Mines in a research report on Monday, April 3rd. They issued an outperform rating for the company. Scotiabank began coverage on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines in a report on Monday, April 3rd. They set an outperform rating on the stock. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Agnico Eagle Mines from $62.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $70.63.

Agnico Eagle Mines Stock Up 2.2 %

Agnico Eagle Mines stock traded up $1.27 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $57.86. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,934,709 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,095,890. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 2.30. Agnico Eagle Mines Limited has a 12 month low of $36.69 and a 12 month high of $60.79. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $51.30 and its 200 day simple moving average is $50.46. The company has a market capitalization of $28.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 28.59 and a beta of 0.80.

Agnico Eagle Mines (NYSE:AEM  Get Rating) (TSE:AEM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 17th. The mining company reported $0.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.02. Agnico Eagle Mines had a return on equity of 6.18% and a net margin of 11.67%. The company had revenue of $1.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.42 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.46 EPS. Agnico Eagle Miness revenue for the quarter was up 45.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Agnico Eagle Mines Limited will post 1.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Agnico Eagle Mines Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 1st were issued a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.77%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 28th. Agnico Eagle Miness payout ratio is presently 106.67%.

Agnico Eagle Mines Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. engages in the exploration and production of gold. It operates through the following segments: Northern Business, Southern Business, and Exploration. The Northern Business segment comprises of LaRonde mine, LaRonde Zone 5 mine, Lapa mine, Goldex mine, Meadowbank mine including the Amaruq deposit, Canadian Malartic joint operation, Meliadine project and Kittila mine.

Further Reading

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PowerCell Sweden AB (publ) (OTCMKTS:PCELF  Get Rating) traded down 11.1% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $8.00 and last traded at $8.00. 240 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 49% from the average session volume of 471 shares. The stock had previously closed at $9.00.

PowerCell Sweden AB (publ) Stock Performance

The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $11.24 and a 200-day simple moving average of $11.59.

PowerCell Sweden AB (publ) Company Profile

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PowerCell Sweden AB engages in the development and production of power systems for stationary and mobile customer applications. Its products include fuel cell stacks, and fuel cell systems. The firm also provides engineering advice from its fuel cell specialists. The company was founded by Per Ekdunge in 2008 and is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden.

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Market Research Future

Coal Tar Pitch Market Research Report Information by Aluminum Grade, Graphite Grade, Special Grade) By End-User (Aluminum Smelting, Graphite Electrodes, Roofing, Carbon Fiber, Refractories, Other Applications), And by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa ) - Forecast Till 2030

New York (US), April 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coal Tar Pitch Market Overview

According to a Comprehensive Report by Market Research Future (MRFR),  Coal Tar Pitch Market Information by Grade, Application, and Region - Forecast till 2030", The market for coal tar pitch can expect to surge from USD 3.91 billion in 2022 to USD 5.97 billion in 2030, with a CAGR of 5.45% over the appraisal period (20222030).

Market Synopsis

To accomplish the objectives of sustainable development, the policy of "reduce, reuse, and recycle" is crucial. When coal is processed to generate coke or coal gas, one of the by-products is coal tar. Complex chemical assemblages make up coal tars. Although coal tar poses a risk to living things, it is used in several industrial processes.

After removing the lightest phenols and aromatics, coal tar is employed either in its natural state or as a base for fractional distillations. This tar may be burned in its entirety and used as fuel. The production of electrodes for the aluminum and steel sectors uses coal tar the most. In clay pigeons used in competitive shooting, coal tar is also employed as a binder.

Coal tar is a more affordable source of chemicals like phenols, naphthalene, and cumarone. In the chemical industry, in the study of medicine, and in civil engineering, coal tar is used in a variety of ways. Coal tar can be processed in a variety of ways depending on the use.



Get a Free Sample PDF Brochure:



https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/11500



Market Competitive Landscape:

The affluent firms in the coal tar pitch industry are

Rain Carbon Inc. (USA)

Mitsubishi Chemical Carbon Fiber and Composites (USA)

Himadri Speciality Chemical Ltd (India)

Neptune Hydrocarbons (India)

Shandong Gude Chemical Co. Ltd (China)

DEZA A.S. (CZECH REPUBLIC)

Nippon Steel & Sumikin Chemical Co (Japan)

Hengshui Zehao Chemicals Co (China)

China Steel Chemical Corporation. (China)

Among others.

Story continues





Report Attribute Details Market Size in 2030 USD 5.97 Billion CAGR 5.45% (2022-2030) Base Year 2020 Forecast Period 20222030 Historical Data 2020 Forecast Units Value (USD Million) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered by Grade, Application Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW) Key Market Drivers The increase in use of aluminum in automobile, aerospace, electrical industry





Browse In-depth Market Research Report (128 Pages) on Coal Tar Pitch:



https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/coal-tar-pitch-market-11500



Market USP Covered:

Market Drivers:

The global coal tar pitch market is anticipated to grow owing to the increasing investments in urbanization across the world. The process of urban areas refers to the shift of rural population to urban or developed regions causing a decrease in the number of people residing in rural areas. Urbanization is the process through which the development of cities or towns is set in motion as more people start living and working in these regions, finally contributing to economic growth.

Employment opportunities have become accessible due to growing statistics of start-ups and government or private company investments to create higher job opportunities compelling people to move closer to the areas where such opportunities are available in higher numbers. As per the population index of Australia, around 86% of the total population in the country was located in urban areas as of 2020. Urbanization is an important factor propelling the responsible authorities to increase funds so that the growing infrastructural demands can be met.

Given the booming infrastructure development initiatives in the fastest-growing countries, such as China and India, Asia-Pacific is considered the region with the most promising prospects for major growth. Due to the shifting political landscape between the western and eastern parts of the world, the former has intensified its efforts in the industrial and commercial sectors to become the next superpower.



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Opportunities

Surge in research activities to create more advanced versions to enhance growth prospects

Due to the surge in R&D efforts made by worldwide market participants to expand product reach and subsequently sales, the global market may provide greater growth potential. An excellent illustration of the field's innovative efforts is the recent improvements in the production of fiber from coal tar pitches. The resulting carbon fiber may be used to make carbon composite materials. Water treatment procedures can also make use of activated carbon. Energy storage and medicinal materials are two high-end uses of coal tar pitch carbon fiber, but both markets are still being researched, which might lead to new business opportunities in the years to come.

Market Restraints:

The risk that coal tar pitch poses is the main factor limiting the global market for it. Exposure to coal tar pitches can cause cancer in people. A suitable environmentally acceptable substance is now being researched to replace coal tar pitches.

COVID 19 Analysis

Following the COVID-19 outbreak, a number of practices emerged among people, including working from home, keeping clean, and doing so in a hygienic setting. Numerous routine actions, such as taking the bus to work, were perilous because of the coronavirus's potential to spread.

The coal tar pitch sector has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. Market development is projected to be hampered for the predicted period of time by the imbalance between the supply and demand of raw materials.



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Market Segmentation

Grade Insights

Grade-based segments are Aluminum Grade, Graphite Grade, and Special Grade. With a contribution of around 7580% of the Coal Tar Pitch Market revenue in 2021, the Aluminum Grade segment had the lion's share of the market. This is primarily due to the expansion of the manufacturing sector, which has boosted demand for carbon-based raw materials and products like petroleum coke, coal tar, anodes, and cathodes. Additionally, the use of the product to make electrodes for the aluminum industry due to its practicality and sustainability as a binder has boosted the demand for coal tar pitches.

By Application

The aluminum smelting, graphite electrodes, roofing, carbon fiber, refractories, and other applications categories make up the worldwide coal tar pitch market.

Due to a growth in aluminum output from several sectors, including HINDALCO, Jindal Aluminum, and many others, Aluminum Smelting maintained the greatest segment share in 2021. The graphite electrodes segment is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 4.86% over the projected time frame.



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Regional Insights

The Coal Tar Pitch Market is growing at the fastest rate in Asia-Pacific. Market growth in the Asia-Pacific region is projected to be 4.72%. The region's two biggest markets for coal tar are China and India.

China is the world's biggest producer of autos. The nation's automobile industry has been preparing for product evolution, focusing on producing goods that assure fuel economy and limit emissions in response to rising environmental concerns brought on by the nation's escalating pollution. The market did see a contraction in 2018 and 2019, nevertheless, as a result of output declines of around 4.2% and 7.5%, respectively.

The nation is concentrating on the electric car market to address environmental issues. The central government of China announced in April 2020 that in order to promote consumption, it would extend subsidies and tax breaks for NEV buyers, which include all-electric cars, plug-in hybrids, and fuel cell vehicles, for two more years. Previously, these subsidies were supposed to be phased out by 2020-end.

Due to growing coal tar pitch consumption by the chemical and construction sectors, North America is anticipated to develop steadily. The market is expected to grow at a rate of appreciable pace between 2022 and 2030. Coal Tar Pitch is widely used as a foundation in the manufacturing of paints and coatings.

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Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW  Get Rating) issued an update on its FY23 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $7.95-$8.65 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.47.

Sherwin-Williams Trading Up 2.4 %

Shares of Sherwin-Williams stock traded up $5.52 on Friday, hitting $238.21. The stock had a trading volume of 983,758 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,559,125. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.03. Sherwin-Williams has a one year low of $195.24 and a one year high of $285.00. The stock has a market cap of $61.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.55, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 1.07. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $222.83 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $230.77.

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Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.84 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.14 billion. Sherwin-Williams had a net margin of 9.41% and a return on equity of 86.29%. The businesss revenue was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.61 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Sherwin-Williams will post 8.56 EPS for the current year.

Sherwin-Williams Dividend Announcement

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, May 19th will be issued a $0.605 dividend. This represents a $2.42 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 18th. Sherwin-Williamss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.69%.

Several analysts recently weighed in on SHW shares. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $300.00 to $275.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 27th. Zelman & Associates cut shares of Sherwin-Williams from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $285.00 to $267.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 31st. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $230.00 to $220.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 9th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $270.00 to $251.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Sherwin-Williams presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $257.83.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Sherwin-Williams news, SVP Bryan J. Young sold 2,750 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $220.76, for a total value of $607,090.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 7,955 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,756,145.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.55% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sherwin-Williams

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. First Manhattan Co. raised its position in Sherwin-Williams by 82.6% in the 4th quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 241 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $57,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd increased its position in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 68.8% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 422 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $105,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. increased its position in shares of Sherwin-Williams by 25.3% during the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 471 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $118,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams during the 4th quarter valued at about $197,000. Finally, Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Sherwin-Williams during the 4th quarter valued at about $226,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.03% of the companys stock.

About Sherwin-Williams

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The Sherwin-Williams Co engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of paint and coatings. It operates through the following segments: America Group, Consumer Brands Group, and Performance Coating Group. The America Group segment manages the exclusive outlets for Sherwin-Williams branded paints, stains, supplies, equipment, and floor coverings.

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SITE Centers (NYSE:SITC  Get Rating) issued an update on its FY23 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of $1.11-$1.17 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $1.14.

SITE Centers Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SITC traded up $0.09 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $12.21. The company had a trading volume of 727,382 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,924,734. The companys 50 day moving average price is $12.35 and its 200 day moving average price is $12.77. The company has a current ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The stock has a market cap of $2.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.16 and a beta of 1.53. SITE Centers has a 52-week low of $10.42 and a 52-week high of $16.69.

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SITE Centers Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 6th. Investors of record on Friday, March 17th were paid a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.26%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 16th. SITE Centerss dividend payout ratio is currently 69.33%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Hedge Funds Weigh In On SITE Centers

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on SITC. StockNews.com began coverage on SITE Centers in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Mizuho increased their price objective on SITE Centers from $13.00 to $14.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $14.56.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in SITE Centers in the first quarter worth about $76,000. First Manhattan Co. bought a new position in shares of SITE Centers in the first quarter worth about $155,000. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC raised its stake in shares of SITE Centers by 27.7% in the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 12,946 shares of the companys stock worth $174,000 after buying an additional 2,805 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors bought a new stake in SITE Centers during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $175,000. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp bought a new stake in SITE Centers in the 1st quarter valued at $182,000. 95.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

SITE Centers Company Profile

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SITE Centers Corp. is a real estate investment trust, which engages in the acquisition, development, lease, and management of shopping centers. It operates through the Shopping Centers and Loan Investments segments. The company was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Beachwood, OH.

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Smart Employee Benefits Inc. (CVE:SEB  Get Rating)s share price crossed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of C$0.30 and traded as high as C$0.30. Smart Employee Benefits shares last traded at C$0.30, with a volume of 11,100 shares traded.

Smart Employee Benefits Trading Up 1.7 %

The firm has a market capitalization of C$52.63 million, a PE ratio of -6.00 and a beta of 1.66. The companys 50-day moving average price is C$0.30 and its 200-day moving average price is C$0.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1,180.39, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 0.47.

About Smart Employee Benefits

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Smart Employee Benefits Inc, a technology company, provides business process automation and software solutions, and professional services in Canada and internationally. It operates through Benefits and Technology segments. The Benefits segment offers software solutions, services, and products that focuses on managing group benefit and wellness plans for corporate and government clients.

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StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Core Laboratories (NYSE:CLB  Get Rating) in a research report released on Tuesday morning. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the oil and gas companys stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on CLB. Bank of America cut Core Laboratories from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and set a $21.50 target price on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Core Laboratories from $21.00 to $26.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th.

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Core Laboratories Trading Up 8.2 %

CLB opened at $22.56 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $22.54 and a 200 day simple moving average of $21.69. Core Laboratories has a fifty-two week low of $13.19 and a fifty-two week high of $31.42. The company has a market cap of $1.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 2.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 2.05 and a quick ratio of 1.47.

Core Laboratories Dividend Announcement

Core Laboratories ( NYSE:CLB Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The oil and gas company reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.19 by $0.01. Core Laboratories had a net margin of 3.97% and a return on equity of 15.98%. The company had revenue of $127.57 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $130.12 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.20 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Core Laboratories will post 0.8 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 6th. Investors of record on Monday, February 13th were given a $0.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 10th. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.18%. Core Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio is presently 9.76%.

Institutional Trading of Core Laboratories

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Fred Alger Management LLC raised its holdings in Core Laboratories by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Fred Alger Management LLC now owns 4,089,324 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $55,124,000 after buying an additional 64,734 shares during the period. Advisors Preferred LLC bought a new stake in Core Laboratories in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $163,000. Disciplined Growth Investors Inc. MN lifted its stake in Core Laboratories by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. Disciplined Growth Investors Inc. MN now owns 889,561 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $11,991,000 after acquiring an additional 28,348 shares in the last quarter. Scout Investments Inc. lifted its stake in Core Laboratories by 7.4% in the 4th quarter. Scout Investments Inc. now owns 306,792 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $6,219,000 after acquiring an additional 21,164 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Platinum Investment Management Ltd. lifted its stake in Core Laboratories by 24.2% in the 3rd quarter. Platinum Investment Management Ltd. now owns 15,955 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $215,000 after acquiring an additional 3,111 shares in the last quarter. 97.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Core Laboratories Company Profile

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Core Laboratories NV engages in the provision of proprietary and patented reservoir description, production enhancement, and reservoir management services to the oil and gas industry. It operates through the Reservoir Description segment and Production Enhancement segment. The Reservoir Description segment encompasses the characterization of petroleum reservoir rock, fluid, and gas samples and provides analytical and field services to characterize properties of crude oil and petroleum products.

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Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI  Get Rating) (TSE:CNR) had its price objective raised by Susquehanna from $114.00 to $116.00 in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning, The Fly reports.

A number of other analysts have also commented on the stock. National Bank Financial lifted their price target on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$175.00 to C$178.00 in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Scotiabank boosted their target price on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$159.00 to C$170.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 24th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Canadian National Railway from $126.00 to $130.00 in a research report on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Canadian National Railway from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. Finally, CIBC cut their target price on shares of Canadian National Railway from C$181.00 to C$175.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Canadian National Railway has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $143.50.

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Canadian National Railway Stock Performance

Shares of CNI stock opened at $118.33 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $117.59 and a 200-day moving average price of $119.35. Canadian National Railway has a 52 week low of $103.79 and a 52 week high of $129.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $78.73 billion, a PE ratio of 19.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Canadian National Railway Cuts Dividend

Canadian National Railway ( NYSE:CNI Get Rating ) (TSE:CNR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 24th. The transportation company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.56 by ($0.01). Canadian National Railway had a return on equity of 25.00% and a net margin of 30.61%. The company had revenue of $3.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.33 billion. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Canadian National Railway will post 5.78 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 9th will be issued a $0.5835 dividend. This represents a $2.33 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.97%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 8th. Canadian National Railways dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.98%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Canadian National Railway

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CNI. BCK Partners Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Canadian National Railway in the first quarter worth $2,575,000. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Canadian National Railway by 26.2% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 931,027 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $124,888,000 after buying an additional 193,116 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Canadian National Railway by 3.1% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 762,341 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $102,260,000 after buying an additional 22,984 shares in the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL lifted its holdings in shares of Canadian National Railway by 1.4% in the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 60,441 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $8,107,000 after buying an additional 807 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its holdings in shares of Canadian National Railway by 18.9% in the first quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 33,602 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $4,511,000 after buying an additional 5,349 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.96% of the companys stock.

About Canadian National Railway

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Canadian National Railway Co engages in rail and related transportation business. Its services include rail, intermodal, trucking, supply chain services, business development and maps and network. Its offers their services in automotive, coal, fertilizer, food and beverages, forest products, dimensional loads, grain, metals and minerals and petroleum and chemicals industries.

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Shares of Sylvania Platinum Limited (LON:SLP  Get Rating) crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 98.80 ($1.23) and traded as low as GBX 89 ($1.11). Sylvania Platinum shares last traded at GBX 89.50 ($1.12), with a volume of 225,831 shares.

Sylvania Platinum Trading Down 0.6 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 15.92 and a current ratio of 11.05. The firm has a market cap of 237.45 million, a PE ratio of 471.05, a PEG ratio of 0.05 and a beta of 0.60. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is GBX 95.95 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 98.74.

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Sylvania Platinum Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 6th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 2nd were paid a GBX 3 ($0.04) dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 2nd. This represents a yield of 3.01%. Sylvania Platinums dividend payout ratio is presently 5,789.47%.

Insider Activity

About Sylvania Platinum

In other news, insider Eileen Carr sold 13,811 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 89 ($1.11), for a total value of 12,291.79 ($15,351.31). 11.63% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

(Get Rating)

Sylvania Platinum Limited primarily engages in the retreatment of platinum group metals (PGM) bearing chrome tailings materials in South Africa and Mauritius. The company produces PGMs, including platinum, palladium, and rhodium. It holds interests in the Sylvania dump operations that comprise six chrome beneficiation and PGM processing plants located in the Eastern and Western Limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex; and various mineral asset development projects, including Volspruit and Northern Limb projects located on the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex located in South Africa.

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Tanger Factory Outlet Centers (NYSE:SKT  Get Rating) issued an update on its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $1.82-$1.90 for the period. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Tanger Factory Outlet Centers also updated its FY22 guidance to $1.82-1.90 EPS.

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Trading Up 1.9 %

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers stock traded up $0.34 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $18.34. 1,184,225 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 972,481. The company has a quick ratio of 2.53, a current ratio of 2.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.78. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $18.77 and its 200 day simple moving average is $18.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.93 billion, a PE ratio of 23.82, a PEG ratio of 6.71 and a beta of 1.81. Tanger Factory Outlet Centers has a twelve month low of $13.26 and a twelve month high of $20.27.

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Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 28th will be paid a $0.245 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 27th. This is an increase from Tanger Factory Outlet Centerss previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.98 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.34%. Tanger Factory Outlet Centerss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 114.29%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Tanger Factory Outlet Centers

Several brokerages have recently commented on SKT. Compass Point downgraded Tanger Factory Outlet Centers from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $21.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Monday, January 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Tanger Factory Outlet Centers in a research note on Tuesday, March 21st. They issued a buy rating and a $22.00 target price for the company. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on Tanger Factory Outlet Centers in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company.

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Tanger Factory Outlet Centers in the 1st quarter worth approximately $74,000. M&T Bank Corp raised its holdings in shares of Tanger Factory Outlet Centers by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 10,623 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $144,000 after purchasing an additional 602 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Tanger Factory Outlet Centers in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $178,000. Blair William & Co. IL bought a new stake in shares of Tanger Factory Outlet Centers in the 1st quarter worth approximately $217,000. Finally, Natixis Advisors L.P. purchased a new position in Tanger Factory Outlet Centers in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $231,000. Institutional investors own 74.61% of the companys stock.

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Company Profile

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Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc engages in the operation of upscale open-air outlet centers. The firm focuses on developing, acquiring, owning, operating, and managing outlet shopping centers. The company was founded by Stanley K. Tanger in 1981 and is headquartered in Greensboro, NC.

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Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY  Get Rating) shares fell 3.9% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $399.07 and last traded at $399.92. 37,504 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 79% from the average session volume of 177,828 shares. The stock had previously closed at $416.08.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on TDY shares. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Teledyne Technologies in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price objective on Teledyne Technologies from $498.00 to $470.00 in a report on Thursday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $487.00.

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Teledyne Technologies Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The company has a market cap of $19.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.86, a PEG ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 1.08. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $428.25 and its 200 day simple moving average is $411.94.

Insider Activity at Teledyne Technologies

Teledyne Technologies ( NYSE:TDY Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $4.53 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.43 by $0.10. Teledyne Technologies had a net margin of 13.67% and a return on equity of 10.98%. The firm had revenue of $1.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.27 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Teledyne Technologies Incorporated will post 19.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other Teledyne Technologies news, SVP George C. Bobb III sold 10,000 shares of Teledyne Technologies stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $433.12, for a total value of $4,331,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 10,490 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,543,428.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Teledyne Technologies news, SVP George C. Bobb III sold 10,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $433.12, for a total value of $4,331,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 10,490 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,543,428.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Charles Crocker sold 3,477 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $422.00, for a total value of $1,467,294.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 45,513 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,206,486. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 20,210 shares of company stock worth $8,741,594. 2.14% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Teledyne Technologies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. EULAV Asset Management raised its holdings in Teledyne Technologies by 9.3% in the first quarter. EULAV Asset Management now owns 138,900 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $62,138,000 after acquiring an additional 11,800 shares in the last quarter. Simplicity Solutions LLC lifted its position in shares of Teledyne Technologies by 50.1% during the 1st quarter. Simplicity Solutions LLC now owns 800 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock worth $358,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares during the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System grew its stake in shares of Teledyne Technologies by 2.7% during the first quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 13,626 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock worth $6,096,000 after purchasing an additional 361 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio grew its stake in shares of Teledyne Technologies by 23.0% during the first quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 60,792 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock worth $27,195,000 after purchasing an additional 11,364 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. increased its holdings in Teledyne Technologies by 15.5% in the first quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. now owns 829 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $371,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. 91.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Teledyne Technologies

(Get Rating)

Teledyne Technologies, Inc engages in the provision of electronic and communication products for wireless and satellite systems. It operates through the following business segments: Instrumentation, Digital Imaging, Aerospace and Defense Electronics, and Engineered Systems. The Instrumentation segment provides monitoring and control instruments for marine, environmental, industrial, and other applications, and electronic test and measurement equipment.

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Telia Company AB (publ) (OTCMKTS:TLSNF  Get Rating) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 8,576,700 shares, an increase of 24.7% from the March 31st total of 6,880,200 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 4,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1,949.3 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Citigroup began coverage on Telia Company AB (publ) in a report on Wednesday, January 4th. They issued a sell rating and a $23.00 target price on the stock.

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Telia Company AB (publ) Trading Up 7.9 %

Shares of TLSNF opened at $2.72 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $2.55 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $2.65. Telia Company AB has a 52-week low of $2.49 and a 52-week high of $4.17.

About Telia Company AB (publ)

Telia Co AB engages in the provision of network access and telecommunication services. It operates through the following geographical segments: Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Lithuania, Estonia, and TV and Media. It focuses on mobile, television, and fixed-line operations. The company was founded in 1853 and is headquartered in Solna, Sweden.

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Canaccord Genuity Group began coverage on shares of TELUS International (Cda) (NYSE:TIXT  Get Rating) in a report issued on Monday morning, Briefing.com reports. The brokerage issued a buy rating on the stock.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on TELUS International (Cda) from $30.00 to $27.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 9th. Barclays dropped their target price on TELUS International (Cda) from $29.00 to $26.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. Bank of America raised TELUS International (Cda) from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $26.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 11th. National Bankshares dropped their target price on shares of TELUS International (Cda) from $38.00 to $35.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 10th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on shares of TELUS International (Cda) from $38.00 to $29.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 10th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, TELUS International (Cda) currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $27.00.

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TELUS International (Cda) Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of TELUS International (Cda) stock opened at $19.98 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The firm has a market cap of $1.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.72. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $20.68 and a 200-day simple moving average of $21.41. TELUS International has a fifty-two week low of $17.65 and a fifty-two week high of $31.52.

Institutional Trading of TELUS International (Cda)

TELUS International (Cda) ( NYSE:TIXT Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.30 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $630.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $626.26 million. TELUS International (Cda) had a net margin of 7.41% and a return on equity of 17.90%. On average, equities analysts forecast that TELUS International will post 1.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in TELUS International (Cda) by 156.0% in the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 9,241 shares of the companys stock valued at $228,000 after purchasing an additional 5,631 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of TELUS International (Cda) by 43.4% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 7,367 shares of the companys stock valued at $182,000 after acquiring an additional 2,228 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of TELUS International (Cda) by 39.2% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 23,362 shares of the companys stock worth $577,000 after purchasing an additional 6,582 shares during the period. Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of TELUS International (Cda) by 0.8% during the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 88,458 shares of the companys stock worth $2,186,000 after purchasing an additional 728 shares during the period. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board grew its holdings in TELUS International (Cda) by 39.8% during the first quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 71,700 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,774,000 after purchasing an additional 20,400 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 18.27% of the companys stock.

About TELUS International (Cda)

(Get Rating)

TELUS International (Cda) Inc provides customer experience and digital business services in Europe, North America, the Asia-Pacific, and the Central America. It offers digital experience solutions, such as AI and bots, omnichannel CX, mobility solutions, cloud contact center, big data, platform transformation, and UX/UI design; and customer experience solutions, including work anywhere/work from home, customer care, technical support, sales growth and retention, and healthcare/patient experience.

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Coface SA

COFACE SA: Publication of Group and Standalone SFCR as of 31 December 2022

Paris, 28 April 2023  17.45

COFACE SA has published today its Solvency and Financial Condition Report (SFCR) for COFACE SA (Group) and Compagnie francaise dassurance pour le commerce exterieur (the  Compagnie ), in compliance with the Solvency II requirements1.

The Board of Directors of COFACE SA and the Compagnie, respectively approved the SFCR for the financial year 2022. This report is produced on an annual basis:

for Coface Group, involving COFACE SA and its main subsidiaries in France and outside France;

for the Compagnie, on a standalone basis.

HIGHLIGHTS

To assess its solvency, COFACE SA uses the partial internal model approved by the ACPR in 2019. The Compagnies solvency is still assessed using the interpretation of the standard formula.

As of 31 December 2022, eligible own funds to cover the Groups SCR amounted to 2,404 million, which broke down as follows: 78% of Tier 1 capital; 21% of Tier 2 capital, corresponding to the subordinated debt eligible thanks to transitional measures; 1% of Tier 3 capital, representing deferred tax assets.

The Groups SCR coverage ratio of 202% 2 at the end of 2022 reflects a solvency ratio above its target range (155% -175%). This level supports the Groups decision to distribute 80% of its net profit for 2022 by a 1.52 3 dividend per share.

The coverage ratio of the Compagnie SCR (Solo) at the end of 2022 is 207%4.







CONTACTS

ANALYSTS / INVESTORS

Thomas JACQUET: +33 1 49 02 12 58  thomas.jacquet@coface.com

Benoit CHASTEL: +33 1 49 02 22 28  benoit.chastel@coface.com

MEDIA RELATIONS

Saphia GAOUAOUI: +33 1 49 02 14 91  saphia.gaouaoui@coface.com

Corentin HENRY: +33 1 49 02 23 94 - corentin.henry@coface.com

FINANCIAL CALENDAR 2023

(subject to change)

Annual General Shareholders Meeting 2022: 16 May 2023

Q1-2023 results: 25 May 2023 (after market close)

H1-2023 results: 10 August 2023 (after market close)

9M-2023 results: 14 November 2023 (after market close)

Story continues

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

This press release, as well as COFACE SAs integral regulatory information, can be found on the Groups website:

http://www.coface.com/Investors

For regulated information on Alternative Performance Measures (APM), please refer to our Interim Financial Report for H1-2022 and our 2022 Universal Registration Document (see part 3.7 Key financial performance indicators).

Regulated documents posted by COFACE SA have been secured and authenticated with the blockchain technology by Wiztrust. You can check the authenticity on the website www.wiztrust.com.









COFACE: FOR TRADE

With over 75 years of experience and the most extensive international network, Coface is a leader in trade credit insurance & risk management, and a recognized provider of Factoring, Debt Collection, Single Risk insurance, Bonding, and Information Services. Cofaces experts work to the beat of the global economy, helping ~50,000 clients in 100 countries build successful, growing, and dynamic businesses. With Cofaces insight and advice, these companies can make informed decisions. The Group' solutions strengthen their ability to sell by providing them with reliable information on their commercial partners and protecting them against non-payment risks, both domestically and for export. In 2022, Coface employed ~4,720 people and registered a turnover of 1.81 billion.







www.coface.com







COFACE SA is quoted in Compartment A of Euronext Paris

Code ISIN: FR0010667147 / Mnemonique : COFA





DISCLAIMER - Certain declarations featured in this press release may contain forecasts that notably relate to future events, trends, projects or targets. By nature, these forecasts include identified or unidentified risks and uncertainties, and may be affected by many factors likely to give rise to a significant discrepancy between the real results and those stated in these declarations. Please refer to chapter 5 Main risk factors and their management within the Group of the Coface Group's 2022 Universal Registration Document filed with AMF on 6 April 2023 under the number D.23-0244 in order to obtain a description of certain major factors, risks and uncertainties likely to influence the Coface Group's businesses. The Coface Group disclaims any intention or obligation to publish an update of these forecasts, or provide new information on future events or any other circumstance.

1 The Solvency II Directive (i) formalises and organises information requests, and (ii) clarifies the governance requirements and processes to be followed by insurers. In particular, the regulations provide for the establishment of two narrative reports: one for the Regulator (RSR) and one for the public (SFCR).

2 Final calculation of the SCR coverage ratio using the partial group internal model. Non audited.

3 Ex-dividend date is on 22 May 2023 and Payment date is on 24 May 2023. The proposed distribution of 1.52 per share is subject to approval of the Annual Shareholders Meeting that takes place on 16 May 2023.

4 Final calculation of the SCR coverage ratio according to Cofaces interpretation of Solvency II standard formula. Non audited.

Attachment




Tgs Asa (OTCMKTS:TGSGY  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 500 shares, a decline of 16.7% from the March 31st total of 600 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 5.0 days.

Tgs Asa Stock Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS TGSGY remained flat at $14.94 during trading hours on Friday. The company had a trading volume of 33 shares, compared to its average volume of 421. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $16.80 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $14.88. Tgs Asa has a twelve month low of $11.84 and a twelve month high of $19.69.

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Tgs Asa Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 20th were paid a dividend of $0.0928 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 17th. This represents a yield of 2.38%. Tgs Asas dividend payout ratio is currently 45.30%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

About Tgs Asa

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on TGSGY shares. DNB Markets upgraded Tgs Asa from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, March 27th. Pareto Securities downgraded Tgs Asa from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, February 13th.

(Get Rating)

TGS ASA engages in the provision of geoscientific data products and services to oil and gas exploration companies. It operates through the following geographical segments: North & South America (NSA), Europe and Russia (EUR), Africal, Middle-East and Asia or Pacific (AMEAP), and Other or Corporate Costs.

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The European Equity Fund, Inc. (NYSE:EEA  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 4,500 shares, a growth of 309.1% from the March 31st total of 1,100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 7,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.6 days.

The European Equity Fund Trading Down 0.3 %

NYSE EEA traded down $0.03 during trading on Thursday, hitting $8.75. The stock had a trading volume of 3,969 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,112. The companys 50-day moving average price is $8.45 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $7.96. The European Equity Fund has a 12 month low of $6.06 and a 12 month high of $8.90.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On The European Equity Fund

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of EEA. UBS Group AG raised its stake in The European Equity Fund by 186.6% in the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 7,163 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 4,664 shares during the period. Atlas Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of The European Equity Fund during the 4th quarter worth $83,000. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in shares of The European Equity Fund by 25.0% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 13,904 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $127,000 after buying an additional 2,778 shares during the last quarter. City of London Investment Management Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of The European Equity Fund during the 1st quarter worth $129,000. Finally, CSS LLC IL lifted its position in shares of The European Equity Fund by 27.0% during the 4th quarter. CSS LLC IL now owns 44,307 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $332,000 after buying an additional 9,414 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 50.16% of the companys stock.

The European Equity Fund Company Profile

The European Equity Fund, Inc is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched by Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc The fund is managed by Deutsche Asset Management International GmbH. It invests in the public equity markets of Europe. The fund seeks to invest in the stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors.

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The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG  Get Rating) and Lemonade (NYSE:LMND  Get Rating) are both finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, valuation and earnings.

Risk and Volatility

The Hartford Financial Services Group has a beta of 0.85, meaning that its stock price is 15% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Lemonade has a beta of 1.5, meaning that its stock price is 50% more volatile than the S&P 500.

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Earnings and Valuation

This table compares The Hartford Financial Services Group and Lemonades revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio The Hartford Financial Services Group $21.85 billion 1.00 $1.82 billion $5.45 12.83 Lemonade $256.70 million 2.85 -$297.80 million ($4.61) -2.29

Institutional and Insider Ownership

The Hartford Financial Services Group has higher revenue and earnings than Lemonade. Lemonade is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than The Hartford Financial Services Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

89.9% of The Hartford Financial Services Group shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 67.7% of Lemonade shares are held by institutional investors. 1.8% of The Hartford Financial Services Group shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 36.7% of Lemonade shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares The Hartford Financial Services Group and Lemonades net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets The Hartford Financial Services Group 8.12% 18.15% 3.44% Lemonade -116.01% -33.69% -18.73%

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for The Hartford Financial Services Group and Lemonade, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score The Hartford Financial Services Group 0 6 7 0 2.54 Lemonade 2 3 0 0 1.60

The Hartford Financial Services Group presently has a consensus target price of $86.00, suggesting a potential upside of 23.02%. Lemonade has a consensus target price of $20.44, suggesting a potential upside of 93.35%. Given Lemonades higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Lemonade is more favorable than The Hartford Financial Services Group.

Summary

The Hartford Financial Services Group beats Lemonade on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About The Hartford Financial Services Group

(Get Rating)

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. is an insurance and financial services company. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Lines, Personal Lines, Property & Casualty Other Operations, Group Benefits, Hartford Funds, and Corporate. The Commercial Lines segment provides workers compensation, property, automobile, liability and umbrella coverage under several different products. The Personal Lines segment offers standard automobile, homeowners, and personal umbrella coverage to individuals. The Property & Casualty Other Operations segment includes certain property and casualty operations, managed by the company, that have discontinued writing new business and substantially all of the companys asbestos and environmental exposures. The Group Benefits segment provides group life, accident, and disability coverage, as well as group retiree health and voluntary benefits. The Hartford Funds segment offers investment products for retail and retirement accounts and provides investment management and administrative services. The corporate segment includes corporate category discontinued operations, reserves for run-off structured settlement, and terminal funding agree

About Lemonade

(Get Rating)

Lemonade, Inc. provides various insurance products in the United States and Europe. Its insurance products include stolen or damaged property, and personal liability that protects its customers if they are responsible for an accident or damage to another person or their property. The company also offers renters, homeowners, pet, car, and life insurance products, as well as landlord insurance policies. In addition, it operates as an agent for other insurance companies. The company was formerly known as Lemonade Group, Inc. and changed its name to Lemonade, Inc. Lemonade, Inc. was incorporated in 2015 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

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TD Asset Management Inc trimmed its position in shares of The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD  Get Rating) (TSE:TD) by 1.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 36,166,577 shares of the banks stock after selling 368,020 shares during the period. Toronto-Dominion Bank accounts for 2.9% of TD Asset Management Incs investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest holding. TD Asset Management Inc owned 1.99% of Toronto-Dominion Bank worth $2,340,104,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in TD. Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new position in Toronto-Dominion Bank during the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 6.3% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 914,064 shares of the banks stock worth $72,595,000 after purchasing an additional 54,121 shares in the last quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Toronto-Dominion Bank during the 1st quarter worth approximately $200,000. Raymond James Trust N.A. grew its position in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 9,868 shares of the banks stock worth $784,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers grew its position in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 21.8% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 12,022 shares of the banks stock worth $955,000 after purchasing an additional 2,154 shares in the last quarter. 49.22% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

TD has been the subject of a number of research reports. CIBC raised shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from a neutral rating to a sector outperform rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating for the company. Desjardins lifted their target price on shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from C$105.00 to C$106.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. Finally, Scotiabank raised shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $100.57.

Toronto-Dominion Bank Stock Down 0.0 %

Shares of TD stock traded down $0.02 on Friday, hitting $60.38. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,079,222 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,322,917. The stock has a market capitalization of $110.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 0.88. The Toronto-Dominion Bank has a fifty-two week low of $55.43 and a fifty-two week high of $77.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.97. The firms fifty day moving average price is $61.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $64.21.

Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD  Get Rating) (TSE:TD) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The bank reported $1.64 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $9.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.97 billion. Toronto-Dominion Bank had a net margin of 18.23% and a return on equity of 16.02%. Research analysts anticipate that The Toronto-Dominion Bank will post 6.57 EPS for the current year.

Toronto-Dominion Bank Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 6th will be issued a $0.721 dividend. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 5th. This is an increase from Toronto-Dominion Banks previous quarterly dividend of $0.71. Toronto-Dominion Banks dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 44.87%.

About Toronto-Dominion Bank

(Get Rating)

The Toronto-Dominion Bank engages in the provision of financial products and services. It operates through the following segments: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail, and Wholesale Banking. The Canadian Retail segment offers various financial products and services, as well as telephone, Internet, and mobile banking services.

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Shares of Tristel plc (LON:TSTL  Get Rating) crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 339.81 ($4.24) and traded as low as GBX 324 ($4.05). Tristel shares last traded at GBX 327.50 ($4.09), with a volume of 19,893 shares changing hands.

Tristel Stock Performance

The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 332.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 339.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 19.76, a current ratio of 4.70 and a quick ratio of 3.83. The stock has a market cap of 154.74 million, a PE ratio of 4,678.57 and a beta of 0.46.

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Tristel Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 16th were given a GBX 2.62 ($0.03) dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 0.82%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 16th. Tristels payout ratio is 10,000.00%.

About Tristel

Tristel plc develops, manufactures, and sells infection prevention products in the United Kingdom and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Hospital Medical Device Decontamination, Hospital Environmental Surface Disinfection, and Other. It offers medical instrument disinfection products, including airway management, cardiology, ear, nose and throat, endoscopy, ophthalmology, phlebotomy, reproductive health/IVF, surface, ultrasound, urology, women's health, and other products under the Tristel brand; contamination control products, which include cleanroom, laboratory, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and toiletry disinfectants under the Crystel brand; and airborne and veterinary device disinfectants under the Anistel brand.

Further Reading

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Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC cut its stake in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM  Get Rating) by 9.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,205 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 431 shares during the quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLCs holdings in Waste Management were worth $660,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WM. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Waste Management by 2.8% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 36,984,227 shares of the business services providers stock worth $5,925,244,000 after buying an additional 1,016,798 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its holdings in Waste Management by 194.9% during the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,217,592 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $192,988,000 after purchasing an additional 804,708 shares during the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Waste Management by 3,120.2% during the third quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 600,443 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $96,197,000 after purchasing an additional 581,797 shares during the last quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec grew its holdings in Waste Management by 21.5% during the third quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 2,605,293 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $417,394,000 after purchasing an additional 461,425 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Prudential Financial Inc. grew its holdings in Waste Management by 67.5% during the third quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 966,026 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $154,772,000 after purchasing an additional 389,400 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.48% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity at Waste Management

In other news, EVP John J. Morris sold 15,204 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.03, for a total transaction of $2,357,076.12. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 95,461 shares of the companys stock, valued at $14,799,318.83. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, CAO Leslie K. Nagy sold 800 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.11, for a total transaction of $120,888.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,210 shares in the company, valued at $787,283.10. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP John J. Morris sold 15,204 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.03, for a total value of $2,357,076.12. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 95,461 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,799,318.83. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 30,743 shares of company stock valued at $4,762,320 over the last ninety days. 0.27% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Waste Management Trading Up 1.3 %

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on WM shares. TD Cowen started coverage on shares of Waste Management in a research note on Thursday, March 30th. They issued an outperform rating and a $200.00 price objective on the stock. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $158.00 to $167.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Truist Financial started coverage on Waste Management in a research report on Monday, April 17th. They issued a buy rating and a $190.00 target price for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their target price on Waste Management from $157.00 to $151.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 6th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on Waste Management in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $175.17.

NYSE WM opened at $163.76 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $66.61 billion, a PE ratio of 29.99, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12. Waste Management, Inc. has a 12 month low of $138.89 and a 12 month high of $175.98. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $157.33 and a 200-day moving average of $157.86.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The business services provider reported $1.31 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.29 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $4.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.86 billion. Waste Management had a return on equity of 32.98% and a net margin of 11.33%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.29 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Waste Management, Inc. will post 6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 24th. Investors of record on Friday, March 10th were paid a $0.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 9th. This is a positive change from Waste Managements previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.71%. Waste Managements dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 51.95%.

About Waste Management

(Get Rating)

Waste Management, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of waste management environmental services. It operates through the following segments: East Tier, West Tier, and Other. The East Tier segment consists of Eastern U.S., the Great Lakes Region, and Canada. The West Tier segment includes the upper Midwest region and British Columbia, Canada.

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Comerica (NYSE: CMA) recently received a number of ratings updates from brokerages and research firms:

4/21/2023  Comerica had its price target lowered by analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from $68.00 to $62.00. They now have an outperform rating on the stock.

4/21/2023  Comerica had its price target lowered by analysts at Robert W. Baird from $90.00 to $80.00. They now have an outperform rating on the stock.

4/21/2023  Comerica had its price target lowered by analysts at DA Davidson from $70.00 to $65.00. They now have a buy rating on the stock.

4/21/2023  Comerica had its price target lowered by analysts at Citigroup Inc. from $90.00 to $55.00. They now have a buy rating on the stock.

4/14/2023  Comerica was downgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a hold rating to a sell rating.

4/12/2023  Comerica had its price target lowered by analysts at Barclays PLC from $85.00 to $52.00. They now have an underweight rating on the stock.

4/6/2023  Comerica was upgraded by analysts at Raymond James from an outperform rating to a strong-buy rating. They now have a $57.00 price target on the stock, down previously from $84.00.

4/6/2023  Comerica was downgraded by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from an overweight rating to a neutral rating. They now have a $44.00 price target on the stock, down previously from $75.00.

4/6/2023  Comerica had its price target lowered by analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $80.00 to $57.00. They now have a market perform rating on the stock.

4/5/2023  Comerica had its price target lowered by analysts at Morgan Stanley from $85.00 to $52.00. They now have an equal weight rating on the stock.

4/3/2023  Comerica had its price target lowered by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $72.00 to $53.00. They now have an underweight rating on the stock.

3/30/2023  Comerica had its price target lowered by analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. from $83.00 to $61.00. They now have a neutral rating on the stock.

3/23/2023  Comerica had its price target lowered by analysts at Truist Financial Co. from $78.00 to $54.00. They now have a buy rating on the stock.

3/16/2023  Comerica is now covered by analysts at StockNews.com. They set a hold rating on the stock.

3/15/2023  Comerica is now covered by analysts at UBS Group AG. They set a buy rating and a $68.00 price target on the stock.

3/13/2023  Comerica was downgraded by analysts at Odeon Capital Group LLC from a buy rating to a hold rating.

3/10/2023  Comerica is now covered by analysts at Citigroup Inc.. They set a buy rating and a $90.00 price target on the stock.

3/10/2023  Comerica had its price target lowered by analysts at Piper Sandler from $82.00 to $70.00.

Comerica Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:CMA traded up $0.71 on Thursday, hitting $41.33. The company had a trading volume of 4,127,498 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,345,996. Comerica Incorporated has a 1-year low of $29.17 and a 1-year high of $87.02. The stock has a market cap of $5.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.36, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.14. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $52.06 and a 200 day moving average price of $63.52. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26.

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Comerica (NYSE:CMA  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 20th. The financial services provider reported $2.39 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.26 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $966.40 million. Comerica had a net margin of 30.16% and a return on equity of 24.34%. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.37 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Comerica Incorporated will post 8.18 EPS for the current year.

Comerica Announces Dividend

Insider Buying and Selling

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, July 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.71 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $2.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.87%. Comericas dividend payout ratio is 29.93%.

In other news, EVP Cassandra M. Mckinney sold 3,262 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.76, for a total value of $237,343.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 6,825 shares of the companys stock, valued at $496,587. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.76% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. CWM LLC increased its position in Comerica by 11.4% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 3,703 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $263,000 after purchasing an additional 378 shares during the period. Trexquant Investment LP bought a new position in shares of Comerica during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $3,568,000. National Bank of Canada FI boosted its holdings in shares of Comerica by 29.3% during the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 67,823 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $4,534,000 after buying an additional 15,361 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of Comerica by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,928,269 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $137,118,000 after buying an additional 15,653 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Teacher Retirement System of Texas boosted its holdings in shares of Comerica by 100.8% during the 3rd quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 42,095 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,993,000 after buying an additional 21,129 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.91% of the companys stock.

Comerica, Inc engages in the provision of financial services. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Bank, Retail Bank, Wealth Management, Finance, and Other. The Commercial Bank segment offers various products and services, including commercial loans and lines of credit, deposits, cash management, capital market products, international trade finance, letters of credit, foreign exchange management services, and loan syndication services.

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Taylor Morrison Home Co. (NYSE:TMHC  Get Rating) Director William H. Lyon sold 264,730 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.45, for a total transaction of $10,973,058.50. Following the transaction, the director now owns 32,127 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,331,664.15. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Taylor Morrison Home Stock Performance

Shares of TMHC traded up $1.01 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $43.09. 1,551,164 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 954,623. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $36.97 and its 200 day simple moving average is $32.61. The company has a market cap of $4.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.61 and a beta of 1.71. Taylor Morrison Home Co. has a twelve month low of $20.05 and a twelve month high of $43.13. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 6.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47.

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Taylor Morrison Home (NYSE:TMHC  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The construction company reported $1.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.45. Taylor Morrison Home had a net margin of 13.04% and a return on equity of 24.14%. The firm had revenue of $1.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.57 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.44 EPS. The businesss revenue was down 2.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Taylor Morrison Home Co. will post 6.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Taylor Morrison Home

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Taylor Morrison Home from $33.00 to $42.00 in a research report on Thursday. Barclays increased their price objective on Taylor Morrison Home from $40.00 to $45.00 in a report on Thursday. Credit Suisse Group boosted their target price on shares of Taylor Morrison Home from $41.00 to $47.00 in a report on Thursday. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Taylor Morrison Home in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $37.64.

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in TMHC. TCI Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Taylor Morrison Home by 87.7% during the 4th quarter. TCI Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 933 shares of the construction companys stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 436 shares in the last quarter. Investors Asset Management of Georgia Inc. GA ADV bought a new stake in shares of Taylor Morrison Home during the 3rd quarter worth $41,000. Assetmark Inc. boosted its stake in Taylor Morrison Home by 47.6% in the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,802 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 581 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Taylor Morrison Home during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Taylor Morrison Home during the 1st quarter worth approximately $48,000. 96.33% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Taylor Morrison Home Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Taylor Morrison Home Corp. engages in the business of residential homebuilding and the development of lifestyle communities. It operates through the following segments: East, Central, West, and Financial Services. The East segment includes operations in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Orlando, Raleigh, Southwest Florida, and Tampa regions.

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Coherent Corp.

PITTSBURGH, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coherent Corp. (NYSE: COHR), a global leader in materials, networking, and lasers, announced today that the company will hold a conference call on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. ET. The call will be hosted by Dr. Vincent D. (Chuck) Mattera, Jr., Chair and CEO, and Mary Jane Raymond, Chief Financial Officer.



The third-quarter results for FY 2023 will be released before the market opens on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, and will be posted on the companys website at coherent.com/company/investor-relations.

Individuals wishing to listen to the live webcast of the call can access the event at the companys website by visiting coherent.com/company/investor-relations/financial-webcasts or via this link.

Equity analysts and others who wish to participate in the question and answer session of the conference call can pre-register at this link to receive dial-in numbers and a unique PIN. The call will be recorded, and a replay will be available to interested parties for a limited time.

About Coherent

Coherent empowers market innovators to define the future through breakthrough technologies, from materials to systems. We deliver innovations that resonate with our customers in diversified applications for the industrial, communications, electronics, and instrumentation markets. Headquartered in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, Coherent has research and development, manufacturing, sales, service, and distribution facilities worldwide. For more information, please visit us at coherent.com.

Contact

Mary Jane Raymond

Chief Financial Officer

investor.relations@coherent.com




SkyQuest Technology Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

SkyQuest's Dental Chair market report provides actionable insights for individuals interested in valuable data, trends, and opportunities in a rapidly growing industry. Additionally, the report is produced and published concisely, making it accessible to various audiences, from industry experts to market readers. Finally, one can gain an in-depth understanding of the primary and secondary market drivers, providing them with a comprehensive outlook of the current market situation and future projections.

Westford, USA, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Dental Chair market size is expected to reach USD 1346.05 million by 2030 and exhibit a CAGR of 5.6% in the forecast period (20222030), according to SkyQuests latest research report. The growing geriatric population that requires more dental procedures and the increasing prevalence of dental disorders are driving the market's growth. Additionally, technological advancements in dental equipment, such as digital imaging systems and CAD/CAM technologies, have led to more efficient and accurate dental procedures, driving the demand for advanced dental chairs.

Government Incentives and Trends to Promote the Use of Dental Chair

At a global scale, several government initiatives promote market growth. One example of a government initiative that is projecting the future of the dental chair market is the Indian government's "National Oral Health Program." The program aims to improve the population's oral health by promoting oral hygiene and providing affordable dental services. As a part of this initiative, the Indian government is investing in developing dental infrastructure, including establishing dental clinics and purchasing dental equipment, such as dental chairs. This is expected to drive the growth of the dental chair market in India in the coming years.

The trending integration of dental chairs with other dental equipment, such as intraoral cameras, curing lights, and surgical motors, offers a comprehensive solution for dental procedures. Another trend is the increasing popularity of portable and mobile dental chairs, enabling dental professionals to provide dental services at remote locations or during emergency situations.

Story continues

Get a sample copy of this report:

https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/dental-chair-market

Browse in-depth TOC on the Dental chair market

Pages - 251

Tables - 89

Figures - 66

Powered Dental Chair demand to grow substantially in the forecast period

Powered dental chairs dominated the global market owing to their increased efficiency and ease of use. In addition, it improved patient comfort and the ability to integrate with other digital dental technologies. Powered dental chairs also offer greater flexibility in terms of chair positioning and adjustment, which can improve the ergonomics and overall efficiency of dental procedures.

Surgery Application is the Leading Application Segment

In terms of application, the surgery application is the leading segment as it includes the demand for advanced features such as built-in lighting, suction, and an anesthesia delivery system. Dental surgeries are more complex and time-consuming than routine dental checks. Therefore, dentists and surgeons require dental chairs designed to support patients for extended periods while providing precise positioning and easy access to the oral cavity.

North America and Asia-Pacific are the Leading and Fastest-growing Markets

Region-wise, North America is one of the largest growing markets due to high prevalence of dental diseases. The growing geriatric population, and an increasing awareness about oral hygiene and dental care in the region is aiding the growth of dental chairs.

Asia-Pacific is one of the fastest-growing markets owing to increasing healthcare expenditure, growing dental tourism, and rising demand for advanced dental treatments in countries such as China and India.

Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC):

https://www.skyquestt.com/report/dental-chair-market

Dental Chair Market Report Suggests:

The global market size is projected to grow by 1346.06 million by 2030 owing to technological advancements

In terms of application, the surgery segment dominates due to higher complexity and requirement for more technologically advanced chair

In terms of type, the Powered dental chair segment is projected to gain more popularity due to its efficiency

North America and Asia Pacific are leading markets and will continue to exhibit dominance in the global market mainly due to increasing awareness and the growing geriatric population

Dental Chair Market Segmentation:

The global Dental Chair market report is segmented based on Product type, application, and region.

By Product Type

Non-powered dental chairs

Powered dental chairs

By Application

Examination

Surgery

By Region

North America

U.S

Canada

Europe

Germany

France

UK

Spain

RoE

Asia-Pacific

China

India

Japan

South Korea

Rest of Asia-Pacific

Latin America

Brazil

RoLA

Middle-East and Africa

South Africa

GCC Countries

Rest of MEA

Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements:

https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/dental-chair-market

Dental Chair Market Major Company Profiles:

A-dec Inc.

Dentsply Sirona Inc.

Danaher Corporation

Midmark Corporation

Planmeca Oy

DentalEZ Group

Takara Belmont Corporation

The Yoshida Dental Mfg. Co. Ltd.

Fimet Oy

Forest Dental Products Inc.

Castellini S.p.A.

Anthos

Dental Art

DentalEZ Group

Marus Dental International

Dental Planet

Beaverstate Dental Systems

Flight Dental Systems

Dental System Italia

Confident Dental Equipment Ltd

Related Reports in SkyQuests Library:

Global Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market

Global Durable Medical Equipment Market

Global Nootropics Market

Global Helicobacter pylori H. pylori Diagnostics Market

Global Audiology Devices Market

About Us:

SkyQuest Technology is leading growth consulting firm providing market intelligence, commercialization and technology services. It has 450+ happy clients globally.

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Members of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), pose for selfies after attending the second plenary meeting of the fourth session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 7, 2021. [Xinhua/Li Xin]

BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua)  China's remarkable progress in independent innovation has been characterized by the growing participation of women in the intellectual property (IP) industry. More Chinese women have utilized their innovative potential to target the science frontiers, serve the economy, and benefit people's livelihoods.

Chinese women innovators have come under the spotlight as the theme of this year's World IP Day, marked on April 26, focusing on "Women and Intellectual Property: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity." Their stories are also a great interpretation of China's rise in innovation around the globe.

Staff members pose for a photo with their family at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, Nov. 17, 2020. [Xinhua/Guo Cheng]

For Sci-Tech Self-Reliance

"Women prop up half the sky." The famous Chairman Mao quote applies to modern China's space exploration. Li Wenjing, at the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, is one of the women scientists contributing wisdom to the country's innovation.

The Long March-5 is a Chinese carrier rocket tasked with vital missions such as launching the Mars probe, lunar rover, and modules of the space station. In the developmental stages, one problem Li handled was a large amount of heat generated by engine gas pipelines that damaged interior electronic components. It necessitated scientists to figure out a method of preventing overheating conditions.

Li's team came up with a high-efficiency heat-resistant material, but she found it very demanding. No previous studies applied for reference after reading a range of research papers at home and abroad.

"We had to make it from scratch," Li said.

Thanks to their unremitting efforts, Li and her colleagues created a thermal insulation material and a preparation method to make it. The inventions won China's gold patent award in 2018.

The success was repeated in creating materials for the Tianwen-1 Mars lander.

Like most career women, Li strives to balance family and work. She often regrets spending so little time with her children due to work. But responding to the country's calls for tech self-reliance, the woman scientist is determined to contribute to developing more and more thinner and lighter materials for spacecraft.

Dong Mingzhu, chairperson of the board and president of Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai, speaks at the session of "The Future of Production" during the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018 in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, April 9, 2018. [Xinhua/Xing Guangli]

For Strong Competition

Gree is a Chinese electric appliances giant with thousands of patent applications. Its chairwoman is Dong Mingzhu, who values and rewards innovation.

She said women are the backbone of the company's innovative achievements, as women inventors accounted for more than 55 percent of Gree's patent applications. She annually rewards employees for sci-tech contributions, and over 65 percent of winners are women.

Dong's company has also actively joined the global competition through persistent R&D. Her company has filed nearly 5,000 patents in 35 countries and regions, such as Europe, the United States, and Japan, bringing a host of international accolades.

Dubbed "Iron Lady" in business circles, the 68-year-old entrepreneur is a national lawmaker, too. She has put forward many suggestions for IP protection, including stepping up efforts to crack down on patent trolls and malicious trademark filings.

"Stricter IP protection boosts Gree's confidence in innovation. It is also an effective way to enhance the core competencies of Chinese manufacturers," Dong said in an interview.

"We demand protection of proprietary technologies because it facilitates healthy competition in the industry and provides a solid foundation for iteration, upgrading, and breakthrough in technology. In other words, strict IP protection can encourage us to challenge ourselves to become more inventive and maintain our lead in technology R&D."

She is always ready to accept new challenges. The entrepreneur jumped on the live-streaming bandwagon when the company's offline sales were hampered by COVID-19. She promoted a range of product sales, including air purifiers and disinfectant generators, to help consumers keep their houses healthy.

A child watches a livestreamer selling local products in Beichuan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Nov. 14, 2020. [Xinhua/Jiang Hongjing]

For Improving Livelihoods

Like Dong, Liang Qianjuan is also an excellent live-streamer on E-commerce platforms. A farmer from Gansu Province, Liang is not a patent holder and did not make any significant inventions. But she has used IP to raise incomes of her own and others in her hometown.

Liang opened an online shop and promoted local agricultural products with geographical indications (GIs).

GI is a type of trademark to show a product has a specific geographical origin and possesses qualities or a reputation due to that origin. It is a quality guarantee, distinguishing them from their competitors.

Benefits of GIs include standardized processes, increased production, and more employment for locals.

Liang's hometown is a remote village in Longnan with rich GI resources, such as green tea, olive oil, and apples.

Local government has spent efforts in obtaining GIs in recent years. More farmers are now involved in the production and marketing of GI products.

After a local olive oil was listed as a protected product of a national geographical trademark, the olive trees are now planted on over 34,000 hectares, benefiting over 210,000 local farmers. The output value reached 1.86 billion yuan (about 268.6 million U.S. dollars).

The GI also allows salespersons to share the brand benefits. The annual sales of Liang's online shop have climbed from tens of thousands of yuan to more than 4 million yuan over the past ten years.

Due to the expansion of her online sales, she now has 300 local farmers supplying products. Her success has also encouraged others, and there are now thousands of live-streaming hosts selling local products online in her hometown.

(Source: Xinhua)
BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday held phone talks with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky.

During their conversation, Xi reiterated China's core position on promoting peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, and announced that Beijing will send a special representative on Eurasian affairs to visit Ukraine and other countries to conduct in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the crisis.

The phone call provides a further illustration of China's willingness to mediate in the prolonged crisis besetting the world for more than one year, and of the responsible role China plays in promoting world peace and stability.

China's commitment to helping achieve the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis reminds the headline-grabbing rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran not long ago, which was also a result of China's selfless diplomatic work.

Persuading Russia and Ukraine to sit down at the negotiating table is indeed a much harder task. Fortunately, voices for peace and rationality are building. More people are waking up to the fact that a protracted crisis to some extent is detrimental to everyone in the world, and dialogue is the sole viable way out.

Those who refuse to endorse peace and add fuel to the fire are possessed by their mindset of bloc confrontation or care only about selfish gains from the tragedy.

As a responsible member of the international community, China has been making efforts to ease tensions and promote peace talks since the start of the crisis.

In February 2023, the Chinese Foreign Ministry released a paper stating Beijing's position on the Ukraine crisis, putting forward a 12-point proposal to end the conflict by addressing both the symptoms and the root causes of the crisis, and reiterating the necessity to end the conflict through dialogue and negotiations.

During a state visit to Russia a month later, Xi had an in-depth exchange of views on the Ukraine issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, pledging that China would continue to play a constructive role in promoting the political settlement of the crisis.

Contrary to some countries treating the crisis in a biased and partial way, China has been nudging the two sides into the restoration of peace by upholding balanced and impartial stance.

On the Ukrainian side, while pledging to send a special envoy during the phone talks between Xi and Zelensky, China also vowed to keep providing help for the country.

In response, the Ukrainian president thanked China for providing humanitarian assistance and welcomed China's important role in restoring peace and seeking diplomatic solution to the crisis.

China and Russia have blazed a path of major-country relations featuring strategic trust and good neighborliness. Meanwhile, China-Ukraine relations have gone through 31 years of development and reached the level of strategic partnership.

Moreover, China is not the creator of the crisis, nor a party directly concerned. That gives Beijing the diplomatic room and qualification to give a full ear to the demands and concerns of both Russia and Ukraine and play a responsible role in the settlement of the crisis.

As for all other parties who truly expect an early end to the crisis and restoration of peace, they should join China's efforts and build up favorable conditions for the political settlement of the crisis.

(Source: Xinhua)
BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua)  On a morning in April 1982, Zhang Wupu, who was the Party chief of Xizhaotong commune, stood at the commune's entrance in Zhengding County, Hebei Province, awaiting the arrival of the new deputy Party chief for the county.

Unexpectedly, a young man dressed in plain clothes rode up to him on an old bicycle, taking Zhang by surprise.

The man got off his bike and, with a smile, offered his hand to Zhang, who soon realized that it was Xi Jinping, the newly appointed deputy secretary of the Zhengding County Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Zhang inquired, "Did you come alone? And how did you find your way here?"

"I asked for directions along the way," Xi replied.

Although the county had two jeeps available for official duty, Xi frequently opted to ride his bicycle during fact-finding research trips to gain firsthand knowledge of the county's conditions, including issues that might go under the radar for officials in a chauffeured sedan.

However, these rides were not always easy, and Xi sometimes had to carry his bike over sandy riverbanks or rough terrain.

During one such trip, Xi learned from local villagers that farmers in the area were unable to sustain themselves with their high grain yields and had to purchase sweet potatoes from other regions.

After investigating the issue, Xi discovered that the county did not have enough food left for the farmers after fulfilling the country's annual purchase quota. He reported this problem to upper-level authorities. Subsequently, the quota was lowered and the farmers' burden relieved as a result.

In a letter to Zhengding officials, Xi said, "When we conduct research and fact-finding activities, we must carry them out thoroughly, go to see the realities by ourselves and hear the public opinion directly."

He also noted that the county's officials should spend at least a third of their time at the grassroots level.

And Xi led by example. While in Zhengding, he visited all villages administered by the county. During his tenure as the Party chief of Ningde Prefecture in Fujian Province in the late 1980s, he made a journey to a remote and impoverished township, Xiadang, which was situated in a mountainous area with no proper roads. Xi traversed a narrow and brambled path for hours to reach the township. This had a profound impact on the residents, as very few officials were willing to make the effort to visit Xiadang.

After being appointed Party chief of Zhejiang Province in the early 2000s, Xi visited all 90 counties, cities, and districts in the province in a little over a year. During his seven months serving as Shanghai's Party chief, Xi also visited all 19 districts and counties under the city's jurisdiction.

Even as the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, the Party's top official, Xi remains a role model for going to the grassroots, regardless of the obstacles and difficulties involved.

He conducted over 50 inspections and research studies on poverty alleviation, which included visits to all 14 contiguous regions marred by extreme poverty.

Sometimes, he insisted on visiting those far-flung places.

His journey to a poor village situated in the country's southwest mountainous hinterlands in 2019 was an example. He left Beijing early in the morning and arrived in Huaxi Village in the evening. Sitting in the courtyard with the locals, he said, "I took a plane, a train, and a car, switching between three modes of transportation just to get here to meet you and hear what you have to say to us."

"Go to villages, go to communities, and go there often," Xi once told Party officials at a training session at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee. "Visit those close by and those far afield; see the real situation, good or bad. We should listen to both praise and criticism from the public. That is how we get to grips with what is really going on."

In early April, the Party launched a new campaign to encourage more fact-finding research and studies.

For Xi and the entire Party, the campaign will continue to be an unceasing endeavor to understand the issues facing the country, as the CPC advances the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization.

(Source: Xinhua)
For the quarter ended March 2023, Cincinnati Financial (CINF) reported revenue of $2.14 billion, up 13.5% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.89, compared to $1.58 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +5.43% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.02 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.68, the EPS surprise was +30.88%.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how Cincinnati Financial performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

Commercial Lines Insurance - Combined ratio : 100.4% versus 96.99% estimated by four analysts on average.

Excess & Surplus - Combined ratio : 89.9% compared to the 94.17% average estimate based on four analysts.

Personal Lines Insurance - Combined ratio : 112.5% compared to the 105% average estimate based on four analysts.

Commercial Lines Insurance - Loss and loss expenses : 70.9% compared to the 64.28% average estimate based on four analysts.

Excess & Surplus- Earned premiums : $127 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $127.95 million.

Fee revenues- Property Casualty Insurance : $2 million compared to the $1.75 million average estimate based on four analysts.

Revenues- Excess and surplus lines insurance : $127 million compared to the $128.20 million average estimate based on four analysts.

Total revenues- Life Insurance Subsidiary : $125 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $108.03 million.

Net Earned Premiums- Property & Casualty : $1.84 billion versus $1.82 billion estimated by four analysts on average.

Net Premiums Earned- Personal Lines Insurance : $464 million compared to the $441.97 million average estimate based on four analysts.

Revenues- Life Insurance Subsidiary- Earned premiums : $77 million versus $79.03 million estimated by four analysts on average.

Net Premiums Earned- Commercial Lines Insurance: $1.06 billion compared to the $1.04 billion average estimate based on four analysts.

Story continues

View all Key Company Metrics for Cincinnati Financial here>>>



Shares of Cincinnati Financial have returned -8.1% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.2% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

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...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM CDT THIS MORNING TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Northwest winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph expected. * WHERE...All of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. * WHEN...From 10 AM CDT this morning to 7 PM CDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Strong winds and rough chop on area lakes will create hazardous conditions for small craft. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Some lakes in the advisory area include Clearwater Lake, Lake Wappapello, Rend Lake, Crab Orchard Lake, Kinkaid Lake, Cedar Lake, Little Grassy Lake, Devil's Kitchen Lake, Lake of Egypt, Kentucky Lake, and Lake Barkley. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Lake Wind Advisory indicates that winds will cause rough chop on area lakes. Boaters on area lakes should use extra caution since strong winds and rough waves can overturn small craft. &&
VANCOUVER, BC, April 28, 2023 /CNW/ - Copperleaf Technologies Inc. (TSX: CPLF) ("Copperleaf" or the "Company"), a provider of enterprise decision analytics software solutions to companies managing critical infrastructure, announced today that it will report its financial results for the first quarter of 2023 on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 after market close.

Copperleaf Technologies Inc. Logo (CNW Group/CopperLeaf Technologies Inc.)

The Company will also hold a conference call to discuss its financial results on the same day at 5pm ET. Paul Sakrzewski, Chief Executive Officer and Chris Allen, Chief Financial Officer will host the conference call, followed by a question-and-answer session.

Q1 2023 Financial Results Conference Call Details:

Date: May 10, 2023

Time: 5pm ET

Conference ID: 59376144

Dial-In Number: 416-764-8659 or 1-888-664-6392

Webcast: https://app.webinar.net/9LZYzqVGRl8

Replay: 416-764-8677 or 1-888-390-0541 (Available until May 17, 2023)

Replay Entry Code: 376144#

About Copperleaf:

Copperleaf (TSX: CPLF) provides enterprise decision analytics software solutions to companies managing critical infrastructure. We leverage operational and financial data to empower our clients to make investment decisions that deliver the highest business value. What sets us apart is our commitment to providing extraordinary experiences, shaped by people who care deeply, products that deliver exceptional value, and partnerships that stand the test of time. Copperleaf is a patron of The Institute of Asset Management and actively participates in shaping the future of asset management standards, including ISO 55000. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, our solutions are distributed and supported by regional staff and partners worldwide. Together, we are transforming how the world sees value.

For more details, visit https://www.copperleaf.com/

SOURCE CopperLeaf Technologies Inc.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2023/28/c3516.html
The World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) is publishing correspondence from postal workers exposing the brutally exploitive regime being imposed by Royal Mail, with the help of the Communication Workers Union (CWU). The latest comments are from postal workers opposing the CWUs sell-out joint agreement with Royal Mail announced April 21.

Royal Mail delivery trucks [Photo by Cristiano Betta / CC BY 2.0

Redhill: 28 years in the job and I have to say Im disgusted. Dave Ward... hang your head in shame. I would have understood if you told us the truth: if we dont accept this deal the company will go into administration. But to tell us this is a good deal? Wheres my backdated pay, overtime, SA [sickness allowance]? 500 POUND, and 33 pound a week (before tax and NI [National Insurance])? 4PM LAST LETTER DELIVERY? NO REDUNDANCIES (BUT ONLY FOR LENGTH OF THE DEAL)? THAT'S ONLY 2 YEARS THEN TIL THEY COME AT US AGAIN... if this gets voted in, watch people leave the union in droves... All those postmen and women who marched on Parliament Square you sellout.

Swansea: I have been a member of the CWU for 39 years and they have sold us out, I want out of my union now!

Macclesfield: 35 years a postie, 50 years a trade unionist, this is a shambles of a deal. 500 years of history, taken the present board 5 years to destroy it. All the reasons why we gave a large strike vote was to oppose what they have implemented by executive action, but as usual for RM they have fallen short in applying all this new way of working. Result is failure of the USO [Universal Service Order enforcing letter delivery] every day in my office, but the managers report everything cleared, so they will still get their bonus. I stood on a picket line for 18 days, not for me, but for a service thats the best in the world, for the younger ones who need a job, or so I thought, but even those people crossed the picket line for whatever reason. The job as it is now would break anyone, as it has done both mentally and physically. 2 years ago, we were told [we were] Key Workers, keeping the country connected. 470 million profit, now all gone and posties reward--a deal that defies logic.

Ulster: Why isnt Simon Thompson jailed?

Coventry: Vote no to this stitch up.

Leamington Spa: Workplaces being run by absolutely clueless managers does not make job any easier. Complete discontent amongst fellow colleagues. Slipshod working conditions. Poorly maintained vehicles. Its actually shocking. No regard for health and safety. Clueless organisation.

Birmingham: They took 4 walks out of our office giving us an extra 175 drops each. There are full walks of letters being left in sometimes for 4 days. We cannot finish most days. Its totally unacceptable.

Bournemouth: Impossible duties, mine has increased by 100 additional addresses, 3 miles from my existing duty. Have never completed full duty since revision. Have been told whatever I dont complete one day should be covered next day, with another area not delivered to following day. This is surely in breach of USO, as certain customers will only get delivery every other day.

Glasgow: Postal workers are angry with [CWU General Secretary Dave] Ward and [Deputy General Secretary (Postal) Terry] Pullinger who have consistently sold out. The latest one was a Friday afternoon video with no feedback or right of comment. Surprised it wasnt behind a pay wall.

London: I believe we are sold out from the union. They asked to fight with them, and we fight together but to me is a waste of everything. Especially sick agreement is so rubbish. Living crisis is hard but pay rise not much at all. We are struggling. Top of that its scary from the mafia management.

Newcastle: Blaydon D.O. Our office 450 hrs taken out equals 12 deliveries which we have to absorb. Longer delivery not enough time to do it, parcels and tracked take priority, bring mail back if cant complete, managers seem to think they can do what they want.

Plymouth: Conditions are abysmal at Plymouth Mail centre. Management is riding roughshod and doing what they want. Managers carving workers jobs and filling jobs with managers where possible. I think the morale amongst the postman/woman grade is one of anger and dismay and the way they are being treated and of the deal the CWU has agreed too!! I shall be voting NO to it. Unless you are planning on retiring in the next 2 years, we will be going through exactly the same in 2025. The Royal Mail board and shareholders are laughing at us!!

Waltham Cross: Royal Mail is saying that letters are decreasing, but we all know that is not true. The volume of letters is massive. We are delivering more NHS letters, council tax, tv licence, bank statements, etc., but Royal Mail says they are losing a million pounds a day because there are no letters. With this new revision agreed with the CWU postmen are unable to finish their rounds. Mail to be sorted is insane and Royal Mail does not care. They only look at parcels. Area managers and planners have no knowledge of the job. Now I do question myself, how can Royal Mail run a company like this?

Glasgow: 90% of overtime stripped away from duties.

Preston: Ward and the rest have definitely been paid off.

Retired postie: As a retired OSG with Royal Mail and local delivery rep I am not surprised that the rank-and-file union members are disappointed with Dave Ward and Co. When I needed their support, they turned their back on me, and I fought and won my battle with Royal Mail on my own, and at my own financial cost.

South Wales: Currently exhausted myself, my work colleague is leaving this week after 18 years service. Weve had roughly 7 people total since Christmas leave due to the unbearable workloads in our office of 50 with practically everyone looking at new employment. Our manager is an ex-postie but has been very much in manager mode and has done everything for his bonuses.

And now on top of everything else, weve spent 11 months having our union suddenly come to an agreement after a week ago having not settled on anything. Our local rep is none the wiser either. So an entire year of uncertainty and having all our terms and conditions ripped up for those at the top to get a quick buck and an Uber style service. USO has gone to crap. The last week alone, our office has brough back about 25% of letters. Let down by Royal Mail, let down by the CWU. So Im here trying to find out more about the postal rank and file committee. Any information you have, Id love to hear about it.
A freedom of information request obtained by the University of Sheffield (UoS) student newspaper, The Tab, reveals that the university spent just under 40,000 hiring private investigators to spy on students. The students were allegedly involved in occupations of university facilities to protest its links with the arms industry.

From September 2022 until January 16, 2023, the UoS paid 39,615 to Intersol Global to snoop into the lives of two students.

In February 2022, the Sheffield Action Group (SHAG) occupied three buildings to protest the universitys wanton vandalism in closing its world-renowned Archeology department. The occupations took place while university lecturers and staff members of the University and College Union (UCU) were holding nationwide strikes for improved pay and conditions.

The Diamond, an Engineering building of the University of Sheffield [Photo by Chemical Engineer / CC BY-SA 4.0

During October last year, a group of SHAG activists occupied the UoSs Diamond building to protest the universitys partnership with Rolls Royce, Boeing and BAE Systems. The students Twitter account dated October 24 called for no war criminals on campus or in careers fairs.

Last month the Guardian revealed that two students received letters on November 9 last year informing them an independent investigator had been hired by Sheffield University due to the serious nature of the event and that a report of alleged misconduct by you is the subject of an investigation in line with the universitys regulations relating to the discipline of students.

An accompanying document said the regulations broken related to the improper interference, in the broadest sense, with the proper functioning or activities of the university, and that the students could face suspension or expulsion, fines of up to 750 and bills of up to 1,000 for any damage to property.

One of the students, Martha, told the Guardian the pending investigation during her final year of university had induced suicidal thoughts.

I became quite unwell in January and found it really distressing that there was this process happening, and I didnt know what Id even been alleged to have done, or know how long it was going to last. It left me in quite a suicidal position because I felt there was no way out. It feels like, how have they got my name? There can be no evidence that I was there.

The other student being investigated by Intersol Global, who requested anonymity but uses the name Erin, received the letter while on a gap year abroad in the Netherlands. Once Erin replied, it took three weeks for Intersol Global to respond. They havent provided any evidence of their allegation, nor have they outlined what it was or what regulation the allegation breaches, the accused student said.

Bank statements since provided confirm Erin was not in Sheffield, as well as statements from witnesses the university said it would contact. They have consistently worked from the assumption that I am guilty, Erin said.

Erins parents have written to the vice-chancellor of Sheffield saying they believe the university has neglected its duty of care. Erin added, At the end of all this I have to go back to Sheffield and do another year and write my dissertation and that leaves me quite uncomfortable and distressed.

Eve Spiekermann, a spokesperson for student campaign group People and Planet, told the Guardian, Sheffield Universitys response to student protest by hiring a private investigator to spy on their own students is alarming and clearly demonstrates the upside down priorities of the university: instead of scrutinising their own institutions ties with arms companies that are making a profit of war and destruction, the university more readily invests funds and capacity to profile and police the student body.

Spiekermann added, Leaving the investigation and allegations against the two student activists hanging for months certainly impacts on the students ability to study, participate in student life and continue campaigning for a more equitable and just university system.

Approached by The Tab for comment, the UoS justified their methods saying universities across the UK are hiring third party companies to carry out investigations. People and Planet have reported underhand tactics by private contractors and collusion between universities and corporations at other universities, including Warwick University collaborating with British Petroleum to survey a student climate activist involved with People and Planet.

A UoS spokesperson defended the universitys relations with the arms industry saying, For many years the University has undertaken research with a wide range of global manufacturing companies, including Boeing and Rolls-Royce. Our connections with industrial partners mean we can help to influence positive change and accelerate more sustainable manufacturing practices.

The UoS launched their Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with support from aerospace corporation Boeing, with AMRC now boasting partnerships with BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce. Numerous doctoral researchers and engineering students at the AMRC work on projects such as using robotics to improve the manufacturing capacities of BAE Systems, the London-based corporation for which military arms account for 97 percent of their total sales. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe and ranked the worlds seventh largest.

University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre [Photo by Chemical Engineer / CC BY-SA 4.0

A report issued in February by Demilitarise Education found that military and defence partnerships on UK university campuses are worth over 1 billion.

The report notes, In our findings so far, research partnerships account for 576m, or roughly 55% of the total figure. This is university research funded by weapons-producing companies and/or government bodies for military technology, aeronautics or other arms-related projects.

It often involves arms companies like BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce or QinetiQ directly as industry partners.

Accounting for 495m, or roughly 45% of the total, are monetary investments. These are made by universities either directly in arms companies themselves, or indirectly through third-party investments or fund managers like Barclays, Lloyds or BlackRock holding shares in arms companies.

Demilitarise Education notes, In a commercialised, marketised context, universities have become increasingly driven by profit motives, by their bottom line. The deep pockets of the arms industry give ample opportunity for them to exploit universities for weapons research and development.

According to Demilitarise Education the universities with the most significant involvement in the arms trade are Bristol and Birmingham, with partnerships valued above 50 million. Kings College London, the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine and the University of Sheffield have partnerships valued at around 40 million, with the universities of Nottingham, Glasgow, Cambridge and University College London just behind.

As NATOs war against Russia in Ukraine escalates, Britains ruling class is stepping up the militarisation of higher education and research institutions, already deeply integrated with the armed forces and private military contractors. Military funding is concentrated in institutions and departments, predominantly engineering, where the armed forces and arms dealers have special authority. Such funding is considered a prestigious source of investment, from which other grants and opportunities will flow. Military contracts are fiercely competed for and proudly advertised by higher education institutions.

To wage a successful struggle against the growing influence of the military on campus requires the adoption by students of the socialist, anti-war perspective of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE). On Sunday, April 30, the International Committee of the Fourth International, the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) and the World Socialist Web Site will hold an online global rally to celebrate May Day 2023. All those who seriously oppose the militarisation of higher education should register and attend.
Diane Abbott, a key ally of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, has been suspended from the parliamentary Labour Party on charges of antisemitism over a letter she sent to the Observer newspaper.

Published Sunday, Abbotts letter challenged a statement made in an earlier Guardian article that, in Abbotts rendering, Irish, Jewish and Traveller people all suffer from racism. She countered that they instead experience prejudice.

Jeremy Corbyn (right), the then leader of the Labour Party applauds after Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott gives a speech during the Labour Party Conference in Brighton, England, September 22, 2019 [AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth]

The Labour MP continued, It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice. But they are not all their lives subject to racism. They did not have to sit at the back of the bus in pre-civil rights America and were allowed to vote in Apartheid South Africa. And at the height of slavery, Abbott concludes, there were no white-seeming people manacled on the slave ships.

There is nothing remotely defensible in Abbotts reactionary and deeply ignorant ruminations, which are rooted in the rotten politics of black nationalism. To make reference to slavery in comparing anti-Black and anti-Jewish or Traveller racism but not mention the Holocaust, while equating their persecution with the prejudice suffered by redheads, is unconscionable. The Socialist Equality Party has nothing in common with Abbotts views.

These issues, however, in turn have nothing to do with Abbotts suspension from the Labour Party, which is motivated solely by the right-wing agenda of its leadership under Sir Keir Starmerto whom Abbotts letter was a political gift.

The Blairite wing of the Labour Partytogether with the Tories, the media and pro-Zionist organisationshave waged a constant campaign against Corbyn and left-wing party members under the cover of fighting anti-Semitism. Now that hundreds of thousands have left the Labour Party in disgust, Starmer intends to finish the job and prove his political bona-fides to big business by removing the Corbynite rump from parliament.

Corbyn had the Labour whip withdrawn in November 2020, on false charges of anti-Semitism, and has been sitting as an Independent MP since. Last month, Labours National Executive Committee (NEC) ruled that he would not be allowed to stand as a Labour candidate at the next election.

Abbott faces a similar fate. Senior Labour figures, including frontbenchers, have called for her to step down from her parliamentary seat. If the investigation into her conduct continues for several months, she will in any case be disqualified from party selections over who will contest her Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency.

Her case shows in its purest form the Corbynites total prostration before the Blairites. The travails of the Labour left are not proof that the campaign of political persecution was too powerful to resist. Rather, Starmer now leads a party wholly controlled by the Blairite right because the left never fought against and expelled them during five years when Corbyn led the party.

Clearly embarrassed, Abbott issued a speedy apology disassociating herself from her letter and offering the transparent excuse that The errors arose in an initial draft being sent. She was suspended shortly afterwards and has made no public comment on having the whip withdrawn since.

Nor can any fight be expected given her record of vocal loyalty. Last March, Abbott pulled out of any association with the Stop the War Coalition, telling Politics Live, Nobody wants to attack NATO and I am a loyal supporter of Keir Starmer.

Given Abbotts refusal to defend herself, it was predictable that not one member of the Socialist Campaign Group (SCG) of Labour MPs has spoken out for her either.

To even speak any longer of the Socialist Campaign Group as an entity, let alone a Corbynite left, becomes ever more tenuous. This February, at least eight of the SCGs nominal 30 members formed a New Left group on the explicit basis that they would no longer oppose Starmers leadership, only loyally advocate for a more progressive policy agenda.

The rest of the SCG toes the line without explicitly pledging to. Following Abbotts lead, all 11 SCG MPs who had backed publicly the Stop the War Coalition withdrew their support once Starmer declared criticism of NATO to be a disciplinary matter.

Corbyns former shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, and fellow SCG members Nadia Whittome, Clive Lewis, Rachael Maskell, Lloyd Russell-Moyle and Ian Lavery, have all gone further in openly backing NATOs war against Russia.

Nothing is left of the claim that Corbynism represented a new horizon in British politics. The entire gamut of pseudo-left groups in the UK and internationally presented Corbyn as either the beginning of a wholesale transformation of the Labour Party into a vehicle for socialism, or as the leader or inspiration for a new socialist party.

According to this perspective, Corbyn and Abbott, his shadow home secretary, would have been two of the three leading figures in a government that was supposed to take on British and world imperialism. As for the third member of the triumvirate, if he ever took office McDonnell would be leading the UK war effort in Ukraine while consulting daily with the City of London on economic policy.

Between them, Corbyn, Abbott and McDonnell have spent very nearly a century on the Labour benches, perfectly at ease in a party careening to the right. Their time in its leadership was spent blocking deselections of Blairite MPs and facilitating the anti-Semitism witch-hunt against their own supporters, with the end result a shadow cabinet of Starmer, Rachel Reeves, Yvette Cooper and Wes Streeting and the most right-wing Labour Party in history.

The SCG today is not a faction fighting for a programme, but a fractured grouping desperately begging and seeking to prove themselves fit to remain within the Labour Party and not for expulsion like Corbyn, Claudia Webbe and now Abbott. Historically, the Labour left has played an invaluable role for the Labour and trade union bureaucracy by telling workers that, no matter how right-wing it is, Labour is the only realistic alternative to the Tories, and that they will fight from within against its worst pro-business, anti-democratic policies and for a vaguely progressive agenda.

But social and national tensions are now so fierce that even these tame sentiments are unacceptable in one of Britains two parties of rule, pushing Starmer to drive forward his witch-hunt no matter how low the SCG bows before him.

On the very eve of Corbyns election as Labour leader, the Socialist Equality Party wrote:

The real measure of his campaign must be judged not on stated intentions, but on the essential criterion of the class interests served by the party and the programme he defends. Labour is a right-wing bourgeois party. It is complicit in all the crimes of British imperialism and has functioned as the principal political opponent of socialism for more than a century. Yet Corbyn has consistently defended Labours political authority as an MP for 33 yearsthe period in which the party resolutely cut any remaining connection to the working class. Nothingnot the repudiation of social ownership, illegal wars, or the partys obsequious kowtowing before the financial oligarchyhas disturbed his position on Labours backbenches. This is not a matter of misplaced loyalty. A longstanding political opponent of independent working class struggle, Corbyn insists that the only legitimate form of opposition is one that is subordinate to Labour and the trade unions and directed through Parliament.

Not a word of this appraisal needs changing.

Today the working class and young workers in particular must define themselves in opposition to politically bankrupt figures such as Corbyn and Abbott and adopt the genuinely socialist and internationalist perspective advanced by the SEP.
The high level of youth joblessness has again generated a great deal of attention and renewed discontent in China.

A delivery worker transfers a refrigerator for his customer on a street in Beijing, Thursday, April 27, 2023. [AP Photo/Andy Wong]

After the Chinese governments complete abandonment of the zero COVID policy, and the huge social disaster that has caused, gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 4.5 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2023, according to official reports. This has not overcome the problem of unemployment, however.

According to the governments statistics, the urban unemployment rate is 5.3 percent, while the unemployment rate of the urban population aged 16 to 24 rose to 19.6 percent, up by 3 percentage points from the December to March quarter.

That is second only to the 19.9 percent recorded in July 2022. Official reports also admitted that the unemployment rate of migrant workers remains high.

This means there are about 30 million jobless young people even before the annual graduation season in June and July. Media reports estimate that the number of university graduates is expected to reach 11.58 million in 2023, up from 10.76 million in 2022.

More and more young people are looking at obtaining postgraduate degrees, such as PhDs, as a way of temporarily escaping the pressure of unemployment. But that situation is also dire. The number of applicants for Chinas postgraduate examinations has continued to rise from 3.77 million to 4.74 million, and it is estimated that less than a quarter of them will be successful in gaining admission.

This is producing open disaffection on social media. One Weibo user commented: What other way out is there for young people nowadays? Regardless of the comprehensiveness of this data, it is true that there are many young people around who cannot find jobs, and some statistics say that more than one million graduates are already working as food delivery riders and other temporary jobs.

Another user noted: The number of people applying for civil service exams has also skyrocketed in recent years to levels previously unimaginable. Why is it that Kong Yiji is receiving attention again? Because the problems of society have become increasingly serious for young people and students.

This year, the meme known as Kong Yiji literature has appeared on several major internet communities, with university graduates seemingly making fun of themselves. Kong Yiji is a famous literary image created by the twentieth century Chinese writer Lu Xun in his short stories. The stories portray a humiliated traditional intellectual deprived of the ability to earn a living by the rigid social system and his Confucian education.

According to Lu Xuns own interpretation, Kong Yiji is undoubtedly a man of misery, representing the plight of a feudal intellectual who cannot find his place in society. He represents societys indifference to the suffering people.

The internet meme is based on a parody of a well-known passage in the Kong Yiji stories, in which young people suggest that their situation corresponds in some way to the tragedy of Kong Yiji. The popularity of this meme is mixed with dissatisfaction with the mass unemployment in society.

In response to this discontent, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League posted an article on its social media account criticising negative young people. It accused young graduates of refusing to engage in manual labour and exhorted them to take off their suits and enter the factories and farmlands.

This caused a huge outcry on the internet. Critics accused the officials of hypocrisy, ignoring the huge social inequalities and the lack of security for manual workers.

Two comments received thousands of likes. One comment asked rhetorically: Would the author of this article be willing to give up his current job to become a street cleaner or factory worker?

Another asked: Did you think about Xiangzi when you suggested that Kong Yiji take off his suit? Xiangzi is a literary figure created by another writer, Lao She, to tell the story of a mentally devastated labourer.

As Chinese officials have to admit, the structural pressures on the countrys economic situation are coming to the fore. Youth unemployment is only one side of the current social tensions.

The unemployment of industrial workers, involving a large number of internal migrants, is also a growing concern. Technology bans imposed by the US have led to firms relocating out of the country, and factory owners are cutting jobs and reducing wages by as much as a third, according to media reports.

Recent information that Foxconn, which assembles Apple products, is shifting some of its production out of China has provoked discussion. Although there has been no official acknowledgement from Foxconn, the current state of its factories in a number of locations has raised concerns.

Foxconns Zhengzhou plant, Apples biggest overseas supplier, has drastically cut its staff as Apple shifts its industrial chain. According to a report by Yicai, the kilometre-long commercial pedestrian street that previously mainly served Foxconns factory area is empty, with almost no one in sight. Nearly all the shops on both sides were closed and out of business, with some simply hanging up information on rentals and transfers.

A worker who said he had worked at Foxconn for 10 years stated in an interview that at the peak of Foxconns employment, nearly 100,000 people used to live in the vicinity. A number of Foxconn employees said the number of people still on the job is much smaller than last year, let alone the more than 300,000 employees at the peak. The number of workers is now less than half of what it once was, one said.

According to a report in the South China Morning Post, Foxconn has reduced the wages of workers on the production lines of its main factories. Hourly wages for assembly line workers at the Shenzhen factory have been reduced to RMB19 or RMB20 (about $US2.75), from RMB22 to RMB26 at the same time last year.

Last April, Foxconn Zhengzhou offered a subsidy of RMB6,500 to newly recruited workers, while the latest job advertisement for the Zhengzhou Foxconn factory at the beginning of April this year showed that this subsidy had been reduced to RMB2,500.

Most of the surrounding factories and companies also have reduced their wages as a result of Foxconns pay cut. A labour agent said compared to last year, the wages are all very low this year. Many factories were paying RMB20 to RMB30 per hour last year, and this year they have all dropped to RMB17 or RMB18.

According to Bloomberg and other media reports, Foxconn will invest $US700 million in India to continue the expansion of its factories, which are expected to create more than 100,000 jobs in that country. This is certainly in line with the preferences of Apple, Wall Street, the Biden administration and US imperialism as a whole.

The Economist has reported that a dozen countries and regions, including Taiwan, will come together to form what is known as the Altasia (alternative Asian supply chain), a supply chain designed to replace Chinese production.

President Xi Jinpings regime is confronting a potential social explosion in the 400 million-strong Chinese working-class as jobs and wages are slashed.

This pressure is only going to intensify as the Biden administration ramps up its military and economic offensive against China. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen last week insisted, in a speech on US-China relations, that USnational security considerations must dominate. On that pretext, Washington has imposed a range of sanctions aimed at crippling high-tech development in China.
On Tuesday, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) at San Diego State University in California hosted a public lecture given by World Socialist Web Site International Editorial Board Chairman David North. The event was highly successful, drawing a capacity audience of over 120 students, many of whom stayed after the two-hour event for further political discussion.

While the meeting centered on explaining the US-NATO proxy war against Russia in Ukraine and its historical background, a significant element of the lecture and response to it was the topic of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In opening his remarks, North stated:

This is actually the first public meeting that I am giving since February 2020, which was the onset of the pandemic. At that time, we were first becoming aware of the fact that this virus was circulating. We wrote our first article on this on January 24, 2020. We then had a series of discussions internally in our party and tried to assess how serious this could be, and it became clear based on emerging scientific evidence that this could turn into a global catastrophe We began campaigning immediately for measures to be taken to stop the spread, before it assumed uncontrollable dimensions. We were right. It became very clear within a matter of weeks that the ruling class had no intention of taking those measures, which were necessary to stop the pandemic at a time when appropriate measures would have saved not just thousands but, as we have now seen, millions of lives.

North then explained the measures that were taken by the IYSSE to hold the meeting safely, which have been implemented at each of the IYSSEs international series of antiwar meetings this spring. Every mitigation measure available was put in place to minimize any potential airborne transmission of COVID-19, including antigen testing by event organizers, the encouragement of masking, the installation of Far-UVC devices and Corsi-Rosenthal boxes with HEPA filters, carbon dioxide monitoring and the improvement of ventilation by opening doors and windows.

On Wednesday morning, North tweeted a thread that featured an image of the audience almost universally wearing masks, which was greeted with enthusiasm by workers and scientists globally. The tweet has gone viral, being viewed over 125,000 times, liked over 800 times and shared over 230 times as of this writing.

Many scientists, anti-COVID advocates and workers shared their own tweets of the photo, some of which also went viral. These included Dr. Andrew Wang, a doctoral research associate in health policy and health services research at Northwestern University, who wrote, Usually I point out only one or two masks. The opposite is true today with most masked. Encouraged by this.

Prominent anti-COVID advocate Jess tweeted, N95s, Far Uv. Wanting to hold meetings safely. They made it clear, they made it accessible. Thats the way forward.

The decision of students to wear masks at the event was entirely voluntary, with only three out of 120 choosing not to do so. All other COVID-19 mitigation measures were also readily accepted. A significant factor behind this was the fact that a substantial number of students who attended the meeting regularly read the WSWS and were more aware of the ongoing dangers of the pandemic.

This aspect of the meeting verifies the analysis of the WSWS that, when educated and provided with a political perspective, workers and youth will choose to protect themselves and others. It demonstrates that the disastrous outcome of the pandemic has been entirely bound up with the refusal of world governments and corporations to implement policies necessary to slow and ultimately stop viral transmission.

The claim that masses of people would never accept comprehensive public health policies and an elimination strategy has always been and remains a lie. It is not mass hostility to masking but rather the relentless propaganda designed to misinform the population that underlies the abandonment of masking by billions of people globally over the past year.

Tuesdays IYSSE event was entirely unique since the beginning of the pandemic for any country outside of East Asia, where masking was already common before the pandemic. No other large public event has involved such a comprehensive scientific effort to prevent COVID-19 infections. In fact, over the past year it became increasingly common to see photographs taken at scientific conferences, even ones involving virologists and epidemiologists who should clearly know better, in which virtually the entire audience was maskless.

David North speaking with San Diego State University students after IYSSE meeting on April 25, 2023. [Photo: WSWS]

The IYSSE meeting took place in the midst of the Biden administrations efforts to drive the final nail in the coffin of any official response to the pandemic. On April 1, expanded access to Medicaid due to the pandemic was cut off, initiating a process whereby upwards of 20 million Americans could lose access to health care. This was followed by Biden officially ending the COVID-19 national emergency declaration on April 10. On May 11, the public health emergency declaration will expire, privatizing the distribution of COVID-19 testing, treatments and even vaccines.

This same process is unfolding internationally, based on a massive propaganda campaign falsely claiming that COVID-19 is now no more harmful than the flu or even the common cold. This is despite the fact that the latest global wave of infections is underway, with the Omicron XBB.1.16 Arcturus variant now sweeping through India and quickly becoming dominant throughout the world.

Every day, there continue to be over 10,000 excess deaths attributable to the pandemic globally. At least 65 million people continue to suffer from Long COVID, with their ranks swelling with each new wave of infections.

The International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) is the only political party in the world which has resisted the capitalist propaganda campaign to declare the pandemic over, stressing the ongoing dangers of the pandemic and, in particular, the immense global impacts of Long COVID.

After commenting on Long COVID and other aftereffects of COVID-19 infection, North concluded his introduction to Tuesdays meeting by noting:

Were saying this not to frighten people. Theres no point being frightened by reality. But we have to understand that a critical element of political work today is educating the working class, educating young people and mobilizing masses of people to fight for the measures which are necessary to protect public health. This is the responsibility of the socialist movement, of the workers movement.

Over the next 90 minutes, North provided a comprehensive analysis of the war in Ukraine, which threatens to escalate massively in the coming weeks as the NATO-backed Ukrainian military prepares a spring offensive that will only deepen the fratricidal bloodbath. He explained the historical origins of the conflict, based on the theoretical-political insights into the nature of the imperialist epoch provided by the great Marxist revolutionaries, Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky.

Refuting the myth of the unprovoked war, North reviewed the antecedent 30 years of uninterrupted imperialist plunder carried out by the United States following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, which set the stage for the eruption of the war in Ukraine. Returning later to the theme of the pandemic, he noted that a significant factor underlying the reckless military policies pursued by the imperialist powers is their experience sacrificing over 22 million lives during the pandemic.

North concluded his lecture by stressing the great insight of Lenin that the same contradictions of the capitalist system which lead to imperialist war also create the conditions for world socialist revolution.

Tuesdays meeting in San Diego marked the high point to date of the IYSSEs international antiwar campaign initiated last November. In a sense, it was the correlate to a similarly powerful meeting of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) held in Detroit last month, which brought together representatives of rank-and-file committees from across the US.

After three years of the COVID-19 pandemic and one year of the war in Ukraine, these two initiatives of the ICFI are acquiring growing influence and support within the working class and at universities throughout the world.

In conjunction with the ICFI and the WSWS, the IWA-RFC and IYSSE are hosting an International Online May Day Rally this Sunday, April 30. This rally will mark the next stage in the development of a global mass movement to stop the war in Ukraine, put an end to the pandemic and rebuild global society on socialist foundations. We urge workers and youth internationally to register below for this rally and build for it as widely as possible at your workplaces, schools, neighborhoods and across social media.
Sri Lankas war-ravaged northern and eastern provinces were brought to a standstill on Tuesday by a mass hartal (strike and business closure) in protest against President Ranil Wickremesinghes new Anti-Terrorism Bill (ATB).

Jaffna streets deserted during April 25 hartal in Sri Lanka's north and east provinces. [Photo: WSWS]

As the WSWS has previously warned, The Bill is so broad and vague that any anti-government political activity can be defined as terrorism. So-called terrorist acts can be punished by life imprisonment or capital punishment.

But they can include such things as wrongfully or unlawfully compelling the Government to do or to abstain from doing any act; unlawfully preventing any such government from functioning. That is a clear attempt to outlaw the mass opposition that exists to sweeping social cuts being implemented on behalf of international finance.

Tamils and Muslims across the provinces participated in the action which shut down schools, universities, some public sector offices, private transport services and other businesses. Courts were unable to operate due to the lack of lawyers. Only hospitals, banks and main administrative offices were open. Sri Lankan army personnel and Special Task Forces police officers were deployed to patrol the streets.

Both provinces have been under military occupation for decades, even before Colombo began its war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 1983.

Workers were previously scheduled to hold island-wide demonstrations near their workplaces and institutions to protest the ATB. However, the trade union bureaucracies in Colombo sabotaged the planned protests, using the flimsy excuse that the government had postponed its parliamentary submission of the draconian measure.

The hartal was called by nine Tamil nationalist parties, including the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi, the Tamil Peoples Alliance and the Tamil Peoples National Front. These discredited bourgeois parties initiated the action in order to contain rising anger against the governments repressive measures and its escalating attacks on social conditions.

The Anti-Terrorism Bill is to replace the notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which has been in operation since 1979 and has been used by successive Colombo governments, particularly against the Tamil masses. While these parties called for a withdrawal of the ATB, they did not demand the repeal of the PTA. They also called for an end to new Sinhala settlements in the north.

The Tamil nationalist groups have an on-off approach towards the Wickremesinghe regime with no serious concerns about the democratic rights of workers and the poor. Their political manoeuvres are directed towards pressuring Colombo to negotiate the devolution of political power in the north and east and to secure privileges for the Tamil elite.

Colombos 26-year war against the LTTE was the culmination of ongoing communal discrimination against the Tamil minority since independence in 1948. It was used by the Sinhala elite to weaken and divide the working class across ethnic lines.

The war, which devastated the two provinces killing, and displacing tens of thousands of people, ended with the military defeat of the LTTE in May 2009. According to the UN, numerous war crimes were committed by the Sri Lankan military during the conflict. At least 40,000 Tamil civilians were killed in the final weeks of the war.

There are still regular protests by Tamils in the north and east demanding that the government and the armed forces release information about the hundreds of people disappeared by the military.

Tuesdays hartal occurred amid rising anger over the deepening economic crisis and Colombos ruthless implementation of International Monetary Fund (IMF) austerity demands.

In April-June last year, Tamil and Muslim workers and the poor united with the Sinhalese masses across ethnic lines in nationwide protests and industrial action that ousted former President Gotabhaya Rajapakse and his government. On March 1 and March 15, workers from the northern and eastern provinces joined nationwide strikes and protests against IMF austerity measures.

On Tuesday, Udayan, a three-wheel taxi driver, told the WSWS: I extend my support to this hartal. We have suffered a lot over the years with the PTA and this new law will also be used against all people.

A public transport bus driver said: We were forced to work by the state Transport Board authorities today but we are giving our full support to this protest. The unions in our depot, however, because they are involved with many of the political parties, do not support such protests. That is why we werent able to participate in this protest. Even the Tamil parties that called this protest did not plan and organise it properly.

On April 20, the Trade Union Collective (TUC) leadership held a press conference in Colombo declaring that it would call island-wide protests outside workplaces against the ATB on April 25. The demonstrations would also demand an end to the privatisation of national resources, the abolition of the unjust income tax system and a reduction of electricity tariffs.

The TUC is a combination of several unions, including the Inter Company Workers Union (ICWU), the Ceylon Teacher Service Union, the Development Officers Union (DOU) and the All Ceylon Port Workers Union (ACPWU) controlled by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). Other front members include the All Telecom Workers Union (ATWU) and the Sri Lanka Professionals Trade Union.

Inter Company Workers Union president and JVP leader Wasantha Samarasinghe. [Photo: WSWS]

When a WSWS correspondent telephoned and asked why the protest had been cancelled, JVP leader Wasantha Samarasinghe, who is also president of the ICWU, claimed no action had been planned for April 25. This is a lie. Samarasinghe publicly announced this date at the April 20 press conference.

The WSWS asked the general secretaries of the ATWU and the DOUJagath Gurusinghe and Chandana Suriyaarachchi respectivelythe same question. They said the protests were cancelled because the government had postponed its ATB submission to parliament.

We planned to do it with a hartal in the north and east, but we postponed the protest because the Bill was not presented to parliament. Well do it when it is presented, Gurusinghe said.

Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe initially announced that the ATB would be submitted on April 25 but then postponed in response to popular opposition. It would be tabled with changes, after everyone has submitted proposals, he said.

The postponement is just another political manoeuvre, aimed at derailing mass opposition. Any changes will be cosmetic, while retaining all of the legislations draconian components. The purpose of the bill will remain to bolster Sri Lankas state apparatus to brutally crush rising popular opposition to government attacks on social and democratic rights.

Last week, President Wickremesinghe threatened university and school teachers boycotting the marking of students university entrance exams that he would declare education an essential service. This would mean harsh punishments, including jail and fines, could be imposed on any teacher taking industrial action.

Both the government and the union bureaucracies fear the rising anger of Sri Lankan workers, who, in line with workers around the world, are taking action to demand jobs, improved wages and living standards. As the Sri Lankan ruling elite is strengthening its repressive apparatus, the trade unions are doing their utmost to prevent a working class fight to defeat this anti-democratic assault.

On April 25, Samarasinghe told a press conference that the TUC would meet foreign ambassadors, UN and International Labor Organisation officials, human rights organisations, opposition parliamentary party leaders and religious figures to pressure the government to withdraw the ATB.

While the TUC and other union leaders in Sri Lanka offer limited criticisms of austerity and the ATB, they are affiliated to parties, such as the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and the JVP, which back the IMF program and the anti-terrorism laws. If these opposition parties came to power, they would ruthlessly implement the IMFs demands themselves.

No amount of pressure will change the crisis-ridden ruling elite, its dictatorial moves and attacks on living and social conditions.

This is why workers need to build their own action committees in every workplace, plantation and major economic centre, as well as in the rural areas. The development of these action committees will create the conditions for workers in the north and east, as well as in the south, to oppose the communal politics of the Tamil nationalists and the Sinhala elite.

Workers demands must include: Abolish the executive presidency! No to the ATB! Repeal all repressive laws including the emergency, essential services and PTA legislation! Release all political prisoners! No to IMF austerity!

The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) calls on the working class and rural masses to build a Democratic and Socialist Congress of Workers and Rural Masses based on delegates of their action committees. Such a Congress will serve as a power centre of the masses in the struggle for their democratic and social rights. Fighting politically along these lines, the working class will prepare the ground for a workers and peasants government, committed to the reorganisation of society as part of the transition to international socialism.
Nick Thursby, Credit Suisse Group AG's (NYSE: CS) head of the financial institutions' group in Southeast Asia, will help lead Deutsche Bank AG's (NYSE: DB) investment banking for FIG deals.

The Singapore-based banker will take up his new post in the coming months and work on mergers & acquisitions and initial public offerings of financial institutions in Southeast Asia.

Thursby worked at Credit Suisse for over eight years until 2018 and rejoined the lender in 2022 after working at HSBC Holdings Plc (NYSE: HSBC) in the interim, Bloomberg reported citing his LinkedIn profile.

Following UBS Group AG's (NYSE: UBS) $3.2 billion purchase of Credit Suisse, its financial peers have snapped up its assets. Deutsche Bank has been among the most aggressive, seeking to poach clients, wealth management, and investment banking staff. Deutsche Bank hiring several of the Swiss firm's bankers in Asia.

"We're a natural home for some of those client relationships and people, and that's an opportunity we'll look to capitalize on," Deutsche Bank Chief Financial Officer James von Moltke told Bloomberg TV on Thursday.

Don't miss real-time alerts on your stocks - join Benzinga Pro for free! Try the tool that will help you invest smarter, faster, and better.

This article Credit Suisse Southeast Asia FIG Head To Join Deutsche Bank In Coming Months: Report originally appeared on Benzinga.com

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 2023 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
This is the second in a series of articles on films from the San Francisco International Film Festival (April 13-23) that were made available to the WSWS online. The first was posted April 18.

Three documentaries at the San Francisco film festival from various cities or regions in the US touch on grievous social problems without, however, making much of them. Again, this is all too typical of contemporary documentary filmmaking. We dont judge, we certainly dont explainwith the last word always in quotation marks.

The filmmakers have no illusion that the powers-that-be will do anything to remedy the suffering of the population. However, at this point they tend to simply dump the problems in the viewers lap, with the implied message: you figure it out. The passivity is debilitating, and the results are generally weak, formless.

Home is a Hotel by Kevin Duncan Wong opens with an intertitle that reads In the early 1980s, San Francisco began a policy of using residential hotels as a stop-gap solution to address the citys growing decline in affordable housing.

It continues, 20,000 people including families are now housed in SROs (Single Room Occupancy).

You gotta build your whole life in a room, says one of the films protagonistsa college-educated artist who faces jail time. Cramped and infested with vermin, the SROs are demeaning and psychologically demoralizing, not fit for human habitation.

The film shows people forced to live in appalling conditions in one of the worlds richest cities. In fact, according to a recent study by investment migration firm Henley & Partners (Worlds Wealthiest Cities Report 2023), the Bay Area has 63 billionaires, more than any other metropolitan area on the planet, and is home to the third largest number of High Net Worth Individuals (285,000 millionaires and 629 centi-millionaires!), after New York and Tokyo.

Yet in Wongs film we see a single mother who is on every housing wait list while trying to locate a missing daughter; an elderly, nearly blind Hispanic woman facing eviction; two ex-addicts with a small son; a young Asian single mother responsible for her parents who live in another SRO.

Home is a Hotel

The film focuses on downtown San Franciscos impoverished Tenderloin neighborhood (If you live in the Tenderloin and are over 30 [i.e., have survived to that age], you have come a long way).

Im surrounded by all these demons, states the artist dejectedly as he awaits the outcome of his trial. You take me out of the meat market, then youre going to put me in the frying pan. Now youre throwing me in the fire.

As the citys poor battle to keep a roof over their heads, they are also stigmatized for having government housing vouchers.

The films press notes comment that Across America, cities are struggling with homelessness and housing affordability. How does one decades-old solutioncramped Single Room Occupancy units  impact the lives of those who live in them? That really isnt the central question posed by this situation. Why arent the filmmakers angrier? Why dont they denounce this level of social misery and official indifference?

Home is a Hotel depicts painful circumstances, but tends to treat them as normal and unalterable, part of everyday life.

King Coal

Documentarian Elaine McMillion Sheldons King Coal was filmed in Appalachia, in parts of southwestern Pennsylvania, eastern Kentucky, southwestern Virginia, western North Carolina, east Tennessee and West Virginia.

The King owns everythingthe land, our lives, our hours. By anthropomorphizing coal into King Coal, Sheldon attempts to deal with an industry that had, in West Virginia alone, in the late 1930s, 140,000 white, black and immigrant miners. There are now fewer than 12,000 coal miners in the state.

Rather than tackling head-on this immensely complex history, including the record of some of the greatest social and class battles in the US, the filmmakers create something of a magical mystery tour with song, dance and pretty images of Appalachia.

Upon occasion, harsher reality seeps through, such as when the film discusses the fact that most miners live closer to death, so their senses are more attuned.

King Coal

However, in general, making a virtue out of necessity, reflecting the resignation and fatalism of the filmmakers more than anything else, becomes King Coals watchword. The film does serious disservice by trying to give a positive spin to the conditions in economically and socially devastated West Virginia (in 2021, the state had the highest opioid overdose death rate per capita in the country). It is one thing to recognize the strength and resilience of West Virginias working class residents, and the importance of their traditions and culture, it is another to make that the means of evading the disaster that the coal companies and politicians have produced.

In an interview with scienceandfilm.org, the director inadvertently revealed some of the films problems. If King Coal is a mythical figure, Sheldon reasons, then there is no need to point to industry and politics  I grew up in the coal fields and its not a place where art exists, but imagination and stories and ballads and songs and folklore exists. Thats what this film is really made from; fragments of storytelling deeply rooted in mountain culture.

Sheldon continues: I was just trying to take the burden off of people who feel overwhelmed by this insurmountable change thats been going on for decades, that they havent looked at in the face because its so painful, and to give them the opportunity to grieve.

The filmmakers themselves have not looked at this insurmountable change in the face. Had they done so, they would have made a far more relevant and hard-hitting movie. The present actuality of mine closures, devastated towns, COVID pandemic and a drug epidemic cannot be scrubbed away with fetching facades and charming dance moves.

Bad Press

Freedom of the press is not generally protected in Americas indigenous communities. Set in the Muscogee Nation in Oklahoma, Bad Press concerns itself with the efforts of Native journalist Angel Ellis to protect Mvskoke Media from oversight and censorship by tribal governmental officials. (One tribal councilman refers to her charmingly as a shit-stirring asshole.)

Rebecca Landsberry-Baker and Joe Peelers Bad Press opens with the revealing fact that only five of 574 sovereign Native American nations legally guarantee freedom of the press and one of them, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, repeals it as soon as the film gets underway.

Bad Press

Following that 2018 action, the tribal government demands that Mvskoke Media focus on positive stories about the Nation. We need to call ourselves a public relations department if were not doing the news, Ellis says. In other words, to put out polished turds every day.

After a big push led by Ellis, including at the ballot box, in September 2021, the Muscogee Nation became the first Native American tribe to amend its constitution to protect freedom of the press.

While this is a small victory, it is not clear that the entrenched tribal powers, shown in the film to be tin-pot despots, will allow much light to be shed on the most burning issues in the community. Oklahoma, with a 15.6 percent official poverty rate, is ranked as the 12th poorest state. Native Americans make up 21.1percent of that figure.

To be continued
US President Joe Biden held a summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in Washington on Wednesday. The meeting was above all directed at China as the two sides deepen their collaboration in preparation for a US-led war in the Indo-Pacific. Yoon also addressed a joint session of Congress on Thursday alongside other discussions with administration officials.

A TV screen at Seoul Railway Station shows US President Joe Biden with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Washington, April 27, 2023. The TV caption says Ironclad alliance. [AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon]

Biden and Yoon met for the sixth time since the South Korean leader took office last May. Arriving on Monday for a six-day visit, Yoon traveled with a 122-person business delegation, representing major conglomerates including Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motors Group.

The two leaders central goal was to further expand their cooperation as part of the system of alliances Washington is building throughout the Indo-Pacific in order to surround and ultimately launch a war against China. These alliances include the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), comprising the US, Japan, Australia, and India; and the AUKUS pact made up of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the US.

Biden and Yoon agreed on what they called the Washington Declaration, which will establish a bilateral Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG). This group, according to the declaration, will strengthen [US] extended deterrence and allow the two sides to discuss nuclear and strategic planning.

This includes joint execution and planning for ROK [Republic of Korea] conventional support to US nuclear operations in a contingency and improve[d] combined exercises and training activities on the application of nuclear deterrence on the Korean Peninsula.

According to one anonymous US administration official who spoke to the media before the summit, the new consultative body will be modeled after the NATO Nuclear Planning Group (NPG). The NPG acts as the leading body for nuclear matters within NATO and reviews its nuclear policy and changes it as deemed necessary.

Just as the US and NATO have organized a war against Russia in Ukraine, such a consultative body in Asia is not a defensive response towards North Korea, as the allies claim, but aimed at planning for nuclear war against opponents of US hegemony.

In the future, the NCG could also include Japan. Last week, Yoon stated in an interview with Reuters that there would be no problem with Japan joining, but emphasized that Washington and Seoul should create the groundwork first. At the summit, Biden praised Yoons decision to improve relations with Tokyo, which opens the door to deeper trilateral cooperation on regional and economic security, according to an additional joint statement released after the meeting.

In addition, the Washington Declaration stated the US also plans to further enhance the regular visibility of strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula, including dispatching nuclear ballistic submarines (SSBN) in the near future, as well as holding new joint tabletop exercises to simulate the use of nuclear weapons.

Strategic assets refer to weaponry capable of carrying and delivering nuclear weapons. As a matter of policy, the US does not confirm or deny if these assets are carrying nuclear weapons, which further raises uncertainty and tensions.

While Biden claimed during a joint press conference after the summit that Washington would not be stationing nuclear weapons in South Korea, Yoon made clear that this is exactly the direction in which the two allies are headed, stating that the deployment of the United States strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula will be made constantly and routinely.

In fact, Washington had already announced that it intends to deploy strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula on a de facto permanent basis. Last November, during a meeting between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop, the latter stated that the US would deploy strategic assets to the level equivalent to constant deployment through increasing the frequency and intensity of strategic asset deployment in and around the Korean peninsula.

The deployment of the SSBN submarine as well as regularly dispatching other strategic assets including nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and B-52 bombers means Washington is following through on plans for this de facto deployment.

While Washington and Seoul couch these measures as a response to the so-called North Korean threat, they are meant to integrate war planning more efficiently between the two allies.

While attempting to avoid mentioning China, the joint statement made thinly-veiled references to this real target of US imperialism, declaring that Biden and Yoon recognized the importance of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Washington and its allies regularly accuse Beijing of unilaterally challenging the free and open navigation of the region. What the US really means is that it reserves to itself the right to send its naval and air forces anywhere it pleases to intimidate opponents and stoke military tensions. At the same time, the US accuses Beijing of violating the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, a convention which Washington itself refuses to sign.

The joint statement also declared, The Presidents reiterated the importance of preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the region. This reference to Taiwan occurs as the US continues to chip away at the One China policy, which states that the island is part of China.

Since 1979, the US has recognized Beijing as the legitimate government of all of China by having no formal diplomatic relations with Taipei. Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province and has regularly made clear that it considers a declaration of or recognition of Taipeis independence as a red line for military action.

Under the previous Trump administration and continued by the Biden government, Washington has attacked the One China policy by holding high-level talks with Taipei officials, including a recent trip to the US by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. The US also provides Taiwan with massive amounts of military hardware while announcing in February that it would quadruple the number of US troops on the island.

The end goal is to goad Beijing into invading Taiwan, similar to the US/NATO-stoked war against Russia in Ukraine, while also turning Taiwan into a US base for future military operations in the region. As in Ukraine, this would have nothing to do with the defence of democracy or human rights. Instead, it would be aimed at inflicting a defeat on China, viewed as the chief economic threat to American imperialism, and securing direct control over the strategically decisive Eurasian landmass.
A Defence Strategic Review (DSR), calling for the largest Australian military build-up since World War II, has been greeted with rapture by the Biden administration and the US national security establishment. On the other side of the coin, China has warned against a militarisation of the Indo-Pacific, which could result in an open war.

President Joe Biden with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on March 13, at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego. [AP Photo/Evan Vucci]

The declassified version of the DSR was unveiled last Monday. It advocated a turn by the Australian military to impactful projection throughout the region, and openly linked this to the prospect of a major armed conflict. Concretely this means the provision of advanced missile systems to the army, air force and navy and the acquisition of nuclear-powered attack submarines.

The very day the review was released, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin took the unusual step of hailing the document and declaring his support for it. The rapidity of the response makes clear that the American state was heavily involved in the review.

Austins statement underscored the extent to which Australias military build-up is being driven forward by the demands of the US government and its confrontation with China. The DSR demonstrates Australias commitment to being at the forefront of incorporating new capabilities for the Australian Defence Force to better enable Australia to meet regional and global challenges, as well as to our Unbreakable Alliance, which has never been stronger, he stated.

Austin wrote that The DSR and the U.S. National Defense Strategy are strongly aligned

The Biden administration adopted the National Defense Strategy last December. It builds upon previous policy statements under the Trump administration, which proclaimed that great power competition, not terrorism, was the primary threat to US national security.

In the foreword to that document, Austin sketched out the strategy of American imperialism. It would confront Russia and China. In the context of the ongoing US-NATO proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, the Russian state was defined as an immediate and sharp threat to US interests.

But Austin identified China as the primary adversary, the only one both with the intent to reshape the international order and increasingly the power to do so. The strategy document itself branded China as the most comprehensive and serious challenge to U.S. national security.

The annual Department of Defence report for 2022, however, had acknowledged that Chinas sole military ambition was to restrict the US from having a presence on Chinas periphery. That is, to limit US military activities and an aggressive build-up within Chinas immediate vicinity. The real threat posed by China is that its substantial economic growth over recent decades threatens the preeminence of an American capitalism in protracted decline.

In responding to the DSR, this reality was pointed to by a spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry. They described Chinas military activities as defensive in character and added, We hope certain countries will not use China as an excuse for military build-up and will refrain from hyping up the China threat narrative.

The Australian DSR is based on precisely such a narrative. It repeats US claims that China has engaged in the largest military build-up since World War II, and complains that this has been conducted without transparency or reassurance of strategic intent.

But there is simply no comparison between the ongoing US build-up, which furthers an unprecedented 80-year global military expansion, and the development of the Chinese defence forces.

The most recent Chinese budget, released earlier this year, earmarked roughly $225 billion for defence expenditure. By contrast, the US budget request for the 2024 fiscal year allocated $842 billion to the Department of Defense. With additional spends on other military-related government bodies, the American total is likely over a trillion for a single year.

Chinas population is 4.27 times larger than the US population. The latest annual defence spending represents $159 per capita in China and $2,544 in the US. As some commentators have noted, a substantial portion of the Chinese defence budget funds its almost two-million strong standing army, which largely serves a domestic function, and could play only a limited role in a maritime war in the Indo-Pacific, fought with advanced missile systems, fighter jets, warships and submarines.

As a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), Chinese military spending is consistently beneath 2 percent, lower than in Australia and many other imperialist countries. In the US, the defence allocation is 3.7 percent of GDP, one of the highest of any advanced country in the world.

The US operates somewhere between 800 and 1,000 foreign military bases and defence installations. China has one formal overseas military base in Djibouti, Africa. In the Indo-Pacific, China does not have a single base outside its borders. The US has bases in at least South Korea, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, the Marshall Islands, Singapore, Australia, Hawaii and the British Indian Ocean Territory of Diego Garcia.

The DSR, while inverting this reality, tries desperately to manufacture a threat from China. It is, however, compelled to acknowledge that there is only the remotest of prospects that Australia will ever face an invasion. Instead, it warns that China could threaten trade and supply routes in the Indo-Pacific, hinting at the prospect of a military blockade.

But China is completely dependent on trade that passes through the maritime straits of the region, including with Australia. In 2016, for instance, an estimated 64 percent of Chinese maritime trade passed through the South China Sea. If China were to institute a blockade, it would be cutting off its own critical supplies of raw materials.

In reality, it is the US and its allies, including Australia, that have discussed the possibility of a naval blockade of the region, aimed at choking Chinese trade routes. That is an explicit component of the Pentagons AirSea Battle doctrine, first unveiled in 2010 and updated in 2015. To the extent that China has conducted military operations in the South China Sea, it has been a defensive reaction to this doctrine and the major military build-up that has accompanied it.

The DSR is thus based on the lies of the US government, used to justify its own aggressive war plans. The connections are not just ideological and political.

Increasingly, the US and Australian militaries are completely integrated, with overlapping leadership structures and command. Yesterday, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported: According to documents which were provided by the Pentagon to Congress last month, dozens of retired US military figures have been granted approval to work for Australia since 2012.

It explained that In one instance, retired Admiral John Richardson, who headed the US Navy from 2015 to 2019, receives $US5,000 a day as a part-time consultant under a contract with Australias defence department, struck last year.

The documents also point to the role of James Clapper, the former director of the entirety of US national intelligence. In that role, Clapper infamously lied to Congress about the National Security Agencys illegal mass surveillance of the American and world population, later exposed by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

When Clapper formally resigned in 2017, he almost immediately travelled to Australia, where he helped to establish a powerful Office of National Intelligence, modelled on his previous office in the American state apparatus.

The DSR called for an expansion of naval strike capabilities, but raised the need for a further review into the sector. It will be conducted by retired US Navy Vice-Admiral William Hilarides, who, as per the Australian, will be tasked with determin[ing] the future size and structure of the Royal Australian Navy.

This underscores the fact that the Australian state is already completely integrated into the US war machine. The two are interoperable, to use the jargon favored by the national-security establishment.

The fight against the militarisation in Australia is thus a component of the struggle against the US-led plans for war against Russia and China. This can only be waged on the basis of an internationalist perspective, whose aim is to unite workers around the world, in a common struggle against all of the governments.

Such an anti-war movement must be based on a socialist program, because as in the 20th century, the danger of a catastrophic world war flows from the breakdown of the capitalist system, and the ensuing frenzied pursuit of profits, resources and markets by the major powers.
Maymester, Summer I, Summer II

Semesters 2023





Welcome to the Maymester, Summer I, and Summer II Semester page! Here you will find instructions to apply and register for classes as well as links to course offerings and costs.

The Maymester, Summer I, and Summer II Semester will last four weeks. Students who currently attend a college or university other than WTC will need to check with their advisor to ensure the course(s) they choose will be accepted at their school.

To register, students who are new to WTC will need to fill out an Application for Admission and submit their transcripts.



Students who are already admitted to WTC will need to fill out a course registration form located in the MyWTC portal.

MAYMESTER



New Admissions Deadline: April 27, 2023

Registration for Classes Deadline: May 4, 2023

Classes Start: May 15, 2023

Classes End: June 5, 2023



SUMMER I



New Admissions Deadline: May 25, 2023

Registration for Classes Deadline: June 1, 2023

Classes Start: June 8, 2023

Classes End: July 10, 2023



SUMMER II



New Admissions Deadline: June 29, 2023

Registration for Classes Deadline: July 6, 2023

Classes Start: July 13, 2023

Classes End: August 14, 2023

You can review the courses offered online in MyWTC. See the costs for tuition and fees.

HOW TO APPLY AND REGISTER FOR CLASSES



New Students

Step 1. Complete an application for admissions using either Apply Texas, WTC online application, or download a WTC application (pdf).

Step 2. Request and submit your official college transcript from the school you currently attend or your high school transcript from your school.

(Fax or a photocopy will not be considered an official copy. To obtain your grade at the end of a semester, an official transcript(s) must have been received by the Admissions Office.)

Mail, fax, or email all required documents (listed above) to:

Western Texas College

Attn: Admissions Office

6200 College Ave.

Snyder, TX 79549

Phone: 325-574-7933

Fax: 1-325-574-6524

admissions@wtc.edu

Step 3. Once admitted, you will receive an email with your user name and password. Log into your MyWTC account. Under the Home tab, go to Academic Advising and fill out the Course Registration form. Please do not submit multiple forms.

Once pre-reqs have been verified by our Online Advisor, you will receive a confirmation email of your enrollment in your class(es).

Current and Returning Students

Current and returning students, who have not attended another college or institution since attending WTC within the last two years, can register for classes through their MyWTC account. If it has been more than two years, the student will need to reapply to WTC.

Returning students, who have attended another college or institution since attending WTC, need to submit an official transcript from the college or institution last attended. (Once admitted, a confirmation will be sent to the email you provide with instructions to log into your MyWTC account and register.)

To assist students in making good choices, WTC provides an Online Advisor to help with topics such as course transfer, degree planning, and general questions about the students educational program.

If you need more information about any of the topics on this webpage or need to discuss your coursework, contact:

Michelle Hilliard, Online Advisor

325-574-7622

michelle.hilliard@wtc.edu
- Exclusive rights for the development and commercialization of DWP213388 in the global market to Vitalli Bio, a portfolio company of Aditum Bio, the biotech investment firm

- Targeting the KRW 146 trillion global autoimmune disease market with partner who has top global drug development expertise

SEOUL, South Korea and OAKLAND, Calif., April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Daewoong Pharmaceutical (CEO Jeon Sengho and Lee Chang-jae) announced today that it had signed a Global License Agreement for its autoimmune disease drug candidate DWP213388 with Vitalli Bio, a US biotechnology company, on April 28.

(From left) Lim In-Taek, Head of health and medical policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Jeon Sengho, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, Mark Fishman, co-founder of Additum Bio, and Cha SoonDo, Head of the Korea Health Industry Development Institute

With this agreement, Daewoong Pharmaceutical will grant exclusive rights for the development and commercialization of DWP213388 in the global market to Vitalli Bio, a portfolio company of Aditum Bio. Daewoong Pharmaceutical will retain rights in some Asian regions including Korea. In return, Daewoong will receive over $10 million in upfront commitments, and the deal is worth up to $477 million. In addition, Vitalli Bio will be granted an option to license earlier stage dual-target inhibitors in development by Daewoong.

DWP213388, which is being developed by Daewoong Pharmaceutical, targets Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) and Interleukin-2-inducible T-cell kinase (ITK), which are involved in the activation of immune cells such as B cells and T cells. Unlike existing treatments that inhibit only one of B cells and T cells, DWP213388 is a first-in-class new drug that can inhibit both BTK and ITK simultaneously as targets. In last August, Daewoong Pharmaceutical received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial of DWP213388. In addition, excellent efficacy has been confirmed in various autoimmune disease animal models such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).

Aditum Bio, the biotech investment firm cofounded in 2019 by former Novartis CEO Joe Jimenez and former President of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) Dr. Mark Fishman, who is also currently a professor at Harvard Medical School. During Dr. Fishman's tenure, NIBR discovered and brought through successful clinical trials for 90 new medicines in more than 120 indications. Vitalli Bio is the ninth company formed by Aditum Bio, whose unique investment and operating model enables rapid company formation, planning, and execution to advance novel drug candidates into the clinic and speed their delivery to the patients in need. With Aditum Bio's management, who has extensive experience in the global pharmaceutical industry and clinical development, actively participating in the development of DWP213388, Vitalli Bio offers world-class development capabilities in major overseas countries such as the US and Europe.

Story continues

Jeon Sengho, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, said, "We are very pleased that this Agreement proves not only the excellence of DWP213388, but also Daewoong Pharmaceutical's new drug development technology. Daewoong Pharmaceutical will continue to introduce innovative new drugs that are recognized in the global pharmaceutical market."

Aditum Bio CEO Joe Jimenez said, "Aditum Bio has been very impressed with the biotechnology research capability of Daewoong, and are looking forward to working together to bring this new therapy to patients in need."

An autoimmune disease is a disease that occurs when the immune system inside the human body recognizes normal cells inside the human body as antigens, rather than external antigens such as bacteria and viruses, and attacks them. According to IQVIA, a global market research institute, the global autoimmune disease treatment market is growing at an average annual rate of 5% to reach $115 billion in 2022.

About Daewoong Pharmaceutical

Established in 1945, Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a leading South Korean pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, and commercializes pharmaceuticals for both domestic and international markets. With a strong and innovative in-house R&D and advanced manufacturing facilities, Daewoong provides a total healthcare solution to customers across the globe. Continuing on their course of building a strong global healthcare company, Daewoong has broadened international operations by establishing branch offices and research centers throughout Asia and the United States. Daewoong has also expanded strategic partnerships in more than 100 countries worldwide.

In 2022, Daewoong expanded its global market presence by entering into a license agreement worth USD 923 million, which granted permission for the use of 'Fexuclue', a medicine licensed for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, in the Philippines and Ecuador within the first year of its launch. Additionally, Daewoong successfully launched 'Envlo', the first-ever sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor for the treatment of diabetes to be developed in Korea, and signed an export contract worth USD 84.36 million with Brazil and Mexico. For further information on Daewoong Pharmaceutical, please visit our official website.

About Aditum Bio

Aditum Bio is committed to improving public health by accelerating R&D in disease areas with both large and more targeted patient populations, where medical innovation can have a huge impact. Aditum Bio focuses on basic mechanisms of disease, in-licenses promising drug candidates directed at such pathophysiologies, and spins out individual companies dedicated to bringing each candidate through Phase II clinical trials. Aditum Bio uses data, software and technology to help bring innovative medicines through the clinical trial phase more quickly and with lower costs than traditional pharmaceutical companies. For more information, please visit www.aditumbio.com.

(PRNewsfoto/Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd)

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/daewoong-pharmaceutical-announces-a-global-license-agreement-for-dwp213388-a-new-drug-candidate-for-autoimmune-disease-with-vitalli-bio-301810354.html

SOURCE Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd
Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB) disclosed the acquisition of Numis Corporation Plc in the U.K. for around 410 million.

The acquisition amount translates to over $511 million. The 350 pence per share offer represents a nearly 72% premium to Numis' Thursday closing price on the London Stock Exchange.

Numis' largest shareholder has agreed to vote in favor of the deal, which is expected to close in Q4 2023.

Upon deal closure, DB expects the transaction to be accretive to EPS from 2024 and projects an attractive return on regulatory capital consumed. The company expects the CET1 ratio impact at closing to be approximately (9) basis points.

Numis is a prominent U.K. corporate broking and advisory house, offering strategic advice and capital market connectivity to 166 retained corporate broking clients, including 64 clients in the FTSE 350 (representing almost 20% of the index).

The transaction will enable DB to combine its existing U.K. and Ireland corporate finance business with Numis and boost its position in the U.K. investment banking domain.

The news, which is at par with DB's Global Hausbank strategy, follows yesterday's announcement of headcount reduction and upbeat Q1 earnings.

"We have been evaluating how to accelerate the growth of our business in the UK and, as a leading UK franchise with a long history of successfully delivering superior client service and growth, Numis represents a compelling strategic fit. The combination enables us to realise greater revenue opportunities across our shared client base and to deepen our engagement with UK corporates," said Fabrizio Campelli, Head of Corporate Bank and Investment Bank.

Price Action: DB shares are trading lower by 0.27% at $10.88 premarket on the last check Friday.

Don't miss real-time alerts on your stocks - join Benzinga Pro for free! Try the tool that will help you invest smarter, faster, and better.

This article Deutsche Bank Buys Numis For 410M, Boosts UK Investment Banking Business originally appeared on Benzinga.com

.

 2023 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Market.Us

According to the latest insights by Market.us, product reselling is the dominant segment in the industry's type segment, with a market share of 41.7% in 2022. This segment is driven by its low upfront costs, as retailers do not need to create or design their products.

New York, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As per Market.us research, the global Dropshipping Market size is expanding by around USD 2,032.0 billion in 2032 from USD 228.92 billion in 2022; It is growing at a registered CAGR of 25.1% from 2023 to 2032.



Dropshipping is a business model in which an online store sells products to customers without actually stocking the items. Instead, the store purchases the products from a third-party supplier who ships the items directly to the customers.



This enables the store to avoid the cost of holding inventory, as well as the initial investment required to purchase products. Dropshipping can be a dominant business model because it enables entrepreneurs to start an online store without a huge initial investment. However, it also comes with some potential restraints, like lower profit margins, the risk of relying on a single supplier, and less control over the shipping process for all of your products.

Dropshipping Market

Get additional highlights on major revenue-generating segments, Request a Dropshipping Market sample report at https://market.us/report/dropshipping-market/request-sample/

Key Takeaway:

Based on type, in 2022, the dropshipping market was dominated by the product reselling segment owing to the partnership with suppliers and price.

By product type, in 2022, the electronics and media segment dominated the largest market share product type segment.

In 2022, Asia-Pacific dominated the market with the highest revenue share of 38.6% .

North America is expected to have the highest CAGR among all regions, owing to the adoption of AI for dropshipping and the difference in consumer mindsets.

Factors affecting the growth of the Dropshipping industry

There are several factors that can have an impact on the growth of the dropshipping industry including:

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E-commerce boom: The rapid growth of e-commerce has created a huge demand for dropshipping as more consumers shop online, and entrepreneurs are looking for ways to capitalize on the trend without having to hold inventory.

Advancement in technology: Particularly in e-commerce platforms & payment processing which made it easier for entrepreneurs to set up and run a dropshipping business.

Low start-up costs: Dropshipping requires very less upfront investment as compared to traditional retail models which makes it an attractive option for entrepreneurs with available resources.

Flexibility: Dropshipping enables businesses to be more flexible, as they can quickly & easily change the products they offer and respond to changing market conditions.

Social media: Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook have made it very easy for entrepreneurs to market their products & build a customer base.

To understand how our report can bring a difference to your business strategy, Inquire about a brochure at https://market.us/report/dropshipping-market/#inquiry

Top Trends in Dropshipping Market

Dropshipping has seen several emerging trends that are revolutionizing how businesses and consumers shop. Automation and artificial intelligence are being employed more frequently to boost efficiency levels and streamline procedures. Dropshippers use software and tools to automate mundane tasks such as order processing, inventory management, and shipping - freeing them up to focus on other aspects of their business. Dropshipping has seen a recent surge in niche markets with highly specialized products, further fuelling this trend. Dropshippers are looking for ways to stand out in a highly competitive market. Many are offering unique and specialized items, such as eco-friendly or sustainable goods and personalized gifts. Furthermore, drop shippers prioritize providing an outstanding customer experience.

Market Growth

Dropshipping has emerged as a popular business model in recent years, with the market growing rapidly. This method of retail fulfillment enables entrepreneurs to sell products without holding inventory or managing shipping logistics. Apart from that they work with suppliers who handle the inventory & shipping on their behalf. The dropshipping market has seen significant growth, as more and more people turn towards e-commerce & seek opportunities for starting their businesses. The increasing demand for convenient & affordable online shopping, with the low overhead costs & flexibility offered by dropshipping is expected to continue fuelling the growth of this market in coming years.

Regional Analysis

Asia-Pacific is projected to be the leading market in global dropshipping with a market share of 38.6% during the forecasted period. This region's dominance in online shopping platforms, coupled with rising smart device popularity such as laptops, mobile phones, and tablets has further fuelled this region's demand for online shipping services. Furthermore, developments in telecommunications infrastructure, internet & smartphone penetration rate, and the appeal of social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and Facebook all play an important role in its expansion potential.

Have Queries? Speak to an expert or Click Here To Download/Request a Sample

Scope of Report

Report Attribute Details Market Value (2022) USD 228.92 billion Market Size (2032) USD 2032 billion CAGR (from 2023 to 2032) 25.1% from 2023 to 2032 Asia-Pacific Revenue Share 38.6% Historic Period 2016 to 2022 Base Year 2022 Forecast Year 2023 to 2032

Market Drivers

One primary driver is the rise of e-commerce & online shopping which have grown within this space. Dropshipping services are becoming more and more popular as more consumers shop online which enables businesses to provide a wider selection of items without needing physical inventory. Furthermore, the dropshipping market is being driven forward by advancements in automation & AI technologies. Another factor driving growth in the dropshipping market is its increasing focus on niche markets & specialized products. With increased competition in this space and drop shippers are looking for ways to stand out & provide unique items to their customers. Furthermore, social media and influencer marketing have become major forces driving demand in this market. Dropshippers are taking advantage of social media platforms like Instagram & Facebook, to reach new customers and market their products.

Market Restraints

One of the primary challenges in the dropshipping market is high competition. With so many drop shippers competing for customers, it can be hard to stand out and attract a loyal following - making it difficult for new drop shippers to break into the space and compete against established players. Furthermore, drop shippers lack control over their supply chains; they rely on suppliers and manufacturers for products and orders which creates quality control issues, slow shipping times, and product availability issues that lead to poor customer experiences which could damage a drop shipper's reputation.

Market Opportunities

Entrepreneurs and business owners in the dropshipping market have numerous opportunities. One of the greatest prospects in the future lies in the continued growth of e-commerce, as more consumers shop online. As more consumers shop this way, demand for dropshipping services is expected to increase significantly. Dropshippers now have an opportunity to expand their customer base and boost revenue. Furthermore, the dropshipping market continues to see the use of automation and AI for further growth. With technology constantly progressing, drop shippers can take advantage of new tools and software to boost efficiency and simplify operations. Doing so frees them up to focus on other aspects of their business, like customer acquisition or marketing. Dropshippers have an opportunity to explore new markets and product niches.

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Report Segmentation of the Dropshipping Market

Type Insight

Product reselling dominates the type segment with a 41.7% market share in 2022. This segment drives the market in the type segment due to its low upfront costs, as retailers do not need to create or design their products. It also provides a wide variety of products for offering to customers. Many suppliers specialize in different categories. Overall, product reselling is the most common & popular segment in the dropshipping market.

Product Type Insight

Dropshipping market share is dominated by the electronics and media segment with a share of 33.7%, due to the high demand or increased dependency on technology in our daily life. People are constantly upgrading their gadgets. Electronic products have a global reach, and dropshipping enables retailers to sell products to customers all over the world without the need for physical stores. Additionally, high-profit margins than other product categories, which makes them attractive to drop shippers.

Recent Developments of the Dropshipping Market

In 2021, The dropshipping market continued to expand, as more businesses and individuals launched their online stores. The rise of e-commerce and increased demand for online shopping due to the pandemic fuelled this growth. Nevertheless, there was also increased competition in this space which necessitated improved marketing strategies and customer service approaches.

In 2020, The COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruptions in the global supply chain, impacting dropshipping. Some suppliers experienced delays and shortages while others needed to adjust their business models due to shifting market conditions.

In 2019, Dropshipping has seen a meteoric rise in popularity among entrepreneurs due to its low startup costs and versatility. More suppliers and manufacturers are now providing dropshipping services as well.

For more insights on the historical and Forecast market data from 2016 to 2032 - download a sample report at https://market.us/report/dropshipping-market/request-sample/

Market Segmentation

Based on Type

Product Reselling

Print on Demand

Creation of the Product

Business Extensions

Based on the Product Type

Toys Hobby and DIY

Furniture and Appliances

Food and Personal Care

Electronics and Media

Fashion

Beauty Health Personal and Household Care

Other Types

By Geography

North America

The US Canada Mexico



Western Europe

Germany France The UK Spain Italy Portugal Ireland Austria Switzerland Benelux Nordic Rest of Western Europe



Eastern Europe

Russia Poland The Czech Republic Greece Rest of Eastern Europe

APAC China Japan South Korea India Australia & New Zealand Indonesia Malaysia Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam Rest of APAC



Latin America

Brazil Colombia Chile Argentina Costa Rica Rest of Latin America



Middle East & Africa

Algeria Egypt Israel Kuwait Nigeria Saudi Arabia South Africa Turkey United Arab Emirates Rest of MEA



Competitive Landscape

Companies are adopting both organic and inorganic growth strategies such as solution/product launches & developments, geographical expansions, mergers & acquisitions, and partnerships to stay ahead of the competitive market situation. For instance, in February 2022 Alibaba.com entered into a partnership with Dropified to offer better dropshipping services.

Key Market Players:



Listed below are some of the most important dropshipping industry players.

Etsy Inc.

Alidropship Doba Inc.

Megagoods Inc.

Inventory Source Corporation

Modalyst Inc.

Shopify Inc.

SaleHoo Group Ltd.

Sunrise Wholesale Merchandise LLC

Printify Inc.

Cin7 Orderhive Inc.

Wholesale2b Corporation

DropshipZone.in

Other Key Players

Browse More Related Reports:

B2C eCommerce Market size is expected to be worth around USD 10.9 trillion by 2032 from USD 4.24 trillion in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 9.9% during the forecast period of 2022 to 2032.

Cold Chain Market was valued at USD 260.5 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach around USD 950.5 billion in 2032. This market is estimated to register at a CAGR of 14.2% during the forecast period of 2023 to 2032.



Print-on-demand market was valued at USD 3.94 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach around USD 43.07 billion in 2032. Between 2023 and 2032 this market is estimated to register a CAGR of 27.8%.



Commercial Printing Market size is expected to be worth around USD 586.2 billion by 2032 from USD 469.6 billion in 2023, growing at a CAGR of 2.3% during the forecast period from 2022 to 2032.



About Us:

Market.US (Powered by Prudour Pvt Ltd) specializes in in-depth market research and analysis and has been proving its mettle as a consulting and customized market research company, apart from being a much sought-after syndicated market research report-providing firm. Market.US provides customization to suit any specific or unique requirement and tailor-makes reports as per request. We go beyond boundaries to take analytics, analysis, study, and outlook to newer heights and broader horizons.

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Virtual Investor Conferences

Company invites individual and institutional investors, as well as advisors and analysts, to attend real-time, interactive presentations on VirtualInvestorConferences.com

LONDON, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ecora Resources PLC (OTCQX: ECRAF), based in London focused on royalties in commodities that support a sustainable future, today announced that Kevin Flynn, CFO, will present live at the Battery and Precious Metals Virtual Investor Conference, hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on May 2, 2023.



DATE: May 2nd

TIME: 10am ET

LINK: https://bit.ly/40RqsiM

Available for 1x1 meetings: May 3rd

This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

It is recommended that investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.

Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com .

Recent Company Highlights

Q1 Portfolio contribution of $29.6m, up 66% on Q4 22

Organic growth from producing royalty portfolio expected in next 12 months

Number of key milestones at development projects in H2 2023

Dividend rebased to USD equivalent to 8.5c per share

About Ecora Resources PLC

Ecora Resources is a leading royalty company focused on supporting the supply of commodities essential to creating a sustainable future.

Our vision is to be globally recognised as the royalty company of choice synonymous with commodities that support a sustainable future by continuing to grow and diversify our royalty portfolio in line with our strategy. We will achieve this through building a diversified portfolio of scale over high quality assets that drives low volatility earnings growth and shareholder returns.

The mining sector has an essential role to play in the energy transition, with commodities such as copper, nickel and cobalt - key materials for manufacturing batteries and electric vehicles. Copper also plays a critical role in our electricity grids. All these commodities are mined and there are not enough mines in operation today to supply the volume required to achieve the energy transition.

Story continues

Our strategy is to acquire royalties and streams over low-cost operations and projects with strong management teams, in well-established mining jurisdictions. Our portfolio has been reweighted to provide material exposure to this commodity basket and we have successfully transitioned from a coal orientated royalty business in 2014 to one that by 2026 will be materially coal free and comprised of over 90% exposure to commodities that support a sustainable future. The fundamental demand outlook for these commodities over the next decade is very strong, which should significantly increase the value of our royalty portfolio.

Ecoras shares are listed on the London and Toronto Stock Exchanges (ECOR) and trade on the OTCQX Best Market (OTCQX: ECRAF).

About Virtual Investor Conferences

Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

CONTACTS:

Ecora Resources PLC

Geoff Callow

Head of Investor Relations

IR@ecora-resources.com

Virtual Investor Conferences

John M. Viglotti

SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access

OTC Markets Group

(212) 220-2221

johnv@otcmarkets.com




EDF

FINANCIAL INFORMATION AT 31 MARCH 2023

Increase in sales

in a context of high electricity prices

Financial performance



Sales: 47.8bn, +34.6% organic growth vs. end-March 2022.



The strong increase in Group sales is essentially explained by an increase in electricity and gas sale prices in the first quarter of 2023, resulting from higher market prices, in particular in France and in the United Kingdom. It is reduced by the tariff shield in France, which is compensated in EBITDA. Furthermore, the increase was offset by a lower gas consumption. The increasing performance of EDF Trading contributed to the growth in sales.











Operational performance



Nuclear output totalled:



85.2TWh in France, or 6.5TWh less than in the 1st quarter of 2022. This decrease is explained by a lower nuclear fleet availability, mainly due to outages for the controls and repairs on the pipes affected by the stress corrosion phenomenon, and to the impacts of social movements. The estimate of nuclear output in France for 2023 remains in the range 300-330TWh.

9TWh in the United Kingdom, down by 2.4TWh from the 1st quarter of 2022, after the closing of Hinkley Point B in August 2022 and because of a busier maintenance programme in 2023. Renewable output totalled:



9.2TWh ( 1 ) of hydropower in France. The 0.2TWh decline vs. the 1st quarter of 2022 was due mainly to still low hydropower conditions.

7.8TWh (excluding hydropower in France), up by 0.4TWh compared to the 1st quarter of 2022. This increase was essentially driven by the new renewable capacity commissioned in 2022. As of the end of March 2023, the Group had 13.4GW net of installed renewable capacity and 7.3GW gross capacity under construction.



Volumes transported by ENEDIS came to 98.5TWh, down by 5.7TWh compared to the 1st quarter of 2022, due to a lower consumption.







The residential electricity customer portfolio in France increased by more than 200,000 customers in the 1st quarter of 2023. The group achieved a +55% growth in customers with a Tempo option (2) compared to end-March 2022.







Carbon intensity came to 46gCO 2 /kWh. The 8gCO 2 /kWh decline vs. the 1st quarter of 2022 was due mainly to the decline in 1st quarter of 2023 of thermal output in mainland France and Brazil (CCGT of EDF Norte Fluminense).











Highlights



Nuclear



Stress corrosion: the ASN considered appropriate the schedule proposed by EDF in March 2023 related to the evolution in the stress corrosion control strategy, taking into account the elements identified on the weld repaired at Penly 1 ( 3 )

Delivery of the reactor pressure vessel of Hinkley Point C unit 1

Creation of NUWARD, a subsidiary to support the development of the SMR and its transition from the conceptual design phase to the basic design phase



Renewables



EDF winner of the Manche Normandie offshore project tender in France (1GW), in partnership



Thermal



Final shutdown of EDFs last coal-fired power plant in the United Kingdom, West Burton A, on 31 March 2023



ENEDIS



Announcement of 96bn investment perspectives by 2040 under the Grid Development Plan. Acceleration of annual investments from 4.4bn in 2022 to 5bn by 2032 (4), driven by the connections of renewable energy plants and electric vehicles charging infrastructures



Simplified public tender offer



Pending the 2 May ruling by the Court of Appeal on the action filed by minority shareholders. The French state currently holds 95.94% of EDF share capital



Financing



Conversion in equity of 40% of OCEANE convertible bonds by the French state for c. 960m































2023 objectives confirmed (5)



Net financial debt / EBITDA:  3x

Adjusted economic net debt / Adjusted EBITDA (6):  4.5x





Change in sales by segment

(in millions of euros) Q1 2022 Q1 2023 Organic change France - Generation and supply 12,938 23,039 78.1% France - Regulated activities 6,000 6,363 6.1% EDF Renewables 506 535 12.1% Dalkia 1,992 2,162 6.8% Framatome 738 954 26.7% United Kingdom 3,429 7,156 114.0% Italy 7,001 5,914 -16.3% Other international 1,497 1,887 25.1% Other activities 3,408 2,938 -12.0% Inter-segment eliminations -1,926 -3,187 - Total Group 35,583 47,761 34.6%

Sales are presented by segment, before elimination of inter-segment operations.

Story continues

France - Generation and supply









(in millions of euros) Q1 2022 Q1 2023 Organic change Sales 12,938 23,039 78.1%

The significant rise in sales is due mainly to favourable price effects:

The impacts of the average 15% increase (tax included) in regulated tariff on 1 February 2023 and higher sale prices for market-offer customers in a context of strong rises in energy prices, are estimated at 5.6 billion euros.





The price effect of the sale of purchase obligations is estimated at 3 billion euros (no impact in EBITDA).





Lastly, the higher prices had a positive impact on sales of aggregators and gas sales for 1.2 billion euros. The EBITDA impact was very limited.





France - Regulated activities (1)









(in millions of euros) Q1 2022 Q1 2023 Organic change Sales 6,000 6,363 6.1%

Growth in sales is mainly driven by positive price effects resulting from higher tariffs (for Enedis, that included the indexation of TURPE 6 distribution of +2.26% at 1 August 2022). These effects were offset partially by the drop in distributed volumes on business and residential markets due to the decrease in consumption.

EDF Renewables - Renewable Energies





Group renewables excluding hydropower in France

(in millions of euros) Q1 2022 Q1 2023 Organic change Sales 845 894 9.1%

The increase in sales is mainly due to the 5.3% increase in output, thanks to capacities commissioned in 2022.

EDF Renewables

(in millions of euros) Q1 2022 Q1 2023 Organic change Sales 506 535 12.1%

The increase in sales is notably explained by a 5.6% increase in output, as a result of the commissioning of plants in 2022, and to a favourable price effect on windfarms in France and the United States. This increase is nonetheless mitigated by an unfavourable price effect in the United Kingdom.

Dalkia - Energy Services





Energy Services Group ( 2 )

(in millions of euros) Q1 2022 Q1 2023 Organic change Sales 2,474 2,727 9.3%

The increase of sales is mostly due to higher sales by Dalkia and Edison.

Dalkia

(in millions of euros) Q1 2022 Q1 2023 Organic change Sales 1,992 2,162 6.8%

The increase in sales was driven by commercial momentum and the operation of cogeneration facilities throughout the first quarter of 2023 (in 2022, Dalkia had been impacted by their earlier-than-expected shutdown due to the shortening of winter tariff), and by a favourable price impact.

Framatome





(in millions of euros) Q1 2022 Q1 2023 Organic change Sales 738 954 26.7% Contribution to EDF group sales 435 494 9.2%

Increased sales of fuel in the United States and services in Germany related to the Olkiluoto 3 project, contributed to the increase in Group sales.

Framatome announced an investment of 100 million euros by 2026 in order to relocate in France a portion of the manufacturing of nuclear reactor vessels meant for the future EPR 2 plants.

United Kingdom





(in millions of euros) Q1 2022 Q1 2023 Organic change Sales 3,429 7,156 114.0%

The increase in sales is mainly explained by higher energy prices and electricity and gas sale tariffs.

Moreover, the service life of the Heysham 1 and Hartlepool reactors has been extended by two additional years, until March 2026 (3).

Italy





(in millions of euros) Q1 2022 Q1 2023 Organic change Sales 7,001 5,914 -16.3%

The 1,343 million euros decrease in sales of gas activities is due essentially to a negative volume impact on the wholesale and the downstream markets. The price effect was also unfavourable but to a lesser degree.

However, in electricity generation activities, the increase in wholesale market sales, as well as higher prices, had a positive effect of 184 million euros on sales.

Renewable capacities came to 601MW net (4) as of end-March 2023.

Other international





(in millions of euros) Q1 2022 Q1 2023 Organic change Sales 1,497 1,887 25.1% Including: - Belgium 1,243 1,667 34.0% - Brazil 185 158 -20.0%

In Belgium (5), the increase in sales is due mostly to favourable price effects. This rise was mitigated by negative volume effects, due to lower gas and electricity consumption on the residential market.

Wind power capacities came to 620MW net (6) at end-March 2023.

In Brazil, the decline in sales is explained mainly by lower spot sales, which had been boosted by favourable market conditions in the first quarter of 2022.

The construction of the first biomass-fuelled power station, Biovea, has been launched in Ivory Coast. It will produce 350GWh per year and supply 1.7 million persons from 2025. The project will save 4.4MtCO 2 over the

25-year concession.

Other activities





(in millions of euros) Q1 2022 Q1 2023 Organic change Sales 3,408 2,938 -12.0% Including - gas activities 2,747 1,504 -45.2% - EDF Trading 563 1,382 147.6%

The significant decrease in sales in gas activities is driven by lower wholesale prices (-785 million euros) and volumes sold (-458 million euros). Indeed, the activity of the Dunkirk LNG terminal was less important, in a context of lower consumption, owing mainly to a milder winter.

EDF Tradings sales continued to rise, mainly in Europe, against a backdrop continued energy commodity market uncertainty.

Main press releases (7)

since announcement of the 2022 results

Governance

Appointment of Caroline Chanavas as Executive Vice-President, Human Resources (see PR of 13 April 2023)

Appointment of Brice Bohuon to the EDF Groups Executive Committee (see PR of 14 March 2023)

Renewables

Inauguration of the operation and maintenance base of the Calvados offshore wind farm and the development of the Ouistreham outer harbour (see PR of EDF Renouvelables of 12 April 2023)

EDF Renewables and Maple Power awarded the fourth offshore wind tender launched by the French State, securing a one-gigawatt project off the coast of Normandy, France (see PR of 27 March 2023)

L'Oreal Group signed several contracts with EDF Group to contribute to the objective of carbon neutrality for all its sites by 2025, France (see PR of 21 February 2023)





Nuclear

Clarification on the stress corrosion phenomenon detected on parts of the auxiliary circuits of the main primary circuit of several nuclear reactors (see PR of 26 April 2023)

EDF announces the creation of its subsidiary NUWARD to boost the development of its SMR now entering the basic design phase (see PR of 30 March 2023)

Clarification on the stress corrosion phenomenon detected on parts of the auxiliary circuits of the main primary circuit of several nuclear reactors (see PR of 16 March 2023)

EDF confirms plans to keep turbines turning at Heysham 1 and Hartlepool power stations (see PR of EDF energy of 9 March 2023)

EDF, Edison, Ansaldo Energia and Ansaldo Nucleare have signed a Letter of Intent for new nuclear development (see PR of 6 March 2023)





ENEDIS

Energy transition: Enedis unveils the preparatory work for its future "Network Development Plan (see PR of Enedis of 13 March 2023)





Financing

Conversion of 40% of EDF OCEANEs due 2024 (see PR of 28 February 2023)





Coal

End of generation at West Burton A (see PR of EDF Energy of 28 February 2023)





The EDF Group is a key player in the energy transition, as an integrated energy operator engaged in all aspects of the energy business: power generation, transmission, distribution, trading, energy sales and energy services. The Group is a world leader in low-carbon energy, with a diverse generation mix based mainly on nuclear and renewable energy (including hydropower). It is also investing in new technologies to support the energy transition. EDFs raison detre is to build a net zero energy future with electricity and innovative solutions and services, to help save the planet and drive well-being and economic development. The Group helps provide energy and services to approximately 40.3 million customers (1), 30.3 million of them in France (2). In 2022, its consolidated sales totalled 143.5 billion. EDF SA is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange.

(1) Customers have been counted by delivery site. One customer may have two points of delivery, one for electricity and one for gas.

(2) Including ES (Electricite de Strasbourg) and the island activities.

This presentation is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer or solicitation to sell or buy instruments, any part of the company or assets described, in the US or any other country.

This document contains forward-looking statements or information. While EDF believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions at the time they are made, these assumptions are intrinsically uncertain, with inherent risks and uncertainties that are beyond the control of EDF. As a result, EDF cannot guarantee that these assumptions will materialise. Future events and actual financial and other results may differ materially from the assumptions underlying these forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, differences in the potential timing and completion of the transactions they describe.

Risks and uncertainties (notably linked to the economic, financial, competition, regulatory and climate situation) may include changes in economic and business trends, regulations, and factors described or identified in the publicly-available documents filed by EDF with the French financial markets authority (AMF), including those presented in Section 2.2 Risks to which the Group is exposed of the EDF Universal Registration Document (URD) filed with the AMF on 21 March 2023 (under number D.23-0122), which may be consulted on the AMF website at www.amf-france.org or the EDF website at www.edf.fr. The quarterly financial information is not subject to an auditor's report.

Neither EDF nor any EDF affiliate is bound by a commitment or obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this document to reflect any events or circumstances arising after the date of this presentation.

This press release is certified. Check its authenticity on medias.edf.com

Only print what you need.











EDF SA

22-30, avenue de Wagram

75382 Paris cedex 08

Capital of 2,000,466,841 euros

552 081 317 R.C.S. Paris







www.edf.fr



CONTACTS







Press: +33 1 40 42 46 37







Investors: +33 1 40 42 78 36









(11) Including Enedis, ES and the French islands activities.

(2) Group Energy Services comprises Dalkia, IZI Confort, IZI Solutions, Sowee, Izivia, and the service activities of EDF Energy, Edison, Luminus and EDF SA. The services consist in particular of street lighting, heating networks, decentralised low-carbon generation using local resources, energy consumption management and electric mobility.

(3) Forecasted date that may be adjusted by +/- 1 year. The final dates will be determined by the assessment of the results of regular graphite inspections by EDF and the Office for Nuclear Regulation, the independent regulator.

(2) At Edison perimeter.

(5) Luminus and EDF Belgium.

(6) At Luminus perimeter

(7) The full list of EDF press releases is available on our website: www.edf.fr

(1) Hydropower output excluding the island activities and before deduction of pumped-storage consumption. Total cumulative hydropower output net of pumped-storage consumption amounted to 7.5TWh in the first quarter of 2023 (vs. 7.5TWh in the first quarter of 2022).

(2) Option that encourages customers to reduce their energy consumption during peak periods and allows them to take advantage of low tariffs during the rest of the year.

(3) See press release of the ASN of 25 April 2023

(4) Figures in 2021 euros

(5) Assuming the scope and exchange rates at 1 January 2023, a constant regulatory and tax environment, the financing of the 15% tariff cap by the CSPE (public service contribution), French nuclear output of 300-330TWh, and the current power generation schedule.

(6) Applying constant S&P methodology.

Attachment




Image Credit: AEW

An AEW executive has confirmed that AEW All Out 2023 will take place just one week after AEW presents All In from Wembley Stadium in London, England.

AEW will be making its debut in London, England, on August 27 from Wembley Stadium as it presents AEW: All In London. It will be Labor Day weekend in the United States one week later. Labor Day weekend in professional wrestling has meant All Elite Wrestling presenting All Out. All Out has traditionally occurred in Illinois during Labor Day weekend since 2019.

That will not change this year.

Despite AEW running a massive stadium show just one week prior, AEW still plans on heading to Illinois for its annual Labor Day weekend event.

Speaking on The A2theK Wrestling Show (h/t: WrestlingInc), Megha Parekh, the Senior Vice President & Chief Legal Officer of All Elite Wrestling, confirmed that the crew would, in fact, be heading to Chicago just one week after debuting in London.

Its been a while since Ive spent any meaningful time [in London] because of COVID, so Im excited just to go back, Parekh said. Well have to come back here for All Out the week after, but it should be really fun.

Thus far, no matches have been announced for the upcoming show in Wembley Stadium.

SEE MORE: Nigel McGuiness Is Open To Coming Out Of Retirement At AEW All In

The post AEW Executive Confirms All Out Will Take Place Week After AEW All In appeared first on Wrestlezone.
An Emmet County Sheriff's car sits outside Alanson Public School after a student reported seeing a gun in the school on Thursday, April 27, 2023. The Emmet County Undersheriff Matt Leirstein said no firearm was found in the school.

ALANSON  Alanson Public School will remain closed Friday following a false report of a gun at the school Thursday morning.

In a letter sent home to families with students in the school, superintendent and principal Rachelle Cook said this was, "to allow students and staff time to process what was a very anxious situation for all of us. This was the first time that we as a school have entered a lockdown and evacuation situation that was not a drill."

The school shut down Thursday after a young student told an administrator they saw one of the older students with a gun in their back pocket.

Emmet County Undersheriff Matt Leirstein said the school reviewed the footage and narrowed down the students the child may have been talking with and law enforcement conducted interviews with those students before determining they were "very confident there was no firearm."

Cars line up at the Alanson Fire Station to be reunited with their students after a report of a firearm was made at the Alanson Public School on Thursday, April 27, 2023.

More: Police respond to reported firearm at Alanson Public School, no injuries reported

After the student told administrators about what they saw, the school immediately called 911 and was placed in a holding pattern, according to the letter from Cook. This means students and staff are instructed to stay where they are while waiting for more information. When police arrived, they suggested the school go into a full lockdown, which they did.

Leirstein said the Michigan State Police, Cheboygan County Sheriff's Office, Tuscarora Police Department, Petoskey Department of Public Safety, Harbor Springs Police Department, Alanson Fire Department, Emmet County Emergency Medical Services, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Little Traverse Bay Bands Tribal Police Department, and CCE Dispatch all responded to the report.

Students were bused from Alanson Public School to the fire station to be reunited with their families after a student reported seeing a gun on Thursday, April 27, 2023.

Law enforcement then suggested the school be evacuated so they could conduct a thorough search. Students were bused away from the school and brought to the Alanson fire station. In the letter, Cook said families were contacted after all students were at the fire station.

Story continues

The secondary search concluded shortly after 2 p.m. and no weapons were found. Two K-9s were brought to the scene and did not find any weapons either.

Alanson preschool teacher Whitney Rota was home with her sick child Thursday but came to the fire station as soon as she heard the news. Rota said she didnt hear about the incident from school officials, but from her assistant teacher.

With two other kids in the school, a fourth grader and eighth grader, she was terrified, Rota said.

Knowing that my other two children were here, plus my students, (I was) terrified, she said.

Abby Blaskowski, who has children in the school, said she first heard about the incident because she is a director at the health center and they were alerted patients may be coming.

One of my colleague's husband works for Emmet County, and she called me and was like, Your preschoolers in a shed in the playground, she said.

Blaskowski said the text notifying families came in an hour and a half after the original 911 call.

Both Rota and Blaskowski said they wish there had been more effective communication with families, so speculation on social media didn't take over.

I think the text was amazing, but it should have went out sooner, Rota said.

The scanner page  the fact that theyre putting it on there and parents dont know yet  youre causing mass chaos, Blaskowski added.

In her letter, Cook said that while unconfirmed reports were being published and released through scanners and social media, the district's "entire focus was on ensuring our children and staff were out of the building and safe."

In a press release, the Emmet County Sheriff's Office thanked the district for taking the threat seriously.

"While it appears this incident may have been mistakenly reported, the Emmet County Sheriffs Office commends the reporting student for coming forward to make this report," the release said. "The Emmet County Sheriffs Office would like to thank the entire staff of the Alanson Public Schools and the Char-Em ISD for taking this potential threat seriously and following all the necessary steps and precautions to ensure the safety of all students."

Subscribe: Get unlimited digital access to our local breaking news coverage

Throughout the lockdown, students were not permitted to take any of their items with them, so staff will be at the school from 8-11 a.m. on Friday to pick up any items left at the school.

Alanson will reopen Monday, May 1 with regular school hours. Additional personnel are expected to be at the school to provide support for students or staff in need of help in processing Thursday's events.

Cook also stressed the importance of reporting any potential threats, saying all will be taken seriously. Anonymous tip lines are available in Michigan at ok2say.com and by texting 652729 as well.

"I am so proud of our students and staff for handling themselves today exceptionally," Cook said in the letter. "This is not a scenario any of us want to encounter, but we were well-prepared to ensure student and staff safety to the best of our ability. The law enforcement response was also exceptional, and they likewise praised the calm and orderly response of our students and staff."

 Contact education reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Alanson Public School to remain closed Friday
Members of Ukrainian Armed Forces during shooting training with heavy weapons close to the frontline in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on April 20, 2023. Muhammed Enes Yildirim/Getty Images

Ukraine is almost ready to launch a long-awaited spring counteroffensive, its defense minister said.

"We are to a high percentage ready," Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Friday.

Reznikov said Western-supplied weapons would serve as an "iron fist" against Russian forces.

Ukraine's forces are nearly ready to launch a counteroffensive against the Russian invaders with weapons from the West, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Friday.

"As soon as there is God's will, the weather and a decision by commanders, we will do it," Reznikov said during an online briefing, per Reuters. "We are to a high percentage ready."

Reznikov said that Western-supplied arms would serve as an "iron fist" in this effort.

The day prior, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said that alliance members and their partners had delivered over 98% of the combat vehicles pledged to Kyiv. Stoltenberg said the aid provided to Ukraine included over 1,550 armored vehicles, 230 tanks, and other military hardware, as well as "vast amounts of ammunition."

"This will put Ukraine in a strong position to continue to retake occupied territory," Stoltenberg said.

US Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, the top commander of US forces in Europe and NATO's top general, told congressional lawmakers during a House Armed Services committee hearing on Wednesday he is "very confident" that Ukraine has what it needs for a successful counteroffensive. "We'll continue a pipeline to sustain their operations as well," he said. The M1 Abrams tanks promised by the US are still to come.

Though Cavoli expressed confidence, recently leaked top secret Pentagon documents that became a major point of controversy in Washington and abroad suggested that the US is not especially optimistic that Ukraine can actually make major gains in a counteroffensive.

While Ukraine's long-awaited spring counteroffensive is widely expected to start soon, some military analysts contend that it has already begun in small ways, pointing to reported Ukrainian advances across the Dnipro River in the Kherson region.

Story continues

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian people continue to face the deadly consequences of the Russian onslaught, which targets not just the Ukrainian armed forces but also civilians.

Reznikov's comments on Friday came as Russia launched fresh missile attacks across Ukraine  including in the capital city, Kyiv  that killed at least 25, BBC News reported. Several children were reportedly among those killed in strikes on residential areas.

In the wake of these fatal attacks on Ukrainian cities, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that "Russian terror" could only be defeated "with weapons for Ukraine, the toughest sanctions against the terrorist state, and fair sentences for the killers."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Efecte Oyj

EFECTE PLC -- BUSINESS REVIEW -- 28 APRIL 2023 at 8.30

Efecte Plc's business review on 1-3/2023  SaaS +28%, adjusted EBITDA margin -3%

1-3/2023:

Total net sales grew by 20% and was 6.0 million euro (5.0)

SaaS grew by 28% and international SaaS by 38%

EBITDA was -0.3 million euro (0.1) and EBIT -0.6 million euro (0.0)

Adjusted EBITDA 1 was -0.2 million euro (0.2)

EBITDA margin was -4% (3%) and adjusted EBITDA 1 margin was -3% (3%)

New GPT-powered features to boost productivity of agent users

Guidance for 2023 (unchanged):

SaaS net sales is expected to grow over 20% and adjusted EBITDA to be positive.

Group key figures

1000 EUR 1-3/2023 1-3/2022 2022 Net sales 6 041 5 036 21 607 EBITDA -264 145 -13 Adjusted EBITDA 1 -160 168 519 EBIT -585 12 -864 SaaS MRR 1 343 1 054 1 270

1 Excludes the costs related to inorganic activities amounting to 0.1 million euros in Q1/2023, 0.0 million euros in Q1/2022 and 0.5 million euros in 2022.

CEO Niilo Fredrikson:

2023 started well for Efecte, laying the foundation for a year of growth and improving profitability. Our journey to build the clear European leader in service management software progressed according to plan. With an increasingly international customer base, partner coverage of 20+ countries and almost 40% of our people outside Finland, Efecte has already become a European business.

Growth in international markets and public sector

SaaS growth was again very strong at 28%. We were especially pleased with success in our international markets, including international SaaS growth accelerating to 38% and new customers signed in Spain, Germany, Sweden and Poland. Our focus on the public sector continued to pay off as well, including winning the city of Helsingborg public tender in Sweden and several in Finland. EBITDA was in line with our expectations, impacted mainly by increased personnel expenses due to hiring last year and slightly lower profitability of professional services. As communicated earlier, we expect slower headcount growth and increased productivity to lead to an improving bottom line towards the end of the year.

Story continues

Potential for AI driven disruption

We believe that the recent development in generative language models opens opportunities for disruption also in the service management industry. The level of automation can be improved, and user experience enhanced. Through the acquisition of InteliWISE, we gained an experienced AI team that has helped us pursue this opportunity with speed.

During the first quarter, we followed the topic and experimented actively. We are proud to announce today the release of the first GPT-powered features in the Efecte platform, allowing agent users to leverage automatically generated response suggestions to enhance their productivity. This is one of the first production-ready implementations of generative language models in the service management industry. Questions around security and privacy remain, but we feel it is important to ride this wave of innovation and provide interested pilot customers with an opportunity to test the new technology in real life.

Mixed signals from customers

Customers are sending mixed signals at the moment. Most organizations continue their digitalization and automation initiatives, but some are cutting, postponing or downsizing projects and looking for other short-term ways to control costs. We expect SaaS growth in the second half to be somewhat slower than during the first half, as InteliWISE numbers will be part of the comparison period. That said, we are confident about navigating a potentially softening market and reconfirm our guidance for the year. We will continue our journey towards our vision, focusing on the essential: every day helping our customers to digitalize and automate their work.

Other developments

Our cash and liquid assets were 5.4 million euro (8.6) and interest-bearing financial debt of 1.8 million euro (0.0) at the end of the review period. The impact of the InteliWISE acquisition is visible in the year-over-year cash and debt comparison. During Q1, we were granted 0.4 million euro by Business Finland for a research and development program.

On a rolling 12-month basis, recurring gross margin was 80% (82%), gross churn 4.7% (3.8%), net retention rate 112% (115%), LTV/CAC ratio 5.7 (10.6) and total recurring revenue (SaaS and maintenance) amounted to 70% of net sales (67%). InteliWISE numbers are not yet included in these rolling 12-month metrics. We plan to start reporting consolidated metrics in the second half of 2023.

The number of full-time equivalent employees at the end of the review period was 201 (134). Of these, 125 (110) were in Finland, 48 (0) in Poland, 19 (14) in Germany, 7 (7) in Sweden and 2 (0) in Spain. The average number of full-time equivalent employees during Q1 was 199 (129). Our central team in Finland acts globally supporting customers, partners and sales in all markets and includes the headcount responsible for our New Markets operation.

Steffan Schumacher, our COO, will leave the company during Q2 to pursue another opportunity. We have a transition plan in place and will share the new leadership team responsibilities in our half-year report.

Long-term financial targets

By 2025, grow organically to 35 MEUR total net sales, maintain an average SaaS growth of over 20% and reach a double-digit EBITDA margin.

Through organic growth and acquisitions, become eventually the largest European service management vendor with total net sales over 100 MEUR and EBITDA margin exceeding 25 %.

Guidance for the year 2023

SaaS net sales is expected to grow over 20% and adjusted EBITDA to be positive.

Next earnings release

Efecte will publish its half-year report on 1-6/2023 on 11 August 2023.

Additional information:

CFO Taru Makinen, +358 40 507 1085

CEO Niilo Fredrikson, +358 50 356 7177

Certified adviser: Evli Oyj, tel. +358 40 579 6210

This release is unaudited. The amounts in this report have been rounded from exact numbers.

An online briefing for analysts, investors and media will be arranged on Friday 28th April 2023 at 13:00 Finnish time. All participants can register to the webcast online at https://efecte.videosync.fi/2023-q1. The webcast will be held in English and questions can be presented in written form in the webcast portal. A recording of the webcast and presentation materials will be made available afterwards on the companys investor pages at investors.efecte.com.

Efecte Plc

Efecte helps people digitalize and automate their work. Customers across Europe leverage our cloud service to operate with greater agility, to improve the experience of end-users, and to save costs. The use cases for our solutions range from IT service management and ticketing to improving employee experiences, business workflows, and customer service. We are the European Alternative to the global goliaths in our space. Our headquarters is located in Finland and we have regional hubs in Germany, Poland, Spain and Sweden. Efecte is listed on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market Finland marketplace.

www.efecte.com




The white woman who accused Black teenager Emmett Till of making improper advances before he was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 has died in hospice care in Louisiana, a coroners report shows. Carolyn Bryant Donham was 88.

Donham died Tuesday night in Westlake, Louisiana, according to a death report filed Thursday in Calcasieu Parish Coroners Office in Louisiana.

RELATED: Emmett Tills Family Demands Arrest Warrant Served In 1955 Lynching In New Lawsuit

Tills kidnapping and killing became a catalyst for the civil rights movement when his mother insisted on an open-casket funeral in their hometown of Chicago after his brutalized body was pulled from a river in Mississippi. Jet magazine published photos.

Till traveled from Chicago to visit relatives in Mississippi in August 1955. Donham  then 21 and named Carolyn Bryant  accused him of making improper advances on her at a grocery store where she was working in the small community of Money. The Rev. Wheeler Parker, a cousin of Till who was there, has said 14-year-old Till whistled at the woman, an act that flew in the face of Mississippis racist social codes of the era.

Evidence indicates a woman identified Till to Donhams then-husband Roy Bryant and his half-brother J.W. Milam, who killed the teenager. An all-white jury acquitted the two white men in the killing, but the men later confessed in an interview with Look magazine.

Emmett Till G

In an unpublished memoir obtained by The Associated Press in 2022, Donham said she was unaware of what would happen to Till.

The contents of the 99-page manuscript, titled I am More Than A Wolf Whistle, were first reported by the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting. Historian and author Timothy Tyson of Durham, North Carolina, who said he obtained a copy from Donham while interviewing her in 2008, provided a copy to the AP.

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Tyson had placed the manuscript in an archive at the University of North Carolina with the agreement that it not be made public for decades, though he said he gave it to the FBI during an investigation the agency concluded in 2021. He said he decided to make it public after some of Tills relatives and other people doing research at the Leflore County, Mississippi, courthouse in June 2022 found an arrest warrant on kidnapping charges that was issued for Mrs. Roy Bryant in 1955 but never served.

Tyson said in a statement Thursday that Donhams precise role in the killing of Till remains murky, but its clear she was involved.

It has comforted America to see this as merely a story of monsters, her among them, Tyson said. What this narrative keeps us from seeing is the monstrous social order that cared nothing for the life of Emmett Till nor thousands more like him. Neither the federal government nor the government of Mississippi did anything to prevent or punish this murder. Condemning what Donham did is easier than confronting what America was  and is.

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Last year, members of the New Black Panther Party and other activists, began showing up at addresses associated with the aging Donham, including in North Carolina and Kentucky. They were there to serve unofficial warrants for her arrest and trial.

Weeks after the unserved arrest warrant was found, the office of Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch said there was no new evidence to pursue a criminal case against Donham. In August, a district attorney said a Leflore County grand jury declined to indict Donham.

Tills cousin, Priscilla Sterling, filed a federal lawsuit against the current Leflore County Sheriff, Ricky Banks, on Feb. 7, seeking to compel him to serve the 1955 warrant on Donham. In a response April 13, Banks attorney said there was no point serving the warrant on Donham because the grand jury did not indict her last year.

The Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, run by some of Tills relatives, posted a blank black square to social media sites Thursday after news of Donhams death was reported.
State Rep. Zooey Zephyr exits the House of Representatives at the Montana State Capitol in Helena, Mont., on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. | Tommy Martino, Associated Press

After weeks of turmoil between lawmakers in Montanas House of Representatives, one lawmaker ended up being censured and barred from participating on House floor for the remainder of the legislative session.

The lawmaker in question is Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr, who is a transgender woman  the Legislatures first known transgender member.

Why was Rep. Zooey Zephyr blocked from the Montana House?

Tensions rose when Zephyr took the House floor during the April 18 session during debates about a bill that would prohibit certain medical and surgical treatments to treat minors with gender dysphoria.

This body should be ashamed, Zephyr said, per The New York Times. If you vote yes on this bill and yes on these amendments I hope the next time theres an invocation, when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands.

On Monday, a rally took place outside the Capitol, which led to protesters packing into the gallery and brought House proceedings to a halt while chanting Let her speak, The Associated Press reported.

The incident galvanized both those demanding she be allowed to speak and those saying her actions constitute an unacceptable attack on civil discourse, per AP.

In response to her speech and the protests, a group of conservative lawmakers, known as the Montana Freedom Caucus, wrote a joint letter calling for her to be censured for trying to shame the Montana legislative body and by using inappropriate and uncalled-for language during a floor debate.

On Wednesday, the censure was brought to a vote in the Republican-controlled chamber and reached a 68 to 32 majority, per the Times.

According to CBS News, Zephyr will be allowed to vote remotely for the remainder of the legislative session.

House Majority Leader Sue Vinton supported the choice to bar Zephyr from the House floor and accused her of placing lawmakers and staff at risk of harm for her actions during protests in the chamber on Monday, CBS News reported.

Freedom in this body involves obedience to all the rules of this body, including the rules of decorum, Vinton said, per CBS News.

Zephyr told CNN, We have a week and a half left of the session, and well be covering important topics  housing bills, the states budget  and every bill that goes forward for the remainder of this session, there will be 11,000 Montanans whose representative is missing, whose voices cannot be heard on those bills.
A defining moment in Young Sheldons life has seemingly been erased  or, at the very least, skipped over.

The Big Bang Theory prequels previous episode picked up at the start of 13-year-old Sheldons spring break  the same spring break where, per Big Bang lore, Sheldon walks in on George having sex with another woman. On the mothership, its the reason Dr. Cooper knocked three times before entering a room.

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But alas, Season 6s 18th episode skipped over that life-altering moment, jumping right from Georgies impromptu marriage proposal to Sheldon and Missys return to school. Spring break was officially over.

Executive producer Steve Holland previously told TVLine that Sheldon wouldnt walk in on George this season. But he also didnt rule out that it could happen some time in the future. Without saying it didnt happen, were not obligated to tell all the stories that Sheldon told on Big Bang, he explained. Im not saying we are or we are not [telling that story], but its not happening in Season 6. It could potentially happen in Season 7, and its a possibility weve talked about a lot, so its on the table. But just because it happened doesnt mean its a story [our narrator] has to tell.

We recently learned that Sheldons trip to Germany  a trip he said on Big Bang took place when he was 15  has been moved up to the spinoffs Season 6 finale. That gives us reason to believe that Georges adultery may still come into play later on, even if the timing deviates from what we were told on Big Bang.

Young Sheldon Season 6 Episode 18

As for what did happen during Thursdays episode: Mandy rejected Georgies proposal. He just caught me off guard is all, she told Meemaw. Georgie and Mandy ultimately agreed that Georgie wouldnt spring any more proposals on her; hed give her fair warning next time. That leads us to believe that there will be another proposal by seasons end  and Mandy will say yes.

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What did you think of Young Sheldon Season 6, Episode 18: Little Green Men and a Fellas Marriage Proposal? Sound off in Comments.

Launch Gallery: Farewell, <i>Young Sheldon</i>? 5 Signs the End Is Nigh for <i>Big Bang Theory</i> Spinoff  Including a Curious Trip to Germany

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Diddy and Drake have signed on as executive producers of French Montanas pending documentary For Khadija. According to a press release, the film will showcase the sacrifices made by an immigrant mother to create a better life for her family by leaving her home country and working multiple jobs to provide for her sons.

Set to premiere on June 16 at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, For Khadija is directed by Mandon Lovett. The event will also include a panel discussion with to-be-announced hip-hop heavyweights, social justice advocates, and pop culture icons. Montana and Ugandan group Triplets Ghetto Kids will also perform following the screening.

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French Montana posing for a photo at the Pencils of Promise Gala, wearing a white sweater and necklace.

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French Montana 'For Khadija'

According to the official synopsis, For Khadija chronicles the unlikely rise of Moroccan-born, multi-platinum recording artist French Montana, as his single mother sacrifices everything to raise her three young sons in the Bronx, after being abandoned by their father and left destitute.

Additionally, the documentary spans the globe as it depicts the familys unique immigrant journey, a sons perseverance in the face of insurmountable obstacles, and a mothers unwavering faith  all in pursuit of the American dream.

French Montana performs onstage during Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr. presented by Triller at Staples Center on November 28, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.

The 38-year-old rapper only spoke Arabic and French until the family moved to New York City where he learned English but also the language of Hip-Hop. Getting his start releasing the Cocaine City DVDs in 2002, the Wave Gods rapper was recently named the most streamed African artist of all time.

His platinum-certified debut studio album Excuse My French was issued in 2013, followed by 2017s platinum album Jungle Rules. The Bronx-bred artists accomplishments also include the massive hit Unforgettable featuring Swae Lee, his diamond-certified record. The No Stylist performer also advocates for global healthcare efforts in Uganda as GLOBAL CITIZENs first-ever rap ambassador.

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Watch the trailer for For Khadija below.

Click here to read the full article.
Drew Barrymore and Ke Huy Quan have sweet reunion after meeting as kids  all thanks to Steven Spielberg

Drew Barrymore has nothing but good things to say about Ke Huy Quan after the pair were spotted with Steven Spielberg at the Time100 Gala.

The talk-show host, who was among those honored at Wednesday's ceremony, reacted to a photo of the trio together at the event during Thursday's episode of The Tonight Show and revealed that their connection actually goes back decades.

"What's so meaningful about this is, Ke and I met on the set of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," Barrymore recalled. "I came to London to hang out for around a week. Ke and I went to the zoo together. We hung out."

The actress, who was only 7 years old when she starred in Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, told host (and her former Fever Pitch costar) Jimmy Fallon that she would often "spend my time with Steven" when she was younger. "He would just bring me to work with him," she explained. "I think I was like 8 or 9, and [Ke] was like 11 or 12."

Quan kick-started his acting career when, at age 12, he portrayed Indiana Jones' sidekick Short Round in the beloved 1984 action-adventure sequel. While gazing at the photo, Barrymore gushed about her childhood friend and how much she enjoyed spending time with him.

"I loved him so much. I mean, Goonies, Data, hello?" she said, referring to Quan's character in the 1985 film. "He was such a good person and I liked him so much and there we are."

Ke Huy Quan, Steven Spielberg and Drew Barrymore attend the 2023 TIME100 Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 26, 2023 in New York City.

Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Ke Huy Quan, Steven Spielberg, Drew Barrymore

Barrymore, who pointed out that Spielberg "still has pictures" of their exciting London zoo adventure, noted that the Academy Awardwinning director has always kept a watchful eye over their careers.

"Steven is the type of incredible human being that, I think, just wants to know [that] all of his kids are okay," she said. "So it just felt like this wonderful moment where we could be like, 'Your kids are okay.'"

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drew Barrymore in ET and Ke Huy Quan in Temple of Doom

Getty; Shutterstock Drew Barrymore in 'E.T.' and Ke Huy Quan in 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'

The pair are doing better than okay. Barrymore gets up close and personal with guests on her syndicated talk show, The Drew Barrymore Show, which was nominated for seven Daytime Emmy Awards this year, while Quan won the award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once at the 2023 Oscars last month.

Watch Barrymore rave about Quan  and why she loves hosting her own show  in the clip above.

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A 75-year-old Japanese man has opened a free cafe in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv to help those affected by Russias invasion.

Fuminori Tsuchiko, who arrived in the city last year, said he felt deeply concerned about the situation of the residents seeking shelter in subway stations to evade Russian shelling.

Tsuchiko was visiting Ukraine as a tourist in February 2022 when the news of Russia preparing to invade the country broke out.

When the Japanese embassy told him to leave the country, he traveled to Warsaw, Poland. Two months later, he returned to Ukraine and decided to stay in a metro station.

More from NextShark: South Korea, China criticize new Japanese PM's offering to controversial Tokyo shrine honoring war dead

"June, July, August, September, October, November, December - (for) seven months I stayed in the metro, underground, sleeping or eating, and together (with) many, many Ukrainian people," Tsuchiko was quoted as saying.



After spending months distributing food in the subway as a volunteer, he teamed up with a Ukrainian friend he met at the station to plan a better way to help the affected residents.

More from NextShark: 5 traditional dishes served during Eid al-Fitr

Using donations from Japanese people via social media, he was able to open "FuMi Caffe" in Kharkiv's Saltivka neighborhood with the help of his Ukrainian friend.

The cafe, which now serves about 500 people a day, has already gained the attention of locals, including Anna Tovstopyatova, who visited to make a donation.

She shared her admiration for Tsuchiko's efforts, saying, "It's great that there are sincere people with an open heart and soul, who sacrifice their life and time to help and give hope."

More from NextShark: California bakery releases 'mochi muffin' trademark after online backlash

Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, is situated near the border of Russia.

While Ukrainian forces have pushed Russian troops back towards the border, local communities and volunteers still face extreme risk due to frequent shelling and unexploded ordinance in the city.

More from NextShark: 'Sonic the Hedgehog' creator and former Square Enix employee arrested over insider trading
The Lenzing Group announced it completed the conversion of a production line from generic viscose to Tencel branded modal fibers at its facility in Nanjing, China. The conversion allows Lenzing to offer Chinese customers locally produced Tencel for the first time and meet demand more quickly.

The production site, which operates under the Chinese subsidiary called Lenzing (Nanjing) Fibers Co., Ltd., now solely consists of eco-friendly speciality fibers, the company said.

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The facility can produce up to 35,000 tons per year. It also produces Lenzing Ecovero branded fibers and viscose eco fibers for nonwoven applications in China. It is Lenzings sole production facility in China.

Demand for our eco-friendly specialty fibers is constantly rising. We see enormous growth potential, especially in Asia, said Stephan Sielaff, Lenzing CEO. Thanks to our investments in China and other Asian locations, we are even better positioned to meet this growing demand.

Lenzing celebrated the launch of the new production line April 18 with a customer event. The conversion is part of Lenzings $1 million investment in its Chinese site to reduce carbon emissions and upgrade the product portfolio. The site is gradually converting to green energy. Electricity will be solely derived from renewable sources from this year onward.

Lenzing is also working to convert existing standard viscose capacities into environmentally responsible specialty fibers in Purwakarta, Indonesia. There, Lenzing is creating additional capacity for Ecovero branded fibers. The Indonesian site will become a pure specialty viscose supplier later this year.

In 2019, Lenzing set itself the target of halving its carbon emissions by 2030 and becoming carbon-neutral by 2050. Its carbon reduction target has been confirmed by the Science Based Targets Initiative.

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Sielaff added the company is continuing to make considerable progress towards achieving a carbon-neutral future and becoming a champion of circularity.

Click here to read the full article.
Meghan Markle is making her most recent tenure in Hollywood more permanent.

The Duchess of Sussex has signed with WME and will be repped by Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, Brad Slater and Jill Smoller. Archewell, the media company that Markle heads with her husband, Prince Harry, will also be repped by the agency.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

While she began her Hollywood career as an actress, most notably in the TV series Suits, acting will not be a focus for Markle at this point in her life. Film and TV series development and production, as well as business and brand partnerships, will remain the focus for Markle and Archewell.

When moving to California, after stepping down from their positions within the British royal family, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex set up several lucrative partnerships under their Archewell banner. In September 2020, Archewell Productions signed a multiyear deal with Netflix, under which their docuseries Harry & Meghan was released. The Liz Garbus-directed series had the Duke and Duchess telling the story of their courtship and followed along as they made the decision to leave the royal family and move to California. According to Netflix, the series earned 81.55 million viewing hours globally within its first four days of release.

The banners next project to hit the service will be Heart of Invictus, a doc series following competing athletes as they prepare for Prince Harrys Invictus Games. In recent cutbacks, the streamers stopped development on a planned animated childrens series, Pearl, from Markle and Archewell. Elsewhere, Archewell signed a partnership with Spotify in 2020, with Markles Archetypes podcast being released by the audio giant last year.

Markle was previously repped at Gersh.

Variety was the first to report the news of Markles signing.

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The post Michelle Obama Joins Bruce Springsteen for Glory Days in Barcelona: Watch appeared first on Consequence.

Bruce Springsteen welcomed an unexpected guest to the stage during his show in Barcelona, Spain on Friday night: former first lady Michelle Obama sat in with Springsteen and the E Street Band as they performed Glory Days.

Obama sang and played a tambourine to the Born in the U.S.A. classic, alongside Springsteens wife and E Street Band member, Patti Scialfa, and actress Kate Capshaw.

The night prior to the concert, Springsteen, Scialfa, Capshaw, and Capshaws husband, director Steven Spielberg, dined with the Obamas at a restaurant in Barcelona.

Springsteen and Obamas relationship extends back to 2008, when Barack Obama first ran for president. Springsteen played several of Obamas early campaign rallies and inauguration, and hit the road for him again during his 2012 reelection campaign. He even wrote Obamas campaign theme song. Later, near the end of his presidency, President Obama awarded Springsteen with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In 2021, Springsteen and Obama teamed up for a limited podcast series called Renegades: Born in the USA.

Bruce Springsteen feat. Michelle Obamapic.twitter.com/XF7fsozapY  CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) April 28, 2023

Springsteen amb tres coristes noves per Glory days: Patti Scialfa, Kate Capshaw i Michelle Obama. pic.twitter.com/tDNAAGgU4d  Ignasi Fortuny (@ignasifortuny) April 28, 2023

Patti, @MichelleObama and Kate Capshaw came out and did Glory Days with the @springsteen and the band! Photo from Spring-Nuts FB page Susan Avery pic.twitter.com/uasnsfN6t6  Spring-Nuts (@SpringNuts_) April 28, 2023

Michelle Obama Joins Bruce Springsteen for Glory Days in Barcelona: Watch

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Pharrells Something In The Water festival returns to Virginia Beach this weekend after a one-year detour to the nations capital. The legendary producer pulled the 2022 festival from his hometown because of what he deemed a toxic energy from the local government after the fatal police shooting of his cousin, 25-year-old Donovan Lynch. The 25-year-old was shot by a cop whose body camera was not on. There was widespread sentiment that the Virginia Beach Police Department wasnt giving the public satisfactory answers on what happened.

But in a press release about the festivals return to Virginia, Pharrell said that the city of Virginia Beach leaders have been eager to reconcile and move forward. The environment is finally optimized for return. He tells Rolling Stone that after thinking things through, he realized that he didnt want his differences with the city infrastructure to cost local residents a budding institution.

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Not all of the issues are resolved, he says. But I didnt want to continue to penalize the people back home. I didnt want to continue to penalize the people that live in the proximity and not have them be able to participate. People want to blow off steam before their exams. And they didnt cause the issues that caused us to picket in the first place.

Something In The Water, which started in 2019, takes a step beyond the average music festival with week-long community activations geared toward bolstering quality of life in his hometown. This year, Pharrell was also attentive to having specialized stages specifically for up-and-coming acts and gospel acts, which is part of his vision to provide

Pharrell is a busy man beyond the festival. He didnt speak on his new role as Louis Vuitton Menswears Creative Director but did tell us that hes currently inspired to create music and that hes felt particularly invigorated since the start of 2023.

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We talked to Pharrell about Something In The Water, new music, and why he sees the current wave of artificial intelligence as insurmountable.

In the press release about the 2023 festival, you noted that the city of Virginia Beach leaders have been eager to reconcile and move forward. The environment is finally optimized for return. What did that reconciliation look like? What was it that satisfied you enough to bring the festival back to Virginia Beach?

Well, I would say its been a lot. Not all of the issues are resolved. But I didnt want to continue to penalize the people back home. I didnt want to continue to penalize the people that live in the proximity and not have them be able to participate. People want to blow off steam before their exams. And they didnt cause the issues that caused us to picket in the first place. I had to really think about it and think it all the way through.

Do you think those issues are on a pathway to being resolved?

Yeah. I think a lot of it has been, but there are still some systemic issues that need to be addressed. At least right now, theres no such thing as a perfect city. Theres always going to be room for improvement, which is the reason why people come in and out of office. But we got to hold their feet to the fire. That systemic change is very important, but also keeping the community together and bringing people together is important as well. And thats what the festival was and continues to be about, uniting the community and people having fun through new music and through that idea and that concept of community.

When I first saw the bill, my first thought was how versatile it was in terms of the different acts on there. I was wondering, can you take me into the process of selecting acts?

A lot of it is based on heat. Wheres the heat? In many different categories, its where is the heat? And I know were super Gen Z heavy and Millennial heavy. And its my dream for this festival to be across many different age demographics and not just cultural demographics. Well get there.

What its like formulating the Pharrell and Friends set? Do you ever feel any pressure to top the previous year?

I guess that would be the expectation, but for me, Im like, my team is just trying to put on a good show. And so I do what I got to do. I dont think this festival needs me as much as I want it to just be a fun time for everybody and for me to exercise my ability to get amazing acts to come and perform, whether theyre part of my set or whether theyre doing their own stuff or theyre part of my set, whatever it is. I want it to be a fun time for not only Virginia Beach but the entire seven cities and everybody thats [coming] in to come have a great time.

I was looking down the rundown of the events surrounding the festival, and I saw the Harvest Health House, the block party, and Area 75. Can you speak to why its important for you to have community events attached to the music festival?

Other than that, it would just be a music festival. We really want it to be an experience that has amazing leave behind and definitely contributes to the quality of life. I want to know that were leaving it better than the way we found it. Because then we know we did something

It looks like the Love stage is full of more up-and-coming acts. How rewarding is it for you to be able to give them some of their first big looks?

Its so important. Were a platform. We have to provide space for new acts to have experiences and for future fans of these artists, bands, and groups to have an opportunity as well. What are we doing it for, if we aint doing it for that?

Also, on Sunday, you have the Pop-up Church Service. Can you speak to why you wanted to have a standalone stage for gospel acts on Sunday?

We have to. If were going to be welcoming to a community, weve got to make room for the faith base. I grew up in the church. Some of my earliest experiences and life were with my aunt, a record player, and going to church with my grandmothers on Sundays. You got to provide a space for them to come. Its a Sunday, one. Two, its a place for them to sing worship at Fellowship. And be at one with the universe, give God the glory, and sing and praise.

Thats a very magical experience. And I want to make sure that our festival provides that as well. You never know. There might be a word that someone may have needed to hear or a song that moves someone to think differently about the next oncoming week or about where they are in their lives. [It might help them] be inspired and to be filled with that fire. Thats one of the things that we found is a unique thing that I dont think that you can get in very many festivals.

I was at the festival in DC last year and had a really good time. I was wondering how you felt about the DC experience overall and if you would do anything Something In The Water-related in DC in the future.

Oh, man. I love DC. And yeah, if the opportunity presents itself. But theres also time too. Its definitely time. We enjoyed ourselves. We had a great time in the community and we did a lot of leave behind there as well. But yeah, I guess it would depend on time and what the actual opportunity was. But I was very grateful at the reception. And we had a ball.

How much fun do you actually get to have at the festival? Obviously, you have the Pharrell and Phriends set, but how often are there moments where youre in coordinator mode, but as a music lover, youre like, I got to go see this set?

Theres so much going on because theres not just the musictheres also merch and food vendors. For me, theres a lot going on. And also all the leave-behinds, and all of our partners, theres not a lot of room to kick back, but certain things I really pushed for because I really wanted to go see. So, that happened.

How do you feel about the way that artificial intelligence is kind of permeating the music industry, especially in the hip-hop world?

Well, first of all, its been here. The implications are insurmountable. But we have depended on our phones for about ten years. Our phones have been, in many different ways, making precognitive suggestions on what you may like because its looking at your every move, of everything that youre doing, and assuming what your choices might be or what you might like. Or when youre on Spotify, and it plays you a bunch of stuff that it thinks youre going to like. These things, weve been used to. Were used to this.

I think in the job world its very threatening. When was the last time you went into a library to go ask a question? To go look something up? Right? Maybe if youre a student, but even then, thats really not true for the most part. The libraries have become like vinyl. Its like a delicacy at this point. And maybe it shouldnt be, but then in a lot of ways, what human nature, and humanity, and talent is, maybe it should be.

You search for things. Youve been on search engines. I think what AI is doing is lightyears beyond searching. Its like it not only gives you an answer, but it also gives you an image, or a moving image, or an audio image of what youve asked for. And were at that point now. Were approaching singularity.

And, listen, with all knowledge, there is a huge responsibility. Unused knowledge is a sin. Thats why we have wisdom. And wisdom is power in when you use something. And when you do that properly, thats when we get to understand them. But thats where we are right now; its the Wild West. I said this five years ago that America and the world would be completely unrecognizable. And everyone thought I was crazy. And they probably still do. I do, shit.

But, man. Wake up, everybody. Were here. And its only going to get deeper. Its only going to get, exponentially much wider than we can quantify. This is where we are. And at the end of the day, when you really look at it, the catalyst for all of this was human nature. We did this.

How do you feel about the prospect of people using versions of your vocals or remixing your songs with AI vocals? Is it that disrespectful to you?

Disrespectful? I dont know about disrespectful, but I do know that its human nature. And theres not much you can do, so buckle up.

Is there any update you could potentially offer on the possibility of new Clipse music, with you being so close to them?

When was the last time you spoke to Pusha?

That Ive spoke to Pusha? Not yet. He followed me, but I havent spoken with him yet [laughs].

Okay. You should DM him.

Good point. Yeah, maybe so.

You should. Im just saying.

Can you give any update on potential new music from you coming out this year?

I dont know what it is, but I havent been in the mood to do anything for me or by me.

Well, no. Thats not true. Ive produced and written a lot, but I havent really felt the way I feel right now. Its crazy. Im so inspired.

How long have you felt like that?

Top of the year.

Have you ever felt that mode before where its like, Im not really interested in doing stuff for myself, but more so for others right now?

Oh, the last five, six years.

Is there anything else youd like to add? About new music or the festival?

Im very grateful to be able to bring it back to Virginia. Its good to be with the people. Im very excited about everybody having a great time. From all the departments that have invested to try to help curate a great experience for everyone. Its a beautiful time.

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EGIDE

Bollene, April 28, 2023 - 07 :00 am (CET)

Press Release

2022 FY results

Deterioration in profitability The Group's profitability has been deteriorated by the underperformance of the US entities despite efforts to increase production post industrial fire and Covid. The sale-leaseback of the Cambridge facility in June 2022 was not sufficient enough to strengthen the cash position as the backlog is strong and requires a lot of working capital to meet customer demand. Not being able to finance both the French and the US operations, the Board of Directors made the choice, at the end of 2022, to favor the French business and to seek solutions as set out below.



Project to sell Egide SA's American subsidiaries. The Group has decided to sell 100% of its US operations. Among potential opportunities, the group has signed on April 20 th an exclusive, non-binding, Letter Of Intent with a major player in the business. Exclusivity will end on May 31 st . These discussions may or may not result in a future sale. In the meantime, a restructuring of the US businesses has been launched in order to achieve breakeven point quickly.





2022 results : presented in accordance with IFRS 5, which makes it possible to identify on the balance sheet operations held for sale and on the income statement, the net income from discontinued operations, which is presented on a single line.



Consolidated 2022 revenues:  33.8 6 million (+4%/2021) Revenues from continuing operations: 15.46 million (+8.9%/2021) . Revenues from discontinued operations: 18. 40 million 10.7% in USD/2021) . EBITDA: -  2.9 m in total; 0.6m for continued operations Net result group share: -  5. 6 2 m (vs.  0.20 m in 2021). Net result from continuing operations:  0.34 m (vs.  0.65 m in 2021). Net result of discontinued operations: - 5. 9 6 m (vs. - 0.44 m in 2021).



Philippe BRINGUIER: New Chief Financial Officer Succeeds Luc ARDON, who is retiring.



Outlooks The potential sale of the American subsidiaries would allow: To strengthen its financial structure, The simplification of Egide's organization, A clear affiliation to the European defense electronics industry, A return to profitability.



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For various reasons related to this publication, which has recently been approved, the audits have not yet been completed. The audit reports are expected by end of May. The figures presented below are therefore unaudited but were presented to the Board of Directors at its meeting on April 25, 2023.

CONSOLIDATED FINANCIALS 2022

REVENUE

In M FY 2022 H2 2022 H1 2022 FY 2021 Revenues from continuing operations 15.46 7.82 7.64 14.19 Revenues from discontinued operations 18.40 10.01 8.39 18.31 Consolidated revenues 33.86 17.83 16.03 32.50

Egide Group's unaudited consolidated revenue for 2022 was 33.86 million, up 4 % compared to 2021. The euro/dollar exchange rate is favorable, since on a constant dollar basis, revenue in 2022 would be 2.2% lower.

Due to the potential sale of the American activities, it is necessary to analyze separately the revenue of Egide SA's activities from those of its American subsidiaries which are sold. The analysis of revenue is as follows:

Revenue from continuing operations : Egide SA (15.46 m) Revenues are up 8.9%, increasing from 14.19 million in 2021 to 15.46 million in 2022. The growth of the activity comes from the Middle East countries. The Power and Radio Frequency activities have driven Egide SA's growth in 2022 and the thermal imaging activity remains preponderant with 69% of the turnover. Egide SA generated 42% of its 2022 revenues (excluding the group) in France, compared to 45% in 2021. Europe (excluding France) represents 11% and North America 3% of sales for the year. The rest of the world will account for 42% of sales in 2022, compared with 35% in 2021, mainly in Israel, China and South Korea.







Revenue from discontinued activities : Egide USA (9.64 m) is down 16.9% in USD and down 6.5% in euros compared to 2021. After a year 2021 affected in Cambridge by delays in the installation of the new plating line ("after fire"), 2022 was disrupted by manufacturing delays due to supply chain and staffing difficulties, whereas the backlog should have helped to do better than 2020.



Santier (8.76 m) is down 3.1% in USD and up 8.8% in euros. The California subsidiary is experiencing the same supply and staffing difficulties as Egide USA in 2022, which have also led to manufacturing and delivery delays.





RESULTS AS OF 12/31/2022  UNAUDITED

In M - unaudited



FY 2022



H2 2022



H1 2022



FY 2021



REVENUE 15.46 100% 7.82 100% 7.64 100% 14.19 100% Consumed purchases -5.72 -37% -2.62 -33% -3.10 -41% -5.30 -37% Inventory changes 0.02 0% -0.14 -2% 0.17 2% 0.43 3% Personnel costs -6.35 -41% -3.05 -39% -3.30 -43% -6.10 -43% External costs -2.35 -15% -1.14 -15% -1.21 -16% -2.15 -15% Taxes -0.15 -1% -0.06 -1% -0.09 -1% -0.20 -1% Other exp. & indemn. 0.13 1% 0.004 0% 0.12 2% -0.08 -1% EBITDA 1.04 7% 0.81 10% 0.23 3% 0.80 6% Depreciation. Amort.& provisions -0.45 -3% -0.19 -2% -0.26 -3% -0.18 -1% OPERATING INCOME (Ebit) 0.59 4% 0.63 8% -0.04 0% 0.61 4% Financial items -0.16 -1% -0.14 -2% -0.02 0% -0.12 -1% Income Taxes -0.09 -1% -0.07 -1% -0.02 0% 0.15 1% Net result from continuing operations 0.34 2% 0.42 5% -0.08 -1% 0.64 5% Net result of discontinued activities -5.96 -39% -4.03 -51% -1.93 -25% -0.44 -3% Net result group share -5.62 -36% -3.61 -46% -2.01 -26% 0.20 1%

in M  Unaudited

Results from continuing operations, i.e. the French parent company, remain slightly positive since the 2019 restructuring and net profit amounts to 2% of revenue.

The results of the discontinued operations are heavily impacted by a deterioration of margins and the rising labor costs. The level of loss was deemed too high to allow for a remediation through traditional restructuring methods.

As a result , the Group has started preliminary discussions and due diligences with a U.S. partner for the sale of 100% of the capital of Egide USA LLC, which in turn owns 100% of Egide USA Inc. and Santier Inc. These discussions may or may not result in a future sale.

As mentioned at the time of the press release of the 2022 revenues ( on January 26, 2023), the activity of the group's American entities was seriously challenged throughout 2022 and the situation deteriorated in the second half. This led the Board of Directors to decide in December 2022 to seek solutions for the sale of the American subsidiaries, in particular because the cash situation was becoming strained despite the lease-purchase transaction for the Cambridge plant carried out in June 2022.

Egide USA Inc. (Cambridge site, MD  USA).

Formerly Electronic Packaging Products (EPP), Egide USA has been part of the Group since 2000. It ensures, mainly for the American market, the assembly, the control and the surface treatment of glass-metal or ceramic-metal packaging, all these products being subject to ITAR (International Trade in Arms Regulations) controls. Since mid-2015, the site is equipped with a clean room (class 10 000) of 300 m and production equipment for the treatment of raw ceramic received from Egide SA.

The fire in July 2020 had repercussions until the 3rd quarter of 2021 because of the delay in the reconstruction of the plating line and its certification by the customers.

Santier Inc. (San Diego site, CA  USA).

Part of the Egide Group since February 2017, Santier mainly provides metal components and heat dissipation solutions for the US market. It also provides some assemblies incorporating HTCC ceramic components purchased externally or supplied by Egide USA.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2022

ASSETS* LIABILITIES * 2022 2021 2022 2021 Fixed assets 1.06 9.73 Equity 6.76 11.57 Usage rights of leased assets 0.86 1.97 Other financial fixed assets 0.46 0.46 Accruals 0.23 0.87 Differed tax assets 0.16 0.69 Financial debt 4.75 7.71 Inventory, AR and other assets 8.33 13.86 Rent debts 1.01 2.22 Cash 0.68 1.59 AP & other 3.46 5.93 Assets classified as held for sale 15.93 - Liabilities classified as held for sale 11.27 - TOTAL 27.48 28.30 TOTAL 27.48 28.30

* in M  Unaudited

In accordance with IFRS 5, the opening balance sheet has not been restated.

In the continuing operations, inventories and receivables increased by approximately 1.3m, while the rest of the assets remained relatively stable and financial debts increased by 0.8m, due to the new 1m bond loan subscribed during the year.

For the discontinued activities, in June 2022, the Cambridge factory was sold and lease back immediately, which creates from an accounting standpoint a usage right of leased assets and a rent debt. In parallel, the mortgage loan was reimbursed for 1,2M. In addition, following the change in banking partner, all the loans were reimbursed in December 2022 and replaced with Amerisource by 2 lines of credit with the Accounts Receivable and the Inventory as guaranty, for 2,6M.

Philippe BRINGUIER is appointed Chief Financial Officer

Philippe BRINGUIER, who has been appointed Chief Financial Officer of the Group, has entered this position on March 20, 2023.

His responsibilities include leading the current sale discussions, but also improving the Group's performance and seeking financing in the USA. With 34 years of experience in financial management in companies and in international audit firms, Philippe BRINGUIER will bring to the Group his extensive expertise in leadership and financial management, including of listed companies, but also in the sale and purchase of companies (M&A) and in the improvement of company performance.

He succeeds Luc ARDON, who is retiring after nearly 4 years within the Group.

2023 OUTLOOK

The prospect of selling all the U.S. subsidiaries is a major decision to simplify Egide's organization, improve the company's performance and return to profitability, and will have no commercial or operational impact since the entities were operating very independently.

On the strategic level, this reorganization of the group will enable it to strengthen its financial structure and refocus on its position as a key player in France and Europe in the defense and aerospace sectors. By becoming once again a French and European player with a strong presence in the Middle East and Asia, the group will be able to strengthen its positions and address more effectively some opportunities linked to the relocation of strategic manufacturing, in particular in electronics.

Egide SA, through its Bollene site, is continuing to modernize its production tools and to seek volume markets. As expected, more emphasis is put on R&D in order to work on technological innovations to find competitive advantages.

As regards governance, the sale of the American subsidiaries would have consequences concerning the management, which the Group anticipates positively, given the simplification at all levels that this would involve. An appropriate communication will be made to the market at the relevant time.

As in the past, the Egide Group's approach regarding its new structure will remain focused on the profitable and sustainable future of the company.

FINANCIAL CALENDAR

Annual Financial Report: should be released by end of May

General Meeting : June 30, 2023

2023 HY Revenue : July 19, 2023

CONTACTS

EGIDE  Finance Department  Philippe Bringuier - +33 4 90 30 35 94  pbringuier@fr.egide-group.com

FINEXTENSO  Press Relations - Isabelle Aprile - +33 6 17 38 61 78  i.aprile@finextenso.fr

About EGIDE - Keep up to date with all the Group's news online: www.egide-group.com and LinkedIn

Egide is a group with an international dimension, specialized in the manufacture of hermetic packages and heat dissipation solutions for sensitive electronic components. It operates in cutting edge markets with strong technology barriers to entry in all critical industry segments (Thermal Imaging. Optronics. High-Frequency. Power Units). Egide is the only pure player in this market niche with manufacturing bases in France and the United States.

EGIDE is listed Euronext Growth Paris- ISIN : FR0000072373 - Mnemo : ALGID

Attachment




Elder Peter F. Meurs, center left, and Sister Maxine Meurs join with His Excellency, Sir Bob Dadae, governor general of Papua New Guinea, and Tauvasa Tanuvasa Chou-Lee, solicitor general, to break ground for the Port Moresby Temple on April 22, 2023. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

On April 22, the groundbreaking ceremony officially started the construction of the Port Moresby Temple  the first in the island nation of Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea is home to 35,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 87 congregations, per the church website. Its one of the largest island nations in the world, located just west of Indonesia and north of Australia.

According to a church press release, local government leaders attended the ceremony, including the governor-general of the country, Sir Bab Dadae, the solicitor general, Tauvasa Tanuvasa Chou-Lee, and Charge dAffaires at the U.S. embassy there, Joe Zadrozny.

Its a great pleasure to come here and see that the church is still going strong ... as well as being a beacon of light to the rest of Papua New Guinea, said the solicitor general, who broke the ground with a shovel, alongside the governor-general.

Also present were church leaders, including Elder Robert Gordon, who is an Area Seventy, and Elder Peter F. Meurs, who is a General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the Pacific Area Presidency, along with with his wife, Sister Maxine Meurs.

Elder Meurs gave the dedicatory prayer and presided at the event. He said he felt touched by the joy in the faces of the saints who attended the event and described them as excited and delighted to have a house of the Lord.

I think its such a great season of preparation, helping everyone get ready for a house of the Lord and be worthy to enter it, Elder Meurs said. What a blessing its going to be to the church and I think to the whole nation of Papua New Guinea.

Local church leader Sasa Zibe said that he never thought hed see a temple built in the country in his lifetime.

Other local congregants said they felt blessed and grateful to have a temple being built on their own land.

Theres a huge measure of happiness that just washed over myself as well as everyone who attended, said Ouhdin Lagaia, a local churchgoer who attended the groundbreaking.

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A version of this The Sign in Sidney Brusteins Window review first ran for its Off Broadway opening on Feb. 27.

No, The Sign in Sidney Brusteins Window is not some amazing rediscovered masterpiece. But yes, Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan make it worth seeing, especially for its promising but deeply flawed first act.

The Sign in Sidney Brusteins Window was Lorraine Hansberrys 1964 follow-up to her Broadway debut five years earlier, A Raisin in the Sun. She worked from her hospital bed while battling pancreatic cancer, mining rewrites during rehearsals. The play went on to run three months on Broadway and closed two days before Hansberry died at age 34 on Jan. 12, 1965. Revivals have been rare in the intervening years, and this starry one that opened Thursday on Broadway at the James Earl Jones Theater makes it clear why. The production had previously played at the Brooklyn Academy of Music earlier this year.

Its difficult to imagine more engaging performances than those being given by Isaac and Brosnahan. They portray the young and troubled married couple that lives in Greenwich Village and are repeatedly called bohemians. Sidney is a political activist who goes from one failed entrepreneurial gig to another. Iris is a waitress who longs to be an actress. Theyre in love, and from the way Isaac and Brosnahan go after each other, its evident the sex is great on a scale of Stella and Stanley Kowalski.

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When we meet Sidney and Iris, however, theres more quarreling than lovemaking going on. Sidney is quickest with the insults. Put him in a room with another person, and theres bound to be a fight. Iris is spared only when other victims wander into their apartment, and they include Sidneys young ex-Communist friend (Julian De Niro), his conventional uptown sister-in-law (Miriam Silverman), the gay upstairs-neighbor playwright (Glenn Fitzgerald), an avant-garde artist who is designing Sidneys recently acquired newspaper (Raphael Nash Thompson) and a leftist political candidate (Andy Grotelueschen), whom Sidney somehow finds time to manage.

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When Isaac and Brosnahan are onstage alone, The Sign in Sidney Brusteins Window delivers the theatrical power of Ruth and Walter Lee Youngers tragically compromised marriage in A Raisin in the Sun. Both couples cant begin to fulfill the American Dream thats been jammed into their respective heads.

The first act of Sidney Brusteins Window lasts 90 minutes, and about 45 minutes of it is the productions most compelling as Isaac and Brosnahan love and slug it out under Anne Kauffmans direction. There is another 45 minutes, however, when Sidney and Iris interact with the other characters, all of whom should go back to the Herb Gardner comedy from which they came. Most cringe-worthy is Silvermans conservative sister Mavis, a doppelganger for the conservative brother Nick Burns in A Thousand Clowns, which opened on Broadway two years before Hansberrys play.

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Since Sidney and Iris marriage essentially ends at the end of Act 1, theres no action left to dramatize during the almost-as-long second act. Iris disappears for most of its 80 minutes, and Isaac is reduced to a drunk who listens while the supporting characters are given a moment  a very extended moment  to rant about racism (De Niro), an unfaithful husband (Silverman) and the emptiness of success (Fitzgerald).

A new character (the barely intelligible Gus Birney) enlivens things a bit because she looks and acts like a streetwalker (costumes by Brenda Abbandandolo). Her outfit and hair (by Leah Loukas) dont lie, and after 15 minutes, this prostitute with a heart of tin has committed suicide in the Brustein bathroom. As records go, it may be the fastest suicide in the history of the theater.

And theres something else thats phony about this cliche of a character. How could her fiance (De Niro) not know that his girlfriend, made up for RuPauls Drag Race, is not having sex with other men for money? Racism may be the least of this guys problems.

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Before this tragic episode inspires way too much onstage analysis, the prostitute is invited upstairs by the gay guy so she can watch him and his new boyfriend have sex. Fitzgerald manages to be wonderfully enigmatic in his request, while Isaac acts drunk and Kauffman, for her part as director, distracts us from the absurd theatricality of it all by cleverly bringing Brosnahan, De Niro and Silverman into the audience so they can observe the action in silence. Theyre a kind of silent chorus, which relates back to something Mavis has told Sidney about her Greek-American father. Hansberrys play is chockfull of references to all sorts of mythological characters.

Sidney and Iris reunite at the end so she can tell him what a fool he was to back the wrong political candidate. Why a would-be actress with no political chops knows this and Sidney doesnt is not explained despite The Sign in Sidney Brusteins Window lasting nearly three hours.
SPREADING OUT: Streetwear gurus can now dream up their own collaborations with Spread, a new unisex brand out of Berlin that gives customers a creative toolbox to personalize each garment with graphics, prints, embroideries and exclusive artworks.

Its the brainchild of Lothar Reiff, who operates a namesake consulting business in Germany and is well known for having been a longtime creative director at Hugo Boss. Hes also the chief product and brand advisor at Spread Group, a Leipzig-based company specializing in customized merch.

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Reiff is extending the firm into fashion and lifestyle territory with Spreads cropped and oversized hoodies, T-shirts, sweatpants and shorts, which ooze Berlin cool. A launch event Friday night in the German capital will summon 800 select hipsters to a secret location for a dance party.

The initiative is targeted squarely at what Reiff calls Genzennials, a portmanteau of Gen Z and Millennials, generations who prize individuality and hence personalization.

Reiff ticked off other important boxes: All the products are produced in Portugal from organic cotton, and the customizations are realized in a jiffy, shipped within two or three days of the order being placed.

According to Spread Group chief executive officer Julian de Grahl, the venture leverages its proven made-to-order technology in a disruptive way, offering young consumers what they value most: personality and consciousness.

Sold exclusively online at Spreadyourstyle.com, the streetwear will initially ship within Europe and then spread out globally, Reiff said.

He enlisted art director Donald Schneider to mastermind the communication plan, which involves social media content and wild postings that resemble magazine covers.

A wild posting for Spread featuring Vtss.

Schneider assembled an edgy Berlin squad for the campaign, including actor and musician Aaron Altaras, artist Mago Dovjenko and three musicians and DJs who go by one name: Dania, Lsdxoxo and Vtss.

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Up-and-coming photographer Vitali Gelwich teamed with stylist Claudia Hofmann for the images.

Reiff said he and Spread Group executives are assembling a creative studio that will be headquartered in Berlin and turn out several new drops per year and a rotating roster of guest artists.

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Thai authorities have charged a woman with premeditated murder in connection with the deaths of at least 13 people, including her ex-boyfriend and two female police officers.

Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, who is married to a senior police officer, was arrested on Tuesday after authorities were alerted about the suspicious death of a friend she had traveled with on April 14.

Rangsiwuthaporn had reportedly been traveling with her friend, Siriporn Khanwong, to take part in a Buddhist ritual at a river in Ratchaburi province, located west of Bangkok, when Khanwong collapsed and died on the riverbank. When her body was found, her belongings, such as her phone, money and bags, were missing.

The suspicious nature of Khanwong's death prompted her family to ask local authorities for an investigation, during which an autopsy found traces of cyanide in her body.

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The police interviewed witnesses, including Rangsiwuthaporn's police officer husband, who had recently broken up with her. Police said they found cyanide at the suspects home as well as other pieces of evidence inside her Toyota Forerunner.

Cyanide, which can induce heart attacks and starve the body's cells of oxygen, can still be detected in bodies several months after a persons death depending on the used amount. The substance is heavily regulated in Thailand, where unauthorized access can result in up to two years in jail.

Police said that their investigation points to Rangsiwuthaporn having allegedly killed at least 12 other people by poisoning between 2020 and 2023.

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While the authorities did not identify all the victims, they named Rangsiwuthaporn's former boyfriend, as well as two female police officers, as among them.

The other victims, who died over several years and were allegedly similarly poisoned, reportedly knew the suspect and may have loaned her money. One victim, who survived but vomited and fainted after having lunch with Rangsiwuthaporn, had lent her 250,000 baht (approximately $7,300).

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Relatives of her other alleged victims had claimed to have jewelry and cash missing as well.

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''If the evidence shows she has committed other murders, then the suspect will fit the description of a serial killer,'' Major General Montri Theskha, chief of the Crime Suppression Division, was quoted as saying.

However, authorities noted that gathering further evidence could be a hurdle since at the time of many of the victims deaths, no one suspected any foul play. Some of the victims bodies had already been cremated.

Rangsiwuthaporn, who is currently four months pregnant, has denied all charges against her. Her request for bail has been denied.

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Donald Trump has vowed to restore a travel ban on Islamic nations, prohibiting citizens of those countries from entering the US, if he is elected president in 2024.

"I will restore my travel ban to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of our country," the twice-impeached former president said in New Hampshire on Thursday.

"You saw what happened. Four years You saw that right? We were very tough on that. We don't want our buildings blown up."

Mr Trump, during his first week in office in 2017, restricted travel from seven Muslim-majority nations  Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

While the order was at first blocked by the courts and the White House scrambled to say it was not a ban on Muslims, the Supreme Court in 2018 upheld the final version of the measure.

The ban was overturned by president Joe Biden after he took office in 2021. White House said it will improve the screening of visitors by strengthening information sharing with foreign governments instead of retaining the blanket ban.

Mr Trump's appearance in New Hampshire marked his first return to an early voting state since his legal troubles increased with an indictment in New York.

He spoke on the same day that his former vice president, Mike Pence, testified before a federal grand jury investigating efforts by Mr Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election. Author E Jean Carroll testified as well in a civil rape case against Mr Trump over an encounter in the 1990s, an allegation he denies.

Trump: I will restore my travel ban to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of our country. You saw what happened. Four years You saw that right? We were very tough on that. We don't want our buildings blown up. pic.twitter.com/jHJ7RzHhyv  Acyn (@Acyn) April 27, 2023

The former president announced that he is "retiring" the "Crooked" nickname for Hillary Clinton and will instead be using it going forward for President Biden.

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I will be retiring the name Crooked from Hillary Clinton and her moniker, and Im going to give her a new name, I dont know, like maybe Lovely Hillary or Beautiful Hillary', but Im going to retire the name Crooked because he will be known from now on as Crooked Joe Biden', Mr Trump said.

As the crowd cheered and whistled, the former president launched a sizeable accusation at Mr Biden, the candidate who beat him handily in both the popular vote and the Electoral College in 2020.

Theres never been anyone in the history of American politics so crooked or dishonest as Joe Biden, and the press absolutely refuses to report it  all that press back there  because, frankly, theyre just as crooked as he is, and they are, Mr Trump said at a downtown Manchester hotel, a smaller venue than his typical, large-scale rallies.

The choice in this election is now between strength and weakness, between success and failure, between safety and anarchy, between peace and conflict and prosperity or catastrophe, he continued.

We are a nation in serious decline, a nation that has lost its way, Trump said, adding that the country is led by a "hopeless person".

"But we will win in 2024 and make America great again. We can do it. Its not too late."
Luz Elena Mendoza Ramos has been making music as Y La Bamba for 15 years, but their new record Lucha feels like a breakthrough moment for the Mexican American singer-songwriter. It is also a sort of homecoming, marking the first full-length album Ramos has released since moving to Mexico City in 2022. Though their family hails from the pueblo and el rancho, as Ramos tells me in a Zoom interview, they are still connecting to their roots in the capitals more urban atmosphere, undergoing a process they like to call reverse assimilation.

I love being in Mexico, they gush, and really learning that part of something that my parents couldnt teach me.

Lucha, out now from the label Tender Loving Empire, opens with Eight, a meditative collage of wind chimes, piano, and delicate acoustic guitar. The song might seem like a peaceful start to a record whose title literally translates to fight or the struggle. But Ramos has learned through experience that fighting also looks like healing, self-discovery, and coming to terms with the fragility of life. Eight, for example, was written after Ramos dear friend and fellow musician Nectali Sumo Hair Diaz died in Los Angeles in the summer of 2022, as a way to reckon with their distance from the tragedy.

The album also grapples with the generational trauma of immigrant life. After their parents came to the United States in the 70s, Ramos mother harvested fruit in Ceres, an agricultural town in the central valley of California. Their father, Ramos says, crossed into the country through the use of a coyote, a person hired to smuggle immigrants into the United States, which is a dangerous and sometimes deadly way to enter the country. To this day, the 40-year-old Ramos is still feeling the aftermath of their turbulent home life.

I feel like I grew up with trauma, and Im trying to reorganize these narratives constantly, they elaborate. I am unpacking a lot of this history and its natural for me.

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As part of that unpacking, Ramos moved to their familys country of origin in 2022. Though they grew up in a Mexican community in Medford, Oregon, Ramos says the hyper-capitalist mentality of the United States kept them from feeling a deeper connection to their culture, especially to the indigenous aspects of their own history. Now living in Mexico, they are learning to slow their brain down, undertaking a spiritual journey to connect to their familys past.

Theres a learning curve and its painful. Ive never done ayahuasca, but Im sure its like this ayahuasca experience, they tell me  a fitting metaphor for an album that finds Ramos sifting through grief and trauma to find reserves of hope, understanding and queer joy.

Ahead of the release of Lucha, Ramos spoke with Them about generational trauma, ancestral algorithms, and embracing suffering.

In your artist statement you said you dont want to demonize suffering. Could you elaborate on that?

In regards to mental health, [my first-generation experience] was Oh, dont you dare talk about a fucking therapist in our communities because that means youre fucking lost or on drugs. I wasnt born in Mexico, but Im very informed in my DNA and in the way that I was raised. I have that really memorized in my bones. I think a lot of that follows from colonialism and classism: You gotta work hard. If youre having a bad time, its because youre not working hard enough.

When I go to Mexico and I see the classism and the divide and the economic disparity I can see the ghosts of that trauma, of that scarcity mindset. Then there are people who dont have the privilege to even check in with themselves to see if theyre suffering or not, because theyre fucking surviving. You dont have time to talk about identity politics. You dont have time to talk about your mental health. You dont have the privilege and the space to even wiggle in that.

To someone like me, it makes sense to say, Hey, lets not demonize suffering. Some people might not understand what is underneath that soil, what the roots are that fucking make up that statement, which is all the shit. Its growing up Catholic.

There arent many bilingual singers in indie rock. Can you speak to that?

I dont believe in a genre. Im non-binary in my genre. Im fluid in my genre. Dude, Im fucking Mexican American. I was born in 1982 and was in Southern Oregon, and grew up in just fucking tight-ass Mexican communities. It was at school that I hung out with all the fucking white American-cultured fucking kids. And Im right in the middle. Im a border, even though I didnt grow up in the border. Inside, Im a border. Theres a lot of code-switching, a lot of assimilating, and my parents didnt fucking teach me how to be American. Are you kidding me? Theyre not responsible for me speaking English. This is just being self-made and figuring it out. When you hear my music, thats me just fucking hearing and figuring myself out as a fucking person.

And I guess indie rock might also be the wrong genre to label your music. Do you agree?

I grew up fucking listening to Mariachi, well, mostly Corridos, Nortenos. Like, musica tradicional. And then you fucking put that in the blender, and Im fucking sitting there trying to pretend to be this fucking indie white kid when I was young.

Its not that I wanted to be white, I was just learning my environment and seeing whats stuck and what didnt, and pretended that I knew the fucking books that they were reading. Im fucking Chicano, Latinx, fucking Mexican American. And theres not a lot of us [in indie rock.]

YLaBamba_inline Jennifer Carrillo

In Nunca, you speak a lot about your mother, and how she loves life, and how much you admire that. I thought it was such a beautiful sentiment. My grandmothers like that. She just exists. Shes 95 and things dont bother her. I want to be more like her and not overthink as much. Does that overthinking resonate with you?

Were the generation of overthinking, I think its due to the impact of being bi-cultural and biracial and also existing in music spaces. My family has anxiety, they just dont talk about it. My mom s just innocent and honest, and also whenever shes not honest, I can see why, because of where she comes from and everything. I just hold space. Shes gone through so much shit.

We had a very [difficult home life.] It was intense. My dad has a colonizer mentality: theres anger there and theres that ancestral algorithm of some sort, of [picking up] how things were led where he used to live and how he got treated and what he saw. On my moms side of the family, its not like that, you can see more of the indigeneity, more of the sovereignty, the softness. To have an accurate lens, an accurate narrative of what it means to be this biracial person, being Mexican or Chicano or Mexican-American, [you need to understand both sides.]

Im going through an awakening of really knowing where my family comes from, so I can represent it accurately. I come from a very complex history, and theres a lot within that.

I feel like that is generational trauma. Its within our bodies when were born. This is the way that it comes from ancestry to today. Its like we hold that in our body even if we dont experience it directly; its still part of the lineage. And I think its beautiful that you can see it from that point of view, because it could just manifest as anger.

I think its a trauma. There is a lot of anger. Im now seeing that in my innocence as a kid: I didnt even know I was allowed to be angry. It wasnt until later when I started seriously going to therapy. I never went to therapy until I was fucking 37. We need someone who we can talk to, and there hasnt been access to that. The weird things that I had about therapy was because of what my Mexican community told me about it. So I had to get over that. There wasnt a fucking conversation about what that looked like. And I still carried the shame of having to admit that I need help for a lot longer.

Do you consider yourself a spiritual person?

I have the blessing and the curse of wanting to see the arithmetic behind all the ancestral algorithms and everything thats beyond. Its just so natural for me. I feel perhaps I am sensitive to the arithmetic that ties all of us together just as existing beings that we are, spiritual beings, these energies, these consciousness. I ask myself: Where do my parents come from? Where do their parents come from? Whats the history behind that? Whats the history behind these physical, tangible experiences that weve had, and that theyve already lived before us and will continue living after us?

Why do I feel that way? Maybe because its trauma, maybe its because of my hypervigilance, or maybe its Maybelline. I dont fucking know.

Im a border, even though I didnt grow up in the border. Inside, Im a border.

Whats it like to speak more openly about your queerness these days?

I definitely felt queer very early on. And I dont even know what to call it. I was into girls, lets just say it. Its a lot to unpack, to talk about the fluidity of my queerness and who I am as a person and how I navigate my sexuality. its very transformative, its ongoing. Im so glad that Ive been able to find that space and for me to relax and really stretch out all my limbs, all of my fibers of everything that this physical body is. And also what Ive been given, this spirit, this brain, this wandering soul that is yearning for love in a certain way and how to love and nurture and be nurtured.

In my queerness, I have really felt like I am finding freedom. I know Im fucking older, but its taken me a long time for me to really celebrate who I am and where I am, and have access to the expansive parts of my sexuality. And theres a lot of pain behind it. I didnt have the option to come out early in life. It wasnt even available to me. I mean, I was like Jesus Christ, beans and rice. I grew up very Catholic. I got confirmed, got baptized, had my first communion. I grew up with such a misogynistic patriarchy. I had to cook for my dad. I had to iron his laundry.

I know that a lot of my unpacking is deconstructing past unhealthy relationships and my addiction to narcissistic men. Because that was embedded into me: the man has the final word. Theyre the ones who provide. So I was attracted to that kind of archetype, you know? There was so much shame around it. And it was all subconscious and buried into that. Ive definitely had relationships with women way early on. It wasnt until a couple of months ago that I told my mom that Im queer and that I have relationships with women.

Salute, Corook, and Jessy Lanza: Our Favorite New Music This Month

Listen to these artists and more on our monthly queer playlist.

It seems like youre in this beautiful period of learning and revelations. Do you think that this new album is an encapsulation of that? Do you feel like that is reflected in the music directly?

I feel like Im always in that state of reflection and growing, as long as Ive known myself, its this way that I am, and what changes is what Im learning. As long as Im able to document any form of expression, if its visual or sonically, I think theres always going to be that reflection of, Im growing, even if Im not outwardly talking about my growth or I think that in some shape or form its going to show itself if Im creating it.

This album is actually bittersweet because theres a lot that took to make the album happen. I recorded it half in Portland, half in Mexico City. I got to meet and work with a really amazing Chilean community. Theres so much information within this album and its just a stamp of a moment in time.

This conversation has been edited and condensed.

Lucha is available now from Tender Loving Empire. Y La Bamba is currently touring the United States and Mexico City.

Get the best of whats queer. Sign up for Thems weekly newsletter here.

Originally Appeared on them.
Avelo Airlines is turning two with new service to some of the most exciting summer destinations in the U.S.

Billy Hustace/Getty Images

A two-year-old airline is celebrating with new destinations and big discounts on fares.

Avelo Airlines, based in Houston, has recently announced new services to bring travelers to California's Wine Country, Glacier National Park, Bozeman Yellowstone, and more. The low-cost carrier has been aggressively announcing new destinations as it ramps up services and continues expansion.

The airline recently announced newly expanded service from California Wine Countrys Sonoma County Airport to Redmond, Oregon starting on June 23, with introductory fares on sale for $34. Travelers can also fly to California Wine Country on Avelo from Los Angeles (Burbank Airport), Las Vegas, and Palm Springs.

New service for visitors to Glacier National Park in northern Montanas Rocky Mountain region will soon be available on Avelo, starting on May 22, from Los Angeles' Hollywood Burbank Airport to the Glacier Park International Airport.

This week, the airline also announced new service between Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Montana to the Southern Californias Hollywood Burbank Airport which will begin on June 28.

For passengers looking to jet away, the airline is running a summer sale with 50% off select flights between May 1 and Sept. 6, when you use the promo code "WANDERLUST." Travel + Leisure tried out several routes and was able to see the savings instantly. For example, on a flight from Burbank, CA to Kalispell, MT (Glacier National Park), the fare successfully dropped from $68 to $42 one-way, with the same discount also being offered on the return flight.

Avelo is one of the newest low-cost carriers in the United States, having started in April 2021, and has already flown 2 million passengers on 17,000 flights. For those unfamiliar with Avelo, they also offer free change and cancellations. The destinations recently announced are the latest additions for Avelos route map which services 43 destinations across 24 states.

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At least one airport on every Avelo flight is a small hometown airport  making every Avelo journey easier and more enjoyable, reps for Avelo said in a statement provided to T+L.

Avelo was founded by Andrew Levy, the former chief financial officer at United Airlines, and co-founder of Allegiant Air.



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Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
For a little taste of the Mediterranean, you might consider heading down south to Texas.

The Emmer & Rye hospitality group, which is behind lauded restaurants like Hestia and Canje, opened on Thursday its latest spot in Austin: Ezov, an ode to the flavors of both Tel Aviv and the Lone Star State (the name is the Hebrew word for hyssop, one of the main ingredients in zaatar). Heading up the kitchen is executive chef Berty Richter, who grew up in Israel but has been cooking in Texas for seven years.

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Im excited to bring a taste of Israeli cuisine to Austin with Ezov, Richter said in a statement. Ezovs menu reflects that blend of cultures while also showcasing the similarities of these culinary traditions along with our local farming and agricultural practices.

Halloumi and wine

Richter was particularly inspired by the Galilee region of Israel, and his menu nods to that area in dishes such as smashed cucumber with labne and sumac; seasonal crudo with pistachio, tahini, and pomegranate; and halloumi with date molasses and dukkah. Israeli favorites like falafel, hummus, sabich, and chicken shawarma all make appearances as well. For dessert, theres of course baklava, here served with caramelized banana, tahini ice cream, Texas pecans, and pistachios.

The drinks menu, meanwhile, features a Mediterranean-focused wine list with bottles from Greece, Lebanon, Israel, Italy, and more countries. Cocktails are inspired by Tel Avivs nightlife scene, and include drinks like Aphrodites Crown (reposado tequila, Aperol, strawberry, rose, hibiscus, Aleppo, and charred pasilla) and Carmel Market (olive-oil-washed vodka, raki, herbal liqueur, salted celery, cucumber, and lemon).

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Aphrodites Crown

The decor, designed by Rand Egbert, similarly draws on the bold colors and effervescent nature of Tel Aviv. My goal was to capture the cities effortlessly hip vibe while giving a nod to its lively markets, fun nightlife and dynamic street art, Egbert said in a statement. Thats evident in the spaces pink and red accents and graffitied lampshades, among other playful details.

Ezov will be open seven nights a week for dinner.

Click here to see all the images of Ezov.

Falafel from Ezov

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$290,000 worth of counterfeit Apple products were seized at Washington Dulles Airport Photo by Robert Michael/picture alliance via Getty Images

US Customs and Border Patrol officers detained four shipments of Apple products suspected to be fake.

The products, Apple AirPods Pro and Apple Watches which came from China, were seized.

The total retail value of the electronics was around $290,000.

In mid-March, US Customs and Border Patrol officers suspected something was off when four shipments containing Apple products  more specifically 1,000 Apple AirPods Pro and 50 Apple Watches  arrived at the Washington Dulles Airport in Virginia from China, per a CBP press release.

The suspicion proved to be warranted, as the shipments were determined to be filled with $289,500 worth of counterfeit Apple goods, as appraised by trade experts at the CBP's Machinery Centers of Excellence and Expertise.

After detaining the shipments, officers submitted documentation of the cargo within and seized the load on March 29.

So far, no one has been criminally charged for the bootlegging attempt.

CBP did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Last year, officers seized nearly 25 million counterfeit items that, had they been genuine, would have had a retail value of $2.98 billion. Handbags and wallets were the most common items seized, accounting for 30.3% of all seizures, the agency reported.

Seized watches and jewlery accounted for the highest percentage of the total value of counterfeit items last year, coming in 40% or $1.14 billion.

Counterfeit Apple products are nothing new. In 2021, Apple confirmed to Insider that it had a team working with law enforcement and other stakeholders to monitor and remove counterfeit Apple products from social media sites.

In 2020, Apple removed more than one million online listings for counterfeit products, with most of these sellers based in China.

Read the original article on Business Insider
PARIS  The Mugler fashion house is about to welcome a new managing director  from inside the brand, WWD has learned.

Adrian Corsin, who has served as director of business acceleration at Mugler fashion since last year, is succeeding Pascal Conte-Jodra, who recently exited the house.

More from WWD

By mutual agreement with Pascal Conte-Jodra, we have decided to put an end to our collaboration. Pascal wanted to pursue other professional projects outside the group, confirmed a LOreal spokesperson contacted by WWD.

Corsin begins in his new role on Tuesday.

He joins the house at a vibrant moment as it gears up for the May 11 launch of its collaboration with Swedish fashion giant H&M. The Mugler H&M collection, priced from $49.99 to $749, will be available online and in 120 stores globally.

The brand has been gaining heat in recent years due to fierce collections, fashion films and see now, buy now runway spectacles by Casey Cadwallader, who has been creative director at Mugler since 2017.

Corsin will report to Daniele Lahana-Aidenbaum, global president of Mugler fashion and fragrances at LOreal, which owns the brand.

As director of business acceleration at Mugler fashion, Corsin spearheaded category expansion, collaboration and business transformation.

The executive joined Mugler after five-and-a-half years at Parfums Christian Dior, where he oversaw numerous makeup categories prior to being named international marketing director in 2020.

A Canadian national, Corsin began working in the beauty industry at LOreal in Montreal before moving to Paris in 2011. He studied at Schulich School of Business in Toronto.

Conte-Jodras next move could not immediately be learned. He joined Mugler fashion in 2018 from Wellness Wave, according to his LinkedIn profile. Conte-Jodras resume also includes stints at Marc Jacobs International, Carolina Herrera and Hermes International.

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'Reef Relief' to help turn the tide on coral bleaching

EILAT, Israel, April 28, 2023 /CNW/ -- Eilat, the resort city of the State of Israel, is presenting the world's first sunscreen that is scientifically formulated not only to protect the skin from UV rays but to feed and nourish endangered coral reefs.

Reef Relief to help turn the tide on coral bleaching

Eilat is home to the ecological wonder of the planet's northernmost shallow-water reef and passionate about protecting it and other coral reefs. Coral is facing serious threats from climate change, pollution, and other human activities, with an estimated 14,000 tons of sunscreen ending up in the world's oceans every year. As many as 80% of ordinary sunscreens contain chemicals that contribute to coral bleaching and dying reefs.

While some manufacturers have begun to remove harmful chemicals like Oxybenzone, Reef Relief goes further than any other sunscreen on the planet to protect coral reefs and help them thrive.

Marine and skincare specialists have developed a new formulation based on a non-nano, titanium-dioxide-based, mineral sunscreen. The base formula is ecocert compliant and has undergone extensive aquatic safety testing, to include c. elegans, freshwater fish, saltwater fish and coral larvae. The added reef nourishing formula is a bespoke blend of FDA-compliant trace minerals used by coral farmers to feed and support healthy growth in coral.

Giovanni Giallongo, Marine Biologist at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Eilat, said, "The development of a sunscreen that not only doesn't harm coral, but has the potential to feed and nourish our reefs, is an important step towards protecting and preserving our oceans. Reef Relief could feed into the health of communities underwater and on land."

Reef Relief sunscreen also presents to the world another first, a brand-new certification  not just SPF, but RPF: Reef Protection Factor.

An increasing number of products claim to be 'reef-friendly' or 'reef-safe', but there is a lack of regulation in this area which means that consumers are easily being misled. It's hoped that the new RPF marque will become an industry standard and spread beyond Israel, worldwide, helping consumers make responsible choices.

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Giallongo added, "This is a way of identifying sunscreen that truly cares for coral. An RPF marque as an industry standard: this could be game-changing."

The State City of Eilat is committed to environmental sustainability and has proven a fertile ground for R&D into aquaculture, biotechnology and renewable and sustainable energy.

This latest initiative, it is hoped by Eilat, will help protect one of our planet's most precious ecosystems, while attracting newly eco-conscious tourist visitors to explore the stunning Red Sea reefs in areas like their Coral Beach Nature Reserve and Dolphin Reef. Reef Relief is currently undergoing consumer trials.

For more information about Reef Relief, please visit www.reefreliefsunscreen.com or www.eilat.city/en

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Reef Relief to help turn the tide on coral bleaching

Cision

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SOURCE The City of Eilat

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The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a $5,000 reward for tips leading to the arrest of a man wanted in connection with the killing of a Washtenaw County woman whose body was burned after being thrown into the trunk of a car last year.

The 21-year-old woman's body was found on the east side of Detroit in November after residents called 911 to report a burning car in the street, according to the marshals.

Two suspects tied to the homicide have already been arrested and are in custody, the marshals said, though a third man remains missing: 28-year-old Bashid Bristol-Davis, of Belleville. Authorities say he helped place the body in the trunk on Nov. 11, 2022, then drove to Detroit and set both the car and body on fire.

Wanted man 'armed and dangerous' with a criminal history

It is not known which of the three men killed the woman  or how she was killed  only that all three are tied to the homicide, according to the marshals.

Bashid Bristol-Davis is accused of a serious offense which demonstrates a clear disregard for the law, Owen Cypher, U.S. marshal for the Eastern District of Michigan, said in a statement. We will use every resource at our disposal to bring him to justice.

More: How a Madison Heights man got 1 day in jail for child porn  then struck again

More: Students sue Michigan school district for banning 'Let's Go Brandon' sweatshirts

The marshals stressed: "He is armed and dangerous."

He's also not new to law enforcement.

Victim was a 21-year-old woman

According to court records and Livonia police, Bristol-Davis was arrested in Livonia in 2016 for a string of gun store break-ins. He was charged in Wayne County Circuit Court with breaking and entering, larceny of a firearm, and receiving and concealing stolen property. He served nearly 20 months in prison in that case, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections.

Little information is known about the victim in the murder case tied to Bristol-Davis. According to the marshals, the victim is 21-year-old Patricia Fowler  though there are no details about her death, or why she was killed.

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Ypsilanti police said the case is being handled by the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office. Officials there could not be reached for comment.

If you have information on the whereabouts of Bristol-Davis, contact the U.S. Marshals Service tip line at 866-865-TIPS (8477), submit a tip online via the USMS Tips App or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak-Up.

Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Feds offer reward for tips leading to arrest of Bashid Bristol-Davis
Lt. Gov. Jon Husted watches while Brody Mead uses a machine in the RAMTEC shop at the Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center.

VERMILLION TWP.  Ohio's lieutenant governor was on a fact-finding mission.

Jon Husted toured the Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center on Tuesday to listen and learn about how it has experienced a growth spurt in recent years. His tour leaders were Superintendent Rodney Cheyney, Principal Rick Brindley, Adult Education Director Nancy Hall and board member Jason Chio.

More: Building appreciation for history: Loudonville teen uses 3D technology to produce models

Aside from getting an up-close look at some of the programs offered at the center, Husted visited with students to learn about their plans for the future, asking them to explain how they want to use the skills they are learning.

Mechanical engineering student Amasa Maynard shows Lt. Gov. Jon Husted examples of the things students have made. Husted visited with the Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center to learn about their plans for the future.

"With market conditions, this was an opportunity for us to show him what type of school we are, and our enrollment, so we could talk to him about helping to add programs and equipment to upgrade what we have," Brindley said. "He is a big supporter of career tech, and we felt it was important to get him up here."

End goal: Preparation meeting opportunity

Husted said he is interested in seeing "preparation meeting opportunity," seeing that students are being properly prepared to meet the specific needs as they head into the workforce.

Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center students Gabriella Elges, left, Mikayla Jarvis, Tesa Ross and Marcus Wolboldt greet Lt. Gov. Jon Husted. Husted said due to demographic shifts, employers are willing to hire people who don't have college degrees, which is changing the marketplace.

"It is important for local economic development, your employers got to find talent if they want to expand," he said. "Career centers are offering students a pathway to their future. You're helping to educate young people to stay in your community."

Cheyney pointed out how better than 40% of the 652 sophomores in the associate schools of the Career Center are enrolled in programs at ACWHCC for next year, creating a need for expansion. The state average is 20%.

"That's a pretty amazing stat," Husted said. "Pretty much my whole professional life, I've been working in economic development of some sort, and for the longest time everybody would say we need more kids to go to vocational schools, career centers, and in the last five years, it's like somebody flipped a switch and it is happening."

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He pointed out that due to demographic shifts, employers are willing to hire people who don't have college degrees, which is changing the marketplace.

"Employers are now saying they don't need someone with a degree. They need someone with a skill, because the nature of work is changing more to the technical side," Husted said.

Chio said the reason he serves on the board of the Career Center is he knows the importance learning a trade.

"There's a certain number of kids who aren't going to learn sitting behind a desk," he said. "They will learn by looking at the tape measure, by reading the instruments and being hands-on. We have to provide that service to those kids."

Construction Technology instructor John Staats noted in-demand jobs in the construction industry are abundant, and the advantages students gain from his program give them a distinct advantage as they head into the job market.

Recruiting potential employees

Andy Fox, workforce coordinator for Kokosing Construction Co., was on hand as a supporter for the skilled trades.

Andy Fox of Kokosing Construction Co., left, talks with Construction Tech staff John Staats and Dale Cable in the house the students in the Construction Tech class are building at the Career Center. Fox said since his company has affiliated with the school it has employed at least 100 students.

"I'd say since we've been affiliated with these career centers, we're probably got at least 100 individuals working for us," Fox said. "So far this year we've had almost 30 from throughout central Ohio career centers, with another six or seven come June.

"When we hire individuals from these programs, they come to us with technical skills already," he said. "They come in with experience, versus hiring someone right off the street. We rely on the career centers to help train and educate our people."

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Lt. Gov. Jon Husted visits Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center
The 2023 Met Gala will honor famed Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld. (Photo:Getty Images; Illustration by Barbara Gibson for Yahoo)

Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel will forever be linked with her namesake brand  but you can credit Karl Lagerfeld with its indelible image. In 1983, when Lagerfeld took over the French fashion house, he he set forth a vision that can still be felt  and purchased  in stores everywhere.

"He had so much power and so much of an influence on what people were wearing that anything could be Karl Lagerfeld inspired," fashion historian Doris Domoszlai-Lantner tells Yahoo Life.

However, Lagerfeld was also a controversial figure who made headlines for fat-shaming Adele, supporting the fur industry and exchanging words with Angela Merkel. So what do you need to know about the designer?

Who was Karl Lagerfeld?

Born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1933, Lagerfeld began sketching designs at a young age and won a prestigious fashion design competition in 1954 that put his career on the fasttrack. Shortly thereafter, he was scouted by designer Pierre Balmain who produced Lagerfeld's winning look and brought him on as an assistant in 1955.

Throughout his career, he would go on to work with various luxury brands, including Balmain, Chloe and Fendi, where he served as creative director up until his death. But in the eyes of many, he is most revered for his contributions at Chanel.

Lasting fashion impact

Lagerfeld designed for both ready-to-wear collections and couture at Chanel. Chanel was founded in 1910 by Gabrielle aka Coco Chanel. After popularizing sportswear for women, launching Chanel No. 5 and creating the quilted handbag and iconic two-tone pumps, the brand went through a flat period.

"When I took over Chanel, everybody said to me, 'Don't touch it. It's dead. There's nothing you can do.' And I said to myself, 'I love that people think that. Now let's see," Lagerfeld said in a 2017 interview with Women's Wear Daily.

His tenacity paid off, as hes now largely credited with modernizing the brand. One of his savviest moves was to include the French brands double-C logo on products like three-piece terry-cloth sets to mega-micro bikinis. He also expanded the brand's accessory arsenal, and soon, the famed double-Cs were plastered on everything from skis to surfboards.

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Beyond turning the interlocked letters into one of the most recognizable and sought-after luxury logos in the world, he also integrated popular style silhouettes into the brand, previously known for taking a more reserved and classic approach to style. This included drawing inspiration from pop culture and mixing it with Chanel house style classics like their boucle tweed blazers and interlaced leather and metal chains.

By the 90s, Lagerfeld had fully reconceptualized the standard Chanel tweed suit, opting for shorter skirts, fitted blazers and displayed a particular flare for chunky statement jewelry.

And whether it be Naomi Campbell strutting down the runway with an exposed nipple and crucifix necklace or a hula-hoop-purse hybrid made "for the beach"  he never stopped pushing the needle.

Controversies

Lagerfeld, who died in 2019, was revered for his designs  but was known for stirring the pot with his controversial zingers and often hateful perspectives.

He disregarded the need for plus-sized models and fat-shamed Adele

Throughout his career, Lagerfeld has been accused of bias against larger bodies numerous times. In 2009, he told the German magazine Focus that "no one wants to see curvy women," and critiqued "fat mothers with their bags of chips" for "sitting in front of the television and saying that thin models are ugly."

Then in 2012, Lagerfeld used his time as guest editor for Metro to offer his opinions on Adele's appearance, stating she has a "beautiful face" and "divine voice" but is "a little too fat."

He later clarified to CNN that he "never said" Adele was fat, but rather that she was a "little roundish" for "such a beautiful girl." He also said his comments couldn't have been "that bad" because she subsequently "lost eight kilos."

He spoke out against Angela Merkel opening the border for asylum seekers

In a 2017 appearance on the French talk show Salut les Terriens!, Lagerfeld condemned then-Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel for offering asylum to Syrian refugees. "One cannot  even if there are decades between them  kill millions of Jews so you can bring millions of their worst enemies in their place," he said.

He was "fed-up" with the #MeToo Movement

The designer did not mince words when asked about his thoughts on Harvey Weinstein and the rise of the #MeToo movement in an interview with fashion publication Numero in 2018. The designer said he was "fed up" and skeptical of accusations from "starlets who have taken 20 years to remember what happened."

He doubled down on his stance, saying that models who "don't want your pants pulled about" should choose another profession. "Join a nunnery, there'll always be a place for you in the convent. They're recruiting even," he said.

He spoke in favor of the fur industry

In 2015, Lagerfeld produced Fendi's first couture show, Haute Fourrure, and shared his stance on the fur for the fashion industry in an interview with the New York Times.

"For me, as long as people eat meat and wear leather, I don't get the message," he said. "It's very easy to say no fur, no fur, no fur, but it's an industry. Who will pay for all the unemployment of the people if you suppress the industry of the fur?"

He spoke out against gay marriage and same-sex adoption

In 2016, Lagerfeld said he was against gay marriage for "one simple reason."

"In the 60's, they all said we had the right to the difference. And now, suddenly, they want a bourgeois life," Lagerfeld told Vice. "For me, it's difficult to imagine  one of the papas at work and the other at home with the baby. How would that be for the baby? I don't know. I see more lesbians married with babies than I see boys married with babies. And I also believe more in the relationship between mother and child than in that between father and child."

The Lagerfeld caricature

Lagerfeld is no longer here to atone  or defend  remarks but he previously said that he is like a "caricature" of himself, comparing his persona to that of a "mask" he always wears. "For me, the Carnival of Venice lasts all year long," said Lagerfeld.

Wellness, parenting, body image and more: Get to know the who behind the hoo with Yahoo Life's newsletter. Sign up here.
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Just under a year after Hulu aired Candy, its own retelling of the Candy Montgomery storythe 1980 case of a Texas woman who murdered the spouse of her secret lover, killing her with an axHBO Max is set to tell the gruesome story all over again in Love & Death, starring Elizabeth Olsen as Candy.

The series once again treads over the same salacious details of the now over 40-year-old story: suburban monotony, injected with a sinful tryst between two church-going parents, and punctuated by a bloody murder. Like the dramatized attempt before it, Love & Death mostly relies on the definitive account told by John Bloom and Jim Atkinson in their 1984 book Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs. The HBO Max series Love and Death draws its title from a series of excerpts published in Texas Monthly, titled Love and Death in Silicon Prairie.

The series rarely moves beyond events depicted in Boom and Atkinsons work, offering little beyond a sepia dramatization of the timeline, which audiences seem to love and critics have merely eyerolled over.

The Dallas Morning News, which published an update on the case in late 2021, sought to explain the continued interest in the murder: Theres the most obvious reason: It happened in a middle-class white community. Take the same facts  with all their brutality  and transpose them somewhere poorer and less racially homogeneous. Would there be a streaming series? Would it even have been front-page news?

Probably not.

While you can easily learn the details of the story through the Texas Monthly article series, fans of true crime will likely follow the show to its conclusion.

Heres how to keep up with Love & Death until it wraps.

HBO Max

When is the next episode of Love & Death coming out?

Each episode of Love and Death will be available to stream on HBO Max on Thursdays. The next episode, Episode 4, will be available Thursday, May 4.

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How many episodes of Love & Death are left?

The series will run for seven episodes. The first three episodes were made available to stream on the same day. There will be four more episodes in the series.

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Heres the complete release schedule for Love & Death

Episode 1  Now streaming as of April 27

Episode 2  Now streaming as of April 27

Episode 3  Now streaming as of April 27

Episode 4  Streaming on May 4

Episode 5  Streaming on May 11

Episode 6  Streaming on May 18

Episode 7  Streaming on May 25

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Around the world in 80 days is so 1872, now it's all about circumnavigating Africa in 90 days aboard Seabourn Sojourn.

Courtesy of Seabourn

Forget going around the world in 80 days  how about going around Africa in 90? That's just what the latest itinerary from luxury cruise line Seabourn will do.

Departing on November 30, 2024, the 450-passenger ship Seabourn Sojourn will circumnavigate Africa, bringing guests to 44 ports in 26 countries over the course of three months.

Courtesy of Seabourn

The voyage begins in Barcelona before crossing the Mediterranean Sea, stopping in a few North Africa and Middle East destinations, including Egypt and Israel, then traversing the Suez Canal and heading for the Indian Ocean nation of the Seychelles. From there, the ship will sail a portion of the East African coast that includes Kenya and Tanzania, make a stop in Madagascar, then return to the coast and sail to South Africa. Next up is the long journey northward along West Africa's coast, which includes a detour to the islands of Cabo Verde, before a final leg through the Strait of Gibraltar that brings guests back to Barcelona.

Courtesy of Seabourn

Along the way, excursions include safaris, hikes, dives and snorkels, visits to archaeological sites, and cultural immersions, as well as multi-day excursions to inland destinations, including Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls.

Courtesy of Seabourn

"Seabourn guests are accomplished, extraordinary people who are seeking once-in-a-lifetime experiences," said Natalya Leahy, president of Seabourn, in a statement sent to Travel + Leisure. This voyage is the perfect opportunity for our guests to discover Africas stunning natural wonders and diverse cultures, while enjoying the uncompromising luxury and intuitive, genuine service that can only be experienced on Seabourn.

Courtesy of Seabourn

Courtesy of Seabourn

The price of the sailing includes quite a few bonuses, including business-class air, a minimum of $1,000 shipboard credit per guest, airport transfers, valet shipping of luggage to/from Barcelona, and unlimited laundry and dry cleaning on board. Rates for the Grand Africa Voyage start at $46,999 per person; cabins can be booked now at seabourn.com.

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MILAN  Alia Rachid needs no introduction. Based in Doha, Qatar, she boasts a strong business background in luxury, built up over the past decade following into the footsteps of her father, Mayhoola for Investments chief executive officer Rachid Mohamed Rachid.

Ive always been inspired by him, she said, meeting WWD at the Valentino flagship in Milans Golden Triangle, a sort of second home as the brand is one of Mayhoolas main luxury holdings along with Balmain. Rachid senior is also founder of Bidayat and Alsara International Investment Group, w hose holdings include the Okhtein, Adorisa, Akoni and KhrisJoy brands, and earlier in his career he served as Egypts minister of trade, industry and investment, as well as an executive at Unilever.

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Yet Rachids most recent trip to Milan wasnt about her familys fashion ventures but the personal project she launched in design 18 months ago, when she established the Fromm platform and high-end furniture brand aimed at bridging the creative and business gap between Qatar and Milan.

Im an engineer, so I have a very logical and analytical mind. But when I got the chance to be involved in these ventures in luxury, I saw things can be totally different than just very logical and I loved to explore the opportunities and capabilities we can give to the creative talents from our region, said Rachid, underscoring the increasingly effervescent design scene in Doha.

We have the VCU university [Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar], which has a lot of graduates and they dont know what to do. They love design and there is not much opportunity so what we are doing is giving them the chance to join our projects in terms of collaborations and workshops, she added.

Alia Rachid, founder and chief executive officer of Fromm.

The mission of the platform is to break down the high barriers to entry in the design industry for local talents and empower them not only to express themselves creatively but also to compete on a global scale. The goal is for them to feel confident enough that they can use this bridge to reach this part of the world as well Theres a lot of creativity that can come out from the region; its about giving [people] the right tools, said Rachid.

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Mirroring the aim, the name of Rachids project refers to bridging the distance between the Msheireb modern district in Doha and Milan. In both locations, the company has set up Fromm Labs hosting workshops and serving as both creative hubs and showrooms to display the furniture developed under the brand.

The Baida sofa and Kuthban cushions from the Shurouq collection by Fromm.

The first Fromm collection debuted last June during the special edition of Salone del Mobile. Dubbed Shurouq, it was mainly developed by Qatari designers Maryam Al Suwaidi and Shuaa Ali, who blended local heritage and innovation in a range of furniture with a sleek and contemporary appeal.

Key pieces in the line included the statement Haima armchair and Baida sofa, whose curved lines were inspired by the desert dunes, as well as the minimal and functional Maktaba shelving unit and the Maiz coffee table, which featured a built-in concrete box that could double as an incense burner as a nod to Arab hospitality rituals.

The Maiz coffee tables from the Shurouq collection by Fromm.

We asked designers to come up with the inspirations, the designs, the stories that they wanted to put in their products, along with the proposed product [category]. Some of the designs were not new, so not creative or something that we saw that could go global. We focused on the things that were quite ready to go international, recalled Rachid.

In particular, Fromm takes talents through the full design process, following them step by step from research to prototyping up to the production phase, as final pieces are manufactured in Italy before being presented in both countries at the same time.

Technical-wise, were very supportive because we have the technical team out of Milan, explained Rachid, adding that she doesnt expect all the designers to have the technical know-how but instead prioritizes their passions and ideas in recruiting them.

The Maktaba wall unit from the Shurouq collection by Fromm.

This year, the Shurouq line was expanded with home accessories and flanked by additional collections, too, marking a maturity step for the company in terms of the number of creatives involved and the manufacturing of the designs.

For one, the new Wanas collection paid tribute to local hospitality with its name, an Arabic word alluding to social gatherings. Using ceramic inspired by Qatari heritage, the range was developed with local talent Noora Al-Melhim and included the Mubkhara incense burner as well as plates and coffee sets handcrafted using traditional clay-crafting methods and adorned with Arabic calligraphy.

This was the result of a competition for the VCU graduates, and Noora was the one that we selected to create this collection. She has a pottery studio herself in Doha and to upgrade her knowledge and her expertise, we sent her to Turkey for a week to be with the suppliers, who took her through workshops, said Rachid.

Pieces of the new Wanas collection by Fromm.

Compared to the debut, at this years Salone del Mobile Rachid noted an increasing interest in the company, not only from Qatari talents but from Middle Eastern designers at large and retailers. For instance, Fromm also collaborated with an Egyptian carpet manufacturer on designs inspired by the layering technique seen in traditional nomad-style tents. It further opened the platform to other nationalities to develop an exclusive capsule collection for Turkish department store Beymen, whose prototypes were on display at Fromm showrooms in Doha and Milan.

Commenting on the momentum the company is experiencing, Rachid noted that designers interest has been propelled by the Fromm Labs themselves, as these locations are perceived as a welcoming environment and accessible hubs for emerging talents. So the word of mouth is starting to go around, especially in the design community, which is also important because we want to keep this cross-cultural platform, said Rachid, noting a particular interest from Turkish creatives.

One of them, Ruya Akyol, was part of the trifecta of designers behind the Beyman capsule collection, developed also with Qatari designer Abdulrahman Al Muftah and Italys Antonio Arico.

Designs from the Ottoman Dream Collection by Fromm.

Dubbed Ottoman Dream Collection, the line is intended to pay tribute to the 500-year heritage of the Ottoman Empire through 11 products ranging from furniture to home decor. Highlights included the Arco coffee tables with two half-moon shapes serving as support structures for a glass or marble top; a Turkish minaret-inspired table lamp crafted from brass and frosted glass, and the eye-catching Curcato sofa taking inspiration from the peacocks tail.

This collaboration was super interesting: The process was fun because it involved three different cultures, three different designers, but they needed to do something together that fit the target, said Rachid.

As it expands its offering, Fromm is also increasingly drawing retailers attention. In addition to its own showrooms, website and the presence at Beymen, the brand is displayed at Rossana Orlandi in Milan or the likes of Printemps and Studio D Decor in Doha.

The Rossana Orlandi gallery here is a year-long display, not just during design week and this exposure is giving us a good starting point in the local retail space, said Rachid, whos eyeing high-end retail spaces in Europe and potentially in the U.S. She is also open to collaborating with luxury hospitality companies.

Such targets are in sync with the luxury price point of the brand, as potential competitors mentioned include the likes of Cappellini and Poltrona Frau. On average, prices for a Fromm armchair are around 5,000 euros and for a sofa about 9,000 euros.

The Haima armchair and pouf, Laite floor lamp, Zal carpet, Baida sofa and Kuthban cushions from the Shurouq collection by Fromm.

While she revealed serious ambitions to scale-up the reputation and size of the business, Rachid is committed to continuing to build on its empowering mission, too, especially when it comes to female creatives.

Its such a great feeling to see all of these young women theyre a bit shy, but they were ready to just go out. We flew them into Milan last year and whoever was available this year to come, see and explore what is Milan Design Week, said Rachid. So honestly, last year I was super proud of what we did and we had our first collection and I wanted to be the biggest platform out of Qatar. I didnt imagine that this year I will have another collection displayed now I want to be the biggest [platform] in the Middle East, but I dont want to talk about it until I achieve it, she concluded.

Noora Al-Melhim

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Some of us saw "Return of the Jedi" five times at the movies in 1983, and those who've never had the pleasure are getting another chance.

This weekend, the "Star Wars" flick is back in theaters for its upcoming 40th anniversary. Another throwback to check out: a feature-film adaptation of Judy Blume's 1970 literary classic "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." If that's not all, Disney+ rolls out a live-action edition of its animated "Peter Pan."

Here's a guide to new movies that will satisfy every cinematic taste, plus some noteworthy theatrical films making their streaming and on-demand debuts:

Summer movie preview: The 10 must-see films, from 'The Flash' and 'Little Mermaid' to 'Indiana Jones'

If you want a reminder of awkward adolescence: 'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret'

Barbara (Rachel McAdams) takes daughter Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) bra shopping for the first time in "Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret."

Moving from New York City to New Jersey would be stressful enough for any sixth-grader. But Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) is also dealing with her changing body, new friends, boys and her own religious identity, being the daughter of a Christian mom (Rachel McAdams) and a Jewish dad (Benny Safdie). Kelly Fremon Craig's insightful, touching adaptation is worthy of the influential source material.

Where to watch: In theaters

'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret': Judy Blume, Rachel McAdams talk periods, book bans

If you like to pretend 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' never happened: 'Return of the Jedi'

It's not a trap! The best "Star Wars" trilogy-closer, "Jedi" stars the original crew of Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and the late Carrie Fisher in an enjoyable adventure with Ewoks, Jabba the Hutt's sail barge, sweet speeder bike chases, another Death Star, more Ewoks, redemption for Darth Vader and a few more Ewoks.

Where to watch: In theaters (for a limited time), Disney+

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May the Fourth be with you: The definitive ranking of all 11 'Star Wars' movies

If you've somehow never heard of Neverland before: 'Peter Pan & Wendy'

Peter Pan (Alexander Molony, from left), Wendy (Ever Anderson), John Darling (Joshua Pickering) and Michael Darling (Jacobi Jupe) try to avoid Captain Hook and his pirates in "Peter Pan & Wendy."

A new take on J.M. Barrie's familiar fantasy world takes flight, as Wendy Darling (Ever Anderson) and her brothers are taken on a great adventure by Peter (Alexander Molony) and of course run afoul of Captain Hook (Jude Law). But there's just not enough freshness to justify its existence: Aside from writer-director David Lowery's lush visuals and more of a connection between Peter and Hook, it's the same "Pan" as it ever was.

Where to watch: Disney+

If you're in the mood for a kung fu Jane Austen tale: 'Polite Society'

Priya Kansara stars as an aspiring martial artist out to save her sister from an arranged marriage in the action comedy "Polite Society."

In the refreshingly energetic action comedy, a Pakistani London teen (Priya Kansara) is an aspiring martial artist with big dreams of being a famous stuntwoman. But she first has to use her nifty spin kicks  a work in progress, to be honest  and youthful moxie to foil the suspiciously quick arranged marriage of her older sister (Ritu Arya).

Where to watch: In theaters

If you're keen on a horror movie about baby fever: 'Clock'

Dianna Agron stars as a woman in her 30s who enrolls in a clinical trial to try and fix her seemingly broken biological clock in the horror film "Clock."

At 37, Ella (Dianna Agron) is a professional woman who hasn't had kids and wonders why she doesn't even like when they're around. She enters an experimental treatment to fix her "broken" biological clock and unlocks all sorts of terror intriguingly tied to her Jewish heritage. Great premise, just OK execution, but with a few really freaky visuals.

Where to watch: Hulu

If you're down for a blood-soaked World War II tale: 'Sisu'

Jorma Tommila plays a Finnish gold prospector who's also really good at killing Nazis in the World War II action movie "Sisu."

In 1944 Finland, a grizzled prospector (Jorma Tommila) strikes gold, heads off to the nearest bank and runs into a bunch of Nazis holding several women hostage. Then they make the mistake of stealing his gold. Oops! Ultraviolent action ensues as our hero kills bad guys in all sorts of enjoyably brutal ways in the gleefully gory B-movie.

Where to watch: In theaters

If you're a sucker for shark movies: 'The Black Demon'

An oil executive (Josh Lucas, left), his wife (Fernanda Urrejola) and a rig worker (Julio Cesar Cedillo) try to figure out how to survive a ticked-off megaladon shark in the survival thriller "The Black Demon."

Josh Lucas stars as an oil man tasked with inspecting a rig off the Mexican coast, so he decides to make it a vacation for his family. What he finds, though, is a gigantic megalodon shark seemingly ticked off because of all the oil leaking everywhere. The effects are iffy, but give it points for bloody mayhem and a semi-supernatural bent.

Where to watch: In theaters

Also on streaming:

Ghostface haunts New York City in "Scream VI," the latest in the horror franchise starring Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera that's now available to buy on Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon and Google Play.

The basketball comedy "Champions," starring Woody Harrelson as the hoops coach for a squad of players with disabilities, streams on Peacock beginning Friday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New movies this week: 'Are You There God?' and 'Peter Pan & Wendy'
Gough Island sits in the middle of the southern Atlantic Ocean 2,400 kilometres away from the African mainland (Jonathan Hall/RSPB)

For many, remote working conjures up images of idly tapping away at a laptop on a sunny beach but a job on the rainy and windswept Gough Island brings a whole new meaning to the term.

With no permanent population, the island, which sits in the middle of the southern Atlantic Ocean 2,400 kilometres away from the African mainland, is the worlds most remote places. The only way to reach it is by a seven day-boat journey from South Africa.

But if that sounds like paradise to you, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is looking for a new field officer to help carry out research on the 8 million birds that make the island their home. A successful applicant will sign up for 15 months, which will include roughly two months of training before being deployed.

The society is looking for a highly motivated and disciplined candidate with relevant fieldwork skills and a keen interest in wildlife, who can adapt well to small island living in a challenging and remote sub-Antarctic environment.

Other than the millions of birds for company, any new hires will be joining a team of seven, replacing Rebekah Goodwill whose term comes to an end in September.

Speaking to the BBC, Ms Goodwill warned that applicants would need to be willing to put up with a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables. To avoid the biosecurity risk of foreign plants spreading on the island, food is frozen in two walk-in freezers, stocked once a year when old workers leave and new workers arrive.

Gough Island World Heritage Site, South Atlantic, December 2017. (Kate Lawrence/RSPB)

Ones full of frozen vegetables and the others basically full of frozen meat and then weve got lots of tinned frozen fruit and veg, Ms Goodwill said.

They give us a years worth of supply of food during that two-week takeover time, and we live off it for the rest of the year.

Jaimie Cleeland, on-island conservationist, enjoying the views of Sophora Glen, the Rowetts and Hags Tooth, Gough Island World Heritage Site, South Atlantic, July 2018 (Kate Lawrence/RSPB)

Lucy Dorman, another worker on the island told the BBC: It was definitely one thing they stressed for us before we came  that for many people, the lack of food and the lack of fresh food is significant.

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"The main thing I certainly miss is just like a crunchy carrot, or being able to bite into a nice apple. Just some crunch, but apart from that - I don't feel like I'm really missing much."

A MacGillivrays prion chick on Gough Island in the Atlantic (RSPB)

Asked about the social isolation, Rebekah said it wasnt too bad. In an odd sort of way I kind of feel like I'm more connected to my friends and family here than I probably was when I worked up in Scotland," says Rebekah. With the internet available staying in touch isnt hard.

The workers also help keep each other company. It's a very nice community here so we're able to share stories, and learn from each other and support each other.

The Gough bunting, resident of the island. (PA)

Applicants who are interested have until Sunday 30 April to apply via the website.
Three forward-thinking companies that are pushing the envelope in developing circular, traceable fibers and raw materials peeled back the curtain on the process, and some of the challenges that stand in front of their growth at the Sourcing Journal Sustainability Summit.

Alt Tex is a biomaterials startup that develops biodegradable and carbon-neutral alternatives to polyester out of food waste using fermentation technology. Chief executive officer and co-founder Myra Arshad noted that while the firm is still in its early stages, it has maintained an advantage due to its ability to blend nearly any other fiber with its own.

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Thats really exciting because polyester, which is what were trying to replace, is very frequently blended with cotton. What that does is it takes an otherwise biodegradable material like cotton, and it renders it completely unbiodegradable, its very difficult to separate the two, said Arshad in a panel moderated by Sourcing Journal founder Edward Hertzman. She said the Alt Tex technology alleviates this concern, noting that were able to integrate when mixing with cotton, the properties of polyester, but maintain the biodegradability of the end garment.

Thus far, Alt Tex has raised $4 million, but Arshad said that for the firm to reach critical masswhich she defines as replacing approximately 30 percent of polyesterthe company would need nine figures worth of funding. But for the time being, Alt Tex is focusing on integrating its technology with existing fermenters.

When investors invest in these spaces, theyll invest in one company just to have that stamp on their website, and thatll be it, said Arshad. But the reality is that when we talk to suppliers every single day, its clear that there arent enough recycled or circular fibers to satisfy demand from brands. So investors need to understand that the investment needs to be continuous and needs to be lateral and it needs to be in the entire ecosystem, and not in a one- or two-off.

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Mustafain Munir, director and CEO, Cyclo Recycled Fibers, said as his company scales, he is seeing more competition arise in the firms home market of Bangladesh, as well as neighboring countries like Pakistan and India.

The overall capacity to recycle, lets say 100 percent, cotton waste, or cotton-rich waste is growing quite a bit, said Munir. And the brands are demanding more of it, so theres a general overall improvement in the amount of volume used.

However, the proliferation of recycled cotton also comes with a higher propensity for greenwashing, he said. In particular, Munir called out a problem in the certification chain, where he said businesses often use their spinning waste and call it recycled.

Munir said that the problem typically occurs in the carding process within textile spinning, when individual fibers are separated from each other before being realigned to improve quality. While cotton fiber can be 40 percent recycled before entering the stage, the final spun yarn may contain as little as 10 to 20 percent recycled cotton, he said.

Citing Sourcing Journal and AlixPartners 2022 survey report, Hertzman said that fewer than 20 percent of companies are tracking their sustainability progress.Traceability platform provider Aware is hoping to help fill this industry void, offering an integrity solution that combines both a physical tracer and blockchain technology.

Aware, a partner of Cyclo, provides users with a digital product passport of each item of clothing, according to founder and managing director Feico van der Veen.

During the panel, van der Veen even scanned Munirs shirt with a tracer to show how the digital product passport works, revealing that the shirt was 50 percent recycled cotton and 30 percent organic cotton. To create the digital product passport, the company creates digital twins which represent the materials at the factory level that are placed on the public blockchain. Additionally, Awares systems will add a QR code to every final product for mobile scanning.

Van der Veen said the solution is coming at a time when more companies are feeling pressure to prove the sustainability of their garments.

The dilemma is consumers are asking for much more transparency, theyre much more demanding. They dont accept just a hangtag or certification anymore. And in Europe, by 2030, all sustainable products must have a digital product passport, said van der Veen.

He cited the internal pressures brands are now feeling as they set their own sustainability goals.

It goes through the designers, the buyers, the buying officers to the factories, through the tangled supply chains and creates a dilemma on how to implement their own goals, said van der Veen. All the big brands try to get control of their supply chain, but its extremely difficult.

Van der Veen also noted one more pressure point, calling the certification standard often complicated and indicated that in some instances, companies will come up with their own fraudulent certification.

All three firms are backed by the Singapore-based sustainable fund, Presstar, which invests exclusively in companies that are reducing water consumption and chemical pollutants in the textile supply chain while positively impacting CO2 emissions.

Click here to read the full article.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has released its annual Special 301 Review report, adding new countries to its intellectual property watch list and elevating others to high-priority-threat status.

The agencys report identifies countries that deny adequate or effective protections of IP rights, or deny fair and equitable access to U.S. entities that rely on those protections. Belarus, added to the watch list this week, recently passed legislation legalizing unauthorized use of copyrighted material from nations that are currently sanctioning the country for its support of Russias war on Ukraine. Meanwhile, USTR found that Bulgaria did not adequately address concerns about online piracy, making it No. 29 in a list that includes Algeria, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, Mexico, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

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Argentina, Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Russia and Venezuela have been placed on the priority watch list. China (together with Hong Kong) continues to be the largest origin economy for counterfeit and pirated goods, accounting for more than 85 percent of global seizures of counterfeit goods from 2017 to 2019, USTR wrote.

On Wednesday, The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) spoke out in support of the reports findings. As we celebrate World Intellectual Property Day, AAFA appreciates the constructive dialogue between USTR, AAFA, and our members to ensure that we protect the creative and innovative contributions of our members and other entrepreneurs around the world while simultaneously supporting American jobs, president and CEO Steve Lamar said. The trade group champions American innovation and brand protection, consumer safety, worker safety, and responsible product manufacturing, he added. The release of the report aligns with those important drivers of success and the process offers an opportunity to raise vital issues for our industry.

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The group in January submitted written comments to USTR, nominating Bangladesh, China, and the European Union to the priority watch list. AAFA cited trends in behavior, including bad-faith trademarks as causes for concern. Calling Bangladesh an important legitimate sourcing country for the industry, the organization said that the country has nonetheless engaged in promoting the sale of fake goods, which are being seized at an increasing rate globally as counterfeit production is growing.

AAFA member productsapparel, footwear, and related goodscontinually remain at the top of the counterfeit items seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) year after year, AAFA director of brand protection Jennifer Hanks said. The sale of counterfeit apparel, footwear and travel goods are harming U.S. companies, their employees and consumers, she said.

In many cases these goods are unsafe, causing harm to American consumers and their families, she explained. Further, counterfeit goods are also produced in potentially unsafe and environmentally unfriendly conditions, hurting the workers and communities that make them. Hanks stressed the importance of policy in helping to incentivize best practices for vetting sellers and goods, addressing repeat counterfeiter sellers, and ensuring that shoppers have access to relevant information at the time of purchase.

USTRs report is key to holding bad actors accountable when their actions go against policy, she said.

While the trade group praised the release of the list, Hanks urged the passage of other proposed legislation that AAFA believes would stem the flow of illicit or fake products. We need Congress to pass the SHOP Safe Act, which will hold those responsible for promoting and selling counterfeit products accountable. The law would introduce new regulations for online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, which traffic in goods sold by loosely-regulated third-party vendors. These channels are rife with counterfeits, and have thus far allowed sellers to operate with relative anonymity and impunity, the group has alleged.

Click here to read the full article.
Conference Call Scheduled for May 1, 2023 at 9:00am ET

HAIFA, Israel, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESLT) (TASE: ESLT) ("Elbit Systems" or the "Company") will file its Annual Report on Form 20-F for fiscal year 2022 on Monday, May 1, 2023.

Elbit Systems Ltd. Logo

Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call on May 1, 2023 at 9:00am Eastern Time. On the call, management will review and discuss the annual report and will be available to answer questions. To participate, please call one of the teleconferencing numbers that follow:

US Dial-in Numbers: 1-866-744-5399

Canada Dial-in Numbers: 1-866-485-2399

Israel Dial-in Number: 03-918-0644

International Dial-in Number: +972-3-918-0644

at 9:00am Eastern Time; 6:00am Pacific Time; 4:00pm Israel Time

This call will also be broadcast live on Elbit Systems' website at http://www.elbitsystems.com. An online replay will be available from 24 hours after the call ends.

Alternatively, for two days following the call, investors will be able to dial a replay number to listen to the call. The dial-in numbers are: 1-888-782-4291 (US and Canada) or +972-3-925-5900 (Israel and International).

About Elbit Systems

Elbit Systems Ltd. is an international high technology company engaged in a wide range of defense, homeland security and commercial programs throughout the world. The Company, which includes Elbit Systems and its subsidiaries, operates in the areas of aerospace, land and naval systems, command, control, communications, computers, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance ("C4ISR"), unmanned aircraft systems, advanced electro-optics, electro-optic space systems, EW suites, signal intelligence systems, data links and communications systems, radios and cyber-based systems. The Company also focuses on the upgrading of existing platforms, developing new technologies for defense, homeland security and commercial applications and providing a range of support services, including training and simulation systems.

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For additional information, visit: www.elbitsystems.com, follow us on Twitter or visit our official Youtube Channel.

Company Contact:

Dr. Yaacov (Kobi) Kagan, EVP & Chief Financial Officer

Tel: +972-77-2946663

kobi.kagan@elbitsystems.com

Rami Myerson, Director of Investor Relations

Tel: +972-77-2948984

rami.myerson@elbitsystems.com

Dalia Bodinger, VP, Communications & Brand

Tel: +972-77-2947602

dalia.bodinger@elbitsystems.com

This press release contains forward looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) regarding Elbit Systems Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries (collectively the Company), to the extent such statements do not relate to historical or current fact. Forward Looking Statements are based on management's expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. Forward looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual future results, performance and trends may differ materially from these forward looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation: scope and length of customer contracts; governmental regulations and approvals; changes in governmental budgeting priorities; general market, political and economic conditions in the countries in which the Company operates or sells, including Israel and the United States among others; differences in anticipated and actual program performance, including the ability to perform under long-term fixed-price contracts; and the outcome of legal and/or regulatory proceedings. The factors listed above are not all-inclusive, and further information is contained in Elbit Systems Ltd.'s latest annual report on Form 20-F, which is on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. The Company does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements.

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SOURCE Elbit Systems Ltd.
Noel Rodriguez-Alvarezs mother and stepfather planned their escape from the U.S. months before authorities even knew the 6-year-old boy was missing, police announced at a news conference Tuesday.

As police in North Texas continue looking for evidence of Noels body, searching more than 500 acres, more details about the mother and stepfather have come to light, along with a more in-depth timeline of what happened surrounding the boys disappearance. Noels mother and stepfather, who police say fled the country three days before an Amber Alert was issued in March, are facing charges including endangerment or abandonment of a child, a second-degree felony.

That flight out of the country was more than a month ago.

Police and federal authorities are currently working to get the mother and stepfather extradited back to the U.S. to face those charges. Noel is presumed dead, according to police, but his remains have not been found and no one has been charged with causing his death.

Everman police continue to search for the remains of 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez, who hasnt been seen since November and is presumed dead.

Noels mother, Cindy Rodriguez-Singh, went with six of her children to apply for passports on Nov. 1, shortly after the birth of her twin daughters and after Noel was last seen. The stepfather, Arshdeep Singh, stole $10,000 in cash from his workplace to fund their trip and bought plane tickets to India via a connecting flight in Istanbul, Turkey, according to Everman police, who are leading the investigation.

Singh used his credit card to purchase the plane tickets, according to police.

According to public records, 37-year-old Rodriguez-Singh graduated high school in Fort Worth in 2003. There was no information immediately available on where she lived before that, but property records indicate she has lived in Tarrant County since her high school graduation.

About 10 years ago, Rodriguez-Singh moved into the home of Charles Parson, an elderly man in Everman, according to Parson. He said she was sleeping in a car outside his house with her children and he invited them to use his two spare bedrooms. Its not clear whether Rodriguez-Singh was employed.

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Rodriguez-Singh had 10 children in total, and the oldest three live with her mother. Rodriguez-Singhs mother said last month that she wants her daughter to return to the U.S. and tell authorities where to find Noels body, adding that if shed known he was being mistreated or that his mother couldnt care for him, she would have taken him in.

U.S. authorities are trying to extradite Arshdeep and Cindy Singh from India back to Texas on charges of abandoning and endangering Cindys 6-year-old son, Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez. Noel is presumed dead and investigators in Everman, Texas, are looking for his remains.

In 2020, Rodriguez-Singh lost custody of at least some of her children and was put on probation after an incident in which she was drunk and driving a vehicle with her kids in the car, according to court records.

Noel was sent to live with foster parent Patricia Parris, who described Noel as a caring, fun and lovable child.

But based on interviews with witnesses, investigators said Rodriguez-Singh didnt see him that way. In 2021, Rodriguez-Singh was able to reacquire custody of all her children living with her.

According to police, Noels mother told people she thought he was evil, demon possessed and jealous of her newborn twin daughters. She feared Noel, who was physically and developmentally disabled, would hurt the newborns, according to a search warrant affidavit. Relatives told investigators she abused the 6-year-old boy and would refuse to feed Noel or give him anything to drink because she didnt want to change his diapers.

After she married Singh about two years ago, the family built a shed in Parsons back yard to expand living space. The shed, essentially one room with curtains to divide part of it, had electricity and air conditioning but no plumbing, so the family still used some rooms in Parsons house.

Singh, 35, was born in India. Its unclear exactly when he moved to the U.S.

Parson said Singh always gave the impression of a father figure who wanted to spoil his children. Singh bought them an outdoor play set and trampoline and always made sure they had more clothes than they needed, Parson said.

But police said that appearance wasnt the whole story. The family lived in squalor, Everman Police Chief Craig Spencer said at an April 25 news conference. Authorities now believe Singh conspired with Noels mother after the 6-year-old boy went missing, stealing money from his employer to pay for their escape from the country.

Singh worked at a convenience store chain, AGHA Enterprises, and had access to the companys financial records and even safes in stores.

His employer, Mohammed Khan, told the Star-Telegram that Singh was hired about two and a half years ago to manage purchasing merchandise for stores and help with banking. Like Parson, Khan never would have imagined Singh would be involved in anything criminal. He described Singh as a happy person, and a hard worker who would do anything he could to help the business succeed.

Even in the months since Noel went missing, Khan said he hadnt noticed or been told about any changes in Singhs behavior or personality.

Its shocking, Khan said. I still feel like its a Hollywood movie or a bad dream.

Khan said the actions of Singh, who police have accused of stealing money from the Azle Food Mart location of the business and then falsifying records to cover his tracks, have left his employees in a state of shock, too.

Its scary, Khan said, to think that someone like Singh would steal money from his employer or be involved in any way with the disappearance of a child. Its left him feeling like he can never be 100% certain of who someone truly is. He didnt even know Singh had left the country until he heard about it in the news.

In total, police said Singh stole $10,000 from Khans business, and deposited $8,000 of that into his personal bank account. Police said they believe Singh stole that cash so that the family would have money to leave the country. Hes facing second-degree felony theft charges.

Investigators discovered Arshdeep Singh, the stepfather of missing 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez, stole $10,000 from his employer before fleeing the country, according to Everman police. He deposited $8,000 of the stolen money into a personal account, investigators found in financial records.

The couple also paid $5,000 to have a new patio put in the back yard of Parsons home in Everman, according to a search warrant for the property. Rodriguez-Singh changed what she wanted several times, telling the contractor at one point she wanted the concrete thicker on one side because it would allow for the family to put a gym there.

Police said Rodriguez-Singh used the familys full income tax return to pay for the project in February. Investigators last month tore the concrete up in a search for Noels remains but found no body there. Authorities believe, though, based on the reaction of cadaver dogs, that Noels body might have been kept in a shed that was sitting in the area before the porch was installed.

Police said a carpet Singh disposed of before the couple fled the country was also alerted to by the cadaver dogs. Singh took the carpet to a dumpster outside one of the convenience stores where he worked, according to one of the search warrants.

Police conducted a welfare check at the familys home in March after Child Protective Services received a tip that Noel was missing. At that time, Rodriguez-Singh lied and said the boy was with his father in Mexico, investigators have said. Police said they have also disproved other stories Cindy told to explain Noels disappearance, including that she had sold him to someone in a Fiesta Market grocery store parking lot.
Patti Cazzato has come a long way from being employee No. 8 at Sam & Libby when the shoe company was in its early stages some 30 years ago.

But she is tapping into that experience and more as the new chief executive of NakedCashmere, a Southern California direct-to-consumer womens and mens cashmere line launched seven years ago by husband-and-wife team Bruce and Leslie Gifford.

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Last year, Luxembourg-based buyout fund Legatus I acquired the cashmere brands parent company and started scouting for a CEO.

Soon, they heard about Cazzato, who most recently was the head of emerging businesses at Victorias Secret. In that job, she negotiated the lingerie companys $18 million strategic investment last year in Frankies Bikinis, a swimwear and lifestyle brand started in Malibu, California, by Francesca Aiello and her mother, Mimi.

That deal got her noticed. It was done with The Sage Group, a Los Angeles investment bank that spent considerable time working out the finer details of the investment with Cazzato. When the new NakedCashmere owners reached out to The Sage Group about potential CEO candidates, managing director and partner Paul Altman quickly thought of Cazzato.

The new CEO said the job heading up parent company 360sweater and its subsidiary, NakedCashmere, intrigued her because it met her requirements for a satisfying work experience. I dug deep and asked what have been the one or two experiences that have made me the happiest? she said. Those two things were being the founder of my own company and later working as the CEO of Timbuk2.

Cazzato was remembering her time in 2007 when she founded Clary Sage Organics, an eco-friendly hand-sewn yoga apparel company and holistic wellness center in San Francisco. She started the company a year before the Great Recession and ended up having to self-finance her enterprise for seven years. It made her learn a thing or two about running a company during tough times.

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That led to her next job in 2014 as chief executive of Timbuk2, a San Francisco company that locally manufactured various kinds of bags and backpacks with sustainability in mind. Then she transitioned to Victorias Secret nearly three years ago.

My career has always been a combination of entrepreneurial adventures and some multibillion-dollar big businesses, she shared.

In her new job at NakedCashmere, she will be taking the brand to the next level with global outreach, introducing new products, improving sustainability and exploring retail opportunities beyond the one store the Santa Monica-based NakedCashmere has in Aspen, Colorado. Until now, NakedCashmere has been primarily d-to-c with almost all its sales in the United States. We are thinking of new ways of doing business, Cazzato said.

First on the list is developing a new cashmere line to be knitted in Italy, instead of Mongolia, that will have modern heirloom qualities and sell for $500 to $2,000. We love some of the beautiful craftsmanship we can get out of Italy, the new CEO said. We are going to be making sweaters that are one-of-a-kind and collectible.

A NakedCashmere poncho. Courtesy of NakedCashmere

The Italian-made luxury-leaning collection will complement NakedCashmeres essentials pieces of sweaters, skirts, dresses, ponchos, wraps, jogger pants, robes and pajamas that are made for women along with a mens line of knits that sell for $200 to $650. The Italian line will be launched under another label [for spring 2024] as a subbrand, Cazzato said, noting she and her colleagues are working on a new label name. This is a pivotal move for us right now creating heirlooms.

Next will be making the brand more dimensional by adding items that can be worn with NakedCashmere products, such as jewelry or silk pieces. I am not going to do a full collection [of jewelry or silk] but introduce beautiful concepts that go well with your cashmere, she explained, adding that too will launch for spring 2024.

The companys website is being redone to make it easier for international customers to buy online and have their purchases shipped overseas. Right now, most of NakedCashmeres d-to-c sales are done in the United States, but there is a vast market to be explored for the brands merchandise.

Beyond online sales, Cazzato wants to develop relationships with luxury retailers, including boutiques and spas, where the customer can touch and feel the product. She is also exploring pop-up store opportunities to see in which direction company-owned retail could go. Theres a lot to come, Cazzato said. It is going to be very exciting.

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MILAN  Vincent Van Duysens ouevre could very well be illustrated in shades of beige and various earth tones that calm the mind and spirit. His eponymous architect studio, founded in 1989, is credited with forward-looking offices and residences that span the globe from Antwerp, Belgium, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In and around the design scene, the design veteran is spreading his zen with his meditative objects and interior design projects.

Though imbuing natural surroundings with structures and sculpture is nothing new, Van Duysens most recent outing this year was Molteni & Cs first outdoor collection, for which he reinterpreted works by the most important contemporary designers, including U.K. architectural firm Foster + Partners, Israeli designer Ron Gilad and the late pioneer of Italian contemporary design and architecture Gio Ponti. The Palinfrasca sofa and armchair was based on late Molteni art director Luca Medas 1994 project, inspired by a basket weave, representing a safe and intimate place.

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Elsewhere, Van Duysen wove this meditative spirit into the fashion world when he unfurled a collection of meditative pieces with New York City-based, mens performance line Jacques to create a tranquil yet dynamic environment supporting the mind and body through movement and intention, his studio said, adding that the creative process involved a sustainable, long-lasting approach to minimalist design through functionality and their use of enduring materials.

Vincent Van Duysens meditative objects for Jacques. Photo by Rich Stapleton.

This sustainable ethos extends to his Zara Home+ by Vincent Van Duysen line, which involved a deep-dive into Van Duysens own archives, revisiting some of his most famous pieces and styles, rooted in instilling purity into new creations, thus rendering them accessible and economical for a mass public.

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A Modernist Escape by Vincent Van Duysen for Zara Home. Courtesy of Vincent Van Duysen Architects BV. Photo by Francois Halard.



Here, WWD chats with Van Duysen about the creation of his aesthetic and cleaning out the clutter.

WWD: Time and time again you achieve serenity, calmness with your designs  whether its a vase or an outdoor set. How do you clean out the clutter?

Vincent Van Duysen: To me simplicity is key, and it means undoing the clutter and getting to the core  achieving authenticity, austerity and purity. Overall I think that balance between purity and content is needed. The richness of a space or of an object is elevated undoubtedly by exquisite details that might read as a more maximal approach but at the same time, other projects or objects ask for reductionism. Thats when I remove everything that is superfluous. To me the core is a design that is timeless, functional and human-centric.

WWD: How do you manage so many diverse projects and stay balanced?

V.V.D.: Its a mindset, I am like a sponge, super observative. Its also passion that drives me to be alert and be creative and awake.Also, the diversity of projects nourishes my creativity.

In general, I try to balance this hectic life with a healthy lifestyle and transcendental meditation. Furthermore, the talent and dedication of my team supports me and inspires me. I also achieve being balanced by staying true to myself and to my vision without following trends. As I look for my own inner balance, the same is true with my work. The projects or products might be diverse but at the core I search for a purity and organicity that strives to improve the lives of humans. I want to achieve well-balanced work in order to also slow down todays existence, which is too fast, too saturated, too overstimulated. How do I reach it? With purity of form, natural materials, clean geometries, warm and tactile textures added to the formula, my intent to always create timeless pieces.

WWD: What do you look for in a brand when it comes to a new project?

V.V.D.: Whats paramount to me is the chemistry between myself and a given client, and the reciprocal inspiration and symbiotic exchange. In a new project or with a new client I feel like I need to share the same values and vision, I also want to work with clients or partners that challenge me, that bring me off the beaten path.

WWD: What are your favorite materials to work with, especially in this new outdoor collection with Molteni & C?

V.V.D.: It is not only about the outdoor collection, its more in general. Organic, natural materials; with texture, that are tactile and that age well.

WWD: Why do you think legendary Molteni designer Luca Medas legacy lives on so strongly and why did you pick the Palinfrasca sofa to re-envisage within the Outdoor collection?

V.V.D.: Luca Medas legacy lives on because it is unique. I see this heritage element as a tribute to Medas work. In the case of Palinfrasca, the Moltenis have shown me an object that Meda created with the woven backrest for himself and that was the starting point for me and the Palinfrasca collection. Palinfrasca  with its weaving technique  reflects the fluidity and dynamism of nature, and very organic. This piece is like a tribute to nature.

Van Duysen reimagined Luca Medas Palinfrasca armchair for Molteni & C. Courtesy of Molteni

WWD: What do you think about Italys design and interiors market compared to others? What are its strengths and weaknesses?

V.V.D.: The secret recipe of the Italian design success is that it is steeped in excellence, architectural heritage, and outstanding craftsmanship. Italian brands usually do not scream design. Its an understated sophistication and elegance. Its cultural and it goes beyond design itself. Its the Italians past, culture, fashion and food that reflects on Moltenis identity, based on 90 years of history of building a brand with excellence and tradition.

WWD: What sort of real estate projects do you have coming up? What other projects are exciting you these days?

V.V.D.: All of my projects are actually really exciting. To name a few, I have ongoing hospitality projects in Comporta and Lisbon, Portugal for JNcQuoi (an upscale restaurant and an innovative concept where food meets fashion meets hospitality). I am also extremely busy with architectural and interior projects in Belgium and then in Thailand, Singapore, Berlin, the U.S. The first outdoor collection with Molteni & C, plus many more to come, just like what you saw at Salone 2023.

Vincent Van Duysen and his team designed Casa M in Melides, Portugal. The structure blends in seamlessly, camouflaged by the rolling hills, dunes and cork trees of Alentejo. Photo by Vincent Van Duysen.

WWD: Another legendary Molteni designer, Gio Ponti, is one of the biggest names still in the design and architecture world, years after his death. Why do his designs resonate so much today more than ever?

V.V.D.: Gio Pontis designs are imbued with excellence and architectural heritage. He was able to create exceptional environments with his multifaceted creativity; his style was unique and based on unexpected geometries and refined materials and use of light. Ponti is one-of-a-kind because as an architect he covered the entire creative spectrum with interiors and product design.

WWD: Can you tell us about your relationship with Molteni. How is it different working with a strong family-run company in comparison to your other contracts?

V.V.D.: The world of Molteni & C is unique: They draw from excellence, heritage and outstanding craftsmanship. Their style is not screaming design, its an understated sophistication and elegance, just like my creations. Ours is a symbiosis of worlds with an architectural and interior design attitude that tries to rethink and readdress both the world and the art of living. Molteni Group is still family-owned and I am very close to them and to Carlo Molteni  that is how deep the rapport goes.

Molteni & C unveiled its first outdoor collection by Vincent Van Duysen this year. Courtesy of Molteni & C

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On Thursday, five search warrant affidavits were unsealed in a large document dump that revealed South Dakota billionaire banker T. Denny Sanford was believed to have obtained images depicting child pornography.

Despite the search warrant affidavits and tips received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, charges were never presented, according to Tony Mangan, the communications director for the South Dakota Office of the Attorney General.

Sanford is the richest person in the state, the founder of First Premier Bank and a nationally recognized philanthropist, along as the namesake behind Sanford Health, a regional nonprofit healthcare system based in Sioux Falls.

More: Search warrant affidavits into T. Denny Sanford have been unsealed. Here's what we know

We took this matter seriously and trust law enforcements process with regard to their investigation, including their determination last year that there were no chargeable offenses," the hospital system released in a statement Thursday afternoon. "Sanford Health was not contacted by law enforcement or involved in the investigation.

Mangan released the following statement in an email to the Argus Leader when asked Thursday why Sanford did not face indictment or charges, once the affidavits revealed 36 images of nude girls ages 8 to 15 were found on his phone. "In 2019, the Division of Criminal Investigation began investigating whether T. Denny Sanford had possessed child pornography. Search warrants were issued. That investigative file was then forwarded to the United States Attorney office in South Dakota, which forwarded it to the Department of Justice. The file was also forwarded to the authorities in Arizona and California. To date, none of those authorities have lodged charges against Sanford.

In 2022, after Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg was impeached and suspended, his administration issued a statement that it did not find probable cause for criminal charges in the state of South Dakota," Mangan wrote.

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More: What happened during the child porn investigation tied to T. Denny Sanford in South Dakota

On May 27, 2022, Brent Kempema, the Deputy Attorney General submitted a notice of completed investigation that "determined that there are no prosecutable offenses within the jurisdiction of the State of South Dakota."

Investigators also indicated they were unable to accurately locate the individual using an email account tied to the images on Sanford's phone during the dates police identified in the affidavits, because the account pinged in multiple locations across multiple states.

Sanford's lawyers argued he'd been hacked

Sanford's lawyers, in court documents filed in January 2022, also argued that Sanford's email accounts were hacked, which led to the child pornography investigation into the billionaire. At the time, Sanford was represented by Marty Jackley.

More: Child pornography investigation involving T. Denny Sanford still ongoing; lawyer argues emails hacked

A forensic examination of the very email account and relevant timeframe that is the subject of the search warrant in this case has uncovered the specific name of an individual other than the Implicated Individual having gained access to that very account, Jackley wrote at the time. Further exonerating evidence includes corroborating evidence of hacking into the Implicated Individuals various accounts, unknown to the Implicated Individual until a forensic examination was performed that sought to uncover the truth in this matter.

Jackley, who is currently the South Dakota Attorney General, no longer represents Sanford. Jackley was elected in November 2022.

Stacey Hegge, Sanford's current attorney, in a statement Thursday reiterated her client had been hacked.

"Mr. Sanford appreciates that after a thorough investigation the authorities concluded there exists no prosecutable offense. Here, because there is no prosecutable case or further action to be taken, the court records being released contain only allegations," Hegge wrote. "These preliminary allegations were provided to law enforcement prior to law enforcements exhaustive investigation and its realization that various individuals had documented access to the electronic devices at issue, including signs of hacking. While some claim releasing affidavits that reiterate these allegations constitute transparency, releasing preliminary allegations made prior to completing the full investigation only misinforms people and obscures the investigations conclusions that no prosecutable offense occurred.

What does the law say?

By South Dakota law, a person is guilty of possessing, manufacturing or distributing child pornography, a Class 4 felony, if the person:

Creates any visual depiction of a minor engaging in a prohibited sexual act, or in the simulation of such an act;

Causes or knowingly permits the creation of any visual depiction of a minor engaged in a prohibited sexual act, or in the simulation of such an act; or

Knowingly possesses, distributes, or otherwise disseminates any visual depiction of a minor engaging in a prohibited sexual act, or in the simulation of such an act.

Public liaisons for the U.S. Attorney's Office District of South Dakota and the Homeland Security Investigations  St. Paul, which oversees sub-offices in the state and office handles various federal online-related sex crimes, could not be reached for comment.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Why South Dakota AG's office didn't charge Sanford with child pornography
Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith has placed three police officers on administrative leave following a fatal shooting on April 23rd, 2023.

Just after 9:30 p.m. April 23, Shreveport Community Response Unit conducted a traffic stop at Valley View Drive and Mansfield Road.

During that traffic stop officers encountered Joseph Dewayne Taylor, 33, who was armed. Police said that a struggle ensued, and an officer fired.

SPD said at the scene the officer fired one shot, however, Taylor was shot multiple times and was transported to Ochsner LSU Health where he was pronounced dead at 9:57 p.m.

Sergeant Daniel Denby, Officer Terri Simmons, and Officer Anthony Visciotti were placed on administrative leave immediately following the April 23rd incident. The investigation into this incident has been turned over to the Louisiana State Police.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: 3 Shreveport officers placed on leave after shooting death
The News

South Carolina and Nebraska, two conservative states that have been pushing to ban abortion, on Thursday both failed to pass new bills prohibiting the procedure, preserving wide access to abortion in those states and handing surprise victories to abortion rights advocates.

In Nebraska, a bill to ban most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy  a strict prohibition that would outlaw the procedure before most women know they are pregnant  failed to advance in the state legislature, making it unlikely to move forward for the remainder of this years legislative session.

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The bill fell one vote short of the 33 needed in order to advance, after two senators did not vote. Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican who had supported the bill, said after the vote that it was unacceptable for senators to be present not voting on such a momentous vote. Pillen, who described himself as a staunch defender of life said he was profoundly disappointed by the outcome.

In South Carolina, the senate rejected a bill that would ban most abortions in the state. The bill had already been passed by the House, but the Senates five women  three of whom are Republicans  opposed the bill and spoke forcefully against it.

Why It Matters

The bills, if they had passed, were likely to be signed into law by Republican governors, and would have been a significant change for state residents. Currently, both South Carolina and Nebraska allow abortion up to around 22 weeks.

Nebraska politicians today voted to keep private health care decisions where they belong  in the exam room between a doctor and their patient, said Andi Curry Grubb, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska.

Both states would have joined a growing list of Republican-dominated states with severe restrictions on abortion. So far, 14 states have active bans on nearly all abortions, though some allow exceptions for rape and danger to the life of the mother. Georgia and Florida also ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, but Floridas ban is on hold pending a court challenge.

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South Carolina has become a destination for women seeking abortions as its Southern neighbors have shut down access to abortion. The proposed ban would have prohibited abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with narrow exceptions for rape and incest before 12 weeks.

During discussion of the bill, state Sen. Mia McLeod, an independent, appealed to her colleagues to protect the rights of women and girls.

If this bill passes, a baby will be forced to carry and deliver another baby, even if it costs her her life, she said.

Background

Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to abortion in its Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision, effectively sending the issue of regulation back to individual states. This year alone, more than 600 abortion-related bills have been proposed in the states. Slightly more than half of them aim to restrict access to the procedure.

Republicans, however, have struggled to reach consensus on just how far abortion restrictions ought to go, and some in the GOP see the issue as a political liability after midterm losses.

Whats Next

With a few weeks left in its session, South Carolina could still pass an abortion ban.

The Senate has already passed a six-week ban, which the House could take up. Both chambers have been unable to reach agreement on a ban. And the states Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that its Constitution includes the right to abortion, but said the state still had an interest in regulating the procedure.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
Indiana University South Bend art professor Dora Natella works on one of the figures for "The Spirit of Indiana."

Editor's note: Because of incorrect information provided to The Tribune, an earlier version of this story said Dora Natella had pancreatic cancer at the time of her death. The Tribune has not been able to confirm the type of cancer she had. The story has been updated. The Tribune regrets the error.

Indiana University South Bend sculpture professor Dora Natella was "an amazing woman," said Marvin Curtis, the former dean of IUSB's Raclin School of the Arts.

"She was an amazing artist and an amazing human being," Curtis said. "She will be sorely missed."

Tragically, Natella, 66, died the morning of Tuesday, April 11, following a crash on the Indiana Toll Road in St. Joseph County near Mishawaka.

IUSB sculpture professor Dora Natella died at the scene on Tuesday, April 11 after a Toyota in which she was a passenger crashed into a semi-truck on the Indiana Toll Road near Mishawaka.

Indiana State Police troopers were called just after 11:10 a.m. to the serious crash involving a UPS semi-truck with double trailers and a silver 2019 Toyota SUV in the westbound lanes of the toll road near the 79.6-mile marker, approximately three miles west of the Mishawaka exit.

Troopers say the semi was traveling west when the brakes on the rear trailer locked up. The semi came to a stop with the rear trailer mostly in the right lane. Police say the Toyota was traveling west in the right lane and swerved left to avoid the trailer but ultimately hit its left corner.

Natella, who was riding in the Toyota's passenger seat, was pronounced dead at the scene. The Toyota's driver, Natella's son, Andrea Natella, 28, and the semi's driver, Stefan Canic, 33, were not injured in the crash.

WNDU reported that an inspection to determine why the brakes locked up on the semi will be conducted by troopers with the Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division. Police say neither alcohol nor drugs are suspected to be factors in this crash. The investigation into the crash remains ongoing.

IUSB sculpture professor Dora Natella died at the scene on Tuesday, April 11 after a Toyota in which she was a passenger crashed into a semi-truck on the Indiana Toll Road near Mishawaka.

'She did work all over the world'

Natella's loss "is going to be great to not just the (IUSB) school community but to the greater community as well," Curtis said. "We're all devastated by it."

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According to the university, Natella had led IUSB's sculpture program since 2004. Natella was born in Venezuela and raised and educated in Italy, where she studied classical sculpture tradition at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples. As a professor at IUSB, Natella took her students to Florence, Italy, for sculpture tours, Curtis said.

Before coming to IUSB, Natella earned a master's of fine arts in sculpture at Western Michigan University and taught sculpture at IU Bloomington and the University of Oregon. Her often-life-size work is on display everywhere from Venezuela to Lincoln, Neb.

"She did work all over the world," Curtis said.

Indiana University South Bend art professor Dora Natella's "The Spirit of Indiana" is at home outside Memorial Stadium in Miller Plaza in Bloomington, Ind.

In 2021, Natella completed a 4,830-pound bronze sculpture titled "The Spirit of Indiana." The more than 10-foot-tall sculpture sits outside Indiana University's Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. In 2018, Natella was invited to create the sculpture to mark IU's bicentennial after IU President Michael McRobbie admired Natella's work on IUSB's campus.

According to Curtis, Natella was battling cancer at the time of her death. Curtis said she was "a fighter."

"She was a wonderful woman, and a phenomenal, fantastic artist," he said.

Email Tribune staff writer Claire Reid at cereid@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Beloved IUSB professor Dora Natella dies in I-80 crash near Mishawaka
Former President Donald Trump gestures as he leaves Trump Tower for a deposition in New York, April 13, 2023. (Dave Sanders/The New York Times)

WASHINGTON  When Sen. Steve Daines, the leader of the Senate Republican campaign arm, quietly informed Sen. Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, that he intended to endorse former President Donald Trump, McConnell was fine with the idea.

McConnell, the Kentucky Republican, is not on speaking terms with the former president, having abruptly turned against him after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Trump has publicly savaged the senator and repeatedly demeaned his wife with racist statements.

But the minority leader, according to a person familiar with his thinking, believed that somebody in the Senate GOP leadership ranks should have a working relationship with the partys leading presidential contender  and it might as well be the man charged with winning back the Senate majority.

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Daines endorsement of Trump this week  and McConnells private blessing of it  highlighted how top Senate Republicans have quietly decided to join forces with their partys leading presidential candidate, putting aside the toxic relationship that some of them have with him to focus on what they hope will be a mutually advantageous political union.

Daines of Montana, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, is the first and so far only member of the Senate GOP leadership team to endorse Trump. McConnell, who enabled Trump and his agenda during much of his presidency before the Capitol riot, has not spoken to the former president since December 2020. His No. 2, Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, also has been mercilessly attacked by Trump.

Thune portrayed Daines embrace of the former president as the cost of doing business  whats necessary to win.

Hes got a tough job to do, Thune told reporters at the Capitol. Hes got a lot of races around the country that we need to win. And I think he wants as many allies as possible.

Asked about the fact that Daines has endorsed someone who has attacked both him and McConnell, the senator was temporarily at a loss for words.

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Well, Thune said with a pause, what can I tell you?

Many Senate Republicans, in contrast to their counterparts in the House, view Trump as a political anchor who cost them the majority in 2020 with baseless claims of voter fraud in Georgia that damaged their runoff chances. Many believe that Trump cost them again in 2022 by endorsing Senate contenders who struggled in the general election. McConnell has attributed his partys inability to win the Senate to candidate quality problems spurred by Trumps primary endorsements.

Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump, said that there was tremendous support nationally and statewide for the former president, when asked about Senate Republican leaders reluctant acceptance of Daines endorsement.

By contrast, DeSantis has embarrassingly tiny support, Cheung said.

Some Republicans are determined to steer clear of Trump. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, a vocal critic of Trumps who voted to convict the former president in both of his impeachment trials, insisted that Daines backing for Trump should not be regarded as an embrace of the former president by the Senate GOP.

Montana is a big Trump-supporting state, Romney said Wednesday. I dont think he did that as the leader of the Republican team. Mitch McConnell is our leader, and I doubt hell endorse anybody.

A spokesperson for Daines declined to comment on Romneys characterization of the endorsement.

Some wondered whether Daines was deliberately defying McConnell like the last chair of the party campaign arm, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, did during last years midterm elections.

I was surprised, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, another member of the party leadership, said this week when asked what she thought of the Daines endorsement. But all of the senators have the opportunity to endorse who they want to endorse.

In fact, Daines and McConnell are on the same page.

Daines gave McConnell a heads up that he would be endorsing Trump before a Monday night appearance on the podcast of Donald Trump Jr., the former presidents eldest son, according to the person familiar with his thinking.

McConnell views Montana, West Virginia and Ohio  which Trump won by big margins  as among the most important Senate battlegrounds in 2024, and it will fall to Daines to keep the former president on friendly terms with the partys favored candidates, especially in the states where he remains wildly popular.

While the rest of McConnells team keeps their distance from the former president, Daines speaks frequently with Trump, including as recently as Wednesday night, said a person with direct knowledge of the call who was not authorized to discuss it publicly.

So even after Trump has denigrated McConnells wife, Elaine Chao, the Senate minority leader has engaged in a familiar game with the former president, with whom he worked closely to cut taxes and stack the federal judiciary with ardent conservatives.

McConnell has said as little as possible about the former president since cutting off all contact with him. He has ignored Trumps attacks against him and his wife, and he has refused to follow the approach of former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who has said she plans to do whatever she can to stop Trump from becoming president again.

Instead, McConnell has said he is focused on winning back the Senate, and in service of that goal he is already making accommodations for the former president. He has said he will support Trump if he wins the 2024 Republican nomination.

Like many of his colleagues, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a former chair of the Republican campaign arm himself, is staying out of Trumps way. He said he did not plan to endorse in the primary but will support the nominee in the general election.

Daines, he said, was entitled to some latitude given the complexity of the political environment that were entering into.

Republicans goal, Cornyn added, was to win back the majority.

And I dont really care what the tactics are, he said.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
(REUTERS)

Carolyn Bryant Donham, the white woman whose dubious allegations spurred the infamous 1955 killing of Black teenager Emmett Till, has died at age 88.

Donham, who had previously been diagnosed with cancer, was receiving hospice care in Louisiana. The Calcasieu Parish coroners office confirmed her death to Mississippi Today on 27 April.

Till was kidnapped, tortured, beaten and shot before his body was tied to a fan blade and weighed down in a river. Photos of his grieving family and mangled body at an open casket funeral helped galvanise the civil rights movement and shine a light on the viciousness of racist violence in the Jim Crow South.

Tills mother Mamie Till-Mobley, who died in 2003, was pictured in a defining image at the service. I wanted the world to see what they did to my boy, she said at the time.

Malik Z Shabazz, an attorney for the Till family, said Bryant, who accused Till of making lewd remarks and grabbing her around the waist in a grocery store in Money, Missippi, left behind a legacy of dishonesty and injustice.

Carolyn Bryants death brings a conclusion to a painful chapter for the Emmett Till family and for Black peoples in America, Mr Shabazz told Capital B News. The tragic part about Bryants death was that she was never held accountable for her role in the death of young Emmett Till, who is the martyr for the Civil Rights Movement.

The men who killed the 14-year-old Black boy, Donhams then-husband Roy Bryant and brother-in-law JW Milam, were acquitted by an all-white jury. They admitted to their crimes in a magazine interview a few months later. Both men have since died.

Donham was never convincted with any crime, nor was she ever charged. Subsequent investigations have shown inconsistencies in her explosive account of what hapened between her and Till.

A last chance at justice

Multiple local and federal investigations have re-examined the case.

Last August, a grand jury in Leflore County, Missippie, declined to indict her.

Story continues

The long-running inquiry into the truth behind what happened to Emmett Till began a new chapter that June, when an unserved warrant charging Ms Donham along with Bryant and Milam was discovered in a county courthouse basement. After Tills murder, Donham was never taken into custody or charged with any crime in the decades that followed.

Following several hours of testimony from investigators and witnesses, a grand jury determined there was not enough evidence to indict Ms Donham on charges of kidnapping and manslaughter. The case marked one the final chances to amend the record on a historic crime thats been scrutinised for decades.

The murder of Emmett Till remains an unforgettable tragedy in this country and the thoughts and prayers of this nation continue to be with the family of Emmett Till, District Attorney Dewayne Richardson said in a statement.

#NoTrueBill for #CarolynBryantDonham

Her actions, and the unserved warrant proves her culpability.#JusticeForEmmettTill Continues

We will Never Give Up#EmmettTill's death will not be in Vain

We will keep our promise to #MamieTillMobley and hold any accomplice accountable. pic.twitter.com/gTGgucZ8VC  EmmettTillLegacyFdn (@EmmettTill) August 9, 2022

The Rev Wheeler Parker Jr, Tills cousin and the last living witness to his abduction in 1955, said in a statement that the grand jurys decision was unfortunate, but predictable.

The prosecutor tried his best, and we appreciate his efforts, but he alone cannot undo hundreds of years of anti-Black systems that guaranteed those who killed Emmett Till would go unpunished, to this day, he said at the time.

The fact remains that the people who abducted, tortured, and murdered Emmett did so in plain sight, and our American justice system was and continues to be set up in such a way that they could not be brought to justice for their heinous crimes.

Federal investigators open  and close  two cases

It wasnt the first time officials re-examined the shocking killing.

In 2004, the US Department of Justice opened an investigation to potentially weigh state-level charges in the case, though a grand jury declined to issue any indictments in 2007, and federal prosecutors closed their inquiry.

A federal investigation reopened in 2018 following the publication of Timothy Tysons The Blood of Emmett Till. The author said Ms Donham told him in a 2008 interview that her trial testimony was false  though her family has denied that she ever recanted her testimony.

The Justice Department renewed its probe after Ms Donham also denied to the FBI that she ever recanted her testimony and provided no information beyond what was uncovered during the previous federal investigation, according to federal prosecutors.

Federal prosecutors closed the investigation a second time in December 2021, claiming to find no new evidence suggesting that either Ms Donham or any other living person was involved in Tills abduction and murder.

Even if such evidence could be developed, no federal hate crime laws existed in 1955, and the statute of limitations has run on the only civil rights statutes that were in effect at that time, the agency said in a statement.

As such, even if a living suspect could now be identified, a federal prosecution for Tills abduction and murder would not be possible, according to investigators.

The DoJ also concluded that Mr Tysons account of the recantation was filled with numerous inconsistencies.

Author Timothy Tyson holds a copy of his book on the lynching of Emmett Till, in which (AP)

The historian failed to keep reliable notes and tape transcripts of the confession, according to a review from the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting.

In March of 2022, the office of Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch also said investigators were unlikely to open another case.

This is a tragic and horrible crime, but the FBI, which has far greater resources than our office, has investigated this matter twice and determined that there is nothing more to prosecute, chief of staff Michelle Williams said in a statement.

But the discovery of the warrant for Ms Donhams arrest  which the Leflore County sheriff did not issue at the time because he did not want to bother her  amounted to new evidence, according to the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation.

Other questions about the reliability of her story have emerged.

At various points, in interviews with defence lawyers and later federal agents, the accuser gave conflicting accounts about when Till whistled, how he touched her, who she told about the alleged incident, and how or if she identified Till to her family members who later killed him.

Donham, according to an unpublished memoir viewed by the Associated Press, has also claimed that she did not recognise Till.

Witnesses to the incident say they never saw Till say or do anything inappropriate.

While I was in the store, Bobo did nothing inappropriate, Simeon Wright, Tills cousin, recounted in his 2010 memoir, using a family nickname for Till. Bobo didnt ask her for a date or call her baby. There was no lecherous conversation between them.

A new class of hate crime, a century in the making

The year before Till was killed, the US Supreme Court overturned the separate but equal doctrine in its landmark Brown v Board of Education case to end legal segregation. Cities and states across the US resisted the court with violence and in protracted legal battles that took decades to resolve, with their legacies imprinted in private schools that fought integration and in deteriorating public school systems nationwide.

More than 6,500 people, mostly Black Americans, were killed in racist attacks between 1865 and 1950. That time period encompassed the aftermath of the US Civil War and emancipation, white militia terror during Reconstruction, and the years surrounding the Civil Rights movement, according to the Equal Justice Initiative.

In the year after the Supreme Courts ruling in the Board case, several public acts of racist violence in Mississippi preceded Tills killing. The Rev George Lee  the first Black man to register to vote in Humphreys County in decades  was fatally shot for doing so. In Lincoln County, Lamar Smith was shot to death for telling people to register.

It took almost 100 years before such acts of racist violence would be recognised under federal law.

In 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act into law, making lynching a federal hate crime.

The law designates lynching as a crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison. It passed the House of Representatives on 7 March by a vote of 433-7 and cleared the US Senate by unanimous consent.
Company Logo

Global Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Market

Global Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Market

Dublin, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Electric Power Generation, Transmission, And Distribution Global Market Report 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global electric power generation, transmission, and distribution market grew from $4,478.61 billion in 2022 to $4,796.70 billion in 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.1%.

The electric power generation, transmission, and distribution market is expected to grow to $6,180.66 billion in 2027 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5%.

Electric power generation companies are increasingly using batteries to store solar energy during daylight hours. These energy-storage sites consist of large lithium-ion batteries. These batteries store enough energy to serve as a backup in case of fuel shortages. They are designed to absorb solar power and feed it back to the grid. These systems minimize the need for capital-intensive power generation plants, thereby enhancing transmission and distribution efficiencies and thus reducing operational costs. For instance, by 2025, the World Bank Group aims to fund 17.5-gigawatt hours (GWh) of battery storage, more than tripling the current 4-5 GWh installed across all developing nations.

The power generation industry is expected to see increased investment activity in the forecast period. Investments in microgrid technology, renewable energy, and other advanced technologies are expected to drive the market. According to the Global Innovation Report, the total capacity of microgrids is expected to reach 1.2 GW by 2024 in North America, with an annual revenue of $4.2 billion. The United States Senate enacted a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill in August 2021, which includes financing to accelerate clean energy initiatives. The growing investment in power generation will drive the growth of the electric power generation, transmission, and distribution markets.



Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the electric power generation, transmission, and distribution market in 2022. Western Europe was the second largest region in the electric power generation, transmission, and distribution market. The regions covered in the electric power generation, transmission, and distribution report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, and Africa.



The countries covered in the electric power generation, transmission, and distribution market report are Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK, USA, Venezuela, and Vietnam.



Scope

Markets Covered:



1) By Type: Electric Power Transmission, Control, And Distribution; Power Generation

2) By End-User: Residential; Commercial; Industrial

3) By Type of Operator: Public Operator; Private Operator



Key Attributes:

Story continues

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 400 Forecast Period 2023 - 2027 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $4796.7 billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2027 $6180.66 billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 6.5% Regions Covered Global

Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary



2. Report Structure



3. Electric Power Generation, Transmission, And Distribution Market Characteristics



4. Electric Power Generation, Transmission, And Distribution Market Product Analysis



5. Electric Power Generation, Transmission, And Distribution Market Supply Chain



6. Electric Power Generation, Transmission, And Distribution Market Customer Information



7. Electric Power Generation, Transmission, And Distribution Market Trends And Strategies



8. Electric Power Generation, Transmission, And Distribution Market - Macro Economic Scenario



9. Electric Power Generation, Transmission, And Distribution Market Size And Growth



10. Electric Power Generation, Transmission, And Distribution Market Regional Analysis



11. Electric Power Generation, Transmission, And Distribution Market Segmentation

12. Electric Power Generation, Transmission, And Distribution Market Segments



13. Electric Power Generation, Transmission, And Distribution Market Metrics



A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes

Electricite De France SA

Enel SpA

Tokyo Electric Power Co Holdings Incorporated

E.ON SE

Korea Electric Power Corporation

State Power Investment Corporation

Iberdrola

Exelon Corp

Engie

Duke Energy Corp

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/2jfbzz

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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TALLAHASSEE  While it's hardly a rebellion, Republican lawmakers are dialing back a couple of Gov. Ron DeSantis major policy pushes  moving ahead with new sanctions on illegal immigration and more oversight of university programs but ignoring his harshest demands.

The immigration bill strengthens employment requirements, allows state law enforcement officials to conduct random audits of businesses suspected of hiring undocumented workers and increases criminal penalties for human smuggling.

But the measure, while still condemned by immigrant advocates, does not include an in-state tuition ban for undocumented students sought by DeSantis.

The higher education proposal, similarly, avoids DeSantis call for an outright ban on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs at Florida universities, an animating topic on conservative media which the governor has seized on.

Instead, the measure (CS/SB 266) bars state spending on certain kinds of DEI programs while demanding review by university administrators of any curriculum based on theories that systemic racism, sexism and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political and economic inequities.

Push against diversity programs: Critics warn DeSantis is hurting Florida universities with push to the political right

DeSantis fumes against immigration: Crackdown on immigration moves ahead  without DeSantis priority

Before presidential run, a move right: Why DeSantis is driving Florida hard right

Theres nothing in this bill that prohibits facts from being talked about or theories from being discussed, said Sen. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, sponsor of the measure, which steers away from some key prohibitions DeSantis wanted.

Grall earlier pledged, There is nothing in this bill that prohibits an upper-level course on critical race theory, another concept DeSantis has railed against.

Story continues

Gov. Ron DeSantis has been traveling to Israel and Asia while state lawmakers in Tallahassee dial-back a couple of his policy priorities.

The higher education clampdown was approved 27-12 Friday by the Senate. The immigration limits also sailed through the Senate 27-10, both mostly along party-lines.

Bitter fight against bills continues

The bills, which drew fierce public opposition in every one of their committee hearings, received strong condemnation by outnumbered Democrats on the Senate floor.

Black Democrats said the higher education restrictions could be used to quash classroom discussion or courses examining the state's and nations troubled racial history.

Its true: we have had a system based on race, based on sex and in many instances, we have overcome. And young people need to know that, said Sen. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando.

On immigration, DeSantis fellow Republicans never included his call to repeal a nine-year-old state law that allows undocumented students who grew up in Florida  so-called Dreamers  to qualify for in-state tuition.

The Senate sponsor, Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, said a goal of the legislation is to reduce the incentive for migrants to come to Florida. He used the term to justify the bills new prohibition on undocumented residents becoming eligible to practice law in Florida.

But banning in-state tuition seemed to go too far for legislative Republicans. According to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal, 40,152 undocumented students are currently enrolled in Florida colleges and universities, out of more than 1 million overall students.

On balance, what we have to do to get after the problem were focused on, an immigration crisis in this country. What are the constructive steps? said House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, about the measure, now poised for approval in his chamber next week.

Renner said more effective is the bills requirement making private businesses with 25 or more employees to use the federal E-Verify system to verify a new employees legal status. Thats better, he said, than focusing on children who are already here prior to that immigration crisis.

Im comfortable with where weve landed, Renner said.

Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, said she had spoken with DeSantis about the in-state ban. Passidomo said that as a House member, shed voted against granting the benefit to undocumented students.

Now, though, Passidomo said Friday, If a child does go through our entire public education system, we own it. Weve educated them. And theyre here.

Passidomo thinks DeSantis is OK without tuition ban

She said DeSantis accepted that view. I think its a really good bill, Passidomo added.

DeSantis, on a trade mission to South Korea, Japan, Israel and the United Kingdom the past week, is likely soon to announce his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination.

He called for the tuition ban in rolling out a host of other proposals targeting undocumented migrants, most of which are included in the measure approved Friday.

The governor unveiled his immigration package at a February event in Jacksonville where he spoke from a podium bearing a sign, Bidens Border Crisis.

But Sen. Tina Polsky, criticized the political overtones of the legislation, saying, This bill would never have come forward if there was a Republican in the White House.

It just penalizes people, it penalizes businesses, Polsky said. Its just a really sad commentary on where weve become as a nation, that youre just going after these people because you can and you think it will help you politically.

But Ingoglia said it was important for the state to take steps intended to prod the federal government to address the influx of migrants entering the country.

Crisis created by federal government, Ingoglia says

We have an illegal immigration crisis, where some people are saying we have an invasion coming across our southern border, Ingoglia told the Senate. This is a crisis created by the federal government.

But the in-state tuition ban, signed by DeSantis predecessor, now-U.S. Sen. Rick Scott who continues to support it, was troubled from the start.

A sponsor of the provision nine years ago was DeSantis lieutenant governor, Jeanette Nunez, then a Miami House member, and several current lawmakers had voted in support of making Dreamers eligible for lower tuition.

Similarly, DeSantis' demand for barring DEI programs was diluted amid concerns it could cause accreditation problems at Florida schools.

The Senates higher education bill also abandons a proposal backed by DeSantis which wouldve allowed tenured professors to be subject to a job review at any time. Instead, it retains a current standard  adopted just last year  that requires tenure review every five years.

An earlier approach giving university Boards of Trustees, mostly appointed by DeSantis, authority to hire and fire faculty, also has been changed in the Senate bill to limit employment authority to university presidents, the provost, an executive management team or individual deans.

The immigration proposal is sweeping and considered by some analysts to include some of the toughest sanctions sought by any state.

Hospitals would be required to ask patients their immigration status and report to the state, which opponents say will discourage many from seeking needed care.

Plenty banned under both bills

Local governments would be banned from contributing money to organizations creating identification cards for undocumented immigrants and drivers licenses issued to non-citizens in other states would be barred from use in Florida, a provision critics say could lead to confusion and law enforcement profiling, especially in a state widely diverse and filled with visitors.

The legislation also authorizes spending $12 million for the Division of Emergency Managements Unauthorized Alien Transport Program, a descendant of the spending allowance DeSantis used last year to transport about 50 mostly Venezuelan asylum-seekers from Texas to Marthas Vineyard, off the Massachusetts coast.

John Kennedy is a reporter in the USA TODAY Networks Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jkennedy2@gannett.com, or on Twitter at @JKennedyReport

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida lawmakers soften immigration, university bills  slightly
[Source]

A Southwest Airlines flight from Atlanta to Houston was purportedly delayed for an hour due to spilled rice.

On April 15, flight attendants discovered rice on an aisle floor of their airplane.

Hoping to identify the person responsible for the spilled rice, one of the flight attendants purportedly confronted the planes passengers about the mess.

The flight attendant screamed who spilled rice? and is walking up and down the aisles, Jennifer Schaper, a passenger on the plane, tweeted. They are refusing to leave the gate until someone cleans the rice."

More from NextShark: YouTube channel belonging to Malaysian rapper behind viral song mocking Chinese nationalists is hacked

Because my travels seem to involve unintentional comedy:

Just boarded the plane and somebody spilled food. The flight attendant screamed who spilled rice? and is walking up and down the aisles. They are refusing to leave the gate until someone cleans the rice. pic.twitter.com/f5SfdjZcGr  Jennifer Schaper (@jenschap) April 15, 2023

More from NextShark: Indonesian teen killed after attempting TikTok challenge in which users jump in front of moving trucks

Update: they are still refusing to leave until the rice has been cleaned. They are sending out for a broom. #RiceGate pic.twitter.com/2H8fIQwdsh

 Jennifer Schaper (@jenschap) April 15, 2023

More from NextShark: Woman caught writing fake Chinese, Russian history on Chinese Wikipedia for over a decade

After no one came forward, the flight attendants eventually gave up. However, one of them allegedly expressed her disappointment with the passengers over the planes loudspeaker.

Rice is getting cleaned but [the flight attendant] is MAD, Schaper updated on Twitter. She has let us all know that we were not raised right and she is disappointed in all of us.

Story continues

Schaper reflected on the situation during a recent interview with KHOU 11, saying, "It was the end of a long day. They apparently had a complete crew change. Im sure they were tired. We were all tired."

She also noted that she did not witness anyone spill the rice near her seat: "I didn't see it happen, but apparently one of the last passengers to board spilled a large amount of what looked like some sort of Asian fried rice... and the flight attendant was really, really mad about it."

Schaper took to Twitter on April 20 to reflect on the incident, sharing both a serious and comical perspective of the situation and using the hashtag #RiceGate.

"For the record  I did not spill the rice, and the person who did absolutely should have cleaned it up," she tweeted. "However, SWA [Southwest Airlines] staff was out of line in how they handled the situation and continued to delay an already delayed flight.

Update (1/2)

For the record - I did not spill the rice, and the person who did absolutely should have cleaned it up. However, SWA staff was out of line in how they handled the situation and continued to delay an already delayed flight. #RiceGate  Jennifer Schaper (@jenschap) April 20, 2023

The over-dramatization of the whole event made it more comical than anything, Schaper added. She also shared that an "oblivious passenger" further delayed the flight after deciding to use the bathroom before takeoff.
Editor's Note: Some testimony contains graphic descriptions. Reader discretion is advised.

The trial of Lori Vallow Daybell, accused along with her husband Chad Daybell in the murders of her children and Daybell's first wife, concluded its third week Friday as the prosecution continues to build its case.

Prosecutors say the couple used "doomsday" beliefs involving zombies to justify murdering the children, along with Daybell's first wife, Tammy Daybell.

Vallow Daybell's daughter, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, and adopted son Joshua "JJ" Vallow, 7, were declared missing in 2019 after relatives could not get in touch with the children. They were found in 2020 on Chad Daybell's property, whom their mother had married after the death of Daybell's wife Tammy.

"Doomsday mom" Lori Vallow Daybell faces trial - here's what to know about the caseLori Vallow and Chad Daybell case: A timeline of events

The couple, who are being tried separately, are accused in the three murders. Vallow Daybell also faces theft charges for allegedly collecting Social Security payments on behalf of her children.

Both Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow Daybell have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Witnesses for the prosecution discussed the couple's fringe religious beliefs and their blooming relationship as their spouses each died, as well as details about finding the children's bodies. Here are some of the most compelling moments of testimony so far.

JJ Vallow's grandfather Larry Woodcock weeps as Det. Ray Hermosillo describes finding the boy's body

Det. Ray Hermosillo, an investigator on the case with the Rexburg, Idaho, Police Department, testified about law enforcement finding the children's remains on Chad Daybell's property as JJ Vallow's grandparents, Kay and Larry Woodcock, watched from the courtroom.



"As they began removing the top layer of soil, it began to expose three large white rocks. Uh, and at that point, uh, there was a strong odor of, uh, through my training experience that was a decomposing body," Hermosillo told the court.

Story continues

He testified he saw a little boy in red pajamas  witnesses have said the last time JJ was seen alive he was wearing red pajamas  with a white plastic bag around his head and several layers of duct tape from his chin to his forehead. His arms were folded across his chest and duct taped with several layers of duct tape and his feet were also bound with duct tape, Hermosillo said.



"He had a white and blue child's blanket, um, placed on top of him," the detective testified.

Larry Woodcock was reportedly crying throughout the graphic testimony.

Lori Vallow Daybell calls Chad Daybell as investigators are searching his property for JJ and Tylee's remains, recordings reveal

Prosecutors played audio of a phone call between Vallow Daybell, who at the time was being held at the Madison County Jail on child abandonment charges, and Chad Daybell while investigators were searching Daybell's property for the children's remains.

Jurors heard Daybell tell Vallow Daybell investigators were on the property, and he asks her to pray. He also says, "I love you."

Melanie Gibb testifies about "evil spirits" and "zombies"

Lori Vallow Daybell's friend Melanie Gibb told jurors that Vallow Daybell described some people as possessed or as "zombies." Gibb said Vallow Daybell claimed some people were "light" and others were "dark," meaning they had been possessed by evil spirits. Some of those people labeled as "dark" included Vallow Daybell's fourth husband Charles Vallow (referred to as "Ned"  the evil spirit that supposedly took over his body), who was shot and killed by Vallow Daybell's brother Alex Cox, and her children, Tylee and JJ, who were found buried in Chad Daybell's backyard.

Gibb also testified that Vallow Daybell said she and Daybell had been married in past lives.

Prosecutors played a phone conversation in which Gibb confronted Vallow Daybell about JJ's whereabouts months after she had last seen the boy. In it, Vallow Daybell says she loves Gibb "with all my heart."

"I appreciate those words, but if you really love me, you wouldn't have told the police that I had JJ with me. That's not - that's not what a friend does. I mean, that just makes me look weird and it - it just - it's not safe for me. That doesn't look good. You need - you had to think of my welfare if you love me," Gibb said in the recording, which she eventually gave police.

"I do and I did exactly what I felt the Lord was instructing me to do. And I appreciate you and I love you. And I would never do anything to harm you, and you can have all of this confirmed to you by the Lord," Vallow Daybell responded in the recorded conversation.

Zulema Pastenes, the wife of Alex Cox, testified he feared being the "fall guy"

Daybell and Vallow Daybell had convinced her brother, Alex Cox, that his divine mission was to protect her. Cox, who shot and killed Charles Vallow claiming self-defense, later told his wife Zulema Pastenes he felt the pair were making him their "fall guy."

"I said, 'Fall guy for what? What is it that, that you have done? What, what have you done that you would be the fall guy for?' It was like I kept pressuring him and I was so frustrated because he wasn't answering me," she said. "So I would walk away and he would say something, and then I would come back and I  he was  and then I would pressure him again. And then he said  one of the times when I was walking away from him, he said  Zulema, either I am a man of God or I am not."

That conversation, Pastenes testified, came the day before Cox died suddenly.

Friend testifies Vallow Daybell said she was "done with JJ" and claimed Charles Vallow was having an affair

April Raymond, Vallow Daybell's former friend from Hawaii, testified about a visit from Vallow Daybell and Tylee to her home in Hawaii in early 2019, where Raymond said Vallow Daybell told her that Charles Vallow was having an affair and that she needed a place to stay.

When a prosecutor asked where JJ was, Raymond replied, "She said that she was done with JJ and that Charles and his sister Kay would need to figure it out." Raymond also was questioned about Ned, the demon Vallow Daybell claimed was inhabiting Charles Vallow's body.

While JJ and Tylee were missing, Chad Daybell tells a Hawaii realtor the couple has no children, emails show

Emails between Daybell and a realtor in Hawaii, introduced as part of testimony by Rexburg Police Det. Chuck Kunsaitis, note the couple is interested in seeing a property. Daybell asks if the owners would "be interested in leasing this property to a clean couple with no pets or children."

The email was sent three days after the couple was married, and before JJ and Tylee were reported missing.

Tylee Ryan, JJ Vallow and Lori Vallow. / Credit: Tylee Ryan/Instagram

Lori Vallow Daybell's son weeps as jailhouse phone call played in court

Colby Ryan, the eldest and only surviving child of Lori Vallow Daybell, confronted his mother about his siblings' deaths in an emotional phone call prosecutors played for the jury shortly after Ryan took the stand. "You've ripped my heart out and you've ripped out everyone in this family's heart out," he said on the call, which was made after the bodies of JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan were found buried in Chad Daybell's backyard in 2020, and after Vallow Daybell was jailed in connection with the crime.

He cried after seeing pictures of his slain siblings, and told jurors about how text messages Tylee regularly sent him changed in tone and punctuation in the weeks after she first disappeared but before she was reported missing.

In the phone call, he confronted his "murderous mother."

"I trusted you. I gave you every chance I could, past my own limitations as a human being. I pushed past all of  everything to try to get to you, to help my own mother. You lied to me, specifically to me more times than I can count about this," he said in the call. "To know that they're gone and you knew? And my phone's being texted by my little sister who's not even alive? My little brother, who's the sweetest little kid ever?"

During cross-examination, Vallow Daybell's attorney asked Ryan if Vallow Daybell taught him about the alleged extreme religious beliefs raised by prosecution witnesses the previous week. Ryan replied "no" when asked if he was taught about zombies, casting out evil spirits and light and dark scales.

Lori Vallow Daybell says she "deserved to find happiness" after children's remains found in disturbing recording played in court

Lori Vallow Daybell was heard on a recording played in court saying she deserved to find happiness, as her sister, Summer Shiflet, testified. Shiflet was heard sobbing and screaming on a jailhouse call with Vallow Daybell after the children's remains were found by police in June 2020.

"I would have taken Tylee and JJ in a heartbeat and everybody else would've too, you know that," Shiflet said on the call. On the stand, Shiflet said she had a close relationship with her sister and spoke to Vallow Daybell in February 2020, two months after Vallow Daybell's children were reported missing.

Chad Daybell, left, and Lori Vallow Daybell, right, appear in court in these file photos.

GHB found in JJ Vallow's system, forensic pathologist reveals

Dr. Garth Warren, chief forensic pathologist with the Ada County Coroner's office, testified that a toxicology test on a sample of JJ Vallow's liver that was part of the boy's autopsy revealed the child had low levels of gamma hydroxybutyric acid, a so-called party or date rape drug often called GHB, and alcohol in his system. The test also showed caffeine and theobromine, which is found in chocolate and tea.

Warren said the amount in JJ's system was "inconclusive," and he could not say whether he had intentionally been given the substance or it was naturally occurring.

His official cause of death was asphyxiation by a plastic bag, Warren said.

Tylee Ryan's DNA found on pickax, expert testifies

Katherine Dace, a forensic biologist with the Idaho State Police, told the jury that they had tested samples from several tools found in Chad Daybell's shed. A partial DNA profile from samples on one of the shovels and from a pickax, she said, matched Tylee Ryan.

Tylee Ryan's remains were found in a grave on Chad Daybell's property, and her body had been burned and dismembered, witnesses have testified.

Hair on tape binding JJ Vallow matches mother, DNA expert says

JJ Vallow's body was found buried in Chad Daybell's back yard, wrapped in a black plastic bag and duct tape. A hair stuck to that tape matched Lori Vallow Daybell, DNA expert Keeley Coleman testified Monday.

Coleman, an analyst for Bode Technology, said she tested the partial DNA profile from the hair sample against three DNA samples: Vallow Daybell, Tylee Ryan and Vallow Daybell's friend Melanie Gibb, who has also testified at the trial. The sample from the hair matched Vallow Daybell, she said.

"The probability of randomly selecting a random individual in relation to that profile 1 is 71 billion," Coleman said.

JJ's grandfather Larry Woodcock, who has been attending the trial, told reporters outside the courthouse the hair evidence was a "gotcha moment" and "the bow that tied it together" for Vallow Daybell's involvement.

LARRY WOODCOCK REACTS-- JJ's grandfather says Lori's strand of hair found in the duct tape on his grandson's dead body "is the nail in the coffin" for her. #LoriVallowTrial #LoriVallowDaybellTrial @KSL5TV #LoriVallow #LoriVallowDaybell pic.twitter.com/2QcmVybksB  Lauren Steinbrecher (@LaurenSnews) May 1, 2023

To keep up with the latest trial developments, listen to the day's testimony each evening on CBS News' YouTube Channel and weekly updates on the "48 Hours" podcast.

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Writers Guild of America entertainment writers go on strike

Biden administration to send troops to border as Washington grapples with looming debt ceiling crisis
Washington  The U.S. government has asked Brazil to extradite a suspected Russian spy who was in the U.S. allegedly gathering information on the war in Ukraine before his cover was blown, the Brazilian government said Thursday.

The country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the U.S. made the request to extradite Sergey Vladimirovich Cherkasov on Tuesday, and it was being forwarded to the Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security. Russia is also seeking his extradition, claiming he is not a spy and is instead wanted in Russia for narcotics trafficking.

The Washington Post first reported the extradition request. The State Department declined to confirm the request and instead referred questions to the Justice Department, which also declined to comment. An attorney for Cherkasov in Brazil could not immediately be reached.

Cherkasov, who lived under the alias Victor Muller Ferreira, was charged by the Justice Department in March with acting as an illegal agent of a Russian intelligence service while he attended graduate school for two years in Washington. He also faces several fraud charges. He has been imprisoned in Brazil since he was arrested for fraud there a year ago.

The extradition request comes as tensions between the U.S. and Russia continue to escalate amid the war in Ukraine, and following Russia's arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on espionage charges, which the U.S. has denounced as fabricated.

Still photos from a 2017 video showing Sergey Cherkasov in the Moscow Airport. / Credit: U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia court documents

More than a decade ago, Cherkasov created a false identity in Brazil after obtaining a fraudulent birth certificate, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court. He was allegedly part of the Russian "illegals" program, in which spies spend years developing cover stories and are not protected by diplomatic immunity.

Using his Brazilian identity, Cherkasov was admitted into Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies in Washington and received a U.S. visa.

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"There is no better and more prestigious place for us to be," he allegedly wrote to his handlers. "Now we are in the big-boys league."

Near the end of 2021, Cherkasov was allegedly sending messages about U.S. policy on Russia's potential invasion of Ukraine to his handlers. The messages included details on his conversations with experts and information he had gleaned from online forums or reports about Russia's military buildup near Ukraine's border and how the U.S. might respond, court documents said. Cherkasov incorrectly assessed that the U.S. would do little to help Ukraine.

In early 2022, he was set to begin an internship with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague in the Netherlands. The Justice Department said the ICC was of "particular interest" to Russia as it faced numerous accusations of human rights violations during its invasion of Ukraine.

But Cherkasov was refused entry by Dutch authorities as he arrived and was arrested days later in Brazil for fraud.

The criminal complaint does not say how Dutch intelligence was tipped off to Cherkasov's alleged espionage. It does say FBI special agents met in person with him in 2022, though it does not detail under what circumstances.

Investigators were able to recover electronic devices that had documents that the Justice Department says he used to remember his fictitious life story, locations of "dead drops" that he used to covertly pass information, records of his travels and messages with his Russian handlers. Brazilian authorities also gave the FBI covert communications equipment recovered from remote locations in Brazil that Cherkasov had allegedly hidden before his departure to The Hague.



Robert Legare contributed to this report.

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Yakima County Government, Lower Valley Reporter

Hi, Im Phil Ferolito, longtime reporter with the Yakima Herald-Republic, where I have gained an array of experience from covering small city governments and school districts to big-picture issues concerning county government, crime and the Yakama Nation, a federally recognized tribe with important historical and cultural ties to the land. I began with the Herald-Republic in Oct. 2000 as a copy editor, designing pages, writing headlines and proof-reading stories. Over the years I have covered four Lower Valley municipalities, Granger, Toppenish, Wapato and Harrah, and the Yakama Nation. My goal always has been to shine a light in dark places and bring readers closer to concerning issues, important people, and other events in our community.
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SEOUL, KOREA, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Given the recent interest in Real-World Asset (RWA) tokens from major industry players like Binance and Coinbase, ELYSIA, a protocol for tokenizing real-world assets, is excited to announce its collaboration with global cryptocurrency exchange BKEX to launch the first-ever RWA money pool on CEX.





RWA tokens are digital assets that represent real-world assets and are tokenized using blockchain technology. They record ownership of the underlying assets on the blockchain and ensure that the rights to the assets are structurally and legally reflected in the RWA tokens. This allows for autonomous trading in areas that previously required a broker or central authority, increasing transparency and reliability while also reducing transaction costs and accelerating transactions.

ELYSIA has partnered with BKEX to expand the RWA token industry by launching ELYFI's RWA money pool on BKEX, a global cryptocurrency exchange that operates in over 20 countries worldwide. With hundreds of thousands of daily trades and more than 2 million weekly users, this collaboration will allow BKEX users to invest in ELYSIA's RWA money pool and earn stable and high returns. Additionally, it will help diversify the range of financial products offered on CEX.

The RWA Money Pool differs from existing financial products on CEX, which rely on crypto assets with high volatility. Instead, the money pool generates revenues from real assets, resulting in relatively stable and high yields for investors. Additionally, the money pool is structured to provide legal protection for investors through ELYSIA's real asset tokenization system, which has the distinction of being the first in Asia approved as a DAO LLC in Wyoming, USA.

According to an ELYSIA representative, "This is an innovative effort to launch the world's first RWA money pool on CEX. We believe this collaboration will have a significant impact on not only the RWA token industry but also the cryptocurrency industry as a whole. ELYSIA's RWA Money Pool is a new product line not previously available on CEX, and we believe it will provide investors with new options. We plan to expand the RWA Money Pool to various platforms by collaborating with various exchanges and projects, not just BKEX."

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ELYSIA is a unique project that offers a straightforward and viable solution for transforming illiquid assets, such as real estate, into liquid assets. This is achieved through a real-world asset tokenization protocol that converts tangible assets into RWA tokens, which can be utilized on the blockchain. Once converted, these RWA tokens can be used to borrow cryptocurrency or be liquidated on ELYFI, a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform developed by ELYSIA. This innovative system allows users to generate RWA tokens based on their real-world assets and leverage them in the rapidly expanding DeFi market.

Media Contact

Company: ELYSIA

Contact: Deokjae Seo

Telephone: +82 10-3982-4189

Email: deokjae.seo@elysia.land

Website: https://www.elysia.land

SOURCE: ELYSIA




Commentary: Major powers should work with China for political settlement of Ukraine crisis

Xinhua) 08:13, April 28, 2023

BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday held phone talks with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky.

During their conversation, Xi reiterated China's core position on promoting peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, and announced that Beijing will send a special representative on Eurasian affairs to visit Ukraine and other countries to conduct in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the crisis.

The phone call provides a further illustration of China's willingness to mediate in the prolonged crisis besetting the world for more than one year, and of the responsible role China plays in promoting world peace and stability.

China's commitment to helping achieve the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis reminds the headline-grabbing rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran not long ago, which was also a result of China's selfless diplomatic work.

Persuading Russia and Ukraine to sit down at the negotiating table is indeed a much harder task. Fortunately, voices for peace and rationality are building. More people are waking up to the fact that a protracted crisis to some extent is detrimental to everyone in the world, and dialogue is the sole viable way out.

Those who refuse to endorse peace and add fuel to the fire are possessed by their mindset of bloc confrontation or care only about selfish gains from the tragedy.

As a responsible member of the international community, China has been making efforts to ease tensions and promote peace talks since the start of the crisis.

In February 2023, the Chinese Foreign Ministry released a paper stating Beijing's position on the Ukraine crisis, putting forward a 12-point proposal to end the conflict by addressing both the symptoms and the root causes of the crisis, and reiterating the necessity to end the conflict through dialogue and negotiations.

During a state visit to Russia a month later, Xi had an in-depth exchange of views on the Ukraine issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, pledging that China would continue to play a constructive role in promoting the political settlement of the crisis.

Contrary to some countries treating the crisis in a biased and partial way, China has been nudging the two sides into the restoration of peace by upholding balanced and impartial stance.

On the Ukrainian side, while pledging to send a special envoy during the phone talks between Xi and Zelensky, China also vowed to keep providing help for the country.

In response, the Ukrainian president thanked China for providing humanitarian assistance and welcomed China's important role in restoring peace and seeking diplomatic solution to the crisis.

China and Russia have blazed a path of major-country relations featuring strategic trust and good neighborliness. Meanwhile, China-Ukraine relations have gone through 31 years of development and reached the level of strategic partnership.

Moreover, China is not the creator of the crisis, nor a party directly concerned. That gives Beijing the diplomatic room and qualification to give a full ear to the demands and concerns of both Russia and Ukraine and play a responsible role in the settlement of the crisis.

As for all other parties who truly expect an early end to the crisis and restoration of peace, they should join China's efforts and build up favorable conditions for the political settlement of the crisis.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
SINGAPORE, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Energy Market Authority (EMA) unveiled the theme of the 16th Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW), "Energy Transition towards a Net Zero World".

SIEW 2023 will gather global energy leaders to address the importance of technological innovation, investments and infrastructure, as well as supply chain resiliency as the world progresses towards net zero. The event will examine the financing and investment gaps in the bankability of renewable and low-carbon technologies, as well as the policies required to better deploy technologies to decarbonise and accelerate electrification.

"This year's theme, Energy Transition towards a Net Zero World, will explore how we can enhance and co-create pathways for Asia and the world to accelerate the transition towards a net zero energy future. Governments, multilateral institutions, and industry leaders must continue to deepen regional and international collaboration to support the energy transition, especially in Southeast Asia," said Ngiam Shih Chun, Chief Executive of EMA.

Highlights at SIEW 2023

SIEW will continue to feature anchor events, including the SIEW Opening Keynote Address and Singapore Energy Summit, profiling energy ministers, industry captains and international organisation leaders to discuss pertinent issues in line with this year's theme.

SIEW Energy Insights, SIEW TechTable and SIEW Thinktank Roundtables will showcase insights about the emerging energy trends, latest products and solutions, and in-depth discussions on key energy issues. The SIEW Energy Showcase will feature innovations and for visitors to learn more about the latest industry developments.

SIEW will partner with the International Energy Agency and the International Renewable Energy Agency again to co-host high-level events that examine areas such as energy security, sustainable financing and policy levers for a just and inclusive energy transition.

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SIEW industry event partners will introduce new programme line up. The Future of the Grid conference will include a new Regulators Forum facilitating conversations between regulators, policymakers and key industry stakeholders while Asian Downstream Summit will feature focused discussions on Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage. The Asia Clean Energy Summit will commemorate its 10th anniversary while the Asia Hydrogen and LNG Gas Markets Conference will focus on regional collaboration on LNG and hydrogen.

SIEW 2023 will take place at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Singapore, from 23 to 27 October 2023. Delegates can register their interest at www.siew.gov.sg. Registration opens in July.

About SIEW

The Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) is an official trademarked event by the Energy Market Authority (EMA). It is an annual platform for energy professionals, policymakers and commentators to discuss and share best practices and solutions within the global energy space.

The SIEW logo is now an officially registered trademark, a symbol of credibility and prestige as the world's leading energy event. As the event cross this special milestone, SIEW will continue to provide a platform to engage energy thought leaders from both the public and private sector in one week, one location.

About the Energy Market Authority

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Through our work, we seek to build a clean energy future that is resilient, sustainable, and competitive. We aim to ensure a reliable and secure energy supply, promote effective competition in the energy market and develop a dynamic energy sector in Singapore. Visit http://www.ema.gov.sg for more information.

Annex A: SIEW 2023 Events Calendar

Annex B: SIEW 2023 Theme and Write-up

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SOURCE Energy Market Authority
Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 57F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 57F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.

Tomorrow

Partly cloudy. High around 85F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Montgomery previously served as Espire's SVP of Finance and Accounting

DENVER, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Espire Dental, a fast-growing, elite, cosmetic and multi-specialty group practice, founded and operated by dentists with a vision to create something extraordinary, today announced its appointment of Sarah Montgomery, CPA as CFO.

Montgomery brings 13 years of financial leadership experience and has spent over two years as Espire's SVP of Finance and Accounting. In that role, she led Espire's finance and accounting operations in addition to its M&A functions, which included six dental practice acquisitions in 2023 already. As CFO, Montgomery will oversee the financial strategy of the business as it looks to expand its footprint by providing quality dental care and cosmetic dentistry throughout the western U.S.

"Since Sarah started at Espire, she has flawlessly demonstrated her leadership and ingenuity to our entire team and equity partners," said Espire CEO Tim Hill. "She's accomplished so much as a member of our team so far, and we're thrilled to see her continue her success in this role."

Her experience encompasses a blend of public accounting and industry experience with private equity portfolio companies, including multi-site healthcare organizations.

"Entering my new role as CFO at Espire will help me pursue my passions of scaling financial and account functions while partnering with leadership teams to drive above market growth through organic and acquisition strategies," said Montgomery. "I look forward to leading our team into its next stage of growth."

Montgomery earned her MBA from the University of Denver Daniels school of Business and her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Colorado Denver.

About Espire Dental

Espire Dental is a group of practices founded by doctors with a vision to create something extraordinary: a dental setting where excellence in dentistry meets inspired hospitality. Espire is pioneering a new practice category, operating as an Integrated Dental Organization (IDO) instead of a DSO to create a large, top quality and unique group practice operating under a single, trusted brand. With a focus on cosmetic dentistry and elevated quality, multi-specialty care, and creating exceptional experiences for patients and employees, Espire believes that we bring out the best in people. Espire is a fast-growing group of 26 practices, looking to build its presence in the Western United States. Learn more at www.espiredental.com.

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Contact Espire Dental

Dentists interested in joining Espire Dental may complete an inquiry form: EspireDental.com/practice-transition

Media Contact: Sophie Kelner, skelnerpr@gmail.com

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SOURCE Espire Dental
A look at who's who in the murder trial of slain kids' mom

Prosecutors say the mother charged in a triple murder case took part in a complex conspiracy that included unusual spiritual beliefs and efforts to kill those who stood in the way of her goals
Stiri pe aceeasi tema

- The Bucharest Court of Appeal said it denied a request by Euroins Romania, part of Bulgarias Euroins Insurance Group, to suspend the decision of Romanias financial regulator ASF to revoke the insurers operating licence, according to See News. The court dismissed Euroins Romanias request as unfounded,

- As many as 73,755 people, including 7,832 Ukrainian citizens, entered Romania on Wednesday, March 29, the General Border Police Inspectorate (IGPF) reported on Thursday.According to IGPF, at the border points nationwide on Wednesday, nearly 154,100, Romanian and foreign citizens, were checked both

- Finance Minister Adrian Caciu stated on Tuesday that the Government will approve the decision regarding insurance next week, at the latest.The Minister of Finance was asked if it is a sustainable measure the one proposed by the Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF), that all insurance companies return

- MEP Corina Cretu on Thursday told Agerpres that she signed, along with other members of the European Parliament, a request to the European Commission to establish an institution to guarantee the respect of children's rights in all member states of the Union. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri.

- Minister of Environment, Water and Forestry Barna Tanczos announced, on Thursday, at the end of the Government meeting, that new sessions of the car renewal schemes "Rabla Classic" and "Rabla Plus" will start on March 24. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro

- As many as 68,159 people, including 7,929 Ukrainian citizens, entered Romania on Thursday, March 2, the General Border Police Inspectorate (IGPF) reported on Friday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro  Help your friends

- Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu delivered on Tuesday the national address at the high-level segment of the Conference on Disarmament, expressing regret over Russia's decision to suspend its participation in the New START Treaty and calling on Moscow to "reconsider this decision and return

- The contribution of energy company OMV Petrom to Romania's state budget increased last year by 7 billion RON from 12 billion RON in 2021 to over 19 billion RON, while the industry-specific tax topped 7.3 billion RON, shows data presented on Thursday in a press conference by the company's CFO Alina
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- The National Liberal Party (PNL) does not have a "preset scenario" for holding the 2024 elections simultaneously, and discussions on this subject are "open" since there is no "dominant option," interim Senate chair Alina Gorghiu of PNL said on Tuesday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri.

- MEP Corina Cretu believes that in Romania, where deforestation is worrying, effective measures are needed to stop the phenomenon as the MEPs adopted new regulations in Strasbourg on Wednesday to combat deforestation worldwide. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro

- MEP Nicolae Stefanuta on Thursday announced his affiliation to the Greens group in the European Parliament and his accession to the European Green Party, emphasizing that this movement, which is currently divided into small parties in our country, could make Romania "a winner and not a loser."

- Air passenger transport increased by 87.6pct, in 2022, compared to the previous year, with 20,971,800 passengers recorded, compared to 11,176,800 passengers in 2021, according to the data released by the National Institute of Statistics on Friday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste

- More than 36,000 people are expected to attend, on the weekend between 3 and 5 March, the first edition of Massif Festival, in Poiana Brasov, "the first festival which turns a mountain resort into a party of epic proportions," the organizers announced on Tuesday. Fii la curent cu cele mai

- National leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD ) Marcel Ciolacu on Sunday evening said that he believes the government rotation will take place scandal-free, and the process will be a quick one, pointing out that he is preparing to take over the rotational premiership, told Agerpres. Fii

- The RO-USAR team deployed in Turkey supported, on Friday morning, the local authorities for removing a woman from under the rubble, who was later handed over to the medical crews. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro 
Alina Gorghiu: Pozitia PNL este ca exclude orice fel de impozitare progresiva

Alina Gorghiu, presedintele interimar al Senatului a afirmat marti ca pozitia PNL este ca exclude orice fel de impozitare progresiva, dar in acelasi timp, nu spun nu reducerii unor cheltuieli in sistem public, care nu sunt justificate. [citeste mai departe]
Stiri pe aceeasi tema

- President Klaus Iohannis sent, on Friday, in a message to the participants of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) congress that the Union must be aware of the major role it has in supporting and maintaining our country on its pro-European path. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri.

- Fitch Ratings revised on Friday the outlook on Romania's long-term foreign- and local-currency issuer default ratings (IDRs) to stable from negative and affirmed the IDRs at 'BBB-', the Finance Ministry announced.This is the first upgrade in Romania's outlook by the said international credit rating

- Air passenger transport increased by 87.6pct, in 2022, compared to the previous year, with 20,971,800 passengers recorded, compared to 11,176,800 passengers in 2021, according to the data released by the National Institute of Statistics on Friday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste

- MEP Dacian Cilos, the founder of the REPER party told a new conference on Friday in Iasi that he doesn't rule out the possibility to run in the presidential elections in 2024, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro

- European Commissioner Adina Valean handed Mayor Dominic Fritz the Melina Mercouri Award for excellence in the preparation of the European Capital, on Friday evening, in the Unirii Square in Timisoara. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro

- Romania's pork production decreased last year by almost 11 pct, from 383,485 tonnes of carcass in 2021, to 341,964 tonnes in 2022, according to the data of the National Institute of Statistics published on Friday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook

- In a few months, Romania's largest tourism promotion project, the Via Transilvanica Route, could acquire a special status, which is why consultations have begun with all local authorities in the areas through which this route passes, said the minister of Environment, Water and Forestry Barna Tanczos

- Romania's new passenger car registrations went down 12.3pct in the fourth quarter of 2022 against the fourth quarter of 2021, while new cargo vehicles registrations went down 7.2pct in the same interval, according to data posted by the National Institute of Statistics (INS) on Friday. Fii
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- Romania will receive almost 30 million euros from the European Commission to support farmers affected by cheap grain imports from Ukraine, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Petre Daea, announced on Tuesday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro

- Hell on earth, "the city where there is no living place" or "the hottest place in the world", this is how Bakhmut is described, the city in eastern Ukraine where the fiercest battles are taking place between the Ukrainian troops, who are trying to defend their country, and the Russian troops, interested

- "Given that we are the signatories of a joint letter to the President of the European Commission", we agreed to wait for the decision that will be made by Brussels on the subject of grain imports from Ukraine, Agriculture Minister Petre Daea declared on Friday at the end of the meeting with his Ukrainian

- President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday and Friday participated in Brussels in a meeting of the European Council and an enlarged Euro Summit.At the summit of the European Council, the Romanian chief of state asked the European Commission to reanalyse the level of financial support for Romanian farmers

- In the last week, the Romanian immigration police issued 1,575 residence permits for the beneficiaries of temporary protection, the General Immigration Inspectorate (IGI) reports.Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine last year, IGI has issued 122,287 such permits. Fii la curent cu cele

- The speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, declared on Thursday that things regarding payment request number 2 of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan "have passed a critical moment" and the Romanian authorities "received signals" from the European Commission that this request is

- Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) will convey to the ambassador of Ukraine to Romania on Monday that the Romanian authorities request approval for the verification of the works carried out in the Bystroye Canal. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri.

- President Klaus Iohannis had a meeting in Brussels on Thursday, together with a group of European leaders, with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, on the occasion of the extraordinary meeting of the Council European, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste
Stiri pe aceeasi tema

- Cyber Diplomacy International Conference's 2nd edition starts Tuesday at Palace of Parliament.The Cyber Diplomacy Centre within the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics - ICI Bucharest is organizing on Tuesday, at the Palace of Parliament, the second edition of the Cyber

- The Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) closed lower the trading session on Wednesday, and the value of exchanges amounted to 28.75 million RON (5.83 million EUR). Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro  Help your friends know

- Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Christian Orthodox Church (BOR) on Wednesday sent a message to Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and all of Hellas in which he expresses his "sadness" at the tragic railway accident of February 28, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste

- Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova Dorin Recean will pay a visit to Bucharest on Wednesday, this being his first official visit abroad since taking over the mandate, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro

- The ambassador of Ukraine in Bucharest, Ihor Prokopchuk, expressed on Tuesday his conviction that Romania will continue to help the Ukrainians as long as necessary, stressing that cooperation with Ukraine is necessary for peace. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro

- As many as 68,725 people, including 7,712 Ukrainian citizens, entered Romania on Wednesday, February 15, the General Border Police Inspectorate (IGPF) reported on Thursday, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro

- A number of 14 earthquakes, with magnitudes between 2 and 3.3 occurred on Wednesday, until 8:26 am, in Oltenia and Gorj counties, according to data published by the National Institute for Research and Development for Earth Physics (INCDFP) on Wednesday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri.

- The exchange rate of the national leu currency resulting from the quotations announced on Wednesday by the banks authorised to operate on the currency market is as follows: Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro  Help
(Bloomberg) -- China Evergrande Group extended by three weeks a deadline for debtholders to receive compensation for backing the embattled developers restructuring plan, as the firm has yet to win enough support for the massive overhaul.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Creditors holding more than 30% of a class of debt including margin loans and repurchase obligations have acceded to a restructuring support agreement, Evergrande said in a statement to the Hong Kong exchange Thursday. Thats short of the 75% it would need from each group of creditors to implement the restructuring through so-called schemes of arrangement, as Evergrande has said it expects to do.

That bloc of creditors is known as Class C, which Evergrande has previously estimated account for nearly $15 billion of claims. The other major group is Class A, which accounts for $17 billion of claims and includes an ad-hoc group of bondholders that had already agreed to the restructuring plan weeks ago. Evergrande also said Thursday that more than 77% of the Class A creditors have acceded to a restructuring support agreement.

The consent deadline for creditors to receive compensation for acceding to an RSA has been extended to May 18.

Evergrandes tumble into distress the past two years set off contagion in whats shrunken to a $142 billion market for high-yield property dollar bonds in China. As liquidity across the sector tightened, the fallout in 2022 included record defaults and a new-home sales slump.

The company released its long-awaited debt proposal in March, 15 months after first missing payments on public dollar notes. Potential hurdles to the plan quickly emerged with law firm White & Case LLP holding a call to invite Evergrande Class C creditors to form a committee and ask for more time to consider the proposals, among other demands.

Story continues

Meanwhile, some investors and analysts expressed doubts about proposed recoveries, and the companys dollar-bond prices fell amid broader market weakness.

The company disclosed earlier this month that holders of more than 20% and 35% of outstanding dollar bonds respectively issued by Evergrande and unit Scenery Journey Ltd. backed the debt offers. Those investors included Redwood Capital Management and Saba Capital Management, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The developers restructuring also involves separate schemes for Scenery Journey and fellow offshore unit Tianji Holding Ltd. Evergrande said Thursday that holders of more than 91% of Scenery Journey bonds have acceded to an RSA, along with those holding more than 64% of debt instruments from Tianji.

Evergrande expects to implement its debt restructuring through schemes of arrangement in the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong and/or other jurisdictions. A Hong Kong scheme requires 75% in value of participating creditors and a majority in number of each class to vote in favor of the scheme, according to law firm DLA Piper LLP.

A successful debt restructuring is key to Evergrandes fight against an investors court effort to potentially liquidate the firm, with the next hearing scheduled for July. Getting the case withdrawn or dismissed is among the things needed for shares of Evergrande and two listed units to resume trading.

--With assistance from Emma Dong, Erin Hudson and Dorothy Ma.

(Updates throughout.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
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- The representatives of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) will gather, on Friday and Saturday, in a Congress meeting, in Timisoara.The current leader of the party, Deputy Prime Minister Kelemen Hunor is running for a new mandate as chairman of the UDMR. Fii la curent cu cele

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President Katalin Novak on Thursday relieved Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi of his duties as Chief of the Hungarian Armed Forces at the proposal of Minister of Defence Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky.

The minister has proposed Lieutenant General Gabor Borondi, Hungarian Military Representative to the NATO and EU Military Committees, as his replacement in the position.



During his 30-year military career, Borondi served in various command positions in the Hungarian Armed Forces and participated in European and non-European NATO operations.



He graduated from the Defence College and the National Defense University National War College Washington.



Lieutenant General Ruszin-Szendi did much to speed up and modernise military training while enhancing the combat capability of the Hungarian Armed Forces. Lieutenant General Ruszin-Szendi will continue his service to the country in another area.



The main task of the new Chief of Staff will be to continue the change of the organisational culture that has already started and to create a modern, effective Hungarian Defence Force displaying serious deterrent force, the statement said.
Lawmakers of the opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) are filing a criminal complaint against Prime Minister Viktor Oran on suspicion of failure to report criminal activity against the state and abuse of office, an MP of the party said.

Erzsebet Gy. Nemeth told an online press conference that up until US Ambassador David Pressmans announcement of sanctions concerning the Budapest-based International Investment Bank (IIB) earlier this month, the Orban government got scared and revoked the diplomatic immunity of the banks employees and pulled out of the banks ownership. But it had allowed Russian bankers who could be suspected of espionage to move freely within Hungary and the European Union, she added.



Viktor Orban had to be aware that the Russian spies sent to Budapest by [Russian President] Vladimir Putin could have spied on our own NATO allies and European Union member states, but he did nothing about it, Gy. Nemeth said.



She said that the prime ministers allowing the Russian spy bank to operate in Hungary was tantamount to betraying Hungarys interests.



Gy. Nemeth said it could be proven that the prime minister had been aware of the US warnings concerning the IIB as well as of the suspicions that the banks staff were engaging in espionage.



DK lawmaker Judit Foldi Racz said the fact that the US had repeatedly warned the Hungarian government about the threat posed by the IIB since 2019 made clear Orbans responsibility in the matter.



When the EU wanted to impose sanctions on the bank in the wake of Russias aggression against Ukraine, the Hungarian government tried to intervene, she said.



This, she insisted, proved that the Russian spy bank protected by Viktor Orban operated as an extended arm of Vladimir Putin in Budapest.



Ruling Fidesz responded as saying that DK, led by Ferenc Gyurcsany, was a pro-war party which was becoming more and more aggressive.



DK and the entire dollar left supports the war and they want to drag Hungary into it; this is what they are getting paid for by their foreign master, Fidesz said in a statement.



Paid in Soros dollars, they are mounting increasingly aggressive attacks against the prime minister because he supports peace and would not let Hungary be dragged into the war, it said.





MTI photo: Attila Kovacs
The fresh newsletter for the International Community in Hungary - described by readers as a "Great read each week" - is now available for your interest and use via the link below.
Economy Development Minister Marton Nagy filed an amendment to the Postal Service Act that will reduce the range of services provided by Magyar Posta.

The compulsory services to be provided by the company will shrink to the delivery of parcels up to 10kg, in line with EU regulations, down from the present 20kg.



In addition, Magyar Posta will be required to maintain branches for every 30,000 inhabitants, up from the present 25,000.



The proposal argues that the changes are necessary due to the transformation of consumer habits, as the number of postal items delivered by deposit has fallen by 30% in the last three years.



On the other hand, delivery to an automated device, based on a contract signed by the consumer with the company, will be equal on legal terms to delivery in hand.



In other cutbacks, Magyar Posta is notifying publishers that the sale of newspapers in post offices will be discontinued from May 31, due to the rationalisation of operations, Magyar Hang reports.



This decision will end the sale of more than 600 publications at 546 post offices, Magyar Hang adds.



Magyar Posta stopped delivering daily newspapers in July 2021. Since then, Mediaworks has taken over this task.



According to reports, shops in post offices will also be closed, so chocolate bars or other products will not be available.



After the changes, Magyar Posta will provide only traditional postal services.
The Festival of Hungarian Motion Pictures will feature some 100 titles, premiers, roundtable discussions and meet-the-audience events in Veszprem, this years European Capital of Culture (EKF), and two other towns in western Hungary from June 7 to 10, the organisers said.

The festivals events will contribute to the implementation of the EKF seasons goal to turn Veszprems region into a hub of the cultural and creative industries, Tibor Navracsics, the regional development minister, told a press conference.



The festival is an excellent tool for community building as it gives filmmakers, cinema lovers and those interested in the industry an opportunity to meet, he said.



Csaba Kael, Government Commissioner for the development of the Hungarian motion picture industry, told the press conference that the festival will show a rich selection of the latest new Hungarian films.



Attila Csaky, the festivals director, said the event will open with the screening of the fresh release documentary about the Olympic legendary Hungarian mens water-polo team. In the festival competition, awards will be granted in seven categories.



The head of the jury is renowned director Lajos Koltai.



Click here to visit the Festival's website
The police have launched several proceedings in connection with several assemblies in Budapest on Monday held without advance notice, the Budapest police headquarters communication service said.

A demonstration was held without advance notice in front of the interior ministry building on Monday morning, and police started proceedings against the organiser for breaking regulations on freedom of assembly, the police said in a statement.



A demonstration in protest against draft legislation seeking to change the employment status of teachers was legally held at the ministry building on Monday afternoon.



Then several protesters moved to the prime ministers office in the Buda Castle district and held a demonstration without advance notice, the police said.



Several protesters used bolt cutters, other tools and physical force in an attempt to dismantle a fence in front of the PMs office, and criminal proceedings were also initiated on the ground of vandalism, the statement said.



Police used tear gas against the protesters when the safety of police officers was threatened, as it appeared the barricade would be pushed over on to officers, it added.



After assessing available information, police will file a criminal complaint with the prosecution investigators on suspicion of assault against persons acting in an official capacity, it added.



The statement said that police use of coercive measures was lawful and professional, and they were considering filing a complaint against people whose actions resulted in the application of such measures.



Police officers never used coercive measures for the purpose of intimidation, the statement said.



Coercive measures are used exclusively in cases described by the law governing the police, bearing in mind the principle of proportionality, it added.
By Paul Sandle

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on Wednesday blocked Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of 'Call of Duty' maker Activision Blizzard over concerns it would hinder cloud gaming.

The ruling was a shock after the regulator had already resolved its concerns about the consoles market, a sector dominated by Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox, which dwarfs cloud gaming.

IS THE DEAL DEAD?

Not necessarily. Microsoft said it remained fully committed and would appeal.

The regulator's decision reflected a flawed understanding of the market, it said.

HOW DOES THE APPEAL PROCESS WORK?

Microsoft can appeal to Britain's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), an independent judicial body, which will only examine the CMA's decision-making process, not the merits of the merger.

Microsoft will not be able to offer new remedies at this stage, such as offering to keep Activision content off its Xbox Game Pass, a subscription service for Xbox users, in Britain, as some analysts suggest.

"The CAT will not engage with the merits of the CMA's decision or conduct a wholesale review of the parties' evidence," said Edward Lane, senior associate at law firm Harbottle & Lewis, where his particular focus is on creative industries, including film, TV, video games and music.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Microsoft must appeal by May 24 and a decision may take many months.

"The CAT aims to deal with 'straightforward' cases in under nine months  and Microsoft/Activision is anything but straightforward," Lane, said.

WHAT HAPPENS IF MICROSOFT WINS?

The Tribunal will return the case to the regulator for further review. Microsoft can then offer new concessions.

"The likelihood is that without a material change in circumstances or new evidence, the CMA is most likely to reach the same conclusion as it did first time around," said James Groves, a competition associate at European law firm Fieldfisher.

Story continues

WHAT ABOUT OTHER REGULATORS?

European regulators will rule on the world's biggest gaming deal by May 22. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint to block the deal, which Microsoft has indicated it will fight.

If either of those blocks the deal, it could be game over, Lane said.

If the EU goes against it, Microsoft would be fighting an increasingly uphill battle and could decide to cut its losses, even if that would mean paying Activision a hefty $3 billion break fee.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER CMA APPEALS?

Facebook-owner Meta appealed a 2021 decision by the CMA to block its acquisition of Giphy, seen as a test case for the British regulator's resolve to take on "Big Tech".

Meta succeeded on a single procedural ground, with the decision otherwise upheld. The CMA considered new submissions, but it came to the same view and Meta had to sell animated images platform Giphy.

Global financial services company FNZ appealed a block on its 2019 merger with rival GBST. The regulator then "identified certain potential errors" in its investigation chaired by Martin Coleman, who also oversaw the Microsoft-Activision case.

The CAT sent the case back to be reconsidered, and the CMA agreed to accept a new remedy whereby FNZ could sell GBST and then buy parts of it back.

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Josephine Mason and Tomasz Janowski)
A bill that would have banned abortion in Nebraska after about six weeks failed to advance on Thursday after falling one vote short of the threshold needed to invoke cloture.

Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston was only able to muster 32 of the 33 votes needed to shut off debate and force a vote on her priority legislation (LB626) prohibiting doctors from performing abortions if cardiac activity was detected in an embryo during an ultrasound.

Omaha Sen. Merv Riepe, a co-sponsor of the bill who later said he harbored concerns about it, did not cast a vote on the motion to invoke cloture, which came inside a hushed legislative chamber just after 3 p.m.

After previously voting the bill out of the Health and Human Services Committee and supporting it during the first round of consideration, Riepe was present not voting on Thursday.

Another lawmaker, Omaha Sen. Justin Wayne, also announced he was not voting after about 15 seconds of silence.

Together, Riepe and Waynes votes kept LB626 from advancing, which keeps abortion legal until 20 weeks after fertilization with some restrictions in Nebraska.

Gov. Jim Pillen, who backed Riepe and donated to his legislative campaign, said in a statement he was profoundly disappointed after the Legislature adjourned.

It is unacceptable for senators to be present not voting on such a momentous vote, Pillen said. I call on Senator Merv Riepe to make a motion to reconsider and stand by the commitments to life he has made in the past.

Its unclear if that will happen this year. With 20 days remaining in the legislative session, Speaker John Arch did not say if he would bring LB626 back to the agenda to be considered again.

Opponents of the bill, many dressed in green, celebrated in the Rotunda for more than an hour after the cloture vote, cheering senators who voted against LB626 as they emerged from the chamber.

I knew this was possible, I knew there was a window for this outcome, said a tearful Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt, who has led opposition to several abortion-related bills, but I knew it would be really, really, really hard and really close and that it was moment-to-moment.

At the start of the four-hour debate, Hunt withdrew a handful of procedural motions typically used in a legislative filibuster to allow an amendment introduced by Riepe reducing Nebraskas existing 20-week ban on abortions to 12 weeks to come to the floor for consideration.

Riepe said he believed his amendment, which also added fetal anomalies to the list of exceptions included in LB626  rape, incest and medical emergencies  was more in line with the kind of policy Nebraskans wanted.

The registered Republican, who was defeated by former Sen. Steve Lathrop in 2018 but returned to the Legislature this year after his Democratic opponent decided not to seek reelection, also said the amendment would reduce blowback if an unpopular bill was signed into law.

Riepe warned that LB626 would face legal challenges like similar abortion laws have in other states, or could be the subject of a citizen referendum, which could ultimately undo any restrictions passed by the Legislature this year.

Lincoln Sen. Danielle Conrad, who said she considered any restriction on abortion a restriction on human rights, called LB626 a near total ban because it would ban abortion before many women know they are pregnant and was unclear on how exceptions for rape and incest would be handled.

Conrad said the bill was also vague on how doctors who would perform an abortion after cardiac activity was detected would be penalized; Albrecht said they would not face criminal prosecution but could have their medical licenses revoked.

The civil rights attorney said Riepes amendment was a better step forward than Albrechts legislation.

We cannot and should not impose an extreme ban on all Nebraska women, Conrad said. I trust Nebraska women and doctors, I stand for human rights. It is not the role of government to judge, shame or criminalize women or doctors, and this provides a more humane path.

But supporters of LB626 rejected those arguments. Albrecht said previously she would not support the bill if Riepes amendment was attached, and Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar said Riepe was operating in good faith, but added his amendment would sink the bill if adopted.

With a little more than an hour left in the debate, Riepe attempted to call the question and force a vote on his amendment, but was ruled out of order by Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, the presiding officer.

Meanwhile, opponents of the bill pulled themselves out of the speaking queue in an attempt to get to a vote on the amendment before cloture. Supporters kept the debate going, however, in order to vote for cloture before the amendment.

LB626 supporters' legislative maneuvering did not pay off, however.

And for the second year in a row, a bill to further restrict abortion in Nebraska failed. Last year, a bill (LB933) also introduced by Albrecht that would have enacted an abortion ban if the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, fell two votes short of invoking cloture.

Several groups that opposed the bill said Thursdays outcome was the right outcome for Nebraskans because it kept abortion safe and legal.

I think what we saw is what we knew all along, said Andi Curry Grubb, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska. There were multiple senators who had a problem with this bill, and all it took was one to stand up.

Scout Richters, senior legal and policy counsel for the ACLU of Nebraska, credited the hundreds of Nebraskans who testified at hearings, or emailed or called their senators urging them to vote no.

It is beyond clear that most Nebraskans support legal access to abortion, and it is past time that state senators votes reflect that reality, Richters said in a statement. We will continue doing all we can to ensure that decisions about our lives, bodies and futures stay with Nebraskans and their medical providers, not politicians.

Backers of LB626 said Albrechts latest attempt addressed the concerns raised by opponents in the previous debate, who said the bill did not have carve-outs for ectopic pregnancies or in vitro fertilization, or other medical procedures that result in the termination of a pregnancy.

They also said an opinion authored by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers  who as a state senator supported restricting abortion  and Solicitor General Eric Hamilton showed LB626 would not put physicians at risk of being prosecuted for performing abortions.

A letter from Dr. Timothy Tesmer, Nebraskas chief medical officer, outlining the guidance the Department of Health and Human Services would provide to hospitals and health care professionals to handle abortion cases also demonstrated how friendly to women and doctors LB626 was, according to supporters.

Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair said Tesmers letter indicated in several places that doctors would not have to wait until death was imminent for a woman in order to take action on whether or not to perform an abortion  only that death would be foreseeable if they did not act.

Ultimately, the majority of senators who spoke in support of Albrechts bill on Thursday said it accomplished their long-held goal of banning elective abortions in Nebraska.

Marion Miner, associate director of pro-life and family policy for the Nebraska Catholic Conference, said they were disappointed in Riepes vote.

The former hospital administrator had previously signaled he was 100% pro-life without exceptions, Miner said, appeared in marketing materials supporting the bill and voted to advance it several times previously this year.

Miner said the Nebraska Catholic Conference plans to work with senators to sponsor legislation in the future to further restrict abortion in the state.

Well be back at the earliest possible opportunity and we intend to keep coming back until every human life is respected for its dignity and protected under the law, Miner said.

Opponents of the bill said Thursdays vote could be a bellwether for the remainder of the session.

With a final-round vote on a bill (LB574) banning certain care for transgender youth on the horizon, Hunt said the vote on LB626 signals hope is not gone.

In the Legislature, we still have reasonable lawmakers, we still have people who are willing to listen to science and experts, she said. I think it has injected some courage into the hearts of my colleagues for the difficult fights that are still before us.

The motion to invoke cloture is UNSUCCESSFUL pic.twitter.com/VTxQ1r0x2S  Chris Dunker (@ChrisDunkerLJS) April 27, 2023

Photos: The scene after Nebraska's six-week abortion ban fails to advance
PATNA: Janata Dal-United (JDU) leader Kailash Mahto was shot dead by some unidentified miscreants in the Katihar district of Bihar. According to police, the JDU leader was murdered on Wednesday night. The incident took place in Katihar's Barari Police Station area.

Confirming the incident, Om Prakash, SDPO, Katihar, said, We have started an investigation and the accused will be arrested soon. Around 4-5 round of firing was done. Further details can only be given after post-mortem.
New Delhi: Roshan Patel, the CEO of Walnut, posted a conversation from two years ago on the microblogging platform Twitter. The tweet was all about a software engineer's 'brutally honest' response to his job offer. It all began in 2021 when Mr. Patel was seeking employees for his start-up after receiving pre-seed money. He sent a text message to one of the software engineers he had shortlisted to see if she would be interested.

"I run a startup that makes healthcare more accessible by lowering the cost of care. We recently raised a pre-seed round and are seeking skilled engineers to join our team. Anybody up for a conversation? read the letter from Mr. Patel. (Also Read: 5 Best Credit Cards To Use This Summer For Vacation - Check Rewards, Forex Markup Fees)

What follows is hilarious and has left online users in fits of laughter. He got a straightforward reply: "Hello Roshan, My current salary exceeds the amount of your entire pre-seed round, according to Crunchbase, which I just checked.

Posting a screenshot of the conversation, Mr. Patel commented, "Still thinking about this exchange almost 2 years later."

https://t.co/YI9b3NZtIV

Since being posted, the tweet has received over 3.3 million views. "She is not mistaken. particularly given that 90 percent of startups fail. She is also highly established in her career and doing well at that salary rate. I just saw the  following the name, which seems like a scripted spray-and-pray message.

She stated what she stated," a Twitter user remarked. Someone else said, "Gotta say, it's a bizarre choice to humiliate someone who's established and self-assured because she didn't react to your generic message. And it appears that your decision to partially blur the image was deliberate.

Crunchbase reports that the New York-based business Walnut has secured $113.6M in investment over four stages. In April 2021, the firm had raised $3.6 million.
New Delhi: The national capital recorded 7 deaths from Covid-19 for the second consecutive day, over the last 24 hours, the Health department said in a bulletin on Thursday. On Wednesday too, the national capital reported seven fatalities, the highest so far this year.

Further, according to the bulletin, the national capital also reported 865 fresh Covid-19 infections over the last 24 hours, down marginally from 1,040 cases on Wednesday. With the fresh cases and deaths, the overall caseload in the national capital climbed to 20,37,061 while the toll rose to 26,620. Further, according to the bulletin, a total of 5,117 samples were tested for Covid-19 over the last 24 hours while 1,287 patients recovered from the infection.

However, the city`s positivity rate dipped to 16.90 per cent from 21.16 per cent, over the last 24 hours. The number of active cases in the national capital stood at 4,708, the bulletin stated further, adding that of these, 305 patients are currently undergoing treatment in hospitals.

Amid the rising Covid cases, medical experts warned earlier that the new XBB1.16 variant is capable of defeating the immune systems. Amidst a gradual spike in Covid-19 cases in several states, mock drills were undertaken on April 10 and 11 in a total of 33,685 health facilities, including 28,050 government facilities and 5,635 private health facilities.

Earlier this month, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said lawyers were free to appear virtually in court in the wake of the rising Covid cases. Taking note of news reports suggesting a spike in Covid infections, the CJI said the lawyers were at liberty to appear virtually in court proceedings or switch to a hybrid mode of work, if they so desired.

As many as 9,355 new coronavirus cases were in India on Thursday as per the Union Health Ministry data while active cases reduced to 57,410. The death toll has risen to 5,31,424 with 26 deaths, the data said.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to submit a status report on steps taken after the killing of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf in Prayagraj. A bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta also sought a report from the UP government on the police encounter of Ahmad's son Asad in Jhansi.

Asad was killed in an encounter by a special task force (ST) team of the UP Police on April 13. Two days later, Ahmad and Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as media persons when they were being taken to a medical college in Prayagraj for a health check-up under police escort.

The top court was hearing a plea, filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari, who has sought an inquiry into the 183 encounters that have taken place in Uttar Pradesh since 2017. During the hearing, the top court also asked the Uttar Pradesh government why the vehicle that was carrying the mafia brothers - Atiq and Ashraf - was not taken to the hospital directly.

Supreme Court asks the Uttar Pradesh government why the vehicle carrying mafia brothers Atiq and Ashraf was not taken to the hospital directly. Uttar Pradesh govt tells the court that they have appointed a commission to look into the matter.  ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2023

Replying to it, the counsel for the Uttar Pradesh government told the court that they have appointed a commission to look into the matter.

Supreme Court then said that it will hear after three weeks the petition seeking to constitute an independent expert committee under the chairmanship of a former SC judge to inquire into the killing of mafia brothers Atiq and Ashraf amid police presence.

Earlier this month, Uttar Pradesh Police claimed that it had gunned down 183 alleged criminals in encounters in the six years of the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government, including Ahmad's son Asad and his aide.

The petition, referring to Atiq's killing, said, "Such actions by UP police are a severe threat to democracy and rule of law and lead to a police state". "In a democratic society, the police cannot be allowed to become a mode of delivering final justice or to become a punishing authority. The power of punishment is only vested in the judiciary," the plea said.

AtiqAhmed-Ashraf Killing In Prayagraj

Atiq Ahmed, a former Member of Parliament from Phulpur Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh and five-time MLA, and his gangster brother Ashraf were shot dead on April 15 by three men posing as journalists while they were being escorted by police personnel to a hospital for a checkup.

Atiq had over 100 criminal cases registered against him, including murder, kidnapping and extortion. Atiq and Ashraf were accused in the sensational murder of Umesh Pal - a key witness in the MLA Raju Pal murder case of 2005.

Atiq's son, Asad, who was also named in the Umesh Pal murder case, was gunned down in a police encounter on April 13.
New Delhi: One of the big cats translocated to India from Namibia, female cheetah 'Asha,' has wandered outside the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh again, news agency PTI quoted a forest official as saying on Friday. Asha strayed outside the park's buffer zone on Wednesday evening but appeared to be on her way back, PTI said quoting the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. This is the second such incident of April where the five-year-old Asha has moved out of the park's boundaries. This month, a male cheetah named 'Pavan' escaped from the park twice. On both occasions, it was tranquillized and rough back.

The core area of the KNP is 748 square kilometres, while the buffer zone is 487 square kilometres. Asha stepped outside the buffer zone on Wednesday evening. She moved further away but began to return on Thursday. "She is now approaching the buffer zone," according to the official.

Asha and Pavan are part of India's ambitious efforts to revive the cheetah population in the country by translocating them from Namibia and South Africa.

Experts Flag 'Lack Of Space' At Kuno

There is a debate among wildlife experts about the amount of space required for a cheetah habitat. Some believe that an individual cheetah needs 100 square kilometres, while others say it is difficult to determine. A female cheetah may require up to 400 square kilometres. The KNP currently has 18 translocated cheetahs, two of which have died, and there are concerns that there may not be enough space for them.

Also Read: MP Cheetah Death: Lack Of Space, Logistics, Manpower Root Cause Of Trouble, Says Official

Deshdeep Saxena, a senior wildlife journalist, observed that only four of the translocated cheetahs are currently in the wild at the KNP and two have already roamed beyond its boundaries. He expressed concern about the release of an additional 14 cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa and emphasized the need for an additional 4,000 square kilometres of landscape adjoining the KNP to accommodate them.

Kuno Mourns Loss Of Two Cheetahs

Kuno has seen the death of two cheetahs within a span of one month. Uday, a six-year-old cheetah who was brought to India from South Africa, died on April 23. On March 27th, Sasha, a five-year-old cheetah from Namibia who was among the eight brought to India, passed away due to kidney failure after being diagnosed with a kidney infection in January.

Also Read: Days After Losing Namibian Cheetah, Kuno National Park Welcomes Four Cubs - Watch

'Expected Such Mortality Rates': South Africa

South Africas Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) recently stated that the deaths of two cheetahs in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh are within the expected mortality rates for a project like this, news agency ANI reported. The cheetahs were among eight relocated from Namibia to Kuno National Park in September 2022 as part of an effort to expand the cheetah population and reintroduce them to their former range. The DFFE acknowledged that reintroducing large carnivores is a complex and risky operation. As the cheetahs are released into larger environments with less control over their well-being, the risks of injury and death increase. These risks have been factored into the reintroduction plan.
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Government's Department of Tourism hosted the Model G20 Summit at SKICC Srinagar on Friday. The summit brought together over 60 participants from Universities across J&K. The opening ceremony of the event was presided over by Abid Rasheed Shah, Secretary to the Government of J&K, Department of Tourism and Culture, congratulating the participants for their valuable contribution to the prestigious event.

Abid said, "This event would serve as a stepping stone for the younger generation, opening more opportunities for them in the future." The event was graced by several Government officials and participants.

You are all aware that the G20 third tourism group is going to be held in Kashmir in the Last week of May, prelude to that we held a G 20 model summit in which students, young bright students from various colleges, schools and universities participated. There was an overwhelming response from these participants, this is an indication of the warmth with which we will welcome the G 20 delegates in Kashmir. This is a great opportunity also for us to showcase Jammu and Kashmir and various tourism products of JK to a global audience. It gives us an opportunity to present JK as one the topmost tourist destinations across the world,  Abid Rashid Shah said.

Also Read: Delegates From 14 Countries To Attend G20 Summit In Agartala Today

During the event, the students actively participated in deliberations and negotiations while representing their respective G20 countries. The discussions primarily focused on the Tourism Priority Areas, such as Sustainable Tourism Practices and Gender Equity & Women in Tourism.

Sadat Hussain a participant said "This model G 20 event is like a rehearsal for the main event happening here next month. We had students from various institutions, and we are participating in this event as delegates we discussed tourism and sustainable tourism, women in tourism and effective promotion of tourism. We discussed the issues and it's going to be a major event in Jammu and Kashmir. It's going to open new avenues for us and people are going to perceive us differently. It's going to be a boon for the tourism sector. "

Also Read: Ahead Of G20 Meetings, Murals Put Up In Uttarakhand's Ramnagar To Depict Local Culture

The Model G20 Summit served as a valuable platform for the participants to enhance their understanding of the workings of the G20 and the issues it addresses. It provided a unique opportunity for the participants to hone their negotiation and diplomacy skills, which are essential in today's globalised world.

Appreciating the participants' hard work and dedication and pledged to further promote constructive communication and collaboration among young leaders and continue to support the development of solutions to address global challenges.
Kolkata: A scuffle broke out between the BJP and TMC workers in the Cooch Behar district of West Bengal during a protest over the alleged murder of a BJP leader and Kaliyaganj rape and murder case. According to reports, several BJP workers who were protesting against the alleged murder of a BJP leader and Kaliyaganj rape and murder case were detained by the police following the scuffle.

West Bengal BJP workers have called for a 12-hour bandh today in North Bengal over alleged police brutality against common people in the state. BJP leader Debasree Choudhury alleged that the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government is against the Rajbangshi people. "We have called for a bandh after seeing the condition here. This incident (the alleged murder of a BJP leader) was very shameful. Constant attacks are done on the Rajbangshi people which shows that TMC is against Rajbangshi," Choudhury said.

#WATCH | A scuffle broke out between the BJP and TMC workers in the Cooch Behar district of West Bengal during BJP's protest over the alleged murder of a BJP leader and Kaliyaganj rape & murder case pic.twitter.com/dj4WhQUOfc  ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2023

Shutdown In Siliguri

Meanwhile, in Siliguri, BJP workers were seen enforcing a 12-hour bandh by shutting off the shops. On Friday, West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said, "BJP has called for a 12-hour bandh on Friday in North Bengal to protest against police brutality on common people."

The shutdown has been called following the death of BJP worker Mrityunjay Burman in Radhikapur near Kaliaganj in Uttar Dinajpur district. BJP alleged that Mrityunjay died in police firing.

Reacting on this matter BJP MP Debashree Chowdhury said, "The ruling party (Trinamool Congress) is mistaken if they think they could silence us by shooting at our cadres or making random arrests. The whole country is with us," Chowdhury said. She alleged that the state police personnel shot dead the BJP worker, identified as Mritunjay Burman, on Wednesday late night when they came to arrest the party`s panchayat samiti member in Kaliaganj, Bishnu Barman.

Calcutta HC Seeks Detailed Report

Meanwhile, Calcutta High Court on Thursday sought a detailed report of the investigation conducted by Mekhilygunge Police in a case pertaining to the alleged rape and murder of a minor girl in Kaliaganj in West Bengal`s North Dinajpur district.

The bench of Justice Rajashekhar Mantha scheduled May 2 as the next day for the hearing. During the hearing, the court ask to preserve the videography of the post-mortem as if required the court will look into it at a later date.

Court also sought FIR and post-mortem reports and asked police to hand over a copy of the same to the family members of the victim and to the National Commission of Protection of Child Rights member as well. The matter pertains to the death of a minor girl in Kaliaganj.

On April 20, the victim`s body was found floating in a canal in Kaliaganj. The locals alleged that the minor was raped and killed. This led to uproar and protests. People put road blockades, burned tyres and set several shops on fire. Some clashes also broke out between the locals and police.

A video also went viral purportedly showing the police dragging what appeared to be the victim`s body while taking it for a post-mortem. However, Uttar Dinajpur Superintendant of Police on April 22, said that the victim`s post-mortem report given by doctors reveals that death was due to a poisonous substance. "Victim`s post-mortem report given by doctors reveals that death was due to a poisonous substance. No major injury. We will again ask doctors to clarify if there`s any sexual injury," he said.
Jeddah: Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan received the eighth batch of 121 Indians at the Jeddah airport evacuated from the conflict-hit Sudan. This batch also included the family members of the Indian Embassy officials, MoS wrote on Twitter. "A daring rescue! 8th batch of 121 Indians arrived at Jeddah by IAF C 130 J from Wadi Seidna, Sudan. This evacuation was more complex as the location is in vicinity of Khartoum. Family members of our Embassy Officials were also part of this group. Warm welcome. #OperationKaveri," Muraleedharan tweeted.

Calling it a daring and complex rescue, Muraleedharan informed that evacuees of this batch were located in the vicinity of the Sudanese Capital Khartoum, from where the violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces erupted. Earlier, on Thursday, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan received rescued Indians from Port Sudan at Jeddah under `Operation Kaveri`.

A total of 135 passengers were onboard the IAF C-130J aircraft that landed in Jeddah from Port Sudan. "Delighted to receive 7th batch of stranded Indians at Jeddah from Port Sudan, 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J aircraft," MoS Muraleedharan tweeted. Informing of the evacuation of the stranded Indian nationals from Port Sudan, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted on Thursday saying the Indians left for Jeddah on a flight.

"7th batch of stranded Indians departs from Port Sudan. 135 passengers onboard IAF C-130J flight leave for Jeddah under #OperationKaveri," Bagchi tweeted. Continuing with the rapid mobilisation of naval and air assets for a quick and safe evacuation of Indian nationals from Sudan, INS Teg on Anti Piracy patrol was diverted to Port Sudan, to help with the evacuation process. INS Teg is the fourth Talwar-class frigate constructed for the Indian Navy.

Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence. Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country.
New Delhi, Apr 28 (PTI) India on Friday brought home 754 people under its mission to evacuate stranded Indians from strife-torn Sudan. While 392 people arrived in New Delhi in a C-17 heavy-lift aircraft of the Indian Air Force, another batch of 362 Indians were brought to Bengaluru. The total number of Indians brought home now stands at 1,360, according to official data. "Another C-17 flight carrying 392 passengers reaches New Delhi," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted.

#OperationKaveri update.



Another C-17 flight carrying 392 passengers reaches New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/SCYUj3GCgz  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 28, 2023

"India welcomes back 362 Indians as another #OperationKaveri flight touches down in Bengaluru," he said in another tweet.

India welcomes back 362 Indians as another #OperationKaveri flight touches down in Bengaluru. pic.twitter.com/NzuNU5unmk  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 28, 2023

The people were brought home from the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah where India has set up a transit camp for the evacuees. The first batch of 360 evacuees were brought to New Delhi in a commercial plane on Wednesday. The second batch of 246 evacuees arrived in Mumbai in a C-17 Globemaster on Thursday.

Also Read: Explained: What is Sudan Crisis? Know All About The Conflict

Under Operation Kaveri, India has been rescuing its citizens in buses from conflict zones in Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan from where they are being taken to Jeddah in Indian Air Force's transport aircraft and Indian Navy's ships. From Jeddah, the Indians are being brought home in either commercial flights or IAF's aircraft.

India has set up separate control rooms in Jeddah and Port Sudan and the India embassy in Khartoum has been coordinating with them and the MEA's headquarters in Delhi. Sudan has been witnessing deadly fighting between the country's army and a paramilitary group that has reportedly left around 400 people dead.

Also Read: Sudan Crisis Is Volatile; All Efforts Are On To Evacuate Indian Nationals, Says Foreign Secy

On Monday, Jaishankar announced the launch of Operation Kaveri to evacuate Indians from Sudan. On Thursday, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said 1,700-2,000 Indians were moved out of the conflict zones.

"Our objective and target is to take the stranded Indians out of harm's way as early as possible... Our effort is to get every stranded Indian out of harm's way and into an area of relative safety and then to Port Sudan and back here (India)," he said.
(Bloomberg) -- Exxon Mobil Corp. posted its strongest-ever start to a year as oil production soars from new wells in the US and off the coast of South America.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Net income more than doubled from a year earlier to $11.4 billion, the highest first-quarter profit in the oil giants 140-year history. Adjusted earnings of $2.83 a share were 20 cents higher than the Bloomberg Consensus.

Exxon said its net debt-to-capital ratio shrank to 4% at the end of the period, thanks in large part to a cash pile of almost $33 billion. The company has sought to enrich investors via dividends and share buybacks, and Exxon is the best-performing energy stock in the S&P 500 Index this year.

The unexpected results were really all about us increasing our production volumes significantly, Chief Financial Officer Kathy Mikells said during an interview. Output off the coast of Guyana and in the US Permian Basin rose 40% on a combined basis from a year earlier, she noted.

Also See: Chevron Surpasses Expectations as Oil-Refining Profits Surge

Production growth in those two regions was so strong that it more than offset the negative impacts of asset sales and Russias expropriation of the landmark Sakhalin-1 development. Net output increased by the equivalent of 160,000 barrels of a day compared with a year earlier, she said.

Exxons quarterly profits have exceeded $10 billion for four consecutive quarters, a streak not seen since the era of $145-a-barrel crude in 2008. Flush with cash and with its trading near a record high, speculation is rife that Exxon may be gearing up for a big acquisition. The Wall Street Journal reported that Exxon held early-stage talks with Pioneer Natural Resources Co. earlier this month.

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Also See: Exxons Challenge Is Having Way Too Much Cash: Javier Blas

While both companies declined to comment on the rumors, analysts pointed out that the deal makes strategic sense and would make Exxon far and away the largest producer in the US Permian Basin, one of managements highest-priority targets globally.

Chief Executive Officer Darren Woods signaled his interest in making shale as well as so-called low-carbon acquisitions earlier this year, but cautioned that its difficult to go in and buy at the top of a commodity cycle.

During a conference call scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. New York time, analysts are expected to ask about the companys appetite for dealmaking, and how it will deploy cash. Even with oil prices down about 25% in the past year, Exxon is generating considerably more cash than its spending on capital projects, buybacks and dividends.

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday urged the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member nations to collectively work towards eliminating terrorism in all its forms and fix accountability on its supporters, in an oblique reference to Pakistan. Chairing a conclave of defence ministers from SCO countries, Singh said India envisioned a robust framework of regional cooperation which "mutually respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states by taking care of their legitimate interests".

With Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu listening, Singh also said that New Delhi strives to further bolster trust and cooperation among the members of the grouping as it believes in maintaining peace and security based on the provisions of the UN charter. Elaborating on the need to contain terrorism effectively, Singh asserted that any kind of terrorist act or support to it in any form is a major crime against humanity and peace and prosperity cannot coexist with this menace.

"If a nation shelters terrorists, it not only poses a threat to others but to itself too. The radicalisation of youth is a cause of concern not only from the point of view of security, but it is also a major obstacle in the path of socio-economic progress of society," Singh said. "If we want to make the SCO a stronger and more credible international organisation, our top-most priority should be to effectively deal with terrorism," he added.

Except for Pakistan, the defence ministers of all other member countries attended the meeting in person. It is learnt that the Pakistani representative joined the deliberations virtually. Sharing his insights on the vision to ensure collective prosperity, Singh called for concerted efforts by the SCO member states so that the region, with limitless possibilities in today's multilateral world, shifts to the mindset of 'great gain from win-win paradigm' from 'great game of zero-sum, win-lose paradigm'.

"India has always followed the principle of 'Let us walk together & move forward together'. Every era has a zeitgeist (defining idea). The zeitgeist of the present era is 'win-win cooperation for the great gain'," he said. India hosted the meeting in its capacity as chair of the grouping.

The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations. The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became permanent members in 2017.
Dima Hasao: After the signing of the historic tripartite pact between the Centre, Assam government and insurgent group Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA)/Dimasa People`s Supreme Council (DPSC), the district administration imposed section 144 of the CrPC in the Dima Hasao district. Earlier in the day, in a significant milestone towards making the Northeast insurgency-free by 2024, a tripartite Memorandum of Settlement was signed between the Union government, Assam government and representatives of Dimasa National Liberation Army/Dimasa Peoples` Supreme Council (DNLA/DPSC) in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

As part of this agreement, over 168 cadres of DNLA joined the mainstream by laying down their arms. The pact proposes to end the insurgency in the Dima Hasao district of Assam. Further, as part of the agreement, Dimasa Welfare Council will be set up by the Government of Assam to protect, preserve and promote a social, cultural, and linguistic identity to meet political, economic and educational aspirations and will ensure speedy and focused development of the Dimasa people residing outside the jurisdiction of the Autonomous Council.

Assam | After the signing of a historic peace agreement with the pro-scribed militant group Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA), the district administration of Dima Hasao imposed Section 144 of CrPC in district until further orders: Assam Govt pic.twitter.com/GzsmTZ4TL7  ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2023

Along with this, the agreement also provides for the appointment of a Commission under Paragraph 14 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution to examine the demand for inclusion of additional villages contiguous to the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) with the Council. The agreement also provides for necessary measures to be taken by the Centre and the Assam government to rehabilitate the surrendered armed cadres of DNLA. To this effect, a Special Development package of Rs 500 crore each, will also be provided by the two governments over a period of five years, for the all-round development of NCHAC as well as Dimasa people residing in other parts of the State.

For the first time since Independence, Assam has become completely free from insurgency in tribal areas.



Under the leadership of Hon PM Shri @narendramodi ji and with unstinted support of Hon HM Shri @amitshah ji, not a single armed group exists in tribal areas.



(1/2) pic.twitter.com/tY8m35gez3  Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 27, 2023

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and senior officers from Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Assam government were present on the occasion. Soon after the pact was signed, Amit Shah said, "This agreement marks another significant milestone towards making the Northeast insurgency-free by 2024 and fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s vision of a peaceful and prosperous Northeast."

He said this agreement will put a complete end to insurgency in the Northeast state, as there would be no armed groups left in Assam.Shah added, "PM Modi has put forward the vision of a terror-free, violence-free and developed Northeast before the country and the Ministry of Home Affairs is making forward strides in this direction."

"Under the agreement, the representatives of DNLA have agreed to abjure violence, surrender all arms and ammunition, disband their armed organisation, vacate all camps occupied by DNLA cadres and join the peaceful democratic process as established by the law," he said.
New Delhi: The National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Friday cautioned investors against four persons running illegal dabba trading with guaranteed returns to investors. Dabba trading is an illegal form of trading in shares, where operators of such trading rings allow people to trade in equities outside the stock exchange platform.

The cautionary statements came after NSE found that Jitu Bhai Marwadi, Sanjay Chaudhari, Sanjiv Raj, and Arav Waghmare were providing dabba or illegal trading platforms with assured returns. In addition, the bourse noted that Waghmare was offering to handle the trading accounts of investors by asking investors to share their user ID and password.

The exchange said that these persons are not registered either as a member or authorised persons of any registered member of the NSE. Also, the exchange said that a police complaint has already been filed in this regard. Cautioning investors, NSE asked them not to subscribe to any such scheme or product offered by any person providing illegal Dabba trading activity in the stock market as the same is prohibited by law.

"Investors are cautioned and advised not to trade on such illegal trading platforms. Participation in such illegal platforms is at the investor's own risk, cost, and consequences as such illegal trading platforms are neither approved nor endorsed by the exchange," the bourse said in two separate statements.

For any kind of disputes relating to such prohibited schemes, mechanisms such as benefits of investor protection under the exchange's jurisdiction, exchange dispute resolution mechanism, and investor grievance redressal mechanism administered by the exchange, would not be available to investors, it added.
The newly-launched Hazrat Nizamuddin-Rani Kamalapati Vande Bharat Express hit a cow near Gwalior station in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday evening, resulting in damage to the trains front portion, a Railway official said. The Rani Kamalapati-bound train (No 20172) hit the cow around 6.15 pm and stopped at the spot for about 15 minutes, the official said.

The accident took place when the animal suddenly came on the rail tracks going towards Dabra in Gwalior district, he said. After necessary repairs of the damaged portion, the train resumed its onward journey, the official added.

Also read: West Bengal's Second Vande Bharat Express To Be Deployed On Howrah-Puri Route, Trial Begins

The semi-high-speed train between Rani Kamalapati (Bhopal) and Hazrat Nizamuddin (Delhi) was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 1. The train on this route departs from Bhopal's Rani Kamlapati station and travels to New Delhi's Railway Station. On its way, the train passes through the stations at Agra Cantt, Veerangana Laxmibai Jhansi, and Gwalior Railway Station. In its journey, the train covers 708 km in 7.45 hours.

Vande Bharat has sustained damage in similar accidents on multiple routes in India. To prevent such incidents, Western Railway Zone announced to build barricades covering tracks on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai stretch.
New Delhi: Tamil superstar Rajinikanth arrived here on Friday to participate in the centenary celebrations of Telugu icon Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, who was popularly known as NTR.

NTR's son and well-known Tollywood actor N. Balakrishna received Rajinikanth at Gannavaram Airport here.

The superstar will attend the event scheduled to be held on Friday evening in the city. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu and other leaders will attend the event.

Balayya, as Balakrishna is popularly known, has invited fans to come out and take part in the celebrations.

NTR, who enjoyed the status of demigod among Telugu speaking people, was a legendary actor of Tollywood. He acted in over 300 films and was known for doing the role of mythological characters.

NTR played Lord Krishna in over 17 films including Krishnarjuna Yudham (1962) and Dana Veera Soora Karna.

He entered politics in 1982 by floating TDP on the slogan of self-respect and created a record of sorts by coming to power within nine months.

Born on May 28, 1923 in Andhra Pradesh, NTR served as Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh from 1983 to 1989. He led the TDP back to power with a landslide victory in December 1994 but few months later faced a revolt from his son-in-law Chandrabu Naidu, who was unhappy over the interference of NTR's second wife Lakshmi Parvathi in the party and administrative affairs.

Supported by NTR's children from first wife, Naidu unseated NTR from power in September 1995. The TDP founder died of cardiac arrest on January 18, 1996.
New Delhi: The wait is over for she is here! As promised, the makers of 'KD  The Devil' have introduced the leading lady of the film. Actress Reeshma Nanaiah will be seen opposite Dhruva Sarja as Queen Macchlakshmi. As Reeshma enters KD's vintage adda, she looks every bit feisty. In fact, her stance is the one that suits a true queen, especially when she is a queen who converts her King's pain into power. Fans have been very excited to meet Reeshma aka Queen Macchlakshmi and they cannot wait to see more of her on the big screen.

Talking about her character, Reeshma says, "The best part about Queen Macchlakshmi is the larger-than-life persona she ensues. From the poster you know, she is strong-headed, she is feisty, and playing her role was indeed great. It was challenging but thrilling. What was exciting was to also share the frame with action Prince Dhruva Sarja. I am very excited."

A period action-entertainer based on true events from 1970s Bangalore, 'KD - The Devil' also stars Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Sanjay Dutt, and V Ravichandran. KVN Productions presents 'KD - The Devil' directed by Prem and also produced by Suprith. The pan-India multilingual is all set to release in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi.

The teaser of the film was unveiled in the presence of media members from across the country. The teaser opens with the entire police department being put on a high alert as a most wanted gangster is all set to walk out of a jail. An ocean of people are seen assembled outside the jail, to give him the gangster a hero's welcome as he gets released from the jail. The gangster, however, has no time to waste as he starts hunting down his enemies with his machete, which is dripping with the blood. The power struggle seems to be for the control of the citys underworld.
New Delhi: A delivery executive of an e-commerce firm allegedly stole 10 iPhones by replacing them with dummy phones on the way to deliver them to the customer here, police said on Thursday. Station in-charge of Matrix Finance Solution, which delivers Amazon's parcel, Ravi in his complaint alleged that on March 27 delivery executive Lalit was handed over a customer's parcel, which contained 10 iPhones and an AirPods, at his address, they said.

However, instead of delivering the parcel, Lalit replaced the iPhones with replicas and sent his brother Manoj to deposit them back to the company claiming that the customer could not be contacted, Ravi said in his complaint. (Also Read: Techie's Brutally Honest Reply To Job Offer Goes Viral; Walnut CEO Shares Screenshot)

Suspecting some tampering with the packaging, the parcel was opened and the delivery company found the fake phones inside, police said. (Also Read: iPhone 14 Gets Rs 21,000 Discount: Here's How The Deal Works)

Meanwhile, upon not receiving his parcel, the customer also cancelled his order, they said.

An FIR has been registered against Lalit under sections 420 (cheating), 408 (criminal breach of trust by employee) of the Indian Penal Code at Bilaspur police station on Wednesday, they said.

Efforts are on to nab the accused who is absconding, they said.
Noida Traffic Police has issued a traffic advisory restricting the movement of vehicles on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. The restrictions have been implemented to facilitate the construction of an underpass near the Mahamaya flyover in Noida. The new route, once completed, will provide smooth movement of traffic between Sector 97 and Sector 126 in Noida. As per the advisory, all the vehicles moving through the Noida expressway will be directed toward the adjoining service lanes to avoid choke points on the expressway.

Noida Expressway Traffic Diversion

As per the advisory, the construction of the 715-meter underpass near the Mahamaya flyover will take at least 45 days. Until then, the restrictions will be in place. It is to be noted that the underpass is being built using box-pushing technology.

Also read: Citroen C3 Aircross SUV Unveiled Ahead Of 2023 Launch, To Rival Hyundai Creta

During this time, traffic will be rerouted by Sector 132 service road via the Hazipur underpass, Sector 44 roundabout, to the Mahamaya flyover from Greater Noida to Noida and Delhi. The Mahamaya flyover's Hazipur underpass will direct traffic from the expressway toward the Sector 128 service road.

A number of Noida's sectors, including 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 96, 97, 98, 99, as well as 124, 125, 126, and 127, are anticipated to be connected to Delhi by the subway. Additionally, it will facilitate traffic flow on many roads and the motorway. The traffic officials have also provided a helpline number (9971009001) for calling them in an emergency.

MP-2 Elevated Road Traffic Diversion

In the meantime, the police also announced detours on the high MP-2 road for the installation of lighting polls. The prohibitions will be in effect on April 26, 30, May 3, and May 7 from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. The route built under the elevated road from Sector 60 allows vehicles travelling from Sector 60 towards Sector 18 to arrive at its destination.

 

MP-2                          /!

  0- 9971009001 pic.twitter.com/xXEa1iYBzQ April 26, 2023

Vehicles can travel through the route built under the elevated road to get to Sector 18, Sector 31, and Sector 31.25 from Chowk. Traffic from Sector 18 heading towards Sector 60 will be able to travel there via Cambridge Tiraha Sector 27 while travelling beneath the raised road.

Gijaud Chowk, which is in front of NTPC and runs below the elevated road, will be the passageway for traffic heading from NTPC to Sector 60. In order to avoid inconvenience, the police officials advised the public to pay attention to the warning and obey the instructions.
Kriti Sanon is running a busy schedule as she has now gone on to Pune for the next schedule of her upcoming film 'The Crew'. The actress was spotted at the airport while on her way where she donned an absolutely casual attire giving us major goals for a perfect airport look.

As Kriti was spotted at the airport in a no-makeup look, she was seen wearing a white t-shirt and light-shaded jeans with black glares. Looking absolutely beautiful, cute, and adorable, the actress obliged fans and photographers with pictures and won hearts with her humility.

In her vast filmography, Kriti has cemented her position in the top league of actors in the industry. Based on her talent solely, Kriti has emerged as a force to reckon with who enjoys a huge fanbase across the nation.

On the work front, the actress will be next seen in the much-awaited 'Adipurush' opposite Prabhas. She also 'Ganapath' opposite Tiger Shroff and 'The Crew'.
New Delhi: Amazon is starting the year back in the black. The e-commerce giant on Thursday reported a profit of USD 3.2 billion for the first quarter, far exceeding analysts' estimates, CNN Business reported on Friday. The Seattle-headquartered firm reported a loss of USD 3.8 billion in the year-ago quarter. The swing to a profit comes as Amazon has ramped up its cost-cutting measures in recent months.

The company has announced two rounds of layoffs, cancelled products, and nixed physical store expansions, according to CNN Business. It also comes as key areas of Amazon's business continue to grow despite lingering recession fears possibly weighing on corporate and consumer spending. (Also Read: 'Not Interested In Marrying Your Men': Investor Criticises Schengen Visa Application Process)

The company's revenue increased 9 percent during the quarter from the prior year. Amazon expects second-quarter net sales to grow between 5 percent and 10 percent from the same period the year before, or be between USD 127 billion and USD 133 billion, CNN Business reported. (Also Read: Apple Store India Employee Salaries, Educational Qualifications, And Other Details)

"The results indicate that ongoing cost-cutting measures are having a positive impact on Amazon's business prospects," said Jesse Cohen, senior analyst at Investing.com. "Amazon's strong guidance for Q2 revenue is another indicator that the company may be starting to come out of the woods."

Amazon Web Services, which has long served as a profit engine for the company, also experienced double-digit percentage growth during the quarter, in another positive sign for its overall business.

AWS segment sales rose 16 percent from the year before to USD 21.4 billion, CNN Business said, adding, "That comes after sales growth slowed in the previous quarter, as cloud customers tightened their purse strings due to uncertainty about the economy's health."

"While our AWS business navigates companies spending more cautiously in this macro environment, we continue to prioritise building long-term customer relationships," Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy said in a statement accompanying the earnings release.
Karnataka Vidhansabha Chunav 2023: The poll-bound Karnataka which is home to the 'Silicon Valley of India' is witnessing the same-old style of politics based on castes and religions. While just before the announcement of the poll schedule, the ruling BJP quashed the 4% OBC reservation given to Muslims moving the quota within the 10 per cent Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category, the Congress was quick to fall into the saffron party's narrative and promised to not only restore the said quota but also pledged to scrap various reservation quotas announced by the ruling BJP if voted to power.

'4% Muslim Reservation Row'

The BJP's move was challenged in the Supreme Court and a stay order was issued, but when asked during an interview, Union Home Minister Amit Shah termed the 4% OBC reservation for Muslims as unconstitutional. "The BJP never believes in appeasement. So, it decided to change the reservation," Shah said strongly defending the decision.

On the other hand, Congress state president DK Shivakumar said that many reservations provided by the BJP are against the law, constitution and the interests of the communities. The reservation in the state has gone up to 56 per cent and let the BJP government give reservations for both the communities by extending the limit. The Congress firmly stands with minorities and we want Muslim reservations to be intact, he maintained.

The reservation move by Chief Minister BS Bommai has led to a war of words between the BJP and Congress. While the BJP is hoping to polarize Hindu votes by scrapping the 4 per cent reservations for Muslims, the Congress appears to have fallen into the polarization trap. This may be one of the reasons that Amit Shah defended the move in his public rallies.

Vokaligga and Lingayata Vote Bank And Seat Equation

In Karnataka, the Lingayatas and Vokkaligas are key to any party's poll victory. According to many estimates, the Lingayata community constitutes 17 per cent of Karnatakas population while Vokkaligas are estimated to be around 15 per cent, Muslims 13 per cent, Brahmins three per cent, Other Backward Classes (OBCs) 35 per cent and the Scheduled Castes (SCs) & Scheduled Tribes (STs) around 18 per cent. On most occasions, Lingayatas and Vokkaligas have voted unitedly and that was reflected in the results as well. Of the 224 assembly constituencies of Karnataka, around Lingayatas affect the results of around 100 constituencies while Vokaliggas have a significant presence in around 80 constituencies and they are dominant in 44 of these constituencies.

Prominent Faces In BJP and Congress

While the BJP has the support of one of the tallest Lingayata leaders - BS Yediyurappa, two prominent leaders - Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi have defected to Congress after the denial of tickets. On the other hand, BJP has fielded strong Vokaligga leaders against Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar. While Siddaramaiah will face V Somanna in Varuna, DK Shivakumar will be up against R Ashok in Kanakapura.
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi have slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent "joke" on suicides while addressing a media conclave, labelling it "insensitive". Taking to Twitter, the former Wayanad Congress MP said, "The Prime Minister cracked a joke on suicides. How can anyone be so insensitive about suicides? Government statistics show that in 2021, more than 1.64 lakh Indians died by suicide. Every day, 450 people die by suicide in our country and this is a `joke` for the Prime Minister."

         



      !  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 27, 2023

Speaking at a conclave of media network on Wednesday, PM Modi shared a joke about how a professor, reading the suicide note left by his daughter, realised how she got her spellings wrong despite his efforts to get her to spell correctly. PM Modi cracked the "joke" after noting how the editor-in-chief of the media network had improved his Hindi speaking skills.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi also hit out at PM Modi over his "joke". Taking to Twitter, she posted, "Depression and suicide, especially among the youth IS NOT a laughing matter. According to NCRB data, 164033 Indians committed suicide in 2021. Of which a huge percentage were below the age of 30. This is a tragedy, not a joke. The Prime Minister and those laughing heartily at his joke ought to educate themselves better and create awareness rather than ridicule mental health issues in this insensitive, morbid manner."

PM Modi To Hold Mega Roadshows In Karnataka

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold two massive roadshows and six public meetings this weekend in poll-bound Karnataka, giving a major boost to the ruling BJPs election campaign here.

The Prime Minister will visit Karnataka on April 29 and 30 and hold mega roadshows in Bengaluru on the first day. His roadshow will be of nearly 10 km in length in which three assembly constituencies of Bangalore North will be covered in nearly 45 minutes.

The PM will also address public meetings at various places in the state including in Kolar on April 30. His second public meeting will be organized at Channapatan in the afternoon, the third public meeting will be held in Belur at 5.00 pm. After this, a road show may be held in Mysore city, the sources said.

According to sources, the mega roadshow of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will start on April 29 at around 6 pm. "The roadshow will be held from Nice Road Junction to Sumanahalli Junction on Magadi Road in Bengaluru. After this roadshow, he may stay in the city that night. He will hold public meetings in Humnabad, Vijayapura and Kudachi before holding a roadshow in Bengaluru on April 29," sources said.

"On April 30, PM Modi will address public meetings organized in Kolar, Channapatna and Mysore districts. After this, on May 2, PM Narendra Modi will campaign in Chitradurga, Vijayanagar, Sindhanur and Kalaburagi. On May 3, he will campaign for BJP candidates in Moodbidire, Karwar and Kittur," they added.

On the lines of Gujarat`s Ahmedabad, the party has also decided to organize a mega roadshow of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly aiming to ensure victories of the party candidates.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had the biggest-ever roadshow in Ahmedabad during the Gujarat Assembly elections last year, which covered nearly 50 km spread across 19 assembly constituencies. The Bharatiya Janata Party`s challenge in Karnataka is to retain power, for which party president JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah have already started their election campaigns.

Notably, Karnataka is the only southern state where the BJP is in power. The BJP is seeking a second term in the state and has exuded confidence in returning to power with a full majority. Karnataka will go to polls on May 10 and the votes will be counted on May 13.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking the transfer of all party assets belonging to the Uddhav Thackeray faction to the group led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The plea was filed by a Mumbai-based lawyer Ashish Giri, who was seeking direction to restrain the Thackeray group from transferring party funds. In his plea, Giri had urged the Supreme Court to restrain the Uddhav Thackeray group from alienating movable or immovable assets of the Shiv Sena party and transferring the same to the new faction headed by CM Shinde.

Supreme Court dismisses a plea seeking direction to restrain the Uddhav Thackeray group from alienating movable or immovable assets of the Shiv Sena party and it should be transferred to the new party president.



The plea was filed by a Mumbai-based lawyer Ashish Giri seeking  ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2023

"All the movable and immovable assets of Shiv Sena along with the frontal organisations and aligning organisations be transferred to the new party president as per the order of ECI," the plea stated.

The advocate argued before the top court that the funds and assets were collected by all the workers and leaders of any political party and there is no personal gain or rights of any group if the party is divided into two or more groups.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) had earlier allotted the party name 'Shiv Sena' and the symbol 'Bow and Arrow' to the Eknath Shinde-led faction, which further triggered fear in the Uddhav Thackeray-led camp that the new faction will now stake its claim to Shiv Sena Bhavan, local party offices, also known as shakhas and the party funds.

Not Interested in Shiv Sena Assets: Shinde Group

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena earlier this month said that it had no connection with a petition filed by a lawyer in the Supreme Court (SC) saying that all movable and immovable properties belonging to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) should be transferred to Shinde's Shiv Sena.

Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and spokesperson of the Shinde faction Deepak Kesarkar made it clear that his outfit is not even interested in laying claim to party funds after the EC recognised their group as the real Shiv Sena and allotted it the "bow and arrow" poll symbol.

He said Shinde has already made it clear his faction is not interested in staking claim to the Shiv Sena Bhavan, the party headquarters at Dadar in central Mumbai, or any property linked to the Thackeray group, and that the school of thoughts advanced by Sena founder late Bal Thackeray was their real asset.

It may be noted that there are various petitions pending before the apex court filed by both the rival factions Uddhav Thackeray and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in relation to the Maharashtra political crisis.
New Delhi: A Special CBI court in Mumbai on Friday (April 28) acquitted actor Sooraj Pancholi from charges of abetting suicide of actor Jiah Khan. Jiah, who acted in several films, including 'Housefull', was found dead at her suburban home on June 3, 2013. Special CBI court judge AS Sayyad while pronouncing the verdict said due to lack of evidence, the court holds Pancholi not guilty. Sooraj, the son of actor couple Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, was present in the court with his mother at the time of the verdict.

Sooraj (32), who was reportedly in a relationship with the actress, got accused of abetting the suicide of Jiah Khan based on a six-page letter seized on June 10, which was purportedly written by the 25-year-old, who was found hanging at her residence. As per the Central Bureau of Investigation, the letter, which was seized by Mumbai police that began its probe on June 10, 2013, was written by Jiah Khan. The Mumbai Police booked Sooraj under Section 306 (abetment to suicide) and arrested him in June 2013, and released him on bail in July 2013.

The CBI claimed the note narrated her 'intimate relationship, physical abuse and mental and physical torture' allegedly at the hands of Pancholi, which led to her committing suicide. The case was reassigned to a special CBI court in 2021 after the sessions court said it did not have the jurisdiction over the case as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had probed it.

Jiah Khan's mother Rabia Khan, a key prosecution witness in the case, told the court she believed it was a case of murder and not suicide. She alleged that her daughter was murdered, and in October 2013, she moved to Bombay High Court seeking a CBI probe in the case while alleging that her daughter had been murdered. During her deposition, Rabia Khan had told the CBI court Pancholi used to subject Jiah Khan to physical and verbal abuse. She also alleged the police and CBI had not collected legal evidence to prove her daughter had committed suicide.

On the order of the Bombay High Court, the CBI took over the probe from the Maharashtra Police in July 2014.

Pancholi, in his 313-page statement filed before the court, had claimed the investigation and chargesheet were false, adding prosecution witnesses had testified against him on the behest of complainant Rabia Khan, police and CBI. In that statement, he said he had broken down when he heard about Jiah's death and said, "I had lost the most important person of my life and the woman whom I truly loved."

(With PTI Inputs)
New Delhi: The Internet woke up to a sensational viral bikini picture doing the rounds, claiming to be that of Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan's darling daughter Suhana. Many got confused as an unverified Twitter handle that goes by the name of Suhana Khan posted the photo. However, upon fact-checking, turns out the picture is not of Suhana but of an actress named Shanvi Srivastava, who has featured in Kannada movies like 'Masterpiece', 'Mufti' among others.

Shanvi Srivastava had posted this same photo on her Instagram, two days back. She wrote in the caption: Its time for a holiyayyyyyy.. Get ready to get your timeline spammed bichusssssss!!!

P.S. - Please dont expect pictures #shanvisrivastava #shanvisri #shanvi #holiday #travel #love #findinglove #tuesdaymotivation #life

Looks like someone tried to morph and use Shanvi's photo to pass it as Suhana's on social media. Check Viral photo:

Coming to SRK's daughter, Suhana Khan has already taken her baby steps into the showbiz world. Besides her big screen debut in Zoya Akhtar's film this year, the stunner was announced as one of the brand ambassadors of the beauty brand Maybelline at a gala event in Mumbai a few days back. Suhana is a popular star kid with a 3.7 million follower reach on Instagram alone. And this is even before her official debut on-screen, imagine the craze around her.

SUHANA KHAN'S BOLLYWOOD DEBUT

On the work front, Suhana will soon be making her Bollywood debut with Zoya Akhtars upcoming film The Archies. The highly anticipated film marks the debut of star kids Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor and Agastya Nanda, along with Mihir Ahuja, Dot, Yuvraj Menda and Vedang Raina. The film has been produced by Tiger Baby Films, Graphic India and Archies Comics. The film will release this year on Netflix.

Netflix has partnered with Archie Comics for the project, which Akhtar and her longtime collaborator Reema Kagti are producing under their banner Tiger Baby.

Suhana in her first-ever speech made on stage as a Maybelline brand ambassador said, "Hi everyone. I am so excited to be here and see you guys again. We had such a good time filming. So I'm just really excited to be here and I can't wait for you guys to see everything we have filmed. It's an honour to be a brand ambassador for Maybelline after hoarding so many of their iconic products, especially their mascaras are amazing. But, yeah I am just super excited and happy to be a part of this brand and I can't wait to make it shine with all of you."
West Bengal is set to get its second semi-high-speed Vande Bharat express train, which is most likely to run in the busy Howrah-Puri route. A South Eastern Railway official said that a trial run of a newly allocated rake was being held on the Howrah-Puri route on Friday. The route and date of commencement of service of the Vande Bharat express train is yet to be received officially, he said.

"We have received a Vande Bharat rake from the ICF, Perumbur, and a trial run is being held today on the Howrah-Puri route," he said. This would be the second Vande Bharat express train that West Bengal will get, with the first running on the Howrah-New Jalpaiguri route since December 30, 2022.

Also read: Sara Ali Khan Follows Hema Malini's Footsteps, Takes Ride In Mumbai Metro: Watch

With pilgrims and tourists flocking to Puri, the abode of Lord Jagannath, throughout the year from the West Bengal capital, the new semi-high speed train is likely to be an instant hit among the visitors, travel operators said.
New Delhi: Cloud storage giant Dropbox announced on Thursday that it is laying off 16 per cent of its workforce, or about 500 employees, due to slowing growth.





Dropbox CEO Drew Houston said that he takes full ownership of this decision."If you've been impacted, you'll be sent a calendar invitation for a one-on-one with a leader on your team and a member of the People team to go through details of your departure, package, and to ask any questions you may have," he informed.Houston said that while the business is profitable, "our growth has been slowing"."Part of this is due to the natural maturation of our existing businesses, but more recently, headwinds from the economic downturn have put pressure on our customers and, in turn, on our business," he said.As a result, some investments that used to deliver positive returns are no longer sustainable, the company informed.In January 2021, Dropbox had laid off 315 employees amid the Covid-19 pandemic.The impacted employees will be eligible for 16 weeks of pay, with one additional week of pay for each completed year of tenure at Dropbox."All impacted employees will receive their Q2 equity vest. All employees will be eligible for up to six months of COBRA in the US, and similar equivalents where applicable internationally, as well as Modern Health support," said the company.The impacted employees will be eligible to keep company devices (phones, tablets, laptops, and peripherals) for personal use."These transitions are never easy, but I'm determined to ensure that Dropbox is at the forefront of the AI era, just as we were at the forefront of the shift to mobile and the cloud. We'll need all hands on deck as machine intelligence gives us the tools to reimagine our existing businesses and invent new ones," the CEO said.
New Delhi: Telecom Regulatory Authority Of India (TRAI) has announced to change the rules regarding fake, promotional calls and SMS to the customers from May 1, 2023. TRAI is going to set up an AI filter to stop pesky calls and SMSes, providing a major relief to telecom customers who have been bombarded with unsolicited spam calls and SMS on the daily basis.

TRAI New Order From May 1

TRAI issued the order to the Telecom companies that it is being mandatory to putting Aritificial Intelligence Spam filter in their calls and SMS services from May 1, according to the reports. The AI filter will help customers to avoid fake and promotional calls. Telecom companies Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio have announced to start AI filter service soon.

Airtel, JIO Announce To Roll Out AI Filter

Airtel has reportedly announced AI filter for its services. JIO has also announced to start working on roll out AI filter on its services very soon. However, no much information has been available so far. But AI filter might be expected to start working from May 1, 2023.

Call ID Feature Soon To Be Available

TRAI has long been working to stop fake calls and SMS that is a big problem for customers. It is one of the ways the scammers try to cheat innocent customers and get away with their money from the accounts. TRAI is demanding from telecom companies to stop promotional calls on 10 digit mobile number. The regulatory is also looking for an option to bring Call ID feature that will display photo and name of the caller on the mobile phone.

Telecom companies such as Airtel and JIO are hesitating to bring this techology due to privacy issue. However, there is no information regarding it. It is to be noted that only AI filter will reportedly implemented from May 1 to stop pesky calls and SMS being bombarded to customers.
New Delhi: The Rajasthan government will give free smartphones with three years of internet pack to 40 lakh women on the festival of Raksha Bandhan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced on Friday. The festival will be celebrated in August-end.

"In the Chiranjeevi scheme, we have made all women the head (of the family). 1.35 crore women have become the head of the household. These women will get a smartphone along with three years of free internet," Gehlot said while addressing the people after visiting the price relief camp in Rawatsar town of Hanumangarh.

"We have decided that on Raksha Bandhan, 40 lakh smartphones will be given to women in Rajasthan," he added. The chief minister in his 2022 budget speech had announced that women heads of Chiranjeevi families will be given smartphones with internet access for three years. Under the Mukhyamantri Digital Seva Yojana, smartphones were to be given to about 1.35 crore women. However, the scheme could be implemented as phones in such large numbers could not be procured on time.

In February this year, the government told the assembly that it has made a budget provision to distribute the smartphones. According to the government, till January 30, a total of 1,37,82,951 families have been registered under the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme which provides an annual medical cover of up to Rs 25 lakh per family.
On Thursday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) searched the Washington D.C. home of Ryan Salame, a former executive of the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, according to a report from The New York Times.

Salame, who formerly co-led FTX's Bahamas operation, is under investigation as part of the ongoing probe into the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange.

Authorities are looking into $24 million in political donations that Salame made during last year's midterm elections, and allege that the majority of the total $90 million donated by ex-FTX employeesincluding to the campaign of Republican Representative George Santoswas taken from customer funds.

Shaq Finally Served in FTX Lawsuit After Months of Running, Say Lawyers

Decrypt contacted the attorney for Ryan Salame, Jason Linder, who declined to comment on the investigation.

Salame's wealth increased substantially during the crypto market boom, as he reportedly obtained $87 million in bonuses and loans from FTX's sister company, trading firm Alameda Research.

After the collapse of FTX in November, court documents obtained by the Wall Street Journal revealed that Salamethen chairman of FTX Digitaltipped off Bahamian authorities to the cryptocurrency exchange using customer funds to cover losses by Alameda.

According to The New York Times report, prosecutors allege that Bankman-Fried recruited executivesincluding Salame, who joined the firm in 2021to act as proxies for his company and donate tens of millions of dollars to Republican and Democratic candidates alike.

During a so-called PR tour following FTX's descent into bankruptcy last year, Bankman-Fried said in an interview that he donated approximately the same amount to both parties.

"All my Republican donations were dark," Bankman-Fried said, citing the Citizens United U.S. Supreme Court case that protected political donations by corporations and unions, raising concerns about corporate money on politics.

"In practice, no one can fathom the idea that someone actually gave dark [money]," he said, adding he hid the donations to avoid public scrutiny.

Before its collapse, FTX had a valuation of $32 billion. FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried faces life in prison on multiple charges of money laundering, conspiracy, and wire fraud.
London, Apr 28 (PTI) BBC chairman Richard Sharp resigned on Friday after a report into whether he failed to properly disclose his involvement in the facilitation of a loan to former British prime minister Boris Johnson was published. The 67-year-old former banker, who has been the chairman of the UK taxpayer-funded licence fee-backed British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), said the investigation found he had breached the governance code for public appointments.

The independent review, led by barrister Adam Heppinstall, looked at Sharp's appointment and his involvement in facilitating an 800,000-pound loan to Johnson.

"Mr Heppinstall's view is that while I did breach the governance code for public appointments, he states that a breach does not necessarily invalidate an appointment," Sharp said in a statement.

"Indeed, I have always maintained the breach was inadvertent and not material, which the facts he lays out substantiate" Nevertheless, I have decided that it is right to prioritise the interests of the BBC. I feel that this matter may well be a distraction from the Corporation's good work were I to remain in post until the end of my term. I have therefore this morning resigned as BBC Chair to the Secretary of State, and to the Board," he said.

"To chair this incredible organisation has been an honour," he added. Heppinstall was appointed by the UK's Commissioner of Public Appointments to investigate claims which appeared in The Sunday Times' newspaper. Sharp said the report finds he did not play "any part whatsoever in the facilitation, arrangement, or financing of a loan for the former Prime Minister".

But he said with hindsight he should have disclosed his role in setting up a meeting between UK Cabinet Secretary Simon Case and Sam Blyth 'a businessman who was offering the then Prime Minister financial help' to the appointments panel during the scrutiny process ahead of him taking up the senior role at the 100-year-old public broadcaster.

He admitted not doing so was an "oversight" and apologised for it. Sharp has said he will remain in his post until a replacement is found, which is likely to be until June. The BBC chairman is a post filled on the recommendation of the government. The broadcaster's neutrality had come under severe scrutiny over revelations that Sharp 'a donor to the governing Conservative Party' had been involved in the arrangement of a loan for Johnson in 2021.

Sharp, a former Goldman Sachs banker, also happens to be British Prime Minister Sunak's former boss during his days in the private sector. Sunak has previously declined to be drawn into the controversy, saying: "Richard Sharp went through an independent appointments process at the time that I had nothing to do with 'he was appointed before I was prime minister.'
Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE:FNF) shareholders might be concerned after seeing the share price drop 21% in the last quarter. But at least the stock is up over the last three years. In that time, it is up 28%, which isn't bad, but not amazing either.

With that in mind, it's worth seeing if the company's underlying fundamentals have been the driver of long term performance, or if there are some discrepancies.

See our latest analysis for Fidelity National Financial

To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

During three years of share price growth, Fidelity National Financial achieved compound earnings per share growth of 2.4% per year. This EPS growth is lower than the 9% average annual increase in the share price. This indicates that the market is feeling more optimistic on the stock, after the last few years of progress. That's not necessarily surprising considering the three-year track record of earnings growth.

You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

Dive deeper into Fidelity National Financial's key metrics by checking this interactive graph of Fidelity National Financial's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. We note that for Fidelity National Financial the TSR over the last 3 years was 50%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

Story continues

A Different Perspective

While the broader market lost about 4.1% in the twelve months, Fidelity National Financial shareholders did even worse, losing 7.4% (even including dividends). However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 3%, each year, over five years. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Fidelity National Financial .

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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SAINT-HYACINTHE, QC, April 28, 2023 /CNW/ - Cintech agroalimentaire and Clextral have signed a strategic partnership to meet the strong demand from the food industry for access to innovative extrusion technologies.

Cintech Logo (CNW Group/Cintech agroalimentaire)

Cintech's partnership with Clextral, an international equipment manufacturer that specializes in state-of-the-art extrusion, drying and coating technologies, will make it a new global R&D center that will help create the foods for tomorrow.

Cintech and Clextral are working to make the Evolum 32 extruder available to agri-food companies across Quebec. The implementation of innovative projects with this equipment will be accelerated through augmented reality, which will give companies an immediate and powerful insight into Cintech's expertise, assistance and all other relevant technical knowledge.

Cintech's research and development teams will help companies to anticipate and respond to new market trends by implementing their innovative products, notably with Clextral's twin-screw extruder among others. This equipment makes it possible to process various snacks in a wide variety of raw materials and shapes. Highly flexible and scalable, the extruders can be quickly and economically modified with interchangeable equipment to manufacture innovative products, such as expanded multigrain chips, co-extruded, bread snacks, crackers and textured vegetable proteins.

 Cintech is very excited about this partnership with a world-class equipment manufacturer. In addition to the extruder, which is needed by the agri-food industry, all of Clextral's technologies can be made accessible to our industry. This agreement is the first of a series of partnerships with other equipment manufacturers that will be announced very soon. We are working towards building a state-of-the-art technology park that will be made available to agri-food companies to help foster innovation in our industry.  - Jean Lacroix, President and CEO of Cintech agroalimentaire.

Story continues

 It was important for Clextral to have a relay partner in eastern Canada and in the northeastern United States; we are delighted to be working in close collaboration with Cintech. This partnership with leading agri-food experts allows us to better serve our customers in this region of the world, and Cintech offers a wealth of knowledge that complements our expertise in extrusion, drying and coating.  - Gilles Maller, Senior Vice President, Head of Clextral America's Business Unit.

If you would like to try the extruder and discover all the innovative possibilities of this equipment for yourself, please contact Cintech agroalimentaire's team.

About Cintech agroalimentaire

Since 1986, Cintech has been offering expertise and technological support to Quebec's agrifood businesses seeking to increase and consolidate their performance. The company's mission is to increase competitiveness and foster innovation within Quebec's agri-food industry by means of R&D support, consumer research and the transfer of technical knowledge.

Cintech agroalimentaire has accompanied businesses in innovating, developing new products, improving existing products, optimizing organoleptic properties and evaluating a product's appeal to consumers, among other things. Thanks to its multidisciplinary team of 50 specialists, Cintech has accompanied countless businesses, including multinationals, in the achievement of hundreds of various mandates throughout the years.

About Clextral

Since 1956, Clextral has been designing, manufacturing, marketing and maintaining industrial equipment and complete extrusion lines. Our solutions are designed for the food, pulp and paper, specialty chemicals, biomaterials and nuclear markets.

Our systems are recognized for their reliability and flexibility, and include peripheral equipment, dryers, and all the engineering, process and after-sales services necessary for our customers' success. Clextral is an international ETI (80% exported to over 100 countries), present on all continents, in the USA, Chile, Algeria, Australia, Denmark, China, Vietnam, India, Indonesia and Singapore.

SOURCE Cintech agroalimentaire

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2023/28/c9309.html
U.S. officials are coordinating talks to rescue First Republic, with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve orchestrating meetings about throwing it a lifeline. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

First Republic Bank plunged to a record low as investors sorted through rescue scenarios, none of which is likely to be good for current shareholders.

The San Francisco-based bank gained as much as 6.6% on Friday and then collapsed more than 50% before trading was halted amid speculation that a takeover by regulators, while not the only possibility in play, is becoming more likely.

U.S. officials are coordinating talks to rescue First Republic, with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve orchestrating meetings about throwing it a lifeline, Reuters reported, citing unidentified people.

But some of the biggest U.S. banks, which have already contributed $30 billion in deposits to prop up First Republic, have balked at getting more involved and potentially throwing good money after bad, Bloomberg News reported.

The focus has shifted to a U.S. takeover, according to CNBC. For its part, First Republic has acknowledged its engaged in discussions with multiple parties about strategic options.

Some of the banks involved in the previous rescue favor the FDIC seizing First Republic and selling it off, Bloomberg reported. Such a resolution, they said, would be cleaner, even if banks lose some money, and some have already taken reserves. But its an outcome the FDIC would prefer to avoid in part because of the multibillion-dollar hit to its own deposit insurance fund.

Either scenario is perilous for current stockholders. Analysts have said the existing shares have little or no value, regardless of whether the bank is salvaged by new owners or goes into receivership. The FDIC has specifically said in recent takeovers that shareholders wont be protected.

First Republic has been under pressure ever since Silicon Valley Banks demise last month stoked concerns about the soundness of other regional banks in the U.S. First Republic was left paying more for funding than it earns on many of its assets, meaning it faces what analysts predict will be at least a year of losses.

The banks executives emphasized in an earnings report earlier this week that it has ample cash reserves.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Over the last month the Earlypay Limited (ASX:EPY) has been much stronger than before, rebounding by 35%. But if you look at the last five years the returns have not been good. In fact, the share price is down 53%, which falls well short of the return you could get by buying an index fund.

On a more encouraging note the company has added AU$10m to its market cap in just the last 7 days, so let's see if we can determine what's driven the five-year loss for shareholders.

View our latest analysis for Earlypay

While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).

During the five years over which the share price declined, Earlypay's earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 34% each year. This fall in the EPS is worse than the 14% compound annual share price fall. So the market may previously have expected a drop, or else it expects the situation will improve. The high P/E ratio of 92.75 suggests that shareholders believe earnings will grow in the years ahead.

You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

This free interactive report on Earlypay's earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

What About The Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?

We've already covered Earlypay's share price action, but we should also mention its total shareholder return (TSR). Arguably the TSR is a more complete return calculation because it accounts for the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested), along with the hypothetical value of any discounted capital that have been offered to shareholders. Dividends have been really beneficial for Earlypay shareholders, and that cash payout explains why its total shareholder loss of 40%, over the last 5 years, isn't as bad as the share price return.

Story continues

A Different Perspective

Earlypay shareholders are down 44% for the year, but the market itself is up 1.2%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 7% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Earlypay better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should learn about the 4 warning signs we've spotted with Earlypay (including 1 which is a bit unpleasant) .

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Australian exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Zion Market Research

Global Flexible Pipes For Oil & Gas Market size & share revenue was valued at around USD 2.0 billion in 2022 and is estimated to grow about USD 2.9 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of approximately 3.92% between 2023 and 2030. The key market players are listed in the report with their sales, revenues and strategies are TechnipFMC, National Oilwell Varco, Prysmian Group, SoluForce, Shawcor, Magma Global, FlexSteel Pipeline Technologies, Airborne Oil & Gas, Contitech AG, Aker Solutions, Pipelife Nederland BV, Kongsberg Oil & Gas Technologies, Polyflow LLC, DeepFlex, Swagelining Limited, Wienerberger AG, Schlumberger Limited, Titeflex Corporation, Eaton Corporation, JFE Steel Corporation., and others.

Philadelphia, PA, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zion Market Research has published a new research report titled Flexible Pipes For Oil & Gas Market By Type (High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Polyamides (PA), Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF), Others), By Application (Offshore, Onshore), And By Region - Global And Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, And Forecasts 2023  2030 in its research database.

According to the latest research study, the demand of global Flexible Pipes For Oil & Gas Market size & share in terms of revenue was valued at USD 2.0 billion in 2022 and it is expected to surpass around USD 2.9 billion mark by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 3.92% during the forecast period 2023 to 2030.

What are Flexible Pipes For Oil & Gas? How big is the Flexible Pipes For Oil & Gas Industry?

Report Overview:

The global flexible pipes for oil & gas market size was valued at USD 2.0 Billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 2.9 Billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.92% during the forecast period.

Flexible pipes are a crucial component in the oil and gas industry, used for transporting fluids and gases from one location to another. Made of multiple layers of materials such as polymer, steel, and textile reinforcement, flexible pipes offer several advantages over traditional rigid pipes, including ease of installation, reduced maintenance, and resistance to corrosion & fatigue. Flexible pipes find numerous applications in the oil and gas industry, including offshore drilling, production, and transportation. They are used for subsea flowlines, risers, and umbilical in offshore drilling, and for fluid and gas transportation in onshore pipelines, refineries, and petrochemical plants. With increasing investments in the oil and gas industry and technological advancements in flexible pipe design and manufacturing, the market for oil and gas flexible pipes is expected to witness significant growth in the future.

Story continues

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(Please note that the sample of this report has been modified to include the COVID-19 impact study prior to delivery.)

Global Flexible Pipes For Oil & Gas Market: Growth Factors

The global oil and gas flexible pipe market has several drivers that have contributed to its significant growth, including increasing demand for oil and gas globally and the advantages offered by flexible pipes over traditional rigid pipes. Moreover, the development of new technologies & materials and increasing investments in the oil and gas industry are also driving the market's growth.

Despite the restraints of high costs and availability of alternative materials and technologies, the flexible pipe market presents several opportunities for growth, including expansion in the Asia Pacific region and the need for efficient and safe transportation of fluids and gases in the oil and gas industry. The market also faces challenges, including the need for regular maintenance and inspection along with the increasing focus on renewable energy sources and a low-carbon economy, which may impact the demand for oil and gas and the flexible pipe market.

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Report Scope

Report Attribute Details Market Size in 2022 USD 2.0 billion Projected Market Size in 2030 USD 2.9 billion CAGR Growth Rate 3.92% CAGR Base Year 2022 Forecast Years 2023-2030 Key Market Players TechnipFMC, National Oilwell Varco, Prysmian Group, SoluForce, Shawcor, Magma Global, FlexSteel Pipeline Technologies, Airborne Oil & Gas, Contitech AG, Aker Solutions, Pipelife Nederland BV, Kongsberg Oil & Gas Technologies, Polyflow LLC, DeepFlex, Swagelining Limited, Wienerberger AG, Schlumberger Limited, Titeflex Corporation, Eaton Corporation, and JFE Steel Corporation. Key Segment By Type, By Application, And By Region Major Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East &, Africa Purchase Options Request customized purchase options to meet your research needs. Explore purchase options

Flexible Pipes For Oil & Gas Market: Segmentation Analysis

The global flexible pipes for oil & gas market is segmented based on type, application, and region.

Based on type, the market is segmented into high-density polyethylene, polyamides, and polyvinylidene fluoride. They are commonly used in the manufacturing of oil and gas flexible pipes. Among these, the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) segment held the largest market share in 2022 and is further predicted to grow rapidly at a remarkable CAGR during the forecast period. This is mainly because HDPE is widely used in the oil and gas industry for its excellent resistance to corrosion, abrasion, and chemicals, as well as its high tensile strength and flexibility. HDPE pipes are also lightweight, which makes them easy to handle and install, reducing overall costs.

Moreover, increasing investments in the offshore oil and gas industry, particularly in subsea applications, have driven the demand for HDPE flexible pipes. The material is expected to continue its dominance in the market due to its advantages over other materials and its increasing adoption in the oil and gas industry.

Based on application, the flexible pipes for the oil & gas industry are bifurcated into the onshore and offshore segments. The offshore segment held the dominating market share in 2022 and is further projected to grow at a notable CAGR during the forecast period. This can be attributed to the increasing exploration and production activities in offshore locations, which require the transportation of fluids and gases from seabed wells to the surface. Moreover, offshore flexible pipes offer several advantages over traditional rigid pipes, including ease of installation, reduced maintenance, and resistance to corrosion and fatigue. The increasing demand for subsea flowlines, risers, and jumpers in offshore drilling and production is also driving the growth of the offshore application segment.

The global Flexible Pipes For Oil & Gas market is segmented as follows:

By Type

HDPE

PA

PVDF

Others

By Application

Offshore

Onshore

Browse the full Flexible Pipes For Oil & Gas Market By Type (High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Polyamides (PA), Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF), Others), By Application (Offshore, Onshore), and By Region - Global and Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, and Forecasts 2023  2030.- Report at https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/flexible-pipes-for-oil-gas-market

Competitive Landscape

Some of the main competitors dominating the global Flexible Pipes For Oil & Gas market include -

TechnipFMC

National Oilwell Varco

Prysmian Group

SoluForce

Shawcor

Magma Global

FlexSteel Pipeline Technologies

Airborne Oil & Gas

Contitech AG

Aker Solutions

Pipelife Nederland BV

Kongsberg Oil & Gas Technologies

Polyflow LLC

DeepFlex

Swagelining Limited

Wienerberger AG

Schlumberger Limited

Titeflex Corporation

Eaton Corporation

JFE Steel Corporation.

Key Insights from Primary Research:

As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, the global flexible pipes for oil & gas market is expected to grow annually at a promising CAGR of around 3.92% during the forecast period 2023-2030.

In terms of revenue, the global flexible pipes for oil & gas market size was valued at around USD 2.0 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 2.9 billion by 2030.

One of the key factors driving the global flexible pipes for oil & gas market is the increasing demand for oil and gas globally, driven by population growth and urbanization.

Based on type, the high-density polyethylene segment held the largest market share in 2022.

Based on application, the offshore segment held the dominating market share in 2022.

Based on region, the North American region held the largest market share in 2022.

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Key questions answered in this report:

What is the market size and growth rate forecast for Flexible Pipes For Oil & Gas industry?

What are the main driving factors propelling the Flexible Pipes For Oil & Gas Market forward?

What are the leading companies in the Flexible Pipes For Oil & Gas Industry?

What segments does the Flexible Pipes For Oil & Gas Market cover?

How can I receive a free copy of the Flexible Pipes For Oil & Gas Market sample report and company profiles?

Key Offerings:

Market Size & Forecast by Revenue | 20232030

Market Dynamics  Leading Trends, Growth Drivers, Restraints, and Investment Opportunities

Market Segmentation  A detailed analysis By Type, By Application, And By Region

Competitive Landscape  Top Key Vendors and Other Prominent Vendors

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Regional Analysis:

The North American region held the largest global flexible pipes for oil & gas market share in 2022 and is further predicted to continue this trend during the forecast period. The oil and gas flexible pipe market in North America is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. This can be attributed to the increasing demand for oil and gas in the region, particularly in the United States, which has seen a surge in shale gas production. Moreover, the offshore oil and gas industry in the Gulf of Mexico is also driving the growth of the market in North America. The region is witnessing increasing investments in subsea production and drilling activities, which require the use of flexible pipes for the transportation of fluids and gases.

The North American market is also witnessing technological advancements in flexible pipe design and manufacturing, leading to the development of new and improved products that offer better resistance to corrosion, fatigue, and high pressures. With increasing investments in the oil and gas industry and favorable government regulations, the oil and gas flexible pipe market in North America is expected to witness steady growth in the future.

By Region

North America U.S. Canada Rest of North America

Europe France UK Spain Germany Italy Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Rest of Asia Pacific

The Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia South Africa Rest of the Middle East & Africa

Latin America Brazil Argentina Rest of Latin America



Recent Developments

In March 2021, TechnipFMC announced the launch of its new flexible pipe product, called Deep Blue. The product is designed to meet the needs of the offshore oil and gas industry, offering enhanced performance and reduced costs. The Deep Blue is a composite pipe that combines the benefits of steel and polymer materials, providing high mechanical strength, corrosion resistance, and flexibility. The launch of Deep Blue marks a significant milestone for TechnipFMC in its efforts to improve the efficiency and sustainability of offshore oil and gas production.

In January 2021, Shawcor announced that it had been awarded a contract by McDermott International to provide coating services for the Tyra Redevelopment Project in the North Sea. Shawcor's coating services will be used to protect flexible pipelines and umbilical during installation and operation. The Tyra Redevelopment Project is one of the largest offshore oil and gas projects in the North Sea, and Shawcor's involvement highlights the company's position as a leading provider of pipeline coating solutions for the industry.

To know an additional revised 2023 list of market players, request a brochure of the report: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/requestbrochure/flexible-pipes-for-oil-gas-market

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What are Flexible Pipes for Oil & Gas?

At what CAGR, the global flexible pipes for oil & gas market will expand during forecast years?

What will be the market value of global flexible pipes for oil & gas market by the end of 2030?

What are the factors driving the global flexible pipes for oil & gas market growth?

Which region will contribute notably towards the flexible pipes for oil & gas market value?

Who are the leading players in the global flexible pipes for oil & gas market?

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Transparency Market Research

Flexible, printed, and thin film batteries market size is anticipated to grow at a rapid pace in the next few years due to the increase in demand for lightweight, portable, and eco-friendly batteries.

Wilmington, Delaware, United States, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transparency Market Research Inc.  The global flexible, printed, and thin film batteries market stood at US$ 100.8 million in 2022 and the global market is projected to reach US$ 552.6 million in 2031. The global industry is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 23.7% between 2023 and 2031.



Ongoing miniaturization of devices such as mobile phones, watches, and medical devices has led to a rise in demand for miniaturized components of electronic devices. Various compact electronic systems and devices are being developed across the world. As conventional batteries pose a challenge to reduction in the size of electronic devices, it had led to increase in demand for compact and lightweight, printed flexible batteries.

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Shrinking form factors of implanting wearable devices lead to the requirement of small batteries. require to be both thin and lightweight to be integrated with wearable devices lead to the requirement of small batteries. Implantable and wearable medical devices can move from the designing stage to the marketplace only if miniaturized batteries are used to power them. These batteries require to be both thin and lightweight.

Proprietary technologies used for manufacturing printed flexible batteries differ from one manufacturer to another based on the specifications of the manufacturers. These batteries are manufactured specifically for certain electronic devices, thereby resulting in compatibility issues if used with other devices. Thus, the absence of standards to be followed during the development of batteries acts as a restraint for the growth of the printed flexible battery market.

Story continues

Wireless sensors are being adopted rapidly across the world owing to advancements in IoT and wireless sensor technologies. Energy harvesting technologies such as thin film and printed flexible batteries are rapidly emerging as viable power supply options for embedded systems, thereby leading to the use of wireless sensors in applications wherein that were not used previously. Therefore, micro batteries enable energy harvesting owing to their superior form factors, ultra-thin profile, and low leakage characteristics. The increasing adoption of energy harvesting-based autonomous wireless sensors is expected to act as a growth opportunity for the thin film and the printed battery market.

Key Takeaways of Market Report

Global Flexible, Printed, and Thin Film Batteries Market to generate absolute dollar opportunity worth US$ 552.6 million until 2031.

Global Flexible, Printed, and Thin Film Batteries Market from 2023 to 2031 is 23.7%

Global Flexible, Printed, and Thin Film Batteries Market is currently valued at US$ 101 million in 2023.

The market expanded at a CAGR of 22.8% from 2018 to 2022

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Global Flexible, Printed, and Thin Film Batteries Market: Growth Drivers

Adoption of flexible batteries in electronic devices increases their portability and convenience, thus allowing users to carry and use their devices more easily. This particularly is important in the case of wearables and medical devices, where users require a power source that is small, light, and can be worn or implanted for extended periods.

Increase of IoT devices as they are becoming increasingly popular in various industries like healthcare, manufacturing, etc where these devices require batteries that are small, lightweight, and flexible, and can easily fit into their compact designs.

Global Flexible, Printed, and Thin Film Batteries Market: Regional Landscape

Europe is said to have a dominant value in this industry due to the rise in adoption of eco-friendly technologies and the presence of several leading players are driving the market progress where growth in demand for electric vehicles and an increase in focus on energy storage solutions are also augmenting.

Asia Pacific is expected to witness substantial market expansion in the near future due to the increase in demand for consumer electronics and the rise in focus on renewable energy in the region.

Global Flexible, Printed, and Thin Film Batteries Market: Key Players

Samsung SDI



Development

Samsung SDI secures new technologies and boosts technology competitiveness through steady investment in R&D. In addition, by expanding our business into the cutting-edge materials and parts business, Samsung SDI is now making a leap forward to the company specialized not just in the field of materials such as IT, Li-ion batteries and electronic materials, but also in the field of energy. We will do our best to secure global technical leadership, focusing on the future energy business together with materials technology.

Panasonic Corporation



Strategies

Panasonic's vision for 2030 is to break away from low-margin businesses and position the company for future growth in higher-margin sectors. Despite the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic, Panasonic continues to make progress toward this goal.

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Global Flexible, Printed, and Thin Film Batteries Market: Segmentation

Type

Thin film batteries

Printed batteries

Voltage

Up to 1.5V

1.5V to 3V

Above 3V



Capacity

Up to 10 mAh

10 mAh to 100 mAh

Above 100 mAh



Rechargeability

Primary batteries

Secondary batteries

Application

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A former key researcher at OpenAI believes there is a decent chance that artificial intelligence will take control of humanity and destroy it.

"I think maybe there's something like a 10-20% chance of AI takeover, [with] many [or] most humans dead, " Paul Christiano, who ran the language model alignment team at OpenAI, said on the Bankless podcast. "I take it quite seriously."

Christiano, who now heads the Alignment Research Center, a non-profit aimed at aligning AIs and machine learning systems with human interests, said that hes particularly worried about what happens when AIs reach the logical and creative capacity of a human being. "Overall, maybe we're talking about a 50/50 chance of catastrophe shortly after we have systems at the human level," he said.

Christiano is in good company. Recently scores of scientists around the world signed an online letter urging that OpenAI and other companies racing to build faster, smarter AIs, hit the pause button on development. Big wigs from Bill Gates to Elon Musk have expressed concern that, left unchecked, AI represents an obvious, existential danger to people.

Don't be evil

Why would AI become evil? Fundamentally, for the same reason that a person does: training and life experience.

Like a baby, AI is trained by receiving mountains of data without really knowing what to do with it. It learns by trying to achieve certain goals with random actions and zeroes in on correct results, as defined by training.

So far, by immersing itself in data accrued on the internet, machine learning has enabled AIs to make huge leaps in stringing together well-structured, coherent responses to human queries. At the same time, the underlying computer processing that powers machine learning is getting faster, better, and more specialized. Some scientists believe that within a decade, that processing power, combined with artificial intelligence, will allow these machines to become sentient, like humans, and have a sense of self.

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Thats when things get hairy. And its why many researchers argue that we need to figure out how to impose guardrails now, rather than later. As long as AI behavior is monitored, it can be controlled.

But if the coin lands on the other side, even OpenAIs co-founder says that things could get very, very bad.

Foomsday?

This topic has been on the table for years. One of the most famous debates on the subject took place 11 years ago between AI researcher Eliezer Yudkowsky and the economist Robin Hanson. The two discussed the possibility of reaching foomwhich apparently stands for Fast Onset of Overwhelming Masterythe point at which AI becomes exponentially smarter than humans and capable of self improvement. (The derivation of the term foom is debatable.)



Eliezer and his acolytes believe its inevitable AIs will go 'foom' without warning, meaning, one day you build an AGI [artificial general intelligence] and hours or days later the thing has recursively self-improved into godlike intelligence and then eats the world. Is this realistic?" Perry Metzger, a computer scientist active in the AI community, tweeted recently.

Metzger argued that even when computer systems reach a level of human intelligence, theres still plenty of time to head off any bad outcomes. Is 'foom' logically possible? Maybe. Im not convinced," he said. "Is it real world possible? Im pretty sure no. Is long term deeply superhuman AI going to be a thing? Yes, but not a foom

Another prominent figure, Yann Le Cun, also raised his voice, claiming it is "utterly impossible," for humanity to experience an AI takeover. Lets hope so.
(Bloomberg) -- A US judge ordered a South African executive to pay more than $3.4 billion in restitution and fines for a fraud scheme involving Bitcoin  the highest-ever civil monetary penalty in any US Commodity Futures Trading Commission case.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Cornelius Johannes Steynberg, the founder and chief executive officer of Mirror Trading International Proprietary, committed fraud tied to retail foreign-currency transactions, among other violations, the agency said in a statement that announced the order by US District Judge Lee Yeakel.

The scam ensnared investors from the US to Canada, Namibia and South Africa, where the Financial Sector Conduct Authority put MTI under provisional liquidation in December 2020. The hunt for the companys CEO began in earnest when the management of MTI, which claimed to have 260,000 members, said in a letter posted on Telegram that they were misled and that Steynberg may have fled to Brazil.

Between 2018 and 2021, Steynberg took part in a global fraudulent multilevel marketing scheme to solicit Bitcoin from people for participation in an unregistered commodity pool operated by Mirror Trading, according to the CFTC.

He solicited at least 29,421 Bitcoin  worth more than $1.7 billion in March 2021  from at least 23,000 individuals in the US and more from around the world, for participation in an unregistered commodity pool that his company operated.

Either directly or indirectly, the defendants misappropriated all of the Bitcoin they accepted from pool participants, CFTC said.

Though the agency slapped Steynberg with the fine, it cautioned that it may not result in the recovery of any money lost because wrongdoers may not have sufficient funds or assets.

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Steynberg, a fugitive from South African law enforcement, has been detained in Brazil on an Interpol arrest warrant since the end of 2021, the CFTC said. The regulator has permanently barred him from trading in any CFTC-regulated markets.

South Africas FSCA said they will respond to Bloombergs queries later.

The scandal prompted South African authorities to regulate trading in cryptocurrencies and last year declared crypto assets as financial products, requiring companies involved to obtain a license from June 1.

--With assistance from Adelaide Changole.

(Updates with background in the third paragraph.)

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New agreement extends long-term exclusive bancassurance partnership for a further two years

The partnership with SCB is the largest contributor to FWD Thailand's business

BANGKOK, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FWD Life Insurance Public Company Limited ("FWD Thailand") and Siam Commercial Bank Public Company Limited ("SCB") have extended and enhanced their long-term exclusive bancassurance agreement for a further two years to meet the growing insurance and protection needs of an increasingly affluent and digital Thai population.

(PRNewsfoto/FWD Group Holdings Limited)

The new agreement builds on the successful collaboration between FWD Thailand and SCB, which has driven significant growth in recent years. FWD Thailand has grown its value of new business at a compound annual rate of 67% from 2019 to reach US$270 million in 2022. FWD Thailand has been ranked number one in the market in bancassurance channel by new business sales.[1]

Mr. Peter Grimes, Regional Chief Executive Officer of FWD Thailand and Cambodia, said: "As FWD Group marks its 10th anniversary year, we're delighted to extend this increasingly successful partnership. FWD and SCB have a shared focus on providing digitally-enabled services that put customers first and at the centre of everything we do. We look forward to continuing on our journey of changing the way people feel about insurance in Thailand  a country with a large, increasingly affluent, and digitally literate population."

SCB is one of Thailand's domestic systemically important banks, with 660 branches as of 31 December 2022. FWD Thailand's insurance products and services are fully integrated into SCB's digital tools and are accessible by 78% of the bank's customer base.[2] At the end of 2022, FWD Thailand had a base of approximately 1.4 million policyholders through its partnership with SCB.

Mr. Kris Chantanotoke, Chief Executive Officer of SCB, said: "Since 2019, Siam Commercial Bank has entered into a strategic partnership with FWD Group to distribute life insurance products through the Bank's channels, with a shared commitment to providing protection products and utilising digital technology to create innovative customer experiences. This collaboration has played a pivotal role in propelling SCB's bancassurance business to rank number one in the market. The Bank is thrilled to further expand this partnership with FWD and jointly develop insurance products and digital platforms that cater to the evolving needs of customers in Thailand, as well as further paving the way for our recent business objectives which aim to expand to affluent and digital customers. This collaboration will enable SCB to maintain its position as a market leader and achieve its mission of becoming a Digital Bank with a Human Touch, excelling in wealth management, and delivering seamless service experiences across all channels for customers."

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Since FWD Group's acquisition of the life insurance entity of SCB and the commencement of the bancassurance partnership with SCB in September 2019, FWD Thailand has enhanced its business scale, distribution reach and brand visibility. Within six months of the launch of the partnership, FWD Thailand and SCB created the leading bancassurance franchise by gross written premiums in Thailand, according to data from the Thai Life Assurance Association.

There remains significant untapped potential within the Thailand life insurance market as the population remains substantially underinsured. Life insurance penetration in Thailand was 3.8% at the end of 2021, and the country's protection gap was US$4.1 billion.[3] With a population of 72 million people, Thailand's income per capita growth was 3.9% at the end of 2021, compared to the global average of 3.0%.[4] Thailand's mobile and internet penetration rates were also 96% and 68% respectively.[5]

About FWD Thailand

FWD Thailand is a member of FWD Group. FWD Group is a pan-Asian life insurance business with more than 10 million customers across 10 markets, including some of the fastest-growing insurance markets in the world. FWD reached its 10-year anniversary in 2023. FWD is focused on making the insurance journey simpler, faster, and smoother, with innovative propositions and easy-to-understand products, supported by digital technology. Through this customer-led approach, FWD is committed to changing the way people feel about insurance. Visit fwd.co.th or facebook.com/FWDThailand.

About Siam Commercial Bank

The Siam Commercial Bank PCL was Thailand's first indigenous bank, established in 1906 under Royal Charter. The bank is one of Thailand's leading universal banks, providing a full range of financial services through its nationwide branch network to clients in all segments, including wholesalers, SMEs, and retail banking services. SCB is committed to becoming Thailand's "Most Admired Bank" by balancing value propositions for all stakeholders  customers, employees, shareholders, regulators, and society  and becoming a leader in shaping the future of Thailand's banking industry. For more information, please visit https://www.scb.co.th.

[1] Based on local regulator, insurance association, and industry market share as of 2022.

[2] This is as of 31 December 2021.

[3] The protection gap is measured in annualised premium equivalent (APE) terms.

[4] This refers to gross national income per capita compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2015-2021.

[5] The data comes from NMG Asia Life Insurance Market Model, Swiss Re, United Nations, World Bank, IMF, World Data Lab, GSMA, GWP published by each market's regulatory body and local life insurance association.

Cision

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SOURCE FWD Group Holdings Limited
Loxam brings a track record of success to an experienced management team.

NEW YORK, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gameto, a female-led biotech company developing therapies to improve the female reproductive journey, today announced the expansion of its executive team with the appointment of Teri Loxam as its first Chief Financial Officer. In this new role, Teri will oversee Gameto's financial function, as well as play a key role in overall company strategy.

Gameto

"Teri is a proven CFO and an impressive female leader, whose decades of experience will immediately add value to our company," said Dina Radenkovic, co-founder and CEO of Gameto. "Her depth of knowledge in capital markets and financing in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries comes at an exciting time for the company as we work on clinical development and go-to-market strategy for our lead program, Fertilo, to make the IVF process shorter, safer and more effective for women. Teri's personal passion for women's health is extremely important to us as we continue to grow."

Teri joins Gameto with over 20 years of diverse experience in strategy, investor relations and finance across the pharmaceutical, biotech, and TMT industries. Prior to joining Gameto, Teri was Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer at Kira Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biotech company developing transformative therapies for people with complement-mediated diseases. There, she built financial and operational functions across the U.S. and China locations to get the company public-ready. Prior to Kira, Teri served as CFO of SQZ Biotechnologies, a novel cell therapy company developing treatments for cancer, infectious disease and other serious conditions, where she raised over $200M, including taking the company public in October 2020. Prior to joining SQZ, Teri held various positions at Merck, IMAX Corporation, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Teri is also a member of the board of directors and audit chair of Vaxcyte, Inc. and Cardiol Therapeutics, Inc. She has a B.S. in Biology from the University of Victoria, B.C. Canada and an MBA from the University of California, Irvine.

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"Gameto's highly innovative platform and dedication to improve and support women's health is impressive," said Teri Loxam, Chief Financial Officer of Gameto. "I am eager to work with a talented team of professionals who are passionate about transforming the traditional IVF processes and advancing developments for women."

Teri's appointment is one of many new senior hires this year. Gameto recently appointed Jean-Pierre Gotteland as Head of Development to the management team. Prior to joining Gameto, Jean-Pierre was Chief Scientific Officer and Head of R&D at ObsEva SA, a clinical-stage biotech company developing innovative women's reproductive health therapeutics. There, he led the development and approval of linzagolix, for uterine fibroids, and brought to clinical trials nolasiban, for increasing live birth rate following IVF. Jean-Pierre also served as Chief Development Officer at PregLem SA where he led the development and EU approval of ulipristal acetate for uterine fibroids and infertility. Prior to joining PregLem, Jean-Pierre held various R&D positions at Serono, a world-leading pharmaceutical company before its acquisition by Merck KgA.

Jean-Pierre will facilitate clinical development of Gameto's lead program, Fertilo. These new senior hires expand the multidisciplinary team of stem cell engineers, computational biologists, embryologists and physicians Gameto has brought together.

About Gameto

Based in New York and Madrid, Gameto is a biotechnology company using cell engineering to develop therapeutics for diseases of the female reproductive system. Gameto brings together an experienced scientific management team with vision and passion to develop a product offering that will support women throughout their reproductive journey. Gameto is currently working on its first program, Fertilo, a product for IVF and egg freezing, aiming to make the process shorter, safer and more effective. The preclinical studies for Fertilo found that it can increase egg yield per cycle and maturation for both conventional and reduced stimulation cycle. Gameto is currently conducting preclinical studies with partners Inception Fertility, Spring Fertility, Extend Fertility, RMA, Pozitivf, Ovation Fertility, ReproART, Clinica Tambre, and Hospital Ruber Internacional, Eugin Group.

Gameto is led by physician-turned-entrepreneur Dina Radenkovic as CEO and serial entrepreneur and leader in the fertility space Martin Varsavsky as Chairman. For more information, go to gametogen.com or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @gametogen.

Contact: gameto@trailrunnerint.com

Teri Loxam

Cision

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SOURCE Gameto
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler may have appeared to sidestep questions recently on whether Ethereum and other crypto assets are securitiesbut he certainly seemed confident back in 2018.

A video has emerged on Twitter showing the top regulator giving a lecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In it, he says that Ethereum is not a security in the eyes of the SEC.

Ethereum is the second biggest cryptocurrency, with a market cap of $227 billion at the time of writing. In the past, regulators have struggled with how to label the asset.

In 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission has said regardless of what it might have been in [2014], Gensler said, referring to when Ethereum launched and announced an ICO using Bitcoin to buy it, its now sufficiently decentralized that well consider it not a security.

And another one... - The below clip is from a Fall 2018 Graduate MIT course called "Blockchain and Money" Gary Gensler - the current President of the SEC, was the professor. Once again, I will let the below video speak for itself. Lecture 6: Smart Contracts and pic.twitter.com/hsTvJ82XmM  zk- (@ZK_shark) April 28, 2023

Gensler, a civilian at the time and speaking only in his capacity as a professor, appeared to simply be relaying the opinions of the SEC back in 2018specifically, the opinion expressed by former Director of Corporate Finance William Hinman in his much-cited "sufficiently decentralized" speech from June of that year.

Still, the irony wasn't lost on Crypto Twitterespecially when juxtaposed against Gensler's recent duel with Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) during an appearance before a House Oversight Committee. Repeatedly asked to give his opinion as to whether Ethereum should be classified a security, and even confronted with Hinman's comments from 2018, Gensler refuses to answer the question.

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The clip of Gensler's lecture at MIT is one of many recently surfaced by Twitter user "ZK_shark." Earlier this week, another clip shared by ZK_shark was retweeted by Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, whose company is currently in the SEC's crosshairs over its Ethereum staking product. In the clip, Genlser says he believes most of the crypto market is made up of "non-securities." It's a statement that directly contradicts more recent comments as chair of the SEC in which he said he believes the "vast majority" of tokens in the crypto market are securities.

Many have jumped in to criticize the regulator and former MIT teacherbut crypto lawyer Preston Byrne chimed in on Twitter by saying that Gensler speaking as a professor and then as a top regulator are two different things. As a professor, he can talk about what things are in the abstract, he wrote. As a law enforcer, hes required to enforce the laws as theyre written.

Gensler Says Proof-of-Stake Assets Could Be Securities: Report

Gensler's refusal to answer lawmakers on whether Ethereum is security or a commodity is nothing new: Last year, he also refused to give a clear-cut answer when pressed. And crypto industry bigwigsfrom lawyers to CEOshave poked fun at the fact that Gensler has failed to answer straightforward questions in the past.

I see a lot of people giving Gary Gensler a hard time over this but its important to note the different capacities in which hes speaking. As a professor, he can talk about what things are in the abstract. As a law enforcer, hes required to enforce the laws as theyre written. https://t.co/mYhd7Hm8I9  Preston Byrne (@prestonjbyrne) April 26, 2023

A security is a tradable financial asset that has monetary valuelike stocks or bondsthat meets a specific legal definition as outlined by the so-called Howey Test.

Under U.S. law, an asset meets the definition of a security if it is an investment of money in a common enterprise from which there is an expectation of profit based on the efforts of others.

Gensler has said that Bitcoin, the biggest cryptocurrency by market cap, is not a securitybut rather a commodity. It's the only crypto asset for which he's currently willing to give a public opinion.

The SEC has launched an intense crackdown on the crypto industry during Gensler's tenuremost recently targeting three U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchanges in as many months: Kraken, Bittrex, and Coinbase.

Some political leaders in the U.S.especially Republican lawmakershave criticized the regulator for his latest actions. They claim he is stifling regulation in the worlds largest economy and forcing American tech companies overseas.
(Bloomberg) -- Germany is in talks to limit the export of chemicals to China that are used to manufacture semiconductors as Berlin steps up efforts to reduce its economic exposure to the Asian nation.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The proposal is part of a package of measures that Chancellor Olaf Scholzs government is discussing that would cut off Chinas access to goods and services needed for the production of advanced semiconductors, according to people familiar with the matter.

If implemented, such a step would limit German companies like Merck KGaA and BASF SE from selling some of their semiconductor chemicals to China, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private.

Scholz has been taking a more hawkish approach to Beijing as the chancellor tries to strike a balance between supporting Germanys massive economic interests in China with national security and human rights concerns. But relations between Europe and China have been fraying, particularly after President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a no limits friendship weeks before Moscow invaded Ukraine.

A spokesperson from the German economy ministry declined to comment.

BASF shares fell back to session lows following the news to trade down 4.3% at 12:37 p.m. in Frankfurt. Merck KGaA was little changed. Spokespeople from the two companies declined to comment.

Scholz and Economy Minister Robert Habeck are liaising closely on the matter with European allies and the US, which is pushing for a global blockade of Chinas access to key technologies, including semiconductors. Officials in Berlin said theres no pressure from Washington on the matter but rather a strong desire to work together and to close ranks on China.

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Semiconductors are a key part of the global supply chain, found in everything from cars and smartphones to refrigerators, and the materials and machines needed for their production are often difficult to obtain. Choking off an already limited supply line could thwart Chinas ability to advance its own industry.

Talks within the ruling coalition on such export controls are still at an early stage and officials are aware that any such decision could damage business ties with China, which has become Germanys largest trading partner, the people said.

Dual-Use Goods

Habeck, who is also the vice chancellor, has advised officials in his department to work on a tool box of measures to strengthen Germanys economic resilience in certain areas and reduce one-sided dependencies on China. The idea of imposing export controls on chip chemicals is part of these deliberations, the people said.

The quickest and most practical way to implement such export controls would be to put the respective goods and services on Germanys national dual-use list, one of the people said, adding that other approaches via international lists and treaties would probably take too long.

Export controls restrict trade in goods which can be used in both a civilian and military context. The aim of such dual-use lists is to prevent the development and proliferation of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons as well as the hidden production of conventional military weapons.

Earlier this month, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock traded barbs with her Chinese counterpart Qin Gang during a visit to Beijing, saying Taiwans destabilization would be a horror scenario. Baerbock and Habeck are helping Scholz shape a new security strategy that is meant to reduce reliance on China and shield critical infrastructure from hybrid attacks.

The Netherlands last month agreed to join the US effort to limit exports of chip technology to China. The new measures will rein in exports of ASMLs immersion DUV lithography products, adding to restrictions that already exist for the most cutting-edge lithography machines, which are critical to producing the worlds most advanced chips. The rules are expected to be published before the summer.

While Germany does not have advanced chip-making technologies, Merck and BASF provide firms around the world with critical chemicals required for making semiconductors. Mercks products or services are found in almost every single chip in the world, while BASF is a market leader in Europe and Asia, home to the worlds most important contract chipmakers including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

Without supplies from Merck and BASF, China could face more challenges in developing advanced chip technologies and even its capabilities to make semiconductors could be affected. Xi has evoked a Soviet-style whole nation system to encourage state-owned enterprises, research institutes and private companies to create technologies that can replace foreign imports amid US efforts to curb Chinas technological rise, but the countrys chip industry is still lagging years behind TSMC and Samsung Electronics Co.

Even as Scholz considers these restrictions, he is also seeking to maintain open relations with Beijing. The chancellor has invited Chinese Premier Li Qiang for talks in Berlin on June 20 in his latest bid to ease tensions between Europe and the government in Beijing, Bloomberg reported earlier this week.

In the talks, Scholz wants to gauge Chinas readiness to be a constructive partner on challenges including promoting global peace and tackling climate change while setting out red lines to any changes to the status quo in Taiwan, according to people familiar with the plans.

Germany is determined to reduce its footprint in China with Berlin still struggling with the consequences of its over-reliance on Russian energy following Putins decision to invade Ukraine. Scholz has argued against an economic decoupling from China overnight and instead is advocating a policy of derisking which means actively reducing Germanys exposure to the Chinese market over the coming years.

--With assistance from Debby Wu, Ian King, William Wilkes and Elisabeth Behrmann.

(Updates with companies declining to comment in the sixth paragraph.)

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Gift Helper

Los Angeles, California, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gift Helper, a gift idea-generating website that uses AI technology, is excited to release a selection of Mothers Day gift ideas, as well as tips on what will make a great gift in time for the upcoming holiday.

Since the launch of Gift Helper, national holidays, such as Valentines Day, Christmas, and Easter, always spark more interest in the website as people are searching for a unique or personalized gift. To help make their search easier for Mothers Day, Gift Helper has curated a helpful list of gift ideas and tips on its website.

Gift Helpers ideas for a Mothers Day gift include:

Celebrates and honors the recipients role as a mother Reflects her personal interests, taste, and style Brings comfort, relaxation, or pampering, such as a spa day or a comfortable blanket Has sentimental value, such as a personalized piece of jewelry or a photo album It is practical and useful, such as a kitchen gadget or accessory

Additionally, if visitors to the website are still unable to find the perfect item for their mother, Gift Helper has provided a variety of tips on what makes a great gift idea. These are:

Shows thoughtfulness and consideration Has a personal touch It is practical and useful Brings joy or a positive experience

Gift Ideas For Any Occasion

Gift Helper can assist you with gift ideas for any occasion, from birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings to Secret Santa presents, and can help you find a gift for a range of recipients, including parents, siblings, partners, grandparents, co-workers, and friends.

The website has a simple formula for visitors to follow in order to find a meaningful and memorable gift. This is:

First, tell Gift Helper (by typing into the search box) who the gift is for, for example, a friend, parent, or spouse Next, specify the occasion, such as if its a birthday, graduation, anniversary, or any other special event Finally, let Gift Helper know what the recipient likes, for example, their favorite hobbies, interests, or even favorite colors

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With this information, Gift Helper uses its advanced algorithms to generate gift ideas that are tailored to the recipients tastes and the occasion.

The AI technology utilized allows Gift Helper to suggest anything from books and gadgets to jewelry and experiences. Visitors can rest assured that whatever gift they select will be unique, personal, and well-received.

About Gift Helper

Gift Helper is a website dedicated to helping visitors find the perfect gift for their loved ones. Whether you are looking for a birthday present, a holiday gift, or just a way to show someone you care, Gift Helper can assist you.

The website utilizes a simple platform that generates gift ideas using AI technology and visitors search criteria, such as occasion, personal preferences, and recipient, to make giving a gift easy and stress-free.

Gift Helper is constantly updating and curating its lift of gift ideas so that visitors to the website can be sure they are getting the most current and thoughtful suggestions. Additionally, the website covers a large range of occasions, recipients, and budgets, so visitors can be sure to find something that will suit everyone.

Built upon the belief that gift-giving is more than just the present itself and is instead about showing someone that you care, Gift Helper is committed to making gift-giving a joyful and meaningful experience for everyone involved.

Please check out our previous press release about https://thenewsfront.com/gift-helper-launches-new-website-that-uses-ai-technology-to-generate-the-perfect-gift-ideas-for-any-occasion/

More information

To find out more about Gift Helper and its selection of Mothers Day gift ideas or to search for a specific holiday, occasion, or recipient gift, please visit the website at https://gifthelper.io/.

Source: https://thenewsfront.com/gift-helper-release-selection-of-mothers-day-gift-ideas-in-time-for-the-holiday/

CONTACT: Gift Helper https://gifthelper.io/ pr@gifthelper.io




Government surveys suggest that gig workers constituted a small portion of the labor pool. But that might not be right, according to a recent study.

About 1 in 10 workers who report working for an employer on one or more jobs is actually an independent contractor for at least one position, according to a working paper from researchers at the W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. That figure constitutes roughly 15% of the workforce or roughly double previous estimates.

The results also found that a disproportionate number of contractors were low-educated, Black, and Hispanic, which could have massive policy implications for the US going forward.

Previous studies suggested that the contractors skewed white and male made many people say, hey, we don't need any kinds of protections for these workers, because people are sorting into these arrangements of their own accord, ZipRecruiter Chief Economist Julia Pollok told Yahoo Finance. But maybe these people are falling through the cracks."

The United States Department of Labor building exterior in Washington, D.C., on Thursday Aug. 11, 2022. (Photo by Sarah Silbiger for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Why previous surveys were wrong

Susan Houseman, one of the authors of the study, explained that government studies such as the Current Population Survey and the American Community Survey fail to provide accurate data on the number of contractors in the economy.

Our evidence suggests that it's not a trivial amount, and probably quite big, said Houseman, who is also the vice president and director of research at the UpJohn Institute. And that there are good reasons to believe why the standard surveys, government household surveys, understate the number of self-employed, many of whom are independent contractors.

She contended that such surveys often record independent workers working for companies as employees rather than gig workers. The study points out that common terms for independent contracting agreements "mean different things to different people."

For instance, the study found that many people surveyed associated the phrase "gig work" with playing music. Others associated the phrase "independent contractor" with construction work rather than work in professions like journalism or white-collar consulting.

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Manhattan, New York, NY, USA - July 10th 2022: Fast food delivery person with crash helmet on a electric bike and with a red bag on Broadway

Nick Bunker, the director of North American Economic Research at Indeed.com, suggested the UpJohn Institute study could change the Bureau of Labor Statistics's research methodology.

"One policy implication for me is more funding to do these sorts of surveys, or research projects within the Bureau of Labor Statistics, so that we can have a better understanding of this to better accurately capture who's in these sort of work settings," Bunker said.

The phenomenon is much bigger

It's critical that the government accurately measure the gig economy because, in contrast to employees, independent contractors are not covered by Wages and Hours Laws. More specifically, they dont receive employer benefits like workers compensation and unemployment insurance.

In 2020, California passed Proposition 22 legislation that allowed gig companies like Uber and Lyft to continue classifying drivers as contractors rather than employees, provided they gave them some benefits including health care. The following year, the Trump administration issued a rule that made it harder for contract workers to achieve employee status. The Biden administration blocked the rule and later released a proposal countering such efforts.

Still, it's hard to get federal or state legislators interested in passing perhaps additional protections for workers in independent contractor arrangements if they think a phenomenon is small, not growing, Houseman said. But what these sorts of data suggest is that the phenomenon is much bigger.

App-based gig workers hold demonstration outside Los Angeles City Hall to urge voters to vote no on Proposition 22, a November ballot measure that would classify app-based drivers as independent contractors and not employees or agents, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., October 8, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake

Pollok also pointed out that employment status is particularly important during recessions, when the government intervenes in peoples financial wellbeing. For instance, she cited the COVID-19 pandemic, during which many Americans benefited from unemployment insurance.

We saw during COVID how completely important that policy was for sustaining demand and preventing an even worse spiral and hardship and foreclosures and all kinds of pain to the economy and a sort of systemic breakdown to the US economy. Pollok said. But if 16% of US workers are excluded from that automatic stabilizer in normal times, that's a big problem.

She also observed that sometimes government initiatives to protect workers can backfire. For example, she noted when states raise the minimum wage above what companies are willing to pay, some simply stop hiring employees and hire contractors instead.

Perhaps our well-intentioned labor laws that should be lifting workers at the bottom are perhaps pushing them into more precarious arrangements, where they lose all the protections they have, Pollok said. So, it's a really, really key issue for us to measure this right and identify who actually are contract workers so that we can appropriately create accurate policies that do what we intend them to do.

Dylan Croll is a reporter and researcher at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter at @CrollonPatrol.

Click here for the latest personal finance news to help you with investing, paying off debt, buying a home, retirement, and more

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
NOTTINGHAM, United Kingdom, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The INKEY List, a pioneering U.K.-based skincare brand on a mission to simplify the beauty industry by making it accessible, efficacious, and simple for all, is delighted to announce the appointment of Stephanie Davis Michelman as Chief Executive Officer. Michelman will spearhead the company's next phase of global expansion, commencing May 22, 2023. Co-founders Colette Laxton and Mark Curry will maintain active roles as founders and executive directors, working alongside Michelman to drive global growth and further the brand's mission.

Stephanie Davis Michelman, CEO, The INKEY List

Established in the U.K. in 2018 by Laxton and Curry, The INKEY List has experienced extraordinary growth, with a staggering six-fold revenue increase over the past three years. The brand's range of skincare and scalp care products have quickly achieved cult status, with bestsellers like their Caffeine Eye Cream and Hyaluronic Acid Serum selling out within seconds of restocking worldwide. On average, one INKEY List product is sold every four seconds. Amassing a dedicated digital community of over one million, the brand ranks among the top four skincare brands to surpass one billion views on TikTok. To date, The INKEY List has sold over 50 million products worldwide, continuously innovating based on real-time consumer insights through its service vertical, askINKEY, which has provided assistance to over one million customers seeking skincare advice.

Laxton and Curry, the brand's co-founders, expressed their enthusiasm for the new appointment: "We are incredibly excited to welcome Stephanie into the INKEY family. The brand has seen phenomenal growth over the last four and a half years, and we have ambitious plans to maintain this momentum by making skincare simple and accessible globally. Stephanie is an ideal fit for us, possessing the brand DNA, beauty industry, and commercial expertise necessary to continue INKEY's exponential growth."

Story continues

Michelman brings over twenty years of experience driving growth and profitability within the rapidly evolving and highly competitive consumer industry. She most recently held the position of Global Chief Marketing Officer for Benefit Cosmetics, a prestigious global beauty brand owned by Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH). Throughout her career, Michelman has guided public and private companies in crafting unique brand identities, fostering seamless consumer connections, and promoting profitable growth through omnichannel marketing, digital integration, and distribution expansion. Prior to her tenure at Benefit Cosmetics, Michelman served as General Manager of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, North America (part of Estee Lauder Companies), CMO at NEST New York (formerly NEST Fragrances), and held various leadership roles at L'Oreal.

"I am beyond excited to join Mark and Colette and their team at The INKEY List. In a short time, Mark and Colette have built an incredibly strong brand that has carved out a unique space in the beauty industry. Their commitment to deliver high-performance products, bring simplicity and education to complex categories, and be a true partner to their consumers, puts them in a class by themselves," noted Michelman, newly appointed CEO of The INKEY List. "Even with all their accomplishments, this brand is just getting started. I look forward to partnering with Mark and Colette as we design The INKEY List's next growth phase."

About The INKEY List: Founded in 2018 in the U.K. by Colette Laxton & Mark Curry, The INKEY List's mission is to lead with knowledge, demystifying the beauty category through knowledge-driven solutions at an accessible price point, as well as to support consumers throughout their personal skincare journey. Their single-ingredient led skincare, hair and scalp treatments offer simple to understand and easy-to-use formulas. To date they have had nearly 5 million consumer interactions through their askINKEY service, a 24/7/365 offering that enables the curious and confused to have their skin, hair, or scalp questions answered by human experts in real-time. The INKEY List is available exclusively in Sephora/on Sephora.com in over 30 countries, as well as Cult Beauty, Boots, and on www.theinkeylist.com. @theinkeylist

Media Contacts:

Bux + Bewl Communications

UK: Lauren Mills / Lauren@buxandbewl.com

US: Lara Casse / Lara@buxandbewl.com

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-beauty-disruptor-the-inkey-list-appoints-new-ceo-to-amplify-growth-301810846.html

SOURCE The INKEY List
Zion Market Research

[220 + Pages Research Study] According to a market research study published by Zion Market Research, the demand analysis of Global Corrugated Bulk Bins Market size & share revenue was valued at around USD 12.236 billion in 2022 and is estimated to grow about USD 16.942 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of approximately 4.32% between 2023 and 2030. The key market players are listed in the report with their sales, revenues and strategies are WestRock Company, Smurfit Kappa Group, Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Limited, Mondi Group, DS Smith Plc, International Paper Company, Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA, Sonoco Products Company, Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Limited, Georgia-Pacific LLC, Oji Holdings Corporation, Norampac Industries Inc., Packaging Corporation of America, Rengo Co., Ltd., Klabin S.A., Pratt Industries, Inc., Stora Enso Oyj, Cascades Inc., VPK Packaging Group NV, Grupo Gondi,

Houston, TX, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zion Market Research has published a new research report titled Corrugated Bulk Bins Market By Load Capacity (More Than 1500 Kg, 1000 -1500 Kg, And Below 1000 Kg), By Type (Hinged, Pallet Packs, And Others), By Format (Triple Wall, Double Wall, Single Wall, And Others), And By Region - Global And Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, And Forecasts 2023  2030 in its research database.

According to the latest research study, the demand of global Corrugated Bulk Bins Market size & share in terms of revenue was valued at USD 12.236 billion in 2022 and it is expected to surpass around USD 16.942 billion mark by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 4.32% during the forecast period 2023 to 2030.

What are Corrugated Bulk Bins? How big is the Corrugated Bulk Bins Industry?

Report Overview:

The global corrugated bulk bins market size was valued at USD 12.236 Billion in 2022 and is predicted to grow to around USD 16.942 Billion by 2030 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 4.32% between 2023 and 2030.

Story continues

Corrugated bulk bins are large, sturdy containers designed for shipping and storing bulk quantities of goods. They are made from corrugated cardboard, a type of material that is lightweight yet strong enough to withstand the rigors of transportation. These bins come in various sizes & shapes and are commonly used in the agriculture, food processing, and manufacturing industries. They offer several advantages over other types of containers, including their low cost, recyclability, and ease of customization. Corrugated bulk bins can also be collapsed and stacked when not in use, making them an efficient storage solution. Additionally, these bins can be printed with branding and product information, helping to promote products and create a professional image.

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Zion Market Research research methodology

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Global Corrugated Bulk Bins Market: Growth Factors

The global corrugated bulk bin market is driven by various factors, such as the growing demand for sustainable & eco-friendly packaging solutions, the increasing need for efficient transportation and storage of goods, and the rising adoption of automation in the manufacturing industry. The market also presents opportunities for players to offer customized and innovative solutions that cater to specific industry needs, such as temperature-controlled bins for the food industry.

However, the corrugated bulk bins industry also faces certain challenges, such as the high competition from alternative packaging materials, fluctuations in raw material prices, and the limitations of corrugated cardboard in terms of durability and moisture resistance. The market players need to address these challenges by developing more durable and moisture-resistant corrugated materials and leveraging technology to enhance their production and delivery processes.

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Report Scope

Report Attribute Details Market Size in 2022 USD 12.236 billion Projected Market Size in 2030 USD 16.942 billion CAGR Growth Rate 4.32% CAGR Base Year 2022 Forecast Years 2023-2030 Key Market Players WestRock Company, Smurfit Kappa Group, Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Limited, Mondi Group, DS Smith Plc, International Paper Company, Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA, Sonoco Products Company, Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Limited, Georgia-Pacific LLC, Oji Holdings Corporation, Norampac Industries Inc., Packaging Corporation of America, Rengo Co., Ltd., Klabin S.A., Pratt Industries, Inc., Stora Enso Oyj, Cascades Inc., VPK Packaging Group NV, Grupo Gondi, and UPM-Kymmene Corporation Key Segment By Load Capacity, By Type, By Format, And By Region Major Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East &, Africa Purchase Options Request customized purchase options to meet your research needs. Explore purchase options

Corrugated Bulk Bins Market: Segmentation Analysis

The global corrugated bulk bins market is segmented based on load capacity, type, format, and region.

Based on load capacity, the market is segmented into more than 1500 kg, 1000-1500 kg, and below 1000 kg. The 1000-1500kg segment held the largest market share in 2022 and is further projected to grow rapidly at a remarkable CAGR during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the increasing demand for large-capacity containers that can transport and store bulk quantities of goods, particularly in industries such as agriculture, food processing, and manufacturing. Moreover, as businesses strive for greater efficiency and cost savings in their supply chain operations, the use of larger containers such as the 1000-1500 kg corrugated bulk bins can help to reduce transportation costs, as fewer trips are required to move the same amount of goods. Therefore, the 1000-1500 kg segment of the corrugated bulk bin market presents a significant growth opportunity for players, who must continue to innovate and develop new products that cater to the specific needs of different industries, while also ensuring that their offerings are sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective.

Based on type, the corrugated bulk bins industry is segmented into hinged, pallet packs, and others. The hinged segment held the dominating market share in 2022 and is further projected to grow remarkably during the forecast period. This is mainly because the hinged segment is a common and popular type of corrugated bulk bin that is widely used in various industries, including agriculture, food processing, and retail. Hinged bulk bins are designed to be collapsible, making them easy to transport and store when not in use. They are also durable and can withstand the rigors of transportation, ensuring that goods arrive at their destination in good condition. These factors drive the growth of the segment during the forecast period.

Based on format, the market is bifurcated into triple wall, double wall, single wall, and others. The double wall segment held the dominating market share in 2022 and is further predicted to surge rapidly during the forecast period.

The global Corrugated Bulk Bins market is segmented as follows:

By Load Capacity

More Than 1500 Kg

1000 -1500 Kg

Below 1000 Kg

By Type

Hinged

Pallet Packs

Others

By Format

Triple Wall

Double Wall

Single Wall

Others

Browse the full Corrugated Bulk Bins Market By Load Capacity (More Than 1500 Kg, 1000 -1500 Kg, And Below 1000 Kg), By Type (Hinged, Pallet Packs, And Others), By Format (Triple Wall, Double Wall, Single Wall, And Others), And By Region - Global And Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, And Forecasts 2023  2030- Report at https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/corrugated-bulk-bins-market

Competitive Landscape

Some of the main competitors dominating the global Corrugated Bulk Bins market include -

WestRock Company

Smurfit Kappa Group

Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Limited

Mondi Group

DS Smith Plc

International Paper Company

Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA

Sonoco Products Company

Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Limited

Georgia-Pacific LLC

Oji Holdings Corporation

Norampac Industries Inc.

Packaging Corporation of America

Rengo Co. Ltd.

Klabin S.A.

Pratt Industries Inc.

Stora Enso Oyj

Cascades Inc.

VPK Packaging Group NV

Grupo Gondi

UPM-Kymmene Corporation

Key Insights from Primary Research:

According to the analysis shared by our research forecaster, the Corrugated Bulk Bins market is likely to expand at a CAGR of around 4.32% during the forecast period (2023-2030).

In terms of revenue, the Corrugated Bulk Bins market size was valued at around US$ 12.236 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach US$ 16.942 billion by 2030.

The corrugated bulk bins market is projected to grow at a significant rate due to the growing demand for sustainability.

Based on format segmentation, the double wall was predicted to show maximum market share in the year 2022.

Based on load capacity segmentation, 1000-1500 kg was the leading capacity in 2022.

On the basis of region, North America was the leading revenue generator in 2022.

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Key questions answered in this report:

What is the market size and growth rate forecast for Corrugated Bulk Bins industry?

What are the main driving factors propelling the Corrugated Bulk Bins Market forward?

What are the leading companies in the Corrugated Bulk Bins Industry?

What segments does the Corrugated Bulk Bins Market cover?

How can I receive a free copy of the Corrugated Bulk Bins Market sample report and company profiles?

Key Offerings:

Market Size & Forecast by Revenue | 20232030

Market Dynamics  Leading Trends, Growth Drivers, Restraints, and Investment Opportunities

Market Segmentation  A detailed analysis By Load Capacity, By Type, By Format, And By Region

Competitive Landscape  Top Key Vendors and Other Prominent Vendors

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Regional Analysis:

The North American region held the largest corrugated bulk bins market share in 2022 and is further projected to grow exponentially during the forecast period. The corrugated bulk bin market in North America is expected to witness steady growth in the coming years, driven by factors such as the increasing adoption of sustainable packaging solutions, the growth of the e-commerce industry, and the rising demand for efficient transportation and storage solutions. Additionally, the region's established manufacturing base and supply chain infrastructure make it an attractive market for corrugated bulk bin manufacturers.

The food and beverage industry is expected to be a major contributor to the growth of the corrugated bulk bin market in North America, particularly as companies seek to reduce their carbon footprint and adopt more eco-friendly packaging solutions. Furthermore, the region's strict environmental regulations and initiatives aimed at promoting sustainability are likely to fuel the adoption of corrugated bulk bins. Thus, the North American corrugated bulk bin market presents a significant growth opportunity for players, who must stay ahead of the competition by developing innovative and sustainable solutions that cater to the specific needs of different industries.

By Region

North America U.S. Canada Rest of North America

Europe France UK Spain Germany Italy Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Rest of Asia Pacific

The Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia South Africa Rest of the Middle East & Africa

Latin America Brazil Argentina Rest of Latin America



Recent Developments

In February 2021, DS Smith Plc announced the launch of a new line of circular corrugated bulk bins, designed to be more sustainable and eco-friendlier. These bins are made from 100% recycled materials and can be recycled after use. The company also partnered with a major retailer to pilot the use of these bins in their supply chain.

In September 2021, Smurfit Kappa announced the expansion of its corrugated packaging plant in Texas, USA, to meet the growing demand for sustainable packaging solutions. The expansion included the addition of new equipment and technology to enhance the plant's efficiency and production capacity.

In July 2021, Cascades Inc. announced the launch of a new line of corrugated bulk bins made from recycled plastic. These bins offer superior strength and durability compared to traditional cardboard bins, making them ideal for heavy-duty applications. The company plans to expand its production of these bins in the coming years

To know an additional revised 2023 list of market players, request a brochure of the report: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/requestbrochure/corrugated-bulk-bins-market

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the corrugated bulk bins?

Which key factors will influence corrugated bulk bins market growth over 2023-2030?

What will be the value of the corrugated bulk bins market during 2023-2030?

What will be the CAGR value of the corrugated bulk bins market during 2023-2030?

Which region will contribute notably towards the corrugated bulk bins market value?

Which are the major players leveraging the corrugated bulk bins market growth?

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cyber-security-in-energy-market-size.jpg

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Dublin, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Cyber Security In Energy Market Size, Share & Industry Trends Analysis Report by End User, Organization Size, Deployment Type, Component, Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2022-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Global Cyber Security In Energy Market size is expected to reach $15.8 billion by 2028, rising at a market growth of 10.8% CAGR during the forecast period.

Key Market Players

Accenture PLC

IBM Corporation

General Electric Company

Ansaldo Energia S.p. A.

Baker Hughes Company

Hitachi, Ltd. (Hitachi Energy Ltd.)

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (Mitsubishi Power, Ltd.)

Cybersecurity encompasses many operational and information technology security-related tools, procedures, and approaches. This strategy employs preventative and reactive measures to defend data and networks against attack and compromise. In addition, cybersecurity employs web filtering, legacy malware protection, and advanced threat defenses to protect the user from internet-borne risks and assist companies in enforcing internet policy compliance.



Several cybersecurity solutions & services are utilized to provide security services to prevent risks and enhance the firm's overall effectiveness. Cyber security in energy market has increased due to shifting patterns, expectations, and behavior in the energy sector as a result of the digitization of energy & utility services. In addition, the growing demand and requirement to safeguard information, data, and gadgets in the energy industry drive cyber security in energy market.



In addition, the rise in the likelihood of cyberattacks on the energy sector for the execution of mass operations contributes to the expansion of cyber security in energy market. This is because technological improvements in cyber security in energy market, such as the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, are anticipated to fuel the market expansion in the approaching years. As a result, the use of digital methods for various energy sector operations is anticipated to increase in the coming years.



In tandem with the modernization of power generation, transmission, and distribution systems, cyber threats are also increasing. To manage risks and extend their offers, market players are increasingly concentrating on the development of cybersecurity technology. The rise of cyber security in energy market is anticipated to be aided by these factors.



Market Growth Factors

Story continues

Increased risk of cyberattacks in energy sector



The rise in malware and phishing risks is a critical element that significantly contributes to expanding the cyber security in energy market. Moreover, during the COVID-19 outbreak, the frequency of malware attacks on the databases of big businesses grew, necessitating the need to tighten the security of databases, hence accelerating the expansion of cyber security in energy market. In addition, market participants are developing creative ways to combat such malware & phishing assaults, fueling the expansion of cyber security in energy market.



The leading players in the market are competing with diverse innovative offerings to remain competitive in the market. The illustration shows the percentage of revenue shared by some of the leading companies in the market. The leading players of the market are adopting various strategies in order to cater demand coming from the different industries. The key developmental strategies in the market are Product Launches and Product Expansions.



Enhanced efficiency and productivity



The ability of employees to remain productive can be all but impossible when viruses and other intrusions paralyze networks and smart devices. By implementing a range of cyber security measures, including improved firewalls, virus scanning, and automatic backups, organizations can drastically reduce violations and the amount of downtime necessary to remedy the breach.

In addition, employees can learn how to spot possible email phishing scams, suspicious links, and other malicious criminal activities with education and training. As a result, this element stimulates market expansion.



Market Restraining Factors

Budget constrains among the start-ups and SMEs



The lack of financial resources impedes these businesses' adoption of new technologies and corporate security solutions, resulting in an inadequate IT security architecture.

Moreover, small businesses are burdened with the administration of budgeted funds for various operational difficulties and business continuity planning, leaving them with less time and resources to embrace cybersecurity solutions. Hence, cyber security in energy market may experience slower growth throughout the forecast period due to the shortage of funds among SMBs and startups.

Scope of the Study

By End-user

Commercial

Industrial

Residential

By Organization Size

Large Enterprises

SMEs

By Deployment Type

On-premise

Cloud

By Component

Solution Identity & Access Management Infrastructure Security, Governance Risk & Compliance Unified Vulnerability Management Service Offering Data Security & Privacy Service Offering Others

Service

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/3u5yjd

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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Zion Market Research

[220 + Pages Report] According to Zion Market Research, the global pectinase market size was valued at around USD 18.3 billion in 2022 and is estimated to grow about USD 26.6 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of approximately 11.1% between 2023 and 2030. The key manufacturers covered in the report are Challenge Group, AB Enzymes, Jinyuan Biochemical Co Ltd., Sukahan Bio-Technology, Sunson, Shandong Longda, Verenium (BASF), YSSH, AB Enzymes, Genencor, Koninklijke DSM N.V., Amano Enzyme, Youtell, Novozymes, and others.

NEW YORK, United States, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zion Market Research has published a new research report titled Pectinase Market By End-User (Winemaking, Textile, Agriculture, And Food & Beverages), By Product (Pectinesterase, Polygalacturonases, Pectin Lyases, And Proto Pectinases), And By Region - Global And Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, And Forecasts 2023  2030 in its research database.

According to the latest research study, the demand of global pectinase market size & share in terms of revenue was worth at USD 18.3 billion in 2022 and it is expected to surpass around USD 26.6 billion mark by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 11.1% during the forecast period 2023 to 2030.

The pectinase market report is an indispensable guide on growth factors, challenges, restraints, and opportunities in the global marketplace. The pectinase industry report covers the geographical market along with a comprehensive competitive landscape analysis. Additionally, the report explores the investor and stakeholder space to help companies make data-driven decisions.

What is Pectinase? How big is the Pectinase Industry?

Pectinase is a group of enzymes that are widely used in various industries, including food, beverage, textile, and paper industries. These enzymes are responsible for breaking down pectin, a complex polysaccharide found in the cell walls of plants, into simpler molecules. Pectinase is commonly used in food processing to enhance the extraction of fruit juice, increase the yield of wine & beer, and improve the texture & clarity of various food products. In the textile industry, pectinase is used to remove pectin-based impurities from cotton fibers, which improves their quality and processing efficiency. Pectinase is also used in the paper industry to enhance the drainage and retention of pulp fibers during papermaking.

Story continues

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Introduction, Overview, and in-depth industry analysis are all included in the 2023 updated report.

About 220+ Pages Research Report (Including Recent Research)

Provide detailed chapter-by-chapter guidance on Request

Updated Regional Analysis with Graphical Representation of Size, Share, and Trends for the Year 2023

Includes Tables and figures have been updated

The most recent version of the report includes the Top Market Players, their Business Strategies, Sales Volume, and Revenue Analysis

Zion Market Research Methodology





Industry Growth Factors & Restraints:

The global pectinase market is driven by the growing demand for processed food products and the increasing use of pectinase enzymes in various industries, such as food & beverage, textile, and paper. The rising trend of healthy eating and the need for natural and organic food products have also contributed to the growth of the pectinase market. Furthermore, the increasing popularity of fruit-based beverages and the need for higher quality and quantity of fruit juice production have created new opportunities for the pectinase industry.

However, the pectinase market also faces challenges such as the high cost of production, lack of standardization in the production process, and the availability of alternative enzymes. Additionally, the stringent regulations regarding the use of enzymes in food products and the limited availability of raw materials may also impact the growth of the market.

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Report Scope:

Report Attribute Report Details Market Size in 2022 USD 18.3 Billion Market Forecast in 2030 USD 26.6 Billion Growth Rate CAGR of 11.1% Base Year 2022 Forecast Years 2023- 2030 Key Companies Covered Challenge Group, AB Enzymes, Jinyuan Biochemical Co Ltd., Sukahan Bio-Technology, Sunson, Shandong Longda, Verenium (BASF), YSSH, AB Enzymes, Genencor, Koninklijke DSM N.V., Amano Enzyme, Youtell, Novozymes, and others. Segments Covered By Product, End-User, and Region Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East &, Africa Customization Scope Avail customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. Request For Customization

Pectinase Market: Segmentation Analysis

The global pectinase market is segmented based on end-user, product, and region.

Based on end-user, the market is segmented into winemaking, textile, agriculture, and food & beverages segments. The food & beverage segment held the largest market share in 2022 and is further projected to cite the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. This growth is driven by the increasing demand for processed and packaged foods, which has led to the growing adoption of pectinase in the food industry. Pectinase is widely used in food processing to improve the texture, flavor, and appearance of various food products, including jams, jellies, and fruit juices. The expanding use of pectinase in the beverage industry, particularly in wine and beer production, is also expected to contribute to the growth of the food and beverage segment. Additionally, the growing demand for natural and organic food products is expected to create new opportunities for pectinase manufacturers in the food and beverage industry.

Based on product, the market is bifurcated into pectinesterase, polygalacturonases, pectin lyases, and proto pectinases segments. The proto pectinases segment held the largest market share in 2022 and is further predicted to grow remarkably during the forecast period. Proto pectinases are a type of pectinase enzyme that are capable of breaking down protopectin, a complex polysaccharide found in the cell walls of plants. These enzymes are widely used in various industries, including food & beverage, textile, and paper industries. In the food industry, proto pectinases are commonly used to improve the texture and consistency of various food products, including fruit juices, jams, and jellies. The expanding use of proto pectinases in the textile and paper industries, particularly in cotton processing and papermaking, is also expected to contribute to the growth of this segment. Furthermore, the growing demand for natural and organic food products is expected to create new opportunities for proto pectinase manufacturers in the food industry.

The global pectinase market is segmented as follows:

By Product

Pectinesterase

Polygalacturonases

Pectin Lyases

Proto Pectinases

By End-User

Winemaking

Textile

Agriculture

Food & Beverages

Take a Look at the Complete Study | Pectinase Market By End-User (Winemaking, Textile, Agriculture, And Food & Beverages), By Product (Pectinesterase, Polygalacturonases, Pectin Lyases, And Proto Pectinases), And By Region - Global And Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, And Forecasts 2023  2030



Competitive Landscape:

Some of the main competitors dominating the global pectinase market include -

Challenge Group

AB Enzymes

Jinyuan Biochemical Co Ltd.

Sukahan Bio-Technology

Sunson

Shandong Longda

Verenium (BASF)

YSSH

AB Enzymes

Genencor

Koninklijke DSM N.V.

Amano Enzyme

Youtell

Novozymes

Key Insights from Primary Research:

According to the analysis shared by our research analyst, the pectinase market is likely to expand at a CAGR of around 11.1% during the forecast period (2023-2030).

In terms of revenue, the pectinase market size was valued at around US$ 18.3 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach US$ 26.6 billion by 2030.

The global pectinase market is anticipated to record massive growth over the forecast period owing to the growing preference of consumers towards the use of organic items in emerging countries along with a growing focus on food safety.

Based on product, the proto pectinases segment is predicted to lead the product segment over the forecast timeline.

In terms of end-user, the food & beverages segment is slated to contribute majorly towards the global market share over 2023-2030.

Region-wise, the North American Pectinase market is projected to account for the highest growth during the assessment period.

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Key questions answered in this report:

What is the market size and growth rate forecast for Pectinase industry?

What are the main driving factors propelling the Pectinase Market forward?

What are the leading companies in the Pectinase Industry?

What segments does the Pectinase Market cover?

How can I receive a free copy of the Pectinase Market sample report and company profiles?

Key Offerings:

Market Size & Forecast by Revenue | 20232030

Market Dynamics  Leading Trends, Growth Drivers, Restraints, and Investment Opportunities

Market Segmentation  A detailed analysis by Product, End-User, and Region

Competitive Landscape  Top Key Vendors and Other Prominent Vendors

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(We tailor your report to meet your specific research requirements. Inquire with our sales team about customising your report.)

Regional Analysis:

North America will dominate the worldwide pectinase market from 2023 to 2030

Based on region, the North America region held the dominating pectinase market share in 2022 and is further projected to grow rapidly during the forecast period. The region has a well-established food and beverage industry, which is a major consumer of pectinase enzymes. The increasing demand for processed and packaged foods, as well as natural and organic food products, is expected to drive the growth of the market in North America. The expanding use of pectinase in the textile and paper industries is also expected to contribute to the growth of the market.

Additionally, the presence of major pectinase manufacturers in the region, as well as increasing investments in research and development activities, are expected to create new opportunities for the market. However, the market also faces challenges, including the strict regulatory framework governing the use of enzymes in various industries and the limited availability of raw materials. Despite these challenges, the pectinase market in North America is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

By Region

North America U.S. Canada Rest of North America

Europe France UK Spain Germany Italy Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Rest of Asia Pacific

The Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia South Africa Rest of the Middle East & Africa

Latin America Brazil Argentina Rest of Latin America



To Get More Insights and Forecasts | Request A Free Sample Copy of the Global Pectinase Market



Recent Developments:

In January 2021, DuPont announced the launch of a new pectinase enzyme product called DuPont Danisco Pectinase P10. This enzyme is specifically designed for fruit juice processing, and it helps to increase yield, reduce processing time, and improve juice quality.

In June 2021, Novozymes launched a new range of pectinase enzymes called Novozymes Pectinex 19L and Novozymes Pectinex HTL. These enzymes are designed to improve the processing efficiency and yield of fruit and vegetable processing, as well as enhance the quality and sensory properties of the final products.

In August 2021, Amano Enzyme announced the expansion of its pectinase enzyme product portfolio with the launch of two new products, namely Amano-P Pectinase PDR and Amano-P Pectinase PLS. These enzymes are designed to improve the texture and clarity of fruit and vegetable juices, as well as enhance the processing efficiency of pulp and papermaking.

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HEPSOR AS

The Management Board of Hepsor AS has prepared the audited annual report for 2022. Compared to the unaudited interim report published on 15 February 2023, there are no material differences in the audited report.

The consolidated sales revenue of Hepsor for the 2022 financial year amounted to 12.9 million euros and the net profit was 1.3 million euros.

In 2022, the Group completed three residential and three commercial property projects. The sales revenue for the financial year has been mainly generated from the sale of completed residential development projects. As of the end of 2022, we have handed over 45 apartments to home buyers in Latvia, including 26 apartments in the 4b Strelnieku, 18 apartments in the 9 Balozu and 1 apartment in the 24 Agenskalna development projects, and 40 apartments in the Paevalja Hoovimajade development project in Estonia. The sale of 76 apartments and 1,487 sqm of commercial space in the Priisle Kodu development project is not reflected in the Groups sales revenue as the result of the project is recorded using equity method of accounting. In total, we handed over 161 new homes to home buyers in Estonia and Latvia in 2022.

At the end of the year, we handed over the Buroo113 commercial premises to a modern clinic using an innovative concept. This is the first time that green solutions (geothermal heating and cooling, rainwater use, energy-efficient architecture, excellent indoor climate, solar energy, etc.) have been applied in a city centre high-rise. In Riga, a stock office type commercial building was completed at 30 Ulbrokas 3,645 sqm of which are fully covered with lease agreements.

In total, we added approximately 171 apartments to our development portfolio in 2022, including 40 in Riga and 131 in Tallinn. Approximately 60 new apartments will be built on the 12 Manufaktuuri property in the Manufaktuuri Quarter together with our long-term cooperation partner Tolaram Grupp. We started the construction of the Lillekula Kodud development project with 26 apartments already in December 2022. Up to 45 new homes can be built on the properties purchased at 1a Alvari and 5 Alvari. In Latvia, a property was added on Jurmala Gatve, where we are planning to build an energy class A three-storey residential building with 40 new homes.

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Consolidated statement of financial position

in thousands of euros 31 December 2022 31 December 2021 Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents 3,754 10,889 Trade and other receivables 1,731 652 Current loan receivables 0 2,388 Inventories 69,760 37,237 Total current assets 75,245 51,166 Non-current assets Property, plant and equipment 232 229 Intangible assets 7 0 Financial investments 2 402 Investments in associates 1,086 0 Non-current loan receivables 1,766 3,408 Other non-current receivables 30 140 Total non-current assets 3,123 4,179 Total assets 78,368 55,345 Liabilities and equity Current liabilities Loans and borrowings 22,565 5,501 Current lease liabilities 46 123 Trade and other payables and prepayments 7,061 6,703 Total current liabilities 29,672 12,327 Non-current liabilities Loans and borrowings 26,015 22,862 Non-current lease liabilities 68 66 Other non-current liabilities 2,290 1,053 Total non-current liabilities 28,373 23,981 Total liabilities 58,045 36,308 Equity Share capital 3,855 3,855 Share premium 8,917 8,917 Retained earnings 7,551 6,265 Total equity 20,323 19,037 incl. total equity attributable to owners of the parent 19,866 18,904 incl. non-controlling interest 457 133 Total liabilities and equity 78,368 55,345





Consolidated statement of profit and loss and other comprehensive income

in thousands of euros 2022 2021 Revenue 12,870 14,961 Cost of sales (-) -11,096 -11,902 Gross profit 1,774 3,059 Marketing expenses (-) -446 -271 Administrative expenses (-) -1,095 -942 Other operating income 70 83 Other operating expenses (-) -68 -49 Operating profit (-loss) of the year 235 1,880 Financial income 1,889 321 Financial expenses (-) -787 -512 Profit before tax 1,337 1,689 Current income tax -6 -16 Deferred income tax 0 60 Net profit for the year 1,331 1,733 Attributable to owners of the parent 1,396 -22 Non-controlling interest -65 1,755 Other comprehensive income (-loss) Changes related to change of ownership -26 70 Change in value of embedded derivatives with minority shareholders 10 -1,815 Other comprehensive income (-loss) for the period -16 -1,745 Attributable to owners of the parent -434 68 Non-controlling interest 418 -1,813 Comprehensive income (-loss) for the period 1,315 -12 Attributable to owners of the parent 962 46 Non-controlling interest 353 -58 Earnings per share Basic (euros per share) 0.36 -0.01 Diluted (euros per share) 0.36 -0.01



The consolidated anual report 2022 of Hepsor AS has been attached to the current release and will be made available on Hepsor's webpage hepsor.ee/en/for-investors/stock/information-materials/ .



The annual report will be presented for approval to the General Meeting of Shareholders.

Henri Laks

Member of the Management Board

Phone: +372 5693 9114

e-mail: henri@hepsor.ee

Hepsor AS (www.hepsor.ee) is one of the fastest growing residential and commercial real estate developers in Estonia and Latvia. Over the last twelve years Hepsor has developed more than 1,500 homes and 32,000 m2 of commercial space. Hepsor has been the first real estate developer in the Baltic States to implement a number of innovative engineering solutions that make the buildings we construct more energy-efficient and thus more environmentally friendly. The company's portfolio is comprised of 26 development projects with a total sellable space of 176,000 m2.

Attachments




There's no doubt that money can be made by owning shares of unprofitable businesses. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. But while history lauds those rare successes, those that fail are often forgotten; who remembers Pets.com?

So should Conrad Asia Energy (ASX:CRD) shareholders be worried about its cash burn? For the purposes of this article, cash burn is the annual rate at which an unprofitable company spends cash to fund its growth; its negative free cash flow. We'll start by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves in order to calculate its cash runway.

Check out our latest analysis for Conrad Asia Energy

When Might Conrad Asia Energy Run Out Of Money?

You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. When Conrad Asia Energy last reported its balance sheet in December 2022, it had zero debt and cash worth US$19m. Importantly, its cash burn was US$10m over the trailing twelve months. So it had a cash runway of approximately 23 months from December 2022. Importantly, analysts think that Conrad Asia Energy will reach cashflow breakeven in 3 years. That means unless the company reduces its cash burn quickly, it may well look to raise more cash. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time.

How Is Conrad Asia Energy's Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

Whilst it's great to see that Conrad Asia Energy has already begun generating revenue from operations, last year it only produced US$333k, so we don't think it is generating significant revenue, at this point. As a result, we think it's a bit early to focus on the revenue growth, so we'll limit ourselves to looking at how the cash burn is changing over time. The skyrocketing cash burn up 108% year on year certainly tests our nerves. That sort of spending growth rate can't continue for very long before it causes balance sheet weakness, generally speaking. While the past is always worth studying, it is the future that matters most of all. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company.

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Can Conrad Asia Energy Raise More Cash Easily?

Given its cash burn trajectory, Conrad Asia Energy shareholders may wish to consider how easily it could raise more cash, despite its solid cash runway. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Commonly, a business will sell new shares in itself to raise cash and drive growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn.

Since it has a market capitalisation of US$173m, Conrad Asia Energy's US$10m in cash burn equates to about 5.9% of its market value. Given that is a rather small percentage, it would probably be really easy for the company to fund another year's growth by issuing some new shares to investors, or even by taking out a loan.

How Risky Is Conrad Asia Energy's Cash Burn Situation?

Even though its increasing cash burn makes us a little nervous, we are compelled to mention that we thought Conrad Asia Energy's cash burn relative to its market cap was relatively promising. Shareholders can take heart from the fact that analysts are forecasting it will reach breakeven. Cash burning companies are always on the riskier side of things, but after considering all of the factors discussed in this short piece, we're not too worried about its rate of cash burn. Taking an in-depth view of risks, we've identified 2 warning signs for Conrad Asia Energy that you should be aware of before investing.

Of course Conrad Asia Energy may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks that insiders are buying.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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High Wire Networks Inc.

BATAVIA, Ill., April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- High Wire Networks, Inc. (OTCQB: HWNI), a leading global provider of managed cybersecurity and technology enablement, has won a major new contract from a channel partner to deliver High Wires Overwatch OT/IoT Security for a U.S. health system comprised of more than 25 hospitals and clinics and dozens of ancillary care facilities.



The engagement includes onboarding and delivering agentless, zero trust, managed cybersecurity security services for more than 2,000 IoT-type (Internet-of-Things) devices across multiple campuses.

According to High Wire COO, Stephen LaMarche: The increasing use of IoT devices to control and monitor other devices and systems brings with it the added complexities of securing their network connections, especially in medical spaces. FDA regulated devices cannot be properly protected by traditional security software, so healthcare organizations have few options for patching these devices and eliminating security vulnerabilities.

We believe our Overwatch OT/IoT Security solution can control access to the plethora of divergent IoT devices in a way that others cannot, and with the efficiency and effectiveness of agentless configurations that can be monitored by our U.S.-based 24/7 Security Operations Center.

At the heart of High Wires network and security centers is Overwatch SOAR, a proprietary Security Orchestration, Automation and Response technology. The AI embedded in SOAR automatically consolidates alerts from various threat prevention and detection-and-response platforms, providing enhanced visibility, improved correlation, and faster remediation.

Added LaMarche: For our professional security experts, SOAR acts as a powerful force multiplier, enabling us to provide the most secure and cost-effective cybersecurity solutions available on the market today.

High Wire delivers its Overwatch managed security services exclusively through its global network of managed service providers (MSPs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs) that now total more than 625 worldwide. Frost & Sullivan recently ranked High Wire as a Top 12 Managed Security Service Provider in the Americas in the categories of growth and innovation.

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This major win represents a strong validation of our unique cybersecurity solution, especially after our channel partner and their customer evaluated multiple competitive alternatives before choosing Overwatch, commented company CTO David Barton. The evaluation process included months of extensive proof-of-concept testing, with our Overwatch OT/IoT Security coming out the clear winner.

The company expects the total contract value of the new win to exceed $218,000 by end of the year. When the contract renews for a full year as anticipated at the beginning of 2024, it expects this value to more than double. The win also supports the companys pursuit of a number of similar opportunities in its pipeline as its channel partners continue to look to High Wire to help address their overflowing security demands.

Security breaches and ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure is on the rise, costing organizations millions of dollars to remediate. According to a recent report from IBM, the average cost of a business data breach in the U.S. totals on average $9.4 million. However, businesses can save on average $3.1 million with fully deployed security automation.

In the case of attacks on healthcare systems, lives are also at stake, noted High Wire CEO, Mark Porter: In its industry survey, IBM found that 79% of critical infrastructure organizations have yet to deploy a zero-trust architecture on their network. For addressing the growing threats and associated costs that can be avoided, we believe Overwatch provides our channel partners the best security solutions for their valued clients.

Check Point Research reported an overall 57% increase in cyberattacks last year, with attacks on health care organizations increasing by 86%. A 2022 Ponemon Institute survey found that of 600 health care facilities that reported ransomware attacks, 23% experienced increased mortality rates as a result.

Other critical infrastructure, like in the oil and natural gas sector, are also under increasing ransomware attacks. In response, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration announced last July a revised security directive regarding oil and natural gas pipeline cybersecurity. The directive provides another important growth driver for the broader adoption of High Wires Overwatch OT/IoT cybersecurity solution.

Overwatch addresses a global cybersecurity market that is expected to grow at a 13.4% CAGR to reach $376 billion by 2029.

To learn more about High Wire and its award-winning managed cybersecurity and IT enablement services, visit HighWireNetworks.com or view the companys free video series on YouTube.

About High Wire Networks

High Wire Networks, Inc. (OTCQB: HWNI) is a fast-growing, award-winning global provider of managed cybersecurity and IT enablement services. Through more than 625 channel partners, it delivers trusted managed services for nearly 1,000 managed security customers and tens of thousands of technology customers. Its end-customers include hundreds of Fortune 500 companies and the nations largest government agencies.

High Wire has 125 full-time employees worldwide and four U.S. offices, including a U.S. based 24/7 Network Operations Center and Security Operations Center in Chicago, with additional regional offices in Puerto Rico and United Kingdom.

High Wire was recently ranked by Frost & Sullivan as a Top 12 Managed Security Service Provider in the Americas. It was also recently named to CRNs MSP 500 and Elite 150 lists of the nations top IT managed service providers.

Learn more at HighWireNetworks.com. Follow the company on Twitter, view its extensive video series on YouTube or connect on LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

The above news release contains forward-looking statements. The statements contained in this document that are not statements of historical fact, including but not limited to, statements identified by the use of terms such as "anticipate," "appear," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "hope," "indicate," "intend," "likely," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "project," "seek," "should," "will," "would," and other variations or negative expressions of these terms, including statements related to expected market trends and the Company's performance, are all "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on assumptions that management believes are reasonable based on currently available information, and include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company and its management. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performances and are subject to a wide range of external factors, uncertainties, business risks, and other risks identified in filings made by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in the company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances upon which any statement is based except as required by applicable law and regulations.



Company Contact

Mark Porter, CEO

High Wire Networks

Tel +1 (952) 974-4000

Email contact

Media Relations

Susanna Song

VP of Marketing and Communications

High Wire Networks

Tel +1 (952) 974-4000

Email contact

Tim Randall

CMA Media Relations

Tel +1 (949) 432-7572

Email contact

Investor Relations

Ronald Both or Grant Stude

CMA Investor Relations

Tel +1 (949) 432-7557

Email contact




NOTICE OF AGM AND DESIGNATED FOREIGN ISSUER STATUS

LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / Horizonte Minerals Plc (AIM:HZM)(TSX:HZM) ("Horizonte" or the "Company")announces that its annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 December 2022, together with Management's Discussion and Analysis as at 31 December 2022, and Notice of Meeting and Management Information Circular have been posted to shareholders and are available to download on the Company's website at www.horizonteminerals.com and on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com.

The Company's Annual General Meeting ("AGM") will be held at 12:30pm on 24 May 2023 at Horizonte's offices located at Rex House, 4-12 Regent Street, London, SW1Y 4RG.

Designated Foreign Issuer status in Canada

The Company has determined that, as at and from the beginning of the current financial year on 1 January 2023, it is a "designated foreign issuer" as defined in National Instrument 71-102 - Continuous Disclosure and Other Exemptions Relating to Foreign Issuers ("NI 71-102") and subject to the regulatory requirements of AIM, a market operated by the London Stock Exchange. Accordingly, the Company is able to rely on certain exemptions from the continuous disclosure obligations imposed under Canadian securities legislation as permitted under NI 71-102.

A key implication is that the Company will no longer be required to report quarterly financial information, and will instead now report financial results on a semi-annual basis, in line with market practice in the UK, and as required by the AIM Rules for Companies with quarterly operation updates.

The next financial information to be reported will be the Company's half yearly report, in respect of the six months to 30 June 2023, which will be published no later than 30 September 2023. This will be followed by the Company's audited financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2023, published no later than 30 June 2024; in each case, in accordance with the AIM Rules for Companies.

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For further information, visit www.horizonteminerals.com or contact:

Horizonte Minerals plc

Jeremy Martin (CEO)

Simon Retter (CFO)

Patrick Chambers (Head of IR)

info@horizonteminerals.com

+44 (0) 203 356 2901 Peel Hunt LLP (Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker)

Ross Allister

David McKeown

+44 (0)20 7418 8900 BMO (Joint Broker)

Thomas Rider

Pascal Lussier Duquette

Andrew Cameron

+44 (0) 20 7236 1010 Tavistock (Financial PR)

Emily Moss

Cath Drummond

+44 (0) 20 7920 3150

ABOUT HORIZONTE MINERALS

Horizonte Minerals plc (AIM & TSX: HZM) is developing two 100%-owned, Tier 1 projects in Para state, Brazil, the Araguaia Nickel Project and the Vermelho Nickel-Cobalt Project. Both projects are large scale, high-grade, low-cost, low-carbon and scalable. Araguaia is under construction with first metal scheduled for early 2024, when fully ramped up with Line 1 and Line 2, is forecast to produce 29,000 tonnes of nickel per year. Vermelho is at feasibility study stage and is expected to produce 24,000 tonnes of nickel and 1,250 tonnes of cobalt to supply the EV battery market. Horizonte's combined production profile of over 60,000 tonnes of nickel per year positions the Company as a globally significant nickel producer. Horizonte's top three shareholders are La Mancha Investments S.a r.l., Glencore plc and Orion Resource Partners LLP.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, information relating to: the holding of the Company's AGM; the applicable reporting requirements in respect of the Company's financial information and results; and the anticipated timing for reporting and publishing the Company's financial information and results. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to various risks associated with the legal and regulatory framework within which the Company operates, together with the risks identified and disclosed in the Company's disclosure record available on the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, including without limitation, the annual information form of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2022. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

SOURCE: Horizonte Minerals PLC





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A worker walks in the a Huawei server room at the Hongliulin Coal Mine near the city of Shenmu in northwestern China's Shaanxi province on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. Chinese tech giant Huawei reported Friday that its revenue edged up 0.8% from a year earlier in the first three months of 2023 and the company was profitable. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

BEIJING (AP)  Chinese tech giant Huawei reported Friday that its revenue edged up 0.8% from a year earlier in the first three months of 2023 and the company was profitable.

Revenue rose to 132.1 billion yuan ($19.1 billion), a company statement said. It said its net profit margin was 2.3%, down from 4.3% a year earlier.

The company, headquartered in Shenzhen, near Hong Kong, has responded to U.S. sanctions that devastated its smartphone brand by expanding into serving hospitals, ports and other industrial customers.

It gave no breakdown of sales by global region or business line. It said spending on research and development increased but gave no details.

Huawei Technologies Ltd., China's first global tech brand, has struggled since then-President Donald Trump cut off access to U.S. processor chips and other technology in a feud with Beijing over technology and security. American officials say the company is a security risk and might facilitate Chinese spying, which Huawei denies.

The company is the biggest global maker of network equipment for phone and internet companies. It sold its Honor smartphone brand in 2020 and switched its emphasis last year on selling technology to automakers, factories, mines and other industrial customers.

Huawei reported earlier that its 2022 profit fell 70% to 35.6 billion yuan ($5.2 billion) while sales rose 0.9% to 642.3 billion yuan ($93.5 billion). The company reported an unusually large 2021 profit due to the sale of the Honor smartphone unit.

Half of Huaweis 207,000 employees work in research and development. The company says it has been able to develop replacement components for U.S. versions. Huawei says it has made breakthroughs in developing its own design tools for processor chips.
(Bloomberg) -- Huawei Technologies Co.s profit plunged 46% in the first quarter while revenue barely grew, as the Chinese telecom equipment maker spent heavily on research to try and get around US technology sanctions.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Net income dived to 3 billion yuan ($434 million) in 2023s first three months, according to Bloomberg News calculations based on the 2.3% profit margin it announced Friday. That followed Huaweis first annual profit decline in more than a decade, as years of US sanctions obliterated a once-thriving smartphone arm that competed with Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.

Huawei executives pledged to keep its R&D investment high to stay competitive in the market. The Shenzhen-based company earlier disclosed 2022 research spending of 161.5 billion yuan, or roughly a quarter of its annual sales.

Huawei has made some progress in developing alternatives to US technology, including chip design tools and business software it can no longer buy from American suppliers such as Synopsys Inc. and Oracle Corp. Calling 2023 a crucial year for Huaweis survival, the company expects to pursue more technology breakthroughs while tapping emerging demand from new markets such as ports and industry parks.

Sales edged up 0.8% to 132.1 billion yuan in the first quarter, the first quarterly increase in three years.

Longer-term, Huawei remains vulnerable to US-Chinese tensions. Washington has imposed a series of restrictions on the countrys tech industry, including blacklisting companies such as Huawei and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. that are perceived as national champions.

The US has also implemented strict controls on the export of chips and chipmaking equipment to China, effectively barring the worlds biggest contract chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., from making cutting-edge silicon for Chinese clients such as Huawei.

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Indonesian Construction Equipment Rental Market

Indonesian Construction Equipment Rental Market

Dublin, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Indonesia Construction Equipment Rental Market - Strategic Assessment & Forecast 2023-2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Indonesia construction equipment rental market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.33%. from 2022 to 2029. Earthmoving equipment accounted for the largest share of the Indonesia construction equipment rental market, around 45% in 2022.

The excavator in the earthmoving segment accounted for the largest share of 71.8% in 2022. Rising investment in infrastructures, development of expressways, & mining projects in 2022 is expected to drive the demand for renting excavators.

In 2022, the Indonesian government increased the infrastructure development projects, including constructing airports, railways lines, roadways, highways & bridges across the country. The government invested USD 407 billion under Nation Strategic Plan; the fund was directed to 200 different PPP projects in 2022.

The demand for hydraulic excavators in the Indonesia construction equipment rental market is growing due to the rise in public infrastructure projects which include an extension of railways tracks, airports & renovation of bridges & highways across Indonesia in 2022. Several road construction & housing projects are progressing in different countries in the region in 2023.

Renting large excavators and dump trucks witnessed a sharp rise post-pandemic in 2021 due to rising mining activities nationwide. The growth in the mining industry is due to an increase in coal prices & surge in nickel extraction projects in Indonesia. The government's focus on increasing nickel production to fulfill local demand will positively impact the mining industry.

Japanese rental companies have a strong presence in the Indonesia construction equipment rental market. These companies are introducing digital transformation to enhance customer experience. Chinese construction equipment manufacturers like SANY, XCMG & others are popular with customers due to their low cost and equipment financing facilities. The demand for electric and automated equipment witnessed growth in the year 2022.

Story continues

SEGMENTATION ANALYSIS

Segmentation by Type

Earthmoving Equipment

Excavator

Backhoe Loaders

Wheeled Loaders

Other Earthmoving Equipment (Other loaders, Bulldozers, Trenchers)

Road Construction Equipment

Road Rollers

Asphalt Pavers

Material Handling Equipment

Crane

Forklift & Telescopic Handlers

Aerial Platforms (Articulated Boom Lifts, Telescopic Boom lifts, Scissor lifts)

Other Construction Equipment

Dumper

Tipper

Concrete Mixture

Concrete Pump Truck

End Users

Construction

Mining

Warehouse & Logistics

Others

MARKET TRENDS & DRIVER

Rise in Infrastructure Investment



In 2022, the government invested in 83 PPP (Public Private Partnership) projects for infrastructure developments, which include 50 projects in the transportation sector, including 13 ports and 15 railways projects. Asian Development Bank provided a loan of USD 100 million to the Indonesian government to support these projects. In 2023, the Indonesian government planned 49 projects, 33 PPP projects, and 16 non-PPP projects. The 33 PPP projects include 18 Road Sector Projects, 4 Telecommunication Sector Projects, 1 Electricity Sector Project, 6 Water Supply Sector Projects, 3 Transportation Sector Projects, and 1 Energy Conservation Sector Project. A total investment value of more than USD 38.0 billion is planned to direct these infrastructure projects.



Government Investment Under National Strategic Projects



In 2022, the government introduced National Strategic Projects in Indonesia. The projects focus on increasing Indonesia's economic growth, improving community welfare, and increasing regional development. There are over 200 projects in National Strategic Projects ranging from toll road development and new airport construction to broadband enhancement coverage, worth nearly USD 500 billion. In 2022, the government planned to invest in the construction of 200 projects and ten programs of National Strategic Projects with an investment value of USD 407 billion, targeted for completion in the third quarter of 2024.



Japanese Rental Companies Focus on Digital Transformation



The level of competition among manufacturers in the Indonesian market is increasing due to the surge in Chinese heavy equipment, which is cheaper and has easy financing facilities. Chinese companies such as SANY, XCMG & Zoomlion partner with local distributors to provide rental services in the Indonesia construction equipment rental market at a lower price. Japanese rental companies such as AKTIO, Nikken, Kanamoto, and Nishio Rent All strongly influence Indonesia's construction equipment rental market. These rental companies have established operations across the region. These companies offer a wide range of products, from standard construction equipment rental and aerial platform forklifts, cranes, and other rental equipment.



INDUSTRY RESTRAINTS

Rising Building Material Prices Can Hamper the Construction Industry



Indonesia faces the challenge of a shortage of skilled labor force in 2023. The country needs ~113 million skilled workers by 2030 to achieve manufacturing, infrastructure, and agribusiness economic growth. The country depends on foreign & cheap laborers from Bangladesh, Nepal & India. These cheap foreign laborers employed in the Indonesian construction industry are known for taking little care of construction equipment when using them. According to Caterpillar Indonesia, improper handling of construction machinery is one of the major challenges for the Indonesia construction equipment rental market.



VENDOR LANDSCAPE

Prominent vendors in the Indonesia construction equipment rental market are Caterpillar, Volvo Construction Equipment, JCB, Komatsu, Hitachi Construction Machinery, Zoomlion, Kobelco, SANY, XCMG & Kubota.

Prominent Vendors

Caterpillar

Komatsu

JCB

Volvo Construction Equipment

Hitachi Construction Machinery

Kubota

SANY

Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co. Ltd. (XCMG)

Kobelco

Other Prominent Vendors

Hyundai Construction Equipment

Liebherr

Liugong Machinery Co., Ltd.

Yanmar

Rental Companies Profile

Aktio Corporation

Kanamoto

PT. Berlian Amal Perkasa Construction & Rental

Nishio

PT. Indonesia Classification Company

PT Kobexindo Tractors Tbk.

CV. Mitra Perdana Equipment (MPE)

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED:



1. How big is the Indonesia construction equipment rental market?

2. What is the growth rate of the Indonesia construction equipment rental market?

3. Which are the prominent rental companies in the Indonesia construction equipment rental market?

4. What are the key trends in the Indonesia construction equipment rental industry?

5. Who are the key players in the Indonesia construction equipment rental market?





Key Attributes:





Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 145 Forecast Period 2022 - 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $430 Million Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $618.5 Million Compound Annual Growth Rate 5.3% Regions Covered Indonesia





Key Topics Covered:



1. Research Methodology



2. Research Objective



3. Research Process



4. Introduction

4.1. Market Coverage

4.2. Report Scope



5. Market at a Glance

5.1. Market Snapshot



6. Executive Summary



7. Market Landscape

7.1. PESTEL Analysis

7.2. Economic Scenario

7.3. Market Dynamic

7.4. Key Economic Region

7.5. Rental Construction Equipment Circular Economy Model

7.6. Advantage of Rental Construction Equipment Over New Equipment

7.7. Parameter Required to Consider Before Renting Construction Equipment



8. Segmentation

8.1. By Equipment Type

8.1.1. Equipment Definition (Earthmoving)

8.1.1.1. Earthmoving Equipment

8.1.1.2. Excavator

8.1.1.3. Backhoe Loader

8.1.1.4. Wheeled Loader

8.1.1.5. Other Earthmoving Equipment (Other Loaders, Bulldozers, Trenchers, Etc.)

8.1.2. Equipment Definition (Road Construction)

8.1.2.1. Road Construction

8.1.2.2. Road Roller

8.1.2.3. Asphalt Paver

8.1.3. Equipment Definition

8.1.3.1. Material Handling Equipment

8.1.3.2. Cranes

8.1.3.3. Forklifts & Telehandlers

8.1.3.4. Aerial Platforms

8.1.4. Equipment Definition

8.1.4.1. Other Equipment

8.1.4.2. Dumpers

8.1.4.3. Tippers

8.1.4.4. Concrete Mixtures

8.1.4.5. Concrete Pump Trucks

8.2. By End-Users

8.2.1. End-User Definition

8.2.2. Construction

8.2.3. Manufacturing

8.2.4. Mining

8.2.5. Others (Waste Management, Agriculture, Oil & Gas Extraction, Utilities & Energy, Power Generation, Disaster Management and Water Management)



9. Geographical Analysis



10. Technology Development



11. Competitive Landscape



12. Report Summary



A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes

Caterpillar

Komatsu

JCB

Volvo Construction Equipment

Hitachi Construction Machinery

Kubota

SANY

Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co. Ltd. (XCMG)

Kobelco

Hyundai Construction Equipment

Liebherr

Liugong Machinery Co., Ltd.

Yanmar

Aktio Corporation

Kanamoto

PT. Berlian Amal Perkasa Construction & Rental

Nishio

PT. Indonesia Classification Company

PT Kobexindo Tractors Tbk.

CV. Mitra Perdana Equipment (MPE)

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cno2nm

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ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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Absolute Reports Pvt Ltd

Pune, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Indoor Skis Market Report 2023-2029 is a comprehensive analysis of the market, providing detailed insights into the industry's growth opportunities, challenges, and trends across all geographical regions. The report covers the latest technological advancements, SWOT and PESTLE analysis, and insightful analysis related to market size, share, growth factors, and key players profiling.

It also provides a detailed supply-demand scope and a holistic overview of industry revenue, demand status, competitive landscape, and regional segments of the global industry by Type (Children, Adu lt), and Applications (Household, Commercial). The report serves as a valuable addition to a company's future strategies and path forward by providing a clear understanding of the Indoor Skis market and its potential growth opportunities.

Get a sample PDF of the report at - https://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/request-sample/21901772

Major Key Players Covered in the Global Indoor Skis Market Are:

SnowWorld

SnowDome

Ski Dubai

Chill Factore

Maxxtracks

Snow Center

Snozone

Alpincenter Bottrop

Snow Planet

SNOBAHN

Snow Factor

Snejkom

What is the Scope of Indoor Skis Market?

The market study provides a detailed analysis of the global and regional market, including an in-depth evaluation of growth prospects. It also presents a comprehensive competitive landscape of the global market, highlighting the leading companies and their successful marketing strategies. The report offers a dashboard overview of these companies, including their market contribution and recent developments, both in historic and present contexts. This information is valuable for businesses and organizations looking to make informed decisions regarding their marketing and growth strategies, as it provides insight into the competitive landscape of the market and the strategies employed by leading companies to achieve success.

Indoor Skis Market Dynamics: 

Drivers: (Developing regions and growing markets)

Limitations: (Regional, Key Player facing Issues, Future Barriers for growth)

Opportunities: (Regional, Growth Rate, Competitive, Consumption)

Story continues

Get a sample PDF of the Indoor Skis Market Report

Indoor Skis Market Segment by Types:

Children

Adu lt

Indoor Skis Market Segment by Applications:

Household

Commercial

Global Indoor Skis market report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market. The Indoor Skis industry trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed and overall research conclusions offered.

Geographically, the report includes research on production, consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate, and forecast (2017 -2029) of the following regions:

United States

Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Poland)

China

Japan

India

Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam)

Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Colombia)

Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria)

Other Regions

To Understand How Covid-19 Impact Is Covered in This Report - https://absolutereports.com/enquiry/request-covid19/21901772

Indoor Skis Market Report Highlights:

Comprehensive pricing analysis on the basis of product, application, and regional segments

The detailed assessment of the vendor landscape and leading companies to help understand the level of competition in the Indoor Skis market

Deep insights about regulatory and investment scenarios of the Indoor Skis market

Analysis of market effect factors and their impact on the forecast and outlook of the Indoor Skis market

A roadmap of growth opportunities available in the Indoor Skis market with the identification of key factors

The exhaustive analysis of various trends of the Indoor Skis market to help identify market developments

Some of the key questions answered in this report:

What will the Indoor Skis market size and the growth rate be in 2029?

What are the key factors driving the global Indoor Skis market forecast?

What are the Indoor Skis market trends impacting the growth of the global Indoor Skis market?

What are the challenges to market growth?

Who are the key vendors in the global Indoor Skis market?

What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the global Indoor Skis market?

Trending factors influencing the Indoor Skis market shares of the relevant regions.

What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the global Indoor Skis market?

Inquire or Share Your Questions If Any Before the Purchasing This Report - https://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/pre-order-enquiry/21901772

Following Chapter Covered in the Indoor Skis Market Research:

Chapter 1 provides an overview of Indoor Skis market, containing global revenue and CAGR. The forecast and analysis of Indoor Skis market by type, application, and region are also presented in this chapter.

Chapter 2 is about the market landscape and major players. It provides competitive situation and market concentration status along with the basic information of these players.

Chapter 3 introduces the industrial chain of Indoor Skis. Industrial chain analysis, raw material (suppliers, price, supply and demand, market concentration rate) and downstream buyers are analyzed in this chapter.

Chapter 4 concentrates on manufacturing analysis, including cost structure analysis and process analysis, making up a comprehensive analysis of manufacturing cost.

Chapter 5 provides clear insights into market dynamics, the influence of COVID-19 in Indoor Skis industry, consumer behavior analysis.

Chapter 6 provides a full-scale analysis of major players in Indoor Skis industry. The basic information, as well as the profiles, applications and specifications of products market performance along with Business Overview are offered.

Chapter 7 pays attention to the sales, revenue, price and gross margin of Indoor Skis in markets of different regions. The analysis on sales, revenue, price and gross margin of the global market is covered in this part.

Chapter 8 gives a worldwide view of Indoor Skis market. It includes sales, revenue, price, market share and the growth rate by type.

Chapter 9 focuses on the application of Indoor Skis, by analyzing the consumption and its growth rate of each application.

Chapter 10 prospects the whole Indoor Skis market, including the global sales and revenue forecast, regional forecast. It also foresees the Indoor Skis market by type and application.

Purchase this Report (Price 3450 USD for a Single-User License) - https://absolutereports.com/purchase/21901772

Detailed TOC of Indoor Skis Market Forecast Report 2022-2029:

1 Indoor Skis Market Overview

1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Indoor Skis

1.2 Segment by Type

1.3 Global Segment by Application

1.4 Global Market, Region Wise (2017-2022)

1.5 Global Market Size of Indoor Skis (2017-2029)

2 Global Indoor Skis Market Landscape by Player

2.1 Global Indoor Skis Sales and Share by Player (2017-2022)

2.2 Global Revenue and Market Share by Player (2017-2022)

2.3 Global Average Price by Player (2017-2022)

2.4 Global Gross Margin by Player (2017-2022)

2.5 Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type by Player

2.6 Market Competitive Situation and Trends

3 Indoor Skis Upstream and Downstream Analysis

3.1 Industrial Chain Analysis

3.2 Key Raw Materials Suppliers and Price Analysis

3.3 Key Raw Materials Supply and Demand Analysis

3.4 Manufacturing Process Analysis

3.5 Market Concentration Rate of Raw Materials

3.6 Downstream Buyers

3.7 Value Chain Status Under COVID-19

4 Indoor Skis Manufacturing Cost Analysis

4.1 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis

4.2 Indoor Skis Key Raw Materials Cost Analysis

4.3 Labor Cost Analysis

4.4 Energy Costs Analysis

4.5 R&D Costs Analysis

5 Market Dynamics

5.1 Drivers

5.2 Restraints and Challenges

5.3 Opportunities

5.3.1 Advances in Innovation and Technology for Indoor Skis

5.3.2 Increased Demand in Emerging Markets

5.4 Indoor Skis Industry Development Trends under COVID-19 Outbreak

5.4.1 Global COVID-19 Status Overview

5.4.2 Influence of COVID-19 Outbreak on Indoor Skis Industry Development

5.5 Consumer Behavior Analysis

6 Players Profiles

6.1 Company A

6.1.1 Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Competitors

6.1.2 Indoor Skis Product Profiles, Application and Specification

6.1.3 Indoor Skis Market Performance (2017-2022)

6.1.4 Business Overview

6.2 Company B

6.2.1 Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Competitors

6.2.2 Indoor Skis Product Profiles, Application and Specification

6.2.3 Indoor Skis Market Performance (2017-2022)

6.2.4 Business Overview

7 Global Indoor Skis Sales and Revenue Region Wise (2017-2022)

7.1 Global Sales and Market Share, Region Wise (2017-2022)

7.2 Global Revenue (Revenue) and Market Share, Region Wise (2017-2022)

7.3 Global Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2017-2022)

8 Global Indoor Skis Sales, Revenue (Revenue), Price Trend by Type

8.1 Global Sales and Market Share by Type (2017-2022)

8.2 Global Revenue and Market Share by Type (2017-2022)

8.3 Global Price by Type (2017-2022)

8.4 Global Sales Growth Rate by Type (2017-2022)

9 Global Indoor Skis Market Analysis by Application

9.1 Global Consumption and Market Share by Application (2017-2022)

9.2 Global Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2017-2022)

10 Global Indoor Skis Market Forecast (2022-2029)

10.1 Global Sales, Revenue Forecast (2022-2029)

10.2 Global Sales and Revenue Forecast, Region Wise (2022-2029)

10.3 Global Sales, Revenue and Price Forecast by Type (2022-2029)

10.4 Global Consumption Forecast by Application (2022-2029)

10.5 Indoor Skis Market Forecast Under COVID-19

11 Research Findings and Conclusion

12 Appendix

12.1 Methodology

12.2 Research Data Source

For Detailed TOC - https://absolutereports.com/TOC/21901772#TOC

CONTACT: Absolute Reports Phone: US +14242530807 UK +44 20 3239 8187 Email: sales@absolutereports.com Web: https://www.absolutereports.com




Dr. Maurice Ferre to join more than 900 leaders in business, government, philanthropy, health, and entertainment for four-day event focused on "Advancing a Thriving World"

LOS ANGELES, April 28, 2023 /CNW/ -- Insightec, a global healthcare company dedicated to using focused ultrasound technology to transform patient care, today announced that Maurice R. Ferre MD, the Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO, will be a featured speaker at the 2023 Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, California on Monday, May 1, 2023 at 11:30 a.m. PST.

Dr. Ferre will join a panel discussion entitled, "The Drive Toward More Non-Invasive Treatments for Patients" to discuss recent advancements in focused ultrasound technology for the treatment of essential tremor, Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders. Additionally, Dr. Ferre will highlight on-going clinical trials where focused ultrasound is combined with novel therapeutics for delivery across the blood brain barrier (BBB) in patients with glioblastoma, metastatic lung cancer, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Other featured panelists include Neal F. Kassell, Founder and Chairman, Focused Ultrasound Foundation; Pejman Ghanouni, MD, PhD and Associate Professor of Radiology, Stanford University; Zhen Xu, Professor, Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan and Chase Koch, Founder and CEO, Koch Disruptive Technologies & Founder of Stand Together Ventures and Stand Together Music.

The conference will run April 30 - May 3 at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, CA. Conference panels will cover a myriad of domestic and global topics such as growth in disruptive technology, global energy markets, healthcare innovation and policy, digital asset regulation, supply chain disruption, biomedical innovation, geopolitics and cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, corporate philanthropy, the future of work, wellness, impact investing, and more.

Story continues

Visit the 2023 Milken Institute Global Conference website for more information and to access session livestreams.

About Insightec

Insightec is a global healthcare company creating the next generation of patient care by realizing the therapeutic power of acoustic energy. The company's Exablate Neuro platform focuses sound waves, safely guided by MRI, to provide tremor treatment to patients with medication-refractory Essential Tremor and Parkinson's Disease. Research for future applications in the neuroscience space is underway in partnership with leading academic and medical institutions. Insightec is headquartered in Haifa, Israel, and Miami, with offices in Dallas, Shanghai, and Tokyo.

For more information, visit www.insightec.com, or Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

About the Milken Institute

The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank focused on accelerating measurable progress on the path to a meaningful life. With a focus on financial, physical, mental, and environmental health, we bring together the best ideas and innovative resourcing to develop blueprints for tackling some of our most critical global issues through the lens of what's pressing now and what's coming next.

For more information, visit: www.milkeninstitute.org.

Forward-looking Statements:

This document contains forward-looking statements regarding, among other things, plans, expectations, and future events. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the following words: "may," "can," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "project," "potential," "promise," "continue," "ongoing," or the negative of these terms. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from what is expressed or implied by the statements. Any forward-looking statement is based on information available to Insightec as of the date of the statement. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to Insightec are qualified by this caution. Insightec does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in circumstances or in Insightec's expectations.

"Exablate," and "Exablate Neuro," as well as the "INSIGHTEC" logo, whether standing alone or in connection with the word "Insightec," are protected trademarks of Insightec.

Insightec Media Contact:

G&S Business Communications for Insightec

Marjani Williams

mwilliams@gscommunications.com

(312) 648-6700, ext.2108

Cision

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Key Insights

The considerable ownership by private companies in Jardine Matheson Holdings indicates that they collectively have a greater say in management and business strategy

A total of 4 investors have a majority stake in the company with 53% ownership

Institutions own 32% of Jardine Matheson Holdings

To get a sense of who is truly in control of Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited (SGX:J36), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. We can see that private companies own the lion's share in the company with 35% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

Institutions, on the other hand, account for 32% of the company's stockholders. Institutions often own shares in more established companies, while it's not unusual to see insiders own a fair bit of smaller companies.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Jardine Matheson Holdings.

View our latest analysis for Jardine Matheson Holdings

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Jardine Matheson Holdings?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Jardine Matheson Holdings. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Jardine Matheson Holdings' historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Story continues

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Jardine Matheson Holdings. The company's largest shareholder is Jardine Strategic Limited, with ownership of 22%. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 13% and 13%, of the shares outstanding, respectively.

On looking further, we found that 53% of the shares are owned by the top 4 shareholders. In other words, these shareholders have a meaningful say in the decisions of the company.

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.

Insider Ownership Of Jardine Matheson Holdings

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

Shareholders would probably be interested to learn that insiders own shares in Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited. It is a very large company, and board members collectively own US$902m worth of shares (at current prices). It is good to see this level of investment. You can check here to see if those insiders have been buying recently.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 26% stake in Jardine Matheson Holdings. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Private Company Ownership

It seems that Private Companies own 35%, of the Jardine Matheson Holdings stock. It's hard to draw any conclusions from this fact alone, so its worth looking into who owns those private companies. Sometimes insiders or other related parties have an interest in shares in a public company through a separate private company.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Jardine Matheson Holdings better, we need to consider many other factors. For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Jardine Matheson Holdings that you should be aware of before investing here.

But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Persistence Market Research

Rising Data Centers and Demand for High-end Healthcare Facilities are expected to drive growth of Insulation Monitoring Devices

New York, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global insulation monitoring device sales are expected to reach US$ 6 billion by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 8% from 2023 to 2033. The Insulation Monitoring Devices Market is anticipated to reach a value of US$ 13 billion by the year 2033. Detecting insulation failures and ensuring the safety of electrical systems can both be accomplished using insulation monitoring devices.



Green energy demand has driven growth in the insulation monitoring device market in recent years. Insulation monitoring devices that have a response time of less than four seconds are expected to dominate the market for insulation monitoring devices. Companies in the mining industry use safety solutions to reduce overall operational costs, the mining application is expected to witness high growth in the insulation monitoring devices market.

Miners are still dependent on the detection of explosive gases as a key parameter in the monitoring of the safety of their activities. The demand for reliable and safe electrical systems will increase the demand for insulation monitoring devices in the industrial and commercial sectors. Electricity systems and insulation monitoring devices are becoming more prevalent as industrialization and urbanization grow. With transformers playing an essential role in the efficiency, reliability, safety of electricity networks, performance management, and flow control, the need for digitalization is increasing.

Click Here to Get Free Sample Copy of this Report@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/22243

Transport industry insulation monitoring devices include electric vehicles, railways, self-driving vehicles, airways, and marines, with safety being a major concern. Thus, the transportation industry is expected to contribute significantly to the market and maintain its position in the future. Marine, transportation, healthcare and manufacturing industries have gradually gained interest in insulation monitoring devices as they ensure a continuous operation of an electric device and provide safety against shock, thus increasing electrical infrastructure reliability.

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Key Takeaways from Market Study

DC insulation monitoring devices are expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.9% by 2033.

Insulation monitoring device sales in the United States is expected to reach US$ 4.1 billion in 2033.

South Koreas insulation monitoring device sales are expected to reach US$ 524.5 million by 2033.

Japans insulation monitoring devices market is estimated to generate absolute dollar opportunities of US$ 940.2 billion by the end of the forecasted period.

By application, the healthcare industry is forecast to expand at a CAGR of 7.8% through 2033

The United Kingdom's market value will surpass US$ 20 billion by 2023.

Increased safety measures being adopted by various industries and requirement to recognize faults to minimize accidents are driving technological developments that will increase the market demand for insulation monitoring devices, says an analyst at Persistence Market Research.

Get Full Access of this Report@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/22243

Key Market Players

Insulation monitoring device manufacturers are expanding their production capabilities to increase their share of the market. Partnerships and collaborations are becoming increasingly popular across the country, which is expected to benefit key players. Players dominating the insulation monitoring devices market include:

ABB , Eaton , Littelfuse , Mitsubishi Electric , Schneider Electric , Bender , Cirprotec , Dold , Hakel , Martens , Megacon , PPO Elektrniikka , Siemens , TRAFOX and more

Recent News

In February 2023, the United Kingdom-based Seaward Company announced the launch of a new solar panel testing tool. With the PV150 solution, users can measure open circuit voltages between 5V and 1,000V and short circuit currents between 0.5A and 15A. An AC/DC current clamp checks operating current, earth continuity, and insulation resistance. The new testers perform controlled and safe electrical tests at the push of a button, preventing accidental contact with exposed conductors of DC power.

Know More about Report Inclusions

Persistence Market Research published a new market report on the insulation monitoring devices market, covering a global industry analysis of 2018-2022 and forecasts for 2023 to 2033. This research report provides compelling insights on the basis of product type, application outlook, and sales channel, across all major regions.

The report also includes forecast factors and vital macroeconomic factors that are anticipated to boost the growth of the global market. It also addresses the restraints that are projected to hinder market growth, along with the latest trends and potential opportunities in the market.

You Can Customize this Report As per Your Requirement Click Here@ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/request-customization/22243

For additional information on how insulation monitoring devices sales will increase in the near future, write to the team of expert research analysts at media@persistencemarketresearch.com

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Business intelligence is the foundation of every business model employed by Persistence Market Research. Multi-dimensional sources are being put to work, which include big data, customer experience analytics, and real-time data collection. Thus, working on micros by Persistence Market Research helps companies overcome their macro business challenges. Persistence Market Research is always way ahead of its time. In other words, it tables market solutions by stepping into the companies/clients shoes much before they themselves have a sneak pick into the market. The pro-active approach followed by experts at Persistence Market Research helps companies/clients lay their hands on techno-commercial insights beforehand, so that the subsequent course of action could be simplified on their part.

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Investors are betting that things just can't get any worse for chip-making legend Intel (INTC).

Intel stock popped as much as 5% on Friday, hours after the company posted its biggest-ever quarterly loss amid a slump in PC demand.

"All of the steps of our turnaround are underway," Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said on Yahoo Finance Live (video above). "Investors are looking at it and seeing a bit of the green shoots, as we have described, starting to emerge in the Intel turnaround story."

Gelsinger pointed to signs of a bottom in the PC market and better execution in building a pipeline of faster chips for customers.

But many analysts say some of those "green shoots" are still hard to find.

The company saw sales plunge 36% from the year-ago period on tepid PC sales and continued to lose market share to rival AMD (AMD) in the data center business. Gross profit margins  a key performance metric for a chip company  dropped to 38.4% from 53.1% a year ago as Intel incurred costs to build out its foundry business.

Intel's second quarter profit guidance also came up short relative to analyst estimates.

"I have no idea what the company looks like in five years," Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon said on Yahoo Finance Live, calling Intel's quarter "horrible."

"The chances of success are not guaranteed," he added. "I think it's a hard thing to own, structurally."

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger runs across the construction site at the groundbreaking of the new Intel semiconductor manufacturing facility in New Albany, Ohio, Friday, Sep. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Intel's earnings rundown

Net Sales: -36% year over year to $11.72 billion vs. estimates for $11.11 billion

Adjusted Diluted EPS: -105% year over year to a loss of 4 cents vs. estimates for $0.00

What else caught our attention

Second quarter revenue guidance of $11.5 billion to $12.5 billion: 1) would mark a 34.8% year over year decline at the mid-point of the range; 2) was above the consensus analyst forecast of $11.7 billion.

Second quarter non-GAAP EPS guidance of a loss of 4 cents was worse than consensus estimates looking for modest profits.

Second quarter gross margin guidance of 37.5% would represent a sharp decline from 44.8% a year ago.

Intel continues to expect to sell 270 million PC units in 2023.

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Wall Street's reaction

"We believe the upside from the stabilizing PC market is offset by continued share loss to AMD and the data center correction due to the recession," Citi's Chris Danely wrote. Danely has a Neutral rating on the stock.



"A bottom seems to materialize, with an inventory correction expected to be complete mid-year, gross margin troughing in 2Q, while Intel 3 represents the real potential stock mover," Baird's Tristan Gerra said (Neutral rating). "Uncertainties around 2H demand and manufacturing execution around Intel 3 remain potential hurdles. A successful Intel 3 ramp would represent a coup for Intel, with customers regaining confidence in Intel's product roadmap. Net, all the bad news appear to have finally settled in, but future process execution remains speculative, and we expect AMD to gain further share this year."



"INTC expects a modest recovery during 2H but does expect enterprise and China/Rest-of-World to recover faster than other markets," Stifel's Ruben Roy said (Hold rating). "While competitor AMD is likely to experience similar macro headwinds, we continue to expect market share gains to act as an offset. Consequently, we continue to prefer AMD shares at this time."

Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance's Executive Editor. Follow Sozzi on Twitter @BrianSozzi and on LinkedIn. Tips on deals, mergers, activist situations or anything else? Email brian.sozzi@yahoofinance.com

Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
Key Insights

Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Lovisa Holdings fair value estimate is AU$36.87

Current share price of AU$26.57 suggests Lovisa Holdings is potentially 28% undervalued

The AU$26.81 analyst price target for LOV is 27% less than our estimate of fair value

Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Lovisa Holdings Limited (ASX:LOV) as an investment opportunity by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple!

We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Check out our latest analysis for Lovisa Holdings

What's The Estimated Valuation?

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

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10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) AU$97.2m AU$124.6m AU$159.1m AU$173.7m AU$220.6m AU$249.5m AU$273.8m AU$294.0m AU$311.0m AU$325.3m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x4 Analyst x4 Analyst x3 Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Est @ 13.09% Est @ 9.74% Est @ 7.40% Est @ 5.76% Est @ 4.61% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 7.9% AU$90.1 AU$107 AU$127 AU$128 AU$151 AU$158 AU$161 AU$160 AU$157 AU$152

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$1.4b

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 1.9%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 7.9%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = AU$325m (1 + 1.9%)  (7.9% 1.9%) = AU$5.5b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$5.5b ( 1 + 7.9%)10= AU$2.6b

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is AU$4.0b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of AU$26.6, the company appears a touch undervalued at a 28% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

The Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Lovisa Holdings as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.9%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.008. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for Lovisa Holdings

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry.

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Weakness

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Specialty Retail market.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Australian market.

Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%.

Threat

Dividends are not covered by earnings.

Revenue is forecast to grow slower than 20% per year.

Next Steps:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. Can we work out why the company is trading at a discount to intrinsic value? For Lovisa Holdings, there are three further elements you should further research:

Risks: For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Lovisa Holdings that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does LOV's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Australian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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In this photo provided by Cavit Ege Tulca, the oil tanker Advantage Sweet passes through the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Turkey, Dec. 23, 2022. Iran's navy seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday, April 27, 2023, heading to the U.S. amid wider tensions over Tehran's nuclear program, the latest-such capture in a waterway crucial for global energy supplies. (Cavit Ege Tulca via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Masked Iranian navy commandos conducted a helicopter-borne raid to seize a U.S.-bound oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, footage aired by Iran's state television showed Friday.

The capture on Thursday of the Turkish-managed, Chinese-owned Advantage Sweet represents the latest seizure by Iran amid tensions with the U.S. over advancing nuclear program. While Tehran says the tanker was seized over it running into another Iranian vessel, it has provided no evidence yet to support the claim  and the Islamic Republic has taken other ships as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.

The footage showed the commandos descending on the deck of the Advantage Sweet by ropes from a hovering helicopter. A photograph showed one commando with his fist in the air after apparently taking the vessel.

The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet has said the Iranian seizure was at least the fifth commercial vessel taken by Tehran in the last two years.

Irans continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights in regional waters are a threat to maritime security and the global economy, it added.

The vessels manager, a Turkish firm called Advantage Tankers, issued a statement acknowledging the Advantage Sweet was being escorted by the Iranian navy to a port on the basis of an international dispute. All the ships 24 crew members are Indian.

The safety and welfare of our valued crew members is our No. 1 priority, the firm said. Similar experiences show that crew members of vessels taken under such circumstances are in no danger.
HUE CITY, Vietnam, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global logistics service provider J&T Express today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hue City, Thua Thien Hue province, to collaborate on developing the local logistics industry and accelerating its digital transformation. As part of the company's strategy to enhance its global ESG initiative, J&T Express Vietnam will tap on its nationwide coverage to promote the facilitate the growth of the local traditional handicraft startups, and promote the rich cultural heritage and legacy embodied in the craftsmanship.

J&T Express provides logistics support for handicraft businesses

J&T Express will be participating as a gold sponsor in the Hue Traditional Craft Festival 2023, held from today to 5 May 2023. J&T Express will undertake the responsibility of transporting exquisitely designed handicraft products to the Creative Handicraft Design Exhibition of the festival which brings together 350 artisans from across 69 craft villages and establishments.

Meanwhile, J&T Express, together with Hue City's People's Committee, will also organize a workshop on Saturday for the owners of the traditional handicraft businesses. Themed "Creating Success on a Digital Business Platform", the workshop will bring together representatives from TikTok, Le Media Group, and local business owner, and feature experience sharing on topics from products to sales activities on digital platforms as well as a complete delivery journey.

Mr Nguyen Anh Tuan, Chief Strategy Officer, J&T Express Vietnam said: "The cooperation with Hue city marks an important milestone in the development strategy and ESG initiatives of J&T Express in Vietnam. With our experience and capacity in logistics, we want to make positive impact for the local communities we operate in, by optimizing the supply chain in terms of transportation, distribution and forwarding. We also want to support the local businesses and enhance their competitiveness through the application of high-tech transportation solutions."

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Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Truong Dinh Hanh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hue city, said: "Hue city welcomes the initiatives and solutions of J&T Express. It opens up opportunities for businesses in the city to access advanced and high-tech delivery services, improve transportation capacity and supply products to a wide range of customers across the country as well as internationally. This will not only help local businesses to flourish but will also in turn improve the livelihood of many in the community."

To ensure that the business owners of traditional craft products have access to the support they need, a cooperation alliance had also been formalised between Hue Institute of Development Research, Le Media Group, J&T Express Vietnam and TikTok Vietnam. The alliance provides a platform to foster greater cooperation between local businesses in Hue city and the necessary expertise to give them a good head start as they transit to operating their businesses online.

Mr Nguyen Anh Tuan said: "The Company is honored to join hands with local authorities and artists to contribute to bringing the beauty of traditional Vietnamese handicrafts. In addition to spreading the cultural values of craft villages, this is also an outreach opportunity for craft villages to introduce products to more tourists, creating greater opportunities for traditional villages."

As J&T Express approaches its fifth anniversary in Vietnam, it seeks to tap on its extensive network and continuously adapt its offerings to develop solutions to promote traditional handicraft across the country and beyond. By joining forces with Hue city, J&T Express aims to play a part in enabling the digitalisation of local businesses while spreading Vietnamese heritage and culture.

About J&T Express

J&T Express is a global logistics service provider with leading express delivery businesses in Southeast Asia and China, the largest and fastest-growing market in the world. Founded in 2015, J&T Express' network spans thirteen countries, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, China, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Mexico, Brazil and Egypt. Adhering to its "customer-oriented and efficiency-based" mission, J&T Express is committed to providing customers with integrated logistics solutions through intelligent infrastructure and digital logistics network, as part of its global strategy to connect the world with greater efficiency and bring logistical benefits to all.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jt-express-vietnam-helps-local-craft-villages-expand-their-reach-301810665.html

SOURCE J&T Express
Jamie Dimon's 'tone deaf' return to office mandate is getting pushback from JPMorgan staffers, who are complaining about being stuck on Zoom calls even while in the office: Reuters. Brian Snyder/Reuters

JPMorgan is now mandating all managing directors work from the office five days a week.

But that rubbed some workers the wrong way, who vented on an internal messaging system, per Reuters.

They griped about being stuck in virtual meetings despite being in the office, long commutes, and family responsibilities.

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, an outspoken advocate of the return to office movement, is getting pushback from his staffers, who feel the firm's newest mandate requiring senior staff to be in the office five days a week is "tone deaf" and "divisive," according to a Friday Reuters report.

In an over 700-word memo on April 12, JPMorgan's operating committee told employees that all managing directors must work from the office five days a week, breaking from a previous hybrid work arrangement, Insider's Carter Johnson reported earlier in April.

Attendance would be considered in performance appraisals and could even result in "corrective action," the memo read.

But that note rubbed some workers the wrong way, who took to the company's internal messaging system to vent, according to responses to the note seen by Reuters.

An unspecified number of the more than 290,000 workers employed by JPMorgan complained about several things  including long commute times, and a "Zoom culture" where they have to attend virtual meetings despite being in the office, per Reuters.

"Most people on my team (and even other teams around me) live pretty far from the office," Reuters reported, citing one employee's response to the memo. "Being stuck in traffic more often and paying even more for gas (prices are rising) is not good for myself and many others."

While only a small part of the entire JPMorgan workforce commented on the memo, the number was significant in relation to the typical level of activity on the internal forum, Reuters reported, citing three employees of varying seniority. The comments section on the memo was locked a day after it was posted, which is standard procedure for high-engagement posts in JPMorgan's internal system, a source told Reuters.

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But Dimon's not budging on his stance.

In response to a Reuters question about returning to the office at an earnings call on April 14, he said: "We completely understand that some people don't want to do it  they can not do it elsewhere."

JPMorgan did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours. The company declined to comment to Reuters.

Some CEOs are pushing hard for their staff to get back to the office

Dimon isn't the only high profile CEO pushing for more of his staff to get back to working from the office.

James Clarke, the CEO of marketing and tech company Clearlink said in a video first posted by Vice that many remote workers "quietly quit" and dozens of his employees "didn't even open" their laptops for a month.

In the same video, Clarke even lauded one employee's work ethic who he said "sold their family dog" to improve work performance.

Investor Sam Zell also came out swinging against remote work this month.

"All of this discussion about work from home is basically a bunch of bullshit," he told attendees at an event at the New York University Schack Institute of Real Estate, Insider's Alex Nicoll reported.

But employees are fighting this, saying don't fix something that's already working.

"People are saying, 'I had something that was working, and now you're telling me I have to commute, get dressed up, and that I can't pick up my kids from school, Abbie Shipp, a professor of management at the Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University, told Insider's Rebecca Knight in March.

Read the JPMorgan return to office memo in full here.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Welcome back to another exciting year of racing at Churchill Downs, and with it: Kentucky Derby week.

This year's spring meet begins Saturday with a 10-race opening night card and concludes with Kentucky Derby day May 6 with plenty of fun stops along the way: 502s Day, Champions Day, Thurby, and the Kentucky Oaks.

Here are my picks for each race:

Race 1 picks: 5-6-7

A classic question this meeting is which type of performances do you think are more indicative of a horses talent: what they have done on dirt in their past or what they have done more recently on synthetic? No. 5 My Favorite Uncle has races on dirt that are just better than these. Plus, hes cutting back in distance and getting a jockey upgrade to Rafael Bejarano. No. 6 Faneuil Hall is an early speed threat on the drop in class.

Who are the Derby favorites? 5 tips from The Courier Journal's Better Derby Betting event

Race 2 picks: 8-6-4

Like our top pick in Race 1, No. 8 Cove Blue is exiting a two-turn race on synthetic at Turfway Park and shows up at Churchill Downs where he has done some of his best work, going 4-for-12 while 3-for-18 everywhere else. Early speed adds to the allure.

Race 3 picks: 4-3-5

Long way down for No. 4 Nara, who cost $250,000 and was favored against nine others on debut. In fact, he has been favored in three of his four starts, including odds on last out against $15,000 claimers at Turfway. Now he drops to his lowest level yet first off the claim for John Howard, and there are signs that this gelding goes right to the front and doesnt look back.

Race 4 picks: 5-4-6

No. 5 Nordic Light was just plain outrun against better going longer last out but gets to shorten up here to the distance of his lone win and gets to do it against cheaper horses ($10,000 claiming price versus $20,000). No. 4 Sprinklehead could have a pass edge stretching out for new trainer Jerome F. Miller.

Wild On Ice: Horse will miss Kentucky Derby 2023 after injury Thursday; Skinner now in field

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Race 5 picks: 4-7-5

Solid run first out from No. 4 Mapper, who had to negotiate a wide trip going short (5  furlongs) at Gulfstream Park. Trainer George Arnold II has fantastic numbers second time out, and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. had a fantastic Keeneland meeting.

Race 6 picks: 1-2-3

Were back on turf at Churchill Downs, which struggled with the sod through much of the 2022 racing season. No more fitting name to kick off racing on this surface with than trainer Mike Maker, who is a tactician with grass types. No. 1 Chasing the Crown actually has a win over the new turf course here, and either of his last two is plenty good enough to best this bunch.

Race 7 picks: 5-3-7

This is one of those races where I wish I knew which jockey would be the most aggressive, as I think speed will have a big advantage here going the Kentucky Derby distance of 1  miles. Ultimately, I landed on No. 5 Raggity Sand because I think the combination of trainer Neil L. Pessin with jockey Jareth Loveberry is less likely to attract the money that other bigger names in this field might. If Love sends this one then they could be tough to catch.

Secretariat's family tree: Odds, what to know about 8 descendants in 2023 Kentucky Derby

Race 8 picks: 1-3-7

They didnt sprint much on the turf last year, so its a good sign they look to the 5 -furlong trip on opening day. Jockey Luis Saez will have to find a seam late to come with this ones run from the rail, but No. 1 Nota Bene should have pace to close into if good enough. No. 3 Quick Munny returns to turf first in the barn for trainer Chris A. Hartman, and jockey Reylu Gutierrez is a name you should familiarize yourself with this meeting.

Race 9 picks: 1-6-5

The first stakes of the meeting is Roxelana for older female sprinters. Well get to see the best female sprinter in training, Goodnight Olive, on Kentucky Derby day in the Derby City Gaming Distaff, but these are some of the quickest distaffers based locally, including No. 1 Franks Rockette, and 11-time winner, who just looks faster than these. Nos. 5 Pretty Birdie and 6 Coppelia could have a say in things early, and of those I prefer the latters current form and projected outside stalking trip.

How to read horse racing form: 5 things to know before placing your winning bet on Kentucky Derby 2023

Race 10 picks: 13-10-5-8-6

No. 13 Succeed has tried five different tracks in the past year to break his maiden and now adds Churchill to the list of hopeful spots. Relative to this group, he certainly fits and is the pick if drawn in from the also eligible list. No. 10 Cronus has six less losses than Succeed but again consistently runs numbers faster than these. Tiz Twenty Twenty (No. 5), Code of Kings (6) and Booster Shot (8) all have upside given some early speed and dropping in class here. Tough race.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Derby 2023: Betting picks for Opening Day at Churchill Downs
BANGKOK, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Calling all Finger Lickin' Goodies! Brace yourselves for a sizzling Songkran with KFC Thailand and renowned artist, TIKKYWOW  an exciting collaboration that got Songkran celebrations hotter than KFC's famous Hot & Spicy chicken. For the first time ever, KFC fans saw the Colonel's original herbs and spices infused with the vibrant colours of TIKKYWOWW's iconic street style.

KFC spices up Songkran with a limited-edition KFCxTIKKYWOW Bucket.

KFC has always been known for its iconic originality, and TIKKYWOW's pop art brings the same vibrant energy, with its unique blend of colors, playful characters, and quirky charms. The Colonel's new TIKKYWOW bucket is a feast for the eyes, inspired by the colorful movements of the streets of everyday Thailand, from Thai buses and Tuk-Tuk taxis to street symbols - and everything in between!

TIKKYWOW's designs are so scrumptious that Colonel Sanders decided to wrap the streets in them. And it doesn't stop there! The limited-edition SUMMERWOW merchandise collection lets fans sprinkle their wardrobe with t-shirts, raincoats, bucket hats, bucket bags, and mini phone bags, that feature the same statement-making designs.

Never one to say goodbye to Songkran without a bang, the Colonel decided to deliver the party to one of the most iconic spots in town - the Water Playground event at Samyan Metrotown Bangkok. Experiencing an evening extravaganza, the party featured DJ Ballisticone on the Main Stage, a GIANT bucket housing all TIKKYWOW's limited SUMMERWOW collection, and loads of sizzling Songkran fun! And here's a fun fact: the street art installations were AR-enabled, so point your cameras and capture the magic of TIKKYWOW's world for yourself-ie!

"The KFCxTIKKYWOW collaboration is inspired by our fans, who know all about biting into the latest fashion, art, and trends," says Suhayl Limbada, Chief Marketing Officer for KFC Thailand. "It's a celebration of modern Thai culture and its bold lifestyle, making for a collaboration that's full of feisty surprises to inspire you to make the most of Songkran's celebrations, after a few years of hush-hush."

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KFC is committed to always being original and this collab with TIKKYWOW is just another way of the brand saying thank you to its Finger Lickin' Good fans. Stay tuned for any upcoming hot and crispy campaigns from KFC or follow us on our social media for any latest updates.

#KFCxTIKKYWOW #KFCSUMMERWOW

Cision

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SOURCE KFC Thailand
Kitron ASA

(2023-04-28) Kitron today reported first-quarter results showing record levels for revenue and profits. The outlook for 2023 is lifted due to strong demand and further easing of supply constraints.



Kitrons revenue for the first quarter was EUR 190.6 million, compared to EUR 140.0 million last year. Compared to last year, there was revenue growth within every market sector. Growth was particularly strong within the Electrification market sector.

First-quarter operating profit (EBIT) was EUR 17.3 million, compared to 7.9 million last year. EBITDA was EUR 21.4 million, compared to 11.7 million last year.

The order backlog ended at EUR 586 million, an increase of 35 per cent compared to last year. Growth was particularly strong within the market sectors Electrification and Defence & Aerospace.

Peter Nilsson, Kitrons CEO, comments:

This was the sixth consecutive quarter of revenue and profitability growth, driven by the increasing demand for electronics that incorporate automation, mobility, connectivity, and autonomy in the Electrification, Industry, and Defence & Aerospace sectors. Were pleased that high utilization has generated a record-high EBIT. We expect to improve some units further during the second quarter as ramp-ups continue and new business is added. Our strong order backlog supports continued growth, and we expect the second quarter of 2023 to continue the current trajectory.

Profitability expressed as EBIT margin was 9.1 per cent in the first quarter, compared to 5.5 per cent in the same quarter last year.

Profit after tax amounted to EUR 13.3 million, compared to 4.5 million in the same quarter the previous year. This corresponds to earnings per share of EUR 0.07, up from 0.02 last year.

Improved Capital efficiency

Operating cash flow in the first quarter was EUR 10.4 million, compared to EUR -10.9 million in the first quarter of 2022.

Net working capital was EUR 183.7 million, an increase of 4 per cent compared to the same quarter last year. Net working capital as a percentage of revenue was 23.7 per cent compared to 27.8 per cent last year. Capital efficiency ratios have improved, and this trend is expected to continue.

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Outlook

Kitron updates its outlook for 2023, reflecting further strengthening of the underlying business as well as the previously announced change of presentation currency from NOK to EUR. A positive megatrend drives the Electrification market sector, strong growth is expected for the Defence/Aerospace sector over the coming years, and demand continues to be robust in the Industry market sector. On the supply side, the component situation is broadly improving, although challenges remain in specific niches. For 2023, Kitron now expects revenues between EUR 700 and 800 million. Operating profit (EBIT) is expected to be between EUR 60 and 75 million.

Enclosed in PDF are the quarterly report and the presentation. The interim report is presented today at 08:30 a.m. CEST. The presentation will be given in English by CEO Peter Nilsson and CFO Cathrin Nylander, and will be webcast at the following link:

https://channel.royalcast.com/hegnarmedia/#!/hegnarmedia/20230428_3

For further information, please contact:

Peter Nilsson, President and CEO, tel. +47 94 84 08 50

Cathrin Nylander, CFO, tel. +47 900 43 284

E-mail: investorrelations@kitron.com

Kitron is a leading Scandinavian electronics manufacturing services company for the Connectivity, Electrification, Industry, Medical devices and Defence/Aerospace sectors. The group is located in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Lithuania, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, India, China and the United States. Kitron has about 3 200 employees, and revenues were EUR 641 million in 2022.

www.kitron.com

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act





Attachments




Morning commuters on London Bridge head towards the City of London as Lloyds Banking Group summons its staff back to the office for two days a week - Hollie Adams/Bloomberg

Lloyds Banking Group has been accused of inflicting unnecessary disruption on the lives of its employees after telling them to return to the office for just two days a week.

Accord, a union that represents Lloyds staff, said that members at the lender had been in touch to express their shock, disappointment and anger at what they see as unnecessary disruption to their lives.

The union said it was on standby to offer advice and support to Lloyds staff, adding: We want to make clear that [Lloyds] has not asked the union for an agreement on the proposed changes. If it did, it wouldnt get one.

These changes will do immediate and tangible damage to members working lives, work/life balance and their family budgets.

It comes after Charlie Nunn, chief executive at Lloyds, sent a memo to the banks 63,000 staff, ordering those who work from home to return to their desks at least two days a week.

He said: This is about performance, supporting each other and creating equity. We want flexible working to be fair, inclusive and productive for all.

A spokesman for Lloyds said the move brings clarity on our hybrid approach moving forward and will enable us to continue to best meet the evolving needs of our customers.

FILE PHOTO: Charlie Nunn, chief executive officer of HSBC Wealth and Personal Banking division speaks during an interview in London, Britain February 19, 2020. REUTERS/Simon Dawson/File Photo - SIMON DAWSON/Reuters

Mr Nunn added that card swipe data will be used to monitor how regularly staff are returning to the workplace and shared with senior leadership teams.

Employees were also told the Lloyds would likely curb its compressed hours scheme that had enabled employees to work fewer days as long as they worked the same amount of hours in a week.

The move by one of Britains biggest private employers suggests that bosses are finally seeking to return to more traditional work practices following a shift to home working since the pandemic.

Earlier this month, Wall Street giant JP Morgan warned its investment bankers that they would be punished for failing to come into the office as it ordered its senior staff back to their desks five days a week.

Jamie Dimon, its veteran chief executive, has previously said remote working doesnt work for younger staff or spontaneity or management.
A man loads pieces of two-by-four wood onto his cart in the lumber section at a home improvement store on August 16, 2022 in Alhambra, California. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

Lumber prices continued their downward trend on Thursday, falling 4% toward multi-year lows.

The decline in lumber came amid an unexpected decline in March pending home sales, and as the industry seeks a balance in supply and demand.

"The broad industry is still challenged with getting supply in check to meet the new demand curve," Sherwood Lumber told Insider.

Lumber prices fell toward multi-year lows on Thursday, falling 4% to $382 per thousand board feet as the industry continues to seek a balance in supply and demand.

The decline on Thursday came after the pending home sales index unexpectedly declined 5.2% in March to 78.9, according to the National Association of Realtors. The index, which is based on signed contracts, fell to its lowest level since December. Economists were expecting an increase of 0.5%.

"The lack of housing inventory is a major constraint to rising sales. Multiple offers are still occurring on about a third of all listings, and 28% of homes are selling above list price. Limited housing supply is simply not meeting demand nationally," NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said.

That means the housing market needs more supply to come online in the form of new homes, which should boost demand for lumber.

But according to Sherwood Lumber president Andy Goodman, the lumber industry is still searching for a balance in supply and demand.

"While there are pockets of hope, the broad industry is still challenged with getting supply in check to meet the new demand curve. The narrow trading range indicates that we are very close to equilibrium," Goodman told Insider on Thursday.

The trading range of lumber has consistently been between about $300 and $600, aside from the upside volatility boom that sent lumber prices soaring to as high as $1,733 per thousand board feet during the pandemic-induced housing boom. Since then, lumber prices have cratered 78%, in part driven by a surge in mortgage rates to above 6%.

"Lumber is trying to carve out it's new post-covid trading range after resetting to more historical price structure... Any supply disruption or shift in demand will only bring one constant, volatility," Goodman said. "The question we all would like to answer is, when?"

Read the original article on Business Insider
Viewing insider transactions for MaxCyte, Inc.'s (LON:MXCT ) over the last year, we see that insiders were net buyers. This means that a larger number of shares were purchased by insiders in relation to shares sold.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

See our latest analysis for MaxCyte

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At MaxCyte

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Non-Executive Chairman of the Board Richard Douglas for UK280k worth of shares, at about UK3.51 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at around the current price of UK3.80. Of course they may have changed their mind. But this suggests they are optimistic. We do always like to see insider buying, but it is worth noting if those purchases were made at well below today's share price, as the discount to value may have narrowed with the rising price. In this case we're pleased to report that the insider bought shares at close to current prices. Richard Douglas was the only individual insider to buy shares in the last twelve months.

You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

MaxCyte is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Our data indicates that MaxCyte insiders own about UK5.6m worth of shares (which is 1.4% of the company). We do generally prefer see higher levels of insider ownership.

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What Might The Insider Transactions At MaxCyte Tell Us?

It is good to see the recent insider purchase. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. However, we note that the company didn't make a profit over the last twelve months, which makes us cautious. While the overall levels of insider ownership are below what we'd like to see, the history of transactions imply that MaxCyte insiders are reasonably well aligned, and optimistic for the future. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with MaxCyte and understanding this should be part of your investment process.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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One-third of laid off workers received job offers, placement with MLH or local, regional employers

MEMPHIS, Tenn., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Since Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare hosted a career fair for hundreds of displaced workers in the Mid-South, more than 100 people have received job offers or started new roles. Participants found jobs in the Memphis-based healthcare system and with local and regional employers, including AutoZone, City of Memphis, FedEx, First Horizon, Ozark Motor Lines and State Farm.

(PRNewsfoto/Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare)

"We are making a difference, and we are not stopping yet," said Jill Lopez, Director of Recruitment Operations for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. "We are still scheduling interviews, making offers and conducting orientations. It's a blessing to turn a loss like this into a huge gain for our area partner industries."

Marlon Marlow-Mabon from Memphis worked in finance for American Car Center for eight years and credits the job fair as a blessing. "Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare was so kind to help us find employment opportunities," she said. "I am so excited to join the healthcare system as a financial counselor for the Methodist Cancer Institute. The entire hiring process has been uplifting in so many ways and I am looking forward to day one meeting my new work family."

Another former American Car Center employee, Sherita Morris-Bennett, also from Memphis, joined Methodist Le Bonheur's cardiology clinic, Sutherland Cardiology Clinic, on April 10. She joins as a patient access coordinator responsible for scheduling patient appointments and assisting with other patient needs like medication refill requests, obtaining referrals and facilitating questions to physicians.

"I have previous experience as a first responder and was eager to return to a healthcare setting," Morris-Bennett said. "My children were both delivered at Methodist Le Bonheur hospitals, and I'm so pleased to now be part of this organization that is so near and dear to my heart. My team has welcomed me from the beginning and I look forward to growing my career with Methodist Le Bonheur and utilizing their advancement program to return to school to continue my interest in direct patient care."

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In addition to employment opportunities, partner agencies like Neighborhood Christian Church provided more than 200 hot meals for attendees. Additional resources were offered for food vouchers, toiletries, bill assistance and temporary agency placement.

For career opportunities with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, visit MethodistHealth.org/careers.

About Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare

Based in Memphis, Tennessee, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare has been caring for patients and families regardless of their ability to pay for more than 100 years. Guided by roots in the United Methodist Church and founded in 1918 to help meet the growing need for quality healthcare in the greater Memphis area, MLH has grown from one hospital into a comprehensive healthcare system with 13,000 Associates supporting six hospitals, including nationally ranked Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, ambulatory surgery centers, outpatient facilities, hospice residence and physician and specialty practices serving communities across the Mid-South. From transplants and advanced heart procedures to expert neurology services and compassionate cancer care, MLH offers clinical expertise with a focus on improving every life we touch.

Cision

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SOURCE Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare
WHITEHORSE, YT, April 28, 2023 /CNW/ - Minto Metals Corp. (TSXV: MNTO) ("Minto" or the "Company") announces three transactions to improve organizational liquidity:

Minto Metals Corp. Logo (CNW Group/Minto Metals Corp.)

Extension of Sumitomo Offtake Agreement (as defined below) and a US$1.5 million drawdown under the Sumitomo Facility (as defined below).

The Company and Capstone Mining Corp. ("Capstone") have agreed to amend and extend the share purchase agreement payment of deferred purchase price obligations.

The Company also announces it has entered into a new term loan agreement dated April 14, 2023 (the "Loan Agreement") with Lion Point Capital, LP ("Lion Point"), Copper Holdings, LLC ("Copper" and together with Lion Point, the "Lenders") and GLAS Americas LLC, as agent for the Lenders.

Sumitomo Prepayment Facility and Offtake Agreement

Minto has drawn down a further US$1.5 million under its existing prepayment facility (the "Sumitomo Facility") with Sumitomo Canada Limited ("Sumitomo") pursuant to the amended and restated prepayment facility agreement dated May 16, 2022 entered into between the Company and Sumitomo (the "Sumitomo Facilty Agreement"), bringing the total amount of funds advanced by Sumtiomo under the Sumitomo Facility to US$12.5 million. Pursuant to the Sumitomo Facility Agreement, Sumitomo established a secured prepayment non-revolving credit facility in favour of Minto in the amount of US$17.5 million, repayable over 48 months, and is in connection with an offtake agreement dated May 16, 2022 entered into between the parties (the "Offtake Agreement").

Under the Offtake Agreement, Sumitomo agreed to purchase 100% of the copper concentrate produced at the Minto Mine for a four year term, based on 50,000 dry metric tonnes ("dmt")/year of concentrate production. In conjunction with the US$1.5 million drawdown under the Sumitomo Facility, Sumitomo and Minto amended the Offtake Agreement to extend the term by a further 12 months or until an additional 40,000 dmt of copper concentrate are produced. The Company intends to use the proceeds of the drawdown for general corporate purposes.

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Amendment to Share Purchase Agreement

The Company, Pembridge Resources plc ("Pembridge") and Capstone have agreed to amend the share purchase agreement dated June 3, 2019, as amended by amending agreement no. 1 dated December 23, 2021, amending agreement no. 2 dated January 14, 2022 and amending agreement no. 3 dated February 9, 2023 (collectively the "SPA") to revise the schedule for payment of the balance of the deferred purchase price in the amount of US$5 million owing to Capstone under the SPA to be payable as follows: (a) $250,000 on each of September 1, 2023, December 1, 2023, March 1, 2024 and June 3, 2024 and (b) $1,000,000 on each of September 3, 2024, December 3, 2024, March 3, 2025 and June 3, 2025. In addition, the terms of the amendment provide that Pembridge has assigned to Minto and Minto has agreed to assume all of Pembridge's obligations under the SPA, and Capstone has released Pembridge from all such obligations.

The entry into of the SPA constitutes a "related party transaction" pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101  Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"), as Pembridge is a principal shareholder of the Company, and Gati Al-Jebouri is a director of Minto and the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Pembridge, and as such is a "related party" under MI 61-101. The Company is exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation or minority shareholder approval in connection with the Amended SPA in reliance of sections 5.5(b) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101. A material change report in connection with the SPA was not filed more than 21 days in advance of entering into the SPA as the Company wished to close the transaction as soon as practicable following finalization of the terms, which the Company deems reasonable in the circumstances.

New Term Facility

Pursuant to the Loan Agreement, the Lenders have agreed to provide a secured non-revolving term facility (the "Facility") in the principal amount of C$1 million, which may be increased to C$2 million, subject to further commitments being obtained from the Lenders to fund any additional amounts under the Loan Agreement. The Facility bears interest at the rate of 10% per annuum, payable semi-annually. Repayment of the Facility is due on the earlier of: (i) April 14, 2026; and (ii) the final repayment date under the Company's previously issued secured notes dated June 3, 2019 held by Cedro Holdings I, LLC ("Cedro") and Stiftelsen Lejonudden.

The entry into of the Loan Agreement also constitutes a "related party transaction" pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101  Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"), as Copper and Cedro (which Lion Point manages) are each principal shareholders of the Company. In addition, Lazaros Nikeas and Derek White are each a Director of Minto, and Mr. Nikeas manages, and Mr. White is an advisor to, Copper. Jay Johnson is also a Director of Minto and the Partner and Associate Portfolio Manager of Lion Point, which manages Cedro. As such, Copper and Cedro are each a "related party" under MI 61-101. The Company is exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation or minority shareholder approval in connection with the Loan Agreement in reliance of sections 5.5(b) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101. A material change report in connection with the Loan Agreement was not filed more than 21 days in advance of entering into the Loan Agreement as the Company wished to close the transaction as soon as practicable following finalization of the terms, which the Company deems reasonable in the circumstances.

About Minto Metals Corp.

Minto operates the producing Minto mine located within the traditional territory of the Selkirk First Nation in the Minto Copper Belt of the Yukon. The Minto mine has been in operation since 2007 with underground mining commencing in 2014. Since 2007, approximately 500Mlbs of copper have been produced from the Minto mine. The current mine operations are based on underground mining, a process plant to produce high-grade copper, gold, and silver concentrate, and all supporting infrastructure associated with a remote location in Yukon. The Minto property is located west of the Yukon River, about 20 km WNW of Minto Landing, the latter on the east side of the river, and approximately 250 road-km north of the City of Whitehorse, the capital city of Yukon.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates, and projections as of the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "anticipated" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might " or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to: statements with respect to the Loan Agreement, including the Lenders lending additional amounts thereunder, [statements with respect to an amendment to the Offtake Agreement] [NTD: Please confirm if this is done.], and future payments owed by the Company to Capstone under the Amended SPA.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, but are not limited to: failure of the Lenders to loan additional amounts; failure to make any of the future payments owed to Capstone under the SPA; general business, economic, competitive, political and social and international conflict uncertainties; the delay or failure to receive regulatory approvals; the supply and demand for labour and other project inputs; changes in commodity prices; changes in interest and currency exchange rates; risks relating to inaccurate geological and engineering assumptions; risks relating to unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, cost escalation, unavailability of materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job action, and unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters); risks relating to adverse weather conditions; political risk, social unrest or international conflict; changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets; changes in laws; risks related to the direct and indirect impact of COVID-19 including, but not limited to, its impact on general economic conditions, and the ability to obtain financing as required; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time, including those risk factors set out in the Company's MD&A and annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2022. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. The statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contact Information:

Tania Barreto, CPIR

Director, Investor Relations

info@mintometals.com

604 759 4666

SOURCE Minto Metals Corp.

Cision

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CALGARY, AB, April 28, 2023 /CNW/ - National Bank of Canada (the "Bank") (TSX: NA) will invest $3 million in The51's Food and AgTech Fund (the "Fund"). This contribution is aligned with the Bank's willingness to advance Canada's growing tech sectors, including agricultural technologies.

National Bank of Canada logo (CNW Group/National Bank of Canada)

Highlights

The51, a national organization headquartered in Alberta, is focused on improving access to capital for women and gender-diverse founders while advancing gender equality through economic empowerment.

The Fund will invest in early-stage companies at the pre-seed, seed and Series A levels to advance their growth, foster sustainable agricultural development, and strengthen Canada's food chain.

The Bank's contribution will assist in funding the advancement of agriculture biotechnology, farm innovation, automation and food innovation businesses.

Quotes

"Investing in agricultural technology innovation is critical for Canada's economic growth, food security, and environmental sustainability," says Alison Sunstrum, Managing General Partner of The51 Food and AgTech Fund.

"Our important work with National Bank harnesses the economic opportunity of diversity within the food and AgTech sector and beyond. We want to identify and help build exceptional commercial ventures, which have the potential to positively impact people and the planet," says Shelley Kuipers, Co-Founder, General Partner of The51.

"We are proud to support the rapidly developing food and AgTech sectors, as the Bank continues to grow its presence in Western Canada. This collaboration with The51 is a commitment to further the advancement of investors, founders, and businesses, including underrepresented and diverse groups," says Judith Menard, Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking and Private Banking at National Bank.

About National Bank of Canada

With $418 billion in assets as at January 31, 2023, National Bank of Canada, together with its subsidiaries, forms one of Canada's leading integrated financial groups. The Bank has approximately 30,000 employees in knowledge-intensive positions and has been recognized numerous times as a top employer and for its commitment to diversity. Its securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NA). Follow the Bank's activities at nbc.ca or via social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

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SOURCE National Bank of Canada

Cision

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Wind turbines and electricity pylons in the English Countryside. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg - Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Britain will struggle to keep the lights on using only net zero electricity as the roll-out of green energy lags far behind target, MPs have warned.

Falling investor confidence and bureaucratic delays mean Britains efforts to produce entirely clean electricity are at risk of stalling, MPs on the cross-party Business Select Committee said.

They are calling on the government to come up with a coherent, overarching plan to boost green supplies  or risk missing climate targets.

Demand for electricity is expected to soar as households buy electric cars and heat pumps.

Darren Jones, the Labour MP who chairs the committee, said: Ministers think that publishing strategies and releasing social media videos will deliver the energy infrastructure the country needs.

Its failed before and it keeps failing. Without a coherent, overarching delivery plan, the Government risks undermining the UKs ability to generate, store and distribute the fossil fuel free electricity the country needs to hit net zero.

The Government wants to decarbonise the power system by 2035, as part of efforts to slash carbon emissions to net zero across the economy by 2050.

Britain has made significant progress in cutting emissions from its electricity system, with wind turbines now producing roughly a quarter of electricity across the year.

However, production is still dominated by gas-fired power stations, which supply more than a third of annual electricity and are a large source of carbon dioxide emissions.

Ministers want to change this by boosting the amount of electricity generated from wind turbines and nuclear power stations instead.

Gas-fired power stations are likely to still play a role but would need to be fitted with new technology to capture their emissions, or burn hydrogen instead.

The overhaul will require billions of pounds of investment in new power stations, as well as new technology to help cope with greater levels of intermittent wind power on the system.

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However, the MPs on the business committee pointed to policies deterring investors, such as windfall taxes, as well as delays for new projects to connect to the electricity grid and a cumbersome planning regime.

They warned that investors are being lured abroad, with the US offering billions of dollars of subsidies.

Grant Shapps, the Energy Secretary, defended the government's plans, noting it had succeeded in almost completely stripping coal out of the electricity system.

Speaking as he visited Hinkley Point C, the nuclear power plant being built by Frances EDF in Somerset, he added: I really started to appreciate the extent to which Britain has a total lead in this regard when I was at the G7 energy ministers [meeting] in Japan, where every country in the world is looking to the way that Britain has decarbonised.

MccLi0003980 UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Grant Shapps in the simulator room at Hinkley Point C nuclear power station - Dale Cherry

So I dont think we are going to miss it [the target]  there are challenges, grid connections is one of them. The grid connection problem is really a recognition of the fact that we have gone renewable so much faster than other countries.

The business committee is made up of four Labour MPs, six Conservatives and one Scottish National Party member. Members include Alexander Stafford, the Tory MP for Rother Valley, and Bim Afolami, Conservative for Hitchin and Harpin.

In their report, they highlight how insufficient capacity in the electricity networks means that billions of pounds has to be spent switching off wind turbines because the electricity they produce cannot be moved to where it is needed.

As well as seeking more investment into the electricity grid, they are also calling on the Government to reform the planning system to allow more wind turbines to be built on land, as well as out to sea.

Joe Biden has created a major shift in investment towards the US with a $430bn package of subsidies.

Mr Jones added: The UK is now competing with the US and Europe for investment. Government must urgently make us an attractive investment proposition again and ensure that the pool of capital and labour available for building low-carbon energy projects is not lost.
King Charles III and the Queen Consort at the M and S Bank Arena, which will host this year's Eurovision contest - Phil Noble/PA Wire

Militant trade union leaders are blaming strike laws for ruining rail services for thousands of people travelling to next months Eurovision song contest in Liverpool.

Senior union sources have told the Telegraph that strikes by the Rail, Maritime and Transport workers union (RMT) are not connected to Eurovision.

They have instead blamed Trades Union laws that force leaders to give two weeks notice before industrial action. Saturday May 13 is the next available date, the sources said.

The timing has puzzled rail bosses, however, as the RMT could have opted for May 12 instead  minimising some of the disruption for Ukrainian people travelling to the event following the countrys Eurovision victory last year.

The RMT today refused to comment on its industrial action strategy with a spokesman for the union pointing the finger at train companies and the Government for torpedoing the talks.

The unions decision to launch a fresh wave of industrial action is the latest in a series of shocks during the year-long dispute.

Senior industry figures had drawn a line under the situation after the RMT agreed to put a proposed deal from train operators to a ballot of its members.

While the RMT publicly accused its employers of reneging on the deal on Thursday evening, it is thought that the change of heart was based on a different interpretation of clauses that have not been changed.

But the targeting of Eurovision, seen as a significant show of solidarity by contestants for Ukraine, will spark renewed questions about links between Russian separatists and one of the RMTs top officials.

RMT Assistant General Secretary Eddie Dempsey - Yui Mok/PA Wire

Eddie Dempsey, senior assistant general secretary at the RMT, wrote a gushing obituary about Alexei Mozgovoi, the former Russia-backed militia leader of rebel-held Donbass region.

Originally appearing in left-wing newspaper The Morning Star  before being removed  the article was republished by the Russia Insider website. Mr Dempsey had previously met Mr Mozgovoi on a trip to the region.

Story continues

Published in 2015, Mr Dempsey said Mr Mozgovoi led 3,000 volunteers  incorporating a communist battalion  within his Ghost Brigade who have [been] resisting the so-called Anti-Terrorist Operation of the US/EU-backed Kiev junta for more than a year.

Mr Dempsey went on to hail Mr Mozgovoi for expos[ing] claims by Western politicians and their puppets in Kiev that the Novorossiyan resistance is no more than a Russian invasion.

Responding to the accusations when they were revealed a year ago, the RMT said that the union does not support either Vladimir Putin or his actions in Ukraine.

Mr Dempsey said: I fully agree with the unions position.
REPORTSINSIGHTS CONSULTING PVT LTD

The Global Non-Volatile Memory Market is projected to register a CAGR of 11.19% during 2023-2030, fueled by the increasing demand for automation to improve the efficiency and productivity of operations.

New York, April 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- -As per the research report Global Non-Volatile Memory Market published by Reports Insights, the market was worth USD 5.78 Billion in 2022 and is anticipated to reach over USD 13.50 Billion by the year 2030, growing at a CAGR of 11.19%.

By answering the Key Questions for Non-Volatile Memory Market Report, businesses can make informed decisions and stay ahead of their competitors.



What specific segmentation details are covered in the Non-Volatile Memory market report, and how is the dominating segment impacting the market growth ?



- The report consists of segments including Type, Wafer Size, and End-User. Each segment has key dominating sub-segment being driven by the industry trends and market dynamics. For instance, by type segment has witnessed traditional non-volatile memory devices as the dominating segment in the year 2022, due to the ability of non-volatile memory devices to provide both short-term and long-term storage capabilities.





What specific segmentation details are covered in the Non-Volatile Memory market report, and how is the fastest segment anticipated to impact the market growth ?



- The report consists of segments including Type, Wafer Size, and End-User. Each segment is projected to have the fastest-growing sub-segment being fueled by industry trends and drivers. For instance, The Wafer Size segment witnessed 200mm non-volatile memory devices as the fastest growing segment during the forecast period. The growth is attributed to the small-size, light-weight and high storage capabilities of the 200mm non-volatile memory devices.





Which region/country is anticipated to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period, 2023-2030 ?



- North America is expected to register fastest CAGR growth during the forecast period. The rise of advanced technologies such as internet of things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI) along with the increasing adoption of consumer electronics is accelerating the growth of the market.

Story continues

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Non-volatile memory (NVM) is a type of permanent storage memory device that stores and preserves data for a long period time. Non-volatile memory devices have the ability to store data even in the absence of a constant power supply. Moreover, the non-volatile memory devices is rewritable in nature, thereby allowing for long-term usage of non-volatile memory devices.

The data centers are generating vast amounts of data that require an efficient storage system to store the information securely. Owing to aforementioned requirements, non-volatile memory devices are playing an important role in facilitating such demands, ultimately driving the market growth. Moreover, Data centers require high storage capacity and data transfer speeds to provide access to applications and data using a complex networks and storage infrastructure. Therefore, The increasing demand for non-volatile memory devices is contributing to the growth of non-volatile memory market. For instance, in November 2021, Fujitsu announced the launch of new 8Mbit FeRAM featuring high read/write endurance, fast writing speed operation and low power consumption. Thus, the ability of non-volatile memory to provide high storage capacity is accelerating the growth of the market.





The emergence of advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) is expected to provide significant growth opportunities for the growth of the global market. The aforementioned technologies require large amounts of data storage and fast read and write speeds. Thus, the adoption of advanced technologies increases the demand for high-performance, low-power, and reliable memory solutions, thereby contributing to the growth of the market. However, the limited capacity of non-volatile memory devices is the major factor restraining the growth of non-volatile memory (NVM) market.

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Report Attributes Report Details Market Size By 2030 USD 13.50 Billion Forecast Period 2023-2030 CAGR (2023-2030) 11.19% Base Year 2022 Study Timeline 2017-2030 Key Players Samsung Electronics Co., IBM Corporation, STMicroelectronics, Western Digital Technologies, Inc., Micron Technology, Inc., ROHM CO. LTD., Renesas Electronics Corporation, Spin Transfer Technologies, Fujitsu Ltd., Cross Inc., and ATP Electronics, Inc. By Type Traditional



Emerging

Nanobridge



Quantum Dots



Millipede

Molecular, and Transparent Non-Volatile Memory By Wafer Size 200 mm

300mm



450mm By End-User Consumer Electronics,



Industrial

Retail

IT and Telecom

Automotive

Healthcare

Others Report Coverage Company Ranking and Market Share, Growth Factors, Total Revenue Forecast, Regional Competitive Landscape, Business Strategies, and more By Geography North America, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe, Middle East & Africa

Key Market Highlights

The global non-volatile memory market size is estimated to reach USD 13.50 Billion by 2030 and grow at a CAGR of 11.19% during the forecast period (2023-2030).

Globally, non-volatile memory market is divided based on the type into Traditional, Emerging, Nanobridge, Quantum Dots, Millipede, Molecular, and Transparent Non-Volatile Memory.

In the context of Wafer Size, the market is separated into 200 mm, 300mm, and 450mm.

Based on the End-User, the market is segregated into Consumer Electronics, Industrial, Retail, IT and Telecom, Automotive, Healthcare, and Others.

The market is geographically divided into five regions: Europe, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific, North America, and Middle East and Africa.

Asia Pacific and North America are estimated to support the market growth during the forecast period in terms of the large presence of market players combined with high expenditures on technological advancements in Robotic Process Automation (RPA).

Non-Volatile Memory Market Growth Drivers:

The increasing number of data centers generating vast amount of data is driving the growth of non-volatile memory market.

The increasing adoption of consumer electronics devices such as smartphones, laptops, and tablets are propelling the growth of non-volatile memory market.

The utilization of non-volatile memory devices in automotive applications such as autonomous driving, commonly known as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and infotainment systems is boosting the growth of the market.

Restraints

The limited capacity of non-volatile memory devices is the major factor restraining the growth of non-volatile memory (NVM) market.

The lower efficiency of NVM devices due to the rewriting capabilities of non-volatile memory devices is hindering the growth of the market.

Opportunities

The emergence of 5G and advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to present potential opportunities for the growth of non-volatile memory market.

Global Non-Volatile Memory Market Segmentation Details:

Based on Type, the traditional non-volatile memory devices contributed the largest shares to the market growth in 2022. The high-density storage capabilities, low cost, and compatibility of traditional non-volatile memory devices is driving the growth of this segment. Traditional non-volatile memory devices are widely used in consumer electronic devices, such as smartphones and digital cameras. Moreover, the ability of traditional non-volatile memory devices to offer high-density storage capabilities is contributing to the growth of the market.

Based on Wafer Size, 450 mm segment offered substantial shares to the global non-volatile memory market in the year 2022. the 450mm non-volatile memory devices offer high throughput and processing speeds, resulting in faster production times for new products. Moreover, the ability of 450mm non-volatile memory devices to provide high storage capacities is propelling the growth of the market.

Based on End-User, the consumer electronics segment accounted for the maximum revenue share in the year 2022. The growing adoption of consumer electronics devices generated vast amount of data that needs to be stores in non-volatile memory devices. The utilization of devices such as smartphones, laptops, and tablets for streaming, video-calling, and gaming purposes is accelerating the growth of the market. Furthermore, the adoption of advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) is contributing to the growth of the market.

Based on region, the Asia-Pacific region accounted for the largest revenue share in the year 2022. The growing adoption of consumer electronics devices along with the increasing number of data centers in the region is driving the growth of the market. The application of cloud computing in data centers to manage the vast amount of data generated is contributed to the growth of the regional market.

Find What You Need With Our Detailed Table Of Contents (TOC) & Summary Of Non-Volatile Memory Market Report @ https://www.reportsinsights.com/industry-forecast/non-volatile-memory-market-research-report-2022-632034

Recent Developments



In June 2022, Micron Technology announced the launch of 176-Layer NAND SATA SSD for application in data centers.

In December 2020, TDK Corporation introduced new generation of flash memory storage products suitable for industrial, medical, smart grid, transportation and security applications.

List of Major Global Non-Volatile Memory Market Players

The market research report examines various market factors to determine the key drivers, limitations, and opportunities affecting market players. The report includes a SWOT analysis, regional analysis, and segment analysis to give a complete view of the market situation. This evaluation helps to identify possible growth opportunities through the implementation of technology, product utilization, business strategies, and the launch of new products. The following are major market players operating in the market environment 

Samsung Electronics Co.

IBM Corporation

STMicroelectronics

Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Micron Technology, Inc.

ROHM CO. LTD.

Renesas Electronics Corporation

Spin Transfer Technologies

Fujitsu Ltd.

Cross Inc.

ATP Electronics, Inc.

Global Non-Volatile Memory Market Segmentation:

By Type Traditional Non-Volatile Memory Emerging Non-Volatile Memory Transparent Non-Volatile Memory Molecular Non-Volatile Memory Nanobridge Quantum Dots

By Wafer Size

200 mm

300mm

450mm

By End-User Consumer Electronics Industrial Retail IT and Telecom Automotive Healthcare Others



Discover More With Reports Insights Library Of Others Research Reports:-

Next generation non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies Market Size, Regional Trends, Growth, By Regions (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, Middle East And Africa), Segment Analysis, Key Technology Landscape, Market Dynamics, and Forecast (2023-2030)

Next Generation Memory Technologies Market Size, Regional Trends, Growth, By Regions (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, Middle East And Africa), Segment Analysis, Key Technology Landscape, Market Dynamics, and Forecast (2023-2030)

Secure Digital Cards Market Size By Regional (North America, Europe, South America, Asia Pacific, Middle East And Africa), COVID-19 Impact Analysis, Price Trend, Competitive Share, Market Statistics and Forecasts (2021 - 2028)

Memory Devices Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis, By Type (SRAM, ROM & EPROM, NOR Flash, NAND Flash, DRAM, and Others), Application (Smartphone/Tablet, PC/Laptop, Data Center, Consumer Products, Automotive, and Others), By Region, Forecast Period 2022 - 2030

Semiconductor Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis, By Component: (Logic Device Memory Devices, Analog IC, MCU, MPU, Discrete Power Devices Sensors, and Others), Type (Analog, Digital, Mixed-Signal, and Others), Technology (CMOS, BiCMOS, Bipolar, DMOS, and SOI), Application (Consumer Electronics, Automotive, Communication, Industrial, Healthcare, and Others), By Region, Forecast Period 2022  2030.

Automated Test Equipment Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis, By Product (Non-Memory ATE, Memory ATE, Discrete), By Vertical (Automotive, Consumer, Aerospace & Defense, IT & Telecom, Others), By Region and Segments, Growth, Forecast Period 2022 - 2030

About Reports Insights

Reports Insights is the leading research industry that offers contextual and data-centric research services to its customers across the globe. The firm assists its clients to strategize business policies and accomplish sustainable growth in their respective market domains. The industry provides consulting services, syndicated research reports, and customized research reports. Topnotch research organizations and institutions to comprehend the regional and global commercial status use the data produced by Reports Insights Our reports comprise in-depth analytical and statistical analysis on various industries in the foremost countries around the globe.

By answering the Key Questions Covered in the Non-Volatile Memory Market Report, businesses can make informed decisions and stay ahead of their competitors.

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(Reuters) - Norway sovereign wealth fund's CEO Nicolai Tangen has called upon governments to speed up the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI), the Financial Times reported on Friday.

The $1.4-trillion wealth fund, the world's largest, is set to reveal guidelines in August on how the companies it invests in should use AI ethically, Tangen told the newspaper in an interview.

The Government Pension Fund Global operates under ethical guidelines set by parliament and excludes investments in companies that it says does not respect the guidelines. Norges Bank, the country's central bank, holds stakes in more than 9,200 companies globally through the wealth fund.

The fund, which owns about 1.5% of all globally listed shares, is a big investor in tech companies including Apple Inc, Alphabet Inc, Nvidia Corp and Microsoft Corp, which are all gearing up to deploy AI to transform their businesses.

The fund will also consider using AI to help with proxy voting on "tens of thousands of motions" at next year's annual shareholder meetings, Tangen told FT.

Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), which operates the wealth fund, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

(Reporting by Urvi Dugar in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
Allied Market Research

The growth of the global pearl jewelry market is driven by factors such as increasing demand for pearls in fashion jewelry, availability of pearls in various shapes, colors, and sizes, and easy availability of cultured pearls.

Portland, OR, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, Pearl Jewelry Market By Type (Necklace, Earrings, Rings, Others), By Material (Gold, Silver, Others), By Pearl Nature (Cultured, Natural), By Pearl Source (Fresh Water, Salt Water), By Distribution Channel (Offline Channels, Online Channels): Global Opportunity Analysis And Industry Forecast, 2022-2031. According to the report, the global pearl jewelry industry generated $12.8 billion in 2021, and is anticipated to generate $42.0 billion by 2031, witnessing a CAGR of 13.2% from 2022 to 2031.

Download Sample Copy of report: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/12112

Prime determinants of growth

The growth of the global pearl jewelry market is driven by factors such as increasing demand for pearls in fashion jewelry, availability of pearls in various shapes, colors, and sizes, and easy availability of cultured pearls. However, factors affecting pearl cultivation and misinformation regarding the authenticity of cultured pearls are hampering the pearl jewelry market growth. On the contrary, endorsement of pearl jewelry by celebrities and greater adoption of pearl jewelry by men is expected to offer remunerative opportunities for expansion of the pearl jewelry market during the forecast period.

Report coverage & details:







Report Coverage







Details

Forecast Period



20222031

Base Year



2021

Market Size in 2021



$12,779.6 million

Market Size in 2031



$41,996.5 million

CAGR



13.2%

No. of Pages in Report



287

Segments covered



Type, Material, Pearl Nature, Pearl Source, Distribution Channel, and Region. Drivers



Increasing demand for pearls in fashion jewelry Availability of pearls in various shapes, colors, and sizes Easy availability of cultured pearls

Opportunities



Endorsement of pearl jewelry by celebrities Greater adoption of pearl jewelry by men

Restraints



Factors affecting pearl cultivation Misinformation regarding the authenticity of cultured pearls



Covid-19 Scenario



Story continues

The Covid-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the pearl jewelry market, owing to the closure of pearl farming activities, especially in China, along with the shutdown of the pearl jewelry production facilities.

However, improvements in the global pearl cultivation and harvesting activities in the post-pandemic period as well as the return of the production of pearl jewelry to the pre-pandemic volumes will help resume the growth of the market.



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The necklace segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on type, the necklace segment held the highest market share in 2021, accounting for more than half of the global pearl jewelry market revenue, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period, as customers of all genders wear pearl necklaces to induce a feeling of confidence, have a sense of grandeur, or as a symbol of something meaningful, with men rapidly increasing their use of pearl necklaces. Pearl necklaces are also frequently worn as status and wealth symbols, as well as for religious, ceremonial, magical, or funerary purposes. However, the rings segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 13.8% from 2022 to 2031, as consumer demand has shifted towards new styles and cutting-edge metal bands and rings with pearl settings. The expansion of the global economy, increased consumer spending power, and improved designs are also expected to drive demand for pearl rings.



The silver segment to maintain its lead position throughout the forecast period

Based on material, the silver segment held the highest market share in 2021, accounting for more than half of the global pearl jewelry market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period, as silver's color is highly complementary to traditional white pearls, making it extremely popular for jewelry pieces with the pearl as the focal point. The use of different colored pearls with silver highlights and amplifies the color of the pearls, which promotes the use of silver even more. However, the others segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 13.5% from 2022 to 2031, owing to the use of metals such as platinum, tungsten, and steel to produce pearl jewelry.

The cultured segment to maintain its leadership during the forecast period

Based on pearl nature, the cultured segment accounted for the largest share in 2021, contributing to more than 90% of the global pearl jewelry market revenue and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. The same segment is also expected to portray the largest CAGR of 13.2% from 2022 to 2031, owing to the higher volume of production, due to which the pearls are reasonably priced and frequently easily affordable in the form of jewelry. Because of the greater control over the pearl creation process, this method of obtaining pearls is widely used around the world to obtain the desired colors and sizes of pearls.

Asia-Pacific to maintain its dominance by 2031

Based on region, Asia-Pacific held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2021, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global pearl jewelry market revenue and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period, owing to the significant presence of pearl culture farms in China and Japan as well as cultural and religious importance of pearl jewelry in the region. However, Europe is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 14.2% from 2022 to 2031, as pearls are being widely used in the European fashion jewelry industry and can be found in a wide range of jewelry items. The region's large upper middle class and wealthy population also contributes to the region's increasing demand for pearl jewelry.

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Leading Market Players: -

K. Mikimoto & Co., Ltd.

T&CO.

Isle of Wight Pearl

Pearl Paradise

Kailis

Jewelmer

CPI Luxury Group

Assael

TASAKI & Co., Ltd.

Pearl Falco.

Wing Wo Hing Jewelry Group

Akuna Pearls

Pearl Jewelry Ito, Inc.

Aquarian Pearls

Pearls Of Australia

Palas Emporio Pty Ltd

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players of the global pearl jewelry market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

Similar Reports We Have on Consumer Goods Industry:



 Jewelry Pad Market is projected reach $577.2 million by 2030

 Imitation Jewelry Market Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030

 Costume Jewelry Market is Estimated to Reach $ 59.7 Billion by 2027

 Luxury Jewelry Market is Projected to Reach $40.19 Billion by 2031

 Diamond Jewelry Market Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032



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We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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Market.Us

Recent technological advancements in modern period panties have resulted in improved absorbency and odor control, thanks to innovative fabric technologies. As a result, period panties have gained increasing popularity among consumers and are now trusted for their performance.

New York, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global Period Panties Market in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth USD 148.8 Million in 2022 and is poised to reach USD 901.9 Million by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 20.3% from 2023 to 2032. The period panties market is a rapidly developing industry that provides an alternative solution for menstruation management. Period panties are a type of underwear with an absorbent layer that can hold menstrual blood and prevent leaks. The market has been driven by factors such as increasing awareness about menstrual hygiene & health, the rise in popularity of sustainable and eco-friendly products, and the demand for more comfortable & discrete options when managing one's period.

Period Panties Market

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Key Takeaway:

By product, in 2022, the period panties market was dominated by the reusable segment due to it being more sustainable and eco-friendly products.

By style, the brief segment dominated the largest market share in style type analysis and accounted for the largest revenue share in the period panties market in 2022.

By distribution channel, the offline segment dominated the largest market share in distribution channel analysis

In 2022, North America dominated the market with the highest revenue share of 41.8% .

APAC is expected to grow at a greater pace owing to increasing awareness about menstrual hygiene, change in lifestyles, and rising disposable income.

Factors affecting the growth of the Period Panties industry

There are several factors that can have an impact on the growth of the Period Panties industry. Some of these factors include:

Story continues

Increased Awareness and Acceptance : Period panties have become more widely recognized and accepted as an alternative to conventional menstruation supplies such as pads and tampons due to the growing acceptance of eco-friendly, sustainable products and convenient period care solutions.

Convenience and Comfort : Women who are menstruating have a practical and pleasant option in period panties. These can be worn independently without needing additional products like pads or tampons, making them convenient and comfortable to use.

Technology and Innovation : Modern period panties have undergone major technological advancements recently, offering improved absorbency and odor control thanks to fabrics designed for this purpose. These improvements have enabled period panties to become increasingly popular as well as increase consumer confidence.

Social Media and Influencer Marketing : Social media and influencer marketing have been enormously helpful to the historical pant industry. Influencers and social media personalities have promoted period clothing among their followers, increasing awareness about it in the process.

Changing Consumer Preferences: Period panties offer an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional menstrual products, which are becoming increasingly sought after by consumers who value sustainability and the environment. As a result of this shift in consumer preferences, the period panties industry has experienced remarkable growth.

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Top Trends in the Global Period Panties Market

The adoption of period panties is driven by the rising awareness and acceptance of them as a sustainable and practical replacement for conventional menstruation products. The demand for these items is anticipated to rise as more individuals become aware of the advantages of utilizing period panties for health and the environment. The market was expanding as a result of the creation of innovative and advanced period panties like those made with high-quality fabrics and equipped with leak-proof technologies. These modern-period panties offer superior comfort and protection, which increases their market appeal. The adoption of period panties is driven by the growing attention being paid to women's health and cleanliness. More consumers are looking for items that are safer and more hygienic than conventional menstrual products since health and well-being are being prioritized more.

Market Growth

The market for period panties is growing globally due to a number of reasons. One major driver is the increasing acceptance of period panties as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional menstrual products such as pads and tampons. Customers are seeking more eco-friendly solutions as they become aware of the harmful effects throwaway menstrual items have on the environment. Period panties offer comfort and convenience during menstruation, making them increasingly appealing. Thanks to technological advances in absorbency and odor control, period panties have become more reliable and pleasant solutions than ever before. The market has witnessed a tremendous expansion due to the growth of e-commerce and online sales channels, making it easier for customers to access and purchase period panties. However, it is anticipated that the market for period panties will grow as more people opt for practical and sustainable menstruation care options. The period panties market is expected to expand rapidly in Asia Pacific due to a growing female population, rising disposable income levels, and improved menstrual health and hygiene awareness.

Regional Analysis

North America is estimated to be the most dominant market in the Period Panties Market, with the largest market share of 41.8% in 2022. Due to the presence of major and numerous players such as Thinx Inc., Knix Wear Inc., and Saalt LLC., along with high awareness about menstrual hygiene products, there has been a marked growth in demand for menstrual underwear across Asia Pacific. Furthermore, various initiatives & campaigns launched by companies & manufacturers related to this awareness are expected to create further demand for period panties over the upcoming years.

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Scope of the Report

Report Attribute Details Market Value (2022) USD 148.8 Million Market Size (2032) USD 901.9 Million CAGR (from 2023 to 2032) 20.3% North America Revenue Share 41.8% Historic Period 2016 to 2022 Base Year 2022 Forecast Year 2023 to 2032

Market Drivers

Menstrual hygiene has become more and more of a necessity, necessitating the demand for products that provide improved protection and comfort. Period panties have become particularly popular due to their comfort, affordability, and environmental friendliness; making them increasingly desirable. Period panties have become a go-to solution for women of all ages as an efficient and comfortable solution. Because of the advances in textile technology, period panties now feature features like moisture wicking, odor control, and layers that are leakproof - providing enhanced functionality as well as user comfort.

Market Restraints

High cost of period panties as compared to traditional disposable menstrual products. While period panties are a more sustainable & eco-friendly option. The lack of awareness & education about period panties could prevent them from trying this product. Limited availability of period panties in physical stores as some brands have started to offer period panties in retail stores, many are only available offline which could limit access for some consumers. Additionally, after the COVID-19 pandemic, economic uncertainty could be a restraint for the period panties market as some consumers may prioritize necessities over more expensive menstrual products.

Market Opportunities

As awareness of the detrimental effects of chemicals on human health and the environment grows, businesses can benefit by producing period panties made from chemical-free organic or natural materials such as cotton or bamboo that don't contain toxic pesticides. These types of clothing will allow customers to feel good about what they purchase without feeling guilty about taking unnecessary risks. Period panties may not be widely popular or accepted in poorer countries, but there is nonetheless a substantial market there. For instance, period panties with movable waistbands, programmable absorbency settings, or extra layers for enhanced protection are just some of the options available to businesses. Businesses can partner with organizations, influencers, and other businesses to promote their products and raise awareness about period panties. Partnerships enable businesses to expand their market reach while earning customer trust.

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Report Segmentation of the Period Panties Market

Product Insight

Reusable accounted for the largest market share in 2021 at over 78.26%. It is expected that this will continue to rise through the forecast period. Owing to reusable period panties being cost-effective in the long run, they reduce the need for continuous purchasing of disposable products. Furthermore, many women appreciate the comfort & convenience which reusable panties provide. Also, it offers more sustainable & eco-friendly options for managing menstrual flow.

Style Insight

Brief accounted for the largest market share in the style segment with a market share of 31.2% in 2022, and it is expected to grow further in the forecasted period owing to it offering more coverage & protection than other styles such as thongs or bikini-cut panties which is important for managing menstrual flow. Additionally, brief-style period panties are often designed with multiple layers of absorbent material which provides maximum protection & security during menstruation.

Distribution Channel Insight

The offline segment holds the top spot in the global market for 2021 and contributed more than 68.6% of the revenue. Offline retailers provide a physical shopping experience that allows customers to touch, see, and try on the product before purchasing. Offline retail provides a more personalized customer service experience with a knowledgeable staff available to answer questions & provide recommendations to customers.

For more insights on the historical and Forecast market data from 2016 to 2032 - download a sample report at https://market.us/report/period-panties-market/request-sample/

Market Segmentation

Based on Product

Reusable

Disposable

Based on the Style

Brief

Bikini

Boy short

Hi-waist

Other Styles

Based on Distribution Channel

Offline

Online

By Geography

North America

The US Canada Mexico



Western Europe

Germany France The UK Spain Italy Portugal Ireland Austria Switzerland Benelux Nordic Rest of Western Europe



Eastern Europe

Russia Poland The Czech Republic Greece Rest of Eastern Europe

APAC China Japan South Korea India Australia & New Zealand Indonesia Malaysia Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam Rest of APAC



Latin America

Brazil Colombia Chile Argentina Costa Rica Rest of Latin America



Middle East & Africa

Algeria Egypt Israel Kuwait Nigeria Saudi Arabia South Africa Turkey United Arab Emirates Rest of MEA



Competitive Landscape

The period panties market is a niche market within the underwear industry, but it has been rapidly growing in popularity in the last few years due to its convenience, eco-friendliness, and comfort. In terms of market share, Thinx and Knixwear are two of the leading players in the period panties market. However, there are many other brands that are also getting popularity & market share due to increasing demand for sustainable & eco-friendly products. As the market continues to grow, new players may also enter & compete for market share.

Some of the major players include:

Thinx Inc.

PANTYPROP INC

Knixwear

Aisle

Modibodi Pvt. Ltd.

HealthFab

Anigan Inc.

Vv SkiVvys LLC.

DEAR KATE LLC.

Other Key Players

Recent Development of the Period Panties Market

In February 2021 - Sirona Hygiene acquired womens safety brand Empower in an all-cash deal. Sirona, a fem-tech company that sells feminine hygiene products, is expected to enter the female safety segment with this acquisition.

In 2021- Edgewell Personal Care Company acquired Billie Inc., which is a U.S.-based consumer brand company that is offering a brand portfolio of womens personal care products, in an all-cash deal for a purchase price of US$ 310 Mn, subject to customary adjustments.

Browse More Related Reports:

Adult diapers market was valued at USD 17.2 billion. Between 2023 and 2032, this market is estimated to register the highest CAGR of 6.9% and a market value of USD 33 billion.

Vaseline Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.68% over the next ten years and will reach USD 791 Mn in 2032, from USD 449 Mn in 2022



Urinary Drainage Bags Market was valued at USD 2.7 billion, this market is estimated to register at a CAGR of 4.3 % during the forecast period of 2023 to 2032.



Clinical nutrition market size is expected to be worth around USD 85.2 billion by 2032 from USD 47.4 billion in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 6.20% during the forecast period from 2022 to 2032.



About Us:

Market.US (Powered by Prudour Pvt Ltd) specializes in in-depth market research and analysis and has been proving its mettle as a consulting and customized market research company, apart from being a much sought-after syndicated market research report-providing firm. Market.US provides customization to suit any specific or unique requirement and tailor-makes reports as per request. We go beyond boundaries to take analytics, analysis, study, and outlook to newer heights and broader horizons.

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Pharmaceutical Executive

The medical advertising awards recognize the best creative health care work, entirely judged by respected medical professionals across 19 very specialized categories.

CRANBURY, N.J., April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pharmaceutical Executive, a leading multimedia platform for industry leaders to exchange experiences and insights about innovative business and marketing ideas, today announced its call for entries for its third annual APEX Awards.



I am excited to announce the commencement of the entry process for the third annual Pharmaceutical Executive APEX Awards program, said Mike Hennessy Jr., president and CEO of MJH Life Sciences, parent company of Pharmaceutical Executive. This program honors pioneering and innovative work in the pharmaceutical sector and is judged by the health care professionals who truly understand its value. With 19 specialized categories, we look forward to seeing the outstanding entries from across the industry.

The 2023 Pharmaceutical Executive APEX Awards is the only such recognition program that celebrates the best creative health care work in the pharmaceutical industry, exclusively judged by health care professionals across 19 specialized categories. These categories span product/promotional work regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to disease awareness/general education/wellness work that is not regulated by the FDA.

The evaluation of entries will be conducted by an esteemed panel of health care professionals located throughout the United States. This exceptional jury will include world-renowned doctors, nurses and other medical specialists with extensive expertise in various fields. Each juror will vote on awards within their respective specialties and areas of knowledge. A full list of categories is available here.

Up to five top-voted submissions will be considered finalists for the awards, and agencies will be notified on August 1, 2023. Finalists will be selected based on criteria such as communication, clarity and credibility, uniqueness of the campaigns, the level of engagement generated and overall response. Following this, a general invitation to health care professionals will be sent, inviting them to vote for the winners in their area of specialty/expertise. The APEX Award gold winners will be announced at the live show on October 17, 2023, at Gotham Hall in New York City.

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This award programs call-for-entry period runs from April 3 to May 31, 2023, with escalating prices across four entry periods. For complete category descriptions, eligibility requirements and to submit entries, visit https://www.pharmexec.com/apex-awards.

To learn more about the benefits of sponsoring your brand, click here.

Last years APEX Awards saw an impressive number of entries, and a huge congratulations to all our 2022 winners who were honored at a live show in October. View the complete list of 2022 finalists and winners on our website.

About Pharmaceutical Executive

Pharmaceutical Executive is a multimedia platform that offers news, opinions, analysis, features and executive profiles. The magazine and its website serve as a forum for industry leaders to exchange opinions, experiences and insights about innovative business and marketing ideas, strategies and tactics. Pharmaceutical Executive is a brand of MJH Life Sciences, the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical media company in North America.

Media Contact:

Brianne Pangaro

MJH Life Sciences

BPangaro@mjhlifesciences.com




Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) First Quarter 2023 Results

Key Financial Results

Revenue: US$8.02b (up 3.5% from 1Q 2022).

Net income: US$1.99b (down 14% from 1Q 2022).

Profit margin: 25% (down from 30% in 1Q 2022). The decrease in margin was driven by higher expenses.

EPS: US$1.28 (down from US$1.50 in 1Q 2022).

All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period

Philip Morris International EPS Misses Expectations

Revenue was in line with analyst estimates. Earnings per share (EPS) missed analyst estimates by 4.2%.

Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 6.7% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 4.6% growth forecast for the Global Tobacco industry.

Performance of the market in the US.

The company's shares are up 2.2% from a week ago.

Risk Analysis

What about risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Philip Morris International you should know about.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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VILMORIN & CIE

Offer at  62.60 per share, representing a premium of 45.4% compared to the last closing share price before the announcement of the Offer and of 36.5 % compared to the average volume-weighted share price of the last 60 trading days, offering immediate liquidity to S hareholders





Delisting initiative will enable Vilmorin & Cie to adopt a long-term approach in line with its activities as a seed company





Favorable and u nanimous reception of the basis of the Offer by Vilmorin & Cies Board of Directors





The Board of Directors of Vilmorin & Cie has formed an ad hoc committee made up of two independent Directors and a representative of Bpifrance Investissement, and has appointed Finexsi as an independent expert





Vilmorin & Cies Board of Directors, which met on April 17 and 27, 2023, acknowledges the simplified public tender offer proposal from its reference Shareholder, Limagrain, targeting 28.78% of the Company's shares that it does not hold1 at 62.60 per Vilmorin & Cie share, and its intention to implement a mandatory withdrawal procedure in the event that it would own at least 90% of the Company's shares and voting rights at the end of the Offer.

Vilmorin & Cies Board of Directors has favorably and unanimously2 received the basis of the Offer

Vilmorin & Cie's Board of Directors has formed an ad hoc committee made up exclusively of directors who are not related to the Initiator, specifically Marie-Yvonne CHARLEMAGNE and Geraldine BORTLEIN, independent Directors, as well as Benoist DE SAINT LAGER, representative of Bpifrance Investissement.

Upon proposal of the ad hoc committee, Finexsi, represented by Mr. Olivier PERONNET3, has been appointed as the independent expert with the mission to submit a report including a fairness opinion on the financial conditions of the Offer, including in the event of a mandatory withdrawal procedure, in accordance with the provisions of the general regulations of the Autorite des marches financiers (AMF). The ad hoc committee will have in particular the mission to follow and facilitate the work of the independent expert.

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Vilmorin & Cie's Board of Directors will be asked to give a well-founded opinion on the benefits of the Offer and its consequences for the Company, its Shareholders and its employees, taking into account the findings of the independent expert. The well-founded opinion will be integrated in the response notice that will be prepared by Vilmorin & Cie.

Other elements and timing of the simplified public tender offer

The simplified public tender offer will not be subject to any regulatory approval or other conditions.

At the request of the Company, the trading of Vilmorin & Cie shares has been suspended today and will resume on May 2, 2023. The liquidity contract with Natixis-ODDO BHF has been suspended until further notice.

The documents relating to the Offer will be available on the websites of Limagrain (https://www.limagrain.com) and of Vilmorin & Cie (https://www.vilmorincie.com/fr/).

The completion of the Offer remains subject to its filing with the Autorite des marches financiers as well as to a compliance decision that the latter would deliver at the end of its examination.

For any additional information

Anthony CARVALHO

Chief Financial Officer

Edouard ROCHE

Head of Financial Communication and Investor Relations

E-mail : contact@diffusion.vilmorincie.com

www.vilmorincie.com

The 4th largest seed company in the world, pure play in its sector, Vilmorin & Cie creates, produces, and distributes vegetable and field seeds with high added value, contributing to meeting global food requirements in a context of accelerating climatic, environmental, and demographic challenges.

Vilmorin & Cie is a historical expert in plant breeding, with around 6,000 varieties in its portfolio and several hundred new varieties marketed each year. It has become an international leader, offering all forms of agriculture, on all continents, the capacity to produce more and to produce better, while preserving the independence and freedom of choice of farmers and vegetable growers with regard to their other production factors.

Vilmorin & Cie relies on research and development for its ongoing growth, by investing more than 16% of its sales in R&D each year, and on the controlled internationalization of its business activities, in order to durably strengthen its competitive positions in the long term on structurally buoyant world markets.

True to its long-term vision of development, Vilmorin & Cie's strategy and performance are based on respect for the values shared with its parent company and reference Shareholder, the agricultural cooperative Limagrain: progress, perseverance, and cooperation.

Disclaimer

This press release does not constitute an offer to purchase any securities. The Offer will only be made in accordance with the Offer documentation, which will contain the complete terms and conditions of the Offer. The Offer documentation will be subject to review by the AMF and the Offer will only be opened after the AMF has issued a compliance decision. Any decision regarding the Offer must be based solely on the information contained in the Offer documentation. This press release has been prepared for information purposes only. It does not constitute an offer to the public. The distribution of this press release, the Offer and the acceptance thereof may be subject to specific regulations or restrictions in certain countries. The Offer is not directed to any person subject to such restrictions, either directly or indirectly, and may not be accepted from any jurisdiction where the Offer would be subject to such restrictions. This press release is not intended for distribution in such countries. Consequently, persons in possession of this press release are required to inform themselves about any local restrictions that may apply and to comply with them. Vilmorin & Cie declines all responsibility for any violation of these restrictions by any person. Pursuant to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1055 of June 29, 2016 laying down technical implementing standards relating to technical arrangements for publication and deferral of inside information in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council, this press release may contain inside information and was communicated to Vilmorin & Cie's authorized distributor on April 28, 2023.

1 On the basis of equity consisting of 22,917,292 shares representing 38,646,350 potential voting rights as of March 31, 2023, in accordance with the provisions of article 223-11 of the RGAMF, and excluding treasury shares.

2 The Directors related to the Initiator having taken part in the vote for reasons of quorum but having committed to vote the same way as the majority of the other Directors in order not to influence the result of the vote.

3 Contact Cabinet Finexsi : Messrs Olivier PERONNET and Jean-Marc BRICHET, 14 rue de Bassano, 75116 Paris  France - Tel : +33 (0)1.43.18.42.42 - e-mail : olivier.peronnet@finexsi.com / jean-marc.brichet@finexsi.com

Attachment




Key Insights

Rambler Metals and Mining's significant individual investors ownership suggests that the key decisions are influenced by shareholders from the larger public

51% of the business is held by the top 9 shareholders

Institutions own 37% of Rambler Metals and Mining

Every investor in Rambler Metals and Mining Plc (LON:RMM) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 38% to be precise, is individual investors. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

Meanwhile, institutions make up 37% of the companys shareholders. Generally speaking, as a company grows, institutions will increase their ownership. Conversely, insiders often decrease their ownership over time.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Rambler Metals and Mining, beginning with the chart below.

See our latest analysis for Rambler Metals and Mining

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Rambler Metals and Mining?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Rambler Metals and Mining. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Rambler Metals and Mining's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

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Rambler Metals and Mining is not owned by hedge funds. Plinian Capital LLP is currently the largest shareholder, with 19% of shares outstanding. With 7.1% and 5.6% of the shares outstanding respectively, HBOS Investment Fund Managers Limited and A J Bell Holdings Limited, Asset Management Arm are the second and third largest shareholders.

On further inspection, we found that more than half the company's shares are owned by the top 9 shareholders, suggesting that the interests of the larger shareholders are balanced out to an extent by the smaller ones.

While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. Our information suggests that there isn't any analyst coverage of the stock, so it is probably little known.

Insider Ownership Of Rambler Metals and Mining

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.

Shareholders would probably be interested to learn that insiders own shares in Rambler Metals and Mining Plc. It is a pretty big company, so it is generally a positive to see some potentially meaningful alignment. In this case, they own around UK36m worth of shares (at current prices). Most would say this shows alignment of interests between shareholders and the board. Still, it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling.

General Public Ownership

With a 38% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Rambler Metals and Mining. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Private Equity Ownership

With an ownership of 19%, private equity firms are in a position to play a role in shaping corporate strategy with a focus on value creation. Some might like this, because private equity are sometimes activists who hold management accountable. But other times, private equity is selling out, having taking the company public.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Take risks for example - Rambler Metals and Mining has 3 warning signs (and 2 which are potentially serious) we think you should know about.

Of course this may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free free list of interesting companies.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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More than 900,000 RBC clients use NOMI Forecast since 2021 launch

TORONTO, April 28, 2023 /CNW/ - Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is proud to announce that its cutting-edge capability, NOMI Forecast, has been recognized for Best Use of AI for Customer Experience at the 2023 Digital Banker Digital CX Awards.

RBC logo (CNW Group/RBC Royal Bank)

NOMI Forecast provides clients with a quick seven-day view into their future cashflow, showing upcoming preauthorized payments from any RBC deposit account. Since its launch in September 2021, more than 900,000 clients have used the feature. Over the past year, NOMI Forecast was enhanced to include bill payments, e-transfers, investment contributions and salary payments.

"RBC is honoured to receive this award. I'm proud of our world-class digital team that continues to build capabilities that make it easier for clients to stay connected to their money. The use of artificial intelligence in NOMI Forecast is a great example of how we are leveraging technology to enhance our clients' experience and enable them to safely and simply manage their money," said Peter Tilton, chief digital officer, Personal & Commercial Banking at RBC.

NOMI Forecast was developed alongside Borealis AI, a world-class AI research centre backed by RBC. Borealis AI brings together top talent from academia and industry and continues to advance and develop responsible AI solutions for RBC's clients.

With NOMI Forecast and other NOMI features, RBC is enhancing the way customers interact and understand their finances, delivering personalized insights and advice to them to help build more confidence in managing their money. The addition of NOMI Forecast has led to more than 10 million client interactions since 2021.

" NOMI Forecast is a cutting-edge AI solution that uses deep learning to offer timely and accurate predictions of our clients' cashflow. Powered by our unique datasets, these AI models have been trained to deliver personalized experiences for RBC clients," said Foteini Agrafioti, chief science officer at RBC and head of Borealis AI.

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About RBC's NOMI

NOMI is a powerful digital capability that delivers personalized insights to help clients build confidence in managing their money. Clients using NOMI Find & Save have put aside more than $3.6 billion in savings. NOMI Insights for RBC InvestEase, introduced last year, helps clients start and stick to their savings and investing strategies with timely nudges when spare cash is available. NOMI Budgets now keeps track of even more expenses, from groceries to household expenses. More information about all NOMI capabilities is available at www.rbc.com/NOMI.

About Borealis AI

Borealis AI is a world-class AI research center backed by RBC. Recognized for scientific excellence, Borealis AI uses the latest in machine learning (ML) capabilities to solve challenging problems in the financial industry. Led by award-winning inventor and entrepreneur Foteini Agrafioti, and with top North American scientists and engineers, Borealis AI is at the core of the bank's innovation strategy and benefits from RBC's scale, data, and trusted brand. With a focus on time series modelling, applying ML to financial markets, and responsible AI, Borealis AI is committed to building solutions using machine learning and artificial intelligence that will transform the way individuals manage their finances and their futures. As part of its commitment to advancing the development of responsible AI and ML, Borealis AI developed RESPECT AI, an online hub that brings open-source research code, tutorials, academic research and lectures to the AI community, helping to make ethical AI available to all. For more information please see: www.borealisai.com.

About RBC

Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 97,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada's biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our 17 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.

We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/community-social-impact.

SOURCE RBC Royal Bank

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2023/28/c1385.html
Future Market Insights Global and Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

North America is expected to have the dominant number of healthcare clinics and it is one of the larger market shares for refrigerators. The increase in the alcoholic beverage market in North America gives rise to the demand for the reach-in refrigerator.

NEWARK, Del, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global reach-in refrigerator market is likely to reach a valuation of US$ 38.6 Billion in 2023. According to Future Market Insights, the market is expected to grow at a 4.32% CAGR from 2023 to 2033, anticipated to be valued at US$ 58.94 Billion by the end of 2033.



Globally, the number of retail stores has significantly increased during the past ten years. In order to take advantage of the rising purchasing power of consumers, major businesses in the retail industry are increasing their presence in emerging markets throughout the Asia Pacific.

Meeting the high consumer demand for frozen food and chilled goods, food service operators are increasing their capital expenditure on refrigeration equipment.

The expansion of licensed food and franchised locations for quick-service eateries has increased demand for reach-in refrigerators. Various governmental and non-governmental organizations around the world provide rebates to refrigerator systems and equipment manufacturers for incorporating energy-efficient and environment-friendly manufacturing techniques.

Get an overview of the market from industry experts to evaluate and develop growth strategies. Get your sample report here @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-17106

Reach-In refrigerator replacement rates are declining, and life expectancy is estimated to be seven or more years which is good news for customers and end users. However, the manufacturing or supply side including equipment and component manufacturers, may encounter difficulties due to a decline in production rate on an annual basis. Therefore, strict government regulations regarding the usage of natural refrigerants over fluorocarbons may also pose problems.

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North American region is said to dominate the reach-in refrigerator market with maximum revenue share. The importance of penetration of ice in the food business, coffee shops, bars, and lounges acts as a major factor in the enlargement of the reach-in refrigerator market. The regional market extension is expected to be driven by a rise in the adoption of modular kitchens with high-tech appliances in the commercial and residential sectors.

Key Takeaways:

The global Reach-In Refrigerators Market grew at a CAGR of 3.9% from 2018 to 2022

Manufacturers decrease the labor shortage by 30 to 50% resulting in a decrease in demand for the reach-in refrigerator market.

The north American market for reach-in refrigerators holds 85% of the market share.

Top mounted type of installation is said to dominate the market share of the reach-in refrigerator market

Online retail store is said to dominate the reach-in refrigerators market.

Competitive Landscape:

Some of the prominent players in the global market are-

Avantco Refrigeration

Beverage-Air

Delfield

Valpro

Grista

Summit

Trufrost

Traulsen

HOSHIZAKI Corp.

Danfoss

Some of the important developments of the key players in the market are:

In March 2023, Accucold, a division of Felix Storch, Inc. (FSI), expanded its lineup of purpose-built vaccine refrigeration with the industrys dominant selection of cold storage equipment certified to the NSF/ANSI 456 Vaccine Storage Standard. Available in 9 sizes from 1 to 18 cu.ft., the Accucold Pharma-Vac Performance Series has been tested by an ANSI-accredited third-party laboratory to conform to the latest standard.

In January 2023, Traulsen will showcase its TF Flex Drawer under-counter refrigerator/freezer that allows drawer temperature to be changed from cooling to freezing at the touch of a button. Each drawer can operate at a different temperature setting.

Ask an Analyst: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-17106

More Valuable Insights Available:

Future Market Insights offers an unbiased analysis of the global Reach-In Refrigerators Market providing historical data for 2018-2022 and forecast statistics from 2023-2033.

To understand opportunities in Reach-In Refrigerators, the market is segmented based on major Compressor Installation type (Bottom Mounted, Top Mounted), Freezer (Freezer on bottom, freezer on top, freezerless), Door type (Glassdoor, Pass through, Half door, Solid door), By Distribution channel (Offline stores, Hypermarkets / Supermarkets, Multi brand store, Department store, Discount store, Specialty store, Online retail store) and Regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa)

Key Segments Profiled:

By Compressor installation:

Bottom mounted

Top mounted

By Freezer:

Freezer on bottom

Freezer on top

Freezer-less



By Door Type:

Glassdoor

Pass through

Half door

Solid door

By Distribution Channel:

Offline stores

Hypermarkets / Supermarkets

Multi-brand stores

Department store

Discount store

Specialty store

Online Retail Store



By Region:

North America

Latin America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa



Expand operations in the future - ask for a customized report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-17106

Table of Content (TOC):

1. Executive Summary | Reach-in Refrigerators Market

1.1. Global Market Outlook

1.2. Demand-side Trends

1.3. Supply-side Trends

1.4. Technology Roadmap Analysis

1.5. Analysis and Recommendations

2. Market Overview

2.1. Market Coverage / Taxonomy

2.2. Market Definition / Scope / Limitations

3. Market Background

3.1. Market Dynamics

3.2. Scenario Forecast

3.3. Opportunity Map Analysis

3.4. Product Life Cycle Analysis

3.5. Supply Chain Analysis

3.6. Investment Feasibility Matrix

3.7. Value Chain Analysis

3.8. PESTLE and Porters Analysis

3.9. Regulatory Landscape

3.10. Regional Parent Market Outlook

3.11. Production and Consumption Statistics

3.12. Import and Export Statistics

4. Global Market Analysis 2018 to 2022 and Forecast, 2023 to 2033

4.1. Historical Market Size Value (US$ Million) & Volume (Units) Analysis, 2018 to 2022

4.2. Current and Future Market Size Value (US$ Million) & Volume (Units) Projections, 2023 to 2033

5. Global Market Analysis 2018 to 2022 and Forecast 2023 to 2033, By Compressor installation

5.1. Introduction / Key Findings

5.2. Historical Market Size Value (US$ Million) & Volume (Units) Analysis By Compressor Installation, 2018 to 2022

5.3. Current and Future Market Size Value (US$ Million) & Volume (Units) Analysis and Forecast By Compressor Installation, 2023 to 2033

5.4. Y-o-Y Growth Trend Analysis By Compressor Installation, 2018 to 2022

5.5. Absolute $ Opportunity Analysis By Compressor Installation, 2023 to 2033

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Electric Chicken Scalder Market Share: The electric chicken scalder market size is projected to rise from US$ 710 Million in 2023 and it is expected to surpass US$ 1,157 Million by 2033. The demand for electric chicken scalders is expected to rise at a CAGR of 5% during the forecast period.

Fish Feed Pellet Making Machine Market Analysis: The fish feed pellet-making machine market is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of 5.6%. The market is set to be valued at US$ 2,167.9 Million by the end of 2033 from US$ 1,257.2 Million which is likely to be registered in 2023.

Automated Brewing System Market Demand: The global automated brewing system market size is expected to expand from US$ 1,152.2 Million in 2023 to US$ 1,609.7 Million by 2033, with overall sales rising at 3.4% CAGR throughout the forecast period (2023 to 2033)

Wire Livestock Panels Market Growth: The global wire livestock panels market is expected to reach US$ 2.31 Billion in 2023. With a CAGR of 7.1% from 2023 to 2033, the market is projected to reach a valuation of US$ 4.58 Billion by 2033.

Pub Cellar Equipment Market Research: The Pub Cellar Equipment Market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 3.8% during the forecast period. According to FMI, the market is anticipated to be valued at US$ 2,130.4 Million by 2033, up from US$ 1,467.2 Million in 2023.

Paint Mixing Market Overview: The global Paint Mixing Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.9%. The market value is projected to increase from US$ 17,712.7 Million in 2023 to US$ 28,578.5 Million by 2033.

Mini Brew Fermenter Market Forecast: The market for Mini Brew Fermenters is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% over the estimated period of 2023 to 2033. The industry value is expected to grow from US$ 989.2 Million in 2023 to US$ 1,642.3 Million by 2033.

Kegerator Equipment Market Key Trends: The Kegerator Equipment Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% over the estimated period. The industry value is expected to grow from US$ 1,111.2 Million in 2023 to US$ 1,846.5 Million by 2033.

Mill Pulverizer Market Review: The Mill Pulverizer Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period. The market value is expected to rise from US$ 1,168.2 Million in 2023 to US$ 1,939.4 Million by 2033.

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Future Market Insights, Inc. (ESOMAR certified, Stevie Award - recipient market research organization and a member of Greater New York Chamber of Commerce) provides in-depth insights into governing factors elevating the demand in the market. It discloses opportunities that will favor the market growth in various segments on the basis of Source, Application, Sales Channel and End Use over the next 10 years.

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SkyQuest Technology Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

SkyQuest's OKR Software Market report provides actionable insights for individuals interested in valuable data, trends, and opportunities in a rapidly growing industry. Additionally, the report is produced and published concisely, making it accessible to various audiences, from industry experts to market readers. Finally, one can gain an in-depth understanding of the primary and secondary market drivers, providing them with a comprehensive outlook of the current market situation and future projections.

Westford USA, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SkyQuest projects that the OKR software market will attain a value of USD 1877.5 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 15.38% over the forecast period (2022-2030). The OKR software is a key facilitator for the business sector that helps align, engage and adapt the employee. With the use of OKR software, bidirectional communication is developed, allowing staff members to experience a greater sense of responsibility and connection to the company. The OKR technique aids in adjustment because the objectives are designed to be more concise and quantifiable, ultimately leading to the main result. Moreover, the business is known for making quick modifications. All of these factors are likely to fuel the market expansion.

According to the SkyQuest, numerous end-use industries, including BFSI, Retail & e-commerce, healthcare, it & telecom and manufacturing are predicted to benefit from the growing implementation of cloud-based infrastructure and sophisticated analytical tools for aligning overall business operations. Additionally, this software is becoming more widely used due to its several advantages, including maintaining transparency in team management, resource management and enterprise performance management. For instance, Zenefits provides cloud-based HRMS to its customers, such as Fireclay Tile, League Network and EnviroSMART. These businesses have adopted cloud-based software to streamline their operations due to its distinctive features such as user dashboards, core human resource management and administration activity management. These features aid the HR department in modernizing their hectic employee onboarding procedure.

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Browse in-depth TOC on "OKR Software Market"

Pages - 242

Tables - 88

Figures  83

OKR software is gaining popularity because it provides a goal framework for rapid growth. It offers a variety of advantages, including better outcomes and employee agility, increased employee engagement, quick adjustments, partnering with organizations to promote innovation, exceeding goals, visualization making employees accountable and committed and improved transparency.

Prominent Players in OKR Software Market

15Five

Continuous Performance Management

Lattice Performance Management

Betterworks

WorkBoard

7Geese

Atiim

Weekdone

Jell

AchieveIt

Lattice

GroSum

Perdoo

Ally

Gtmhub

Workpath

Corvisio OKR

GI OKR

Goals

Koan

Leapsome

OKRBoard

Rhythm

Tability

Steer

Yaguara

WorTeam OKR

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IT & Telecom Segment is Expected to Grow Due to the Extensive Range of Advantages by OKR Software

The IT & Telecom segment held the greatest global market share for OKR software. Worldwide OEM software developers consistently concentrate on the growth and reliability of OKR Software in various applications for a wide range of end uses. In addition, the demand for cloud-based technology and miniaturization is increasing, boosting the global market. In the forecast period, the BFSI Segment is anticipated to develop at the highest CAGR.

The market is likely to be dominated by North America and develop at the fastest rate during the forecast period. Numerous reputable vendors operating in the North America as well as the growing need for business process automation are some of the major factors influencing the market's expansion.

Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC):

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BFSI Segment is Expected to Continue Growing as the Industry Prioritizes Digital Transformation and Organizational Performance

OKR software enables organizations to define and monitor goals and objectives, evaluate performance, and bring teams together. In addition, OKR software may assist companies in adhering to rules and making sure they are reaching their financial goals. The BFSI industry is also quite competitive, and OKR software may aid businesses in enhancing their productivity, efficiency, and agility. To keep ahead of the competition, banks and financial institutions can use OKRs to create goals for their staff members and departments, track their progress in real time, and make necessary adjustments.

Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow most quickly during the forecast period due to the growing adoption of OKR Software technology throughout the Asia Pacific area, particularly in China and Japan. Corporate office penetration in Asia Pacific has risen over the past few years. Additionally, many OKR software developers are making significant investments to offer consumers services at a low cost, which is anticipated to increase the need for OKR Software in in this region.

A comprehensive analysis of the major players in the OKR Software market has been recently conducted in a report. The report encompasses various aspects, including collaborations, mergers, innovative business policies, and strategies, providing valuable insights into key trends and breakthroughs in the market. Furthermore, the report scrutinizes the market share of the top segments and presents a detailed geographic analysis. Lastly, the report highlights the major players in the industry and their endeavours to develop innovative solutions to cater to the growing demand.

Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements:

https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/okr-software-market

Key Developments in OKR Software Market

Gtmhub, the top supplier of OKR software (Objectives and Key Results Software), starts 2022 with several company milestones in 2022. These milestones include the acquisition of Koan (an OKR status and tracking platform), customer wins, tripled revenue growth, new hires, product offerings and mission-driven initiatives.

In February 2023, JOP released an OKR Software solution, explicitly designed to help enterprises manage goals more innovatively. This OKR-based solution was creatively developed to help organizations of all sizes swiftly and accomplish their primary business goals.

Key Questions Answered in OKR Software Market Report

What specific growth drivers are projected to impact the market during the forecast period?

List the top companies in the market and explain how they have achieved their positions of influence?

In what ways do regional trends and patterns differ within the global market, and how these differences shape the market's future growth?

Related Reports in SkyQuests Library:

Global E-commerce Market

Global API Management Market

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Global In-Memory Computing Market

Global Mobile Device Management Market

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SkyQuest Technology is leading growth consulting firm providing market intelligence, commercialization and technology services. It has 450+ happy clients globally.

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SkyQuest Technology Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

SkyQuest's Automotive Dealer Management System Market report provides actionable insights for individuals interested in valuable data, trends, and opportunities in a rapidly growing industry. Additionally, the report is produced and published concisely, making it accessible to various audiences, from industry experts to market readers. Finally, one can gain an in-depth understanding of the primary and secondary market drivers, providing them with a comprehensive outlook of the current market situation and future projections.

Westford, USA, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SkyQuest projects that the automotive dealer management system market will attain a value of USD 13.80 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 8.5% over the forecast period (2022-2030). The market is expanding quickly due to the rising need for integrated software solutions in the automotive retail sector. With a variety of software and services available to auto dealerships, the market is characterized by the presence of several well-established businesses as well as recent arrivals. The expanding use of cutting-edge technology in the automotive sector is one of the major forces driving the market. By incorporating advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and the Internet of Things (IoT) into DMS solutions, dealerships can automate their processes, increase productivity and improve customer satisfaction.

According to the SkyQuest, the growing trend of digitization and online sales in the automobile industry is another factor driving the market for the automotive dealer management system. Dealerships can reach a larger audience and sell their goods and services more successfully because of the growing integration of DMS solutions with online marketplaces and other e-commerce platforms. The market is nevertheless dealing with significant difficulties, such as escalating competition and the high price of DMS solution deployment.

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Tables - 59

Figures  75

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An automotive dealer management system platform assists car dealerships in managing their everyday tasks, such as sales, inventory management, customer relationship management, financing, and reporting. Dealerships can streamline their operations and increase productivity to the system's integration of several business processes into a single platform. DMS solutions are made to meet the particular requirements of the automotive sector, including maintaining a sizable and frequently changing inventory, monitoring sales and service operations, storing customer data and integrating with third-party systems such as accounting software and internet marketplaces.

Prominent Players in Automotive Dealer Management System Market

CDK Global

Cox Automotive

Reynolds and Reynolds

DealerSocket

Dominion Dealer Solutions

Epicor Software Corporation

IBM Corporation

SAP SE

Autosoft, Inc.

Dealertrack

R&R Business Consultants

Auto/Mate Dealership Systems

Quorum Information Technologies

Xtime

AutoLoop

PBS Systems

DealerBuilt

Dealertrack DMS

Dealer-FX

Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC):

https://www.skyquestt.com/report/automotive-dealer-management-system-market

Software Segment is Expected to Grow Due to Rising Demand for Operation Management in Automobile Dealerships

The software segment includes various software solutions necessary for managing the operations of automobile dealerships, accounts for most of the global automotive dealer management system market. This region includes software for dealer management, inventory management, customer relationship management and other software solutions that auto dealerships use to organize their processes and boost productivity.

North America dominated the global market for automotive dealer management system. The market in North America is substantial and established due to presence of numerous essential automakers and dealerships in the region. The North America's largest market is the United States, followed by Canada and Mexico. The market is anticipated to expand steadily due to the rising adoption of cutting-edge technology in the sector and the rising need for integrated software solutions in automotive retail operations. However, the industry is anticipated to confront difficulties like escalating competition and expensive implementation and maintenance costs for DMS solutions.

Services Segment is Anticipated to Grow Due to its Rising Support and Maintenance Services

The services segment is anticipated to experience the fastest growth in the global market over the forecast period as it encompasses a variety of consultancy, support and maintenance services necessary to maintain the efficient operation of DMS solutions. In addition, the need for related services, including consultancy, support and maintenance services, which are required to maintain the effective operation of DMS solutions is anticipated to increase as automotive dealerships implement DMS solutions at an increasing rate.

The Asia Pacific region is anticipated to have the fastest growth in the market. China and India are the two largest markets due to the substantial expansion of the automobile industry in these countries. Furthermore, due to the expanding use of cutting-edge technologies in the automotive sector and the rising need for integrated software solutions in automotive retail operations, the Asia Pacific automotive DMS market is anticipated to expand significantly over the coming years.

A comprehensive analysis of the major players in the Automotive Dealer Management System market has been recently conducted in a report. The report encompasses various aspects, including collaborations, mergers, innovative business policies, and strategies, providing valuable insights into key trends and breakthroughs in the market. Furthermore, the report scrutinizes the market share of the top segments and presents a detailed geographic analysis. Lastly, the report highlights the major players in the industry and their endeavours to develop innovative solutions to cater to the growing demand.

Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements:

https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/automotive-dealer-management-system-market

Key Developments in Automotive Dealer Management System Market

DriveFlex, a new Dealer Management System (DMS) platform, was introduced by CDK Global, a top supplier of automotive retail technology solutions. The platform aims to give dealers a better, more adaptable and user-friendly solution.

Fyusion, was acquired by Cox Automotive in 2021. The acquisition is anticipated to improve Cox Automotive's inventory control and digital retailing capabilities.

Key Questions Answered in Automotive Dealer Management System Market Report

What specific growth drivers are projected to impact the market during the forecast period?

List the top companies in the market and explain how they have achieved their positions of influence?

In what ways do regional trends and patterns differ within the global market, and how these differences shape the market's future growth?

Related Reports in SkyQuests Library:

Global ETL Software Market

Global AI in Call Center Operations Market

Global AI For Risk Management Market

Global AI In Cybersecurity Market

Global Web 3.0 Blockchain Market

About Us:

SkyQuest Technology is leading growth consulting firm providing market intelligence, commercialization and technology services. It has 450+ happy clients globally.

Address:

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Phone:

USA (+1) 617-230-0741

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Market.Us

Market.us has reported that Real Time-PCR (qPCR) technology holds the largest share of the RNA Analysis Market, accounting for 44%. The widespread use of PCR for COVID-19 diagnosis worldwide has been a significant contributor to this high share.

New York, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Market.us predicts that the RNA Analysis Market will achieve a registered compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14% from 2023 to 2032, resulting in a market size exceeding USD 34.37 billion by 2032, up from USD 9.58 billion in 2022.

Transcriptomics is one of the most advanced fields in post-genomic science. Its rapid advancement can be attributed to its increasing applications in life science for capturing polyadenylated RNA. With the development of next-generation high throughput sequencing technology, transcriptome analysis is making strides toward providing a greater understanding of how RNA-based genes are regulated.

RNA analysis market



In July 2021, a Lithuanian team is developing a droplet-based technique for simultaneous mRNA and microRNA capture and sequencing within one cell. The growing need to analyze a large number of genes in order to better comprehend gene-drug interactions is anticipated to further drive the use of transcriptomics technologies for discovery applications and drug development. For instance, transcriptome profiles of COVID-19 patients have been analyzed to better comprehend their disease prognosis and management. Furthermore, rising demand for personalized medicines is expected to fuel industry growth over the forecast period.



In April 2020, Caris Life Sciences announced the submission of Pre-Market Approval applications for MI Transcriptome CDx to the USFDA. This precision medicine assay includes important companion diagnostic biomarkers; however, data management in transcriptomic research and the lack of effective bioinformatics tools remain major obstacles in this industry.

Get additional highlights on major revenue-generating segments, Request an RNA analysis market sample report at https://market.us/report/rna-analysis-market/request-sample/

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Key Takeaway:

By the product types analysis, the kits and reagent segment with 57% market share.

By technology analysis, Real Time-PCR (qPCR) Technology segment dominates the market with a 44% market share.

By Application Analysis, the clinical diagnostics segment dominates the market with a 37% market share.

By End-User analysis, Government Institutes & Academic Centres segment dominates the market 35% market share.

In 2022, North America dominated the market with the highest revenue share of 41% .

APAC is expected to grow at a greater pace owing to affordable prices, increasing medical tourism, as well as hospitals and clinics, among other factors.

Factors affecting the growth of the RNA analysis market

Advances in Technology: One of the primary drivers of growth within the RNA analysis industry has been advances in technology such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) and single-cell sequencing. These tools make it possible to analyze RNA more precisely than ever before, providing researchers with new insights into disease mechanisms and drug development.

Personalized Medicine Is on the Rise: As personalized medicine becomes more widespread, so too does the demand for RNA analysis. RNA analysis provides valuable information about a patient's genetic makeup, enabling doctors to customize treatments according to their individual needs.

Precision Medicine: Precision medicine strives to deliver tailored therapies to patients based on their genetic makeup. RNA analysis can provide essential data about gene expression patterns, which could identify potential drug targets and biomarkers for disease.

Increased Cancer Prevalence: Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and its incidence is rising. RNA analysis is becoming an integral tool in cancer research, providing researchers with insights into biomarkers, developing new therapies, and monitoring treatment effectiveness.

Investment in Research and Development: The RNA analysis industry has seen significant investment in research and development over the last several years, leading to the development of new technologies, products, and services. This investment has fostered innovation and growth within the sector.

To understand how our report can bring a difference to your business strategy, Inquire about a brochure at https://market.us/report/rna-analysis-market/#inquiry

Top Market Trends of RNA Analysis Market

RNA-based therapeutics are an increasingly popular trend in the RNA market. Recent advances in delivery technology, such as nanoparticle-based delivery systems, are fueling research into new RNA drugs that can target specific tissues and cells. RNA sequencing is a rapidly expanding trend in the RNA market. As more data becomes available from this process, companies that offer RNA sequencing services and related bioinformatics tools will see increased opportunities. Personalized medicine, which involves tailoring medical treatments to each patient based on their genetic makeup, is an emerging trend in the RNA market. RNA-based diagnostics and therapeutics can play a significant role in personalized medicine by enabling treatments tailored to each patient's genetic profile. Gene editing technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9 are increasingly being employed in the RNA market to manipulate and alter RNA molecules. This presents opportunities for developing novel RNA-based therapeutics and diagnostics. Investments in RNA research are on the rise across governments, academic institutions, and private companies alike. This has created opportunities for collaboration and the development of new RNA-based products and technologies.

Market Growth

Increased Demand: As more people show interest in a particular product or service, demand will increase, propelling the market growth.

Technological Advancements: Technological innovations can open up new prospects for growth by allowing the creation of innovative products and services or improving existing ones.

Economic Conditions: Positive economic conditions such as low unemployment and growing consumer confidence can spur higher spending by consumers, ultimately stimulating market growth.

Regulatory Shifts: Regulators can alter and create new growth opportunities by expanding markets or lowering entry barriers.

Demographic Changes: Demographic changes such as aging, urbanization, and immigration can create new demands for products and services, stimulating market growth.

Competitive Landscape: As competition intensifies, companies may need to innovate and enhance their products or services to remain competitive, spurring market expansion.

Regional Analysis

Regional Analysis reveals that North America dominates the market with a 41% share. This growth can be attributed to the rapid development of structure-based drug designs, increased emphasis on transcriptomics research, and high investments in biopharmaceutical R&D. Additionally, rising investment in pharmaceutical research and drug development is fuelling the revenue growth of companies throughout this region. Asia Pacific, however, is expected to experience the fastest compound annual growth rate during the forecast period. Governments and enterprises in Asia Pacific countries are investing significantly more in biotechnology research, spurring research growth. The Japanese government and non-profit organizations have actively promoted biotechnology research in Japan, providing financial support for projects related to medicine and life sciences. This has encouraged scientists to investigate transcriptomics as a potential growth path. Furthermore, the growing attention paid to APAC countries due to their cost-effective manufacturing service is expected to present growth opportunities for manufacturers. Furthermore, strategic activities like partnerships will further promote this region's development. In January 2020, Genetron Holdings Ltd. inked a partnership agreement with Thermo Fisher Scientific that will expand precision cancer monitoring and diagnosis within China's public hospitals.

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Scope of the Report

Report Attribute Details Market Value (2022) USD 9.58 billion Market Size (2032) USD 34.37 billion CAGR (from 2023 to 2032) 14% North America Revenue Share 41% Historic Period 2016 to 2022 Base Year 2022 Forecast Year 2023 to 2032

Market Drivers

The Demand for RNA-based Therapeutics is on the Rise: These drugs are increasingly being used to combat diseases like cancer, genetic disorders, and infectious illnesses. The development of new RNA drugs is fuelling this growth in the RNA market.

Advancements in RNA Sequencing Technologies: As RNA sequencing technologies advance rapidly, they generate vast amounts of RNA data. This has created a need for products and services that can handle and analyze this information, ultimately driving growth within the RNA market.

Government Funding of RNA Research: Governments around the world are investing in RNA research, leading to the development of new technologies and products in this market.

Collaboration between Academic and Industry Players: Academic and industry players are increasingly joining forces to develop novel RNA-based products and technologies, which are fuelling the growth of the RNA market by speeding up innovation and improving product quality.

Growing Demand for Personalized Medicine: RNA-based products and technologies are increasingly being employed in personalized medicine, which involves tailoring medical treatments to individual patients based on their genetic makeup. This has driven the growth of the RNA market by stimulating demand for RNA-based diagnostics and therapeutics.

Market Restraints

High Development Costs: Researching and developing RNA-based therapeutics and technologies can be costly, and clinical trials often have high failure rates. This may limit the development of new products and technologies within the RNA market.

Regulatory Challenges: RNA-based therapeutics and technologies require regulatory approval, which can be a lengthy and complex process. The regulatory obstacles and compliance demands may impede the development and commercialization of RNA products.

Limited Understanding of RNA Biology: While RNA research has made great strides in recent years, much remains to be discovered about its structure and function. This could hinder the development of innovative RNA-based products and technologies.

Competing Technologies: RNA-based therapeutics and technologies are facing competition from other technologies such as gene therapy, small molecules, and antibodies. This may restrict the growth of the RNA market by decreasing demand for RNA-based products and services.

Intellectual Property Challenges: As RNA research develops rapidly, there are challenges associated with protecting intellectual property. This could obstruct the creation of new RNA-based products and technologies by decreasing incentives for companies and researchers to invest in this area.

Market Opportunities

Development of New RNA-Based Therapeutics : Recent advances in RNA delivery technology, such as nanoparticle-based delivery systems, offer an exciting prospect for the market. By improving the efficiency and specificity of these therapies, researchers hope to discover treatments for many diseases with RNA.

Expansion of RNA Sequencing Services: The expansion of RNA sequencing services represents an exciting prospect in the RNA market. With increased access to sequencing data, demand is growing for services that can effectively handle and analyze it, creating opportunities for companies providing these services as well as related bioinformatics tools.

Personalized Medicine: Personalized medicine, which involves tailoring medical treatments to individuals based on their genetic makeup, presents an exciting opportunity in the RNA market. RNA-based diagnostics and therapeutics can play a pivotal role in personalized medicine by enabling treatments tailored to each patient's genetic profile.

Investment Opportunities in RNA Research: Investments in RNA research offer an exciting prospect for the market. Governments, academic institutions, and private companies alike are investing in this area, creating numerous chances for collaboration and the development of new RNA-based products and technologies.

Integration of AI and Machine Learning: The convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning presents a major opportunity in the RNA market. Combining their respective strengths, these technologies can be employed to analyze vast amounts of RNA sequencing data, leading to new therapeutic targets based on RNA as well as more precise treatments that utilize fewer resources.

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Report Segmentation of the RNA Analysis Market

Product Type Insight

The kits and reagent segment holds a 57% market share. This segment includes various reagents and kits used for RNA analysis, such as RNA isolation kits, RNA amplification kits, and sequencing kits. The demand for these reagents and kits is expected to grow rapidly due to the rising demand for RNA sequencing and transcriptome analysis. Companies such as Qiagen N.V., Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., and New England Biolabs Inc. are some of the prominent players in this space. This segment encompasses various instruments used for RNA analysis like PCR instruments, microarrays, sequencers, and more. The instruments segment dominates the market due to rising demand for advanced technologies in RNA analysis and an expanding adoption of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. Companies such as Illumina Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., and Pacific Biosciences of California Inc. are key players in this sector which offers various reagents and kits for RNA analysis like RNA isolation kits, RNA amplification kits, and sequencing kits. The reagents and kits segment is expected to witness significant growth due to rising demand for RNA sequencing and transcriptome analysis. Companies like Qiagen N.V., Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., and New England Biolabs Inc. are some of the key players in this space. This market encompasses various RNA analysis services such as sequencing, gene expression analysis, and transcriptome analysis. This space is expected to grow rapidly due to the increasing outsourcing of these types of tasks by biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Companies like Eurofins Scientific SE, GenScript Biotech Corporation, and BGI Group are some of the key players in this space.

Technology analysis

Technology analysis reveals that Real Time-PCR (qPCR) Technology commands the majority share of the market with 44% share. This high share was due to the widespread adoption of PCR for COVID-19 diagnostic purposes around the globe. QPCR is an ideal and sensitive method for probing small numbers of transcripts across a wide range of samples, providing high sensitivity detection of SARS-CoV-2, evaluation of viral RNA in various clinical samples, identification of mutations associated with SARS-CoV-2, as well as evaluation of anti-SARS drugs. Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic served as a stimulus for industry growth. Furthermore, quantitative Real-Time PCR is employed to conduct a comparative analysis between transcriptomes from the host and viral samples. Sequencing is expected to see a huge surge in the coming years due to improvements in next-generation and SMRT sequencing technology, as well as several companies providing single-cell RNA sequencing services and the rise of bioinformatics algorithms.

Application Insight

By Application Analysis, The Clinical Diagnostics Segment Dominates The Market With a 37% Market Share. RNA analysis is increasingly being employed in clinical diagnostics to aid diagnosis and prognosis for various diseases. The clinical diagnostics market is expected to expand rapidly due to the rising demand for personalized medicine and the rising adoption of RNA-based diagnostic tools. Companies such as Roche Diagnostics, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., and Qiagen N.V. are some of the key players in clinical diagnostics. RNA analysis plays a pivotal role in drug discovery, from target identification and validation to lead optimization and pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetic studies. The drug discovery segment is projected to grow at an impressive rate due to the increasing demand for novel and effective therapeutics. Companies such as Gilead Sciences Inc., Novartis International AG, and Pfizer Inc. are some of the key players within this space. RNA analysis is widely employed in toxic genomics for the identification of genes related to toxicology and the construction of predictive toxicity models. The toxic genomics segment is expected to experience rapid growth due to rising demand for toxicity testing and the development of safer drugs and chemicals. Competitive transcriptomics is an increasingly popular application of RNA analysis that involves the comparison of gene expression profiles across various organisms or conditions. The competitive transcriptomics segment is expected to experience rapid growth due to rising demand for comparative genomics and the identification of evolutionary and ecological factors. Companies such as Illumina Inc., Pacific Biosciences of California Inc., and Oxford Nanopore Technologies Ltd. are some of the key players in this space.

End User Insight

By End-User analysis, Government Institutes & Academic Centres segment dominates the market 35% market share. The adoption rate of high throughput technologies for RNA analysis by government institutes and academic centers is driving the segment growth. Transcriptomics applications in drug discovery are fuelling demand across pharmaceutical, biotechnological, pharmaceutical, and clinical diagnostic industries alike. Furthermore, research in drug discovery contributes to market size just like clinical diagnostics research does; for instance, TORNADO-seq was developed in April 2021 - an RNA sequencing-based platform to monitor gene expression for studying cell phenotypes in organoids.

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Market Segmentation

Based on Product Type

Kits & Reagents

Instruments

Services

Based on Technology

Real Time-PCR (qPCR) Technology

Sequencing Technology

Microarray Technology

Other Technologies

Based on Application

Clinical Diagnostics

Drug Discovery

Toxic genomics

Competitive Transcriptomics

Based on End-User

Government Institutes & Academic Centres

Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies

Contract Research Organizations (CROs)

Hospitals & Clinics

Other End-Users

By Geography

North America

The US Canada Mexico



Western Europe

Germany France The UK Spain Italy Portugal Ireland Austria Switzerland Benelux Nordic Rest of Western Europe



Eastern Europe

Russia Poland The Czech Republic Greece Rest of Eastern Europe

APAC China Japan South Korea India Australia & New Zealand Indonesia Malaysia Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam Rest of APAC



Latin America

Brazil Colombia Chile Argentina Costa Rica Rest of Latin America



Middle East & Africa

Algeria Egypt Israel Kuwait Nigeria Saudi Arabia South Africa Turkey United Arab Emirates Rest of MEA



Competitive Landscape

The industry is highly fragmented, featuring numerous small, mid, and large players that compete by adopting organic growth strategies such as product development and regional expansion to expand their market presence. For instance, in May 2021 Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. released the SEQuoia RiboDepletion Kit for next-generation (NGS) sequencing which can improve assessment efficiency by eliminating irrelevant rRNA fragments from RNA sequencing libraries. Some key players in the global RNA analysis market include some of the major players include:

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Hoffmann-La Roche AG

Illumina, Inc.

QIAGEN

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

Eurofins Scientific

Merck KGaA

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

Pacific Bioscience of California, Inc.

Affymetrix, Inc.

Danaher Corp.

Promega

Other Key players

Recent Development of the RNA Analysis Market

June 2022 : Bio-Rad Laboratories introduced their SEQuoia Express Stranded RNA Library Prep Kit, offering biopharmaceuticals and analysis scientists an easy-to-use solution for creating robust libraries to facilitate efficient RNA-Seq workflows for comprehensive transcriptome profiling. Furthermore, this kit offers cost efficiency and automation compatibility - two essential qualities in today's library era.

Mar-2022 : Illumina released TruSight Oncology Comprehensive, a single test that evaluates multiple tumor genes. This kit encompasses mutations as well as current and emerging biomarkers linked to European Society for Medical Oncology guidelines, clinical trials, and drug labels in order to maximize the chances of discovering actionable data from each patient's biopsy.

December 2021: Eurofins Technologies released the GSD Nova Type Detect + Select K417N SARS-CoV-2 test kit as an efficient and cost-effective method to verify Omicron variants before specimens undergo whole genome sequencing. This new kit promises an accurate solution for this task.

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SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of Semler Scientific, Inc. (Nasdaq: SMLR), is pleased to announce that it has appointed Doug Murphy-Chutorian, M.D., former CEO and a current member of the board of directors as chief executive officer (CEO) on an interim basis with immediate effect. The board intends to conduct a global search for a permanent CEO.

Semler Scientific, Inc. (PRNewsfoto/Semler Scientific, Inc.)

"We are delighted that Doug has changed his near-term plans in order to return as interim CEO," said Eric Semler, the chairman of the board. "We greatly value Doug's long history with the company as both its CEO and one of its largest stockholders."

About Semler Scientific, Inc.:

Semler Scientific, Inc. is a company that provides technology solutions to improve the clinical effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare providers. Semler Scientific's mission is to develop, manufacture and market innovative products and services that assist its customers in evaluating and treating chronic diseases. Semler Scientific's patented and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), cleared product, QuantaFlo, is a rapid point-of-care test that measures arterial blood flow in the extremities to aid in the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, such as peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and heart dysfunction (HD). QuantaFlo is used by Semler Scientific's customers to more comprehensively evaluate their patients for risk of mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), which are associated with a positive QuantaFlo test. Semler Scientific has an agreement with Mellitus Health, Inc. (Mellitus) to exclusively market and distribute Insulin Insights, an FDA-cleared software product that recommends optimal insulin dosing for diabetic patients in the United States, including Puerto Rico, except for selected accounts. Semler Scientific has made investments in Mellitus, in NeuroDiagnostics Inc., a privately held company doing business as SYNAPS Dx, whose product, Discern, is a test for early Alzheimer's disease, as well as Monarch Medical Technologies LLC, a privately held company whose product EndoTool offers a technology-enabled approach to inpatient glycemic management. Semler Scientific continues to develop additional complementary innovative products in-house, and seeks out other arrangements for additional products and services that it believes will bring value to its customers and to the company. Semler Scientific believes its current products and services, and any future products or services that it may offer, positions it to provide valuable information to its customer base, which in turn permits them to better guide patient care. Additional information about Semler Scientific can be found at www.semlerscientific.com.

Story continues

INVESTOR CONTACT:

Susan A. Noonan

S.A. Noonan Communications

susan@sanoonan.com

917 513 5303

Cision

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SOURCE Semler Scientific, Inc.
(Bloomberg) -- The smartphone market is likely to remain depressed for the next year, Sony Group Corp. president and Chief Operating Officer Hiroki Totoki said.

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Tokyo-based Sony is the worlds leading provider of smartphone image sensors and has a direct view on device inventories and demand among the worlds leading manufacturers. The company offered a very conservative forecast for its own performance and the global economy after reporting earnings Friday, and Totoki said there are particular pockets of built-up oversupply that will put pressure on already strained handset makers.

We are not optimistic about the smartphone market outlook this year, the Sony executive said on a call with analysts and investors. In China, handset inventories in distribution channels increased in March, and we expect prices of low-end and midrange image sensors will fall a lot due to piled-up inventories by competitors.

Sony expects a slowdown in Europe, a high degree of uncertainty in China and also sees softness in premium handsets in the US. Totoki said the company had increased its share of the global smartphone image sensor market to 51% over the past fiscal year, from 44% earlier.

Chinas smartphone market, still the biggest in the world, went through double-digit declines for most of last year and extended that downward trend in the first three months of 2023. The latest figures showed an 11% drop even after Chinas scrapping of strict Covid Zero restrictions on movement and regular business activity.

Read more: Sony Casts Doubt on PlayStation Momentum With Cagey Outlook

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(Bloomberg) -- Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc.s $3.4 billion bet on its alliance with Jefferies Financial Group Inc. is the latest move by Japans top banks to expand abroad as they they seek to work around tepid growth prospects at home.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The deal realizes an oft-stated desire to own a larger stake in the US investment bank, a move that could give Japans second-largest lender a springboard to compete with its domestic rivals.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. and Mizuho Financial Group Inc. are already accelerating a buildup in the US market. Mizuho wants to hire bankers to build its businesses with non-investment grade companies and leveraged buyout financing, its chief executive officer said last year.

Meanwhile, MUFG has said it plans to accelerate lending to global funds and other institutional investors in the US, and recently hired more than 20 people from Silicon Valley Bank to build out its technology, media and telecom banking group.

Sumitomo Mitsui ranks 14th this year for underwriting investment grade corporate bonds in the US, lagging Mizuho and MUFG at 9th and 13th respectively. It also ranks behind the other two megabanks in US high-yield bonds this year.

The move is arguably positive from a business strategy perspective, as alliance synergies can be expected in overseas corporate and investment banking, which is a focus area for SMFG, Mia Nagasaka, analyst at Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities Co., wrote in a note.

Shares of Sumitomo Mitsui gained as much as 2.8% on Friday in Tokyo, outstripping the benchmark Nikkei 225. Shares of Jefferies surged as much 7% in New York on Thursday, the most since Jan. 4.

Story continues

Stronger Ties

In an interview earlier this year, Chief Executive Officer Jun Ohta said the partnership with Jefferies can be stronger.

For (Jefferies), our balance sheet is attractive and for us, their investment banking capability is attractive, he said.

The Japanese bank, which purchased 4.5% of the outstanding shares of Jefferies in 2021, intends to increase that investment to as high as 15% in economic ownership, the companies said in a joint statement Thursday.

Coupled with financing to Jefferies in 2021, the Japanese companys commitment to the New York company will amount to $3.4 billion if additional investments are done at the current market prices, according to the US firm.

Tokyo-based Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. will be responsible for credit products and debt-capital markets, while Jefferies will cover mergers and acquisitions as well as equity capital markets, according to the statement.

MUFG, Japans biggest bank, invested $9 billion in Morgan Stanley during the global financial crisis in 2008, and now has a 22.7% stake, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The banks set up two Tokyo-based brokerage ventures in 2010.

It looks similar to the alliance between MUFG and Morgan Stanley, which has been successful, said Toyoki Sameshima, an analyst at SBI Securities Co.

--With assistance from Komaki Ito.

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Dublin, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "The South African Private Equity Industry 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



This report covers the private equity sector in South Africa including venture capital and SME funding. It includes information on the size and state of the sector, investment and corporate activity, funds under management, funds raised and returns, notable players and developments, including regulatory developments which could result in new investment trends.

There are profiles of 28 companies including RMB Corvest and RMB Ventures, Metier, African Rainbow Capital, Hlayisani Capital, Vantage Capital and the SA SME Fund.



While funds under management have increased, the private equity sector has experienced a slowdown in the value and number of investments since 2018. Returns have also been falling recently.

The slowing global and local economy is likely to mean a tougher 2023 for fund managers. South Africa's grey listing and ratings downgrades are other challenges. However, Pension Funds Act amendments, which came into effect in January 2023, could help increase investment in venture capital and in infrastructure.



Venture Capital



In recent years there has been an increase in venture capital investments in startups. Fintech accounts for most venture capital investments and exits by value and number. There has also been an increase in the number of institutional investors backing venture capital. Increasingly South African venture capital funds are investing in startups on the rest of the continent. Most venture capital investments are at early stage and there is a lack of follow-on funding.



Regulation



Amendments to Regulation 28 of the Pension Funds Act, which came into effect in January 2023, allow pension funds to allocate up to 45% investment in South African infrastructure projects, up from 30% previously. They also increase the amount of assets pension funds can allocate to private equity to 15% (from 10% previously).



Key Topics Covered:



1. INTRODUCTION



2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY

2.1. Industry Value Chain

2.2. Geographic Position

2.3. Size of the Industry



3. LOCAL

3.1. State of the Industry

3.2. Key Trends

3.3. Key Issues

3.4. Notable Players

3.5. Corporate Actions

3.6. Regulations

3.7. Enterprise Development and Social Development



4. AFRICA



5. INTERNATIONAL



6. INFLUENCING FACTORS

6.1. Economic Environment

6.2. Labour

6.3. Technology, R&D, Innovation

6.4. Government Involvement

6.5. Pension Fund Investment

6.6. Infrastructure Investment

6.7. Environmental Issues, ESG and Responsible Investing

6.8. Cybersecurity



7. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT

7.1. Competition

7.2. Ownership Structure of the Industry

7.3. Barriers to Entry



8. SWOT ANALYSIS



9. OUTLOOK



10. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS



11. REFERENCES

11.1. Publications

11.2. Websites



APPENDIX

Story continues

Companies Mentioned

4Di Group (Pty) Ltd

Absa Securities United Kingdom Ltd

Absa Stockbrokers Nigeria Ltd

Acorn Private Equity (Pty) Ltd

African Growth and Private Equity - PCC

African Infrastructure Investment Managers (Pty) Ltd

African Rainbow Capital Investments Ltd

AIIM Hydropower Holdings (Pty) Ltd

Alliance Holdings Ltd

Altvest Capital Ltd

Anatrica AG

ARC Real Estate GP (Pty) Ltd

ARM-Harith Infrastructure Investment Ltd

AYO Technology Solutions Ltd

BetBio Zambia Ltd

Bopa Moruo Private Equity Fund Managers (Pty) Ltd

Business Partners International Adviser Ltd

Business Partners International Zambia Ltd

Convergence Partners Management (Pty) Ltd

Development Bank of Southern Africa

Edge Growth Business Development (Pty) Ltd

EFS Namibia (Pty) Ltd

Enerweb (Pty) Ltd

Ethos Private Equity (Pty) Ltd

Federated Farmers (Pty) Ltd

Grovest Venture Capital Company (Pty) Ltd

Harith Partners UK Ltd

Havaic Holdings South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Hlayisani Fund Managers (Pty) Ltd

Horizon Equity Partners (Pty) Ltd

IDF Capital (Pty) Ltd

Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa Ltd

Ino Harith Capital (Pty) Ltd

Interaction Market Services Cape Town (Pty) Ltd

Interaction Market Services Ekurhuleni (Pty) Ltd

Interaction Market Services Holdings (Pty) Ltd

Interaction Market Services Regional Markets (Pty) Ltd

International Finance Corporation (USA)

Jozi Angels Investment Group (Pty) Ltd

K2018565981 (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd

Kalon Venture Partners Ltd

Knife Capital (Pty) Ltd

Launch Africa Ventures Fund 1

Liberty General Insurance Uganda Ltd

Liberty Life Tanzania Ltd

Linked to Africa Management Services Ltd

Metier Investment and Advisory Services (Pty) Ltd

Naspers Ltd

National Empowerment Fund Trust

Nedbank Ltd

NESA Venture Capital Investments (Pty) Ltd

Old Mutual Private Equity (Division of Old Mutual Alternative Investments (Pty) Ltd)

Pallidus European Investments (CY) Ltd

Pallidus Holdings (Pty) Ltd

Payprop (Pty) Ltd

Pembani Remgro Infrastructure Managers (Pty) Ltd

Pembani Remgro Infrastructure Mauritius Fund I LP

Pharmaways Healthcare (Pty) Ltd

Phatisa Food Fund 2 LLC

Phatisa Managers (Pty) Ltd

Public Investment Corporation SOC Ltd

Purpose Vunani Asset Management (Pvt) Ltd

Radio Africa Group Ltd

RMB Corvest (Pty) Ltd

RMB Ventures (Pty) Ltd

SA SME Fund Ltd (The)

Sanlam Private Equity (Division of Sanlam Investment Management (Pty) Ltd)

SIM Swaziland Ltd

Sorbet Experience UK Ltd (The)

Stanbic Holdings Ghana Ltd

Stanlib Asset Management (Pty) Ltd

Stanlib Tanzania Ltd

Vantage Capital Group (Pty) Ltd

Vuna Partners (Pty) Ltd

Vunani Capital Partners Ltd





For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/kpkw3t

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Chicago, April 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a research report South Korea Precision Farming Market by Technology (Guidance, Remote Sensing and Variable Rate Technology), Offering, Application, and Region (Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Rest of the World) - Global Forecast to 2030" published by MarketsandMarkets, South Korea Precision Farming Market to Grow at a CAGR 12.3% from 2022 to 2030.

South Korea to witness robust growth in precision farming market during the forecast period

Precision farming was introduced in South Korea in the 1990s through international seminars, symposiums, and research projects by scientists in government agencies and universities. Recently, precision farming technologies have witnessed an increased adoption rate in the country. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), farms in South Korea are small, ranging from 1 to 2.5 acres in size. The government centers also provide financial aid to farmers to purchase precision agriculture equipment. These equipment can easily traverse rough terrains, thereby reducing the burden on farmers to search laborers and pay their wages. Precision farming technologies such as GPS, GIS, and small machine-based variable rate technology (VRT) are currently adopted in small and medium-sized farms; government programs also promote web-based GIS systems. The local governments have developed centers of excellence to encourage farmers to use the internet and gain knowledge on soil properties, as well as gather information on soil fertility and nutrient levels for better yield.

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Precision farming in South Korea seems to be entering a new phase as advanced technology-based agricultural solutions, such as farm software packages, yield monitoring sensors, crop growth sensors, variable rate nutrient application systems, and site-specific variability systems, are being developed in South korea and neighboring countries. In August 2021, the KOPIA Pakistan Centre, the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), and the Korean Rural Development Administration (RDA) collaborated on developing technologies to boost agricultural production. The PARC and RDA will together develop customized technologies and serve as a hub for sharing agricultural technologies and knowledge between the two countries. In June 2021, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency in Jordan (KOTRA Amman) collaborated with the Jordan National Agricultural Research Centre to introduce smart farming technologies to Jordans agricultural industry. This is expected to improve Jordans agricultural productivity as food security becomes vital to its economy.

Story continues

As a producer, South Korea is home to several companies that are developing precision farming technologies. For example, Samsung Electronics has developed a range of agricultural sensors that can measure soil moisture, temperature, and other environmental factors. Additionally, companies like Nongshim Data System are developing south korea precision farming industry solutions like automated crop monitoring systems, intelligent irrigation systems, and livestock monitoring solutions. South Korea's government is also investing heavily in precision farming technology, with initiatives like the "Smart Farming Industry Development Plan" aimed at promoting the use of digital technologies in agriculture. The plan includes measures like subsidies for precision agriculture equipment, research and development programs for new technologies, and training programs for farmers on how to use these technologies.

INQUIRY BEFORE BUYING : https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=1243

Large number of precision farming technology being used in South Korea is the "Smart Farm" system developed by the Rural Development Administration (RDA). The Smart Farm system uses a variety of sensors and automation technology to monitor environmental conditions.

Related Reports:

[209 Pages Report] The global mid-and high-level precision GPS receiver market size is expected to grow from USD 2.7 billion in 2021 to USD 4.0 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 8.6%.

[274 Pages Report] The global precision planting market size is estimated to be USD 5.0 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 8.2 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 10.3% during the forecast period.

CONTACT: About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com




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Southeast Asian Tractors Market

Southeast Asian Tractors Market

Dublin, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Southeast Asia Tractors Market - Industry Analysis & Forecast 2023-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Southeast Asia agricultural tractors market size is expected to reach 1,18,182 units by 2028. The agriculture tractor market in Southeast Asia increased by 3.1% in 2022 from 2021. The increase in crop production and tractor sales was due to favorable climate conditions and government support to farmers.

The Southeast Asia agricultural tractors market is highly concentrated, with the top players controlling most of the industry. Domestic and global brands, on the other hand, are equally represented in the market.

Southeast Asian government plans schemes and initiatives to facilitate credit and improve agriculture-related operations, which will contribute to the growth of the overall value chain of the market.

MARKET TRENDS & OPPURUNTITES

Technological Advances in The Tractor Technology



A new frontier of innovation emerged as agriculture met digital technology, opening various paths to a smart agricultural future. Tractor manufacturers are competitive, and companies constantly strive to innovate and ensure product differentiation at affordable prices. State-of-the-art technology-based tractors are currently available in the market. GPS and remote sensing make farming more accurate and productive.



Increased Farm Mechanization



Using animal and human power in the Southeast Asian agricultural sector is low. Fossil fuel-powered vehicles, such as tractors and diesel engines, are used instead. Hence, the Southeast Asia agricultural tractors industry will likely be driven by increased agricultural equipment or machinery used during the forecast period. The farm holding structure is based on the economic size of a farm, depending on the farm's output per year. A high number of small farms characterizes the agricultural sector.

Story continues

The farm holding structure is consolidated, and medium-scale farms account for more farming lands in several regions. The high number of medium-scale farms in high agrarian areas will positively affect the industry in Southeast Asian countries. Such farms employ more than one tractor and other related agri-equipment to carry out several agricultural activities.

Further, there is an increase in the adoption of compact agricultural equipment as the export demand for fruits and flowers is high in the region. Several major and highest-selling brands, including Kubota and New Holland, offer compact equipment in the Southeast Asia agricultural tractors market.



SEGMENTATION INSIGHTS

INSIGHTS BY HORSEPOWER



The less than 50 HP horsepower segment dominated the Southeast Asia agricultural tractors market in 2022. Factors favoring the sale of tractors in the less than 50 HP range include versatility, the presence of hard soil in Southeast Asian countries, and increased purchasing power of farmers due to better Minimum Support Prices (MSP) and crop realization.

In Southeast Asian countries, the government focuses on increasing agricultural production in almost all the regions, which is likely to increase the potential of below 50 HP tractors due to the nature of crop farming and fragmentation of landholding structures.



Segmentation by Horsepower

Less Than 50 HP

50?100 HP

Above 100 HP

INSIGHTS BY BY WHEEL-DRIVE



The Southeast Asia agricultural tractors market is dominated by low-range HP 2WD tractors. Among the several tractor models available in the country, 2WD tractors are the most favored by farmers. The low relative cost of ownership, the sufficiency of features and haulage power, and convention make 2WD tractors more popular among farmers. Industry players are trying to redesign their 2WD tractors with more power and ease of handling features so that farmers can upgrade their tractors and buy new ones per their usage.

Features such as fuel efficiency, added comfort for operating in confined spaces, and light loading work is expected to be in demand in several agricultural economies.



Segmentation by Drive Type

2-Wheel-Drive

4-Wheel-Drive

REGIONAL ANALYSIS



In 2022, Thailand was Southeast Asia's largest producer of agriculture and crop outputs. Moreover, a country with high agriculture and crop outputs remains the major prospect for agricultural tractors. Due to such factors, Thailand held the largest Southeast Asia agricultural tractors market share in 2022. For Thai governments, food self-sufficiency is the key agenda due to the decline in arable land due to urbanization, exploitation of natural resources, and a massive shift in the production and consumption of food patterns across the globe. In 2022, the less than 50 HP tractor segment recorded high growth in Thailand with a CAGR of 4.02%. The country's sales of above 100 HP tractors are expected to remain steady during the forecast period due to the segregation of large and medium-scale farmlands in the coming years.



Segmentation by Geography

Thailand

Myanmar

Philippines

Malaysia

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE



The Southeast Asia agricultural tractors market is highly concentrated, with the top players controlling most of the industry. Domestic and global brands, on the other hand, are equally represented in the industry. John Deere, CNH Industrial, and Kubota dominated the Southeast Asia agricultural tractors market with a collective market share of over 50%. The threat of rivalry is high in the industry since more than 50% of the share belongs to the top three key players. These players are thriving on innovation in the tractor market. They are increasingly investing in developing advanced agricultural tractor technology for precision farming and machine automation.



Key Vendors

John Deere

CNH Industrial

AGCO

Kubota

Other Prominent Vendors

Mahindra

Deutz-Fahr

CLAAS

ISEKI & Co., Ltd.

Kioti

Yanmar

WHY SHOULD YOU BUY THIS REPORT?

This report is among the few in the market that offer outlook and opportunity analyses forecast in terms of:

Market Size & Forecast Volume (Units) 2020-2028

Segmentation by Horsepower

Segmentation by Wheel Drive

Segmentation by Geography

Production and trade values

Major current and upcoming projects and investments

Competitive intelligence about the economic scenario, advantages in Southeast Asia, industry dynamics, and market shares

Latest and innovative technologies

COVID-19 impact analysis of the industry

Company profiles of major and other prominent vendors

Market shares of major vendors

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED:



1. What is the growth rate of the Southeast Asia agricultural tractors market?

2. What are the expected units sold in the Southeast Asia agricultural tractors market by 2028?

3. How big is the Southeast Asia agricultural tractors market?

4. Which wheel drive holds the highest Southeast Asia agricultural tractors market share?

5. Who are the key companies in the Southeast Asia agricultural tractors industry?



Key Attributes:





Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 159 Forecast Period 2022 - 2028 Estimated Market Value (Units) in 2022 Units94671 Units Forecasted Market Value (Units) by 2028 Units118182 Units Compound Annual Growth Rate 3.7% Regions Covered Asia Pacific



Key Topics Covered:



1 Research Methodology



2 Research Objectives



3 Research Process



4 Scope & Coverage



5 Report Assumptions & Caveats



6 Market at a Glance



7 Premium Insights



8 Introduction



9 Market Opportunities & Trends

9.1 Technological Advances in Agricultural Tractor Technology

9.1.1 Swath Control and Variable Rate Technology (Vrt)

9.1.2 High Demand for Autonomous Equipment

9.2 Shortage of Agricultural Labor

9.3 Use of Energy-Efficient Agri Tractors



10 Market Growth Enablers

10.1 Assistance to Farmers Through Loans & Subsidies

10.2 Increased Agricultural Productivity & Exports

10.3 Increased Farm Mechanization



11 Market Restraints

11.1 Lack of Awareness of Latest Innovations in Agricultural Tractors

11.2 High Demand for Used & Rental Tractors

11.3 Climate Change Adversely Impacts Agricultural Activities



12 Market Landscape

13 Horsepower



14 Wheel-Drive Type



15 Country



16 Competitive Landscape



17 Key Company Profiles



18 Other Prominent Vendors



19 Report Summary



20 Quantitative Summary



21 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/yval74

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ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Attachment

CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900




(Bloomberg) -- House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Thursday escalated demands for President Joe Biden and Democrats to avoid a debt-ceiling crisis by embracing the plan that House Republicans passed the day before on party lines.

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The Senates done nothing, McCarthy said in an interview with Bloomberg Televisions Balance of Power. They havent done anything on the debt ceiling and the presidents ignored this problem.

Still buoyant from Wednesdays passage of his proposal requiring broad spending cuts in return for raising the nations debt limit, McCarthy said House Republicans were the ones serious about averting a potentially catastrophic US debt default in upcoming weeks.

McCarthy said Biden put the US economy in jeopardy by not negotiating with him. The last time they met on the debt ceiling, he said, was Feb. 1  85 days ago.

Senate Democrats have declared McCarthys debt ceiling bill, which passed 217-215, dead on arrival.

And Biden continues to say he wont entertain any strings-attached bargaining in order to raise the $31.4 trillion limit, such as spending cuts. He has indicated he may be open to separate budget talks.

McCarthy stressed there is room for compromise on the Republican demands but Biden must open talks.

Theres two things I will not do, Mr. President. I will not raise taxes and we will not raise a clean debt ceiling. But we can talk about everything else, McCarthy said.

McCarthy brushed aside doubts he would be able secure passage of an eventual compromise given his fractious GOP conference.

Thats a great question, because thats the same question I had all week whether I could pass this bill, McCarthy said, still reveling in the victory. We can get something together.

Story continues

McCarthys plan would increase the US debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion, which would stave off a US payments default until March 31, 2024 at the latest. In exchange, Republicans demand $4.8 trillion in budget cuts, defying Bidens demands for a so-called clean increase.

Asked if hed ever been targeted by pranksters in the way Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell was tricked into a conversation with an impostor pretending to be Ukraines president, McCarthy said hed been tested but didnt fall for the trick.

I have had the pranksters try to get me and they did not, he said, adding his staff double-checked and found that they were pranksters.

(Updates with new comments throughout.)

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Market.Us

The latest insights show that North America led the specialty generics market in 2022, accounting for 37% of the total revenue. The region benefits from regulatory policies that support the approval of new products, and leading manufacturers are actively developing specialized generic medications for commercial use.

New York, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global Specialty Generics market size is anticipated to be worth around USD 167.6 billion by 2032 from USD 74.3 Billion in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 8.7% during the forecast period 2023 to 2032. Two key market-driving factors are the rising incidence of complex chronic diseases like hepatitis C and the increased use of specialty generic drugs for their treatment.

Due to high comorbid conditions and weakened immunity, aging is a significant risk factor for the increasing prevalence of complex chronic diseases like arthritis, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. The rapidly increasing geriatric population is expected to present profitable growth prospects for the company. Major pharmaceutical companies have made acquisitions and mergers to increase their market dominance.

Specialty Generics Market

Get additional highlights on major revenue-generating segments, Request a Specialty Generics Market sample report at https://market.us/report/specialty-generics-market/request-sample/

Key Takeaway:

By Type, in 2022, the Specialty Generics market was dominated by the injectables segment due to the highest revenue share.

By application, the inflammatory condition segment dominated the largest market share in 2022.

By Distribution Channel, the specialty pharmacy segment dominated the largest market share.

In 2022, North America dominated the market with the highest revenue share of 37%.

Factors Affecting the Growth of the Specialty Generics Market

There are several factors that can have an impact on the growth of the Specialty Generics Market. Some of these factors include:

Increasing prevalence of chronic diseases: The growing incidence of chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, has led to rising demand for specialty generics. These products are often used to treat complex conditions that require specialized formulations, and they offer an affordable alternative to branded drugs.

Increasing healthcare costs: The rising healthcare costs are driving the demand for affordable alternatives, including specialty generics. These products offer remarkable cost savings compared to branded drugs, making them an attractive option for patients and healthcare providers.

Technological Advancement: The advancements in technology are enabling the expansion of more complex and specialized formulations, which are helping to drive the growth of the specialty generics market. The availability of new drug delivery systems and new adaptive formulations is expanding the range of treatment options available for patients.

Price pressure: Specialty generics face price pressure due to the competition in the market and efforts by governments to control healthcare costs. Manufacturers are often required to lower their prices to remain competitive, which affects the profitability of the specialty generics market.

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Market Growth

The specialty generics market has been growing at a rapid pace in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue in the upcoming year. With the alarming rise in chronic illnesses like cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, the demand for specialized generic drugs has increased significantly. This trend is primarily due to the high cost of branded medicines, which many patients find unaffordable. The increasing number of approvals is also driving the growth of the specialty generics market. The increasing healthcare spending in emerging markets is creating new growth opportunities for specialty generics production.

Regional Analysis

In 2022 North America led the specialty generics market and accounted for 37% of the total revenue. because there are regulatory policies in place that support the approval of new products. The main producers are constantly working to get specialized generic medications for commercial use on the market. During the projection period, it is expected that the specialty generics market in the Asia Pacific will grow rapidly. The region's development is primarily fueled by high unmet low-cost medicine needs and the entry of new generic medications into the market.

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Scope of the Report

Report Attribute Details Market Value (2022) USD 74.3 billion Market Size (2032) USD 167.6 billion CAGR (from 2023 to 2032) 8.7% North America Revenue Share 37% Historic Period 2016 to 2022 Base Year 2022 Forecast Year 2023 to 2032

Market Drivers

Increase in Chronic Illness: Market growth is being driven by the increase in chronic diseases. Chronic diseases are long-lasting illnesses that frequently have no therapy. It is, however, occasionally treatable and manageable. The major reason for chronic illnesses is changes in poor eating habits and lifestyle choices to keep a healthy weight; a few more long-term chronic infections increase the risk of expanding cancer. The requirement for specialty generics to address complex chronic diseases is increasing as a result of the increasing incidence of these conditions.

Market Restraints

High Development Cost: It can be expensive to conduct extensive research and development for specialty generics. Research is more expensive due to the regulatory process for specialized generics is frequently more stringent than for traditional generics. These high costs may make it difficult for smaller businesses to enter the industry.

Limited Market Exclusivity: Specialty generics frequently have a limited period of market exclusivity, which means that after a certain amount of time, other companies can produce and sell similar products. Price reductions and increased competition may follow, which would reduce profit margins for market players.

Complex manufacturing processes: Complex manufacturing procedures are frequently required for specialty generics, and they can be challenging to scale up to fulfill demand. In addition to potential quality control problems, this may cause production delays and higher expenses.

Market Opportunities

Increasing Demand for Affordable Healthcare Solutions: Due to increasing healthcare costs, affordable medications are becoming more and more necessary. Specialty generic drugs are chosen by patients, medical workers, and insurers because they are more affordable than branded drugs.

Growing Need for Personalized Medicine: Advances in genomic medicine and other areas have led to a growing demand for personalized medicine. Specialty generics can play a key role in this trend by offering tailored treatments for specific patient populations.

Technological Advancements in drug development and Manufacturing: Complex drugs are becoming easier and more affordable to manufacture due to developments in pharmaceutical research and production. Specialty generic manufacturers today have more opportunities to expand and sell more sophisticated medications.

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Report Segmentation of the Specialty Generics Market

Type Insight

The specialty generics market was dominated by the injectables category, which also had the highest revenue share. The reason for the segment's supremacy is the benefits of injectables, such as their long-lasting effects and quick absorption, which boost patient compliance and acceptance. The injectables industry is also anticipated to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period due to rising product approval and higher market penetration. The number of prescriptions increases as a result of approval making it easy for cancer patients to acquire affordable specialty generic drugs.

Application Insight

The market for specialty generics was dominated by the inflammatory conditions segment, which also had the largest revenue share. The growth in inflammatory disease prevalence has made it possible for key players to boost their market dominance in this sector. The oncology sector is expected to grow significantly during the anticipated period due to an increase in the burden of cancer disease. because of a shift to a Western way of living, excessive alcohol and tobacco use, poor eating habits, and a deficiency in physical activity. As the number of cancer cases increases, it is expected that the demand for specialty generics will rise

Distribution Channel Insight

The market for specialty generics was dominated by the specialty pharmacy sector, which also contributed to the biggest revenue share of the overall market. During the anticipated era, the market is forecasted to develop at a profitable rate. Major specialty generic manufacturers and insurance companies choose specialty pharmacies for the distribution of their products due to cheap distribution costs and easy access to medications.

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Market Segmentation

Based on Type

Injectables

Oral Drugs

Based on Application

Oncology

Inflammatory Conditions

Hepatitis C

Multiple Sclerosis

Other Applications

By Distribution Channel

Specialty Pharmacy

Retail Pharmacy

Hospital Pharmacy

Other Distribution Channels

By Geography

North America

The US Canada Mexico



Western Europe

Germany France The UK Spain Italy Portugal Ireland Austria Switzerland Benelux Nordic Rest of Western Europe



Eastern Europe

Russia Poland The Czech Republic Greece Rest of Eastern Europe

APAC China Japan South Korea India Australia & New Zealand Indonesia Malaysia Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam Rest of APAC



Latin America

Brazil Colombia Chile Argentina Costa Rica Rest of Latin America



Middle East & Africa

Algeria Egypt Israel Kuwait Nigeria Saudi Arabia South Africa Turkey United Arab Emirates Rest of MEA



Competitive Landscape

The specialty generics market is highly competitive with several key players dominating the market. Some of the major players in the market include:

Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd.

Viatris Inc.

Novartis AG

Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC

Mallinckrodt; Akorn, Inc.

Bausch Health Companies Inc.

Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd.

Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Apotex Corp.

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

Fresenius Kabi Brasil Ltd.

Stada Arzeimittel AG

Pfizer, Inc.

Other Market Players

Recent Development of the Specialty Generics Market

April 2022: Dr. Reddy's Laboratories made methylprednisolone sodium succinate injectable available in the United States for the therapy of rheumatoid arthritis, blood conditions, and particular uncommon tumors.

June 2022: The copay solutions improvement program from Elixir was launched to decrease the cost of specialized generic drugs. Through this program, a patient who meets the requirements can receive a free generic form of a specialty drug.

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The federal government provided more details on its plan to adjust the payment histories of millions of student loan borrowers, a move that will get them closer to debt forgiveness.

The Education Department this month specified which old loans are eligible for this one-time payment adjustment, how borrowers with certain loans can qualify, what borrowers in default can expect, when the adjustment will occur, and when repayment will begin.

The adjustment announced last April counts certain months that were previously ineligible toward student loan discharge under income-driven repayment plans, or IDRs. Around 3.6 million borrowers will receive at least three years of credit toward loan discharge as a result of the adjustment, according to Federal Student Aid (FSA).

The move is separate from the presidents up to $20,000 in student loan forgiveness that has been held up as the Supreme Court rules on its legality. The adjustment is not contingent on the Supreme Courts decision.

Heres what to know about the one-time payment adjustment, including the newest details.

A graduating student wears a money lei, a necklace made of US dollar bills, at the Pasadena City College graduation ceremony, June 14, 2019, in Pasadena, California. (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

What is the one-time payment adjustment?

In April 2022, the Education Department announced the one-time payment adjustment for all Direct Loans and federally-owned Federal Family Education Loans (FFELs).

The one-time payment adjustment helps to reverse some of the damage caused by loan servicers that did not properly track deferments or steered borrowers to forbearance instead of income-driven repayment plans that would have counted toward years of payment.

The adjustment to student loan accounts would go toward helping borrowers get closer to discharge under income-driven repayment plans, which offer discharge after 20 or 25 years of repayment, depending on the particular IDR plan.

The Education Department clarified this month that the adjustment will look at loans in repayment since July 1, 1994, that are still owed by the borrower or included in a consolidation loan by the borrower.

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IDR plans. Source: The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS)

Who is eligible for the one-time IDR payment adjustment?

Borrowers with William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program and federally owned Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loans are eligible.

The government this month extended the deadline for consolidating commercially-held FFEL, Perkins, or Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL) with Federal Student Aid to become eligible for the adjustment. The new deadline is December 31, 2023. Previously, the deadline was May 1, 2023.

Borrowers in default have until December 31, 2023, to use the government's Fresh Start Program to become in good standing and take advantage of the one-time payment adjustment. Time in default will not be counted toward IDR.

Are there income restrictions?

Unlike Bidens up to $20,000 in loan cancellation, there are no income restrictions for the one-time payment adjustment.

How do I get the one-time payment adjustment?

The adjustment will happen automatically, unless your loans are in default or you have commercially-held FFEL loans.

Beware of scams. If you have federal loans, you do not have to pay to receive federal loan forgiveness, discharge, or the one-time payment adjustment.

What will happen to my account after the one-time adjustment is applied?

Income-driven repayment plans offer loan discharge after 20 or 25 years, depending on the particular IDR plan. One of three things will happen to your federal student loan account once the adjustment is applied:

Depending on your IDR plan, you will be closer to loan discharge; (or)

If you have reached 20-25 years of repayment, your remaining balance will be discharged; (or)

If you have been in repayment for longer than your IDR plan, you will likely receive a refund.

Credit: Getty Images

What if my loan is in default?

Default borrowers have until December 31, 2023 to use the Fresh Start Program to become in good standing and take advantage of the one-time payment adjustment.

Time in default is not normally counted toward IDR or PSLF, but borrowers who get out of default during Fresh Start will receive credit from March 2020 through the date they leave default, the Education Department clarified this month.

After the Fresh Start period, only borrowers who rehabilitate to leave default will benefit from the adjustment, the department ruled.

How much time will be credited to my account?

Under the initiative, the department will add the following months to an accounts payment history:

Months in repayment status, regardless of the payments made, loan type, or repayment plan;

12 or more straight months of forbearance or 36 or more months of total forbearance;

Months in an economic hardship or military deferments after 2013;

Months in any deferment (except in-school deferment) before 2013; and

Any months in repayment on earlier loans before loans were consolidated.

What about PSLF borrowers?

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) borrowers will get the following credit:

Any months in a repayment status, regardless of the payments made, loan type, or repayment plan;

12 or more months of consecutive forbearance, or 36 or more months of cumulative forbearance;

Months spent in economic hardship or military deferments in 2013 or later;

Months spent in any deferment (except in-school deferment) prior to 2013; and

Any time in repayment (or deferment or forbearance, if applicable) on earlier loans before consolidation of those loans into a consolidation loan.

What is the distinction between 20 and 25 years of repayment?

Depending on the IDR program you enrolled in, the remaining balance on your student loan is discharged after 20 or 25 years of repayment.

Source: Education Department's Federal Student Aid (FSA)

What is the timeline for the one-time payment adjustment?

In February, Education Department stated that borrowers with 240 or 300 months of payments or 120 months toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) would see their loans forgiven in spring 2023, with all other borrowers accounts updated in the summer.

Some PSLF borrowers have already reported seeing zero balances as a result of the one-time payment adjustment.

The Federal Student Aid (FSA) website was updated this month to state that borrowers with 20 years (240 months) of payments for undergraduate debt or 25 years (300 months) of payments for graduate debt (not enrolled in PAYE income-driven plan) and ParentPlus loans will see adjustments by August 1, 2023.

If you dont reach your 20 or 25 year milestone before August 1, 2023, you will likely need to begin repayment once the forbearance pause ends, but your adjustment will happen after August 1.

All other borrowers will see the adjustment applied in 2024.

Timeline for one-time adjustment. Source: Education Department

What if I have joint consolidation with my spouse?

The department finally provided guidance for joint loan consolidation borrowers.

The Education Department clarified that if you have a joint (spousal) consolidation, you will need to split or separate the loan with each person applying for a Direct Consolidation Loan to get the one-time account adjustment.

How will I know the one-time adjustment was applied?

Borrowers should go to the Federal Student Aids (FSA) website to see if the adjustment has been credited to their accounts.

Do I have to pay taxes on the one-time payment adjustment?

Any debt forgiven due to the one-time IDR account adjustment will not be subject to federal taxes as a result of the American Rescue Plan Act, which included a provision temporarily modifying the tax treatment of discharged student loan debt between December 31, 2020 through January 1, 2026.

However, it could be taxable in some states. Consult a tax professional.

Ronda is a personal finance senior reporter for Yahoo Finance and attorney with experience in law, insurance, education, and government. Follow her on Twitter @writesronda.

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In an effort to avoid a default on the U.S. national debt as early as June, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a Republican-backed bill Wednesday calling to raise the debt ceiling through 2024 and cut government spending.

Learn: Student Loan Forgiveness & Payment Pause End Top Budget Cuts in GOP Debt Ceiling Plan

Discover: How To Build Your Savings From Scratch

Should the bill somehow pass through Congress and into law, President Joe Bidens sweeping student loan forgiveness program, which is currently sitting in limbo as the Supreme Court deliberates its legitimacy, will effectively be quashed, even if the court greenlights the plan.

The debt ceiling plan includes $4.5 trillion in government spending cuts, including a 22% reduction in funding for the Education Department (DE), according to an ed.gov fact sheet. This is something the Democrat-led federal government and student debt forgiveness supporters will vehemently fight.

Speaker McCarthy declared that he will force a catastrophic default and plunge America into recession unless he can claw back school relief dollars and prevent millions of hard-working Americans from getting the student debt relief they need coming out of the pandemic, said Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

According to the DEs statement, the 22% funding cut will seriously jeopardize many federal-funded programs affecting financial help for low-income students, support for students with disabilities and mental health issues and would likely eliminate Pell Grants altogether for 80,000 students while reducing the maximum award by nearly $1,000 for the remaining 6.6 million recipients.

It is outrageous and unacceptable that lawmakers would prioritize political maneuvering over the financial well-being and future of millions of struggling student loan borrowers, stated Natalia Abrams, president of the Student Debt Crisis Center (SDCC). We call on Congress to put the needs of the people first and reject any legislation that seeks to undermine efforts to provide relief and support to those burdened by student debt.

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Through voting 217-215 in favor to pass the Limit, Save, Grow Act, the House is putting pressure on Biden to take action before the government defaults on its borrowing and spending obligations and sends the economy into further trouble and a possible recession.

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Student Loans: Court Allows $6 Billion in Forgiveness Funds To Proceed for 200,000 Borrowers

The president has already flat-out refused to consider a Republican proposal that will significantly hinder his short-term domestic growth agenda. For Biden, lifting the debt ceiling is non-negotiable, per CNN. Talking to Axios, Rep. Susan Wild (D-Penn.) admitted My understanding, from people Ive spoken with (in the Senate), is that its not even going to get a vote. I think thats just fine.

The future of Bidens plan to relieve up to $20,000 in student loan debt for tens of millions of Americans remains uncertain, as the Supreme Court continues to deliberate on the lawsuits filed by GOP-endorsed groups in October 2022. The White House has extended the federal student loan payment moratorium until June 30, 2023, or earlier if appeal litigation is resolved by the Supreme Court.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Student Loan Forgiveness in Jeopardy: GOP Debt Ceiling Plan Would Void Supreme Court Ruling
Tech workers haven taken to Blind to debate whether the days of $500,000 salaries are over. Sesame / Getty Images

Tech workers on the anonymous-job site Blind debated whether the end of $500,000 salaries is here.

While the majority of users polled said it would be the end of an era, others disagreed.

Insider previously reported that some companies were using layoffs to justify pay cuts for new hires.

Tech workers are concerned the industry might be reaching the end of a very lucrative era.

Last week, a poll on the anonymous-job site Blind garnered thousands of votes as users debated whether the tech industry could be doing away with $500,000 salaries.

In the post, a user who worked for Oracle said that between 2019 and 2022, program managers were making $500,000 in total compensation, while the "average" software development engineer was making $350,000 and recruiters were taking home $200,000.

"Are those days over?" the user asked. "Will there be a rebalance to salaries back to 2015 levels where only directors with 100+ reports were clearing 500k."

Nearly 14,000 users weighed in on the poll  with a slight majority of 51.5% of votes agreeing that the industry had reached the end of an era.

Blind allows its users to post anonymously, but it requires them to verify their status via their employee email address. Insider did not independently verify the employment of the users cited in this story.

"Tech is still extraordinarily lucrative," one user who works at Amazon wrote in a post that generated 148 likes. "The salaries are here to stay, but ridiculous overpaying is over. I doubt we'll see Meta/Google/Doordash etc. throw 500k at someone who's making 200k currently."

Another user from Twitter said they received "multiple offers" over $1.1 million in total compensation.

"With all these layoffs people start accepting lower pay and the trend will continue unless there is huge demand for tech," one user from the AI company Tractable wrote. "I think supply for devs is really high and so demand might go down. If you can get good (not great) talent for cheap, managers might adjust with that."

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The Oracle employee was not the only one to question whether tech salaries are on a downward spiral.

"Do you think salaries like 250k- 500k, etc are sustainable in tech. Or we are hitting a bubble that soon will burst?" an employee of the cloud-computing company VMware wrote in a separate post.

Big Tech employees have long earned more than their counterparts at other firms.

The median take-home pay for a program manager in the US is $98,578, while a program manager at a major tech firm like Google may earn closer to $220,000 a year, per GlassDoor.

GlassDoor estimates the median annual earnings of software development engineers and tech recruiters are $130,887 and $75,489, respectively. Big tech companies are known to pay much more, with Glassdoor putting the total-compensation range for software development engineers at Meta from $187,000 to $283,000, and for the company's recruiters from $104,000 to $171,000.

Tech recruiters told Insider earlier this year that some companies were using layoffs to cut the salaries of new hires. Major tech companies  including Meta, Microsoft, and Google  have laid off thousands of staff in recent months.

Additional concerns are being raised over the growing abilities of artificial intelligence, with dozens of tech workers taking to Blind to question whether their jobs would be replaced.

"Face it, golden age is over," a Microsoft engineer wrote. "Software engineering is a dying profession. And since GPT is already great at writing its own prompts, you're up the creek without a paddle."

Do you work in tech? Reach out to the reporter from a non-work device and email at gkay@insider.com

Read the original article on Business Insider
BANGKOK, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VMO Holdings, a company of the top 5 IT Outsourcing companies in Vietnam, announced its opening and establishment of VMO Thailand on April 21 with the participation and support of many Thai SMEs & corporations.

Thailand is a potential technology market that is growing strongly with the government's support and investment from top hedge funds in the world. Being in the TOP 6 digital economies "Asean-6" (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) also makes Thailand a technological stand-out in Southeast Asia in particular and in the world in general.

Mr. Chris Pham - CBO of VMO Thailand as well as a technology consultant for many Thai businesses shared his opinion about the market: "After two years of pandemic, Thai technology market continues to grow rapidly leading to the demand for IT human resources in Thailand has surged significantly. The shortage of skilled professionals is rising while domestic human resources are not meeting that huge demand." As cited in a World Economic Forum 2019 survey, it is shown that technology will significantly impact 1.1 billion employment. Thailand has just 14% of highly skilled professionals among the 141 nations surveyed. Therefore, it is no surprise that IT Outsourcing services have emerged as one of the foremost human resource trends in contemporary times.

On the other hand, as an emerging technology country, Vietnam is having a profuse high-quality IT human resource which could be the right answer for the urgent demand for IT personnel in the Thai tech market. With this opening ceremony, VMO Holdings has marked its significant appearance in Thailand after 4 years of entering this dynamic and fast-growth market.

"With our capability and experience of serving technology services to Thai businesses in the Thai tech market, I believe that VMO is well-positioned to solve the issue of manpower shortage. VMO Holdings commits to bringing its top-notch IT services to Thailand and meeting the demands of the IT human resources shortage in the region.", Mr. Chris Pham confidently shared.

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Having inherited strengths from 11 years of VMO Holdings' development and success, VMO Thailand continues to prove itself as a prominent player in the Thai IT industry. With over 1300 exceptional IT resources, VMO Thailand is well-positioned to cater to all IT development sectors and serve the needs of the clients. By 2025, VMO Thailand aims to have served over 100 clients, allocated 2000 IT developers, providing leading digital transformation for both Web2 and Web3 enterprises with unmatched confidence and expertise. This ultimate goal is to be recognized as one of the top 5 IT Outsourcing Companies in Thailand, and VMO Thailand is committed to achieving this by delivering high-quality IT services and establishing strong partnerships with clients.

Sharing the common goal with technology companies in the region to contribute to marking ASEAN as a stand-out on the global technology map, Mr. Chris Pham emphasizes VMO's mission to the Thai Market: "VMO Thailand goes to Thai and becomes Thai. Our objective is to introduce premium-grade services from abroad to the Thai market, with a deep-seated desire to dedicate ourselves to and actively contribute towards the development of Thailand, just as any other upstanding Thai citizen would. We consider this start as an excellent opportunity to enhance customers' experiences, dedicate our expertise to the Thai technology market, and accompany Thai businesses towards elevating the region's IT position. Leverage our extensive experience in consulting and implementing digital transformation to revolutionize traditional businesses in Thailand."

Over a decade, VMO has proudly served as a trusted IT service partner, delivering successful outcomes to more than 600 projects and satisfying hundreds of clients worldwide, including Fortune 500 companies. Since its inception in 2012, VMO has led the charge in innovative technology solutions, pioneering the IoT industry and the Build and Transfer model in 2017 in Vietnam. From 2019 to 2021, VMO Holdings marks its global presence with the successful opening of two offices in Japan and one in America. The unrelenting efforts have been rewarded with the official recognition of VMO as one of Vietnam's Top 5 IT Outsourcing companies in 2022, accompanied by a slew of prestigious governmental awards.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/thailand-it-talent-shortage-solution-from-vietnam-technology-companies-301810355.html

SOURCE VMO Holdings
President Joe Biden is officially running for reelection. Nobodys excited about an octogenarian second-termer with an underwater approval rating. But Biden may actually enjoy strong odds of a winning second term, due largely to an economy likely to work in his favor.

Economy favors Democrats in our election model, Oxford Economics declared in its first assessment of the 2024 election. An initial run of our US presidential election model suggests that Democrats have the edge over Republicans, with around 55% of the popular vote.

A presidential candidate needs to win the electoral vote, not the popular vote, but 55% of the popular vote would suggest a commanding Biden win. Biden won 51.3% of the popular vote in 2020, with Donald Trump getting 46.9%. That was enough for Biden to win 306 electoral votes, considerably more than the 270 needed for victory. If Biden racked up 55% of the popular vote, that would likely mean hed win by a more comfortable margin in close swing states such as Arizona and Georgia, plus maybe pick up an additional state or two, such as North Carolina.

Election models based on the economy dont measure Republicans against Democrats, per se. They measure the party in power against the party out of power. Thats because incumbents normally have a built-in advantage, given that theyve already won once and they garner nationwide attention. So the Oxford model, for now, is forecasting four more years for the incumbent Biden, based largely on expectations of where the economy will be in the months prior to Election Day in November 2024.

Americans are in a lousy mood, yet the economy is in better shape than many believe. The labor market is remarkably strong, with the unemployment rate at a mere 3.5%, the lowest since 1969. Biden can rightfully claim that job growth during his presidency has been the strongest of any president on record. Thats partly due to lucky timing, given that Biden took office just as the dramatic post-COVID recovery was launching. But that doesnt make it untrue.

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Inflation has been Bidens biggest economic problem. By Election Day, it might not be, anymore. Inflation has dropped from a peak of 9% last June to 5%, and by most indications it should continue to decline.

Energy prices have moderated as global markets have adapted to Russias war in Ukraine. Gasoline prices are down 12% from a year ago and down 28% from the peak of $5 per gallon last June. Rent and food prices remain elevated, but the Federal Reserves interest-rate hikes seem to be dinging demand, as intended. Many economists think inflation will be around 3% a year from now, which would be a relief for consumers.

The obvious wild card is the recession some forecasters have been predicting for more than a year, which still hasnt arrived. There seem to be roughly even odds of a downturn within the next 18 months. Why a recession might happen: The Fed could slow the economy too much, while woes in the banking sector cause a credit crunch that strangles investment and spending. Why a recession might not happen: The Fed will get monetary tightening more or less right, while unfazed consumers with relatively strong finances keep spending enough to keep the economy humming.

Biden could win even if there is a recession, provided its mild and over well before Election Day.

Key to our call that the Democratic party will hold onto the White House in 2024 is that the mild recession we expect later this year will be over by the time the election arrives, Oxford Economics economist Ryan Sweet argues in the firms election forecast. If the recession hits later than we anticipate, it could reduce the odds of a Democratic victory.

Air Force quarterback Haaziq Daniels, left, and Air Force running back Brad Roberts, right, look on as President Joe Biden holds a football during an event to present the Commander-in-Chief's trophy to the Air Force Academy in the East Room of the White House, Friday, April 28, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Those are the economic factors. There are obviously political factors that will help determine who wins, as well. With an approval rating of just 43% or so, Bidens reelection bid seems weak on the surface. Presidents who have won reelection have typically polled at 45% or better.

But theres likely to be an X-factor in 2024, just as there was in 2020: Terrible competition. The leading candidate on the Republican side looks most likely to again be Trump, who may be unelectable in a general election. Trump of course lost decisively in 2020, and his endorsements since then have doomed a number of congressional and state-level candidates.

Trump is mired in legal trouble relating to payoff schemes; rape allegations; charges of election fraud; unauthorized possession of classified documents; possible tax evasion in New York; and, finally, his role in the January 6, 2021, riots. In The Atlantic recently, former Republican strategist David Frum predicted the coming Biden blowout, arguing that Republicans are heading for electoral disaster again, largely because of Trump.

Political scientist Kyle Kondik at the University of Virginias Center for Politics says theres a good chance Biden will run ahead of his approval rating, especially if Trump is his opponent. Theres a difference between voters who say they dont want Biden to run again and the choices voters will make once there are only two mainstream candidates to choose from. Many people who dont love Biden will still vote for him if the other choice is Trump.

Biden clearly knows this. One of his favorite slogans is dont compare me to the almighty, compare me to the alternative. His first reelection video highlights MAGA extremists, the Trump-inspired January 6 riots, and Republican positions that are unpopular with voters, such as abortion bans. Biden won in 2020 as the least-bad choice, and it could be a proven formula that works again.

Rick Newman is a senior columnist for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter at @rickjnewman

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When we invest, we're generally looking for stocks that outperform the market average. Buying under-rated businesses is one path to excess returns. For example, long term Edisun Power Europe AG (VTX:ESUN) shareholders have enjoyed a 87% share price rise over the last half decade, well in excess of the market return of around 14% (not including dividends). On the other hand, the more recent gains haven't been so impressive, with shareholders gaining just 8.1% , including dividends .

So let's assess the underlying fundamentals over the last 5 years and see if they've moved in lock-step with shareholder returns.

Check out our latest analysis for Edisun Power Europe

To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

Over half a decade, Edisun Power Europe managed to grow its earnings per share at 20% a year. The EPS growth is more impressive than the yearly share price gain of 13% over the same period. Therefore, it seems the market has become relatively pessimistic about the company.

The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

We're pleased to report that the CEO is remunerated more modestly than most CEOs at similarly capitalized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. Dive deeper into the earnings by checking this interactive graph of Edisun Power Europe's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of Edisun Power Europe, it has a TSR of 105% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

Story continues

A Different Perspective

It's good to see that Edisun Power Europe has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 8.1% in the last twelve months. And that does include the dividend. Having said that, the five-year TSR of 15% a year, is even better. Potential buyers might understandably feel they've missed the opportunity, but it's always possible business is still firing on all cylinders. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Edisun Power Europe better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Edisun Power Europe .

We will like Edisun Power Europe better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Swiss exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Toromont Industries Ltd. (CNW Group/Toromont Industries Ltd.)

TSX Stock Symbol: TIH

TORONTO, April 28, 2023 /CNW/ - Toromont Industries Ltd. (TSX: TIH) ("Toromont") is pleased to announce that on April 28, 2023, at its Annual Meeting of Shareholders, all the nominees listed in its Management Information Circular dated February 28, 2023 were elected as Directors of Toromont. The detailed results of the vote are as follows:

Nominee Total Votes

For Percentage of

Votes in

Favour Total Votes

Against Percentage

of Votes

Against Total

Votes Peter J. Blake 58,379,782 89.24 % 7,038,086 10.76 % 65,417,868 Benjamin D. Cherniavsky 63,192,892 96.60 % 2,224,976 3.40 % 65,417,868 Jeffrey S. Chisholm 61,099,868 93.40 % 4,318,000 6.60 % 65,417,868 Cathryn E. Cranston 61,702,176 94.32 % 3,715,692 5.68 % 65,417,868 Sharon L. Hodgson 62,897,743 96.15 % 2,520,125 3.85 % 65,417,868 Scott J. Medhurst 62,632,012 95.74 % 2,785,856 4.26 % 65,417,868 Frederick J. Mifflin 63,191,294 96.60 % 2,226,574 3.40 % 65,417,868 Katherine A. Rethy 62,282,334 95.21 % 3,135,534 4.79 % 65,417,868 Richard G. Roy 61,976,122 94.74 % 3,440,846 5.26 % 65,416,968

About Toromont

Toromont Industries Ltd. operates through two business segments: The Equipment Group and CIMCO. The Equipment Group includes one of the larger Caterpillar dealerships by revenue and geographic territory - spanning the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba in addition to most of the territory of Nunavut. In addition, the Group includes industry leading rental operations, and a complementary material handling business. CIMCO is a market leader in the design, engineering, fabrication and installation of industrial and recreational refrigeration systems. Both segments offer comprehensive product support capabilities. This press release and more information about Toromont Industries can be found at www.toromont.com.

Story continues

SOURCE Toromont Industries Ltd.

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View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2023/28/c7276.html
Former Montana Secretary of State to hold town hall May 4 at University of New Hampshire

DURHAM, NH / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2023 / Republican Presidential candidate Corey Stapleton will visit Coos and Grafton counties next week, followed by a town hall meeting at the University of New Hampshire (Durham) at 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 4, in the Memorial Union building. Members of the public are welcome to attend.

Corey Stapleton for President

This is Stapleton's third visit to the "First in the Nation" presidential primary state. The country music artist and former Montana Secretary of State says New Hampshire feels like "home."

"Of all the places I've campaigned, the people of New Hampshire are most like the free-spirited, freedom-loving people where I come from," said Stapleton. "Voters are thoughtful, and not quick to be influenced by spin or deceit. I like that."

Corey Stapleton was the first Republican in the 2024 election cycle to announce his candidacy for U.S. President.

In January, he visited several cities in war-torn Ukraine in support of continued U.S. military aid against the Russian invasion. Stapleton, a former naval officer and U.S. Naval Academy graduate, says there is no place for American weakness or indifference with regards to the Russian-Ukraine war.

"We achieve peace through allied strength, not American isolationism," said Stapleton.

Contact Information

Lorna Kuney

Communications

info@coreystapleton.com

(406)442-6633

SOURCE: Corey Stapleton for President

.





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/751818/US-Presidential-Candidate-Corey-Stapleton-Announces-Third-Visit-to-New-Hampshire




DUBLIN, April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Today's U.S. Electric Power Industry, Renewable Energy, ISO Markets, and Power Transactions" training has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Research and Markets Logo

If you want to better understand the U.S. electric power industry and the different ways power is bought and sold, this in-depth seminar is for you.

This program provides a comprehensive and clear explanation of the structure, function, and current status of today's U. S. electric power industry; the many industry topics listed below; ISO day-ahead energy auctions, and detailed examples of how physical and financial (virtual) power transactions, power purchase agreements (PPAs), tolling, and heat rate deals are done.

Each part of this complex industry will be explained piece by piece, and then the pieces will be integrated so that you will leave the seminar with an understanding of "how it all fits together."

Who Should Attend:

Among those who will benefit from this seminar include energy and electric power executives; attorneys; government regulators; traders & trading support staff; marketing, sales, purchasing & risk management personnel; accountants & auditors; plant operators; engineers; and corporate planners. Types of companies that typically attend this program include energy producers and marketers; utilities; banks & financial houses; industrial companies; accounting, consulting & law firms; municipal utilities; government regulators and electric generators.

What You Will Learn

The properties and terminology of electricity - current, power, var, voltage, etc (pre-seminar reading material)

The electric service system, and how it works

The structure and function of the North American power grids.

How control areas and balancing authorities function to "keep the lights on."

The pros, cons, and levelized costs of different types of electric generation

Fundamentals of utility cost-of-service regulation, open access markets

Why utilities sometimes resist renewable energy, distributed energy resource (DER"), rooftop solar, and conservation projects.

The various industry participants are and what their roles are.

Federal vs state regulatory conflicts, and why restructuring today's power industry and the building new power lines is such a complicated task.

The difference between regulated and merchant high voltage power lines, and what FERC market-based transmission rates are.

The structure and functions of ISOs, RTOs, the Western Energy Imbalance Market ("WEIM"), and the new Southeast Energy Exchange Market ("SEEM").

How ISO day-ahead energy auctions work, and how they add value to the power industry

What locational marginal pricing (LMP) is, and why LMP is used

What demand response ("DR"), distributed energy resources ("DER"), and battery energy storage systems ("BESS") are, and how these resources can be aggregated to form virtual power plants.

The challenges and opportunities facing wind energy, solar, batteries, demand response, and DER and other renewables.

Why understanding generation reserve margin, forward capacity markets, capacity payments, resource adequacy, and California's "FRACMOO" is important.

A summary of today's key industry issues and where the U. S. electric power industry is headed, including a discussion of the interconnection queues, renewable energy, and the building of new transmission lines.

The difference between auctions and bilateral bulk power markets

Introduction to bilateral energy and electricity markets: Important concepts and terminology

The difference between brokers, ICE OTC, futures exchanges, market-makers, traders, and power marketers, and how they add value.

Four different ways to manage price, price spread, and asset development risk.

The fundamentals of bilateral physical power transactions and important deal-making terminology.

How power marketers and traders use "seller's choice" to create virtual trading hubs.

The standard industry contracts used for physical and financial power transactions, how to buy transmission service using OASIS, how to schedule delivery using NERC tags, and how financial "book-outs" work. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

Financial power contracts, commodity swaps, CFDs, FTRs. CRRs, and ISO Incs, Decs, and virtual/convergence bidding. Includes examples

How financial power contracts work in combination with ISO day-ahead energy auctions to create a win/win situation, and why few power marketers or traders ever go to physical delivery within and ISO footprint.

How power marketing is done within an ISO location, how power can be "transported" virtually, NITS, TAC, UCAP, and ancillary services charges, and how FTRs, CRRs, and swaps can help hedge basis risk. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

The different types of heat rates and spark spreads, and why they are important.

The difference between power purchase agreements ("PPAs") and "Tolling Deals." Includes detailed Appendix and deal Term Sheet.

The magic of how heat rate transactions can be used to hedge electricity risk and structure profitable deals. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

Story continues

Key Topics Covered:

DAY ONE

The properties and terminology of electricity - current, power, var, voltage, etc (pre-seminar reading material)

The electric service system, and how it works

The structure and function of the North American power grids.

How control areas and balancing authorities function to "keep the lights on."

The pros, cons, and levelized costs of different types of electric generation

Fundamentals of utility cost-of-service regulation, open access markets

Why utilities sometimes resist renewable energy, distributed energy resource (DER"), rooftop solar, and conservation projects.

The various industry participants are and what their roles are.

Federal vs state regulatory conflicts, and why restructuring today's power industry and the building new power lines is such a complicated task.

The difference between regulated and merchant high voltage power lines, and what FERC market-based transmission rates are.

The structure and functions of ISOs, RTOs, the Western Energy Imbalance Market ("WEIM"), and the new Southeast Energy Exchange Market ("SEEM").

How ISO day-ahead energy auctions work, and how they add value to the power industry

What locational marginal pricing (LMP) is, and why LMP is used

What demand response ("DR"), distributed energy resources ("DER"), and battery energy storage systems ("BESS") are, and how these resources can be aggregated to form virtual power plants.

The challenges and opportunities facing wind energy, solar, batteries, demand response, and DER and other renewables.

Why understanding generation reserve margin, forward capacity markets, capacity payments, resource adequacy, and California's "FRACMOO" is important.

A summary of today's key industry issues and where the U. S. electric power industry is headed, including a discussion of the interconnection queues, renewable energy, and the building of new transmission lines.

DAY TWO

The difference between auctions and bilateral bulk power markets

Introduction to bilateral energy and electricity markets: Important concepts and terminology

The difference between brokers, ICE OTC, futures exchanges, market-makers, traders, and power marketers, and how they add value.

Four different ways to manage price, price spread, and asset development risk.

The fundamentals of bilateral physical power transactions and important deal-making terminology.

How power marketers and traders use "seller's choice" to create virtual trading hubs.

The standard industry contracts used for physical and financial power transactions, how to buy transmission service using OASIS, how to schedule delivery using NERC tags, and how financial "book-outs" work. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

Financial power contracts, commodity swaps, CFDs, FTRs. CRRs, and ISO Incs, Decs, and virtual/convergence bidding. Includes examples

How financial power contracts work in combination with ISO day-ahead energy auctions to create a win/win situation, and why few power marketers or traders ever go to physical delivery within and ISO footprint.

How power marketing is done within an ISO location, how power can be "transported" virtually, NITS, TAC, UCAP, and ancillary services charges, and how FTRs, CRRs, and swaps can help hedge basis risk. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

The different types of heat rates and spark spreads, and why they are important.

The difference between power purchase agreements ("PPAs") and "Tolling Deals." Includes detailed Appendix and deal Term Sheet.

The magic of how heat rate transactions can be used to hedge electricity risk and structure profitable deals. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

Speakers:



John Adamiak

President

PGS Energy Training



John Adamiak is President and Founder of PGS Energy Training and an expert in energy derivatives and electric power markets. Mr. Adamiak is a well-known and highly effective seminar presenter who has over 20 years experience in the natural gas and electric power industries. His background includes 15 years as a seminar instructor, 9 years of energy transaction experience, and 6 years of strategic planning and venture capital activities. John's academic background includes an M.B.A. degree from Carnegie Mellon University.



For more information about this training visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/p81duq

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg







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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/united-states-electric-power-industry-seminar-gain-an-understanding-of-renewable-energy-iso-markets-and-power-transactions-houston-united-states---june-27-28-2023-301809938.html

SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, April 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Today's U.S. Electric Power Industry, Renewable Energy, ISO Markets, and Power Transactions" training has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Research and Markets Logo

If you want to better understand the U.S. electric power industry and the different ways power is bought and sold, this in-depth seminar is for you.

This program provides a comprehensive and clear explanation of the structure, function, and current status of today's U. S. electric power industry; the many industry topics listed below; ISO day-ahead energy auctions, and detailed examples of how physical and financial (virtual) power transactions, power purchase agreements (PPAs), tolling, and heat rate deals are done.

Each part of this complex industry will be explained piece by piece, and then the pieces will be integrated so that you will leave the seminar with an understanding of "how it all fits together."

Who Should Attend:

Among those who will benefit from this seminar include energy and electric power executives; attorneys; government regulators; traders & trading support staff; marketing, sales, purchasing & risk management personnel; accountants & auditors; plant operators; engineers; and corporate planners.

Types of companies that typically attend this program include energy producers and marketers; utilities; banks & financial houses; industrial companies; accounting, consulting & law firms; municipal utilities; government regulators and electric generators.

What You Will Learn

The properties and terminology of electricity - current, power, var, voltage, etc (pre-seminar reading material)

The electric service system, and how it works

The structure and function of the North American power grids.

How control areas and balancing authorities function to "keep the lights on."

The pros, cons, and levelized costs of different types of electric generation

Fundamentals of utility cost-of-service regulation, open access markets

Why utilities sometimes resist renewable energy, distributed energy resource (DER"), rooftop solar, and conservation projects.

The various industry participants are and what their roles are.

Federal vs state regulatory conflicts, and why restructuring today's power industry and the building new power lines is such a complicated task.

The difference between regulated and merchant high voltage power lines, and what FERC market-based transmission rates are.

The structure and functions of ISOs, RTOs, the Western Energy Imbalance Market ("WEIM"), and the new Southeast Energy Exchange Market ("SEEM").

How ISO day-ahead energy auctions work, and how they add value to the power industry

What locational marginal pricing (LMP) is, and why LMP is used

What demand response ("DR"), distributed energy resources ("DER"), and battery energy storage systems ("BESS") are, and how these resources can be aggregated to form virtual power plants.

The challenges and opportunities facing wind energy, solar, batteries, demand response, and DER and other renewables.

Why understanding generation reserve margin, forward capacity markets, capacity payments, resource adequacy, and California's "FRACMOO" is important.

A summary of today's key industry issues and where the U. S. electric power industry is headed, including a discussion of the interconnection queues, renewable energy, and the building of new transmission lines.

The difference between auctions and bilateral bulk power markets

Introduction to bilateral energy and electricity markets: Important concepts and terminology

The difference between brokers, ICE OTC, futures exchanges, market-makers, traders, and power marketers, and how they add value.

Four different ways to manage price, price spread, and asset development risk.

The fundamentals of bilateral physical power transactions and important deal-making terminology.

How power marketers and traders use "seller's choice" to create virtual trading hubs.

The standard industry contracts used for physical and financial power transactions, how to buy transmission service using OASIS, how to schedule delivery using NERC tags, and how financial "book-outs" work. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

Financial power contracts, commodity swaps, CFDs, FTRs. CRRs, and ISO Incs, Decs, and virtual/convergence bidding. Includes examples

How financial power contracts work in combination with ISO day-ahead energy auctions to create a win/win situation, and why few power marketers or traders ever go to physical delivery within and ISO footprint.

How power marketing is done within an ISO location, how power can be "transported" virtually, NITS, TAC, UCAP, and ancillary services charges, and how FTRs, CRRs, and swaps can help hedge basis risk. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

The different types of heat rates and spark spreads, and why they are important.

The difference between power purchase agreements ("PPAs") and "Tolling Deals." Includes detailed Appendix and deal Term Sheet.

The magic of how heat rate transactions can be used to hedge electricity risk and structure profitable deals. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

Story continues

Agenda

DAY ONE

The properties and terminology of electricity - current, power, var, voltage, etc (pre-seminar reading material)

The electric service system, and how it works

The structure and function of the North American power grids.

How control areas and balancing authorities function to "keep the lights on."

The pros, cons, and levelized costs of different types of electric generation

Fundamentals of utility cost-of-service regulation, open access markets

Why utilities sometimes resist renewable energy, distributed energy resource (DER"), rooftop solar, and conservation projects.

The various industry participants are and what their roles are.

Federal vs state regulatory conflicts, and why restructuring today's power industry and the building new power lines is such a complicated task.

The difference between regulated and merchant high voltage power lines, and what FERC market-based transmission rates are.

The structure and functions of ISOs, RTOs, the Western Energy Imbalance Market ("WEIM"), and the new Southeast Energy Exchange Market ("SEEM").

How ISO day-ahead energy auctions work, and how they add value to the power industry

What locational marginal pricing (LMP) is, and why LMP is used

What demand response ("DR"), distributed energy resources ("DER"), and battery energy storage systems ("BESS") are, and how these resources can be aggregated to form virtual power plants.

The challenges and opportunities facing wind energy, solar, batteries, demand response, and DER and other renewables.

Why understanding generation reserve margin, forward capacity markets, capacity payments, resource adequacy, and California's "FRACMOO" is important.

A summary of today's key industry issues and where the U. S. electric power industry is headed, including a discussion of the interconnection queues, renewable energy, and the building of new transmission lines.

DAY TWO

The difference between auctions and bilateral bulk power markets

Introduction to bilateral energy and electricity markets: Important concepts and terminology

The difference between brokers, ICE OTC, futures exchanges, market-makers, traders, and power marketers, and how they add value.

Four different ways to manage price, price spread, and asset development risk.

The fundamentals of bilateral physical power transactions and important deal-making terminology.

How power marketers and traders use "seller's choice" to create virtual trading hubs.

The standard industry contracts used for physical and financial power transactions, how to buy transmission service using OASIS, how to schedule delivery using NERC tags, and how financial "book-outs" work. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

Financial power contracts, commodity swaps, CFDs, FTRs. CRRs, and ISO Incs, Decs, and virtual/convergence bidding. Includes examples

How financial power contracts work in combination with ISO day-ahead energy auctions to create a win/win situation, and why few power marketers or traders ever go to physical delivery within and ISO footprint.

How power marketing is done within an ISO location, how power can be "transported" virtually, NITS, TAC, UCAP, and ancillary services charges, and how FTRs, CRRs, and swaps can help hedge basis risk. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

The different types of heat rates and spark spreads, and why they are important.

The difference between power purchase agreements ("PPAs") and "Tolling Deals." Includes detailed Appendix and deal Term Sheet.

The magic of how heat rate transactions can be used to hedge electricity risk and structure profitable deals. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples.

Speakers:



John Adamiak

President

PGS Energy Training



John Adamiak is President and Founder of PGS Energy Training and an expert in energy derivatives and electric power markets. Mr. Adamiak is a well-known and highly effective seminar presenter who has over 20 years experience in the natural gas and electric power industries. His background includes 15 years as a seminar instructor, 9 years of energy transaction experience, and 6 years of strategic planning and venture capital activities. John's academic background includes an M.B.A. degree from Carnegie Mellon University.

For more information about this training visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/4oy56n

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/united-states-electric-power-industry-trading-program-renewable-energy-iso-markets-and-power-transactions-brisbane-san-francisco---united-states---august-1-2-2023-301810743.html

SOURCE Research and Markets
Contrive Datum Insights Pvt Ltd

According to a market research study published by Contrive Datum Insights, Unmanned ground vehicles offer adaptable robotic applications and mobility support for multiple applications. The primary implementations of these vehicles are in the defense industry, delivering supplies, monitoring, and aiding in the activation of explosives. In civilian applications, it reduces the risk to human life and accomplishes impressive vehicle combat performance. These are the primary market influencers in this industry. In addition, unmanned ground vehicles are utilized in civilian applications such as the operation of nuclear power plants, urban research and rescue, agricultural harvesting and spraying, firefighting, and population control.

Farmington, April 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Unmanned Ground Vehicle Market Is Expected To Reach USD 2.8 Billion By 2022 And Is Expected To Reach USD 4.2 Billion By 2030, Growing At A CAGR Of 5.7% From 2023 To 2030.Key factors driving the growth of this market include The demand for autonomous systems for commercial and military applications will drive market expansion.

Autonomous unmanned ground vehicles are becoming increasingly popular in the defense and business sectors due to their versatility. In agriculture, these self-driving vehicles are used to precisely collect soil samples, perform mechanical weeding, manage irrigation, harvest crops, and fertilize them.

Request sample copy of report  Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) Market Size, Share & Trends Estimation Report By Type Outlook (Sensors, Radar, Lasers, Camera, Articulated ARM & GPS), By Application Outlook (Agriculture, Chemical, Oil & Gas, Defense), Region and Forecasts, 2023 - 2030  published by Contrive Datum Insights.

Segmentation Overview:

By Application Outlook:

Based on end use, the market is segmented into commercial, military, and government & law enforcement sub segments. The military sector presently holds the largest market share, and it is anticipated that this trend will continue during the forecast period. The military's use of autonomous ground vehicles improves the efficiency of logistics and personnel deployment. These trucks can be used to transport injured personnel and heavy equipment away from the battlefield. It is anticipated that these factors will contribute to the expansion of the segment.

Story continues

During the forecast period, the commercial sector is anticipated to grow at a rate of over 11.1% annually. This expansion is driven by commercial applications such as transportation, automotive, and healthcare, among others. AI and ML can also assist these devices in learning and adapting to their environment.

Regional Analysis:

The report forecasts revenue growth at the global, regional, and country levels from 2017 to 2030 and analyzes recent industry trends in each sub segment.

North America dominated the global market in 2021, with a market value of USD 1.02 billion, and is anticipated to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. The dominance of the region is attributable to the highest defense budget and rising expenditures on the acquisition of multipurpose military machines of the next generation. For instance, the U.S. Army awarded FLIR Systems a $31.6 million contract in April 2021 to construct the Man Transportable Robot System Increment II (MTRS Inc II). It detects, identifies, confirms, and disposes of explosives that are concealed.

Asia-Pacific is anticipated to experience the greatest market development over the forecast period. The dominance of the region is attributable to the highest defense budget and rising expenditures on the acquisition of military robotics of the next generation for numerous applications. This increase is due to India and China increasing their defense budgets. In addition, the rapid expansion of military power, the escalation of political strife between neighboring nations, and the rise of terrorism have led to an increase in demand for UGVs.

Europe exhibits a substantial growth rate during the forecast period. Its expansion is attributable to rising defense expenditures in nations such as the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, France, and others. The Russian Ministry of Defense inked a contract for the prototype of the Shturm unmanned ground vehicle system, which is based on the T-72 main battle tank (MBT), in August 2021.

Buy this Premium Research Report@

https://www.contrivedatuminsights.com/buy/65574

Scope of Report:

Report Attributes Details Growth Rate CAGR of 5.7% from 2023 to 2030. Revenue Forecast by 2030 USD 4.2 Billion By Type Slices

Flakes

Chunks

Granules By Application Meat alternatives

Meat extenders

Meat analogues

Cereals & snacks

Other applications By Companies Lockheed Martin

Northrop Grumman

BAE Systems

General Dynamics

Irobot

Qinetiq

Teledyne FLIR LLC.

Cobham

Nexter Group

Dok-Ing

Oshkosh

Others Regions and Countries Covered North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America)

Europe(Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe)

Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

The Middle East & Africa(Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa)

Latin America(Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America)

Rest Of the World Base Year 2022 Historical Year 2017 to 2022 Forecast Year 2023 to 2030

Market Dynamics:

Restraining Factors:

As a result of less money being spent on defense and issues with bandwidth and dependability, the market will expand more slowly: Diverse nations' reductions in spending on research and development and the military retard the expansion of the market. Interruptions in bandwidth in both wireless and some tethered systems slowed the controller's response to the UGV. Due to the sluggish response time, the bandwidth has an impact on other vehicles that are connected to it. In addition, UGVs cannot determine where enemy soldiers are or provide a comprehensive description of an enemy residence. Consequently, the rising of the market is slowed.

Opportunity Analysis:

The development of UGVs with total autonomy: Fully autonomous unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) have recently been introduced to the UGV industry. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning, UGVs with autonomous operation are created. Missions can be accomplished by autonomous UGVs without the assistance of a human operator. ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) and security operations are two prevalent applications for these UGVs in modern times. As a consequence of ongoing research that is expanding the vehicles' potential applications, the market for fully autonomous UGVs is expected to grow.

Key Segments Covered:

Top Market Players:

Lockheed Martin

Northrop Grumman

BAE Systems

General Dynamics

Irobot

Qinetiq

Teledyne FLIR LLC.

Cobham

Nexter Group

Dok-Ing

Oshkosh

Others

By Types:

Sensors

Radar, Lasers

Camera

Articulated ARM & GPS

By Applications:

Agriculture

Chemical

Oil & Gas

Defense

Regions and Countries Covered

North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America)

Europe: (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe)

Asia-Pacific: (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

The Middle East & Africa: (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa)

Latin America: (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America)

Rest Of the World

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Customization of the Report: The report can be customized as per client needs or requirements.For any queries, you can contact us on anna@contrivedatuminsights.com or +1 215-297-4078. Our sales executives will be happy to understand your needs and provide you with the most suitable reports.

About Us:

Contrive Datum Insights (CDI) is a global delivery partner of market intelligence and consulting services to officials at various sectors such as investment, information technology, telecommunication, consumer technology, and manufacturing markets. CDI assists investment communities, business executives, and IT professionals to undertake statistics-based accurate decisions on technology purchases and advance strong growth tactics to sustain market competitiveness. Comprising of a team size of more than 100 analysts and cumulative market experience of more than 200 years, Contrive Datum Insights guarantees the delivery of industry knowledge combined with global and country-level expertise.

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The United States, a global leader in technology, is facing a crucial moment in the development and regulation of the cryptocurrency industry. The continued lack of regulatory clarity and high-profile meltdowns have been cited as reasons to freeze the industry out of banking services. The current approach to crypto regulation risks stifling progress and innovation and goes against historical precedents of supporting revolutionary technologies.

The industry is questioning why the U.S. has chosen an apprehensive approach rather than providing an open framework to foster and own the innovation that the sector promises. The blockchain industry is young and mobile, and should the U.S. continue down this path, the nation risks losing the talent and potential of this multi-trillion-dollar sector to more favorable jurisdictions.

Not all crypto is bad

The internet fundamentally changed how people share information. It also created an avenue for malicious parties to scam, hack and otherwise exploit others. Despite the immense amount of illegal activity conducted via the internet, the U.S. has supported growth in this space because its understood that the benefits of this new technology outweigh the harm.

Blockchain technology has only just begun to revolutionize how we share value with one another but is also not immune to scams and exploits. Recent regulatory actions have indiscriminately positioned legitimate businesses and criminal actors together, overlooking the fact that the crypto industry has attracted some of the brightest minds and has the potential to profoundly change countless sectors for the better.

In March 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued Coinbase with a Wells notice, recommending enforcement action. The SEC believes that Coinbase is offering securities, and yet is reluctant to provide any feedback or clarity. Coinbase is known for its strict regulatory compliance and is a leader in the U.S. digital assets space, but the SECs interactions have been uncooperative at best. Amid escalating tensions between the two, this week Coinbase asked a federal court to force the SEC to respond to a petition it filed last year asking for formal rulemaking within the digital assets sector  an action that is likely to drive even more of a wedge between the SEC and the nations largest crypto trading platform. The growing friction between the regulator and one of cryptos biggest players is in stark contrast to the comparatively nurturing environment the U.S. fostered in the early days of development for firms like Apple and Microsoft.

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Pioneers should be supported to help usher in the next era of leading business firms with the U.S. yet again at the forefront. The same has been done for other industries, such as technology and automobile companies, and the reluctance to exhibit the same support across the digital assets space is disappointing.

A look back at history

The current approach taken by the U.S. toward digital assets differs from historical precedents. By providing supportive regulatory environments and promoting innovation, the U.S. has become a global leader across many industries, including automotive, technology and renewable energies.

Research funding

Numerous federal agencies have been established to support research and development initiatives across different industries. Two notable examples include:

The National Science Foundation: Established in 1950, the NSF has contributed to the development of the internet, advanced manufacturing techniques, and renewable energy technologies. In 2021, its budget was about US$8.5 billion.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency: Established in 1958, DARPA played a crucial role in the development of GPS technology. Additionally, DARPAs funding has contributed to the advancement of robotics, artificial intelligence and biotechnology, among other fields. In 2021, its budget was US$3.5 billion.

Countless examples exist, whether referring to renewable energies, space exploration, pharmaceuticals or more. The U.S. has continuously funded top-tier research to help lead the way.

Tax incentives

Tax incentives are another critical tool the U.S. government has utilized to foster innovation across different industries. One such example is the federal R&D Tax Credit, which allows businesses to offset a portion of their research and development expenses against their tax liability. This credit has been particularly beneficial to technology and renewable energy companies, which often require significant investments in R&D to develop new products, services or solutions.

Additionally, the federal governments provision of the Production Tax Credit and Investment Tax Credit has played a significant role in the growth of the renewable energy industry in the U.S.

Intellectual property

The U.S. has a well-developed system to protect intellectual property that consists of patents, trademarks and copyrights, which provide inventors and businesses with exclusive rights to profit from their innovations for a specified period. The U.S. automobile industry, for instance, has greatly benefited from the countrys IP system. Patents have played a significant role in the development of new automotive technologies, such as electric cars.

Overall, the U.S. has helped to advance promising industries, leading to global financial dominance and breakthrough innovations. It cannot be ignored that blockchain is the next enabling technology, building investor confidence and bringing risk visibility, and it, too, deserves U.S. support and progressive dialogue.

Other jurisdictions

The European Union, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Japan and Singapore have all helped to push forward the cryptocurrency industry, while the U.S. continues to stymie progress. Hong Kong is even developing a crypto-licensing regime with Beijings support. If the United States does not follow suit, it risks losing a significant frontier of technological innovation to more welcoming economies.

The demise of Britains financial services sector relative to France should be a stark warning to the U.S. of whats to come should it continue down this path.

Since Brexit, the U.K. has had ample opportunity to capitalize on the digital asset sector. Instead, it has struggled with unclear regulations, been slow to evolve, and often been overly restrictive. The lack of regulatory guardrails has stifled innovation and triggered further uncertainty as to how firms should operate within the digital currency space.

Circle, a major fintech company and issuer of the USDC stablecoin, recently chose France as its official headquarters over the U.K. Frances stock exchange also recently took the top spot away from the U.K. as Europes most valued, a shift that has been compounded further by crypto conferences flocking over the channel to Paris as their preferred location.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised to make advancements in the digital assets space, In February 2023, the U.K. government shared a public consultation and call for evidence with the objective of establishing a clear regulatory framework that enables firms to innovate. While its still early days, this is a step in the right direction.

The United States must observe the growing blockchain industry in France as well as Europes own introduction of a clear legal framework (MiCA), and realize that the U.S. requires its own strategic approach should it wish to remain globally competitive.

Regulatory uncertainty and the path forward

In 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden directed federal agencies to seek a unified approach to digital currency regulation, with a focus on stablecoins. However, little progress has been made and without federal legislation, states often rely on money transmission laws to regulate digital currency activities.

This regulatory uncertainty has led to challenges in areas such as consumer protection and money laundering. The debate concerning the definition of certain assets as securities or commodities has given rise to confusion over whether the Commodity Trading Futures Commission or the SEC has jurisdiction.



In contrast, the European Union now also appears to be a step ahead of the U.S. following its approval this month of MiCA, the worlds first comprehensive framework for crypto regulation. MiCA will impose several requirements on crypto platforms, token issuers and traders around transparency, disclosure, authorization and supervision of transactions. This parliamentary blessing paves the way for MiCA to become law in 2024, a framework that industry participants have welcomed as a pragmatic solution to the challenges faced.

In other parts of the world, Japan has already introduced stablecoin regulations, Singapore is incorporating public feedback into upcoming legislation, Hong Kong regulators have signaled a more solid footing for crypto, and the UAE is actively welcoming new projects.

This progressive dialogue will likely accelerate the shifting away from hostile jurisdictions such as the U.S. in search of more supportive jurisdictions. The asset tokenization industry alone is expected to reach US$30 trillion by 2030, meaning that any mishandling by the U.S. government will have trillion-dollar consequences.

Regulatory clarity can save the US blockchain industry

The United States stands at a critical juncture in the development and regulation of the burgeoning cryptocurrency industry. To maintain its position as a global leader in technology and innovation, the U.S. must learn from historical precedents and adopt a balanced, transparent and collaborative regulatory approach that fosters the growth of the blockchain sector.

Embracing this new era of digital assets and leveraging the immense potential of blockchain technology will ensure that the United States remains at the forefront of global innovation while reaping the socio-economic benefits that accompany such progress.
VANCOUVER, BC, April 28, 2023 /CNW/ - Zinc8 Energy Solutions Inc. ("Zinc8" or the "Company") (CSE: ZAIR)(OTC PINK: ZAIRF)(FSE: 0E9) today announced its audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 and its fiscal 2022 MD&A were filed on SEDAR. For detailed information on these results, please see Zinc8 Energy Solutions Inc. Fiscal Year 2022 Financial Statements and Management Discussion and Analysis as filed on SEDAR on April 28, 2022.

Fiscal Year 2022 Highlights Include:

On September 1, 2022, the Company announced that the company's inaugural commercial production facility will be based in the United States. Based upon comprehensive analysis done by the company, the announced Inflation Reduction Act ("IRA")'s manufacturing production credits contained within Section 45X provide distinct and direct benefits to Zinc8 and its production plans in the United States ("US").

On July 8, 2022, Zinc8 announced the support from the U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) for Zinc8 to establish a manufacturing facility in Ulster, New York's former TechCity Site location.

On April 19, 2022, the Company announced that they had been named a "Best-in-Class" solution in the Energy Storage Category for the Real Estate Board of New York's ("REBNY") 2022 PropTech Challenge.

On January 18, 2022, it was announced the Company and partner Digital Energy Corp signed a host site agreement with Fresh Meadows Community Apartments in Queens, NY, to install a 100kW/1.5MWh ZESS for the purpose of demonstrating its long duration energy storage capability that included financial support by The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority ("NYSERDA"). The ZESS will support and enhance the economics of a Combined Heat and Power ("CHP") plant which is currently under construction along with an existing solar system at the Fresh Meadows Apartments, a site that is owned by Cammeby Realty Corp.

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Subsequent to December 31, 2022 Highlights Include:

On March 15, 2023, Zinc8 announced the approval from the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency ("UCIDA") of the issuance of tax-exempt revenue bonds for up to US$10 million to undertake the buildout and completion of Zinc8's first commercial manufacturing facility within Ulster County, New York. The Ulster County tax-exempt municipal bonds are subject to various terms and conditions, including limitations on the use of funds and repayment terms and entry into a lease for a manufacturing facility which has not yet been completed. The terms of the placement of the bonds have not yet been determined, and the Company expects placement fees to be paid to the placement agent KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. in connection with the placement of the bonds.

On January 26, 2023, the Company announced the approval by the Empire State Development ("ESD") of up to US$9 million in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program ("EJP") tax credits to incentivize the Company to locate and establish its first US-based production facility in New York State. The performance-based tax credits are available immediately for a period of up to 5 years, in whole or part, depending on the level of investment and jobs created by the Company.

"This is an exciting time for Zinc8," said Ron MacDonald, President and CEO of Zinc8 Energy Solutions. "We're working closely with the New York government, strategic partners and potential customers to help improve the overall economic and environmental picture. This is a powerful combination where business and the environment win and we're proud to be part of the solution."

"Last year, we saw the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law in the United States. The significant tax incentives available to encourage the production of clean energy equipment by industry players such as Zinc8 are substantial. We have had the support of local and state agencies from the state of New York for several years. Furthermore, the IRA clearly demonstrates the political will of the federal government to support emerging industry, employment and to help decarbonize the economy on a national scale."

Zinc8 Energy Solutions focuses on developing and commercializing its low-cost, long duration ZESS for utilities, microgrid, and Commercial & Industrial markets. By using the patented ZESS as a standalone or an enabling technology, it allows opportunities for peak demand reduction, time-of-use arbitrage, and participation in both the value stacking programs and the distributed long-duration energy storage space, all in conjunction with the opportunity for a significant reduction in carbon footprint. The long duration (8-100+ hours) ZESS has no fire and explosion risk, has no capacity fade over extensive lifetime, and offers complete charge operational flexibility.

About Zinc8 Energy Solutions Inc. Zinc8 has assembled an experienced team to execute the development and commercialization of a dependable low-cost zinc-air battery. This mass storage system offers both environmental and efficiency benefits. Zinc8 strives to meet the growing need for secure and reliable power. To learn more about Zinc8's technology, please visit: https://zinc8energy.com

Zinc8 Energy Solutions Announces Fiscal Year 2022 Financials (CNW Group/Zinc8 Energy Solutions Inc.)

More about the Zinc8 Energy Storage System (ESS)

The Zinc8 ESS is a modular Energy Storage System designed to deliver power in the range 20kW - 50MW with capacity of 8 hours of storage duration or higher. With the advantage of rechargeable zinc-air flow battery technology, the system can be configured to support a wide range of long-duration applications for microgrids and utilities. Since the energy storage capacity of the system is determined only by the size of the zinc storage tank, a very cost-effective and scalable solution now exists as an alternative to the fixed power/energy ratio of the lithium-ion battery.

Technology

The Zinc8 ESS is based upon unique patented zinc-air battery technology. Energy is stored in the form of zinc particles, similar in size to grains of sand. When the system is delivering power, the zinc particles are combined with oxygen drawn from the surrounding air. When the system is recharging, zinc particles are regenerated, and oxygen is returned to the surrounding air.

Applications

The flexibility of the Zinc8 ESS enables it to service a wide range of applications. Typical examples include:

Smoothing energy derived from renewable sources such as wind and solar

Commercial/Industrial backup replacing diesel generators

Industrial and grid scale, on-demand power for peak shaving and standby reserves

Grid-scale services such as alleviating grid congestion, deferring transmission/distribution upgrades, energy trading and arbitrage, and increasing renewable energy penetration.

Architecture

The Zinc8 ESS is designed according to a modular architecture that enables a wide variety of system configurations to be created from a small number of common subsystems. Each subsystem implements a single element of the technology:

The Zinc Regeneration Subsystem (ZRS) provides the recharging function

The Fuel Storage Subsystem (FSS) provides the energy storage function

The Power Generation Subsystem (PGS) provides the discharging function

Notice Regarding Forward Looking Statements

All statements and disclosures, other than those of historical fact, which address activities, events, outcomes, results or developments that Zinc8 Storage anticipates or expects may or will occur in the future (in whole or in part) should be considered forward-looking statements.

Forward looking statements in this press release include that we can execute the development and commercialization of a dependable low cost zinc-air battery; that our mass storage system offers both environmental and efficiency benefits; that we can help meet the needs for secure and reliable power, that the Company will establish a manufacturing facility in the United States and that the IRA and support of high profile politicians in the United States will be beneficial to Zinc8 and its establishing a facility in the United States. Zinc8 Energy Solutions believes the material factors, expectations and assumptions reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable at this time, but no assurance can be given that these factors, expectations and assumptions will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are not guarantees of future performance. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements including, without limitation: that we are not able to raise funds as expected; that our technology fails to work as expected or at all; that our technology proves to be too expensive to implement broadly; that customers do not adapt our products for being too complex, costly, or not fitting with their current products or plans; our competitors may offer better or cheaper solutions for battery storage; that we are not able to establish a manufacturing facility in Ulster County or elsewhere in New York; that we are not able to derive any benefits from the EJP tax credits or UICDA bonds; that we are not able to create jobs in New York; that the benefits of the IRA are not as expected; that the Company is not able to commercialize it products as expected or at all; general economic, market and business conditions; increased costs and expenses; inability to retain qualified employees; our patents may not provide protection as expected and we may infringe on the patents of others; that Zinc8 may not have continued support from local, state and federal government; that Zinc8 may not open a manufacturing facility; that federal funding in the United States may not be available to Zinc8 on favourable terms or at all; and certain other risks detailed from time to time in Zinc8 Energy Solution's public disclosure documents, copies of which are available on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligations to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the CSE nor any Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Zinc8 Energy Solutions Logo (CNW Group/Zinc8 Energy Solutions Inc.)

SOURCE Zinc8 Energy Solutions Inc.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2023/28/c4625.html
Sarah Ritchie, a counselor at King George Elementary School, has been named Elementary School Counselor of the Year for 2023 by the Virginia School Counselor Association.

The annual award recognizes both an elementary and secondary school counselor who has made a positive impact in their school community, according to a press release from VSCA.

While her resume lists many typical counseling activities, Sarahs impact has been anything but typical, wrote Mary Fisher, supervisor of student and family services for King George County schools, in a letter recommending Ritchie for the award. It is difficult to put into words the impact Sarah has had on our school community, but her commitment to school counseling has helped create an undeniable shift in culture and climate in her school.

Sarahs work ethic, advocacy for her students, and ability to build relationships have helped her develop a robust comprehensive school counseling program essentially from the ground up.

In addition to her duties as school counselor, Ritchie develops themed classroom lessons that incorporate social-emotional learning into core content, and she was also honored as 2023 division-wide Teacher of the Year for her work in the classroom.

King George students learn the benefits of kindness School Counselor Sarah Ritchie was living the dream last week at King George Elementary Sc

Ritchie established an after-school Kindness Club at King George Elementary that focuses on self-esteem growth and community service, and has worked with other area schools to start their own version of the club.

Sarah has created multiple projects, clubs, organizations, and activities to expand her lessons outside of the classroom and to continue to build relationships with students, families, and staff, Fisher wrote. This has had a ripple effect by providing public opportunities for our community members, businesses, and government officials to see the positive effects of school counseling for the greater good.

Ritchie also serves on the Board of Directors of the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board and as communications and public relations chair for the VSCA.

Sarah actively collaborates with families, community members, educators, and fellow school counselors, Fisher wrote. Her approachable demeanor has helped her build relationships within our community, across Virginia, and throughout the nation.

Ritchie, who has a masters degree in school counseling and is pursuing a doctorate degree, will be honored at the VSCA state conference in October.

King George High seniors cheered on by future graduates The 43 members of the King George High School graduating class who attended King George Elem
An enjoyable afternoon walk on Oct. 24, 2021, turned into a nightmare for Mohamed Mo Hussein and his family when a drunk driver fatally struck the 24-year-old Stafford County man in a pedestrian crosswalk on River Road.

Walking ahead of their parents down the trail from Pratt Park that day, the young man and his brother, Mohamud, had entered the crosswalk on the popular cut-through road in Stafford about 3:30 p.m. when a fast-moving truck driven by Jason Payne plowed into Mohamed Hussein, knocking him into a ditch. The young man was later pronounced dead.

Payne was eventually charged with drunken driving and involuntary manslaughter. The 44-year-old Stafford resident pleaded guilty to the drunken driving charge, but the manslaughter case went to trial, where a jury found him guilty.

On Thursday, Payne was sentenced in Stafford Circuit Court. The sentence could have ranged between one and 25 years. Sentencing guidelines called for a maximum sentence of eight years and five months.

Judge Bruce Strickland sentenced Payne to 25 years with 10 years suspended. The sentence also revoked Paynes drivers license for five years after his release from prison.

There was a reason for Paynes lengthy prison sentence.

The 44-year-old was no stranger to Stafford deputies because of other drunken driving convictions dating back nearly 20 years, something prosecutor George Elsasser zeroed in on during the sentencing hearing.

Its really five DUIs, at least, the prosecutor said while recounting Paynes criminal past, which includes domestic violence convictions.

A test three hours after the fatal crash showed Paynes blood alcohol content at .25, well over Virginias legal limit of .08.

The prosecutor noted that the really galling part of Paynes actions that October day was that the man was on bond for a DUI charge earlier in 2021, in a case where the defendant was accused of driving drunk with a child in the vehicle.

It is inexcusable, Elsasser said of Paynes actions. Its hard to comprehend how a man could do that.

The prosecutor added that after the fatal crash, Payne insisted that he was fine to drive.

The victims brother testified during one court hearing that after striking the victim, Payne, who was making a lunch trip for crabs when the fatal crash happened, turned his truck around, stopped on the crosswalk and told him to call the [expletive] cops.

Elsasser emphasized that the fatal crash in this case is so frustrating because its entirely preventable.

Payne and his attorney both said he is an alcoholic who failed to acknowledge his problem prior to the fatal crash.

Elsasser acknowledged that alcoholism is a disease, but said Payne still made a choice to get drunk and then drive, and he asked the judge to impose a sentence of at least 10 years.

Husseins family and friends packed one side of the courtroom for the sentencing hearing.

His parents  Muhktar Mohamed and Zahra Mussa  wrote a victim impact statement, but couldnt read it because they were still too distraught by their sons death.

The statement was read by his Dixon-Smith Middle School teacher, Linda Jennings, who had grown close to Mohamed, who had autism, and his family while the young man was in school.

Another teacher, Kathryan Smietanski, also spoke during the sentencing hearing.

Smietanski, who taught Mohamed at Stafford High School, remembered him as a bright young man with an infectious smile and said his death has left a hole and emptiness in the familys life.

In their impact statement, Mohameds parents asked the judge to impose a lengthy sentence.

Life is not fair, the judge said while handing down the sentence, emphasizing that the tragic crash was entirely preventable. He said the sentencing needed to be proportionate to the crime and that it also was a reflection of Paynes danger to the community as a repeat offender whose acts took a life.

The sentencing closed the court case, but Mohameds family had more on their plate.

Thursday evening, Mohameds family was honored in the Stafford Board of Supervisors chamber as part of the annual Molly Gill Survivor Award. The award was established in 2015 as a way to honor victims who overcome violent crimes.

Molly Gill was a 15-year-old Brooke Point High School student gravely injured in a crash caused by a drunken driver in 1995. Gill was rendered a quadriplegic and three other teens died as a result of the crash.

Gill, who died in 1998 after complications during surgery on her back, proved an inspiration for the way she handled the tragic incident. Her attitude prompted Stafford Commonwealths Attorney Eric Olsen to start hosting the annual recognition for victims of violent crime.

This year we wanted to focus on the devastation that drunk driving causes, Olsen said during Thursdays event.

Husseins family was honored, along with Bob and Nancy Ballance, whose 23-year-old son, Bobby, died in a crash caused by a drunk driver in 2015. Although the family lives in Pennsylvania, where the crash happened, the suspect had a previous DUI conviction in Stafford.

Olsen helped with the case against the suspect, who eventually was convicted. While receiving the award, the couple thanked Olson for his help in the case.

During Thursday nights event, Olsen said the criminal justice system tries to do everything it can to try to prevent these tragedies, but it doesnt always work. He noted that not all suspects can be kept in jail prior to trial and Paynes case was slowly making its way through the court system when the fatal crash happened.

Eventually, he added, the system worked by sending Payne to prison for a long time.

Before giving the award to the Hussein family, Olsen praised them.

The family, he said, has shone light on this courthouse and the county by their graciousness and their kindness and their understanding, and working with this family has been a great satisfaction to everybody in my office.

Olsen also read the victim impact statement Husseins parents wrote for the sentencing hearing.

Payne took their son from us for the rest of our time on earth, Olsen read. The trial wont bring closure, only Allah can do that. Our family has experienced more pain than you can imagine. Well try to cope with the emptiness created by my sons premature death, a death caused directly by the defendants reckless disregard for human life and the laws that are supposed to govern everyones behavior.

The parents statement pointed out that their son believed in the basic goodness of people and that he fell victim to a menace to society.

They ended their statement writing that they would leave the courtroom empty-handed without our son, thinking, What if we hadnt gone to the park that day? What if? What if?

Stafford woman receives award for her courage after brutal attack AnnMarie Francis Thompson heard a noise at her bedroom door as she watched TV one summer night.
The Fredericksburg Planning Commission on Wednesday approved a series modifications to a draft ordinance that would permit accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, by-right in certain zoning districts.

The approved amendments increase the allowable size of an ADU from 400 to 600 square feet if located in an accessory structure and permit an ADU to exceed 600 square feet if it is located in an existing structure.

The commission also approved a revision stating that ADUs can occupy no more than 30% of a rear yard or be located at least 24 feet from the primary dwelling; and another raising the maximum height to 24 feet if there is a 5-foot setback to the side and rear, and the property occupies a corner lot or a lot with a rear alley.

Another approved amendment requires that the property owner reside in the primary dwelling at the time the application for the ADU is submitted, and that the property owner obtain a landlords license from the Commissioner of the Revenue if the primary dwelling or the ADU is rented out.

All of these amendments passed by narrow majorities, with Chair David Durham and members Adam Lynch, Chris Hornung and Susanna Finn in support and members Mary-Margaret Marshall, Thomas OToole and Kenneth Gantt opposed.

OToole made a motion to amend the draft ordinance to state that ADUs will not be permitted in accessory structures, but this motion failed.

None of the approved amendments change the permitted occupancy of a lot, which is one or more people related by blood plus two additional tenants or not more than three unrelated people.

The commission will again consider the draft ADU ordinance at its next meeting on May 10 and it will still have to be approved by City Council before it is effective.

The amendments considered Wednesday were brought forward by planning department staff as a result of public input, which has been ongoing since City Council initiated the process of creating an ADU ordinance in January.

The Planning Commission has held public hearings on the issue at every meeting since January, and planning department staff have hosted multiple community information sessions.

Staff have presented ADUs as a way to meet demand for housing in the city.

The Comprehensive Plan identifies ADUs as a potential tool to provide for flexibility in the existing housing stock without changing the existing character of residential areas, according to a memo summarizing the issue that staff prepared for Wednesdays meeting.

The most common formal comment was that ADUs would provide needed housing flexibility for the aging or other sensitive members of the community, the memo states.

ADUs were common in the city prior to zoning regulations initiated in the 1980s. Staff have identified 88 units in existence and expect 1015 new units to come online per year if the new ordinance is approved.

Accessory structures such as sheds and garages are permitted in residential lots under current zoning, and Planning Director Chuck Johnston said Wednesday that essentially the only difference between current zoning and the new ordinance is that those structures would be permitted to have full kitchens.

Were not allowing any more people to live in the home than is allowed today, but were saying they have the right to have a full kitchen that is inspected by a building official and that is put in correctly, he said.

But commission members who did not support the proposed amendments said they dont think city staff has adequately articulated a reason for permitting ADUs.

I want to highlight that I dont think we looked at where the need came from, Gantt said.

He continued to say that he thinks the need that has been expressed is more a desire to profit from real estate.

Marshall said she doesnt think other commission members and staff are listening to the public.

The main thing thats come from the public is that they wanted property owners to be identified as the ADU manager and that the primary dwelling shall be the owners primary residence, she said. I dont understand why we are not listening to the general public.

Hornung said he takes issue with those statements.

We have been deliberative, he said. It may not be perfect, but our role is to craft an ordinance that took in citizen concerns, and I feel like this draft is the best we could put forward.
Home is occupied by Tenant - please be courteous and remove your shoes upon entering. Updated home in popular Spring Lake Farm has hardwood flooring and ceramic tile on the main floor. Kitchen is open to the Family Room. Kitchen features granite counters, updated cabinetry and stainless steel venthood. Family Room has woodburning fireplace and patio door to the deck. Upstairs, you'll find wood laminate floors in the hallway and bedrooms. Primary Bedroom has walk-in closet and private bath with soaking tub, separate shower, double vanity. 2nd bedroom has access both from Primary Bedroom and hallway. Lower level has L-shaped Recreation Room plus Den and extra half bath. Photos are from previous rental listing. Tenant Occupied; please give notice on prior day to show -- thanks! NO pets, NO smoking, NO short term leases, Landlord requires FICO scores of 675 or higher. Certified funds for 1 month security & first month's rent. Applicants are to apply online at listing company property listing page; click on "Rental Application." $55/adult applicant. All occupants 18 years of age and older must apply. NOTE: Available for occupancy on 6/1/2023.

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Convenience and gas chain Wawa will break ground next month on its first North Carolina store  right across the street from the new Outer Banks Target.

A site plan submitted to the town of Kill Devil Hills for the new build at 1900 N. Croatan Highway calls for a 6,000-square-foot store, eight gas pumps, a canopy, 52 parking spaces and two underground tanks.

The store will be on the west side of U.S. 158  the main thoroughfare through the beach towns of Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head  just south of Fifth Street and across the bypass from Target, which opened April 2. It will be the third convenience store on the same block, competing with Circle K and Speedway, which is in the process of rebranding as 7-Eleven.

Its also one of two convenience-store favorites locating their first North Carolina stores in the Outer Banks region. On Monday, Royal Farms will open its first store in the state in Currituck County along the main route to the Outer Banks from the north.

Wawa has not announced an opening date for the Kill Devil Hills store, but company spokesperson Jennifer Wolf said executives will talk about construction updates and expansion plans across the state at the 10 a.m. groundbreaking on May 12.

The Pennsylvania-based chain operates 990 stores in six states and Washington, D.C. The closest store to the Outer Banks previously was in Chesapeake. The chain got its name from the town where it opened its first dairy operation  Wawa, Pennsylvania, in 1902. Wawa is a Native American word for Canada goose, according to the companys website.
Christian Womens Noon Connection will host a noon luncheon on Monday, May 8, in the Midland University Dining Hall, Ninth and Pebble streets, in Fremont.

The theme of the luncheon is Finding Treasures. Margaret Winckler, owner of Willow Spring Boutique at 235 W. Sixth St. in Fremont, will give a presentation. Music will be provided by Arlan Trehearn.

Marcia Holtz of Lexington will speak on Lets have a garage sale. Finding what is of true value.

Cost to attend the luncheon is $15. Call Pat at 402-720-3847 by May 3 to make a reservation. Honoring your reservation is necessary.
A Fremont police officer arrested on charges of suspicion of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated in a small Iowa town resigned from the Fremont Police Department on April 24, Nebraska officials confirmed on April 27.

According to information provided to the Tribune by the Harrison County, Iowa, Sheriffs Office, Fremont police Officer Payton L. Boston, 31, was arrested at 4:40 a.m., Sunday, April 2, in Missouri Valley, Iowa, on suspicion of OWI.

Boston was booked into the Harrison County Jail and later released, sheriffs officials stated in a telephone interview. He was arrested by Missouri Valley police in the town, which is about 30 miles east of Blair, across the Missouri River.

An Iowa online criminal court database listed Boston as being charged with suspicion of operating while under the influence, first offense, which is a serious misdemeanor in Iowa.

If convicted, Boston could face punishment from a judge in Iowa, including possible revocation of his drivers license for up to six months as well as potential fines or installation of an ignition "interlock" device if determined appropriate by the court.

Nebraska state law requires law enforcement agencies across the state to file a Personal Change-in-Status Form anytime a licensed peace officer leaves the employment of any law enforcement agency.

The form must be filed with the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Centers Nebraska Crime Commission within seven days of the separation of employment.

On April 25, Fremont Police Chief Jeff Elliott signed and submitted to the NLETC the form stating Boston had resigned from the department effective Monday, April 24.

Brenda Urbanek, director of the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center, verified in an email she had received the form from Fremont police officials and that Boston was no longer employed by the department.

In the reason for separation section of the form, Elliott checked a box with the description of Bostons separation: Resignation: before initiation or completion of an internal affairs investigation into allegations, that if founded, could result in revocation.

Elliott did not respond to telephone and email requests for comment on the incident from the Tribune.

Boston was hired at the Fremont Police Department in February 2018 after a three-year career as a corrections officer for the State of Nebraska. He graduated from the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center in 2018.

In his City of Fremont biography, he was described as a three-year veteran of the U.S. Army and a current member of the Iowa National Guard. His official place of residence was not known, as sheriffs officials in Harrison County, Iowa, told the Tribune that Boston is an Iowa resident, however he also has a residence listed in numerous online databases of Valley, Nebraska.

Bostons resignation is the third employee departure from the Fremont Police Department since March 1, 2023.

Rachel Wesely, the departments mental health co-responder resigned from the department and worked her last day on March 3. The citys website currently has an advertisement seeking applications for Weselys old job.

Longtime police detective Matt Hultquist also resigned from the department, with his last day of work being listed as Friday, April 21. Hultquist took a new job as an investigator with the Saunders County Sheriffs Office.

Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg said he is aware of the situation involving Bostons arrest, but had no comment on the incident.

Ive been aware of it just like you have. I wont have any public comment on that, Spellerberg said. I have the utmost confidence in Chief (Jeff) Elliott. You will have natural turnover in these departments, and well work hard to fill the positions.

City Council President Mark Jensen said he was not aware of the arrest of Boston in Iowa on allegations of OWI.

What youre telling is the first Ive heard of it. I have really have no comment on it. I cant give you any good thoughts about this, because I am less than enthusiastic about commenting about a possible ongoing investigation, Jensen said. I understand that police officers are people, too. And yes, they make mistakes, too. If you are in public service, sometimes those mistakes are magnified.

Jensen also said the turnover at the police department has created staffing challenges.

I know staffing is a problem, and we need to hold to the standards we have to fill the positions with qualified people, he added.
Olivia Ulmer got to experience something girls wouldnt have imagined many years ago.

The Bergan middle school student recently attended CodeCrush, an all-girls, three-day camp at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. CodeCrush is designed to help female students build confidence in computer science and information technology and close the gender gap in the tech industry.

Ulmer, an eighth-grader, applied and was among 30 students selected to attend the camp, where they learned about Python, a computer programming language, along with coding for the video game Minecraft and web development.

They also learned about the variety of information technology jobs.

I got to learn a lot about everything you can do with technology and all the possibilities and I met a lot of people who have the same interest as me, Ulmer said.

Bergan math instructor Ryan Mlnarik was Ulmers teacher-sponsor for the camp. Like Olivia, this was Mlnariks first opportunity to experience CodeCrush. Besides supporting Ulmers interest in computer science, Mlnarik also went to learn things he could bring back to Bergan.

Students were exposed to a number of different areas of computer science and teachers were, too, he said.

Ulmer went through a basic web design program to learn how to design web pages with an instructor.

We as teachers did that as well, too, Mlnarik said.

Although Mlnarik has been a teacher for more than 20 years, hes never had to opportunity to do web design.

That was a great experience for me, he said.

Mlnarik and Ulmer participated in a workshop that involved coding programs for robots, called Ozobots.

They had the actual robots and we had to code and program them and make them move, Mlnarik said. Olivia and I had to be able to code this robot to be able to get through a maze.

Ulmer and Mlnarik worked with Minecraft, which has an educational version that can help students learn to code.

You use the type of code that is used in a lot of websites for beginners and that helps you learn things like Python and Javascript coding languages, Ulmer said.

Ulmer and Mlnarik programmed an assistant that could build a house or rollercoaster on the Minecraft videogame.

The Bergan student finds coding to be fun, interesting and challenging. She likes another aspect of it as well.

For the most part, its black and white. You either get it right or you dont. There isnt a Well, you kind of got it, so try again. Theres a specific input and output, she said.

Besides these activities, Ulmer drove a training simulator for a semi-trailer truck.

Mlnarik also said students and teachers had the opportunity to go on tours of local businesses and corporations where information technology and computer science is used in careers.

They went to Werner Enterprises, Fiserv Inc., and Union Pacific Railroad Company, all in Omaha.

During those tours, we were able to see information technology at work, Mlnarik said. The greatest thing is we were able to see females in those positions, who have made careers out of information technology.

He heard several women say, they knew theyd loved computer science and had an interest in coding, but never knew where their careers would take them. He said the women were passionate about their careers.

Mlnarik believes the camp offered girls a great experience to listen to these successful women, who are leading corporations and organizations now and in the future.

He believes the camp was a great experience for Ulmer. By the last day of camp, Ulmer said she wished she could have stayed longer and wasnt ready to leave.

Ulmer appreciates the variety of things she learned.

We learned about a lot of different things that combined interests, like coding with social media and biology and crime scene investigation, she said.

Shes enjoyed making new friends.

Ive met some really amazing people through the program, she said in a prepared statement. Weve all been through the same thing, and were all so supportive of each other. I would definitely recommend CodeCrush to anyone interested in learning to code.
A Kennedy speechwriter said the tour was the most successful day of the senators campaign  cut short by his assassination  because he began to believe he could win.
A Sarpy County judge has denied Tammi Larsens petition to have her missing son, Ryan, declared legally dead.

In her ruling on Thursday, Judge Tricia Freeman said the evidence Tammi Larsen presented, including testimony and media stories, was insufficient to make her case that Ryan was dead. The La Vista boy was 11 when he disappeared.

Freeman also noted that Nebraska law requires that people be missing for five years before they can be declared legally dead, unless there sufficient evidence to conclude otherwise.

Ryan Larsen went missing on May 17, 2021. He was last seen leaving La Vista West Elementary School. He had multiple conditions that affected his cognitive ability and ability to take care of himself. In February, Tammi Larsen noted to the court that her son had been diagnosed with generalized epilepsy, Tourette syndrome and ADHD and was on the autism spectrum.

Tammi Larsen sought to have a petition for her son declared to be legally dead. A death certificate would have allowed the Larsen family to have closure, attorney Sean Conway said. He added they will continue to pursue legal action against Papillion La Vista Community Schools.

"While we disagree with the decision of the Sarpy County court, it doesn't change our plan to hold the Papillion La Vista school district accountable for failing to watch out for Ryan Larsen when he was in their custody and control," Conway said.

When reached Friday, Annette Eyman, spokeswoman for the Papillion La Vista Community Schools, offered no comment about the ruling. She said the district plans to continue to support the Larsen family and the district's students and staff.

"This is a tragic situation," she said. "I can't imagine what the family is going through. We're going to continue to try to support them in any way we can."

Getting away with murder: Nebraska cold cases Patricia Webb Tina McMenamin Ali Saleh Al-Saidi Gina Bos Ann Marie Kelley Carl Bittner K.K. Kody Christi Nichols Donald Bennett Ernestine Ruschy Eugene McGuire Jay Durnil Mary Heese Gregory Moore Irvin Settje Jason Remsen Jason Vesper Brian Walker Arthur Morley Jay Blockson Jeanne Kassebaum William, Bernice and Barbara Peak Jeffrey Snoddy Joy Blanchard Demetrius Simpson Julie Derrick Leah Rowlands Letha Harley Mary Cabral Mary Cronin Merlin Mosel Mitchell Simon Patrick Vostades Rebecca Williams Richard Chadek Richard Lessley Robert Beaudoin Robert Heelan Rudolfo Flores Russell McKnight Sandy Green Sarah Neal Tyrone Banister Waddell Robinson Charles Hanks
State Sens. Megan Hunt, Jen Day and Machaela Cavanaugh embrace an abortion-rights proponent after a bill to further restrict abortion is defeated on Thursday, April 27, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

LINCOLN  The Nebraska Legislature fell one vote short Thursday of passing a ban on abortions after an ultrasound detects embryonic cardiac activity, at about six weeks into a pregnancy.

Republican State Sen. Joni Albrechts Legislative Bill 626, fell in a similar fashion as the near-total abortion ban proposed last year. Both lost to Democratic-led filibusters in the officially nonpartisan Legislature. Albrecht needed 33 votes to end debate on the bill. She got 32, with two senators  Merv Riepe of Ralston and Justin Wayne of Omaha  voting present, not voting.

Bill likely dead for year, or is it?

Thursdays vote means LB 626 is likely dead for 2023, although its possible the bill could be revived, political observers said. Previous Legislatures have sometimes found ways to resurrect bills after a filibuster, if supporters can secure enough votes  in this case, one more.

But either Riepe or Wayne would have to file a motion to reconsider the vote. Both are often considered swing votes.

Gov. Jim Pillen, shortly after the vote, called on Riepe, a fellow Republican, to reconsider. He said Riepe should remember his pledge to be a pro-life senator.

Pro-life has shades of gray, Riepe said after the vote.

Wayne did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. He had previously raised questions about the bill.

Why Riepe withheld his vote

Riepe had said for weeks he would support the cardiac activity ban if conservatives gave a fair hearing and a vote to his amendment, which proposed banning abortions after 12 weeks.

The former hospital administrator withheld what would have been the 33rd vote for ending debate, called cloture, in part because fellow conservatives gamed the system to ensure that senators had to vote for cloture before voting on his amendment.

This left conservatives little reason to consider Riepes proposal because if the bill survived the cloture vote, supporters could pass Albrechts initial bill, instead of the more incremental version he sought.

Riepe, who represents a politically divided suburban district in the Omaha area, argued that LB 626 was too strict for many Nebraskans and would lead to GOP losses in 2024.

He and others have pointed to polling done by a conservative firm that indicated Republicans would pay a political price with voters for passing an abortion ban stricter than 12 weeks, particularly with women. He also worried about costly litigation.

Riepe said he made a pro-life argument for the 12-week ban. He said a Millard-area constituent told him more women might keep their babies if they had enough time to make a sound decision.

He said the six weeks from gestation provided by LB 626 was too short a window for many women to know they were pregnant, echoing arguments he heard from doctors he has known for 40 years.

I want stability, and I want something that can go forward, Riepe said. Id like to just have another shot at it next year to come up with hopefully some new bill.

He may have additional votes for a 12-week ban, if that is proposed. State Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont said she would support such a ban next year.

Cardiac ban was compromise, supporters say

Albrecht, of Thurston, and many of the Legislatures other conservatives described the cardiac activity ban as a compromise that would eliminate most elective abortions.

State Sens. John Lowe of Kearney and Barry DeKay of Niobrara shared poems and stories from the perspective of the unborn, who they said never got a chance at life.

Supporters of LB 626 were shocked that they didnt have the votes. Albrecht teared up and declined to comment. State Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha said she was very disappointed.

State Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar and other conservative senators ushered Albrecht past reporters and out of the legislative chambers as abortion-rights advocates loudly cheered the result in the Capitol Rotunda.

Dont let that get to you, Slama said to Albrecht.

Celebration in Rotunda

An overflow crowd of supporters and opponents of LB 626 watched the debate and, at times, added their voices to it. Capitol Security assigned opposite sides of the gallery to abortion-rights advocates and abortion ban proponents, a rare step reserved for some of the most divisive debates.

State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln said after the vote that the debate had responsibly centered on how extreme LB 626 was. She said the vote and the debate speak for themselves.

This radical ban was a bridge too far, Conrad said.

Once again, State Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha was the lone Democrat to vote for LB 626. He argued that he ran as a pro-life senator and that Albrecht, the author of LB 626, had answered his questions

State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, at a rally after the vote, thanked the senators who stood against the bill. She said Riepes actions showed there are still people serving in the Legislature who believe in doctors and science.

I always knew there would be a path for this outcome, Hunt said. I knew that this could happen, but I knew it would be hard.

After the vote, abortion rights advocates in the Rotunda chanted and shed tears, hugging Hunt and State Sens. Machaela Cavanaugh and Jen Day, both of Omaha.

Next steps for ban supporters

Supporters of LB 626, meanwhile, gathered in a circle nearby and joined in a prayer with Tom Venzor, the lobbyist for the Nebraska Catholic Conference.

Clearly a devastating day for the state of Nebraska and for the cause of life, Venzor said. Thousands of babies are going to be left to the ills of abortion.

Venzor rejected the idea that a six-week ban was too extreme, saying that polling done on behalf of the Catholic Conference showed almost 60% support for the heartbeat bill.

Its not going too far, he said. Youre seeing similar legislation going on across the country.

Hunt and other abortion-rights advocates, including Dr. Emily Patel, a maternal fetal medicine specialist, said they realize this was just the latest round in a continuing fight.

Advocates of stricter abortion bans said they hope Albrechts bill might be resurrected before the session ends in June. If not, theyll be back next year.

Said Venzor: Where there is a will, there is a way.

Nebraska Examiner intern Zach Wendling and Senior Reporter Paul Hammel contributed to this report.
China opposes U.S. deterring ROK chip exports to China

Xinhua) 08:19, April 28, 2023

BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China strongly opposes the United States' requirement of forbidding chip makers of the Republic of Korea to fill the gap of chip exports left by their American peers in the Chinese market, said a commerce ministry spokesperson Thursday.

The U.S. act is textbook bullying that severely disrupts regular economic and trade exchanges between companies and undermines market regulations and the international economic and trade order, Shu Jueting, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, told a press conference.

She said the move also threatens the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.

Noting that the chip industry chain is built on collaboration between economies with respective comparative advantages, Shu said that the United States is seeking decoupling and disruption of industrial and supply chains by abusing export control and forcing some countries to practice trade protectionism against China.

Shu added such U.S. attempts are the main reason behind the recent revenue and profit nosedives of companies along the industrial and supply chains of chips in certain countries.

Citing a comment piece on the matter, Shu said governments and companies of relevant countries should defend free trade rules and construct a global industrial and supply chain system that is safe, stable, smooth, open, inclusive, and win-win.

Addressing media reports on upcoming U.S. measures to contain investments in China, Shu said it is a typical non-market practice to apply intervention or restriction to companies' decision-making using administrative means. Also, it is against the basic principles of global economics and trade to launch discriminatory containment directed at a specific country, she added.

China will strongly oppose the U.S. measures if the news is true, Shu said.

Given that the United States had often expressed its willingness to engage in benign competition with China instead of pursuing China-U.S. decoupling, China hopes that the U.S. side will stay true to its words and respect companies' rights to conduct investment and trade to achieve win-win outcomes, said Shu.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The Colorado Springs Airport continued to feel the effects of Frontier Airlines withdrawal, but airport officials arent worried.

The number of passengers boarding planes out of the airport, known as enplanements, fell 5.3% in March compared with the same month last year, airport traffic data showed.

Frontier Airlines, which stopped service at Colorado Springs in November, caused a decline in enplanements for three of the past five months, airport officials said.

Meanwhile, other airlines at the Colorado Springs Airport did not increase their seat offerings, which is typical in winter months, said Joe Nevill, the airports air service development manager. So if there are fewer seats offered, Nevill said, passengers cannot fill them.

A year-over-year deficit in traffic, due to fewer available seats, could continue to linger through May, Nevill said.

But seats and enplanements are anticipated to take off in June, Nevill added.

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We are expecting a busy summer and weve got a lot of new exciting air service.

Colorado Springs will add three nonstop routes in June, as the arrival of Sun Country Airlines brings seasonal service to Minneapolis/St. Paul. Delta Air Lines also will begin flying nonstop to Minneapolis/St. Paul as well as add a nonstop route to Atlanta.

Avelo Airlines will arrive in Colorado Springs next month, offering a nonstop route to Los Angeles via the Hollywood-Burbank Airport. And in July, Southwest Airlines will add two flights, a fourth daily nonstop route to Las Vegas and a new route to Long Beach, Calif.

The new offerings will increase available seats out of Colorado Springs and are predicted to grow summer traffic, Nevill said. He added that seats will likely increase 8% in June from the same month the year before, 7% in July and 13% in August, according to airline ticket-selling schedules.

We expect some of that (growth) to carry into the fall, Nevill said.
Douglas County small businesses now have access to resources, training, technical assistance, and a pathway to capital  all for free.

Thats thanks to the grand opening of the Aurora-South Metro Small Business Development Center satellite office at the Arapahoe Community College Sturm Collaboration Campus in Castle Rock.

It's the first small business development center in Douglas County, and is headed by Executive Director Marcia McGilley.

It is through these organizations that Americas small business are finding great opportunities to grow and develop, said Gabriel Esparza, associate administrator from the SBAs Office of International Trade, at a ribbon cutting event Thursday. It is exactly for this reason why were so happy that today theres another one in the great state of Colorado.

The center is a collaboration between Arapahoe Community College, the Colorado State University System and the SBDC. Federal funding for the center comes from the SBA via the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. Both the Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce and the South Metro Chamber of Commerce had representatives participating.

Colorado is on the cutting edge in a lot of ways, said Gov. Jared Polis. This campus is really an example of that. These kinds of collaborations between workforce, schools, universities, and community colleges are really putting the learner first and saying this is about making sure that we can open the doors of opportunity to more people.

Colorado has more than 690,000 small businesses, a number that grew by 9,000 since 2021, said Hannah Krieger, state director of the Colorado SBDC Network.

Collectively, these small businesses make up over 99% of all businesses in Colorado, Krieger said. They employ almost half of all employees.

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Small businesses make up the backbone of America, Esparza said. They provide almost 40% of our GDP. They are, indeed, the growth engine of our economy.

Esparza said in an interview with the Denver Gazette after the event most SBDC offices are on college campuses. Thats so business owners can gain educational skills like accounting or marketing, then head to the SBDC for help writing a business plan and getting access to capital.

Most small business owners are reaching into their own pockets and oftentimes theyre worried thats not something they want to take on, he said. It could end up hurting their families  but through organizations like the small business development center, we are providing training and technical assistance, education, and information about access to capital. Were there for the whole journey to grow your business.

CSU Systems President Tony Frank said its the first time the university has partnered with ACC.

Our global campus is designed to reach out to adult learners, Frank said. We know today that there probably a lot of people who will never set foot on a college campus, and a lot of people who may live forever and not need a bachelor's degree. But they still need skills.

The campus partners with the Douglas County School District as well, for high school students to earn college credits.

We know that every community in our state is filled with innovators and bold ideas, Polis said. And now those in the south metro area will be able to get some help turning those ideas into reality.

The Sturm Collaboration Campus at 4500 Limelight Ave., Castle Rock.
Yemi Mobolade and Wayne Williams are facing off in a Colorado Springs mayoral election runoff after earning the top two spots among a crowded field in the municipal election in early April.

Mobolade and Williams have each gained endorsements in recent days.

Ballots were sent Monday to voters, who will be able to drop off ballots through May 16.

Here are the endorsements for each candidate.

Mobolade endorsments

- Mobolade on Thursday gained the endorsement of Sallie Clark, a former city councilmember and county commissioner as well as a fellow small business owner, who was a close third in the mayoral race April 4.

"It's an honor to have Sallie's endorsement," Mobolade said. "She's a fighter who has stood up for our community, our families and neighborhood. Her experience in this community is evident through her broad coalition of support."

Clark said she met Mobolade many times on the campaign trail and found his campaign based on "facts, optimism and solutions" refreshing, and that his priorities of reducing crime, addressing homelessness and advocating for affordable housing with a neighborhood-centric approach "most mirror" hers, had she been elected mayor.

As a fellow small business entrepreneur, Yemi is the only one in this race that will look at government with a fresh perspective that I trust will address the issues impacting our families," Clark said. "(He) has the strong leadership skills and willingness to challenge the status quo."

Clark and Mobolade both emphasized the desire to boost law enforcement recruitment and retention as a main issue where they found common ground.

"He and I share wanting to look for some new ways to really make the city of Colorado Springs the place that new police officers want to come," Clark told The Gazette Thursday.

- Earlier, former El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder gave his endorsement of Mobolade.

- Among his other public supporters, Mobolade earlier earned an endorsement from outgoing Colorado Springs City Council President Tom Strand, who also ran for mayor in the April 4 regular election.

"Yemi is a proven leader with a wealth of experience in the business, nonprofit and government sectors, and someone I trust to continue championing our public safety professionals. With Yemi, we can have confidence in a mayor who will not only put our families first but has the proven leadership to create a better future for our neighborhoods," Strand said in a news release issued by Mobolade's campaign this week.

- Mobolade has also touted on social media endorsements from Amy Folsom, past El Paso County administrator and former county attorney; Pat Rigdon, retired deputy chief of Colorado Springs Police Department; and Elaine Knight, retired brigadier general with the Air Force.

Williams endorsements

- On Thursday, the Williams campaign announced endorsements from five current City Council members: Randy Helms, Lynette Crow-Iverson, Dave Donelson, Mike OMalley and David Leinweber.

It is a great honor to announce that I have been endorsed by the majority of the current Colorado Springs City Councilmembers, including all four council leaders, Williams said in a news release. I am grateful to have the support of the same people that I will work closely with should the voters choose me as their next mayor.

Wayne Williams has encouraged and inspired me in many ways, Helms, council president, said in a news release. His leadership is evident in all that he does. Wayne took the lead on the water ordinance, police force growth, public safety fee process and the resolution against the SB213 land use bill. I look forward to working with Wayne as our next mayor.

- Williams, who has been endorsed by outgoing Mayor John Suthers, the Colorado Springs Police Protective Association and Colorado Springs Professional Firefighters Local 5, among others, announced his campaign hired Jody Richie to serve as his field director. Richie has previously worked as campaign manager for Sallie Clark.

"Wayne is the only candidate remaining in the race with the leadership experience and knowledge of city government that is necessary to be a highly effective mayor for Colorado Springs," Richie said in a news release from Williams' campaign.

- On Friday, Williams' campaign announced the Fraternal Order of Police Pikes Peak Lodge 9 executive board also gave him their endorsement.

"As members of this community, public safety and smart economic growth are critical to our members and their families. Wayne Williams is the clear choice to address those issues. We are proud to stand with our public safety partners in supporting Wayne Williams for mayor," the organization said in a statement Friday.

Williams has earned endorsements from every major Colorado Springs area public safety employee organization, his campaign said in a statement.
A project promised by former President John F. Kennedy to bring clean water to Lower Arkansas Valley communities is finally underway, although hundreds of millions in funding is still needed.

The Arkansas Valley Conduit project estimated to cost $600 to $700 million will bring clean water to communities with some of the highest concentrations of radium-contaminated drinking water in the nation, according to data compiled by the Environmental Working Group. The naturally occurring radium contributes to health risks, such as cancer, over a long time.

Kennedy announced the pipeline in 1962 as part of the larger Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, a system that brings water from the Western Slope to serve Colorado Springs and other communities, but funding held back the 130-mile pipeline now planned to run from Pueblo to Lamar.

In intervening decades, larger towns along the Arkansas such as La Junta have put in reverse osmosis systems to clean the water, while rural residents have installed their own filtration systems in their homes, purchased bottled water or used the water as it is, water system employees said.

In the valley, 17 communities are under enforcement orders from the state health department because of the poor water quality, a problem the pipeline will resolve, said Bill Long, the president of the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District.

"Nobody should be concerned about the quality of water that they are drinking in their home," said Colorado Water Conservation Board Executive Director Rebecca Mitchell at an event Friday.

Colorado Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation Camille Touton joined Mitchell in celebrating the start of construction Friday in front of some of the 30-inch pipe that will eventually carry water to about 50,000 people.

The officials highlighted the funding the project has received, including about $151 million in federal funding, with $60 million of that coming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The project needs about $500 million more in federal funding, Long said.

Some of that money could come from the $8.3 billion that the Bureau of Reclamation received as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Touton said.

"We believe this project shows it can compete for that money," she said.

While funding still needs to be secured, Hickenlooper gave an optimistic timeline of five years, while Touton gave a more tempered answer around the project's timeline.

"We look forward to working with the state and our partners to see what we can do," she said.

For the mostly small rural water systems waiting for the pipeline, questions also remain around infrastructure necessary to bring the water into their systems, said Norman Noe, the sole employee of the South Swink Water Company. In his position, he operates the water system, collects payments from residents and pays the bills to bring water to about 620 people over 30 square miles near La Junta.

The company draws on wells where radium is naturally occurring, and it has been under an enforcement order from the state for those high levels for decades. So the company has been lobbying for the pipeline for many years to help solve the problem, he said.

So to have pipe and a contractor lined up "is a huge accomplishment no doubt," he said. However, he has concerns that delivering water from the pipeline will force up monthly bills.

For example, his company could need more than $1 million to put in new infrastructure, such as storage tanks to receive the water. It's a cost that could fall heavily on relatively few customers. He is hopeful he can find a grant to cover the cost but qualifying could be difficult because South Swink is a private company rather than a local government agency. It's a problem that other water systems in the valley have as well, he said.

"Its needed in the valley  bad because of the water problems, but at the same time its got to be affordable," he said. One option could be new local improvement districts that could be created to qualify for grant funding, he said.

State loans and grants are also expected to help build delivery infrastructure to individual communities, Long said. The Colorado Water Conservation Board has approved $90 million in loans for the project and $10 million in grants. Another $20 million for water lines to communities is pending this year, he said.

For the larger towns with reverse osmosis systems, such as Las Animas and La Junta, the pipeline will serve a slightly different problem than the radium facing smaller systems, Long said.

The larger towns are delivering clean tap water, but the water they discharge back to the river from the reverse osmosis system has more contamination that regulations allow, he said. So as the Arkansas River flows to Kansas the contamination problem compounds, he said. It's a problem Kansas has raised concerns about.

Once the pipeline arrives, the water those towns are returning to the river will meet standards.

It's a solution that has been nearly a century in the making because water quality problems in the region have been a known issue since likely the 1930s, he said. For example, for those not adjusted to the extremely hard water near Las Animas, it would likely have made them sick prior to the reverse osmosis plant.

The first communities to receive water from the pipeline will be Boone and Avondale likely in 2024 or 2025, he said. Boone and Avondale have problems with minerals in their water, but not radium.

"For the first ones to get water its not terribly far off when you consider how long we have been working on this," Long said.
The federal appeals court based in Denver overturned a defendants seven-year sentence related to a gang shooting because the trial judge did not understand Colorado law when he explained why self-defense did not apply.

U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Domenico sentenced Lougary Eddington to 84 months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition. The charge stemmed from a July 2020 shootout at a Denver liquor store that left one man, Daniel Epperson, dead.

Although Domenico conceded Eddington was probably the least culpable of all the men firing weapons at each other that night, he believed Eddington was a mutual combatant who could not claim self-defense. Consequently, Domenico increased Eddingtons sentencing calculation.

But a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit determined Domenico was wrong that Eddingtons likely knowledge a gunfight would happen with rival gang member Roy Fernandez equated to mutual combat as Colorado law defines it.

Nowhere in the record did the district court make a factual finding that Eddington and Fernandez entered into an agreement to fight before the fight commenced, as is required under Colorado law, wrote Senior Judge Mary Beck Briscoe in the April 24 opinion. In fact, it does not appear that the district court was aware that it needed to make such a finding.

The panel also decided Domenico incorrectly used Eddingtons unlawful possession of a firearm, for which he was never charged, to justify the offense level.

The night of July 1, 2020, Eddington and Zyaire Williams, who were part of the Eastside Crips gang, encountered Fernandez at a liquor store near East 29th Ave. and North Downing St. Fernandez belonged to a different gang and appeared to have heated words with Williams in the store, according to surveillance footage. Soon afterward, Williams allegedly asked Eddington if he was ready for what was about to happen.

With Eddington standing near the stores entrance, the other men  Williams, Fernandez and now Epperson  began firing their guns. Eddington took cover, then exchanged gunfire with Fernandez. Epperson, who belonged to the same gang as Williams and Eddington, was shot and killed.

Federal prosecutors charged the three surviving men with being felons in possession of ammunition. No murder charges were brought for Eppersons death. Because the government never recovered Eddingtons gun, it could not prove the weapon had a connection to interstate commerce and, therefore, he was not charged for possessing a prohibited firearm.

Eddington pleaded guilty and appeared before Domenico in March 2022 for sentencing. The judge appeared somewhat sympathetic, saying Eddington was probably the least culpable and could have reasonably been in fear for his life.

However, Domenico did not believe Eddington could claim self-defense because he was a mutual combatant with Fernandez.

I do think it seems most likely that he knew there was a shootout going on and he chose to get involved with it, Domenico said. He knew that there was a shootout between his friends and someone else, and that is, to me, sort of the definition of mutual combat, in which case you are not entitled to the self-defense defense.

Domenico also believed an increased offense level applied because Eddington illegally possessed the ammunition in connection with another felony offense: possessing a gun in violation of Colorado law, even though Eddington was never charged.

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On appeal, Eddington took issue with how Domenico calculated his sentencing level. Specifically, he argued that Colorado law requires a clear cut agreement at the outset to engage in mutual combat.

The judge, as I read it, is thinking when you willfully engage in an altercation, thats mutual combat, said defense attorney Robert Fishman during oral arguments in March. It wouldnt surprise me at all if the law is consistent with that view in other states. But it quite clearly is not the law in Colorado.

Agreeing, the 10th Circuit judges slammed Domenicos handling of the mutual combatant issue.

I dont have the confidence, said Judge Veronica S. Rossman, that this district court understood what Colorado law requires.

Domenico didnt make any finding that there was a clear cut agreement between anyone because the district court didnt know what the law was, added Judge Nancy L. Moritz.

Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Bishop Grewell defended Domenico, pointing out he was the longest-serving solicitor general in Colorado history prior to his appointment to the bench.

But Rossman pushed back, saying she was concerned Domenico and the government used Eddingtons gang involvement as a proxy for an agreement to fight.

Briscoe, in the panels opinion, wrote that Domenico improperly lowered the standard for mutual combat from a clear cut agreement between Eddington and Fernandez to, instead, Eddingtons willingness to join a fight others had started.

She also noted Domenico erroneously based Eddingtons sentence on the possession of ammunition in connection with his illegal gun possession. Under the sentencing guidelines, the question is whether the ammunition facilitated the uncharged gun crime.

It is unclear how possession of ammunition facilitates possession of a firearm, Briscoe wrote, elaborating that the first act does not make easier the second.

The panel ordered Domenico to resentence Eddington without the improperly increased offense level.

The case is United States v. Eddington.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to say that the staff member who amplified a complaint about Oliva was terminated for cause unrelated to the allegations, according to Griffith Centers. An earlier version of this article indicated that Oliva was terminated for cause unrelated to the allegations.

A former employee of Griffith Centers for Children in Colorado Springs is accused of sexually assaulting two underage boys in a residential treatment program in 2019 and 2020, and a lawsuit filed in federal court Thursday claims the facility was complicit to the alleged abuse.

Rathod | Mohamedbhai LLC, a Denver-based law firm representing the two former residents who are remaining anonymous, is suing Griffith Centers for Children and its president and CEO, Tania Sossi, alleging the facility enabled the alleged sexual abuse by dismissing complaints about employee Viridiana Oliva.

The residential treatment program houses boys ages 12-20 at a facility just east of downtown Colorado Springs, where they receive therapeutic, behavioral, educational, medical and case management services. Griffith Centers serve underserved populations, primarily children and youth, at locations in five Colorado cities.

The sexual assault allegations, which have not warranted criminal charges against the now-former employee, are just part of the illicit conduct alleged in the lawsuit obtained by The Gazette. Oliva is also accused of giving or selling cocaine, marijuana and alcohol to residents, and buying some boys phones, which they werent allowed to possess.

The two plaintiffs in the lawsuit, identified only by initials D.B. and G.H., were housed at the facility as teens and both allegedly had sexual contact with Oliva while she was employed by Griffith Centers, first assigned to the program's school, then to housing where the plaintiffs lived.

Griffiths Center admitted to being aware of allegations against Oliva, but said they addressed them. "When we first heard the allegations, we reported them immediately and placed the former employee on administrative leave while they were being investigated," Griffiths Center wrote in a statement to The Gazette on Thursday.

Griffiths Centers said the Colorado Department of Human Services, the El Paso County Child Protective Services and the Colorado Springs Police Department conducted investigations, and all three deemed the allegations to be unfounded.

Colorado Springs police confirmed Thursday that there is an active investigation involving Oliva, according to spokesman Robert Tornabene. This investigation is from 2020 and has not been unfounded, said Lt. Pamela Castro.

"In addition, one of the plaintiffs denied any of the incidents had happened when he was interviewed by authorities, which was consistent with reports by other clients that the original plaintiff had threatened to make false allegations against staff," Griffith Centers wrote in the statement.

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The lawsuit alleges D.B. met Oliva at the program's school, and she initiated sexual contact with him at some point after he was involuntarily placed in the program at age 16 in January 2019. Oliva would allegedly coerce D.B. to sneak out of the facility multiple times per week to have sex.

D.B. felt that if he did not meet Oliva, she would stop supplying him with contraband or get him in trouble at the school, the lawsuit reads. Oliva allegedly gave D.B. alcohol, marijuana and cigarettes, which they sometimes consumed together.

One former resident described the sexual nature of Oliva and D.B.'s relationship to be "common knowledge." The lawsuit claims employees at the facility were also aware of Olivas conduct, as more than one asked D.B. about his relationship with Oliva on separate occasions. Oliva was once allegedly caught by an employee sitting on D.B.s lap and put on leave for two weeks before returning to work.

The other plaintiff, G.H., came to the facility when he was a minor in November 2019. Oliva allegedly supplied G.H. with cigarettes, marijuana and alcohol, some of which the lawsuit says they consumed together during one-on-one walks to a nearby park. Oliva also bought G.H. a phone, which the lawsuit alleges Oliva sent explicit photos to. She also allegedly initiated sexual contact with G.H. in his room at the treatment center.

The lawsuit claims human resources informed Griffith Centers President and CEO Tania Sossi of a complaint against Oliva, which the lawsuit alleges Sossi ignored. The complaint came from a resident (not either of the plaintiffs) who said Oliva bought him cocaine, sent him explicit messages and engaged him sexually. The lawsuit says Sossi directed human resources to ignore the complaint and "took no action to meaningfully investigate the allegations against Oliva."

A staff member who amplified the complaint and began to ask questions about Olivas behavior was ultimately fired after direction from Sossi, the lawsuit says. Griffith Centers said this staff member was dismissed with cause, unrelated to the allegations.

"There is absolutely no merit to these allegations, and we look forward to defending ourselves vigorously in court," Griffith Centers said in the statement.

Because were talking about two males being assaulted by a female, we have a residential home that has dragged their feet and this female perpetrator is still out in the community, said attorney Azra Taslimi, who is representing the two plaintiffs.

The lawsuit has requested a jury trial and Griffith Centers for Children has 21 days to respond.

"Our goal is that the defendants are held accountable," Taslimi said. "We want to make sure that it doesn't continue to happen to others."
Two people were taken into custody late Thursday night after being found in their vehicle under the influence and in the possession of drugs in northeast Colorado Springs, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department.

Police said officials received reports at 11:12 p.m. of a DUI driver near the area of Parkmoor Village Drive and North Academy Boulevard. Upon arriving at the scene, police discovered a male driver and female passenger slumped over in the front seats of the vehicle.

Officers also observed drug paraphernalia and narcotics in the vehicle, according to CSPD blotter entry. Due to the high volume of traffic in the area, police proceeded to block the vehicle in, using marked police vehicles.

Police said when the suspect awoke, he attempted to escape authorities by pushing through the formed barricade. The suspect was unable to break free, and their vehicle eventually mechanically failed and caught on fire.

According to police, the suspect attempted to flee on foot but was taken into custody without further incident.
Two suspects are still at large following a shooting and car chase in east Colorado Springs early Thursday morning.

Police said at 12:27 a.m., officials received numerous reports of shots fired near the 3100 block of East Dale Street with information that two victims were allegedly being shot at by multiple suspects.

The suspects fled the scene in a black Jeep Cherokee, described as having front-end damage. They returned shortly after, firing additional shots at the victims, according to police.

Officials said no injuries were reported from the scene. At least one apartment and one vehicle in the area were struck by gunfire.

Around an hour later at 1:29 a.m., police with the Stetson Hills Division located the suspect vehicle driving in the area.

According to officials, a pursuit was initiated, followed by a tactical vehicle intervention near the 5800 block of Barnes Road.

A single suspect sustained minor injuries during the incident and was taken to a local hospital for treatment before being brought into custody, according to police.

Police said two suspects are still outstanding, however, there is no current threat to the public.
UPDATE: Kevin Sypher has been found, and is in contact with the Parker Police Department, according to a Saturday evening tweet by the El Paso County Sheriff's Department.

The Parker Police Department had begun a search for the missing El Paso County Sheriff's deputy, who was last seen carrying trash bags in a neighborhood southeast of Denver on Thursday morning.

A tweet from the El Paso County Sheriff's Office identified Sypher as one of their own deputies.
Climate protesters smeared paint on a sculpture's display case at the National Gallery of Art in Washington on Thursday.

Two people approached Edgar Degas's "Little Dancer Aged Fourteen" sculpture and smeared black and red paint on its Plexiglas case using their hands in full view of other visitors. One protester wrote the letters "DECL" in homage to "Declare Emergency," the climate change campaign he is a part of.

CLIMATE CHANGE ACTIVISTS THROW SOUP ON VAN GOGH PAINTING IN ROME

"[The sculpture] is beautiful, and we're destroying it for climate change," his female counterpart said as she sat cross-legged in front of the display. "We need our leaders to take serious action, to tell us the truth about what's happening with the climate."

Both were pulled up from the floor and detained.

"Around 11 am today two parents who are terrified about their children's' futures (as well as all children) made a statement at the National Gallery in DC," Declare Emergency tweeted of the protest Thursday. "Climate change will cause famine, floods, droughts and destruction unless we act now."

"We unequivocally denounce this behavior," National Gallery of Art Director Kaywin Feldman said in a statement. Feldman also reported that the museum's expert conservation team will examine the piece for further damage. The entire display has been removed from the public's view.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Most recently, the National Gallery of Art hosted first lady Jill Biden and South Korean first lady Kim Keon-hee on Wednesday. The two toured the Rothko Gallery while their husbands also met.

Declare Emergency's website continues to solicit volunteers in the Washington area, with the warning that its future campaigns have the "possibility that it could lead to ... arrest."

Original Location: Climate protesters smear paint on sculpture display case at National Gallery of Art

Washington Examiner Videos
A group of professors involved with developing the College Board's Advanced Placement African American Studies course reportedly complained internally that the College Board was forcing changes to the curriculum and bowing to political pressure from Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).

The members of the AP course development committee include University of Kansas history professor Nishani Frazier and University of Connecticut sociology professor David Embrick, both of whom complained internally that the College Board was forcing changes to the AP African American Studies course that were not requested by professors, teachers, or students, according to internal emails published by the Wall Street Journal.

COLLEGE BOARD SAYS AP AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES WILL BE CHANGED FOLLOWING BACKLASH

"I have patiently and quietly watched the ubiquitous interviews and media assertions that AP would not make changes at the behest of any group beyond professors, teachers, and students," Frazier wrote in an email. "If this is so, which student, professor, or teacher suggested adding black conservatives to the course over Combahee River Collective?"

The emails indicate an internal tension over the course's contents as the College Board was publicly feuding with DeSantis after the Florida Department of Education blocked the course from being piloted in the state over concerns that it ran afoul of state laws prohibiting the teaching of concepts derived from critical race theory.

Officials in the Florida government pointed out that the course included lesson plans on topics such as "Black Queer Studies," "'postracial' racism and colorblindness," and support for slavery reparations. "Afrofuturism" was also an included topic in which students could watch the Marvel Studios film Black Panther to study "the cultural aesthetics and practices of Afrofuturism."

The College Board defended the course, saying the pilot framework did not constitute the final version, as it was still being developed. The organization then released a new framework for the course in February that did not contain several of the topics that the DeSantis administration had expressed concerns about.

The finalized version of the course was immediately met with criticism from liberal organizations and black advocacy groups who accused the College Board of caving to DeSantis and allowing the Florida Department of Education to dictate the content of the course so that it would be taught in the state.

In another email reported by the Wall Street Journal, Frazier complained that the course now did not teach about "queerness" and other more controversial topics.

On Monday, the College Board announced that it would again be revising the course.

"The updated framework, shaped by the development committee and subject matter experts from AP, will ensure that those students who do take this course will get the most holistic possible introduction to African American Studies," the College Board said.

In its reporting on the development committee emails, the Wall Street Journal editorial board accused the College Board of trying to "front-run" its report on the emails by announcing another wave of revisions.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Jonathan Butcher, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told the Washington Examiner that the complaints made by Frazier indicated that advocates for critical race theory and similar concepts do not have room for "compromise."

"They're not looking for a way to provide a curriculum that is providing a course of study that is well rounded and nuanced about American history in the way in which racial issues and slavery [are] represented," Butcher said. "They only want it told through one perspective, and that is the Marxist perspective of power struggles. They're not interested in having a debate or even for students to have to wrestle with the ideas. They want students to be told that there are irredeemable problems, unfixable problems with the American experiment."

Original Location: College Board shut out academics on AP African American Studies changes, emails reveal

Washington Examiner Videos
Multiple Democrats shared their frustration over the Senate's failure to advance legislation to remove a deadline to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment on Thursday.

The vote, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), failed 51-47. The Equal Rights Amendment, a proposed constitutional amendment guaranteeing equal rights under the law regardless of sex, was first introduced in Congress in 1923, but it did not pass until 1972.

SENATE TO VOTE ON EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT RATIFICATION

"We are here standing united with [Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD)], and [Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO)], and more for the Equal Rights Amendment," Schumer tweeted. "We will fight side-by-side to establish the full Constitutional equality women deserve. This vote was one more step in the march for equality, and we'll keep fighting until we win."

Constitutional amendments require ratification from at least three-quarters of all 50 states, a minimum of 38 states, to be added to the Constitution. Congress had set a 1979 deadline for the Equal Rights Amendment to be ratified by the states, but it later extended the deadline to 1982. However, only 35 states had ratified it by 1982.

Three additional states, Nevada, Illinois, and Virginia, have since ratified the amendment, giving the Equal Rights Amendment the necessary support to be added to the Constitution if not for the deadline.

"Today, Senate Republicans blocked the Equal Rights Amendment. Gender equality is a fundamental promise of democracy, and POTUS and I will continue to fight for it," Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted.

A dozen House Democrats marched to the Senate floor on Thursday to protest the body's vote against the removal of the deadline.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

"It's a shame that 100 years after the Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced, we are still fighting for gender equality in our Constitution," Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA) tweeted. "So today, we marched to the Senate floor to demand Congress finally pass the #EqualRightsAmendment."

Although the resolution failed, Schumer switched his vote from yes to no after the vote to bring the resolution back up for consideration later.

Original Location: Democrats frustrated after 100 years of failure on Equal Rights Amendment

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Transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney spoke directly to the backlash of criticism brought on by recent partnerships.

Mulvaney, a biological male who identifies as a female, took to TikTok Thursday evening for the first time since early April to address the nearly 11 million people "who at some point liked me enough to hit the follow button on these apps."

LOUISIANA ADVANCES BILLS BANNING SEXUAL ORIENTATION DISCUSSION IN K-12 CLASSROOMS

"What I'm struggling with most is that I grew up in a conservative family, and I'm extremely privileged because they still love me very much. And I grew up in the church, and I still have my faith, which I am really trying to hold on to right now, but I've always tried to love everyone, you know, even the people who make it really, really hard," Mulvaney said. "I'm embarrassed to even tell you this, but I was nervous that you were going to start believing those things that they were saying about me since it is so loud. But I'm just going to go ahead and trust that the people who know me and my heart won't listen to that noise."

Mulvaney, whose partnerships with Bud Light, Nike, and Maybelline have created a firestorm of criticism and calls to boycott the various companies and their products, also spoke to the criticism.

"And I think it's OK to be frustrated with someone or confused, but what I'm struggling to understand is the need to dehumanize and to be cruel," Mulvaney said. "I just, I don't think that's right. Dehumanization has never fixed anything in history, ever."

Conservative celebrities have spoken out against the business partnerships with Mulvaney.

Travis Tritt announced he was dropping all Anheuser-Busch products from his tour, Kid Rock shot a few cases of Bud Light, and John Rich asked fans about which beer should replace Bud Light.

Former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies also slammed Nike's partnership with Mulvaney as "a parody of what women are," along with Caitlyn Jenner calling it "a shame to see such an iconic American company go so woke!"

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Despite the criticism, Mulvaney said: "What I'm interested in is getting back to making people laugh and to never stop learning. And going forward, I wanna share parts of me on here that have nothing to do with my identity. And I'm hoping those parts will still be exciting to you and will be enough. And to those of you who support me and choose to see my humanity even if you don't fully understand or relate to me, thank you."

Mulvaney began garnering attention in 2022 after sharing details about the transitioning journey on social media, calling it a "Days of Girlhood" series.

Original Location: Dylan Mulvaney addresses critics: Dehumanization has never fixed anything

Washington Examiner Videos
LONDON (Reuters) - Ron DeSantis met Britain's foreign minister James Cleverly during a visit to London on Friday aimed at boosting economic ties, ahead of an expected announcement by the Florida governor that he will run for U.S. president.

DeSantis has been on an international tour this week as he prepares to launch a 2024 presidential bid that would pit him against former President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination.

"The Foreign Secretary met Governor Ron DeSantis in London today to discuss the close and important partnership between the UK and Florida," a foreign ministry spokesperson said.

"This meeting was an opportunity to strengthen ties with the fourth-largest U.S. state, and support bilateral economic cooperation that is already worth more than 5 billion pounds ($6.2 billion) a year."

DeSantis is embroiled in a battle with the Walt Disney Co over a Florida measure banning classroom discussion of sexuality and gender identity with young children. On Thursday he said a lawsuit filed against him by Disney was politically motivated.

He was also due to meet Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch on Friday afternoon, and hold talks with businesses in London. A spokesperson for Badenoch's department declined to comment on what they characterised as a private meeting.

Britain has pursued trade accords with individual U.S. states as talks over a free trade agreement with the United States government have been frozen.

Britain has agreed state-level deals with Oklahoma, Indiana, North Carolina and South Carolina so far.

($1 = 0.8022 pound)

(Reporting by Alistair Smou; editing by Jonathan Oatist)
A dozen House Democrats marched to the Senate floor to protest the body as it voted against removing the deadline that prevents the Equal Rights Amendment from being ratified and made a part of the Constitution.

The group, led by Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Cori Bush (D-MO) in their capacities as co-chairwomen of the Congressional Equal Rights Amendment Caucus, chanted as they walked through the Capitol toward a press conference with several Senate Democrats outside. They were joined by members of the Democratic Women's Caucus. The Senate voted 51-47 on Thursday against the Equal Rights Amendment, a proposed constitutional amendment guaranteeing equal rights under the law regardless of sex.

SCHUMER'S EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT VOTE FAILS 51-47 IN SENATE

"What do we want? ERA! When do we want it? Now!" the group chanted as they marched toward the press conference outside.

Speaking outside the Capitol, Pressley said she wished she could say she was "disappointed" by the failure, "but in order to be disappointed, I would have to be surprised."

The Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced in Congress in 1923, though it did not pass until 1972. At least three-quarters of all 50 states, or a minimum of 38, must ratify an amendment for it to be added to the Constitution. Congress set a 1979 deadline for the Equal Rights Amendment to be ratified by the states, later extending that deadline to 1982, though only 35 states had ratified it by that point.

Three additional states, Nevada, Illinois, and Virginia, ratified the amendment in recent years, however, giving the Equal Rights Amendment the necessary support to be added to the Constitution. With that, the deadline was the only roadblock still standing in the Equal Rights Amendment's way.

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) brought a bipartisan resolution lifting the 1982 deadline, led by Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Ben Cardin (D-MD), to the floor for a vote on Thursday despite lacking the necessary support to pass it. Democrats only control the Senate by a 51-49 margin, far below the 60-vote filibuster threshold required to pass most legislation in the chamber. While the resolution had some GOP support, Murkowski and Cardin could not secure enough Republican votes before Schumer brought the bill to the floor.

After the resolution failed, Schumer switched his vote from yes to no, a procedural tactic allowing him to bring the resolution back up for consideration at a later date.

Original Location: House Democrats march on Senate to protest failed Equal Rights Amendment vote

Washington Examiner Videos
Campaigning in New Hampshire for the 2024 election cycle and blasting President Joe Biden would leave anyone feeling a little hungry, and former President Donald Trump is no exception.

After giving a speech to supporters at the DoubleTree hotel in Manchester, Trump and his motorcade made a pit stop at the Red Arrow, a 24-hour Manchester diner to take photos with customers, speak to locals  and receive a take-out Trump Tower Burger.

TRUMP SAYS BIDEN IS BAD FOR THE COUNTRY: 'GROSSLY INCOMPETENT'

The $18.99 burger is a stack of two grilled cheese sandwiches serving as buns around a ground beef patty with fried macaroni and cheese on top, and cheese sauce. And, of course, a side of french fries. These burgers are sold across the United States.

Former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/David R. Martin)

The former president left New Hampshire full and happy  a state poll released last week showed Trump with a 20-point advantage over Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), 42% to 22%. This is a substantial increase for Trump because a similar poll conducted in January pegged DeSantis with a 12-point lead over Trump.

DeSantis has not yet entered the race, so Trump is currently facing billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy, former Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AK), and former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) in the Republican primary. Speculation is building around DeSantis and former Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) that they will announce this summer.

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Trump said Biden is "bad for the country" in his speech Thursday, saying there has "never been anyone in the history of American politics so crooked or dishonest as Joe Biden."

Biden announced on Tuesday that he was seeking reelection in 2024, ending months of speculation about his future. However, polling has indicated many Democrats would rather see another candidate secure the nomination rather than the current president.

Original Location: Trump's meaty burger order revealed as he takes on GOP rivals

Washington Examiner Videos
TAIPEI (Reuters) -A Chinese uncrewed combat aircraft has flown around Taiwan, the island's defence ministry said, showcasing Beijing's ability to attack its fall-back east coast bases, as a U.S. maritime patrol aircraft transited the Taiwan Strait.

China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has increased military pressure on the island over the past three years as it tries to force Taipei to accept its sovereignty claim.

This month, China staged war games around Taiwan after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles.

Taiwan's defence ministry, in an early Friday update of Chinese military activities over the previous 24 hours, said 19 military aircraft had entered the island's air defence identification zone.

One of those was a TB-001 drone, which flew around Taiwan, first crossing the Bashi Channel that separates Taiwan from the Philippines, then up the east of Taiwan before crossing back toward the Chinese coast, according to a map provided by the ministry.

Chieh Chung, a military researcher at Taiwan's National Policy Foundation think tank, said that during a war, China was likely to send the TB-001 to spot targets on the island's east coast, where Taiwan would shelter reserve forces, as bases there do not face China.

"It will allow the communist's military's naval and air forces in the Western Pacific, including air force strike groups or carrier battle groups, to launch attacks" on the east coast, he said.

He added that it was not the first time a Chinese drone has flown around Taiwan, but was most likely to first time it did so entirely within Taiwan's air defence zone.

Chinese state media has referred to the TB-001 as the "twin-tailed scorpion" and has shown pictures of it carrying missiles, saying it is capable of high-altitude, long-range missions.

China's air force has flown what it calls "island encirclement" missions with the crewed, nuclear-capable H-6 bomber.

TAIWAN STRAIT MISSIONS

The tensions around Taiwan have alarmed Washington and its allies, which have repeatedly expressed concern at China's behaviour and called for no forced change in the status quo.

A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft flew through the Taiwan Strait on Friday, and a senior French lawmaker confirmed a warship from his country had recently transited the sensitive waterway.

The United States, and occasionally its allies, have routinely sent warships and aircraft through the Taiwan Strait in recent years.

The U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said the Poseidon flew in international airspace.

"By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations," it said in a statement. "The aircraft's transit of the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific."

China's military said it monitored the aircraft, and accused the United States of provocative behaviour in the strait.

China said last year that it has sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the Taiwan Strait, and said it was "a false claim" to refer to the strait as international waters.

The United States and Taiwan both say China's position is not correct.

Meeting Tsai at her office in Taipei on Friday, a French lawmaker and former defence minister said sending a warship through the strait showed his country's commitment to security.

"I want to tell you that our parliament's view is that the security of Taiwan is an important concern for us and we are encouraging our authorities to stay alert on security in the Strait, as the recent passage of our warship has again demonstrated," French Senate Vice President Alain Richard said.

He did not say when the sailing happened, and neither the French nor Taiwanese governments has officially confirmed details. Taiwan's defence ministry said this month it was aware of the transit.

French President Emmanuel Macron recently warned against being drawn into a crisis over Taiwan driven by an "American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction".

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Yimou Lee; Editing by Robert Birsel and Gerry Doyle)
By Brad Brooks

(Reuters) -A white woman whose discredited accusations against Black teenager Emmett Till led to his lynching in 1955 has died in Louisiana, according to a coroner's report.

Till's murder in Mississippi helped ignite the Civil Rights movement, in part because his mother held an open-casket funeral, with a photo of her son's badly disfigured body appearing in Black media at the time.

Carolyn Bryant Donham, 88, died on Tuesday in Westlake, Louisiana, according to the Calcasieu Parish coroner's office. She was the last living person directly involved in the case.

Till, visiting from Chicago, was beaten, shot and mutilated in Money, Mississippi, on Aug. 28, 1955, four days after Donham, then 21, accused him of whistling at her.

Till's death and an all-white jury's dismissal of charges against two white men who later confessed to his killing drew national attention to the atrocities and violence that African Americans faced in the U.S.

Donham's then-husband, Roy Bryant, and his half-brother, J.W. Milam, were charged in Till's murder and put on trial in 1955. The all-white jury acquitted both men after Donham testified that Till had grabbed her waist and made sexual remarks while at the general store she ran.

The men later confessed in a paid magazine interview that they killed Till. Bryant died in 1994 and Milam died in 1981.

In 2021, the U.S. Justice Department closed its reopened investigation into Donham's role in the murder following the publication of a book whose author wrote that Donham told him she lied about Till making sexual advances. The department said it could not prove Donham had ever made that confession - though it added that there was "considerable doubt as to the credibility of her version of events."

In 2022, a grand jury in Mississippi declined to indict her for kidnapping or manslaughter. A few weeks before the grand jury's decision, a 1955 arrest warrant for Donham on a charge of kidnapping Till, which had never been served, was located.

Christopher Benson, a journalist and lawyer who co-wrote a 2004 book about Till's murder with the boy's mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, and continues to work with the family and others on the case, said it was regrettable nobody could ever be held accountable. But he said that it is crucial people continue to seek to understand what the crime tells us about racial injustice in the U.S.

"The challenge to us in this contemporary moment is to step up and continue to derive meaning from this story in order to truly be engaged citizens and work for social justice," Benson said.

(Reporting by Brad Brooks in Lubbock, Texas; Editing by Donna Bryson, Jonathan Oatis and Daniel Wallis)
Lawmakers at both the federal and state level are seeking to "blacklist" or otherwise crack down on Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland, including but not limited to land near U.S. military bases.

The February shootdown of a Chinese spy balloon off the Atlantic coast after it traversed the continental United States, along with Chinese purchases of land near U.S. military bases in Texas and North Dakota, helped crystallize the China challenge but also highlighted U.S. weaknesses and significant gaps in tracking and addressing it.

WHO OWNS AMERICA? SHORTCOMINGS IN CHINESE FOREIGN OWNERSHIP DATA

Chinese investors owned just 69,295 acres of American land at the end of 2011, according to the Department of Agriculture, but by the end of 2021, Chinese investors controlled 383,935 acres.

A flurry of federal legislation to limit Chinese ownership has been introduced recently, much of it led by Republicans in the House and Senate but with some Democratic support. Meanwhile, governors and state legislatures are increasingly taking local action, including likely 2024 GOP contender Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and rising star Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA).

"Purchases of American land at the direction of the Chinese Communist Party, particularly around sensitive national security installations, is yet another concerning example of the Party's strategy to exert its malign influence in the U.S. and subvert American sovereignty," Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), chairman of the House select committee on China, told the Washington Examiner. "The Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party will examine this issue and work with our colleagues on relevant committees to protect American land from purchases that threaten U.S. national security."

Federal efforts

Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), another member of the House China committee, told the Washington Examiner that China's purchases of U.S. land were "part of a deliberate and planned-in-full attempt by the Chinese Communist Party to gain what they call coercive economic pressure over not just our nation but even more so over African countries and in Southeast Asia."

"And so Chinese land ownership in America, yes, that's problematic  it's a small number now but getting bigger  but their ownership of farmland outside of China has increased 1,000% in the last 10 years," Johnson said. "And when they own that African farmland, when they own that Southeast Asian farmland, they gain more control over the whole global food supply."

Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) teamed up with Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) in January to push the Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security, or PASS, Act, which is "bipartisan legislation aimed at preventing China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from investing in, purchasing, leasing or otherwise acquiring U.S. farmland."

The legislation also called for adding the secretary of agriculture as a standing member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, an interagency group with authority to review foreign acquisition of U.S. land and businesses.

The Foreign Adversary Risk Management, or FARM, Act introduced by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) this year also calls for adding the agriculture secretary to CFIUS. The FARM Act would also require the Government Accountability Office to "analyze and report on foreign influence in the U.S. agricultural industry."

The American Farm Bureau Federation said this year that it would support adding the secretary of agriculture to the National Security Council and CFIUS.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told the House in March that USDA currently works with the Treasury Department and others on CFIUS "to make sure that USDA is connected when it's appropriate" and said there has been "better cooperation recently." But he contended that "being a permanent member would allow us the opportunity to educate the other members of CFIUS what to look for and what to be sensitive to" related to U.S. agricultural production.

"Giving the secretary of agriculture that seat is going to use existing governmental authority but in a much smarter way related to food and agriculture," Johnson said, adding, "It's time for us to have the perspective on agriculture and food there at the table at CFIUS."

Johnson talked about the House version of the PASS Act being pushed by him, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), and others.

"We have been dogs like a bone with this issue, and we have identified four abiding adversaries of our country  Iran, North Korea, Russia, and China  and our bill would blacklist those countries and their partners from buying American farmland or American agricultural processing facilities," Johnson said, adding that the bill "sends the clear message that food security is national security."

Earlier this year, House Republicans also introduced the Prohibition of Agricultural Land for the People's Republic of China Act, aimed at stopping members of the Chinese Communist Party from buying or owning U.S. farmland.

Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) previously introduced the Protecting Military Installations and Ranges Act to "restrict any effort" by China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea "to buy U.S. land within 100 miles of a U.S. military installation, or 50 miles from military areas."

Johnson said the Biden administration is "not engaging with us in Congress as much as I think some people would hope" but said the House China committee was acting in a "bipartisan" fashion and "putting aside the partisan slings and arrows instead to focus on the fact that the Chinese Communist Party is a thuggish, repressive regime that wants to remove America as the world's superpower."

State-level action

Beginning in 2016, Chinese real estate tycoon Sun Guangxin spent tens of millions of dollars buying up at least 140,000 acres of land in Texas near Del Rio  conveniently near Laughlin Air Force Base, which trains U.S. military pilots.

Sun said he planned to use an American subsidiary to build a wind farm, but state and national leaders from Texas sought to shut the project down over security concerns. Sun had been a former captain in the People's Liberation Army.

Texas legislators are still working on a bill that would limit Chinese land ownership.

Similarly, Fufeng Group, a huge agricultural company with significant links to China's government, purchased 370 acres as a location for its new wet corn mill in the agribusiness park just a short distance from Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota.

After months of consideration, CFIUS declined to block the project despite urging from North Dakota's Republican senators and other congressional Republicans on Capitol Hill. The U.S. Air Force warned of the significant national security threat, and the Grand Forks City Council voted to end the project in February  only after CFIUS refused to act.

Johnson told the Washington Examiner that "I think most of this energy is better spent at the federal level  that's not to say there is no role for state and local levels."

The National Agricultural Law Center said, as of this month, "approximately eighteen states specifically forbid or limit nonresident aliens, foreign businesses and corporations, and foreign governments from acquiring or owning an interest in agricultural land within their state."

The center's list says Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin all have laws on the books restricting foreign ownership of land.

Micah Brown, a staff attorney at the center, told the Washington Examiner, "We've had a lot of movement at the state level," noting, "We've had three states enact some kind of restriction in 2023, and we have three more that their legislature has passed or are awaiting a governor's signature." Brown added, "We've had over 30 states propose at least one piece of legislation that would restrict foreign ownership to some degree."

Youngkin declared in the State of the Commonwealth in January that "Virginians, not the CCP, should own the rich and vibrant agricultural lands God has blessed us with."

The governor asked the Virginia General Assembly to "send me a bill to prohibit dangerous foreign entities tied to the CCP from purchasing Virginia's farmland." In February, the Virginia legislature passed a bill banning the sale of farmland to "foreign adversaries" such as China.

The Chinese spy balloon traveled close to Montana's Malmstrom Air Force Base, one of three U.S. Air Force bases maintaining and operating the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile.

Montana GOP state Sen. Kenneth Bogner introduced a bill earlier this year in the Montana legislature to address the Chinese land issue.

"Agriculture production land is essential to our critical infrastructure  it supports our economy here in Montana and helps feed the entire nation," Bogner said while introducing the bill, adding, "We need to be proactive in preventing our adversaries from gaining advantages in influence and espionage."

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DeSantis hopes Florida's legislature will pass a bill limiting Chinese land ownership in the coming days.

"We don't want to have holdings by hostile nations. If you look at the Chinese Communist Party, they've been very active gobbling up land," DeSantis said in January. "And when they have interests that are opposed to ours and we see how they have wielded their authority, especially with President Xi, who's taken a much more Marxist-Leninist turn, that is not in the best interest of Florida to have the Chinese Communist Party owning farmland, owning land close to military bases."

Original Location: Who owns America: Congress and states seek to 'blacklist' Chinese land ownership

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On Tuesday night, it took just 10 minutes of watching Douglas Countys school board meeting to conclude one obvious fact: the DougCo boards professionalism is leagues beyond Denvers dysfunctional board of education. (Then again, so was your third-grade student council  but still.) There was decorum, the presentations and discussions were meaningful, and the meeting did not descend into petty squabbles or backroom debates.

Thats not to say things didnt get heated. Near the end of the meeting, during which the board took up a series of policy proposals, President Mike Peterson introduced a revised version of the districts policy on educational equity. His proposal was met with a stern rebuke from two board members who had helped craft the original Policy ABD in March 2021.

There are no valid reasons to even be having this discussion or even be reading and discussing these revisions, Elizabeth Hanson claimed. It feels very political right now to be pushing the changes forward the way theyre being pushed forward, with what has been written unilaterally, Susan Meek argued.

Equity has been a controversial hot button for DougCo since the previous board passed the districts first equity policy in reaction to growing national conversations around race, diversity, equity and inclusion. But many voters recoiled at the policy and how it was already being implemented. By November 2021, they helped catapult four conservatives to the school board majority.

While DougCo must ensure students have equitable access to curriculum, resources and an inclusive learning environment, equity is simply one tool for advancing the districts overall mission and vision  which include maximizing every students potential and preparing them for postsecondary success.

In early 2022, the new school board majority passed a resolution expressing concerns around implementation of the equity policy and its perceived lack of clarity, Peterson told me. This resolution initiated a year of stakeholder engagement and a comprehensive survey to better determine strengths and areas for improvement in the policy and implementation. Now, its up to the Board of Education to consider improvements to policy language in the spirit of continuous improvement.

Last year, they directed the superintendent to suggest revisions. On Tuesday, Superintendent Erin Kane declined to offer specific recommendations except that the board consider community feedback in revising the policy. Opponents argue this means the board shouldnt act. Yet, just because Kane didnt offer suggestions doesnt mean the board cant or shouldnt change their own policy.

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The districts survey and focus groups show support for an equity policy, with the big concern being implementation. But respondents also indicated the current equity policy is a starting point with room for continued development  as in, revisions are welcome. Many community members have cited specific instances in DougCo where equity is used as cover for sociopolitical agendas, as recently as Tuesdays public comment.

Hanson insisted the board cant change course at this point because it would generate a lot of mistrust in our community. But for many, the equity policy is central to their mistrust. No board policy is set in stone. The current and former superintendent have interpreted the existing policy differently. Petersons proposal is a far cry from his original objective to repeal and replace the equity policy outright, reflecting a balanced approach that maintains most of the existing policy while clarifying language and amplifying the districts mission and vision.

For example, the policys updated purpose includes maximiz(ing) student academic growth and achievement and develop(ing) student critical thinking and problem solving skills that are essential for postsecondary success  both among the top goals that stakeholders reported they want the policy to achieve. In fact, the survey found that only 26% of respondents believed the current equity policy may lead to the elimination of achievement gaps. A majority of parents and staff said student achievement and growth data should be used to measure Policy ADBs efficacy. Since only 59.7% of students met or exceeded expectations in math and literacy last year, this makes abundant sense.

Additionally, the definition of diversity is appropriately expanded to include categories beyond identity groups such as race, gender and sexual orientation, subclassified as identity diversity. The definition adds three other subcategories: personality diversity, thought diversity and instrumental diversity (i.e., skills). Is it wrong to say that students unique traits include much more than their immutable characteristics? The only substantive change to existing language is the elimination of a requirement for an Equity Advisory Council. The revised version leaves it up to the superintendents discretion. Superintendent Kane has already made it clear she intends to keep the council.

Lets be real: Douglas County is showing other school boards how to handle educational equity in a balanced manner that meets their own districts unique needs. Nothing about the proposed educational equity policy is invalid or extreme, and the whole board will discuss and edit the proposal together at a May 8 work session.

School boards have a responsibility to ensure their policies set forth clear, unambiguous guiding principles for the superintendent to then shape into regulations and implementation. Thats precisely what these equity changes would do  and the fact that the opponents on DougCos school board chose to emphasize the process over the content reveals how reasonable and responsive the proposed equity revisions really are.

Jimmy Sengenberger is an investigative journalist, public speaker, and host of The Jimmy Sengenberger Show Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on News/Talk 710 KNUS. Reach Jimmy online at JimmySengenberger.com or on Twitter @SengCenter.
We celebrate Earth Day each year in April. Some observe a glass half empty, while others give thanks for a glass half full. Either way, we should consider the Earth each day of the year.

On Earth Day last week and every April, humanity contemplated needs in the context of supply, demand, fashion, ecology and stewardship. It should be an occasion to celebrate new and old on a planet that constantly supports population growth and expanding human innovation.

To celebrate the Earth in a positive context  rather than bemoaning glass-half-full manifestations of human consumption  consider Headwaters Center in Colorados world-famous Winter Park. As the centers website declares, Headwaters stands as Colorados first off-the-grid gathering place for celebration, recreation and education.

The center was supposed to celebrate Earth Day last week. Plans changed because the center had no power. An email by management explained the centers batteries and backup generators no longer work. Solar panels generate electrons, but there is no way to store them. With no connection to the grid  assumed unnecessary thanks to trendier power  the center cant host anything.

Like all car batteries, they (the centers backup batteries) fail to hold energy any longer after five years, Headwaters Director Holli Riebel wrote.

Giant batteries, like all assortment of off-the-grid and sustainable energy products, stand to stabilize our lives. Each new energy source and electrified product gives reason to celebrate the potential of increased affordability, energy redundancy, national security through energy independence and economic vitality.

People who bemoan change, including constructive transitions to new and alternative power sources, jeopardize progress with irrational zero-sum thinking. Rather than appreciating solar and wind for expanding our options, they consider these additions an evil threat to oil, gas, power lines, pipelines and other traditional energy resources.

Acceptance of the new, they fear, requires death to the old.

Joining these right-leaning curmudgeons are overly enthusiastic advocates of solar, wind and battery power. They wont be happy until society demonizes and abandons time-tested energy sources. For any idea to succeed, all others must die.

The zero-sum mindset, from any sociopolitical perspective, cannot comprehend the value of growth. It clings to disproven Malthusian ideology that says adding 1 million people to the Earth means diluting resources for billions of others. We cannot have winners without losers or survival without death.

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This ill-conceived mindset infects much more than energy policy. On the extreme right are those who see each migrant to the United States taking a slice of pizza belonging to Americans. The fact one migrant can produce dozens or hundreds of pizzas each day, to benefit everyone, completely escapes them.

Instead of equation A: Migrant + 10 = 100; they compute equation B: Migrant + -10 = -100. If equation B were true, Americans would have starved long ago.

Left-leaning Malthusians blame couples with large families for creating excessive demand on limited resources. They dont see that families with 10 children provide 10 additional taxpayers and workers to fund Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare and countless other forms of human activities that produce more than they consume. The latter explains why famine declines as reproduction grows.

The zero-sum worldview  i.e., use this electron not that one  cannot explain why eyeglasses sell at record rates after a century of cheap contact lenses. It cannot explain record-breaking sales of vinyl albums after the introduction of CDs and streaming audio.

It cannot explain the survival of retail stores during the era of overnight delivery options. Growth creates an abundance in supply, demand and reliability. Only winner-take-all, zero-sum mindsets cause scarcities  including the lack of power for an Earth Day party.

We cannot and should not view innovative goods, services and commodities as replacements of traditional assets. We must accept growth as Gods gift to human advancement. We must not disavow anything that provides more than it consumes. Like a diverse humanity, we should welcome the growing diversity of energy products.

Remember this after Colorados first off-the-grid, sustainable event center  using the cleanest alternative energy sources to showcase energy of the future  couldnt have an Earth Day party. Energy of the future will benefit society, but not in the absence of power that works when the wind doesnt blow, the sun doesnt shine and batteries fail.

The Earth and the human mind provide everything we need, and then some. Thats a good reason to celebrate Earth Day all year long.

The gazette Editorial Board
From the edge of Denver, the trip to Colorado's western border along I-70 takes about four hours and twenty minutes, traveling roughly 270 miles of scenic mountain highway. One of the most trafficked thoroughfares in the state, there are plenty of worthwhile stops for tourists to make along this iconic stretch of road.

1. Coors Brewery (Golden)

Located in Golden, the Coors Brewery offers a great tour that shows beer lovers how macro-brewery operations are able to fill so many bottles and cans. Visitors are invited to taste several beverage varieties following the tour, but make sure there's a designated driver for the group prior to partaking.

2. Genesee Park

Home to a historic bison herd, the Genesee Park overlook is a great place to shake out the legs and take in a 'wild west' view.

3. Indian Hot Springs (Idaho Springs)

Found in Idaho Springs, Indian Hot Springs not only features a large mineral water swimming pool, but it's also home to unique geothermal caves.

4. The Georgetown Loop Railroad

Considered to be one of the most scenic train rides in the country, this narrow-gauge railroad was one of the state's first tourist attractions, traveling between Georgetown and the former silver mining camp of Silver Plume.

5. The Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnel

There's no stopping allowed here, but passing through this 1.6-mile-long tunnel system is pretty spectacular in itself. Reaching a maximum elevation of 11,158 feet, these tunnels are among the highest vehicular tunnels in the world, also the highest point on the US Interstate system.

6. Dillon Reservoir

This scenic stop is a great place to go kayaking with a mountainous backdrop. Reserve a rental and spend a few hours paddling around, hopping from island to island. Don't forget the sunblock!

7. Shrine Ridge Hike

At just over four miles round-trip, this moderate-rated hike features stunning panoramic views. This one can be strenuous, with around 1,000 feet of vertical gain. Bring water and watch out for altitude sickness.

8. Dotsero Crater

Located in Dotsero, Colorado, a short drive from I-70 will reveal a crater that's about 2,300 feet wide and 1,300 feet deep.

9. Hanging Lake

One of Colorado's most iconic hikes, the Hanging Lake trail travels to a stunning waterfall scene. Be warned  the hike can be strenuous and a reservation is required.

10. Glenwood Springs

This mountain town is home to several great stops, including the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and Iron Mountain Hot Springs. Plus, there are plenty of notable options when it comes to restaurants.

11. Rifle Falls State Park

Perhaps one of the greenest spots in the state, Rifle Falls State Park is home to an easily-accessible trio of 70-foot waterfalls. Viewing this stunning sight means a short walk down a flat footpath.

12. Palisade Wine Country

This western Colorado town is home to more than a dozen wineries, giving visitors plenty of options to choose from. Kick back and relax while enjoying a glass of Colorado wine, but make sure you've got a designated driver first.

13. Colorado National Monument

First established in 1911, Colorado National Monument features sheer-walled canyons and unique rock formations. It's best seen during a trip down Rim Rock Drive, which winds along the side of a plateau.

14. Dinosaur Journey Museum (Fruita)

This stop offers a hands-on experience that's all about dinosaurs. Examine real fossils, see a working paleontology laboratory, and more.

15. 'The Welcome to Colorado' sign

Once you've reached the Colorado-Utah border, look for one of the classic 'Welcome to Colorado' signs. There's plenty of room to safely pop off the Interstate and snap a picture to commemorate your road trip down I-70.
The state's second-highest court on Thursday agreed the Colorado Attorney General's Office acted reasonably by refusing to provide two media outlets with records of police officers who are certified and, for misconduct-related reasons, decertified as law enforcement.

A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals determined the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board qualifies as a "criminal justice agency," with certain records subject to disclosure only at the discretion of government officials.

Further, although the official in charge of POST records did not document that she considered the public interest at the time she denied the outlets' requests, the panel was satisfied with her later claims that she had done so.

"We reach this conclusion notwithstanding the absence of contemporaneous documentary evidence," wrote Judge Robert D. Hawthorne in the April 27 opinion.

The case, spurred by the reporting of Christopher N. Osher at The Gazette in Colorado Springs and of the Invisible Institute in Chicago, prompted the appellate court to recognize that many state agencies that do not primarily or even minimally perform criminal investigations may nonetheless qualify as "criminal justice agencies" with greater discretion to withhold records.

"At a time when the public is demanding more transparency about how law enforcement officers exercise their judgment on such matters, the courts of Colorado have allowed state officials to shield from public view relevant information they possess on the work histories of officers," said Osher.

Clarity Media Group, the parent company of Colorado Politics, also owns The Gazette.

Beginning in 2019, Osher and the Invisible Institute sent a series of requests to POST seeking data about the law enforcement officers certified and decertified in Colorado. Both had previously reported about officer misconduct and the Invisible Institute maintains a database of Chicago officers disciplined over a 30-year period.

The Department of Law, which is home to POST, determined the requests were subject to the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act, which allows for greater withholding of information than the state's primary disclosure law, the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA).

"Publicly disclosing the names of peace officers in response to your request threatens harm to ongoing investigations and to the safety of peace officers," a spokesperson for the attorney general's office wrote in response to one request, specifically citing the danger to undercover employees.

The Gazette and the Invisible Institute then asked a judge to find the government had abused its discretion by failing to balance the privacy interests of officers with the public's interest. Also, they maintained the POST Board could not be a "criminal justice agency" because it actually operated more akin to a licensing agency  like the state's dental board or Department of Motor Vehicles.

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After a hearing, Denver District Court Judge J. Eric Elliff found POST facilitates and collects criminal background checks on officers, so it falls under the legal definition of criminal justice agency because of its "collection, storage, or dissemination of arrest and criminal records information."

He also credited the testimony of Natalie Hanlon Leh, the chief deputy attorney general who denied the requests, that she did consider the public interest as she was required to do  even if emails to the reporters did not say so.

Elliff noted that he "would have balanced things a little differently than the attorney general's office did," but upheld Hanlon Leh's decision to deny the records.

The plaintiffs appealed to the Court of Appeals where, during oral arguments in March, the three judges appeared uncomfortable that any state body that handles criminal records as part of its licensing duties is legally a "criminal justice agency."

"Would your rule mean that essentially every state agency becomes a criminal justice agency?" Judge Karl L. Schock asked the attorney general's office.

"Under your argument, any agency that collects criminal records information as part of a background check is a criminal justice agency and is no longer subject to CORA, right? Wouldnt that drive a huge hole through CORA?" added Judge Lino S. Lipinsky de Orlov.

Hawthorne, a retired judge who sat on the panel at the chief justice's assignment, observed, "We could conclude potentially that the dental board is a criminal justice agency."

"It's possible, your honor," conceded Assistant Solicitor General Brittany Limes Zehner, but that is how the law is written.

The panel ultimately agreed with the government that POST's "collection and storage" of criminal records qualified it as a criminal justice agency. The court did not address the broader implications for other agencies, but Hawthorne noted that "any" activity directly related to criminal records triggers the more stringent Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act.

Jeffrey A. Roberts, executive director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, said the ruling "underscores how easy it is for criminal justice agencies to withhold records that may be very important for journalists and the public to obtain and analyze."

Osher said he hopes state lawmakers will clarify that officer certification and decertification records fall under CORA, and a governmental body does not become a criminal justice agency "merely because it collects arrest and criminal records information."

The attorney general's office declined to comment.
The state's largest organization of Republican women expelled El Paso County GOP Chairwoman Vickie Tonkins from its ranks this week for failing to support Republican candidates in last year's election.

In a nearly unanimous vote on Sunday, the Colorado Federation of Republican Women's governing board adopted a resolution barring Tonkins from belonging to the group or any of its local or national affiliates, officials with the club told Colorado Politics.

Prior to the vote, Tonkins was president of one of the Colorado Springs-area chapters of the group, which counts more than 800 members statewide in 27 local federations. The state group's action removes her from that position.

The group said Tonkins crossed the line last fall when she told radio listeners that she wouldn't "vote for the lesser of two evils" and instead encouraged voters to choose other candidates.

The resolution also cited a county party meeting Tonkins called days before the November election, when she publicly condemned numerous local GOP candidates and a group of volunteers "in the strongest possible terms."

Both actions were contrary to the federation's bylaws, which require that members work to elect Republicans, the resolution states.

Tonkins, who was elected in February to a second two-year term chairing the county GOP, blasted the move in an email to Colorado Politics.

A continuation of lies perpetrated by the same people whose only goal is to destroy those they do not like," she said.

Last year, Tonkins proposed changing the rules to let the county GOP "remove" and censure Republicans who strayed from the party line, but central committee members didn't adopt the proposals.

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The Colorado Republican Party formally censured Tonkins late last year for attacking the GOP nominees and volunteers who organized their own voter-turnout effort amid complaints the county party, led by Tonkins, wasn't supporting some Republican candidates.

Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dave Williams, a former Colorado Springs legislator who won election to run the state party last month, however, objected to the move by the women's group.

"Its unfortunate the CFRW leadership would choose to be petty against a popular Republican who was just reelected by overwhelming margins, especially considering that Vickie was unable to attend and defend herself during their proceeding," Williams said in a text message.

"The CFRW leadership should focus on defeating Democrats instead of attacking their own."

Two of the federation's officers, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals, said the group was forced to take action.

This organization is run by bylaws," one said. "A lot of people may not think that, but thats the way it is. This is a basic tenant of the organization  you support Republican candidates, and you dont pick and choose which ones that you do. Its cut-and-dry."

The other officer put it bluntly.

"We had to stop this," she said. "Vickie was embarrassing Republicans, hurting us. When you disparage Republican candidates just four days before an election, this is egregious behavior, and we decided, no more, we have to take care of it."
Feuding Republicans in Colorado's largest county likely won't find out until at least next week which of this weekend's competing party leadership elections will count.

A district court judge on Tuesday ordered the El Paso County Republican Party and the state GOP to file responses in a lawsuit initiated last week by the county party over who gets to run the local GOP's upcoming reorganization meeting.

Until the court issues a ruling, both sides in the ongoing battle say they plan to proceed on Saturday with rival meetings set for different locations on opposite sides of Colorado Springs, with each faction scheduled to elect officers to run the local party for the next two years.

Since early last week, local and state Republicans have filed a flurry of claims and counterclaims in the Arapahoe County-based 18th Judicial District Court, following a Jan. 31 decision by the Colorado GOP's state central committee to install a neutral third party from outside El Paso County to run the county party elections.

The unprecedented move was in response to complaints by local Republicans who contend county GOP chair Vickie Tonkins has demonstrated bias toward some Republicans and can't be trusted to conduct an impartial election. Tonkins who is seeking a third two-year term running the county party, rejects the charges and maintains the state party is engaging in a blatant power grab.

Tonkins and the county party  along with six precinct officials  sued the Colorado GOP and state chair Kristi Burton Brown last week, arguing that the state party lacks the authority to take over the local party's elections. After Burton Brown and the state GOP asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, Tonkins and her fellow plaintiffs sought a restraining order. Meanwhile, a group of local Republicans critical of Tonkins asked the court for permission to intervene in the original complaint.

Saying she can't resolve the question until first determining whether the courts have jurisdiction, District Judge Elizabeth Volz told the county Republicans to respond by Friday to the state GOP's motion to dismiss and gave the state party until next Monday to respond to the county party's argument. The judge added that she plans to issue a "prompt" ruling after that.

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As it stands, Tonkins and her supporters plan to convene Saturday morning at Sand Creek High School on the east side of Colorado Springs, while the party election supervisors put in place by the state GOP are organizing a party election at the same time at Discovery Canyon Campus in Northgate.

Both sides have been rallying Republicans to attend their meeting while branding the other event as "fake" and "illegitimate."

"Thanks for your patience in dealing with others who are trying to steal your voice and misdirect you to another location," Tonkins said in a text message sent to county Republicans on Friday. "Our attorneys are working to stop their illegal activity."

Burton Brown said in an email sent late last week to county Republicans that former Fremont County GOP chair Gregory Carlson had been appointed by the state party to run the county party's reorganization meeting.

"The meeting chaired by Gregory Carlson will be the only legitimate, official re-organizational meeting in El Paso, and the officers and bonus members elected there will be the ones recognized by the State Party," Burton Brown wrote.

Colorado's two major political parties kicked off their biennial reorganization process last week, with county parties electing officers through Feb. 15 and state-level elections set for mid-March and early April.
Proponents seeking to establish supervised drug injection sites in Colorado saw their latest effort in a years-long battle meet a bitter end Wednesday evening.

House Bill 1202 sought to give municipalities the power to allow sites in their communities where people could use illegal drugs under supervision of medical professionals, which backers of the policy said would prevent overdoses. The sites could offer needed medical care, sterile drug equipment, test drugs for fentanyl and could connect users to counseling and other treatment.

The Democrat-sponsored bill easily cleared the House in a 43-21 vote last month, but was killed by a Senate committee Wednesday night in a 6-3 vote.

"In spite of todays vote, overdose prevention centers remain the public health gold standard for addressing the crisis of overdose deaths faced by too many Colorado families," said the Colorado Drug Policy Coalition, which pushed for the bill, in a statement. "We are proud of the leadership from our many members in the House and our sponsors in the Senate who were able to put good policy backed by decades of research ahead of the politics of inaction."

Critics of the bill argued that supervised injection sites enable drug abuse without addressing the causes of addiction, and feared they would decrease property values and increase crime in the areas where they're established.

I am grateful to the Senate for putting an end to this poorly thought out bill before it created more Colorado opioid tragedies in our state," said House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, R-Wellington. "HB 1202 would have misused tax dollars to facilitate the use of illicit drugs and extended the nightmare for those struggling with drug addiction.

The idea of supervised injection sites has floated around the Colorado Capitol since 2017, when an interim committee introduced a measure to allow a pilot site in Denver. That measure was quickly rejected in 2018 by a committee in the Republican-majority Senate. The next year, Democrats took control of both the House and Senate but declined to bring back the bill.

Democrats this year have near unprecedented control of the state legislature, outnumbering Republicans 69 to 31. But HB 1202 did not have unanimous support from the majority caucus.

In the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, three Democrats joined the committee's three Republicans in voting to kill the bill: Sens. Kyle Mullica, Lisa Cutter and Joann Ginal. Cutter, D-Littleton, previously expressed support for the bill and said she was voting to kill it "reluctantly," seemingly because it already did not have enough support to pass.

Mullica, D-Thornton, and Ginal, D-Fort Collins, raised concerns about enabling drug use and inconsistent regulations and implementations from site to site, as there would be no licensing or parameters from the state.

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"I don't believe someone should die because they have a drug addiction. But, at the same time, I want to see what is going to be the most effective," Mullica said in committee. "The policies we put forward, we need to make sure that they're going to be to the best of their ability. ... People are dying and we have to do something. I'm just not there on this policy."

Proponents of the bill championed it as being pro-local control. The bill would not require communities to establish supervised injection sites and local leaders would have to hold a public meeting before being able to set a site up.

Currently, only Denver has an ordinance authorizing a pilot program for supervised injection sites. That ordinance was passed by the city council back in 2018, but a state law change is still needed to allow municipalities to authorize them.

"This was the right policy to make it local control. We all talk about how much we want to let local communities guide the policy in their communities," said Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-Longmont, while voting against killing the bill on Wednesday. "Communities are in need. ... This is a tool that would help so many people that are trying to save their lives and the lives of loved ones."

Democratic Sens. Faith Winter of Westminster and Rhonda Fields of Aurora also voted not to kill the bill in committee.

This latest effort comes as, for the first time ever, drug overdoses killed more than 100,000 people across the U.S. in 2021, according to a CNN report citing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Life expectancy in Colorado has dropped since 2019, driven by overdose deaths and COVID-19, according to the state health department.

HB 1202 was backed by nearly three dozen organizations and local governments, including the Harm Reduction Action Center, Colorado Municipal League, Mental Health Colorado, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Colorado Nurses Association, Colorado Psychiatric Society, the city of Boulder and the city of Northglenn.

Ten groups registered in opposition to the bill, including the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police, the County Sheriffs of Colorado and the cities of Colorado Springs, Aurora, Brighton, Fountain and Monument.

The Colorado Drug Policy Coalition said it plans to continue fighting to bring supervised injection sites to the state.

"While we lacked the votes in committee today, we are hopeful that we may find the wisdom to see this through in the next session and we remain committed to this fight," the coalition said.
El Paso County Republican Chair Vickie Tonkins won her bid to lead the county party for two more years on Saturday in Colorado Springs, capping a contentious election that featured lawsuits, a threatened restraining order, an unprecedented intervention by the Colorado GOP and charges that both sides were damaging the Republican brand in the state's largest county.

Tonkins won in a secret ballot, 244-193, over retired Air Force colonel and longtime party volunteer Bill Weiford at the county GOP reorganization meeting at Discovery Canyon Elementary School in Northgate.

The biennial party election was conducted under the supervision of former Fremont County GOP chair Gregory Carlson, who was tapped to oversee the meeting by the state GOP late last month in response to complaints from local Republicans who argued that Tonkins couldn't be counted on to run a fair election.

On the eve of Saturday's meeting, Tonkins abandoned plans to hold a competing election across town and instead instructed members of the county party central committee to show up at the meeting organized by Carlson and sanctioned by the state Republicans.

Before Tonkins shifted tactics, county Republicans faced the prospects of two meetings, whose organizers planned to elect two rival sets of officers, with both contending theirs was the only one that would count while blasting the other as illegitimate.

Her followed a court ruling late Thursday dismissing a lawsuit filed by Tonkins and a handful of El Paso County precinct officers, who claimed the state party lacked the authority to put someone else in charge of the county's reorganization. At the same time, the district court judge declined to act on a request by Tonkins to issue a temporary restraining order to prevent the meeting chaired by Carlson from taking place.

"I am proud to fight for our freedoms alongside you, shoulder to shoulder," Tonkins told the assembled Republicans before the voting began. "Lets take our lives back, letss take our schools back, let's take our economy back, let's take our freedom back. We the people  lets take our county back."

Compared to the polite applause that greeted her challengers, Tonkins' speech was interrupted numerous times by thunderous applause and shouts of support.

After all the hullabaloo, Tonkins and her allies posted decisive wins, securing control of the sharply divided party.

The members of Tonkins' slate of candidates prevailed by almost identical margins in the day's other county officer elections.

Former U.S. Border Patrol agent Todd Watkins, who lost the Republican primary for county sheriff last summer, was elected county vice chair, 248-189, over Bill Baker, and Adriana Cuva defeated Brenda Miller in the race for party secretary, 249-188. All four candidates were making their first runs for county party office.

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The results amount to a decisive blow against a loose-knit group of Tonkins critics, some of whom established a separate voter-contact operation last year amid allegations Tonkins and the county party were refusing to back Republican nominees they considered insufficiently Republican.

Tonkins didn't immediately respond to a request for comment, but longtime ally former state Rep. Dave Williams, R-Colorado Springs, told Colorado Politics that Tonkins was "vindicated" by the results.

"The establishment and (state GOP chair Kristi Burton Brown) tried everything to tip the scales against the grassroots, and our county sent a loud message of rebuke against them," Williams said in a text message. "Now the work begins to reform the State Party so that someone like KBB cant violate any countys autonomy again.

Among the three current and former state lawmakers who nominated Tonkins  along with newly elected state Reps. Ken DeGraaf and Scott Bottoms, both Colorado Springs Republicans  Williams barely contained his contempt for Tonkins' opponents during his brief remarks at the meeting.

"Vickies opponents say their main objectives are to unify the party and respect the bylaws, but they fail to mention they are the ones who sowed division while always running to the press to make our party look bad," he told the Republicans.

As the room filled with cheers, Williams predicted that Tonkins' detractors would fail to oust her.

"But the fact that they tried, I think, should be offensive to everyone," he said to more cheers. "I've never seen these failed establishment insiders fight this hard against Democrats. What's even worse is that they take opportunities to actually fight against you and your values."

Added Williams: "For the first time, probably ever, the party is not being used to prop up politicians who pay lip service to our platform but end up working with corrupt Democrats."

Karl Schneider, the county GOP's outgoing vice chair and a persistent Tonkins critic  he called on her to resign as chair in late 2021 after Tonkins publicly attacked several local Republicans  lamented the day's results.

"The 'party' may be radically 'strong' now but that will not resonate with the people," he said in a text message to Colorado Politics. "We will continue the attrition of offices held, and our state will become more blue."

He also said he wanted to stress that Carlson did a superb job running the meeting.

Burton Brown, who hails from El Paso County and attended Saturday's meeting, extended congratulations to Tonkins after the results were announced.

"The state partys position was that El Paso County needed a fair, safe election that everyone could trust," she said in a text message. "The (state central committee), Gregory Carlson, and the court gave El Paso Republicans that chance, and the results should be respected.
The lone federal judge stationed in Colorado Springs has quietly adopted a new tool to make it easier for people representing themselves in court to understand what is happening with their case.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Maritza Dominguez Braswell, who joined the bench last summer, is now adding plain English summaries at the beginning of her decisions for lawsuits that have a self-represented, "pro se" plaintiff.

"For pro se parties, litigation is daunting," she told Colorado Politics in an email. "If I give them information in terms that are simple and straightforward, it helps them better understand the 'what' and the 'why,' and it moves things along."

The move by Dominguez Braswell has raised the eyebrows of lawyers who routinely litigate in Colorado's federal court and, until now, had never seen a judge break down their written rulings specifically for unrepresented plaintiffs.

"I think its an excellent idea," said Ariel DeFazio, who represents workers in employment discrimination cases. "I support any effort to make the process more understandable and transparent. Having a brief paragraph that summarizes a judges finding  especially at the beginning of an order that may be very technical and maybe even incomprehensible to a lay/non-legal audience  certainly falls into that category."

Dominguez Braswell is a former corporate litigator and high-ranking official in the Colorado Attorney General's Office. As a magistrate judge, she was not appointed by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, but her workload consists of many of the same responsibilities of the life-tenured district judges. Often, magistrate judges are the first to analyze whether to dismiss a civil lawsuit, making recommendations to the district judge assigned to the case.

Last month, Dominguez Braswell recommended dismissing a man's cruel and unusual punishment claim against the El Paso County sheriff on the legal grounds that he failed to show "the necessary personal participation required for individual liability."

"Specifically," she elaborated in her summary for the pro se litigant, "the claim fails because you have not alleged any facts linking that individual to the constitutional injuries you claim."

U.S. Magistrate Judge Allison Claire of the Eastern District of California is one of the small number of federal judges to include such summaries in her written orders. A public defender prior to her 2012 appointment, she recalled that a large part of her job in handling inmates' challenges to their convictions during habeas corpus proceedings involved translating legalese to plain English for them.

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"When I came to the bench, I really tried to look for every way in which I could expand access to justice for pro se litigants, both incarcerated and un-incarcerated, by creating greater transparency," Claire told Colorado Politics from her chambers in Sacramento.

Claire also trains new magistrate judges, where she suggests that they use pro se summaries. She is disappointed more judges do not employ the summaries, but acknowledged the difficulty of rewriting legal concepts for a more basic level of comprehension.

"It takes more time to be concise than to be verbose," Claire said. "I think its worth it."

Dominguez Braswell said that she adopted the pro se summaries after seeing other judges include them in their work. She believes the summaries benefit not just the legally-untrained plaintiff, but the defendant's lawyers, as well.

"For counsel, litigating opposite a pro se claimant can be difficult and time-consuming. The summary helps counsel stay out of the precarious position of explaining the courts decision to their clients adversary," she said. "In other words, my hope is that the summary makes the process a little easier for everyone."

Delbert Sgaggio of Colorado Springs has filed multiple lawsuits on his own in federal court. Last year, he sued the city of Pueblo for an alleged First Amendment violation after an officer told Sgaggio's father-in-law to remove a marijuana plant growing in his backyard. In a Jan. 3 order, Dominguez Braswell explained she was granting the defendants' request to pause the discovery of evidence until a district judge decides whether to dismiss the case.

Sgaggio said the summary made it easier for him to understand the rest of Dominguez Braswell's order.

"This gives the pro se litigant a clearer map on where the litigation is going," he said. "It would be great if other judges used it."

Some attorneys cautioned there may be legal ramifications if the pro se summary conflicts with the legal analysis contained in the order. But others pointed out that judges already tend to give basic oral explanations to unrepresented litigants when the parties appear in court, and the written summaries are in a similar vein.

"I hope it gains some traction with other judges," said Darold Killmer, a civil rights attorney. "It is nearly impossible for people to navigate the complex legal system without the help of a lawyer."
A federal judge has declined to block Colorado's 2013 law prohibiting the possession of large-capacity gun magazines, finding a Colorado Springs man's decision to incorrectly sue the state attorney general probably will doom his lawsuit.

Delbert Sgaggio filed suit in July against Attorney General Phil Weiser, claiming the state's general ban on the sale, transfer or possession of magazines holding more than 15 rounds of ammunition violates his Second Amendment rights. Sgaggio based his legal assertions on the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen, which made it more difficult for governments to enact gun safety regulations.

He also alleged the large-capacity magazine ban burdened his religious exercise, due to his "sincerely held spiritual belief" in the right to self-defense.

But U.S. District Court Chief Judge Philip A. Brimmer refused to grant Sgaggio a preliminary injunction that would block enforcement of the law. Among other factors, Sgaggio had to show he probably would prevail on the merits of his lawsuit. Because Sgaggio chose to sue Weiser, who is not in charge of enforcing the law, Brimmer decided the likelihood of success was minimal.

"According to the Attorney General, primary enforcement of the Colorado Criminal Code, where the LCM Ban is codified, 'lies with the states District Attorneys,' not the Attorney General," Brimmer wrote in an Aug. 26 order.

State lawmakers enacted the prohibition on large-capacity magazines as part of several gun safety measures in the wake of the 2012 massacre at an Aurora movie theater. Multiple entities and individuals challenged the law in federal court shortly afterward, but the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided they lacked the legal standing to do so.

With the Supreme Court's June decision in Bruen, however, the conservative justices mandated that gun safety measures must be consistent with a "historical tradition of firearm regulation" in order to pass constitutional muster.

Sgaggio, who was reportedly cited in Colorado Springs in mid-August for possessing a large-capacity magazine, argued in his motion for a preliminary injunction that weapons capable of firing a high volume of bullets have been present throughout U.S. history.

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"Simply put, our country was built on guns and violence," he wrote, demanding that Weiser "give directions to all Law enforcement" to halt enforcement of the ban.

Weiser's office responded that although the General Assembly has given the attorney general the power to prosecute certain offenses, the prohibition on large-capacity magazines was not one of those. Therefore, local DAs were actually the ones with enforcement power.

The government also previewed its argument about the law's constitutionality under the Bruen decision, pointing to a historical tradition of states enacting gun laws when certain weapons are widely circulated enough to pose a danger.

"As the threat to public safety shifted so, too, did the regulations. In the 1920s, in response to the proliferation of the Tommy gun, 28 separate states enacted anti-machine gun laws," wrote Assistant Attorney General Peter G. Baumann. "Some of these laws even encompassed semi-automatic weapons with large capacity magazines."

Although Brimmer turned down Sgaggio's request to block the law, the Bruen ruling prompted another lawsuit in federal court seeking to strike down the large-capacity magazine ban. The National Foundation for Gun Rights Inc. has similarly moved for a preliminary injunction against Gov. Jared Polis, who is named as the defendant.

U.S. District Court Judge Nina Y. Wang has scheduled a hearing in November to consider arguments from the parties. A third gun-related lawsuit, challenging the town of Superior's restrictions on "assault weapons," is pending, as well.
A district court judge on Thursday threw out a complaint filed by the El Paso County Republican Party that sought to prevent the Colorado GOP from stepping in to run the county party's upcoming leadership elections.

Colorado law clearly gives state political parties' central committees the power to resolve county party controversies, leaving the courts without jurisdiction in such disputes, 18th Judicial District Judge Elizabeth Volz said in an order dismissing the county GOP's lawsuit.

A complaint filed last week by El Paso County GOP chair Vickie Tonkins and six precinct-level Republican officers on behalf of the county party asked the court to block the state Republican Party and its chair, Kristi Burton Brown, from putting in place a neutral team of outsiders to supervise the county party's reorganization meeting, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday in Colorado Springs.

An attorney for Tonkins and the El Paso County party said late Thursday that his clients are "disappointed" with the ruling and plan to appeal.

That means county Republicans still plan to hold two separate party elections on Saturday at different locations, with each side charging the other's is illegal and won't count.

At the meetings, part of the biennial reorganization Colorado's major political parties are undergoing this month and next, local Republican are supposed to elect a chair, vice chair and secretary to two-year terms.

Burton Brown cheered the judge's ruling in a statement to Colorado Politics.

"I appreciate the Court agreeing with long-standing Colorado law that allows the Republican Party to govern ourselves," she said in a text message. "This is a victory for the rule of law, the First Amendment, and Republicans across the state who want fair, safe, and legal meetings."

Last week, the state GOP's central committee voted to strip Tonkins of any authority to run the leadership election and instead designated Gregory Carlson, the former Republican chairman of neighboring Fremont County, to be in charge.

In an email to county Republicans, Burton Brown spelled out the consequences of Thursday's court decision.

"If you are a member of the El Paso County Central Committee, your vote will ONLY BE VALID if you cast it at the Discovery meeting," Burton Brown wrote. "Please attend and vote at that meeting. The meeting Chairwoman Tonkins is leading is not the officially recognized meeting, and anyone who claims to be elected out of that meeting will not be recognized."

Earlier on Thursday, Tonkins sent the latest in a string of emails to fellow Republicans staking out a contrary position.

"Below is the only official call and information regarding the only legitimate meeting," Tonkins wrote, adding that her attorneys had filed for a temporary restraining order "against the corrupt establishment insiders who are trying to mislead you and steal your vote so there is no reason to go to the fake meeting."

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Tonkins, who is seeking a third two-year term running the local party, earlier asked for court orders to prevent the state GOP from overseeing the county election, but the decision issued on Thursday by the district court judge made those requests moot.

The spectacle of dueling county party elections is the latest eruption in a years-long dispute between factions of the local party  on one side, veteran GOP organizers and multiple current and former elected officials, with Tonkins and her supporters on the other.

Tonkins' critics charge that she has demonstrated bias against some Republicans and can't be trusted to run the reorganization meeting fairly, while she counters that her opponents are merely trying to regain control of the party after being pushed aside in recent years by a wave of newly energized Republicans  many inspired by former President Donald Trump and his MAGA movement.

In her ruling, Volz cited two Colorado court decisions  one in Denver District Court in 1903 and another ruling by the Colorado Court of Appeals in 1981  to support her finding that courts don't have jurisdiction to sort out who should chair county poltiical parties' organization meetings.

"What each of these cases demonstrates is that the state committee of a political party has the authority and jurisdiction to determine how it shall function," Volz wrote, adding, "Plaintiff/Petitioner is asking this court to direct the state committee on its ability to make such determinations. This Court does not have jurisdiction over such matters."

Brad Bergford, one of the attorneys representing Tonkins and the local Republican Party, said in an email to Colorado Politics that Burton Brown had drawn inaccurate conclusions from the judge's ruling.

Referring to the order, Bergford said it is important to note what the judge hadn't said.

"Thus, the Court did not say that the State Central Committee is the 'final authority,'" Bergford said. "It just said that it cannot weigh this controversy."

Additionally, Bergford argued that "the Court did not dismiss Plaintiffs claims. What the Court did was dismiss the lawsuit for lack of jurisdiction. There is an important difference between these two."

He said the court "did not pass upon the various claims as Browns email suggests. The essence of the Courts ruling is that it cannot rule upon Plaintiffs claims in the first place."

Burton Brown shrugged off word that Tonkins and her fellow plaintiffs intend to appeal the ruling.

"Of course they will," she said in a text message. "But its going to be moot."
Native American students in Colorado may soon be guaranteed the right to wear their traditional regalia to graduation ceremonies  thanks to a bill passed by the General Assembly.

If signed into law, Senate Bill 202 will require preschools, K-12 schools, public colleges and universities to allow Native American students to wear and display traditional Native American regalia at a graduation ceremony.

The bill is now headed to Gov. Jared Polis for final consideration after clearing its final legislative vote on Thursday.

Traditional regalia holds cultural and spiritual significance for Indigenous people when they celebrate important moments in life, said bill sponsor Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-Longmont. Traditional regalia tells the story of the family that they come from, their history, their culture, and identifies each person as an individual.

During graduation ceremonies, Native American students often honor their heritage by adding beading or eagle feathers to their graduation caps, or donning special earrings, headbands, belts or moccasins in addition to their cap and gowns.

Students often must seek approval from their schools to wear these items, with some schools denying them as violating the dress code.

Isabella Snowbird, who graduated from a high school in Colorado Springs School District 11 last year, said she tied an eagle feather to her tassel to recognize her Comanche Tribe, but Snowbirds mother had to appeal to school administrators to get permission. Snowbird said some of her peers didnt wear their own regalia because of the discomfort of asking for approval to recognize their culture.

We should not have to choose between being able to represent who we are as tribal members and following narrow, discriminatory protocols, Snowbird said while testifying in support of SB 202. We are only asking for protections of our customs.

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The Senate approved SB 202 anew in a 26-9 vote on Thursday, after it was amended by the House. The House approved the bill unanimously on Wednesday.

Though the bill had broad bipartisan support, only Republican senators voted against it. Opponents of the bill said it is not the states place to regulate school dress code policies.

It should not be something that we as a Legislature tell the school districts thou shalt do, said Sen. Mark Baisley, R-Woodland Park, who opposed the bill. We ought to simply appeal directly to our school districts: K-12 superintendents and school boards, please dont make these students feel like they are not accepted in their culture. Accommodate them.

In the House, Republicans joined Democrats in unanimous support of the bill, with Rep. Matt Soper, R-Delta, saying it is hard to believe any school would choose to deny someones cultural identity on one of the most important days of their life.

In recent years, schools in Utah, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Illinois and other states have sparked controversy for prohibiting Native American students from wearing traditional regalia at graduation ceremonies, The Associated Press reported.

If SB 202 becomes law, Colorado will join 10 other states in prohibiting schools from banning Native American regalia, according to the Native American Rights Fund.

No one would think of prohibiting a child raised as a Catholic or Protestant from wearing a symbol of the Christian faith during such a ceremony, said Melvin J. Baker, chairman of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, while testifying in support of SB 202. Native American children have long been mistreated and disadvantaged in educational settings.

The bill will be sent to Polis in the coming days for final consideration. If signed, it will go into effect immediately.
Gov. Jared Polis on Friday signed off on four gun bills, which the Democratic majorities controlling Colorado's General Assembly believe will help rein in the state's gun violence problem.

At a ceremony at the state Capitol, Polis said the four gun bills are a "significant investment in making Colorado safer." He said Coloradans deserve to be safe in their communities, schools, grocery stores, nightclubs and everywhere in between, adding, "They shouldn't have to fear the threat of gun violence."

Second Amendment advocates, who earlier threatened a lawsuit against the measures, said they have, indeed, challenged two of the four measures, arguing the new laws infringe on their right to keep and bear arms. They said they are considering suing over the other two bills.

Republicans in both chambers, significantly outnumbered by their Democratic colleagues, won concessions on several bills. In the House, Republicans launched several filibusters to delay their passage.

In a statement Friday, House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, R-Wellington, described the bill signings as a "historically dark day."

Today, Colorado is less free and our citizens less safe and able to protect themselves. For law abiding Coloradans, its a historically dark day  a day that many of our citizens, no matter their political party, thought impossible in their state," Lynch said.

Lynch said most Colorado gun owners follow the law but that Democrats want to punish them for the criminal or tragic actions of a few.

Democrats believe that their strong midterm election gave them a mandate to infringe on Coloradans inalienable right to live their lives without needless government intrusion," he said. "But Americans have always rejected this broad attack on our freedoms, even in the name of good intentions."

Senate Bill 168, the first bill from the package, repeals previous state law that barred gun violence victims from suing firearms manufacturers and dealers. The measure was driven in part by the experience of Sandy and Lonnie Phillips, who sued a Texas gun dealer in Colorado court because he sold ammunition without a background check to the man who murdered 12 people at the Aurora theater shooting in 2012. Seventy others were injured in the shooting, including nearly 60 from gunfire.

The name of their daughter, Jessica Ghawi, who was one of the victims, was added to the title of the bill.

Sen. Tom Sullivan's son, Alex, was also among the victims.

The Phillips, who held each other during the ceremony, stood by Polis' side as he signed the measure.

"Enough is enough," said Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-Longmont, one of the bill sponsors. She said it was a "day to be hopeful," one in which Coloradans can hold the gun industry to the same rules as any other business.

"Today is about action, not words," added co-sponsor Sen. Chris Kolker, D-Littleton.

Rep. Javier Mabrey, D-Denver, added that it was powerful to work on the bill, while high school students demanded action from the General Assembly. The students have been protesting at the state Capitol, particularly following the shooting of two school administrators at East High School in March. Police said a student under a pat down regime shot the staffers, who survived. The student was later found dead. Authorities believes he killed himself.

Senate Bill 169 increases the minimum age for purchasing a firearm from 18 to 21, with limited exceptions.

Lawmakers saluted the many advocates for the bills: Giffords, Everytown for Gun Sense, the Brady Center, Moms Demand Action, and the students from Colorado high schools, most notably, East High, where the March shootings took place.

They also praised Sullivan, who has been the driving voice behind measures that proponents say address gun violence. Sullivan was not able to attend the signing ceremonies on Friday.

Sen. Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora, and her daughter, Maisha, also won praise for being long-term advocates against gun violence. Field's son and his fiance were murdered in 2005.

Rep. Eliza Hamrick, D-Centennial, a former teacher at Overland High School, spoke about the trauma teachers, students and parents have experienced for the past 20 years from lockdown and active shooter drills. Some students have been experiencing those drills since preschool, she said.

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"We shouldn't have to live like this," she said.

Senate Bill 170 seeks to expand the state's Extreme Risk Protection Order, known as the red flag law, by allowing district attorneys, higher education faculty and school teachers, as well as mental health or medical professionals to seek red flag petitions that would remove firearms from someone deemed to be a danger to themselves or others.

The deadly Club Q shooting last November was part of the impetus for expanding the law, although the alleged shooter had a set of firearms removed under a restraining order a year before the shooting.

Attorney General Phil Weiser noted the room full of people who have experienced gun violence.

"There's so much trauma in this room," Weiser said. "We are living in a time where the Second Amendment has been taken to a place that makes no sense."

He pledged that the work to reduce gun violence would continue.

Senate President Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder, said these bills "will save lives tomorrow."

"I can't wait to see what we do next year," he added.

The final proposal from the package, House Bill 1219, creates a three-day waiting period for delivery of firearm after purchase.

The package of legislation builds on previous work to address this public health crisis, said Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood, one of the bill sponsors. She thanked the survivors who, "for too long, have had to lead" on this issue.

"We have to work smart and work fast," added Sen. Chris Hansen, D-Denver.

In a statement, the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners said it filed two lawsuits against Polis in his official capacity as governor over HB 1219 and SB 169, calling the former unconstitutional and the latter a denial of adults' right to purchase and possess guns.

Taylor Rhodes, the group's executive director, said the bill's backers "will not be happy until all law-abiding gun owners are disarmed, and only the criminals have guns."

Dudley Brown, the group's president, added, "Gun control extremists think they can play fast and loose with our constitutionally protected freedoms because of their large majorities, but as we have promised, we will not let that happen.

The idea that an 18-year-old can vote, serve on a jury that could send someone to jail for life, sign contracts, own property, and even be drafted into our nations military, but not be able to possess a basic hunting rifle is asinine," he said. "Regardless of age, sex, race, religion, or creed, rights are rights and cant be cherry-picked by bigoted politicians.

The four bills signed Friday formed a package announced in February to address gun violence.

Another bill sponsored by Rep. Elisabeth Epps, D-Denver, to ban assault weapons died in a House committee last week. Polis expressed skepticism about a the efficacy of a state-level ban when asked about the policy this session.

A sixth bill that aims to ban ghost guns cleared the state Senate on Friday on a 20-12 vote, with 11 Republicans and Sen. Kevin Priola, D-Henderson, voting against.

The final bill introduced this session is a measure to allow counties to prohibit the discharge of firearms in communities with 35 dwellings per acre. The measure has stalled in the Senate.
A Mason City man who possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced Thursday to the statutory maximum term of 10 years in federal prison.

Harley Davidson Llewellyn, age 44, of Mason City received the prison term after an Oct. 26 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.

In a plea agreement, Llewellyn admitted to being convicted of domestic abuse assault impeding air/blood flow causing bodily injury. He admitted to knowing he was prohibited from being in possession of a firearm.

The case began after Llewellyn threatened a co-worker with a firearm, which led to termination of his employment. Over the course of the next two months, Llewellyn went on a shooting spree in Mason City and fired shots from a 9 mm pistol into four houses. First, on April 7, 2022, Llewellyn shot multiple times into a house he incorrectly believed to be the home of a co-worker whom he had threatened. On April 25, 2022, he fired a shot into another home where he believed the co-worker lived and then on May 3, 2022, he fired a round into the home of his co-workers parents, where the co-worker previously resided. Also on May 3, 2022, Llewellyn shot into a sober living facility in Mason City.

Mason City police served a search warrant at defendants residence in Mason City where they located two Hi-Point 9 mm handguns, one of which had been used in all four of the shootings.

Llewellyn was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. He was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment, the statutory maximum. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Llewellyn is being held in the United States Marshals custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and was investigated by the Mason City Police Department and the Butler County Sheriffs Office.
Kathryn Marie Frazier

October 29, 1959-April 20, 2023

On Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 11:00 PM Ms. Kathryn Marie Frazier (Starbuck) of Lee's Summit, Missouri passed away surrounded by family in Kansas City, Missouri.

Kathryn's story started Thursday, October 29, 1959, at 1:50 AM in Placerville, California when she was born to Faith Ann Starbuck (Kay) and Leonard Milton Starbuck. As the sixth child, she was the baby of the family until her little sister was born in 1963. When she was a little girl, the family moved to Orchard, Iowa, where she attended school in Osage with her siblings.

As a child, she loved fishing on the railroad trestle in Orchard and would often regale her family with her story of escaping a train. Kathryn was an excellent seamstress, babysitter of her nieces and nephews, and baker, and she had a very strong work ethic, making every penny count. Her first job was at the Osage nursing home, where she would often walk the railroad tracks back and forth until she saved up enough money to purchase her first car. On many occasions, she talked about how much she loved her (cherry red) 1965 Chevy Impala.

She helped with the house after her mother's passing and talked about how much her mother, Faith and brother, Raymond, meant to her, although they were taken far too early. When she was young, her older siblings watched out for her and their little sister, Karen. Her sister, Darlene and her husband, George, would take Kathryn and Karen on outings and adventures as much as they could. They even once woke up in the middle of a campground road (by accident) due to one of their adventures!

Kathryn had two children, Angela and David, and lived in Lee's Summit, MO. Eventually, she moved her children back to Iowa. Many years passed when she was blessed with another daughter, Rachel Curl, and they lived in Rudd, IA.

In the early 1990's she accepted a manager position at a local pizza restaurant. After a short time, she took a leap of faith for her children and became an entrepreneur. She purchased Pizza by the Piece of the Pie' in Southbridge Mall. She also started The Snack Depot' and Starbucks Bistro and Pub' in Mason City. She was successful for many years due to her strong work ethic and long work hours.

With the frequent moves between Iowa, Missouri, and Oklahoma, Kathryn decided to spend her retirement years with her three children and five grandchildren. She and Rachel moved to Missouri to be closer to her other children. She eventually settled at University Health (Lakewood) for pre-retirement and was loved and adored by many. Her work family' enjoyed her delicious coffee, fancy drinks, and thoughtful conversations. Her time was happily spent crocheting blankets for new babies and her family. She also enjoyed history and finding out about the origins of the Starbuck name and settlement in Nantucket Island. When she wasn't crocheting, she was baking cookies, waffle cones and trying out new breads. Any extra time she had, she loved spending it with her precious grandchildren.

Kathryn was looking forward to her future plans, including a visit to the Amana Colonies with her sister and good friend, and often thought about how she wanted to visit Maine. She planned to make cookies with her granddaughter, Adelyn, as soon as she got better.

She is survived by her children: Rachel Curl (31), David Frazier (41), Angela Sartin (43) and Stephen (son-in-law); five grandchildren: Owen (13), Evan (12), Maddox (12), Molly (11) and Adelyn (5); siblings: Darlene (George) Herman, Carolyn (Mike) Neis, Barbara Starbuck and Karen Starbuck. She was preceded by death by parents: Faith and Leonard; siblings: Raymond Starbuck and Dennis Starbuck.

Services: On Saturday, April 29, 2023, we will honor Kathryn with a funeral at Champion Funeral Home (702 State Street, Osage, IA 50401) with a family greeting beginning at 10:00 AM and services following at 11:00 AM. A procession will immediately follow to Oakwood Cemetery (Floyd, IA) where she will be laid to rest alongside her beloved brother (Raymond) and parents (Faith and Leonard). Please join us for a celebration of life directly following the burial at the American Legion (309 Center Street, Orchard, IA 50460); food will be served.
Danville City Council could be on its way to getting a hefty pay raise.

City Manager Ken Larking has proposed increasing the mayors annual salary from $12,000 to $20,000 and city council members yearly pay from $10,000 to $18,000.

Those are the state-allowed maximum salaries for mayor and council members for cities with population sizes similar to that of Danville.

Council members will hold a public hearing and vote during its Tuesday meeting whether to approve the raises, which would take effect July 1, 2025.

State law requires that any pay increase for council members not be implemented until July 1 after the next regularly scheduled general election for City Council. Danvilles next election for council members will be in November 2024.

I think its the right time, Larking said of the proposed pay hike.

It would be the first raise for City Council since 2014.

Larkings office researched City Council pay in three other cities in Virginia with similar-sized populations  Charlottesville, Manassas and Harrisonburg.

All of the local governing bodies for those cities either pay the state-allowed maximum for their councils or have recently voted to. That maximum is $18,000 for council members and $20,000 for the mayor in cities with populations between 35,000 and 74,000, according to state law.

Danvilles population is around 41,000.

Were trying throughout the organization to make sure our pay is competitive with the market, Larking.

When asked about the salary increase, Mayor Alonzo Jones referred to the recent pay study that was done for all city employees.

We also found not only was our staff below average in pay, but also our council members, Jones said.

The study, performed by the Berkley Group, found that the city can afford to pay its employees at 100% of the market rate.

The city hired the Berkley Group  which had also conducted a city firefighter pay study  to perform the more recent organization-wide pay study to address disparities that developed because of volatility in the market over the past three years since the COVID-19 pandemic.

During its meeting Tuesday night, City Council will also vote whether to approve amended employment agreements with the city manager and city attorney.

If approved, the amended agreements would raise Larkings annual salary from $210,972.25 to $232,068.38, and City Attorney Clarke Whitefields yearly pay from $161,578.08 to $177,735.89.
On Wednesday 26 April 2023, a new edition of the Group for Exchange and Support on Integration at the Local level (GRESIL) was held at the Cultural Centre in Colmar-Berg and online via live-streaming.

MFAMIGR (fr. l. to r.) Malou Kasel-Schmit, 1st alderman of the municipality of Colmar-Berg; Corinne Cahen, Minister for Family Affairs and Integration; Emile Eicher, President of Syvicol MFAMIGR Corinne Cahen, Minister for Family Affairs and Integration MFAMIGR Tenth edition of the GRESIL MFAMIGR Tenth edition of the GRESIL

Political leaders, municipal representatives and agents as well as members of the Municipal advisory committees on integration met face-to-face as well as by videoconference to discuss the topic "Noper sinn - Noper ginn: Strengthening intercultural living together at local level  Actively promoting good neighbourhood".

A total of 110 participants attended the event, representing 50 municipalities. In addition, integration advisors were present as well as representatives from different ministries, the CNE and a number of associations working in the field of integration and intercultural living-together.

The session was opened by Malou Kasel-Schmit, 1st alderman of the municipality of Colmar-Berg, who hosted the event at the Cultural Centre in Colmar-Berg. The Minister for Family Affairs and Integration, Corinne Cahen, and Emile Eicher, President of Syvicol, welcomed the GRESIL participants. Conny Heuertz from the Department of Integration moderated the event.

Following a brief introduction by Marc Piron, project director at the Association de soutien aux travailleurs immigres (ASTI), Norry Schneider from the Association des solidarites de proximite (ALSP) presented the European Neighbours' Day initiative (Nopeschfest), which this year will take place on Friday 26 May. Then, Stephanie Laruade, architect and urban planner, stressed the importance of designing dynamic neighbourhoods, with urban spaces that encourage inhabitants to meet their neighbours. The GRESIL participants were also presented with a range of ideas for shaping good neighbourhood in Luxembourg municipalities: Isabelle Wickler from the municipality of Colmar-Berg, Annabelle Laborier-Saffran and Vania Ferreria from the municipality of Dudelange, Cedric Czaika of the Service Ensemble Quartiers Dudelange of Inter-Actions, Romain Juncker and Patricia Zuccoli from the municipality of Hesperange, and Margaretha Inghelram-Maeyens from the municipality of Niederanven shared good practices from their respective municipalities.

The plenary session was closed by a question and answer session.

During the second part of the GRESIL, the participants present in Colmar-Berg had the opportunity to exchange around 15 thematic stands on the subject of good neighbourhood.

ASTI, Syvicol, CEFIS, the municipality of Colmar-Berg and the Department of Integration of the Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region, co-organisers of this event, would like to thank all those present or attending online for their active participation in this platform for exchange among local actors.

Born in 2018 out of the strong interest and need of Luxembourg municipalities to network on issues related to integration and living together, the GRESIL, of which there have been ten editions to date, offers municipalities a platform for gathering, exchanging, creating synergies, providing information, training and support on integration issues at local level. The next GRESIL meeting is planned for autumn 2023.

A full recording of the first part of GRESIL 10, as well as all presentations on best practices presented, will be available shortly on the integratioun.lu website under the link https://integratioun.lu/gresil/.

Press release by the Department of Integration of the Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region, the municipality of Colmar-Berg, the Association de soutien aux travailleurs immigres (ASTI), the Syndicat des villes et communes luxembourgeoises (Syvicol) and the Centre d'etude et de formation interculturelles et sociales (CEFIS)
I do not take delight in Tucker Carlsons firing.

Thats because I do not believe he was fired for being Tucker Carlson.

Had he been fired for being Tucker Carlson  the white nationalist apologist known for his spitfire misinformation and shameless hypocrisy  I would probably be more cheerful. But this does not appear to be a firing for behaving poorly.

Had he been fired years ago for being Tucker Carlson, instead of being elevated to TV host just before the Trump presidency began, its doubtful the former presidents lies about the 2020 election would have gained nearly as much traction. Its doubtful there would have been a $1.6-billion defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems against his employer. Its doubtful a twice-impeached former president would be the Republican Partys front-runner for the White House.

Carlson understood all of this, which is why he texted this to his producer Alex Pfeiffer on Nov. 5: What [Trumps] good at is destroying things, followed by, Hes the undisputed world champion of that. He could easily destroy us if we play it wrong. And so Tucker Carlson did what hes always done for ratings: purposely mislead the largest audience in cable news while fanning the flames of racism, sexism, antisemitism and homophobia.

This is the person Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) called the most courageous person in American media.

This is the person to whom House Speaker Kevin McCarthy decided to exclusively give thousands of hours of surveillance recordings from the Jan. 6 insurrection. This is the person who dressed down Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on his show for daring to call that a violent terrorist attack on the Capitol.

Of all the things that Jan. 6 was, it was definitely not a violent terrorist attack, said Tucker Carlson on air.

Yet in private in January 2021, after that attack, Carlson wrote this: Trump has two weeks left. Once hes out, he becomes incalculably less powerful, even in the minds of his supporters. Hes a demonic force, a destroyer. But hes not going to destroy us. Ive been thinking about this every day for four years.

Fox News wanted him to be Tucker Carlson because it was a brand that was good for business. Keeping him on was about money then, so why wouldnt his firing be about money now? Although the Dominion settlement certainly didnt reflect well on him, its possible his firing has more to do with a discrimination lawsuit filed by Abby Grossberg, a producer who was fired by the network last month. In the suit, she alleged she was bullied by Carlson, subjected to antisemitic comments and pushed by company lawyers to give misleading answers in the Dominion case to protect the network.

In other words: money.

This is why I do not delight in the firing.

Democracy may benefit because media mogul Rupert Murdoch has parted ways with his most popular host. It may not. Hard to tell. In any case it doesnt appear as if democracy was ever part of the equation when it came to Fox and Tucker Carlson  neither in their love affair nor in their breakup.

Theres also nothing to suggest Foxs action was about doing the right thing for journalism. Its not a public service as much as self-service.

There is nothing that shows there was a change of heart at Fox, only a change in cost-benefit calculations.

The network has made that call before, when it ousted Bill OReilly in 2017. That was ultimately for the same reason: money  specifically because of sexual harassment allegations and settlements, certainly not for peddling hate and misinformation.

So, I dont get my hopes up about whom Fox News will anoint as the next Tucker Carlson. Fear-mongering and appealing to our lower selves are still profitable.

The next Tucker Carlson wont have to tell the truth to keep the throne, just avoid becoming a financial liability. Judging from Murdochs own testimony related to the Dominion case, what happens to democracy is not a concern  just a byproduct.
GREENSBORO  A local woman is accused of assaulting her granddaughter so violently that the child will not see her third birthday this Sunday.

Rubie Charlottelette Thomas, who turned 59 Thursday, seemed to show little emotion when appearing in court Thursday afternoon via video link from the Guilford County Detention Center. She was jailed without bond Wednesday on charges of first-degree murder and felony child abuse in connection with the childs death on April 1, Greensboro police said.

An arrest warrant issued April 18 for Thomas identifies the child as Shade Wilhite and details her extensive injuries, which included: bleeding on the brain, around her spinal cord and on the inside of the eyes; rib fractures; bruised intestines; hemorrhaging to the scalp, skull, around the ribs and in the back; injuries to her face; lacerations in her mouth; an abrasion on the back of left leg; and more than 50 contusions.

Chief Assistant District Attorney Chris Parrish said in court Thursday that the girls 5-year-old brother told investigators his sister had thrown up in the bed they shared. He also told them about something he said happened hours earlier.

He said, Grandma pushed her down the stairs, Parrish explained in court.

The boy told investigators that his sister had been touching the outside of an aquarium and got a whooping for messing with the fish tank, Parrish said. He was not punished, he told investigators, because he was being good that day.

The 5-year-old boy has been removed from the home and placed in state custody, detectives said after Thursdays court proceeding. When asked about the childrens parents, detectives said the parents were not active in their lives.

Greensboro Police Department spokeswoman Josie Cambareri said there is no record of any other child-abuse calls at that address, and that police have not previously charged Thomas with neglect or child abuse. No one could be immediately reached by telephone at Child Protective Services to answer questions about whether they have previously responded to the home.

At about 7 a.m. April 1, officers responding to a medical-related call at the home in the 400 block of Oferrell Street found a 2-year-old girl suffering from apparent cardiac arrest, police said. Life-saving efforts were started at the scene, but the child was declared dead upon arrival at a local hospital, police said.

A man who placed a 911 call that morning said he went to go wake up his grandkids and baby girl didnt wake up. Shes cold, he told a dispatcher.

The dispatcher provided CPR instructions until paramedics arrived.

Medical staff and detectives noted signs of potential child abuse and the police departments Family Victims Unit began their investigation. Through the investigation, detectives confirmed the child suffered from non-accidental trauma while in the care of her grandmother that day, police said.

A GoFundMe page organized by Shawntae Brown to raise money for funeral costs lists the childs name as Shade Janelle Wilhite, who was called Shy Shy. The page says the little girl has three siblings, ages 5, 7 and 9.

Shy was a beautiful and loving little girl who was full of life, according to the message on the public fundraising page.

Thomas will be appointed a public defender and will remain in jail without bond. Prosecutors asked that Thomas not be allowed any contact  direct or indirect  with any of the girls siblings or custodians of the children, or Thomas 17-year-old daughter.

Her next court date is May 26.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  In massive victories for Republicans, the North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday threw out a previous ruling against gerrymandered voting maps and upheld a photo voter identification law that colleagues had struck down as racially biased.

The rulings likely give the GOP-controlled legislature the ability to rework the state's congressional map for next year's election to help Republicans gain seats in the narrowly divided U.S. House. Under the previous map, Democrats won seven of the states 14 congressional seats last November.

The new edition of the court, which became a Republican majority this year following the election of two GOP justices, ruled after taking the unusual step of revisiting opinions made in December by the courts previous iteration, when Democrats held a 4-3 seat advantage. The court held rehearings in March.

Friday's 5-2 rulings also mean that state lawmakers should have greater latitude in drawing General Assembly seat boundaries for the next decade, and that a photo ID mandate approved by the GOP-controlled legislature in late 2018 could be enforced in time for the 2024 elections.

In another court decision Friday along party lines, the justices overturned a trial court decision on when the voting rights of convicted felons can be restored. That means potentially tens of thousands of people convicted of felonies will have to keep waiting to completed their probation or parole or pay their fines to qualify to vote again.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said Thursday he did not put any undue political pressure on the independent federal agency that regulates the price of patented drugs to influence its efforts to lower medicine costs.

Duclos defended himself against the accusation at the House of Commons health committee, which is investigating reforms to the way the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board regulates the cost of drugs.

The board has a mandate to make sure drug costs don't become excessively expensive, which includes looking at the price of similar medications in other countries.

The reforms will see the board compare Canadian drug prices to those in a wider range of countries. The changes were delayed multiple times, and finally came into force in July.

The agency was in the process of consulting on the finer details associated with the new rule in November when Duclos wrote to its acting chair and suggested the process be paused to give drug companies, patient groups, provincial ministers and himself more time to understand the changes.

"I invited the board to consider extending consultation because I felt that my colleagues at provinces and territories and patient groups and other important stakeholders needed to have more time," Duclos told the committee Thursday.

One of the agency's board members resigned shortly afterward, saying Duclos undermined the board's independence.

Duclos told the committee that while he was required by law to offer his opinion on the consultation process, the decision to pause enforcement of the new rule was ultimately up to the agency.

"I cannot interfere in the work of the board, although I follow it closely," Duclos said. "I have to be extremely careful in my relationships with the board."

But NDP health critic Don Davies, who initiated the committee's study, accused the minister of halting the implementation of a new rule intended to lower the cost of drugs at the behest of drug companies that have resisted the change.

"We hope to find out why the Liberals are standing with the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry, instead of Canadian patients who need access to affordable medicine to stay well, and sometimes even to live," Davies said at a press conference before the committee meeting.

The lobby registry shows Duclos and his staff met with pharmaceutical companies 15 times during the consultation period between October and December 2022, Davies told the committee.

Duclos said he meets with all kinds of people involved in the drug price changes. He also said he has been in contact with drug companies about COVID-19, the shortage of children's medicine, and other concerns.

Canada has the third-highest drug prices in the world, behind only the United States and Switzerland.

In 2017, the Liberals announced three key reforms to the board to lower drug prices, but two of those have since been struck down in court as being unconstitutional.

One of the ways Canada determines the cost of breakthrough medications is by comparing prices with other countries.

The remaining reform measure puts forward a list of 11 countries for comparison, which have similar GDP per capita, and that list no longer includes the United States.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates the change could lower spending on patented drugs by about seven per cent over the long term and save billions of dollars.

Melanie Bourassa Forcier, the former acting chair of the board, told the committee Thursday she did not feel pressured by the minister's letter, and agreed the agency should take more time to consult on the proposed change.

She said in French that it was important to make sure the guidelines used to enforce the change would survive potential legal challenges.

She resigned shortly after the minister sent his letter, though Bourassa Forcier said that wasn't why she left her post. Rather, she felt the board was divided and she could not bring them together, she said.

She did concede that the pharmaceutical companies "steadfastly refused to engage" about the new guidelines and were not amenable to any changes to the way drug prices are set.
In case you missed it, the Carroll County Sheriffs Office recently hired Myles Cosgrove as a law enforcement officer. In March 2020, Cosgrove, a former Louisville police officer, shot and killed Breonna Taylor unarmed and in her apartment.

Taylor was the victim of the Louisville Police Departments no-knock warrant gone awry. Cosgrove and seven other officers wrongfully entered Taylors apartment. The commotion startled the 26-year-old Taylor and her boyfriend.

The no-knock policy does not require police to identify themselves beforehand. Taylors boyfriend, thinking it was an intruder, fired a single shot. According to reports, Cosgrove fired half of the 32 return rounds. Two of his rounds struck and killed Taylor. A grand jury ultimately concluded the charge of wanton endangerment was not applicable. No criminal charges were filed related to Taylors death.

In January 2021, the Louisville Metro Police Department terminated Cosgrove for violating department procedures on the use of deadly force and for violating LMPD policy by not wearing a body camera during the raid.

In Cosgroves termination letter, the interim Louisville Police Chief Yvette Gentry wrote: The shots you fired went in three different directions, indicating you did not verify a threat or have target acquisition. Gentry added, In other words, the evidence shows that you fired wildly at unidentified subjects or targets located within the apartment.

But in 2022, the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council voted to allow Cosgrove to keep his police certification, which made him eligible to work for other police departments in the state.

Though notable, the murder of Taylor has not received the media attention of George Floyd. Two months after Taylor, Floyd was murdered in a Minneapolis parking lot by police officer Derek Chauvin. Floyds murder was more difficult to escape. The world was privy to the horrifying 8-minute-and-46-second video as Floyds life ebbed away. I cant breathe were reported to be his last words as Chauvin nonchalantly applied pressure to Floyds neck. We had to sit with it; there was no plausible on the other hand scenario that could justify his death.

Unlike Floyd, we didnt witness a video of Louisville police going into the wrong house. We were not privy to what it looks like when no-knock warrants go bad. Was Taylor simply reflective of the unintended consequence associated with so-called tough on crime policies?

It is by definition absurd when going to bed becomes a contributing factor to ones murder. There is something that reeks of moral depravity when an individual, whose sworn responsibility is to protect and serve and is fired for what could at best be described as dereliction of duty, could find similar work in a nearby jurisdiction. How many bank presidents are in their present capacity after having been fired from their previous bank position for embezzlement?

Given the high profile nature of this case, it is extremely unlikely Cosgroves background was unknown to the Carroll County Sheriffs Office. Did he offer a contrarian version, contradicting the Louisville Police Departments findings that the Carroll County hiring team found amenable? Or was the violation of Taylors humanity not a mitigating factor?

Not everyone feels that hiring Cosgrove once again in a law enforcement capacity is a travesty, as the online donations he received nationwide amounted to in excess of $60,000 when he was placed on administrative leave. Isnt a prerequisite to send Cosgrove financial support to be blind to Taylors humanity?

The death of Breonna Taylor is part of the American narrative. And no-knock warrants are an asterisk used by certain law enforcement agencies to loosen the constitutional protections offered by the Fourth Amendment.

No-knock warrants, in general, transform the use of deadly force from only when necessary to a reactionary possibility thats placed on a hair trigger. Presumably, they are issued when entry could lead to the destruction of key evidence or safety for police or others is at risk.

Moreover, no-knock warrants, in theory, require that officers cannot disregard reliable information that clearly negates the pressing need prior to the execution of the warrant. Would that also include making sure, at minimum, to have the damn address correct?

In this case, the wrong address, that resulted in an innocent person being murdered, did not deter future employment. Breonna Taylors saga remains one of Americas unresolved absurdities; hiring Cosgrove proves it.
As retired UNC Greensboro faculty members, we are extremely concerned about the negative impact the NC Board of Governors (BOG) new funding formula will have on many of the universitys quality programs. UNCG is currently experiencing enrollment challenges similar to those experienced by numerous universities across the country. UNC campuses, like ours, will suffer especially heavy damage from the BOGs new funding model because this model primarily bases funding on undergraduate enrollment, prioritizing graduating in-state students on time, and rewarding or penalizing universities for their overall four-year graduation rate and changes to student debt.

Universities that attract upper middle class and mainly white students will always have stronger and more sustained undergraduate enrollment. Schools such as UNCG tend to attract first-generation college students, students of color and students who rely on financial aid. Many of our students are working multiple jobs while still attending class, then find they have to skip a semester or two in order to make sufficient money to continue their studies. The new funding model clearly disadvantages universities such as UNCG.

The other aspect of this funding model that is both short-sighted and concerning is the decline in funding for graduate education at UNC campuses. Why would the BOG create a funding model that decreases funding of our graduate programs/students? This makes no sense, particularly when it means that campuses like UNCG will be penalized for their undergraduate enrollment decline while their graduate enrollment might be even increasing to record levels. Why would we not want to support good quality graduate programs that produce highly skilled professionals for our states job market? Many of UNCGs graduate programs prepare students for a wide range of much-needed professions like teachers, social workers, librarians and nurses. Is this what we want for our public university system that, in the past, has prided itself on being in a state where students from diverse backgrounds have the same opportunity to pursue an affordable higher education?

We are asking our Board of Trustees, students, faculty, staff and alumni to rally together and confront this unfair and poorly thought-out BOGs funding formula.

UNC Greensboro will be so badly harmed by this new funding model that it may never again be what it has striven to be, a high-quality public university serving the full range of N.C. students who seek success through higher education.
The nation's first-ever constitutional climate case brought forth by 16 Montana youth plaintiffs has cleared its pretrial conference and is set to go to trial on June 12 in front of Lewis and Clark County 1st Judicial District Court Judge Kathy Seeley.

Held v. Montana was filed on March 13, 2020, with the youth plaintiffs claiming that Montanas fossil fuel-driven energy system is violating their state constitutional rights to a clean and healthful environment.

The youth plaintiffs are asking the court to declare Montanas State Energy Policy Goals and the climate change exception in the Montana Environmental Policy Act that waives the states consideration of climate impacts beyond its borders as unconstitutional.

At a pretrial conference on Thursday, the sides debated an oral argument on motion for a summary judgment, which would ask the court to decide the lawsuit without going to trial. Seeley said the defense needed to file it soon.

We are going to go to trial on June 12," Seeley said. "Im not going to delay this trial  whatever is left to go to trial is going to trial.

The defense has tried almost every available legal avenue to prevent this case from proceeding to trial, including trying to get the Montana Supreme Court to remove it from Seeley, which was denied.

The defense filed a motion to stay on March 31, citing a pending decision in Montana Environmental Information Center v. Department of Environmental Quality out of Yellowstone Countys 13th Judicial District Court and its subsequent pending appeal to the state Supreme Court. District Judge Michael Moses ordered a halt to construction on the plant in Laurel on April 6 due to state regulators ignoring environmental risks when permitting the facility.

In response to the motion to stay, the attorneys for the youth plaintiffs wrote in filings from April 12 that that the defense filed a pretrial motion past the deadline, failed to satisfy their heavy burdens of presenting evidence of hardship or inequity to justify a stay and their judicial economy arguments contradict binding Montana precedent. They wrote that the courts order in MEIC v. DEQ doesnt address whether the climate change exception in MEPA is facially unconstitutional and that that must be resolved at trial.

The defense also filed a motion to partially dismiss the upcoming trial on the basis of mootness, stating that the Montana Legislatures repeal of State Energy Policy Goals and State Energy Policy Development Process in House Bill 170 has rendered moot all of the plaintiffs claims predicated on that statute, according to court documents filed on March 31.

The attorneys for the youth plaintiffs stated that even though the State Energy Policy Goals have been repealed, theres a de facto energy policy that is unconstitutional and violating the plaintiffs rights.

The defense disagreed, stating that the de facto energy policy wasnt the plan to argue the case from. The attorneys for the youth plaintiffs said they wouldnt be introducing more evidence and that the 150 permits and MEPA compliance documents that (the state hasn't) stipulated to the authenticity of yet will be all the evidence needed to prove that there is still an energy policy in place.

Another bill brought up at the pretrial conference was HB 971, which seeks to revise MEPA to exclude the use of greenhouse gas evaluations in environmental analyses of large projects such as mines, power plants, etc. The bill passed the house on a Monday vote of 70-28, and the Senate voted to accept the late transmittal of the bill the same day, 35-14. The bill was scheduled for a third reading in the Senate on Friday.

The attorneys for the youth plaintiffs said that the changes and repeals the Legislature has made to Montana energy policies and procedures as basis for preventing a trial makes no legal sense, equitable sense and no sense in terms of the harm thats being experienced by the plaintiffs.

As we are here, the targets are moving. Theyre moving by the design of the state of Montana, said youth plaintiffs' attorney Roger Sullivan. But to use those to deny the youth plaintiffs of their constitutional rights and particularly this quorum could demonstrate that the intact de facto policy that weve laid out in spades in our pleadings that is causing harm to these plaintiffs.

The attorneys for the youth plaintiffs hosted an event on Tuesday at the Lewis and Clark Library to brief the community on what to expect from the upcoming trial. They stated that 14 experts working pro bono would be testifying alongside the 16 youth plaintiffs. They stated that another constitutional climate lawsuit under Our Childrens Trust is set to go to trial in Hawaii with 14 youth plaintiffs on Sept. 26.

The attorneys for the youth plaintiffs stated that the defense insisted on deposing the youngest plaintiff in Held v. Montana , a 5-year-old boy, but Seeley denied that request and stated that they would have to depose one of the childs guardians. The state also wanted to do independent psychological evaluations on each plaintiff, but Seeley denied that as well.

The case is named for Rikki Held of Broadus, who was the only plaintiff over the age of 18 when it was filed. The 15 others, whose ages now range from 5-22, are from Big Fork, Helena, Livingston, Missoula, Bozeman, Polson, Kalispell and the Flathead Indian Reservation.

Due to the courtroom's limited capacity, the plaintiffs will be hosting a livestream event each day of the trial at alternating locations in Helena including The Myrna Loy, the Holter Museum of Art and at St. Pauls United Methodist Church. For updates on these locations, sign up at www.youthvgov.org/join or follow facebook.com/youthvgov.

Staff writer Tom Lutey contributed to this story.

Editor's note: The plaintiffs were originally seeking a remedial plan, but according to an Aug. 2021 ruling, the youth are instead seeking declaratory and injunctive relief from Montana's ongoing fossil fuel-based energy policy that promotes the extraction and burning of fossil fuels that they're claiming is violating their constitutional rights.
Helena native Samantha Laible grew up in the north valley, and the Capital High School graduate said rising housing costs have forced her and her 16-year-old daughter to move around four times recently.

"We've lived a little bit of everywhere, mostly apartments. But for my daughter, I've wanted her to have an actual home," said Laible, a state of Montana employee.

Laible and her daughter are moving into a brand-new home with the help of their family and Helena Area Habitat for Humanity.

The Laibles, including their hedgehog named Cotton, were one of four families to receive the keys to their newly built homes in East Helena's Red Fox Meadows subdivision during Thursday's home dedication ceremony.

"It will always be ours," a beaming Liable said during an interview after cutting the ribbon across her new front porch.

The local Habitat for Humanity previously unveiled four homes in the same subdivision in 2021, and Executive Director Jacob Kuntz said his organization is about to break ground on four more houses in the neighborhood this summer.

Kuntz said the Lewis and Clark County Commission committed $500,000 of its American Rescue Plan Act allocation to Habitat to buy land in East Helena, where the organization plans to build another about 300 homes in the coming years.

Lewis and Clark County Commissioner Candace Payne attended Thursday's ceremony and helped pass out keys to the new homeowners.

"It's very ambitious, and I really admire them for it," Payne said of Habitat's East Helena designs. "This isn't a handout, it's a handup."

Kuntz previously told the Independent Record it took the local Habitat for Humanity 25 years to build its first 30 homes and just five years to build its second 30 homes.

The families put in nearly 1,000 hours of labor during the construction of their homes as well as their neighbors'.

Liable said her sister came out to the site nearly every volunteer day to lend a hand. She said her sister, nephew, niece, brother-in-law, aunt and uncle all put in nearly 800 volunteer hours on her home.

"I have a whole photo album of the entire process," Laible said. "Looking at it now, it's crazy to think we did that."

The recipients also received extensive financial counseling, including advice on topics such as debt management and budgeting, before they were able to apply for a low-interest loan used to buy their homes.

The financial training and help securing a loan each family can afford were provided by U.S. Department of Agriculture Montana State Office's Mutual Self Help Program.

Montana USDA State Director Kathleen Williams was also in attendance Thursday, helping to hand out hammers to the new homeowners, a symbol of their hard work and accomplishment.

Williams said she purchased her Bozeman home for $213,000.

"Holy cow, you can't get that anymore," she said. "But this is about more than just numbers. It's about family and security and the positive impact these families will make in this community."
Photo: The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to attend the coronation of King Charles in London next week alongside dignitaries from around the world.

Trudeau's office is likely to unveil more details about his trip to the United Kingdom later today.

The coronation of the 73-year-old monarch will take place at Westminster Abbey on May 6 in a religious ceremony conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Canadians will be able to celebrate the coronation at a special event in Ottawa the same day.

The federal Heritage Department says an hour-long program is being prepared to mark the occasion featuring music, art and poetry.

Trudeau was last in London for Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral in September.
Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed into law a bill banning some gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors.

Senate Bill 99 from Sen. John Fuller, R-Whitefish, has been among the most fiercely debated bills of the 68th Legislature. The bill prohibits surgery or medication for gender-affirming care and includes penalties for medical professionals for providing care.

Fuller and other supporters of the bill say it is necessary to protect minors from life-altering procedures.

But opponents argue the kinds of surgeries the bill bans are not performed on minors in Montana and that the legislation would harm children seeking care they say is necessary to keep them healthy. Others say the bill would trample the rights of parents to make decisions for their children.

SB 99 saw intense debate in both chambers from lawmakers and the public. It passed through the House and Senate largely along party lines, with all its support coming from Republicans. A few GOP legislators, along with all Democrats, have opposed it.

Gianforte then returned the bill to the Legislature with suggested amendments. In a letter to lawmakers, the governor wrote Gender-affirming care for children is Orwellian Newspeak, a seemingly innocuous, even solicitous phrase that masks its true nature of permanent, invasive, life-altering and surgical procedures, performed on children whose young minds and bodies are still developing.

Opponents of the bill have included medical groups and LGBTQ advocates. The Montana Human Rights Network said Friday it and the American Academy of Pediatrics had requested meetings with Gianforte before he signed the bill but were not granted them.

Some opponents have said they plan to file a lawsuit if SB 99 were signed.

The bill has been the catalyst for controversy in the House that led the barring of a Missoula Democrat from the floor for the remainder of the session. Last week, Rep. Zooey Zephyr, the first transgender woman to serve in the state House, was prohibited from speaking on the floor following comments on SB 99 directed at Republicans, including that they should be ashamed for voting for the bill and that they will have blood on their hands.

On Monday, a protest in support of Zephyr disrupted the House floor proceeding, leading to seven arrests. Zephyr was censured on Wednesday, including barring her from the floor, gallery and anteroom.
The Legislatures main spending bill for building infrastructure took a step forward in the Senate Thursday with lots of intense debate, a week after a flurry of last-minute additions prompted the chair of a budget committee to abruptly halt the proceedings until the following day.

House Bill 5 contains more than $1 billion in funding for the states Long-Range Building Program, the bulk of which is funded by money from the states coal trust. Prior to last weeks amendments, the most recent fiscal note for the bill showed it would spend about $33 million from the general fund. The bill authorizes most of the states capital development and major repair projects that need funding in the next two years.

On Thursday, Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick, the majority leader from Great Falls, made repeated attempts to strip out additions put on the bill in the Senate Finance and Claims Committee, triggering lengthy debate over whether the added spending was appropriate or last-minute cash grabs for pet projects.

"We follow the right process and we don't lard up bills with unnecessary pork, but thats not whats happened with House Bill 5," Fitzpatrick said. " ... This is really the session for gluttony."

Sen. Mike Cuffe, R-Eureak, who is carrying the bill in the Senate, expressed his frustration during action on the bill last week, suggesting that lawmakers were trading votes as they tacked on a series of spending provisions that would go toward projects in their home districts. As the Senate budget committees meeting stretched deeper into the evening, he repeatedly stressed to his colleagues on the panel that a process exists for entities to apply for funding for those projects. Cuffe voted against the bill Thursday in the full Senate.

There are programs to file to apply for this kind of money, and Im not sure the purpose of Senate Finance and Claims Committee is to come in and see what we can grab off for the home town, he said. But its beginning to look that way.

The committees chairman, Sen. John Esp, R-Big Timber, was a recurring no vote for most of the amendments, and has consistently argued for fiscal restraint. Despite a historic general-fund surplus of at least $2.5 billion, competing spending proposals in the Legislature currently exceed that by more than $200 million. Montana lawmakers are constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget. Esp ended up voting for the bill Thursday.

Esp eventually began laughing in the hearing last week, after a Republican senator began to offer support for an amendment from Sen. Ryan Lynch, D-Butte, to add $10 million to the bill for a new heritage center for Buttes World Museum of Mining. This was the only change that the full Senate removed on Thursday; the rest of the additions for projects like $6 million for additions to the Southwest Montana Veterans Home and $1 million for the city of Columbus remained, despite Fitzpatrick's attempts to remove them.

Back in last week's meeting, Sen. Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, who had minutes earlier secured $8 million in funding for a conservation project in his home city, began to tell lawmakers: Im gonna support the amendment, and Ill tell you why."

But Esp interjected: You dont have to tell me why, I know why."

Laughing, McGillvray responded, Seriously, theres more than one reason, before explaining the importance of mining to the states history and to its tax base.

Cuffe continued his opposition, offering that if this passes, Ill bring a $10 million conceptual amendment to start a project up in my county.

Eventually, Esps frustration appeared to reach a climax, and he called an end to the meeting and pushed the budget work back a day.

I just wish we were doing this out on the floor of the Senate, where God and everybody could see it, he said at one point.

The committee met the next day and passed the legislation with no further amendments.

The spending bill could still get substantial revisions down the road.

Because HB 5 has been amended in the Senate, the House will get an opportunity to approve or reject those changes. If it votes to reject them, the bill will go to a conference committee, which will allow a special committee of lawmakers from both chambers to hammer out a compromise bill. And once it passes both chambers, the governor will also have an opportunity to send it back to the Legislature with his own recommended amendments.

Fitzpatrick said he was hopeful the conference committee would remove projects he felt inappropriate from the bill, or that the governor would issue a line-item veto.

 Holly Michels contributed to this story.
Gov. Greg Gianforte this week signed a widely supported bill to double the payment cap for landowners allowing public hunting access through the popular Block Management program.

Senate Bill 58 allows landowners to receive up to $50,000 annually for impacts in allowing public hunting, the second increase in as many sessions as the state faces an influx of new residents and hunting pressure on open public and private lands.

Montanas Block Management program increases access to hunters, offers incredible opportunities for Montanans to recreate, and really exemplifies the Montana spirit of neighbors helping neighbors, Gianforte said from the Sieben Ranch north of Helena, one of the programs first cooperators.

SB 58 came at the recommendation of the Private Land/Public Wildlife Committee, a governor-appointed group that works on access issues and landowner relations.

Montanas Block Management program is arguably the most successful program of its type in the entire West, and Senate Bill 98 is the first step in securing and revitalizing that program to add value to Montanas ag producers who do a tremendous job in this state of providing habitat that benefits our wildlife that we all enjoy and appreciate here, said Ed Beall, chair of the committee.

SB 58 was introduced into the Legislature as part of a consensus package of six bills endorsed by the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association and Montana Citizens Elk Management Coalition. The consensus represented an effort among groups that often spared in past sessions to move forward legislation aimed at improving access, decreasing crowding and improving hunter behavior.

Along with SB 58, which was carried by Wibaux Republican Sen. Steve Hinebauch, Senate Bill 281 from Sen. Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade, also passed the Legislature with hefty margins. The bill reduces the number of additional doe deer licenses that may be purchased by nonresident hunters in an effort to reduce crowding and help some struggling herds of mule deer. Gianforte has not yet taken action on the bill.

A provision of House Bill 2, the Legislatures main budget bill, will fund a new state access specialist and has been backed by supporters of the package.

The lone bill voted down is House Bill 243 from Rep. Marilyn Marler, D-Missoula. The bill would have required hunters complete an in-person field day as part of hunter education. The bill was later amended in a Senate committee to require that all hunters under 18 complete hunter education entirely in-person.

The bill drew significant support as a policy to improve hunter education after online classes proliferated during the pandemic. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks lost more than 40% of its volunteer instructors during the pandemic, and a survey of instructors noted frustration with classes going online.

The bill appeared to be headed to the governor, passing the House and an initial vote in the Senate. But on the Senates final vote, 16 Republicans flipped to voting the measure down.

Senate President Jason Ellsworth told the Montana State News Bureau that he and Marler spoke with FWP Director Hank Worsech, and that FWP plans to reinstate the program. The program has been volunteer-based and it will take time to ramp the program back up, he said, adding that he believed it made the legislation unnecessary.

Marler said she was disappointed that Senate Republicans voted the bill down, and that a consistent message coming from both hunters and landowners are concerns about hunter behavior and a need for more education. More education also offers more opportunities for people of different backgrounds to take up hunting, she added.

Montana's hunter ed program, prior to being ended by this administration, was an outstanding example for the whole country, Marler said. I value the years of expertise and passion shared by hunter ed instructors.

FWP leadership says they will start implementing in person hunter ed field days even though this bill died. I hope they do, but if not I will bring the bill back next session. Our hunting culture is important and did not develop by accident, it has been cultivated for decades and we need to keep it going with intention and care.

Two bills have gone to the governor but returned to the Legislature with suggested amendments. Those bills saw very different votes on Thursday.

House Bill 596 from Rep. Denley Loge, R-St. Regis, reforms hunting access agreements, commonly called the 454 program for the bill that originally established the program. The program provides landowners allowing some public access a difficult-to-draw bull elk permit. Changes made last session reducing the number of public hunters required by the program has caused heartburn among hunting groups.

HB 596 requires that at least one of the public hunters also be allowed to hunt a bull. The governors amendment adds language that the landowners permit may only be used on property open to the public. The amendments were endorsed by the House Thursday with no debate on a vote of 97-3.

A more controversial bills fate is far murkier after the House voted down the governors amendments on Thursday.

House Bill 635 from Rep. Joshua Kassmier, R-Fort Benton, seeks to create a landowner pool among nonresident landowners for drawing elk and deer licenses. As written, 15% of licenses would come out of the current 17,000 nonresident licenses offered via lottery for nonresident landowners with at least 2,500 acres. The bill as passed allowed additional licenses for additional acreage.

HB 635 saw fractured opinions from hunting groups, with some in favor of the bill as a means of reducing crowding on public lands and dealing with nonresident landowner complaints about not being able to hunt their own properties. Other groups have vehemently opposed the bill due to concerns about incentivizing purchases of amenity hunting properties and potential impacts to other programs such as the 454s.

The governors amendments aimed at simplifying the bill, he wrote in a letter to lawmakers, would allow up to three licenses for the 2,500 acres and require that a landowner own the property at least three years to qualify. The additional licenses renewed opposition for the bill, and those concerns carried onto the House floor on Thursday.

Were giving something to nonresidents we dont even give to residents, that we dont even give to Montana farmers and ranchers, Rep. Tom France, D-Missoula said in pointing out that resident landowner preference pools only offer single permits.

The House summarily voted down the amendments 35-65.

HB 635 could now go down several different paths. It will go to the Senate, and if that body also votes down the amendments, it returns to Gianforte in its original form. If the Senate approves the amendments, they could go to a conference committee where the bodies could make additional amendments to the bill. The product of the conference committee must also then pass both chambers, otherwise it returns to the governor in its original form for his reconsideration.

Reporter Sam Wilson contributed to this story
A Senate finance committee Thursday brought the contentious deal to send 120 inmates out of state back into play.

The version the Senate Finance and Claims Committee approved Thursday removes CoreCivic, the private prison operator, from the specific language in the bill. Some lawmakers had previously expressed some concern that identifying the company in law could improperly circumvent the bidding process for state contracts.

Lawmakers who supported the transfer have made their case on capacity issues in prisons that have led county jails to pile up inmates awaiting for transfers to prison after their convictions.

Earlier this month, the Senate Finance and Claims Committee killed off the transfer provision, citing gains in criminal diversion programs and pre-release options that meant Montana didn't need to finance prison beds several states away.

Additionally, some lawmakers have contended the Department of Corrections hasn't provided enough information for lawmakers to conclude there is a capacity issue.

"I just want to make sure were clear here," Butte Sen. Ryan Lynch, a Democrat, said during Thursday's hearing. "Were taking CoreCivics name out of statute but were essentially putting the same dollar amount and the same demand for prison beds that we havent been shown we need."

Sen. Jon Esp, R-Big Timber, supported the change.

"Several of us think we need it ... but they could contract with Utah or anybody, any other group if they wanted to. It's just making it a more transparent and open process," Esp said.

The proposal began as an amendment in the state budget, but now lives in House Bill 817, a capital projects bill for Montana State Prison. The Senate Finance and Claims Committee shelved that bill last week and revived it again Thursday morning.

Arm-twisting to get the 120 private prison beds back into play had materialized in an amendment for a different bill, Senate Bill 95, added last week. That bill deals largely in sentencing criteria for theft charges, but saw a new provision in the House Appropriations Committee requiring HB 817 to include the $8 million for the 120 private prison beds, or SB 95 would be void upon passage.

The House Appropriations Committee is the panel that initiated the CoreCivic deal to send Montana prisoners to the company's Arizona facility.

The provision added to HB 817 on Thursday must still be approved by the Senate and, if passed, return to the House before it could advance to the Governor's Office to be signed into law or vetoed.

The Governor's Office has repeatedly stated the Arizona deal was developed by the Legislature and has not endorsed the idea of sending inmates out of state, though it has not outright opposed it either.
A bill that would spend nearly $140 million and expand the Legislature's control over the state Capitol and surrounding complex advanced in the Senate on Thursday, and now needs approval of amendments in the House before it would cross the finish line with seven days left in the Legislative session.

House Bill 856 was approved on a second reading in the Senate on a wide 38-12 margin and faces one more procedural vote there before returning to its original chamber.

Senate President Jason Ellsworth carried the bill in the Senate for Speaker of the House Matt Regier. Ellsworth said the legislation was worked on during the interim by the Legislative Council and the expanded capacity is necessary for a Legislature that's expanding its role during and between sessions.

"We also know that our interim work is getting greater and greater, so were finding a need for additional space," Ellsworth said Thursday.

In addition to the money for deferred maintenance at the Capitol complex, renovations and improvements to other buildings and more, the bill would also say the basement, first, third and fourth floors would be legislative space.

Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick, the majority leader from Great Falls, said lawmakers didn't need to be spending more than $100 million in this bill with all the other spending demands coming to a head at the end of this session.

"I'm not sure that that's an appropriate use of taxpayer money this session," Fitzpatrick said of the bill. " ... We're only here four months every two years. ... I realized we're proud of the Legislature, we should be, but we don't need to spend 100 million bucks on the Legislature."

Sen. Daniel Zolnikov, R-Billings, also spoke against the bill.

"We are a part-time Legislature, but we increased our per diem (and) we increased our pay (in previous bills passed this session), and now we're going to treat it like this is the most important priority."

Sen. Becky Beard, an Elliston Republican, said the she wanted to see lawmakers stop growing government at a pace she said outstrips population growth.

But Sen. Janet Ellis, a Helena Republican, said the bill had necessary deferred maintenance spending.

"This is just a portion of what this state needs," Ellis said. " ... It's not just about making things look pretty but also about making things look functional."

Sen. Barry Usher, a Republican from Yellowstone County, pointed to pandemic-era safety guidance from pubic health officials that the Legislature did not comply with when holding the 2021 session as a reason lawmakers needed to be able to control their own space.

"I'll go back to the COVID days. COVID days we stood strong. We're a different branch of government. We're not going to wear masks," Usher said.
One hundred votes registered for bill after bill during the floor session in the Montana House of Representatives on Thursday, but a particular seat remained empty.

Rep. Zooey Zephyr, a Missoula Democrat and transgender legislator who had been banned from the House floor, anteroom and gallery a day earlier for her comments on an anti-trans bill and subsequent engagement with protesters Monday, was voting from her relegated place in the hallway outside of the House.

"I showed up this morning and I decided I want to be as close to the floor as I can be," Zephyr said. "The people's house is where I was sent. And it's where I want to be."

The ban has headlined national news outlets as states across the country grapple with legislation aimed at how trans people live.

If Zephyr's ban from the floor was a formal motion conducted out in the open, moves House Republicans took Thursday had less obvious but still dramatic effects on her ability to participate in committee hearings.

Through a series of individual maneuvers, Republicans wound down those committees earlier than planned. GOP lawmakers on Thursday, however, denied those actions were meant to keep Zephyr from participating.

Zephyr this session has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee, as well as the Health and Human Services Committee. Four study bills still awaiting votes in those committees Thursday were either transferred to a different committee or elevated to the House floor, cutting off any public hearing in which Zephyr could participate.

Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. Amy Regier, R-Kalispell, told the House floor repeatedly during the motions to bring bills from her committee to the House floor that it was "due to the circumstances the past couple days" that have put proceedings on a shortened timeframe. She declined to elaborate Thursday on those circumstances when asked by the Montana State News Bureau, but did say the Judiciary Committee has no planned business for the remainder of the session.

Rep. Jennifer Carlson, R-Churchill, chairs the health committee and likewise said that panel is not expected to meet again before the Legislature adjourns. Rep. Alice Buckley, the Democratic vice chair of the committee, told reporters she was given no explanation as to why a bill was removed from the Health and Human Services Committee's docket. That bill was House Joint Resolution 41, intended to study fentanyl and marijuana abuse.

Three other bills scheduled for the judiciary committee were typical matters considered by that panel, and seek to study issues around prisons, criminal fines and abortion complications. The abortion complication study bill, House Resolution 33, was transferred to the House Business and Labor Committee, which has heard no abortion bills through the 83 days of the Legislature so far. The House Judiciary Committee has heard 11 such bills.

"So what it looks like is the motion yesterday to remove me from the floor of the House, from the antechamber and the gallery, it looks like they are taking an additional step that was not in that motion, which is to cancel all committees that I am a part of," Zephyr told reporters Wednesday. "None of this was communicated to me from the Republican Party."

The matter became a brief point of contention on the House floor around 8 p.m. Thursday near the end of the legislative day. Rep. Laurie Bishop, a Livingston Democrat and vice chair of the Judiciary Committee, said the implication of the bill movement is that Zephyr was being disciplined beyond the ban the House voted on Wednesday.

"The position I feel like I'm coming to is we were kept from that committee and the work that was assigned to that committee  because of the member from House District 100 and trying to keep her from the process that we do there," Bishop said on the floor. "We took action together yesterday as a whole and that action in front of us we voted on did not include committee work."

Rep. Casey Knudsen, a Malta Republican and Rules Committee Chair, defended the actions earlier in the day.

"It's just a valid part of the process again so I don't think there was anything incorrect," he said.

Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe, R-Billings, also spoke against the notion Thursday that the motivations for moving the bills were outside of Zephyr's ban from the House. In the final seven days before the Legislature is required to adjourn, several rules have been suspended, deadlines moved and bills hijacked in order to meet the body's goals.

"This is where we are in the session," she said.

As the House wrapped up its work for the day, lawmakers streamed off the floor into the hallways, where Zephyr sat at her laptop computer.

"They're utilizing every tool at their disposal to disenfranchise the 11,000 Montanans who elected me here to speak on the bills," Zephyr said. "And if I can't speak on them on the floor, and I can't speak on them on the committee, then they're doing everything in their power to remove the voice of 11,000 Montanans."
On the 76th day of this legislative session, the issue of decorum became front-page news.

Debating a bill that would deny parents the right to seek and physicians the right to provide care for transgender adolescents, Rep. Zooey Zephyr, herself transgender, told her colleagues that denying this care was tantamount to torture and anyone voting for the bill should be ashamed.

Majority Leader Sue Vinton rose to object. We will not be shamed by anyone in this chamber, she admonished Zephyr.

Then Ill only say this, Zephyr responded. If you vote yes on this bill, I hope  the next time you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands.

Fuming, Vinton called Zephyrs remarks inappropriate, disrespectful and uncalled for.

Inappropriate? Ill forgo parsing that elastic word. Disrespectful? Definitely. Uncalled for? Most definitely not. Consider the context.

Put yourself in the place of legislators who, like Zephyr, are themselves LGBTQ+ or have children, other relatives, or friends who are. Imagine maintaining decorum in hearings where a bill sponsor continually harrumphs that bulls are bulls and cows are cows.

Imagine hearing another colleague dismiss the vast number of opponents who traveled from far and wide to oppose his bill limiting LGTBQ freedoms with the disparaging explanation, They probably dont have jobs.

Imagine listening to your worthy colleagues repeatedly and pugnaciously characterize the gender-affirming health care you yourself received as mutilation. When the Senate minority leader, the widower of a breast cancer victim, begged fellow senators not to use that word in describing the surgery his wife underwent, instead of a modicum of sympathy he got a vocabulary lesson.

Zooey Zephyr is serving her first term as the first openly transgender woman in a session enacting bill after bill to demean, denounce and deny rights to LGTBQ+ people, their families and their physicians. The content of the bills would be hard enough to stomach. But the lack of decorum displayed by bill sponsors, proponents, committee chairs and fellow legislators has been condoned again and again.

For 75 days, in hearing after hearing, objections to the graphic language and insensitive characterizations that hurt real people in real time fell on the deaf ears of chairs in hearing rooms, the Senate chamber, and the House floor.

On Day 76 Zooey Zephyr rose.

Ive always gagged a bit on the decorum protocols of the Montana Legislature. All this the good senator in seat 27  and my friend from Ekalaka stuff has a cloying faux-sweetness, especially when you suspect the senator in seat 27 aint all that good and the representative from Ekalaka hates your guts.

But observing the true foundation of decorum is essential in a government that makes all its decisions through debates that can touch the very core of our being. That foundation is acceptance of the notion that disrespect is in the ear of the listener. If you are told your words hurt, you reconsider. None of us wants to cause another unnecessary pain. And as Rep. SJ Howell reminded the body so compellingly at Zephyrs trial, you dont follow the rules to protect somebodys feelings. You follow them to protect the process. Humans arent always smart when theyre smarting.

For 75 days, Zooey Zephyr experienced the disrespect of lapsed decorum. On Day 76, she responded in kind. Uncalled for? Hardly. The only wonder is that it took so long. But ever since, the supermajority has been sowing the wind  first pointedly misgendering her while calling for her censure, then silencing her, and finally, when the inevitable protest ended in the inevitable outburst, calling for her expulsion from the chamber.

Every Montanan should watch the recorded expulsion proceeding. Glued to prepared scripts, the powerful laid out a case they failed to prove. Speaking without a note, Zephyr and her defenders spoke truth to power. Power prevailed, of course. But no one who listens to the remarks of Zooey Zephyr and SJ Howell on the House floor on April 26, 2023, will soon forget them.

We are better than this, the majority leader fumed at the beginning of this debacle. Listening to Zooey and SJ eight days later, I thought, we sure are.

Bring on the whirlwind.
BLUE MOUND  First grader Becca Burleson got a new superhero name on Friday: Becca the Best.

She was recruited by Captain Super Grin, sometimes known as Anika Flores, during a Delta Dental Land of Smiles assembly at Meridian Elementary School, to help fight Caz Cavity. Becca's job was to hold up a sign telling students to brush and floss twice a day, and the other students' job was to read the sign at the top of their lungs every time Becca raised it.

The Land of Smiles assembly is a way to remind kids of good dental hygiene, but to make it fun, Flores said afterward. She and Marcus Martinez, who portrayed Caz, will present that message to 6,000 kids over three weeks, and teachers can go to heyteachers.org for more ideas to reinforce the message afterward.

Kids received a dental health kit containing a toothbrush, floss and toothpaste when they returned to their classrooms.

It was fun, to be a superhero, Becca said afterward. Her mom had already taught her about dental health, she said, but she enjoyed the assembly.

Delta Dental of Illinois sponsors the program every spring, reaching over 21,000 students this year altogether.

About 62% of parents report that their children have already had dental problems, Delta found in a survey. A checkup with the dentist is required by state law for Illinois students in kindergarten, second, sixth and ninth grade. But its also key for students to maintain good oral health habits  such as eating healthy foods and limiting sugary drinks  throughout the school year. Education provides the foundation for kids to establish a lifetime of good oral health.

Captain Super Grin, assisted by Terri Tooth Fairy  who said I got my wings at Target!  and Toothpick, both portrayed by Martinez, reminded the kids to eat healthy snacks, drink water instead of sugary sodas, and get plenty of exercise in addition to taking care of their teeth, for overall good health.

The presentation was created by The National Theatre for Children.
Meet the extraordinary 2022 Decatur-area 'Heart of Health Care' honorees

Our "Heart of Health Care" special project chronicles the incredible contribution this profession provides to our community. They are on the front lines ensuring we are safe and healthy, from clinics, physicians offices and nursing homes to schools, operating rooms and battlefields. They educate, comfort, assist and mend. They lead.

COVID-19 has brought into focus the critical importance of nurses in our society. Nurses are on the frontlines of the fight, despite increased medical risk and personal sacrifice.

Nurses Week is May 6-12 and was created by the American Nurses Association to recognize, honor and celebrate nurses for the work they do for others. The Herald & Review and our partners are honored to recognize this vital and tireless profession.

How they were selected

Our honorees were nominated by our readers. We received numerous nominations ranging from those just starting out to ones who have been licensed for years.

Eight of our nurses honorees were picked by a panel of judges and one nurse honoree was picked by our readers.

Stories written by Allison Petty. Photos by Clay Jackson.
DECATUR  Heather R. Brown bid a tearful courtroom farewell to her Decatur family as she was led away to start a six-year prison term after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a submachine gun.

You will have to go with my court security at this time, Macon County Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Geisler told the weeping 41-year-old defendant. She then turned to the public gallery and called out I love you before being escorted out Wednesday morning.

Brown had pleaded guilty to the charge at a hearing in February as part of a deal negotiated by defense attorney Chris Amero, who shared a hug with his client as she left.

The plea had been an open one and the six years imposed by Geisler was the minimum sentence he could give at Wednesdays sentencing. The judge dismissed an additional charge of being a felon in possession of a weapon and two counts of possession of stolen weapons as part of the deal. A further charge of dealing in cannabis was also stricken.

A sworn affidavit from Decatur police said officers from the departments Street Crimes Unit and Emergency Response Team had surprised Brown with a raid on her West Packard Street home on the afternoon of Jan. 21, 2022.

The officers had a narcotics search warrant and said they seized more than four pounds of cannabis from Browns bedroom. They also found digital scales and boxes of sandwich bags, typically associated with street-level drug sales.

Detective Jason Hesse, who signed the affidavit, said police found a 9mm handgun left on a nightstand and a 9mm Glock pistol inside a safe in the bedroom.

Upon running the serial numbers on both weapons, both weapons were found to be reported stolen out of Macon County, Hesse said.

The Glock 9mm was equipped with an after-market part that, based on detectives prior training and experience, will allow the weapon to be fired fully automatic. Brown had been released on $100,000 bail the day following her arrest after she had posted a bond of $10,000.

Brown is not allowed to own weapons as she is a felon who was convicted of drug dealing in 2003 when she had been sentenced to 24 months probation.

2023 mugshots from the Herald & Review Lourash Hirstein Phillip Gehrken Joseph A. Williams Jetrevius O. Jarrett Edwards King-Woods Wilson
Photo: The Canadian Press Defence Minister Anita Anand.

Defence Minister Anita Anand says Canadian evacuation flights in Sudan have been hampered by a mechanical issue in one military plane that has since been resolved.

Anand won't specify what the mechanical issue is, saying her officials will explain to reporters this afternoon.

But she says another problem that emerged is an oil patch on a runway used for evacuations in Sudan.

She says roughly 250 Canadians have been evacuated out of the East African country, which has faced a shocking uptick in violence over the last two weeks between the country's military and paramilitary forces.

Anand notes that Turkey reported one of its military evacuation planes was shot at, which she says illustrates the danger in Sudan's capital of Khartoum.

She says two of Canada's Hercules search-and-rescue planes have so far evacuated 117 people, including 42 Canadians, while a C-17 plane sits in Djibouti to help bring people from that country to Canada.

"The situation is very dangerous and very volatile on the ground. This situation is evolving rapidly. I am receiving updates on the hour," Anand told reporters in Dartmouth, N.S.

"The terrain at the airport is very rough. And it requires a continual assessment by our officials together with our allies," she said.

The Turkish news site Daily Sabah reported that the country's defence ministry says a C-130 flight was shot at with small arms. The ministry reportedly accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of shooting at the plane, which the group denied.
The National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago released results of a survey last month. They asked people about their attitudes toward a number of things, including family, religion, money, patriotism and hard work.

One response in particular stood out: Only 27% of the respondents said community involvement was very important to them, down from 62% in 2019.

The report is consistent with many other troubling findings about changes in American society.

Surveys on volunteerism indicate that about a quarter of Americans volunteer formally each year, and about half informally help out neighbors. The highest rates of formal volunteering are in Utah and Wyoming, while informal volunteering is highest in Nebraska and Montana, where nearly 70% of the population regularly help out their neighbors.

Yet the supply of volunteers is aging, and organizations that rely on volunteers are struggling to keep up with the increased demand. A recent study of 1,200 nonprofits reported that in 2022 twice as many had trouble finding enough volunteers compared to 2019.

Moreover, most of the widely known service clubs  such as Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, Civitan and Optimist  have been in gradual decline since their peak in the 1950s and 1960s. Organizations including Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, which prepare youth for community participation later in life, also have been declining since their peak in the 1970s.

If volunteering was just a matter of finding enough people to help out in communities, that would be one thing. But an even greater consequence of the decline in volunteers is the overall effect on participants physical and emotional health.

Why are volunteerism rates uneven? Florida, Wyoming explain The share of Americans who volunteer their time to help charities build houses, serve food, do environmental cleanup, and much else has been on the decline nationwide.

Our nation is experiencing what many experts term an epidemic of loneliness, isolation and depression. One in five millennials report having no friends and no acquaintances. We have organizations in every community dying for lack of members, and homes are full of people sitting alone every evening wondering how their lives became so small.

A wide circle of acquaintances provides a wealth of possibilities for nurturing friendships. And we know from research that those who have several friends are much less likely to feel lonely or to suffer from poor health. In fact, 86% of Americans who have six or more friends say they are satisfied or very satisfied with their personal health.

Friendship takes time for relationships to mature, and the best way to nurture relationships is by participating in shared activities.

I was attending a meeting of my local Rotary club recently. They needed volunteers and would be passing a signup sheet around to the tables. I looked at all the people in the room. How many of these club members had I volunteered with over the years?

There was Ray sitting at a table up front. One weekend when I was still new to the club we found ourselves painting a building owned by a local nonprofit. He told me all about his children.

Mark was talking to Julie at the table next to mine. Each winter just before Christmas I visit with them as we pick up fruit baskets to deliver around town. Jerry was at a table near the back. I recall the bitterly cold January day when we were helping put away the holiday light display at Riverside Park. I am still grateful to him for giving me a package of hand warmers.

Looking around the room some more, I saw Trent and Amy and Jennifer. We have all served on various committees together, and I realized I know something about each of them due to conversations while working on projects together. Trent loves to fish. Amy had knee surgery a couple of years ago. Jennifer loves cats.

I kept looking about the room, trying to get a handle on the number of people with whom I had worked on some project or other, but I soon gave up. At every table there were several people, and the sight of each brought up distinct and pleasant memories.

We tend to think of service to others as a sacrifice. And it can be. Yet serving also satisfies a deep-seated human need for belonging  for being loved, respected and useful.

Twenty years ago, someone was thoughtful enough to invite me to come to a Rotary meeting and consider joining. I thought I was signing up to help others, but what I have been given is so much greater than anything I may have contributed.

I believe the solution to many of todays most pressing social concerns is right in front of us. It consists in encouraging people to join with a small group of friends who are interested in making their community better. It does not require a huge investment of tax dollars nor reform of our political system. It requires no protests, or debates or campaigns. All it requires, said Martin Luther King, Jr., is a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.

Imagine how many people might be saved from a life of loneliness and quiet desperation by a simple invitation and a willingness to say yes.
The departure from television of one of its most popular faces is reflected in the divisive nature among those concerned with the presence of Tucker Carlson.

Carlson, whose final appearance on Fox News was on April 21, parted ways with the network in the aftermath of Fox's settlement in the defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems. Dominion Voting Systems sued over segments promoting bogus claims that election fraud cheated then-President Donald Trump of victory in the 2020 presidential election.

We take no delight in any person losing their job. But we take issue when those who have the public trust actively lie to that public, whether it be a small-town weekly newspaper or the most popular news host on cable TV.

An additional issue with Carlson and those like him (regardless of political leaning) who couch their rights to say anything without proof. They're not journalists, they claim. They're entertainers. commentators, anything that allows them to spew their views without consequence. One of their trademark views? To frame a contentious, controversial or even outright incorrect viewpoint, then respond to criticism by saying, "I'm just asking the question."

The difference between backstage and the screen at Fox News has been clear in the aftermath of the 2020 election. Onscreen, raising fear has been the model, convincing the viewer that someone somewhere has it out for the American way of life. Backstage, they worry about their audience size and how many eyeballs they're losing to other outlets.

The Los Angeles Times confirmed that the decision to oust Carlson came directly from Fox Corp Chair Rupert Murdoch. Murdoch, the Times says, was weary of Carlson's conspiracy theories about the January 6, 2021, riots at the Capitol.

Carlson's firing has some overlap with the dismissal of CNN's Don Lemon. Specifically, both routinely disseminated ideologically strident opinions.

But Lemon was never redressed as completely as Carlson was when a judge dismissed a defamation case against Carlson in 2020. The judge wrote: "Fox persuasively argues, that given Mr. Carlson's reputation, any reasonable viewer 'arrive[s] with an appropriate amount of skepticism' about the statement he makes."

The "'general tenor' of the show should then inform a viewer that [Carlson] is not 'stating actual facts' about the topics he discusses and is instead engaging in 'exaggeration' and 'non-literal commentary.' "

Seldom does a legal body defend speech within a news program by essentially saying, "Who would believe this person's nonsense?"

Carlson acolytes claim the man's position was sacrificed as a punishment for his truth-telling. But which position was truth-telling? The on-air one who embraced far-right talking points or the private one texting and emailing colleagues acknowledging on-air lies and trashing co-workers?

An additional problem is how Carlson's behavior dirties all journalists. Just as a bad salesman, police officer or employee reflects negatively on their professions and businesses, bad behavior on the part of television talking heads reflects on all who gather and disseminate news.

We certainly haven't seen the last of Tucker Carlson. Running for public office can't be far from his mind. Hopefully, any electorate will remember what's transpired in the last three years.

And remember, Carlson has now been fired from CNN. MSNBC, PBS and Fox News. There aren't that many places left to go.
New Braunfels Police Department Detective Richard Groff (bottom row, third from left) and New Braunfels firefighter Randy Diaz (bottom row, fifth from right) were honored at Mondays New Braunfels City Council meeting.
An Austin man is believed responsible for the deaths of a man and woman found dead in separate vehicles an hour apart early Tuesday in New Bra
ABINGDON, Va.  A brick-and-mortar business is relaunching in Abingdon with new ownership that plans to expand its mission.

When Lucy Stewart, an avid knitter and crocheter, learned one of her favorite places to shop was up for sale, she bought the business.

Earlier this year, Stewart, of Kingsport, became the new owner of A Likely Yarn, a locally owned business founded in 2008 by Abingdon resident Janet Woolwine.

The new entrepreneur is hosting a grand re-opening at the store at 213 Pecan St. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 28 through 30. The event is being held in conjunction with National Local Yarn Shop Day, a program hosted by the National NeedleArts Association thats designed to encourage more traffic to local yarn stores.

The celebration will feature daily prize drawings and discounts. The first 40 people to arrive on Saturday will receive free goodie bags from the shop.

The small business, located in a cozy cottage-like house near the Virginia Creeper Trail, has weathered many ups and downs in the economy, recessions, and most recently a pandemic.

Woolwine recently took a sentimental journey, remembering how her business got started 15 years ago.

After enrolling in a knitting class at Virginia Highlands Community College in 2008, she discovered there were no yarn shops closer than Blacksburg, Virginia, and Asheville, North Carolina, at the time.

Answering the call to serve the artistic community, Woolwine opened A Likely Yarn four months later at the former Zazzyz Coffee Shop. Its mission was to create a welcome space for crafters of all skill levels and all economic levels.

A year later, Woolwine renovated the bungalow that currently houses A Likely Yarn.

Both the concept and the business have grown steadily, she said. Im optimistic, confident, and excited about all the recent changes and the many more to come.

A human connection

One ingredient thats made the business a success over the years is the human connection it offers.

Owning a successful brick-and-mortar shop can be a challenge these days, especially with the convenience of ordering online. But the beauty of having a local yarn shop, said the new owner, is forming bonds with the artisans.

A local store front creates a sense of community, said Stewart, who believes an open sit and stitch time at the shop has proven to be a good way to connect with people. That connection is important especially since we live in such a digital society. Its nice just to sit and talk and stitch together.

Wendy Dayton of Abingdon is a beginning knitter who enrolled in classes earlier this year. She said A Likely Yarn is her go-to store for fiber supplies.

They have everything here. Its amazing, she said.

Like many of her customers, Stewarts love of fibers started at a young age when her sister introduced her to crafts like rug hooking, needlepoint, and cross-stitch.

My family has always jokingly called me Martha Stewart. Whats funny is I married a man with the last name Stewart and my first name is actually Martha.

Whats old is new again

Knitting and crocheting isnt just for your grandmother anymore. According to Stewart, an interest in the art forms is on the rise.

You know that trend that says whats old is new again, she said. A lot of crafters are revisiting and bringing them back to life.

Stewart said a new trend in teen clothing is to incorporate handmade granny squares, a piece of square fabric produced in crochet. The squares got the name from the Victorian days when grandmothers would save scraps of yarn to make the squares.

Teens are putting them on their jackets, vest and even their pants, Stewart said.

As the new owner, Stewart has replenished the store with popular brands of yarn, such as Miss Babs which is manufactured in Mountain City, Tennessee, and sold exclusively to only a few yarn shops in the country, including A Likely Yarn.

A new feature at the shop is Woobles, beginner-friendly crochet kits that represent a Japanese art form called amigurumi.

Theyre really a big deal now with the younger crocheters. You can make critters like a bunny, fox or penguin. Its like a mini stuffed animal made out of crochet, said Stewart.

Embroidery is making a really big comeback right now too, she said. A lot of teens are embroidering their backpacks, jeans, and shirts.

Just for the grand re-opening, Stewart will offer Urth Yarn Kits that come with free knit and crochet patterns.

In celebration of National Local Yarn Shop Day, Art Yarns, an independent dyer, has created a unique colorway that is uniquely dyed just for this particular weekend.

There will also be branded merchandise with the new A Likely Yarn logo, introducing Ginger, the red-headed sheep, appearing on T-shirts, tote bags and stickers. She also stocks kits for embroidery, weaving and needle felting.

A Likely Yarn offers classes for beginning knitting and crocheting. In addition, the shop hosts a yarn camp four times a year at Jubilee House and Retreat Center in Abingdon. The retreat offers participants the opportunity to meet other artisans while spending a weekend doing nothing but knitting, crocheting and hanging out with friends.

I call it the best girls weekend ever, said Stewart.

Visit the website for A Likely Yarn at www.alikelyyarn.com and check out their Facebook page.
CommScope was hit by a ransomware attack in late March and the hackers are claiming to have posted data taken from the company online.

Earlier this week, the Hickory-based fiber optic cable manufacturer said they were looking into these claims while also emphasizing they had seen no indication that client information has been compromised.

Brett Callow, a Canadian-based threat analyst with the firm Emsisoft, confirmed the hacker group Vice Society has posted a link to information purportedly taken from CommScope on the dark web, the part of the internet which is inaccessible by search engines and is often used by cybercriminals.

What exactly that data is, Callow cant say.

I dont access the data in these cases, Callow said. I have no reason to further invade peoples privacy.

Online newspaper TechCrunch has reported the information includes employee information such as Social Security numbers and bank information.

Callow said he does not know who is behind the Vice Society hacking group but said they appear to have formed in 2021 and have targeted institutions such as schools but seem to now have moved on to larger organizations.

Callow also discussed how these attacks typically play out. Generally, he said, the hackers will infiltrate an organizations system, copy data and then lock the organizations system until they make good on the ransom.

The ransom they demand then covers two parts: providing a key to unlock the computers and a pinkie promise that the stolen data will be destroyed, Callow said.

While it is possible attackers may release the data even if a ransom is paid, Callow said the fact that data from CommScope has apparently been leaked online strongly suggests the company did not pay a ransom.

If so, thats the right call, he said. While some organizations may have difficulty regaining access to their systems following an attack, Callow said the best route is to avoiding meeting the hackers demands if at all possible.

The attack was discovered shortly before the company publicly announced an expansion that would include the creation of 250 jobs and introduction of a new fiber optic cable intended to expand broadband access to rural areas.

Gov. Roy Cooper and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo visited a CommScope manufacturing plant for the announcement.

Callow believes the timing may not be coincidental.

It has been established that its not unusual for groups to delay encrypting the files until what they consider an advantageous time  shortly before a merger for example, Callow said. Also, shortly before a company is due to make a big press announcement or get a visit from whomever it was that visited.

When it comes to ransomware attacks, Callow said there is no typical target.

I saw a day care listed this morning. So, its everyone, he said.

He said there is no easy answer for how to guard against these attacks but he did recommend ensuring basic security procedures are in place, particularly things like requiring multifactor verification for accessing systems.

For organizations that have been attacked, he said its best to seek expertise.

Really, the best advice for any organizations that find themselves in this position is to get help from a company that specializes in responding to these incidents, Callow said.
Judge Claude Sitton had a vision in 2003 to open a museum in Morganton featuring historical exhibits and artifacts from all walks of life in Burke County.

Sitton, who had just retired from the bench that January, was inspired by a museum he had encountered near the courthouse in Murphy. He met with nearly a dozen people in February 2003 to discuss his ideas about creating a museum that would preserve and share Burke County history. The group eventually began meeting monthly, and plans for the museum took shape.

The group incorporated and received tax-exempt status. The first financial donation to the museum was made by Steve Settlemyre, who paid the filing fee for the corporate charter, according to the museums Winter 2023 newsletter.

Then the search for a building began. The group looked at several properties before approaching the Burke County Board of Commissioners.

This building (the current museum facility at 201 W. Meeting St. in Morganton) was vacant, Sitton said. They (county officials) were putting the Board of Elections in the lobby. We asked for some space, and they gave us what is now the curators office, and gave the county manager the authority to expand if we needed more storage for artifacts.

The building once served as Morganton City Hall, until the city moved its offices to 305 E. Union St. Following the move, county leaders expressed interest in purchasing the property.

The county was paying the city on a month-to-month basis, Sitton said. We negotiated with the city and county to get together. When they got to 50-50 (between) what they claimed the property was worth and what they sold it for, the city forgave half of the debt the county owed them, and we got the building  the county gave it to us.

The museum opened in 2003. Sitton had the honor of donating the first artifact, according to the newsletter. It was a Belgian flintlock rifle with a sawed-off barrel he found in a barn in 1945. The museum staff and board of directors put the word out that they were seeking historical items to display.

The first year, we took in nine donations, Sitton said. The next year, it kept increasing.

Sitton took on the title of executive director of the museum, a position he still holds today. The first curator was Ruby Pharr, and Keith Brown served as the first registrar of artifacts. Betty Whitaker was the first treasurer.

She was a stickler to our opening accounts with the Community Foundation (of Burke County) to set up an endowment, Sitton said.

As the museum collection grew, the county allotted more space in the building for exhibits, storage and office space. When the Burke County Board of Elections moved to the Foothills Higher Education Center on Sterling Street in 2009, the museum had the whole facility to itself.

The building was in need of renovations to make it more like a museum and to repair a major roof leak. The board of directors had raised and donated some money since its incorporation, but funds for renovations came mainly from a challenge grant donated by a foundation established by Morganton native Susu Phifer Johnson and her husband. The grant was for $500,000 over five years, provided the museum could raise $100,000 per year in that same time period, which it did.

Meanwhile, county officials were attempting to sell the vacant annex building next door to the museum, but couldnt find a buyer, so in 2016, they transferred ownership of the annex to the History Museum as well.

In addition to financial support, Sitton recognized the work of countless volunteers over the last 20 years in helping to make the museum a success, especially curator Phyllis Wogan and assistant curator Wayne Hitt.

During COVID, Wayne was the backbone here, Sitton said. Everyone was quarantined, (but) Wayne was able to get out. He went to the post office and picked up the mail, came up here, opened the mail and called me and asked what to do with it.

Sitton believes the coronavirus pandemic was probably the greatest challenge theyve ever faced, because it forced the museum to close for nearly two years and delayed the opening of new exhibits.

When asked if there was a particular exhibit, project or program he was most proud of, he declared he was proud of them all.

The one I really feel is our best exhibit is the airplane exhibit, Sitton said. Weve got model airplanes that were made by Leslie Patton, who was a policeman and then became the tax collector for the city of Morganton. He was on his deathbed and gave us all of them  all the work he had done for 40 years.

He also expressed appreciation for Morganton native Jim Warlick, who has brought three major exhibits to the museum over the years: a replica of the presidential Oval Office, a collection of US presidential memorabilia, and most recently, the Workers Legacy exhibit showcasing the people who worked in textile, hosiery and furniture factories in Burke County in the 20th century.

The museum board recently accepted a challenge grant from Warlick similar to the one from the Johnsons foundation. Warlicks grant will award the museum $500,000 over five years, provided the museum can match the funds and maintain the Dignity of Work monument Warlick had installed on the museums grounds and the Workers Legacy exhibit.

The newsletter notes that the museum has received more than 23,000 artifact donations since opening 20 years ago, and that volunteer hours number in the ten-thousands.

What makes me so proud is to have school children come and tour, and Boy and Girl Scout troops, Sitton said. At that age, theyre so inquisitive. Its such an educational thing.

The History Museum of Burke County is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is free. For more information, contact 828-437-1777.
CONOVER  For more than 50 years, the Adrian L. Shuford Jr. YMCA has played a major role in the Conover community.

From its origins, the Y is a place where all members of the community are welcome. It's a place where they can swim on the coldest winter days, work towards their health and wellness goals in a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere, and a place where they can find high-quality childcare.

"Everyone is welcome here," said Kara Cloninger, executive director of the Adrian L. Shuford Jr. YMCA, which serves more than 4,000 adults and children each year. But the facilities in the YMCA of Catawba Valley are showing their ages. That's why the YMCA of Catawba Valley launched the Building Strong Communities Initiative to modernize and expand its facilities.

According to Cloninger, the improved facilities will allow us to serve many more residents and that means we can help the families in our communities live healthier, safer, and more productive lives."

With the guidance and support of Holland & Hamrick Architects, Matthews Construction began the renovations to the Adrian L. Shuford Jr. YMCA on March 6. The work will be broken up into two phases and should be completed by the end of the year.

Phase 1 will include:

 An enhanced lobby and social gathering spaces to engage the community;

 Improved wellness center functionality with new and modernized wellness spaces to optimize the member wellness experience;

 An upgraded entryway and outdoor appearance;

 Updated men's and women's shower areas;

 New hot water heaters.

Phase 2 will include:

 Contemporary venues such as multipurpose rooms, meeting rooms, and rooms for STEM/arts;

 A new kids adventure center and child watch space.

It is an exciting time to be a part of this YMCA, said Cloninger. Our members have been extremely patient and gracious as weve embarked on these updates. They know they are much needed and they are as excited as we are to see the end result. We are grateful they have stayed and embraced all the changes with us.

All of this is possible due to the generosity of the donors to the Building Strong Communities Initiative.

For more information about how you can support the YMCA or to review recognition opportunities for your family, contact the YMCA Financial Development Office at 828-324-9622.
Authorities have charged 29-year-old Erick Aguirre of Texas with the bizarre murder of 46-year-old Elliot Nix, who allegedly shot and killed Elliot Nix, 46, in the middle of a date on April 11 after posing as a parking attendant and extorting $40 from him and the woman. , whom he met, writes the AP.

According to the police, Aguirre and the woman parked next to a restaurant in downtown Houston, where Nix approached them and asked them to pay $20 each for parking. Aguirre paid the amount, but when one of the restaurants workers told him that they had been scammed, he immediately went to his car and, according to a tobacconist who witnessed it, took his pistol and ran after Nix.

That witness did not see what happened next, but heard a gunshot before 8 p.m. and then saw Aguirre walking back to his car with the gun in his hand. The man put the gun back in the car and then joined the woman waiting in the restaurant, who, according to her own admission, did not see or hear anything, and all she learned from Aguirre was that she scared Nix and now everything is okay. They then walked towards their table, but the man seemed uncomfortable, and at his request, they ended up moving to another place.

The police were finally notified by the woman two days later, when she recognized themselves in a picture they published. The fact that he finally came across the photo in this way was not surprising, because Nix was taken to the hospital after the shooting, but died of his injuries. According to a Houston lawyer, Aguirres legal representative will likely be able to successfully argue that his clients retaliation was justified due to the protection of property. At the same time, it is against him that the man took the gun without being in immediate danger, and continued his date after the shooting.

By the way, since 2021, in Texas, you can carry a weapon without a license, neither a security check nor training is required, and since it is not entirely clear in what cases you can shoot someone, such cases occur relatively often. Incidentally, there have been several occasions in the past few weeks that seemingly harmless problems, or at least those that can be easily remedied without a weapon, have escalated into shootings, most recently two cheerleaders were shot after they accidentally got into the wrong car in the parking lot.
CONCORD  This week, Cabarrus County Schools Superintendent Dr. John Kopicki, Dr. Kelly Propst, chief of staff, and members of the Cabarrus County Board of Education traveled to Raleigh to meet with local legislators where they advocated for CCS students and staff about important topics currently moving through the North Carolina General Assembly.

Its important that we maintain a presence with our local legislators to make sure they understand the implications of proposed policies on our community of families, students, and staff in Cabarrus County, Kopicki said. I take very seriously the role of advocating on behalf of Cabarrus County Schools on issues and policies that both benefit our students and staff, and those that would have a negative impact. Ill be tireless in that effort.

The Cabarrus County contingent met with local Representatives Kristin Baker, Kevin Crutchfield, and staff members of Rep. Diamond Staton-Williams. The group also met with Sen. Paul Newton.

Board members joining Kopicki included Chair Denise Adcock, Pamela Escobar, Tim Furr, Laura Lindsey, Keshia Sandidge and Sam Treadaway.

As the North Carolina General Assembly pushes to pass education bills that affect Cabarrus County Schools, it is critically important for our legislators to hear feedback from the Cabarrus Board of Education, Adcock said. They need to know how these bills will negatively or positively affect our operations and the delivery of education to the 35,000 students we serve in our district.

One example of that is HB 219, the Charter School Omnibus, which if passed will redirect critical funds from our system that are crucial for the future financial viability of the district and will interfere with our long-term goals to provide a world-class education to the majority of (school age children that reside) in Cabarrus County.

Earlier this month, the Cabarrus County Board of Education passed a resolution opposing North Carolina House Bill 219. The Board of Education favors the current formula in place. HB 219 is currently waiting to be taken up by the House Committee on K-12 Education.
Photo: The Canadian Press FILE - Google's logo is displayed on its headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., Jan. 3, 2013. A judge has rejected a request from Google to transfer a federal antitrust lawsuit against it from Virginia to New York. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema on Friday, April 28, 2023, rejected a motion from Google to toss out the government's antirust case against it. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

A federal judge on Friday rejected a motion from Google to toss out the government's antitrust case against it.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled the lawsuit alleging Google wields monopolistic power in the world of online advertising can proceed in its entirety.

Her ruling is the second setback for Google at the federal court in Alexandria. Google had earlier tried to get the case consolidated with a similar lawsuit that's been ongoing for several years in New York. But Brinkema ruled last month that the case can proceed in the Alexandria courthouse, which is known as the Rocket Docket for its reputation of adjudicating disputes swiftly.

The lawsuit alleges that Google holds a virtual monopoly in online advertising that works to the detriment of consumers. The complaint alleged that Google corrupted legitimate competition in the ad tech industry by engaging in a systematic campaign to seize control of the wide swath of high-tech tools used by publishers, advertisers, and brokers, to facilitate digital advertising.

Google argued that the case should be tossed out, in part because the government defines Google's alleged monopoly too narrowly. Google's lawyers contend the lawsuit does not account for advertisers' ability, for example, to advertise on huge social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok that run their own advertising platforms independent of Google.

In court papers, Google made an analogy to an unsuccessful antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, a concert promoter that owns and operates a large number of outdoor amphitheaters.

The lawsuit alleged Live Nation held a monopoly on amphitheaters, but a judge ruled that the plaintiffs failed to prove a monopoly in part because they did not take into account reasonable alternatives to amphitheater venues, like indoor concert halls and arenas.

Brinkema said the question of how to define the market in which Google allegedly holds a monopoly will be a key issue in the case, But she said at this preliminary stage, the government's allegations are plausible enough for the case to move forward. The government's burden of proof, though, will increase at trial.

After the hearing, Google issued a statement from Dan Taylor, its vice president of global ads, saying the lawsuit ignores the reality of todays dynamic digital advertising space, where we compete against hundreds of companies like Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok."

The statement said the lawsuit "would slow innovation, raise advertising fees, and make it harder for thousands of small businesses and publishers to grow."

A number of states, including Virginia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Tennessee, have joined in the case as plaintiffs against Google.
The competition watchdog, the ACCC, has vowed to continue to support reforms to protect consumers and businesses following a new report into social media services which has highlighted a range of harms occurring across the services.

The report reveals that harms to consumer and businesses include excessive data collection practices, lack of effective dispute resolution options, prevalence of scams, lack of transparency for advertisers and inadequate disclosure of sponsored content by influencers and brands.

The report, which is the Australian Cometition and Consumer Commissions sixth in its Digital Platform Services Inquiry, examined competition between social media services in Australia and how consumers and businesses interact with social media services.

Social media services are an essential part of our daily lives and have provided many benefits to society. But we are concerned about the level of influence social media platforms hold over users and their position as critical intermediaries for businesses to reach customers. Limited competition in these services can lead to poorer outcomes for consumers and small businesses, ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.

This report reinforces the need for reform, including specific mandatory processes for consumers and businesses to report and social media platforms to remove scams, harmful apps and fake reviews, and establishing an external Digital Ombuds Scheme.

On scams, advertising and influencers, the ACCC notes that in 2022, Australians reported losses of over $80 million to scams initiated on social media alone - up from reported losses of $56 million in 2021 and $27 million in 2020.

It is clear that social media companies are not doing enough to stop their own users from falling victim to scammers on their platforms, especially as we understand only a fraction of people scammed ever report it, Cass-Gottlieb said.

The ACCC also notes that Australian businesses rely on social media platforms to advertise their products and engage with consumers - with small and medium businesses increasingly reliant on platforms like Facebook and Instagram for targeted, easy to use and cost-effective advertising solutions.

Advertisers have raised concerns about being unable to choose the best services to suit their needs because of the lack of transparency and accuracy of advertising performance data provided to them by social media platforms, Cass-Gottlieb said.

The report also highlights the growth of the influencer marketing industry and raises concerns about inadequate disclosure of sponsored posts by influencers and brands.

Consumers are unable to make informed choices about purchases when endorsements and sponsored posts are not clearly disclosed, Cass-Gottlieb said.

The ACCC launched a sweep earlier this year to identify misleading testimonials and endorsements by social media influencers, and examined content from more than 100 influencers after receiving over 150 tip-offs from consumers about potentially misleading posts.

These harms to consumers and small businesses are exacerbated when coupled with what many users consider a lack of effective dispute resolution mechanisms with social media platforms, Cass-Gottlieb said.

The ACCCs report also highlights what it says is the significant market power of Meta in social media services, despite the entry of TikTok and smaller platforms such as BeReal.

The report observes that Australians continue to spend more time on Facebook and Instagram combined than any other social media platform, and Metas services have the most Australian users and advertisers.

The ACCC says it considers that Metas competitors are not a significant competitive constraint as they are differentiated in their features, how they are used, and in their size and demographics of their user base.

Barriers to entry also remain high, and Metas users can face high switching costs as Metas platforms (particularly Facebook) have attracted and retained many users for a significant period of time who have invested in uploading material and building a large network of social contacts.

While younger Australians are more likely to use multiple social media services, including new platforms like TikTok and BeReal, older Australians use fewer platforms and still rely heavily on Facebook and Instagram, the ACCC observes.

The ACCC says it considers that limited competition among social media platforms means users are more likely to accept conditions they otherwise would reject if there was greater choice.

Where there are few comparable alternatives available, consumers feel compelled to use a service because their social, family or work networks are on them, Cass-Gottlieb said.

This creates a take-it-or-leave-it' situation which can result in consumers accepting unwanted collection and use of their data. Markets can be less dynamic and the quality of services lower due to market power. Consumers can also pay more, where the price they pay is exposure to higher levels of advertising and data collection.

In its Digital Platforms Regulatory Reform Report released in November 2022, the ACCC made a range of recommendations to address harms to Australian consumers, small businesses, and competition.

This report builds on the ACCCs previous work in relation to digital platforms by identifying competition and consumer harms in relation to social media services, Cass-Gottlieb said.

We continue to support reforms to address the harms weve observed, including an economy-wide prohibition against unfair trading practices, targeted consumer protections and service specific codes of conduct that would apply to designated digital platforms.

Globally, similar reforms continue to be progressed. For example, the European Digital Markets Act obligations due to apply in March 2024, and the UK Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill being recently introduced to parliament.
As Australia heads for an IT workforce exceeding 1.2 million by 2030, a range of measures are needed to boost the development and retention of skilled workers, according to Australias peak body and advocacy group for the ICT industry, the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA).

The AIIAs call comes in response to an address by the Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security, Clare O;Neil yesterday at the National Press Club outlining changes to Australias migration policy.

The AIIA has been advocating for changes to Australias migration to support the demand for highly skilled and specific ICT skills. The change announced in February to support international students transition to a working visa was warmly welcomed by the AIIA, a measure its members had been urging to reduce the skills shortage, the AIIIA said today.

The growth in demand for workers continues to significantly outstrip domestic training and immigration. Additional measures needed to meet this demand includes growing the pipeline from school into VET and tertiary tech courses and boosting completion rates, development of digital traineeships and apprenticeships, and support mid-career transition, micro-credential passports and support for women moving into tech.

The IT sector is now Australias third largest economic sector and adds $167B to the economy annually. It is forecast that the tech needs a further 330,000 skilled workers by 2027 to meet demand.

In its 2022 member survey, the AIIA found that 35 percent of members were looking to hire staff from overseas, with the shortage of skilled Australian workers the key driver of this, the AIIIA noted.

AIIA CEO Simon Bush said: The Ministers announcement today is very promising for Australias IT industry and our domestic capabilities. It is pleasing to hear the minister acknowledge today the skill shortages we see in the tech sector.

We see 23,000 international students complete IT qualifications annually in Australia, the changes to support these students to remain and work in Australia is very promising. There is strong demand and shortages in the IT sector and migration is one of the measures that will help to address these shortages.

As our digital economy continues to grow, we must make sure we have a migration system that can support us to attract and retain a talented workforce. We are in competition with many other similar economies to do this. The importance of securing the skills to boost our domestic capabilities is very important for our nation. This will support our independence and our contributions to our alliances such as AUKUS and the QUAD.

The migration changes announced is just one step that can help the skills shortages in the tech industry. Supporting school leavers to move to VET and tertiary tech courses is important. We need to continue to work with government to develop digital traineeships and apprenticeships. We also need to increase support for mid-career transition, provide micro-credential passports and support women moving into tech. All of these measures are needed to improve our skill shortages.

Australia has great opportunities to harness developing technologies such as AI, quantum computing and digital twins, but we need to ensure we have the workforce to deliver this. There are incredible opportunities for careers, earning excellent salaries and capable of working anywhere in Australia. There is no one solution to this skills shortage challenge. A range of measures - including training and education, along with skilled migration - are needed to help overcome the skills shortage in the IT sector, Bush concluded.
Amy Lovato and Roberta Rodriguez of The Schoolhouse day care center in Poncha Springs face criminal charges for not reporting this to the authorities quickly enough, and for putting the children in danger.

"Let this fact not be obscured: We are here because one preschooler pulled down another preschooler's pants," Jason Flores-Williams, Lovato's attorney, told 11th Judicial District Judge Brian Green on Thursday, asking him to dismiss the charges.

No way, said the judge. "This is the perfect case for the jury to hear," he announced to a courtroom that was packed with school parents who came to support Lovato and Rodriguez, according to The Colorado Sun.

The case against Lovato and Rodriguez seems to involve four charges, but even the judge found the case so muddled that he instructed the prosecutors to present it more cogently.

No one disputes that on Jan. 16, Lovato was filling in as a classroom teacher because the center was short-staffed. When one of the kids wet their pants, Lovato left the classroom for between three and five minutes to clean the kid and deposit the wet clothes in the laundry. When she returned, she saw the 5-year-old "crouched over" a 3-year-old who later told Lovato that the boy had tried to pull her pants down and touch her butt.

The next day, when Lovato went into the center's bathroom, she found three kids there, including a girl with her pants down and the same boy. He was touching her butt.

The school sprang into action. It called the parents involved. It planned an all-school meeting on the topic. Rodriguez called the Chaffee County Early Childhood Council to find out what else she should be doing. She reported the butt-touching to the child welfare department, and the kids-briefly-in-a-room-without-a-teacher incident to the state licensing office.

But as the toddlers themselves discovered, sometimes there is just no way to cover your rear end. The authorities shut down the day care center midday on Jan. 24, calling parents to immediately come pick up their kids. Terrified moms and dads raced over to find six armed deputies and a slew of cop cars.

"When they realized their children were safe, they wondered if they had been molested," reported The Colorado Sun. "Neither the sheriff's deputies or Chaffee County child welfare authorities who joined them in the raid... were providing information."

It was only two days later, during a meeting at the sheriff's office, that the parents learned what had happened.
His statement has links to news reports and left-leaning studies that say Florida is unaffordable and unsafe, with low teacher pay, a failing educational system, a failing medical environment, and more. Why is Donald Trump throwing in with the left? Just to knock DeSantis out of the presidential race? He hasn't even declared he's running. And everyone who knows anything, knows that Florida under the leadership of Ron DeSantis has been a tremendous success story. But by the way, if the former president thinks the place is so bad why does he still live there? This is a real head scratcher.

Another crazy story was the news on Monday that Tucker Carlson has left Fox News, evidently forced out by management. He found out he was being let go only 10 minutes before the network made the announcement, according to one source. Tucker was the highest rated prime time host on all of cable news. He clearly was a key driver of Fox's ad business and by far the most popular commentator on the station. His following was enormous.

There are various speculations on exactly what drove Fox to literally cut off their right arm by firing Tucker. Some say it is all due to the Dominion law suit against Fox in which the company settled by paying out many tens of millions to the voting-machine company. Some say it was because of the Jan. 6th videos at the Capitol that Tucker ran on his program.

Others claim he was let go simply because the sons of Rupert Murdoch (who tend to be more left of center politically) call the shots at the station and have been looking for a way to get Carlson off the air. The real story as to how and why this happened will no doubt be made clear in the weeks to come.

Meanwhile Joe Biden released a video of himself declaring he will be running for a second term as president. The taped video was released at 6:AM eastern, 3:AM pacific. Most candidates make their announcements in prime time. In Biden's case, it's like he did it in the dark of night hoping no one would see it. I guess it makes sense to keep a low profile since the Biden crime family continues to be exposed as the crooks and liars they are, with more info on their dirty business dealings coming out on a daily basis.
Downtown Winston-Salems Innovation Quarter has secured another international tenant, this time Swedish biotechnology company Mercodia.

The local facility at 200 E. First St. will provide Mercodias bioanalytical services and biomarker assays to U.S. pharmaceutical industry and academic laboratories and researchers.

Mercodia, based in Uppsala, Sweden, has 60 employees overall with six being in Winston-Salem.

The company said the focus of the local facility is bioanalytical testing for preclinical and clinical programs.

The new U.S. bioanalytical laboratory represents an expansion of Mercodias capabilities and is in line with the companys business strategy to provide outsourced bioanalytical support for drug development with a focus on large molecules, peptides and oligonucleotides on a global scale, the company said in a news release.

Jorgen Dahlstrom, Mercodias chief executive, said Mercodia will be a trusted partner for companies seeking support in the development and commercialization of their products.

The new facility in the U.S. is another step for Mercodia to become a major player in the global life-science industry.

A Mercodia blog with company president Carissa Jones provided more insight into its Winston-Salem facility plans.

Based on our reagent expertise, we felt we could fill an unmet need to bring together a concise bioanalytical strategy with a deeper knowledge of constructing, optimizing and analyzing biomarkers to provide accurate, useful data to the sponsor, Jones said.

Weve been doing this for years in our Swedish headquarters, and it only made sense to expand into the U.S. market to be more efficient for our customer base.

Jones said the U.S. facility will be less than 10 minutes from its commercial assay warehouse.

It will empower the sponsor to choose where they wish to analyze their samples while increasing our efficiency and output, Jones said.

This will help those with trials based in the U.S. versus Europe, or those that have trials in multiple countries and need to see a footprint in those countries.

Further, having multiple sites increases our efficiency and turnaround time, placing the work closer to the sponsor.

Jones said the U.S. facility will enable Mercodia to expand its services beyond metabolic disease into new therapeutic areas.

We do not see ourselves as rooted only in metabolism, as bioanalysis is therapeutic agnostic, Jones said.

Further, we will show our value proposition in assay construction, such as blocking interference with a sample matrix, which is a concern for everyone across all therapeutic areas.
Since last Saturday, three people have died in violent crimes in Winston-Salem, including a mass shooting that left one woman dead and four people injured.

Winston-Salem police have made arrests in three of those cases and are looking for suspects in three other cases, including two of the homicides.

Police Chief William Penn didnt return an email on Friday seeking comment.

The police are investigating the cases in which they are looking for suspects, said Kira Boyd, a police spokeswoman.

A lot of this gun violence is becoming very repetitive, Frankie Gist, a community activist, said Friday. Most of the killings have been done by young people and young guys in neighborhoods with nothing positive for them to do.

The most recent killing happened Thursday night. Miguel Thomas Ortiz, 41, of Kernersville was shot in northeastern Winston-Salem, authorities said Friday.

Police responded at 11:26 p.m. to a reported shooting in the 1300 block of North Liberty Street, police said. Officers also received a report of a traffic crash at the intersection of East 14th Street and Highland Avenue.

When officers arrived, they found a vehicle had hit a utility pole, police said. Ortiz, the driver, was dead inside the vehicle.

Investigators determined that Ortiz was shot in his car in the intersection of 14th Street and North Liberty Street, police said.

Ortizs vehicle then traveled east on 14th Street and hit the pole near the intersection of Highland Avenue, police said.

No arrests have been made.

Ortizs death is the citys 20th homicide so far this year, as compared to 18 homicides during the same period in 2022, police said.

Four days earlier, Javar Warren Smith, 31, of North Cherry Street was fatally stabbed and another man was charged in connection with Smiths death.

Officers responded at 11:19 a.m. Sunday to a reported stabbing at 4016 N. Cherry St., police said.

When police arrived, they found Smith suffering from an apparent stab wound, police said. Despite life-saving efforts by city firefighters and emergency medical technicians, Smith died at the scene.

Officers later found a suspect, Jeriel Donnell Friday, 33, of North Cherry Street, at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and charged him Friday with murder, police said.

Friday was being held in the Forsyth County Jail with no bond allowed, the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office said.

Smiths death is the citys 19th homicide this year, police said.

Two Winston-Salem men and a juvenile are facing charges after a man was shot and wounded Wednesday in the 1800 block of Patterson Avenue, authorities said.

Shamarion Porter, 19, of Butterfield Drive is charged with assault with a deadly weapon, inflicting serious injury and carrying a concealed gun, police said.

Dante Wyse, 21, of Joshua Way Lane is charged with being an accessory to an assault with a deadly weapon, inflicting serious injury, police said.

A 16-year-old juvenile was arrested Thursday and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, inflicting serious injury, police said.

Porter was being held Friday in the jail with his bond set at $50,000, the sheriffs office said. Wyse has been released from custody.

The juvenile was taken into custody, police said.

Winston-Salem police responded shortly before 7 p.m. on a reported shooting in the 1800 block of Patterson Avenue, police said. Before officers arrived at the scene, they learned someone had been shot.

Officers found Supreme Grimmage, 21, of Fayetteville with a gunshot wound on the sidewalk, police said.

Grimmage was treated at a local hospital for a gunshot wound to his right shoulder. Grimmages injury is not-life threatening, police said.

Investigators found a suspect vehicle, a silver Ford Mustang convertible, in the 5100 block of Butterfield Drive, police said. Officers detained and questioned the vehicles occupants.

Beatrice Maxine Knights, 21, was shot and killed Saturday during a party at Happy Hill Park. Four other people were wounded in the gunfire.

No arrests have been made.

On Thursday, Knights family gathered for a vigil and urged local residents to share any information they might know about her death.

Earlier this week, Penn said that witnesses to the shooting need to tell what they know to help investigators solve the crime.

Knights was shot when gunfire erupted shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday during a party at the shelter that attracted more than 200 people.

Trevon Graham, who was shooting video at the party, said that it appeared that two groups of teenagers exchanged gunfire at the event.

Police later described the scene as chaotic and officers found more than 100 shell casings. During the shooting, people screamed and scrambled to get away from the gunfire.

In another shooting, Alberto De La Riva Jr., 40, was shot and wounded last Friday during a fight in northern Winston-Salem, authorities said.

A 16-year-old was arrested Thursday and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, inflicting serious injury, police said.

The juvenile was placed in secure custody, police said.

The incident occurred at 6:47 p.m. in the 900 block of East 17th Street. When officers arrived, they were told that the victim, Riva, had been taken to a local hospital.

Investigators later learned a man and his juvenile girlfriend were involved in an argument inside the home at E. 17th St. when Riva intervened.

The boyfriend and Riva then began fighting, which resulted in Riva being shot in the abdomen, police said.

The boyfriend fled but was later apprehended.

According to police, Rivas injuries are serious and considered to be life-threatening.

Less than an hour after Riva was shot, officers responded at 7:50 p.m. Friday to the 200 block of Village Creek Circle on a reported stabbing, police said.

Officers found Lucious Randall Brogdon, 34, with a stab wound to his abdomen, police said.

Brogdon, who lives on Bitting Hall Circle, was taken to a local hospital for his non-life threatening injury, police said.

Investigators determined that Brogdon had been fighting with someone whom he knows, police said. That person then stabbed Brogdon and left the scene.

Many neighborhoods need more police officers and sheriffs deputies patrolling those areas, said Gist, the founder and organizer of HOPE Dealers Outreach, a nonprofit organization that bridges the gap between law enforcement agencies and local communities.

Most people in these neighborhoods want to be safe, Gist said.
A local tenants-rights group is protesting a bill that it says would hurt poor people and those who have service animals to help them.

House Bill 551 would allow landlords to recover attorney costs from tenants who appeal an eviction, and would prevent cities and counties from requiring that landlords take federal low-income housing vouchers, except in defined situations.

The bill would allow landlords to require people who have service or support animals to prove disability in some cases, and provides for fines in cases where a landlord prevails in court on a contested service-animal case.

This bill weakens local governments ability to protect their residents, and prohibits cities from implementing policies that address the housing crisis, said Paula Traffas, speaking for the local group Housing Justice Now.

Members of the local tenants-rights group held a news conference on Tuesday inside the Forsyth County Government Center. They appealed for the constituents of Rep. Kyle Hall, R-Stokes, to contact him and persuade him to drop the legislation.

Hall said changes were made to the bill but he defended it from the groups accusations. The House approved it Thursday by an 87-26 margin on its second reading. 68 Republicans and 19 Democrats voted in favor of the bill, while 26 Democrats and no Republicans were in opposition. A voice vote sent the bill to the Senate where it awaits further action.

Dan Rose, one of the members of Housing Justice Now, said he was disappointed that so many Democrats voted in favor of the bill, but vowed that the group would continue to oppose the legislation as it makes its way through the state Senate.

In the House, Hall was one of the primary sponsors of the bill. Halls district, the 91st, includes all of Stokes County and northern parts of Forsyth County, including some northern Winston-Salem neighborhoods. In fact, about half of District 91s voters live in Forsyth.

In a text message, Hall disputed a claim made by Housing Justice Now that the bill could require tenants to pay landlord attorney fees even if they won their appeal. Hall said HB 551 changes part of a section of the existing law that already specifies that a landlord can only collect attorney fees after winning the case.

Rose said that even so, the prospect of having to pay any attorney fee will create a chilling affect ... on tenants who are just trying to exercise their right to due process and get a second hearing at the district court level.

Most landlords in Winston-Salem are already under no requirement to accept federal Section 8 housing vouchers in payment, although landlords who do get financial assistance from the city have to provide affordable housing and cant discriminate against someone using the federal housing voucher.

HB 551 prevents cities and counties from requiring all landlords to accept federal vouchers, but exceptions written into the bill would allow Winston-Salem and other places to continue to impose that requirement as it does in cases where the developer gets city aid.

Phil Carter, one of the Housing Justice Now members speaking on Tuesday, called HB 551 a bill that is intended to eradicate fair housing.

Every jurisdiction has laws to ensure housing is fair, he said. This is not a bill to help the citizens. This is a bill to help the greedy, those who are already wealthy, those that are already bringing demise and destruction to the lives of those who depend on them for shelter.

Hall said there are many reasons why a private property owner may choose not to participate in the (housing choice voucher) program  including cumbersome program restrictions ... repetitive unit inspections, resident eligibility certification and other regulatory paperwork.

Hall went on to say that the bureaucratic requirements of the program add expense to the operation of apartment housing, and can contribute to the housing affordability issues we are facing across the state.

Service animals

HB 551 says people have a right to their service or support animals, and that landlords cant discriminate against anyone because of the presence of a service animal.

But Housing Justice Now members say the provision in the bill that allows landlords to take legal action against anyone suspected of falsely claiming to need a service or support animal puts another unfair burden on low-income tenants.

If the landlord doubts that you really need a service animal, a low-income person, especially a person with a disability, may not be able to mobilize, Traffas said. If you dont already have a primary health care physician, youre going to have to find one, quickly possibly, and youre going to have to pay for an appointment.

The group also objects to tenants paying damages if the landlord wins a case contesting a tenants service animal.

Hall said the bill is intended to make sure a tenant does not simply go onto the Internet to get a certificate for a support animal, and to give landlords a way to deal with fraudulent claims that abuse the system. He disputed the Housing Justice Now claim that the bill would leave people who need service animals vulnerable.

I support the rights of individuals with disabilities to request reasonable accommodations to provide safe and adequate housing, he said, adding that it creates meaningful provisions that protect an individuals need for support and service animals.
WILKESBORO  The magical moments at MerleFest have always happened on the biggest and smallest of stages.

On Friday, day two of the four-day roots music festival at Wilkes Community College, they happened within just a few minutes of each other.

There was Miko Marks on the main Watson Stage, in the heart of Appalachia, singing Trouble in honor of Civil Rights pioneer John Lewis. Not far, on the Little Pickers Stage, 14-year-old Wyatt Ellis, a mandolin whiz kid, paid homage to festival founder Doc Watson, with a crackling version of Tennessee Stud. Just a soggy field away, under the tent of the Old Time Pickin Place, 10-year-old Parker Thomas stepped into a welcoming circle of his elders and strummed along on guitar during Cluck Old Hen.

Holding a cup of boiled peanuts, an Atlanta Braves ball cap atop his head, Parker beamed afterward.

It feels amazing, the fifth-grader from Summerville, Ga., said about joining the jam circle at his first MerleFest.

Parker was set to join some other youngsters in an Acoustic Kids set on Friday evening.

He planned to stick around for the Avett Brothers, Fridays headliners and one of Parkers favorite bands.

Though rain doused the grounds on Thursday, turning portions of the campus into a muddy mess, the weather kept on the sunny side until about 4 p.m., Friday, when the threat of high winds and hail forced organizers to halt the music and ask attendees to seek shelter.

Now in its 35th year, MerleFest started as a tribute to Watsons late son, Merle, who died in a tractor accident. This weekends highlights include a tribute jam marking the 100th anniversary of Doc Watsons birth, and headlining sets from Maren Morris and Tanya Tucker. Nickel Creek, which was set to close the festival, had to cancel its performance.

Laney Lou & the Bird Dogs, a hard-driving band from Bozeman, Mt., that blends bluegrass with the energy of rock, kicked off Friday with a rollicking set.

Thats it boys. Im drinkin corn whiskey tonight, the bands guitarist and vocalist Josh Moore sang from his song Bootleg, into a surrounding countryside once rich with bootleggers.

Moore, a native of Hendersonville, said his band is just beginning to tour the Midwest and South after years of building its name in the West.

Once we got the call that we got into MerleFest, we were ecstatic, said Moore, a graduate of Western Carolina. It was at the top of our to-do list.

Mike Kelley, who plans to stay throughout the weekend, was scanning his program, marking off the acts he wanted to see, before Laney Lou & the Bird Dogs began their set.

A self-described crummy guitarist, Kelley said his love of both Doc and Merle Watson brought him to MerleFest. Hes also a big fan of the late John Prine, whose son, Tommy, is performing Saturday.

As Marks belted her brand of bluesy Southern Rock around noon, Mitch Anscher planted his roots for the day not far from the Watson Stage.

A Chapel Hill resident, Anscher has a four-day pass, so hes in it for the long haul. He sat through a downpour on Thursday to see Little Feat and, and, rain or shine, he planned to stay for the Avett Brothers, who were scheduled to start at 9 p.m., Friday.

Its the quality of the music, and the diversity of the music, Anscher said of his love for MerleFest.

MerleFest is the first of two huge events for Wilkes County. In three weeks, NASCAR will return to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the first time since 1996. The All-Star race will be May 21 and is expected to draw 80,000 people, roughly the same number as MerleFest.

Its like weve been chugging uphill and now were at the top of the rollercoaster and were about to snowball, said Thomas Salley, the director of the Wilkes County Tourism Development Authority. Were seeing some real big things happen.

PHOTOS: MerleFest 2023
LOS ANGELES  Anne Franks story is one many think they know. But when you get into the nitty gritty of it, most people dont know it all, says actress Bel Powley.

In the limited series, A Small Light, audiences learn how many helped Annes family hide from the Nazis and, ultimately, rescue and publish her diary  an account of life during the Holocaust.

Powleys character, Miep Gies, was an assistant to Otto Frank, Annes father. She willingly agreed to help him and his family hide in an annex and keep his company running.

She was a frivolous, fiercely independent young woman, Powley says. And then she found herself in extreme circumstances.

With her husband, Jan (played by Joe Cole), she found herself making bold decisions, ones that protected the Franks and their friends for two years.

Their lives were turned upside down when they made this really heroic decision to help hide these eight people, Powley says. Hopefully, it will make lots of viewers think, Would I be able to do this?

Its a question both actors asked themselves during filming.

What they did was so extraordinary and so incredible, Cole says. Hopefully, I never will be put in that position. Id like to think I could do a little something for somebody. What (Miep and Jan) did was a little something that turned out to be a huge, huge thing. They represent a huge number of people who were also doing that all over Europe.

The title comes from something Miep said: Anyone can turn on a small light in a dark room.

The Gieses downplayed their role in the Anne Frank story. Jan never spoke about it after the war, Cole says. Theres actually very little anecdotal evidence of him talking about the experience.

Miep, however, wrote a book, Anne Frank Remembered, and did interviews. Her book was my main source of research, Powley says. You get the sense she was quite cheeky and playful. She talks about how much she loved going out dancing and partying with her friends and how she found her husband so attractive.

Jan had been married and had to divorce in order to continue his relationship with Miep. It was a social faux pas in those days, Cole says.

To show how they maintained their relationship  in spite of the pressures of war  A Small Light includes moments in which theyre talking in the bathroom, in the bedroom, anywhere they can get a moment of privacy.

Jan is told he cant talk to anyone  not even his wife  about his participation in the resistance.

That raises a question: Who can you trust?

Cole says you often have to find your person  someone who shares your outlook.

Im a very trusting person, Powley admits. I can actually be quite gullible sometimes.

It takes me a minute to warm to people, Cole says. I just need to get to know you a little bit before Im youre best mate.

For both actors, A Small Light tested those boundaries and, says Powley, proved to be one of the best working experiences Ive ever had. It will stay with me.

I knew about Anne Franks story  Im Jewish myself  but I actually didnt know anything about Miep or Jan or any of the other people who helped hide the Franks. There are a lot of unlikely everyday heroes who are coming out of the woodwork since Miep. I feel honored to have been able to play her and tell the story.

The people in the annex and Miep and Jan and the workers who were helping hide them were hopeful to the end, says Joan Rater, the series executive producer and writer. They didnt know the end of the story. Every time I read Anne Franks diary, I hoped that this time theyd be saved. As a writer, I didnt play the ending. I played the hope  the hope these people were living with.

Liev Schreiber, who plays Otto Frank, says A Small Light is not the Anne Frank story you were taught in elementary school. Theyve found nuance in this. Its a very powerful argument against anti-Semitism because (Mieps) commitment was one of friendship and loyalty and kindness and compassion. She wasnt a Jew.

This is about a normal person who goes, Yes, when the question is asked, Can you help me?

A Small Light airs on National Geographic beginning May 1. It will also stream on Hulu and Disney+.
Brodey Weber, a 25-year-old candidate for northwest and downtown Lincoln's District 4 seat on the Lincoln City Council, says he believes that "improving roads in North Lincoln" is the top priority for people living in his district.

"Residents think north of O Street feels like an afterthought" for city leaders sometimes, Weber said during a telephone interview, and he pledged to make roads and road repair "my No. 1 priority" as a councilman.

Weber said other top priorities would be to make sure that police, fire and medical personnel who make up the city's first responders know that "city leadership has their back" and to pursue "economic development that helps attract and retain young professionals."

Affordable housing is "a huge issue" that also needs to be addressed, he said.

Weber said he would focus on support for local schools as well as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

"We need to make sure people want to come here and stay here," Weber said.

Campaign finances are a challenge, he said, and another reminder of "how much influence money has" in the political system.

Voter registration in the district "leans Democratic," Weber said, "but when I go door to door, people are not talking about what's going on at Fox or MSNBC. I think it's a pretty independent district."

Weber, 25, is a UNL graduate, vice president of client relations at Mid America Casing Supply and a registered Democrat.

In 2020, he was a candidate for the legislative seat held by Mike Hilgers, who won re-election to a second term and then moved on in 2022 to election as attorney general.

"As a lifelong resident of northwest Lincoln and as a young person, I felt like it was time to step up and serve," Weber wrote in response to earlier questions submitted to city election candidates by the Journal Star before the primary election.

"As the only candidate in this race who was raised here, educated here and works here, I believe that I am uniquely qualified to be our voice in City Hall," he said in the later interview.

"My roots in this community are deep. I think I can be a very effective advocate.

"The No. 1 reason I am running is because of the district," he said.

"I unequivocally support our veterans and the LGBTQ+ community," Weber said in answer to a question submitted before the primary election. "We as a city must oppose any and all forms of discrimination."

The District 4 seat is now held by Tammy Ward, a Democrat, who did not seek re-election.